Chapter 12

Krarshe packed his personal effects into his sack. Not that there was much. Most of it, aside from his daily needs and food rations, hadn't been used. He still didn't understand why he had to bring them all to begin with.

The days following the undead incident had been largely unremarkable. Taliarrah constantly went between the cave entrance to check her stone barrier and give instructions in the village.

Krarshe and Lycia had spent much of their time scouting out the mountain passes, looking for more skeletons that had escaped or avoided imprisonment, under strict orders to not engage with them. With no sightings, the order was largely irrelevant, but Krarshe appreciated the time alone in the hills.

In truth, being around either of his companions had grown awkward. He'd always been a bit anxious around Taliarrah but it was significantly worse now, to the point where he actively avoided her if he could. Worse yet, however, he now found himself avoiding Lycia. As much as it pained him, seeing her just reminded him of how he'd nearly gotten her killed.

After an eternity of this mental torture, the cleric had finally arrived with armed escort: a dozen knights, clad in gleaming armor and dull grey tabard with a deep red symbol that Krarshe didn't recognize. It looked like a wolf's head encircled by some kind of symbol, a three-pronged icon of some sort. He wasn't sure if they were affiliated with whatever religious sect the cleric was from or if they belonged to Dragonsfall.

Regardless of their connection, they had assisted the cleric with the undead. When Taliarrah brought down her stone barrier, they had formed a defensive wall in front of the cave to hold the undead at bay as the cleric began his ritual. Krarshe hadn't been close enough to hear what was being said, but the whole ritual took a long time. At its conclusion, he could feel a pulse of warmth pass through him. Simultaneously, the skeletons all collapsed. It felt anticlimactic after the turmoil and tragedy the undead had wrought.

After that, they and Taliarrah had entered the cave to clear out any undead that remained inside. Krarshe and Lycia had been forbidden to enter by her mother and thus were left once again on sentry duty, watching the entrance to ensure no undead had avoided the purification ritual. Krarshe could only guess how many times it had to be performed, based solely on the gratuitous time it took for them to return.

With the undead dealt with and request complete, they were to return to Dragonsfall to report to the guild there.

"Why did you wait to pack until the morning of our departure?"

Without turning around, Krarshe replied, "It's done already, Master."

"Good. Take your stuff and bring it outside. I'll go check on-"

"Mother."

Hearing Lycia's voice made Krarshe jump a bit. He regretted saying he was finished, now forced to walk past her.

"Oh, I was just about to check on you, Lycia. Are you packed?" Taliarrah asked.

"N-not yet..."

"Well, make haste. I'd like to get back before-"

Again, Lycia interrupted her. "Umm. I found this in my robes..."

Krarshe peeked at her as she pulled the item from her garments. The same unsettling feeling as before washed over him as he beheld the leathery black tome from the cave.

Taliarrah took a slight step back. "Lycia..."

"I... forgot I had it..."

"... Where did you find this?"

Krarshe could see her nervous expression now. Like when one of the children in Valenfort was caught doing something they shouldn't.

"We found it, in the cave... I grabbed it when we were escaping. Thought it wouldn't be good to leave for someone else..." she said, eyes drifting to the floor before returning to her mother's face. "I swear, I wasn't hiding it from you! I haven't even looked at it!"

"Shh," Taliarrah said, holding a finger to her lips. She looked around. "It's okay, I believe you."

Krarshe shuddered as he continued to look at the book, at the strange symbols stitched into it. He didn't know what it was, but something about that book seemed... wrong. Wicked, even. He could feel it in his gut.

Taliarrah studied it. "Lycia. Give me the book. It's dangerous."

Lycia quietly complied, handing it over.

"I'll take care of it until we can give it to the proper authorities. Not many can handle such an artifact safely," she said, hiding it away in her robes. "And, both of you. Not a word about this book to ANYONE, understood?"

"Yes, master," both whispered in unison.

"Now, hurry along! Krarshe and I will be waiting outside for you."

Ugh. He knew it was unavoidable, but just the thought of having to be alone with his teacher made him nervous. She hadn't mentioned anything since the scolding, but he couldn't help but fear that she'd bring it up again.

Begrudgingly, he made his way outside, alongside his master, as they awaited their departure.

* * *

"'Kay, this's where yeh get off."

"Thank you. How much do I owe you again?"

