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With their course set and objectives aligned, Gwen and her crew presented themselves to the Quarter Master of Melbourne Tower to receive their arboreal adventure equipment. The old Sergeant was a gruff and bearded veteran Mage missing several digits of a finger and brace holding the left side of his body steady. As the man spoke, Gwen could see the scars on the man's face flush with blood, a sure sign of improper healing. "What you're dealing with is a primordial jungle with vines as tough as steel cables which regrow in a day. It isn't going to be a walk in the park, lass! Yer sure yer head'n in with the Major?" The Quartermaster appeared sceptical as he eyed Gwen up and down. "Show me yer hand." Gwen did so. "Ye barely got a single callus on there! Yer fingers are as smooth as a baby's bum! I am warning ya lass; the woods out there is no place for a wee princess-like yew. Yer be bled and scabbed by the time ya first day's done!" Gwen felt her forehead perspire with consternation. It wasn't as though she wanted to assume the youthfulness of a newborn babe. But it wasn't as though she could explain that a nether-world shapeshifter had eaten her old body and that the man was complaining about her newly regenerated dermis. Besides her, Alesia's crew chuckled mirthfully at every grievance made by the wizened Sergeant. "Ah Brune, give her the gear. We'll make sure she's alright." "She some bigwig's daughter? Why are yer buggers playing honour guard?" "That's on a need to know basis." Paul winked at the Senior Sergeant. "From up on high." "Bah!" The Quartermaster resumed his item sorting. "Three Healing Potions and two Mana potions P-P. Five Cure Poison. Five Remove Disease for the party. Using it sparingly, we're running low thanks to the Mermen. Alright— here are five pairs of skin-suits, four sets of fatigued combat mesh, four pairs of Waterproof hikers, Two lengths of Magic Rope, one Decanter of Everlasting Water. Bring ya own woollen socks - I am out of stock." The Quartermaster paused and looked up at Gwen, raising a sceptical brow before unhappily handing over what looked to be a model house and a bulging bandoleer. "One Portable Habitat and One hundred HDM crystals, military issue." The men each passed their fingers over the assigned items. By consensus, Gwen became tasked with carrying the restorative potions, as well as the water supply. When she received a model of what looked like a small cabin, she had to ask what it was. "Its a pocket dimension habitat, you know?" Taj was surprised Gwen noted that she had never seen such a thing. "They're pretty common for camping in zones through which sleeping in the wilderness is hazardous." "What does it do?" "You put the crystal in here," Taj mimed placing an HDM crystal into a slot that fed into the toy cabin. "It generates a small pocket dimension that only attuned individuals can see. Inside the portal is a Conjuration based persistent effect that mimics a cabin. We can safely rest, cook and heal in there for twelve hours per crystal, maximum of three crystals per cycle." "That's incredible!" Gwen marvelled at the toy structure, turning it round and round in her hands. "It better be for a whole HDM." Paul winced. "Rank and file get ten HDMs, officers get twenty to fifty. Most of it goes to buying magical stock, training, and replenishing mana. We should only use the cabin out of necessity. I mean, for an NoM, one HDM is about a month of their wage as a low-level maintenance engineer." "Is that... very little?" Gwen asked. Had she been allowed to procure items, she may have had paid more attention, but thus far she hadn't needed worrying about resources. Her Opa has been a very sugary grandfather. "Yeah-Nah, NoMs get paid in currency, not crystals." Paul looked at her strangely. "I am talking conversion here, so it's probably really skewered. After all, what's an NoM going to do with crystalised mana?" "Oh." Her face grew bright pink. She'd hadn't had much consideration for income since Opa had taken up her finances. Furthermore, Henry had provided her with all the training materials and spell components. LDMs, HDMs, currency— she had much to learn about this world still. If Gwen ever wanted to put her old-world skills to the test, she would have to find some time to re-hone her gifts for her present context. As for her immediate concern, that was far more straightforward— she had to become an Omni-Mage of sorts, master multi-schools of magic, then work on synergising her options. Paul leaned in conspiratorially. "Gunther's ring is worth about ten thousand HDMs." Gwen felt the immense weight of the ring on her ring finger. "Without the Contingency enchantment…" The weight now felt as though a neutron particle studded her ring. "The price of having a tier 8 Enchanter engrave the spell is minimum five thousand HDM…" The blood drained from Gwen's face. Her palms became sweaty and nervous. "That excludes the materials for the enchanting, and the fame of the Enchanter, so one might say the Contingency Ring is priceless." Gwen shot a nasty look at the Translocation Mage, who chortled satisfyingly to himself as he drank in her agony. "Alright! I've got the confirmation." Jonas intervened between the two of them before Gwen could respond. "Let's go see Master Surya." Their reverse-exodus flight proved heartbreaking. This far inland, there was little evidence of the Mermen incursion. Unfortunately, that didn't mean that the countryside had remained idyllic and unaffected. Below Gwen's party's flight path across the landscape, convoys of cargo transport conveyed from the tablelands down to the city, bringing much-needed food and water supplies. In reverse, caravans of NoMs in vehicles of all sizes with men and women crammed like sardines into military trucks alighted into temporary refugee zones. According to Paul, until the city purged the Mermen and the Shield Stations could be repaired, the refugees would sojourn here under the Frontier Government's martial law. The process could take months, perhaps even a year, and even then they shouldn't be optimistic about the prospects of rebuilding their home. "Half a year, assuming no Mermen attack, no Tier 1 city pulling our resources, and no Factional bullshitting," Paul quipped in response. The others chuckled. Neither of those elements was likely avoidable. "Maybe the Factions will settle down, I mean, surely the big Three are willing to work together under Gunther. The Grey busybodies are half-way responsible for the shit show, Gunther is the de facto leader of the Middle Faction, and the Militants are Gunther's fanboys," Paul continued. "The little Factions won't cause disruptions needlessly, so it'll be the external power players we need to look out for." Gwen and her company made a strange spectacle as they soared over the makeshift camps. Three military men in green-olive fatigues are flying in an arrow formation, flanking an inexperienced girl in a black skirt and white blouse, silhouetted against a cloudless blue sky. Paul had taken the opportunity to teach Gwen how to fly, but it would take hundreds of hours until Gwen would wrap the elemental air around her like an extension of her body. To subconsciously operate the Flight buff while casting spells and dogfight was as skill few possessed and even fewer Mages will master. It took them two more hours to reach Surya's estate, by which time the sun had begun its descent toward the horizon. Her Opa's home no longer had the idyllic look of an outback oasis. Instead, the entire frontage had been converted in record time into a receiving zone for refugees and supplies, with a line of trucks idling outside the property waiting to get in. Unlike the property owners adjacent his estate, Surya was a genuine survivor of the last Coral Sea Conflict and a veteran of many evacuations. The moment the news of the breach in the Shield Wall had reached Surya's ears, he had instructed Tess and Melissa to be ready for the influx of refugees. Presently, rows and rows of transmuted stone and iron formed self-contained makeshift shelters, hundreds of them, stretching from one side of the estate to the other. Its once blue lawns of emerald buffalo were now strewn with the refuse of NoMs fleeing danger and tragedy, littered with cardboard, clothing, and odds and ends of the lives the refugees had left behind. Most tellingly, the infinity pool had been transmuted into an aqueduct that provided fresh water to the camp. The moulding workshop where Surya made his sculptures had become a transmogrified open kitchen where dozens of men and women milled about with plates and pots. "Your Grandfather is an incredible man," Jonas intoned with genuine awe as he slowed their descent and flashed his badge at one of the Military Mages manning the perimeter. The young man saluted and pointed them to the main house, which was now a temporary clinic. "Yes." Gwen didn't know enough about her Opa append the comment, but the compliment nonetheless filled her with a giddying sense of pride. When they'd landed, there was a welcoming party waiting for her. "Richard! Percy!" Gwen squealed gleefully and leapt towards her kin. Richard had been the first to contact her when she'd thought all as lost; his well-wishing had filled her with the audacity of hope. Her brother too was a sight for sore eyes. With all that had transpired, she felt a sudden pang of guilt for not thinking overmuch about Percy during the crisis. Seeing his wane smile and ashen face now, she felt her heart abuzz with mixed emotions of maternal, sisterly love and indignant disappointment that he'd not so much as sent her a single Message during the entire ordeal. "Hmm—GNNHMM!" The sound of a throat clearing diverted her gleeful advance. "Opa!" Gwen changed her trajectory midway and flew into her Opa's bony arms, almost bowling the old Mage over. "My cucu perempuan!" Surya embraced his granddaughter, enjoying the softness of her body enveloping the scarecrow likeness of his own. T "Oh, how I've worried!" Her grandfather appeared revivified by the release of tension brought on by the physical evidence that his granddaughter was unharmed. After the story she'd told him, the man had likely imagined her in direr straits. "I've missed you too, Opa," Gwen brushed her lips over the whiskery beard of his cheeks, feeling the stinging itch of her grandfather's bristles poking into her tender flesh. Even though they'd spoken prior, a physical meeting held a special feeling that Message spells couldn't replicate. When her Opa finally released her from his embrace, satisfied that she was in one piece, Gwen turned to Percy and Richard. The euphoria of the moment had passed, so Gwen delicately asked if their evacuation from the city had been fortuitous. "I just arrived a few hours ago." Richard smiled broadly, though Gwen could see the fatigue written all over his face. "I can hardly believe how much of the inner city has gone down. It's been a long day for many of us. Are you feeling alright yourself?" "Is something the matter?" Gwen asked. If something was troubling Richard, she wanted to be able to lend a hand. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Nothing I can't handle." Richard tried to brush off her concern, but Gwen distinctly felt that the young man was trying to avoid making her anxious. "Richard…" Gwen realised from his expression that her curiosity would have to wait. She turned to Percy, who'd watched her interaction with Surya and Richard silently. They say that growing girls changed every other month, but in Gwen's eyes, the changes occurring in Percy were no less surprising. Having seen him only a few times in the last year and a half, the boy more and more resembled their father. Like Morye, Percy had that strange, indescribable handsomeness that was becoming of mixed heritage children, with a strong jaw and a well-spoken chin, but a delicate mouth and an effeminate nose. His eyes were darker than the hazel that Gwen and Helena shared, giving him a more distinct, prominent appearance where Gwen's fair skin and light eyes. His complexion took its tone from their grandfather, awarding him a honeyed tan that falsely gave the impression he was an outdoors type. "Hey buddy, how's life been?" Gwen carefully touched her brother's nerves. "Alright, I suppose, until all of this." Percy looked unkindly towards the NoMs milling about the place before sighing. "I was going to enrol in Prince's, you know." "I am sorry to hear that," Gwen replied, unsure now of how to approach her brother after disgracing Helena at the Huang's Estate. Holy shit! Kwan's home! Her uncle's estate! Suddenly, it struck her, Kwan's manor was in Kirribilli! Gwen spun around and caught Richard just as his attention turned inward, causing the young man to regard her with a disconcerted apprehension. "Richard, your family…" "They're safe and inside." "Buy your home! Your family's properties! Their investments! Your Tier 1 studies..." Richard tried to put on another grinning face, but the straight-spoken young man was terrible at hiding his emotions. "You know how it is. You win some; you lose some. I guess two decades of peace had us on the back foot." "Oh, Richard…" Before Gwen could pursue the matter, Surya instructed them to convene in the East Wing. The rest of the building, including the guest rooms, had been converted to service the refugees. When they made their way through the central atrium, Gwen felt a slight tingle of premonition triggering her Divination talent. She paused to regard her surroundings and caught a familiar pair of heavily mascaraed eyes meeting her own. Helena Huang regarded her with a complicated expression, then sighed. "Mother." Gwen curtsied after the smallest pause. "Gwen," Her mother greeted her. Gwen's eyes scanned the space around her and saw that her stepfather was nowhere near. "Tang's helping with the shelters," Helena retorted with a hint of pride in her voice. "His manufactorum is bringing supplies to us as we speak." That was not what Gwen wanted to know, but she paid Helena the fished compliment nevertheless. The mother and daughter then regarded one another for a few more moments, each wondering if something of substance might be exchanged. "I am glad you're alright," Gwen said at last. "You too." Helena was putting on a brave face, but Gwen could see that the woman was a mess beneath her stoic, self-aggrandising forbearance. Her mother's makeup was usually impeccable; with sharply contoured shadows framing her vivid eyes and lips that were well defined and outlined. Now her eyes were a little smokier than usual; her lips merely mattered with a dull crimson that felt cheap and negligent. It didn't mean that she wasn't her usual self, of course. Even now, as others passed them, they'd stop to steal glances at the striking pair; though more so at the effortless sensuality that oozed from Helena. Strangely, Gwen felt a trickle of sympathy for the poor woman— how tiring it must be to live like Helena, to be so wary of what others thought at all times. As they measured one another for weakness, Helena noticed the three burly men who'd taken up positions beside Gwen were her bodyguards. The mana radiating off these men suggested the Rank of Senior Mages at the very least, while their cold demeanour inferred they were seasoned combatants of many battles. Her mother's expression tightened. Gwen could guess her thoughts by reading her stiff upper lip. Only a year and a half ago, her daughter had been a mewing teenager whimpering at the utterance of every critique from her lips. What could her daughter have done to gain so much influence with those from up on high? What use had the late Henry Kilroy found for her daughter? How had she wormed her way into the good graces of someone like Gunther Shultz? There was her talent, of course, but hundreds of Mages had talent. Why Gwen? But Gwen wasn't about to humour her mother. "Gwen, in here," Surya's voice came from behind the double doors of the second living room. "I am coming!" Gwen called out. She turned to Helena. "Please be safe, mother." Her mother nodded. "You too," she said, her lips growing parsimonious. Helena felt no shame in confessing that her wayward daughter frightened her. "Stay safe, Gwen." Gwen reached out to embrace her mother, who returned her affection after an awkward hesitation. As they exchanged cheeks, Gwen noticed that her mother's generous application of Chanel No.5. Where previously she had dreaded the scent, it now felt almost nostalgic, reminding her of the few times when they'd genuinely shared some mother-daughterly moments of innocent happiness. "Gwen, come on." Surya had been watching them. "You can kiss and make up at dinner. What was it that you wanted to know? Shultz wasn't clear on the details." Gwen left her mother standing as she entered the room with Surya. The second living room was likewise a mess. Most of the statues and artworks had been stashed within to make space for the clinic. "Right," Gwen found a place to sit. Surya left for a brief moment and returned to materialise a decanter of cold water and several glasses. Gwen took over from the venerable Enchanter and poured for the men in the room, mindful of her junior status amongst them. Alesia's men timidly took the glasses from her tray, mindful that Alesia never had in her life performed anything remotely resembling cordial appreciation of her party members. Ordinarily, it was the men who fetched cognac or whiskey so that Alesia could wet her whistlers as she talked over them. Surya took a sip from the water and looked at Gwen with gentle eyes. "How are you feeling now?" he asked his granddaughter. Gwen recalled that only last night her communication with the old Enchanter had been choked with uncontrollable emotions, confessing to Surya what she had done and how Henry had died. In his face, she could see that Surya too shared unspeakable grief. A portion of it was over his friend's death, while the latter half was for the trouble their lack of vigilance brought upon his granddaughter. After all, he had been there when they 'confirmed' that Elizabeth had died. He'd also voted to support censuring Mark when the neophyte Necromancer announced that Elizabeth was still alive. What could the Enchanter be thinking? Gwen wondered. What if they'd instead chosen to pursue the matter, they might have uncovered Elizabeth's tracks? Prevented the tragedy to come? More than that, Gwen realised Surya's guilt was exacerbated by Debora Jones, whose original body had been a skin-suit for Faceless. Her grandfather must be feeling a deep-seated dread for his stupidity in bringing Faceless to the meeting and catalysing Sydney's demise. Thankfully, she knew her grandfather was a military man; despite his artistic sensitivity, he knew that there was a time for grief and a time for action. Now was not the time to mope over the loss of a friend and ally, but the time to ensure that the city survived and his legacy continued. Playing the dutiful grandchild, she extended a hand and held Surya's own, feeling the empathic warmth of resonant grief flow between them. With a voice that trembled, she told Surya about her desire to save her friends. "The Grot, huh?" Her grandfather took another sip before fossicking through his memory. Jonas had come prepared and produced blurrily taken aerial lumen-recordings of the archipelago between Singapore and Jakarta. A circle had been drawn around a small group of islands, where a red dot marked a blurry smidgen of green with a handwritten title - Kapulauan Riau. "You're going to be in for a hard slog," Surya forewarned them. As he recollected what he could, he informed them that 'Deathless Henry' had already become a famous moniker amongst the deployed Mages when their team first formed. Henry was older than all of them by at least a decade, though his presence had always felt younger thanks to the influence of his Dryad familiar and her supply of vigour rich essences. "Tis the milk of paradise," Henry had joked. He was happy to share it, but Sufina was frugal when it came to the golden mead. "Well, the story goes that the island contains a groove of rather xenophobic Dryads," Surya continued. "Of the man-eating variety, that is." His face took on a redder shade as he met Gwen's inquisitive, anxious eyes. "You know what that means, right?" Gwen's cheeks blossomed. Paul had explained rather explicitly what 'it' was that Dryads usually took for sustenance and sport. "Right," Surya coughed. "So the story goes that Henry was one of the Mages who advocated scouting and mapping out the region during the seventies so that we could find potential locations for further FOBs against the Mermen. When he and his squad got caught by a sudden sea-sprout, they were blown off course onto this island, which today we call Kapulauan Riau. The location of the island and its archipelago is incredibly convenient, for it was within Greater Teleportation distance of Vietnam, Singapore, the Malaysian coast, and even Brunei." Jonas and the old Magus discussed some geographical details before continuing. "They explored the island for the first half a day without incident, but then they ran into the island's inhabitants. As you can imagine, this would be the millennia-old Bayan-tree Dryads that reside at the island's centre. I remember Henry telling me that his men were overwhelmed by the Dryads after a few days of being kited through the woods. The fairy-folk have a Fey-charm ability that muddles the mind, especially when it comes to young men." Surya stopped to take a sip of water. "When it came to Henry, however, he told me that since he was naturally a Mage aligned with plant-life, he managed to, 'convince', the Dryad to come with him instead of drawing him into the woods." Paul whistled. "The boss's Master must be close to the tier of a Magi if he can kidnap a wood nymph from her people. That's a helluva reversal." Surya nodded in affirmation. "Sufina was still young, of course, a century at most and so more pliable to becoming a bonded familiar. It was fortunate for both of them. I'd always thought. I've never seen another plant-Mage like Henry, and Henry had never encountered a suitable magical creature like Sufina since." Her grandfather's audience agreed. "Now that brings me back to the point I was making," Surya continued. "While you will be fighting your way into the island, you mustn't attack the Dryads themselves." "How strong are they?" Taj inquired. "General class for the mature ones? Giant class for the Elders? Titan for the mother-tree?" "No no, nothing like that." Surya waved his hand. "Nothing so exaggerated. A tier 3 Fire Evoker can take down your average Dryad without breaking a sweat, Soldier class at best. Only the Matron, who feeds off the grove, could arguably approach the Commander class, or tier 7 thereabouts. I am saying that once Sufina returns to the fold, she would be far more powerful than your average Dryad, maybe even approaching Titan class on her own. If you start killing the Dryads, you'd be killing her kin, and then you'd have to face her wrath." "But she'll remember us, right?" Gwen asked anxiously. "She'll know who Yue and Elvia and Whetu are." Surya dipped his chin ever so slightly. "She's a sentient being, so she'll have memories of friend and allies. However, when a contracted creature is released, there's a loss of the empathic bond. When you have shared a telepathic connection with a partner for over three decades and then suddenly it's gone, you're bound to be feeling a little crazy. Gwen, you have animal companions, so you wouldn't know just how much feedback the loss of a spiritual companion gives you, but it is said to be worse than death. I've even heard of Conjurers committing suicide when they lose their Familiars. The feeling of losing a sentient spirit is said to be the soul-rending feeling that you'll never again know completion or happiness." Gwen took in a nervous breath of cold air. In the stillness of the room, they could audibly hear the quickening of her erratic breath. "Sir..." There was a rap on the door. "Afternoon tea?" Tess's bright face looked into the room. "Hi, Gwen!" "Hey there," Gwen said weakly, still thinking about her friends and now with the added trauma of projecting the paranoia of losing her Familiars. "Let's break for a bit. We have to wait for our last member anyway," Jonas suggested. When he walked past Gwen, he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It'll be alright. We'll recover your friends safe and sound. You'll see." Gwen followed the rest of them onto the alfresco dining area of the veranda. Everyone was present: Richard, Kwan and Tali, Helena, Tang and Percy, Tess and Melissa, Gwen and her companions. A large table was set, modestly filled with simple sandwiches, bits of leftover roast carved into cold cuts, and fresh fruit. "It was all we could do under the circumstance, Sir." One of the NoM maids apologised to Surya, who gave her a gentle pat on the head and excused her. Gwen looked at them and felt her heart skip a beat when her gaze met those of NoMs that milled about the refugee camp. Here they were, barely surviving on the supplies given to them by the Military, and no more than a dozen meters away the Mages of the household were having a picnic. They probably had no idea that what they thought was a feast was a horrifically underrepresented afternoon tea for someone of Surya's position, but their resentment was nonetheless palpably felt. Nevertheless, her grandfather paid them no mind, though Melissa seemed genuinely displeased by the looks they were getting. "Ungrateful serfs," she mumbled to Tess, just audible under her breath. "If it weren't for Master, they'd be dodging Mermen while knee-deep in seawater right now." Tess patted her sister's hand and told her not to mind. Surya tapped a glass. "Family, friends, I am grateful that all of us could be here today," the old patriarch began appearing touched that all of them had survived the calamity. "Though the past few months had seen some great turbulence, I hope that in this time of crisis, the family can remember that blood is thicker than water, and that no matter how far we roam, we remember that unity brings strength and prosperity." "Hear, hear!" To Gwen's surprise, Kwan began to clap frantically. Everyone else followed, some more vigorously than others. "Now," Surya continued when the applause died down. "I wanted all of us to be here today, because even though in the next few months we may go our separate ways, compelled by different circumstances, I want all of you to at least remember that today, on this day, we are one family." "All of you are close to me." Surya's voice became full of emotion. "It means so much to me that—" "Am I... am I late?" The Enchanter's speech was interrupted by the appearance of a lone figure walking onto the veranda. Gwen's' eyes grew as large as quail eggs. Surya's face grew three shades darker. Helena almost spat out her sparkling chardonnay. A casually dressed pauper walked in on them dressed in straight cut jeans and a stained white shirt; his hair cropped informally to give an indifferent air. Still, the man possessed a ruggedly handsome mien. The only flaw immediately noticeable was his height, which fell below Helena's desirable magic number of six-feet. "Er…" Gwen's father instantly realised that this was perhaps not the best time to exit the lobby and make his presence known. Likely, Gwen guessed, the man thought that since the family was all present, he may as well get all the scowling over and done with at once. "So, am I interrupting something?"

The family made space for Morye next to Gwen out of politeness, but the pleasant atmosphere prior was now shot and done to death in a dark back alley. Demurely seated next to her father, Gwen could feel her stepfather regarding Morye with near-tangible antipathy. When two men who had slept with the same woman sat at the same table, particularly in the presence of the former's children, a feeling of contest or enmity was unavoidable. It was not so for Gwen's father, who was as cool as the proverbial cucumber, without a smidgen of annoyance or care. He spoke quietly to the people he knew, asked them about their survival experiences, and even cracked a few jokes to nervous laughter. Not even Surya's growls and death-stares could faze Morye's come-what-may repose. Whenever Helena, Surya, or even Kwan tried to undermine Morye, they had the distinct impression of punching wool. "I was looking for our daughter, you should know." Morye turned to a startled Gwen, who didn't believe a word her father said. "I tried to call her many times." If there was one person at the table who seem to stagger Morye's impervious demeanour, Gwen was it. For some reason, her father spoke to her with a feeling of reservedness, carefully formulating his words and thinking twice before delivering them. As he told his tale, Gwen measured Morye with her untrusting eyes, sceptical about her father's purpose. She knew that he had met her brother every other weekend for a luncheon, or had frequented one of his school's Spellcraft competitions. With herself, he had cut himself off since the day she walked out after he'd prematurely brought a girlfriend over. She could guess that to her father; his wayward little girl had changed beyond all recognition. Gone were her timidness, the insecurity, the panicky obsession with her appearance. The Gwen seated herself next to him now possessed an air of supreme confidence about herself, a kind of surety that came with age. She wore very little makeup, suggesting she'd grown out from that particular phase of her life, but remained uncommonly pretty even without effort. Thanks to Almudj, her skin was pale and flawless, as tender as that of a child's. Her figure as well, which had always been a little anorexic, was now supple and shapely, attesting to the good life she must have enjoyed for the last year. Watching his face, her father seemed happy but likely had no idea how much her former self had been battered, bruised, starved and mistreated. "Thanks, Dad." Gwen felt strange calling a man she'd already rejected and forgotten in both lives with the endearing moniker of 'Father', but there was no helping it under the circumstances. Her father appeared to wrack his brain for something to say that would break the icy tension between them. "So, how's the VOID Magic coming along?" Suddenly, all sound and action ceased at the table. Morye looked around the table and saw the astonished expression of each member frozen in different stages of surprise, shock, confusion, disbelief, and murder. To Gwen's chagrin, it was only now that father realised with a sudden outbreak of cold sweat across his brow that he'd made a terrible blunder. Gwen's mouth opened and closed for a few seconds, but no words ushered from her paling lips. She knew now how her mother felt. She wanted to strangle Morye right here, or at least punch him squarely in his stupid face. Her grandfather had buried his face in both palms and was trying to breathe without inducing an aneurysm. Tess and Melissa seemed to be in the know, and so looked downwards at their plates, finding a sudden interest in their half-eaten sandwiches. The military men that had come with Gwen said nothing. Instead, they looked as though they were ready to murder everyone on the table if Gwen would only give them the command. On the table, only Kwan, Tali, Helena, Percy and Tang's faces looked as though they were seeing NYE pyrotechnics for the first time. "The… Void element, was it, Gwen?" Helena said after what must have been half a minute. "One of the scarcest taboo elements, said to be second to none in offensive ability?" Beside her, her husband Tang's face was less kind. As a retired Colonel and a Senior Enchanter himself, he immediately realised the correlation that may or may not exist between the crisis and the suspicious coincidence of Gwen's talent. "What do you know about the Black Sun?" Tang demanded with a voice that boomed across the veranda. "Are you involved with the Mermen incident? What happened to Lord Kilroy?" "Colonel Tang," Jonas intoned dangerously. "I'd advise you to consider your next words very carefully." Tang felt the killing intent flow from the three men at the end of the long table. Instantly, his expression resembled a Gob who had triggered a Glyph of Warding and knew that his leg was forfeit at any moment. However, the man's suspicions were sound as he had been present when his wife was disgraced. Unfortunately for Tang, Gwen knew that his hypothesis no longer mattered; certainly not with three Combat Mages breathing down his neck and whetting their knives. "Sorry." the strength seemed to drain from the retired Colonel as he apologised to Gwen. "It's the stress, the heat. I wasn't thinking straight. Please forget what I said." Alongside her husband, Helena's face was alternating between shades of ash and carmine. Gwen cringed when she studied her mother's eyes. The Void Element! She must be thinking. The same talent as the war hero, Elizabeth Sobel! Even from a distance, she could see the gears and cogs of Helena's mind tick, foreshadowing great things that had seemed just out of reach a moment ago. As expected, Helena slowly moved her eyes until she met Morye's. The careless fool was now scratching his head apologetically in that scrappy, slipshod manner that irked Gwen inconsolably. Her mother must be wondering where the Element had been hidden. Surya's talents were Enchantment and Fire; her talent was Evocation and Fire. Their late grandmother was Transmutation and Water, which had passed onto Kwan, then onto Richard. Was Helena regretting leaving Morye now? Gwen wondered. There was no doubt that the answer was negative. If Helena had stayed any longer with the capricious incarnation of irresponsibility, she would have probably murdered the prick in bed with an ice pick. What mother dear regretted was all that potential talent that even now was going to waste. If only her father could have used his talent, then she might be married to another Gunther Shultz. The others at the table were watching Morye with the same thoughts. With the prevalence of inherited talents, Gwen and Percy's uncommon Element of Negative Energy could only come from God himself, or from this blithe idiot who was even now stuffing himself with their sandwiches. "Please, Major Durn, no need to be like that." Surya looked towards his children and their spouses with eyes that glowed like two notes of dark, smouldering coal. "I assure you, those present here can keep a secret. If I recall, Gwen's talents would be made public in time, though that time is not now." "There's been a change of plans, Opa," Gwen bowed to her grandfather. "Now that Ma— Magister Kilroy has passed." "Of course." Surya nodded understandingly. "Later then?" "I should hope so, Opa. There'll be plenty of opportunities, I am sure." Her grandfather observed a moment of silence, then turned to the table. "You. All of you. Swear on your Astral Souls that you will not speak a word of Morye's blunder." Kwan was more than happy to oblige, as was Tali. Surya noticed that Richard had been entirely unfazed this whole while. "She told you before?" "Around about three months ago, Grandfather." Tali and Kwan regarded their son, who then swore by his astral soul that he would keep faith with Gwen's secret. Though such oaths were non-binding, they manifested a phenomenon whereby the constant reminder of one's betrayal of the pledge would ultimately influence the progress of one's Spellcraft training, especially when it came to attunements which directly drew power from faith and belief. And though there are individuals who were sociopathic enough to ignore the oaths they made, it was no less a token demonstration of one's willingness and sincerity associated with oath-making. Tang followed without incident, and then their attention fell upon Helena, who gritted her teeth through each word, exhausted the by the effort of the simple pledge. "Percy, you too." Surya was merciless. "I don't want to." Gwen could see that Percy was at a rebellious age and saw the push to make him swear some incoherent oath for his sister as a clear sign of favouritism. Surya's fuming displeasure could have lit the tablecloth on fire. "Opa, it's okay," Gwen intervened, not wanting to make things any more awkward between Percy and herself. From Alesia, she knew that the oath was less so magical compulsion and more so psychological trickery. Her Sister-in-craft had once boasted to Gwen that when she compelled oaths from felons, she would brand them with fire. That way, each time the miscreants thought about reoffending, the ache from their scars coerced them to reconsider life's choices. "Ungrateful little weasel," Surya spat, clearly displeased about Percy's challenge of his authority. The table regained its awkward silence. Once more, the murderous gazes of its inhabitants gathered upon Morye, who happily drank his chardonnay. Without a doubt, the luncheon was at an end. "We'll leave it at that." Jonas stood from the table. "We'll be getting ready. As soon as our number five and our documents arrive, we're leaving." Morye raises a finger to stop the Healer. "Ah, about that…" Gwen turned sharply to her father. "Dad, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?" Morye's guilty face turned to face Gwen with a look of helpless consternation, like a sailor who'd been shanghaied by his mates and now found himself bound for Barbados. "I am your fifth man!" he announced with the flourish of a third-rate magician shouting 'ta-da!' "Yes, excellent, Father." Gwen made an expression akin to seeing her dog shit on the front lawn in front of guests. "So why are you here?" Morye's face grew tragic with wretchedness. "I was told that I had to accompany you on this journey because you are a child and thus had to be accompanied by a guardian." "I am thir… I am Sixteen! Dad, I am not a child! Besides, I have some of the most capable men in the military with me. Not to mention I can take care of myself." Morye turned to regard the three military men, who grinned at him confidently as if to say "We're happy to leave you behind." "No!" Morye affected an expression of disbelief and hyperbolic grief. "You don't want me to come?" "I don't," Gwen said coldly. Her father had already ruined their luncheon, and the man had only been here for an hour. Gwen wanted nothing more than to leave right now, supply or no supply, but she had to wait. "Good, please call Gunther and tell him that I've been discharged," Morye said quickly, handing Gwen a Message device that was already dialling. To Gwen's surprise, it connected. Ding! A Private Message spell bloomed beside her ear. How the hell could a mid-tier Abjurer just casually call the Paladin of the Tower during a crisis? Gwen shot her father a look of ambivalent emotions and quickly moved away from the table. With the absurd number of NoMs going to and fro, she retreated instead to the second living room, shutting the glass doors being her as she did so. "Brother Gunther, what's happening, why is Morye our fifth member?" she quickly asked her craft-sibling. Gunther's mirthful voice came through the spell's aural invocations. "He's there? Good. I am sending the documentation now. Ask Surya to retrieve the package from the Teleportation Circle he'd set up for your training." "Thanks, Gunther, but how the hell is my dad going to help?" Gunther's voice became more severe as he continued. "Gwen, just how much do you know about your Father?" "He's a useless, lazy lout, a womaniser and a faithless scoundrel who is a Water Abjurer? I think he was tier 4 or 5; I am not sure. He works some menial technical job at a Shield Station." Even behind the pulsing Message Glyph, Gwen could feel Gunther wincing at every barbed insult. "But… I suppose Morye was a nice enough Dad. Kept us through the darker time when Mother was away. I don't remember having wants for food, shelter or clothing while he stayed with us. Even though we lived in a working-class neighbourhood, we felt safe." "That's it?" "There's more?" Gunther fell silent as if gathering his thoughts. "He gave you the pendant, the one that ended saving our lives, right?" At her Brother-in-craft's reminder, Gwen felt her conscience mugged in the night by her balaclava-clad guilt wielding a nail-studded bat. Her father had indeed given her the pendant. But it was Morya who had idiotically implied that it was for childbearing, hadn't he? What kind of a lecherous father gave their daughter a fertility pendant? Had her father anticipated this day or was he as clueless as he appeared? "You may be interested to know," Gunther continued. "That your father was the only survivor of incident Zero at the Watson Bay Shield Station. That's where your father worked. Of all the Mages stationed there, including a guard unit Senior Combat Mages, your father, a 'useless technician' was the only survivor." Now it was Gwen who grew uncertain. She recalled seeing the station blow up. She remembered the moment with clarity. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Before we even knew of the Mermen invasion, I received a call from your father, specifically asking for you and your brother's whereabouts. When I'd asked him what happened to the assailants, do you know what he told me?" "They escaped?" "No, Gwen. He told me they collectively committed suicide." Gunther's re-telling wasn't funny, but the event was indeed in the style of her father's morbid humour. "Another thing. When my recovery team went in, the debris was covered with negative energy residues collated in powdered white crystals." "Salt!" Gwen mouthed to herself in silence. For someone with her life experience and keen intelligence, it wasn't difficult to join the dots. Her father's survival. The Salt residue. Percy's talent. "Not only that, we found one of your old acquaintances at the scene." "I am not familiar with his co-workers," Gwen continued to dig through her alter-self's memories. She had recalled seeing her father's co-workers when she was younger, but her memory was indistinct. "We found the remains of a certain Edmund Moore Ravenport at the scene." "Doesn't ring a bell." "Also known as The Dust Devil, or the Mind Mage, Edgar." Suddenly, Gwen found herself short of breath. "The body was in quite a state, I am afraid. Crushed, drained, limbless, castrated." Gwen felt her mind reeling with visions of Edgar, the man who had come close to violating her mind and body. At that moment, she had tasted the malice and darkness that lied in "Edgar's" heart and knew that his capacity for malevolence was unfathomable. How could a Mage like that die so unceremoniously? She'd been loathing their next meeting, playing the scene over and over in her head, and now, without warning, the bastard was worm fodder? "Wait, did you say 'castrated' as in the..." Gwen tried for a euphemism. "Servants of the Sultan's harem sense?" Gunther chuckled uncomfortably. "Rather violently, I am afraid. Dashed eggs and all that." "…" "Well, that's what the report stated in its exactness, there wasn't much left. Anyway, why do you think someone would go to such length to inflict so much pain on such a man? I mean, it's not much exactly a stretch of the imagination, after all, your father risked exposing himself just to extort you and your brother's location. If you don't mind me saying so, Gwen, despite Morye's insouciance, he cares a great deal for his children." Gwen looked outside toward the long table, where his father was helping himself to the decanter. Surya was in low conversation with Jonas, while Richard spoke jovially with Morye while ignoring his mother's frantic tugging of his shirtsleeves. In an accidental Renaissance sort of way, the scene somewhat reminded Gwen of an infamous supper. Would their family ever be together like this again? What would happen once they go their separate ways? "Gwen?" Gunther stirred her from her daydream. "I think I understand." "Good. Far be it that I should come between Father and daughter, but I hope you resolve your differences. Also, I would very much like to know what that Kirin pendant does, and if we can replicate its effects. I am waiting on reports on your father's past, but mayhap he is willing to let you into his head a little." "I'll try my best." "Excellent, Sister. I am certain Yue, Elvia, and Whetu await your timely rescue. Godspeed." Gwen moved out onto the veranda. From the direction of the workshop, an NoM servant approached with a package covered with protective glyphs. "For Mistress Song's party." The maid placed the box on the table and curtseyed before leaving. The family turned to address the incoming Gwen, who held the inert Message device in her hand and looked at Morye intently. "I've confirmed with Gunther, he's our man," Gwen announced to the group. Paul, Taj and Jonas gave one another looks that suggested they had just stepped dog shit. "I won't pull your leg," Morye said to them when he caught their constipated expressions. "If you don't pull mine." "Dad's got a commendation from Gunther," Gwen backed up her father, having gained a new, previously unfound confidence in the flighty fellow. Despite their disbelief, the package passed down to the group, where Jonas opened the Glyphs with a secretive invocation. Within were several metallic plates constructed of some composite material that resembled thin pieces of flexible carbon plates. When the Healer channelled a mote of mana into the card-like object, it projected an illusory field that held his headshot, biometrics, affinity and Rank. When Gwen received her identification, she saw that the range of her abilities had been underreported, as expected. **Gwen Song** **Multiple Transit Pass** **I.D** : 2840598 01 **CoO** : Australia **Eyes** : Hazel - Green **Skin** : Caucasian **Hair** : Black (Warm) **Height** : 180CM **SoM** : Evocation, Conjuration **AFT** :: Quasi-Elemental - Lightning There was also a line of small print that could be just visible in the indent: _This Pass is for valid Transit holders only, effective within the territories of the Mageocratic Commonwealth._ There was a careful balance to her falsely advertised talents. If Gwen's skills appeared mundane, her retinue would cause suspicion; if she were overtly unique and precious, her lacking a substantial entourage would also bring trouble. Feeling the card in her hand, Gwen wondered if Gunther was trying his best to emulate his late Master's methodology. Gwen knew that she couldn't be grown in a greenhouse and still hope to attain the same level of Spellcraft as Alesia and Gunther. If Gunther was happy to let her roam as she pleased, then she was glad to take the opportunity. When she earlier received the Teleportation Ring from Gunther, an unspoken understanding had passed between the Siblings-in-craft. The message was simple- all Gwen had to do was survive. In her mind, she understood that she had to prove herself worthy of Gunther's protection, just as Gunther would do his best to ensure that she would survive to try again. Morye took his I.D and examined its contents. "Mineral Mage," he mused. "Well, I suppose it's close enough." With the luncheon utterly disrupted by Morye's blunder, the rest of the group had little desire to persist in the family gathering. They broke off into private assemblies across the long veranda, exchanging members once in a while to build rapport for the days to come. Thanks to Tang's presence, Helena stayed away from her ex, which came as a great relief to Gwen and Percy. The teenagers, meanwhile, had formed their huddle separately from the adults. "Now can you tell me what's going on with the family?" Richard was about to pivot to another topic when his cousin's serious eyes cornered him. "Well, we're shit broke," he confessed candidly. "How?" Gwen demanded. Her Uncle might be a conniving, name-dropping charlatan, but his real talent in investment brokerage seldom failed the family. "The Mermen invasion, of course," Richard replied nonchalantly. "It's the normal thing during a large scale invasion. It's not like it hasn't happened before, just not to Sydney, and not to us." With nonchalance, her cousin explained their dire straits. As a Praelector candidate from Prince's, Richard had received the opportunity to attend university in London. There, he'd planned to earn enough accolades to eventually move his parents to the tier 1 city itself, from which their rise into the upper strata of the Mageocracy could begin. Unfortunately, even with his prodigious talent, mere talent proved insufficient to gain a full scholarship to the colleges he desired to attend. Now with the sudden destruction of the property market and their family estate in Sydney, Richard could no longer afford the price of immigration, not to mention the cost of renting and staying in London's upscale educational districts. "There's also the problem of Policy," Richard continued to explain. "In a state of emergency like this, the standard procedure is to move all non-essential Mages from the Frontier City and assign them to the closest Tier 1 city willing to take them. From there, the rarer talents are, 'divvied up' for the lack of a better word, by the power brokers." "What happens to those with mundane talent?" Gwen asked suspiciously, thinking of their friends in Blackwattle. "Bundled off to another tier 2 cities, I imagine," Richard replied. "A new life, as the propaganda would say, though I imagine it's a case of waste not, want not." Gwen's eyes had an ambivalent look to them. "So you are going to a tier 1 city?" "As a refugee, not as a student." Richard sighed. "We don't get a choice of what cities we are assigned. As refugees, we'll be living in segregated zones from the rest of the tier 1 folks. Knowing the snobbery of the citizens there, I'd half expect them to see us as little more than NoMs." "Can Opa…" "No." Richard stopped Gwen before she could make the suggestion. "Why do you think Kwan came here first thing? Surya's doing the right thing here, spending the family's money to help the NoMs and those Mages who wish to stay here. The NoMs will be living under some pretty feral conditions until the city's cleansed and the stations repaired. They could be here for years, living in these concrete boxes. At any rate, you need more than just money to bend the rules. I'll hit up some of my seniors and see what they can do." "So what's your projection?" Gwen asked. She wasn't sure how many people knew that Richard had already contracted an Undine, but surely someone of his talent would be a clear stand out even if they were forced into special refugee zones somewhere in a tier 1 city. "Making sure my parents are safe. I suppose. Then I can focus on the new world. I am confident we'll be fine wherever we go. At any rate, I look forward to you visiting our new home." "What about you, Percy?" Gwen turned to her brother. "What's mum's plan?" The young man looked up at Gwen with questioning eyes. Percy had an expression that looked as though someone had stolen his lunch. Gwen could understand how the boy felt. A proper Awakening, a rare elemental talent, a bright future— all of that had been within his grasp. Then before he'd even enjoyed any of it, a tsunami of Mermen had dashed his dreams and washed his hopes out to sea. "Dad, I mean step-dad, is staying to repair the city. That's what his manufactorum specialises in, fabrication. I doubt mum would stay here if she's allowed to go to a tier 1 city though, even if it's in a special exclusion zone." "So that means you'll be going as well if it comes to it?" Percy nodded. "Richard said that with my talent, I'd be able to continue schooling." "It's true. I doubt a Tower would let someone with Percy's elemental talent just languish. He's likely going to be picked up in processing and sent back to school. Maybe even a school like Prince's, they got branches and brother-schools in all the major Frontiers." "How's Prince's holding up?" Gwen asked out of curiosity. "Gone," Richard shrugged. "No Shield Station, no school." Gwen nodded. She'd heard that the influential Houses all had connections linking back to tier 1 cities. For those born to privilege, the invasion's extraordinary circumstances merely compelled an accelerated timetable for their return to the main branch. They kept up the small talk for a while longer until the conversation was interrupted by Paul. "It's time to go," The Translocation Mage announced. "We'll be taking the Teleportation Circle to the Tower, then to Brisbane, then to Townsville. There are a few inland hops from there until we get to Darwin. I hope you had a light lunch just now. It's not going to be gentle on the stomach." By now, Gwen was no stranger to teleportation, but this was her first foray into inter-continental travel. "Luckily, Gunther's done a bang-up job." Paul grinned affably. "We're clear for uninterrupted travel until we board the Freighter in Darwin." "How long until we reach the island?" Gwen inquired. "Assuming we find a ship in Singapore willing to take us." Paul's eyes fell towards Gwen' Storage Ring, where a hundred military-issued, high-density mana crystals sat in a pouch. "All in all, I'd say seven to eight days." Gwen almost spat out the glass of water she'd been nursing. "Seven to eight days!" she uttered in disbelief. "How long does it take us to get to Darwin?" "About ten hours, most of which is waiting for the Teleportation Chambers to be attuned." "Then?" "A ship, more specifically, we'll be boarding a cargo freighter. There are ones that go out every day." "We can't teleport to Singapore?" Paul regarded the inexperienced girl before him. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Gwen was a teenager who'd never been outside of her Ivory Tower. "No, Singapore is not a part of the Oceania Council of Ten. We have ongoing treaties, but the "Fortress Port" has sovereignty within its territories." "But Gunther could ask for us to go direct, can't he? We're in a hurry." "By what capacity do you propose we make the proposition?" Paul's brows furrowed. "Do you know anyone there? Does Tower Master Lee owe you a personal favour?" Gwen found that she had no rebuttal for Paul's rationale. They were Three Senior Mages with Military Ranks, one zealous apprentice to a deceased Magister, and one unwilling loafer, venturing into a Black Zone. Why are you going there? An official Singaporean Magus would question. What lies at the end of so much risk and effort? "We're saving three junior Mages," they'd reply, and their stunned audience would surely demand that they owe up to the undeliverable truth. "Gwen," Richard interjected before Paul became irritable with Gwen's dissatisfaction over the delayed travel arrangements. He took her icy palms and held them in his own, which were dry and warm. "Your people have done their best in the circumstances. You have to trust them if you want them to help you. Don't let your feelings go over your head." The tactile warmth of Richard assurance brought her back from the anxious edge of impatience. Gwen took a deep breath and calmed herself, measuring their circumstance. Could Yue stay put for nine more days? Could Whetu last that long? Elvia should be fine, but there were many unknowns to which she couldn't even begin to guess. "I am sorry," Gwen said to the two boys. "I have to go." "We'll be out of contact once we leave Darwin," Paul reminded her cousin and her sibling. "If there's' an emergency, get Master Surya to contact Gunther, and he'll try to get ahold of us." Gwen fiercely embraced her family. "Percy, take care of Mother. Richard, good luck with the relocation. I hope to be back before it happens, but please keep me updated." "Will do. Hopefully, we'll see you soon." "Goodbye, Sis." When it was Percy's turn, her embrace grew fiercer and more maternal, pressing the embarrassed boy tightly against the small of her body before kissing him on the forehead. Back on the veranda, the rest of the family waited. "Opa, I have to go." "I know." Surya came and embraced Gwen, his body frame poking into her ribs as usual. "Be safe, my little cucu perempuan." "I will." "Take care of her." Surya turned to the others, who saluted the old Enchanter. "We will, Sir." The men saluted. Gwen turned to her mother, who'd been laconic since Morye had blurted out that she was a Void Mage. "Goodbye, Mother." "Good luck," her mother replied before they embraced, performing the familial ritual with duty rather than feeling. There was also Tess and Melissa, who gave Gwen a tearful farewell. Tess handed over a large ration of Roo jerky, a full kilogram's worth, which she made Gwen promise she would save for an emergency. Melissa meanwhile, had prepared a bottle of eucalyptus oil, "for the bugs," she explained "bugs as big as your face". Gwen held the flask a little closer to her chest. "Right." Paul pointed the way to the workshop, where the Teleportation Circle awaited. Soon they would be away. Gwen would leave Sydney for the first time in her life. A cry from the crowd impeded their progress. "Ms Song! Gwen Song! Please! A moment!" The voice wasn't from their party, but from the crowd of refugees gathered on the property's camp. The family turned to see an auburn-haired woman with amber eyes, middle-aged and well kept, waving frantically in their direction. Gwen recognised the woman's face with a sinking sensation. She'd never seen her before, but it didn't take a Diviner to guess that she was the mother of the late Debora Jones. To be the harbinger of bad news had always been one of the most challenging endeavours an individual could undertake. It took immense mental fortitude and incredible empathy for an individual to become capable of looking a mother in the eye and state with absolute certainty that their child had died. Gwen considered herself a woman of spirit; she could stomach pain, disgrace, and trauma when performed upon herself, but it didn't mean that she had the stoic forbearance necessary to bring such mental anguish to another. One must be cruel to be kind. Gwen reminded herself. "Let her through," Gwen said, mindful of the several seconds in which she'd stared at the woman in wide-eyed horror. Two of the militiamen keeping order in the Refugee camp allowed the woman to pass. Debora's mother was an Earthen Transmuter. With only a modest talent for Spellcraft and elemental affinity, she'd worked part-time at a local manufactorum and was principally a homemaker. When the evacuation began, and the list of inland locations for temporary shelters came up, she saw Surya's estate and used what little connection she had to move her family to the Hunter's Region. When she saw Gwen with the Master of the house, she must have recognised Gwen instantly. She must have seen the lumen-pics her daughter had brought back, especially the ones with her daughter's arms wrapped around the waist of a sorceress with bright hazel eyes. "Mrs Jones," Gwen approached Debora's mother and extended a hand. The formality seemed to catch Debora's mother off-guard, causing her to hesitate before taking Gwen's hand. "Just Verna is fine." "I am sorry." Gwen bowed before Verna could persist in any small talk. There was no point to it. No matter how they twisted and sidestepped, the outcome was inevitable. "Why… are you sorry?" Verna's face turned the colour of fresh sheets. Gwen remained bowed while Verna stammered. Jonas moved up and helped the woman steady herself. "She was brave until the very end, Mrs Jones. I couldn't have had a better companion." Verna steadied herself, and then her expression turned cruel. "That's it? How can you be so heartless?" she accused Gwen. "Debora said she was your best friend! She said that she admired you!" Gwen felt the palpable disappointment in Verna's accusation. She knew she couldn't blame the woman, nor herself. If she had been Debora's friend, if she had spent a year with her friend, if her friend had died in her arms, then she could have spoken of every detail in Debbie's eulogy. But the reality was far from Verna's desired truth. In the end, she was not Debora's friend. She didn't even know Debora. Instead, the thing that had taken Debora's form had directly resulted in her Master's death, her real friends' displacement, and the city's loss of life. In an instant, her heart grew cold. She wasn't a saint. She couldn't possibly waste another minute here, conferring with this woman of no importance who'd only accuse her of abandoning her daughter, who knew nothing! Her eyes turned to Taj. The Senior Sergeant came between Verna and Gwen as Debora's distraught mother continued to pour out a torrent of hysterical abuse. Jonas tightened his grip on the woman as well, ready to give her a jolt of Calm Emotion if she should turn violent. Though they frowned at Gwen's apparent coldheartedness, they had a long journey ahead. In the end, it was Surya who took the disconsolate mother away, speaking to her softly with kind words. Taj caught up with them a moment later at the entrance to the workshop. Morye had long since escaped the spectacle and was waiting for them within. Paul was readying the Circle. Jonas gave Gwen a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's alright if you want to grieve," he suggested helpfully. Gwen shook her head. "I am alright," she replied, looking toward the silvery glow of the active Teleportation Chamber within. "Let's go. Delay as we may, time waits for no one."

If someone had asked Elvia a year ago if she'd be rubbing shoulders with Magisters and witnessing city-levelling combat that existed on a mythical level— she'd ask what quasi-magical medication they were taking. Elvia was as kind as she looked, a daddy's girl. Among the friendship trio, she was Gwen's respite, Yue's sometime-pillow, and the angelic healer of Blackwattle's clinic. Timid and bashful, she was not built to withstand the immense tension that came with two Magisters squaring off, much less the traumatic anxiety of conspiracy where hundreds of thousands of human lives hung in the balance. "Debora, God help me if you don't let Gwen go right this minute. If you harm her, my life's sole purpose will revolve around ensuring that you suffer..." Yue's acerbic threats made Elvia's scalp crawl. "You fucking bitch… I am going to immolate everyone you love. Your brothers, your sisters, your parents. You will rue the day you turned traitor…" Elvia felt sick. Yue's blasphemous threat sent shivers down her spine precisely because she knew that her friend meant every word. As Alesia's Apprentice, Yue could arguably cite to the Tower that Debora's family was complicit to the conspiracy that resulted in the death of tens of thousands. But what if they were not? She would never know the sweet innocence of restful sleep ever again. The standoff had lingered for a moment more until Alesia uttered a cry of dismay. Surprising them both, Yue's Master Blinked past them into the Grot. "You're too late," Debora announced flatly as a swarm of firefly embers filled the air. Beside the traitorous Transmuter, Gwen writhed in agony, caught in the constrictive embrace of the Sand Prison. Elvia' fists clenched and unclenched. It was just like that time during the Field Trip, only now Gwen wasn't screaming for her to run away. When Debora next spoke, her words were emotionless and full of prophecy. "There is nothing you can do. There is nothing any of you can do. Not anymore." "Shut your hole—" Yue began, letting loose a torrent of abuse. Elvia wanted to cry but fought down the tears. But it wasn't her gut that began to spin and churn. Without warning, the Grot began to distort, though really, there was no word to describe the strangeness of their unbidden translocation. It was the folding of two spaces across a vast expanse, first folded like two ends of an origami crane, and now transforming back into a plain sheet of paper. In the blink of an eye, the space within the Tower ceased to be. Where Yue had been shouting death-threats at Debora only a split second ago; now she was hurling abuse at a lonesome sapling. A verdurous seedling with a dozen leaves that had sprouted from the foliage smothered floor of a tropical rainforest. Much like a cargo truck without compression breaks, Yue went on for a few more seconds before her embroiled mind could process their forced translocation. "…. shove a wand up—" Yue stopped. She had stopped because the sapling had uprooted itself and fled behind the wall-like roots of a giant banyan tree. "What the fuck?" Yue said to the general air. "Where ears this?" Whetu regarded their surroundings with awe. "This reminds me of northern New Zulland, near Rotorua." "Fuck that, where's Gwen?! Where's that bitch, Debora?" "I don't think this is Sydney," Elvia intoned frightfully, feeling the humidity almost instantly drench her pale, heat-sensitive skin, far more acclimatised to the dry, cold air of Middle Europe. The movement of a sapling-like being peeking out from the trees caught their wandering, agitated eyes. It gawked at the party, its leaves quivering with terror. "Hello? Who are you?" Elvia lowered her body until she was on both knees, her fair hair cascading over her shoulder. "We don't mean to harm you. You may come out if you like." Perhaps sensing Elvia's goodwill, or possibly recognising the tone of her speech, the little sapling emerged a little more from its place of shelter. Now that they had a closer look at the thing, it was no longer in the shape of a sapling tree. The plant was instead a petite, female babe with olive skin, bright luminous eyes of emerald green, and hair full of tressy vines. The young Spirit was also entirely in the nude, though a lack of anatomical features hinted at its inhuman nature. Overall, it was an adorable, tiny thing the size of a puppy or a kitten. Elvia swallowed while Yue and Whetu sucked in deep breaths. Where the hell had they teleported? The duo tried to recollect themselves. Was this a part of the Grot? Perhaps a defensive system? Where was Alesia? Most importantly, the sight of the child-like forest-spirit before them assailed their capacity for rational thought. First of all, why was there a sprite here? Wasn't it that Magical Beings like this only existed in zones uninhabited by humanity? "Come on, little one. Come out. Can you speak?" Elvia cooed as she coaxed the delightful little thing to come closer, anxious to ask it for directions so that they could escape and find Gwen. Yue and Whetu took a step back. "Elvia," Yue spoke carefully. "Don't do it." "Maybe it can talk," Elvia assured her friend innocently. "Maybe it can tell us where we are?" Elvia gestured so that Yue suppressed her instinct to drop a Fireball. She was confident that her gut feeling was right. As Elvia watched, the sapling spirit emerged entirely from its sheltered spot between the roots and was now coming towards them. It reaches out with long, tendril-like fingers that were far too distended for an anatomically accurate human body and touched Elvia's cheeks. "Ki!" the creature uttered. "Kiki!" To Elvia's surprise, it came forward and began to rub itself against her hands. Instantly, the healer relaxed, feeling no hostility from the creature. Mayhap the Sprite was attracted to the Positive Mana that emanated from her body? Elvia brushed a hand over the sapling's hair. "So soft," she said, turning to her friends. "I feel it's harmless. I don't think it can talk— ouch!" She spoke too soon. A needle-sharp pain that pricked her hand, causing her to wince and grimace. With a jerking motion, Elvia pulled her hand from the thing's head. It had stabbed her with a tendril, prickling the pale skin of her finger, which began to bleed profusely. "I knew it!" Yue fired up an aura of fiery mana. She was confident that she could incinerate the thing with a pair of Scorching Rays while avoiding the risk of friendly-fire on Elvia. "No!" Elvia leaned over the creature protectively. "It was an accident!" The sapling creature cowered beneath Yue's flaming aura, feeling the motes of fire pour from the Evoker's body. Trembling, it reached out with a tendril and caressed Elvia's hand, where its thorn had pierced her skin. There was a brief emerald glow. To their surprise, the swollen wound mended in front of their eyes. "That's rather handy," Yue retracted her spell but still regarded the thing with suspicion. The child-like Spirit made a face at her and hid away from Yue behind Elvia. Whetu furrowed his brows. "Elvia..." "I know," Elvia answered. It goes without saying that because a Magical Being was benign right now doesn't mean it would remain so in the future. "Kiki-ki!" the thing wailed. It then clambered up onto Elvia and buried itself in her flaxen hair. "We're not keeping that thing," Yue warned her friend, mindful of Alesia's claim that the only good Magical Being was a smouldering mana-core after a nice Fireball. "Just for a little bit?" Elvia begged. "Maybe it'll be helpful?" Both Elvia and the Sprite begged their companions with liquid eyes. "Erh." Yue turned away, unable to withstand the look of innocence that radiated from two pairs of guileless eyes. Whetu as well seemed defeated by their adorability. The trio inspected their surrounding. Evidently, they were in a verdant jungle. The heat was beyond humid and oppressive, weighing upon the group like wads of cotton. Behind them was a gigantic Banyan tree, stretching into the heavens, smothering all light, leaving the floor with nought but the dappled light peering through its dense foliage. Between the root system as tall as a grown man, was an open space that hinted at a Dryad's sanctum. "I reckon that's the Grot," Whetu pointed out helpfully. He ventured close to the threshold and placed his hand between the open space. What he felt was a resistance, like pressing one's hand against congealed gelatine. "Ets closed." "Let me try." Yue attempted to enter the Grot. She made it no more than a few feet before the wall of force drove her backwards. Undeterred, Yue clicked her fingers, and a pair of Dancing Lights manifested. In the shimmering reflection, she could see the outline of her body hazily refracted through the firelight. Not far from Yue, Elvia had settled the little wood sprite onto her shoulder. She produced her Message device and tried a few Glyphs. The droning tone and the glowing red symbol informed her that its inbuilt Divining formulas were woefully out of range. "Shit!" Yue's patience was wearing thin. "We have to get back to Gwen. I can't believe Debora betrayed us for Walken! That bitch!" "Yue…" "I swear I'll make good on my promise. When we get back, I am going to boil that traitor alive in a vat of low-smoking oil, I… " "Yew!" Yue looked up at her companions, who were staring wild-eyed behind her. A fragrance of wildflowers drifted through the air, sweet and alluring, thick and sticky, hanging in the atmosphere like a physical presence. The redolence was accompanied by the sound of rustling leaves and the susurrating of tall branches. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Yue turned. The trio beheld a vision, one that beheld them in turn. An avatar of Aphrodite with a long head of autumn leaves beginning in flaming red and ending in burnish bronze shimmered under the dappled light of the afternoon sun. From its head of autumn colours, a breathtakingly beautiful face, gemstone eyes, a celestial nose and pouting lips with the hue of ripe goji protruded. Fluid lines of woodgrain formed its exotic wooden complexion, passing over sensuous curves that were dangerous and voluptuous. "Wow…" Elvia held her breath, mesmerised by the beauty of the ravishing Dryad that strode into the clearing on long slender legs taller than her head. Yue turned to Whetu, whose face looked smitten. "Why do you suppose Dryads have knockers?" she said to the two of them critically. "They ain't mammalian creatures, so ain't it kind of like tits on a bull? I mean, why nips?" Elvia stared at the alluring Dryad. Yue was right. Especially with its skinny waist, the exaggerated breasts of the woodland being was enormous. Like ripe fruits they were, melons in their own right, poignantly poised upon her chests. "You've ruined the glamour, Yue." Whetu moaned. "I can't un-see it." "Well tits or no tits, we gotta ask it for directions. Gwen's waiting for us to rescue her," Yue snapped. "Put your eyeballs back in their sockets, Whetu." A rustling giggle answered their banter. "Little ones," hailed the giantess in green and brown. "Where might you hail from?" Though the group knew that humanoid Magical Beings could speak, the more human-shaped, the more likely, they were still impressed that a creature of such age and origin spoke the common tongue. "Hello," Elvia began politely. "We're from Sydney. Do you happen to—" "Tree Lady, where are we?" Yue interjected. "What are you, and how do we get back?" Whetu placed a careful hand on Yue's shoulder. "Patience, Yew, we are in her domain." Yue shook herself off Whetu's grasp with impatient annoyance. "Where might this be?" The Dryad moved her overlarge body with a grace that was pleasing to the eye. "Why, we are in my groove, where my sisters and I have lived since time immemorial." "We are sorry to intrude." Elvia curtsied, amazed that the creature spoke English. "Might I ask how we may return to our home?" "Of course, allow me to show you the way." The Dryad turned, flicking her hair in a way that sent streams of beading dew flowing through her hair, dripping down the arc of her wasp's waist onto her magnificent buttocks. Whetu's breath grew laborious. "Now that's an arse you could build a house on," Yue muttered offhandedly, displeased at her male companion. Elvia followed without a word, mindful of the little Sprite hidden in her voluminous hair. "Ki-ki! Ki!" it muttered beside her with a distinct sense of alarm. "I can't understand what you're saying," Elvia gave her minute companion a nudge. "What's the matter?" The sprig-sprite pulled at her ear, but a backward glance from the giant Dryad sent it back into hiding. The group followed the Dryad for a quarter of an hour. The woods seemed to part before them before closing behind them, giving the three a feeling of foreboding anxiety as their hostess lead the way. By Whetu's guess, they had made it a kilometre before Yue had enough. "Hey! Double-D, are you sure this is the way out?" Whetu broke into a snort. Even Elvia couldn't help herself and had to pinch her thighs to keep a straight face. With tears in her eyes, she turned to Yue to scold her for her abrasiveness. The giantess turned to the group with a winsome smile that no longer reached its eyes. "Yes, it's just this way." When the group reached a clearing though, it was evident that not only were they not "out" of the woods, they were, in fact, more buried within it. There were tables and chairs set out for human-sized guests in the clearing, shaded by the dappled bower of the enormous Bayan tree above it. The three junior Mages had done their bestiary classes. Now, they regretfully acknowledged that despite their naive optimism, the coy giantess had broken faith and had brought them to be drugged and glamoured. "It must be very tiring to walk through the woods," the Dryad spoke with a voice dripping with honey. "Mayhap take a short sojourn here and enjoy a cup of sweet mead or a slice of manna bread." True to her word, cups sprouted from the tables, while a bloom of white flowers seated upon the wood began to fruit, forming a puffy white mushroom that resembled unbaked bread dough. "I am truly sorry," Elvia began. "But we really must be going, you see, an enemy has captured a friend of ours, and we really must depart to save her." The Dryad turned to face them with her gemstone eyes, her pupil-less irises giving her an alluring, alien presence. She turned to them, a nude wonder poised to please, and from her mouth issued a soft breeze of spring. A sweet fragrance supernaturally filled the air as the clearing blossomed at once with thousands of flowers. "Won't you stay? Just for a little while longer?" Her voice filled their ears, rich with pleasing promises. Whetu seemed instantly smitten, his expression becoming soft and languishing. An idiotic grin of unconditional trust appeared on his face as he nodded slowly. Elvia meanwhile, heard a small "Ki Ki Ki" beside her, a few seconds later, her groggy mind regaining its clarity. Yue however, was entirely unaffected, with the flower petals bursting into fireflies as they neared her body. "Hey, wood whore!" Yue punched Whetu in the chest, doubling him over. "Last chance." The Dryad frowned, lovely even in anger. From the other side of the clearing appeared several more of her kind, each beautiful in their way, with mischievous smiles and cruel faces full of anticipation. "Well, have it your way." Yue opened a channel to the Plane of Elemental Fire. "Fire Storm!" Swirling motes of Elemental fire descended upon the clearing. The lesser Dryads shrieked and fled the scene. The giantess' face transformed into a maleficient scowl. "YOU DARE?!" the elder Dryad screeched, her voice the shrill lament of wind through hollowed logs. But her protest was fruitless. In the next moment, a firestorm engulfed the clearing. Great gobs of uncontrolled plasma fell indiscriminately into the clearing and the surrounding area. Yue gritted her teeth and kept up the channel, transforming the woodland domain into a sea of crackling flames. "Bless! Aid!" Elvia slapped Whetu across the back of his skull, pulling Whetu from his stupor. "Wii have to git back to Sufina's Grot!" Whetu exclaimed. "This place is going to be crawling with nimfes." "You lead, I'll clear ahead," Yue shouted back, satisfied that the clearing would be burning for a few hours yet. The abundance of elemental fire in the area would ensure any the wood and debris were as good as bone-dry tinder. Yue was glad she had shaken Whetu from the Charm, for the Dryads' retribution was quick and swift. Lashing tentacles of barbed tendrils shot from the shadows of trees towering above them, trying to snag them by the neck like nooses or to scourge them with their poisoned spikes. Whetu, now cleared of the tree-woman's glamour, executed his expertise, forming punamu shields left and right, above and behind, shielding the two girls as they slid and stumbled through the densely wooded trail. "Is this the right direction?" Yue shouted. She and Elvia had barely passed outdoor survival and so couldn't even begin to tell the direction. "Oi think so." Whetu forced apart a thorny bush with a shield. "Dis way!" If any of them could fly, that would have simplified their progress, but the earthbound party of three had to push through the verdant, dense jungle by sense alone. Along the way, their escape was itself unimpeded, though even as their mana waned, they couldn't help but notice they were nowhere near Sufina's tree. "Shit, what do we do?" Yue warded off another Dryad who came into view with a Scorching Ray. "I think it's the woods itself. We're in a maze." Whetu opened an umbrella Shield. The tendril penetrated the first few layers of his punamu. Elvia huffed. She could see that the attacks were getting more vicious. "Evee?" Elvia had concurrently been listening to the little Sprite that rode on her shoulders. "Kiki!" it suggested, apparently aware of some solution to their dilemma. In the chaos, though, Elvia had no idea what it was saying. "I don't understand," she begged the Sprite for greater clarity. "Point us where to go?" The Sprite's inarticulate gesticulation was interrupted by a triumphant shout from Whetu. "I see a clearing! There's the tree!" "Ki! Ki!" the Sprite pleaded desperately, but its companion ignored its incomprehensible, irksome actions. ' The three junior Mages burst into the clearing with Yue's purging flame pruning the way. A giant Bayan tree again towed over them, underneath of which was a portal into the underground. "Is that it?" Yue asked, unsure if this was indeed the Grot they had seen. Behind them the entire forest seemed to be moving, crushing towards them like a mudslide consisting of roving greenery. The trio's options were clear, they could forgo the clearing and keep on moving, or they could take a gamble. "No Time!" Whetu felt a dozen tendrils lashing the Shield he had left behind them, crunching through the punamu. "Which way?" "To the Grot!" Yue commanded. "Maybe we can hold it hostage. The bestiary said that Dryads perish with their Grot. Elvia?" "Kiki!" The Sprite was pulling her hair backwards, causing Elvia to wince. "Dump that thing! Lord knows whose side it's on," Yue snapped and pulled Elvia forwards. Together, they stumbled towards the shaded nook of the tree, into the space between the roots. "It's open," Whetu was the first to touch the base. Behind them, the elder Dryad burst into the clearing like a wooden goddess that had seen better times. Her lovely hair of flowering tresses was now a smouldering mess of cinders, her flawless woodgrain skin charred in several places. Her gemstone eyes were aglow with angry, autumn colours. If one wasn't in the know, they might have mistaken her for an avatar of forest fires. A dozen others appeared, likewise singed and injured by Yue's flaming outburst, striding dramatically into the clearing, their eyes full of murder. "Fuck it!" Yue pulled Elvia by the hand, and they pushed into the Grot. Outside, the flames suddenly extinguished. The smouldering leader of the Dryads shed her red hair and ashen skin, becoming once again beautiful and flawlessly radiant. A cruel smile touched her lips, and she began to giggle, an innocent trill full of sadistic mirth, echoed by her companions until the entire clearing became full of thrilling laughter. The air inside was damp and chilly. The tunnel into the Grot itself was moss-covered and wet to the touch, leading downwards into the darkness, lit by phosphorescent fungi that shed just enough light to tease the eye. They had made a hundred meters or so when Whetu became overcome by a sense of Déjà vu. "Oi think we're going in circles, look hear." He pointed to a spot in the wall where he'd left a piece of punamu when they'd last made a loop. "Circles out there, circles in hear. Ets not looking good. The dryads are warping the woods." "Well, I'll just carve a route out then, maybe it'll give the owner of this Grot indigestion." Yue grinned nastily as an orange flame blossomed in one hand. The sudden burst of elemental fire in the tunnel seemed to awaken something, as the walls began to shudder. "See?" Yue tittered smugly. Then out of the moss-covered walls came bursting out a pale white hand. It grasped Yue by the mouth and waist, pulling her back with such force that she became winded. To Whetu's shout and Elvia's dismay, Yue became violently pressed upon the walls; half-dragged into the moss by the pale-skinned figure. "Mmmmph!" Yue tried to struggle free, but the thing's arms were as strong as old roots. A pale face appeared by the tunnel's side, one of a venerable old warrior long since consumed, whose near translucent skin looked as though it hadn't seen the sun for a century. "Join us! You cannot escape. The mistress will have thee in her thrall!" The resonating voice crooned, its eyes turning to look at Whetu. "Thee as well will become her servant! None escapes here!" "MmmmPH!" Yue burst into flames as she forcibly manifested her Flame Shield, causing a wracking surge of fiery mana to escape her body and sear her skin. The pale bodied man screamed and howled, retreating into the tunnel's walls with a wail. "Motherfucker groped me." Yue coughed and spat as Elvia healed her blistering skin and eased the effect of the disorientating mana burn with a Lesser Restoration. She felt for her right breast, where she was sure that there would be a bruise come morning, restoration or no. "Healing Word!" Elvia dispensed some of her healing. "Flame Shield!" A semi-circle of fire manifested around Yue, encompassing Elvia and Whetu within its protective reaches. All around them, the walls of the tunnel were now a mess of writhing moss, within which white arms and legs, white faces by the hundreds, appeared and disappeared. Yue produced one of the mana potions that Alesia had left them at the convent and injected herself with the blue solution. "YEAH, that's the stuff," Yue moaned as her reserves shot to full. "Let's get out of here. I rather fight those bitches to the death than die here in a stinking hole. Let's see how long it'll take before whoever owns this Grot regurgitates us." "Flame Sphere!" A giant sphere of fire manifested and began to roll down the tunnel, turning all within range into ash. "Wall of Fire!" A blistering row of fire charred the tunnel walls. "Fireball!" "Firebolt!" "Blastbolt!" "Scorching Ray—" Yue's escalation seemed to have done the trick, for it took them only a few minutes to wander out from the Grot and once again into the clearing. As they exited the pocket-space of the Grot, they grew aware that angry woodland beings now surrounded them. Unexpectedly, however, the trio was no longer being menaced. Instead, the Dryads were on their knees, supplicating themselves before an emerald goddess that stood amongst them like a tall poplar amongst lowly hedges. Even the elder Dryad was on her knees, steaming a little as her innards fumed with the fire still burning within her Grot. The object of their adoration was a familiar shape with a familiar face. It was Gwen's face, superimposed upon an artistic wooden sculpture of surreal beauty. Its hair was a verdant vertical garden of tendrils, flowers and leaves that framed her face and cascaded until it reached the forest floor. Its eyes were a glimmering display of prismatic colours, staring intently towards them with distinct displeasure. "Sufina?" Yue intoned, swallowing a little as her flame shield spluttered. "Sufina, do you know where Gwen is? We need to get back to her." "Sufina!" Beside Yue, Elvia breathed out a sigh of relief. Her companion Sprite hid instantly behind her hair, cowering and whimpering. "G' day," Whetu added. The majestic Dryad's eyes regarded them coldly, seemingly devoid of all emotion. Behind her, the woods were lovely, dark and deep, a place of flora sans the fauna, a dark forest where no birds sing. "You three," Sufina said softly. "Are in big trouble." \- End of Arc 1

**TERRORISTS ATTACK SYDNEY, TOWER DOWN ** **7th July 2003 ** **BBC WORLD SERVICE** **Thousands are dead and injured as rogue Mages assault Sydney's Arcanum. The Sydney Tower is brought down, leaving the city in chaos. Lord Magister Kilroy is said to be among the victims. Arrival of Brisbane Tower and Melbourne Tower puts Sydney under Martial Law. Borders are closed. Arcanum vows to 'find those responsible".** **Sydney** \- In the worst Terrorist attack ever made against a standing Frontier City of the British Mageocracy, a group of rogue Mages has struck the coastal Shielding Stations and disabled the Sydney Tower midday Friday, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. As a horrific city watched itself roll back three decades of civil progress, the city of Sydney became besieged by the Mermen, who took advantage of the failed barrier breach to attack. In all, a total of twenty-one Krakens and a single Leviathan was seen entering the city, with an estimated force of Mermen numbering between twenty to thirty thousand. When Sydney's Tower failed to respond and indeed did choose not to respond within the allocated timeframe for impeding the Mermen advance; its critic's worst fears were confirmed. The Tower had become a victim of its infighting, no longer seeing the city's protection and its citizens as a top priority. Notably, a "Dark Sun" Strategic Spell emerged during the conflict, ending when a Mythic class Magical being known as the Rainbow Serpent consumed the enervating phenomenon. When contacted for answers, both the Brisbane and Melbourne Towers declined to comment. The attack has stirred fears and anxiety across Oceania and evoked comparison to the Pearl Harbour Siege of 1943 and the Coral Sea Conflict, where Mermen had likewise besieged Brisbane in 1987. Though no one has claimed responsibility, official suspicion quickly fell to the shadow organisation Spectre, also known as the Shadow Council, formerly claiming responsibility for the Red Dragon incident in Britain in 2001. Thus far, the Paladin of the Sydney Tower, Lord Gunther Shultz, has declined to comment on how the Terrorists had penetrated the Tower's defences. Addressing the Mageocracy on Saturday night, the Britannic Commonwealth's High Chancellor, Magister Fulgor, vowed to "find those responsible and bring them to justice." He said the Towers would retaliate against "those behind these evil acts," including cities that harbour them. Though tallies are incoming, the loss of Mages' lives is estimated to be between 1000 to 1200, with another 2000 Mages currently injured or in serious condition. The Sydney Tower is being repaired, though its superstructure has been severely damaged by a burst of Negative Energy reportedly emitted from its control spire. The estimated casualty rate of NoM civilians may rise as high as 12,000. Three days after the attack, with communications restored, the scope of the damage is becoming apparent: a vast swath of the infrastructure of Sydney's CBD has been destroyed, with 60% of its commercial buildings damaged, while 20% of Magical structures remain inoperable. Presently, the streets stay flooded and dangerous. The Militia advises non-essential personnel to avoid the CBD until the seawater can be drained and potential Mermen spawns purged. At a Monday conference, Sydney authorities under Gunther Shultz announced that among the dead was the Magister of the Tower and the Master of the Ten presiding over Oceania - Lord Henry Kaine Foster Kilroy. Lord Kilroy has been the presiding Magister of Sydney Tower for two decades, an incumbent since the Tower's inception. He is publicly known as a master Conjurer with a Dryad companion, gaining the moniker of 'Deathless Henry'. Currently, no official statements exist for the cause of Lord Kilroy's death. Following the Sydney incident, the Mageocracy has placed all forces in Oceania on high alert. Sydney is the worst incident of terrorism waged against a Frontier since implementing the two-tier city system following the Beast Tide. The attack has paralysed the city and its surrounding regions, crippling the Oceanic Region's economic output. As the city readies to ship out its non-essential Mages, all travel to and from the city are banned. Travellers seeking emergency transit and special circumstance permits should contact the relevant authorities. **TOWERS to BLAME? ** **12th July 2003 ** **Sydney Morning Herald** **A majority of Oceanian citizens believe that the government and the Tower are concealing information about the Sydney attacks, a new survey suggests.** Following the emergence of lumen-recordings of the Tower failing to respond to a Mermen Incursion on Friday, conspiracy theories regarding the death of Lord Henry Kilroy, Master of the Ten, and Eric Walken, Magister of the Grey Faction, emerged into the spotlight. "There is evidence that the Sydney Disaster is an internal conflict," Arbiter Christopher Bader, a magical theorist and political commentator at Chapman University in California, USA, said in a statement. "When we see a degree of paranoia in the British Mageocracies' official responses. It is indicative that the government is concealing information about the hows and whys of the disaster." "If you look at the history between Walken and Kilroy, there is a conflict of interest there." The professor pointed to prior incidents in which Alesia de Botton, apprentice of Lord Kilroy, had publicly humiliated Magister Walken. "It is no surprise that one of them might be using the Tower to bring down the other." "What I believe," the professor has advised the Oceania Times. "Is that you should look deeper into the inter-factional politics of the Towers themselves." **Conspiracy theories abound** The findings are based on survey answers from 1,511 Mages ages 18 and over who took part in the Sydney Disaster Survey. The questionnaires were weighted to provide demographically representative results based on the participating Mage population as a whole. Pollster results showed that many responders not only believed in conspiracies involving Magister Kilroy, they also held theories about the mysterious Dark Sun. Other speculations have surfaced involving Lord Kilroy's late wife, a famous Void Mage whose existence was declassified after the sorceress was pronounced KIA in the Commonwealth's Eastern European theatre circa 1971. Some have made connections between the Red Dragon incident and the appearance of a colossal Serpent in 2002 during the Royal National Incident believing that the modus operandi of both incidents point to Spectre. **Critics from around the world** Critics of the Commonwealth Tower System, such as the Mageocracy's Russian counterparts, have suggested that the Tower systems remain "open to exploitation" and "abuse." The Chinese Politburo likewise criticised the lack of centralised power systems in the Commonwealth, inferring that the NoM - Mage class system results in a natural imbalance that breeds conflict between its citizens. When reached for comment, the Ambassador to the U.S, Magister Wesson, made the following statement. "Our hearts and minds are with those who are suffering this terrible loss in a time of peace and progress. Whoever these culprits may be, the U.S stands behind its Britannic Mageocracy allies. We will work hand-in-glove to assist the Commonwealth in finding those responsible and bringing them to justice." It is important to note that in the past, Magister Wesson has criticised the Commonwealth's colonial system of government as "archaic" and its reliance on traditional Spellcraft as "not keeping with the times". A close ally of Oceania, Singapore, has also commented. The current leader of the world's largest Trading Tier 2 City, also known as the Fortress of the South China Sea, Magister Goh Chok Tong, has declared his support for the Commonwealth and Sydney. "Though many have critiqued the Commonwealth's governance, we must remember that ancient and incumbent it may be, The Britannic Mageocracy remains the best system we have under the circumstances. We do not use our None-Magical citizens as fodder, we give equal opportunity to all who awaken to Magehood, and the state provides food, shelter, and protection to all citizens, regardless of class, birth, or origin." "I would invite our friends in the Americas, in Russia, and in China, to consider their national policies before critiquing the Commonwealth, as those who live in crystal palaces should not incant Catapult spells at others." (Music plays) **TONY JONES ** Good evening and Welcome to the Special Edition of Q&A, though I am sorry to say that our audience in Sydney won't be joining us for some time. Live from Melbourne, the topic for today's Q&A is, of course, none other than the fall of the Sydney Tower itself. I'm Tony Jones. And here to answer your questions – investigative journalist Katie McMont, Professor Steven Burrow of the Sydney University Arcanum, Paladin Jonathan Holtz, from the Brisbane Tower, Ex-Mayor of Sydney Magus Devin Fulcrow. And finally, the man of the hour, the saviour of the city, the de facto leader of the Sydney Tower - Paladin Gunther Shultz! Please welcome our panel. (APPLAUSE, SOME BOOING) **TONY JONES ** Thank you very much. Now, Q&A is live across Oceania on ABC Lumen-cast and NewsRadio at 9:35 Eastern Daylight Saving Time. The first question tonight comes from Calum Thicke. **CALUM Thicke ** My question is for Lord Gunther: How do you respond to the accusation that Lord Henry Kilroy has been negligent in his duties and thus directly resulted in Sydney's crisis? **TONY JONES ** I'll start with Lord Gunther. **GUNTHER SHULTZ ** Yeah. Look, I've followed the conspiracy that Calum is interested in for some time. I am sorry to say, but there's no credence for it. Now that it has emerged that Spectre and its group of Rogue Mages are involved in the incident, we have released the fact that Lord Kilroy was ambushed by a Void Mage of immense ability while attending a tournament with Lord Ferris in Rosebay. That is the precise and only reason why Lord Kilroy had been unable to respond to the Mermen invasion. Coupled with the Tower's emergency systems' unfortunate mismanagement by Magister Walken, it should be seen as the unpropitious coming together of two coincidences. **TONY JONES ** Professor Burrow **STEVEN BURROW ** Lord Gunther, I have tremendous respect for you and your actions during the incident, but the Tower has historically been embroiled in connivance for a reason. I think it's self-evident that Elizabeth Sobel, the Void Mage wife of the late Lord Kilroy, is involved. From the Lumen-recordings taken by those at the scene and during the incident, it can be inferred that Elizabeth, or someone like the late Mrs Kilroy, was physically present. Likewise, although the swath of Geas spells that have suddenly sprouted over the Tower's surviving Mages, there remain credible eye-witness reports of a Void Sorceress in her likeness during the Tower's collapse. **TONY JONES ** Lord Gunther? **GUNTHER SHULTZ ** I am afraid I must contest you on those points, Steven. They're little more than popular theory and hearsay. The Tower has always had at its heart, the protection of the city at its core. I mean, you saw the Leviathan right? That took a lot out of me, but I did it with the full knowledge that the Tower will defend the city if I could only push back that monstrosity. As for your hypothesis, I can only tell you the truth. The Rogue Mages simply took advantage of a misunderstanding within the Tower's Factions, but that has since been resolved. I mean, look at us now, we're more united than ever. Myself, the Middle Faction, the new Grey Faction, even the Militant Faction - we are fully committed to purging and returning Sydney to its original status, mayhap improve its infrastructure with modern techniques. To this end, I would suggest that double-guessing the Tower and the men and women risking their lives, even as we speak, to cleanse the streets for human habitation, is dishonest and self-serving, don't you think? **TONY JONES ** Our next question is from Simon Bren, from Sydney itself. **SIMON BREN ** My question is for Jonathan Holtz. Sir, why did you not capture or destroy the Mythic Serpent that appeared over the city and swallowed the Dark Sun? Is the creature connected to the incident at all? **TONY JONES ** Jonathan Holtz **JONATHAN HOLTZ If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. **Good question, Simon. As you know, the Brisbane Grey Faction, Magister Lin included, has always believed that the Wildlands are not our enemy. Instead, we believe in the possibility of co-existence and mutual benefit, as many of the creatures are both sentient and possess the capacity for empathy and peace amongst other shared values that we too uphold. As for the Rainbow Serpent itself, all I can tell you is that the creature is ancient, possibly more ancient than Human existence upon this land. As that is the case, let me ask you - what gives us the right to destroy it or chase it from its own home? The creature is benign; its consumption of the Dark Sun proves this. It is a creature of light and life, while the Dark Sun is a source of enervating negative energy. It only goes to show that in the end, if we can tap into the natural flow of the world, it would make our cities safer. **TONY JONES ** Magus Fulcrow, would you like to add to this? **DEVIN FULCROW ** Tony, did you know that we lose over three hundred Mages, mostly juniors, to Magical Creatures per year alone? Whether its Goblins from the Blue Mountains, the Elementals from the Simpson Desert, or the constant, unceasing menace of the Mermen, we never have been at peace with the Wildlands, nor will we ever be. To those creatures out there, our very existence is a bane. Think about what the Greys tried to accomplish in the 80s, a treaty with the Mermen; how did that turn out? A few whaling expeditions in the South Sea from the Tier 1 cities and we're back to square one. I support the American way that the only 'good' Magical Being is a contracted, leashed or dead. My city is in ruins, and I may no longer be Mayor of Sydney, but I'll never forgive those fish-headed fiends, not after what they've done to our home. Sometimes, blood can only be repaid by blood, and the best way to resolve the crisis is to retaliate with extreme prejudice. (Audience cheers, whistles) **TONY JONES ** Alright, alright, settle down. On a lighter note, let's take a question from the street. (Scene changes to a young woman, uncommonly pretty with large amber eyes and an impressive cleavage, which the cameraman takes full advantage.) From Sydney, Ms Harriet Spelling. **HARRIET SPELLING ** Lord Gunther, I wish to know who the Pink Salt Mage is. He saved all of us when the Mermen had almost overrun our positions. As Blade Barrier is at least a Tier 6 Spell, what can you tell us about the Senior Magus? **TONY JONES ** Gunther Shultz **GUNTHER SHULTZ ** I am afraid the identity of the Pink Salt Saviour will remain a secret. All I can tell you is that he is not a part of the Tower, but shares many of our core principles of protecting the weak and helping those in need, even at the cost of his own life. **KATIE MCMONT ** You know, there are also reports he left groups of civilians to die. **GUNTHER SHULTZ ** I find that difficult to believe. **KATIE MCMONT ** That may be, but it was widely reported nonetheless. Many of the Militiamen who survived the attack said that the Mage blew past them without so much as giving them a sideways glance. Some say that he would go out of this way to help an NoM woman while leaving Mages in mortal combat against Mermen. **GUNTHER SHULTZ ** It was a chaotic affair, Harriet. I am sure if a young woman such as yourself was in danger, the Pink Salt Saviour would risk life and limb to save you. (audience laughs) "Achoo—!" Gwen watched her father sneeze for the twelfth time since they'd embarked upon the Cargo Freighter, the 'Queen's Efficient'. Akin to the cargo carriers of Gwen's old world, the ships achieved near-indestructibility through scale. Built around an enchanted and strengthen keel, the freighters were clad with transmuted steel seamlessly merged plate to plate against a lattice framework of Glyph-enhanced supports. Their ship, a medium-sized vessel, measured almost four hundred meters from bow to stern and fifty-nine meters across, a veritable island of steel. As Gwen surveyed the impressive length of the ship from the top deck, she couldn't help but marvel at its miraculous Magi-tech. Upon their arrival in Darwin, her party had met the Harbour Master and then the Honourable Captain Scott Tully, a veteran seaman with four decades of ocean-faring experience. When Gwen asked how safe he expected the voyage to be, the old seaman burst into laughter. "Lass, there's nary a Kraken that could take Queenie down!" Smiling at her expense, Taj explained that open-ocean transit is the safest means of moving between cities. With the invention of American Mana Engines that drew power from stable fuel sources such as LDM and HDM Crystals, it became possible to translocate ships with displacements from 800 tonnes in the 1920s to an absurd 55,000 tonnes in 2000. Their freight-carrier, the Queen's Efficient, was one wonder owned by Maersk Corp of Denmark, a Triple E monstrosity. "We're almost ten times of the size of a regular Kraken!" the Captain boasted with confidence. "It would take a Leviathan to take down a Triple E, not to mention we have on-board Shield Resonators." Though Gwen couldn't understand half of the jargon the Captain was delivering, she understood that short of a catastrophe, nothing would impede their progress to Singapore. After a small cache of HDM crystals exchanged hands, the Captain leased to them a full cargo section, including private cabins, separate showers, and an impressive view of the ship's aft. "Why cargo space?" Gwen asked when they had finally settled. Their specific bulkhead was artificially lit by Daylight glyphs, utterly spartan except for four steel-walls. At one end was the entrance to the control tower, where the party could access their rooms in the midship, while in front of them was half a football field's worth of enclosed space. "We have seven days at best to get you ready for the Black Zone, so let's not waste any time." Taj threw off his jacket, revealing a sculpted body rife with scars. "If we're going into the jungle, the first thing you have to learn are CQBs - close combat spells." "You're participating too," Jonas commanded Morye to join in the training. "If Gunther thinks you're so good, let's see what you can do." "I'll be right," Morye pushed himself from the floor and made for the Tower. Paul blocked his path. "Hazing the new guy?" Her father asked with nonchalance. "A little old-fashioned, don't you think?" "If we're going to operate as a team, we need to know what you can do." "I can take care of myself and Gwen. That's all you need to know." Morye tried to push past Paul, but the smiling Translocation Mage wouldn't budge. "Do you mind?" "Come on, just a peep," Taj urged Morye, his voice echoing through the bulkhead. "Show us your signature spells; you can keep the trump cards up your sleeve if you want to." Morye sighed. He walked toward a wall and sat on the floor, crossed legged. Then, he began to meditate. The rest of the group, Gwen included, regarded her father with disdain. "Well, let's see what you can do, Gwen." Jonas motioned to the open space. "Do we have privacy?" Gwen asked the men before her. "Yep," Jonas banged a hand against the hull. "No lumen-recorders in here, had Paul do a thorough check-up when we came in. There's also a double barrier access hatch preventing access, so we'll be fine. The thickness of the walls and the cargo likewise interferes with Divination spells." "Alright, let's start with Lighting." Gwen nodded to her companions, mindful of her father, whose closed eyes either suggested he was watching subtly or that the man had dozed off. If so, Gwen had a real surprise in store for the veteran. "So, there's this signature spell that Alesia and I came up with, I can conjure it as a crystal, or use it as a spontaneous burst." Gwen picked a spot not far from her father. "Flashbang!" The container ship's enclosed space exceedingly magnified the concussive effect of the spell, so much that Gwen managed to stun herself. "Christ Almighty!" Jonas watched his mana shield shimmer. "That's a hell of a spell, Gwen." Paul had been far away enough to manage by covering his eyes and shielding his ears. "Very nice, a real ripper of an opener. How long did it take you to manifest? Half a second?" "0.4," Gwen replied. Flashbang was one of her earliest spells and her favourite. Feeling the tinnitus fade from her eardrums, she snuck a peek towards her father. Morye seemed unfazed by it all, sitting still with a Zen-like expression that suggested he was entirely relaxed and at peace. "Let's continue, anything else… loud?" Jonas inquired carefully. "Not so much, no," Gwen replied and began to cycle through all her known Evocation spells that she had learned in the last year and a half. First, she had Guiding Bolt, Lightning Blast, Lightning Grasp and Taser, her improved non-lethal Lightning Grasp. Of all her Evocation spells, Lightning Bolt remained Gwen's staple offensive spell, capable of penetrating multiple enemies in a line and causing paralysis as a side-effect. Then there were her Conjuration based spells. Lightning Blade was a persistent effect Lightning Grasp had trained for CQB but never gained the opportunity to use it. Warding Bolt was another of her staples, a conjured orb that shot bolts of lighting empowered by her Evocation talent, though it only held three charges. Call Lighting served as a secondary battle-turret, indiscriminately targeting enemies. Morden's Faithful Hound was Gwen's guardian spell, creating an invisible dog that attacked enemies as they came close. Dark Tentacle was a spell used to constrain and damaging enemies while paralysing and harming them with multiple strikes. Finally, her signature Dimension Door remained her staple translocation spell— either through Void or Lightning, Gwen could affect a 'halo' of energy at the point of arrival. "I also know some utility spells from schools I can access but have yet to train in," Gwen explained, going on to demonstrate Jump and Feather Fall from Transmutation, as well as Detect Magic from Divination. As for Abjuration, when she demonstrated her unique Non-newtonian Shield, the men became immensely impressed. Taj immediately begged Gwen for the working theory but found the manifestation unmanageable. Gwen wondered if it was because she understood the concept of Non-newtonian fluids, a way of thinking that juxtaposed Taj, who thought of mana as quasi-mystical. When Gwen finally exhausted her Lightning repertoire, it was time for the main event. "Let's see the beasties," Taj huffed and straightened from where he'd kelt. Despite his Earth element's good parity in resisting Gwen's Lightning, the Quasi-element still possessed its infamous paralytic effect. "Ariel!" A bolt of Lightning struck the galvanised steel, summoning an adorable white marten that landed with a flourish. "Eee! Eee! Ee!" The marten posed handsomely before running between Gwen's slender ankles to perform a perpetual figure eight. "Combat form!" With a growl Ariel began to grow, crackling with electrical energy that raced across the steel plating. To Gwen's surprise, Ariel was much larger than before. Had her Conjuration Sigil grown stronger? She wondered. Had Faceless possessed the Conjuration talent as well as the Transmutation? "Grrrrr..." Before the impressed soldiers now stood a wolf-sized mongoose with a blue-white coat, crackling with electrical energy. Ariel glanced at Gwen and urged her to give it another jolt of Lightning charged mana - to which she obliged. Instantly the creature became clad in white Lightning; its fur stood end-on-end with such violence that it began to resemble a serpentine porcupine. "EE!" Ariel reached the end of the container platform and back again in the blink of an eye with a push from its powerful hind legs. "Ho, a self-hasting ability, very nice," Jonas applauded Ariel, who raised its snout snugly. "That bite looks very nasty as well." "He'll be useful in the jungle for sure," Paul remarked. "Especially as we'll be land-bound when we hit the Black Zone." "How so?" Gwen asked. Surely it would be easier for them to fly into the grove. "Remember Gwen; there are three places you can't fly - Dungeons, arboreal regions, and Tier 1 cities." "Tier 1 cities?" Gwen furrowed her brow. "Well, not without a permit, and those are virtually impossible to get without deep pockets and deeper connections." "I see, but why can't we fly into the forest?" "It would only confuse you," Taj spoke patiently to the untested sorceress. "Orange Zones and beyond are tainted by the unpredictable mana of the Wildlands. Visually, it is virtually impossible from the air to find one's bearings by surveying the canopy. When intelligent magical beings further inhabit the arboreal regions, it becomes doubly difficult as they can reform the forest to confuse unwanted intruders." "What makes ground cover any safer?" "Who said it was safer?" Paul joked. "The ground approach gives us room to leave Arcane Marks, Teleportation Beacons, and if all else fails, we can burn ourselves a little clearing to mark the spot." "That and most Mages are incapable of throwing down while using Flight," Taj pointed out. "You've been spoilt by an austere company, Gwen. In the real world, very few Mages can cast spells in dogfights. The toll on your concentration and your body renders the vast majority of Mages incapable of high-tier spells while in motion." "Or situational awareness," Paul added. "I'd say that's the kicker. You're concentrating so much on flying and casting that you can't see the forest for the trees, ha!" "Okay." Gwen nodded, thinking when she'd be able to dogfight with the best of them. "No flying in the Arboreal Zone." There was a thrum in the air, a slight feeling of inertia. The ship was leaving port. "You want to check out the harbour?" Jonas turned to Gwen. "There's quite the view. Let's get this over and done with, and we can head up to the deck. Let's see your Void familiar." Gwen inclined her head and took a deep breath. She felt more hale and awakened than ever before. Somewhere in her Astral Soul, her body remains imbued with the emerald vitality of the Serpent. She commanded Ariel to return to its marten form, smiling when her creature harassed Morye by turning onto its belly and rubbing its back against the galvanised bulkhead with delight. Annoyed, her father ceased his meditation and was now standing to attention, his eyes trained toward the space in front of her. "Caliban is a little scary," Gwen explained. "He's very much an alien creature, so prepare yourselves." "We've seen things you wouldn't believe," Taj quipped with a grin. "Let's see what you got." "Alright, here goes." Gwen collected herself and drew upon the Void, feeling the necrotic energy flood her mana channels. For now, at least, they no longer permeated into her physical body, being kept in check by Almudj's blessing. There was a slash in the air, a gash in time-space, then out came Caliban. At least, Gwen thought it was Caliban. Rather than the expectant slither and a soundless plop, what came out instead was a pair of long, spindly legs in transparent obsidian, multi-segmented in a way that resembled disjointed, anorexic fingers. There was another pair, and another and another - until Caliban was out in its full horrific glory. Four teams of legs skittered across the floor, raking and rasping against the metallic hull in the uncertain manner of a new-born foal. Caliban's body, which had previously been serpentine and sinuous, was now a bulbous, fleshy mass in purple and tentacle pink, resembling that of a spider or a scorpion turned inside out. Its back carapace remained the hard-shelled, semi-translucent plates that interlocked, but its underside was wet with sucking noises that slurped and gurgled. Where its spine ended, there distended a long tail, a remnant from its old morphic shape that whipped the air like a steel cable. Gwen recognised the shape at once. "Wanka?" Gwen said to Caliban. "Cali! You took on Wanka's form!" She immediately thought of Faceless and its morphic talent. Unlike the shapeshifter, Gwen wasn't the one to consumed her victims, and so the polymorphic ability must have been inherited by her familiar! Gwen closed her eyes and retracted her mind within her astral soul, searching for the Transmutation Sigil. She found the constellation not far from her radiant Evocation, dark and brooding, radiating a malevolent mauve light. Meanwhile, Taj was shouting incoherently as his testicles fled up their canals to whimper in helpless terror. "Shaa!" Caliban turned to face the screaming Abjurer, forming a duet of hysteria. "SHAA! Shaa! SHAAAA—!" It's five tongues, each barbed with spikes dripping with grey goo, flayed excitedly at their new companion. "Fuck me!" Paul dropped to both knees and hurled out his guts, feeling the acidic tang entering his nasal canals and burning a hole in his oesophagus as the Void aura struck. "Caliban, HEEL!" Gwen commanded the skittering thing, now the size of a pony. Caliban found purchase on its legs and sidled up to her, whipping its tail happily. It raised a spindly spider leg and wrapped it lovingly around her waist. That was the best it could manage without hugging her face and choking its master. Gwen reached out a dainty hand and patted Caliban's carapace, causing it to flay its tail wildly, leaving white scratch marks across the galvanised iron and dribble profusely. "Alright, let's see your combat form." Gwen took another deep breath. "STOP!" Morye's voice cried out. "If you keep going, there's not going to be a team left to take onto the Island." Gwen looked up to see her father, handkerchief in hand, wiping away a snail trail of vomit from his chin. Gwen turned to Caliban, who wagged its tail. "Good boy, Cali!" She glanced at her father. "Caliban! Go play with Daddy!" Caliban turned to Morye and reared itself upwards. Two fangs burst from its face as Void mana coursed through its body. As a black blur, it launched itself toward 'Daddy', its multiple tongues wagged excitedly for a good licking. "OH FUCK NO." Morye felt every hair standing on this back. "Salt Skin!"

"Back! Away! Foul creature!" Gwen watched as the pony-sized Caliban bowled over her father and pressed against the wall of the bulkhead. Its claws scrabbled across the galvanised metal like nails on a chalkboard, causing her audience to wince. "Gwen! Tell this thing to back off! Else I will banish it!" Morye warned, feeling multiple tongues lashing his armour of crystallised Salt. Caliban cooed and informed Gwen empathically that her father was delicious and delightful. "Caliban, enough!" Gwen commanded both verbally and mentally. "To me!" Ariel took the opportunity to leap onto Caliban as it skittered back, looking gallant as it balanced itself upon Caliban's carapace. Glancing at the marten enviously, Gwen wondered if she could also ride on Caliban, making her visage a real horror show. For now, however, she still needed time to figure out how his polymorphy worked, and the island seemed as good a spot as any. The two pets returned to their Master, the ten-legged arachnid Scorpiones skittering to and fro while the marten did laps around her ankles. Her father began the process of scraping goo from his armour but then stopped when the effort proved futile. "Dispel!" Salt cascaded from his body, collapsing onto the floor in great big chunks, like a knight stepping from a plate mail with the cords cut loose. Meanwhile, Jonas, Taj and Paul finally recovered from their initial state of shock. "Sorry, I was told it was a snake…" Paul accused Gwen with a face full of hurt and betrayal. "I don't mind spiders, but that thing is something else." "I once saw a carrion crawler eat a man alive," Jonas muttered. "I had thought that was disturbing, but that thing takes the cake. My God, you were going to take that into a public tournament? You're going to cause a riot." Caliban wasn't a spider-demon back then, Gwen thought to her self, but it was too complicated to explain her life story to those not in the know. "Sorry," Taj apologised self-depreciatively. "I've seen some shit, but that thing terrifies me." "Caliban, heel," Gwen commanded the fiendish creature gently. Caliban wagged its pointed tail and stopped by her side. "So, what are its abilities?" Jonas asked. Gwen looked at Morye. Morye's looked away in case his daughter thought he'd make a good demonstration. "Void-charged physical attacks that penetrate most shields and armour," Gwen spoke. "What else can you do, Caliban?" Caliban raised its body and launched a pair of fleshy tongues with barbed daggers for tips. "Flesh hooks?" Gwen turned to the group and shrugged, watching their lively faces. Caliban's tongues retracted into its second jaw. "God, imagine fighting that thing!" Jonas pulled a face, patting his pockets and wondering why he ever quit smoking. "Give me Mermen Wavestriders any day of the week, but not that!" To Gwen's surprise, Morye produced Winfield Blues packet from his pocket and pointed the yellow tips towards the men. They each took one. "How good's your elemental control?" Morye asked. "Can you light us up? A little Chain Lightning perhaps?" "I'd prefer you to keep all your faces. And no, I can't do that yet." Gwen reddened. She was a long way away from learning that particular whopper. Instead, Gwen produced a piece of enchanted tinder used for outdoor survival, and dutifully lit their cigarettes. It was the least she could do after what they'd experienced. Watching the men passive smoke with glazed over eyes, she retracted both her familiars and told them that she'd be outside, watching the ship's departure from Darwin. When Gwen's clanging footfalls fell away, the men turned their attention towards one another. "Sorry for the bother, fellers. Gwen is a real handful." Morye looked at each of the men in the eyes as he spoke, taking the opportunity to break some ice. "Don't be," Jonas replied. "We usually work with Alesia de Botton." "The Crimson Sorceress?" "The one and only," Paul pipped in. "The shit we have to deal with, you wouldn't begin to believe." "Does it include netherworld spiders that try to fuck your face?" Morye quipped with a jocular tone. "Ha!" The group chuckled with unbidden synchronisation. Morye extended a hand and let fall from his grasp a sprinkle of Salt. The other three men watched as it grew into a crystal cylinder, its uppermost tip expanding until it formed an elegant looking ashtray. Morye tapped his cigarette, and the others followed suit. "I guess there's no avoiding it," he coughed to clear this throat. "Morye Song, Transmuter Tier 6 Major, Abjurer Tier 4 Minor, Salt Element." "Good to know you." Jonas reached out and shook his hand. "Jonas Durn, Evocation-Conjuration, Healer Tier 5, Positive Element." "I am Paul Mckay," Paul likewise exchanged greetings with Morye. "Conjuration-Transmutation Tier 5 Major, Enchantment Minor Tier 3, I specialise in Translocation and Teleportation. I am sorry to say that my elemental Affinity is one, so I am not much for combat." "Good to meet you, Paul." "Likewise." "Trajan Smith Philips, but call me Taj." Taj offered his hand after the others had finished their greeting. "Abjurer Tier 5, Earth Element." "So how do you guys know Gwen?" Morye enquired. "She and I don't talk much. We're not close." "Ah." Paul's eyes had a twinkle in them. "If you're keen to know, I should probably start with Alesia. You sure we have the time? Cause it's going to be a long story." "Well, we got seven days. As for Gwen's training, I'll have a chat with her, and we'll sort something out. That bloody spider-monster, huh? Why can't she get a pony or something like a normal girl? My God." The group each thought of Gwen's eldritch horror. "You know," Paul said quietly. "I am kinda looking forward to seeing Caliban mangle something." The others tried to imagine it and nodded. They were military men, after all, conditioned by training and trauma to anticipate the rare beauty that was something becoming FUBAR. Gwen stood on the gunwale railing, watching the shining city of Darwin disappear into the distance. Once they moved out from the deep harbour, the carrier quickly gained speed until the waters beneath its bow became a churning white froth. From above where the great chimney of the engine room sat, a plume of dark blue polluted the salty air, raining down upon the oceans unfiltered bits of unburnt mana crystals. They were moving, but the atmosphere was hot and humid, moist and clammy against the exposed skin of her lower limbs, though the view was well worth the discomfort. The men smoking below crossed Gwen's mind as she watched her streaming hair whipping wildly. Gwen knew she owed them a debt that was difficult to repay. Taj, Jonas and Paul had no obligations to come. They were here because of Alesia's command. They felt nothing for Elvia and Yue, or Whetu, and were risking their lives to please their mistress, a woman they respected and adored like a sister. Her father likewise had no obligation. Gwen wasn't sure why he'd suddenly have a change of heart. Yet, whatever the reason, he was here for this time, and maybe that's worth something. All these threads, all these connections— that was what separated the life she had now versus then. There, she had only her company, her Assistant and her employees. She had no close friends to visit her, just clients and associates; there was no family to bother her; she'd lost them somewhere in the past. Of course, she had her cats, Ariel and Caliban, but those guys were assholes, kind of like herself. Gwen laughed, first a choked trill, then roaring laughter that floated upon the wind and out to sea. Her hand fell upon the Kirin pendant. Her Master and Gunther both said that this was a precious item. If so, why did her father give it up? And on that topic, she was sure Morye was the pink salt guy. It meant that her father was not a useless Abjurer, but a Salt Mage, a Magus dual-classing in Abjuration and Transmutation, an Alesia-tier combatant commanding a suit of Salt. Gwen had to admit, that signature spell of Morye's with its tasselled plates and the embossed carapace with intricate scrollwork was very, very cool. Its visor was a stylised helmet with a T shaped slot for eyes and nose, flared with a pair of white crystalline wings. The interlocking plates too possessed the reactive ability to be discarded and re-grown. She especially liked the shoulder pauldron, with one side taller than the other, which gave the armour an asymmetrical charm. An idea struck Gwen. Didn't she likewise possess Transmutation now? If the glow from the Sigil was anything to go by, her Affinity should already be tier 2. She could be tapping into the ability enhancing spells unique to the school, like the ones Debora used to use. Debora— Her mind once more wandered into unpleasant spaces. Master. Elizabeth. Elvia, Yue, and Whetu. Unbidden, her mood grew dark and heavy. The skyline of Darwin had lost its magic. Her smoke break was over. Supper was served by the ship's cook, a young fellow who'd just finished his traineeship and was enlisted by the Captain to replace their retiring chef. When the young man gave Gwen an extra helping of meatballs, a clamour went up throughout the mess. Amidst laughter and jests, the crew gave the poor lad a few well-aimed punches against his right arm. Such was the madness of the sea and its effect on the lonely men of the long-haul. Ever since a wandering sailor saw Gwen, the conversation between the crew had consisted of little else but the lovely specimen of femininity that had descended upon them. As for Gwen, she didn't mind the sailors having a jovial go at her expense, though their crudeness did make her feel squeamish and uncomfortable. Eventually, however, the noise level returned to its usual droning. The crew needed only to remind themselves that Gwen was a sorceress that summoned monsters with toothy tentacles and their blue balls quickly shrunk back into their bodies, shuddering and begging for warmth. Time took on a strange dilation within the confines of the bulkhead, where indoor darkness and the Evocation staple Daylight made strange bedfellows. Gwen sought out her father and asked him for instruction on using her Void magic. Her thinking was that they'd start with something less personal before moving onto sordid revelations. Though he'd been avoiding her, she'd expertly cornered him in his cabin so that his only escape was to bodily push past her. "You want me to teach you Void Magic?" Morye regarded his daughter critically. "What makes you think I know Void Magic?" "No, I mean like, how do I cast it without killing myself?" Gwen fluttered her long, weapon-grade lashes. Her father looked down to see goosebumps all over his skin, then looked up. "Don't do that." He made some distance between them. "If you mean how to conserve your vitality, I am afraid you're shit out of luck." "How come?" Gwen replied, her voice full of disappointment. "If what I am hearing is true, you fought for hours! How can that be possible if you're not conserving your vitality?" "Well, I am a Salt Mage for one," Morye placed both hands together and pulled them apart, forming a pillar of Salt. "Here. Use Detect Magic; tell me how much Negative energy is in this." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Gwen incanted the Divination spell and focused upon the rod of Salt - finding it to be principally a mass of elemental water, with trace volumes of negative energy. "There's hardly any negative mana in there," Gwen answered her father, feeling an unkind suspicion that the answer wasn't going to be to her liking. "Channel a cantrip's worth of Void mana, just a little, go on," her father instructed. Gwen focused her mind and imagined the phenomenon in her mind. A tenebrous sphere, darker than black, hovered over her palm. The exertion was low, but still, it made her conduits tingle with iciness. "Detect Magic." The negative energy that emanated from the ball was so dense as to form a dark cluster. There were traces of Elemental Air within, silvery and shimmering, but well hidden amongst the agitated, seething mass of malevolence. "What do you sense?" "Negative Energy, most of the Void— is Negative Energy." "Good, let it go now." Gwen snuffed out the void sphere. "Give me your hand." She complied and extended her right hand. Morye took it within his palm and placed a finger on her pulse. Gwen could feel her father's rough fingers, coarse and warm on the tender wrist where two blue veins were just visible. "Surprisingly healthy," her father said after a moment. "What are you taking for supplements? Or is this Caliban's doing?" "What do you mean?" "Does he transfer life to you?" "A bit." Gwen's voice was barely a whisper. "When he feeds on living prey." "Do you feel sick when you use the Void? Like vertigo or disorientation?" Gwen nodded. "When I incant high-tier spells, I feel dizzy. I've also fainted a few times. There was also a period when I was very weak, bodily I mean, skinny, always hungry, but nothing I ate seemed to help." Morye took his finger from Gwen's wrist. "Can't you refrain from using the Void element? After all, you have Lightning. That's a rare boon already." Gwen shook her head. "I am special, Dad. There's no denying or ignoring that. One day, perhaps soon, certain people are going to know about my Void element. Before then, I need to become powerful, influential; I need strong allies and influential backers. Without these things, I am just going to be someone's puppet, or maybe worse." Morye licked his drying lips thoughtfully. "Probably worse," Morye's expression was unreadable. "There's no recourse?" "None-what-so-ever." "Fine, so back on topic. You can't mitigate the effects of the Void because the Quasi-Elemental Plane of the Void is primarily Negative Energy, mixed with trace elements of Elemental Air." "So I have to endure it then? I've been offsetting the negative drain by using Healers who provide me with positive mana." Morye arched a critical brow and gave her a disapproving look full of scepticism. "Doesn't help. The consumption of channelling Void is not Negative Drain from an Undead. It can be mitigated, yes, but reversing is much harder. Your body itself is channelling a power anathema to life. No force on earth can stop it from consuming your vitality. My advice is to use the Void as a killing blow, or use it only to empower Caliban, at least that thing will give you something back." Gwen's face fell into a terrible disappointment. "Look, there's a reason why there are no Void Mages, alright? It's not an ability meant for people who yearn to stay alive. I don't even know why you have two elements, Gwen, but that's winning the God damned lottery, alright? Whatever fate you think might await you, is it worth dying? Even if you end up marrying someone for a political reason, or 'Gwen' forbid it, to continue a bloodline - is it worse than death? If you die, nothing else matters, you know? Your friends, your mentors, Alesia, and Gunther and the girls we are trying to rescue - none of it would matter." Gwen did her best to digest her father's thoughts, though the truth stung nonetheless. "Are you listening to me?" She was listening, but her father's words did not appeal to her in the slightest. Her father was right, but not entirely. Gwen had seen for herself that a being existed on Terra capable of undoing the damage caused by the Void. She had received it thrice— first when she fought Edgar, then again when Gwen had sung the Serpent, and finally when she drew Almudj's essence from the pendant. Not only that, didn't Elizabeth Sobel overcome the limits of the Void Element, even if she had to consume the lives of others to do so? If the Void Magister could find an unethical way— then she would find an ethical path. Almudj had already shown her she could; now she just had to replicate it. Gwen produced the pendant from under her blouse. "What can you tell me about this?" Morye's eyes looked away from the mutely glowing jade. "You'll have a safe delivery for sure if you wear it." Gwen pinched her father's thigh, causing him to yelp. "I am serious!" "You're guaranteed to have twins." She pinched him again. "Alright, alright! Hey! Hey! I am ticklish! Sheesh." Morye blocked Gwen's arms with both his hands, parrying them expertly. Then with a sudden thrust, he pinned them to her sides. The swiftness of the execution caught Gwen flat-footed, and for a moment she thought she saw a Morye that she'd never seen before. Morye held his vexatious daughter before him and looked her in the eyes with a seriousness that made her shiver. "Are you sure you want to know?" Gwen swallowed nervously. "I do." "Alright, stand up, and stand to the side." Morye freed her arms and pointed to the side of the cabin. Gwen obediently stood by the bedside. "Right." Morye pulled out a cigarette and hung it by his mouth. He lingered by the door for a moment dramatically, no longer impeded by his daughter's blockade. "I need a smoke. Wait here. I'll tell you everything." Gwen nodded. Morye turned and left, disappearing into the corridors. It took five minutes before Gwen realised that her father was gone for good. With her father eluding her, Gwen passed the time with the other men. Her CQC training had begun in earnest, sparring with Paul and Taj as they taught her basic body techniques for using touch spells, as well as how to dodge, parry and retaliate enemies that venture too close to her for a Shield to manifest. "So your average constrictor type is likely going to go for a grapple," Taj explained as the conversation turned from fighting humans to creatures. "You should know that encountering giant constrictors is preferable encountering smaller, poisonous ones, whose bite has all kinds of nasty surprises." "What do we do if we do get bitten?" "Hope Jonas is nearby, I supposed. Remember, there are universal antidote injectors in your ring. I'll be running a tutorial when we get closer to Singapore so that you know how to differentiate between normal snakes and poisonous ones." "Okay, you ready to go again?" Taj cracked his neck. "I'll be trying to pin you; your job is to dodge and get enough distance for a Shocking Grasp, okay?" Gwen pulled back her loosened hair until it was taut against her head, collecting at the base of her skull in a thick bun. "Alright, let's do it." For the first few days, Gwen had gone out on the gunwale to check out the scene, but after three days of monotony, she'd given up going her tours of the deck, instead choosing to spend her time in meditation, harassing her father, and training with the others. "God! You're just like your mother!" her father accused her with exaggerated exasperation. "I don't mean that nicely, either. Give a man some peace and space. You're giving me cabin fever." Conversely, the Captain was a friendly man who'd delighted in talking about his wife and daughter. "You ever being to Asia, Dad?" she remained persistent, and finally her father relented. "A long time ago." "Did you live in Shanghai?" "None of your business." "What's the city like?" Gwen inquired, mindful of her small-town provincial origins. "Larger than you can begin to imagine." Her father said with a sigh. "Imagine going down the Yellow River, and on both sides, for as far as the eye can see, are buildings glowing with illuminators, adverts, and posters of the latest magic items, fashions and trends." "Are there lots of Magitech shops?" "Naturally, the largest shopping street for Mages, Nanking Road, extends five kilometres from the Bund down to the Jing-An Temple. Hawkers, crafters, renowned Enchanters, all have shops here, plying their wares. Whatever magic items you desire, no matter how high-spec or rare, can be found here, assuming you have the HDMs and the CCs." "Lots of food as well?" "Every style and taste." Her father's tone grew strangely nostalgic. "At the top of each arcade are the restaurants. There, the most incredible and rare samples of Wildland's greatest gifts kept in stasis. Some have rare cuts, cured and put on display, others are more blatant with their offering, displaying their stasis frozen carcasses behind large windows. The greatest of these establishments even have especially designed pens that keep these creatures alive, so that its peerless clientele can enjoy the freshest, most mana-infused delicacies power and money could afford." "It sounds incredible," Gwen marvelled with genuine anticipation as she sipped her water. "Maybe you'll go there one day with your new friends." "I hope so," Gwen said. "I mean, certainly not now. After we finish our mission in Singapore, we'll be heading back to Sydney." "Mmm..." Morye lit up. Gwen fled the cabin, unable to stomach the pollutant spewing from her father's lips. As the final part of her training, the party went over survival scenarios. "But of course, if we're talking tropical weather, the most dangerous thing is hardly going to be giant lizards or snakes. It's the little buggers that get ya," Paul explained a few days into the trip. "Swarms of poisonous flies, ants, parasitic worms, you name it." Gwen felt her skin crawl at the thought. "We'll be using repellents, of course, but in the case that you do get swarmed, or we have to bypass a swarm, here's the basic method to protect yourself." "Bark Skin!" With his limited Affinity in Air, Paul preferred the primary manifestation, which hardened one's skin and gave it a rough, bark-like texture. "I can cast it on you as well, but in case we get separated, it is best if you can do it." "I don't know the spell." Gwen shook her head. "Both of my elements are woefully weak in defence." "You won't be using it for defence against slashing or bludgeoning weapons, just lots of little nasties." Paul pointed out. "I was discussing your condition with Taj the other day, and we were wondering how your Void interacted with defensive spells." "Terribly." Gwen grimaced. "It drains my vitality so that I am losing health before I've even been hit." "Erh..." Paul pursed his lips. "How's Lightning?" "An offensive shield, but unlike fire, I've got terrible coverage. Not all parts of my shield are electrified—" "Has your Evocation reached Tier 4?" Gwen shook her head. "Not yet." Unless she runs into some evil Evokers begging Caliban for a good meal, Gwen thought morbidly to herself. In which case, she's probably a few carcasses away. Ever since the Elizabeth incident, Gwen had felt herself undergoing episodic, hypothetical temptations of whether or not herself should take ruthless advantage of Caliban's ability. Naturally, even entertaining the thought of cannibalism made her physically ill. Even if she should begin with the best of intentions, empowering herself at the expense of her enemies, she would one day become a thrill-seeking glutton who would challenge others with rare abilities and to consume them when they inevitably fall underneath her heels. Besides, she desired to hunt Sobel, not become her Master's wife. "Alright." Paul made a mental note. "We'll work on Bark Skin up. It's a pretty easy spell to learn, kind of like Shield and Magic Missile." "Great." Gwen pushed herself from the cold iron floor. "Let's get started." On the sixth day, their ship skirted close enough to the Indonesian Archipelago to see land. The Captain alerted them through the loudhailer that they were about to pass the Bangka Selatan peninsular, informing them that if they were interested in seeing some unusual fauna, now was the time to be on deck. The military men passed on the opportunity, but Gwen and her father keenly made for the starboard gunwales. When the duo exited past the sealed bulkhead, they came vis-a-vis with giant albatrosses, each almost six-meters across from wingtip to wingtip, taking advantage of the updraft created by the ship's passing. Drifting through the air and keeping up with the freighter without apparent effort, they had a comical look about them whereby their necks retracted into their torso to reduce drag. The sight was inspiring enough that Gwen felt the impulse of uttering an old favourite from the world she left behind. "A good south wind sprung up behind; the Albatross did follow, and every day, for food or play, came to the mariner's hollo!" she mused to herself, hoping that someone wouldn't be stupid enough to shoot a Magic Missile at the majestic birds. "Look there!" Morye pointed, his sight far keener than his daughter's wide-eyed wonderment. A pod of sea creatures followed the ship's flank, leaping from the waters and spreading their scintillating fins into a semblance of insect wings. With each sinuous twist, the serpentine fish, which must be about two to three meters in length, launched itself from the water's surface to dance across it, leaving behind a milky shoal of foaming water. "Flying Rainbow Fish." Her father grinned. "Delicious whether grilled, baked, or steamed. Whoa!" There was an explosion of water, then a Plesiosaur burst from the waters and bore down upon the flying fish. The scintillating creatures scattered in all directions, but the sinuous neck of the plesiosaur snapped through the air and snagged one of the fish before it could land. "Pseudo-Dragons from the ancient times are common where the waters are deep," her father said. "Beautiful creatures." With a slash that churned the waters white and blue, the primordial creature sank, disappearing into the sea. In the distance, the duo saw a dark blur upon the bright horizon. "That's Kapulauan Riau, known locally as Abang—" Morye said to her, watching her face snap back to the collected cynicism of late adolescence. "Your eventual destination." "We pass it?" Gwen asked her father. "Can we just disembark as we pass?" Her father snorted. "That's suicide." He chuckled at her inexperience. "Remember the plan, what Captain Durn had briefed. We need to get to Singapore first and find a local ship willing to take us to the island. What good would it do us if we save your friends, but have no ship to return to the mainland?" Thinking of Evee and Yue, Gwen felt the bright burn of impatience melting a hole in the thin veneer of her patience. "How long do you supposed it'll take?" Gwen asked urgently. "To find a ship, I mean." "With the HDMs in that pouch of yours? Probably a few hours, if you're willing to burn it." Gwen nodded and felt her storage ring, making sure that the pouch, as well as her cache of crystals, remained within. Along the way, the duo watched the isle of Bangka Selatan approach. At one point, they skirted so close to its landmass that it had felt almost within reach, though that was merely a trick of scale and perspective. Roving masses of seabirds, some as small as finches, others as extensive as the albatrosses they had seen earlier, roved across the island from coast to coast. Where they convened, the sky became darkened by a black, spotted haze. "The shit on that cliff must be waist-deep," Morye joked, dispelling the romanticism. Gwen shot her father a displeased look and turned again toward the birds, marvelling at the scale and variety of animals on a planet where men had not utterly decimated the biosphere. "Dad," Gwen suddenly spoke to her father in a tone that was both serious and sincere. "Can you tell me about your past, about the pendant, and mum? I want to know. I need to know." Her father stayed silent, listening to the cacophony of birds on the distant shore. "I think I have a right to know the circumstances of my birth, don't you think, father? Please?" Morye sighed. "It'll make your life so much more complicated," her father spoke not toward herself, but instead into the ocean. "But that's your choice to make, not mine, I suppose." "So, you'll tell me?" "I will, but promise me one thing." "What is it?" "When all of this is said and done, don't pull me into your world again." Gwen bit her lower lip. She knew now the cardinal truth behind the old aphorism, "You can put makeup on a gnoll, but it'll still eat shit," and "A Rakshasa can't right its paws." "Fine," She said coldly. "I promise you'll have your privacy." "Don't be like that," Morye replied cooly. "You're still my daughter; I just want you to know that each of us has their own lives and aspirations, there's no use trying to drag me into yours, our Paths are not the same." "What is your path then, Pink Salt Saviour?" Gwen sceptically demanded of her father. "Well." Morye ignored her snideness. "Think of me as an esoteric monk, knowing no conflict with the world. I am the cultivator seeking no attachment, not to things, not to people, not to a higher power. I walk the way of freedom, of untethered chains and open spaces, the Path of the Sensate." Gwen smirked. "The path of Eros more like it. When can we talk? Now?" "No," her father shook his head. "I need some time to gather my thoughts. I'll talk to you after supper." Her father then turned away, no longer looking at her, focusing instead on the seabirds. Below them, the ship's wake left ten-thousands of gleaming, coruscating shards to catch the light. Satisfied, Gwen ventured below deck to rest. "The truth," he said to no one, watching his daughter go. "I hope I still remember the truth."

Gwen found her father sitting in a miasma of cigarette smoke, forcing her to keep a discrete distance. Morye had a nervous, agitated air about him, as though the very act of reminiscing the past to deliver to his daughter irritated him to no end. Watching Morye taking a long toke, Gwen wondered if there was such a thing as air purification spells, a kind of Prestidigitation that would remove undesirable particles from the immediate vicinity. She waited for her father to finish his cigarette, but when the man pulled yet another from the packet, her patience became paper-thin. "Well, let's have it then," Gwen said cattily, wrinkling her nose. She forced herself into the room and took a seat by the bunk, feeling the unpleasant sensation of tar-infused smoke soaking into her hair. "What do you want to know first? The pendant? The Songs, or your Mother?" "The Pendant," Gwen replied, caring more for pragmatism than for curiosity. "That's going to involve some bad shit, but fine." Morye closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. "So, the pendant is made from the Core of a Kirin. You know what a Kirin is?" Gwen nodded. "Good. What do you suppose it is that the Kirin Core does?" "Takes in the souls of dead monsters?" "Not exactly. It takes in the 'Essence' of magical creatures at the moment of their death. How do you suppose Creature Cores work?" "We learned that they were the 'heart' of Magical Beings, where their vital force resides," Gwen parroted from her textbook. "When a creature dies, its Essence, element, vitality, life, whatever the nomenclature, dissipates into the Astral realm. For most creatures, the Essence is contained within the Core— a condensed orb of crystallised mana that becomes more compact with seniority." "Is that all?" "Umm... the reason why it is near impossible to harvest Cores is that, at the moment of death, the energy held within bursts forth, seeking an escape into the immaterial Astral. This force is so powerful that the Cores of most low tier creatures crack, or dissipate." Morye tapped his ash into an iron tray. "That's not entirely true, Gwen. When a Core reaches a certain level of density, they become near indestructible. Of course, hunting down such a creature is nigh impossible for low-level Mages." "To answer your question as to what makes the pendant so special, the Kirin stone is one such item. As a byproduct of its natural density, the inscribed Enchantment consumes the escaped energies. As to its usage, I would suggest trying it out and see if you can pick up a few extra cores on your adventures." Gwen recalled that her late Master had once told her that the amulet was part of something larger, the heart-stone of something ancient and powerful. Henry had been correct that the "Core" had a capacity for storing Essence, a fact her father now confirmed. "How do I use it?" "Wear it on you when you deliver the killing blow. Sometimes it works, other times, who knows?" "Is this a famous item?" Gwen questioned. If the Kirin stone was going to be something that others covet, she'd better keep it well hidden and out of sight, or perhaps even return it to her father. "Only amongst those in the know." Morye swung the cigarette through the air, drawing a Chinese pictogram that Gwen didn't recognise. "Not many of those left now, not after the Communists came through the old country." "How do I use the Essence?" Morye regarded her guiltily. "I'll be honest with you." Morye puffed out. "I have no idea. Never learned that particular trick." "Who gave it to you?" "From my father to me, and from me to you." Morye seemed to grow agitated at the mention of his father. "If you must know, you are only in possession of half of it. The other half is with the family." The family. Gwen noted, processing the information. "Tell me about 'the family'." Gwen perceived her father's impatience and pursued the matter, waving a hand to bat away the smoke. Morye had the distinct feeling of been held under lamplight and interrogated. "If you mean 'our' family," her father stated after a momentary pause. "The story is not for me to tell, but I'll let you in on what I can disclose." Morye took a deep breath, taking on an expression of one combating some internal demon. "First of all, you have a set of living paternal grandparents who are alive and well, at least last I checked." Gwen paused, blinking her big bright eyes at her father as her brain tried to process the information, feeling as though she was forcing a square peg into a round hole. Morye averted his gaze as Gwen's pupils turned sharp and critical. "What?" Gwen uttered suddenly, an edge of iron rising in her voice. "I have ANOTHER set of grandparents— but you didn't think that was important enough to tell Percy and me? What the hell, Morye? What the actual fuck?" Gwen didn't lose her head often, but she felt herself seething with resentment and contempt, so much that she felt as though something was going to erupt from within her body. Her eyes grew electric, becoming two concentric rings of crackling lapis that sizzled as her rampant emotions took hold. In her old life, she had never had a chance to spend time with her paternal grandparents before they passed, but in this world, they were alive and well and yet she had no idea they existed? Her father had spent the last decade fooling them that he was orphaned! What could compel a man to do something so absurd? Her father groaned. "I told you it was going to complicate things. You're the one who wanted to know." "How— how is this my fault!?" She wanted to slap him again; maybe Shocking Grasp the bastard. Her skin crawled all over. "Okay… okay, keep going, tell me about my NOT DEAD paternal grandparents, go on." "You also have a paternal aunt and uncle…" Gwen placed her head between her hands and tried to slow her breathing. The stupid cigarette smoke made her dizzy, and her father's bombshell revelations didn't help one bit. She looked up after a minute or so of meditative introspection, her eyes bloodshot with stress and pent-up emotions. "Okay, go on." "A few cousins…" "That's fine." Gwen's voice trembled. "Just get on with it. What about them? Where are they? What do they do? How are they now?" "They're in Shanghai." Morye looked around and found a bottle of water. He shook it towards his daughter, but Gwen declined. "As for the rest of your questions, I can't answer them because I haven't seen them in about fifteen years..." So her father was from a tier 1 city— Gwen allowed the knowledge to sink in. What she couldn't understand was why anyone would leave Shanghai for a Frontier town like Sydney. "Why did you leave Shanghai? I assume you were born there?" Gwen asked. "I was," Morye replied. "I am the first son of the House of Song." "A 'House', with a capital H?" "No, no." Morye waved his cigarette. "Old bloodline, new House. The Revolution uplifted us, so no history, only status." Revolution. Status. Bloodline. None of those things meant anything intelligible to Gwen, least of all the idea of a Communist revolution in a world of magic and monsters, least of all because her Frontier history class had left students wanting. Her father caught her incomprehension. "Have you heard of old-world cultivators?" Gwen blinked. "Never mind then. Suffice it to say, you have an extended family somewhere in Shanghai, China, and maybe some relatives from the Eurasian Steppes, though I've never met them myself." "Jesus, how many relatives do I have?!" Gwen snarled at her disinterested, apathetic father. "Why am I finding out about this now?" "Because you asked." Morye shrugged. "What, don't like the answer?" Gwen fantasied about summoning Caliban right there and have the thing give her father a good tongue lashing. The infuriating lout! To think she'd thought he was getting better and that he cared enough to come out here and risk his life for her! The man was unbearable! At once Gwen felt a surge of sympathy for Helena, empathising with why her mother was so offended all the time and so withholding in her affections. "Fine, because I asked," She moped, unable to find the words to express her exasperated emotions because she never had family in either of her lives. "Putting that sid, tell me about mum." "What do you want to know?" "Does she know?" "About?" "About your talents!" Gwen gnashed her teeth. "Do you have to make this so… difficult?" Her father gave her a look that said she didn't want to know the answer to that rhetorical question. "She has an inkling," he said after another agonising drag on his cigarette. "But alas, she has no evidence." "And you just... lived in mediocrity this whole time?" "Hey! We were happy for a while, raising you, married despite Surya's protests." "And then?" "There is no 'and then'. Your mother couldn't handle being ordinarily happy. I couldn't stomach her psychosis. I needed space. So she left. End of story." Gwen regarded her father's self-righteous explanation with incredulity. The absurdity of it, the sense of selfish entitlement that radiated from his self-depreciative face made her sick with loathing. How could such a human being even exist in this world? How could it be possible that such a person brought forth herself and Percy? "Okay! So if you hate each other's guts, where Percy come from?" Gwen asked suspiciously. Morye turned to look at Gwen with an awkward expression. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "When a man and a woman love one another very much…" "Oh, for fuck's sake, Dad!" Gwen snapped, stomping her foot on the galvanised flooring. "I mean, why did you get back together again?" "You know your mother, surely." Morye pursed his thin lips. "She can be very possessive. If you want the details, I'd advise against it." "…" Her father had guessed right. Gwen didn't want to know about that. "Why did you leave China?" "Ah, a good question." "Well, why?" "Can't say, it's confidential." "How come?" "Gwen, don't be difficult." "I want to know, tell me." "Why? Why do you deserve to know?" "FUCK! JUST TELL ME ALREADY!" Gwen shouted at her father; at last, her patience was exhausted. "Because I KILLED someone I shouldn't have! That's all you need to know!" Her father snapped back at her. "It doesn't involve you in the slightest, not then, and not now. Okay, you know what. This conversation is over. Now be a good girl and shut up! We will go and get your friends, we'll take them back to Sydney, and then we'll luncheon every few weeks, OKAY? Go to bed. You have a long day ahead." Gwen stared at her father, her conduits tingling with Void mana. She was no longer sure what was true or false because she had come for answers and was now left with more questions. The pendant was a precious item that could draw out the Essence of magical beings as they died - but was that all it did? What had compelled the Kirin stone to regurgitate its Essences when she needed the serpent's aid? Then there was her paternal family, now no longer deceased but alive in China. Would she want to meet them? Would they want to meet her? What would they think of her frontier upbringing? Was one of 'them' also in possession of the Void talent, as she did? Then there was her mother. Gwen still couldn't believe that Helena just gave up on her father. That must have been a fate worse than death for a social climber like herself. But then again, Gwen gazed at her father— trying to squeeze the truth from this man was like wrangling blood from a rock. If she were married to a man like him, death would be preferable. Her father exhaled. The tobacco smoke was getting to her now, making her throat itch and her hair stink. "I need a shower," Gwen announced, fought down the questions bubbling in her throat, then left. Once his daughter was gone, Morye extinguishing his cigarette. "Control Wind," he incanted, and a gust of air cleared the cabin of the smoke. "Good grief, I'd thought she never leave," he said to the door as the wind blew the thing shut, plunging the room back into thankful silence. Sighing, he renewed his meditation. In less than ten hours, they would be in Singapore, and knowing Gwen, there was bound to be more trouble. Gwen scrubbed herself raw cleansing the fetid tobacco stench that clung to every inch of her skin. Still burning with disquiet, she pulled the water through her hair and allowed it to drip between her shoulders. The ship's showers were fir only for Dwarves, though thanks to a Conjure Water implement, it had no lack of freshwater. They had less than ten hours before Singapore became a reality and she would have to get ready for the obfuscation they'd undergo at customs. Though Gunther's Multi-Pass allowed them access through the Commonwealth territories held by Singapore, it was very much unlikely that the local authorities would be happy to know that they were going to stir up a hornet's nest in the Kapulauan Riau archipelago. Putting her head once more under the facet, Gwen thought about her friends, her Master, her Siblings-in-craft, and about her unknown paternal relatives. Threads, all of them, tying her to this world, lashing her with a hundred ropes of nerve and sinew like the bound Gulliver in Lilliput. Her left hand turned the facet. The falling water slowed to a drip; beading droplets trickled from her torso and down her thighs to pool at her feet. For now, she reminded herself— the only folk that mattered were Evee, Yue and Whetu. After six agonising nights, Singapore appeared on the horizon. First came the human-made islands, dozens of them, each sporting a concrete structure that indicated the presence of a Shielding Station, each akin to crystalline daggers stabbing the sky. Between each structure, a thrum of energy signifying the resonance hung between the city and the outside world, giving the South Sea trade fortress a surreal, mirage-like appearance. Gwen fingered the Kirin amulet gently as they passed the barrier, feeling the Core grow hot before once again matching the warmth of her skin. While her heart pounded, the others gathered on the top deck. Jonas had informed her that they had travelled to Singapore once before, with Alesia on a Purging quest for one of the satellite islands. They knew the local Tower, therefore, and should pass without incident. The main Shielding Station guarding the city sat at the tip of Sentosa. Perhaps inspired by the local fauna, the Singaporeans had built a gargantuan Mer-lion statue, a half-fish, half-lion creature local to the South China Sea famous for bringing good fortune. Holding an enormous Shielding Crystal in its mouth, "passing of the Mer-lion" officially dictated that they were now within the territorial jurisdiction of Singapore Tower and its provincial government. According to her companions, though Singapore can be considered a Frontier like Sydney, it enjoyed an unusual eminence due to its proximity to the tier 1 capitals of the South Sea, existing as a gateway to Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. As a result, Singapore was immensely wealthy for a Frontier of its size. Here, all of its citizens, both Mages and NoMs, enjoyed some of the highest quality of life possible in Humanity's hinterlands. Another reason for Singapore's rise as the crème de la crème of the Frontiers was the institutional reformation the city had undergone under the Magister Lee Kuan Yew, more endearingly known as 'Uncle Lee". Before the loss of the Micronesian islands to the Mermen, the Magister introduced significant legislative reforms, such as an 'uplifting' program that offered citizenship, housing and gainful employment to any awakened caster across Micronesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Though policy infamously caused a "sorcerous drain" in the surrounding regions, while greatly enriching Singapore and its cache of service Mages that staffed the city's manufactorums. For their entry into the fortress city, the party had chosen a believable backstory that Gwen was the scion of a notable House in Melbourne, friend to the Magister Guldric Uther. If challenged, the party would reply that they were in Singapore to procure supplies before returning to Melbourne and that Magister Uther would back up their story. To appear the part, Gwen had spent the morning picking through her outfits, looking for the right sass to assume the air of a spoilt adventurer princess, one uptight enough to be travelling with an entourage of Senior Mages. She settled on an old dress she'd found on Surya's estate, a simple floral one-piece that reached just above her knees, with a hem that blew out beautifully like a reverse tulip. Unlike before Almudj's blessing, she found little need for makeup, for her flawless complexion left no doubt that her persona had not seen a day of labour. The men didn't think it their business to comment on her attire and her father wasn't keen on talking, but Gwen did run into a few agog sailors that showed she had done very well indeed. As they pulled into port, Gwen realised they had skipped the crystalline skyline with its ship-like Marina Tower and instead arrived in a deep-sea port with enough shipping containers to form a bastion of steel crates and floating platforms. All around her, cargo cranes sprouted like mushrooms after a monsoonal shower, dotting the horizon with a forest of claws and pulleys. A disembarking platform made its way from the dock towards the control tower, just a level from the top deck. The writing on the docking arm read "Pasir Penang Terminal 3". After farewells were had with the crew, the gangway gave Gwen a feeling of mild vertigo as they crossed the hundred or so meter drop onto the central harbour platform. The Freight Station maintained a small Customs Station at its far end, a significant distance from the cargo processing assemblage, giving the group ample time to gather their stories and unify any contingencies as they approached the moment of truth. At Customs, they were greeted by two Customs Officers with Chinese-Singaporean likenesses. Seeing Jonas and the others in their military uniforms, the guards stood respectfully and saluted. "Good morning Sirs - Ma'am. The City of Singapore welcomes you." "Greetings, we're looking to enter the city on business." Jonas nodded, reaching into his jacket for his pass-card. Paul and Taj likewise presented their cards, allowing the Singaporean Mages to transcribe them behind a counter, where the passes' authenticity became verified. "They're verifying the Glyphs embedded within our cards against the ones authorised by the city's immigration department," Jonas explained to Gwen in the tone of her instructor. "When challenged, have your Pass out immediately and remove any accessories that may impede examination of your facial features." "Yes, Sir," Gwen replied dutifully. One of the guards glanced toward Gwen when Jonas spoke, lingering on her face a second too long for comfort. Gwen met the young man's eyes and smiled. As anticipated, the Customs Officer blushed and turned away, which made her laugh. The exchange gave her a little rush. "Miss, your Pass, please." Gwen pulled the Pass from her Storage Ring with a flick of her fingers, further verifying beyond doubt that she was from a family that was rich and rare. The Customs Officers marvelled at her Quasi-elemental talent; their eyes sparkled when they returned her multi-pass with both hands. "Thank you." Gwen beamed at them, revealing gleaming white teeth. "Our pleasure, Ma'am," one of the men replied. "I hope you enjoy your stay." "I am sure I will." Gwen leaned in before moving past the counter, feeling their eyes following her around the gallery. "Say, what's good in Singapore, what's the best place for Seafood?" "I'd recommend Jumbo by Long Beach." "It's the River Walk for me, maybe Palm Beach?" Though she should be interrogated, the young men were instead recommending restaurants. Gwen played along, asking them about their favourite spots in the city, laughed imploringly, and enquired about seafood, turning what should be a severe atmosphere into one of joyous delight. "How dangerous," Paul said to the others. "I wish Alesia would learn some of Gwen's charm instead of intimidating the shit out of the Customs Officers." "Hear, hear," Taj recollected with a painful grimace. "Remember that time we got detained in Hong Kong because they thought we were Triad? "Erh, don't remind me." Paul groaned. "Eh? What happened?" Morye asked out of curiosity. "After Alesia made a scene and Paul intervened, they threw him in a holding-cell with actual Triads. After he laid them out, Paul ended up with a gang of 'brothers for life' that wanted to help us navigate the Nine Dragons district. Alesia ended up having to call Master Henry to assure Hong Kong Tower that we were legitimate military officers and she was not an imposter pretending to be the Crimson Sorceress." They chuckled as Gwen passed without incident, stowing the Pass with a click of her fingers. When Morye underwent inspection, one of the Officers stopped him before he could exit. "Are you father and daughter, Sir?" Morye affirmed that they were. "Is something the matter?" Gwen came striding back towards the Customs desk, heels-clicking one after the other. "Just for the record. It's nothing to worry about, Miss. Enjoy your stay in Singapore." Past Customs, the group entered Singapore proper. The moment they ventured outside, however, Gwen felt the crisp indoor atmosphere dissipate. A sweltering heat smothered every inch of her body, plastering her arms and legs as though an invisible being had draped a warm film of plastic over her skin. The heat! The humidity! It was incredible. When they were at the port and moving through the sea, it hadn't felt nearly as oppressive, but now that they were outside the city's glass and concrete megastructures, it felt as though they had walked into a lukewarm sauna. Gwen made it no more than a hundred meters in the open when her chiffon dress hugged her thighs like cling-wrap, making progress near impossible. She suddenly discovered new things about the human body, such as that knees could sweat. "Good God!" Paul moaned. "Give me the blistering heat of the Outback any day of the week!" "Alright, let's find us a shrimp-boat Captain," Taj announced, his face likewise melting. Jonas hailed two taxies from afar. "Where to?" an South East Asian taxi driver asked them. "Hello. We're looking to hire a boat and do some fishing, what's a good port to charter?" Jonas got straight to the point. "Got any good recommendations?" "I can help," the Taxi driver answered with a moustachioed grin, his eyes moved up and down Gwen's attire before turning to regard her retinue. "You looking for luxury or sport?" "Sport. We're short on time, ideally, head out and back in a day or two. Find us someone willing to play guide and navigator." "Okay, get in. I take you to Jurong Port, many private ships there. You got money, someone happy to take you for sure." Gwen ducked into the Taxi as Jonas held the door for her. She rode with Morye while the others rode in another Taxi behind them. To her unfamiliar eyes, though they were far from famously ultra-luxury areas such as Clementi Park or the high-density district of Hougang, the industrial areas of the city's urban crawl still felt considerably more developed than Sydney. The roads were extensive and better maintained, the streets spotless and without garbage. The buildings stood in blocks rather than sprawls, with clean, centralised designs that involved contoured, modern-industrial aesthetics. What caught Gwen's attention, in particular, wasn't so much what the city possessed, but what its streets seemed to lack. There were homeless hobos in Sydney even in the best areas, sprawled on the streets every few blocks, begging for change. The phenomenon was especially prevalent in the city's industrial and commercial areas, where Gwen attended school. Here in Singapore, there was not a single hint of poverty. Instead, its overwhelming prosperity was making her nerves jitter. On every other avenue, black-uniformed militiamen in urban combat fatigues with duckbilled hats and glyph-embedded glasses carried alchemical bandoleers across their uniforms, concurrently armed with Combat Wands that extended from hip to the thigh. "Morye." Gwen turned to her father, hoping to break the ice tension. "What do you suppose that wand is?" "Likely utility spells like Move Earth or Shape Stone." Morye turned to the Police Officers as they passed. "Impressive gear though, those are likely Detect Magic goggles. I bet that uniform is elementally attuned too." Gwen whistled. In Sydney, most Mages carried a few Magic items covertly. Gwen had never even seen the Sydney Police with Combat Wands, much less decked out in a suite of magical gadgets. In Sydney, only the Tower Mages came equipped. They turned into Jurong Fishery Port and proceeded until both Taxis were facing the entrance of the Fishery. Gwen paid the talkative driver with her card, then disembarked into an area where already, the stench of seafood busy at decomposition permeated their nasal cavities. "Well?" Gwen wished already to be on a ship heading out to sea. "Let's find us an entrepreneur, shall we?"

Their Mr Entrepreneur was bought for twenty HDM crystals, with two more if they returned to Singapore without incident. The Captain, going by the singular name of Sukarno, was a crafty, middle-aged fellow formerly from Indonesia. Taking advantage of Singapore's offer of open immigration for Mages with useful talents, the Water-Transmuter found his way to the city and now operated a small trawler with a dozen NoMs for a crew prowling the coastal waters for shrimp and squid. The ship itself appeared weather-beaten and well-seasoned but was also well maintained by the prideful Captain, insistent that he routinely inspected every nook and cranny for both mechanical and arcane failure. The mechanism of the ship itself was of much fascination to Gwen, who'd never seen trawlers in action, even in her old world. Two arms extended from either side of the eighty-footer ship with an assortment of accessories dangled from the arms, possessed of everything from Daylight Glyphs for attracting squid to nylon-mesh for trawling prawn. "You're looking for an island called Abang, in the Riau chain, about sixty kilometres outside Shielding coverage from Batam," Captain Sukarno recapped after pocketing ten of the HDM crystals, the other half delivered upon their safe return. "It's a Black Zone, so we'll have to cut in and out real quick." He turned to Gwen with mixed feelings of interest and scepticism. "A bit dangerous for a chiobu like you. You look too tender, going to get gobbled up." "What if we run into Mermen outside the Barrier?" Gwen asked. "Not much chance of that. If we kena, you guys take care of it, okay? We not exactly following maritime protocol where we go, so I take only trusted crew of kaki. Don't expect help from the Navy if we get sunk." The party assured the Captain his customers would behave. They boarded at the end of the pier, drawing curious eyes from the other ships' crews. Gwen, in particular, caught the eyes of strangers wherever she ventured. It was hard to miss a six-foot, leggy Eurasian in a green retro-dress, even in a sea of staked ships and knotted sails. "You should change into something that won't take on water," Sukarno suggested as his crew emerged to greet the group of Mages, bowing deeply, not daring to meet their eyes as they announced their names. Sukarno pointed to the last NoM in the row of indistinct dark bodies. "This is Arnav, my First Mate." A skinny Indian who looked in his thirties waved at them, staring straight down at his feet. "Hi, I am Gwen. These are my companions, Paul, Taj, Jonas, and this is my father, Morye." In response, Arnav ducked and bowed in quick succession, greeting each of them before moving off, still staring intently at the ground, to work the riggings. "Sorry, lah. The men don't deal with Mages much. Normally its just me, and they know me." "It's okay." Gwen watched the crew, six NoMs working the boat's cranks and levers as they began to drift from the dock. It was queer that the seamen seemed to be avoiding them entirely, not even looking towards them, or herself, with curiosity. The trawler pulled from its mooring silently. Once cleared of its attachments and lines, Sukarno fired up the mana-engine, issuing twin jets of water from the ship's aft as the propulsion began to spearhead the vessel out towards the sheltered egg of the Singapore Strait. When the boat penetrated the first layer of the Fortress Cities' Shielding Stations, the air turned cool, crisp and salty. "What a difference," Gwen noted to her companions. "Wonder why it's so hot in the city?" "It's the Shielding Resonators," Sukarno shouted back. "Singapore is a very safe city. We have a three-layer barrier! The Batam Islands, the artificial islands of the strait, and the main station on Sentosa. As a result, our city very humid in summer." "Singapore is the safest frontier region in the southern hemisphere," Jonas affirmed Sukarno's commentary. "Almost as expensive to live in as a tier 1 city too, especially near the CBD and the Clementi hills." The artificial islands they passed soon transformed from commercial to industrial, then to lonesome installations build for military utility. Freight ships formed a line throughout the strait from shore to sea, creating a veritable bulwark of freight and cargo. Their journey to Abang should take six hours. On the fourth hour, the ship cleared the final safety buffer of the city. "Everyone! Arnav! Keep an eye peeled for Mermen!" Sukarno barked at his crew, then politely asked Gwen and her party to be vigilant as well. Thankfully, the final two hours of their journey proved uneventful save for a few curious incidents with local marine-life that came to inspect the fishing trawler. With tact, Gwen dissuaded the fauna with her Lightning Bolts. "Whoa! Quasi-element! Nice!" Sukarno exclaimed happily. "Thanks." Gwen flashed the Captain a toothy grin, making Sukarno smirk appreciatively. When the wind soon picked up, and the spray became too much. As one, the party retreated into the cabin from which Sukarno steered the vessel. Sukarno offered her a newspaper that he'd picked up at the port authority, bold with Sydney-centric headlines in dark lettering. "Hey, you guys from Australia, hor? Aiya, sorry about Sydney lah, it sounded like a real tragedy. I hope all your family are safe." The men took the paper and gave the headlines a browse, their jaws firmly clenched as they read the latest body-count. When Jonas turned onto page four, he paused to steal a forlorn look toward Gwen. "What's up?" Gwen noticed the sudden tension in the air. Jonas folded the paper and passed it over. She opened the tabloid spread and read silently to herself. "Sydney - Seven days after the Sydney Incident, Magister Henry Kilroy is entombed in a ceremony attended by colleagues, presided over by his apprentices - the Paladin Gunther von Shultz and the renowned sorceress Alesia de Botton who is still recovering from her injuries." There was a full-colour page attached, showing Alesia in a wheelchair beside Gunther. Together with other prominent Magisters, the group carried a casket through St Andrews Cathedral, where presumably her Master's empty sarcophagus would be symbolically interred. To her understanding, the symbolic ceremony was usually reserved only for noble members of the Mageocracy. To be inhumed and remembered in a place of public worship was a great honour, one that spoke loudly of the opinions the rulers of the Mageocracy held for Henry Kilroy. "In remembrance of the Late Magister Kilroy, Lord Gunther gave a eulogy to an audience of prominent figures, citing Lord Kilroy's contribution to establishing the Tower System, his gallantry in the Saurian War and the ongoing Coral Sea Conflict, and his immutable contribution to the prosperity Sydney had enjoyed before the incident. In closing, Lord Gunther has promised to continue the legacy of his Master, dedicating his life to reconstructing Sydney and restoring it to glory and beyond. This news is met with no surprise, as both Melbourn and Brisbane Towers had voted to move Lord Gunther into the position of Master..." Gwen scanned through the article, founding a particular quote extracted for a bleed-out by the reporter. "To my Master's loved ones who are unable to be here today, wherever you maybe be, however far you are from Sydney, our hearts are with you." It was an innocuous line, but Gwen knew that her Master had no other family left and that Gunther had intended it for herself. With shaking hands, she clutched the paper and felt an indescribable pang wringing her heart. "You okay?" Jonas' voice was kind and reassuring. "Yeah." Gwen looked ahead at the spray striking the panes of the cabin. "I am fine." The Island fast approached. The party changed into a long-sleeved skinsuit constructed from a breathable and pliable material in the final hour. The gunmetal bodysuit was of standard military issue, and so left an excessive length of Gwen's ankles exposed, giving the professional attire the unexpected, mirthful appearance of jeggings. The amphibious hiking boots they had acquired from the Brisbane Tower's quartermaster likewise had a low ankle line, which further ensured that a few centimetres of her flesh were left unprotected. Over her skinsuit, she wore a set of combat-meshes that hid her figure, its pouches loaded with Healing, Antidote, and Cure Disease potions. When Morye emerged, Gwen was surprised to see that her father's musculature was as sculpted as the military men's, with nary an ounce of extra fat on his torso. With his preference for slightly loose shirts and casual wear, she'd always imagined Morye with an endearing little beer belly and a muffin top. "Wow, this is much better than what my division used to ration," Morye noted with pleasure, pulling at the stretchy fabric on his thigh. "The suit is Elementally attuned too? Very nice." "What'd you used to wear?" "Un-enchanted Cotton." Morye wore vest and pants over the skinsuit. When her father put on pants, Gwen felt herself becoming conscious of the skin-tight suit. She had the mesh on top, but maybe she should also cover her bottom? That would impede her movement though, making her a prime target for branches, bushes and insects. The Island came into view with about a quarter of an hour left to their journey. Even from a distance, they could see that Abang was verdant with wildlife, with canopies that reached twenty to thirty meters, stretching well above the Island's base. Many of the archipelagos in the strait grew from volcanic eruptions, implying that its greenery hid caverns, hills, sheer drops, and even vertical cliffs. "We'll be mooring in an inlet at the south of the island, there should be a pebble-beach there," Sukarno explained. "You have two nights, three days. Come Sunday, high tide; I go back to the mainland, that okay hor?" In theory, three days was ample time. The Island was small enough to be circumvented on foot in a day on paper, and an hour if they flew. Jonas materialised a Message Device the size of his arm— this far out from the Divination Tower nodes, they had to bring a portable device. "We'll keep in contact as best as we can." "Of course," Captain Sukarno inclined his head in acknowledgement, pulling the military-issue communicator towards him and inspecting it. "O course, just remember I also need to consider the safety of the crew." "Agreed." Jonas turned to Paul. "Let's get moving." Paul drew a few Glyphs over the party. "Mass Water Walk." While Paul worked his Transmutations buffs, the trawler moved into the inlet, setting anchor a hundred meters or so from the shore. The weighty anchor struck the bottom with a thunk, stirring the white sand below, sending up a cloud of silt and silica. When the chain became taut, Sukarno indicated that the party was free to proceed. For Gwen, water striding felt as though skipping to and fro from a series of trampolines. The Invocation created a layer of hydrophobic mana around the caster's lower body, lifting them from the liquid and propelling them from footfall to footfall. Gwen almost lost her footing a few times, but the others caught her before she could strike the water and transform into a bedraggled spectacle. By the time they had reached shore, she was sure that Sukarno and the crew were blue with lark at her comical incompetence. A quick count at the beach and the party was at the tree-line. The immediate vegetation was taller than they had anticipated now that they were face to face with its verdurous growth. The palms themselves reached dozens of metres, with girth as thick as a man's torso. Deeper into the canopy, sunlight became a rare luxury. "Alright! Form up!" Jonas commanded the party. "Gear check!" Gwen stood to attention while the Major fixed her combat straps and double-checked the bandoleers. Morye he left well alone, the Magus making it self-evident that he did not desire to be manhandled, citing that he would suit up in his lavish Salt Armour if it came to it. "Alright, buff up!" "Mass Bark Skin." "Mass Resistance." "Mass Aid." "Mass Dark Vision." The Transmuter and Cleric of the party gave the group a once-over. "Enhance the Constitution." "Protection from Poison" Gwen was singled out for a few extra buffs from both Paul and Taj, who likewise buffed themselves. The party then formed into marching order. Taj lead with his Earthen Mage armour moulded around him like a suit of half-plate. He was followed by Gwen, who was a staple DPS output with Elemental Lightning, especially when supplemented by her Void. The middle was held down by Morye, who could help Gwen with his Abjuration and hold his own. Their fourth and fifth man was Jonas, followed by Paul, who was responsible for leaving behind trail markings for orientating his translocation spells. "Detect Magic!" Gwen incanted, her eyes taking on the soft glow of Divination. She scanned the immediate distance in front of her up to thirty meters or so, finding a miasma of mana permeating the dense foliage like a stream of multi-coloured pendants. "It's too dense. I can't see the trees for the forest." Gwen dispelled her Detection spell, after which she rested her eyes to flush the mana from her pupils. "No helping it then. Just be vigilant." Taj took the first step, swinging a machete enchanted with Keenness into the flora. As they penetrated the rainforest, Gwen spotted exotic fauna darting into cover as they moved through the dense tropical jungle. A curious pair of white-beaked birds of paradise, wary of their invasive entry into their home, began to follow them, chirping and screeching every time Taj took his blade to the vines and trellises that barred their way. Gwen couldn't help but notice that some of the vines too, bled a strange, red substance instead of the white ichor normal to the strangler-creepers, attracting great hosts of insects such as ping-headed ants with jaws as wide as their bodies and orange-jacketed wasps that greedily dived into the crystallising carmine residue. "Four degrees to your right,' Paul corrected their vector, aided by his triangulation beacons. Taj adjusted his position and shifted the direction of their progress. In his hand, Paul held an enchanted compass that resisted obfuscation sorcery, keeping a true north heedless of illusion or enchantment. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Their progress slowed as the loose groves of palm became dense coppices of white jasmine and moon orchid. Taj became more cautious as he hacked through the leafage, wary of falling crawlies and slithering things with many legs skittering away as they crashed through the foliage. "Good grief, what's that smell!" Gwen uttered, unexpectedly assailed by a scent of horrid decay a few hours into their trek. "Something rotten, from the smell of it, carrion?" Taj pulled apart a thicket of vines. "I think I see something." They had arrived at a small clearing, where an enormous bulb towered towards the dim light of the canopy. Its flower was already in full bloom, revealing a fleshy hood of purple-pink that wrapped around a colossal ochre phallus towering up to three meters. "It smells like… shit, actual shit." Taj marvelled. "Christ, what in the world?" "Alright, form up, don't move. Eyes open. We'll check for hostiles and move around it." Jonas commanded. "Gwen?" "Detect Magic!" The jungle itself was verdant with rampant motes of elemental water and earth. When she looked towards the flower, she noticed that the corpse-flower seemed to be coalescing dark, shadowy mana specks at its base. "I sense… Negative Energy at its core." Gwen felt on the verge of a personal eureka. "To think Negative Energy existed in nature!" "Life and death is a balance, that is the way of the natural world." Jonas scanned the jungle with his eyes. "If I recall, this is a death-flower, a Titan Arum, a carnivorous creature that feeds by attracting insects with its stench of decay-" "Hold up." Gwen motioned for the group to stay still. "I see something coming." "Warding Bond." Taj incanted softly, suffusing the party with a mute, earthen shimmer. Gwen recognised it as an Abjuration spell which shared damage between the caster and its targets, giving the entire party the ability to resist harm both magical and mundane. In the next moment, a slithering, crawling stream of elemental earth, tinged with specks of negative mana, roved from the canopies down towards the flower's vivid display of dusky elements. In the eyes of the others, they saw a giant centipede a meter in length, as thick as Gwen's thighs, meandering past the small clearing and toward the stem of the Titan Arum. Like twin sets of perfectly synched piano keys in motion, its legs latched onto the base. "A victim?" Gwen asked. To their surprise, the centipede wasn't trying to climb the flower. Instead, it was attempting to borrow straight through the base toward the nectar of necrotic energy. "Smart bugger." Paul grimaced. "Looks like a predator to me." Gwen meanwhile, couldn't take her eyes off the coalesced core of Negative Energy. She recalled her growth in Lightning Affinity after Caliban took in Wanka. Could this also mean that she could supplement her Void element's affinity by consuming natural flora and fauna? "I need that thing," Gwen announced to the group. "Can I get some cover fire if things go south?" Morye looked up with annoyance but said nothing. "What're you thinking of?" "Absorbing both flower and monster" Gwen confessed, though in a manner that misled their understanding of her methodology. "Caliban needs to eat live prey to mature." The men saw the disgusted looks on each other's faces. "Alright, go ahead." Taj double-checked his warding bond and gave the go-ahead. Opportunities for gaining resources for one's craft seldom appeared in mundane life. It was only through haphazard brushes with boons and banes that a Mage grew, rapidly gaining unique abilities by testing oneself against the Wildlands' chaotic flora and fauna. "Cali!" Gwen whispered, kneeling close toward the ground to release Caliban discretely. To her surprise, it wasn't the spider form that appeared, but its usual serpentine likeness. Did Caliban adjust its appearance for the occasion? She wondered. Mentally commanding Caliban to transform on the ship hadn't helped. Silently, the slithering Caliban meandered through the tall grass, moving ever closer to the centipede busy at work. When it came within range, it turned its faceless mien towards Gwen imploringly. "Want a hand?" Gwen suppressed as much of the Invocation as she could before releasing it as a muffled blow just above the centipede's many eyes. "Lighting Bolt!" A dull thud echoed across the immediate space of the clearing. A bolt of Lightning materialised from her fingertips, flashing across the distance between Gwen and the centipede before striking it squarely on the head, momentarily stunning it. "SHAA!" A pair of flesh hooks launched from Caliban's maw, taking the centipede by the rear. Twitching wildly, it dragged the still paralysed creature towards its jaws. With a sucking sound akin to slurping ramen, Caliban drew the many-legged morsel into its lamprey's maw, effortlessly sliding its meter-long body into its bottomless gullet. Before its final demise, however, the centipede whipped around and bit Caliban's head. There was a crunch as the mandibles penetrated, followed by a soft empathic whimper from Gwen as her flesh throbbed. The party winced as the last of the giant centipede's tendrils disappeared. Taking a deep breath, Gwen then pointed Caliban to the base of the plant. In place of the now-deceased centipede, Caliban latched itself onto the thick stem and began to secrete a dark substance which instantly melted the fibrous plating of the Arum. In a moment it broke through into the pool of feral scented briny liquid, spilling it over the forest floor. A wave of nauseating scent exploded over the party like the world itself just farted wetly. "Bloody oath, my eyes are watering." Morye covered his nose and mouth. "I can taste it. Why, Gwen. Can't you train like a normal Mage?" The other three men were silent, bearing the singular assault of the exquisite stench with voiceless fortitude. "Control Wind!" Morye incanted, making the air displace about them, sending the stench up on high. Gwen meanwhile, seemed entirely unaffected. She was watching through her mana-infused vision, Caliban's dark mass of Void-matter draining away the tenebrous motes of negative energy. With a final punt, Caliban punched through the base of the towering flower, collapsing the stalk. "Caliban!" Gwen hissed, and the creature de-materialised, returning to its pocket dimension. Her complexion paled for a moment until she was positively ghostly— and then the moment passed, and she could once again sense her limbs. The party watched the Titan Arum crash against the forest floor. "Okay, let's keep going," Jonas commanded, wary of any attention they'd have drawn. "Paul?" "Six O'clock." The group plunged again into the thick green sea, hacking and hewing through a green barrier that seemed never-ending. "Hows our orienteering?" Jonas asked their Translocation specialist. "Beacons active, all sound. No tampering," Paul returned after a moment's concentration. The day waned as the group's slow progress continued. A few more encounters with ambitious local fauna resulted in some hairy moments of thrilling combat, though Jonas' healing touch ensured that the group remained in tip-top form. By nightfall, the group estimated that it had made an ingress of about ten kilometres toward the centre of the Island, at which point the towering Bayan trees began to make their presence known. With any luck, they should penetrate the region where the Dryads made their home the next day. As most of the creatures on the Island preferred nocturnal activity, it became too dangerous to move through the uncertain shadows cast by Dancing Lights and Daylight, which both dazzled the eyes and made discerning fauna from foliage impossible. Gwen produced their shelter, the Portable Habitat, and placed an HDM crystal into the slot at its base. She invoked the glyph of activation, at which point the habitat quickly grew into a portal that shimmered in the middle of the forest, invisible and shielded except to registered members of her party. Gwen stepped into the shelter to find a large, multi-bedroomed bungalow formed from aluminium and glass in the Bauhaus style, sitting in an area that was grey and mute. Disturbingly, there lacked a sense of finiteness about the space, even gazing past the confines of the bungalow's white fence gave her an uncomfortable feeling of being lost in a place of grey-nothingness. "I think it's obvious that you shouldn't be wandering out into the ethereal world." Jonas proceeded past Gwen. "Give me the Decanter of Endless Water. I'll get the showers and the kitchen set up." "There are showers?" Gwen could feel the humidity congealing like stick brine between herself and the skinsuit. The breathing fabric made her feel like she was wearing a film of warm water. "Well, it only produces so much at once." he grinned as Gwen gushed at the thought of a cold shower under fresh water. "I'd recommend you use your own Conjuration cantrips if you're going to be in there for long. We need to fill up our supplies and make dinner as well, you know." "I am just happy there's an actual shower." Gwen pushed past the door, the alien anxiety of the grey-void forgotten. "What's for chow?" "Noodles, I'd imagine. Pasta and the like. Storage Ring Pot Luck?" Gwen had the most extensive storage space and was thus the proverbial mule for their party. To her body, the cool "house" made a jarring difference. One minute, she was trekking through a Black Zone jungle, then suddenly, they were in a safe pocket-space with working stoves, showers, and actual beds. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like if they had to find shelter in the trees, as her High-school Field Trip had done. Was this the difference between adventuring with professionals, and adventuring with poorly equipped amateurs? After a cold shower, she found Jonas humorously attired in an apron, serving bowls of aromatic Bolognese. "Pepper?" Jonas enquired. "Parmesan too, please." Gwen indulged herself. At night, the military men's snoring was like rolling thunder, softly vibrating the windows of the bungalow. Gwen was glad that her doors were stout oak, but even so, it hardly suppressed the diesel generators running in unison. An alarm sounded at what must be six or so in the morning, signifying the pocket dimension would soon end and its inhabitants ejected. A quick breakfast of cereal and ration ensued, and then the member once again equipped themselves for the dense jungle. Taj volunteered to venture outside first, but Gwen convinced them to substitute Ariel instead. When the little marten reported no immediate alarm nor danger, the rest of the crew followed. True to the quartermaster's words, the clearing they'd cut had almost grown back entirely in the time that they'd been asleep. "How're the beacons?" Jonas asked Paul. The Translocation specialist drew a few sigils in the air. "A few left, enough for us to triangulate our way back. The missing glyphs start about three kilometres back, extending to the five-kilometre marker." "Alright, let's get going." Their progress became impeded an hour later when Taj halted at an unexpected clearing. It was an unusual sight, the blue sky above catching them all unexpectedly and stunning their Dark Vision buffs. They'd been hacking through the densest part of the jungle yet when Taj's machete struck a tree, only to find the offending branches hollow and empty. "Huh?" He stumbled forward as his weighted blow fell short, stepping unexpectedly into a clearing. It was decidedly an abnormal formation, for the thick foliage just gave way as though they'd crossed over an invisible threshold. When the rest of the party joined the bewildered Taj, they saw an awful amount of carcasses lying on the path ahead. Birds seemed to be the mainstay of the collected boneyard, scattering through the fallen logs and stripped branches devoid of leafy green matter. Shells of large insects filled the spaces where the dead birds' white bones languished, forming mounds of chitinous shells, creating a grisly game of guess the fauna. "Gwen." "On it. Detect Magic!" Gwen made a mental note to learn more specific Detection Divinations as she turned her eyes upon the unnaturally cleared space. Above the ground were scattered motes of elemental air. Below, was a solid mass of roving elemental earth, so thick and voluminous as to be a carpet of ochre shifting to and fro. "Incoming!" she called out. "Out of the clearing now! They're below us!" As though answering her behest, a soldier ant emerged head first, a three-inch-long length of obsidian mandibles slicing the air hungrily as it burst through the carrion. Another broke out a split second later, followed by a dozen, a hundred, possibly a thousand innumerable heads of various shapes and sizes, all expertly armed with scythe-like jaws both large and small. The party reacted immediately, turning about and making for the assumed detour. "Eight O'clock! Then 5 O'clock after two hundred meters!" Paul commanded. Jonas materialised another Keen-enchanted machete, opening a path ahead. "Shield of Faith!" The half-dome barrier of positive energy wasn't as effective against physical attacks as plain-old Mage Armour, but it would have to do. "Shit, how the hell are ants moving so fast?" By now the ants were a flood of chittering hunger. When Gwen took another gander in-between the motion of her pumping legs, she noted that they were the same pin-headed critters they had previously seen, only now they were a roving tide of terror. A handful of the ants fell onto Taj from above, landing on his Mage Armour. The group heard a sizzling sound as the stink of oxidising Earthen mana filled the air. To their woe, the needle on their heads sprayed a corrosive, milky liquid that wore away magical protection. "Shiva's wrath!" Taj shook off the offending insect by dispelling and re-summoning the Mage Armour. "Can we go any faster?" "Too much jungle!" Jonas called out from up ahead. "We have to fight them! Shit! Arrgh!" Paul shouted as his hand brushed against a tree haphazardly. "Fuck!" Whatever Paul had grasped with a wayward hand in the heat of the moment had secreted a substance that removed a layer of skin from his hand. "Healing Word!" Jonas restored his Translocation Mage a second later. As for Gwen, her repertoire of spells flashed across her mind. To her chagrin, none of her Invoations had sufficient AOE potential to clear millions of minuscule insects at once, that was one of the fundamental fallacies of the Lightning Element. "Caliban!" A slithering serpent slipped from a dark tear in thin air. "Drop and roll!" Caliban dived into the tidal wave of ants and began to roll like a child amongst the sea spray. Now almost a meter and a half in length, it carved a path through the ants. Curiously, the swarm seemed to know instinctively that the Void-filled Caliban wasn't food, and so parted from the slithering thing as though it was Void-Moses parting the ant sea. Just as Gwen felt her chest fill with hope, a writhing sphere of ants, taking advantage of the height offered by the foliage, began to rain upon them, blooming into vicious sacks of acid and venom as they landed suicidally on the Mage's Shields. With the shimmering of their expanded Mana Shields, the Mage's progress became even slower, becoming impeded by the flickering of one another's projected, semi-spherical buffers as they tried to escape the swarm. "We have to fight this out!" Jonas commanded them. "Watch for friendly fire, AOE at will. Taj! Explosive Warding Glyph! Maximum range centred on you!" "Cover me!" "Got it!" Gwen's shrill voice pierced through the male voices. "Deploying Shield!" Gritting her teeth, she manifested a dark shield of obsidian Void as Jonas began to draw the repulsion Glyph. The dusky barrier flickered into being with a hiss, consuming all it touched. When the swarm of ants ran into its base, their bodies sizzled like white-hot metal quenched in bubbling fat. Gwen's face immediately turned a shade of white. Not even the buffer energy left by Almudj was enough to mitigate the drain caused by hundreds of thousands of minuscule insects marching like kamikaze lemmings towards certain doom. "Shit!" Jonas shot Gwen a bolt of positive energy, restoring some colour to her complexion. "Taj! How long?" "Five Seconds!" "Don't bother— I'll take care of this." In the chaos of their frenetic actions, her father's voice pierced the chaos. "Empowered Transmute Salt!" The group felt a surge of elemental water gather beside them like a gravity well, their skin instantly becoming dry as their hair grew encrusted with crystalline strings of white-pink Elemental Salt. Morye gathered the spell-force in his hand and struck the ground beneath them, transmuting all within a radius of thirty or so meters into a world of rosy pinkness. In the next moment, a sudden frost consumed the forest. All moisture, both flora and fauna, became fuel for the growth of saline snow. The ants too, burst into crumbling masses of desiccated shells, a veritable river of black sand mixing in with the white. Morye, his face a little paler for the effort, pulled his arm from the pillar of salt that had formed where he stood; his clothes, combat mesh, hair, and exposed skin were all covered with his innate element. "Should have just done that first thing," Morye noted casually as the others shook themselves from the unforeseen circumstance of their escape from imminent doom. "Gwen, don't do that Shield. It's the stupidest thing a Void Mage can do. You just lost life invoking it, AND lost life absorbing those ants." "I had to protect our Healer," Gwen replied sulkily. If Morye could have resolved the problem, he should have just done so in the first place. Why the delay, why the running? Why the endangerment if he had a solution up his sleeve all along? "You live and learn." Morye shrugged. "By the way, I think we're going to have company." The once verdant jungle, now a world of snow sculptures, was beginning to crumble around them. "Which direction?" Jonas wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Whatever his intentions, Morye had saved them from a pyrrhic victory, and that was commendable in itself. Morye tapped his nose. "I smell perfume." There was a distinct sound of distorting wood, a sort of bizarre onomatopoeia, a groan that was at once the rapid growth of wood as well as the splintering of its fibres. Gwen had heard it many times before in the Grot, playing in the backdrop of her conversations and lesson with Henry as Sufina tended to her grove. An island pine that had survived the salt-apocalypse parted to reveal a giantess clad in yellow and bronze, her face a vision of loin-tingling allure. A full head of autumn tresses fell like a scintillating waterfall from her head, framing exquisite, leafy brows that defined a pair of burnishing eyes sparkling like emeralds. "Oh," Jonas muttered. "Oh, dear." "Woa," Paul mouthed, his mouth becoming a perfect O. Taj brushed the ants from his body and made ready to finish that Glyph of Warding. Gwen felt her spine tingle with expectation and anticipation, a flood of passions flushing her cheeks. How should she engage the Dryad? Gwen wondered. Should she immediately mention Sufina and demand access to the Grot? Should they perhaps parley with it and negotiate the terms of their passage? She had given this moment days of speculation, but now that they had found themselves a three-meter tall goddess of exquisite wood with bolted-on breasts, Gwen discovered that she had lost all words. "Hey there, lovely." A husky voice sounded beside them, full of confidence and without a smidgen of hesitation. The party turned to see Morye as they had never seen him before, upright, tall, at-ease, his face chilled and handsome, his hair slicked back and flawless. When he smiled, there was an aura of vitality and self-assurance, elegant and confident. "Hello there," the leaves rustled as the giantess spoke, her eyes gleaming as she looked down and saw Morye grinning at her. "Are you humans lost?" "Lost and found." Morye made a subtle flourish as he bowed. Much to the party's consternation, he approached the Dryad without so much as manifesting a suit of Salt Armour. "But I could just as easily lose myself in your arms." Gwen felt a glob of vomit forcing its way up her throat and into her mouth. The Dryad seemed taken aback by Morye's candidness. "What can I do for you?" "Ah, the things we could do would make the bush blush." Morye smoothly replied without breaking eye contact. "But for now, we would like to find a certain Mistress Sufina, though as for myself, I would be delighted to make your acquaintance while my companions did their duty." Gwen wondered if Dryads could cringe because she was already sweltering with nausea. "Oh, you're the Mistress' friends?" The Dryad's eyes lit up, casting a luminous glow on her face. "Come this way then, hee hee hee, let me show you the way to the Grot. We'll have so much fun, I am sure." The woods parted as the Dryad moved, opening a path for the party to follow. Gwen forced the sputum down her throat and gathered her wits about her. She turned to see the others, Paul, Taj, and Jonas, looking towards Morye with faces full of admiration and worship. She couldn't help but bite her lips in frustration. Men! What had she expected?

When the giantess reached a second clearing, it became evident to the party that a calamity had stuck the grove. Considering the prevalence of exotic orchids Gwen and company had seen on their way in, they had been expecting to find a resplendent paradise, the very apex of nature's crowning beauty. Instead, they found a ruined wasteland that was only now beginning to recover. Old roots and branches that had once formed into chairs and tables were charred and shrivelled, black and burnt and mangled. The Grot's dappled pavilion, with its leaves and branches overhead, was all but in tatters; the earth now stank of rot, the soil ankle-deep in soot and decomposing mush. "This is an… interesting Grot you have." Her father studied their hostess with scepticism. The man likely doubted the Dryad's intelligence, through Gwen felt that wasn't an undesirable quality in a nymph. Beside them, the wood-sprite turned a stain darker. Gwen hadn't realised that dryads could blush, she imagined one needed flesh and blood for that. When the Dryad spoke, her voice was bitter and tragic. "Sufi's guests, uncouth, mortal louts the lot of them. I had invited them to tea out of the kindness of my own heart, and this is how they repaid me— by burning my lovelies." "Brutes!" Morye agreed with the verdurous goddess. "Let me find a way to make it up to you." Gwen meanwhile, had cold sweat oozing past the fabric of her skin-suit. Yue! It had to be Yue. She was sorry for the Dryad's loss, but also thankful, for the garden's distressed state meant her friends had made contact with Sufina and so must be alright. "Mistress of the Wood, may I ask where is Sufina now?" Gwen stepped into the clearing, imploring with Demi-human with a face full of hope. To her surprise, the giantess turned her sculpted face toward Gwen and leaned in closer. "Mmm… what is that scent?" The Dryad came closer and closer until her nose was almost touching Gwen's. The woodland being was enormous, her head nearly the length of Gwen's torso, carved out from wood as though a grandmaster had taken his skills to a colossal trunk. Her lashes, tiny blades of grass, fluttered lovingly, drawing attention to two smouldering orbs of viridescence that seemed to possess infinite depth. It was an alluring but alien expression, for the woman's eyes had depthless pupils. "Your face…" Gwen felt her skin crawl as the creature stalked about her, causing Taj and the others to ready their guards and half-incant spells under their breath. She too was prepared to let loose her Void-Shield or clad herself in Void-skin if the wood-woman were fancy a sudden assault. "How curious," the giantess muttered to herself. The Dryad carefully placed a tendril under Gwen's sculpted chin and lifted her face so that her eyes could fully purchase the dimensions of Gwen's appearance. "You remind me of Sufina's contractor, and yet... you're not?" "We are… related," Gwen answered obscurely. "Can you direct us to see Sufina now? The matter is urgent." The Dryad reared back, almost striking Gwen with her flailing vines. Gwen staggered back, mildly alarmed by the woodland lady's exhibitionism. Moving with the sound of lifting timber on a summer morning; the nymph peered towards the group's men with a gesture filled with promise. "Maybe they'd like to stay for tea while you made your visit? My sisters and I are starved for company." When she spoke, a dozen more Dryads of different shapes and sizes appeared at the edge of the clearing, each sprouting garlands and trellises of vibrant hair that filled the grove with colour. Where the men hadn't seemed so smitten before, now they were reddening with swelling anticipation. Even Jonas seemed to hold his breath as a red-headed Dryad made her acquaintance known by running a hand of white-pine down the length of her washboard abdomen. "Maybe they will." Gwen turned to face their hostess with an expression several degrees colder, muttering under her breath. "Are there mortals like me with Sufi?" "There are." the Dryad didn't look pleased as she recounted an unpleasant story of uncultured savages ravaging her grove. "There was a little maniac of fire, a dainty midget healer, and a very strapping native, which Sufi cruelly denied us. I figure she must be wringing him dry right now." Gwen turned to the party to ask for an escort, but the grinning fools that greeted her made her sigh deeply. Maybe it was the military life, but Taj, Jonas and Paul seemed especially vulnerable to the charms of the opposite sex, notably when they resembled pin-ups that she'd sometimes see in the dorms. The fact that the dryads were fully compliant, eager even, with a master carver's perfection, stripped the disciplined men of their senses. Her father especially demonstrated an enviable ability to hold three to four conversations, flittering between compliment and flattery with the ease of a river eel sliding over mossy stones. Gwen had told them not to initiate combat under any circumstances. Still, she hadn't anticipated that the Dryads were completely friendly or harmless, or that the men could initiate extra-curriculum contact. Should she tell them off, or should she let them be? She wondered, painfully aware of her junior status. Surely with Sufina as the 'Madam' of the Grot, the men would be safe, if a little worse for wear— having survived the strange hazards of the island, there are worse fates than picking wood splinters from one's tender regions. "I am going to find Sufina!" she called out to them. "You lot should be perfectly safe here." "Want me to come with?" Jonas tore himself away from the redhead with the painful expression of immense self-sacrifice. By now the lesser Dryads had grown furniture to cater for the men, twisting branches and roots to form divans, chairs and tables, creating linen from beds of emerald moss and jade turf. The flourishing transformation proffered the clearing with an eclectic air, making Gwen's nose wrinkle. Gwen sighed. That Jonas poised a rhetorical question told Gwen that perhaps it was time for her to take a hike in the woods. There must not have been much privacy for men to perform maintenance on the ship. Then there was the real reason— that Sufi's Grot was a place only she could venture. She neither wanted the men to see nor for them enter a haven that was sacred to her Master, a private sanctuary ventured only by Alesia, Gunther, and herself. Wistfully, the Dryad opened a path through the jungle and told Gwen to follow it until she reached a Bayan tree that had a clearing all to itself. Gwen followed the dark road of fecund soil, sensing her shoes sink into the rich loam with each step. After a few minutes, she came to a clearing, though there was nothing open about the space occupied by the singularly immense Bayan tree. The familiar creaking of warping wood greeted Gwen's entrance. A branch dipped from up on high and began to lower itself. From its tip, Gwen could see a familiar female figure striding forth on a pair of svelt stalks that ended in needlepoints tapered to a wasp's waist, adorned with modest bosoms of smooth blonde wood. It was Sufina, but the Dryad was also not Sufina. Something that made Sufina her Master's companion had grown ambivalent in his absence. The warmth, the humanity, the little gestures of whimsy, was now absent. "Greetings, Gwen," Sufina uttered, the stifled emotion in her voice punctuated with a slight tremor, as though she was having trouble recollecting the past. "Your Master is no longer among us." "I know." Gwen felt her throat tighten, eyes little warmer for the effort. She could feel the tremorous grief she'd left buried for a week rising from the dead and kicking apart the box she'd shut them in. "Sufina…" "Would you like to see him?" The Dryad interjected. At the wood woman's behest, Gwen felt as though a cat had snatched her tongue and fled with her words. "Master's remains… are here?" "Yes." Sufina motioned for the entrance to the Grot. "Come." Gwen wordlessly followed her erstwhile family member until she reached the entrance to the Grot. It was no longer the familiar sight of a portal artistically woven into elegant designs. The entry was now a dark hole caught between two slabs of sinuous roots, its degraded state an apt metaphor for their present circumstances. The pair passed over the threshold and made their way deep within until they reached the heart tree, the place where Gwen had laid down Henry to be healed by Sufina's natural vitality. That was the last time she had seen her Master, and he rested in its centre now, just as she had left him, only pale, still and unmoving. "Oh—" Her body turned rigid and unyielding as her eyes fell upon the harrowing sight. "Oh— O Gods." As though moving through molasses, Gwen shimmied towards her Master's cadaver. One step, then another, then the rest of the distance in quick succession. Her hand immediately fell to his jugular, her other hand hovering just over his nose. Despairingly, there was nothing. The coldness of his flesh struck like eldritch frost. "Master..." Her chest was heaving out of control, her heart struck by such arrhythmia that she could hardly draw another breath. Then something escaped from her throat, a long wail that echoed across the hollow chamber of the heart tree, now empty of its Master and occupant. A sobbing mess, the inconsolable girl fell upon the chest of the unmoving man, all her dammed up grief abruptly unleashed. Beside her, Sufina watched, her face as calm as a billabong that mirrored the still sky. "I have preserved him, in so far as my magic allows. He will exist in gentle repose so long as my Grot exists," she informed Gwen, placing a hand on the shoulder of the grieving girl. "I'll take you to see your friends now, would you like to leave a few words? I think he would have liked that. He had always liked your way with words." Half ruined with tears, Gwen looked up at the Sprite that had once laughed and indulged her with the delight of a child. Sufina's tone was distant and aloof, as befitting a powerful magical being. Creatures such as Dryads knew want, lust, greed, desire, hate and like, but their empathy were traits honed for predation. Unlike their Demi-human cousins, the Elves and Dwarves or even the Orcs, they did not possess the capacity for what scholars called the Human Condition. A few words? What words could she leave Henry now? Her Master was no more; there was no more 'Henry' here than Sufina was the Sprite she had known for the last twelve months. If she were to leave words, it would not be for herself or Henry, but for Sufina, whose intact intellect would recall, and mayhap even one day understand the lament enough to protect Henry's remains for centuries to come. What could she say? What was Henry to her and Sufi? What words were fitting for a man who singularly changed their lives, whose constant affirmation and support aided her in her darkest hour? What would resonate with Sufina's alien heart? Perhaps there was something. Gwen couldn't recall the recital in its entirety, but she couldn't think of a better way to commemorate their bond. "O Captain, my Captain…' Gwen began, fossicking through her memory for the words. After the initial stutter, the words came to her. _"O, Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done,_ _The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,_ _For you, bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,_ _For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;_ _My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,_ _My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,_ Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. _The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,_ _From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;_ _Exult O shores— and ring O bells!_ _But I with mournful tread,_ _Walk the deck my Captain lies,_ _Fallen cold and dead."_ The sentiments of Whitman far exceeded her circumstances, but it was all Gwen could eulogise. Henry had been her Captain, and he had given his life in their defence. She was his torchbearer now, like those that came after Lincoln, but where would she start? How would she even begin to live up to her Master's hopes? For now, all that crossed her mind was wrapping her fingers around Sobel's white neck. "O, Captain…" Sufina appeared to be digesting the words. "My Captain... Fallen cold and dead..." The wood-nymph allowed the words to roll off whatever dryads used for a tongue. Gwen observed the doll-like woman as she repeated the words, each time engendering a shiver. "I will let Gunther and Alesia know, Master." She returned her attention to the reposed Master of Sydney. "Us siblings will come and visit you, all three of us, in the future." "Come." When Sufina spoke again, her voice no longer had that burred feeling of apathy. "It's time to meet your friends." Gwen found Elvia and Whetu in a walled garden, engaged in sullen boredom. Whetu looked as though he was bored out of his mind. The poor Kiwi Abjurer was building himself a precarious house of punamu cards. Elvia, golden and resplendent as always, had been well preserved. She was still wearing her competition uniform from the attack on Rosebay, though it looked to have been laundered since. The diminutive girl was playing catch with what appeared to be a flower-sprite of some kind, tossing a ball of positive energy to and fro as the creature skipped across the lawn. "EVEE! Oh, my dear Evee!" Gwen sprinted from the entrance at a deadbolt, responding to feelings she had not realised were so acute and advanced. Elvia's face formed the expectant expression of agog surprise as Gwen tackled her from the ottoman stool and pushed her onto the lawn, burying Elvia's face between her bosom. "Gwenmmph!" Elvia cried out, wrapping her arms around Gwen's waist, squeezing with all her might. "Oooivemiffedyew!" "Ke kee!" The little Sprite that had been playing with Elvia fled into the tangles of her hair. "Oh, I've missed you too!" Gwen pulled herself away to kissed Elvia thrice on the forehead, opposing herself to avoid a dearer target. She felt strangely complete and was about to give Elvia another hug when someone beside them coughed. "Hello." Whetu waved at her. "G'day," Gwen nodded back, for her hands were busy. Elvia writhed in Gwen's arms, her head still buried against her. The petite girl's face grew thoroughly flushed as it pressed against her friend. "Gwennie! I— I can't breathe!" Gwen relented, panting slighting for having exhausted her bottled up emotions. Between the extreme grief of her Master and the explicit joy of seeing Elvia, she was emotionally exhausted. "Where's Yue?" Gwen asked, looking around. "Is she alright?" "She's on another level," Sufina answered from behind. "Your pyro friend was beyond maddening." "Oh?" Yue's rage did not require any stretch of the imagination. "Sorry, Sufina." "Gwen," Whetu interrupted Gwen's conversation, retracting his house of punamu. "Does you been here mean we're getting out?" "I'd presumed so." Gwen turned to Sufina. "Can we leave, Sufina?" "You have a ship?" "We do." "Good, get your pyromaniac away from my Grot." Sufina spat with a scowl. At her behest, the reconvened party then descended a flight of stairs interlaced from the Bayan tree's roots. As the tunnel burrowed downward, they could hear a dull thud striking the earth at irregular intervals. Elvia made an awkward expression when Gwen asked what was causing the horrid racket, because 'it' was probably Yue. "I am cooling off your friend's temper." According to the Dryad, Yue did not like that Sufina kept them 'incarcerated' in the Grot's safety. In her own words, given time, she could surely burn "A six-lane highway" through the greenery to the sea. Though Sufina had to admit that Yue presented a reasonable goal— given that the island had no megafauna, consisting mostly of poisonous and carnivorous inspects and plants, she could hardly allow the madcap psychopath such liberty to wreak havoc. When told that she would not be allowed to do as she pleased, the Battlemage challenged Sufina to a duel, insisting that Sufina was trying to trap them. Sufina obliged, bones were broken and then mended. Therefore, it was under these circumstances that Gwen and Elvia found their friend, her attire in shambles, scorched here and there and bleeding from several places, battling a gnarly Root Elemental in an underground arena. The summoned creature was an interactive dummy, ceasing its offence whenever Yue exhausted herself and resuming its offensive as soon as she recovered. For seven days and nights they had squared off, Yue drawing as much mana as she could from meditative sleep, Sufina's nourishing mead, and the cache of mana crystals she had in her small Storage Ring. With smugness, Sufina explained that the Root Elemental was, in fact, a part of the Bayan heart-tree, and was thus immortal while within the confines of the Grot. Tired of her bickering, she had set Yue up to blow off her bottled rage accumulated from Debora's betrayal, trading precious mana for silence. When Yue saw Gwen appear at the threshold of the arena-like cavern, she sizzled off her spell and bolted toward them at full belt, still energetic after a week of ceaseless combat. Her eyes though, betrayed her frayed nerves, for they were two panda-rings of puffy flesh. "Gwen! You're alright! You're okay! You're safe!" Yue shrieked across the arena, diving headfirst into Gwen's arms. Taking both of her friends, Gwen invited Elvia to join a long-desired huddle. "I know this might not be the right time…" Yue pulled herself away after she ran out of breath. "But where is—" "Debora's dead," Gwen announced immediately, reading her friend's one-track mind. "Dead? How?" "Digested slowly, by Caliban." Yue pumped her fist in the air. "Hell, yes! I wish I could have watched. How about Elizabeth? The Void Mage? The Mermen?" "Not good. Sydney is an ongoing concern." Beside her, Elvia's eyes were as large as blue-bells in full-bloom. "Gwennie... Caliban a—ate Debbie?" Elvia spluttered, her complexion turning pale as a sheet. "Like, bones and all?" "It's a little more complicated than that." Gwen went on to explain to the frantic Elvia. "There's a sordid tale to be told for sure, but we'll have plenty of time on the way back. For now, let's get out of here." "What, we can 'leave' now?" Yue turned to Sufina with a catty expression. "Gwen has a ship, and a whole party of Senior Mages." Sufina returned Yue's catty expression with a resting bitch-face of her own. "Now get out of my Grot!" Yue turned to wave to the Elemental that she'd been sparring with for a week. "... I guess this is goodbye, Woodie." To their surprise, the Elemental waved back. "Woodie was originally made by Henry to be your sparring partner, Gwen," Sufina explained to the girls. "At least someone got some use out of it." At the mention of her Master, the jubilation of the moment was murdered and left for dead. In silence, the four of them returned to the upper level of the Grot, bypassing the Heart-tree and its treasured body of Henry Kilroy. Then, without warning, the dappled light of day dazzled their eyes. Elvia had acclimatised to living underground for the last seven days. When they emerged again into the sunlight, she clasped Gwen's hand and squeezed nervously, afraid that something awaited them in the woods. Meanwhile, Yue fell to her knees in triumph. "Yess! FUCKING natural light! Blessed open air! We're finally out!" Whetu as well seemed stunned by the unexpected deliverance. "Boy, I am happy to be out. Imagine that, a life without Hungi Feasts! Without root beer! Without Feijoa Cider! Nothing but Golden Mead..." Watching the grinning Maori, Gwen wondered if Whetu felt homesick for Auckland Tower after all their wayward adventures fighting competition matches, surviving a city-destroying conspiracy, and then surviving tropical island full of century-old cougars. After giving Elvia another pat to ensure that her blondie was really there in the flesh, she turned once more to Sufina, who had watched the girls with a complicated expression. Sensing a strange inspiration, she tapped into her Astral Body and felt for Almujd's Essence deep within her animus. Drawing on instinct, she gathered the emerald energy and compressed it into a ball, willing it to coalescence. "I still have some of that life-force you loved so much," Gwen offered the prize to Sufina. "Thanks for taking care of my friends." Sufina eyed the viridescent Essence; a wet pink tongue darting between her lips hinted at her desire. "Thanks," Sufina absorbed the mote with her finger. "Do you want to keep exploring the outside world?" Gwen metaphorically tested the lukewarm waters with her toes. "I think our Master would have liked that." "I can't be moved that easily." Sufina's eyes moved from the girls towards Gwen, facing two shimmering orbs of emerald on amber. "I refused to be contracted to another Mage, not after Henry." "Is it because of elemental compatibility?" Gwen asked. To have Sufina as an ally would surely be an incredible boon. "Irrelevant." Sufina raised a hand and grew a small flower from her palm. She allowed it to bud and bloom, before depositing it in Gwen's hair, behind her ear. Gwen noticed Sufina herself had the same flower on her opposite ear. From afar, they must look like fraternal twins, one flesh and blood, the other a delicate wooden replica. "Gwen, when Henry died, and our contract absolved, I lost a part of myself. It was a part of the spell, I know, but it had been a part of me for so long. You should know that I am still in possession of almost three decades worth of shared memories. But—" Sufina's attention turned toward the middle distance. "I don't feel it, Gwen. I want to cherish those memories, but they're someone else's now. What Henry had provided for me, the emotions and the feelings, they're gone. The 'Sufi' you knew has been unmade." "Sufina..." Gwen moved to touch her hand, but the Dryad drew away. "I need to stay here," Sufina announced to the open air, almost as a declaration. "If I am away from him, my memories will fade faster." Gwen ignored Sufina's earlier rejection and embraced her doppelgänger, feeling Sufina's recalcitrant body press against her own. "Okay," Gwen said, for once lost for words. "You may visit." Sufina watched Gwen retract her embrace without particular emotion. "I would like to see Gunther and Alesia, I think. I did watch them grow from mewling children to adults, after all." "I'll let them know, and we'll come together in the future," Gwen agreed. "So, this is goodbye?" "For now." Sufina turned back to her Grot. "The others will open the way for you." Gwen watched Dryad stalk back into the darkness of the Grot. The portal shimmered for a moment, then faded, revealing nought but the exposed roots of an enormous Banyan tree. She spun to address the others, who'd been watching them. Elvia appeared frail but in good cheer, her blonde hair plastered to her face by the jungle's humidity. A little Sprite-thing poked from her hair and watched Gwen with luminous eyes. Yue was sweaty but felicitous. Her body was rightly battered, but the girl was happier than she looked. Whetu looked like himself, but skinnier and more mellow than Gwen had recalled. There was a hungry look in his eye that suggested he couldn't wait to be feasting on something other than Dryad milk. "Shall we?" She motioned for the far clearing. "Home awaits." The reformed party found Taj, Paul and Jonas not far from the path that led back into the clearing. She hoped that in the several hours she'd been gone, the men had not engaged in haphazard coitus with the wood nymphs. Nonetheless, they had been fed berries and mead made by the ladies of the woods, playing house with the doll-like damsels. More than anything, it was a strangely comical sight: three military men, sitting rigidly upright, surrounded by a plethora of flowering ladies with laughter like tingling bells and trilling birds, asking them questions about the outside world. "Hey, guys! We're back!" Jonas bolted upright as though he'd been caught doing something dirty red-handed. "Oh, thank God you're here!" He moved from the table, the red-headed dyad still hanging onto his arm. "Any longer and they'll be putting us to pasture." The other two men stood as well, trying their best to shake off their admirers. "Yue!" Paul snapped a smart salute, which was returned by Yue expertly. "Good to see you guys, I am happy you all came to pick me up." "Elvia." "Hi everyone, I am very thankful for your efforts to retrieve us." "Don't mention it." Gwen scanned their surroundings. "Where's Morye?" The men whistle innocuously. "He went off with the giantess - the elder dryad… somewhere." Gwen had expected as much, but to think that her father was somewhere right now being put to stud. Unbidden, she took hold of her Evee to dispel the horrid vision of her father. "Eek!" Elvia yelped as Gwen caught the mind-scrubber in her arms and squeezed her shoulders. "Kee! Kiki!" A vaguely humanoid Sprite tried to repel Gwen by striking her with a leafy burst of Positive Energy. "What is that thing?" Gwen spluttered, batting away Evee's leafy protector. Elvia looked sheepish. "I contracted it." She whispered under her breath, barely audible, her face as a red as a beet. "You contracted what?" Gwen pawed her chest-mesh for the Cure Disease potion. Hopefully, it would be enough to cleanse Elvia of whatever she had picked up in the woods. "Don't worry, a shot of this and it's going to be A-okay." The group stared at Gwen dumbly. "She contracted a Spirit, Gwen." Yue pointed out loudly. Gwen's brows furrowed, realisation dawned. "Oh, a contractual Spirit! Like Alesia's Crimson Caracal?" "Yes!" Elvia quickly raised her hand in the affirmative to avoid further misunderstanding. "Ki-ki!" The Sprite raised its head in defiance. Gwen awkwardly laughed with them before turning back to the matter at hand. "So, anyone knows where Morye is?" "Morye, as in your dad?" Yue raised a sceptical brow. "What's a useless no-good old man like him doing here?" "Plenty, trust me," Gwen replied with a heavenward roll of her eyes. "So what's the plan?" Jonas pulled his arm from between the wooden vice that was the redhead's hills and valleys. "I am sorry, Miss. We have to go." "Stay!" The junior Dryad seemed to be capable of only simple speech. "Play with us! Feel good!" Gwen had half-expected a "We love you long-time," from the Dryad, but chose to ignore the raunchy display. Instead, she pointed to the only path leading away from the Grot. "That's our way out. Let's skedaddle before its overgrown again." "Agreed," the others replied. The group checked their gear and politely asked the dryads to leave them alone. Whetu especially had to fight them off bodily with a few punamu barriers. The sun was now reaching a low orbit, but with any luck, they could be halfway out by nightfall and reach the beach first thing in the morning. "Tell Morye we're heading for the ship," Gwen informed one of the blonde dolls still trying to convince Paul to stay. The Dryad ignored her. Gwen dismissed the snub and moved toward the trail. Soon, they would be out on the beach. From the beach, they would retreat to the City of Singapore. Then, one freight ship later, they would be home.

Morye held himself against a branch to brace his frail and exhausted lower body, now possessing the rigidity of wet spaghetti. He grinned with satisfaction, for though there was now a part of himself that was a bruised, doughy mess, the affair was a big tick off the bucket list. In his mind, and indistinct amount of time had passed in Dryads' Grot. Wiping the nectar from his lips, he touched his chin gingerly. There was the bristly spikiness of a five-o-clock shadow rubbing his palm like coarse sandpaper. For how long had he ploughed the land to seed the crops? He hadn't felt this drained since meeting Helena back in their university days. Here and there in the grove, flowery Dryads still milling about languishingly. A few of them drifted Morye's way, but even the mighty Morye felt too sluggish to keep on trucking after such a marathon. Though he looked hale, Morye knew he was running on empty, riding on fumes, squeezed out like a desiccated cucumber. "Where's everyone?" he asked a red-head with lovely eyes and a vacant expression. "Gone!" the nymph-girl lamented, her eyes predatorily scanning over Morye's lower body. "Play?" "Er… not right now. Where did my party go?" "They went that way. You sure?" More cursed under his breath. The others must have abandoned him. The nerve! He would now have to catch up and hope that the boat remained anchored when he arrived. "Enhance Constitution! Enhance Agility! Expeditious Retreat!" He activated some self-buffs and fled where the Dryad had indicated. It was going to be an uneasy trek with little light, for the sun looked about as exhausted as he was back in the Grot. Behind him, the woods parted. "Where art thou going?!" a shrill, feminine voice called out, not too dissimilar from the milk-curdling pitch a Helena always effected. A verdurous dryad, glossy with effort and gloriously alluring, crashed into the clearing, heaving voluptuously. "There's life in you yet, dearie!" Suddenly, the fatigue of his aching muscles no longer mattered. Like a shot stag drunk on adrenaline, Morye bolted. Deep within the Banyan Grot, Sufina returned to her heart tree, where she had grown an elaborate sarcophagus for her former companion. She watched stoically as the roots wove themselves into place, crossing over and melding into a single block of stout ironwood that grew around Henry's body. "O Captain, My Captain..." Sufina allowed her voice to fill the general air, hearing its tremor reverberate across the uncertain space of her Grot. Not so long ago, the place had been full of human voices. There was first Gunther, debating loudly with Henry and seeking advice. There was Alesia, pretending to be young and coy even though she was thirty years old, trying to get out of trouble. Then came Gwen, forever eager for knowledge and the next spell, speaking in that strange way of hers and asking questions that came out of the blue. Now— there was nothing; there would be no visitors for the foreseeable future. For the first time in a long time, she would be alone. Alone in the deep dark, with nothing but a cadaver-memento. Slowly, with great care, she raised Henry's body onto a wooden dais. There was an unobtrusive "tink" as something fell onto the floor. Sufina willed a tendril to retrieve the object for closer inspection. It was a shimmering scale about a thumbnail in size, scintillating with a mid-shower rainbow's vibrant hues. Sufina had seen it before; it belonged to the girl, and through it, the girl-Mage had channelled the primordial mana of creation itself. It was spent, though a seed of life remained, awaiting revitalisation. Instinctively, Sufina placed the scale upon her left breast, allowing the woodgrain dermis there to open and swallow the relic, sending it to rest beside her creature core. As her life force worked to nourish the object, she could feel a slight tingle, informing her that her vital energies had begun cultivating its severed connection. It was a strange, indescribable feeling, one that the Dryad no longer could adequately process— but the sentiment lingered, and somewhere within her anima, she recognised the heartwarming sensation. It was the feeling, of no longer being alone. Paul contacted Sukarno before they broke free from the tree-line. The Captain answered the Message happily, ecstatic that the party were returning so soon. Unlike the landing party, he had little means to fend away curious creatures that may lurk in the shallow bay. After all, these islands were said to be inhabited by man-eating wood Nymphs. He knew for sure that should any fishermen be lured by the bathing nymphs onto the island would never be seen again. When the party broke out from the tree line, Sukarno was further surprised to see that it had grown. Now they were joined by a small blonde girl, who looked refreshingly adorable, a giant Polynesian with facial tattoos, and a Chinese girl with an outrageous figure. For a moment Sukarno had to wonder if the party had kidnapped some young Nymphs from the island. He had heard that the upper echelons' fabulously wealthy men and women had exotic tastes. No matter how exquisite or vivacious Human girls could be, those with money always turned to stranger thrills. When the returning party came closer to the boat, it became evident that the returnees were sorceresses. "Hoi! I am happy to see that you are all safe!" Sukarno did a quick headcount as the Mage known as Paul cast Water Walk on the party and escorted them across the shallows towards the boat. Gwen, their "Leader", embarked first, hoisting herself dextrously over the gunwale. "Good evening, Captain. I am afraid we have a few extra passengers." "That no problem. Everybody safe; that's what's important." His eyes scanned the party. "Huh, where is your father? He okay?" "I am sure he's fine." Gwen looked behind her, where the jungle was growing back with visible progress. "When can we go?" "You want to leave now? Or we wait for him?" "Is there a problem with travelling at night?" Sukarno shrugged. The girl measured her fingers against the setting sun. As taught by Surkano, she deduced that they had two more hours of daylight, then one more in the blue-hour before the sun sunk into the sea. "Given him until we change, after that, we start the engines. If Morye doesn't show, it means he's chosen to live life as a seed-stud with the Dryads." "O that sounds like an enviable way to die lah," Sukarno chuckled, his suggesting grin split ear to ear. "Okay, we wait a bit more." Sukarno envisioned the island populated with little Morye-saplings and couldn't help but laugh. For the girl, however, the revelation was of such exquisite revulsion that she gagged. Though their return trek had been uneventful, it wasn't a walk in the park. As Gwen's party crashed through the regrown woods, they became soaked with dirt, pollen and sap while bushwacking through the hot, humid, and physically fatiguing jungle. Yue and Elvia were doubly exhausted by the five-hour march, their uniforms and school-boots hardly suited to trekking through the primordial forest. When Elvia sunk into knee-deep loam for the fifth time and became fast-stuck, Whetu decided to carry her on his back, a task that Gwen envied. Their party invited insects as well, such as a leech the size of Elvia's arm that had sent Elvia screaming for cover, only to run into more blood-sucking worms as large as her leg. Other strange fauna such as a butterfly blue as eyes made a bee-line straight for Elvia to coddle Kiki with its meter-long pin-needle proboscis. In hindsight, now that Gwen thought about it. Elvia's Positive Energy aura made her a walking insect lure. Thankfully, Surkano's ship had a shower. Subtlely, Gwen informed the others of her intention for a hearty cleanse, then they set to work. Feeling a little guilty for always having first dibs, she asked the men if they wanted to wash first, passing over her Decanter of Endless Water. To her disappointment, Whetu took her up on her insincere offer. As they waited, Gwen gathered Elvia and Yue at the trawler's aft, where the trio faced the blue yonder and related the tale of what had happened between Debora, Faceless, and herself. "Fuck me!" Yue articulately conveyed her feelings of shock and dismay. "A god damn shapeshifter tried to put the moves on you? While we were at your Grandpa's?" "Oh Gwennie, I am so sorry," Elvia cuddled her, though not too intimately as they were all filthy. "It's okay, Evee. I survived. It's over, at least for now," Gwen sighed with relief. "Elizabeth is somewhere. Master is gone. Gunther has taken over the Tower in Sydney. The city is rebuilding. I think we can all lay low for a while and focus on this refugee business." "You reckon the Serpent ate Sobel?" Elvia asked. Gwen shook her head. "She lost all that life force she'd been collecting though, stolen from two million people, not including the Mermen, so I'd say she's going to be out of action for a while. That is unless her Void magic completely differs from mine." "What's the refugee thing you're talking about?" Yue asked, curious as to what happens when a city is made inhospitable. "According to Richard, we'll get assigned to tier 1 or tier 2 cities, depending on our talents." Gwen chewed her lower lip uneasily. She wasn't sure either. Could it mean that Yue, Elvia, and herself wouldn't be able to stay together? Then again, she could appeal to Gunther or the Tower to intervene. It was good having friends in high places. The broader issue wasn't Yue or Evia, but their families. Gwen doubted the Tower would be so generous as to cater for two entire households, much less provide for Yue's mother, who was an NoM. Elvia's family likewise, probably had their plans. Maybe they could take this opportunity to return to Europe, a place their patriarch had dreamed of returning since losing their land and migrating to Australia. As for Whetu, he was probably returning home to his Master in Auckland. "Hmm." Yue tapped her fingers on the warm metal planking. "I think I'll stay with Alesia. How badly did you say she was wounded?" "Bad, though she's recovering just fine," Gwen assured her friend. "The Medical Mages say she should be back to normal after a year or so. It's more so her sundered Astral-body that needs time. It was badly damaged when Alesia took on her Djinn form. Physically, she's probably going to be fine in a few weeks." "That's good to hear." Yue breathed out. "I'd have to tell Mum and Dad, although I think that works out. Dad's just a regular Joe, and Mum's an NoM so I doubt they'd even send us away. There'd be no profit in it. What city would want a nobody and an NoM?" "Let's hope so," Gwen replied. If Yue's family could stay in Australia, she could probably pull some favours and have them well looked after. If nothing else, they can remain with Surya and be safe while the city recovered. "I don't want to go to Europe," Elvia said suddenly, likely realising that the chance that her family would take up the opportunity was high. To Gwen's knowledge, a family the tier of the Lindholms would be welcome anywhere, at least as refugees. Her family would have to scrape by and bury their heads in work for a few years— but after a decade or so, they could re-attain the same life they had in Australia— only in a tier 1 city, mayhap even in ancestral Austria. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Gwen said confidently, squeezing Elvia's reddening cheeks. "At the very worst, you can stick with me. We'll take rooms in the Tower and us three can start a cabal. We'll be the three Sorceresses of Sydney!" "You don't think they'll send you somewhere?" Yue questioned. "I'll stick with Gunther and Alesia, I think." Gwen nodded to assuage Yue's paranoia. Just as the words left her lips though, Gwen felt the skin-tingling, hair-raising premonition of Divination, indicating something unpleasant was about to happen. "Taj?" "On it, what do you sense?" Gwen scanned their surroundings, checking for danger. CRASH! The tree-line on the opposite shore burst out in an explosion of cascading salt. Morye came springing out at full pelt, a white blur stomping across the beach. Behind him, a giantess, emerald with lascivious beauty, came striding forth in all her nubile glory like a primal fertility goddess. "Morye, where art thou going?" the Dryad reached out, tendrils whipping across the air. "Salt Shard!" Morye spun and let loose a hail of jagged shards, cutting her ribbons to shreds. The salt Mage ran onto the water without stopping, his footfalls turning the seawater into chunks of bobbing crystals. Using these as a platform, he ran straight across the shallows toward them. The Dyad stopped at the edge of the shallows., for the island was the extent of her domain. Meanwhile, the crew was in an uproar, taking pictures and pointing wildly, marvelling at the enormity of the Dryad's voluptuous display. The sunset, the seawater, the salt and the Dryad— there would be tall tales to tell at the bar for sure. Morye landed onto the trawler's foredeck with a flourish, the Mage Armour cascading from his body to reveal tattered attire that looked as though it had been ravaged. "O God, that smarts!" he hissed as the salt worked their way into his wounds. Morye's back looked as though pulled through a sandpaper wringer. "Jonas, give me a Healing Word! I think she took some of my flesh as souvenirs. Arrgh! Thsssss!" As Elvia had been closest to Morye, the kind healer opened up with a Cure Wounds. Gwen could see that her friend's spell was more potent than before now that the plant-Sprite's Positive Energy supplemented her casting. With Elvia's tender touch of restoration in place, Morye's skin began to heal rapidly. Gwen's father calmed his nerves and turned to look upon the angelic little nurse with eyes full of benevolent thankfulness, giving her a glinting grin of confidence. "I could be wounded a thousand times over if someone like you there for me at home," He said to Elvia with solemn eyes, the mind-numbing pain of the last few seconds evaporating from his mind like the wounds on his body. "Dearest, may I have your name?" "Void Bolt!" A bolt of eldritch energy, darker than black, zinged past Morye's face with a smell of rot and decay, shaving off a millimetre of skin from his cheek. It all happened so fast that his Mage Shield sprung up a split-second too late. When the blood began to ooze, Morye realised that he could no longer feel that particular inch of his face. "Don't," Gwen said to her father sternly, like a master admonishing a nasty dog. "Just. No." Elvia stuck out her tongue and healed Morye's facial wound. Morye appeared alternatively furious and guilty at once; he wanted to admonish Gwen for daring to endanger him with a void spell. By now, he had to have realised that this lovely young thing must be one of his daughter's dear friends— the very object of their rescue. Gwen herself almost immediately regretted the impulsive assault, though her face remained highly indignant. "Don't do Void," Morye reproached Gwen sternly, his eyes darting away to avert her critical gaze. "It's not good for your health." Gwen's hazel orbs traversed from her bloody father to Elvia, whose face was scarlet from cheek to cheek, to the dryad sex-goddess who was still loudly pining for Morye, jumping up and down to entice his return. "Wow, Mr Song, you are a piece of work," Yue commented. "Watch your mouth, Ms Bai, lest I tell your father," Morye snubbed her back, then added a few more empty admonishments. "Or I tell your mother." Yue's eyes narrowed dangerously; the air grew hotter. Gwen took both Yue and Elvia by the arm and pulled them down toward the lower deck. Maybe it was best to keep these two upstarts away from one another. If they kept at it, the boat would probably never make it back to Singapore. Above, Sukarno gave the order to set sail; the mana engine thrummed to life, and the ship began to move. Once Whetu returned to the upper deck, it was the girls' turn to shower. As close as their friendship professed to be, they weren't close enough to share a communal shower in a cramped cubical. Gwen went first, stripping off her skin suit and packing away her stinking gear. When the girls emerged finally from the cabin with their new summer attires, the men's eyes lit up. "I want a daughter," Paul said seriously to his friends. "I think I am beginning to understand the happiness of being a father." Jonas nodded but knew that his dream was likely going to be unrequited. He had told himself that he should give up on Alesia many times, but every time he closed his eyes, she was there, burning his resolve to cinders. The girls did not mind the men's benevolent attention, smiling, laughing and joking as the ship broke through the water with the cool, briny breeze of the sea washing away the forest's mildew. The trawler made it about thirty minutes away from the island when a sudden sea-sprout erupted from the otherwise calm ocean, showering the unsuspecting crew with fishy water. The boat skidded to a halt with a violent lurch, dipping a little when a massive Merman leapt onboard with a scowl. The bedraggled crew looked upon the Merman incredulously. They were outside the Shield Barrier, that was true, and they were only a small-sized ship, but they had a full complement of Mages! The sheer force their small vessel possessed could Purge an island, much less deal with a Merman raid. Expecting the Mages would resolve the matter, Surkano's crew turned to look at Gwen and her friends, now drenched from head to toe and bedraggled with bits of seaweed. Only a moment prior, the girls had been inspirited with visions of Singapore and branded goods in the craft market— the next moment they had arrived at a fish stall. "Hurr! Hur!" The Merman brandished a coral trident. The bestiary said that though magical creatures could naturally sense mana, only those with high cunning and intelligence levels could truly hone their detection skills. This specimen that looked as though someone had migrated a barracuda onto a bipedal body was likely not the intelligent subtype. Three Senior Combat-Mages, one Salt Magus, four junior Mages, and Captain Sukarno, turned to face the haughty Merman with sympathetic grins. The creatures' eyes lit up when it saw Gwen and the girls, for Mermen liked their flesh tender and youthful. Its bulbous eyes moved over the group as its lips curled to reveal rows of dagger-like teeth. "Hur hur!" It called out. Two more Mermen just like it emerged from the sea and leapt onto the decking with wet slaps from their finned feet. It turned to regard Gwen with as arrogant an expression as "seafood" could muster. "How do you usually deal with this?" Jonas asked Sukarno. "I chase them off lah, or give them some crystals, and they leave us alone." The Captain cut the feed to the mana engine. "Maybe it thinks we're out fishing?" Gwen brushed her dark hair away from her face, revealing glowing, electric eyes that glowed in the dusk of day. Beside her, Yue was already steaming, the seawater evaporating from her body. Whetu stepped forward, but Jonas halted the punamu Abjurer. The girls needed to blow off steam, and one should never refuse martyred sashimi. "Ariel!" Gwen called out, her mind buzzing with possibilities. "Keep it still. I need to test something." A bolt of lightning that transformed into a massive mongoose tackled the Merman before it could react. From its teeth and claws, jolts of paralysing lightning penetrated the creature's slimy scales and nailed it to the floor, sending electrical sparks skittering over the deck. The other two Mermen roared in defiance, hopping mad that instead of a gift in fish or crystals, these sailors would dare attack them. Yue, who'd been steaming with pent-up fury since a moment ago, exploded with gouts of orange-red flames that flash-dried her maxidress. "Scorching Rays!" With a practised hand, Yue manifested four intense beams of flame in an instant. A burst of pink steam-exploded over the iron decking as one Merman exploded into gibs of roasted flesh. The other had time to scream before it sizzled. Meanwhile, Ariel had the first Merman pinned down in its jaws and was slowing crushing the fish by clamping its sinuous neck. "Hur? Hur! Hur?" The fish huffed distressingly. Likely, imminent death wasn't what it had expected. From the looks of its fishy expression, it seemed to be suggesting that the meeting was an honest mistake and that it had only intended to buy some fish from the lovely humans. Gwen turned to Morye. "How close do I need to get?" Morye shrugged. Gwen clicked her tongue and stepped within melee distance of the Merman. From up on high, she could see its beady eyes rolling in its sockets, begging for mercy. The Void sorceress wrinkled her nose and banished her sympathy. "Do it." The thing's spinal fluid spray into Ariel's mouth. Her mongoose whined. Fish wasn't its favourite— it preferred snakes. Beside the grimacing mongoose, Gwen had her Detect magic activated, carefully observing the Merman. She noted that its core ceased to be a dense cluster of Elemental Water at the moment of its death. Instead, the mana drained away into the general atmosphere. With her limited Divination, she couldn't sense the "Essence", but she could see a few minute motes of elemental water drifting her way. Beneath her soaked dress, her Kirin Amulet grew warm for the span of two breaths; then it was once again dormant. "Is it dead?" Elvia asked, still a safe distance away. Gwen extended a hand toward the creature and materialised a bowie knife. She inexpertly butchered the body to the chagrin of her spectators, digging and hacking away until she found her expectant prize. "Woa, a Core!" Captain Sukarno triumphantly exalted when Gwen lifted the bloody thing, smeared with the clear slime of fishy entrails, into the open air. Gwen herself grew silent and contemplative, her mind suddenly full of purpose. Her father had been right; the killing of creatures at close range allowed for the influence of the Kirin amulet to take effect. If such was the case, she could arguably be the most effective Core-harvesting adventurer in Oceania. "What's the damage for the core?" Gwen felt her mood lighten as she examined the Creature Core. "Oh, Soldier level Core? Fifty LDMs to a single HDM? I know a guy who will buy for a good price," Sukarno happily replied. "You very lucky, Miss Song. Very lucky." The creature core passed from hand to hand, sans Morye, with each of the Mages marvelling at Gwen's good fortune. "Dinner's on me tonight!" Gwen announced. "Seafood! To the city! To Singapore! Tonight, it's my shout!" It took a further six hours to return to Singapore, where Jurong Port would open come morning. The team spent the night anchored in the safety of the harbour, the thrum of Singapore's many Shielding Stations upon their back, watching the stars and catching up on old times, enjoying the soothing atmosphere of the open sea before it heated up, transformed by the detestable, humid haze. When the day broke, the company sailed into Jurong Port without further incident, safely docking where they had left two days ago. To avoid trouble with the city's infamously hardcore military Mages, Gwen and friends had to take Elvia, Yue and Whetu to be registered. When the Customs Officials at the Jurong began to ask uncomfortable questions, Jonas stepped in. He presented himself as an officer of the Frontier Military of Sydney and a senior member of the Tower's Recon unit. Paul and Taj likewise presented their credentials, suggesting that the Singapore Tower would verify these girls' identities through Long-Ranged Messages. Thankfully, Yue, Whetu and Elvia had kept their student cards on them, and with another hour wasted going back and forth on bureaucracy, they finally receive temporary passes for Yue and Elvia. Captain Sukarno stayed with them a while to ensure that everything was alright before leaving with his extra twelve HDMs, shaking the men's hands happily and giving Gwen and friends a brief benediction with both hands in prayer. To save them time, he even bought Gwen's Merman Core, which he'd stated that he would keep as a souvenir from their exciting little adventure together. Just as they were about to leave the Jurong Customs area, one of the officers stopped them to confirm if they were leaving Singapore soon. "We'll be leaving as early as tomorrow, officer." Gwen flashed a smile at the man. "There's nothing to worry. We're just going to head to one of your famous seafood restaurants, maybe book a dock-side motel, then we'll be out of your hair, I promise." "That's no problem," replied the middle-aged Senior Sergeant. "I can recommend some restaurants, all the seafood goes through Customs as well, as you know." The two made jovial banter as Gwen took down the address for a 'recommended' place to eat Seafood without suffering the tourist tax. "Staying in the city is very expensive," he continued. "We have hostels for temporary travellers like yourself that is very cheap. If you want, I can get you a card." "Ah, that would be wonderful.' Gwen leaned against the counter. "We're poor as it is, lah!" "Ha!" The Sergeant laughed. "Okay! I get you the address, wait here." True to his word, the officer returned with a business card. "Follow the direction; it's very close to here. Very convenient. Tell the office I send you. My name is Liu. Enjoy your stay in Singapore! I hope you like Chilli Crab!" As the group left the Customs area, they drew curious looks from all over. They could only hope that they resembled a group of father-daughter travellers, seeing as they were three teenage girls and five middle-aged military men. Outside, the day struck high-noon. "Well, where to?" the men inquired as they had no particular plans for the city. "We might go shopping - after we send some Messages from the Post Office," Gwen declared, flashing her ring and its cargo of crystals. "Somehow I don't think shopping is going to be feasible in Sydney anymore." The Messages would be for Gunther, Alesia, as well as Elvia and Yue's parents. She had to contact her grandfather too to tell Surya to look after Yue's mother and father. "Want us to escort you?" Jonas asked; though the very thought of following the girls through the shopping district likely turned the soldier's stomach. The military men were perfectly willing to follow the girls into an uninhabitable jungle, but to follow the girls into clothing stores was too much. "Maybe take Whetu?" "How safe do you suppose the city is?" Gwen asked. "The safest, so long as you stick to the CBD and the Bay Sands area," Jonas replied. "Then we'll be fine. Meet up at the restaurant?" "Sure, I'll go confirm our manifest. We'll see you guys soon." "If you don't mind, I'll hang with the blokes," Whetu insisted. "Not one for window shopping meself, nuffin fits." "You look good in a tight shirt," Yue remarked. Whetu laughed nervously. "Sorry, no shopping" He added thoughtfully. "I'll see you guys tomorrow at the terminal then," Morye said suddenly, drawn their eyes. "Where are you going?" Gwen asked reflexively. "Do you want to know?" Morye grinned at his daughter knowingly. "Erh… no," Gwen confessed. "Don't commit a crime or anything. Singapore is a lawful city." "I'll be fine. I've been here before. Merely curious as to how the city has changed." Morye dismissed her warning with a wave of his hand. With their plans for the afternoon settled, the members went their separate ways. Gwen turned excitedly to her friends and found them looking apprehensive and unsure. "Gwen, are we going to be okay?" Elvia asked. "We don't know anything about the city!" "Yeah." Yue looked strangely nervous as well. Unlike her experienced self, both of the girls had never travelled alone. "How do we know what to catch and where to go?" "Hee." Gwen turned to her friends. "Just you watch, I know the perfect place." Half an hour and two LDMs later, they were staring at an open bay filled with constructions still in progress. "What is this place?" Yue asked sceptically. "What are we doing here?" "Gwen." Elvia shivered at the sight of gargantuan construction Golems pounding away. "I am starving. Where are we? Where are all the shops?" Her destination was Marina South. The year was 2003. Gwen suddenly recalled that the Marina Bay Sand compound opened in 2010. "OH MY GOD." She facepalmed. "I am an idiot." Their taxi was thankfully fifty meters away and making a U-turn. "Taxi!" Gwen called out, praying that she wasn't wrong a second time. "To Clarke Quay!!"

Thankfully, Clarke Quay had existed since the 1900s. Though it was not the shopping Mecca the place would become in the late 2010s, the promenade was already taking shape as a trendy district for the well-to-do to spend their hard-earned HDMs. A riverside district, the streetscape resembled the French Rivera, only adorned with Edwardian Era architecture mixed with traditional Chinese facades, housing a flotilla of pleasure Junks working as floating restaurants and nightclubs. Thanks to Singapore's unrivalled economic prowess, Clarke Quay's many dockside warehouses had been converted into massive shopping malls full of boutique stores, offering some of the best mundane and magical handcrafted goods this side of the southern hemisphere. That was why Gwen was especially looking forward to what they would find in its many nooks and crannies. This time, when the trio alighted from the taxi, Gwen exhaled out with relief. The place was as she had recalled from her past life, though it had far fewer patrons, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The girl's communal war-chest was forty-two HDM crystals, though Gwen had more on hand if they needed the money and would happily 'shout' her friends whatever they fancied, providing it wasn't too exuberant. When Elvia's blessed conscience raised the question of whether or not it was appropriate to be shopping in a place that was safe and prosperous while their home burned, Gwen gave her a little life lesson imparted from a seasoned adult. There was a time to mourn, a time to act, a time for procrastination, and a time to relax. There was more to life than worrying about events beyond one's control. Sydney was now a reality, and as students without resources and virtually no influence, all they could do was help when they can. In the interim, their time was undoubtedly NOT better spent brooding in a terminal. "Evee, the great poet Horace taught us that one should "carpe diem" — that is: seize the day and put minimal trust in tomorrow." "Okay," Elvia accepted her advice at face value. Gwen's persuasion was aided by the many kinds of exotic Magic Items now lying at their disposal. In Sydney, they never have an opportunity like this again. If not now, as such, then when? "So what you're saying," Yue regarded her strangely. "… is that we should shop till we drop because life is short?" Clarke Quay did not disappoint. Surrounded by the outlets of the local garment industry, Gwen took the opportunity to replenish her wardrobe. For mere LDMs, Gwen could easily find skirts and shorts, shirts and blouses, camisoles and belts, bangles and hats that would not look out of place in a trendy cafe. When Yue reached out yet again for a lime-green puffer jacket to go with a white, low-cut tank-top, Gwen slapped Yue's hand like a stern Governess. "No, Yue, you'll look like avocado bread, not even the toasted kind!" Elvia likewise wanted to know if a pink skirt paired with a cream-pink blouse when offset with a sakura-pink camisole. It was hideous, of course. But on Elvia, she could accept it. "Yeah, that's lovely. Go ahead. I'll pay?" Afterwards, the girls visited the Magic Item shops, at which point they sobered up. "Holy Jesus..." Yue's eyes bulged. "How— how much?" **Braces of Armour (Tier 3)** This finely crafted item once belonged to the illustrious Maj. Farid Malik. Increases resilience of wearer to physical attacks. Tier 5 Skin of Stone Aurok, Orange Zone, South Africa. Created by Master F.J. Vanderfare, **4En. 4E.** **~ $98,000 SG / ~ 10 H.D.M Crystals** **Goggles of the True Night** These beautifully crafted goggles gift the wearer with the sight of the True Ancestor, able to see in complete darkness and high-light the blood of the living, including most Demi-humans. A must for adventuring in the Dark Zones. Tier 6 Vampire’s Eyes, Black Zone, Bulgaria. Created by Magus P. Gorchev, **7En. 5Trn. 4F.** **~ $220,000 SG / ~ 220 H.D.M Crystals** **Staff of the Illusionist** A boost to your Illusion Spells that greatly increases potency and decreases mana usage. This staff can store up to twelve slots of Illusion spells of tier 6 and below. A truly unique item! Tier 8 Ancient Cedar Core, Black Zone, Indonesia. Created by Master G.G Fulcher, **8Ill. 5En. 3W. ** **~ $1,200,000 SG / ~ 1220 H.D.M Crystals** Barter Options available on request. "Ahahaha..." Gwen choked while greeting the shop assistant. The store that crushed their dreams was a high-end Item Shop selling gear from Europe. An assistant offered them cold glasses of sparkling pineapple juice as soon as they walked through the double-doors, opened by a handsome young man in a waistcoat. Where usually the girls would have been ignored or snubbed, Gwen's regal bearing, together with her Enchanted Rings, got them first-class service. Yue was still trying to count the zeros on her fingers when Elvia expressly wished to leave lest she breathed on an expensive item. When the girls finally tired of the impossibly priced shops, they came into the localised section of the Magic Item market where low-level crafters plied their wares. Unfortunately, there was nothing of particular note unless the girls wanted to restock on potions or purchase one-use scrolls, which they currently possessed no disposable funds to procure. As the late afternoon approached, the girls found a nice junk converted into a riverside cafe where Gwen ordered a frap, soy, no cream, while the others had milkshakes. "So mature," Elvia marvelled at her, cutely sipping at her shake and enjoying the cool breeze coming from the river's scintillating surface. Exhausted by the shopping, she grew so relaxed that she fell asleep for a few minutes against Gwen's shoulder, making her very happy. "Where you guys from?" the waitress asked when Gwen called for the bill. "Melbourne," Gwen replied without batting an eye, not wishing to be bothered for details. "Oh, I heard lovely things about that place. A shame what happened to Sydney though, I hope they pull through." "Yeah, it's pretty bad." "I guess we won't be eating Auroch for a while, or the wine. A shame. Both are popular around here." "I can imagine." Gwen paid as the girls finished their drinks and were soon on their way. Dinner time quickly approached as the boiling sun finally struck the horizon, causing the temperature to drop from stifling to just bearable. A water taxi took the girls from the Quay towards the riverside, where the famous restaurant Jumbo floated on a wooden platform tethered to the dock. Renowned for its Chilli and Pepper Crabs, the restaurant boasted live, mana-rich tier 3 Mud Crabs caught straight from Sri Lankan Orange Zones, brought to Singapore through Glyph-cooled barges. When Gwen arrived with the girls in tow, Whetu, Paul, Taj and Jonas were already seated, having come early to obtain bay view seating. Whetu was drinking Cola, but the men were already half a dozen beers down the hatch. "Yo!" Gwen hailed the Alesia Trio, Whetu included. "No Morye as of yet," Paul noted, but that wasn't to Gwen's surprise. If her father said he would be back tomorrow morning for the freighter, then that was when he was due. Though Gwen would have liked him to be here, to enjoy the celebratory dinner, she wasn't about to force him to attend. A waiter saw to their seating, and Gwen browsed the menu. The Crabs clocked in at 56 LDMs per kilogram, which was reasonable given their difficulty of capture. Likewise, it took a Mage-Chef of considerable talent and skill to prepare a creature capable of tearing through sheets of galvanised steel. The girls had only a dozen HDMs left from shopping, but Gwen was happy to use her private funds. The 'shout' was a fine Australian tradition; one Gwen was pleased to disburse upon the men who risked their lives for loyalty and favour, retrieving her friends from certain doom. Gwen ordered for the group, additionally purchasing a bottle of Yarra Valley Riesling, whose beautiful stonefruit and floral palette would uplift the savoury taste of the juicy, fat Sri Lankan crab when joined in harmony with spices from the egg-beaten tomato-chilli. When the servings came, the group stared down two crabs the size of a small child. She should have paid attention when the waiter was explaining serving dimensions. She wept for the loss of HDM crystals, but it was worth it. As the group lavishly ate into the soft-tender flesh, their mouths oily with pepper and chilli, they could feel their mana replenishing impressively. Tier 3 Wildland products were rare in Sydney, usually supplied exclusively to Tier 1 cities. When the inevitable food coma took over, they sat and made small talk, discussing what life entailed once they returned to Sydney. The men themselves would return to the military or take up Tower duties, becoming indisposed for the foreseeable future. "I wheel miss you girls, but I can't say I won't be glad to see Orklund," Whetu remarked, cleaning his hands in the lemony solution provided for patrons. "I've learned a lot and seen a lot, though. Thank you. Really." "I am sorry the Inter-high competition never worked out, Whetu," said Gwen apologetically. "Seeing the world, the Dryads, experiencing the fall of a city - more than made up for it. So did fighting those Mermen and that Void sheila." Gwen raised a toast. "To your safe return to Auckland, to Whetu O Turanga!" "For New Zulland!" Whetu announced. "Cheers!" The gathering raised their glasses and clinked, filling the air with crystalline notes. "Are all of youse going to do your Military Service?" Whetu asked the girls. He was already enrolled in Auckland and was merely awaiting the onset of July. "I am, for sure," Yue affirmed the Kiwi's question. She turned with a look full of expectation towards the Alesia trio. "You guys don't mind if I tag along, do you?" "Be our pleasure." Paul grinned affably. "What could go wrong with two Alesia(s) on the team?" Taj noted wryly. "Double the power, double the fun." "Ah, haha…" Jonas laughed, likely finding Taj's projected vision of mayhem less than enterprising. "Well, that'll do. For Yue's new party!" Gwen raised a toast. The group obliged, some more happily than others. As much as Jonas and Taj jested, it was a given that Alesia would want Yue close while she underwent Mandatory Military service. Where better to train her Apprentice than under her trusted team? "What about you, Gwen?" Yue inquired. "What are your plans?" "Well, my big reveal at the Inter-high is toast," Gwen sighed, not wanting to think about her Master so soon after their recent disengagement. "I'll have to discuss it with Gunther, but I'd say Military service attached to the Tower. With the accolades I aim to pick up in the next two years, I can apply for university somewhere, maybe join Richard? Back in the day, I aimed for Sydney Arcane U, but with the city like this, maybe somewhere in Shanghai or even here, at the NTU?" Thinking of Richard, Gwen wondered if the Magus in training would be willing to stay with her in Australia if it meant that they would be serving directly under the Tower, working together to get a commendation into a prestigious university. He could earn money needed for tuition, as could she, and they could work out something between them that would be mutually beneficial. Mayhap that was the best way forward for them both, toiling together, helping one another as a family and as partners in Spellcraft. Then there was her 'new' family in China, towards which Gwen felt ambivalence. Here was an opportunity to relive a wholly neglected part of her old life. Yet, compared to her "House", she was a country bumpkin, while they were the residents of the largest tier I metropolis in China. Travelling to and from a tier I city was highly restricted; she could apply as a refugee, of course, but that would mean separating from Alesia and Gunther, which would be both foolish and hazardous in her present circumstance. Ten days ago, her life was all mapped out— and now it was all in shambles. But "such was life", was it not? Gwen banished the feeling of annoyance from her mind. She would have to make do with the lemons she'd been given and get on with the lemonade business. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Gwen…" Elvia said suddenly, tugging at Gwen's sleeve. "Yes, Evee?" "If… I want to stay with you— and Yue. If my parents are adamant about going overseas, can you convince my parents to let me stay?" "Of course!" Gwen exclaimed felicitously, grinning expansively. "We can share a room like always, though I am sure there's plenty of room in the Tower. If not, you can sleep with me." Elvia blushed. The others laughed. "Here's to the three of you staying together then!" Jonas raised a toast. "To make a team! You just need an Abjurer and one other!" Yue's eyes twinkled. Their very own party! They could take on missions, go on adventures, travel to exotic locations. With Gwen's pull in the Tower and their combined talents, that was an entirely plausible scenario! "Oh! I can see it!" Yue exclaimed, her face red with excitement. "We can be - the Dynamic Trio - plus two!" A round of roaring laughter passed over the table. A waitress cleared the empty shells. Their final dish was a wobbly coconut flan dripping with golden caramel. "Oh. My. God. I am in heaven!" Yue exclaimed as the creamy pudding encountered her tongue. Gwen smiled and dug in, watching Elvia close her eyes and entered nirvana. Whetu wasn't big on the dessert, so Yue pilfered his bowl, and the girls shared it between them. "Sure you don't want to stay with us, Whetu?" Yue coaxed the big man with a suggesting wink. "When ai become a Magus, sure," Whetu replied confidently. "When you necks see me, my punamu will be en-penetrable." Gwen felt a sudden clarity come to pass. An Abjurer? Wouldn't Richard fill the spot? He was a first-tier Abjurer, and he had an Undine capable of covering both support and tanking roles within a party. If they could recruit Richard to their cause, it would mean that they only needed one more member, perhaps a Transmuter or an Illusionist, and they were good to go. It was perfect! Gwen was sure that Richard wouldn't refuse, at least not in his present circumstances. Even with the four of them, they could begin to take on Quests from the Tower once they started their Military Service. "To the future!" Gwen made a final toast, and the group honoured the sentiment by draining their cups. With that, the much-lauded dinner came to an end. When the party exited the restaurant and stepped into the riverside promenades, the city had changed entirely. A concourse of scintillating colours refracted from the skyscrapers onto the meandering river, placidly flowing through the city's centre. There, on the not-so-distant horizon, the shape of Singapore's Capital Tower loomed, rising from Downtown Core's superdense city blocks toward the sky like a skyward sword. As the blue hour came upon them, a bloom of colours swept the skyline. Massive illusionary Glyph-arrays embedded onto the sides of skyscrapers burned the air with their dazzling hues. Transnational corporations haughtily displayed their companies' logos, glowing and dimming, changing between adverts of products and services and giant emblazons ten stories tall and dozens of meters across. Further on, streaks of red and blue light flashing across the night sky indicated aerial Mage patrols, while here and there, in and amongst the masses, Gwen could see the Military Mages in their dark uniforms patrolling the streets. Unlike Sydney, Singapore's CBD seemed festooned with men and women busy at work, dinner and play wherever they looked. "Shall we head back?" Jonas asked Gwen. Gwen's eyes floated over the dreamlike riverside. Their eyes filled with the refracted rainbow of commerce, enjoying the wonder that is Singapore before their inevitable return to the war-torn home that awaited them. Geylang. Singapore's premier red-light district. "Target is moving, fifty meters to Guillemard." A nondescript diner wearing a tight singlet and blue jeans spoke into a coded Message Device as he busily mimed the eating of L32's famous prawn noodle Laksa. "Target has stopped. He is at Madam Lin's." "Confirm target entry," the cold voice of control came over the Glyph. "Confirmed. Switching optics." As if displeased with the restaurant's Daylight globes, the young man put on a pair of American made Ray-Bans. He leaned back in appreciation of the famous noodle joint and its spicy serving of gut-churning wonton-prawn noodle and burped. A few Glyphs passed over the aviator's dark surface, and a Lesser Scry effect came into being. "Confirmed. Target is engaged in negotiation with the Madam." "Target is entering level 2." "Target is with a female... Make that two females." "Target is…" his voice trailed off. "Engaging." "Keep watching," the voice implored. "Do not break scry. Target is exceedingly slippery." "Affirmative," the voice replied despairingly. "Target is now engaged in coitus." "Confirming Target 2." By the glowing waters of the riverside, a young man with a heavily accented voice moved fluidly past the crowd, tailing a group of foreigners. There was a tall, lithe girl among them, as tall as the Singaporean men around her, as well as a gigantic Polynesian who towered heads and shoulders over the public. He wasn't afraid of being seen, everywhere the group ventured, men turned their faces to steal glances at the girl, while children gawked at the dark-skinned giant with the facial tattoos and pointed. "Target is returning on route 7 to the designated hostel." "Confirm observation status." "Confirmed. Target is six-foot, female, dark brown hair, shoulder-length. Eyes, green. White dress, floral notes. Travelling with a contingent of Senior Mages. Advise, next course of action." "Stay at medium operation distance. Move to maximum observation distance once the crowd thins," control's voice came over the Message Glyph with the precision of a mechanical apparatus. "Affirmative. Request for more information." "Granted." "Is capture operation tonight?" "Negative, contact will initiate elsewhere. Continue as ordered." "Affirmative." The hostel that the Customs Officer recommended was both clean and cheap, much to Gwen and her crew's surprise, despite its proximity to the city's industrial blocks. The men took two rooms, two to each, and the girls took the other. After more showers, the girls were ready to tuck in for the night. Their designated Freighter for Brisbane was to be boarded at 0900 sharp, meaning they would need to be at the customs two hours prior. They put the beds together and laid next to each other, feeling the warmth of one another's bodies in the dark. Gwen reached out and held Elvia's hand, and Elvia touched and found Yue. "That's not my hand." "Eek." Thus connected, the friends fell into silence. "So, Gwennie," Elvia's voice drifted through the invisible dimensions of the darkroom. "Yes, Evee?" "Are you ever going to tell Debora's mother the truth?" "…" "I wouldn't," Yue's voice joined them. "If I were her mom, I would want to know my daughter died defending her friends." "Yeah." A long sigh lingered in the air. "I wouldn't either." The sound of soft breathing filled the room. "Gwen?" "Yeah?" "Thanks for saving us." "No need." Gwen smiled in the dark. "You guys would have done the same for me." "You know it," Yue's voice interjected. "Good night." "Thanks, Yue." Yue's snores were instant. "... Good night Evee." "Good night... Hey, Gwen?" Elvia's hand crept a little closer. "Evee… go to sleep." "Okay." The morning saw the group gathered outside the hostel, sans Morye. Thanks to their well-placed hotel, they were within walking distance to the Jurong Docks. The group walked through the warehouse area until they were hailed by a black-uniformed officer who directed them to the Customs Terminal, an impressive building with a modern facade of concrete and glass. The ship they were to embark on was the "Crown Express", a Triple E class Freighter. From their vantage point, they could see the cargo cranes presiding over the ship's massive hull like skeletal fingers. As usual, the difference between the interior and the exterior of the building differed by at least ten degrees, the humidity about 100 per cent. "Oh wow, I am alive again," Yue exclaimed loudly, fanning herself with one hand. "Yeah." Gwen inhaled the cold air. "It's a steamer out there." "Yo!" The group turned to see Morye, still wearing the same clothes he had left with, lifting himself from a sunken sofa in the lounge. It was self-evident that he had at least spent a few hours sleeping in public. "Good morning, Mr Song," Elvia greeted him sweetly. "Hi there." Morye gave her a toothy grin. "Good morning, daughter-o-mine." "You look to be in good spirits, Dad." Gwen forced herself to smile. "So I am." Morye's eyes followed through the crowd, exchanging nods and greetings until they fell upon Yue's liberally frontage. "Oh hello," he said to Yue, not looking her in the eyes. "Mr Song." Yue stuck out her chest proudly, though her eyes were mirthfully watching Gwen's expression turn frosty. Whetu stepped between them. He very much wanted to go home and not be delayed by a showdown in the middle of Singapore Customs. "Right, let's go home!" Jonas clapped, calling for the group's attention. "No delays, single file, follow me!" A different officer greeted them this time, a young woman whose gaze lingered on Morye as he made flirtatious eyes at her. "Just this way, through the scanner-portal" The girl pointed them in the right direction. "Do you have any forbidden goods you like to declare? The list includes Transmutation or Evocation magical items of tier 2 and above, Conjuration based items of tier 3 and above, as well as anything you would like to volunteer for inspection. If you do not declare these items, Singapore's Maritime Code issues fines and sentences up to 100 HDMs and one year in prison." The military men produced several items that had to be inspected for safety and clearance while Whetu and the girls went on ahead with Morye. "This way, please," the spritely counter girl pointed to a sectioned off series of corridors that divided the space between the boarding station and Singapore city. "Please stand here, and here, the machine will scan you for volatile Elements." Elvia and Yue went first. When Morye's turn came, the Customs officer flashed him a suggestive look, which he reciprocated with a flirtatious wink. A few meters away, Gwen felt the fire rising in her chest but forced it down like a good girl who knew not to act up in public. Her father went next into the partitioned section; then it was finally her turn. There was a tunnel inside. It was empty, white, sterile and impeccably clean like many places in Singapore. Her father was nowhere in sight and must have gone through quickly. Gwen made it about halfway when a Mandala lit up. She picked up her pace and walked forward, hoping that whatever they were scanning for wouldn't pick up anything strange, like a flux of Void mana or her Kirin amulet. There was a brilliant flash of silver-white mana, the tell-tale colour of Conjuration, one that Gwen had seen many times before. A Teleportation Circle? Gwen wondered to herself. What could they be scanning with space-time magic? The mana faded the next instant, and Gwen found herself in a cubic room, about four meters across and utterly sterile. She was standing in the centre, atop a fading circle of spent teleportation mandalas. There were three men by the door at the far end, two in dark suits and one in the navy uniform of a Customs' Officer she recognised as the friendly Sergeant Liu— the very man who had offered them the cheap hotel. "Shit!" Gwen cursed under her breath. "Ariel!" The marten materialised from thin air, filling the room with the stink of ozone. Whatever was happening, Gwen would have the insurance of a Familiar by her side to harass her foes if things went south. "Very impressive, Ms Song," Liu said, golf clapping politely. "But please do not make a scene and instead listen very carefully to what I have to say." "Who are you?" Gwen narrowed her eyes and leaned back into a combat stance. If need be, she could unleash Caliban in his spider form, but that would also mean that she was desperate enough to endanger exposure. Immediately, her mind turned to that disturbing episode she had suffered in Blackheath. "Are you Slavers? Traders?" Liu seemed taken aback by her outlandish accusation. "Oh, no. We're legitimate Officers of the law, I assure you." Liu produced an ID card and waved it in front of her. It scintillated as it refracted the light, showing the Singapore Tower's unmistakable symbol— a rainbow-hued Merlion. "I assure you that you are in no trouble." Gwen did not drop her guard and instead applied a layer of Bark Skin charged with Elemental Lightning, causing arcs of blue-white electricity to leap from her body. "Now listen to me," Liu continued. He pointed to the two men beside him. "These two gentlemen are from the Shanghai Tower." Gwen's heart fumbled. Mages from a tier 1 Tower! One of the men removed his glasses, revealing a stoic, featureless Asian face that was pancake flat and almost reptilian in its impassivity. The man pressed something besides his ear, and a pink-green Ioun Stone began to float around his head. "I am Wei." The stone took a few seconds to attune, translating his speech from Mandarin to perfect English. "We are from the MSS." Gwen blinked, having no idea what "MSS" denoted. Wei frowned; her confusion was not the reaction he was expecting. "The Ministry of State Security." Gwen's eyes told him that she still had no idea. "They would be men that The People of the Republic of China sent to do rough work," Liu explained helpfully. "The kind that keeps you and me honest." "What do they want with me?" "It's more so what they want with your father that matters, but orders have come through to take you in as well. I am sorry." Gwen wasn't sure how to respond. As often as she'd travelled in her old life, she was never once detained, not even when she flew to the Middle East, visited Iran, and returned laden with souvenirs. "I am not going." "You will." Wei reached into his pocket and retrieved a small cube. "Willingly or not, your choice. It doesn't change the outcome." "Where is my father?" "He is on the way." "Where are we going?" "Shanghai. All I can say is that you are safe." "Are you going to read me my rights?" Gwen felt stupid the moment the words left her mouth. Wei palmed the golden cube, which must be some imprisonment based Magic Item. "You have sixty seconds to decide to comply." Liu stepped forward, hands extended in front of him in a gesture of peace. "Now, Ms Song, I understand that you are personally acquainted with Lord Gunther of Sydney, so I am going to make this quick and easy for you. In a moment, your friends will emerge on the other side of that barrier, but they won't be seeing you. As a favour from the Singapore Tower, I will bear your message of peace. Recorded here—" The man pointed to what must be a Lumen Recorder pinned to his chest. . "If your friends were to attempt a rescue or cause a scene, it would be not only futile; it would also land them in prison, so think carefully about your next words." A year ago, Gwen would have felt awash with panic and despair. But all she felt now was a cold calm. Angry as she was, she understood that Liu was speaking to her as cordially and patiently as a man in his position was capable of doing. Liu wasn't rude; he wasn't condescending. He merely explained the situation to her as one might to a neophyte on their first entry into some strange new zone. Dispelling Ariel and her Bark Skin, Gwen faced the Lumen-Recorder and tried to relaxed her body. After more than ten seconds, she wrangled a convincing smile. "Speak," Liu nodded approvingly. "Please." Gwen obliged. "Evee, Yue, I am not in danger. My father has become involved in some trouble. I need to go with him to sort out whatever this problem may be. I will try to get back to Australia a soon as I can. I'll contact you as soon as I am able. Tell Gunther to contact the Singapore Tower for details." "Excellent, Mrs Song. I find it difficult to believe that you are just a high school student. A lesser Mage would have reacted far more passionately." Gwen said nothing. Instead, she turned to face the two Chinese men and put her wrists forward in a gesture of supplication. "I am all yours." Wei and the others looked at her wrists blankly. Gwen felt her face redden as she pulled her hands back to her sides. "Is this not how authoritarian arrest work these days?" "Not if you come willingly, Ms Song," Wei noted drily. "For your peace of mind, I can assure you that you are in no trouble." "So my father is in big trouble?" Morye had previously told her that he killed someone he shouldn't have— but then had spoken little else about it. Was this his past catching up to him? If so, why was she being taken along with him? While she tried to recollect Morye's outburst, the two men-in-black stepped past Liu and stood beside her. Strangely, though their aura felt intimidating, they were both shorter than her. It made them far less terrifying now that she was standing next to them toe to toe and looking over their heads. "Please relax," Wei said without any particular emotion, sending a jolt of mana into the golden cube Device. "This might be a little nauseating for someone who has never experienced LR Teleportation Circles." They each placed a hand on her exposed shoulder. "Wha-" There was a flash as the Teleportation Circle reactivated. Then they were gone.

