As the clock ticked a few minutes past the agreed-upon time, I made my way into the tower of alchemy, golden fox padding silently beside me, and my clergy hovering close behind.

The buzzing sound of whispered conversations filled the spacious room as I scanned the crowd of disciples, who bowed in respectful greeting as we made our entrance. My gaze darted around the library, registering the guild members who mingled with the disciples, and the arrangement of tables that were normally positioned throughout the room, but now occupied the forefront, displaying a varied assortment of intriguing items.

In the center of this setup stood Kensa, her face radiant with excitement as she addressed a small group of listeners. On closer inspection, I noticed Yuki and Noctus sitting in the chairs arranged in rows in front of Kensa, with three empty seats seemingly reserved for my clergy and myself.

As I approached the chairs, I nodded in greeting as I took my seat next to Noctus, the golden fox jumping up and settling comfortably in my lap, his eyes scanning the room in a nonchalant yet inquisitive manner.

Shoving the temptation to throw him off my lap, I began petting the god as though he were truly the animal he was portraying.

Smirking, I directed a thought at the god; "If you want to play the part of a pet, you'll get treated like a pet."

“Your Eminence,” Noctus purred, his lips curving into a sultry smirk. “We are honored to receive an invitation to attend this little soirée.”

I scowled at him, my ears laying back against my hair in response to his choice of greeting. "Research presentation," I corrected.

Yuki leaned around Noctus, peering at the fox in my lap. "Who is your friend?"

"Tris," I answered in a deadpan tone, glancing down at the fox. He had disguised his nine tails, leaving him with the appearance of a common fox if not for the golden fur that shimmered with a luminous hue.

Noctus snorted at the name, a gesture that went unnoticed by Yuki as she leaned back in her chair with a smile.“You named him for your patron?”

“I did not name him.” I replied, my tone terse.

Noctus laughed and Yuki shot him a glance before turning back to me. “Well, it is an interesting name, nonetheless.”

"Indeed," I agreed before turning my attention back to Kensa who stood nervously at the front of the room, her hands trembling slightly as she prepared to present her research. She cleared her throat in an attempt to gain the attention of the crowd, but the low murmur of voices drowned out the sound.

Kensa shifted nervously and darted a glance in my direction. I raised a brow, silently asking her what she intended to do. She lowered her head, teeth sinking into her lower lip as she stared at her feet.

After a few moments of contemplation Kensa straightened and turned to the table behind her to pick up a glass vial.

Glass shattered as the vial hit the ground and a blinding flash of light filled the room. I recoiled in my seat, my eyes squinting against the sudden brightness as a wave of heat washed over us all. The intensity of energy waned, leaving behind an exotic scent that clung to our clothes and hair.

Before anyone had time to react or make sense of what they had just witnessed, Kensa began to speak. "What you have all observed just now is the Bright Flash potion, created using a byproduct of Pyrthirío bones and spark moss. This is the first of many things we shall show you today." Kensa declared proudly.

"Well, that's one way to get people's attention," Trismegistus drawled, his voice audible only to me. "She's following in her mentor's footsteps."

"So, you're talking to me now?" I replied silently as I continued to blink away the spots dancing across my vision.

Loud complaints and questions were voiced by the crowd in the aftermath of the Bright Flash potion's deployment, but Kensa silenced the crowd by threateningly raising a second vial above her head.

"Now, as I was saying before," Kensa began again, her voice loud and commanding. "My fellow disciples and I have worked hard to bring you a demonstration of our recent discoveries in potions." She paused, casting a determined look over the assembly. "Behold." With a flourish, she uncorked the vial and tossed its contents into the air above us.

The room erupted into awe filled murmurs as the potion's components formed an intricate pattern of light that slowly descended over us like snowflakes. Kensa beamed, her face glowing with satisfaction. "This is the Falling Star potion," she exclaimed. "It will last up to an hour and can be deployed to quickly light up a widespread area. This is especially useful during night time battles."