Krarshe passively listened as Taliarrah talked to the merchant whose wagon they'd hitched a ride back to Remonnet on, keeping his eyes on the fields surrounding the capitol. Since the first time he saw these fields in Budding season a few years ago, he'd always made a point to bring his wheat here at this time of year. The gentle slopes being covered in the purples, reds, and yellows of a multitude of different flowers was a beautiful sight to behold.

Sadly, he wasn't of the mindset to enjoy their charm this time.

When they reached Dragonsfall to report to the guild, Taliarrah said they'd be returning to simpler quests back in Remonnet, that they weren't ready for those found in the adventurer's mecca. Both Krarshe and Lycia didn't argue, not that they were in any position to, but it still felt like humiliating defeat. In the end, the ride back home was a quiet, uncomfortable one.

On more than one occasion, Krarshe thought about abandoning this new take on life. Of sneaking off one night when they stopped to sleep and starting anew again. These thoughts crept into his head again and again, every time his shame and frustration kept him awake. But paralyzing indecision kept him from taking any action, and, ultimately, found himself back in Remonnet once again.

"Come along, you two. We have much to do," Taliarrah said, hopping off the wagon.

Krarshe got up with his pack and hopped down. Lycia followed.

"Aah!"

As she landed on the dirt road, her foot rolled on a rut and she fell into Krarshe. He caught her instinctively.

"S-sorry..." she said quietly. She hesitated a moment before righting herself and hurrying up to her mother.

Krarshe's heart sank a bit. Her reaction bothered him, almost painfully so. She must still hate me for it, he thought, thinking about how he'd behaved back in Lanche.

They made their way through the general public's entrance, near where Feyfaire meets Castle Ward. From there, they followed the main street down to the guild's entrance.

Another quest? We just got back... Krarshe sighed.

"Something wrong, Krarshe?" Taliarrah asked.

"N-no, Master!"

Without another word, she led them into the guild hall and over to the reception desk.

"May I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"Two things, if you could. First, I had sent a missive ahead of our arrival."

"Oh, Miss Taliarrah, correct?"

Taliarrah nodded.

"Yes, we did receive your missive. I'll let the guild master know you've arrived."

"No need," said a deep, gruff voice from the stairs behind the counter. An older man came down them, his well-worn leather boots clomping on each step. This man looked as worn as his boots, his thick, bushy mustache speckled with grey and thinning hair seemed appropriate for the multitude of wrinkles on his face. What took Krarshe aback, however, was his sheer size. Despite his clearly advanced age, his rippling muscles said he could still snap a lesser man in two.

"Gustave, sir! I was just about to fetch you."

"I know, Colette. I'll take it from here."

"Yes, sir." Colette bowed.

"While I'm speaking with him," Taliarrah said, addressing Colette again, "could you find a request on my behalf? I need something for a mage, but that doesn't involve combat."

So my credibility has fallen that far, huh? Krarshe looked away and shook his head in disappointment. Despite this though, he felt it was about right for him.

"Right away, ma'am!" With another bow, Colette hurried over to the quest posting board.

"Now, Tali, how long's it been since we spoke?"

"Tali?" Lycia whispered.

"Many years. Don't think you were guild master back then." She paused, inspecting him from top to bottom. "You look different. Aside from those ratty clothes."

"I like them. They're comfortable," he said, tugging his light brown shirt.

"Oh please. You're a guild master now. You need to look the part. That shirt was white once, no doubt."

"Ahem. My clothes aside, what business do you bring? Rare to receive a missive like that, especially from you," he said with a bellowing laugh.

"Not here. Let's go somewhere private," she said curtly.

His laughing stopped abruptly. "... Oh, I see. We can discuss it in my office. Come along."

Taliarrah turned to Lycia and Krarshe. "You two wait here for the receptionist." Without waiting for a response, she followed the guild master up the stairs.

"What do you think she's discussing?"

Krarshe jolted as he felt Lycia's breath on his ear as she whispered to him. "I don't know..." he grumbled.

In truth, he didn't care. His mind was filled with the same dispiriting thoughts he'd been grappling with for the past several days. He turned toward the quest board, watching the receptionist weave through the crowd. For a minute, all he heard was the usual bustle of the guild hall. It made it hard to focus, but he welcomed the distraction.

"Umm... Krarshe? Is everything all right?"

Lycia's voice broke through his thoughts. "Huh?"

"You've... You don't seem like yourself lately."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She stepped in front of him, her eyes meeting his. "Don't lie to me. What's wrong?"