“Where’s Gwen?” Jonas became puzzled when he passed the checkpoint himself and found Elvia and Yue milling about aimlessly. “She was right behind us.” Yue paced back toward the gate, but the opaque exit barrier prevented both return entry and stickybeaking. “What’s wrong?” Whetu came through a corridor to their right, sensing the anxious tension in the air when he saw the companions meandering aimlessly. “Did Gwen get held back? She’s got an entire wardrobe in that Ring of hers. Was there something she should have declared?” “Maybe?” Yue shrugged, feeling a little agitated that her friend had seemingly evaporated; if they counted the time since Elvia first entered, ten minutes would have passed by now. "Has anyone seen Uncle Song? He's not here either.” The group collectively denied seeing Morye. It became self-evident that the situation had soured. If something had happened to the two Songs, who could they hold accountable? What if the Tower was responsible? The door to the opposite entryway opened with a hiss. “Gwen?” The friendly grin of a Customs Officer greeted them. A few of the party recognised the man as the one Gwen had spoken to the morning prior. The man raised both hands to show his innocent intentions. “Hello everyone. I am Sergeant Liu. I have a message for you from Miss Song." Liu pointed slowly to a lumen device on his chest. In response, the military men formed up against the two girls and Whetu, shielding them against unseen dangers. An illusory vision flickered before them as the pin on the officer’s chest began to broadcast. It was Gwen's visage, suspended midair. “Evee, Yue, I am not in danger. My father has become involved in some trouble. I need to escort him to sort out whatever this problem may be. I will try to get back to Australia as soon as I can. I’ll contact you as soon as I am able. Tell Gunther to contact the Singapore Tower for details.” After her measured voice died off, the illusion began to loop. “Would you like to hear it again?” the man proposed congenially after the second play-through. “What the FUCK did you do to Gwen?!” Yue's infamously short-fuse exploded as a gout of flame irradiated from her body, forcing the others to step away. Yue could hardly believe what she was hearing. They’d just gotten back together! And now Gwen was taken, again?! She wasn’t about to let that happen again. “You better hand her over to us right now, Mister!" Yue hissed between her teeth. "Or this place is going to be called the Jurong Disaster Zone.” Liu sighed. He looked towards the military men. “Miss Song left willingly and peacefully. Are you sure that you want to disregard her efforts to send you all home safe and sound?” Liu spoke patiently, his expression unchanged from the gentle smile he wore at all times. "Bullshit! Where is she? How far can she be? I want to see her! Let her talk to us!" “Yue.” Jonas moved beside the Fire Mage. “Yue, calm down.” “Yue…” Elvia tugged her friend’s shirt, holding onto Yue' arm even though it welted the skin on her hands. Yue stared at her companions, especially Elvia, whose eyes were large and watery and full of imploring agony. “Where has Gwen being taken to?” Paul demanded. “I am not at liberty to say,” Liu replied. “The Singapore Tower was not able to intervene; else we would have tried our best to delay or defer the order. Lord Gunther is one of our benefactors, after all.” Yue’s fire glowed hotter, stoked by her rising ire. "Ouch!" Elvia retrieved her hands, blowing them to cool her blistered skin. “Yue, dis is not the time; it is not what Guin would have wanted.” Whetu stepped between Liu and the soon to be rampaging Evoker. “Please, you must also consider your family at home. They are waiting.” The air between the two parties broiled as the standoff scorched the humid air, transforming the Glyph-cooled atmosphere into the dry heat. Surprisingly, the Military Police hadn't made their presence known. However, it was clear that should Yue lay a finger on Liu, black-uniformed men would suddenly materialise from the corridors. “Put us in contact with Gunther, now,” Yue said at last. “I want to speak to him.” Liu nodded in agreement. “That much, I can do.” Yue allowed the mana to drain from her body. Her inexpertly discharged mana flooded the air like helium from a deflating balloon, causing the ambient temperature to rise. “Sorry, Evee…” Yue placed a hand on Elvia and apologised for her emotional blunder. The wounds on the healer's hands were already mending, but they must have stung like hell for a minute. The party delayed their boarding while Liu used his Message device to route their call through the Tower directly. After about two minutes of operators exchanging Glyphs, Gunther’s voice addressed them through the vox-Glyph. “Liu, what’s wrong? Have my team recovered the girls and Whetu?" “Gunther!” Yue interjected before Jonas could answer. “Someone took Gwen!” "By which you mean a third party has abducted Gwen?" "We don't know! We were at the customs, going through final boarding, then Gwen was gone!" Gunther's Glyph grew silent. "Magus Liu, are you there?" "Yes, Lord Gunther." “Liu, what does the Singapore Tower have to say?” “It was an urgent matter that passed through the highest channels in the Tower, Sir,” Liu replied flatly and matter-of-factly. “We have been assured that Ms Song would remain unharmed. That and once matters are resolved, she would be allowed to leave.” “Details?” “I have sent a Message to your Tower, Sir. It should arrive soon.” More silence as the gathering waited for Gunther to reply. “Alright. Jonas, how long until Yue's party is back in Sydney?” “Ten days on the Freighter to Brisbane, then a few hours from the station,” Jonas replied respectfully. “Yue?” “Yes, Gunther?” Yue croaked, her voice coarse for all her anxious feelings of helplessness. She would have felt far better if a few Fire Balls had been exchanged. “I’ll take care of it. Alesia misses you, so come home safely. Don’t delay anymore. Leave Gwen to me.” “Alright, is Gwen going to be-“ “I’ll let you know once you’re back.” “But…” “She’s going to be fine. I think I have an inkling where she's gone if Morye was likewise taken.” “Okay,” Yue replied sulkily. The device disconnected. “Satisfied?” Liu asked them. “You better get going. You’re going to miss the ship.” “No, I am not satisfied,” Yue replied cattily, grinding her teeth audibly. It was still hard to believe that Gwen just got shanghaied only a few feet away from returning home. “Let’s go.” Elvia and Whetu followed Yue as she stomped away. “Allow me to apologise for the outburst, Sergeant… Magus Liu,” Jonas intoned sincerely. It was just as well that Alesia wasn't here, else this place would henceforth be known as the Jurong Disaster Epicentre. “It’s fine, Major. Another De Botton in the making, huh? You have your work cut out for you.” “You know it.” Jonas made a face that looked ten years older than his actual age. His moustache was greying rapidly again now that Yue was back. “God’s speed, Major. Do visit Singapore in more peaceful times.” Jonas saluted. The military men exchanged final farewells and left for the freighter. Ten days wasn’t long, but knowing Yue, it could be a very, very long trip. Jonas sighed. Was it wise to enable another battle maniac? The girl vomited a torrent of chilli-crab, half-digested, acrid with stomach acid onto Wei’s shoes. The MSS Red Guard had wanted to keep a tight schedule on his quarry and so hadn’t noticed her ashen face turning green the moment they passed through at the Inter-State Teleportation Circle. The girl had been hale after the short-range teleportation, behaving as though she was used to the lurching feeling of vertigo that accompanied short jumps. By that measure, Wei had imagined that she should be fine to withstand the Long-Range Teleportation Circle, one that took them almost 3800 kilometres across the Ethereal Plane via an extended jaunt through space-time. Every central trade hub possessed one such ISTC array, embedded at the Tower's base, well shielded and guarded, protected by layer upon layers of Glyphs from every conceivable School of Magic. The cost of transporting three Mages that distance was astronomical, but the powers that be had decreed it done, and so it was. Upon their arrival, the girl had immediately slumped in Wei's arms and let loose a torrent of Singapore’s choicest crab sauce all over his shoes and pant leg, painting the cobalt-silver Glyph of the Teleportation Circle red and brown. His partner, Yung, was stifling a snigger. “I told you we should have sedated her.” He chuckled. His face was so annoying that Wei wanted to kick the vomit toward Yung’s face, allowing his forever-single partner an opportunity to dine with a comely lass. “You okay?” He asked Gwen in Mandarin. The girl replied English, but the language wasn't Wei's forte. He pulled the Translation Ioun Stone from beside his ear and passed it over her head. “Fo-kas,” he told her in English. “Tie to at-u-en” The girl appeared to mastered as much of her mind as she could under the circumstances and felt the stone affix to an orb around her head, falling into place until it rested just behind her earlobe. It gave the impression that she was wearing a small opal earring. “Better?” Wei asked. “I am dying,” the sorceress moaned miserably. "There's a first time for everyone," Wei assured her. He understood that surviving a long-range Teleport was like sitting on a carnival ride - one of those topsy-turvy ones, the kind that turned upside down and sideways, delivering momentum, vertigo, and lurching, inertia all at once. The nauseating effect she felt was the same thrilling displacement, multiplied a hundredfold, magnified by the concourse of time and space. The girl must have felt as though she'd been taken apart and then recombobulated onto a heavily warded platform glowing with quicksilver Conjuration mana. “…” Wei motioned to one of the guards, who motioned to one of the lesser guards, who spoke into his Message Glyph for a cleaner. A Message spell blossomed next to Yung's ear. “Report.” “I am on-site with Target 2, awaiting further instructions.” “Extract Target to Facility Forty-Three, await handover procedures.” “Affirmative, Control, proceeding to site now.” “Where we headed?” Jung asked his partner. “Forty-Three.” "Huh." Jung raised a bushy brow. Wei shrugged, then turned to study the Mage caught in his arms, whose face was as pale as a ghost's. The girl was uncommonly pretty, very much so, almost like one of those idols that frequented the Vid-casts. She was Eurasian descent, her ancestry indistinct and impossible to discern, and young - far too young to be someone of note. It meant that whoever had requested her was probably after someone in her family, not an unusual task delegated to the MSS, but impressive nonetheless, given that the political and material capital they had just expended. “Do you know anything, Wei?” “Shut up,” Wei said coldly, shooting his partner a stern look. “Loose lips sink ships.” Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Jung rolled his eyes. They picked up Gwen by both arms and began to drag her toward the second localised Teleportation Circle. "Don't worry," Wei supplied as much sympathy as he was allowed under the circumstances. "You'll be safe. Just remember to tell them everything." "Them?" The girl croaked. "You'll see," Wei sighed. For whatever reason the Secretary wanted the girl; he hoped it was in her best interest. "We'll part soon. Good luck." Gwen raised her groggy head and tried to look around at their surroundings. The room was bright with glowing Daylight globes that lit the immense Conjuration array required to activate Teleportation across such tremendous distance. The interior architecture was geometric, simplistic, ultra-modern, giving the chamber the air of a brutalist dystopia. The room they took her to was smaller, with Wei leaving behind puddles of dripping crab as he walked. Gwen felt impressed even in her illness. Whatever these men were, they were consummate professionals with singly focused minds. She was briefly glad she didn’t try out her luck in attempting an escape. Another flash of gut pounding Conjuration later, Gwen felt barely capable of standing on both feet. She felt drunk and drugged by nausea. That the men's final act involved taking her through the facility without so much as an opportunity for cleaning up spoke loudly of their priorities. They eventually reached the end of a long corridor, where she was bodily handed over to a pair of uniformed guards, now clad in dark olive khaki with red striped lapels. “Take her to the infirmary,” Wei suggested. “Orders are to take care of this one. She's important.” The guards saluted smartly and took Gwen by the arms. Much to her relief, Gwen soon found herself on a gurney, being wheeled through alternating sections of dimness and brightness. She listened to the clatter of the wheels echoing through the corridor, feeling like death. Wherever they were, she noted with some alarm; the walls were solid concrete. Jesus. She thought to herself. Whatever her father had done must have made powerful men upset. Who the hell did he kill? The son of a Politburo Secretariat? Or perhaps the son of a General? Even in her diminished state, she could tell that the soldiers accompanying her were career military men. Their uniforms, the way they spoke and saluted one another, suggested that they did not moonlight a second profession. The gurney stopped. The room was much too bright, so bright it hurt her eyes. She was just about to will her arm to move across her face when an alien coldness touched her thighs. Gwen shot up from her prone position, heedless of the queasiness assailing her body. Her head grew suddenly light, feeling as though flung by a Catapult spell. She was face to face with a woman in a white doctor’s coat. Underneath, she also wore the omnipresent olive khaki uniform. Her world came into focus. The doctor was holding a wet towel in one hand, the other hovering over a patch of her dinner. There was a red flag with five gold stars on her left lapel. China. Had they come to China in that short a while? In a single charge of teleportation? How was that possible? The amount of energy it took to move mass was inverse-squared by distance. Just how many HDMs did they use to transfer three adults through to China? More importantly, why was she back in her father's "Motherland"? “I… I er…” Gwen tried to speak, but her stomach quickly deposited a gift of revolting liquids in her mouth. “Restoration~” The female doctor gave her a comforting smile, happily injecting the equivalent of WD-40 for the human body. Gwen felt her disorientation fall away as the spell coursed through her body and calmed her frayed nerves. “Where am I?” she finally asked, feeling the Ioun translation stone working its charm of Comprehend Language. The man called Wei had given her the stone without much thought. Were such magic items that pedestrian in Tier 1 cities? Gwen wondered. The simple device was at least four HDM Crystals in Sydney. “A secure facility. That’s all you need to know for now.” The doctor beamed confidently at her. “Glad you're feeling alright. Want to get changed out of that filth? Ventilation is not good here. There’s a screen over there you can use.” Gwen nodded and pushed herself off the gurney, balancing herself when the platform moved. She performed a quick mental checkup of her current status. On her hand were still her rings - a Ring of Evasion, a Storage Ring, and a Band of Contingency. Whoever abducted her here deemed her docile enough to leave Gwen her magic items. Did they take a peek at her ring, though? Not that her wardrobe would help. She wasn’t sure. At any rate, it didn’t feel like her items had tampered. If so, she could deduce that these 'people' were likely serious when they stated that they meant her no harm. After all, who could forgo the temptation of a ‘free' large-size Storage Ring? Especially one that still had thirty-odd HDM crystals and a Portable Habitat? While she changed, Gwen obediently hid her shame behind the tri-fold screen. “There’s going to be a more thorough inspection later, and I’ll be taking your bio-metrics and generating an identity card for you,” the female doctor said, passing over the box of body wipes. Gwen wiped away the foul-spelling chilli sauce, then found the first outfit she had stashed on her pile of clean laundry - a pair of cut-ff white khaki shorts paired with a cropped blouse. Gwen gave her hair a quick spritz with a fresh wipe as well, allowing the overflowing bundle to cascade over her neck and shoulders. She then carefully stowed her precious Mary Janes after a meticulous wipe and materialised a pair of sneakers she had purchased in Singapore. “Over here.” the doctor indicated to a set of scales. “I am Lieutenant Miao, but you can call me Vivian.” “Thanks, Vivian.” Gwen followed the doctor’s directions demurely, standing upon a set of scales. Vivian looked a little older than thirty or so, with crows feet just beginning to appear near the corner of her dark eyes. “Just under 55kg,” Vivian drew with her fingers onto a data slate. “Somewhat on the low-side for your height. Sit here.” Vivian took measurements of Gwen’s arms and shoulders, measuring Gwen's sitting height and then the length of her legs with a tape ruler. The doctor then scratched away on her pad. “What kind of slate is that?” Gwen asked. It reminded her of an E-Ink electronic device. “Oh, this?” Vivian turned to show her the ‘pad’. It looked to be a carbon slate enchanted with some morphic transmutation spell. When touched, it was possible to inscribe words and numbers upon it. “Ah, you’re from Australia, no? Frontier cities are not allowed to import storage-type Magi-tech.” “Yeah, we’re a pretty backwater.” Gwen tried to deflect the feeling of awkward inferiority. Was there such a difference? Did that mean the tier 1 cities had computation engines and modern conveniences? Did they have internet? “Hey, I’d kill for one of your Black-Angus Aurochs steaks though, they cost a day's wage. You guys must eat it all the time over there. From what I've seen in the vid-casts, they're all over the place.” “Yeah, we eat those a lot,” Gwen lied, feeling strange that she had never even heard of such a thing. Maybe she had eaten Auroch before? Gwen couldn’t tell. Usually, food appeared, and she ate. “I am jealous!” Dr Miao stifled a smile. “Okay, some important questions now that your basic biometrics are finished.” “Shoot.” “Have you ever had sexual relations?” "...No." "how about with Magical Creatures?" “…” Gwen blinked innocently at the good doctor. “I need a yes or no,” Dr Miao intoned seriously. “No.” “Very good.” “Have you ever had sexual relationships with a Demi-human?” “…” “No. Is this a thing here? In tier 1 cities?" "You'll be surprised..." "Okay." “A virgin?" “Yes.” “Right.” Vivian studied Gwen from head to toe, not appearing to believe her. “Continuing.” “Have you never been admitted to an institution? Such as for abuse of substances, mental illness, or temporary derangement.” “Temporary derangement?" “Such as Enchantments, or Illusions.” “Have I … ever been glamoured?” “Indeed.” Gwen fell silent. Did short-duration attacks count? Did Edgar count? The bastard had gotten pretty deep into her psyche, touched her Astral Soul, even. Gunther had told her that Morye killed him. Speaking of her father, how is he doing? Where could he be now? “No.” Vivian nodded. “Okay.” “That’s it. I’ll have your file generated.” Vivian said. "Forgive the questions, we get all sorts here." "Here?" "Well," the doctor coughed. "You'll see." “What happens now?” “Now you go to a temporary place of residence.” A Message spell bloomed beside the medical officer's face; she gingerly touched a finger to her ear. “Yep, we’re done. You can take subject 1406 now.” Gwen stepped into her shoes. Vivian looked up from her seat, her legs crossed and enveloped in her dark olive pencil skirt. The doctor furrowed her brows while running her eyes over their prisoner's figure. “Miss Song, are you certain you never have..." “No.” Gwen cut the woman off before she could suggest something scandalous. “I am only sixteen, after all.” “Soon to be Seventeen,” Vivian said. “I hope you're telling the truth. For what's coming, telling the truth will be very important." “Wha?” Gwen’s eyes grew large as walnuts, her hazel orbs dilating. The double doors opened. Two olive uniformed men presented themselves and saluted the doctor. “Escorting Prisoner 1406 to the containment area.” “Containment area?!” Gwen snapped alarmingly. What was she, a magical specimen? An exotic species to be put on display? What was this place, and what were they doing? “1406?!” Did she get transported into another world? Was this Oceania? Are they now headed to Room 101?! Were there going to be rats? “Please come with us,” one of the men professionally intoned when Gwen refused to budge from the spot. “Vivian, tell me...” “Let's hope we don't meet again," the doctor proclaimed. "My ward isn't usually reserved for biometric inspections." “No— what? Wait!” The men took her by the arms and pushed her from the room. These men were not like Wei. They had little patience and even less delicacy. They were grunts, foot soldiers, and they were here to shut up and do their duty. When Gwen calmed herself enough to observe them, she noticed something that shocked her to her core. They were NoMs! The soldiers were Non-Magical, normal human beings! Could she escape? Surely she could overpower NoMs. Gwen felt a tingle of lightning coalesce in her body, responding to her thoughts. One of the guards clenched her arm so tightly it hurt. “I wouldn’t.” He continued to move without pause. His companion said nothing, his face entirely robotic. They took her into another corridor, and another, then another again. Then they pushed through a set of double doors. A long warehouse, featureless and derelict of colour, greeted Gwen. The containment chamber's interior consisted of a row of cells with thick perspex at the entrance, possessed of no visible entry point. A total of five cells made up the entirety of the rectangular space, giving the air a cold and malicious wintriness. One of the guards activated a hidden Glyph, and Gwen was pushed into the cell, passing between the perspex with the sensation of slipping between its molecules. Another Glyph later, the transparent wall once again became impassably solid. Inside the cell was a stainless steel bathroom throne fixed onto a drinking fountain. Adjacent to it was a foam bed clad in a white sheet. The floor was pieced together by segmented grey tiles; the rest of the room was seamless, moulded concrete. Gwen caught herself against the wall and turned to glare at the guards, who ignored her and retreated without a word. The transparent pane radiated cold hostility. The walls looked especially made to resist all assault. Then the floor began to thrum. Gwen felt her mana drain away as unnatural fatigue overcame her body. She felt as though she'd trained for hours, that she had emptied her reserves over and over. In a blind panic, she tried to access her Astral body but found herself incapable of turning inward into the inner realm. Even her Sigils felt diminished, barely registering against her force of will. Her enchanted rings, likewise, appeared dormant and inaccessible. She tried to summon Ariel or Caliban, but the Conjuration Sigil was silent; her Familiars remained torpid in their pocket dimensions. Gwen felt an unbidden wave of mental exhaustion washed over her. She fell into the bunk, feeling the solid steel beneath the thin foam rap unsympathetically against her buttocks. Her magic was gone. She felt as though she'd lost a limb. Even in her most desperate hour, the raging torrents of elementally charged mana had been with her, coursing through her veins. Now she was without even that. She closed her eyes and tried to focus her breathing, which had noticeably quickened. “Calm,” she said to herself. “Evee.” “Evee... Evee... Evee." She pictured her best friend's smiling, guileless face, blossoming the moment she saw Gwen descend with Sufina. Her heart rate slowed. She felt somnolent and exhausted. Oh, how she desired to be hot and insomniac within the cargo hold of a Triple-E Freighter ship! Maybe her present circumstance was just a dream. Maybe when she woke up, she would be against two bulkheads, and Yue would be trying to wake her up by suffocating her with her hugs. Gwen willed herself to remain conscious, but it only made her sleepier. Please let this be a bad dream, she said to the merciless light. Let me wake up to Evee. Her alarm rang, a screeching catcall that may as well be the indistinct crying of babies in the night. It increased in volume until it filled her ears like tinnitus. Her eyes shot open. The Awakening Ceremony. The Awakening Stone glimmered faintly. “Hmm, you have certainly some affinity…” the instructor noted, but his expression was distant. “I don't see a sigil, though... “ His words felt like a death sentence. Beside them, Yue celebrated her newly discovered Affinity for Fire. At school, snotty girls and smirking boys appraised her cynically, audibly whispering that she wasted the air just by standing there. "She should just transfer to a vocational institution," they mocked her maliciously. There was a place where she belonged, and it wasn't here in the Magical Curriculum. “Shut ya pie-holes, go fuck yourselves!” Yue’s firecracker voice blew those snide whispers away while Elvia gently held her hand. Gwen’s pale face broke into a wane smile. “Thanks, Yue. Thanks, Evee.” Mother's disappointment. Father's apathy. Percy's preponderance. The futile training. The Field Trip. "You coming?" Mr Crusoe's face melted away, the illusory glamour fading until it revealed the cowled Dust Mage, Edgar. Debora was dominated, holding Gwen by twisting her arm into an impossible angle. “Don’t hurt her, I’ll come with you,” came Yue’s voice, heavy with dread and loathing. Gwen felt Debra’s immovable Bronze Flesh dig deep into her tender skin; the pain was sharp enough to cause her to whimper. “See? It’s not hard to behave, girls." Edgar chuckled cruelly. “Especially with a little persuasion.” And then they were in the cave with Almudj's egg. Gwen watched in horror as Yue’s eyes glazed over, smiling dreamily. “That would be lovely— to be like Alesia…” Gwen shrieked insanely, crying out as Edgar entered Yue and began to consume her friend's animus. She felt something building up within her, boiling over, spilling out. There was a burst of darkness, not unlike the discharge of a tenebrous pustule discharging its cargo of malicious, plague-ridden puss. Edgar stared in disbelief at his displaced arm and leg, then teleported away, just as well that he had a meat shield handy to take the brunt of Gwen's attack. After all, who'd thought the Gwen would be a Void user? "No!" Gwen heard herself cry out. A funeral. Gwen hunched over from the weight of her guilt. Yue's casket was kept closed for the ceremony. Henry stood beside her, sombrely dressed in his dark tweed jacket and a grey woollen vest. “You can be honest with me, child. I will accommodate you, for your sake, for Alesia’s sake, to the best of our abilities. What do you say?” “I want POWER,” Gwen began. “I want the power to save my friends. If I had been more powerful…” Her eyes were dead, two hazel stones staring into the middle distance, puffed from tears ducts that had long run dry. "You will have it," Henry intoned. "But with power comes accountability." The old sorcerer talked of obligation, of the remorse that came with dominion. Gwen nodded. She'd agree to anything as long as Henry was willing to teach her. She was willing to give her body and soul. Fruitful Training. Elvia's understanding. Gunther's kindness. Mark Chandler's quest. Blackheath. Gwen woke from the aftermath of Caliban's carnage, scared and alone, whimpering and mewling like a snivelling child. She'd thought herself ready for anything, but not for this. Gunther appeared like Apollo's visage, and Gwen sunk into his strong arms, feeling safe at last. There was nothing for Gunther to teach her, though. Nothing was left alive within the slaver's compound. Her familiar had dined to its heart's content. "Debby!" Debora's face moved from Gwen's, a silver thread of saliva parting between them. Debora's hands wrapped around Gwen's waist and pulled her closer. Gwen's heart was still bleeding from the rejection of the immovable Gunther Shultz. Debora's interest came as a panacea that she needed. Without thinking, Gwen returned the kiss and allowed the fire to stoke, flaming high in the long night of the cold Outback. Debora's warm body. Uncle's invitation. Percy's esteem. Elvia's companionship. Of her companions, only Debora gave Gwen what she wanted. Debora said she loved her. Gwen said nothing. But it would do. They kissed again. When she opened her eyes, they were in Rosebay. A faceless companion, Yue's replacement who Gwen never liked, was skewered like a meaty kabob on a Merman's spear. Elvia rushed forward haphazardly to heal the poor sod, sobbing and crying as the mortal wound liberated her innards. Gwen desperately incanted a Void Bolt, but her constitution was far too feeble; she was already skin and bones. Elvia’s body fell beside her like a battered, broken doll, a toy in blood. Alesia pulls her away. There was no time to grieve. Her Master must return to the Grot; else, all was lost. Debora took Gwen by the arms and tore the girl from Elvia. "No!" Gwen moaned, trashing in Debora's arm. "Don't eat me! For fuck's sake, don't! Spare me, kill me even, but not that!" "This is the only way we can be strong." Faceless explained to her. "You're too weak." Gwen trashed and kicked as Faceless began her terrible work. In desperation, she channelled everything she had into her Evocation Sigil, feeling it fill with the life-draining darkness. "You can't have it! It's mine! MINE!" she screamed insanely. She channelled everything she had, feeling the last motes of her consciousness fade away, preferring suicide over being consumed by a skin-changer. Faceless stopped when she reached Morye's kirin necklace. There was a moment of hesitation. A black hole tore the sky asunder, smothering Sydney with its enervating rays, consuming everything. Gwen shot up with a violent start. What the FUCK was that? She thought to herself, feeling her skin slickered with shimmering cold sweat, sticky against the stifling futon. The room was dark. Was it night time? Had they turned the lights off? What kind of a dream was that? No, that wasn't so much a dream but a waking nightmare. Was it a night terror induced by her anxiety? Gwen tried to orientate her mind. The vexing vision had felt so real. “Gwen?” a voice came across the hall, muffled and distant, from the room adjacent to her own. A familiar voice. A voice that, at this moment, was hateful to her. “Dad?” Gwen felt her voice tremble tumultuously; anger, gladness, fear and loathing forming a cocktail of volatile emotions. “Dad, what… what the fuck is happening? Why I am here?” “Don’t speak… go to sleep. Everything will be okay tomorrow.” “I don’t… I…” “Shhhhh, the walls have ears. Tomorrow.” Gwen tried to shut up, but her good girl persona had run out of fuel. "What tomorrow?" Gwen vehemently spat in the dark. "What does that even mean? Tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow! To our dusty deaths! Is that what you mean? You bastard!" "This isn't the time to wax poetry," Morye hissed next door. "Get some sleep. You're going to need it." But how could Gwen sleep now? "Dad?" "Yeah?" "Fuck you so much." "Sure." Gwen sobbed. It was done. Now she could sleep. Evee. Gwen chanted like a mantra inside her head. One Evee. Two Evees. Three Evees. Slowly, inevitably, the lull of sleep came. Thankfully, this time, without the nightmares.

Then there was light. Without warning, darkness turned into day, blasting every inch of the holding cell, eradicating every inch of shadow. The dazzling glare flooded the inside of Gwen’s eyes with a stark whiteness that sent her into a blind panic. She rolled off the bed and onto her knees, meeting the cold floor with her knees. As before, the grey tiles thrummed with anti-magic resonance, forcing her to rest for a moment on her elbows. With some effort, she forced herself up against the wall to face the perspex pane, feeling her eyes adjust painfully to the sterile glare of the omnidirectional illumination. A resonating clang echoed across the corridor, followed by the creak and groan of hinges. The sounds of boots striking concrete foreshadowed two olive uniformed soldiers parading past Gwen’s cell, their eyes staring straight forward. Another pair followed, rigidly moving with mechanical efficiency, their shoulders decorated with a single band joined below by a set of phoenix wings crossed over with two staves. They proceeded until they were right before Gwen's cell, then turned their backs toward her. Gwen held herself steady with one hand against the wall. The glare was giving her a headache. For how long had she slept? A few hours? She felt hardly rested. Trying to ignore the throbbing in her brain, she studied the guard's uniforms, trying to figure out any similarities between this world and her old one, despite knowing nothing about China other than a cheap tour she had gone on in 2006 that kept taking her to shopping destinations. The soldiers wore doubled breasted tunics, with four pockets equal-distantly placed across the chest and waist. Up top, a crimson band encompassed a broad-brimmed cap; at the centre, a crest displayed five golden stars looming over the Forbidden City. Chinese soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army, Gwen guessed. But that still didn’t explain her abduction. “Back!” A voice barked from the corridor, starling Gwen and driving her backwards. She stepped away from the perspex pane as the expressionless face of a middle-aged Chinese man came into view, flat and dispossessed of remarkable features. This one was an officer; his lapels sported a single vertical stripe with two gold stars. She tried to simper at the stoic man, but he turned away from her, just as the two soldiers had done. Gwen felt the smile fall from her face. How does one communicate with captors who refused to look you in the eye? The two grunts and the officer saluted smartly at the corridor, just out of Gwen's line of sight. Ah, Gwen thought to herself, that must be the bigwig. She was right. Even from inside the room, she could feel the Mage's aura, thick and heavy, weighted with supernatural pressure. It was akin to the feeling Gunther gave off when his but much more congealed and condensed. Finally, her capture came into view. Gwen carefully inspected the senior Mage. He looked old enough to be in his sixties, with two slabs of impressively drooping jowls that gave him the impression of a bulldog akin to an English Prime Minister. When he stopped mid-step and turned his head to face Gwen, she met his dark obsidian eyes, cold and intense like the core of long-dead stars. Perhaps she should say something? What was the etiquette for an abductee of the MSS when greeting a Commandant? "Sir? May I asked a question?" Gwen tried her luck, adding a higher octave to her voice to sound more juvenile. Surely, the imprisonment of children, even ones standing at six feet, wasn't a standard practice of the Secret Police handbook. The old Commandant's lips moved to form a thin line. The frown was barely perceptible, but it sent shivers down her spine. Who was this old codger? Why was he displeased with her? They didn't even know one another. Her gaze attended the emblem affixed to the man’s neck and shoulders. Two stripes - four stars. A four-star general? A Colonel? Gwen had no idea how PRC insignias worked, but it was evident that the codger was from the Military's upper echelons. He began to move. She had to get his attention. “Sir! My name is Gwen Song. I entered this facility with Morye Song, my father. May I ask—” The old general left her line of sight. He left! Gwen was agog with disbelief. Why stop to gawk if he wasn't keen to talk?! Beside her cell, the perspex pane of her father's cell was made immaterial. “Atteeeen-tion!” the officer called out with that barking voice of his. Gwen could hear the sound of her father scrambling to stand. The new crisis next door dispelled the immediacy of her predicament. She ignored the guards posted in front of her cell and plastered her head against the perspex pane, trying to see and hear what was happening next door. Was this a ‘General’ whose 'family' her father had killed? What was going to happen to Morye, and how could she help, if at all? Gwen called on her mana reserves to no avail. Even her kirin amulet ignored any attempt at summoning its powers. Only passive effects feeding on a Mage's residual energies, like her Ioun Stone, appeared to operate. If only she could somehow retrieve an HDM, the mana contained within be enough for her to summon Caliban or Ariel to aid her father and break out of the prison. "Shit!" Gwen grunted quietly, drawing a severe glare from one of the guards. It didn't help. The thrum of anti-magic floorboards was tyrannically draining every mote Gwen could summon. In her present condition, she couldn't even feel her Sigils, much less will enough mana to command her Astral body to tap into her Elemental Gates. “Hello, old man,” Her father's voice came through, a little muffled by the perspex barrier. "How ya been?" “Do you know how long I’ve looked for you?” the General stated severely; his speech had a heavy accent that not even the translation stone could displace. Hearing the hardness in his voice, Gwen felt the hair standing on her arms. "TWO DECADES! For twenty years, I searched high and low, you ungrateful white-eyed wolf!” “Well, I am here now, ain’t I?” her father replied. "You got me." There was a shaky quality to his voice that Gwen had never heard before. Her father was scared! The infallible Morye was afraid? Gwen wanted more than anything to witness this improbable spectacle. Who could this 'old man' be?! "Are you ready to meet the wrath of your maker?" The coarse voice of the commandant dripped with malice. What! Gwen's mind buzzed. Was her father going to be executed in cold blood? She placed both hands on the screen, deforming her face against the pane. "No!" she cried out, smashing her fists against the glass. "Dad!" Whatever her father might have been, Gwen still felt the bonds of kindred blood between them. The last thing she wanted to see was Morye murdered! “Repent, you ingrate!” The voice that came through the corridor was ripe with emotion. CRACK! A vehement snap tore the air asunder. There was a sound of cured hide striking flesh, followed immediately by her father’s painful grunt. “You ungrateful, unfilial bastard! Do you know how worried your mother was?” CRACK! “Do you know how many nights she cried herself to sleep?” CRACK! “Do you know many favours we pulled searching for you all over China?” CRACK! “Do you know that Jun relinquished his promotion to save you from court marshall?” CRACK! “Get up! You're have not had enough yet!” “I… I can’t... I can’t see out of my left eye,” Her father grunted and spat, likely discarding a bloody glob of loose teeth. “Can we take a break? Do this after I get a few heals in?” There was a flash of familiar mana. Water. Negative energy. Salt. “Arrrrgh!” Morye howled, followed by the sound of a body writhing on the floor. “You insolent wolf! How dare you! Your poor mother! Once you pay your respects to her, you'll be seeing the ancestors!” the gruff voice of the General reverberated from wall to wall, barely able to contain the rage caught in between each syllable. Safe in her cell, Gwen tried to process the string of pronouns coming her way. The old man had called Morye the ‘ungrateful son' and mentioned 'your brother’ and 'grandmother'. Wouldn’t that mean that the brutal commandant was Morye’s father? He was her Grandfather! Her paternal Opa! The knowledge caused her to almost collapse against the pane of her cell. Did this mean they were saved? There was no way her father could be killed by his father, although it would seem that he'd be shedding a layer of skin before his ordeal was over. Gwen breathed out. The terror of the moment was forgotten, and she felt buoyed by unforeseen hope and elation. After a while, she looked up. The old Commandant looked down on her half-kneeled figure. When had he moved?! The old codger was like a ghost! More importantly, was he willing to talk? Gwen stepped away from the pane and tidied herself against the refracted visage of her reflection. She was not dressed to meet the elderly, that was for sure. She was wearing white khaki shorts cut off a few inches above her knee, her long legs bare except for sneakers. Her blouse was cropped above the elbows, tapered against her waist with a flared, rounded collar in the French style. Her hair, as before, was loosely styled around her face, which thankfully had the barest of makeup. The cold codger looked to be the type to expect their grandaughters in prim and proper black on white. But it was too late now. It wasn't as though Gwen could have known Opa Two was going to be here. She had been in Singapore less than twenty-four hours ago, walking around in the stifling heat, where her attire was entirely appropriate. Gwen wished she had something to cover her legs, which left a little too much to the imagination, and perhaps a camisole or something to give her upper body a more prudent, rather than frivolous, air. It was in situations like this that a pair of horn-rimmed glasses would have done wonders. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. “De-phase," Opa Two commanded. The perspex dematerialised, allowing the middle-aged officer, a guard, and her grandfather to pass. Gwen noted that unlike those in the Sydney Tower or anywhere in Sydney, the men took little note of her uncommon comeliness. Was it a condition of their training? Or the professionalism of soldiership? Or perhaps she was simply too freakishly large and unaesthetic in their eyes. She knew from her old world that Asians very much preferred the ‘small’ and ‘cute’ rather than ‘Brobdingnagian’. “Greetings, Grandfather.” Gwen wasn’t sure how to respond, so she performed a western curtsey. The general nodded. Good, Gwen thought to herself. "You are older than I imagined.” The general's voice was low and resonant. Gwen moulded her face into an affable simper. “Lower the draining frequency,” the Commandant ordered his second, who ordered a guard, who manipulated a series of Glyphs invisible from Gwen's point of view. The thrum of the floorboards dimmed. “Child, manifest your talent,” her grandfather said, his voice commanding and firm. He stood with his legs stiffly apart, his hands placed behind his back like he was inspecting a piece of military hardware. Her magic?! Gwen felt a few motes of mana coalescing, enough for an impressionable spell. “Perform your Magic,” the old man repeated. “…” More excuses would probably just cause "Gran" to get suspicious. Perhaps, it was best to show rather than tell. Salt was a Quasi-element, and so was her Lightning. Gwen pointed to an empty spot on the dampening tiles, facing away from the General and the soldiers. She didn’t want to expose all her cards, but she had to impress. “Lighting Bolt!” A bolt of Elemental Lightning arched from her fingertips toward a distant tile, at which point the incandescent energy fizzled, leaving a scorched splatter mark. Gwen turned to her grandfather, wondering what he thought of her rare quasi-talent. “Yang… and Air? Not Yin and Water, how curious." Her grandfather's face took on a thoughtful expression. "A rare talent indeed." Gwen breathed out as the man's expression softened. "What are your Schools of Magic?" "Evocation." Gwen paused for dramatic effect. "And Conjuration." It wasn't as though she could have shown her grandfather anything else. What she suggested was precisely written on her student card and Multi-Pass, which she was sure the MSS would have inspected. To show anything else would imply that her card was false and that she was hiding something, resulting in inexplicable falsehoods. Her grandfather nodded approvingly. "A rare talent indeed, child. Are you gifted with other blessings?" "I am afraid not, Grandfather." "Just as well then. Your talent pleases me greatly, you should know. Your grandmother has an Affinity for the Yang. Mayhap you inherited it from her? I believe she would be happy to meet you." "I would hope so, Grandfather." "You have your Grandmother's features," her grandfather continued in an affectionate tone. "You look just like her." "Ha, I am sure Grandmother's beauty is peerless," Gwen remarked. Her grandfather was easier going than she thought, at least after what happened to Morye. "Tell me, daughter of my ungrateful son, what is it that you do. In Sydney, I mean." Her grandfather's tone remained amicable. "I am a student," Gwen replied demurely. "Although the fall of the city has impacted my school year, so I guess I need to find a place to graduate." "That's unfortunate to hear, child." Her grandfather motioned for the two men beside him to exit the cell. "Would you mind if I helped? There are some schools here, in Shanghai, which would love to have their very own Quasi-Elementalist." "Oh..." Gwen considered it for a moment, strangely glad that she could find another Opa. "I am afraid I need to return to Sydney first; I have friends that are worried sick." "It is good to have friends." Opa Two walked through the shielding and invited her to follow. "Are these friends your teammates? Companions?" "We're very closs—" Her speech cut short as she ran face-first into the barrier. "Opa— Grandfather?" She felt her stomach lurch, echoing the painful bump on her head. Gwen needn't guess what was happening; the implication was obvious enough. Her grandfather shook his head. "How easy it must be for you to lie." Gwen stared at her grandfather, whose once kind demeanour became sharp and cynical. She could feel the mana gather within him as his ire rose. Gwen felt as though she had plunged into a pool of icy water. Goosebumps formed all over her skin, sending her into a terrific shiver. She wanted to move away from him, but her body refused to budge. Was this what it was like to face a high-level Mage of a tier 1 city? It was as though her very blood froze. Her teeth chattered as she tried to formulate another lie but could find nothing intelligible to say. Her grandfather turned to the middle-aged officer beside him. “Tell the MSS to do their job properly next time. As for this one, get them to find out what she knows and who she is. I want a thorough vetting, leave nothing unturned.” Gwen felt a sudden panic overcome her calculated calmness. Leave nothing unturned? Was she headed for Room 101? Was she going to be tortured with rats? Was holding back her talents a mistake? What was Chinese O'Brien expecting? Give her to the MSS? What does that mean? Is she NOT going back to Sydney? Shouldn’t he be saying, "Let her go home? She’s uninvolved and innocent?" Why was he so paranoid? Her grandfather turned to face Gwen with an impassive expression. "Is there anything you wish to confess?" "Grandfather..." Gwen didn't know what to say. What was there to confess? She didn't even know what the old codger wanted. "What do you want?" She tried to calm herself as best as she could. "The truth." "I don't know what that means." "The full range of your abilities, to start." Her grandfather was relentless. "Then your associates, your Master, your employer." "I..." He thinks she's a spy?! "I am not a spy!" Gwen blurted out, then immediately bit her tongue. "I mean... why would you think your Granddaughter is a spy?" "Your 'acting' is pretty poor if you're trying to imitate a sixteen-year-old child," her grandfather snorted disdainfully. "Didn't your handler run you through the proper protocols?" "I am sixteen!" Gwen retorted. "Of course, and I am to believe that my teenage granddaughter is so superior as to be unfazed by the Ministry of State Security! To calmly inform her friends that she is to be abducted by strange men in dark suits! To walk into the infamous Sky Prison without so much as twitching a brow! What are you anyhow? A skin changer?" "I am just... me!" Gwen wailed. How could she get this old codger to believe her? "Then there's the evidence hanging from your fingers," her grandfather growled. "Mastercrafted Ring of Medium Storage, Contingency Ring of Teleportation, Ring of Evasion!" "Tell me, my Granddaughter. How does a teenager, much less the daughter of my worthless son, gain access to close to Fifteen thousand HDMs worth of magical items? Does your father run the Sydney Arcanum? Is he the Master of the Tower there? Had my son finally decided to be useful?!" "I..." Gwen choked. What could she say that wouldn't implicate her? "So tell me, Gwen Song, Grandaughter of mine— who are you?" "I am not your enemy! I am not lying, and damn you for thinking so!" Gwen fought the pressure emanating from her grandfather, pushing back against his force of will. "Look at me! I don't even want to be here! You took me against my will! YOU THINK I WANT TO BE HERE? I wanted to be in Australia, amongst the ruins, rebuilding my life! With my friend and my REAL family! There is nothing, NOTHING! That I want from you!" Gwen's face was a livid shade of liver now, red with rage. Her grandfather's face was a dark shade of scarlet. "Dad!" Gwen wailed out, her voice beginning to crack. "Dad! TELL HIM! Tell him I speak the truth! Tell him to send me back!" No reply came from the adjacent cell. Was Morye unconscious or was he too afraid? Gwen prayed that it was the former, else her wrath would know no bounds. Her grandfather turned to the middle-aged officer beside him. "Captain, initiate the Cognisance field." "Yes, Sir!" The tiles beneath Gwen's feet began to shimmer a shade of grey, vibrating until they took on a mirror-like polish. "What are you doing?" Gwen pounded the perspex pane. "What is this?" "Your last chance to give up the truth," Her grandfather intoned flatly. "I hope you value your life." "Damn you!" Gwen hissed at him. Her Void Element! What would happen if the Chinese military found out? Presently, she owned God knows how many other people's talents. She hadn't visited a Chamber since Henry last tested her aptitude after the Mark incident. What would even show up? The shimmering stopped. Gwen swallowed nervously and looked down. There it was, her Astral Body, reflected beneath her in all its glory. A glass sculpture of glass resplendently refracted in a mixture of darkness and light, Void and Lightning in a precarious harmony. There was something else within her glass figure as well, motes of emerald energy that surged between the light and dark branching out in Lichtenberg forks that appeared and disappeared. "Yin and Yang?" Her grandfather's brows furrowed. "Fu, run a Greater Dispel Magic through the cell." A halo of white-blue energy shimmered and passed through Gwen from head to toe. The guard, the Captain and her grandfather stared at Gwen as she stood with both hands against the pane. "Now, do you believe me?" Gwen choked out between gritted teeth, shame, resentment and fury filling her head with white noise. "I am innocent. I am real." "Sir..." The Captain looked at his senior officer dubiously. "Shall I... continue?" Her grandfather grew contemplative. "Give her some mana," he ordered. "I want to see what she is made of." The tiles ceased their thrumming. Gwen felt her body suffuse with mana, merging from the aether into her Astral Form. The dark motes became darker than black, the lightning began to arc and jump, forming complicated patterns within the exquisite glass sculpture. A Sigil flared brightly, the sign of Evocation. Another followed, even more brightly than the first - the silvery-mithril of Conjuration. Her Grandfather sucked in a cold breath of air. A Magus at Sixteen! The girl wasn't lying to him. What talent! What a boon for the family! Then a third, glowing malevolently in the mauve diffusion of Transmutation. Gwen's audience fell silent. FUCK. Gwen closed her eyes and resigned herself to whatever may come. It was over. They knew now. Her secret was out. All that was left was waiting to get dissected. That and stomp her father's brains out. Yue and Evee, all she wanted before they took her for parts was a chance to speak to them again. "Sir..." The Captain was beside himself, his eyes as large as hen's eggs. A fourth Sigil began to form. "PURGE!" Her grandfather raised a hand and touched a hidden glyph in the air that Gwen couldn't see. All magic drained from the room; Gwen was once again standing atop the grey-tiles, thrumming gently against the arch of her aching feet. "Are you satisfied?" Gwen questioned her grandfather with a husky voice drained of vitality. "All of you." Her grandfather turned to the others. "Out." The men shuffled out obediently. "Captain." "Committee Chair?" "Level 6 protocols. Full censure." "Affirmative, Sir." Gwen watched as her Grandfather's minions left. So her grandfather was a Committee Chair, not that it meant anything to her. "I am coming in." To her surprise, he entered the cell, bypassing the perspex pane entirely. She silently watched him as he walked past her, exposing his back toward her, then sat patiently on the bunk bed. "My Granddaughter...." He looked up to face her, his bulldog's face now genuinely filled with gentler emotions. Gwen wondered if she had passed some test and if her interrogation was at an end. "Are you hurt?" "No," Gwen said quickly. Maybe she could salvage this yet. Maybe there was a play here. She so desired to see Elvia and Yue. She was sick of this place, of this claustrophobic cell. She wanted to leave as soon as possible. "I want to say I am sorry, Gwen, but I am not," Her grandfather stated as a matter of factly. "I believe you. I do, but your dishonesty troubles me." "Ask me anything." Gwen tried to modulate her voice, but one couldn't help but be frigid after a reception like that. "Are you alone in Australia?" "No." "Who else?" "My mother. My brother. My Opa." At the word 'brother', her grandfather's eyes lit up like those of a blood hound's, becoming two orbs of dark ice. “Go on.” The cordial atmosphere was suddenly gone. The pressure from the old codger made Gwen’s knees knock. Her premonition screamed at her to avert whatever was coming her way. Cold sweat oozed from her pores. “I… er… I need to sit down.” Gwen found herself slumping against the adjacent wall. “Tell me about your brother.” There was something about his voice, cold and hard, that compelled the truth from her. “His name is Percy. Percy Song,” Gwen heard herself reply. She commanded her lips to stop moving, but it was as though she was having an out of body experience, floating above the figure of her physical shell, feeling as though she'd become a marionette. “He had attended Sydney Selective for Boys. He is talented in the craft. He is thirteen, turning fourteen.” “What is his element?” Gwen felt the words gush from her lips, unbidden and uncontrolled. “Salt.” Her grandfather visibly stiffened, his face taking on an emotion that was difficult to read. The pressure disappeared. Gwen could hear herself gasping for breath. She willed herself back into her body, pushing away the strange force that had sent her into a bout of obedient confession. She didn't know how it was for other Mages, but it was easy for her to resist compulsion once an Enchantment's initial impact grew exhausted. Her grandfather's intense eyes regarded her unpleasantly. “You have had counter-espionage training?” His face once again grew suspicious, his jowls stiffening with displeasure. “No!” Gwen braced herself against the wall. “Just... No! Oh, for God's sake! I am not even a Highschool graduate! I don’t even have my graduation certificate! I am still in my final year! Stop imagining me as something I am not!” “Explain then how a high school student can resist the compulsion of Suggestion incanted by one trained in the interrogative arts.” “I...” Gwen felt the panic she had averted earlier strike back with accumulated intensity. This new grandfather of hers was far too neurotic and erratic. What did the old codger do for a living? Why the secrecy and the constant accusation that she was a spy? “Opa… Grandfather, Committee Chair, please, you have to believe me. I am Morye’s daughter! Just ask my father!” “His name is not Morye!” her grandfather snapped at her, his voice rising several octaves. “It’s Hai! You don’t even know your father’s real name!?” An aura of nauseating mana erupted from the Mage. Shards of salt crystalised from the floors and the walls. A few slivers even hung from her hair. “I am innocent,” Gwen growled, her voice growing firmer with every syllable. "But you don't care, do you? Well, fuck it then! Broil me! Grill me! Burn me alive! SEND ME TO THE RATS! Beat me to a pulp! TEAR OFF MY FACE! It won't change a thing!" Her grandfather shook his head sadly. "You won't be harmed," he said quietly, then lifted himself from the bed and walked clean through the screen. "But you won't be leaving here either. Guards!" The Captain and four dispassionate guards reappeared. First, they proceeded next door, where two of the Guards retrieved her battered father. Morye looked beaten within an inch of his life. His face was a bruised and bleeding mess. As he passed her cell, he turned to look at her with eyes full of sympathy and sorrow. “Dad…” She placed a hand against the perspex, wondering if he had any advice to offer. "You'll be alright," Morye spoke with a mouth full of blood and broken teeth, sending a spray of crimson spittle against the pane of her cell. "You'll be out soon, trust me." “Dad!” Gwen called out, but it was too late. Her grandfather was gone as well. The guards retreated, still ignoring Gwen as she frantically pounded on the pane, calling out Morye’s name - no, Hai’s name, over and over again. The double doors boomed as they shut, leaving her alone amongst the row of containment cells. Gwen stared around her cell, dazed by the suddenness of it all. What had just happened? Then a terrifying epiphany struck. HELENA! What if her paternal grandfather wanted to take Percy away from her mother? What could Helena do to resist? Her clan was helpless against any power from the Tier 1 cities, much less one that seemed as invested as her paternal grandfather. Her mother had pinned all her hopes and dreams on Gwen's brother, and now she was going to lose her only son because Gwen blabbed like an idiot? Gwen felt a cramp in her stomach, but it wasn't just from the hunger. She fucked up. And then she fucked up again.

Alone at last, Gwen tried to measure the short stick handed to her by lady Fortuna. So she’s a spy now. Gwen Song, a femme fatale of Mata Hari's fame. Should she find a red dress and a chaise lounge to malinger so that she could be smouldering jazz, languishing smoke and mirror all at once? She didn’t have a chaise though, all she had was a stainless steel protrusion from the wall with a foam mattress that made her sweat profusely. Gwen glanced at the stainless steel throne embedded into the floor, attached to the drinking fountain. Nature called. Was someone watching? Was there a guard looking at her through some lumen recorder right now? Would someone burst in if she answered her biological needs? Gwen frantically tried to activate her Storage Ring, but the dampener stole away even the thimble of mana she required to enable its spatial effect. “Is someone there?” she announced to the general vicinity of her cell. No one would come. Of course. But the silence was hardly reassuring. There was no Telescreen here for her to turn her back to, no corner in the room for her to be just out of sight. She looked at the stainless steel water throne again. Fuck it. Gwen convinced herself. Why torture herself? She'd seen enough reruns of MacGyver. Convincing herself the guards should understand, she tore the sheets from the foam mattress's steel frame and wrapped them around her upper body. Then she proceeded to perform a pantomime charade of a one-woman tent, trying to find a viable way to protect her privacy while also meeting her needs. The problem was that she needed two hands to hold up the cotton canvas of her 'tent'. Arrrgh! She groaned inwardly. Why didn't she pick a dress to wear! Defeatedly, she sighed. At least her bladder was no longer about to explode. “Cut the feed. All of it.” Colonel Guo Song of the Commission of the Ministry of National Defence, Deputy Secretary of Internal Security and Anti-Reconnaissance Division and Chairman of the Confidential Communications Committee leaned back in his chair. The lumen display embedded into his office wall ceased its broadcast of the Scry spells directed towards the cells. He had been curious as to what his granddaughter would do, what she would attempt, of whether the girl would venture to escape, perhaps faking an illness or use her allure to blindside a guard. He wasn’t curious now. If anything could convince him that the girl wasn’t a spy, it was watching her spend two inexpert minutes field-dressing a foam mattress and using thin sheets as a bathroom stall. Didn’t she know how Scrying worked? Scrying worked through walls, through concrete, through any non-magical containment, and a sheet of cotton certainly wasn’t going to help. In a way, he was glad. Unless Gwen was intelligent enough to be playing Planar-Chess with them, she was finally acting as one of her age and experience should be doing. Digging through a dozen manila envelopes, Guo pulled Gwen’s file from a pile of missives and reread it. Wei had submitted their report as soon as they arrived, delivering a detailed reading of Gwen’s life insofar as could be discerned from their source at the Singapore Tower. Her biometrics are within acceptable parameters of deviation. Her talents merely read Lightning (3), Evocation (3) and Conjuration (3), which was a blatant lie. Mother: Helena Huang. A nobody from a nobody Clan, a descendant of long-lost glory banished from the verdant colonies of the Indonesian islands, long since mingled with the blood of the Europeans— an ordinary Mage of no importance. Father: Morye Song. The traitorous whelp, the one who fled the mainland, leaving behind his parents, his clan, his future, all for some absurd notion of western liberty, a coward escaping from the duties he was born to fulfil. Curiously, the Singapore Tower had lacked any data beyond that. There wasn’t any mention of the son, this Percy Song, Gwen's Master, or her position in Sydney's Tower. Was someone deliberately censuring her data? The Singapore Tower would have received its knowledge from Sydney. For such a minimalist volume of erudition to exist, the source would have been someone the Singapore Tower trusted enough to rubber stamp. If so, who are his granddaughter's backers in Sydney? The Contingency ring was a telling clue in itself. There were only a handful of people capable of giving such a treasure away. More curiously, how did Gwen acquire so many Schools of Magic? The Frontier cities were not like the Capital cities; they did not possess the resources to awaken and train their children from an early age. Gwen would have been fourteen-fifteen when she awakened, meaning she had achieved in a year and a half an impossible feat— a feat attainable only by the ancient Houses, a feat the Clan of Song was incapable of conceiving. To achieve her proficiency level, it meant she had to have access to abundant resources, instructors of the highest degree of competence, a safe place to train and learn, especially one with access to a Greater Cognisance Chamber. That meant, of course, the Sydney Tower, the only place where such resources were possible. The late Master there, Henry Kilroy, was a well known Magister within the Circle of Mages of the Commonwealth, serving under the British Mageocracy. He was an old school Mage, a survivor of the Magical Beast uprising, a veteran of more wars than modern Magisters had birthdays. A week ago, reports had flooded Guo’s desk; assessments of the Sydney crisis, whispering of Spectre and the rogue Mages that live on the fringe of the Wildlands. There were reports of an enervating Black Sun that bloomed over the city, a Strategic-Class Ritual of the Void Element. There were also unreliable reports of a Mythical serpent that supposedly swallowed the Ritual, itself an almost absurd idea. There was the Mermen incursion, which came as no surprise. The Mermen saw attacks on Frontier cities as a rite of passage for their foot-soldiers, weeding out the weak and thinning their ranks to blow off steam, redirecting the masses' bottled up aggression elsewhere before it turned upon the Dynasty. The brief report ended in Singapore, where an escort of Senior Mages serving under the Crimson Sorceress, Alesia de Botton, accompanied his granddaughter. When questioned, however, his granddaughter had declined to inform them of this connection, offering no erudition of her ties to the premier Militant of the Coral Sea. The girl was hiding her guan-xi, but it wasn’t difficult for someone like Guo to join the dots. Guo closed his eyes for a moment to conclude his conjecture— that Gwen was somehow attached to the upper echelons of the Sydney Tower, that expectantly, they would come knocking soon. But Sydney was a sea of fire and flood as they speak, so that "soon" was likely going to be drastically delayed. Then there was the matter of Gwen's unusual talent, an affinity for the Void— a rare and dangerous element, sanctioned by the Politburo Magics and Sorcery Committee as a Class 4 Restricted Sorcery. Guo’s fingers rapped the sturdy wood of his mahogany work desk. Henry Kilroy’s war hero wife, Elizabeth Sobel, was a Void Mage. There was intelligence that she wasn't deceased, that she joined the Rogue Mages of the Wildlands, a group called Spectre. Was there a connection there? Who was teaching his granddaughter Void Magic? Was she learning it all on her own? How was his granddaughter associated with the now-deceased Magister, and was there a connection between Gwen and the Void Sun that appeared over Sydney? Difficult questions, with dangerous answers, Guo thought to himself. He reached for his cold tea. “Heat.” The water began to steam gently. It took great skill to heat Pu’er tea to an exact eighty degrees with a single cantrip. He turned his mind to the other matter at hand. Percy Song. A grandson. His legacy. His wife had three children before he was rendered too infertile by his affinity with the energies of Yin. Song Nen, the harvest. Song Hai, the ocean. Song Jun, the soldier. Jun, the youngest, was everything a man could ask for in a son, but his immense affinity for the Yin also made him woefully infertile from an early age. By the time they needed him to act as the heir, it had been too late. Nen inherited her mother's talent for the Yang. She bore two children, Tao and Mina, but they wouldn’t be inheriting his name. Guo had thought that the line of Song would have ended with Jun, but now Hai had returned. Not only that, he bore two children, a boy and a girl. Most importantly, a boy with the surname of Song. Guo felt in his heart a solace that he could barely contain without bursting into exuberant exclamation. A man should have a legacy! A Clan needs new blood! With a grandson whose name was Song, the family surname could survive, and this was a comfort Guo could take to the grave. What a boon of unexpected fortune born from the calamity that was his wayward son! Finally, he could visit the Ancestors' Hall and tell them that the line would remain, that they needn't adopt a branch family member to fill the gap. Finally, Guo could face the grave with the peace of knowing that he had left something in this world that was tangible. But Guo had to act fast. Like himself, the Yin energies of elemental Salt possessed the boy. It meant that they must retrieve the boy and put him in training as soon as possible. He must learn to control his powers, learn to minimalise the damage to his body. Percy must undergo extensive rituals with the Amulet's blessing to bolster his defences against the draining of his vitality. Guo clenched his hands, balling them into a pair of tight fists. “Thank you, Ancestors, for this blessing,” he exclaimed silently. “I’ll not fail the Clan of Song!” A polite knock came from the door. Guo relaxed, returning himself to his usual, calm demeanour. “Come in.” “Colonel.” It was Captain Fu, his aide. “Jun— Captain Song has just entered the compound. Should I bring him here?” “Did Ah-Jun state his purpose?” Guo furrowed his bushy brows, his jowls jiggling with disapproval. “He has informed the administrators' office that he is removing prisoner 1403's and placing her under house arrest. The order comes from the office of the Internal Security Deputy Chairman, Secretary Li.” Guo sighed; he had anticipated interference. He would have preferred to observe his ‘granddaughter’ for a few more days, having arranged a host of probes to plumb her hidden talents. “It's fine. And Fu, remember— not a word gets out.” “Yes, Sir.” Guo took a sip of his tea and pursed his thin lips. His eyes fell on the report in his hands. The girl was in trouble, but she was also his granddaughter. Disposing of her was out of the question; it was heartless and, importantly, a waste of potential. Returning her to Sydney was likewise out of the question. The Americans and the Brits, even the Central Europeans, would have a field day if they could get their hands on a teenage Magus with Yin and Yang dual-Elemental Affinity. No, for the girl to grow, she would need backers. That would mean having her worth proven and sanctioned— itself a trial by fire, like a koi trying to leap over the dragon gate; it could cost her life. In his country, it is said that the Kirin who soared above the planes of servitude and slavery must command strong winds, for it is a sad spectacle to see a noble beast strapped and saddled by mortal men. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. What a thing for Hai to bring into the world. What an irresponsible father his son was. What a burden for an old man and woman to bear. "Fu, I am returning to the compound. Tell Corporal Bao to bring the car around." "Yes, Sir!" If he knew his wife, the banquet was already being prepared. All that was left was to see how honest Gwen was willing to be. “Um… can I ask if Colonel Song is coming back anytime soon?” Gwen inquired the NoM Corporal who came to deliver her first meal in China, batting her lashes to entice a response from the stone-faced guard. She may as well be wringing blood from a rock. The young man averted Gwen's gaze as though she was the mythical Medusa. She was sure it was a test. The minuscule, five-foot-four Corporal looked as though he’d never heard of a dangerous Void Mage before, opening a small segment of the portal so that he could put the tray into her cell. The tray consisted of two steamers, a bowl of soup and a square box of rice. Also, she’d been given metal utensils in the western style - a knife, spoon, and a fork. She had no mana, of course, but had she been a real espionage agent; she could surely dice the man a dozen ways and use his access to escape somehow. The Corporal obliviously retracted his hands and left the cell, still avoiding her gaze. “Thank you!" Gwen called out. The Corporal fled. Gwen sighed. She opened a steamer. Inside were pork buns, like the juicy kind she’d had in her old world. They had become popular enough to be almost omnipresent in the late 2010s, mainly where the Australian-Chinese congregated. Perhaps the food was poisoned or drugged? There was no need for that. It wasn’t as though the Colonel Grandfather lacked for mind-reaping Mages. She picked one up and popped it into her mouth. Hot! Hot! Hot! The internal juices were boiling. Does this world even have microwaves? The searing pain inside her mouth was a pizza-pocket disaster the temperature of the sun. The tray below held more buns, this time a vegetarian option. Gwen guessed the mere fact that her meal wasn’t mouldy bread and grey water was evidence enough to suggest that her grandfather had at least acknowledged her existence. She won't be harmed; he had told her, though his tone was hardly reassuring. Gwen wondered if Gunther had gotten the word and was trying to figure out a way to retrieve her. Would her brother-in-craft realise that Percy may be a target as well since Morye was himself a target? Would Gunther feel accountable for sending Morye with Gwen? Was the circumstance of their abduction entirely outside of Sydney's sphere of influence, especially now that the Tower was in ruins? She didn’t know the answer to any of these questions. She could only sip the salty pork-bone soup and use the spoon to mash the buns into the empty bowl before eating them, sitting crossed-legged in the manner that she had done so when they ate bush tucker back in Australia. It was food for NoMs, greasy and insubstantial, without an ounce of restorative mana. But she was very, very hungry. She was still trying to masticate through a bun, her burnt lips glossy with grease, when her father’s face suddenly appeared at the perspex panel, grinning from ear to ear. “Puuufft—!” The apparition was so startling that she spat out the dumpling, sending forth a spray of pink-mince and fatty-lard all over the pane. “Sorry!” her father's phantom exclaimed. “Shall I come back later?” Gwen swallowed. There had been no fanfare from the guards. How was it possible that her father had come here? Wasn’t he bloody and bruised? Had he been cured, healed, restored? Was he free? Was this what he had meant when he told her earlier that she should be free soon? Why not just say it to her straight? If so, why the ambiguous communiqué?! “Not eating then? Well then, how are you?” It was Morye's voice, but not his voice. This voice was deep and resonant. He was looking at her with a mouth full of delight, trying to hold back from laughing out loud. Different to her father, there was sunniness about the man that made her feel strange inside. “Morye?” Gwen replaced her bowel onto her tray. "Morye, what did grandfather say about Percy?" Her ‘father’ looked at her strangely. “Who is Percy?” Gwen moved to a splatter-free part of the perspex pane. Their eyes met. Morye's irises were of a lighter hue; this ‘Morye’ had eyes that were like two obsidian orbs, the eyes of her Grandfather. ‘You're not Morye," Gwen stated awkwardly, her heart pounding like a jackaroo. “I am Jun. Jun-Song, I suppose you can call me Uncle.” Her uncle's smiling face even had the same way of curling the edge of one lip, though Jun's was less sardonic and more jocular like there was a big joke somewhere that only he understood. “Uncle…” Gwen tried to wrap her mind around the doppelganger thing. Her grandfather had said something about a brother. “Are you Morye… Hai’s twin?” “He’s older by a year.” Her uncle maintained a satisfied smirk. “Sorry for surprising you.” “It’s alright.” Gwen looked around for a napkin, eyeing the bedsheet. So much for first impressions. “One sec, I’ll let you out.” To her surprise, the perspex screen dematerialised. Gwen, who had a hand pressed against its surface, fell forward into her Uncle’s arms. “Woah there, hold it steady.” Jun chuckled, bracing Gwen as she slipped from the cell. Outside and away from the anti-mana shielding, she felt immediately restored, as if a woman dying of thirst had plunged into the sweet pool of a fresh-water oasis. Just like that? Was she free to go? What about her grandfather’s ire? Could she just waltz out of here, right now? Gwen pulled herself away, her face beet-red. There was a strange sense of familiarity that she felt when their hands touched, as though she'd known the man for a long time. It was a puzzling enough feeling that she paused to take a good gander at ‘Uncle’ Jun. His face was like her father’s but had in its possession a tighter musculature that made his jaws more defined and gracile. His eyes were darker than Morye’s, his brows bushier; Gwen further noted alarmingly that rather than a broad, five-o-clock shadow, Jun sported a villainous goatee. She hoped at once that this didn’t mean Jun was her father’s mirror-world villain, though it was difficult to imagine anyone could be more destructive than her father when it came to hurting his loved ones. “Uncle Jun,” Gwen began. “Can I leave?" “You can leave this cell; if that’s what you’re asking. You can leave this facility too.” Her uncle answered, scratching the back of his head abashedly. “But if you’re wondering if you can leave the city… well, that’s a conversation for another time.” “Oh.” Gwen's face transformed from gladness to dourness. “Chin up,” her uncle intoned merrily. “You'll love it here. Let's get some fresh air and I'll tell you about what's going to happen from here on out.” When they approached the double doors, Jun knocked. The doors slid open, revealing two guards who saluted crisply. “At ease.” Jun ushered Gwen through without so much as batting an eye. The guards had made no motion to impede their exit, which eased her frayed nerves. “Thank you, Uncle Jun.” She simpered sweetly, wondering if her 'uncle' responded to charm better than her marble-miened grandfather. “Thanks for getting me out of there.” “Don’t mention it,” Jun beamed back, giving Gwen a boost of confidence. “Although, we should get moving before the old man changes his mind.” “No more tests? Or interrogations?” Gwen glanced back at her cell, her voice hopeful and uncertain. She wasn’t about to go back in there without kicking and screaming, but her grandfather did not seem like someone who would let an allegation of espionage just walk through the door. “He's just paranoid.” Jun’s voice was more resonant than her fathers, more distinct and debonair. “Not to mention I am supremely confident in your future honesty." Gwen looked away, hoping that her flushed face wasn't too noticeable. The reinforced compound they proceeded throughout began to change after the second level, the exposed concrete giving way to matt-white walls smelling of diffused silica. They soon approached a checkpoint, where intervals of lumen-globes threw their shadowy outlines against the partitions. “We’re not going to teleport out?” “Not possible,” her uncle informed her. “There are Teleportation Circles here that you can teleport into, but once you’re in, the only way out is on your feet.” She then saw the soldiers, a dozen of them stationed at the checkpoint. When they had turned the shallow corner, a few of them sat at a table with what appeared to be a scanning device. Two men stood alongside an iron gate with bars as thick as Gwen’s arm, refracting the cold light from the corridor beyond. Is this the final barrier? Gwen wondered. Was her deliverance beyond this particular portal? “Officer present!” The soldiers saluted. “Comrades.” Jun saluted back. “Sir!” The corporals all looked to be in their twenties, but the officer was an older man, a Sergeant by the looks of his lapels. He measured Gwen with his eyes, alternating between curiosity and consternation. To her surprise, the sergeant offered Jun a cigarette, which he accepted. One of the corporals lit the fag with a flame cantrip, watching as Jun took a luxurious pull. “American Marlboro? When did you get so tasteful, Cho?” “Heehee, glad you like it, Cap, got it from my uncle, over at Putong.” “It’s smooth as hell; I'll give you that. I’ll bring you something next time as well if I get a chance.” “Sure thing, Captain. Now, if I may inquire—” Chow pocketed the red-white packet. His gaze moved over to Gwen, who tried her best to look innocent. I am just a teenager. Gwen willed herself to look as harmless as humanely possible. I am a bipedal lamb. “Is your withdrawal… off the record?” Jun rapped the old Sergeant's shoulder appreciatively. “Chow, are you suggesting I would attempt to circumvent the bureaucratic stranglehold of our fine intelligence establishment?” Jun asked with mock incredulity. “Sir?” Chow smiled nervously, immediately trying to laugh off his scepticism. “It’s alright.” Jun comforted the veteran. His rice bowl wasn’t going to shatter today. “This is a family matter. Powers greater than we are at play here. Give me the discharge form.” The sergeant breathed a sigh of relief and handed Jun a slate, which he signed with a flourish. “There we are.” Jun gave the man a friendly grin. “No one is going to dissipate into thin-air today, hmm?” “Heh, you know it, Sir.” “Gwen?” Jun motioned for her to follow, and she demurely obeyed, keeping her eyes downcast. What did he mean by dissipating? Did people just disappear around here? A set of dense, multi-pronged keys was produced, unlocking the intricate mechanical lock embedded within the transmuted iron gate. When Gwen and Jun had passed, the soldiers looked at one another and wiggled their eyebrows. “What do you suppose that was?” one of the men asked his Sergeant, still feeling star-struck. “Who is he?” another guard asked, then added more meaningfully while licking his chops. “And who’s the young lady?” Sergeant Chow turned to the one who spoke. “Su, how long you been here?” “Two months, Sir.” “And you’ve never heard of or seen Captain Song?” “Wait, that was Captain Song? THE Captain Song?” The rest of the men nodded. The Corporal’s face burned. “Do you think it's too late for an autograph?” The rest of the men broke out in uproarious laughter, punching the embarrassed soldier in mockery. “I’ll get one for you next time, Su.” “Who was the girl, Serge?” the corporal gave the man a thumbs up. "She was like this." “Don’t know, didn’t see her go in, and I’ve been on duty the last three days.” “Think she’s an actress or something?” The men turned to look at Slow Su with ridicule. If the intelligence office were keeping members of the Cultural Performance Committee in its secretive holding cells, it would undoubtedly be dangerous to be wagging tongues in jest. “Corporal Su?” “Yeah, Serge?” “Shut up and go back to your post. The rest of you, zip it.” Chow felt the weight of the slate in his hand, looking up to see the distant figure of the girl walking up the stairs. Who was the girl? He wondered. When she had passed him, his hair had stood on end. Whatever she was, his combat instincts told him she was no less dangerous than Jun. Another checkpoint later, Gwen and Jun exited the basement level and entered the interior of a public building with a civic centre's facade. Gargantuan marble columns held up towering ceilings adorned with etched bronze plates, florid with imprints depicting the founding of the Communist nation. To Gwen, the feeling of space was immediately liberating after having spent a day and night inside the containment chamber, with nought but bare concrete walls and a perspex pane for companionship. Exhaling loudly, she stretched out her body, enjoying the open air, feeling her bones creak. Her actions drew strange looks from passersby in dark suits and olive khaki, a few others in digital-camo. It was her foreignness, her height, her being the odd one out. Immediately, she retracted her arms and tried to make herself smaller. Her uncle stopped beside her and gave her an appraising look. “I am afraid your height is going to give you that reaction wherever you go in the city, Gwen. You're as tall as a man, even taller if you're going to wear fashionable clothing. Think it'll bother you?” Gwen shook her head; she was used to it. It cost her nothing for others to stare, and at any rate, it wasn’t as though she could help it. “Are you the same height as Dad, Uncle Jun?" Her uncle was just a smidgen shorter than her. “I am superior by a centimetre.” Jun smirked, his eyes sparkling mischievously. Now that they were away from the uncertain light of the bunker, Gwen could inspect Jun in the light of his full glory. Jun's face was more defined and taut than her father, more muscular and chiselled with darker eyes that gave him a solemn demeanour. He had on a casual jacket over a white Tee, wore over tapered military cargos, completed with a thick, brown leather belt. Underneath the dark blazer, his shirt wrapped around well-defined pictorials that were like carved granite. Gwen had never thought her father good looking, although many women would contest that her father was very handsome. But now that she’s seen the same face plastered onto her uncle, she had to admit that her father's innumerable willing victims may be onto something. Jun warily pulled his jacket inward. “I don't like that look,” he laughed. "What? Too strange seeing your father's face on mine?" Gwen laughed as well. It felt like the first time she’d smiled in weeks, even though less than forty-eight hours had passed. “You're dressed for the weather, at least. It's a steamer outside today.” Her uncle straightened up, then struck a thumb toward the sunny space just outside the building’s enormous floor to ceiling doors embossed with oriental motifs. "It's a short walk to the car though, let us proceed as quickly as we can." Gwen followed Jun across the threshold, where she felt something wash over her body as they passed. Some barrier spell, maybe, or perhaps a scanning Glyph, Gwen wasn’t sure. There were so many things here, contraptions and magic items of convenience, all of which Sydney lacked. Immediately, a wave of hot air struck her like a hammer, plastering her with humidity. It felt as though she’d walked into a sauna. “How is it? Monsoon season in Shanghai.” Jun chuckled as he watched Gwen wilt like a flower under the sultry heat. “It feels like Singapore—” Gwen groaned. “Are there overlapping Shield Stations here?” “Ah, you know the microclimate well,” Jun gave her a thumbs up. “Too many magical effects in too dense a location, generating far too much heat. Without the easterly breeze from the South China Sea to take away the miasma, the city cooks like a crab steamer.” Gwen felt as though she was melting. Her eyeliner wasn’t waterproof, so if they stayed any longer, she would be crying like a Demi-human with a calamari lineage. A hundred meters later, her arms and legs were dripping with a sheen of moisture. There was something about the heat that made it even worse than Singapore or the Jungle. In a way, the feverish metropolis was like a sad metaphor for her present condition, caught within the city, unable to escape, slowly simmering as she simmered in the crab pot. They proceeded to the end of the civic century’s concrete superstructure, where a row of cars parked end to end. “B-7.” Jun drew a glyph in the air. It floated toward the attendant, an elderly looking man with a blue Municipal Officer's uniform. “Right away, Sir.” A moment later, a levitating platform retrieved an SUV, gently depositing the vehicle onto the pavement. What Gwen couldn't help noticing was that the man was an NoM, and yet here he was, operating a magical device. “Bill it to Internal Revenue,” Jun told the man, who bowed from the waist before returning to his post. Watching the NoM attendant leave, Gwen turned her attention to the car, wondering what it was that people in the ‘tier 1’ cities drove. In Sydney, the vehicles mainly consisted of older models. To her surprise, Jun's SUV was a Jeep, or at least it looked like a Jeep. It had four elongated slits across the front grill that formed the focal point of a boxy facade. Additionally, the urban 4x4 sat on lifted suspension and custom archways, with an open-air roof protected by a sturdy roll cage. “That’s your car?” Gwen asked her uncle despairingly, dripping sweat from every pore. She hoped that the car would have been an enclosed space to dry her out. From the looks of it, she was more likely to leave an embarrassing Gwen shaped sweat-stain on her uncle’s pristine leather seats. “Good grief, Gwen.” Jun urged her to get into the car. Instantly, her drenched body became cooled by a pleasant breeze. The open-air vehicle was air-conditioned! An air-conditioned convertible! O, the miracle of Spellcraft! She praised the minds that created this boon; the world had become a better place for their invention. “How do you guys live down-under? I heard it hits forty-five down there.” Jun hopped in. “There’s a decanter in the glove, cups too if you're thirsty.” “Its dry heat, so it’s not that bad,” Gwen replied, feeling the cold leather luxuriously. True to Jun’s word, a nozzle connected to an endless decanter was installed conveniently next to some paper cups. Gwen placed a cup under the spigot, watching it dispense cool, purified water. The water was enough to refresh her mind and body. She was still hungry, but the water could tide her over until more substantial food could be sourced to feed her Void hunger. With an incantation, her uncle started the Jeep, revving up its mana-cores. Unlike the Commonwealth nations, the Chinese made vehicles were left-hand drive. The mana engine thrummed until it grew into a throaty roar, transmuting its power through her feet and legs. Her uncle materialised a baseball cap and a pair of aviators from a Storage Ring. Wordlessly watching her Uncle, Gwen wondered if Jun resembled a Eurasian James Dean. “Welcome to Shanghai.” Her uncle grinned, his thin lips opening to reveal pearly-white teeth. “Ready to meet your Grandmother?”

Shanghai. Even in Gwen's old world, the Pearl of the Orient was a city of outlandish origins. The name of the city itself means "the town upon the sea". However, the indigenous fishermen who named it couldn't have imagined that it would become the single most significant trading city in Asia Major. Unlike China's other trade hubs, it was the Opium Wars that gave bloody birth to the city's foundations, forcefully opening the sleepy fishing village at the tip of the Yangzi delta to international trade. The following decades tumultuous time for Shanghai; a city carved up into autonomous concessions administered by the British, French, and Americans, all beyond the withered reach of the failing Qing Dynasty. Concurrently, each colonial presence brought its particular flavour, making the city an eclectic mecca of cultures. By the 1930s, Shanghai was a melting pot, a cosmopolitan metropolis, taking on its own identity, attracting natives and foreigners alike. In its heyday, the city upon the Sea was the place to be— it had the best art, the most fabulous architecture, and the most bustling trade in Asia. The city had the sleaziest dance halls, the most lascivious brothels, the glitziest restaurants, the most expensive international clubs, including the world's single longest bar. Shanghai was a city of sin that catered to every whim of the rich and powerful; even as abject poverty ran alongside the affluent, many of the underclasses, primarily Chinese, provided the cheap labour that kept the city running. The Mageocracy called it the Paris of the East. Then began the Sino conflict of WWII. But this world, with its magic and monsters, had never seen the Second World War. Or at least that's what Gwen had learned in the discourse of Blackwattle's limited history classes. In this world, The Second World War was man against the Beast Tide in the spring of '71, awakened by the awakening of an ancient Dragon in central Europe that threw man's unprepared realm into anarchy. In the aftermath, borders were redrawn, countries shrunk by halves, cities became isolated, and the known world splintered into zones, from the inhabitable death-worlds of the Black Zones to the contested, resource-rich Green Zones. Gwen wondered if she would at all recognise the sprawling metropolis they were about to enter. She did not. That much was self-evident the moment they entered the orbital highway. In Gwen's old reality, Shanghai was already one of the most developed cities in the world. In this alter-existence, Shanghai was far more extensive— a sprawling mass of skyscrapers that resembled pyramidal hive-cities, with its epicentre congealing into a solid wall of superstructures towering well over the rest of the city. As Gwen and Jun cruised through the Second Orbital-Loop, they came face to face with walls of high rise apartments, identical fabrications in clumps of a dozen or more, sprouting from the flat earth like bamboo after the spring rain. There were so many of them, gleaming wetly in grey, ochre, lime and off-white, that they blotted out the sun as the highway ran its circumference. "Those are NoM housings." Her uncle pointed out. "Pretty good, actually, despite how they look. There are small parks below the apartments, underground shopping malls too. Vivacious places, good food, if you don't mind the NoM stuff. When they clump, we called it a District. Each one has an assigned number." "Where do the Mages live?" Gwen asked. If there was a Second Orbital Loop, was there a first? And a third and fourth? Did the real estate determine the social strata of those living in Shanghai? "Here and there, depending on your profession," her uncle replied. "We're going to the new district in the Third Orbital Loop, where members of the Party have private residences." Gwen turned to the cityscape, taking in the vista of the sprawling city, splayed like an etherised patient under a sweltering pseudo-summer brought by the mana-smog. "Can you tell me about Dad?" she asked when they passed under a series of Illusion-enchanted billboards dozens of meters across. One displayed a three-dimensional illusion depicting a kind, middle-aged gent with a benevolent, Buddha-like gaze, looking out over the highway with infinite patience. A series of Chinese characters next to his face translated to, "Premier Wen implores you to live in harmony and civic responsibility," in large, red pictograms. In the next second, just before they passed it, the image transitioned into that of a gorgeous blond with effeminate, elfin features, hair blowing out into the wind. The slogan for this one read, "Head and Shoulders: Who says gorgeous, dandruff-free hair can't smell gorgeous?" "About Hai?" Jun considered her question once Gwen peeled her eyes from the adverts. "Alright, shoot." "Okay," Gwen gathered her thoughts. "Who did Dad murder? WHOA!" The sudden inertia caused Gwen to lurched forward as Jun swerved the car onto the shoulder lane. "He did what now?" Jun turned toward her, making Gwen breakout in a terrific cold sweat. Curiously, the cars that screeched and braked did not honk. Instead, they placidly drove by with caution and politeness. "We're on military plates," her uncle explained, catching Gwen's puzzlement. "So, tell me again." "There was this time in Singapore when I pushed Morye about why he wanted to leave China, a tier 1 city, and he said that he 'killed' someone he shouldn't have." "And?" "That's it; he refused to say anything else after." Jun scratched his goatee. "That's…" Her uncle's face momentarily lit up with an epiphanic comprehension. "Wow, Hai, you weasel." "Uncle?" Gwen's felt her curiosity well whetted. "Well, I think I know what your father meant. It's Hai, by the way, don't let grandfather hear you use his alias. In our culture, names have a peculiar inference, and it is disrespectful to reject a name bestowed by the ancestors." Gwen dipped her chin in acknowledgement. She wondered if the ancestors would accept her foreign name or if she would have to acquire a new one. In her old world, she had Asian colleagues who had two names, one for public and another for private. "So, about my father?" "I've only a hypothesis," Jun replied after a moment of hesitation. "At any rate, out of respect for Hai, I think he should be the one to tell it." Resuming the journey, their Jeep turned from the six-lane orbital highway onto an adjoining sky bridge. An overhead sign indicated an off-ramp that connected to the Third Outer Loop. Jun slid the wheel through his hands and allowed the car to coast down the spiralling ramp. The mana-engine thrummed as the flywheel picked up the momentum, holding the Jeep's velocity at a steady cruise. The Jeep then decelerated as it entered a residential zone, where the bare concrete of the freeway gave way to rows of giant cypress lining both sides of a broad, two-lane avenue. Another half a kilometre passed before their Jeep turned into a parkland gated community. A plaque in Chinese read "Hamlet of the Plum Blossoms." "We're here," Jun announced. The siheyuan's entrance announced a four-section town-house complex. Alright, Gwen took a deep breath. Time to meet her gran-maker. Here was the family that she had wholly neglected in her previous life. There were no expectations here, no clues, nothing to indicate their likes and dislikes. She was a stranger in a strange land, held captive by powers beyond her ken. Jun gave her a confident smile and stepped in; Gwen steeled her spine and followed. The courtyard was erected in the old Chinese style, though constructed with new composite materials. The square, as Gwen entered, was an open-air atrium-garden split toward four pathways; one toward the exit lobby, the other three leading toward an open communal hall, the bedrooms, and an extensive training ground. It was the communal hall that now solemnly awaited them. Gwen wetted her lips and stepped in. She felt shaken up, not unlike the time she had to propose a project to the board at McKinsey's for her first internship. The hall itself was a two-storey building with a vaulted ceiling held up by two massive beams painted in deep scarlet, richly lacquered and edged with dusky gold. A set of Chinese characters prefaced the plaque hanging overhead with many pictographic characters, whose meaning her Ioun Stone mangled. "Country... justice..." the other two words remained cryptic. Gwen felt as though she travelled back in time into a period setpiece. A faded crimson rug, two dozen meters in length, led her eyes toward the centre of the spacious chamber, where two dark mahogany chairs sat side by side with a side table between them. Flanking the seats were four more sets of smaller chairs, four on each side, lining either side of the carpet runner. Currently, only one of the seats remained occupied. To Gwen's complete and utter surprise, the matriarch was a foreign-looking woman with flowing silver hair that framed her petite face, possessing a much younger appearance than her bearing suggested. Her skin glowed with near-supernatural vitality, radiating a halo of kindness and benignity. The woman, she presumed, would be her "Grandmother". "Welcome, Granddaughter. My name is Klavdiya." Her grandmother's voice was like gently flowing water. "Grandmother!" Gwen paced across the carpet quickly. When she came within speaking distance, Gwen realised she had no idea what to do. She didn't know any Chinese greetings. Was there a protocol to follow, some ritual to perform? Hopefully, she needn't kowtow, at least not in public. In the end, she curtsied like she'd done in Sydney for the senior Mages and her instructors. "That's sweet, dear, though a bow would have sufficed." Her grandmother observed; the old woman's expression was mystical and mysterious. Their eyes met. Klavdiya possessed a heart-shaped face familiar to herself, sharing the same straight nose, the same pursed lips, the same correspondingly high cheekbones. Unlike herself, Klavdiya had a thick head of silvery-flaxen tresses that bespoke of her age even as her face gave off a youthful exuberance. Gwen had always wondered why she didn't particularly resemble her father or mother - though she did have her mother's eyes - and now the mystery was solved. It was her grandmother whose features she had inherited. "You may call me Nainai, or grandmother, or babushka, though 'babulya' certainly wouldn't be amiss should the fancy catch you." Her grandmother intoned with a voice full of quiet wisdom. Babulya, it is then, Gwen told herself. She liked how the word rolled off the tongue with its triple-tap of syllables. Her babulya then stepped off the impressively sized mahogany chair and confidently sauntered toward Gwen, who felt indecisively welded to the spot by a mess of uncertain emotions. To Gwen's shock, despite her presence, her babulya was barely five-foot-two. She must have gotten her height from her mother's side. Her babulya wore a comfortable smock shaped from a simple tunic paired with an ankle-length skirt, capped off with a pair of dark cotton walking flats. More strikingly, despite babulya's venerable age, her spine was ramrod straight; her shoulder squared and poised, her chin held high— though that may be because Klavdiya was looking up toward Gwen's face. Then she opened her arms and embraced Gwen at the waist. Gwen lowered herself by a head's height so that their faces could meet, welcoming the cuddle with all her heart. Klavdiya gave Gwen a hearty peck on both cheeks. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Finally! A granddaughter as tall as the girls I used to know from the mother country!" Her babulya exclaimed excitedly, patting Gwen's head gingerly and touching her face and shoulders. "Good bones too, strong and well-formed. Oh, I think you have a bit of growing left in you yet!" When Klavdiya's hand found its way under her chin to extract the amulet hanging there, Gwen felt a sudden quickening of her pulse. "You have the Kirin?" Her babulya seemed startled by the find. "I do," Gwen replied, sliding a hand between her blouse and removing the jade pendant for Klavdiya's inspection. "No need to give it back." Her babulya patted the space between her chest. "It's yours— if Hai had given it. It will be of great benefit to you in the future." Gwen carefully slipped the amulet back between her bosoms, where it sat snugly, diffusing its gentle warmth. "So, let's take a good gander at you." Klavdiya pulled herself back, gently pinning Gwen's arms to her waist. She still couldn't believe how young her grandmother looked. After all, her father was thirty-seven, meaning that at best, her Klavdiya was in her mid-fifties, an impressive feat for a woman with three children and four grandchildren. "Detect Magic!" Babulya's eyes glowed with the magic of Divination, mixed in with a radiant aura of positive energy that formed a visible halo over her temple. Gwen felt a wave of warmth emit from her babulya's hands, washing over her Astral Body. It was a familiar feeling she had known many times before from another diminutive angel. "You're… a healer?" Gwen blurted out. Who'd have thought that her babulya was a healer of all things? From the way Guo had behaved, Gwen had imagined that either Klavdiya was a femme fatale of unfathomable power or a bronze-faced babushka with an iron palm. "You've got quite a few hidden injuries there, my dear granddaughter," her grandmother frowned. "The second-rate healers of the tier 2 cities are not trained to deal with magical injuries fully, and from the looks of it, you have taken quite a beating. There are parts of your body that have sustained extensive regeneration, but it doesn't appear to have meshed well with your pre-existing flesh." Gwen ran a hand over her chest, across her shoulders, then over her abdomen. She had indeed felt a little unused to the youthfulness of her new body, as though parts of her were slightly out of sync. "But now that you are here, we can heal you." Klavdiya smiled gently, bringing a gentle hand to meet Gwen's own. "Come, come, sit with me." She directed Gwen toward a chair adjacent to her own. Beside them, Jun took an opposite seat. "You must have suffered much while in the Frontier." Klavdiya clicked her tongue a few times to drive the point home. "Sydney is not a bad city by any means, but the constant exposure to the Mermen must have taken a terrible toll." "It was alright, Babulya," Gwen replied carefully. "I have friends there who are faithful and loyal, as well as mentors who helped me out during the year and a half since I had Awakened." "Oh, I am sure." Her grandmother gently patted Gwen's hand. Klavdiya had almond eyes that were amber flecked with bits of sunburst yellow. Gwen wondered if that was her babulya's natural colour or if years of training with Positive Energy had altered her irises, just as the Lightning Element added to the emerald of her eyes. Feeling the unadulterated amiability radiating from her grandmother, Gwen sensed the time had come for her to appeal. "Babulya," Gwen inquired carefully, holding steady her tone and cadence. "Do you think it is at all possible that grandfather will let me return to Sydney?" Her babulya smiled. "Would you like me to be honest with you, my dear?" "Yes, Babulya." "Alright." Her grandmother held her hand. "In a moment, your grandfather will come home—" At the mention of Guo, Gwen's chest hurt, constricting her diaphragm with an acidic twist. "—and then we are going to have a banquet. You are then going to meet the rest of the family." Gwen nodded demurely, unthawing herself through force of will. "After that, you, me, Grandfather and Jun, we are going to sit down, right here, and we are going to have a nice, long conversation..." Gwen acknowledged her second chance. When her father had told Gwen about her paternal family, Gwen had fantasised about meeting them. It was a strange and giddy sensation to have another chance at reliving a life that she'd neglected a lifetime ago. As much as she had to remind herself that she was roughly abducted and brought into the home as one under house arrest, she was still appreciative that such an opportunity existed at all. It was a silver lining playbook sort of thing. Perhaps, Gwen thought to herself, she should think of her father's unwitting error as an accidental accelerant that pushed forward her timetable. That way, her bitter pill was easier to swallow. Family. An extended family. What a strange thing to find later in life. "Alright, Babulya." Gwen squeezed her grandmother's hands. "I'll tell you everything I can." "Such a good child." Her babulya had a twinkle in her eye that Gwen recognised. It was a look of sly triumph. Were her grandparents playing a bad cop, good cop routine? Gwen wondered. It didn't matter. If she were going to commit to the path ahead, there would be no room for lingering regrets, at least not with her grandfather's bloodhound's nose for conspiracy. As Gwen played with potential scenarios in her head, she became struck by a delightfully wicked thought. What if she told Grandfather and the MSS about Elizabeth? The number of people who knew the truth could be counted on one hand. What if Gwen told them about Elizabeth, her powers, what she had done in Sydney, and sold her worst enemy for Contribution Credits? She didn't have to inform the entire truth; of course, her Master's many acts of misplaced mercy would be omitted, and Elizabeth Winsted Sobel would simply be a psychotic rogue Mage returned from the dead to wreak havoc upon a man who had almost rid the world of her taint. Wouldn't it be fun to sic a beautiful little Interpol warrant on that nasty woman? It would perhaps flush her out from hiding, where Gunther and Alesia would be waiting for her. On that same note, Gwen's mind raced. What did the tier 1 cities know of the Void Element? Indeed, if the bloodline of Song practised the power of Salt, they would know plenty about the dangers of utilising Quasi-negative Elements. If her father couldn't help her, maybe her grandfather could? She could finally share with someone her worries and fears about Caliban's powers, perhaps receive some guidance in mitigating its effects. Even if they refused to take her in, perhaps they could give her a hand. Her grandfather was a stone-faced spymaster, but what of her babulya? Perhaps uncle Jun or even her yet unseen aunt? Hell, if her father was willing to return to the fold, maybe she could take advantage of that? Beggars couldn't be choosers, especially if she desired to see her friends again. There was most definitely a play she could execute here. "Gwen?" Her babulya tapped Gwen's hand as the poor girl appeared to have drifted off into space after she had announced Guo's imminent arrival. "Don't worry about your grandfather. He's an old softy once you get past the spiky exterior. Think of him as a Horn-back Pangolin. There's nothing to fear." "Of course, Babulya, I was just thinking, that's all." "I am sure you were, dear." Babulya looked across the courtyard, toward the gate. "Why don't you go and get changed? Give him a fresh, new impression. I've prepared something suitable for you in the guest room. It would do you both good to not remind him of the Sky-Prison." "I will, Babulya," Gwen replied, turning to look at Jun. "This side." Jun lead her away. "I'll show you to your room." My room. Gwen masticated the words carefully in her mouth. It looks like she was in for the long haul. If only they would let her contact Elvia or Yue, maybe even Gunther. Her 'room' was surprisingly situated not on the family's side of the siheyuan but in the East Wing, next to the Training Hall. It was a semi-detached single with a small closet, a bed and a bedside table. The room had no ensuite, for the bathrooms were adjacent, just inside the adjoining training hall. These were public bathrooms, but so long as the building remained unoccupied, Gwen would have her privacy. From the looks of it, the abode used to house instructors when they stayed to tutor the members of the household. More than anything, its location was a telltale sign of her current position within the house's hierarchy. Not quite in the family, not quite out— just close enough to be within hand's reach, but kept far away enough to be disposable. Her grandmother may play the simpering babulya, but her intentions were measured and precise. She was a woman who thought a dozen steps ahead, the Healer-wife of a spymaster. Having inspected her new home, Gwen relaxed. Now that their respective positions were transparent, it made her calmer. "Be out soon." Jun left Gwen at the door and went to oversee the banquet. Gwen found a mixed East-West ensemble within the closet, a one-piece, knee-length blue skirt with a cheongsam blouse for the upper body, embroidered with a Ming-vase filigree. Gwen slipped the dress overhead and clasped its butterfly knot buttons. Just as she was beginning to think it was too large, the gown shifted. The effect was so startling that Gwen yelped as the fabric tapered to her torso. She had to do a doubletake in the mirror to confirm that the dress had indeed resized itself. This mandarin dress was a miracle. What an excellent Enchantment! She marvelled. O brave new world that has such magic in it! She materialised a brush and smoothed out her hair, wrangling her mane into an oriental-looking coiffure, a cute little sideburn that she pinned down with several wire clips. For shoes, she brought out her lucky, veteran Mary-Janes. Gwen promised herself that if she had a chance, she would get them enchanted with a self-cleaning, self-polishing effect, for she had grown emotionally attached to the pair of shoes that had seen her through thick and thin. The overall effect was better than she had anticipated. The form-fitted cheongsam suited her well. She could be gracing the silver screen and not seem a single frame out of place. Right. Gwen thought to herself. Round two. "DAD?!" To her surprise, her father had arrived. He was healed and attired in a military jacket with matching olive pants. It was such a rare sight. The military outfit suited him. It made Morye look almost respectable. "Wow, you're out already?" Her father was surprised to see her too. "I guess we both should thank your grandmother, eh? Babulya!" Babulya shot him an expression that was at once scalding and tender. "Are you… alright?" Gwen approached her father, touching his face here and there. "Hey, HEY! That tickles, don't!" He protested loudly, embarrassed to be fussed over by his daughter in front of his family. Gwen had never seen her father like this before, so out of his element, so agitated and disturbed. It was fun. There was a loud cough. Guo Song, patriarch of the clan, dressed in a crisp military uniform, made his presence behind her father. "Grandfather." Gwen bowed deeply. Jun had taken her aside earlier and taught her how to do a Chinese greeting properly. "Mm," her grandfather grunted, looking over Gwen with a perspicacious gaze that acknowledged improvement in her mannerisms. "Let's get started. I am starving." "Not waiting for Tao and Mina?" Jun inquired. "We need to wait for Nen as well; she's likely trying to wrangle them." "They can be late!" Her grandfather blew two jets of disgruntled air from his nostrils and began to move. "Right, off we go then to the banquet hall!" Jun changed his tone as soon as Guo made a sour face. "Gwen, come with me." Within the main compound, in the open room cleared for the occasion, a giant banquet table sat, kitted for eight. Her grandfather, Guo. Her babulya, Klavdiya. Her uncle, Jun. Her father, Hai. Gwen. And three empty chairs. The NoM servants came and went like a stream of bees, though Gwen was flummoxed to see them all in military outfits. Was this another aspect of how NoMs lived in a tier 1 city, or was it a uniquely Chinese thing? There were so many of them, these servants, a dozen in all, who stood to attention behind the family as they each took their seats. Gwen waited until all of the others had seated before taking a seat herself. The food presented in front of her was decidedly beyond the ken of her limited vocabulary. Of all the dishes, a dozen in all, she could only recognise the pancakes as the famous Peking Duck. As for the others, she couldn't begin to guess. Beside her, Morye sat miserably, looking up at the ceiling wistfully, hoping he could be somewhere else, far away. Jun sat opposite the table, grinning at his elder brother with an ebullient expression, bathing in Morye's misery. Grandfather sat with his eyes closed as if in meditation, and grandmother fussed over the temperature of the oolong tea. "Hungry?" her uncle asked, watching Gwen's lips wetly salivating. He knew that she must be starving, but no one dared to eat without her grandfather touching the first dish. Gwen shook her head, but her wetly desperate eyes were terrible liars. "What's that?" Gwen indicated to a dish. "Ah, an old favourite— the palm of the Snow Bear, cooked with roe of the Yangzi-Sturgeon." "Right." "Oh, that one? Ah yes, this one is called the Golden Burning Brain." Gwen's eyes grew wide. "No! You silly goose, not 'brain', its made from bean curd simmered in a soup of Wildland pheasant, giblet of Mandarine Duck, and stewed with the Hooked-clawed Cock." "That sounds expensive..." "Don't fret, if you're disappointed that there's no brain, that right over there—" her uncle pointed with his chin as well toward a grey mass sitting in a creamy broth. "The brain of the Gibbon Shark, cooked two way in yin-yang soup. Be sure to take a big bowl later." Amazingly, her Void-hunger began to fade. She pointed to something that looked like frogspawn in pastry. "And that thing?" "That's just a regular egg tart; the wild vanilla seeds are rather large this year." She could eat that. Gwen thought to herself. Her eyes moved over to a bowl of clear jelly. "Good choice. That one is a family favourite!" "Is it coconut jelly? "What, no! That's the nest of the four-winged swallow, harvested fresh from a coastal Black Zone!" "You guys eat nests?" "It's not a nest," her father answered for her. "It's swallow." "The what?" "The SPIT of the swallow." Her father grinned at her. Gwen sighed. Egg tart it is. They waited for a few more minutes before finally, a growing clamour heralded the arrival of their final guests. Nen came through the door first, bowing and apologising for her tardiness. It wasn't hard to recognise her aunt because she looked just like Klavdiya, having the same face and mannerisms. Despite their similarity, however, there remained a telling difference between them. Nen lacked her babulya's dignified air of supreme competence that Klavdiya possessed. More so, watching Nen smiling blithely as her grandfather seethed gave Gwen the impression that her aunt may be a bit of a ditz. The following figure to come through the door was yet another alter-ego of Klavdiya's face, this time more distinctly Asian, complete with warm black hair. Where babulya had the amber, almond eyes of the Eastern Europeans, this girl, who Gwen would presume to be 'Mina', had dark, obsidian orbs like their grandfather, giving her a doll-like appearance that suited her expensive clothes. Their eyes met, and immediately Gwen felt an unbidden sense of hostility. She followed Mina's gaze until it landed on her mandarin dress. Ah. Gwen understood immediately; she was well-learned in the art of reading men and women. Mina must have coveted the dress, and now a lovely misunderstanding was upon them. Unlike Nen or Klavidya, Gwen couldn't tell Mina's age. For all she knew, she may be anywhere from fourteen to twenty-four. Goodness, Gwen thought to herself. What dangers must lie in this world for the men and women who wished to woo their healers! Then came a strange absence. The silence was a jarring lull in the bustle of the moment, where just a second ago, two women had burst through the doorway like blooming, noisy flowers. "Tao!" Guo's command cracked the air like a bullwhip. Slowly, "Tao" came through the partitioned door. Gwen's eyes almost popped out of her sockets. If she'd been eating the tarts, she would have gobbed the table like a spitting, four-winged swallow. Gingerly, her cousin walked across the threshold, lifting one leg above the other. ARE THOSE DROP-CROTCH LOW-SAG JEANS? The spectacle assailed her as though someone had king-punched her in the brain. The visual stimulus that assaulted her eyes was beyond belief. What was she seeing? Was she was still in China? With a stooped gait, Tao, her cousin, just walked in like someone from a 2010 hip-hop video with the prefix 'Lil' something. Unlike Nen or Mina, the boy wore ankle-height Nike sneakers in a blinding shade of white, low-rise jeans, two overlapping tee-shirts, one white and the other black, and a baseball cap too big for his head, worn slightly askew. He also had a black eye. All of Gwen's worries melted. There was nothing, no abduction, no threat of Room 101, that could top the absurdity of this moment. Is this real life? Or is this fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality? From the door, cousin Tao looked up. There must have been a sequence of genes missing somewhere, lost in the translation of generations. Tao had a face that looked like a man had mated with a surprised squirrel, creating a gaunt, skull-shaped head with deeply sunken sockets, from within which two startled looking amber orbs sat. To Gwen's surprise, Tao's eyes did not register Morye, his long-lost uncle of many years, but instead fell upon herself. The boy's face lit up like a man who'd suddenly discovered fire. "Yo wassup," he said, swinging his head back and forth, bobbing in Gwen's general direction. "Who's the hoe? She looks hella fresh." Gwen's world imploded. It was too much. She couldn't hold back. If she had to hold back her laughter now, she would die.

Some die for beauty. Some die for the truth. Gwen died trying to be polite. Her innate reaction was to unleash a hysterical cackle, to strike the table with her palms, laughing until her stomach was in stitches. But Gwen held back. Anyone who could act and say whatever they wanted in front of Guo was an asset Gwen wished to preserve. Who knew if one day Tao may become a helpful speakerphone, even if all she needed from him was a few words, in the right place, at the right time? So he called her the "H" word— feasibly, could Tao have meant it endearingly? It was no skin off her nose to ignore the insult. "I am your cousin. Gwen Song," she answered, standing from her seat to shake his hand. Having delivered his shocking entrance, Tao staggered towards the table. "I got chu, Fam." Tao threw her a gang sign. She shook his fingers. Gwen couldn't help but notice the young man's palm was slick and a little sticky. They sat. Guo's fury no less scalding than the bun Gwen ate in prison. Red-faced, the patriarch waited until his blood pressure had returned to a manageable level before he introduced Gwen and Morye to the latecomers. There was an audible gasp from Nen, whose eyes grew as round as quail eggs. "Hai!" You didn't notice?! Gwen stared at her aunty. Nen pushed back her chair, ran toward Morye, embraced him, and began rubbing her hands all over his face, raining a series of pecks on his grizzled cheeks. "Oh, I've missed you! We all thought you died!" Morye withstood the assault quietly and graciously, slumping back as though he was trying to survive a summer squall. With the greetings over, the banquet was finally ready. At the head of the table sat the patriarch with their children's matriarch, Nen sat on the left and the two sons on the right. Beside Nen was her daughter, Mina, who still glared at Gwen, and then it was Tao. Tao eyed the food a few times before his eyes moved onto Gwen, running over her mandarin dress like a dog panting over a steak. It wasn't so much as lecherous as it was comical, for the young man sported a prison-type hair cut, and his two watery, sleep-deprived eyes resembled poached eggs sitting on a pancake-flat face. On second thought, Gwen realised, it wasn't that Tao was leering at her, but that he could not help himself. His libidinous intent was attributed entirely to the unfortunate structure of his unpropitious face. His back, she noticed as well, was hunched, his chest sunken. Had he sustained some injury in the past? Gwen wondered, her eyes moving from his torso up toward his face, where his bruised eye throbbed. "Which hood you from?" Tao's head bobbed when he spoke, giving the impression of a nervous but also impatient chicken. "I am from Sydney." "Whoa! You from the Frontier, dawg? That's hardcore, yo, Props." "One second, Tao." Gwen turned toward her uncle. "Uncle Jun, I don't speak Chinese, so— is Tao's 'vernacular' 'for real' or is my Ioun Stone acting up?" "Oi!" Tao protested. "That's how mah B-Boys roll, dawg. Don't hate the playa!" Jun cringed as well. "He is er… 'for real', as they say." "Yeah, bitches!" "Well, I am happy to have met you, Tao." Gwen extended a white hand to pat Tao on the arm, spreading a little intimacy to break the ice. Tao stared at her slender fingers. "I thought you bumpkins are all farmers and shit, ya know?" He took her hand and studied it. "Why you all dolled up and shit? I reckon if you put on a party dress, you'll make Mina look like a bitch, haha!" "Brother!" Mina snapped at her brother, her pretty face screwing up into a scowl. "Be rude again, and I'll grow you an extra set of wisdom teeth." The older of the siblings instantly shrivelled. "Hi, I am Gwen." Gwen turned to Mina and likewise offered her hand. Mina stared at her hand. "Hello." Mina did not take it but instead threw her shade under her voluminous lashes, her doll-like, porcelain face taking on an aloof expression. Gwen retracted her hand and turned to look at Morye, who was enjoying a little schadenfreude of his own. Jun, meanwhile, looked as though he was already exhausted by his nephew and niece's shameful display. "It's good to see you're all getting along so well," Nen announced suddenly, oblivious to the fire. "Family should stick together! Hai, I am so happy you're back to life! I never believed it for a moment when they said you died." Morye fired back a smile as false as water, which Nen riposted with absolute earnestness. The radiant demeanour she put up made her father wince. "ENOUGH!" Her grandfather growled. Guo was very fond, or so it appears, of listening and watching in deathly silence before suddenly making an announcement. "Start eating!" And they did, despite Gwen being deathly afraid of the dishes. Her aunty Nen overzealously filled her bowl with bits and pieces of each exotic item, forcing Gwen to grit her teeth and embark on an alien Epicurean adventure. As the dinner progressed, Guo sat like a lord surveying his domain, his eyes moving from Gwen to the others, to her father and back to Gwen again. As Guo absentmindedly chewed through each dish, she could almost hear the gears turning inside his head; little cogs clinking into place as loops and hooks interconnected plots and projections. "Try this, dear; it's good for your Mana pool." Nen passed Gwen a bowl of "brain" that resembled tofu. Elvia likes Tofu; Gwen thought, therefore, she likes tofu. Eat the Tofu. "Thank you, Aunty." There were a hundred questions Gwen wanted to ask her father, but she would have to wait until after their soft interrogation by Guo. Beside Morye, Jun spoke patiently and meticulously, asking his brother about life in Sydney, asking how he survived without access to the Clan's resources. "I get by, you know? I guess the gift of not using any Salt magic was that I got to have kids, although the curse was that I got to have kids." Morye shot Gwen a glance. "Ha, you got me there." Jun chewed on his rice with a vacant expression. From her observations, Jun was the type to want kids. On the car trip, he had told her that when Morye disappeared, and it fell to him to continue to the line, he'd found out that he was infertile. To heal his lifeforce would mean giving up his talents for a decade, which wasn't an option. Her babulya seemed to be in conversation with her grandfather; their lips moved without sound, exchanging words which evaded her best attempts at eavesdropping. Mina, meanwhile, fiddled with what appeared to be a data slate, half distractedly going about dinner without engaging with anyone at the table. Without a single person to converse with, Gwen turned to Tao, who was digging through the dishes like a man who had just survived a famine. "So, cousin, who gave you that black eye?" "Sum wankstas." Tao hissed while chewing on a pork-trotter. "Details, perhaps? Surely a man such as yourself would have given as good as you received." "You talk like Babulya," Tao observed offhandedly. "Right." Gwen forced herself to calm. "So, tell me about the fight." Tao dropped the trotter and looked for a tart. With a mouth still full of crumbs, he began to regale his tale in great detail. "So, there was this motherfucker from the Lin Clan who wanted to fuck with my crew. My boys and I were like, hanging out n' chilling, minding our own business at the M, right. Then this prick shows up, and he's like, 'What brings you out here?" and I am like, 'What's it to you, Fuck Face?' Then he's like, 'Clean up your mouth, Tao.' Then I am like, 'Go fuck ya self.'" "Oh, my." Gwen listened with rapt fascination, a captive audience to Tao's Homeric epic. "Dat Lin fucker's a real tool, you know, the bitch-face dared to turn away from me. Like WHO DA FUCK turns away in a fight? So I am like, 'Bitch, take mah 'Ray of Frost!' And I nailed 'em right at the back of his fucking neck, hahaha." "Go on. Then what happened?" "The fuck you think happened, bitch? He turns around, and he's all like fired up and shit. Motherfucker's from a good bloodline, you know? I am like, 'Aw shit!' and he's like, 'Yeah, you little shit,' and I am like 'Bros! protect me!' and my bros are all like 'protect Peaches!'" "Who's Peaches?" "Bitch, you even listening? I am Peaches! Tao is Chinese for Peach, alright?" "Okay, Peaches. Go on." "Anyway, this Lin bitch right, he's about to fuck me up, you know. He's all fluffed and shit, fucking university wanker. Anyway, I am like, 'Bro. You want to fuck me up! Come at me. You know who my Dad is?' and he's like, 'What the fuck, are you mentally disabled? We went to junior school together. Our Dads golf on Sundays!' Then I am like, 'Fuck you!' That's when he hit me with his mother fucking hands, man! The fucker knew we're not allowed to duel in public spaces, so he beat me like an NoM!" "With his bare hands, you say?" "Motherfucker beat me like a slab of char-siu, bitch." "When did he stop?" Tao, A.K.A Peaches looked around the table before replying quietly. "When he fucking got tired, I guess?" "Security doesn't like to meddle with the military's kids," Morye explained, likely from experience. "No spells, no trouble." Gwen turned to the rest of the table to see if anyone just experienced the Epic of Peaches in the same manner as she just did. "It grows on you, doesn't it," Jun said after a moment. "Sometimes I miss it even." "You the best, Uncle Jun! YOOO!" Gwen turned to look at Guo. "He is not Song," he announced after a few unkind moments. "Thank the ancestors." "Tao is errr… disinherited," Jun added helpfully. "That's hardly fair!" Nen protested, her face unhappy and adorable at once. "Peaches needs all the help he can get!" "Can you all keep the volume down?" Mina interjected suddenly. "I am trying to have a conversation here." That was when Gwen noticed that Mina had a subtle glow flickering beside her ear. She was on a "Message" with someone this entire time?! Gwen looked around for a device but couldn't find one. Was the girl a Diviner? No, she gave off the aura of a Healer, and there was that strange perfume hanging about her as well, was it an ability, or was it a gadget? "Mina is... also not in line," Jun added. "At least until they prove themselves." Percy, you lucky bastard. Gwen noted silently to herself. If Percy could be half as obedient as these two living examples of filial piety, then he had it in the bag. Dinner proceeded for another half an hour, after which the servants brought bowls of water which they used to sanitise their hands. A palate cleanser of herbs in a slightly syrupy soup was the last dish, after which the banquet ended. Grandfather rose. "Gwen, Hai, Jun, in the meeting chamber, now. Nen, look after your children." Those whose names were called stood to attention. Gwen felt her stomach make a little topsy-turvy tumble. This was her second chance. There would not be a third. The meeting chamber was a conference room on the side of the main dining area. Grandfather sat at the head. Babulya sat beside him. Jun sat to the side. Nen was missing, though Gwen had a suspicion that her air-headed aunty was likely terrible at keeping secrets, which would explain her absence. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Gwen and Morye stood in the middle. Four giant pillars held up the room, each painted in dark crimson. Above them, a plaque read "Righteous Heart… One…" "Which one of you would like to speak first?" Grandfather broke the silence. "I will." Morye raised a hand. "Gwen, take a seat while your father speaks." Babulya pointed to a chair beside Jun. Her father gathered his thoughts while Gwen patted down her dress to prevent it from riding upward. The skirt portion of the dress was pleated, but the mandarin-style torso pulled at the hem. "Before I began," Morye announced to his parents. "Allow me to apologise. Father, and especially Mother— I am sorry." Morye paused for effect. "I am sorry I faked my death at the Battle of Hunan." Gwen baulked, her hazel orbs sparkling with astonishment and disbelief. Her father had said that he 'killed' someone he shouldn't have, but so far, there was no indication of who he had murdered. So the man he 'killed' was himself? "Is inheriting the clan such an impossible task?" Guo's voice was frustrated fury simmering under a surface of forced calm. "It is," Morye announced. "Father, neither of us can be euphemistic, so let me say it once more. I have no desire to inherit the Clan and act as its head. I just wish to be myself, do what I want. As you should know, I am not a man given to duty. I maintained that when we fought about it so many years ago, and I maintain it now." "A Mage's talent does not belong to himself alone." Her grandfather gripped the knob of his chair. "Which is why in my escapade, I never relied on the gift of Yin and the bloodline of the Song," Morye pointed out. "When I survived in Sydney, I did so entirely on the Water element, which I performed at a reduced Affinity, and my self-taught Abjuration." "You are a Magus now?" Babulya looked up. "This is wonderful news." "Well, unintentionally, maybe." Morye shrugged. "My point is, I was perfectly happy there, using my powers to survive, untethered to all of this." "Tell me about your life in Sydney, how you have lived in these twenty-odd years," Klavdiya said, glowing with the happiness that her useless son had unwittingly become a Magus. "Alright. After my escape, I arrived on a freighter under the pseudonym Morye, which means ocean…" "In Russian, I know," Klavdiya replied warmly. "Dear, please go on." Morye spoke plainly of his experiences, but much of it Gwen either already knew or had guessed at in the past. Her father had worked hard to join a vocational college in Sydney, got a scholarship to Sydney University through that, then met her mother. They fell in love, had children, then divorced due to differences in life's philosophies. When pressed, Morye stated that Gwen's mother had found out about Morye's powers and wanted a better life, a life of prestige, but Morye refused, and so they came to blows. Likewise, he looked after his two children until they graduated junior high and Awakened to their abilities. "Is this true, Gwen?" Babulya asked Gwen to confirm Morye's story. Her father's story was "true" because she didn't want to say it was "false" for fear of his life. Morye's tale was also missing the hundred or so times he cheated on her mother. Moreover, that was that fuck up when Gwen came home feeling suicidal after her rebirth, only to find Morye had invited a girlfriend over to celebrate Gwen moving out of the house. Likewise, in the year since, he's completely let her go. But she wanted her dad to owe her one. "I had not known want, gone hungry, or felt unsafe during the time we grew up," Gwen said carefully, avoiding looking at Morye. "He is a good father, better than what many could hope for." "So you can be responsible!" Babulya happily declared to Morye. "Hai, why not reconsider your Father's proposal? It's only right that the firstborn son inherits." "It's death." Morye shook his head. "I wanted life." "Insolent ingrate!" Guo's expression looked as though he wanted to give Morye another sound thrashing. "Now, now." Babulya calmed her grandfather by rubbing his chest to ease his congested fury. "Hai, regardless of whether you listen to your father, I think we all deserve an apology, don't you think?" Morye took a deep breath. Gwen watched as her father carefully walked in front of the two old folks and dropped to his knees. "Mamulya, Baba, I am sorry for my selfishness and the pain that it has caused you for these past twenty years. Please accept my apology." He then touched his head to the ground and kowtowed, repeating the ritual three times before standing back up. "Thank you, dear." Babulya reached out and cupped his face with her hand. "You must have suffered a lot in the tier 2 city, no? All those Mermen and Saurians, Kangaroos even, constant attacks, never knowing peace." Sydney was safe! Gwen wanted to yell. Morye spent the entire time chasing skirts and pissing off my mother! But how could she blab when her grandmother was melting even the cynical heart of her stone-faced grandfather? "You have no regrets?" Gwen's grandfather asked her father wistfully. "None at all?" Morye's expression looked tragic and self-aggrandising. "What is regret when I had no choice?" The room took on an oppressive silence. Each side took a moment to digest Morye's philosophical declaration. "Hai, go and sit," her grandfather told Morye. "Gwen, it is now your turn." Gwen conditioned her nerves and pulled herself from the hardwood chair. As she passed Morye, their eyes met, and her father gave her a reassuring nod. She took her place in the centre. A severe mental pressure descended upon her, numbing her scalp and setting her skin to crawl. Gwen took a deep breath, savouring her final few seconds. There was no holding back this time, no playing dumb to try and see how they react. Gwen's grandfather was in no mood to play silly buggers with cock and bull; her grandmother was likewise expecting the gospel truth. So how should she proceed to lead the conversation? She needed to distract them somehow, unbalance them, get them on the back foot; even if she was pushed to confess her secrets, it must be on 'her' terms. "I am going to show you something. Is that okay?" Gwen stepped back and retreated a safe distance. Her grandfather nodded. Babulya's eyes sparkled. Jun leaned forward with an alert expression of expectation. Morye groaned softly under his breath. "Ariel!" The lightning marten landed with a flash and examined its surroundings with its electric blue pupils. It spotted the old couple at the end of the row and made a flourishing turn onto its stomach, exposing its belly before dropping to the floor and rolling back and forth adorably. It was now an old hand at this game. "Oh, how precious!" Babulya noted. "What an intelligent Familiar!" "This is Ariel; he is a Lightning Element Familiar I acquired when I had just awoken to my powers." Babulya retrieved an LDM crystal from thin-air and threw it towards Ariel, who caught it mid-arc in its teeth, puffing up its cheeks for maximum cuteness before landing deftly. "Now this…" Gwen took a deep breath. "... is Caliban!" Don't be a spider! Don't be a spider! Gwen prayed to the Elder Gods. Snake! Snake! Snake! A slit opened in the fabric between the Void and the Material Plane, ejecting Caliban like an abortive dark tumour. The Lovecraftian thing uncoiled itself into a tenebrous centipede with its slimy, translucent carapace, a multitude of skittering legs emerging from its fleshy torso like bony fingers. "It's not dangerous!" Gwen announced quickly. "Caliban is entirely under my command!" Her babulya had on an unruffled expression that suggested she'd seen worse. Her grandfather gripped the arms of his chair so tightly that Gwen wondered if the man would tear the handles off. Jun had darted between his parents the moment the thing appeared, an incantation upon his lips, ready to visit terrible destruction upon Gwen should she attempt to harm her grandparents. When no hostility materialised, he awkwardly returned to his seat. Caliban sniffed the air before lowering its head and coiling around Gwen's feet. Its centipede form was immense, just over two meters in length and as thick as her thighs at its centre. Its many legs skittered over her shoes and her white thighs until it could gain purchase with the help of her arms in scaling her dress. Gwen held the upper section of the netherworld monstrosity as one would cradle a long-bodied cat, showing off its faceless head and the mandibles there. "This is Caliban," she said with a quavering voice. "It is my other Familiar, from the Void element." Gwen stroked the terrifying, tenebrous thing, causing it to purr with a series of wild clicking. Ariel, not to be beaten, finished its crystal and began doing laps around her other leg. "Caliban has an... unique ability." Gwen felt her heart catch in her throat. "When Caliban consumes an enemy, it can sometimes take on their shape. Additionally, I gain some the Affinities of the Mages it consumes, though I don't know exactly how." The room fell silent as the last words left her mouth. Her grandfather turned to his wife. "A Calamity," he said audibly. Calamity? Gwen's ears perked up, a sheen of cold sweat drenching her back. That doesn't seem like a reasonable reaction at all. Had she made yet another mistake? "No," Her grandmother retorted, moving her luminous eyes slowly until she met Guo's cold black orbs. "A boon." Boon is good. Gwen repeated babulya's words across her lips. More boon, please. "How did you come about this talent then?" Her grandfather turned back to Gwen, his tone less antagonistic than she had imagined. "Tell me from the start, from your moment of Awakening." The breath that Gwen had been holding released. Below, her legs felt like two long strings of failing spaghetti. With a silent command, she retrieved Caliban and Ariel, returning them to her pocket dimension. "I will, Grandfather," she began. "My awakening took place about a year and a half ago, in September, at a school called Blackwattle…" Mindful of any pitfalls in her narrative, Gwen began to recount the past year and a half of her life with as much truth as she could conveniently deliver. She omitted the secret of her twin-soul, of her otherworldly wisdom and her strange, quizzical transportation into this world from her old one— but told the truth of her Awakening, first as a Generalist, then as a Lightning Evoker, then their adventure in the Royal National. "That was the first time I met the Rainbow Serpent, a mythical existence by the name of Almudj…" She told them of what happened on the Field Trip, of Debora, of the Rainbow Serpent, of what had happened to her when the Mage known as Edgar had tried to take her body and soul. "Father later killed that Mage, or so I was told…" "Hai, you did this?" "I did." Her father did not deny the kill. Guo nodded, evidently pleased. "That was when I finally met my Master, Henry Kilroy, the Lord Magister of Sydney Tower…" Gwen then told them of her training under Henry, Alesia and Gunther, of her growing kinship. She regaled her story about Blackheath, the slavers, and the first time Caliban took within itself the lives of the innocent Mages who kept prisoners there. Of Gunther rescuing her in the eleventh hour and cleansing the place with his radiant fire. "You keep austere company, my child." Her babulya interjected as Gwen spoke of Gunther and the Tower. "The Morning Star," Guo intoned, none too happy with the revelation. "I know of this man." "Not to mention Deathless Henry himself," Grandmother added. "But, all men die. Am I presuming too much to say that you had a hand in that as well?" Gwen felt her voice falter when her babulya struck the nail right on the head. "It's fine, child. Continue." "Grandfather, the next part of my story is going to reveal some of my late Master's secrets. May I ask that you keep this revelation in confidence?" "You have it," her grandfather intoned seriously. From his expression, Gwen could read that he had imagined the girl's past to be shallow, but they were in deep waters now, and the depth of Gwen's life descend well into the murk. "I am going to tell you about the Mage who is responsible for the fall of Sydney," Gwen began. "I am speaking of Elizabeth Winsted Sobel, the wife of my master, Henry Kilroy— a Void Mage like myself." Gwen then spoke of Mark Chandler, his ploys involving his sister, and about Elizabeth and her madness, fleshing out the rationale of her failure at Blackheath. She told them about her subsequent training for the Inter-high, of what her Master had said about the Sea of Flames and how she would be protected by fame and notoriety when the time was ripe to expose her powers to the world. "A wise and bold choice. How great the mind of this Henry Kilroy must be," her grandmother intoned, deeply impressed. "It would have certainly worked, you know. I can most assuredly imagine how the Mageocracy would react if Kilroy threw the weight of his influence behind you." "He 'is' dead?" Guo interrupted her with a hint of steel. "Yes. My Master is no more," Gwen affirmed grievously. She then told them of her first match at Rosebay, of how Elizabeth must have found and ambushed Henry, of the Mermen invasion that followed. She explained the Tower's downfall, of how Debora was Faceless, and of her moment of crisis when she was about to be consumed by a skin-changer. "Then my amulet released all the energies it had gathered from Almudj…" Gwen retrieved the Kirin amulet from beneath her mandarin blouse and placed it upon her palm for all to see. "You gave the Kirin amulet to a daughter?" Guo turned to Morye incredulously. "What about your son?" Morye shrugged. "She needed it more than Percy." Suddenly, Guo's face twisted into something terrifying. Jun reached beneath his shirt and took out a familiar flash of jade. It was another piece of greenstone carved in the shape of a Kirin, though his one arced its back in a way opposite to Gwen's. When placed together, both Kirins formed the semi-circle halves of the yin and yang symbol. "Would you like to have it returned?" Gwen asked immediately, holding out the amulet. She had no desire to forsake her precious item, of course; it was her ticket to harvesting Creature Cores! But Gwen knew how these 'things' usually went. In a contest for something where one was bound to lose, there was no advantage in avarice. Instead, it was wiser to take the moral high road and appear superior to the thing itself to create future opportunities for barter. "You are free to keep it." Surprisingly, it was Jun who spoke, cutting off her grandfather before he could announce a decree. "The amulet has followed the streams of fate and chance and anchored itself to you. Who is to say that it would bring the same boon when forced upon another?" Her grandfather swallowed his following words like a man forcing down a hardboiled egg, attracting another bout of chest rubbing from her grandmother. "Tell me more about this Sobel woman," Guo said finally, trying to distract his seething disapproval. Gwen repeated what she knew about Elizabeth in reasonable detail, emphasising that her Master's only fault was his falsely placed faith in her 'death' so many years ago. She then told them about the disappearance of her friends, Elvia and Yue, into the Grot and her mission to retrieve them from Singapore. "… and that's about all I know," Gwen confessed. "That and you already know about Caliban's particular physique." "Is the Morning Star going to try and retrieve you?" her grandfather inquired, scratching his chin. "Assuredly," Gwen replied. "We are Brother and Sister-in-craft, Alesia included. I'd wager Gunther would be working on a plan as we speak." Gwen raised her hand, where three rings sparkled. "The Storage Ring is from Surya, my maternal grandfather. The Evasion Ring is from Magister Ferris, of Sydney Tower. The Contingency Ring is from Gunther; it was his own." Her grandfather's face lost some of its colours, though whether from regret she could not know. After all, the Scarlet Sorceress was no slouch, and Gunther Shultz was a different creature entirely. Gwen studied her grandfather as he tapped the chair with his fingers, his expression growing harder by the minute. Hopefully, the man wasn't thinking of killing her and burying her corpse. "I would like to know your mind on this, Klavdiya," Guo murmured. Her grandmother gave her a kind look of approval, then spoke. "You can keep a lid on the stew, Guo, but for how long would it simmer before it boiled over? Her old Master knew the reality of her situation far better than you. Don't fight her siblings. Leave the girl to her own devices. Leave her to me if you are disinclined. You are going to be preoccupied with your grandson, no? What about his retrieval?" "If the Morning Star is aware, I do not think Wei and Jung can succeed," Guo confessed. "Why not approach this with diplomacy?" Her grandmother asked. "What's the harm? Shanghai isn't at war with Sydney. Far from it, we trade with the Australians." Guo sighed. Gwen waited patiently while the two elders conversed. She repressed her body's natural desire to sway and shift, standing to attention with focused intent, awaiting summary judgment from her patriarch and matriarch. "Gwen," it was her grandmother who addressed her. "Yes, Babulya?" "You will stay in Shanghai for the time being until matters of your status, your wellbeing, and the future of your education can be arranged." "Yes, Babulya," Gwen concurred. Under the circumstances, that was the best she could hope for, at least until Gunther called. Klavdiya raised an elegant eyebrow. "That's it? No questions? No requests?" "May I ask for a favour then?" "You may." "Can I contact my friends in Sydney?" "You speak of the girl Apprentice to the Scarlet Sorceress?" It was her grandfather who spoke this time. "Yes, she is my dearest and closest friend." His brows furrowed. "They are still in transit as far as I am aware," Her grandfather intoned. "You will be permitted to contact your friends in time, but not now. Is that clear?" "Yessir," Gwen replied rigidly. "Father, may I make a suggestion?" This time, it was Jun who spoke. "Jun, go ahead." Klavdiya gave her second son a motherly smile, which Jun returned wholeheartedly. The exchange made Morye cringe, which made Gwen want to roll her eyes. "If you want Gwen out of your hair for a few days," Jun began. "There's the gathering of the Houses happening on Hengsha Island in three days. Mina and Tao have to attend. I thought that this year, maybe we can bring Gwen and see how she performs." Gwen's ears perked up. Hengsha Island? Gathering? Houses? Performance? What does all that mean? "Bah, a stupid gathering of little princes and princesses," Morye interrupted them. "I don't know about throwing Gwen into the mix. Although she has seen some action out on the Frontier, her proficiency at 'holding back' is mediocre at best. If she fries or tries to consume one of those kids…" "She'll be fine." Jun's eyes sparkled. "Babulya is lending us her grand-niece, Petra." "I don't know who that is," Morye shrugged. "Oh, ho ho." Jun shook his head, grinning. "She is a monster." He turned to Klavdiya. "What do you think, Babulya? I think Gwen will get along with Petra." Four pairs of eyes turned to Gwen, who swallowed nervously. "Gwen," Klavdiya asked gently. "Would you like to stay with Grandfather, or would you like to see a bit of the Shanghai countryside? Specifically, one of the Orange Zone training grounds?" "Hengsha, please!" Gwen answered a little too eagerly, drawing a grunt from her grandfather. "Then it's settled!" Jun clapped his hands. "In the meanwhile, why don't you get acquainted with Mina and Tao? They are both your seniors, Tao by two years and Mina one. Get them to show you the city, see some of its sights. It'll be fun to get to know your cousins." Gwen thought about Shanghai-Barbie and her motor-mouth brother. Arguably, things could be worse. She could be spending the weekend with Guo. "Okay!" Gwen agreed to her uncle's suggestion. She had to wait five or more days until Yue and Elvia arrived in Sydney. What's the worst that could happen?

When they exited the conference chamber, the banquet table was cleared and gone. Mina lounged uncomfortably on a mahogany settee, a white length of leg swinging to and fro, trying to get comfortable on the wooden chair, one hand fidgeting with a newfangled Message device hanging from her wrist in the guise of an accessorised bangle. Tao was listening to music, the tinnitus droning of thumping treble and bass spewing out from a set of over-large headphones. More examples of consumer-grade magical devices? Gwen paid particular attention to these quasi-magical devices. So far in this world, she had not seen any meaningful representation of scientific knowledge, what with spell-Glyphs ensuring that such inventions were made redundant. The lack of science also meant NoMs were bereft of the sorcerous marvels the Mages created, resigned to the margins of labour and living. In her eyes, even if the non-magical portion of society lived meaningful lives of safety in Shanghai, it was because of policy and politics rather than any individual contribution. How could they matter? Gwen mulled in silence— when a single Magi was existentially more salient than 10 million NoMs? How did this world's status quo maintain its stability when the threat of annihilation compelled the many to put their life and limb in the hands of the rare few? Additionally, Gwen felt mystified by the power dynamic of the various forces here in Shanghai. How influential was the People's Liberation Army? How all-powerful was the Politburo? What is the place of the globalised Towers in a closed country like China? What is Shanghai's relation to its satellite Frontiers like Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia? What about its relationships with Seoul, Tokyo, or superpower blocs like the USA or the Commonwealth? There was so much to learn that she felt dizzy. First, she had to find a way to graduate— for someone with two Degrees and an MBA in her old world; it was amazing to Gwen that she would be missing a High School Certificate! But now that she had arrived in Shanghai— would her babulya oblige in sending her to a magical institution? Knowledge is power in more way than one in this world, and she "must" come to understand both sorcery and society to avoid becoming swallowed up by forces more powerful than she could know. "Yo yo yo!" Tao interrupted her thoughts by ambling toward her. His progress was careful and measured, for the low-riding jeans impeded the freedom of movement. "So, how was the grill, gurl? Yeye roast you like a whole lamb?" "Sure, but I am still in one piece, Peaches." Gwen wasn't sure if it was an intended inflexion of the word 'Tao' in Mandarin that changed the translation but felt that the fruit moniker suited Tao well. "From the looks of it, I am going to be in your hands for the next few days." "So you chilling with us?" "Yep." "Nice, me and Sis show ya places, dawg." Mina audibly sighed. "Mina! Don't be rude!" Jun, who'd been watching their interaction, raised his voice. Unexpectedly, Mina shut off her device the moment Jun showed his ire. "Yes, Uncle Jun? How can I help?" she simpered. Jun patted the girl on the head, not unlike how Gwen would pat her cats a lifetime ago. The look he gave her was a mixture of doting affection and helpless criticism. It was far different from how Kwan had dealt with her— as property, or her father, to whom she was a bother. "I want you and Tao to take Gwen around the city for a few days— take her everywhere, show her some of the interesting sights. Make sure she gets a feel for Shanghai's main districts, not to mention meet some of your contemporaries." "I'll do my best, Uncle." Mina's eyes floated over to Gwen, where the passion in her eyes instantly died. "But Gwen has so much to see..." Mina tilted her head and gave Gwen a knowing smirk. Gwen winced. Yes— she was the country cousin who had never seen the city before, the High school dropout! In a tier 1 city, Gwen Song was a hillbilly visiting Beverly Hills. "Mina, don't be like that," Jun humoured her cousin. "Gwen will teach you things about living in the real world that you can't even begin to imagine. She had been through a hell of a lot more than you and Tao. She was in Sydney, you know— when the city fell. Gwen's killed for Merman than you've had sushi dinners." The news prompted Mina to turn to Gwen with an expressive "Oh" on her peachy lips. "You fought Mermen? Out there, on the Frontier?" Mina reexamined her in a new light. "That means you have incredible stories, right?" Gwen sensed an unwelcoming premonition as Mina's eyes formed into twin crescent half-moons of anticipation. "Yes." What was Mina seeing inside her pretty head? Gwen wondered. Did Shanghai Barbie think Gwen rode Kangaroos into battle, unleashed Drop Bears at command, and waded knee-deep through Mermen's guts while flinging spells from both hands? "Well, I suppose some time away from medical school would do me good." Mina materialised her slate and checked through whatever projection it showed. Gwen's eyes focused on the device, which appeared inactive. Perhaps it was an Illusion aimed directly at the user? That would solve the matter of privacy in one fell swoop. How did such a device function? "Yep, I think I can do it." "Alright, alright, ALRIGHT!" Tao punched the air excitedly. "Gwen Cuz, I am going to show you the best time of yo life! We gonna hang with my crew; slug some Cris; flash the bling and cause havoc on Huaihai Rd, bitch!" "Thanks, Peaches." Gwen decided to punish the outrageous young man by embracing him. "I am happy to have found family." Tao received her embrace rigidly, a little intimidated by Gwen's overfamiliarity. It was then that Gwen remembered public displays of affection were rare in Asian cultures. Mina snickered. "Okay then. I'll leave you to it." Jun nodded affirmatively. "I am heading back to the base. I'll be here to pick you up Thursday morning at 0900. It's a long ride from the ferry terminal to the island. You don't want to piss off the Adjudicator of Hengsha this year. It's going to be Magister Paris from the Putong Tower." Mina sweetly affirmed her uncle's command. Tao's expression was languished, intimating he did not possess pleasant memories of 'Hengsha' Island. The three cousins watched Jun disappear behind the landscaped fountain just outside the front gate. "Alright, cousin, let's get moving." Mina motioned outside with her thumb. "Let's go 'show you Shanghai'." Gwen indicated to the inner chamber. "Shouldn't we say goodbye to the grandparents?" "Nope, too much bother." Mina checked her watch. It was precisely 1400. "Mother's taking care of them. I want to take you somewhere interesting." Mina disappeared. "Yeye's such a hater!" Tao shook his head sagely, following his younger sister. "He hates the playa, AND he hates the game." "Mina, you can drive?" "What, you don't? You guys have cars out on the Frontier, right?" "We usually make do with the Roos. We leash them up and ride across the Outback. The pioneers generally got about a dozen kilometres before they had to stop and fisty-cuff them," Gwen replied 'earnestly'. "Oh?" Mina considered the vision of rat-like megafauna fighting a man in hand-to-hand combat. "Wow, Australia's a crazy place." Mina's wheels turned out to be a gleaming cabriolet with four concentric rings for a logo. Gwen wasn't so much as impressed by the car as the fact that there was, well, "Audi" in this world. For a moment, she had to remind herself that since fashion icons like Miu Miu and Prada exist as quasi-magical item makers, why shouldn't the other brands also have parallel twins? Mina, however, had taken Gwen's moment of contemplation to indicate that she had never seen such an expensive vehicle before. Patting Gwen on the shoulder, she told her hillbilly cousin to get in. Tao sat behind the two girls, stretched out, legs apart, hat covering half his face. Gwen sat demurely, her dress folded between her thighs. Mina started the engine with an invocation, after which the car pulled away from the parking compound of their grandparent's gated community. A safe distance away, Mina floored it. The Third Orbital Highway soon gave way to the Second, in front of which the looming superstructure of Shanghai CBD rose like a mountain as they turned into the First Orbital Ring Road. The tallest architecture in the city was a ziggurat-like hollowed-out pyramid that took up a quarter of the skyline, perched over Shanghai obtrusively like a cubist sculpture. "That's the PLA's Tower," Mina said helpfully, doing the duty that she'd promised Jun. "Hideous, isn't it. It's more bunker and shelter than Tower. They say that the superstructural bunker beneath it can hold almost two million people in an emergency." "Does Shanghai have any Shielding Stations?" Gwen inquired. The air was hot and stifling from the excess mana pollution, but it wasn't the muggy heat she'd felt in Singapore. "Nope, we've no need. Shanghai sits on the main ley-line of the Asian-Pacific, and we're surrounded by the Frontier cities, as well as protected by the PLA." "The city has never been attacked?" "Not by Monsters, if that's what you're asking," Mina replied. "It's fallen a couple of times to people, though, like the Japanese. These days, none of the Demi-human races dares touch us because we have two Magi sitting atop the Towers. One for the PLA, and one for the Shanghai Tower." "A Magi!" Gwen marvelled. "Two," Mina corrected. "Grand Marshall Sun from the Politburo, and Lord Magi Huo of the Shanghai Tower." "So, their presence ensures the city's safety?" Mina gave Gwen a wilting expression of growing impatience. "Either one will ensure that the Mermen and the Mountain Demis don't dare screw with the city, that is, unless they want their settlements reduced to rubble. The Magi are here to keep each other in check. The Communist Party doesn't trust the Westerners, and the Westerners don't trust the communist party. Lord Sun acts in the interest of the Politburo, and Lord Huo represents the Mages of the Mageocracy, rather than all the people, NoMs included." The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. From the sounds of it, Gwen thought to herself. She needed to seek out this "Mageocracy" Tower. Maybe they were linked to Gunther's people and could give her some leverage if push came to shove. It would come at a cost, of course, but she preferred paying the devil she knew. Their convertible slowed as the glaring sun of the open-air turned into one of geometric shadow. "I've heard lots about Pudong," Gwen said. "What can you tell me about it?" "Pudong?" Mina said. Pudong was a significant financial district for Shanghai in her old world, having the tallest buildings and the most expensive restaurants. "It's a special economics zone partitioned from Shanghai proper, carved out by the Yellow River. Most of the foreigners from the International and French Concessions live there now, as well as representatives from the Demi-races." "Whoa!" Gwen's voice raised an octave. Her body's previous owner had been conditioned and brainwashed to fear and loathe them. "Can… can we see them?" "Ha! Not likely. You need special permission to enter Pudong. You also need to receive orientation training before extra-human contact is allowed. Maybe Gramps can sponsor you for a licence? Who knows?" "Okay." Gwen turned to marvel at the city and its superstructure. It seemed that the ziggurat structure wasn't as dense as it appeared. Instead, it was a honeycomb lattice of hollowed-out domes towering over the commercial districts below. Still, to think there were OTHER RACES of beings in this city! Gwen couldn't wait until she met a walking, talking Demi-human in real life. An intelligent Mermen, perhaps, a human-sized birdman? Would there be Elves? She was a staunch Tolkien fan. It would be delightful to see the real deal in the flesh, assuming the Elves here were romanticised supermodels and not the little gremlin that tinkered toys. Their convertible turned into a building constructed wholly of curved glass and fibrous strands of steel cabling. Mina coasted to a stop, where a handsome attendant addressed them. "Valet, Ma'am?" "Yes." Mina ushered her crew out of her car. Tao appeared to have fallen asleep and had to be slapped awake. "Peaches, move your ass off my car." "What? Yeah. Where are we?" "K-27," Mina replied. "Again? We were just here this morning." Tao frowned. "I know. I want to introduce Gwen to some of my friends." "Yeah, well, is Frederic Lin still here?" "How the hell am I supposed to know that?" Tao glanced around cautiously as if this 'Fred' Lin would leap out and ambush him. Gwen swung her legs out from the passenger side and stood behind the arguing pair, half a head taller than either of her cousins. There were more attendants inside, all NoMs, well dressed and courteous, who opened door after door for them. There was even a well-groomed attendant in the levitator. The glass platform ascended as silent as a whisper, opening onto an open floor with a sea-side view of Shanghai proper. Gwen couldn't help but noticed that, unlike her old world, the river here was still bean-green and blue, not possessing any of the ochre-yellow algae-bloom that haunted Shanghai in the spring and summer months. Ding! They entered a cafe, though it was now near-empty as lunch had come and gone. Here and there were groups of lingering socialites, dressed in handsome jackets and cocktail dresses, engaged in quiet conversation as the afternoon sun filtered softly through the transmuted glass panes. "Mina!" someone called out from a corner table. A group of girls and a few young men sat around a circular chaise overlooking the skyline, an assortment of drinks and desserts splayed across the table. "You're back? We didn't think you'd return!" "Hi, girls!" Mina tittered forward, her mobility restricted by her heels. "Oh, your brother is here too," the girl's voice seemed significantly less enthused. "Hi, Peaches." "Sup, Vivian." Tao threw her a gang sign. Vivian returned his greeting with a 'faux' gang sign, emphasising her middle finger. The rest of the girls burst into laughter. "Stupid bitch," Tao muttered loudly. "Oi, watch your mouth!" A young man pointed an accusatory finger toward Tao. "You didn't have enough from Fredrick earlier?" Mina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tao… go sit down, over there. Please." Tao muttered something more discretely and moved on. Gwen watched "Peaches" go with mixed feelings. On the one hand, her cousin was a bit of an idiot, but on the other, that public whipping was entirely unnecessary. Whatever the case, Tao's dejection gave Gwen a general idea of Mina's friends and the dynamic of their relationships. "So, who is this?" The young man turned his attention to Gwen; his eyes measured her from head to toe with a familiarity that she had come to know from growing up around her uncle Kwan and his friends. "Gwen, these are my friends and their friends. From the left, Vivian, Fei, Tzusu, Amy, Gabrielle, John— and this is Dai." "Pleased to meet you," Gwen greeted them with a pleasant smile. "Everyone, this is Gwen, my cousin from Australia. Before you ask, yes, her eyes are natural. Yes, her hair is real. No, she did not get any transmutations done. She is au naturel. Happy?" "Whoa ho! A free-range beauty!" Dai exclaimed, grinning widely. "A cow from a Frontier farmhouse, you mean?" one of the girls interjected cattily. Infectious chittering spread from the table as Mina commanded one of the girls to move over so that she could get a seat. The assumption seemed to have been that one of the young men, Dai, would likewise squeeze out a space for Gwen on the semi-circle chaise. However, 'Dai', the very one who had snapped at Tao, made no motion to move. The young man was tall of stature, with a face that was handsome enough. There was an uncommon arrogance to his eyes and a slight hook to his overlarge nose, which gave his face an unkind countenance. He patted his lap. "I've got the best seat in the house for you." he grinned at Gwen expectantly. The rest of the table giggled. Mina looked to Gwen, frowning. Gwen looked over at Mina, confused as to what Mina expected. When Mina said nothing, Gwen furrowed her brows with resignation. What did she expect, though? These little twirps look fresh out of Senior High and had the attitude to match. She had to wonder if the tier 1 cities conditioned these progenies of power to act as such or if these kid-adults genuinely thought that this was a proper way to treat a stranger you'd met for the first time. What if she was somebody significant, trying to be incognito? What part of her looked cheap enough to bully? To her audiences' surprise, Gwen turned to Tao. "Peaches, bring me a chair." Unexpectedly, Tao obediently retrieved for Gwen a high-backed, Victoriana dining chair. Gwen dramatically spun on her heels before taking a seat, looking regal in her cobalt dress. She lifted her chin slightly and gave the gathering the knowing smirk of an adult looking down on unruly children. Her poise, her squared shoulders, her ease of presence; every inch of her physique told these young men and women that she was superior to mewling children. While her audience baulked, she felt suddenly struck by a serendipitous fancy. In her Greater Cognisance Chamber lessons, she had seen how her mana coursed through her body. Her Master had taught her how to enhance her body's particular functions by collecting mana in her conduits. Facing Mina's foolish "Mates", Gwen allowed a sliver of the void to trickle into her mana channels, feeling the insidious hunger fill her senses. Her eyes, which had been two clarifying hazel orbs, swiftly turned dark and dangerous, her iris dilating until it took on the quality of a vortex that held her viewers captive in its reflection. Those who met her eyes instantly felt diminished by the experience as if they'd lost something forever. In a split-second, the atmosphere shifted, Gwen was the queen in the room, and they were her subjects. She may not profess to be the Nemean lion, but those gazing upon her countenance felt distinctly like gazelles. Gwen said nothing, and so they said nothing. The Void mana subtly drained from Gwen's body. She had kept every mote within, not letting a single one escape the confines of her Astral Form. A quick inspection of her condition revealed the confirmation of her present situation. A little Void-channelling was okay for her Almudj-blessed body, at least enough to wrangle lower-tier spells. Opposite, Dai seemed lost for words. The young man rigidly sat and stared, his mouth half-open. One of the girls, Amy, gave him a pinch on the thighs. He mercilessly slapped her hand in annoyance. Gwen wondered if that display was enough to get some payback for Tao— until her cousin demonstrated why Mina was so often at her wit's end. "Ha! Sup Bitches! Cat got your tongue?" Tao taunted them. "Mah cousin is the shit; ya'll toads try'n ta get a piece of the swan! Ha!" The carefully orchestrated atmosphere shattered like cheap crystal dashed against concrete. Dai stood. “I am, Dai Fung, of the Nantong Clan of Fung. Your name, Miss…?" "Song," Gwen replied. "Gwen Song." Dai glanced at Mina before continuing. "Miss Song, may I have the pleasure of inviting you to an exclusive affair this evening? A simple bit of blood sport among friends, to test our abilities midst fine food and finer drinks." "The Bout is on tonight?!" Mina interjected, her voice a little peeved. "Why didn't you tell me?" The gathering shifted their gaze toward Tao. "I'll own that shit, man; you bitches got nothing on my crew and me!" Tao taunted them. "You could have just told me in confidence," Mina complained cattily. "It's not as though he and I are conjoined at the hip. I thought we knew each other better than that, Dai." "Well, here's your invitation." Dai produced an envelope and passed it over the table toward Mina. "So, Gwen, will you be gracing us with your presence?" "What is this 'Bout' about?" Gwen asked cautiously. "It's an informal tournament for Mages," Vivian butted in rather rudely, wrapping a suggestive arm around Dai's elbows. "You can challenge opponents, bet crystals or Magic Items, or even bet yourself." "Bet yourself?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "For favours." Vivian eyed Gwen suggestively. "Favours?" Gwen's expression darkened. A place where one peddled oneself, in this day and age? This "Bout" was getting seedier by the minute. Mina coughed. "A 'favour' from your family, which you will try to deliver if you are the debtor…" she carefully explained, meeting her eyes with a smirk. "Of course, I doubt you're in a position to offer that, so I suppose you could sell yourself if that's how Frontier Mages' roll'?" "Right, so when's this Bout?" Gwen pivoted from the misunderstanding. The whole setup seemed enterprising if what they said was true. A gathering of spoilt princes and princesses mock-fighting for money and items? It seemed an excellent opportunity, at least on paper, for her to see what the tier 1 city's Mages can do. "Tonight, M on the Bund, 9 PM, you game?" Dai grinned at Gwen. "I'll make sure you and Mina get the VIP treatment." "I want Peaches to come." Gwen pointed at Tao. She wanted people she could count on, and right now, Tao was the only person here that didn't feel as though they'd sell her in a heartbeat. "Fuck yeah! Peaches in the house!" "..." Gwen instantly regretted her choice of cousins. Dai looked over at Tao with the expression of having stepped in dog shit. He was just about to say something when his face suddenly turned cruel. "Peaches, are you going to bout tonight? Or will you hide in the corner like you always do, put on Invisibility, then flick your bean?" he said suddenly. Both Gwen and Mina grimaced. They did not need that mental image at all. "Hey, bitch!" Tao punched the air, ducking and weaving like those American CQC Mages. "Watch me! I'll pound your ass!" Gwen and Mina sighed; they didn't need that image either. Dai produced a crystalline card and waved it in front of them. "One Hundred HDMs," Dai announced to the table. "You come to the Bout; you fight one round, win or draw, it's yours— lose, you payout." "You're on!" Tao threw out what must have been half a dozen gang signs in quick succession. "Prepare yo self!" Dai turned back to Gwen. "Well?" Gwen looked to Mina, who looked dubiously at Tao, who looked expectantly at Gwen with the pleading eyes of a pleading pup. Was he saying no, or was he answering yes? Tao seriously needed to work on his ambiguous body language. "I'll be there," Gwen affirmed Dai's invitation. "Wonderful!" Dai slid his arm from between Vivian's bosoms. "Dai?" Vivian turned to Dai, alarmed by his lack of interest. "See you all there tonight." Dai ignored her and moved for the lift, snapping his fingers at a waiter. "Put the bill on my tab." "Yes, Sir. Mr Fung, Sir." The waiter bowed from the waist. With Dai gone, the gathering evaporated. A few scattered conversations caught here and there, but nothing of substance or interest passed between the remaining members. The girls tried their best to ignore Gwen, while the men remained cordial and politely distant. Mina studied her "friends" but resolved to stay with Tao and Gwen. "I am bored. Let's go, Gwen, Peaches. Let's go pick out an outfit for tonight." "What's wrong with what I am wearing now?" "Please," Vivian scoffed, not failing to embrace the opportunity to deliver a sarcastic jab. "You look like a waitress at a hostess bar." "Touché." Gwen's eyes moved over Vivian's frilly, revealing smock. More than once, she had to remind herself these were just idiotic university students. Vivian appeared so taken aback by Gwen's supreme confidence that she allowed her mana to flare. Alarmingly, Gwen spotted motes of water congealing on the glass countertop beside them. "Vivi!" Mina snapped. "What do you think you're doing!" The rest of the party said nothing as Vivian controlled herself. "Just you wait." "Let's go." Mina slipped an arm between Gwen's waist and elbow and began to drag her from the room. Tao followed closely with both hands in his pockets, looking far more pleased than when he'd first arrived. "What the hell was that?" Mina demanded once they were in the lift. "What was what?" "That wacky eye shit, Gwen! You caught those bitches mid-air! Pow! Pow!" "What he said." "That was…" Gwen ran a few mental algorithms through her head. "Killing intent." "Killing intent!" Tao marvelled. "Shit, are you a stone-cold killer?" "I am indeed a cold and ruthless eater of men," Gwen affirmed with a straight face. She had thus far taken the lives of two slavers, inadvertently killed a dozen Mages, and actively murdered one woman-thing." "Well, SHIT, that's wicked!" "You've killed people?" Mina asked quietly. "Yes." Gwen smiled wistfully. "It's the Frontier, after all. The Wild Down Under." "Anything else?" "A few hundred Mermen, a hundred-odd Magical Beasts…" "Stone cold! Stone cold!" Tao chanted beside her, giddy with excitement. Mina fell silent until the lift dinged. They were on the atrium floor, where a shopping mecca extended from the lobby as far as the eye could see. "I am sorry for that stupid encounter," her cousin said suddenly. "Let me buy you something— as an apology." Gwen wanted to say that it was alright, that it was fun, but the promise of a gift sewed her mouth shut. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? She had no idea how much things cost in tier 1 cities, now was a good time for some market research. "Sure, I didn't mind," she added quickly. "I do need something expensive to wear." Mina smiled, relieved that Gwen offered her a way out. "Alright, dear cousin." Mina took her by the hand. "This place we're going? It's going to blow your mind!"

Mina was a girl's girl, the kind that thrived on retail therapy. She was sullen when they entered the first boutique store, peppy when they browsed the third, happy when the trio exited the fifth, and ecstatic when they embarked upon the avenue of the exclusive and exorbitant. As they tried out dresses, Mina couldn't help but measure herself against Gwen. It was vanity, sure, but a Shanghai Barbie had her pride. Her cousin stood only five-foot-four but had that winsome slenderness that made men want to hold her tight. Her cheeks had dimples on either side, her face embellished with a pair of dark, almond-shaped eyes that sparkled like gemstones against her milky complexion. Tao sat drooling, bored out of his mind at the lounge, attended to by an NoM who giggled at his every word. Meanwhile, Gwen and Mina exchanged ideas on the virtues of accessorising. "I can't believe I am saying this…" Mina checked herself out in the mirror, marvelling at the straight-laced, knee-length one-piece. "But your taste is good. Are there even couture in Sydney? Did you attend a fashion college or something?" "Oh no," Gwen confessed. "I have an eye for it, I guess? I do have a few Miu outfits, but they were all imported by my mother. Cost her an arm and a leg; I'd wager." "Well, I am wearing this to the M tonight. You should pick out something too. Remember, it's my gift." "Sure, but not here." Gwen had seen the price tag. 7 HDM was nothing to scoff at; it was almost half a month of training or several expendable items. "I'll be wearing this out," Mina informed the shop assistant, who assured her that the outfit was laundered and ready to go. Mina passed over a crystalline currency card. Gwen watched the assistant tap the card against a slate device. Was this a wireless banking system? Did tier 1 cities have a finance sector? If so, how developed was it? If she could find out more about the comings and goings of micro and macroeconomics in this world, then many of her old skills could finally find gainful employment. "Is that card linked to a bank?" she asked Mina once the assistant was gone. Mina was no longer surprised by Gwen's lack of common knowledge in anything. "The currency cards? They're a standard issue. It comes in 10, 50, and 100 HDMs. Higher cards are issued on request. You can convert them from raw HDMs, which tend to have different purities. You're not using raw crystals, are you?" "Er..." Gwen could hear the crystals clinking in her ring. "Get em converted at the PBC. There's one on the second level." "PBC is…" "People's Bank of China. They issue currency cards, or you can get a topper like mine linked to your Astral signature. Fair warning though, Currency Cards costs crystals to maintain." Ah, Gwen did not feel confident at all about gaming a centralised currency agency. "Alright, next!" Mina's mood improved significantly now that she was in a new outfit. The trio wandered through a dozen more shops until Gwen saw a cobbler store that custom-enchanted footwear. "You want shoes?" Mina tilted her head. She'd thought Gwen would have picked an expensive dress and was even ready to blow half of her allowance if her cousin from Sydney had chosen a gift without knowing the price. "I'd like a pair of calve-length boots," Gwen said to Mina. "Ideally leather ones that won't wear and tear if I had to, say, sprint or land from a Jump spell." "No need to buy the cheap stuff in here," Mina pointed out. "All the top brands offer in-house enchantment for a couple more crystals." "Do you mind if I take a look?" Gwen inquired. She didn't want Mina to spend a fist full of HDM on ultra-luxury goods when everyday items would do. They browsed the shop for a few minutes until Gwen picked out a pair of antique-looking women's boots with a soft leather binding. The fit was intimate, the heels neither too high nor low, thick or thin. "Good eye," the shop owner, who was also the assistant, noted when Gwen tried them on. "Hide of Canadian Ice Auroch, treated and thrice matured, comfortable to wear, supple and durable." "How much?" The older gentleman checked Gwen out, his eyes falling at her feet. "Four HDMS." Gwen considered her prior market research; it was a fair price. "I also need these enchanted for endurance and impact. Also, do you think it's possible to enchant the pair I am wearing now?" Gwen pointed to her Mary Janes. "Here, take them off. Let me see." The cobbler offered Gwen a set of slippers as she took off her shoes. He ran a quick diagnostic Divination over the pair of Mary Janes, then studied them with a careful eye. "Mundane… Australian Angus? Not bad, to be honest, but hardly worth enchanting." "It's for sentimental reasons," Gwen assured him. The man shrugged. "Endurance? Self Cleaning? Something more interesting?" "Just the former two." "Three HDMs, and I'll throw in a Minor Elemental Resistance." Gwen looked at Mina, who affirmed that was the going rate. "Cheaper if I get em both done?" The cobbler smiled politely. Gwen realises this was one of those shops that didn't barter. "Sorry. What's the total?." "Nine HDMs, for hopefully, a returning customer." The cobbler chuckled. "I can have them done right away. Do you have an hour or so?" "Mina?" "Sure, we'll wait." Mina approached the counter to pay. "No. I'll pay." Gwen motioned her hand over the counter, and nine HDM crystals appeared. "WHOA!" Mina grabbed her hand. Gwen flinched when her cousin's face suddenly became contorted with surprise. Mina ran a finger over Gwen's rings. She felt a few motes of magic pass over her Storage Rin, after which her cousin looked up indignantly. "A… a Ring of Medium Storage?! And a Ring of Evasion?!" Her face was a carnival of bewilderment. "That's…" About 500 -700 HDMS, Gwen thought to herself. She'd worn her Opa's gift for so long she'd forgotten about how rare it was supposed to be. "Hmmph!" Mina sulkily sat on the couch, kicking Tao's splayed legs, forcing him to wake with a start. "In that case, you can pay for the shoes yourself, little Miss Richie-Rich." Gwen smiled at Mina innocently and recompensed the cobbler for his services. Little did Mina know that she was less than 10 HDMs and a hundred LDMs from bankruptcy, nor did she know that Gwen's glamoured Contingency Ring had a market value of over 10,000 HDMs or was near-priceless in reality. Even now, it burned her fingers. For the precious, life-saving ring was a generous loan, one she hoped to repay one day. Besides Gwen, Mina appeared peeved to be outclassed by a country bumpkin. When the stinging passed, she enquired about Gwen's Storage Ring, asking her about specs, price, who had made it, and so on. "Your Grandfather is a Magus Enchanter?" Mina's eyes sparkled. The owner of the shop emerged after a few more minutes with Gwen's shoes. Gwen stowed away her Mary Janes and put on her new midcalf boots. "How does it look?" "Looks good enough to eat off of." Tao gave her two thumbs up. "Thanks, Peaches," Gwen said. "What's the time now?" "It's about 5 PM." Mina flashed a sparkling braceleted timepiece on her wrist. "Shall we head over?" "And be early?!" Mina made a feigned expression of shock. "Never!" Gwen laughed. "I want to check out some of the fights, get an idea of what the competition is like." "You're not going to participate, are you?" Mina regarded her suspiciously. "What can a Frontier Mage do against tier 1 Mages?" "Ha..." Gwen pivoted from the topic, and Mina chose not to pursue it. "My purpose is academic, I assure you." "If you must…" "Let's go then!" "Let me get my crew together!" Tao announced. "Hell no, not those shit for brains." Mina groaned. "Hey! The crew that shits together, eats together!" Tao pulled out his Message device and rapidly began to dial Glyphs into it. "What the hell does that even mean?!" Mina snapped. "Mao!" Besides the comedic duo, Gwen thought about the brick-sized Message Device in her Storage Ring. In an emergency, she could probably use it as a lethal bludgeoning weapon. Gwen would need to find a way to generate a steady income soon. There were so many things to buy, and that list would only grow in the immediate future. Tao complained around the later afternoon that he was hungry, but Mina insisted that they eat at "M on the Bund". “Let me buy dinner at least," Mina informed Gwen as she went to polish up her evening outfit. "The food there is surprisingly good." Gwen emerged a few minutes later with one of the outfits she had procured in Singapore: a sky-blue, plunging button-up blouse with a high-waist skirt. It was minimalist yet sophisticated with a hint of flower-child and a dash of urban chic. Completed with her latest acquisition, the endurance-enhanced faux-antique calf-length boots, Gwen felt both cool and confident. Mina was very impressed. Tao leered expertly. The skirt and the boots naturally drew the eye toward the thighs. Mina opened her mouth but said nothing. A few seconds later, she rallied the group. Then they were away. M on the Bund was a chic, riverside cafe at first glance, furnished in a faux-Victorian setting. It had wall to wall French windows for patrons sitting in the interior and alfresco dining for those who preferred the open air. A series of cooling and heating Glyphs moderated the temperature, while conjuration magic ensured that lavender, bluebells and other perennials were in permanent bloom. Its actual business, however, was another matter entirely. After Mina threw the key-Glyph of her car over to a black-suited valet, a bouncer escorted them toward the kitchen, then diverted their progress through a series of underground passages until the sound of pumping music and reverberating bass seeped through the reinforced concrete. A heavy set of ironbound double doors opened, and light and music flooded the corridor. It was only 8 PM, but the bar was already in full swing. Within, the metropolis' wealthy darlings congregated, floundering in the vices available only to the rich. The men were mostly in their twenties, though a few fell outside of the mean. Likewise, Gwen noticed an equal distribution of Asians and Westerners here, a stark contrast to the city itself. It either meant that not many Asian youths were wealthy enough to party at a place like this or that this was a place popularly frequented by expatriates. The women were another story altogether— mini skirts, tight dresses, heels so thin and tall that they could be lethal weapons. The women's calibre was far more rarified than the men, and Gwen recognised instantly the age-old trick of privileging attractive women so that they would decorate the place and attract the men, who were the big spenders. Some of them were like herself and Mina, who were here to experience the M and enjoy the atmosphere, but Gwen could see dozens of girls who may very well be "flowers of the night." Gwen was glad that she had chosen an outfit so diverted from the purpose of the present scene. Theirs were shimmering and skin-hugging, hers, easygoing and comfortable. It was immediately apparent to those who beheld her that Gwen was neither here to dance nor socialise. Mina searched for her friends but couldn't locate them in-between the swaying bodies and the flashing lumen globes. Tao, however, was immediately spotted by his friends, who began hooting for the "Big Peach". Mina's lovely eyes made several revolutions in their sockets before she finally relented in following Tao. Gwen, meanwhile, couldn't help but smile when they reached Tao's "mates". They dressed in the same style— a strange concoction of hip-hop fashion from the late 90s and mid-2010s. It was especially amusing because Gwen heard from Mina that those faux-ghetto garbs were worth dozens of HDMs, while ironically made to resemble fashion from the poverty-stricken, inner-urban culture on the West Coast. To Gwen, it was apparent that these were all wealthy wannabes who paid out of their noses to look "ghetto", but that the point of subcultural trends. "WooooaaaaH!" One of them threw a gang sign, which Tao returned with graceful ease. "Who's the new girl? She is HAWT! Pageant!" One of the young men attempted to look "thuggish", but his carefully conditioned, flawless skin gave him a gregarious appearance instead. It was evident even to Gwen that the "B-boy" was usually meticulously groomed when not channelling his "inner gangster". "I am GWEN SONG," Gwen shouted over the music, affirming one of the reasons she'd always hated clubs. The "B-Boys" introduced themselves. Eric, Lu, Ming, Mack-Daddy, and Little Dog. "What's with the last two names?" Gwen asked Tao puzzlingly. "They're artist names," Tao said proudly. "They're illusionist-musicians, like me." "You're a Musician?!" Gwen asked incredulously. "What do you play?" "I beat-box!" Tao said proudly. "Peaches Emcee represent!" If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Like a bitch!" someone added. "Yeah! In the heat!" "Bringing all the dogs!" "All the dogs!" What are you, a dog whisperer? Gwen thought to herself, trying to process the unwavering support shown by Tao's friends. She couldn't tell if they were mocking him or trying to bolster his confidence. Maybe they were just fond of saying the word 'bitches' because it rolled off the tongue? Perhaps ghetto slang translated very poorly into Chinese, especially when re-interpreted into English? She was surprised her Ioun Stone of Comprehend Languages hadn't imploded yet. Mina glared at Tao's friends, her face well-rested in her signature look of complete disapproval. "Sorry, Miss Mina." The one called Mack-Daddy apologised. "A slip of the tongue." Little Dog cleared a seat, and Mack-Daddy borrowed another one from their neighbours. "Here you are, Miss Gwen. What would you like to drink? Something fizzy, sweet? On the rocks? I'll buy," Little-Dog offered. "Peaches, go get me a Strawberry Daiquiri, get Gwen a Virgin Mary or something, as long as its virgin." The boys beamed. "You don't drink, Cuz?" Tao scratched his head. "You're a fucking idiot, Peaches," Mina snapped at him. "Gwen's underage." The B-boys suddenly appeared less confident about their prospects. "What about you, Mina?" Gwen asked. Wasn't Mina also not yet eighteen? "Turning eighteen in a few weeks," Mina retorted. "Besides, this is nothing for me. By the way, you idiots, stay away from Gwen. She's an important guest." "No way!" One of Tao's boys moaned dramatically. "She's right there! She's stolen my heart already!" "It's only six years plus probation, Eric. Your dad knows a guy, right?. Maybe it's worth it?" The rest of the crew laughed whole-heartedly, taking mirthful jabs at Eric. "What's so funny?" "Eric tried to date one of Mina's juniors once, without realising she was underage, took her to a hotel then fled the scene when she fessed up," Little Dog helpfully quipped. "Shut up!" Eric tried to silence his friends, and the gang fell about pushing and shoving, cackling madly. It was an atmosphere distinctly different from Mina's friends, whose exterior bellied an undercurrent of competition and jealousy. Instead, these boys and their interaction reminded Gwen of the larrikins like Jacko and Tako back in regional NSW. Mina was grinning as well, but Gwen felt that she seemed to prefer the competitive, scheming air of her clique. Some people seemed to thrive on that sort of thing. The young men passionately asked Gwen about her life in Sydney, but the overloud music made any meaningful conversation impossible. Peaches returned with drinks, and the two girls sipped their beverages while listening to the B-Boys discuss the latest in American Hip-hop from across the sea. "It's gotta be Buzzy, man. His rhymes are ill." "Naw Naw, you gotta understand the context. Life in the hoods is harsh, dawg. Only true survivors like Kooholio know the streets intimate enough to be genuine. Buzzy is just a marketing man. All his Lumen-Casts are full of bitches and rides. It should be about resisting the man! You know what I mean?" "Sure, sure, but how about that Lizzy Knight chic, the who sings the chorus? She was sick in Lil Philippe's casts, totes bonkers…" Mina appeared to shut off the part of her brain that had to endure their conversation. Gwen, likewise, could only take so much of Peaches' ghetto sermon on the latest American Rap-trends. She was much more interested in technological or geopolitical trends. Despite Gwen's no-nonsense attire, she was still intermediately approached by semi-intoxicated men and at least one woman, who wanted to know if she was here to dance and would like to join them for some vertical tango on the dance floor. Gwen politely declined, and to her surprise, no one pursued the matter. It was unexpected, considering her past experiences in Sydney, where she could somehow attract trouble even in the canteen of a Tower, one day after a city-wide crisis. Peaches' friends ordered food, and Gwen partook in the dim-sims and other "authentic street foods of Shanghai" that M on the Bund sold in their above-ground establishment. The kitchen, it seemed, serviced both establishments concurrently. When it was 10 PM or so, the dance floor began to clear. The music died with a sudden pop, and the revellers found places around the club to sit and stand. A middle-aged gentleman wearing a loud vest presented himself before the gathering and introduced himself as the Master of the Bout, Magus Ji Meng Yuu. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Bout tonight. I hope you've had a lovely month since our last competition, that your purses are full, and that your lucky stars are bright and polished!" Ji wasn't tall or handsome, but his radio presenter's voice was as deep, resonant, and smooth as butter. "Tonight, the brightest and the best of the Shanghai's darlings will duel to rule the night! The rules remain unchanged! Challenge each other! Settle a grudge! Most importantly, BET YOUR HEART OUT!" The crowd cheered, reciprocating the passion shown by the bombastic Magus, who answered their applause by dipping an invisible hat and bowing deeply. "Our waitresses will be out in a moment to exchange crystals for chips! Don't forget, HDMs or go home! The M is not a charity! The Bout is a show of skill! A show of courage and tenacity! A show of ARCANE FORCE!" A cage materialised from the dance floor, then abruptly energised before turning transparent. From Henry's past instruction, Gwen recognised it as a form of Force Cage, capable of negating most magical attacks up to tier 7. How extravagant, Gwen thought. How many crystals did it cost to invoke such an effect? "FIRST UP! To whet your appetite, to loosen your pockets, to get you ladies weeeeet! I present our resident heartbreaker, the reigning champion! Magus CANTO from Indonesia!” The lights of the duelling field rose to an impressive brightness while the rest of the room dimmed. "Detect Magic," Gwen incanted softly, channelling a little Divination to her eyes to get a better sense of what she was seeing. Mages— Mages everywhere. Except for the serving staff, the entire room was awash with leaking motes of elemental magic. It was like trying to look for details in a Jackson Pollock painting. She quickly dispelled the magic from her eyes and wondered how her Master and her Seniors could use the same spell with such expertise. Did she have to block out the noise? She didn't know. It was another mystery to be solved once she could restore her training regime. Meanwhile, a silver flash of conjuration mana summoned a near-naked Mage wearing nought but a pair of military cargos into the room. His face was handsome and chiselled, but his most impressive attribute was his rip-roaring body, sculpted and oiled so that the floodlight emphasised every inch of well-articulated muscle. The women began to whistle and cheer, and even Gwen let loose a few catcalls in the heat of the moment as the well-toned body of Magus Canto gleamed under the harsh ring floodlight. But why male models? Gwen asked herself jokingly. She could sense the magic radiating off Canto like concentric rings of displaced water upon a still pond. Whatever he may look like, Canto was the real deal. "As for the CHALLENGER—" Yuu began again. "We have Magus Lamba, from the northern states of India, the Tiger of Punjabi, the Stone Breaker, a Troll Slayer!" Another flash of Conjuration mana and the audience found themselves in the presence of a dark-skinned man dressed in a brown lungi with a blue waist-sash, his head densely wrapped with a gold-threaded turban in white. "I hope you've read your invitations and done your homework because the Bout will soon begin. Ladies of M, go forth do your duty!" Trapdoors around the stage opened to reveal gaggles of young women in outfits so skimpy they may as well be body paint. Like nymphets from the woods, they dispersed around the crowd, taking bets and exchanging crystals for chips as the two Mages in the ring stared each other down. "This isn't a fight to the death, is it?" Gwen asked Mina, feeling cautiously optimistic about the setup. The club, the setting, the theatrics, it seemed far too elaborate to be an underground death ring. After all, what a waste of the resources required to train a Mage into a Magus if they were to duel to the death for something as trivial as entertainment. "Well, you know." Mina turned toward the stage. "'No' - but it's not like it doesn't happen. With challengers, it's just ego and good fun. With these mercenary Mages, it depends." "On what?" "Who's betting, who's watching. What's at stake. These guys are rogues, with no country and no affiliation. They fight for money, sure, but they also fight so that somebody somewhere could be impressed enough to invite them to join their clan, or organisation, or whatever else." "Hmm." Gwen kept her eyes on the stage. The betting took another fifteen minutes or so while each of the Mage showed off cantrips and minor abilities that gave little to nothing away. The challenger had the advantage here, especially if they were unheard of and unknown. "What's so special about Magus Canto?" she asked Mina. "He's a CQC specialist, used to be Indonesian Special Forces. When the Micronesian Islands got wiped out, he got abandoned by his team. Word in the M is that he survived in a Purple Zone by himself for a year. If you're wondering, he's a body enhancement Transmuter and a Pencak Silat master." "Pencak Silat?" Gwen asked. Was it a new school of magic? Maybe indigenous magic. "Oh man, Silat is the SHIT, dawg!" A torrent of syllables spewed from Tao's mouth. "Shush, it's starting!" Mina hissed. The lights dimmed and the betting girls in black faded into the dramatic darkness. All eyes fell upon the two Mages at the centre of the Force Cage. "NOW! For the moment you've all been waiting for, the first Bout! The showcase! The feast for the eyes! I give you the battle of the two Magus, Canto versus Magus Lamba! The rules are the same as always, first to yield! First to Shield Break!" A Dimension Door later, Yuu appeared atop the Force Cage, striding over its surface, striking off ocherous bursts of Abjuration. "BEGIN!" The two Maguses moved at once. "Stone Strike!" "Gaseous Form!" Magus Lamba opened up with a classic, front-loaded spell he had probably been fomenting since arriving upon the stage. A cascade of sharp stones emerged from thin air and struck Canto's whereabouts, thudding into the wall of force and crashing against the likewise reinforced floors. The range of the spell easily spanned a radius of six meters, catching Canto in the entirety of its blast. "Cheap move!" someone shouted from the crowd. How tedious it must be if the match ended after one AOE. Canto, however, had anticipated his opponent's pre-prepared alpha strike. The issue with front-loading spells was the inevitable mana leak that gave the discerning observer clues as to what was coming their way. Comparatively, his Gaseous Form was near-instant at tier 3, far more practical than the powerful tier 5 Stone Strike. In front of Gwen's eyes, the CQC fighter became a cloud of fog that negated the physical damage from the downpour of razor-sharp stones. Lamba cursed loudly and waved a hand over the space before him. "Wall of Stone!" It was entirely unclear what Canto had changed into as he was still in his gaseous form, but three exchanges into the battle, it was self-evident who had gained the upper hand. "Stone Skin!" Lamba then surrounded himself with a layer of dark, obsidian-like stones, turning him into "The Thing". The Mage then cautiously examined his surroundings. After all, Canto could not exit the duelling arena without forfeiting, so he must be within the twenty-odd meters or so that the dance floor extended. Not being able to locate his opponent did not worry Lamba. He was duel-classed as Abjurer and Evoker, defence and offence in one package. As long as he could withstand Canto's sneak attack, he could reverse their chances in a single exchange. Between the piles of rocks and shards of stone, the audience on the reverse side of the Force Cage could rapidly see Canto powering himself up. "Haste." "Enhanced Ability." "Lesser Polymorph." "Oh—shit—! It's a-coming! The ass-whooping is a coming!" One of the boys beside Tao began to whoop jubilantly, watching Canto incant buff after buff. This Lamba may be a skilled monster hunter— but he lacked experience in duelling other Mages. If he had been more cognizant, he would continue to batter the stage. Against an Illusionist, one would rather be OOM than let one's opponent have breathing room. Canto was ready. "Blink!" Within a second, Canto was right beside the Golem-like stone Mage. The Transmuter reached out and touched Lamba, feinting as though he was about to deliver a Transmutation spell to disable the Indian Magus' Stone Skin. "Destruction Wave!" Lamba had been waiting for Canto as well. He'd been nursing another spell, this time, a wave of rolling shale that should affect even Canto's gaseous form. "Got you!" Lamba announced triumphantly. In the next second, Canto's illusory form disperse into nothingness. "Shit!" A second Canto suddenly appeared from above Lamba and landed on him with both legs locked around the Mage's neck; the invisibility illusion fell away as the CQC Mage moved to attack. With a deft twist, Canto struck the stone-sheathed Mage's head with both hands, cupping his hands over Lamba's ears and creating a resounding thunderclap. Lamba staggered back, evidently affected by the sudden blow against his brain, growing disorientated as he lost his concentration. Then the rest of Canto's gaseous form fell away, revealing the altered body that Canto now possessed. A Troll! Gwen audibly gasped. She'd never seen anything more hideous. Canto's arms were long and curved, his legs now extending past the torso of Lamba as the stone Mage futilely tried to throw Canto off. "Do you yield?" Canto rasped, wrapping long thin fingers around Lamba's neck. "You can try!" Lamba boasted. "I'll get you yet!" "Spike Shield!" Bits of floating stones, jagged and sharp, began to spread in concentric rings around Lamba, cutting and slicing into Canto's flesh. To Gwen's surprise, Canto healed his exterior injuries as quickly as they occurred, restored by the green, algae-like blood that flowed from his Troll-flesh. "Have it your way." Canto fell from Lamba's body as if he'd lost his grip. "ITS HERE!" Eric screamed, hooting and stomping in excitement. Canto dropped about halfway before his elongated body bent into an impossible angle, and his legs wrapped around Lamba's waist. Like a whip, he brought his lower body to the fore, taking Lamba off balance as his long arms swiped the poor Mage's feet from the ground. In a blind and confused panic, Lamba fell into confusion as he grew airborne. Meanwhile, in one swift, uninterrupted motion, Canto spun in mid-air and threw himself in such a manner that he and Lamba made a two-seventy degree rotation in the air, ending up with himself on top and Lamba on the bottom, head first. CRUNCH! A split second later, Lamba smacked into the Force Cage floor head first. The shattering strike informed the audience that whatever confidence Lamba possessed now crumbled as the Magus lost consciousness, falling limply onto the floor. The duelling arena filled with the sound of jeers and cheers, so boisterous that Gwen had to cover her ears with both hands. "Fuck yeah!" Eric announced triumphantly. "Always bet on Canto! I've just won two HDMs!" Canto retrieved himself from the floor and made a flourishing bow, returning to his sculpted splendour. So that's why he's near-naked. Gwen realised. Canto was performing an Incredible Hulk scenario. The military cargos he was wearing must be a self-fitting magic item; else, the girls would be swooning by now. Lamba was cleared from the stage by two of the betting girls, dressed in nurses' outfits. They placed the unfortunate Mage on a stretcher and rolled his unconscious body over. Hopefully, these sirens would take Lamba to what Gwen hoped was the infirmary and not a dumpster out the back. The Force Cage disenchanted, and Yuu drifted toward the floor serenely. He began to lay down a torrent of praise on Canto, but his voice became lost in the crowd's wild passion. Canto went about signing signatures on shirts and sleeves, receiving tips from excited patrons who threw crystalline cards toward his feet. A few of the ring girls hastily collected the M's patrons' generosity on Canto's behalf. "So, what do you think?" Mina asked, watching Gwen's face flush. Gwen had to admit, watching two Magus duke it out for one's viewing pleasure was exciting, not to mention educational. She had learned quite a bit about Illusionary tactics just from the last five minutes. Just as she was about to answer, though, an overly familiar hand found its way to her shoulder. Gwen looked up to see Dai, his face possessing a self-aggrandising grin of supreme confidence. Dai was looking down on her, or more accurately, he was looking down at the plunging U neck of her shirt. Should she zap the guy? Gwen fantasised, then brushed off his hand. She had plans for the young man, which meant she should stay in his good graces. "Glad you all made it—" Dai smirked. Behind him was Vivian, but none of the others seemed to be present. "Good fight, yes? Canto is one of the best. I sponsored one of his first fights, you know..." They waited for Dai to finish the small talk and get on with his obtrusive business. "Now, Peaches..." Ah, there we go. Gwen shifted her body so that Dai's hand wasn't so imposing on her wrist. It felt like such a simpleton move, a kind of insecure possessiveness that suggested he was afraid she might make a break for it. "... didn't you say that you were going to show me a Bout tonight? You still up for it 'gangster'? Or should we square the payment, right here, right now?" Tao's friends fell into an awkward silence. Tao himself looked like a deer caught in the high beams of a Radiant Blast. "Dai… Mr Wei, Peaches' was joking—" Eric tried to intervene. "Shut your face, Eric." Dai snapped. "We're talking here!" Eric flinched. "You wanna fight, bitch?" Tao's demeanour seemed to change after Dai insulted Eric. "Don't be absurd. You're no match for me. But you know what? There IS someone who wants to fight you, so I am going to make it easy," Dai replied arrogantly. "You win if you manage to beat him." A young man with a cruel face walked out from behind Dai, whose presence had eclipsed the companion standing behind him. "Fredrick Lin!" Tao hissed. "The fuck you doing here, fool?" "I am here for satisfaction, Peaches," Fredrick grinned, flashing his pearly whites. Frederick had an unmemorable Asian face, which would have been handsome were his pallor not so ghoulish from excessive indulgence. "I didn't think the beating earlier today was satisfying enough, so I am here to give you a chance to make it up to me." "Fred, don't be such a shithead," Mina interrupted them. "None of our fathers want to see you guys fight or get hurt." "It's just a Bout, a little practice match. Who can fault that?" Fredrick flashed his eyes menacingly at Mina. "You were there this morning. Did I provoke your brother? If you want to blame someone, blame his motor-mouth." "Screw the both of you," Mina scowled, evidently unused to both Dai and Frederick ignoring her wishes. "Well, Peaches, you fighting or cashing out?" Dai was relentless. "Don't worry. I know your Daddy's richer than ours." "Dai," Gwen interrupted them. She shrugged off his hand by withdrawing her own. "I am on Peaches' side." "Gwen." Dai gave her what he must have thought as a dreamy look. He moved it a little closer to her face. Wow. This guy has a fucking death wish. Gwen imagined Caliban giving Dai a facial. From behind Dai, Vivian's eyes filled with venom. Dai gave her his best smile, then turning coldly to Peaches, his lips curled. "Well? If you refuse to honour our agreement, I can always contact Daddy and ask for the crystals myself. It's not going to be the first time, anyway." Tao's bravado was now painted on his red face like a monkey's ass. It was apparent to all at this point that he did not have a hundred HDMs to spare. Neither did Mina, who had spent twenty on her shopping spree, nor did Gwen, who couldn't scrounge up a dozen if she tried. "How about this?" Dai turned to Gwen, taking another liberal look down her shirt. "If you convince cousin dear here to party with us for a few days, and I'll let the matter go." Gwen was just about to get up and lay a verbal smackdown on Dai when Tao suddenly let loose a torrent of rhyming abuse. "Fuck you, Dai! I'll beat you at your game, any time o the day Beat you like a bitch, til you got nutt'n to say Come 'ere; ya loser, I'll show ya the way Running scared? Too late! to get on yo knees and pray!" "OH SHIT, SICK RHYMES, MY MAN." "WOOT—WOOT." "What UP!" His friends, who'd been quiet the entire time, were now hooting and whining, transformed into a riot of jubilation and misdirected support. Post beat, Tao's face turned as white as a bedsheet. "I'll take that as a YES," Dai spat coldly, his face multiple shades of overlapping crimson. "Frederick, I want you to make sure he completely and utterly regrets those words." "You got it, Dai." Frederick grinned at Tao. "And you." Dai turned to Gwen, evidently having lost patience and gentlemanliness after Tao's taunt. "After this, we'll be seeing each other plenty." "At what point did I agree to be a part of this?" Gwen waited until Dai was out of earshot before turning to Mina and Tao with a complaint full of exasperation. Dai had retreated to his little corner of heaven, a VIP area where he and his friends had their private little nymphet waitress all to themselves. Wow, what a shithead, Gwen fumed— if the man was going to be a prick, at leave make good on his promise to give them VIP treatment. "Anyway, why am I a part of the prize box? I just wanted Tao to come with us." "Yeah, well…" Mina pinched the bridge of her nose. "You asked to bring Tao— you deal with it." "Does Dai even know I am… sixteen?" Gwen asked Mina. "He's rich as hell, and he's an arrogant cad. His father is the Police Commissioner, by the way. So good luck informing the cops. Also, if you know what's best for you, don't involve the Song family. I'll scrounge up what we can and try to pay the man, but if he's really after you body…" Mina left the words unsaid, but Gwen read the frustration in her cousin's eyes. Mina meant that if this Dai fellow wanted to get rough with her, there was nothing they could do other than escalate. But what happens when that happens? Where does the buck stop? She looked at the now shaking Tao, whose adrenaline of the moment had faded and who was only now beginning to comprehend the consequences of his actions. Nonetheless, a hint of sadism rose in Gwen's Frontier heart. Can't hurt the son of a commissioner? Boy Blue-balls can't take a "NO" to the face? No problem. She could handle that. There are more ways than one to skin a cat.

The event organisers made the necessary changes to the schedule immediately, distracting the impatient crowd with teams of scantily clad waitresses who dished out coupons then promoted the benefits of club membership. Another team cleaned out leftover magical debris, after which Yuu once more made his presence known. "Alright, alright, ladies and gentlemen! We have a real treat for you, a Bout of ego! A contest of pride! A match between friendly rivals! A clash between the illustrious Clan of Lin from the Huashan region against Wang Xing Enterprise of Shanghai!" A staccato bass filled the club basement. Emerging from the mist and surrounded by cheering "brothers", Tao appeared from the east end. A wave of disappointed booing resounded from the crowd, from which Gwen inferred this was not Tao's first rodeo. "What are Peaches' talents?" Gwen asked Mina. It wasn't polite to do so before, but now Gwen wanted to be prepared for what was unmistakably a poorly matched battle. "Illusion and Air." Mina slumped in her chaise, exhausted before the night had even begun. "Fredrick is Fire and Evocation, but his Affinity and techniques are top-notch, even by our standards." "Does Peaches have a chance?" "Sure, the same chance as an Ice Mage stuck in the Elemental Plane of Fire." Unexpectedly, only a handful of people cheered Frederick as well. Gwen guessed that there was no sport in wasting breath on a one-sided beatdown. Yuu was still trying to rile the crowd up, but not even someone of his calibre could inspire the betting pool to get any larger. "The Challenger! Tao Wang, AKA Peaches, The King of Fruit, a practised master of the illusory arts! With a record of all losses, he may yet be the ticket for some to beat the odds and break the bank!" The crowd booed. "The Defender! Fu Lei LIN, AKA Frederick, a prodigy we know well, a master of Evocation, from the illustrious Clan of Lin upon the mystical Mont of Huang, with a steady record of six wins and one loss, as steady a bet for pocket change as any other!" The room dimmed. The Wall of Force went up. There remained only Tao, Fredrick, and the illuminated space of the arena floor. "BEGIN!" "Flame Shield!" "Mirror Image!" Four other Taos appeared beside Gwen's cousin. Gwen expected Fredrick to open with a barrage, but to her surprise, the Evoker quietly stood and watched as Tao continued to weave spells. "Silent Image!" "Major Image!" The spells were directed at Fredrick, but the nature of "Image" spells lay in manifesting visions from the coalescing mana, visible to all and very much reliant on deception. Tao's first "Image" was one of his friends, Little-Dog, who was rapidly throwing gang signs whilst mouthing something with a rapid flutter of his lips. Besides Gwen, Little-Dog began to deliver a rhyming sermon of bombastic beats, as if providing an audio track for Tao's Silent Image. Gwen's attention returned to the fight with a terrible suspicion. The next one, the "Major Image", came with sound, appearing as Mack-Daddy carrying a boom-box, moving to the rhythm of a tune that only Tao could hear. "Hypnotic Pattern!" Graffiti, stage lights, and other visual and auditory effects joined the rapping trio. "Humpty Dumpty, you bitches be rusty I ma knock yo shit down DAWG, you gonna go against me? I'm a take ya downtown like you're soft cream cheese I ma hit you with sick beats This MC is gonna school you…" At least a dozen of the crowd groaned, Gwen among them. She had to admit. It was, in fact, a catchy tune. This aspect of Illusion was a kind of Spellcraft Gwen had read about in textbooks but had never experienced due to the Frontier's emphasis on military service. In her limited experience, she had seen Lumen-Casts of daytime drama and propaganda lumen recordings. The notion of a "Pop" producer who was a powerful Illusionist that created audio-visual spectacles was indeed a viable career for those with talent. And though the Path of an Entertainer-Mage was not a career lauded by the respectable member of society, it was a Path that possessed immense allure for the young men and women, whose existence was haunted by the possibility of sudden, inexplicable death on the Frontier. However, Tao's unusual competence and control didn't matter, for he was a Mage Duel, a demonstration of arcane might and spell force, not a beatbox battle in the Bronx. That much became apparent when Fredrick had run out of patience. "Wall of Fire!" At his behest, a flame barrier rose from the floor atop of which Tao rapped to his heart's content. "Peaches!" Gwen called out, alarmed. Her cousin was still blithely pipping away, swaying his body this way and that, an instant before he became honey-glazed char-siu. "Bitch! You missed!" Tao's voice taunted his opponent from another part of the arena. "Magic Missile!" The flames passed through Tao's body harmlessly, turning the Illusion semi-transparent. A volley of arcane force, invisible to the naked eye, assaulted Frederick where he stood. "Shield!" An orange barrier intercepted Tao's attacks without apparent effort. The young man was well trained, Gwen acknowledged. Shielding was the common weakness of an Evoker Elementalist, but Frederick had poured thousands of hours into fortifying his fundamentals. "You're such an idiot, Peaches," Fredrick riposted with an insult and a spell. "Fireball!" A mote of flame shot from his finger and struck the barrier behind Tao. In a split-second, the orange legume of fire blossomed into a semicircle dome, conflagrating half of the Force Cage. One of Tao's rapper-illusions immediately burst into motes of untethered mana, dispelled by the disruptive invasion of heat and fire. "Fear!" a voice cried out from somewhere in the cage. A shimmering silhouette indicated where Tao had been hidden, which was thankfully not in the corner now filled with fiery destruction. Invisibility! Colour me impressed. Gwen whistled. Tao wasn't so useless after all. If only her cousin had another mode of offence or had better damage output, then he might have taken the match. Unfortunately, it looked as though Tao possessed very little in the way of direct damage. Presently, an abjuring halo glowed around Fredrick's head, indicating that Tao's illusory assault had failed to connect with Fredrick's consciousness. "Bloody hell," Mina growled, stabbing the ice in her drink with frustration. "As if someone from the fucking Lins of all people wouldn't have a Mind Shield charm. What a waste." "Is having a Mind Shield a common thing?" Gwen inquired, wondering if she could get one as well. It was a Phantasmal Killer spell that had brained her during the Blackheath incident. "Common enough," Mina replied. "Most of us military-gen kids had to undergo training as well." Tao's terrible decision in using a psychic assault proved to be his undoing. Fredrick casually flicked another mote of fire his way, and the blossom caught Tao before his invisible form could escape the vicinity. "Ouch! Ouch! ARRRRRGH!" Tao rolled onto the floor, trying to put out a localised blaze that had caught his hat and set fire to his collared tee-shirt. Gwen's eyes grew wide, her mind rioted. She wanted to scream at her cousin, WHERE IS YOUR SHIELD? "Where is his shield?!" Gwen asked Mina incredulously. "He SUCKS at Abjuration, and he's lazy as fuck when it comes to training," Mina laboriously stated as if she'd had to explain the same thing a hundred times over. "Wait for it." Sure enough, a Shield of air sprang into being half a second too late. "Oh... Peaches," Gwen's eyes grew watery with sympathy. Fredrick appeared too embarrassed even to attack the wretched, writhing form of Tao. It was supposed to be first to shield break, but how did that apply to a Mage with developmentally delayed Shields? If he had not suppressed the flames' heat, Tao could be making a trip to the local military ER. Peaches' assailant turned to look at Dai Fung, who likewise had an expression that suggested he'd swallowed a fly or two by accident. Dai motioned quickly to Magus Yuu, the Adjudicator. "VICTORY, to Young Master Lin of Huangshan!" Yuu announced quickly, ushering the white-clad team of skimpy nurses onto the stage. "Applause!" Scattered applause filled the arena. Compared to the first match, the second was blisteringly lacklustre. Instead of a feeling of excitement, the two-minute spectacle filled the patrons with a cringe-worthy sense of self-loathing, as though they'd just watched an angry widower beat his crying kid. "I haven't lost yet!" Tao screamed as he was placed on a stretcher and taken to Mina, who promptly restored him with a Cure Moderate. His shirt and hat, however, was toast. "It wasn't Shield-break yet," Tao protested groggily. The "Winners" approached with smug expressions. Gwen needed no Divination to anticipate their subsequent encounter. She closed her eyes, counted to three, then opened them. Dai teleported beside her, standing above Tao with a gloating expression. "Good match! You were almost going to win, but alas," he comforted them with sardonic sympathy. "Now, you looking to pay for Crystals or currency?" "Dai, don't," Mina snapped at the young man. "You know we can pay. Give me a day or two." It was unfortunate that even scrounging up all the crystals Tao's crew possessed, they were still missing thirty or so HDMs. Tao's friends might be affluent, but their families were strict. Likewise, Mina wasn't of any help because she was equally guilty of spending money like flowing water. Dai mused, looking at Gwen with the suggestive grin of a two-bit crook. "Well then, cousin, shall we?" Gwen sighed, rolling her eyes. After surviving Faceless, Elizabeth and Walken, their present foe's ploy felt like the jabbering of mewling children fighting over a favourite toy. "Dai! You're starting to piss me off," Mina hissed at him, but Dai blissfully ignored her. "And where are we going exactly?" Gwen questioned Dai, who seemed in love with the sound of his voice. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Join me in the VIP, of course." Dai inclined his head, his eyes already eyeing her hungrily. "Give a man a bit of face, share a few drinks. All very innocent and fun." "I am coming with you!" Despite his exhaustion, Tao's camaraderie, though headstrong and foolish, pleased Gwen greatly. "You are not welcome." Dai shot Tao a grimace of disgust. "Go home, cherry-boy." Tao's companions helped her cousin to his feet, but it was evident to Gwen they dared not speak up against the son of a Police Commissioner. "Am I also unwelcome, then?" Mina replied between clenched teeth. Her eyes flashed dangerously, growing hard enough to entomb Dai on the spot. "Should I tell Uncle Fung about what you're trying to do? Maybe he can be a better judge!" "What's with the angry flirting?" Gwen whispered to Tao, pulling his face closer to her own. As a woman of experience, Mina's and Dai's mutually indignant gaze brought to mind two individuals who unmistakably shared an intimate and sordid history. "He's her Ex," Tao provided an unenterprising piece of the puzzle. Gwen felt the components slotting into place like a final Tetris block. So Dai's interest wasn't just about Tao. It wasn't just about her, either. Gwen had suspected that Dai wasn't so stupid as to lose his cool over something as base as a chance to grope her buttocks. There was an element of revenge best-served-cold involved, and Dai was using her as leverage to dig deep into Mina's prideful flesh. With the puzzle solved, now same the time for action. Abruptly, Gwen stood from her chair, forcing Dai to rest on his back foot. Dai was a tall bloke, but with her well-heeled boots, they were the same height. Their eyes met, she smiled at him, then began to walk toward the VIP section, directly opposite their current position. "Gwen, wait!" Mina stomped her food. "Tao! You IDIOT!" Dai's grin split from ear to ear. "Your cousin is a far more obedient girl than you," he teased Mina behind her. "But Mina— you can tag along if you like." "You're such an er-bi..." Mina swore with a word Gwen's translation stone could not discern. "Ha ha ha!" Dai turned to follow her. Gwen counted the steps, listening for Dai's leather-soled shoes until he was right behind her, then just as they reached the duelling floor, she stopped. "What's wrong, Gwen—" Dai's quizzical inquiry was interrupted when Gwen threw a hand casually into the air, the same invocation as her Flashbang. BUNG! Briefly, night turned into day. A discordant explosion of sound and light, charged with hair-raising static, lit up the club's interior. The music ceased, as did the conversation. Every eye in the room sought out the source of the disturbance. They found it in a foreign girl standing centre stage upon the duelling field. A cascade of silvery Conjuration mana fell about her like blue-white fireflies. "FREDERICK LIN!" Gwen shouted toward a bewildered young man in the VIP section of the club, surrounded by a plethora of eager girls who'd been lapping at his retelling of the duel. Gwen raised a hand in the air before retrieving from her fingers an enchanted ring. "I challenge you to a Bout! I will offer this Master Crafted Ring of Evasion, made by a Magister of the Tower, as ante!" Gwen spun around the dance floor, allowing the others to behold her striking face and mana-enriched eyes. The silken silence continued to reign. "Of course, I could offer myself— but first, you'll have to win this ring..." Gwen smirked, teasing the crowd. The club burst into wolf-whistles, cat-calls and jubilant shrieks of untempered delight. Dai stared, no less confused than Frederick. "A CHALLENGER HAS SPOKEN!" Magus Yuu leapt at the opportunity, entirely beside himself with excitement. Anyone observing his face would read him like a book. Here in the House of M, nubile challengers were precisely the sort of thing that got the young folk's blood boiling and the bets rolling. Dai attempted to intervene, but the Magus blew past him. There are favours, but nothing will stop the House of M from making crystals. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I know you can't wait! I know I can't wait! But rules are rules! A challenge cannot be rescinded— of course, give us a moment while our challenger is registered and her betting prize verified!" He turned to Frederick. "Mr Lin, do you accept?" Frederick looked to Dai for advice. Gwen watched their opponent nod with confidence and felt happy with sadism. "I accept." "A BRAVE and RECKLESS choice!" Magus Yuu announced to the world. "Youth lives but once! Win or lose. We applaud your bravery!" "What makes you think I would lose?" Frederick taunted the announcer, eyeing Gwen as though seeing her for the first time. "Perhaps when this is all over, she and I will be spending some quality time by the VIP." A round of boos addressed Frederick. There was a natural advantage enjoyed by those in possession of comeliness that was difficult to supersede by those who didn't win the genetic lottery. A female attendant took Gwen's ring and had it inspected by a resident artificer. It wasn't uncommon for people to want to bet magical items when the heat of the moment fried their brains. Meanwhile, a second attendant took a print of Gwen's Multi-Pass, which served as an ID recognised by the Shanghai Tower. As for why an Australian student was in Shanghai illicitly, that wasn't the M's business, whose only concern was unadulterated entertainment and the ceaseless generation of crystals and currency for its owners. It took only a minute for a slip of paper to make it back to Magus Yuu. "FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY HDM CRYSTALS!" he screamed into the voice modulating incantation. "A TREMENDOUS confidence!" He spun to face Frederick Lin with a toothy grin. "Mr Lin, do you wish to proceed?" All eyes turned to Frederick, whose face instantly paled. It was clear the young man lacked the funds, but how could he say no, now of all times? He looked to Dai desperately. Dai approached the duelling floor and produced six crystal currency cards. Frederick's face restored some of its previous confidence. However, he also grew contemplative, likely wondering who Gwen's Master might be and whether it was wise to give the man the piss by trying to bully his Apprentice. If Gwen could hear Frederick's thoughts, she would have laughed. It wasn't because of pride, family, nor honour that she was challenging him. Gwen knew well that he was duelling the poor bastard because she expected to fleece five hundred quid from his unresisting body. "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" Yuu's voice was almost going hoarse. "It is ON! My friends, clear the space! Challengers! Present yourselves!" The interior lights flared, the exterior perimeter dimmed. Gwen stood demurely on one side, a gentle, mirthful smile lightly touching her petal-pink lips. Frederick stood opposite, still bewildered by the sudden turn of events. The Magus requested a final confirmation. Gwen nodded silently. Frederick said nothing as well, but for an entirely different reason. Even from afar, Gwen could feel the motes of fire radiating off him. The Evoker was trying to front-load something big, likely a Fire Ball. She needed to finish this fast and clean. The less she showed, the more crystals she was likely to generate with her next con. "ALLLLLLLRIGHT! On my signal…" Yuu Dimension Doored from the floor and onto the roof, landing with a flourish atop the rectangular Force Cage. "BEGIN!" "Fire Ba-" "Flashbang!" A crystalline shard materialised for a fraction of a second in front of Frederick's face before manifesting as a localised thunderclap. Frederick hadn't even finished his spell before his world turned white with noise and illumination. The malformed chant in his mind became white noise as both the Flashbang and his mana fed back into his body. Gwen, who knew mana burn better than anyone, could see the poor bastard's face blanch and therefore knew that the young man was entirely at her mercy, at least for another few seconds. "Dimension Door!" Leaping into her short-range teleport, Gwen barrelled into Frederick with her shoulder, appearing just centimetres beside Frederick's stunned body before crashing into his chest. A burst of electricity exploded where her Mana Shield impacted his instantly-erected Shield, after which Fredrick flew backwards. Frederick desperately tried to fire off a spell that would give him even a second of breathing room. "Lightning Whip!" Gwen lashed the air in front of her twice; twin tendrils of lightning lacerated Fredrick's Shield with such force as to send him kneeling against the wall of the Force Cage, furthermore engendering forth a shower of orange-yellow sparks where her electricity impacted the invisible barrier. "Blade!" "Blast!" "Whip!" Caught by the momentum of her spell flurry, Gwen forwent even the first segment of her chants, simply using her Transmutation Sigil to keep the channel open, allowing the electrical energy to pour freely forth. Her spells were weaker without her Evocation sigils empowering the damage. However, to the untrained eye, it seemed as though she was ceaselessly churning out an endless torrent of sorcery that was alternatively blades, tendrils, blasts of lightning, and other misshaped detonations of electricity. Fredrick must have fainted at some point during the exchange, for Gwen noticed her discharges were singing his clothes and hair. Quickly, she ceased her attack. She is here to win money, not cause a homicide. The fight felt good. She felt good. And with 500 HDMs in her pockets, she would feel even better. With comparative slowness, Frederick's smoking body slid off the conjured pane of force and comically knelt toward her, head over heels. "WHAT?" "HOW?" "WHY?" A hundred mouths opened and closed, trying to find words that could adequately describe what they had just witnessed. A few keen observers wondered if her display was a part of some show, some illusion mayhaps, set up by the Magus Yuu to liven up the atmosphere after Tao's dismal duel. It was as good as an explanation as any other. After all, a girl, a junior by the looks of it, one that looked more like an idol than a combat Mage, just trounced the son of the Lin family, renowned for their Evocation Mages, with nothing but Quasi-Elementalist cantrips and a single Dimension Door? How was it that she incanted her spells so fast? How could it be that her low-level incantations had so much power? How many schools did she use just then? Most importantly, why had no one ever heard of her? No Master worth their salt would forget a junior of this calibre after even seeing her in action once. Was she a secret disciple, finally let loose into the world? Who was her Magister Master? That was the most critical question of all. No one wanted to step on the toes of a Magister without carefully considering the consequences. "Peaches…" Eric said softly. "I am in love." "Peaches…" Little-Dog likewise intoned. "I am in love too." "Peaches…" Mack-Daddy said after a moment of deliberation. "I am so scared I am at full mast." "... same." Little Dog confessed. "I am sorry, Peaches." As for Mina, she could wonder what other secrets Gwen was hiding from them. "THE WINNER! Miss SONG!" Yuu's voice rang like clarion across the space of the club. "Woohoo!" Tao screeched, completely beside himself, wild with joy. "Gwen!" A second voice joined in. Then another. And another. Then the entire club was hooting and stomping. "Lightning Sorceress!" "Goddess!" "Gwen!" The skimpy nurses made their rounds. Thankfully, the boy was fine. Gwen could see Frederick returned to consciousness after only a minute, but his body sustained so much Elemental damage that he had become completely numb and paralysed. Magus Yuu approached Gwen with the prize of the Bout. He had her Ring of Evasion on a small, red cushion, which he returned to her, and the currency cards in the other, which he presented to her. Before the watching crowd, Gwen turned to where Dai and his friends sat in the VIP section, still overcome with disbelief. "Mr Fung!" she walked towards him, her boots clicking on the illuminated floor, her dancer's figure followed by hundreds of pairs of eyes until she reached their booth. She produced one of the cards— one with a 100 HDM denomination. "Here's the money Peaches owes you," She said sweetly, her eyes full of sincerity. "Thanks for being a good sport." Before Dai could respond, Gwen spun on her heels and strode back toward the centre of the dance floor. Just as the young man sat, Gwen stopped as she had before, performing the exact come-hither twirl and filling Dai with a horrific premonition. "Mr Fung! Another round?" Gwen held up her ring and the four hundred or so HDMs she had in both hands. "900 HDMS, winner takes all." Magus Yuu was beside himself with joy. "Miss Song, you're our lucky star, our Goddess of currency! Also, you might not be familiar with this, but as you are the instigator of the Bout, the M offers you a 10% cut on all of the club's winnings. Though the exact amount cannot be tallied as of yet, I can assure you that your portion of the last match should total about 300 HDMs." Gwen turned to Dai. "Apologies!" she bowed. "1200 HDMS, winner takes all!" Dai's face altered between fifty shades of red. He opened his mouth to speak, perhaps to refute her challenge, but again was interrupted. "Bet!" Tao began chanting, joined by his friends. "Bet!" "Bet!" "Bet!" The whole club joined in. "BET! BET! BET! BET!" The son of the Police Commissioner grew contemplative. Dai' looked over at Mina, who was also staring at Gwen with undisguised disbelief. "Well, Mister Fung?" Gwen teased the man with an innocent smile of expectation. After what seemed like an eternity, the heir of the Fung Clan nodded. "Okay, but not me. My family won't allow it. Instead..." "Lok," he said quietly into the darkness, where a skinny man in a grey suit stood silently with the appearance of a stone sentinel. "Can you take care of this?" "As you wish. Shall I spare the girl?" Her opponent nodded affirmatively to his guard. "Do what you must. We have to avenge this insult." Lok emerged from the darkness and into the light of the duelling floor. "Master Dai answers your challenge. I will be his representative," he said to the crowd emotionlessly with the same intonation of one calling out a takeout order. A silent Message bloomed next to Gwen's ears, invisible to all. "That's Lok Khun. He's a Burmese national but served under the PLA's foreign operatives teams. Dai always liked to boast that his bodyguard was very skilled when it comes to his duties." "What are his abilities?" Gwen said audibly. She didn't care that Lok heard. After all, she was the challenger; she possessed the onus of accepting or refusing their representative. "Enchantment & Abjuration, Earth element, though Dai said that he trained in Mind Magic. I've never seen him in action, so I can't help you there." "Thanks, that's enough. I'll take care of it." "Are you sure?" Mina paused, seemingly reaching a decision. "Don't push yourself too hard. If it comes to it, Tao and I have your back." Gwen returned her gaze to Lok, who awaited her reply patiently. "Don't do it!" someone called out from the crowd. "Yeah! He's a Magus! The fight's a travesty! Unfair!" "Go and fight yourself! Dai!" Gwen's following words silenced the crowd at once. "Alright, I accept." Yuu was there before the crowd even reacted. Magus Yuu erupted. "THERE YOU HAVE IT! Ladies and Gentlemen! Austere Mages! Annnnnnnother groundbreaking match! The spectacle of a Student in Training against a Seasoned Magus! Can experience beat talent? Or does Talent trump all! EGO is what the Bout is all about!" "She's a student?" someone from the crowd demanded. "The Challenger! Miss Gwen Song! From the Frontier of Australia! A Quasi-Elementalist! A teenage prodigy!" "The defender! Magus Lok Khun, employed under the House of Fung! A renounced master of the Abjuration Arts!" "Lightning versus Earth! A decisive advantage for the Magus Khun! Can Miss Song overcome the fundamental mismatch?! Make your bets! Who will the Goddess of Victory Embrace! Who will emerge as the penultimate victor of this night?!" The Force Cage resumed its protective enclosure. Lok Khun gazed upon Gwen with his dead fishes' eyes. There appeared a little bit of Edgar in the depth of the man's calm pupils to Gwen's mind, suggesting someone who used to bringing pain to others. She glanced at the 1200 HDMs' worth of crystals and prizes on display. Dai didn't have enough on him to pay outright, which meant that he would owe her if she won the match. If she were to keep his shame private and their exchange in intimacy, it would further imply that he owed her a debt of gratitude. After all, Crystals were merely numbers— social capital was priceless. She took a deep breath. Around them, the jibbering crowd hedged their bets. One cat down. This other one looked like a biter.

"BEGIN!" "Protection from Energy!" "Shield!" Wary of one another's untested strength, both Gwen and her opponent forwent the option to front-load spells, instead choosing to open the battle defensively, electing caution over risk. Lok's choice was self-evident, creating a shimmering skin of elemental resistance that negated much of Gwen's offensive electricity outright, ensuring that even if he were stunned or blinded, his Earthen Shield could withstand any unforeseen burst potential from the Lightning Mage. Gwen's choice was both puzzling and astonishing. Wasn't she an offensive caster? The crowd wondered. What was an Elementalist going to do with a Shield? Especially one under the auspices of air and positive energy, both of which were insubstantial in defence? "Catapult!" "Warding Bolt!" A spiked boulder the size of a ripe jackfruit smashed into Gwen's static-charged Mana Shield. To the surprise of all, rather than shattering the transparent glass dome, the spike came to a crunching halt, turning the impact point opaque with congealed mana. In the next moment, the stone fell from Gwen's half-dome barrier and dissipated into motes of Elemental Earth. The spectacle would have made perfect sense if Gwen was a Mage attuned to the Mineral talent, or perhaps a spiritually-modified talent of Earth, but she was a lightning Mage! How is it possible that an Elementalist could possess such an impenetrable Shield? If offensive casters could hold their own in a Shielding-duel, there would be no need for Abjurers on a five-person team. "Stone Spear!" For a Mage specialised in defence, a tier 2 Evocation was the best Lok could manage without risking mana burn and disorientation. Four stalactites of compressed granite launched toward Gwen, covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Gwen grit her teeth. "Call Lightning!" A miniaturised cumulonimbus cloud briefly appeared overhead before manifesting as a hazy field of electricity. Her previously conjured Warding Bolt zapped away at Lok, triggered by his presence, leaving behind a dazzling white scar over his reinforced Stone Shield. Immediately after, Lok's spears struck. In the past, Gwen had withstood the assault of a tier 5 Magical Beast known as Wonka. Even with the burst of momentum and all its impressive weight, it had just managed to penetrate her non-newtonian barrier, and this was at a time when Gwen wasn't even a trained Abjurer. Now, Lok was just unlucky. The seemingly deadly spears clattered against her shield, turning its frontal surface opaque before crumbling. Gwen could see a spiderweb of fissures spreading across the first layer of her double-glazed mana barrier. Thankfully, her weakness became masked by the zinging arcs of electricity that showered the surrounding air spectacularly whenever her Shield shed its reactive energy. When the Stone Spears failed to penetrate, the crowd gasped, looking toward one another to see if they were all witnesses to the same spectacle. "Wall of Stone!" "Ariel!" All of Gwen's pieces were falling into place. Ariel appeared behind Lok and instantly transformed into its Mongoose form, its static-charged body turning the Force Cage cobalt's surface with blue-white static. "EE—EE!" A blast of fur from Ariel smothered the space where Lok stood his ground, a few tiny darts catching him unaware and penetrating his hastily erected Shield. Such was the natural advantage of Conjurers, whose strength in numbers had to be endured or negated. Gwen's problem was that her education was yet incomplete. She had forgone Summon Elementals for Dark Tentacles and the defensive Faithful Hound, neither of which was of much use against a turtling Earthen Mage. Lok cursed under his breath. He hadn't wanted to demonstrate his other abilities, but there was no helping it now. Slowly but surely, the electrical discharge was finding its way through the dart-like fur and numbing his body. "Lighting Blast!" "Blank Mind!" The Mage activated his latent mental powers. Gwen felt a deluge of psychic energy bypassing her Mana Shield and assail her consciousness. She became at once dizzy and confused as if injected with a sluggish agent that hindered her thoughts. It was a familiar feeling which she loathed more than anything in the world. Fight it! An inner voice screamed as her body faltered. It was just as well that her Warding Bolt continued to fire, and her Called Lightning was falling into a steady pace of randomised electrical blasts. On the other end of the arena, Ariel sensed its Master's distress and directly assaulted Lok with a frenzy of blows, becoming a blur of whirling claw and flashing teeth against the Magus' Shield of stone. Though Gwen could feel a part of her mind becoming cloudy and unfocused, she maintained control through force of will. From experience, she suspected that if she had lost her mind, Caliban would likely escape and attempt to make a feast out of every Mage in the club. She could just imagine it now, Caliban eating Lok before thrashing itself bloody upon the Force Cage. Lok, meanwhile, had felt his spell connect with Gwen's mind. He had anticipated her to fall limp, to cease her attacks, to beg or kneel or at least be held, even for a fraction of a second. Instead, even after his mana became consumed, there was nothing. There was no feedback, no adjoining reciprocity that allowed him an estimation of his target's paralysis. It was as though he had cast Hold Monster on a pet rock. Then he felt the connection between himself and the spell cease, signalling the end of the Enchanter's hold on his target. His Stone Shield was already a blaze of electricity that cascaded from top to bottom, turning the surface of the Force Cage a bright, brilliant blue. Where the Mongoose's fur had struck his shoulder, he was already feeling a numbness coming on. Whatever had happened, his spell had gone to waste, and Lok wasn't foolish enough to flaunt his mind-flaying abilities in public. He had no desire to be gang-pressed into the Military for the second time, especially in a place like China, where the PLA kept a close eye on all Mind Mages. Were they at a stalemate then? But he was a Magus! The girl was sixteen, seventeen?! Mayhap younger? For a Magus to draw the match with the girl was no different from losing. He had to do something, anything, to ensure that his Master did not suffer any more loss of reputation. Gwen, meanwhile, felt the mind manacles of the Mind Blank spell dissipate. She felt overcome by a seething vexation, having to fight her impulse tooth and nail to prevent herself from resorting to conjuring the Void. With a fully charged Void Bolt, Gwen was confident that it should bore a fist-sized hole right through the Stone Shield and into Magus Khun's chest— but that was neither here nor now. "Stone Skin!" Magus Lok incanted loudly. Unexpectedly, her enemy made the first move to break their stalemate. Lok must have lost patience with his terrapin tactics and wanted to finish the match and salvage Dai's lost honour. In an instant, the Mage became "The Thing" from an infamous Marvel franchise, only covered in layers of grey-blue granite, slowly moving towards her with the certainty of a glacier. As for the Mind Magic, Gwen was still reeling from its impact. She was indignant and confused. Why hadn't Yuu called out the Magus for using an illicit spell? Was it legal for tier 1 Mages to employ mind-altering effects? Or did paralysis not count as mind-control? Heedless of her woes, Lok came closer, trying to corner Gwen at one end. Gwen had no idea what the man intended, but she wasn't about to lose the advantage of distance. What if he had a melee-touch, mind-altering Enchantment that could control her? What if Caliban escaped? In desperation, she chose the only spell she knew that would work on stone. "Flashbang!" "Flashbang!" "Flashbang!" "Flashbang!" "Flashbang!" "Flashbang..." She held a dozen of the unstable crystals in her hand, vibrating dangerously in their volatile fragility. What would happen when a dozen of her most disruptive spell erupted at once? How many times could the magnitude of a single spell increase with each reverberation? Gwen was no physicist; she could only speculate about the multiplicative effects of detonating sound and light in an enclosed space. Faced with the advancing Mage, she threw the volatile shards toward the ponderous form of the despairing Lok, whose stony face twisted in dreadful anticipation as the crystals flew toward him in slow motion. "CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Gwen advised the crowd, retracting Ariel to her side as she covered her ears, at once reinforcing herself with mana. Above her, Magus Yuu reciprocated her command. As the crystals ignited, Gwen summoned yet another Shield, a thin Void skin, within her semi-circle dome of non-newtonian particles. BUNG! The resulting "Flashbang" may as well been a localised supernova. The Force Cage grew white-hot as though it momentarily held the interior of a dying star. Violent, reverberating sonic energy and dazzling incandescence rocked the underground chamber. Were it not for the sheer power of the protective barrier, the observers were sure that the M would have erupted, perhaps launching off its foundations and landing piecemeal throughout the bay of The Bund. After the concussion, the flare finally dimmed. Unfortunately, though the Force Cage had tempered the thunderclap, there was no helping the phosphorescence. Those who'd anticipated the flash felt their sight returning after several seconds. Those too slow to react became blinded for half a minute. Those who'd refused to heed Gwen and Yuu's advice wailed and beckoned for Minor Restoration. When the confusion finally ceased, those with enough vision left to see turned their attention back toward the duelling floor. They had their answer. The Lightning Mage, Gwen Song, appeared entirely unaffected by the explosion. She stood to attention, steadfast in trying to maintain a triple-set conjuration of Familiar, Warding Bolt and Call Lightning. Magus Khun, meanwhile, had ceased moving entirely. Sheets of granite fell from his body like a stone statue crumbling in a timelapse. Twin streaks of blood oozed from where his ears were just visible beneath the Stone Skin, flowing profusely past his cheeks. Above, Magus Yuu swayed on his feet for a moment as his wits restored themselves. Opposite the fallen Earthen Mage, the Lightning Sorceress dispelled her summons, then dropped to one knee. Her chest violently rose and fell as she panted profusely from the effort of managing a dozen spells in quick succession. "THE VICTOR! MISS GWEN SONG!" The voice of Magus Yuu rang across the club. The announcer felt as though he was in the midst of a fantastic dream. What a world, what a night, what a Bout! To think that junior Mage could defeat a Magus, and a retired Mind Reaver at that, with incantations no higher than tier 3 to boot! Slowly, boos and groan began to spread among the losers who had betted on Lok, taking solace only in the pretty sorceress who had provided them with a blood-boiling Bout. Mayhap, years later, they may even be recounting to their peers that they were there when a new Magister began her ascent to power. Conversely, a small number of participants in the room was jubilant with joy and exaltation, throwing crystal credits at Gwen's feet. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? Gwen wanted to take a victorious stroll through the arena space, but she felt too breathless to speak, and adrenaline rushed to react. Forcing herself to stand, she patted down her skirt, turned to face the crowd and curtsied, bowing to each side. Another round of cheers resounded, followed by an encore of cascading crystals. Gwen had intended to show herself as the humble victor, but it appears there had been a miscommunication of sorts. Still, she wasn't about to turn down free money. Then Dai joined her on the duelling floor. He approached her directly and bowed deeply, placing a hand upon his heart in a show of sincerity. "You have proven yourself beyond doubt, Miss Gwen," he announced to the crowd in a volume audible to all. "For sparing Magus Khun, who is my bodyguard and my dear friend, I want you to know that I owe you a favour. If there is service that Dai Fung of the Clan Fung can perform in the future, please do not hesitate to make a request." Gwen wasn't sure what the etiquette for accepting a concession of defeat was and so offered her hand. Shockingly, Dai took it and kissed her ring. The crowd grew wild with cheers and applause. Just as Gwen tried to speak, Dai turned to the club and lifted Gwen's hand in a gesture that made it seem as though they were BOTH victors. You sneaky little! Gwen could only marvel at the smoothness of Dai's recovery. Here was a man groomed from birth to play to a crowd. What thickness of skin the man must have! "Please play along." A glowing Message spell bloomed beside her ear. It was Dai. "I will double the winnings I owe you, an apology, and as a gift to our future friendship. "Fine," Gwen answered the young Master. "Wonderful. I'll have the club bring it to you." Dai bowed again, then quickly retreated, overseeing his bodyguard's medical care, roleplaying the benevolent Master full of concern for his underling's welfare. Gwen left the stage to return to her cousins. As she descended from the duelling floor, men and women reached out and touched her arm and felt her hair, causing Gwen to shiver with discomfort. Canto had endured the same treatment, though the man had seemed to enjoy it. She hadn't thought much of it then, but now it was happening to her. Gwen just hoped that some mug didn't get too enthusiastic with their tactile devotion. "Oh. My. Mao!" Tao's friends were beside themselves. "Master Gwen!" "Mistress!" "Masterful Mistress! Please take me as your disciple!" Gwen declined playfully. She would rather not have a group of rapping disciples helping her produce an MTV video. Little-Dog and Mack-Daddy returned with a fresh round of beverages. "Ganbei!" "Ganbei!" "Ganbei!" "Cheers!" "Ganbei!" "Ganbei!" "Ganbei!" "Thanks," Tao intoned seriously, wiping the foam from his lips. "For what you did to Frederick out there." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "It was nothing." Gwen pulled her cousin in close and hugged him. "Feel better now?" His fellow B-Boys gulped their drinks enviously. "I am impressed, Gwen. You did great." Mina's voice had an edge of relief to it. "I can't believe Dai folded. He's a tit-for-tat kind of guy, even if he's an arrogant idiot most of the time. Now, if anyone wants to mess with you, they'd first have to ask if they want to piss on the Commissioner's son, especially if you intend to call in that favour." "True, AND I got some funds for my living expenses in Shanghai," Gwen laughed. "More shopping tomorrow?" Mina couldn't help but notice that Gwen's eyes lit up like electrically charged HDM crystals whenever she tittered about money. "What's the score?" Tao regressed to his inner-city vernacular. "How much ya win for smacking a bitch up?" Gwen tried to do a quick calculation in her head. As if on cue, Magus Yuu appeared beside them, flanked on either side by two girls with such audacious fashion that Tao's eyes protruded from their sockets. "Caught you at the right time, it seems." Magus Yuu grinned affably. "Wonderful match! A marvel! Truly inspirational!" "Thank you for the kind words." Gwen bowed her head politely. "Your winnings." Magus Yuu handed over a card. "Please attune yourself." To their surprise, Gwen didn't know what to do. After an awkward moment of confusion, Mina aided Gwen by informing her that she needed to pour her Astral mana from her Elemental Gates into the card. "You channel your mana into the card, like so…" Yuu demonstrated a simple cantrip. Gwen performed likewise, and the number 3534 showed up. "3534 HDMs!" Tao bit back tears. His friends, likewise, were beside themselves. Gwen had never held so much money in her second life. Tao and Mina had to pinch one another. In one night, over two duels, their cousin from Australia had made more money than an NoM would see in a lifetime. In two hours, Gwen had made more crystals than Mina and Tao's annual allowances put together. Granted, she had risked her life and limb, but the speed and volume in which their cousin acquired currency were terrifying. "This here is a little contribution from us, from the House of M," Magus Yuu added, passing over a golden card imbued with intricate scrollwork of dragons in flight. "Woa—" Mina couldn't help but bite her lip. "What is it?" Gwen received the card carefully, balancing it on her hand. "Contribution Credits!" Mina hissed. "They're the currency of favour from the Towers!" Gwen had heard the term before from Richard, but she had never seen these 'Contribution Credits' in the real world. "More precious than Crystals, rarer than Creature Cores." Magus Yuu tapped the card gingerly. "There are ten credits contained within, enough for a few small but challenging requests." Gwen had no idea what Yuu meant, at least for now, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Two cards, one crystalline and the other golden disappeared into her Storage Ring. "One more thing," Yuu persisted. "As a young woman with a great deal of liquid currency, we would like to extend an invitation to you, from the House of M, to attend an Auction of Rare and Magical goods in a week." Mina's ears perked up. "Gwen, you have to go! He's talking about the legendary Underground Auction hosted by the House of M!" "I would love to attend." Gwen had no idea what this Auction portended either, but if Mina wanted to go, there must be some merit involved. "May I bring guests?" "Of course, Miss Song. We shall look forward to you gracing us with your presence once again." Yuu dipped his head. "For now, please enjoy the evening, or should you feel so inclined, issue another challenge." "I am tapped out, for now." Gwen was out of the tricks she was willing to reveal, meaning her night had come to an end. Magus Yuu thanked her again before disappearing into the crowd. Gwen returned to her companions. They sipped their drinks and discussed the duel, though the music remained far too loud for engaging conversation. Several groups of men and women now hung around their perimeter, trying to make their way past Tao and his friends to speak to Gwen. Then a bright blossom of Divination magic bloomed next to Mina's ear. "Shit!" Mina's almost spat out her Daiquiri. "What's wrong?" Gwen's face was as flushed as pink pippins; unlike the juices she had earlier, her celebratory drinks were alcoholic. "Shush!" Mina answered the call. "Yeye?" she spoke sweetly into the Message. "Yes? Yes, Gwen is with me. Where are we? Oh, you know, young people places." Gwen watched as Mina suffered what looked to be a torrent of invisible abuse. Yeye, Gwen tried to think. That means Grandfather— OOOOh shit! Mina tore the bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Gwen as though she'd just ripped a writhing leech from her arm. "It's for you." Gwen took the bracelet with trembling hands, hoping she sounded sober. "Grandfather?" she answered sweetly into the Message device. The corresponding voice flushed every ounce of excitement from her blood. "Come home. Now." "At once!" Gwen passed the bracelet back to Mina, holding the device between two fingers as though it had just tried to bite her. "Well?" Tao asked blithely. "Well, nothing," Mina sulked, already imagining the scalding. "What's happening?" Tao persisted. "You're getting a beating," Mina informed him with absolute sincerity. "WHAT!?" Tao checked his surroundings. Was Frederick Lin still around? But even if he were, Gwen would protect him, right? She could kick the guy's ass twice over. "If Yeye demands whose idea it was, he dragged us out here," Mina assured Gwen of their plan B. "Peaches is such a trouble maker, always taking us girls out to seedy places." "Naturally." Gwen studied the siblings with a grin. She missed Percy dearly. How nice it was to have siblings! Mina's madcap vehicular mayhem ended when they finally reached the model citizen's village of the Plum Flower. It was almost midnight, and the gated compound took on the quietness of a rural village, punctuated only by the sound of trickling water and frog song. The trio stalked the perimeter of the Song compound before entering the cross-shaped courtyard. Unfortunately, the silhouette of a stocky old man awaiting their arrival informed them that their hope of a subtle return had failed. "In the Communal Hall," Guo announced stoically. Gwen, Tao and Mina stepped over the wooden threshold and faced the open space of the hall. It was now a vacant space furnished with a red carpet runner, accentuated by two chairs and a wooden chaise, adjoined by a collection of antique-looking melee weapons embellishing the interior walls. "Where were you?" Guo stopped once he reached the middle. "We went to a bar and enjoyed some food," Mina told the half-truth. "I don't know," Tao played the idiot. "M on the Bund," Gwen replied. "We engaged in some underground fighting." The other two turned to look at Gwen with painful expressions. "Tao took us there," she added hurriedly. Was she supposed to pretend to be deaf and dumb? Was that the siblings' survival tactic? Did they have any idea who their grandfather was and how many spies he controlled? Tao's grimace resembled a man wounded by an unexpected shiv in the kidney. Guo sighed. "Hand—" Mina and Tao extended their hands. Puzzled, Gwen did likewise. Guo materialised a length of vicious-looking bamboo. SNAP! Tao sucked in his breath, allowing the pain to diffuse throughout his body. SNAP! Mina clenched her jaws as a strip of flesh across her hands began to welt. She had to force herself to restrain the restorative power of her Positive Energy. SNAP! Having never in her life been slapped or punished by Morye, Gwen flinched and retracted her hands. "HMMM—?" Guo's displeasure at her withdrawal was a deep-throated growl. Gwen winced, swallowing nervously. For an adult, the juvenile, corporal punishment was shamefully challenging to endure. She extended her hands again. SNAP! Her palms were on fire. It was only then that Guo launched into a rant. "THAT'll teach you all for 'street fighting'! You could have been injured!" he barked. "Ingrates! Do you think it was easy raising you?! You all want to fight so much? I'll send you to the North! You can fight the Undead all day and all night!" Gwen held her tongue in check. Guo fumed, watching the three nurse their swelling hands. Unexpectedly, he then turned to Gwen and began to speak more tenderly. "You won against the Grandson of the Huashan Lins." It was a statement. That was quick, Gwen thought to herself. Between her victory and their desperate journey home, it took about thirty minutes for the news to travel to old Guo's ears. Did that mean he had sent someone to keep an eye on her? Was it through a Scry, or was it an old school tail and tackle? So much for privacy. "I did," Gwen affirmed. "Then you managed to defeat Lok Khun, the bodyguard of Dai Fung. A Mind Magus," Guo continued. "I did," Gwen again confirmed the events of their enterprising evening. Mina and Tao regarded Guo strangely. Why the cryptic routine of rhetorical questions and answers? "Come with me," Guo commanded Gwen to follow. "You two, go home." Tao's face split into an enormous grin, barely able to believe he would not ensure an hour-long lecture. "Reflection essay on why you were defeated, a thousand words," Guo added before Tao could make it out the door. Tao sobbed. His sister had already escaped, too smart to stick around and be an eyesore. Gwen followed her grandfather into the room where they'd previously held the family meeting. Guo took a seat and motioned for her to stand to attention. She couldn't help but notice that she was standing a lot these days; China was not a country where different generations sat together. "Give me a moment." Guo fiddled with something on the tea table. The gadget was a prismatic crystal pyramid that gleamed as it caught the light. Intricate Glyph work in silvery scripts covered its base, from which concentric, symmetrical bands covered the slanted panes in set intervals. A thrum of mana lit up the strange device's core, then a projection of light formed a vaguely humanoid shape in front of Gwen. A Lumen-Projector! Gwen flinched when an image sprang into being a meter away. She had heard about these things since forever. Back on the Frontier, it was rumoured that every middle-class tier 1 household had one. It sent and received real-time "Illusions" or whatever passed for Television in this world by empowering it with crystals. When finally the glowing figure came into sharp focus, and Gwen felt her mouth form a perfect 'O' of surprise. "GUNTHER!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace the illusion only to miss and make a spectacle of herself. "Gwen, my Sister-in-Craft." Gunther's chiselled profile and noble mien filled her body with familial warmth. "I hope—" "Is it CONNECTED?" another voice interjected, pushing Gunther from the projection. A flash of auburn hair followed by an uncommonly beautiful face appeared, illuminated by a pair of lapis eyes rich with emotion. "Alesia!" Gwen squealed with delight. "Can you see me!? Can you hear me?" Alesia rolled into view, seated in a wheelchair propelled by some unknown artifice. "Gwennie!" Alesia squealed excitedly, decorum be damned, not at all careful that she was a thirty-year-old woman. "Oh my God! It feels that we haven't seen each other FOREVER." "I KNOW!" Gwen articulated her excitement with every limb she possessed, giddy with barely contained excitement. "You can't know how happy I am feeling right now! I can't even think straight." Besides the projection, Guo appeared shocked by their overt familiarity. His expression was of one who finally accepted Gwen's word, though the new information wasn't something the old spy liked. Gwen had to stretch for a moment because she had indeed pulled a muscle when she tried to catch herself from again hugging the illusory projection. Though the crystal possessed a limited field of view, the illusions were very much life-like. "Where's that old man!" Alesia suddenly demanded. "I'd like to give him another piece of my mind!" The room grew deathly quiet. "Hey! Oi! What are you doing! Alright, fine—!" Alesia's disappeared. Gunther reappeared in the illusory projection. "Gwen, are you alright?" "I am fine, brother." Gwen bowed respectfully, tilting her head and arching her back. "That's good." Gunther smiled warmly. "I heard you've been engaging in local street fighting. I hope that's not your idea of a good time or 'being alright', as it were." "How did you know about that?!" Gwen asked incredulously. Gunther smiled secretively. "On a more serious note, Gwen, how do you like Shanghai?" Gwen glanced at her grandfather, whose face was as expressionless as always. "It was scary at first, but I am getting the hang of it," Gwen informed her brother-in-craft. "How're things in Sydney?" "Chaotic, messy, but we're managing," Gunther replied. "Your Opa sends his regards." "Please tell him I am alright." "I have already." "How's my brother? And mother, for that matter? Have the refugee transfers started?" "It has, though Percy is the reason for our inter-city communication," Gunther informed her, his tone taking on a severe timbre. "Oh?" Gwen felt her premonition tingling, though not from her Divination. "Indeed," Gunther intoned. "Magus Song, may I speak to Gwen alone and inform her of our agreement?" "You may." Guo paused to look Gwen in the eye, then left without saying a word. "Gunther?" "I am going to inform you of recent developments first. Then we are going to discuss the details. Is that alright with you?" "Please, go ahead," Gwen affirmed cordially. "Your brother, Percy Song, is coming to the Song Estate to study with Magus Song." "Okay." Gwen had expected that much. "You do not seem surprised," Gunther observed. "Not at all. I was wondering the when and how, but not the 'if'." Gwen pursed her lips. "How did mother react?" "Livid at first, but then sufficiently satisfied by the exchange." Gunther shook his head as if recalling an unpleasant memory. "She caused a scene at the registration office, as you can imagine. That was where Magus Song's men caught up with them. I had my people there as well, knowing what happened to you. After a less than cordial encounter, Magus Song and I became acquainted." Gwen could very well imagine Helena causing a public spectacle while beside her, two teams of Tower Mages, one from the PLA and the other from the Commonwealth, faced off. In between their death stares, the standoff would be punctuated by her mother's ceaseless wailing, not unlike a cat running its claws across the length of a chalkboard. After a few minutes of her incessant screeching, both teams would lose all faith in their ability to resolve the matter and call for support. "I believe it best for Percy to be given to his Clan, to be trained in controlling his Quasi-Negative arts." "I see, that's good." "If you are alright with the arrangement, then it puts my mind at ease," Gunther responded with evident relief. "Next, you will be beginning University in Shanghai as soon as you are able." Gwen responded by nodding. "Is there nothing that would surprise you?" Gunther seemed displeased somehow by her nonplussed reaction. "Why don't you inform me of my next piece of news?" "That, I do not know." Gwen grinned winsomely. "Do tell." "I shall, but first, details regarding your university education," Gunther continued. "I have offered to sponsor you through the Shanghai - Pudong Tower, but I am afraid the Commonwealth has limited reach outside of its old colonies. After an extensive conversation with Magus Song, it seems that you will have to attend selection trials for the Gifted and Talented to apply to your two target institutions, Jiantong and Fudan." "That's a reasonable condition." "I would expect as much. Both Universities lie at the epicentre of magical theory-crafting in the region of South-East Asia." "One problem," Gwen pointed out awkwardly. "I am a high school drop out. How can I apply for an elite university?" "Not a problem." Gunther broke into a mirthful smirk. "I have asked Bartlett to finalise your graduation certificate, and it should be making its way to you with Percy. Congratulations, Gwen, you were valedictorian of your graduation year." "I am?" Gwen could see that Gunther was entirely serious. "I so am." "How do you feel?" "Would you believe me if I told you I feel like I graduated decades ago?" Gunther laughed heartily. "The final article is that I am sending Richard Huang down to Shanghai with Percy." "OH MY!" Gwen's eyes grew round with pleasure and happiness. "That's wonderful news!" Gunther made the satisfied expression of finally having seen the face he was expecting since their conversation began. "Indeed. I am afraid the both of you will have to figure out your tuition fees, but I can at least provide you with the certification for enrolment. In that regard, I must say Richard is better equipped. I am still puzzled as to why he had stayed in Sydney. He could have left with Prince's, or applied for a Section 8 Visa for the Gifted and Talented. I suspect it may be something to do with you, Gwen, or maybe his parents, or both." "When should I expect them? Where do I pick them up?" Gwen intoned with giddy expectation. "Magus Song has arranged transport and escort. I would assume very soon, given the ISTC stations." "I'll ask Grandfather then, how's Yue and Elvia?" "Still in transit, I am afraid, though their families have been informed. Your Opa had a big party planned for you all, you know, though I am afraid that may now be indefinitely delayed." Gwen's face paled at the implication. "I won't be returning to Sydney?" "Not for a few years at least, not until you graduate," Gunther informed her a matter of factly. "This is to be expected, of course. You are about to become an invaluable asset. Until you resolve your allegiances, I am afraid you're temporarily under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China." "But…" Gwen felt stunned by the unfortunate news. She had thought Gunther would have been able to arrange for her to travel to Sydney, perhaps for a week or just to visit once a year. "Silly girl!" Gunther suddenly chuckled, laughing at her dismay. "You can ask Yue and Elvia to come to you as well!" "I can?" "Indeed, after all, only you can help them." "How?" "Connections, resources, and Contribution Credits." Gunther spelt it out for Gwen one after another. "Connections as in knowing the right people to stamp the right documents. Resources to grease the wheels of bureaucracy, and finally CCs to get the Tower to enact on your behalf." "I have CCs right now!" Gwen blurted out. "I have ten!" Gunther burst into laughter. "I am afraid immigration for a single Frontier Mage begins at 1,000 Credits," Gunther pointed out cheerfully. "With 10 CCs, you can probably issue a gathering quest for some tier 3 ingredients for alchemy." "Oh," Gwen felt her charmed bubble disintegrate. "Chin up, Mädel." Gunther consoled her. "Three years of University will pass in the blink of an eye, assuming you pass all your examinations and Field Trials." Thinking of her Evee, Gwen felt infused with a burning conviction. Three years? It was nothing! For Elvia, for Yue, she could fight the world! She exalted her speculative future. With her talents, she could surely gather the CCs needed to bring her friends over for a reunion. What were a mere three years when she had the surety of rubbing Elvia's cute little face and kissing her cheeks as her reward? "One final thing," Gunther interrupted Gwen's internal revelry. "Yes, Brother?" "There is another opportunity to execute the plan our Master had intended for you in the Inter-High." Gwen listened intently. "Should you be accepted into Jiantong or Fudan, there is an international University Competition held for second and third years, overseen by the Tower Masters of the Mageocracy, stationed in Brussels. Master knew them well and even presided over many a competition." "Right," Gwen's voice grew husky when she thought of her Master, lying cold and dead under Sufina's Heart Tree. "Good," Gunther explained. "As before, this is your chance to shine. If you should demonstrate that the Void Element can be harnessed for the good of the Tower, for Mankind, then you may become a celebrated member of our Order. Maybe even invited in time to come to possess your very own demesne. Such is the prestige of distinguishing oneself in that austere competition." "Is it difficult?" "It's one of the most competitive student contests in the world." "Did you…" "I did." "How…" "I was voted MVP but lost the competition." "Oh." Gwen pondered the immensity of the competition's field of challengers. Just how challenging was this competition if even the mighty Gunther Shultz had to face inevitable defeat. "How about Alesia?" "She-" "SHUT UP!" Alesia's voice returned. She'd been listening in on them. "She GOT DISQUALIFIED!" "— NOOOO DON'T TELL HER!" "Hahaha..." Gwen was happy that the two of them seemed to be getting along. Did her fellow Apprentices 'get together' yet? How would Jonas feel about that? Gwen whispered a benediction for Poor Jonas' unrequited love, feeling her heart sigh sadly for the old Romantic and his doomed, solitary amour. Gwen waited until Gunther and Alesia had settled themselves. "I have something to say," she said solemnly. "It's about our Master." Her sibling-in-craft's faces grew solemn as well. "I found Master's body in the Grot, along with Sufina." Her siblings listened with rapt attention. "Master's remains have been kept in stasis by Sufina. She has asked that one day, the three of us go and visit her together." "Master…" Alesia's voice choked up. "We will." Gunther's voice became cold steel. "We will bring him the head of Elizabeth Sobel." "On a silver platter!" Alesia's eyes glowed an ochre-orange. "I concur," Gwen iterated their mutual commitment. "Then it is decided," Gunther reiterated for all of them. A moment of silence passed as each of them allowed the vindictive promise to be digested wholly, with the oath of cold vengeance fortifying their resolve. "Gwen, can you ask Magus Song to return?" Gunther intoned softly, holding his trembling emotions in check. Alesia did not fare nearly so well and so left the vision-caster. "Yes." Gwen left the room and found her Grandfather alone in the stone garden. "You have finished speaking?" he asked softly. "Is the arrangement agreed upon?" "It is," Gwen whispered in return. "Gunther would like to speak with you again." "Alright." Watching her grandfather go, Gwen stood by her lonesome self in the garden and shivered. Revenge. What a strange and alien phrase. To murder. To take a life. To deliberately seek out and destroy another human being and exalt in the fact of having done the deed. "O fie. Hold, hold, my heart. Remember thee. Poor Ghost, while memory holds a seat. From the table of my memory, allow me to wipe away all my trivial fond records, and thy commandment alone shall live—" The words from her old world were now fragmented and incomplete. She was beginning to forget it all, losing track of the life she once had. Now she was the Avenger incarnate, whose blade shall weep the blood of her enemies, whose sport is to make mincemeat of hated flesh. How much of her would remain Gwen, and how much of the Gwen she knew was left to give? Only the future would tell.