As Kensa's presentation went on, it became increasingly apparent that she was a natural at showmanship. Her experiments were innovative and her presentation was engaging; All in all, I was pleased with how she stepped up after the initial hesitation she showed.

After speaking for a few more minutes about her potions, Kensa stepped back to allow another disciple to take on the speaking role and present his own discoveries. I listened with amusement as the disciple prattled on about how he had begun hiccuping flames after eating a large number of Pyr plums, and how it led to the discovery of his potion named Dragon's Breath.

The disciples were becoming more creative and innovative by the day, and the enthusiasm radiating from each of them was infectious. I couldn't help but feel proud to be surrounded by such dedication and passion for knowledge. The future seemed bright indeed.

“Lastly, I would like to present my research into Pyrium, the gelatinous substance that makes up a Pyrthirío's body," Kensa stated, coming to the front once more. "Pyrium is extremely durable; it does not melt, shatter, or dent when hit. We have found many uses for this substance; however, the most prevalent is in armor."

Gesturing to one of her fellow disciples, she waited for them to bring forward a wooden mannequin. A semi-transparent orange substance covered the mannequin's upper body, conforming to its shape.

"As you can see," Kensa continued, "Pyrium is surprisingly flexible; it's lightweight yet durable. It provides excellent protection with minimal hindrance to movement. It also has some special properties, such as the ability to absorb magical energy, allowing it to be used by magic users and warriors alike."

Kensa paused, gesturing to the mannequin once more. "Remarkably," she said with a smile, "Pyrium armor can easily deflect arrows and weapon strikes, making it a great asset in any battle. It is also surprisingly comfortable to wear." She then proceeded to prove her point, stabbing the mannequin with her sword.

The crowd erupted in astonishment as the blade bounced off of the Pyrium harmlessly. I smiled in admiration of Kensa's creativity and resourcefulness.

"Markion's going to shit bricks when he finds out he missed this," Noctus murmured from beside me. I gave a soft hum of agreement, my attention on the fox reclining in my lap. He watched attentively as Kensa reached the end of her presentation, his tail giving a little wag as she withdrew a handful of marbles made of Pyrium.

"And to show you that Pyrium is not just useful for alchemy," she said, gesturing towards Nadir who had come to stand beside her, "but also for transmutation, I would like to introduce Nadir from the transmutation tower."

"Thank you, Kensa,” Nadir said, nodding to the elf before turning to address the audience. “I'm here today to demonstrate a simple transmutation array using Pyrium." With that, he held up a silver metal disc with an indentation large enough for one of Kensa's marbles to fit in its center.

Transmutation arrays were inscribed around the disc, and I watched with anticipation as Nadir inserted one of the Pyrium marbles. He then stepped away from the disc, gesturing to the wooden mannequin which two disciples hurriedly divested of the Pyrium armor and carried to the far wall.

"Pyr-raa!" Nadir shouted, thrusting his arm forward and sending out a wave of flames from the disc towards the mannequin. My eyes widened as I watched a fiery gelatinous substance coat the surface of the mannequin, burning away its outer layer of wood.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as Nadir took a bow, his face lit up with pride.

"Inventive," I said, nodding in approval as the disciples clapped and cheered. "He's found a way to weaponize the Pyrium through a transmutation array."

Tris nodded his vulpine head, giving me a sidelong glance before turning his attention back to the front of the room as Nadir broke his silence and elaborated on how he had modified the fireball array to use Pyrium as a new offensive fire array.

As Nadir spoke about the array, smoke began to fill the room and I prepared to send Pyr out to absorb the flames, when an ethereal rabbit bounded through the air towards the burning mannequin. The rabbit hopped around the mannequin, the fire spiraling into its transparent orange body.

I watched as the rabbit extinguished the fire before it dispelled into nothingness, leaving a blackened and charred mannequin in its wake. The room was silent for a moment before the disciples broke out into applause once more.

As the applause died down, Veritas, one of the disciples of the astrology tower stepped forwards. "I am Veritas, a disciple of Astral magic," she announced, a soft smile on her lips.