Again, Krarshe deflected. "Nothing."

She kept staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Krarshe."

He looked away.

"Krarshe..." She continued to pressure him, unrelenting.

Finally, he gave in. Quietly, barely above the noise of the room, he said, "I'm just... questioning..."

"Questioning what?"

"... Everything."

"I'm... not sure I understand."

"Don't worry about it then." Krarshe turned and started to put some distance between them before he felt his cloak tug him backwards.

"No. I won't just 'not worry' about it," Lycia said. "Explain. Please..."

Her gentle gaze caught him off guard. The dismissive words caught in his throat. He couldn't beat that look. With a sigh, he confessed. "I just... Should I even be here? Learning magic... From your mother, I mean."

Lycia blinked a few times. "What? Why shouldn't you?" She looked away and muttered, "If anything, you're taking to it better than me..."

He shook his head. "It's not about aptitude. I don't know if... if I can trust my own judgment. Maybe magic isn't the issue. Maybe I'm not cut out to be an adventurer."

"Because what? You're too brash?"

"I almost got you killed!" Krarshe shouted. Too loudly, as the noise in the guild hall stopped.

Lycia grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him off to the side, the clamor resuming a moment later. "Krarshe, I'm just as much to blame for that."

"But-"

"I could have tried to stop you. I could have left you alone and went to find my mother. But I didn't. I was just as stupid as you. I didn't want to lose you, so I foolishly followed you into that cave. To keep you safe. You didn't almost get me killed, that was my own mistake. Got it?"

Krarshe hadn't seen her that forthright, possibly ever. It was shocking, to say the least. As the words sank in, one thing she said stood out. "Y-you... didn't want to lose me...?"

Lycia just stared blankly back at him.

"Umm... Lyc-"

Suddenly, without uttering a word, she took off into the throng of adventurers.

Krarshe went to follow her but lost her in the crowd almost immediately. Okay... Didn't expect that reaction. Unsure of what to do now, he walked back to the reception desk.

"Ah, sir, I've found the request for your party," Colette said, returning to the counter. "... Where did the young miss go?"

Krarshe just shrugged.

"... I'm sure she's fine," she said with a sincere smile.

"Make sure you get it there safely."

Krarshe spun around to see his teacher and the guild master coming down the stairs.

"Of course, Tali. Who do you take me for?"

"I know you don't want me to answer that, so I'll keep it to myself."

"Hey now..." he said with a laugh.

She sighed. "I know I can trust you, or I wouldn't have had you deliver it. I'd just have done it myself, despite the trouble it'd bring."

"I swear on my life, Tali. It'll be in their custody before dusk."

Taliarrah nodded at him.

"Ma'am, I've found your quest."

"Ah, thank you." She walked over and took the leaflet from Colette. "Hmm... This'll be perfect, thank you."

Colette bowed. "Always a pleasure to be of service."

"Now... Where'd Lycia go?"

"O-over h-here..."

Krarshe spun around but couldn't find her. The crowd was as thick as ever.

"What are you doing hiding over there? Let's go." Taliarrah started for the entrance.

Sheepishly, Lycia emerged from behind a group of people sitting at a table. Krarshe could make out some joking tones and chuckling coming from them as they waved her goodbye. Without a word to them, she hurried over behind her mother.

"What were you doing over there?" Krarshe asked as he caught up to her.

She didn't respond. She just kept fiddling with her braid.

The three of them made their way across Remonnet without a word until they reached Stormbridge.

"Umm... Master, where are we going?" Krarshe finally asked.

"To the next request."

Unsatisfied with her terse reply, he asked again, "And what IS that request, exactly?"

"You'll see when we arrive."

Krarshe sighed. He knew better than to push harder against his teacher and he frankly wasn't in the mood for a fight, so he quietly continued behind her.

Through the faintly familiar streets of Stormbridge they walked. Past the roar of smithy furnaces, past the homes of well-off merchants, to the gates of the city.

"... We're going to Ironpole?" Krarshe asked once more, his curiosity overcoming his gloom.

No answer.

Okay then... He looked at Lycia. She was looking out at the scenery beyond the gate like it was her first time here. It might have been, actually. Krarshe recalled he'd never been here before seeking out the chapel for healing. Seeing how similar her reaction was to his first visit to Ironpole made it hard to not smile, though he caught himself a moment later and returned to his obstinate, glum disposition.