Gwen slept restlessly in her new spartan room, tossing and turning, irritated by the rough cotton sheets and the stolid air. When morning came, she vowed to upgrade her accommodation with thread-counted linen duvets and cooling glyphs. She was, after all, a woman of means now; there was no point denying herself life's simple pleasures. When she again dug into the rough linen for a catnap, a knock came from the door. "Gwen?" It was her grandmother. "Babulya, one second!" She emerged a few minutes later in a bare-shouldered maxi that ran the length of her body until it reached her ankles. A simple belt tapered the fabric around Gwen's waist, allowing the pleated folds to adhere to her hips. Her long hair formed a tightly knotted ponytail. "Good morning, dear," Babulya's voice was soft and comforting. "Come, much to do today. We're going to get you checked up and registered. But first, the most important meal of the day." When they arrived at the banquet hall, a dozen and more people were present— her grandfather, babulya, herself, aunt Nen, and a host of the house's staff, mostly in military uniforms, were busy chowing down on sticks of fried dough and slurping on rice congee. "Good morning, Grandfather. Good morning everyone." Guo nodded, then continued slurping piping hot porridge. It was another culture shock. People here spoke when they ate, ate when they chatted, drank soup with their mouth full of rice, and luxuriously slurped, chewed and swallowed whenever the chance presented itself. Gwen found a place to sit and took some congee and golden dough from a communal basket. The pairing side dish was a strange-looking egg sliced in half. "Egg of Mandarine Duck, salted in brine," Babulya pointed out when Gwen gave the strange, oily yellow core a curious poke. "Very rich in mana and nutrients. Do try it." Not wanting to disappoint, Gwen retrieved the yolk and placed it in her mouth. It was salty, fishy, semi-raw and tasted strongly of egg that had gone slightly off. She quickly drank some congee to wash the taste from her mouth, politely vocalising a few appreciative slurps so that she fitted in with the noisy crowd. "How do you feel?" Babulya asked, her wizened eyes blinking expectantly. "I feel… fullness? Vital?" Gwen marvelled at the unexpected satiation of her Astral Body. "What's in this porridge?" "It's called the Congee of Eight Treasures." Her Babulya chuckled. "Frontier cuisine, especially western cuisine, doesn't have ready access to produce harvested in the Wildlands. As someone unused to the food here, you will quickly absorb the additional mana boosts offered by the rarer ingredients, though it will take a few years of fine dining to catch up to Mina and Tao." Gwen nodded, though she didn't think that she would have less mana capacity than the people here. Was there a numeric capacity for measuring such a thing? She felt no reason to withhold her curiosity. "Babulya, how do I know what my Mana capacity is?" "You will have your answer soon, dear." Klavdiya pushed over another bowl. "Eat." Gwen wolfed down another bowl. With her Void-assisted appetite, she was a girl who could eat the world. After a third bowl, her abdomen could be kindly described as having a food baby. With breakfast done, Klavdiya led Gwen outside, where a dark sedan with military plates awaited them. "Second Army PLA," Klavdiya informed the driver, then reclined in the large leather seat. Compared to herself, her Babulya was dressed in a cotton mandarine jacket. She appeared very prim and proper, though in a way that projected humbleness. "Ma'am!" The driver saluted smartly, starting the vehicle. The interior of the saloon was roomy and spacious. Gwen noticed that when the door closed, it cut off almost all sound from the outside. "Can you tell me about where we are going?" Gwen inquired. "An army hospital," Klavdiya repeated as the car gently took off. "Your babulya happens to be one of the seven directors." Gwen's lips puckered to form a little "O". "It's not much to boast, dear. There are not many of us left these days from the original members in the '50s. A few dozen families, that's about it. Any one of us who desired a position like this would have been offered one eventually, assuming we're in the right field, of course." "Babulya, can you tell me more about yourself and grandfather?" Gwen inquired carefully. "If it's too intrusive, you don't have to." "No, I'd love to tell it," Klavdiya replied kindly. "What do you want to know?" "Well." Gwen tried to think of a delicate way to phrase it. "Is Yeye a spy of some sort? A secret agent?" "Ha! He's not a Grey Ghost if that's what you were suspecting." Klavdiya quietly laughed to herself. "He has quite a few titles. What do you know about the PLA?" "Nothing," Gwen confessed. It wasn't as though she had a Bachelor of Political Science or Asian Studies. "Then I'll keep it simple." Babulya patted her hand assuringly. "Your Grandfather is a commissioned secretary under the Ministry of National Defence, meaning he's something of an intelligence big-wig, about three rungs from the top. He is also the Deputy Secretary of Internal Security and Anti-Reconnaissance Division, which means he has to sign off, though not plan or execute, missions involving counter-intelligence. Finally, his actual job is being the Chairman of the Confidential Communications Committee, which serves as one of twenty-four counsels for the Secretariat Committee, the governing body of the Communist Party of China here in Shanghai." Gwen nodded, then shook her head, then nodded again. Klavdiya may as well be speaking Russian. Sensing Gwen's confusion, her Babulya tried to think of an appropriate analogy. "He specialises in counter-intelligence and internal security," Klavdiya added after shaking her head, distilling Guo's position to its lowest common denominator. "Okay," Gwen nodded emphatically. "This may sound rather presumptuous of me, but if Grandfather is that power, then do we have any enemies? Several of the youngsters seem less than friendly towards Tao and Mina. If I had to say, fight them— I wish to know who I need to—not fight." Klavdiya chuckled to herself, stifling a laugh. "What a bloodthirsty little minx you are, Gwen. Nothing for you to worry about dear, Guo is not a factionist. Just remember a few golden rules." "Yes, Babulya?" "Should you be so inclined to duel. No killing. No maiming. No permanent injury. AND that applies to NoMs as well. We are not the Mageocracy, after all." "Which means?" Gwen contemplated a bothersome hypothetical situation. "No Void Magic?" "Yes, No VOID, at least until you can control it with absolute confidence. If you inflict a mortal injury on someone with Void, expect their family to be beating down our door, demanding to put you in the military court." "But I CAN use it, assuming I use it safely?" "I would avoid using it in a non-official capacity, dear." Klavdiya's eyes were full of kindness. "Are you so eager to show the world your skills?" "I don't know," Gwen confessed. "That's alright. Use it when you have to. There are not many like you, and none with access to both Yin and Yang elements, but you need not fear for yourself. The Tower exists to protect talented Mages like yourself, be it our Tower or theirs." "How so?" Klavdiya chortled. "Unless you wish to be a rogue Mage, you will automatically become a Tower Mage, although the choice of PLA or the Pudong Tower is up to you, certainly your grandfather would want you to join the PLA, but that would mean committing resources and support, which he will not do." "Why is that?" Gwen asked quietly. What was wrong with investing in herself? "Why?" Klavdiya patted her thighs, causing Gwen to blush mightily. "You lack the yaytsa to inherit! But your brother Percy does!" Gwen's babulya cackled to herself heartily, enjoying the moment as Gwen grew flustered. As for Gwen, she could only chew on her lip. A woman can't inherit and can't pass on the family name, so they're not worth spending resources? What bullshit! She fumed. In a way, she understood the logic but felt repulsed by the misogyny. "Why fret, dear." Klavdiya squeezed her hand. "You are the Apprentice of Henry Kilroy, are you not? The Sister-in-craft of the Morning Star! Why would you care if Guo Song to try and limit your horizons? If it's a matter of resources, did you not make three thousand HDMs in a single night? Are you incapable of making more?" Gwen relaxed. "You're right," she replied after a moment of contemplation. Her babulya was correct; she was pedantic and greedy. "Thanks for putting that into perspective, Babulya." The interior lights kicked in as the exterior of the car dimmed. They were now entering a superstructure that spanned across a pentagrammic array of highways and underground passes. A few lumen globes grew in gradual brightness until their faces were just visible. Outside, Gwen deduced that they were traversing through a tunnel network. A glowing green sign indicated an underground entrance for staff. The sedan slowed, then pulled into a circular parking bay guarded by olive uniformed guards with combat wands strapped to their thighs. Granddaughter and grandmother alighted the vehicle, where Klavdiya received another round of salutes before being escorted toward the lift. The levitation platform penetrated several strata before it broke through to the surface, allowing Gwen to finally take in the entirety of the structure they were now entering. The Second PLA Army Experimental Hospital was a superstructure overlooking a byway of five roads that met within its interior. It contained a Military Hospital, a Civilian Hospital, a Veteran's Hospice, a Recuperation Ward, and most importantly, housed the PLA Medical Research and Development Division. Beyond the superstructure sat a profusion of NoM apartments and their underground commercial districts, crowding the horizon like a meadow of brilliant tomato stakes. Below the two women, the multitudes of milling people looked like termites swarming a perforated stump. Gwen grew nervous when Klavdiya led her into an intimidating laboratory. It was stark white, sterile in every aspect— white walls, with shapeless opaque lights embedded into a featureless, white ceiling. White, polyurethane-like surfaces made up white tables and benchtops, underneath which was a profusion of stainless steel made up chairs and tables, trolleys and dollies. The machinery was likewise a combination of ceramic white on brushed galvanised steel. "I appropriated the lab for a few hours, for your privacy," her Babulya assured her. "You will need to put on a hospital gown; there's one in the cupboard there. It's just you and me, so help yourself." "Can I keep my inners?" Gwen inquired, hoping the answer was yes. "No." Klavdiya shook her head. "Don't be shy. The equipment is designed to work without interference. However, you can keep your rings on. They shouldn't be a problem. For future reference, you would have to remove items possessing body-enhancing, regeneration, or obfuscation capabilities." Gwen changed behind a screen, emerging a moment later a little colder. The XL gown was still too miserly for her tall body, but the XXL would have been too loose for her shoulders, leaving most of her flank exposed. "Very good." Klavdiya pointed to a platform and told Gwen to stand between what looked like two magnetic prongs, one pointed at her head, the other at her abdomen. "Relax." There was a thrum as something thrust against her diaphragm and her belly. Gwen felt a wave of permeating mana penetrate her body. On an off-side screen about waist height, a three-dimensional illusion of Gwen materialised. It was life-like, though transparent. Upon closer inspection, Gwen realised that it was a projection of her astral form overlaid with her physical body. "This is a sonogram projection." Klavdiya tapped a few Glyphs that only she could see, her expression the very face of professionalism. "Now we can get to work." Gwen attended her Babulya as she incanted arcane invocations beyond Gwen's knowledge, watching Klavdiya's fingers dance across runes and glyphs both visible and ethereal, a few of which she recognised from her grandfather's workshop. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "So, let me explain." Klavdiya directed Gwen to another platform, where she became backlit by a blinding sheet of bright perspex humming with Positive Energy. "Do you know how magical healing works?" "No." Gwen felt she was saying that a lot these days. "Well, I know the theory, but I have a feeling the Frontier left a lot of details out." "Oh, you poor kitten!" Klavdiya gave Gwen a motherly hug, her small stature and Gwen's hospital gown making the encounter more intimate than necessary. On Gwen's end, receiving the doting affection of her matriarch was strangely jarring. Klavdiya wasn't her mother, but she gave off an effect far kinder than any embrace Helena had ever delivered. "Magical healing is not a substitute for natural healing," Klavdiya spoke as they separated, sternly taking her by one arm. "At least without supreme knowledge of the human body and its anatomy down to the structure of the cells." She enlarged the illusory Gwen's body with a flick of her wrist, where red lines ran through her imaginary form like spider web fissures. "Look at these," Klavdiya pointed out. "These are fault lines where new and old flesh has fused." Gwen nodded. "They are what we call Positive scarring, meaning that the imperfect regeneration of your flesh has grown cancerous." "C-Cancer!" Gwen blurted out. "No!" "Your injuries are extensive." Klavdiya clicked her tongue. "In the battle with the Skin Changer, you must have lost a significant portion of your organs and a considerable section of your lower muscle mass, as well.' "I… I have CANCER?" Gwen tried to wrap her mind around the news. After all the bullshit she had gone through, and she now has cancer? "Why? What's wrong?" Klavdiya looked at her granddaughter strangely. "That's what happens when you overheal." Gwen's eyes grew misty with despair. Klavdiya regarded her panicked granddaughter wordlessly. "Lie down; this is going to itch." Gwen laid down on the white linen examination table, blank with the dire news. Klavdiya tapped a few Glyphs. A few mechanical injectors pierced her quivering flesh with their precious cargo of alchemical solutions. "True Restoration!" A gentle warmth suffused Gwen, turning her skin translucent with a carefully controlled array of Positive Energy that seemed to permeate every pore. "There— it's done." "What's done?" Gwen felt suddenly and inexplicably healed. "Your cancer." Klavdiya slapped her granddaughter on the thighs. "Oh?" Gwen suddenly felt quite stupid. "A lesson to be learned," her babulya continued. "Avoid excessive healing in the field. With each healing spell you receive, your body's resistance to the spell grows, and the chance of malignancy increases. If you subject yourself to too many low-level healing spells, there may be irreversible damage to your body that not even tier 7 spells can restore. There's a reason Frontier Combat Mages have unusually short lifespans, though the rarity of upper-tier healers in those parts of the world is to blame, I suppose." Gwen inclined her head. "They never told us," she said wistfully, thinking of all the times those around her casually treated every other minor injury with blasts of positive energy or chugged healing potions like it was raspberry cordial. "Why would they? It's not as though anyone could refuse magical healing. Does the Frontier even have facilities for the NoMs, for the natural and mundane restoration of the body? Do you know how much resources that would take?" Gwen shook her head. She wondered if Elvia knew or if her friend had been too much of an Acolyte to be told such a secret of the trade. Her Master and siblings probably knew as well but thought little of it since they could arguably access high-level healing, which meant Gwen would have received this treatment sooner or later. In the end, despite the convenience of magic, it still boiled down to a stratified society of the rich with access to the best medicare, while the poor were left straddling their battered bodies unto the grave. "Gwen." Her grandmother sensed her doubt. Gwen turned to regard her babulya, seeing the older woman's eyes grow damp with care and concern. "Your Path, my dear granddaughter, will be a Path of Conflict." Gwen felt the sagacity of her grandmother's words soothing the turbulent anxiety haunting her since her troubled conversation with Gunther. "Think of all the fighting you will be doing, Granddaughter: the wolves, the lions and tigers, the hyenas, the foxes and the jackals; you will fight the Monsters across the land, air and sea, the Demi-humans who will think you a threat. You are going to fight allies. You may even fight family." The last word made Gwen wince unpleasantly. "If you want to attain what Magus Shultz and de Botton expects of you, of what I imagine you expect for yourself, then the road ahead is a never-ending path of what the Buddhists call Asura, the Path of Violent Reckoning. There will be no rest. No solace, not even when you're spent and bloody and desire nothing more. With your talent, your blood, you will become a locus of envy, jealousy, wrath and lust. Can you understand that?" Gwen replied that she did. She had survived the Mermen incursion. She had lost loved ones to conspiracy. She had killed and murdered. A year and a half ago, she would have quoted back Shakespeare, but what she had experienced had gone far beyond the realm of make-belief. "That came out far more seriously than I expected." Klavdiya apologised. "To get carried away at my age…" "Babulya, your advice is very sound," Gwen confessed. "I am glad to hear it, dear." Klavdiya took Gwen's hand and guided her from the Healing Table. "Now, for some volumetric measurements of your current abilities. That's why we're here, after all." A yellow-jacketed folder materialised on the stainless steel surface of an examination table, indicating the presence of a built-in spatial storage system. Klavdiya retrieved Gwen's portfolio from the envelope and scanned the numbers. "Miao did an extensive survey with your biometrics." Her babulya placed the file onto the table for Gwen's purview. The Comprehend Language of her Ioun Stone did its best to translate the medical jargon, but much of it remained a jumble. Gwen moved onto another set of machinery. This time, the mechanism resembled a chest extension station at the gymnasium. Klavdiya instructed Gwen to place her hands on the handlebars, arching herself over an L-shaped bench. "Okay, we're going to take the average of three attempts," Klavdiya informed her. "The Spectrometer is to get a volumetric reading of your Mana Pool." "What do I do?" Gwen's ears perked up. "Channel for ten seconds, as much as you can. Three Times. The machine operates much like the Awakening Stones. It will send a guiding mote into your astral body to generate a statistical representation of your capabilities. Just relax and remember to let the mote return to the machine." The Spectrometer began to thrum. "Ready? Three. Two. One. Channel." Gwen gathered her focus and imagined herself pushing the mana in her body outward, much in the same way that Mana Shields manifested. Around her, astral energy poured from the aether, gushing through her mana channels. Where her palm touched the handlebars, she could feel a mote of Divination invade her Astral Form before quickly disappearing. Klavdiya watched the indicator rise and fall as though it crested upon a moving wavelength. "Calm yourself," she advised. "Long, sustained manifestation." Gwen tried again. Then performed the same exercise a third time. "How's it looking?" Gwen asked her grandmother eagerly. "About 132 VMI, that stands for Volumetric Mana Index." "How does it measure up, I mean," Gwen rephrased her question coyly. "What do you think?" "About average?" Gwen tested the waters. "Ha!" Klavdiya chuckled. "You're teasing me!" Gwen nagged her grandmother winsomely, both keen and curious to find out. "Alright, it's impressive." "How impressive?" Gwen pushed for clarification. "Well, to give you some perspective. Tao is sitting around 60 VMI, Mina about 65 VMI. The boy you fought, Frederick Lin, should be sitting about 70 VMI. I don't know about your father, but Jun is a marvel at 440 VMI. Your grandfather hasn't been in combat for some time, and his last checkup was 280 VMI. The requirement for an intermediate Mage to gain employment under the Shanghai Towers is 90 VMI. What do you think that means?" Gwen crunched the numbers. "Why is mine so high?" she inquired, a dreaded hypothesis forming within her mind. "I am sure you have an idea, dear." Klavdiya patted Gwen on the cheeks. It was true then. Assuming her meagre diet of semi-magical and mostly mundane produce, she should be sitting around 40 VMI after a year and a half of training. What this meant was that she had an excess of 90 VMI that Caliban had acquired. The junior Mages at Blackheath would have provided 5 to 10 each, while Faceless likely supplied the lion's share. When her late Master was teaching her tier 4 Conjurations, she had felt that her pool was insufficient to sustain all of her Conjuration effects concurrently. Yet, during that Bout with Lok, she had only just broken a sweat after almost four minutes of sustained firing from her Orb, Cloud, and Summon Familiar. Furthermore, she had noticed that her non-newtonian shield had felt extraordinarily dense. Lok's Earthen Spears had only just cracked her outer shell. Now she knew why. "I am curious as to why I've never heard of VMI in the Frontier," Gwen asked. "It is forbidden to export Magitech to the Frontier, dear," her grandmother answered patiently. "But the Frontier does fine without it. Spellcraft itself isn't an exact thing, strange as that may sound." "I see. What else?" Gwen was beginning to realise why Richard desired to be out of the Frontier so eagerly. "Affinity!" Klavdiya took Gwen to another station, one holding a large crystal ball that resembled an Awakening Orb. "Hand on the stone, channel Elemental Lighting thrice, then we'll reset for Void." "Alright," Gwen placed both hands on the stone and waited for Klavdiya's command. "Three. Two. One. Channel." The stone crackled with an electrical discharge. "Again." The stone flared. "Once more. Good." A shunt of mana belonging to the Enchantment school cleared the crystal ball, returning it to its crystal clarity. "Now for Void, as much as you're able. If you feel faint or weak, just let me know. I shall have a Restoration held in reserve." "Okay, Babulya." Gwen took a deep breath. It had been some time since she had hollowed herself out channelling the Void. "Ready? Three. Two. One!" Gwen's face paled as the surge of Void matter pushed past the threshold of safety provided by Amuldj's blessing. She felt her vitality ebb away as dark motes of blackness filled the Awakening Crystal, filling it with a maelstrom of elemental entropy. "Restoration!" A contraflow of carefully attuned positive energy flooded into Gwen's body, repairing and mending the parts of her physique weakened by the inundation of Negative Energy. "Can you manage one more time, dear?" Gwen focused her mind and again performed the feat, feeling herself weaken as her vitality waned. Her face became pallid and pale, her skin slimy and grey with the sweat of exertion. It took all of her conviction just to stand upright. "Greater Restoration!" Her grandmother liberally exhausted her mana on Gwen. Even half-conscious, Gwen baulked, knowing that each casting of Greater Restoration consumed almost a dozen HDMs worth of rarified components. "4.45 for Lightning," Klavdiya jotted down the figures carefully. "I am surprised to say that your Void is 4.03." Gwen had felt that her Affinity with the Void had increased significantly but hadn't expected it to almost double from taking in a single Faceless and an elementally ambivalent centipede. "So, you are sitting effectively at Void 4, Lightning 4, both impressive statistics." "How do I..." "...Measure up? Above average, though for the fact that you possess two Elements, I would venture to say that you are already beyond reasonable comparison. After all, the number of Mages who currently possess two pure-strain elements number no more than a dozen in Shanghai. There are a few young ones as well, but certainly, your kind makes for a rare breed." "There're others like me?" Gwen wondered aloud. "Not exactly." Klavdiya tapped the table. "I recall a Clan Mage, Fei Ling Yi, the First Disciple of the Kunlun Clan, who wielded both Air and Ice. The Twin Element talent is a rare occurrence that happens once every so often in the inheriting branch. However, it has been a decade since the Kunlun Clan disappeared. As for you…" Gwen's babulya presented her palms in exasperation. "I don't think I've never heard of someone awakening in oppositional twin elements. It goes against all our current Astral Theory. If you ever choose that discipline in University, you would understand. It is not too uncommon for siblings, or even twins, to awaken in oppositional elements, for creation favours a dichotomous pairing, in Yin and Yang, Water and Fire, Earth and Air." "So I am a curio," Gwen stated quietly. "Don't fret. You have us and your brother-in-craft," Klavdiya assured her. "Although, if you want to volunteer, your Babulya is more than keen to take a poke around in your Astral Body. Would you like to know how you came about?" "Sure," Gwen nodded. "There's one more machine, so another test?" "Indeed." Klavdiya directed Gwen into the final machine. The Glyphs were familiar to her, for she had seen them many times under Henry's instructive tutelage at the Sydney Tower. "This is… a Cognisance Chamber?" "More or less," Klavdiya helped Gwen into the harness, a soft leather strap that wrapped around her wrists and waist. "It'll give us some insight into your body's affinity for the different schools of magic." "I think I know what I am proficient in already," Gwen volunteered. "Nonetheless, we need to issue a transcript," Klavdiya informed her. "Why do you think we're here? The tests are not for satiating our curiosity, dear; this is so you can apply for University!" "Oh? Oh!" Gwen realised the penultimate goal of their exercise. She had hidden her abilities for so long that it felt more natural not knowing her Affinities and talents. "Babulya. Thank you for doing this for me." "Well, the numbers speak for themselves. I am just jotting in the details." Klavdiya smiled benevolently at Gwen and gave her a squeeze on the arm. "Relax, you don't have to do anything. Just keep your arms and legs inside the oscillator when it spins." The tubular mechanism that held Gwen began to hum, filling the air with Divination energy. Another set of arms bearing a Diviner device began to circle her body. A set of scripts poured from the console. "Alright, let's see here," Klavdiya poured over the list. Her eyes became wide with wonder. "Goodness gracious!" Gwen craned her neck. She wanted to see as well. Klavdiya read it out one by one. “Evocation, 3.28.” “Conjuration 4.05.” “Transmutation 1.50.” “Abjuration 1.05.” “Divination 1.01.” "This reads like I had crammed four Mages into the same machine," Klavdiya marvelled, puckering her lips thoughtfully. "Five schools, Gwen. I don't know what to say." "It's Caliban," Gwen explained. It appeared that she couldn't just pad her Affinity with corpses. Her Transmutation had been less than tier 1 previously, and after digesting Faceless, a minimum Tier 6 Transmuter, Gwen had only an increase of .5 in her efficacy. For her, the more Affinity she absorbed, the less effective her "Consumption" effect became. "But your Conjuration and Evocation seem to be a double Awakening," Klavdiya pointed out. "That and you possess twin, oppositional Elements." "What does that portend?" Gwen implored her grandmother. Klavdiya's eyes fell upon her. Gwen's heart skipped a beat. Did her Babulya suspect? Could she know about the Twin-Soul? "I suspect…" Klavdiya began. Gwen gulped. "That you may have had a fraternal-dizygotic twin that died in the womb, and I suspect that your body, while an embryo, likely absorbed her," Klavdiya's hypothesised was thankfully based on her decades of Medical-arcana experience. "That would also explain the Yin and Yang," her Babulya offered expertly, her voice growing with confidence. "I am sure of it, though we would need to conduct extensive tests on yourself and your mother, to be sure." "I don't think she'd agree to that," Gwen pointed out. "Nor do I wish to proceed," her Babulya shook her head. "Speaking of your mother. Do you think she and Morye could get together? Having a divorced spouse here in Shanghai always complicates one's social standing. The major families, the Clans, the Houses, the state itself, is very particular about the family unit and viability of one's bloodline." "Not a chance, not to mention Mother has a new husband." Klavdiya's expression grew instantly cold. "What, Hai not good enough for her?" Gwen glanced downward, finding sudden interest in the sterile floors. She would preferably not contribute to the momentum of their current conversation. "Well, at any rate, we are almost done." Klavdiya carefully labelled and filled in each document. "Lastly, I need some of your blood." She produced a syringe and six small vials. Gwen winced and extended her arm, from which her Babulya painlessly and professionally withdrew six ruby-red vessels of sanguineous fluid. "These will be sent to the Tower to generate your Visa and Passport, Academic ID, Public Practice of Magic Licence, and Adventuring Permit. Remember, Gwen— Astral attunement is your best identification. No one can pretend to be you, not even a Skin Changer— unless they can consume your Astral Body." Gwen shivered at the thought. "Thank you, Babulya," she replied earnestly, realising the sheer amount of red tape that Klavdiya had just circumvented for her. From the moment these documents entered into the system, she would become an official citizen of Shanghai, no longer a vagrant hobo from the Frontier who had wandered into town. "I don't know what I would do without you." "It's alright, dear, just make sure you make us proud." Klavdiya smiled gently and uttered an incantation that seemed to drain the life from all the machines. "I dare say that we've spent the better part of the day here. You kids still have to leave for Hengsha Island tomorrow. I am sure your Grandfather is receiving the newest members of the family as we speak." Gwen felt a sudden palpitation of the heart. "Percy is here?! Richard too?" As if on cue, a crimson Message spell bloomed like a lotus beside their ears. "Speak of the old devil," Klavdiya chuckled. "Guo?" "I am taking the two of them home now." Guo's familiar voice came through the Message. "Are you done?" "Just finished," Klavdiya replied sweetly. "Good." Guo's voice was much softer when speaking to his wife. "I'll see you soon." "I desire a kiss, dearest," Klavdiya suddenly demanded of the stoic old man, watching Gwen trying to stifle a giggle. She winked. There was a moment of futile internal struggle. "Muah!" A puckering sound came from the other side of the Message. The two women broke out into uncontrollable giggles as the Message abruptly ended. Gwen and babushka tittered, then cackled, then finally broke into uproarious mirth until they held their stomachs. "Alright, alright," Klavdiya urged Gwen to change into a demure attire. "Let's go see this heir of ours." Gwen picked herself up from the floor. Percy! She felt her heart aglow with warmth. And Richard!

The scant traffic at noon meant that Gwen and Klavdiya were home in record time. Gwen burst through the gates and ran into the courtyard, her eyes frantically scanning for her brother and Richard. "In the training hall, Mistress Gwen." An NoM servant indicated to the training grounds. Gwen tried to recall the sweeper's name but couldn't and so bowed, then made purposeful headway to find her kin. As she came close, she grew aware of ripples of indeterminable mana, as familiar to her as her own, emanating from the interior. Gingerly, Gwen opened the heavy, oaken doors, sliding them to one side. Happily, she met the expectant sight of a young man looking very much like a young Morye summoning a stream of Elemental Salt from thin air. Besides her brother were two other figures; one was her grandfather, looking stoic and stern, and the other was the welcoming sight of Richard grinning broadly at her entrance. "Richard!" Gwen felt confounded by an emotion that she could hardly contain. Ignoring her grandfather's displeased scowl, she ran towards Richard and leapt at him with open arms. He caught her by the waist, and they met in midair, with Gwen wrapping her arms tightly around Richard's neck. "Oh God, it's so good to see a familiar face!" she uttered felicitously, feeling all the tension drain from her body. She then turned to Percy and embraced him, pushing her brother against her body like a plush toy. "Percy! Percy! Percy! How I've missed you!" she gushed with jubilance, ruffling his hair and gifting him a sloppy kiss on the forehead. Percy was not expecting his usually mature sister to affect such an outburst of unbidden emotion. Her brother mumbled a greeting under the threat of suffocation, then his face turning a deep crimson from the public display of affection. Gwen then tried to get them all into a group huddle, but Percy declined. She laughed, realising her brother was at a tender age where affection and attention were loathed and loved in equal measure. Klavdiya then came through the door, her presence as luminous as ever. "Grandmother!" Percy walked robotically towards Gwen's babulya before bowing from the waist like a boomerang. "It is a pleasure to meet you." "Likewise, let's take a look at you," Klavdiya replied in a matronly manner. "Raise your head, dear." Percy did so; his dark eyes, inherited from his grandfather, studied his grandmother while Gwen watched their interaction. As with Gwen, her apparent youth seemed to catch Percy off guard. After all, her grandfather looked like a grizzled old veteran, while here was their grandmother, looking not a day past forty. "So much of Hai in you." Klavdiya measured Percy with her eyes. "We will be spending plenty of time together in the future, dear. You may return to Guo." "Yes, Ma'am," Percy answered stiffly before returning to the centre of the room. "The boy has potential," Guo informed his wife satisfyingly. "He has demonstrated a strong Affinity with the Salt, and I suspect he should be a Transmuter or an Evoker, either of which should do nicely." "Of course." Klavdiya shot her husband a knowing look. "I have Gwen's numbers as well. We'll talk later." Gwen watched her grandparents' interaction with interest, but her primary focus was still on her brother and her cousin, united at last. "How was the trip here? Did you feel sick after the Teleport?" "Oh yes, very unpleasant," Richard confessed. "Felt like someone reached into my gut and jerked my appendix. Percy projectile vomited as soon as we arrived. Spectacular stuff." "Richard!" Percy flushed. "Well, you look fine, little man!' Gwen squeezed her brother's shoulder. "You've grown taller!" "I want to be taller than you," Percy replied sulkily. Gwen chuckled. She understood that it was awkward to be so much shorter than one's female sibling. How could a brother maintain his masculine decorum if his sister towered over him every time they went out. "I think you're out of luck there," Richard interjected. "Maybe Awaken as a Transmuter? You can grow as many inches as required." Percy glared at Richard. Gwen lightly punched her cousin in the arm. "Stop that." "Ah— there's no sport in the kid," Richard snickered as well. "He's too easy." "How's your family?" Gwen inquired. "With Surya helping out, they're okay. Right now, they're waiting for me to get some Contribution Credits together." "Seriously?" Gwen raised a critical brow. "Yeah, I kid you not. Well, I already promised my parents I'd get them out ASAP. I think the fact that both of your parents are now in tier 1 cities set them off. After all, Kwan has always had a complex about besting your mother in life," Richard added. "Percy, how's mum?" Gwen turned to her brother. "How pissed was she?" Percy chose his following words carefully. "Mother says to tell you that she never wants to see you or speak to you again, not on her life." "Oh?" Despite her prior speculation, Gwen still felt a little stung. Having overcome the previous Gwen's traumatic conditioning under Helena's history of abuse, she now felt more sympathetic toward her erstwhile mother than anything else. "Yeah, I was there," Richard affirmed candidly. "She was pissed as anything, my God. The shriek she delivered. I thought my ears would start to bleed. She may as well be the new resonating frequency to fend off the Magical Beasts." "Yeah, I figured." Gwen sighed. "Percy, tell your sister how you feel about all this." Richard tapped her brother on the arm. "Tell her the truth." Percy brushed off Richard's intrusive fingers. From the look of his sullen face, the boy wanted to remain mum. Richard sighed. "Your brother was up all night, fucking jubilant and whooping on about how he's going to a tier 1 city, Destiny Manifest, that kind of shit." He frowned at Percy. "He may be fourteen now, but he's as much a rebellious little shit as they come." Unable to retort, Percy blushed a deeper shade of crimson. "What are they talking about?" Next to them, Guo was unhappy with what his Ioun Stone managed to translate, feeling none-too-pleased that this cousin of Gwen's was heaping criticism on his new, precious grandchild. Klavdiya patted her husband's hand. "Richard, come here," she spoke fluent English. "Ma'am?" Richard presented himself politely. Klavdiya materialised a cream coloured Ioun Stone from the air. "Put this on," she commanded, passing the Stone over to Richard. Richard took the Stone with both hands and bowed expertly. He thanked Klavdiya with impeccable manners, then attuned the Stone without incident. "I like this young man already." Klavdiya gave Richard a once over with her eyes. "Where did you train, Mr Huang?" "Just Richard is fine, or Dick, even." Percy smirked. "Alright, Richard." "I trained at Prince's, Ma'am, the Sydney branch." "A Commonwealth Greater Public School? A fine establishment. We have a branch here in Shanghai, too, though much smaller than your European divisions. Have you completed your studies?" "Yes, Ma'am. I was on leave and serving as a resident at the college in place of my Military Service. Before the incident, I was awaiting transfer to Europe." "Oh, how unfortunate." Klavdiya patted Richard on the cheeks, watching his impassive face affect a pleasant smile. "What are your plans now?" "Gwen is my plan now." Richard looked at Gwen and gave her a toothy smile. "I plan to go to university with her and serve as her second." "You what?!" Gwen spluttered. "No! Richard, your career is more important than mine!" "I wanted this," Richard affirmed with absolute confidence. "Not to mention, I have discussed my future in great detail with Lord Shultz." "You did?" "He hinted at a possible future Tower opening," Richard replied without any intention of withholding that bombshell. "Though we're not very compatible, I will be satisfied as long as he allows me to serve his interests and vice-versa. The Tower Master has plans for Sydney that will span decades, and I am happy to be a part of them." "But Richard!" Gwen felt such jubilance fill her heart. It was too much. How could her cousin have so much confidence in her? She felt glad and happy but also considerably pressured, sensing the burgeoning weight of new responsibilities buckling onto her shoulders. "A wonderful prospect," Klavdiya applauded Richard. "You have my blessing." "Thank you, Grandmother Song." Richard bowed lavishly in the manner of European nobility. "Oh my, that takes me back." Gwen's babulya blushed happily. "I hadn't seen anyone perform that bow in decades, not since the old days when we used to have debutant balls." "You would have been the most beautiful debutant by far." Richard followed through without even pausing for breath. "But then again, Babulya, even now, your unfading pageant remains in bloom." "I remember that line." Klavdiya applauded Richard. "Is that Ruminov?" "Yes, from the Second Translation by Wessen," Richard replied. Beside them, Guo coughed uncomfortably. Goodness. Gwen marvelled at Richard. What a babushka killer! "Have they got their IDs yet?" Klavdiya enquired of Guo, who nodded in response. "Tomorrow." Her grandfather replied. Their meeting was interrupted by a servant who waited patiently by the threshold of the Training Hall. "Masters, the table is set." Klavdiya turned to her husband and the grandchildren. "Well, shall we break for lunch? I am sure you boys are all starving after travelling such a long distance." "I am indeed famished and would love to accept," Richard said politely. "You are too kind." Gwen blinked, again impressed with Richard's high society training, something she lacked in either lifetime. Even under Henry, etiquette lesson had been forfeit for training. It was no surprise, as her Master had begun life as a commoner, while Alesia took great pleasure in beating down high society, and Gunther hated sophistry. Klavdiya seemed immensely pleased with Richard "speaking" her kind of language. She took Richard by the arm and kept speaking to him in low tones that made Guo's face alternate between disgruntlement and vexation. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Grandfather, are you alright?" Percy inquired carefully, wary of his grandfather's growing ire. "I am fine, Grandson." Guo's face immediately changed into one of benevolence. The effect was so startling that Gwen felt as though she was watching a Shapeshifter change faces. "Are you hungry?" Guo asked, his voice rich with patience. "Our banquet uses the best ingredients, just for you! We need to make up for all those years of mundane diets. I've prepared some herbal baths as well to help you with your mana conduits. We're booked in for a check-up at your grandmother's clinic too..." "I am looking forward to it, Grandpa," Percy indulged himself with Guo's shower of attention. "Call me Yeye." Guo chuckled happily to himself, in a world of his own. Watching it all go down, Gwen felt a little sick. "Yeye!" Percy shamelessly delivered his flatulent flattery. "Oh ho ho! Ah hahaha!" Guo guffawed, not at all the Commissioner of Confidential Communications but a doting old gramps. Gwen baulked. The man was laughing! She hadn't thought "Yeye" capable of expressing such human emotions. The way he stared at her had always been as though she was a strange decorative part of the house. She felt strangely oppressed but knew better than to be greedy. She had received a second chance to know her family, and now she had Richard and Percy back with her too. Wasn't that enough? "So, what's this Hengsha Island?" Richard asked when then entered the communal hall, where the banquet awaited them. Gwen told him of their travel plans, briefly explaining who Mina and Tao were, then dismally failed in clarifying what the island meet up entailed. "Babulya," Ricard announced suddenly. "Can I ask where and what is Hengsha island, and may I accompany Gwen there?" "It's a meeting of the Shanghai Clans, mostly children from lineage families," Klavdiya explained patiently in that soft, gentle voice of hers. "As a mimicry of the International Inter-University Competition, the Clans make teams that compete for objectives. Sometimes there are even Dungeons from long gone magical or Demi races you can explore. The purpose is to get to know your peers and to give a chance for the well-established families to pick out talented candidates for the future." "So, a marriage mixer?" Richard instantly read between the lines. Gwen's dumpling paused in midair. "... What?" "It's not really like that," Klavdiya confessed. "No one is going to push for anything. It's a very informal affair. Mostly young egos, duelling one another down to size, that sort of thing. Although, now that you mentioned it." The two of them looked at Gwen, who squirmed under their gaze. "Gwen," Klavdiya asked seriously. "Did your Frontier school teach Sexual Education?" "I don't want to talk about this..." Gwen confessed. "How about we talk about Percy?" Richard interjected. "Now that you mention it, I don't think her school offers that curriculum. Gwennie, I don't suppose Morye gave you the 'talk', did he? The proverbial phoenix and the dragon?" Gwen's complexion turned the hue of pink pippins. She cringed inwardly. If only her family knew that she wasn't blushing for inexperience, but that despite being thirty in her old life, she was a virgin in this one. With her accusing eyes, she cursed Richard's bluntness. Bloody Richard! "I'll let Jun know you're coming along," their grandmother said. "Will you protect Gwen, Richard?" "I won't fail." Richard flashed Klavdiya a charming grin, showing just enough teeth to be winsome but also solemn enough to be serious. "You know, you are my favourite person besides Gwen, Babulya, and I mean that." "What a delightful young man," Klavdiya muttered with pleasure. "Make sure you settle in properly, Richard. You and Gwen are sharing the Trainer's rooms." With the matter settled, Gwen turned her attention back toward the mana-rich dumplings. Dick— she shuddered. What a frightening babushka killer! * * * Once lunch was over, Gwen asked Richard to catch her up on the comings and goings of the last week or so while she was first away to Singapore, then spirited away to Shanghai. She had asked Percy if he would join them as well, but Guo dragged his heir apparent away, eager to begin the indoctrination of the newest member of the Song Clan. Desiring privacy, the two retreated to the seclusion of the Training Hall's courtyard. "First of all, how's everyone?" Gwen began. "Surya is doing very well, keeping busy with the refugees." Richard read her mind, as usual. "He's called in his old war buddies, and they've expanded their camp into the adjoining properties, whose owners have decided to move to the other Australian cities while Sydney's Shields are replaced. Tess and Mel are heavily involved in the caretaking, so I guess they're flat out as well." "Where's mother, right now?" "She's gone to her husband's. Fabricator Hu has the main branch of his family in Shanghai." "Oh?" She had expected her mother to be lurking somewhere in the compound and had spent lunch wondering where Helen had gone. "Hu's a nice guy," Richard added, seeing Gwen's expression. "Your mother will be safe and happy with him. I think Helena needs someone like that to keep her in line. Let me tell you, what I heard and saw at the registrar's office is something that is going to turn me off the sound of a woman screaming for a long time." "How bad was it?" Gwen asked. "How bad, you say?" Richard made an expression akin to wracking his brain. "To give you some context. Your mother had been worried about her passport since the incident, obsessed even. She tried to get Surya to pull some connections, even demanding that he contact Magus Shultz. When your grandfather completely ignored her, she became intolerable." "I am sorry, Richard." Gwen sighed apologetically. "Eventually, Fabricator Hu contacted his family here and managed to cut them in line for an interview at the Immigration Registrar. We were there at the Processing Centre— my parents, your mother, Percy and Hu when Magus Song's men found us." Gwen hearkened for the explosive climax. "First, Helena was afraid when the men approached her. When they showed her their MSS identification and told her that they were taking Percy away, she turned completely white. That was when the poor bastards, Wei, I think? And Jung? Made a terrible mistake." "What did they do?" Gwen asked curiously. "They mentioned that your father was already in Shanghai and that he will be in contact with her." "Oh no, they didn't!" "Oh yeah, they did!" Richard roared with laughter. "Your mother went ballistic. Ape-shit. It was like a sonic attack! Every pair of eyes in the centre, almost a thousand people were staring at us. She was about to claw their faces out!" Gwen cringed so hard her neck cramped. "Then Magister Shultz's men came out of nowhere. They confronted Song's men on Helena's behalf." "Did that go well?" Richard shook her head, lamenting his lost sanity. "WELL? Imagine that you're trying to avoid a public spectacle. However, every other sentence you manage to get out, there is a loud, wailing SCREECH that seems to blot out all sound—every time. EVERY DAMN TIME the two parties make a single compromise, there is another SCREECH. I believe that at one point, either of the teams would have just preferred killing your mother right there and damn the consequences." "I am so sorry." Gwen moaned. Just trying to picture the scene was enough to transmogrify her brain into a mass of migraines. "So after the fourth or fifth interruption, I can't remember. Magus Song and Shultz's men gave up negotiations and just called their bosses so that they could speak to one another privately." Richard stared into the middle distance as he purged the memory from his mind. "Well, I am glad that's over. Don't ask me to recollect that ever again." "...How's Aunty Tang and Uncle?" "Getting along well with Surya, another reason I, or we— now that we're in this together, need to move fast. As I mentioned before, Contribution Credits." Gwen reached out and held her cousin's hands. They felt rigid and cold in her hands. "That's alright, Dick. I'll do what I can to help. We'll do it together. My goodness, your hands are freezing!" "A little case of the nerves." Richard chuckled nervously. "You know, all my life, I wanted to be in a tier 1 city. Now that I am here, I am not so sure." "You'll get used to it," Gwen promised. "Say, do you need money? I just came into a great deal of money." "Oh? You undertook some Quests already?" "Heehee." Gwen smiled slyly. "I got it from fleecing some rich boys at an underground fighting competition." "You didn't!" Richard's face lit up, burst out laughing. "That's wonderful! Haha! Oh, you have to tell me all the details! How do the Mages here measure up?" Gwen explained the Bout with a masterful retelling, detailing the Affinity of the Mages she had encountered and what she had seen so far on offer in Shanghai. Richard breathed out. "Good. Nothing too overpowering then, at least at our age and level." He looked immensely relieved. "That's about the same as upper tier at Prince's, for the Members of the Four Houses." At the mention of Prince's, Gwen's ears perked up. "You know, why DID you leave Prince's? It can't just be because of money, can it?" Richard's shoulders sagged. "It's a question of servitude." He chewed his lip for a moment. "After I was selected for the Four Houses and even made Praetor, I found out that for selection to a tier 1 branch, I must first declare my allegiance to a Noble House of the Commonwealth Mageocracy— something called the Militant Faction. BUT— it's essentially indentured servitude! A decade spent serving as a House Mage! Furthermore, as a Latus Genere, a side branch warden, I can't ever enter the upper echelons' inner circles. If so, what's the point? Why waste my time? I would rather be a free Mage." "I am not sure what some of those words mean, but I'll support your decision, whatever it may be." Gwen touched her cousin's arm encouragingly, happy that he had chosen to risk his life and limb in Shanghai of all places. She leaned over and gave him another hug. "Thanks, Gwennie." "Speaking of which, did you bring much luggage?" Gwen pointed to her Storage Ring. "Which room's yours?" Not surprisingly, Richard was staying in the room adjacent to her own, in the training hall. Furthermore, it was no surprise to either of them that Percy was living in the main branch of the house, possessing a bedroom with an ensuite and a separate living area all to himself. It had been Tao's room, but the rapscallion Hip-hop artist had loathed staying at Guo's residence, stating that he preferred death. "Anyway, let me speak to Babulya. We need to get some serious necessities, trust me on this. Those rooms are going to be the death of us." "I am in your tender hands." Richard was grinning from ear to ear. "As of this moment, I am a kept man, and you're my sugar-Gwen." Gwen fell about laughing until her belly was in stitches; when she recovered, she hooked her arm in Richard's. "Okay! Let's ask Babulya for permission." The duo found their Babulya sitting inside the Master's suite, sitting with Guo and nursing a cup of tea. Gwen and Richard stopped at the threshold of the door and politely knocked. "Come in, dear." Klavdiya invited them into the resting chamber, adjoining the master bedroom and Guo's heavily warded study. "Babulya, may Richard and I go out to shop for some necessities? I wish to acquire some linen and some, er, feminine products." Guo's eyes glazed over the moment Gwen mentioned the latter. "Alright, dear, I'll get Lu to bring the sedan around. He can drive you to the commercial district." "Thank you." The grandparents watched the pair withdraw. Gwen's grandmother turned to Guo. On their table was an envelope containing the data from the morning excursion. "Are you so determined?" Guo possessed a face full of iron. "My decision is final!" Klavdiya's brows furrowed, her eyes gazing at the two bodies fading from the courtyard. "You men and your legacies!" She scoffed, her criticism stinging her husband. "There are no medicines for regret, just so that you know, dear husband!" Guo said nothing. Instead, he stood from the chair and left his wife to fume. Klavdiya shook her head, allowing her disappointment to drain slowly away. "What a waste," she muttered to herself. "What hubris." * * * By the time Gwen and Richard returned home for dinner, they were a hundred HDMs down, and Gwen's Storage Ring became inundated with enchanted glyphs for cooling, heating, and circulating air. She had further purchased a dozen conveniences that she never knew existed, such as disposable crystal glyphs that allowed for small but complex magics like Prestidigitation for cleaning laundry. Soon, their spartan rooms in the training hall become outfitted with new lights, wardrobes, bedside tables, new beds, and fresh linen sheets weaved with supple, flaxen silk from Wildland moths. Gwen gave Richard a minor Storage Ring, having lost his own when he quit Prince's. She also left him a full complement of Mana, Healing, and Cure Disease and Poison potions that Gwen leftover from her trip to Singapore. While sorting through her inventory, she rediscovered her Portable Habitat, which she would need to return to Melbourne Tower. Her intention, however, was to use it for as long as she was able. Despite the one HDM cost every twelve hours, she could have a villa all to herself, with a working kitchen and showers too, that she could manifest anywhere. When the night finally descended, Gwen and Richard further spoke at length about their skills and their abilities, finding ways to improve their synergy should the need arise. When Gwen confessed to Richard about her current complement of Talents and Affinities, her cousin's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Hold on!" Richard started suddenly. He left her bedroom, then returned a few seconds later with several documents. "Those are?" Her cousin coughed. "Gwen Song, congratulations on graduating from Blackwattle Bay. These are your certifications for completing secondary education at the senior level, as well as completing Preliminary Compulsory Magical Education. I am proud of you, Gwen Song." Gwen took the certificates and stowed the lot in her ring. "Thanks, Richard." Watching his impassive face, a sudden feeling of mischief overcame Gwen, who desired a little retribution for Richard's earlier performances. "Caliban!" A slurping sound engendered, after which a hellish arachnid from the darkest depth of an Elder God's madness-addled mind materialised from a slit in space-time. "HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS!" Richard appeared genuinely startled. Without warning, a sprout of water leapt from his body, squirting forth a frothy jetstream, engulfing Gwen and Caliban in a shower of salty brine as the spray pushed them both against the wall. A spluttering Gwen commanded Caliban to heel, after which a bedraggled mistress and her monster sat demurely, regretting their prank. Above Richard, Lea was as beautiful and ethereal as ever, her transparent face exquisitely sculpted, with deeply set aquamarine eyes and a high ridge-line nose. Strands of cascading water flowed from her head like a waterfall, trickling with the ambience of crystalline streams. The Undine's pellucid body was just as scandalous as Gwen recalled, for her translucent aquamarine dress left nothing to the imagination. "Please forgive us," Lea apologised by putting together her palms. "You surprised me, is all. Here, I'll collect the water." "No, no, it's my fault." Gwen waved her hands to say that she was fine and then produced some of the magical loot she had acquired during the day. One of these was a device for drying clothes. "Dry!" Moisture drained from her sheets and her cloth, quickly drying the fabric within a radius of about a meter. "Cleanse!" The scent of freshly laundered sheets once again permeated the room. Two of the Glyph-stones dimmed and died, requiring replenishment from mana crystals. "SO GOOD!" She giggled gleefully. She loved this world of magic. Goodbye, house chores! Goodbye laundry day! "Gwen, I know you're rich now," Richard observed dryly as the moisture faded. "But you just spent 8 LDMs. Just so that you know, it costs nothing to ask the NoM servants to change and wash your sheets." Gwen stuck out her tongue playfully. Beside them, Caliban flailed its multiple tongues in imitation. "Shaa! Shaa!" Lea floated over and patted the nightmarish spiderling. "You look different," Lea commented as she tapped Caliban's carapace, giggling as Caliban's tongues tasted her wet skin. "Cali is stronger." "Yeah, a lot has happened," Gwen replied. Lea coiled herself around Gwen and took in her scent. "I can still smell the mana on you, the one from before," she noted. "So ancient— May I?" Gwen channelled a mote of Amuldj's mana to the conduits of her left arm, suffusing her fingertips with a soft green glow. Lea placed Gwen's finger against her pale blue lips, then began to suckle. The two young Mages' eyes grew as round as hen's eggs, their faces mutually turning a crimson shade of beetroot. "I am leaving!" Richard took off from the bed and left the room. "Nooooooo…" Lea left the room, taken by a reddening Richard. Unless Richard manifested his Summon Familiar formally, his humanoid familiar couldn't traverse more than a few meters from his body. Gwen chuckled and unsummoned Caliban. With a moan, she slid into her soft, luxurious, two-thousand thread count sheets made from the ejaculated silk of ten thousand Wildland worms. Now smothered in the lap of luxury, Gwen thanked the Gods of manchester, wiggling her body until she burrowed into the cocoon-like bed. Tomorrow was yet another adventure. Tomorrow, together with Mina and Tao, and this 'monstrous' Petra, they would be travelling to Hengsha Island. But most importantly, she was no longer alone.

The following day, Jun arrived in a military specced truck. "Good luck! See you in a week." Babulya kissed Gwen on the forehead as her uncle parked. Gwen couldn't help but notice that she gave Richard one too, bringing big smiles to her cousin's face. Jun hopped from the driver's seat and commanded the side cabin to open with a command. After giving Gwen an affirming nod, he turned to Richard. "So, you're the Prince's Praetor that came with Percy, huh?" The two men shook. Gwen couldn't help but notice the veins on Jun's hand pulsed as they clasped hands, with Richard grinning somewhat fiercely. "Not a Praetor anymore, sir, that's long behind me now." An understanding passed between the two men of competence. "I look forward to your performance. I have read your history, and I have the utmost confidence in your abilities," Jun assured his in-law. "It would be my honour, Sir. I will keep Gwen safe." "Good man!" Jun struck her cousin on the back with a resounding slap. Gwen was still trying to place how Richard seemed to insinuate himself with such ease into every other circumstance when the familiar face of Mina disembarked. "Gwen!" Mina waved a small white hand at her daintily. That was another aspect to which Gwen had to get accustomed. In China, even family did not hug. There was a strict hierarchy between the young and the old, measured in respect and intonation, manifesting physically through personal space. To let another individual into that lauded intimacy would imply a profound connection such as lovers or comrades. To validate her hypothesis, Gwen had carefully observed that no matter how much Guo was pleased and enamoured with Percy, her grandfather did not embrace nor initiate tactile intimacy with his grandchild. Likewise, Guo seemed perfectly happy with Percy reacting to every command as though it came from a superior officer, responding with formality and respect. Mina's eyes fell upon Richard. "Ooo." Mina pursed her petal-like lips. "You must be Richard." "Richard Huang, at your service." Richard presented himself in the manner taught at Prince's, bowing with a flourish. "I am Mina Wang," her cousin offered coyly. "Hi." "I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Richard replied, taking her hand and brushing her fingers with a mock kiss. "I hope we can work well together." "I am sure we will," Mina tittered, taking on a pleased expression. "We should hang out sometime. I want you to meet my friends." "But of course." Richard's wolfish grin made Gwen wince. "Mina?" Gwen nudged her cousin. "Hmm? Oh yes!" Mina stole another look at Richard before addressing Gwen. "Ah yes, before I forget, your IDs." Jun opened his hands and materialised two stacks of identification cards. "Thank you for going the extra mile to get these for us." Gwen thoughtfully retrieved the banded stack and examined the cards each by each: Her Passport was a blue book embossed with the crest of the Commonwealth Mageocracy. "An Australian Passport?" Gwen turned her eyes toward Jun wonderingly, confused that she didn't have a little red book embossed with the Forbidden City. "A Commonwealth Passport with a PR Visa, at Lord Shultz's request," Jun replied. "That was a part of the agreement." Gwen nodded and inspected the contents. The first page was an embossed, enchanted crest with the Commonwealth's heraldry imprinted with an emu and a kangaroo. The second page contained her likeness etched onto an Illusion Glyph, which could be activated and projected. The page also held her biometrics, such as her eyes, hair and ethnicity. The rest of the twenty-page book was blank but for one, where a large Glyph took up the whole sheet. It was a glowing, golden crest of the Forbidden City topped by a constellation of five Red Stars. Her academic ID was just that, a plain white, nondescript card about the thickness of a fingernail. A headshot adorned the left corner. All the entries were blank except for a section that indicated she graduated from Blackwattle Bay High School, Sydney. Her Public Practice of Magic Licence was more interesting, as it listed her skills and talents, as well as her associated Tower. Gwen couldn't help but notice that the sigil on the bottom right was the silhouette of Pudong Tower with the shape of three spheres stacked atop one another, forming the likeness of the Oriental Pearl Television Tower in her old world. "Yes, you're a member of Pudong." Jun noticed Gwen's lingering gaze. "Another condition, as it were, of the 'exchange program'." Gwen nodded and examined her registered powers. **Gwen Song** Public Practice of Magic ID:: 9840598 001 Evocation (3), Conjuration (4), Divination (1), Transmutation (1), Abjuration (1) Quasi-Elemental :: Lightning :: Void Class Permit (B) "That's… Everything," Gwen muttered, feeling her gut churn. She turned her eyes toward Jun questioningly. "There's nothing to fear. You're registered with the Putong Tower now." Jun gave her a confidence-boosting smile. "You should be known at the highest level— since Gunther personally asked for the favour. If someone wanted to spirit you away, they have to deal with the Tower. If need be, the matter may even escalate to Lord Huo himself." "What's the 'B' for?" Gwen turned her attention back toward her ID, wondering how reliable it was that the Tower would come to her aid in the event of some nefarious force having designs on her talents. "Tower Access," Jun answered her patiently. "B gets you access to basic spells and items, which you can trade for with Contribution Credits. You don't have a mentor right now, right? As long as you have Crystal and CCs, you can get access to tutors, Cognisance Chambers, and spellbooks." Spellbooks! Gwen's felt a tingle of excitement. She desperately needed to expand her spellcraft options. "That's good to know." Gwen stored her licence in her Ring and examined her last ID. **Multi-Pass Adventuring Permit** **Gwen Song** LOI:: China, Shanghai PPM: 9840598 001 Ethnicity: Australian (Eurasian) Eyes: Hazel - Green Skin: Caucasian Hair: Black (Warm) Height: 180CM Access Rank: E Quest Attainment: N/A "Quests can be from either Tower," Jun helpfully explained. "Though I would try to stick to a single Tower to avoid future complications. That said, you're a student, so I wouldn't expect you to do much questing." "Thanks, Uncle Jun. I'll let you know if I have any other questions." Gwen bowed her head and stowed her last ID, watching Richard do the same. "Peaches, move it!" A sonorous female voice muttered from the truck's interior. "Get!" The command was answered by the sound of Tao grumbling about wanting to sleep. A few silent seconds passed; then came the sound of a lever clicking into place, followed by an insane, guttural shriek. "ARRRRRRGGGGH! Eeeeaaa! Bitch, you caught mah hand! FU—" Klavdiya sighed. Jun shook his head. They haven't left yet, and Gwen's party was already one member down. The next moment, a stunning young woman of breathtaking allure emerged from the vehicle, moving past Mina to embrace Klavdiya. "Grandmother!" The girl appeared older than both Gwen and Mina. Effortlessly, she leaned in and kissed Klavdiya soundly on both cheeks. Even Gwen's cousin Richard held his breath for a second to take in the splendiferous vision that had emerged so unexpectedly amid Tao's porcine wailing. "Mina, if you could?" Klavdiya commanded her granddaughter with her eyes. Mina sighed and retreated into the interior, where Tao continued to whimper and complain. "It's just bruised!" she growled at her brother. "Give me your hand." Meanwhile, the culprit of Peach's agony addressed both Gwen and Richard. “Hello, I am Petra Kuznetsov.” Petra inclined her head. "I am your Enchanter." Her cousin twice-removed stood an inch taller than Gwen, attired in a collared blouse, skirt and white runners. She had auburn hair that fell about her face in ringlets, framing her cheekbones. Her face had the likeness of Kalvdiya's look, but where her grandmother appeared timid and benevolent, Petra's aura was vivacious and passionate. Below her Husky-blue eyes, her lips hinted at an aggressive sensuality. Her brows were similarly thick and defined, adding to the imposing superiority she projected. Was her cousin beautiful? Gwen wouldn't doubt it. But Petra had the kind of beauty that one discovered by observing bushfires; in swirling tornadoes of orange flame ravaging ten thousand acres of prime woodland. It was the kind of attraction that filled a girl with wonder, like watching howling tundras cracking under a rolling storm. Gwen knew how vainly she felt for her looks, but in front of Petra, she felt unquestionably diminished. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "I am Gwen Song, Hai Song's daughter." She extended a hand to shake, wincing as Petra took her white fingers firmly. "Richard Huang, pleased to make your acquaintance. I hope we can work well together." Richard also suffered Petra's death grip. "Very good," Petra intoned impassively, neither friendly nor cold, with a voice more akin to the affirming of having received goods from a delivery. "I would like to know more about you two as well. Shall we speak in the truck? Captain Song should be finishing his errand in less than sixty seconds." "Don't mind her aloofness." Mina's voice came from the interior opposite. "She grew up in the military. It turns them into squares." Petra said nothing. She turned from Gwen and Richard and ducked back into the van. "Move," she commanded Peaches. Tao shrunk from Petra as though extolled by a Displace Beast, adhering to the cabin's far side as Petra passed. Gwen exchange a glance with Richard. Could things be worse? Gwen said with her eyes. Ever the pessimist, Richard gave her a thumbs up. "It takes an hour to get to the docks, so get acquainted," Jun informed the hold and its cargo of cousins. Mina opted to sit up front with Jun, while Tao, Gwen, Richard and Petra sat behind. Gwen tried to break the ice, but Tao wasn't in the mood to speak to Petra. When the crew finally articulated their abilities, the conversation grew surprisingly formal, with Petra presiding over the minutes. "My highest rank when serving under the Moscow Tower was Officer Cadet," Petra explained. "That said, I have lived in Shanghai for two years now, working with Fudan University on research and development programs." "Have you graduated?" Gwen asked. Petra didn't seem that much older than herself. "I was fortunate enough to be an accelerated student," Petra announced proudly. "I am eighteen if you are wondering. The same age as Tao." "First or second year?" Gwen resigned herself to be Petra's academic inferior. "I am on my second year at Fudan," Petra advised them. "Though I am currently enrolled in post-graduate research as well." "That's incredible," Gwen said, realising that Petra was way ahead of a curve she and Richard had yet to enter. As Richard had served as Praetor instead of his military service, he was almost nineteen now, two years behind the average university student. If and when they graduated, Gwen would be twenty or twenty-one, and Richard would be nearing twenty-three. "There are others," Petra said simply. "I am not that impressive, in comparison." "So, are you a Mind Mage?" Richard asked interestedly. He could hardly imagine anyone would refuse if Petra said something like 'look into my eyes.' "Richard!" Gwen nudged him. If Petra were a Mind-Mage, according to Guo, her talents would be part and parcel of a highly classified identity. "No," Petra replied stoically. "I am an Inscriber, under the branch of Enchantment and Fabrication." "That's incredible!" Richard slapped his thighs. "Your Enchantment is already at tier 5? Have you taken a minor School of Magic? Say, Conjuration?" "You how Inscription Glyphs work?" Petra raised a brow at Richard. "Our grandfather is a Master Enchanter." Richard pointed helpfully at Gwen. Petra turned to look at Gwen. "Yes, but he's in Sydney," Gwen confessed a little too eagerly, not wanting to get Petra's hopes up. "He's a frontier Enchanter though, a trinket maker." "Impressive nonetheless, to achieve that level of expertise." Petra's expression softened. "What do you know about Magitech, Gwen?" "Not an awful lot..." Gwen grimaced. She was a bumpkin, but even so, Gwen had discerned from their everyday conveniences that there existed a branch of Enchantment which combined Demi and Human Spellcraft to create Magitech, this world's version of electronic circuitry. The archaic cars that they drove in Sydney were a product of early Magitech, while advanced variations afforded more complex operations, culminating in the construction of war machines like Golems. Now that she was in Shanghai, she could see that even in Sydney, the presence of Magitech was ubiquitous, seen in lifts, data slates, Message devices, even the Towers. Assuming that Magitech was the same as engineering in her old world, Petra, she figured, would be someone involved in electrical engineering, or perhaps mechatronics. "What kind of Magitech do you specialise in?" Richard was curious as to how a researcher was helpful in combat. Petra allowed a slight smirk to touch her lips. "The deadly kind." "No way! You're a Runesmith?" Her cousin intoned incredulously. "Or perhaps an Artificer?" "The former." Petra snapped her fingers, materialising a crystalline cube. "I can manifest these small, expandable devices that store a spell of my maximum tier minus-one. There's a hard limit on conjuration volume and manifestation duration, but the cubes make for a flexible offering." Gwen could hardly close her mouth. Petra's sorcery was unlike anything she had seen in all her years. "For example." Petra allowed another cube to 'load' onto her hand. "This one is from my Master's friend." The transparent cube looked etched with Glyphs on all sides. Within the cubic frame, a volatile swirl of Elemental Fire raged. "It's a Scorching Ray," Petra explained. "Single target spells are the best. AOEs are harder to manage because I can't spellshape magic that isn't mine, only manifest them." She produced another Spell Cube tinged with blue and glowing with Glyphs that Gwen recognised as Conjuration. "A Call Lightning, but cast by an Ice Para-Elementalist Mage," she continued. "Spells with seeker functions are excellent as well. Though there's is a limit to how many can be released at once without mana bu-" The truck rocked as Jun powered over a speed hump. The cube fell from Petra's hands. Gwen instinctively reached out and snatched it before it struck the floor. The Spell Cube felt unexpectedly warm, and there was the additional feeling of pulsing mana within, not unlike a heart. "Close one!" Gwen breathed out, turning to face her peers with evident relief. "Wouldn't want that going off in here!" Both Richard and Petra regarded her with dismay. "It's perfectly safe," Petra explained, taking the cube from her hands. "It only activates on my command." Her cousin then regarded Gwen with a look of suspicion. "Which school did you say you graduated from?" Gwen felt her face flush. Who could blame her? She technically didn't even graduate from high school. "Well!" Richard intervened, diverting Petra's obtuse question, positive that Gwen's Magical Licence would soon speak for itself. "If you must know, I am from Prince's..." Like many things in the city, the Shanghai ferry docks were constructed with a ridiculous traffic volume in mind. While Sydney's Ferry pier in Circular Quay had eight berths, the Shanghai Metropolitan Port was twenty-four segments built into an artificial grotto of moulded steel and reinforced glass in a U configuration. Gwen and her party of youngsters made their way through the building's vaulted arches, marvelling at the architectural possibilities made manifest by the application of high-level Transmutation and Enchantment. Besides Gwen, Petra played with a cube of dark, malignant energy; her mood greatly improved since the crew embarked on Jun's truck. Gwen watched the cube of Void matter bounce up and down in Petra's hands. It was just a Void Bolt, but her cousin seemed enamoured with the exotic element. Earlier, when they had finally got to the business of exchanging spell lists, Petra had seized Gwen's wrists with such a wrenching strength that Gwen almost yelped. "You're a Void Caster?" Petra's voice quivered, her fingers like steel fasteners wrapped around her delicate wrists. "Do it now, make a spell. Here!" She then materialised one of her Spell Cubes and insisted for Gwen cast something into it. Tao was finally paying attention as well, his eyes widening a little at hearing Petra's provocation. Simultaneously, in the passenger seat, Mina fell silent and listened rather than banter with Jun. Despite the questionable wisdom of manifesting a Void Spell in a moving vehicle, Petra's fervent glare had frightened Gwen into submission. "If you're sure." Gwen had then cast her spell, unable to refute Petra's Husky-blue eyes. A feeling of sickening vertigo overwhelmed all in the vehicle when Gwen manifested the consumptive mana, nearly causing Jun to swerve the truck onto the dividing wall. "By Mao!" he cursed loudly. "What the hell are you girls doing back there!" Once she had the spell, Petra etched out multiple, multilayered Mandalas in thin air, imposing them upon the mineral surface of her crystalline spell-storage device. Gwen was no stranger to Enchantment, but her grandfather had used quasi-magical tools to keep his Mandala's precise geometry. Meanwhile, Petra seemed to work entirely freehand, manifesting through the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral, an amalgamation of Positive Energy and Earth. Moreover, from what Gwen could discern, the specific "Crystal" Petra accessed was high-density quartz. After the fact, Petra had ignored both Gwen and Richard for the rest of the ride, secluding herself at the back with the cube in hand, muttering quietly and smiling secretively every so often. Tao had stared in awe at the cube in Petra's fingers, his eyes flitting between Gwen and Petra. Mina likewise remained silent, her thoughts and expressions unknowable by those in the back. Her uncle Jun had offered no commentary, shock or surprise, and so the group journeyed on. On the pier, the ferry itself was a domed glass construct that resembled a tortoise. It sat low in the water, less than half a meter above the cloudy, silt-churned surface of the Huangpu River, rising from its lowest deck to a total height of four tiers. Atop the ferry, where a chimney stack would sit on an alter-world vessel, there instead sat a Barrier Crystal Array. The ferry's size looked equipped to carry up to close to a thousand people, with each deck possessing its little kiosk for food and drinks. The exterior barriers were glass, giving the passengers a two-seventy degree view of the harbour, blocked only by the engine room near the aft. "Yo! Boys!" Tao threw a few gang signs into the air, one answered by two familiar faces— Little Dog and Mack Daddy. Tao wore an Adidas jersey and pants with three vertical stripes running down one's arms and trouser legs, ending at the matching runners. "Gwen!" It was she whom they greeted first, bowing their heads slightly. After Gwen returned the gesture, the rest of the group introduced themselves. Tao's boys did not disappoint. They also outfitted themselves in matching Adidas— but in different colours. Holy shit, Gwen realised. If Tao had five friends, and they each wore a different coloured set of Adidas in green, red, yellow, blue, and black, they could resemble those early 90s kids shows with colour matched Rangers. Hell, they could even be called the Rapping Rangers. "Ma'am." Mack Daddy and Little-Dog bowed toward Petra, who nodded before turning back to study the cube. When Richard introduced himself, both boys grew wary, asking him questions about how well he knew Gwen. Richard read their jealousy like a book and knew that there was only one way to nip this unpleasantness in the bud. "We slept together," Richard informed them, failing to mention they were in different rooms. "Last night, Gwen surprised me, and we both became drenched." Mack Daddy appeared stunned by the revelation. Little-Dog made an expression as though he was about to cry. Mina looked at Gwen, at Richard, then shivered. Gwen punched Richard in the arm; this time, she didn't pull back. "Don't listen to this guy!" Gwen interceded before the boy's imaginations ran wild. "He's just trying to jerk you off." "Well done, Gwen." Richard patted her back. "Well done." "... I like your outfit," Mack-Daddy remarked on Gwen's outback adventuring outfit. Gwen kicked out her knee-high riding boots and tipped her broad-brimmed Akubra hat. "You like it? I got it when I was still in Sydney." "It suits you well." Mack-Daddy's face grew beetroot red. Mina folded her arms. Compared to the positively "Country" Gwen, she wore a Sunday dress with a modest neckline and hem. To Gwen's confusion, the girl even wore Roman sandals. "You look lovely as always, Miss Mina," Little Dog appraised Mina's choice of attire for adventuring. "Why, thank you, Bao. For noticing that I exist," Mina replied sulkily, glancing at Gwen and Petra. Mack Daddy quickly added his compliment, though Mina was already too offended to care. Besides Gwen, Petra, who dressed for practicality, rolled her eyes. As the day wore on, more and more participants arrived, young Mages like themselves, each with their guardians in tow. Gwen saw Vivian appearing and disappear into the crowd, as well as a few faces she recognised from the Bout. After half an hour or so, Gwen comprehended that though most of the people here were strangers to her, she was not a stranger to them. Every once so often, someone somewhere would point towards her or meet her gaze and nod. Before she could ask Mina who these people were, a blaring horn announced that the hour was upon them. In a dozen rows, the adolescents filed into the ferry like school children escorted by their teachers on an adventure island day trip. Jun had purchased tickets for the top deck, and so they found themselves enjoying a splendid view of the Bund, across from which was Pudong. Gwen studied the Mageocracy's Tower in Shanghai, her ultimate and eventual destination, upon which a Magi sat on the throne, Lord of his domain. On the opposite side, the PLA Tower loomed in its ziggurat-like immensity, its pyramidal magnificence presiding over Shanghai's CBD, a gleaming beacon of sandstone, glass and steel. A Tale of Two Towers? Gwen mused to herself. Would her future be the "Best" of times? Or would it entail the "Worst" of times? That, only time would tell. The ferry blared twice, then set out. Past the docks, the Huangpu River opened onto the sea, where four hours later, they would arrive on the island of Hengsha.

Bonus One - Shot - because I can't post without 500 characters. Thanks to Andur \- I read some of your one-shots and remembered something I wrote about a year ago when I was fantasiing about doing a web-novel. More than Human “ALRIGHT ATHLETES, GATHER UP” Coach Pol's voice blasted through the field, amplified by an aug-boosted voice box. Grumbling, the athletes slowly made their way back from the brunt orange track. Ben, the first to return, was drenched with sweat. An optic sensor embedded into his right-iris HUD announced that his new legs had 57% power remaining; that his run was only 45% energy efficient. Raising his arms, he placed them on the back of his head, stretching out his quads; slowly steading his heavy breathing. “LISTEN UP, you young bucks have less than a month before the national qualifier.” The coach slowly inspected each runner, watching their flushed faces and observing the rhythm of their breath. A sensor in his grafted eye displayed rows of statistic and biometrics. “You need to work even harder.” “Yes, coach!” the athletes replied half-heartedly, somewhat disheartened by the disenchanting news. “SORRY WHAT WAS THAT?” Coach Pol uproariously retorted, a hand cupping the side of his ear. “YES COACH!” the athlete’s replied in unison. The burly man then turned, facing the young man who had once been his protege. There was only sullen silence from Ben. “I am sorry Ben, but that’s how it is.” “That’s it huh,” Ben muttered softly. “Twelve years of training and just one little bump from a drone...” “Cyber-ware's banned in the nationals,” the Coach responded as-matter-of-factly. Ben scanned his teammates, seeing pity on their faces; one or two even smirked, realising that the fall of Mr No.1 meant one more place for them. “Athletes, say your goodbyes!” the coach commanded, patting Ben on the shoulder. “Know well that if it weren’t for Ben’s force majeure, at least one of you would not be here today.” * * * * Ben retired to his dorm, hypersensitively aware of the mechanical tendons flexing and unfolding, trying to keep up with his neuronic pathways. It has been almost two months, and still Ben felt that there was a time-lag, a miss-sync that made it feel as though his legs couldn’t keep up with his brain. He had always had supernatural reflexes, and now they became a curse. Keith, his roommate, was already relaxing on the dorm’s porch. The ex-soldier was almost twice Ben’s size, a hulking man over six-foot-seven. One arm and both of his legs were textured with dull, cross-hatched carbon fibre - the latest in military cyber-tech. Keith had been a marine, and he had enrolled in college thanks to his Citizen’s ticket after serving in the Pan-African Rare Metal conflict. He had two purple hearts as well, one for his left leg, another for his right. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. “Those legs are civilian spec Ben-o” Keith said with a big grin on this face. “Far too weak to keep up with a running man like you.” Keith had already told Ben many times before that he should swap out his legs for an upgraded model, but until today, Ben held out the hopes that somehow, his Coach could found a way for him to compete. A civilian model was subpar to a well-trained athlete's limbs, and if Ben could bet them wearing that... “Alright,” Ben replied, much to Keith’s surprise. “Take me to this depot of yours, lets get some high-spec gear.” “Allllright!” Keith grinned. He brought up the AR console in his augmented eye, and send out a call for a Tesla auto-car. * * * It took them half an hour on the auto track before the domed glass car turned into what appeared to be a warehouse district. The buzzing of drones was in the air, looking like swarms of vultures hanging over gargantuan, pre-fabricated storage sheds. “Here we are,” Keith stepped out of the car, and the entire vehicle seemed to lift itself a few inches, having augmented the lower half of his body and his arm, Keith weighed at least four hundred odd pounds. They walked into a warehouse were immediately greeted by the sound of grinders and mechatronics digitisers at work. “Hey there sweeties,” Said a voice behind a low, navel height counter. The woman that addressed them possessed electric-neon hair and nails that shifted hues as she moved. Her legs were impossibly long, lithe, a silvery sheen of platinum that had an elegant sensuality about them, like two works of modern art in motion. “Hi Georgina,” Keith smiled broadly. “Brought you a prime customer, ex-athlete, needs a boost so he can feel the need for speed again.” Ben could almost feel Georgina’s eyes focusing on him, the mechanical irises scanning him and sending out a script of specs. “Ouch, that what Obama-Care gives you these days?” Georgina said sardonically, her flesh, pink petal lips oozing sex. Ben couldn't help but feel that he'd seen her somewhere, maybe on one of those pay-per-view vid-casts. “What do you have?” Ben asked tentatively, his family was wealthy, but this place looked expensive. They followed the girl, whose legs had built in heels that made Ben’s eyes baulk. Her ass, if Ben had to pass judgement, was perfection. Along the back wall were two dozen cyber-legs, each with a price tag and an install price; arranged in order of horsepower. “This one?” Ben pointed to a set that looked almost human, a white-ceramic coloured, well formed pair of legs that was positioned by the high-spec spectrum. Keith whistled, “You got good taste kid.” “Sit down,” Georgina ordered. Ben sat. She took off his old legs. As her head bent underneath his own, moving between his legs in a compromising position, he could smell the synthetic scent of flowers. The white legs attached with a hiss. “300 Kilowatt, Mercedes Benz class 5,” she cooed, rubbing a hand over his new legs. “Go try them out.” Ben pushed himself from the chair; the lag time felt significantly reduced, maybe two, three Milliseconds. He took off, and the legs pumped fluidly and gracefully, he felt himself almost lift into the air, it was a feeling akin to when he had discovered running for the first time; when his Coach had told him that he had talent; that he could make it to the Olympics if he trained. Then suddenly as he rounded the block and returned, he noticed a warning flash across his iris. “Low power - Core at 9%.” “Impossible!” Ben thought to himself; he was running for what, ten minutes? He returned to the garage, where Georgina and Keith awaited. “How is it?” “I am out of juice…” Ben lamented. “This thing is thirsty!” “Yeah, you still too human,” Georgina laughed, her voice perfectly modulated. “Your body produces hardly enough bio-electricity.” Ben's eyes moved over Georgina, regarding her seriously for the first time. She didn't have an ounce of fat on her body, her figure was perfectly proportioned, if a little excessively so. She moved like liquid, possessing the grace and balance of something supernatural. Electro-tats that glowed a fluoro neon thrummed underneath her sheer blouse, where her round, perky breasts formed two perfect mounds. Most of all, it was her legs. Ben felt a chub coming on. He couldn't help but wonder about what it would be like to have her legs wrapped around his waist; or if Georgina had an augmented organ down there as well. He blushed. He hadn't touched a woman since the accident. It was starting to get to him. “It’s not rare to have a major replacement surgery these days,” Georgie cooed at him, “You need a new spine to hold up your new arms and legs, you need to replace your muscles with electro-fibres, you need to get better lungs and heart to keep up with all of that.” "It's a whole new world out there, Ben-o!" Keith watched Ben watching Georgina. "With your brain, you could be superhuman!"

With the susurration of sloshing water on either side of the ferry, the vessel meandered through the estuary of the yellow river. Around the passengers, the steel and glass exterior of Shanghai's CBD slowly fell away to reveal red brick and sandstone, then finally the verdant countryside. When finally, after every one of Shanghai's wonders was exhausted, the curious passengers returned to their seats and sought other ways of passing the time. From their position near the aft, Gwen studied their congregation of sorcerers and sorceresses. Different to Sydney, the gender imbalance of the Magical population in Shanghai veered toward the masculine. By the same measure, most of the gathered Mages were Han Chinese, with scant few having a Eurasian appearance; or having darker complexions that pointed toward a South-East Asian heritage. Beside them, Tao shared an earphone with his mates, looking wonderfully in sync in their matching Adidas. "Captain Jun!" Her surveillance of their surroundings was interrupted by a middle-aged man's appearance with the expression of a hawk. An older, Caucasian Mage parted the crowd. "Goodness, it IS you! What luck!" "Halbert!" Jun stood and extended his hand. As the two greeted one another, other Mages joined the semicircle. Jun greeted his guests, speaking to them with an informality that made them happy to be in his presence. Gwen caught snippets of conversation about a battle up north, as well as operations in the inner Three Gorges Region. After a few minutes, Jun turned to his protègès and introduced them. "Good morning, Magus Halbert." Mina waved to the appreciatively smiling Magus. "Sup." Tao made a sign. "Yo!" The senior Mage returned a polite smile, then turned toward Gwen and her company of three. "New blood?" The Magus raised his brows inquisitively. "Two lasses and a lad. My word, how fine they look!" Jun laughed. "They ARE awfully aesthetic, aren't they?" Her uncle rubbed his chin. "Not that looks would help them in Hengsha. There are no replacements for skill. That's what counts in the end." "Well said," Herbert agreed. "Still, it doesn't hurt to be easy on the eyes." Gwen curtsied, Richard bowed formally, and Petra inclined her head. "Don't suppose you'll let me take a gander at their specs?" Halbert teased. "Ha!" Jun's eyes twinkled. "Fifty HDMs, you'll never guess." "Ho?" Halbert trained his eyes upon the young Mages. "Detect Magic!" The mana of Divination illuminated Halbert's eyes. Trapped beneath the Magus' gaze, Gwen felt as though the man was swabbing her skin. "Gwen is a Conjurer, Lightning Quasi-elemental, and something else I can't quite discern, Evocation, perhaps?" Herbert noted with care. "Petra is an Enchanter. Mineral, I am sure. And Richard would be a Conjurer, Water, with a bit of Abjuration?" Gwen felt immensely impressed by the man's expert reading of Divination Magic. They were on a ferry full of young Mages leaking mana like no tomorrow, yet Halbert could pinpoint their powers with near unerring precision. Was this the experience of a master Diviner? Jun whistled. "Well done, but no cigar. It looks like you're buying, Herbert." "Really? Hmm…" Halbert examined the trio again, wondering who he had failed to discern. "Alright, I trust you. Shall I congratulate the House of Song on acquiring such fortuitously talented descendants?" "You may, and thank you," Jun laughed. "These kids are our future. Ain't that right, Gwen?" "I'll do my best, Uncle." "She's such a good girl," Jun sighed. While the adults conversed, Magus Herbert's juniors sought counsel with Gwen and her group. A few went directly part Gwen and Richard and attempted to speak with Petra. Unfortunately, their Russian cousin secluded herself near a window and continued to entertain herself with the captured Void Bolt. Thus rebuffed, their guests instead approached Mina, who introduced Gwen and Richard. The youngsters then made small talk about Spellcraft and their expectations of Hengsha, gifting Gwen the opportunity to pass the time until they disembarked without impatience. Hengsha island didn't exist before 1858. For whatever reason the Chinese authorities had yet to discern, the island came into being on the evening of July 18th, 1858, following a disturbance at the mouth of the Yellow River where it met the South China Sea. Of course, during this epoch, the Chinese Communists had not yet existed. Instead, under Emperor Yizhu, the late Qing Dynasty spent its final years haemorrhaging territory to the Mageocracy, the Taiping Rebels and the Demi-human tribes of the steppes and the sea. The island was initially discovered by local fishermen, who reported its surfacing to the authorities, who sent a group of Daoshi, Chinese Mages of yore, onto the island. Of the dozen sent, three returned, bringing with them tales of riches, veins of crystals, and monsters that feasted on human flesh. The Emperor had no idea what he had discovered, of course, but the Sects all know that Hengsha was a pocket dimension carved out from some obtrusion of space and time, sent into the Material Plane by portent and chaos. By the time the Qing Dynasty became replaced by its new socialist rulers, the island had disappeared. It was only after the country's unification under Mao in 1949 that the interim government relocated the Astral tear that led to Hengsha. Soon after that, China's new rulers discovered the island's pocket plane was moving. As a landmass created from shifting currents of silica, it migrated about half a kilometre a year, always moving north toward the satellite city of Chongming, a part of the Shanghai Metropolitan port project. Attempts to halt this drift seemed futile, for it appeared that the movement involves forces beyond Humanity's control. When the time came, Shanghai's government could disrupt and shunt the pocket plane but not control it. In the meantime, Hengsha proved itself a boon of treasures as a Special Resource Region, vomiting forth intermittent chunks of HDMs, as well as exotic flora and fauna. After balancing the risks and rewards, the Chinese authorities chose to let Hengsha be, for the "Dungeon" it provided could be very useful in training the city's junior Mages. The island was flat and mundane to Gwen's eyes, with forests near the centre, scattered beaches all around, and mangroves by the edges. Its only peculiar feature was that the sandy isle was surrounded by the silt-heavy waters of the yellow river, inundating its surroundings with flotsams of flora from the mainland. A long pier had been carved out from the thickly overgrown sedge, allowing the passengers to depart from the river-faring ferry. Gwen and her company were the last to descend, affording her a view of the island from the four-tier ferry vantage. Already there were about a hundred junior Mages and their guardians on the island, with a further two hundred-odd arriving from the ferry. "Looks like it's about to start." Jun moved forward eagerly. "Come on." The group followed Jun off the ramp until they reached the rendezvous site, where some Transmuters had set up a dais. Within the circular elevation was a Senior Mage from Pudong Tower. Gwen's group drew a great deal of attention as they entered the gathering. Petra especially may as well be a gravity well, making Gwen self-conscious for the fact that her cousin appeared entirely apathetic to the effect she had on others. It took another half an hour for the gathering to settle, after which the presiding Magister, Moreau Paris, began to speak. "Seniors of the various Houses, noble guests, and young Mages, welcome to Hengsha Island. I am Magister Moreau Paris, the Tower Magister presiding over this Field Trial. In a few minutes, we will be declaring the objectives of this year's gathering. As always, if you do not wish to participate, speak to Magus Xi after the announcement." A round of polite applause greeted Magister Paris' speech, who then motioned for the crowd to quieten down. "First of all, the Pudong Tower thanks you for coming today. Next to me is Magus Alison Xi and Magus Shu Jin Gwok from the PLA, who will be my aides in judging this trial." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Another round of applause followed— louder this time. Xi looked to be a diminutive Han woman in her forties. She had a distinctive scar across one eye that resembled a little centipede. Kwok was a generic-looking middle-aged Southern Chinese man without any distinguishing features. Even his olive uniform, displaying the rank of Captain, felt nondescript. "Allow me to announce the purpose of our gathering today," Paris continued. "Every two years, the best and the brightest neophytes from the notable Houses are gathered to participate in a group event, giving young Mages a chance to use their talents and skills in the field, gathering Contribution Credits." "This year, we have a real treat for young spell slingers. But where there are rewards, there are also dangers. For this year, Hengsha Island has once again become a full-fledged Dungeon!" Upon hearing the D-word, Richard gripped Gwen's wrist with barely contained excitement. "Is that right?" Gwen whispered carefully. "A Dungeon, here?" "Yes!" Richard's eyes were gleaming. "A Dungeon!" Gwen turned back to Paris, who began extolling the dangers of Dungeon diving. A Dungeon! Gwen tried to think back to textbooks the previous Gwen had studied. A Dungeon could be one of several things. It could be a monster's lair: from a goblins' warren several kilometres deep to the hidden den of a dragon containing precious crystals and rare minerals by the ton. It could be a pocket-space, left behind from the primordial times, trapped in the volatile magical energies that allowed it to drift through the Ethereal Plane or the Astral, occasionally drawn to the Material Plane and manifesting serendipitously. Likewise, a Dungeon could be a piece of the Elemental Planes that had burst through into the material, bringing with it unimaginable fortunes, elementally charged minerals, and even extra-planar beings. Even Sufina's Grot could be considered a Dungeon. However, Dungeons appearing on the Frontier were considered a calamity. If one should appear in an Orange or Black Zone, it was the duty of a Frontier Tower to offer up the lion's share of its loot while sending some of its best men and women. "… Initial orientation has deemed the Dungeon's danger rating to be Green to Orange, between tier 3 and 5, nothing to fret over if you work together. The landscape is marshland, and the dispersion of creatures are medium. There are abundant sources of crystals, rare flora as well as old ruins for you to explore. For adventuring, therefore, you will form into teams of five..." The crowd broke into clamorous contemplation. Gwen looked around at the suddenly cacophonic crowd. That was quick! No resting period? No 'meet and greet'? Just straight to the action? Magister Paris' voice pierced through the volume of the babbling Mages. "The entrance of the Dungeon will open at the forest's edge in exactly two hours," Paris emphasised heavily. "If you wish to participate, register your team with Magus Xi and Kwok. As always, all items and materials gathered from the Dungeon count toward Contribution Credits. The Diviners have determined the Dungeon duration to be seventy-two hours, after which you will be ejected onto the island. We will have Aerial Mages running pickup if you are injured, both within and outside the Dungeon. The rule for calling for assistance or forfeiture is the same as the international competition. If you choose to leave or must seek aid from an Adjudicator, your exit CCs will be halved." Paris halted his infodump. "On a more pleasant note, the top three teams will receive additional CC rewards of 50 per person for first, 30 for the second, and 10 for third." An enthusiastic din radiated across the field. 50 CCs! Gwen smacked her lips in anticipation. According to the rules, the winning team would likely gain 40 CCs plus another 50 CCs per person, enough to exchange for half a year's worth of HDMs required for training. Or several spells at the fourth tier or a single tier 5 spell. Or several tuition session accompanied by a Senior Magus at a Tower. "Well, you kids excited?" Jun grinned at the gathered members of the Song Clan. “I am raring to go, Sir.” Richard's face was rosy with adrenaline. "Got any advice? It's my first Dungeon dive. I don't want anyone to get hurt." "Not my first," Petra said casually. "I'll be fine." "It's my first time," Gwen confessed nervously. "Fingers cross, it won't hurt too much." Tao sniggered. Mina slapped him, then shot Tao a dirty. "You're one to speak, Peaches, the last time you were in one..." Tao groaned. "Well, no worries! We got a TEAM now!" Gwen placed her hand between them. "Come on, cousins!" Richard followed through by placing his hand on top of Gwen's. Mina joined unwittingly, sighing, then Tao, and finally Petra. "Team Cousins!" Gwen intoned as she waited to break the huddle. "Pain heals. CCs— LASTS FOREVER!" Besides the huddle, Mack-Daddy and Little-Dog looked on gloomily. "Sorry, guys..." Gwen could offer the boys her best smile. Usually, they would pair with Tao. But now, they wouldn't dream of asking Gwen or Petra to leave. As it stands, they would have to resign themselves to a pickup group, a far more painful prospect. Besides, as Gwen had just declared, Team Cousins was forever. Mack-Daddy and Little-Dog assured Tao that they were alright, and to look out for Gwen, then left their friend to find a pickup group. At worst, they could always tag behind Tao's party once they were in the Dungeon. Unlike Gwen's group, which consisted entirely of family members, the rest of the Junior Mages became a chaotic jumble of shouts and moving bodies. "Healer! I need a healer here! We're good to go!" "Abjurer? Is anyone a tier 3 Abjurer and above? We have two Evokers and Transmuters!" "I am a tier 3 Cleric! Looking for a strong group to protect me! No Abjurer, no go!" "I am the inheriting disciple of the Jurong Clan! Tier 4 Evoker, tier 2 Transmutation!" "Need someone who can buff! Willing to trade 10% of all CC gained for a member that can buff Bark Skin and Absorb Element!" It took an hour or so for the two hundred or so junior Mages to arrange themselves into parties of five. By then, Gwen and her party had already registered with Magus Xi, who commended their efficiency. When Xi took Gwen's card to imprint on her data-slate, she met Gwen's eyes and gave her a knowing look of "Oh, so you're the one". The PLA Magus also seemed to know Petra, for the two shared a quick exchange before processing her form. Thankfully, Mack-Daddy and Little-Dog had found a party willing to take them, especially as Mack Daddy was supposedly a skilled Abjurer. About thirty or so 'leftovers' were then assembled by the organisers by force into well-balanced groups. For Gwen's party, they had all their bases covered. They had Abjurers, Damage Dealers, a Healer and a Support; it was an excellent composition. Petra once more rolled the Void Bolt Spell Cube across her palm. "How strong is this thing?" she asked. "One hit can kill a Soldier class monster or a tier 2 - 3 beast," Gwen said seriously. "Beware the vital drain though, I have ways to mitigate the effects, but for you…" "I know, that's why we got Mina here, right?" Petra smirked as Mina puffed her cheeks indignantly. "She'll keep us topped up." "Of course," Mina replied with a prideful expression. "I am no slouch like Peaches." "What should I do?" Tao scratched his head. "Use illusion to disrupt monsters' teamwork," Richard replied helpfully. "First observe how Gwen and I fight, then try to match our cadence. Play distraction, use Fear when you can, create decoy Greater Images if we run into a swarm, and use Mirror Image on us if we run into a bruiser, got it?" Tao nodded, his expression taking on a look of seriousness. "What happens if one of us gets injured mortally?" Gwen asked Mina. "That's not supposed to happen," Mina pointed out. "Why do you think we have these compositions?" "Let's say we do…" "Then you become a burden," Petra interjected coldly. "This is a trial, Gwen Song. It is not a place to have fun. If and when Mages die in a Dungeon, think of it as being weeded out." "Still, what of those young masters and mistresses out there?" Gwen pointed a thumb at the crowd, still trying to sort out their complementary skills. "Who would want a useless disciple who cannot even survive a tier 5 Dungeon?" Petra remarked poignantly. "What a waste of air." "Okay," Gwen replied, growing annoyed with Petra's irksome air of superior confidence. "What if we get into a scuffle or say friendly fire? Or let's say someone's after us, or that we're after someone else? Can we attack the other Mages, even in self-defence?" "That is a matter for the adjudicators," Petra stated flatly. "We need only to fight and survive, even if it means fighting the other Mages. The inside of a Dungeon is a free-for-all." "But…" "Gwen." Richard placed a hand on Gwen's shoulders. "We'll see what it's like when we're inside. You worry too much. I'll protect us." "At any rate," Mina interjected. "We all have Contingency Rings. Likewise, most of the Clans have rings they lend out to disciples going out on potentially dangerous quests." "You do?" Gwen glanced at Mina's hands. She had a full complement of rings. "Mine teleports me back to the Wang Estate," Mina said. "I got one too." Tao flashed his digits. "Dad bought us all insurance." "I don't have a ring, but—" Petra stated warmly. "My Master has crafted me a Crystal Cube that has the same function." "Well, I am fucked," Richard said disparagingly. He just had the one ring. The Storage Ring that Gwen gave him. "Guess I'll just have to survive the old-fashioned way." The party turned to look at Gwen. Gwen also had a Contingency Ring. But how could she tell them that she owned Gunther Shultz's ring, one that allowed for single, live-saving teleportation virtually anywhere in the civilised world, taking her directly into an associated Tower? Or that it was contracted to guaranteed healing and protection? Her unique item made their localised Contingency Rings look like toys. "I have a ring..." Gwen confessed. Thankfully, a sudden thrum interrupted their exchange, after which the island beneath them shifted with a slight tremor. The forest, which had seemed so substantial and real only moments ago, began to diffuse. A rolling fog poured from the woods, forming a smoky, swirling miasma. "It's here!" someone shouted jubilantly. "My CCs!" "Be careful you don't die a few hours into the Dungeon!" his peers jeered. "You'll protect me, right?" a female voice not far from Gwen announced adorably. "Of course!" a masculine voice answered, causing more jeering. Magister Paris' voice penetrated the din. "Mages! You will enter the Dungeon in the order in which you registered. When I call out your number, proceed forward!" "Guardians and parents, we have portable habitats set up if you wish to remain on the island. Otherwise, you are free to return to your duties. We will contact you at the first opportunity should an unforeseen circumstance arise. To reiterate, the Tower has Senior Mages on standby within the Dungeon should your wards desire assistance. Likewise, allow me to stipulate that the dangers here are real, and injury is inevitable. If you cannot agree to that, refrain from participation." Gwen watched the young Mages move into blocks of five, forming a line that led toward the fog, which even now was becoming as thick as a woollen blanket. Even from here, she could feel the ley-lines and their unstable mana flux. "Contestants! Proceed! Move forward in an orderly fashion!" Gwen's chest constricted as the groups began to move. "Hold hands," Petra suddenly announced as the fog loomed. "Sometimes, the spatial distortion of entering a different space can separate us. Stick close, but if you feel something pulling on you, let go." "Why let go?" Gwen inquired puzzlingly. "Wouldn't it be better to try and stay as a group?" "If you don't let go, expect to bring someone's arm with you," Petra advised impatiently, likely wondering why her grand auntie had so much faith in two Frontier newbies who had never even been inside a low-tier Dungeon. "Remember, the more violent the displacement, the further we're likely to be taken apart from one another." "I prepared Flare spells," Mina said helpfully. "Look for my Glyph signature in the sky." "Assuming there's a sky," Petra added. "Though Paris did say it's a marshland." "I'll funk it up with some beats and a bitch'n projection so you can all come hollering!" Tao likewise volunteered. Gwen couldn't help but imagine a twenty-foot projection of Chinese Tupac beckoning his teammates to join him. "How likely are we to be separated?" Gwen inquired as they moved forward. "Almost certainly, but the displacement ranges from a few metres to a kilometre at worst," Petra answered expertly. "More likely than not, at least two or three of us will stay together." "Okay, here we go!" Richard's voice quivered. "My first Dungeon Dive with Gwen! You're my lucky star, Cousin!" Gwen's hand felt small and moist within her cousin's palm as the fog enveloped them. There was a sudden tug, then a wrenching pain that shot up her forearm. The force that sought to separate them was immense. Gwen desired to hold on for dear life, but Petra's contrary advice rang in her ears. She felt a moment of paralytic hesitation before Richard made the call in her stead. His rigid fingers squeezed her fleshy palm reassuringly, and then his hand was gone.

Gwen felt the expansive force of spatial distortion on her arm like a vicious vice rending her flesh and sinew. If what Petra had said was accurate and the Dungeon's interior was more extensive than its exterior, shouldn't the spatial expansion affect their bodies as a whole? Why separate individuals? Then again, Gwen reminded herself— it wasn't as though the magical forces of this world followed any of the rational laws of earthly physics. Here was a place of pocket dimensions and one-Mage nuclear arsenals— a world where shark-rhinos swam through solid rock. In addition to the dizzying disorientation, there was also a strange sensation of inertia and vertigo. Gwen's vision blurred, then with a loud WHOMP! The surrounding air cleared. There was a sensation of falling, then a SPLASH as she struck the ground. Gwen landed on all fours into a salty pool of brackish plant matter padded thickly with silt. A generous dash of the foul-smelling liquid splashed against her chest, turning her blouse into a full-bodied camouflage. A portion of it entered her open mouth, making her gag. "C-Caliban!" A roving mass of spider legs skittered out from the space between two planes. Caliban stood two meters tall in its spider form in front of the mud-caked sorceress, its long legs effortlessly stabbing into the soft earth. Quickly, she clambered onto her spider demon thing. Gwen had yet to see Caliban, now tier 4, prove his mettle against a Magical Beast of equal power. But considering its sterling performance against the tier 5 Wanka, she was fully confident in her Familiar's abilities. Comparatively, Ariel was too tiny to navigate the swamp, but Caliban's leggy form was perfect for wading through the murky byways and billabongs. "Shaa! Shaa!" Caliban promised to keep watch. With a thought, Gwen materialised the Decanter of Endless Water. She changed the setting to lukewarm and poured the decanter over herself, washing away the mud and grime, clearing out the foul taste in her mouth. When enough of the disgusting substance fell away, she replaced the flask and produced a pink cube of inscribed crystal. "Prestidigitation!" Gwen felt the marsh's foulness clear from her body, her dirty hair joyous at receiving the much-needed benediction. Her face as well, even her little nooks and crannies became cleansed of the intrusive, sticky muck. In her hand, the light within the cube died. It would need another LDM to resume its function. After praising the inventors of Magitech, she stowed the cube away and investigated her surroundings. True to the words of Magister Paris, the terrain was a salt marsh. The tepid, foul-smelling water reached up to her knees, making travelling on foot trying. She no longer had her Water Walking Ring, which she had returned. Gunther's gift did not have secondary effects paired with its august primary function. Gwen tried to orientate herself to no avail. In senior school, she, Elvia and Yue had failed orienteering. The failure to discern directions made her paranoid and worried. Anxiously, her luminous eyes scanned the distance for details. The Dungeon's horizon was an uncertain grey smog, made indistinct by the steamy mass of swamp gas that rose from the marsh intermittently. Troves of trees, spartan and stripped of leaves, distended from the water like rot-clad, bony fingers. Beside her, Caliban paced here and there, testing the murk ahead. Gwen watched the spider-thing hover its cephalothorax over the water, its legs moving with the fluidity of hydraulic pistons in mechanical motion. "Caliban, can you arch your body like so..." Gwen commanded. Caliban heeded her communication. Gwen pushed against Caliban's leg joint, feeling the sockets of its limbs slightly depress as she saddled up on the spider's back, near the front where its head offered a seating platform. The netherworld spider's thorax carapace consisted of smooth pearlescent plates, affording her plenty of purchase. Beneath her buttocks, she could feel the pseudo organs pulsating inside Caliban's body, a shadowy mockery of the form the Lovecraftian-being had consumed. Caliban then dug its legs into the marsh, moving in tandem by crossing its long spindly limbs asymmetrically. Behind them, Caliban's tail, a barbed thing resembling a whip with a pointed spear, wagged as Gwen sent a mental command to giddy-up. "Hi-ho! Caliban! Away!" she announced to the air, and Caliban skittered forward, its body keeping a near-perfect gyroscopic plane via its four pairs of legs. "Alright," Gwen commanded. "Let's head toward the grove over there, and see if we can get a better vantage on our whereabouts!" "Shaa-Shaa!" "Ha! WHOA—" Caliban stepped into an obfuscated snag beneath the brackish stream, immediately sending rider and beast both face-first into the water. Gwen closed her mouth tightly as she struck the surface. Suffice it to say; it was going to be a long, wet day. Fei Lin expanded his Shield before falling into the mud. It was just as well that the saline water held mostly moss and decayed vegetation and not sharp bits of jagged stone or sharpened branches. "Camouflage!" The junior Illusionist incanted just as the waters around him became displaced by the Shielding, disrupting the serene marsh's tranquillity. Righting himself, Fei waited for the dark waters to return to calmness, then took in his surroundings. He waited patiently for any curious creatures to visit the disturbance, watching out for other contestants who may have landed in the vicinity. He was both relieved and disappointed after five minutes. Okay, Fei told himself. Slow and steady. As an Illusionist major, he could keep the Camouflage spell up near-indefinitely. There was a grove of trees in the distance, meaning he could Spider Climb his way up to get a better lay of the land. Fei waited a minute more, then moved. Gwen nestled herself comfortably into the second digit of Caliban's bulbous body, her feet caught between a crevice where soft purple tissue pulled and tugged as the creature moved. Once Caliban got used to the terrain, her ride became much safer. Unfortunately, whenever Caliban attempted to gain speed, a wave of muddy matter would splash over the pair. After half a kilometre and another Prestidigitation, Gwen resigned herself to the reality of marsh tramping and decided to change. Gone were her cowgirl getup, replaced by a pair of water-proof trail shoes and a full-body nylon skin-suit. Her broad-brimmed hat was likewise stowed, for the sunlight in the swamp was sickly, and Gwen felt that she needed to watch for dangers both above and below. Her ponytail was tied and tied again, forming a tight knot that prevented gunk from catching in her hair. She wondered how the others dealt with this. Were their clothes enchanted to repel dirt and water? Or perhaps they had means of walking across the water? Conversely, Gwen pondered thoughtfully. In this watery world, Richard must be having a field day. "Hi-ho!" She knocked her heels against Caliban's sides, and they were on their way. She briefly fantasised about firing off a few Flashbangs into the sky to attract her teammates but decided against it. Lord knows what she could draw on in a place like this. Thus engaged, Master and scorpion-spider rode through the swampy arena, splashing here and there as they made furious progress toward the tree-line of the elevated plateau. When they came well within the grove's spell range, Gwen commanded Caliban to slow and watch for hostiles. As her Wildland survival skill was near non-existent, she had to trust that Caliban's vitality-sensing organs weren't just for show. "Shaa!" Caliban moved gingerly toward the trees, then paused. It waved its tail overhead, undulating its fleshy tip like a cobra's head. "SHAA!" Gwen felt a tiny sliver of vitality drain from her body, passing between herself and her familiar before inseminating itself into its obsidian interior. A hooked barb shot out from the tail with a wet squelch, ejaculating itself across the span of six meters or so. With a violent thunk, it embedded itself into a tree. "KYAAAAAA! ARRRRRGH!" A camouflaged form on the tree began to writhe and turn as the barbed hook injected its payload of corrosive energy. The indistinct form fell from the branch wetly and struck the water, then Caliban began to reel in its tail. HOLY SHIT, AN ELF-SPIDER! Fei held his mouth to prevent himself from screaming. He had just skirted half the circumference of the grove when he heard splashes, then hid quickly by shimmying up a tree and making himself scarce. What the fuck was a Possessed-arachnid doing here? Since when did they cross habitats into the marsh? Fei tried to recall the Demi-human bestiary classes. Dark Elves were underground Demi-humans that lived in massive cavern complexes. They belonged to a class of Demi-human sprites that worshipped the Gods of the Dark, creating a dangerous religion that worshipped nefarious schemes and the doctrine of might makes right. The Bestiary stated that when members of their society became condemned, they are forced to undergo a ritualistic form of torture that transmogrified the humanoid upper body onto a giant spider's base, creating an engine of cruelty and spite. The spider-worshipping dwellers of the dark typically settled in areas with extensive underground networks, such as Borneo, Mexico, or the northern Black Zones of South America. So what the hell was one doing here in Hengsha? Had the creature perhaps wandered into some naturally forming wormhole, connected by swirls of mana caught in an underground ley-line? Fei forced himself to calm his nerves so that he could study the creature's weaknesses, as his elders had instructed him. First, he counted the legs. There were eight in total and a lashing tail. That didn't make sense—Spiders had eight legs but no tail. Scorpions had eight legs, two pincers, and a stinger. What the hell was this thing, then?! Was this a rare spawn or a failed chimaera? His eyes moved upward; there, the shape was more than pleasing. There was something familiar about the female torso that extended from the front, which he couldn't quite place. The feminine silhouette reminded him of that Lightning Conjurer belle from the ferry. Still, this thing was a far cry from the gorgeous, electric-eyed sorceress, for prideful Lightning was antithetical to the baseness of this Negative-aligned monster. Soon, the undoubtedly female creature began to move. Fei could see her contour even from this distance, marked by some dark membrane half-covered by drying mud. The female's form had a serpentine waist just above the spindly skittering legs. Her face was not discernible beneath the muck. Curiously, the Possessed wore its hair in a bun. More horrifically, where its hips joined the thorax, there was another mouth where several tentacles flailed, dripping grey goo as each "head" went about its business as though possessing minds of their own. Fei shuddered. He instinctively knew that a Possessed-Spider such as this loved to eat its prey alive. Still, that upper body— Was the Elf-Spider as intelligent as they say? The creature didn't seem to be carrying any equipment as it stalked here and there, dodging invisible things as it approached. Finally, it stopped just a few meters outside the grove. Fei almost shat himself. Did it see him? He was well camouflaged! This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Then, unexpectedly, its stinger tail moved to the fore and burst open with a wet clang, ejecting forth a pink blur that embedded itself half a meter from where Fei had hidden with a wet THUNK! Fei's heart almost exploded; then, he saw with horrific, gut-wrenching horror that a pink barb had penetrated the middle of what appeared to be an amphibious creature about the size of a large dog. Unlike him, the thing possessed natural camouflage. With a wet thump, it fell from the tree, writhing and screeching. Fei felt bile rise in his throat as the beast was dragged kicking and screaming towards the Spider Elf, who lifted it from the water with its retraction mechanism. He could see now that the stinger's victim was a frog, a dangerous-looking thing with chitinous horns over its balloon-like eyes, its skin bustling with pustules that dripped venom. The tail offered the twisting, dying creature to the female head, but the elfin face grimaced in disgust. Then it happened. It happened just as Fie thought it would. The creature shoved the frog into its lower mouth, where a dozen pincer-claws began to strip it of its flesh while the frog croaked in despair. Finally, Fei's life living in the greenhouse of academia caught up with him. It was too much. He had held back as much as he could, but no more. Doubling over, Fei began to vomit controllably. "Who's there!" Despite her failure at both spot and wilderness orienteering, she couldn't fail to spot a vomiting length of mangrove. The choking and gagging sounds the tree made were undoubtedly familiar, for she had heard it many times before as a girl living in Forestville, where every Friday night up until two AM, the streets below their apartment was filled with the sound of NoMs purging the contents of their stomach. Caliban flung away the foul-tasting frog below her and skittered into the grove, parking itself directly under the shivering tree. "Show yourself," Gwen commanded, readying a Flashbang. "Who are you?" A young man peeled himself from the tree and climbed down on all fours. He had a soft, effeminate face that was womanly, an anorexic figure, and long hair worn at shoulder length. From a distance, it would be easy to mistake the silhouette for a skinny girl. "You… can talk?" The young man visibly swallowed some of his ejecta. "Greetings, I am Fei Lin of the Huashan Clan of Lins." "Do you know a Frederick Lin?" Gwen was caught off guard by the young man's impertinent challenge of her ability to speak and so followed up with the only thought that came to mind. "Fu Lei? He's my cousin and fellow disciple," Fei replied. "So, what are you doing here?" Gwen asked, dismounting from Caliban. "I am Gwen Song, by the way." The young man's eyes bulged against his sockets. "How can you detach from your lower body?" Gwen looked to Caliban, who shrugged with a "Shaa?" then turned back to the bewildered young Mage. "I am human!" Gwen pointed to her legs. "I am a Conjurer, and that's my Familiar, Caliban." "Of course, whatever you say." Fei nodded eagerly, inspecting her limbs to see if they were perhaps illusory or Transmuted. "Look." Gwen felt a little annoyed. "I think we might have a misunderstanding." "No, no. I believe you." Fei nodded eagerly, not coming any closer than necessary. "You're human, I know." Gwen sighed. "Have you seen anyone else around?" She changed the topic. "Just you and I," Fei replied automatically, then realised that he'd made a terrible mistake. "No! I mean, there are others! Around here! Close! Close enough to hear me scream!" Gwen rolled her eyes, ignored the Mage, then hopped back onto Caliban, commanding it to scale one of the trees. Without apparent effort, Caliban's sword-like limbs tore into the branches, sending down a shower of broken wood and loose leaves as it went. Fei stared, scarcely believing his eyes. Meanwhile, Caliban perched itself comfortably across the branches of two trees, its spear-like limbs embedded into the sodden wood. From her new vantage point, Gwen could see a commotion in the distance. A Sigil Flare she didn't recognise hovered over the horizon, setting the swamp gas aflame in hues of carmine and lilac, indicating a combat engagement. The other directions seemed to contain nothing, at least for now. With a command from its Master, Caliban hopped from the tree and landed below gracefully, using its long limbs to skitter from upper to lower branch while balancing Gwen on its back. "Okay, there's combat that way," Gwen pointed out helpfully to the cautious Illusionist. "I am going to check it out. You coming?" Fei's indecisiveness was written on his face. "Suit yourself." Gwen turned from the junior Mage. If there was combat in the distance, it could very well involve one of her teammates. She didn't have the time to waste on this idiotic Lin and his fantasies. Fei watched the spider girl skitter off into the distance. If there was going to be combat, wouldn't it mean that potentially, his team could be a part of it too? If so, what would happen if the Spider-Conjurer barged in and assaulted them? The young Illusionist scanned the empty skies. Where were the Adjudicators? Were they watching somewhere? And if they were, would they just let this fiendish spider demon ravage its way through the swamp? He looked toward his right, where the drained carcass of a frog the size of a hunting hound floated placidly on the surface of the dark water. Its skin was entirely shrivelled, deprived of all vitality. It was Negative Drained, to death. Fei gritted his teeth. "Water Walk!" he invoked a Magic Item, then ran toward the direction the spider girl had gone. Caliban crushed another of the frogspawn creatures in its maw as the fiend pistoned ahead with its sword-like legs, slicing through the marshland with the efficiency of a combine-harvester. As they approached a waist-deep region covered with sedge, all manners of strange amphibian creatures began to flee from Caliban's wrath. The sedan sized spider was relentless. As it made swift locomotion with its eight hind-limbs, its two forward "claws" stabbed downward with unerring accuracy, lifting from the water bits of fish, chunks of frog, and the occasional salamander. All of which Gwen's monster fed into its maw without a moment's hesitation. "Caliban! You glutton!" Gwen chided the nightmarish thing. "Shaa! Shaa!" Caliban cooed, informing her of its joy. While Caliban's thorax grew engorged, Gwen could feel a trickle of vitality feeding into her Astral Body, transforming into motes of Almudj's emerald mana. Was this what it was like to feast upon Magical Creatures? Gwen wanted to experiment some more, perhaps with a mega-fauna of some kind. If there were a way to keep her vitality up and Almudj's Essence happy, then she could be a Void Mage yet. It took her fifteen odd minutes to reach the locale of glowing gas that surrounded an island plateau overgrown with thick, dark green vegetation. "Shield!" "Wall of Stone!" "Firebolt!" "True Strike!" "Take that!" "AARRGH—" The commotions of combat within, mixed in with the tumult of incantations, involved a cacophony of explosions, skittering stones, an occasional grunt, and the sound of bodies splashing violently. "Caliban, stay close and stay low. Get ready." Gwen dismounted and proceeded on foot, stepping wetly onto the mossy mass of semi-solid bog. Her creature dug into the soft peat, following her discretely. There was a clearing inside the grove, in the midst of which was a large tree much taller than the surrounding mangroves. Its extensive root system crawled across the moss floor, looking like serpentine sinews. At the foot of the tree was a mass of skeletons, most of which were amphibian. A group of young Mages were fighting what appeared to be a giant, red, leathery bullfrog. A Frog-kin? Gwen wondered. Not quite. The creature did not appear terrestrial in origin. Imposingly, the xenos amphibian stood over two meters when it reared up on its hind legs; its arms, elongated and muscular, were armed with horrifically long claws. Its plated skin was a gleaming mess of red welts crisscrossed with festering boils. Its eyes were two amber dots gleaming with malice, utterly mad with glee that it had found prey. As Gwen watched, a Firebolt fizzled against its skin. Innate magic resistance! Gwen marvelled. Whatever the Mages threw at the thing seems to slide from its thick hide. By that same measure, the creature's natural weapons seemed incapable of penetrating the stone fortifications the defender's skilful Abjurer had affected. Its assault slid harmlessly across the stone Shields whenever it lashed out with alternatively howling frustration and hooting, gibbering joy. Should she help? Gwen wondered. What was the etiquette? Unquestionably, her fellow "Humans" weren't in any danger— mayhap she should enjoy the show, or leave them be? The party that fought the frog-thing consisted of five young men: one Abjurer, two Evokers, a Cleric, and another Gwen couldn't tell. From the fact that the Mage was throwing out harmless Magic Missiles, he was likely a Diviner. She was just about to holler out and ask if they would like a hand when she spotted something moving atop the five-person party. There was a second bullfrog up in the foliage of the giant banyan tree! "Oi, you guys! Ambush!" she immediately shouted. "Overhead!" The Diviner immediately picked up on Gwen's warning. He must have used a Mass Message, for when the hulking frog-thing dropped down violently, it half-way kissed a Stone Shield that sent it careening away. Whether willfully or by accident, it barrel-rolled toward Gwen. "Thanks, but watch out!" the Diviner shouted back, waving frantically. Gwen waved back. "Caliban, stop that thing—" Without warning, the recovered murder frog leapt from where it had previously landed, then bull-rushed her with a single bound from its tree-trunk sized legs. Its maw opened to reveal razor-sharp teeth as it cleared the space between them in a heartbeat. Gwen baulked; clearly, this creature did not survive by eating insects. She willed her Familiar to defend her, invoking the skill that its spider form gained from consuming Wanka. Instantly, a portion of mana and vitality drained from her body. "Cali!" Next came her battle cry, her voice rising above the clearing like a Valkyrie's death wail. "Onslaught, now!" With a combination of Expeditious Retreat and Water Walking, Fei followed the spider girl. He had again used Camouflage to hide, observing how the girl interacted with the Mages she encountered. If she were hostile, he would delay the girl and warn the others. If she was friendly, maybe they could travel together for a short while and look for their mutual companions. When he thought of the girl's exquisite face, his heart fluttered. And then, his brain reminded himself that she rode on a spider demon from the lowest depth of the underworld. After all, the drained carcasses "Gwen" and her pet left littered in their wake was evidence of the girl's malignancy. How could anyone with such a capacity for violence be benign? Didn't his tutor say that such life-draining abominations were antithetical to the existence of life? Weren't the Undead that haunted China's northern border precisely the bane of their generation? Wracked with indecision, he chose to watch in silence. And then the fallen frog-demon turned to attack the girl. It was demon-on-demon action, but Fei felt strangely worried as the Demi-human frog turned its aggression towards Gwen. With a single bound, the amphibian cleared the space and was almost within striking distance of her. What would the Conjurer girl do? Shield up? Drain its life? "SCREEEEEEEEEEEE!!" A soul-piercing wail penetrated Fei's eardrums like a dagger. From behind the hazel-eyed sorceress, her spider Familiar launched itself toward the frog, catching it midair. "Shaa! Shaa! SCREEEEEE!" Fei Lin watched with heart-in-mouth as the creature pinned the frog with its spear-like tail into the ground, penetrating its rubbery hide as readily as if its magic-resistant hide were wet paper. Below, the hulking red frog returned the favour by swiping its claws across the spider's abdomen, taking out a good chunk of purple-pink flesh near its soft belly, causing a cascade of ichor to shower the frog in bruised blood. Then the scorpion-sword-spider transformed into a meat grinder. Its limbs blurred, becoming a howling gale of stabbing blades and slicing forearms. The frog croaked and barked, making a desperate pitch of guttural horror as it fought back, confused as to why its prey wasn't dying. "SCREEE! SCREEE! SCREEEEEE!" The upper portion of the frog's torso was flayed away within a second, revealing the thick white bones that made up its skeleton. Still, the frog incredulously lived on, seeking to fight or flight. Finally, two sword-limbs pinned the frog's arms into the ground, and then the scorpion-spider lifted its torso to reveal a second mouth. "OH, MY MAO!" Fei again felt bile rising in his throat. A dozen writhing tentacles, each with a lamprey's mouth, dug into the frog creature's exposed viscera and began to feed. Unable to help himself, the mangrove tree vomited again. Gwen didn't know what she had expected. She knew that empowering Caliban made it more robust and resilient to magic and physical attacks and Hasted it as well, but never had she imagined just how aggressive her spiderling could become. As such, when Caliban performed the full-monty in plain view of an adventuring party, Gwen realised that she had far underestimated Caliban's Lovecraftian charisma. The remaining red-skinned frog stopped attacking the party, turned one-eighty, and fled the scene. The other Mage party couldn't even be bothered giving chase. They just stared at Gwen as though they'd seen the loin-spawn of an Elder-horror devour a human-sized frog by vivisecting its top half and then eating it from the inside out while it writhed and begged for the sweet mercy of death. How Gwen wished the whole scene was merely an illusion, but no. They could still smell the blood and guts of the frog-thing. Her spider-thing was still licking its fucking chops as though it had finished an entree and was expecting more. If so, what was the main course? Gwen looked around. The Mages can't be the main. The previously friendly Abjurer shifted his position to stand in front of his party protectively, facing Gwen head-on. Oh God, Gwen groaned, cursing herself for letting her conceit get to her head. She had been so eager to see Caliban in action that she'd allowed the situation to escalate without fully considering the ramifications of Caliban's expressionist art on the public gallery. "My name is Gwen Song! A member of the House of Song. My Grandfather is a director of the MSS!" She called out toward the team, hoping for the best. "This is my Familiar! He's harmless! A cutie really, like a pony!" "Shaa!" Caliban helped out gleefully. "Shaa! Shaa!" "Caliban, heel!" Gwen withdrew her mana and commanded Caliban to shirk backwards demurely. She couldn't help but notice a white-purple scar where its wound had been, healed by the vital force Caliban had taken from the frog-thing. "Stay your distance!" the Abjurer called out. Gwen stepped back. Her Familiar did not follow but moved forward and nudged the corpse. With its pincers, Caliban retrieved a jagged crystal the size of a fist. Within the core's uneven surface, potent motes of chaotic mana twisted and turned, glowing a dull shade of crimson. Oh? Gwen felt her Kirin amulet glow warmly. A Creature Core, already? Opposite, Hu Sheng and his teammates stared at the Spider Familiar's loot. A Creature Core! And not just any Core either. A Dungeon Beast Core, a tier 4 Core of a beast that resisted low-level magic! Instantly, the moment the Creature Core saw the light of day, the atmosphere of fear and suspicion changed. The fearful eyes of those within his grew bulbous with desire, their breaths quickening as they studied the lonesome, skinny sorceress. Hu Sheng especially couldn't believe his luck. They had been here for two hours! Just two hours out of three days, and they had already found a Creature Core? It was unbelievable. It was like stumbling upon an HDM mine! A core of this quality was worth at least 30 CCs, maybe more! More importantly, this was the core of a creature they had never seen before! Mao forbid! It could be something exceedingly rare. If so, could it be worth 50 CCs? More perhaps? Hu Sheng eyed this "Gwen Song". The sorceress was uncommonly pretty, but she was a gweilo, a foreigner. Could someone like that be related to a Committee member? Likewise, was the girl that dangerous? Knowing his Spellcraft theory, commanding something with the stature of this spider beast must have its drawbacks. A limited range, perhaps, or a limited manifestation duration. Looking at the girl now, Hu was sure he was right. The girl looked sickly, weak, like someone suffering from mana burn. Her complexion was ashen, indicating someone who was put out by the combat. As birds die for feed— so men die for fortune, Hu convinced himself with an ancient proverb. Where the girl seemed to him a Mage of impressive power a moment ago, all he could see now was a skinny Acolyte standing next to a spent spider-thing. Most importantly, Hu was in a well-formed, well-trained party, and the girl was alone. Anyway, so what if the girl was related to a Colonel in the MSS? Were they not likewise well-connected sons of notable Patriarchs in high places? Not to mention the unspoken rule of a Dungeon is might makes right. How stupid was the girl to try to frighten them with her family connections? How green? Here must be her first dive. Just look at the way she stood there, pretty as a picture, yet to meet up with her party, not worried at all while holding that precious Creature Core. Hu sent out a Silent Message. His teammates concurred. The monster core was theirs. The girl merely got lucky. They were the ones who had spent all that time fighting the monster— they deserved it more than she did. Hu stepped up. He was the leader. He made the call. "Look here," he declared to the girl. "That Creature Core belongs to us. That was our kill you stole." The girl met his gaze without so much as a twitch of her porcelain, impassive expression. "Don't be shy now." Hu grinned. "Hand it over. No one wants to hurt a pretty girl, least of all gentlemen like us."

As an old witch in a young girl's body, Gwen saw the Abjurer's avarice a mile away. There was an old aphorism in her alter-world. When profit exceeds the single-digit percentage in a bull market, traders are willing to take inordinate risks. When the advantage exceeds double-digit figures, individuals are willing to flout the law. When the margin of profit surpasses even that, financiers will voluntarily risk the market economy and others' lives. Unsurprisingly, her Divination Sigil pinged her spine, affirming the immediate danger of her future, unpleasant encounter. Forcing herself to calm, she weighed the boons and banes of resistance. If she relented, she could arguably score another Creature Core. There was, after all, another one of the creatures, if not more. Secondly, she would also have to fight five Mages at once, which placed her at an extreme disadvantage. Thirdly, her Void spells were too costly for AOEs, and her Lightning did not fare well against Earthen Mages. She also had no idea who they were or what family connections her foes possessed. Even if she "won" by crushing them in a pyrrhic victory, she may lose out in other ways. Conversely, if she "won", her reward for victory was a single Creature Core. Gwen made her choice. She would pay them back ten-fold in the future— if and when another opportunity presented itself. Revenge, as they say, was a dish best served cold. Now considered and cool-headed, she put up her hands and walked backwards, commanding Caliban to likewise back off, dropping the frog-Core at its feet. The Abjurer proceeded until he was within the range, then retrieved it with a Mage Hand. "Good girl." He smiled at her, eyeing her appreciatively. Gwen read his following thoughts and felt no desire to linger. She would find her team first, and then these fucks would know her wrath. She wasn't sure whether Hengsha's Adjudicators would intervene, but she'd be damned if she let them leave the Dungeon in one piece. Caliban picked her up with a swift sweep of its forelegs; then they were away. "Hey!" Hu hollered behind her. Gwen silently incanted her favourite disruption spell, then fled as fast as Caliban's legs could carry her. "Smart girl..." Hu lifted the crystal shard she had left behind with another Mage Hand. "Now, what is this—" Strangely, where Gwen had expected at least a token pursuit, there was none. She moved in the opposite direction, no longer caring for the splashing of mud as Caliban roved across the landscape, devouring whatever unfortunate creature that crossed its path. The occasional Magical Beast provided a moderate challenge, though she managed by pairing Caliban's attacks with Dark Tentacles and the occasional Lightning Bolt. The Dungeons' lower-tier monsters became easy prey for her Void fiend between the snare and the paralysis. Though Gwen was no zoologist, she noted that two predominant colours, scarlet and ultramarine, seemed to afflict the Magical Creatures of this region. Furthermore, it appeared that the fauna's offensive mainstay was poison, which would explain the vivid hues. Thankfully, Caliban, who wasn't even in possession of organs, cared little for the toxic protein. Nonetheless, looking at the fetid salt-swamp and its grey-expanse, Gwen couldn't help but wonder why the creatures were all so similar. Whatever happened to coastal biodiversity? By dusk, there was a noticeable increase in the activity of the alien amphibians. When at last Caliban finished a round of combat but failed to replenish the vitality it had spent, she acknowledged that she had better find a place to put herself up. Despite being vitalised by Caliban's harvest of flesh, her mana pool wasn't nearly as sustainable. The fact that she had not seen anyone even as final hours of daylight fell furthermore stimulated her growing anxiety, causing her to jump at every shadow. Didn't Petra say they should be close? Surely she had travelled at least eight or ten kilometres at this stage. Just how unlucky was she? She tried her Message device out of curiosity, but it was dead beyond a limited distance without a Divination Tower. Perhaps one day, when she had mastered the School of Divination, she could offer herself as the team's communications relay. Until then, she was silent and cut off. In the distance, Gwen spotted yet another peat-covered isle held together by a profusion of gangly mangroves. Caliban made swift progress as it waded up to its waist toward the island, dragging itself onto its banks, a slimy, crimson catfish arrested in its maw. Arriving at its centre, Gwen sent Caliban to scout the perimeter while she summoned Ariel to keep watch. The little marten jealously eyed her spider-thing as it stalked off, then dashed about here and there mischievously. Next, she materialised the Portable Habitat and slotted an HDM into its "battery" compartment. With a thrum, the device initiated. When Gwen deposited the instrument a few feet distance away, a portal appeared atop the model of the tiny bungalow. Gwen then channelled a good portion of her Lightning charged mana and began to manifest a Faithful Hound, an invisible guardian that would keep watch while she rested within the portal. "Um… excuse me, Miss Song?" Ariel zipped toward the source of the uninvited presence, becoming a white streak of furry thunderbolt ready to visit terrible, paralytic reckoning. "Ariel, down!" Gwen recognised the voice. "Fei?" Her brow furrowed. Fei emerged from the Camouflage illusion, his clothes worse for wear for spending hours pursuing Gwen. "I am sorry to disturb you," the effeminate-faced young man begged. "Do you think… I could borrow a bit of your Habitat's space?" Fei looked like he'd been through hell and high water, the very picture of pity. In the distance, Caliban came skittering, a scarecrow spider stalking on obsidian swords. "PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!" Fei bowed deeply, offering the equivalent of a dog showing its belly. "And please help me!" Gwen felt her irritation turn to compassion as the young man shivered in the dying light of dusk. Not far from him, Caliban's faceless head glinted with the sickly glow of the declining sun. Despite her earlier encounter, she felt sorry for the boy. "It's fine, just don't do it again." She gave the poor Acolyte a reassuring sigh, her eyes scanning the dishevelled young Mage from head to toe. The young man was pungently odious after his marshland adventure. She thought of the events of this morning, at which point a welcoming realisation came to mind. "Fei..." Gwen inquired sweetly, looking at the young man in a new light. "Did you distract those assholes from earlier? Was that why they didn't chase me?" Fei's face flushed, stammering that he thought it best if they didn't follow her and that he'd left an illusion of her escaping in the opposite direction. At that moment, the quiet, unassuming young man reminded her a little of Percy. "Alright." Gwen withheld an urge to hug the smelly man. "Do you know how to cook?" Fei Lin rarely cooked, but as a non-inheriting disciple without a cadre of NoM servants, he knew how to make a tasty meal from simple ingredients. When Gwen produced bottled sauces, pasta, frozen mince, bacon, mushroom and bread, he felt hurt by the imbalance of resources. Just how spacious was this girl's Storage Ring?! "Carbonara with mushroom and chicken," she commanded him. Thankfully, the packet instructions were in Chinese. As the pasta boiled, Gwen queried Fei in regards to her earlier dilemma. "So, not engaging those guys was the right choice?" "Undoubtedly so," Fei replied, his hands carefully slicing and dicing. "I don't know who the others are, but the Abjurer is the inheriting son of the Clan of Xiao, a dynastic family. They're a millennia-old clan that's survived the transition of epochs and revolutions. Very much old money and old magic. If you had killed or maimed one of these guys, I honestly don't know what would have happened." "What about the Adjudicators? Wouldn't they cut in?" "Well, unless you intend to kidnap them or torture them, the modus of the Adjudicators are to 'not' intervene. Usually, for a Dungeon of this size, there'd be a dozen of them at most. Localised conflicts like duels and robbery are expectant encounters in a Dungeon. If you can look at it another way, this is all training for us. If someone dies, their job is to verify the conditions surrounding an Acolyte's death, not to save the individual." "That's... brutal." Gwen frowned. Magister Paris had seemed so friendly in marketing the Dungeon as a grand adventure. "This is my second Dungeon dive," Fei said. "During my first, I saw an entire team get swallowed up by a worm creature that they had foolishly challenged. When the Adjudicators put it down and opened up its stomach..." "Pasta's boiling..." Gwen stopped him right there. Fei shook the vision from his head. "One guy survived. That's the Abjurer you almost fought." "How do the Lins compare to, say, the Xiao?" Gwen pivoted the topic, having no desire to know about half-digested teenagers. "Shouldn't you know?" Fei added the packet sauce. "Our families know each other. The Songs and the Lins are all new Houses that emerged after the Revolution in the 40s, coming to prominence in the decades since the CCP took power. The Clans or 'Clanners' see us as upstarts." "What about Mina's family, the Wangs?" Gwen inquired. Fei regarded her strangely. "The Wang family is a mercantile family. No notable bloodlines, but they've been trading with tier 1 and Frontier cities for generations. I'd say if you were to put the wealthiest individuals in Shanghai into a list, a double-digit ranking for the Clan of Wang wouldn't be out of the question." So Mina is humbler than she put on, Gwen considered this new information, Tao as well— so they're the kids of a billionaire? When they sat down to share the meal, Fei couldn't help but satiate his curiosity with a few questions of his own. "Are you really from a Frontier City?" Fei had found that particular knowledge the most surprising of all. "With your talent, shouldn't you be the heiress of some archaic household? Also, what kind of Acolyte casually carries a Portable Habitat? This thing costs a single HDM per activation, half the weekly wage of a low-level Fabricator Mage! This particular model must be worth hundreds or thousands of HDMs!" While Fei ranted, Gwen engaged the creamy pasta with the voracity of Caliban's 'Onslaught'. After dinner, Fei offered to do the washing up and the cleaning. After that, Gwen showered, dressed, then rested well, leaving a wide-eyed Fei sleeping in the room opposite, the young man's mind a jumble of repressed desires and outlandish what-ifs. They set out at first light after Fei had made breakfast. Gwen sauntered forward while her temporary companion followed with Water Walking, keeping a safe distance from Caliban. "Shaa!" Caliban stopped abruptly after an hour's travel. Frustrated with the lack of progress yesterday, Gwen was determined to find her missing companions. By mid-morning, a sizeable peat-bog plateau, more significant than any of the ones they'd seen before, loomed through the foggy swamp-gas. Surrounded by thickly built mangroves, its midst sprouted a tree that towered into the smoggy fog. From afar, the outcrop looked just like the one where they'd encountered the red frog-men, but on a much larger scale. There was the sound of combat coming from within the emerald thicket. With a "Giddy-up!" Master, spider, and lackey rushed through rows of the stunted mangroves until they reached the battlefield. Amid this particular clearing was the largest Banyan-like tree yet, its size so grand as to disappear into the low clouds. Underneath its bowers, there laid a field of corpses both skeletal and in the process of decay. Above, long tendrils hung from the branches, digging into the flesh of the dead, rooted upon the bones. Presently, several Mages were engaged in a deadly contest with blue frog-men almost twice the size of the red ones Gwen had seen prior. These were far more impressive than their crimson cousins; their hides consisting of interlocking plates of thick skin that resembled mail. Rather than fingers tipped with claws, their massive barrel sized fists had twin protrusions which they wore like bladed gauntlets. To Gwen, the beasts resembled battling toads from the Nintendo game of the same name. Opposite the creatures and fighting desperately were four Mages, or more accurately— a singular Mage and three hangers-on. One of the combatants writhed on the floor, holding a gash in her gut. Another, a sorceress, sobbed paralytically over the first. Yet another one, a young man, was meditating desperately, trying to recover enough mana to continue the fight. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "That's Yuan! one of my teammates!" Fei announced with agitation and worry. His eyes pleaded with her desperately. "Gwen, can we help them?" It wasn't as if Gwen could say no. The final Mage that held the defence line was none other than her prideful cousin, Petra of Moscow. At once, her cousin spotted her across the clearing. "Gwen! Standby!" Petra's Message bloomed next to her ear. "I can hold them down for a while yet! Is there a healer nearby?" There were three of the blue bastards wailing away on her crystalline Shield. With one hand, Petra held a Spell Cube, maintaining the semi-dome barrier with a look of intense concentration. "Fei," Gwen commanded the Illusionist. "That's your cue. See what you can do." Fei nodded and threw his hands into the air, Tapping into his Sigils, the young Mage gestured toward the sky. "Flare!" A Sigil escaped the mangroves and burst into a flare ten meters wide, glowing with the intensity of a small sun. "I'll rally the help!" Fei announced. "What about you?" "I got to help Petra," Gwen answered, her eyes taking on a blue glow as Lightning charged mana circulated her conduits. "It's going to be dangerous, and I won't be able to protect you. Go!" Fei appeared to hesitate but then made haste with Expeditious Retreat. "Ariel!" Gwen materialised her marten. It instantly transformed into a mid-sized Mongoose bristling with electricity. "Take the one on the right." "EEEeee!" "Caliban!" Gwen fed her Familiar a nauseating chunk of vitality, watching its purple flesh pulse and its carapace bristle as it accelerated. "Take the one on the left!" "Shaa! Shaa!" Further observing the battle's outlook, Gwen bit her lips and incanted another Void spell, followed by another Lightning Bolt to the creatures' backs. The brilliant blasts of manifesting electricity caught the frog trio's immediate attention. Without hesitation, they ceased dashing themselves senselessly against Petra's Crystalline Wall. "You idiot!" Her cousin's muffled howl was audible even from a distance. "These blue bastards are magic resistant! RUN!" Her warning came too late, for the frogs had locked on to the solitary sorceress who stood without an Abjurer to shield her. As they leapt and bound toward Gwen, the frog-men split in three, demonstrating a low cunning capable of executing pack tactics. Gwen readied herself for a world of pain. "Ariel!" Her mongoose was the first to engage. On Gwen's right, the marten fired off a blast of Lightning Needles that struck the unsuspecting, hulking frog in the face, sending it skittering into a howling madness. The mongoose then launched itself with a thunderclap toward its disorientated prey, transforming itself into a blur of crackling energy that bit, slashed, and mauled the creature mercilessly. "Caliban! Onslaught!" On the left, Caliban met the battle-toad tail first, piercing its carapace at the thigh and halting its movements instantly. The momentum of the giant creature, however, proved too much for either of the combatants. As the frog-thing struck out against Caliban, it tore the ligaments of Caliban's tail, sending the netherworld scorpioid into a furious fit. However, the frog's careless assault also crippled its leg, resulting in a torso-sized chunk of flesh dislocating from its thigh. Monster and monster then fell upon one another as a blur of tooth and nail, carapace and vivisecting flesh. The final creature made it within thirty feet of Gwen when it ran face-first into a nest of hidden tentacles. Dark Tentacles composed of Void-matter ate into the creature's hide, ignoring its armour and lashing it into the ground, pinning it helplessly as the boundless hunger tore at its life force. With a grunt of supreme, supernatural force, the creature made it another two meters, using its magical resistance to negate Gwen's life-draining side effect. Unfortunately, it charged right into the second blossom of hysterical, lightning-charged tentacles. The Lighting and the Void Tentacles' combined force created a crisscrossed network of white and blue, lifting their victim bodily into the air. As a candid moment, the horrific and the comical came to astounding matrimony as her yin-yang octopi tugged an ogre-sized frog back and forth between them, helplessly suspended mid-air. Unfortunately, both spells proved insufficient in killing her foe. From behind her crystal barrier, Petra's blue eyes grew brilliant with amazement. Gwen, however, had no time to laugh at the unexpected froggy-in-the-middle. To the dismay of her gallery, she began to run towards the trapped frog. "What the fuck are you doing!" Petra cried out. "Don't be an idiot! It'll gut you with one swipe!" Gwen approached within melee distance of the floating terror-toad. A hypothesis had been floating in her head since her uncle Jun mentioned their amulet's function, and the Core she had earlier gained provided further evidence that needed affirmation. With a sudden burst of rapturous strength, the creature lunged for her out of pure malice. "Dimension Door!" Gwen disappeared and appeared behind the thing. Her tentacles retrieved the monstrous frog and held it within their suspended embrace. "Blast Bolt!" Once again, the boon of the Lightning Element showed its true wrath. An element gifted by the Gods to hunt monsters, the dozen or so bolts of electrical discharge ravaged the innards of the frog and cooked it inside out. Even near death, Gwen could feel the creature's chaotic flesh trying to repel her magic, but by now, it was too weak to sustain its elemental resistance. As it expired, Gwen felt its "Essence" suffuse the Kirin amulet. She then made for Caliban's prey before her Familiar consumed it entirely. "Oh my God! You stupid bychit!" Petra's voice held more frustration than anger now. Having no more enemies to fight, she lowered her Crystalline Wall and watched her Spell-Cube disperse into mineral dust. She had to protect the wounded Mages, but Gwen could see Petra also wanted to make sure that her idiotic cousin didn't get herself killed. On Petra's left, Ariel was losing ground against the hulking blue frog. Her Familiar's problem was that it couldn't inflict significant damage to the armour-plated creature. Meanwhile, even thrashing wildly without any attempt at strategic combat, the battle-toad managed to land a hit on Ariel, each time sending the wounded mongoose through the air like a struck ball. Inevitably, the monster scored a home run, and Ariel went skittering across the bog and into the mess of bones that decorated the tree's undergrowth. The frog then leapt for Ariel's Master. Her cousin swore. "Dimension Door!" The Enchanter expended her life-saving crystal and appeared just behind the creature. Without warning, Petra's eyes blazed with the dull gold of flaring Enchantment. "Hold Monster!" The frog-spawn stopped in its tracks. With a grunt of supreme effort, Petra forced the frog to kneel. "FINISH IT!" Her cousin called out to her. "It's resistant! You got thirty seconds!" "Dimension Door!" Nearer their left flank, Caliban and the frog-beast traded wounds, with the spider's pseudo-physiology negating injury. Meanwhile, suffering blood loss and evisceration, the battle-toad grew weaker and weaker until it fell to grievous wounds. Gwen materialised from thin air with a blast of electrical discharge and shot a Lightning Bolt right into the frog's open maw, watching its eyes burst with brilliant cobalt. Another warm trickle suffused the Kirin amulet. She then turned to the final creature. "HURRY!" Petra gritted her teeth. "What the hell are you doing?" "Caliban! Ariel!" Both of her pets closed on the held creature, a blur of tenebrous blades and whirling lightning. With a final Dimension Door, she zipped behind the thing and channelled the rest of her mana into Ariel's elementally charged fur, turning the frog into a pincushion. "Lightning Bolt!" Her Kirin amulet gorged upon the essence of the last frog. "What the hell was that?" Petra snarled, her eyes flashing with anger. "Why would you try to melee these things? Who the hell trained you?" "There's a reason for this. You'll have to trust me." Gwen put up her hands in a gesture of genuflection. "I am serious." Her cousin's accusing eyes were steel, but looking upon the carnage created by Gwen, her expression visibly softened. "How are you feeling? That was a lot of spells," Petra inquired with exasperation, exhaling with effort. "Risky moves, Gwen." As if on cue, Gwen stumbled where she stood, forcing Petra to brace her by the shoulder. "I am not out of mana yet," Gwen's face regained some of its pinkness. "I am just a little woozy from the drain's all." Fei quickly followed into the clearing. "Who's that? An ally?" Petra pointed to the skinny Mage; another Spell Cube materialised in her casting hand. Fei's surveyed the clearing, evidently trying to hold back his disgust. "That's Fei Lin, from the House of Lin. He's a teammate of that Mage over there." Gwen pointed to the survivors. Seeing that his name was mention, Yuan, the one who'd been trying to recover his mana, came jogging toward the pair of cousins. Behind him, the girls were still in shock. One of them was still mortally wounded. Besides her, the kneeling girl-Mage cradling her companion turned her face toward Gwen, her eyes full of desperation and pleading hope. "Please! Please help Lily, she..." "I got Healing Potions." Gwen materialised two injectors. "No, she needs more than that." Petra sighed. "She's infected by a magical phage." Assisting Gwen by the arm, the group approached the wounded girl. "You should forfeit," Petra said coldly after observing a red rash that was even now spreading across the girl's body. "Please, if there's anything you can do," Lily's companion begged, her contorted face a mess of melted makeup. The wounded sorceress gasped and coughed up blood. The rash spread yet again. Now it was making its way down her thighs. Gwen couldn't help notice that the welts looked curiously similar to the red frogs' leathery complexion. "Petra?" Gwen wondered why her cousin was staring so intently at the girl. "Could you..." Sighing, Petra materialised a Spell Cube. "Restoration!" Positive energy suffused the afflicted Lily. In a moment, her breathing returned to normal, and her diseased skin ceased its advancement. "You—!" Lily's shell-shocked companion turned to Petra angrily. "You said you didn't have any healing!" Petra's eyes held a dangerous, frigid intensity. Gwen read the situation and moved to intervene. Unfortunately, her ailing constitution provided no opportunity for her to come between the two. "You bitch!" the Mage continued. "Lily could have-" SLAP! Petra backhanded the sorceress across the face so hard that her neck cracked. "Petra!" Gwen could have swallowed an egg whole. "Ungrateful scum," Petra spat. "Get the fuck out of here— or I will end you." Gwen didn't know what to say. Was Petra in the wrong? Hardly. She saved their lives. She risked her life to defend them against those monsters. She had continued to do so when she could have escaped anytime. What gave these foolish children the privilege to question her motives? They owed Petra their lives. The girl Mage picked herself up from the ground and began to sob. Lily, now recovered and standing, bowed deeply before Petra and apologised profusely. "Don't talk to me. Just go." Petra commanded. The party didn't move. The girls were too afraid to move. What if more of the frog things were waiting in the waters beyond? Beside them, Fei conversed quietly with Yuan, watching the spectacle unfold. After a minute, Caliban returned, having consumed the carcasses. Gwen sensed some of her vitality returning and turned toward the stalking spider expectantly. "Well?" She crossed both sets of fingers. "Got anything for me, Cali?" "Shaa- Blurgh!" Caliban vomited forth a mass of viscera. Yuan turned away. Fei was better, having become accustomed to Caliban after a day and a half of witnessing the Void fiend at its finest. Petra stared at Gwen in incomprehension. Lily fainted once more. The rude one with the swollen cheeks abruptly vomited through her nose. Gwen gingerly reached into the steaming pile and picked out an object. "Ta-da!" She presented the bloody thing before Petra, whose irises contracted. A Creature Core! Their eyes met; an understanding passed between two women of competence. "I see," Petra said. "I apologise for doubting you. Good work." "Thanks," Gwen affirmed Petra's acknowledgement. Feeling her mana pool running on fumes, Gwen called Ariel and Caliban toward her. Caliban's form was missing two of its limbs, with a third hanging limpidly, though her Familiar didn't seem to care at all. Ariel, on the other hand, was battered and bloody and in significant pain. "EE-EE!" Gwen injected the marten with a healing potion, then unsummoned both. The Core disappeared into Gwen's ring. She would trade it for CCs when they were out of the Dungeon. The survivors gathered up. Gwen greeted them all once more, then produced blankets, the decanter, and an assortment of canned foodstuffs so that they could all partake in the joy of having survived an ugly encounter. "Thank you." The young Mages bowed toward the big sister sorceress and gingerly accepted her food, water, and cleansing. Gwen passed over a Mana injector to Petra, and the two girls stabbed the short-fire needles into their thighs. Once their mana recovered, Petra took the opportunity to extract from her cowed victims her saviour's tax. "Shield." "Fireball." "Mage Armour." "Haste." "Flame Skin." The Enchanter crafted a dozen cubes, one every few minutes, as they rested. She had expended many of her Spell Cubes, and now she needed replenishment. From Gwen, Petra extracted an assortment of Lightning spells, as Gwen was now too weak to sustain more Void Magic than necessary. "Thank God you've got Dimension Door." Petra waited until Gwen recovered, then made another two copies. "Have you seen the others?" Gwen had to inject another Mana potion, burning her alchemical cooldowns for the next twelve hours. "No, and for a good reason. We need to stay here." Petra leaned in close to Gwen's ear, where she could feel her soft breath on her lobes. "There's a boon for us up on that tree. I've been eyeing it, but now that you're here, we can do it. To avoid complication, we need to do this as soon as possible." "Oh?" Gwen felt Petra's ticklish breath. "We need privacy if we want to hold on to our prize," Petra whispered. "We need these hangers-on to fuck off." "...oh?" Gwen may have had experience fighting Monsters and duelling Mages, but she had never been in a situation where she had to tell a peer to "fuck off and survive the wolf-infested woods on your own". When Gwen neither affirmed nor rejected her recommendation, Petra's expression grew ambivalent. "Are you recovered?" Petra moved away from the intimacy they had momentarily shared. Gwen examined her condition with a quick meditation. Her health was manageable. Caliban had replenished a significant portion of it, though a jolt of Positive Energy would do well in mending her fatigue. Her mana pool had been topped up by the injectors as well, so she was ready for action, though far from peak performance. "Yeah, I am good to go." "Alright then." Petra evil-eyed the folks around them. "Regardless of your choice, let's do it." Not far from Gwen and Petra, Fei sat with Yuan, watching the two girls recover their mana. The dual-element sorceress had a sickly beauty about her that made one's heart sore, while the Mineral Mage, Petra, possessed a frigid kind of attraction that fascinated the observer. Presently, the two sorceresses appeared to be planning a way to ascend the tree. "There is a fruit up there—" Yuan announced quietly to his companion, then hissed. "— Don't look up!" Fei forced himself to remain unaffected. "Do you think anyone saw your signal?" "We didn't see anyone on our way here," Fei said quietly. "It was just Gwen and me." "That's good and bad." Yuan looked over at their companions, Lily and Wenshi. The girls cowed by Petra would be of no use in an insurrection. "Alright, so I found something up that tree. A magical fruit or perhaps a precious herb— but unless we can fight those girls off, we'll be looking at kissing 20 to 50 CCs goodbye." "You can't fight Gwen!" Fei shook his head. "She's too strong. If you've seen what I've seen, you wouldn't even dream of it." Yuan glanced again at their opponents. The Conjurer sorceress was now upright, resting her weight on her back foot, her swan's neck craned and looking upward. Beside her, the Mineral Mage quickly noticed him looking, forcing him to turn back to Fei Lin. The girls were undoubtedly dangerous. But the rewards were also great. If he could come top 10 in this competition, the recognition he would gain from his Clan was immeasurable. "Listen," Yuan gripped his friend's arm tightly, afraid that the enthralled Illusionist might turn on him. "I have a way of contacting a Diviner I know..." A discrete distance away, Gwen and Petra were ready to proceed. Petra pointed out that Caliban was probably their best bet in scaling the tree, to which Gwen summoned the spider horror once again. When Caliban emerged once more from the veil between two worlds, Gwen noticed its body was once more "whole". She measured her summoning's exactitude and acknowledged that Caliban's most recent emergence had cost her a little more vitality than she was used to, though thankfully, still within range of Almudj's buffer. The outcome made sense. Caliban was, after all, a shapeless thing of the hungering dark, a resident of the Void. It was her contract that gave Caliban its fair proportion and sent it ambling into the Prime Material. Gwen straddled the first segment of Caliban's thorax, while Petra took up near the tail, entirely at ease with the eldritch appearance of the aberrant arachnid. "You're not disgusted by Caliban?" Gwen asked Petra curiously as they made slow progress up the trunk of the skyward tree. Petra balanced herself on Caliban's body, shifting her weight as it stabbed its bladed limbs into the timber with trained ease. "It's beautiful." To Gwen's surprise, Petra patted Caliban's tail, which wagged here and there excitedly. "I'd love to have a powerhouse Familiar like this one. Who'd think that it could near-solo a Blue Gila?" "A Blue Gila?" Gwen noticed that her "Comprehend Language" Stone couldn't quite translate the last part of Petra's speech. "A Gila," Petra repeated. "The bestiary we have in the Frontier is very limited," Gwen explained helpfully, hoping for clarification. Her cousin was happy to help. "The Gila is a race of creatures that roam the space between planes, drifting from the Astral into the Prime Material. No one knows where they are from, only that they are creatures of chaos. The weakest ones are the Reds, who are cunning like goblins but about as strong as a Soldier-class Magical Beast, and the blue ones we fought are a little stronger. They can get pretty huge, with the den mother reaching six or seven meters and approaching the risk tier of a Gargantuan. There's also rumours of Emerald Gilas that uses magic." Petra paused. "And the red rash? That's a phage that turns the victim into a Gila." "Wha? Wait— that's... horrible!" Gwen was starting to understand why the 'friend' of Lily was so desperate. Petra said nothing else. Instead, she pointed upward. Gwen tilted her head and spotted their prize. A pod about the size of an adult hung from the top branch. It resembled a jackfruit or a durian, and it gave off a scent that suggested the fruit was ripe for the picking. To Gwen's Almudj-enhanced olfactory senses, the aroma was a cornucopia of flavours. Her mind turned to the piles of animal carcasses laid out as nutrients for the tree's roots. There was something deeply suspicious there. Had the Gila creatures been feeding the trees, awaiting this day? Or was it that something else was the tree's caretaker. "Do you think the tree has a guardian?" Gwen asked Petra, whose eyes were likewise focused intently on the fruit. "Most certainly," Petra said to her. "That's why we left bait below." "Bait—?" Gwen's eyes widened as details clicked into place. No wonder Petra was so compliant in leaving the others alone. No wonder she didn't disperse them by force! "Petra!" Gwen's cry of horror rang out among the trees. "You did not!"

Petra returned her accusation with a passion that surprised Gwen. "Did I not tell you we should have dispersed them?" Her cousin studied her with critical eyes. "They're not your allies, Gwen. They're our competitors. Did you know that before you arrived, that Yuan fellow was the one chased by the Blue Gila? That he fled toward me? Had I been a lesser Mage, I would have died down there, and he would have fled." Gwen deflated. Well, now she understood. But it wasn't just Yuan down there. There were the girls as well, not to mention Fei, who had done a bang-up job cooking and cleaning after her. She still owed him one for diverting the Mages from the house of Xiao. She glanced downward; they were now too far up the canopy to see any details below. On that note, the height of the tree was physically implausible. Gwen was sure that Caliban had been making slow but steady progress for at least ten minutes. Even going at their snail's pace, it put the tree at about 250-300 meters. In fact, from the marshland, the tree seemed barely over 30. In her mind, she knew that the Eiffel Tower was 300 meters, the tallest tree in Gwen's world was Hyperion, which stood at 115. If so, what the hell was she climbing? Then again, Gwen reminded herself. Rhino-sharks swam through solid rock in this world. What's so strange about a tree with an internal pocket space? "At any rate," Petra observed the fruit. "The objective is ours. That's what matters." Her cousin then produced the Spell Cube with Gwen's Void Bolt. "I've been saving this," She allowed the cube to levitate into the air before activating it with a flourish. In a second, the spell manifested, forcing Petra to let loose a low, breathless moan. Soundlessly, the Void Bolt cut the fruit at the stem, causing it to titter as the final few fibres broke under the tension. "The feedback is stronger than I anticipated." Petra met her eyes, her face pale with exertion. "So that's what it's like to use the Void. To think you've suffered this every time— I am impressed." Gwen's mind remained upon the people below, specifically, the innocent Fei, who had followed her into certain doom. "It's falling! Catch it!" Petra commanded her. "No, not with your hand! Use your Storage Ring!" Gwen snapped back to reality as the fruit fell. A burst of aroma erupted from the durian-thing, a sickly-sweet scent that clouded the senses with odious delirium. Gwen reached out with one hand and tried to calculate the trajectory of the falling fruit. She waited until it was almost overhead, then willed her Storage Ring to work its spatial magic. It was just as well that she had an "improved" mana pool. Lesser Mages with a ring of equal spatial generosity would not have been able to "catch" an item of such size and volume so effortlessly, at least not without exceeding magical limitations. With a sound of displaced air, the fruit disappeared. "Quick!" Petra directed spider and Master. "We need to stow it properly to retain its properties. Get Caliban to set us down on that branch!" Gwen shifted her spider Familiar until they descended upon the broad-branch Petra had pointed out. "Shape Wood!" Petra burned a utility cube, magically flattening the branch into a rectangular platform that comfortably held the both of them. "The fruit!" Gwen retrieved the durian with a thud. Petra materialised a dagger in one hand and stabbed into the bulbous, spiky exterior of the durian. The blade penetrated easily, after which Petra worked the edge until it reached the shell's nadir. She then dug her fingers into the open fold and pulled, splitting the giant durian in twain. If the scent from earlier had been intense, it was now so redolent that Gwen felt as though she was tasting the fruit. Like the durian of her old world, it was deliciously foul, the fragrance so potent and offensive as to set their eyes to water. Petra dug into the white membranes and pulled out a piece of flesh that resembled a block of wobbly cream-coloured jade with the clarity of cloudy sap. "We eat first!" she ordered Gwen. "I can only seal so many so quickly. Wildland fruits are most potent when eaten fresh." "Doesn't our Storage Rings have stasis?" Gwen inquired carefully, wondering why Petra was so agitated with the need for haste. "Only for mundane produce." Petra dragged out a piece of flesh and flash froze it in a Crystalline Cube. "Alchemists and professional herbalists have especially enchanted Storage Rings and Stasis containers. As for this specific fruit, I read about it in the university's Dungeon archives. Unless I am wrong, this is a Fructum Vitae. From the moment it is removed from the mother tree, we have a limited window to either consume it or stow it." "What happens—" "Shut up and eat!" Gwen obediently took up the white flesh and placed it in her mouth. Instantly, where she bit into the flesh, the peachy fibres melted into a creamy stream of indescribable flavour that cascaded down her throat and permeated her torso. Visibly, her hair grew a little longer; even her nails seemed to lengthen. "Oh, my." Gwen couldn't help but let out a slight moan. Within her body, motes of Almudj's mana began to glow magnificently with renewal and vitality, as though each were tiny seeds that had tasted the spring rain. She reached out for another slice. "No!" Petra slapped her hand away, then returned to her meditation. "You'll explode!" "I can handle it," Gwen insisted. She wasn't about to let an opportunity to restore or temper Almudj's mana pass her by. The more of the serpent's life-force Gwen nurtured, the more likely she was capable of surviving higher tiers of the Void's volatile feedback. Who knows, if she gathered enough of the vital force, maybe she could reconnect with Almudj, awaken it from slumber, even. Not to mention, she still owed the rainbow Mythic her life. Silently, she admitted there was selfishness as well, a lingering, wish-fulfilling fantasy that maybe, just maybe, if she were ever again in a pinch, there would be a mythical serpent dropping down from the heavens to save her. "Fine. If you wish to be the python that thought it could swallow an elephant, be my guest." Petra turned away and focused on her work. Her cousin had finished her piece and was now creating crystalline cubes to preserve the other petals of flesh. Gwen proceeded without heeding Petra's warning. The second piece went down her throat like a bag of razors, forcing her to kneel over in a fit of agony. The vital force that permeated her body seemed to stretch every inch of her physical form, feeling as though someone had forcible inflated her lungs until she was on the verge of bursting. Besides Gwen, Petra had finished her third cube. She was about to begin on the fourth when Gwen's moanful utterance became such that she could no longer ignore it. "Lesser Restoration!" Petra expanded yet another one of her limited supply of utility cubes. Gwen had been bearing her baptism as a woman dunked in smouldering lime when unexpectedly, a cold wave of healing energy repaired her pain-wracked body and restored her mind to clarity. Now lucid, her Almudj's Essence hungrily lapped up the primal vitality. Over the next minute, the pent-up pressure of raging effervescence within her body deflated. Though she had to wipe away a trickle of blood from below her nose, she felt more hale than ever. Did she dare she risk a third? "You're insane. It's too reckless!" Petra snapped, watching her cousin gazing forlornly at the white-jade flesh. "Gwen, don't be an idiot. I don't have another Lesser Restoration." "Sorry..." Gwen apologised for her greed. Her Divination had fired up as soon as she touched the third piece, indicating a significant life-or-death trial ahead. Petra finished off her sixth cube. "Okay, we need to go," she announced abruptly, abandoning the pile of lychee-flesh spilling from the giant durian. "NOW. The flesh is about to turn." The two girls quickly mounted Caliban, who began to make headway below. Above them, a sudden change came over the juicy flesh. Where the fruit had radiated Positive Energy, the crystal-jelly tissue abruptly turned necrotic with deathly malignancy. The wooden platform abruptly shrivelled into withered wood, the branch becoming blackened and rotten as though it had decayed decades ago. At the same time, the tree itself seemed to lose all vitality. A shower of leaves began to surrender to the uncertain space below, falling over the girls and catching in their hair and on Caliban's nooks and crannies. "Good God!" Gwen observed as they descended, making it just past the enervating circumference range, awed by the magnitude of the tree's destruction. "Duality in all things," Petra parroted their babulya. "Where there is life, there is death. That is the reason we had to hurry." "Right..." Thinking now of death, Gwen's thoughts flittered toward those they had abandoned below. Were they still okay? To Gwen's immense relief, no guardian had made its presence known thus far. Unfortunately, the young men and women below were NOT as they had left them. Instead, to her spine-tingling, scalp-numbing distress, she and Petra were now surrounded. "Greetings, O' sorceress from the Song Clan!" The young man now cheerfully greeting them from below had a face hateful to Gwen. It was the Abjurer from the Clan Xiao, the very bastard who had robbed her of her Creature Core the previous day. His team was spread out strategically in a semi-circle, presumably within the range of his Shielding abilities. The two girls Petra had saved stood to one side, an impassive gallery, with Fei and Yuan occupying the adjacent space. Fei looked to have been roughed up; his shirt was torn, and his face was swollen on one side. The Mage Yuan, however, had a smug expression that Gwen knew all too well. Petra shot her an "I told you so", smiling when Gwen's eyes grew as hard as peach pits. Mindful of her cousin's smugness, Gwen considered their present condition. Her mana had recovered, and her vitality brimmed. If this had to be a fight, then she would give them a bloody good one. This time, she would not retreat. This time, with her newfound confidence in Caliban, she would make sure these bastards knew the cost of messing with her not once but twice. "What a pair you make," the Abjurer smirked with undisguised intent. "Are you sisters?" Gwen had to do a double-take. It was true that some Asians were face-blind when it came to Westerners. She and Petra did not look remotely alike, but the horny prick was probably too preoccupied to see even that. "Anyway." the Abjurer rubbed his jaws. "You may call me Xiao Huyi, or Young Master Huyi, of the Hubei Clan of Xiao. These are my companions: Lei, Jingwen, Fuhui, and Pan, fellow disciples in all, and all Xiao by name." "From my understanding, you are Gwen Song, and you, my dear." Huyi turned his eyes on Petra. "You're the prodigy from Fudan, right? The Mineral Enchanter? I've heard of you. My brother's a Second Year at Fudan too." "And what does Young Master Xiao want from commoners like us?" Petra stepped in front of Gwen protectively; her posture suggested her patience was running on fumes. Unfortunately, with Petra's looks, this only seemed to incite their opponents. "A commoner? Hardly! You're Magister Wen's belle of the ball! Her darling protègè, and who could fault that?" Huyi's incriminating gaze did not suggest to Gwen that he was privileging Petra's magical talents. "If the two of you are willing to forfeit your acquisitions, I wouldn't mind sparing you some CCs by the Dungeon's end. You get to keep 'face', and we get to part ways on friendly terms. How's that?" "Shut your mouth," Petra stated coldly. "Your breath turns my stomach." "Why make it harder on yourself?" Huyi appeared to control the simmering rage boiling beneath his amiable exterior, but his Chestershire smile failed to reach his eyes. "Had your Master not taught you to partake the offer of respect than force down the bitter cup? Or is that too philosophical for you gweilo girls?" "You're walking a dangerous path," Gwen interjected suddenly; her eyes grew cobalt with electricity as she revved up a mighty Flashbang. If they were going to fight, she would have the first strike. There was no point letting these asses stroke their egos while talking down to them. As the parties stared down, a chilling breeze stole all warmth from the peat bog. Then, as if on cue, a misty shower descended. Motes of water sizzled as they splashed against Gwen's skin-suit, sending azure discharges of static to arc from her body. "Well, the first item on the agenda, how about sharing some of that fruit—" Huyi's patience proved as pathetic as his threats. "Flashbang—!" "Dispel Magic!" In a split second, the mana she had conjured rushed back into Gwen's conduits. Her head grew instantly swollen, her brain felt like Fuyi had taken a mallet to her temple. It took Gwen a split-second to realise she had been Counterspelled. The likelihood of such a thing was impossible on the Frontier, for Alesia had said that the ability to counter a spell as it manifested was a rare occurrence: Affinity, experience, talent and split-second judgement; all of the above was needed for a Counterspell to succeed. It was a key but rare duelling skill, one only made possible when the spellcraft knowledge gap between duelists grew significant enough for one party to be entirely predictable. "Ha!" Huyi mocked her as Gwen's face paled. "Fredrick Lin was right. You do open with that specific spell, every time!" "Gwen, take us up!" Without waiting, Petra made the call and activated her Crystalline Shell. With a sound of crinkling stone, the sheltering barrier moulded itself around Caliban, protecting the Void spider as it began an upward retreat. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Though Gwen felt drunk with disorientation, her cousin's decree was sufficient enough to will Caliban into a rapid ascent. "Oh no, you don't!" Huyi materialised what appeared to be a bamboo scroll from his storage ring. "You four! Cover me!" "Fireball!" "Shatter!" "Scorching Ray—!" Their opponents consisted of two Evokers, both Fire, an Air Transmuter, and a Diviner. The Diviner hid in the support line, scanning their surroundings for Gwen's allies. A blanket fire of spells washed over Petra's crystalline Shielding, blinding the pair and setting the tree to shudder and shake from the explosions, furthermore triggering a violent shower of leaves that fell about them like an emerald waterfall. A section of the wood caught fire, further making Caliban's purchase precarious and risky for the girls. Below Gwen and her cousin, Huyi read aloud the bamboo scroll, activating its ancient sorcery. "Nine-Jia-Zhi-YI Seal!" Gwen's translation stone was utterly incapable of keeping up with the Daoist incantations, spamming her mind with gobbledygook. The spell hit. Caliban paused. Something terrible struck Gwen's spine as her Divination screamed, then unbidden, her Familiar's physical manifestation in the material world imploded. "Petra—" Gwen suddenly stepped into thin air, her legs straddling nothing. She fell about half a meter before landing on the bottom of Petra's crystalline wall. Petra likewise fell the same distance and landed beside Gwen, though with more grace and control. With a gesture, her cousin willed a crystalline partition to bite into the tree's trunk, violently digging into the timber. "Ariel!" Gwen called for her other Familiar. The marten, now significantly restored, appeared next to its Master. When Gwen tried to summon Caliban again, she found the netherworld creature was absent from its pocket dimension. Where had it gone? "I'll prepare a few Conjured Flashbangs, then open up with a Void Blast," Gwen shouted under the ding of spells pinging off Petra's Shielding. "No," Petra stopped her. "Too risky." "What do you suggest?" Petra reinforced her Shielding; A Mineral Mages' advantage lay in their walls, barriers and shields, which possessed high efficacy against physical and elemental damage. "We break through the middle. You and I, we Dimension Door first: me, right; you, left. Then, we DD pincer where they least expect it. We go for their leader. With both of our Lightning bursts at close range, we should be able to stun the fucker. As soon as we're both in range, you encase us with a Void Shield, and I'll Hold Monster the prick. With Xiao as our hostage. We can force the others to forfeit. That or we Void his limbs, one at a time." Gwen's heart pounded in her seated ribs. "Right." She nodded affirmatively, trusting her cousin to be the more experienced tactician. "Gwen." Petra arrested her wrist. "Petra?" Gwen gulped. "No more mercy." Gwen felt her lips parch as she met Petra's eyes, two crystallines, pale blue orbs surrounding the loci of her dark pupils. She fought down the screaming compunction inside her head. Voices of the past, both recent and distant, protested against maiming and murder. At the same time, Gunther's lesson reared its head like Almudj's rainbow from the mindscape of her memory. "Did you think this was going to end amicably?" "They were dead the moment you appeared in their lives!" "DO IT!" Petra's barrier rocked. Fissures appeared like living spider webs, turning the transparent crystal opaque with refracted light, illuminating their faces with flaming, marigold shards. "Right," Gwen affirmed her cousin's sentiments. "No more mercy." With a suppressed groan, she allowed the Void to fill her mana channels, feeling Almudj's vital force fighting to keep her body intact. Her electric eyes dimmed until they became two swirling orbs of consuming darkness. Beside her, Petra's own eyes lost their colour and became two crystal pools of water, so pale there was barely a hint of blue. "Crystal Skin" "Void Skin." A thick membrane of bark-like texture covered Gwen's body, encasing her in midnight. Petra became encased in scintillating crystal. They were ready. Gwen took a deep breath. She wasn't at all confident that she could control the burst of the Void matter when her Dimension Door manifested, but that would be no one's fault but Huyi's own. Perhaps she should effect a suitable warcry? The situation seemed ripe and ready for a good rallying. "YOU BASTARDS—" She began. "—Arrrrgh!" "Shit!" "—CAO! THERE'S SOMETHING—" "HELP—" The assault upon their Shield ceased. The girls met one another's eyes in confusion. "A trick?" Gwen asked. "Like I would know." Petra shook her head. "Hold the DD just in case." It was absolute foolishness for their opponents to stop their attack now. Gwen was the kind of Mage who could quickly turn the tables if one was negligent in a sustained offence. Paranoid, the girls waited another minute, suspended upon the tree trunk where the crystalline structure had bit into the wood. They awaited the moment when the final spell hit, and in that split second, they would set upon their foes as two tigresses unleashed. Yuan couldn't breathe. The Abjurer had never thought that he would be in a position where death was preferable. When trapped within the watery bubble, the first minute had brought a significant opportunity for philosophical contemplation as eighteen years of life flashed before his eyes. After that, the next ten seconds elapsed like years. Yet, just when he'd thought his life was forfeit, a bubble of sweet air met his lips. But half a minute later, he was out of breath again. The feeling of impending asphyxiation was like a dirk stabbing into his brain, demanding release so that his gnashing organs could find liberation from their misery. Just as he wondered if he should swallow the marsh water and end his life with dignity, there came another bubble, another breath. That was when Yuan realised the horrible reality of his and his team's present condition. Whoever captured them wasn't trying to kill them. They were in it for the sport. But how was it that he came to be in this dilemma again? It all began an hour ago when Yuan had contacted the Diviner from the Clan of Xiao, who had promised a fair split of credits if any of the dozen or so lackeys he had contracted delivered a source of CCs. Being from a small Clan, Yuan had no reason to watch his chances at gathering CCs float away, just the same as him having no desire to see two stuck-up princesses exit the Dungeon with a trove of treasures. His compatriot, another nobody from the Lin's, Fei, seemed to know the girls, but Yuan had forced the weak-willed fool into obedience with both threats of telling his uncle and a few well-placed punches to the gut. As the stupid, sentimental idiot grovelled in the dirt, Yuan received a reply from his collaborator. They would be there within twenty-odd minutes! For good measure, he socked Fei again in the diaphragm. "I know we're supposed to be teammates," Yuan said to his erstwhile companion. "But we're just a PUG group, right? So no hard feelings." Fei whimpered on the floor, coiled like a cooked prawn. "I suggest you stay put," Yuan gave the poor Illusionist another swift kick to the chest. He then turned his attention to the girls. The short one was Lily, and the taller one was Wenshi. "You girls want payback?" Lily's eyes grew wild with fear. Wenshi wasn't such a coward. The girl nodded. "Good. Stick with me. We'll fleece those bitches yet." Wenshi placed a hand on her swollen cheek. "Let that be your strength," Yuan advised happily. "You can slap them around all you like later, although I have a feeling the Young Master would love a go himself, ha!" The unassuming girl grew crimson with anticipation. Yuan tsked. What a vengeful little harlot. Was it so easy to forget that the "bitch" saved her earlier? It was women like this that he hated the most. After that, Clan Xiao's five-person team arrived. Yuan had shaken hands with their leader, Huyi, and then they laid out the ambush. "You have done very, very well." Huyi patted Yuan approvingly on the shoulder. "If your account of their abilities is correct, then I'll give you extra 10 CCs as a reward." "Thank you, Master Xiao." Yuan was confident that calling the Xiao Clan was the best decision he had ever made. Usually, Yuan loved the company of beautiful girls. But this time, the two girls made him feel self-conscious. They were so gifted, perfect, and came from good families that gave them tremendous support and resources. They had everything that fate denied Yuan. To watch them humbled, taken off their pedestal and stepped on would give him the most longed-for, sadistic pleasure. Yuan recalled shivering from the cold. He could hardly wait. When the girls eventually descended, and the ambush had been carried out precisely as they had planned. It was raining in the marsh, but Yuan didn't care that he became bedraggled. As soon as they cracked that crystalline barrier, he would see the two girls dragged by their hair before the Young Master of the Clan of Xiao. They would be stripped of their possessions, humiliated and made to quit the Dungeon. Or that was the plan, at least. So what had happened? Yuan still wasn't sure. Above them, the twin-Evoker's spells had pounded the Crystal Shielding, cracking the surface and sending bits and pieces of it to fragment and fail. Overjoyed, Yuan had turned to the others to make a quip but couldn't find his friend. The Diviner, Jan, was gone. Jan? Yuan recalled his confusion. He recalled hearing the sound of sucking water; then the man evaporated! "Oi! Oi!" he shouted out to the others. "Something just took your Diviner!" "Wha—" Then one of the Evokers was gone too! Yuan felt his balls shrink. Suddenly, he loathed the chaos of combat. There were exploding spells above, loud incantations below, tumbling leaves throughout, and bits of crystals that fell, conjoined by the soft archery of rain soaking their bodies. "Where did Lei go?" Fuhui, the other Fire Evoker, demanded of the party. "I don't know!" Yuan felt his spine turn to jelly as his mind reeled. What in Mao's name is going on? Then the remaining three Mages were simultaneously swallowed by the sodden earth. This time, Yuan saw the source of their sudden abduction. It was the peat bog! There was something under the slough! "Run for the tree!" Yuan shouted to the girls, who were wide-eyed with terror. "Ru—" Then he too became an inmate of the waters below. The rain that had drenched them all had suddenly expanded from their clothes as if gaining sentience. There was the sensation of a terrific pull, after which they rested in their watery tombs. Above Yuan, the vegetation closed like a pair of smirking lips. Below, there was only cold, dark, smelly water. The last thing he heard was a soft, amiable voice. "Welcome to Motel Lea, my friends. You can check out anytime you like, but you WILL forfeit your rings' contents and the competition. Otherwise, you can enjoy an Undine's full-body service for the next thirty-six hours." The girls stared at the smiling face waving below them, welcoming them home. The party of Mages who had attacked them were gone. Replacing the self-satisfied faces of their assailants was a man close to Gwen's fluttering heart. "Richard!" Gwen dispelled her Void armaments; then, she Feather Fell gently toward Richard's open arms, her face livid with disbelief. "EE-EE!" Ariel scampered down the tree and ran around Richard in circles. "Petra!" Petra glanced below and saw Tao likewise with his arms open. The Illusionist's mouth opened to reveal neglected teeth; his face was full of smugness. Gwen wrapped herself around Richard like an octopus. "Oh my god! Richard! Thank God! Thank God you're here! HOW?" "Arrgh—!" Petra landed heel first on Tao's face, balancing herself as he crumpled, stepping down gracefully via Tao's body. "Mina!" Gwen greeted her other cousin. Mina waited for her to detach from Richard, then they too embraced. Gwen squeezed her cousin tight, unable to help herself after the tension dissolved from her body. Despite her initial hesitation, Mina reciprocated her over-affectionate gesture. "What happened?" Gwen scanned her surroundings. "Where are the others? Where's that Huyi guy? Where's Fei?" "I've got them right here," Richard chuckled. "Lea, bring up one of our guests!" A portion of the peat bog below their feet opened to reveal an aperture, within which entombed the silhouette of a feebly struggling Mage. Gwen recognised the face as one of Huyi's lackeys, specifically the Diviner. A sleeve of green water encased the young Mage, giving him the comical likeness of a human-size edamame bean. Lea levitated the parcel of water above them, then with a pop, Richard released the Mage so that he fell to the floor gasping and gagging. "Well, what do you think of my proposal?" "I yield!" the Diviner emptied the contents of his Storage Ring. A few strange-looking crystals, assorted potions and random adventuring necessities poured out."Take it! Take it all! I give up! Let me go! I want out!" "Good choice, my man!" Richard nodded approvingly. "Master Hao, are you there?" A silvery mandala materialised beside the group. With a thump of displaced air, a wizened, middle-aged man with an impressive Confucian moustache appeared. "Xiao Pan is forfeiting the match," the Mage said without expression. "I will now transport you to a medical facility. Do you wish to proceed?" The Diviner gazed upon Richard with absolute gut-wrenching hatred, snot and ejecta running down his handsome face. "Lea—." Richard smiled with teeth. "I forfeit! Take me now!" "Very well." A flash of Conjuration later, the boy was gone. The Adjudicator turned his eyes upon the rest of them. "Will you let the rest out?" he asked Richard seriously, his brows knitted. "If you intend to murder them in cold blood while they are helpless, that is your choice, but I will have to make a report." Richard shrugged. "They tried to bully Gwen. They can wait." "Richard… What happened? What did you do?" Gwen felt her rational world turned upside down by the sudden turn of events. Just as a minute ago, she had just set her mind to murder mode, now she was being treated to a grotesque comedy. More pockets of the waterlogged bog opened around them. Gwen saw half a dozen pods of encased Mages writhing in their watery pouches in a radius centred around Richard. One by one, their victims rose from below the peat bog, suspended in the air. "Well," Richard's eyes regarded his cargo of captured CCs lovingly. "I should thank you two for the distraction, but it's a long story…" "Fei!" Gwen pointed to a skinny Mage suspended and barely conscious. "Dick, can you let this one go?" Richard released the Water Tomb without question. Fei choked and gagged on the floor, then turned over onto his stomach, vomiting forth a torrent of swamp water. "Oh Mao, Gwen, thank Mao, you're okay," he choked. "Horrible. So horrible. I thought for sure I died. So many times." "MMMMmmph! Mmmph! Mm!" One of the Mages, the one called Yuan, began to beat his tomb's walls. From what Gwen could see, his face was turning deathly pale with asphyxiation. "It was him! He was the one who called the Xiao Clan!" Fei pointed out. "Fei?" Tao recognised the haggard Illusionist. "Is that you?" "Tao?" Fei feebly offered a greeting. "Yeah... it's me..." "EE-ee?" Ariel yipped cutely. With a wave of his hand, Richard injected a bubble of air into the sleeves. The inhabitants of Richard's watery worlds greedily gulped the air. Still, the momentary respite was worse than actual drowning, for their desperate salvation lasted no more than half a minute before they again begged for sweet release. Gwen knelt beside the shivering Fei and made sure he was okay. "Anyway." Richard turned to Gwen with eyes that were soft and mirthful. "Storytime! So, I landed pretty close to Tao and Mina. We ran into some others while looking for you two. Helped people out and made some gains. We were just headed down south when we saw an SOS sigil..." Gwen stared numbly at the pile of trinkets, crystals, and Dungeon loot that lay in a knee-high heap beside them. Richard told her that using Tao's Illusions and Lea's control over the water; they managed to spread Lea "like butter" over the opposing Mages without them suspecting. They then used a tunnel system in which Richard took advantage of the peat-bog to ambush the unsuspecting assailants. "Anyway, what's it going to be, rat face?" Richard freed Huyi, the last Xiao left, from the watery tomb. Besides them, the Adjudicator rolled his eyes. "You know, I've seen people get robbed in the dungeons, but he had never seen Clan disciples farmed like sheared sheep. You're a brave man, Mister Huang." "What did you do to my Caliban?" Gwen interjected before Huyi could answer. "Release my familiar at once!" The vomiting Huyi, however, had no interest in answering her. As soon as the Clanner finished hurling, he turned onto the Adjudicator. "YOU! Are you just going to let this happen? Who's your Registrar? I am going to file an official complaint! What's happened here is the negligence of your duty! He was torturing us! I was fucking tortured, do you understand me!" "My Caliban..." Gwen tried to regain the boy's attention to no avail. The Adjudicator stared at Huyi without a single hint of emotion. Once Huyi exhausted himself, the Magus turned to Richard. "You killing him?" "Nope," Richard replied. "Happy, Huyi? You get to go home now." "In your fucking dreams! You upstart dog!" the Abjurer swore at Richard, though he backed off as the words escaped his mouth, giving his threat a hint of the comical. "Do you know who I am?" "You want to go back in there?" Richard knitted his dark brows. Lea's exquisitely beautiful face giggled beside the Conjurer and blew Huyi a kiss. Huyi turned again to the Adjudicator. "Did you hear that? Arrest him now! He's trying to torture me! This behaviour is against the protocol of a Dungeon dive!" The Adjudicator turned to Gwen and her companions as though Huyi was no more than flatulence. "I hear a distress call," the Adjudicator said suddenly. "It sounds urgent." "I do too," Richard agreed. "Very urgent." "Yes, clearly audible," Petra added in. "What distress call?" Tao chimed in, wondering if his companions were having hearing issues. "If he doesn't tell me where Cali's gone," Gwen said quietly. "I am going to Void him..." The gathered turned to stare at Gwen. "You guys, for the love of Mao," Mina moaned, feeling a headache coming on. "Yes, I better get going." The Adjudicator did not wait to dissipate into a cloud of silver. Huyi regarded Gwen and her group with watery eyes. "Er... You wouldn't dare!" "Richard, cover me," Petra faced the Abjurer with a look of pure malice, then produced a spell Cube. "I am trained in this sort of thing." Unlike Gwen, Petra hadn't dispelled her Crystal Skin. "Now, I am going to ask questions, and you're going to—" Gwen stepped in before Petra could begin her "trained" regime. Extending an exquisitely shapely leg ahead as though she was taking a step into the air, Gwen stomped Huyi in the chest and sent the sod skittering before he slammed into the ground, winded and wheezing. "WHERE IS CALIBAN?!" she screeched. "Give me back my Cali!" Just the very thought of Summoning Caliban and feeling his empty pocket dimension was making her see red. Being untrained in the art of interrogation, she did the only thing she could think of, which was to stomp on Huyi until the answers flowed out of his guts. "Where is my Familiar?!" She stepped on Huyi's Mage Armour. Watching her boot lay into the Young Master over and over again, the corner of Richard's mouth twitched. "Gwen," he advised with great deliberation. "The way you're gingerly stomping him with those delicate stalks of yours, he'd likely develop a fetish." Then Petra joined in, shattering the Abjurer's protective armour with a body blow before gutter-stomping his face. Richard looked away. Gwen's cousin had no chill. Also, the girl was not joking when she said that she was "trained for this." It took only a minute for Huyi to cough up the Core he had received from Gwen and "release" Caliban from his Clanner sorcery. With his forfeiture, Huyi gained the opportunity to be immediately transported to a medical facility. Then, there was one more account to settle. The comatose Yuan. "You first or me first?" Petra asked Gwen, her eyes alive with excitement. "Me?" Some distance away, Peaches split from the party and looked towards the uncertain, misty horizon, his eyes focused upon the middle distance. Behind him, Yuan begged for mercy. He confessed to all his crimes, his double-dealings. With a mere hint of Petra's hovering fist, he admitted to being a sexual pervert. In Tao's hand, the Illusionist held a recording device. Richard had advised they collect some 'precious memories; Tao felt as though he had become a snuff-vid director. "Mack-Daddy, Little-dog, where are you guys?" Tao's eyes filled with misty remembrance of the old days when they'd flee from every danger in the Dungeon. "I miss you, dudes, so much."

With Yuan forfeiting after being taught a hard lesson in ethics, Gwen and her companions formed a huddle to discuss their next course of action. Besides the party of five, Caliban, Ariel and Lea played about tagging one another, skittering back and forth across the soggy bog. Caliban resumed its serpentine form and slithered between the peat layers, while Lea cheated by diving into the marsh itself. Ariel, as a result, was left fuming and frustrated, chittering with frustration. "Oh yes, your shares of the fruit." Petra threw three cubes toward Richard, Mina, and Tao consecutively. "Vitae Fruit, good for the skin. Eat it or trade it, up to you." "How many CCs?" Richard asked. "No idea." Petra materialised three more. She had six in total. "One for babulya, one for my Master, and one we can trade away. I'll pay for my Master's one with my portion of the CCs." "Can I purchase the last one? I have a use for it." Gwen raised her hand. She had great use for the fruit, either to nourish Almudj's mana or to gift away for favours in the future. The others did not mind her offer. Mina and Tao's father was still young, while Richard was in dire need of his CCs. "All yours," Petra nodded. Richard allowed the Stasis Cube to rest between his fingers, watching the white-jade flesh glisten like a work of art. "I'll trade it for CCs," he said after some thought. "Gwen, can I keep it with you? You're welcome to trade me for it if you like." "Sure," Gwen affirmed the offer. Perhaps, with babulya's help, she could consume two more pieces of flesh without incident. "I'll eat it now," Mina announced. "Tao, you eat it too. Mao knows if you'll be able to hold onto it." Tao gave Mina a mean look, but his heart wasn't in it. Everyone knew Mina was speaking from experience. Petra dispelled the stasis Cube, and the pair of siblings partook of the wondrous gifts bestowed by the Fructum Vitae. When sufficiently imbued with life, Mina asked Tao to conjure a mirror so she could examine herself. As with Gwen and Petra, her skin appeared more tender than before, her eyes a little brighter. The best part of it was her figure, which stood fuller. "How do I look?" She turned to Richard, her smiling, luminous eyes forming two half-moons. The ability to talk with one's eyes was a talent neither Gwen nor Petra possessed but which Mina executed to perfection. "Wonderful, Mina, as always." Richard retained that slight smile he always wore. "You too, Tao, you're looking rather buffed yourself." Tao turned the mirror toward himself. Having absorbed the Fructum Vitae, his posture appeared more statuesque, his body more toned and masculine. The timidness that seemed to underly his exterior machismo became less pronounced. "So, back to the Guardian?" Gwen packed away the spare Fructum Vita. "Ah yes, the Guardian." Richard tapped his chin. "I think I know where it went." Five pairs of eyes turned to the grinning Conjurer. "There's a hollowed-out section beneath us. If there's going to be a guardian, I would suppose it's there. Lea, tell them." Richard called forth his Undine, who materialised from the waters beneath his feet. "There is a cavern below, very big!" Lea fluttered her impossibly long lashes and illustrated what she had detected with her hands. "Big Salamander with many eggs." "Those worth anything?" Richard turned to Petra. "Gila Eggs?" Petra allowed the protective crystalline shell to fall from her body, fading into motes of mana as the fragments lost their enchantment. "That can't be right. Gila don't breed like that. They implant phages or tumorous tissue into their victims, and then the victim slowly turns into a Gila." "What if the Gila found a host that's able to mutate?" Richard inquired. "Unless chaos follows specific biological pathways?" "Life… finds a way?" Gwen intoned sagely. Petra considered Gwen's words. Does life find a way? It certainly sounded philosophically aligned with the nature of chaos. "And there's always the Gila core," Gwen added. "How big did you say this thing is?" "Lea, give us a look at this thing." Lea summoned water from between the sodden peat. She roughly constructed a salamander about the size of a semi-trailer. "That's a huuuge bitch!" Tao blurted loudly. "That's a huuuge Magic Resistance," Petra observed thoughtfully. The group fell silent. "We can probably overpower it with Lightning and Void," Gwen suggested. "From what I could attest with the large Blue Gila, enough damage should make it through." "It's underground, though." Petra raised an arched brow. "I don't fancy our chances fighting it underwater." "How about this?" Gwen continued. "We can lure it with something - like the Vitae fruit, and then we can alpha strike it to cut off its mobility." "That's a bit optimistic," Petra pointed out. "The older the Gila, the smarter. Reds have low cunning like Goblins. When we start seeing Blue ones, you're looking at Hobgoblins. At Green, we're looking at something like Humans. Once we start getting to super rare breeds like Grey or Black Gila, we're looking at ancient intelligence like Elves or Dragons. I doubt an angry, ancient Gila is going to be a dumb animal." "Think it can use magic?" Mina pointed out. "The green ones can do magic." "Lea says it's Red," Richard assured her. "We're looking at a mighty bruiser, maybe a tier 6 or so in strength, but tier 8 in anti-magic defence. Let's assume it's intelligent, but not too intelligent. That means we need some serious damage. Gwen? Petra?" "Well, we got a spare Vitae fruit to act as the lure." Petra pointed out. "How well do you think the Lightning and Void spells work against the Gila?" "I'd say half strength?" Gwen tried to quantify the resistance of the creatures she'd slain earlier, upscaled for size. "Void will eat away at its body regardless of the resistance, and Lightning can penetrate its slime." "Right." Petra calculated some numbers in her head. "Okay, say I Spell Cube some of your attacks. We double down on Void while Mina keeps me topped up. Full pre-buff. Two Lightning Tentacles, two Void Tentacles. Double-sets of Warding Bolt and Conjure Storm. We'll potion up after initial buffs, then again at half-tank. I'll make combat platforms on the tree over yonder, well out of reach of that thing. You and Richard to the right, me and Mina to the left. What do you think?" "We'll need to rest," Gwen advised. "That works out well." Richard pointed at the watery model of the great beast. "You know, I think I figured out why our guardian didn't show." "What do you know?" Mina eyed her relative with admiration. "It's entirely obvious when you think about it." Richard laughed. "It's nocturnal!" A look of epiphanic realisation washed over the other four companions. Gwen slapped her forehead. Of course, she should have thought of that. She's been to Taronga Zoo many times in her past life. She even did the night tour! Amphibians, particularly creatures of the dark like salamanders, were nocturnal hunters. "How we gonna bring that huge bitch to the yard?" Tao proposed after a few seconds of contemplation. "Well." Richard eyed their companion up and down. "You're going to bring it to us…" “Oh.” Tao’s face turned ashen. “I… I am?” "Indeed, Peaches." Richard patted the Illusionist on the back. "You too, Fei." "Me too?" Unlike Tao's fearful consternation, Fei's expression was one of unexpected anticipation. "Of course!" Richard smirked. "You two are the heart of our plan!" With the extended time required in preparing Petra's Spell Cubes, the party settled in to rest their minds and bodies. Gwen volunteered her Portable Habitat, much to Mina's delight, slotting an HDM into the magical device and laying it down at the tree's base. Each member then found rooms to prepare for the night battle to come. Gwen meditated to recovered her mana, aided by Mina, stoking Almudj's life force to gift herself with a tolerance for Void. Petra carefully cubed Gwen's higher tier spells, reproducing her spell-list in both Lightning and Void. Richard, meanwhile, sat in the living room, carefully explaining a plan involving Lea and the two Illusionists in their project to lure the Salamander. When the late afternoon arrived, Lea reported that other Mages parties came to take shelter on the relative dryness of the peat-bog. Having ascertained who and what they were dealing with, Richard sent Gwen and Mina to negotiate with them. Mina saluted like a good soldier and took Gwen by the hand. "Come on. You've been cooped up in there cooking up Spell Cubes!" Mina dragged her from her room. "Let me show you how we've been harvesting loot the whole way here." "Tao, if you please?" Richard was close behind them. "On myself as well. Don't forget to record." "Invisibility!" Tao incanted the spell twice. It was his favourite spell for Dungeon dives, only now they were using it for Richard's nefarious purposes. If it had been their last dive, Tao would have found his friends, holed up somewhere safe, and refreshed Invisibility until the Dungeon ended. "What are we doing?" Gwen looked at Richard. Even as an ally, all she saw was a vaguely humanoid distortion. "We're doing the Lord's work." Richard's voice was secretive and expectant. "Out we go, let's see what we got. Lea, you good?" "I am in place, Master." Lea's voice came from thin air. "Let's go!" Mina pulled on Gwen. With a quick tug across the threshold, they were out of the portal and into the Dungeon once more. "Wo Cao!" another voice, rougher and spoken far less delicately, answered the first. "Just because we're a PUG, don't think you can mess with us!" "We were here first!" A haughty voice cut through the air. "This groove will shelter the House of Xu tonight, and we do not desire unwanted company, especially one of your foul presence." Gwen caught the tail end of their conversation as she and Mina appeared from behind the tree, where a depression in the trunks hid the portal Gwen had set up. Pulled by her cousin, they stalked around the circumference of the giant Bayan and found themselves caught in between the two bickering groups. "Fuck!" Now in range, Gwen's Ioun Stone translated the curse. "Where the hell did you two come from?" The Mage who spoke was a fat woman with broad shoulders and barrel-waist. She had a voice like a loudspeaker and wore her pigtails like a younger girl, which made her look ridiculous. Behind her were four ragged-looking Mages, injured and exhausted looking, all young men of indistinct attire. "Indeed, it would almost seem as though you appeared from nowhere." A soft, polite voice came from their left. The speaker was a young man with a sculpted face and bright, intelligent-looking eyes. He was wearing a one-piece mandarin robe that came straight out of 80s Jet Li films. The man's attire was entirely white: white-cloth shoes, white tunic, and white pants. His companions were three other males, likewise clad in white, and a girl who looked to be a PUG member, for she appeared carefully made-up, wearing a minidress that showed off her shapely calves. "We're lost!" Mina announced with her cute, diminutive voice. "Can any of you help us? We need a safe place to meditate and restore our mana. We've been running from monsters since this morning and manage to shake them just an hour ago!" A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Mina's voice sent shivers up Gwen's spine. Her cousin must have foregone the auto-cleaning function of her Sunday dress somehow, for the fabric was a little torn and soiled at the hem. Furthermore, her Roman sandals trailed with wayward mud, marking her shoes with evidence of a panicked escape. Beside the tragically pretty maiden, Gwen appeared stupefied. She was still wearing her skinsuit, which was charred and marked by their earlier combat. Despite a refreshing Prestidigitation, the suit would need repairs when they returned to Shanghai. Added to the fact that she'd been draining spells for the last four hours to feed Petra's Cubes, she appeared the very picture of a survivor. The two groups regarded the girls. "Play along," Richard's voice spoke next to Gwen. Gwen looked around bewilderingly. Were they doing what she thought they're doing? "Can… can we help them?" The comely PUG girl with the white-suited Mages reflexively asked her companions, her eyes filled with sympathy. The leader, the one who spoke, looked toward Gwen doubtingly, narrowing his eyes. "We'll shelter you!" the other Mage, the burly female, announced confidently, her face pudgy like a smiling Buddha. "Come here, quick!" Mina took Gwen's hand and joined the pick-up group, tittering with 'panic' as they did so. When they arrived, however, they were received by wanton and greedy eyes. An atmosphere of repressed mana filled the air, suggesting that these Mages were not the friendly kind that helped a maiden in distress. "Show me the contents of your ring, and we'll protect you," the burly woman demanded once Gwen and Mina were out of range of the Mages in white. "Those guys over there, you can't trust them. I saw them rob a few juniors only a few hours ago." "THAT'S BULLSHIT!" the minidress girl shouted across the bog. "They tried to rob me!" "Ring. Contents. Now!" the barrel-waisted girl-Mage demanded quickly. "They're monsters hereabouts, and they'd take you under the bog sooner than you can say 'regret!'. If you want our protection, it's only natural that you purchase a little faith, hmm?" "Are… are you robbing us?" Mina demanded angrily. "This isn't fair! As if we have anything to give!" Gwen almost spat in the fat girl's face. Holy shit. She thought to herself. "Don't make me shut you up." A gauntlet of stone materialised on the sorceress' forearm. "I'll snap you like a twig. I can see your Storage Rings. Hand them over." "Never!" Mina snapped, her face full of anguish. "Gwen has a Large Storage Ring! It's priceless!" The look of avarice on the stout sorceress' face was painfully obvious. Gwen tugged Mina's shirt, requesting that perhaps, she should dial down the charade. "Won't somebody stop them!" Mina shouted towards the four Mages behind the fat one, who burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" "What house you from, green-girl?" One of the Mages demanded. "I've seen you around." Another PUG member licked his eyes over Gwen. "You're that Lightning Sorceress that was at M the other night, right?" "How dare you take advantage of us when we're OOM!" Mina quickly retorted in case the Mages got cold feet. Seriously?! Gwen pinched Mina, who shrugged it off and elbowed her in the gut, causing Gwen to keel over. "She was?" The burly Transmuter-leader shifted her attention to Gwen. "I heard she won two thousand HDMs from the son of the Fung clan just the other night. How dare you lie to us! You said you had nothing!" Over on the other side, the white-clad Mage began to move. "Hey, you! Over there! You girls. You can seek shelter with us. We won't harm you nor ask for reparations. I swear it, by the name of the Xujiahui House of Xu." "PEI!" The burly sorceress spat vehemently at the young man. "Fuck! Who do you think you are, huh? Local land Gods? Here isn't Xijaihui! These girls came to us first, and they're under our protection whether you like it or not!" "I have no loot to give!" Mina wailed desperately, her eyes full of tearful desperation. "I mean, Gwen has a Creature Core! But we need it. If we come back with nothing, our Dad's will think we're useless!" What an actress! Gwen applauded internally. What a terrifying girl! Perhaps Mina should focus on theatre. Tao can be the musician, Mina, the actress; they could be the dynamic "entertainment" duo of the Wang family. The Transmuter's beady eyes lit up. It was a terrifying expression, like watching a lucky Buddha's lips opening to reveal pointed teeth. "If you know what's good for you…" The greedy Mage was far more focused on the House of Xu's white-clad Mages than Gwen and Mina. Her companions, too, were readying attack spells by front-loading their mana and incantations. "I… I am not giving you my core!" Gwen tried to follow Mina's suit. Her acting was so wooden, so unnatural, that the effect was immediately immersion breaking. "You're testing my patience, princess," the Transmuter threatened her with a glare, thinking perhaps that the Dungeon had driven Gwen semi-insane with fright. "Empty your ring, now-" Fsssuwurp—! Gwen felt immense relief when bog finally opened up its maw and swallowed their assailant wholesale. The spontaneous charade was wreaking havoc on her nerves. The Transmuter's four companions, who'd been loading up spells, were likewise taken by the suck of the swamp. An eerie silence overtook the clearing, then abruptly, four vibrant shields of different elements sprang into existence. The House of Xu was in combat formation, all except their leader, who took on an expression of disbelief. "Praetor Huang? Is that you?" The leader of the House of Xu suddenly announced to the thin air. "Yo!" Richard materialised a few meters away. "Now that you mention it, you do have a familiar face." "Praetor! It IS you! It's me, Julian Xu. Do you remember me?" The Mage called Julian seemed far more excited to have met Richard than worry about their dubious circumstances. It was only when the two shook hands that the tension softened, and their Shields retracted. "Julian! From Xiaoming Academy? Goodness, it's been two years! How've you been?" "I am doing well, Senior!" Julian turned to his companions. "This is the man I've told you guys about— Senior Huang from Prince's! He was there at the exchange conference a few years back as the Praetor for Prince's Sydney team. No one got past them that year, remember? And Prince's London branch picked up the Inter-high Cup." Two of the members mumbled that they did. Another one of Xu's mates worshipfully shook Richard's hand. The two girls watched the exchange with some surprise, Gwen more so than Mina. "Anyway, this is my team, Gan, Felix, Gui, and Taiyuan. The girl is a PUG member we picked up. Her name is Felicity Tang." "I have a few more members with me as well. I'll introduce them later." Richard broke off from the group and told Gwen and Mina to come closer. "This is Gwen Song, my cousin, and Mina Wang, from the Wang Enterprises." "A pleasure!" "It's good to meet you." "Likewise." "From the one in Huaihai Road?" "The very same." "Thank you for offering to help us earlier." Mina bowed slightly. "I am glad you're both safe!" Felicity Tang quickly ingratiated herself with their noteworthy party. "Senior Richard, it's a pleasure to meet you. May I ask what happened to the other party?" "You'll have your answer very soon, my dear," Richard quipped, his intelligent eyes glinting. A girl not in the know would have fancied the young man to be flirting with them, but Gwen knew Richard was probably thinking of the Crystals and the CCs. Taking the wrong hint, Felicity edged closer to Richard. Mina snickered coldly and pushed Gwen toward Richard. At six-foot-two, Gwen's hips started at the Asian girl's navel. Felicity's face withered like a trodden orchid. "It's always nice to meet good guys out here in the Dungeon," Mina said innocently. "Richard, think it's time?" "Another minute," Richard answered nonchalantly. "So, how're you guys faring so far?" "Passably," Julian began a tirade of their exploits since entering the Dungeon. Felicity made inane small talk with the girls, hoping to understand who they were. "Although, what do you intend to do with those Mages? Surely you're not thinking of killing them? Why so serious?" "See for yourself." Richard motioned with a hand. "Lea, bring 'em up!" The barrel-waisted Mage was in an extra-large satchel of brown liquid, her face blue with asphyxiation. When she landed on the soft peat in a burst of brown water, she let loose a gibbering, bestial torrent of salty gunk from her lips. The small crowd of Mages regarded the arrogant Transmuter with sympathy. Transmuters could train to breathe in water, but the spell took both time to incant and time to manifest. To be stuck in a water prison and denied the air necessary to cast a life-saving incantation must make an exquisite dilemma. "I… I forfeit!" the Mage uttered feebly. "Please, no more." "Excellent choice, my good woman, the contents of your ring to the right—" "STONE SPIRE!" A burst of violent Earthen mana burst from the Transmuter's outstretched hand. The embittered Mage must have been holding the spell since her entrapment, for the usually second-long incantation for the tier 3 spell was completed in a split-second. The sudden change, especially after a forfeiture, was entirely unexpected and had caught Gwen's party off-guard. Lea was the first to react; her twitch-reflex as an attuned spirit was enough to form a Water-Shield half a meter away from Richard. It was unfortunate then that the Water Abjurer's shields were weak against the Earth element's brute-force attacks. The stone projectile burst through the transparent barrier and shot toward Richard's surprised face. It was a mistake made out of hubris. The gathered had thought the Mage a Transmuter only. No one had suspected that she would also be an Evoker or that Evocation may have been her primary school of magic. "Shield of Faith!" Mina's training had drilled the reflexive reaction into her body. A blooming sheet of light, empowered by Positive energy and pure mana, moved to enveloped Richard. Gwen, however, had never received formal Abjuration training. Seeing Richard in imminent danger of becoming enveloped in a world of jagged shards, she extended a hand toward the Mage and uttered the first thing that came to mind. "Void Bolt!" A sword of dark matter sliced through the air and pierced through the Transmuter's Stone Shield. The fat sorceress had been using every ounce of her focus to maintain her assault. She knew she would get hurt, but no one expects to cop a Void Bolt to the face. Without sound nor any form of spectacular display, the bolt of Void consumed the sorceress' head, leaving only two pigtails to flutter to the ground. Above them, her attack fizzled into motes of indistinct mana. The headless Mage remained unmoving on the ground for a moment more. A second later, from the horizontal cross-section of her neck stump came a gush of arterial blood that soaked the peat-bog, a stream of crimson ejaculating with each pulse of her failing heart. Gwen stared at her handiwork, a spine-tingling chill working her way up her spine like silver of eldritch frost. She's dead! Her mind screamed. I just murdered a woman in cold blood! She felt numb with clarity, as though she'd stepped through a threshold. The Transmuter was not someone who had done her grave injury; she was merely someone she had met no more than five minutes ago! A careless bully and a greedy gut! Now she was a headless corpse bleeding out on the floor! Only a split-second ago, this was a cheating, conniving, scheming human being, fully capable of rationality, possessing the faculty to learn and change! Now she had taken all of that away from this woman, this girl-Mage. Now the girl was just a bag of dead flesh upon the floor! She hadn't just stolen this Mage's life! She'd taken all the potential that her humanity offered the world! "Gwen!" "Cousin!" Voices calling out to Gwen seemed to pull her back from the abyss of her own making. Gwen turned to see her companions, who by now had spilt from the Portable Habitat, calling out to her. "I am…" Gwen wanted to say that she was alright, but she was hardly that. She stumbled backwards and had to be caught by Petra, who hugged her close to her chest. Her heart was pounding like a rabbit in a bag; she wanted to vomit. "It's fine; she deserved it," Petra praised her, her voice calm and collected. "Good job." "Yeah, that bitch was asking for it, dawg. I got that shit on Vid-cast!" Tao added his piece, shaking his Lumen-recorder with confidence. "Stone cold! Capped that bitch like a dog!" "Peaches, shut up! Gwen, please don't feel bad about doing what's necessary," Mina added her own. "Richard could have been injured." Gwen felt her stomach churn. Mina had already covered Richard. They had a healer with them. At worst, Richard would need some minor healing. If the pair had worked their way across the marsh shearing these men and women of sin, they would have indeed fought off at least a dozen that tried to ambush them by now. "I… I am—" Gwen tried to catch her breath. She had killed a woman for no good reason. A Mage lost her life because she couldn't hold her horses. Then a hand took her by the wrist and pulled her away from Petra. Gwen turned to see Richard's dark eyes gazing upon her with benevolence. "Richard, I didn't mean… I…" Her mind remained a chaotic jumble of emotions and unbidden horrors. She had only been in Shanghai for six days, and she was already a murderer. Richard massaged her hands. "I didn't mean—" She tried to pull away. PA! To the surprise of all, Richard slapped her across the face. Gwen felt her anarchic thoughts cease at once. A flush of anger and confusion replaced the immensity of her remorse as her eyes flashed electric and emerald. "Gwennie." Richard held both of her wrists so that she couldn't move. "Thank you for saving my life." "But…" "GWEN." Richard's voice was like a booming thunderclap; his vice-like grip bruised her tender, white wrists. "You saved my life." Slowly, she felt the adrenaline drain away, and with it, the chemical hysteria of the blood. Her eyes fell upon the corpse. From the enormous cadaver came the sighs and murmurings of escaping gases as organs lost their vitality and shed their cargo of liquids. From the stomach to the spleen, the woman's wrecked locomotive shut its valves for the final time, its meat settling into a quivering silence. A flash of silvery Conjuration appeared not far from the group. Master Hao, the Adjudicator, appeared beside them. "Mr Huang, I told you that trouble would find you if you persisted," the Senior Mage said. "I'll take full responsibility," Richard intoned without any emotion of panic nor remorse. "Mr Wang has the whole thing on Vid-Cast. I do believe that we are well within our rights to defend ourselves." "I'll be the judge of that!" The Adjudicator turned to Gwen. "A Void Mage. It's been a while. How long have they been hiding you?" "That's on a need to know," Petra interjected before Gwen could answer. "Please take it up with my Grandmother, Director Klavdiya Song of the Second PLA Army Hospital." "I would like to submit for the record that the House of Xu is in full support of Senior Huang and Ms Song." Julian stepped forward. "My father is with Villeroy and Wu's," Mina added her piece. "If you want to question Richard or Gwen, I suggest a formal application through our Arbitrator-Solicitor." The Adjudicator rolled his eyes. He ignored the junior Mages' threats and chose instead to focus on doing his job. Producing a recording device that hovered over one hand, he took a copy from Tao's recording. "Retaliation in defence. Unlawful assault after forfeiture by Baiming Shui, independent House from Lishui. Death by single spell decapitation, Void Bolt. Dead on arrival. Dated Sunday, 13th of April, 2003." After jotting down the details, he turned to the child-Mages. "Goodbye. Try not to kill anyone else." The Adjudicator was once more gone from their sight. "Wait!" Richard watched the Senior Mage disappear. "There are four others!" The Adjudicator did not return. With Gwen still in her depressed state, the afternoon had lost its festive, relaxed atmosphere. Richard summoned the other four prisoners, took their crystals and their loot, then sent them packing into the distance. With the current matter now resolved, Petra, Tao and Fei introduced themselves, then Richard accepted the offer of aid and cooperation proposed by Julian. Both parties confirmed the split of the potential loot from the giant Gila, and then members shook on the agreement. Questioning the members of their new extended party, Petra requested that they submit spells to her cause. Stunned by her breathtaking grace, the men eagerly complied while their female companion, Felicity, sulked. Gwen sat on a rock, glancing every once in a while toward the body. She became so distracted that Richard opted to just 'disappear' the corpse altogether. As daylight began to lose its lustre, the group settled into their respective roles. Gwen provided the food, and the conjoined party made the most of the facilities offered by the Portable Habitat. With a helping hand from the girl, Felicity, an eleven-person serving of noodle and SPAM fed the party. Gwen became surrounded by the sound of slurping and sipping as dinner commenced. Her eyes glanced at the spot where the Lishui Mage had died. Now, only a patch of dried blood remained. The erstwhile Transmuter's Storage Ring had held a significant loot volume, ranging from exotic flora to small Creature Cores to alien metal. It was a testament to her avarice. "It is a vile thing to die," Gwen mumbled to herself. "When folk are unprepared and look not for it." She gazed at her dainty white hands and wondered if she would see the spots of blood. With Void, her's was an implement of murder that left no tales. Still, will all the perfumes of Arabia make her little hands sweet again? Gwen closed her eyes to rest and saw Faceless' distorted, shapeless mien mocking her hypocrisy. "I told you we were alike! I told you. Gwen Song. We would be together. One way. Or another." Gwen suppressed the sickness that rose in her stomach. Her grandmother's words hung in the air. "There will be no rest. No solace, not even when you're spent and bloody and desire nothing more than to sleep. With your talent, your blood, you will become like a beacon for the Rakshasa, a locus of envy, jealousy, wrath and lust. Can you understand that?" "You will walk the Path of Violent Reckoning!" Gwen closed her eyes again and banished the darkness. She circulated Amuldj's mana through her circuits and breathed in, inflating her lungs until they were on the point of bursting, then breathed out. For now, her companions were waiting, and there was a Gila to be Purged.

Nightfall. The time for action was nigh. "Alright!" Richard clapped his hands together and gathered the attention of the assemblage of Mages. "As discussed, let us proceed with hunting the elder Gila. Gwen, Petra, how are your conditions?" "I am ready." Gwen nodded; for now, keeping busy was her best solution to keeping the sickening memories at bay. "My spell list is adequate," Petra replied. "Julian?" "We're ready." Julian's men looked very much thrilled to be engaged in an operation to bring down a tier 6 monstrosity. "Felicity?" "I got 'em covered, Magus Huang." Felicity's eyes sparkled. Surprisingly, she acted as the Xu party's Abjurer. Unfortunately, Clan Xu's Abjurer had either perished or failed to join up with the leading group due to unforeseen. They would not know if their companion was safe until the Dungeon concluded. "Not a Magus, not yet," Richard quipped. "Mina, you're with Petra on the left. Gwen, you're on your own on the right platform. Can you handle that?" "I can." "Tao, Fei, come here. Lea, let them attune with your mana." A swirl of water flowed around Tao and Fei. Lea's alluring semi-transparent form flitted between the two Illusionists. "The Gila is awake," Lea informed the two parties. "Shall I begin?" "Everyone! Battle stations!" Richard stood alone by the peat bog. The others hid behind platforms transmuted from the Bayan tree by Warp Wood. "Tao, Fei, you may begin." Deep within the bog, the elder Gila stirred. It had existed within the Dungeon dimension for aeons, arriving almost a millennia ago upon the currents of a mana storm. It began its conquest by consuming the local fauna, transforming them into Gila-like creatures that were like itself. Its first spawn was a drove of Blue Gila, which left its peat bog den searching for prey. The subsequent spawn was Red, followed by Blue, and then Red again. Occasionally, there was a Green Gila, but those were far and in between; without access to humanoids and Demi-human hosts, the elder Gila couldn't perpetuate its rarer bloodlines. Then as though answered by the Gods of Chaos, humans appeared, and the Elder Gila rejoiced. Not only that, these humans were Mages! Creatures attuned to the magical energies of the universe and the planes! With any luck, Gila's proliferation would inevitably spawn a supreme existence such as Black Gila King via the strange arithmetic of chance. Meanwhile, the original fauna of the plane had all become its kin. The elder Gila had also made its spawn feed the marsh's mangrove forests to accelerate the growth of the magical fruits the pocket plane initially held— fruits that could extend the life-spans of creatures that consumed it. As old as the elder Gila was, it knew that it would meet the inevitable end that not even chaos could overcome. That was why it cultivated the fruits of life. Now, the instant it had awoken, it understood that the guards it had set underneath a ripening tree were dead, that usurping invaders had taken its prize. "GARRRRROP!" The elder Gila quivered with rage; it desired to capture these humanoids and infect them with its parasitic eggs. But the elder Gila also knew to be cautious. More than once, these humanoid invaders had almost taken its life. It would need to gather a swarm of its spawn and make a push for the tree, where it shall— "Yo! Yo! Yo! Lizard Bitch!" The elder Gila was surprised to find its thoughts interrupted. In front of its snout, a swell of water transformed into a human! The creature wore a skin with three white stripes and had a strange thing on its head that looked like a duck's bill. It was taunting the elder Gila by throwing its limbs this way and that in an infuriating way. "GARRROP?" The elder Gila demanded to know why it was here. "I am here—" The image met the elder Gila's shrivelled eyes, still the size of dinner plates. "— to smack a bitch up!" Despite recognising the image as an illusion, the elder Gila felt an insolent force connect with its lower jaw, sending its head upwards to smack onto the cavern's roof. "GARRRROP!!!" The elder Gila roared, sending the water currents to rush and the image to blur. "Yo, Fei, pass it over." Another image approached the first, this one another humanoid. "Look what I found!" the small, androgynous-looking image spoke. "A Fructum Vitae!" "Do you this big delicious fruit belongs to somebody?" the first image asked, looking around. "GARROP!" The elder Gila howled at the vision. It was his fruit! The one he'd spent a century cultivating! The one closest to ripeness! "Naw, this belongs to no one." The small image began to pull the fruit open. Suddenly, the waters around the elder Gila flooded with the scent of its long-awaited harvest! The rich odour of its holy fruit! The prize the elder Gila needed to extend its life! With a shocking realisation, it acknowledged that these miscreants must be eating the fruit right now! They had just opened it! How else could it be sensing it so strongly? It must attack these wretched beings forthwith! With any luck, it could consume the fruit before they did; it still had a chance! With a wave of its gigantic tail, the Gila launched itself upward, punching through the layers of peat and slipping through the taut gaps with the lubrication afforded by its slimy exterior. Its fruit! Its prize! It would have it! "IT COMES!" Lea appeared beside the illusory image of Fei and Tao busily tearing apart the fruit. In-between the two bickering visions were the "spare" piece of the fruit that Gwen had hoped to keep, now expended as bait to lure the elder Gila. A portion of it had been taken apart by Lea, whose elemental body then transported the tasty morsel downstream. The surface of the bog swelled like a bloated balloon before it erupted, ejaculating a geyser of foul, rotten water into the air and showering the surrounding with a cloud of foulness. The Red Gila that emerged was true to form, a giant salamander, its eyes and limbs long atrophied thanks to a life of unmoving stasis in the deep-dark of the fetid cavern. Along with its exit, a swarm of strange Gila-fauna likewise emerged. Fish that were lizard-like, lizards that were frog-like, everything from ankle-sized biters with razor-sharp teeth to dog-sized spawn with jaws that distended to encompass more than half its body, rushed towards Tao and Fei. "Shit! Run!" Tao grabbed the fruit and fled, exercising his natural talent. Fei, meanwhile, distracted the lesser creatures by swinging to the right, throwing ineffective spells at the swarm as it advanced behind the elder Gila. "GARRRRROP!" The elder Gila howled with insane rage, feeling the fruit flee from its enlarged nostrils. With a dull 'whoomp!' of its tail, it slid itself forward, balanced by small, ineffective limbs, toward the hapless humans that it could swallow with a single snap of its unhinged jaw. With the swarm and the elder Gila somewhat separated, Tao stopped and turned to face his enemy. The Illusionist's face was white with fear and pale with terror. "No!" Tao cowered before his inevitable demise. The elder Gila's mouth closed over Tao and felt itself biting into something long, slithering and sinuous. In the next moment, its mouth burned with necrotic energy. With a reflexive gulp, the elder Gila swallowed. "NOW!" Beneath the gigantic Bayan tree, the elder Gila gazed up with its mucus-covered head and measured the humanoid creatures' mana-rich presence. An ambush! The Gila howled, spraying gobs of mucus all over. It had to escape! With supernatural effort, it turned its body and slid on its mucus trail to make a turn, slamming against the tree as it did so, encouraging a shower of leaves to rain down together with the spellfire. Gwen injected herself with a mana potion as soon as she felt her reserve drop to half. After Conjuring Caliban, Ariel, two sets of Warding Bolts, Dark Tentacles and Call Lightning, what was left was insufficient in sustaining her upkeep. Likewise, the vital Positive Energy from Mina's delayed healing buff expended itself without reserve. As the Gila consumed Caliban, it had crushed the lower half of the serpent's body, forcing Gwen to expend another portion of her vitality to sustain the critically injured netherworld creature until it could begin its terrible surgical excavation. When the creature then slid under the tree and tried to propel itself backwards, both Gwen and Petra knew that it was now or never. Ariel let fly with a shower of needles that embedded themselves into the slimy, leathery exterior of the salamander. Four sets of Lightning Bolts fired downwards from above the Gila to sizzle its skin, splitting open the oozy surface and frying the fatty dermis below. Four bolts of Void matter followed, biting into the flesh and gouging out chunks of pink-dark tissue from the crimson exterior of the barking beast as it sought to escape. Gwen felt her vitality drop again. A wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her to brace herself against the warped, wooden platform. In moments like these, she began to understand why her contemporaries call her a glass cannon. "Caliban!" she commanded. Despite becoming smothered by the barrage of malefic magic, the salamander's magical resistance proved superior. A lesser creature would have become mincemeat, but the elder Gila was merely wounded and remained fully mobile. With a mighty swipe of its tail, it launched itself back toward the rupture in the peat bog, seeking to escape. Unfortunately for the Gila, its escape route was no more. Richard had used Lea to crush together the passageway, closing it like a choked oesophagus. "GARRRRROP!" A resounding roar echoed through the surrounding grove. Around them, Julian and the House of Xu battled the tide of small Gila creatures, keeping them away from the main combatants. Occasionally, one of them threw a spell at the Gila. Unfortunately, every element apart from the monster-hunting Lightning and the all-consuming Void seemed to slide off its exterior like water off a duck's back. "HURRRRK—!" The Gila turned toward Gwen's elevated position and fired off a glob of corrosive liquid without warning. "Richard!" Gwen was far too preoccupied with maintaining her spells to reinforce a Shield or effect a Dimension Door. "Water Shield!" A double layer of water covered Gwen. The first took the attack's brunt, while the second, a shield with a broader base, prevented any of the phage laden fluid from reaching her. "Gwen, I can't sustain your Void spells!" Petra's voice called out from the right. "Mina's almost out! It's all electricity from here on out!" Behind Petra, Mina panted with exhaustion. "One more bolt!" Petra demanded of her cousin. "More Positive energy!" "I am doing it!" Mina let loose a moan of effort, her blouse sweaty with exertion. Below, the elder Gila slid forward, only to meet with a shoal of writhing tentacles. Lashes of Void and Lightning wrapped themselves around its torso, its neck, and around its bulging waist, cutting apart the slime and reaching for the flesh. Another barrage of Void and Lightning bolts arrived, punching through the creature's hide. The Void created pock-marks the size of a human head, while Elemental Lighting opportunistically penetrated the freshly-made wounds, expending its volatile forces inside the Gila's organs. "Ice Ball!" "Wall of Stone!" "Flame Sphere!" The House of Xu continued to isolate the swarm from joining its creator, transforming the surrounding area into a fire zone separated by Felicity's barriers. Petra, too, spared what she could, laying down preprepared walls of crystal to ward away the wayward creatures. With the salamander held down by her tentacles, Gwen checked Caliban's progress. Her familiar informed her that it would soon complete its terrible work. "Void Skin!" She incanted, the protective film turning her silhouette the consistency of midnight. "Richard! I need to get close!" "I got you!" Richard answered her from below. "Fei! Tao, Mirror Image, now!" If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. His command was answered by an affirmative. As Gwen drifted downward toward the dying Gila, two images in her exact shadow-clad facade appeared beside her. Within the Gila, Caliban had finally located its prize, the creature core. "Do it!" Gwen commanded, landing just beside the Gila as to avoid its thrashing tail. A single strike from the battering appendage would likely break every bone in her body. An illusory Gwen landed near its head, instantly becoming crushed by a snap of its maw, while the other, appearing near the tail, were dashed by a single slap that sent up a small tsunami of swamp water. Gwen felt another wave of weakness as Caliban took its pound of flesh and engaged its consumption ability. It was slithering through tie Gila's innards and making for the spine of the Gila. "Come on!" Gwen mouthed a little too audibly, unnerved by the presence of the gargantuan Gila. This close, the feeling was akin to standing next to a school bus as it attempted a blind turn at full speed. Her Warding Bolts fired again, finishing off its cartridge of three. Her Call Void and Lightning likewise engaged, feeding off her Evocation Sigil to emit bolts of terrible destruction. Then Caliban tore into the Gila's spinal column, causing a mighty shudder to overcome the churning beast. Insane with pain and agony, the Gila suddenly reared its head, turned toward Gwen, and twisted its body to perform a last-ditch body slam. "Everyone!" Richard called out. "Lea! Give Gwen everything you got!" Gwen was caught off-guard by the sudden vitality of the beast. The momentum of a creature measured in tonnage and far exceeding her sixty-odd kilos of body weight slammed into her non-newtonian Shield. Just as she saw her life flash before her eyes, Richard's Water Membranes opened in front of her, lasting only a split second against the physical force of the dying monstrosity. With a ground-shaking thud, the creature body-slam landed. "Gwen!" Her party collectively screamed. There was a second of goose-bump horror when all who watched held their breath— until Gwen reappeared on the other side of the Gila in a burst of Lightning. A Dimension Door! Gwen fell to her knees and slumped onto the peat bog's torn soil, the churned mud instantly reaching her waist. The Gila twisted itself again and tried to bring its body back the other way. "Shield of Faith!" "Water Shield!" "Stone Shield!" "Crystalline Barrier!" A glowing shield, films of reciprocating water, and an immense, umbrella-like barrier of stone appeared above and beside Gwen. The combined might of the accumulated defence bore the attack's brunt and physically repelled the Gila with recoil. Upon landing on its belly, an arterial spurt of dark blood erupted from its pale white abdomen, in the space between its two frontal legs. "SHAA!" Caliban burst forth from the Gila's chest in a guttural spray of viscera and roared triumphantly. "Shaa! Shaa!" it cried out, engorged and bulbous with life-blood and stolen vitality. With the swell of vital energy from Caliban, Gwen caught her breath and lifted herself from the sloppy embrace of the marsh. The salamander's atrophied eyes regarded its assailant for the final time, then the fluttering firelight within its beady orbs died, turning into a milky-emptiness. Its gargantuan body twitched and shook; its limbs pawed the air helplessly. Then, with a gurgling shake of its jiggling flesh, it was no more. The Mages felt a pulse of psionic energy escape the salamander, then the cacophonous crash of combat came to a sudden lull. Stricken by their Matriarch's death, the spawns of the elder Gila fled into the swamp. Now, it was every Gila for itself. Petra was the first to land beside Gwen, lending her a shoulder to lean on. Like Gwen, Petra too was pallid with Void-drain. Richard, Tao, Mina, and the others quickly joined the girls to ensure they were alright. With a theatrical expulsion of gas, the salamander's giant carcass began to collapse, its soft bones breaking one by one as the magic that sustained it drained out into the aether. A burst of nauseating stench from its relaxed anus released a cargo of dark matter more deadly than the Void itself. At the same time, a pulse of mystical energy fed into Gwen's Kirin amulet. "Caliban!" Gwen willed her familiar to slither toward them. For the Mages seeing Caliban for the first time, they felt overwhelmed and revolted by the sight of the viscera-clad worm, whose visage would visit their nightmares. "Hurk! Hurk! Hrkbleeegh!" Caliban declared as it heaved like a cat trying to cough up a furball. The Gila's Creature Core emerged pointed end first, the size of a man's torso. Caliban's ribs bloated and its carapace became stretched until it bled a milky-purple ichor. Then with a final, exhaustive motion, it spat the gore-laden crystal out onto the ground, a portion of it still attached to what looked like a segment of the creature's spine. "Wo Cao!" someone exclaimed loudly. "That is a huge core." The gathering appreciatively regarded their loot. Richard lifted the core into the air and cleansed it with Lea's aid, polishing the stone until it sparkled with refracted light. A heart of this size, from a creature with magical resistance, was undoubtedly immeasurably valuable. "Gwen?" "Yes?" "Storage, please." Gwen nodded and moved toward the core, allowing her Ring's spatial field to envelop the thing entirely. When the air displaced and the core disappeared, their newer members felt their awe renewed by her Lighting, Void, and a large Storage Ring. "The eggs!" Petra turned to Richard. "Should we destroy them?" Richard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This place is already a plane populated by the Gila," he suggested. "Maybe we should leave them? If the Gila are gone from this place, The Dungeon will diminish in many ways. How would that affect the population of magical materials in the plane? What would Acolytes farm in the future?" "How about just one?" Mina suggested. "Could be someone is desperately looking for an egg. You never know." "Alright, just the one," Richard commanded Lea to retrieve an egg from the bubbling corpse. "At worst, we can have a dubious omelette for breakfast." The gathered party members turned to regard the mountain of flesh that now sat before them, bathing in the afterglow. A Tier 6 beast! One with Magical Resistance that increased its toughness up to tier 8! And yet, they were the ones to butcher it! When the Dancing Lights and Daylight spells faded, the clearing was once again reduced to darkness, illuminated only by a sliver of moonlight. The enormous corpse of the Gila had attracted a plague of carrion crawlers, so after some deliberation, the party opted to open up a chasm and throw the Gila back beneath the resting bog. Gwen retreated to her Master bedroom with the combat over, for she was the Habitat owner while the rest of the men slept in the living room. At her behest, the girls had their choice of lodging, for the King-sized bed was enormous, and there were only two other spare bedrooms with single beds. Felicity felt far too uncomfortable to be sleeping with strangers. Mina had never shared a bed with anyone, and so Gwen and Petra became bunk buddies in the Master suite. Petra seemed entirely comfortable with the proposition and slid into the sheets with the enthusiasm of a military-trained bunk-sleeper. Gwen rested her eyes beside Petra's body, mindful of her soft breath. However, when she finally closed her eyes, Gwen once more saw in exquisite detail those damned pigtails fluttering gently onto the bog. Her eyes shot open, and her breath hastened. Shit! She mumbled to herself. Gwen has murdered sleep, and therefore she shall sleep no more. But this world was not like her old world. Why should she be so distressed over the death of one inconsequential Mage, a nobody? It was her attacker's fault! She acted in self-defence! In the dark, Gwen felt herself pivot dangerously towards a sinister axiom before she stopped herself. She closed her eyes again. A scent of hot iron filled her nostrils. Gods! Gwen bit her lips. Damn you, stupid brain. "Hey." Dark silhouetted fingers moved through the night and parted Gwen's ruffled hair to reveal her face. "You alright?" "Yeah..." Gwen turned toward the ceiling, wondering if the dark down-lights offered some epiphanic solution to her insomnia. Petra shifted on the bed until the silhouette of her face hovered on the edge of Gwen's vision. Gwen could make out Petra's Husky-blue eyes catching the ambiguous light of the pocket dimension peering in from the semi-opaque pane in the dim darkness. "Want to hear a story?" Petra implored. "If you can't sleep, that is." "Sure," Gwen said to the ceiling. While her cousin gathered her thoughts, the shared darkness filled only with the sound of soft breaths exchanged in alternating intervals. "I was twelve," Petra began. "I Awakened a little earlier than the other girls in my Military school. As I was from a state institution, the Moscow Tower picked me up, and I was assigned to one of the Magisters there, an Enchanter, Magister Popov. Master Popov was an eccentric, a bohemian, if you will, not a man for the rules. His personality and profession were bad combinations, for Popov was a sanctioned Mind Mage, a spy by profession. He used his talents liberally and without much regard for ethics, but the leadership turned a blind eye to any unsanctioned use of his magic because he was also the best they had." "I was young and ambitious, and I thought the world of Master Popov. He was suave, he was skilled, and he drank like a fish. I had thought he was going to teach me Material Enchantment because I was a Mineral Mage. But Master Popov had other plans for me." "Other plans?" Gwen shifted a little to catch Petra's profile. A sliver of silver moonlight contoured Petra's figure under the silken sheets. Other plans, she thought to herself. It didn't take a stretch of the imagination with Petra's nubile body beside her to see where this was going. "He convinced me that I should train to become a Mind Mage like him. He told me I was born for it," Petra intoned nostalgically. Gwen waited quietly for Petra to continue to the story. "Popov told me that there are dozens of Mineral Mages, hundreds even, that the Tower could tap into if they needed work of that kind done, but there was only one Enchanter he knew of that could do my work." "What kind of work?" "Espionage. Ghost work. Specifically Red Ghost— meaning youthful, female spies." "Wow..." Gwen replied with a "Gwenism" only she could understand. "They sought to make you into a Black Widow?" "You know it well." Petra laughed self-depreciatively. "He had no interest in my Mineral talents, Gwen. He thought that with my external gifts, I could become more successful than anyone. I could become his Apprentice, take over his role at the Tower one day. I was smitten. Me, a Magister and a Ghost!" "I went along with it at first. Like I said, I was young and ambitious. Think about it, Gwen, a Magister, telling a junior Mage that they could be as great as they are. Who was I to refuse? I agreed, and we trained. He taught me everything he knew and then some. He was full of impatience. Then, when I was fifteen, Popov decided that I needed to see some blood. He volunteered me for an operation in downtown Moscow, dealing with the illicit trade of young Mages trafficked from the now-defunct Communist states overrun by the Beast Tide, you know, Ukraine, Romania, Belarus?" Gwen knew only vaguely, but she inclined her head as not to interrupt Petra's story. She had seen the trade in illicit Mage flesh first hand, even in a Frontier city as "orderly" and "low-crime" as Sydney. With its vast stretch of hostile landscapes and endless tundras full of Magical Beasts and Demi-humans, Moscow's outer Frontiers had always been endemic with traffickers. "As expected, I acted the bait. I charmed one of the traders and bid them take me to the underground market. The Tower Mages laid in wait for my signal, for it was my job to identify the ringleaders. Everything had gone well until I caught the eye of one of the customers, who demanded an immediate purchase and transfer from my charmed informant. When I willed my informant to refuse, he killed him right there." "Jesus." Gwen inhaled an unsteady breath. "That was the first time I saw someone killed." Petra's voice was calm and controlled. "They crushed his head with an Earthen Evocation." Petra swallowed before she continued. "The customer's goons took me after that and dragged me to a room somewhere in the den. I acted the part of the hapless waif and begged him to spare me. Satisfied with my helplessness, he dismissed the guards. It was an unexpected scenario, but I was sure I had the situation under control. The man was smitten, and this made him far more pliable to my Mind Magic. But when we entered the room…" Gwen gulped as Petra took a moment to pace herself. "It was a room without windows, all done up to look like some dungeon, though you might be a little young to know what that is. Anyway, we got into the room, and the first thing I saw was a child." "A child!" Gwen spluttered in horror and disgust. "I couldn't tell if the child was alive or deceased. I thought it was a girl first, but no, it was just a skinny boy, a street urchin. There are a lot of urchins about in Moscow and the surrounding Frontier cities. We're famous for it. The boy was undressed from the waist down." "Jesus..." "The man must have thought I was frightened witless. He came toward me, like this…" Petra moved her head closer to Gwen, close enough that she could feel Petra breathing on her face. "Oh, Pats…" Her voice was full of quivering sympathy. "When he tried to touch me with his filthy hands, all that training, all that tutelage Master had drilled into me, flew out the window. I blasted him with a Hold Person; then I materialised a crystalline dagger and placed it under his throat— The man whimpered. His face was so pitiful, so scared. I think he would have shat himself were it not for the Hold Person." "What did you do?" "Then, with one swift push, just like Master taught me…" Petra poked a thin finger under her cousin's chin; the unexpected synaesthesia instantly coated Gwen's skin with a sheen of cold sweat. "Then I had an unexpected discovery." "What was it?" Gwen choked out, moving a hand to caress her intact neck as she tried to pace her heartbeat. "You should know it well." Petra smiled. "The blood." "Who'd have thought the old man would have so much blood in him…" Gwen said softly. "Yes." Petra moved away. "So much of it. It was like a fountain, spraying all over my hands, my clothes, my face. I had thought murder was clean, quick, easy, like killing a monster. The reality was obscene. It was disgusting. It turned my stomach." "Then?" "Then the Tower Mages had to move in. I had blown my cover. When the VIP died, it had sent the place into a frenzy. There was no more purpose to me discretely identifying the ringleaders." "The operation?" "A modest success, no thanks to me. Master said that it was a test, and I had failed it spectacularly." "I am so sorry." Gwen moved a hand over to touch Petra's face. Petra brushed her vague fingers away. "I am glad it happened that way," Petra said quietly. "I quit the Tower after that. Master rescinded my Apprenticeship. My parents, both serving in the military, were told of my failure. Father was disappointed, of course, but mother was alright with it. They asked me what my plans were, and I said I wanted to be a crafter. They contacted my grand-aunt— our babulya— then sent here to Shanghai, where I wouldn't be an eyesore." "But you're amazing!" Gwen gripped Petra's cold fingers. "Your skills with the Cubes! They're incredible!" "That's thanks to my new Master, Magister Wen," Petra spoke with a voice full of reverence. "A magic just for me. I owe Babulya my life, Gwen. She gave me hope. My Master as well, she gave me purpose, even if it's just an exchange of favours with grandmother." "I hope she'll be satisfied with the Vitae fruit," Gwen stated. "I hope so as well." Petra smiled. The two girls laid side by side until their breath fell into a comfortable, iambic rhythm. "I don't how if that helped," Petra said after a while. "I just thought I'd share it. I am not good with these things. I am sorry if there was no wisdom there to make you feel better." "It helped," Gwen said earnestly. "Thanks for sharing, Pats. I appreciate it." "It was good to tell someone," Petra answered. "Also, I hadn't expected that I would be so willing to overshare. Our story is strictly between you and me." "Alright." "Sleepy now?" "Yeah." "Good. I am sleeping too." Gwen closed her eyes. True to Petra's words, she felt the creeping lull of sleep, however troubled and uncertain it may be. When she woke the following day, Petra was gone. The whole house was empty except for Fei, who waited upon her with breakfast. "Everyone's outside," Fei said. "We need to hurry up; the Dungeon is ending soon." "It is?" Gwen quickly consumed her porridge and exited with Fei. Outside, the gathered crew was impatiently waiting for the final countdown. "So soon?" Gwen asked Petra, who was happily stretching her body without regard for the hungry eyes observing her every move. "Expected fluctuations." Petra shrugged. "We got a good 40 odd out of the maximum 72 though, that's not bad. Especially with the ley-lines around Shanghai, which primarily services the city." They waited half an hour more, then each of their Message devices began to vibrate. "Participants, you have thirty minutes until Dungeon collapses. When you reappear in the Material Plane, there may be slight disorientation. Make your way to the Staging Area once you are clear. If you require aid, signal an Adjudicator once you are outside. There are no penalties for asking for aid once you exit the Dungeon. Likewise, you may not attack or engage in hostile actions toward other members of the Dungeon once you're outside." "Anything to watch out for?" Gwen asked the party. "When we pop out, I mean." Richard had nothing to say; it was his first dive as well. "We're going to be pretty packed in, like when we entered. Careful that no one tries to take our loot or repay a grudge with a sneak attack," Mina advised. "That likely?" Richard raised a bushy brow. "I guess we did piss off a lot of people." "Sure, why not. If any assailants get caught, though, it's a huge penalty, paid in CCs." Mina smiled sweetly. "Think anyone would want to have a go?" "They can try!" Richard grinned. "I am happy to take a few CCs to forgive and forget, ha!" The two cousins chuckled amiably. When the countdown reached the final minute, all the members were packed and ready to leave. Gwen had retrieved her Portable Habitat, but not before changing into a clean dress that showed off her figure. "What a strange vanity," Petra said, her eyes scanning Gwen's outfit. "What a waste," Gwen retorted with big smiles, scanning her cousin back. "See you on the other side!" Mina rolled her eyes, then waved to the crowd, who waved back. "Senior Huang! It's been a pleasure!" Julian announced. "I look forward to seeing you again in Shanghai!" "Thank you! Senior Huang, Ms Gwen, Mina and Petra!" The others bowed. "Julian, the pleasure was all mine," Richard replied. "Thank you, everyone!" Gwen bowed as well, returning the favour. "I hope to see you all in Shanghai very soon." "We look forward to seeing you as well, Ms Gwen!" Their Message devices began to vibrate. "All participants, the Dungeon is now collapsing. You will be teleported to Hengsha Island shortly. Keep your arms and hands close to your body, and if you should be displaced into the ocean, immediately signal an Aerial Mage to render assistance." Gwen held her breath as the distortion began. Her first Dungeon dive was at an end. Now was the time to count loot.