Facing the crowd, the pretty dark elf held up one of Kensa's Pyrium marbles and began to weave its energy into an astral blessing. "This is the astral spell of the constellation Ignatius, which presented itself among the stars whilst I held a piece of Pyrium. The blessing can only be imbued with Pyrium acting as a guide to the constellation's fiery power."

As she spoke, a rabbit-like creature formed around the Pyrium marble and I felt its energy radiating outward. "Ignatius is a blessing of protection against fire and can absorb attacks from that element to a certain degree."

Her eyes twinkled and I knew what she was about to do.

"Shall we test it?" Veritas asked, moving towards Nadir. He nodded, holding up his Pyra array disc with a smirk.

The audience held its breath as Veritas stepped forward, the Ignatius blessing hovering around her. Nadir shot force another fiery attack in the direction of the dark elf and my protests stuttered in my throat as the ethereal rabbit dove towards the fire, absorbing the attack with ease before disappearing as its predecessor had.

“As you can see,” Veritas said, beaming, “the Ignatius blessing is only able to handle one hit from the Pyra array, but it has considerable power in absorbing fire-based magic.”

The crowd cheered once more and I couldn't help but smile at how Nadir and Veritas had figured out a way to make use of the Pyrium. I could only imagine what else they could discover with their combined efforts and ingenuity.

“Well done, my disciples,” I said, nodding to them all. “You have put forth much effort and dedication into your studies and you should be proud of yourselves.” Trismegistus murmured his agreement in the back of my mind and I knew that he was as pleased with their progress as I was. "However in the future, please refrain from using the library for such presentations," I said, my voice stern with warning. "Such demonstrations are best done outdoors."

The disciples nodded, sheepish grins on their faces.

"Kensa and Aulis, step forwards." I said, turning my attention to the two alchemy disciples. "You have both made great strides in your studies. Aulis, you shall receive the second-level library access for two weeks as a reward for your efforts, and Kensa," I said, turning to the high elven disciple, "you will receive a month of access."

Kensa and Aulis bowed their heads. "Thank you, High Priestess," they said in unison.

"Now, with that," I said, clapping my hands together, "I believe it is time to adjourn this meeting and reconvene in two days for the next alchemy lesson. Dismissed."

With a nod of dismissal from me, the crowd began to disperse, talking about the presentation as they left. I could not help but feel proud for what my disciples had accomplished and I knew even greater feats were yet to come.

"That was quite the show, High Priestess," Noctus said, his usual playful tone back in full force.

"I agree," Yuki said, twirling a strand of platinum blond hair around her index finger. "I didn't know astral magic was capable of such feats."

Meissa gave a soft laugh as she approached after having spoken with her disciple. "Astral magic can be a powerful force if used correctly," she said, looking over at Yuki. "Perhaps you would like to come and watch us practice sometime?"

Yuki nodded. "I would love that," she said, her face alight with enthusiasm.

As the two continued to talk, my gaze shifted to Brodel. He looked tired, and I could tell he had used a great deal of energy in raising the guild hall earlier in the day. "Are you alright?" I asked with concern.

He nodded. "Just a bit weary, High Priestess," he said with a smile. "Nothing a bit of rest won't fix."

"I'm glad to hear it," I said, relieved. "Take care of yourself and make sure you get enough rest. We still have much work to do."

"On that note, I shall take my leave," Brodel said, bowing his head to me. "Good night."

I nodded in response and watched as he walked away, his staff tapping against the ground with each step.

Noctus and Yuki bid their goodbyes as well, heading off to the guild hall. Meissa remained for a moment longer, her gaze lingering on the fox sitting at my feet for a moment before she walked away in silence.

I watched her go before turning to leave, my thoughts still on the presentation. Even with the great strides my disciples had made, I knew that there was much more to come.

Leaving the temple, I started to make my way across the plateau. It was a strange sight to see the normally quiet area so busy, tents were scattered about and people were walking around, some stopping to take in the view of the fiery landscape of the mountain. The twin moons hung low in the sky, casting shadows across everything as it seemed to light up the darkness.