They continued out into Ironpole, past the chapel and into the endless fields. With each step, Krarshe ruled out possibilities for the requester, leaving one possibility. At least, he thought. He didn't know who or what lay in the far reaches of Ironpole.

As the sun was beginning its descent, they arrived at a small collection of houses. Or, cabins might have been more accurate.

Taliarrah approached a small group of people who were gathered outside one of the homes. "Hail! We came from the guild for the request!"

The group acknowledged them with a simple wave.

Krarshe quickly turned toward the fields. Approaching people was still somehow distressing for him, even if he wasn't the one doing it.

One of them stepped forward and called back, "Teva's blessin'! Well met! I put in the quest not more than a day 'n' a half ago."

Wait... That voice...

"My name's Taliarrah, and these are my two students: my daughter Lycia, and this is-"

"Karsh! Lad, how ya been?!" He felt a heavy hand thump on his back, nearly knocking him over. "It's yer old friend, Alban!"

Were we friends? "Y-yeah, good to see you again, Alban."

"You know Krarshe?" Taliarrah gave Krarshe a surprised look.

"Mmhmm! Gave 'im a ride ta the chapel down the road. Did Teva bless ya with healin', Karsh?"

Was he always this cheerful? "Yeah. Somewhat."

"Good, good! I knew the goddess would help ya. And, Teva's blessin', we've been reunited!" He laughed and whacked Krarshe on the back again. For an older man, his strength wasn't lacking. He then leaned in close and whispered, "This yer sweet girl?"

"N-n-no," Krarshe stammered.

Before he could explain, Taliarrah said, "Not to interrupt your reunion, but we're here for this quest-"

"Right! Right. Let me get outta yer way, then. Ya must be busy people 'n' all. Don't wanta be holdin' ya up."

"Just one question before we begin. The amount doesn't matter, right?"

Amount? Krarshe's brain was still trying to figure out what they were here for, but he still couldn't solve it.

"Mmhmm. We did have the floodin' not too long 'go, but not a drop since. It's a crit'cal time fer the crops, ya know?"

"Right. Well, we'll get started then."

Alban nodded. With a wink and a smile to Krarshe, he went and stood under an overhang on the outside of one of the homes.

What was that about? Krarshe thought, in spite of his warming cheeks.

"So, I'll be having you two perform the spell on this one."

"What spell, exactly?" Krarshe asked, hoping to finally know what was going on here.

"If you'll stay quiet for a moment, I'll tell you..." She glared at Krarshe.

"S-sorry..." Great, another blunder...

"You'll be performing a rain summoning spell."

"Rain summoning? But you haven't taught us that yet..." Lycia said.

"It's a bit on the advanced side, so I've been waiting on it. That said, I think you'll be able to manage it if you both cast it together."

"... Together?" they asked in unison.

"One of the reasons it's considered advanced is it uses both verbal and somatic components at the same time."

"But-"

"It'll be fine, Lycia. It can be performed with one handling the somatic component while the other performs the verbal portion."

"Okay..." Lycia said timidly.

"Lycia, I'll have you perform the somatic component. Krarshe, since the one reciting the incantation is providing the mana, you'll be handling the verbal component. Okay?"

Both nodded slowly.

"Okay. First, Lycia. Position your hands like this," she said, holding her hands together in front of her. When Lycia mirrored her mother, she continued, "From here, shift your fingers like this. I'll let you know at what point in the incantation to do it. Then this. Then this, but make sure you have your fingers pointed straight out."

She guided Lycia through a series of hand positions, explaining small nuances as she went. Finally, after a minute of a dozen or so different hand gestures, she turned to Krarshe.

"Now, for you. Make sure you release your mana slowly and evenly. If you do it too quickly, we could end up with a torrent. Lycia is your mana's conduit for this, she needs time to manipulate it as it flows so you two must be in sync. Don't let your mana overwhelm her. Oh, and don't forget your usual addendum."

Krarshe nodded and listened carefully as she explained the spellcast.

"Got it you two?" she asked after she'd finished.

Krarshe nodded. Lycia gave a slight nod as she focused intently on her hands going through the gestures she'd been taught.

"Okay. I'll be over here, so begin once you're ready."

With that, she walked over to where Alban and the others were standing, shaded by the overhang.

He looked over at Lycia. She seemed to be frantically working through the hand gestures. She furrowed her brow and bit her lip. "Hmm..." She noticed him and her face reddened. "C-could you... not watch me?"