Once again, the world became an indistinct bank of fog. As the Dungeon-dimension closed around her, Gwen felt the physical world manifest in a swirl of volatile mana. Immediately she checked her surroundings. Thankfully, she wasn't alone, for there were hundreds like her, standing around with mixed expressions of joy and anxiety, despair and triumph. "Gwen!" Richard's voice cried out from the mass of bobbing heads. "Richard!" Gwen waved back. "Fam! Over here!" Tao's greeting was like a loudhailer. "Everyone! You're all here!" Mina skipped through the crowd and joined their side. "Me too..." Petra's discretion was a waste of effort; with her height and dashing figure, she was the most conspicuous of them all. Contrary to Richard's worst predictions, the party gathered without incident and made their way towards the staging area, just south of the lowland clearing. When they entered the half-moon seating zone, groups who had arrived early were already having their loot measured and calculated for CCs. Gwen's group made for one of the temporary platforms, where a familiar face awaited them. "Adjudicator Hao!" Richard greeted the old Mage, who scowled as soon as he saw them. "Oh, it's you. Well, I am glad to see you survived. I heard that you took down the elder Gila? Impressive work." Hao's mood improved as he spoke. "Well, let's see your ill-gotten gains." "You jest, Sir!" Richard shared the Adjudicator's mirth. He bowed slightly, and the others followed his lead. "At any rate, Magus Hao, I am thinking you're going to need a bigger table!" Hovering above the central dais floated an illusionary projection ten meters high. Upon it displayed the current top score for groups returning with their CC converted loot. By the time Gwen and her group accosted Hao, the count was already an impressive 191 CCs. "A man of supreme confidence!" Hao rubbed his hands. He produced a slate in one hand and motioned to his assistants. "Let us begin!" "Gwen?" Richard gestured for Gwen to proceed with unveiling their ill-gotten booty. More than half of the loot in her Ring had been at one stage someone else's hard-won CCs. "Gwen commanded, so giddy with the prospect of overwhelming victory that she unconsciously vocalised the incantation. A crash of cascading minerals covered the table. Watching the crystals overflow the surface, Gwen couldn't help but think of the bags of litter her cats perused. Both unwashed and stinking of the swamp, their stony loot smelled strongly of ammonium. "Ho! Very nice. Elementally tainted crystals. Good for making magical items." Hao recorded the amount as his assistants sorted and weighed the stones. When the final stone moved into their irrespectively colourised pile, Hao rolled a hand over the multi-coloured mounds and stowed them away. "80 CCs." Next came a loose collection of strange flora— a few mushrooms and a few fruits of mysterious origin that they could not identify. "Hmm, Swamp Jezebel. Three Strangle Vine Hearts. Two Crystallised Hartcry. A bushel of Vitae Grass. All up 59, I'll throw one in for the exemplar specimen of grass. Add 60 CCs." The CC scoreboard now had a total of 202 CCs. Feeling her palpable heart-rate beat against her chest, Gwen pumped mana through her conduits and produced the twin Gila Cores. "Woa, lucky you! Two cores! Adult sized, very nice." Hao nodded appreciatively. "That's 30 CC each." "Red Stars! Look at the Score Board!" The party's attention turned to the central dais, where a group of haughty-looking young Mages in identical uniforms stood presenting a human-sized crystal block to Magister Paris. The citrine chunk of crystalline rock was enormous, taking two strength-enhanced Mages to hold it steady. "The Dungeon Core!" an indistinct opinion identified the item. "So that's why the Dungeon closed prematurely!" "For real?" Richard turned to Petra. "I thought they were a myth? At least, no one is supposed to be able to find it." "They exist," Petra affirmed with a curl of her lower lips. "The core is found deep in the Dungeon, generally far underground, making discovery entirely accidental. To try to pry into so much space is impossible without expending a disproportionate amount of resources." "Still," Mina added, her expectant expression becoming dejected. "They found it. I wonder what kind of a Guardian they had to defeat? How many CCs it's worth? Those cores can be made into Shielding Crystals or even enchanted to become Pocket Worlds. That Portable Habitat you got, Gwen? It's constructed from a chunk of this thing." "Oh?" Gwen felt repressed by this other group's luck. "How the hell did they find such a thing?" "Oh, you didn't hear?" said a junior Mage beside them who'd been listening to the girl's conversation. "They found it in a giant underground labyrinth flooded with water. Supposedly the guardian was absent, so they just nabbed it and legged it." "Absent guardian, huh?" Richard manifested Lea. Her appearance was itself a source of envy for the Mages around them. A beautiful, humanoid Familiar was an incredible boon, especially a sapient one. "Lea, did you see a core while you're down there?" Lea shook her head. Gwen read the body language as maybe she saw, or mayhap she had not. Even though Lea was self-aware, the Undine was more so a creature of passion and feeling than critical thought and introspection. If Richard had not known that a Dungeon Core existed below, Lea could not have known either. "Don't worry about it." Richard petted his Familiar. He repressed a sigh. "It hardly mattered now— it's our fault for not knowing that a Guardian's nest could potentially hold a Dungeon Core. That's why it's important to study, kids." Beside him, Petra felt sick with self-loathing as well. The thought that a core was down there hadn't even crossed her mind. The party regarded one another and waited for the guillotine to fall. "Maybe we can still win?" Gwen tried to be optimistic, but her naivety was crushed by a sudden cheer that grew from the riotous multitude of young Mages. "400CCs!" someone shouted. "By Mao! They're going to win for sure! And they're going to get 50CC for coming first! Red Stars! 450 CCs!" "Jesus." Richard sucked in his breath. "What are we sitting at?" "You got anything else?" Hao patted the empty table. "Come on; you looted more than that!" "Gwen?" Richard's voice wavered. The idea of losing to something as unfortunate as bad luck turned his stomach. Heart in mouth, Gwen moved her hand over the table once more. THUNK! The core of the giant Gila fell onto the table and chipped the granite surface. "Cao!" Hao swore, taken aback by the size of the thing. "You did kill the guardian! You guys found a core after killing a single elder Gila? I don't know what to say. Lucky? Unlucky? That's too pitiful. You could have gotten the Creature Core and the Dungeon Core and made record history!" "Yeah, well," Richard lamented, glancing at the crew lording over their Dungeon Core. "You win some; you lose some." "What's it worth?" Gwen asked. "We did it with an eleven-man team." "Ah." Hao shook his head. "A damn shame then. I am afraid it has to be an even split unless you can convince the other team to forfeit their CCs." "No, that's fine." Gwen battered her hand back and forth. It was one thing to come second, another to stab your allies in the back. She'd hate to imagine what Richard would think if she demanded that the House of Xu forgo their rightful reward. Would he lose faith in her judgement? There was also Fei; Gwen didn't want to take away the boy's CCs for the young Illusionist was only going to exit the Dungeon with 10-15 at most. "Well." Hao rubbed his chin. "I'll try to be as generous as I can. I'll award 220 CCs. The guardian's core is a rare find, and I know of a few Magisters who would love to experiment with a Chaos core of this calibre." "Okay," Richard tried to calculate their gains. "We have 300 CCs." Gwen did the math for him. She glanced longingly at the Dungeon Core, feeling a little discouraged. "That'll put you in a safe second or third," Hao intoned. "A shame, but it is an excellent show for your first dive. Congratulations." "The egg?" Mina suggested. "How about this egg?" Gwen materialised a Gila Egg held in the stasis of a crystalline Spell Cube. "Hmm…" Adjudicator Hao rubbed his grizzled chin. "A rare ingredient, but of insufficient versatility in experimentation. At the very best, I can award you 20." "That puts us at 320…" Mina sighed. Gwen glanced at the scoreboard. Should she ask the party to give up some of their Vitae Fruits? How much were they worth? One was for Babulya. One was for Petra's master. One belonged to Richard. Should she sacrifice the chance to grow Almudj's primal mana for some CCs? She could always participate in more Dungeon dives, but the opportunity to grow her resistance to Void consumption was a far rarer benefit. "Wait!" Tao interjected. "Gwen, didn't you say Caliban murdered its way through the marsh?" Tao's unfortunate choice of vernacular struck a wrong cord in Gwen's heart. "His belly!" Tao indicated bewilderingly. "Cali be spewing dem that cores like taking a big dump, right? Doesn't he have more inside? Maybe there are more cores inside like that time Bubbles shat out Mina's earrings?" Mina's face became deathly pale. "The pearl earring? My favourites? The ones you said I must have lost at the club?" "I ain't saying shit, dawg." Tao tried to pivot the topic. "Caliban be shitting treasure any minute now." "Tao!" Mina took her brother by the scruff of the neck. "What the fuck did your dog do?" Richard turned back to Gwen. "Well?" "I could try." Gwen turned her mind inwards. "Caliban, you got more of these cores in you?" "Shaa!" Caliban replied, implying that it could shit out a modest collection, should it wished to do so. "Okay, come out discretely." Gwen turned to Tao and the others. "Peaches, Richard, give me some cover. I don't want a spectacle, at least not yet." "You got it!" Tao gave her a thumbs up and began a Major Image. Their immediate surroundings became reflective and difficult to discern. Richard likewise reinforced the illusion with a water-screen. With both physical and magical warding in place, Gwen called her Familiar. An obsidian serpent resembling a work of grotesquely erotic art slithered onto the table. Hao had seen the creature prior, but the details provided by proximity still made him repress his revulsion. His assistants likewise stepped back with abrupt aversion lest they drew the ire of the netherworld fiend. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Caliban cocked its lamprey's mouth. "Hideous!" Their Adjudicator gave his most honest reply. "SHAA—Bluuuuggh!" A torrent of grey goo in a volume impossible for Caliban's slim body to possess poured onto the table. Captured within the mucus, much in the manner of frog spawn, were-creature cores that cascaded over the counter like tidal water. There were stones both large and small, the most potent of which was the size of a hen's egg, the finest of which was the breadth of a fingernail. The torrent of horrendous nether-liquid continued until Caliban began to dry heave. "Cali, go home!" Gwen commanded. The party breathed a sigh of relief as their resident nightmare fuel retreated. Now there was only the matter of the semi-digested cores. The party had stood well away from the table, but Hao would need new robes. Tao and Richard dispelled their illusion and Shield. "Well? Gwen gulped. "Is that enough?" To the Mages who had been curious about the deliberate obfuscation, it was as though a small mountain of Creature Cores had materialised from thin air. "R-Red stars!" "WHOA! WHERE THAT COME FROM?" A riot erupted where the party stood, ankle-deep in mysterious slime. "Those ain't crystals!" someone shouted incredulously. "They're CORES!" "AEEEEE! Hundreds of cores!" A female voice pierced the already bothersome ding. Adjudicator Hao plucked a core from the grey goo. "Swarm cores, five to 1 CC. Tiny Cores— 1 CC each. Small Cores— 2 CCs Each! Medium Cores— 5CCs," he commanded his assistants, who were trying to hold their guts in. "Begin!" Meanwhile, upon the central dais, more crystals and assorted flora became exchanged. "Total: 423 CCS!" Magister Paris announced, triumphant over the Dungeon Core group's surprising windfall. But the Magister's attention was soon drawn by the commotion coming from the lower sector, where a few hundred Mages were chanting and chittering while surrounding one of the sorting tables. "Hao, how goes your group?" Paris felt confused by the excitement. What would be more alluring than a Dungeon Core? Who could collect enough bric-a-brac to exceed a lump sum of 400 CCs? "What's your count?" "In a minute! I am going as fast as I can!" Hao Messaged back. "Get ready!" Magus Xi and Gwok likewise approached the goo-covered table where Hao picked out core after core. Thus far, the top score was 423 CCs, the second being 212 CCs. "Where in the world did you find so many cores? How many creatures did you kill?" Xi's scar was glowing crimson with excitement. It had been some time before she'd seen such a bloodthirsty group. If these young Acolytes could channel that passion into the real world, they would make excellent Combat Mages, maybe in the Hunter-Killer divisions or serving as elite Mage Flights. "Awe-inspiring work, neophytes!" Their eyes fell over Gwen, Petra, and Richard. Richard was the first to bow, followed by his companions. Gwen was the last to genuflect, for she was caught in the intricate calculations carried out by Hao and the assistants. "Tao and Mina Wang?" Xi turned to her colleague, feeling a little bewildered. "I thought they were the young masters of the Wang Enterprise." Gwok felt likewise surprised by the composition of Gwen's party. "He scored zero CCs last dive," The Mage added. The two Magus turned toward the party and patiently observed Hao's painstaking work. "Peaches!" a voice called out from behind the group. "Mack-Daddy! Little-Dog! Yo-yo, wassup!" Tao hollered back. As the two met with the party, Tao exchanged a blisteringly fast array of hand signals and gang signs with his two brothers from another mother. "Oh shit, man! You guys won't believe what happened! I almost like, died! We capped some bitches, busted up some Gila, it was nasty as anything, dawg." "Yeah— That's Tao Wang." Xi scratched her scar in disbelief. "Stranger things have walked the Prime Material." Gwok shrugged, equally bewildered. "ALRIGHT!" Hao finished, his voice triumphant. He had never seen such a thing before in all his years. "Assorted Chaos Cores from Gila creatures, 133 CCs!" "YES!" Gwen punched the air, her eyes glowing with concentric rings of cobalt blue. "That puts you at-" Hao announced. "That puts us at 453 CCs!" Gwen yelled. She liked winning. She enjoyed winning very-very much. "OH shit! No Way!" Tao freaked out, hugging his two friends. "Eeeek!" Mina shrieked, mimicking Ariel. Petra breathed out. "I am glad." "Fuck yes!" Richard raised a hand. "Give it to me! Team cousins!" "Tao!" "Mina!" "Petra!" "Gwen!" Their hands met in a series of resounding high-fives. "Everyone!" Gwen left Richard's arms and pulled the others in to form a huddle. "Team Cousins!" "I can't believe you guys did it!" Mack-Daddy and Little-Dog exalted the jubilant Tao. "Peaches in the house!" Tao began a beat-box with Mack and Dog. The crowd around them applauded as well, breathing in the celebratory air. With Hao making the announcement official, Magister Paris left the dais and flew over the clamorous youth toward the group, happy that such potential had emerged from a low-tier Dungeon. A dozen more Dungeons like this, the Magister sighed, and Pudong would have a whole new generation of Magisters. "503 CCs, including the reward for coming first!" Gwen rejoiced. "Split five-way, that's a hundred CCs each!" "Congratulations!" the booming voice of Magister Paris rolled across the clearing. The Magister's eyes surveyed the masses of congregating Mages, young and old. No other group raised their hands to contest the score, which was fair, seeing that Gwen's party had produced the guardian's core. Watching Paris float through the air on a spell of flight, Gwen could only lick her lips in envy at the ability to fly. As the Magister landed amongst them, the party paid their respects. "You're Captain Song's group, no?" Magister Paris clasped his hands together. "My word! What fortuitous encounters you must have had! You have gathered enough materials and Cores to rival five adventuring parties!" "We happened to be in a good spot, Sir," Richard replied modestly. "Gwen's the one who did the most legwork. She's our primary damage dealer." "Indeed, a girl of many talents." Magister Paris turned his eyes upon Gwen, who looked modestly taken by Richard's shameless plug. "Richard is far too kind." Gwen moved a hand toward her companions. "I couldn't have done it without the others. I doubt we would have even held onto our items if Richard hadn't saved me. Or become too injured to continue were it not for Mina. Petra too rescued me from forfeiture on more than one occasion, and Tao was likewise instrumental in our defeat of the elder Gila." Paris nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent, Ms Song. We need Mages who are more aware of teamwork and less obsessed with their standing," he spoke appreciatively. "I look forward to your future performance and that of your team. Your student cards, please." Gwen and the others produced their cards. "By the power invested in me by the Two Towers, I now award you 91 and an additional 50 CC—" "HALT!" All who heard the command felt shocked by the upstart interjection, none more so than Magister Paris, whose face instantly grew cloudy with subdued rage. Who would dare interrupt him during an announcement? He was one of the Twelve Chairs of Pudong Tower! Three hundred odd pairs of eyes turned to see a group of Mages penetrate the crowd of juniors to reach Gwen and her company. "Well, shit." Richard's smile grew rigid. "It's the Clan of Xiao." There was the familiar face of Huyi Xiao in the congregation, as well as his aggrieved party. Their assembly was lead by an elder radiating a palpable aura of power. With a cold expression of loathing, Magister Paris turned to Gwen and her company. "I am afraid I can't intervene if this is a private matter," Paris announced with annoyance. "Be very careful when dealing with Chinese Clanners. Their roots are deep and intertwining. They even have connections with the Chinese Communist Party." The PLA Tower gave its two cents as well. "By that same measure, we can't meditate if you're not a part of the CCP," Magus Xi added with annoyance. Besides the Magus, Gwok affirmed Xi's claim. "But we'll make sure they don't do anything drastic. More than likely, they're here to get their 'face' back." By now, the oppositional party had reached Gwen and her group. "I am Elder Xiao Leung Tian of the Clan of Xiao," the leading Mage announced. The Magister looked to be in his forties. Were it not for his westernised attire; he would have entirely resembled a picture-perfect Daoshi. They dipped their heads before Paris, who returned their greeting. Gwen and her party had to bow. There was a place for blood and robbery, but it was manners and etiquette that produced civilisation. "You have tortured and robbed our inheriting disciple, Huyi," Leung Tian proclaimed. It was not a question but a statement of fact. "Your illicit act has forced him to quit the competition. We demand compensation." Gwen's group fell into nervous silence. They could show a Vid-cast of Huyi's shame, but that seemed like it would immediately make matters worse. "You will forfeit." Leung Tian continued. Behind the wizened Elder, Huyi's eyes licked over Gwen and Petra hungrily, delighting in every word spoken by his Clan's Magister-tier Mage. Watching the girls squirm with indecision made his face all the more sadistic. "And if we don't?" Gwen felt an inexplicable calm overcoming her initially nervous anticipation. She was the sort that grew colder and calmer with increased opposition. "You shall return what you did to Huyi's team ten-fold, right here," the Xiao Elder stated arrogantly. The aura of distorted, indiscernible power surrounding the Mage suggested he could indeed carry it out without significant effort. "Tian, spare me some face," Magister Paris attempted to intervene, likely for the sake of his reputation. "This is a children's competition. Don't you think that it's shameful for you to get involved?" "These are no children," Leung Tian spat. "They're foreign devils, imperialists. They have no morality. You should have heard of what this Richard and this Gwen Song did. Who can defend that?" Her face grew instantly scarlet. Gwen wanted to shriek and scream and kick the old dog between the legs. The hypocrisy! She ought to let loose Caliban in the man's face! Most importantly, they were a second away from receiving their CCs! That's it! She was done! She was going to have WORDS with the old dog! "Gwen..." Mina tugged at Gwen's sleeve. "W-what is it?" Gwen was visibly panting with the effort of keeping her simmering resentment from overflowing. Mina pointed into the crowd with her eyes. A familiar face was grinning at them. "Uncle Jun?" Gwen blinked. Had he been here all along? "Care if I come in?" Jun announced himself. The crowd parted as the Magi Moses had parted the Red Sea. "Captain Jun," Leung Tian Xiao's voice took on a tone of caution. Jun walked beside Gwen's group after greeting Paris amiably. Around them, the chittering assemblage fell silent. Most of them knew of Captain Jun Song and his reputation. "My niece." Jun pointed to Gwen. "A lovely sight, no?" The crowd made an "Aaaaah—" "My other niece." Jun patted Petra's shoulder. "A distant relative, but family nonetheless, not to mention I owe him one." Jun then shook Richard's hand. "Thanks for looking out for the girls." "It was my duty and my pleasure, Sir," Richard thanked his distant uncle. "The Clan of Song thinks too highly of itself." The Xiao Elder's brows knitted as he warned Jun. "Do you believe a Clan as illustrious as ours is going to fear the MSS? You're just the CCP's dogs. What would the Communist Party think if you bite the hands that fed its coffers?" Jun appeared entirely unfazed by the insult. "I am waiting." He stood casually. His handsome mien was impassive. "Don't worry. We got time." "Waiting?" Leung Tian scanned the horizon. "For what?" "For you to try something. Go on." Jun's eyes were full of mirthful mockery. "You!" Leung Tian felt his patience crumble. "Insolence!" "Magister Paris is a busy man." Jun sighed. He spread his arms helplessly. "As am I. So, you know. Get on with it." His message was self-evident for all whose eyes turned toward them. Jun was telling the Clan of Xiao to either shit or get off the can. But how could the Clan of Xiao forfeit now? They were the ones who began this altercation. How could they afford to lose more face? It would be like being spat on in public. An eerie silence descended amongst the audience and between the two parties. "You don't dare attack us." Leung Tian retorted after what seemed like a minute. "A man is entitled to self-defence, no?" Jun turned to Paris, who had a grin split from ear to ear, enjoying the show. "I can do that much, right?" "By article 13, clause 3.4 of the Tower's Governance Article concerning the Public Use of Magic, Captain Song is indeed entitled to a lawful self-defence," Magus Xi added her piece. "Captain Song, I am your witness." "So am I." Magus Gwok threw in his lot as well. Gwen was not surprised. Compared to these Clanners, Jun must be a CCP darling. Leung Tian seemed torn between heaven and earth as his well-waxed beard quivered with indecision. "How about this?" Jun announced, still amused by the whole thing. "We can have an old-fashioned, friendly 5v5. If our kids win, you forgive and forget. If we lose, our team forfeits all their CCs." The proposal was fair. Leung Tian turned to see what the young Mages of his Clan thought of the offer. Gwen followed Leung Tian's eyes as he turned to regard his scions. Then she saw his expression sink like a millstone thrown into a lake. Huyi's face was as white as milled flour. The others behind him had equally browbeaten expressions. One of the Mages, the Diviner, was visibly shaking with fright. The Xiao Magister then turned to look at Gwen and her troop of junior Mages. Besides her, Richard looked more amused than anything else at the prospect of a 5v5. Petra appeared to take the news with complete indifference. Tao and Mina at least wore humble expressions of mild worry. As for Gwen herself, she could only describe her present condition as bloodthirsty. The juxtaposition made the outcome of the contest self-evident. After his moment of unwelcome clarity, Leung Tian seemed as though he'd aged a decade. He turned to regard her uncle, still untouched by the events. Instead, Jun appeared sympathetic for the Elder of the Xiao Clan. In a way, Gwen felt for the Elder as well. The man himself must have gone through some serious history, such as the Communist Revolution, then the Sino War with Japan, then the Beast Tide. Now, in this time of prosperity, these losers were all his Clan could produce? These arrogant ingrates? The tense atmosphere appeared to deflate. "I withdraw my statement." Leung Tian turned to Jun. "We wish no further conflict with the House of Song, nor against the Ash Bringer himself." The Ash Bringer? Gwen looked at Jun's broad, sculpted back. What an ominous title. Was Jun a Fire Mage like Alesia? Jun extended a hand, then after a moment of hesitation, Leung Tian shook it. "Our Patriarch will personally issue an acknowledgement to Patriarch Xiao." Jun firmly clasped the Magister's hands. "I hope you don't mind if we pay the estate a visit, together with humble gifts." "The gift of peace would be more than sufficient." Elder Xiao separated from Jun. "Though you are welcome anytime, I would have you know that the generosity of the Xiao is well-founded. Your nieces are welcome as well." Paris breathed out. Xi and Gwok nodded with satisfaction. The gathering let loose a collected sigh as the tension diffused. Magister Paris turned to the party and raised his hands. "Our winners! Coming in at 453 CCs. By the power invested in me by the Pudong Tower, I now award you 141 CCs each!" A wave of jubilation flowed from the crowd and spread through the multitude of cheering Mages. Gwen felt overwhelmed by the sudden outburst. Had it not been for the Xiao's intervention, their reception would have been subtle, but now they were at the epicentre of the event's conclusion. She turned and bowed toward each direction. Richard raised his hand to the squealing of girls from the crowd. Mina looked like she wanted to kick her brother, who paraded back and forth as he'd won a boxing match. Gwen could also see Fei, the Xu Mages, and Felicity in the crowd, waving frantically toward them and cheering. Taking advantage of the distraction, the Elder Xiao hastily retrieved his Clan's children and beat a hasty retreat. As the excitement died down and the records exchanged hands, Gwen and her party finally found themselves alone. For an hour after the end of the Dungeon, they had been made to shake, greet, and exchange contacts with hundreds of other Mages. Where Gwen's Message Device had been derelict, it now held the names and titles of a hundred strangers whose faces she could not recall. When the party finally exhausted its social duties, the day was well into the mid-afternoon. Jun presented to them their boarding passes. The return-embarkment was likewise prolonged, with passengers using the remaining time to socialise and exchange goods and promises. Still fatigued from having only a few hours of sleep, Gwen rested her eyes, sheltered in the corner of the upper cabin, and quickly found herself dozing off, her lulling head slumped on Jun's shoulder. Mina likewise took the opportunity to take a nap on the smiling Richard, who looked upon his cousin with benevolence and happiness. When Gwen awoke, it was already evening. The shining city of Shanghai loomed in the distance, its piercing reflection stabbing like daggers into the dark waters of the South China Sea. Though the feeling was faint, she felt that she was going home.

The transfer from the Port Authority to the mainland was hastened by Jun's presence, so much that when the time came to part ways, the party grew despondent at their imminent separation. A dark limousine lingered just outside the port, waiting to pick up Tao and Mina. To Gwen's surprise, Mina parted from her with a peck on the cheeks, a bold western farewell, before retreating into the palatial vehicle. Petra likewise had her dorm to return to, leaving Gwen and company when Jun dropped her off at Fudan's internal residence complexes. She hugged Gwen, signifying how close they've come since the Dungeon's events. Finally left on their own, the trio escaped the glittery glamour of the sparkling city, their Jeep making for the third Orbital Ring under the low thrum of its mana engine. "So that you know, I sorted out the incident with the Lishui girl." Jun calmly announced when they were on the orbital highway. "No point having such a stain on your public record. Do be careful in the future, though. Scrubbing offences takes more than just CCs; it takes favours." "I will, and thank you," Gwen muttered demurely. "I am sorry for the trouble, Uncle Jun." "And you should be," Jun sternly agreed. "The taking of a life, especially a fellow Mage, is no matter to be taken lightly, even if you have full justification. Remember that." "I shall." "Good, then there's nothing more to be said. I look forward to your future performance." With the scalding over, Gwen's spirits fell into reflective silence. "You too, Richard," Jun continued. "Can you hear me at the back?" "Yes, Sir. I can." "Just Jun is fine." "At least let me call you Senior Jun," Richard insisted. "Alright, suit yourself." Jun wasn't one for titles. "You're special, Richard. You're Gwen's peer, and you have a good temperament and just the right amount of apathy for taking ethical liberties. That said, I know why you're desperate for CCs, but dial it down and try not to piss off too many people. The nature of CCs is that you accumulate them over time. Any windfall accumulated by your method of highway robbery is just going to bring trouble later." "I'll be careful, Senior." "Of course, and think about the years ahead. What would happen when your parents, who lack the talent to take care of themselves, come to Shanghai? What if you make too many enemies and some of them decide to take advantage of the fact that you will be away on extended missions? A Magus need allies as well as CCs, Richard. Don't forget that." "Thank you for the advice," Richard said seriously. "I realise now that I was too arrogant and careless." "Good. You are both good students." Jun turned the Jeep into the Song compound. "Here we are. Try to have some food before you sleep. The food on the ferry was hardly nourishing." "We shall, Senior." "Thank you, Uncle Jun. I truly appreciate all the things you've done for us." "Hey, we're family." Jun slowed the car until it came to a complete stop. "I'll see you guys in. I still need to greet the old folks." "We'll join you." Gwen swung her legs from the Jeep's leather seats. By now, her thoughts were dizzy with fatigue. The last three days had felt more like seven. Or was it seven after all? How many days had it been? Since leaving Singapore, she had spent two days in the holding cell. Then she had spent a day and a half in the Song Compound. Mina and Tao expended another day or so, plus three more at the Dungeon. Had Elvia and Yue gotten back to Sydney yet? She wondered, rubbing her tired eyes. Their Journey to Darwin should have been six and a half days. At worst, after another day or two, they should be in Sydney. "Uncle Jun," Gwen inquired as they made for the courtyard. "Think my friends have gotten back to Sydney yet?" "Perhaps, assuming they disembarked at Darwin and Magus Shultz supplemented their travel expenses," Jun remarked. "I can ask father to loan you the LE Message Device if you like, though I dare say you have to supplement your own LDMs." "That would be lovely, thank you," Gwen replied. Outside, the blue hour was now quickly fading, and the courtyard became illuminated with low consumption Lumen-globes. The inquisitive face of Babulya awaited them in the communal hall, nursing a pot of Oolong that simmered softly over a Glyph of heat. Gwen's grandfather, Guo, was nowhere to be seen. "Congratulations," she happily declared as they crossed the threshold into the hall. "Petra told me you came first." "I'd say we came first," Gwen answered modestly. "Everyone helped, even Tao." "That's a good attitude to have." Klavdiya reached out and took Gwen by the hand. Gwen felt a mote of Positive Mana enter her hand and make its round through her body. "Quite a bit of damage." Her Babulya's face lost some of its happiness. "Though I am surprised that you manage to reinforce that primal mana of yours. Got lucky?" "Very lucky." Gwen sat beside her Babulya, though her buttocks just eclipsed the edge of the seat, in case her grandfather burst through and she had to effect a prompt and formal greeting. "Also, we brought you this, Babulya." Gwen passed a hand over the elevated coffee table and produced Petra's Stasis Cube, within which was a jade-like piece of fruit. "It'll go sour very quickly," Gwen advised. "Petra and I had already had a piece. We saved this one for you." "I know, dear, thank you." Her Babulya passed a hand over the cube, taking possession of the prize. "I'll share some of it with your grandfather. At our age, he needs it far more than I." "I have another." Gwen took out the piece that she purchased from Richard. "Oh, no, no, save it for yourself, dear. Petra said that it helps you mitigate the Void. That is far more important than adding a few years to our lives! There's plenty of opportunities for that in the future." Her babulya pushed the cube back towards Gwen. "I'll instruct you on how to acquire its benefits without damaging your physical form. Rest assured that Guo and I shall accept your piety and kind intent." Reluctantly, Gwen withdrew the Vitae Fruit. Jun, who had stood beside her smiling serenely, raised his hand to catch his mother's attention. "Well, if there's nothing else, I need to go. I'll be back to visit in a week or so, Mother." Jun hugged his mother and promised. “Take care, Ah-Jun,” Klavdiya intoned. "I will, Mother. Gwen, Richard." "Goodbye, Uncle Jun." "Tell father I just missed him and that there's the matter of the Clan of Xiao which he needs to deal with." Having delivered his goodbye, Jun turned to leave. "Any words for Hai? He's still sweating it out at the barracks." "Tell Dad I said hi," Gwen replied earnestly. Gwen and Richard watched Jun go before returning their attention to Babulya. "I appreciate the opportunity you've given us," Richard began after Gwen had finished speaking to Klavdiya. "Truly, I am grateful." "You can repay me by keeping an eye out for this little one," Klavdiya gave him a knowing smile. "And the others, if you can spare the time." "I will do no less," Richard inclined his head. "You can leave it to me." "Good, we understand each other." Klavdiya's eyes were mirthful. "Speaking of which, if and when your parents get here, I would like you to know that we have spare abodes around the city that I can offer your family until you find a place of your own." "I would appreciate that, Babulya." Both Richard and Gwen were surprised by the candidness of Klavdiya's generosity. Here was a woman who knew not to beat around the bush. "I will try my best not to take advantage of your kindness, but I thank you for thinking so highly of me." "Such a sweetheart," Klavdiya cooed. "You could do well to learn a thing or two from Richard, Gwen." "I'll do my best." Her eyes met Richards. "Where is Grandfather?" "Training your brother, I'd wager. He thinks of little else these days, and young Percy has much to do to catch up." "To the curriculum here in Shanghai?" Gwen implored, a little worried that her studies are going to be far behind the norm. "To you!" Her Babulya laughed. "I don't think that's ever going to happen," Richard stated bluntly. "Sorry if that was too abrasive." "Don't say that in front of Guo," Klavdiya warned the straight-shooting Conjurer. "I agree, by the way." "I am sure Percy can do it, especially with Grandfather's support and the House of Song behind him. He has father's talent." Gwen flushed with embarrassment at Richard's high praise. "I know you're a sentimentalist, Gwen, but perhaps less wishful thinking?" Richard was relentless. "Think about how this works, realistically. You've gone through how many moments of death and danger so far? How many times have you almost lost it?" Gwen sighed. There were too many times to count. "You think Percy, the 'heir', is going to have the freedom to risk himself? Without risk, there is no reward. Why do you we kicked that Dungeon's arse? How is it that we went and slapped down those young masters with their diet of rare ingredients? It's because we take risks, Gwen, and we survived those experiences to grow stronger." "Richard, enough." Their Babulya placed a hand on Richard's arm. "While you and Gwen are staying here, it is best to keep such sentiments to yourselves. When University begins, you can seek more convenient residency closer to your schools." "Sorry," Richard's voice grew faint. "Gwen is too nice. It's a flaw." "Why should that be a flaw?" Klavdiya's voice was full of kindness as she pinched Gwen's cheek. "The Path of Ren should temper the Path of Asura; else self-destruction awaits the headstrong traveller. You too, Richard, should be self-aware of your prejudices." Listening to Klavdiya's advice, Gwen felt a warmth in her chest that was pleasing. She felt the glad affirmation that in this new life of hers, she had not made the mistake of forsaking the chance to connect with her Babulya. "Shall we retire then?" Richard inquired. "You've slept on the ship, but it was hardly restful." "Yes, I would like to take a shower and sleep," Gwen confessed. "Babulya?" "Greet Guo when you get to the training room," their grandmother reminded them. "If you're hungry, ask the servants to bring you supper." Guo heard Gwen and Richard enter the training hall from the side entrance and told Percy to maintain his mana circulation. Percy, as usual, took Guo's word as though it came straight from the Centaur's mouth, doing his best to maintain his concentration. In a moment, the double doors opened a sliver, and the triumphant Dungeon divers presented themselves for Guo's inspection. Upon seeing Gwen, Guo furrowed his bushy brows. The girl that emerged from the door felt different somehow to the one that left the estate only three days ago. Had she become even more powerful? Guo thought uncomfortably to himself. Her growth was unreasonably quick. From Jun's Message earlier, he had heard that Gwen's group had taken first place in the competition. That was in itself an absurd achievement. Two Frontier neophytes on their first Dungeon dive, coupled with the useless Wang siblings and one Petra Kuznetsov, could defeat all that the local Clans offered? He knew that Richard was already a first-class Conjurer and that Gwen had survived a war, but the news still shocked him to his core. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Klavdiya had said it was terrific news, but for Guo, it meant trouble. When a member designated for a side-branch, a daughter, was so much more talented and charismatic than the heir, it subverted the family's hearts and a house's servants' loyalty. When achievements inevitably accumulated, the Song's allies may no longer look to the heir for support but throw their allegiance to Gwen, whose favour carried the most clout. What if Gwen were to marry into a House that far superseded the prestige of the Song? What if she were to return one day with the blood of a Clan far nobler than the Songs, bringing with her a Magisters at her beck and call, and demanded allegiance from her brother? Or worse, what if she were to claim birthright, pointing out the weakness of the incumbent? Guo felt a prickling numbness on the back of his neck as paranoid scenarios manifested themselves one after another. Watching his granddaughter flaunt her dancer's figure made him all the more conscious of that very possibility. She was too gifted in that regard, and her uncommon beauty made matters worse. He would only know the true extent of her actions after receiving a full briefing tomorrow, but already the girl had become a killer. Was it the power going to her head? The life of one Lishui sorceress was no matter, but his granddaughter seemed to have to establish for herself a reputation for bloodthirst. In seven days, she had defeated contenders from various Houses and then killed a Mage with impunity. In life, Guo had a simple winning philosophy that allowed him to succeed in his work: nip the trouble in the bud before it bloomed. Yet, was it not said that the "tiger does not harm its cubs"? Guo felt a discouraging sense of disquiet as Gwen bowed deeply, her dark hair falling over her shoulders like a waterfall. Besides the girl, the Conjurer cousin reciprocated the gesture, though Guo could feel the young man's insincerity from even across the room. The Water Mage made his granddaughter all the more dangerous. It was clear that Richard's loyalty was first to Gwen, then to the man known as Gunther Shultz. Each of them, each bud, must be clipped before they grew poisonous and carnivorous. A dull ache caught Guo unaware as his head throbbed, and the old Magus winced with a sudden grimace. "Are you alright, grandfather?" the girl asked him, her face beset with genuine worry. "Percy! Concentrate!" Guo barked at the shifting form of the boy behind him. "I am fine." But the boy had already lost his concentration. The exercise would have to resume some other time. "You must be tired," Guo said to his precious heir. "Good night. Percy, go clean up. We resume tomorrow morning after 0700." "Yes, Grandfather." Percy bowed and left the room. He didn't stop to speak to his sister, and that made Guo feel better. "Good night," Guo said again, turned on his heels, and left. He would soon have to force Klavdiya to participate in something she disagreed with, an act that pained him more than anything in the world. Anything, apart from disadvantaging the boy. Sunday became a day spent in idyllic recovery. Gwen woke late in the morning, dressed casually, and met Richard for breakfast. After her morning meditative exercises, she travelled with Babulya to work, where she received another bout of therapeutic healing to repair the damage caused by her Void usage. "Your body has taken too much of the vitae fruit for now. Maybe after a few more months, but for now, it is best to keep you well away from the fruit," Gwen's grandmother advised, wary of Gwen's burgeoning ambition. After that, the afternoon was spent with Richard, walking the Bund's quay and taking in Shanghai's sights. One of the local artists had thought her a celebrity of some kind, for she and Richard made fabulous company along the boulevard, both being exceptionally tall and well-formed, and asked to paint their picture. Gwen was too embarrassed to be holding a pose for hours, but the artist laughed and told them that he just needed a Lumen-pic. They returned two hours later, and the artist presented them with the painting, gratis. She had offered the man an HDM crystal, but the artist refused, saying that he was happy that they allowed him to work on something he truly enjoyed. That was when she realised that the man was an NoM and that he was reeling from the knowledge that two Mages who appeared the scions of noble houses were entertaining his hopes at all. The painting itself was hasty and impressionist, but it captured her likeness beside Richard as they wandered through the quay. Behind them, the Pudong Tower glinted beside the Huangpu River. A foreshadowing of the future? Richard joked. Gwen laughed without worry, dreaming of one day crossing the bay. They had been in Shanghai long enough to know that Pudong was where the Mageocracy and the Demi-humans resided. It was a city-in-a-city, where only sanctioned Mages who'd undergone mental conditioning could venture. The pair did not return that evening for dinner but instead attempted adventurous culinary fare on The Bund. In the middle of dinner, Jun came through with the Message that her friends should be arriving in Sydney soon and that Gwen should anticipate a call within the next twelve hours. A taxi took the two home before the 2200 curfew, where they retired to their rooms after checking in with dear old Babulya. Then Gwenn tucked into bed, where she counted Evees until she could fight off the anxiety of having to wait for their call. "Gwen! You have a Message!" Gwen had been wide awake since daybreak, waiting for the call to come. In hindsight, counting Evees mightn't have been the best solution to insomnia. She leapt out of bed, still wearing yesterday's clothes, and made for the communal hall, where the LR Communication Device awaited in Guo's spare office. Her desire for privacy was wishful thinking, Gwen acknowledged as she entered the room where a servant had set up the device for her. Would the servant's be watching? She had no idea, but the scene did cement the notion of her moving out and living alone or with Richard. With a hum, the flickering projection came into focus. A close-up crop of outrageous cleavage promptly accosted Gwen's field of vision. "Is this thing on?" Yue's voice sounded far too close to the microphone, assuming the device had such a thing. "Hello?" "Yue!" Gwen shrieked. "Oh my god! I see you! I see, a lot of you!" "Yue! Get back here!" Elvia's embarrassed voice was as sweet as ever. "Elvia!" "Gwen!" "Yue!" "Gwen!" It took a few seconds, but the girls found each other and reconnected without effort. Gwen's chest puffed with turbulent, child-like glee. These were her friends! FRIENDS! People she never had in her old life. "I am so happy to see you guys." she choked, her eyes misty with recognition. "Oh, Gwennie! I am so glad you're alright!" Elvia was no better; she was already leaking like a faulty tap. "You alright down there? I heard from Gunther and Alesia that you've decided to stay?" Yue's timbre was equal parts disapproval and hurt. Her friend's accusatory statement weighed upon Gwen's shoulders as a mountainous mass. When they had left the island, they had all promised to stay together through thick and thin— now she was the first to break that promise. "No, no! We're not upset or anything," Elvia bawled. "It was just so— unexpected!" "Gwennie, what have you got to say for yourself?" Yue wasn't nearly so kind. "Let me explain," Gwen spoke slowly, keeping cadence by drawing upon a measured calm. It was all she could do to keep her emotions in check. "So, Wei and the other guy, that's the MSS agents, took me to a holding facility..." She related her arrival in Shanghai. The Isolation chamber. The matter with Percy. Gunther's advice and babulya's support. She explained her paternal family's situation and the decision to remain as logically as she could. "Alright, I guess that's acceptable," Yue sulked before rolling on her back and kicking the air with her legs like she was stomping an invisible adversary. "ARRRG! I am going to be so lonely!" "Lonely?" Gwen said. "But you have Evee!" It was now Elvia's turn to put on an expression full of guilt. "What's wrong, Evee?" There was something distinctly heartbreaking about the angelic Healer's sullen demeanour that implored Gwen to teleport across the world and embrace her. "She's going to Europe," Yue sighed. "Everyone is leaving me. I am just a lonely Evoker, setting fire to this cruel and uncaring world. Let it burn, I say. Let it all burn!" "Evee? You're going to Europe?" Gwen felt a sinking feeling in her gut. So Evee couldn't avoid her family's pressure after all? Was Elvia going with her family because she was no longer in Australia to keep the three of them together? "It's my family," Elvia spoke between sobs. "My father accepted a position in Germany. We're going to relocate to Hamburg in a week. They've been waiting for me to return." "Oh, Evee." Gwen wanted to say that she wanted to be happy for her, but she also acutely realised that unlike her temporary stay in Shanghai, Elvia's European stint was likely permanent. "With my potential, they're going to try and enrol me at the Nightingale College in England or the School of Asclepius in Greece. That means I'll be away from my family as well. Father says it's for the best because they don't know what's in store for them once they arrive in Hamburg." "And neither of us can help her!" Yue fumed, her dark eyes glinting dangerously. "Those places are for Clerics only! God know what those religious nutcases would do to Evee." "Those are incredible Tier 1 schools!" Gwen marvelled. "You can thank your Brother-in-craft for that," Yue's intonation was ambivalent but generally upset. Gwen, too felt a strange cocktail of ire and gladness, concern and gratitude. "I am sure it'll be alright, Evee," Gwen reached out to try and comfort the illusory projection. "You'll make new friends in no time!" Elvia made a horrid grimace made infinitely worse by dribbling snot and streaky tears. "All those strangers, Gwen, and not knowing anyone there." she held onto Yue's arm with white-knuckled trepidation. "I—I don't know if I can do it. You know what it was like when I came to Blackwattle. If it weren't for you guys.." Yue sighed and produced a handkerchief, wiping down Elvia's face as she tried to capture for Gwen just how dreaded her new existence would be. Ah, social anxiety. Gwen mourned for Elvia. Hello, Darkness, my old friend. Evee's words did make Gwen think of their past. What would Elvia be like if she hadn't befriended Gwen and Yue? For the entire of junior high, she was a loner. The old Gwen barely register the angelic cleric on her mental radar, and Yue would have unquestionably bullied Elvia if forced together, most likely unconsciously, which made things worse still. But what could she do? Gwen wracked her brain. What could she do to help her friend through her trial of isolation? What manner of aid could she deliver from ten thousand kilometres away? She couldn't SKYPE Elvia when the Healer felt down or something, could she? Wait a minute! Gwen regarded the LR Message prism in front of her. Weren't they Face-Timing right now? "Yue, is Brother Gunther there?" "Nope, but I can get Master," Yue answered. "Shall I?" "Sure, there's something I need to ask." Yue left the vision of the projection. Alesia's gorgeous face came into view a minute later. She looked far more hale than when Gwen had last seen her. "Hey there, Tiger," Alesia hailed her with her usual sultry joviality. "How's my little sister doing?" "I've got so much to tell you! I did my first Dungeon dive!" "Already! Impressive, how did it go?" "We came first!" Alesia squealed with delight, uplifting the mood significantly. Gwen quickly told of her exploits in record time, covering only the highlight reel. "So, Alesia," Gwen cut to the chase. "I want to know if it's possible to get Elvia one of these LR Message Projectors, one she can take with her to her new school." "No!" Elvia interjected. "Gwen, that's too much!" "It's not available for sale just to anyone, you know." Alesia furrowed her flawless brows. "You going to need HDMs and CCs." "How much?" Gwen carefully inquired with fingers crossed. "Assuming I pull a few strings." Alesia puckered her lips alluringly. "About 50 CCs for a set?" "Done!" Gwen agreed without hesitation. "Can I trade it in at the Shanghai Tower?" "The Pudong Tower is one you'll need to deal with," Alesia's eyes sparkled. "How come you got so many CCs? You've been there for what, two weeks? A week?" "You're looking at a woman of 151 Contribution Credits," Gwen boasted, puffing out her chest. "I've got contributions to spare!" Alesia fell about laughing in stitches, wiping tears from her eyes. Elvia tried to dissuade Gwen, but she wouldn't have it. 50 CCs to ensure that Elvia could be safe and sound and could report to her anytime? It was worth it! "Okay, I'll make sure Elvia has a nice dorm wherever she goes to Medical college and that an LRM device is installed for her use." Alesia raised a thumb. "Additionally, I'll match you CC for CC. She'll have the best accommodation there. A private one even, if she wants it." "Maybe not a private one. It'll isolate Evee from her peers," Gwen advised. "How about improving her foodstuff?" "Done," Alesia promised. "It'll be like you're pampering her yourself, you Sugar Mama, you!" Gwen couldn't help but laugh. Yue joined in after she found out what Gwen had done, and even the tearful Elvia couldn't help but sob and laugh at the same time at the absurdity of it all. "Can I mail some HDMs over to Elvia?" Gwen asked. If she was going to be a sugar mama to Elvia, she might as well play the role well. "I'll set her up with a Trust, and you can pay me back a few years down the road," Alesia dissuaded Gwen from her short-sighted request. "A few thousand HDMs here and there over a few years, no problems." "My family isn't poor either, you know!" Elvia protested, her little face red with embarrassment. "I can take care of myself!" "Evee! You brave little angel!" Alesia hugged Elvia in her stead, pressing the Healer's sweet little face against her cheeks. "Of course you can!" "There, now we can chat every night if you want," Gwen told Elvia confidently. "Just Facetime— I mean, Message me. It'll be like I am there next to you!" "Okay!" Elvia made a brave face, which was so adorable as to induce Alesia and Yue into another fit of hugs, passing her back and forth like a rag doll. "Wow." Gwen reflected with a heavy heart after the rouge-like aftermath made Elvia even more adorable. "To think… to think we're going to be apart for so long." "Negative." Alesia made a cross with both her arms. "I could come out there to Shanghai tomorrow if I wanted. It's Yue you have to wait for." "Yue?" Gwen looked at her friend. "Master says I need to accumulate my CCs for the immigration application," Yue sulked. "She says it'll motivate me." "When Yue joins you again," Alesia snorted arrogantly. "She'll be a dreadnought of destruction!" "I am sure she will," Gwen said a silent prayer for all the creatures in the Orange, Purple and Black Zones surrounding Oceania. "What's your projection, Elvia?" "Three years at minimum," Elvia said miserably. "I need to do at least a year of practicum as well." "Well, I'll earn enough CCs for you to come to Shanghai if you like," Gwen offered. "Four years is a long time!" "What, you think CCs grow on trees?" Alesia scoffed. "Even during the last Coral Sea Conflict, with a four-figure kill count, I only earned 6000 odd CCs! I spent a whole lot on my Crimson Caracal, and now I am short on CCs to get another one." "Can't Gunther lend you some?" "What, you don't know? It's strictly forbidden to lend or trade CCs except in rare, Tower sanctioned transactions. The process to get one of those to pass muster is downright impossible. Might as well squeeze a camel through a needle's eye," Alesia replied indignantly. "Wouldn't Yue need a Spirit as well?" Gwen asked out of curiosity. "Yep," Yue replied miserably. "Oh man, this illusion makes me feel so close to you, Gwen, yet so far away. There's not enough CCs in the world!" "Could I buy a Spirit?" Gwen continued. What would a Spirit do for her Elemental abilities? What would it do for Caliban or Ariel? "I got an Auction later with something called the House of M." "Ha, good luck with that." Alesia gazed at Gwen with a penetrating look of mock sympathy. "Expensive?" Gwen swallowed nervously. "Fire is one of the more common elements of Evocation, yet still my Caracas cost 1400 CCs," Alesia pointed out. "As for Lightning, only the blackest of Black Zones have an abundance of Lightning Elementals. Whereas for Void— where the hell do we even begin?" "I see your point." Gwen bit her lip. "Right, anything else? I'll make sure these two are safe and right as rain. Yue can use my LRM, and I'll make sure Elvia has hers when she arrives at school." "Great, thanks. I appreciate it, Sis." "I'll let Gunther know you dropped by." Gwen once again faced her two best buddies. "For the future." She put forward her palm so that the Illusory projection could see her hand. "For our futures!" Yue followed suit. "For us!" Elvia also joined in, stacking their outstretched arms so that they could all see each other's hands. A wordless moment lingered as each of the girls etched the scene into the recess of their memory. Another half an hour of small talk followed, discussing matters of one another's family. Yue informed Gwen that she'd try to get Surya to call Gwen on the LRM Device, as well as broker a meeting so that Richard could speak to his parents. Elvia promised to talk with Gwen as soon as possible, though they would have to wait until a Tower technician installed the LRM Device in her dorm. Furthermore, Gwen would have to undergo screening to ensure that she wouldn't defraud the Tower of sensitive information if she were handed an LRM device. Either way, the process would take weeks, if not months, and by then, it was likely that Gwen would have begun University. "Goodbye," she said at last as the illusion died, the projection transforming into ghostly motes of white-grey Divination. Gwen exited her grandfather's warded office, feeling like a girl emerging into a brave new world. University, Gwen thought to herself. It was probably time she collected some brochures and pamphlets on the matter, maybe hunted down a few copies of students handbooks. The future may be far away, but she felt as though she was already standing on its doorsteps.

A pronounced 'donk!' resounded around the empty training hall. "Urrgh! My brain feels like it's fallen into the Elemental Plane of Magma." Gwen slumped against the table. In front of her, spread across the entire two-meter pane, sat a chaotic spread of pamphlets, a dozen course guides, and an old Vid-Cast projector with a collection of Capture Crystals on the history of the Universities in Shanghai. Her frontal lobe throbbed. Maybe it was her over sensitive Divination senses, but every time she tried to map out her next three to four years, she felt a tingling chill shooting up her spine. A warning sign, sure, Gwen pondered. But there was a reward in risk, right? After sifting through a dozen combinations of various courses at various Universities, Gwen envisioned herself banging her head against the wall repeatedly. Whatever her Master's plans had been, the circumstances in China were too different to adhere to her original five-year road map. In Australia, when senior students completed the High School Course and received their Australian Tertiary Academic Rank, they were typically faced with four to five choices jointly distributed around an aggregate score. In new Sydney, where Mermen still lurked in the flooded sewers, the percentile band required for entrance into the top universities were for ranked students and those with the connections. Under Henry's tutelage, She had never doubted her place at the table of the elites. For this reason, the concept of course selections had not occurred to Gwen because Henry had known better than herself what course would suit her talent, and there wasn't much for choice in the Frontier. In a second-tier city, tertiary Spellcraft essentially ran barebones Advanced Spellcraft for Mages interested in Arcane theory and the creation of Signature spells, offering training for Incantations between tier 4 - 7. More militant minded Mages could furthermore partake in the Combat Mage curriculum, a university staple, taken in conjunction with Mandatory Military Service, offering Spellcraft training for Mages seeking permanent employment with the Frontier Military. Outside of the academic courses, there were offshoots, sub-schools, specialisations in Schools of Magic, but in so far as coursework was concerned, that was the gist of it. Lesser Colleges attached to the Universities catered only for career specialists such as Spellcraft Engineering, a course for Abjurers and Transmuters seeking to enter the construction, civil architecture and Shielding development. Likewise, "apprenticeships" offers those with talent the instruction to create Magic Items. Rarer courses like Mechatronics and Artifice are taken under state-sanctioned Masters. Finally, a student had to complete "general" coursework as part of the Mage's Spellcraft training. These courses accepted both Mages and NoMs, offering a selection of core skills such as accounting, leadership, appraisal, creature husbandry, agriculture, geography and more frivolous content such as literature, music, and the arts. NoM-related content was taught not by the Universities themselves but by individuals attached to universities such as the Apothecarum in Sydney University. But— as the wise, Plane-hopping young Dorothy Gale once said to Toto, 'We're not in Kansas anymore.' The choices that now assailed Gwen was the enviable matter of choosing a University and selecting a course tailored to the nation's "elites". Unlike the highly censored coursework of the Frontier, taught on a need-to-know basis, a first-tier city's Universities provided far more nuance. Thus far into her mind-boggling research, Gwen only managed to figure out the general scope of what lay ahead. "First-Year" was a general induction course featuring six mandatory Spellcraft topics and two General study subjects, based upon recommendations made by a senior advisor. Second-year students were required to pick specialisations in their Schools of Magic and engage in specific fields of study. A Transmuter, for instance, could select Advanced Construction in Material Science. An Evoker could choose Energy Manipulation and Spell Shaping, and an Illusionist would choose Media and Communication or Intermediate Illusions, and so on. In their third year, students gained the opportunity to study under Magisters or renowned Specialists in their field. Typically, this was when students began to make a name for themselves, take on "apprenticeships", register Signature Spells, compose research papers on arcane lore, discover new species of Magical Creatures or document novel ways to kill and harvest existing ones. Post Graduate courses were also available to students wishing to stay with the faculty and engage in research, with results judged by the University and the Academic Board, ultimately receiving a stipend for contributions to Advancing Spellcraft. Petra had stated that her Path lay in this direction, wishing to become a scholar of the arcane arts instead of serving in the Military or inundating herself with Tower politics. Additionally, Gwen finally understood the significance of the title of Meister. A Meister was a "Magister", but not all Magisters could become a Meister. It was because a Meister was a Mage that had contributed significant advancement to Spellcraft and whose work benefited all of Magedom. Claude Van Saint, the famous healer who pioneered modern magical medicine, is a Meister. Philo R. Farnsworth, the man responsible for proving that Illusions may exist as a form of media stored in Capture Crystal, is a Meister. As powerful as her Master had been, he was still an administrator, a Combat Mage, and a war hero, but not a Meister. Sifting through the mountain of materials, Gwen likewise cleared up the misnomers she had acquired while on the Frontier. Neophytes and Acolytes, which she thought were titles, were the colloquial names for beginner Mages. Meanwhile, the moniker of Mage, or Senior Mage, referred to those with mastery over at least one School of Magic, meaning access to spells over tier 4. A "Magus" was someone who has gained multiple Schools of Magic through talent or laborious study in Australia. To be called a Magus in public, the Mage must undergo examination within a Tower in the academic world and achieve public recognition. Finally, a "Magister" was a peer-reviewed, publically sanctioned arcanist. Unlike the moniker of Magus, Magister was a title that comes with the weight of public service and responsibility of upholding the Tower's interest. For this reason, Mages more interested in academic research or consolidation of arcane might prefer to forgo the title of Magister or Meister to live free from the accountability conferred by the recognition. Many Mages from the old Clans chose this Path of subtlety, with few achieving enough cognisance to choose public service. As for Gwen's preference of Universities, there was the choice of Jian Tong, Fudan, Shanghai U, Dong Hua, and the militant-minded Shanghai Maritime. Of the "Great Four", Jian Tong and Fudan were the most academically inclined. "The Mid-Term intake is in early May, which is three weeks away," her babulya informed Gwen and Richard after the family gathered for morning tea. "Both of you have commendations from Magus Shultz, courtesy of the Pudong Tower, so making the shortlist shouldn't be an issue. May I assume you will be joining Fudan? I mean, there are only two C9 Universities in Shanghai, and Fudan is the superior one considering that you are both Expats. Jian Tong may be the more prestigious of the two, but only if you intend to work with the PLA." "So, Fudan," Gwen masticated the name thoughtfully. "Petra is there, right?" "She is." Babulya nodded. "It is also my old college." "But Jian Tong offers two teams for the International University Competition, and Fudan only has one," Gwen voiced her dilemma. To carry out what she and Gunther had planned, Gwen, and preferably Richard, absolutely needed to qualify for the University team by Second Year. The Competition took place in the second semester and could take up to four months, from August to December. Thinking of their final objective, Gwen felt an inkling as to why her babulya was pushing for Fudan so forcibly. Assuming Gunther had already told her of their aim, her babulya likely felt that if Gwen and Richard were to "inevitably" distinguish themselves, they might as well do so under the auspice of her alumni. That way, her grandmother could benefit her network and look over the children's shoulders, killing two Rocs with one Catapult. When framed as such, babulya's desire made sense, for a University's networks are fundamentally why elite institutions existed. Like her peers, Klavdiya maintained a web of 'Guanxi', extensively nurtured over four decades, and it was precisely one of these favours that had overruled her husband in keeping Gwen illicitly within the holding — thus allowing Jun free passage to retrieve her granddaughter. "How about you, Richard? What do you want to do?" Klavdiya turned to Richard, seeing that Gwen remained undecided. "Whatever she wants," Richard spoke without hesitation. "That or something complementary, but we need to be in the same university, if possible. That includes the General Courses as well, I suppose." "How many General Courses do we have to take?" Gwen asked. "Two per year, and you can choose to do higher ones if you pass the prerequisites." "I see." Gwen considered the exponential volume of options opening up before her, looking to the older Richard. "Are the General Courses worthwhile?" "Don't look down on the non-magical courses Gwen, it may sound strange, but it is the General Courses that make the C9 Universities so valuable." It was her babulya who answered her. "How so?" "How else are you going to learn about Civics, Oratory, Arts, History and Politics?" Her babulya laughed. "You can inherit talent, you can hoard arcane secrets, you can hunt down rare ingredients, but if you want to have your Tower, then you'd better take some Leadership and Governance courses! You can't even trade CCs for such knowledge, even if your instructors are Non-Magical citizens." "I see." Gwen understood her grandmother's point. It was inevitable that those Mage who graduated from an elite university would one day become the ruling tier of the city. "It's true," Richard went on to explain that to qualify for the possession of a demesne in the Frontier, one must complete a post-graduate course in good governance. Having NoM instructors at the university further offered students who had grown up around Mages to gain the perspective necessary to recognise life skills outside of Spellcraft. "Are there courses for Economics?" Gwen asked out of curiosity. She already possessed a Master's degree in International Business and an MBA to boot. Maybe it was finally time she could tap into the privilege of prior knowledge? "Of course!" Richard laughed. "Accounting, Appraisal, Corporate Law." "What about Finance?" "Sure, it's somewhere in there." "Management?" "Naturally," Richard pointed to one of the course booklets Gwen had flipped through. "Thinking of starting your demesne already, are you?" "Babulya." Gwen turned to her grandmother. "What do I do to become an MBA?" "It's called A-B-M, dear," babulya corrected her kindly. "It's a particularly challenging selection of Subjects and typically reserved for the best and the brightest. If you're interested, I can probably put a line through to the Faculty head of the department." Excellent! Gwen speculated upon the prospect of enrolling in a course for Administration of Business and Management. She could probably ace it with distinction without breaking a sweat, so long as she could translate her knowledge over to this world. "How difficult is it?" Gwen caught the tail end of babulya's affecting speech. The ABM course was probably challenging because students in this world had little contact with finance, economics, and corporations' management. "Very." Her babulya's kind face regarded her protege profoundly. "If you wish to match your legendary brother-in-craft, or even the self-taught Ms De Botton, specialising in Aerial Combat is a foregone conclusion!" "A—aerial combat?" Gwen stammered, realising that there must have been a missing link in their game of Chinese whispers. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Aerial Battle Mage," Richard added helpfully. "It's the most promising tier of proficiency the Arcana Curriculum. The booklet says that the course is joint-taught by instructors from the Tower, the PLA. The coursework comes with everything, dogfighting, passive incantation, mana conservation, spatial training. I think we ought to take it! Good choice, Gwen." "…" These crazy battle Mages! Gwen bit her lower lip awkwardly. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of skipping it." Now with the misunderstanding clarified, Gwen persisted in her suit. "Is there a course for Business Marketing and Consultancy?" Richard and Klavdiya meet one another's eyes. Why such interest in the General Course? "Gwen, is this one of your 'NoM and Mages are of equal dignity' tangents?" Richard wrongly realised where Gwen was heading with her enquiry. "I know you're unusually sympathetic to them, but let's not get sidetracked from your Spellcraft education." "Business is for the NoMs, Gwen." Babulya's face took on a slight worry as well. "As well as this 'Finance'. A Magister can level towns and raise mountains. A Magi can reduce entire civilisations to ash. What good could be served by hoarding Crystals and currency? Magical currency should be immediately converted to power to enhance one's mettle. Once you become a sanctioned Magus, earthly wealth becomes trivial. I mean, have you ever heard of an impoverished Magus or Magister?" "Doesn't more capital mean I can purchase more items for training?" Gwen herself was a woman of two thousand HDMs, after all, though she would be happier if that number could grow by a few digits. "Making a high turnover is not unthinkable. We can invest in a product, improve its packaging, cut baseline costs by streamlining its production stream, and profit from targeted redistribution." Richard laughed out loud. "If you have time for that, you may as well foray into the Wildlands, train, or learn new spells!" "Well, I am sorry for wanting a steady fount of resources." Gwen's voice took an apprehensive tone. What was wrong with a little golden-fingered commerce? Wouldn't it be nice if she had a full complement of Magical Items? Or unlimited Crystals with which to purchase property and skills? Were her old skills that untranslatable? Hell, she could organise an Alchemist's alliance, reduce costs through volume and scale. Then, she could repackage and brand 'Ye Old Healing Injector' into a selfsame 'Restoration Elixir Plus', distribute it for sale after getting accredited 'branding' from the Tower. In time, they could get a spokesperson, a famous Magister or Meister, and have them 'promote' the product in return for favours or resources. There were a dozen ways Gwen could bullpen the market in a world as blind to commerce as the Mage-world. "Richard's right," Klavdiya disapproved of her money-making scheme. "Gwen, if you wish to progress down the Path of Spellcraft, you require resource and instruction. Resource, however much of it you possess, is a limited affair. Think of all the Clans and their treasure vaults filled with Crystals and items. Barring Mythic level artefacts, do you think having access to a rare diet and austere facilities made a significant difference when you and Richard stripped them of their Crystals and CCs in the Dungeon?" "I guess not," Gwen confessed. "Crystals, items, wealth- these things are material, and therefore they become immaterial," babulya intoned with sagacity. "In the end, your greatest investment is yourself. For a Mage, there is only one finite resource." Gwen hazarded a guess. "Life?" "Time!" Klavdiya spoke with intensity. "Your youth can't be wasted making HDMs!" "I see." Gwen surveyed the small hill of potential courses, each containing invaluable knowledge. How grand would it be if she could acquire the lion's share of arcane lore contained therein? How limitless and daunting would her potential then be? But there was no mitigating counter to the tyranny of time, whose leaden hands turned without mercy. "I guess, for knowledge, there isn't enough time in the world." "That's correct," her babulya continued. "First, you have only three years to carry out whatever plan Lord Shultz and yourself have agreed. Assuming you and Richard achieve what you set out to do, you will have an even more limited window of time to mark your place in the world. By then, you will have progressed well past the point of return on the Path of Asura, eternally demanding more power and influence." "And with every challenge bested, you'll need longer spears to beat up ever bigger tigers," Richard interjected with an NoM proverb. "Sound's rather depressing, doesn't it? We've ridden so far already, Gwe—no point pausing for breath now!" Gwen noted with a shiver that her family inferred was a Path of no return, a Path of Asura without cessation. What would the end even entail? She would wager the end did not involve a bay view bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," Gwen recited sentimentally. "Sailing toward a blood-dimmed horizon where the sun never sets, we are all stuck on this rickety raft." While the others looked on, she forced herself to smile, dispelling the sudden feeling of depression she felt for the unending toil ahead. A success today meant only a taller hurdle the next day. "It's not all doom and gloom." Richard reached out and touched her hand. "Didn't you meet Elvia and Yue along the way? You met me, right? You found Babulya too, ain't she the sweetest lady you have ever met?" "Why, thank you, Richard." Babulya gave her cousin a heartfelt smile. "I merely speak the truth, Babulya," Richard replied seriously. "Gwen has not had a cordial relationship with family, and that's putting it mildly. My father, her mother, even Uncle Hai. Gwen has been alone for so long that I have no idea how she does it." The Gwen that Richard knew hadn't "done it," Gwen felt a pang of guilt in her chest as Richard sought to butter her ego. "Richard's right, Babulya." Gwen left her seat to walk behind her diminutive grandmother. She reached out with both arms and embraced her from behind, pressing her face against Klavdiya's flaxen hair. "Thank you." Klavdiya held Gwen's slender arms around her, then kissed Gwen's fingers as they brushed her lips. "I am happy that you're here." Klavdiya's response warmed her heavy heart. The two women touchingly held one another, sharing the moment of filial intimacy with a palpable aura of sentimentality. "So, Fudan?" Klavdiya inquired gingerly, her eyes moving toward Richard's, whose eyes twinkled with complete and utter innocence. "Fudan," Gwen decided, her voice full of conviction. "Fudan indeed," her cousin repeated after her, grinning like a shot fox. In the West, the saying went that where there's an individual with enough will, there's a Path. In the East, the equivalent was where there are people, there was Guanxi, and therefore a "way". For Klavdiya, the well-oiled mechanism of her network moved into motion the moment Gwen had decided upon Fudan. Within hours, two Applications appeared on the desk of the Dean that very afternoon, together with a commendation from the Pudong Tower for the two Students and a reference from the Director of the PLA Second Army Hospital. A private letter was also attached, which Luo Jiang opened carefully, revealing the impeccable handwriting of a woman to whom he felt great admiration. Years ago, Luo's mother had fallen ill and required a rare, seventh-tier Dragon-Newt Logan to prolong her life. Luo had drawn upon every resource to find the unique ingredient to no avail until an old alumna had heard of his plight and acquired a piece of the fruit from her laboratory. That was Klavdiya Song, and though Luo's mother still passed, her passing was peaceful and happy, not filled with the agony of dementia and disease. Usually, Luo ignored "backdoor" applications that watered-down Fudan's elite cohort. As the Dean, Luo did have an ethical duty to uphold toward the university in defending its academic authority. If Luo was at the end of his tenure, he might have considered such a thing to gain favour, but he was only a few years into his position and felt no desire for his legacy to end as an ousted, corrupt official. However, as he owed Klavdiya a favour, the Dean carefully picked up one of the applications against his better instincts. On the cover, the attached photo was a Eurasian youth who looked a little older than the usual applicants, maybe a returnee from Military Service. "Hmm…" Luo's eyes scanned the lines. He raised a brow in delight. A Praetorian at Prince's? He sat up in his chair. Tier 5 Conjurer, tier 1 Abjurer. Nineteen?! Luo blinked. His eyes moved past the biometrics and turned to the talent section. T-Tier 8 WATER. "Wocao!" he exclaimed with a spray of spittle. "Mao's Stars!" "Sir? Are you alright?" A female face ducked into the doorway. Luo professed to have an 'open-door policy, though no students dared to see the Dean without a prior appointment. "Did you ruin your meditation again?" "It's nothing, Ellen. How're the reports coming along?" "I am working on them!" returned the catty voice from the reception, its owner visible by the reflection on the polished floor. "Alright." Luo turned back to the application. "Keep hammering." Tier 8? That's impossible. Luo felt that there must have been a typo somewhere. He kept reading and found solace in the appendix that Richard Huang was contracted to a high-tier Spirit. Red Stars, Luo thought to himself. The luck of this kid. The Dean himself was almost fifty, a Magister, at the top of his game, and even so, he only had a sapient mid-tier Air Sprite. He continued reading the documentation, and when he'd finished, he had to tap the table contemplatively to digest the tingling sensation in his chest. This application wasn't a favour for him to give. It was a favour granted to Luo! Even with the field of students Fudan currently possessed, someone with such stacked talent was impossible to ignore. He would still have to meet the young man, naturally, then put him through the wringer and see his abilities tested, but already he felt that there was little chance he could be disappointed. Holding the application, he now felt less antagonistic to this 'favour' he had to grant, and so he glanced over at the second application. A girl of almost seventeen, uncommonly pretty and of questionable ethnicity. Luo pursed his lips. The girl might be pleasing to the eye, but there was no making up for talent. His secretary, Ellen, was such an exhibit. The name on the application read 'Gwen Song', not a first name that he recognised anywhere, but the last name was very much intriguing. Was she another member of Klavdiya's House? Luo pondered the last time he'd approved an application for Mrs Song, wife to the MSS Secretary of Confidential Communications, Director of the Second PLA Hospital. That had been the Mineral Enchanter, Petra Kuznetsov, a rare talent from whom Fudan greatly benefited. When he'd last spoke with Magister Wen, she'd informed him that she and her apprentice were already making substantial progress on the use of Spell Cubes and were ready to release an academic paper on the matter in the next six months. "Alright, let's see what you got." Luo opened the application and scanned the girl's biometrics. What and where the hell is Blackwattle? Luo found himself thinking. She's from Sydney, Australia? Is she a refugee? His brows knitted in consternation. There was nothing impressionable in her academic transcript at all. Her academic transcript was negligible, non-existent. Luo thumbed the application, and that was when he realised that the form he was holding was several times thicker than what he had anticipated. With an ominous feeling in his chest, he turned the cover page. A blistering array of improbable numbers and statistics assailed his eyes. "W-WOCAO!" Luo couldn't help but vociferate a burst of unbidden disbelief. His hands shook, his knees knocked. He almost ripped one of the pages from the application form. "SIR? ARE YOU OKAY?" Ellen's elfin face ducked into the corridor again. "Did you get tea onto your pants? Or spill the ink bottle again? Should I get the cleaner to Pristigitate your pants?" "I AM FINE!" Luo walked to the door and slammed it shut. He returned to his table and held the application like a man who'd inadvertently found a Dungeon Core in the middle of a salt marsh. Lightning at tier 4? Elemental Void at tier 4? VOID MAGIC! Luo wanted to leap from the table and perform a little jig. Seeing that Ellen wasn't watching, he did precisely that. A Neophyte gifted with Void talent in the wild! Luo could barely contain himself. As the Dean of a C9 University, he had to fight for talent with the other universities. Despite existing as one of the top academic existences in China, Fudan regularly lost some of the best and the brightest to Jingyen, Beijing University, and even Jian Tong here in Shanghai. Those were the Big Three, the CCP sponsored academies with deep roots in the PLA, the dynastic Houses, and the venerable Clans. When a uniquely talented individual appeared in the wild, the university scouts would be following them for years, offering incentives, help, and even tuition just so that the student would choose to join their institution. But who's laughing now! Luo rejoiced. Fudan would be the first to produce a Void Magus! MAO! Just thinking about the prospect of such a thing sent his spine to tingling. When was the last time there was a Void Mage of note? Elizabeth Sobel? She was a Commonwealth Battle-Magus, one who had met a sticky end, consumed by her talent, or so they say. But unlike the 70s, the theory-craft of the Elements, the Sigils and the Planes, had advanced leaps and bounds. They knew at least what the Void was now, how to counter its effects, anticipate, and how it affected the caster. This Gwen Song would be in good hands. He could place her with Magister Wen, or perhaps Magister Gongsun; hell, why not both? They would jump at the chance to see Void in action. Then there was Lightning as well! What a bargain! When he finally caught himself, Luo realised that he'd become so enamoured with the idea of the university coming to training a Void Mage that he'd neglected a crucial fact: this Gwen Song possessed TWIN elements and oppositional ones at that. Where did Klavdiya dig up her granddaughter? Luo couldn't help but feel awed all over again. What the hell did they feed her in Australia? Included with the Spellcraft statistics was another supplement that explained the rationale behind Gwen's twin elements, along with a request for secrecy. Luo finished reading the beautifully scripted handwriting and had to agree; if someone knew that one could potentially create Mages with two elements by impregnating the host with twins and then inducing one twin to consume the other—the outcome would be monstrous. Luo shuddered. With a simple chant, the attached note turned to cinders. Luo was more than happy to leave the shouldering of this secret to Klavdiya. It was best for all that Gwen Song remained a freakish product of the strange arithmetic of chance. He continued to read. Conjuration appeared to be the mainstay of the girl's ability, but the girl had terribly few Spells to note, barely a dozen. Beneath the data on Gwen's Conjuration was a description and image of her Familiars. TWO familiars, Luo noted. The first was an ordinary beast, a run of the mill Lightning marten. The other was an indescribable thing that consumed the living to nourish its host, a shapeshifter. Luo lowered the application and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had very quickly developed resistance against the string of surprises. He read on. "WO-WOCAO!" Luo slammed the table and swore out loud. "Sir? Are you alright?" Ellen's voice peeped from behind the oaken door. Evocation at tier 3? Transmutation at tier 1? Abjuration? D-Divination? What manner of destiny manifest had Klavdiya pushed onto him? Could he even bear the burden of carrying Gwen's monstrous existence to term? What if the junior Song became less of a power they created and more like a force they unleashed? Though worried, Luo reminded himself that he was an educator. He was the Dean of Fudan! If there was one motto that was universal to all the Arcane Universities of the world, it was that they dreamt of bringing forth a Caster who could change the status quo, break the stalemate, expand the domain of Man beyond their meagre enclaves. "Ellen, come here," he called for his secretary., There was no reply. "ELLEN! COME HERE!" he shouted at the door. The oaken door opened, and Ellen stalked through the threshold on stiletto heels, tightly wrapped in a white blouse and grey pencil skirt. "Yes, Jiang?" Ellen tiled her china doll face, her expression uncanny and blithe. "You called?" "Send these two Applications down to the Registrar and tell Han to put them in with the Mid-Semester Scholarships." "Sir?" Luo incanted a short glyph over the manila envelope, sealing it so that the intended recipient could only read the letter. "Take this to him personally, and tell him to shortlist these applicants. Go. Do it now. Don't let anyone see you." "Yes, Master." Ellen took the envelope and held it close to her chest. In the next second, she became as indistinct as air, transforming into a wisp of wind. Luo walked back to his desk, his heart still pounding as he felt the weight of the application, amazed that a dozen sheets of paper could weigh as much as the world.

Gwen remained in her room and engaged in mana mediation until an NoM servant knocked on her door. "Ms Gwen, there's a man outside who says he's here to see you and Mr Richard." "I'll be out in a minute." Gwen had been expecting the house call since babulya had stated that Magister Luo, the Dean of Fudan, requested an interview at their earliest convenience. Having received a hint from her grandmother that Magister Luo had an eye for the aesthetic, Gwen elected to plan her outfit meticulously. From the top, she piled her hair until it coiled into a messy bun, showing off her slender neck and dignified shoulders, leaving enough of a fringe to frame her face in a feminine manner. For her outfit, she settled upon an antique-white, elbow length blouse from Singapore, with a tailored allowance for her bust and a tightly tapered waistline, showing off her sharp collarbones. A cobalt ribbon tie accentuated the collar, matching the high-waisted pencil skirt in dark charcoal, finished off with her signature Mary-Janes. When Gwen finally exited her room, she found Richard and another fellow in pleasant conversation, applauding herself as she watched their eyes light up with admiration. The awe came as no surprise, for the Chinese Mageocracy could arguably invest in talented NoM designers from Europe. "Nice." Richard gave Gwen a smile of approval. "I am inclined to agree." The stranger approached with an open hand. "Magus Jin Ru, at your service. I am here to deliver you to the Dean." A Magus? Gwen felt shocked as they shook, then retreated a step and bowed. A Magus just to deliver two Neophytes? Babulya was better connected than she thought. Jin beamed at her appreciatively. "I bet the old man can't wait to see you. Now, before we leave, I need to verify one thing." "Sir?" Gwen tilted her head enquiringly, causing a single lock of style hair to hug her cheek. "Lightning and Void, if you could give me a small demonstration." The Magus seemed a little embarrassed by his request. "For verification, of course, it's a little hard to believe that someone could access two oppositional elements." "Of course, Sir." Gwen turned to the middle of the training hall and inoculated the Magus against shock by materialising both Ariel and Caliban. Ariel appeared the same as always. Conversely, Gwen felt that Caliban was more robust and vigorous since its consumption of the Elder Gila. "SHAA!" She received an empathic demand from Caliban to transform into its new form, though she suppressed the creature's whining. Jin watched the two critters chase one another around the hall after fighting down a bout of vertigo when Caliban emerged from the dark space between Planes. "Very impressive, Ms Song. I do believe we may proceed." "Thank you, Magus Ru." Gwen dismissed her familiars, then followed the Magus out of the Song compound. A car awaited them outside, a dark SUV embossed with the Fudan logo, a pictogram of the words' Fu-Dan' composed in the character style of the late Qing. As the vehicle left the compound, Jin gave the duo a history lesson on the university. "Fudan stems from the final era of the late Qing Dynasty," Jin began. "The characters were chosen by its founder, Meister Xianbo Ma, from the Confucian Sect of Shangshu Dazhuan. Its intended meaning, 'Itinerant as the twilight, the sun glows, and moon luminesces', represents our expectations for the Mages who graduate from the college. Our motto is to learn extensively and adhere to aspirations, to inquire earnestly and reflect with self-application." The man continued to speak as he drove. "Our university is a survivor. We have outlived the Qing, the first Great War, the Second Beast Tide, the Communist Revolution, hail the Chairman, and finally, the global conversion to western Spellcraft. Today, we remain one of the only independent universities in China, as well as possing our very own Faculty Tower for apprenticing students." "Fudan owns a Tower?" The last point came as a surprise. Gwen hadn't realised that other Towers apart from the PLA and the Pudong Tower existed in Shanghai. "Well, technically no." Jin battered a hand as he turned into the Second Orbital Highway. "It's an experimental Tower, made to simulate conditions within a real tower. Quest boards, training rooms, Meditation suites, Cognisance Chambers. There's are no combat engines, an army of Golems, or Shield Generators. It was designed so that students could compete for resources. For obvious reasons, under the PLA, the mobile-fortress function of the Towers has been defunct and neglected since the 1970s..." "However, you are welcome to participate and even take a room in the Tower should your grades and academic ranking allow. Your grandmother, our alumina, once possessed one such room near the top floor." "I didn't know Fudan had this facility either," Richard said puzzlingly. "When did you begin this program?" "The PLA halted the program in the 70s. But we managed to get permission to reinitiate in 1990," Jin answered proudly. "We have two Towers, in fact, T1 and T2, with the joining bottom segment named Guanghua, the Hall of Brilliance. Students wishing to stay in the Tower may choose a mock-Faction, and there are competitions for items and interesting resources. We've since also added the chance to trade CCs for resources as well." "Nice. That would save us a trip to the PLA or the Pudong Tower," Richard pointed out. "And it saves you from unnecessary politics before you graduate while giving you a taste for it," Jin replied. "You have no idea how many times we lost good students to the contest of the Towers' hungry for talent." "Isn't early commitment seen as a good thing?" Gwen inquired. "If all the talented students are off fighting the Undead, expanding our borders, hunting monsters or digging up Dungeons, who's going to be advancing Spellcraft, creating new spells, and investigating unseen phenomena?" Jin sighed. "Not to mention Party politics is far more dangerous than anything you can encounter in the wild. When you die to Magical Beasts, there's at least a corpse left behind." Gwen chuckled nervously. She was beginning to get an inkling as to what Magus Ru thought about life outside of the confines of academia. "You young Mages are still growing into your wings. Sometimes, it is best to pluck the bright feather and fly low until you understand what awaits in the sky above." Jin delivered his wisdom, drove in silence for a quarter of an hour, then turned off a ramp into the University Town of Fudan. The immediate indication that they arrived was two gargantuan towers stabbing like twin spears into the sky. Constructed of a mixture of brutalist architecture and art-deco from the early 20s, the glass and concrete facade of the Hall of Brilliance cut an imposing presence over the low-lying campus, with parallel shadows that reminded Gwen of a giant sundial. As the car turned into the university, the passengers were accosted by a bronze statue of the People's Magi, the legendary figure known as Mao Zedong. From coppery eyes that did not see, the great leader looked down upon all who entered Fudan's grounds, its face frozen in benevolence. The statue stood from an imposing height with one hand behind its back; the other pointed slightly forward to urge the observer to look ahead. As part of its facade, the figure wore a modified mandarine tunic in the military style, etched to resemble cotton, showing that Mao was a humble man despite his greatness. Gwen did not care for the Magi. Instead, her eyes were drawn to the broad, four-lane avenue known as the Dashua Road, or University Road, a place filled with eateries. Alfresco dining spilling out from restaurants littered the four-kilometre boulevard framed by gigantic mulberry trees in earth and emerald. Shanghai was a cosmopolitan city, and so here were Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese cuisine from all over, so dazzling that Gwen salivated against the panes of the car's window. She had always considered herself a gastronomer in her old life, even if her favourite staple included SPAM. Since arriving in her current body, with the occasional exception, her entire diet had depended upon the convenience of circumstance. She had seldom possessed the choice of what to eat. Now that they could attend Fudan, she could have her pick of food from anywhere in the world! What's more, with Caliban's help, she couldn't gain weight, uniquely a talent of the surviving Void Mage! Whatever her lessons were was going to be, here was a glorious three years of gastronomic adventure. Two campuses sat adjacent to the east and west of Fudan's University Road. The old campus was the target of their visit, known as the Handan Campus, while the new campus converted from old hutongs had acquired the new moniker of the Jianghan campus. The office of the Dean was surprisingly not located in the Fudan Towers, but in an old Victorian Era building leftover from Shanghai's colonial stint called Zibinyuan, located in the lower quadrant of Handan. Most of the buildings in the university reflected Fudan's cosmopolitan nature. To her shock, when they passed the university's central avenue, Gwen even saw 'Japan House', 'American House', and others in the Northern European style, with slanted roofs and pitched awnings. She was still marvelling at the architecture when Richard opened her door. When she exited, one white thigh over the other, Magus Ru looked away and found renewed vigour in introducing to them the history of the historic manor house that now served as the university's administrative headquarters. Inside, the trio walked past the blue shaded lawn and found themselves in a manor's vaulted hall. A guard saluted the Magus as she entered, his eyes lingering a little too long on Gwen before turning forward like an automaton. They then made their way through a hall carpeted in navy and walled with mahogany, covered from wall to wall with oil paintings of the Revolution. At the end of the corridor was a set of double doors, which opened into a waiting area with an open door looking into the Office of the Dean. An outlandish looking woman sat at an over-large reception desk, languishingly moving paperwork from tray to tray with agonising slowness and an expression of severe consternation. As they entered, she looked up. Holy cows! Gwen's orbs grew wide. The woman wasn't human. Her eyes were two milky-orbs of air with specs of ultramarine; her flaxen hair resembled strands of sunbeams. "Aeeee—" A chirpy cry emerged from the unlike source that was Richard. With an outburst that surprised them all, Lea separated from Richard's body and materialised herself. "Whoa! Lea?" Her cousin fumbled to contain his Spirit. "Kin! Kin!" Lea begged with the eagerness of a child, a reaction that made Gwen think. Indeed, Lea was sapient and sentient, but that didn't mean she was intelligent in the conventional sense. Thus far, Lea was incapable of abstract philosophy and other complex cognitive functions. It was difficult to thoroughly imbue human qualities onto a Spirit, which was why Sufina was both unique and beyond extraordinary. Even one as "talented" as Richard had to request rather than command Lea. Now that Gwen thought about it, both Richard and Henry indulged in the whims of their Familiars whenever it was convenient or necessary, blurring the lines between Master and servant. The woman at the table rose from the air to meet Lea, and the two danced a little jig. Despite her human appearance, the Sprite seemed less in control of its 'womanly' form than Lea, losing some of its morphic features to reveal its true self. "An Air Elemental?" Richard turned to Ru. "A lesser Djinn?" "Indeed, this is Ellen, the Magister's Familiar." "The Magister's an Air Conjurer?" Gwen's mouth formed a happy 'o'; it was always nice to know another powerful Conjurer. "Indeed, as well as a Transmuter and Illusionist," Ru affirmed Gwen's expectant expression with a nod. "Please, leave the Spirits to themselves. It is rare for elementals to meet kin so similar to themselves." As expected, Richard indulged Lea, using his Conjuration to sever her from his body. Glancing at the table, Gwen realised Ellen was in the midst of actual secretarial work, a fact that made her feel the true marvel of intelligent Spirits. Was the work perhaps an attempt by the Dean to further humanise the Spirit? She tried to imagine Caliban or Ariel doing the same position and had to suppress a mirthful smile. How could she convince her Lecturer that Caliban ate her homework? What if Ariel zapped her accounts to oblivion? "Jin! Gwen, Richard! Come in, come in!" Magister Jiang's booming voice came on like a trumpet. The duo entered while Magus Ru retreated to the door. "My work here is done. I hope to see you around campus soon." "Thank you, Sir." They both bowed, took a deep breath, then entered the Dean's open door. Inside the Dean's office, Magister Luo had his guests' files opened in front of him. He had read through the cousins' stats almost a dozen times since last night. Richard appeared as expected, a young man with a thin face, lean of limb and body, a square jaw and a Roman nose that hinted at his mixed heritage. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. When the girl appeared behind the young man, Luo felt a jolt of electricity fill the air. The girl was stunning! A heart-achingly pretty face, striking green-ochre eyes, and a lean, lithe figure, standing as the picture of perfection, a poster child. Luo kept his face impassive. "Greetings, I am Magister Luo Jiang, the Dean of this University." Gwen and Richard both bowed deeply. "I am Gwen Song; it's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." "I am Richard Huang, Sir; it's an honour." "I'd ask that you sit, as is proper for western customs." Luo kept his eyes on the duo. "Conjure Object!" A pair of antique sitting chairs appeared behind them. "Please sit." "Conjure Object" was an impressive tier 4 spell, performed quietly and efficiently with great subtlety. There was no ripple in the Astral Plane, no burst of Conjuration mana; it was as though the chairs had always been there. To achieve such a feat required an exercise in Conjuration as natural as taking a breath of fresh air, as passive as blinking. Gwen and Richard sat with impressed expressions. Luo congratulated himself. "I have studied both of your applications, including the commendations from Pudong Tower on behalf of the Morning Star himself. I am impressed, as anyone would be impressed, by your achievements at so young an age." "Thank you, Sir." the girl inclined her head. Luo rapped his fingers against the table. Rap. Rap. Rap. The crisp sound was an onomatopoeic representation of his thoughts. "However, your applications have come at a difficult time for us. Are you aware that your grandmother, my respected colleague, the esteemed Klavdiya Song, Director of the Second PLA Hospital, has submitted you for a Scholarship position?" "Sir?" The girl had not heard. She had assumed that she was applying for a full-fee position. "Are we eligible?" Richard asked the more poignant question. Luo pursed his lips. The duo held their breath. "Yes," he said finally. "I am allowing it." Both Gwen and Richard allowed their breath to escape their lips. "However, there is a multi-stage process for selection of students for the Lim-Chanrol Student Scholarship prize, or the LCSS, as endearingly known amongst the cohort. There will be a written exam, a Practical, then an interview before a panel. Usually, students have weeks, even months, to prepare. I regret to inform you that you have—" Luo paused, studying their faces carefully. "—several hours. What say you? If not, you are always welcome to apply for the latter year cohort for 2004's semester 1. I hope you understand that Director Song has sprung this upon me rather unconventionally." The duo met one another's eyes, nodded, then responded confidently. "If we fail, Sir, are we still able to apply for the non-scholarship course? Or for the scholarship course again?" the girl asked. "Of course," Luo answered them. "I should also note that the students selected for the Inter-University Competition are usually LCSS alumnus. That and you need to understand that having failed once, it will reflect poorly, though not critically, upon your next application." "I see." the girl appeared to consider the hand dealt toward her and her cousin. Luo wondered what they were thinking—play it safe and slow or loose and fast; those were the options before them. How confident was the girl? The young man should have no problems, considering his role at Prince's. "Shall I explain the stages of each competition?" Luo offered an olive brane. "Please do." The girl squared her shoulders attractively. "Very good." The Magister's lips curled mirthfully. "The written exam is an essay on the current status of our precarious world. It can range anywhere between Demi-humans and Humanity, ecological issues with the Mermen, Political treaties between the Frontier Cities. It has the least weighing of the three exams and serves largely as a measure of your eloquence and wisdom in assessing current affairs." Oh, that's not good. Gwen bit her lip hesitantly. She was a country bumpkin from the woods. What kind of political discourse or sagely observation could she possibly give regarding matters of a world she had barely begun to know? "The next exam is the Combat examination. You may select a tier of Summoned Creature, then attempt to defeat the randomised creature that emerges from the Conjuration Circle. Rest assured that your life will be in no danger, though I wouldn't guarantee the same for risk of significant injury, so do be careful." "What tier can we choose from?" Richard asked. "The exam begins at 5, which is already beyond the abilities of your average University student, and may progress up to 12." "12?" Gwen turned to Richard questioningly. "What could be tier 12?" "The Imperial Tier system is largely a generalisation," Luo explained. "As you are both from the frontier, you have probably had little to no contact with higher-order Demi-humans. A member of the Elven race, for example, is usually a fourth tier creature, possessing extraordinary agility and intelligence, not to mention a lifespan of millennia. When you add that age and wisdom to Arcane Craft, however, as well as elemental affinity, an Elven Druid or Sorceress could easily surpass tier 10 regarding raw destructive potential. Conversely, a Dire Bear with Fortified Earth, and so on, which would be 6 or 7, pending bloodline and traits." "Incredible," the girl confessed to her ignorance, her eyes growing strangely vacant at the mention of Elves. "The same applies to us. Are we not dangerous in ourselves, hmm? Even though the common man is merely tier 1." Luo chuckled amiably, then irritably, he suddenly recalled that he had given an explicit order only moments earlier. "Ellen! Where is that tea?!" 'Ellen' appeared with a tea set bore on solidified air. "Use your arms and legs, Ellen," Luo commanded his Familiar. "Come on, now." The air Sprite took the tray with her ethereal fingers and manipulated the handle, clumsily took a cup and began to fill it with tea. His audience watched in awe as the spectacle unfolded. 'Ellen', as human-like as she appeared, even dressed appropriately in the garb of a doe-eyed secretary, struggling with the pot. At the same time, her slender legs wobbled, struggling to maintain balance without taking flight. Ellen passed a cup over to Richard, but his Familiar hesitated when she got to Gwen. Suddenly, Luo felt a bout of loathing emanating from his Familiar. "I'll take that, thank you." The girl reached out for the cup and saucer. "EEE—" Ellen slipped and flung the tea straight toward Gwen's face. "Lea!" Thankfully, Richard recalled Lea quickly and caught the liquid before Gwen became drenched in Osmanthus water. "Ellen!" Magister Luo sent a jolt of mana into his Familiar the addressed the girl. "I am very sorry. It's hard work, trying to humanise your Familiar. You should try it yourself, Gwen." "It's okay," the girl smiled. "I don't—" "That was your fault!" Ellen seemed more peeved at Luo than Gwen herself. With a flash of Conjuration, she ceased to exist within the material and bid herself to return to her Pocket Dimension. The tea set was left hanging in the air for a comical moment before Lea caught it expertly in a watery bubble. "She's a work in progress," Magister Luo confessed with both hands raised. "I acquired her as a mid-tier spirit, and I am trying to improve her fine motor skills and general intelligence, but alas, Air Sprites are willful, proud, and a little too flippant." Richard asked Lea to bring the tea set to rest against a sideboard. "Now, dear Lea! What you have there, Mister Huang, is the envy of all Conjurers." Luo watched Lea manipulate the tray expertly. "You'll have to tell me about how you came to acquire such a spirit one day, Richard." "I look forward to it." Richard grinned at the Magister. "She's not for sale, by the way." "I would allow nothing of the sort, my boy! I am merely admiring. She's a beauty, she is." Luo snuffed his slight feelings of jealousy. "She is, is she not?" Richard politely asked Lea to service the trio. Together, they watched her pour the tea clumsily, collecting wayward drops by controlling the liquid. "Where was I?" Magister Luo returned his eyes on the two young Mages before him. "The Combat Exam, the Tiers," Gwen answered him. A smile touched Luo's lips affirmatively. "Ah yes, the creatures randomly summoned will be within one to two tiers of your indicated challenge rating. You can give up anytime, and we'll banish it." "Understood, Sir," Gwen replied. "What if a creature has directly oppositional affinities?" Richard inquired further. "Such as if I were to face an Ice Elemental, or Gwen an Earth Elemental? Wouldn't that be unfair?" "You have three attempts," Luo informed them. "If you are unlucky all three attempts, then I can only assume that you're not meant to be here. Fortune, my dear boy, is also a keen component of a Mage's growth. Dungeon diving, Adventuring, the discovery of new fauna and flora, all tied to one's luck. Whatever the case, do your best to demonstrate your skills. Brute force, skilful manipulation, wisdom in Spellcraft or even courage under adversity, we take them all into the account." Luo waited for the duo to digest the news. "The final component is the interview, conducted by the Magisters from the three main factions within the university. These are not real Factions, like the ones in the Tower, of course, they are staff and student organised social groups. There will be the Faculty Head of Advanced Spellcraft, the Department Head of a school I will refrain from informing you, and the Provost of the General Department." "Any clues as to what they may ask, Sir?" Richard inquired bluntly. "A range of questions, to be sure," Magister Luo replied evasively, not wanting to give away the game. "Some personal, some political, others merely of interest to the Interviewers themselves. My recommendation is to be yourselves." "I see." The boy motioned for Lea to return. Lea ignored him and instead flittered about the room, poking at old photo frames and swirling about crystal decanters that scintillated against the sunbeams shining through the french windows. Amused, the two spirit-possessing Conjurers regarded one another with looks of mutual understanding. The boon and bane of having sapient spirits were that they had a mind of their own. "I am good to go," the girl spoke with confidence. "Excellent." Luo put his hands together. "I will inform the others that you will be joining them." "How many others, Sir?" Richard asked. "What's the competition?" "Including you, twenty," Luo replied. "A few genuinely talented students, the others prodigies from the Clans and the Houses, here for prestige more so than anything else the Scholarship may provide. There are only two spots for Full-Scholarship, followed by four for Half-Scholarship." "So, six out of twenty?" The girl nibbled her lips contemplatively. "Do we have to duel any of the other contestants?" "There is precedence, but no, you will not. The result is objectively determined, based on your performances, then extensively debated." "I see." "Very well then, I shall expect the good news. The results will be posted by the week's end. The semester itself begins mid-June. Assuming you succeed, there is still a month to sort out campus accommodations." "I admire your confidence, Sir," Richard smirked at Luo. "And your foresight." "I am an open book." Magister Luo glanced at his two proteges, feeling well satisfied. "Ellen will take you to the testing grounds on the other side of the campus. Do take care." "Thank you, Sir." "Thank you, Sir." Luo gave the two permission to go, then, looking around the office, went about fixing himself a happy drink. Gwen and Richard proceeded away from the Colonial house and down the central Handan promenade, where the entrance to the Hall of Brilliance lay, its three-metre glass doors swinging to and fro as Mages came and went. Carefully, she observed the cosmopolitan students, mostly Chinese, some European, some Eurasian, a few resembling the Han Chinese but distinctly different, which she could only assume to be Korean or Japanese, as well as a few more exotic faces which she guessed to be South American or Mediterranean. There was a massive lawn area right before the Fudan Towers, with broad, poplar strewn avenues running down either side. After piercing the greenery, the trio reached the second campus, Jianghan, where the newer Spellcraft facilities resided. "In here." Ellen's inhuman eyes were scintillatingly beautiful, reflecting the infinite cloudscape of the Elemental Plane of Air. She pointed to a warehouse converted office building with poetry written in red on either side of the door as a couplet. The first read: 'There exist no shortcuts on the winding path of Spellcraft' The second read: 'There is no shore when sailing upon the seas of Arcane knowledge.' To Gwen, both were elegant proverbs. "Welcome!" A pair of Mages, a man and a woman, emerged from the shaded double doors of the warehouse, introducing themselves as the Proctors. "Greetings." Gwen and Richard bowed. The two Proctors returned their greeting with slight inclines of their heads. One of them motioned for the two to enter. "The written exam is in here, the General Examination Hall. Would you like to begin? The Dean has asked to give you time to prepare if you need it." Gwen couldn't think of anything productive she could potentially pertain as to the two hours she possessed, and so she nodded. Beside her, Richard brimmed with supernatural confidence. The warehouse's interior betrayed the shabby looking exterior, probably preserved to retain the historical look of the campus. Instead of galvanised sheeting, the interior was a vaulted wooden ceiling with soft golden pine, embedded with soft down-lights and climate-controlled to perfection. The hall itself took advantage of the warehouse's arched ceilings, separated and held up by three wishbone dividers. If fully arranged, the hall was capable of housing a thousand examinees. Currently, there were only four students busily scribbling away at their tests. Soundlessly, the proctors placed Gwen and Richard into separate, private examination rooms plated with ash-blonde wood, modestly reflective with a pleasant matt-lacquer. Gwen smoothed out her dress and sat on the unyielding chair. "You have a hundred and twenty minutes," the Proctor said. A stack of paper and a single test sheet was upon the table, which Gwen presumed to be the exam paper. She flipped over the page and read the conditions of the exam. **Written Section** Total Marks (50) Allow 120 Min for this section: IN YOUR ANSWER, you are assessed on how well you: \- Demonstrate an understanding of the way Spellcraft may be applied practically. \- Describe, explain and analyse the relationships between Spellcraft, context, and real-world events. \- Demonstrate appropriate use of language and form in the essay format **"Humanity must strive to bring significant and enduring change through the application of Spellcraft."** **Address this statement with your observation and opinions.** Gwen felt for the pen and pulled a piece of exam paper toward her chest. She could only write in English and so hoped that the language barrier wouldn't be a problem. After all, the question was perfect; it was perfect for someone like herself. How should she go about it? Radical, insightful, or perhaps—groundbreaking?

As a successful member of the consultancy fellowship, Gwen knew she could convincingly compose the essay at hand and that her only dilemma was the topic. Tier 1 city or otherwise, for all the magical bluster her current world possessed, humanity was woefully behind her old world in the realm of bureaucracy and politics. Perhaps, she imagined, it was because the Mage-world lacked "democracy" in the sense of "all men born equal", lacking concrete concepts of individual rights, especially the prole base made up by the NoMs. In Australia, despite its lauded freedom, she could see that theirs was a society of long-suffering Apartheid by magical lottery. Thanks to the necessity of survival, the western Mageocracy resembled the15th-century Romagna. Within its network, city-states formed self-serving enclaves, establishing a perimeter of Frontier Cities whose only purpose was to provide nutrition to its nerve centre. China was likewise such a state, possessing the cosmopolitan capital of Shanghai in the south, and the old seat of imperial power, Beijing, up north. Under the CCP's reign, citizens were given Party-selected representatives to represent their interests, a mockery of citizen rights. Worse still, these NoM "officials" held little power over the Towers, who consider themselves above worldly legality. According to her grandmother, two groups of Mages presided over Shanghai's arcane ministries. The People's Liberation Army Tower had boons granted by their allegiance to the Party. Their Mages performed out of ideology and because they had been reared from obscurity by the socialist policies of the state. Comparatively, the Pudong Tower was composed of free-ranging Mages, international expatriates, and members of the Mageocracy's unnumerable Towers. Together, the PLA Tower and the Pudong Tower formed a balance of interest. The PLA Tower bent its resources to develop its trope of China's interests. At the same time, Pudong remained tethered to the Tower system initially envisioned by its European creators after the Second Great War. Considering the circumstances, Gwen decided to compose a piece on the nature of the "Apartheid" between Mages and NoMs. In her mind, such a fundamentally inefficient society was hardly sustainable, even if public hysteria meant that the majority was happy to place all power into the hands of the minority. For a modern economy to prosper, one couldn't abide by the adage that might make right. To surmise what Gwen had thus far seen of Shanghai, it felt as though the powerful took what they wanted with impunity. If there was a treasure, one vied for it. If there was a beauty, one possessed it. If there was a Dungeon, you conquered it. Even after experiencing Sydney's fall, the world she lived in continued to surprise her with its raw savagery. If so, should she write about Locke? Propose the Second Treaties in mixing one's labour with the land? Or perhaps she could draw upon the mighty Leviathan, offer some insight on the symbiotic nature between the head and the hands? Or maybe even Rousseau, whose' treaties on the Savage Man seemed right at home with the wanton natures of Mages in this world. Gwen put pen to paper, then began to write. "On the Vindication of NoMs among us." She would write something with passion and eloquence, drawn from a period of the 19th century where women lacked rights, property, and recognition, a reflection of the state of NoMs. She appropriated lines from Wollstonecraft, whose essay she had studied extensively in university, weaving funny anecdotes with bitter diatribe and witty banter. "Let us not forget that even the highest Mages..." Gwen wrote, "originated from NoMs." In her treaties, she stated that though the Houses and Clans are lauded entities, they yet produce Squabs, meaning just as NoMs could win the genetic lottery, Mages could lose them. To abuse NoMs and treat them as fodder, forgotten and left to menial labour, abused, despoiled and pillaged at the pleasure of the Mage—is to debase humanity itself. As with her Master, she explained that the abuse of greatness is when it is disjoint from remorse! If indeed, she argued, Mages possess such abundant resources, why not seek to eradicate the people trafficking in the extensive ghettos and invest in education for the NoMs, restructuring the bottom of society by offering meagre but meaningful employment? There may yet be great innovators, originators, scholars, creators of the arts, celebrated human minds that lay untapped among the populace. Should the prejudice subside, the aftermath could be a renaissance of art, culture, invention and innovations stemming from the largest population of humanity—the NoMs. Gwen wrote roughly but idealistically, understanding that she must write from the position of a naive student, one who desired a genuine change to the woes her world faced. Her essay, she could imagine, should be the sort of thing that her instructors would find amusing but eloquent, ideal but be lacking in substance, a demonstration of a student with great hopes and designs for the future, one with positivity and morality. Does not an NoM bleed when you prick them? Does not an NoM cry when they are hurt? She filled in the gaps at a pace the others could only marvel. At the test's conclusion, she handed in two-dozen pages in florid but neat handwriting. "That's a lot of writing!" The female Proctor collected her essay with an expression of astonishment. "I had a lot to say," Gwen stated matter-of-factly. "Your companion also finished early. He waits for you outside." Gwen ventured outside the examination hall, shielding her eyes against the glare of the mid-day sun. "Ready for your next examination?" Richard's smiling face awaited her arrival. "Sure, what did you write about?" "Coming from Sydney, I'd think that would be self-evident," Richard stated thoughtfully. "I wrote a treatise about periodically cleansing the coastal regions as to prevent a Creature Tide in the Coastal Wildlands." "That sounds rather pragmatic." Gwen pursed her lips. Should she have written something likewise practical? The question did say 'change the world', had it not? "It was nothing original," Richard added. "Though I did some math and pointed out the benefits of using minimal force to project maximum gain in acquiring resources for the city, as well as using the operation as training for junior Mages to acquaint them with oceanic and coastal combat. I included thirty-six points of interest and pointed out fourteen potential setbacks." "Oh." Gwen felt even less sure of her boastful essay now. "What did you do?" Her cousin asked. "Er… stuff." Gwen played with a coil of hair self-consciously. "I wrote about NoMs." Richard blinked, then snorted encouragingly. "I should have thought as much. I am sure it'll do well. You know the CCP feels very strongly about NoMs here, much more than in Australia." "Let's hope so. Thanks, Richard." Gwen smiled at her cousin sweetly. "Now, shall we see to the second part of our exam?" * * * The field trials took place next door in another warehouse adjacent to the first. "You will be entering a Combat Arena roughly the size of a football field," the Proctor explained. "Are you aware of the procedure? Would you like me to explain?" "The Dean has already explained," Richard informed the Proctor. The man nodded, then stepped aside. Within, Gwen could hear the sound of the distinctive hum of the Walls of Force generators thrumming to keep up. From end to end, the testing platform took up the entire length of the enormous warehouse, fitted with bleachers on three sides and shielded unilaterally with Walls of Force. Within, framed by a rolling knoll the size of a tennis court, a two-headed giant wielded a club clumsily, fighting a Mage who flittered about through the air like a sprite. "Glacial Shards!" A flurry of a dozen blue-white bolts zinged through the air to strike the giant in both eyes, centred upon each brow. The thick hide of the giant shrugged off the force of the attacks—albeit the penetrative elemental damage momentarily blinded the Ettin, an infamous species of monstrous Fay commonly found in mountainous regions. "Sleet Storm!" The Elementalist effortlessly drifted through the air. Gwen and Richard took a seat on the bleachers to observe their competitor, an elfin girl with cropped hair and a manic-pixie appearance. Presently, she was corkscrewing through the Ettin's reach, teasing the beast as the two-headed giant battered its surroundings in a blind rage. "Blizzard!" The air grew abruptly cold. Below the Ettin, the ground became a slippery sheet of ice and debris. Together with a shard of forceful ice, it was sufficient to send the disorientated Ettin backwards, tripping and falling until it folded upon the weight of its brutal body. An Evoker-Transmuter! Gwen marvelled, deeply impressed by the agility and skill of the combatant well on her way to becoming an Aerial Battle Mage. With the Ettin floored, the elfin girl flew in for the kill. "Rime Blast!" A shrieking sphere of frost left her fingers and struck the Ettin on the right head, where it rapidly expanded into a forty-foot diameter ring of rime. The Ettin shuddered as its head froze, pawing its face feebly, struggling to breathe as its respiratory systems rebelled and its fluids froze. "Enough!" A Proctor activated a device, and the Ettin disappeared in a shimmering show of Conjuration mana. Simultaneously, the conjured grassy highlands ceased to be, returning to the bare concrete of the un-transmogrified space of the warehouse. The gathered audience clapped as the girl landed, her face glowing with exertion. "Very good, Kitty, you may return." The girl bowed to the Proctor and returned to the bleachers, where she met half a dozen others in jovial congratulations. The Proctor then turned to the crowd. "As it were, we have TWO more entries into the examination," he announced by raising his voice an octave. "Reset the field!" "How come—" one of the students audibly protested. "But Proctor, there are only eighteen candidates! You can't just add people last minute! The candidates are finalised weeks in advance!" "Mao! Unfair! Who are these people!" Another voice complained. "I bet they paid their way in," someone suggested rudely. "What is Dean Jiang thinking? My House will hear about this!" "Silence!" The Proctor's face flushed a shade darker. "The Dean has spoken. If you're unhappy with it, you are welcome to withdraw from the LSCC Mid-Semester Scholarship Exam." This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The students clammed up, though their eyes instantly found Gwen and Richard. "Gwen Song!" the Proctor announced, his voice filled with displeasure. "Proceed onto the field." "May I go first?" Richard stood. "No." The Proctor shook his head, not even bothering to look toward Richard. "Gwen Song. Are you ready to proceed with your first attempt?" Richard sat back down and placed a hand on Gwen's knee. "I'll be fine," Gwen said to her companion. "I know," Richard replied stoically. "What Tier would you like to attempt?" the Proctor enquired of Gwen. "What was the two-headed giant?" Gwen asked in return. "Tier 5." "Very well, give me a tier 6 monster," Gwen spoke with confidence— after Sydney, after the Dungeon, she shouldn't even be breaking a sweat. The Proctor raised a bushy brow. "We are not responsible for any injuries, though we will endeavour to preserve your life," he said carefully. "If you are grievously injured, you may not attempt again." "I am aware, proceed." Gwen walked past the Proctor. "Break a leg!" Richard shouted. Gwen walked across the bleachers and made her way down to the area. A few catcalls and a whistle answered her from across the hall while the rest of the contestants sat brooding like disgruntled ogres. As she descended into the Arena, Gwen produced a scrunchy from her Storage Ring, pulling back her loose bun until it formed a cascading ponytail. She looked up to see her hecklers and that there were three groups, a clump congregated near the centre, in the midst of which was the prior contestant, the Elemental Ice girl. Unlike the others, their mixed attire indicated a rag-tag band of like-minded folks who became friends rather than a Clan of sorts. Gwen stepped onto the concrete with clacking heels. She could feel the eyes of the gathered contestants like feelers over her skin. "Initiating tier 6 Combat Trial!" The Proctors called out to the Conjurers manning the Summoning Circle. A hushed murmur fell over the hall. The grounds shimmered and churned until the materialised space resembled a savanna, created from a combination of Conjuration, Transmutation and Illusionary glyphs. Her old High School, Blackwattle, had a similar setup, though lacking in many ways. "You may self-buff should you wish," the Proctor informed Gwen. "Extra points if you do not." Gwen shook her head. "I'll be fine. Please proceed." The refusal to pre-buff sent the crowd into a murmur. It was a recipe for disaster not to protect oneself or preload powerful spells. A Mage should sue for every advantage, especially if challenging something at the apex of one's power. "You may begin once the creature is summoned," the Proctor informed them. "Adjudicator, you may proceed." A burst of brilliant Conjuration mana filled one end of the arena, roughly fifty paces from where Gwen stood unprofessional white blouse and pencil skirt, looking as though a young banker had lost herself in the wilderness of the steppes. To her limited knowledge, "fodder" creatures conjured in this way were ripped out from their home and displaced through the Astral Plane into the Material Plane, and therefore always materialised with a bad temper. Thereby, outside an academic or gladiatorial setting, such spells were only used as means to delay an opponent for reasons of its inefficiency. As the silvery motes faded, the shape of a feline form the size of a people-mover van came into view. The creature appeared disorientated for the first split-second, but its golden eyes quickly adjusted upon Gwen as it brought its powerful musculature to bear. "A Chimaera Lioness!" someone cried out from the stands. "Tier 7!" The newly appearing creature would take a moment to re-orientate its new surroundings, which was perfect for Gwen's next move. "Caliban!" She summoned her trump card even as the lioness noticed her and bared its fangs. With the motes of silver cleared, she now saw that the creature was not entirely lion-like. While its head and upper body resembled a lioness, its lower torso ended with hooves, and its tail was a hissing serpent. Furthermore, as the creature began to bear down upon Gwen, she could see that its eyes possessed that strange and alien cornea which goats possessed. Mid-charge, Caliban burst forth from a slit in the Prime Material. Gwen felt the safety threshold provided by Almudj's vital force instantly overcome as Caliban emerged in its newest form. Her complexion grew pallid, for she had willed her creature to appear in its spider guise, but the burgeoning mass the Void vomited forth was massive and bipedal. "C-Caliban!" Gwen clenched her teeth. "Defend me!" Had Caliban grown too powerful for her to command? Her mind raced, her thoughts suddenly full of chaos and unbidden fears of losing control. The Lovecraftian horror had, after all, consumed thousands of critters and an Elder Gila in the last few days, while her Conjuration had remained unimproved since before her Master was murdered by his erstwhile wife. Whatever tier Caliban may be in its new form, it wasn't containable by her measly fourth-tier aptitude. Behind her, she could hear the audience becoming unwitting witnesses to her grotesque miracle. As a Gila, Caliban fell onto the Transmuted floor of the make-shift savannah like a drop of tenebrous ink, then unfolded itself into an eight-foot-tall frog-lizard-humanoid spawn of indefinite shape. Its body mass was stacked like a reversed pyramid, with the bulbous musculature of its head taking up almost half of its torso. A giant lamprey's mouth drooling with grey slime sat in the centre of its faceless mien as it flexed obsidian claws embedded into three-toed fingers. Below, its hind legs were comically short but thick and stout, kinetically coiled like two primed pistons. The two monstrous existences met each other halfway in a titanic clash, the lioness leaping into the air and launching itself into a powerful kick with its hooves even as its fore-limbs racked and slashed and its feline maw tore into the rubbery flesh of the summoned Familiar. The Chimaera's serpentine tail likewise bit into the slimy dermis of its opponent, delivering a necrotic venom that would liquify living tissue in a matter of seconds. Caliban's rubbery flesh was torn at once, becoming ribbons of dark meat as the lioness' claws cleaved at its interior. Gwen felt another bout of vitality drain away, stealing the breath from her chest, but what else could she do at this point? She had made her bed, and now she must lie in it. Had she known Caliban would have emerged with such size and ferocity, she would have chosen Ariel or perhaps planned out her battle better. Through their Empathic Link, she could feel the gibbering bestial joy Caliban exerted. An unexplainable desire came unbidden to her mind, embedded within Caliban's newly acquired body. Before she could stop herself, her hungry body gave the command. "Consume!" She staggered back, her head growing dizzy. Caliban swelled like a bullfrog, its rib cage violently expanding as it ballooned in size, surprising even the Chimaera Lioness who lost its grip upon Caliban's slimy exterior. With a gurgling hiss, her creature's lamprey's mouth unfolded, expanding until it became a maw the width of its body, a full meter across at the extremities. "Wocao!" Voices in the crowd swore. "Mao's ghost!" Even the furious monster howled in guttural terror as its goat's eyes stared into the bottomless depth held captive within Caliban's toothy hell. "SHAA—!" With the sound of a wet, slurping crunch, Caliban enclosed its mouth around the struggling Chimaera, attaching bloodily onto its upper body by swallowing the lion's entire frontal torso. As with a snake, Caliban's lips disregarded all properties of the physical flesh to expand massively around the lion-creature. With a violent, slurping motion, Caliban inhaled, filling the area with the sound of bones cracking and vessels popping. There was another brief but violent struggle; then the Chimaera grew still. "Enough!" One of the Proctors gave the command. A burst of silvery mana came over the carcass, and the maimed or near-dead creature became unsummoned as the spell unravelled. In front of Gwen, her Caliban bewilderingly licked its lips and wondered where its delicious meal had gone. "What the hell was that?" "A GILA! That's a DEATH GILA!" The crowd grew wild with speculations. "Death Gila? As a Familiar? And what was that Element?" While the others raved, Gwen felt her world transform into a topsy-turvy spinning top. She desperately channelled some of her recovering Almudj-mana into her body, steadying herself as to not become a fainting spectacle in the middle of an exam. "Caliban! Return!" She called out, her voice peevish and upset at her rebellious Familiar. "SHAA—!" her Familiar was not a happy frog and refused to return. Gwen felt a slight, spine-tickling panic. Had she lost control? No. She could handle this. She had to. Caliban sauntered over toward her on its stumpy hind legs. Christ—! Gwen gulped. Her Void fiend was huge. Towering over her in its humanoid form, Gwen realised how massive the creature had become. It was like she was looking up at an obsidian menhir that blotted out the sun. Caliban's faceless head, lacking eyes and nose but possessing a mouth spacious enough to fit in her entire torso, lowered itself. Does it want to be petted? Gwen acknowledged from her empathic link. Her Caliban was sad that food had disappeared. "What's she doing?" someone asked their peers. "Showing off," someone else stated. "Do you think it's a Death Gila?" "Whatever it is, I ain't fighting it," a voice remarked, much to the agreement of the others. Ignoring the peanut gallery, Gwen patted Caliban's scarred snout, where even now the wounds made by the Chimaera were healing rapidly, leaving behind white lines in its obsidian flesh. "SHAA— Shaa— shaa—" The humungous humanoid-frog purred and croaked through its circular-saw lips, drooling grey-slime as it nudged her like a cat, sending Gwen off-balance. Gwen materialised then fed her Caliban an unopened can of Spam. The crowd in the bleachers grew silent. She noticed the Proctors studying her. Shit. Gwen felt her heart sink. As Henry would say, that was a terrible display. No skill. No finesse. No display of control or knowledge. There was nothing but power. Raw. Brutal. Unmitigated Power. She looked to Richard, who did not appear touched by her horrific display. When Gwen looked to the others, she saw expressions of horror, disgust, loathing mixed with general aversion. The short-haired pixie girl, in particular, was white as a sheet as their gaze met. Gwen returned her attention to the battle at hand. "Please, Caliban, do it for mummy!" She begged her Familiar. "Go home..." Instead, her frog-fiend sniffed the air and hung out a tenebrous tongue of pink flesh to lick her face. "Okay, okay, buddy, come on! Go home!" Gwen caressed its snout a little more vigorously, rubbing it with her knuckles. To her horror, Caliban turned toward the bleaches to regard the young Mages with a feeling of intense hunger. Gwen felt within her body a renewed tug of war. "No!" She slapped Caliban wetly on the flank. "GO HOME! NOW!" Caliban pushed her aside roughly. "Friend!" Gwen pointed at the Mages. "NOT FOOD! Go home!" Then, there was a moment of hesitation between Master and Familiar, as if a higher power answered. With a "Shaa" of protest, Caliban returned to its Pocket Dimension, returning to the amiable form of the serpent. Gwen breathed out a sigh of immense relief and turned to the Proctors. An awkward round of applause began in the bleachers, likely urged by Richard, ending with only the clapping of her cousin. "You may wait on the other side." The Proctor motioned to the side where the other students were sitting. Gwen nodded, willed a little more of Almudj's energy to fortify her health, then carefully and slowly, she stalked across the arena. Dozens of other contestants regarded Gwen as she crossed the threshold. "Hello." She waved to the largest group. "I am Gwen Song." The group turned to look at the pixie girl, who did not greet Gwen back. Awkwardly, Gwen retracted her arm and turned to the trio on the sidelines. Thankfully, these waved back, but their body language was neither invitational nor amiable, merely polite. Gwen sighed. From the looks of it, even if she was to assume a scholarship position, she wasn't likely going to make new friends. But her social life aside, her mind added wistfully. She needed some immediate and dire instruction on what happened when a Familiar grows above and beyond the tiers of Conjuration possessed by the Conjurer. How can she wrestle back the mental control she had once maintained over Caliban and prevent her darling beast from taking her life force to 'protect' her whenever it felt necessary to do so? All of that would have to wait until the semester began and she could speak intimately with a course coordinator. Wiping the others from her mind, she patted down her dress and sat on the wooden slabs that made the bleaches' benches. She crossed her legs and tried to regulate her breathing, watching as Richard entered the stage. Richard's field turned out to be a semi-urban setting consisting of stunted walls and broken rubble. His challenge of tier 6 Summoned beings was a troop of cunning Corpse Wolves, Undead creatures riddled with disease and venom. A single wolf was barely past the range of tier 3. However, when the wily creatures worked as a pack, they became a significant threat to settlements and expeditions, capable of taking down entire parties of Mages. A few seconds into the fight, Gwen could see that the Alpha of the pack was highly intelligent, commanding the others to surround Richard as soon as the wolves orientated their senses to their new surroundings. As before, Richard spread motes of water throughout the surroundings, abusing the superior elemental control afforded by Lea. A minute later, the pack was quashed, and the Alpha whimpered in a Watery Tomb. Then, with casual cruelty, Richard dispatched the beast, rending it limb from limb like a child tearing the wings from a fly. Richard waved at her—or more precisely, he waved at those behind her, leaving no doubt as to what he would do should they bully his cousin. Waving back, Gwen swallowed anxiously, wondering why her hands and feet were stone cold. With the Undead Wolf torn to bits, Richard asked the Proctor if the exam should continue. The Proctor affirmed his success, and the practical exam ended without incident. For Richard, the applause was genuine. "Well, shall we?" Richard extended a hand toward her as he came up the bleachers. " Shall we? There's one more to go." Gwen shot a sideways glance at her fellow contestants, whose faces were unreadable masks of consternation. Her wane lips broke into a smile as she looked up at her peerless companion. "Let us go then," she replied, taking his hand. The interview. A future curriculum. And Caliban's rebellious teenagehood. Richard's was right—for now, she had bigger fish to fry than these kids and their teenage angst.

Their final exam was an interview, which took place within the westside Tower, also known as 'T1' of the Hall of Brilliance. Now unified as a single troop, the potential Scholarship students meandered across the campus, drawing attention from passersby as they moved. Gwen and Richard brought up the rear to avoid unwanted attention, succeeding thanks to the noise of the arrogant group in front. After what felt like an impossibly long walk, they entered the hall. Within, Gwen marvelled at the conjunction of Deco-cum-Orientalist decor famous to Fudan. In Chinese pictograms, an imposing marble plaque read "Fudan University" at the forecourt's centre, punctuating a spacious atrium favouring a square-in-square design of unparalleled symmetry. Above and adjacent, nine lumen-lit square blocks made up the nine-meter high ceiling, lit by a powerful Daylight array diffusing a soft radiance. From what she could see, the decor's equal-distant triple-segments formed the auspicious number 'nine', said to be the number of Heavenly Dragons and initially, a design favoured by dynastic Emperors. "This way." One of the Proctors led them toward the Levitation mountings. Within, the pair continued marvelling at the meticulously planned decor. From vaulted corridors came the hung visions of old Magisters now and then, gazing benevolently at the next generation of Fudan students. There were four levitation platforms, each holding at least twenty individuals. Still, as they filed into the elevator, Gwen found herself pressed against the mirrored walls. "Wow, you're tall. So tall!" Gwen looked down. A doll-faced Asian girl stood an inch across from her chest, looking up at Gwen's face with an expression of earnest admiration. In heels, Gwen stood a good head taller than the diminutive student whose youthful appearance made her seem younger. Regardless, Gwen guessed the girl should be sixteen or seventeen, with a petiteness that reminded her of Elvia, a recollection that made her instantly sad. "Hello there," she greeted the girl. "I am Gwen Song." "I know," the girl beamed. "I saw you at the trial." "Ah, I am sorry then," Gwen grimaced. "What's your name?" "Mayuree." "Nice to meet you, Mayuree." Gwen put on the friendliest smile she could muster. "Your monster is amazing," Mayuree continued. "What do you feed it?" Gwen felt glad that the girl was more curious than frightened of Caliban. Maybe she was too sensitive? Such was the calibre of Mages when in Fudan! Feeling better, she mused about saying something jovial like 'cuties like you' but decided against the mischievous impulse. "Are you a healer?" Gwen asked. The girl certainly looked young. "Not! I am a Diviner!" Mayuree chirped. "I tell your fortune if you like. I am super accurate. All the others say so." "Mia!" an interjecting hiss interrupted their conversation. Frowning, Gwen slightly turned her head toward the hooded figure of the elfin Ice Mage. She was only an inch taller than Mayuree. Closer, Gwen saw that the girl had a slight blue tinge to her hair and eyes and her skin glowed ethereally. "Sorry!" Mayuree struck out her tongue charmingly. "Hi, I am-" "I know who you are." The Ice Mage curtly interrupted her. "And you are?" Gwen persisted with perfect politeness. For a moment, there was only the thrum of the levitation platform and the nervous breathing of others. "Kitty Liang." The Ice Mage faltered under the pressure of Gwen's friendly gaze. "It's nice to meet you, Kitty." Kitty turned slightly away from Gwen and pulled a hood over her head. Gwen turned to Richard, who was enjoying the show immensely. "Alright, fine. We'll let Mayuree live," he announced suddenly and audibly. "The rest we'll feed to Caliban." There was an audible intake of breath from the junior Mages. Gwen's cheeks turned a shade of salmon as a dozen pairs of eyes searched her face for answers. "R-Richard!" she stammered, admonishing her cousin's ill-humour. She turned to the crowd. "He's joking! It's a joke! Caliban doesn't eat Mages!" Or so Gwen wished. The reality was that Cali loved eating Mages. She wanted to say something like, 'Caliban doesn't eat people, I eat people,' but that was worse both in truth and as a euphemism. Her specific problem was that, as Richard said, Caliban DID eat people, six, in fact, not counting the NoMs at Blackheath. Not able to convince herself, she could hardly expect to persuade an audience who'd seen Caliban swallow a lion-goat-snake first hand. Soon, a semi-circle of space opened around Gwen, except for Mayuree, who seemed even more enamoured with her bluster. Gwen glared at Richard, who had a grin split from ear to ear. The lift opened, and the gathered Mages filed out in a hurry. Gwen was left alone with Richard, the moon-eyed Mayuree, the ice girl, and a wary-looking Proctor. "Please refrain from harming or eating any of your fellow students," the Proctor stated wryly. "There will be stiff penalties and even prison time if you do." "I intend no such thing!" Gwen stammered. "I should think so!" The Proctor gave her a stern, sideways glance before leaving their presence. Gwen bit her lower lip as Richard sauntered out, mightily pleased with his ability to connect Gwen with the people around her. "Grrr!" Gwen stomped after her companion, her face flushed and hot. "RICHARD!" The intimate room compounded Gwen's awkwardness. The others now actively avoided her, averting her questions and refusing to look her in the eye, with only the Mayuree girl stuck to her like an odour, waiting on her every word. Defeated, Gwen tried to divert the conversation to Richard. However, her companion sat by himself in the corner, cool as a cucumber, utterly aloof in his meditations, making contact with no anyone, comfortable in his skin. Defeated, Gwen closed her eyes and tried to enter a meditative mindset. Within her Pocket Dimensions, she could feel Ariel's playful empathy demanding to be released so it could bolt up and down the long corridor. There was also that ambient craving emanated from Caliban, now more pronounced than ever, a pang of hunger that Gwen knew no mortal food could ever satiate. In truth, a part of her had always thought of Caliban as a dog, but with each new consumption, the once-innocent pup was becoming more sapient and demanding. If she should consume a sapient, sentient, intelligent Magical-being then, would Caliban gain a mind of its own? If so, how would she control it then? She should be so lucky that Caliban could rationalise past its bottomless hunger and listen to her command! If not, then what awaited her would be a lynch mob. If they were to run into another Huyi Xiao, Gwen was sure that Caliban would ignore her command and make a meal out of the Abjurer. After that, of course, she would become the dire and deadly nemesis of the Clan of Xiao, and the entire wrath of a four-century-old Clan would descend upon her like a landslide. Unlike Lea or Sufina, the hungering creature of the nether-dark was too instinctual, too dangerous to indulge. What would happen if someone killed Caliban—not merely banishing it, but destroying its very existence? She would lose Cali forever; she would lose a companion that had saved her on more than one occasion for all time to come. Gwen shuddered at the thought. That would be like losing a part of her, like a hand or an arm or leg. "Gwen Song!" the Proctor called out. "Present!" She answered on reflex, bowed, then made for the door to the interviewer's office. "Good luck!" Mayuree called out, beating Richard to the punch. The interview room's interior was almost cliched in its simplicity. Three Examiners occupied a long desk, each outfitted with a glass of water drawn from a jug. An unfolded stool was positioned in front of the table, backlit by a large horizontal window that looked out the Tower toward the Fudan courtyard. "Please sit, Ms Song." The Proctor left Gwen alone with the coven of sorcerous examiners. Gwen curtsied and bowed, then sat. The first Examiner introduced himself as the Faculty Head of Advanced Spellcraft, Magister Gillian Kilmer, a grey-haired gent with a soft, gentle face, attired in an Oxford tweet jacket. The second was a hard-faced Chinese woman, her hair tied in a tight bun that stretched the skin of her head tautly. She introduced herself as the Department Head of Abjuration, Magus Liwen Du. She had on a severe uniform from which a pair of tanned legs extended without an ounce of fat, giving her a military air. The last Examiner came as an unbidden surprise, for the Provost of the General College, Professor James Ma, was an NoM! Gwen felt her worldview flounder. How could an NoM be in such a powerful position? She quickly put on her professional persona as she answered the man. The NoM professor wore a handsome mandarine jacket in the traditional style, with his quicksilver hair slicked back against his skull, accentuated by a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. "Welcome." Liwen drew Gwen's attention with an open palm. "I will begin first." "At your pleasure, Madam Du," Gwen replied with confidence. She sat poised in her chair—her legs scissored and tucked, with her arms resting comfortably across her skirt. Her expression was expectant and anticipatory, eager, but also at ease. "I would like you to offer a postulated solution to a real-life problem. Is that alright?" asked Magus Du. "Please do." "Good," Magister Du continued. "Not so long ago, we experienced a regional incident, an episode regarding Frontier Demi-humans." Gwen's ears perked up, her mind processing every word. "It was up near the Uyghur border, northeast of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. For context, the PLA has historically engaged in skirmishes with the Centaur tribes on the Plain of Yuan since 1949. One of our outposts, consisting mostly of NoMs civilian and mining staff, was raided by the savages in February. Two Mages and a dozen NoMs, all of whom are important to the continued operation of the rare earth metal mine, were taken as hostages. The reason the Forward Operating Base fell is undetermined. In this scenario, you are the Combat Flight's Captain. You have engaged with the Centaurs scouts and routed them. However, upon reaching the mine, you find two dozen Centaur dissidents threatening to execute the hostages unless the PLA retreat from the region." "Operation Command has given your team full authority on this mission. What would you propose to do? Please clarify your answer." Gwen considered Liwen's real-life anecdote. She wasn't a military officer, and she had not undergone Mandatory Military Service, but she was a survivor of the Frontier and a Merman Tide at that. Very quickly, she scanned her mind for a solution. Hostages. A standoff. And a regional conflict over land and resource. But what the hell did she know about hostage resolutions? She wasn't a trained negotiator or a military operator. Her old-world job had been commodity R&D, offering risk-reward compensations and business solutions. Quick! Gwen urged herself. Think! "Is there a time frame in which I must act?" Gwen inquired, suing for time. "Assume maximum operation time to be seven days," Liwen regarded the girl's eager eyes, surprised that an answer was forthcoming so soon. "That was the time frame given for the operation." "Are we able to track the Centaur's tribe? Where they came from?" "You are." Du raised a contoured brow. "Is my team capable of neutralising the village? Overpowering any local resistance?" "Undoubtedly." "I see." Gwen ran the keywords through the filter of her long-term memory, spinning her lobes to overdrive. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Hostage exchange—Regional conflict— Parallels—parallells—parallels— It was a situation with a superior militant force set against a guerilla native resistance. Africa? Middle-East? Gaza? Israel! Her memories threw up the name of Gilad Shalit. Would the parallel work? She had no idea, but she had to try. "Very well." Gwen took a deep breath. "I choose to negotiate with the Centaurs in the mine and stall for time. Meanwhile, if permissible, I will seek to capture double or triple the number of Centaurs' tribesmen, favouring relatives of the captors. I will then have them brought to the mine for a prisoner exchange." "If they are unwilling?" "To show that I am operating in good faith, I will release the wife or children of ONE of the assailants, especially someone who could challenge the authority of the captor's leadership, such as a notable warrior or second-in-command. That way, there will be a feeling of dissent between the Centaurs as those without a feeling of safety will feel maligned and isolated by those whose families are safe. Furthermore, with their family by their side, those who had experienced mercy would think twice about engaging in mutually assured destruction." Liwen tapped her nails against her scribe-slate. "Then?" "Then I will repeatedly offer individual warriors the option of a prisoner exchange, multiple prisoners for each hostage. I will isolate their decision making by demanding collective bargaining, creating divisions through pardoning those who surrender first." Du made notes as she nodded. "A fascinating suggestion, Ms Song. I wonder if Desert-Fox One should have gone with your highly speculative proposal. Out of interest, what do you think was the PLA Captain's choice?" Gwen sipped her glass of water. It didn't take a stretch of the imagination to believe that the Moscow Theatre Hostage Crisis was the go-to modus operandi of the PLA, who saw Mages and NoMs as little more than pawns. Certainly, Gwen could imagine her grandfather, Guo, making such a crude choice without so much as blinking an eye. "You killed them all," Gwen replied with a measured tone. "The Centaurs and the Hostages—correct?" A soundless reticence reigned. "Officially," Liwen spoke after the moment passed, looking at Gwen with renewed interest. "The Centaurs killed the Hostages and then collapsed the mine. It was, after all, an act of Terrorism." "Of course," Gwen affirmed quickly, wondering if her lack of doublespeak had breached some protocol. Should she have said that the citizens gave their lives to better the Party? "That is all I wish to know." Du turned to the others. "Your turn." "I will go next," it was Magister Kilmer who announced himself. "Gwen, I want to ask you a personal question. Can you tell me about your motivations? Why do you want to be a Magus or a Magister? Mayhap even a Meister?” Gwen breathed out at receiving a staple interview question. As for an answer, she would be herself. It was time to rustle their wizard hats- if they had worn them. "I am a Void Mage," Gwen began with a blatant statement of truth. The trio nodded. The examiners had read her file already; they knew the rarity of her talent. Gwen began to speak. "My motivation is freedom. I want the power to be not coerced by external forces. I want to live the way I want, do the things I wish to do. I want to protect my friends and contribute meaningfully to the world on my terms. I want to preserve who I am and aim to be at all cost." "Do you not find that desire a little… idealistic?" Gillian proposed dubiously. "Naive, even." "Not at all." Gwen smiled at the Magister winsomely. "As I told my mentor, the late Lord Kilroy of Sydney, I wish to become a Militant Pacifist." "A Militant Pacifist!" Liwen repeated after her. "How so? Would that not be a paradox?" "Peace through power," Gwen retorted. "Magister Kilroy believed that peace is possible is one is so powerful that their enemies dread the prospect of rising hostilities. I likewise aim to be such a vexing nightmare for my foes, who would prefer to leave me be." "Your peace is a euphemism for tyranny!" It was Provost Ma who spoke. "Your interest would supersede all others? Absurd!" "My interest would be utilitarian, the greatest boon for the greatest many," Gwen shot back. "I would walk the Path of the Militant Pacifist and dispense the justice of Noblesse Oblige; I would balance power with deeds, offset violence with generosity!" The interviewers stared at her. From their expressions, Gwen saw that her proposal was ridiculous, even if the words were thrilling to the ear. "Are you so confident that this power would be yours?" "Of course," Gwen went all in. "I possess Void and Lightning and FIVE Schools of Magic. What I need is the opportunity, space, and the time." "What makes you think you can remain uncorrupted by so much power? How would you walk this tightrope without falling? Better Mages than you have lost to that temptation. Why should we invest in a future menace?" Magister Kilmer leaned forward. "With help," Gwen replied confidently. "With my friend's help. With my family's help. With your help. With Provost Ma's help. With the University's help. With the Tower's help." "Help…" Magister Kilmer snorted. "Comes at a cost." "Yes." Gwen looked toward her interviewers seriously, her eyes a blaze of blue-green mana. "I am no saint. I need guidance. The Void needs guidance. Help is mutual, and I can do much for Fudan—more than Fudan can do for me. And if not Fudan, then..." Gwen left the rest unspoken. "Is that… a threat?" Provost Ma demanded guardedly. "No." Gwen adjusted her hair purposefully. "That is life." The examiners grew silent. Within the room, there was only the sound of their contemplation. "My question is finished." Gillian Kilmer leaned back in his seat, surprised to find a sheen of icy perspiration covering his back. "One more question then." Provost Ma regarded Gwen critically. "Please." Gwen dipped her chin elegantly, the cadence of her breath returning to its usual pace after her last bout of passion. "This regards a recent matter." Ma looked at Gwen seriously. "A Mage has been found exercising Transmutation experiments on NoM civilians. When discovered and caught, the Transmuter reveals she has synthesised a new way to manufacture higher-tier potions, but the price of her discovery is almost two hundred NoM, a dozen dead, the rest maimed. The Magus comes from an influential Clan, now suing for her release in exchange for publishing her findings. You are the PLA Arbitrator assigned to this case and the discoverer of the Transmuter's deeds. How do you proceed?" Gwen didn't need a Nuremberg Doctor's trial to answer that question. "I would publicly shame the Clan of the Transmuter and confiscate the findings for the State, then sentence the Transmuter to imprisonment for her crimes. A show trial should commence for the surviving families of the NoMs, with reparations from the Clan going to each NoM victim." The confidence and brevity of her answer surprised them all. "I see." Gwen's measured response did not seem to sit with Provost Ma, though the other two Mages wore pleased, concurring expressions. "Although, if may I speak candidly?" Gwen continued. "Go on." "I believe that all life, NoM or Mage, are sacred," Gwen said seriously. "I am unsure of the legality of what the Mage has done, but in all seriousness, to dissuade such inhumanity in the future, I would personally advocate the harshest penalty, even if it should be a death sentence. But anyway—how did the real-world example play out?" "Your prior assessment was the correct one." Provost Ma seemed stunned by Gwen's 'candidness'. "Indeed, such is the world we live in, Sir," Gwen said sadly. Even now, her spine tingled with adrenaline. "But it doesn't make it right." Provost Ma pushed up the rim of his glasses. The other two Mages chuckled politely. "I have no more questions," Ma stated. "You may go." "Thank you, Sirs and Madam. Magister and Magus. Professor," Gwen stood from the seat and curtsied and bowed once more. She turned on her heels and stalked from the chamber, her heart pounding as the tension drained from her body. Richard hailed her outside. "Did it go well?" Gwen honestly had no idea, but the instructors had appeared to be impressed. "I think so. No one tried to shut me up." Gwen spoke, then shook out her over-tense body. "Richard Huang, are you ready to proceed?" The Proctor motioned for Richard to enter. "I shall return." Her cousin winked and entered the room. The door to the room shut. Gwen found a spare seat and sat. She closed her eyes and meditated. Please be kind to my answers! She had done as best as she could. She was entirely herself, just like Dean Luo suggested. "Heya!" Gwen's eyes snapped open. Mayuree was an inch from her face, her breath sweet with sugar. "What did they ask you?" the petite girl enquired eagerly, her big brown eyes glimmering. "You've finished your interview?" "Yeah, it was great!" "Well," Gwen suppressed her voice. "I got a question on Centaurs, on myself, and NoMs." "Ooo, I got the NoM one too!" Mayuree tittered. "Did you free the Mage?" "… Yes," Gwen told a white lie; advertising her NoM sentimentality in public was probably not the best way forward in front of the scholarship candidates. "Ha! I knew it! What Clan or House are you from?" "Song," Gwen replied stoically, though that was a misnomer in itself. Gwen knew the Songs did not consider her an inheriting member of the House. In fact, from Guo's cautious aloofness, Gwen felt that he had never even thought that she might be a part of his legacy in any capacity—not that she cared. In Sydney, her real home, she had Gunther and Alesia, Elvia and Yue and Opa. Nonetheless, she felt strongly for her babulya, Uncle Jun, and Petra. "Just… Song?" Mayuree tilted her head and came even closer. Gwen averted Mayuree's intrusive profile. The mousy girl did not subscribe to a belief in personal space. "Just Song," Gwen concurred. "Okay, I am just Mayuree as well!" the Mage said happily. "So, where did you find that big bad Caliban?!" Gwen could hear the others leaning in. "Find it?" Gwen blinked. "Caliban came with my Familiar spell." "Whoa! NO WAY!" Mayuree shrieked, causing Gwen's ears to ring. "A big brute like that just fell into your lap! That's SO LUCKY! You MUST have done something wonderful in a past life!" Well, if only Mayuree knew, Gwen mused. As for being a Samaritan in a past life, she'd rather not dwell on that. Not heeding her lack of a response, Mayuree persisted in making small talk until Gwen's jaws were sore. Eventually, the door opened. "All done!" Richard announced happily to the world. "Richard!" Gwen stood from her seat, ignoring the torrent of questions stemming from Mayuree's rapidly moving mouth. "How was it? How did you go?" "Swimmingly." Richard's mirthful expression was the same as always. "So, what do you think?" Magus Liwen Du asked her colleagues. "Do you mind if I speak 'candidly'?" Ma borrowed a little of Gwen's vernacular. "Sure," Magister Gillian Kilmer gestured for Ma to go ahead. "That Richard Huang is a psychopath," The Provost stated 'candidly'. "He's a clear and present danger. He's missing a synapse. He's dangerous." "He seemed like an outstanding candidate to me," Liwen riposted with a twitching brow. "A little unpolished, but we can hone the edge and provide a sheath to his naked blade. That's what Fudan is for, is it not?" "I vote in favour of Richard Huang," Gillian added after a pause. "The University needs someone who can differentiate between necessary action and mewling sentimentality." "Did you both not listen to his Centaur subjugation proposal?" Ma stated incredulously. "The man's a monster!" "Our monster," Gillian retorted. "He has his loyalties straight." "He's a mad dog!" Ma insisted. "Capturing Clan women and children, torturing them before the dissidents. Sending them tongues, hoofs, organs!? Cleansing a family for every hostage killed?! How does that make us different from the Rogue Mages? From the Terrorist? From the Demi-human savages?" "I think it would work," Liwen stated boldly. "Centaurs are highly communal creatures with a strong herd instinct. I think the PLA Tower should have taken an iron-fisted policy, now that Mr Huang has opened our eyes as to the extent we could have gone. The more I think about it, the more I like it." "At best, we have peace and the return of hostages. At worst, we did what we did and cleansed the Upper Steppes anyway," Gillian pointed out to the Provost. "What's not to like?" "The inhumanity of it all!" Ma blurted out passionately. "James, calm down." Du placed a hand on the Provost's shoulders. "So, Richard Huang?" James Ma sunk back into his seat. "My vote remains unchanged." "Fine, on the matter of the Void Girl?" "Can I refuse?" Ma complained grudgingly. "It's not as if the Dean would let her go. He would create a third scholarship position if we were to say no, would he not?" "Still, what do you think?" Du asked. "Out of curiosity." "Idealistic, naive, but I like her," Magister Kilmer stated confidently. "Strong will, clear logos, talent, looks, intelligence, Fudan could hardly ask for better." "A little too green for my taste, too much of a dreamer," Liwen stated. "But, as Kilmer has said, that is the why Fudan exists. It is why our mock-Tower system exists. We'll hone her edge yet." "Then vote in favour," Ma said suddenly. "I like her sense of justice. She's 'candid', too." The two Mages smiled at their NoM compatriot. "I thought you'd say that." Kilmer tapped his pen against the grey-stone slate. "That's three for three, then? Good, let's get a move on, shall we?" * * * "Do we go home now?" Gwen asked the Proctor. "Indeed, we will be in contact," the Mage replied. "We hope to see you in Fudan again, very soon." Gwen asked if Richard wanted to look around the campus with nothing more left on the agenda. "Sure." Her cousin nodded. "I am interested." As the duo turned to leave, they were once more accosted by a chipmunk-faced Diviner. Mayuree flashed an unreadable smile that showed off her pearly white teeth. "We were wondering…" she asked shyly. "Do you guys want to come to a super secretive and super awesome auction?! Kitty, Deng, Nathan and Kevin, and yours truly, are all going! Our box can sit ten people!" Mayuree flashed a card embossed with a golden M. Gwen and Richard met one another's eyes. Super-secretive. Super awesome. An Auction? The Auction from the House of M? That was today? Gwen suddenly recalled something from her cousin. She had promised Mina a date, hadn't she? Gods! She had forgotten all about it. "Can I bring a friend?" Gwen asked their petite companion. "Sure, Richard can come as well," Mayuree beamed. "Ah, I mean another friend. You see, I'd promised—" "Okay! No problem!" the bubbly girl squeaked. She took Gwen's hand unbidden and swung it back and forth excitedly. "I am sure it'll be super interesting!" "Richard?" Gwen turned to her companion to beg his confirmation. "Sure, you got Mina's Message Glyph?" Richard asked. Gwen nodded. "Hurray!" Mayuree's eyes twinkled, making Gwen wonder if the girl was naturally so bubbly. "Give me your address; I'll send a car over to pick you up!" Send a car? Was the little girl the kid of a big wig? Gwen pondered the ease at which Mayuree suggested she could spare the resources to pick up strangers she just met to attend a 'super-secretive auction'. She wondered if she should change her mind and decline, but she did need new friends in Fudan, now more than ever. "That's too much. How about we reconvene in Fudan?" Gwen suggested modestly. "Pick us up near the front gate? We're going to go for a walk and get to know the place." "Okay! 5 PM sharp!" Mayuree chirped, letting go of Gwen's hand. "No backing out! I'll be so sad!" They watched the girl skip back to her group to explain her success. The group turned to regard Gwen and Richard with evident dismay, particular the Ice girl, who gave Gwen a nasty look. "How much money you got?" Richard asked. "It's an auction, after all." "Well, I got about 3000 HDMs in the Ring," Gwen said quietly to Richard. "Think it'll be enough for something interesting or worthwhile?" Richard was looking at Mayuree with a thoughtful expression. "Richard?" Gwen repeated herself. "Something wrong?" "No, not really," Richard shook his head, then patted her on the head. "Let's look around. As for the auction, I am sure it'll be a blast!"

Gwen and Richard found a Parisian cafe for an "arvo" luncheon on University Rd called "Pierre's Patisserie", measuring minutes with the churning of coffee spoons while engaged in people-watching. The tea was a blend of leaves grown from an 'Elven' sanctum in an Indian Orange Zone, diffusing a mild, potion-like effect that dispelled the hectic morning's fatigue. While waiting, Gwen called up Mina and told her of Mayuree's offer. "Mayuree? I know that name. Round face, about my height, Diviner? Excessively rich clingy?" "She's rich?" "Very," Mina's reply sounded less than thrilled. "We're acquainted but not close. You didn't let her latch onto you, did you?" "Erg..." Gwen's words caught in her throat. Mayuree had gotten close enough to kiss, not that she would. "Is Richard coming?" "Of course." "Right, don't do anything I wouldn't do. Ah-Bao will drop me off at Fudan as soon as possible. See you soon, cousin." Mina's flashy European sedan pulled into University road about half an hour later. Her cousin emerged from the exuberant eggshell interior of the saloon sporting a knee-length jacket, hinting at a shimmering dress hidden beneath the canvas covers. Mina had prettied herself for the auction, with her impeccably coiled hair framing her China doll face, drawing admiring eyes from passersby. Behind Mina, Gwen was surprised to see Tao, unsurprising adorned with a red duckbill cap and his signature Adidas getup. "Sup Cuz!" Tao threw Gwen and Richard a few arcane rap signs. "How's the test, dawg?" "It went well, Peaches. Thanks for asking." Gwen gave the both of them a friendly peck. "Mina, do you think Mayuree would protest if..." "Mia— that's Mayurees nickname, should be fine with it." Mina fluttered a hand in the air, interrupting Gwen's well-meaning bluster. "She's the sort that's friends with everyone." "Alright," Gwen answered doubtfully. "What can you tell me about this Mayuree? Does she have a last name?" "Not at all," Mina said. "She's not from around here, as far as I know. Her family is very wealthy. I recall her business group was responsible for the west wing of the library at my old international high school." "Wow, if YOU think she's wealthy..." Gwen bit her lip, knowing that Mina's father was very, very rich. "Alright, so she's not your average Diviner either, then? She was at the Fudan mid-year Scholarship Trials." "I wouldn't know about that. We've attended a few socials, but Mina is well known for her Augury." "Like, fortune-telling?" "Something like that. We went to school together in junior and senior high. Rumours say that Mia's got Divine blood from an old Lineage. Who knows. It's not like we ran in the same circles." "Divine lineage?" Gwen pursed her lips. "From the Gods?" "Your guess is as good as mine. The Old Bloods tend to marry within the clan, though Mia doesn't seem like one of those inbred puritans." Mina shrugged. "But I'll tell you what, don't let her read your fortune!" "But you said they're accurate!" Gwen pointed out. Wasn't she a "diviner" too? Maybe she could pick up some Divination pointers from Mayuree. "Just don't. Accurate fortunes are the WORST." Mina shuddered as if reeling from an unpleasant recollection. "If it's good, it ruins the surprise. If it's bad, you're going to live in an unbearable hell of anticipation." "Can't you change the prediction if you know of it?" "They're ACCURATE," Mina retorted. "Let's stop here; I am getting a headache just trying to figure out the paradox. You can take Divination 101 next sem if you want." "Okay," Gwen promised. "No fortunes." "Anyway." Mina pressed closer to Gwen. "Dad wants to thank you for helping out Peaches. His 'success' really gave him 'face'. He said, so he told us to help you in the auction any way we can." "WITH Currency! Bitches!" Tao made a few C's with his fingers. "We're cashed up!" "A sizeable war chest." Mina slapped her brother's hands of the way. "For Mao's sake, Peaches—stop that! We're right in front of Fudan! People here know me!" "What's the magnitude of his gratitude?" Richard interjected, preferring the girls cut to the chase. "3000 HDMs," Mina stated proudly, watching Richard's face. "For making Tao less of a loser." "HOLY S-"Gwen covered her mouth. "Seriously?!" Maybe she should professionally serve as Tao's life consultant? With every triumph, his father could dispense a bonus. "As much of it as you can spend, yes." Her cousin patted Gwen's unemployed body with sympathy. "No, no. It's too much!" Gwen protested. Even after ripping off Dai Fung, that was all the money she owned. The others looked at her grinning face blankly. When it came to money, Gwen was a terrible actor. "We insist..." Mina said. "Well, if you insist..." Gwen felt filled with inner fire. If she had almost 6000 HDMs, it meant she had a far better chance of picking up some critical ingredient or an item that could significantly improve her bid for the LCSS—maybe, she could even find a Spirit to feed Ariel! Her joy was interrupted by the beeping from the streetside. Roaring closer, a stretch-limo pulled into the parking bay. The obsidian pane wound down to reveal Mayuree's porcelain face, beckoning for Gwen's company. Inside, Gwen watched Mina suffer as Mayuree clung onto her cousin like a koala. "I've known Mina for years!" Mayuree leaned to nuzzle Mina on the cheek. "We're best buds! We should hang out more often!" Mina discretely pushed Mayuree away by inviting Gwen to sit closer. Gwen, however, was distracted by Tao, who took up two seats with his legs wide open, looking thoroughly 'gangsta'. Mina sighed. Gwen turned toward the spacious interior of the eight-meter-long stretch, where the other guests sat. There were the three nondescript young men she'd seen from the exam, whose names she didn't recall. They sat around Kitty, the Para-Elemental Ice Mage with the pixie-cut. With effort, she attempted small talk with the stoic foursome but felt impeded by the spectacle of her other cousin. As before, Kitty entirely ignored her. Gwen was just wondering if Tao could discretely displace himself when her cousin made an obscene motion with his fingers at the men, who had chosen to distract themselves from Tao by peeking at Gwen. "Yo! Whatchu looking at?" He swaggered abrasively to the quiet Kitty, who sat opposite him with an expression full of loathing, giving him the stink eye every time their gazes met. Kitty, whose face had been unhappy as soon as Gwen and company had entered, addressed Tao with a cold, murderous look. "Sup, ho?" Tao gave the girl a mixed-message grin. "U wanna ride this bad boy?" Gwen spat forth a thimble full of the sparkling water she'd been sipping, soaking the front of her blouse. Bloody hell, she cursed in silence. How can a human being so gifted at drawing out the worst in people? Sure enough, one of the young men instantly took on an expression that suggested he was about to deliver retributive justice for the icy princess. More so than before, she wanted to get off Tao's wild ride. Her eyes met Richard's. Unfortunately, Richard appeared to enjoy her suffering thoroughly. Comparatively, Mina's expression grew mildly vacant, as though she was someplace far away. It was the look of insensibility made dull by long-term exposure to trauma. Maybe the limo could pull over first. Gwen hoped against hope to drop Tao off. She was confident a Mage could survive a sudden ejection from a moving vehicle. "Kitty, ignore him," Mayuree spoke, her interceding voice was sweet and soft, but the cold tone of the command struck Kitty like lightning. Obediently, Kitty turned his face away and pretended Tao was not a man but a fabric stain. Gwen watched the body language of Kitty's foursome as she with her arms folded across her chest. She felt a prickling suspicion beginning to take shape within her mind. Rather than students from Fudan, Kitty and co reminded Gwen of discrete bodyguards. "Sorry," Mina apologised to Mayuree. "It's alright." Mayuree turned to Gwen to pivot the conversation. "Anything you're after at the auction?" "Well," Gwen replied with complete honesty. "I don't know. What should I expect?" Mayuree excitedly began to rattle off a list of potential purchases. Outside, dusk descended. The illuminated nightlife of Shanghai came to life one by one, as though beckoned by an unseen Conjurer. Half an hour of insufferable Tao later, the limo pulled into the illuminated expanse of an enormous hotel. "We're here!" Mayuree's treacly voice announced. They had arrived at the Shanghai Hyatt-Regency, an eighty-eight storey marvel of a building situated in the heart of the Bund district. Perhaps in homage to the two Mage Towers, or mayhap designed for symmetry, the international hotel likewise consisted of two towers, each constructed with a curved-glass exterior which offered panoramic views of Shanghai from CBD to the Huangpu. "This is the 'super secret' House of M Auction?" Gwen's heels tapped the marble pavement as she stepped from the limousine. The atmosphere felt more akin to a red-carpet event sans the paparazzi. All around them, well-dressed guests emerged from chauffeured vehicles or engaged the awaiting valets, beyond which a stream of waitstaff bowed at patrons before guiding them into the lobby and beyond. Under the glass canopy, the atrium was an architectural miracle of vaulted glass thirty-meters high, encased in rose-quartz marble and smoky-oak wood panelling. Beneath the cathedral of crystalline splendour, suited men and sparkling women engaged in polite conversation over canapés, sipping from tall flutes filled with amber liquid. Besides Gwen, Mina allowed her jacket to slide from her torso and into her Storage Ring, revealing the visual spectacle of her silvery, shimmering dress. Sheer, glimmering, high-waisted and loosely hanging from her slender shoulders, accentuating her princess demeanour. "You're gorgeous," Richard said the words before Gwen could utter her compliment. "I am positively underdressed in comparison and feel both inferior and abashed in your presence." "Never!" Mina cooed at her cousin, whose face was entirely serious. With an expression of smugness, she hooked an elbow in between the space between his arm and his waist. "Let's head inside. The exotic fauna garden on the second-floor atrium is a wonder!" Tao followed the couple, a natural-born third wheel. "I'll leave a part of Lea with you," Richard spoke to Gwen by leaning closer to her ear. With a discrete incantation, the Water Mage materialised a small, amorphous blob to hover just behind Gwen's ears, not unlike an Ioun Stone. "Our suite is at 34-B!" Mayuree reminded them as they left. She turned to Gwen, eyes sparkling. "Shall we?" The Diviner dressed surprisingly conservatively in something akin to a mandarin dress in ivory. "Let's go," Gwen smiled back, her mind full of wonders for the auction to come. "Ms Song!" a voice cried out from the stairs. They were intercepted on the second floor by a very surprised Magus Yuu. "It's good to see you again so soon, Ms Song." The Magus shook her hand in an over-intimate manner. "Ms Mayuree, your presence delights me." "Hey there, Meng." Mayuree nodded at the Magus curtly. "The Auction prep is going well?" Meng, Gwen duly noted. Not Magus, nor Sir. Just Meng. "Of course, Mistress," Yuu replied with an edge of caution to his voice. "All the items are secured." "Is brother here?" "Master Marong? He is in the VIP suite with his friends." "I don't want a repeat of last time," Mayuree's voice had a touch of steel, which sounded to Gwen as strange coming from a face so sweet and innocent. "Of course, Mistress," Yuu retreated from the two girls. "I shall waste no more of your time. Ms Song, please enjoy the auction." Gwen turned to Mayuree. "Mistress?" She raised an arched brow. "Don't pay it any mind." Mayuree laughed. "You probably think the title makes me sound arrogant, right?" Gwen returned a polite chuckle. Mina was right; it was best not to delve too deep. She should get her auction done and get out of here. They could be home before midnight. When they reached the private Box 34-B, Gwen saw that Kitty had already taken residence alongside Mayuree's three stoic stooges. "Kitty." Gwen nodded at her before finding a seat closer to the edge. Kitty snubbed her usual. Mayuree sat beside Gwen and again tried to strike up a conversation, with Gwen answering her queries thoughtfully, though keeping a polite distance from offending the unhappy Kitty. Below the amphitheatre was a concert complex converted for the auction, possing of four tiers of private boxes, an upper and lower circle, and a standing-room pit. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tao arrived soon after, his individual "style" drawing unfriendly and sceptical glances toward their box. Richard and Mina appeared shortly. By Mina's confession, they had taken a whirlwind tour of the buffet table before retreating to the second floor to sip pinot gris from tall fluted glasses over a vista of the Bund at night. "There's a BUFFET?" Gwen moaned. Why hadn't she seen the buffet? Thanks to Mia, she had been denied a boon of deletable Wildland supplements! "Here, I got something for you," Mina materialised a plate of miscellaneous food-stuffs stacked atop a vessel filled to the brim. "That is, Richard asked me to get some for you. You should have mingled. He was so surprised when you walked right past the buffet section!" "Thanks, guys. I knew I could count on you." Gwen took the laden plate from Mina's delicate hands and began the loving work of replenishing her reserves. Caliban had taken a toll only hours ago, and here was free world-class food. Mayuree looked upon the diminishing plate of food piled three-stacks high as if seeing Gwen first. The others who had never seen a performance of Gwen's bottomless appetite likewise regarded her with wide-eyed wonder, pondering where in her body the foodstuff could be stowed. "Where do the items come from?" Gwen asked Mayuree out of curiosity as she wrapped up her grand luncheon. "Here and there, traders, adventurers, Magus and Magisters looking to trade for rare ingredients, that sort of thing—but that can wait. It's starting!" Upon the illuminated central stage, the auctioneer began with a bang. The presiding agent wore a charcoal vest over a white silk shirt, accentuated with a bright blue tie. He stood ramrod straight, thin as a pencil, his face severe and aristocratic. "LADIES and GENTS, MAGES, MAGUS and MAGISTERS! Thank you for attending our auction, hosted by the House of M, humbly at your service! My name is Arden Cooper, and I am your Bid Caller for the night." The auctioneer's accent was distinctly British, his sonorous voice rolling off the tongue like smoothly churned butter, every syllable accentuated and annunciated deliberation and emphasis. "We have a lot of items to move tonight! We are item-rich but time-poor! And so, befitting the scarcity of time, allow me to open with our first item!" An illusory barrier faded from existence, revealing a pair of exquisitely crafted ankle-high boots. "Ladies and Gents, a pair of Boots of Levitation, unisex, self-fitted, crafted by T.K. Giro from the hide of an albino Bauxite Rhino from the Orange Zone southward of Frontier Phuket. This item allows the use of the Levitation effect by will. Perfect for the curious Dungeon crawler and consummate traveller. As a master-crafted item, the shoes possess an allowance of two hundred and fifty kilograms, with a maximum height of six meters. Furthermore, the shoes possess a built-in Feather Fall feature..." "The bidding begins at 400 HDMs." "I see 500!" The bidder raised a glyphed paddle. "500, thank you, Sir, for the fine start." "600." "800." "850, calling once!" "I am happy to sell it at 850 unless another enterprising collector would like to become the possessor of this unique item." "Is that so, then 875 it is, the hammer is in the air, Sir." "Madam?" "Of course, 875 remains a bargain." "I would like to remind all present that a portion of tonight's proceeds will go towards the maintenance and care of our citizens in the Frontier. As you know, Sydney has suffered a terrible setback. All that Auroch beef, lost! Truly a tragedy!" "900! I must congratulate you, Sir, for having such rare judgement." "900?" "Going once?" "No more?" "Very well…" "No?" "...Going thrice! SOLD! To C028 for 900 HDMS!" A round of applause greeted the winner, whose box was just out of Gwen's field of Vision. So this was the auction. Gwen was happy that the methodology did not differ from her old world, only that the items were stranger than fiction. The following article was a pair of Bangles that provided a weak but autonomously activated, near-perpetual shield, allowing even an unconscious Mage to deflect attacks. It sold for 960 HDMs. The next was a set of a dozen potions of Heroism, blessed by some famous Cleric from the Roman Catholic Church. The liquid dispelled fear, gave clarity of mind, delivered minor healing, and enhanced fortitude, strength, and agility. They were sold as a set for a total of 110 HDMs. "Next! A rare Ring offered by the Wildland Trade Consortium of Pudong, a Ring of Animal Influence, crafted by a Demi-human master!" The clamour from the crowd rose in pitch and volume. Gwen shifted to the edge of her seat. An item made by a non-human Magic-User? "From the Woods that Wend, crafted by Master Iythronel Yllahice from the yearling growth of a millennia-old Dryad, this ring offers wearers the ability to speak to mundane and magical animals! Furthermore, users may command and influence low-tier Magical Beasts, as well as evoke an area of effect fear which affects all creatures within a maximum radius of one hundred meters." "A Demi-human crafter?" Gwen turned to Mayuree again. Her companion nodded. The auctioneer continued. "The bidding begins at 1000 HDMs." "... 2000!" "... 3000!" The contest for the ring was far fiercer than Gwen had anticipated, ending at 3850 HDMs. "What does a Demi-human do with HDMs?" Gwen asked Mayuree, expecting that the 'Mistress' of Magus Yuu would possess some insight into the matter. "Trade, really," Mayuree replied casually. "We have resources the Demi-humans need; they have items and ingredients that we need. HDMs are an easy currency for exercising that goal." "Do they have any use for the crystals themselves?" "Sure, empowering our magical devices, using it for themselves, or dispensing it as a reward. Mageocracy HDMs are now a standardised currency even among the other races. Man-made HDMs are SUPER popular." "How so?" Gwen found the notion puzzling. Are the other races treating HDMs like the U.S Petrol-Dollar? If so, was this a naturally forming phenomenon or a politically imposed one? "Can't the Demi-humans mine their own? All the mines are in the Wildlands, no?" "No, you Silly! Only we can mass manufacture HDMs." Mayuree's helpful tone was full of eager information, looking happier now that Gwen was speaking to her more naturally. "The other races tend to prefer barter. The Mageocracy's universal currency makes cross-cultural, intercontinental trading much easier." "I see." Gwen turned back to the auction. "Thanks for the heads up." "Anytime! You'll learn all of this in the General Course anyway." A dozen more items came and went to their new owners. "LADIES AND GENTS!" The auctioneer continued. It has been almost an hour since he began, his clarion voice growing in intensity with every item sold, as though the auctioneer's stamina fed off the flow of currency. "Now for the rare ingredient component of our evening!" Applause and cheers hailed the announcement. The 'ingredients' consisted mainly of Creature-parts, each with different attributes of elemental affinities that made them unique in creating particular kinds of magic items from skin, eyes, teeth, nails, and organs of various parts. "Next, a Fruit of Life, A Fructum Vitae!" "Gwen!" both Mina and Richard spoke up, but Gwen needn't their advice to know that she needed to bid for the fruit. "Someone else must have found one as well, from the Hengsha Dungeon," Richard observed when the fruit made its appearance. Its durian like exterior hinted that it likely had the exact origin as their own as it sat in its stasis box. "100!" "120!" "140!" "200!" Gwen called out. "Very good, to the lovely lady in 34-B! 200! Going once!" "230!" "45-A, 230! Do I have an answer from the Miss in 34-B?" "250!" "270!" "275!" "278!" "Go to 300," Mayuree suggested. "Don't creep your bids." "300!" Gwen raised a paddle which displayed the number she announced. "300! Going once! Going twice! GONE! Sold to 34-B!" Gwen shivered. The auction was rather more exciting than she had anticipated. "What do you need a Fruit of Youth for, anyhow?" Mayuree dug for details. "Someone in the family looking to turn back the clock? There are better options for that purpose." "It's a Void Mage thing," Gwen told the half-truth. "I need as many as I can get." "Magical fruits have diminishing returns," Mayuree pointed out helpfully. "How many have you had?" "Two?" "Four or five is the usual limit, then you'll barely notice its effects," Mayuree advised. "Although you should probably consult someone from the Alchemical Faculty. Maybe they can synthesise it for you for some CCs. I can help out if you lack the connections." "Thanks, I'll look into it if I get the chance." Gwen returned her eyes toward the auctioneer. "Now what?" "Someone will be here to collect and deliver," Mayuree told her expertly. "You come to these auctions often?" Gwen tested her talkative companion. "Now and then." Mayuree's eyes twinkled. Gwen turned back to the stage, where the illusory veil lifted from the next item, a flash of elemental lightning lit up the entire auditorium. Gwen's eyes locked onto a Creature Core with the appearance of a yellow diamond. "NOW! A WONDER from the Forbidden Zones of Central Africa, pilfered from the Heart of Darkness, from the reachable sanctums of the Mbochi, a rare and precious gift for those who wish to traffic in the power of the Gods, channel the divine essence of the heavens - A Crystalised Heart of the Congolese Eland!" Gwen had no idea what an Eland was, but she suddenly knew that this was an item she needed. Within her pocket dimension, Ariel had sensed the resonating elemental resonance emanating from the crystal heart and was begging for release into the Material Plane. As motes of lightning mana filled the room, the empathic link grew so intense that Gwen squirmed on her seat. Discretely, Gwen allowed Ariel to manifest. "EE—!" "Oh! How precious!" Mayuree did not seem surprised at all that Gwen summoned a Lightning-element Familiar. "What's its name?" "Ariel," Gwen replied distractedly, trying to catch the auctioneer's boastful description while trying to control the squealing Ariel. In her lap, her Familiar was busily trying to illustrate something with its paws, alternating between begging, wagging its head cutely, and flopping onto its belly and squirming like a serpent-waisted cat. "Here, let me try. Lea, if you please?" Richard intervened. A minuscule Lea about the size of Ariel's non-combat form appeared beside it and began to converse with Ariel. "EE—EE!" "EE?!" Lea replied "EE!" "Ee-ee?!" Lea nodded. "Lea speaks marten?" Gwen felt her knowledge of the Always-Amazing Undine renewed yet again. "Nature spirits can Commune with Animals at will," Mayuree cut in helpfully beside her. "I can too, you could have asked..." Lea turned her tiny face up toward Gwen. "It says that it wants to eat the gem so that it can grow strong like Cali." "Why?" Gwen seemed puzzled by the marten's request. "Ariel can't shapeshift, can it? It's not like Caliban." "Not like Caliban, no," Richard advised. "But you have to remember that both Caliban and Ariel are not actual fauna. They are special creatures empowered by Lord Kilroy. They're not native anymore. How else do you think they reside in your Pocket Dimension? They don't drink water. They eat mana crystals; they don't' defecate, they don't suffer from illnesses, nor can they be bred." "They're Elementals," Gwen realised where Richard was going with the reminder—beings manifested from the primordial chaos where the fabric of the Planes is thin. They grow in power through living in regions rich with reinforcing elemental forces." And most importantly, they were a part of herself. Strip away the animus provided by Summon Familiar and Ariel would be a ball of lightning, just as Caliban would be a vicious mass of hunger. Only Spirits could retain their astral forms, though she hadn't been that lucky. "—A region ravaged by storms and lightning, beyond the habitation of man! Here is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Below them, the auctioneer had finished extolling the virtues of the Eland's heart. Now was the moment of truth. "The float begins at 2000 HDMs!" "Oh no, there's no way we can afford that." Gwen turned to Richard. From her observations of the previous Auctions, they were most definitely short. “3,000!” “4,000!” “4,500!” Gwen was almost out of cash. "I'll lend you 1200 HDMs," Mina suddenly interjected. "Go for it!" "4,600!" Gwen held up her card and called out. "4,700!" "4,800!" "4,900!" "5000!" She gritted her teeth and continued. There better be some fortuitous part-time jobs when this is said and done, Gwen thought worriedly. Maybe she could take Tao out for another spin and squeeze some more gratuity from Patriarch Wang. "5100!" Gwen cursed. From the sounds of it, there was at least three others bidding. "5500, going once! Going TW-ICE!" The auctioneer did that elongated voice which irked Gwen to no end. "5550!" Gwen had to save as much money as she could for her University days ahead, but Ariel was genuinely desperate. There was still accommodation, food, textbooks, socials, and God knows how many other expenses. The Scholarship may mean that her Courses are free of charge, but that's assuming she even receives one. Gwen would have to find a loan somewhere, maybe contact Gunther or Alesia to beg for alms, which made her face burn just thinking about it. "5700!" The next bid dashed the last of Gwen's motivation. Opportunities come and go. Ariel's existential upgrade could wait. "Keep bidding!" Mina urged. "No. We can't afford it." Richard shook his head. "But it's a rare item!" Mina looked as though she wanted to start bidding on Gwen's behalf. "One we can't afford," Richard's repeated words stabbed Gwen in the gut. She hugged the antsy Ariel close to her chest and squeezed her Familiar tightly. Sensing its Master's disappointment, Ariel struck out its salmon-pink tongue and licked her face. "Sorry, Ariel..." Gwen stroked the marten. "Not today." "Eeee..." Ariel channelled her guilt and so hung its head sadly. Her cousin appeared stunned by the idea that Gwen could give up something so potentially beneficial to one of her primary powers. "7,000!" The next call surprised them all. Somebody must have wanted the crystal desperately. "Well, that's that then." Gwen breathed out. She felt less disappointed now that it was clear the item wasn't to be. As with life, if she wanted to win, she would have to work harder for fame, currency, and influence. "Going once… going twice…" the auctioneer announced quickly. "Sold! For 7,000 HDMs!" The sound of applause filled the auditorium. More items came and went, but Gwen had lost the happy anticipation with which she had begun the night. Later, a ring that allowed one to negate Paralysis and ignore Slow and Halt effects fetched 8,000 HDMs. Another rare item was a shimmering dress which turned out to be Elven made chainmail, as light as cloth and as resilient as upper-tier magical spider silk, capable of impeding virtually all non-magical physical attacks. That austere item fetched 12,000 HDMs. To Gwen, it would seem that Demi-human artifice fetched almost double the price of human-made items. "Good grief," Gwen breathed out when the hammer fell. "That's an obscene amount of money." For a dangerous moment, she wondered if she should pawn something, but her rings were priceless. The Teleportation Ring was from Gunther. The Ring of Evasion was from her Master. The Storage Ring was from her Opa. They were untappable treasure troves. Then, as quickly as it began, the stage went dark, and the sound of shifting seats and moving people filled the auditorium. Gwen sighed. It was time to leave this place of extravagance and return to reality. "Don't worry about it," Mina assured her. "You can always use CCs. As long as whatever you need exists, somebody somewhere will try and get it into your hands. It's just a matter of time." But time was precisely the matter; Gwen wanted to retort. As her grandmother so wisely reminded her. Time was the only finite thing she possessed. As they turned to leave, there came a knock at the box's door. One of the young men opened it to reveal Magus Yuu. "MS Song, I have your Fructum Vitae." Yuu presented the piece of white-jade flesh stored within a stasis device. With a touch of Rings, Gwen transferred 300 HDMs over to Yuu, and the exchange was complete. "Oh yes, I have also brought the item you requested, Mistress." Yuu motioned behind him, and a young woman in an attendant's uniform brought out a velvet cushion, upon which a crystalline heart sat, glowing with the hysterical radiance of elemental lightning. Gwen felt her heart catch in her throat as the Core illuminated the interior of their private box. Richard took on a thoughtful expression and turned toward Mayuree with an unreadable expression. Tao's eyes were aglow, as were Mina's. Casually, Mayuree plucked the Core from the cushion. "Gwen, catch!" she announced mirthfully and tossed the offending object toward a flabbergasted Gwen, who fumbled her catch with heart-in-mouth panic until she finally caught it on her lap. "Wha—?" Gwen held the precious object; the 7000 HDM treasure hummed in her trembling hands. "W-What's the meaning of this?" "A memento for our friendship," Mayuree announced with smiling eyes that sent goosebumps down Gwen's spine. "For commemorating the day we met." The heart-shaped Core felt as though it possessed the weight of a neutron star in Gwen's lap. Should she return it? Give it back? Of course, she should. A gift without cause is a dangerous thing. A nasty, hazardous thing. A debt. "I can't take this!" Gwen protested. "It's too mu-" "Ee—!" Ariel launched itself at the orb. CRUNCH! Gwen looked toward her lap. Below, Ariel had broken off a small chunk of the crystal and was now happily chewing away. Her eye began to twitch uncontrollably. With horror, Gwen regarded the happy Ariel with as much love as regret, cursing her inattentiveness. It was her Familiar's fault, but she controlled her Familiar—ergo, it was her debt to pay. Her eyes fell upon the smiling face of Mayuree, so childish, tender and innocent. Without guile, Mayuree's irises glowed with a tinge of near-colourless violet, burning with motes of Divination. There came the sound of another crunch coming from her lap. Not that it mattered the second time. From the first bite, there was no returning the Core. "We're friends, right?" Mayuree begged with a voice that tickled her soul and made Gwen cross her legs a little tighter. "Right?"

"A friend in 'deed' is a friend indeed," Gwen observed Mayuree with suspicion. "But a deed performed without need—" "You're far too serious!" her benefactor dismissed her disquieting quip. "What's a paltry Elemental Core for a gesture of goodwill? Ariel needed the core, and I could afford to gift one. Is that so bad?" "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Mayuree." Gwen winced at the sound of Ariel's gluttonous crunching from below, feeling its paws scribbling over her dress. "But your gesture is too grand to gifted so casually. Surely a girl must wonder-" "It's a trifle! It's nothing! I am not asking for the world. Just the things that girlfriends do. Some shopping here, some adventuring there, I've got the backing, and you've got the firepower. What's not to like? We'll be like a dynamic-" Gwen tensed. Where had she heard that before? "Aright, Mia—" it was Mina who spoke next, evidently having had enough of Gwen's diplomacy. "Cut the crap. Gwen's not going anywhere with you. What are you up to?" "Making a friend," Mayuree insisted, her complexion glowering a shade darker. "What does it look like?" "How does it look? Do we look like fools?" Mina snapped at her alumina. "We've known each other since High School! What do you want from Gwen? What's your game? Is this one of your Divination ploys?" Mayuree appeared stunned by the ferocity of Mina's accusation and could only afford to respond with a forced smile. Behind the petite Diviner, Gwen could feel the hostility from Kitty and the three guards growing more palpable with each accusation. "So this is all an act of generosity?" Richard interjected by stepping in the middle, his voice neutral and unmoved, making him seem more sarcastic. "No strings attached?" Kitty opened her mouth to retort, but Mayuree stopped her with a glance. "You owe me nothing." Mayuree raised her hands defensively toward Gwen. Her expression remained unreadable, though the faces of her companions were far less proficient in hiding their displeasure. Kitty's scowl felt as though she could freeze the air without uttering a single cantrip. For a second, Gwen could have sworn she saw a few snowflakes. "She better not. It's only 7000 HDMs," Mina churlishly defended Gwen. "You're not wrong. It IS a paltry sum." Well, this is awkward. Gwen thought uncomfortably. 7000 HDMs was bloody astronomical as far as she was concerned. Even so, what was the Diviner's game? Would Mia's future favour involve endangerment of her life or those close to her? If so, she would rather scrimp and save to pay back the core as soon as possible. With the tension refusing to slack, Gwen wracked her brain for a way to break the tension. If possible, she preferred to resolve the confrontation with diplomacy and tact, walk away with a win-win, or at least a compromise. Naturally, Tao's familiar, eager, high-pitched voice took the words right out of her mouth. "This hoe is trying to entrap you. Dawg!" Tao flew fingers of accusations toward Mayuree's direction, spittle spraying every which way. "It's just seven Gees, Gwen. I'll cover that shit like a bitch in heat! You can count on Peaches. This ho ain't turning no tricks on us yo! No way— Arrgh—!" A sliver of ice materialised rapidly on Tao's Adidas jacket, its stiletto like point stabbing into the base of his skull. Kitty glowered behind Mayuree with a murderous expression, her cerulean irises two pale orbs of eldritch nimbus trailing strands of rime across her cheeks. "You should watch what comes out of that foul hole." The air around the box fell by several degrees as she spoke. "Offend Mia again, and I am going to shatter your filthy tongue." "Lea!" Richard commanded. Lea instantly dispersed into a fine mist. A rush of crystalising ice materialised around Kitty, falling like snow into the velvet carpet below. "That trick won't work on me." The Ice Mage warned Richard. "Maybe, or maybe not." Richard's face was impassive. "We'll know when you're begging." Gwen felt her blood pressure rise as she became caught on the two sides of a crushing vice. She blamed Peaches; Gwen groaned internally. God damned Peaches! "You're going to regret that," Kitty hissed. Richard shrugged, then gave her a nudge. "Remember what we said on the lift, Gwen?" "Er…" Gwen tried to recall the conversation. "T-The rest we'll feed to Caliban? Wait! Richard! No! EVERYONE! HOLD YOUR HORSES." "Mina!" Tao hid behind his sister. "Gwen. If ya gonna unleash the big C-dawg, better do it n—Ow! Oww! Arrrgh!" Impressively, the intensity of Kitty's limitless loathing for Tao was enough to manifest her magic; there wasn't even a need for an invocation. The room descended into silence once again. There was an audible, deliberate cough. Eight pairs of eyes turned to see Magus Yuu clearing his throat. "One moment." The Magus waited until he had their full attention. "Ms Song, Ms Mayuree. I cannot consent to a display of magic in a place such as the Hyatt-Regency. For all of your mutually beneficial interests, should you choose to proceed—I will have no choice but to report this public disturbance to the Police." Yuu's voice of reason brought the group back to reality like a well-timed Dispel Magic. "Which, I would assume, would be an undesirable outcome for all, considering your circumstances." Gwen exhaled with relief. The Magus was right. They were guests at the Hyatt-Regency. One of the most extensive and exorbitant hotels in Shanghai. The stakeholders capable of creating such an architectural wonder would undoubtedly be intimate with the highest authorities of the PLA and the Towers, and their displeasure would shake the metropolis with every stomp! "You're right!" Gwen intervened before Tao could speak. "Magus Yuu is entirely and unequivocally correct. We need to calm down!" She took a deep breath, then continued. "Likewise, I believe there's been a horrible misunderstanding. Mia wants to be my friend— and I am not opposed to having friends. AS SUCH - Mia and I would like a moment of privacy." Her eyes turned to Mayuree. "Mia, can we talk? Just you and I, in private?" "Of course, Gwen." Mayuree also looked as though a huge weight had shed from her shoulders. "Please give us some privacy, everyone." "Mia…" Kitty protested. "Mistress…" The guards were likewise unwilling. "I insist." Mayuree raised her voice ten decibels. "Let's go." Richard gestured to both Tao and Mina. They made for the door. "Richard." Gwen turned to him with a measured voice. "Take Lea as well, please. I'll be fine." The Undine materialised and exited the room with the trio. Mayuree's companions likewise left the box, albeit with unambiguous scepticism and paranoia. To Gwen, the caution made sense, for Mia was a harmless Diviner, while she owned an all-devouring monster. Magus Yuu once more stepped up to the task. "I shall ensure that your companions remain duly segregated," the Magus assured them. "Please take your time. They will be in one piece when you find them again." With his promise delivered, the Mage closed the double doors silently behind him as he passed the threshold of the private box. Gwen and Mayuree sat opposite one another as the crowd's clamour below grew less boisterous with every departing guest. "Alright, I am listening," Gwen stated unabashedly. "You want to be friends? Fine. Friends should be honest, to a degree at least, so let's have it." Mayuree's eyes glowed with the faint and subtle signs of Divination at play, dimming and glimmering with an ebb and flow that betrayed the girl's inner conflict. Slowly, her fingers relaxed, alternatingly gripping, brushing, then tapping the saddle-leather of her seat until finally, it appeared that Mayuree reached a decision. When the fresh-faced Diviner looked up again, she lost the appearance of an affable sweetheart and became one who had chosen to dispense masquerade for sincerity. With a sigh, Mayuree gathered her thoughts before she spoke. "I was there when you were at M on the Bund," Mayuree began, her voice now affording a candidness that had been absent prior. "I knew it then that we had to become friends." "Why?" "Because I need you," Mayuree replied stoically, then realised how unconvincing she sounded; she leaned forward and repeated herself. "I need you so that I can live." Gwen felt a hint of colour rise to her cheeks. Mayuree was certainly cute—though she was no Evee. "Be serious." She brushed away Mayuree's vague fingers. "No, I am serious," Mayuree continued unabated. "Let me clarify. My Augury told me that I need you to avert a potentially deadly episode of my life, sometime in the future." The revelation was supposed to shock her, but Gwen felt a mild, uncertain discomfort. With a worried expression, Mayuree continued. "The night I saw you, I felt electrified by a reaction from my Divination Sigil. Immediately, I knew then that I need you in my life, one way or another." "That's…" Gwen wanted to say that's absurd, but then again, she reminded herself; her Familiar, a Lovecraftian battle-toad, had just swallowed a lion-goat-snake. Who was she to challenge the possible and impossible? There was also the autobiographical fact that she was herself tapped into Divination, albeit her sensitivity barely registered anything beyond imminent mortal danger. If so, why couldn't a powerful and talented Diviner know of what they needed to ensure a"good" future came to pass? "You think my proposal is preposterous? Of course, that's what it seems to someone ungifted in Divination. It's a talent that is both vague and ambiguous. I don't know how else to explain it. I don't know why. I only know that I can't be wrong." "No, I mean that's believable," Gwen replied. "It's stupid, I know." Mayuree winced. "Wait, you believe me?" Gwen channelled a stream of mana into her Divination Sigil and incanted the simplest Detect Magic. Before her eyes, the world plunged into multicolour streams. She saw a fount of Divination well from Mayuree, strikingly illuminating an Astral Form surrounded by a purple-blue nimbus. "Your element…" Gwen's surprised expression mirrored Mayuree's own. "You're attuned to the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Lightning?" "Wait, what?" Mayuree's eyes bulged from her already sizeable sockets, giving her the likeness of a doll. Her lips were agog. "You're a Diviner?!" "It's one of my talents," Gwen replied carefully, feeling suddenly happier. In opposition to Mayuree, she felt more thrilled that she'd found another Lightning Mage. Maybe she could learn a thing or two, or they could discuss the subtler points of manifestation. The proviso, of course, was that Mayuree genuinely wanted to be her friend and wasn't just looking for a shield to tank the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. "Though for Divination—I merely dabble," Gwen confessed with a feeling of mild shame. "Suffice it to say, I can empathise with your psychic intuition, so yes, I believe you, Mayuree." "A tingling sense of peril is what Meister Warner's Divining Scale classes as tier 1." Mayuree concurred, still amazed that Gwen was a combat Mage and also a Diviner. It would have made the process so much easier had she known. "My abilities are a little more nuanced than that; I can register up to tier 4." "I never studied Divination." Gwen felt a hint of pink flush her face. "Never got the chance. I know how to Detect magic, that's it." The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Oh?" Mayuree seemed taken aback by her nonchalance. "Sorry." "Nevermind me, so do you have prophetic visions? Like the Delphi Oracle?" Gwen knew of no other Diviners. The Oracle was a household name, a visionary whose powers were said to have aided the Tower in minimising damage to humanity's cities. "The Oracle is in a class of her own," Mayuree answered modestly. "Like most Diviners, I can only sense the future as it pertains to myself. My intuition works by predicting whether someone will be a boon or bane. A branch-manifestation of Augury, if you will." Gwen became reminded of Mina's first warning when she'd first mentioned Mayuree. "Let me hazard a guess—" She studied the complex emotions of the Diviner's soulful eyes. "—you read your fortune, huh?" "I couldn't help it," Mayuree groaned. "Not after the near-seizure when I saw you at the Bund. I can't quite describe the sensation because it's all abstract, but I knew you were important. In my future, you feature very prominently as a boon, an important and necessary one." "I should think I am a bane," Gwen confessed. "What with Caliban and all the baggage I am carrying. I want to be entirely honest with you, Mia. I can't prioritise your needs; I want you to understand that. There is too much I have to do." "That's for powers higher than you and I to decide," Mayuree did not appear disappointed by Gwen's honesty. "I don't know what you have to do either. Maybe you could incidentally find an object in a Dungeon that could save my life one day. Perhaps a beast that could have spelt my end dies by your hand. Mayhap even, we would be on the opposite ends of a Factional conflict, and you could think of this moment and choose to spare me. The future is a fickle thing, Gwen, as fellow Diviner, you would know as well as I the dangers of presuming the currents of fate." "Then why?" Gwen gestured with open palms. "Why go to all the effort if nothing is certain?" "My Arcane Soul told me so," Mayuree's expression was bittersweet and helpless. "Would you believe that?" The girl looked at Gwen with desperation. "Not to mention, I DO want to be your friend. You seem smart and beautiful, and you're surrounded by people who defend you because they are your friends, not because of your status or your influence. You may not understand how rare that is, Gwen, but I do." "You have Kitty..." "Yes, I trust her. She's a rare friend—but it's more complicated than that." "So the gift was just a ploy to get on my good side?" "Can you consider it a down payment for pre-emptively saving my life? It doesn't have to do with our friendship at all." Silence again descended between the two girls as Gwen weighed the risks and rewards in her mind, measuring Mayuree's confession for authenticity. Did she want to make a friend out of the Diviner? Could Mayuree offer her the 'mateship' Yue and Elvia did? Gwen knew the answer to that. But did she want to make an enemy out of the Diviner? No. The House of M, whatever its affiliation with Mayuree would be, was sure to be helpful in the future. If they could take advantage of Gwen in some manner she could not begin to comprehend, should she not also take advantage of the opposition party? "I'll take what you've told me with a grain of salt." Gwen tested the waters. "So what now? We go our separate ways?" "If that's what you want." Mayuree's dejected words lingered in the air. "Must that be the case?" "Would you trust me if our roles reversed?" The girl considered Gwen's antithetical counter, then sunk defeatedly into her chair. It wasn't much, but that was the remorse Gwen sought. Ariel had finished eating the core by now, lapping up the last of its remnant residue from her skirt. It turned its belly toward her with a twisting motion and paddled its pink-beaned paws until it coiled into a serpentine "C". Then, with a yawn that showed off its cutely protruding canines, it abruptly fell asleep. Gwen dispelled her Familiar, watching Ariel dematerialise. Simultaneously, she made an empathic apology to Caliban, who had egged her for the opportunity to be let loose the entire time Ariel was out and about. Caliban was understandably upset—earlier, its prey had been stolen from its jaws, while Ariel had just had a feast, then fallen asleep on its Master's lap. Cali! We'll feed you something from the Wildlands soon! Gwen promised her increasingly sagacious creature. She repeated herself several times until Caliban attained comprehension. Satiated by the promise of a day of gluttony, the netherworld worm settled into its Pocket Dimension. With poise, she stood from her chair. Below, she could see Mayuree's defeated eyes watching her warily. "Hi, I am Gwen Song," Gwen announced suddenly with a smile. "I am new here." Mayuree's face transformed from concern to comprehension, then to cognisance. "I-I am Mayuree," the young sorceress replied with a voice that grew in confidence. "I am a Diviner. I am a scion of the House of M, third-in-line to succession." "That's marvellous." Gwen extended a hand. "I am principally a Conjurer, an Evoker, but I also dabble in Transmutation, Divination and Abjuration. I am a Void and Lightning Mage." "That's a mouthful!" Mayuree took Gwen's hand. "I mean, wow. Mao's Red Stars. Really?" "And I am a freelancer," Gwen added after some deliberation. "Though you could say I owe the House of Song a great debt. So that's who I am with, at least for now." "W-would you like to join the House of M?" Mayuree blurted reflexively. "Not yet, no." Gwen shook the girl's hand. "We should meet up for a luncheon sometimes, some tea and coffee. I am sure we'll be seeing one another plenty in Fudan." "Of course!" Mayuree's face once again assumed that youthful jubilance of adorability. "I'll pay! Whatever you want!" "We'll take turns," Gwen said seriously. "It's called shouting your mates." "Right! YES!" Mayuree's eyes grew a little moist. "Great! Let us find our companions then. I hope they haven't taken the hotel apart," Gwen suggested happily, then held out a hand. "Ha!" Taking her fingers, Mayuree followed. As Gwen reached the handle of the double doors, her newly minted friend pulled her back by the elbows. "Wait!" Mayuree took her by the arm with an urgency Gwen hadn't felt before. "Did you feel that?" "Feel what?" Then Gwen felt it. A tingling premonition struck the back of her mind like a pail of frigid water. Danger. Not dire. But a threat nonetheless. Both of the girls turned warily toward the door. Unbidden, it opened. A cloud of smoke came billowing inwards, smothering the surrounding air. Ambient light from the corridor outlined a slimly build male dressed in formal attire. A gust of acrid tobacco accosted Gwen, sending her reeling backwards with a reflexive gag. Mayuree seemed more accustomed to the fermented smog, enduring it as though it were the beginning of a ritual. As the haze dispersed, Gwen took account of the silhouette who now obstructed their exit. The man was a Mage—that much was obvious. She could sense the familiar mana condensed within his body, far surpassing her own. He had a face that was androgynous in its quality, with cruel eyes that were almond-shaped like Mayuree's but lined with thick, dark eye-lines that gave him a pretentious, gothic air. His complexion suggested he was of South-East Asian descent, as did his hair. Once the smog cleared, she saw that the Mage wore a smoking jacket, casual but expensive, with a loud, blue-clover patterned dress shirt embossed with gold buttons imprinted with little 'M's. In the man's left hand, he held a cigarette that glowered as he inhaled and exhaled, stirring the smothering vapours. Where was Richard? Or Mina? Or Kitty? Gwen wondered, trying to spy a peep around the corridor. All she saw was more white-suited guards lining the entrance. As for her Message device, she had kept the bulky thing in her Storage Ring, and it was too late to retrieve it now. She turned her eyes toward Mayuree, who seemed frozen to the spot as though she'd suddenly transformed into a little girl who'd been caught red-handed at the cookie jar or a froglet before a king cobra. Well—shit. Gwen wondered if this was the moment of crisis Mayuree had foreseen. Is Death coming for Mayuree already? She had just befriended the socially awkward girl less than thirty seconds ago, and now the Grim Reaper comes calling while toking on a fat cig? How good was Mayuree's Divination? "Is this the girl?" the man demanded of Mayuree. His gaze fell upon Gwen like wet paper plastered over her skin. "You are. You're the Lightning girl from the other night; the one who whipped Dai, no?" the man spoke to himself. "I must say, for a Guang-er-dai, Fung has good taste." Who the hell was this asshole? Gwen furrowed her brows unpleasantly. Why was he here in the first place? More importantly, Gwen thought worriedly. Where were their companions? "This is my brother," Mayuree said quietly beside Gwen. "That's Big Brother Marong to you," the man retorted with cruel amusement. Ah, Gwen instantly recognised the situation in which they'd just found themselves. She was no stranger to an old-fashioned family rivalry. "Where are our companions?" Gwen demanded. "They're somewhere." Mayuree's brother possessed a falsetto voice that was at once pleasing and sensual. "They're safe. Kitty and Richard are in the lobby." Mayuree informed Gwen after invoking a mote of Divination by her ear, signifying a silent Message spell in operation. "Brother Marong, Gwen and I have somewhere to be. Can you please move aside?" Marong pulled his arms back to his sides and stepped aside. Mayuree glanced at Gwen, then moved toward Marong with the body language of cream been forced through a sieve. Gwen took a step forward and grabbed Mayuree by the arm, pulling her backward toward her chest. Marong raised a brow. Gwen sighed inwardly, reading Marong's body language perfectly. From the looks of Mia's shaking shoulders, Marong was a sister-bullying prick. Once she passed, the guy would probably separate the two of them and then play a cat-n-mouse game with Mayuree to see if his sister was willing to abandon Gwen. "Mia, don't. He's fucking with you." Gwen's stepped in front of Mayuree, feeling her protective instincts kick into gear. "Hey asshole, what's your problem?" Marong appeared astonished by his new title. "Did you just call me..." Marong's mirthful smile faded from his lips. "No, never mind. I am more interested in what Mia wants from you. My servant tells me that she'd been chasing you like a dog-in-heat all afternoon." At the insult, Mayuree's expression hardened. "Look, I mean you no harm." The brother considered the pair intently. "I am just curious as to why my little sister is so interested in you. Surely a friendly chat is not beyond consideration." "I am not interested in men who bully children," Gwen snapped at the offending Mage. If someone like this bullied Elvia, she would have sicced Caliban onto his ass and damned the consequences. To her surprise, Marong laughed, while Mayuree's face became flushed with embarrassment. "I am older than you," Mayuree whispered stiffly behind her. "Good for you," Gwen blustered back before turning back to Marong. "You letting us pass or not?" "Is a few minutes of your time too much to ask for?" Marong remained firmly entrenched at the door. "A man has a right to be curious." "You can't afford my time," Gwen riposted reflexively. This time, Marong raised both brows. "I am sure I can—name your price." Gwen felt herself cringe the moment her words left her mouth. Whatever the case, she wanted to get Mayuree out as soon as possible. She had no idea if Marong was the danger, but the man sure as hell felt like one. Against the Mage, she raised a hand in protest, then near-instantly incanted her non-lethal distraction. "Flashbang!" As the shockwave of sound resonated across the box and into the corridor, Gwen pulled Mayuree backwards, and the two of them fell from the balcony. From Fung and his company, Gwen had endured enough of these situations to know if she agreed, there would be unpleasantness—and if she refused, there would be unpleasantness. The best outcome was not to play Marong's game at all. "Gweeeeeeneaaarrrgh!!" Mayuree screamed as she fell, her Divination failing to foresee Gwen's unconventional mode of departure. "Dimension Door!" Gwen could transport a passenger with her through the Elemental Plane of Lightning by expending an exponential amount of mana. Such a utility was why Dimension Door was a staple spell. The two girls disappeared mid-flight as they fell—and reappeared on the unguarded floor of the theatre's lobby entrance some twenty meters from where they had teleported with a burst of pyrotechnical lightning. "I am going to be sick..." Mayuree suppressed a gag. For a passager who wasn't ready, they were often disorientated by the thrumming tinnitus in their ears and the vertigo of experiencing a dimensional jaunt. Gwen quickly dragged the confused Diviner with her through to the lobby and toward the Atrium. Once they were in the public domain, they would be safe from harassment. There was no possible way Mayuree's brother would dare cause a scene in the grand lobby of the Hyatt-Regency. True enough, the lobby contained her companions. "Gwen!" "Mia!" Richard, Mina, Kitty, Tao, and the three stooges were all waiting for them. "Young Mistress! Ms Song!" Magus Yuu was there as well, looking decisively apologetic. "I am sorry, it was all I could do to prevent Master Marong from goading your friends to imperil themselves." "Don't worry about it." Gwen waved him off. "Anyone behind us?" Richard scanned the entrance to the theatre complex. "We're clear," he observed. "I tried to Message you. Another minute and I was going to send Lea." "I'll make your brother pay for this disrespect!" Kitty growled vehemently beside Mayuree. Her usually cool and icy exterior was hot with agitation. "I knew it was a mistake to leave you alone! Are you okay, Mia?" "I am fine." Mayuree stared at Gwen with eyes full of admiration. "I had Gwen with me. I can't believe we got away, just like that!" "Erm…" Gwen fixed her messy hair. "How do you usually deal with that asshat?" "Through inhuman feats of endurance," Mayuree quipped miserably. "I usually sense him coming long before he's close. I can avoid him nine times out of ten." "Why not this time?" Gwen scanned their surroundings as well. "I don't rightly know." Mayuree curled her perfectly pink lips. "Divination is not an exact Spellcraft. At any rate, thank you for the prompt delivery from the presence of my pompous brother." "I hope that wasn't the life-saving moment you had predicted," Gwen joked. "No, but please consider the debt of the crystal paid." Mayuree took the opportunity to salvage a prior misstep. "You don't know how happy it makes me that we eluded that encounter, especially with your help." "Debt paid? That's too much," Gwen protested. "That was a costly bid!" "Please," Mayuree pleaded. Gwen could see the desire for redemption plastered all over her face. "I'll be candid with you; I had the crystal retrieved from our private collection, so that wasn't the one been sold. I am not spending 7000 HDMs, more like 4000." "Alright, alright," Gwen felt impressed that Mayuree had a Core to spare after all that. By now, Gwen knew she was taking advantage of the girl's desperate circumstance, but she wasn't, in her own words, one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I'll accept it." "If you're quite done, Gwen, let's get out of here first." Mina eyed the theatre anxiously. "Let's get on a move on then!" Gwen announced to the gathered group. "We should find somewhere to eat and re-introduce ourselves. Mia and I are renewing our friendship! We're getting to know one another from square one! My shout!" "Sir?" One of the white-suited guards dispelled his Shield. Had it not been for a command to hold their positions, they would have retrieved the girls within a few breaths. Inside th private box, the smell of ozone hung heavily in the air, together with an electrifying feeling of static that set their hair to stand on end. "Sir," the guard repeated himself to a distracted Marong. "Shall we invite the young ladies…more persuasively?" "No," Marong replied in a haze of smoke, his voice possessing more amusement than anger. "Have some tact, Ang; this is why you're still single." Ang smiled awkwardly. The smouldering fumes surrounding Marong parted as though stirred by a soft, unseen breeze. When the Flashbang had hit, a portion of it had congealed as if moved by a supernatural will, shielding him from the brunt of the blinding flash, as well as muffling the thunderclap. "What an interesting girl." Marong toked on his thin-white cigarette, allowing two jet streams of smoke to join the perpetual haze which lingered in the air. A few sparks fell as he tapped the hand-rolled tobacco with his forefinger, sending a few amber embers to take flight. "Hyun, find out who she is." "Of course, Master Marong," a second guard acknowledged Marong's command. "Do it discretely, man. We don't want to frighten the poor girl." With the practised ease of a seasoned smoker, Marong allowed a mote of flame to touch his cigarette. A speck of brilliant fire flared, snuffing the stub expertly. The remaining length disappeared into a Storage Ring adorned with an elaborate geometry of precious gems. Marong was glad he came to oversee the monotonous auction. How else was he going to catch his sister giving a 10,000 HDM core to some stranger? The one she'd gifted wasn't even the one on display. That had been the female heart. Her sister had given the buck's heart. If so, then who was this 'Gwen'? And why was his sister so zealously attached? Whoever she might be, Marong chuckled. He was confident the girl would prove far more entertaining than Dai Fung described.

On Mayuree's advice, they chose to stay rather than leave, betting that the Hyatt offered far more protection than an oyster-shell restaurant somewhere. The group loitered in the lobby until they met with Mayuree's brother exiting the theatre. To their surprise, the offending sibling's parting gesture was a greeting and a farewell, to which Gwen's party failed to reciprocate. When the convoy of dark sedans departed, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief. Gwen then turned to her companions and explained her newfound rapport with Mayuree. Richard cared little, informing Gwen he'd be alright with whatever decision she made. Mina politely withheld her tongue, likely because she was well-mannered and knew when to say nothing at all. Tao loudly proclaimed he would treat Mayuree as one of the 'crew' should Gwen desire, even allowing her to participate in his projects. Kitty, Mayuree's faithful companion, rejected any desire to join a 'crew' in which Tao Wang took part but conceded that Gwen and Mayuree necessarily benefited from each other's company. Outside, Gwen gave Mayuree a friendly hug and promised her that they would see each other again in Fudan, and then the Song's crew went on their way. "You sure you know what you're doing?" Mina questioned Gwen as their sedan pulled onto the orbital highway. Despite Gwen's assurance, her cousin remained irresolute about Gwen's decision, preferring that she had left Mayuree well alone. When Gwen explained the undeniable benefits of having someone so intimately connected to the House of M on their behalf, Mina conceded that Mayuree was indeed a helpful friend. After all, one could hardly repudiate gaining access to a network of Mages willing to trade rare ingredients for non-CC based currency and vice-versa. "I would still be cautious. That brother of hers looks like trouble from his slicked hair down to his Oxfords," Mina warned her, wagging a disapproving finger. "Still, who'd thought, huh? Little Mayuree, connected to the mysterious house of M. Did she say third-in-line? She was quiet as anything back in school. She was socially illiterate then, and she continues to be now. Red Stars, if I wanted to be your friend, Gwen, we'd be arm-in-arm by the second cocktail." "Mia's an alright sort, isn't she?" Gwen chuckled. "Now that brother of hers, he looks like a character." "I, too, am interested in this Marong," Richard spoke beside them. "Were it not for Magus Yuu and the circumstances of the hotel, I would have loved to meet him in person." "You'll get us all arrested if your' meeting' is what I think it is," Mina quipped. "Never pick a fight in a place that has more staff than guests." "Sometimes, a meeting is just a meeting," Richard stated with ambivalence. "Whatever the case—thank you, Richard," Gwen replied warmly. "We were fine. Marong didn't even lay a hand on us. I think the brother was just curious as to why his sister was so interested in me." "You said he was going to make you both stay." Mina pointed out. "That sounds plenty dangerous to me." "Only if you say it like that," Gwen replied. "I mean, if some Mage suddenly had your sister tied around his or her fingers, I'd be worried too." "About that, what happened between you and Mayuree? Surely you did more than just kiss and makeup," Richard pursued Gwen's line of logic. "I'll tell you what I can." Gwen relented after a moment of contemplation. With considerations for privacy and disclosure, she carefully illustrated Mayuree's panicked self-diagnosis to her companions. "See? That's why you stay away from fortunes!" Mina pointed out triumphantly. "Divinations is nothing but trouble!" "Now that's interesting." Richard nodded. "On the other hand, what of Ariel? What did our penultimate winner attain?" "Well, I don't know." She had no intention of testing out her familiar in the car. She couldn't, at any rate; Ariel appeared dormant. "Also, does anyone know what an Eland is?" "It's a huge goat." Tao surprised them all with the factoid. "Huge mofo with twisted horns and stripes. Enormous cock, used in medicine." "A goat…" Gwen dispelled the prospect of Ariel growing a colossal dong from her mind. Did that mean Ariel would grow larger? How could she share a pillow with an antelope-sized Ariel? What if its new horns snagged her clothes? Maybe she could ride it? Gwen tried to imagine herself riding a lightning-wreathed billy goat into battle, finding the illustrated fantasy rather more 'Heavy Metal' than she'd hoped. "What's the marten doing now?" Mina asked. "Asleep." Gwen checked her Pocket Dimension. "Indigestion, perhaps? Richard, you're the Conjurer supreme here. What do you think would happen?" Richard's self-satisfied expression told Gwen, 'you came to the right guy.' "Well, academically, when a lesser Elemental consumes greater Elemental's core, it takes on some of its power and characteristic. Although the phenomenon isn't familiar to us, Mages stationed in the Wildland report that this isn't unusual. Some breeds such as Draconids specialise in consuming others of their kind. As for Ariel, I can only speak from experience." "Go on." Gwen was all ears. "Before I found Lea, or, I should say—Lea found me, my Familiar was a Monotreme Platypus." "Puahaha!" Gwen riotously snorted while Mina looked on with incomprehension. The vision of Richard standing as cool as a cucumber, looking as stoic as a glacier while accompanied by a waddling platypus, was too much for her overtired mind to handle. Mayhap the creature even held its head and suffered from a constant headache. "What in Mao's Army is a platypus?" Mina asked. "Lea, if you please," Richard requested his Undine familiar. A transparent model of a bird-billed beaver quickly formed, possessing the head of a duck, the body of a seal, webbed feet, scales on its lower back, and a waddling paddle for a tail. To Gwen, it was as though the Creator had taken all the spare parts of animals he had leftover and then said, 'fuck it, I break on Sundays.'" "Isn't that a Dobhar-chú?!" Mina beamed. "An Australian Dobhar-chú? Those are incredibly powerful!" "The Platypus a water elemental in the semblance of local fauna," Richard corrected her. "A native creature of the estuaries and rivers of NSW. A noble member of the local legends." "Hahaha." Gwen was beside herself with tears. "I- I can't believe your spirit animal is a platypus!" It suited Richard perfectly, Gwen thought. She could never make heads nor tail of her cousin, his incredible competence, his cold and hot demeanour, his abrasive social behaviour and stoic charm; the uniqueness of a platypus was an apt metaphor. "… Anyway," Richard continued, ignoring Gwen. "I managed to win the core of a lesser sea dragon in a bet—no, not a real one—its a seahorse, by the way, a pseudo-dragon at best, and then my Platypus became like this-" The model changed until they saw a strange chimaera creature covered from head to tail in scales. It had the look of an aquatic pseudo-dragon, a form of water fey—only it wore a duck's bill and a paddle-tail. "Oh, Gods!" Gwen fanned herself with her fingers. "A pseudo platypus! Oh, Richard, you should have stuck to the original form!" "I think it looks very handsome." Mina glared at her cousin with critical disapproval of her sudden hysterics. Gwen quickly checked her offensive merriment, but another glance at the duckbilled-dragon-beaver sent her into a second fit of belly-aching laughter. The watery construct faded to be replaced by Lea's scandalous torso, wet and shimmering with beaded water as her upper body materialised. Her gemstone eyes regarded Gwen with curiosity. "Gwen?" Lea asked quizzically. "Are you in pain?" "Sorry, sorry!" Gwen finally pulled herself together. She extended a hand toward the water sprite. "Here, a reward for that lovely blast from the past." Straining her mana conduits, she congealed a mote of Almudj's mana on her fingers. Lea eagerly took it in her mouth with a delightful moan with a squeal of pleasure. Besides them, Mina's lip fell half-open with wordless scandal. Tao's eyes opened so wide they glowed. Richard chuckled. Gwen retrieved her finger, realising only now what Tao and Mina might think of her nonchalant feeding. It was something she had done for Sufina and Lea many times, though the process must seem all so strange to her cousins. Time to change the topic, Gwen thought tactically. Whatever Richard's opinion, the platypus-drake now needed to make another appearance. Klavdiya was waiting for them when they arrived. "How were the exams? Did you have fun at the auction?" "I think we both went well, Babulya." Gwen ran in to embrace her babulya. "And yes, it was fun!" Once her party settled in, Gwen regaled what had transpired, what she wrote, what went wrong with Caliban and what she told the interviewers, hiding nothing from her family. She furthermore added the encounter with Mayuree, her decision to befriend the Diviner, and her confrontation with the brother. Encouragingly, babulya told her to pay the brother no mind. Furthermore, her grandmother stated that the House of M was a merchant family tied to a foreign Clan. An "overseas" tiger they may be, they would not dare to pull the whiskers of the "local" dragon known as the PLA. Klavdiya's gesture of confidence made Gwen feel immensely comforted in knowing that Marong couldn't just spirit her away. Richard then repeated his side of the tale without so much flair. "Mao above, that's terrible!" Mina sucked in a breath of cold air when Richard outlined his 'Centaur' strategy. "Stone cold!" Tao was as impressed as he was disgusted, so much that he had to repeat his overly fond expression. "Stone cold! Bro!" Gwen measured her cousin's strategy against her own. She became reminded of a particular string of retaliation following the 1972 Munich Olympics. Or perhaps the Russian operations during the Nord-Ost siege, both of which were an eye for an eye. Though he might be a little extreme, Richard was a man born at the right time, in the right place. "I can guess how well that's going over with Liwen and Gillian," their babulya mused. "James probably swallowed his tongue when you proposed the hoof-collection." "Alas, it's out of my hands now." Richard's calm demeanour matched his expression. "At any rate, well done," babulya commended the both of them. "I am confident that the both of you will pass muster magnificently." "Thanks, babulya. What do you think we should do for the intervening month?" Gwen requested. For now, at least, all her labours seem at an end. More importantly, was there some way they could pay back her grandmother for her tireless efforts? "Babulya, is there anything we can do for you?" "Now now, you just rest." Babulya patted her shoulder assuringly. "As for doing something, I do have someone I'd like you to meet tomorrow. Someone who will need your help and be of immense help to you." Gwen wanted to ask who, but her babulya insisted they proceed straight to bed. "Where's Percy?" Gwen changed the subject. Her brother had not come out to greet her. "Percy is asleep already. His training is taking its toll," Klavdiya informed her. "Your brother's fine, don't you worry. Guo will let nothing but good things happen to his boy." "His boy", Gwen allowed the word to roll over her tongue, wondering what her mother would think about that. As for Helena, Gwen reminded herself, a visit should probably be in the works once the Fudan ordeal settles. Though she wanted as little to do with the woman as possible, Helena was still her mother, meaning it would ease Gwen's mind knowing that her mother was living a life of material comfort, if nothing else. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. In the middle of her thoughts, Tao and Mina bid them goodnight. Before she left, Mina left the additional 3000 HDMs with Gwen. "You'll likely need it." Mina tapped the triple-stack of 1000 HDM cards left in her cousin's hand. "Don't worry, if there's one thing the Wangs aren't short on, its crystals. Let me know if you have trouble finding a place to stay. Dad owns a few apartments not too far from Fudan." Gwen hugged her cousins as they left, with Tao promising he'd show Gwen his latest project soon. "Go to sleep!" Their grandmother henpecked the children. "Why are you still up! It's almost eleven!" Thus bathed in the strange joy of knowing someone gave a shit about her health, Gwen washed up and slipped into bed, wondering what tomorrow would bring, pondering of the prosperities gifted by Mayuree's prophetic vision. Gwen woke with a start when someone pressed a finger against her temple. "For shame! Gwen," her babulya remarked critically. "You should be training from 7 AM! Meditating! Not sleeping until 10!" "I feel so tired," Gwen murmured, feeling exhausted even after almost ten hours of sleep. She figured that the consumption performed by Caliban's unbidden new form was likely the culprit. The weariness of the Void was one that no sleep could replenish. Only higher concentrations of Almudj's mana could help, but even so, she was always short on that precious resource. She would have to find an Alchemist to work her remaining two Fructum Vitaes, but that would be a future endeavour. Assuming Mayuree was genuine about her offer, she could probably afford a few more favours with the House of M. "Up! Up!" babulya peeled back Gwen's blankets, expelling the cosy interior. "You'll be late! Richard's already gone on his errand." "Aiee!" Gwen clutched her small clothes against her shivering white figure, yelping at the sudden chill. She stumbled from her bed and found a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt left by the bedside. A discovered scrunchie helped her tie her frizzled hair into a ponytail. "What are we late for, babulya?" "Your tutor. Seeing as you're woefully underprepared for University level theory, I've asked someone to help you out," babulya informed her. "There is a cost to your private tuition; however—your teacher wants to see your Void Magic." Gwen furrowed her brows. She trusted her babulya implicitly, but was it wise to flaunt her magic so openly? Put it on such a public display? "I know what you're worried about," Klavdiya comforted her. "Worry not; it's someone we can trust." "Okay." Gwen left the bedroom to wash her face. "What should I wear?" "Whatever you like, dear," Klavdiya replied. "It's at the university. Be fashionable like the other kids, but don't show too much skin! You'll catch a cold!" "Alright!" Gwen studied herself in the mirror as she brushed and rinsed. Her complexion had lost its supernatural lustre. The tender, moisturised paleness prized by her Asian counterparts now took on a sickly pallor. It was evident that she had been far too liberal with Caliban, as well as her Void capabilities. If the future allowed, Gwen promised herself; she would have to experiment with long-term abstinence of her Void powers to see if Almudj's life-force could help her ping-pong back to good health. As for now, she had to worry about her attire. Late April in Shanghai meant the city suffered from high humidity and intermittent heat waves, made worse by the pollution of magical smog that trapped the heat under a thick blanket of mana particles. Unlike the industrial part of the city, Fudan was a cosmopolitan university with an upper-class population of young men and women, which made it a mecca for adventurous and experimental fashion. The male students usually wore mute coloured jackets in maroon, white, or olive over loud shirts with flared collars. For pants, ankle-length chinos and skinny jeans were ubiquitous, for the Chinese had slim builds that disfavoured the heavy cotton or straight denim so popular in Australia. The girls were far more grandiloquent and varied in their attires, with everything from flared, tapered, loose, tight, mid-riff blouses to shirts, tees and tops, matched with skirts of all lengths, though the preference in spring was for high-waisted shorts and mini dresses. A dozen combinations flashed across Gwen's mind as she dug through her wardrobe and found a loose hanging antique-white collared blouse to go with a buttoned blue skirt. The look was clean, fresh, and breezy enough for spring—and it was sufficiently non-scandalous for her grandmother to approve with a nod. "Ah, if only I were younger!" Klavdiya mused tenderly. "Oh, Babulya! You've plenty of youth in you yet! I'll be more than happy to dress you if you like!" Gwen gushed, hugging her grandmother tightly. "We can go shopping, just the two of us. It'll be fun!" "Of course, when we're both free," her babulya replied with a smile. "You know, I can't remember the last time I was in a clothing mall. They must be gigantic by now." "More than you know," Gwen teased. "The shop assistants would think you're my mother!" Babulya laughed. No woman wouldn't want to be seen younger, not to mention Klavdiya had the natural blessing of being a healer. Gwen was serious, however. If her babulya dressed the part and discarded her love of militant olive, she would look not a day over forty. It was the blessing of the Healers, Gwen supposed. Strangely. she also found comfort that her angelic Evee would be laughing well into her fifties while she became sans perkiness, sans moisture, and aged into a prune plum. "Alright, enough wasting of time. We need to go." Klavdiya urged Gwen. "Go get a bite to eat. We leave in thirty minutes, no more delays." "Yes, Ma'am!" By the time she emerged, breakfast in the Song household was long over. Gwen went to the kitchen, seized several left-buns from the morning, and then washed the lot with cold milk. She then swung by the main house to see if Percy was in, but the boy was gone along with Guo. Feeling miffed that she'd missed her brother yet again, Gwen found her grandmother waiting outside by the gate and announced herself ready to depart. "Where's Richard gone?" Gwen asked as the car moved out from the Song compound. "I've sent him to see a few old contacts, get him acquainted," Klavdiya replied. "Worry not. That boy's far more capable of taking care of himself than you!" Laughing, Gwen took the injurious indignity to her pride in stride, turning instead to strap on her Message device, which she'd promised Richard she'd wear at all times should they be parted. The chauffeur took the family across the second orbital highway and onto the third before reaching the campus grounds, eventually parking in front of a salmon-on-white building with an architectural facade taken straight from the 1930s. At its entrance, two mock-Roman pillars held up six floors of brick and mortar, with two wings splitting north and south. Gwen stepped from the vehicle and moved to aid her grandmother, who took her hand and lifted herself from the soft cushions. "Where are we?" "Henglong Research Building," her grandmother informed her. "Come." Gwen followed her grandmother until they reached the interior. "No levitation platforms?" Gwen looked around the dated interior. "It's an old structure." Her babulya chucked. "Over here, I remember it well. I used to study here, on the top floor." They proceeded down the north wing until stairwells took them to the sixth floor. Gwen's grandmother was proved sprite for a woman of advanced age, which she again attributed to her babulya's affinity with Positive Energy. In consideration of the fact, Gwen also wondered if her Void channels aged her body or if Negative Energy Mages were incidentally short-lived. Unhappily, she recalled that Elizabeth Sobel was almost sixty—yet her Master's murderer had not looked a day past her twenties. "We're here!" Her babulya knocked on a set of paint-peeled double doors. "Gwen! Babulya!" The voice that greeted them was music to Gwen's ears. "Petra!" Gwen embraced her cousin. The girls parted after an informal cheek-to-cheek, with Gwen stepping back to examine her talented, older relative. As usual, Petra looked effortlessly stunning, her naturally voluminous lashes framing her sky-blue eyes in a way that made them the most striking features on her sculpted face. More impressively, despite winning nature's genetic lottery, Petra wore a set of baggy lab-overalls, what looked to be rubber boots, and had her hair loosely coiled in a bun hidden underneath the transparent film of a hairnet. "Don't you look nice!" Petra spun and twirled Gwen over, taking in her ensemble. "Very nice!" "Thanks, Pats." Gwen allowed Petra the pleasure. Perhaps stimulated by Gwen's juxtaposing chosen attire, Petra quickly changed the subject and invited them in, undoing her cap as they entered, allowing her hair to cascade like an auburn waterfall. "Is Marie in?" Klavdiya stepped through the threshold and took a gander around the corner, where a lab choked full of magical experiments rested in organised chaos. "She should be expecting us." "Master got delayed, but she'll be back in a few hours," Petra replied. "Come in! Come in! I've cleared a space." Inside, the three found themselves in a private area of the laboratory safely segregated from the main working area. "So." Her babulya turned to Gwen. "Meet your new tutor." "That's right." Petra laughed at Gwen's stunned expression. "I'll be your tutor from Tartarus." "More like I am your student from the seven circles." Gwen shook her cousin's hand. "Thank, Pats. I know you're awful busy." "It's nothing. I wanted to do it. I wouldn't trust anyone else." Petra cooed at her. "Master wanted to speak to you as well, but we can start first; I want a full rundown of your curriculum and what you have completed at your Frontier school." "You two have fun." Seeing that the girls had settled in, babulya retreated from the room. "And as Marie is busy, I am going to see some familiar faces and catch up with some old friends. I'll swing by later. Message me if she's back before dinner." "Thank you, babulya." Gwen thanked her grandmother earnestly. "I'll be sure to absorb everything Petra teaches like a sponge!" "I am counting on it." Her cousin straightened herself, then abruptly materialised textbooks, pencils, and a set of data slates across the table. There was even a tea warmer and a mug set. "Alright, lets' begin." "How are you even casting tier 4 spells?" After questioning Gwen about her past, Petra could not help but chew her pencil, indenting the wood with punctuated teeth-marks. "You don't even know Gainsburrow's four-tier algorithm for hextogramic formation!" "My Master taught me through the Cognisance Chamber," Gwen confessed nostalgically. "I followed his instruction directly." "Your Master…" Petra felt her academic mind broil with longing and commiseration. "Magister Henry Kaine Foster Kilroy." "The very one." Gwen felt her chest constrict every time she thought about Henry. Henry and Sufina, who for a year had treated her like their closest family: dispensing advice, resource, compassion, and comfort with absolute liberty. But now her Captain lies cold and dead in the Grot, his Dryad companion the guardian of his mausoleum, growing more alien with every passing anniversary. "You realise Magister Kilroy is one of the founders of the original Tower system in the 70s, don't you?" Petra tapped her pen against the slate. "He's not an active member, but by God—A founding member of the Towers! A legend! Deathless Henry! Oh, to think I could have met the man in the flesh." "How I wish you could." Gwen swallowed the taste of iron filling her mouth, feeling her throat constrict involuntarily. "Sorry." Petra reached over the desk and touched her hand. "I am okay." Gwen pressed the welling emotions back down the rabbit hole of her memory. "I know who murdered him. Me, Gunther and Alesia, we all know. We'll be getting our satisfaction one day. Until then, it'll be something that drives me. It's my strength." When Petra pursued the matter out of curiosity, Gwen told her roughly what had transpired. "Wow—to think Elizabeth Sobel was alive," Petra marvelled at the account with a click of her tongue. "By St Augustine— what a mess. I am sorry you had to experience all of that. Do you need a minute?" Gwen shook her head. "No, I am alright." "It's okay if..." "I am fine, Pats. Thanks." "Okay, back to your Spellcraft." Petra took up the slate again. "I'll be honest with you. It's horrible. Your theory is all over the place. The content they are teaching you in the Frontier is half full of shit and conjecture. Your curriculum is lagging by a decade!" "But…" "Which is why, I am assuming, your Master taught you himself through the Cognisance Chamber. His algorithms are perfect, simplified. Your Dimension Door manifests at half the time it takes for the textbook version! Your initial Summon Familiar virtually costs no mana! Your Evocation spells are probably your weakest link. Compared to your Conjuration, they're all over the place. Some of the core ones, like Lightning Bolt, use Signature incantations from Alesia de Botton. Your regular spells, like Magic Missile, are self-taught while spells like Lightning Whip or Lighting Blast hardly synergise with your existing repertoire of Spellcraft theory." "Damn…" "You and I are going to have a busy month ahead of us. I shall speak to your advisor when you eventually get one. I recommend we work towards Conjuration as your Major, Evocation as support while working on specific spells from Transmutation and Divination. As for your Minor, I suggest holding off on that until you specialise in the Second Year." "What about Abjuration?" "You'll choke if you try to eat too many dumplings at once," Petra advised. "Work on your Shields, but the upper branches of Abjuration, like Dispel, Remove Enchantment, Wards and Protections are a whole world unto themselves. How many lifetimes do you want to dedicate to this, anyway? I have a spell that takes away the need to sleep, but you'll be in hysterics within the week." "Well, Pats." Gwen made a mock gesture to offer her body. "I am in your capable hands." "At my mercy, you mean." Her cousin chuckled. "Jokes aside, I AM going to have to drill you like a conscripted farmer just joining the Long March." Gwen sipped her tea miserably. She had no idea her Spellcraft theory was nincompoop in comparison. If so, the loss of her Master was more significant than she had first anticipated. "Anyway," Petra continued. "Conjuration 1001, Bestiary and Care of Familiars FAM102, plus Supplementary Conjuration as your mainstay. Evocation 1001 and Advanced Spell-shaping ASP101 as support - that makes Five. Individual spells I'll sort out something with babulya, which means you have one more course of your choice, and two General courses." "I was thinking Economics and Management, for you know… reasons." Gwen couldn't explain that she was probably more knowledgeable than her tutors, albeit what she lacked was context. "What about your final Spellcraft course?" "Are there any more Conjuration courses I could take?" Gwen enquired. "I need to get a hold of Caliban before its leash becomes too short for either of us." Petra shook her head. "That's a miscalculation on your part, I am afraid." Petra shook her head. "This isn't a time-sink issue. You can't just 'power up' a School of Magic. One becomes more proficient over time, becoming aware of the complexities of the Sigil, stacking exponentially into more powerful invocations and incantations. By the time you exceed Tier 6, you would need a knowledge of Mandalas and Glyphs to assist non-localised castings. Do you recall the motto in the Exam Hall? 'There exist no shortcuts on the winding path of Spellcraft; there is no shore when sailing upon the seas of Arcane knowledge.'" "How can I raise my Conjuration to tier 5 as soon as possible?" Gwen asked. "It's urgent. I can't temper Caliban if I can't trust my ability to set its boundaries." "According to Babulya, you're sitting on 4.05 on the inference scale, so I'll be candid." "Okay." "Assuming you're the top 0.1% of individuals gifted for Conjuration, it'll take you a year." "A year!" Gwen spluttered. "But I went from 1 to 4 in twelve months!" "Well, now our genius is at a bottleneck!" Petra indicated with an expansive wave of her hands. "You need more than just knowledge of spells to weave more complex incantations. You need to understand Planar Theory, Elemental-energy Theorems; you need to study the Void and brush up on your Quasi-Elemental Lightning affinity. There is no way we are going to finish in a month. For now, we'll be seeing each other for the entirety of your first year. Both me and my Master are going to take turns getting you up-to-date with Advanced Spellcraft." "Oh." The books in front of her made Gwen feel like she was staring into an abyss. "Chin up!" Petra touched her chin and lifted her despairing face. "Don't worry. I'll make a Mage out of you yet!"

By the late afternoon, Magister Roslyn-Marie Wen returned. Petra ceased her delivery of Gwen's bridging course and moved to aid her Master in rearranging newly arrived magical materials into the central laboratory. Gwen moved to help, though all she could do was watch. In the aftermath, Magister Wen turned to Gwen with the same curiosity of a scholar examining a rare and unusual specimen. "So, you're Gwen Song." The bookish Magister shook Gwen's hand with cold, skeletal fingers. "It's good to meet you, Ma'am." Gwen bowed after they shook. "Petra has had nothing but praise for your expertise and your care." "She's an able student." Wen glanced at Petra with amusement, drawing a rare blush from the laconic Mineral Mage. "Though I did not know she was also a flatterer." Gwen nodded, reading from Wen that the scholar was likely not built for humour. "At any rate, we're not big on formality here. Just call me Wen, no need for Mage titles." "Thank you, Ms Wen." Gwen curtsied expertly, taking on the offer of intimacy but maintaining a respectful distance. To her eyes, Magister Marie-Roslyn Wen appeared a bookish Enchanter-Transmuter who, like Petra, had a rare affiliation with the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral. She was ethnically Chinese, but her Affinity with the Mineral arts had tinted her once dark eyes with the likeness of clear crystals, giving her classically Han facial structure an alien appearance. Starkly, the Magister stood a head shorter than Petra, accentuated with a slight stoop to her spine in a rigid, compact body. According to her introduction, Wen was also an expatriated scholar, having grown up in London as a child, and then arrived in her "home" country to teach, hoping to return to London with enough clout to work under Cambridge or Oxford. When the polite small talk had ceased, the trio sat down to some tea, with Magister Wen combing over Gwen's file with an expression of delight. "Klavdiya's right. Your cousin does appear as though four Acolytes crammed into one," Wen mused as she scrutinised the thickly annotated bundle of Gwen's admission papers. "Petra has her work cut out for her. Did your grandmother explain the cost of your tuition?" "Yes," Gwen replied. "You wanted to study my Void Element?" "'We' wish to, dear. Petra and I, and you as well, I'd imagine." Wen sipped her camomile gingerly. "You are not averse to exercising your affinity, I presume?" "No, it'll be my pleasure to assist you, Ma'am," Gwen said demurely, choosing a display of modesty. "So long as my health can keep up." "Good, though no one ever said the academics was easy—" Wen's assurance was ambiguous. "Of course, we shall endeavour to err on the side of your preservation and safety. Numbers aside, I am interested in how Void manifests in consuming Affinity. The fact that you're well-versed in Conjuration, Evocation, Transmutation and Abjuration makes this beyond perfect. Say, you're not interested in taking on some Enchanting, are you?" "Not at the moment, Ms Wen." Gwen felt a tingle of premonition tickling the base of her spine. If she were to covet the talent, it would mean feeding Caliban an Enchanter. In that regard, she had no desire to become another Elizabeth Sobel. The trio took their time having tea until Petra professed that she had to return to her laboratory work. Knowing that she had overstayed her welcome, Gwen bid the two Mineral Enchanters goodbye with the promise of daily lessons and the satisfaction of Wen's curiosity. The moment she exited the labs, she ran almost head-first into a young man who looked to be in his twenties, holding a bouquet of springtime flowers in the corridor. "Is… Ms Kuznetsova in?" The young man asked nervously, his eyes widening with panic as his gaze fell upon Gwen. "Oh, S-sorry! My name is Baili. Has her lab work finished for the day?" "Pats!" Gwen called out into the lab, her mouth grinning broadly. "You have an admirer here!" "A-admirer?!" Baili looked stunned. "I suppose… yeah. That's it exactly! I am an ardent admirer!” Petra came stomping from the lab in her white coat, her face more annoyed than happy. Oh no, Gwen winced. Her cousin confronted the young man quaking in the girls' presence. "Bai, I told you." "Petra..." "No. I don't date." "But… I am just an admirer!" Baili seemed to relish the new moniker he'd acquired. "Please accept this gift. That's all I desire. From your admirer!" Petra reached out and plucked the bouquet from Baili's hands. The vibrant flowers passed under her nose. Petra regarded the flowers coldly, her eyes as hard as the crystals that made up her element. And there it is, Gwen winced again. A second later, Petra pulled her face away from Baili's gift with a look of annoyance. "Are the flowers not to your liking?" Baili gulped. "I can get more expensive ones." With a thump that might as well have left a trail of blood on the wall, Petra threw the bouquet against the top of an open bin in the corridor. The flowers lingered for a vertical moment, then slid home into the darkness. "Don't bother me again," her cousin stated coldly before turning to Gwen. "Gwen, check your Message device. Babs said that she's organising a banquet tonight and has invited everyone. She'd gone home now to prepare. I'll meet you here at 1800, and we'll go together." "Okay, thanks, Pats. Is Babulya not meeting your Master?" "They'll catch up later, likely to discuss you." Nodding, Gwen checked her Message device. Sure enough, a recording had just come through. "See you in a few hours," Petra said to Gwen. "Don't interrupt me with trivial stuff like this next time." Petra closed the door as though her admirer was nought but air. Gwen breathed out and turned to regard the stricken Baili. Ah, she waxed sentimentally. The sorrows of youth and love; won and lost. "I should go." Baili looked as though someone had pulled out his spine and beat him bloody with it. "Goodbye." Gwen followed the young man as he descended the stairs with a Prufrockian air. She felt such sympathy for the love-struck fellow while feeling nostalgic for the university life she once had. Unlike her horrid high school days, Sydney U was a highlight. On its ancient campus, she had made friends, attended classes with the best and the brightest, partied hard and studied harder. She found her earliest taste of love there as well, meeting a bevvy of admirers ranging from adventurous to academic, lads to lasses. But those Halcyon days were now as far away as a dream. Sometimes, Gwen began to wonder if her old life was just that—a pleasant, midsummer night fantasy. It was crazy to think that now, in her new life, her five-year plan involved the best way to approach the cold-blooded execution of her Master's ex-wife, carefully coordinated with a thirty-something woman who summoned meteors from the sky and a man who was the avatar of the Sun God Apollo. And yet—things could have been worse. Feeling great sympathy for the young man, Gwen thus took the courage to tap the stranger on the shoulder. "Yes?" the man turned to her with swollen, reddened eyes. "Say, wanna grab a coffee?" Gwen smiled at the young man, blinding him with her dazzling teeth. "I want you to tell me all about Petra." "… and that's about all I have to say," Gwen concluded her sagacious advice to Baili. 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,' she had told him, a point the man appeared to have taken to heart. Since the man was kind enough to shout her desert, she had used the temporary companionship to glean information about Petra's social life and life on campus in general. According to Baili, Petra stood as the top belle of the school since she arrived two years ago. Her looks, her talent, and her unique magic all caught the attention of the university's Student Committee, who wanted her as a poster-child for promoting Fudan. Yet, to the surprise of all involved, Petra refused, citing her work at the laboratory. Nonetheless, the lumen-pics of her visage had already become famous around the campus. Since then, Pats had endured an endless stream of pursuers, ranging from delightful to forceful to outright possessive, becoming unbidden prize of many a manly duel. Concurrently, her conversation with Baili also provided much insight into the student body of Fudan; chiefly split into several sub-groups: The Little Gong-zi, or Gong-zhu, were the privileged "young masters" of Clans and notable houses, typically equipped with an entourage of lackeys. These pupils often knew one another from Clan gatherings outside the university, forming their little cliques based on their Sects. Of the men she had beaten up, Frederick Lin, Tao' nemesis, was one of these. Conversely, an equally dangerous group was the Guan-er-dai, more accurately known by the officious moniker of the Political Progeny—descendants of officials in the PLA. These men and women, typically sons and daughters of the officials that ruled Shanghai and its surrounding Frontiers, were afforded special privileges by their parents' power. Her old nemesis, Dai Fung, was one such member of this austere group. Finally, these were joined by the Fu-er-dai, the Progenies of Prosperity, referring to the sons and daughters of influential business leaders, who are similarly afforded great opportunities. Comparatively, these were the most harmless. Tao and Mina belonged to this group, though they were wealthier and more influential than most. Below the triad of the well-inherited, the politically advantaged, and the resource-rich were the regular students like Baili. As invisible as these students may be, it was they who would form the backbone of Chinese society, becoming its Administrators, District Officials, Fabricators, Army Lieutenants and the glue that held the rare few at the top and the burgeoning bottom together. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Finally, Fudan's creme de la creme was the Scholarship students—commoners who had risen above the masses and whose ambition made them perfect Tower Mages. Petra was technically one of these, as well as herself and Richard. According to Baili, life on the campus was incident-free as long as one did not involve oneself with the "entitled" triad. For someone like Gwen, a general summation of the social stratum was that the Clans were wary of the Officials, the Officials were suspicious of the Industrialists, and the Industrialists loathed the Clans. A more discerning observation was that all three were all ferrets of the same den, and all of them saw commoners as egg-hens inevitably destined for the plucking. Unlike during the Second Beast Tide, intermarriages and shared interests had made relations ambiguous indeed, causing no ends of headaches for the Community Party's desire for unchallenged power. To Gwen's delight, Baili also volunteered his observations on the world outside Shanghai, speaking of his longing for a scenic holiday in the Frontier. The 'Scenic Frontier'! Gwen had laughed uproariously when the man delivered his rose-tinted view of the Wildlands. She was just about to tell him of the milling millions of Mermen baying for human blood when a call came through on her Message device. "Hello? Babulya? It's Gwen," she answered the call. "Okay. Yes, I know, Petra told me. Alright, see you soon!" Apologising, Gwen exchanged Glyphs with the now spirited young man, to whom she'd promised to deliver a good word with Petra, then set off to find her cousin. When they met at the bottom of Henglong Laboratory, Petra suggested they take the public transport so that Gwen would later know how to get home herself. Perhaps influenced by Gwen's choice of attire, her cousin now sported a thin fleece and contoured pantaloons, all of which accentuated her height and slimness. Combined with her tall ponytail and military-issue boots, her cousin appeared intimidatingly attractive and aggressively eye-catching. Was Petra good or bad at choosing her clothes? Gwen began to wonder if her cousin's appearance was intentional. After all, wasn't Petra trained for espionage at Moscow Tower? As they made their way down Fudan's shaded lanes, Petra showed not a single sliver of skin beyond her face and hands and yet, had attracted so much attention that Gwen was sure Baili would have fallen to his knees and wept like a child, becoming the first of many disciples under the queenly rule of Saint yoga-pants Kuznetsova. Plum-blossom Village. The Song Compound. The banquet was set as before, with her grandfather presiding at the head of the twelve-strong table. Clockwise from her babulya sat Jun, followed by her father, who'd returned from his mysterious 're-education', followed by aunty Nen. Besides them, there was a new face Gwen had never seen before next to Nen, whom she could only guess as Tao and Mina's father, beside which sat his children. Uncomfortable for Gwen, Percy sat next to Guo, which meant she had to sit next to Percy, nearer to the head than she'd like. "... Dad." Gwen hailed her father, unsure if she should still be upset. Morye looked to be in one piece but had taken on a dark tan. He also looked leaner, tighter, his body more sinuous and trained than she had ever seen in the past. According to babulya, her father had pilgrimaged to their ancestral village in Hebei. If so, the ancestors must have been quite harsh on her father, for Gwen could see that there were now visible wrinkles around his eyes and across his forehead. "Gwen. Your grandmother has told me all about your adventures. You've been a busy girl!" her father greeted her, his tone no less casual than before. "Well—" Gwen kept her voice level. Previously, they hadn't exactly parted under the best of circumstances. To think that if it wasn't for him, she might be in Sydney still, training under Gunther and Alesia with her friends Yue and Elvia. But for his little escapade from the House of Song, her life had undergone an irreversible change. "You know how it is." "Well, it's good to see you looking strong." "Thanks, dad. How are you doing?" "Ha!" her father glanced toward the head of the table, where Guo sat stoically. "I am surviving." Gwen allowed her more sympathetic feelings for Morye to trump her curiosity. "Alright, take care. I might be in Shanghai for a while; let's have a coffee." "Sure thing, Dad." She turned her attention away from her father and toward Mina and Tao's father, her Uncle Wang. "Hello, Uncle, it's good to meet you finally." "A pleasure to meet you as well, Gwen. Thank you for what you've done for my children," Tao's father replied with an expression of earnestness. "That's what family's for, Sir," Gwen returned politely. The man's handshake was firm and robust as they exchanged the greeting. Gwen clasped the man's palm with confidence, offering a gesture of equal friendliness. The Patriarch Wang laughed. "I hope that if there are opportunities, you will take care of these two rascals again." "I shall, Sir. Thank you for the gift." "It was nothing. Call Mina if you need anything." The two parted, watched by an uncertain Mina and a thoroughly impressed Tao. Gwen hailed her cousins, then turned finally to Richard. "Dick, how was your day?" "Fruitful, though I'll refrain from telling it for now." Richard gave her a wink. Gwen agreed, for rare Wildland ingredients now overflowed the table with their deliciousness. "Before we begin, there's something I would like to announce." Her babulya stood from her head of the table, her well-loved eyes surveying her closest family members. She produced from her Storage Ring a letter embossed with the distinctive crest of Fudan University. Gwen felt her breath catching as the familiar symbol appeared. Richard reached over and squeezed her hand underneath the table, which made Gwen realise how silly it was for her to freak. Her babulya arranged a banquet: they were in public, in front of the whole family; it was cruel and unthinkable to deliver the news of her "rejection" under these circumstances. Babulya slipped a piece of linen-like paper from the envelope and began to read. "'Dear Gwen Song, congratulations on your Full Scholarship Admission to Fudan University under the LCSS program! For nearly 100 years, Fudan has proudly welcomed new Mages into its fold, and we are excited for you to be part of this great tradition. As a member of the cohort of 2003, you will join a dynamic Spellcraft community in a place of endless magical opportunities—'" The speech continued for a minute. "—Yours Sincerely, Luo Jiang, Dean.'" "OH MAO!" Tao let loose a cry of jubilation. "Cousin! You did it! Mao's balls! You did it!" "That's wonderful news! Gwen!" Mina walked over and hugged her tightly, pressing her cheeks to Gwen's astonished face. "Congratulations." Richard and Petra held their emotions in check, with the latter showing no surprise at all. "I knew you could do it." Her babulya walked around the table and offered her the letter. "Dean Luo personally thanked me when I met with him. You should know," her grandmother continued. "He was ecstatic. To think that in calling in a favour, he now owes us more favours, hahaha." A round of 'woos' and 'wows' resounded across the table, with Nen and her family clapping loudly. "Tao, sit down!" Patriarch Wang, Tao's father, slapped his son on the head before Guo could speak. "Why can't you be more like Gwen? She's from the Frontier, and she's a hundred times more talented than you." He turned to Gwen. "Please continue to take care of my son," Wang stated thoughtfully. "He's going to need it..." "Oh, it's nothing," Gwen replied. Turning away from Tao's father, she opened the letter delivered by her smiling babulya and scanned the first few lines. Gwen's eyes scanned the happy table but then stopped when she realised that at its head, Guo had grown completely expressionless and silent. A part of her felt impossibly happy. It was finally here—her new beginning! Now, she had finally taken a step into the Path her Master had planned. Another part of her noticed Percy's eyes flitter between his stoic grandfather and herself. Having spent enough time with Guo over the last two weeks, she knew that there was something here her grandfather did not like but couldn't understand why Guo would be displeased at her admission into Fudan. Nonetheless, despite Guo's disapproval, her lovely brother rose from his seat and joined the celebratory hug. "Congrats, Sis." Percy's voice carried over a wealth of emotions. "Thanks, champ." Gwen pulled her brother in and hugged him tightly. "You'll be in university soon as well! I look forward to seeing you there in two years!" "I am sure it'll be awesome." Percy parted from his sister, then appeared lost for words. Behind the boy, his grandfather's eyes felt like a pair of spell-wands with the crystal-ends pointed at Gwen's face. Finally, Gwen embraced Petra. "You knew!" Gwen accused her cousin. "Of course, I knew." Petra chuckled. Her smiling eyes were twin pools of crystalline water. "Now, you better study twice as hard!" A gentle cough interrupted the girls' happiness. "Good work," Morye said proudly before opening his arms. Gwen hesitated for a moment before allowing her jubilation to overcome her prejudice, permitting herself to fall into the rare indulgence of her father's arms. Morye's arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer, squeezing her against his chest. Gwen smelled the familiar whiff of tobacco on his neck and something else, something floral, pleasing and feminine. Suddenly, Gwen didn't know whether to laugh or cry—even in re-education, her father somehow managed to snag a woman. Gently, her father's lips rested close to her ear. "Your grandfather's up to something. Whatever it may be, keep your cool and give him what he wants. Mother will take care of you no matter what happens." "What do you mean—" Gwen began. "I am so proud!" Morye intoned loudly, enough for all to hear. "You make me very happy indeed." The rest of the congratulatory greetings became static as Gwen stole glimpses at her grandfather. It was true, she realised. His throbbing temple veins had the look of a steam engine about to pop a gasket. Klavdiya then turned to Richard and produced another letter. "Oh, Richard! Your turn!" Gwen gushed. "For Mr Richard Huang… a Half-Scholarship award from the Lim-Chanrol Student Scholarship prize!" "Incredible!" Mina applauded and gave Richard a tippy-toed embrace. "I am happy for you." Petra shook Richard's hands. "Aw—bro! You are making me look bad!" Tao expressed his honest feelings of injustice without reserve. But if Richard was disappointed with only the half-prize, he did not show it. "Thank you, thank you," Richard thanked Klavdiya, making a respectful ninety-degree bow. "I am afforded this opportunity only because of you, Klavdiya. I am greatly in your debt." He then turned to Gwen and likewise bowed. "You as well, Gwen. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you on your journey," the young man announced earnestly. "Richard, it was all you! I had nothing to do with it. The true gem's lustre shines unbidden. You're the one who I should thank," Gwen replied with a flustered expression, mindful that Guo was still silent. Next, she bowed toward Klavdiya with all her mustered feelings of gratefulness. "Thank you, babulya. None of this would have been possible without you." The gathering bathed in the mutual exchange of gratitude and congratulations. Her grandmother watched her and Richard with eyes full of selfless kindness, holding the moment intact until their grandfather finally said his piece. "The food is getting cold." Guo's baritone voice cut through the air like a sledgehammer. The celebratory air hung itself as the Patriarch stood. "Start eating," he commanded. "Alright, alright, we can all celebrate later. Let's not waste the wonderful food the servants have spent hours on." Klavdiya urged them all to sit. By now, Gwen knew that Guo wasn't too thrilled with her grandmother's intervention in her and Richard's affairs. Maybe the matter wasn't so bad? She wondered. She also knew Guo wasn't one for hugs and kisses. In fact, her stoic and loyal Patriarch detested all forms of emotional display. The family returned to their seats and proceeded to work through the dozen or so dishes with polite chit-chatter. Recipes of exotic games passed to and from the Lazy Susan, diminishing until only soups and sauces remained. Finally, after an agonising hour, Guo stood from the head of the table. The rest of the family rested their spoons and chopsticks. "Gwen, Percy, I need to speak to you. Come see me in my Meeting Room." Without ceremony and with the usual laconicism of his usual self, Guo left the room. Gwen met the eyes of her family and communicated an apologetic look with her eyes before she too left the table. Percy nervously threw his napkin onto the chair for the servants to collect and followed Guo closely. Klavdiya left her seat to escort Gwen. "I suspect I know what he wants." Klavdiya had by now lost all of the joy she'd acquired since delivering the good news. Alarmingly, her grandmother's hand gripped Gwen's arm. "Gwen, whatever happens, it's not your fault. It's mine. I pushed for your admission to Fudan..." Gwen held her babulya's hand and looked across the courtyard, where the entrance of the Meeting Room stood like a gaping maw. "It's alright," Gwen spoke with untainted compassion. Her mind might be a jumble, but she could never blame Klavdiya. "Even if I have to leave, the fault, dearest babulya, is not in ourselves, but the stars."