As I made my way to the wall, I heard a soft padding of feet behind me. Looking back, I saw that the fox was following me. He seemed content enough, trotting along, tail flicking and whiskers twitching as he took in the sights around him.

I continued towards the wall that stretched out from one side of the plateau to another, winding its way to the side of the mountain. I climbed the steps and walked along its length, looking out over the landscape with its sprawling forest of flame that seemed to stretch for miles.

On the wall I passed by the patrolling golems, their purple and gold cloaks concealing their identity as clay constructs. Though I knew they were not real guards, they still managed to put me at ease as I made my way along the wall.

The fox continued to follow me, though seeming not to be in any particular rush. After a time I reached the end of the wall and stopped, leaning against it as I looked out over the land. The fox jumped up on the ledge, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

We stayed there for some time, silently watching as the stars slowly moved across the sky. I followed the stars' progress as they morphed into the images of the constellations. My gaze settled upon the image of a dragon weaving through the clouds of multicolored light, chasing a mermaid diving across the night sky, her fins glowing in the moonlight.

"That one there," I said as I pointed out the constellation of a wolf pack chasing a boar across the horizon, their figures lit up by the stars. “That is Canis lupus, a tier three astral blessing, right?"

The fox nodded, "Yes," he said. "Would you like to learn it?"

I smiled, my gaze lingering on the wolf pack. "You're not going to make me do shadow puppets are you?" I asked, half-jokingly.

The fox tilted his head and huffed in reply, before saying to me, "No, only tier one blessings require such things."

I laughed, listening as Tris began to guide me through the motions of the blessing. My arms moved in graceful arcs, and I could feel power surging from my center, radiating outwards. As I completed the last of the motions, I felt a wave of energy ripple out from me, and twelve ethereal wolves appeared around us, each one twinkling in the starlight.

The bond between us was instantaneous, and I could feel their eagerness to follow my commands. With a satisfied smile I watched as the wolves sped across the mountain side, tails fanning out behind them as they chased a group of fiery rabbits.

“Well done,” said Tris, as the wolves disappeared into the night.

I smiled in reply and gave a thankful nod before turning back to look out at the stars. "I've been practicing," I said.

As we watched the stars slowly move across the night sky, a strange fog descended, and the stars seemed to dim in its presence. There was something sinister about this mist. It had come out of nowhere, not forming in the manner a normal fog would.

"Tris, are you doing this?" I asked, my gaze searching the thick fog that was now surrounding us.

The fox's ears twitched as he considered the question. "No, this poisonous fog is the doing of another."

"Poisonous fog?" I asked, looking at the fog. Due to my experimentation with Leosaur blood, I possessed some immunity to certain poisons, but I was still far from immune to all of them. I tilted my head, tasting the air on my tongue.

My nose wrinkled as the faint aroma of something musky and bitter met my nostrils. I inhaled, recognizing it immediately. I had smelled this scent before.

"Amethina root," I muttered, my eyes narrowing as the fog slowly crept closer. Amethina root was a rare plant found in the tropics and contained an incredibly powerful neurotoxin. Even smelling it could be deadly if you're not careful. "And something else, hmm, what is this?"

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, the scent of something grassy and earthy hidden beneath the aroma of amethina root.

"Nightshade," I mused, my lips pursing as I recalled the effects of the deadly plant. "A combination of nightshade and amethina root? An amateur then," I concluded. "No alchemist of skill would use such a weak and easily countered poison."

Trismegistus did not answer, his gaze locked on a figure emerging from the fog.

The figure was tall and slender, with a long hooded cloak that concealed their identity. As the stranger stepped closer I could see their eyes and my breath caught in my throat. They were a brilliant, silvery gray that seemed to pierce through the darkness like lightning.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that my wisps have no effect on you.” The voice came from the darkness to my left, a soft whisper carried on the wind. “You are the high priestess of the alchemy god after all.”