"O-oh, s-sorry." He turned away again. Maybe this isn't a good idea...

"Okay, shall we g-give this a try?" she said after a moment.

"I... I don't know."

"Did you need more time?"

"... I don't know. I don't know if I can do this."

"I th-think you'll be fine."

"How do you know? You heard your mother. You're channeling MY mana! What if I can't control it right?!"

"Krarshe..."

"... I can't do this. I'm going to ask your mother to take over for me." Krarshe started for the overhang.

He felt his arm yanked backwards. Lycia had hold of his sleeve. It seemed to be her go-to tactic whenever he tried to walk away.

"Krarshe..." Lycia released his clothes. "I want YOU to do this. I know you can do it."

Krarshe looked back at her. She was biting her lower lip again, eyes downcast. She'd seen his magic hundreds of times by now, she knew what it meant to try to control and manipulate his mana with a technique she had just learned — a technique she was clearly worried about moments before. Despite this, she was still earnestly pleading with him to participate in this spell.

"Please, Krarshe... Believe in yourself... like I do..."

It felt as though his heart leapt into his throat. It was like she was putting her life in his hands. Again. He knew it'd be better to not do this, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. Couldn't bring himself to disappoint her. He swallowed hard. "Okay... Okay. Let's do it."

She smiled, eyes still staring at the dirt road. "A-actually... C-could I go through them again? Really quick." Without waiting for an answer, she turned away and went through the somatic elements of the spell a few more times.

Krarshe looked back to where the farmers and Taliarrah were waiting. There didn't seem to be any impatience, just casual conversation. He could see Alban making some gestures, jumping around with his arms going wild, evoking laughter from the other farmers; whatever they were discussing, he couldn't imagine any relation to Lycia and himself. Taliarrah stood there, arms crossed, expressionlessly statuesque as always.

After a couple minutes, Lycia turned to Krarshe. "I... I think I'm ready."

"Me too." Krarshe stood, facing the fields firmly. He tried to stand as confidently as he could, despite his underlying doubt. Lycia took position beside him. "Esfiru, suesoo shu zeraus dzam mea'anom, Anari, mazushe dzam fusu'e. Sem me yaedza!"

Krarshe felt the mana flowing out of him. He restrained it as best he could. In one corner of his vision, he could see Lycia's hands moving; on the other, he could see Taliarrah gesturing timings to Lycia. He continued, "Se teda, mem tsandum hido! Zeraus zonya, marumazu zonya!"

The wind picked up. The sky quickly darkened as clouds began to manifest. A low rumble of thunder rolled across the fields. With a glance to check on Lycia, he finished the spell. "Mem kranruenza, fadom dza mazugran hidzu! Maruzuraus zonya!"

The world shook as thunder boomed. He panicked a moment, thinking he'd released too much mana. He looked at Taliarrah. She was back to her usual stoic pose. He felt something hit him in the head. Something cold. He looked up only to get immediately hit in the eye by a water droplet. He recoiled and blinked a few times. Then he felt another raindrop. And another. And another.

And then a downpour. Rain fell fast, dousing the dry dirt road, soaking his clothes, and matting his hair to his head. Thunder boomed again, gentler than before.

He peered up to the sky again. The dark clouds he and Lycia had conjured bathed the farms and fields in and around Ironpole with a cool, rejuvenating rain. In truth, the city of Remonnet and its surroundings were probably getting soaked.

He looked over at Lycia. She, too, stared at the sky in awe. "Did we... do it?" he asked.

"We... We did it!" She began jumping and twirling in the rain, kicking up the fresh mud as she did.

Seeing her spin joyfully in the rain, Krarshe couldn't help but smile. Do all girls like to do that in the rain? he wondered, chuckling to himself.

"See!" Lycia had stopped spinning, now trying to get the wet hair away from her grinning face. "I knew you could do it..."

He felt his spirits lift and heart lighten at her words. The weight he'd been carrying seemed to melt away with but a few simple, yet powerful, words from Lycia. He tried to give form to his feelings in that moment, but he settled on the most profound thing he could find. "Yeah."

"Milady Lycia, lad, ya both did wonders!" Alban came trudging through the mud. He clapped Krarshe on the back again, causing him to almost slip and fall into the slop. With a laugh, Alban said, "Now, I owe ya a favor both."

"... Wait, shouldn't I be saying this was in return for you giving me a ride?"