Guo's private study was magically illuminated, though now she approached an ominous gloom, with the dim globes drawing deep shadows across the room, accentuating her grandfather's passionless expression. With a sinking feeling, Klavidya took her place beside her husband. When the stubborn man made a conciliatory gesture by moving a hand toward her, she stared at him starkly and placed her hands across her lap. Sighing, her husband retreated his hand and focused on the two grandchildren standing before them. Gwen and Percy presented themselves—the boy nervously so, and the girl a little drunk from her new placement at Fudan. A servant ventured carefully into the room and presented two jars of tea served in white-blue porcelain. Her husband took a sip, cupping one hand over the saucer while the other worked the loose leaves with the lid. Klavdiya performed likewise, awaiting Guo's verdict. "Allow me to congratulate you on your acceptance into Fudan." Guo began, still not looking Gwen in the face. "Well done." "Thank you, grandfather," Hai's estranged daughter replied stiffly. Klavdiya felt a slim hope that perhaps, Guo wanted to make up with Gwen, but there was no way her husband had separated her from the family just so that he could congratulate Gwen in private. "I want to ask you a question, and I want you to respond earnestly," Guo continued. "I shall, grandfather." "Gwen Song, daughter of Hai." Her husband's voice dropped an octave lower. Klavdiya recognised it as the tone he used for interrogations. "What do you think of Percy inheriting the House of Song?" "Guo!" Klavdiya felt her worst suspicions confirmed by the obtuse question from her husband. She had suspected the moment she had handed the letter of acceptance to Gwen during the celebratory banquet. As an old married couple for almost four decades now, Klavdiya knew that her husband was a brooder and one whose fierce loyalty did not manifest in kindness. Always the laconic, Guo never complained of hardship, and when he felt the need to act, he did so without regard for his wellbeing. It was a trait that served him well the previous hound masters of the CCP, more so now as the Chairman of the Confidential Communications Committee. By that same virtue, Guo had always respected his wife's decisions, allowing her the freedom to act as she saw fit. He loved her dearly, though he rarely made his love known for his rough and austere upbringing. Unlike herself, Guo had been a Frontierman, a first-son who chose to leave the sanctuary of his isolated village in Hebei. Klavdiya's erstwhile Clan of estranged White Russians had been dead set against her marriage to a Mage of no import, much who professed to be a farmer. Thankfully, Klavdiya had been no less hardheaded and determined than Guo. Then, during the bloody Sino War, the PLA won sweeping victories across China, allowing the couple to catch the crest of that rising power. In the aftermath, they had built something from nothing, creating a "House of Song" despite the humble origins of Guo's lost, ancient Clan in the wilderness. However, just when the couple were happiest, the troubles began. When Hai disappeared, Guo grew wracked with grief. Later, when they realised the corpse was not their firstborn son, but some doppelgänger he had used to escape, her husband became tyrannical and uncontrollable. It was as though something had broken inside the uncomplicated man she once knew, and the kind soldier slowly grew to his present, twisted self. Then, some decade and a failed marriage later, they received the news that Jun was sterile. As talented as her son was, his rare Affinity exacted a terrible cost from his body, one that could not be healed by spells, items, nor Demi-human rituals. They had even consulted the Magi of the PLA, Grand Marshall Sun, at which point the God-like man had informed them that a Greater Wish might suffice. It was an answer, Guo and Klavdiya conceded, but a wishful one. No Mage would dream of begging a Magi to make a crooked deal with the supernatural Djinn, not to mention they had to request a foreign Magi from the central continent to intervene. Her tortured husband somehow grew more bitter and removed, distracted even in the years since, placing his entire being into his work. She had tried to reason with Guo, perhaps accepting their daughter's son, Tao, as an heir, but Guo lamented that he could never return to his Hebei village and speak with the ancestors again. With a near-madness in his eyes, Guo had professed that, under the direction of Song Guo, the lineage of Song Ying Xing, a family with four hundred years of history, now come to an end. HE was the one who had left the village to join the PLA against all advice; he was the one who told his parents that the House would thrive. Now he must return to visit those ghostly halls and tell them that the family line would end with Jun and that if Jun died, there would be no more Songs left in the world. Klavdiya felt his pain, but she could not share Guo burden. She had given him children already, three to be exact—now, she was too old, and he was too exhausted. Yet, fate was a funny thing. When Guo inadvertently found Hai and Gwen and thus discovered he had a grandson, her husband was positively over the moon. And when he found that Percy had the rarified Affinity for Salt, Guo had felt as though the ancestors' spirits had forgiven his trespass, resigning himself to repetitive utterances of, "Thank Mao… thank Mao… I can now face my father's grave." Now, her husband had to ensure that Percy's legacy—thereby the Song's legacy, would be without blemish. On the matter of Gwen's stay in Shanghai, she was confident even an old hound of the MSS wouldn't dare violate their spoken pact with Sydney's Morning Star. It meant that the meeting tonight had to be about that other issue that Guo had raised, one that Klavdiya had earlier persuaded her husband to leave until a future date. The matter was in regards to an inheritance of the Song Clan. A relic called "The Kirin Amulet". Initially a single item, Guo had separated it to give to his two sons. According to his village's legend, the Kirin Amulet was crafted from the core of a Celestial Kirin, one of the four Heavenly-Beast archetypes of the old Dynasties, worshipped as Land Gods before the PLA forbade such nonsense. For the Songs, the amulet was an inheritance from father to son. Jun had the Yang half. Hai had the Yin half. Gwen had inherited her amulet from Hai, given to her out of kindness, passed from father to daughter. When Guo suggested Gwen give up the amulet for Percy, Klavdiya had asked Jun to intervene, for if her mulish husband listened to anyone, it was his younger son, the pride and joy of the House of Song. As anticipated, Guo couldn't embarrass his son in front of the granddaughter, leaving the matter unresolved. In Klavdiya's eyes, the pendant belonged to Gwen. Already, the girl had been tortured, abandoned, and left distressed and afraid by her father and then her grandfather. Not only that, the girl had lost her teacher, home, and friends to Sydneys' Beast Tide. To take from her the only possession from her father would to too cruel even for Guo. As for tradition—Klavdiya could only scoff at her husband's onset of sentimentalism. Hadn't she married him? Hadn't Klavdiya abandoned her family to join the People's Army with Guo during the Sino Wars? Of course, the amulet wasn't just a symbol. Knowing Guo's bloodline, the boy would not need its blessings until he had children of his own, but that would be many years yet. By then, with the girl mellowing into the Song's legacy, the amulet's passing from sister to brother could be a kind and pragmatic act. What was unexpected, Klavdiya supposed—was the sudden manner in which Gwen distinguished herself by besting Shanghai's youths at the Bund, then winning the Hengsha tournament. Ecstatic at Gwen's burgeoning Affinity with Lightning and the impossible element of Void, Klavdiya called in a few more favours from Dean Luo and Magister Wen. The whole process, she supposed, should have been one for celebration. But it wasn't so for her husband. Gwen's affirming flame was so bright, so brilliant, that Percy's talent was a shivering candle beside the furious discharge of her blinding lightning. As for Guo's unquenchable antagonism, Klavdiya could only chalk it down to ingrained insecurity left by Hai's deceit. Another son's kind words might have swayed a better man, but Hai was not a good child, and Guo had long since given up on being a good father. Watching her husband's eyes boring into the girl, Klavdiya made up her mind to help the girl herself, even if Guo dared to admonish her. She did not wish to fight her husband, and they still loved one another too much to threaten a separation. In giving Gwen every aid she could muster, Klavdiya could only hope that one day, the girl standing on the top of the world would remember them as her family, one that chose poorly—and not her adversaries. After the first glance, Guo felt it best not to meet his wife's eyes. Barely three weeks ago, under the hard light of a Cognisance Chamber, the foreign girl had professed to be his granddaughter, the progeny of Hai, and the single most talented youth Guo had ever seen. Within hours, Klavdiya had caught wind of the girl's existence and brought her home like a stray animal. Then, not more than forty-eight hours later, the girl returned from some Mao-forsaken nightclub, having trounced the Lins and shamed the Fung family, flaunting her forbidden skills in an underground fighting ring, for money! Yet, somehow, before Guo could give her a sound thrashing to remind her of the discipline her father had utterly neglected, he received a Vid-Cast routed from the Central Committee. After apologising to his superior, he was forced to confront a Radiant gweilo accompanied by a livid sorceress wearing too much red. Klavdiya had to take his hand and calm his infernal temper. That damned scarlet woman's first words were to threaten him! Him—Guo Song! A Committee Secretary! "Imprison Gwen again, and I'll burn Shanghai to the ground!" Hers was a "threat" to the state's dignity, but the Central Committee had chosen to dismiss the matter out of respect for the man beside her, the new Tower Master of Sydney, Gunther Shultz. Guo had almost called the woman's bluff—but for Klavdiya, he would have thrown Gwen Song back into the Sky Prison. But that option was beyond him now. The girl, against all expectation, was a direct disciple of not just any Magister but the Mage who had founded the Tower system used by the West. Even in China, only the Marshall of the People's Liberation Army, or one of the twenty-four Secretariats of the State serving under the Supreme Leader of the Party, could have compared to the influence wielded once wielded by Henry Kilroy. It was just as well then that the man had perished, though Guo suspected the girl had something to do with it. Perhaps as a mutual gesture of respect, Gunther Shultz removed the offending woman in red, apparently the heroic "Scarlet Sorceress", followed by an apology on her behalf. Guo then sat down with the "Morning Star" to discuss his wayward granddaughter. "I do not wish to make things difficult for either of us, Secretary Song," the man had said. The implication was obvious. The gweilo Magus had indicated he 'chose' to smooth things over, meaning he could elect other choices as well. So they negotiated, conversed in charades and bargaining with enigmatic implications until, against all odds, Guo found that he liked the man. They were military men put into enviable positions by deed and not by connections—men of competence who could find a compromise. Soon, they reached an agreement. Gunther would convince the mother to release Percy Song into Guo's care. In return, Guo promised to see Gwen through university, one of the top two that could access the International University Competition, and supply her with shelter, aid and care so long as she remained in Shanghai. Finally, at her education's end, she would be free to venture out of the city, unmolested by the CCP's Party politics. Personally, Guo couldn't guarantee their final detail but agreed to perform what was within his power because he seriously doubted anyone who wished to personally antagonise Gunther Shultz and sour the webwork of relations established by the late Henry Kilroy. Likewise, it was far easier to trade the girl to the West when the time came rather than war with the West to hold on to her unwilling talent. However, a final fishbone in Guo's throat had to be addressed. The girl still had Hai's ancestral amulet. Klavdiya had convinced him to wait—until the girl unexpectedly returned from Hengsha Island as the victor. Somehow, together with the Water Mage from the mother's bastardised Clan, two nincompoops from the Wangs, and Klavdiya's competent niece, they broke the record for CCs gathered during a Dungeon manifestation. Guo, of course, knew why the girl had won. Knowingly or otherwise, Gwen was using the Kirin amulet to soothe the life energies of the Creature Cores as they expired. In all likelihood, the girl probably thought that was the function of the Kirin Amulet! Little did Gwen know that the pendant was far beyond a simple fetish that made currency. Instead, the Kirin Amulet was an heirloom device responsible for the survival of the Song's bloodline. After Hengsha, all of his colleagues became suddenly interested in the girl. "Guo! You've been hiding a gem from us!" His Politburo colleagues had joked with him. "You should let her out into society, old hound. We no longer live in the old society, you know." Even his superior, the Secretary of the Internal Affairs Committee, had mentioned her. "What is this I hear about a Void Mage in your family?" From his communication device had come the voice of a woman Guo respected and admired as a colleague and a patriot, and it grated his ears to hear her speak of his estranged granddaughter. "Mind bringing her in for a tour? We can maybe help her out." He declined their offers. Then, at the banquet, Klavdiya had surprised them all by announcing not only that she had applied Gwen to Fudan but that Dean Luo had personally accepted Gwen into a full-time scholarship. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Three weeks. THREE WEEKS! Guo felt his world reel and turn. In less time it took for a junior Mage to master Magic Missile, the girl had fought into the inner circle of the progenies of politics and prosperity. She impressed the scions of the Clans. She made herself known in the Pudong Tower. She acquired the lauded full-scholarship prize awarded to only six students per annum in Fudan. And that wasn't the worst of it. They loved her. His family loved her. Jun adored her for reasons he could not begin to understand. His wife pulled in favours she had held for decades to help the girl. The Wangs, the damned Wangs who could never see eye to eye with him, whom Guo had counted on to become a staunch ally to Percy, fawned over the girl as though she was one of their own. Even his wife's niece, who fled from trouble in Moscow, stuck by the girl. How was such a thing possible? The very prospect of what the girl could achieve frightened Guo. He couldn't understand it. Her achievements were inconceivable to him, but to watching eyes, Gwen's actions had the makings of an heir. If so, was it a mistake to make her brother the heir? No! Guo told himself. He rarely dared to displease Klavdiya in their four decades of marriage, but this was something he had to do. The girl was a menace; she felt nothing for the House of Song. She was too steeped in the ways of the West. Watching the girl standing starkly in the ambient light, Guo steeled his resolve. It was time to return Percy's birthright to the boy, else the line of Song would truly end. "As I was saying… what do you think, Gwen?" Gwen's grandfather persisted. "About our designs for Percy?" The ominous tension caused Gwen to stiffen further, so much that she could feel cramps developing throughout her diaphragm and abdomen. Gwen looked towards her brother, who dared not meet her eyes. "I am overjoyed that he could inherit your austere position in time," she stated loudly, feeling the constrained emotion in Guo's voice. As polite and pleasant as she had been to her grandfather, they had remained estranged for reasons she could not discern. "Am I to understand you support Percy's bid?" Guo reclined in his chair, touching a finger to his temple. "I wonder then..." The patriarch's following words caught her off guard like a vicious Salt Strike. "What would you say if I wanted you to become the Matriarch of the House of Song? Would you like to become the inheritor? Replace your brother?" Besides her, Percy stiffened, appearing as though struck by one of Gwen's Lighting Bolts. Mirroring her brother, Gwen felt her movements petrify. Her grandfather wasn't serious, and this was a test—that much was self-evident to Gwen, but the offer still made her dizzy with unbidden projections of the future. She did not possess the ambition to take what was Percy's, but it didn't mean that her blood wasn't boiling and her face had not taken on a glowering, presumptuous pink shade. Guo's question hung in the air until Gwen could force her lips to move. "You jest, Grandfather," she replied carefully. "At any rate, I have no desire to inherit. It is not my place nor my inclination." "Good. A fine declaration," Guo replied, allowing each syllable of Mandarin to ring across the vaulted ceiling of the Meeting Room. Percy looked as though he was already rocking back and forth from the rollercoaster of emotions and expectations. When he looked up again at his sister, Gwen could see the germination of a seed planted the day her Aussie Opa gave her the keys to the estate. When Percy looked downcast, Gwen felt constricting guilt plugging her chest. She had lived two lifetimes—yet, she had been an absent presence in Percy's life both times. Should she have paid more attention to her brother? Gwen wondered how differently she could have chosen until she realised her grandfather was still speaking. "The House of Song… originated from the late Yuan Dynasty, when the people of Hebei rebelled against Mongol rule… there had been many branching sects since, but our House remained as guardians of the home front…" She wasn't sure how to feel about Guo. Her bond with Opa had been so easy, so effortless, just like her love of her babulya. If Guo wanted to kick her out, what should she do? They said that one couldn't choose kin, but wasn't covenant of the womb a scared union, especially in the East? Her babulya had said that she would walk the Path of Asura—if so, wasn't this just another thing she had to fight? In front of Gwen, her grandfather continued unabated. "When the Manchurians finally broke the Ming's back, the House chose to go underground, fighting the oppressors in another form… the village was rebuilt not once, but fourteen times! It was the darkest period of the Song's history. Song Kai volunteered for the dangerous mission—" No, Gwen decided. Her grandfather shall have his way, but she would never give up her babulya, Uncle Jun, and the family she had found. One lifetime of loneliness had been enough. In this stranger's land where she was a stranger, Gwen Song would carve out her piece and make it her own. Here, she would prosper, and her Master's plans would come to fruition, and then Gunther and Alesia would be proud when they came to visit. In front of her, Guo's story was reaching a climax. "I left the village! It was a decision that shocked them all... I met your grandmother during those dark days... The Communist party finally united China in 1949, sweeping aside the Magical Creatures, the Demi-humans, and most importantly, the foreign devils who thought themselves… which is why I hope you could come to understand why Percy is such an important part of the Song's legacy." Gwen blinked, attempting to recollect Guo's story. Ming dynasty? Manchurians? The Japanese? An old village, rotting away in Hebei. She could intellectually understand her grandfather's position, but how was she supposed to find inspiration or rapport? Did he expect her to swell with filial piety? Break out with patriotism when finally, Maozhidong's army pushed into Shanghai and razed the Japanese encampments to the ground? Guo had good cause, but the man's rationales were of such pith and moment that they trumped her wants, dispelled her desires, negated her needs with the power of the sun. "Gwen?" her babulya beckoned. Gwen met her grandmother's soft eyes apologetically, determined to give her grandmother no trouble. She bowed her head. "What would you like me to do, Grandfather?" Klavidya made her unhappiness known and a long sigh. "I shall be plain then." Guo no longer minced words. "I request the return of the Kirin Amulet. I also wish for you to renounce your candidacy as heir to the House of Hebei Song, the descendants of Song Ying Xing." Gwen allowed the words to filter through her mind. Surprisingly, she felt nothing. She undid her ribbon tie with slow ceremony and retrieved the amulet, still warm with her body heat from its home just above her chest. The half-amulet glinted in the low light, its jade glowing faintly, its marbled patterns appearing as though vessels of blood. Guo continued to speak. "There are uses for the amulet which are only known to the inheriting member of the family. Hai had never learned it; he was too young when he left. Jun has learnt it, but he has no children. Percy, however, is a perfect beneficiary of the amulet's boon. Gwen—it's useless for you because you will not learn its secrets. You will not access its greatest gift." "Guo!" Her grandmother snapped at her husband. "Get on with it." Holding the pendant in the palm of her hand, Gwen carefully caressed the thing that had aided her since her Awakening. The Kirin Amulet was the reason why they won the competition. It was her ticket to Creature Cores, currency and thereby her success. Likewise, it had received Almudj's blessing, though she was thankful that Almudj's mana was spirit-bonded to her Astra Body and not stuck in this trinket. "Alright." She spoke with trembling tenderness. There was no need for hysterics, no call for drama. What good would that do her now? She was letting go of something, but then Guo was letting go of something too. With the amulet given, she would be free of the Songs, more so than Hai. "I, Gwen Song, daughter of Hai Song and Helena Huang, renounce my entitlement to inherit the House of Song. Likewise, I will therefore remove myself from this House, and as ask that you do not interfere with my future in any way, shape or form." She felt her breath quicken as she starkly felt the space between her breasts, feeling as though she had removed a piece of her flesh. "Percy, come here," she said to her brother. "Sis, I…" Percy looked as though he wanted to refuse, but Gwen knew her brother better than that. He was an ambitious pup. Percy had always thought himself destined for greatness. Against Guo, it was delusional even to imagine her brother possessing the gall to say no. Like in a dream, Percy moved his hand mechanically toward her as though the offending appendage did not belong to him but someone else. Gwen allowed the red strings to loosen before hanging them over her brother's neck. Her brother's eyes reddened. "Thank you," he muttered softly, wetting his parched lips. Gwen forced her hand to move away from his chest and rest beside her thighs. She breathed deeply until her breath to its usual cadence before her gaze returned to the foot of the chair where Guo sat, still wearing an old, worn pair of cotton-flats, the kind that farmers wore in Hubei. "I am glad you and I could see eye to eye." Her grandfather said. "If you wish to move away, I am more than happy to provide-" "Guo, I'll take it from here." It was her babulya who intervened, cutting off her husband mid-sentence. She left the seat and walked towards Gwen to take her hand. "Take your grandson and go, Guo. I need to speak to Gwen." Guo's face visibly twitched, though he said nothing as he led her brother into the private antechamber. "Goodnight, Grandfather," Gwen coaxed her voice to retain its usual timbre. She then turned to her brother. "Congrats, Percy." Percy said something as well, but Gwen was already being hugged by her grandmother, who led her out back to the side garden, where Jun and her father, Morye, was waiting for them. "We heard a few words from here..." Her father began. "Well, it doesn't take a Diviner to guess what that old dog—" "Jun, Hai, the training room." Their babulya silenced him before motioning toward Gwen's now-defunct bedroom. "Yes, Ma'am." "Alright, Mama." Within, Richard had already packed her belongings. "So." He looked up expectantly. "When do we move out?" "Richard…" Gwen felt such gladness for her cousin that she wanted to cry. "Richard!" Morye broke the sentimental moment. "Good to see you. How are your parents?" "In a Refugee Camp, Sir," Richard replied drily. "They lost everything during the attack. You were there." Morye retracted his hand. "Right, of course." "BUT—they're doing better now, waiting on some CCs for their immigration grants." "Ah? That's good to hear," her father replied awkwardly before turning to Gwen and the topic of Guo. "Look, don't worry about the old hound, alright? Fuck him. Why do you think I left? You got me still, right?" Gwen looked at her father's boisterous face. Was the man trying to cheer her up? Rely on him? She felt too exhausted to fight him and too sorry for babulya for having a son like Hai. "Hai! Don't speak about your father like that!" Klavdiya chided him. Her father scoffed. "Alright, mama. Look, I am sorry about Percy. I didn't teach that boy well. He takes after his mother, I'd say. Well, Gwen? You want a hug?" Somehow, her father's come-what-may attitude made her feel better about the whole ordeal. "I'll be fine. I am just a little… upset." "Don't be shy! Come on!" Morye urged, glancing at his mother as though seeking approval. "Right in here! Both arms!" With her babulya watching expectantly, Gwen resigned herself to the unexpected filial indulgence. She allowed her father's arms to envelop her as she walked into his embrace, feeling his hands stretch across her shoulder and waist. Morye brushed her cheeks, his stubble stabbing into her skin. She became enveloped by his cologne and odour, reminding her of Forrestville, of the daily struggle to get her out of bed. She recalled when her father gave her a birthday gift, a six-pack of Bonds underwear, only to find out later it was initially intended for one of his girlfriends. "Thanks, Dad." Gwen pulled herself away, feeling a little dubious about the nostalgia she had just undergone. "Red Stars, I wish I had a daughter," Jun said beside them, his eyes green with envy. "That was beautiful." "You don't know the half of it." Morye punched his brother in the arm. "That was a highlight for sure. Most of the time, Gwen screams like her mother." "So—" Richard stashed his backpack against the wall and faced the family expectantly. "What's the go now, Gwen? I'll go where ever you go." "Gwen, how are you feeling?" her babulya finally had a moment to squeeze in a word. "I am fine." Gwen allowed her grandmother to caress her tender cheeks. "I am good. I can deal with it. I AM dealing with it." "Please don't feel too strongly towards your grandfather. He's a stubborn old man, acting out of fear and stubbornness and not malice." Her grandmother gave her father a look that spoke volumes. "I know that." Gwen squeezed her grandmother's hands. "I'd be lying if I said I don't feel any resentment, but I understand how and why it happened. I don't fault Grandfather for being who he is." Her babulya sighed deeply. "I hope you mean that, Gwen." She patted her shoulder. "It would make me very happy if you do." "I do mean it." Gwen was beyond glad that she had the wisdom of age to face the crisis; had she been her sixteen-year-old self, an actual adolescent, she would have bawled out her eyes and accused the world of being cruel and uncaring. "Gwen? Babulya? Can we come in?" There came a knock on the door. The new guests were Petra, Mina and Tao. "Sorry for intruding," Petra spoke first. "We were—" "Shit! So it's going DOWN? Are you getting kicked out? That's fucked, dawg! G-dawg is NOT cool! NOT COOL!" Petra pushed past her indignant cousin and gave Gwen a big hug. "Don't worry, Gwen," Petra said seriously. "Your scholarship, your position at the school, your future. Nothing can take them away from you. Look at me! I was also away from my parents, and I survived just fine. Whatever you need, I'll help." "Thanks, Pats." Gwen felt her depression dispel. "Gwen!" Lea burst from Richard and joined the huddle, careful not to wet the two girls. "Do we have to—?" Mina rolled her eyes but relented in the end, joining the triplet array to form a foursome of bodies rocking back and forth. "Say, you want to stay with me for a while? I got a spare apartment close to Fudan, and a couch for Richard, that or you can stay with us at the estate." Tao wanted to join in, but Richard arrested the man before he could ruin the mood. "Give them some space," he said to his distant cousin. "This is something that girls can do that we can't because we are stoic men who check our emotions at the door. Also, spoil this moment, and Petra will kick your ass." "Right, thanks, dawg." Tao surprised them all by staying put. While Gwen immersed itself in the company of her cousins, her uncle Jun took the opportunity to speak to her babulya. "Well, Mum? Regretting your decision not to fight Dad?" "Not any more." Klavdiya hooked her son's arm inside her elbows. "Do you think young Percy can ever attain this? Gwen's with us for what, two, three weeks? The girl has a talent that's far beyond magic. The House of Song would have flourished under her." "AND she's not one to forget her brother." Jun pointed out, then hugged his mother. He lowered his voice. "Mother, perhaps I could—" His eyes met Gwen's. "No, you mustn't." Klavdiya shook her head and squeezed her son's hand. "You need it; it's too dangerous otherwise. Wait until Gwen's older—assuming she wants children of her own." "I'll have it ready for her." Jun touched his mother's hair thoughtfully. Unable to guess what the two were speaking about, she looked to her father, who appeared absentmindedly in search of a cigarette. The girls separated. "Feeling better?" Petra was dazzling as always. "Never better." Gwen exhaled, honestly confessing that she felt completely restored. "Yeah, dawg. Don't be a stranger!" Tao quipped with his usual elegance. A stranger, she mused. Only a moment ago, she had fancied herself a stranger. Yet, no less than half an hour later, she had family again. Taking a step back, Gwen surveyed the friends and family that she had gained by coming here to Shanghai. Babulya, Petra, Mina, Tao, Uncle Jun and Richard. Gwen bowed deeply toward her "family", sincerely expressing her gratitude. As they say, the home was where the heart was. If the Songs did not want her, then she would carve out a place of her own—a home, a House, a demesne, a Tower!

Even with a medium Storage Ring, Gwen couldn't fit everything she owned. Babulya had told them that they needn't pack so hastily, but Gwen felt scant desire to meet Percy and Guo in the morning and put on a charade of congeniality. She then proposed finding a motel for a short-term stay while they shopped for lodging—until Mina's passion persuaded her to take up one of her dad's vacant apartments. "Mina, I think it's too much," Gwen replied out of politeness. It wasn't as though they would be homeless. She had enough HDMs to last herself and Richard for half a year, assuming no unforeseen expenses, and she had always hated the idea of charity. "I don't mind taking you up on it," Richard answered in her stead, as straightforward as ever. "BUT you need to charge us the going rate. We're not broke, at least not yet. It'll make Gwen's pride easier to swallow." Mina chortled as her cousin's complexion took on a pink glow. Babulya tried again to convince Gwen and Richard to stay for a week longer, but Gwen politely refused, soothing Klavdiya by kissing her forehead. "It's alright, Babulya. I am feeling fine. Moving out is something that has to be done. Rest assured, this changes nothing between us." With the matter thus resolved, Tao called for housekeeping to clean the place while Gwen and Richard packed with the help of Mina and Tao's Storage Rings. At the threshold of the Song estate, her grandmother once again grew worried. "Gwen, promise me you'll come back," she pleaded with her. "Your Grandfather is a stubborn old mule, but he'll come around one day." "I'll keep that in mind," Gwen replied enigmatically. "Don't forget, Babulya, we still have our shopping date, and I'll come and see you for checkups. We'll be spending time together again, but for now, I need some space." "Dear, I am sorry for what happened." Her babulya shook her head. "Take care of yourself, Gwen." Jun shook her hand, then shook Richard's. "Take care of her, Richard." "I will," Richard answered affirmatively. "Another one for the road?" Her father appeared intoxicated with the father-daughterly rapport he'd built on presumption. Gwen suspected it was because they were both giving Guo the finger. "I suppose another one couldn't hurt." Gwen indulged herself again, finding the intimacy strange and unusual. "I'll be around. Call if you need help." Her father gave her a wink. Jun looked on with such envy that Gwen couldn't help but indulge her uncle as well, though his bushy beard stabbed her lips painfully and irritated her cheeks terribly. "Heres my Glyph." Her uncle passed over a note. Gwen embraced her uncle a little tighter, wondering if her life would have been different if Jun was her father. As soon as they were inside the car, Mina stepped on the pedal—then suddenly, they were out of the Song's home and into Shanghai's fantastic mirage of lights. Klavdiya, Jun and Morye watched as the dark vehicle pulled away from the compound. Klavdiya sighed. "They'll be fine, Mama." Morye habitually patted his pockets for a cigarette, then sighed with as much disappointment as his mother. "I concur." Jun patted his brother's shoulders. "You got one heck of a daughter, Brother." "Well, I did raise her myself," Morye boasted proudly. Klavdiya turned to Morye with her amber eyes glowing with criticism. "Did you really, Hai?" Hai swallowed his following words. "So, no send-off from Percy, huh?" Jun remarked with a frown. "Not very brotherly, considering what Gwen gave up." "That boy takes after his mother." Hai snickered. "Is that all you have to say?" Their mother's tone was not happy. Hai breathed out another long, drawn-out breath. "I suppose I am responsible as well. I was negligent in teaching him. Sorry, Ma." The three of them stood listening to the sound of frog-song lifting from the rock garden just outside the compound. "Hai," Jun asked at last. "You told Gwen to call you." "Yeah." "You don't have a Message Glyph. You don't even have a Message device right now." Hai shrugged. "So?" Klavdiya pinched her brows. "I am tired," their mother spoke into the night. "Good night, boys." "Goodnight." Hai bowed slightly. "Goodnight, mother. I'll be going back to the barracks." Jun shook his head at his brother, then comforted his mother by patting her arm. The trio took one last look at the vehicle screeching past the main boulevard, paused in case anyone else wanted the last word, then went their separate ways into the flickering darkness. "You sure you're alright?" Mina held Gwen's cold hands as the car cruised down the Second Orbital Ring Road. "Your fingers are like icicles." "I am holding up," Gwen replied, one of her hands unconsciously moving toward her chest. "All the adrenaline is draining out of me, that's all." "The Kirin Amulet…" Richard observed Gwen repeatedly feeling the space between her breasts. "You never did clarify what it did." "It's a little hard to explain, but you've all seen it in action, so I'll try my best." Gwen anecdotally informed her companions of what she could discern, listing each instance in which the Kirin Amulet acted on her behalf. "...So the most important thing is that during the Mermen Crisis in Sydney, it drew power from a Mythic serpent's egg, then fended off a Faceless shapeshifter by releasing the serpent's essence." "You're gonna have to tell us about that sometime," Mina remarked. "Mermen? Shapeshifters? Mythic beasts? Your life sounds like someone wrote a Vid-cast episode. Are you sure you're the same age as we are?" "Who knows, what if I told you I was a wise old Changeling?" "Ha!" Mina chortled. "As if!" Gwen smiled weakly at her cousin. Telling the story of her time in Sydney had felt hard and unpleasant. To think that she once had a Geas planted in her by Henry that prevented her from speaking to anyone about Almudj, and now that restraint was gone. Invariably, she grew aware of a masochistic desire to feel the old Geas restraining her Astral Soul. Such an agony would act as proof that her Master was alive, that if she recounted of Almudj, her rare and kind mentor would at once know of her disloyalty. But whatever her wishes, her Master was gone now, murdered barely a month ago. A month? Gwen trembled at the thought. Had it only been a month? She suddenly felt at a loss, for losing the pendant was nothing when compared to the loss of her Master. "Gwen," Petra spoke beside her. "Now that you don't have this amulet, I think my Master should give you a proper checkup. From the time we were together in Hengsha, I'd say it did more than absorb Essences from dead monsters. You might not think so, Gwen, but I think you're going to regret letting that thing go." "I know, but it's just a thing, in the end." Gwen defended her decision. "Gwen doesn't need it," Richard said besides the girls. "It was a ball and chain as much as it was useful. On the Frontier, we don't get to see many Magic Items, so we've learned not to rely on them overmuch. Most of us go into battle with a bandoleer of potions, that's it." "Now that's God's Truth," Gwen castigated her humble origins. "We don't get no Magic Items out there in the Outback. Just Roos and Emus, and Aurochs. So many Aurochs. Which we wrangle with our bare hands." "You joke, I hope." Petra wrapped an arm around Gwen's shoulders. "My only concern is that you continued to hit the coursework. Whatever the heck the amulet did for you, you can do better for yourself. I mean to make a Mage out of you, and I mean it!" "Thanks, Pats." Gwen leaned on her cousin's broad shoulders. "You're worth ten Kirin amulets." Her cousin turned away with a smile, her face made rosy by Gwen's earnest affection. "Huuuuuu—ghnnnn—" A loud snore from the rear-most seat of the seven-seater SUV interrupted the conversation. Tao, as expected, was a man with a talent for disruption like no other. Some thirty minutes later and closer to midnight, Mina's car arrived at a set of serviced apartments some fifteen minutes walk from the Bund. Gwen sucked in the chilling night air as they exited the SUV. A vacant apartment?! She grimaced. Mina's gesture of charity turned out to be a two-bedder suite at the Shanghai-Bund Waldorf overlooking the Bund and the Huangpu River. Within, the NoM servants had already refilled the toiletries and changed the sheets before the young Mages arrived. According to Mina, there was also a 24-hour kitchen, anytime room service, a masseuse, and laundry services, all prepaid by the strata. "We'll start looking for a place tomorrow," Gwen informed them immediately, feeling her crystals becoming lighter with the passing of each moment. "My recommendation is to stay on campus," Petra advised sagely, her eyes scanning the ultra-luxury interior. "Assuming there are vacancies, LCSS students should have no issues getting approval. Of course, the admin's slow as molasses, and you might have to be enrolled first, but I am sure they'll make an exception for scholarship recipients." "Thanks, Pats. I'll swing by first thing in the morning." "Why? You're always welcome to stay here," Mina reminded Gwen of her generosity. "It's a little far, I know, but it's cheap and clean." Cheap doesn't begin to cover half of whatever this is; Gwen smiled with a grimace as she suppressed an urge to shout. "It's okay, I'll need to see Pats almost daily, and I'd like to try out the campus life." Gwen met her cousin's imploring eyes with tenderness. She felt a little dirty for euphemistically omitting the fact that there was no way she and Richard could afford a place like this long-term. "Thanks, Mina, I appreciate your offer, and I won't forget your kindness." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Don't mention it." Mina appeared well-pleased with her boundless generosity. "Yeah, it's our Dad's anyway, he said to—Ow!" Tao hissed at his sister. "Peaches, shut up." Mina withdrew her pincer-like fingers. Gwen maintained a sweet mien and said nothing. "Yo! You guys wanna have some Xiao-ye?" Tao spoke up suddenly. "There's five of us, and we're five minutes walk from Huahai Road, perfect for some Hot-pot!" "Hot-pot?" Gwen's ears perked up. She had heard of the famous steamboat dish before and seen her colleagues enjoy it in Sydney, though she had never personally participated. "Ya! Bitch'n peppers that melt your asshole! Order the red soup, then dunk in some prime cuts of lamb and auroch, Wildland vegetables and mushrooms; it's the SHIT dawg!" "I am game." Petra's anticipation suggested she was an old hand at the spice game. "Count me in. I love spicy food," Richard added. "I've had it a few times in Australia as well, though I doubt it was authentic." "Great, I'll take morning class off tomorrow." Mina twirled her hair. "Gwen?" Gwen pictured a mountain of ingredients sitting next to a famously steaming pot, eaten at two AM. "Alright!" her stomach growled. "Let's do it!" "I KANT FEEL MY MOUTH." Gwen moaned as she sipped her warm beer. "MY TUNG ISH NUMB." Initially, the reddish, peppery soup had been savoury and zesty. Then, an hour into the meal, the soup became lava, teaching her that what her Asian companions considered a medium level of spice was for her, suicide by Fireball. As she lay in a food daze, she was shocked to realise that the clock was ticking toward four AM. Yet, she didn't feel sleepy at all. Was it the overstimulating spice? Gwen wondered, or the boisterous company? Tao was on his sixth beer but remained entirely lucid, loudly speaking as he recounted stories with his gang of wannabe Rappers. Mina appeared demure and petite, her coiled hair framing her small face as she sat primly, her slim thighs tucked across the low stool, a princess eating at a street eatery. Richard was a carnivore through and through, seemingly unaffected by the river of the molten pepper oil. He clinked beers with Tao often, surprising Gwen with his ability to make fast friends. The boss, a hard-boiled veteran waging war against health inspectors, was so impressed with the young Mages that he couldn't help but provide supply them with an endless train of beer. Eventually, Gwen grew drunk enough on beery emotions to speak of her life in Australia, her high school, and her meeting with Alesia, with Henry and Gunther. "Wow, Henry Kilroy…" Mina made a face. "I've read that name in one of my textbooks. To think he was still around." "And Elizabeth Sobel… that bitch is COLD, dawg." Tao was enthralled when Gwen regaled the events at Rosebay, redacting her narrative where necessary. "I want to meet this Elvia of yours," Mina noted after Gwen's story concluded. "I think we would get along." "I wanna meet dis Yue—" Tao was fascinated by Gwen's mention of Yue's unparalleled bust. "And that Debora—what a poor girl." Mina chewed absent-mindedly on some noodles. "Can't believe she was skin-changed for so long, and no one noticed." "We have Skin-Changers as well." Petra gave her two Rubles. "Naturally, magical impersonation is illegal. The maximum penalty for identity theft under the PLA is summary execution or permanent stasis." "They do summary executions here?" Gwen reached for another beer, though Richard passed her a glass of water instead. "Oh yes, there's Vid-Casts even." Her cousin shrugged. Gwen acknowledged the fact, a little too drunk to comment even as she shivered at the prospect of dying for a non-violent crime. "Anyway, now you know my story—and why I need this Scholarship, as well as the Inter-University Competition." Gwen sipped her warm water. The chilli was SO GOOD, but it was SO SPICY. Her guts felt Vulcan had opened a Dwarven forge in her intestines. "Well—" Petra wrapped another piece of lamb around her chopsticks expertly, swishing it back and forth in the hellish soup of floating garlic and Sichuan peppers. "—It's a good plan, I think It'll work, but you've got quite a bit of balancing to do." "I can b a good juggler," Gwen replied. "If you want the Pudong Tower to recognise you, getting your Magus' accreditation is essential," Mina informed her helpfully. "That and participate in Tower Quests from Fudan T2. Once you're recognised by one of the Towers, the title is valid the world over." "I can confirm that," Petra agreed. "My Master, Magister Wen, worked for a while for Pudong too, though she's well-received in the PLA Tower as well." "Speaking of work, I'll be doing some part-time work over the next few weeks. At least until university starts," Richard suddenly informed them, turning toward Gwen. "I was going to tell you earlier. But you know, stuff happened, we got kicked out and became vagrants." "What kind of work?" Mina asked curiously. "Light Utility-stuff, mostly construction and guard duty. It's close, just up the Yangtze. Babulya set me up with a few of her old colleagues who needed a good Water Mage." "Pays well?" Gwen asked. "Well enough." Richard grinned. "Enough to keep myself lodged and fed, with spare left over for training." "Alright." Gwen didn't pursue the matter. Richard had his pride as well. It wasn't as though he was going to mooch off her the entire time they studied together. "Congrats on getting a job." "Cheers." Richard raised a beer. "I'll leave finding our new home to you. If you can afford it, so can I." Tao met Richard halfway and swigged his sixth stout, after which the group continued to talk until Mina accidentally fell asleep on Richard's shoulder, triggering a round of laughter from her extended family. "We better pack it up." Richard finished off the last of his bottle. Tao agreed heartily and slammed his seventh. Petra Messaged for a cab then told Gwen to come to the Lab after 2 PM. Together, they would go and see the Campus Administration, get their student card pre-registered, and see if the university is willing to fast-track her dorm application. Half an hour later, Gwen melted under the luxurious multi-headed shower system back at the borrowed apartment before retiring to the temporary luxury of silken sheets. Pushing herself against the window, she hugged a pillow closer to her chest as she sat city-gazing near the panoramic windowsill, her legs pale against the colourful panes and their prism of light. Her hair rested damply across her shoulders, slowly drying as the cool, conditioned air chilled her exposed shoulder. Below, the shimmering mirage of the Bund beckoned, promising a future fraught only with uncertainty. Gwen woke around 11 AM. Her cousin was gone, though Richard had left a note reminding her to wear her Message device. Additionally, he had left her two hard-boiled eggs. Gwen hefted the eggs in one hand. They felt more like billiard balls in weight and shape, informing her that either these were magical eggs or the hen was the size of a goat. She cracked one, and a sweet aroma of creamy egg-yolk filled the room. After last night's flaming turmoils, her stomach lining could use some fortifying. Lacking access to her whole wardrobe, Gwen found an easy-Sunday dress and her favourite sandals, then called it a day. Today was her first day in Shanghai as a free woman, and she would prefer that it was as uncomplicated as her attire. Drawing a recalled Glyph on the lock, she locked the apartment after washing the dishes and setting the bed, then ventured toward Fudan via the No. 10 subway. Now out in the open, she found it easy enough to orientate herself once she was out in the vicinity of suburbs surrounding Fudan. To her right, she could see the enormous superstructure of the PLA Second Army Experimental Hospital just looming on the horizon. To her left, she could see the top of the two mock-Towers atop the Guanghua building peeking over the numberless apartments. Seeing as it was only noon, Gwen figured she should explore the area and find her bearings. The university district was a modern area, well possessed by manicured greens on well kept median strips, escaping the muddy potholes and choking construction of the older neighbourhoods. As she passed a block zoned for reconstruction, she marvelled at the transformation of the old Hutongs, buildings that had existed since the Ming Dynasty, into rapidly gentrifying shopping streets. "Spare some change, Miss?" a voice croaked out just below her field of vision. Gwen almost jumped at the sight of a tramp who'd suddenly emerged from the darkness between two alleyways marked for demolition. The man was an NoM, for she would have felt a Mage's approach from their ambient mana. Usually, she would have ignored folk such as these, as she had always done in her old life, but this was her first day out in Shanghai as a woman of means, and she fancied herself in a generous mood. "I could spare some, sure." Gwen stopped beside the construction site. Above, in red writing, a slogan read something to the effect of, "Peaceful Removal of Old Structure for Safety - Welcome the Birth of Civil District." The NoM seemed just as surprised as Gwen when she took note of his existence. "Donation for… the poor?" the old man repeated. He had the look of someone wracking his brain for something intelligible to say but was too shocked that a Mage, a gweilo at that, was speaking to him. "They took my home." A few feet from her spotless sandals, the NoM looked to be in bad shape. The old battler had bruises on his face, and he sat, half crouching, on what looked like a dolly, like the ones used for furniture removal. Gwen materialised a few LDMs, as well as the comically large egg she had saved from breakfast. "Here, Sir," she said kindly, kneeling to give the man her offer of charity. The hobo's eyes widened when he realised that she was giving him not mundane currency but mana crystals. "This is too much," the hobo croaked, looking suddenly afraid. At that moment, Gwen felt the presence of Mages turning the corner. "Hey! What do are you doing!" a voice barked across the dilapidated space of the deconstruction zone. Gwen quickly recovered herself. She cursed herself for her random charity, for the tone of the incoming voice sounded far from friendly. Whatever happens, she had better not be late for Petra. The emerging trio were construction Mages, though Gwen was surprised to find the leader wearing a Naval Officer's cap embossed with Shanghai's skyline. The leading officer was short and middle-aged, while his two companions looked like cadets. These, Gwen realised, were the City Guard, more colloquially known as the Chengguan. Gwen stiffened as they approached. "Hao! I told you not to return here!" the middle-aged officer howled at the hobo, then stepped between the man and Gwen. "We're sorry if you were harassed, Miss!" the two young men bowed. "If you would like to make a report on this incident, we are happy to be of service!" "Oh no, it's quite alright." Gwen put up her hands and back-peddled, confronted by the Chengguan's eagerness to be model guardians of the city's civility. While two younger men charmed her with diplomacy, the officer continued to admonish the NoM beggar for violating a string of the city's rules Gwen had never heard off before, everything from 'No soliciting money,' to 'No Loitering around Construction Zones.' "But… here is my home!" The man wailed. "I lived here for thirty years!" "You HAVE A NEW HOME!" the officer shouted at him, sending a string of spittle flying toward the man like dandruff. "GO HOME, HAO!" "Was he lying?" Gwen asked out of curiosity. "The man said he was homeless." "The NoMs 'are' provided new homes, Miss," one of the young men answered her with eyes aglow with earnestness. "The residents here are moved to the more rural areas where the city has built a whole new apartment-city for them." "Oh, that's nice," Gwen replied, unsure of who to believe. "Are you a student, Miss?" "From Fudan, yes." "How wonderful!" "Hao! I am warning you. Move it!" the sergeant barked, finally out of patience. "No! Please. LI! My home is here! We grew up in the same Hutong! You can't just demolish the place! My father and his father lived here! Your Grandmother too!" "Yuu! Lee! With me!" Officer Li sighed. "Get this eyesore out of the way." The two officers apologised profusely to Gwen and requested that she leave the premises. Gwen complied and walked some distance away before she heard the sound of painful grunting and the noise of something scribbling and struggling, pressed against the pavement. "Miss!" a voice called out behind her. Gwen turned to see one of the cadets running toward her. The young Chengguan bowed again before opening his hands, revealing four LDM crystal chips. "These are yours, I believe." The young man met Gwen's eyes expectantly. "Once again, allow me to apologise for the harassment you had to endure." With a sinking feeling, Gwen took the LDMs and thanked the young officer. The young man saluted before turning and running back to assist what Gwen could only assume was the forced removal of the beggar from his old home. Still feeling the sting, she hefted the weight of the LDMs in her hand for a moment before stowing them away in her Storage Ring. It took her another block before her mind wandered back toward Petra's appointment, motivating her to hasted her pace. Nearer the middle of University Road, the already furnished glass and concrete apartments began. Above her, multi-storey apartments loomed over the sycamore trees lining the boulevard, while all around her, a riot of students and staff shifted through the innumerable choices available for lunch. At lunch, University Boulevard was packed to the rafters with diners. Even casually, Gwen noticed a French bakery, a Texan smokehouse, a Japanese sushi train, all geographically aligned with infinite Chinese restaurants with just as many milk-tea outlets. Tempted by the delicate scent of butter and eggs, Gwen ended up wasting another ten or so minutes purchasing two boxes of Lembas before she had to run for the Administration building, hoping that Petra liked her shortcakes.

The administration building, named after the Transmuter-Meister Chen Yeyao, was recently refurbished with a fresh coat of cream and cherry, which seemed to be a popular colour motif for most of Fudan's historical architecture. Concurrently, as if to mask the unsavoury palate, a thirty-meter high sheet of vines had taken residence across half the building, gifting the faux-Georgian architecture an incidental air of antiquity. Gwen and Petra entered through the foyer and found their way to the campus residences department, bypassing streams of administrative staff, mostly NoMs with the occasional Mage. Behind the chest-height counter, three NoMs sat hammering away into tablets, working through stacks of paper. Taking a ticket, the girls took a seat to await their turn. A sign indicated that the stall closed at 1600. '203' their ticket read. The current counter was 188. With nothing else to do, Gwen retold some of her life in Sydney with Hai Song, only for Petra to reveal that she knew more about Gwen's father than Gwen herself. "He was famous before he uprooted himself and left Shanghai. Even my Master speaks of him. By the age of sixteen, Hai was already shortlisted for the PLA's new generation of committee officials." "Power to him then, but I don't think Dad would have made a good leader," Gwen complained of what she knew of Hai. Petra's face took on a frosty expression when she elaborated on her father's infamous exploits with women. "That explains... a lot." "Oh no." Gwen grimaced. Holy shit, did her dad try to hit on Petra, his niece? "No, no!" Petra grimaced back. "Gwen! I mean, my Master and your dad, I suppose they were once acquainted, in a way." Gwen felt her cheeks twitch. Petra's Master was only five years younger than her babulya. "Now Serving 189..." Twenty minutes later, the counter ticked over. "Bloody St Augustine..." Petra cursed under her breath. "The bureaucracy! It's 1435, and they close at 1600! Gwen, wait here." She pulled herself from the visitor chair and made straight for the counter. A woman behind the counter looked up toward Petra. She had the appearance of incumbent admin anywhere, which was a bored, soulless, middle-distance gaze. Petra glared at the NoM woman, menacing her with steely Siberian husky-eyes until the NoM stammered a response. "We're inundated." The poor woman quaked beneath Petra's presence, swallowing in rapid succession. Gwen wondered at her cousin's act, then realised that Petra was likely exerting some of that Moscow menace she had learned while training to be a Tower agent. Behind the quaking woman, a staff member took a gander at Petra, made an abrupt turn, then executed an Expeditious Retreat. "I-I'll serve you now!" the woman stammered, unable to take the pressure from her cousin's presence. "No! You do your job!" Petra stated coldly. She turned to the crowd. "189! Where are you?! Get over here!" The young man who'd just stood up a moment ago held his ticket as though he was wrangling a snake. "Er… you can go first." "Are you sure?" Petra walked over to the stunned young man and waved her '203'. "Y-yeah, please." "Here's mine in exchange, thanks. If there's anything I hate, it's queue jumping." When her cousin broke her icy exterior to flash a pleasant smile at the young man, his entire face turned scarlet. Gwen could have sworn the poor man's knees knocked loud enough to make a sound. "Gwen, with me." Petra turned to her. Gwen lifted herself from the couch with an immense sense of pride in her Russian cousin. "This is my cousin, Gwen Song. She's the current holder of the mid-year LCSS. She and her companion, Richard Huang, also a member of the LCSS, require lodging at the Student's Quarters. What are your current vacancies? We're looking for long-term and single dwellings only." The woman pulled up a stack of files and sifted through the list as if her life depended on it. "Starting second-semester, though any vacancies now would be good." Petra urged in a tone that possessed a jagged edge. "Please." Gwen smiled at the woman politely, flashing her a sympathetic smile. "Let's see…we have a shared room in the upper campus." The woman pulled out a file and placed it in front of them. "A single, if you will, or rather, two singles." Gwen clarified her request. "Privacy for both myself and my fellow LCSS member is paramount. Or we can double up." "You and Richard can't co-habit, by the way," Petra pointed out. "The dorms have mixed gender, but the rooms are single-sex." Under Petra's watchful supervision, the poor woman produced a dozen or so vacancies currently available, none of which matched Gwen's needs. "When do you expect to have more clearance?" Petra tapped the forms. "Anyone leaving when the current semester ends?" The woman produced a few more potential vacancies, though none would suffice. As the list reached the last card, Gwen felt immense gratitude for Petra's help, who had saved her from wasting two whole hours. "There's n-nothing left…" the woman groaned. "That's alright," Gwen said sweetly to the woman, tugging on Petra's sleeves to urge her to leave. "Thank you for your time." As the girls' silhouettes faded from sight, the tension in the room visibly dissolved. "190!" "191!" And somehow, work efficiency seemed to reach a new peak as well. "What now?" Gwen asked. "We'll try the more expensive Dorms; these are privately owned and rented out to students." The girls cleared the administration section and approached the lower part of the Campus near Guoding Road. "Which one's yours?" Gwen asked out of curiosity. "Don't you live near here?" "I do. About fifteen minutes walk from here. Master set me up in one of the dorms just outside of the square." "There wasn't room on campus, even for you?" Gwen inquired curiously. Petra had been here for almost two years now, technically longer, considering she came when she was fifteen and started under Wen as a research member when she was sixteen. "There was, but..." Petra explained patiently. "I am not fond of the rowdiness of the campus dorms. I think if Babulya puts a word in with the Dean, you might even rent for free. Although, I doubt the Bursary can kick people out on your behalf. That would invite trouble from the ethics committee." "Right." Gwen followed Petra through the gardens at the Qinyun building, a marvel of curved glass and soaring steel wings. As an eye-catching pair, the girls meandered dashingly across the square, brightening many a Fudan students' day. Their destination was a real estate office with 'WMR Properties and Conveyancers' as its title. They were greeted by an elaborate model of the surrounding district stretching for a dozen blocks in the foyer. "Is Manager Xie in?" Petra asked the fresh-faced NoM receptionist. "We're looking to rent two single rooms. As close to campus as possible." "Miss… Kuznetsova?" The reception quickly glanced down before looking up with a smile like the blooming of a rare flower. "Of course! I'll get Manager Xie right away. One moment." Petra found a couch and sat, crossing her legs and reminding Gwen of halcyon days hanging with her high rolling girlfriends in Sydney. Manager Xie, a short, balding man with a face like a pudgy Buddha, came to greet them a few minutes later. His eyes formed two narrow slits when he saw the two girls lounging comfortably in the company's crimson tub chairs. "Milly! No tea?!" he scolded the receptionist, who immediately ran to provide the beverage. "Miss Kuznetsova! Are you happy with your current lodgings? Looking to upgrade? Please pass on my most sincere greetings to Master Wen." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "I am satisfied with my lodging, Manager Xie. Thanks for asking," Petra replied. Gwen couldn't help but note that Petra's voice had a natural coldness, not unlike her Affinity for Elemental Mineral. "This is my kinswoman, Gwen Song, a newly enrolled member under the LCSS program. We are looking for two rooms, singles, if possible, for herself and a family member, Richard Huang, also a young scholar of the LCSS program." "I am in rare company." The Manager bowed. "Please to make your acquaintance, Miss Song. May I ask what Clan or House you hail from?" Gwen shook the Manager's hand. "Gwen Song. I am... an independent, for now. I'll be in your care." "Of course. May I inquire as to your budget range? As Miss Kuznetsov would know, our rooms ranged from single to shared, service or unserviced, self-contained or shared facility. All of course, with a range of rates to suit your needs." "Give me a list of the single options under 100." To Gwen's surprise, the NoM manager possessed a small Storage Ring from which he retrieved a data slate. A few simple somatic gestures on the screen later, the man turned to show Gwen the displayed vacancies on the E-ink slate, etched upon an off-white parchment. B17-111 :: 35 HDM / M B22-1114 :: 30 HDM / M B24- 404 :: 25 HDM / M The prices were acceptable to Gwen, but turning to the map, she noted that B17 was already six blocks from Fudan. It would mean an extra twenty-minute walk in a town where students packed buses like sardines. Unhappily, Gwen had also crunched the numbers and now knew that her monthly expenses, including lodging, food, textbooks, socials, and training, were likely in the hundreds. "Can Richard and I share a privately-owned double?" Gwen turned to Petra, who shook her head. "I am afraid not; the real-estate cannot register cohabitation for unmarried Mages. It's a rule to prevent incidents." "Not even with family members?" "The Sect-Clans would love that." Petra joked. Manage Xie chuckled nervously beside them. "Is there anything closer?" Gwen pointed to the buildings within fifteen to twenty minutes away from the centre of the campus, where the Henglong Building and the Towers stood. Manager Xie tapped the screen again. B1 P2201-P:: 520 HDM / M Gwen almost spat out the tea that Milly had just served them. "Where is that?" Petra asked out of curiosity. "I didn't know B1 had vacancies." "The penthouse suite," Manager Xie said with reverence. "It has four bedrooms, each self-contained, with a common lower mezzanine living with open kitchen and shared dining; the upper storey has a common entertainment-living room." "I don't think I can afford that." Gwen shook her head, thinking that she probably could afford such a place in her old world if she so desired. "I know, but I always offer," the Manager said jovially. "One day, maybe, who knows? There are many wealthy students in Shanghai." "So there's nothing?" "I am afraid B17 and beyond is all we have at the moment. There may be a few openings at the end of the year, I am more than happy to reserve what's available." "Can I make a reservation now?" "With a deposit, yes." "Then please put me down for one closest to campus." Manager Xie instructed his receptionist to bring a deposit slip and a reservation form, which Gwen signed and paid, handing over a sum of 50 HDMS per reservation, one for herself and another for Richard. The closest vacancy that seemed to be available in January was B13, still some months away, but if that was the best Xie could offer, then that was what she must take while living on borrowed generosity from the Wangs. "How about you bunk with me?" Frustrated with the lack of space mid-semester, Petra advised staying at her studio. She was confident she could squeeze another mattress into her single room if she had to. With the tone of a mother hen, Petra advised that though Shanghai was a safe and lawful city, it still wasn't so safe for a girl-Mage like Gwen to gallivant through its districts without care. "That's where I live, B3-703." Petra pointed to one of the buildings a block away from the university campus. "Well lit paths, regular patrols by the Chengguan, not too far from the convenience mart on the Boulevard." As it was late, the girl found supper at a local Sushi Train, with Gwen ordering enough for two, attracted a small group of spectators who marvelled at the foreigner's ability to pack away a stack of plates taller than herself. After their early supper, Gwen followed Petra back to Magister Wen's laboratory, where she withstood three hours of Goulding's Primer before tottering home half-drunk with knowledge. Inside Mina's apartment, she found Richard making ramen. "Oh shit, sorry, Dick, I should have doggy-bagged some sushi!" Gwen apologised as Richard combined two packets into a bowl. "No worries. Not a fan of raw fish. Besides, I haven't tried this flavour before, 'Black bean beef'. It looks interesting." Richard shrugged at Gwen's neglect. "You want some? It comes in a six-pack." Gwen hesitated. Was she currently capable of getting fat, she wondered? Couldn't just fire a few Void Bolts into the air to burn off calories? Unconsciously, her hand moved to her abdomen, where she could feel her skin taut against the musculature. Maybe, she thought, just a taste? Gwen drank the last of the salty soup. The instant ramen was better than she thought. The word instant was also a bit of a misnomer since whatever arcane method which preserved the ramen allowed it to retain the chewiness of its texture and the richness of the bone broth. "... So, unfortunately, no luck," she explained their plight to Richard. "We could live further away. Or, at worst, I can live far away, and you can stay with Petra. I'll come if you need me, anytime, anywhere." "Aww, thanks, Richard. Okay, enough about that. How was work?" Her cousin happily explained that he worked with a construction crew as a specialist consultant. With Lea's guidance, he could part the Huangpu, or more precisely, a three-by-three meter portion of it so that foundations could be laid by the Transmuters working by his side. Thanks to his high-tier Affinity, he could predict changes in currents and work within a high-depth environment, all the while conserving mana. "Had to save a guy as well," Richard described with nonchalance. "Some fish-lizard that's mostly mouth and stomach got past the barrier and attacked one of the Transmuters, dragged him into the river. That was a close one." "A Monster got into the city?!" Gwen raised a brow in surprise. "I thought the Capitals are free of Magical Creatures." "Our site was about fifty kilometres out; you can't even see the city from where we were." Richard orientated Gwen as to the geographic bearing of his story. "According to Reese, my foreman, it happens every other week. The further away from the city, the more frequent it happens. That's why there are Purge-quests on the regular. We can do some if when you're free." "But NoMs are living there, right? Upstream from the river?" "Oh yes, millions. Tens of millions. Maybe even a hundred. Shanghai itself is about 20 mils if I recall. Up to 50 million if you include Suzhou to the west, Nantong up north, and Hangzhou toward the extreme south. A day out, and it's the Frontier, and then it is the Wildlands until you hit Tianjin." "The Frontier's closer than I thought," Gwen noted, trying to picture a map of China from her memory of the old world. "Was Sydney better? We used to get swarms of Tiger Sharks up the Parramatta River while ferries were in the water! In Shanghai, it'd take 3 hours of Flight before human settlements fade out." "Do you reckon Sydney will recover?" Gwen asked, thinking of the city she used to call home. The Parramatta river must be two kilometres wide by now, courtesy of a Leviathan. The once tranquil river could probably now serve as Sydney's premier deep-sea port. "Sure, Gunther has it well in hand. He's got big plans, you know." "Any ideas?" "Nothing specific." Richard laughed. "I do know that he's planning to rezone the whole city. Maybe you can ask him when your LR Communication Caster is set up." Gwen couldn't help but be impressed by the news. Could Gunther achieve what was necessary to make Sydney a Tier 1 city? What plan did Gunther have in beating back the Mermen? How could he tap into the ley-lines of the land? Could the Morning Star cow the Mermen by setting the seas to boil? For a student like herself, the prospect of a Tower Master forging a Frontier into a first-tier city was something more akin to a strange and magnificent dream. * * * Gwen arrived at the Lab early next morning, ready to face the first of her tests requested by Magister Wen. When she entered the laboratory, she was met by Petra and Magister Wen, both in white coats and looking very much like scientific researchers from her old world. "Gwen, you're here. Wonderful." Wen motioned for her to come closer. "We're going to start testing your Elements today. Petra tells me you can manifest some form of Vitae-Fruit mana congelation?" "I can." Gwen nodded. "Would you like a demonstration?" "I would like a sample." Wen pointed to three Spell-Cubes Petra had prepared on a stainless steel desk. "One Elemental Lightning, one Void and one of the vitae-essence, if you will." "I'll do my best." Gwen approached the table and placed her hand on the first cube. She tapped into her Sigils and allowed the free-flowing energies of the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Lighting to fill her mana channels, feeling their hysterical caress as the torrent of electricity fed into the vessel. The next one was Void, and Gwen grimaced as the ice-cold energies of the Quasi-Elemental Plane shot ramrod through her body, seeking an escape into the material. Her volatile excretion cascaded like viscous ink within the cube's interior, hungrily consuming the space within until the entire cube was darker than black. "Good God…" Magister Wen sucked in a chilling breath. "I can feel it from here. So this is Elemental Void. Amazing." Gwen then closed her eyes and focused inwardly upon her mind's eyes, picturing Almudj's energy as the green motes of life flowing through the dark expanse of her Astral Form. Almudj's primordial manifestation slowly condensed around her hand, dripping drop by drop into the vessel below as though filtered through layers of fabric. "Fascinating." Her cousin placed a hand above the cube. "So much vitality! What do you think it is, Master?" "I would hazard an educated guess that it is an alter-form of life-force, the kind usually found in ancient beings. Do you recall Magister Salinger's lecture during that conference in Beijing? He had invited a Druid from Tryfan, the Grove in Wales, England. Do you remember what it was like when they demonstrated Essence Magic?" "I do." Her cousin retracted her hand and continued to observe Gwen's endeavour. Inches away from the crystalline contraption, Petra's Master likewise watched the growing intensity of the emerald cube with burning anticipation. Gwen felt the last of her vital energy drop into the cube. Then immediately acknowledged that something was wrong. A breathlessness of the soul suddenly claimed her body, as though she had sprinted up a hill, and now the air was too thin to sustain the oxygen she required to catch her breath. Feeling a mild panic, she refocused her mind's eye. Slowly, very slowly, the emerald motes inside her Astral Body restored themselves. However, through the trained synaesthesia of her mind's eye, Gwen could sense that the emerald motes were dimmer, weaker. Their recovery seemed almost a trickle where prior the specks had pulsed to the rhythm of her heart. Her body felt cold. Yet, her mind felt flushed. Acutely, between her breasts, she felt an absence. It was the Kirin Token. A piece of her flesh. An organ. Could it be? Her mind revolted with agitation. Had she made a mistake? Should she have acted more selfishly? "Gwen!" Petra grabbed her shoulders. "What's wrong? You're turning as white as a ghost! Is it the Void Cube? Did you put too much vitality into filling it?" "Give her a potion," Magister Wen drew a potion injector from a hidden drawer. "No, no, I am fine." Gwen looked past Petra, once again taking in her bearings. Her body felt weak. She felt weak. "Gwen, what's wrong?" Petra asked worriedly. "You don't look fine at all." "Pats…" Gwen swallowed, forcing her quickened breath to return to a controlled cadence. "I think I might have made a big mistake."

"Stop moping over spilt Milk." Petra's criticism was merciless. "Your amulet is gone. Full stop." "I know, I know," Gwen answered miserably. "I would have given it up anyway, I suppose. It caught me by surprise, that's all. The whole interaction with the Vitae-Mana was passive. It's my fault that I never noticed." "Any chance I could convince Klavdiya to bring it in for some tests?" Magister Wen asked hopefully, her voice full of academic curiosity. "I don't think Grandfather will consent to that," Gwen remarked wryly. "Shame. Shame. The good news, I suppose—" Magister Wen sighed. "— is that you found out now and not while you're in a Dungeon or carrying out a quest. Now that would have been a disaster. At any rate, you shouldn't rely too much on items." "So, can you still cast Void spells safely?" Petra continued, asking the crucial questions. "You're gonna need it for what you've planned for the next eighteen months." "Yes, though recuperation is going to take much longer," Gwen hypothesised. "From my experience, there's a hard threshold as to how much Void matter I can channel before it begins to take a toll." "Interesting. Can you clarify?" Wen asked from the other side of the bench. "What's the toll?" "Drowsiness, nausea, fainting spells, crippling fatigue, anorexia." Gwen recounted the symptoms from her memory. "Sounds like symptoms of Negative Energy Drain." "How did you deal with this in the past?" "I had a healer top me up while we fought," Gwen replied. "My friend Elvia had that position; then it was Mina, my cousin who's currently studying to be a Cleric." "Godo grief!" Magister Wen winced sympathetically. "The impact of elemental Affinity on the physical body is hardly mixing hot and cold water! The abuse you must have endured!" "I seem to do alright," Gwen protested. "My late mentor, Magister Kilroy, had assured me as such." "Magister Kilroy..." Magister Wen changed the tone of her voice. "He was an absolute master of the craft! Even so, that is no long-term solution." "Grandmother healed my injuries when I came to Shanghai as well." "I don't think high-tier Restorations, consuming hundreds of HDMs worth of materials, available only from military hospitals in capital cities—are going to help you in the Wildlands, on the Frontier, or during a six-month siege against the Undead!" The Magister shook her head. "My dear, we need to find a way to make sure you stay in one piece!" "I won't say no to that." Gwen smiled weakly. "Right, that settles it then. Petra, let's start." "Yes, Master." Gwen watched as Magister We set up the three crystalline cubes in a contraption that arrested the captive elements midair. The constructed device looked as though the Magister had erected a holographic projection, within which were her three energised cubes of distinctly different mana. "Petra, get Gwen a coat." Obediently, Petra dressed Gwen in a lab coat enchanted with Shielding, Elemental Absorption, and Sterilisation glyphs. Coming closer, Gwen could see the suspended Spell-Cubes hovering over a triplicate of pins in a pattern she couldn't discern. "This is an Allenberg-Erwin Elemental Spectrometer," Magister Wen helpfully informed their novice research partner. "It'll visualise motes of Elements injected into a suspension field simulating the Astral Plane. I am going to test a few interactions. This way, we can get a better understanding of how your elements interact in an isolated plane." Wen incanted an arcane command, allowing the Almudj-Cube and Lightning-Cube to each release several motes of mana. Unbidden, the primordial mana from the emerald-cube met a mote of lightning-element midair in volatile conjunction, then emitted a brilliant blast of emerald-green. "Barbanginy!" Gwen recognised the energy right away. "That's Almudj's lightning!" "B-ba-Barga… sorry…" Magister Wen sprang her tongue on the first attempt. "The fabled, mythical serpent of Australis, no? A fascinating existence, to be sure. Extinct, in fact, anywhere humanity has made their domain. Your report was an equally fascinating read. For our interests, are you able to incant or summon this admixtured lightning? What did you call it?" "Barb-an-gin-ni." Gwen allowed the word to roll off her tongue. "I don't think I can, to be honest. I can move the mana around in my Astral form, congealing it for expulsion, but I can't work it into spells." "Yet, you've cast this Barbanginy before?" "Once or twice before, yes, with Almudj's help." Gwen's voice grew low. Where was Almudj now? Asleep somewhere, maybe in Uluru, mayhap coiled up deep underground, perhaps resting upon a rainbow. "Interesting, maybe we can work towards that." Magister Wen jotted down a few notes onto a data slate. Wen materialised a seed and floated it toward the centre of the Spectrometer's suspension field. She guided it under the Almudj-Cube. One incantation later, the seed took on a few motes of the emerald mana and sprouted, bursting into a small, inch-long vine. "Master, that?" Petra held her hand to her lips. "Oh yes." Wen grinned. "That's a Bolivian Stone Pear sprout." "A dead seed." Magister Wen looked upon Gwen with the eyes of a woman in love. "Indeed, the seed was a sterilised specimen." Wen looked over at Gwen. "The Agricultural department would be over the moon. How much of this mana do you think you're able to synthesise?" "About… a single tier-2 spells worth, per day?" Gwen tried to estimate the volume she had injected into the Cube. "At my current rate of recovery, likely less." "A shame. It's not every day that we see Druidic Essence manifest in a human. Oh well, no use for agriculture then. Shame." "Druidic Essence." Gwen mouthed to herself, finally finding a name for the phenomena. With a word, Wen coaxed a few motes of Void-matter and Life-matter into suspended motion. A second invocation brought out more specks of the emerald-mana. Interestingly, the mana did not cancel each other out. Instead, they glided around one another as though two immiscible liquids were repelling at an undetectable molecular level. "Wonderful, no?" Magister Wen spoke with great reverence. "This serpent mana of yours, it is not a raw, elemental force. It is an arcane compound, spell shaped by a mythic beings' will and intent, capable of restoration and growth." Magister then produced another cube and injected a Positive Energy cloud, colouring with a bright pink pigmentation, into the controlled platform. "This is Positive mana from one of our Healers. " Like some ravening beast, the cloud of Void-matter moved across the air. It struck the diffuse pinkness, feeding hungrily upon the energies of life until both elements faded into nothingness. "Oh, dear." Gwen watched the spectacle with ominous comprehension. "Indeed," the Magister stated with sagacity. "Gwen, your serpent's energy never did negate the damage done to your body by the Void—it was a Shield first, a restorative second. For this reason, if you wish to maximise your Void output, heal after the fact, not during the channel." "But I could feel myself draining the vitality provided by healers when I cast Evocation and Conjuration." Gwen tried her best to recollect working with Mina and Elvia. "Surely, that would have neutralised my spells if the elements were mutually consumptive." "As for that, we must turn to further experimentation." Wen then introduced a new medium to the mix. A creature core floated into the midst of the levitation field. "I've known items similar to the Kirin amulet." Wen pointed to a floor to ceiling whiteboard where dozens of arcane formulas made their presence known. "I hypothesise that this is the answer." Wen introduced a mote of the Amuldj-mana toward the thumbnail-sized creature core, where it immediately entered the Magical Creature's remains, affecting an inner glow to the sphere. Then, the Magister applied an Evocation glyph, a simple Bolt. The resulting energy was a blue-green arc of electricity that sizzled the air magnificently. "That's Barbanginy!" Gwen uttered, impressed by the ease of the manifest. But it was the next demonstration that astounded her. The core took within itself a mote of Void-matter, then manifested a bolt of midnight-black lightning which whipped through the air and struck the protective pane of the Shield behind the testing station, gouging a Lichtenberg-figure shaped scar across the force-panes. "That's…" Gwen watched the demonstration. "That's my Void bolt!" "Now watch." Magister Wen set off half a dozen bolts in quick succession. Crack! Suddenly the barrage of bolts ceased. The core shattered. The trio watched the nucleus crumble. "That's you." Magister Wen allowed the dust to settle around the Spectrometer. "One can assume that before your Awakening in the Void, the amulet likely protected you somehow. After you acquired the serpent's Druidic essence, it became less useful but remained a bulwark against ignorant abuses." "So, I've lost... a crutch?" Gwen tried to think of an apt analogy. "I've lost my emergency breaks?" "A strange way to put it, but sure." Magister Wen gave herself several moments to gather her thoughts. "Gwen, describe your Void manifests before you obtained the serpent's energy." "It was before the Field Trip, long before I knew the serpent existed..." Gwen began. "The Awakening test was that day..." She told them of the first time she had manifested the Void. She was in a park, feeling not very nice about life. There was a moment of darkness when she got a little too emotional; then she woke up a few hours later sans handbag and wallet. The second significant event was when she'd manifested it was against Edgar. Her outburst had taken the Dust Mage's arm and leg, as well as half his face, but also took enough out of her to make her lose consciousness. "What advice did the late Lord Kilroy give you?" "To always have someone who could tap into the healing energies of the Positive Plane on hand and to feed off the vitality returned by spells." Gwen annotated her Master's recommendations. "When Caliban consumes enemies, I can feel it returning vitality to me. Sometimes, when I use Evocation spells, I can also feel something akin to it, but it was never as distinct as using my Familiar." Magister Wen jotted down notes as Gwen spoke. "Tell me about the Dungeon again," Magister Wen proposed. "Describe in detail what it was like." Gwen tried to put into words the ethereal hunger that came with Void magic. When they had taken down the blue Gilas and the reds, she had felt Caliban's pleasure and shared in the bounty of life it provided. When they had assailed the Elder Gila, Caliban could not only restore itself but keep Gwen's reserves fed as it wormed its way through the massive Salamander's body. The only time she ever felt satiated was when Caliban used Consume. Magister Wen cross-examined Gwen's recount with great patience, nitpicking at minor details. "Good. Now we know generally how your Void magic functions in a practical sense." Magister Wen recorded her findings enthusiastically. "I will make an appointment to peruse the University's Greater Cognisance Chamber right away, as well as order a few disposable Magical beasts from the Conjuration department. I believe that it would be in the interest of all of us to get to the bottom of this." "Yes. Thank you so much." Gwen sat back in her seat dazedly, gazing at the set of suspended Spell-Cubes holding her mana captive. "It'll take a few hours to arrange. Go with Petra and arrange your lodgings. I would highly recommend trying to find something very close to campus. With your difficult condition and the amount of work you will be putting in, I would not be surprised if one of the students found you unconscious on the lawn." "Yes, Ma'am." "We're trying." Petra sighed. "There's nothing within thirty minutes or so with reasonable prices or facilities. I am going to take Gwen to the lower campus today, see if they have anything available there." "I could always share with someone; there were a few of those available," Gwen said. "Not safe, not with the number of secrets and talent that you're holding. I'd imagine it wouldn't do your roommate any service either." Petra pointed out. "Agreed." Wen nodded as well. "Should I intervene? You're going to get a lot of visitors once news of Fudan's Void Mage spreads around campus—and not all of them for kind reasons." "We'll come to you if we're truly desperate, Master," Petra agreed with her Master. Wen considered the matter. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Good. Why don't you girls get some fresh air? Take Gwen through the gardens to see if that helps her recovery." Magister Wen showed them the door. "Don't take up space if you're not here to work. Gwen, maybe it is best if you stay with Petra for now." "There's also Richard," Gwen reminded the Magister politely. "He's a young man in a Tier 1 city. He would prefer you not looking over his shoulder, trust me." Magister Wen seemed to misread Gwen's concern. "I'll Message you when the Chamber is ready. Meet me at the Yifu Spellcraft Building, expect 1400 or so." "Umm... We're not like that," Gwen noted with dismay, but the Magister wasn't listening; she was already in the midst of a Message with the Yifu administration staff. "Let's go," Petra urged Gwen to follow, helping Gwen out of her coat, promising a lovely luncheon to restock Gwen's spent reserves. "Miss Kuznetsov!" To their amazement, a pudgy NoM in a tailored suit was waiting for them downstairs at the entrance of Henglong laboratory. "Manager Xie?" Petra wasn't at all expecting to see the balding NoM outside of his office. Xie looked as though he had run the whole distance from the eastern end of the campus as well; even with the cooling glyph on his blazer, the man was sweltering from head to toe. "Thank Mao I caught you both. I would hate to have intruded. Have you found a home?" "Nope. Still homeless." Gwen replied, studying the man as he mopped his face with a handkerchief. "Did you have unexpected vacancies?" "You're as good as a Diviner! And goodness, it was difficult to get a hold of you, Miss Kuznetsova." The NoM laughed. "I am not fond of unsolicited Messages," Petra stated cooly. "But allow me to apologise. What's the matter?" "I've got two apartments opened up just this morning! Both of the tenants have just terminated their lease. As a result, I've got vacancies at B1-2203 and 2204." Petra knitted her exquisitely arched brows. "Building 1- Level 22, Suite 03 and 04?" Gwen made a face. "They sound expensive." Manager Xie's face split from ear to ear. "Due to the emergency nature of the vacancy, the owner has requested that the rooms be occupied as soon as possible. As such, they are willing to accept rental well below the market value." "How much?" Petra pushed the Manager. "75 HDMs for the two bedrooms 2203, and 50 HDMs for the single." "That's…" "What's with those prices?" Gwen asked the Manager puzzlingly. According to her research last night, the prices drastically increased once they got closer to campus. The rooms should be fetching at least 140 to 200 HDMs. "I am simply offering what the owner has requested." Manager Xie mopped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. "Would you like to inspect the rooms?" "Right now?" Gwen asked, equally curious as to their strange turn of fortune. In her experience, there was bound to be something wrong with the property if the owners were so eager for tenants. Would she find the place infested with vermin? Or the previous tenants had left it in a mess or destroyed some of the vanities? Mayhap the owners were laundering money through the rental income and could not allow the cash flow to cease. Or, knowing this world, the apartment was haunted. "Of course, if you'll follow me. It's only a kilometre or so across the campus. B1 is the first building in the new Student's quadrant. We should be able to see it as soon as we pass Guoshun Road." "Petra?" Petra's expression was sceptical as well. "Let's see for ourselves then," her cousin affirmed the desire to see the place with their own eyes. "I've got a See Invisibility cubed. Let's see if we can run a Detect Magic through the place. Can you cast Detect Traps?" As they arrived at Building 1, they saw a team of NoMs moving furniture from the lifts. "03 and 04 should be undergoing a thorough cleaning," Manage Xie explained. "Already?" Gwen felt impressed by Xie's zealous professionalism. Even in her world, such zealous regard for customer service was rare. "The owner was very insistent," Xie said. They entered the lobby of the luxury apartment block, where a dumbfounded looking young man was sitting on several suitcases. When Manager Xie came inside with the girls in tow, the young man's face abruptly turned a shade of beetroot. He delivered the girls a look of pure loathing, but just as Gwen was ready to take on unsolicited abuse, the man left. "What was all that about?" Gwen pursued the curious incident with Xie. "That was the old tenant, right?" "He was," Xie replied. "Why is he leaving?" "Who knows?" Manager Xie smiled at the girls with his usual amiability, his face folding until his eyes were thin, happy lines. "Perhaps a family emergency?" The levitation platform took the girls up toward the 22nd floor. When the door opened, they were met by a riot of activity between a dozen cleaning staff and removalists. "Careful! careful!" A young woman was directing a piano out of what appeared to be 2203. She turned to regard the trio when their elevator pinged. "I would say hello, neighbours, but I am leaving." The girl hummed mirthfully. "I hope you enjoy your stay here. It's a wonderful place to finish the years at Fudan, assuming you get to stay until you graduate." Before Gwen could answer, the parallel levitation platform pinged. "That would be our other ex-tenant," Xie noted with the same care as one having spotted a mildly interesting potplant. "Which apartment would you like to see first?" "The two-bedder." Gwen pointed to 2203. For 75 HDMs, it was a steal. Whatever was happening, she felt inclined to take advantage of it. Furthermore, if the apartment turned out to be not haunted by the ghosts of restless indigenous spirits, she would entertain a bold proposal for Petra. The trio passed the removalists and found themselves embroiled in NoMs scrubbing the carpet, dressing new drapes, and fervently scouring the kitchen. "Maybe now wasn't the best time." Manager Xie looked around the controlled chaos of bodies busily at work, refitting the kitchen. "Forgive me for my blunder." "It's fine." Gwen walked through the room and took in the breathtaking view of the skyline. At level 22, she could see the entirety of Fudan's campus. The only taller building within her immediate view was the Fudan Towers. When she turned to the right, she could see the Second PLA hospital at Wujianchang, followed by the urban sprawl of Building 2 to 25. To her left, the Second Orbital Highway shot into the heart of the city, where the PLA Tower's superstructure loomed like a perched spider across the webwork of crisscrossing highways. The apartment was not ultra-modern like Mina's Waldorf suite. It was what one expected from a property developed for profit over style. The living room was a rectangular extension of about twenty-odd square meters, just enough to fit a three-person couch and a Vid-caster. There was an independent bathroom next to a laundry renovated with wood-patterned tiles. The open kitchenette was a modest assemblage beside the entrance, possessing just enough space to cook meals for one or two, with a built-in refrigerator fitted into the gloss-white polyurethane panelling. Its two bedrooms were spacious and clean, with deep built-in wardrobes and enough room for a queen-sized bed, a single sideboard, and an ergonomic desk. "It's perfect." Gwen found that beyond all expectations, they had arrived at the Goldilocks Zone. The apartment was not overly luxurious, it was close to campus, and it was within a price range she and Richard could afford. "Excellent. Shall I prepare the contract?" Manager Xie implored them hastily, as though he had expected her affirmation. "Your option is for annual or quarterly leases, though the annual contract has a smaller fee for breaking your rental agreement." "You don't need to perform a credit-rating check?" Gwen asked the eager-faced Manager suspiciously. "I am sure we can trust LCSS candidates not to flee the City, ha!" "Gwen." Her cousin tugged on Gwen's sleeve. "Yeah, Pats?" Gwen turned to her cousin. Petra took Gwen to one side with a look of secrecy. "I am going to run some Detection spells while you check the contract. Do you know how to read a rental agreement?" "Of course." Gwen flipped back a few strands of loose hair. "I've rented before." Petra nodded and produced Divination based spell-cubes, convinced that something had to be wrong with the apartment. Her cousin allowed an array of Detection spells to manifest and went about examining every nook and cranny. She turned to Manager Xie. "Manager Xie, may I inquire as to the possibility of subletting to Miss Kuznetsova, or perhaps taking out the rental on a twin-share?" Xie hesitated only for a moment. "The Wess-M-Rutherford Property Group welcomes Miss Kuznetsova. If she so wishes to join you in leasing the apartment, I shall further terminate her existing B3-703 contract without penalty." "That's very kind of you." Gwen raised an attractively tapered brow. "Why Manager Xie, I had thought you the kind to preserve every penny in the Company's cache." "I am but a humble purveyor of residential space." Manager Xie stepped back and bowed gingerly. "The customer's word, contractually obliged, is Mao's dictum. Besides, who would refute austere customers such as yourself, Mr Huang, and Miss Kuznetsova?" Gwen cocked her head at the smiling Manager. "I spoke to a few colleagues and became well informed of your noble bearing," Xie confessed humbly. "I ask for generosity and forgiveness if you are offended." "Not at all. Let's see this contract then. Strike while the iron is hot," Gwen pushed. She wasn't sure why the owner of the property was so breathlessly eager to have the property rented out so quickly, but if her old life had taught her anything about renting, it was that there were no second chances to snap up a bargain. Once Petra returned, Xie materialised a short novella titled the "WMR Property Group Tenancy Agreement." Gwen flipped through the Tenancy Agreement like an old hand at shuffling poker, observing the usual Clauses and by-Clauses. "Please take your time." Except for the prohibition of Magic usage that would affect the property in any way, the rest of the agreement was distinctly similar to what one would have expected in her old world. The Rent of 75 HDMs per month included mana conduit, heating, and water. There was even the option of taking out a parking spot, though neither Gwen nor Petra drove. Petra leaned in with a face full of puzzlement. "It's clean." Petra met Gwen's imploring eyes with a nod of assurance. She then looked out the expansive bedroom window thoughtfully. "What a pleasant view." "Pats." Gwen pulled her closer, then explained that if her cousin should desire, they could take up a co-rental agreement and share the apartment. "That's... wonderful!" Petra was surprised and delighted by Gwen's offer. Her rental costs were almost 70 HDMs a month and ate up a significant chunk of her grant. "Are you sure?" "Of course! We can share the rental costs and have safety in numbers, right? I would feel so much safer with you and Dick here. Not to mention we can save on food costs, energy, the whole shebang!" "Alright." Petra nodded in agreement. "I am in—I think Master would prefer it as well." "Alright! Roomies!" Gwen held her cousin's hand a danced a quick jig before collecting herself. "I am still going through the contract, one moment." Gwen returned her attention to the legal gobbledegook. "13.13 and 13.14," she pointed out after a few minutes spent in silence. "Are we responsible for environmental damage resulting from self-defence?" "If an Arbitrator deems yourself to have lawfully defended yourself, then no. The offender, in this case, will be responsible for all incurred costs." "And if they are dead?" Gwen raised her brow. "D-dead?" Xie seemed caught off-guard by Gwen's composure. "You would fight to the death?" Gwen looked at Petra quizzically. Do Mages in the Tier 1 cities kiss and hug after they are defeated? Do one's assailants apologise and offer compensation? She could imagine a confrontation in the Frontier ending with the two parties shaking it off and reconvening for another go on a better day. "Er... Fatalities are very rare in T1 cities," Petra explained. "Crimes are rarely violent. The entirety of Shanghai is within the Teleportation range of the Special Spells and Tactics Unit. Even if someone escapes, there's little chance they'll flee the tender attention of the MSS or the Diviners of the Major Crimes Unit." Gwen blinked. Cops? Calling the Police? What a self-evident revelation! She had been so enamoured in the bloodsport of the Frontier that she had not at all considered that there was actual law enforcement in Shanghai. But then again, it was evident that a police force had to exist. How else was the city going to keep a lid on the boiling mass of egos that simmered beneath the facade of congeniality? For every Mage willing to contractually engage in a Lawful duel, there would be at least three who preferred ambush. As with all metropolises, only a greater force hammering down with the cold steel mallet of brute justice could offset man's natural tendency for flouting the social contract. If she ran into trouble in Shanghai, all she had to do was call the cops. "Everything seems in order," Gwen noted to Petra. "There's three months deposit as a bond paid upfront. I've got the amount on me right now." "You can seriously read that elf-speak?" Petra gazed upon Gwen with renewed awe. "I…" Gwen realised she couldn't possibly affect a conceivably believable excuse. "It's not a difficult read. The Ioun Stone takes care of the heavy lifting." "Well, if you can read that and understand it, then we should be able to complete Goulding's Core Primer within three weeks." "Er... Let me give Richard a call." Gwen activated the Message function on her device and dialled Richard's glyph. "Gwen?" "Rich, I found a place to stay 5 to 10 minutes from the campus. Single dwelling, high up, relatively new facilities. 50 HDMs a month, next door to Petra and me. What do you think?" "Crickey, that's a good price. Sign me up. You and Petra, huh?" "Ya. We're going to be roomies! I'll send you Manager Xie's contact and address. I'll put down your deposit now." "No worries then, I'll go see him later. Fix you up later." "Cheers. Oh yeah, I'll be with Master Wen and Pats in the arvo. So I'll be late." "Yeah, alright. Give us a shout if you need help." Gwen ended the Message. "Here." Manager Xie passed over a gilded fountain pen. "I'll have it ready by the weekend, two days from now. Please inform the strata if you wish to have heavy furniture moved. You can call me anytime, and I mean anytime - if you have any enquiries." Gwen placed her initials on each page before signing at the front and back. Petra cosigned beside her on a second column. A receipt glyph signalled Manager Xie's receivership of their deposits, then the matter concluded. "There will be some noise as the top floor will be undergoing renovations," Manager Xie guiltily informed them after the fact. "There maybe be some noise for the first week or so, between 9 AM to 6 PM each day." "That's fine. I don't have any furniture, at least not yet. Pats?" "I can borrow a Storage Ring from Master." "Alright." Gwen turned to Xie, and the trio shook hands. "A pleasure working with you, Manager Xie. I look forward to moving in very soon." The girls returned to Magister Wen just before two, meeting the emerald-eyed Mineral Mage by the Yi-Fu Spellcraft Building, another renovated piece of ageing brutalist architecture that survived the aeons. Thanks to the L-shaped construction and the soaring foyer, the white-on-salmon palette loved by the university appeared slowly grew on Gwen. Within the elongated section of the west wing were the Cognisance Chambers, ranging from the size of a studio to that of an auditorium. As a head researcher at Fudan, Wen had the privilege of perusing the Chambers at will. To test her hypothesis, Wen commandeered a chamber approximately the size of an indoor soccer field. "How serendipitous," Magister Wen delightfully replied when Petra told her of the development on their property hunt. "Take care of her, Petra. Gwen is very precious to us." They were met in the Chamber by a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties but had the bearing of someone much older. "Magus Mai Kumiko, Assistant Professor, Department of Conjuration," The woman introduced herself. It was the first time Gwen had seen a Japanese person in Shanghai. Both the city and the country had bad blood with the island nation thanks to the Sino Conflict in the 50s, not to mention the PLA had built its grass-roots around castigating the Japanese' threat', so it was quite a surprise to see a Dai-Nippon national in the flesh. "It's nice to meet you." The Conjurer had light brown eyes adoring a face blessed with a tender complexion, framed by a shoulder-length bob woven with auburn highlights. Her bearing and posture were posed and controlled, elegantly upheld by a hip-hugging skirt and a white blouse accessorised with a red ribbon tie. "Mai's teaching the supplementary Conjuration class," Wen introduced Gwen to the Assistant Professor. "You'll likely see each other again very soon." The three women exchanged greetings. "I'll be in your care," Gwen stated. "More like I'll be in yours, Miss Song," Mai confessed candidly. "I am very much interested in your Familiars. Especially the Caliban." "I'll do my best not to disappoint," Gwen flashed the instructor a confident smile. "Let's begin," Magister Wen said impatiently beside them. "Alright, Gwen, let's see what has the masterful Deathless Henry so enamoured!" There was a thrum as Mana crystals clinked into place, then the room fell into darkness. A gradual light began to circulate until the floor became a mirror plane, reminding her of the lessons taught by her Master. Feeling stunned by the spectacle, Gwen fought back an onslaught of nostalgic melancholy and turned her attention toward the reflection underfoot. There, captive beneath an illusory pane, her Astral Body glimmered. Held intact within the glass sculpture of her anima was the hungering Void, the cracking lightning, and a little something else: specs and motes of emerald green, swimming freely through a sea of alternating light and dark.

"Well, that was an unfortunate slip of the tongue," Magister Wen apologised for her faux pas. Under most circumstances, referring to a deceased Master by their famed alias would be well received, but alas, Gwen's Master had held a peculiar title. "Uwa~!" a strange exclamation issued from Mai, dispelling the awkwardness set up by Wen's lacklustre apology. "Dual-element! Oppositional too! Wh- what is that green mana? Triple-element?" "Just some Druidic essence, dear." Magister Wen clarified the phenomenon. "Save your shock, Mai. Else we'll be here all day." "Incredible!" Mai inspected Gwen's Astral projection in the likeness of a watchmaker probing a Patek Nautilus. "Beyond incredible. Usually, isn't this impossible?" "Magus Kumiko!" Magister Wen snapped at the Conjurer. "Forgive me!" Mai bowed politely and retreated behind Magister Wen, demurely assuming her place. "Mai, proceed." "Onibi!" A vivid surge of ochre mana manifested around the Conjurer. A glowing bushel of ghostly flame floated before Gwen's instructors, casting a ring of yellow-orange illumination around the trio. Gwen felt life-energy cascading from the summoned spirit like a fount opened into the Positive Elemental Plane. A Positive Conjurer! And from the looks of it, a Creature Mage. Gwen wilfully stopped herself from reaching out to touch the hovering flame. To think she would see a Spirit from that exalted plane of Positive Energy, an existence too rare for her Frontier origins. "Is… that a Lantern Sprite?" "Yes, but not a Spirit, unfortunately." The Japanese Conjurer caught Gwen's starry-eyed worship. "Onibi is a form of spirit-lantern from my homeland. When I manifested my Familiar, it came to me." "Amazing, what does it do?" Magus Kumiko responded by activating her Spite's unique ability. "Healing Circle!" In Gwen's astral reflection, she could see a stream of Positive energy issuing from her body, becoming tethered to the Lantern. "A countermeasure," Magister Wen noted dutifully beside them. "I would be lying if I said our experimentation wouldn't tax you. Let me warn you again, Gwen. Knowing your true potential isn't going to be a pleasant jog across Fudan." "I understand." Gwen turned to her seniors brightly. "If this is the cost of knowledge, then I'll pay it gladly." "That's the spirit!" Wen nodded approvingly. "Now, let's start with the basics. Give me a repertoire of your spells, starting with lightning." "Yes, Ma'am!" Gwen replied, sensing that her teacher was just as excited as she was. After taking a deep breath, she redoubled her focus, closed her eyes, then began to pick at the walls of reality, readying her body for the manifestation of sorcerous phenomena. "Guiding Bolt!" "Flash Bang!" "Lightning Blast!" "Lightning Gasp!" "Taser!" "Lightning Bolt!" "Blade!" "Warding Bolt!" "Call Lightning!" Once she hit the fourth-tier spells, the mental and physical exertion grew palpable. It wasn't so much that she was running out of mana, for her pool was almost double or triple the average Mage, but that her chants and calculations induced immense mental stress without allowance for the cooling down of her cognitive faculties. Gritting her teeth and wishing to show Magister Wen her conviction, Gwen redoubled her efforts. "Lightning Tentacles!" "Morden's Faithful Hound!" "Dimension Door!" Gwen appeared and reappeared in a series of conflagrating lightning. Staggering a little, she turned to face her audience. Her milk-white skin glowed under the refractory illumination of the Cognisance Chamber. So much Lightning-mana had flooded her body that her eyes sparkled with two concentric rings of electricity, with an occasional discharge arching from her hair onto the floor. Petra, Mai and Magister Wen regarded one another with astonished faces. "Did we just witness Morden's Faithful Hound?" Mai's voice shook. "That spell involves Evocation, Conjuration and Transmutation all at once! How's that possible? Also, why is her Dimension Door offensive? How did she trigger a Lightning Nova on exit? Her incantations! The mana channels! Are they all Signature sorcery?" "Fascinating indeed." Magister Wen was furiously running her fingers through her data slate. "Petra, did you know of this?" Petra partly shook her head. "Only recently. I was informed that several of her key spells were hand-taught by her Master." "So they are Signature Spells?" Mai looked as though she could burst into song. "Those Conjuration incantations are original?" "Especially Morden's Hound… Did you know the Tower no longer has a version that allows for elemental shifting?" Wen slid a finger across the slate violently. "These were taught to you personally, Gwen?" "By Master Kilroy, yes." Gwen dispelled her persistent effect Conjurations to conserve mana. "Mao..." Magister Wen forlornly shook her head. "All that knowledge lost." "Hold on, Ki-e-ru-i?" Magus Kumiko spluttered beside them. "Magister Kilroy? H-Henry Kilroy? Master of Ordo Arcana?!” "The the same, he passed in March, in Sydney. You recall, right? We watched the Vid-cast on the news." "Uwa—" Mai turned to Gwen, then bowed from the waist. "I am very sorry, Gwen. I was inconsiderate!" "It's alright, Magus." Gwen stifled the shuddering in her chest. Who'd have thought? She knew her Master had deep roots—but to think Henry had so much clout even in an entirely unrelated region of the world. But then again, when Gwen considered her Master's other disciples, such as the Scarlet Sorceress, famed and feared across Oceania, capable of going toe to toe with Magisters twice her age—and his other student, the Morning Star who could singlehandedly handle a Leviathan, it was she who lacked the correct perspective. "Gwen, let us move on. Your Familiar, please." Wen's emotions very quickly returned to their usual coolness. Gwen nodded. "Ariel!" A blast of lightning struck the floor. Ariel materialised with its tail in the air, striking a pose. "EE—EE!" The little marten appeared more girthy than before, now reaching the height of Gwen's thighs. From its round face, its dark eyes glimmered intelligently. After the Eland Core, Gwen palpably felt that her Familiar appeared more robust than before. "EE—EE!" Ariel proudly showed off two cute little horns that now protruded like spiralled triangles from its head. Thank God! Gwen praised the higher power above. If Ariel had met Tao's prophesy, she wouldn't know where to hide her face. "Your familiar is beyond adorable!" Magus Kumiko gushed, clearly possessing a weakness for cute things. Disregarding her position, she dropped to one knee. "Hey there, Ariel! How are you?" "EE—EE!" Ariel looked to Gwen for permission. Gwen gave her consent. Ariel then leapt toward Mai and rolled over onto its belly, flashing its soft fur. When Mai stroked the creature, it caused arcs of electricity to spark away from the marten spectacularly. "What a wonderful Familiar." Mai had none of the distant demeanour of Magister Wen. Not far from her aide, Magister Wen rolled her eyes. "Very well. Let's see the Void element. Mai, get ready. Just as we discussed," Magister Wen commanded. "Yes, Magister." Gwen returned to the centre of the room. "I am beginning." She aimed for the other far side, where walls of force were in place to absorb the impact of her spells. "Void Bolt!" "Warding Bolt!" "Call Void Lightning!" Gwen had only used her Void element for the Call Lightning once when they ambushed the Elder Gila. The sustained channel from the self-guided bolts consumed both mana and vitality, making the spell ineffective except for extreme measures when damage output had to be maximised. In her present condition, two spells at tiers 3 were her limit. After another volley of Void Lightning, Gwen felt her vitality wane; without a cache of the Druidic essence, the volatile element would soon begin to consume her body. "Are you able to continue?" Magister Wen spoke from behind Gwen. "Magus Kumiko has you in safe hands, I assure you." Gwen resumed her efforts. "Dark Tentacles!" When the final invocation left her lips, a sudden flurry of writhing Void-matter erupted like a blossom of obsidian sea anemones, radiating a wave of nauseating vertigo across the chamber. Onibi glimmered, fortifying Gwen and her observers. "Mao!" Magister Wen stepped around the manifestation, examining it with great interest. "Fascinating! See here how the Void coils around a tear in space. Likewise, the prehensile nature of the tentacles is far different from the normal variant. Yours is almost like a living thing!" Perhaps sensing Wen's presence, a few of the tentacles reached for her body. Gwen mentally attempted to stifle the tentacles' furore. Naturally, the flailing limbs ignored her, for her "dumb" spell was not capable of differentiating between friend or foe. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Without effort, Magister Wen manifested a crystalline Shield and allowed one of the tentacles to touch the mineral barrier. Gwen felt the contact hotly in her Astral Body, then felt more of her vitality drain as the tendrils dug into Wen's creation. "Incredible penetrative power." Wen jotted down more notes as the tentacle whittled down her shielding. "Excellent against hard shields." "Let's try something incorporeal! Shield!" With a new invocation, the crystalline shell of Magister Wen's Mineral Shield gave way to that of a transparent mana barrier. This time, the tentacles thrashed against the invisible forcefield without penetrating its exterior. "How curious." Wen took more notes. "Ironically, a low-density shield can halt the corrosively Void-matter." Gwen felt her breathing becoming easier while Wen made her notes. Behind her, a steady stream of positive energy fed gently into her torso. She could see the conduits at work, smothered by the blazing glare from her own Astral Body. She had seen the same phenomenon manifested when Sufina was in Magus Kumiko's place, channelling a steady stream of life force as she trained, repeating spell after spell. Compared to the meagre Onibi, however, Sufina was far more nourishing, both paled against Almudj's blessing, but Sufina's embrace had felt motherly and warm. "Keep the spell up, Gwen," the Magister commanded. Gwen quickly stabilised her output. Her instructor came close and studied the reflection of Gwen's Astral Body underfoot. There was an astonishing exchange happening below. Within the projection of her metaphysical body, the ink-like movement of the Void-matter soaked in the Positive Energy before exiting through her palms and manifesting some distance away as a blossom of grasping tendrils. "So the Void can directly convert healing energy into life-matter for the host body?" Wen studied the phenomenon. "Gwen, try activating your Druidic essence." Gwen spared as much concentration as she could to command the emerald motes to move. Unfortunately, they would not manifest even when gritting her teeth and grunting with exertion. "I can't." Gwen huffed after another exhaustive attempt. "They're not activating." "Hmm, how about Lightning?" Petra asked helpfully. "As counter-elements, they should disrupt one another, but what if you could somehow counter the effect of the Void-drain with the Positive aspect of Lightning?" "Maybe it's worth a try." Gwen closed her eyes and tapped into the Quasi-Elemental Gate of Lightning. Wen looked like she was about to say something but stopped herself. A torrent of pale-blue mana surged throughout Gwen's Astral form. "Arrrrgh!" Gwen felt as though stricken with a sudden blow to her temples. She involuntarily staggered back as a burst of radiant energy flared from her torso, forcing the Void-matter to surge in all directions. The force of the sudden expulsion caused her to fall onto her buttocks, stunned by the volatility of the elemental cocktail. The Dark Tentacle dissipated. "EE—!!" Ariel ran to her and began to lick her hand frantically. "Oh my God! Gwen, are you alright?" Petra knelt beside the stunned sorceress as she orientated herself. "Are you alright?" With the ringing still in her head, Gwen couldn't find the words to speak. "Forgive me. That was my mistake," Magister Wen apologised stiffly. "I should have stopped you." The Magister produced a Spell Cube s choked full of Positive Energy the shell positively hummed. "Greater Restoration!" The healing energy of the upper-tier spell struck Gwen and cooled her Void fever like a bucket of ice. Gwen felt her mind clear and her flesh mend. She looked dazedly at Petra and her two instructors, one worried and the other furiously engrossed in her notes. Petra did not know what would happen, Gwen acknowledged with a chill—But her Master did. From now on, incidents such as these would be the 'price' of Wen's knowledge. Should she refuse? Gwen told herself she should not. She also wanted answers, and if a bit of skin off her back was the price, then so be it. "Let's take a break, shall we?" Magister Wen suggested. "I can continue." Gwen pushed herself off the floor. "Let's continue. We need to summon Caliban next, right?" The three women nodded. "I am not sure how well I can control it." "You're in safe hands," Magister Wen assured her. "So is your Familiar. At worst, nothing a Force Cage or a Stasis can't resolve." Petra nodded confidently at Gwen, affirming her Magister's confidence. "Here goes…" Gwen closed her eyes and called out for Caliban, rousing her monster into consciousness from the tenebrous embrace of her Astral womb. Caliban had not expected a call from its Master so soon, and the opportunity to once again taste the delicious air of the Material Plain filled its lamprey's maws with delight. Instantly, Gwen's Astral projection turned dark as crowskin and black as pitch. The gathered Mages watched as the void-matter drained from her Astral projection, taking with it the meagre glow of the Druidic Essence that was only now beginning to recover. A tear in the space above them formed, then like a monstrous obsidian placenta, a toad-thing slid from the gap between Planes and landed with a wet plop between them. Gwen's complexion turned the colour of paper before the stream of gentle healing returned her vitality. Two sharp intakes of breath punctuated the chamber. While both Kumiko and Wen had been told accounts of the Void-toad, seeing the damnable creature meters away in the flesh still possessed the full impact of gazing upon a dreadful nightmare. Even now, Gwen felt her nerves falter, for Caliban's gaze was like the abyss, only now the proverbial Void was sniffing the air and turning its faceless mien towards them. "Caliban! Heel!" Gwen commanded, forcing her voice from her lips as the supply of Positive Energy intensified. Fuzzily, she felt the invigorating energy gently keeping her upright. What Wen had said was true. Compared to Mina or Elvia's rough healing, Kumiko's subtlety was far more capable of reinforcing her health. "Shaa—Shaa—" Caliban's hulking form stalked here and there. Ariel playfully ran up the trunk of its massive, triangular torso and rested on the faceless head, dancing a jig. Caliban groped for its long-term nemesis and sent the playful marten skittering away. "Caliban! Stay!" Gwen willed her creature to tarry. Caliban turned to regard its Master, its pores breathing in her scent. "Please?" With the sound of something slithering from a gash or an open wound, it opened its lamprey's mouth, ejecting twin lengths of tentacle-tongues from its maw. One was blue, and the other was red. "Steady… steady…" Gwen reached out and touched one of the tentacles, guiding it away from her with her hand before petting Caliban's faceless head. "Shaa—Shaa—" Caliban refocused its senses toward the source of positive energy behind her. "No. That's a friend." Gwen informed her toad-minion. "Not for eating." "Shaa—Shaa—" Caliban protested. Onibi, Gwen suspected, must appear very delicious. "SHAA—!" "If you're not going to be a gentleman, I am putting you back!" Gwen warned her Familiar, scalding it with everything she had. She pictured dispelling the creature and felt Caliban hesitate. Then like a devious cat, it tried to move past her for a better look. Just a glance, it empathically told her—nothing else. "SHAA—!" Caliban batted her aside, though gently, with its two tentacles that were the girth and size of her arm. Gwen pushed back. "I said no!" She gripped one of the tentacles and used it to reign Caliban's face away from Onibi. "Heel!" "Shaa—!" Caliban made a token struggle, neither willing to forfeit a meal nor ignoring Gwen completely. Beside the Master and creature, Petra, Magister Wen and Magus Kumiko watched the spectacle with their lips hanging limply. "That's…" Kumiko was as pale as she was. "Is that a Death Gila?" "It's a Void-beast in the morphic form of a Red Gila," Petra pointed out helpfully. "Gwen's creature seems to be able to tap into her Transmutation talent at the point of its summon. So far, I've seen it as a snake, a spider, and this thing. Maybe it can turn into more forms; I don't know." "Blessed Yamatai." Magus Kumiko eyed her Onibi nervously. "Onibi is going to be okay, right? That thing looks… hungry." The two women turned to Wen. Petra's Master was positively quaking with delight. When she spoke, her voice erupted as a torrent. "A Void Beast! A living, walking, hungering Void beast! Petra, do you know what this means? We shall be the first to document the habitation and physiology of a shapeless, formless thing in the flesh! The first since Sobel! Accreditations for the Meistership, fallen from the sky! Mao—I owe Klavdiya favours I cannot possibly repay. A Paper on the Void beast. Another upon the properties of Void Magic! Another and another on the impacts of Void sorcery on its users. We'll be publishing for years!" "I am sure Gwen will be happy to help out, Master." Petra looked toward Gwen with a face full of apology. Gwen fought down her nausea, not entirely unhappy that Wen was so stoked but unable to fight off the sinking feeling in her gut. "Of course, I am getting ahead of myself." Magister Wen recovered by laughing dryly. "Oh, Petra. We have to take care of your cousin. She is far more precious than you know." "I know." Petra reached her side, then thought better when Caliban tried to give her a hearty lick. "Mai, have you readied the summons I asked for?" Magus Kumiko turned to the Magister nervously. "We're feeding that thing?" "Aren't you curious?" Wen's eyes were two glowing orbs of scintillating emeralds. "We're the first Mages to witness in detail the workings of the Void since that girl's Master, Henry Kilroy, aided in forming the Tower system with the help of his wife." Magus Kumiko checked her Storage Ring. "Of course, Magister. I am ready." "Gwen!" Magister Wen called out. "Is Caliban ready to feed?" Gwen concurred as she fought Caliban off Onibi. Her Familiar was now salivating globs of grey-goo saliva large enough to form a sizeable puddle on the floor. Silently, she wept for her soiled dress. "Just in case, Caliban might get a little excited. So please take care of me and try not to hurt it!" "We'll do our best!" Petra promised, answering for her Master. Behind the girls, Magister Wen was aglow with an array of borrowed Divination magic. Her body was pen poised and slate steady, readying herself to become the first to bear witness to the inner workings of a Void Mage first-hand. Magus Kumiko stepped forward. With a wave of her hand, she released several glyph-stones that shot from her ring toward the ground ten or so meters from Gwen. The stones landed erect, then conjured forth an octagramic pattern that extended around each invocation until a silvery Mandala grew visible. "Summon Magical Beast!" The Mandala burst into silvery flames. Unlike Conjuration spells, Summon spells tore creatures from the Elemental Planes into the Prime Material, whether willing or not. Before casting such a complicated spell, extensive research was necessary. Hosts, even swarms of helpful magical creatures, could be contracted if they were intelligent. But if the need was dire, unintelligent creatures could be effectively abducted at random by summoners if they had set up corresponding compulsions. Magus Kumiko now manifested such a spell, unsuspecting Elementals kicking and screaming by their Creature Cores through space and time. A silvery flash of mana splashed across the Cognisance Chamber. When the Mandala burned out, a confused dog-thing sniffed its surroundings. The creature resembled a tremendous hound of some sort, with bat ears and small, red beady eyes that glowed like motes of cinder. Its maw drooled while a protruding line of distended spines ran the length of its back to end in a tail that resembled a whip. "A Blink Dog!" Mai frowned. These were not dangerous, but they were apt at fleeing. "Dimension Anchor!" Beside her, Magister Wen was far faster than her fellow Magus. A professor skilled in both Abjuration and Conjuration, the Magister immediately disabled the phasing ability of the fabled Blink Dog, sealing its fate as Caliban's snack. Caliban turned to Gwen with its faceless head. Gwen urged her Familiar forward. “SHAAAAAA!” Caliban turned to the dog and charged. "GRRR—!" The Blink Dog charged Caliban in turn. At the moment of their meeting, the dog turned aside and took out a chunk of Caliban's soft, rubbery flesh. Gwen winced. Caliban turned its ponderous body toward the dog and lashed out with its limbs. The dog's Blink ability must possess a cooldown, for this time, it was swiped by two claws the length and girth of harvest-scythes, impaling it through the left lumbar. The creature coughed up a lungful of blood as Caliban lifted it from the air and moved it toward its maw. "Yip! Yip! Hhunnnn—" The dog's whimper grew weaker as Caliban's twin tongue wrapped around the creature and crushed its ribs. "Cali—CONSUME!" Gwen made a move before the opportunity wasted itself. Once more, her Astral Body turned darker than black, forming a visible line of void-matter fed into Caliban as the creature bulged and engorged with mana. With a shake of its massive shoulder, Caliban reared back and opened its lamprey's mouth, widening until all musculature and bone seemed to distend to accommodate its abyssal maw. There was a sound of suction; then the yipping dog was gone. "Oh—" Gwen felt a sudden, unexpected surge of vitality. "What—" The exchange came on like a sudden summer squall. A wave of indescribable pleasure, a feeling of satiation she could barely begin to comprehend, filled her mind and muted all thoughts. She trembled from the sudden euphoria as, in the span of several breathes, all the vitality that had made the dog a living, breathing magical creature passed through her body. She had never consciously experienced the aftermath of Consume, not like this. Not when she trained with her Master, not when Caliban fed on the NoMs and the Mages, not when it assailed the Elder Gila. Was it because of Caliban's new ability? Was that the root of this euphoric exaltation of satiation? Or was it because of her missing appendage, her pound of flesh that she had traded away to Percy to dismantle Guo's shackles? For several seconds caught in time, Gwen forgot to breathe. "STOP!" a voice resounded beside her. "Gwen! Stop your Familiar!"

Gwen returned to reality to see Caliban scraping its long claws against a crystalline wall, headbutting the barrier and drooling grey goo all over the transparent pane. "Gwen!" Petra called out. "Get your frog under control!" The Mages were in no danger, Gwen realised, but there was something to be said about a three-meter Lovecraftian monstrosity bashing at one's Shield with nails the length of a man's arm. "Caliban! To me!" Gwen petitioned for her familiar to return her side. When the "Consume" had taken place, she had momentarily lost her reins on Cali. On a Familiar less inclined to act on instinct, it would have stood still as a statue. On Caliban, however, it meant the netherworld-fiend began to seek out its next meal. It was one of the peculiarities of her Familiars. They weren't Spirits, but they weren't soulless shells either. Neither was stupid, and both actively sought out delicious treats. Sniffing the air for mana, Caliban could sense the fount of vitality that was Mai Kumiko. Gwen could feel her beastie didn't want to hurt Mai, which came as a great relief. Instead, like a Great Dane too dumb to know its strength, it was trying to goad the Magus, in its unique way, to produce more treats from the Summoning Portal. When Gwen reestablished the empathic link, she could feel its frustration simmering like a pot of proverbial toads in hot water. "Caliban!" She tried, but her mental leash was too loose. Now empowered by even more frustration, Caliban turned to the three women behind the Crystal Barrier and howled. "SHAA—!" It protested the unfairness. Magister Wen quickly jotted down their interaction. "Fascinating! So it's intelligent enough to not berserk! Gwen, it looks like you need to work on your mental commands, have the creature conditioned," Wen advised, her irises lovingly eyeing the monstrosity beating down on her nigh impenetrable barrier. "Mai, summon another thing. I want to see what it does. Gwen, are you able to leash it or not?" "I can continue, but this little bugger is a bloody handful!" Gwen tried snarling and growling at Caliban. "Caliban! HEEL! Do you want me to go over there? Fine! I am coming! You better not regret this!" Wen double-checked her notes. "Can you confirm that the last ability your Familiar used had a restorative effect?" "Yes, Ma'am, but not enough to match its expenditure," Gwen replied in all honesty. Although Consume appeared to nourish her far more than Caliban's regular attacks, her vitality remained in deficit, meaning she could not abuse the ability in succession. "Can Caliban eat without using your mana or vitality?" Wen asked a crucial question that was likewise hovering on the edge of Gwen's mind. "Yes, but nothing challenging." Gwen thought back to when Caliban was sweeping through the Gila-infested pocket dimension. The three women watched as Gwen reached Caliban and placed both hands on its back. For whatever reason, the creature responded far more favourably to tactile stimuli. With considerable effort and picturing herself taming her unruly cats, Gwen laid a hand on Caliban's broad, wart-strewn back and caressed its toad skin, feeling its ridges and bumps. "Caliban, calm down," she said to the creature softly. "Be a good boy." Caliban ceased its antics and turned to face Gwen with its faceless mien. She could sense it sniffing her body, her hair, enjoying the sensation of her touching its skin. "Good boy," Gwen cooed, relaxing her nerves. "There's plenty to eat if you'd just listen." Just as Gwen thought she had everything well in hand, Caliban reached over her shoulder with its three-meter reach and snatched at something with its dragging arms something behind her. “Onibi!” Magus Kumiko was aghast. “Gwen! Stop it!” "Caliban!" Gwen pounded her Familiar, but the damn thing was too large, its hide too thick. She may as well have struck a golem with her bare hands. In its attempt to get away from Gwen's berating assault, Caliban bowled her over with its cumbersome body, not possessing the spatial awareness necessary to move with sufficient agility. Overwhelmed by the creature's girth, Gwen fell onto her buttocks for the second time. "EE—! EE—EE!" Besides Gwen, her other Familiar had stomached enough of Caliban's arrogance. It had watched obediently, as a Familiar ought to do, its delinquent half-brother thrash and trash its surroundings like an uneducated young marten incapable of understanding their Master's command! A stupid worm is stupid! Or at least, that's the feeling transmuted by Ariel into their mutual Empathic Link. Gwen immediately issued Ariel the allotment of mana her Familiar requested. Instantly, Ariel's chastisement came as a surge of electrified Lightning element filling every inch of its body with power. With a simple command, Ariel released Gwen's anger. When Ariel requested to contest Caliban, she inadvertently recalled something her Master had said when the two Familiars first appeared. "Looks like her elements are oppositional rather than cooperative... She's going to have her hands full, trying to wrangle them together. Hopefully, one will check the other." She recalled her Master stating with great wisdom. Since then, Caliban and Ariel had rarely fought in tandem. Gwen generally used either one or the other. When she did use the two together, it was almost always against enemies with overwhelming odds, leaving the creatures with little opportunity to bicker and contest. From the looks of it, after only so long without her Master's advice, she was already regressing. "EE—!" A semi-circle of electricity arched from Ariel's cute little horns to kiss the floor. A command came bidden to Gwen, learned from her Empathic link with Ariel. As the words issued forth from her lips, she felt the satisfaction of having a childhood fantasy she had long possessed fulfilled. She was, after all, a child of the nineties. There was little to do in her negligent household but to keep company with the soapbox, and for a child, there was nothing more significant than that rare, golden hour from 7 AM to 8:30 AM. "Pi—Ariel! Thunderbolt!" "EE—EE!!" A torrent of Lightning channelled directly from her Evocation sigil, possessing the same intensity and power as if she had issued forth the attack, connected the space between Caliban and Ariel. The line-blast struck her Caliban full in the chest and forced it to release the quivering form of the Onibi flame, sending it packing toward its owner through some innate Blink. "SHAA—" To Gwen's surprise, the Lightning blast from Ariel seemed to trigger something in Caliban. Her creature shrunk in size, losing its Transmutation empowered morphic field until it became an obsidian serpent of about two metres in length and the size of her thighs in girth. "EE!" "Shaa!" "EE—EE!" The two creatures slid toward one another and joined into a ball of black and white, nipping, hissing, clawing, and wrangling one another on the floor, blazing back and forth. Feeling Caliban possessing the upper hand, Gwen helped Ariel cheat a little by supplying it secretly with a smidgen of mana to empower its Haste. While watching the brawl, she thought about Ariel's newly manifested ability. Did the horns replicate her spells? Or was it an innate ability for Ariel? It would require additional testing, of course, but either way, it meant she could use her Familiar as a secondary source of Lightning damage. Considering Ariel's innate ability to Haste itself and crawl, roll, duck, and sneak around the battlefield, it would mean the creature offered an excellent source of sneaky damage. She turned excitedly to regard the others. Like herself, Petra watched the two Familiars bemusedly. Besides Pats, Magus Kumiko comforted her terrified Familiar while Wen furiously tapped her data slate. Ariel and Caliban continued to fight with boundless energy, sending bits of fur flying here and there, with Caliban dripping its oozy saliva, or perhaps blood, it was impossible to tell, all over the Cognisance Chamber's polished floors. "Alright! Stop!" Gwen commanded them both. Ariel leapt from the melee expertly, far too fast for Caliban to follow. Caliban snarled and continued to spin in a circle, only stopping when it realised it had bitten its tail with its circular maw. "To me!" Gwen intoned, fortifying her voice with a jolt of mana. "Sit! Heel!" Ariel returned to her instantly, the very picture of a model Familiar. With great reluctance, as though a delinquent thrashed by a stern mother, Caliban slithered beside Gwen. Gwen couldn't help but notice that its serpentine form had changed since Gwen had last seen Caliban in its original shape. Its interior now resembled a mass of roving, congealed ink, while Caliban's carapace had become opaque. Its faceless head, with its massive, angular pieces of chitin, had a disturbing, erotic elegance that made any observer uneasy, especially knowing that it could split to issue forth lamprey-lipped tongues. "Bravo." Magister Wen clapped softly. "Although that control could have come handier much earlier." Magus Mai did not appear at all convinced. "Gwen, how're you feeling?" Petra asked carefully, observing Gwen with a studied eye. After demonstrating the majority of her spells, conjuring two Familiars, and exhibiting their abilities, a brilliant sheen of perspiration now covered Gwen, plastering the fabric of her dress to her body. In the pale brilliance of the Cognisance Chamber, her eyes glowed, lit by the static electricity she could not control. Below her physical body, her Astral Form was a blend of inky, tenebrous motes of Void bisected by brilliant flashes of Lightning. Hues of Conjuration, Evocation and Transmutation appeared and disappeared, creating a curious contrast. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The surrealism was enough to catch its owner off guard, and for a moment, all Gwen could do was stare at her Astral projection. "I think I need to take a break." Gwen raised her hand gently. "I am getting a little woozy." She was almost out of mana. The succession of spells, the drain on her vitality, the fiasco with her unruly Familiar, the bout between the marten and the void-serpent that followed, all of her feats had been performed without rest. Spell-fatigue, unlike vitality drain, was a weariness of the soul. "Let's finish up here." Magister Wen nodded affirmatively. "There is much to be done, and we have no reason to rush. Thank you, Gwen Song. You have shown us something truly unique and worthwhile." Petra left the crystal barrier and approached her cousin, heedless of the serpent that now coiled miserably around Gwen's ankles. Gwen supposed that once a girl had experienced riding Cali-Spider into battle, there wasn't much else that could be worse. "EE—!" Ariel leapt toward Petra and ran infinity coils around her legs before begging with its paws, like a monk praying fervently. Petra retrieved an LDM crystal and fed it to the marten, who turned to look at Caliban gloatingly as if showing off. Provoked by the marten's goading display, Caliban opened its maw by splitting its carapace, extending two thin, long tentacles, one blue and the other red. Visibly disgusted by the vividness of the fleshy organs, Petra allowed the organs to hijack another LDM crystal. Caliban then turned to Ariel and hissed with triumph. Not to be bested, Ariel turned to Petra and opened its two beady eyes of heart-melting pity to maximum capacity. Petra looked to Gwen with a look that said she wasn't as rich as that. "Alright, enough is enough, you two," with a tired voice, Gwen coaxed the two to return. The thrum of the chamber began to diffuse, and soon the illumination globes resumed their function. The four women soon found themselves in a room with floors covered with glistening fluids. Some from the now consumed Blink Dog, but mainly from Caliban. "I'll send for a cleaner." As the lowest member, Petra volunteered for the trivial task. "Mai, can you take care of this?" To their surprise, Magister Wen interceded. "I need Petra to help me with the data." "Of course, Magister," Mai did not protest, although she did hold Onibi close to her chest. "Gwen, Petra. We're going back to the Lab. I need your help to confirm our initial findings." Wen then turned to Mai. "We will continue the experiments two days from now. Do you still wish to be a part of our fact-finding mission? I can offer you third place on the Co-Authorship." "I would be honoured to be a part of your research." Magus Kumiko bowed. Wen nodded approvingly. "Good, take care of Gwen when the semester begins. Our findings will be made public in good time, but I advise discretion until then. You may inform Magister Birch, and he can speak to me personally if he too wishes to participate." "I shall." "Very well then. Gwen, Petra. With me." With Petra holding Gwen steady, the three women made for the Hengsha building, with Gwen hoping the cleaner wouldn't slip and fall into Caliban's questionable excretions. "We can use a spectre-index to represent your vital cost and expenditure numerically," Petra pointed out helpfully as the three women poured over the data collected from the afternoon's experimentation. "We still haven't carried out indexing on your Evocation Spells either. I would suggest benchmarking with Void Bolts, testing with small animals and moving up from there." "I want to try out Ariel's new abilities and see if it meshes with my other spells," Gwen informed her seniors. "Also, if Ariel could truly keep a check on Caliban, it would provide a temporary solution to one of my pressing issues." "You can't suppress Caliban mentally?" "It still possesses a will of its own, I am afraid. If it becomes overstimulated, I am not sure it will listen to my commands." "Can it take on a Blink-Dog form now?" Wen inquired. "I am very interested in that." "I am not sure; it's the first time I have used the Consumption ability in that sort of setting. Normally, Caliban takes on a form after a good fight where it can consume the foe." Wen appeared thoughtful. The three Mages drank their Oolong. For supper, Wen had sent the NoM staff in the building out on an errand to bring food from University Boulevard. Now they were sorting through the data while enjoying their infusions and glutinous osmanthus cakes. "At any rate, you're saying there's terrific feedback from the Consume?" Gwen nodded, chewing on the florally scented jelly. She swallowed before she spoke. "I am positive. The feeling is indescribable. Imagine a starving man suddenly encountering the Golden Nectar of the Dryads. It so strong I almost blacked out." "Do you think there are diminishing returns?" "I hope it dulls with repetition, yeah," Gwen replied worriedly. The sensation was one of pleasure - comparable - if she had to find an analogy with the proverbial Soma of Huxley's famed novel. It was delight without effort, rapture without cause, a feeling of fulfilment in the metaphysical sense, a genuine jolt of unadulterated gratification. It was the high of cocaine without the pitfall. "Do you think it will be a problem?" Magister Wen asked earnestly. "We can probably do something about it via a dampening item, experiment with mental-Abjurations, that sort of thing." "I'd like to see if it is possible to resist it naturally," Gwen advised her companions. "I think I've had enough of item-crutches for now." "The choice is yours, but we'll look into it regardless," Magister Wen affirmed her decision. "Don't push yourself too hard," Petra spoke to Gwen with a worried expression. "It's fine. I'll take care of myself. I promise." "Your initial report from Klavdiya said that Caliban's consumption of Mages ballooned your mana capacity. Is that true?" Magister Wen continued. Gwen nodded again. "Do you think Consume could increase your… vitality? Become healthier? Stronger? Faster?" "I don't feel any different," Gwen confessed a half-truth. She felt good, like after a hearty session of yoga by the beach. "Are you adverse to- er... human testing?" Magister Wen dipped a finger into the water to test Gwen's tolerance. "I AM," Gwen retorted sternly. There was no way she was about to start murdering human beings to test out her abilities. That was the way of Elizabeth Sobel; she's trying to hunt the monster, not become the monster. "Please, Ma'am. I don't want to harm anyone insofar as much as we can." "Of course, I am merely asking," Magister Wen replied unconvincingly. "You are alright with experimenting on summoned creatures, yes?" "I am," Gwen agreed hesitantly. "Alright then, how about Demi-humans?" Wen tested the waters again. "Ugly, inhuman ones? I guarantee you won't even know. We'll use nothing remotely simian." "Please, no…" Gwen insisted. "Okay, I understand." Magister Wen gave her an affirming smile. Gwen tried to hear the gears grinding in the Magister's head, but the Magister allowed nothing to escape. The trio looked down at the planned Papers for the next year and a half: Initial Investigation of Void Mana to Vitality Conversion Ratio. Affinity rate for Void Spells: A Comparison. Void-Matter Interactions Material Data. Effects of Consumption on the Caster:: C: G. Song F: C. Song Longitudinal Study of the Extended Use of Void Magic:: Gwen Song Druidic Essence Material Data. Most of her slated tests centred around Gwen's Void talent. Once she reviewed the data, Wen offered the conjecture that the strange, orgiastic side effect was a part of Caliban's skill set, exacerbated by Gwen's loss of the Kirin Amulet. A portion of it was from the raw, unfiltered comings and goings of rough magics violating her senses. What remains was likely how her parasite "awarded" the host, thereby conditioning her to hunt. "Maybe that explains Sobel, to a degree?" Wen appeared very pleased with herself. "Either way, we should keep this under wraps until we know more. You have potential, Gwen, perhaps too much potential." Gwen gulped. "As soon as we publish." Magister Wen brimmed with confidence. "With the old Magisters at Pudong, mayhap even the Magi himself taking an interest in these findings, you will have backing for sure." "Won't the PLA interfere?" Gwen asked. "That would be Pudong's problem," Magister Wen answered with a smirk. "With your ties to Kilroy's apprentices, it's not as though the PLA could have a use for you, at least not without significant reconditioning. But if they did that, you'd be useless to them." "Reconditioning?" "Don't worry your pretty head about it." Wen batted a hand to and fro. "It won't happen to you, not without Master Shultz burning down half of Shanghai." Gwen wondered about that, but her outlook was agreeable with Magister Wen's proposal. The research helped Gwen immensely, allowing her far more nuanced knowledge about her abilities and limitations in a relatively safe location under supervision and support. For now, she would just have to go with the flow. As it was a Friday night and Shanghai never sleeps, Petra escorted Gwen home for fear of her cousin wandering off. Mina's apartment occupied a very trendy part of Shanghai, and the weekend attracted all manners of unsavoury characters into the neon lights of the Bund and beyond. "I hope our apartment is ready by Monday," Petra commented as they passed by a troop of young men and women outside a nightclub, drawing dozens of eyes as they passed. "God, I hate places like these. So many people. All the time." Gwen's Message device buzzed. "Yeah, Richard?" "Mina and Tao are over. How close are you to home?" "I am with Pats, about 10 minutes. Why?" "They want to eat out, want to come along?" "Sure, I could eat," Gwen replied. This time, she really could eat. She could eat a horse. "Great, tell Petra we're going to SHOOK! on Nanking. The Address is 23 Nanjing East." "Alright, see you there soon." Mina flashed a business card at the manager, and the group bypassed the half-a-block line outside and ventured straight in. Within, the young Mages had a booth to themselves, staffed by private Waiters and a Chef who cooked Wildland cuts of tender meat on a fire-enchanted slab of stone. Richard and Tao knocked down expensive European beers while the girls had cocktails. Gwen initially thought of ordering a mock-tail but forwent the consideration for her drinking age after becoming peer pressured by her two girlfriend-cousins. Each exchanged accounts of their day. "WMR Properties?" Mina raised a tapered brow as she sipped her Signature Blue-Moon. "And someone happens to gift you a cheap apartment? Huh, it figures." "Why, what's wrong?" Gwen turned to her cousin for some sincere advice. "Probably nothing." Mina shook her head. "The M in WMR belongs to The House of M, but they own lots of properties around the city anyway. WMR is a corporate conglomerate group, after all." "Ah, you mean Mayuree." Gwen realised Mina's concern. "You think this is another favour?" Mina shrugged, putting a spoonful of truffle to her lips and chewing thoughtfully before answering. "If you were renting anywhere from Waitan to Laoximen, around the Jinan District, you'd be looked after by my Dad, so I'd dare say it's fifty-fifty. The big merchant consortiums own most of the properties around the CBD." "Well, thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye out." Gwen turned to see how the others were doing. "Yeh Dawg, I am telling ya. Yo gotta come to one of our shows man! It's the bomb. You gone be impressed, I guarantee it! Drinks on me! VIP! Yeeeah!" Tao was extolling the virtues of his underground shows, hosted by 'crews' of cosmopolitan men and women who worshipped the latest trends from America. For Gwen, if a 'trend' like the latest iPhone could make its way across the sea, that would be far more satisfying. Having spent almost fifteen years of her life with a smartphone, using a device capable of only Messaging and making Calls was agonising. Without Google Maps, she had no idea where things were. So far, outside of the Campus district, she couldn't tell east from west. "Gwen, come on, you gotta come to one of my shows, just one!" "Okay, Peaches. I will. I promise," Gwen replied sweetly. "Petra and I are a little busy right now, though, but definitely once things cool down." "Alright, alright!" Tao whooped loudly, and the two cousins made a low-five. "Pussht!" Gwen leaned backwards dramatically, expecting Tao to do likewise. Tao stared at her as though his cousin had suddenly gone insane. The others turned to look at Gwen, searching her face for answers. Gwen felt her face flush pink and beetroot. Ah, nuts, she blinked. She could guess by now that this world did not have six seasons of Fresh Prince to culture them in the art of the low-five.

A day later, Manager Xie called and told the girls that they could pick up the keys from the office whenever they desired. As such, the girls and Richard took inventory of what they needed, then had Tao's chauffeur drive them around town for furniture, toiletry, and other necessities of life in a new apartment. Sunday, the girls returned with Magister Wen to the Yi-Fu Spellcraft Building and continued preliminary testing, recording Gwen's biometric fluctuation as she fired off Void Bolt after Void Bolt. "Minimal rebounds from your Evocation spells," Magister Wen observed somewhat disappointedly. A dozen summoned creatures perished under Gwen's spells before her Druidic Essence waned, but they could not replicate the fabled vampiric effect of the Void. Comparatively, Caliban proved to be a superior research subject. Now that it was being summoned to feed, the creature grew far more compliant. Warming up to Magus Kumiko, the sometimes-serpent, sometimes-toad, occasional-spider-cum-centipede ravaged the magical chattel, all the while purring like a kitten. When Gwen commanded Caliban to transform into lunch, meaning everything from felines to crawlers, her beast grew frustrated and disruptive. "Maybe it only transforms into creatures it bests, in the wild. Like in a ritualistic bout." Petra offered an unlikely proposition. Gwen was thinking more so of Faceless and how the void-woman thing had tried to consume her body by submerging her ego into a pool of corrosive pitch. Or mayhap it had something to do with Creature Cores or even power tiers, but that would take real-world evidence. Under Wen and Kumiko's watchful eye, she attempted both Consuming feeder-summons, as well as having Caliban wail away without using its Gila-ability. Though there was no conclusive answer to that hypothesis, Gwen did confirm that without her Kirin amulet, she was most definitely receiving the lion's share of the vitality consumed by her void-Familiar. Her new problem, which made her flush with shame, was the euphoric pleasure that came with Caliban's Consumption. Having lived as an adult prior, she wouldn't quite say that Consumption was 'better than sex', but it was undoubtedly a feeling of pleasure. To rationalise the peculiar attraction of the unbidden euphoria, she would compare its metaphysical ecstasy to a smoker who, after seventy-two hours going cold turkey, finally torched a Marlborough to his lips. A few times, as Caliban tore and ripped at its meal like a wood chipper, all she could do was ward herself against the growing desire for more of these moments of transient rapture. But in the end, it was manageable. In Gwen's old life, she was a woman of many pleasures; she liked her fine dining, theatre, shoes, couture, and with the money she made, few vices were out of her reach. Even so, she never reneged on her exercise regime, her yoga, or her sessions with Doctor Monroe. She was exhausted most days. But at the very least, she never lost control. When Monday arrived, Gwen, Petra and Richard came to their new abodes, removal truck in tow, and began to furnish their new homes. Magister Wen had lent Petra her Large Storage Ring, allowing Petra to pack an apartment in one convenient sweep. Gwen took the room with the larger window at Petra's behest, who insisted that she desired little more than a place to wash and sleep. The girls laughed and made chit-chatter while their white goods arrived, followed by a contemporary couch, a dining set in the Saarinen Tulip style, a luxurious high-pile rug to warm their feet on the sofa, and a Noguchi coffee table. When the living room was finally set up, her cousin couldn't help but marvel at the simplistic beauty of it. They had a Vid-caster on the far wall, a scandi cabinet in white polyethene and oak, equal-distantly framed by a glass coffee table and a low-back couch that made the room far more spacious than she had anticipated. "I never knew you could make such a small space so..." Petra struggled for words. "...spacious." Gwen thanked her cousin for the praise, then reminded herself that she needed to contact the Pudong Tower to install that LR Communication Projector and Petra for permission, which she gave. After the NoM cleaners returned to clean up again, Gwen oversaw Richard's renovations next door. Her cousin, whose adolescence survived the dorms of Prince's College, transformed his small living room into a bachelor pad. Lacking a Vid-Caster, Richard congregated four eclectic-themed couches, a battered table, and a host of bric-a-bracs that had arrived while Gwen was busy with her side of things. On one wall, a lascivious leggy blonde riding a ten-foot wand with the tag "Blast Em!" insinuatingly adorned the central space. On another, Richard had beer adverts collected from God knows where. The place resembled, Gwen realised, someone's idea of a college student's abode and Gwen couldn't help but wonder how much of it was Richard and how much of it was for show. "Where in the world…" Gwen marvelled at the ancient fridge and the Magitech equivalent of a micro-oven. "...Did you get these?" "My co-workers donated these." Richard grinned. "For saving their lives a few dozen times." Gwen exhaled with pride—Richard has known these men for a week, and they were already donating all their second-hand white goods and spare couches. As for the quality of the donations, she couldn't say, but the gesture was something she could appreciate. Returning to her room, Gwen carefully laid out her arsenal of attires which she'd acquired in her travels as well as salvaged from Sydney, then took account of her war chest: T-shirts by the dozen in pastel and plain. Skirts in the twenties, jeans in the tens and half a dozen pairs of blouses, jackets, blazers, shorts and other assorted accessories. Naturally, she desired more. There would be frequent gatherings, socials, outings, interviews and meet-and-greets in her immediate, three-year future. At the very least, a secondary walk-in closet was quintessential in living life to the fullest. The following two weeks thus came and went without incident, and her busy schedule soon drowned out the euphoria of living in a new home. Thanks to their frequent absence, the renovation upstairs wasn't nearly as bad as Manager Xie made it out to be. Both herself and Petra left the apartment in the morning, as did Richard, whose work ensured he was rarely home. Gwen called her grandmother every few days, even though she was sure that Petra would have reported their comings and goings with the precision of a military report. In turn, her grandmother spoke a little about the development at home, such as her father returning to Hebei to train, her uncle's advice for her to stay safe, and then there was Percy. Thanks to Guo's overt nepotism, Percy was accepted into Shanghai's Xiangming High School, the most prestigious government-sponsored school in the region. Within, her brother would receive the best education under the most experienced tutors, in addition to placing firmly under the auspice of the PLA, for the school almost exclusively produced Mages who went on to join Jiantong University, followed by a PLA career track. "That's wonderful news," Gwen said nothing else and mentioned nary a word about the Kirin Amulet. Her babulya likely already knew about her dilemma, and if she could have done something about it, she probably would. "Would you like to come and see our apartment?" Her grandmother promised she would—when work at the Experimental Hospital allowed. In the intervening time, Gwen managed to book a private training hall through Wen's connection. Her instructor, Magus Kumiko, offered to accompany her, but only if Caliban did not appear. "Lightning Grasp!" "Eee!" "Lightning Bolt!" "Eee!" "Blast Bolt!" "Eee!" "Call Lightning!" "Eee?" Ariel was proving to be a true boon now possessed the means to manifest most of her spells externally. "Flashbang!" "EE-EE—EE—" "OH. MY. GOD! Sorry! Are you okay?!" Performing a ranged Flashbang, Ariel manifested the spell in front of its face and became instantly blinded and deafened, causing it to collapse onto the ground and writhe in epileptic ecstasy. "Poor Ariel! I'll kiss it better, okay?" Gwen congealed a droplet of her Druidic Essence and fed it to the marten. Ariel took the emerald dew within its lips, then sprang to renewed life, dashing to and fro with such haste as to resemble a bolt of lightning itself. As the marten recovered, Gwen considered her new options. It would seem that Ariel's horns could only duplicate her Evocation spells, allowing for a twin cast from both herself and the creature, so long as she channelled the mana for both of them. As such, it seemed that the best way to abuse Ariel's horns was to load up on Conjuration herself, then together with the marten, unleash Evocation spells from both. In theory, the strategy seemed sound to both herself and Magus Kumiko, as Ariel could be mauling an opponent one second, then blast them with a bolt of lightning a few inches away from their face. "An exceptional ability and one rarely manifested." Magus Kumiko observed approvingly. "It takes an incredibly dense and well-preserved Core to pass on such a talent, and even then, it's a matter of luck. Where did you find such a thing?" "A favour," Gwen confessed enigmatically. "Beware of favours," her instructor advised. "I know." Gwen agreed wholeheartedly. Onibi floated toward the marten and nudged it. The marten purred and rubbed its face on the flames, for the ghost-flames were as soft as silk. Onibi was a thing from the Positive Elemental plane. Ariel was a being of Air and Positive mana. In this way, both Familiars were fast to make friends. "Shall we try some target practice?" the helpful Magus offered, likely mindful of Wen's orders to keep Gwen on her feet. "Sure." Gwen closed her eyes for a moment of introspection. "With Onibi here, let's drain the mana pool!" Gwen awoke to the most god-awful sound imaginable on the Prime Material. "WEEEEEeeeeeeeeEEEEEE!" "Evacuate NOW!" "Do not use the levitation platform!" "Evacuate NOW!" "W-Wha?" She slid out of her blankets, pyjamas akimbo and half-asleep with grogginess. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Gwen!" Petra burst through her door, wearing nought but her intimates. "There's a fire somewhere in the building. We need to go." "Oh God," Gwen groaned. "No! No! No! Not when Richard is away!" They had just settled in for two weeks! How could she lose her home now? Her mind immediately thought of the potential of the fire being a scheme of some sort, but who would set an apartment on fire to get at herself or Petra? "It's just an evacuation alarm." Petra read the panic on Gwen's face. "There shouldn't be any danger, I don't sense any smoke, and there's nothing I can see from the winter garden. We should be safe, but it's best to go." Comforted, Gwen rolled out of bed and searched for something to wear. She wasn't too worried now, for all of her essential documents remained safely in her Storage Ring. If the apartment should genuinely perish, all she would have lost was her wardrobe and her new furniture. "Where's Richard gone?" Petra asked. "Working late. Staying on-site." Richard increased his part-time hours now that they had settled into the apartment. Gwen figured her cousin must be hoping to make a sizeable sum before their semester officially began, for he would have few opportunities for labour once the academic term consumed all their time. It was a shame, for Lea would have snuffed the flamed with a wink. "Evacuate NOW!" "Do not use the levitation platform!" "Evacuate NOW!" "Bloody hell, I can't even hear myself think!" Gwen groaned as she struggled into her attire. The two girls met their annoyed neighbours in the stairwell, who were likewise fleeing down the stairs. "Evacuate NOW!" "Do not use the levitation platform!" The alarm system drowned out all conversation as the girls followed the crowd to the meeting point below, where a hundred residents chit-chattered, looking straight upward at the building and trying to figure out what was wrong. The midnight air of Shanghai's spring was stifling as usual, and the girls found themselves sweating despite their light attire. Such was the humidity of the weather, exacerbated by the thick mass of mana pollutants that hung like a miasma over the city. "Hi, I am from 21-03." Within minutes, seeing the two girls alone and by themselves, a few bored and enterprising young men from the dorms took advantage of their captive audience. "Miss Kuznetsova! Is that you?" A young man uttered in disbelief once he came closer and saw Petra's face, stunning even without any makeup. "I am… I can't believe we live in the same building! To think we're neighbours! I thought you lived in B3." Petra stared at the young man coldly until he apologised and made a retreat. Despite her frigid resting-bitch face, dozens of eager eyes shot toward the two girls, and soon the courtyard was liberally whispering about "Miss Kuznetsova", as well as inquiring as to who the girl next to the celebrated 'Ice Queen' of Fudan was. "Maybe a relative? She looks like a gweilo as well," A girl commented. "I think so; she's almost as tall as Miss Kuznetsova." "Do you think she attends Fudan?" "She must. She just said so to Lee." "I've never seen her in class, though." It took a good ten minutes or so for the Fire Fighters to arrive. Gwen understood from reading PSA's that there was a Mage variant of Fire Fighters and an NoM variant. As the fire presented itself as non-destructive and localised, the NoM variety arrived to assuage the residents. Another ten minutes passed where Gwen was harassed by interested parties, politely diffusing the situation with sweet smiles, vapid giggles and handshakes, with Petra watching on as though she had no involvement in her cousin's predicament. "Alright, everyone! You can go home. False Alarm! False alarm!" the Fire Marshall declared. "What the fuck?" "Wocao! Stupid alarm." "Kaonima! Whoever set this off!" "Who the hell triggered it!" "Shit, I got to work in 2 hours!" "I have a paper due in 5!" Grumbling and far from happy, the crowd returned to the building. Not wanting to be crushed by the weight of the people crowding the lifts, Gwen and Petra decided to take a walk around the perimeter and take in the ambiently lit rock garden at B1's exterior before returning to the main lobby. As they entered the foyer, Gwen couldn't help but have her eyes drawn to a pair of siblings also waiting for the levitation platform. The familiar-looking girl was petite and cute, with large and luminous eyes that made her look younger than her actual age. She wore a pink terrycloth set in the Juicy Couture style prevalent in Gwen's old world, drawing Gwen's eye. Beside her, a young man stood languishingly, not much taller than the girl beside him, attired in a grey-white set of matching tracks. He turned to the girls with a sheepish grin, blowing out a stream of smoke. "Fancy meeting you here," the man with the eye-liners greeted Gwen with a grin. "What are the chances?" "M-Mayuree?!" Gwen blurted out the name. "M-Marong?!" she then blurted out a name that was most definitely a surprise. "What are the two of you doing here?" Gwen heard the Tetris blocks falling into place in her head even as the words escaped her lips; the two pissed off ex-tenants, the eager Manager, the sweet-rental deal, clicking into place. "Ahahaha…" Mayuree's flustered, embarrassed face looked as though she was about to burst into tears. "Hello, neighbours." "You set off the smoke glyph?!" Gwen didn't know what else to say. It was Marong who had set off the alarm. It was the Para-Elemental Mage's first day staying in the penthouse suite, and he had entirely neglected that the safety devices were not deactivated. "It's because that was originally my suite." Mayuree sulked, hugging a pillow on the L-shaped couch resting on the lower floor of the mezzanine. Above them, a glass-cage construction looked out over the campus, where the two Fudan Towers were fully visible, aglow with diffusing mana. "Quit your sulking, Mia." Marong leaned back into the couch without any sign that he felt any danger from Gwen and Petra. The young man yawned. "I am more so surprised you're here speaking with us." Marong cocked his head toward Gwen questioningly. "Last we met, you were positively skittish!" "Are you alright?" Gwen ignored the brother's goading and turned to Mayuree. "Is he bullying you, Mia?" "For shame!" Marong protested. "You make me sound like a scoundrel." "You are a villain! Meanie! Idiot!" Mayuree retorted churlishly. "I take it you all know each other then?" Petra sighed. "Gwen, is this the Diviner you were talking about?" "Yes, Ariel's benefactor," Gwen said. "It was a trade!" Mayuree insisted. "A downpayment." "So you're the one who foretold your fortune," Petra noted critically, looking the girl up and down as Mayuree clutched her pillow tighter. Petra's husky-blue eyes had that effect on small animals. "And you're the infamous Miss Kuznetsov of Fudan." Marong smacked his lips together appreciatively. "Simply exquisite." Petra glared at the man. "If only your servant girl were here, Mia. She could be making us some tea while we feud." Marong looked about them with impatience. "Alas, our little storm in a teacup will not arrive until the semester starts." "Kitty is not my servant!" Mayuree hissed at her brother. "She's my friend!" "And Gwen is a friend. A friend to us both, right?" Marong smirked at Gwen. "Maybe when we get to know each other a little more," Gwen chided the offensively confident Marong. "I am on Mia's side, after all." "Ha!" Marong huffed disingenuously. "At any rate, we should get back," Gwen interrupted Marong's self-aggrandising banter. "Mia, I know that you are to thank for our lodgings, and I certainly don't mind that we're neighbours. If there's something you want to talk to me about, come to my apartment." "Sleep well!" Marong called out, waving a hand casually in the air. "This time, the detector better be off! I could kill for a smoke..." Gwen and Petra left the penthouse, followed closely by Mayuree. "Look, I can explain. Please let me explain." Mayuree followed them out the door, touching Gwen's arm with far too much familiarity. "Alright, come in then. We can talk in private," Gwen offered. She was interested in how Marong came to be their menace-in-residence. "Right now?" Mayuree hadn't expected Gwen to be forgiving. "Yep, come on." The three girls returned to 2203. "Wow, nice setup!" Mayuree marvelled at Gwen's contemporary living room when she entered. The girls set themselves up on the couch, and Petra poured the two of them each a glass of water. "I am going to bed. Scream if you need help." Mayuree watched Petra leave, then turned to Gwen. "Wow. The one and only Petra Kuznetsova, in the flesh! She's as beautiful as the rumours say." "Yep. Petra's a top sheila," Gwen agreed. "S-she-la?" Mayuree tried to replicate the slang without success. "Gwen. I am sorry I didn't let you know beforehand!" "It's fine." Gwen was starting to feel a bit guilty. She got an apartment that she couldn't have otherwise for half the price, and now the bringer of her boon was apologising? There was only so much advantage a girl could take before she should blush for shame. "Look, I am thankful. I owe you another one. " "You're not mad, are you?" Mayuree came closer to her face. "No! Of course not." Gwen took Mayuree's hand to assure the girl while moving her face further away. "I am more worried about you. Are things okay with your brother?" "My half-brother," Mayuree confessed candidly. "I don't know. I moved some of my people to get this penthouse sorted out, but then my brother barged in with his people, then I had to concede the master bed if I wanted to stay here at all." "And you agreed? What a sadist! What's his game?" "Well… I don't know. I wasn't going to Divine it..." Mayuree tried to place Marong but appeared as lost as ever. "I wouldn't exactly call him malicious or cruel. He likes his jokes, and his jokes always go a little far. This one time when we're young, he set a goblin on me to see how long I could run before..." "That's abuse, hon." Gwen patted the poor girl on the hand. "You should report that." "I don't think anyone would have cared until injuries started happening..." Mayuree looked the very picture of pity. "My family is... openly competitive." Gwen felt her maternal feelings skyrocket. Mayuree wasn't cute like Elvia, but the Diviner's natural innocence gave her the air of a kicked kitten. "You're okay with being neighbours then? Even with Marong?" Mayuree asked. "Well, if you don't mind and if I don't have a choice. Do you think your brother is going to be a danger? What's your deal anyway? Why are you here?" "I got a half-scholarship for Fudan," Mayuree informed her. "I thought we could attend school together." "Can we even attend the same course?" Gwen asked sceptically. "We can hang out on campus." Mayuree came closer yet again. "I just wanted us to be close, for you know, reasons. Do you mind?" "I wouldn't mind that. I don't know anyone here, except for the people you've already met." Gwen gazed at the ceiling. "That's wonderful!" Mayuree replied happily, then caught herself. "I mean, I am sure you'll make new friends." "I hope so too. Did Marong say Kitty is staying with you as well?" "Yes, she's the one with a full scholarship." "Oh?" Gwen noted with surprise. So that's the other winner of the LCSS. When she thought back on it, the Wind Mage had demonstrated control far superior to hers. Comparatively, she was the immoral backdoor cheater who'd snatched her LCSS placement like a bandit fleeing the scene of her crime. "I hope you can work well together," Mayuree prophesied hopefully. Her imploring puppy eyes made Gwen all the more guilt-ridden. "I am sure we will," Gwen assured her. "Look, it's getting late. How about we convene for breakfast tomorrow?" "Sure! Come to the apartment! We have an Aunty there who will make it! She's from the home country, and she's a kitchen muse. Cantonese style, Japanese, Korean, Western, whatever you want, she can make it." "An Aunty? Your aunt is living with you?" "Not an actual Aunty!" Mayuree corrected Gwen, "Our NoM Maid, she's in the kitchen." "She lives in the what?" "I mean the pantry; she lives in the pantry. There's a Maid's room in it." "The p-pantry? Where was she when the fire went off?" "We weren't in any danger, so she stayed behind." "Jesus…" Gwen looked at the ceiling once more. There was a maybe fire. And there was a living, breathing human being also hiding in the fucking pantry the entire time? What was she, Dobby the house-elf? Would Mia's maid take socks in exchange for freedom? "So… breakfast? I'll get Aunty to make something nice." "Alright." Gwen relented, still wondering about the Scullery Maid. She also wanted to speak to Marong again to ask why he had intruded into their lives. "Okay! I'll let her know. She'll probably have to start baking. Western okay?" Mayuree answered happily before leaving Gwen's apartment, satisfied that she would see her new friend again in six hours. Gwen breathed out and returned to her living room from the door, shaking her head. Out of paranoia, she checked their apartment's pantry just in case an NoM house elf came with the utilities. Thankfully, theirs was cramped and small and could only fit Gwen's SPAM boxes, instant ramen, and a rice cooker Petra had brought. Satisfied, Gwen returned to bed. Hoping to God that Marong would not set off the fire alarm again.

Gwen couldn't help but sneak a peek at the Maid's room in the pantry the following morning. Sure enough, built into the kitchen was a pantry door, and behind that door was the food storage - and a room with a single bed, a lumen globe on the wall, a chair and a small cabinet built into the wall. "Greetings, young Miss." Gwen turned around and saw the Maid with her face full of wariness, wondering why the guest was so interested in her quarters. The woman was in her thirties, plain-faced, but had an intelligent look about her dark eyes. "Miss, erm…" "Lei," the woman replied. "The young Master and Mistress call me Ah-lei." Bloody oath, the woman even has a pet name, Gwen thought to herself. "Sorry for intruding." Gwen collected her feelings, then dipped her head apologetically. "I am Gwen Song, by the way, Mayuree's friend and classmate." Lei bowed deeply, arching her back until she was doubled over like a jackknife. "Please take care of the young Miss!" "I will. I'll do my best." Gwen gingerly sidestepped and allowed the woman to pass, berating herself for violating what little privacy the woman enjoyed. With the small, inconsequential episode over, Gwen settled down at the open kitchen overlooking the campus for breakfast with the siblings. Mayuree remained on edge, sitting with Gwen and Petra rather than her brother, while Marong engaged his favourite thing in the world—chain-smoking. Marong watched them like a film noir villain as the girl ate their breakfast. He pulled out a cigarette and lit the tip with a snap of his finger, then puffed away, surrounding himself in a circle of smoke that thankfully never quite reached across the table, mystically constrained by an invisible force. "Impressive." Petra pushed her plate away and levelled her eyes at Marong. "I assume that's a Smoke Mephit. I think I have heard of you. The infamous Poof and Puff of Peking fame, right? What are you doing here in Fudan?" "PUFFT!" The hot milk raided Gwen's sinus as she choked on her flat white. Lei quickly brought her a towel, which she used to drain the coffee from her nose. "Petra!" she scolded her straight-talking cousin. She knew Petra had no chill, but this ignorant, repulsive display was too much even for Gwen. The Russians were famous homophobes in her old world, to think this world was no different. "That's horrible; you can't… you can't call people the P-word in polite conversation!" She turned to Marong. "Sorry, Marong, Petra didn't mean it. We have nothing against that sort of thing. Free love for all! I am not at all opposed to it—" Petra turned to look at her flustered cousin with incomprehension. Marong followed Gwen's gaze until his eyes fell on his cigarette. "This? I started when I was 14." The Smoke Mage crossed his legs cooly, taking a luxurious drag, twirling the fag across his lips. "No, I don't mind the moniker. That's what they call me." "That's horrible!" Gwen felt the utmost sympathy for the poor man. Lineage might be paramount to a Mage's household, but to think they would discriminate so openly. "What's wrong with Puff?" Petra said the P world out loud again, apparently missing the point. Marong exhaled. Smoke coiled around his torso, then formed into the likeness of a vaguely humanoid Sprite. It was an impish-looking thing, resembling a skeletal goblin with wings. "This is Poof," Marong introduced his spirit. "He's not very friendly; we can dispense with the pleasantries. I am not a Conjurer, so I am afraid you can't interact with it. Besides, Smoke Mephits are infamously skittish." PUFF. Gwen felt her cheeks go crimson. She cursed her ears, or perhaps her Translation Ioun Stone, or both. Puff as in parfait, not as in Queen. Poof as in vanish, like smoke. "Brother is number three in the family," Mayuree explained, seeing Gwen's inability to follow Marong and Petra's conversation. "He was on the Peking Inter-University Team in 98." "Oh?! Do tell." Gwen turned to the man with renewed interest. "There's more than meets the eye!" "We lost." Marong shrugged. "I didn't have Poof with me then, so only half the moniker stood back then." He tapped his cigarette. "We could speak some more if you like. Over dinner, perhaps-" "Gwen needs to study," Petra interjected, her voice cutting the dialogue like a keen scimitar. Gwen swore she could see the glass table vibrate to the pitch of Petra's protest. "On that note, we better go," Gwen advised the siblings. "I have lessons with Magister Wen." "I'll see you out." Mayuree quickly left the table to accompany the two girls. Petra and Marong exchanged another glance, her Husky-blue eyes meeting a haze of distinct smoke that masked his face behind blue tendrils. "If you're wondering still. We're busy. Always busy." Petra announced each syllable audibly, stressing her vowels. "Of course. Nothing would please me more." Marong crushed the cigarette in his hand and reached for his coffee. "Good luck." Gwen's' tuition under Petra continued for another fortnight. Gwen self-studied in the lab during the morning, receiving lessons from Magister Wen or Petra alternatively during the week, then participated in a minimum of two sessions of data-gathering and fact-finding. With a growing sense of foreshadowing, Gwen shuddered as the immense feeling of satiation gained from using Caliban's Consume did not fade nor falter with repetition. Each time, the experience was as vivid as the first, though Gwen was beginning to differentiate the different creatures fed to it by Magus Kumiko. Magical Beasts of the mammalian kind provided a sort of fuzzy satisfaction akin to being bathed in a hot spring. Comparatively, insectile creatures possessed a bitter aftertaste. At any rate, the sustained euphoria lasted for a few hours, easing her casting of additional Void Spells. The inquisitive foursome also found that consistent use of Consume every few days kept Gwen's vitality and health well balanced. Combined with the nourishing effect of Almudj's druidic Essence, her eyes remained bright, her complexion smooth, and her limbs shapely and supple, all despite the taxing use of Void. Gwen soon felt herself at peak physical fitness, despite only engaging in a nightly jog with Petra around the safety of the B1 compound. As a result, Magister Wen grew immensely pleased that Gwen could now sustain her health and noted it down as a milestone victory for Gwen's development as a viable Void Mage. When the weekend came, Gwen invited her babulya over to the new apartment to show off her new life and ease Klavdiya's worries. "Feeding Caliban Magical Creatures might not be a long-term solution, but it's a decent crutch, for now," her babulya comforted Gwen. "Remember, as your affinity grows, so will your efficiency in converting vitality and mana into Void spells. Maybe one day, you will find that lesser spells would cost little to no vitality." Gwen was inclined to agree. Elizabeth Sobel seemed to rip through mid to high tier spells unceasingly without even breaking a sweat. Even now, her maximum allowance was five tier-4 Incantations within five seconds of one another. "Which means I need to seek out Void-beings attuned to the element and try to have Caliban Consume it." Gwen followed her babulya's line of logic. "Not sure where there'll be Void-spawn, though. I think the centipede that Caliban ran into had a smidgeon of Negative energy; it was a carrion eater for sure. They're awfully rare unless we're talking about the Undead." "No, stay away from anything involving the Negative Plane." Klavdiya's tone was firm. "Even if you should survive it without incident, the PLA would not take it kindly. The Undead up north and to the West remain the greatest threat to the State, and the PLA Tower would hardly be expected to sit on its hands if it turns out you can tap into the Plane of Negative Energy." "But..." "Gwen, I know Void is a rare element, and its nature is not conducive to simply 'exist' somewhere, that's true," her babulya noted sagaciously. "But that is why you need to go and adventure, see the world. When the Semester begins, go check in with the Tower—see if there is any information on whereabouts where Void-creatures manifest. That would be your best bet." "Okay," Gwen agreed. "Remember, NO UNDEAD. Without the forbidden art of Necromancy, you would likely deteriorate as soon as the element floods your body," Klavdiya continued. "It is, after all, the antithesis of life. It's a miracle in itself that the Void appears to have a non-lethal impact on your health. Guo's family trait with Salt was a talent tempered by centuries of natural selection, but you? You're special, which means you are also an anomaly." "Does Shanghai have Void Mages?" Gwen asked. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Yes, now and then. However, none survived more than a few years past their Awakening, which is why to the CCP, your worth isn't enough for them to start pulling whiskers from the Pudong Tower. However, for Fudan, on the study of Spellcraft—the data we glean from your experiences might mean the survival of future Void Mages. Your milestones would one day be their touchstones, do you understand?" Gwen nodded solemnly. She hadn't thought of that before. She was the guinea pig, and after her, the next generation would be the benefactors. Shanghai. The Hongqiao District. After much internal debate, Gwen resolved to finally put a full stop to a matter that nagged her incessantly since Percy arrived in Shanghai. Her mother. Helena was a loose end she wanted to resolve, at least for now. From babulya, she had received the address for her mother's new abode, a Mage-only gated community just on the south side of Shanghai, nearing the scenic region of the Hongqiao district, past the Third Orbital Highway. Petra had wanted to go with her, but she was preoccupied with an errand from Magister Wen. Richard was also in Suzhou, where he was heavily involved in the waterworks operation that dominated the Civilian news cycle. To her knowledge, the Water Conjurer had only returned home to sup with Gwen once this week, promising that things would settle into a more reasonable pattern once the Semester started. Even for a man as talented as her cousin, Richard's expression looked wane, though he did appear otherwise happy and fulfilled. In the end, it was Mayuree of all people who accompanied her, tempting Gwen to finally agree after she offered the loan of her private chauffeur and the comfort of a massive Maybach-type sedan whose interior looked as though a dozen Aurochs were sacrificed for upholstery. Gwen had to admit there was vanity powering her decision as well. She wanted to show her mother her success since their separation. It would be a cathartic experience, something Gwen owed to the old Gwen. It would be a cleansing, a scouring of the past so she can move forward without baggage. When the land yacht pulled into the driveway of the compound, it received the reception Gwen intended to elicit. The Hu Clan was well-to-do, but they were baitfish to the House of M or a famous winery to Monsanto. The Hu family mainly dealt with military contracts and mass fabrication in Shanghai. In contrast, Mayuree's people traded rare and unusual magical goods from Europe to China to Australia. When Gwen extended her deliberately exposed legs from the back seat, her handheld by the impeccable chauffeur, she once more applauded the calculated genius of her bringing Mayuree. It wasn't so much that the Hu family marvelled at the car—it was the embossed, stylised M discretely mounded into the bonnet and the side carriage. Having a girlfriend accompany her also sent a good signal. With Mayuree's demure, adherent body language, it was clear that Gwen was a close acquaintance of the auspicious merchant house, an ally; not something that would send tongues wagging, like the lover of a young Master. Her mother wasn't among those who greeted her, but her stepfather was. Tang looked older, far more than he did in Sydney. Where the man had reminded Gwen of a Chinese Clint Eastwood, he had grown visibly frailer after the loss of his assets in Sydney. Once, the man had been proud and outspoken; now, he just seemed tired. If Tang had lost his position in the Hu Clan, Gwen realised with ambivalence; it also meant her mother was in misery. Inexplicably, Gwen regretted her choice of battle dress. To mock Helena, she wore an elegant, twist-dyed split-thigh maxi in cobalt, obsidian and emerald that emphasised her eyes while baring her shoulders and showing off her collarbones. She had chosen the look after consulting with her Fu-er-dai cousin, the richly equipped Mina, who had assured her that she looked the very picture of a Covergirl on the upper crust fashion magazines. But there was no turning back now. It wasn't as though she could apologise and return in sweatpants and tracks to attempt a more homely encounter. Fawned over by the Hu's family members, Gwen and Mayuree entered the manor's foyers, moving toward the East Wing, where the side-branch of the family resided in their temporary residence. She found her mother waiting for her in an open living room overlooking a small garden. French windows filled the room with light, but the ambient glimmer against her mother's silhouette only made the woman feel less significant against the opulent vista. Helena had gotten her desire, Gwen told herself. She was in a tier 1 city now, but what did that mean? What did her mother gain by it? "Gwen," Helena spoke softly. "You're here." She could read the paralytic ambivalence in her mother's body language. Her mother's vibrancy seemed to have become muted, her vivacious fire doused by living under the roof of a family far more auspicious, wealthy, and powerful than her own. Gwen knew her mother. Helena loved, craved, thrived and nourished herself on drama, but what dramatics dared she engender under the roof of the Hu's main house? Two pairs of brilliant irises, near-identical in their hue and complexity of colour to hers, met Gwen across the open space. "How old do I look?" Helen's voice could barely contain the simmering emotions within. "I know. I know. You must be laughing. You and Percy both." Watching her mother's face run through changing shades of complexion, Gwen search her chest for a feeling of satisfaction, only to find sorrow. She felt instead the guilt one felt when stepping on an injured animal. The immoderate makeup, the overdone hair, the dress that attended Gwen's figure like a cascade of colour; all of it now seemed childish and vindictive. "Mother." Gwen curtsied. "Are you well?" "I am well." Helena's lips curled, but it didn't take a Mind Mage to guess that her smile did not reach her eyes. Mayuree introduced herself, and Helena dipped her head. The three then stood in silence, Gwen waiting for Helena to speak and Helena for her to begin, with Mayuree enduring the agonising standoff while holding her breath. Somewhere outside, there was also the Hu family, probably wondering why the room was entirely silent. "I have a Scholarship to Fudan," Gwen said at last. She was here. She may as well deliver her lines. "That's nice," Helena spoke, but Gwen could detect her mother's breath quickening, seeing the small vein below her mother's jaw throb with an invigorated cadence. "I have also left the House of Song," Gwen said without any particular emotion. "Grandfather asked me to forfeit any right to inherit to make way for Percy. I gave Percy the Kirin Amulet, a Song heirloom that Dad gave me." Helena's eyes lingered on her daughter in disbelief, then considerably softened. "I then told them that I am cutting off all ties to the Song's inheritance. I said that I would do nothing to interfere and that they should expect nothing from me in the future." Helena's eyes grew downcast. "I am my own woman now, Mother. I am just me. Gwen. I belong to myself." Helena moved her mouth a few times to speak without success. Watching her face, Gwen could almost read Helena's thoughts. Regret? Shame? Helena was likely thinking of a life without Hai or one where she had held onto the man. Her mother had always been beautiful, more so than Gwen herself for her passion and heat. Did her mother also have aspirations? Ambitions? All Gwen could see now was a woman wallowing in regret. But that was the choice her mother made. It was her choice to abandon them. She chose Tang Hu, an admirer she knew from the past. A man of the moment. A man who now possessed the things she desired. A man who spoke softly to her and cared for her. Would Helena even know what it meant to be "her own woman?" Her mother had never been her own woman. She was her father's daughter. She was the perfect girlfriend. She was Morye's wife and now Hu's. How could the summer insect know of the winter's furious rages? As Gwen studied her mother, Helena remained silent, watching, observing her, her mind drifting off to Gwen knows where. So Gwen chose to speak. Slowly, meticulously, Gwen told the tale of her life since her kidnapping from Singapore. "… Singapore had a few close calls…" "… I had no choice but to help out cousin Tao. He's a strange young man, but I think he grows on you after a while…" "…Babulya, that's my grandmother, took me to the Second PLA Hospital…" "… We managed to pull through with enough CCs to win the bonus…" "… That was when I knew that I had gotten the Scholarship, but unfortunately, Grandfather became suspicious that I was after the inheritance, that I would make Percy look bad…" Her mother wasn't listening. Gwen signed, then reached into her Storage Ring. Helena peered up at Gwen with a dazed expression. "Here, Mother. It's for you. A token of appreciation for Gwen Song's childhood. For whatever happy memories you did leave her, limited they may be." Her mother woke with a start, confused as to why Gwen spoke of herself in the third person. She looked up at her daughter, but her gaze became drawn to the item left on the table. A sudden luminance overtook the ambient light of the room. A crystalline cube with an attached note. A piece of fruit with white-jade flesh quivered. "Goodbye, mother. I've left instructions on top." And with her last words, Gwen Song, the fruit of Helena's ten months of labour, was free. "Why?" Mayuree asked once they returned to the car. "I owe her," Gwen replied. "Because she's your mother?" Mayuree appeared immensely confused by it all. "Because she is my mother." Gwen nodded. "Now we are in the clear, in so far as I am concerned. That fruit should be good for a decade at least, right?" "You needed that fruit, didn't you?" Mayuree reminded Gwen that she needed the Vitae Fruit to supplement the growth of her emerald mana. "You told me there were diminishing returns, and I've already had two," Gwen returned Mayuree's question with a statement of her own. "I also said I'd find you an Alchemist-Enchanter." "It's just as well then that I've got one left," Gwen assured her companion. "It'll do." "So… that's it?" Mayuree's expression was equal parts awe and confusion. "You think that I am cold, right? Mia?" Gwen tilted her head toward Mayuree inquisitively. The diminutive Diviner inclined her head ever so slightly. "I won't judge..." "Would you believe me if I told you that I barely know the woman? That she's my mother only in a biological sense? That I feel no more connection to her than a character of fiction? That all that tethered me to her was a sentiment that had long since waned?" Mayuree shook her head. "That's alright." Gwen reached over and pinched her friend's cheeks, still adorably adorned with baby fat. Mayuree allowed her the pleasure, playing out her worth as Gwen's stress ball. Retracting her hands, Gwen leaned back into the thick leather of the ultra-luxury saloon and closed her eyes, hiding her face from her companion. Bloody hell. Gwen realised she should have used waterproof liners. "Mia?" "Yes, Gwen?" "Wake me when we're home."

A few more days of tuition and exhaustive data gathering came and went like the weather. While Gwen helped with cleaning, Richard returned from his extended outing looking like he had gone through all kinds of muck and hell, smelling as though he'd lived the last two weeks in the belly of a whale. "I really should have borrowed those cleansing Glyph-cubes from you," Richard joked as he opened the door to his apartment and stripped off his shirt to reveal a torso sinuous with toned musculature. Her cousin was not a stocky man, but definition made his long-limbed body pleasing to the eye. He filled the tub with water and dropped a pile of clothes into the soapy mess. "Oh?" Gwen couldn't help but notice the upgrade. "A Medium Ring of Storage? Congratulations!" "This thing?" Richard waved his hand. "It's a small-medium, just a cubic meter, nothing like yours. I won it in a duel, ha. Fair and square." "Did you guys manage to finish the foundation for the Nantong Suspension Bridge?" "Naw, it's gonna take a while." Richard shrugged. "Got some Fresh Water Mermen that are set up near there. They keep attacking the crew. PLA wants to hammer out an agreement or send in a Purge team from the Nantong base. So it's going to take a week or so. I am back here until it's sorted out. Come on! We're going to start university! I need to see the Course Advisor first, though. How are you doing in that regard?" "Petra's taking care of it," Gwen smirked. "She's taken over as my mother and mentor." "She's a top gal." Richard nodded approvingly. He then covered his waist. "Do you mind? No free shows." "Whoops, sorry." Gwen turned her back toward Richard and walked into the living room. Richard emerged ten minutes later, scrubbed to within an inch of his life. "I am reborn," he moaned with relief. He flung himself into the double-couch on which Gwen sat, sending her almost bouncing off the other end. It was an old couch made by a master artisan, and the cushions were a little too enthusiastic in evoking Magi Newton's laws. Catching herself on the armrest, Gwen pulled her shins under her buttocks to keep her feet warm; Richard laid his head against the worn headrest and rested his eyes while Gwen continued her tale. "... And apart from Mia and Marong, the other day I went and made a clean break with mother. I spoke about our experiences, watched her stunned response to everything I said, and then I gave her a Vitae Fruit and…" "Richard?" Gwen looked over at her companion. Richard was fast asleep. Gwen chuckled. Feeling maternal, she pulled herself carefully from the couch, leaned over, and kissed her cousin on the forehead. She then found a blanket and placed it over his chest and shoulders. The Shanghai spring was yet to pass, but the night air had begun to cling as the monsoonal moisture rose toward a wet summer. She had two tests tomorrow: one academic, the other for academia, heralds for the beginning of her tertiary education. Friday night. "Where are we going?" Gwen asked Petra when she emerged from her bedroom. She had never seen Petra dress up so lavishly in the months they had been together. Her tutor, companion and cousin had on a little blue dress, and by God, she was magnificent! Petra even had lipstick on, a deep scarlet resembling two bold, bloody petals. "I thought I told you; we're going to Mina's Karaoke Party at M on the Bund." Before Gwen could continue her appreciation of Petra's limited time non-work outfit, her cousin pushed Gwen into her room, where a dress shimmered on the bed. "What is this?!" Gwen took the dress from her bed quizzically. It was beautiful, the fabric as soft as flowing water. At first, she had thought the garment a simple one, but once she had it in her hands, she realised that it was backless down to her mid-torso, tied together with a pink bow. Her eyes glanced at the label. "A Miu Miu!?" Gwen gasped, looking toward Petra with incomprehension. The Miu Miu wasn't a gift from her mother, undoubtedly. Who else would buy her frivolously expensive couture? Not her father and certainly not babulya. It can't be Petra, nor Richard. "Just put it on. We're going to be late!" "But…" But the dress could pay for three months rent. "Just do it already!" Perhaps more frightening than not, the dress fit perfectly well. The hem reached just past an acceptable line of modesty, meaning whoever ordered the dress either had supernatural powers of Divination—or access to biometric data. Petra tied the bow for her and left two pink streamers reaching just past her shoulder blades. Gwen found a pair of white pumps to match the dress, then quickly made up her face. Outside B1, Mayuree's chauffeur was waiting with the Maybach. "Young Misses, the Mistress is waiting at the M already." Petra shuffled into the rear seat and pulled Gwen in with her. Gwen entered the car, trying to figure out her mysterious benefactor. Tao? That would be unlikely as well. Mina would have gotten her something that sparkled. "So, who-" "Enjoy the mystery! Just go with the flow." Petra quipped, not letting a single slip of information past her lips. Watching Petra's face hiding her secret joy, it wasn't hard for Gwen to piece two-and-two together. She was a busy woman, but she was also highly perceptive. It was May. It was 2003. And that meant she was going to be seventeen. Seventeen! By the Gods! She felt young and old simultaneously. Once she realised the date, Petra's rare attire, the Karaoke Party Mina arranged spontaneously, the expensive dress on her bed... it all added up. All she could now was relax—then pretend to be at least a little bit surprised. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" "Ghetto Platinum! Barely Legal!" Naturally, Tao did his best. A cacophony of voices exploded as Gwen entered the interior of the privately booked function room at M on the Bund. Confetti, balloons, and illusion-based projections filled the room as greetings showered her from head to toe. "Oh my God! You guys shouldn't have!" Gwen did her best to feign her surprise. Thankfully, there was no need to falsify the happiness gushing from her in torrents of bell-like laughter. Mayuree was there, as expected. Richard, too. Petra, of course. A jubilant Tao. Mina clapped her hands adorably, standing next to Mayuree. And Marong? Unexpected, but Gwen could see why he wanted to tag along. The man's eyes studied her like a smiling hawk. She still wasn't sure what Marong wanted from her or Petra. Maybe he wanted what all men wanted, though Gwen had a feeling Mia's eyeliner loving brother's interest might veer toward the academic or business. Her eyes scanned the rest of the suite. Babulya wasn't here. Nor her father. No uncle Jun. Naturally, no Percy, but that came as no surprise. There wasn't nearly enough family, but it was enough. A boon of having an older mind was knowing enough to know that other people had their circumstances. As a poet once said, time made it easier to be wise. "Babulya sends her regards." Mina caught Gwen's flash of disappointment and immediately moved to clarify their grandmother's intentions. "And gave me a gift to give to you!" "I appreciate it very much." Gwen gave her cousin a wholesome hug, feeling the relief from her cousin. "I'll thank her personally later." The private function room was a VIP section of the M on the Bund's restaurant, which embedded karaoke facilities into the announcement system. Some enterprising Magitech-Illusionists had then managed to interface a large-scale Vid-Cast crystal into the wall so that one side of the room functioned almost like a cinema. "Feel—your body close to mine—" Tao was, incredibly, not only capable of singing regular songs but had an incredible voice to go with it. The problem was that Gwen knew none of the songs, even if they sounded vaguely familiar. She could follow the tune in her memory, but the dissonance between the melody of her old world and the new meant it was impossible to predict the following note. Fumbling with the words and halting with the cadence of her voice, Gwen did her best as her companions agonisingly endured her lacklustre sing-along with grimacing faces. The sonorous torture resulted in a new understanding; or misunderstanding: their very talented cousin couldn't sing for shit. Thankfully, the aural assault lasted only a dozen tunes. When the cake wheeled into the room was enormous, Gwen could only marvel at its likeness of a life-like lotus in green and pink, with an exterior that resembled jade. Gwen marvelled at the spectacle. "That's a cake?!" "It's a Seven-Fold Jade Lotus from Taihu, the lake in Suzhou," Richard clarified for her. He had come to know many bodies of water surrounding Shanghai thanks to his labours. "Also, your singing is worse than your Flashbangs! Hahaha! You should open up a duel with a tune." "Richard!" The girls chided. "Hear hear!" Marong was the one man brave enough to back up Richard's assertion. "Haha—" Tao bit his tongue when Petra turned her gaze upon him. "That's my gift to you," Mayuree proudly presented herself. "Of course, we're all going to partake in it, but I got it especially for you! Make sure you eat the lotus heart at the centre. It'll help your emerald mana!" Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Mayuree then lit the top of the lotus, and the whole platform began to rotate slowly. One by one, the petals caught the Illusory flame, then the lotus 'bloomed' as the thread which held it taut unfolded, becoming a fuchsia-pink wonder. A delicious, sinus-clearing fragrance then spread throughout the room, clearing their alcohol befuddled minds. Unable to contain her giddiness, Mayuree urged Gwen to blow out the candle. "I wish that we can remain friends and family forever, and I wish for all of our good fortunes!" Gwen spoke aloud as she blew out the flames. Of course, such cringy confessions were the etiquette, but she could see that all of her companions returned her boast with fulfilled smiles. Mayuree then retrieved a ball of pink-green petals from the lotus' centre, a cluster of buds not yet bloomed. "Here, the heart." Mayuree had an expectant grin split from ear to ear as she presented her birthday gift to the woman who may yet one day save her life, directly or indirectly. "To your health." Gwen took the Lotus-Heart from the girl's tiny hands and placed it to her lips. "One gulp~" Petra advised. "Don't chew it. That's the best way to consume mystic flora." Taking her cousin's earnest advice, Gwen tried cramming the fist-sized ball of petals into her mouth. Thankfully, the leaves were soft and pliable, filled with water and capable of compression. "Mmmph- it's bigger than I thought, I can barely fit—" She met Tao's degenerate expression. "Ghurrghk... God damn it, Peaches..." Gwen coughed and choked. The girls laughed and chuckled as Gwen crushed the lotus between her teeth, massaging her chest a few times to ease the passage. As the magical flora dissolved, Gwen felt a burst of vital energy passing through her chest and into her abdomen, warming her instantly as though she'd just been through a sauna. A sheen of sweat broke out over her forehead, her arms and her legs, beading across her exposed back. When she straightened once more, all of her fatigue fell away. Within her body, Almudj's essence rejoiced at the boon of primal energy, growing wildly as the motes multiplied, becoming more robust and invigorated. When finally her body digested the boon of the lotus, her skin positively glowed. It was an effect that should come as no surprise, for the lotus was the essence of renewal, the heart of rebirth. For a transcendent moment, Gwen seemed to her companions beautiful beyond compare. Marong had initially questioned whether it was worthwhile importing the girl a dress. Now, he had no doubt the investment was worth every HDM. "Oh— you look amazing, Petra! Marry me!" Mayuree exclaimed, her eyes aglow. "Your skin is glowing too! How's mine?" Mina ran a few fingers up Petra's shoulder. Petra sternly slapped the girl's daring fingers, soliciting a sharp squeak from the petite cousin. Marong did regret the two thousand or so HDMs Mayuree had burned for the occasion, though he had to admit the infectious joy of the girls did make the cost easier to swallow. Still, he wondered about his sister's design on her "benefactor". The amount Mia had spent amounted to a quarter of her training stipend. Was the Void Sorceress worth such an investment? To his knowledge, these were non-contractual gifts, merely goodwill and likely a waste of time. Whatever his doubts, it was undoubtedly a challenge to keep his mind in focus when the plush velvet matched the girl's porcelain skin so astoundingly well. When finally his eyes left the girl, he noticed that he wasn't the only one doing the watching. Richard Huang, a close cousin to the girl, grinned at him. He grinned back. I am watching you, Richard's eyes said. Good. Marong replied with a wink. They smiled once more at one another. There we go, Marong thought pleasantly. For men of virtue, friendships are both immediate and uncomplicated. "Lea!" Richard's Spirit materialised, then squealed in delight as Mayuree passed the humanoid Spirit a petal too. To Gwen's surprise, the entire mass of the lotus was more than enough to feed a dozen people, much less a group of teenagers, meaning not only were there enough for everyone; Petra could even crystalise leftovers for babulya. With the cake finished, it was time for gift giving. The groups sat around the U-shaped couch built around the wall, with Gwen seated on an ottoman in the room's centre. "The Lotus is from Mia, of course, and you're wearing my gift already," Marong declared. "I must say, it suits you perfectly, Miss Gwen. It was well worth the HDMs." Gwen had suspected as much, for Marong had been admiring her all evening. She smiled at Smoke Mage nervously, allowing Marong the privilege of appreciating his gift a bit more. "Thank you so much, Mia. Marong too, such a thoughtful present. And Mia, your gift is too rare and too thoughtful." "It's a trifle," Marong answered for his sister, crossed his legs, then gave her a look of complete approval. "The House of M is at your service." Mayuree huffed and blocked Gwen from her brother's sight with her petite frame. "Marong! Stop looking! Gwen's MY friend." "A good sibling always shares," Marong said. The room laughed at the infuriated Mayuree's expense. "This is from Babulya." Mina opened a small trinket box and retrieved what looked like another Ioun Stone. "This is a Stone of Clarified Thoughts. It'll help you concentrate and think, as well as improve your memory retention." "How lovely!" Gwen took the box and pressed it to her bosom. "I'll be sure to thank her as soon as I am able!" "This is from your father and Uncle Jun." Mina produced another package from her Storage Ring. "Uncle Jun provided the HDMs; your father picked the gift." Gwen pulled open the packet, revealing an intricate pink box. She opened the box. and saw the offending item. She snapped the box close. "What is it?" Petra leaned over. Gwen's face grew as pink as the box's salmon exterior. Mina caught the label on the box. "Ooo," her cousin cooed. "I got a pair of those too." Petra lifted the lid slightly, then slowly closed the lid before informing Gwen of her opinion that "Uncle Song is a strange but very thoughtful father." "Ah— you got a pair of THOSE." Richard recognised the box as well. "I've got several pairs myself, for men of course, and in briefs. Let me say that when you're adventuring in the wild, surrounded by God knows what, the last thing you want to do is to leave your party and find a place to have a good squat. Hell, I know of a place in Malaysia where there are larval parasites in the river that can crawl—" Richard wiggled his brows. "Where do they crawl into?" Tao pursued the subject. "Come on, dawg, don't leave me hanging." Now scarlet, Gwen's stowed the box in her Ring. "Tell Dad thanks," she quickly asked Mina to move on. "Thanks for the heads up, Richard." "WHERE?" Tao insisted. "Like, up yer—" "NO!" Mina pulled her brother aside. "Tao. Shut it!" "Gwen," Marong quipped, "As a soon-to-be goddess of Fudan campus, that thing is going to be indispensable to your image." "Why?" Gwen asked quizzically. Did Fudan lack facilities? "Well." Richard burst into laughter. "I'd imagine that when we're out on Quests and Field Duties, no one would like to find their Goddess having a squ-" "Richard!" "NO!" "I mean, there're parasites that—" "WHERE?!" Tao pulled at his hair. "Like—" "OKAY! THANK YOU!" Gwen waved them both away. God, these immature men were worse than children. Still, Goddess of the University? That sounded nice. There were plenty of pretty girls in university, though, and she likely had no time for a popularity contest. "This is from me." Petra materialised a gift 'box' as well. "Pats! You shouldn't have. You're helping me so much already!" "Nonsense, here it is." Petra pushed a crystalline cube into Gwen's hands. "A Spell-Cube?" "Yes," Petra announced proudly. "It is from Master and me. We paid a special visit to the Tower and met with Chief Apothecary Dao of Pudong." "This is…" "A Regeneration spell of the seventh tier, the activation trigger is with me. I'll tell you later," Petra continued proudly. "Even though it'll only keep for two months without my or Master's mending, it will mend your flesh, restore your health, even attach lost limbs. Its duration is unknown but, I would suggest two hours minimum." "A second life!" Gwen gushed and embraced her cousin. "Thank you so much, Petra. Master Wen too. Your present is beyond precious. You must have spent CCs on this! Pats! I ever so grateful!" "I am happy you like it." Petra hugged Gwen back. The others appeared equally impressed. There were no more than a dozen Magister-healers in the city and only two who were tier 8 in their attainment of Clerical spells. Likewise, Magister Dao was as famous for his healing as his aloofness, meaning the cost in favours may well have exceeded something which could be accumulated, like CCs. "Alright, now for our gift," Mina announced after Gwen separated from Petra. Herself, Richard and Tao walked beside a table covered with a dark cloth. Richard coaxed Lea into some hidden contraption behind the table. Tao began to incant his Illusory projection spells, filling the surrounding space with delicate notes of pale luminance. Mina fiddled with a device for several moments. "Gwen, are you ready?" Gwen nodded. What could it be? She wondered. What's with all the fiddling and the secrecy? Was it a puppy or a kitten? Maybe a young Magical Beast? No, that would be absurd. She had two familiars already. "Here we go!" Mina manipulated a button, and there was a thrum of mana. The black cloth fell away. A petite Asian girl about the height of Gwen's shoulder was standing before them. She had large, luminous brown eyes and prominent lashes that gave her a wilful demeanour, punctuated by an aggressive mouth. When Gwen's eyes fell lower, she had full confirmation of who she now faced. "YUE!" Gwen choked. "OH MY GOD, YUE!" She rushed forward to embrace her friend, still reeling from the fact that Yue was here. HERE! In Shanghai! What a gift this was! WHAT A GIFT! "Gwen…" Yue began to move. Gwen crashed into her friend, fully expecting to be cushioned by surplus flesh; instead, Yue burst into a pool of water that drenched Gwen from head to toe. "Eeeek!" Lea quickly renewed the illusion. "I am not here, Gwen," Yue laughed at her bedraggled friend, who by now had water streaming down her dress and her face. "I am being projected via the LR COM Device onto Lea in real-time." Gwen paused her rollercoaster of emotions and oriented her mental bearings. Tao provided the Illusion. Mina provided the loaned LRC Device. Richard provided the medium for projecting Yue. The trio managed to synthesise a combination of Magi-tech and Spellcraft that simulated a real 'Yue' which Gwen could touch and feel, albeit not embrace violently nor pash lovingly. How long had they spent on this project? The undertaking must have taken weeks! "Oh, you guys!" Gwen felt unspeakable joy filling her heart. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" The merry trio took their seats. 'Yue' joined the party, and the music once again blared. "Yep, Evee's gone on her merry way," Yue informed Gwen after the others left them some room for privacy. "I am training hard enough to spew blood every other night, haha. Alesia's pushing me pretty hard. I am dog-tired every night, I tell ya." "God, I wish you were here," Gwen said. "You think I don't?" Yue chuckled. "Wait for me; I'll come and show all your tier 1 upstarts what a real Fire Mage looks like." "I eagerly await the day." Once they caught up, Yue asked Gwen for the latest news, and Gwen unreservedly told Yue of what had transpired. "Seriously, fuck that old Chink." Yue huffed. "Asians can be so idiotic." "Yue, you're Chinese too." Gwen couldn't help but smile. "I've got Babulya on my side, though." "AND I want to beat the shit out of your useless brother." Yue kept ongoing. "Why does he even need pubeS? He should go back to suckling on his mother's tits." "Alright, alright." Gwen had to calm her down. "Jesus, your mouth is as foul as ever." "Doing work with the military. Broke the two thousand Mark just the other week," Yue boasted. "They're calling me after Master, ha! Imagine that." "Amazing!" Gwen marvelled. "Mermen plaguing the city still?" "Yep." Yue shrugged. "Although I wish there were something more significant to hunt other than stragglers in sewers. The crabs are pretty good, especially the big bastards. Tastes divine with some soy sauce." Ah, Frontier field cuisine, how I missed thee. Gwen allowed herself to indulge in the scene of Yue chewing on a crab leg after a few well-placed Walls of Fire. Yue then told Gwen that her Opa missed her terribly but was otherwise doing well. "I'll try to contact him when my LRC gets installed," Gwen told Yue. "Maybe a month or so at the longest. I can't wait to see Evee as well. How was it when she left?" "Tears, lots of tears, but she looked cute crying too, makes you wanna— Haha." Yue chuckled sadistically. "She kept saying your name as well. I guess she's expecting you to call her soon." "I'll try my best." "Yep, Master says she's already moved into a dorm in London, near the Cambridge campus. She got a contact there to help Elvia set up. She's sharing a room with some other Cleric studying at Nightingale College. I don't know the details yet, but you can speak to herself soon." "I will, thanks, Yue. I look—" Before she could finish, the illusion of Yue faded. The disappointment came so suddenly that Gwen could hardly react. Tao's apologetic face appeared behind Lea. "Sorry, OOM," Tao said despondently. "Never tried Greater Image for like, hours." "Sorry from Lea too! I am tired!" Lea apologised, then returned to Richard. "Machine's out of crystals as well." Mina tapped the LMC Device. "I've lost the feed. Did you have a good time, Gwen?" Gwen pushed herself from the ottoman and moved to the middle of the room. "THANK YOU! Everyone!" She announced, bowing deeply, feeling so thankful that her chest was on the verge of bursting open with happiness. "Thank you for everything!" In less than one week, her university life would begin. Bathed in the spotlight, Gwen felt her future seemed impossibly bright, so bright that for a split second—she couldn't help but blink.

During Orientation Week, the campus bloomed with hanging streamers, pop-up stands, student restaurants, duelling arenas, and even dubious student-sponsored "idol" shows carried over from Japan and South Korea. The rationale was the all-consuming desire for Clubs to absorb new first-year students, for whom new blood and fresh meat meant the life and death of a club's funding. She had made it no more than a dozen meters into the campus' main boulevard when catcalls of "Hey! Beauty! Over here! Join the [Insert name here] club!" resounded from all sides. Perhaps even more frighteningly, over-enthusiastic students daringly approached her with no concept of personal space, grabbing her arm and tugging on her dress. "I'll be fine, thank you very much." "No, thank you!" "Please, no!" "I am fine." "No!" Her patience lasted all but three dozen stalls before she had to pull her arm forcibly away from zealous students eager to score a beauty. Whatever Gwen's background may be, whatever her skills, having a face like hers to post on the club poster was undoubtedly enough to drive up recruitment. Once outside the crowd, Gwen took note of the Clubs, ranging from legitimate to frivolous. Even if she currently had no time for them, Gwen couldn't help her eyes becoming drawn to the more impressive displays. Of curiosity was the Dungeoneering Committee, a Club organising monthly outings to Dungeons in the outer regions surrounding Shanghai and offering a yearly Advanced Dungeoneering Expedition to hitherto 'unexplored' areas suitable for junior Mages. Besides the Dungeoneer's grand display of magical loot was the Fudan Competitive Duelling Club, renowned for its presence on the regional stage. The Duelling Club had a fine podium where two Mages, Fire against Earth, put on a spectacular exchange of offensive and defensive spells. Further down from the main avenue and toward the Fudan Towers, she passed by a petting zoo of Magical Creatures set up by the Wildland Creature Appreciation Club. Looking at the variety of exotic and cuddly creatures, Gwen entertained the rapturous indulgence of molesting an assortment of fleecy, furry, fluffy things, all of which made her miss Elvia terribly. Further along, mundane clubs lined the distance between the towering statue of Chairman Mao, many of which would not be out of place in Gwen's old world. The Discovery Club, the Media Club, Independent Research Club, the Management Club, Literature Club, Politics Club, and finally clubs for dance, music, theatre, chess, and art. There were more semi-professional extra-curricular clubs also, such as the International Student's Activity Association, the Fudan Charity Consortium, the Student Helper's Committee, and something curiously called the Expansion Club, whatever that meant. Gwen felt depleted by the end of the recruitment gauntlet, grumbling at the hour she would never get back. Nonetheless, she attended the Fudan Towers on the first day of Orientation Week for two specific reasons. One—today was the day she could formally apply to become a member of the Fudan Tower, which meant she could trade in her CCs for the LRC Crystal Projector in her apartment, and two: she had an appointment with the Dean, Jiang Luo, to oversee her academic prospects. Once past the barricade of human bodies, she made her way up the levitation platform and entered the Student's Guidance Office, where an appointment for her to speak with her course coordinator awaited her. Gwen straightened her dress and sat, waiting patiently for her turn. "Nihao." A breath of cold airbrushed her cheeks. Gwen turned her head, startled at the sudden appearance of a ghostly visage beside her. "Oh God- You startled me." She stilled her hammering heart. The face that greeted Gwen was an exquisite doll. She recognised it as Ellen, an Air Spirit that Magister Luo was trying to temper into a more humanised existence. "Master will see you now." Ellen bowed, then levitated through the lobby. Then, as if recalling her Master's command, she allowed her legs to properly manifest, landing on the floor with an audible clack. "Dean Luo." Gwen bowed as she entered, instantly picking out his familiar face. There was another friend present as well, Magus Kumiko. The only stranger was a westerner whom she had never seen before. "Magus Kumiko. Sir. Greetings." "Gwen! How wonderful to see you again." Magister Luo clapped his hands expansively. He pointed to a visitor's chair set up in front of them. "Come, sit. There's much to discuss." Gwen demurely sat and positioned her legs at an angle to her audience. She placed both her hands on her lap, turned her torso slightly sideways, then flashed her audience a winning smile. Magister Luo looked the same as always, frank and friendly. Magus Kumiko sat beside and behind the remaining Mage, indicating that the Caucasian Mage was her superior. "This is Magister Louis Birch, the head of our School of Conjuration. He's a specialist in manipulating Spatial Magic who had studied extensively in Europe and the Americas. He also held a short tenure working with the Iron Citadel, the Eastern European Dwarven Consortium." Gwen paid her respects again while seated, tilting her head respectfully. "So, you are our Void Mage," Magister Birch returned her greeting. "I have heard much about your progress from Magister Wen." "She is too kind," Gwen humbly acknowledged the Magister's praise. Unlike the academically inclined Magister Wen, Magister Birch was a Mage fastidious with his appearance. The man clothed himself in a suit tailored to fit his lanky frame, punctuated with a vest patterned and threaded with dusky gold runes and paired with a pair of scaly Oxfords that likewise hinted at expensive Enchantments. Above a tightly buttoned collar, the Master Conjurer's circle beard framed his grim lips. Beside the man, the casual and intimate seeming Dean Luo looked like a countryside uncle. "I have your recommended courses for the upcoming Semester. As your major lies in Conjuration, I shall be your Course Coordinator," Magister Birch said with a voice that Gwen felt was unnecessarily stern. "Magister Wen assured me that you are ready to undertake the path to higher learning, despite your… Frontier public education." Gwen ignored that little jab at her rural origins and received the document Ellen levitated through the air. Conjuration **CJR1001** Supplementary Conjuration **CJS1001** Bestiary and Care of Familiars **FAM1021** Evocation **EVK1001** Advanced Spell-shaping **ASP1201** Utility Transmutation **UTT2003** Management **GEN100M** Economics **GEN100E** "Thirty-Six units of Spellcraft, Six Units of General Studies. Have you consulted with Magister Wen regarding your suitability for these courses, or would you like me to explain?" "I am well informed, sir." "Good. Your confidence becomes you, and I hope you will keep it as our lessons advance. In any case, well met, Miss Song." Magister Birch's lips tapered shut post sermon. The man was overtly polite and just a little hostile, Gwen felt. Perhaps he was adverse to a student possessing the Void talent, she wondered, or had she offended him somehow? Before Gwen could excuse herself, the Dean began to speak. "Gwen, a moment if you will." "Yes, Sir?" "You wish to apply for the International University Competition, correct? And would like to represent the Fudan team?" "I do, Sir." Gwen nodded affirmatively. Magister Birch raised a brow critically but remained silent. "The current tryouts are in September, which is far too close for them to be feasible for you." Dean Luo informed her helpfully. "However, as you are a mid-year applicant, you should be well-positioned to apply for the 2004 competition. There is also the possibility of the 2005 September placement, or at worst, a 2006 placement should you delay your graduation until December." "I understand, sir." Gwen brushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear before responding. "I shall endeavour to achieve my goal by next year." "Ha!" Magister Luo applauded her. "Such confidence! I should warn you, though. Many of the top teams almost exclusively consist of multi-entry veterans." "Hmmph!" Magister Birch snorted. Dean Luo shot his tenured Magister an amused look before turning again to Gwen. "But I have the utmost confidence in you, Miss Song. I am sure your grandmother is looking forward to you bearing Fudan's name." "I won't let you down, Sir." Gwen ignored her future instructor's abrasive attitude. "I won't let Director Klavdiya down either." The mention of her babulya's name seemed to touch a nerve in Magister Birch, and Gwen caught the Conjurer furrowing his brows dangerously, knitting them together with a passion that exceeded mere annoyance. "The Songs are ever so confident," Magister Birch chided her coldly. "Overconfidence seems to be a family trait." "Louis!" Dean Luo intoned in a low voice weighted with authority. Magister Birch tensed, then resisted the Dean's displeasure with a projection of his own. "I'll not show any favouritism," the Conjurer said suddenly. "You know that, right? Jiang? Certainly not to Miss Song here." "I don't expect you to." Luo reached across and removed a piece of lint from Birch's shoulder. "She will surprise you." "I will push her hard." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "And I expect nothing less." Gwen sat quietly, still recovering from the stunning expulsion of mana that the duo had unleashed a moment prior. "Your Grandmother," Magister Birch said to Gwen, his face softening. "How is she?" "She's hale and happy," Gwen replied uncertainly, unsure what the Magister's relationship to her babulya might be. "Do you know my grandmother?" Magister Birch nodded stiffly, his eyes suggesting that somehow, her question displeased him. Dean Lou coughed loudly to break the uncomfortable silence. "Gwen, you're a busy lass. You may go and do your other errands now. Remember, my office is always open!" With Luo's blessing, Gwen hastily took her to leave, closing the double doors behind her. What was all that? She pondered the abundance of expression that had passed over Magister Birch's face. Should it give her cause for concern? Perhaps she should contact her babulya. With a ping! The doors to the levitation platform opened. Gwen stepped through the threshold and pressed the Glyph for level 3—Registration and Administration. "Gwen!" Ellen's voice resounded an inch from her ear. "Jesus Christ, Ellen!" Gwen almost jumped from the Levitation platform when Ellen materialised. "Do you have it?" "Do I have what?" "Essence!" Ellen poked a finger timidly at Gwen's heart, pressing into her bosom. "Lea said you possess a tasty druidic essence." Feeling like a dealer in the night, Gwen double-checked that they were, in fact, alone; then quickly congealed a droplet of her Druidic Essence. "Alright, let's make this quick." She had wanted to dribble a drop into Ellen's mouth, but Ellen instead guided Gwen's hand into her chest, where she felt a frigid swirl of Elemental Air so dense as to induce hypothermia in her fingers. "Ah—" Ellen's morphic form momentarily lost its shape before reforming itself. "Thank you! I enjoyed that very much." "Anytime." Gwen checked to ensure that she was still in possession of her extremities. Thankfully, her fingers remained responsive. "Okay! Bye! Love you!" Ellen dissipated in a burst of quicksilver Conjuration. A Familiar who can teleport at will! Gwen couldn't help but be impressed. She wondered if Caliban or Ariel would ever get to the stage where they could function independently and if Ellen could help. At any rate, Gwen was not opposed to luring a few wayward Familiars with her Essence candy van. "It's all done! Welcome to Fudan, Miss Song." The woman at the counter smiled amiably, and Gwen returned the gesture with a smile of her own. Gingerly, she took her cards, then retreated to a well-lit window to inspect her loot. **Gwen Song** **Public Practice of Magic ID::** 9840598 001 Evocation (3), Conjuration (4), Divination (1), Transmutation (1), Abjuration (1) **Quasi-Elemental ::** Lightning :: Void **Class Permit (A)** Her Public Practice Licence received an upgrade from B to A, implying she could incant Spells up to tier 6 when outside the city's magic exclusion zones. Without a higher-tier licence, destructive magic within the metropolis remained contentiously glued to internal policing. She checked her Student Card. **Fudan University Student Card** **Gwen Song** **LOI::** China, Shanghai **SID** : 12598 S0203 **POB:** Sydney, Australia **YOA:** S2 2003 **LCSS::** 2003-2006 (M) (Full) Her card was a crystalline rectangle with the emerald watermark of Fudan's Qin-Dynasty logo embossed behind her name. There was also an unflattering picture of her face which projected an Illusion when injected with mana. The Administration lobby was like any other in the university, large and spacious, open planned with large waiting areas prefacing a dozen counters, behind which were data and file stores. Lacking networking technologies, the need for file storage space was immense. Even with the advent of imported American Magitech, the lack of data-servers in this world severely limited the volume and detail of stored information. Watching the row after row of storage, Gwen recalled the infamous East Berlin warehouses with files on nearly every German Democratic Republic citizen. Without Divination, Gwen concluded, the entire system would be untenable. Maybe, she pondered, there was a Spell for that. With her IDs done, it was time to visit the Tower proper. Gwen proceeded to the lobby of the Guanhua Building, then took one of the six levitation platforms ascending into the Fudan Towers. Though seen by outsiders as a single Tower, the faux-Factions of Fudan played a significant role in shaping the allegiances of their students. Guanhua Tower 1, commonly known as T1, was the busier of the two, whose students came from backgrounds that inevitably drove them to select the PLA Tower. T2, meanwhile, was a gathering place for self-proclaimed adherents to the Pudong Tower, as well as a faction of freebooters who dreamt, often naively so, that Spellcraft was above politics. It was T2 that Gwen ventured into, exiting on the 25th level into a lobby that overlooked the surrounding landscape. From the south side of its thickly paned windows, Gwen could see her apartment block stretching down the length of Guoding Avenue. She took a ticket and waited, examining the busy lobby and the bubble-be milling of its busy staff. The place resembled a bank. There were counters for simple transactions, rooms for private consultations, and a few conference chambers with large oval tables. Her's was a simple transaction, meaning her ticket was up very quickly. "Hi, here's my card." Gwen waited while the young woman ran her newly minted identification for forgeries. "Your balance is 151 CCs." the young woman announced. "What would you like, Miss Song?" "I would like an LRC Projector installed in my place of residence. One that will enable private conference with a friend in England," Gwen informed the girl. "Would you like to loan or own?" "What's the difference?" "To own is 50 CCs, including a Tower technician installing the device. To loan is 15CCs plus 1CC per month, with a minimum hire of six months for fixed installations." Gwen quickly did the math. If she remained in Fudan for three years, it might be worthwhile to buy, but there was merit in loaning as well. Overheads, sunk costs, depreciation and potential lost investments from spending too many CCs at once; she quickly ran the numbers through her head. "Can I return a purchased device for CCs?" "No, ma'am, you may not." "Alright, I'll loan then, thanks." "No problems. Let me get the slates. Please fill in forms 1B and 23C." The girl returned a moment later, and Gwen completed the documentation. "Is Friday okay for the technician to install? Your serviceman will be a certified Pudong Tower affiliate." "That's fine," Gwen thanked the counter-clerk. "Very good. The minimum hire period is six months. I will deduct 21 CCs, leaving you with 130 CCs. I've booked for installation within two days; please be home between 9 AM and noon. Is there anything else I can help you with today?" "No, thank you." "Thank you, Ma'am. Please feel free to browse the T2 CC Community Request Board. Have a nice day." Gwen left the peppy administrator and sauntered over to a panoramic display that ran the length of the back wall with thirty-odd meters of projections from floor to ceiling. Silent, she read the requests to herself. "Looking for Abjurer of at least tier 6 and good reputation to join a party for Taishan's Emerald Forest Dungeon, minimum 100 CCs and HDMs for the right applicaant. Compatibility interview and training session essential. Original party members will vote on accepting or rejecting the applicant." "35 CCs reward for information on Dragonkin in the Huashan region HS32B. Seeking type, size, age, gender, and colour. Half payment now, half on confirmation." "Looking to collect specimens of Wood Elementals, Nymphs, Dryads, Sprites. Exchanging between 10 CCs to 200 CCs. Offer lasts until CCs spent." She also saw a few in red. " **URGENT** :: Seeking Diviners who can aid with discerning whereabouts of Li Mingyue, a charlatan who has defrauded my brother, the Magus Fu Weiwei. 10 CCs for proof of Li's location. 50 CCs for information leading to capture. 150 CCs for Li brought in alive." A projection crystal attached to the manhunt notice displayed the Mage known as Li Mingyue. Gwen read another: " **URGENT** :: Tier 5 to 7 Adventuring Party needed to reclaim Zhongming Island Mining Facility 11B-43QM. An amphibian infestation has halted operations. Bounty dispensed by Provincial governor offering 2 CCs per head and 50 CCs for total restoration of the mine. The deadline is July 10th, after which the PLA will assume control of operations. A cleric capable of Dispel Disease and Poison is essential." By invoking the Glyph attached to each notice, the viewer may trigger the contact details of each quest. Gwen tried to activate one of the glyphs to no avail, forcing her to step back and watch the others. One Mage approached the board, read a notice, then tapped a card against the quest glyph. A small Mandala became visible, then the Mage passed the card through the glowing array and went his merry way. My Adventure Permit! Gwen realised. She quickly materialised her card. **Multi-Pass Adventuring Permit** **Gwen Song** **LOI::** China, Shanghai **PPM:** 9840598 001 **Ethnicity** : Eurasian **Eyes** : Hazel - Green **Hair** : Black (Warm) **Height** : 180CM **Access** **Rank** : E **Quest** **Attainment** : N/A Gwen took another ticket and returned to the counter. "Can I get my card updated here?" "Of course, we can validate it for you via S-C Adventure Central Office. Do you have a few moments?" Gwen nodded. Gwen retrieved her card a quarter of an hour later. She noticed that there were now subtle changes. **Multi-Pass Adventuring Permit** **Gwen Song** **LOI::** China, Shanghai **PPM:** 9840598 001 **Ethnicity** : Eurasian **Eyes** : Hazel - Green **Hair** : Black (Warm) **Height** : 181CM **Access** **Rank** : E+ **Quest** **Attainment** : Hengsha Gila Rift (S) Well, well, she was 1 CM taller, Gwen mused. The attendant explained that the plus behind the E meant that though Gwen is not eligible for D-rank quests alone, she was considered proficient enough to join a party for D-rank quests. When she further inquired about what the Ranks implied, the clerk informed her that the Tower system ranked Mage's capabilities by reviewing their Quest completion and then assigning a hidden score that allowed one to rank up. Rank is tied to Spellcraft proficiency, naturally, but it is also a measure of one's problem solving, negotiation, charisma, and other abilities that aided in resolving a quest. "Say, out of curiosity. Do you know a Mage called Marong? From the House of M?" Gwen enquired inconspicuously. "Magus Marong?" the clerk mused. "The Poof and Puff? We know of him, yes." "What rank is he?" "A publically available data sheet is available for 1 CC, Ma'am." "I just need an idea of what rank he is." "The Puff Duo is renowned for Magus Marong's versatility," the clerk explained. "In Peking, the Magus had undertaken many quests successfully; his rank is B. I have a list of his feats and spell-list if you like, it's..." "1 CC, I know," Gwen gave her thanks. "Thank you for your time." "Happy to be of service!" With all her errand done, she now had time to explore the campus a bit before returning to the lab. Glancing at her fellow students' bright and happy faces, Gwen couldn't help but feel her heart soar for what was to come. University! Tertiary Education! Mastery of Spellcraft! Just four more days and her academic odyssey would begin!

Gwen laid out her timetable with Petra's help then took a deep breath. She had colour coded her classes and labelled her lab work in fluorescent green, blue, yellow and red. The periods she had left were her own, and the total number of hours of "me time" was a meagre three. Gwen grimaced. Her reprieve was that she had half a Saturday and most of her Sunday. The condition was, of course, that Magister Wen didn't suddenly feel compelled to perform additional tests or came into possession of a sudden breakthrough. Thankfully, Magister Wen's interest had shifted toward longitudinal studies. Gwen was now required to report biometric measurements every odd week and provide the Magister with a supply of Void and Druidic mana every even week. As for her classes themselves, Gwen was surprised to find herself alone. She had not expected to attend class with Petra, which would be wishful thinking; what surprised Gwen was that she did not share courses with Richard nor Mayuree either. When her cousin returned from his Advisory board meeting, he informed Gwen that he would be starting second-year courses for Conjuration, which meant he no longer shared the same level of coursework as Gwen. It was a great boon, meaning Richard could begin specialising in six months. Likewise, Richard's second School was Abjuration, implying that four of his six Spellcraft courses were uninvolved with Gwen's Conjuration. As for the remaining two classes, Richard opted for Quest Credits, striking two birds with one stone by receiving instruction while earning money. Unfortunately for Gwen, her cousin's acceleration meant that Richard only shared her General Courses, Management and Politics, which did not have mandatory attendance and only required students to pass written exams and a series of viva-voce. Mayuree, likewise, had no choice but to follow the advice of her Professor, a scholarly Magister associated with the House of M. Though she had supposedly changed from Peking to Fudan, there was no way that her family would allow her to waste away her university hours. Unlike Gwen, her primary focus was Astral Theory, Divination, Divination Utility, and Supplementary Divination. Their only shared course was Transmutation Utility and the General Education courses. Her first classes were Conjuration and Evocation, each taking up a three-hour block on the upper campus. The instructor for Conjuration CJR1001 was unsurprising, Magister Louis Birch, the resident Master Conjurer. There were about sixty or so students in the first year lecture, and it was only then that Gwen realised the rarity of Conjurers. When she attended Accounting 1001A in old-world Sydney, there were twelve hundred students in the first year. Gwen had at first thought she had wandered into some orientation class for the entire student cohort! Conversely, there were only sixty-odd students in her Fudan first-year class. Assuming Conjuration went from 1001 to 3001, it meant that the whole Conjuration student body had at best 180 students and at worst 100. Was 180 a significant number? Gwen had no idea. What was the attrition rate? That was the question on everyone's mind when they were on the Frontier. According to her Master, what the Frontier lacked wasn't Mages, but Mages with the potential to be Maguses and Magisters. In this way, the Frontier was a dystopian magical Hunger Games. Those who survived won the resources and investment necessary to take them into the next tier from those who died. Was she a survivor then? Gwen mused. She had survived a lot. She wasn't sure how her personal experience measured up against the others, but not many could boast of surviving an encounter with Sobel. When she withdrew from her mind to reorientate herself, she felt distinctly the sensation of being watched. There were a group of young men to her, stealing glances at her. A few girls up front also kept glancing back at her. Was it the dress? Gwen wondered. Did she dress too frivolously? Or did word get out that she was a Void Mage? "Gwen Song!" The voice of Magister Birch called out across the auditorium. "Sir!" Gwen stood, all six feet and then some in a loose-fitting spaghetti string dress from Singapore. "Gwen Song, come to the front. You're distracting the other students," Magister Birch commanded. "Yes, Sir." Gwen did her best to ignore the eyes burning holes in her back and descended until she reached the last aisle before the podium. It wasn't so much that she hadn't been gawked at before but that she had never been invited to be gawked at by a lecturer. Satisfied, Magister Birch continued the lesson. "Now that you're all focused—let's continue. Conjuration is considered the least diverse School of Magic, but don't let that fool you, for it is also one of the most versatile. Your tertiary study is nothing like your high school Spellcraft. You will be undergoing the general course under me, and then you will have to choose Specialisations in the second and third year. Whether you want to be a Creature Mage, a Summoner, a Translocation Specialist, Logistics Support, or remain generalised, that's up to you." Birch's voice pleasant, his gestures broad and illustrative. Even with Gwen now seated at the front, it took him only a few minutes to persuade her audience that Gwen hardly existed. Gwen relaxed. She had no desire to deal with a lecturer who wanted beef with her and would introduce her to the class as "Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr Harry Potter... the chosen one." Which was lucky, for the man did have an Alan Rickman air, especially if Birch could only make the hair darker and greasier. Magister Birch continued while Gwen daydreamed. "... or one could be a Translocation Mage. Observe." There was a flash of silvery Conjuration mana. Magister Birch rapped the inattentive Gwen on the head. Another flash of Conjuration silver followed. Her lecturer disappeared and reappeared at the furthest row of the enormous auditorium, slapped a sleeping student on the head. The auditorium laughed. "You too will be able to walk this Path if you are keen, diligent and hard-working." Another near-instantaneous Dimension Door and Magister Birch was again at the dais. "You are already the best, are you not?" Birch reminded his audience. "Study hard! Then study HARDER! Do not sully your entry scores. Welcome to Fudan, ladies and gentlemen. We expect only the best from you." The auditorium applauded. Louis Birch motioned for silence. "Now, let's comb over the basics. I will randomly ask some of you to supply some basic information on the semantics of Conjuration—" Fearful of further embarrassment, Gwen listened attentively to the responses provided by each of the selected students as Birch jotted down each point on a horizontal slat that projected what Birch transcribed onto the back wall. "You there, answer this question on board." "… the creatures are then transported through the Astral Plane into the material." A student two rows above Gwen struggled to meet Birch's expectations. The lecturer shook his head and told the student to sit down. His finger then lowered from the middle of the theatre until it rested on the lower row. Of course, there was only one person seated there. "Gwen." Was she the only person Birch knew by name? Gwen reflected annoyedly. Nonetheless, she stood, recalling the theory Petra had taught her, and Magister Wen explained in detail. She took a deep breath. Public speaking? That was like breathing to her. "Familiars are essentially elementals, Sir. They do not exist except as a part of the Mage's anima, or subconscious psyche, spell-locked into a persistent phenomenon and nourished by the Mage's practice of magic. When conjuring such a creature, the spell directly interfaces with the Mage's most compatible Sigil—in this case, Conjuration, and then materialises in the Material World. For higher-order Familiars who possess their own Spirit, and by that nature, sapience, the morphic form locks onto the creature's anima. These are the only creatures that can exist independently from the Conjurer. Furthermore, when the Conjurer dies, these creatures continue to exist on the Material Plane, so long as they can sustain their Astral Presence." "Enough. Very good." The Magister gave her a round of golf claps. "Continuing, onto the matter of the summoning of objects…" Gwen sat down, once more the object of more eyes than she would have liked. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Hey, that's Gwen Song! Over here!" When Gwen walked into the Evocation lecture two hours later, two young men and a woman waved their arms to get her attention. She recognised them from the Conjuration lecture and approached the trio with amiable congeniality. "Olá." Gwen hailed with one hand. "You guys are from the Conjuration lecture." The trio introduced themselves. "Lily Li," the girl announced. She was the shortest of the bunch, measuring just over five feet and hailed from South-East China. "Jon Wong" "Pu Un" The Conjurers exchanged handshakes. "I love your dress." Lily sat next to Gwen, her eyes scanning Gwen like a biometric instrument. "Mao, you're a tall one!" "Thanks, I am not that tall," Gwen replied modestly. "So, Gwen, you're an Evoker too? What tier?" The man unfortunate enough to have a homonym of 'Poo' for a name enquired politely. Thankfully, in Mandarin, the plosive Pu was an entirely generic syllable. "Three, barely," Gwen replied, woefully aware that she could have said zero and the boys would have still flattered her. "Conjuration is technically my minor School; Evocation is my main," Pu pointed out smugly. "I am just past t-4 at the moment; tier 5 is probably going to take a while. "I am tier 3 in both," Lily stated boastfully, then added a little zest to her brag. "My father is the Chief Arbitrator of the Jiading District." "Wow." Gwen made herself sound awed, having no idea where Jiading was. For all she knew, it could be a rural village of ten thousand NoMs. Thankfully, Lily seemed pleased with her response. "How about yourself?" Gwen asked the remaining young Mage. "I am not a Conjurer," Jon replied softly, blushing slightly and looking the bookish type. "I am tier 4 in Evocation, though. I am studying to be a Materials Engineer. My other School is Transmutation. I... I wasn't in the earlier class with you." "Material Engineer sounds amazing." Gwen's smile was enough to turn the young man beetroot. "There's a great future in it for sure." "We went to the same high school together," Lily informed her. "We're No 9." When Gwen appeared confused, one of the boys helpfully informed her that Lily meant "No 9 Hong Qiao International School". "Ah, of course." Gwen politely smiled as if she understood the gravity of the announcement. "From the same school, and all of you have gained proficiency in two Sigils? That's amazing." "Heh, it's Hong Qiao's speciality." Pu scratched his head. "What element are you?" Before Gwen could answer, the sound of a set of massive doors opening suddenly and loudly interrupted their conversation. . Abruptly, the student's conversations were at an end; their lecturer had presented herself. The instructor for Evocation was a British woman in her late-thirties whose appearance hinted at a military background. From the poise of her walking gait and how her presence dominated the auditorium, she gave the air and bearing of a ranked officer. Gwen had seen many high-ranking Military Mages on the Frontier, and this woman had a similar presence. Her hypothesis was proven when the instructor spoke. “Acolytes, Mages, future Magus and Magisters. I am your instructor, Captain Carol Young. You may call me Captain Young or Magus Young." The sorceress's formal attire, a starched blue blouse, gave Young the feeling of an unsheathed blade. Magus Young's voice boomed across the auditorium. "Welcome to Evocation—the foremost School of Spellcraft. From the most primitive days of humanity, it had served to protect us from the wilderness, the Wildlands, the Demi-humans and the Magical Beasts. Evocation is the Magic Missile that defeats the darkness. It is the basis by which our cities survive, the beginning and end of our defensive lines. It is the School of Spellcraft that rests at the throat of the enemy, ready to blow their brains outwards." The students waited for a magical display, but none seemed forthcoming. "My fellow Evokers - welcome to Evocation 1001." Polite applause greeted the Magus' greeting. "My Element is Earth. I am a Transmuter-Evoker, a senior Battle Mage." Then gently, as if emphasising the gravity of her following words, Magus Young rose into the air a few inches. "If you are studying Evocation to supplement your other schools, good for you. If you are studying Evocation as your major School of Magic or as a Specialist, I implore you to undertake Transmutation, at least Utility Transmutation UTT2003 taught by Magus Luo. A Battle Mage without mobility is a liability. Remember that." Magus Young patrolled the lecture stage. "For our program. We will begin by rehashing the basics, followed by an extensive program on AOE and the merits of Danger Close, how to avoid Friendly Fire, then short and long-range assault Doctrines. There will also be Spirit demonstrations from your Seniors in the latter half of the term, and finally, we will have practical exams every four weeks for the twelve-week term. You are expected to put between 5 to 10 hours of practice into the range during this time. Remember, you cannot enrol in Evocation Two subjects and further specialisations if you fail the program. Any questions?" There were questions, of course. There were far more Evokers than Conjurers. The class was almost two hundred strong with an even spread of women to men and even two dozen foreigners. A particularly cheeky young man asked if the instructor was married. The ageing woman had a sophisticated charm which Gwen suspected brought out the immaturity in the youngsters. "Was. My husband was eaten alive by a Twin-Headed Senai Wyvern during the Defence of the Suez Canal in 93'. My son perished in the same year in the Sinai in a different incident. Any other questions?" There was none. Only respectful silence. The reality of the world outside the T1 cities awaited all of them. Fudan was merely a temporary layer of protection against the unknowns of the Wildlands. After that, the lecture proceeded without interruption. With the first class of Evocation over, her new acquaintances invited Gwen to dinner. She declined, however, as her late afternoon schedule split between Petra's tuition and practice, not to mention Caliban's feeding time. "Before we go, what element are you? We were interrupted earlier," Lily asked, then volunteered herself. "I am Fire." "Void and Lightning," Gwen answered briskly, keeping her tone as calmly as possible. "How nice!" Lily gushed. "Oh." Pu's face paled. Jon had no words. Perhaps realising what Gwen had just said, Lily joined Jon's stunned silence. "See you guys next week in Conjuration!" Gwen quickly made her escape, materialising a shawl and wrapping it around her shoulders. Spring persisted, but the chilling wind as the sun fell hinted at wetter days to come. "Tired?" Petra tapped on her slate as Gwen's attention wandered for the second time. Her pupil was usually far more focused, but all things considered, Gwen did sustain six hours of lecture with only an hour of break in between. "Dog-tired," Gwen replied, borrowing a phrase from Yue. "I think I dozed off when you started on the Astral compression algorithms." "Take a break." Petra pointed at Gwen's mug of tea. "Heat!" A simple cantrip was enough to reheat the liquid until it steamed. Gwen took a sip and pulled her legs in under her. "Our lecturer, Magus Young, said that her husband died defending the Suez Canal," Gwen noted from memory. She'd been daydreaming about the Magus' words since the lesson had ended. The Suez Canal was such a famous piece of old world history that even Gwen knew it off by heart. It was built by the Suez Canal Company in 1869, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. Widely perceived as a miraculous feat of engineering, the canal offered vessels a reduction of over 7000 kilometres in connecting the North Atlantic and northern Indian Oceans. It had been and continues to be a critical piece of infrastructure joining the Middle East to Africa. Therefore, Gwen did not need a stretch of the imagination to acknowledge how vital the canal must be in a world lacking mass air transit. "Magus Young? The Evocation Professor?" "Yeah, do you know anything about that?" "The Canal or the professor?" "Both?" Petra gathered her thoughts, took a few sips, then shared her knowledge with her inquisitive cousin. "The Canal has always been a great point of contention between two ancient nations. You got Israel on one side and the Egyptians on the other. Both have lineage and Spellcraft far more ancient than ours, and they've been at war since the epoch of God-Kings." "Right, and Magus Young?" "Magister Young, your instructor's husband, was a part of the British Mageocracy Peace Keeping force sent by the U.N Council to ensure that the two sides could tear each other apart without tearing the canal apart. The Israelites are Golem specialists, while the Egyptians relied on, I suppose, their sanctioned form of Necromancy. During 93', the Israelites accused the Egyptians of crossing into the Sinai; then, they crossed over into Egypt themselves in response. As a result, all hell broke loose for a year or two down there. Then the Demi-humans, involving a Sect of the Cult of Ammit, a coven of Medusas, as well as local Legions of Jackal-men, all somehow got involved. Battle lines collapsed, and the Sinai became a free for all for about six months. After scouring the desert, the Israeli forces returned to Magus Young what was left of Magister Young's body to prevent certain parties from taking advantage. The body parts of a Magister was good material, and The Cult of Set has a reputation." "Christ." Gwen genuinely felt for her instructor. "As for the rest, her son died a few months later against an Undead incursion in the incident called the Siege of Ismailia in 94'. I think Young gave up on the Mageocracy after that. She travelled around for a while, ultimately ending up here as an instructor. I remember Master saying that she knew Dean Luo. Maybe they were colleagues in the past?" Gwen nursed her tongue against the hot tea. "The poor woman." "It's a common enough story." Petra rested her cup. "Maybe one day, you or I..." "Knock on wood." Gwen rapped the oaken table, interrupting the morbid Petra. "Say no more." The two shared a knowing smile as their eyes met. "Had enough of a break? Let's continue," Petra urged her distracted pupil. "We've still got to cover 17.2 - 3 from Goulding's Core Primer. Three more chapters, and it's all over." "Okay." Gwen slapped her cheeks with both hands, forcing herself to drop Magus Young's nonchalance from her mind. "Let's do this."

Tuesday. Gwen was up again at 8 AM, ready to meet the world ahead. Richard was already gone, having left at daybreak for his Questing credits. Outside, a cloudy horizon hung over the vista, with looming clouds hinting at thunder. Gwen took precautions by switching to her thrifted boots and jeans, then daringly chose an old tee that left a smidgeon of flesh exposed about her navel. An exposed midriff. A part of her felt ashamed, yet at the same time, she also felt thrilled and delighted by her second chance at youth. Whatever her choice of attire, Bestiary and Care of Familiars took place down on the lower campus, south of Guoding Rd. According to Petra, Daishan Stadium tapped into a leyline that bisected the Guanhua Towers and the five-path epicentre of Wujiaochang. That was the reason for its tiered construction, a visual spectacle that reminded Gwen of latticed rice paddies as she descended the stairs into its daunting concavity. Nearer the bottom, the arena's markings indicated that here was the home ground for the Fudan University teams, where various competitors vied for magical dominion across a dozen Spellcraft sports. Here was also where the final selection of the Fudan Inter-University team would take place. First, they would be shortlisted based on accomplishments and accolades. Then, the top twenty would undergo contests to ultimately produce five core and five reserve members to participate in the illustrious International Inter-University Competition. Gwen's lesson took place in the arena's interior, within the containment array. Here, the facilities double-dutied in the off-season as holding pens for Summoned beasts and Familiars, allowing Creature Mages to perfect their skills and practice fending off various Magical Monsters. Inside the spacious chamber, she saw a few familiar faces from Conjuration and new students who should be her seniors. As she entered the underground, an instructor arrived from the bay door where two vice-like steel panels unfurled, resembling a giant maw. The barrier was a bulkhead freight section—Gwen recognised the contraption from her journey to Singapore. Should the Force Shields fail, the steel bulkheads could significantly impede all but the most powerful of Elemental Familiars. The instructor was a grizzled Asian man with a square face and small beady eyes glinting with intelligence. His distinguishing feature was a nose that was deformed and askew as if someone had struck its bridge repeatedly. Compared to a prideful Senior Mage, the shabby, dishevelled attire of Hufei reminded Gwen of an NoM machinist. "My name is Instructor Chen Hufei," Chen introduced himself. "I am a simple Conjurer, not a Magus and certainly not a Magister, so no need for formalities. My highest rank in the PLA was as an NCO, so don't worry about that either." A slight murmur echoed around the underground chamber. "I have, nonetheless, served with the 42nd Battalion and 83rd PLA Canton Division across four tours and two Purges. Since retiring from the PLA, I held the position of Warden for the Canton Wildland Reserve for over two decades. Rest assured that the training you will receive is sound and tailored to your specific needs. Any questions?" The room had no complaints. "Good. For those in possession of Spirits, proceed to Sectors 5 - 12. I will be overseeing your training. For those of you with mundane Familiars, proceed to Sectors 22 - 27. Sergeant Pei will be overseeing your training." The groups began to split. As Gwen expected, those with Spirits acted with justified arrogance. "Is there a Gwen Song?" Chen called out suddenly. "I am here, Sir," Gwen answered. A dozen pairs of eyes from both sides centred upon her. Unconsciously, her hands moved across to cover her midriff. When gazed upon, her body was prideful, but her mind remained very self-conscious indeed. "You're with this side." "Yessir." She peeled from the first group to expressions of confusion, disappointment and envy, then joined the second group, whose faces remained dismissive. No one would claim to be No. 1 in Spellcraft, but extreme competitiveness typified the academic field. In a nation of old rites and fathomless history like China with its Clans and Sects, the same truth was more explicitly than in the west. There were five members within Gwen's new group, making her the youngest by far. They were four men and one girl. The girl Gwen recognised from her Conjuration class, which made the men Second or Third Years. Gwen followed without complaint as the team made for Section 5. Within the arena's underground, the sectors were simple micro-arenas closed off by bulkhead doors a dozen meters wide and four meters high, which ran parallel and perpendicular to the massive concrete pillars that held up the superstructure above. "Alright, everyone, let's introduce yourselves." Hufei stopped, then stood like a drill sergeant. Gwen's companions arranged themselves in chronological order by seniority. Once they were done, Gwen stood awkwardly at the back row, looming almost half a head taller than the tallest man present. In reality, she was the same height as her instructor, but her ankle boots added another inch-and-a-half atop her gangly frame, giving her the likeness of a crane among bobbing chooks. "Nihao! I am Ji Lu, I am a tier 5 Conjurer, and this is my Spirit partner, Ahu." A burst of flames escaped the Mage's chest and formed a cat with intelligent eyes. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the orange tabby was a tiger Spirit with great potential. A round of golf claps echoed through the chamber. "Hello, my name is Chan Baoguo. I am a tier 4 Conjurer and Tier 3 Transmuter; this is Feifei." Following Lu's fire was water. Baoguo's animal was a water bird of some sort, mayhap a crane or a shallow-water stalker. The summoned crane obediently followed its Master and stood to the side, fully understanding its partner's orders. The following student had an unassuming water Sprite as well. It would appear to Gwen that Water Spirits were the more common kind, but that came as no surprise; Earth was, after all, a blue planet. Candidate No.4 announced himself with a burst of vibrant Blue-Green energy that leapt from his chest and frizzled the ceiling above them. "Wanli!" "Scree—!" The hawk's screech pierced their ears. A Lightning Elemental! Gwen's bosom rose and fell with awe as the young man announced himself to be Lu Fung from the Nantong Fungs. Gwen recognised the Clan name, as it belonged to Dai, the inheriting son of the Police Commissioner of Shanghai's Metropolitan Security Bureau. Though she and Dai had since amicably resolved their differences, Gwen wondered if this particular Fung would recognise her. Lu's Spirit Hawk soared through the air majestically before returning to him. Gwen wanted to whistle. Now there was a proper Spirit of Thunder and Lightning! Once the crackling lightning faded, they could see that the creature was a sparrowhawk. Wanli, whose name meant 'ten thousand li', alighted on its Master's shoulder, making Gwen coo with desire. "Eunae, your turn," the instructor implored the girl in front of Gwen. The quiet girl nodded palely, likewise intimidated by the display put on by Lu's hawk. "My name is Eunae Lee, and this is Luyi!" A mote of pale emerald energy manifested in front of the girl as something akin to a fig tree materialised, first forming four legs, a lumbar, then a slender neck, a tail, liquid eyes, then a black, pointed nose. It was a deer! Gwen gasped—one that was beyond adorable! The forest Spirit then looked upon its surroundings with eyes sparkling with intelligence, radiating a warm radiance Gwen long missed. A nature Familiar! The girl, this Eunae, possessed a Sprite just like Elvia! "Luyi…" the girl cuddled the deer's neck. "Eeee!" Her familiar struggled from its Master's embrace and bolted right toward Gwen. "Luyi!" Eunae's eyes filled with fear as the flesh of her flesh, the quintessence of her Conjuration, the child of her imagination and her contracted soul mate, abandoned her and ran head-first into Gwen's legs. Upon reaching Gwen, it began to nuzzle her, seeking the source of Gwen's mana. Gwen looked up with a horrified expression at the poor girl, who was now on the verge of tears. 'Luyi' gazed up at Gwen with its soulful brown eyes, too human to belong to a mere beast, and made a puckering motion with its lips. "I know you got it. Give it up! Hoss!" it seemed to say to her. No! Your Master is watching! Gwen grimaced at the forest-friendly critter tried to bedevil her into yielding a trickle of her Druidic essence. "Go back to your owner," Gwen urged the creature. The faux wood-doe bleated adorably at her. It then rudely nudged her thigh gap. The men snickered. Gwen swore under her teeth, and bodily picked up the doe, much to the dismay of Eunae, then dragged it across the concrete to deposit it in its owner's lap. "Keep a leash on your Familiar," Gwen reprimanded the Conjurer sternly. "Y-yes!" The girl nodded furiously, stroking her precious Spirit-doe. Now that Gwen had taken a better look at Eunae, she could see that her classmate was actually Korean in her appearance and not just name. "It would appear your lack of authority over your Spirit is as serious as your instructors say," Instructor Chen observed dryly. He then turned to Gwen. "Miss Song, if you would finish the introductions?" Gwen left Eunae and found a safe spot far away from the others. She then moved another ten paces or so away. "She must have a big Familiar," someone commented. "How big can it be?" Another one of her peers scoffed. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "She's not a Spirit Conjurer, right?" "Heh, I bet she's got connections higher up. That's why the instructor is personally taking care of her," Lu Fung said sardonically. No one had humanoid Spirits, Gwen observed as she primed her body. Richard's Undine must be a dream. "You may proceed." Instructor Chen glanced at the other students with an expression of expectant schadenfreude. If so, Chen must have gone over her records already. "Ariel!" Gwen called out her Lightning beast. The marten materialised, rolled, then struck a pose. It then sniffed the air and ran toward her, making infinity tracks around her legs as it joyously celebrated rapturous freedom. "Haha! What the hell?!" Lu could be heard chuckling from across the threshold. "It's a mundane marten!" "A common beast!" "Wait, it is not a Spirit?" "It looks altered, though. It's got horns." "Doesn't change the fact that it's a dumb animal. Haha, what a waste of talent!" Lu snickered. Gwen blushed annoyedly at the insults and called Ariel to her. She scooped up the marten in her arms and kissed it on its forehead. Eunae, meanwhile, became even more confused. Why did her Familiar run to Gwen? Was likely the thought haunting the girl as she held onto Luyi tightly, her eyes full of incomprehension. Instructor Chen made a motion that said, get on with it. Gwen stepped back. "Caliban!" she called out. A slit opened in-between time and space. "What the f-" "She has two?" "Impossible!" A long, spindly leg cut through the air before stabbing into the concrete floor. Another soon joined the first, then another and another, forming a cluster of disjointed, anorexic fingers searching for nourishment. As a walking nightmare, Caliban emerged in its wholly uncensored Lovecraftian glory. Her Familiar's back-carapace pulsed like a beating organ as it walked, its semi-translucent plates of obsidian bleeding ambiguous grey goo as it flexed. When the final length of its tail emerged into the Material Plane, it extended a pair of blue-red tentacles from its slurping underside and caressed Gwen's cheeks. "Wocao, that's fucking magnificent," Instructor Chen applauded her beast. "What a Buddha-cursed monster! It's like something that crawled out of the nine-fold underworld." Following the instructor's comment, a moment of complete silence hung in the air, humming with the tension of a taut violin string. Then all hell broke loose. “MAO’S BALLS!” “RED STARS!" “CAONINAINAI!” The junior Mages took a defensive stance and even manifested their Shielding spells; their Familiars stood at their sides, ready to defend their Masters. "Luyi!" Eunae's doe bolted right into its mistress and bowled her over, then fled the scene, sprinting across the hall in full gallop. Lu Fung's Sparrowhawk rose to the air and bellowed a challenge, sending out a shower of sparks. The Mage himself had turned as pale as a ghost but kept up his guard even though his knees grew noodly. "Shaa—SHAA?" Caliban sensed, as Gwen had, the delicious mana radiating off Eunae. Click—Click-Click—Click— It began to skitter toward the Korean healer for a closer inspection. Caliban might not possess a brain, but Gwen felt that Cali might have mistaken Eunae for someone like Sufina, who had fed it sumptuous feasts of mana. Instructor Chen muttered an incantation under his breath but did not move to stop her Familiar. "Caliban, stop!" Gwen commanded her creature. "Hey! Cali! I said stop!" She felt no malice nor hunger from Caliban and pulled at her creature half-heartedly as it dragged her along toward the shaking Eunae. Downwind, the poor girl fell onto her buttocks and desperately called for her Familiar. "Luyi!" Luyi appeared before Eunae in a flash of silver Conjuration. "Luyi! Protect me!" Luyi took one look at Caliban, then fled the scene like a bandit on a fast horse, or deer, as the case may be. To the discerning viewer of Gwen's world, the setting reminded her of the infamous video in which a mother doe abandons its fawn to a cheetah with the decisiveness of a meth dealer fleeing the cops. "Luyi…" Eunae's face was a mess of snot and tears as Caliban approached, likely praying to a higher power she would not soil herself. Gwen understood the girl's troubles well, thereby feeling the greatest sorrow and sympathy for herself and her victim. "No! No!" The girl was shouting in Korean. "SHAA—SHAA—!" Caliban did not know Korean. Gwen slapped Caliban on its cephalothorax, bidding it to back away before the girl became permanently deaf, dumb and insensible. "Caliban!" Gwen enforced her will. "Feather Shard!" Lu Fung commanded his Familiar. The attack came out of nowhere. Even as the other three junior Conjurers relaxed, realising that the monstrous vision was no danger, Fung had entirely lost his cool. Perhaps the Master of Wanli had not thought Caliban's skittering approach was benign; maybe the induced hysteria had overwhelmed his shuddering will, but the reality remained that Lu Fung opened up a barrage from his Spirit hawk. A deadly, long-range AOE Lighting assault that Caliban could withstand, Gwen could dodge, but not Eunae. "Caliban, help her!" Gwen commanded. Unlike other elemental Familiars, Caliban's physical form regenerated so long as she provided the vitality. Therefore, unlike her fellow Creature Mages, she needn't worry about Caliban's health. Her creature needed no coaxing to protect the healer. The Void-spider lumbered over Eunae with supernatural haste and flared out its carapace. Below, Eunae came vis-a-vis with an unmitigated view of Caliban's second mouth, where a slit opened to reveal a lamprey's mouth with multiple tentacles, each with independent mouths, all waving at her. As the shards of bladed lightning rained down around the beast and the beauty, Caliban reported that the Korean girl had fallen unconscious. "Idiot!" Instructor Chen finally took action invoked his Familiar even as he swore at the Fung's scion. "Huonu!" A stench of rotten eggs and brimstone filled the air as a massive three-pronged claw reached out from thin air and seized the hovering lightning-hawk, sending it crashing into the ground. A pulsating mass of scaly flesh followed, crimson with flowing magma and smoking with ash and sulphur. The gathered students opened their mouths in awe. Their fear of the Caliban thing became momentarily forgotten as they witnessed the full fury of an upper-middle tier Spirit Familiar—a Magma Salamander. Gwen saw that Chen's partner was no common Spirit. A true Salamander possessed not the amphibious likeness of a creature in-between frog and newt, but a half-humanoid giant with a female upper body and the lower body of a snake, akin to that of the Greco-Lamia. From her Master's vague lessons, Gwen knew that these Salamanders were citizens of the Elemental Plane of Fire, living in colonies in a place called the Brass City. Before Gwen's feelings of awe extinguished, Chen's Familiar completely overpowered the Lightning-Hawk. Then, as quickly as it had manifested, Huonu faded from the scene, leaving behind globs of magma and an unbearable stench of sulphur. "Wanli!" Lu Fung glared at the instructor in shame and fury. Gwen winced, for the Familiar would likely take weeks to restore. "Intemperate fool!" Instructor Chen howled at the cadet. "All of you! Attention!" The lucid students quickly stood to attention. The three who stood ramrod straight had seen military duty and presented themselves for inspection. Gwen helped Eunae to her feet but couldn't stop her sobbing. Meanwhile, Lu stared defiantly with barely contained rage at his instructor. Instructor Chen nodded approvingly at the three seniors but then turned upon the girls and the inconsolably furious Lu. "You three are the worst Creature-Conjurers I have never seen!" "How dar— _Oof!"_ Instructor Chen punched the air before him, and two meters away, Lu Fung fell to the floor and discharged the contents of his breakfast. "Shut UP, shit stain!" The militant instructor's voice was like a thunderclap. "This is your last warning. Another strike, and you are out of my class. I will personally see to it that Fudan removes you from its roster. Do you understand?" "I- I understand-" Lu spat between gritted teeth. "What was that?!" "I UNDERSTAND! Sir!" Lu shouted back at the instructor. "Now stand back up and act like a man, you boot scum! Do you think you're top dog because you have a mid-tier Spirit? Think again, worm! Your Clan bought you that Thunder Hawk. You did not tame it! You did not fight for it! You did not scale the twenty-thousand steps of Kunlun's Evergreen Peak to steal the egg from the Heaven-Splitting Crag! You're nothing without your Clan!" Lu remained standing, inflated by nought but the sheer force of his indignation. "You don't even know how to control your hawk's ability! You can't aim the AoE! It cannot even identify friend or foe! What a waste of a beautiful Spirit on a piece of amphibian shit." Eunae stood shaking and shivering no more than a dozen meters beside the screaming instructor, while Gwen had commanded Caliban to skitter away quietly and hide behind her. Ariel, meanwhile, dug into her T-shirt and quaked with terror. As expected, the Spirit healer was the instructor's next victim. "Where is your Familiar, Miss Lee?" Eunae looked at the instructor as though he had demanded she strip down and give birth; her face was equal parts incomprehension and stunned terror. "WHERE IS YOUR FAMILIAR?! CONJURER?" "Luyi!!" Eunae wailed helplessly, summoning her Familiar once again. The girl was in tears again, crying out for her Familiar to appear while trying to retract her bubbling snot. When finally her doe materialised, it took one look at the instructor and turned to flee. "Luyi," the instructor said in a voice filled with command. "Luyi, stay." To their surprise, the skittish doe dropped to one knee. "Do you want to protect Eunae, Luyi?" Instructor Chen spoke calmly and softly. Luyi bobbed its head vigorously. "Then you can't let her fear affect you, okay? I know that's how Empathic Link works, but you have to know that you're stronger than your mistress. You're her protector. Do you understand?" Luyi nodded again. That was the thing with Spirits. They understood human speech, and they understood human empathy. "Okay, you're a good girl, aren't you?" Luyi licked the old Conjurer's hand. Instructor Chen rapped Eunae's forehead. "You have much to learn." "Y-yes, Sir!" Eunae's head bobbed like a drinking bird. Gwen was just about to smile when her half-formed grin froze on her face. Instructor Chen turned toward her. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!_ Her inner dialogue crapped itself. "They told me to take special care of you." Chen approached Gwen until he was no more than two inches from her. She could still smell the sulphur on his skin, feel the heat radiating from the Magma Mage like a glowing furnace. She had to circulate a thimble of Lightning mana to resist the pressure he was exerting upon her. "Your link with your creatures are untempered, and that makes them a danger to yourself and your allies." "I am sorry, Sir! I will take greater care with my Familiars in the future!" Chen looked past Gwen at the massive spider-thing behind her. "Caliban, come here!" he commanded. Surprisingly, Caliban came. "Caliban. Sit!" The scorpion-spider thing roosted itself until its belly touched the floor. Gwen's lips formed an 'O'. Instructor Chen produced two raw, uncut fragments of mana crystals and offered them to Caliban. The creature extended two tendrils and retrieved both pieces, then fed them into its maw, crunching them luxuriously as it enjoyed the burst of raw mana infusing its body. "Gwen, tell it to return to its lesser form," the instructor told her. "Caliban, Serpent!" Caliban focused on its meal instead. "You also have much to learn." Instructor Chen shook his head. "How did you manage to tame this creature? I find it difficult to believe that it would have come to you naturally. It is too powerful, too wilful and far too volatile." "It's a long story, Sir." "Next time then." Instructor Chen patted Caliban on the forehead of its faceless carapace and retreated from them. Gwen produced a piece of LDM and fed Ariel sneakily under her shirt, for Ariel had seen the instructor provide for its half-brother and was wondering if it too should take on the role of the troublemaker. After all, it appeared that Caliban got rewarded for harassing the Mage with the familiar scent. Instructor Chen returned to the bulkhead entrance of the section. "Your task!" Instructor Chen announced. "Is to temper the connection to your Familiars. Get them to remain in the Material Plane! You will eat with them. Sleep with them. Go to class with them. They will become a part of you, and you a part of them! They will not be unsummoned until you are OOM!" There were groans all around, but Gwen had to regard the nightmarish bulk of Caliban with alarm. Eat with Cali? Sleep with Cali? GO TO CLASS WITH CALI?