The figure stepped closer and the hood of their cloak fell away, revealing a kitsune with a black stole draped loosely around her neck and lower face. Dressed in all black, the dark haired kitsune almost blended into her surroundings as she stared at me with a penetrating gaze.

I nodded in acknowledgement, my gaze flicking over her features. There was something familiar about her, but I could not place what it was.

“I have been told you wished to meet me,” the woman said, her head tilting slightly to the side as she looked at me.

Lena… This was none other than the infamous Lena, the Silver Arrows co-leader.

“There was a time when that may have been true,” I said, giving her a pitying smile. “However, your usefulness to me waned some time ago; if you had been swifter in meeting me, our encounter could have been more advantageous for you.”

Lena’s silver eyes crinkled at the edges, and there was a slight crease to her brow. Unable to see her mouth I could not determine if it was an indication of a smile or a frown.

“What an astounding level of arrogance.” She wagged a finger at me, her voice carrying an undertone of mockery. “Have a care, little alchemist, for arrogance often begets death.”

“You speak with an unfounded degree of temerity.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “The only death tonight shall be yours, if you continue to show a lack of respect for the high priestess of our race’s patron god.”

We stared at each other in silence, purple and gold eyes clashing with gleaming silver. “You appear as a kitsune of only two tails, yet you speak, and act as though you have the power of several."

I narrowed my gaze and took a step closer to her. "This is not mere arrogance then; it is strength backed by confidence."

"Hmm," she nodded thoughtfully before breaking into a small smile. "I can see the glimmer of illusion around you. The strength is beyond that which a kitsune with only two tails can cast, so it is obvious you have more hidden away."

A slow smile crept across my face. It would seem the illusion Brodel helped me place on my tails to make them appear placid and well behaved would bring even better results than I'd hoped. “Perhaps.”

“I wish to test your strength.” The Silver Arrow assassin declared, holding up a hand with three slender fingers pointing upwards. “If you can kill me before I kill you, I will gift you three deaths delivered upon a person of your choice.”

The challenge was tempting, and yet I could not ignore the risks that came with it. I weighed my options carefully, a thousand possibilities running through my mind. "Now it is you who speaks in arrogance," I said at last.

"Few can kill me, and I am curious if you can be counted among those few," she replied, her ears pricking up in anticipation.

I considered her proposal, my mind quickly calculating the odds. After a moment of contemplation, I nodded. "Very well. I accept your challenge." I said with a smirk. "I will leave your possessions with one of the guards for you to collect upon your revival."

Lena tilted her, a smirk of her own emerging on her lips. "You're so confident."

"And you're dead.” I said, turning away from her to look at the sky. "Farewell, Lena."

A gasp of pain punctuated my words, and I watched as her upper body arched, her lips parting on a silent cry before she slumped to the ground. Azure tears brimmed over her eyes, spilling down the rapidly paling flesh of her face.

Tris jumped down from the wall and walked to the corpse, prodding it with his foot. “So this is the kitsune, Nyxi, favors? Hmm, I am disappointed.” He shook his head and looked up to me. “We did not lose in trading this one for Meissa." He informed me, as if it had been a business transaction.

I glanced at him, a wry smile curling on my lips. “No, I think not.”

Lena was rumored to be one of the strongest known kitsune in Kaledon, yet all it took was a tiny necromantic spider to defeat her. She hadn’t even noticed it creeping up the back of her clothing, and her long braid until it sat poised at the back of her head ready to sink needle-like fangs into the base of her skull.

I sighed as I stared down at the dark haired kitsune. I hadn’t planned on killing Lena, the spider had been a precaution, and if discovered would serve as a demonstration of the things I could offer the guild of assassins and mercenaries.

But then, such is the nature of death. Unexpected and often unwelcome. I could only hope that Lena's death would serve a higher purpose, and be forgotten quickly in the grand scheme of things. She would revive, and when she did, Lena would almost certainly seek me out. Of that, I was certain.