Alban laughed again. "We're friends, Karsh! We'll just hafta be doin' favors forever. That's what friends do, ya know?"

Wait, is he just using these favors as an excuse? ... I don't understand humans sometimes... "S-sure... I'll take you up on that..."

"Ya too, missy!"

"Mmm," Lycia said quietly.

Seems I'm not the only one unsettled by Alban's friendliness.

A few of the other farmers made their way over to express their thanks. Their warm reception and heartfelt thanks made him smile, no amount of stubbornness could keep it from his face.

He knew this was it. This was the feeling he wanted to feel when he first started learning magic. That feeling of being able to help someone. While that fear of putting one he cared for in danger still lurked in the back of his mind, his resolve was firm.

He understood now. If ever such a time were to come again, he wouldn't cower. He wouldn't act rashly. He would step up and do what he had to. He needed to trust in his strength.

* * *

"Here's to your first successful advanced spell," Taliarrah said, raising her mug.

Krarshe and Lycia followed suit.

The three of them had returned to an inn in Feyfaire, just across Stormbridge. On the way, Krarshe had lost count of the number of people who, like them, were dripping wet. The sudden downpour had caught them by surprise, so laborers and nobles alike had to go about their business in waterlogged clothes. A symphony of sloshing boots filled every street and alley. Some cursed about it, some laughed about it. But their party of three were the ones who got to enjoy it most. Even the usually detached Taliarrah was secretly smiling about it.

"I'm surprised we managed to do it," Lycia said after taking a drink.

"I am too," Krarshe said.

"You don't think I picked that quest for no reason, do you?"

"So you knew we could do it?"

Taliarrah looked at Lycia and gave a wry smile. "No. I'm actually surprised you did."

"Wait, but you-"

"It was the perfect chance to build your confidence again." Taliarrah took a drink. "After the incident in Lanche, you both were shaken. And you," she gestured to Krarshe, "were even worse than that. Did you think I didn't notice? I'm not that callous."

Krarshe felt his face flush.

"I wasn't sure what it was that was troubling you, but it was clearly affecting your ability to work together. So, a spell like this was perfect."

"But what if it had gone wrong?!"

"Calm down, Krarshe. Did you really think I'd let any harm come to Lycia? Worst case scenario, she'd have fainted."

"Mom?!"

Taliarrah shrugged. "I went through it in training too, Lycia. You'd be fine."

"I don't know if I can trust you anymore..." she muttered.

"Well, let's leave that aside. You both successfully cast the spell. You should be proud."

"Lady Taliarrah?"

They all turned to see a hooded man standing beside their table. The hood was pulled low and obscured his face, and his mantle concealed any physical features. He didn't say another word; rather, he offered a letter sealed with a wax rose emblem.

"Hmm?" Taliarrah took the letter and looked at the wax seal. "Ah. I figured you'd be getting back to me about now." She opened the letter, her eyes scanning the page. "Gus certainly works... fast..."

The jovial expression she'd been wearing since that afternoon soured into one riddled with concern. She kept reading in silence.

Krarshe and Lycia looked at each other.

"M-Mom?"

Taliarrah didn't respond. She looked up at the hooded figure. "Let her know I'll be there at once."

The figure simply bowed. With that, he turned and left the inn as quietly as he'd arrived.

"Mom? What is-"

"I can't explain right now." She got up. "Listen, you two. I want you to continue your training for a while. Keep taking quests appropriate for your skills; I trust your judgment, Lycia. Don't do anything dangerous and keep each other safe."

"Mom...?"

Taliarrah walked over and hugged Lycia. "Don't worry. I just have some urgent work to do, so I need to go. Again, this doesn't mean your training is over. Just... Self-study for a little while, okay? I should be back within... No longer than a few cycles."

Lycia was at a loss for words. Her eyes spelled out her worry and concern. Without uttering a sound, she nodded.

"R-right. We'll do that." Krarshe stood up to meet her level. "Master, I'll keep her safe."

Taliarrah looked at him, then smiled. "I'm sure you will. Now, if you have any concerns or anything, go talk to Marcel." She turned to leave but stopped. "Stay safe, both of you."

Without another word, she departed the inn into the night streets of Feyfaire, leaving both Lycia and Krarshe behind. The suddenness of it all left them both confused, stunned, uncertain of what to do next. In the end, they both sat down and ate their dinners in quiet contemplation.