Thankfully, Instructor Chen meant that they would "soon" have to bear the burden of living with their Familiars. Of course, the students could choose to refuse, but that would imply taking a significant hit to their Academic Record. Once the roller coaster of emotions wounded to a halt, the student came to see the rationality of such a seemingly unreasonable request. For the vast majority of Frontier Conjurers, a Familiar was a tool, a thing, a resource. Chen's suggestion was akin to taking one's favourite mallet to class, lunch, and bed. Instead, Chen wanted them to see that their faithful companions were extensions of their bodies. Unfortunately for many young Mages present, when Lady Fortuna dribbled her lucky olive oil and gave them a Familiar, she did not concurrently bestow wisdom or experience. As such, A Familiar that was too intelligent, willful, or dominant may be less valuable than a dumb one. All Familiars were ultimately constructs of mana given animus and will by the Conjurer. They were tirelessly loyal but highly subject to the repressed emotions of the caster. Exhibit A was Luyi, a Spirit that was intelligent and fully sapient. Unfortunately, its owner was a nursery flower that couldn't control her emotions, which made Luyi a danger to herself and others. While Gwen observed the others and considered her lack of merits, the instructor continued. "To wield your Familiar with absolute trust, all you need is a decade of common experiences, eat together, sleep together under the stars, bath together in the blood of your enemies..." A few of the braver students laughed. "But, as we're no longer in the 70s and you're all scions of your precious Houses and Clans, we can't throw you into the trenches just yet. The academic board doesn't want to risk your precious lives. Your mummies and daddies would have our skins if you were to have a limb gnawed off by a Ghast. You're the special spark that keeps your Clan's inbred bloodline boiling. Thereby, you'll be given a milk run—to keep your Familiars out in public." Ouch, Gwen winced at Chen's depreciative insults. She also liked the man's candidness. It wasn't every day one met a man who gave no two shits about the Young Masters and Mistresses of the city. "THIS—is what you will need. For the duration of the course, it will be on LOAN to you." Instructor Chen introduced the students to what he called a Sustenance Bangle, a magical device that allowed one to keep Familiars out and about in docile form when worn. The moment a Familiar becomes aggressive or hostile, the bangle's circuit-break triggers and the Familiar is banished. To pass the course, the students must keep their Familiars out and about for at least seven days. "Why seven days?" Lu Fung asked carefully, nursing his abdomen. Gwen couldn't help but be impressed by the man's ability to pack away his ingrown arrogance so quickly. Like Dai, the young man knew when to kneel. Perhaps that was the secret to the Fung Clan's success. "Because you're all tit-sucking man-children," Instructor Chen informed them, making Lu's jaws clench. "During the Siege of Tianjin in '91, we Conjurers had to keep fighting for three weeks. If you can't keep a leash on your Familiars for even seven days, you can forget about sending them into the battle line alongside other Mages. What would happen if your precious Spirit berserks or causes friendly fire during an encirclement? Forget about being a Creature Conjurer. Go and work on your Spatial Magic or learn to Summon spell-fodder. Be a freight-Conjurer and work on your Teleportation. Either you learn, or you'll be wasting the lives of your Spirit Familiars." It took another ten minutes for the rant to conclude. Raising her hand, Gwen asked if it was necessary for her, who did not possess a Spirit, to undergo the same training. "Your control of your Familiars is abysmal." Chen shook his head critically at her. "For you to pass my course, there are two requirements. One, control your damn Familiars. They don't move a muscle without your express consent. Two, get your Familiars to work together; otherwise, you're just wasting your talent. You possess two elements! Do you even understand that? Dean Luo has especially asked me to take care of you, understand?" "Yessir!" Gwen half bowed, half curtsied to affirm the instructor's intentions. She promised to do whatever was needed to gain total control over her Familiars. "I'll be honest with you." Chen shrugged. "Never seen a Void beast before, don't even know if it's intelligent. Caliban acts like it is, but you never know. Just be careful, alright? Keep a tight leash on the thing even when you have your bangles." Gwen solemnly promised Ariel and Caliban would act in good faith. Instructor Chen turned to the rest of the group. "No more complaints? Very well then. Your extra-curriculums begins next week. In the meanwhile, we're going to go through some Master-Familiar bonding routines. Each of you, take a room." When they'd finally escaped from the Daishan Stadium, it felt as though a day and night had passed. Gwen felt physically and existentially exhausted, though reality informed her she still had Advanced Spell Shaping in the afternoon. Feeling in need of a pick-me-up, Gwen called Mayuree to see if she was available for a Luncheon. Her eager friend informed her that she could be and met her half an hour later, huff and puffing, at University Boulevard. Unexpectedly, they had a third wheel. "Hi, Kitty." Gwen waved at the dual-elemental Mage in possession of Ice and Air. Unlike Gwen, Kitty Liang was the true winner of the LCSS full scholarship and a genuine rival for the IIUC placements. "Gwen." Kitty inclined her chin. Perhaps because of her affinity with two elements known to produce aloof personalities, Gwen felt Kitty existed on a higher plane. When Kitty did speak, Gwen felt as though she was talking to a doll with a quiet and wispy voice, like the sound of wind whistling through the willows. The three found a trendy faux-Victorian joint for Afternoon Tea. Mayuree took a sandwich. Gwen took a plate of sandwiches. Kitty watched the other two eat while her petite fours thawed. "You need to eat, Hon." Gwen regarded the girl. Under her simple skirt, Kitty possessed arms and legs like sticks frail enough to be blown away by a stiff breeze. "I ate earlier. I just wanted to spend some time with Mia," Kitty replied airily. "You go on ahead." Gwen quickly ate her plate of sandwiches, then polished off three tiers of the tea set, scones and all. As a result of Caliban's present fullness, Gwen no longer felt the dizzying yearning for nourishment. But so long as she exercised her Void abilities, her body craved food and energy. Although the pleasure of delicious deserts could not compete with the existential satisfaction of Caliban's Consume, they blunted the edge of her hunger. Besides them, Kitty watched her eat with an expression between horror and awe. Perhaps to distract herself, Kitty engaged Mayuree in discussing her classes and instructors. Kitty had a room at the apartment, but she seldom slept over. "There are only six people in my class," Mayuree said happily. "I guess there are not that many high-affinity Diviners even in Fudan." "Mao helps us if everyone starts predicting the future," Kitty made a joke. "I am in the opposite position. Even in Transmutation 2021, there's over a hundred of us." 2021! Gwen's ears perked up. That's a second-year course. Both Kitty and Richard were way ahead of her in their Majoring School of Magic. For so long, she was so pleased with having access to multiple Schools of Magic, and now she was comparatively behind in all of them. Gwen listened to the girl' banter for another half an hour or so, nursing her Earl Grey and resting her mind. When the last dollop of cream was gone, she 'shouted' her mob the luncheon, then left for her Advanced Spellshaping. Advanced Spellshaping took place in the upper campus not far from the Henglong building. There were about a hundred students who attended the theoretically-aligned lecture. Their instructor was a handsome Magister called Michio Lee, a Singaporean expatriate who specialised in advanced Spellcraft algorithms. When Gwen eavesdropped on the girls sitting up front, she heard that Lee was from a family similar to Mayuree's House, the fourth son of a Frontier trade Consortium based in the fabled Fortress City. The first half of the lecture was mainly introductory fanfare. Lee spoke about the importance of having a metaphysical understanding of Spellcraft to create unique Signature Spells. He also outlined the immutable triangle of Spellcraft lore: the trifactor between Elemental Mana, School of Magic Sigils, and the Physical Body as the Triumvirate controlling the Arcane arts. Spells and Incantations, stated the Magister, were formulas that the predecessors of Spellcraft had left their descendants. Yet, as with bloodlines and primordial fauna, there was great potential in looking backwards for ancient, druidic, and even Demi-human arcanistry to find forgotten laws of causation and effect that humanity's predecessors had used to shape the elemental forces. "Often, we grow too obsessed with looking ahead, failing to see that so much of what we thought and sought as new knowledge—are instead forgotten by history, hidden by conflict, stolen and hoarded by Clans, Sects, and the Religions." Lee's accusation did not seem to align with at least half the cohort's view of the world; Gwen even saw a few students filing out of the lecture as the instructor grew more radical. "Think of China's Undead Incursions every Winter in the North East," Lee said sagaciously. "We fear the Undead, we loathe Necromancy—but so what?" The lecture grew silent. "Are we not the architects of Necromantic Magic? You and I, humans, are the ones who first raised the dead! In Egypt, the Cult of Anubis first reigned supreme under their God-King Pharaohs! Narmer! Khufu! Khafre! Each was peerless in their Necromantic craft. In our nation of the Central Kingdom, the Great Emperor of Qin, Ying Zheng was the Ruler of all under heaven; his tomb remains the greatest mausoleum known to humanity - the burial palace of a Necromantic God who sought to rule forever!" More students left the lecture. "The ancient teachers of Magecraft," continued Lee. "Promised impossibilities and performed miracles, shackled dragons and tethered demons. These modern masters transmuted life and formalised the rules to create the chimaera that we call Spellcraft. Thanks to human knowledge, we have penetrated the recesses of the Wildlands and hunted the Demi-human in her most secret hiding-places. They ascend into the heavens; they have discovered how the mana circulates and the secrets of the Astral Soul. They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers, mimicked creation, and mocked the invisible worlds of Positive and Negative Energy!" Murmurs of agreement floated from the upper lecture hall. "But I digress." Lee laughed, ignoring his students. "Necromancy is forbidden. The point—is that Spells are not arcane constructs confined in textbooks to be aped. All magic is a result of experimentation and hypothesis. Do not be afraid to test your limits. Break the rules now and then. In this world, you and I are all explorers. Those ancient Mages could find the tipping point of life and death through their curious enquiry of the world around them, so it should be no trouble for you too, to find new and novel ways to wield your magic for the benefit of humankind." This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The auditorium offered scattered applause as Magister Lee finished his lecture and retrieved the projection crystal he used to show the students historical anecdotes of magical experimentation and discovery. Gwen felt well instructed by the two-hour session, so much that she was still thinking about it when she finally arrived at the apartment, opening the door to find Petra watching the news. "Hey." Gwen walked over to the couch. Petra was bundled up in towels, waiting for her hair to dry. "How was your day?" Petra asked, stretching out her toes. "Oh—Pats." Gwen made a long face before leaning heavily into the armrest. "Where to begin?" Wednesday. Gwen underwent Supplementary Conjuration with Magus Kumiko in a class of about twenty students, practising the basics repeatedly to train for efficiency, consistency and proficiency. She then had a follow-up session with Petra, who aided her in consolidating the knowledge she had picked up throughout the week. "Well done! I'll be at the lab tonight, so don't wait for me." Petra surprised Gwen with her absentee notice. "Sure you don't want to grab a bite?" Gwen asked. It was almost six PM. "Got data to collate and reports to write." Petra lifted herself from the bench. "I have an errand for Master as well. I'll be home late." "I can bring you food," Gwen offered. "No, no. Go rest. Big day of classes tomorrow as well." "It's just Gen-Ed." "Which I know you love. Professor Ma is presiding. Go on; I'll be fine." Gwen bid her cousin good night, then retreated from the lab. She may be a part of Wen's cosy little study group, but Gwen knew she wasn't a part of the team but instead its test subject. Even now, Gwen had no idea what the scholar was doing with two Cubes full of Void Matter and Druidic Essence each fortnight and chose not to ask. All she could do was have faith that her allies were wise enough to not slaughter the golden goose for the malformed eggs in her oviduct. Once she was out, her mind shifted toward dinner. In all honesty, Gwen didn't want to eat out by herself. Her Caucasian-ness drew as much unwanted attention as her appetite, which when combined, became a spectacle. There was a seafood buffet on University Boulevard, and the one time she ate there, she had inadvertently recreated Homer Simpson's infamous display in the 'The Frying Dutchman'. She could eat home, but there was nothing but instant ramen at home. Neither of the girls was remotely good at housework, and as such, the fridge had nothing but a few pieces of ageing fruit, water, some juice and a slab of mouldy bread, which she should throw away before it became her third Familiar. Gwen gnawed her lips and considered her options, finally raising her Message band and punching in a Glyph. "Hey Mia, it's me, Gwen." "Yeah, listen, er… Have you had dinner yet?" "No, no, I am just downstairs." "Can I? That's wonderful!" "Okay, I'll be up in twenty!" Perfect! She thought to herself. Free dinner. Just her and Mia in the privacy of their own homes. There may be a stone-faced Kitty presiding beside them, but that was a risk she was willing to take. Gwen's grin froze. The pixie girl wasn't home, but Marong was. The man didn't technically even live at the apartment. But why was he so omnipresent whenever she came around? "Magister Lee's an interesting guy." Marong drew a serpent in the air with this smoke and watched it swim through space in front of his eyes. Earlier, Gwen had told Mayuree about her day—but Marong did not recuse himself from their girl's night-in. Above the dinner table, Gwen watched the serpent arch its back until it looked like a rainbow stretched across two smokey landscapes. Silently, she sipped her cranberry juice. Was Marong trying to hint at something, or was his 'display' merely a coincidence? The Rainbow Serpent incident during the Black Sun event was common knowledge by now, but only her Sister and Brother-in-craft knew of her involvement. Dinner itself had been a pleasure, consisting of meat and three veg and heirloom mushrooms. Marong had eaten a small portion of his steak, then contemplatively watched Gwen deliver piece after piece of bloody flesh to her lips. When Gwen began to glance over at his plate, the Smoke Mage told the maid to make her another portion. Later, Gwen furthermore polished off Mayuree's serving. "Michio Lee is famous for being an oddball, but he means well," Marong responded to Gwen's curious enquiry about dredging up the 'hidden knowledge' the Clans and Sects for the betterment of the greater Spellcraft community. "He's also from Singapore, so he's more Mageocracy than CCP, you get me?" "What are the Sects hiding, though? Signature Spells? Never-before-seen Arcana? Forbidden magic?" Gwen asked. Marong watched her face. Gwen felt a little heat touch her cheeks. Marong followed her gaze until it landed on Lei, their servant, in the middle of preparing desert. "Any Clan or Sect worth its weight has secrets." Marong scratched his brows to hide his misjudgement of her interest. "Mia and I are members of one of those 'Clans' your instructor despises so much. I can inform you that we have secrets, big ones, but nothing to the degree of Unique Schools of Magic." "Does such a thing exist?" "Of course, they 'exist'." Marong chuckled cooly. "Let me give you an example. Years ago, I had a Senior in Tsinghua who could cast a form of body enhancement that allowed him to leap several meters at a bound, walk on walls, and balance on tree branches as thin as your fingers. Think about what you would need to achieve the same thing. Spider Climb, Jump, Adhere and Enhanced Dexterity, to name a few, and that's assuming you could parkour. You know what parkour is?" Gwen nodded. "My Senior was a Jianshi, or Wushi, depending on your dialect. He refused to participate in the IIUC, but if he had, Tsinghua might not have lost." A Wushi? Like in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Gwen felt a strange thrill trying to imagine a Mage scaling walls while swinging a sword, finding the vision as ridiculous as it was enticing. After all, when a monster like Elizabeth Sobel could drain the life out of a city with ten million souls, what use were Romantic notions of close combat? It was the difference between a special forces unit and a WMD. Swordsmen had their applications, of course, as assassins perhaps, but wouldn't the other side also have an equal and oppositional force to defend their VIPs? A Jianshi made good storytelling, of course, not to mention fantastic propaganda, but they were hardly conducive to the outcome of a significant regional conflict. Mao certainly did not take China from the dynastic Clans by swinging his sword arm. "Lee also went on about Necromancy," Gwen continued. "Do you know anything..." "That's a topic best left well alone outside of academia," Marong warned her with a wave of his hand. "Pretty much everything north-west of Xian is gone to the dead. And yes, Humans did it." "But Lee said-" "His opinion is hardly original. Don't you think people thought of that already? That only the Undead could fight the Undead? That we should be developing Necromancy ourselves?" "Why can't China turn back the tide with its current forces? The news said we're holding steady and slowly progressing westward." Marong chuckled. Gwen was well aware she had been watching too many propaganda vid-casts, but to laugh at her was just rude. "Because they're the Undead!" Marong laughed, taking a toke on his cigarette and allowing the smoke to add to the constructed scenery, which now resembled the Great Wall. "This is not a war the PLA can win without opening itself to bigger problems down the road from the American and the British Mageocracy. Can the Chinese win? Probably. What's left after 'we' win? Not much. If they take Manchuria and North Korea, they'll lose their most precious advantage—the sheer volume of Mages they possess." "There isn't enough Mages in China of all places?" "Think about it; China has got a few million NoM soldiers and about six thousand Mages up at the Northern Front. The Public Information Bureau says around 12 million Undead or so, not including their Magic Casters. Now, where do you think the 12 million bodies come from?" "From graves?" Gwen said. Marong shook his head and gave Gwen a look with his darkly lined eyes that said, "Oh, you sweet summer child." "From us!" Marong chortled suddenly. "There wasn't even that many people in all of China when the Qin mausolea dug into the earth! The number of Undead sealed to serve the old Emperor would number no more than ten thousand, maybe twenty thousand! Now there's 10 - 12 million! There's no more than a few hundred thousand even with a dozen tombs. And Lichs? Draugs? Spectres? Wraiths? Death Knights? A few hundred at best. Now they number in the tens of thousands." Marong snorted sardonically. "It's us. Don't you see? The more living there are, the more become fodder for the Undead. The only way to stop the Undead..." Marong left the rest to her imagination. Above the Mage, the smoky Great Wall collapsed into nothing. "It's best to think of it the Undead incursion as a natural disaster, like Mermens," the Smoke Mage advised. "To be honest, it's best not to dwell. The threat is contained; that all the PLA is willing to do." Gwen wanted to ask more about this 'threat', but Marong seemed disinclined to discuss the matter further. "Do we have to participate in this defence?" Gwen changed topics toward something closer to home. "Goddess, I hope not." Mayuree made a face. "Fighting the Undead makes for a good career boost for the PLA and the CCP track if you're a free Mage. However, there's not much merit in dying for the government for the Clans and Sects. As for participation, Tower Mages are exempt from conscription, if that's what you mean." "There's conscription?" Gwen's voice lowered an octave. "For the NoMs, of course," Marong's voice droned on. "Gaps need filling, no? Humanity is trying to stop a flood, after all. There's a lot of bodies lying around, which is both the solution and the problem." Marong motioned to the distant horizon where they could see NoM habitat-blocks rising toward the heavens like swords stabbing into the sky. Gwen thought of the supersized apartment blocks with their underground facilities, mini hive-cities, all of them, where the NoMs made their living. Conscription? She should've known. If the country needed to supply the frontlines with bodies, how could she see those NoM structures as a socialist government doing the best for its non-magical citizens? Suddenly, the air around her grew suffocating. Her thighs prickled, spontaneously becoming plucked gooseflesh. Jesus, she thought, Shirley Jackson would have a field day. "Gwen?" Mayuree regarded Gwen's pallid complexion with worried eyes. "It's nothing," Gwen said, taking a deep breath. "Just indigestion's all..." Thursday. Thursday held the one class she and Mayuree attended together—Transmutation Utility. There were several such courses for the first-world Mages—Abjuration Utility, Transmutation Utility, Divination Utility and more. The idea was that there were essential spells from each School of Magic a Mage's party should never be without and which could be taught by rote learning. Thereby, "utility" spells were simplified versions of the spells available from each School, adapted for general use at the cost of potency and efficiency. Transmutation Utility covered most of the translocation spells necessary for general Adventuring, Combat, and Dungeoneering. Currently, her lesson involved the gradual mastery of Jump, Feather Fall, Levitation, Enhance Ability, Lock and Knock, Expeditious Retreat, Spider Climb, Dark Vision and Aqua Lung. Almost all of the students participating in the course were non-Transmutation students, but not so for Gwen. Her primary reason for taking the class was Levitation, a lesser form of "Flight", arguably the most helpful spell for a Junior Mage. At tier 3, however, mastery would likely use up the rest of the semester, which was fourteen weeks. "Without mobility, you are nothing but stationary turrets ripe for destruction," the instructor, a Magus named Canto Luo, a nephew of the Dean, told his students earnestly. "You will be a liability. Do not venture into a Dungeon without ensuring that your party possesses every possible means of mobility. Remember—dead Mages don't contribute to damage." Mayuree had no talent in Transmutation, but her natural intelligence and good breeding ensured that she could arguably follow the instructor's incantations without delay nor confusion. Gwen, meanwhile, could feel her long-neglected Transmutation Sigil pulse with eager luminosity as she alternated between Lock and Knock, abusing her abnormally large mana pool. "Good work, Gwen." Magus Luo nodded approvingly at her progress. The students split into a dozen stations. The class spent their training time moving from station to station, attempting various spells while under the careful, watchful eye of Instructor Luo. After just one afternoon, Gwen completed her tier 1 staples. When she arrived at the apartment building, she felt overcome with mischief and so carefully and meticulously made use of Expeditious Retreat and Enhance Strength. In one bout, she scaled twenty flights of fire stairs, then burst through the fire door into her apartment after casting a Knock, marvelling at the ease of her transit. Then, in the middle of her living room, her Transmutation wore off. "Ouch…" She felt the first cramp coming on. "OW—OW—OW—" Gwen collapsed onto the couch, her face ashen as her body took stock of the muscular fatigue forced onto her tender flesh, paying it back to her in full with compounded interest. Tears of regret gushed from her eyes as she sobbed helplessly into the micro-fibre fabric of the couch and laid unmoving like a corpse. Play stupid games. Gwen told herself between sobs. Win stupid prizes.

Petra massaged Gwen's stuttering legs as her cousin squirmed and groaned. "I am not a spell-bank, you know. Unless we're Adventuring, I don't stock up on those spells," Petra chided Gwen, who moaned as her masseuse's fingers worked over the inflamed flesh. "Transmutation Utility doesn't teach you the physiological and morphic aspects of these spells, so be careful with the revised Incantations. We can always get you a Transmutation Tutor in the future if you're so keen on getting up close and personal." "It was an idiotic fancy." Gwen gritted her teeth as Petra worked over a knot. "Turn around," Petra commanded. Gwen flopped over like a slab of grilling fish flipped by a chef. The sorry sight of her suffering made Petra laugh as she began work on her hamstrings, working her way down to the quads. "Is the Druidic Essence helping?" Petra asked. She had advised that Gwen focus on circulating her emerald Essence through her body to take advantage of its regenerative properties. "OW—" Gwen took in a breath of cold air. "I-I can f-feel the soreness fading away, but you're doing God's work, Pats." Earlier, her cousin had quite a shock when she opened the door to find Gwen transformed into a mass of convulsing flesh caught between the sofa and the coffee table. It wasn't until she poked Gwen with her foot in the buttocks that the girl began to scream blue murder. "Three more days to go, and you get your break," Petra advised her. "Feel like doing anything this Sunday?" "I think I am going to r-r-rEST!" Gwen whined when Petra pressed an elbow over her gluteus. "Delicately, Pats! You're breaking the girl!" Gwen felt a sudden tingle as her Divination senses pinged. "Er—Pats?" Above her, Petra snickered. Thursday. Gwen had practice, followed by Management coursework, followed by practice. It was only thanks to her abnormally large mana pool and her Druidic essence that Gwen was able to pile together two sessions bisected by her Gen-Ed, which served to restore her mana. From 0900 to 1200, she took to the practice field and focused on repeating her Conjuration incantations. First, she warmed up on cantrips, then moved her way up to Dimension Door, and finally on complex manifestations. For her advancement toward the fifth tier, Magister Wen had prepared a new Incantation for Gwen, contributed by Magus Kumiko. Based upon the altered Invocations used by Master Kilroy for Dark Tentacle and Faithful Hound, Wen had reverse-engineered three tiers of Summon Elementals: Minor, Lesser, and the namesake fifth-tier Summon. At first, Gwen was disparaged that she was forced to acclimate her method to the mundane variety. When she mentioned this to Magister Wen, the helpful Magister intervened, showing Gwen that higher spells were the same formulas, only with more support structure. Confidently, Wen informed the Void Conjurer that there was no reason why her Sigils couldn't process the usual formulas in Kilroy's Signature style, at least until tier 6, beyond which she would need to tap into supplementary mandala arrays developed especially for her altered-School. The rest was a matter of familiarity, accuracy, stability, and speed. Of all these qualities, speed was paramount to combat. The time it took to manifest magical phenomena varied from Mage to Mage. Gwen's staple escape spell, Dimension Door, was tailored especially for Magister Kilroy's speed and took just over a second at her present stage of expertise. Faithful Hound, a defensive spell with many conditional modifiers, took almost two minutes. Comparatively, Dark Tentacles took about four to five seconds, while sustained barrage spells such as Warding Bolt and Call Lighting each took two to three seconds. Gwen's display was well above an average arcanist but still far below an expert. And the difference between a novice and an expert, Magister Birch explained, was their theory work. For example, according to Magister Birch, the difference between "Summoning spells" and "Conjuration spells" isn't their similar function, but Spellcraft history. Conjuration originates from the Latin term _conjuratio_ , a phrase popularised during the shift between the Dark Ages of Middle Europe to the Golden Age of the Florentine Renaissance. For Europe, it was an epoch with many concurrences: the splitting of the Papal States into the warring factions of the Romagna; the birth of ocean-faring sorcery which began the age of colonisation; the rediscovery of Roman and Greek Faith Magic; the renewed interest in the notion of Republic—all of which made for haphazard progress. During its apex, Conjurers such as Johann Georg Faust, a German arcanist, discovered how to bind elemental forces onto human anima, allowing Humanity to 'control' and 'communicate' with creatures they once worshipped as divine. Meanwhile, Summoners, or spells that 'summon' creatures or things, were founded under far less academic circumstances. Archives as ancient as Egyptian hieroglyphs told of 'summoning' ancestral spirits, divine avatars, elemental gods, and so on. The phrase itself is a corruption of the Latin _evocatio_ , appropriated by the School of Evocation to mean the _summoning_ of raw elemental power. For Conjuration, a Summon thus represented the translocation of semi-sentient and mindless creatures compelled, but not controlled, by the Summoner. Unlike early Conjurers, Summoners infamously called forth all kinds of mayhem and chaos by accident. From Succubi-beings that toppled nations to accidentally calling out Elder Elementals from the Plane of Fire to the spread of Vampirism—most of Humanities' mishaps had ambitious Summoners at their centre. Birch's was a lesson well taught, for his warning closely matched her observations of "Summon Elemental", her new spell. When activated, a flood of leaping, howling, hooting creatures launched toward one's enemies, appearing and disappearing as her mana ran dry. What interested Gwen was also the selection of "creatures". The _minor_ creatures for "Minor Elemental Swarm" were swarms of sparks that flew toward her desired direction. The more mana she channelled, the greater the duration and volume of sparks that manifested. If she was willing to OoM, she could sustain the spell for a whole five minutes, thanks to her abnormally large mana pool. Gwen then attempted the tier 4 "lesser" variant but could only sustain the spell for a minute. Interestingly, the sparks now resembled insects or at least a host of creatures that moved like a swarm. As for the tier 5 variety, she had so far no success, only raging headaches from mana feedback. Nonetheless, it was good practice for her progress toward the next tier of expertise. Every moment of pain, nausea and suffering were all a part of conditioning her mind for the exponential complexity of interwoven Glyphs. For the growth of her Void Magic, Magister Wen had explicitly warned Gwen to leave her curiosity well alone until they could gather sufficient data. She had no desire for Gwen to be recorded in Spellcraft history as the first Void sorceress to waste herself during a mundane session of enthused practice. When she exited, sweat-soaked and pallid from the privacy of her practice room, she was met by several of her peers from the Conjuration class. "That's Gwen Song," she heard one of the students whisper under their breath. Gwen looked up toward the group waiting along the exterior corridor and prepared herself to greet them. However, she instead received disparaged glowers ranging from interest to loathsome stares. When she came close enough to inspect her antagonists, she saw their colour matched practice equipment and enchanted uniforms, as well as their similar facial features. Either these were a troop of six brothers and sisters—or these young Mages belonged to the Clan-Sects infamous to China's magical community. Gwen pulled her gym towel tightly around her bare shoulders, covering her collarbones. "Clanners", as Petra called them, saw all outsiders as the enemy, and they jealously guarded their secrets while hypocritically coveting the skills and talents of Mages they saw as inferior. These folk, Gwen reminded herself, were the very ones that Michio Lee wanted to crack open like an egg to scoop out their secrets. As the group approached, Gwen lowered her head and kept her gaze downcast, mindful of the slight tingling of her Divination Sigils. The group passed. Someone snickered. Somebody else whistled. Unsurprisingly, someone cracked a lascivious joke. Gwen swallowed the humiliation. Lucky for her, several of her subjects had Mid-Term exhibition matches, and some of these folk were in her classes. As such, her revenge was best served cold. "Miss Song, it's good to see you," James Ma, Professor and one of the overseers of their scholarship interview, greeted her as she entered the auditorium. "Is Mr Huang not with you?" "He's Adventuring until next week, Sir," Gwen replied meekly, not wishing to appear to possess the come-offish air of the Mages who thought themselves superior to the NoM scholar. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The professor seemed more relieved than disappointed at Richard's leave of absence. "I suppose we all have our priorities. Very well, take a seat." Gwen sat. Mayuree joined her a few minutes later, and the two cuddled up near the front. Unlike herself, the Diviner held no interest in Gen-Ed and needed only to pass the course. Comparatively, Gwen scribbled like a madwoman as Professor Ma dived into the history of magical governance. "Following the Leviathan Accord by Meister Thomas Hobbes, Non-Magical Humans were given rights of their own, becoming an integral part of human society," the professor spoke with a clear, articulate voice. "To trace the history of Hobbes' writing, one needs to acknowledge the French Meister and father of modern political philosophy, René Descartes; himself informed by classical predecessors such as Plato and Aristotle, who saw the merit in providing Non-Mages with a fighting chance at making themselves virtuous in a Human society." Gwen tried to imagine Plato, who also happened to be a fabled wrestler, as a Mage. "Note that during antiquity, Mages were divine heroes, sons and daughters of the Pantheon of Gods, so we mustn't anachronistically judge their limited understanding of egalitarianism." James Ma was an excellent lecturer, possessing a distinct aptitude Gwen admired. His gold-rimmed glasses glinted as he spoke, and the cadence and intonation of his speech made the somewhat dry lecture far more interesting than its subject matter. Unfortunately, very few of her peers shared her sentiment for social history. The class was meant to be three hundred strong. Right now, there were about a hundred of them in the lecture, and half of them were either listening with dazed expressions or quietly engaged themselves with private affairs hidden in the back row. As an NoM, Professor Ma couldn't challenge the students bodily, meaning he had to do his best with passion and rhetoric, hoping that at least a few of the Mages graduated with enough knowledge to have some sympathy for their NoM brothers and sisters. The first lecture was on Rights, or more precisely, on the "Universal Guarantee of Equal Rights to all Human Beings." Nonetheless, the passionate lecturer may as well be playing guzheng to the proverbial oxen. "It was the British Oxford Think-tank, headed then by the Meister John Locke, who first roused the idea of universal human rights for all. He stated that human rights should be an existential creed—a moral principle, enshrined and protected by all." "Note that Human Rights, in sharp distinction to the two-tier system of Mage and Non-Mage laws practised around the world pre-17th century, refer to the 'RIGHTS' to which a person is inherently entitled. This right is inalienable regardless of nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status. This 'right' is an egalitarian, universal constant, the very thing which separates us from the Demi-humans. It is a rejection of the proposals made by Meister Darwin." Mayuree snuggled against Gwen's arm, opened a bleary eye, and closed it again. Unlike for Gwen, the lecture was for Mayuree a sweet lullaby. Gwen eagerly jotted down the keynotes to Professor's Ma's informative representation of what she internally termed the NoM-Mage Apartheid. "Some of you will one day be given a demesne to govern on the Frontier. As steward representative of your Tower or Provincial governorship, you will hold the power of life or death over the citizens under your care. You may be the protector of a township, the Arbitrator of a district, the Paladin of a Tower, or even the Tower Master him or herself, presiding over millions of lives." "It is then, and only then, will you realise that all humans, NoM, Mage or otherwise, bear the burden of upholding the rights of their fellow citizens. Yes—holding so many lives in your hands may prove a stressful affair, but it is necessary for the survival of mankind. _Think!_ Why else does Humanity persist today as the most prosperous terrestrial race on Earth? The Mermen far outnumber us. The Elven race possesses far greater knowledge of Spellcraft. The Dwarves are more industrious and wiser. And the Dragonkin are to us, what Gods are to insects. BUT, why is it that Humanity, whose practice of Spellcraft only began in earnest during the Spellcraft Revolution at the turn of the 19th century, have such dominion over the continents? Why is it that we, who are weaker by all accounts, continue to survive and prosper, despite the fall of Frontier and city, year after year?" As the lecturer's voice rose, the entire lecture now grew attentive. "It is because of Good Governance!" The lecture's interest instantly waned. "The rule of Law! The respect for NoMs and Mages! The working together of all of Humanity! That is how we survived! We have produced more Mages in the last fifty years than all of Humanity's histories put together since the time of the Magi Moses and the coming of the Prophet Jesus Christ! Right now, more Mages are serving in the frontlines, the cities, studying to become Magus and Magisters like yourselves, than any other time in the history of the human race!" " _Good governance_!" the professor reiterated. "That is the greatest power of all and the most difficult thing to master in the world." Gwen completed her notes with a flourish. Her eyes glowed with passion and enthusiasm. Ma's lecture was fantastic! Such wisdom! Such sagacity! Such foresight! Gwen felt giddy with ambition, her skin crawling with goosebumps. She could do it! She could bring forth a democratic utopia if she inherited a demesne! At the very least, she could make her subjets no longer suffer the yolk of unemployment and existential nihilism. She would endow her people with purpose and produce! She would make the Mages see sense in raising the NoMs toward meaningful participation in society! But that was for a very distant future. Right now, she was short on rent. "Finally—there will be an excursion to District 108 and District 35 in Week Six." Professor Ma pulled out an image of a sprawling hive city shot from the air. Gwen recognised it as a 'forest' apartment block for NoMs on the Third Orbital Ring. "If you wish to participate, sign off a Security Clearance form 10-B outside the drop box beside my office." After the professor concluded the lecture and finished issuing homework reading and reports, Gwen shook herself from the revelry of new knowledge and turned to wake Mayuree. The girl slept sweetly beside her, curled up like a kitten, a sliver of drool leaking from one corner of her lips and forming a silvery thread across Gwen's dark yoga pants. Gwen watched the Diviner's eyes flutter slightly. "Is it time for lunch?" Mayuree asked groggily. "You bet it is." Gwen chuckled, helping her companion into an upright position. "Let's go get some fish'n chips. I got another three hours of Evocation practice after." Friday. The Tower technician that came to install her LRM Projector was a young bloke who grew increasingly sweaty in the presence of the "Flower of Fudan" and her cousin. Unlike the bloke's interest in herself and Petra, Gwen found herself drawn to the technician's work, particularly the magical tools he used to melt the concrete, embed the mana cables, then re-seal the lot. When finally the LR Message Projector was completed, Gwen thanked the man and gave him a few LDMs as a tip, which he politely refused. "It's an honour," the young man explained, still starstruck from the looks of his breathlessness. "The order came from the Pudong Tower itself." He then showed her how to power up the device and left his card if she had further need of his services. Gwen sent the man away with a smile, then stood for a minute to admire the international communication device. Now, she could talk to Yue and Elvia, not to mention Gunther and Alesia. With a bit of patience, she could even commune with Opa and set Richard up with his parents. But first, she had her final class of the week, Economics. As before, the Gen-Ed for Economics took place on the upper campus. Gwen quietly pushed through the door and snuck into the lecture hall; happily, the professor ignored her. Mayuree waved, and Gwen walked up the aisles until she reached her companion. "Hey there, Kitty." Gwen waved to the girl beside them. Kitty gave a half-nod, then turned back to her note-taking. Currently, the lecture was on the history of currency. "… The first instance of Mana Crystals used as currency was undertaken unknowingly by the Church-Templars from the 12th-century Crusaders escorting members of the nobility on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Though the four major Crusades against the then indomitable Elemental Sultanates between the 12th century and the 14th century remained a failure, it nonetheless opened up the Mediterranean to commerce and travel, consolidating Papal leadership, galvanising medieval romance, philosophy, and of course—Economics." The topic was right up her alley as she scratched her notes with an expert hand. Gwen was by now getting used to her data slate, which was just like a Kindle Paper-White, only powered by arcane mystery. Nevertheless, Gwen reminded herself that any technological device of sufficient advancement was no different from magic. The people of this world may call meteors from an alternate dimension—but her world had smartphones and the internet. A Mage may be able to conjure an amorous Incubus of some kind, but could they stream Gangnam Style their Message devices? Below, the lecturer was unaware of Gwen's smug superiority. "As it was near impossible to transport precious metals and large volumes of coinage, High-Density Mana Crystals, then the currency of Wizards, Warlocks and Sorcerors, became popular as a trading currency. Across the aeons, mercantile empires then rose and fell with the onset of disasters both natural and supernatural. Too much hoarding of crystals attracted Magical Beasts sensitive to such things as Dragons, while too little led to ambition and conflict. It was only after the Undead incursion of WWI that the newly formed League of Nations established the World Banking Regulations Body, where the G9, a collection of Western Nations, joined by the U.S from the New World, brought legislative recognition and fiscal management to crystal trading." "As is common knowledge, Mana crystals, as a resource essential to Spellcraft and Magi-tech, is generated from Astral Rifts. HDMs are longitudinally perpetual but finite in volume due to the difficulty of harvesting them. As the backbone of a resource-backed economy, it is a perfect commodity currency. At any period, there is a finite volume of crystal producing regions, and this reserve is set against market trends and needs of our Tier 1 economies. Such predictability then affords the LDM and the HDMs their role as the currency choice of not only Humanity but Demi-humans as well." Eureka! Gwen heard her old, economics-major self cry out. _Crystals are friggin Petrol-Dollars!_ No wonder the fiscally infantile economy of this world never collapsed! Before the Americans created a stranglehold on petroleum in her world, the world economy pre-WWII was rife with instability, exploitation, economic bubbles, and fiscally irresponsible governments printing currency like toilet paper. That was the whole hog! Why could the U.S quantitatively ease their economy almost indefinitely after the GFC? Why was it that the U.S could outspend the G19 on military single-handedly? It was because it had an infinite capacity for inflation without upset—for the only way to drastically devaluate the U.S dollar was to unpin its stranglehold over crude oil! So long as other economies used petroleum in their lifeblood, the Petrol-Dollar was immortal! In her old world, the banking industry had drunk the milk of carbon-paradise, and to exit its embrace was death. Comparatively, "Terra's" economy functioned on the stuff of legends, the Crude of the Gods! Clean, self-perpetuating, virtually infinite Crystals growing from the Earth where the foundation between the Prime Material and the Astral grew thin! It was as though the Reserve Bank was the Earth itself! A self-capitalised reserve bank with infinite capacity and zero interest rates! The financial systems of this world could operate like an inebriated motor-hoon, and they still wouldn't veer into bankruptcy. Here, the only way for a nation to lose everything was to lose its Mages and NoM labourers, thereby its capacity to extract crystals. No wonder no one saw the need to keep the NoMs employed and productive. No wonder almost all gainful employment involved venturing into the Wildlands and fending off the encroachment of the wilderness, the Magical Beasts and the Demi-humans. No wonder the socialism in this world treated the NoMs like bodies bred to fill gaps. No wonder the capitalists had little regard for creating hegemonic conglomerates. No wonder slums like Blackheath were a dime a dozen in Sydney. In its particular way, this world had already reached a self-perpetuating equilibrium; its macro and microeconomics balanced by a resource that was infinite and self-regulated. No wonder—Gwen felt a sudden sadness overcome her weary soul, no wonder only the NoMs engaged in disorganised finance. No wonder the Frontier was rural and exploited. As a Mage, all she had to do was open up new vistas on the Frontier and all the currency that grew within her demesne— Ws her's alone. For the lack of a better phrase, her money would fall from thin air!

Gwen felt intoxicated when she stumbled out from the lecture, followed closely by Mayuree. Her MBA! Less valuable than Yue's ability to provide Firepower! Firepower! Firepower! She stumbled back to the apartment like a ghost and buried herself into the soft linen folds of her bed. EVEE! EVEE! EVEE! She chanted like a Mantra. This whole time she'd imagined herself taking to economics like a duck to water, now she felt like a cat that'd accidentally slid into a cold bath. She wanted to hug something so badly! But she wouldn't receive Evee's Glyph until her companion's communication device was authorised. She could try to contact Alesia or Yue, although 3 PM might be a little too early considering the timezone. "Gwen, are you okay?" Mayuree peeped up on the other side of the bed, eyeing her companion worriedly. Gwen opened a bleary eye, and Mayuree saw a predatory glint spark from Gwen's hungry gaze. "Gwen? E—eek!" Gwen arrested the unsuspecting Mayuree and hugged her fiercely, feeling the softness of the girl under her as she rested her chin on Mayuree's soft head of dark brown hair. The girl grew beetroot, turning rigid as Gwen held her, unmoving, for five whole seconds. "Okay!" Gwen breathed out, releasing Mayuree from her enveloping arms. "Thanks, Mia, I needed that." Mayuree's chest rose and fell. Her mouth moved several times to make a sound, but the petite young woman felt like a Displacer beast and took her tongue. Gwen sat upright on her bed. "Sorry," she apologised. "It's alright. Are you okay now?" "I am okay." "What was that about?" "Nostalgia? Impulse? Sentiment? When I was in Sydney, a friend, Elvia, was close to me. She was a dear little thing, a tiny blonde angel. She's a healer, but she's gone off to England to study abroad." Gwen sighed and met Mayuree's amber eyes. "You reminded me a little of Elvia. I didn't hurt you, did I?" "No, no." Mayuree's complexion resembled a cooked lobster. "I am still in one piece." "Great, I am glad to hear it!" Gwen chuckled, then felt the call of the Void. "Are you hungry? I am famished." "Coming up then? Ah-lei can make us something. Anything you like." "If it's not too much trouble." "Ha! Of course not!" Mayuree replied richly. Well, not for you, Gwen thought sardonically, unable to help herself. Still, there was no point wasting Mayuree's generosity; it wasn't as though Ah-lei would be freed from the labour of making lunch for her young Mistress if she didn't attend. Gwen bounced off her bed, sending the small Mayuree tumbling away. "Is western okay?" Gwen inquired, offering the girl a hand. She regretted the puerile act she had committed earlier, but she had felt in a childish mood. It was just one of those days. Maybe her anticipation for the conference with Elvia was subconsciously altering her habits. Now and then, whenever she missed her Evee, her insides felt like the interior of an ants' nest. "Whatever you want." Mayuree grinned at her friend. "Whenever you like!" _Beep-KeeeEEE—HUUUUUU- PSSSSSST- Ka-ka-ka—Ssss—HSSSSS!_ The LRC Device made an infernal noise that resembled two cats mating violently. Having survived the days of dial-up, Gwen found the sound more endearing than grating; she knew that the din of kitty-love was, in fact, Divination glyphs in search of a target. _Click—_ a projection appeared of a woman in a red cotton nightie. "Jesus Christ, who the fuck is this? Do you know what time it is?" A bleary-eyed Alesia scowled at the projected image. "Alesia?" The vision of offended femininity turned her face toward the prism. "Gwen?" Alesia's brows took on a life of their own. "Hi!" Gwen made a mental note that this particular Glyph was Alesia's home address. "Oh wow! You got it installed?! Good work, Tiger!" "How's it going, Sister?" "Recovering, chugging along. How about you? Bloody hell, you look right buggered." "Erg, how bad does it look?" Gwen placed a finger under her eye to prod her eyebags. "I guess I've had a big week." "You look like something a drunk dingo dragged into the camp, haha!" Alesia laughed at her own Outback humour. Gwen joined in, genuinely appreciating the outback humour. "Well, you're looking rather nice. Nightie and all. Waiting for somebody to slip into bed?" "Sure, in my dreams. How about you, huh? Shaking your tail feathers at all the young fellers up there in Shanghai?" "Oh, I was flat on my back all week—thanks to a week of CLASSES! Christ. It feels like tests have taken over my life. I assure you, Sister, I have had no time for the lads." "I find that had to believe," Alesia chided Gwen's rebuff. "Surely there are some hot hunks in Fudan. It's a tier 1 city! There's sure to be a yummy someone to catch your eye, yes? You're young! Live a little, don't sleep on a cold bunk!" By now, Gwen was beside herself. Trust Alesia to act the old wand! Wasn't she the thirty-something virgin? A female Wizard? The gall of this woman to mock her young and innocent heart! Speaking of which, Gwen was suddenly reminded of how her Sister-in-craft and Gunther are getting along. "Enough about my amorous adventures, how about you, Sis? Are you and Gunther now making the beast-of-two-backs?" "—Wow. Christ, Gwen." Alesia reprimanded her churlishly, her face glowing. "How do you come up with this stuff!" "Um—are you saying you haven't progressed at all? Fine, I give consent! There. What are you waiting for?" "He's busy, and that's not an excuse either, just the reality," Alesia's voice took on a more serious note. "But, we're together now, at least." "Oh ho ho!" Gwen made her eyebrows wiggle expressively. "No! Get your mind out of the gutter," Alesia blasted back in good humour. "He's worried about my health. You know, he still cooks for me sometimes." Gwen felt the sting of being single. Gunther's cooking was divine. "He's running the reconstruction of an entire city, and he's got the time to cook for you? Girl, you have to jump that bone before some other hussy gets him!" "Gwen!" Alesia rocked backed and forth. "You've become such a naughty girl! How many boyfriends have you had?" "I've been living cleaner than a nun in a cloister," Gwen replied tacitly. The two women traded a few more jabs before moving on to the matter of Gwen's subject selections, of which Alesia approved. "I can be your Transmutation tutor in the future," Alesia announced confidently. "Anyway, since we missed your birthday, Gunther and I have sent you a care package. It'll take a while to clear Customs, though, especially in China. I hope it gets there in one piece." "I'll look out for it, thanks, Sis!" "Anytime, Sis!" Alesia's smile was so warm and inviting Gwen felt her heart flutter. "Anyway, you know these LRC calls cost an HDM per minute, right?" "What?" "Ahahaha!" Alesia snorted. "I hope you're not low on funds!" "I'll get a job," Gwen said miserably. So much for all-nighter calls with Elvia or Yue. "Okay, I'll let Yue know it's set up. And get someone to chase up Elvia. It's a two-way charge, by the way—bloody Diviner-Communication companies. Probably run by vampires. See you later, Tiger!" "See ya," Gwen watched as the device died. She looked at the clock. 15 HDMs. Yes. It was time to look into part-time jobs. Saturday. Gwen emerged from Magisters Wen's session feeling like a cat stuck in a tumble dryer. How absurdly long was her week? She hadn't felt that kind of elongated distortion of time since she was training under the schedule set by her Master. Yet, now with half a day to herself, she had no idea what to do. Petra was busy. Mayuree was off to see her family. Richard worked like a madman. Neither Mina nor Tao was available. She couldn't just call babulya out of the blue and ask her impossibly busy grandmother to keep her company. Her father was out of the city. Her uncle was probably saving the world on a secret mission. Percy? Gwen baulked at the thought. It was so strange how complicated life seemed when one had a family. In old Sydney, she could spend whole weekends cooped up with two cats that kept her company, a good book on her Kindle, and a bottle of Mexico's best-distilled agaves by the sideboard. Paper White in hand, she would lounge languishingly on the porch overlooking the ocean, a Tequila Sunrise sweating against the Australian sun, a kitty or two nuzzling at her ankle. Later, when her body grew stiff, she would do a little yoga and meditate to the sound of the ocean. She thought of all this. Then returned to the training hall. And on the seventh day, Gwen rested. As Petra and Richard were both out, she called for takeout. After receiving looks of pity from the NoM delivering a family-sized lunch, she sat down by the kitchen table and ate by herself. She then cleaned up, switched on the LRM Device, then sent a Message for Yue to call her when she was back in town. Then she went back to sleep. At 5 PM, she left the apartment and jogged around the neighbourhood, from University Boulevard down to Guoding, from Guoding Rd to the second campus, then doubled back through the tree-lined centre of Fudan to the Guanhua Towers. From there, she took a sprint down toward her apartment, then cooled off in the garden. Her muscles, so disastrously worn out by her experiment with Transmutation, had rallied around her Druidic Essence. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. As she materialised a towel and wiped her face down, she saw a Blue-Green utility vehicle with the label "Greenland Construction Group" imprinted on the side panel. A familiar figure stumbled out from the passenger side, spoke at length with the driver, then stumbled toward the entrance. "Richard! Jesus! Are you alright?" Gwen rushed over to her cousin. Richard looked as though he'd lost five kilograms overnight. His face was sallow, and his skin had a sickly tinge. He peered up at Gwen with eyes that were on the verge of exhaustion. The kind-faced old guy in the Van gave Richard a look of empathic misunderstanding and a thumbs up before driving off and honking the horn twice. "Yo. I am back." "Good God, Richard, what happened?" Gwen caught her cousin. "Just a little incident, nothing too serious." Richard immediately attempted to diffuse her anxiety. "I just received a few Cure Moderates, so ol' blood-bag is right as rain. Don't you worry?" "Dick!" Gwen wrapped his arms around her neck to support her friend. "This is not a laughing matter! Where did you go? Who was that in the car with you?" "The foreman, he's got another two blokes in back, but I think they should pull through." "Jesus, tell me what happened." They entered the lift. "Nothing catastrophic, if you must know," Richard articulated tiredly. "Damned River Mermen didn't uphold their part of the ceasefire. They collapsed an upper section of the Dam we were working, flooded the entire lower-valley past the Yellow River up South-East Nantong." Gwen could almost imagine the raging torrent of water-bearing down on her cousin, bringing with it construction concrete, boulders, rebar, and other debris. "Are you wounded? Do you need more healing? I could ask babulya or Mina to come." "No, it's fine." Richard had no desire to leave unfulfilled favours in his wake. "Boss shouted me two potions already. I am just a little dizzy, is all. The healing took a lot out of me." Gwen wasn't a healer, but she could tell Richard had sustained a potentially fatal wound. "Oh, a few cracked ribs, contusions, internal bleeding, that sort of thing. But everyone lived!" "Struth, Dick." Gwen deposited him on the soft sofa. "How are you now?" "I feel like shit." "What do you need? I'll get it for you, anything." "Got something to eat?" "I'll call take out." "I need… meat. Something with iron in it." "You got it!" As they waited for takeout, Gwen demanded Richard relate every detail. In pursuit of Contribution Credits, Richard had answered a Quest from his foreman for a clean-up crew to clear out Magical Monsters from their construction zone. Richard's team spent two weeks clearing out the monsters with limited success. As with anything involving large masses of water, creatures tend to hide in the nooks and crannies of the meandering river. Even with Lea's ability to displace liquid, they struggled with completing the Purge request. On the fifth day, Richard's party ran afoul of Gill-Gobs, or Mer-Goblins, ravenous little creatures resembling Goblins with jaws built like that of piranhas. These creatures were hyper-aggressive, with a tendency to swarm when the pack grew too large for their underwater warren or when their homes were destroyed—which was the case. Richard held off a dozen single-handedly, but there were well over a hundred, each more agile in the water than even Richard with Lea's aid. Again and again, he regenerated Shields for himself and his allies, pulling them from the water, but even so, they were overwhelmed. Richard did his best, but it wasn't until help arrived in the form of a construction Golem dropping ten tons of gravel that he had his hair-breadth escape. By the time he swam to shore, Richard was wounded all over his body and soon lost consciousness thanks to blood loss. After that, he woke up in Shanghai Metropolitan Hospital. "Bloody oath..." Gwen felt her tear ducts loading up on Water Bolts. She had considered the possibility of Richard becoming injured before, but this was a return ticket to the afterlife and back, and it had come out of nowhere! She wasn't one for tears over the odd broken bone, but Gwen couldn't prevent her mind from spinning like a top when she considered that, but for a healing potion, she might have lost Richard. "It's only to be expected," Richard tried to assuage her growing paranoia. "Who doesn't get injured while Adventuring?" "But not like this! You almost died!" Gwen knelt by her cousin's side and cupped his face. "You're not allowed to die on me, do you understand? Under no circumstances can you die." "I understand." Richard closed his eyes and gave her an assuring smile. "I didn't mean to put myself in that much danger. It was an unforeseen accident." Gwen wanted to say something akin to 'never again', but she wasn't a naive waif anymore. If she desired Richard to accompany her on the IIUC tour, it was with absolute certainty that their life and limb were on the line. When the food arrived, delivered by the same NoM from lunch, Gwen sat by Richard's side and tore up his order of baby-back ribs, feeding her cousin by the spoonful. Petra arrived an hour later, just after 7 PM. "I went and collected a Lesser Restoration from Babulya." Without knocking, she opened the door and strode toward Richard with a Spell-cube in hand. "Dropped by the hospital as soon as I got your Message. Mina's on-route as well." "I'll be fine," Richard chuckled painfully. "It's just a scratch." "You were almost worm-meat!" Gwen protested. "Nonsense!" Petra allowed the spell to diffuse Richard's body. "He'll be fine after some bed rest." A warm glow suffused Richard's body. "Well, that's nice." Richard breathed out. "You don't realise until after the fact how much healing takes out of you." "It's possible to die from healing, as stupid as that sounds," Petra advised. "Your boss means well, but he's an idiot. Two potions could have hollowed you out entirely. How badly were you wounded?" "He couldn't have gotten you a Restoration?" Gwen interjected critically. "You should have asked for a transfer to the 2nd PLA Hospital," Petra continued. "Too true, Richard. Babulya would have taken care of you." Richard shook his head. "I'd rather not owe them anything, the Songs, I mean." Her cousin's answer caught Gwen off guard. Hadn't she boasted only weeks ago that she'd broken free, weaned off the teat? Petra slapped Richard on the back of the head. "Don't be a prideful idiot!" she scolded him, her eyes glancing at Gwen. "You think Babulya cares about that? Don't think so little about our grandmother!" "Okay..." Richard gave a half-hearted promise. "Promise me you'll ask Babulya for help next time," Gwen demanded. "Of course," Richard replied. "Thank you, both of you." "Where's Lea?" Petra asked curiously about Richard's usually very inquisitive Spirit. "She's tired, resting," Richard assured them. "Defending the others took a lot out of her." Which meant whatever attacked them had been strong enough to destroy Lea's morphic form. Gwen realised. Richard wasn't telling them the whole truth. _Clack—_ For the second time, the door opened without being knocked on. "Richard!" Mina came into the room and made a beeline for the Water Mage. "Oh, Mao! You look terrible!" Her cousin immediately revved up her best healing spell. "Mina, He's already got a—" Petra tried to stop their overzealous cousin. "Restoration!" The mid-tier spell consumed the ingredients in an instant. In the next second, a surge of excessive Positive Energy forced the immortal part of Richard was out of his body. "Richard!" "Richard!" "Richard!" "Too… too much Restoration—" Richard's eyes were rolling toward the back of his head as the Positive Energy ravaged his physical form. The girls watched the Water Conjurer convulse. "Dick, are you alive still? Should I call Babs?" Gwen asked carefully. Her cousin pulled himself up by the armrest and regarded the three girls. Gwen found herself kneeling by his side. Petra stood impatiently by the other armrest, one hand resting on her hips. Mina's eyes were misty with anxiety. "Er..." Richard awkwardly moved his legs. Gwen grew instantly distracted by Richard's growing haleness. Petra followed Gwen's gaze, her face transforming from worry to passivity, then into her usual frigidity. Mina's face took on the warmth of molten magma. Gwen supposed that it was only natural. After all, Eros and Thanatos were the Freudian forces that constituted the human condition. "Too much healing," Richard muttered weakly. "All the blood has gone from my head." But there was no one to answer him. The door slammed, and the girls were gone. On Tuesday week, Gwen received her Sustenance Bangle—two of them. One white and one black, colour matched to her Familiars. As instructed, Gwen channelled her Conjure Familiar through the wrist-rings, first calling forth Caliban, who emerged in its serpentine form, then Ariel as a horned marten. Even in its principle shape, Caliban was monstrously large, well over seven feet of obsidian glass sculpted with interlocking, semi-transparent chitin. Ariel, thankfully, juxtaposed Caliban in its fuzzy and adorable docile form, staring at the world with golden eyes sparkling with curiosity, sniffing its surroundings with its dark nose. Her fellow students had their Familiars out as well. Eunae with her doe. Ji with his tiger-cub. Bao, with his waterbird. Ming, with his floating koi. And Lu with his sweet-as-anything Lightning Hawk. They kept a distance away from Gwen, who stood with a cute marten over one shoulder, and what looked like an abominable amazonian armoured earthworm coiled around her white ankles. "Acceptable." Instructor Chen finished inspecting the lot of them. "Now, we go for a walk." The troop began to shuffle out from the underground, emerging into the daylight of Fudan's secondary campus. The Bestiary students immediately caused a stir as they stepped into the public space, drawing eyes from all over. Mages and passersby from the surrounding area began to gather as they gleefully pointed out the unusual nature of each Spirit and approximated their owner's origins. Then the crowd fell silent as Gwen emerged with her twin Familiars. "SHAA—!" She could sense Caliban's burgeoning hunger through their empathic link. Caliban did not ask for permission before it slithered away and made a line for what Gwen presumed was a Positive-Energy channeller. The fresh-faced young man was pointing at Caliban and saying something to the tune of 'Wocao! What the fuck is that?!" when the serpent about-faced him. "Caliban! Back!" Gwen commanded her pet. Caliban reared to its full height like a cobra, almost a meter and a half off the ground, and attempted to halt itself before it ran into its unfortunate victim. "Arrrrragh!" The young man understandably screamed like a woman. "Eeee!" his girlfriend joined in soprano. "EE-EE!" Ariel scolded Caliban. "Shaa—Shaa—" Caliban sang. The crowd understandably went wild. "Caliban! No! Come back!" Gwen pleaded with her wild Familiar. But, it was too late. A volley of relatively harmless Magic Missiles struck her Void Familiar, causing it to open its carapace and actively demand from Gwen the vitality needed to activate its combat form. Before she willed it to back down, the Bangle kicked in, and Caliban was gone. When the culprits realised they had attacked someone's Familiar, they quickly fled the scene, with the crowd breaking into scattered cheers and mocking jeers. The rest of her classmates looked over at Gwen with expressions of disbelief, schadenfreude, and amusement. Instructor Chen pinched the bridge of his brow. Gwen felt an ardent desire to flee the scene right there and then, but her pride did not allow such a pitiful display of surrender. She made sure that despite the beetroot complexion of her face, she was in complete control of her body language. Placing one leg in front of the other, she regally rejoined the others, wearing Ariel like a minx-scarf around her neck. "Pitiful," Instructor Chen snorted mercilessly. "Go home and meditate. Work on bonding sessions. Run routines until they learn to stay by your side." "I could manage with Ariel," Gwen retorted defiantly. Chen shook his head. "Go home," he commanded. Defeated and humiliated, Gwen stalked from the scene, aided by her new mastery of Expeditious Retreat. The rest of Week 2 began with a bang. Ariel slept smugly on the thousand-thread count bed sheets. Caliban slept in a cot that Gwen had purchased and was covered with a plastic tarp. The netherworld worm had a tendency to drool in the middle of the night, and the first night she'd shared a bed with it, she awoke at 1 AM with a pool of viscous goo collecting across her chest and arms as the sleepless serpent meandered back and forth listlessly. Then, on the second night, she realised an even bigger problem. Caliban, a thing of the Void, did not sleep. Like a bleary-eyed mother, she had awoken in the middle of the night, startled and upset, to find Caliban wandering the bedroom, snuggling up in her clothes or digging up her trash. By morning, it had consumed three pairs of thankfully non-enchanted intimates, including a favourite bra. Comparatively, Ariel had controllable bouts of curiosity and mischief, whether running into traffic to investigate a particularly loud vehicle, harassing student Mages for Crystals, or zipping across sidewalks to startle the innocent sausage vendor. Following Instructor Chen's advice, she began taking both Familiars into the garden to run routines with a "shadowing" technique. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. If they succeeded, then it was LDMs treat time. Sit. Wait. Hold for 10 seconds. Reward again! Unlike unintelligent pets, Familiars have an Empathic Link with their Masters and thus, what the Master wished. Therefore, she had to establish unambivalent dominance to polish up the mental control of her pets. Ariel trained like a duck to water, but Caliban remained easily distracted and skittish. According to her Instructor, there was little else for her to do but keep desensitising her pets to external stimuli and creating a strong sense of discipline and routine. If she could get her Familiars trained in their passive form by Week 7, she could move on to Combat Training. If not, he would advise her to give up on being a Creature Mage until such time that her Conjuration becomes sufficiently forceful to compel her Familiar into absolute obedience. However, taking that route meant her Familiars need always be weaker than herself by half a tier. As such, Gwen had no intentions of giving up. Whatever it took, she was determined to pin Caliban's dogged will under her stiletto heels.

By the third week, Gwen could take Caliban out for a jog without inciting a public incident. At the same time, it didn't take long for a new 'Great Mystery of Fudan' to circulate the campus. "If you go to Gouding Rd and Unversity Bullevarde around 8 AM, you may see a ghostly gweilo beauty jogging with a Mongolian Death Worm." It was an absurd rumour, of course, but then Lumen-Pics began to circulate of a beautiful girl in varying sports-tops fleeing from a monstrous Death Worm. Thankfully, Gwen was by now blissfully immune. If passersby wanted images of Caliban, who was she to deny them? She was in public and on common land. Her routine traversed through Fudan's shaded avenues, where the early spring's wind hung heavy with moisture as it blew through blooming sycamores and mulberries, filling the air with the fecund scent of future fruit. With an elfin grace, she meandered between the dappled trees, her hair swaying from side to side. Fellow joggers, able-bodied and clean-cut, nodded as she passed, then fled Caliban at thrice her cadence. Her monstrous 'Mongolian Death Worm' trailed closely behind, slithering across the pavements with its rasping, chitinous underbelly raking the pebble path. Despite lacking a 'face', the worm seemed to sense its surroundings, avoiding the occasional pale-faced pedestrian too weak with revulsion to flee. Occasionally, when the armoured creature grew tired, it split its obsidian carapace four ways and panted from its lamprey's mouth, drooling profusely as its tentacled tongues tasted the air. That was when the sidewalk became a private resting area. Occasionally, Chengguan stopped them—though the city guards were polite to a fault, more often asking Gwen for a Lumen-pic to show their colleagues. As Lumen-recordings of the woman and worm spread, Gwen's infamy grew. At first, Gwen would presume the news of her Void talent would catch the popular imagination, but alas, it was Gwen's cohabitation with the 'Ice Queen' that set tongues wagging. Were she and Petra an item? Was THAT the reason why the Flower of Fudan refused to date anyone? _No, no, they're cousins._ _Oh, thank Mao._ Or so it goes. Over time, the stress of Caliban's constant company grew numb. In Conjuration, Lily and the unfortunately phonic Pu took only a few days to acclimatise to Caliban's presence. From Gwen's perspective, the physical interaction with Caliban must have been a real thrill, for Lily squealed with such delight that half the lecture must have turned their heads. Consequently, a new vogue began in her Conjuration classes. Every student and their Familiars wanted to touch Gwen's Mongolian Death Worm. As to why they kept calling Caliban a "Death Wor", Gwen could only search her audience's eager faces for answers they did not have. But—she was okay with the misnomer. She was fine with anything so long as people were willing to give Caliban a fair go. Evocation was a more significant problem. Overstimulated by sound and the flurry of rough magic and volatile elements in the air, Caliban had unsummoned itself twice in as many weeks when it escaped her mental leash and fled into the fray, or tried to investigate some Mage only to be blasted by flame, ice, magma, air and stone. Spell Shaping degenerated into a hot mess. The first time she showed up with Caliban, she cleared half the lecture. Micho Lee, the Magister presiding, became so upset that he made Gwen sit in the far corner by herself. Then, after news had spread of Caliban's obedience in the subsequent week, the problem became curious students trying to attract Caliban with LDMs. When Caliban got overexcited and opened its carapace to catch a shard, it cleared the lecture again. After a third incident, Magister Lee personally Banished Caliban. It was an impressive spell—but the show of force also incapacitated Gwen for a whole evening. Ariel, meanwhile, took advantage of the situation to win hearts and minds, stuffing its mouth pouches full of crystal fragments. For Bestiary, Chen grilled the students on their performances and recorded metrics for control, obedience and compliance from each student's Familiars. Caliban waffled below average, while Ariel shone like a beacon. "That is an uncommonly intelligent beast," Chen remarked. "That Evocation-channel ability is something else, as well." Happy that her 'good boy' received recognition, Gwen ruffled Ariel's fur and snuggled it against her bosoms. The marten purred and whined, licking her face with its little pink tongue. At the same time, the marten had struck up a friendship with Luyi, Eunae's doe, though both of them seemed to antagonise Wanli, Lu's Lightning Hawk. Thanks to Ariel, Eunae had taken fondness of Gwen as well. Unlike herself, the timid girl remained uncomfortable around the men, especially the braggadocio Lu. As Gwen watched the lithe healer manipulate her Familiar, she couldn't help but think of Elvia and her Sprite, Kiki. _What were they doing now?_ She wondered. _When would they install her LRC Device?_ The one Conjurer who remained aloof of their group was Lu Fung, which wasn't surprising. Lu came from a wealthy Clan, he had a rare Affinity, and he owned an aerial mid-tier Spirit. When Eunae complained to Instructor Chen, their teacher told them an interesting factoid. According to Chen, the side effect of Lightning affinity manifested as quickened metabolisms and an irrational sense of pride and possessiveness. _Oh?_ Gwen attempted a little introspection. Was she proud? Indubitably, though no more than her favourite femme, Elizabeth Bennet. Was she possessive? Which woman wasn't? Metabolism? She doubted her absurd ability to digest enough food for three adult males was a product of Elemental Lightning. At any rate, Chen persisted in his hypothesis. "Lightning is closest to the mentality of Dragons," Chen spoke as if that explained Lu's bratty braggadocio. Gwen could only presume he meant Chinese Dragons: four-footed serpents with tiger paws, eagle claws, demon eyes and fish scales, sailing through the heavens without equal. "Yes, I meant the Shenglong," Chen clarified. "The one said to possess the Kunlun Mountains." "Oh? Is there dragon-kin about the place? Can we harvest Draconic cores from the demi-Dragons?" Gwen asked a critical question for her Creature Core munching Ariel. "Don't," the Master Creature-Mage hewed her enthusiasm with a single stroke. "Dragons are avaricious and licentious. There's not a species of creatures within a hundred kilometres of that nest which ain't half-dragon something. Imagine a pack of lightning-breathing half-dragon rabbits, half-dragon flocks of geese, or draconic fish. The whole damn range is guarded by Hobs as well: Draconic Hobs." "Are they—" "Are they dangerous? What do you think, little Miss? Magic slides off their scales like water off a duck's back." "But surely—" "You wouldn't want a Dragon Core anyway," Chen interrupted her. "If another Dragon senses that you've captured, robbed, usurped, or fed your Familiar one of its species, prepare for heavenly retribution. No one. And I mean NO ONE fucks with Dragons for a reason." "How about—" "BUT—I suppose a pseudo-draconic Core is fine. I mean, there's a shit load of them, whole bloody mountains worth!" Chen laughed. "Good luck getting one, though. They're resistant to magic and near-immune to lightning. What are you going to fight them with—Oh right, you're _Void_ as well—Look, focus on training, alright?" Friday night of the third week, Gwen sat with Richard in her living room. The two listened to the demonic trill of the modem, aka her LRM Device, singing its song of unholy Divination. When the device finally connected to Sydney, they were treated by a vision of Alesia, invariably in red. "Okay, Tiger—Dick's folks are here. Call me if you need me." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. It was a session Gwen had arranged for Richard. She had planned it since his return from Nantong. "Richard! Oh my God, Richard!" Aunty Tali burst into uncontrollable sobs as soon as Richard's image appeared to her in Sydney. "My boy! How's life in Shanghai?" Kwan's eyes were red as well. "Gwen, it's good to see you're doing well. Has Richard been taking care of you? Is he being good?" Gwen made polite small talk, then retreated to her room to give Richard some privacy. Petra had already withdrawn for their benefit as well. The walls were thin, though, made from pre-fabricated fibro, meaning everyone caught every word between her cousin and his doting parents. In the living room, Richard spoke of recent events, his adventures with Gwen in the Dungeon, his work, and his progress on gathering the necessary CCs. His parents grew into a frenzy of worry, bidding Richard that they were in no rush and that his priority should be his safety. It was all very heartwarming, nurturing in Gwen a prickling, resentful envy as the call progressed. "Gwen!" Richard called for her. Gwen emerged to see Opa. Her kindly Opa, gnarled like an old branch but hale as sunshine, standing before the crystalline projector. All her accumulated discontent diffused at once. 'Opa!" Gwen cried out. "Opa! Opa! Opa!" "My cute cucu perempua!" her grandfather's familiar voice rang out. "I've missed you so, little one!" She couldn't embrace the illusion, of course, but Gwen made an effort. "How are you? What have you been doing? What is going on over there? Where have you gone? How are the Songs treating you? I heard there was a Dungeon? Duels? University! Scholarships?!" A barrage of questions assailed Gwen from Opa's thick lips. Watching Opa's face, Gwen forgot about the 1 HDM call rate. She answered Opa's questions one by one in meticulous detail, everything from Singapore to the Songs, to her Dungeon, her exams, her farewell with Helena, her apartment-hunting and her university courses. When she had finally finished, they were well into the evening. “Very well, my cucu perempua, remember Opa loves you! No matter what the Songs say, there will always be an Opa here in Sydney waiting for your return." "Thanks, Opa!" Gwen wiped away some moisture from her eyes. "I'll come back soon, I promise." Opa's visage went away to be replaced by a very sleepy Alesia. "Gwen! I am happy that you enjoyed your time together, but all of this is happening in my apartment." "Sorry!" Gwen apologised. "Please, I release you, O Djinn of Fire, return to your Plane." Alesia laughed. "Earlier, I contacted the Pudong Tower, and they said that your care package should be arriving at the Song Estate. My God, ocean freight is so slow." "My old address?" "Where you first hole up." "Ah," Gwen affirmed rigidly. "Okay, I'll call Babulya tomorrow." "Right, I am going to hang. This whole session will cost you 200 odd HDMs. Are you alright with funds over there? I could… you know." "I'll be alright," Gwen dismissed Alesia's generous offer. "I can do with some part-time work myself. Even if just to get out and get some air and exercise." "Kay." Alesia leaned in closer. "Guess what? The "Shard" Tower in London Messaged me today as well. Elvia's LRC Device is slated for installation! I'll send you her Glyph codes soon!" "Awesome. Cheers, Allie," Gwen beamed. _Elvia! So close at hand!_ "Ha, it's a pleasure, Gwennie," Alesia replied. "Ciao!" The image faded. Gwen laid back against the couch and took in the afterglow her Opa's boundless affection. She wouldn't be able to return to Australia for at least three to four years, but she was free to dream and fantasise about the eventuality at her will. What would it be like when she did return? Would Gunther have finished repairing the city? Would it once again be safe? What about the Mermen? Gwen poured herself a glass of milk from the fridge, heated it with a simple cantrip, then nursed its warmness in her hands. She watched the city blinking below, winking and glowing with all the lust for life that a metropolis of 22 million souls engendered. Arterial highways in streams of red and white formed three massive loops, each larger than then the last, reaching into a cityscape that illuminated the horizon. She had a parcel to pick up. Therefore, she would see babulya on Sunday, and maybe, hopefully, Percy as well. The lesson of the day for Conjuration was "Mass versus Mana transfer over Distance." Gwen felt lightheaded as soon as the mess of formulas appeared on the illusory projection board. "The amount of mana expended for mass transfer is inversely proportional to the square of the distance," Magister Birch explained. "Be extremely wary of object density. If you should fail to translocate an object, the feedback will be of equal or greater force." Translocation was Birch's speciality, and he was helping her recognise the nuance of being a "Transportation Specialist". She recalled Paul, the Translocation Mage specialising in Teleportation and other transit spells working for Alesia. The mousy man had been the one responsible for evacuating the students at Rosebay, not to mention the one who set up the Mandala array that allowed Magister Irene Ferris' team to penetrate the Sydney Tower. Gwen hadn't thought of the Mage as unique back then, but now she knew Paul was an irreplaceable expert. "The understanding of what one's limitations are, therefore, central to any Translocation Specialist." Magister Birch had installed two Mandala arrays on either side of the auditorium, one near the entrance to the hall and the other where Gwen and Caliban had been segregated from the rest of the class. The Mandala itself resembled a six-petal lotus drawn onto the floor with glyphs that Gwen had seen before underneath the PLA Tower, at the ISTC when she'd first arrived in Shanghai. "For small objects, the mana capacity of an average Mage is plentifully enough." The Magister demonstrated transporting a 5kg cube of iron between the two teleportation circles, filling the dark auditorium with the silvery light of Conjuration. He then materialised a chunk of what resembled lead from his storage ring. An indent inscribed alongside the knee-height block of mystery metal shows "50kg". "Unlike living bodies, which can be tuned to project astrally—objects without life must be given a Teleportation Metric Index or TMI. Furthermore, the simpler the makeup of the item you are transporting, the less chance of complications." The Magister transported the cube back and forth a few times, allowing the students to gauge the volume of mana required. Where the 5kg block had been near-negligible, the 50kg block strained the Magister. "Now for a cautionary demonstration." Birch produced an overly complicated gearbox within a glass-cased mechanism and wound up the clockwork. He then teleported the construct between the two Mandalas. After the thirtieth time, there was a clonk, and the box ceased its purposeless function. "The more mixed material and intricacies are involved in an item, the more difficult it is to transport without the item becoming warped as it travels through the Astral Plane. This phenomenon likewise increases with distance, volume, and weight. There is currently no known way to mitigate Tellestolle's Paradox. However, Translocation Mages can alleviate degradation with minor tweaks, or interface aid from Divination and Transmutation." The students duly noted Birch's wisdom. "Now, some material variations." Birch materialised blocks of hard metal, collated shale, sandstone, a slab of crystal and a chunk of fragile-looking glass. "Material resonance during the transportation is likewise impacted by distance and mass." The Magister made the students record the volume and weight of each object, then began a practical on 'teleportation fatigue' and the stress exerted on different materials. The crystal shattered after the fifteenth excursion, while the sandstone crumbled after the tenth. "Who here has experienced Long Range Teleportation before?" No one answered. Magister Birch pointed to the girl with the Mongolian Death Worm. "Gwen." Gwen looked up. Caliban hissed. Ariel flattened itself against her legs. "You're from the Frontier. How did you get here?" "Teleportation, Sir," Gwen felt her face glow as a few students in the audience snickered. "How did you fare? Be honest with us." Gwen felt pressured to satisfy the Magister. The gaze of her fellow Conjurers made her skin crawl. "I was sick all over the shoes of my escort," Gwen spoke just loud enough to be heard. "I was disorientated and dazed for almost a day and night after." "Indeed, thank you, Gwen, for sharing." Birch turned to the lecture. "The human body, capable of channelling mana and responding to the magical energies of translocation, is largely exempt to the small inconsistencies of dislocation and displacement. However, not even the human body is immune to teleportation fatigue. Your organs and innards will be shifted and shunted before being set back in place by the Incantation. The more distance is undergone, the more severe the sickness. That is why long-range translocation must be executed in a place of absolute safety. Even the best of Mages will be disabled by the disorientation of distance." "My escorts were unaffected by the compression," Gwen pointed out to the Professor. "As they should be," Magister Birch answered, then walked away. Gwen stood awkwardly for a few more moments, waiting for an answer before realising none was forthcoming. She sat back down and ran a hand over Caliban to dispel her annoyance. Ariel ran its face against her other hand as well to quell her upset. "EE-ee—" Ariel nudged its nose against her palm. From her Empathic Link, the Familiar communicated that it sensed the gaze of a predator. Gwen subtly turned, then glanced up. Far above her, seated at the rear, she saw the always silent Lu Fung, dazedly stroking the Lightning-Hawk perched on his shoulder. Just a week ago, he had entered the hall, the very centre of praise and envy. Then Gwen had walked past him, sat at the bottom of the lecture with her friends, and the world instantly forgot that the fourth son of the Fung Clan existed. The man appeared surprised that she would so unexpectedly turn to address her. A split second later, he masked his awkwardness with a smile and a nod. Gwen nodded back, then returned her attention to Magister Birch. Lu Fung of the Nantong Fungs. Her dearest hope was that his interest in her was the Netflix and chill kind, and not something... more interesting.

Saturday. Gwen took a break from biometrics and practice, spending her third semester weekend with her babulya. It had been almost six weeks since Gwen had seen or spoken to her brother, burdening her with a growing sense of guilt. As for Percy's neglect to call her, Gwen chose forgiveness. The boy was just a teenager seeking affirmation from Guo, thereby possessing excellent excuses like immaturity and inexperience. As such, were Percy's fault was not knowing better, her abandonment of her baby brother would be by choice, one she did not wish to make. She had lost him once in her old life—this time, she wanted to do better. "Don't fret. Your grandfather isn't home," her babulya assured Gwen as she stepped from the sedan. Gwen had been quiet the whole while because her Divination senses had been grating her, agitating her with an inner itch she could not scratch. Gwen scanned the courtyard. "Percy's inside," her grandmother comforted her. "He should be training right about now. Leave your Familiar and pick up the package later." Gwen nodded, then made her way through the familiar layout of the Song estate. There was no doubt that news of her faux-excommunication had spread, for the servants avoided her as she passed through the long corridor of the siheyuan. When she arrived at the training hall, there were sounds of exertion audibly emanating from within. Gwen knocked. "Come in!" Her brother's voice reverberated. The sliding door pulled back to reveal Percy, son of Hai, heir apparent to the Clan of Song, Guan-er-dai in residence. "Sis!" Percy appeared startled to see his sister strolling back into her old abode. The boy—or more accurately the young man—was half-naked, bathing the bronze expression of his Indonesian inherited complexion in snail sheen. It was evident that Guo had been training and feeding Percy well, for her brother looked to have picked up ten kilograms in muscle mass, concentrated across his chest and arms. His face as well, which had always appeared juvenile to Gwen, was starting to take Hai's prominent jawline. "Who's this handsome young man? Where did my baby brother go?" Gwen broke the ice with a genuine compliment. Percy grinned, then greeted her formally. His voice sounded deeper as well, more resonant and powerful. Watching her eyes, her baby brother must have grown conscious of his state of undress. The boy materialised a towel from thin air with a nonchalant gesture, then wrapped its length around his shoulders. A Medium Storage Ring, Gwen noted. How quickly they grow up. "How's training going?" Gwen stepped into the renovated training hall. The gym's present state barely resembled the spartan space she had called home for three weeks. All manners of equipment had been introduced to the once empty room, from body-building machines to magic-training equipment. From a glance, one would have thought Percy was training for the Mageocracies' Commonwealth Games. "I've got a lot to catch up on," Percy explained, watching her eyes. "I am repeating a year in Xiao Ming, did you know that? There are three years of Middle School in China. I am supposed to be in second-year, but Grandfather made me start from the beginning." "Are you much older than your peers?" Gwen asked, wondering if her brother would be bullied. "I am not the oldest, no," Percy answered with a smirk. "Did you know the school is Co-ed? Thank God, I thought I was going to be stuck for another three years in an all-male campus." That last comment made Gwen immediately think of their father. "Percy, if you spend your time chasing skirts—" "No! No way!" Her brother's face reddened. "As if I have the time!" "Good. Let Dad be your anti role model," Gwen warned her brother with a crooked smile. "So, how's the magic coming along?" "I'm officially an Evoker! They told me I am suited to Transmutation too—but I should focus on Evocation for now. Grandfather says Evocation-Transmutation is an excellent combination for Quasi-Elemental Salt. It's the same as Uncle Jun!" "Wow! That's wonderful!" Gwen wanted to give her brother a congratulatory hug, but the young man was still steaming odiously. "Can I see? Are you able to use Salt safely now?" "Yes," Percy boasted happily. "All thanks to..." His gleeful mien froze mid-expression. Gwen followed Percy's guilty gaze until her eyes rested on his chest. There, a length of red string ended with a pale coloured pendant in milk-white jade. The Kirin Amulet. It was milky white. Last she recalled, it was jade with strands of marbled scarlet. "Percy—" Her words halted halfway, for the moment her thoughts grew to envelop the amulet, she felt the ground under her give way. Fighting the indescribable sense of metaphysical vertigo, Gwen felt her Divination Sigil ignite as never before, petrifying her spine with a solid jolt of adrenaline. Struggling to control herself, she forced her gaze to lift from the lamb's fat colouring of the Kirin Amulet, noting that the marbling strands of pinkish veins still existed, if faintly. "C-congratulations." Gwen finally managed to say the words, even though her tongue felt as heavy as a slab of stone. Watching her brother flinch, Gwen felt an immediate sense of regret. Christ, she thought to herself, how incredibly guilty she must seem—freaking out after seeing him making use of "her" Creature Core. But it wasn't as though she could explain the subtler points of passive Divination to her brother, not when it sounded like a piss-weak excuse even to herself. "Master, I mean Grandfather, taught me how to use it," Percy said carefully, his body understandably tensing at his sister's queerness. "The Negative Energy feeds into the Amulet and becomes displaced by the Essence held within." "It… does that?" Gwen circulated Almudj's Essence until she was fully restored and calm. "You can tap into its store of Essences now?" Percy unconsciously took a step back, just out of her reach. Gwen smiled, hoping her eyes were too bloodshot with the effort she had exerted. Despite the stillness of the air outside, the interior of the training hall was beginning to feel rather hot. "Yes. I can use the Kirin core." It was a statement, Gwen noticed. A show of determination. "It was painful at first, but I powered through it. I can use it now. Would you like a demonstration?" "May I?" "Here, let me show you." Percy moved away from her. There was a churning of Evocation, a sudden drying of the air. Before Gwen's eyes, the accumulated sweat on Percy's brow instantly evaporated. "Salt Bolt!" A sliver of silvery Salt, formed into a razor-sharp crystal, appeared in the air, then shrieked toward the targeted platform. It struck the transmuted surface with a thud, then shattered into thousands of ice-like fragments. "And I just learned this—Smite!" The residual Salt scattered about the platform suddenly collated, then erupted once again, sending out a shockwave ringed with jagged salt shards. After covering the intended area of effect, the Salt faded into the aether. The target, torn and blasted, began to restore itself through its inbuilt Transmutation Glyph. "What do you think?" Percy turned to her with bright eyes. It was only then that Gwen realised she hadn't paid attention at all to Percy. Instead, her eyes had remained locked onto the amulet, where the marbled vein of red embedded into the milk-white jade throbbed as though alive. Furthermore, she couldn't help but notice her chest rose and fell with the same cadence as Percy's, in sync with the ebb and flow of mana within the Kirin core. "Wonderful," Gwen announced hurriedly. She even clapped a few times. "You're progressing so fast!" "Thanks, Sis", Percy smirked. "Say, I gotta take a shower and finish up here. Do you want to stay for lunch or…?" "I've got errands," Gwen declined Percy's offer, her mood miles from her usual hospitality thanks to her unintended rudeness. _The amulet,_ she thought. _The damned amulet._ It was all she could think about, driving her to distraction. Was it jealousy? Was she envious of the fact that he was using it? She knew it was silly to feel possessive over something she had willingly given up. "Babulya is still waiting," Gwen added unconvincingly, too preoccupied to even continue her act. "Alright, Sis." Percy paralleled his sister's aloofness. "Take care of yourself, Percy. I'll come to visit now and then." "Thanks." "See you later, Percy." "Laters, Sis." Gwen left the room and walked stiffly from the training hall toward the central courtyard. In between her Divination-driven anxiety and self-loathing, she was reminded of another explanation for the amulet's altered state. Was it possible that a bit of Almudj was still in the amulet? Was all of Al's Essence spent, or could there still exist a tiny sliver of the mythical beast within the Kirin Core? Gwen paused by the tranquil water feature to gather her thoughts. She was out of the east wing now, away from the shadows of the white walls and into the light of the central garden. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, feeling the warmth of the sun on her hair and shoulders. The damned Divination was at peace now, acting as though it had known nothing. Why had it freaked out? Could she trust the untrained instinct of her Divination Sigil? What good could come from responding to such a vague and unreliable feeling? She thought of Mayuree and the advice the superior Diviner had given her. "Don't look into self-premonitions, not if you want to have a life. Let it be. Be ready. If you're wrong, you've wasted your time. If you're right, you've wasted your time." Likewise, from her old world, Hamlet had offered a similar warning. _We defy augury: there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow._ Her problem, Gwen sighed, was that she wasn't Prince Hamlet, nor was she meant to be. She was fortune's fool. Percy Song stumbled into the shower, his body shaking with nausea. He hadn't even bothered removing his pants as he stepped into the frigid stream of running water to cool his head. Instantly, the coldness calmed him, drowning the fever in his brain. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. There was something in the amulet. At first, he thought it was a part of the ritual. After all, Guo had stated that their predecessors killed thousands, if not tens of thousands, of magical creatures, including Demi-humans, in their Clan's history and that their "souls" were absorbed by the Kirin Core. The Clan technique that grandfather had taught him was based on the Kirin Core's characteristic—allowed Percy to redirect the 'yin' energies of the Salt element into the amulet to be purified. That way, the Kirin Amulet both protected his body from corrosion and provided him with additional mana, passive empowerment, and enhanced constitution. In truth, as a Prince-educated Mage, Percy only ever half-trusted the mumbling mysticism Guo fed into him. His "Yeye" was a master indoctrinator, but Percy had already experienced years of that sort of thing in Sydney. Regardless, he played along; it made Guo happy, which was what mattered. Once his attunement was complete, and training began in earnest, the amulet changed. As he channelled more of himself into it, its jade-green exterior fell away, becoming something that resembled a bone-coloured stone. Grandfather had become amazed and told him that this showed he was well-suited to the yin-stone. He had even patted Percy's head tenderly as his eyes grew moist with sentimentality. Percy chose not to tell his Yeye that Guo was wrong and that he had sensed something alien in the stone. How could he? What would Guo say if he professed to fear the thing that may or may not be lurking in the family heirloom? What kind of heir would be stricken thalassophobia when the source of that fear was a dead Kirin Core? Whatever the case, Percy was sure something prowled within the Kirin Stone. And now he was positive it had something to do with his sister. When she earlier entered the room, he had felt consumed by an indescribable agitation, overwhelmed by a shapeless, vague longing. Thankfully, unlike his sister, Percy was far better at controlling his emotions. He knew how much she desired the Kirin Core when her exquisite face turned white, then pink. He knew because when she left, the feeling subsided entirely. "It's mine," he said to the running water. Against his back, the cold shower felt heavenly. Gwen took luncheon with Klavdiya not far from the Song Estate. It was a good choice, for its signature Xiaoxiang stirfries were surprisingly tasty for a place of questionable decor and hygiene. Distractedly, Gwen listened as Babulya explained that Percy was doing well in his new school, becoming popular enough to join the SRC. "Percy's Salt training—Grandfather is alright with the whole fertility thing?" Gwen enquired. Wasn't the old man obsessed about an heir? Her babulya explained things were well in hand. "We're keeping a very close eye on Percy, not to mention his Affinity has a long way to go. The Kirin-stone will negate the negative effects as well, becoming more efficient at filtering the Negative Drain with time," her babulya explained. Gwen couldn't help but recall the first time her father had handed her the Kirin Amulet; she had asked him if it was unique in any way. "It brings fertility and fortune." Her father had said. Now, Gwen could only sign at her naivety and Hai's irresponsible indifference. How the hell was she to know her dad was dead serious. "I see." Gwen accepted her grandmother's answer. Why didn't any of them fret about HER potential infertility? Was it because she possessed the druidic essence? Or that she could forsake the Void and choose her Lightning instead? Come to think of it, was she even expected to have children? That idea had consumed Helena, though not for any reasons a daughter should respect. Children... Gwen sipped her tea absent-mindedly. Even across two lifetimes, the idea of bearing a child seemed entirely abstract. Gwen had no desire for children in her old life. As for her new life, Evee— She quickly dismissed the thought. Instead, she distractedly replied to her babulya's thoughtful questions about her lessons and her tests with Magister Wen. Still, the thought of children turned her mind once again to Evee. Christ, she missed Evee. How could anyone miss someone so much, and why was she thinking of Elvia now of all times? "Jun!" Her babulya's voice almost sent her reeling. "Over here!" After the pandemonium of her confused thought about Elvia lifted, Gwen turned from her waking daydream to see her uncle pass through the eatery entrance, hailing her and babulya with one hand raised. "Captain Song!" the owner, a balding old man, saluted Jun as he passed. "Good to see you, Corporal Chen. How're the kids?" "Ah-Wong is doing well, the usual?" "Please," Jun dismissed the owner politely before arriving at Gwen and babulya's table. Gwen stood to greet her uncle, but Jun motioned her to sit. "Ma'am." Jun pulled up a chair. "Gwen." "Hi, Uncle Jun." "Just made it?" babulya asked cryptically. "I had a few minutes to spare," Jun laughed. "But yes, I made it in time." Gwen's eyes darted between her two elders. Each time Gwen regarded her stubbled uncle with his circular beard, she wondered how it was possible that two siblings raised under similar circumstances could be so different. Hai and Jun looked almost like twins, with the same envious jawline, the butt-chin, the lifted cheekbones from her babulya, and dark eyes from their grandfather. Yet for all their genetic similarity, one was the most frivolous, allergic to responsibility human being she had ever known—the other was the most responsible person in her immediate orbit. All of a sudden, Gwen felt struck by a bizarre fancy. Would nice was it be if Jun was her father? The hypothesis was absurd, of course. She could not possibly imagine Jun being attracted to Helena. On the other hand, being raised by a father who affirmed and cared would have worked wonders for both of her lost childhoods. Yue once joked that she had 'Daddy issues', Elvia found it funny as well, but Gwen's laughter never touched her eyes; she knew her herself too well. A lifetime ago, Dr Monroe had communicated that she was generally physically distant, often emotionally absent, and therefore highly insecure in a relationship. Despite her swaggering, independent, can-do attitude, Gwen truanted regularly, sought cheap thrills and often endangered herself. That was why in the experimental stage of her life, she preferenced older, much older men, and later, the company of the fairer sex. _So what now?_ Gwen had asked her psychologist. "Let's start you off on Celexa and Buspar, and we'll go from there? Okay?" The drugs worked, but Freud knows what else was simmering underneath her submerged psyche. "Gwen, you in there still?" Gwen's glazed pupils refocused. Jun's worrisome face materialised close to her own. "Sorry, Uncle Jun," she apologised for her disrespect. Ever since the episode with Percy, she'd felt mired in muck. Jun exchanged a glance with babulya, who must have passed over a Silent Message of some kind, for when Jun faced her again, he reached out and covered her hand with his own. "Gwen. You can tell me anything." Her uncle smiled awkwardly, but the gesture was genuine. It was a simple thing, subconscious, but it was something her father had never done for her. There was always a distance, a pane, a degree of separation; to Gwen, Hai's kindness always seemed rare and unanticipated. "I-I am alright." Gwen could think of no other reply. It wasn't as though she could complain that she felt peevish and upset that Morye hadn't taught her how to use the Kirin-Stone, or that she desired the amulet returned to her because she was waxing sentimental for a Mythic serpent capable of reducing Shanghai to rubble. Should she tell her uncle that her Divination Sigil was driving her to madness? Her Uncle Jun meant well, but not even he could— Her mind went blank, for Jun had just pinched her nose. It was such a puerile act that Gwen felt stunned. "You don't have to be an adult all the time, Gwen. You're a child. Act like one." Jun held her gaze intact as he spoke. "We're family, right? No matter what father thinks. You're my niece, for Mao's sake. To me, there's only one of you in the world. I want to protect you as much as your Babulya and my brother." Gwen's rapidly misting eyes met her uncle's immovable gaze. "I don't care what Guo says - or what your father thinks - or what Percy wants to do with the House. You're a part of MY family. I like you, Gwen. Since I found you in the MSS Holding facility, I've known that to be a fact. I want you to know that I am very proud and happy for what you have done for Mina, Tao, and Petra. My mother thinks the world of you, and I do too. Can you believe that?" Gwen felt her throat tickle. Could she believe him? She wasn't the trusting sort. "I believe you." Gwen's voice assumed her usual, confident cadence. Her uncle's kindness was like a dose of positivity that she sorely needed after that amulet-induced anxiety attack. "Thank you, Uncle Jun. I am alright now." Klavdiya exhaled relief. "Sorry, babulya, I was distracted earlier," Gwen apologised to her grandmother as well. She must have made babulya feel awful. "That's okay, dear," her babulya returned kindly. Jun squeezed his niece's delicate hands, his calloused palm brushing her tender fingers. Before Jun could enclose his hand, Gwen retracted her palm from his sandpaper grasp. Her uncle's hand did not move. Behind the counter, Chef Chen continued his stirfry masterpiece, filling the room with a warm glow and the air with a delicious scent of caramelising onions. Gwen touched her wayward hand to her nose. "Sorry." Jun chuckled. "Did I bruise it?" "I'll be fine. I've got my Druidic Essence, after all." Gwen wrinkled her celestial appendage cutely. That was the thing about Jun; he was so lovely, and she couldn't tell if the man was two steps ahead of her or if her uncle's benevolence was instinctual. Surely, someone with the 'Ash Bringer' moniker did not acquire such a chilling nickname by being Mr Rogers! Gwen returned late to the apartment. Alesia's care package remained unmolested by Customs thanks to Jun's influence. She had forgotten all about the damned thing because after assuring her of his support, her Uncle Jun had then listened to her worries and anxieties for an hour, going as far as to promise her that he would assist her growth in Spellcraft when the time was ripe. "How about we go on a little trip," he had teased her. "A little adventure to train, just you and I. I know a place where you can work on boosting your elemental Affinity." Gleefully, Gwen had told him she would like nothing else. "That's a promise," her uncle had laughed. "Just you and me, alright?" Smiling at the memory, Gwen tore at the cellophane tape on the box from Alesia. "Gwen, what in God's name are you doing?" Petra watched with curiosity as Gwen tried to search for the seam. "Open the box?" "Use Knock." "Oh yeah..." Gwen blushed. "Er... Knock!" The arcane energies of the Knock spell ran along the edges and unsealed the cellophane ducting within the span of half a second. Gwen took out the contents. There was an assortment of goods within, each in individual packaging. Some were cellophane wrapped. Others were in boxes of plastic or cardboard. On top of the items was a letter. Gwen opened the envelope. Inside was a Message from Alesia, Yue and Gunther. The card itself had a picture of a drunk Koala with a speech bubble. _"No worries, I am just old enough to get pissed."_ _"Have a happy Sweet-Seventeen!_ _"The very best from all of us who are rooting for you. Your siblings and friends."_ The loftiest package was the first to be unwrapped, revealing an impressive pair of thigh-high, double-stitch, calf-skin boots, its brass heels inscribed with elaborate Transmutation glyphs. "Use these until you learn how to cast the real deal-" read the attached note. Petra ran a cubed Identify over the magical boots. "How delightful, a pair of vintage Boots of Flight!" she cooed delightfully. "It's an older model. These feed off your mana rather than Crystals." "Perfect for me then," Gwen thought of the savings she could engender. "Until you OoM mid-flight," Petra warned her, immediately pointing out why the old models were retired. "I'll be careful," Gwen chuckled. "There's inbuilt Feather Fall, right?" "As long as you're not OoM," Petra reinforced the warning. Gwen unfolded the next package. It was a poncho made from what first appeared to be cashmere. "Ah, civilian class Optic-Camo." Petra was proving a font of Magical Item knowledge. "Slip it overhead'. Let's see the build quality." Gwen slipped the cape across her shoulders. The fabric loosely hung over her chest and back until it reached her thighs. "Activation glyph should be on the right side, inside tag." Gwen examined the Glyph key. "Camouflage!" Gwen invoked the keywords. The poncho shifted in colour until her torso blended into the living room so that it looked as though Gwen was split in half, becoming a disembodied pair of legs and a floating head. It came with a hoodie that covered her head. "Full body Optic-Camo are military-issue only," Petra informed her roommate before Gwen could complain about the strangeness of having 'half' a chameleon-cloak. "The civilian model will keep you safe from prying predators and beasts from the sky, as well as giving you relative cover if you remain stationary." The final few packages were foodstuffs from home like jerky and Tim-Tams, as well as dried mangos from Opa's crew down the ranch. Collating her loot, she apportioned them for sharing with Petra and Richard, as well as their upstairs neighbours. A pair of Boots of Flight and a Camo-cloak. That was because she'd told them she wanted to "work" for HDMs. Gwen could guess from the strategic selection that Gunther and Alesia expected her to do more than waitressing. She had several options where that was concerned. She could take up a weekend occupation working with the local Adventuring Consortium. However, she doubted Magister Wen or her babulya were about to let her trapeze into the bush with a group of strangers. Or, she could try the University Dungeoneering Club, which was safer. Finally, she could make a party of her own—team Cousins, for example—and take up Questing on the weekends. Of course, all of that would have to wait. As it was the end of week three, in twenty-one days, she would have two mid-semester practicals and the excursion to the NoM hive city, the ominously named District 108 and 35. On the Metropolitan Map, 35 appeared to be located on the outer ring of the Second Orbital Highway and the Fourth-Intracity bypass. 108 was almost fifty kilometres toward the direction of Hangzhou. The exams meant she had only three weeks to leash Caliban to her will, make her Conjure Elemental battle-ready, and learn at least another Evocation spell or two to use with Ariel. As for her Familiars... Gwen looked up to see Caliban attempting to swallow a mango whole, egged on by Ariel, who was munching on a kiwifruit. Realising that Gwen was watching, Caliban spat the mango back out, smothering the orange-red fruit in grey goo, looking as guilty as a thieving cat.

With the middle of the summer semester upon them, Magister Wen again called Gwen into the Cognisance Chamber. "You know, Gwen, it has occurred to me that there is a way to replicate Bar-gain-ginny," Magister Wen informed her proudly. Gwen looked up from her practice to see the researcher's eyes aglow with anticipation. "Remember how we managed to simulate the green lightning with nothing but a Lightning-based Creature Core?" Gwen nodded eagerly, then followed Wen's fingers until it arrived at Ariel. The marten immediately perked up, thinking perhaps that the Magister was trying to offer it an HDM chip. "There's your elemental-mixer right there." "EE-ee?" Ariel wrinkled its nose. "But I can't channel the Druidic Essence," Gwen explained. "It doesn't blend into Spells and certainly not into Familiars." "Oh no, there's no need for that." The Magister stroked Ariel's furry, folded ears. "You told me once that Ariel could be empowered with your Druidic Essence, yes? Would that not count as mixing your Lightning element with the Druidic one?" Gwen considered it. The idea wasn't crazy, though it did go against the common sense of Spellcraft. "I think it's worth a try, Ma'am," Gwen answered confidently. "Ariel, come here, yum-yum!" She coaxed her Familiar closer and urged the druidic mana to circulate through her body until it condensed at her fingertips, becoming a drip of congealed pale-green fluid not resembling simmering tree-sap. Her marten took her finger and greedily suckled upon it until almost half of her reserve was gone. As expected, Ariel's internal mana conduits began to pulse with emerald energy, mingling with the raw cobalt of her injected lightning. "Alright, let's see if my hypothesis is correct. Give Ariel the order," Wen commanded. Gwen ordered Ariel to step away and face the far side of the chamber toward an illusion-conjured target. She willed a surge of mana to enter the pet, watching the beast expand until it was almost the size of a small pony. The tiny horns Ariel possessed likewise elongated, becoming spiral swords branching off in the shape of a "Y" atop Ariel's mongoose head, giving it a menacing chimeric appearance. _"Barbanginy!"_ Her lips mouthed Almudj's mystic invocation, feeling her Lightning element course through her body and enter Ariel's combat form. Besides Gwen, Ariel's horns grew bright with hysterical electricity, then a blast of jade-green Lightning emitted from between the two horns. The ozone stench from the energised blast was immense, so much that the tennis-court training room could not contain its oppressive odour. Opposite, the Glyphs fried, disabling the target. A piece of old-world knowledge clicked into place for Gwen as Magister and freshman marvelled at the scorched tiles. The Cog-Chamber was built to withstand blasts and bursts up to tier 6. How was it possible that a tier 3 Lightning Bolt could punch through the shielding? Gwen's mind floundered over an old National Geographic magazine. She recalled reading that there were two distinct forms of lightning. The first, Negative-charged Lightning, accounted for almost all known strikes. These were usually up to 300 million volts and could blast trees and conflagrate forests. Occasionally, when circumstance, chance and climate converged, nature allowed for forming a positively-charged plasma arc, a freakish occurrence with a current capacity exceeding a billion volts, amassing enough power to reduce giant Californian red-oaks to smouldering wood chips. She had no idea what the 'life' energy of Almudj did to empower the lightning, but that was the analogy she concocted. The "positive" blast was exceedingly challenging to direct, but if Ariel could close in on the target, and she could open with Guiding Bolt—then she had a chance. This way, Barbanginy could be her "King Hit"—to borrow an Australian pub-crawl misnomer. She can't control the outcome very well, but the effect on an enemy would likely be devastating, especially on an opponent expecting a regular Lighting spell. Magister and the student then examined Ariel for damage and expenditure. It was worth noting that her magical marten had expended the Druidic essence it had consumed earlier. Other than that, Ariel appeared perfectly hale and eager for action. Gwen attempted to produce another drop of the druidic essence, but her reserves only allowed for so much per day. Any more would require a supernatural stimulus. "Wonderful, Gwen." Wen busily recorded their new findings. "I would recommend testing again in a few days to obtain some standardised metrics. I'd dare say the Ba-gain-ninny's inherent combative limitation is severe, but it may be useful as an artillery option, especially at the higher tiers." "Of course, thank you, Magister." Gwen double-checked her Astral-reflection below. The spell took no more out of her than a regular Lightning Bolt. Its only limitation was her ability to produce Druidic Essence—then load up her pet with proverbial powder. Chen's advice proved sound. As mid-term quickly approached, Gwen's training regime with Caliban and Ariel finally began to take shape. Mayhap because Caliban had already tasted, disturbed, harassed and terrorised everything molestable by its faceless muzzle, it was now "chill" even in public. Petra stated that the obedience could be because she was growing close to the fifth tier of Conjuration—though Gwen preferred putting stock in Cali's good behaviour. By Tuesday, Gwen had sustained the creature's presence in the Material realm for four days. Chen's attitude improved once Caliban no longer slithered for Eunae, snapped at Wanli, or tried to nip at the other Familiars as they crossed one another's path. Ariel, in stark contrast, had become _the_ model Familiar, a poster pet of the 'good boy' manifesto. On her other fronts, Gwen was making gains on Transmutation and Evocation. Magister Wen had remarked earlier that her absurd VMI of 130 and over would do wonders for her training. Even so, her ability to bench the 'iron' of repetitive Spellcraft exercises exceeded even the high esteem of her Instructors. The average teen-Mage measured close to 40 VMI, a talented Fudan student in the 70s, and those with bred-to-purpose bloodlines perhaps 80. With twice the capacity, those young Casters could acquire mastery over-complicated Sigils. Gwen had not measured her VMI since babulya took her to the Second-PLA Hospital lab for her biometrics—though she was confident that thanks to her growth in Conjuration, Evocation and Transmutation, her mana pool should exceed 140. Then there was the advantage that Gwen's elemental affinity reduced her mana-costs and casting fatigue. Gwen was no statistician, but her visible gains were far more than four to five magnitudes of the average Mage. Petra had informed Gwen that it would take her a year to advance Conjuration from tier 4 to 5. But her cousin had not considered that Gwen was training to distract herself from life for all intents and purposes' many dissatisfactions. Unbeknownst to Petra, Gwen's self-imposed workaholic ethos had given her a rare kind of focus, one more suited to perhaps, the Daoist isolationists of Wutang Mountain or the esoteric swordsmen of Kunlun ranges. She left the house early in the morning for classes, took her lunch near campus, attended her afternoon classes, then trained before having dinner. She repeated this schedule for five days, then relaunched herself at the Training Hall whenever she had a few hours to spare. When possible, to save time and entertain her companionship with Mayuree, she ate together with the siblings in their loft. Richard returned home more often than not after his previous incident, but the young man still worked and studied, pursuing HDMs and CCs with an enthusiasm that embarrassed even Gwen. Petra, meanwhile, returned to her research schedule, now with the additional burden of compiling reports on her cousin's Void metrics. Week 5. Monday. Late afternoon. Gwen burst through the front door, launching herself at the LRC device, positioned it just right in front of the couch. She glanced at the clock anxiously, then tried to meditate to pass the crawling seconds that felt like hours. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. She waited with growing agitation, her eyes staring so intently at the pin-hole projection crystal that had she possessed optical powers, it would have burst into flame. _Beep—_ _KEEEEeeee—KUuuu-HSSSSSS—_ It came! She exalted the Gods, for they are merciful and kind. Gwen pressed the glyph to accept the incoming call, then sat back. The projection began to manifest. First, a few strands of glorious golden hair, then a pointed chin, followed by a dimpled pair of pink cheeks, then finally, luminous, ocean-blue eyes. As the rest of the vision materialised, it began to move. "Elvia…" Gwen mouthed the name sweetly on her tongue. "EVEE!" "GWEN!" "AEEEEEEE!" "ARRRRGH!" "Shaa—!" "EE—EE—" The two girls gushed as the projections on either side animated their illusory simulacrums, joined by Gwen's Familiars. Elvia looked as though time had held her intact and refused to change a thing. Her hair was longer, of course, now reaching her waist, but Gwen's golden girl was as adorable as the day she last saw her in Singapore. Suddenly, her heart grew sore— _Gods, how she missed her blue-eyed angel._ "Gwennie! You look amazing!" Her Evee noted the changes in her appearance right away. When they'd last separated in Singapore, Gwen had fluctuated between hale, pale, and loitering almost weekly, pending on her use and abuse of her Void spells. Present, Gwen had to admit she was in peak physical fitness, possessing a rosy complexion, bright eyes, and glossy hair that hinted at an excellent mana-rich diet. "Thanks, Evee! A lot has happened." Seeing that Elvia was in good health herself, Gwen felt an anxious weight lifted from her chest. "How's the school in England? Are you making friends?" Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "I am doing well." Elvia giggled. "Though there are too many classes. I've got Biology, Magitech, Clerical Studies, Pharmacology. It's endless!" As she spoke, a little green sprite popped up on Elvia's shoulder and waved at the projection crystal. "Is that Kee-kee?" Gwen pointed just past her ear. "Kiki! Say hi to Aunt Gwen!" Elvia motioned to her Familiar. _Oh Lordy, I am an aunt now?_ Gwen reflected dejectedly. "Hi, Kiki!" she greeted the flowery nature Sprite. Kiki was the Dryad spirit that Elvia had picked up from Sufina's island, an encounter that paralleled Sufina's meeting with Henry Kilroy in many ways. As with Sufina, Gwen had no doubt that should Elvia learn to treat the Spirit well and allow it to grow; it would become immeasurable to her success as a Cleric. In London, healers are a dime a dozen, but a healer who came attuned to a Primary-Elemental spirit of life and regeneration was rare indeed, regardless of their original Affinity tier. It was an undeniable fact—during a battle, a sweeping Mass-Regeneration, a field-wide Bless, or a timely Revival on a newly-fallen Magister could quickly turn the tide of a desperate defence. Knowing that Elvia's future was in the balance, not even she could fault Gunther's proposal on sending Elvia to London. It was the best possible outcome for her friend, despite the timid girl's feelings of loneliness and separation from friends and family. Without further ado, the girls informed each other of their life since their last 'video' conference. Elvia then spoke of her anxieties since their separation. Foremost was how her family left Sydney and received resettlement without incident, all thanks to Gunther. Her brother rejoined the Princes' Academy in Munich; her father and mother took up new residencies in state hospitals. She had arrived in London by herself, then immediately became lost on her way to the Nightingale College. Thankfully, the residents of London were more than willing to come to her aid; a kind woman showed her to the police station. The Police officer walked her to the right tramline. The conductor led her to her stop. A few local lads in prim public school uniforms then walked her to the college's entrance, where a porter took her admission letter and even transported all her luggage to her twin-share room. But after she checked into the dorm, she had no idea how to enrol. When her new roommate found her anxious and teary, the girl guided her down to the Administration Office. The lady at the office was so touched by Elvia's story of separation from her family that she took it upon herself to ensure Elvia's smooth transition into college. When they passed the entrance, the office clerk introduced Elvia to the head Nun of the cafeteria and the Dorm Mistress. "It was all very fascinating! I was crazy anxious!" Elvia exclaimed in her delightful demeanour. Gwen nodded and nodded, then nodded again, marvelling at the friendliness of every single helpful person Elvia had met. She knew that those with Positive Energy affinity exuded an 'angelic' aura, but what was Elvia on now? Five? Six? How could mere mortals resist such a vision of exuberant innocence? They would be helpless before her doe-eyed onslaught! Unaware of Gwen's gnawing jealousy, Evee continued her tale of conquest. A few days later, Alesia's colleague, a Magus called Dominic Lorenzo, had arrived to find the 'demure girl' fully settled into her dorm life, surrounded by a small army of middle-aged ladies who grilled him incessantly for almost twenty minutes before he was allowed to speak to the "precious one". Escorted by Jenny, the overprotective lady from the front office and an incredulous Dominic, the trio had then made it to the London Tower, where Elvia registered for membership thanks to an introductory letter from Magus Shultz, the celebrated champion of the Commonwealth. Having received all of Eliva's licences, the trio returned to the dorm, where Dominic contacted and arranged to install the LRC device in Elvia's twin-share room. The news had then spread that Elvia had high-level backing from the Towers, further evidenced by the unheard extravagance of receiving a personal LRC device. The dorm, however, deemed the device an inappropriate piece of equipment for a place consisting of entirely teenage girls who boarded and was understandably homesick. After Dominic negotiated with the College's Mistress, Magister Celine Nightingale the 3rd, fully employing his Florentine charm on the ageing woman, a separate room was made available for the device. There was an added caveat that anyone can use the LRC, provided they pay the HDM cost and submit a prior application. Also, unlike Gwen, Alesia had outright purchased the device and gifted it to Elvia. For Elvia to make the device publicly accessible, therefore, the Mistress offered to pay Elvia the rate of 2 CCs per month for the privilege of allowing her peers to call home. "Mr Lorenzo is really— _really_ —good looking!" Elvia exclaimed. "When he came in, all the girls were staring." "I'll bet," Gwen urged her to continue. Who cares about some upstart Adonis? She needed more Chronicles of Elvia! At any rate, after all the fiasco, Elvia's classes started. Somehow, likely via the canteen Nun, news of Elvia's life in Sydney, the terror that befell her, the separation from her family, and her loneliness and her connection to Gunther Shultz spread throughout the campus. Brimming with self-righteous sympathy, instructors took it upon themselves to ensure that the poor girl had nought but the most gracious of receptions, easing her into her courses with gentle, guiding hands. When the time came to elect an SRC member for the class of 2003, the only name everyone recollected on their lips was Elvia Lindholm. So Elvia had become unanimously elected to the Student Council. "Let me see!" Gwen geeked out. SRC! Elvia was already accumulating power and influence! In response, Elvia showed Gwen a silver badge with staff and twin serpents in the middle of a bough of an olive wreath. Inscribed at the very bottom was Elvia's name. "So, how was the Student Council?" Elvia said that at first, she was terrified. When she stepped trembling and confused into the Council building, she was met by Magus Emily Greyson Rothwell—a nineteen-year-old Magus! The stunning third-year Student President took one look at Elvia's mid-tier affinity and melted at the spectacle of the coy and demure maiden half-peeking through the hallway door with her sky-coloured eyes. "I got your back! If anyone so much as touches you, I'll break them in half!" the Student Council President declared, drawing the girl to her bosoms. "Of course, I mean someone from my Knight retinue will. We're healers after all, hahaha!" "She has Knights at her command!" Elvia exclaimed. "There's three of them serving her family, and they're all at the rank of Magus! They looked so amazing in their dress uniforms—Emily says that one day, I'll get Knights assigned to me too if I work hard." "What's a Knight?" Gwen asked. Elvia informed her that Knights were Combat Mages from "Orders" assigned to high-profile healers. Many Knights would follow the same Magus or Magister for life, becoming the subject of many a young girl's fantasies. In a single-sex convent College such as the Nightingale School, the presence of Knights was enough to make the girls strive for their very best in attaining what would one day be their very own partners for life. According to Elvia, both the French Hospitaliers and the English colleges had this tradition, though the Greek Acropolis school favoured an interchangeable retinue of guardians tied to the Temple itself. Gwen's felt her mouth open and close as Elvia regaled episode after episode. Why was it that Elvia's story was so incredibly heart-warming and enviously agreeable? Gwen couldn't help but feel that her retelling resembled the opening chapter of Tess of d'Urbervilles—while Elvia's was the latter half of Silas Marner. What's with the bloody difference? In just three months, Elvia acquired an iron-clad following of middle-aged mid-tier administration office ladies who'd venture to hell and back for their adorable angel, the pity and loyalty of her roommate, and the full support the SRC and its president, the darling star of Nightingale College. _God! Jehova! Yahweh!_ The world is not just! To be oneself is not safe! She wanted a refund! A do-over! How was it that their encounters were so different? If Gwen were to get lost in London, she was sure the first thing she'd meet was an unmarked mystery van promising a modelling career, and all she needed to do was get in. At the college, someone would probably demand to duel her at the door.—if she ate at the canteen, the Nun might kick her out for asking for thirds. "Oh, Evee..." Gwen wept bitter tears of joy as Elvia regaled her "suffering". In return, Gwen told, euphemistically, of her trials and triumphs at the hands of the Songs, as well as her consequent University life with Richard, Petra and Magister Wen. Petra came home two hundred HDMs into their conversation, and Gwen introduced the stunning Russian cousin to her bestie. Petra was instantly in love with Elvia's huggable adorability, while Elvia became stunned by Petra's surreal glamour. In response to Petra's intrusion into the privacy of their conversation, another face ducked into the protection, a striking punk-rocker girl with shocking pink hair and a nose stud. "I am Elvia's roommate, Sylvie Stratford. Please to make your acquaintances," the roommate introduced herself. The four exchanged greetings all over again. Then the call was finally at an end. The conference had cost Gwen almost one-tenth of her remaining funds. As much as Gwen would have liked to continue her communication with Elvia, her friend too had limited funds. But unlike academic life in Fudan, Nightingale was a practitioner's college. As the girls trained and studied, they also received HDM-based stipends for serving in hospitals and clinics attached to the school. Unlike offensive casters who needed to expend mana continually and therefore drain crystals, the practice carried out by the girls was also a source of income. The British Mageocracy's NHS program covered their expenditure. Finally, Elvia faded as she bid a teary temporary farewell, leaving Gwen along with Petra. "I like her," Petra gushed, informing Gwen that 'another bites the dust. "So that's the famous Elvia Lindholm." "She's my lifeline," Gwen joked half-seriously. The girls then called out for dinner. The rest of the bustling weeks was to come. Tuesday. Instructor Chen observed Gwen's command over the unruly serpent. He had set up a gauntlet of sorts, a little maze of temptations and distractions for the Familiars. Within, by raising and lowering the bulkhead doors, he created a kind of twisted corridor, where 'rooms' awaited the students and their conjured beasts. Some rooms had small summoned fauna that the creatures loved to consume, testing for the ability to resist instinctual aggression. Other 'rooms' had enticing blocks of raw mana crystals with explicit commands such as 'can eat after 2 minutes' and 'may only eat 50%'. Other rooms had little traps that shocked, surprised or directly assaulted the Familiars. Ariel managed to clear the rooms without incident, though its idea of' 50%' was more akin to three-quarters. To Chen's surprise, Caliban did not trigger its self-defence even when struck by half a dozen Magic Missiles. As for it eating the entire block of raw mana crystal, Chen gave Gwen a pass. One could hardly demand a creature formed of hunger and gluttony to abide entirely by human command. Gwen's control, in his eyes, was enough. In her other fields of study, Management moved toward statistical dissection, making an already dry impossibly disinteresting. Mayuree could barely open her eyes as soon as the lectures began. Gwen even caught Richard taking a catnap during a particularly dense block of agricultural data. For Gwen, picking the two subjects was the right choice. First, she got to know the Hive Cities. Dubbed 'Districts' under the tier 1 cities, the hives were residences built with the best interests of the NoMs in mind—but invariably transformed into variations of Kowloon Walled City of 1980s Hong Kong infamy. A Hive began as the typical sort of benign dictatorship China was famous for, constructed to house up to 100,000 residents, with an upper limit of 150,000 people. With Beast Tides in mind, the fifty-storey concrete forts served as both protection and sanctuary in the unlikely occurrence of an invasion. The bottom of the forts was quake-proof and fortified by Earthen Glyphs, followed immediately by a level consisting of water purification systems and filtration depositories that processed the city's hygiene amenities. Above the base began the commercial sector, with food shops and dispensaries run by the state and those living within the city's walls. Above that, the street-level commerce was owned by enterprising members of the township, invariably Committee members of the State, the Clans, and the Houses. The Hive itself stretched upward, forty levels above where the resident's homes, drawn by lottery, determined where NoM Families stayed. When an NoM reached the age of 21, the state would allocate another apartment. The typical Hive-city stretched from twenty blocks to fifty blocks, though the largest, located in Beijing, extended in an "L" shape for almost sixty. The top of the buildings had parks, open-space areas, gardens, cafes, more shops; some even housed swimming pools and other amenities. However, these highly-desired spaces were a premium—regardless of the egalitarian ideals of a state-sanctioned Hive City, wealth gaps remained painfully evident. According to Professor Ma, those living below had barely enough space to sleep and rest, crammed into habitat blocks like sardines in a can, sleeping four to a room vertically, formed out of wooden decking on bare concrete. Others nearing the mid-section had individual rooms, though more often than not shared with other family members awaiting their sub-divisions. Near the top, the oligarchs of each Hive City had their abodes, sometimes an entire level or loft, to themselves. As with old Kowloon, a Hive's natural descent into organised crime, Triad rivalry, bloody feuds, District disharmony, and petty theft was the norm. To enact self-governance, each 'District' had its own 'elected' Secretary to oversee the running of the cities, invariably leading to meddling from the Clans and Sects, PLA infighting, and ambitious free-lance Mages. Yet, it was the best system China could manage after the Beast Tide. Construction meant jobs, and walled cities resulted in low upkeep. Thereby, from the 70s to the 90s, China kept on building an endless stream of Hive-Districts, fuelling its internal consumption and employment. Over time, these cities became filled with NoMs. For the population living there, generating a Mage offspring that passed the state's Awakening exam was every family's dream. Should a family give up a potential scion talented in Magic to the state, they would immediately receive an 'abode' in the upper strata. Many families had turned their fortunes around through such means, acting as living proof of the state's generosity. But the 'Uplifting' policy had its limitations as well. Though NoM families often engendered multiple children, abject poverty and the irregularity of a Mage being born from a non-magical bloodline remained a significant deterrence to social climbing. Thereby, to feed a burgeoning population, the state built co-op farms across every inch of Shanghai's arable boundary to feed its Hive-cities. The separation of food from the cities served another purpose. A Hive's reasons for killing its ruling class over perceived or real injustice were complex—but it was simple to suppress a city of 100,000 souls when one could cut off the water, grain and meat with a word. The more Gwen learned about the cities, the more her horror grew. Given what she had seen in Australia, she would far prefer the freedom and neglect of the ghettos and the slum, the shanty-suburbia of Blackheath to Calhoun's behavioural-sink Ratopia. Gods! To think she signed up for an excursion to Mega-City-Dredd! Gwen suppressed her regret and steeled her resolve—there was no helping it; if she wanted her land in the future, she needed the first-hand experience. After all, the Chinese had the same idiom engraved onto Fudan's stonework. Read one book, and one has travelled one Li. Walk one Li, and one has read a hundred books.

Week Five. Supplementary Bestiary lesson. The junior Conjurer's Familiars were finally tasked with hapless Wildland summons. Gwen had thought it cruel that Instructor Chen arranged for creatures to be used as instructional specimens—until the Master Conjurer reminded them that one couldn't make delicious Wildland omelette rice without cracking a hapless Cockatrice's innocent egg. The idea was to combine two lessons into one. The junior Creature Mages got to learn about their pet's strengths and weaknesses while simultaneously discovering their future enemies' physiological and biological strengths. For Wanli the Lighting-Hawk, Chen advised on air superiority, tactical use of blindsides, and CQB using lightning's passive paralysis. For Eunae, Chen informed ways Luyi could set root-snares, grow barriers and platforms, and take advantage of Eunae's positive energy to tank damage. Gwen made mental notes as others received their inputs. As a testament to Chen's expertise, each piece of advice was tailored to a Familiar's particularity. When he got to Gwen, he asked first for Ariel, the model marten. "Wang! Bring in D-5!" Chen yelled at a troop of Conjurers operating the Summoning Circle. A large and ferocious Wildland boar materialised. It immediately launched itself furiously at the Shields, leaving behind white scars where the walls of force reconstituted. "Alright, Gwen, send Ariel in." "Ariel!" Gwen affirmed her instructor's command, then coalesced her Familiar with a bolt of ionised lightning. Ariel emerged in combat form, transforming into a six-foot silvery Mongoose equipped with two spiralled horns. Following Chen's directions, Ariel kited the boar, gouging it with its claws, teeth and horns, slowly wearing the Earthen monstrosity down with its hasted agility. As the battle took place, Chen watched Ariel's performance with evident satisfaction. "You should get ready for the killing blow," he advised. "Do you have any localised AOE Lightning spells? Something volatile and explosive, midrange, with high penetrative power?" "No, Sir," Gwen explained that rather than learning new spells, she was trying to punch through to tier 4, where spells like Wall of Fire and Blizzard became available. "Forget those wide range AOEs. My advice is that you acquire Elemental Sphere," Chen explained. "Rather than a line attack Lightning Bolt, Lightning Sphere manifest first as a swirl of energy in a dome-like sphere, not unlike a ball-cyclone with you at its 'eye', then explodes outwards as a short-range AOE." "That sounds immensely useful, Sir." Gwen tried to imagine the effect. "I should think so. It's a signature spell of the late Magister Einar Larsen. He was a very well known master of the Lightning Element." "How should I learn such a spell?" Gwen requested humbly. "Surely, one has to be well connected." "This isn't the Frontier. In Shanghai, you can trade 36 CCs for the basic spell Magister Larsen released when he passed," Chen informed her with a smirk. "I mention this because the spell is perfect for your Ariel's Evocation-channel ability. It could serve as an offensive Shielding, a mid-range AOE, and a Shield-breaker." "I shall consider the recommendation, Sir," thanking her instructor, Gwen tried to picture the spell and its many applications. It was true that she lacked AOEs in her Evocation repertoire; on paper, the tier 4 incantation fit her current needs like heels to a cocktail dress. Besides, what destructive potential could a Barbanginy-Sphere bring? Just trying to envision the ultraviolence of such a spell was giving her shivers. Then there was also the Void variety - though Magister Wen had forewarned that all Void-AOE was forbidden until her affinity could be persuaded to grow beyond tier 5. While she pondered her future, the gladiatorial battle in the cage had come to an end. The boar was on its last legs. "EEEeeee! Eee!" "SQEEEeee!" Ariel had penetrated the boar's flanks. "Lightning Bolt!" Gwen channelled her Evocation staple and watched the boar glow with cobalt-green plasma. The blast flung the pig-beast against the force barrier until it was medium rare and smoking from both eye-sockets. "Wonderful," Chen clapped. "Excellent work." Caliban was next. "Wang! B-7!" The next monster materialised—a giant hyena the size of a horse. Startlingly, a sudden stench of putrid decay permeated the floor. "Mao!" The junior Mages wrinkled their nose. "Wocao! What is that thing?" "Is it Undead?" "It's a Corpse-fed!" A Corpse-fed hyena. Gwen had read about such creatures. In the north, where the Undead gathered, the fauna had mutated to become capable of feeding off the necrotic energies seeping from the tombs. Predators that once hunted live prey now hunted the dead—becoming fearsome carrion-carnivores capable of carrying plagues, devouring decay, and growing stronger by killing and consuming higher-level Undead. She wasn't sure why there was a hyaena in Asian-Major, but that hardly mattered now. Chen had prepared something incredibly formidable for Caliban. If it had been Ariel, its lightning would have naturally suppressed the Necrotic energy, but Gwen honestly had no idea with Caliban. It wasn't as though she'd fought Demi-Undead before. Chen indicated for Gwen to proceed. "I can banish it at a moment's notice. Not to worry," Gwen's instructor informed her. "Send in your pet. It should be immune to Vitality Drain anyway." The advice was news to Gwen. She warily regarded the prowling fiend, even now seeking a weakness in the Force Barrier to escape its fate. In her eyes, the monster looked strong. Thanks to its Necrotic blessing, it was likely incredibly resilient to injury, and therefore she chose agility and haste. "Caliban!" Gwen called for her Familiar to manifest within the arena, bypassing her Sustenance limiter. "Spider form!" When Caliban leapt from the slit between the Material and the Void, it was indeed in its multi-legged form. Gwen had come to acknowledge that so long as she 'willed' a particular form, it was possible to coax Caliban to follow suit. Petra once pointed out that a creature with five pairs of legs, pincers and a tail should belong to the Order Scorpiones but Gwen preferred 'spider' as the origin of Caliban's morphic shape was initially a real big Wanka. Gwen circulated a chunk of druidic-vitality into herself as her Familiar took its pound of flesh, empowering Caliban with supernatural haste and a fierce desire for destruction. As Caliban became pumped full of void-rich mana, the observing crowd felt a wave of nausea. "Onslaught!" Gwen mouthed soundlessly. "SCREEEEeeeee!!" Her spider launched itself like a bolt of black lightning. The hyena appeared first intimidated by a creature like Caliban, but its wariness vaporised as Caliban made its intentions clear. Sidestepping expertly, it extended its elongated neck with the agility of a viper and attempted to catch one of Caliban's foreclaws. "Jump!" Chen commanded. Gwen willed Caliban to change its trajectory by leaping over the war-dog. "Tail Spear!" Chen directed. The hyena missed its first bite as Caliban, too quick for the horse-sized dog, kicked off the force-wall and stabbed it on the upper flank with its barbed tail, sending out a mist of dark ichor as a chunk of necrotic flesh came away. "Oh—MAO!" "Bleargh!" A few of the student Conjurers fell to the odious assault. Eunae buried her face into Luyi's flank while her doe quivered defiantly against the fiendish terror, protecting its mistress. The hyena snapped at Caliban and caught a limb in its maw, crushing it effortlessly. However, the loss of a limb had no impact on a creature without nerves or organs like Caliban. Gwen's spider fiend then fell upon the yelping, hapless dog with the ferocity of a combine-harvester. "Do it!" "O-Onslaught!" Gwen gave the command while gagging. A fore-limb struck, then another and another and another, until its three pairs of appendages became a blur. The corpse-eating dog instantly became a spray of vivisected flesh. “WOCAONIMA!” “Cao - BLEARGH!” “Garrgh!” “Oh G-“ The odour flooded the room and all the gathered Mages, Gwen included, began to clear their meals onto the floor. The stench was indefinable—something between fetid death and faecal matter, half-digested flesh mixed with the smell of pus and gangrene. Only Chen stood without so much as wrinkling his nose. The hyena disappeared in a burst of silver-white energy. The Wall of Force went down. The vents powered up. "What are you—" someone cried out in alarm. Caliban clattered forth, covered in pieces of necrotic carrion; its carapace a snail-sheen of foul fat and decomposing excrement. "Take it all in!!" Chen laughed at the students fleeing the scene but trapped by the bulkheads. Even Gwen was on her knees, regretting her last breath of air. Eunae buried her face so far into Luyi it looked as though the Korean Cleric had melded with her fawn face-first. "That's the scent of the Northern Front! Learn to love it! For that's the aroma of an Undead battlefield! Let this be a lesson!" "Shaa—" Caliban moved for its mistress. With a yelp and a gag, Gwen dismissed it in an instant. Gwen fell into a terrible illness the same evening, but according to Magister Wen, that was pathologically impossible so long as she had Druidic Essences circulating her body. For all intents, her body was immune to mundane infections and fatal disease— for Gwen to be stricken, the pathogen would have to be magical or genuinely virulent. All she could do then was bath herself in lavender-scented bathwater in an attempt to disguise the phantom stench. The damned odour was so intense that she couldn't even stomach the thought of summoning Caliban, despite sorcerously bathing it with magic. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. That night, Gwen slept fitfully, unable to persuade her brain that she wasn't wrapped in a blanket of dead rats decaying in the mattress. The next day, Gwen decided to invest in a new Signature Spell. After consulting with Petra and Magister Wen, it was agreed that 36 CCs for the tier 4 Elemental Sphere was a viable option for her Evocation development. She would struggle with the complexity until she reached the expertise necessary to use the spell in combat but could use the struggle to mill out the proficiency of her Evocation Sigil. As promised, the acquisition was straightforward. A trip to T2 of the Fudan Towers gave her a script. Then a visit to the Reserved section of Fudan University Library was all it took for her to return with an inscribed scroll. The manuscript was attuned to herself like a magic item, requiring her mana signature to be read. She also received a script exchangeable with an Instructor for a private lesson. After taking stock of her receipts, she was left with 94 CCs. "What do people do about plagiarism? Or piracy?" Gwen asked Petra when they met for lunch. "Piracy?" Petra chuckled. "What does this have to do with robbery on the high seas?" Realising she had used a Gwenism, Gwen opted for a less abstract vernacular. "Like, what if I wanted to teach you this spell?" "You could try." Petra grinned dangerously. "Though it's against the academic etiquette." "What's the damage?" "Penalty from the Tower, ire from other Mages, excommunication from your Clan or House. It is serious enough to make you a public pariah. Learning public domain spells with CCs is far more convenient than trying to thieve them. Through the Tower, your acquisitions are sanctioned and safe; your mastery publicly acknowledged. If one day, you're willing to give up a Signature Spell of your own to the public domain as the progenitor - you or your Estate would receive CCs every time someone learns it." Excommunication! Gwen pondered the severity of such a thing. The rewards for obeying the rules far outweigh the benefits of illicit learning. She supposed such a system was sufficiently robust, for it wasn't as though roguish Mages living in the Wildlands bothered with Tower etiquette at any rate; nor would a Clan or Sect give up its secrets to anyone but an inheriting member. "I understand." Gwen played with her Storage Ring contemplatively. "I'll be down at the Training Hall if anyone asks." It took another three nights for the illusory stench of the Corpse-fed Hyena to fade from Gwen's consciousness. In the meanwhile, in preparation for Gwen's excursion at District 108 and 35, Magister Wen recommended Gwen take her new items—the Chameleon Cloak and her Boots of Flying, to the Training Hall and book a session with the Field Instructors there. "Why? Is the excursion not a sightseeing tour?" Gwen questioned her mentor. Magister Wen gave her a secretive smile. "Professor Ma will keep it interesting for you young Mages. There's nothing better than a dose of reality to get the Management students invested in the course." Looking at Wen, Gwen couldn't help but recall when Mark Chandler had sent her into Blackheath. At first, she had imagined that her Master's old Diviner war-buddy was also testing her, teasing her with the reality of poverty and circumstance the NoMs faced. But it was all a ruse to gather evidence for his hypothesis against her Master, Henry Kilroy. Hopefully, this time, with a whole University backing her, her misadventure wouldn't deviate too much from the scheduled tour. The PLA, perhaps mindful of their limited influence in Fudan, had assigned military Instructors to the Training Hall who students could employ. Many of the instructors were surviving Mages from Frontier conflicts who could no longer return—but whose experience was too precious to be wasted. Gwen thus fell under the tutelage of a flight Mage named Staff-Sergeant Bao Yan, a clean-cut, middle-aged veteran missing a hand and using a prosthetic leg. With patience, she informed him that she was in the process of learning her Utilitarian Flight spell but had an excursion to the NoM Districts in a week or so. "That's fine. You'll be knotting the air in no time," the instructor smirked. "Let's see your form." Gwen first ensured her tunic was adequately fastened; she had yet to purchase her wardrobe for "Flight" and would like to avoid a Marilyn Monroe situation. Her second situation was that her second-hand Boots of Flying had to be worn against her skin. Alesia's vintage training boots spoke volumes about the sorceress's intrepid teenage years. When Gwen first tried them on, the thigh-high leather pulled just above her knees and rode three inches up her thigh. As a mid-tier Magic Item of 'rare' scarcity from the 90s, the boots were not enchanted to conform. They remained serviceable only because Gwen and her sister-in-craft were physiologically alike—and that they were double-laced to allow for significant expansion and contraction, hugging one's thighs with the snugness of a corset. As a pairing, shorts were out of the question, so she settled on a 'skort', a pair of skirt-cum-shorts with ample coverage, ensuring unity of ergonomic mobility and aesthetic modesty. For her upper body, she chose the Chameleon Cloak. From above, she was invisible, likewise if she crouched and folded her legs in the foetal position. However, from the side, she resembled a free-floating face resting above a pair of leggy, laced leather boots. "You're not going to need that in an urban space. Register and apply for a full Optic-Camo cloak with CCs if you want to be discrete," Lian advised. "Though you better not get caught by the Tower's Arbitrators or the MSS if you're using it inside the city." "How useful is Opti-Camo?" Gwen enquired. Her Familiars were far from subtle. Lian snorted. "Extremely! It's life or death out there in the Wildlands. First-strike means winning or losing! Do you think Optic-Camo grows on trees? Mao knows how you even got your hands on one. You from an old military family or what?" "Something like that," Gwen said. "You better take care of it, girl. Not many of those are left in civilian hands." Gwen carefully folded the cloak and stored it in her ring. "Your pets going to be a problem?" The instructor pointed a thumb at Caliban and Ariel. "They'll be fine so long as they're unmolested, Sir," Gwen answered. "They're tagged to my bangle." The instructor's attitude brightened considerably after noting her collection of rare items. There were three rings on her fingers; two gemstone rings with enchantments accompanied by a nondescript copper band. Gwen supposed that she must be from a wealthy family in her instructor's eyes. "You a Clanner? You look like a Young Lady." "I am…" Gwen thought about her answer, then replied cryptically. "… connected." "I'll say," her teacher replied thoughtfully. "Let's begin with levitation exercises. What's the crystal-consumption rate on those?" "It's a user model." Gwen kicked with one foot and rose an inch into the air, wobbling as she held her balance in check. "Not bad, a classic archetype," the instructor nodded and activated his Flight incantation, lifting into the air. Gwen couldn't help but notice the man's prosthetics dangled loosely. "Make a danger sign when you're about to OOM." "Yessir," Gwen replied. Unlike the Mage-trained Flight spell, the lift provided by the boots had capped agility and velocity. Transmutation Mages who specialised in Flight, especially Mages attuned to Elemental Air, could move at four to five times the pace and coordination of Mages not attuned to Transmutation. Given time and training, the Air-affiliated Gwen could arguably fly faster and more proficiently than even Alesia, but that would be many years in the making. It was also why the dual-elementalist Kitty was deemed a prodigy. Given time to grow, her affinity with Air and Ice, Evocation and Transmutation would make her an elemental terror, the crème de la crème of the Aerial Battle Mage regiment, a Valkyrie controller of the battlefield. The instructor indicated toward two illusory markers in bright orange overhead. "Do not venture past the training Zone. Shanghai is a No-Fly. We'll be making basic zig-zags on a 2D plane, then move onto vertical climbs." "Yessir." Instructor Lian led the way as Gwen followed unsteadily. The grace of moving in three dimensions had little to do with an individual's natural agility, and all Gwen could do was try to acclimatise herself while battling the constant nausea of vertigo. Week 6, University Mid-Term. Mid-terms meant exams, excursions and exercises, after which was the Week 7 mid-term break. Gwen had Practicals for Conjuration and Evocation, a written exam for Economics, and then the excursion with James Ma's Management course. During their Thursday lecture, Ma mentioned that sixty-four individuals would be participating across seven Districts, meaning the students could arrange their groups and sub-groups as they pleased, down to a minimum of two individuals. District 35 would entertain the lot of them, while their subsequent visit to Districts 108 - 114 would only take up to five Mages per zone. Naturally, her group would at best consist of Richard, Mayuree, Kitty and herself. _Well, I'll be damned…_ Gwen thought about Wen's helpful foreshadowing. She could hardly wait for their first outing, not to mention her first visit to an NoM Hive City in a tier 1 capital. She had done slum tours in her old world before—what they called the Grand Snobbery. Would the Hives be like the Rocinha Favela before the World Cup? Or perhaps the industrious gutter-slums of Mumbai? Could it exceed the time she was in Khayelitsha, laying over on the way to a two-week safari? Her anticipations were growing hot, but first, she had her Practical Exams. Conjuration took place underneath the arena, where Gwen had her Bestiary classes. Within, Students demonstrated their proficiency in Combat, Translocation, and Conjure Object. Combat was simple enough. Students could choose to square off against Summoned Monsters, Instructors, or each other. With her pets, Gwen was confident she could take a tier 5 to 6 creature without incident. Transportation involved moving cubes of cargo ranging from fragile crystal to a slab of lead from one end of the enormous stadium to another by attuning with pre-inscribed Teleportation portals. Several of the talented students could draw Teleportation Circle at tier 5 and could thus opt to use their personalised Mandala array. Gwen lacked that regard, meaning she had to use a pre-prepared one. Finally, Conjure Object was an exercise in which items stored in a pocket dimension had to be conjured by the students onto a platform. It was a simple cantrip that any Mage in possession of a Storage Ring used—though the variability of mana grew exponentially with heavier, larger, and denser objects. Despite the simplicity of the exams, Gwen felt an oppressive unease as she walked among the crowd. She felt a tingle in the spine that warned her of crisis, but Gwen had anticipated that. She was, after all, here to demonstrate her prowess, and there were immutable risks in combat that went beyond skill and expertise. Standing almost half a head taller than the crowd in her pump combat boots, she scanned the crowd with her eyes, wondering why there was this uncomfortable feeling that she was being intently watched. "I think she sees us," Lulan Li murmured to her dearest elder brother, the corner of her lip curling belligerently as she observed the Void Sorceress scanning the room. Seeing Gwen Song's absurdly tall figure was pissing Lulan off even from this distance. She had wanted to challenge and beat down the skanky foreigner for weeks now, but each time her eldest brother had stood in her way. "You're a second year," he told her. "What would people think of our Clan? What would people think of me if you had to save my face in my stead?" Lulan puffed her cheeks churlishly. Of course, big brother Kusu was right, but Lulan wouldn't have minded if she took on that burden. If anyone dared to call Kusu a 'soft rice eater', she would break every bone in their body. The girl's eyes scanned toward them. "There! She just saw me!" Lulan exclaimed excitedly. "Steady now. You don't want to frighten our prey," Kusu replied. "She's strong." Hui, her Clan brother, gifted in Divination, whispered back in hushed tones. "Are you sure we should be doing this? What about her backers?" "Of course!" Lulan snapped at the man, the pressure of her bearing making him wince. She was his younger sister, but Lulan was more powerful by magnitudes. "This upstart has had her day for too long. We've left her alone until now, but as I said, I have it on good authority that she's no longer an inheriting part of the Song. Their Patriarch couldn't care less for her. Hee-hee, we're probably doing the old man a favour." "Still, don't underestimate an LCSS candidate. She did get the full scholar—" "She got in because of her connections!" Lulan seethed at her middle brother. "You think big-brother Kusu would lose his full-scholarship to a back-door customer like her? We'll have her know she's dug her own grave." "Shut it, the both of you," Kusu silenced the both of them. "It's starting. I am going to announce my challenge." "Alright, big brother, you show that Guan-er-dai the power of someone who isn't sitting in the Dean's lap!" Lulan felt her heart soar. Finally, it was time to vindicate the shame of her most talented eldest brother losing his full scholarship to some green-eyed hussy from the Frontier! Gwen's eyes passed over the familiar faces of a group of Mages with faces so similar that they were unmistakably related. One of them, the girl, glared at her with a hunger that was palpable from across the room. One of them, the eldest, suddenly stepped forward. Instantly, her heart sank. "HALT! I declare a spar against the acolyte Gwen Song!" Her silence answered the challenge. Besides her, Gwen's Conjuration cohort parted, revealing to everyone but Gwen's surprise, the Clan Mages who'd ambushed and mocked her outside the training hall weeks prior. She wasn't sure if she had 'beef' with them, but she'd avoided them since. The way they presented themselves looked as though they would not take 'no' for an answer, and Gwen wondered if refusing would make matters worse. She considered her present condition. It was better that they called her out now rather than in the privacy of her training sessions. So long as they fought in public, Gwen felt that she could handle them. The young man who stepped forward was a little shorter than her, with a sharply chiselled face that would have been cruel but for his bright and intelligent eyes. He wasn't a mean-looking sort. Instead, the man possessed a bookish, scholarly charm. "I, Kusu Li of the Huashan Sect, wish to challenge Gwen Song of the House of Song to a duel," The young man declared formally, then bowed. "Please accept my duel." As expected, he was a Clanner. Gwen felt ambivalent about his challenge. It wasn't good to get involved with the Clans, nor was it good turn ignore them. "Do you accept, Gwen Song?" he repeated himself, raising his head. Besides Gwen, her Familiars began to hiss and growl menacingly. Her Mongolian Death Worm opened its carapace and lashed out with pink-and-cobalt tentacles while her marten struck out its tongue rudely. Gwen weighed her options. There was no shame in being pragmatic with one's enemies. As with Dai Fung, she needed more HDMs to offset her LRM Projector costs. To fight, or not to fight? To profit? Humans die for riches, and birds risk beak and claw for feed. Who wouldn't risk life and limb for more time to chum with Evee?

Magister Birch furrowed his brows from his side of the lecture podium, then looked toward Gwen Song for an answer. The challenge was valid, but the girl was well within her rights to decline. The etiquette was to accept regardless of one's chances of victory—for that was the pride of possessing courage, or at least respect, for walking one's path of Spellcraft. What worried the Magister was that an accident, especially one that may mar the girl's health, would come back to haunt him. She was Wen's precious specimen, Dean Luo's prized pitbull and Klavdiya's darling. Should the hammer of blame come down, it wouldn't care for truth, only that he was neglectful in protecting the collective benefit brought by the Void sorceress. As for the challenger, Birch was confident enough in the Huashan Sect's skill to acknowledge that they had sufficient means for their champion to defeat Gwen Song even at her best. So the question remained, should he intervene? He knew that stopping the match would be the safest course of action. But Birch couldn't help but feel that having the granddaughter of Guo Song taught a lesson wasn't a displeasing prospect. With his ability, the girl should be perfectly safe. Therefore, he would bequeath her the privilege of answering for herself and see if the girl was as good as Lou touted her to be. A few rows from the aggrandising Kusu, Lu Fung was also at a crossroad. If Dai's object of desire became humiliated by this upstart from the rural province of Huashan, it would surely ruin his elder brother's sport. Yet, he couldn't step in, for intervening would countermand Dai's orders to leave Gwen Song alone. As Lu hesitated, the opportunity passed him by, for the girl had designs of her own. "I accept," she replied with nonchalance. "But not without condition." "State your condition then," Kusu remained diplomatic, though Lu could see his sister seething beside the mild-mannered Sword Mage. "Promise me that you will leave me alone when you lose and that you and your Clan will not bother me incessantly. I lack the leisure to entertain sore _losers_." The gathered crowd of Conjurers sucked in a collective breath of cold air. The solemnity was held for several fragile seconds; then, someone broke the tension by laughing loudly. Lu almost burst out in laughter himself. The Mao-bespoken confidence of the girl! "You'll regret that," Kusu riposted, his face reddening from the unexpected rudeness of the foreigner. "Watch your tongue! Shabī!" Kusu's psychotic sister opened her mouth and let loose a torrent of abuse. Lu watched Gwen Song exhale with exaggeration. What was her plan? Piss off her opponents? Make them lose their cool? Then what? "Care for a wager?" "My life—" Kusu began in the typical formalism of the old Sects. "Nothing so serious. I mean this." Gwen Song produced ten currency cards that amounted to just over a thousand HDMs. "A little show of confidence. There has to be something for me to gain, you know. I can't fight unmotivated. You win; I'll be humiliated for no reason. I win—I gain nothing. It's hardly fair." A murmur of disbelief radiated from the centre of the crowd. Mao! She's in for it now. Lu felt himself shaking with schadenfreude. These bumpkin rural Clanners fought duels with the same passion they fought for the honour of their mothers. And Gwen Song just offered to whore Kusu's mother for a thousand lousy HDMs. Prizefighting? What gave the girl the idea that Clanners would sully a duel with money? It was such a Western way of thinking! Opposite, Kusu's face said it all. It was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious to Lu that both sides lacked understanding of their stakes. The correct thing to do for Gwen was to get a friend or an ally to act on her behalf, not to insult your opponent to his face! As for Kusu, he should have anticipated the westerner's divergent values! _That was the problem with bumpkins from the Frontiers._ Lu shook his head in wonder. The Sects were the quintessential big fish in a small pond, but goliath gropers lurked in the shallows in a place like Shanghai. Lu pushed through the crowd for a better look. To his surprise, Magister Birch was going through the rules of the duel. "Conjuration spells only. First to Shield Break. Respect your opponents. No attacking after forfeiture, or you will receive an academic warning. Gwen, you will have to conjure your Familiars when combat begins." Gwen Song nodded, then dismissed her Familiars. The shields went up. The crowd then relocated around the tennis-sized open space. "Ready?" Birch ordered Gwen and Kusu into separate Mandala arrays. The first order of business was for the Mages to move via Teleportation Circles into the arena without disorientation. If the Acolytes could not even handle that, then they deserved the trashing that followed. "Begin!" Two bursts of silvery Conjuration appeared outside and inside the arena simultaneously, signalling the expedient entry of both contestants into the field. The Void Sorceress appeared half a second faster than her opponent and Conjured a pulsating white-blue crystal right where her opponent was still manifesting. As Kusu appeared, a thin Shield of semi-transparent ochre immediately went up as the Flashbang exploded, rocking the interior of the battlefield with a muffled 'thump!'. "You're too predictable!" Kusu snarled, then, with one fluid gesture, the Sword Mage made his move. "Dagger Swarm!" As far as Lu knew, the Huashan Clan was formerly a sword-saint Sect during the Song Dynasty. Much of their secret art was lost to the fall of Southern Song after the rise of the Yuan Centaurs, with all their Grandmasters and Masters dying in a single battle to protect the mount from the foreign invaders. To survive, they amalgamated old manuscripts with Spellcraft theory from the West, forming an original style of Magic that utilised physical objects and Daoist arcanistry. The Clan did have one or two notable young Mages, such as Lulan Li, but their male disciples were above-average but below the watermark for a tier 1 Clan like the Nantong Fungs. Therefore, the 'daggers' summoned by Kusu were actual miniature "Flying Swords" inscribed with secret incantations. Lu watched as the implements swirled around the young man like a flock of furious quicksilver swallows. How would Gwen Song counter? He received his answer in the form of a signature Dimension Door that erupted in a burst of void-ink, as though someone had violently landed in a puddle of tenebrous fluid. The resulting splash consumed a dozen or so of the blades from the swarm of a hundred, visibly reducing the volume of Kusu's implements. The Void Sorceress then appeared, as expected, behind the Huashan Mage. _Not good._ Lu thought. She was too predictable. If even Lu could anticipate such a cliched move, his rival from another Sect would be equally apt. Combat was everything to a Clanner, their lifeblood and doctrine, and sparring was a fact of everyday training. No sooner had Gwen appeared did another spell manifest from Kusu, this time an iron web. It wasn't a magical web but a physical set of balls and chains inscribed with the same magic. He looked toward Magister Birch to see if the Adjudicator objected to the use of physical objects conjured from pocket dimensions. Birch's expression remained impassive. "Caliban!" Gwen Song incanted. The slit of space between the Void and the Material Plane cleanly sliced the iron-mesh netting in twain as her creature began its ascension into the material world. Despite the unexpected destruction of his snare, her opponent had been waiting for her to summon Caliban. Kusu immediately responded by redirecting the "Dagger Swarm" to corner caster and Familiar. With a gesture, a rain of daggers pelted down, pinging off Gwen's Shield and gouging chunks from an enraged, semi-formed Caliban. _Excellent play!_ Lu couldn't help but congratulate the Huashan upstart. He had placed Gwen in a terrible defensive position while he was well provisioned to respond with an offence, defence, or evasion. Meanwhile, the Dagger Swarm continued, leaving white-streaks of impact marks all over the Void sorceress' semi-dome Shield. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it A few seconds passed. The daggers returned for a second round—yet the shield remained. _Abjuration!_ Lu felt his chest tighten with the affirmation of Dai's data. It was true! The girl was versed in multiple Schools of Magic! Of all the Schools of Magic, only Abjuration was unique in the strength of its Shields. If Gwen was solely a Conjurer-Evoker of Quasi-Elemental Lightning-and-Void, her shield should have cracked after the first few seconds. "Pin him down!" Lu heard Gwen cry out, seeing Gwen's face reddening with intensifying battle lust. The girl was beginning to take this seriously as well. "Caliban! Onslaught!" Finally, the netherworld scorpioid slipped onto the battlefield. It immediately skittered on spindly legs from a canter to a trot, launching itself toward Kusu with the momentum of a runaway harvester. "Guard!" Kusu fell back, sheltered by a defensive formation of daggers forming a shimmering steel wall. "Misty Step!" The Swordsmen disappeared. "Dimension Door!" Both Mages had chosen evasion rather than defence. Gwen Song appeared just behind the dagger wall, while Kusu's Signature version of Dimension Door materialised the Huashan Mage where she had stood. The girl, however, once more consumed about one-tenth of Kusu's dagger with her Void-matter. Kusu swore and retracted a portion of his Dagger Swarm, using the mass of metal as defensive barriers to repeal the monster leaping, bounding, screeching and slithering after him like a mad thing. On the far side of the court, Gwen Song began to empower a complex Conjuration incantation. _Whoa!_ Lu applauded internally. So that's how she's going to play it. Kusu was the more experienced tactician here, and the girl more often stepped into his anticipatory retaliation than not. If so, then she would counter action by remaining still. "Misty Step!" Sensing Gwen's terrific gathering of Lightning, Kusu risked direct assault from Caliban and teleported in a direct line through the creature, gambling on the fact that the Void beast could not tap into the Ethereal Plane. "Petal Burst!" The ball of daggers exploded. Kusu's gambit proved sound, and he emerged a safe distance away from Caliban, yet close enough to Gwen to let loose with a terrific hail of daggers. The girl's silhouette became swallowed by a cloud of hacking, flying and stabbing blades, pinging off her shield and making opaque the frontal semi-sphere. Could her shield hold out? Lu wondered. The girl was turtling up with the hopes of finishing off a slippery opponent with artillery, but when if it worked, then it worked. Unfortunately for Kusu, Gwen Song emerged unscathed. Even now, her shield was healing itself rapidly, with each opaque impact point returning to translucence. "Wocao!" Lu swore. Kusu must be shitting himself. How was it possible that the girl was still holding up?! How thick was that barrier! She hadn't cheated and cast a dome-shaped Wall of Force, had she? What else was the girl hiding? "SUMMON LESSER ELEMENTAL!" The Void sorceress finished her spell. It had taken her almost ten seconds, but she had finally connected the Sigil with its elaborate incantations, opening up a gateway to the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Lightning. "Shit!" Kusu swore. The man's Dagger Swarm formed a rotating wall of flying steel that warded him from all sides. The desperate Mages' only chance of victory now lay in piercing Gwen's Shield in the next few seconds. _But would Gwen Song give the Huashan Mage that chance?_ Lu tried to anticipate the next moment. The girl's shield proved monstrous, almost as absurd as her Void-critter. The auditorium began to glow - her scarabs were materialising rapidly. The tiny Elementals first manifested as motes of glowing azure. They filled the chamber by twos and threes, then dozens, then hundreds, each hysterical and hungry for a target. "Pierce!" Sensing his imminent demise, Kusu forsook his barrier and forced his remaining daggers into a piercing cone. An eye-blink later, the cone launched itself with terrific force toward Gwen Song, becoming a shrieking vortex of grinding steel that penetrated the scarab swarm with impunity. _Brilliant move!_ The crowd launched into scattered applause amidst cries of surprise and dismay, and Lu joined them. It was a strategically savvy move that followed the Thirty-Six Tactics. To attack where your enemy must save, and your offensive becomes defence itself! Gwen Song had to remain still while channelling her Elemental swarm, meaning she had to halt her attack to Dimension Door. She would soon be out of mana if she chose to shield _and_ channel, so overall, Kusu should be in an excellent position to win. At any rate, Lu glanced at Magister Birch, whose eyes flared with silvery Conjuration. The old fogie was ready to move one or the other out of harm's way. "Caliban!" The Void Sorceress sent her Void Familiar to stand in her stead. The scorpion reared itself, supported by a host of hind legs, revealing a second mouth below its cephalothorax. A wave of revulsion spread through the crowd as the thing hissed and made that horrendous "Shaa—". Its form grew denser with Void-matter. Not even Lu, whose element countered the Negative-Plane, was exempt from the aura of existential vertigo expanding from Caliban. "Consume!" Lu's mouth opened in sync with Caliban's. Impossibly, the Void beast's second mouth unhinged itself with the effect of tearing itself apart. With a single gulp, it took the lion's share of the daggers, blade and hilt and all, then... … then nothing. The rest of the daggers clattered to the floor. By now, the scarabs had converged on Kusu, and the burst of brilliance was so bright as to smite the walls with blinding electricity. Lu couldn't blame Magister Birch for not jumping in. He couldn't convince himself to teleport into a swarm of Lightning Scarabs either. Usually, two to three hundred was the limit. Just how much mana did Gwen Song put into a single summon? "Gwen Song wins," Birch announced. The electrical hysteria of the flight of the Lightning Scarabs faded. Kusu was unconscious on the ground, convulsing all over. Gwen stood with Caliban unsummoned, her chest rising and falling thanks to the exertion of Caliban's expectedly utilitarian Consume. "Kusu!" "Big-Brother!" Kusu's siblings, the foul-mouthed sister and a middle-brother leapt onto the stage with potions and restoratives. When they concluded that Kusu was merely momentarily stunned and knocked out, they turned upon Gwen. "Dead bitch!" the girl cursed, sending out a pulse of powerful Earthen mana so palpable that Lu could've sworn the anti-magic tiles clattered. "I am going to make this as painful as possible." _Here we go!_ This time, Lu was determined to seize the moment. He pushed himself from the crowd before Birch could tell the offending sister to stand down and leapt upon the stage. "Shut your mouth! You shame the Clans with your rudeness!" Lu Fung, fourth in line to the Nantong Clan of Fung, arrived stage-left. "Have some humility, woman! Your brother Kusu lost, and that's no one's fault but his own! Go perfect your art instead of mewling like a loser!" Lu's appearance caused a stir in the crowd as extraordinary as Gwen's defeat of the Huashan Mage. His fellows knew that Lu wasn't some hot-blooded youth standing up for a pretty girl— but a preeminent Clan making its position known! The Fung Patriarch—Shen Fung—sat atop the Shanghai Security Council like a Land Deity! If need be, and if the Huashan' bumpkins' chose to disagree with the Fungs, he could potentially have the lot of them evicted from the city! To Lu's pleasure, Lulan Li's face paled as soon as Lu castigated their presence. Unfortunately, the girl's face then began to change into one of simmering scarlet rage. "Brother Lu…" the girl said quietly, dangerously. "Please stand aside." _Who the fuck does this girl think she is?_ Lu was about to make a disparaging remark to inform her of her place when Kusu intervened. However, something deep in his bones suggested he should get the fuck out of her way. "Brother Lu! Forgive Lulan. She's still young!" The defeated Kusu, who had now regained his consciousness, fell to one knee and held his head downward in a show of compliance. "Lulan! Get down!" "Big Brother!" A wave of teeth-chattering mana radiated from the girl. "Lulan, please! Listen to Brother Lu _Fung_!" Kusu dragged his sister down to his height until they were both on one knee. Lu, meanwhile, recovered from the bucket of cold water poured over his head. How could he forget the infamy of Lulan Li?! Lulan Li of Huashan! An iron-blooded battle maniac! The one who succeeded in forcibly practising her Clan's forbidden arts! Thank Mao for his stature as the inheriting disciple of the Fung Clan. Any other challenger would have been mopping their guts off the arena floor by now. "It's alright, Brother Kusu. Lulan wants what's best for you. I understand." Lu Fung measured his words and spoke carefully, assuming the tone of a wise and benevolent elder Clan-brother. "The both of you, please stand. There is no shame in this defeat. You can try again next time. I am sure you will both grow from this experience. Kusu, you fought well. I can speak to your Elder on your behalf..." Gwen felt the colour returning to her face. Thanks to their weekly feeding of Caliban, she could now sustain her Void spells with a far more substantial 'tank' of vitality. When Lu made her opponents genuflect, however, her Divination Sigil felt like a nail had scraped across her spine. She turned to face Lu, who nodded at her confidently with an expectant look of someone feeling the euphoria of 'Mission Accomplished". She glanced at the girl on the floor and felt such malice rippling from the sorceress that her aura distorted the symmetry of the anti-magic tiles. Kusu rose then aced her. The man bowed deeply then produced 1000 HDM Crystals in assorted currency cards. From the looks of the loot, it would appear the Huashan Sect was not one known for wealth. "Your spoils, Miss Song. Thank you for the instruction," the young man spoke politely. Gwen forced a smile to her face and nodded at Kusu, thanking him. Despite the danger she felt from the sister, she took the money. From below the brother, a pair of eyes the colour of shiraz burned with a hatred that made Gwen's skin crawl. She didn't need her nail-on-blackboard premonition to tell that she just stepped into a pile of proverbial horse shit up to her thighs. Whatever this may be, it was not over by far. _God damn it._ She thought of Elvia's Nightingale College tour de comfort. _Why me?_

Louis Birch gave Gwen a grading of A and told her she needn't attempt the other exercises. Instead, he sent her away to the infirmary, under the supervision of the unexpectedly helpful Lu Fung. He wasn't exactly sure what business the junior Conjurer had, but his jurisdiction ended at the Lecture hall's entrance. Now that the fight had concluded, Birch could see it was a wise decision not to intervene. _What foresight,_ he thought to himself. As expected, Gwen Song was trouble personified. "Kusu, are you alright?" Birch turned to the other party, assuming the role of a caring mentor. He wasn't worried about Kusu's health; the young man's pride was more wounded than his body. He was more concerned about what may come. That _Lulan Li..._ "I feel fine, Sir." Kusu's pride looked more wounded than his body. "Good. And Kusu..?" "Yessir?" Birch leaned in closer to give the young man a private piece of advice. "Maybe keep a tight leash on your sister. I've dealt with her enough in second-year to know what she's thinking—or not thinking, as it were. You and I both know foresight is not her forte." His student acknowledged his advice with a bow. _Lulan Li,_ Magister Birch sighed as he withdrew. Another troublemaker. The younger girl was hailed as a genius of the Earthen arts. At fifteen, she entered Fudan and progressed almost exclusively through questing credits until reaching her second-year specialisation. The girl was initially slated for an LCSS placement, but after what she did to her opponent... For a non-combat instructor like Birch, there were good reasons why Lulan Li usually took her lessons away from Shanghai. Then again, he mused to himself; maybe Gwen and Lulan deserved each other—like fighting fire with fire. Despite the well-fought match, it wasn't hard for Birch to imagine that Lulan felt Gwen had cheated. After all, what kind of Conjurer-Evoker had an Abjuration Shield? Not to mention Gwen's Shield was more robust than an Abjurer's of the same tier. Then there was her Familiar's ability to consume Kusu's implements without dying. How was her brother supposed to fight that? Having taught both, he knew a little of their circumstances: Kusu wasn't an inheriting disciple of the main branch but had every ambition to make it to the top. The boy was gifted, but his sister was one of a kind—and therein lied the trouble. Birch fantasised about intervening, then stopped at that. It would take someone far better connected than he to ensure the incident did not blow out of proportion. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to rile the Clanners up? Maybe he should visit Klavdiya? He would love nothing more than to see her again; not the imperfect facsimile that was her granddaughter, but the perfection of her face, all the richer for the passage of years. "I am fine." Gwen's mind was still thinking of Lulan Li as she spoke, recalling the girl looked like she wanted to drink her blood then and there. "If you're sure." Lu stepped away from her politely, keeping a respectful distance as she sat on the infirmary's white bedding. "I've still got Evocation Practicals. I just need an hour's meditation, that's all." "I'll speak to Magus Young if you like," Lu offered kindly. Gwen shook her head. Clanners being _nice_ to her? That itself was enough to set her packing. "Thank you, Lu. You've done plenty enough for me." The Fung member had insisted on escorting her to the infirmary east of the campus. For a Clanner who was usually aloof and utterly neglectful of her presence, the Spirit Conjurer had behaved like one of those smitten men in inane idol-dramas, making her doubly nervous. After Lu left, she double-checked her surroundings with Detect Magic, then told the presiding nurse that she would like some privacy for a few hours to restore her mana and focus. The nurse complied, pulling close the curtains, and told her to call if she began to feel worse. Confident she was alone, Gwen began her meditation, feeling her Druidic essence restore her Void-ravaged mana conduits. As her body healed, she attempted to figure out if her latest incident was spontaneous or a part of something more significant. She began with her immediate concern. Kusu Li and Lulan Li. She had seen them once before down at the training hall. They were the ones who had cornered her once, whom she had elected to ignore. Did they challenge her because they thought she was an easy persimmon to squash? A little fig of fame, plump for the plucking? Gwen knew that she was somewhat notorious because of the infamy brought by her Void talent, her Scholarship, and her relationship with Petra. With the addition of Caliban's high-impactful visual presence during her bestiary training, she was likely a well-known personality on the Upper Campus. Was that why Kusu challenged her? It made sense logically. In European history, a young Henry V challenged Percy Hotspur and killed him for the 'garlands' of fame and honour taken from the warrior-prince. It was central to Henry V's plan to assume the throne by building a reputation for himself. If so, then why was Lu trying to help her? They were both Clanners, and they knew each other. Kusu even called Lu Elder-Brother. That being the case, was this orchestrated by both of them? Was Kusu supposed to thrash her, then Lu comes to the rescue to impress her? Was Dai Fung a part of this? Then again, Dai still owed her a favour. Maybe she could look into that. That was one way to resolve this problem, but further contact with yet more Clanners was the last thing she desired. She wanted to keep meditating, but her time was up. 1400—time for Evocation Prac. Evocation took place on the Lower Campus Training Grounds in a set-up zone for large-scale magical demonstrations. Portable "WoF" generators had been set up across two football fields, dividing the malleable, transmuted asphalt with simmering barriers. Various Dummy-golems given life with simplistic Animate Lesser Objects formed a line of stackable targets that, from a distance, looked comically like a wooden marching band. As with Conjuration, the examination was split between combat and utility. As Gwen walked onto the field, she became surrounded by her usual companions in Evocation, the phonically challenged Pu, the haughty Lily, as well as the quiet Material Engineer -Jon. The trio immediately surrounded her. "Mao below! Pu and Lily told me about what happened during Conjuration. Are you alright?" Jon inquired, his bookish face red with worry. Usually, the boy kept to himself and was the ardent listener of the foursome. "The Clanners… I don't know. Couldn't you have refused?" In hindsight, Gwen wished she'd refused as well. She had made a call on imperfect information, and now she had to live the consequences. But it wasn't as though Gwen thrashed the man. It was a good duel and a lovely spectacle. Conversely, given opportunity and Evocation, she could have jacked up Ariel with a Druidic boost and potentially dropped the poor man with a single Elemental Sphere or a well-placed Lighting Bolt. The young man had been amiable enough, humble and accepting of his defeat. Lu helped, and Magister Birch had certified her victory - what more was there to be done? She'd done her part. Or maybe it was the money? Gwen felt a rash of cold sweat. Kusu had given her denomination as small as 5 HDMs. Perhaps she had accidentally bankrupted the guy? If someone had ruined her finances, she would be feeling sore indeed. Then again, Gwen reminded herself. She had done what was best for herself in the circumstances, going as far as to leave Kusu unscathed. If that Elemental Swarm had been Void or if she finished him with a Void Tentacle... _Yikes_. "I've got it under control," Gwen assured her friends. "I've got back-up as well, haha." "You're friends with Petra Kuznetsova and studying under Magister Wen, right?" Pu asked doubtfully, his lack of confidence written all over his face. "Are they going to help you? Magister Wen is famous for her indifference to these things." "It's not Magister Wen who's going to help. I know that Gwen's the niece of Jun' The Ash Bringer' Song," Lily spoke up, far more confident than her companion in Gwen's bravado. The two boys turned to regard Gwen with a new light. "But he's Chinese! And you're..." "He's quarter-Russian. Though he takes after my Grandfather," Gwen corrected them. "Who's your grandfather?" Gwen told them. "You're a PLA Guan-er-dai! A power progeny!" Pu stammered. He had told Gwen to avoid association with Clanners, Guan-er-dai, and the Fu-er-dai. He and his friends were just regular, middle-class kids with a bit of talent. Involvement in a political power feud could wipe out their entire line in a single purge. Jon looked thoroughly intimidated as well. "I am not—it's complicated." Gwen shook her head. "The family and I are not close. I also have no desire to follow my Uncle into the PLA." "Don't worry, we understand," Lily, who was a provincial Guan-er-dai herself, said sympathetically with a wink. The girl seemed to have reached a suitable misunderstanding involving affairs and mistresses. "I am sure your family will accept you one day. You have such an amazing talent, after all." Gwen felt fatigued by the effort required to dispel Lily's inferred hypothesis but decided against it. Her friends were clearly 'independently aligned' students, and she was better off being seen as 'one of them' than one of the 'big three' to be avoided in Fudan. "Still, wow, _The_ _Ash Bringer_ is your uncle," both Jon and Pu muttered reverently. "That's why Gwen should be safe!" Lily took her arm, and they proceeded toward the centre of the practice field, where the students were assembled. "Ha, can you imagine it? Some Clanner opening their mountain gate, only to find The Ash Bringer staring them down, demanding for the prick who hurt his niece!" "Uncle Jun wouldn't be so rash!" Gwen chuckled, realising that perhaps, she was in a better position than she'd thought. The cognisance instantly made her relax, scattering the dark cloud of paranoia that had hung overhead. In Shanghai, as in Sydney, a Mage couldn't just thrive on talent alone. At worst, she could appeal to Uncle Jun. She could call in her favour with Dai. She could even ask Magister Wen, who would fight tooth and nail for her fortnightly samples. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Therefore, her present problems were _solved_! Despite having spent almost five weeks with two Familiars attending class with her, Gwen's infamy in Evocation was nowhere near the level of begrudging notoriety engendered in Conjuration. She rarely used her Void powers outside of private practice, and most of the students knew her as a Conjuration Major. For Evocation, combat trials were obstacle courses combined within a shooting range. Targets varied from stationary-single, moving-single, cluster, cluster-in-motion; to identify Friend-Foe scenarios. This final segment, where 'enemies' were placed beside 'allies', proved the real challenge. Even in Fudan, its talented Evokers had variable access to elements and spells. Thereby, the grading was geared toward problem-solving, precision and control, Spell-shaping, and situational awareness. The rationale for such stringent training was that future graduates were independently operating agents. A secondary graduate going straight to vocation College or Military Service would also be trained in the same tactics but would lack the knowledge necessary to become anything other than NCOs. Unlike Gwen's incident-filled morning, the afternoon proceeded smoothly. In her class, there were prodigious standouts in Evocation. A plethora of Fire Mages scored over 90. An Earthen Mage scored over 100, performing above the scoring threshold. The student who topped the class was a Mud Mage, the first of his kind Gwen had ever seen, who had a perfect 120, going as far as to single out and destroy a target surrounded by moving, friendly dummies simulating a panicked crowd. Gwen finished her heat with a personal best of 1 Minute and 58'11 Seconds, extinguishing eighteen of twenty targets with an aggregate score of 89. Her companions of Evocation, Pu and Lily, finished in the mid-80s, with Jon trailing in the 60s. Gwen didn't mind the modest score because she was bereft of a foe-seeking Spirit to guide her bolts, not to mention both Ariel and Caliban were absent from her score. She was happy with the uninspiring result, for the last thing she needed was another Clanner who would pluck a wreath from her brow to adorn their heads. Magus Young was still excitedly congratulating the victor when Gwen told her friends that she seriously needed some food in her belly. She had used her Void abilities excessively in the morning, then skipped lunch thanks to Lu's creepy kindness. Going by the experience of the past month, another hour or two without a fortifying meal of mana-rich comfort cuisine and she would be feeling light-headed and dizzy. Her friends urged her to be safe, going as far as to escort her home. "Well, how about I shout you guys a nice dinner since we're all going the same way?" Gwen suggested. Familiarity breeds intimacy, after all. She had known Pu, Lily and Jon for almost six weeks now. "Shout dinner?" Lily raised a brow. "It means buy dinner," Gwen translated. The boys were keen, going by their breathless anticipation. Lily sighed, overpowered by democracy. "Alright, nothing too expensive," Lily relented. "How about Fengbo Manor on Zhengmin Rd?" Gwen offered. "Cheap as chips, and a top watering hole too." "What… do those words even mean?" Lily grew confused by her idiomatic expressions. Gwen realised that her Australian locutions must appear bizarre under her magically-translated Mandarin. "Is it next to a lake?" "Whatever it might be, I am sure it's good!" Heedless of Lily's protests, the boys took their friend by her arms and began to carry her forward, urging Gwen to lead the way. Fengbo Village was cheap but well worth the culinary visit. The place was tiny, with a whimsical decor that alluded to a 'branch' of a 'Beggar's Clan'. Its dishes followed titles that sounded like something from an old wuxia Vid-cast, with the menu tastefully written on bamboo plaques. "I'll take a Fengbo Platter, Wildland Beggar Pheasant, Chilli Mud-Carp soup, braised pork, Purple bamboo stir fry with preserved rabbit. Also, giant-headed fish pot, stuffed goat leg, and two tubs of Enchanting Jasmine rice." The matron took their orders. "Tsingtao for the table as well, Mama," Gwen ordered from the menu like a local even as her Ioun stone struggled with the pictogram calligraphy. "You got it, Beauty!" The middle-aged NoM lady, the chef's wife and proprietor took Gwen's order to the kitchen. Gwen knew she was a favoured customer. Gwen usually ordered the most expensive and exotic dishes on the menu, making her a godsend for attracting customers. "So, this your usual haunt?" Pu looked around the tiny restaurant and felt cheated that an up and coming goddess of Fudan would find comfort and solace in a place fit only for middle-class NoMs and low-rank Mages. "They serve fresh ingredients if you order the specials," Gwen pointed out. "I guess it's not always Wildland produce, but the taste is top-notch!" Gwen was growing guilty of being spoilt by Marong and Mayuree's maid. During a hectic week, she had eaten so often at Mayuree's generous behest that she was sure the maid had to restock the pantry twice over. At Fengbo, her favourite food here was the 'Beggar Wildland Pheasant.' It was a fantastic dish that Gwen had initially ordered out of curiosity. The chef first cleaned and tied off a Wildland pheasant after stuffing it with Chinese rice wine, cured ginger, shallot, coriander leaf, star anise, soy and blood sugar, then wrapped it in betel leaves, covered it in clay, then buried in a charcoal kiln and baked it for six hours. When served, the chef personally presented himself with the cocoon, breaking the clay 'egg' with a mighty blow from a wooden hammer and releasing the famously steaming pheasant within. The juices flowed generously onto the wooden plate as the leaves came off, sending out an aroma that flooded the restaurant and about half the alleyway. "How is it possible that I am getting food advice from a Gweilo?!" Lily moaned, her mouth salivating. "Beggar's pheasant, where have you been all my life?" The foursome tapped their beers then dug into the dish, carving up the bird with their greasy fingers and sending up another cloud of aromatic euphoria throughout the restaurant. "Boss! One pheasant!" "Mama! One here as well!" Gwen's other dishes came soon after, weighing their bamboo table until its lattice frame creaked. "Dig in!" Gwen lavishly urged her friends to try a bit of everything. Beers clinked, Gwen bit into a chicken leg, then almost choked. Just as the taste entertained her tongue, she perceived a crashing premonition of danger, turning the savoury juices into rusty iron as if she'd bitten through some undercooked offal. Gwen immediately looked about her surroundings, searching the patrons. Ashamedly, her Divination was too untrained to pinpoint hazards and recognise the source of potential dangers. Could it be her fellow diners? She wondered. Was it the man stuffing his face with jasmine rice, or perhaps the bloke who looked as though the Sichuan-fish was giving him an aneurysm? Seeing Gwen's sudden expression of dismay, her companions' chopsticks came to a standstill. _WHAM!_ The restaurant's bamboo gates flung open with a crash. A girl-Mage of about five-foot-five stood at the threshold, her ochre eyes more rust than amber, burning with a circular current of Elemental Earth. She was attired in black, her silhouette tenebrous against the exterior street light. _Wocao!_ Gwen picked up a bit of the local dialect. It's been less than six hours! Was the girl that impatient for satisfaction? Shouldn't the Clanner girl be plotting from the shadows or at least ambushing her somewhere discrete? How about bringing a few goons or calling on some allies? Gwen was sure the caution of Lulan's peers still rang in her ears. While Gwen held her beggar's chicken in disbelief, Lulan Li strode across the bamboo tiles toward her table. Pu stared with his mouth hanging half-open. Jon was struggling to keep the soup in his mouth. Lily allowed the soup to flow from her lips. Gwen dropped the chicken awkwardly, then looked for a napkin. If the girl wanted to meet and greet, it was best performed with dignity and not orchestrated with a pheasant drumstick. A second later, the girl was now upon them. The restaurant was packed with primarily NoM patrons, yet every one of them, Gwen and her companions included felt the pressure unleashed by Lulan's petite body. A stench of oxidised iron permeated the air, a scent that curiously reminded Gwen of that unfortunate time in Blackheath. "Umm..." "Lulan, Li." "Gwen, Song." "I know." "How can I help you?" Gwen was confident she could bluff the girl. She was wearing a bib, and her hands were still sticky with grease. It was hard to face down a stone-cold sorceress, more so when your dignity was yet invested in juicy chicken bits. "My brother's daggers. I want them returned." "What daggers?" she asked carefully. "The daggers you took during today's match." "I took his daggers?" "Don't play the fool!" Lulan snapped at her. "Your Mongolian Death Worm! It ate almost a hundred of Big-Brother's implements! I want them returned! They don't belong to you!" _SHIT,_ Gwen confirmed that the girl was talking about the 'daggers' the Earthen Conjurer had summoned. How the fuck was she supposed to know they were magical implements? Return them? Since when did Caliban return anything? "There's going to be a slight problem with that," Gwen replied politely. Were the daggers particularly precious? Or were they a sentimental thing? "You better not fuck with me." Lulan's irises alternated between amber and wine, pulsating with dark emotions. The girl seemed unusually taken, Gwen noted, almost excessively so. "Those daggers took brother thousands of hours to inscribe. They're irreplaceable." Gwen realised that that would explain why Kusu was moving them around like a telepath. She had thought that the guy had a Sword-Spirit or something. But none of that mattered now. She couldn't return—that is—Caliban couldn't regurgitate the blades. Her dilemma left her with a problem. The irrationality of Lulan's act was as rash as fire, more so than Yue, who would not do something as stupid as confronting a rival in public, and alone no less. Furthermore, Gwen couldn't see why the Huashan girl would ruin herself by attacking her here. They were well within limits of the business district—her Clan was not one with influence in Shanghai's provincial government. What was Lulan getting at? Surely it can't be over some measly steak knives!? What are they, Dwarves forged Damascus? Did she have other associates outside, waiting for an ambush? "I am afraid that's impossible," Gwen explained calmly. "Caliban consumes things in a manner directly correlated to the Void. Your brother's implements are gone—in the purest, most literal sense imaginable." As the last of her words left her lips, the ground began to tremble. The Elemental Earth pouring out of the girl was tectonic! Gwen's Divination Sigil pinched her nerves like she'd slipped a disk. She immediately circulated a flood of Void matter through her mana-conduits, triggering a surge of her Druidic essence. Across the table, her companions readied themselves likewise, resisting the incredible pressure exerted by the brash Earthen Elementalist. "Don't you fucking dare," Lily warned Lulan. "My father is—" CRACK! Something shot their table from the top, smashing the bamboo top into a splintering mess. The recently prepared banquet erupted in a delicious cascade, sending up a fountain of hot soup, congealing grease, chunks of chicken, slices of pork, vegetables and rice into a fantastic shower. Gwen immediately regretted not having her Familiars out. Caliban was naturally gifted at snatching flying bits of food out of the air. " _Tamade_! That bitch is _dead_!" Lily, the fiery Evoker, staggered back from the table, her expression livid with anger as she wiped soup from her lips. Pu and Jon likewise retreated, their clothes and faces covered with sauces. Gwen sat without moving an inch. She knew the immediate danger had passed. Her Divination sense was no longer flaring like a swollen sinus during the pollen season. She sighed as bits of beggar chicken fell from her hair and dripped onto her v-neck tunic, soaking her intimates with mouth-watering brine. Picking out a leg of pork from between her thighs, she looked around to see if the owners were safe. The patrons and the staff were fine, and their assailant was gone. Lulan Li likely made her escape during the eruption of the banquet volcano, while their attention was distracted by the earthen explosion. "Sorry, Aunty, I'll pay for all this," she said to the terrified NoM woman cowering in the corner. "The Arbitrators should be here later. Please let them know what happened, exactly as is." "Ayeeeya!" The woman seemed to have regained some of her sensibility. "Are you okay, Miss?! Ai-ya! Your clothes are all dirty!" With some urgency, the lady-owner picked herself up from the floor and approached Gwen with a large towel she retrieved from the kitchen. "We have a shower upstairs," she said helpfully. Her husband, too, was watching warily from the kitchen. The rest of the diners, in typical Shanghai fashion, either discussed the spectacle with great enthusiasm or continued eating as though nothing had happened. Gwen's friends double-checked their surroundings and affirmed that Lulan Li was gone. "I am going to tell my Dad. You don't worry a bit, Gwen," Lily assured her friend. "That's alright, Lil. I don't want to involve you. I'll inform my Uncle," Gwen returned in kind, speaking a language that her friend understood. "Wocao! Huashan Sect," Pu cursed, his face scowling. "Gwen, are you alright?" "I-I've got pork-floss in my eye," Jon complained as he tried to rinse his face with a kettle of warm water the lady-owner provided. "Sorry, everyone…" Gwen wrung a fistful of broth from her shirt. She could launder her outfit, but she was determined to cut her losses if it meant getting out of this sticky mess sooner. She dropped a fistful of Kusu's HDMs on the counter and told the owner not to worry about the change. But—was it safe to go home? She was about five minutes from the apartment. Maybe if she used Expeditious Retreat and Enhanced Agility? Something wasn't right with the girl's head. That much was obvious even to Gwen. Could she bet that Lulan Li wouldn't assault her in the middle of Shanghai's second largest University District? There was a police station just a block away! There was a Tower within walking distance! Still, could she bet her life on Lulan's rationality? Gwen wasn't a betting sort of woman. She pulled up her Message device and dialled for Richard. Behind her, her Evocation companions exchanged curses and insults about their encounter with the iron idiot. "Yes, Gwen?" Richard's voice answered. "Hey Dick," Gwen intoned sweetly. "Can I trouble you for an escort? I am a bit ruined from an unexpected... catfight."

_SLAP!_ Elder Li's backhanded strike left a five-digit imprint on Lulan's cheek. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?" Lulan's uncle hissed. "Subtlety! Here is not our territory! We have no influence here in Shanghai. Why in the name of the Ancestor Jiang did you do that?" "Uncle Luwei, Lulan was just—" "Shut your mouth, Kusu!" Luwei turned to his disciple with a wave of anger that made the young man recoil. "YOU LOST, and what's more, you lost a hundred or more of your inscribed daggers! How long did it take you to craft those blades?" "Three years, Shifu." Her brother replied demurely. When dealing with their Sect Elders, respect was kinder than kinship. "Well? Where are they?" Their uncle turned to Lulan. "You went to find Gwen Song, didn't you? Where are your brother's inscribed implements?" Lulan touched a finger to her swelling cheek. A dangerous mist of pinkish oxide seemed to reach her eyes. "Gwen Song says they are destroyed." "And you believed her?" "No." Her uncle looked as though he was about to slap her again for good measure, but the chilling, murderous intent seep from Lulan's body dissuaded him from acting upon the impulse. "I spoke to Second Brother earlier. Our Sect received a caution from the Tower! A Magister Wen made an official complaint. We received a _caution_! What do you think would happen if either of you were expelled or Blacklisted? You will never receive accreditation! You think another C-9 League University would take rejects from Fudan?" Lulan bore the verbal beatdown without flinching. Her brother was less resilient. "Stupid child! You don't know who Wen is, do you? Let me remind you: Magister Marie-Roslyn Wen of Henglong Laboratory is on no less than FOUR Advisory Boards, THREE Examination Councils, and is a regular member of the Accreditation Committee! I don't care if this 'Gwen' is an inbred DOG! She's Magister Wen's DOG! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? LULAN?!" Lulan forced herself to nod even as the mana insider threatened to go haywire. Besides her, Elder Luwei had to take a breather before continuing. "Who told you that Gwen Song was excommunicated from the Songs?" "I heard from Pei," Lulan confessed, her voice hoarse with animosity. Pei was the youngest son of the Patriarch, Dulian Li. Talented and fair of disposition, he was the Sect Master's favourite. There were already rumours that should Pei best his seniors when he came of age; he would become the inheriting disciple. "It's true, Shifu," Kusu backed up his sister, stepping in front of her protectively in case his Master's hands itched again. Lulan, however, began to understand that they had been used. It was the unavoidable fate of orphans. Their Master, _San_ —a homonym for "Third Uncle"—perished at the Undead Front a year ago. Since then, Lulan's talent and unique demeanour had made a dangerous combination that seriously agitated factional politics in the Huashan Sect. "Pei? What does Pei have to do with this?" "He knows Gwen Song's brother, Percy Song," Kusu spoke in his sister's stead. Lulan remained mum, knowing that she brought out the worst in her elders. It was the chief reason she was scorned in the Sect despite her talent. "Go on." "An important distinction," Kusu continued. "Percy told Pei that his sister was excommunicated from the family and made to give up her inheriting heirloom—a Kirin-Stone amulet. Pei further confirmed that he had seen this amulet worn by her brother. We'd thought that since she was expelled from the inheriting line entirely..." "Guo Song disinherited a girl with dual Void and Lighting? She's got a Mongolian Death Worm leashed to her Astral Body!" his Master muttered incredulously. "Why didn't the two of you think of that? Huh? Do you think someone without backing just casually goes farming for pets in the Khitani Desert? That's a Centaur-ruled Black Zone! Not even the Undead venture there. Maybe the Ash Bringer escorted her? But he's an active Military member... then again..." Her uncle scanned his Sect's two prodigies, checking to see if they were trying to fool him. "Fine. I'll verify with the Elder. So, who's idea was it?" It was a rhetorical question. Lulan, who stood demurely behind Kusu, blanched. For her, it was a rare moment of passivity, driven by the notion that she'd ruined her brother's chances at advancing his position. "That's it? You acted on a rumour?" "We studied the girl for weeks," Kusu continued to defend her idiocy. "She never spoke nor visited her grandfather even once. She saw Director Song three to four times for shopping trips and luncheons. Her primary focus seems to be training. Even when we confronted her a few weeks ago, she fled from us. She's not from the PLA Faction, I guarantee it." "Hmmph!" Their uncle eyed the siblings with dissatisfaction. Lulan could see her silence continued to rub him the wrong way, especially when their stupid ploy sullied the name of the Huashan Sect. Thanks to them, the Elder needed to return to the Mount and inform the other Elders. "Master Uncle?" Luwei gave Lulan a stern and dangerous look. "Leave me, and keep your sister out of trouble. Tend to your injuries and write a reflection letter for the Patriarch. Leave nothing out. Explicitly examine every single ability Gwen Song has demonstrated." "Yes, Shifu!" "And a Letter of Apology to Magister Wen as well. Lulan, you're forbidden from contacting Gwen Song again." "No." The word was out before Lulan could stop herself. "Good, I—" Luwei stopped. For a moment there, her Master Uncle looked like he'd gone senile. By now, Lulan's irises had turned the colour of red wine. A part of her realised that she was staring at Kusu as though in a trance. It was the red mist, Lulan told herself. But her brain was clouded in fog. Their old Master had said that it had something to do with excessive Yang energy. As he had predicted, Huashan's Ironheart technique wasn't composed with the intent of being practised by female disciples. Without a doubt, their Song Dynasty founder would have rolled in his grave if he knew that a woman could successfully manifest the Iron Sword technique. Lulan felt her mouth move. "They're going on excursion soon to the Lost Districts today. I can confront her there. I'll get back brother's daggers," she stated. "Give me another chance. I won't fail." "Lulan!" Their uncle's patience was hanging by a straw. "Enough!" Lulan met her uncle's eyes with an expression of insubordinate defiance. Her brother despaired. _SLAP!_ Kusu flinched. Another five-fingered welt marred the other side of Lulan's face. When their uncle spoke again, his voice had more fatigue than anger. "By the Iron Sword, there better not be another incident. Also, make sure that your implements are either retrieved or destroyed. Do not let them steal our Sect's arts. If it happens, I will personally disinherit the both of you." Lulan tasted the iron in her mouth. "Yes! Shifu!" Kusu bowed. "I will negotiate with Gwen Song." Their uncle left, having done all he was willing to do. "Kusu..." Lulan looked toward her brother. "Oh, Lulu..." Her brother shook his head. "How're your cheeks?" Kusu Li did his best to clean up his sister's bruised face. Far better than his sister, Kusu understood the awkward position they now occupied in the Sect. Their Master, San Li, was dead. Lulu had to be brought to heel, but if she could not— He dare not think of the consequence. Kusu remained in place, bowing until his uncle's sedan drove away. These days, he could barely recall the cute little sister that had hung onto his neck and refused to yield an inch. Even as his eyes wandered toward her, he could sense the raging mana within her, giving her irises that distinct rusty accent that so many feared. Once, Lulu's eyes had been clear crystal amber. Once, her skin had been fragile porcelain, not the snail sheen that she now affected, with the metal-afflicted mana stretched taut over a trained figure without excess body fat. If one looked carefully, one caught bruises and abrasions from practice and adventure that floated beneath her porcelain exterior, but these minor blemishes only added to her peculiar aura. Hopefully, this was the end of the incident for himself and his sister. Their father might be the second-hand man of the Patriarch, but he was more so a scholar than a warrior, influential because he held the purse-strings, not because he could wield the Iron Sword over the heads of his enemies. When it came to factional conflicts, Luming Li would not stand on the side of his children. As for the Iron Sword of Huashan… Kusu reached out with one hand to catch his sister's affirmation. Even as their fingers touched, he noted with shame that Lulu's hands were not like that of a girl's. She had the calloused palms of a swordswoman. "Don't worry, I'll protect you," Kusu said to his sister, wondering if that was true. Who's protecting who? Kusu mused. Could he trust Pei to abide by his promise? Then, abruptly, his fingers grasped air—where he had expected Lulan to meet his hand, there was only absence. "Lulan?" Kusu looked up, expecting to find an unhappy sister. The girl was gone. She had Misty Stepped away into the aether. " _Wocao_." Ten thousand llamas rode across the terrain of Kusu's muddy mindscape, farting as they sang. Friday. Excursion Day. Gwen's Economic and Management essays were done and dusted with complete confidence, aiming for distinctions, meaning she was free to enjoy the lull in her studies. The "Field Trip", as it was announced, would take up to three days, from Friday to Sunday, pending on the students' performance. As expected, Gwen was joined by a jubilant Mayuree, an indifferent Kitty, and finally, a tired-looking Richard who likewise saw the excursion as a big break. She was also happy because the Lulan situation was done and dusted. While pumping two cubes full of the tenebrous energy of extinction, Gwen had told Magister Wen of her troubles. Petra's Master told her she would put a word in with the Tower, which should be the end of it. Confident in the Magister's promise, Gwen turned her attention to the excursion. She took stock of her Adventuring Gear: One pair of leggy double-lace Boots of Flying. One civilian-class Chameleon Cloak—stowed. One pair of tactical underwear from dad. One Ring of Evasion. And she had her usual passive items, such as her Ioun Stones and Gunther's Contingency Ring. She furthermore possessed in her Storage Ring a Vitae Fruit and Petra's gift of Tier 8 Regeneration. Six healing injectors. Six mana injectors. Her problem now with Mana potions was that the mundane variety restored less than half of her mana, while the 'greater' variety was almost ten times the price, at nearly 60 HDMs. Possessing virtually no alchemical skills or talents, she was prone to potion fatigue on her by the bottle, meaning she could get three-quarters of her mana per day back, once. Comparatively, their real "MVP" Kitty was an all-rounder, requiring virtually nothing to supplement her enviable Spell List of everything from Haste to Fly, Frost Armour to Blizzard. Unlike Gwen in her button-tab blouse and grey-blue' skort', the pixie-like Mage was perfectly prim in her shorts and blouse. Richard, meanwhile, wore jeans, a lumber jack's flannel, combat boots and white inners. He had also taken to acquiring a beard after Gwen mentioned just how much manlier Jun looked than Morye with his circular beard, though her cousin's five-o-clock shadow made him more thuggish than handsome. Mayuree, finally, was decked out in Fu-er-dai splendour. Two enchanted Rings on each hand. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. An Amulet of Health at her throat. A white, inscribed knee-length dress that repelled dirt, dust and elements effects, paired with Boots of Flying that, according to her smug boast, was Water-Walking as well. The Diviner also showed off no less than three Combat Wands: A Wand of Magic Missile, a Wand of Scorching Ray, and a Wand of Stone Shape, each with ten charges. "Are we anticipating something?" Gwen asked the Diviner. There must be a reason why Mayuree was equipped to clear out a Hobs' Den. "Who knows?" Mayuree shrugged mysteriously. "It's good to be prepared, you know?" "Can I get a heads up?" "I'd rather not." "Alright." Gwen made a mental note to tail her Diviner closely. "How are we getting there?" Their answer came in the form of an anti-climatic, rented municipal bus. There were about forty students on the bus to the first District - an area once known as Chonggu-Zhen, meaning 'Hamlet of the Clan Chong-Gu." But both Clan and name were lost to the shifting sands of Dynasty and epoch until all that remained was a misnomer for the 'model' city's official designation— _District_ -35. As the bus rolled out, Gwen realised shamefully that this was the farthest she had ventured from Shanghai's CBD since arriving some half a year ago. There was so much to see, but she had done none of it. It was the equivalent of an expatriate in New York never going past Queens or a Sydney-sider having never gone beyond the Shire. As the superstructures of Shanghai's central districts fell away, the roadsides began to transform. The concrete city mortared in steel and glass began to shift into brick and tin until finally, only stunted apartments with blasted windows for eyes and busted doors for teeth zoomed past the ring road. "Reconstruction Zones," someone on the bus said helpfully. "Mao, they're filthy." After three-quarters of an hour, the Third Orbital Ring reached its farthest boundary. Suddenly, the landscape changed again. The roads grew straighter; power poles began to make a regular appearance, and trees made their presence known once again. In the distance, they could now see District-35 and its megastructure looming overhead, coming closer as their bus hurtled down the highway. Coming closer, Gwen could see that the District-Zones were just like her memory of the infamous Kowloon Walled City. Behind a concrete barrier four meters high, the stacked rectangular blocks appeared packed back to back, wall to wall, floor to ceiling. In a fashion unique to Asian culture, laundry, not architecture, dominated the scene. An endless array of laundry kilometres long and forty stories high covered every conceivable space on the building's exterior, giving the place the appearance of a pirate-fort made from stilts and canvas rather than rebar-reinforced concrete. The bus pulled up at the gate, where a PLA trooper hailed the driver and examined their clearance before opening the gate. The massive concrete barriers were like the walls of a dam, opening with agonising slowness as the students waited silently in the bus. "I can see a lady's brasserie from here," someone remarked jovially, pointing upward toward a window choked full of laundry. "Impressive size." The crowd burst into laughter, dispelling the nervousness of entering a world where NoMs were the norm. Soon, the bus moved into the courtyard following their guide, where the driver told the students to disembark. After so much time in Fudan, Gwen felt as though she'd stepped into another country. One by one, the student Mages emerged into the lazy heat of the afternoon with her companions. As soon as she disembarked, Gwen became aware that she was being watched; that is, she was being attended by an endless multitude of curious, prying eyes. The entire District had turned out to watch the Fudan Mages! There were faces in every window, hanging from every winter garden, gawking from every rooftop, nook and cranny. Women, children, grannies and lasses all looked upon the rare visitors below with gleaming eyes full of wonder and worship! University Mages! They must be telling one another. The Mages are here! Not just any student Mages either—but sorcerers and sorceresses from Fudan! Mages who would one day stand at the front, protecting their lives and the lives of those from the Hive city selected for Conscription! Mages, whose effort and favour meant their loved ones lived or died, survived or perished! That's all thanks to the propaganda, Gwen thought sadly. The citizens likely never knew anything else. A necessary achievement of any successful regime is to create orthodoxy—for orthodoxy removes any need to think and question what was self-evidently the norm. In both her worlds, new and old, China never lacked indoctrination. "DISTRICT 35 WELCOMES OUR DELEGATION FROM FUDAN!" A sudden burst of symphonic propaganda almost took Gwen off her feet. She had to suppress a choking bout of laughter as the absurd sight of a giant red banner unfurled in Chinese from the rooftop that read: 'DISTRICT 35 WELCOMES SAVIOUR MAGES' While another on the adjacent building read: 'UPHOLD IDEOLOGY OF SOCIALISM MAN AND MAGE HAND IN HAND.' _Jesus Christ,_ Gwen scoffed. Do they think it was that easy— Then the children came. _GOOD-GOD!_ Gwen would have screamed were it not for the need to maintain decorum. Children, cute little children, were rushing out, dressed in red, to bring the Mages wreaths—handmade, origami flower wreaths!!! The kids streamed past Ma and the Administrator. Little bodies surrounded the students three to a caster and began bestowing upon them 'handmade' presents. "Miss, you so pretty!" "Oh Miss, you so tall!" "You must be important, Miss!" Her prideful heart melted as the children's praise stroked her ego like a cat. The same story was being told everywhere, and the Mages from Fudan grew instantly drunk on the praises of little boys and girls with their innocent, worshipful eyes. _The children_ —Gwen's cynicism melted away. The children were too adorable! Gwen couldn't help but pick one up, scooping the child expertly until she held the little girl in her arms. With an adorable tilt of her hand, the girl placed the red and gold wreath around Gwen's head. A dozen little boys and girls had Richard dead to rights and tried to overpower him with handicraft. Mayuree, meanwhile, had entered nirvana, squealing and laughing uncontrollably. Kitty was the best of them. She ignored the first and engaged an aura of rime which informed the kids not to push their luck. After the first left dejectedly, the rest avoided the Ice Mage and congregated around Gwen and the others. Amid her euphoria, Gwen looked past the crowd and saw Professor James Ma standing with the Administrator from earlier, smiling conspiratorially. What an absurd display! Gwen was not sure whether to laugh or cry. What the hell is this? Is this what she had geared up? The kids were too much! Gods! She felt as though she was overdosing on oxytocin. The little girls were beyond delightful! Oh! Mayuree's little one was a cutie as well! _Arrrrgh!_ Richard had three hugging him at once! Beware of jealousy! For it is the green-eyed monster— "MAGES! WELCOME!" Finally, the man next to Ma began to speak. "I am Yuhan Lai, Secretariat of District 35. I welcome you to our humble abode." Collectively, the Mages bowed. It was an impressive display, and the crowd ascended to a new level of fiery participation. "I hope that you haven't had lunch yet! Because you will now meet your hosts and enjoy a bountiful meal cooked by the matriarch of the family!" Lai declared. The children took Gwen by the hand and began to lead her away. Gwen looked toward Richard alarmingly, but Mayuree came between them. "It's safe," her Diviner companion assured her. "Enjoy the lunch. A little breeze told me that the excitement is to come in another District." The assurance was enough to affirm Gwen's resolve, and she allowed herself to be led away. As it turned out, there was a perfect reason why the students were separated, and it had nothing to do with trying to separate party members. It was because their NoM host's apartments could house precisely ONE Mage and the host family. Gwen sat at the head of a table usually set for two adults, two children, and a toddler. The room she now occupied was stacked from floor to ceiling with versatile vertical space-savers. Fold-out beds, fold-out chairs. Fold-out cupboards. Fold-out everything. The entire habitat block measured four meters wide and five-odd long, forming a space for five people—three children, one grandparent, and a mother in her early thirties. "Please, please make yourself comfortable, Miss Mage!" The woman, to Gwen's eyes, was quite beautiful in a homely sort of way, pleaded for her to be at ease in the cramped space of their abode. She was a recent mother, for she had that soft and feminine allure to her eyes, as well as a lingering scent of breast milk. "Please, call me Gwen," Gwen insisted. "What's your name?" "My name is Bai-Lian, Mistress," the woman replied. "I am delighted to be of service." "Thank you for the luncheon, Bailian," Gwen replied kindly. "Oh no, it's thanks to your presence that we are getting extra rations. Please help yourself." The woman bowed again needlessly. "Big sister, please partake in this tea!" The kids must have been touted, Gwen felt- because the six-year-old girl was expertly pouring out Jasmine tea for her into a cup, then presenting it to her with both hands. "Thank you." Gwen took the cup carefully, terrified of spilling the tea on the little one. "Please try these dates!" Another little girl presented her with a bowl of honeyed dates. "Thank you!" Gwen was now fully occupied. The mother left, then returned successively, bringing in a banquet of dishes until the table was laden with food. It was all mundane, household fair, but they looked delectable. Egg with chives. Braised Pork. Steamed garlic bokchoi. Eggplant and Mince. Ginger and shallot fish in soy sauce. Gwen expertly worked her chopstick, portioning the food and delivering it into the bowls of the children whose eyes were gleaming with such longing that Gwen forgot about her insatiable appetite. Bailian refused to dine with them but made no move to stop Gwen from giving her portion to the children. She spent the next half an hour conversing with the single mother, but Bailian's answers grew vague once Gwen asked about her husband. "He was Conscripted two years ago—" The woman put on a wane smile that didn't touch her eyes, then was silent. Oh shit. Gwen realised she stepped on a Warding Glyph. It was no business of hers that this woman had a babe not yet two years old. "Do you work?" Gwen asked. Bailian nodded. "I clean people's apartments and cook for them." Gwen asked her how she was finding life, and Bai told her that she wished one of her three children could be a Mage. She joined with another young man because his great-grandfather had been a Fire Evoker. The little girls looked upon Gwen with eyes that she dared not meet. She placed a hand on their heads and felt the softness of their hair, brushing the silky curls passing through her fingers. _Mages_ , Bailian said. She wished her children were Mages. Gwen thought of Sydney. She thought of the battle there—the dead Mages' bodies splayed across the streets, dragged away by the Mermen, eaten alive by impatient enemies too hungry to wait. She thought of Instructor Chen's maniacal glint as he laughed and laughed while the juniors vomited around him. Was life so miserable here? The grass was greener on the other side, but there in the greener bushes—the lions laid in wait. Nephres Zalaam could scarcely believe her luck. Gwen. _Fucking_. Song. The report in her hand shivered, the mute paper quivering as though alive. How was such an occurrence possible? Nephres' mind reeled with disbelief, unsure if this was boon or bane. According to reports from Oceania, the culprit disrupting her Mistress' plans had disappeared after the junior Ravenport perished without rhyme or reason in Sydney. "Edgar" had gone to perform the Mistress' request, then the next thing they knew, Edmund Moore Ravenport was dead as a dodo. It was supposed to be a low-risk Mission. The Ravenport's young Master was a Dust Magus, and the Shield Station was full of Frontier Abjurers, for God's sake. AND he had an entire troop of Raven Guards with him! Four Senior Mages and two Magus, all gone. But that's all in the past now—spilt milk and all that. As the nurse-in-residence for Young Lord Ravenport, her dereliction in duty meant she had to flee the house immediately. For mercenaries like herself, failure held worse fates than death, for the wrath of a psychopathic Lord like Mycroft Ravenport belied the common imagination. Another reason for Nephres' escape was that she had decided that her loyalty was first to her Mistress, then to the organisation, then to the family she once served. Still— _Gwen Song_. Nephres bit her lower lips, her eyes wandering back to the task at hand. She was in Shanghai to pick up a supply of magically gifted youths to bring back to the Outlands—a word the Cabal preferred to the nomenclature of "Wildlands". After all, they were the _Others_ , and it only made sense that they weren't Demi-humans but men and women who chose to live _outside_ the ordinary human world. Besides, _Outlands_ rolled off the tongue better. In all honesty, as a city girl, she found the whole ordeal pretty funny. A Cabal of Rogue Mages squabbling over power, dabbling in fucking public relations of all things. Who cared what the Mageocracy called them? That the Towers would accept them with open arms because of alliteration? Idiots. Her gaze once more fell upon the report. Her local sweetmeat, Boss Yi, had told her to lay low for a few days. "Got Elites coming through from Fudan. Find the deepest hole you can and bury yourself in for the next week," he told her. "Maybe stay in bed, eh? We can make a child for sure. You feeling up to the task?" "Go fuck yourself," she told him. "Ha ha ha." Yi had fallen about cackling like an idiot, withdrawing from the silhouette of her sweat-soaked figure, smelling foully of sex. "I do love you so, you little minx." "You expect me to believe that, do you?" Yi toked on a cigarette as he wiped himself, then materialised a new set of clean clothes. "Look, stay safe these few days, alright? Stay out of trouble. Keep your crew below and out of sight." Nephres didn't dislike Boss Yi, but she wasn't an owned woman. Far from it, Nephres rather fancied the boss as her seasonal fling. A spot of both business and pleasure. Love? To bear the man's child? Those thoughts never crossed her mind, not before and not now. Gwen. _Fucking_. Song. She still could not believe that the little bitch, after six months off the map, would fall into her lap like God's gift from the blue yonder. What's more, she knew it wasn't a trap. It was serendipity that she had spotted the girl at all. Out of curiosity, Nephres had asked her contacts to generate a list of the 'Fudan Elites' visiting the Districts if one of them ended up causing trouble for their operations. As the list of Dossiers passed through her hands, she had paused at a striking face looking out from the page. "You're shitting me!" she had clambered from Xi's chest. "Is this fate or what?" Again, she quickly scanned the spartan dossier. It was a stolen compilation thrifted from the University's registry of the candidates' family history. Guo Song. MSS Committee Chair. Klavdiya Song. Director 2nd PLA Experimental Hospital. Hai Song. Unknown. Helena Huang - Unknown. So the girl was a Power Progeny, Nephres furrowed her perfectly tapered brows. That would explain a few things, but not why she was associated with the Sydney Tower and the folks at the very top. How were they even connected? How could they begin to know each other? The British Mageocracy and the PLA were at odds, were they not? The grandfather could be troublesome, but that was a problem for Boss Yi, not herself. There was one addendum that was cause for concern. Jun Song - The Ash Bringer. Even as a foreign agent, Nephres had heard of the Hero of the Northern Front. The man was a walking engine of destruction, and if he should find out someone had taken his niece… Poor Yi, Nephres chuckled to herself. She tried to imagine his face when The Ash Bringer came knocking. Her eyes teared up as her slow chuckle escalated into rip-roaring, belly-aching laughter. _Holy shit!_ If she weren't going to be on a cargo ship a hundred miles away, she would've loved nothing else than to watch the God damned Ash Bringer of all people ripping the District apart! What would be the look on Yi's face then! What kind of expression would he make? What would the man confess as his body transformed into necrotic ash, inch by inch? Nephres turned over the file. There were some loose annotations on the Mages' talents. Void _and_ Lighting! BINGO. That was Gwen Song, alright. There's no mistaking a talent so rare. Before returning to the Outlands, her Mistress said that the girl was instrumental to the Black Sun's collapse at the zenith of its success. Likewise, her connection to Gunther Shultz and the Scarlet Sorceress made her an invaluable hostage. Had the Cabal at Spectre not miscalculated the anger of a Land God, Sydney would now me a Mermen nest. Unhappily, Nephres wasn't privy to more details, but she knew one thing for sure. If she could get her hands on Gwen Song, then her stint in the shit holes of South Asia was over. Whether as an offering to her Mistress or as a gift to another member of the Cabal, or even to Edmund's father... The ascension of Nephres Zalaam was at hand.

Gwen farewelled her host family. She had felt sorry for the single mother but knew the danger of giving wealth to those who could not afford to keep it; though District 35 may appear tranquil and safe, Gwen wasn't naive enough to believe Shanghai could swallow the hype it sold. In the end, she left the woman two self-injecting Healing Potions and a Potion of Cure Disease. One dose was enough to restore haleness and health if the mother or children were sick or injured. Likewise, the potions could be bartered if the woman was unwise enough to trade them for money or gift them as favours. Either way, Gwen was under no delusion that she was a Samaritan. What she did, she had done for pleasure and ego. Her kindness was a repayment for the joy the children had brought her, however brief and choreographed. When they returned to the courtyard, eight separate buses waited for departure, assigning the students to different Hive-cities, ranging from 108 and upwards. The higher the number, Mia had hinted. The bigger the shit show. While they waited, the residents above threw paper confetti from the top floors, showering the courtyard with a snowfall of colourful slips that made an undeniably enchanting scene. Indeed, Mayuree was beside herself with unadulterated joy, waving happily to her host family, blowing them goodbye kisses, gushing as she tried to catch the falling confetti. Richard and Kitty, in juxtaposition, stood indifferently. Her cousin smiled awkwardly at his over-enthused host family, while Kitty needed no pretence to suggest her apathy. When they boarded the bus to District 109, their assigned "Outer District", there only remained their party of four and another party of three seniors, two young men and an older woman. They had not seen these Mages prior except in passing during the lectures, and so the two groups snubbed each other, segregated to the fore section and back. Finally, with a honk and the sound of earth-shattering applause in their ears, they were away. The buses returned to the highway, then ventured toward the furthest reaches of the Fourth Orbital Ring road. After ten rumbling minutes on the highway, Professor James Ma's projection appeared, this time as a ghostly tour guide. The trip to District 109 would take almost an hour. As an academic excursion, it naturally came with a lecture component. "Hello, comrades in the Management course. I hope you have enjoyed the exemplar of prosperity, a city which, under good management, has successfully attained a balance between autonomy and compliance." "District 35, a 'Model' District, accounts for a third of our current satellite NoM cities. Self-contained within the District is an escalator system of advancement where public education offered to the NoM Citizens ensures that they are capable of achieving lives outside of the Hive, where the best and brightest have opportunities to become civil servants; engage in productive labour for the state, or find work in the private sector. I hope you have enjoyed your first-hand experience of speaking with the NoM citizens. These are the people that will be under your care in the future." "Next, you will be receiving a different educational experience. You will find out what happens when law and order diminish in a Hive city. You will come to acknowledge what is at stake, should you fail." A slight murmur spread through the bus. This episode was no surprise to anyone. The student-Mages had all been warned by friends, alumni, family, Masters and Instructors. "Young comrades, you will now be entering the Lost Districts. Your designation will be—Team 7 and 9—You have been assigned to—D-109." There were glitches in the later recording, suggesting to Gwen that Lecturer Ma had been slothful and dubbed over an old Lecture with a few new lines. When the lecture resumed, Professor Ma was in a different coloured vest, making Gwen chuckle with nostalgia. It was the sort of thing her old-world lecturers at Sydney University would have done as well. "D-109 remains one of the largest of its kind, constructed in 1984 and designed to house 100,000 NoM citizens. Constructed as a mega-city platform, it stands today as a testament to the failure of social policy, which resulted in the proliferation of in-fighting, religious cults, the forming of violent gangs, and the infiltration of the Triads into the districts." "In 1993, the PLA attempted purging _undesirable_ influences in the Districts. Though initially gainful, the operation ultimately failed to dislodge the unlawful presence. In reviewing policy, the CCP realised it was a mistake to convene such a scale of citizens, especially given that the Hive was equipped with food production and water purification operations. District-109 had become a microcosm, a city in a bottle with its own rules and regulations that seemed to exist almost independently from the outside world. What was initially a planned infrastructural system with the very best intentions for its citizens proved to be the very thing our Party loathed—a collection of civilians who no longer embraced the ideals of Chairman Mao, blessed be he in his crystal resting place." "Faced with mounting tension and dissidence in how to deal with the Lost Districts, the Party formulated a new policy in 1996 under Premier Hu." "Leave D-108 to D-128 to their own devices." The lecture paused while the image drank a gulp of water. Mayuree was already asleep in Gwen's arms. Richard rested his eyes against the window. Professor Ma continued. "It was then decided the Lost Districts would serve another purpose—as proving grounds for social experiments, Mage training exercises, places where samples could be collected, theories tested." "Should a District resist, they had no way to prevent the PLA from destroying the sub-basement and thus, the entire eco-system of the Hive City. When the rogue citizens ran out of food and water, the survivors would naturally return to the embrace of order and law that was Mao's vision." "In today's terms, it may be best to think of the Lost Districts as penal colonies. They provided their share of Conscripts—twice as high as any other Districts—and pay tithes of newly Awakened Mages. In return, they received autonomy to run their cities to the ground." The vid-cast glitched again. Professor Ma reappeared wearing his previous vest. "Within the Lost Districts, you will be effectively cut off from Shanghai. Your Message devices will not work outside of their natural range. In the process of completing your given tasks, there is only one thing you have to do— _observe_. Observe the consequences of those whose use of power is without remorse, whose abuse of Magic is without consequence. The residents of these cities may attack you, and you are well within your rights to respond. I urge, however, that you recall enough empathy to recognise that not all Mages and NoMs are born with the knowledge and privilege you possess— that you acknowledge how circumstance often drives action, not logic or rationality. Whatever your choices may be, I want you—as students of Fudan—as future Secretariats, Army Officers, Arbitrators and Tower Masters to evaluate how your actions, choices and decisions, hold the lives of others in your hands. Though you may be underground, you are not in a Dungeon. These are real people with real lives, aspirations, desire for life and living just as you do." "Therefore—I wish you good luck." With that, Professor Ma's vid-cast faded. Gwen turned to her companions, her appearance paler for the warning. She was sure there was a mistake. Wasn't there something else Ma was supposed to say? Like, "DON'T MURDER PEOPLE?" You will be _penalised_ if there's a MASS MURDER? "Is he saying we're going to butcher people in there? Kill NoMs that attack us?" She couldn't help but vocalise her anxiety. "I would suggest that we 'may choose' to kill people in there in self-defence," Mayuree corrected her. "We don't 'have' to kill people." "It's the NoMs' 'choice' to attack us." Kitty shrugged with indifference. "It doesn't diminish my right to defend myself to the best of my abilities." "I'll incapacitate them if need be," Richard assured Gwen as her complexion blanched. "You'll be fine against NoMs, right? Sorceress of Lightning and Void?" There was snickering from the front of the bus as well. "I don't think they know how bad the Lost Districts can be," a voice sneered. "It's a dog-eat-dog world in there, beauty!" one of the young men scoffed. "You're gonna have to stow your white gloves for this quest!" Kitty rolled her eyes at Gwen's soft-heartedness. Gwen ignored the others' snide remarks. She gazed outwards toward the retreating distance as her mind lingered on the memories of Blackheath. She took her first human life there, guided by Gunther's hand. He had taken her into a world she didn't dare think possible. That was her first bloody step onto the Path of Asura. Most saliently, her subsequent murder was Faceless, though he—She—It—deserved it. Then there was the pigtail girl whose name Gwen had forgotten. Would there now be another and another? The mind was willing, but the heart—she wasn't so sure anymore. "I see it!" someone said at the front, interrupting her thoughts. The bus had passed some threshold on the highway. The manicured trees fell away, and the urbanscape again declined into dilapidation and neglect. The students could see a looming wall in the distance, a barrier circuit that surrounded a block of concrete habitats rising into the air like grey mushrooms. As they came closer, precarious extensions of sheet metal and wood erupted from the facade's surface like wild fungi. The addition of laundry, far less colourful and far more numerous, made the collection of apartments appear as an amalgamated whole. From afar, the whole superstructure resembled a dark lesion across the landscape. Painted across the gate were the Chinese pictograms for '109'. Below it, a defaced red logo of the sickle and hammer and slogans promising order and civility were scratched half-off. A smog of exhaust hung directly above the air, thick and miasmic, giving substance to its oppressive atmosphere. "Struth," Gwen exclaimed. "The size of it up close..." "Oh Goddess, so that's what it was," Mayuree muttered. "The smell, I mean." The smell was the first thing on the mind of the students as the bus entered the compound. Mana, miasma and human odour lingered in the courtyard. After the students disembarked, the driver immediately made a U-turn and left the malice-filled space of the courtyard. A troop of soldiers in dark emerald-khaki, the uniform of the PLA military police, fanned out and made a perimeter around a man in an olive uniform. "Students of Fudan! Welcome to District 109! I am the District Administrator, Secretariat Choi. It is a pleasure to meet some of the best and the brightest stars of the academy!" The students lined up before the Secretariat. "We thank you for having us, Sir!" One of the second years bowed. Gwen and the rest followed suit. It was easier to parallel their seniors to avoid a potential faux pas. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Let's talk inside," Choi advised. "The external courtyard is not the safest place to linger." As they entered the city proper, Gwen noted the grimy scraps and dusty wraps of garbage that hung in every corner of the forecourt. Comparatively, District 35 had gardens with flower beds! Meanwhile, the courtyard here had puddles, potholes, and spots of muck, which indicated the filtration system below must be operating at its limits. Gwen looked up. Above, the windows were closed and curtained despite the sunny disposition of the day. As they entered the shaded avenue of the Hive-city, the temperature immediately dropped by four to five degrees. "Gwennie, we're being watched by A LOT of people." Mayuree's eyes glowed with the soft light of Divination. Gwen redoubled her efforts to spot the hidden citizens above. As her pupils adjusted, she could see pale faces looking out from between the curtains and windows. Almost a thousand windows were visible from the central quadrangle that led into the heart of the city's habitat blocks, and their ambident hostility filled the air like the thrum of a living wasp hive. "There are quite a few magical signatures, too," Mayuree added, pulling her white coat tightly over her shoulders. The girl had materialised a parka to cover her upper body, hiding her enchanted attire from prying eyes. Beside her, Kitty protectively walked closer to Mayuree. The pixie girl must be drawing quite the attention in her shorts, though her confident gait hinted at abilities that yearned to be tested. As they walked, Gwen couldn't help but feel hypersensitively violated by the gaze of her watchers. However, when she looked to the others, she stumbled upon an epiphany. To put matters bluntly, her fellow Mages could not give a single shit about what NoMs thought. To her elite classmates, the NoMs in these cities were akin to decor, a sort of a feature, like lesser Magical Creatures in a Dungeon. Ahead, their seniors kept to a group by themselves, pointing and speaking loudly to stress their uncertain bravado. Gwen empathised with their nervousness. It was one thing to read and hear about the Lost Districts; quite another to be walking through one. The Administrator, flanked by his guards, began a semi-guided tour as they walked and talked. "We're on the Ground Level," he began. "From which the basement extends fourteen levels below, tapping into a leyline that powers the filtration, water, and power systems. It's been many years since the old glyphs had seen maintenance—all intentional—the city itself has CCs it could exchange: only its residents have chosen not to." "How so?" Gwen paced beside the Mage, whose figure was short and portly. "Autonomy means the right to make poor choices," Choi chuckled, his eyes briefly scanning her figure. "I have given the Bosses, their Under-Bosses and the little tribes of people living here the choice of how to spend their CCs via a voting system, and guess what they spend it on?" "Food and water?" Gwen inquired hopefully. "Personal wealth, Magic Items, entertainment and HDMs for their Faction's Mages!" Choi laughed. "It would take only six months of the city's output to gather enough CCs to repair the filtration system. Another six months to upgrade it to the best system the PLA can offer. Who wouldn't want that? Better water, better living conditions, better health for everyone." "But they don't?" "Of course. That is the distilled nature of the scum that lives here. The 'lost' Hives exist as an exemplar. We give the people here the 'democracy' touted by the West. They can vote for what they want as they will. The only proviso is that their world begins and ends at the borders of 109." So that's what's up: a little slice of Orwell and a little slice of Atwood, Gwen thought sullenly, horrified at the Secretariat's autocratic banter. These 'Lost Districts' were used to show the rest of Shanghai the pitfalls of not following the CCP's vision for China. Almost a million people, condemned to the crucible of abject poverty to show the other 90% that the alternative to the Mageworld's brand of benign socialist dictatorship was an exquisite kind of Capitalist Hell dominated by a warped, egocentric band of ruthless buccaneers. "Has any of the Lost Cities ever improved their lot?" Mayuree asked beside Gwen. "Maybe save themselves? Return to the fold?" "What do you think?" Choi eyed the Diviner bemusedly with a sideways glance, evidently with less enthusiasm than he had offered Gwen. The tour continued. "The superstructure extends across twenty-seven blocks, with an average height of forty storeys. The population is, as you can imagine, mostly NoM citizens, with roughly just under 0.02% of the population exhibiting magical potential." "Mid-tier Mages operating within the city are mostly Enforcers or gang leaders of one sort or another. As for their abilities—most of them have never seen formal training. As elites, you should have little problem dealing with them, not to mention their priority would be avoiding you at all costs. Should they sufficiently delay you, let me know. They'll be on the next Conscription shipment to the Front." "Over there, you can see a market. Yes, it looks derelict from here, but I assure you the interior is quite lively. There are over forty public market spaces for commercial ventures, operated by the gangs and the local merchant families, who could be just as vicious as the Triads." "Which Triads?" Gwen enquired. She had seen enough Hong Kong movies have developed a cursory knowledge of Triads. "The usual: Shao-chilou. Black Dragons. Jade Tigers. Woshin. Wo-phowo, Buk-pu so on and so on. Mostly NoM organisations with a few Mages at the top. It's nothing of concern, I assure you. They're kept in line by a triumvirate of Bosses - Yi, Kha, and Lam. You'll meet them soon enough. If you have questions, you can ask them yourself." "We're meeting with Triad Bosses?" Gwen made a pouty "o" with her lips. Shouldn't they be fighting them? In all honesty, she had expected the "Quest" to be "subjugate Boss X". That seemed like a perfectly reasonable request for a troop of Mages consisting of no less than three LCSS candidates and a bloodline-Diviner. The Secretariat chuckled. "I like to think of them as my lieutenants, NCOs if you will. They're nasty people, but you need cruel and nasty managers for a place like this to run smoothly." Was the Secretariat being self-depreciative? Gwen wondered as they arrived at their destination, and the man walked forward. The group now entered a set of double doors. The interior was somehow worse than the urban decay of the exterior, with piles of garbage filling the entire corridor leading to the cargo platform. One of the PLA guards pulled on a chain, and the sliding doors yawned like the maw of some toothless beast, sliding back above and below to reveal a levitation platform abused by neglect. Accompanied by the din of grating metal, the lift took them toward the top floor. The group entered a corridor with worn carpet in maroon once the grated gate opened, leading forward until it reached a set of mahogany double doors. The guards unlocked the doors and took up positions on either side. The student Mages followed the Secretariat into an open plan room with a vermillion motif. Behind a conference table sat the illuminated logo of the CCP, five stars soaring over the Forbidden Palace in red and gold. Secretariat Choi took his seat and faced the student Mages, who stood across from their superior. "Right, allow me to welcome you all yet again. I am Magus Choi, Secretariat of District 109 with the rank of Major under the People's Liberation Army's Shanghai Division." The second-years saluted the Major. Their actions were quickly aped by Gwen and company, who snapped off dishevelled salutes with varying degrees of success. "Per our agreement with Fudan, you will be given a quest to complete on-premise. Satisfactory completion of this request will give you 5 CCs per individual, though I am authorised to dispense up to 20 CCs pending your performance." "I am at your service!" Richard instantly declared, saluting crisply. "Please point us in the right direction, Sir!" Gwen smiled stiffly. When it came to CCs, Richard was a bloodhound. He was still leagues away from accruing the two thousand CCs needed to bring his parents over, an epic undertaking that would likely take him until the end of his University career and beyond, even with his applied questing credits. "That's the spirit, good man!" Choi congratulated Richard. "What's your name, young Mage?" "Richard Huang, Sir. Conjurer Abjurer, LCSS candidate.” "I have high expectations for you, Richard." "Yessir!" _T-Ten points to Gryffindor!_ Gwen silently thought to herself. If only CCs were as easy to attain as House points. She wanted the CCs too, but she lacked the shamelessness to beg. From what she'd seen so far, the CC distribution was almost directly proportional to risk. 5 CCs to start meant the danger was likely minimal. If so - what was the 20 CC? "What would you like us to do? Sir?" Gwen enquired. The Secretariat's gaze lingered on her face bemusedly. Gwen couldn't help but think that Choi reminded her of an old and worldly weasel. "Your job is to help these 'democratically elected' individuals with some of their problems down in the lower stratum. Bui! Send them in!" Another set of doors opened on the far side, and in came three human-shaped stereotypes. The first was an obese, overweight man whose eyes kindled like lit-tinder as his gaze fell upon the girls in the room. Instantly, his eyeballs drifted past Gwen, then plastered onto the diminutive Kitty, remaining transfixed as he sauntered forward laboriously. The second Mage was a middle-aged woman who looked like someone's heavy-handed in-law had wandered into the wrong place. From the rigidity of her body language and the stocky solidity of her stout body, she was likely an accomplished Earthen Mage. The last man was huge, a hulking figure almost seven feet tall. He was shirtless and heavily tattooed with writing and images from either Thai or Chinese scripture. The man possessed muscles that seemed to be grafted on top of muscles, indicating his Mage-class to be a CQC Transmuter. Secretary Choi indicated to the middle-aged soccer mom. "Mama Lam." He pointed to the half-man, half-papaya. "Mr Kha." Then to Asian Schwarzenegger. "Mr Yi." The three bowed: first toward Secretary Choi, making a ninety-degree arch of their spine, then again toward the Student Mages to a lesser degree. Once they straightened, three pairs of eyes licked over the students, notably Mama Lam, whose lips curled when she greeted Richard. _What are we, meat?_ Gwen thought to herself, pondering the outlook of their present company; then again, what did she expect? Melt away their waxed exteriors, and the city's elites would have the same naked expressions of lust and greed. Indeed, she should applaud these people for their raw, undisguised honesty. Out of curiosity, Gwen glanced over at Secretary Choi. The PLA Major was smiling happily in his chair, his eyes formed into twin elongated slits. _It's a bloody game to him!_ Gwen realised at once. To the "Bosses", this was a test of their allegiance and ability to hold down their followers. Choi had no uses for underlings who could not toe the party line. To the students, this was a test of their character, an opportunity to dip their feet in the mud. But to Choi—they were a goddamned reprieve from the monotony of governing this shithole! D-109 Eastern Boundary. The thrum of a Sai-Ron White Ghost quietly rested against the chipped concrete wall. As the engine plinked against the cooling air, its lone female rider dismounted. With impatience, she disconnected both ties and folded the chassis. Lulan Li placed a hand upon the still-warm engine and allowed her mana to envelop the vehicle. _Pssht!_ The bike disappeared. The large Storage Ring was a reward from one of her Subjugation quests in an Orange Zone, an item that made many young Mages in her Clan glower with jealousy. When she first demonstrated its conveniences in front of them, materialising and storing her bike—another spoil she had won, she had enjoyed watching their faces twisting with avarice. Her favourite part of the pedantry was that her brothers-in-craft couldn't take it from her. The ring was attuned to her alone as a reward from the PLA Tower. Should she perish, her items would return to the Tower and not the Huashan Sect; thereby, their impotent jealousy had provided her with endless delight. Her one regret was that she could not gift it to Kusu, who still used a Medium Ring filled with his implements. _Ah!—Her brother's daggers!_ Lulan gnashed her teeth as the memory once more dominated her vision. From that reminder came the thought of Gwen Song's smug face and then the scene of Kusu's humiliation, of his priceless implements being swallowed. She also saw herself fleeing from Gwen Song when the red mist cleared from her head. Then there was Pei's smiling face as he told her of the "great" plan to kelp Kusu. Then her mind looped back to Gwen Song once more. Cao! The _bitch_! A taste of iron filled her mouth. She had to do something. She had to make Gwen Song capitulate. She had to make her apologise to Kusu in public. She had to get Kusu's implements back. Else her brother would be weakened for years to come! She had to make right their reputation in the Clan! She had to put the two of them back on to their Path! Lulan's irises grew increasingly vibrant until they were twin circlets of Shiraz under lamplight. Within her petite body, the Iron Heart empowering her with supernatural strength and constitution pulsed with mystical energies. She placed a hand on the wall. "Stone Shape!" The transmuted concrete, rebar and all—obeyed her will and parted. For the average Earthen Mage, rebar concrete was impossible to navigate, but not so for Lulan, for her talent with stone was empowered by an equally powerful affinity with ferrous metal. In front of her Transmutation empowered body, the ferroconcrete moved aside as though it was water and her surroundings were hydrophobic. _Sha... sha... sha... sha..._ The concrete melted away like wax, peeling back its fine sediments. Lulan traversed the two-meter-thick barrier, moving downward through the earth, concrete, and steel. She had to hurry. Somewhere within, her quarry had already arrived.

Secretary Choi carefully drank his Eight-Treasure Congee. The chef at the Traditional-Medicine branch had told him it was too potent in Yang energy, but Choi enjoyed the kick and the richness of the rice-broth. "Sir, we have a breach on the Eastern Quadrant," his head of security, Bui, roused his attention with great care. Choi continued to sip his congee with an expression of absorption. "Suspect is female, late teens. She was seen riding a compactable bike, and she owns a large Storage Ring. Our informants describe her as an Earthern Mage, but she could Transmute the metal within the concrete." Choi paused. Staff Sergeant Bui gulped. "I did offer an extra 20 CCs for extra labour for our Fudan Mages, did I not, Bui?" "You did, Sir." "And you have distributed Magister Wen's Dossiers to our hot-headed gangsters?" "I have, Sir." Choi took another sip from his soup. "Our unexpected Guest? Sir? Should I send a team to..." The Secretariat drained the pot. "Bui, you've been with me for what? A year now? Do you know why Fudan keeps sending their most talented Mages into this shithole? Year after year, incident after incident, casualty after casualty?" "Experience, Sir?" Bui had a dark expression. The last time Fudan had sent over a troop of Mages, they had left behind a dozen corpses. To Bui, the citizens of D-109 may be residents of the Lost Districts, but they were also citizens of Shanghai. To have them offered up for slaughter to blood some young Masters and Mistresses was the precise reason he loathed the old powers—not that he would risk his skin to make a difference. Choi played with the clay pot in his hands. "Bui, do you know what a Gu is?" "Sir?" "In Lingnan, several bloodlines of the Miao Clan remain, you know, the ones rumoured to have coupled with the Yuan-ti." "Sir." Staff Sergeant Bui inclined his head slightly, informing his superior officer that he knew of the second, but not the first. "They have very particular bloodline magic involving magical poison. To Awaken their junior Mages, they first create a monstrosity of supreme toxicity by placing five or six, up to a dozen, poisonous Magical Creatures into a poison crucible." "Once inside, a special incantation is used to make the creatures wild with hunger. They begin to hunt and kill one another, while the crucible's magic ensures that they cannot die from wounds, only from toxicity. Yet, as each creature consumes the next, it grows and grows in potency and power until one remains - one that possesses a superior venom drawn from all the others." Bui's face paled. "Then, they get the Awakening Mage—usually a girl and usually a virgin—don't ask me why—and they have the girl place her hand inside the jar." "Sir?" "The Gü bites the girl, and she either awakens as a Poison Mage, or she dies, becoming a boil covered mass of flesh consumed by the poison. Her corpse becomes so necrotic and deadly that her remains are harvested to be applied to weapons, darts, whatever have you." "That's terrifying, Sir." Choi chuckled. "D-109 is a _Gu_ , Sergeant Bui," Choi clarified for his pale subordinate. "The entire city, infested with Triads, NoMs, Slavers, Gangs, cults; now an unfriendly rival. What a wonderful bug pot for our student Mages to get bitten." "But..." Seargent Bui wanted to ask why a Magister would give out information on her students. "Sergeant." Choi shook his head. "If you ask too many questions, you'll never make Lieutenant." "Sir!" "The thing with a _Gu_ ," Choi instructed his young officer patiently. "When there are so many vermin in the pot, Bui, who would notice if we slipped in one or two more?" The Secretariat cackled to himself. "It's not every day you get sanctioned killers from the upper echelon who ask no questions and know no one to clean up our mess!" Gwen stood in the cargo elevator with her companions, enduring the ancient gravitation platform's groaning and shifting as it descended toward B7. As expected, her party was operating independently from their seniors. "Well, what do you think?" Richard asked the rest of them. As the eldest and the most experienced Adventurer, he was their de facto leader. "I want your individual opinions before we proceed." To Gwen's surprise, Kitty was the first to speak. "Carrion Crawlers don't just appear out of nowhere. Someone's bringing them into the sub-levels, breeding them, that's my opinion." Kitty continued. "According to Aldous' _Urban Bestiary_ , Carrion Crawlers are found among excess carrion. They should be large, between five to six feet long on average. They secrete a paralysing ooze found in their saliva and bodily fluids, paralysing the creatures they touch. Usually, they do not prey on living beings, though if they become large enough, they are known to attack humans. Their medicinal—" "Thank you, Kitty," Richard nodded affirmatively at the pixie girl. "That was very useful. Mayuree? You wanted to say something?" "The Filtration System are exchange-pillars using Conjuration and Transmutation glyphs. So, the Crawler could be holed up down there because of the mana-rich environment. Given enough time, a broken column could collate quite the mass of mana. At any rate, if you can get me within twenty to thirty meters of the thing, I can tell you more." "Clairvoyance?" Mayuree shook her head. "There is too much interference in those rooms. I'll have to send in an Arcane Eye." "I see. Gwen?" Gwen had been silent the whole trip down because she had been thinking about Boss Yi since they left the conference room. Secretary Choi issued the edict for the purge, but Boss Yi had provided them with the details. The gangster had told them that Filtration Column B7-4-3, located on Basement 7 extending to Basement 4, had been out of commission for almost three months. The NoMs that made a living down at the sub-levels reported seeing a giant slug of some sort—pale yellow and worm-like in appearance, lurking in the general vicinity. It had supposedly been snatching up the sick and infirm at night and dragging them back into its lair. Watching Yi's face, though, Gwen suspected that the big man wasn't telling the whole truth. The reason being that he had glanced at Secretary Choi's face about four to five times while they conversed. To test her theory, Gwen had turned to ask the Secretariat why the PLA didn't send any Mages down to investigate. Choi joked that if they had done the job, what need would they have for students like Gwen. Unperturbed, Gwen continued to question Boss Yi, who was forthcoming and liberal with his information, almost as if he was reading from a script. The area, he informed them, was out of their zone of control and, therefore, not their responsibility. Yi controlled the west towers of the Hive City, Lam controlled the East, while Kha controlled a section near the middle. Though their influence extended below Ground Floor in theory, the lower levels were usually inhabited by NoMs who had lived there for generations, becoming cloistered into a kind of incestuous tribe of 'Undercity' degenerates who had grown to love the shelter of the darkness. Ergo, they needed a third party to go down. "Are you serious?" Gwen demanded of the gangster. Choi explained with laughter that there were people like these in every Hive-City of the Lost Districts. Once a few generations had passed, such groups tended to lock themselves into a cycle of self-abuse and poverty. One time, the PLA tried to root them out, to 'help' the fallen citizens of D118 back into normalcy. Instead, the 'Under-folk' chose to immolate themselves, destroying three levels of the lower strata, trapping close to 4000 souls in a boiling hell of choking miasma before the Tower Mages moved in and purged the whole section. "A Lost District within a Lost District, hilarious, no? Microcosms within microcosm! A crucible for the human condition!" Choi appeared in love with the catchphrases, positively delighted with the elegance of his Chinese prose. He told her that since the incident, the PLA rotated lower strata citizens by lottery—elevating families to the surface levels, sometimes even the mid-levels, to offset any desire at entrenchment into the sub-basement. Families who resisted the benevolence of their autocratic leaders simply disappeared, evaporated, _moved away._ But no such systems existed within the Lost Districts. "In my opinion, there are bigger problems down there than a loose Crawler, that's for sure," Gwen began, informing her party about her suspicions. "Boss Yi has told us a lot—where it is—what it is—what we should be expecting. But he averted every question as to how it got there, where it came from." She felt herself shiver at the memory of Blackheath. "Let's say I am being paranoid, its entirely possible it spawned due to an abundance of magic or a tear in the Prime Material; it would still mean that something is creating carrion down there. I doubt this place can afford to waste food. Crawlers are omnivores, but they feed on necrotic flesh, right? There's no agricultural industry here, there's a protein farm, but that barely keeps up with demand, which leaves us with an unpleasant prospect." "Someone is making carrion, dumping bodies. Someone is rearing these things intentionally. YET, our quest is just to kill one of these things - a specific creature in the location Yi gave—what do you guys suppose that implies?" "Eww..." Mayuree made an unpleasant expression. "They're hatching targets for us to kill?" "That's my theory, anyway." Gwen pieced together the circumstantial evidence. "Additionally, I am not sure what the other 20CCs are for." "Maybe we will run into more than one Crawler?" Mayuree asked. "Or other trouble," Richard added. "The Crawler's 5 CCs, what do you suppose could be worth 20?" The party members regarded one another. "Let's keep an eye out," Richard informed them. "Agreed." "Yep" "Fine." "Great." Richard turned to the door. "We have to go through B7's residential zone first. Eyes wide open. Mayuree, we're in your safe hands. I'll take the point. Kitty's on second. Mayuree's third, Gwen, bring up the rear." "Detect Magic! Detect Invisibility! Detect Poison! Detect Trap!" Mayuree launched into a dazzling array of self-buffs as the lift slowed and finally stopped. "Lea!" Richard's giggling Undine appeared in mid-air, half-clad in water. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kitty's eyes enlarged with self-evident longing. "Lea, can you keep watch as well? Mayuree takes precedence. She has the weakest Shield." Lea inclined her head haughtily, shot Kitty a snide glance with her pale blue orbs, then shimmered before becoming invisible. As a high-ranked Spirit and a demi-Fey, she possessed both Flight and Invisibility at will. Richard once joked that he could have Lea hold him up and pretend instead of learning Flight himself. The cargo lift opened. Suddenly, Fudan's darlings were in the middle of basement B-7. "Mistress Zalaam, they should be arriving. As you suspected, they're headed for the area where Yi asked us to plant the Crawler." "Shukraan, Sui. Tell the others to be wary of the tall girl's Void spells. Get the handlers to send in the Crawlers first. Remember—I need her alive. The others don't matter." "I shall endeavour to keep them 'all' alive for you, Mistress." The woman known as Sui replied humbly. "Where's Zuyao now?" "He was last seen proceeding through the western sewers, Mistress. The passage there should be safe before the rains hit." Nephres nodded with satisfaction. Everything was going smoothly so far. Her messenger to the Organisation was safely away. The trap-within-a-trap was set. AND her naive lover had unknowingly sent the Student Mages her way. Best of all, when it happens—and it will happen—the blame would fall on Boss Yi. The aftermath of losing Gwen would also bring down that conniving Choi, the PLA hound guarding this place. _Perfection_. She rechecked the Dossiers. Richard Huang—Wate—Abjuration-Conjuration. His parents were not even citizens—a true nobody. Mayuree. There was no last name, nothing on the girl other than her role as a Diviner. Kitty Liang—Ice—Evoker-Transmuter, a sponsored Mage from the House of M. The girl could be problematic, but her talent also made her a prize. As for the senior Fudan students, Lam had sent them elsewhere. Nephres had hoped the reports were more detailed, but this wasn't the Frontier. Here they couldn't work their numbers into the stratum of the administration. Nephres recalled that her Mistress had mentioned Faceless was dead. The loss of the shapeshifter was a significant blow to the Organisation, for the creature had many identities that remained untapped. Nephres wondered if Faceless had been unique or if her Mistress had more Doppelgängers under her command. When they had met, she was sure Faceless resembled the result of some infernal Conjuration, some nightmare made flesh, like in the Odes of the Abyssian from Egypt's legends, borrowing the skin of loved ones to fuel their malevolent desires. She thumbed the papers once more. Nephres couldn't help but feel her nerves fray. It wasn't a foretelling Divination, but she felt the unshakable buzz of peril. Call it instinct, perhaps, or a woman's intuition. Trusting her feelings, Nephres had enjoyed an outstanding track record of escaping harm so far. Once more, her eyes fell upon Gwen Song's Dossier. She would have to be extra careful with the girl in transit. It wouldn't do to have what happened to Edgar happen to her. Perhaps a drug? Or maybe a Stasis Unit. Yes. A Stasis Unit would be safest. Nephres smirked. The girl would look lovely hog-tied and placed in a Stasis Unit. In front of her, Sui waited patiently for the Mistress' orders. "Sui." Nephres' voice was the promise of milk and honey. "Go, I want you to oversee the operation personally. May Anubis guide you." Her servant touched her forehead to the ground and kissed Nephres' feet. "I will do as you command, Mistress." Nephres teach down with a finger to feel the softness of Sui's lips. She wondered if her faraway Mistress of the Void ever missed her company. How beautiful her Mistress could be! Unlike her honeyed skin, the Mistress's complexion was always pale and flawless and _cold_ as though Nephres was touching her warm lips to hoarfrost. Hopefully, with this redemption, she would be seeing her Mistress soon. While she waited for her mana to recharge, Lulan Li began to have second thoughts. She had travelled all this way out of the CBD because there was no opportunity to confront the Void Sorceress within the PLA Tower's public domain. And Gwen Song was a Power Progeny connected to the PLA, she was the Dean's favourite, and she was protected by more than one Magister from the university, a true heir of nepotism. If Lulan were to challenge her within the teleportation range of the Tower, even assuming she succeeded in humiliating the girl, there would be hell to pay for her Sect. But here in the Lost Districts, she could fight her fair and square. Lulan could issue a challenge, and they would fight. There were no Magisters here to interfere. That was what Lulan had thought at first, at least when the red mist came down. Now the mist had thinned, and gone was the zeal that had compelled her to traverse Fourth Orbital Highway to District 109. _Should I return?_ A voice of reason whispered faintly in the dark. _No-NO!_ She needed to show Gwen Song the difference in their power! Maybe then, Gwen Song would realise the error of her ways and return Kusu's daggers, or at least offer reparations if she had destroyed them. _Mao_! She wanted to smash the girl's pretty face inward. Somewhere at the back of Lulan's head buzzed the idea that all of this was folly, that she was going to make things worse or make a fool out of herself, but each time that thought surfaced, it was overridden by a scene of Gwen Song standing over Kusu's unmoving body. She thought of Uncle Kwon screaming. She thought of Pei giving them that smirk that he always affected. She thought of her father shaking his head and saying they took after their mother. She thought of Patriarch Li slapping their father on the back approvingly, then turning to Kusu with disapproving eyes. Her bruised cheek burned. Her jaws ached. Her blood was up before she knew it. The red mist came on as dense as iron. It always felt the most potent when using her Sect's unique talent. Again, Lulan found her body in motion before she could think clearly. Brother had told her that it was the Yang energy. The more proficient she became with the Iron Sword technique, the more she was prone to these episodes. After some time and some indiscriminate destruction, her mana once more needed recharging. While holding an HDM, Lulan became aware of her surroundings once more. She was in one of those warren-like corridors in the lower strata. She was sure that this was still Building 3. Assuming Gwen and her friends went to the central area, she needed to find Building 10 or 11. Comparing the appearance of the strata from her previous visits to the triple-digit Districts, Lulan estimated that Gwen's party should be in Basement 2. The concrete layer between the levels shouldn't be nearly as thick past the foundation. Her eyes scanned the corridor. She was being watched. "You!" Lulan broke her trance and strode toward an adjacent door, where a face quickly disappeared behind a shoddy wooden door. "Come out!" It only took her a second to approach the barrier. As she arrived, there was the sound of a bar sliding into place. She turned to the next door. Her eyes met something dark in the dimness of the corridor. "Dark Vision!" Her eyes glowed like that of a nocturnal carnivore. A quick self-buff and she was staring down a corridor a hundred meters deep and filled with just as many pairs of eyes staring at her with a mixture of fright and curiosity. However, they shrunk behind their barriers whenever they saw her face and slammed closed their iron-wrought door. As her scarlet orbs swept across the darkness, the sound of doors closing ricochetted down the corridor until it turned from her view. How do these people see in the dark? Lulan felt equally impressed and disturbed by the acute timidity of the undercity's denizens. She then knocked on a few more doors to no avail. Lulan resisted the urge to kick down the door. It was better to play it safe in a place like this. There was an ambient sense of hostility in the air that made her scalp crawl, and the stank of acrid ammonia caused her eyes to water. "Iron Skin!" Her complexion took on the colour of rust. Where her fingers touched the rough walls, it raked and chipped the surface. Building 11 was northward. Maybe she could find someone deeper in who could tell her where the Fudan party had gone. Lulan sauntered down the twisting passageway, her footfalls heavy against the pavement like the beating of a telltale heart. Abruptly, her progress was interrupted by the scraping and screeching of floating platforms moving in the distance. _There!_ Lulan's heart soared. In the Districts, movement between the layers was rarely undertaken by the magically operated lifts. Only important guests, outsiders, and the building's administrators used the platform. "Haste!" Lulan shot down the corridor, barging past the trash and the debris strewed across every surface. There were barricades too, but she ploughed past those with a single swing of her Conjure Blade. "Stone Shaping Strike!" The concrete walls parted. An NoM family stared at the Transmuter, mouth open, as she appeared in their room, shattered their dinner table, then disappeared again. A dozen ruined homes later, Lulan could no longer hear the lift. She did become faintly aware as she ascended into the deeper levels of the East Wing that there was a great deal of groaning and moaning happening somewhere above her. The noise wasn't the groaning associated with stressed metal, a sound she knew well. There was also the tinnitus wail of those weeping in despair. Lulan grimaced. She must have missed a critical turn. There were whorehouses in the Districts. As much as Kusu would like it, she wasn't _that_ innocent. As fitting as it was for Gwen Song to inhabit one, Lulan wasn't going to find her there. The lift had been going down. Lulan had run Quests in the Districts before and knew that it wasn't unusual for creatures to spawn in the magic-dense spaces below, no matter the warding put up by the Enchanters. From the lay of the strata around her, she could infer that somewhere below was a centre line that ran from one side of the superstructure to another, usually used by maintenance crews to access suppression systems or the underlying plumbing quickly. "Stone Shaping Strike!" The concrete parted. Lulan descended. When she broke past a concrete barrier into what she hoped was B-3, she appeared to have fallen into what seemed to be, for the lack of a better word, someone's home, raising a cloud of dust and debris. She used the word 'home' lightly because she was in a cubical, one hollowed out from what was once a tiny tunnel, padded and built up with salvaged wooden planks and painted over with what appeared to be tar. The resulting construct was a 'room' with a door, and now she had sliced through the roof and was standing in the 'abode' of whoever owned this place. The door in front of Lu opened, revealing the filthiest man Lulan had ever seen. There was a sort of encrusted grime on the man that had almost become a part of his skin, making the man appear more southern than his Han facial structure first suggested. His clothes were likewise filthy, layers of unwashed stink piled upon one another until they were almost fused into a sort of cloth armour. She felt immediately ill. As the man opened his mouth to speak, a foulness Lulan dared not believe possible assailed her nostrils. "EH? How did a beauty like you get in here? You from Madam Lam? Wocao! My house!" "S-Shut up!" Lulan hissed. Madam Lam? The man thought she was a whore?! The nerve! "Me, shut up?! Who the FUCK you think you are? EH? Sha-bi! You want to fucking die!? EHH—!" Unafraid, the filthy creature hurled a torrent of abuse toward her. Lulan had never been treated this way in her life. Not even the Elders spoke to her like this when they beat her for insubordination. Perhaps taking her timidness to mean she was afraid and helpless, the man came closer, made more brazen by the fact that she was a girl. Suddenly, inexplicably, Lulan grew self-conscious of her leather pants her simple white singlet. Against her exposed skin, the man's gaze felt like slathered paint. Did the man not recognise that she was a sorceress? Shouldn't the man flee for his life? Wasn't someone like her a Deity-like existence for these denizens of the deep? She might be covered in dust and grime, her clothes soiled by passage through the ceiling, but hadn't she broken into his house by rending the concrete? Lulan's eyes widened in horror as the man reached out with scaly fingers, his parched lips dividing to reveal rotten teeth. The redolence was so ripe as to make her dizzy with disgust. The mana insider her exploded. "Conjure Sword!" From a torn slit between the Elemental Plane of Earth and the Prime Material Plane, an iron slab burst forth in the rough shape of a poorly smithed sword. As it slid forward, the metal crashed into the body of the tramp, punching through flesh and bone with the ease of a stiff finger of reprimand piercing a sodden strip of tissue paper. There was a sound of crunching bone, wet and sudden, as the weight of the blade was freed, dipping forward and smashing tip first into the concrete floor, cracking the pavement. Several inches into the concrete, it stuck there, embedded into the floor, singing a song of violence. Behind its rusty edge, guts and viscera cascaded over the singularly shattered rebar slab, splattering and splashing with a grotesque cacophony. The man's door earlier opened remained ajar, hanging from a nail. A dozen pairs of blood-rimmed eyes stared in horror at the gore-soaked girl inside their companion's abode; their mouths parted in terror. "Monster!" someone screamed. "Find the Boss!" "Block her in! Don't let her escape!" "YAAAAA!" Discondordant noise abruptly filled the shack-strewn corridor of Access Tunnel B-7, the sound of clattering feet, screaming voices, beating sheets of galvanised iron, women's hysteria, men crying blue murder, every noise in the world filled the echoic space of the tunnel's circumference. To Lulan, it felt as though the world had suddenly gone insane. Why couldn't these NoMs just _shut the fuck up?_ How was she going to find Gwen Song in all of this chaos?! Her face felt sick with filth. There was a sudden taste of iron on her tongue, as well as Mao knew what else was inside the man. With a vengeance, the red mist descended.

Basement level B7. Market Quarter. Gwen had expected a scene from the undercity of Fritz Lang's Metropolis. What she saw was a Saturday Bazaar from Market City in Sydney relocated into a tunnel network, inundated with customers and traders. Originally built to move heavy-plant, the tunnels were impressive in height, with a diameter of close to seven metres. Criss-crossing passageways further served as junctions where stands and stops met, densely populated with people who now stared at Gwen and company with grinning faces. "Nihao! The Boss said yer was coming," a greasy fellow with an indistinct face hidden behind grease and grime hailed them. It was impossible to tell if their guide was man or Goblin, but given the time and place, Gwen and company gave him the benefit of the doubt. "Come this way, Mister and Missus Bosses." Gwen wrinkled her nose. There was a faint smell of sewerage, musky human sweat, and pressed body odour that oppressively hung in the air. Thankfully, the Mages had come prepared for such a thing. A little Prestidigitation about their attire and mundane foul odours could be held at bay. Health aside, the NoMs here had been supremely industrious, with wooden structures built into the sides of the tunnels and even hanging from the ceiling. Huts, shanties, shops and shelters in stacks of three or four piled five or six deep against the slanted curvature of the walls, defying gravity. Up top, glimmering Light spells in lanterns likewise hung from every surface of these structures, painting the scene with vivid hues of soft ambience that played softly through the smoke and steam. The stench aside, the B7 Market ward was strangely aesthetic—a far cry from the urban decay of Blackheath. It felt as though the people here had decided that since the upper tiers were out of reach, they may as well make life below tolerable, feasible, worth living, rather than fall into the sort of abject purposelessness she'd seen in ghettos elsewhere. To her old-world sensibilities, the under-slums here felt more Mumbai than Calcutta, especially the heartache of the Shibpur district that Gwen had regretted touring. "Stick close," Richard advised. "If you have to move around an obstacle, move no more than four meters from my side." "As expected, there are Mages here," Mayuree said suddenly. "One low-level mana signature, two o'clock." "I see them," Kitty whispered. "Don't look," Mayuree advised. "Lea," Richard said softly. "Greet our friend." Something invisible moved through the space above the Mages. The student Mages followed their guide further into the markets. Around them, the residents alternated between wanting to gawk at them, especially the girls, and being too afraid to raise their head in case the subjects of their curiosity grew wrathful. Gwen once again applauded her foresight of earth-pastel and pants, wondering if Kitty's free fashion was a symptom of her naive decision-making in Blackheath. Of course, Mayuree's garb, though not flashy nor suggestive, was the most attention-seeking. Unlike Gwen, Richard and Kitty—she didn't have a single spec nor splash of mud or dirt on her. In a place where Magic Items were hen's teeth, it was self-evident to the keen public that her attire was magically enchanted from head to toe. Thereby, Gwen wondered if any NoMs were unwise enough to risk life and limb for potentially enough HDMs to feed their family for the next decade or two. Next time, Gwen thought, the team could coordinate outfits to appear less like a touring band and more like working Mages. When they next passed a particular junction with a delicious smell, Gwen couldn't help but be drawn to the sound of sizzling fat. She soon caught sight of the smell's source, slabs of mystery meat on skewer smoking famously over charcoal. "What is that?" Mayuree enquired as the party came closer. "Looks like…" Gwen moved to block her view because her eyes caught the origin of the mystery skewer. An old cook, grinning happily at her, reached into a cage and produced what must be a mole of some sort, or a rat, or a gerbil, Gwen couldn't tell in the dim light. With a deft swing of something like a switchblade, he gutted the squealing thing, threw its offal into a bowl, then used a three-pronged iron skewer to crucify the carcass so that it looked as though the hamster was being propped like a sock-puppet. With the lemming's adorable face frozen in stunned disembowelment, the man flashed it over the charcoal; its fur fell away, revealing a rapidly crisping body of pink flesh sizzling with fat. "Hey, Beauty! Free for you!" The man offered the visiting Mages a free sampler—generous because nothing was free in the undercity, least of all food. Mayuree looked as though she would faint right there and had to be supported by Kitty. If Gwen were still her Sydney self, she would have battered the skewer away. After almost half a year in Shanghai, though, she was a veteran culinary traveller, seasoned in outlandish gastronomical ventures from China and beyond. Seeing that she was not adverse, the man heavily seasoned the greasy prize and spun it until its flesh was al dente—chewy but still tender. Gwen took the skewer and thanked the man. What had Magister Wen said? She was _immune_ to all mundane diseases and infections, right? Watched by her companions, she took a bite. "Tastes like chicken." Gwen chewed. "Hmm, a little slimy, but satisfying. I'd call it an acquired taste. The spice tastes a little cumin and pecan, with a delightful crunch. You'll learn to like it, I am sure." Her friends declined Gwen's offer. As they passed, the seller began to holler. "Best Rat! Best RAT in B7! Mage and Sorceress Approved! Get your RATS here! JUICY RATS! FRESH! 50 MSK!" The party soon passed another stack of shacks. "Oh, Jesus." Gwen heard the moaning before the spectacle sullied their eyes. "Mayuree! Cover your eyes!" "I am older than you!" Mayuree snapped at Gwen, realising way ahead of her companion what lay ahead. "You've never even had a boyfriend! Shouldn't you be covering your eyes?!" It was only reasonable that the oldest profession in the world would thrive in a place where human life was cheap and abundant. Their first sight of the four-storey abode of negotiable affection came in the form of a diaphanously dressed woman who waved at them, her sensuous flesh undulating passionately as the Mages rounded the corner. Richard's eyes lingered for a few appreciative moments, then moved on. Mayuree, however, stared at the flapping flesh with her lips parted in frustration. "Udder madness!" she muttered to Gwen. "Monstrous! Monstrous, I say!" As the group passed the brothel, the door opened to reveal an intoxicated patron whose eyes lustily fell upon Gwen's party. "You young ladies new?" he blurted out before one of the working girls could drag him back in. The space around the patron grew instantly plentiful as his adrenaline banished the alcohol. "Cao! S-sorry! Please forgive me! Master Mages!" He fell to his knees, covering himself in the silt of grim and wastewater, slamming his head against the ground. Gwen had a mind to stop her companions from acting out unnecessarily, but there was no need. Kitty, who was about to throw a Bolt at the intoxicated NoM, shook her head with disgust before pushing Mayuree ahead of her. The group moved on, leaving behind rime rimmed puddles where Kitty had entertained the thought of punishment. "We're close," their guide stated, taking no heed of the commotion. "The Filtration section is just up ahead." "How're our guests?" Gwen whispered to Richard, taking advantage of the distraction to check up on their watchers. "Following rather inexpertly through the crowd, I am spotting at least three. Lea says there's four." "Six." Mayuree's voice rang beside their ears. As a middle-tier Diviner, she could utilise Mass Messages with "silent" options at will, functioning as a mobile Divination Tower. "You guys have no idea how easy it is to spot Mages in a place with virtually all NoMs." "Are they after our party?" Gwen asked. "Looks like it," Mayuree reported. "They're convening and talking about us. Wanna hear?" "You're serious?" Gwen interjected. "You can…" "Clairvoyance or Scry, take your pick." "What's more discrete?" Richard laughed. "Clairvoyance. I am casting it now. Keep moving." As the group continued to move, Mayuree opened a second channel in her Message array. _"Status report."_ _"Almost at the entrance."_ _"What's team two doing."_ _"On standby. Near the target."_ _"Waiting on them."_ _"Is it true they doubled the fee?"_ _"Yeah, triple for if they're alive."_ _"They're from Fudan, though…"_ _"If they resist…."_ _"I like the tall one."_ _"We should kill the guy. The girls we can keep around."_ _"As if. Nephres is moving out the merchandise immediately."_ Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. _"I don't know. Fudan has powerful people up top."_ _"Go home then. I wonder what Nephres will think of your cowardice."_ _"We can buy enough food for half a year if this succeeds."_ " _Slavers_ , or robbers, or Triad," Gwen stated coldly, her voice harmonised by Mayuree into their Silent Message array. "I've dealt with them before. They regularly abduct the local Neophytes who awaken and sell them as parts or merchandise. Sometimes, they find someone with a rarer talent, and they get a little ambitious." "How daring." Kitty frowned, likewise sceptical. "Marong would kill every man, woman and child here if something were to happen to Mia. Hell, I would do it too if they dared lay a hand on her." "Let's not go that far." Gwen's scalp crawled at Kitty's nonchalance. "It's not like the citizens here are trying to harm us." "The NoMs are in on it too," Kitty said. "Why do you think this area is so prosperous? Where do they get the money for the mana? The water? The food? The wood? You think they can mine for crystals here?" "A third power then? An outsider party?" Richard asked. "We met the bosses upstairs, right? They would be kneedeep in shit if they tried to impede or harm us. Secretariat Choi would skin them alive." "Boss Yi is playing both sides then? Do you think secretary Choi knows?" "Choi did offer 20 CCs for... something else," Richard said thoughtfully, then shook his head. "No, this is too stupid. It's just not worth it. I could solo these guys. With the four of us, they wouldn't even last five spell exchanges." "Shush!" Mayuree interrupted them suddenly. "Something's happening. Two guys just came down another tunnel. They're saying something." _"Fuck. We need help. Some crazy-biaozi is carving the place up on B2."_ _"Impossible. How did the girl get in? Is she Triad?"_ _"They're getting too close to the target site. Mistress says the Fudan Mages take top priority."_ _"Fine, take Liu to intercept. We're proceeding to the original meeting point."_ _"We don't have enough people!"_ _"Tell the NoMs to go."_ _"They are spell fodder."_ _"Leave them. Nephres said she'll take care of it. We have a job."_ _"No! We need at least another two teams. Send me Lu! That bitch killed Lin and Pan already! She—"_ _"Shut up. Don't make a scene."_ _"S-Sorry! It's just that—"_ "What do you think?" Mayuree asked her companions. "Well, I am personally a big fan of ambushes. Especially reverse-ambushes." Richard grinned. "Gwen?" "Let's see what they have in store for us first, shall we? Mia, how far can you Scry?" "Not very far if I've never been there—I can send out an Arcane Eye. We'll see everything, but it'll take longer." "Any chance we might get detected?" "None, I don't sense a Diviner near. There're also no Divination Relays in here, by the way—no Message Devices either. I am routing your Message spells through my Sigil with a Silent-spell suffix applied. I don't think their Mages can talk to each other except face to face." "Poor sods," Gwen noted. "Alright", Richard cracked his neck. "Say, reckon some of those CCs could be for busting a Slaver's syndicate?" The rest of the party chuckled. Even Kitty couldn't help but smile. "Can you contact our Seniors going to the West section?" Gwen asked. "Too far," Mayuree replied. "We're too deep." "Let's hope for the best then." Gwen couldn't help but feel that bringing along a bloodline Diviner like Mayuree was cheating. Mia might lack damage, defence, and buffing, but her omniscient intelligence made up for raw power ten-fold. To know one's enemies' progress, locations, and tactics, even listen in on their planning sessions? Insanity! Ahead, their hired guide glanced behind as the student Mages conversed silently, occasionally grinning foolishly. Gwen noticed the man smirking. Whatever their plan might be, she would soon be a part of it. Nephres was not a happy woman right now. Moments ago, her NoM scouts had reported that Gwen Song was now physically progressing toward the trap they had laid for the Fudan Mages. Then, one of her backup crew just informed her that a third Fudan party had just barged in. According to witnesses, the intruder was a lone-wolf Transmuter from Fudan making her way towards Gwen Song's party. She wasn't on the dossier list, but from the blabbering tongue of the survivors, the girl was trying to reconvene with her companions, and she wasn't opposed to ultraviolence. Witnesses said that the Transmuter had freaked out when confronted by some of the undercity's less than savoury residents, who had mistaken her for a whore from Madam Lams. Now, she was hacking her way through the natives like a red-hot knife through rancid butter. Usually, Nephres wouldn't care—the NoMs could all die tomorrow from a Cloud Kill, and she wouldn't shed a tear. But she couldn't allow anything to intervene with her grand plan of ascension. Nephres wanted to return to her mistress' side, or at least _not_ be stationed at a place as run down and filthy as the Lost Districts. Therefore, Gwen Song was a God-given opportunity she could not afford to miss. Thereby, Nephres arrived at the B5 Guardhouse with her bodyguards in tow—a Senior Evoker and Sui, who was an earthen Transmuter, invaluable for a place with so much concrete. "How's it looking?" She asked a bloodied survivor. She could smell the stench of blood even before she entered. Inside was a dozen mangled bodies, alive but groaning. Nephres clicked her tongue. "Tell me what's happening." One of the Mages spat out a mouthful of clotted blood onto the floor. "S-She came through the vents on B4—just fell right on top of us. I don't know who she is, but her spells look like Signature spells from Sword-Sects. She conjures iron slabs, which she uses to attack up close and at a range. The damned things blocks projectile spells as well." Nephres furrowed her tapered eyebrows. She hated fighting bloodline-Mages, whose abilities were always outside the reasonable scope of easy solutions. "What is she, a Magus? A Magister?" "Her destructive potential is Magus level." The man winced, then persisted in coughing up more blood. "Shit, the healing potion was subpar. Cao! Mao-damned local injectors!" Nephres sighed. There was no helping it. "Mass Cure Light Wounds!" As much as she loathed helping these useless meat bags, they were still valuable. With a simple chant, she suffused the surrounding space with Positive energy, causing jolts of emerald mana to seek out their targets within the spell's range, restoring the wounded Mages. Slowly, the fresher wounds closed, bloody stumps grew staunched, and the pain ceased. "Thank you, Boss!" "Thank you!" "Mistress! You've saved my _pi-gu_!" Words of praise from trash such as these meant little to Nephres, who took their compliments with a smile. "I hope you're not just throwing yourselves at her like roasted lemmings. Where is she now?" Nephres received her answer in the form of a crashing cacophony close enough to be audible. "Is there a vantage point we can see?" she asked. Not having access to Divination was a pain. Any Diviners in the Lost Districts was a great taboo that Secretary Choi enforced with an iron hand—and when the iron fist of the CCP descended, it seldom landed without splashing blood. "Yes, Missus Boss, this way." Nephres followed the street Mage until they were at the service tunnels caught between B4 and 5. Closer, the sounds of something dull and iron striking concrete became more prominent as they approached their destination. At the next junction, Nephres saw first-hand the scene of the intruder's butchery, filtered through slitted vents corroded by the acrid air. Below the vent, she saw a lone, female Sword-Mage, soloing Nephres Mage-team. The Clanner wore a stained-white singlet and what looked like biker's leathers, from the looks of which was enchanted against wear and tear. Her hair was now wet with gore, her twin irises concentric rings of rusty red. From the way she swung the heavy iron blade through the air without a care, the girl seemed to Nephres to be not entirely conscious of her actions. _Hmm_ , Nephres made a note of the girl's strange demeanour. The girl below reminded Nephres a little of the infamous Blade Dancers from the Temple of the Jackal God back in her homeland. Those women too could manifest themselves as engines of whirling destruction, aided by their faith in the Jackal-headed and a potion that momentarily took away pain and fear while inducing a sublime euphoria. With a deft swing of a hand or her arm, the Sword Mage summoned a massive chunk of rusted metal roughly in the shape of a sword but more akin to an oxidised slab of rough-hewn metal. "Broad Strike!" "Thrust!" "Sweep!" _CLUNG—!_ Nephres observed the girl. As an experienced healer, she could use a Clerical form of Detect Magic for medical diagnosis. From what she could see, the girl's conduits were a mess. Observing the mass of rusty mana swelling about her person, Nephres could see that the Sword Mage had a catalyst agent embedded into her chest, infused with her body. _Interesting_. Nephres thought. Another potential treasure to be unearthed. Body-changing techniques that messed with the mana channels a Mage naturally developed were ancient and rare. The girl would make an exceptional specimen, dead or alive. Not far from the girl, Nephres' Abjurer was holding her off with Walls and Shields, sending the Sword Mage into a frenzy of futile frustration. They were trying to tire her out! Nephres sighed with appreciation. What faithful employees! Even risking their lives, her minions were thinking of the bottom line. Then the Sword-Mage began to holler. "GWEN SONG! WHERE ARE YOU!" "COME OUT! YOU BITCH! STOP HIDING!" The girl's cries reverberated through the lower levels, ricocheting off the walls with a metallic jangle. "ARRRRGH—!" She hurled a length of iron toward one of the Abjurers, striking the Earthen Shield with such force that it penetrated the exterior and would have crushed the Mage cocooned within had the Sorceress been sufficiently lucid to direct her aim. _Merciful Jackal!_ Nephres exhaled. That's some striking power! Her Mages weren't the likes of those in Fudan—they were independents who attained tier 3 and 4 without instructions from caring Elders or wise Lecturers. As a result, their spells lacked speed and finesse, but their mastery was more pragmatic and practical. _Clung—!_ _CLANG!_ Across the service tunnel, the Sword Mage continued to swing tirelessly. Nephres watched the girl hammer away like a blacksmith, her mana barely diminishing. They were certainly not going to subdue her at this rate, she realised. _But such a temper!_ Did Gwen Song murder the girl's father or something? Nephres couldn't help but hope for a more coherent narrative. The girl's killing intent was so overpowering that she was tasting iron on the tip of her tongue. "Oi, you!" Nephres turned to the Mage who had summoned her and shot the young man a look of contempt and displeasure. "Does that look like someone who's the Fudan party's ally, you idiot?" she snapped at the terrified Mage. The problem with these Lost District Mages was that they were effectively Magically empowered imbeciles. "She wasn't screaming like a psycho before." The man sulked. Nephres turned back to the girl. "How long has this been going on?" "Almost an hour now, Missus Boss." Nephres returned to the scene below contemplatively. The problem was that if they were wasting personnel keeping this girl in check, who could guarantee that the operation in B7 would be appropriately provisioned? As a seasoned Slaver, she was experienced enough to know that these progenies of the powerful always had some trick up their sleeve—mostly Contingency Rings. Still, potentially, they could have scrolls of higher Magics, triggered Magic Items, or even means to summon extra-dimensional creatures. The only way to suppress them was through an ambush. To do that, she had to be personally present; there were no other Mages in the city with the relevant talent to keep her Mages and her Carrion Beasts topped up. "Send a runner down there, tell them to hold their position until we engage the Fudan students. If our psycho-killer wants Gwen Song so badly, we're going to bring her a gift. Make sure our handlers are well hidden. They are not to reveal themselves without my express say so." Her runner bolted at once. Nephres stayed to watch the girl for a few more minutes. There was a trail of blood leading away from the Sword Mage and toward the dark recesses of the B4 complex. From the viscera that splattered the walls, it was evident that the girl was accustomed to the sight of blood; an average Student Mage would have lost their nerve upon seeing so much fresh offal. Indeed, not even Nephres was immune to the sight of such coagulant gore. Sometimes, a well-flung intestine tract could stretch for six to seven meters. Then there was the stench of ruptured stomach acid and shit, none of which was what a Mage from a walled garden could endure. For now, she was confident that between Sui's Transmutation and Liu's Abjuration, they could lead the girl down two more levels toward the target zone. Then, all they had to do was wait for Gwen Song's party to arrive—then they could send this Sword Mage blasting down the tunnels in a red-eyed rampage. Nephres couldn't help but allow a smile to touch her lips, happy that things were once more traversing according to plan.

"The Filtration section begins just ahead." Their guide bowed, moving aside to reveal the gnarly entrance. "This is where I must leave you." Richard turned to Mayuree. Since their arrival, their Diviner extraordinaire had continued to empower their Silent Message array. From an outsider's perspective, it looked as though the Mages were moving their mouths and mumbling inaudible murmurs. "How does it look?" Richard asked. "Got a spotter, 7 O'clock, creeping in the ducting. There are probably other spotters, but if they're NoMs, I can't detect them." "How're they communicating?" "Message runners, from the looks of it. The mana signature registers as barely tier 1 in Transmutation. I am guessing he knows a few enhancement spells, probably Expeditious Retreat." "How does it look, up ahead?" Richard asked. "In the filtration chambers." Mayuree squinted. "Sorry, Richard. I can't tell. The entire segment is lit up with too much residue mana of all sorts. It's like a solid block of illumination four storeys high, going on for about six to seven blocks. Amazed by Mayuree's skill, Gwen wondered if she too could one day attain the sort of proficiency Mayuree had shown, feeling such pride that she wanted to squeeze Mayuree's haughty cheeks. Sensing Gwen's interest, Mayuree explained that her Greater Detect Magic could distinguish the presence of other Mages up to a hundred meters away, assuming a clear LOS, and through walls about twenty or so. Outside of the staple spell, she could scout ahead with a magical eye or use her powers to listen in on the conversation of people they could see. Furthermore, given time and preparation, combinations of spells such as Scry and Clairvoyance, combined with Locate Creature or Track, also brought new possibilities. To a laywoman like herself, Mia was an intelligence service equipped with all the right tools and could foretell danger should anything escape her notice. Unlike Gwen's mediocre senses, Mayuree could also pinpoint the direction of the threat as well as gain an understanding of the chronology of events to come. In truth, Gwen could scarcely believe that this was the same girl who went from awake to asleep in Management within thirty seconds of Professor Ma opening his mouth! "It would be nice if we had Tao here," Richard noted with a wry smile. "He could 'send' a team up ahead." Mr Wang would probably burst into tears if he heard that, Gwen mused. Tao Wang—wanted and valuable. Aunt Nen might just burst into tears. "Mister and Missus Bosses?" their guide craned his neck. "I leave you now, okay?" "Thank you. You may go now." They watched their guide leave. It was impossible to tell if the man was doing his job, leading them to a trap, or both. The party turned to the bulkhead that led into the filtration section of B7. The excess mana that leaked from the area meant that there were unlikely to be NoMs within. Non-magically aligned humans could live in highly magically charged environments but seldom chose to, as quasi-magical diseases and parasites made short work of NoMs lacking the means to defend themselves. At the entrance, Richard incanted the codified Glyph the Secretariat had given them. The door unlocked with a rusty clang of mechanisms moving out of and into place. Next, a secondary set of banded-iron gates swung open, revealing interchanging nodes of light and darkness where decades-old Light glyphs struggled against disrepair. The District followed the adage of never fixing things that were not broken, which meant maintenance was a rare bird in the depth. Had not a 'Crawler' manifested somehow on the level, not even Acolytes of Fudan would have been given access to such an essential section of the city's livelihood. "Arcane Eye!" Mayuree created an all-seeing eye of Divination capable of piercing illusions and seeing in the dark. The "Eye" itself was invisible as it shot forward, feeding the Diviner with borrowed sight. The spell was notoriously difficult to exercise, as it forced the user to perceive a 270-degree field of view that was disorienting in the extreme, especially in motion. While Gwen exercised her imagination, Mayuree scanned the closest few rooms and the corridors, reporting that they were unexpectedly free of any Crawlers. When she skimmed the ground closer with her Arcane Eye, however, she spotted a trail of viscous, snot-like slime. Mayuree held her breath unconsciously, told the others, then followed the clues. "What's wrong?" Gwen asked after a few seconds. "I found the creature. Section 3-8. It's set up a nest of some kind down here. I can, oh Naga Goddess—I can see a few bodies mostly bloating and rotting. I don't think it's on B7, though. I had to move up the vent—B6?" "What's it look like?" Richard asked. "Like a white Caliban with moustache tentacles, maggoty, oozing pus all over. It's pretty big as well, about the size of a small car." "Strewth!" Gwen suppressed her nausea as well, making a mental note that Caliban must not eat this thing. If Caliban could turn into a netherworld maggot the size of a VW Golf… Mayuree's Arcane Eye continued its tour of the surrounding area. "I got something," she continued. "Let me finish doing the round." "Ooop, I found something!" Mayuree gushed. "Well, I found someone." "Okay, steady..." "There's another— _Oh Goddess_ —and another!" After a minute, Mayuree's narrative tour continued as the Mages waited. "Alright, Basement level 5, Section 2-3, 4-3, 3-6 and 4-8. Hostiles, a dozen NoMs armed with… nets? Why are they doing with fishing nets? There's a Mage with each group as well. Evocation and Transmutation from the looks of it— _whoops!_ One of them just looked at me. I am going back into the vents. Maybe they know Detect Magic?" The party held their breath. "... okay, I am safe. False alarm." Using the entrance of the filtration quarter as cover, Richard asked Lea to create a miniature model of what Mayuree saw as the party convened for their next step. "So, it's confirmed," he said. "An ambush. They were waiting for us to take on the Crawler, maybe. Those things are notoriously difficult to kill. As a magical aberration born out of God knows what, their bodies resist physical damage, and their slime has both paralysing effects and acts as protection against elemental damage. Word is they're from a _Far_ _Plane_ of sorts, like pocket dimensions in between the Elemental Planes." "So was Gwen's right? There's someone responsible for this thing?" Mayuree asked. "And laid a trap for us no less." Gwen tapped her chin. "What are they hoping to accomplish? They can't be robbing us. That's absurd. Ransom maybe? A kidnapping? That's beyond stupid..." "Half the Undercity would cease to exist," Kitty scoffed, glancing at Mayuree. "They wouldn't dare." "Then that makes even less sense. Are those Undercity Mages protecting the Crawler, maybe?" "It's still a magical creature," Richard added. "A powerful one at that, tier 4 or 5 at least. Maybe they're looking to harvest its core?" "Too much effort. With this many men, they could form a party and go to the Orange Zone," Mayuree dispelled Richard's hypothesis. "They can't leave the District, so maybe that's it. I still think they look like Slavers," Gwen stated unpleasantly. From experience, she had no difficulty believing the extent to which Slavers may go to capture a rare talent. "Any group that wishes to operate with the domain of the Tower would not dare antagonise Fudan. Assuming they're after one of us, they would make enemies of powers they cannot possibly contain. The presumption, then, I would suggest, is that they have help from powers outside of the CCP and the Towers. Perhaps Rogue Mages?" The others considered her theory and concurred. It was the only logical explanation, given the circumstances. "Well, how do you want to do this?" Mayuree asked, looking a little unsure. "Do we... umm..." Gwen felt her whole body tensing. There it was. The moment of truth. She studied the three-dimensional diagram in front of them—The enemy was grouped into four quadrants, one Mage to four to five NoMs. They were situated one basement level above the creature. From the looks of it, they had planned to attack the Fudan party as soon as the Mages had exhausted themselves against the worm, maybe catch Gwen's party unaware via some sort of environmental effects, like a collapsed ceiling or a flood of water. That would explain the fishing nets, Gwen surmised. The filtration systems could summon immense volumes of water. If they did not have Richard with them or Mayuree, she and Kitty could be caught unaware, unable to defend themselves or become injured enough to trigger their Contingency Rings. "Gwen." Richard placed a hand on her shoulder. "Use Caliban well. Those Mages look tier 3 or 4 at best." Gwen flinched at her cousin's suggestion, feeling her hands grow clammy. _Vents. Enclosed Spaces. Caliban. Fresh Meat._ It was a good plan. There was one Mage in each sector. There would be no survivors if her creature descended upon her hapless victims in an ambush. Then, it would be a repeat of Blackheath. But worse. Far worse. Gwen felt her initial euphoria over Mayuree's Divined advantage transform into a cold and unpleasant epiphany. Earlier, when speculating about the battles ahead, she had anticipated that, like her prior experiences, they would be assaulted by parties who wished to impede or oppose them. In the heat of combat, she would wound, maim and if need be, kill her enemies. But this… They had a phrase for it in her old world. _Premeditated Murder_. "There's likely quite a bit of noise and vibration once you get down there," Richard continued to explain, perhaps sensing her unease. "With any luck, the other groups wouldn't hear." Mayuree's complexion paled as well as Gwen's. Reaching out with a hand, the two clasped each other's fingers for some reassurance of sanity. "If you can't. I'll do it," Kitty said without hesitation, her tone mocking and cold. Gwen took a deep breath. She knew the day would come, but not like this. Not over something so trivial. Not for scores. "Wait!" Even if it was futile, even if these were maybe _Slavers_ , she wanted to steer her companions' minds away from one of bloodlust. "You're all forgetting about what the Secretariat's quest for us was! It's to kill this thing, right? It's to make this level safe from an aberrant beast! We don't have to go in there and kill everything and everyone. What would be the point? I know of a way to solo the Crawler. Single-shot artillery spell. Boom, and _smithereens_. Richard can defend me, Mayuree can keep an eye out, and Kitty, you can run interference if anyone comes to find us. Think outside the box! We're not going to benefit from killing these NoMs and Mages because it's not a part of our quest! This way, bang-bang-boom, five CCs. Done! Otherwise, we waste time and mana, get blood on our hands, and for what?" "More pussyfooting around?" Kitty frowned, her eyes critical and unpleasant. Mayuree pulled at her friend's sleeve. Kitty turned to the Diviner. "I... don't want to kill the NoMs," Mayuree raised her voice, perhaps thinking of the NoMs in District 35 or maybe the lively scene she had seen in the market. Ma's thought experiment had struck her soundly. These NoMs were just people, desperate people trying to earn a living. To kill them in defence was one thing, but casually slaughtering them when an option for avoidance was available did not sit well with her lifestyle. Gwen was opposed to murder, while Mayuree had no desire to be an accessory to murder. Richard grinned his usual grin, shrugging. He would abide by Gwen's choice. "You sure you can kill the Crawler solo?" Kitty pulled a face before turning to her fellow LCSS candidate. "Also, an artillery spell? Do you know an artillery spell? What are you, tier 4? 3?" "I'll use Caliban it if I have to." Gwen's expression was full of hopeful determination. "As for your question, yes. I know an artillery spell. I worked it out with Magister Wen. We measured the maximum output between tier 6 and 7." Kitty's pale eyes grew hard, impressed but not convinced. "If you screw this up and they find us, I am not going to be soft-hearted," she warned Gwen. "My Path does not allow for such sentimental hesitations. Mao knows why you're trying to spare this trash." "Of course. Thanks, Kitty," Gwen unwound the tension in her voice. She knew that Mayuree's friend was the sort of person whose words were harsh and unforgiving, but having spent six weeks with the girl, Gwen knew better than to judge Kitty by her frigid exterior. Nonetheless, it was still shocking seeing "good people" not thinking of killing foes as morally reprehensible. Had Kitty been blooded? She certainly acted the part. Richard? Gwen had no doubt. Conversely, Mayuree was a neophyte in the taking of human life. As for herself, Gwen could only abide by her lingering remorse. At least for now, she had convinced her party to give her a chance to complete the quest without unnecessary bloodshed. If they still got attacked by these NoMs and Mages, her mercy was at an end. She walked the Path of Violent Conflict, not the Path of Gleeful Butchery. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Gwen?" Mayuree squeezed her hand. Gwen nodded. The time for thinking was over. Now was the time for action. “Ariel!” “Ee—EE!" “Caliban!” “Shaa—Shaa!” Taking a deep breath, she faced the threshold, beyond which was the darkness beckoned. "Right," she informed her companions. "I am ready." Richard sighed internally. As always, he chose to humour his cousin. At any rate, the Slavers weren't going to be worth any CCs. He could probably drown the whole room without making a peep, but what was the benefit? He had known that Gwen would be opposed to the killing. Likewise, he could have offered Gwen a reprieve, taking it upon himself to kill the men so that her little hands remained unsoiled. But instead, he'd egged her on because Gwen needed instruction in matters more than just magic. Lord Gunther had told him as much when he left for Shanghai. _"Now that you and I are both privy to Gwen's peculiar quality,"_ her Brother-in-craft had shared with him. _"Know that I am determined to see Master's legacy fulfilled in Gwen. Despite the trauma, her mind has retained clarity of purpose, her heart an unwavering moral compass. That is why Master loved her so. She's not like you and me, Richard. Gwen has a conscience of balance, just like her Void and Lighting, interesting, don't you think? Do recall that she's the one who said that the abuse of greatness is when the use of power is disjointed from remorse._ " The two had shared a drink. _"Keep her safe, but don't keep her sheltered,"_ the Magus had advised Richard. _"She will bend, but Gwen will not break."_ And so I shall prod. Richard thought to himself as Gwen summoned her Familiars. He regarded Caliban in its serpentine form, appreciating the obsidian serpent's smooth, high-gloss exterior. A double-edged blade, he thought to himself, a true monster. A moment later, Lea returned from her discrete little adventure in the vents above as the others entered the filtration chamber. Through their telepathic bond, the Undine informed him that the Mage in the vent had expired. _Anyone else?_ He asked through their Empathic Link. _The NoM who was watching us is unconscious_. Lea replied. _I spared him as you asked._ _Good girl. Stay out of sight._ Richard felt a light pressure to his right. He looked down to see Mayuree, her face full of questions. Gwen and Kitty could not detect his invisible Familiar, but Mayuree could. He smiled at her innocuously. "What are you doing?" It was a Private Message. "Doing what I can for Gwen," Richard answered without a hint of shame. "Paving the road ahead. Doing my best." "Best for you or Gwen?" "Is there a difference? I can't foretell the future. I am not a Diviner." Mayuree's amber eyes searched his face for an answer. "Why did you kill him?" Richard's answer was as cryptic as it was chilling. "You gave me cause." "Me?" "Aye." Richard paused, then gave Mayuree his brightest, beaming smile. "Because Gwen does not need to Consume low-level Transmuters." The Diviner walked on ahead. The party entered the filtration chambers. The wastewater exchange nodes were rooms constructed from ferroconcrete, transmuted into twenty-meter width cubes. In each hub sat an enormous pillar inscribed with a combination of Transmutation, Conjuration, and Abjuration Magic held together by inscriptions and glyphs of the Enchantment School. A plumbing system was embedded above and below, taking fetid wastewater from above and then expelling it into the near-infinite space of the Elemental Plane of Water. Below, another node drew in fresh, clean water from elsewhere on the Plane of Water, feeding the purification junction in B2. Though exceedingly rare, the occasional Elemental creature used the link to steal into the Material Plane, causing havoc in the Hive cities where maintenance was neglected. When the device was first introduced to the Management students, Gwen almost spat out her coffee. How big was this Elemental Plane of water exactly? She wondered. What if some Aquatic Demi-God swallowed a floating log of human turd? Would they then desire to punch through the fabric of reality into the Prime Material Plane and end humanity once and for all? Magister Wen later provided Gwen with some solace by informing her that the Elemental Plane of Water was of a scale measured in astrophysical terms. The amount of waste humanity injected into the Plane would not even account for a single particle of waste ejected by native creatures to the plane, such as the Mythic Leviathans, whose size was measured as continents, and whose turd, Gwen reasoned, would be the size of Tasmania. The filtration system within the room was as Secretariat Choi had described. They were built in the eighties, and many of its sections suffered from disrepair. Parts of it glowed faintly; others had missing inscriptions. The lower pillars had plumbing failures, resulting in gushing pools of foul water that ran ankle-deep into water-worn crevices. There was also a scent of death in the air, distinct from the heavy odour of human excreta. It was the sort of smell that was sour and acrid with an offending odour that watered the eyes. There was likewise a faint sound of buzzing in the distance, as though someone had thrown a wasp's nest into a room and then shut the door. "We're close enough. We're smelling the Crawler because of the connecting vent above us." Mayuree marked the rusted entry-point above, where a network of ventilation shafts lay long neglected, used only by strange and aberrant creatures spawned from the chamber's connection to the Elemental Plane of Water, and now an Arcane Eye. "The creature's lair is one level above us on B6 and one chamber to the North. The Slaver Mages are on B5 above the creature, spread across adjacent rooms. My Arcane Eye is currently overseeing the creature. It's disgusting. It's got some sort of compound insect eyes too, and tentacles, and it's squirmy and slimy, and oh Goddess, it's got maggots in its maggot body! Arrrgh!" "It'll all be over soon, Mia," Gwen promised. "Hold steady!" She knelt and focused upon circulating Alumdj's mana until half of her Druidic essence congealed into a sphere the size of a ping pong ball. "Ariel, come here." "EE-EE!" Ariel appeared beside her hand in a flash. With a snap of its jaws, it sucked up the ball of vital energy with an audible puck. As the emerald energy suffused its body, Ariel's serpentine, marten figure grew several magnitudes until it was almost the size of a hunting hound. Sparks of emerald lightning arced from its whiskers onto the concrete, gouging out a set of Lichtenberg figures across the pavement. "EE-EE—!" it cooed at Gwen. Her companions, Kitty included, felt the palpable intensity of the mana stored inside Ariel's body. "Caliban, you're on back up," Gwen communicated to her Familiar that it should wait for Ariel to deliver its payload, then strike if the Crawler survived the lightning blast. "Stay in your serpent form until you're needed. Okay?" "Shaa—Shaa!" Gwen could only assume her infamous 'Mongolian Death Worm' understood. "Okay, let's head up now. Mayuree?" "Ready! It's still there. Our goal is to do this quickly and get out before the Mages can come down. Time is of the essence." "That's right," Gwen said deliberately. "Let's make this clean and snappy." Kitty scoffed. In readiness, the girl had put on an array of self-buffing Transmutations. Like a Valkyrie of ice, she floated through the air, hovering an inch off the ground, radiating an Aura of Frost that would slow any enemy that tried to close the distance to melee her. "Richard?" "Lea and I are good to go." Gwen nodded. "Thanks, everyone." She knocked her boots together. It wasn't necessary, but she had felt the gesture suited the effects of the magic item rather well. "Flight!" Caliban coiled itself around her waist while Ariel rode on her shoulder. Gwen elevated herself carefully until she reached the height of the vent, near the entrance where Mayuree's eye had entered prior. At about half a meter from the rusted ventilation, her familiars leapt into the corroded space of the metal with a terrific clang. "I think it heard that. It's stirring." Mayuree kept a real-time tab on the Crawler with her face half caught in a suppressed gag. "Mao, that was loud!" Rookie mistake, Gwen grimaced. The Arcane Eye was silent and ethereal. Physical movement through the vent was a drunken pub crawl at three AM. Without hesitation, she channelled a jolt of Lightning mana into Ariel. "Ariel—Haste! Go!" Ariel disappeared in a silvery-emerald streak of light. Caliban slithered forward as well, traversing the vent in an "S" pattern. When Ariel reached the vertical section, it kicked off the sides with percussive _Clang!_ and made its way up. As for Caliban, the Void serpent turned its faceless mien upwards, then requested the mana necessary to transmute legs. Gwen obliged, feeling her blood run cold as Caliban assumed the form of the Javanese Death's Head Centipede. Caliban stretched out its 29 pairs of newly sprouted legs and began its ascent with a rhythmic _tink-tink, tink-tink, tink-tink-tink,_ its carapace clanging as it went and its bulbous head and two grasping mandibles attached banging the vent like a cymbal. _Clang! Clang! Clang!_ _Tink-tink-a-tink! Tink-tink!_ An unholy orchestra of noise reverberated and shot through the vent with such absurd cacophony that Gwen's party could hear nothing else. "Mayuree." Gwen closed her eyes to avoid becoming distracted, turning her mind inward to feel her Familiars through their empathic link. Until her creatures took on Spirits or became higher-order existences, they would not be able to feedback visual and audio stimuli like Lea. "Mia, be my eyes." "They're almost at the vent!" Mayuree shouted over the ding of Gwen's Familiars raking and ripping their way through the rusted vents. "Ariel, faster!" Gwen's voice took on a tone of urgency, offering her pet another jolt of mana. Through their Empathic Link, she felt Ariel launch from the vent into the corroded, slimed, covered filtration room where the Crawler had made its lair, skidding across the slippery pavement. "Ariel's in!" "Combat form!" Gwen released the limits placed on Ariel's marten form and allowed it to transform into its mongoose shape. "Keep it engaged while I ready the spell!" "EE—EE—!" Her Familiar's battle cry echoed through her skull. As Ariel enlarged, the mongoose became surrounded by a splash of blue-green energy that scorched the ground, ionising the fetid air into pure ozone. From Mayuree's rapid explanations, the Crawler had been feeding on the filth that leaked from the malfunctioning filtration node, growing fat on waste and excreta. Now that Ariel was in the fray, Mayuree could see just how unnatural the creature had become. The bestiary had stated that Crawlers measured up to a maximum of five feet, but this creature was nine-feet and then some, excluding its writhing tentacles. It had outgrown its innate instinct for carrion, for Mayuree could see that in the pile of amphibian spawn-sacks behind it were pale and bloated bodies of humans in various states of decay. Ariel's fur fluffed into needle-like slivers as it blasted the creature with a shower of pins and needles, setting up a damage multiplier for Gwen's next assault. Enraged, the Crawler vomited forth a spray of vile milk liquid in a frontal cone that covered a distance of almost four meters. Ariel proved far too fleet for a creature used to tracking down unmoving prey, moving like living quicksilver. With a thrust from its powerful hind legs that pulverised the pavement, Ariel leapt from the ground, kicked from the walls, and used the three-dimensional nature of the filtration node to manoeuvre itself into the Crawler's blind spots, sending its compound eyes twisting and turning on their stalks. Gwen, meanwhile, readied her artillery spell. With Mayuree's panoptic vision, Gwen could alleviate her worry that Ariel lacked the intelligence to supersede its tunnel vision prey-sense, making it susceptible to ambushes. One after another, with heart-in-mouth, she incanted the necessary patterns of the Evocation Sigil required to manifest Elemental Sphere. Though the spell was still a tier above her, she had studied the magic enough to complete the circuit. "Shaa!" Caliban suddenly sent her an empathic warning. "Something's coming through the top side!" Mayuree abruptly shouted beside Gwen, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What in Mao's name? A Stone Shape is manifesting on the east wall!" The intrusion was so sudden that Gwen almost lost her spell. "Gwen, if you're going to do it, do it now!" Mayuree urged her to make or break. As the intrusion had posed no immediate danger to Mayuree, she had not foreseen it coming and was just as surprised. Gwen caught her fumble and finished the last few syllables. "Gwen! I think it's—" her final incantation drowned out Mayuree's warning. "BARBANGINY!" Gwen finished the last dozen syllables of her chant, feeling the strain on her Evocation Glyph dialled to eleven. Given a choice, she would have chosen Lightning Bolt, but only her new Signature Evocation AOE possessed the power to obliterate her target. "— _My eyes!_ " Mayuree's spell sizzled. Somewhere a level away, Ariel's ball of plasma erupted like a miniature sun manifesting within the tightly constrained space of the filtration chamber. Arcs of blue-green lighting running at a billion or more volts filled the room, turning the air into flames. The Crawler creature made a single screech before its mucus evaporated, its flesh charred, and its soft innards boiled. Already pin-cushioned by Ariel's lightning-charged spines, the volatile energy sought a path of escape, finding itself drawn to the creature's body, obliterating it so entirely that it split from top to bottom in an eruption of superheated mucus. Then the first stage of Elemental Sphere ended, and the second stage began. A secondary burst of electricity in emerald and cobalt smothered the room in a cleansing tempest, scouring every inch of its surface with plasma, flaying the necrotic air with heavenly fire until only ozone remained. Gwen retracted Ariel and Caliban the instant her spell connected. She quickly realised she had made another rookie mistake—this time, there was too much gunpowder in the cannon. She wanted to make sure the volume of vitae spent was a force multiplier for the Crawler. However, her calculations were way off the chart. Having spent weeks practising Ariel's lightning manifestation, as well as record metrics with Magister Wen, she had developed an acute internal sense for the strength of lightning produced by her Evocation Sigil. Week after week, she had felt the intensity and power of her Evocation Sigil increase in proficiency little by little, like water carving out a pathway through stone, becoming more fluid and fluent. Still, she had underestimated Almudj's gift. From the rush of heat exploding from the vent, her spell appeared to have ignited the residual mana within the room, left by the broken Enchantment of the filtration system. She couldn't help but shiver. If her friends had been in that room, and she had no idea that her lighting was powerful enough to ignite the excess mana—then the ramifications would have been catastrophic. Therefore, she couldn't help but applaud her choice of avoiding the Slavers. "Goddess above and below!" Mayuree struck out her tongue at Gwen. "What did you and Magister Wen create?!" Gwen touched a few fingers to where her heart was threatening to tear from her chest. "Thank God we sent Ariel! No one else got hurt, right?" Mayuree's expression grew strange. "I don't know about that." Mayuree recalled the sight she'd seen as the spell erupted. She was sure that a sorceress had come through the wall, which meant that— "—GWEN!" Mayuree issued the warning before Gwen's Divination Sigil could shriek in protest. The two Diviners instantly took up defensive postures. "Richard! Incoming!" Gwen warned her cousin, guiding his eyes upward. "Above us!" Mayuree's warning was far more precise. "It's coming through the bulkhead!" "Shield!" Richard formed a water barrier in front and on top of his companions. Her cousin had been working on his Abjuration for the last six weeks, focussing on both the speed of his manifestation and the endurance of his protective barriers. Just as Kitty readied an incantation, the ceiling began to churn. _CRACK!_ _CRACK!_ _CRACK!_ Something heavy was pounding through the ferroconcrete structure. The whole chamber seemed to ripple and tear from a Shockwave spell as dust and debris descended. Suddenly, the ground lurched violently. "Mia!" Kitty cried out. "Watch out!" Slabs of concrete fell. The ceiling moved as though suddenly liquified. The concrete surface directly above them suddenly opened, revealing recoiled rebars that folded back as though commanded by a supernatural force, like the inverse-bloom of a flower. Four pairs of eyes turned skyward. A rusted blade, two-feet across and a full ten-feet long, shot into the filtration chamber where Gwen's party readied themselves. _No, not a blade,_ Gwen thought as it punched through two layers of Richard's Water Shield then struck her non-newtonian mana Shield. That's a _fucking slab of iron!_

Before Gwen could react, Kitty intervened, sparing her from finding out whether her non-newtonian shield was capable of absorbing the impact from an iron girder falling from a high-rise. As the frontal lobe of Gwen's Shield cracked, taking on the likeness of frosted glass, Kitty instantly completed the circuit for a Wall of Ice which erupted underfoot from her barrier, diverting the momentum of the terrific blow aside, shattering as it consumed the kinetic energy. The foursome then turned their gaze upward, where the transmuted aperture of the ceiling gaped like a dark maw with folded iron for teeth. There was first a smell of burnt flesh. Then a girl-Mage descended through the air. " _Lulan Li?!_ " Gwen spluttered with shock and bewilderment, her Divination Sigil screeching like a cat dragged across a chalkboard. "What are you doing here? Were you in that room?!" The girl was half-naked and half-baked; Gwen's baptism of lightning had destroyed her riding leather to charcoal. Lulan's dark head of hair was a burnt mess, smoking in clumps and missing most of its mass. Her eyebrows were gone as well, giving her a comical expression, while her skin wept from a dozen wounds gooey with mangled heat-rash. There was blood seeping down from her ears and her nostrils, but even so, her irises were two glowing orbs of molten iron locked solely onto Gwen. When she opened her mouth to speak, Gwen swore she could see smoke billowing from Lulan's throat. "Gwen Song… Daggers… give me back brother's daggers," the girl murmured, spitting splutters of scarlet with every rise and fall of her chest. Gwen felt an instant impulse to lie—to delay until they had the time and convenience to sort out Lulan without a dozen Slavers rushing toward their location as they dallied. She did not doubt that the other Slavers knew their monster was a smoking mess of ravaged offal by now and coming in hot. "Lulan, are you... okay?" "Cao! We don't have time for this." Kitty hissed. "Glacial Spike!" A conic missile of ice materialised with a crinkling clatter of frigid air, then launched itself with terrific velocity toward Lulan. "Parry!" Effortlessly, Lulan raised a hand, forming a slab of iron that deflected the blast. A rush of cold air filled the space between Gwen and Lulan as Kitty's spell exploded, half covering the blade with rime. The blade barrier barely moved. Kitty's brows knitted. Gwen gulped. That was a tier 4 Evocation spell, and Lulan wasn't an Abjurer. Was the girl using the weight of her blade as a form of defence? How stoic was a slab of iron ripped from the bowels of the Elemental Plane of Earth! Still, she attempted to disarm the girl verbally. "Lulan, listen to me. Now's not the time to discuss Kusu's implements. If you could just calm down for a minute—" "Don't lie to me!" Lulan's face was a mask of anguish and pain, livid with suffering. "THRUST!" Another girder of iron took a split second to materialise, then sped toward Gwen's Shield with the momentum of a rockslide. "Fuck!" Richard snapped; his cool finally depleted. Gwen felt his frustration, for Dick's water Shields were weak against a specific type of magic—and it just so happens that Lulan specialised in that same form. He had wanted Gwen to continue her training - but it looked as though circumstances had rapidly changed for the worse. "Gwen, LEAVE HER! Regroup! Back to the tunnels!" he shouted at her. "Lea! Elemental Form!" Silvery Conjuration filled the air as Richard's Undine manifested in full. It was the first time Gwen had seen Richard Conjure Lea in her entirety—and the effect reminded her of when her Master brought forth Sufina's full power. A resplendent goddess in blue materialised, hovering six feet from the floor, instantly drawing every mote of elemental water toward her consolidating form. First, a head full of rope-like cobalt hair distended, followed by a long, elegant neck, a serpentine waist and two pale white stalks for legs. As her elfin form solidified, motes of bean-green mossy liquid dripped from her toes. In Gwen's eyes, Lea's appearance, ethereal and elven, was equally cruel and beautiful. "Human! Release your weapon and begone!" the Undine commanded Lulan, her fluttering, inch-long lashes opening to reveal sapphire-blue eyes without pupils. Her voice was ethereal, unearthly, informing the young Mages in front and behind that indeed, she was a higher-order being, a resident of the Elemental Plane of Water. _SCHWING—_ What greeted Lea was a _sword-strike_ , cutting her watery torso in half. Water was the most harmonious of all elements. The very weakness that ensured Richard's Shields could not block Lulan's attacks—but that also implied Lulan could not harm Richard's familiar. As expected, Lea scoffed. "Lea!" Richard urged his Familiar to focus on attacks and belay her love of posturing. As a fellow Conjurer, Gwen knew Elemental manifestation consumed mana at an atrocious rate. Lea's eyes flashed. She opened her mouth, and what emerged was a string of strange invocations innate to creatures of her Elemental race. The Undine was a creature connected to a place of infinite mass and space. As a creature of the estuary and the river, Lea's link was to the brackish flow of streams fecund with life. Lulan affected another swing. Once again, Kitty diverted the strike with a grunt. With a simple gesture, Lea opened an elliptic portal four-foot in diameter. A jet blast of water, forced under the immense pressure of the near-infinite tonnage of the watery Plane, erupted horizontally and struck Lulan across the chest, blasting her off her feet and launching the unsuspecting Sword Mage into the furthest concrete wall. Four seconds later, Richard was stumbling. "Lea!" He called out weakly. "Come back." Sullenly, his Familiar returned. Dark and tenebrous waters thick with reeds and silt, now knee-deep, sloshed back and forth across the filtration room. The party turned their attention toward the concrete wall, where Lulan's pressed into the rebar-reinforced concrete. The Sword Mage's arm was twisted in impossible directions, broken in two places, one leg now hung limply. She slid from the wall into the water with almost comical slowness like a mannikin with its joints smashed. The only indication that she was still alive was the dull glow of wine still circulating in her eyes, glaring at Gwen with a dark and unwavering passion. Lulan attempted to move, but a racking pain seemed to overcome her twisted body, sending a jolt of agony into her face despite her most ardent effort to remain stoic and impassive. When she attempted to lift herself from the floor again, a torrent of blood erupted from her nostrils, indicating extensive internal damage. "Jesus, Dick." Gwen winced. The others likewise could scarcely believe Lulan was alive as well. Richard's eyes moved from Gwen to Lulan, Kitty and Mayuree, pondering the possibilities. Her cousin seemed to withhold something he wanted to say. "What a waste," Richard muttered under his breath. "Okay, let's regroup." Lea returned to Richard's side, again becoming ethereal and invisible. Manifesting Lea in her full glory was no easy task for a Conjurer without the necessary expertise to control a high-tier humanoid Spirit, much less utilising her innate ability to such a degree. Her cousin materialised a mana potion and injected himself in the thigh. Alchemy fatigue implied that his next dose would only be half as effective. "Gwen, you alright?" Richard asked. "Y-yeah. Jesus…" Gwen muttered, still shaking herself from the rapidly escalating events of the last two minutes or so. "Bloody impressive spell, Dick." "You tanked that sword with only Shield," Richard replied. "Isn't that more impressive?" "Are we finishing her off?" Kitty turned to Gwen with impatience. "Your enemy, your choice." "Gwen," Richard coughed. "Waste not, want not. Caliban's around, right?" "GWEN—!" Mayuree's warning came on yet again before Gwen could catch on to Richard's suggestion. "AGAIN!" Gwen looked up bewilderingly while Mayuree directed their attention toward the hole Lulan had come through. "Something's coming!" Mayuree shouted, moving to the side. "Shield!" Richard called out to his familiar. "LEA! MAKE A DOME NOW!" Lea instantly formed an umbrella-shaped Shield large enough to cover both himself and Gwen, but still, the flood of milky white liquid that came from above splattered off the walls and splashed on the shield, frothing as it slid into the knee-deep water. Besides Richard, Kitty had done for Mayuree what Richard had done for Gwen, erecting a wall of ice that momentarily protruded from an adjacent wall while she effortlessly dodged the incoming tide. When the foursome looked up, they could see five aberrant silhouettes imposed against a blinding backlight of Dancing Lights descending toward them. Five Carrion Crawlers, each more massive than the one Gwen had slain, were roving downward toward them, adhering to the smooth sides of the hole shaped by Lulan when she had earlier intruded into the chamber. _Fucking Five?!_ Gwen felt her mind reel with an unpleasant realisation. _So they were breeding them!_ The monster wasn't just a single creature being reared for whatever nefarious reason! There was a large-scale professional set-up! They had all underestimated the criminal undercurrent running under the ferroconcrete of the Lost Districts! _But wait!_ Gwen sensed her rationality challenged by their precarious circumstance. None of this made any sense. What would some ruffians from the Triads gain by attacking them? Did these fools have a death wish? Are they not afraid of Purges? They were LCSS candidates! Students of Fudan! She scanned his companions. She couldn't see any reason a District would risk a Purge for her friends. Were they here for her? Did the Slavers have a network where they communicated and exchanged information on _rare specimens_ akin to how collectors traded the location of exotic Magical Beasts? Her eyes gazed past the monsters covered by the glittering mass of Dancing Lights to the hole beyond. Was this group the ones who they'd seen before? Or were they another party? How should she fight them now? Would it have been wiser if she had murdered them in cold blood? Lulan felt the red mist fall away. The berserker's haze had not departed by choice. It was forced to retreat by her battered body, now incapable of sustaining the stress put on by the Heart Iron. Then the pain struck. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Searing, burning, scalding pain that oppressed the breath in her body. Barely lucid from her torturous injury, she watched the Water Mage with Gwen erect an impressive dome that splashed the milky liquid all over, splattering the walls and herself. Where the liquid touched her bleeding body, it quickly frothed, eating into her skin. Numbness, paralysis, and incapacitation, Lulan recognised the symptoms but was glad for their anaesthesia. Without the chemical insensibility, she would have likely perished from the shock. In her consciousness, she recognised the beasts as Carrion Crawlers—specially bred variants with a highly potent dose of the paralytic saliva. From the bestiary, she knew that despite the horrid nature of the Crawlers, they were often bred for the many medicinal agents extracted from their glans. Their saliva could be distilled to become poison, used as a replacement for morphine, or synthesised into alchemical gas for use in the battlefield against troops of Demi-humans like Orcs or Hobs. Likewise, their ichorous blue blood was a precious reagent used in healing magic or even distilled to produce a potent opioid. Somewhere between her thoughts drifting, she acknowledged that she was bleeding out. With a wet plop, a Crawler landed beside her. She was covered with wounds, on the verge of death, and unable to fight. That made her its favourite sort of prey. The pallid-fleshed aberration approached. From either side of its teeth-lined maw extended two pairs of suction-cupped tentacles barbed with jaundiced teeth-hooks. Lulan felt the birth of a new awareness press upon her brain, one that she understood in its entirely—despair. The despair of knowing one died for nothing. Was this how her life was going to end? Like a dog with its legs snapped, fed to a monster like carrion? _Kusu…_ she had caused him no ends of trouble. As the Crawler's tentacles grappled her flesh, Lulan wondered if her brother would cry. Gwen's team had made it no more than a dozen meters back the other way when they ran into the ambush party that they had seen in the upper chambers of B4, ratifying Richard's worst fears. The Mages in the enemy party immediately opened up with a barrage of Flaming Hands, Magic Missiles, and Scorching Rays. An Abjurer in the ambush party brushed away a few Water Bolts Richard sent his way, erecting a half-dome Earthen Shield, forming a pincer attack with the Mages from the other side. "Shit!" Richard now understood the meaning of one step wrong, and every step was a foot deeper into the grave. He had placed too much faith in Mayuree's detection spells and vastly underestimated the complexity of the tunnels that had been worked into the basement by the locals. Mayuree's demonstration of her prowess had proved too impressive. Her seemingly omniscient knowledge of the lay of the land had made them all lower their guard. Locating the creature and scouting the tunnels that lead to it was one thing—but they should have had the patience to scout out the other tunnels with her Arcane Eye. That their team stopped at their quarry was his mistake, for he was the oldest and the most experienced. Then there was Gwen's proposal. Was it her fault then? She was the one who had urged that they immediately slay the creature and extract themselves from the level for five quick CCs. Or was it Lulan's fault, or were more extraordinary powers at play? He glanced over at his cousin, who was firing off Lighting Bolts at the Crawlers. As usual, her spells were supremely effective against Magic Creatures, and the deranged worms screeched and screamed as they fried. Kitty, likewise, was flitting back and forth through the air, nimbly firing off darts of Glacial Spike that on impact snapped off tentacles and slowed the Crawler's movements. Mayuree now exhibited the classic weakness of the single-class Diviner. She had to rely on her expendable Wands, blasting away at the Crawlers and keeping them at bay with Scorching Ray and Magic Missiles. In addition, it was up to Richard as the Abjurer to protect her, as Gwen wasn't yet proficient enough to be both Abjurer and Evoker. "Gwen! Can you get us out of here?" Richard implored his cousin. "I can keep us Shielded while you work the Dimension Door." Gwen could teleport one of them at a time, with her mana pool; she should be able to take Mayuree and Kitty to safety. As for himself, Richard was confident that should he flood the tunnels with Lea, he could at least escape. "I can—" _WHOMP—!_ Gwen's answer was lost as a blast of explosive air discharged in the middle of Richard's Shield, displacing the flowing mass of water for a split second. To his cousin's horror, a few splattered drops of the nasty, creamy Crawler phlegm landed across his face and arms. "Fuck!" Richard immediately directed a stream of clear water to his face and limb. His timely action was sound, but the venom was most potent. Gwen watched as Richard's face drooped, losing all expression. "WEER!" Richard called for his Familiar once more, his voice mangled by the injury. Lea manifested and took over Richard's Shielding of his companions, demonstrating one of the top reasons Creature Conjurers were unmatched. He fumbled in his ring, produced a Remove Poison injector, and slammed it into his thigh. "Garrrgh!" He grunted as the magical adrenaline dispelled the paralytic alchemical effect. " _Fuck_!" "Blizzard!" Seeing Richard taking a hit, Kitty could no longer hope to preserve her mana. She turned upward the front of the party where the second group of Slavers were trying to close in, then opened up a long-range, wide-radius AOE. Instantly, shards of ice and slivers of arcane frost pelted the Abjurer's Shields, turning the ground to slush and rime. "Gwen! Help Kitty!" Richard howled. By now, Gwen had taken enough of a pause to resummon both her Familiars. Whatever impacts Caliban might have on her body, the situation was now life or death. "Caliban! Keep them off us! Clear a path!" Caliban had taken on its most mana-efficient form, the scorpion-spider. Her netherworld fiend leapt into being, taking with it a chunk of her vitality no longer offset by her waning supply of Druidic essence, then charged the crawlers with its scything limbs. "Ariel!" Gwen's marten emerged in its Mongoose form, doubling the firepower of her Evocation Lightning. Between their Glacial Spikes, Lightning Bolts, Wands and Richard's Shielding, the second ambush party slowed to a proverbial crawl, becoming entrenched by their defence. As for the other side, the Carrion Crawlers were fighting a protracted battle of attrition. "Blast BOLT!" His cousin gritted her teeth and channelled a sizeable portion of her mana through both herself and Ariel. The twin blasts of arcing electricity connected with the group of Crawlers, striking three in a row. Immediately, the tunnel filled with fumes reeking of cooked flesh. "SKREEEE—!" The creatures' screech was like a mob of insane infants. In the next moment, the party had expected the things to explode, or fall, or topple over. Instead, the whole group of Crawlers glowed a shade of emerald, then came on again. "Healing Magic!" Mayuree cried out in dismay. "They have a healer with them!" "Oi, you gotta be shitting me!" Richard gnashed his teeth. The party regarded one another with looks of doubt and disbelief, hesitant at this new information, A Combat Healer? The Slavers—ruffians and scoundrels of the undercity—had a battle-ready _Cleric_ with them? It was already absurd that some mid-tier Mages from the Lost Districts were pinning them in a tunnel with sedan sized maggots. But now they also have a healer capable of casting ranged area heals? That would make the healer at tier 6 at the very least! At once, Richard thought about Secretariat Choi's offer of 20 CCs. If this hidden prize was what the CCs were for, it made perfect sense. The problem now was that they were stuck between concrete and harder concrete. The escalation of the party's already dire circumstances meant they could be injured and sent back in disgrace. As for _death or capture?_ The risk was not high. Gwen could escape by herself, though she would refuse. Her mana pool and her Dimension Door made her the least likely to be caught. Kitty could also escape by herself, but likewise, she would not leave Mayuree. Moreover, Gwen could take one of them with her, which meant Mayuree. As for Richard, he would do his best. The problem was if one of them were caught alone by the paralysing slime of the worms. Had Secretariat Choi anticipated this? Would the smiling villain come to their rescue? Most importantly, would he be held accountable if the students were maimed? As far as Richard could deduce, fear of disadvantage to himself was the only reason why the Major would send someone to aid them. _CRACK—_ The student Mages became aware of another impending crisis. The walls and the floors were shifting, boxing them inward. "WOCAO!" Even Mayuree was losing her cool. "Someone's using Stone Shape on the walls! They're trying to box us in!" The Diviner quickly materialised her Stone Shape wand and countered with borrowed Transmutation. Comparatively, her wand was at the minimum tier required for the spell, possessing only ten charges, meaning a maximum of eight odd minutes. The opposing Transmuter, assuming they were of average talent, could keep casting until they were OOM, furthermore restoring themselves with injectors. "Kitty?" Gwen turned to their Transmuter. "Can you Stone Shape?" "I am an ICE MAGE!" Kitty snapped at Gwen cattily. "AIR and WATER!" _CRACK— CRACK—_ Their fighting space just narrowed by half a meter. "By the Naga Goddesses!" Mayuree swore. "I can't hold them, Richard!" "Gwen! Take Mayuree out of here with your Dimension Door!" Kitty yelled. "We'll be fine!" Richard affirmed Kitty's call for an expeditious retreat. "Pop a potion, take Mayuree, and get out of here. Go!" Gwen looked toward Mayuree, who shook her head angrily. "I am not leaving the two of you!" "Now's not the time, you idiot!" Kitty was losing her patience. "Richard has Lea, and I can fly and Blink!" _Crack—Crack—CRACK—_ The walls closed in. FUCK! Richard's mind screamed with frustration. How dare these bastards fuck with them? _God damn it!_ He should have killed the fucking lot of them as soon as they entered the Districts. He needed to get them out of there somehow. ELEMENTAL SWARM—he thought immediately. Gwen could use that. The Void variety. But a Void Swarm was a double-edged blade. Or Elemental Sphere? The AOE was too small to encompass both front and back, not to mention she now lacked the Druidic Essence for the version Ariel had manifested earlier. The walls shuddered. Richard made up his mind to take his cousin out. Damn the others. "DICK!" Her cousin turned to him with the light of an epiphany shining in her electric eyes. “I am going to get Lulan! She got us into this, and she can get us out of this!" She shouted over the ding of Crawlers, the crumbling tunnel, the splashing of poison on Shields, and bursts of blizzard and ice to their front and back. "How do you know she's not with them?" Kitty shouted back. "You think Lulan is capable of laying a trap like this?" Gwen fired back. "We need her absurd offensive abilities—there's no time! I am going to make her an offer she can't refuse!" "Don't waste your fucking time, get Mia—" "Kitty! _SHUT UP!_ " Mayuree screamed at her friend, causing the girl to flinch. "Gwen, go! You can do it. I know you can." Richard was amazed that Kitty had the extra energy to glare at her friend, who looked apologetic, then glower at Gwen with her jaws clenched in vexation. "Gwen, are you sure?" Richard asked. "I can manage one more push with Lea. We can bullrush the rear. What if Lulan is dead?" "She's alive," Mayuree said suddenly. "I can sense her still. Also, I can tell this is a... safe strategy." The party turned to Mayuree. "It'll work," the Diviner reminded them cryptically. "I have a good feeling about this." "Thanks, Mia." Gwen turned toward the direction where she had last seen Lulan. The girl had been wounded badly, but Gwen had a solution for that. So long as the Sword Mage still had breath, Gwen was sure she could bring her around. "Caliban, distract them! Ariel! You help!" "Shaa—Shaa—" "EE—!" Her cousin stabbed a mana potion into her thigh, shuddering as her mana pool refilled. Meanwhile, her pets bolted forward, taking advantage of the enclosed space to confuse her foes. Gwen shook out the tension paralysing her body, feeling the empowering magic encompassing every sinew and muscle, then produced her Chameleon Cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, covering the top half of her body. "If Lulan dies or refuses—" Richard affirmed his cousin's valour. "Come back and Dimension Door Mayuree out first. I can get away through the water without drama." Gwen affirmed his wisdom with a nod. Richard redoubled the rigidity of his barriers, then commanded Lea to offer a distraction by misting the surrounding air. "Dimension Door!" And just like that, his cousin was gone. Gwen was confident her plan would work. It had to. Her choice was a win-win for herself, for Lulan, and her party. If Lulan Li was idiotic or thick-headed enough to refuse, then the onus of what happened next was no one's fault but her own. As she conjured the courage to venture outside Richard's barrier, her chest felt on the verge of bursting. But there was no recourse now. She was the one who got them into this mess, and now she had to dig them out of this hole. She had to become stronger. And she had to take responsibility. "Dimension Door!" With her growing command of the translocation spell, Gwen knew she could teleport further and more accurately. Therefore, she had calculated precisely the distance to where she had last seen Lulan before releasing the spell. Her exit had been a slight wrinkle in space, but her arrival was a tenebrous burst of inky Void. Though precarious, she preferred the Void version of her Dimension Door because, unlike the lightning's thunderclap, the vitality-expanding variety was whisper quiet. As expected, she appeared a safe distance away from the slavers. Very quickly, Gwen orientated herself and looked down toward Lulan's body. _Holy shit!_ Her mind reeled and recoiled as she caught sight of the Sword Mage a few feet away, half-submerged in the brackish water. Lulan Li was missing an arm and half-covered in viscous white-goo. From the looks of the stump, one of the Crawlers had chewed it off a few moments ago. Were it not for the fact that somehow, Lulan's reinforcement Magic still coloured her pale complexion with a reddish shade, Gwen would have teleported back already. She materialised a thick blanket without further hesitation, ready to wrap the girl. The only part of Lulan's corpse-like form that moved was her eyes. From a blanched and disfigured face, pupils the colour of wine glared at Gwen with a resentment that could set the world on fire. Gwen met those eyes without hesitation. "Lulan Li," she spoke with absolute certainty. "Come with me if you want to live.

"Good. If you're that pissed off, it means you're alive and lucid." Gwen threw the blanket over Lulan, then picked her ragdoll body up from the floor. There would be time for barbed words later. The commotion from behind their battle-line seemed to have alerted the Slavers crowding the tunnel entrance. They turned to what they presumed was the corpse of the berserker girl only to see a blurred outline lifting the girl's body into the air, underneath which was a pair of familiar legs in leather booties—all in all, a somewhat surreal sight. "Stop her!" a husky female voice cried out, revealing the source of their unexpected struggle finally. From underneath her cowl, Gwen finally caught sight of the leader of the Slavers. To her surprise, it was a woman, and an exceedingly exotic one at that, with honeyed skin and dark eyes and a head full of dark hair that fell to her waist. She looked nothing like the Slavers Gwen had fought, people like Bozza, who appeared as caricatures from a Mad Max movie. If Gwen saw this woman on the streets of University Boulevard, she would have felt delighted to have met a fellow expatriate. But that was just her naivety. Gwen thought dangerously. It's not as though the head of a kidnapping operation would dress up and advertise the fact. All that wealth and ill-gotten gains had to be translated into life's little luxuries, all of which existed only in the 'real' world of the Tier 1 city. She held Lulan close to her as she manifested another Dimension Door. Next, she materialised in the middle of the enemy Mages as a burst of inky Void. "Wocao!" "Shit!" "Arrrgh—!" Four Shields burst into brilliance, cobalt, ochre, yellow and brilliant white, sending their Mages stumbling backwards, their limbs akimbo. "Dimension Door!" Another burst of tenebrous ink, then Gwen was gone. Nephres Zalaam studied the pulse of her mana conduits as her shield absorbed the splash of Void-tainted mana. She additionally noticed with dismay that the hungering energy had consumed a semi-sphere of concrete below where Gwen Song had landed, four-inches deep. Nephres felt a sudden unease gripping her imagination. Weren't the Sword Mage and Gwen Song mortal enemies? What was she hoping to accomplish? They had no healers, and no potion could restore the Lulan girl. Did they have a high-tier Wand? That was impossible as Wands usually maxed out at tier 4. How about a scroll? No, that still required the relevant Schools of Magic. "Bless!" She continued her pastoral care over her monsters. "Mass Cure Wounds!" Once her 'meat shields' sufficiently topped up, she carefully eyed the three separate exits. Though she wanted accolades, Nephres Zalaam had not made it this far in the Organisation by being liberal with her followers and quick on the uptake. In all honesty, she had not expected the students to last this long against a two-sided assault, and most importantly, she had not at all expected the tier 4 Dimension Door to be in Gwen Song's repertoire. As someone who regularly worked with Maguses, she knew it was virtually impossible to catch teleporting Conjurers. The only saving grace was that Dimension Door was a costly spell that most Mages could only manifest half a dozen times. Still, if the girl chose to run, abandoning her friends, catching her would be a significant chore. "Sui," Nephres called out to her Second-in-command. Sui was the one who had been transmuting the concrete in the tunnel. Now it was evident that a certain Void Sorceress had access to short-range teleportation, Nephres realised that she needed to make some contingencies. Raising her head, Sui looked to her mistress for further instruction. Nephres threw her a mana injector, then activated her earring to deliver a Silent Message. Without access to a Divination control tower, the devices only worked within line of sight. "Seal the tunnel. Keep the kids in with the Crawlers. We'll cut our losses and retreat to B9. We'll be leaving via the service tunnel in B12." "Yes, Mistress," Sui replied via her embedded device. The Mage had questions but needed no answers, for Nephres knew her word was divine. Sui turned her attention back to the tunnel and redoubled her efforts. "Stone Shape!" At the same time, their Evoker took the opportunity to send in a few Magic Missiles that rattled the Water Mage's Shield, which then instantly replenished its flowing facade. Nephres' second Evoker sent in another ball of blasting air, but the Water Abjurer had layered a double-Shield this time, preventing the same feint from happening. Thinking of Gwen's Dimension Door and grinding her teeth at her team's incompetence, Nephres pondered the questionable _advantage_ gained by their ambush against their present stalemate. Within the tunnel, the student Mages were: One Spirit Abjurer with an insane water affinity. One Ice Mage with at least tier 4 in both Evocation and Transmutation. One Diviner who burned about 400 HDM wands like matches. And Gwen Song with a near-dead Clanner Sword Mage. That meant the Void Beast and the Mongoose both belonged to Gwen. In addition, the object of Nephres' assault was manifesting both Evocation And Conjuration. The question then was, _why did Gwen save the Metal Mage?_ When they descended the tunnel, she had felt the shock of the blast in the Crawler's abode. From the vibration through the shaft, Nephres figured Gwen's lightning must have ignited the residual mana that flooded the chamber whenever a filter broke down. Observing the Mages now—what if she was wrong, and Gwen Song had a trump card capable of destroying that chamber wholesale? What if Gwen were to use it and slaughter everyone here, allies and enemies, indiscriminately? Nephres Zalaam was no fool. _Those fucking Dossiers!_ Who was it? Yi? Unlikely. Choi? That she could believe. Did Choi know about her connection to the Ravenports? Or to her Mistress? Impossible. She could think of the only reason that Choi had felt he could use the student Mages to clean the District. Nephres bit her lower lip vehemently. _The fucking rat bastard!_ How many thousands of HDMs had she sent him to keep her operations running? Seeing that the tunnel was almost closed, Nephres carefully backed away toward the side tunnel connecting B7-4-3 to its adjacent filtration chambers. If she had to leave, then time was of the essence. Once she mingled with the flood of magical signatures in the Metropolis or escaped into the Outlands, not even Diviners would be able to locate her. "Mistress, it's closed," Sui announced her success. It was far easier sealing the tunnel than trying to enclose the interior to crush the inhabitants. The other Mages had stopped attacking and were looking toward their leader for further instruction as well. Nephres wondered if Sui obsessed over her enough to leave the others. Unlike Nephres, who had taken command of the operation months ago, these warren rats had known each other all their lives. "Sui, get the men to—" A burst of lightning erupted in the middle of Nephres' Mages. This time, they hadn't stood so idiotically close to each other, and their Shields had not crowded one another onto their buttocks. Gwen Song and the Sword Mage emerged with a brilliant flash of silvery Conjuration. The girl no longer had her camo-optic cowl, giving Nephres a good look at her striking mien and flashing eyes. But it wasn't Gwen's striking appearance that took her breath away. It was the Sword Mage. To Nephres' disbelieving eyes, the girl was restored from head to toe. Not only that, she was the very picture of vitality and haleness. With only a loose shirt and shorts to cover her shame, the Mage's exposed skin glowed with a metallic sheen of iron, her eyes two garnets flashing with merciless bloodlust. _How the fuck?!_ Nephres felt her reality invert. Even the girls' hair had grown back! "Expeditious Retreat!" Nephres turned and fled down the closest service tunnel. She had never been one for sentimentality. "Mistress!" Sui called out to her desperately. "Enhanced Agility!" Nephres sped up. When fleeing, time was of the essence. Only moments ago, Gwen had returned to her companions with the battered Lulan in tow. "Mao above!" Mayuree was made to swallow a mouthful of bile when her eyes fell upon Lulan Li. Lulan's face was a ruined, corroded mess. She had bits of cheek absent from an inquisitive tentacle as well as missing the soft tissue of her nose. Her arm was a stump kept from bleeding out by the paralytic poison of the Carrion Crawler. She was topless as well, one breast almost entirely flayed of its dermis, with pockmarks of suction-cup wounds running up and down the left lumbar. Only her legs, which had been submerged beneath the water, remained unmolested by the worm. Yet, her wide-open eyes indicated she was alive and lucid. Gwen materialised a healing injector and punched the solution into Lulan's chest. She needed to stabilise the girl so they could make their deal. As the potion worked its magic, Lulan coughed, clearing the blood constricting her breath. "We don't have much time, so here goes." Gwen watched the red fluid enter Lulan's body, then produced a Cure Poison injector. She pulled, then punched the anti-venom adrenaline into Lulan's thigh. The Sword Mage's body shuddered and convulsed as the remedy took effect. "Kill me," Lulan grunted when her muscles regained motion, her voice barely audible. "Put me down. I don't need your charity." Gwen licked her lips drily, observed by her companions. "Lulan, I am going to make you a deal." "Kill me!" "Listen, Lu—" "Just get it over with!" Lulan gasped. "Hey! Listen! " "Bitch! Just kill me already! I am ruined! Look at me! I—" Lulan made a supreme effort to rise. _PA!_ Gwen slapped her across her remaining face. Lulan opened her mouth to speak again. _PA!_ Gwen slapped Lulan across the face again. Lulan looked like she wanted to speak again until Gwen raised her hand as a warning. She met Lulan's burning eyes. "Good. Now shut up and listen. I am going to make you a deal." Gwen produced a Spell Cube from her ring that glowed intensely with emerald energy. "I have a tier 7 Regeneration spell cast by a tier 8 Healer in here. It is capable of restoring every wound, regrowing every limb, and repairing every scar on your body." At her words, Lulan's chest rose and fell as her eyes rested upon the Cube. "I am going to save you. In return, you will help us repel our enemies, Yes. That's right—yours and mine. I am sorry for what happened with the Elemental Sphere. It was an accident. I don't know if I can return Kusu daggers, but I will ask Caliban where they have gone and try my best. I also want no more trouble from you afterwards. Do you understand? Nod if you do." The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Behind them, the pressure from the Stone Shape had ceased. Now there was the sound of shifting concrete coming from the furthest part of the tunnel. After several seconds, Lulan nodded. Gwen waited. She couldn't think of a reason why Lulan would disagree. _Just look at the state of the poor girl. Jesus fuck._ Apart from her legs, Lulan didn't have a single piece of her torso and face that wasn't mauled beyond all recognition. "Gwen! I don't know what they're doing next!" Mayuree cried out. Her wand's charges were almost out. "I don't know what they're trying to do! Flood the tunnel? More crawlers? AOE attack?" "I am getting close to being OOM," Richard informed them. "Going to use my last potion soon." "Whatever you want to do, you better do it now!" Kitty hissed at Gwen. "Okay." Gwen incanted the lock release on the Cube gifted from Petra, then redirected the manifesting spell from herself toward Lulan. Instantly, the healing energies of the tier 7 spell suffused the Sword Mage, its potency so powerful as to lift her bodily from the floor. With a rapidness that defied even their wildest expectations, Lulan's lost limb restored itself, growing from a bloody stump to pale white, flawless arm in less than ten seconds. Her dermis likewise regenerated, her face returning to its usual comeliness, and even Lulan's hair, which had been burned off by Gwen's lightning, grew long and silky down to her shoulders. "Alright then—" Gwen's eyes fell upon her one-time foe. "What's it going to be, Lulan Li?" Lulan bolted upright, her body alive with renewal. Her heart pulsed, transmuting her Earthen mana into motes of iron. She regarded her surroundings, but there was no haze. What she saw, she observed with crystal clarity! The red mist… it was gone! Doubtfully, she circulated her mana. From her reflection in the water, she could see that her mana-lit irises were twin garnets, but they were no longer a cloudy wine or a rusty red. As the volume of mana running through her body reached an apex, her eyes became two vermillion rubies, clarified and unblemished. Her everpresent headache, the oppressive feeling that something hot and rusty was hammering her brain, had all but disappeared. Trembling, Lulan touched a hand to her left breast—the incision below her bosom, where the catalyst for the Heart of Iron was implanted, was gone. Furthermore, as she circulated her mana, her motes of Elemental Iron felt unimpeded and rarified, flowing through her conduits with complete ease. All those injuries she sustained, all those conduits cut off by her brute-forced training, sending the iron roughshod through her body, were thoroughly restored. Even now, the healing energies in her body were continuing to repair hidden injuries. "I…" Lulan looked around her, unsure what else to say. "Thank you." Gwen handed her a single and a pair of shorts. Her face aflame, Lulan slipped the borrowed shirt overhead, then got to her feet. "We'll talk later," she informed the Void Sorceress, the clearness of her voice strange to her, the clarity of her thoughts utterly terrifying. "For now, use me as you see fit." "Sweep!" The sword that protruded from the space between the Planes was bright and razor-sharp, its edge honed by the monomolecular split between the Prime Material and the Elemental Plane of Earth. Its surface was speckled with impure ochre, but it was no longer rusty and misshapen. With the sound of whispering steel slicing through paper, Lulan's sword penetrated the Shield of the Transmuter before she was ready to defend herself, then sliced off her legs at the knees. The expression on the Transmuter's face was still one of disbelief as she fell to the floor. Her head landed with a thump, staring at her own severed feet before a torrent of blood turned the brackish water crimson. The Fire Evoker let loose with several beams of Scorching Rays. "Parry!" Lulan materialised a second blade that absorbed the blast. "Lightning Bolt!" Gwen called down a bolt from the blue, sending the Mage's shield into a dazzling display of crackling energy. She readied another Blast Bolt, but Lulan was faster than even that. "Thrust!" A second blade shot from the Elemental Plane of Earth and took the Fire Mage in the face, entirely unimpeded by its passage through the feeble Fire Shield the Mage erected. "Onslaught!" Gwen allowed the lull in danger to provide her with the liberty of commanding her hasted void-spider to make quick work of the Carrion Crawlers, now isolated from healing and frostbitten by Kitty's spells. The Air Mage turned and fled. "Lighting Bolt!" Gwen let loose another spell. This time, it penetrated the Mage's Shielding, struck the water, and lit up the salty liquid. "Impale!" Like a flung javelin, a length of polished steel flew through the air and landed in the water with a heavy 'Thunk!' In the next moment, the water turned the colour of red wine. Which one of these was the Crawler handler? Gwen searched the scene. There was no point to it now, though. "Gwen, take us to the other side. There's three more." Lulan informed her quietly. "My Misty Step cannot teleport outside of the line of sight." Glancing at the dead and dying around her with a grimace, Gwen wrapped an arm around Lulan's waist and initiated a Lighting based Dimension Door. At the same time, Caliban informed her that it had torn through the first Crawler and was now moving on to the second. The duo appeared on the other side of the tunnel complex with a blast that sent the Abjurer stumbling. A dozen of the Slavers were here, though apart from three Mages, the rest looked to be NoMs carrying various apparatus' like netting made from a nylon-like substance and an assortment of melee implements. "Shockwave!" Lulan initiated another offensive Earthen spell, striking the floor with a swing from her iron slab. A rippling wave of upturning concrete spread throughout the room, sending the Mages off balance and flatfooted. These untrained magicians of the warrens had not undergone formal training, meaning their mana reserves were woefully low, and their prolonged casting quickly disrupted. Lulan's irises flashed as her killing intent swept over the Slavers, sending a few of the NoMs to their knees. "SWEEP!" An enormous blade almost four meters in length and half a meter across swept through the crowd. The stunned NoMs and hapless Mages screamed and cried as the iron blade harvested their lives in one swoop, sending a spray of blood and guts in a crescent arc. _CLUNG—!_ When the Abjurer stopped Lulan's blade, the Sword Mage's eyes narrowed. "Sweep!" "Thrust!" "Impale!" "Sweep!" " _Please! Mercy—!_ " "THRUST!" There was a sound of splintering glass; then, a severed head rolled away. The Abjurer had dodged and deflected Lulan for almost an hour prior, and he had furthermore tanked Gwen and Kitty's bolts for the last five minutes. Unfortunately for him, there was only so much a Shield could take. As if waking from a bad dream, the rest of the NoMs began to flee for their lives. Lulan moved to intercept, but Gwen held Lulan's shoulder. "I think that's enough." Gwen was a single corpse away from hurling up all the contents of her lunch at D-35. No more purpose would be served by cutting down more NoMs. Though disturbed, Gwen grew glad that the sight of slaughter stifled the growing feeling of satisfaction. _What a fucking abattoir._ Gwen thought. _That's enough vengeance for today._ Lulan retreated beside her, her face serene, cold and calm. Richard, Mayuree and Kitty emerged from the tunnel. They soon informed Gwen that the already wounded Crawlers were accounted for between Caliban, Ariel and Kitty, for sans their healer, the worms were easy targets in an enclosed tunnel. As they arrived at the scene of Lulan's merciless retribution, her team members baulked at the steaming mass of corpses. Mayuree's face paled, while Kitty had a look of vindication; only Richard seemed to be energised by the total victory that Lulan and Gwen had wrought. "There's one more who escaped—their leader," Lulan stated with finality. "Shall I give chase?" The foursome regarded the Sword Mage strangely, as did Gwen. _Who was this young woman, and why was she so collected?_ Where was the crazy-eyed Sword Mage? "Shall we give chase?" Lulan further enquired. "Of course we give chase!" Richard looked rejuvenated by a second wind. "I bet she's worth 20 CCs." "Wait, let me try," Mayuree stopped them. "We're looking for that Middle-Easterner, right?" "Yes," Gwen nodded. She had gotten a good look at the woman. "What are you going to do?" Lulan used another Stone Shape to clear the blockaded tunnel. Employing her Greater Detect Magic, Mayuree caught motes of the healer's diffused mana still lingering on the Crawlers. "I don't know if this is going to work," Mayuree stated hesitantly. "Too much mana floating around, from both the filter and our fight." "Do your best, Mia," Gwen said. "I always do my best." Mayuree grinned, turning to the task at hand. With a flick of the wrist, she summoned two obsidian tubes bent in the shape of bananas. _Dousing?!_ Gwen's mind was still reeling from the slaughter and took every opportunity to distract itself. "Dousing!" Mayuree finished her chant. _Well, there it is_. Gwen nodded approvingly. To their surprise, the sticks shifted and tilted until they were pointed downwards and toward the northeast. "This way!" Mayuree indicated. The party began to move for one of the side tunnels. "No need," Lulan interjected, surprising them all with her impromptu helpfulness. "You'll never catch her at this rate. I'll make us a shortcut. Stone Shape!" Gwen observed that their restored ally appeared to have a near-perpetual supply of Stone Shapes. Was it because of her high Affinity? No. It was more probable that Lulan's peculiar elemental compatibility with Earth made her low and mid-tier spells extremely cost-effective. As for their final prize, for now, she could only follow the direction of Mayuree's dousing, with Lulan creating an entirely new system of tunnels that cut diagonally from B7 to B12. "Restoration!" Expeditious Retreat, when used excessively, exacted a terrible burden on the body. Even after healing herself, Nephres felt enough exhaustion to be on the verge of falling to her knees. She had raced the entire length to B12, running, crawling, sliding and leaping across collapsed sections and hidden crevasses to get to the service tunnel that would lead her back up above ground. She had a vehicle stashed at the exit warehouse, where once she made it into the city, Nephres Zalaam could safely disappear. With great care, she checked her reflection. After all, she was currently Invisible. Potions of Invisibility were absurdly tricky to obtain—most for its controlled catalyst extracted from Pixie-winged Mayfly's scales. A single brew was almost 200 HDMs at the source, escalating in price from trader to black market until it was close to 800 HDMs. Nephres didn't mind. Anything was better than falling into the hands of the PLA, especially Secretariat Choi. Thereby, with a burst of fearful adrenaline, she made it past the final section of the crisscrossing tunnels and found herself twenty or so meters from the iron grate connected to a hidden exit. Before she took on the role of a procurer, her predecessor had built the escape tunnel into the exhaust port. Therefore, Nephres was confident she was the only one who knew of its existence. As she approached the tunnel, she became aware of a white-furred creature sitting on its haunches. It looked like a ferret, or perhaps an ermine, with beady eyes that stared straight at her. Nephres readied a Shield of Faith as he approached. There was something familiar about the ferret that caught her eye. A particular hint of ozone, perhaps, that lingered in the air, or mayhap the way its fur reminded her of a larger beast she had seen earlier. The ferret sniffed the air with its nose. Nephres froze mid-movement, scanning her surroundings. The ferret made a throwing motion with its neck, tossing a white crystal toward her general direction before fleeing down the tunnel. Nephres felt her stomach lurch as the crystal landed a few meters away. _BUNG!_ A burst of light and sound struck the shield Nephres had prepared, momentarily negating her Invisibility as her barrier absorbed the sonic force and lumen brilliance of the blast. In the next moment, a torrent of water gushed from the tunnel, pooled around her semi-dome Shield, and unveiled her whereabouts. "Jump!" She leapt for the exit, but the water pinned her firmly against the floor. Nephres' heart tumbled like a boulder down a sheer cliff as her assailants emerged one after another. The Water Mage, Richard Huang. The Ice Mage, Kitty Liang. The one named Mayuree. Gwen Song emerged with her accursed ferret. And finally, the Sword Mage, who had gone berserk earlier, followed behind the Void Sorceress with a grim expression. Nephres gulped. Had she not seen such misery and agony under her mistress that would drive an average Mage insane, she would have fallen to her knees and despaired. "Enough with the invisibility," Gwen Song pronounced in her general direction. "Come out." Nephres bit her lower lip. It wasn't as though she could turn off a potion! The Sword Mage behind Gwen huffed with displeasure, then motioned with her hands. "Shield of Faith!" Nephres swore, frantically channelling her mana into the staple Cleric defensive incantation. An iron blade, polished and gleaming, struck Nephres with the force of a small truck. Nephres was lifted from the air as her shield shattered, sending her skittering and sliding across the concrete pavement. The impact and the damage were jarring enough to dispel her Invisibility. "Why did you attack us? Who are you? Who do you work for?" Gwen Song fired off a rapid series of questions as Nephres was lifted into the air by a pocket of sentient water. "I suggest you tell us the truth because Richard here can be very persuasive." Nephres knew then that her time had come. It wasn't that she couldn't 'talk' to the student Mages. They had no desire to kill her, nor were they uncivil. The problem for Nephres was that she knew death was preferable to what her future held. She could easily bullshit the students. Gwen Song had no idea who she was. Then what? Then she would be handed to the PLA—to Secretary Choi. Did Choi know who her employers were? Nephres wouldn't bet her Arcane Soul on it. Of course, they would torture her, that was without doubt; take liberties with her sweet body even. As a healer, she could withstand that—survive without lingering symptoms. Then what? Then the MSS would bring in the Mind-Mages, and those nasty Enchanters would comb through her drugged mind, sifting through the sand of her incoherent memories for gold. What would she say? Without a doubt, Geas or no, Nephres would reveal her true identity under delirium or fever. But prod her brain deep enough, and she would speak. She would tell them everything. About Spectre. About the Outsiders. About Outland. And her Mistress. If someone had asked Nephres whether she would be a martyr for the Organisation one day, Nephres would have laughed in their faces. When she woke up this morning, what had she portended for herself? A fuller lunch would have helped. Nephres thought. A final meal of her favourite things. Maybe another round with Yi, fulfilling another appetite. Her eyes moved from student to student until they landed on Gwen Song. The girl was impatient with triumph, flanked by an obsidian serpent and a white marten. _Ah well,_ Nephres scoffed. _Her mistress did say that salvation came in all shapes and sizes._

As one sensitive to others' expressions and emotions, Gwen was the first to notice the fatalism that befell their captive. Richard held the woman aloft in his water prison, exposing only her head. The rest of her body was tethered by invisible tendrils beyond the ability of a Mage unbolstered by advanced Transmutation to break. "Well, let's have it." Gwen examined the woman more closely now that they were face to face. She figured that they could start with some straightforward answers to gauge her level of cooperation. Her cross-examination techniques were solely derived from Ian Flemming novels, but it would have to do for now. "What's your name?" "Nephres Zalaam." The woman had a skewered smile unbefitting of a captive. Her eyes were bright and intelligent, lacking the anxiety Gwen had anticipated. "Who do you work for, Nephres Zalaam?" Gwen continued, a little taken aback at the candidness of Nephres' reaction. As someone who had enjoyed a night in the MSS Hilton, Gwen felt flustered that the woman appeared entirely too relaxed for one now-imprisoned and soon to be handed over to Secretariat Choi. What awaited her was torture, maybe even a Mind Mage who would peel her brain like an onion. Then what? Stasis? Execution? Show trial? For a moment, a little voice at the back of Gwen's head asked if this was like aiding and abetting an autocratic regime, but her concern was quickly quelled by her remembrance of Nephres abandoning her companions. The Healer raised her head and met Gwen's eyes with defiance. It was difficult to tell how old the Healer was. Her appearance said the twenties, but the woman could be fifty for all she knew. Even in her captive state, the echoes of her Positive Energy affinity was palpable, radiating from the woman like a beacon and setting Caliban on edge. Alarmingly, the woman made Gwen think of Elvia. She broke eye contact, afraid that she would be drawn to that halo of positivity and life. "Come closer if you want the truth," Nephres murmured in her husky voice. "I'll tell you." Her party regarded one another. Lulan's aura grew tangibly sharper. "You can tell all of us," Gwen derided the questionable attempt at gaining her empathy. If that's the game the woman wanted to play, she figured a little white lie couldn't hurt. "If you satisfy us with the validity of your answers, I'll put in a good word for you when we hand you over. It'll make a world of difference, trust me." The Healer's citrine irises scanned her audience. Her sensual lips were split from their previous battery but now formed into a cruel crescent. "Alright." Nephres beamed in an overly friendly manner. "It's your funeral." Gwen looked at Richard, who nodded imperceptibly, indicating that he would not allow her to escape. She then looked to Mayuree. "We're clear," Mayuree replied with a Silent Message. "No Mages within range as far as I can tell." "I am all ears." Gwen folded her arms. Besides her, Ariel leapt onto Gwen's shoulders in a show of force, menacing Nephres with its dainty little horns. Not far, Caliban slithered to and fro, patrolling their surrounding as much out of curiosity as following Gwen's orders. "I work for Elizabeth Winsted Sobel," Nephres said. "Of Spectre." As the last syllable sizzled through the air, Gwen felt as though a _Petrify_ had been cast on her. Her companions watched as her entire complexion, from her brow to her hands, turned from pink to pale, to ashen, as though Caliban had leeched out every drop of vitality from her body. Unconsciously, she moved her face closer to Nephres. "You better not be _fucking_ with me," she spat with so much venom and vehemence that she startled herself. "I swear to God, _Nephres—_ if that's your real name. I am going to do to you things you cannot imagine if you're lying to me. Your Astral Soul would be begging for mercy for the rest of eternity." "Touché, I see you know my Mistress," Nephres continued carelessly. "She always did wonder what happened to her little-sister of the Void." "W-where is she?" The voice that emerged from Gwen's blanched lips was quaking with emotion. "I am frankly surprised you're not taking advantage of your aptitude. There's no shame in it. We do what we do to survive. Certainly, my Mistress is living proof—" "WHERE IS SHE?" Gwen couldn't care less that her Void mana ran uncontrollably through her conduits, consuming the whites of her eyes. Around her, her companions' perception of space seemed to distort for a moment, not as a tangible thing, but one that alarmed the souls of the living. Mayuree, the weakest of them all, suddenly vomited as nausea overwhelmed her senses. Kitty stared at her with suspicion and incomprehension, then moved in front of Mayuree, relieving the pressure on the Diviner. Lulan touched a hand to her chest, surprised by the fear reflexively gripping her body. Her cousin, comparatively, could read the writing on the wall. "Gwen," he put up both hands to show he would not be stopping her, whatever her choice may be. "Hold it steady." Under Gwen's dire gaze, Nephres' complexion fluctuated, though as a Positive Energy user, the mental abuse wasn't enough to break her. "… do your companions know about the Consumptive aspect of the Void?" the woman mocked her. "According to Mistress, not all Void users are capable of absorption. You are sisters in more ways than you'd think." "Shut up!" "Ha! Was that what Henry Kilroy saw in you? Did he enjoy your youth as he did our Mistress? Did your _dear_ _Master_ —" _Thwack!_ To the surprise of her companions, Gwen punched Nephres across the face, tearing open a gash across her lips and breaking the bridge of her nose. A trail of vermillion sprayed from a nostril, drooling down from Nephres' chin. Her companions stared. Gwen knew but didn't care. She couldn't think straight. Her brain was fire, her hair felt like snakes. "Did he feed you!? How did he start? Prisoners?! You're a fool if you're not consuming every Mage you lay your hands on, think how quickly you can—" _Thwack!_ Another strike, this time in the kisser, filling Nephres' mouth with blood. "SHUT UP!" With every word from Nephres' lips, Gwen felt her head grow hotter and her blood run colder. _Elizabeth Sobel!_ She had not expected to hear that name so soon, and certainly not like this. So this whole ordeal occurred because of Sobel? They were ambushed because Nephres had a history with her? Sobel was alive then. If so, she had to tell Gunther! "Fine, fine, that upset you, I get it." Nephres swallowed the blood in her mouth. "Let's change the subject. Do you remember Edgar, Gwen? He _loved_ you, you know, even if he didn't know it himself. The man talked of nothing but you for weeks on end." Unpleasant memories ravaged Gwen's mind. Memories she'd thought were long buried and gone. Her temple throbbed, her neck ached, her throat felt parched. Where Edgar had intruded, she could still feel the Mind Mage's presence like a lesion across her subconscious. "He's dead!" Gwen hissed through clenched teeth. "Ah yes—we have no idea who killed him. Some say it was the one called the Pink Salt Saviour." "Does it matter?" "Do you wish to know Edgar's real name? Do you want satisfaction?" Gwen's complexion blanched and burned simultaneously. "I can see that you do. You have very talkative eyes, Gwen. Did anyone ever tell you that? Edmund, that's Edgar's real name. Hmm... what lovely eyes. I believe Ed would have kept them as a fetish once he was done with you." "Shut up." "See? I know you very well, Gwen. I know everything about you." "Who is this woman?" Beside them, Kitty interjected, turning to Richard and then Gwen. "Do you know her?" "We don't," Richard answered for Gwen. "I've never seen her before." Nephres smiled sweetly at Gwen's companions, showing them teeth pink with gore. "It seems your friends are not in the know," she said sardonically. "Shall I tell them? Shall I be explicit?" "You have a death wish." Gwen raised a quivering hand. The initial anger had gone from her. She now felt a screaming paranoia and a rising urge to silence the woman before she could blurt out more of her secrets. Secrets that Gwen didn't even know she had. "Playing?! I am not _playing_ , Gwen Song! I've won! Guess what I did before you came? I sent off your data to Lord Ravenport! Oh! You don't know who that is!" Nephres laughed in her face. "It's alright. You'll find out soon! He'll find you, and then you'll know just now exquisite the retribution can be from a member of the House of Lords!" "What—who?" Gwen's voice wavered. Edgar's father? Lord Ravenport? _The House of Lords?_ What did the Mageocracy's home Parliament have to do with this? "Oh, my dear, Magister Ravenport will have a field day with you. The things that repugnant man will do to a lovely thing like you. He will tear you apart. He will make you wish you were never born. Hahaha!" While Gwen stared in stunned silence, her cousin took the uncomfortable lull in the action to audibly explain to Kitty and Mayuree that peerage positions made up the House of Lords, and at the very top, was the man on Nephres' lips, meaning if there was any truth at all to Nephres' claim, then it foretold trouble. "Can we shut this woman up and just deliver her to Choi?" Kitty growled. "She's insane. A Slaver rat in a hole, connected to a British Lord? Who can believe that?" Gwen heard the sound logic from Kitty's mouth but still made no move to secure the woman. She knew things they did not. She knew Edgar, or Edmund, as it were, and she believed Nephres. Perhaps sensing that she had their undivided attention, Nephres continued her tirade. "Oh, hand me over to Choi, sure. That prick will hand me over to the MSS after he has his fun. You'd love that, wouldn't you, Gwen Song? I wonder if the MSS knows about the Mistress and her connection to you. The bond you share with us! Shall I tell them how useful you will be in the future? What great hopes my Mistress has for her little sister of the Void?" Gwen slowly shifted her downcast face until she was at eye level with Nephres. The darkness over her orbs had become pure pitch. "That's right! _Make no mistake!_ " Nephres' voice took on a new volume and octave. "I'll tell them everything! About Henry Kilroy! About Edgar! About Sydney! About YOU!" Gwen raised her right hand. To her surprise, the trembling ceased. "No, you _won't_ ," she said quietly, her voice suddenly taking on an obsidian edge. "Void Bolt!" "SLEET!" Kitty, observing her, caught her bolt cold with a sheet of ice that half-covered Nephres, freezing a portion of her water prison. "What the fuck are you doing? Gwen Song? Are you killing prisoners now?" If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Kitty…" Mayuree stood between Kitty and herself. "Leave Gwen be. Whatever this is, it's Gwen's business." "No! She's crazy! Mia, get back here! What did I tell you?!" Kitty pushed Mayuree aside then stood between Nephres and Gwen. "You Mao-damned hypocrite!" "Get out of my way, Kitty!" Gwen snarled, her mind bubbling with broiling emotions. "This doesn't concern you—" Her protest fell away when a part of Richard's watery prison, the frozen section, fell apart. Before the riled teenagers could react, Nephres Zalaam tumbled from Lea's grasp. "Crap!" Richard tried and failed to reform the prison. "Gwen! Don't let her get away!" Lulan stood to the side, watching the confrontation unfold, likely confounded by the in-fighting. To Gwen's horror, Sobel's servant landed on all fours. Then, she sprinted for the tunnel entrance with a burst of supernatural speed. "Lea! Gwen! Stop her!" Richard hollered. "Kitty! Get out of my way!" Gwen reached out to push Kitty from her path. "No way, not until you explain what the fuck you think you're doing," Kitty snarled. "Mayuree can track her down. But I am not letting you kill her. What does she have on you? Dirty secrets? What did she mean by _Consume_? What _Prisoners_? Who's _Elizabeth_?!" "GET OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY!" "NO!" "CALIBAN!" "SHAA—" Caliban leapt for the fleeing Healer. Kitty swore before she lifted from the air and turned towards the fleeing figure of Nephres. "Glacial Spike!" Where Caliban had aimed to land and ensnare Nephres, a precisely aimed ice spike shrieked through the air on an intercept course. "ONSLAUGHT!" Gwen poured her vitality into Caliban, causing it to gain the properties of Haste. "Cone of Cold!" Unexpectedly, Kitty had another trump card. Her expertise was far beyond the likes of Gwen, whose mastery was wrangling the brute power of Lightning and Void. "Lea!" Richard made his move. Kitty's Glacial Spike struck a body of water, turning into brittle ice. Lea quickly discarded the solidified part of her body, then intercepted Kitty's Cone of Cold. When Gwen made herself ready for another interruption from the Ice Mage, Kitty's forward momentum was stopped by a gleaming iron blade embedded into the concrete, threatening to split her in two. "YOU!" Kitty turned to Lulan, her pale blue eyes flashing dangerously. "Stand down." Lulan had made her decision. "Or be put down." Now uninterrupted, Gwen poured her soul into Caliban, who had finished transforming into its spider form and was almost upon Nephres. "Don't!" Kitty's voice shrieked beside her. "DON'T YOU DARE!" "CONSUME!" Gwen spat pink froth between gnashed teeth, her eyes wholly smothered with tenebrous purpose. "CALI! DO IT NOW!" "SHAA—!" Caliban fell upon Nephres, who futilely put up a Shield of Faith. Engorged with more vital force than it had never obtained from Gwen in any point of their master-Familiar history, Caliban hurled itself upon the hapless Healer, opening its torso to reveal a secondary mouth under its cephalothorax. "Mistress!" Nephres cried only once. Then the spidery fiend was upon her. Tentacles lashed out at Nephres, one blue and one red. A crimson lamprey lip swelled and expanded, swallowing her head wholesale. The other punched into her abdomen, seeking out her liver and heart. To the observers, it seemed as though Caliban simply tore into the woman before bringing her toward its gaping maw. With a delicate crunch, Nephres disappeared, clothes and all, into the Void of Caliban's maw. Her over tense body relaxed, though she dared not witness what expression Kitty might now be wearing. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that Mayuree held trembling fingers over her mouth, then vomited into her hand. Richard remained impassive, his face impossible to read. Lulan glanced from Gwen to Caliban, then Gwen again, her eyes as wide as hen's eggs. Gwen opened her mouth to make an excuse, but no sound could escape her quivering lips. Her Astral Soul was on fire. And her physical body was in ecstasy. More terrifyingly, perhaps, her consciousness remained unimpeded, wholly free to perceive Caliban's gift of vitality. Richard caught her as she fell backwards, her vision rolling in their sockets. "What the _fuck_ is this?" Kitty's protest filtered through as Gwen landed in her cousin's arms, her legs as soft as steamed spaghetti. "Mia! We're leaving! Come on! We can't party with these… I don't know! Psychopaths? Wackjobs? _Fengzi_? They're a liability! They're insane!" Lulan's eyes gleamed dangerously at Kitty. Kitty averted the Sword Mage's gaze and turned to Mayuree. Her childhood friend refused to budge. Instead, after cleaning her hands with a quick cantrip, she knelt beside Gwen and produced a healing injector. "Is Gwen going to be okay?" Mayuree asked softly, kneeling by her side. Richard placed a hand on her forehead, where beads of sweat formed. Ariel helped by lapping up her perspiration, nudging her cheeks with its little pink paws. Not far, Caliban slithered back in its serpentine form. After the terrifying deed, it had become well-fed and docile. From the looks of its slim body, there was no likelihood that Nephres still existed anywhere in the multiverse. For all they knew, the Healer was now particles of Void drifting in the lightless and lifeless liminal space. "Get the fuck away!" Kitty shouted at the Void creature. "Shaa?" Caliban came closer, feeling very pleased with itself, a little drunk on the payload of life-matter. "Shaa?" Kitty raised a hand in warning. "Kitty!" Mayuree stood. Her face was no longer sweet. "That's enough. Calm down." "NO! Did you see what the fuck that thing just did?" "I did," Mayuree replied stoically. "Then why—" "KITTY!" Mayuree snapped, her face reddening. "I am upset now." Kitty's instantaneous silence was louder than a full-faced slap. "It's my duty to protect you," the girl replied weakly. "Protect me then." Mayuree's tone had a serrated edge to it. "If you're not helping. Stand down." Gwen attempted to direct her faculties toward taking control of her shuddering body. Her eyes balls were moving—she was sure of it, but her consciousness felt as though drifting through a lucid dream. "So, what happens now?" Lulan spoke, her voice full of concern. "Is Gwen going to be alright?" Mayuree asked. "I don't know." Richard took her hands and folded them over her thighs. He then checked her pulse and measured the temperature of her body using the palm of his off-hand. "Gwen's strong," he confidently informed the others. Always thinking of her even when she showed them such weakness. "Gwen might bend, but she won't break." "What should we do?" Mayuree asked. "Take her back?" "No," Richard rested her head against his legs. "Now we wait." After several unhelpful attempts, Gwen descended into a meditative state to stitch together her fractured psyche through sheer force of will. She decided to rally her mind by thinking of her many "firsts", beginning with something utterly random, like her first taste of durian, which made her puke. Others were more pronounced, such as her first Royal Easters Show cotton-candy filling her mouth with sugary happiness while Helena watched with disapproval. She recalled the first time she visited the underwater aquarium in Sydney, watching the penguins being fed. Other recollections were blended with the Gwen of this world, such as her first day at school. Her first time meeting Yue, her first sleepover. Debbie was there, seething with jealousy. Her first crush was Blackwattle's blue-eyed School Captain, who turned out gay. She savoured her first date with a girl—something of an eye-opener. She recalled her first-ever job selling ice cream at Darling Habour. She cringed at the time she was harassed by a man, a customer who wanted to pay her for something other than ice blocks. A girl's life was filled with many firsts, from innocence to experience. Now she was having another. The _first_ time she had consciously consumed a human being sans the buffer of the Kirin amulet. How did she feel about that? _Orgasmic_ was too gentle of a word, for the sensation was akin to religious rapture. Where she had felt revitalised after being fed by Magus Kumiko's Wildland summons, now she had touched the body of Christ. Every cell in her body sang. The fatigue accumulated due to her ceaseless expenditure disappeared, growing intoxicated with fortifying life. Gwen cautioned herself. Having eked out a decade with Celexa and Buspar, she was well aware of the dangers of alchemical indulgence. When finally the euphoria faded and Gwen regained control of her faculties, she tried to reorientate the time. How long was she out? Minutes? Hours? A day? A few minutes, she realised. But it had felt longer. As the last vestige of liquid joy soaked her body, she felt the oncoming of guilt swallowing her once-white body, turning her skin black as tar. The abyss was lovely, dark and deep, and she had avoided staring for as long as she could. But all that now came to an end. Nephres Zalaam. Gwen etched the name into her mind. Was Nephres her first, or was Faceless her first? With Faceless, it was revenge. With Nephres, it was self-preservation. _Self-preservation?_ Gwen wanted to laugh. Even Brutus had limits to his self-aggrandising moralisation. She had protected herself, made a choice, paid the mana, and Caliban did the deed. If she had allowed Nephres to live, she would have been exposed. The CCP would find out about the truth of the Black Sun, her connection to Amuldj, and her life and freedom would be forfeit. At best, she would be a specimen. At worst, she could be mind-raped and stowed in stasis. Worse still, her siblings-in-craft, her friends and her babulya would get involved, then what? They would all be in a world of shit. What was there to regret then? Her choice was right. Her actions were dignified. Her remorse was great, but she would live with it. She had killed the serpent whilst in its egg. There would be no more mischief from Nephres. Maybe it was the rapture, but Gwen felt buoyed by a strange calm; she was out to sea, far out and alone, but it wasn't an unpleasant kind of loneliness. Slowly, her long, vibrant lashes fluttered, then Gwen Song, gleeful villainess, opened her eyes. Her pupils, which had been vivid before, had now taken on a vital hue that was more opal than peridot. Her skin glowed with divine radiance, plump, pale, and tender as a babe's. As Gwen lifted herself from Richard's arms, she noticed something falling from her face, exposed arms, and thighs. Dead skin, replaced by her rejuvenated dermis, fell like dandruff. "Everyone—" Gwen spoke, her voice intense and thrilling. Her Familiars, now in their docile form, rushed in to nuzzle her. Gwen placed a hand on Ariel and scratched its head; her other hand tickled Caliban's faceless mien by reaching under its uncertain chin. "Gwen, how do you feel?" Richard asked. "I would be lying if I said I felt anything other than great," Gwen replied with an unhappy truth. "You okay now?" Mayuree took Gwen's hand. "You have the aura of a Healer..." Her friend's words struck Gwen's heart like a festival dancer striking a tabla. "Help me up," she implored Richard. Her cousin obliged. Gwen stood, feeling taller than before. "Thanks, Mia. I am happy you stayed," Gwen said earnestly. "I had full confidence in you." Mayuree beamed at her. "I am sorry, Kitty, for that sad display." Gwen turned to their deeply affected mutual companion. "One day, I'll explain it to you, I promise. For now, I assure you that I won't lose control like that again." Kitty's cold snub came as expected. "Lulan…" Gwen turned to the Sword Mage. "We're not friends." Lulan put up both her hands. "Our matter is hardly resolved either. Let us return to your superior officer with the news of what's happened. Whatever happens, you saved my life and gave me a chance. If I survive this ordeal, _then_ we talk." The girls shook hands. "You don't have Kusu's daggers. Do you?" Lulan asked, her voice hopeful but measured. "I don't," Gwen apologised. "Sorry for lying." The Sword Mage smiled wryly. "It's fine," she replied, the timidity of her tone uncharacteristic of the berserker they knew. "Where I am going, none of that will matter anymore." While the threesome pondered Lulan's cryptic message, Richard pointed upward. "Shall we?" He pointed upwards. "Let's go." Gwen led the way. "Let's end this and go home." B11 basement. B10 basement. B 9 Filtration Chambers. The service lift ascended. In between flashes of light and dark, Gwen saw that her companions were alone with their thoughts, their minds digesting the scene they had earlier witnessed. Even if they tried to delude themselves that Caliban's consumption of Nephres was just like another attack, they couldn't deny that the Gwen who now strolled in front of them was no longer the girl that had descended only hours ago. Occasionally, one of them glanced toward her, then averted their eyes. Only Richard seemed unfazed, watching her with such benevolence that one might have mistaken him for a young father. _Ding!_ The door opened, revealing one of the PLA guards serving under Choi. "Oh, thank Mao, you're all back!" His eyes scanned the party, then stopped at Lulan. "What's wrong?" Gwen inquired. "The Major will see you at once!" The Private saluted. "They're all waiting for you! We were going to send out a search party just now!" "Who's waiting for us?" Gwen asked quizzically. The soldier met her eyes, stunned by her electrifying presence. " _E-everyone!_ " The private stammered. "Directors, Professors, Magisters and Maguses, the whole lot!"

Gwen's party stepped into the oppressive atmosphere of the conference room, watched by guards and strangers alike. She bowed at the door, raising her head to meet the half-closed eyes of Secretariat Choi, his face wearing a habitual, fox-like grin. The man directed her attention to his left. Gwen's eyes followed, then widened to their utmost limits. "B-babulya?!" she blurted out. She could scarcely believe it. Why was her grandmother here? "Gwen, dearest." Her babulya's face broke into a smile. "I am glad to see you're safe. I had feared a more unfavourable outcome." Gwen had to resist the urge to break ranks and rush toward her grandmother. After Nephres Zalaam, she sorely desired a heart-warming hug. Behind Klavdiya was another familiar face. "Magister Birch!" Gwen blinked. What was her Conjuration professor doing here? Magister Birch sat beside her grandmother, dandy as ever, looking unhappy in his vest and suit. Incredibly, beside Birch sat Professor Ma, who scanned the party until his eyes fell unpleasantly on Lulan. Gwen followed Lulan's eyes until she reached Choi's right, where a Mage in his forties stood, wearing a mandarine jacket in blue silk. Standing beside the stranger was the final guest—Kusu Li, which left little doubt that the unusually dressed man was his Sect Elder. Her party proceeded until their members stood in a row before the austere company seated on the opposite side of the conference table. Director Song. Magister Birch. Professor Ma. Secretariat Choi. And the Huashan Elder, whose expression was unreadable. They bowed again. "Good, everyone is here." Choi put his hands together under his chin. "Elder Luwei, you have the floor." The Elder named Luwei seemed taken aback that the entire party was only looking a little worse for wear. When his eyes studied Lulan, who looked as though she'd emerged refreshed from a day-spa, his expression grew thoughtful. "Perhaps, we should listen to what these young Mages have to say first?" Luwei spoke to Kusu, who looked equally flustered and confused at his sister's presentation. "Very well." Choi motioned a hand toward the party. "This is not an interrogation, so say what you will. So long as its believable." Magister Birch and Gwen's grandmother both turned to look at Choi, who chuckled at his joke. Luwei passed the Secretariat an irritated look. "Lulan, you first," the Elder instructed his unruly adherent. Lulan looked visibly nervous as she stepped up in front of her audience. With a motion that made Gwen flinch, she dropped to her knees on the vermillion carpet and kissed the plush fabric with her forehead. "Sirs!" Lulan implored the panel. "I disobeyed Elder Li's orders directly and attempted to seek out Gwen Song, who I believed at the time, was hiding my brother Kusu's implements. Despite my uncle's and my brother's advice and warning, I chose to take action of my own accord. I allowed my rash anger to overcome my better judgement. For this, I am deeply apologetic. In my thoughtlessness, I have destroyed valuable infrastructure endangered and harmed the citizens of this District. The fault is mine, with no relations to either Kusu, Elder Li, or the Huashan Sect." Lulan's audience nodded. It was an excellent appeal for leniency and a favourite show of loyalty for Lulan's brother and the Huashan Sect. However, when Gwen saw Kusu and Luwei's open mouth, she completely understood their confusion. _This was their Lulan?!_ Shouldn't Lulu be stepping out of line, screaming at the top of her voice, refusing to admit fault, and blaming it on Gwen? Shouldn't she be red-faced, eyes glazed, bursting with Earthen mana? Who the hell was this model student? What happened to the firebrand? Was Lulan under an Enchantment or a Mind Control spell of some kind? Had Gwen Song skin-change Lulan? "Well, that was easier than I thought," Secretary Choi chuckled. "That settles it then, shall I announce the sentence?" "A little hasty, don't you think?" Klavdiya interrupted the man. "Earlier, Secretariat, you informed us that three levels of Filtrations Systems were disrupted and one destroyed. I would like to hear more details before severe punishments are passed onto one so young. Gwen, my dear, can you volunteer?" Secretariat Choi's eyes moved between Gwen's Director grandmother and her granddaughter, trying to gauge their game. Gwen could tell the man was only giving her grandmother "face". "As you wish, Director. Please elaborate, Miss Song. Miss Li, you may be at ease." Gwen nodded. She had been building a narrative in her head since they'd left B12. When Richard had announced their return, she'd known that she'd have to spin like Fox and Friends on an Election Year to cast their fiasco in a good light. As for Lulan, her displeasure for the girl had been derived from self-preservation, only now her ambient feelings of enmity had trickled into sympathy. When Lulan further made her grossly overstated confession, sympathy had turned into compassion. Lulan wasn't right in the head because of her magic, wasn't it? The haywire magic had belonged to her Sect. And now that their human battering ram had accidentally pounded its way into the wrong castle, they wanted to throw her under a bus? That was precisely the sort of thing that she could not stomach. Certainly, Gwen herself was no stranger to bouts of dark passion—with Nephres as a case-in-point. Earlier, when they ascended the rickety lift, she had spoken to Lulan, whose transparency and fatalism was both sad and aggravating. Before Lulan's near-death experience, her manifestations had been rusted iron—now her swords were gleaming steel, indicating that Lulu had gotten an unexpected new lease on life. And since the Sword Mage had amply demonstrated her usefulness, Gwen's desired outcome would be to preserve the girl and placate the Sect. Or, at the very least, retain the girl and vex the Sect. If someone had to gain from this sordid, chaotic ordeal, it might as well be her. Additionally, for Lulu's sake, she had spent a Tier 7 Regeneration Cube made by Magister Wen and Magister Dao. And so, having sunk that cost, Gwen expected investment returns. She took a deep breath, smiled, and stepped forward with an aggressively provocative air. "Of course. Magister Song. Secretariat Choi. Magus Li. Magister Birch. Professor Ma. I will endeavour to reach the truth." Gwen met her babulya's eyes, swept her gaze over the rest of her audience, then began. "Good Magisters, honoured Elders. Madams and Sirs. Lend me your ears for a moment and allow me to relate. In the beginning, we arrived as per Magister Choi's advice on Basement level 7. There, pertaining to Professor Ma's coursework, we interacted with the locals and partook in some sightseeing activities, mingling with the locals in a friendly manner." Choi's smile grew more rigid than the man had likely intended. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to have a way with words? "When we reached the filtration section, Mayuree, our Diviner, informed the party that there were Mages following us. We further ascertained our circumstances and revealed that these were not neutral parties but Slavers. Next, we logically ascertained that since Boss Yi has promised us that his men would not intervene with our operation, the culprits must be a rogue-party not under the control of the PLA nor the militia of D-109." Gwen quickly scanned her audience. They were not in disagreement, which meant she could keep pushing. "At this point, we were presented with the dilemma of whether to wantonly seek the death of our potential enemies, who, by Mayuree's Clairvoyance, had announced their intention to harm us—or to proceed with a slight detour. Therefore, our party resolved to complete Secretary Choi's quest without further bloodshed in honour of Professor Ma's guidance for the last six weeks." Gwen nodded at the NoM Professor. "For every NoM in the Lost Districts are our fellow human beings, each capable of pain, joy, love and the pursuit of happiness." Professor Ma inclined his head sagely, pleased with her name drop. "Our party found our way to the lower section of B7, where via an Arcane Eye, we found no less than four groups seeking to ambush us should we engage the Carrion Crawler. Furthermore, the size and scale of the Crawler indicated that it was purposely bred for combat, not reagents and ingredients. Therefore, we chose to complete our task remotely via my Familiars." "And your Familias could destroy this beast by themselves?" Secretariat Choi enquired. "Yes, Sir." Gwen gave no more details. "Just ONE familiar. I have the means." Choi made a porcine snort. Gwen continued. "Having then deployed my Familiars, our would-be assailants were unfortunately alerted. Next, my Familiar delivered its payload in the chamber that housed the target. Unfortunately, this was when Lulan intruded into the scene. I am not in a position to state why she was present, but she did not interfere with the operation at this point." Elder Li's brown eyes drift from Lulan onto herself with both brows knitted in growing suspicion. "Once the Crawler died, we had planned to evacuate to our preplanned route, expecting to extract via the levitation platform to inform Secretariat Choi of the presence of the rogue Slavers in his tightly controlled District." Secretariat Choi looked to protest, but Gwen pushed on, raising her tempo and octave. "The ceiling was then Stone Shaped by Lulan, at which point she descended, demanding why she was attacked. As you can imagine, there was significant confusion due to the unforeseen circumstances of the friendly-fire incident. Had we known beforehand of her presence, we could have informed her of our danger-close operation." "It was incidental then." Gwen brushed off the incident euphemistically. "That Lulan's confrontation delayed us significantly, and we became surrounded. My party became trapped in one section of the tunnel while she was stuck outside with the Slavers. A chaotic melee ensued, after which we emerged as the victor. Lulan scored most of the kills, and we escaped largely unscathed." "When our party finally regrouped with Lulan, she informed us that the Rogue Mages' leader, a Healer, had escaped. Taking advantage of Mayuree's Divination and being very mindful that Secretariat Choi had promised us another 20 CCs, we gave hot pursuit until we cornered the woman—an individual called Nephres Zalaam—at B-12." "The woman struggled free when we tried to discern her identity and intent. I am sorry, Secretary Choi, I know we had overstepped our boundary, but Richard and I are starving for CCs. As a result, I allowed the heat of the moment to overwhelm me, and I erased the woman with the power of the Void. All I can offer is ocular evidence that we encountered and destroyed your enemy for you." "We then checked the area for loot—I mean _evidence_. After which, we arrived here and were informed of your august presences, Magisters and Elders." The group looked at Gwen, each with slightly dazed expressions. Choi's face was scarlet. Her babulya expressed support and courage. Birch had no expression at all. Luwei had one that was dark and contemplative. Kusu's expression said bewilderment and surprise. Lulan herself faced the floor, her eyes staring into the carpet. Choi opened his mouth to speak but had no rebuttal to give. Her story appeared to have covered all the angles: after all, everything the student Mages did, they did for Choi. "Fine. That leaves us with the matter of Lulan Li," the Secretariat said after a moment's hesitation, putting Gwen's spell-proof narrative aside. "Unauthorised intrusion into the Lost Districts is punishable by stasis imprisonment up to ten years, pending sentencing. Besides, she has caused extensive damage to the District, resulting in the death of no less than eight citizens and up to thirty with grievous injuries." "What do you say to these charges, Lulan?" Choi demanded. "Guilty," Lulan answered quietly. "Lulan!" Kusu stepped forward, but a calloused hand barred his approach. It was Luwei, his Uncle and Master. "What did I tell you, Lulan?" Luwei spat, finding his stride after Gwen took the words from their mouths. "I gave you explicit instruction to stay put. I told you exactly that if you take action on your own, I will excommunicate you from the Sect if you bother Miss Song again. Well, I suppose that's what you wanted. The moment you left your brother's apartment to seek out Miss Song, you were no longer a member of the Huashan Sect. We are not responsible for any action you perform. I hope you are at peace with the decision you have made." In the wake of Elder Li's verdict, Gwen's sympathy for Lulan swelled like the moon tide. _Excommunication from the Sect?_ She felt personally attacked. Kicked out from Sect and family? _Well, well, well,_ she thought to herself as her compassion for Lulan solidified into sympathetic indignation. _Now ain't that a familiar kick in the ovaries._ Lulan Li slowly moved her face upward until she met her uncle's stoic mien. She could see the cogs turning in her uncle's eyes and sense the slow building of bitter bile in her chest. With the clarity of her mind came the clarity of understanding; all those put-downs, those punishments, the slaps across the face, the public humiliation and the gaslighting. Her uncle had been planning this for some time. To her knowledge, Uncle Luwei belonged to the faction of Pei, the youngest son of the Sect's Head, a rare prodigy. Lulan and Kusu's old Master, the third son, would have desired his disciple, Kusu, to play a more critical role in the Sect's affairs. Lulan knew that she'd always been a thorn, particularly the Sect Head's, because her raw power had always excelled the boys, even if she wasn't entirely lucid or stable while wielding it. In a fair duel, if she supported Kusu, she could potentially demolish the authority and, most importantly, the "face" of any of Kusu's competitors. She was, therefore, an existential threat to Pei. Lulan thought once more of when the innocuous Pei had convinced them to challenge Gwen Song to build Kusu's reputation. The boy was still in high school, but he was as dangerous as a Rock Viper. Was she the sacrificial lamb then? Was an offering of her head what it took to keep Kusu safe? Without her, there would be no threat to Pei, and Kusu could live on in the safety of mediocrity, eventually becoming an Elder, taking a wife, becoming yet another branch family of the Sect? That wasn't so bad, was it? "Do you concede?" Elder Luwei demanded. To Lulan's surprise, her lips refused to move. With the red mist gone, she realised just how much she desired to live in a world of restored colour. Even Gwen Song's confrontation with the Ice Mage filled her with curiosity and wonder, fulfilling Lulan with a desire to uncover the world's secrets. Who was Nephres Zalaam? What about Elizabeth Sobel? Where did Gwen draw her powers? An endless array of questions assailed her mind. How could she die now? How could she leave Kusu alone to suffer under Pei? How could she allow this smiling villain to succeed? "Very well, I will take your silence as compliance," Choi answered for her. Her Elder did not protest. "Lulan Li, Disciple of San Li, I officially strike your name from—" Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Don't! Uncle! No!" Her brother interjected. Luwei ignored Kusu, his face flushed with anticipation. "—from the annals of the Huashan Clan and Sect. Henceforth, you will return to Huashan the arts bestowed upon you by the ancestors. I—Luwei Li—Elder of Huashan, will carry out this sentence in the name of our Sect Leader." With the sentence delivered, Luwei Li swung his arm toward where Lulan knelt. A thin blade, barely visible, appeared from a slit between the Elemental Planes and moved toward her chest, aiming for a space below her heart. _CLANG!_ The blade struck a thick slab of iron which caught Luwei's attack mid-air. Upon closer inspection, where the metal had kissed metal, it was evident that the whisper-thin blade had chipped itself on Lulan's materialised length of gleaming iron. Her uncle winced, then his eyes grew dangerous. "The Iron Sword!" The senior Sword Mage sucked in a breath of cold air. "How can you manifest the Iron Sword?! That's impossible! You're a woman!" "Lulan?" Kusu was incredulous as well. "You are healed? How?" "Miss Li owes me a tier 7 Regenerate." To Lulan and the other's surprise, Gwen stepped in between Luwei and herself. "Elder, I would appreciate it if the Clan of Huashan does not come between creditor and debtor. I can't collect my dues from Lulan if you maim or kill her." "This wouldn't be the one Magister Wen, Petra and myself acquired for you, would it?" Klavdiya, Gwen's grandmother, immediately gave her support, making Lulan's chest tighten. "If so, that was a personal favour from Magister Dao." Choi's beady eyes shifted between the parties and Lulan. "That may be so, but what do you intend to do with her, Gwen Song?" Gwen turned to Lulan, her face hidden from the adults. "Don't you think you should repay me, Lulan?" The Void Mage winked at her. Lulan's eyes glanced upward for a microsecond. Then her head fell lower in shame. "Yes, I cannot repay such an auspicious gift, but I cannot leave such a debt unpaid by duty and honour. Elder Uncle! Please allow me the chance to repay Gwen Song!" "You're not a member of our Sect or Clan Li anymore!" "Is this how the Clans repay their benefactors? For shame!" Gwen snapped back at her Elder. "Elder Luwei, do you think tier 7 _Regeneration_ spells grow on trees?! Lulu was a member of your Sect when I expended the treasure, so I am waiting if you can pay me back." Luwei's lips twitched. Her Elder was turning a shade of red more akin to pork liver. "Sorry, Miss Song! I cannot allow it!" The words issued from his lips were accompanied by spittle. "If you think the Sect will suffer a rogue possessor of the Iron Sword to live—" "Uncle!" Kusu interjected, now standing between his Uncle and Lulan, his face a mask of fury. "You told me tacitly that you'd spare her life! You said you would only retrieve the Iron catalyst for Huashan's techniques!" "Foolish child! Get out of the way! She has the proper form of the Iron Sword now! You want to be excommunicated too?" The Elder warned. " _Please_ , Uncle! Please show us some compassion! We're your nephew and niece!" Kusu stood before her and besides Gwen. "I can't let you harm Lulu!" "Ha!" Choi suddenly burst into laughter behind the three of them. "This is why I love Clanners. Never a dull moment. Luwei. Assuming the girl lives, make sure you leave Lulan behind. I am not done with her yet." "But—Secretariat!" Gwen Song butted in again, speaking out of turn without blinking. "I already informed you that the NoMs and Mages who assaulted Lulan were Slavers." "Oh?" Choi raised a critical brow. "What proof do you have?" "We also killed a dozen of them just a few minutes ago," Gwen stated. "That is proof." "You expect me to believe that, do you? What makes you think the ones Lulan killed were Slavers?" "Are you suggesting that the ones we killed are not Slavers, Sir?" Gwen cocked her head. "Were you watching us? " The Secretariat furrowed his brows. Lulan felt the hair rise on her neck. A Secretariat had unparalleled power in his domain. How is it that Gwen could stand up to these august members of the PLA without bending her spine? "I suggested no such thing." Choi's voice gained an edge of defensiveness. "I merely ask for proof." "Fine. If these NoMs are not Slavers." Gwen stepped forward once more. "Then are they fishermen?" "What?" The Secretariat appeared genuinely flustered by Gwen's pivot. "They had fishing nets, Sir." The girl's voice grew mocking. "And shackled. Maybe they were looking for fish in the Filtration Chamber?" "What are you talking about, girl?" Choi's voice took on a keen edge. "I am saying, Sir," Gwen continued with a cadence that allowed Choi no room for rebuttal. "That within your District, your citizens are Slavers, and the Slavers are the citizens. They do what they must to eke out a living. The ones who attacked us are citizens, but they are also Slavers. The Slavers who attacked Lulan are citizens, but it doesn't make them less capable of being Slavers. Besides, isn't that why the excursion takes place in the Lost Districts? Isn't that right, Professor Ma? What difference does it make if one or two parties of Fudan students must defend themselves against the malicious elements of the _Lost_ _Districts_? Where are our seniors? Are they in the building still? Have they encountered any difficulties? Are their hands dyed in the blood of your innocent citizens?" "They are progressing with their quest," Professor Ma informed them. "I loathe to admit it, but the girl has a point, Choi. You and I both know how this works. Why are you drawing Barrier Sigils in the air now of all times?" Secretariat Choi stared at her, ignoring Professor Ma. "Lulan defended herself while lost in the District!" Gwen countered tartly, her tone rich with malicious sarcasm. "These Mages she killed, UNSANCTIONED. These NoMs that perished, UNREGISTERED. From the state of this District that I have seen, Secretariat Choi, harping on about the lives of your beloved citizens is a rather _precious_ proposal when the reality is so different from the words issuing from your mouth." Again, Gwen cut in just as Choi was about to speak. "Professor Ma! In your lecture, you stated that the Lost Districts are outside of the laws that govern Shanghai and that many of the laws exist in grey zones of ambiguity differing from District to District, is that not true?" "Without question," Ma affirmed Gwen's verbatim reproduction of his own words. "Then Secretariat Choi has no legal authority over Lulan. Only law-enforcement outside of the District can pass sentences on the judgement of citizens who are not under the jurisdiction of the Lost Districts, am I correct?" "You are," Ma stated with a look of strange exhilaration. "Indeed you are! Section XXII, article 4 of the District charter states that officers of the state overseeing a District only have the power of execution and imprisonment over citizens of the District, not anyone who is a citizen of the city! Mao! Can you imagine the chaos if carte blanche power is given to a mid-tier official to act as they please over anyone! Chaos! There would be absolute chaos!" "There you have it—Secretariat!" Her saviour gushed sweetly at Choi. "If you wish Lulan to be prosecuted, I am afraid you will have to engage a third-party officer from the Judicial Division of the Magistrate's Office to oversee the trial. They will have to engage in a thorough investigation of whether or not these citizens were Slavers or if they were innocents, though I contest that I believe my party and Lulan innocent. I am sure you would welcome an investigation, no? After all, for us who possess clean consciences, a trivial inquest from the MSS touches us not, am I right?" Though Lulan was more used to taking a beating while on her knees, she could still discern that Gwen's threat slapped Choi's face like one of her Iron Blades. "Nothing to add? Then I rest my case, Sir," the girl ended with a flourish. The Secretariat looked as though he'd been stabbed, though the man was just as quick to recover. "Is Gwen Song's summation of your actions in B7 correct? Has she omitted any important information you would like to add? There should be a substantial reward if you were to aid in my proper administration of this matter." He turned to the eager looking Richard. "Mr Huang?" Richard grinned. "Make it a hundred CCs, Sir? Make it a good bribe, at least." Choi grunted with displeasure. "Then I suppose not, Sir." "Miss… Mayuree?" The Secretariat continued to Gwen's next companion. "I have nothing to add, Sir." "Miss Liang?" Kitty turned her head toward Gwen. The temperate dropped a degree or so. Mayuree coughed. "I didn't see anything," Kitty said coldly. "There you have it, Sir." Gwen posed like a teapot, with one hand on her hip and another showing Choi just how it is. Choi, unperturbed, then looked to her Elder. As if on command, Luwei once again turned his attention to Lulan. "Gwen Song, move aside. I need to retrieve the Heart of Iron." Gwen moved instead in front of Lulan until she blocked Luwei entirely. "I am afraid I can't let you do that, Sir." "Move aside!" Luwei's mask of congeniality had shattered. "Will no one control this child? Will she listen to nothing?" Gwen glared at her Elder with disdain, making Lulan's body ache with fear for her saviour. "You are gravely mistaken, Sir. I am not a member of your Sect, and you are not a Magister. You have no authority to tell me to do anything I do not wish to. Here is not Huashan, _Elder_. Sir, this is Shanghai." "Pufft—!" Magister Birch almost spat out the glass of water he'd been nursing. Gwen's babulya was smiling as well. Lulan could only marvel at her saviour's devilish tongue, for the truth could sting like a Hawk Wasp. Though the old Sects had always thought of themselves highly, their numbers made them increasingly less significant. How many Mages could the People's Liberation Army field against the Undead? How many Mages did even the largest Sects possess in comparison? The reality was that the Sects were no more than a mantis blocking the cartwheel of history. A few metes away, her Elder turned to Kusu. "Kusu, retrieve the Heart of Iron from Lulan." The blood drained from Lulan's face. For the Elder to be so devious—she had not expected that. Kusu was likewise pale and wobbling. His hands trembled. "Ha! What a crock!" Before Lulan's hope could even begin to wane, her saviour set upon her brother like a vengeful Harpy. "Is this the honour you hold like a precious baby bird, Kusu? A family that detests Lulu? Don't you know why your sister was sick? Wasn't it because she was given _defective_ magic, Kusu? All those years she suffered, and yet year after year, your Sect did nothing! Are you even her sibling, Kusu?! Do you know what Lulan was doing? In the deep dark of the District, she came after me, demanding your daggers! Her hair was _cinders_! Her skin was _charred_! She was barely _conscious_! You know what Lulu said to me?!" Lulan quivered. Kusu's whole body shook. "She said—GIVE ME MY BROTHER'S DAGGERS!" Lulan's thoughts grew blank even as her chest grew warm. When had ever anyone spoken up for her like this? "KUSU! Has your heart gone to the dogs?! Is your honour fed to brutish beasts?! _Are you a man?!_ Lulan! _Get up!_ " Gwen took Lulan by the hand and pulled her up. Lulan rose in a daze, trapped in some unimaginable dream. With a finger, Gwen poked a spot just below the soft mound of her bosom. "This is the _unkindest_ cut of all, Kusu! What will it be? SPEAK UP!" Lulan held a hand protectively against her chest, feeling a tenderness where her saviour had intruded into her heart. In her passion, Gwen had poked with rather too much enthusiasm. "I—" Kusu tried to speak. "Do you want to be _exiled_ as well, Kusu?!" Elder Li shouted behind the wavering Sword Mage. "Are you and your worthless sister ferrets of the same den!?" Kusu froze, then turned to his uncle. Lulan knew the answer before her brother spoke. " _Wocaoni-ma..._ " Kusu muttered. _F-fuck your mother_? The audacity of Kusu's profanity was enough to make Lulan's knees weak. Perhaps sharing her sentiment, the whole room grew silent. "Kusu, say that again..." Elder Li pointed a shaking finger at Kusu. "Wocaoni-MA!" Kusu spat out between gritted teeth. "Screw you and Huashan! Make me attack my sister! Rip her heart out? GO FUCK YOURSELF!" Lulan did her best to suppress the delirious happiness building inside her chest. Comparatively, her Elder looked as though he was ascended into a new Plane of existence. "D-Do you know what you are doing?" Kusu spat back, gave Li the finger, then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lulu, get up. Let's go." Her brother's touch dispelled every ounce of doubt in her body, causing her body to rise all on its own. "YOU DARE?!" The bark from her Elder was punctuated by the distinct sound of manifesting Sword Sorcery. _Schwing—!_ An eye-blink later, the sharp trill of metal cleaving air hummed like a struck chime. A barely visible blade moved through the air toward Kusu and herself. "Dagger Barrier!" "Thrust!" "Shield!" Each of the students activated their defences. Her brother manifested the two dozen or so daggers he had that remained in a futile attempt to block the incoming swing. Lulan, meanwhile, had taken her deceased Master's instruction to heart. The best defence was an offence. Luwei wanted to kill Kusu? Fine, if the vain bastard were willing to trade his life for that of a disciple, then she would call his bluff. Unfortunately, while she and Kusu had spent years working together, their number three knew only self-preservation. Faster than both her brother and herself, Gwen's shield instantly ballooned, knocking Kusu and herself to the ground. So it was that Kusu fell forward, she fell backwards, and to Lulan's horror, Gwen became the unintended target of Luwei's sudden assault. _Keeekkeeeekeeee—_ The screeching blade bit into Gwen's life-preserving barrier and made instant progress. As bits of her crystalline mana sprayed into the air, the observers could visibly see its cutting-edge vibrate with an ear-splitting frequency. Lulan cursed. Her Elder had used a Sonic Blade variant, meaning he was cutting through Gwen's shield like a hot knife through soft lard. A vision of her saviour being decapitated flashed across Lulan's frontal lobe. Here was a foe turned friend who had spared her life, saved it again, then freed her heart from bondage. Where Gwen had touched, Lulan's Heart of Iron jolted into life. _Should saviour be maimed_ —Lulan told herself. Then she would tear her Elder limb from limb. _Keeekkeeeekeeee—_ Luwei was as surprised as anyone else in the room when his famed Barrier Cutter bit into not Lulan nor Kusu but the girl who was Secretary Song's grandaughter. To his credit, the attack was rich with killing intent—though the target, much to his chagrin, was one he could not maim. "JUN!" a shrill cry from Director Song sliced through the air even as Luwei did his best to pull his weight. In answer to the Director's outraged howl, Luwei heard and sensed the manifestation of a spell he dared not even dream of possessing. "Disintegrate!" A thin white ray instantaneously appeared, connecting Luwei's sword hand to an invisible point in space, creating a brief vision of spontaneous cubism. The spell that stuck Luwei also revealed the caster, a man in his late thirties wreathed with a halo of Elemental Ash. With every pulse of his mana, the carpet beneath the Mage's feet turned into white particles that swirled in tiny eddies as the residual energy from the spell dissipated. Where the white beam had struck the vibrating blade's pommel, Luwei's implement ceased to exist, becoming fine dust. The unconsumed particles then ate into the hand that had carried the murderous length. Luwei tossed his weapon as though he was scatting hot ashes, but even so, his fingers were gone. Worse still, before Luwei could feel fear, rage, or any emotion, all attachment drained from his body. Like a viper of Element Ash, the Negative Energy from the Mage's unique talent demolished his will to fight. Epiphanically, he looked around him as though awakening from a dream. _What's the use in fighting?_ He wondered. Why bother with a girl who would die from foolishness anyway? He should return to the Clan and meditate on his Dao. He carefully studied the stumps that now made up his sword hand. He then looked at the mocking faces of those around him. Somehow, he felt too tired even to summon shame. "Know your place!" The Ash Mage lowered his finger, wagging it like the tip of a smoking Wand. "Who gave you the nerve to harm my niece? Does the Sect of Huashan wish to be excommunicated from Shanghai?" The girl whose face he was about to disfigure a moment ago was only now recovering from her shock. "Uncle Jun!" She called out. "Oh my God! Why are you here?" Elder Li shook himself awake from the Negative Energy induced stupor to regard the Mage called "Uncle Jun". _Jun Song?_ The Mao-damned _Ash Bringer_ of the Northern Front?! The _Ash Bringer_ himself just mutilated him? If so, Luwei looked at the stumps that now made up his sword hand. Dared he even mend the injury? "This man is deranged, Uncle! He just attacked me out of the blue!" Gwen Song pointed an accusatory finger at Luwei. Luwei sighed. Should he tell the girl that there was no need for theatrics now that Jun Song was involved? "No doubt." The Ash Bringer's pupils were white-hot orbs. "I saw." "I saw it too." Klavdiya had a hand over her heart. "My heart nearly leapt from my throat! Gwen, dear, are you alright?" The Director gave Professor Birch a kick in the ankles. Magister Birch looked up at the ceiling for just a moment, then stepped forward. "I too bore witness to this assault," he said flatly. "Count me in." Professor Ma joined in as well. "I may not be a Mage, but as an attaché to the Shanghai Inner Regional Magistrate Advisory Board, I can attest that Gwen Song was assaulted without provocation!" Luwei looked at them disinterestedly, unable to summon the emotions he knew he should feel. _So this was what it is like to be afflicted by Elemental Ash_ , he thought. What a _unique_ experience. "I… I apologise for my indiscretion," Luwei replied unceremoniously. "Deal with me as you see fit." "Are you alright, Gwen?" Jun approached, leaving behind ashen footprints on the carpet that made Choi wince. The girl looked up at her uncle with a pained expression, her eyes twinkling wickedly. "I am alright." Gwen winced painfully, then affixed her eyes on Luwei. "I feel so traumatised though… nothing short of a concession or compensation may shake this debilitating experience from my heart." Luwei understood the girl's hostility was a bad sign, but he couldn't summon the energy to retort. "Gwen, that's enough." The girl's grandmother approached Luwei. "Allow me to apologise, Elder Li. My son is overzealous. Give me your hand." Luwei obeyed. "Restoration!" Verdant motes of Positive Energy infused Luwei, dispelling the Elemental Ash tainting his Astral Body. Several seconds later, Luwei felt his faculties return. "Give me your hand." Gwen's grandmother commanded the Clan Elder. Knowing he wasn't out of danger yet, Luwei obliged like a child. "Lesser Regeneration!" Director Song's Clerical sorcery, Luwei had to confess, was some of the best he had seen in the PLA. An intense, bone-rending itch travelled from his hand to his heart, then to his head. Luwei gritted his teeth as fingers, white and pale, sprouted from the charred stumps. Armed with a new hand, he looked at the collection of Mages now standing in front of him. This time, Luwei felt fear. He quickly glanced at Lulan, whose mouth was wide enough to fit a quail's egg, then regarded Kusu, who carried the same stony expression the day his Master San died. "Alright, Elder Li." Gwen Song's voice was sickly sweet as she once more took her old place. "Now that you've cooled down—let me make you an offer you can't refuse."

* * * Alrighty everyone here it is again! Character summaries. If there is typo, will get to later. New CH coming soon, editing it now. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Update:: Edited Gwen Image to be both cool and smug as per comments. Get a compromise going. * * * * __ Friday, August 10, 2018 12:49:03 PM * __ __**Bio:** I write on the phone and edit at home. Times are tough! Theme (Entire Website) Dark Light Dim background 0% 20% 40% 50% 60% 80% 100% Font Size 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 24 28 32 Reader Width Max 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Font Family Default ————— Open Dyslexic Atkinson Hyperlegible ————— Arial Roboto Open Sans OS Default Comic Sans Lucida Verdana Ubuntu Ubuntu Condensed Franklin Gothic Garamond Caslon Minion __ Color Scheme Theme Default OLED Black Royal Road Dark Dark Gray Gray Light Gray Sepia White __ Tap again to scroll to the top!

Elder Luwei was allowed to leave once he'd confirmed that Huashan would forgo any privileges over the Li siblings unless they wished to return to the fold of their own volition. A verbal agreement was reached, observed by a Secretariat, two Magisters, a Magus, and Professor James Ma: should the Huashan Sect renege on Luwei's contract, the Clan's occupancy in Shanghai would become precarious indeed. With the matter resolved, Gwen ran to her babulya, embraced her, then reciprocated the affection for her uncle. "Thanks, Uncle Jun." Her eyes sparkled. "You take care now." Jun patted her head. "Be more careful next time." Gwen could see that the Li siblings could scarcely believe an agreement had been reached without further violence. They had anticipated that at the very least, they would lose something precious, like their specialised Magic. Dazed by their circumstances, Kusu mumbled an apology to his grandmother, looking devastated, while Lulan held her brother's hand with moist eyes gleaming with hope. Mayuree and Kitty were still recovering from the escalation of Gwen's precipitous encounter, while Richard had on an expression of barely disguised exaltation. "It's not over yet." Jun pulled Gwen away from his arm, giving her a rap on the forehead. As the infamous Ash Bringer turned to Choi, the Secretariat grew rigid like a Wildland buck caught in the path of a Disintegrate. "Secretariat Choi." Jun inclined his head ever so slightly. "Captain Song," the Secretariat replied respectfully. "I wish to know more about your dealings with Nephres Zalaam." "Am I supposed to know who that is?" A lingering moment passed between the two as Choi held his face unmoving and intact. "Shall we speak in private?" Jun offered. "I will only extend this kindness once." "I—" Choi's eyes darted to the ashen footprints still lingering on the vermillion carpet. "I don't think that would be necessary." Jun folded his arms and studied the Secretariat, whose face was like a jade sculpture. "Staff Sergeant Bui!" Jun called out to one of the guards. "Sir!" "Tell Secretariat Choi who you work for." "MSS Grey Ghost, Designation SG442123! Sir!" Choi's expression remained masterfully unmoving. "I am relieving you of your post, Bui. Good work, Lieutenant." "Sir!" "I am not under the jurisdiction of the MSS or the Internal Security Review Committee," Choi protested. "You think a double-dealing dog can cow me?" Her uncle cracked his neck. "Maybe I can. Maybe I can't. Are you a gambling man, Choi?" Choi's eyes darted behind Jun and the others. "I'll say this one more time, Choi. Would you like to discuss this privately? Or do you believe the MSS are toothless dogs?" Jun offered nonchalantly, his pupils taking on a hint of dusky ash. "You think I am just here for my niece? Do you think I have my men combing the depth because of a family matter? Remember, when a hound is going for your jugular, it doesn't bark first." With every word from Jun, Choi looked as though he was perspiring all the liquid in his body. _So this is what Jun is like doing his job_ , Gwen marvelled. Her uncle was amazing. He was her idol. "My office, please." Choi pointed to the door. As it turned out, the Secretariat, though a gambling man, wasn't a fool. "Gladly." Jun turned to the others. "Don't wait. The matter is going to take a while. Mother, it's getting late. Please don't tire yourself out." "Alright, dear. Don't work too late." Klavdiya chided her son warmly. "Gwen, I'll speak to you later." Her uncle patted her head. "Yes, Uncle Jun." Jun stopped at the door. "5 CCs per Crawler, and 20 for the Healer, right?" Gwen's face broke into a wide grin. "Yessir!" With Jun gone, the elderly Mages now desired to return to the comfort of their usual abodes. Klavdiya told the students that a car would be waiting for them to take them back to the city. Birch offered to escort Gwen's grandmother, but she sweetly declined and thanked him for the gentlemanly offer. "Why a car? Couldn't you just teleport the two of us back?" Klavdiya enquired of her old acquaintance. "I wouldn't want to abuse my privilege," Birch dodged the question expertly. "Please, it's the least I could do." Gwen watched their interaction with amusement and a little trepidation. Who would win in a duel between Birch and Guo? She disturbed herself with the hypothetical but knew her grandmother would not allow such a thing to come to pass. Klavdiya had given three children to Guo—a little flattery from Birch wasn't about to test her resolve. "I'd love to speak to you a little more, Gwen," her babulya said. "Maybe next time, you can show me some more of those dainty little restaurants you have found on University Boulevard." "Of course, Babulya!" Gwen farewelled her grandmother, squeezing the diminutive woman's hand tightly. As they parted, Klavdiya touched Gwen's cheeks strangely, her concern lingering on Gwen's face far longer than was necessary, even for a doting old grandmother. "Is something wrong?" Gwen touched a finger to her cheek. Blood, perhaps, from the slaughter below? "My dear, if what I think happened did indeed occur, you should contact Magister Wen immediately. We need data, biometrics, and understanding—not doubt, self-loathing and blame. Yours is a difficult milestone on the Path of Conflict, Gwen. One on which you cannot afford to wax sentimental. Many eyes are watching, my sweet child. Stay strong and show no weakness." "I will, Babulya," Gwen promised, thinking of how Petra and her Master would react. They were probably thrilled to hear her progress. "Let me hitch a ride!" Professor Ma, not reading the situation, suddenly butted in. "The two of you have a car separate from the kids, right? Let them mingle. I don't want to be an eyesore." The look from Magister Birch's face said it all. "I'll Teleport you," Birch offered. "Wha? No! What a waste of crystals!" "It's settled. The cost is on me," Birch insisted. "But you just said..." Ma's protest was unheeded as the trio left, with Klavdiya waving to Gwen. The student Mages were finally left alone, awkwardly watched by a dozen guards. "Do we go now?" Mayuree asked no one in particular. Gwen looked out the window, then checked her watch, realising that it was now very late. They had arrived in the afternoon after 1400. She estimates that they had entered B-7 around 1600. Now, it was nearing midnight. Conditioned by reflex and habit, she knew she should be famished by now. But she felt no hunger, not even a hint. Gwen swallowed her rising bile. She shifted her attention to her companions, counting herself; there were six of them: Mayuree, Kitty, Lulan, Richard, Kusu and herself. "Let's see what car they prepared," Gwen advised the party amusedly. "One of us might have to fit in the boot." Leaderless and directionless, the guards allowed the student Mages to pass. The levitation platform took the juniors down to the ground floor, where dilapidation and garbage kept company with the darkness. Intermittently, feeble Light spells lit up the corridors, leading outward onto a courtyard murky with mist. The only source of visibility came from a hazy Daylight spell hanging over a PLA-badged people mover. The driver popped the side cabin as the students appeared from the door. "I'll take the passenger side," Richard informed them. "You sit with the others." "I could ride the bike back," Lulan offered, noting the tight squeeze and Kitty's displeasure at squeezing into the cabin cheek-to-cheek. "I got my White Ghost in the Ring." "Naw." Gwen patted her shoulder. "Hop in. It's nice and cosy, right?" The group piled in. "Back to Fudan?" the driver asked. "Back to Fudan," Richard informed him. Without incident, the van moved out. The barrier went up. The barrier went down. Their excursion came to an end. As they pulled away, Gwen couldn't help but be drawn to the dark silhouette of D-109 in the distance, growing more vague and faint with every kilometre. A dark city and an apt metaphor, Gwen reflected upon the fading vision. The poor sods. I hope Uncle Jun's investigation will make their lives just a little bit better. _Was the trip a success or a failure?_ She wondered. She had gained something in there, but she'd lost something too. The van soon traversed the fourth orbital highway, the dark recess of the world around them blossoming into illumination. Light-posts, sedans and lorries, the light of civilisation and the suburbia and beyond that, appeared one after another, filling the visual field, polluted the misty atmosphere with a dazzling display of vivid colours. In the uncertain distance, the splendour of Shanghai's megacity glowed like a mirage, setting the heavy vapours of the mid-night fog aflame. In the cabin, the Li siblings were now discussing their immediate futures. "We would have to leave the apartment, of course. The Clan owns it." Kusu said. "It's father's private property, though," Lulan retorted. "Before that, it was mothers." "Well, it isn't ours. Do you think our father would stand up to the Elder or the Clan Head? He's an accountant," Kusu said with finality, then sighed. "So, you're feeling fine now? No more… mist?" "Not for now." Lulan stretched out her arms, then immediately grew scarlet when she caught Gwen looking contemplatively toward her. Kusu watched the girls, aware that their saviour was a beautiful woman but also alarmed by his sister's sudden outburst of femininity. That Lulu was a _girl_ was a self-evident fact, but one he had given credit. No one saw Lulan as female within the Clan, much less a woman, because she could beat the boys black and blue without batting an eye. To distract himself, he shifted his attention to the Void Sorceress, whose frenetic energy and glib tongue were why they now had the freedom to live within the crack between a rock and a hard place. Kusu felt happy for the fact, though the exhilaration paralleled the trepidation. The life of a Sect member was regimented and orderly. Training to learn skills. Training by carrying out missions. Training by sparring and participating in the internal disputes of the Clan. The rest of the time, they ate, slept, and occasionally got a glimpse of the world outside of the Sect's sacred grounds. Select individuals, such as Kusu, Lulan, Pei and others, were sent away to 'mingle' with outsiders to broaden their horizons. Occasionally, these individuals never came back. Primarily, this was because they died, performing some service to benefit or defend the Sect. Once or twice per generation, the colourful world outside proved too much for young Clanners to return to the monotony of monastic training. These _rogues_ who no longer wished to dedicate themselves to the single-minded cause of the Sect were then cleansed. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Their uncle, Luwei, had been thoroughly beaten. What now followed would be at the digression of those involved. If the Magisters kept the encounter to themselves, the Sect would try to put it behind them. If they boasted and mocked Huashan as a result and made them into a public spectacle, then Lulan and Kusu should expect an Iron Blade in the back very soon. For this reason, Kusu was under no delusion that he and Lulan would have to be very discreet if they wished to make it to graduation. Lulan was already a second-year, while he was still in his first. Then, what about the Clan's secret techniques? Kusu and Lulan knew nothing about the Heart of Iron other than that they had a catalyst embedded and the incantations necessary to use it. What if someone at Fudan had designs on their talent? Kusu hoped it wouldn't come to that. If Huashan still made a move on the siblings, the Magisters would speak out. If the Magisters spoke out, Huashan would have to silence the siblings. And the siblings were to perish, then both the Magisters involved and Huashan would lose face, not to mention the Ash Bringer himself would have words for the offenders. Therefore, the best possible outcome for all parties was to keep quiet and keep walking. As for the siblings, all they could do was walk the tightrope and hope there were no sudden gusts. "Kusu," Gwen spoked first. "What's your plan from here on out?" "Get registered at the Fudan Tower, I suppose." Kusu hadn't stopped thinking since they left D-109. "That way, we gain some protection and enough employment to keep us in Fudan." "I'll be joining the Pudong Tower in the future," Gwen stated purposefully, looking over at Lulan. "For now, I am registered with Fudan's provisional Tower Two." "We'll be going there first thing in the morning then." Kusu smiled, scarcely believing that Gwen and themselves were at each other's throats days ago. He bowed his head. "Thank you for saving my sister." "I couldn't have done it alone." Gwen shook her head modestly. "It was Professor Ma and all the others. You're giving me too much credit." "But they were there for you," Kusu pointed out. "Hardly." Gwen grinned, forcing Kusu's heart to up its cadence. "Magister Birch is present for reasons. My Uncle was there for Choi. Professor Ma is there because that was his job. I suppose only Babulya was there for me. So, as I said, you're giving me too much credit." "I owe you my life, twice now," Lulan interjected between Gwen and her brother's mutual contest of humility. "You can't deny that." "I won't." Gwen beamed at her. "Whatever you need in the future, just let me know," Lulan stated as a matter of factly. "I'll do whatever is in my capacity to satisfy." "Good, but take care of yourself first," Gwen advised sagely. "You're not helping me if the both of you end up homeless and drop out. Do you have money?" "I've got… funds saved up, from my previous Tower missions, the Sect took its share, but I've got enough," Lulan replied. "I can sell my bike as well. Kusu and I can take on some small-scale missions in the Orange Zones." "Do you have a place to stay?" Gwen asked. "No, but we'll somehow manage," his sister stated hastily, not wanting to intrude on Gwen's generosity. "Don't tell me you're going to huddle up in a park," their saviour grimaced. "Have you never rented before? Or visited a real estate agent? Do you have your documents on you? ID Cards? You might need at least 200 points of identification to pass muster. How about a bank card?" The siblings looked at one another, seeing a side of Gwen they did not expect. "We'll be fine," Lulan muttered softly, smiling in a manner that made Kusu's heart melt. "I've had some experience dealing with this before. Thanks, Gwen." "What about tonight?" Gwen stated. "Or tomorrow, or the day after that. It's not cheap finding something around Fudan, you know. You guys should probably not stray too far from campus." "We can find a hotel or something," Lulan said. Kusu coughed. In truth, everything they owned was already on their body. "Look, I can lend you this for a while until you find a place." Gwen produced something that Kusu recognised as a Portable Habitat. "It doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the Melbourne Tower. I was going to return it soon, but there's no rush. It utilises 1 HDM per application, which lasts around 12 hours generally." Kusu's brows formed the Chinese figure for 'eight'. "A military Portable Habitat!" his lips parted in surprise. "I've only ever seen our seniors carry such a class of Magical Device, and they had to commandeer it from the requisition Elder." "Gwen, this is too much." Lulan shifted her petite body uncomfortably, adjusting her weight. "We owe you so much already!" "As I said, it doesn't belong to me. I am lending it to you until I need it back," Lulan's saviour insisted. "But..." "Just take it and set it up under our building for now," Mayuree interjected. "Trust me, Gwen's right. You don't want to be sleeping somewhere random if your Sect's people might come knocking. You'll be perfectly safe if you stay near campus until the whole thing can blow over." "We'll get it back to you as soon as we can." Kusu prodded his sister, hinting at her to let the matter drop. "Maybe tomorrow, at worst a few days from now. Thank you, and everyone else here as well." "Sure." Gwen passed it over. "Lulu, is your ring large enough?" Lulan nodded. Lulu? When had the girls grown close enough to use pet names casually? "Lulu—" Kusu chuckled. "Uncle San, our Master, used to call her that." "Sorry," Gwen apologised. "I didn't know." "No, it's fine." Lulan waved away Gwen's apology. "Lulu is fine." "Master was trying to find a way to help Lulu," Kusu decided to reveal a spot of their past. "But a year ago, the Sect sent him away to participate in state-sanctioned military service. Every year, the Sects send a few outer circle members led by a senior member of the inner circle up north. Because Master volunteered, we didn't have to go." "We received news that he died in April," Lulan explained, her eyes soft and misty. "Six months after the fact." "Sounds like you guys have your circumstances to contend with," their saviour sighed wistfully for the siblings' maltreatment. "It must have been hard." "Your Clan sounds like a real piece of work..." Richard had been listening in from the front seat. "How many of those they send out come back?" "About half, maybe less," Kusu confessed dejectedly. Hindsight was Clairvoyance. "Sounds like a factional rivalry to me," Richard observed. "Back in Prince's, it wasn't strange if people who pissed off the higher-ups got sent on dangerous missions to do some good before they're discarded." "Uncle San wanted Kusu to participate in the contest for the next Head," Lulan explained. "Of course, I was going to help Kusu." "Now that I think about it, it probably has something to do with Pei." Kusu raised a finger conspiratorially. "That's the Grandmaster's younger son. He's the closest disciple with the talent to beat Lulu. There's talk that he's being set up for the position of the inheriting disciple. I guess it all makes sense now. Poor Uncle San." The van grew silent. "Oh—" Lulan suddenly looked up. "Gwen, do you have a brother called Percy?!" "I do." Gwen thought of Percy and felt a stab of sadness. "Why?" "He was the one boasting to Pei about you. I think your brother and Pei are both students at Xiangming Metropolitan Selective High School, right?" "I think so," Gwen replied. "Pei told us to challenge you because your brother had told him that you've been excommunicated. He even showed Pei some kind of Amulet?" Lulan recounted. "Pei said that if we defeat you, we can take over all the fame you've been gaining. Pei said that this was an opportunity that appears once in a lifetime—a famous prodigy, ripe for the plucking." "Really?" Gwen's voice lowered an octave. "Lulu's just stating what she knows," Kusu quickly came between the girls. "Don't worry about it. I am sure Percy didn't mean it." The three student Mages exchanged tired looks. Together, all three sighed. "I am sorry, Gwen." A voice came from the back. It was Mayuree. "I know how much you love your brother. He's still young, just a child. Maybe it was a careless slip of the tongue?" "Pretty bloody specific for a casual slip, the little shit. Percy's got a habit of being a bit of a fucker, ain't he?" Richard retorted from the front. "That Amulet would have come in bloody handy about now, eh?" A moment passed before their saviour could respond. "It's alright." Her voice seemed far away and distant. "He's just a boy." The atmosphere in the car took on a new weight. This time, Kusu knew the conversation had indeed died. The van pulled up at the Fudan apartments, dropping off the student Mages at the circular parking bay of B1. Richard yawned and informed them that it was now the witching hour. Looking up, they could see that the Penthouse suite and Gwen's apartment lights were still lit. "You can set up in the sky garden if you want," Mayuree told the Li siblings. "I'll speak to management and let them know." "Thank you." Lulan inclined her head while Kusu bowed. "Let's head up," Gwen informed the party. "Let's have breakfast together. I know a few good places around campus and on the Boulevard." "How about my place instead?" Mayuree offered. "I'll get Lei to prepare for company." "No." Kitty sneered. Mayuree silenced her friend by putting a finger against her lips. "That would be wonderful," Gwen answered for the rest of them. The lift ascended. Gwen waved the siblings goodbye at the mid-section. A sizeable balcony made a sky garden for the public to enjoy the privileged view offered by B1. Since the Portable Habitat could not be set up indoors, the private garden made a perfect temporary location. "See you tomorrow. Please rest well, Miss Song." Kusu bowed, making his sister bow as well. "Allow me to thank you again for your aid tonight." The remaining foursome rode the rest of the distance in uncomfortable silence until reaching Gwen's level. "Thanks for all the help, Mayuree. You were excellent." Gwen reached over and hugged her friend. "You were the one who was instrumental, Gwen." Mayuree blushed as she returned the affectionate embrace. "Kitty, thanks for holding out for me. I won't disappoint you next time." Gwen extended a hand. Kitty rigidly reached out with her dainty white fingers and took Gwen by the palm. "I hope I don't come to regret tonight," she replied cryptically. "I'll be watching you closely, for Mayuree's sake." Gwen nodded solemnly. The lift door opened. Richard exited, followed by Gwen waving a short goodbye. "Dick, G'night." "G'night, Gwen." Richard caught her shoulders before she could leave. "If you want to talk or need anything, I am just next door, alright? Anytime." "No worries, Dick," Gwen decided to hold on to her cousin for a wee bit longer to fortify her soul. _Click._ The door to Gwen's apartment opened. "Gwen! Richard! You're back!" Petra was in a loose shirt and shorts. From the looks of it, she'd been waiting for them. "I heard from Magister Wen that you used the Regeneration Cube! Are you alright?! What happened?" Seeing Petra, Gwen felt the compounded tension within her body like gas from a screech cooker. "Pats!" Gwen left Richard's arms and raced to her cousin. "Gwen?" Petra allowed her cousin to squeeze her tight. "Richard? What happened?" "The inevitable happened," Richard replied cryptically. "You need to call Magister Wen and inform her right away." "Yeah," Gwen affirmed for Petra what she was likely imagining. "I need to know if there are aftereffects." Her cousin's eyes widened for a second, then filled with softness. "Alright. Goodnight, Richard. I'll take care of her." "See you tomorrow. Breakfast is at Mayurees." Petra watched Richard go, then brought Gwen into the apartment. She dimmed the lights, then settled her cousin on the couch, looking pensive and withdrawn. "I am sorry it happened after all," Petra spoke softly. "Can I get you some tea?" "Yes, please." Gwen laid herself out on the couch, sinking into the softness of the enveloping leather. "No sugar, please. It's late." "Sure." Her cousin heated the water with a quick cantrip, raising the tea's optimum temperature. "Milk?" "I'll take it black." "Alright." Petra sauntered over and handed over a ceramic mug. "So, what's it like?" She asked after they sipped the first few mouthfuls. Slowly, the scent of chamomile infused the air. Gwen took a long deep breath, allowing the air to flow from her lungs languishingly. "I want to say it was terrible. That I was horrified," Gwen began. "But I would be lying." "Was it..." Petra did not mince words. "Good for you?" "Oh, Pats, it was pleasurable like you would not believe," Gwen continued softly. "It felt so intense, I... I couldn't think of anything else—not even remorse. It was like I was filling up with new life. How could anyone get enough of that?" "I see." Petra cupped her drink. "Addictive?" "I don't know. I am…" Gwen searched for a word but chose to dispense with the euphemism. "Right now, I am feeling full." "Who was it that Caliban ate?" "Nephres Zalaam, a Slaver. Someone connected to my past in Sydney." "Your old Master? Gunther Shultz? Almudj?" "All of the above." Petra made an "o" with her lips. "I haven't told you the whole story, have I?" "You don't have to." Petra waved her off. "A girl should have her secrets." "Pats…" "I would have to tell Master if you told me," Petra explained. "So I don't mind. Really." "Another time then." "Another time." "Caliban ate her in front of Kitty and Mayuree." "Christ. Are the pair trustworthy?" "I think so. Mayuree, at least. We are _bonded by fate_ , her words, not mine. Kitty should be fine until Mayuree fulfils her vision and has no more use for me." The two girls sipped their drinks. "Would you do it again?" Petra inquired carefully. "Out of necessity, I mean." Gwen had to force the words from her lips. "I think I would." "How're your Sigils? What'd she give you?" "What I stole from Nephres, you mean?" Gwen groaned bitterly. "She's a tier 6 Healer, so I'd guess Evocation and Transmutation, maybe a little Conjuration. Who knows?" "Master would probably want a full scan," Petra muttered. "If you wish to rest, I'll talk to her." "No, no," Gwen stopped her cousin. "It's fine." "You don't have to." "But I want to," Gwen interjected distantly. "Babulya is right. I need to know, not run." Petra placed her mug on the coffee table then arranged herself so that Gwen's head rested across her lap. Below Petra's soft eyes, Gwen inhaled the vaguely sweet scent of shampoo and conditioner. She welcomed the warmth of her cousin's thighs against the nape of her neck, feeling the flow of heat connect them. Very occasionally, there was a slight gurgle from Petra's abdomen that made her want to giggle. "Gwen?" After they remained in the same position for a quarter of an hour, Petra asked. "Yeah?" Gwen was in a state of zen. "I am sorry, Gwen," her cousin was apparently at her limits. "Please take a shower. You stink of gore."

Shanghai. Gouding B1. Before she went to bed, Gwen sent an LR Message to Elvia via the LRC device, petitioning for a conference on Sunday. Her purpose wasn't so much that she would reveal her direst secrets to Elvia. It was the solace she could gain by speaking to the Healer to bath under her angelic light. Likewise, she sent an urgent communication to Gunther as well, asking to speak to her Brother-in-craft about the _consumption_ encounter, concurrently requesting an opportunity to converse with Alesia or Yue. After that, Gwen had her morning session with Magister Wen. Together, they could obtain numbers, investigate a few possibilities, and go from there. Any plans made in haste would be purposeless if their knowledge were incomplete. Gwen took another shower to cool her feverish mind and wash away the fatigue. Her body felt tense and vital, yet her lobes felt sluggishly strained by insomnia. Towelling herself dry, she received a Message from Mayuree beside her ear. _Ding! "_ Ah-Lei is making breakfast now. Come whenever—XXOO" Gwen had to admit that the ending kissy noises were a little cringeworthy, but the Diviner meant well. Petra was up as soon as Gwen finished with the shower. Her cousin rinsed, slipped into smart casuals, and was ready and waiting by the time Gwen made a confident face to face the world. When the two girls arrived at the mezzanine of the lofty penthouse, Lei was busily plating a western-style breakfast of petite sandwiches, fingers of French Toast and fresh butter-cream pancakes. Lulan and Kusu removed themselves from the long table, ejecting themselves from their seats. Together, they bowed as Gwen entered. "No! Don't do that!" Gwen moved to intercept, flustered by the formality. "Told you so," Lulan complained at her brother, relaxing. "That doesn't matter." Kusu shot his sister a glare of vexation. "This is proper!" "Please, you're making this awkward." Gwen walked past the pair casually, inferring she wasn't keen to stand on ceremony. "Come on, let's sit together." "See?" Lulan scoffed. They turned their eyes toward Petra. "Petra Kuznetsova," the Russian brunette introduced herself. "I am Gwen's cousin and roommate." "Miss Kuznetsova." The both of them tipped their chins respectfully. Petra was as infamous a second-year as they come. After all, the girl was The Flower—or, as some would say—the Ice Queen of Fudan. "Pleased to meet you." Petra shook their hands. Like most people meeting Petra for the first time, the effortless intimidation given off by her Siberian husky eyes made her aloof and distant. From what Gwen could guess, Petra's incomplete training at the Moscow Tower had given her a cynical outlook toward folk she did not know well. "Gwen! Welcome! You're up nice and early!" Mayuree descended from the second floor in a loose shirt and shorts. "Let me freshen up. I'll be down soon. Kitty's already up. She's such a light sleeper." Kitty sat a little off the couch, facing the magnificent view of the Fudan campus below. She raised a slender hand and waved it flaccidly, communicating her ambivalence at Gwen's presence. Gwen waved back as the Diviner disappeared. "Kitty, good morning." Lei brought over a freshly brewed set of coffee and tea. "This is Lei, Mayuree's maid," Gwen introduced the siblings to the masterful woman running back and forth between the kitchen and the dining. "Don't underestimate her because she's an NoM. Her breakfasts are magical." "Ah, you're too kind, Mistress Song," Lei simpered, softly sliding the beverages onto the table. "You and Miss Kuznetsova are looking so pretty, as always! Your skin looks amazing today, almost like... healing Mages." "I have a healthy appetite," Gwen returned Lei's complement guiltily. "It's all your nutritious cooking, Lei. You're spoiling me." Lei allowed a happy smile to touch her lips, then returned to her labour. Richard joined them a quarter of an hour later. Soon joined by Mayuree, the party poured over pancakes and coffee, discussing their plans for the immediate future. "I am going to see Magister Wen for my check-up, and then I'll return to classes on Monday." "I'll be returning to Nantong for a short while." Richard sipped his milk tea. "For the next few weeks at least, I'll be out of Shanghai four days out of seven." "You need to relax a little, Dick," Gwen chided her workaholic cousin. She was a compulsive worker too, but her training at the range did not involve daily endangerments. Questing gave practical experience, generated CCs and provided credit, but Richard had left himself with no time to learn new spells or engage in Arcane theory. However, in his view, her cousin felt that practical work with Lea helped him develop his skills the most. He exercised Conjuration constantly while employed under gainful employment and got to practice Abjuration, a School of Magic best practised in the field. "That's all very good, Dick. BUT would Uncle and Aunty rather wait than have you risk your life?" Richard thanked her but otherwise offered no verbal confirmation of heeding her advice. "I am with Gwen. Back to classes." Mayuree chopped into her pancakes, smothering them in Wildland beechwood honey. "That and I need to finish some family requests for Divination." "Classes & practice." Kitty's answer was abrupt and short. "We'll look for a place to stay first." Lulan poked her pancake curiously, obviously unused to such delicately made Western food. "Then back to class. I am with Richard, though. Most of my classes will be for Questing credits." Petra wasn't on the same level as the regular students and left herself out of the conversation. She couldn't participate even if she wanted; her research with Wen on Gwen was classified. "Where's Marong?" Gwen asked inquisitively. "Haven't seen him in a while." "As it should be," Kitty replied haughtily. Gwen wondered if this meant she was in a better mood than expected. "Brother has gone home for a while. There have been some issues with the family business." "Anything serious?" "Don't know." Mayuree shrugged. "I didn't have any foreshadowing visions, so it's either nothing serious or..." "Or?" "Or it's beyond my ability to foresee." Mayuree shook her head. "Worry not. My brother will take care of it. There's also second-sister to take care of things back at home." Gwen had asked Mayuree about the family, but the girl's answers remained evasive. Not wanting to step on any toes, Gwen figured Mayuree would tell her when she was comfortable enough to reveal the House of M's mysterious origins. The breakfast continued until Gwen was full, which was only three pancakes. Lei had prepared three stacks in anticipation of her abnormally large appetite and became notably upset that her labour would be wasted. "Are you feeling well, Miss?" Lei regarded Gwen worriedly. "You usually finish the whole plate! No need for a diet!" "I am fine, Lei. Thanks for asking." Gwen firmly pushed the rest of the pancakes away. "Alright, Petra and I better get going. Magister Wen is likely waiting for us. Mia, thanks for breakfast, as usual. Lei, it was delicious." "Bye, Miss Song!" "See you in class on Monday! Call me if you want to do lunch, and let Lei know if you're coming for dinner," Mayuree's generosity was boundless. "Will do." Gwen directed herself to face Lulan and Kusu. "Good luck. I know the rental market can be brutal." "We should have enough to scrape by," Lulan assured Gwen. "I'll take care of Kusu." _Should have._ Gwen winced, reminding herself that she still possessed a thousand HDMs once belonging to the siblings. _I should return it,_ Gwen thought. If she was going to help the Li's, a little more generosity couldn't hurt. It wasn't as though she needed the money immediately. "One more thing. Kusu, I've still got your HDMs." Gwen produced ten 100 HDM currency cards from her ring. Kusu's refusal to meet her eyes suggested he could use 1000 HDMs to get through the current semester and the next, but he was too honourable to take the cash. "No, I'll be fine," Kusu replied with eyes that longed for the currency cards. “I’ll live… off… my… sis…” The sheepishness of the young man broke Gwen's heart. She shoved the cards toward him. "On loan then, from me," Gwen informed him. "I'll tell you when I need it back." Kusu looked as though he was still going to refuse, but Lulan extended her hands and took possession of the currency cards. "We owe you again, Gwen," Lulan said, her voice taking on an affected tone. "It's nothing. I also came to Shanghai from the Frontier, so I know how hard it can be without a steady source of income," Gwen assured the siblings. "Anywho. I got to go. Good luck." Kusu bowed again, this time from the waist. Lulan hesitated for a moment, then mimicked her brother. Mayuree glanced from Gwen to the siblings, then back again. Once the two were gone, Mayuree shook her head at Gwen. "You know, Gwennie," the merchant Diviner made a face. "How come no one thought of asking me for a loan? What's a few thousand HDMs to the heir of the House of M?" Fudan upper campus. By mid-June, the weather turned unbearably warm, meaning the greenery encircling the Yi-Fu Spellcraft Building was beginning to fray and dry. The heat, however, failed to dampen the spirit of Magister Wen, who was waiting on the girls in front of the Cognisance Chambers. "Gwen! You're here!" Magister Wen's cold fingers felt like steel cables. "Oh, you poor dear! That must have been a horrid experience! Terrible, yes! But _wonderful_ all the same!" "It was bittersweet, for sure." Gwen allowed the Magister to feign her sympathy. She was beginning to empathise with how blue-ribbon cows felt at the Sydney Easter Show. "Nonetheless, I have full confidence in you." Magister Wen pulled herself away. "Think of the incident as a new chapter, if you will. You have my full support!" Gwen felt goosebumps crawling up her thighs. The magical haze over the city trapped the heat, but even so, her bare legs reacted as though a chilling wind had blown through the shaded avenues. "How curious." Magister Wen curled her lips. "You have a very particular aura about you. A Cleric, perhaps. Can you write a report later, perhaps fill out a survey? How was it, on a scale of one to ten, that sort of thing." "Sure thing, Ma'am." Gwen wasn't sure if Magister Wen's academic disregard made her feel better or worse. The Magister's open admiration for murder, Gwen felt, was precisely the sort of dangerous thinking she should be avoiding. "Well, what are we waiting for?" The scholar was all smiles. "I've booked the big one! This way!" The largest of the Cognisance Chambers was almost two tennis courts in size and took fifty HDMs to power a session lasting no more than an hour. Gwen had no idea why Magister Wen had booked such an exorbitant fare, only that she should act with wariness. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As the trio reached the threshold, they became accosted by two men in military uniforms. From the rank insignias on their collars, Gwen recognised one as a PLA Major, while the other a man dressed like someone from Top Gun, bearing a sky-blue lapel with three stripes. The Major was Han Chinese, carrying the ubiquitous sobriety typical of senior PLA. His counterpart was a dark-haired Caucasian man with a prominent Roman nose. "Ma'am?" Gwen swallowed twice rapidly. It was a bit early to sell her out. Magister Wen hadn't even completed her papers yet. "No need to fret, my dear." Magister Wen patted her hand, though Gwen noticed that the Magister had taken the opportunity to grasp her by the wrist. Was she afraid that Gwen was going to abscond? If so, where was she going to go? "These men are here for you. They're neutral observers informing the highest power." "Observers of what?" Gwen inquired carefully. The implication made her knock-kneed. Her morning pancakes threatened to make an upward journey; she could almost taste the tart berries tickling the back of her throat. "Let's speak inside, away from prying eyes." The Caucasian man opened the door. "I mean you no disadvantage, Miss Song, though I cannot say the same for our mutual friend." "Hmmph!" The PLA officer grunted, proceeding through the threshold. Inside the Cognisance Chamber, the vast, egg-like sphere of white tiles made a strange, spaceless spectacle. There were no definitive edges for the viewer to gauge the distance, giving the viewer the impression that they'd stepped into a place unconstrained by dimension. "It'll be okay," Petra assured her. "I don't know who the other guy is, but Commander Webber has connections to the Mageocracy, which means your Siblings-in-craft in Sydney." With a whisper, the door shut behind them. For a few seconds, the only audible sound was their collective breaths echoing faintly through the acoustic ambience of the chamber. The man with the protruding Roman nose spoke first. "Wing Commander Derrick Webber, Miss Song. Attached to the Pudong Tower. I am currently assigned under the 2nd Specialist Aerial Mage-Wing of her Majesty's Royal Forces. I am also a registered Magus under the jurisdiction of The Shard, London." The PLA Officer scoffed at Webber's British verbosity. "Major Wong, PLA," the soldier announced stoically. After a formal bow, Gwen extended a hand to shake. Webber took her fingers and gave her a cordial civilian's handshake. Major Wong shot the Commander a look of disdain. "Very good. I'll take it from here." Magister Wen came between them. "Gentlemen, you may stand there, and Gwen, there. Good. As you know, these men are from the PLA Tower and the Pudong Tower. Both Towers have been keeping an eye on your progress. News of your unique talent has reached some very HIGH places." "High places, Ma'am?" Wen pointed a finger upward toward the ceiling. "So they tell me," Wen replied, glancing at the two men. "At any rate, these men are not here to interfere with your life. They are here to confirm the contents of our paper. Please be at ease." _That's easy for you to say._ Gwen slightly creased her brows. What was she to show, and what was she to hide? Magister Wen motioned to the operator hidden in the paned portion of the chamber. "Begin!" The chamber dimmed. Space became indefinite as the illusion took place. Standing at the chamber's centre, Gwen's Astral Form materialised below her, a sculptural spectacle of light and dark with motes of emerald appearing and disappearing. The two men produced data slates and began to scribe onto the transmuted surface. "Gwen, cycle through your Schools of Magic, please." Gwen nodded, then turned her mind inward. _Evocation._ _Conjuration._ _Abjuration._ _Divination._ _Transmutation._ The Sigils flared one after another, made material by the Cognisance Chamber's illusory projection. When she examined her examiner for reactions, she saw that Magister Wen's wizened face resembled a ripening pippin. Petra remained stoic while the two military men scribbled furiously on their slates. The entire room was basked in the glow of illusory Sigils, from the silvery-white of Conjuration to the pale purple nimbus of Transmutation. "Congratulations, Gwen." Magister Wen clapped her hands. Perhaps wanting to place more emphasis on the matter, she paused before continuing. "Or I should say, _Magus_ Gwen Song?" "I am sorry?" Gwen almost lost her concentration. "M-Magus?" "Ha! Did that surprise you?" Wen chuckled, her hands touching the palm to make a happy clap. "By Frontier standards, you are indeed already a Magus! We're a little more discerning here in Fudan, though. I doubt you would pass muster in theory craft." "So you're saying..." "Oh yes," Magister Wen gushed happily. "Both your Conjuration and Evocation look to have reached the mid-tiers, making you an unofficial Magus!" A part of Gwen knew she should be happy. Summoning the joy to celebrate her ascension, however, was another challenge altogether. "Let's have a demonstration for our gentlemen observers," Wen instructed her. "What are your Tier 4 Evocation Spells?" "Just Elemental Sphere, Ma'am," Gwen felt almost embarrassed to say that as a 'genius' Sorceress, her entire spell list numbered under twenty and was primarily preoccupied with low-level incantations. "Go ahead then." Gwen nodded, turning to the far side of the egg-shaped dome. As she cycled through the necessary mental and somatic preparations, her observers again began their furious scribing. Bit by bit, her Astral Form tapped into the Elemental Plane of Lightning, filling her mana conduits with vivid electricity. The mana coalesced in her torso, then flooded forth as the spell manifested. "Elemental Sphere!" Like a pressurised pool of liquid finding escape, the lightning-charged mana escaped from the crucible of her Astral Body, becoming a controlled arc of plasma which traversed toward its target destination, then imploded before rapidly expanding outwards, first as a semi-dome sphere, then as a burst of static electricity. "That's Einar Larsen's Signature Spell." Wing Commander Webber raised a brow of approval. "I know this spell too. It is not easy to master!" "It's all I know," Gwen peeped modestly. "You're only seventeen!" Commander Webber informed her confidently. "When I was seventeen, I was suffering detention at Sandhurst for failing muster! A tier 4 Signature Spell at seventeen, and you feel ashamed? You shame me!" His counterpart tapped his slate. "It's impressive," Major Wong concurred. "Please continue." "Are you alright to perform a Void variant?" Magister Wen asked her carefully. "Yes, Ma'am." Gwen was also interested in seeing what would happen if she should try to expend some of this excess vitality. Taking a deep breath, she resumed her labour. Below, her Astral Form assumed a tenebrous ichor of sinister obsidian. The gathered Mages felt a tingle of vertigo as a nauseating awareness assailed their physical bodies. "Void Sphere!" The spell manifested as an expanding bubble of sable ink that exploded outwards in a swirling pattern of Void matter. When the second stage concluded, it had caused extensive damage to the self-repairing tiles below. "How do you feel?" Magister Wen asked carefully, observing Gwen's Astral Body returning to its usual admixture of lightning, Void, and an occasional mote of fleeting emerald. Both of her observers resumed their scribing. Gwen checked her state of being. She felt fine. There was no feeling of Negative-Energy drains anywhere on her body. "Excellent! Very good," Magister Wen had concluded after reading her Astral projection. That was the thing with the Cognisance Chamber—there was no place to hide. For the lack of a better word, everything was in plain sight. "Wonderful, Gwen! Thanks to your incident, we've verified an answer for the self-consumption problem suffered by Void users!" Gwen shuddered to think what Wen could mean by that. "I don't see any diminishment, though," Magister Wen tapped her chin. "Gwen, bring out your Familiars." Gwen obliged. "Eeee! EEEE!" "Shaaa! Shaa!" At the appearance of Caliban, the two men's expressions underwent a variety of changes. The Cognisance Chamber's mirror-like floors magnified the mana signatures of her creatures. Caliban was a roving mass of dense dark energy larger than its actual size in the Material Plane. Ariel, meanwhile, had a signature to match its diminutive size. "How curious!" Magister Wen walked around her Familiars, then beckoned Caliban closer for a better study. The two military men unconsciously stepped back. Enjoying her superior knowledge, Wen produced a fist full of untreated HDMs, scattering the shards in front of her. Caliban snagged one with a tentacle, then munched away, slapping its tail against the floor as it did so. Ariel caught another with its little paws before nibbling away, arcing electricity as the mana discharged. Carefully, the Magister materialised a Spell cube next to Gwen's Familiars. "Do you see the similarity?" the Magister inquired of Gwen. Gwen saw that beneath the unassuming-looking Spell Cube, there was a mass of glowing elemental fire in vivid orange. "Caliban is storing... Void mana?" "Something to investigate, for sure," Wen nodded. "There's so much we don't know. Your predecessor didn't exactly leave notes, and her husband was a very zealous protector." Who Wen meant was Elizabeth Sobel and Henry Kilroy, Gwen duly noted. She wondered what Magister Wen knew. According to her Master, many in his confidence had known the truth, though now, they were either dead or held positions where such a thing was no longer of significant concern to them. Indeed, from what she recalled of Henry's tone, the upper echelon of the Mageocracy should have some clue as to the true nature of Elizabeth Sobel. The fact that for years she was promoted as a war hero and one of the central figures in reclaiming a global front against Demi-humans, though, likely prevented widespread recognition of her current occupation as a terrorist. Just in case, Gwen glanced at her two impassive observers. Neither of the men appeared to possess any misgivings about Wen's musing. Magister Wen nodded. "Gentlemen, have you seen enough? Any more would violate our agreement." Two sets of eyes fell upon Gwen. The PLA official appeared dissatisfied, but his protest was interrupted by his counterpart, who stowed his slate and inclined his head. "I will take my leave. Magister Wen. Miss Song. You shall have Pudong's support." "Right." Major Wong grunted a likewise affirmation. The trio watched the two men leave by the exit. Gwen wondered how they could find the door unerringly in the fantastical illusion of the chamber. "Well, that went pretty well, don't you think?" Magister Wen sounded happy. " _Well,_ how?" Gwen's voice came across as a little more reproachful than she intended. Petra came closer and touched Gwen's hand. Magister Wen waved her apprentice away. "Would you believe it if I told you that these men are not here for you? The drinking gentleman's heart is not for what's in the cup, so to speak." "Ma'am?" Gwen did not understand the idiom. Magister Wen chuckled. "They're here to ensure that each other did not unduly gain an advantage. The Pudong Tower and the PLA Tower—are two sides of the same coin; rivals since China joined the coalition of nations. There's history there if you're interested. Petra can tell it to you some time." "So, they're here to ensure we're not favouring one side over another?" "Yes, dear," Magister Wen applauded her. "I always ensure that both sides balance one another. They should contend with each other before they contend with you. Don't you think?" "I see, Ma'am," Gwen considered the Magister's words. "At any rate, this meeting wasn't supposed to happen for some time. I had originally scheduled it for the end of the year. If anything, your rapid progress is to blame." "Ma'am?" "You've attained a significant level of Spellcraft, Gwen. I know you're just seventeen, but you must consider the practical outcome of your growing talent. How could either Tower sit idle when you have progressed to a tier of destructive power capable of pacifying small population centres?" Gwen felt her stomach lurch. Wiping out a town? Who did they think she was? Sobel? "I know your concern. But, if you wish to maintain a decorum of autonomy, Gwen," Magister Wen advised. "You must pay the cost of privacy." "I'll be... under observation?" Gwen asked. "No, not as such." Magister Wen battered her hand dismissively. "No more than me, Petra, or any other Mage of significant note. We know that you're connected to Magus Shultz—the Lord Protector of Sydney had stated as such. We know you're similar to Elizabeth Sobel. Oh, don't look so surprised. After all, Kilroy's wife _was_ one of the signature champions of the Coral Sea War and the most famous Void Mage of the latter century." _Sobel was also a signature example of how south things can go,_ Gwen muttered internally. "Sufficient to say, stay away from factional politics. Once you choose a side, you will lose the protection you enjoy. Unless you can find enough prestige and accord to stand on your own." That would be Gunther's plans for the IIUC; Gwen acknowledged her Brother-in-craft's foresight. If the three of them stood together, and if their Master's old connections could lean in to put weight on the matter, it wasn't unreasonable for herself to remain independent. "Don't trouble your pretty head," Wen advised. "Much of this is beyond what you can do personally. We're done for today, though. Klavdiya couldn't book the laboratory on such short notice. She will attend to you tomorrow, around noon. Make sure you report to the hospital." "Should I go home?" Gwen's thinking was still firmly stuck on the paranoia of a PLA panopticon. _Then again_ , she tried to convince herself. It wasn't as though 'privacy' was any more sacred in her old world. The government had your tax records and medical records. Google and Facebook had your private 'likes' and 'dislikes'. A thousand and one companies had your address, phone, and emails logged to spam at their pleasure. Everything was hidden behind gargantuan TS&As that no one, including herself, ever read. "No! Relax, and have some fun! Go to a cafe or do whatever it is that young girls like yourselves go and do. Take Petra with you. Mao knows she needs a break too. You've had a long week, Gwen. Don't tire yourself out." Magister Wen's advice was surprisingly lax. But the Magister was right. She needed to relax and rest her mind. Magister Wen approached the exit, then paused by the door. "Have you changed your mind regarding our earlier discussion?" "Ma'am?" Gwen inquired. _Which discussion was that?_ "About feeding your talents in a controlled environment. Death-penalty prisoners, Demi-humans... lots of good there, remember? Now that we know how your consumption works, it would be a net positive outcome for all of us, not to mention society itself, no? Perhaps you have a preference? Rapists, murderers and slavers. I know you're squeamish, but give it some thought, alright? The choice is yours." Every follicle of Gwen's hair stood on end. "Shaa?" Caliban raised its head and looked toward her, feeling itself in its Master's horror. "One more thing— _NO Spellcraft training,_ " the Magister reminded her prized cow. "No duelling and excessive display of Magic either! I want to see tomorrow's biometrics exactly as we've left it!"

"In all the history of Fudan, you are the first," Petra reprimanded her cousin. Gwen made a face, sipping miserably from her iced matcha latte. Sitting on the table was Ariel in its docile form. Gwen figured she would continue Instructor Chen's ongoing training in which the students keep their Familiars manifested at all times. Below their table, the eight-foot body of Caliban in its obsidian serpent form coiled around the girl's ankles, wrapping a length of its torso against Gwen's heels as it shied from the summer sun. By now, Gwen accepted that everywhere she went, the patrons would ogle at their pleasure. Maybe it was the local culture, or mayhap, like a writer once wrote—a woman's beauty did not belong to herself alone. Either way, her mind was in too much turmoil to object to the uninvited gazes. The two girls were waiting for Mina and Tao, who wanted to meet for a luncheon. The cafe they'd chosen was a new place renovated by the owner to resemble an extensive garden shed. Perennials, fed on a diet of quasi-magically enchanted water, bloomed heedless of the season, expending their vitality for a few precious months until finally, spent, they were replaced by blossoms of a different season. "The Language of Flowers," the shop was called, located not far from University Boulevard in a rezoned district gentrified by sorcerers moving in from the suburbs. Its patrons were predominantly of the magical variety: young and old, acolytes and neophytes, joined by the occasional Magus. For students who had never left the CBD, they would have believed that Mages primarily occupied all Human cities. Realistically, even in a District of 100,000 like D-35, no more than a hundred magic users and one Magus existed at best within each district. "First of what?" Gwen thought back to the two military men who'd parted less than amiably from each other, turning her attention back toward her cousin. "The first Magus who has the spell list of an _acolyte_ , haha!" Petra chuckled, sipping her iced coffee. An NoM waitress with bright eyes and a cute flower apron brought out shortcakes and petite fours. Petra dropped a few LDMs, telling the worshipful girl to keep the change. "Well then, Miss Kuznetsova." Gwen leaned back in the elevated garden chair and stretched. "What do you suggest I should learn?" "First, figure out what you're missing." Petra shrugged. "Maybe go Adventuring or Dungeoneering and get a feel for what spells you want to pick up." "I have no time~" Gwen tapped her fingers against the beading waters on the tall glass of her matcha latte. "I need to complete my theory classes first." Somewhere in the back of her head, Magister Wen's latest proposal knocked against her chest like a drum. _"Death-penalty prisoners, Demi-humans... lots of potentials there—"_ She couldn't help but be reminded that Nephres had said that Henry had started Elizabeth by feeding her prisoners as fodder. Was it true, then? Did her Master authorise such a thing? But then again, did they even share the same circumstance? Her Master and Elizabeth were in the middle of the Coral Sea War. They were fighting to ensure the entire east coast colonies of Terra Australis survived. For them, life had been one war zone after another for almost a decade. Yet, try as she might in rationalising Magister Wen's _good intention_ , her paranoia buzzed like the tinnitus susurration of a mosquito. That the idea possessed pros and cons frightened her with breathless horror. After all, what had the Affinity to all Schools of Magic cost Sobel? Only her sanity. Sensing itself in her thoughts, Caliban shifted from its resting position. Gwen felt the cold caress of her Void-creature's obsidian body against the warmth of her skin, simultaneously shuddering at the memory of Caliban's hunger. Suppose she chose to subsequently 'consume' all her enemies. What portion of her intent would lie in self-defence, what division would be given to ambition, and what share would be driven by the strange hunger that would surely awaken once her current store of vitality was spent? How steep was the slippery slope ahead? At what junction does the incline become free fall? _What makes a man if all he cares for is sleep and feed?_ A beast! No more! _BEEP-BEEP!_ A dark Audi sedan disrupted Gwen's internal philosophising. The door opened, the engine plinked, two familiar faces emerged. Tao' Peaches' Wang had a way of sauntering where the gait of his 'gangster' strut made him appear mildly intoxicated at all times, wavering back and forth like he was ducking an invisible boxer. "Yo! Mah bi-b… emm… eu… tiful ladies!" Tao was instantly the ire of every patron in the cafe. "Gwen, you looking sweet-ass!" "Eeeee!" Ariel greeted the newcomers. "Wassap! Mah Cat-snake brother!" Tao fist-bumped Ariel's paws, bringing a broad smile to Gwen's lips. Lacking Elvia's divine presence, it took someone like Tao to divest herself from ethical dilemmas that plagued her Path every inch of the way. "Shaa-Shaa!" Caliban hissed its greeting from under the table. "Sup? Big Dick Caliban!" One of the patrons began a coughing fit. Another spilt her tea. "Peaches! Stop it!" Gwen was already beside herself. There was nothing like Peaches to offset depression. "Petra! Yo yo..." Tao turned his attention toward Petra. Petra's husky blue eyes were two orbs of pale crystal. "Hello." "Good afternoon, Peaches. How are you?" "I am doing well," Tao replied solemnly, his fingers subconsciously forming a gang sign. "Pats! Gwen!" Mina bypassed Tao's stooping figure and embraced her cousins. "I hope you're feeling better, Gwen." Tao sat, both legs splayed like a spatchcock. As per his unique style, Tao's choice of all-weather Adidas, paired with a broad-billed baseball cap, cared little for Shanghai's latest trends. "I heard from babulya that you had a tough time at the Districts," Mina began, her oval eyes glimmering with sympathy. "I am here if you want to talk about it." "Aww, thanks, Mina. I appreciate that." "Me too, dawg." Tao nodded affirmatively. "If you want my advice, you should write a song about it and mix it up with sick beats! That way, you can expel yo demons, dawg. BOOM! Then you feel released like Yo just laid a huge log, ya know?" "Thanks, Peaches, I'll take your advice into careful consideration," Gwen thanked her cousin kindly, fighting the laughter arresting her chest. Horrified, Gwen and her audience couldn't dispel the vision of this _log_ that Tao had driven into the recess of her mind. "Don't think about it," Mina advised, catching Petra's pained expression. "Instead, think about spell incantations. I find that reciting my healing mantras helps immensely. I don't know how he comes up with this stuff. Maybe he's a genius?" "Lyrical Gee!" Tao worked himself again. "Dis bad boy's moonlighting at the Shan tonight! Gwen, Pats, treat yo-self and check out the boys and me down at the Club making sweet noise!" "He means he and his friends are performing at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai—basement B2," Mina translated. She paused, looked as though she wanted to add something, but refrained from doing so. "I'd say it's the usual crudeness, but the Waldorf Astoria is a very nice hotel. We can stop by before or after and have drinks. They're famous for their cocktails." "Mimi, you gotta stop stepping on mah log, bitch. Don't put the B-boyz and me down in front 'o Kuz! That's not cool." "Nobody calls me that, Peaches." Mina rolled her eyes expertly, evidently having had plenty of practice. "Besides, you're upsetting Petra. Stop talking." Petra appeared thoroughly troubled by Tao's increasingly disturbing premise. "Here's yo tickets, Gwen." Tao produced two golden slips, one for Gwen and the other for Petra. "VIP, backstage access, front row, whatever you need!" "Wow, you _are_ putting on a show." Gwen took the tickets and passed one over to Petra, who took it dubiously. "There's going to be an audience other than… us… right?" "AHAHAHAHA, you funny!" Tao laughed nervously, providing a hasty addendum. "We got a fan club, bitches galore!" Both Petra and Gwen turned to Mina, who took on a troubled expression. _Bitches, huh?_ Gwen considered Tao's declaration. She supposed that the heir of Wang Xin Enterprise would naturally possess a fan club—the Gold Digger's Club. "He's not lying," Mina confessed. "Don't look at me. I don't know how it's possible either." Gwen regarded the ticket in her hand. 'Battle of Rhymes' the tagline said. 'The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, B-2.' She wanted—no—she needed to blow off some stress: alcoholic refreshments, music, and good friends in a high-class hotel sounded like just the 'ticket'. "I'll go," Gwen announced her participation with as much fatalism as Lulan confessing her misdeeds at D-109. A hip-hop party? Sure, she had been a club regular in her old world. "Petra, do you have the time to escort me? I could go by myself if you're busy." "I'll go," Petra said. "Magister Wen would not want you to get into MORE trouble. Tao, if one of your fans decides to get handsy, it's your funeral." Mina shrugged. "I'll pick you guys up and take you home if you're coming," she offered. "Peaches will pay all incurred costs, including unlimited drinks." "Of course! Aww yeah!" Tao visibly pumped a fist in victory. Tao and Mina's drinks arrived: a spritzer for the sister and a beer for the Illusionist rapper. The trio talked, with Gwen stating that she'd save her adventure at D-109 for when they could speak in less public space with less commotion and more intimacy. "Great idea," Mina assured Gwen. "The Astoria once had the longest bar in the world! It's a relic from the old colonial days. You're going to love the cocktails." Gwen pointed her finger at herself. "I am not eighteen yet..." Saying that about herself made her incredibly self-conscious. Mina chuckled. "We know the management, don't worry." "Okay! You are the boss! Hoss!" Tao happily meandered off to pay the bill. "See you guys at the show!" Mina made sure that Tao was out of sight before she apologised. "He's getting better, believe it or not," she told them. "He's much more confident after Hengsha Island. Thanks, Gwen." "I can't help but feel deeply suspicious," Gwen observed Mina's halting speech and guilty expression. "What's at this show? Why does he want me and Petra to attend so desperately?" The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Let's talk while we shop." Mina slid off the barstool. "If he truly upsets you, don't hesitate to give him a good beating. He'll be sore for a while, but whatever your choice, it won't leave a scar." "Coming, Pats?" Gwen asked her cousin, who did not at all have an interest in retail therapy. "Sure, let's relax for the rest of the day." Petra stepped from the stool. "I suspect I shall need many drinks before the night's over." _The rationale why Gwen and Petra must attend—_ as Mina explained over a selection of party dresses at K-11, was that Tao had made a careless bet. "Again?" Gwen spluttered. "What is it this time?" Petra scowled. "Please don't get upset." Mina braced the girls for impact. "So, what happened was that Peaches... boasted to his circle of friends that he played a pivotal role at Hengsha, saving the two of you." "That seems reasonable," Gwen affirmed that Tao did make a good contribution to their hunting down of the Elder Gila. "I can accept that." "Yeah..." Mina waited until Gwen finished. "Naturally, he told them that the two of you are his… close acquaintances." "We're family. I am cool with that too." Gwen held up a mini-dress and pressed it against her waist. The colour was beautiful, but the cut did not conform to her figure. "Not his exact words, I take it," Petra added coldly, feeling the fabric of a sheer blouse between her fingers before letting it fall. "No, not exactly." "What did he call us? His whores?" Petra was relentless, cutting through the evasive euphemism with the keen edge of a crystalline shard. Mina was visibly cringing. "HE DID NOT!" Gwen appeared stunned by Tao's looseness, thinking of the ubiquitously annoying hip-hop clichés from her old world. "Really? We're related!" "I don't think he intended it to mean anything," Mina interjected before Gwen's opinion of Tao soured entirely. "More like, you know, helpers." "We're his _shorties_?" Gwen jeered. "We're his _bishes_ ’," Petra's frigid tone could rival Kitty's arcane ice. Mina sighed. "Look, he means well." "How exactly?" Gwen demanded as the trio left the shop and entered another. "We all know Peaches," Mina said. "Or not. I guess you guys don't. But you know he doesn't mean half the things he says. They just come out of his mouth like an illness. Like his 'ill' rhymes." "Tourette's Syndrome," Gwen suggested helpfully. "I don't know what that is, but sure," Mina said. "It's a neurological disorder where people fail to suppress unwanted premonitory urges," Gwen clarified. "Though saying the word 'bitch’ every other sentence is hardly a part of the spectrum." "Is this disease recorded in a book?" Petra's attention perked up at her Gwenism. "I heard it from someone in Australia once," Gwen lied. "There was a guy called Gilles de la Tourette, who had severe muscular and verbal tics that he couldn't help. He's dead now. His tic got him while chanting a spell, and he blew up." "Oh." Petra seemed disappointed. "I get what you're saying. I suppose it's Peaches being Peaches. So what happened?" Gwen continued. "Some of his 'friends' doubted that this whole ordeal about Hengsha is real," Mina spoke with exasperation. "To be honest, I still can't believe we came first. Anyway, Peaches got riled up, a fight ensued, he got his ass handed to him - and now they have a bet." "Who and what is this bet about?" "Well - if Peaches can prove you're his… er… helpers," Mina replied. "Then he gets a favour from Sammy Gu and Sammy's limited edition Ether-Engine Roadster." "If he loses?" "He has to give up the Battle of Rhymes by singing about himself being a filthy liar, and Sammy gets to keep Tao's car." "Tao has a car?" Petra raised a sceptical eyebrow. She didn't know Tao could drive. Mina pointed a finger toward her chest helplessly. "I have a car. It's 'our' car," she moped. Gwen felt her sympathy pour forth like spilt soup. "Look, I'll help out," she declared sweetly. "To save your car, if nothing else. Petra, what do you say? We have to show up. He's not expecting us to... do anything else, I hope." "I'll break both his legs," Petra stated matter-of-factly. "Uncle Wang would probably thank us." "Please do," Mina muttered. " _There, there._ " Gwen patted Mina, drawing her into her arms. "You poor little thing." "I am older than you." Mina reddened, pushing Gwen away. "I am bigger than you." Gwen grinned, towering over Mina in more ways than one. Mina was a year Tao's junior and the second oldest of Team Cousins. It was her ageless appearance which was misleading. Where Petra could easily be mistaken for her mid-twenties, Mina could be mistaken for a junior high schooler. "Hmmph!" Mina turned her head, pouting. "Well, let's pick something out then," Gwen announced to the girls. "Party frock or something more subtle?" Petra checked the price tag and then furrowed her brows. I wonder what would happen if Petra attended in her yoga pants, Gwen mused to herself. Certainly, who could complain? "Pick whatever you want," their wealthy cousin steeled her resolve before making the offer kindly, a mischievous smile touching her lips. "After all, Tao's paying." The girls arrived back at Fudan B-1 just after 4 PM, where they could change into their newly acquired outfits for the evening. Petra and Gwen watched Mina longingly gaze at her Audi as they parcelled out the contents of their shopping, amused by the sudden sentimentality Mina felt for her sedan. It was a stupid bet. Not even Gwen could deny that. One that could only occur among adults whose IQ was disproportionately lower than their financial thresholds. There was such a word for it in Shanghai—the Fu-er-dai, or the progeny of the mega-wealthy. It was just as well that Tao's vice was his passion for music, not something nefarious. As for Tao's family, Gwen knew well that keeping the siblings in her good graces would benefit her one day. After all, the Patriarch was a self-made man! At fifty, he had established himself with the necessary connections and favours to leave the CCP administration and open his own resource extraction company, Wang Xing Enterprise. Under the Wang title, WX Capital extracted crystals from contracted Green and Orange Zones. WX Construction was a state-owned co-op company that built infrastructural projects for the state. Finally, WX E&E was a cooperative partnered with the Towers, serving the explicit purpose of searching for new resources. Though Mina dismissed her father's exploits, Gwen understood that Bao Wang had succeeded in the rare Communist climate despite the odds. How was it that such a man married Nen? Mina's air-headed mother? Gwen was beyond curious. According to Mina, Bao had met Nen Song, Gwen's aunty, at a charity gala. The unwary Nen helped Bao with a spilt drink, kept him company, and then bid him goodbye. Even when Bao arranged for repeatedly fortuitous meetings, she blithely recognised him as the poor man with the ruined shirt. "You don't care who I am or what I do?" He had asked her incredulously on their third date. "Why does it matter?" Nen replied with complete earnestness. "You're just Bao." Bao Wang was sold. "I can't believe he doesn't have a mistress," Mina remarked once, to which Gwen responded by choking on her char-siu bun. "In Shanghai, among the rich, they say three's company; two is none. All my friend's fathers, and sometimes their mothers, have a 'side dish'." In his perfect middle life, the one regret that the Wangs possessed was Tao's desire to be a musician. "I use the word 'musician' lightly." Mina gibed when Gwen asked what Tao would be performing in the evening. "That tongue-flapping Western thing they do… I don't know." Gwen didn't mind at all that Tao wanted to be a rapper. The phenomenon had changed the very landscape of music in her old world. She pledged that, given a chance, she would watch some of those banned American Vid-Casts and offer Tao some advice, plagiarised from the USA of her past. The two-bedroom apartment was too small for the three girls to get ready at once, so they took turns between the two bedrooms and the one bathroom, conversing loudly with one another through open doorways. Gwen's selection was a matt navy mini-dress with a plunging V-neck. Light and airy, the form-fitted fabric was enchanted to expand and contract, allowing the lining to stretch without hampering the wearer's movements. Petra, who had a military upbringing and had a distinctly Eastern European perception of modesty, emerged in a denim skirt and black t-shirt, her face made up with nought but lip-gloss and the barest of eyeliners. "Oh. My. MAO!" Mina's tone was equal parts jealousy, worship, and awe. Unlike Gwen, whose limbs were supple and refined, Petra was the definition of vivacity, like a ballet prima donna. Observing her cousin, Gwen grew increasingly smitten until her inevitable meeting with Petra's crystal-blue eyes. There was very good reason Petra had been hand-picked by the Moscow Tower to be their femme fatale, Gwen postulated. In her mind, Petra could have been a modern-day Lucrezia Borgia. Her cousin was not amused by the attention. Instead, the girl redirected Gwen's gaze to Mina, whose defeated choice encompassed a loose varsity shirt that emphasised her bust, paired with shorts and dark knee-socks to create a very Asian appeal. "Where's Richard?" Mina released the question she must have kept on her tongue all day, her face blushing adorably. "Is he... next door?" "Richard's away on errands," Gwen informed her. "He'd be over otherwise, even if it's just to check on us." "Ah—alright." Mina appeared disappointed by the news. "Next time." According to her schedule, Tao's so-called Battle of Rhymes was slated to begin around 8 PM. The girls could get there around 7 PM and load up on some drinks before they had to be subjected to Tao's music. "You sure we're not going to be harassed?" Gwen tugged on her dress, bringing the hem a little lower. "I shouldn't expend any magic..." "Peaches' friends will be there," Mina assured them. "Dad is well known at the Metropolitan as well. If you're worried, I'll have a word with the management. The backers for the Hotel are not the sort of people the average Guan-er-dai or Fu-er-dai can contend with." "Alright," Gwen nodded sceptically, uneasy at the prospect of yet another asshole whose frontal lobe became checkmated by an erection. When she had spoken about her many terrible experiences with Petra, her cousin was sceptical. "I've been harassed now and then, but never like what you've gone through," Petra raised both brows. "Trust me. I've had enough training to know that you're not the type to drive men crazy. The occasional pervert—I could believe—but all the time? Maybe you're just unlucky?" " _It keeps happening!_ " Gwen tried to rationalise the phenomenon. "The NoM on the train, I could somewhat understand. But Richard's juniors at my Uncle's were just gross, especially after I met them again, and they were perfectly fine. There's Dai, who lost his head, and those Mages in the Dungeon. I mean, you were there too. Did anyone try to have a go at you?" "Have a go?" Petra had snorted with derisive laughter. "Ergh... you know." Gwen grabbed at the air with her hands. "I don't understand," Petra smirked. "Have a go at what?" "Never mind," Gwen changed the subject. For some reason, her mind always wandered toward the lumen pics of Elizabeth Sobel. It was impossible not to think of her Master's wife when her reflection in the mirror was pale and loitering. Sobel had an allure about her—a kind of hunger that was infectious. She was beautiful but compared to Petra or even Alesia, Sobel was only slightly above average. What the woman possessed, instead, was an incredible presence, a kind of 'attraction' and 'allure' that was difficult to frame with words. A pang of hunger and madness, perhaps. A feeling akin to standing at a perilous precipice and having a sudden urge to leap. Gwen blew a lungful of air through her lips. She looked at the clock; it was almost 630. They had better— _‘BEEEP-AAAA-eeeeee-KERRRRRR’_ From the table, the LRC device blared its unholy chorus. Gwen bolted for the projector. Despite the cruel heels strapped to her thin ankles, her movements were akin to a female leopard protecting its cubs. The call was from Gunther, not Evee. "Do you want us to clear out?" Petra inquired as the call connected. Gwen considered her cousin's proposal. Of course, she could bring Mina into her circle of confidence, but sometimes the truth wasn't worth the trouble. Mina's life was happily naive and carefree. There was no need to rope the healer onto her Raft of the Medusa. She nodded. "We'll wait for you by the lift," Petra informed her. "Come on, Mina. You don't want to hear this." Mina followed Petra out the door. Gwen turned to the device as the illusory projection manifested. "Gwen!" Instead of Gunther, Alesia's worried face appeared. "You said there's something dire and urgent? I got Gunther here with me, and… WHOOOOAAA! NICE! What are you wearing? Are you going out?" Her desired tale of misfortune grew dubious in Gwen's mind. After all, how dangerous could her circumstances be if she was in a party dress and stiletto heels? "The dress is… for another matter. I've got something important to inform Gunther and yourself," Gwen said seriously. "Ohhh! You look lovely!" Alesia gushed, her blue eyes twinkling. "What did you do to your complexion?! What product are you using? Is it an Enchantment? Some fruit from the Wildlands? What sort? How much for a dozen?!" "Alesia…" "Godness. I can't get enough of my little sister! Such a beautiful child! How come you never dressed like that around us in Sydney? Bachelors would be beating down the door if—" "Alesia!" Gwen had to flap her arms as though she was trying to take flight with invisible wings. "Listen! My news is important!" "Alright, Alex, come on, let Gwen speak." Gunther's voice could be heard beside Alesia. "Fine, fine," Alesia relented, grumbling. Gunther's face came into view. "I see you're doing well in Shanghai," he chuckled. "Boyfriend?" "Not you too, Gunther!" Gwen waved her hand in front of her face frantically. "Look, I got something to tell you. It happened. I ate a lady the other day and stole her talents." "You did WHAT?!" Alesia pushed Gunther away from the cube's projection. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. "Like, with a fork?" "Like in Blackheath, I mean," Gwen corrected herself. "I had Caliban take her in one gulp, though I am pretty sure that like before, you know... the brain, the heart, and the offal." "Was she alive?" "And kicking…" Gwen's hollow tone echoed her devastated conscience. "Did she deserve it?" Alesia was naturally unperturbed. "It's fine if they deserved it." "That's why I am calling," Gwen began. "It's about Elizabeth Sobel…"

"It's almost seven." Mina bit her lower lip, irritated by the delay. "You can go first." Petra shrugged. Before Gwen had brought the party together, she had spoken to her second cousin no more than a few minutes per Chinese New Year. "I'd rather not. The two of you wouldn't make it in time," Mina replied, anxious with agitation. "Tao's performance starts at eight. It'll be pointless if we arrive and he's already given up the match." "Gwen is on an important call, be patient." Petra regarded Mina. It wasn't that she was looking down on Gwen's paternal cousin, though that was certainly true due to their height difference. She felt the wallflower wasn't on the same _Plane_ as Gwen and herself. Since the island, Petra had Gwen's companionship because they were alike in many ways. They both came from difficult familial circumstances. They both had dealings that tied them to Towers. They both had coveted magical abilities. They both had futures filled with conflict and uncertainty. Their parallel paths made them perfect comrades. But Mina and Tao? Two greenhouse Fu-er-dai in a Tier 1 city, not knowing wind, rain, hunger or pain. Their greatest trial would be who to marry and how many kids they should have; their violent reckoning was whether or not keeping a lover was a plausible balance between wanton desire and etiquette. Mina stamped her feet, striding up and down the corridor. "These damn shoes are killing me!" She hissed, suddenly displeased with her luxury. Petra shook her head imperceptibly. Even if Tao were to lose his bet, it was nothing Petra would consider worthy of her sympathy. The bruised ego of an Illusionist nobody, and the loss of a car. Who cares about a car? A quasi-magical device made for NoMs and Mages alike? In the future, Gwen and herself would be free to use Flight as they pleased. On that note, Petra wondered if Gwen could fathom the value of the Regeneration Cube she had expended on Lulan. At the right moment, in the right hands, the spell in that cube could have secured a whole demesne. Human life, after all, was priceless. The higher the power one amassed, the more wealth one accumulated, and the more value one placed on life. _DING!_ The levitation platform slid open, revealing a sprinter's figure in shorts and a tank top. "Miss Kutznetsova!" Lulan's eyes swept over Petra, dumbfounded by her revealing attire. "H-Hello!" Speak of the devil. Petra hailed the Sword Mage amiably. Compared to Mina, Lulan was more on her level. "Hello, Miss Li. What's the matter?" Lulan held several takeout boxes in her hand. "I brought some sweets for Miss Song." She tore her eyes away from Petra to greet Mina. "Greetings, Miss?" "Mina. Mina Wang. I am Gwen's cousin." Lulan bowed hastily. Petra's lips curled sardonically despite herself. Ten Mina Wangs would not be able to resist a single full-forced blow from Lulan Li. "Gwen, Petra and I are all going out together," Mina stated, her tone unconsciously more churlish than she intended. "She's on a call right now." "I'll wait." Lulan stowed the takeout boxes in her ring. Mina's well-honed eyes of appraisal narrowed. "Nice. A Large Storage Ring?" The rich girl knew her exorbitant rings like the back of her hand. "Yeah." Lulan paid the question no mind. "Where are you all going?" "To the Astoria, for the Battle of Rhymes." Mina's tone took on a less critical demeanour. A girl with a rare ring couldn't just be anybody. "My brother's competing." "Oh, a duel! I do love those. My brother and I often compete," Lulan boasted a little sheepishly, perhaps thinking of their loss to Gwen. "What's the Waldorf Astoria?" "Hah—?" Mina laughed. "It's a hotel, one of the oldest in Shanghai. It was built in the 20s in the International Quater by British expatriate Mages who wanted it to be the grandest establishment in the Pearl of the Orient." "Oh? That sounds amazing." Lulan's expression suggested that Mina's words were as cryptic to her as ancient sorcery. "Why don't you come with us?" Petra cut in unexpectedly. She was bored of Mina's antics already. Perhaps Lulan could liven things up. "Gwen would love it if you could come." "To the duel?" Lulan's eyes lit up, clearly misunderstanding the word. Mina caught Petra's attention, then blinked rapidly. "Something like that." Petra smiled cruelly. "Mina, you don't mind, do you? Lulu is our new friend. She's a brilliant Sword Mage and an important asset for Gwen." "You're a Clanner?" Mina's brows furrowed. "Not anymore." Lulan shook her head stiffly. Compared to before, the girl appeared lucid and self-conscious. Petro understood the feeling well. A step into the unknown world was full of anxiousness for a girl who had just lost all their familial connections. When she had left the Tower, she felt the same thing. "It's complicated," Lulan replied uncertainly. Thankfully, the group's awkwardness was short-lived. "Lulu!" Gwen's voice called out as the door to 2204 clicked shut behind her. Their Message devices currently measured 7.20 PM. They could make it if Mina dodged and weaved through traffic. "Let's go!" Mina had no more time to debate the merits of including a fourth member. Together, the crew descended into the garage. "Come on, Lulu." "It's Lulan…" "Whatever, get in, Clanner. We're going clubbing!" Shanghai One the Second Orbital Ring, Mina's sedan cruised through the traffic, catching the splendiferous reflections from the neon, Illusory billboards. Saddled in the backseat between her saviour and Magus Kutznetsova, Lulan felt her chest grow hot. Foremostly was the fact that the sorceresses she had battled previously wore not battle garbs but something far more intimidating. In her mind, Gwen was a Battle Mage, a summoner of friends, a flying avatar of lightning and thunder sowing death amongst her enemies. But a party dress? Lulan felt as though she was seeing her saviour for the first time. What was she wearing? Her footwear offered no protection! Those heels looked like chopsticks! Her thighs were dangerously exposed! Lulan's mind flared with confusion, simultaneously scandalised and over-stimulated. Compared to the car full of perfume, Lulan had never been told to be feminine. The most daring thing she had ever done involved a makeup kit she'd discovered in one of the servant's quarters. When Lulan had examined the result of her curious labour in the mirror, she quickly reached for a towel and wiped away any evidence of her experimentation. "I am so glad you're coming with us," her saviour gushed. “No-no-no!” Lulan waved her hand frantically. How could she stand beside one so generous? By the Iron Sword! The very thought of it terrified her. It was incredible that Gwen and her cousins would witness a Mage duel in those shoes and that dress. What happens when a melee ensues? What if one of them received an elemental attack that penetrated their barriers? Lovely as their mundane clothes were, they were as flimsy as they were beautiful. Also, her wardrobe consisted entirely of exercise clothing, which was why Gwen had lent her magical clothing that refitted itself. As dusk fell, the sleek Audi roared like a Magical Beast, punching its way through the traffic on a mission to save itself. South of the Bund, bombastic beats reverberated through the basement of the Astoria. "Yo-yo-YO gonna give it up, Son?" Sammy Gu, Big SAM, wordsmith extraordinaire, mercilessly mocked his rival, Big Peaches, AKA Peaches, AKA Tao Wang of Wang Xing Enterprise. "Fuck you, I ain't no liar!" Tao retorted. "How about you pop some wicked rhymes, and we battle it out like real men, huh?! You wanna be the king, or you gonna pussy out?" "That's a _bet_ you're trying ta worm out of, fool, don't play me with your third-grade bull, little man!" "Peaches don't need no bitches to beat your ass down to a pulp! Your rhymes are so lame, ya choke on yer lyrical vomit, _buta_!" "Ooooh!" "Kick his ass!" "Nice one! Peaches!" The room was dim, hazy and filled with moving bodies; the air was rank with tobacco, body odour and a hint of forbidden medicinal herbs. Usually, the establishment would have refused to lease the subbasement level to individuals such as these, whose presence would bring infamy to the noble visage of the Waldorf hotel chain—but the one who had made the request was the sole heir of the Wang Xing Group. That was why they were in the basement car park, now converted into a stage. To the confused patrons above, these young folk were out of sight! And thus, out of mind. Out of pocket, the hotel had even set up Silence enchantments above and below so the youths' riotous foreign music would be contained within the sandwiched aural fortification. However, things were not going so smoothly for the organiser. Thus far, Tao had been talking crap for almost ten minutes straight. Their match had begun nearly half an hour ago, but Sammy Gu refused to participate due to Tao's poorly contested gamble. Unless Tao could prove Petra Kutznetsova, the " _Flower of Fudan",_ and Gwen Song, the "Mongolian Death Worm Handler", were his _Hos_ , Tao had to apologise and confess to his clowning. "Come on! Come on!" Tao was sweating buckets underneath his mocking demeanour. _Where the fuck was Mina?! She'd promised to bring the girls!_ "Such a little bitch, Peaches." Sammy shifted his weight impressively. "I think you're lying about them cuz yo face is as ugly as Miss Petra's ass is FINE!" "Woop! Woop!" "Yoga pants!" "Sammy, you suck!" The crowd's boredom was growing palpable. "TICK-TOCK! Mother fucker! I have no idea how a fine thing like yo mama gave birth to a stain like you, Peaches. You so ugly, you went to the Northern Front, and they mistook you for a ghoul!" Tao's head grew hot. His brain felt as though two llamas were taking turns mounting each other inside his skull. His usual mastery over the lyrical had become a hodgepodge of stir-fried syllables. He could undoubtedly fire off a few more _mud grass horse_ insults, but those were the lowest common denominator. Looking at Fat Sammy there, his rival could probably K.O. him just by sitting on his chest. "Peaches, what's the plan, man?" Mack-Daddy was balls out and still sweating profusely. "Is Miss Kutznetsova and Gwen going to come? If not…" "You gotta have faith, man!" Little-Dog insisted. "I believe in Peaches, who believes in Miss Song!" Tao felt unsteady, his knees weak and wobbly, wondering if he should vomit forth his mum's chashui-mien already. _Come on, Mina!_ His perspiring eyes scanned the lift. Then, he saw the green light. The lift was moving. MAO's BALLS, it was opening! _DING-DONG!_ The door opened. Tao's voice caught in his throat. He saw—a concierge in a red vest. _FUCK!_ Tao groaned. _I am FUCKED._ Then the bastard stepped aside. "You look wonderful, Lulu," Gwen assured the Sword Mage. "Lovely," Petra agreed. After a short pause, she added. "Don't let your brother see you in that if he's as tight as you say." Gwen observed her handiwork. Lulan was reborn. The Sword Mage was a pretty thing, but even the best gems needed polishing and cutting to bring out their lustre and shine. From the girl's eyes in the car mirror, Gwen could see that a new world was opening up for Lulan, one that would drive Kusu up the wall shortly. Presently, Lulan had snuggled into a dress Gwen had lent her—a simple sundress that suited her clean-cut, athletic figure. Like all high-affinity Earthen Mages, Lulan possessed a hard and lean musculature, with abs hard enough to shatter stone slabs. With a whine, Mina's Audi pulled up in front of the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai parking bay. Several bell boys immediately approached the car, headed by a well-dressed concierge. "Miss Wang!" the concierge greeted Mina with a bow as she escaped the driver's seat. "What may be your pleasure today?" "We're late," Mina commanded the handsome young man dressed impeccably in his vermillion vest. "Take my guests down to Basement 2." "Where Young Master Wang is hosting his friends? Of course, Ma'am, right this way." Lulan stumbled from the back seat, helped by Gwen and aided by a bellboy, struggling to balance on her wedged shoes. When Gwen emerged, the staff's eyes lit up. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Then Petra emerged, and a respectful silence descended upon the parking rotunda. "Come on!" Mina urged them, watching the minute hand ticking toward its inevitable destination. "I've half a mind to have the two of you Dimension Door down there!" The girls made their way across the lobby, guided by the fleet steps of the concierge and drawing eyes from across the room. The grand foyer of the Waldorf Astoria was four storeys tall and lit by Daylight spells playing beautifully through a panoramic array of French window skylights. At the elevation platform bay, Greco-Roman statues in white marble added a touch of the classics to the otherwise Art-deco facade. _Ding-Dong!_ The 'lift' was a brass and glass contraption which moved without sound. It was a relic of bygone days when master craftsmen built the elevation platforms, not prefabricated spell Glyphs installed by technicians. "Level B-2," the concierge told the operator, who bowed, then returned to the stoic labour of cranking archaic ivory-handled shafts. The party could hear the thumping of bone-throbbing bass as soon as the lift penetrated the wards. When the brass-wrought retro doors finally opened, Gwen and the girls found themselves amid a haze of dubious smoke. "YOU'RE HERE!" Tao's voice could be heard projecting across the room via an empowered Ventriloquism. By his tone, Mina's brother sounded as though he had finally found Godot. "FUCK YEAH@ MAH HONEYS HAVE ARRIVED!! PEACHES IN DA HOUSE! HE AIN'T NO LIAR! BRINGING IT DOWN! SUCK IT, SAMMY G!" The thumping bass reached a new high as a path opened between the stage and the girls. Gwen's eyes scanned through the crowd, noting the entire 'show' was a product of Tao and his gang utilising Illusionary magic. _BOOM-BOOM—Chic_ _BOOM- Chic—BOOM-BOOM—_ Once her curiosity in spellcraft was satiated, she craned her neck to inspect Tao's audience. As her hazel eyes took in the scene, her lips fell half open with growing dread. Beside her, Lulan appeared to have entered a whole other realm of shock. The music! The thumping! The beat! What an atmosphere! The girl's blood was boiling! "Mao!" Lulan shouted in her ear. "THIS IS AMAZING. I feel a melee is going to break out at any moment! Do you think there's a prize for the most Mages disabled? But why are there NoMs here? How are they going to defend themselves?" _BOOM-BOOM—Chic_ _BOOM- Chic—BOOM-BOOM—_ Gwen, however, was noting something else entirely. There was a big crowd, sure. _But where are the women?_ Were they the only women here? "Mina…" Gwen reached out and shook her cousin by the shoulders. "It's a sausage party, Mina! Do you hear me?! _A sausage party!_ What have you taken us to!" Gwen's trembling voice was choked out between gritted teeth. Mina's watering eyes struggled against the smoke, which, unfortunately, was as much atmospheric Illusion as second-hand cigarette smoke, with a tasteful hint of Chinese herbal medicine. "Peaches…" her cousin's face grew twisted with malice. "I am going to kill you." The beats grew quiet, starting with the peanut gallery closest to the levitation platform. One by one, their voices choked as the foursome of girls emerged. First, a lovely but flabbergasted girl exited the lift with a stupefied expression. Then a short Asian girl with adorability dialled to ten, which many of the crowd recognised as Tao's famous sister. Then... Then the observers' heads went white with noise. Slowly, the crowd parted like the Red Sea before a proverbial Magi. Tao's boastful voice reverberated through the basement, adding to the ambient noise. Sammy Gu's face dropped, looking like he had been forced-fed spoilt sushi. _The Flower of Fudan_ and her peers moved through the open lane like an empress surveying her domain, stepping over paper cups and smoking butt-ends. Those from Fudan who knew her reverently muttered her name, informing the others. Those whose knowledge had been lacking now branded the moniker upon their brain. Gwen took Lulan by her hand and moved up the aisle. She wanted a flashy entry, but Petra had forbidden all magic. Their Sword Mage followed like a puppy, stopping at the stage's edge. The spotlight moved from the stage centre and landed where the group stood, bathing them in white illumination. The sound of breath being drawn echoed across the room. Amazingly, Petra motioned for the vox phone. Obediently, the adjudicator MC handed her the Ventrilo device. "We're here," _The Flower of Fudan_ stated flatly, her voice ringing across the basement. "Now battle. It's getting late." Gwen figured she may was well play the part. Peaches' punishment will come later, but there was no need to embarrass him now. "You can do it, Peaches! We support you!" she made her best impression of a fangirl. Her voice echoed across the basement, punctuated only by the soft thump of bass generated by modifying Illusory Sound incantations. "Come on, Lulu. You do it too." "Why is his name a fruit?" Lulan's face was aflame with shame and unspeakable embarrassment. "Is he going to battle now? Is this a part of a ritual? Dark Ritual? Is someone being sacrificed?" "Woooo!" Gwen's reply was lonesome and desolate. " _We love you, Peaches! Come on, Pats!_ " "I don't understand," Lulan continued, confused as ever. "Are they fighting? How? Their mana signature is less than novices? In Huashan, such individuals could only assume the role of menial labourers." "Go on." Petra's voice was like ice dropping onto cold marble. "Get on with it. We're here to support you." Finally, in triumph, Tao turned to Sammy, his rival. His face flushed with excitement. "Time to get it ON! BITCH!" Tao launched into a bombastic beat-box rhythm to set the tempo of his Project Image. His lips unleashed a torrent of cognitively dissociative bitten syllables clashing with deliberately mispronounced homophones. Mack-Daddy and Little-Dog soon joined in, dimming the lights and providing vocal backing. _"When the Firestorm clears, it won't be_ _So fuck'n difficult to hear,_ _'til then hopefully ya_ _Little gobos get over your fears_ _It's OK to be spooked, bitch._ _The Magister said I'd trigger ears_ _My Illusions, ya see, they bring tears,_ _my whole career's_ _A stroke of tactical genius, Illusory magic,_ _pimp sorcery, year after year..."_ Tao was good, Gwen had to admit. The Illusionist was riling the crowd up, getting them distracted from Petra long enough to start bobbing their heads and moving, itself an impressive feat. Maybe, if she could recall some of the classics from her old world, she could push Tao in the right direction. If Tao could master higher-tier Illusions or parallel casting, he could combine his 'show' with visual and audio spectacles, like Light Balancing or clones of himself breakdancing. Being the victim of Tao's verbose spit spray, Sammy's jowls quivered. Try as Tao's rival might to recall rhymes to beat back the Peach, his expression looked as bad as his half-formed innuendoes. Each time he tried to fathom a connecting rhyme, he stared instead at Petra. When Sammy attempted to shift his eyes away, his ocular muscles revolted, telling him to keep staring. Even as he pinched his arms black and blue, all the man could do was shift his gaze to Gwen, then back. Gwen felt her skin crawl. The man was sick, she felt. From the way he gawked at them, the bloke was thoroughly enjoying Tao's abuse. "I AM SORRY!" Tao apologised beside the girls with a deep bow. "Don't be. It was fun." Gwen laughed with genuine affection. "It was interesting to see you beat down that Sammy guy." "Still, I had no idea that dawg was such a pervert," Tao confessed miserably. "I mean, Sammy's wanton dude, but Mao, that was something else, even for him! Who'd thought he'd unbuckle and flash Petra the goods..." "Aha..." Gwen's expression was unreadable. Petra's was petrifying. Following Tao's one-sided thrashing of his stunned' rival', Sammy lost it. Maybe the idea that Petra and Gwen were Tao's 'fans' was too much for the prideful _gangster_ , but the daze bloke's low-riding pants fell to the floor, all the while stumbling forwards. Petra immediately erected a crystalline wall that caught the large man mid-stride, catching his crotch, crushing the poor sod's mouse between a crystalline block and a hard place. Though hastily resolved, the incident quickly turned into a riot of jeers and insults. Despite Gwen's best efforts to dissuade Petra, her self-proclaimed bodyguard removed the girls from the scene. Soon after, the party retired to the famous "Bar Astoria". "So, they battle with words only? Like a debate?" Lulan was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that several hundred individuals got together in a dark basement, set up a stage, squared off, and then walked away after half an hour of shit-talking. "No spells? Could Even NoMs participate? Wasn't that man challenging us? I was going to use a Sword-Wall..." The entire party winced. Tao crossed his legs. "Stupid Peaches." Mina was still furious that Sammy, a close family friend, turned out to be such a pervert. She promised the girls that everyone in her social circle would know and shun Sammy from this day forth. Gwen told Mina to forget about Sammy and get the drinks started. As Mina ordered the group, her eyes scanned the historical setting of Bar Astoria. During the day, the French windowed balcony doors were opened, offering a vista of the Huangpu River and the Bund. At night, the panes were shut, creating a cosy lounge. Beyond, the arc of the Bund's bay ran from left to right, paralleling the length of the white quartz bar that stretched the entirety of the bar lounge. "Young Miss, your drinks." A bright-eyed young man with the standard red vest of the hotel staff bowed stiffly, lowering himself to allow the girls easier access to their drinks. When they each took their orders, there were two that remained, purple-orange creations with flecks of gold circling within. "From the gentlemen by the window, Miss." The waiter motioned subtly, drawing Petra's eyes to the windowpane, where a suited young man seated with another male companion raised a glass. "The second is for you, Miss," the waiter spoke with a whisper. "From the other young Sir." Lulan's eyes sparkled. "Mao, Gwen! Isn't this what happens in dramas? I've seen this on Kusu's favourite shows!" Gwen shook her head. "Please return both drinks to the gentlemen and thank them for the offer. We're not socialising tonight." Gwen smiled and placed an LDM on the tray as a tip for the waiter, intervening before Petra could dismiss their admirer with far less diplomacy. "Thank you." "Of course, Ma'am." The young man was very professional. "Those Dragonfruit Daiquiris are 4 HDMs per serve, you know," Mina hinted at the prospect Gwen had rejected out of hand. Lulan took her Sunrise on the Bund and gingerly sipped the viscous liquid. "Oh my!" Her eyes lit up. "Delicious! I've never had a drink like this before." Gwen observed the bright-eyed girl sipping away happily but couldn't quite put her unease into perspective. "So, where did you dig this one out from?" Mina couldn't help but ask, distracting Gwen from her thoughts. "There's a pretty good story there. Do you guys want to hear it? Peaches?" Gwen was now ready to deliver the story she'd withheld during lunch. Once certain elements were filtered for family-friendly listening, the tale would provide at least an hour of rapport and laughter. "I am all ears. Maybe you can rap it out?" Tao pulled up a chair. The wannabe hoodlum cut a strange figure in the bar. The girls were all delicate fabric and dazzling white flesh, while Tao was attired in white sneakers, Adidas tracks and a shirt two sizes too large. The contrast, especially, made his presence unique. "Well, gather around, folks." Gwen crossed over her heels and straightened her spine, sipping her glass of Saffron gin & kumquat tonic, infusing her tongue with the tartness. "It all began when Kusu, Lulan's brother here, asked me for a duel. Yes, Peaches, the real kind..." The waiter left the 4 HDM beverages with their despondent buyers. The young patron examined himself against the French window. He wore an Italian suit tailored to fit. In his reflection, he resembled a magazine model. Looking over at the far table, he couldn't help but notice that the single young man with the troop of stunningly gorgeous girls wore Adidas trackies and looked as though he should be squatting somewhere, bumming a butt-end. _Did I dress wrongly?_ He wondered to himself. Am I doing the wrong things to attract girls of that grade? Had the trend changed that quickly? The yellow-teethed Adidas man had a face that looked like two soft-boiled eggs socketed into a bony skull. _Maybe that is the new trend?_ "Say." He turned to his companion. "Did you say they were having a _battle_ in basement 2?" "Some American thing, yeah," his companion replied. "Why?" "Should we…" The young man's eyes darted between his reflection, the chav, and the girls. "Should we go and see what it's all about?" "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lulan hugged Gwen's arm against her chest as she snorted and shrieked hysterically. "That's FUNNY, Gwennie!" Gwen was a little buzzed and had not noticed Lulan trying out half a dozen mixed spirits within the hour. The girl had no idea of her limits, which made an unfortunate cocktail combined with the bar's limitless concoctions. When she had caught on, Lulan's cheeks had taken on the hue of the Moschino cherry she had gleefully suckled between her flushed lips. Beside the intoxicated Sword Mage, Petra's ability to put away alcohol was as stoic as her stone-cold mien, packing away at least a dozen shots without a shade of scarlet touching her cheeks. Unlike the others, the Mineral Mage was a true Russian. "A toast," Petra raised her shot glass. "Bottoms up." Gwen wasn't sure if the Vodka in this world was the product of magical Druid-grown potatoes or what, but if Petra extolled its virtues, then she wouldn't mind giving it a go. "Here's to the Void." Toasting to difficult days to come, she slammed down the shot. The Vodka was like a string of fire running down her throat. "Woa…!" Gwen took a second to master herself. "Strong." Her abdomen filled with a flush of warmth. "I want to try!" Lulan eagerly offered herself as a tribute. As she reached for the shot glass, Lulan stumbled and had to brace herself against Gwen's hip. "She drunk as a goose, dawg." Tao chugged the rest of his beer, flaunting his iron liver and generous bladder. "She's tots wasted, Cuz. She looks too young to be cruising, dawg." Suddenly, the disquiet that Gwen had felt earlier came to Gwen. HOLY SHIT, she realised. Lulan is still _sixteen_! Thanks to Lulan's capacity for ultra-violence, Gwen had not once recalled that Lulu was a high school student. _Gods!_ They took a kid to a bar and allowed her unlimited access to the sauce bottles! What a crime! "I think we better go." Gwen sobered up at once. She propped up Lulan's flaccid, limping body with one arm. "Someone get me a spare bag as well. If I know my alcohol." Despite the apparent risks, Mina offered to drive them home in _her_ car. Tao left to rejoin his friends, boasting that he 'told them so'. Gwen's foresight proved fortuitous. A few minutes into the trip, Lulan failed her constitution save. "Bleeeeaarrgh! Oh… oh… I am dying… Gwen… Errrgh…. Bleurgh! Tell Kusu… tell…” All four windows were drawn downward, and an odour-filtering magical trinket was placed in the middle of the car. Even so, the volatile mix of fruit juice, alcohol, stomach acid and whatever Lulan had for dinner was plain for all to experience. Thankfully, real friends let their acquittances vomit in their Audi. Still, she felt sorry for her cousin, for she could see Mina wincing every time Lulan purged another Secret Peach & Tonic. When they stumbled up to the sky garden, Kusu was waiting for them. "Oh, MY MAO!" Kusu had never seen Lulan this vulnerable in his entire life. "Is she poisoned?! Did someone envenom your food? Are you all alright?" "She's had a little too much to drink," Mina apologised. Gwen figured she had better not let Lulan stay with Kusu. The sheltered Clanner had never dealt with drunk teens before. If Lulan was left to her own devices, she could pull a Bon Scott of ACDC fame. Lulan's brother nodded eagerly, his head bobbing like a nodding chook. The man most definitely preferred not to be the one who had to strip Lulan and wipe down his sister's vomit. The girls thus brought Lulan back to Gwen's apartment, with Mina bidding them goodbye after ensuring the Sword Mage didn't need medical attention. Petra asked Mina to leave a few minor healing spells with her, then bid Mina goodbye. It wasn't until after Gwen and Petra dragged Lulan into the bathroom for another hour of purging that she resumed control of her faculties. "S-sorry…" Lulan had lost her voice as well. Having had some experience with the matter, Gwen rinsed the tub, ran a cleaning cantrip, the dispelled the stink. Near the early morning, when Lulan reappeared before Kusu, she was pale and unsteady but lucid. Petra had popped a Healing Word from Mina to smooth out any physical ailments, which helped. "Drink lots of water and sleep it off," Gwen advised them. "How did the housing situation go?" "No good," Kusu admitted despondently. "We'll keep looking on Monday." Gwen nodded and told them not to worry, then reiterated that Lulan should be kept under strict supervision and be given plenty of fluids. Returning to her apartment, she found Petra running the filtration trinket in the bathroom again. Her cousin could be an incredible hypochondriac sometimes. "Mayuree's maid is coming over tomorrow at noon to clean," Gwen informed her cousin. "I'll be away at babulya's at the PLA hospital. Do you want to come along? We can have lunch after." "Sound's like a plan." Petra crossed her legs tiredly. "How are you feeling, by the way?" "Much better." Gwen smiled weakly. "It was good to do something so, hmm." "Mundane?" "Hahaha, that's it exactly. I needed that." "You're the type to want to feel grounded, huh?" "It helps." Gwen chuckled. "Magisters. Magic. Mages. Magi. Up, up and UP. There's not enough air up there. It's suffocating." "But there's much more space up there too. The sky's the limit." Petra's smile was infectious. "I know…" Gwen tried to think of something else to say, but nothing came to mind. She needed to sleep off the buzz. It had been a good night. As for tomorrow... tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow... Tomorrow will be a _long_ day.

Richard dropped in late morning after a quick breakfast with the girls, informing Gwen he would return by Thursday. Lulan, meanwhile, was out like a light. Meeting Petra below, Gwen felt refreshed and clear-headed, her mental fatigue erased by the riotous night. Compared to Lulan, she felt perfectly in bloom. With her current constitution, another five shots of Vodka would not have made a dent. The girls took public transport to Wujiaochang and entered the hospital through the main gate. A fresh-faced Red Guard halted their progress, though a quick call to Klavdiya resolved the matter without further ado. "Sunday shift," the girls' softly smiling babulya explained. "Most of our labs are shut, so they cycle in the recruits for the experience." "What's the purpose of having NoM guards?" Gwen asked out of curiosity. It wasn't as though an NoM could stop a Mage from entering if they wanted. "As witnesses to any incidents, and to ward off those who genuinely wander into the wrong place, as you may have." "Besides, the labs are magically warded," Petra explained. "Just like Fudan's experimental laboratory. Do you think anyone can just come and go from my Master's domain? Master assigned your ID and mana signature to level 2 access after our first lesson." Gwen thought of when one of Petra's admirers aimlessly wandered back and forth in the corridor, too afraid to approach the door. She had assumed the man was just unusually shy. Inside, the lab was as impeccably clean as Gwen's last visit, smelling faintly of sterility and bleach. Gwen followed her grandmother to the changing room cupboard, where she had stowed a hospital gown that was large enough to keep her modesty. "I heard you all went out last night. Is this true?" Babulya inquired, a gentle smile touching her face. "Oh yes, with Mina and Tao," Gwen replied happily. "We went to one of Tao's shows. It was quite exciting. Afterwards, he shouted drinks." "Shouted, hmm?" Her babulya wasn't familiar with the Aussie slang. "To repay us for showing up to support him," Gwen laughed, eyeing Petra. "Pats is very popular on campus, you know. She must have turned his showcase upside down with her presence. There was this rival of his, Sammy, who was so enamoured he disrobed on stage." "Oh my! I should have a word with this young man's family!" Her babulya knitted her brows. "Yes, Petra is rather popular, hmm? Did you know that when she first arrived, I had to knock back two to three proposals a month, asking for her hand?" "Babulya!" To Gwen's surprise, Petra blushed. _How cute!_ Gwen gabbled internally. She hadn't seen Petra acting like a young woman at all. Most of the time, her resting expression could lower the temperature of any room she entered. Her previous post at the Moscow Tower had made her incredibly jaded to love. Gwen wondered if, without her 'elderly' self as a guide, she would also become cynical. "Haha." Their babulya laughed. "I should count myself lucky, eh? I've received a few for you as well. You should know." "You have?!" "Oh yes!" Klavdiya's eyes twinkled. "Would you like to know from whom?" "Do I want to know?" Gwen inquired of Petra, seeking wisdom from her predecessor. "You don't," Petra advised. "Imagine running into someone at the university, then realising that the _ublyudok_ had asked for an Arranged Marriage." “Ah… awkward…” "Yeah…" "Haha." Their babulya amused herself with the prospect. The joy of having beautiful and talented granddaughters! "Alright, enough talk. Gwen, you know what to do, yes?" "Yes, Babulya." Gwen, now changed, fitted herself into the wall-mounted machine that measured, scanned, and recorded her biometrical data. Klavdiya read out the script's data entries one by one, the octave of her voice rising with every record. "Evocation, 4.21." "Conjuration 5.02." “Transmutation 2.10.” "Abjuration 1.65." "Divination 1.11." "My heart…" Gwen's babulya had to hold onto one of the protruding manipulator arms. Petra quickly rushed to her grandmother's aid, taking the opportunity to see the script herself. "Gwen, these numbers are astounding." Though her grandmother knew what had occurred, Gwen elected to provide more explicit details of her cannibalistic act. When she had finished her story, Klavdiya touched her fingers against her thin lips. "Goodness, I'd presumed, but—this is unimaginable!" "My training should have taken me close to Evocation 4 and Conjuration 5," Gwen explained. "As for the rest, I guess the statistics speak for themselves." "Let's see your Affinity before we get ahead of ourselves," Klavdiya calmed herself and tapped the console. "There are more at play here than just numbers." Gwen approached the Awakening Stone device and placed both hands on the orb. "Begin when you're ready." The stone glowed brilliant white for several seconds as Gwen poured her Lightning charged mana into its conduits. “4.82… hmm…” Klavdiya noted on her data slate. "Again?" The next value returned 4.83. The one after that, 4.82. "An expected increase. It's in line with the amount of practice you've been doing." Gwen again placed her hand atop the orb. "Ready?" "Yeah." She took a lungful of air. The last time she had performed the same test, her grandmother had to supplement her vitality with a Restoration. "Here I go." The orb grew dark and inky. Gwen sensed the tenebrous tendrils of the void caress her conduits, raging against the oppositional forces of Almudj's druidic essence. Her vital force was enough to rebuff the negative energy drain. Slowly, very faintly, the bulwark of her fortified vigour diminished. She ceased her channelling. "4.22," Klavdiya breathed out. "How do you feel?" "I feel fine, Babulya." Klavdiya held the scripts in her hand, wearing an inquisitive expression of trying to fathom the scores. "One more station," she informed her granddaughter. "Then we can talk." Gwen stepped into the chambered mechanism of a machine that resembled a chest-compression trainer. She grasped both handles and connected the device's mana circuitry with her conduits. As before, she imagined herself pushing the mana in her body outward. Astral forces poured from the aether within her body, streaming through her mana channels. A free-floating mote of Divination entered, then quickly dissipated into her Astral Body. The indicator rose and fell until it reached equilibrium. "You're past your old record." Petra had been watching over Klavdiya's shoulders. Gwen continued to channel, forcing everything she possessed into the machine. "Enough!" Klavdiya had to catch the stream of scripts pouring from the data slot with both hands. "Take a rest." Gwen's chest rose and fell as she caught her breath. "How's it looking?" Gwen asked. "189." Klavdiya made a face. "Monstrous." "That's about two Senior Mages rolled into one, if you're wondering." Petra's face was still recovering from the shock. "Gwen, you have three times the VMI I do." "But your Cubes hardly use any mana," Gwen protested. "I don't think that's the point," Petra teased her. "You're a one-woman mana battery! They should send you to power the siege engines. Tell them you can jump an Iron Golem straight up." "Well, babulya, what do you think?" Gwen enquired. "Does this mean I am more proficient in my two Major schools now?" "I am not sure, to be honest." Her babulya held the scripts. "I'll need to consult with Magister Wen. Why don't the two of you get some lunch? I'll go and see Marie now. We'll eat and talk. We'll call you in a few hours and continue." "Alright, Babulya," Gwen replied, seeing how distracted her grandmother was. She hoped her affinity increase wasn't something with a deadly side effect. "Where do you want to go?" Petra asked. Gwen remerged in her sundress. She was feeling a little hungrier after that liberal expenditure of Void matter. "I know a little place where they sell Beggar's Chicken." "A beggar's…?" Petra's expression was sceptical. "Is that hygienic?" "Oh yes!" Gwen assured her with eager eyes. "We can take one back for Babulya as well. Babulya, it's a wonderful dish! You have to try it. I can store the whole thing in my ring. Is that okay, Babulya?" "Sure thing, dear. I'll be sure to share it with Percy and Guo." Her grandmother was shutting down all the machines absent-mindedly while still muttering about the numbers on the scripts. Gwen felt her enthusiasm doused somewhat at the mention of her brother and grandfather. Petra patted her shoulders. For now, they could only leave their babulya to her devices. After polishing off a Beggar's Chicken in a jam-packed Fengbo Village, Gwen received a Message from Magister Wen to attend the training hall at Fudan. "Let's go," she meticulously wiped her hands, ensuring that she finished her winter-melon soup. Petra left an HDM on the table. The boss and his wife bowed several times as the girls left, hungrily watched by the patrons who had each ordered the same expensive dish after watching the two girls working through theirs. "Boss!" several patrons called out at once. "Take away! I am late for work!" Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Magister Wen, babulya, and to their surprise, Magus Kumiko met the girls at the training hall. The Magister informed them that she had prepared a private chamber to continue investigating Gwen's newfound powers. "Worry not, we'll get to the bottom of this yet," Wen confidently informed Gwen, though Gwen wasn't sure what the _bottom_ meant. The training hall was about the size of an indoor soccer field, twice the size Gwen had hired for herself. In juxtaposition to the outer rooms, the inner chambers were reserved for staff and Warded for confidentiality. "Alright, Gwen." Magister Wen held a slate with her updated biometrics. "Let's see some tier 5 Conjuration, shall we?" "I haven't tried it yet, Ma'am," Gwen confessed. "I couldn't get the Conjure Elemental Swarm to complete its circuit before." And it wasn't for lack of trying either, Gwen sighed. A tier 5 feedback was enough to give her a ringing headache and ongoing nausea for about an hour. Should the recoil be unexpectedly robust, she could be put out for a half-a-day. "Now's a perfect time then, go on," Wen urged her. "Klavdiya is here to take care of any mishaps." "Marie's right. Have confidence, dear." Gwen's babulya informed her. "Even so, do be careful." Besides the Director and Magister, Magus Kumiko was scanning Gwen's scripts with her lips half-parted. "Gwen, this… this is incredible," the Positive-Conjuror apprised with awe. "I'd been debriefed by Magister Wen, but this just puts us to shame." Gwen smiled awkwardly. Kumiko was the only one not entirely in the know. From the looks of it, Wen merely used the Japanese Magus for convenience. After all, they would need a constant supply of her Summon to feed Gwen's hunger. "Gwen, you may begin. Tier 5 Conjuration, don't forget," Wen urged. Gwen walked some distance away until she was far enough from her observers that they could safely be shielded behind the Walls of Force, erected for the observer's protection. This essential convenience was also why they had chosen a training room rather than the Cognisance Chamber. Thus watched by her seniors, Gwen slowly drew in her breath, relaxed her mind, and allowed her breathing to reach a comfortable, natural cadence. Her fingers moved slowly through the air, like a conductor of some invisible music, weaving a spell through her inner world. Her lips invoked incantation after incantation, aiding in the mnemonic delivery of complex support Sigils. As the stacked incantations took form, she felt the stress placed upon her mind ratchet rapidly. Here was where she had failed before—when her mental capacity and trained expertise were no longer sufficient to sustain the pseudo mandala formed within the recess of her Astral Form. Upon failure, the whole incantation stack would overflow, and the injected mana would feedback into her Astral Body. Without a VMI like hers, a lesser Mage could be struck dumb by the flood of excess mana, potentially sustaining extensive injuries to their conduits. Bit by bit, she piled on the final components of the magic Magister Wen had tailor-made for her based on her Master's unique Conjuration technique. The last part of the chant fell into place with the snugness of a final puzzle piece sliding into its final position. Gwen's hands ceased. Her lips spoke the last words. A flood of lightning-charged mana entered the Sigil from her Elemental Gate. From the other side of the room, the others watched. Both Kumiko and Klavdiya had access to the Clerical variety of Detect Magic which allowed them to perform Spellcraft examinations, surveying the movement of Gwen's mana through her conduits. Lacking the diagnostic spell particular to biomancy, Petra and Magister Wen perused especially modified Spectacles of Detect Magic, which replicated the effects. "Fascinating," Magister Wen couldn't help but declare her enthusiasm. "She's like an incandescent font of mana!" "This is her first time?" Klavdiya inquired, likewise impressed. Magister Wen continued writing on her slate. "A smooth transition, uninterrupted incantation too; no external aids either," Kumiko observed, hoping to make herself useful. "Though her casting speed suggests she's a novice, how interesting—Oh!" Gwen finished her last invocation. _"Conjure Elemental!"_ Two bolts of white-hot Lightning cut across the space in front of Gwen. First came a pair of enormous cobalt horns, then a scale-covered reptilian face with incandescent orbs for eyes. In the next moment, both creatures freed themselves from the Planar-tear, transitioning from the Elemental Plane of Lightning into the material realm. "Arc Runners!" Magister Wen clapped impressively. "Wonderful!" Petra made a note to ask her Master about these half-lizard-half-bulls later. The two elementals noticed their observers immediately and dashed the foursome, running headfirst into shimmering panes of force. Repeatedly, as though dumb and deaf to their surroundings, the creatures continued the assault until they were spent. As the hysterical electricity faded, Gwen's silhouette could be seen. Excess elemental Lightning arced from her body onto the tiles, likewise circulating through her eyes as two concentric cobalt circles. Her hair stood on end, lifted into the air by the static. Her grandmother chuckled at the sight of Gwen's electrified appearance, amused and proud all at once. "Gwen, come. Take a deep breath. Release any excess mana from your body. Let's discuss what we've seen so far." Klavdiya motioned for her to join them. Unfortunately, the training hall was spartan and without detail. "Mai, can you bring some chairs and tables?" Magus Kumiko was a Conjuror at a sufficient tier to Call Greater Objects. The Summoner walked a small distance away, then beckoned for a small round table and four chairs, inviting a burst of silvery Conjuration. "Thank you, dear. The old bones aren't what they used to be." Wen sighed with relief. Gwen's eyes quickly darted between her babulya and Magister Wen. It was true! She realised, a little shocked. Magister Wen looked like someone in their fifties, while her babulya could be mistaken for someone in their late forties! The senior Mages sat. Out of respect and solidarity for Gwen, Petra opted to stand. One of the things she was most interested in, Magister Wen explained as tea and shortbread were summoned, was how _Consume_ subverted the existing dynamics of known Spellcraft. "You should have learned that 'quotients' for certain Schools of Magic refer to the Affinity one possesses in conjuring a particular type of arcane phenomenon," Magister Wen explained. "Transmuters modify existing things, Conjurors call for and summon creatures and beings, Abjurers generally have an innate protective instinct, and so on." "As for tiers, there's another can of worms here. Tier 4 doesn't mean one is 300 spells away from reaching tier 5," she continued. "The scaling system is simply a metric developed to ballpark the expertise required to utilise particular Spells of a specific complexity or magnitude. It is why you can train in higher tier spells to increase your overall 'tier'. Though if you're not careful, a particularly nasty mana burn could set you back years." "In the Frontier, if you recall, the average Senior Mage had a cap of tier 5 to 6. Those without talent, when pushing tiers, risk more than they gain. Likewise, training in lower-level spells has diminishing returns, failing to provide overall expertise once they become almost second nature." It was true, Gwen noted. Her 'lock-unlock' use of Knock and Lock could only go so far in aiding her Transmutation. "As such, the Path of Spellcraft is one in which one must constantly risk one's cultivated faculties to push forward. Endlessly learning new spells, adventuring, gaining alternative means to increase one's Affinity, and so on. It takes vast resources, risk, and time to break through the 'ceiling at six'. It's not a Path for everyone, and very few make it." The Magister sipped her tea. "Now, Gwen—for your particular situation," Magister Wen began anew. "I suspect that what you're gaining is not what a 'tier' usually refers to, a Mages' expertise and experience within a School of Magic, distilled through a formalised metric system. I suspect that what you're gaining is the Affinity by which your Astral Body can process such specific types of magical phenomena. You, personally, have not gained greater knowledge or expertise, _but you will_ experience less spell stress and fatigue." The foursome took a moment to take it all in. Magister Wen continued her rumination while Gwen digested the scholar's hypothesis. "I am going to tell you something that's a few academic ranks above your means to know," Wen began again. "The 'Tier' System, also known as the Imperial Metric System, is imperfect. The visual manifestations we have come to accept as the norm are merely numeric simplifications." Gwen nodded. She understood that. Not even a century of Natural Philosophy could explain the common, observable phenomenon in her old world. Magister Wen looked to be expecting her to be baffled. Finding no perplexion, she raised an eyebrow. "Can you explain?" Wen tested her test subject. Gwen gave the matter some thought, then began to speak with great care. "I will try, Ma'am. What you're suggesting is that current theory is something we 'know' but do not 'understand', much in the way the ancients built their lives around the seasons but could not conjecture why the seasons happened, nor why each season was the way it was. By that same logic, what we see inside ourselves is a cognitive projection shaped by years of education and study, taken as fact and seldom questioned. Our view of Spellcraft, therefore, is a 'system' rather than a description of its raw, explicit nature." "Can you clarify?" Gwen wet her lips, then continued. "It's about projection and visualisation. Much in the same way that when we think of a cat, we envision a 'feline' in our minds and can even go as far as to interact and imagine ourselves playing with it—and so it goes in quantifying these Astral and Planar forces that do our bidding." Magister Wen blinked several times before a broad smile touched her usually severe lips. "Very well, can you elucidate then? What constitutes a 'tier'?" Gwen gave the matter some thought. "In circumstances without the variables of talent, bloodlines, Affinity and Spirit-links, a tier is a precise measurement of one's processing abilities. The capability to concoct and manifest a certain complexity of incantations within one's astral and physical body before the mind becomes overstressed. However, with those variables, one must also consider the compatibility of the individual Mage with the spells they are learning. The more one ascends the tiers, the more significant this Affinity becomes." Lulan's woes, Gwen thought, came to mind. The girl had forced herself to learn an unsuitable style of magic, almost destroying her conduits and her sanity. Using sheer willpower to supersede one's limitations should be a calculated risk, not a rush of blood to the head. "Correct." Magister Wen tapped her slate. "You are a very talented academic child. If all else fails, you will have a sterling career as an analyst." Gwen's babulya beamed. "Petra taught me well, Ma'am," Gwen replied modestly. Petra's face was red for the second time today. Gwen also felt embarrassed. She had lifted the entire analogy from Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave' and his 'Other Dialogues'. In Gwen's philosophical reasoning, the Astral world, which Mages saw as projected shadows on the wall. In this parable, therefore, one had to consider that someone had made the cave, fire and shackles. This 'someone' would be the Imperial Metric System, where one was ingrained in learning and envisioning Arcane phenomena from an early age. She supposed that had she been an NoM: she would have been shackled to the cave for the rest of her life, never understanding that the shadows are a representation, a 'tier' of understanding in itself. "Which means, in the practical sense," Magister Wen circled back onto their initial discussion. "You are appropriating the 'talent' of those you _consume_." "I think it's best if we picture it like this—" Her cousin created a crystal lattice. "The bottom one is what you're born with." She allowed the first segment to stand on the table. "This next section is what you're appropriating from others." Petra added another block atop the first. "Last is the result of your training. " Petra put another block on top of the second. "Together, they make up your 'tier' index." Gwen walked the circumference of the demonstrative visual metaphor. "How many stolen talents could I train? I could currently use an Abjurer's Shield and Transmutation and Divination. Could I reach tier 9 simply by stealing?" She asked. "I dare think there have to be diminishing returns," Magister Wen said. "Otherwise, 'someone' would be a Demi-God by now." _Sobel._ Gwen inclined her chin solemnly toward Magister Wen. The Magister does know about Elizabeth Sobel. "But, here's what's viable right now. You will be able to pick up spells easier, far easier, in your practical training. Unlike your peers, you won't ever experience 'bottlenecks' in your Spellcraft progression like the rest of us. At least not until the higher tiers," Wen proposed proudly. "Unless you're thinking of Consuming every Magister you can lay your hands on." "I don't intend to," Gwen replied somewhat sensitively, pivoting the subject matter. "What's a bottleneck?" Both Klavdiya and Wen chuckled. "Erg..." Magus Kumiko sighed enviously. "A bottleneck is when someone training in a School outside their natural Affinity. The lack of compatibility within their Astral Body is too much for the individual to overcome. For instance, I am at Conjuration 6 but struggle to get Evocation past tier 5." "For Mages who are not, well… YOU, Gwen," Petra joined. "The more we practice a particular school, the more our Astral Form eases into that School of Magic. It's what we call _Specialisation_ , and Enchanters such as myself and Magister Wen especially focus on this sort of phenomenon to stabilise our creation process. For the average Mage, it takes decades of practice in a single School to align body and mind. Likewise, this phenomenon impedes a specialist Mage from training in other Schools of Magic." "Indeed." Magister Wen affirmed approvingly of her disciple. "What happens when a Mage has access to all the Schools of Magic from an early age? What does that do for one's physiology? What could it mean when each school reaches a particular tier of Affinity or expertise?" "What happens?" Gwen asked. "No one knows!" Wen's voice rose an octave and took on a life of its own. "Perhaps you're the answer! Thanks to Caliban, Gwen, we may open new chapters in Spellcraft theory!" Gwen tried to speak, but Magister Wen was too excited to let her interject. "Imagine! Gwen! A Mage versed in all Schools! Even ones we don't know about! You would be the ultimate Generalist! A Generalist-Specialist! Haha!" "That's too much!" Gwen blustered, wary of where their conversation was headed. She hadn't intended to snap at Magister Wen, but the pie in the sky in the Magister's comment had touched a nerve. What was it that Nephres had taunted her with? Was that what happened to Elizabeth Sobel? Did her Master's wife also begin her spiral of madness with death-row inmates? Gwen wrung her hands nervously. Did it come to that? Would it come to that? "Marie…" Klavdiya interceded on Gwen's behalf. The zealous academic caught herself. "Of course, of course!" Magister Wen calmed herself. The girl had to eat, didn't she? Magister Wen felt giddy with anticipation. "Now, onto our second agenda." Magister Wen collected herself. She exchanged a glance with Klavdiya, then moved on to the keynote agenda of their meeting. "Now, my girl," Magister Wen began. "Are you ready to test the limits of your _satiation_?"

Wen's burning eyes made Gwen wilt. How could the Void know satisfaction? It was insatiable by nature. When she had abused the Void precariously in Sydney, her weight had dropped considerably at one point, so much that she could count her ribs. When finally, she began training with her Master, Sufina was there with her vitality-enhancing Golden Mead. A single cup was to Gwen, a gentle Restoration, nourishing her body and her mind and dispelling the residues of Negative-energy in her body. And additionally, with the Kirin Amulet's mystical aid, her voracious appetite had been kept at bay. Even consuming Faceless, a creature many magnitudes her aptitude, did not induce convulsions of mind-numbing euphoria. Once she got to Shanghai, there was babulya's healing and the two Vitae fruits she consumed, which all provided ample buffers for her to remain relatively healthy. By that same measure, the vitality she now possessed was excessive enough that strangers mistook her for a healer. With the amulet gone, all of that had changed. The hunger that had awakened after her first encounter with Edgar at the Royal National had never known satisfaction. Gwen searched for an honest answer for the Magister. "Are you full now?" She demanded. "I don't know," Gwen confessed. "I suppose I don't feel hungry." "You've never described the hunger to us, Gwen." Magister Wen prodded her for clarification. "Can you describe it to us? Is feeding addictive?" Gwen forced herself to relax her jaws. "The hunger of the Void... it's not hunger in the sense of a desire for food. Rather, I would describe it as a desire for completion." "What is it like when Caliban consumes something?" "It's akin to a man whose perpetual existence is one of voracious hunger. Sometimes, it was overwhelming, driven to gluttony. Other times, it feels like the ambient tinnitus of mana in a Dungeon," Gwen explained. "Feeding is the satisfaction of that hunger." "Addictive?" "I am not wholly in possession of that knowledge." Gwen shook her head. "Yes, one could suppose. Addictive in the sense that a starving man desires to feed." Magister Wen exchanged a glance with her grandmother, who appeared concerned. "For almost a decade, your infamous predecessor had no lack of resources to keep her satiated." Magister Wen tested the waters. "The world was at war. Humanity fought the Demi-humans, fought the Magical Beast tide; we fought each other. Mages galore, a perpetual buffet." Gwen felt her spine run cold. "No, we do not intend to send you into a war zone." Klavdiya's benevolent eyes advised Gwen to remain collected. "However, we DO need to make progress, Gwen." Magister Wen raised her voice. "You are currently ignorant of your limitations. You don't know the consequences of your magic. You don't understand the ramifications of your _Consumption_. What if you disable yourself during an engagement? What happens to your party? How does the Void influence your mind? What is its longitudinal impact, both mentally and physiologically? Is it powerful enough to overwhelm your faculties? We need answers, Gwen—YOU need answers. Answers too dangerous to be haphazardly gained in the field." "The ultimate choice is yours." her babulya drew Gwen closer to the table. She touched Gwen's hand and massaged her fingers. It was then, feeling the paper-thin skin on Klavdiya's hands, that Gwen perceived her grandmother's true age. "You walk a violent path. I do not doubt you need these answers." "I know." Gwen returned her babulya's gesture with a squeeze. "The greatest danger would be to do nothing." "Precisely!" Magister Wen looked pleased. "I am glad you understand. Let us proceed then by assessing our strategies from now on." Wen tapped the table. "In the last six weeks, Petra and I, with the aid of Magus Kumiko, have collated data on your abilities, studying how the Void talent expends, collects, and utilises vitality concurrently with mana. If you're wondering, Gwen, I have sent the data to Klavdiya for analysis; she is fully aware of the self-harm caused by your talent, which is why I have her support on the matter." "As such, let me explain our findings. First—there are two aspects to Void Consumption, both phrases we coined for our Paper. One: the inundation of your body by the Necrotic energies of the Void. Also known as Passive Negative-Energy Drain. Two: the expenditure of vitality to empower the vampiric effects of the Void to Vitae cost. We have observed that each manifests as a distinct outcome independent of one another. Both are harmful to your health." "Gwen, when you use Void Bolt, a spell which you describe as lacking the vampiric effect of life-drain, the weakness you feel is the negative energy flushed into your Mana Conduits. I believe you can validate this, yes?" Gwen acknowledged that, _yes_ , her Void-based Evocations did indeed induce a negative energy drain. "Conversely, when you empower Caliban to Consume, you have described the effect as 'taking a pound of my flesh'. Our collated data from your feeding sessions with Mai suggest that to activate Caliban's ability to take in the Essence of the creatures it feeds—there is a Vitae Cost." "Essence? Ma'am?" "Yes! Essence! The Elves called it one's Life Force. The Dwarves called it Dasein; both refer to the abstract concept of 'being' that is peculiar to sapient creatures, from the smallest Faye to the most ancient Dragon. We, as scholars of human Spellcraft, call it Essence. Existing theory on it is incomplete, though Abstraction Theorem ABT3003, a third-year course, offers some answers." Gwen inclined her head. "Therefore, to account for Passive NED and VC, you require BOTH a constant source of magical healing, which will repair your damaged conduits and negatively-drained body, as well as a source to replenish your lost vitality." "That's going to be difficult," Gwen observed. "Especially in the field." "No doubt, we need to ready contingencies for your conflict-filled path. According to Petra, you fell unconscious when you Consumed Nephres Zalaam?" "I did," Gwen confessed. "The vitality from that woman was too much." "No doubt," Magister Wen quipped. "A tier 6 Healer, even a rogue one, would have amassed a life force many magnitudes that of your average Mage. Though some of it appears to have been converted by your Familiar into Void-matter." "It didn't do that before," Gwen pointed out. "When I was in the Dungeon, the critters Caliban ate directly empowered my Void spells as vitality." "Perhaps a condition of the Consume ability, then?" Petra noted. "You did receive it in the Dungeon." "Maybe," Gwen wavered. "Putting that aside for now," Magister Wen implored, laying out the brutal facts. "Here are your options." "The first solution is to stop using Void altogether. Or employ no more Void as could be offset by your Druidic Essence. It means you can focus on acquiring items and Wildland rarities that will bolster your vitality." "Solution two. We work on increasing your Affinity. We know that Caliban can consume Magical Creatures of the Air and Positive Energy variety to increase your Lightning Affinity. Concurrently, it may also be able to consume Void creatures to increase your Void Affinity. We have no idea how this will affect your physiology or mental state, but suffice it to say it will greatly reduce VC. The added boon to this solution is that you can be satiated with Magical Creatures, which I believe you have conceded to Consuming." "Yes, Ma'am," Gwen agreed. "Now for our third option. Prisoners on death row or Demi-humans slated for disposal. Every month, the CCP executes up to twenty Mages for various crimes, from grand treason to repeat offenders of particular vices to battlefield deserters. Though rare, they may possess interesting Schools of Magic or very particular talents that can be useful to you." "Magister…" Gwen began, understanding what Magister Wen was trying to leverage. It was an old managerial trick. Give someone three options: one is terrible, another is difficult, and the last is beneficial for the majority but morally ambiguous. "I feel that is going too far." Klavdiya shook her head, her tone growing severe. "We didn't experiment on prisoners even during the Sino War! Do you think we'll go as far as the Japanese? Have you forgotten the atrocities of Unit 731?! That path strays too far, Marie, even for you." Magus Kumiko blenched. Even Gwen had heard that the infamous Nana-san-Ichi Butai experiments had sullied Japan's relationship with their neighbours. Their attempts to create superior bloodlines through bio and necromancy using Demi-human and human prisoners shook the Spellcraft community to its core. The refusal to publicly accept the existence of the Unit furthermore alienated Japan from its Korean, Chinese and South-East Asian neighbours. Even its Singaporean trade partners had snubbed the island nation as a result. "Your granddaughter needs to know how her power works, Klavdiya. I guarantee you; these are dead men walking. They may as well benefit humanity one last time. Where's the fault in that? Gwen must ride the lightning or be utterly obliterated by it; would you like to see that instead?" Magister Wen confronted Klavdiya's unwavering eyes, then turned toward the culprit responsible for their conflict. "Gwen. You make the call." The taste on Gwen's tongue curdled as Magister Wen, Magus Kumiko, Petra and Klavdiya expectantly awaited her answer. _She should make the call?_ Such an easy thing to say! Gwen had indeed ruminated upon her dilemma through the night, allowing the fleeting visions of her projections and speculations to pass through her mind like hues of colour across a kaleidoscopic spectrum. Time and time again, she mulled over her visions and revisions, decisions and indecisions, which the next minute would reverse. She couldn't go on like this. Not with Elizabeth Sobel huffing and puffing after her. Not with her enemies clawing at the door of her stick-hutch home. It wasn't as though her hands were white and sweet. She would be a fool to believe herself unsullied. _Gunther's instruction during Blackheath._ _Her killing of Faceless at Rosebay._ _The pigtail girl in the Hengsha Dungeon._ Stolen novel; please report. _The choice she made in D-109._ This world was tainting her little by little, tinting her in its colours. For how long could she remain undyed, believing herself above it all? Didn't they say one had to break a few eggs to make an omelette? One day, she would take up arms against the elements. If so, why not prepare for it now? Her eggs, her omelettes, her decision. The others waited for Gwen to speak. When Gwen met their eyes again, her eyes grew hard. "I have given the matter much thought, Magister, and I realise that a decision must be made for all of us to move forward," Gwen spoke slowly and meticulously, as though she was ascending an increasingly steep set of steps. "Therefore, Babulya, Petra, Magister Wen and Magus Kumiko, please allow me a moment to explain." She had to catch her breath to stifle the riotous rebellion in her chest. "I did not ask for the power of the Void. I was at first naive and dismissive of what it brought and what it would do. I foolishly refused to acknowledge its presence, even as I abused it, used it, and revelled in the boons it brought. But, as a great sage once said: though we may not be interested in war, war is interested in us. Though we seek no company with conflict, conflict loves company." "With Nephres Zalaam, I made a choice. I have mulled the decision in my mind over and over, and still, I could not think of a single reason why I would have left the woman alive. She was too dangerous, too damaging to those I love." "Therefore, I did it. I took a life to benefit myself." "With my choice, I embarked upon the path Grandmother had shown me when I first arrived in Shanghai. I now walk the Way of Asura, the Path of Violent Reckoning. With this step, I can no longer turn back. To regret is death. To return is to embrace failure. I would lose my freedom, my life, and most importantly, bring misery upon those I love." Gwen wetted her parched lips. "I am not a religious woman, but I wish to tell you this: 'though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.'" The quivering in her voice faded. "I will not fear because you, Babulya, are with me. Because Petra and Richard are with me. Because Uncle Jun promised he would help me. Because I have Gunther, Alesia and my friends here and in Sydney." Her family's eyes brimmed with happiness and recognition. “And you as well, Magister Wen and Magus Kumiko. You are my guide. Therefore, I give myself to you." Magister Wen appeared lost for words. She raised a hand, touched her cheek to ensure that no liquid had unwittingly escaped, then opened her mouth to speak, only to recall that she was lost for words. Magus Kumiko also suppressed a shuddering sob, her youth and occupation making her far more sensitive to sentimentality. Gwen repressed her own billowing emotions, then continued. "Let's do it. Whatever happens in the future, whether we defeat the Void's taint or whether I must be put down like a rabid hound, I want to have no regrets because it was I who steered my sails into the sea of troubles." Gwen bowed, forming a full ninety-degree arc, allowing her hair to fall past her shoulders. "For my selfishness. Thank you. Everyone." Klavdiya reached out and embraced her granddaughter, then kissed her endearingly on the forehead. Gwen hugged her babulya tightly, then welcomed Petra into her arms. When they finally separated, Gwen embraced Magister Wen, flustering the awkward academic. When Magus Kumiko looked on enviously, Gwen hugged her as well, enveloping the small Japanese woman against her chest. "I will help you as much as I can," Magister Wen's voice rubberbanded back to normality almost instantly. "I- I will t-too!" Magus Kumiko appeared drunk from the drama. "I'll keep you on the straight and narrow." Petra squeezed Gwen's fingers, assuring her of her devotion. "How can you go insane when we have to attend more of Tao's Godawful concerts?" Klavdiya held her hand firmly. Magister Wen coughed. The ambient beneficence proved too stifling for the academic. "Gwen. It's settled, then. Please wait for me to make the necessary arrangements. Both Towers will be informed, as well as Lord Shultz. I will consult with Dean Luo as well. Everything will be officially confidential. You will have nothing to fear." "Yes, Ma'am." Gwen sensed such a weight lifted off her shoulders that she felt like she was walking on air. "Let us both move forward with great strides. I must reiterate that I do not wish for unnecessary experimentation beyond what we require to acquire the knowledge we seek." "Of course, Gwen. It's all for Spellcraft. I wouldn't have it any other way. Do you have a _preference_?" Wen inclined her head solemnly. "Preference, Ma'am?" "Preference for your next meal," the Magister replied. "Man, woman, Demi-human, Divination, Abjuration, something new perhaps, Illusion?" Gwen directly suppressed the rising bile in her throat as a new weight crushed her short-lived positivity. She dearly wished that Magister Wen could at least feign concern for what their future held. "Marie! Really!" Gwen's babulya interjected. Gwen raised a hand to stop her grandmother. "At your digression, Ma'am. I would suggest a School I have yet to possess. Will these prisoners be fully vetted?" "Absolutely." Wen nodded. "I will be judicious." "When…" "Next Saturday." "I see. Very well." The sudden turn in the atmosphere dispelled the last motes of sentimentality lingering in the air. "In the meanwhile, let's proceed with our original plan. I wish to expel my excess vitality and ready myself for what is to come," Gwen implored her seniors. "Magister Wen, is that alright with you?" "More than alright, let us Enchant when the iron is soft enough to be inscribed. I can't say I am not intrigued. Klavdiya, Mai, keep an eye on Gwen. Petra, lend me a hand." "Yes, Ma'am." The two healers retreated to one side. "How shall we proceed?" Gwen enquired. "Gwen, summon Caliban, please," Magister Wen commanded. "Caliban!" Her serpent slithered from the immaterial. "Shaa-shaa?" "Stay," Gwen commanded. "Shaa!" With her increased mastery of Conjuration, the tug on Caliban's animus exerted by her will was on a new level. Flush with Void matter, Caliban's exterior was almost entirely jet, absorbing the light. An oily sheen reflected off the creature's smooth, faceless chitin as it coiled about Gwen's ankles. Magus Kumiko moved a safe distance away to construct her Summoning Circle. "First, let's not waste all that Void matter." Magister Wen materialised a dozen Spell Cubes. "Your previous weekly threshold is 27 VMI's worth of Void-infused mana." Magister Wen pointed to the Cubes "These are 25 VMI Cubes. Fill in as many of these as you are able. Let's deduce a baseline index for what you have absorbed from the Healer for us to use as a Control for the future." Gwen knelt by the Cubes and placed her hand on the runic surface. Wen turned to her student. "Petra, octagramic Warding, tier 3. Enhanced stability and extended duration. Start the sealing process at nine-tenth capacity." "Yes, Master." Petra moved a little distance away and began to inscribe the floor with crystalline shards, creating a magical circle warded with Glyphs of protection and stability. It was an ability that only those who specialised in Enchantment could utilise. Even if Gwen were to acquire Affinity in the Enchantment school, she could not replicate the effect without years of schooling and experience. Standing apart and again watched by three pairs of eyes ablaze with diagnostic magic, Gwen felt as though she'd been stripped bare and naked. Magister Wen made an especially intimidating figure with her wiry-thin frame and glowing glasses, the very caricature of a scientist likely to affect a catchcry such as, _It's alive!_ Petra took a few minutes to finish up while Gwen shook the nerves from her body. Upon completing the circular ward, she activated the circle with a jolt of mana, her invocation setting the glyphs alight. Magister Wen inspected her student's work and found it satisfactory. "Gwen, we will proceed in three stages. First, we will drain your excess vitality via Void mana. During this stage, keep a close eye on your health, and report any anomalies as you experience them." "Yes, Ma'am." "Good. Next, assuming you can continue, you will expend your Druidic Essence to depletion. Again, I must ask that you report any anomalies, especially of your satiation." Gwen nodded. "Finally, at your discretion and judgement, you may experiment with what remains of your vitality. Know that Klavdiya and Magus Kumiko will be on hand to assist." "Yes, Ma'am." The magic circle itself was now humming. As Gwen entered the ward, she could sense the circulating energies of the magical construct providing a protective barrier that soothed the flow of mana within her body, significantly offsetting her anxiety. When the cadence of her breath plateaued, she turned her mind inward, commanding her Evocation Sigil to channel a torrent of raw Void matter through her conduits into the Spell Cube. Instantly, as though pervaded by inky water, the cube turned tenebrous. Within her body, she felt the movement of void-tainted mana like slivers of ice through her veins, prickling and tickling her mana channels. Through it all, her excess vitality both fed and protected her against the flood of negative energy manifesting through her physical form. "Sealing," Petra intoned professionally. "Switching to the next cube." "Gwen, don't be afraid to let us know your limits," Klavdiya advised. "I will, babulya." Gwen began on the second cube. A third followed. Then a fourth. And a fifth. Midway through the sixth, Gwen stopped. The excess vitality filling her physical form ceased. Triggered by the negative drain, her Druidic Essence activated, filling her mana channels with emerald energy. "I am tapped out." Gwen paused. "Give me a moment." She closed her eyes and inspected her Astral Body, envisioning its projected form, observing the motes of lightning and Void interplaying within a sculptural silhouette. Already, she was feeling the buzz of abstract hunger hovering at the edge of her consciousness. "I will now proceed with my Druidic Essence." "Switching to a fresh Cube," Petra announced. Her babulya readied a Restoration and a healing jolt of positive energy. Meanwhile, Gwen embraced the familiar sensation of raw-void matter ravaging her innards as her Druidic Essence diminished. "I am out of Essence." Gwen's complexion turned ashen as her Druidic Essence waned. She had filled a single cube. "Gwen!" Kumiko inquired worriedly. "Are you alright?" Her babulya held off on the Restoration. "Shaa-Shaa!" Caliban cooed worriedly. "I am okay," Gwen assured them. "Cali. I am fine." Caliban laid its head to rest at her feet. With her spectacles aglow with diagnostic enchantments, Wen inspected the interaction between Familiar and the Conjurer. "Curious, the stored Void-mana within Caliban is independent of your conduits. Can you induce it into feeding you some of that energy?" "Caliban…" Gwen demanded from Caliban its cargo. "Shaa-Shaa!" Caliban rolled back and forth on the floor adorably, coiling and uncoiling as though it was trying to squeeze something from within itself. "It doesn't know how," Gwen replied. "Meaning it could, once Caliban attains a higher order of intelligence," Magister Wen noted. "Maybe coax it some more? Try to envision it." Gwen exerted more pressure on Caliban. "Come on, Cali! Out with it!" she urged her Familiar. Caliban split its carapace, revealing its purple-skinned head with its lamprey's mouth. "Shaa— _hurrrgh—hurragh!_ " "Something's coming!" Gwen noted. Perhaps a projectile attack? If Caliban could vomit forth a spray of consumptive Void matter, it would add a whole new dimension to its attacks. _Clang!_ A dagger fell onto the floor. Caliban's audience froze. _"Hurrrrggn!"_ A torrent of familiar-looking implements emerged from Caliban's gullet. Gwen stared. "HUURRRRGH! Shaa—SHAA!" _Splat._ Caliban regurgitated a pile of wet, slime-covered hair. Gwen recognised the fist-sized hairball immediately and felt her heart sink. _Tink—_ Something else landed on the Transmutation-enhanced pavement. Her observers shifted their gaze toward the pile on the floor. "Gwen!" Petra called out. "Don't touch that!" "Mage Hand!" Magister Wen retrieved the object from the floor. A ring. "Careful now, it's Warded," Wen warned. "Very potent as well." It took Gwen a moment to realise what she was seeing. A Storage Ring. Nephres Zaalam's Large Storage Ring.

"Petra, run a Dispel on this thing," Magister Wen commanded. Petra approached the hovering ring eagerly, once again donning her diagnostic goggles. "A Pentagrammic Ward," she announced after a few seconds of focused observation. "It's a western style protection algorithm, Master. Outdated by at least a decade." "I'd hardly think Nephres Zaalam was living large in the first world. Someone likely warded it for her some time ago." "It's rigged to destroy the Pocket Dimension." Petra prodded the illusory glyphs which only she could see. "Master, I am not confident enough to Dispel something of this level without risking the contents." "I would very much like to see the contents of that ring." Gwen glanced again at the pile of hair on the floor before speaking with great care. "It may be of significance to Magus Shultz and me." "Your ring, your discretion," Magister Wen affirmed both girls' concerns. "Let's see the Warding first. Petra, I'll take over." Gwen had never seen a Dispel performed on an enchanted object before. She activated her meagre Detect Magic, just making out the vague shapes of Glyphs. Magister Wen pulled tendrils of energy away, like a woman meticulously picking away a clump of tangled twines for the loose string which would unravel the whole knot. After a few more minutes, the Magister held the Storage Ring in her hand, its Warding negated. "Here." She tossed it toward Gwen. "Your spoils." That Magister Wen did not check the contents of the ring first herself struck Gwen as an incredibly generous feat. Was it because her earlier speech had engendered enough rapport to allow for mutual respect? She found that unlikely. There had been a palpable distance between them even as they embraced. Perhaps it was decorum? After all, the _loot_ was from her enemy, whom she murdered, and now retrieved from her Familiar's gullet. Offering to unlock a chest didn't mean one could peek or keep what was inside it. To do so would be violating the unspoken norm. Perhaps one of Gwen's companions may have issued a challenge for the ring, but certainly not someone as unrelated as Wen herself. "The Warding…" Gwen tested the Magister's intention. "Is dispelled, a trivial matter," Magister Wen informed her. "An outdated formulae indeed. Likely a Rogue Enchanter. It's not like those Wildland exiles could attend the latest International Conference on Advanced Warding Algorithms and Mandalas." The group watched as Gwen donned the ring. She wore her Contingency Ring on her left ring finger, her Ring of Evasion on her right, her Medium Storage Ring on her left index finger, and now her new ring on her right index. A few more rings, and she could rival Mayuree. In general, Mages seldom wore more than one Storage Ring. The larger the ring, the more mana was required to stow items of a particular size and density. Therefore, a large storage ring was usually enjoyed by those with significant mana pools, such as a senior Magus or a Magister. Gwen made a note to gift her Opa's ring to Richard, who had a modest Storage Ring. Her cousin would keep her keepsake safe, make good use of it, and return it to her in good time. "Caliban, anything else you got in there?" Gwen picked up her obsidian serpent with some effort, hugged it to her chest, and then gave it a mighty squeeze, pondering if a Heinrich Manoeuvre could coax some more mysterious items from its gullet. "Shaa-Shaa!" Caliban wiggled happily in her arms. Her empathic link told her that it enjoyed being hugged and smooshed. To prove her point, a rude tentacle attempted to give her a lick, splattering grey goo as it wiggled back and forth. The rest of her party stepped back politely. Gwen took a moment to collect twenty-odd inscribed implements. When Gwen examined a slimy dagger, she realised that they were without pommels or handles, allowing the blades to interlock like scales when controlled en-masse. "Let's complete our investigation before you inspect that ring," Magister Wen advised impatiently. "I hope that break was enough for you to catch your breath." "I am ready." Gwen turned her attention back to the task at hand. Petra handed her the final Spell-cube. "Be careful. You're draining your vitality now, right?" Gwen nodded, then placed both hands on the crystalline cube. The cube began to fill. Gwen gasped, shivering as she sought to endure the ice in her veins. The skin on her arm, torso and legs turned clammy and cold with sickly sweat; her complexion took on the hue of ash. Her irises took on the likeness of two bottomless, deathly orbs. Vertigo, like when she found herself alone and afraid in Hyde Park, made her body weightless. "Oh, Gods…" Gwen moaned, feeling the strength fade from her arms, refuting the command from her mind; the half-filled cube fell from her hands. "Shaa!" Caliban slithered back and forth with agitation, its limited cognisance preventing it from meaningful action. Petra caught Gwen by the shoulder, suddenly drunk on deathly liquor. "Gwen! Restoration!" Klavdiya's Restoration struck her granddaughter, dispelling the Negative Energy consuming her life force. Magus Kumiko's healing spell came next, restoring her to lucidity as Positive Energy flooded her mana channels and revitalised her cold flesh. Gwen gasped for air, her dilated irises regaining their focus. "You've pushed yourself too far!" Her babulya took her frigid hands and warmed them between her palms. "I am alright… "Gwen leaned on her elbows, feeling the crystals digging into her flesh. "Thanks for the pick-me-up, Pats. Babulya. Magus Kumiko." "Looks like that's your limit." Magister Wen ticked off a set of data on her slate. "I would be cautious, Gwen. If you inundate your body with excessive Negative Energy, permanent damage to your mana channels would be the least of your worries. Still. Very good, Gwen. I'll run these numbers and generate the numeric indices for you." Her babulya pulled Gwen beside her protectively. "I hope we're done, Marie." Her voice had taken on a tone of distinct displeasure. "Are we?" Magister Wen smiled. "I don't want to see Gwen hurt either, Klavdiya. But that doesn't mean I can infer her limits with guesses. Our actions are for her benefit as well. You, of all people, should know there are sacrifices for knowledge." Gwen's grandmother knitted her brows, looking pensive. Gwen wondered if she regretted her consent. "I am sorry, Babulya," Gwen apologised. "Magister Wen... is trying to help in her way." "Then I am sorry too." Her grandmother brushed a stray strand of hair from the arch of Gwen's cheekbones. She sighed defeatedly. "I understand, but it doesn't mean I wish it on my dearest grandchild." The vast space of the oversized training hall made the moment bleaker than either Gwen or Klavdiya intended, amplifying Gwen's fatalistic choices. "Shall we check the contents of the Ring?" Gwen took the opportunity to pivot toward a pleasant distraction. Before the others answered, she swept her consciousness over Zalaam's—or rather— _her_ new Large Storage Ring, sensing it attune to her mana signature. "I will now display its contents," Gwen announced. No one had demanded to see the ring's inventory, but she had read the curiosity in their eyes the moment the ring _tinked_ on the tiles. Six banded metal boxes, elongated and rectangular, materialised beside her boots. She knelt, flipped the clasp, and then released the catch. A row of neatly embedded HDM crystal currency cards appeared. 100 HDM in a row of ten. 1000 HDMs per box. Six Thousand in total. She would split this with her party, Gwen decided. Especially Lulan and Richard, who could most definitely use the money right now. She then moved to the side, unleashing a knee-high pile of raw, unprocessed HDM and LDM Crystals. If she had to ballpark, she'd guess about a thousand HDMs. The Director and the Magister exchanged glances. Gwen moved on. A box of twenty-four healing injectors, still wrapped in cardboard packaging, appeared. A second box materialised, half-used. A crate of assorted potions. "Oh!" Petra interrupted her cousin's selfless show and tell. "A Potion of Invisibility!" "An item high on the list of alchemical contrabands," Gwen's babulya warned. "You should be very careful, Gwen. Hide or destroy it, but don't let anyone know you have it. Present company excepted, I would hope." Gwen nodded, putting the crystal-clear potion aside for now. Magus Kumiko squirmed when Gwen's babulya shot her a sideways glance. Next, her mind brushed over something substantial. 'THUNK!' A crystal core the size of a medium-sized sofa successfully materialised beside Gwen after consuming almost a quarter of her mana. Given an average Mage with only 50 VMI, they wouldn't even be able to store or retrieve the Core. The higher the density, the greater the weight, the more magically inclined, and the higher the cost of an item's storage and retrieval. "A Shielding Stone?" Magister Wen was the first to recognise the crystal core. The Tower had criteria for size, purity, and clarity of Cores, which were used to create resonance Shields that could ward away Wildland beings and creatures. A deep-earth crystal mine generally only produced enough condensed cores to supply two to three Shielding Stations. "Now, this is a rather dire development." Klavdiya stepped around the Core. "Gwen, I don't suppose you have anything else in there that can pinpoint to whom this core is supposed to be delivered?" Gwen took a few moments to scan the rest of the ring, then shook her head. Next, she produced several crates of minerals in interesting hues. Her babulya's brows furrowed. "Five-Stone Powder." Her voice was very serious. "What else have you got in there?" "That's a highly illicit alchemical product." Petra glanced at the ring on Gwen's finger worriedly. "Distribution carries a death sentence under the CCP." Five-Stone Powder was a concoction made by Taoist alchemists from an infusion of ground realgar, sulphur, turquoise, ochre, and amethyst. Each of the stones possessed elemental attributes. When catalysed by an injection of mercury, it created a highly addictive Affinity-booster that considerably raised one's connection to the Elemental Planes for a short period. The downside was the potential temporary insanity often caused in those vulnerable to mind-altering effects. As with all boosters, there were significant costs once the body acclimatised to the dosage. Gwen brought out everything else of interest within the ring. Shoes. Clothes. Dresses. Intimates. Cosmetics. Things that reminded her poignantly that the ring's previous owner wasn't just nutrient for Caliban. She was human. A person. A being who pursued the wild beauty of life, even if she did err on the wrong side of their morality spectrum. Silently, Gwen laughed at herself. In six days, she would follow in Elizabeth's proud footsteps. There would be a man condemned to die, and she would take his life in the most repugnant way possible. _We're such fucking hypocrites,_ Gwen cursed herself. For a second, she fantasised about yanking the ring from her fingers and tossing it away like a fat spider. "When I was on the Frontier, I found a Shield Station with the stone taken out," Gwen redirected her mind, thinking back to her misadventure with Debora and company. "Later on, Gunther told me that the same Stone was used to cause a frequency overload that detonated and destroyed the outer segment of Sydney's Shielding Wall." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. "I see. Rest assured, that would not happen here. Keep the currency and the crystals. The potions, too, including the Invisibility one," Magister Wen advised. "As for the stone and the reagents for the Powder, I will have to get the Dean to contact the MSS. It looks like there's much more going on at D-109 than any of us thought." Gwen thought of Secretariat Choi's beady, weaselly eyes. "Hadn't Uncle Jun taken care of the Admin there?" "I wouldn't know, dear. That's Bureau business." Klavdiya avoided taking the conversation any further. "Your grandfather usually deals with the aftermath of Jun's work. Speaking of which, Jun would like to speak to you sometime soon. He wants to chat with you regarding all... of this." "Alright, babulya, I'll call him," Gwen promised. Circling the perimeter of the ill-gotten loot, she packed away her plunder, leaving behind the crystal core and the cargo of illicit reagents. "How do you feel now?" Petra asked Gwen as she exercised the capacity of her new ring with an expression of permeant distraction. "I am good," Gwen replied, a careless white lie no one believed. "Hungry?" Gwen touched a hand to her diaphragm. "Nothing I can't handle." "I am ready," Magus Kumiko announced eagerly. "Bring Caliban into the Force Cage. Let's get you some vitality to ease you through the week!" Gwen was about to oblige when Magister Wen obstructed her. "Perhaps this is an opportunity to test exactly 'how' addictive your desire for satiation may become. You can safely experience if it should impact your thoughts, your physiology, make voracious a particular appetite, for food or otherwise," the scholar declared. When her babulya rose to protest, the Magister cut her off. "Gwen lives only a few minutes away. Should anything arise, both Kumiko and myself can be made available immediately. She will be perfectly sound." "Still, that's a little rushed, don't you think?" Klavdiya intervened. "She's only consumed a dozen beasties and a single... woman." The awkwardness lingered like a floating feather. "Gwen," Magister Wen retracted her decision. "As I said, it's your talent, your body." Gwen pondered the proposal. There was a certain gratification in getting these questions about herself off her chest. Whatever mechanic or trait her hunger would induce, there was no benefit in entertaining ignorance. "I am curious as well," Gwen informed Klavdiya. "I'll be alright, Babulya. Petra is with me as well. Let's give it a few days and see how it goes. As we say in the Frontier, she'll be right." Klavdiya could only nod at her commitment. "Master," Petra intoned as she stood by Gwen's side. "If you think we're finished for the day, then I wish to take Gwen home to rest. We have classes tomorrow." "Very well," Wen concurred. "Gwen had consented to human trials, and we had gained invaluable data regarding the mechanical operations of the Void as an element. All that was left was to test the breadth and scope of the Void's impact on sentient and sapient beings, not to mention the caster herself. Rest well." Klavdiya affirmed the consensus. "Rest well, child. Magister Wen and I will be going over your data. Some must be submitted to the committees to facilitate your next experiment." Gwen nodded sadly at her grandmother. _Sweet Saint Peter,_ she thought to herself. We haven't even done the deed, and our minds are already reeling from reality. For a second, Gwen wondered how Wen was coping with it, but one look at the apple-pink cheeks of her "Instructor" told her everything she needed to know. Watching the trio close the door behind them, Klavdiya turned to Wen. "You're _really_ doing this?" The two women met one another's eyes. "Yes. _We_ are doing this?" "Marie, I respect you as a friend and colleague, but I won't forgive you if—" "You can't keep Gwen under a rock forever," Magister Wen scoffed. "Someone's bound to dig her up and try to take her away. Would you rather she get taken, kicking and screaming? Will you fight the world? Will Guo? At least with us, she gets to walk her Path." "A difficult path for one so young." Klavdiya studied the age lines on her hands, the most telling part of her body, feeling her age. "So many ways this could go wrong." "What's the recourse? You could send her back to Sydney. I know you've got connections within the Foreign Affairs Committee. Now's the chance before the powers that be get involved. Send her away. Do it." "Don't test me, Marie." "Sorry." Wen's tone softened. "... I am sorry too. This business doesn't sit well with me." Klavdiya sighed. "She'll be looked after. Eyes are watching." "What's the news from upon on high?" "Both Towers have promised to remain observers for now. But you know how it is. Guo survived the Second Purge, didn't he? Promises are only kept when practical and convenient. When did the CCP ever play by the rules? Only when it suits." Klavdiya studied her hands. "Marie, how far do you intend to take this?" "As far as she is willing." "And if she is as strong as Shultz promised?" Magister Wen's eager eyes had an ethereal, unsettling glow to them. One that was not empowered by any magic or mana but by conviction, belief, and faith. "What if we create an Omni-Mage?" "There's no such thing!" Klavdiya retorted cynically. "The deities are just planar creatures and God-Kings, killable and mortal." "Hahahaha!" Magister Wen laughed. "I should have expected such an answer from a Godless Communist Hospital Director. Imagine, Klavdiya, a being who can tap into every School of Magic and whose ability allowed herself to steal from others the Essence of life." Magister Wen's face became as pink as pippins. "Yet, this Übermensch is thinking, benevolent, and full of altruism and compassion. How do you suppose history will perceive such a being?" "I can't judge that." The two women stood side by side. "Will you go see Secretariat Shi now?" Klavdiya asked. "Yes," Wen affirmed. "Yourself?" "I'll go see Dean Luo," Klavdiya answered. "He has to be involved for a test of such ethical ambiguity." "Do you want me to perform the background check on our hapless participant?" Wen asked. "We'll both do it." Klavdiya did not trust her friend at this junction. "I will brook no mistakes! I'll not have Gwen become a murderer of innocents." With her final words, the Director of the PLA Second Hospital left the premise. Magister Wen watched her peer close the door behind her, clearly entered by the task ahead of them. The elderly scholar took a stroll around the empty hall, stopping by the crystalline Warding, then strolled past Kumiko's defunct Summoning Circle. Her mind brushed over the eight or so cubes stowed in her ring, brimming with Void-matter. There was so much to analyse, so much data. Surely, after becoming the saviour of all Void Mages, there would be a possibility of Meisterhood for herself. "Kilroy and Sobel…" Wen muttered to herself, her tone akin to one reciting a mantra. "And now, Gwen. How strange is the way of Karma." "Oh! I've still got a beggar's chicken in my ring!" Gwen realised when Petra and herself entered the apartment. "I'll give it to Babulya the next time." The pocket space of Storage Rings differed from one Enchanter to another. Her Opa's mastercrafted ring held non-magical items in stasis but allowed for thermodynamic changes. Hot food cooled, and cold stuff returned to room temperature. Curiously, non-magical food did not spoil, but mana-rich foodstuff did. As for her new ring, she would have to see what it did. If she needed it, there were Absolute-Stasis Rings, but those were ten times more expensive and used only by Alchemists and other professionals who dealt with fresh Wildland produce. Though the clock only struck six, the summer sun glared fiercely into the apartment. The shut windows trapped the heat, making the two-bedder stuffy and uncomfortable. Petra located the wall panel and punched a few Glyphs into the climate control, activating the cooling Glyphs inscribed into the ducting. As fresh air began to circulate the room, Petra made herself comfortable, then pulled out a bundle of pamphlets for local takeout. "How hungry?" Petra enquired. "Famished," Gwen replied. "The usual." Petra Messaged the local Vietnamese restaurant and ordered enough for a family of four, prioritising soupy comfort food in the form of pho and rice rolls. While they waited, Gwen checked the LRC Device for any replies. There was exactly one Message waiting for her. _"Elvia away on Mission—will return next week—SS,"_ read a message. _SS?_ Gwen took a moment to realise it likely stood for Sylvie Stratford, Elvia's roommate. Gwen turned on the Vid-caster and checked the news. "—Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks out against the influx of migrants seeking access to London from the Frontier regions. Riding on a wave of anti-immigration movement and focusing on the internal development of the Britannic Mageocracy, the Prime Minister has successfully rallied—" _Click._ "—US and British Coalition expedition have ignored suggestions from the United Nations to push ahead with the retaking of regions lost to the Fire Sea, angering Demi-human tribes in the Frontier region. The Middle East has long been a hotbed of religious and sectarian conflict, and the intrusion of New World Human forces into this biblical landscape is critiqued by its Chinese allies. The US has accused the PLA of undermining peace and stability in the Kazakhstani region—" There were only seven ' TV Stations' on Chinese Vid-cast streams. CCVC-1, CCVC-2, Shanghai-ONE and BBC Pudong were undoubtedly filtered for the Chinese audience, largely focused on producing propaganda Vid-casts about a particular historical event or a contemporary piece on spreading human hegemony across the South China Sea. The remaining three channels, Shanghai-PEARL, Shanghai-Media, and Huaxing, offered mass entertainment, music, and other shows crafted by Illusionists. There were other regional channels, an official government channel showing snippets from parliamentary meetings, a classical music station featuring Chinese opera, and an emergency broadcast band overrode the others. While the West touted Vid-casts as something akin to illumination, the CCP saw Vid-casts as an easy way to brainwash the impressionable and the vulnerable, especially the NoMs, who are impoverished and bored, and were often obsessed with icons. After all, many actors, musicians and idols were NoMs, offering the masses a lofty and unreachable dream of fame and fortune. Gwen switched to BBC Pudong. "—On the Northern Front, a new Undead Tide has emerged from Pyongyang, threatening Seoul and the Chinese port city of Dalian. In response, the United States held tripartite talks in Beijing on April 23-25. Multi-party negotiations with Seoul, Moscow and Tokyo to discuss aid stalled when the United States refused to give up interests in the South China Sea. The Central Committee has since withdrawn its support for an alliance, citing territorial tensions with Japan and South Korea—" Gwen turned off the Vid-cast. Just like in her old world, the news cycle was pure depression. The more one obsessed with the news, the more one understood that all was not right with the world and that things got worse. At least in this world, without the internet, things like 'fake' news have yet to become the norm. _Ding-Ding!_ The doorbell rang. Petra took delivery, and then the two girls sat down to eat, making small talk as they picked through the food. Petra stopped after one bowl of noodle soup, then watched as her Gwen patiently packed away two bowls of soup, one serving of salad, half a dozen spring rolls, and a coconut sago pudding. Gwen still had no idea where her food went. Her body absorbed it all. Her stomach could be so full as to be painful one moment, then fifteen minutes later, she was hungry again. When she discussed it with her babulya, the Director told her to consume more Wildland produce rich in mana and vitality. "With the amount you're eating, if you overeat NoM foodstuff, you will get a very upset stomach. The human digestive system can only take so much, dear. You're not a Minotaur—did you know they have four stomachs?" Gwen could see where babulya was going. NoM food made her bloat. After the meal, Gwen sat in a food coma for about half an hour, feeling infused with warmth. As her metabolism cooled, however, the hunger returned. An addiction to _Consume._ In her old world, addictions were an abstraction. There was always a gateway moment—a harmless bit of fun. Maybe a joint of weed at a party or a pill at a rave. Then harder drugs followed. Gwen might have been a problematic wreck in her teenage years, but she knew better than to be sucked into that particular vortex. As a professional money maker, she had prescriptions to guide her foray into pharmaceuticals. When the Prozac she was prescribed lost its edge, it was replaced by its more potent cousin with half the half-life, Cipralex. That had been fun. "Good night, Gwen." "Night, Pats." Once alone on her bed, Gwen scanned her new Storage Ring. Tomorrow, she would give the daggers back to Kusu, then split her loot with Lulan, Mia, Kitty and Richard. Sweeping her hand across her bedsheet, she produced three data slates omitted from her show and tell. Glancing at the door, she picked up the carbon-coloured slate, checked its crystal battery, and then activated the device. Unlike the intelligent machines of her Information Age, the slates were glorified notebooks whose surface could be turned into parchment, then inscribed and stowed. Most were American-made, though China's manufacturing sector had long since appropriated the device, defying protests from the American Towers. The familiar sight of tables and numbers appeared on the first slate. Gwen quickly scrolled through the sheets, over three hundred in total. "Accounts paid…" "Accounts received…" "Inventory…" The 'Invoice' segment made her eyes light up. A treasure trove of potential information, even if the client details were filled in with code, with annotations such as 'E.M203-HZ45-003". The second slate proved to be an inventory of business matters within D-109 itself. Through its details, Gwen spotted several instances where the recipient of casements of Five-Stone Power, Mage-stock, or Crystals was explicitly addressed to Secretariat Choi. Good, she thought to herself—more fuel for the fire. The third data slate displayed a profile page in a format familiar to her. There was the rectangular passport photo headshot. What sent shivers up her spine was that she was looking at a picture of herself. **Gwen Song** **Public Practice of Magic ID:** : 9840598 001 **Hair** : Warm Brown **Eyes** : Hazel **Height** : 181 CM **Race** : Eurasian **Father** : Hai Song **Mother** : Helena Huang **Notable Members of the Family::** Guo Song. MSS Committee Chair. Klavdiya Song. Director 2nd PLA Experimental Hospital. Jun Song. Captain, PLA. Grey Ghost (Retired) **SoM** : Evocation (Min), Conjuration (Maj) **Elemental:** Lightning / Void **Magic Class Permit (A)** The data on the document was so familiar because she had seen it before. It was the one that her grandmother had handed to Dean Luo. Gwen produced the carbon copy from her Storage Ring, then felt her jaws set grimly as the details and formatting matched perfectly. _What did this mean?_ She wondered. The incomplete data sheet raised more questions than it answered. Why would Nephres Zalaam have access to something like this? A document such as this could have gotten away from Fudan's archive only if someone deliberately disseminated it. If so, why were her extended Spell-Schools removed? Especially as her Dual-Elemental talent was gloriously displayed. Her head throbbed. She didn't want to think. She just wanted everything to go away. Luckily, there was a person she could count on for that to happen. With a few touches of her Message Device, Gwen made the call. "Uncle Jun?" "Gwen? What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting a call until next week. How are you? Did the examinations go well?" "They did. Thank you, Uncle Jun," Gwen replied. "Listen, I've come into possession of Nephres Zaalam's Storage Ring, and there's some fascinating accounting information she'd kept which I think will be of interest to you involving her dealing in the city and with Secretariat Choi. Do you... have time to talk?"

A contemplative silence lingered between uncle and niece. Gwen could imagine Jun having two expressions: one where he pinched the bridge of his nose and then looked up at the ceiling, another where he grinned confidently, unfazed: what she didn't know was what expression the man currently used. Gwen had to admit that the first impression was something more readily attributed to her father; Jun was the opposite of Morye-Hai Song. "Where are you now?" "I am at the apartment." "Are you free to meet up? I am still processing Choi's case. If what you say is true, there will be a lot of trouble for Secretariat Choi and another round of CCs for our little spook." "It's entirely accidental." Gwen chuckled at her new moniker as a femme fatale. "I can come out now. I'll let Petra know." "Maybe she should escort you?" "That's going to be awkward," Gwen confessed. "I hid the slates from her Master earlier." "Petra's a good girl. She wouldn't have minded, I am sure." "I was more afraid there would be sensitive material in there. I trust Petra, but we have an understanding. I don't want her to act against her Master's interests, not when we can avoid the issue altogether." "Well! As a loyal member of the PLA, I must have misheard just now. Where do you want to meet?" "Do you know a cafe called Caffebene? It's on Handan Rd." "I don't, but I'll find it. Is 2040 alright? I'll be leaving from Dachang Airbase. Signing out is going to take some time." "Sure, I am just three blocks over." "See you soon." "See you, Uncle Jun." Thirty-odd minutes later, Gwen opened her bedroom door. The Shanghai summer was coming on sticky and muggy, with the monsoonal air so humid as to cling to one's skin like a film. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Gwen picked out exercise clothing common to the streets. Seeing that it was late, she added a windbreaker, using its hood to hide her thick ponytail. "I am heading out for a sec." she knocked on Petra's door. "Seeing Uncle Jun for a bit, he wanted to have a pep talk. I'll Message you if anything happens." When her cousin dressed and emerged, the apartment door had clicked shut, and Gwen was gone. Caffebene was a little out-of-the-way coffee shop that transformed at night into a dessert bar selling an assortment of cakes. The owner was an NoM young man in his late twenties who liked to follow the latest trends, fancying himself a bit of a fashionista. He hadn't intended to open the shop for almost sixteen hours a day, but Fudan was a high-rent area with lively nightlife. Its citizens enjoyed midnight strolls and _Xiao-Ye,_ meaning nighttime snacks, staying up as late as three AM, playing cards, making small talk, and trading gossip. Currently, his eyes were scanning the horoscope section of the local paper. According to the columnist, they were written by sanctioned Diviners. _There may be a great deal of fuss over something you have thoughts over. Snake, try to see the beauty of everything around you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Make sure you give enough credit to yourself. Good things await those who are willing to try._ The owner looked about his shop. Empty. What should he try exactly? Caffebene did not have the best decor, though it was cute and clean. It did not sell the best coffee, though they were marginally cheaper. The chocolate-coffee cake his wife baked, though, was divine. Should he make the shop into a 'coffee' confectionery instead? What if the heavenly signs are different tomorrow? Just as he began to doubt the contents of his horoscope, a figure pushed past the doorway, setting the bell to jingle. When he looked up, he recognised the familiar figure immediately. Petra Kuznetsova's cousin! Guan something! There was no one else around Fudan with a more recognisable silhouette! He had seen her jogging around Campus every morning for six weeks. Every time she passed with her Mongolian Death Worm, it set the customer's tongues wagging. Mao! The girl was stunning, even in casual wear. The owner had to remind himself that he was a happily married, non-magically inclined husband with a wife who could bake like an Enchanter. "Please sit anywhere you like, Miss," the owner's voice choked out, an octave higher than he had intended. She was an actual celebrity! The word on the street was that she was a one-in-a-million Conjurer. Maybe she could bring business with her. Guan-something's favourite cake! When the Mongolian Deathworm followed her in together with a large ferret, the owner cautioned his fantasies. The girl nodded sweetly, her face pallid in the ambient light, her eyes seeking a discrete corner. The owner couldn't help but stare at the girl as she crossed her legs, looking like a magazine spread. A strange sensation seemed to engender itself in his chest, a daring thought that he would have never entertained were they not alone in his shop. The visage of his wife dimmed. What was the girl doing out so late and alone anyhow? And what was this strange disorientation he felt? Vertigo? How curious. The Mongolian Deathworm raised its head. _Tink—_ The door opened again, shaking the owner from his thoughts. _What was that?_ The owner's head cleared, the sensation falling away. He could breathe again. He apologised to his spouse in silence, then looked up to greet the new customer. "Gwen!" the man called out, raising a hand. "Uncle!" the girl roused from her chair. "Just us in here, huh?" The new patron turned his attention toward the owner. This 'Uncle' of the girl was a military man. A PLA officer? The owner pondered. He knew that grunts were forbidden from leaving the barracks after curfew. Only select officers had that sort of leeway. The man wore blue-white military cargo pants that ended in dark leather boots laced far too neatly, with a tight, long-sleeve shirt that moulded around his broad pectorals and tapered waist. The man moved with cat-like grace. He threw something toward the owner. The owner caught it. Even as an NoM, he recognised the sliver of crystal. From the feel and weight of it, it was worth three to four HDMs at least. "Do you mind locking up for the night? We need privacy," the military man enquired with a tone that inferred this was not a request. "That's yours if you do. We can go elsewhere as well. Not to worry." _Who was this guy kidding?_ On a quiet night like this, the owner knew he was lucky to make half of what he'd been given. He sold coffee and cakes, for Mao's sake, not banquets. "Sure thing, boss!" The owner quickly locked up, switching the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. "I'll be upstairs, doing accounts and preparing for tomorrow. Help yourself to the fridge. Let me know if you want mixed drinks." "Gwen? Do you want anything? I'll take water." "Can I have the 10-inch Choco-mouse cake?" The owner reached into the cabinet and was about to cut a slice when the girl spoke again. "The whole cake. Sir." The girl blushed, adding a hint of colour to her bloodless cheeks. "Of course, Miss." The owner averted his eyes. With his head freed from that shameful compulsion, he dared not lose himself again. Now that he had divorced himself from her allure, she was beginning to make his skin crawl. "Right away, I'll bring water. Please help yourself to anything you like in the cold cabinet." Jun made a face when the cake presented to them was placed with an audible thud on the table. Gwen watched her uncle stare at the icing on the cake. The owner returned with glasses, a jug of cold water, forks and spoons, serviettes and even a bib, then retreated to some farther room, leaving uncle and niece to themselves. "First things first." Gwen materialised the data slates and briefly explained what was in Nephres' ring, reiterating her experiences in Sydney and Edgar's incident. Jun took the slates and carefully read through them one by one. "We know about the Powders," Jun murmured as he browsed through the slate with Choi's name written in black and white. "Interesting. The Secretariat was doing a little trading with the other leaders of the Districts." "Is that bad?" Gwen enquired. The Lost Districts were, after all, a semi-autonomous region. "Oh, yes," Jun replied. "There are no Divination Towers in or near the area, meaning they must run things via some external network. Contact between the various zones is one of the foremost things forbidden in the Lost Districts. Secretariat Choi and his colleagues will be vacationing at the Sky Prison far longer than they had anticipated." "Why would he send the Slavers against us if Nephres had this much dirt on him?" Jun shrugged, rolling his broad shoulders. He took a sip from the glass of water Gwen had poured out for him. "You have to understand that when a man like Choi sits like a King on the throne of his little abode for too long, it twists his head. He begins to think that he can do no wrong and that his choices are impeccably wise and immaculately planned. I've seen it all too often, not just in the PLA but in places in the Frontier when a Clan-Head or an official has all the power. There's madness that comes with having the power of life and death over so many." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," Gwen chimed in with an adage. "Yes. Very good, Gwen." Jun stabbed a small corner of the cake and took a bite. "Too sweet." Gwen had held off out of politeness, but now that Jun had dug in, she was free to ravage the remaining 99.9% of the sugary treat. "Choi is the blister and boil that inevitably appears when a beast as large as the CCP, with its PLA, holds so much power over every aspect of the citizens' lives. An interesting Chinese saying covers it well: the district bureaucrat is greedy for money, the regional bureaucrat is greedy for power, the state bureaucrat is greedy for stability, and the Emperor is greedy for immortality. I guess Choi never graduated past the first rung. As for where all the money goes, let's say the vine extends far up the trunk." Gwen nodded, her cheeks filling like a chipmunk's. Jun watched his niece, humoured by her self-professed ease in his presence. Jun looked through the third slate, the one with the student profiles. "... this one has our student records on it. I think they leaked from Fudan." Jun paused at the profiles. "Incomplete. How curious." "What do you think, Uncle Jun?" Jun stowed away the slates in his Storage Ring. "Bait." "Bait?" Jun nodded. "I've seen that profile image. I think mother took it when you first had your biometric-Spellcraft measurements done. The only people who would have access to that specific image are your Grandmother and the Fudan Administration office, though I suppose Dean Luo could have had a copy. It's not the image used on your Student ID. It's the one on your original application." "How do you suppose Nephres Zalaam got a hold of it?" "Do you want to know?" "Do I..." Gwen read her uncle's eyes. Sometimes, a little bliss was better than having too much knowledge. Curiosity killed the cat and all that. "I... do." "Wen gave Choi the records. Not an unusual thing, mind you. Quite within the expected standard of things. What's interesting is why there are omittances." "Of my other Schools?" Jun chuckled. "Gwen, let me give you some advice. It would be best if you learned to open your eyes beyond your immediate world. Your record was incomplete, sure, but it remains an impressive read. Void, Lightning, two Schools of Magic, how wonderous and powerful! If I were in the trafficking trade, you would be a prize beyond compare—absolutely worth the risks of the Tower's and the PLA's ire! What's missing, then, is not YOUR record." Gwen scanned her memory of the others' records. Besides Kitty's profile, Mayuree and Richard's gave away nothing. "The others! They're depicted as nobodies..." "Nothing impressive or dangerous. Yes." "Which means the records were altered to engender temptation for the traffickers!" The fog cleared. It all made sense! "Always look at the whole circumstance. You must see beneath the beneath," Gwen's uncle advised. "You'll get the hang of it." Gwen's face flushed. In the next second, though, her blood ran cold. "Magister Wen..." "Is a woman with an agenda." That much was evident by now. The Magister had no idea who Nephres was, of course, her relationship to Elizabeth Sobel or Edgar. Maybe the incident couldn't have been averted, but perhaps it could. It was all muddled up now. What was important was that, as Jun stated, the Magister was not her friend. Her designs were her own; Gwen Song was less an individual, and more so a Wildland Beast Wen had to fatten up with carrion. "I see that you now know. Choi told me already. I had a Mind-Mage scrape him, though we might have to go deeper now." Gwen inclined her head solemnly, thinking of the sensation of having someone invade the most private sanctum of your mind. Unconsciously she cut out a generous portion of the cake with her fork and crammed it into her mouth melancholically. "As for the slate with the code, we have someone specialising in that sort of thing. I'll submit it and see if I can get some more CCs on top of the ones I promised you back in D-109." That was one piece of good news, at least. Gwen thanked her uncle. CCs helped; she needed to pick up another two to three spells across three different Schools of Magic. "So Gwen," Jun began again. "I spoke to grandmother before I came." "Oh?" "She told me about the decision you have reached." Gwen met her uncle's dark eyes, within which the ambient light of the coffee shop refracted across his cold, charcoal pupils. "I have to know how to control… my appetite," Gwen announced evasively. "That may be." Jun's face came closer. Gwen could see his biceps balloon as he leaned in, elbows on the desk. "There's a better way, Gwen." Gwen's fork paused on its way to the chocolate cake. "There is?" "I think," Jun said carefully. "Both you and mother have been pulled too deeply into Magister Wen's world. That woman cares for nothing other than her data, her papers and her publications. That's what makes her so useful—but also dangerous." "Then…" "I understand that you've made a choice, Gwen." Jun's face, identical to her father's, made her queasy. The look of earnest devotion and care on Morye's ever-playful and never-serious face was screwing with her head. "Mark my words. There will be far more _prisoners_ once she gets her initial data." "I told her we were going as far as our fact-finding mission would take us," Gwen protested, feeling strangely defensive of her choice. It had taken her so much effort and will to make this decision, and now Jun was trying to dissuade her. If there was another choice, what was the point of her splattering blood all over her face to make that decision? Jun caught the defiance in her eyes and put up a hand in protest. "Whoa there, let me finish. Mao, you're like my mother in that regard. Once you set your head around something…" Gwen stabbed the cake a little more violently than she'd intended. "This is what's so dangerous about Magister Wen. The woman is offering you extremes, delivered in logical and reasonable terms. There's no compromise. Tell me, Gwen, do you believe consuming another 'being' would help your present condition?" Gwen wanted to say yes. "Do you believe you cannot control your _appetite_?" She had no idea. "Do you think consuming _more_ people would make it easier for your future endeavours? That you will fundamentally change the nature of an Element because of applied academia and repetition? After the 10th victim, things will be _different_?" Gwen honestly had no answer to that. Perhaps Magister Wen did— "Can you NOT be satiated with Magical Beasts? Do they not possess essence, vitality and mana? Since when did the Void specialise in cannibalism? You think the PLA will leave you alone after that?" "I could... maybe..." The impeccable logical scaffold constructed by Magister Wen floundered under Jun's assault. "But knowledge is a necessity. Knowledge is control, especially as it may not be possible to avoid your condition," Jun continued. "I think there is a compromise here. I'll speak with mother, and we'll figure something out. Get your puzzle piece, Gwen. A man will die. But Magister Wen will also know she can't just walk all over you." Gwen felt a fuzzy feeling in her chest. It was nice to know that her uncle cared. She had not experienced that in her old world; not even a liberal dose of Cipralex could dispel her anxiety so readily. "So, here's what I am proposing," Jun folded his arms. "After your End of Semester exams, you and I are going on a little trip." "A trip? Where to?" "An undisclosed region outside the capital city, a little way from Anhui, a Purple Zone." "Oh?" "Have you heard of the Huangshan Mountains before?" Gwen nodded. The 'Yellow Mountain' was one of China's five great mountain ranges, famed for its cloud-covered precipices jutting out from the cloud bank into the heavens. With its unusually high tree line, the mountain served as the visual inspiration for calligraphic silkscreen paintings. "Good, then you should know that a Yinglong roams those ranges." "I didn't know that," she confessed, then added embarrassingly. "What's a Yinglong?" Jun chuckled. "In the Analects of the Mountain and the Seas, Gou-Pu described the Yinglong as a creature of up to seven Li long. It is one of the first Chinese Dragons, most famous for his service to the Yellow Emperor, aiding him in the Battle of Zhuolu when he fought against the tyrannical Spirit King Chiyou. Named the _Great Responding Dragon,_ the __ Yinglong would create a great storm to flush out the Emperor's enemies. When the wind and rain deities, Feng Bo and Yu Shi, were causing problems, the Yellow Emperor summoned his daughter, the Drought Goddess, Ba, to silence them, allowing the Yinglong to unleash a storm. In the capture of Chiyou, the Yinglong hate him." "That sounds mystical." Gwen couldn't help but feel her uncle wasn't very realistic. Then again, she reminded herself that Amuldj was accurately 'several Li' long. "What are we going to do?" "Not be eaten by the Yinglong, hopefully," Jun laughed. "I will give you some training, and you will discover a detour away from your current conundrum." "How so?" "Well, Dragons are wanton creatures of lust, see, and when they inhabit a mountain region—" "They have sex with everything!" Gwen blurted out, having heard it from her Bestiary trainer, Hufei. Now it was Jun's turn to look flustered. "Well, yes, very good." Her uncle coughed. "We'll go to Huangshan and get you some dragon babies." "You expect me to dance the _horizontal_ tango with a Yinglong?" Gwen gulped, wondering where this was going. Could a human even become the concubine of a Yinglong? _What a suggestion!_ Is she going to return to Shanghai bearing an egg of some sort? Gods! How does the physiology of that sort of thing even work? _Is there a Polymorph involved?_ Her voice took on a keener edge. Not even Amuldj would—Ergh! Unthinkable! "I don't think I am willing to go that far..." Jun stared at his niece for several awkward seconds, then broke into a rip-roaring snort of laughter. "Uncle Jun…" "No, you silly goose!" Jun rapped Gwen across the forehead. "We're going poaching!" "P-poaching?" "Yes!" Jun snorted. "The Dragon's Essence infuses everything that walks, swims, and flies, right? To use some Western Spellcraft terminology, the Yinglong is specifically a Dragon of the air, water, and positive energy! You get me?" "Blue Dragon spawns!" Gwen realised what Jun was suggesting. "Indeed!" Jun chuckled. "You and I, we're going to try and find you a Lightning Spirit! And collect Lightning Creature Cores! There's a whole mountain of spawns there. They're a plague!" "Is it safe to hunt them?" "Of course not!" Jun laughed. "Very dangerous, but I'll convince Mother one way or another. She'll see the need for it. In my opinion, Lightning should be your primary-Element. Let Void be supplementary. Some of the most powerful Magi in history were Lightning Battlemages." "But, the chances of finding a Spirit is so slim." Gwen wanted to say that they could be killing hundreds of Draconic spawns, and it wouldn't be strange not to see a single Core, much less a Spirit. Not to mention a significant battle would surely attract the Yinglong. "Oh ho ho." Jun reached into his shirt and pulled out a familiar-looking heirloom keepsake. Gwen's eyes widened. The second half of the Kirin Pendant! "There'll be no luck needed to find some Cores." Jun grinned, showing the whites of his teeth. "All we need to do is survive." "I see." Gwen's voice shivered. "A third path." Her father's smiling face gazed back at Gwen, sending her bosoms aflutter with unspeakable emotions. "Who says that the Void is be-all and end-all? Why not build yourself up to oppose this Elizabeth Sobel with the one thing that would counter her? Why not...how do you say this? The Second Coming of Thor? The Nordic God of Lighting?" "It's the Second Coming of the Nazarene," Gwen couldn't stop smiling. Her chest rose and fell with anticipation. With a longing that she didn't know existed, Gwen reached out and took Jun's rough fingers in her palm. "I'll do it! Uncle Jun!" she proclaimed with bright eyes glowing with renewed faith for her Path ahead. She violently stabbed the cake with her fork. "For dragon babies! I'll do anything!"

Gwen promised Jun to keep the entirety of Week 14 of the semester open. Her final was in Week 13, mid-September. After that, she could be away with Jun on their Elemental poaching adventure. What remained then was seven more weeks of the academic term: that and Gwen's impending trial by fire with the prisoner. As for her impending trial-by-murder, that morbid reality remained immutable. As a future Battle Mage, Gwen couldn't risk becoming burdened by unknowns when the wellbeing of loved ones was at stake. She was thankful then that Jun's offer had offered a detour. If nothing else, the inhumane methodology required to feed her talent was no longer an albatross strung across her chest. At the same time, her euphoria was joined by despondency. In taking uncle Jun's guiding hand, she couldn't help but be reminded that neither her father nor mother had enquired after her since the semester began. There were no surprises, but the silence cut like a rusty razor. Her parents—in this life or the last—remained carefree in pursuing their individual happiness. As an adult, she couldn't blame them for that. Wasn't she also reaching out for that orgiastic green light across the bay? She was going so far as to murder a man to see how her brain ticked. When she returned to the apartment, Petra's lights were out. Gwen hovered by the door apologetically for a few seconds, then left. She would rather not trouble Petra if Magister Wen was buttressing her agendas behind her and their babulya's backs. Her cousin's loyalties would be unnecessarily conflicted, especially as she already had a history with another Master in Moscow. If Petra should abandon yet another instructor, it was unlikely she would ever be apprenticed by a third. As Jun said, Magister Wen provided a service, and Gwen provided materials. It was an even trade. She was fine so long as she did not misunderstand that their relationship extended beyond give and take. She wondered what Wen thought of Petra. Would the old academic risk her life to shelter her Mineral Magic apprentice? Gwen struggled out of her casual clothes and slipped into bed, sliding between the silken sheets. "One Evee... two Evee... three..." After a night of staring at the ceiling, she finally felt the coming on of blissful, restful sleep. Kusu stared at the twenty-odd implements in front of him. "How?!" "I don't know," Gwen confessed, making a hugging motion with her arms. "I squeezed Caliban real hard, and… there they were." "Brother! What a fortunate outcome!" Lulan gushed beside her sibling, hugging the young man's arm. Gwen had met the duo in Mayuree's apartment, where she presented the loot of crystals from Nephres to her four companions. Kitty took her share of the 1400 HDMs without blinking, swiping her hand across the stash and dematerialising the cards with absolute certainty. Mayuree refused, saying she really had no need for HDMs, that it was barely pocket-change to her. When Gwen insisted, she threatened to spend it all on shoes unless she or the siblings were willing to partake in her generosity. More arguments ensued, each party trying to outdo the other in modesty. In the end, Gwen split the surplus three ways, giving herself, Richard and Lulan 1860 HDMs per head. Kitty looked as though she was going to speak up about 'her' share of the surplus, but a frown from Mayuree turned her intentions awry, leaving her sulking by the window. "Thank you!" Lulan couldn't believe that she, the troublemaker, would receive such a generous portion of the spoils. "Thank all of you!" "This means we can take up the vacancy in Building 14," Kusu added with immense relief. "Your aid couldn't have come at a better time." "Lulan did all the hard work." Gwen pictured the two scenes of carnage leading in and out of the tunnel section. The expression on the Abjurer's face as Lulan crushed his Shield and sent his head flying was an unneeded Kodak moment. "B-14? That's close to us. Nicely done." Lulan beamed. Kusu incanted something under his breath, and the daggers began to float. Was it magnetism? Gwen wondered. Or was it a combination of Levitation and some other secret magic algorithm? She had read that there was a Transmutation spell called Dancing Blade at tier 4, which allowed one to command an unattended blade to attack, parry, and defend on its own. Perhaps Kusu's Huashan Sword Magic was akin to this phenomenon. "Still works!" Kusu announced, his face relaxing. "Thank you, Miss Song." "Just Gwen," Gwen insisted. "Caliban did Consume your other daggers. Maybe they're in there, somewhere." "What you have returned is already several months of my work," Kusu bowed, then little sheepishly, he added a 'Gwen'. "I wouldn't dream of demanding more than that. Whatever else Caliban can... retrieve, I leave it entirely to its discretion." Kusu was an unusual Clanner. Gwen nodded at the young man's diplomacy. Losing him was most definitely a bad deal for Huashan. With the siblings taken care of, it was time for her to attend her classes again. If there was an unexpected benefit to Magister Wen's leeching of her Void matter, it was the loss of her healer's aura. Now bereft of her excess vitality, she could resume life as Petra's 'hot cousin' and not a fount of wellbeing that drew eyes like a second sun. "I am off!" she informed the others, turning on her flats and calling for her Familiars. "Message me if anything comes up." The others, Kitty notwithstanding, waved goodbye to Gwen's much-improved mood. Conjuration was first, with Birch directing Gwen and her Familiars to their usual place in the front row. "Gwen!" Lily, her fellow Conjurer, hailed her from across the room. "Wait up!" "Hi guys," Gwen greeted Lily and Pu of the unfortunate homophone, her peers from Evocation doing a double Major in Conjuration. "How're the Districts? I am thinking of taking Management next semester." "Quite the adventure!" Gwen beamed at her acquaintances. "I'll tell you about it after, over luncheon. I am starving already, haha." "Are you okay?" Pu's eyes ran over her new fashion statement. For the summer, Gwen had layered up in a floral summer dress covered by a nice cream cardigan. Unfortunately, unless she went heavy on foundation, there was no covering up her bruised eye bags and pale, bloodless lips. "Not enough iron," Gwen explained casually, dismissing Pu's concern. "Nothing a good steak and veg can't fix." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Shaa!" Caliban nodded at the two. "Hi, Cali." Lily patted it on the head. Pu kept his distance. "Eeee!" Ariel whinnied. Lily took the marten with her hands and hugged it to her chest. "Ohhh! So cute!" The girl looked rapturously happy. "Take a seat. Magister Birch is starting." Gwen moved her familiars to her left as the other two sat. Birch soon assumed his place on the podium. "Welcome back, students." Birch did his usual walk around the elevated platform of the lecture theatre, scanning over the sixty-odd students with his eyes until his gaze rested on Gwen. "We will now begin our new topic: Teleportation Circles." "In our earlier lessons, we discussed the problems of translocation. For the next four weeks, we will discuss the single most important use of Conjuration—transporting Mages and other personnel throughout Human territories." "There currently exist THREE forms of Teleportation: 'Personal' 'Assisted' and 'Powered.' Personal teleportation involves translocation by Line of Sight; this includes spells such as Blink from the Transmutation School, or Dimension Door, from the Conjuration School. Upon manifesting the arcane phenomenon, the Mage is moved through the Astral Plane from one location to another with relative accuracy." "Assisted Teleportation is translocation assisted by Divination, typically a skill acquired by Translocation Specialists, requiring a rudimentary knowledge of the School of Divination. By tapping into the Divination towers' loc-by-loc triangulation, the caster can pinpoint a location for the Spell to manifest. Recall your Ludwin-Clarkson formulae: the cost of translocation is proportional to the distance and the baseline cost of invocation. Make a note." Birch paused for the students to catch up. "In areas without Divination Towers meaning non-human controlled regions—you will require a Diviner in your party to Teleport to unmarked locations. If you lack a Diviner, this can be offset by employing a Ranger Class operative. Typically, this is a Transmuter with Polymorph or an Illusionist with Improved Invisibility, who can plant translocation beacons." "Finally, Powered Teleportation such as that used by the Inter-State Teleportation Circle, commonly abbreviated as the ISTC—are connected by Long-Range Divination Stations. Rather than using the Mage's mana, these Circles are empowered by HDM stores embedded within the mandala. Access to ISTC stations is heavily restricted, typically only utilised for military troop movement, or with a permit to visit other countries and inter-city Towers." Gwen herself made a note to learn Teleportation Circle as soon as possible. The utility of the Spell felt endless. If she could utilise her jack-of-all-trades talents, she could provide the party with the means of offence, defence, and extraction. All she had to do was pick up some formal training in rudimentary Divination about the Message spells and the use of the Divination Towers. "Now, the intricacies of the Teleportation Circle." Gwen's ears perked up. "... The baseline mandala, available from the public library, is the Ludwin-Clarkson octogramic containment circulation glyph. The preceding layers vary from caster to caster, though usually, we use a stabilisation glyph as such—see here—and insert transfusion circles at the fourth layer—and here—at the inner circle—creating a circuit that allows for the consumption of HDMs placed within the axis." The sound of pens scratching parchment and slate filled the lecture hall. When Birch finished, Gwen realised that using the Spell as a combat tactic was a bit of wishful thinking. The original template of the Spell was exceptionally fragile and easily disrupted. It also took two to three minutes to attune every individual beyond the inscriber of the circle. It meant that though she could insert allies into a combat zone, she couldn't extract people without someone holding down the fort. When she raised her hand and asked the question, Birch answered that usually, an Abjurer formed a protective layer of Shields and Walls around the surrounded or besieged party. At the same time, the Translocation Conjurer worked on transporting the party to a safe location. "Are there better variants of the Teleportation Circle?" Gwen asked. "My personal Teleportation Circle can be attained for 55 CCs," Birch answered her question with a twinkle in his eye. "It takes three-quarters of the time to prepare a companion for translocation, and it has a built-in Shielding glyph which your Abjurer can personally empower. For students in my Course, there is a discount. The Spell is usually traded for 64 Contribution Credits." Gwen blinked. Despite Birch's dandy outfit and perfectly groomed beard, was he a miser? Teleportation Circle is a custom Tier 5 Spell! Not mangos at the market! Doesn't he feel embarrassed hawking his discounted spells to his students? The lecture ended with Birch approaching Gwen and asking if her grandmother had asked after him. When she replied with a definite no, the Magister smiled bleakly, leaving her with her peers. "Something going on with Magister Birch and your family?" Lily was a gossiper at heart. "Nothing worthwhile, just an old pair of alumna and alumni waxing sentimental," Gwen replied offhandedly to offset any suspicion, not wanting to start any troublesome rumours. "Gran's past 60, you know. I think Magister Birch might be mid-sixties. It's the age when people get nostalgic about their youth." Lily nodded wisely. Pu shrugged. "So." Gwen touched a hand to her growling abdomen, feeling hollowed out after just four hours. "Lunch?" Evocation class. On the practice fields, Magus Carol Young gave out the students' grades from the prior week, each report attached with a personal memorandum of advice. "Good control, limited AOE potential, recommendation on acquiring a low-level 400 - 800 CC Spirit ASAP. More Adventuring and practicum experience should provide an increase in the performance index. Rank 47 / 302." 'A-' was the grade Magus Young gave her performance, a few tiers shy of 'S'. The comment continued at the back. "Gwen. As irresponsible as it is for me to suggest that you should 'simply' acquire a Spirit, I must stress that the ability to direct your attacks with IFF is central to Lightning Magic due to its inherent volatility. Once you reach tier 5, keynote Spells such as Blast Wave become severely limited without an ability to Spell-shape, either learned or supernatural. Once you reach tier 6 and gain the signature spell of the Lightning talent—Chain Lightning—IFF is essential if you wish to use it pragmatically in the field. Work up some CCs in the next 24 months as your tiers develop, putting out a Tower notice for a Lightning Spirit. You will be consigned to the Artillery Unit without this gift, limiting your immense potential." Though the lecturer was relentless in delivering her lessons, she offered sterling advice. That said, Magus Young did not account for Gwen's Conjuration, nor did her Void talent. Unsure of what she should show, Gwen had so far chosen not to demonstrate her alt-element, though her instructor was likely aware of it. Gwen wondered what Young would say if she told her that she had an _accident_ over the weekend. Now she was tier 4 in Evocation, and in the future, there may be more incidents where she may very quickly come into possession of those tiers that her peers may take up to a decade to master. However, Young was right. The prospect of large-scale AOEs, especially when exercised with Identify-Friend-Foe, greatly appealed to her limitations. In the other half of the lesson, Magus Young continued to extol the virtues of possessing a Spirit. She explained that failing to make an A for most students was due to Friendly-Fire in a Danger Close situation. There was little point in having enough firepower to wipe out a building if one's collateral damage would kill more humans than they could save from a Demi-human or Magical creature infestation. "Allow me to provide you with an anecdote," the Magus explained. "During the Sinai conflict, the Egyptian Jackal Cult deployed a forbidden spell _, Corpse Scarabs,_ which quickly bred out of control due to the absurd volume of carrion left by both sides. Israeli execution of the Temple Necromancer further devolved the situation into anarchy. The Scarabs bore into the carcass of the fallen or buried themselves underground, then emerged months later as a voracious swarm that could blacken the sky." "These _free_ Scarabs covered enemies, allies, everything and everyone when they attacked. In the end, the Tower brought in a Spirit-attuned Fire Magister. This rare individual, with the help of the Israeli Heavy-Golem 4th Division, managed to thin out the swarm enough for it to be dispersed, as well as decimate the enemy troops." A few more anecdotes of the battlefield followed before the lecture ended. "In Week 9, I, as well as a member of the PLA 22nd Aerial Division, will offer a demonstration. For those of you currently in possession of Spirits, you will be asked to participate with the instructors. That is all. Dismissed." Gwen left Evocation full of anticipation of her upcoming Wildland foray with her uncle. Refreshed with new funds, she treated herself to a buffet of Wildland cuts and vegetables at Uni-Rd Korean BBQ, reducing the proprietor to tears. When she finally finished, feeling 'full', watched by the waiters and waitresses with stunned expressions, Gwen left a tip of 5 HDMs: 2 to cover the extra food and 3 to help the waitstaff overcome the trauma of seeing Caliban coiled beneath the table. Thinking of Magus Young's advice as she walked home with her familiars, she made a note to pay a visit to the Guanghua Towers to check on new potential spells for her spell list. Even with her monthly deductions from the LRC Device hire, she still had 93 CCs remaining, plus whatever Jun could rope up for her from the Choi incident. Her savings meant she could potentially purchase four to five new Spells at Tier 4 or one to two at Tier 5. Utility or more offensive options? Or perhaps, she could train up her Transmutation to gain Flight? The night was young, and her stomach was full. Petra should be home soon. There, they could mull over her Spell-list slowly over a nice pot of ginger-lime Tisane.

“You’ve tiered up?” Instructor Chen’s abilities of observation were sharp as a tack. The moment Caliban completed the obstacle course, ignoring the howling summoned creatures, delicious treats and abrupt stimuli, he had confronted her with the question. When Gwen's usually disobedient Death Worm wiggled, crawled, and squeezed itself through to next stage, Chen knew he was right. “Yessir,” Gwen replied with a toothy grin. “Too fast. You'll ruin your foundation.” Chen furrowed his brows, screwing up his face until she could see a dozen lines on his weathered face. “What’re you taking for supplements? Nothing illicit I hope. One should never pull up rice-sprouts to hasten the harvest. No good can come of that.” Bloody oath, the man was keener than a razor, Gwen reflected with renewed respect. Supplements? She wondered how Chen would react if she told him that she took her steroids in human sacrifice. “Nothing of the sort Sir. I had a lot of help from Magister Wen, and I am training diligently.” Gwen hoped her vapid innocence was enough to deflect the Instructor’s suspicion. “Baagh,” Chen grunted, clicking his stopwatch. He checked her Sustenance Band. “At any rate, keep your Familiars manifested. You’ve got six odd weeks to pass the course. Remember, seven days straight.” “Yessir.” “Look, if you’re doing as well as you’re proposing, sign up for the Frontlines during the Winter Break, head up north and rack up some CCs. There’s no replacement for real combat experience. Don’t waste your talent by becoming one of those greenhouse ‘geniuses’ who are useless in the field.” Gwen was inclined to agree. Her precarious planning and subsequent inflexibility when dealing with Lulan’s sudden intrusion spoke loudly of her need for more experience. If the District episode proved anything, it was that the more she wished to do things ‘her way,’ the more foretelling her tactical decision needed to be. Not far from where she conversed with Instructor Chen, Eunae stood by her doe, ready to unsummon her forest-sprite, Luyi, should Caliban's docility proved to be a farce. Over the weeks, except for Wanli, the prideful Lighting Hawk who thought itself leagues above the rest, the other Familiars had formed a sort of social club. Ariel and Caliban weren’t at the level of intelligence to possess speech with their human Master, but their ‘Shaaa!’ and ‘Eeee!’ could be partially comprehended by the other Spirit-familiars such as Ahu, the Fire-Tiger, or Feifei, the Water-Crane. Watching the Familiars make their adorable sounds at one another reminded Gwen of doggy-daycares where hounds as diminutive as Ariel and as enormous as Ahu socialised through barks, whines, and growls. “Gwen.” Lu approached the student and instructor with his majestic hawk perched above his shoulder. God damn. Too cool. Gwen sighed at her peevish saltiness, observing Wanli with the same discrimination that Lu observed Gwen in her tank-top and denim skirt. What she wouldn't do to get a piece of that lightning Spirit, Gwen pouted. Why it looked so charismatic that she could just run her fingers through its electric feathers. Gwen pictured Wanli lifting off her shoulders. Or, she could be riding a horse, and while galloping, Wanli could alight on her arm! In the Wildlands, she could have the hawk scout from up on high while sending her a stream of intelligence, making trivial the positioning of monsters and enemies so long as her Familiar had a clean LOS. “Hi Lu, how was your weekend?” “Good, very good. Brother Dai held a gathering at the Four Seasons, lots of families and heirs. He would have loved it if you could have attended as well.” “I was rather preoccupied I am afraid.” Gwen smiled affably. “Tell Dai I said hello.” “Will do.” Lu tried his best to prolong their small talk. “How’s training for Caliban coming along?” “Grudgingly.” Gwen studied the young man, watching his eyes dart about her body subtlely. She couldn't help but notice that Lu seldom liked to meet her eyes while they conversed. He preferred to focus on her chin, her navel, or her legs. Curiously, Kusu adopted the same body language. She wondered if they were indeed that uncomfortable speaking to her, or if there were some ingrained social-cultural aspects at play. What she’d heard from Pu and Lily one time, was that within the Clans, acting in accordance to hierarchy was absolute; eye-levelling inferred one was speaking with an equal. Was she then Lu's superior? Why was Lu, the possessor of a Spirit of Lightning, afraid of her? Gwen thought of Dai, and how the young man had tried to 'have a go at her' only to be beaten back like an obtrusive dog panting at her heels. She hoped the quick-witted young man didn’t hold a grudge. As the sole male heir of the Police Commissioner and by that extension, one of the most influential power progenies she had met, he could easily complicate matters while demanding unsavoury favours. Certainly, she couldn't imagine life would have been easy for her if Dai had pursued the matter. As well connected her babulya and Magister Wen might be, she couldn't envision the two of them confronting the city’s most prominent para-military civil servant to complain about harassment. The matter would be resolved, of course, but it would be lose-lose for all parties, with 'face' lost all-around and grudges becoming embedded. That Dai had not contacted her again, nor made his presence known except through Lu, spoke loudly of the young man’s intelligence and the comfort by which he navigated the upper-echelon of society. Thinking of the 'favour' Dai still owed her, she recalled that Lu too had immediately apologised to Chen after his beatdown by the Instructor’s Magma-Salamander. Whatever it is they’re teaching the kids in the Clan of Fung, it was a damn sight more useful than whatever education the other Clanners were receiving for high-society. Caliban finished sizing up Luyi, gave it a lick with a tentacled tongue, then returned to Gwen. “Gods, I am starving.” Gwen felt hollowed out by the three-hour lesson between breakfast and lunch. “Eunae, you up for some Sushi?” “Sure,” the Korean girl pipped up. She had made good progress with her doe. Luyi was now no longer running off without her express consent, even when troubled by Caliban, though that may be because the Conjurer herself was acclimatising to the presence of her ‘Mongolian Death Worm’. After offending Eunae with her gluttony, Gwen paid for lunch, then left for Advanced Spell Shaping. I better save my Tower Visit for Wednesday, Gwen mentally rescheduled her imaginary calendar. This food business that she’d thought under control was taking up more time than she had imagined. Gwen wondered if any of the instructors would consent to her snacking in class. The cost of her almost exclusively mana-rich diet was nearly 70 HDMs a week, a price unimaginable to her Blackwattle peers in Sydney. As for her inventory, Gwen knew she was just shy of 3000 HDMs. She was also in possession of an assortment of potions and raw crystals that could be traded in for another 1000 or so. Still, she promised herself that she should investigate a sustainable source of passive income to feed her growing appetite. An appetite that may grow more exorbitant yet, unless of course, she could alternatively afford a steady diet of living things large and small… Advanced Spellshaping. Magister Michio Lee had on a shirt so tightly that his toned pectorals strained at the buttons. As per usual, a gaggle of giggling university girls sat at the front row, well away from Gwen's serpent and her marten and as close as humanly possible to the handsome, wealthy and talented Magister, whose jawline possessed an animus of its own. One reason for the girl’s audible panting, Gwen could reasonably guess, was for the Magister’s choice of a narrow-waisted, closely tailored attire. The summer air outside was unbearably sticky and hot, and the Magister’s urbane choice of clothing served his triangular figure well. With his horn-rimmed glasses, Michio reminded Gwen of an Asian Clark Kent. One whose ego could probably bend steel. In a way, Michio reminded her a little of Gunther. Both were hyper-competent, though Gunther, either because of his Germanic heritage or his time in Australia, had a laconic cool and ease of confidence which superseded Michio’s peacocking. Returning from Mid-Semester break, Magister Lee continued his instruction of theorems which would ultimately, Gwen guessed, lead to the third year courses that deconstructed existing Magical theory in favour of free-form doctrines drawing from multiple sources, including that of Demi-human magic. “… Which brings us to the nature of hybrid magic, the most common of which, not surprisingly, is the Conjuration-Evocation ‘Biomancy’ used by Clerics. As I have annotated in Week 4, the existing schools of Magic are pigeon-holed by current proven theory. Though spells utilised Major Incantations specific to their Sigil; many are in fact, supported by minor incantations tied to auxiliary Schools of Magic. For example - in Heal Moderate Wounds - Conjuration provides the matter, while Evocation supplies the power. In advanced healing spells such as the tier 6 Full Heal or the tier 7 Regenerate, Transmutation provides precision.” This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. “Let's go back a little further. The Clerical - Or I should say, the 'Healing Talent' - is tracible back to antiquity. In the Classical Era, when Magic was beginning to be discovered by humanity, 'healing' was the most useful and revered School of Magic. Among the recorded history of Spellcraft, healing spells remain the most preserved 'School' of Magic in existence. Not only that, the Big Three of the Apothecary Colleges: Nightingale, The Acropolis, and The Hospitallers of Saint John, have never withheld knowledge from other like-minded institutes. This is why we have the Clerical Class. It shows that truly, for Spellcraft to exceed its current state, knowledge should be disseminated!” A few scoffs resonated from the back row. Gwen knew those to be the Clanners, who, as a fraternity, always sat together. Lee ignored them. “What most of you are not aware of, seeing that Healers have their hyper-specialised training, is that the Clerical School is a mixture of the common schools of Magic, with each spell tailored for those with the Positive Energy Talent. It is living proof that anyone could attain different Schools of Magic. Bless is an Enchantment based Spell. Healing Word is Evocation. Protection from Disease and Poison is Abjuration. Guardian of Faith is both Abjuration and Conjuration, and so on.” Michio Lee paused on the podium for dramatic effect. “What if I told you that one of the most important spells of the Clerical School - Revivify - is a form of Necromancy?” Shocked murmurs rang through the classroom. Even Gwen felt the hair stand on the back of her neck. “Ha! Yes! Though Necromancy is banned, many of our most stable Clerical Spells are indeed, Positive Energy variations of their Necromantic foundation-spells! You think Resurrection, one of our most precious spells, is Evocation?! No!” Michio Lee appeared to enjoy watching his students chatter nervously. His lectures were as melodramatic as they were opinionated. “Shocked? Don't be! What I am telling you is common knowledge. All you have to do is keep digging and keep reading. Necromancy, in the end, is just another form of Spellcraft. It's not the knowledge we fear, it's those who use it to nefarious ends! No, no! Quieten down! There is no need to fear censure. Mr Hong! I said DOWN! We'll have none of that in my lecture. Most of you, the vast majority of you, will never have the chance to have Resurrection performed upon you. The exception among you would be…” Michio’s eyes scanned the crowd. “You - you - and you…” The crowd followed Michio’s fingers through the multitude of faces. Individuals pointed out by the attention seeking Magister either straightened their spines proudly or hid their profiles with their notes. Lu Fung with his spirit, Wanli, was among those indicated. Finally, Magister Lee’s eyes fell upon the front row, where the girls held their breath. “…and you, most of all.” A hundred or more pairs of eyes converged on Lee’s final target. Gwen wondered if she could have grabbed Ariel and used its furry body to cover her face as a ferret-beard. There was no point though. Petra's cousin with the 'monster' was an official campus exhibition. One did not bring a Mongolian Deathworm into class without becoming the ire of every student who either broke out in peevish jealousy or who felt slighted at her preferential treatment by Magister Lee. “Of course, there are problems with our pedestrian variety of Resurrection. Unless one looked to true Necromancy used by the Death-Cults, the Resurrection of the Clerical School suffered from many flaws, the chief of which is the partial loss of one’s Astral Body. At best, you’ll retain your sanity and lose half of your powers and talents. At worst, you could be resurrected as a drooling idiot.” Magister Lee amusedly looked over at Gwen with great interest, making her unconsciously tug lower the hem of her dress. His gaze then shifted to the back row, to the Clanners. “What the degradation doesn’t impact, of course, is one’s ability to pass on, or engender the next generation of uniquely talented Mages. That's the prime reason why you, Mr Hong, would likely be resurrected. Useless as you are, you'll make an acceptable stud for your relatives.” An uproar rang out over the lecture hall. Lee shot back a derisive snort of laughter. “So take good care of yourself!” Lee announced loudly, looking pleased with his performance and the student’s reactions. “Don’t die! Resurrection is a fool's game!" "Dismissed!" Wednesday. Gwen suffered through Supplementary Conjuration with Magus Kumiko, dizzy with hunger. She had slept through the alarm and as such, had to forgo breakfast for a glass of cold milk and lukewarm coffee. At first, she felt fine, feeling confident she could fight the hunger. By the second hour, her agitation had transferred to Caliban, who was going around tasting everything from the floorboards to the door handle, to other Conjurers who fled from the obsidian worm in alarm. "I need to eat," Gwen confessed to her instructor. "I need something right now." “I can help, but...” Magus Kumiko offered to feed Caliban after the lesson. “I'm going to grab a bite real quick,” Gwen replied vaguely. “I'll be alright. I'll be back if I am able.” Gwen barged through the door of the training hall. Magus Kumiko wanted to give chase, but she had twenty students waiting on her help and instruction. Outside, Gwen forced herself to endure the five famished minutes it took to walk back to the apartment. The hunger, for the lack of a better word, could be split into two distinct stages. The first was a feeling of hunger that could be attributed to a physical sensation of desiring nourishment and fulfilment. It was equal parts physiological and psychological, a sensation which Gwen knew well from her earlier days fooling around with low-tier Void spells. It wasn’t so much reliance as it was a need, a desire for sustenance rooted in the instinct for survival. This psychosomatic component was something she could consciously combat, subdue with her force of will. Growing up being taught by her mother that appearance was paramount, she wasn't a stranger to crash diets. Beyond the 'conscious' strata of the Freudian iceberg was the incessant mewling of a subconsciousness demanding to be satiated. Gwen was beginning to learn first hand the unpleasant aphorism that hunger could change everything one thought one knew about oneself. “Lei! Can you make me some chow real quick? Something hot and filling?” Gwen stumbled into Mayuree’s apartment to see a shocked Lei, who was cleaning the place. "Just give me something, anything, Lei... quick." While on the levitation platform, she had thought about materialising a packet of instant noodles, chomping straight into the snap-dried gluten. That or open a can of the ten or so allotments of Spam in her Ring. It was only the thought of Lei's cooking that prevented her from becoming a culinary savage. It took a least a few minutes to prepare a clarified-broth noodle soup, so Lei brought out the cold-cuts first. Gwen thought nothing of the fact that she was supposed to dump the toppings onto her soon to arrive hot noodles, digging in with a passion. Her tongue encountered the cold, hard meat first with delight and then disgust, the solidified fat and salt abrading her taste buds. When Lei returned with hot soup, Gwen was already half-way through a mana-rich length of braised Aurok, the unhappy and the happy meeting in her stomach in an all-consuming ecstasy. “You’re going to choke!” Lei’s eyes were two wide orbs as Gwen took the noodle soup and almost dumped the scalding hot contents into her mouth. Gwen's eyes went wide, almost as if a part of her was somewhere within watching her reflexive gluttony in horror. For a moment, watching Gwen cramming the butt of beef into her mouth and pressing her palm to her lips, Lei had thought Gwen was feeding on her own flesh. “Miss Song!” Lei stepped forward worriedly, afraid that Gwen would somehow injure herself. What sudden madness had overcome her usually prudish self? Why was Gwen like this? Then Gwen choked. For such a slender woman, there was only so much food Gwen could orally engulf at once. When finally she swallowed, she felt the gnashing of her organs storming against the furious hunger as though two Magisters galling one another with fire and ice. “Water…” Gwen pounded the table. Lei returned with a jug and a glass. Gwen drank, then felt a sudden upheaval. She ran toward the open kitchen, grabbing the bin, then hurled her guts into the metallic can. “Shaaa!” Caliban slithered toward her crouched form and nudged her sides. “Eeee! Eeee!” Ariel ran in circles, screeching worriedly. Lei became so alarmed and frightened that she promptly dialled Mayuree with the self-powered Messenger Device in the living room. When Mayuree dodged her next class and arrived some ten minutes later, she was looking at an exhausted Gwen, makeup smeared and clothes soiled, nursing a jug of hot water against the kitchen bench. “Mao! Are you alright? Should I call your grandmother?” “No, no… I am fine, Mia. I am fine now, really.” Lei had been kind enough to heat up some plain porridge, which blunted the worst of it. Gwen had spent the last few minutes trying to convince herself that it wasn't a total loss. There was a lesson here - when suffering from supernatural hunger; do not consume solid food. Soup, congee, porridge, gruel, meals which were easy to consume in large amounts as well as being gentle on the stomach was vital. “God, you’re a mess.” Mayuree didn’t know what to do with herself. She wanted to help her friend but had no experience looking after anyone or anything. “Lei, help Gwen to the bathroom and help her wash.” “I am good, just get me to the apartment,” Gwen insisted. “Are you drunk? Did you get drugged?” Mayuree asked the crucial questions. “Likely an aftereffect of the Friday event.” Gwen pointed out. “I've been experimenting with my limits, with Magister Wen and my Babulya.” “Oh.” Mayuree now appeared even more concerned. “There’ll be a resolution on Saturday,” Gwen stated a half-truth. “After that, everything should be fine for the foreseeable future.” “Of course,” Mayuree replied, clearly disbelieving Gwen’s assertion. “Let’s get you to your room first.” Gwen struggled off the barstool. Aided by Lei and supported by Mayuree, the trio deposited Gwen into her bathroom. Lei helped Gwen out of her soiled clothes while Mayuree waited in the living room. The NoM servant wiped her down, then left as Gwen showered. When Gwen emerged in a new t-shirt and shorts, Mayuree breathed a sigh of relief. “Goddess, don’t scare me like that.” She glanced upward to appeal toward some unseen force, as though issuing an apostrophe in a play. “I didn’t know you were religious.” Gwen seemed amused by the fact. “It’s an old custom from home - when we had a home,” Mayuree answered melancholically. “The worship of mythical beings is not banned there.” As to where 'home' was, Mayuree hasn’t been forthcoming; though she did extend an invitation for Gwen to visit during Winter Break. That was the only clue Gwen had gotten from the girl regarding the origins of the House of M. A lost country, perhaps, or a destroyed township, was Gwen’s guess. A displaced people, seeking to return home. If her hypothesis was correct, then Mayuree’s family may be another example of the mass diaspora experienced by those who lived on or near the Frontier. Everytime a human region fell, all the Mages, NoMs, Clans and Houses had to find a new home. Often, the survival of the bloodline did not naturally imply the continuation of a Clan or House. Sometimes, the loss of things, of homes, and of land, was enough to diminish a people so significantly that they ceased to exist within a few generations. Gwen applied the addendum to her Mayuree memory-logs, then fell onto the couch exhausted. Training was out, but she’d hoped to visit the Tower still. “You should rest,” Mayuree suggested, touching a hand to her forehead. “No rest for the wicked.” Gwen smiled weakly. In the end, thanking Mayuree and Lei profusely, she convinced the duo to leave her alone so she could nap. After a short shut-eye, she snacked on some Spam Toast, then departed for the Guanghua Towers. She needed sustenance, but more than anything, she needed a constant source of distraction from the idle fantasies of the Saturday only three days away.

Lulan caught Gwen as she passed through the lawn leading up to the Guanghua Towers. It was easy to spot the girl because no one else had a Mongolian Death Worm with a ferret riding on its head trailing behind them—that and the fact that she parted the crowd like an icebreaker through a frozen sea. "Gwen!" Lulan called out reflexively, then instantly regretted her cavalier familiarity. Gwen looked like she had somewhere to be, not to mention she looked dog-tired. As the Void Mage came closer, Lulan couldn't help but notice that her saviour's distinct aura had changed from brimming confidence to one resembling that of a burnt-out NoM ending a long day at the Manufactorum. "Lulu, finished your classes?" Her saviour asked the Sword Mage. "You and Kusu settled in yet?" "Almost." Lulan fell in step beside her. "It's not like we had anything to move." That much was true. Herself and Kusu had decided to forgo all their' belongings,' which included some bedsheets, a dozen changes of clothes, and assorted things from the Clan. They were officially excommunicated by Huashan, including Luwei, their father, and the alliance of Clans. "I am sorry to hear that." Gwen patted her shoulder. "Enough about me. How about you?" Lulan couldn't help but study her saviour's face intensely, observing Gwen's puffy eye bags and the fissure of blood vessels surrounding the whites of her hazel iris. "Saviour. Are you not sleeping well?" "Something like that," Gwen replied vaguely. "Hopefully, once my Essences regenerated, I'll be as right as rain." "If there's something I can do for you," Lulan wanted to help but knew not how. She hadn't had a chance to look after anything, ever. Kusu usually pampered her, even as the red mist made her brother's life a waking nightmare. Thanks to Gwen, though, those days were behind them. "I am just tired, that's all." Gwen's voice was a little distant. "You want to come up with me? I am browsing for new spells and checking to see if my Uncle's CCs have come in. There should be some for you as well, I assume." Lulan fell into step beside her saviour. It felt good to have someone to follow. Lulan knew she had been the Clan's pariah, but she was still a cog in the Clan's collective. As a sterling footsoldier, she had always been surrounded by juniors and seniors. As a wayward drone estranged from the hive, she felt the sting of isolation like a rusty nail. Her isolation wasn't so bad when Kusu was with her. Her brother's presence calmed her anxiety and reminded her she wasn't alone. But now that the Semester had begun and she was without a companion, Lulan felt directionless. Without immediate access to a Clan-sponsored quest, she had to wait to be assigned to a pick-up group for Questing. She recalled how she used to pass the time when the red haze still held her mind hostage. Endless training. That and adventuring for Credit, purging Green and Orange Zones with the other members of the Sects. She recalled eating at the long table, watching her fellow Clanners mock the _upstarts_ deriding talented Rogue Mages like Gwen, like Kitty, or break out alternatively in peevish admiration and jealousy for their 'betters' like the Fungs of Nantong. There were less pleasant memories, too: being scolded by an elder for one trespass or another, real or imagined. The frequent public beatings and the laughter of her peers as yet another bamboo rod broke against her back. A few days ago, when she first sat alone with a takeout box in the middle of the Guanghua Tower's famously scenic lawn, listening to the sound of sycamores swaying in the summer wind, what she felt wasn't the romanticised tranquillity written on the silk-screen scrolls. She felt, instead, a paralytic loss, a diminution, depletion, an impoverishment of her being. The freedom. It frightened Lulan. When she saw Gwen coming by, she felt like a woman swept into the open sea, finding a sudden length of rope extended from a passing vessel. As for the ship's destination, she wasn't inclined to know. For Lulan, the mere promise of land... was enough. The duo arrived at the Administration level, took a ticket at the Spell-List counter, and then studied the list of Spells available for exchange with CCs. When they consulted the front desk, Gwen was informed that she was sitting on 163 CCs. It meant Uncle Jun had come through with the matter involving Choi. "What are you on, Lulu?" Gwen proudly invited Lulan to verify her accumulated CCs. The receptionist took some time to retrieve Lulan's records, emerging from the back room after some time with an apologetic smile. "372 CCs, Ma'am." Gwen's smugness shattered like glass. "I did a lot of questing," Lulan explained. "But there was nothing really to spend it on. The Iron Heart technique is unique to Huashan. All my other spells are mundane versions you can acquire from the University's public records." _372 CCs!_ Gwen wanted to berate Lulan's unthinking naivety. This entire time, she could have demanded medical treatments! How simple was this girl not to even know that? Had her Clan withheld that information from her? Did Kusu know? But then, Gwen was no stranger to naivety. They were both doe-eyed 'Frontier' girls, unknowingly wandering into the deep dark of the sinful city. The journey from pup to she-wolf was long and hard, but hopefully, they were halfway there. As for Lulan's CCs, the system sheltered her. Despite Huashan usurping the girl's assets, the Tower ensured that no one could take away her contributions. From now, any injury from training could be offset by medical care paid for by the Tower. Not to mention Gwen could beg her grandmother for a favour. Satisfied, Gwen's attention now turned to her resources. Emboldened by her unexpected windfall, Gwen discussed with Lulan what would benefit her current repertoire, with Gwen liberally informing Lulan of her Spell list, a revelation that made Lulan stoked to be of aid. "I am using a Specialised version of Shield by Magus Shultz," Gwen answered when Lulan asked how she managed to block her sword strikes without a hard-point Shield. "If Gunther permits, I don't mind teaching it to you guys." Lulan shook her head vigorously. "I can't. The Clans hoarded such secrets, often kept by the Master from the Apprentice until their deathbed. It is not unusual to hear that a Clan Master had died without passing on a technique." The girls were then directed to a small private room where they may peruse the Tome, a catalogue of spells the Tower has on record. "How about this one?" Lulan pointed to a page gilded with a golden edge. The girls were hovering over a section with several entries on Lightning Magic. Unsurprisingly, the Nordic Lightning-Evoker Einar Larsen, the Magister generous enough to offer his intellectual estate to the public, was chief on the Spell List. Gwen scanned the entries, thinking of what Petra had suggested over tea and biscuits. Jun did say she could be the Second Coming of Thor, did he not? Maybe she could try to be the Second Coming of Magister Larsen? The page displayed a tier 5 Evocation Spell. **Ball Lightning** Evocation (5) Casting Time: 50 Major, 31 Minor Incantation Range: Seeking, LoS, 100M Components: Somatic, Verbal Duration: Instantaneous + Persistent. _Magister Larsen's mid-tier Signature Spell remains one of his most sought-after Incantations. The spell manifests up to (N) plasma orbs of lightning which function independently as Magic Missiles. With a somatic command, the orbs strike (Y) targets within the caster's line of sight. Each orb generates a small explosion dealing electrical damage._ _(N) The number of Orbs may vary._ _(Y) The number of targets must be one or above._ The spell was impressive, but it was tier 5, just beyond Gwen's current proficiency. As Larsen's masterpiece, the cost was 72 CCs, more than double the tier 4 Elemental Sphere. She could purchase it now and begin training, then grow into it, as Petra would say. The girls continued their browsing, favouring Petra's recommendations. **Grey's Warding Shield** Evocation (4) Casting Time: 20 Major, 7 Minor Incantation Range: Self Components: Somatic, Verbal Duration: Persistent + Sustained. _A modified Fire Shield allows casters of different elements to make use of the Shield's reactive capabilities. Composed originally by Magister Charles Grey, Sydney University, the spell creates an offensive barrier which retaliates against Melee and Close-Ranged Foes with 360-degree semi-dome coverage. While the spell is active, all soft-point projectiles are nulled by reactive bursts with an additional elemental bolt counter—a popular spell for pinpointing invisible or hidden attacks._ The supremely useful spell reminded Gwen of Yue's early experiments. She felt tempted by its utility, though she was satisfied with her non-newtonian variation. With her absurd VMI, she could weather hard-point assaults for hours. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. With some effort, she shifted the catalogue's encyclopaedic entries to another section, scanning through the index until she found the Conjuration-Familiar section. A familiar name greeted her. **Morden's Bloodhound** Conjuration (5) Casting Time: 48 Major, 33 Minor Incantation, Preparation Range: Close Components: Somatic, Verbal, Glyph Duration: Persistent, 24-72 Hours _Another Signature Spell of Magister Morden, Conjurer Supreme. A continuation of Morden's lifelong preference for quasi-magical hounds, the spell Conjures forth a bloodhound capable of tracking a target through any terrestrial terrain. The hound is capable of combat, varying from tier 3 to tier 4. This spell is best paired with Morden's other Signature spells, as intended by its creator. As with many of Morden's magic, this variation remains incomplete due to damage to the original manuscript. Elemental Shift is not a part of this spell._ Thinking of Henry's teaching in her 'complete' Morden's Faithful Hound, Gwen quickly located the 'other spells' in the series. **Morden's Bloodhound Pack** Conjuration (6) Casting Time: 201 Major, 42 Minor Incantation, Preparation Range: Close Components: Somatic, Verbal, Glyph (M) Duration: Persistent, 24-72 Hours _Another Signature Spell of Magister Morden, Master Summoner. A continuation of Morden's lifelong passion for quasi-magical hounds, the spell Conjures forth up to a dozen bloodhounds. Each hound possesses the equivalent combat ability of tier 4 - 5 Magical Creatures. The hounds are telepathically linked and are capable of employing pack tactics against single enemies. Morden originally designed the spell for the hunting of Trolls in his homeland of Scotland. A Hound Pack accompanied by a Creature Mage versed in support Magic would find no trouble dealing with a tier 6 - 8 Troll, Hill or Stone Giant, and other Demi-humans of the Giant subclass. As with many of Morden's spells, this variation remains incomplete due to damage to the original manuscript. Elemental-Shift is not a part of this spell._ Gwen imagined herself commanding a dozen handsome hounds, exhausting a 10-meter giant. Even as a speculative projection, the scene set her heart to quicken with anticipation. The cost for the spell was a whopping 118 CCs. She flipped the page. There was one more, a spell Gwen had seen Elizabeth Sobel use once before. **Morden's Sword** Conjuration (7) Evocation (5+) Transmutation (5+) Casting Time: 512 Major, 217 Minor Incantations Range: Close Components: Somatic, Verbal, Material Duration: Persistent _The famous Signature Spell of Magister Morden, Master Summoner. This spell creates a blade of compressed force, which is near-invisible. The sword possesses a Vorpal edge capable of passing through most non-magical constructs. The conjured implement can be commanded to attack one's enemies, equating a Dancing Blade with the indestructible attribute. Morden's descendent famously used this spell to behead the Stone King of Dunsinane in a single stroke, breaking the morale of the Giant-kin's army during the Battle of Perthshire in 1922. As with many of Morden's spells, this variation remains incomplete due to damage to the original manuscript. Elemental-Shift is not a part of this spell._ Sobel had used a Void-version, Gwen recollected. It was so sharp that not even Whetu's thousand-latticed Punamu Shield could withstand more than a few blows. She shuddered to think that the sword could persist for hours in combat, striking every few seconds. As for its purchase, the cost of the spell was not only astronomical; it also required an application for a face-to-face interview and three referees to satisfy some place called the "Greyhawk Citadel" in Suilven, Scottland. The girls pressed the book against the table. It was a hefty tome. _Wasn't this just like window shopping?_ Gwen amused herself with the delightful realisation. She was with a girlfriend; they were looking at costly Spells of Mass Destruction and fantasising about using them on their foes while being too frugal to afford the goods. Amused, Gwen turned to another section of the Spell List and found what Magister Birch had noted earlier. **Shielded Teleportation Circle** Conjuration (5) Abjuration (1) Casting Time: 70 Major, 11 Minor Incantation, Preparation Range: Translocation Components: Somatic, Verbal, Material Duration: Persistent _Created by Magister Luis Birch of Fudan University, Shanghai, this variation of the Teleportation Circle spell has an additional component which allows a Party Abjurer to directly protect the Circle's Glyphs by expanding a half-dome Shield toward the extremity of the Magic Circle. An improved mandala algorithm likewise has given this variant a shorter activation delay._ The spell was listed at 64 CCs, implying that Birch's 55 CCs was a sizeable discount for his students. She also browsed the utility spells for lower tiers. Divination had a suite of Detection Spells she could pick up from between 5 and 20 CCs. Enchantments had several self-buffs, from Heroism to Strengthen Body. However, the spell she'd likely covet was the tier 2 Hold Person. Lulan said that even she had been the victim of such an Enchantment. The problem was that such spells were sanctioned and required Mind Magic licences. As for Illusion, a simple command of Phantasmal Sound allowed her to create music like Tao, while Illusion staples like Invisibility hinted at almost limitless opportunities for abuse. Another spell of great interest was Disguise Self, which allowed one to change one's appearance subtly. Both Invisibility and Disguise Self required a registered Practice Licence grading of M, meaning Military or Para-Military. Abjuration likewise offered keen options for defence or dispelling. At 5 PM, Gwen felt again too hungry to continue. Escorted by her Familiars and joined by Lulan, she discovered a congee-hotpot joint and ordered for the table. When the small cauldron of congee arrived, she piled in Wildland wood-ear mushrooms, a South Sea seafood platter, and other ingredients. When the admixture was cooked into the congee, she dug in with a ferocity that frightened her companion. Lulan herself was bloated after two bowls, making small talk as an excessive amount of mana-rich congee flowed into Gwen's stomach. As Gwen sucked out the creamy filling of a prawn head, she noticed Lulan staring. "Did you er... want one?" Gwen felt her cheek redden. Lulan shook her head. The girl had eaten her usual diet consisting of grains, pickled vegetables, and steamed flesh of Magical Beasts. "I am just..." Lulan searched for a word. "Happy?" "That's nice." Gwen stretched out her arms. "You had enough, Lulu?" "I am full, thank you." At first, Lulan demanded they split the bill, but as Gwen had eaten enough for four, her friend grudgingly accepted Gwen's generosity. The girls thus returned to B1, where Lulan bid Gwen goodbye, then returned to her new abode in B14, happier than when she'd left it. As for Gwen, she felt the urge to retreat quickly to her apartment. The congee had been as delicious as anything, but it appeared to disagree with her somewhat fiercely. Gwen didn't show up for Transmutation Utility the next day. When she did not answer her Message, Mayuree was worried enough to truant, returning to Guoding Road B1. She knocked on the door of 2204, then became supremely surprised to be greeted by a kind grandma with an aura of benevolence. It took her a moment to acknowledge that this was Klavdiya Song, Gwen's grandmother, as the woman had a white doctor's coat and wore her hair in a tight, severe bun. "Is Gwen…?" "She's inside, dear. Come in. You are Gwen's friend from upstairs, Mia, am I right?" Mayuree nodded. The woman had a face with Gwen's likeness, though she lacked the height and the natural arrogance. As a healer, the grandmother appeared youthful everywhere except for her neck and the skin of her hands, as well as a slight sag to her shoulders which betrayed her real age. When Mayuree entered the bedroom, she saw that Petra was there too, looking worried. As for Gwen herself, she was propped up on pillows, looking deathly. "Oh, Goddess." Mayuree swallowed, her heart catching in her throat. "Gwen! What happened?" "Argh…" Gwen appeared to be in pain. Her once shining eyes formed two thin lines, and her whites were wholly bloodshot. Caliban was coiled up in what looked like a laundry-basket baby carrier, while Ariel was purring softly by the end of the bed, warming Gwen's feet. Mayuree touched Gwen's clammy hands. Unexpectedly, Petra chuckled. Mayuree shot Gwen's cousin an annoyed look. _Gwen's life was not a joking matter!_ If the Void had consumed the sorceress, she could have died then and there. If Gwen were to perish, what would happen to herself? Who was going to be her 'saviour'? "I…" Gwen grimaced, too troubled to speak. "Petra, explain-" "Gwen!" Mayuree urged her friend to remain in bed. "What can I do? I can get anything, Ancient Ginseng! Life Lotus! Just let me know! I got crystals!" "Calm down, Mayuree." Petra rose from her seat, her face devoid of worry. "Gwen's not sick from her magic. She's got food poisoning." Mayuree looked from Gwen to Petra, then to Gwen again. "Too much junk food, too quickly. There's not enough vitality even in Wildland ingredients, so she over-ate. Her body couldn't take all the gunk she was stuffing into it. The food around Fudan has far too many NoM ingredients, sugar, salt, oil, and soy sauce. Lord knows what else. I'd dare say she ate the seafood in that congee a little too soon, or maybe it was the mushroom. Who knows?" "Oh…" Gwen groaned. "It's like two roos are boxing in my gut." Mayuree felt like ten bags of rice had been lifted off her chest. "What does she need?" " _Essence_ , for the lack of a better word. She needs to feed the Void." "Like…" Mayuree looked over at Gwen. "You know..." "Yes, I know about it," Petra affirmed that they were on the same page. "That or survive on a steady diet of Wildland fruits, the rare ones." That would be several hundred HDMs a meal, assuming one a week, Mayuree calculated. It was a fair upkeep for such a preciously rare talent. Maybe, if she put up the HDMs, she could keep Gwen on as a retainer? While her friend schemed, Gwen was in pain for herself and her piggy bank. She needed money and a sustainable income. Perhaps, as her babulya and Jun had stated, it was time to diversify herself into Adventuring or Dungeons Crawling. There was a verdant buffet out there, one which she could partake at her leisure. The minimum attendance for a course to pass was 10 out of 13 weeks, though further absences could be negotiated pending a student's final results. With her grades, it shouldn't be difficult to take a week or a day out of Economics or Management to ravage the Wildlands. When Petra had discovered her faint-headed and famished in the morning, The Mineral Mage had immediately infused her cousin with a Lesser Restoration. Serendipitously, it was the one she'd initially kept for Lulan after the girl returned from the Astoria vomiting seven ways to Shanghai. Nonetheless, the ordeal was an experience and a valuable one. Gwen now knew the extent of the debilitation brought by her deficiency in _Essence_. Thanks to a further infusion of healing energies from her babulya, Gwen's deficiency of vitality was momentarily replenished, kicking her Druidic Essence with the necessary agitation to multiply. If there was a valuable lesson learned here, it was that she could not sustain herself by eating non-stop unless she was willing to live, like the fabled Elves, upon the fruits and produces of the Wildland. The destructive and volatile nature of oily stir-fry, hot rich soup, and icy dessert only contributed to her woes. "She needs a healthier diet." Her Babulya motioned for Petra. "Dear, you keep an eye on Gwen. She is only allowed healthy and hearty food until after Saturday." Petra stood to attention. Klavdiya then turned to Gwen. "Call Kumiko, dear. I don't care what Wen thinks. We're getting you fed."

When Klavdiya's youngsters came, Magus Kumiko was ready to go. After everything was prepared, her grandmother called their researcher out of courtesy. "I am having Kumiko nourish Gwen," Klavdiya informed her friend and colleague, her statement short and abrupt. "Of course, we all want what's best for her." Magister Wen's reply came after a few minutes. "I am in a meeting. Do you need me to observe? I can be there in an hour." "No need, we'll take care of it." Klavdiya's tone lost some of its tension. "Thanks, Marie." As Gwen was too exhausted to move, Petra expended a cube of Enhanced Strength, then effortlessly princess-carried Gwen, sweatpants and all, down the levitation platform. The parade drew amused and curious looks as they moved, trailed by a mewing ferret and a Death Worm herald. It was after they arrived inside the training hall with her reddening like a beetroot from head to toe that Petra finally allowed Gwen to stand. "That was entirely unnecessary." Gwen was still a bit woozy. "If you eat all that junk again and have another episode, I'll do that again," Petra promised mirthfully yet entirely seriously. "I am taking Babulya's advice to heart. Fair warning, Cousin. Hope you like your lightly salted meat and vegetables." Gwen groaned. It wasn't as though she had intended to OD on street food. _Bloody oath_ , she still had a Beggar Chicken in her ring! "Walls of Force are in place," Magus Kumiko notified them helpfully. "We can begin anytime." "Gwen?" "Babulya, can you give me a pick-me-up before I feed Caliban?" Indeed, if she was sufficiently diminished, the vital cost of Consumption might wipe her out before Caliban could be empowered. Gladly, her babulya provided the extra shot of Positive Energy. On the far side, Magus Kumiko called out incantations quickly, filling the Force Cube with a flaring burst of silvery Conjuration. When the light solidified, the gathered Mages stared at a befuddled Wildland boar. Caliban audaciously rubbed up against the invisible panes of the wall, causing the boar to go berserk. It rushed the Wall of Force and struck the pane with enough force to split its nose and break off a tusk, sending a splatter of dried mud against the surface. Cunning worm, Gwen thought. "Caliban!" Gwen re-summoned Caliban inside the Force Cube, giving it the command to assume the Gila form. In the next moment, Caliban teleported in as a giant nine-foot-tall bipedal Gila, its skin dark and tenebrous and its foreclaws each ten inches long. When Gwen readied herself for the backlash, she found that her vitality had not diminished, not even by a single mote. _Caliban's internal stores!_ She recalled what Magister Wen had pointed out during their first session with those two men from the PLA and the Pudong Tower. Caliban could store excess vitality as Void-matter within itself. _Did this mean it no longer used her life force as a battery?_ A sudden bout of action disrupted her inquisitiveness. With neither her explicit instruction nor command, Caliban launched toward the cowering boar. With a single swipe, it tore inch-wide gashes across the boar's mud-caked hide, splattering the panes with fresh arterial gouts of vermilion. Incensed by the injury, the boar became enraged, entirely ignoring its flesh wound. It dug in its heels and charged, trying to cannonball Caliban with its heaving mass. Caliban waited until the last moment to suddenly frog leap, urged by Gwen's rather purposeless outcry of "Dodge it!". As it sailed over the charging beast, its limbs impossibly twisted as though they possessed no cartilage, then dug into the spinal ridges atop the mud-covered swine. When the boar further attempted to dash Caliban against the floor, Gwen's creature landed, tearing out a chunk of flesh from the swine's neck so large as to make the audience wince. A torrent of thick blood poured from the creature, sending it crashing against the further wall, leaving a bloody skid mark several meters long. "Shaa-Shaa!" Caliban roared once or twice, then opened its maw impossibly wide. Even as the oinking creature defecated in terror, Caliban's contracting tentacles crammed the boar headfirst into its open mouth, swallowing the swine wholesale. "Bravo!" Magus Kumiko applauded her. Gwen stared slack-jawed and sick to her core at her Familiar. _What-the-shit?_ Her mind reeled and spun, a thousand and one paranoias playing across her standing hair follicles. She had not given Caliban a single command! Of its own free will, it had executed an Onslaught and then finished off the boar with a Consume. The whole time, she hadn't given it authority. _She hadn't!_ She was thinking it, but no explicit instruction had issued from her lips! What did that mean? Did Caliban feel no need to obey her if she was no longer its battery? She felt like a jilted bride! Cali's autonomy was a serious thing. A freelance Caliban was more dangerous— Her mind grew blank. A wave of ecstasy struck Gwen's depleted body. The rain after a prolonged drought. The vitality from a tier 3 Tusker-Charger was nothing compared to Nephres Zalaam, but it was palpable. She held on, riding the wave of delight without being swallowed by the sensation. The euphoria came and went after several heartbeats, allowing her to gather her wits. "Caliban, return!" she commanded, expecting the worst. To her complete and utter surprise—Caliban came bounding back like a nightmarish labrador retriever, its goofy toad face sagging as its jowls drooled. As it approached, it even turned back into its docile serpent form. Caliban coiled itself against the barrier, purring, happy that its stomach had experienced nourishment so soon. "How do you feel now?" her babulya asked, watching Gwen's face flush with colour. In her reflection against the Wall of Force, Gwen saw that her hazel eyes reclaimed their lustre. Her dermis was once more tender and soft, her hair glossy and dynamic. From a wilting anaemic, she had taken on the likeness of one in the bloom of youth. “Once a week,” Klavdiya notified Magus Kumiko. "Hai, once a week." The Magus bowed reflexively toward the Senior Director. "No more diets," Klavdiya sternly informed her granddaughter. "This elastic vitality of yours, coming and going every other week, surely it can't be good for you." Gwen was then advised to return to bed. Having lived an evil diet, Gwen could only hope that her revitalised Druidic Essence could provide the remedy she required. For now, the rooting hog of gluttony had been put to rest. And Gwen would forgo Economics. As her babulya had said, "You've done enough for today." Friday. Gwen felt well enough to attend Professor Ma's class. Richard had returned from his quests in the Hangzhou region, happy to receive his share of HDMs and the loan of Opa's Medium Storage Ring. The young man was ecstatic when she further informed him of the additional CCs they received from Jun. "I'll have to thank him," Richard declared. "What do you think he would like for a gift?" Gwen honestly had no idea. It seemed Jun knew far more about her than she did about him. Maybe on their trip together, they would get to know one another more informally as uncle and niece. By the end of the lecture, Professor Ma issued new homework—the students must produce a 6000-word report on their experiences in the Districts, reflection on what they had learned and gained through walking and working in a place where NoMs were the norm. Though a groan emitted from the crowd, the report was no trouble for Gwen. She could likely hammer out 'write' out the sixteen-page document in a single night. While she was in thought, a pair of hands slid around her waist in an overtly friendly gesture. Gwen turned to see Mayuree blinking her chestnut eyes, her fake lashes meeting like two petals of a Venus Flytrap. "Can you help me with the report?" the Diviner begged. "I foresee I will fail without your help!" For the sake of academic conduct, Gwen knew she should have refused, but she owed Mayuree so many dinners and lunches. Sometimes, Gwen felt like an ungrateful cat, returning nightly to Mayuree's loft for watering and feeding, only to disappear after the meal. Surely a little ghostwriting could go a long way in repaying the girl's generosity. She would make sure Mayuree understood every word. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Okay," she agreed, catching a dirty glance from Kitty. "But you're the one doing the handwriting." "Pufft, handwriting," Mayuree scoffed, hugging her tightly. "I've got a Dancing Pen!" Mayuree laboured through her report, watched jealously by Gwen as her Dancing Pen produced flawless and florid scripts across the parchment until Lei approached. "Gwen, there's a call for you." Lei's hand-held Message Device announced. “From an Elvia Lindholm? Your friend in London?" "Dimension Door!" When Mayuree looked up, Gwen was gone. "Did she just…" Mayuree looked around, bewildered. _Did Gwen teleport through the floor?_ "JESUS!" Petra jumped when Gwen appeared next to her in a flash of Conjuration mana. "Gwen! Use the Lev! It's dangerous to Dimension Door indoors!" That much was true. There was too much clutter, and the spell wasn't exact. If Gwen had materialised into something, the _shunt_ of her physical form to the closest displaceable point could cause significant injury. At worst, she could twist or sprain a limb from the whiplash. "ACCEPT!" Gwen punched the Glyphs on the incoming call. "Sorry, Pats! Won't happen again!" The illusory projection began to manifest. Petra retreated to the kitchen to make them both a cuppa; she had recently found a vendor selling grapefruit and citrus-peel Ceylon. Elvia's projection began to move as the pleasant scent filled the living room. The blonde girl appeared even more angelic than the last time Gwen had seen her. Against all improbability, Evee's aura could be palpably felt even across time and space. "Gwennie!" "Evee!" The girls exchanged 'phantom' hugs. "How are you? How're things? What 'mission' did you go on?" "Oh, it was incredible! Horrible—but also incredible! How about you, Gwen?" "I've got a story to tell," Gwen informed her erstwhile companion. "How are you doing for credits? These calls ain't cheap." The Long-Range Messages were double charged. The Telecommunication division must be up to their necks in HDMs. "I am doing lots of good! I've worked plenty, earned lots, and never spent the stash Alesia loaned me." Elvia familiarised Gwen with her financials, her ocean-blue eyes alive with happiness. Petra left for the bedroom. In her words, boundaries didn't have to be pragmatic. Rather, they should be respectful. "You go first!" Gwen adjusted the projector so she could sit without the sensors cropping off her forehead. "Okay!" Elvia leaned in closer as well. The girls were now seated as though they were intimately sitting at a coffee table. "I told you last time that Miss Rothwell, that's Emily Rothwell of the er… Rothwell family—took me under her wing. Well, I started my work for the Student Representative Council..." By her admission, Elvia's charmed life continued under the shelter of Emily Greyson Rothwell, the darling daughter of Lord John Rothwell, the Duke of Somerset. Having taken on the duties of secretary and personal assistant to the 'Lady Duchess' of Nightingale, she enjoyed unfettered access to the considerable resources of the third most prestigious Healer's college in Europe. For the semester, Elvia attended classes without incident, enjoying the friendship of peers she had acquired since arriving in London. She passed her exams with flying colours with a little help from her instructors, who took pity on the fact that she had to 'suffer' through a Frontier public high school. When the time came for practicums, Elvia was assigned to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, one of the most coveted placements in London. As its namesake inferred, the fabled GOS was the premier hospital for the care of children anywhere in the world's Capital cities, with an impressive roster of 1 Meister and 9 Magister-level Clerics presiding over its Board of Directors and Department Heads. Those who intern at GOS would graduate not only with referees—it also came with a network of connections that extended as far as the House of Lords, who sponsored the hospital. "Wait, let me guess," Gwen tried to extrapolate what may have taken place, mindful of Elvia's prior history. "One of the Directors took a fancy to you?" "How did you know? Are you a Diviner?" Elvia cooed, giggling with glee as Gwen returned a meek smirk. "It was Lady Astor who found me wandering around the ward! She's a Viscountess. Gwen, you should have seen her house at Cliveden! It's HUGE! I mean, it's beyond huge! There are ten bedrooms on the upper level, a French Dining room and a library with all kinds of Spells and first edition manuscripts, and there's an entire lower level for the NoM Servants, and the Butler was a Magus who cooks…" Following ten minutes of Downton Abbey, Elvia edition, the girl finally moved on to her placement. After several weeks in the hospital serving as assistant to one Doctor or another, she was sent out with a crew to the Frontier counties to assist in repelling Demi-human invaders. Gwen had no idea what the ethnographic makeup of England was, but from Elvia's tales of Trolls, Hobs, and the 'Träälvor'—commonly known as the Wood Elves; she guessed they had a lot of Demi-humans. "We got to meet one of their healers! It was incredible! Amazing! Kiki took to the Druidess right away! They're so beautiful, all of them look like models. They have these incredibly cool tattoos on their faces, which turned out to be Enchantments!" The story was quickly moving beyond Gwen's comprehension. As every minute was another HDM, she opted to nod and smile as Elvia delivered her fantastic tale. After twenty minutes of her superlative 'OOOs' and 'Ah!' Gwen could discern that Elvia served in a Field Hospital safely embedded in a Green Zone for almost a week while the benign Demi-humans, aided by the Humans, pushed back the _savage_ Demi-humans called Fomorians. "In the end, only two of our Mages died," Elvia announced proudly, her voice growing more distant and hollow. "That's wonderful." Gwen cheered her on. "I am sure you did all you could." "They were brought in too late. All we could do was ease their pain." Elvia's smile waned. "Did you know only Mages ranked Magus and above meet the criterion for deploying higher-tier healing spells in a triage centre?" "Now I know," Gwen affirmed Elvia's jaded address. According to her lessons, reagents for advanced healing were finite, with a bottle-necked supply restricted by trade with the Wildland Elves. The exception was Faith-based healers from the Church, an extremely rare existence. "YEEE—Kiki!" Elvia's floral sprite made an appearance without warning. It looked sturdier than when Gwen had last seen it. With its folded leaf resending a skullcap and its white stems forming its limbs. In the future, it would make a fine Dryad. "Shaa-shaa!" "Ee-EE!" Caliban and Ariel made themselves known. "Kii! KI!" Kiki fell out of sight. "It's scared of Caliban." Elvia reappeared, the petal of her mouth issuing forth a delirious string of laughter. "Evee, I miss you and Yue so much," Gwen confessed, thinking how the girl was so close yet so far away, what she would give to give Elvia a flesh and blood hug about now. "I miss you too, Gwen." Elvia's eyes became misty. She swallowed hard, then perked up. "Tell me about what you have done since we last talked." "Alight, prepare yourself. My story isn't going to be nice..." Gwen delivered her recent adventure, readjusted for PG viewing. "I am sorry…" Elvia's eyes were swollen after Gwen told her the truth. "I didn't know…" Unlike Yue, who shared a link with Alesia and Gunther, Elvia had never been privy to the depth of Gwen's depraved talent. When Gwen finally told her that she had Consumed a human being, Elvia was stunned for the duration of an HDM. "It's okay if it's you. I know you'll do the right thing," Elvia finally managed to ingest Gwen's tale with sympathy. Gwen then reminded Elvia about Edgar, expanded on the Ravenport ordeal, and of Elizabeth Sobel and their connection to Nephres. "Oh! My! God!" Elvia touched four dainty fingers to her peach-hued lips. French tips, Gwen noted, life was good in Europe. "Lord Ravenport?! Mycroft Ravenport? He's a Duke in the House of Lords!" "What do you know about him?" Gwen felt her hands clench. "I don't know much," Elvia confessed, crestfallen. "I've only ever seen him in the papers and on vid-casts. I can ask Miss Rothwell, though." "What's he like in the British media?" "The London Gazette had a picture of him just a few days ago. Tall and dark? I suppose? He looked really gaunt, kind of scary and miserly too. The papers said he was a part of the Tories—the Conservative Party. I think one of the articles said that he was all for the Commonwealth to return to the old days of the Britannic Empire." "That's about what I pictured too." Gwen bit her lip worriedly. "Is he influential?" "I think so?" Elvia saw nothing in politics, though a reasonable education wasn't out of the question. "He's on the papers a lot! Always looming over someone and looking upset. The cartoons often make fun of him and his Party." Roo's balls, Gwen swore under her breath. When someone could only be insulted in satire, you knew they were dangerous. That can't be good, especially when Ravenport Sr gets the message that she was responsible for Ravenport Jr's demise. Didn't Gunther hint that her father crushed his balls? _Bloody Oath. She was floating up shit creek without a paddle. Was she safe in Shanghai?_ From what she knew, the tier 1 Capitals loathed Mages from other cities barging into their territory. She just hoped that China had enough tension with London not to offer the Lord a reprieve in the form of an extradition treaty. "Well, shit," Gwen replied dejectedly. "I guess I'll see what happens after tomorrow. I guess there's no point worrying about Ravenport Sr when I gotta murder a guy in cold blood tomorrow for Spellcraft—" "I don't care!" Elvia announced suddenly, her blue eyes defiant and glowing. "I don't care what you do. You're always going to be the Gwen I met from Blackwattle." Hearing Elvia's shrill proclamation of irresponsible affection immediately turned her frown upside down. "Thanks, Evee. You don't know how much that means to me. I'll do my best to keep myself sane for you." "I'll visit! I'll be your Healer! We'll never be apart again!" Elvia promised idealistically, her aching heart clouding her judgement. "Wait for me! Three years, right? I should graduate in under three years! I'll come to find you in Shanghai." "Okay." Gwen reached out and touched her fingers to Elvia's phantom appendages. With a hook and pull, the two girls made a pinky promise across space and time. "That's a promise." Elvia nodded fiercely. "Alright, time to go. I got a helluva day tomorrow," Gwen announced. "If possible, I'll Message you and let you know the results. I'll think of you when I _murder_ —er— maybe not. Either way, knowing you're around, I'll be fine." "You have to! I'll be waiting! I am not going anywhere until you do!" Elvia's white face filled the projection. "I promise. Good night, Evee. I'll call or Message." Elvia kept nodding, mumbling promises until Gwen hung up. Gwen stared at the projector as though in a trance. "You alright?" Petra met her at the bedroom door in nighties, ready to sleep. Gwen turned her gaze upward, then nodded. "Rest well. I'll wake you at 0800 sharp," Petra announced. "Master Messaged me earlier. Everything is arranged. We'll be going to Tilanqiao Prison first thing." "The…" Gwen felt her scalp crawl. "The 'Blue-Basket Prison'?" "Yeah." Petra reached out to touch her increasingly clammy hands. _Tilanqiao Prison._ Even Gwen knew about the infamous Prison located in the Hongkou District. The compound was built by the British Mageocracy during the Colonial Occupation and was later taken over by the Ministry of Public Security. It serves as a nightmarish symbol of the shadow cast over Shanghai by the Ministry of State Security and the Internal Security Bureau. The stories that escaped from the Prison were pure nightmare fuel. False imprisonment, extortion, torture, the murder of political prisoners, organ harvesting—there was little that escaped Tilanqiao Prison. It was a five-star fortress of atrocities, worthy of Orwell's Mini-Luv moniker. "Come on, let's get you to bed," Petra urged her. When Gwen finally came to clarity and self-awareness, she was already in bed, and Petra had returned to her room. Shivering, she slid her body snugly into the silky cotton. “Evee… Evee… Eve…” Gwen invoked the mantra of peaceful sleep. But try as she might, Hypnos refused to give his blessing.

To her shame, Gwen fell asleep on her babulya's shoulders. She had been kept awake by a wild night of increasingly anxious speculations until her babulya's care brought on what ten hours of darkness had failed to provide. _When was the last time she had felt so nervous?_ The HSC, perhaps, the Australian University Entrance Exams. Gwen recalled swallowing her vomit as she sat at the exam table. Now she was nearing another test. The killing joke was that Gwen was herself the executor of the murderous scenario, arguably more challenging than writing 3K word essays on Tess of the d'Urbervilles and W.B Yeats. They were about to enter Tilangqiao Prison— a place synonymous with living hell. Inevitably, they arrived. When Gwen looked up, she became oppressed by the infamous gate of the Tilangqiao Prison, five meters tall and three meters across, looming over their vehicle. Once inside, the word that came to mind was austere. The gate was concrete and sandstone, with several layers of square tiles in scarlet making up the threshold, weathered to the hue of dried blood. What was imposing was the thickness of it, the weight of the high walls that stretched until a corner bent it out of sight. Above, four sentry towers marked its perimeter, with a fifth central building watching over the rest. From the ground, the tallest building was only five storeys. As for its depth, Gwen had read once that no one but the highest officers of the MSS and ISC knew the true extent. The sedan pulled away. Magister Wen said she'd meet them inside, while Magus Kumiko had stated she would not join them. As a Japanese national, she had no desire to visit the famous prison. The guard at the gate examined their papers before Messaging his superior. His eyes lingered first on Petra, then on Gwen. As a Mage prison, Tilanqiao was unisex, though the two genders were housed in separate areas and overseen by gender-segregated staff. However, the token attempt at curbing abuse did not prevent certain rumours from escaping from the prison and into the public. To her immense relief, the giant gates did not boom open to swallow them. Instead, a side gate, near invisible, pushed itself open. A short, balding man with a greasy forehead emerged, scanning the three women with deadened eyes. "My name is Ji Tongli. You can call me Warden Ji. Good to see you again, Director Song," the unassuming man introduced himself before shaking their hands. Gwen noticed his fingers were so calloused that they felt like toad skin. The women introduced themselves in turn. "I will take you to Professor Wen." The stoic official offered them neither small talk nor an attempt at amiability. "You may follow me. Keep your hands against your torso. Do not speak to anyone. Do not touch anything. Ms Song, and Ms Kuznetsova, you will be scanned by diagnostic Scrying, but you will not be physically searched. That is the greatest courtesy I can offer. Should you betray my confidence in Director Song, a cell will be your abode until further notice. Am I understood?" "Yes, Sir!" The girls stood to attention. As per babulya's instruction, the girls were fully attired, preferencing tight, non-magical clothing without pockets. Only their hair and faces remained exposed for identification. The girls had also been advised to leave everything at home or in their Storage Rings except for passive-effect Magical Items. The foursome soon entered the side corridor. Above, multiple Daylight spells were in full effect, with sterilising light erasing all shadows. At the end of the corridor was another set of doors presided over by two guards. Gwen detected that one was likely a Transmuter, while the other was an Enchanter. They were low-tier, at least lower than her. She noted the wands they carried on their thighs. Warden Ji conversed with his guards in low murmurs. "It's alright, dear. We're perfectly safe." Their babulya comforted her granddaughter and grand-niece. "We're not going by the prison blocks. We're going straight to the middle chamber, where the interrogations happen." The glow of Glyphs faded. The double door opened. The foursome proceeded. Gwen noted that the Warding Glyphs reactivated instantly as the doors slid closed. As their party penetrated the prison, an oppressive presence, palpable and tangible, now lingered in the corridor, growing more ominous with each successive section. "Magic dampening," Petra informed her cousin, giving the physical repression a name. "Nothing but basic cantrips can activate here without explicitly excluding your Mana Signature." To test Petra's theory, Gwen attempted a faux summon of her Familiars. When she activated her Sigil and channelled her mana, a heavy sluggishness prevented her Spells from completing the arcane circuits. "Unpleasant, isn't it?" Petra affirmed her feelings. Gwen agreed. She felt the numbness as the sensation of _helplessness,_ a crippling sense of confusion from losing one's agency. A Mage without arcanistry was a King without his army, a carpenter without his tools, an NoM bereft of his limbs. It was why her grandfather had put her in a cell with anti-magic warding when she had first arrived in Shanghai. The current corridor ended. Another set of doors. Another pair of guards followed, looking identical to every other junction. The prison was intentionally built like a maze. "This way," Ji directed the trio. Though Gwen's babulya seemed at ease, the two girls were beginning to sweat, their nerves fraying as eyes, both physical and arcane, canvassed their bodies, likely examining them for potential. The girls soon crossed into a courtyard. It was their first sight of the open sky since entering the compound. Ten minutes in, Gwen and Petra felt like a lifetime had passed. They were now in a wire cage section—the exercise yard. Here, the girls had their first glimpse of the prison population. Having watched Oz, Prison Break, and, for her guilty pleasure, Orange is the New Black, Gwen was pretty sure she was an expert in prison stereotypes. Though she and Petra were demurely dressed in clothing that hid their figures, she did not doubt that Petra at least would cause a riot. After all, Tilanqiao was a prison, a mill of the human soul. Fresh _meat_ was the only thing that could drive a man or a woman wild with anticipation in a place like this. Instead, she met an eerie reality. To their right, they saw the male prisoners. To their left, the smaller quadrant reserved for women was empty. A barrier separated the larger and lesser half of the prison from the space between the sections. It was evident the two genders did not mingle. One of the scenes Gwen had been contemplating was the infamous incident from Silence of the Lambs when Clarice Starling copped a hair full of bodily fluids from the psychotic Migs. But here, there was no hooting. No shouting or jeering. There wasn't the stomping of impassioned feet nor the aggravation of violent men shaking the bars, frothing at the lips. There was only a sullen silence and the soft susurration of labouring men clinging to life. There weren't nearly as many prisoners as Gwen had expected. A mere thirty-odd Mages of various ages, almost exclusively Han-Chinese, sat at the benches or stood against the exercise bars, beyond which were shimmering Walls of Force. They stared at the girls with shrunken irises swollen with pink vessels, but the inmates did not move nor make a sound. They watched like dumb statues as the girls passed, led by the Warden. To Gwen, the identically dressed men resembled flesh golems deprived of their scripts, awaiting command. "Your stewardship is as steady as always," Klavdiya praised the Warden of Tilangqiao. "My job." Warden Ji snorted. "I do it well." "That you do," her babulya confessed. "No deaths this month." "No." Warden Ji's lips curled. "Thanks for your help." Klavdiya's healer's aura seemed to relax the tone of Ji's body language. Above them, the twenty-story concrete block in faded hues endearingly called the "The Blue Basket" sapped the sun's warmth as they stepped into the shade. More guards met them at the door. They scanned the girls layered clothing with a wand. Finally, after an hour of aimless wandering, the foursome entered the basement of the main building. The B-1 was hollow at its centre, creating a long rectangular descent extending downwards in a double-helix spiral. The wind blowing from the interior had a strong scent of antiseptics. "Gwen, Petra. You can close your eyes if you want," her babulya said after a moment of deliberation. "Nothing here of interest will do you any good." Gwen and Petra regarded one another. One thought nothing could be worse than being eaten alive by a Faceless skin changer, while the other likely recalled her time with Moscow Tower. The foursome waited for the levitation platform, which arrived a few minutes later, delivering a troop of four guards armed with lethal-looking implements on their thighs. "Sir!" The guards saluted. Ji inclined his head. "LG-24, Interrogation and Observation Chamber." "Sir!" the operator hailed the command. The platform began to move. The familiarity of the transit system filled Gwen with a weird nostalgia. It reminded her of Sydney. Standing to attention beside Master Kilroy, she had traversed the Sydney Tower in this exact manner, guided by the Tower's staff. For the first time in a long time, Gwen pondered what had happened to those guards she had befriended, wondering if they had survived. The girls saw their first 'VIP' after twenty meters. A gruff old Mage in orange overalls sat in a cell with nothing but an iron slab for a bed and a stainless steel toilet bowl. The cell was too small for the man to fully stretch out his body, forcing him to use the bowl as a seat so he could fully extend his feet. As the party passed, his eyes widened. The man launched himself at the transparent pane, plastering his whole face trying to get a glimpse of the two teenage girls. "Dissident." Ji had been warmed up enough by babulya to start playing the tour guide, speaking like a man describing the local fauna. "He tried to rile up the NoMs in Jiangsu against the local Secretariat. After the local security forces lost him in the mountains, the Aerial Division stationed in Jiangsu caught him gifting his 'supporters' to the _Jueyuan_ to garner their support." "What's that?" Gwen couldn't help her curiosity. " _Jueyuan_ , I mean." "Humanoid apes," Ji replied. "The _Jueyuan_ elders know how to use magic. The most distinct aspect of their society is that there are no females." "How do they—" Gwen reflexively began. Petra stopped her right there. Ji continued to explain, humoured by the girl's interactions. "When a Clan of Jueyuan gets out of hand, they become a force of reckoning. A small outpost is no match for a troop of a hundred Jueyuan. Even a teenage one can rip your arm off with its bare hands. Not to mention their shamans can use primitive Clerical and Druidic magic. They need to multiply, and they're fond of humans." The girls said nothing. The levitation platform descended. The party continued past a dozen other prisoners, with Ji providing them with what passed for entertaining anecdotes. "That last one, the one with her pants off? She's a real piece of work," Ji's voice remained entirely flat and unassuming, even as the girls' faces were crimson from the last encounter. The moment Gwen had met her eyes with the deranged female inmate, it was as though a strange compulsion had overcome her senses. The crazed woman tore away her prisoner's uniform and spread herself against the invisible pane. Then her babulya forced the girls to turn away from the obscene sight. "Forbidden magic, that one." Ji chortled coldly. "Some lost Clan or another. Her magic involves a forgotten Yin-Yang witchcraft where she drains her victim's vitality through coitus. It was a thing, I am told, back in the Dynasties, the self-styled Emperors used such methods to prolong their longevity, going through dozens of concubines a month. She looked your age when she first came in. Without replenishment, she's gone back to her real age." Gwen had taken a good gander before babulya thwarted their curiosity. The woman looked to be in her forties, looking like a meth addict from her old world. "Filthy wretches, the lot of them." According to Ji, no one imprisoned in Tilangqiao was 'innocent' or undeserving. Gwen chose to take the man's words with a grain of salt. The bottom of the LG-24 was where they finally arrived. More PLA correctional officers secured the room beyond. "After you." Ji motioned to the women. The party entered. Gwen felt a trickle of ice puckering the segments of her spine. As they entered the rectangular chamber, Gwen felt the magic Dampening fall away, though she was sure it could be reactivated at any time. She looked up from her lead-like feet. There he was. Her victim. In the middle of the desolate room, dressed in bright orange, was a man brass-bound to an anchored chair. The man sat without sound; his body slumped and passive. His face was hooded, with a section in breathable mesh. Gwen approached the man in a trance, as though her body was no longer hers. She was a marionette pulled by stubborn strings. "Gwen, I am glad you're here," a voice issued from above. The party chased the source until they faced the far-right wall. The wall was Illusory, Gwen realised, something akin to a one-way mirror. "I am here with a few officials from the Ministry and the Pudong Tower. You've met them before. We're ready to proceed when you are." The voice was Magister Wen's. A thrum of magic could be sensed flowing through the walls. From the prickling on her skin, Gwen knew it to be the activation of the diagnostic spells particular to the Cognisance Chamber. She forced herself to face the hooded prisoner. So what now? She'll do the deed, then leave for lunch? Should she talk to the man? Or look him in the eyes? Could she explain why he must now die? "What was his crime?" Gwen asked. Magister Wen did promise that her victim would be thoroughly vetted. "Terrible and heinous, I assure you. A mass murderer. It's all confirmed." Magister Wen's voice came from somewhere indistinctly above. "Warden, if you will." Warden Ji moved to discard the man's hood. "That's not what we agreed on," babulya moved to stop Ji. "What's the point of seeing his face? Just get this over and done. We're not here for sadism. We're here for knowledge." "It's alright, babulya," Gwen intervened. "I want to see - I need to see. I am taking this man's life. How can I not give him a final measure of respect? Warden, may I have the honours?" "Gwen..." her babulya's face was equal parts concern and fatalism. Annoyed by the delay, Ji stepped back. Gwen took a deep breath, then approached. The hood came off. The regret she felt was immeasurable. "There she is. Is she ready?" Magister Wen affirmed that Gwen was indeed 'ready' as Warden Ji led the party into the room below them. A troop of military men stood beside the Magister by the observation window, with a fourth leaning casually against the far wall. Far from Wen was Wing Commander Derrick Webber, standing ramrod straight and looking downwards toward her specimen with benevolence and goodwill. Major Wong of the Internal Security Bureau was adjacent, more relaxed than his western counterpart. Tilangqiao was, after all, Wong's home ground. The man closest to Wen was the Committee Chair of the Ministry of State Security, her specimen's grandfather, Klavdiya Song's husband, Guo Song. The man's face was a mask of unknowable impassivity. Then there was their fourth, an uninvited guest. Jun Song. _The Ash Bringer._ A man who had outlasted all expectations of his volatile elemental talent to become the Hero of the Northern Front. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Decades ago, Marie-Roslyn Wen had offered to dissect Jun's talent in return for research that may preserve his body against the Ash talent. The family refused. Not even her friend and confidant, Klavdiya Song, then only a Department Head, consented to her offer. For a long while, Wen had wondered if someone from the PLA had considered scrutinising Guo's bloodline for signs of Demi-human ancestry. Guo was Salt. Hai was Salt. Jun was Ash. And now Gwen was Void and Lightning. They were a group of very talented people with a rare genealogy. Thankfully, the old dog's loathing of his grandaughter was an act of serendipity, a convergence of stars that drove Klavdiya to her for aid. Were it not for fate, Magister Wen could not have imagined that, in her remaining lifetime, there would be an opportunity to investigate the incomplete research abandoned by Henry Kilroy and Elizabeth Sobel! As for why Guo loathed the girl, Wen had a theory. She believed, notwithstanding imperfect evidence, that Gwen must be a bastard. The eldest son absconded, had he not? And now he returned with a teenage daughter. She had uncovered that Gwen's 'mother' was a worthless Fire Mage! Two tiers from an NoM! Who was Hai kidding? How would a Salt Mage and a Fire Mage produce a Lightning-Void progeny? What freakish miracle was that? So she dug deeper, sending out feelers into the Commonwealth's Towers, the more she uncovered. She found that information on Gwen was censured! Not only that, it was at the behest of none other than _The Morning Star_ , Gunther Shultz! When Wen further inquired with the desperate Klavdiya, she learned Gwen had been attached hip to hip with Henry Kilroy before he died. The puzzle pieces were falling into place. Sobel was the single most accomplished Void Mage in modern history. Kilroy was her spouse, the pioneer of research on Sobel's talent. So what did that make Gwen the only Void Mage to flourish thereafter? _Coincidence?_ Wen did not believe in coincidence. With the data gleaned from Gwen's negatively drained body, Wen was sure she would be hailed as the premier academic of her generation, the progenitor publisher of an original theory. MEISTER Marie-Roslyn Wen would be the God Mother of a new branch of Elemental Magic, to be recalled, remembered, and referenced ten thousand times over, immortalised in the appendices. Whenever she thought about the future within her grasp, Wen felt an insatiable hunger, an unquenchable drive to push the girl just a little bit further. She had done well so far. The incident at D-109 had been just the beginning, a touchstone. The persuasion of Klavdiya followed. Now, the Towers from the PLA and Pudong had pledged their support. Both sides had offered her unfettered liberty in exchange for a means to generate Void Mages. As dangerous as such beings might prove, the potential of cowing the Demi-humans as Sobel had done was immensely appealing to men like Gunther Shultz. But why was the Ashbringer here? Even now, Wen couldn't comprehend why the Ash Bringer weighed her with an annoying smirk. To her knowledge, the former Grey Ghost was no longer a part of Internal Security. _Had he taken on a more covert role?_ Or was the man here in the capacity of an Uncle? Her imperfect knowledge irked Wen to no end. The victim she had chosen for Gwen was perfect. _Lu Bing_ was a Clanner from the Frontier District of Qingcheng with a taste for Mage blood. The boy had awoken as a Dust Mage, then succeeded as a Conjurer-Illusionist. It was unfortunate that the young man had acquired a Scroll of Drain Life from the Rogue Mages, outlaw practitioners of Necromancy, learned the spell and transformed into a serial killer. For years, Qingcheng City was convinced that a Ghoul was loose in the sewers. It wasn't until Bing's gluttony outgrew his caution that he was discovered. A chaotic melee ensued, resulting in the death of two acolytes and a Senior Mage. Since then, the man had been imprisoned in Stasis for almost two years. Would devouring the Dust Mage increase Gwen's affinity to the Void? Would Gwen acquire Illusion as a school? Were there diminishing returns on how many tiers she could steal from others? How about the girl's VMI? Did that have a limit? These were legitimate questions for herself and her specimen. Wen was also interested in the mental and physiological aspects of the Void and its impact on the user. Was the hunger an addiction, or was it madness, as Sobel had shown? Could it be controlled, or was it more akin to a gradual transformation? The more Gwen could be pushed, the more accurate her statistics. Then the girl would break, but that was also important data. As with Material Spellcraft, the boiling point was crucial knowledge. Didn't Gunther Shultz once boast that the girl couldn't be broken? Gwen had only herself to blame if she did. But none of her considerations addressed why Jun Song now bothered her. "Welcome, Gwen," she stated to those below. "… We're ready to proceed when you are." Klavdiya had wanted the man's face covered. It was a stupid sentiment, but Wen had allowed it. "... I want to see..." The girl said. Wen almost snorted. The girl was entirely uptight and self-righteous! Maybe she WAS Guo's granddaughter. That part of them was practically identical. The hood came off. Wen's mind grew blank. Beneath it was a familiar face. A face Wen had never seen in real life but whom she knew from an exchange a little more than a week ago. "CHOI?" She let loose a shrill scream, then immediately regretted her tale-telling outburst. Her eyes darted to Jun and then to Guo. Cold sweat oozed across her back, drenching her linen blouse. She had to circulate a sliver of Mineral-tinged mana through her body to steady the pounding of her heart, forcing her skin to retain its unflushed paleness. _How the fuck was Choi here?_ Her mind rioted with speculations. _What was the meaning of this?_ "SECRETARIAT CHOI?!" Gwen could hear the blood pounding her skull. "CHOI?" The voice that came from above suggested that the Magister was no less surprised than Gwen. Secretary Choi's beady eyes were now two dilated orbs staring into the middle distance. It took only one glance to know that the space between the man's eyes was devoid of all discourse. Gwen was unpleasantly reminded of Magister Lee's mockery of the Resurrection spell, where he ridiculed the idea that the body could be utilised even if the mind was gone. Forcing herself to breathe again, she leaned in closer to the Secretariat's face, watching her pallid appearance reflected in his glassy orbs. "Where's Lu Bing?" Magister Wen snapped at her audience before realising that she had trespassed protocol. She was a civilian; they were the PLA Towers. If anything, they should be the ones dressing her down. "Please accept my apologies. I was merely surprised that my candidate had been replaced." She felt her skin prickle with goosebumps when she met their mocking eyes. _They're all in on it!_ The thought struck Wen like one of Gwen's Flash Bangs. _The bastards!_ "Miss Wen," Guo began, his choice of title inferring just how little he thought of her. "Let me make a point very clear for you. Gwen is a Void Mage, and a Void Mage is a calamity waiting to happen. Unfortunately, others, like my colleague here, are in disagreement..." Guo's bulldog face barely moved as he spoke, giving the MSS hound master the impression of an inexpressive statue. The filtered glow from the illusory wall further cast an indifferent light across his hawk-like nose. "For this reason, I understand that rumours have circulated of my dismissal of Gwen. _Not true._ Yes, I do not trust the girl. She is an anomaly, an impossibility made flesh. And I resent her allegiance with the late Henry Kilroy." The old hound's presence seemed to grow as his voice fell lower. Though Wen stood perfectly still, she felt cornered by an ancient beast. That was the difference between an academic against one who had survived a global conflict and a civil war, followed by a Political Purge. "But my dislike, my loathing, my repudiation of my granddaughter are private matters—a _personal_ preference. If Klavdiya wishes to aid Gwen, that is her choice, HER undertaking. I have to respect her decisions. If Klavdiya believes her actions are for the best, I will not interfere, just as she had not intervened in mine." The MSS Secretary's voice dropped an octave. Magister Wen was sure her shirt was now drenched. "YOU—on the other hand. _Who do you think you are_ , Miss Wen? You're an Expat, not even a member of our Communist Party. You're from the Commonwealth, are you not? Your parents fled to England. That's where you received your education. Your loyalties are only to yourself. You don't respect my wife. You don't respect the girl you're using. You don't even care for my grandniece, your _apprentice_ , who thinks the world of you. They're just pieces of a puzzle to you." Magister Wen did not offer a rebuttal. Even if she could, she had to wait until her body resumed its full faculty. She was reminded of the rumour that Guo was a Mind Mage. Wen was no slouch against Charms, but the man's mental pressure was immense! "Jun." When Guo turned away from Magister Wen, his son approached. "Observe the fate of Secretariat Choi." Jun tilted his head in the direction below. "Magister. You're a researcher, a damn good one. But even the best researcher can't write her papers from a cell in Tilangqiao." Wen felt her spine twist when the prison's name played across Jun's lips. Her eyes drifted toward Wong and Webber. "We fully support your _research_ Magister." Wong inclined his head. "This is a private matter between you and the Song family." "I am inclined to agree." Wing Commander Webber furrowed his brows. "Certainly, Pudong would prefer a more organic approach to Miss Song's Void talent. I must inform you, Madam, that there exists a long-standing request from Magus Shultz that Pudong ensures the safety and freedom of Miss Song in Shanghai. Had I known that today and the District incident were begotten by yourself, I would have advised patience." Neither rebukes nor agreements, Wen noted. She wouldn't die today. "I would hardly think it's fair to—" she protested. "Klavdiya had been upset. Very upset," Guo interjected suddenly. "I hadn't seen her so stricken since the Purge when her friends were accused." The man's voice made Wen wish she had shut her mouth. "I see what you're trying to do. I do not condone what you are trying to do." Guo's eyes were now observing his granddaughter. "But I suppose a calamity is called as such precisely because it cannot be avoided." Wen decided remaining silent was likely her best option for the time being. They watched the girl beak over Choi's mind-cleansed appearance. "Magister." Guo's decision to use her proper title filled Wen with immense relief. " _Do your job._ Nothing more." Magister Wen forced her fingers to curl into a fist. The Path of Spellcraft never did run smoothly. These militant meatheads would never understand. Like the old Faustian allegory, the ends justified the means so long as knowledge could be gained. Who could judge a Meister after the fact? Desist? She had run this far without pausing for breath. How could she stop now? "Gwen, please proceed," Magister Wen's command called out from above after an uncomfortably long silence. Before Gwen could summon her wits, a familiar figure appeared beside the three women and the Warden. "Uncle Jun!" Gwen's greeting had a tone of ambivalence. She did not want to see her uncle when she was in such an immature state. That said, much of her present circumstance was beginning to make sense now. "Gwen." Jun grinned at her. "I've prepared a dossier of Choi's inglorious service to the State. The Secretariat could have died ten times over, and his sentencing would have been insufficient." "It's alright, Uncle." Gwen had mixed feelings about her uncle's intrusion. "I trust that you-" "Don't." Jun halted her flattery and then handed over a data slate. "Trust yourself first and foremost. Please read it, then make a decision. If you choose to quit, I support that as well." Gwen turned her attention to the slate, where the magic parchment showed MSS records for Choi's _confessions_ extracted via a cocktail of Compel Truth and Enfeeble Mind. "Jun." Her grandmother hugged her son. "Uncle." Petra shook his hand. "Mother. Petra." Jun greeted the others in turn. "Let's give Gwen some space." Above, there was only sullen silence from Magister Wen. _Distribution of Illicit Substance_ _Human Trafficking_ _High Treason_ The jargonistic 'state' crime list for Choi made little sense to Gwen, though career highlights such as the 'Trafficking' of underage Mages stood out to her. According to the transcript, Choi was running 109 like a dynastic bureaucrat-scholar, making the locals fight and quarrel for stability and amusement. As for Treason, Choi had confessed to trading state-sanctioned magic tools, glyphs and materials to Wildland rogues in exchange for precious ingredients and exotic fauna. The verdict from Internal Security was 'Summary Execution', followed by reducing the man's remains to ash to prevent Necromantic tempering. Choi was a dead man walking. And she was to be his deliverer. Gwen returned the slate to Jun. "Gwen, don't fret. Choi was such a babbling lunatic by the third reading that we had to Mind Blank him to prevent him biting off his tongue." _So she was executing not only a condemned criminal but also a vegetable._ She knew it was ungrateful to resent her uncle, but having her resolve deflated in such a manner felt like a slap. She approached the man formerly known as Secretariat Choi until she was an inch from his face. "Mr Choi, do you know me?" She gazed into the man's empty eyes once more. Behind her, babulya and Jun exchanged a concerned glance. "Nurrrgh..." "I am Gwen Song," she declared. "I was there in D-109. You sent Nephres Zalaam after me. I Consumed her with my Void abilities. In a few moments, I will consume you as well. If you want to say anything, you can make your peace now." Choi drooled, his eyes unblinking. Gathering her wits, she made some space between them. "Caliban!" The netherworld worm slipped into the material plane. "Shaa-Shaa!" Anticipating what was to come, Caliban opened its head carapace to reveal two tentacles, one cobalt and the other crimson. "I am proceeding," Gwen informed the assembly above. The thrumming floor increased in pitch; its diagnostic magic cranked to full. As Caliban came closer, Choi's body began to shudder, shivering as though he was cold, then with greater violence as the netherworld worm coiled around his torso. When Caliban came as close to his face as Gwen had, Choi thrashed in his seat. "NEeeaaagh—! Neaaaagh!" The sound from his lips was like that of a bleating goat. The Ex-Secretariat struggled with such ferocity that the skin of his wrists broke, opening a vein on his cubby-white forearm. A spurt of arterial blood escaped as the man strained against the brass manacles, sending a dash of crimson to splash onto Gwen's white runners. Jun's expression soured. "Gwen, just do it." "I need to see this," Gwen's voice drifted across the room. "I can't avert my eyes, Uncle Jun, not now. Not ever. No matter what Secretariat Choi had done, he isn't a side of veal we're feeding to Caliban." "Gwen." Her uncle's jaws set displeasingly. "I am sorry." Gwen redoubled her focus. "Please bear with my wilfulness for a little longer. Caliban!" Before its observers, the serpent engorged, its carapace splitting until the formerly six-foot snake became a nine-foot pulsating monstrosity of chitin and bruised flesh. Two lamprey-tipped tentacles shot toward Choi, one ramming into his throat while the other penetrated his abdomen. Choi's body shook; a hint of hysterical terror came and went. His eyes rolled upwards as muscle and ligament distended. Gwen stood only half a meter away, her shoes spotted with gore, her pearly teeth gnashing fiercely until her gums bled. _My choice, my responsibility, my remorse._ Gwen had to burn this moment into her mind, or else she was no better than her Master's estranged and insane wife. _CRACK!_ The grotesque onomatopoeia indicated that there was now enough of Caliban inside Choi's chest to overburden the ribcage. If the man could scream, Gwen felt she could forever kiss the sweet innocence of sleep goodbye. Without warning, Choi's stomach ballooned as though the man had become instantly pregnant. His bloodless mien lost all expression. There was a final twitch, and Choi's limp head hung against his spine. The heart, the liver, the brain—Gwen suppressed the repugnance rising from the pit of her stomach. She would burn this vision into her skull. "Hurrrgh—!" Petra first lost the fight against her body's rebellious revulsion. The Mineral Mage materialised a crystalline cube and deposited her breakfast. Gwen meanwhile, patiently anticipated her tithing of Caliban's harvest. It came. The euphoria that struck her was between a tier 3 Tusker Boar and half a Nephres Zalaam. Akin to the Schmidt Pain Index, Gwen figured she should mentally compile a Caliban Index, with Nephres at ten and the small-fry at one. With an arm holding onto babulya for support, Gwen weathered the grotesque tide of pleasure gnashing her innards, perceiving herself as a standing stone amidst breaking waves. Her limbs shook even as Gwen's fingers gripped her grandmother's shoulders, clenching until it was pale and bare-knuckled. But she held on, conscious and lucid. "Enchantment and Illusion," Jun informed her, shaking his head at her pigheadedness. "Those are Choi's Schools of Magic. Tier 4 Illusion was his natural talent. Tier 4 Enchantment was what he chose as his minor, though I'd dare say Enchantment was the more skilful of the two. It took us quite some time to get through his mental shielding. As for his element, I believe it was water." Gwen opened her eyes, her orbs alive with vivid vitality; her irises brilliant emerald and citrine-topaz. "Gwen, how do you feel?" Magister Wen's voice resounded from up on high. "I feel… myself." The perpetual hunger she had endured for the week had entirely disappeared, making her wonder if all her suffering had been a waking dream. Her complexion became rosy and flushed, her limbs brimming with potential. She stood straighter and felt taller; her stoop disappeared, and her swan's neck held her aloft effortlessly. Petra packed away her Vomit-Cube and incanted a cleansing Prestigitation. "Sorry." Her cousin looked away. "I thought I knew, but in hindsight, I knew nothing." "Gwen, can you activate Enchantment and Illusion Sigils now?" Compared to Petra's introspection, the voice of Wen from above was breathless with curiosity. "I don't know how," Gwen addressed the Magister's eager demand. She never had the choice to learn any spells from those Schools. "Caliban might take a while to transfer those talents." "Unsummon Caliban," her voice suggested. "Perform your usual meditation. As I said before, all the necessary components for recognising Sigils are a part of a theory by indoctrination. You couldn't miss it if you tried." Caliban returned to its docile form entirely of its own volition. Gwen reached down and picked up the bloody worm bodily. Her babulya and Jun gave each other another worried look. Gwen starkly smiled. Calmly, she wiped Choi's bodily fluids from Caliban's seamless face, then gazed at her bloody hands. "Shaa?" Caliban struggled in her arms, nodding its faceless mien and wagging its spear-like tail. "Return." Caliban dematerialised. Gwen turned her mind inward until she was within her inner world. Wen was right. The recognition of Sigils was ingrained knowledge. Through her mind's eye, she saw past the glowing beacon of Evocation, beyond the silver brilliance of her Conjuration and a multitude of others, until she caught the pale-blue illumination of Illusion. There was no Enchantment. She saw nothing of the School's ochre-gold glow. Gwen opened her eyes. "Illusion." She breathed out. "I feel it." A pair of janitors had been called in to clear away Choi's body. The Corporals came in with impassive faces, zipped up Choi's corpse in a dark polyester bag, leaving with numb expressions. When they passed Gwen, she sensed the fear radiating from them like a stench. "Very good, we're done here." Magister Wen's voice had such relief that one might have thought she was compelled to be present by coercion. "We'll be having another biometric session Sunday midday, twenty-four hours from now." "Yes, Ma'am," Gwen replied. With a flick of the wrist, Gwen produced a cleansing cube. A single LDM later, she was once again pristine. The irony did not escape her as she snorted mockingly at her particular regard for cleanliness. Gwen then turned to her silent family, who'd been watching her ritual with mild alarm. "Babulya, everyone, shall we?" "I don't suppose lunch is out of the question?" Jun half-jokingly suggested. "Maybe vegetarian?" Petra's pale face indicated that lunch was the last thing on her mind. Gwen gave her a brief hug, squeezing Petra against her arms and telling her not to worry. The role reversal seemed to have caught the prideful girl off-guard. "Dessert and ices, I think," Klavdiya suggested. The Director then turned to her son with a bemusement expression. "Jun, can you tell me why your father is up there?" Gwen froze. _Had grandfather been watching?_ "Ah—you knew?" Jun scratched his head. "I thought those walls hid everything, even Detection spells." "I know now." Their babulya chuckled mischievously. "I was wondering why Marie had suddenly become so timid. I take it Guo's poured cold water over her?" "Grandfather…" Gwen glanced up, imagining his coal-like eyes looking down. _Gods! He'd seen her feed Caliban!_ The blood! The gore! The monstrous nature of it all! He MUST think that she's bat-shit insane by now! "Don't fret." Babulya touched a finger to Gwen's cheeks. "Let's have tea first. Then we can talk." "I'll leave Gwen in your careful hands, mother. I am going back to base," Jun informed them. He bowed toward his mother, then turned toward his niece. "Remember what we discussed. Don't be afraid to ask for help." "Thank you, Uncle Jun. For looking out for me." Gwen hugged him gratefully. _Remorse_ , she reminded herself, thinking of her boastful promise to Henry and Sufina. The day she no longer felt remorse was the day she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the woman who murdered her Master. Watching Jun depart with a wink and a grin, Gwen couldn't help but put a hand to her chest, searching for the oppressive presence of conscience. Her heart was calm. Disquietingly calm.

In stark contrast to the prison, the rest of the afternoon was spent in quiet relaxation at an open-air garden cafe. Extraction from the prison was more convenient, with Jun and the Warden escorting their guests through uncomplicated side passages. "No Teleportation Circles exist for going out," the warden informed them, friendlier now that her uncle was the shepherd. Gwen figured she wouldn't want to be Teleporting in either. Though the grotesque execution remained a recent memory, their desire to discuss Choi's mercy-killing was extinguished once the group exited Tilangqiao's austere interior. Jun parted from the girls, and they caught Klavdiya's chauffeured sedan toward the Bund. Once the smell of blood had been sufficiently diluted by a precisely brewed pot of Buddha's Tears, babulya griped that both girls did not yet have boyfriends. "Gwen's still a lass, but Petra, you've been here for almost three years. You're nineteen and then some!" "I am not interested in relationships." Petra shrugged, sipping her high-grade Jasmine. " _Dear St Peter—_ I hope Wen's asexual obsession with Spellcraft isn't rubbing off on you." Despite the lack of hilarity, the trio laughed and snickered. There was a foolish hysteria about the cheer, for it felt like Gwen and her family were drunk on laughter. "No, babulya, that's not it." To avoid spilling the tea, Petra had to return her cup to the table. "I am more interested in finishing my thesis on the Spell Cubes. The project belongs to me now that Magister Wen is no longer keen on its completion." "I saw a guy asking after you, Baili. I believe? He looked like a top bloke. Why not give him a chance?" Gwen poked at her cousin mischievously. "How about you?" Petra poked back. "There are lots of rumours, you know. I can dismiss Kusu. That guy's a sister-holic, but how about Dai? His cousin was very upfront about how much the Princeling of Nantong asked after you." "Dai is merely a bloke who owes me a favour." Gwen brushed Petra's riposte aside with a deft parry. "Nothing more, nothing less." "The Fung Clan has a good reputation," babulya said. "They shouldered the cost of developing Nantong and even opened up their Clan's secrets to the Towers. A very progressive group of Clanners, a new wave, if you will. Nothing wrong with being nice if they're courteous." The girls went on talking, and babulya chimed in now and then. They paraded around the prickly perimeter of the morning's events like women circling a barrel cactus. The tea was refilled by an NoM Waitress several times. The triple-tier of petite fours disappeared, as did the black-sesame chiffon cake, a house special. "I better head back," babulya informed the girls. "I bet Guo's got a long list of grievances to launder." "I understand. Thanks for everything, Babulya." Gwen offered to pay for the meal, but their babulya would not have it. "Thank grandfather as well." "Take care of her, Petra. Gwen, take care of Petra as well." "We will, Babulya," the girls replied in unison. The military saloon arrived a minute later. The girls watched their grandmother go. "It's still early," Petra noted, reading Gwen's face for an outbreak of sudden distress. "I want to learn Illusion spells." Gwen's words caught the Mineral Mage by surprise. Gwen also surprised herself, as she had originally planned to mope and simmer in misery for a few days at least. "To the library then? Reserved access offers common incantations from Tier 1 to 3." "You beauty! We'll go there first and then to the Henglong Laboratory." Gwen stood from the chair and unwrinkled her clothes. "I want to surprise Tao!" The girls first returned to the lab to receive Gwen's results. Gwen and Petra discussed viable Illusion spells as Magister Wen did the necessary measurements on Gwen's new biometrics. Though not at the level of her babulya's lab, Wen had loaned an Indexing Engine from Klavdiya's hospital to save Gwen from continually moving between Henglong and the Second Experimental. "1.81 to 1.85 is what I am seeing," Magister Wen noted, scribbling into her data slate. "Congratulations, Gwen, you're an Illusionist now." "Thank you, Magister. I appreciate your patience and experience." "It's my job." Gwen couldn't help but detect a sarcastic ring to the Magister's voice, though she chose to disregard the Magister's passive-aggressive displeasure. A line had been drawn in the sand, and now the proper thing was for the both of them to respect their distance. As Jun had said, _give and take,_ nothing more. "VMI… 220." Gwen thanked the Magister for her work. "I'll be drafting my reports to the Towers. Goodnight." Wen told Petra to lock up, then left the girls to their devices. "Too bad you're not quite tier 2," Petra waited until her Master was gone. "The good Illusion spells are all 7 to 9 Major incantations or more. Invisibility, Mirror Image, Magic Mouth, the works." "I think I'll have my hands full," Gwen smirked. "Can't believe there was a spell called Invisible Familiar." "I feel so sorry for whoever has to deal with Caliban now more than ever." Petra grinned, shaking her head. When her cynical laughter ceased, her cousin shook her head in wonder at whoever would now face Caliban. Gwen thumbed the spell page she wanted to purchase. **Invisible Familiar** Illusion (1) Casting Time: 7 Major, 2 Minor Incantation Range: Close Components: Somatic, Verbal Duration: Persistent. You wrap your Familiar in a shroud of invisibility. This spell functions as a Lesser Invisibility when applied to one's Conjured Familiar. The Familiar is nearly impossible to spot until it enters combat form. When in docile form, the spell remains active until the caster dismisses its effect or is OOM. Combat functionality aside, having Caliban being invisible was the most useful thing Gwen could imagine. Likewise, the spell would do wonders for her interactions with others if she wished to have Caliban manifested out of sight. As with all Invisibility spells, she needed to register an application at the Tower to be _sanctioned_ with its possession. Should she be discovered with an _illicit_ possession of Disguise Self, Invisibility and other similar _incognito-_ type incantations, she may be paying a more meaningful visit to Tilangqiao. Besides Invisible Familiar, Gwen requested Clarion Calls, Ventriloquism, Auditory Hallucination and Disguise Self. Disguise Self, in particular, Gwen was keen on adding to her repertoire. The spell allowed for minor alterations of her attire, the colour of her hair and eyes, and her general 'aura' to be more eye-catching or discrete. It was questionable, however, if the spell would be allowed. As with _Transformation_ and _Polymorph Self,_ the CCP and the Mageocracy discouraged any magic that would complicate individual Mages' identification. Week 8. Elvia had been informed of her new status as a murderess, as had her siblings-in-craft in Sydney. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Alesia, in her usual bravado, told Gwen not to mind. "Shit happens," the callous Battle Mage informed her. "Unless you're on the Frontier, all the tier 1 big-wigs rise to the top by stepping on human corpses. Don't sweat it. Fuck 'em, just so long as you're alright." Gunther berated his hot-headed half of the household, then held a serious heart-to-heart with his Master's youngest. Her paternal brother-in-craft explained with great patience that her choice showed great maturity and that he was proud of her decision to face Choi head-on. "I am actually far more worried about Yue. I hope she doesn't take after Alesia too much." Gunther sighed, clearly exhausted from his work as Chief Administrator. "Look, we should get going. Gwen, you're the one who enlightened Master about Noblesse Oblige and Militant Pacifism. As we are your siblings, we're behind you. Do not doubt your choices, do what you think is necessary. Master trusted you because he saw something in you. You're not going to become Elizabeth Sobel." _Thank you!_ Gwen's fear of her Sydney family's disapproval vanished like snowmelt. Thank the guiding stars for Gunther and Alesia, even if her sister-in-craft possessed the emotional quotient of a yam. As for the absent Yue, Gwen was told her friend was "living it up" on the Mermen Front, kicking ass and taking names. Already the soldiers were calling her "Little Red". The moniker alluded to Yue's Master, but the title amused Gwen. "She is almost at tier 5 Evocation," Alesia intoned proudly. "Her Transmutation is coming along as well. Nothing like death and danger to get your tiers up." Having thus received both confirmation and affirmation of her milestone, Gwen threw herself into her studies with a frightful passion. In addition to her classes, she practised and trained in the early morning and late afternoon across all her Schools of Magic. Illusion proved to be a mixed bag. The Spells she had acquired for utility worked perfectly. As for the ones she had learned to impress Tao, they proved far too challenging without a tutor. Clarion Call was an easy spell she learned in a day, projecting her voice until she could be heard almost a kilometre away. She had nearly deafened herself when she tried it in her private training chamber. Ventriloquism was more difficult. At higher levels of expertise, it was used explicitly in conjunction with other Illusion incantations, creating real and falsified sounds. All Gwen could do was throw her voice a dozen meters, which made for little more than an impressive party trick. Auditory Hallucination was the spell which proved to be her first hurdle. As the chant manifested, she was meant to visualise, for the lack of a better word, the sound she wished to generate. However, she could not translate the "sound" within her mind into spells. It was as though she was feeding analogue signals into a digital system. After a few dozen attempts, she managed to mimic her speech. As for the music within her mind, the spell either 'failed' or produced a jumble of sounds which jarred her ears. On Thursday, she received the green light for Invisible Familiar but lost her appeal for Disguise Self. The reason was that the board did not deem her request _productive_ and that the spell was unnecessary for a Fudan Student. Furthermore, a supplement suggested that she was welcome to re-apply once she had "chosen" a career path, likely with the PLA. The operative clauses did not escape Gwen. It was unlikely that the Towers would consent to disguise spells for someone in her shoes. They probably had their hands full just tracking her Teleportation Ring for all she knew. Never mind that these Illusion spells would easily fail muster under a pair of diagnostic goggles or a Dispelling Ward. Any measure to aid her evasion was a measure too far. Of course, she could ask for help from Gunther or Jun, but Gwen declined the temptation. There was no need to rock the boat— _yet_. With Gwen's courses entering their final weeks, her workload drastically increased. Magister Birch began introducing elements of Divination into his curriculum, dividing the class into those doomed to rely on devices and those gifted enough to progress to the next stage. Gwen took to Divination like an Undine to water, making the Magister whistle happily as she Dimension Doored to and fro, masterfully displacing herself from beacon to beacon. As for Evocation, Magus Young made good on her promise of showing off _Spirited_ Evocation. Each student received a chance to "experience" the IFF possessed by the lucky few. Lu volunteered when it was Gwen's turn, skilfully arcing blue flashes of plasma around her person to strike targets behind or beside her. When she enviously fluttered her lashes at Wanli, the hawk's Master demonstrated a new mastery. Unlike his first lesson with Instructor Chen, he could utilise the hawk's AOE without harming allies caught in its range. For Gwen herself, she worked on pushing her Evocation toward Tier 5. Without Caliban's aid, it would take her at least until the middle of next year. For now, she would focus on the efficacy and speed of her Evocation incantations. As for new spells, Magus Young recommended the late Magister Larsen's Ball Lightning. "Until you get a Spirit, seeking' spells are likely your staple within a mass-melee," the Evoker advised. The spell's cost was 72 CCs, not to mention Gwen lacked the tiers necessary for the time being. "You'll grow into it," Young informed her. "Think of it as loosening the tier 5 bottleneck." And so, the days whizzed by in the blink of an eye. If there was a solace to her workaholic ethic, the hectic schedule had driven any thoughts of Choi entirely from her mind. After a few weeks, Gwen uncovered an unexpected boon proffered by her supernatural vitality. Gwen found that she never suffered from _true_ physical exhaustion. Haggard as she may be after an eight-kilometre campus circuit, Gwen was up and ready five minutes later. Her only limitation was mental fatigue, which could be cured through sleep and meditation. By Week 10, Gwen had successively kept Caliban and Ariel manifested for eight days. She submitted the results to Instructor Chen, upon which she received his congratulatory accolades. "That's the end of my course." Chen spread his hands. "You're welcome to keep attending, but if you want to progress further, go to the Front. Congratulations on passing." Gwen insisted there was more to learn, but Chen shook his head. Ariel had been a sterling example of obedience in the obstacle run; Caliban had also scored above average. Gwen thus considered Chen's words, taking to heart the military man's advice. The Front loomed large on her list of places to visit, but she would consult with Jun about whether the real experience was necessary for her to participate in the IIUC. Economics moved from Macro to Micro as the term progressed, shifting from the resource trade between the cities, enabled by the mass-freight services between the Frontier and the tier 1 hubs, to individual power brokers. Cities such as London, with its proximity to friendly Demi-humans, thrived not on mineral wealth, but on essential ingredients and reagents for spells, having access to the only trove of amicable Elves in the Western world. Other cities, such as Paris and Rome, thrived on lingering vestiges of soft power left over from their dynastic history, retaining unrivalled influence through their institutions. A particularly interesting place which made her ears perk was the Vatican. "The ultimate seat of Faith Magic," her instructor had blatantly stated as though reciting hypnopaedic dot points. Gwen raised her hand, but Professor Jiang wasn't a Mage and couldn't explain the subtler definitions of Faith Magic. _Faith?_ The moniker smacked of mysticism. Her babulya had remarked more than once that there was no such thing as Gods. If so, what constituted a Deity? Even in Australia, religion was just that - a public spiritual service. It wasn't as though the Cardinals and the Bishops flew through the air at the behest of higher powers. Then again, the Frontier had gone so far as to censor Spellcraft textbooks. Lord knows what else the ordinary people of Sydney were kept from knowing. Finally, when she asked Professor Ma, the academic provided some clues. "Ha! Not even your average Magus would know the answer to that question." Ma chuckled. "What we know about Faith Magic is that it taps into the collated _animus_ of those who believe in a particular doctrine. It's an ancient sort of magic; some say the Egyptian God-Kings were the first pioneers, or the Israelites, though both of those 'Faiths' have now reduced themselves to more orthodox forms of Spellcraft. I suppose the Christian Church has retained a stranglehold on Faith Magic for some time; since they never did lose their seat of power. No conquest, no diaspora, no loss of home or hearth. There were a few civil wars, Luther and all that, but they've kept together for the last two thousand years. The Knight Orders under the Britannic Mageocracy are famous for using Faith magic." "How come Fudan doesn't have a course on Faith Magic?" Gwen enquired. "What a silly question!" Ma mocked her unworldly question. "Isn't it obvious? There are no state religions in China! All forms of organised faith are seen as a challenge to the CCP. Do you know what I think? All magic, in the end, is just Spellcraft. Any phenomenon that can't be explained is always seen as divine providence. That's why we have Spellcraft; to take us out of the mystical antiquity and into the modern world of reason and rationality. Observable and replicable—that's our motto." "I see, Sir. Would you happen to know the mechanics behind Faith Magic?" "You're barking up the wrong tree." Ma collected his lecture notes. "Don't overthink. Focus on what you do know. Your finals are coming up, yes? Don't get distracted. Excellent essay, by the way. A+. Keep up the good work." "How come you know so much about Spellcraft, Sir?" Gwen felt puzzled that neither Birch nor Young had answered her enquiry. Petra knew little to nothing about it either. She had said that Moscow Tower was ambivalent about Faith Magic, though religion held palpable influence across the Russian Frontier, especially in the Faith Capital - St Petersburg. "I came from a lineage family." Ma snickered tragically. "What can you do? If the Gods do exist, they're cruel bastards. I suppose I did pretty well, though. Still, we can't all be Void and Lightning. Yes?" The Professor departed after that, leaving Gwen to regret that she had grazed an open wound. "Dai would be very pleased if you could join him." Lu held an invitation for the heir apparent's 22nd birthday in his hand. The looks she was getting from those who had seen Lu's invite were palpably hostile. "Tell Dai I won't be able to make it," Gwen refuted the public invitation loudly. More quietly, she said she would thank Dai personally should a future opportunity arise. "I have a very important excursion and training for the IIUC tryout. I hope Dai can understand." Lu seemed disappointed. The invitation was gifted regardless, in case Gwen "changed her mind". Gwen was determined not to be tempted though. She had no confidence in the people at these high society gatherings. So far, her encounters with assholes were almost 100%. Either she lived under a blighted star or needed more clout to make herself irreproachably unapproachable, especially to those wooing her with questionable designs. The weeks thus rolled by, and soon the time for examination was upon them. Gwen prepared her mind and body as the countdown struck the final day of August. She had trained with Petra, sparred with Lulan and Kusu, and further polished her skills with Richard and Lea blocking her endless assault of Evoked and Conjured lightning. From a Paper Tiger... Gwen was confident she had graduated to become a Paper Dragon! She just hoped there wouldn't be Kusu and Lulan 2.0 waiting to challenge her during the practicals.

"You're telling me you've done… nothing? Not a _single_ quest completed?" Gwen felt unbound sympathy for her new friend. Lulan sat on Gwen's living room lounge, her knees held against her chest, her expression glassy and miserable. The Sword Mage was impressively flexible, Gwen noticed. Though unemployed right now, the girl could find alternative employment as a contortionist. Herself, Petra, Lulan, Kusu and Richard had enjoyed a celebratory dinner in Gwen's apartment before Monday's Finals. As the Mages took turns discussing recent events, Lulan confessed that she hadn't been questing. "What happened?" Gwen inquired, curious as to why someone with Lulan's skills would be excluded. "Eh, I joined a Purge party around Week 9," Lulan explained. "But..." As it turned out, the Clan organised party had been instructed to isolate her. After entering the Jiangxi Orange Zone, her party members immediately snubbed the Sword Mage. Having brought only a week's supply of rations, she had to forage for food and water and make her shelter. When she accused the party leader, the man turned the rest of the party against her, citing her violent past and infamous reputation as a _traitor_. No longer clouded by the red mist, Lulan was lost as to her next course of action, knowing that if she killed or maimed them, she would probably never again return to Shanghai. When she returned in week 11, she fell into depression and slept in the apartment for about a week. "Those bastards! You should have come to us immediately!" Gwen gnashed her pearly teeth. Caliban stirred beside her, licking its chops. "Who are they? We'll visit them _right now_." "I appreciate the sentiment," Kusu intervened, ever the cool-headed one. "Lulu and I, we need to keep our heads down. Maybe it's best to get pushed around for a while. This way, they can 'forget' about us. We're just going to be glaring targets otherwise." "Huashan has a stick up their arse." Gwen's complaint was low and grumbling. "Should I talk to Uncle?" "It's not our Clan." Lulan shook her head. "It's everyone else." Clanners then. Clanners, in general. "Maybe I should drop out? Take six months of leave?" Lulan wondered aloud, watching Gwen's face. "I could be in the same year as you and Kusu then." That's more like dropping TWO years, Gwen explained to her. That's too much time wasted for what was essentially a problem resolvable with a little tenacity and a lesson delivered via an Iron Sword. Gwen was almost considering whether she could speak to Dai for that favour when her cousin chimed in his two cents. "Look." Richard came to Lulan's rescue. "Why don't you join my party? We're all second years. My guys are all independent contractors, so don't expect anyone fancy, but we got no baggage either." "You have a regular Party?" Gwen felt slightly envious that Richard already had a crew. She knew he had a few people who regularly sought him out, but a party? "You know, the Nantong guys from the Bridge project, plus a few strays we've picked up since." "I don't know about that," Gwen pouted. "You've never introduced them formally." "They're all eager to meet you, haha," Richard chuckled. "Remember when my boss spat the dummy? He's accused me of keeping our 'beauty' of a cousin hidden." "Can I join then?" Lulan perked up. "They won't dislike a Clanner?" "They wouldn't care. We're mostly doing construction and clearing work, though, don't expect us to be doing much Purging. We're on the defensive nine times out of ten. You can transmute metal, right?" "I conjure iron, and yes. I can Transmute all kinds of metal, though iron is my forte." "Perfect." Richard clapped his hands. "You have no idea how helpful that's going to be. It's dirty work, lots of water, sand and mud every day, every inch of the way. Lots of merfolk to fight as well. Think you'll be alright with that?" Lulan nodded eagerly. "Great!" Richard reached over with his hand. The two shook on the deal. "The boys will be thrilled." Kusu watched the exchange. His eyes were increasingly uncertain. "How many women are in your group?" Kusu asked casually. "Just one." "One?" "Yep, Lulu. Hahaha!" Richard broke into rancorous laughter, slapping Kusu's thighs with casual intimacy. "Hahaha!" Lulan laughed as well. Kusu looked to have drifted into space. A vision of Lulan in shorts and a spaghetti singlet, covered in construction dust, hammering away at bedrock, flashed between Gwen's mind's eye. There were so many men, their eyes green, glowing, and watching as her iron sword pounded away. _Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!_ Then Lulu would wipe away a brow full of sweat. She could see why suddenly, Kusu looked violently ill. The Conjuration practical exam involved a graded demonstration. There were duels galore, but not so for Gwen. One 'Shaaa!' from her Mongolian Death Worm was enough to dissuade anyone eager to consider contesting the Void sorceress. The Bestiary students had spread the word that should a Familiar be consumed by Caliban, 'It's gone forever!' Additionally, a rumour had circulated that Dai Fung owed Gwen Song a favour, and that was a Warding Glyph no one wanted to step in. Evocation came and went as Gwen had anticipated. Without access to her Familiars or the convenient IFF of a Spirit, she had initially scored in the low 80s. It took a manifestation of Ball Lightning, consecutively creating three self-seeking orbs which unerringly demolished their targets to attain the 90 needed for High Distinction. Though higher grades were not necessary for her inclusion in the IIUC team, Petra had informed her cousin that team members seldom possessed a Weighed Average Mark below 85. As Gwen wished to participate in the 2004 October tryouts, a top percentile mark served as insurance. Tuesday followed with Bestiary, a course Gwen had already passed with flying colours. She went anyway, giving Eunae and others moral support as Luyi ducked, dodged through obstacles, and fought summoned creatures. Advanced Spellshaping was next. The 60% weighing project for Magister Lee's course was the alteration of a "spell" that the students must present for a glorified show and tell. Gwen hadn't thought much of the project as the assignment involved 'an original alteration of an existing spell'. Thus far, her peers have proved woefully unoriginal. It was fortunate that Gwen had several. Flashbang was almost entirely _original_ , though nine-tenths of it had been Alesia's design. She also had a spell she had named Taser. In hindsight, it was useless against monsters because meleeing a land shark was foolish. It was also meaningless against Mages because casters possessed Shields. What was it good for was NoMs. Gwen cringed. Those days of playful innocence were behind her. To think she had thought NoMs a force to be feared. Then there was Blast Bolt, another spell Alesia and Henry had advised. Finally, she had the Elemental-Shift variety of Faithful Hound and the Blast-Radius variety of Dimension Door. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't _created_ any new spells for a long time. Was it because of time and resources? Or that it was easier to buy than discover? In truth, her human resources in Sydney had been over the top. She had unilateral access to the battle-prodigy Alesia de Botton, her brother-in-craft Gunther Shultz, and the late Master of Oceania, Henry Kilroy. For most of her early career, she had been tutored via a Cog-Chamber, with her mana guided and her incantations perfected by Tower-tier teachers. _Some are given silver teaspoons_ , Gwen reflected with a bittersweet melancholy. In hindsight, she had been fed with a platinum escargot fork. Michio appeared interested in her Flashbang but snorted at her other spells. "75, Distinction," the man noted, flexing his chest unconsciously. "I am frankly disappointed. I'd expected more." _Well, shit._ Gwen gave the Magister her best smile to hide her flustered nerves. Averaged against her previous assignment, she was sitting on 82. "Alright. My next demonstration might take a while. Magister Lee. But please observe." Gwen drew a low-tier summon circle on the floor with her finger, then began to incant her sole warding spell. "Morden's Faithful Hound!" It took her just over a minute to finish—a personal record. With a thunderclap, a blazing burst of cobalt electricity erupted from the circle, then disappeared for all but Gwen. While her observers grew confused, Gwen knew that only the owner of the guardian hound could see its presence within the AOE perimetre. "Incredible! How?" Magister Lee stood from his chair with enough force to send the fold-out chair clattering across the training hall. "Sir?" Michio strode across the floor toward her, who frantically began to dispel the hound. Her inexpertise, however, was time enough for the Magister to approach with the specific intent of 'testing' her ward. A blaze of Tyrian-cobalt fulmination erupted, and then an enormous Great Dane leapt from the summoning circle. Michio's mana shield sparkled and sizzled as a pattern of red-orange light erupted, keeping Gwen's tier 4 guard dog at bay, scraping and snarling at her intruder. "Dismiss!" Gwen managed to dispel the hound. It was the first time she had to undo her spell, and the effort made her heart race. Michio's Shield glowed for a second longer, then dissolved, leaving a scent of sunkissed bedsheets. _Her instructor was a Radiant Mage!_ Gwen thought immediately of Gunther. No wonder the two men resembled each other: the overbearing presence, the aura of authority, and the endearment they engendered effortlessly. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "WONDERFUL!" Michio reached out with his massive hands, catching her shoulders and pinning her at arm's length. "I am very pleased." "Thank you!" Gwen hollered back, her mind awash with his awesome presence. Gods, why were they both shouting? "Can you let me go, Sir? I have no wish to lose a kidney to one of your fans." Michio released her. Gwen shot a suspicious glance at the dozen or so students throwing daggers with their eyes. She stepped back in case Michio again became enraptured by The Passion of Spellcraft. The Magister was glowing. _Bloody Radiant Mages!_ If Gwen had been a teenager, she might have fallen in love with Lee right there and then. The man had far less control over his aura than Gunther, for her brother-in-law never _leaked_ his charismatic colours all over innocent bystanders. "Who taught you this variation?" "My instructor," Gwen answered vaguely. Michio studied Gwen's eyes with an intensity unbefitting an instructor. "Are you willing to offer the variation to the Tower for CCs? You will be amply rewarded if you are in the rightful possession of these spells. You will contribute to the greater good of the Spellcraft community! _What say you,_ Gwen Song?" Gwen did a double take. _Sell the spell?_ Offer it to the public? Could she do that? The variation belonged to her Master. But of course, her Master was cold and preserved in Sufina's Grot. Not to mention his estate belonged to Gunther and Alesia more so than herself. "I would have to consult with the er… other stakeholders," Gwen replied expertly. "I will give you an answer as soon as possible." "You MUST!" Michio came closer, his aura making her eyes water. "If you do, you shall receive a perfect grading!" Gwen's complexion glowered a vibrant shade of scarlet, looking like she had been facing a furnace. There was that smell of freshly sunned bedsheets again! These Radiant Mages are insufferable. "I need to go." Gwen pulled herself away. _Jesus Christ,_ she tried to imagine Gunther pulling one of these light shows of personal charisma. People would fall to their knees and kiss his shoes even if he had stabbed their mothers. For now, with her booties clacking against the wooden floorboards, she fled the scene. Wednesday. Gwen drifted through the air, following their instructor's lead. Lesser Flight was the last station for Utility Transmutation. Ahead, Magus Luo, the Dean's nephew, led the group of about twenty or so Utility Transmutation students who had mastered enough of their Secondary School of Magic through the air. Gwen followed without effort, though she received no praise from her instructor. Luo had learned from the Dean that Gwen was a natural Transmuter, meaning her 'genius' for her 'third' school was the equivalent of a native speaker masquerading as a foreigner learning the language. When the flight finished, fourteen students remained. Kanto Luo gave Gwen a 95 out of 100, grudgingly marking it down on his data slate before bidding her leave to enjoy her Winter Holiday. Though it was almost hitting 30 to 35 degrees Celsius daily in mid-August, the University's Extra-curriculum circuit meant students would remain busy in Shanghai well into November until day-time temperatures dropped to sub-zero. As for Gwen, freedom was at hand. Economics on Thursday was a cinch. Searching through the three dozen economic models seared into her memory by week-long cram sessions, she re-imagined a watered-down revision of the Keynesian Economic model by the late John Maynard Keynes. In her assignment, she appropriated a few "golden rules" offered by Keynes as a solution to the Great Depression, mainly that there was a way to stimulate the economy via an "incentive to invest", substituting the Arcane Class for the Capitalist Class, and the NoMs for the Working Class. She advocated opening the Shanghai Central Bank to low-interest Loans for NoMs seeking to erect small and medium enterprises, with the CCP serving as gatekeepers of monetary policy. Her essay furthermore explained that should interest rates for lending be reduced, many investments previously not seen as viable or profitable would manifest. Loans would finance long-term debt purchases such as houses, automobiles, and the spread of magical appliances. In this manner, the stimulation of the NoM economy directly fed into the circulation of currency and assets in the Mage economy, drawing the two together to create an overall apportionment of goods and services across the two previously segregated spheres of economic development. As for the potential rise of buccaneer enterprises and Fordian moguls, Gwen wasn't worried. She wrote that Crystals were naturally resistant to hyperinflation and that the Towers would punish anyone whose greed threatened to undermine the system. Assuredly, in this world, even if the NoMs were living like Steinbeck's Middle America in a literary cross-over with Orwell's Air Strip One, things could hardly get worse. Management was another easy write-up. As this world forsook political science in favour of outright violence, Gwen decided to address Ma's question of "Problems of Equality in a Society of Strata" with stolen transcripts from Amartya Sen, the Harvard resident on Human Development Theory. In the 80s, the professor had posed a formative question regarding the emergence of Neo-liberalism, citing the problem of distributing limited resources _equally_. Gwen contributed one of her old essays, proposing the question of _"Equality of What?"_ moving through topics such as welfare, aid, capability and opportunity. Following Sen's theory, she linked these with key humanistic themes of individuality and responsibility, then worked in an entire section on the concept of Noblesse Oblige, arguing for a more balanced approach to the social strata, emphasising a convergence of liberal and socialist receptions to 'equality' among the classes that linked in with her earlier economic essay. After the last call for 'pens down' was met by the clattering of writing implements, Gwen gathered Kitty, Richard and Mayuree around her, then paraded her compatriots toward the local Korean BBQ, where she 'shouted' them dinner. "Sure, put it into the registry. I don't mind." Gunther shrugged. "Alesia will likely need some of those CCs. She's been trying to auction up a Fire Spirit for months now." "Thanks, Gunther." "Tell you what." Her brother-in-law tapped the cleft in his chin. "Leave it with me. I have Master's notes in a Spellbook somewhere. I'll submit it under your name from my end to Pudong. The negotiation with the Towers usually takes a while. You're not ready for that, not as a first-year student!" "I have full confidence in both of you." Gwen smiled, showing her pearly whites. "I'll ask Mayuree, my friend, if they know anyone selling a Fire Spirit. Her family runs the House of M!" "Sounds like someone useful." He nodded approvingly. "Whatever happens, keep your Contingency Ring on." By Saturday, the semester was officially over. Gwen went by her babulya's laboratory to receive another check-up, confirming with Jun that he would pick her up on Sunday morning. "Evocation, 4.61." "Conjuration 5.12." “Transmutation 2.70.” "Abjuration 1.85." "Divination 1.34." "Illusion 1.95." "230 VMI." Klavdiya couldn't help but be stricken all over again, holding the scripts to her heart like she was clutching a precious great-grandchild. "Babulya, you're embarrassing me." Gwen tugged at the script in her grandmother's hand. "Be careful out there with Jun. Don't overextend yourself. When you return, we'll have a big family dinner." "I will, Babulya. And thanks, dinner sounds wonderful." "Percy will be there, I promise." Her grandmother watched her expression intently. Gwen did her best to smile. Her younger sibling had not called nor spoken to her since she had last visited him. It was as though the boy had fallen off the Material Plane. Were it not for a stream of updates from babulya; she would have thought him a phantom from her previous life. _At least Percy 1.0 called every other week._ Gwen sighed inwardly. Hopefully, their forced encounter would bring any misgivings or misunderstandings to light. Sunday. Gwen laid out all her gear on the bed, from smallest to largest. 12 Healing Potion Injectors. 4 Remove Disease Injectors. 4 Cure Poison Injectors. 1 Potion of Invisibility. 1 Potion of Giant's Strength. 1 Potion of Night Vision. Most of these were her loot from Nephres. 1 Portable Habitat returned from Kusu. 1000 HDMs in assorted HDM and LDMs. Assorted cosmetics, body wash, shampoos and conditioners. Cantrip Cubes—from insect-repelling to laundry to those that produced water and fire. Assorted intimates. Shorts. Pants. Shirts—twenty assorted. Ten pairs of socks, from ankle, knee to thigh length. 1 Skin-suit, military issue. 1 Enchanted Boots of Flying, as well as an assortment of runners, heels, wedges and sandals. 1 Chameleon Cloak, half body. And so it goes. Her ring was barely half-full, even with two weeks' worth of Korean instant noodles and Spam. For this, Gwen congratulated herself on the joys of owning a Large Storage Ring. She was up at 6 AM, unable to sleep for the excitement. She was a child again, waiting for the campout at Cockatoo Island with her Blackwattle friends. In the intervening time, she had dressed for style and comfort, knowing that Jun would advise her once they were on their way. Wanting to impress, she slipped into the laced-up magical boots Alesia had loaned, pairing them with a skort, a kind of tennis wear made for mobility and comfort. Casual tops completed the look, with a duck-billed cap Tao had given her enchanted to soak sweat and keep cool. Her Message device rang. "Uncle?" "I am downstairs." "Coming!" Petra met her in the hall. "Going?" "Yep, take care, Pats. I'll bring back some dragon meat!" "Take care." Petra embraced her, pressing her cousin against her cheeks. The Enchanter had been paranoid and worried about Gwen's journey to poach Dragons. Richard had faired her well last night, wishing her good luck and promising that he would likewise return from his extended CC-gathering quest in Nantong in one piece. He further informed her that Kusu and Lulan had both joined his "party". The brother could not leave his sister alone after Lulan met with Richard's crew and instantly became their beloved mascot. Gwen had likewise promised Tao and Mina at Friday dinner that she would see them at the big family reunion after her return and that they would spend plenty of time together during the Winter break. Of all her friends and family, Mayuree loathed Gwen leaving the most. "I am going to hide in my room and not come out until you return," the Diviner had informed her. "Come back soon! Please!" "I'll try my best! Maybe perform Augury for me? See how my trip would go?" Mayuree returned about ten minutes later, her face flush with excitement. "Awesome! Everything is going to be great! My Augur says great success!" "Wonderful!" Gwen hugged her friend and gave her a peck on the forehead. "Alright, I'll be back in one piece, I promise! Wish me luck!" Outside Gouding B-1's lobby, Gwen met her uncle parked beside his Wrangler-styled Jeep, back against the door, one foot over the other. Jun wore his military casuals. He had an enormous wristwatch on his right, which Gwen assumed to be a Magical Device and an assortment of rings on either hand. Her uncle must have recently cut his hair, for his military crop was shaved close to his scalp, giving him a more masculine look than usual. Perhaps out of habit, Jun had kept his beard, which formed a dark halo around his lips, culminating in a villainous goatee. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. "Looking lovely there," he grinned. "Your father would be happy to see you doing so well." Gwen had been skipping happily toward Jun when she paused mid-stride. Had she been holding a handbag, she would have dropped it like a weight. "My... _father_?" Jun laughed, opening the car door to let her in. "Jump in." He slid into the driver's seat effortlessly, then slipped on a pair of cool aviators. "Dragons await, but we'll see how Hai's doing first. I bet he misses you like nothing else. I know I would!" From the penthouse, Mayuree watched Jun's Jeep enter the main boulevard; she followed Gwen with her eyes until she disappeared in a forest of sedans, trucks and rickshaws. She held her inscribed augury implements in her hands—two lengths of dragon teeth from her homeland. When she had attempted to roll the bones, her decahedron Theravāda Mandala had steadfastly refused any foretelling of the future, expelling the bones. When she changed to a less potent octogramic Mandala, the mulberry fibre upon which the Divination glyphs were inscribed began to smoke. When her next attempt caught fire, Mayuree knew better than to tempt fate. Such things were beyond her ken; any more prying would invite calamity.

Gwen was familiar with the scenery on the Second and Third Orbital Highway. As the city centre shrunk into the distance, giant billboards empowered with Illusion gave way to humbler ones, just as commercials transformed into state propaganda. Curiously, one could almost estimate the distance from Shanghai proper by the phrasing of the long red banners spanning the six-lane girth of the Fourth Orbital. _"Happy Community - CCP and You - Hand in Hand."_ _"Joy in Labour - Prosperity in Harmony."_ _"Hard Work - Happiness - Peace - Socialism."_ There was a poetic simplicity in the increasingly stupefying slogan. Gwen reckoned that given the number of times she had been distracted enough to read the damn things, she was already subconsciously subscribed. "Four hours to Hangzhou," Jun stated cooly. She could see from the ease and pleasure on his face that her uncle loved driving. She loved a long drive. There was freedom in the distance, open skies, the road moving under one's feet, the trees whizzing by, the cattle lowing on the hill. There were no cows here in China. The countryside was entirely utilised for the growing of grain. In front of the duo spread an endless green, yellow and brown vista, which Gwen assumed was a crop rotation. "Jiangnan is the rice bowl of Shanghai." Her uncle caught her staring glassily at the emerald expanse. "Biggest aquaculture region in the world. Shanghai eats surprisingly little of it. Most of the grain is exported to Frontier cities." "The Frontier can't hold its own?" Jun chuckled. "Expecting NoMs to defend their farms against Riven Merfolk, Jueyuan and Goblinoids, do you? Take up pitchforks and carry large sticks? Even armed and trained NoM Militias have to be supported by Mages." Her uncle had a point, but still, Gwen gazed toward the fields sullenly. Was the Frontier useful only as cannon fodder and resource collection? There are fifty million souls spread across the outer reaches of Shanghai! They travelled without speaking for a short while, the stuttering breeze prolonging the contemplative silence. Despite the cooling glyphs blowing cold air, Jun's topless Jeep meant the dark interior leather heated considerably. Gwen's Boots of Flying became increasingly stifling until she felt her skin slipping against the suede lining. Finally, she unlaced and let her skin breathe. "Those are meant for flying, not fashion. Just take 'em off if you have to." Her uncle's expression was unreadable behind his sunglasses. Gwen pushed the seat back and wiggled free of her boots. Instantly, she felt cooler. "Sunblock." Her uncle tossed over a tube. "We're outside the city. There's no mana miasma; you'll get burned." Gwen gingerly applied the ointment with her fingers while Jun continued to speak. With her Druidic Essence, it was unlikely. As an Aussie, however, she knew the sun's torturous abuse all too well. "We're going to see some very interesting things on our trip," Jun continued. "Here's our projected itinerary. We're going to see your father in Hangzhou first. He's working with the local militia, helping clear the land for more aquaculture." "Then, we're going to detour toward the Anhui Frontier. We'll meet the garrison stationed there, then leave for the Huangshan region controlled by the Yinglong on foot." "Once we're away, we will be cut off from the cities—no Message spells, not even with Long-Range Devices. Don't worry; your Contingency Ring should still function without fail. It's keyed to the Tower's beacons via a whole other system." "You knew about my ring?" Gwen glanced toward the nondescript iron band on her finger. "Of course, you think the Pudong Tower will let you out just like that?" Jun chuckled. "If myself, mother, and grandfather had not vouched for you on the PLA front as well, the authorities would have never agreed with Pudong to let you out of the city." "Grandfather?" Gwen paused in her application of sunscreen and looked toward Jun. "Yes. Your _grandfather_ —I know you guys are not fond of each other. But dad is not an entirely disagreeable man," Jun explained. "He's a conservative. Being risk-averse comes with the job and the title. Subtle and steady are the watchwords of the MSS. You; are anything but subtle." "He's also suspicious and paranoid," Gwen added reflexively. "Well, I can't argue with that." Jun shrugged his shoulders. "There's a reason why the Ministry and my branch, Internal Security, tend to be iron-handed. Maybe one day you'll see. People are not _nice_ in general, Gwen." "I'll see?" "Sure, it'll be a lesson. The word from Professor Ma is that you're hoping for a demesne of your own?" "I am?" Gwen ran her palm down to her ankles, then up again, lathering the cream. She was reminded of the academic essay she had written for Ma. On paper, she appeared to have 'big' ideas. "I suppose—WHOA, what is that!" Gwen became distracted by an enormous buffalo, or at least what she thought was a water buffalo. It was well over three meters tall by her reckoning, almost six meters from head to tail. A boy was steering it through a length of rope tied to a nose ring. Jun ignored her outburst. "You ever read Mozi's Analects of 'Fa'?" Jun asked after the buffalo disappeared in the distance. Gwen had heard of the name, though she couldn't say if she knew or understood the Mohist school of philosophy. Asian Studies was an elective, after all, one that was worth only three out of six credit potential points. "He's the pioneer of Chinese Legalism, isn't he?" "I guess these days we would call him a Magi, but yes, he was the Sage King of Xia's advisor, a Mage-Scholar. He spent his entire life fighting the rise of Confucian philosophy, but his works were burned when the Qin Dynasty collapsed. I guess we're lucky that some of his compositions survived. Rather than obedience, he believed that human society should emphasise self-restraint, self-reflection and authenticity. He advocated 'Ai'—universal love, as early as 420 BC, long before the west came up with any concept on democracy or human rights." "What happened to him?" "The Confucian Sage-Kings had him tied to a brass pole, then stacked it with coals." "Alright." Gwen felt her skin writhe. "Do you want to help the NoMs, Gwen? Improve their lot?" "I do," she replied without much thought. "At least I can do better than people like Choi." Jun glanced at her, then snorted. A derisive chuckle escaped his lips. "I am serious!" Gwen shot back cattily, her hazel eyes full of challenge. "Back to what we were talking about before." Jun kept his eyes on the road. "Here's a question for our future Secretariat Song. Mozi argued that the natural state of man is one of "Lī", rationality or propriety. His student, Hanfei, famously appropriated his master's teachings to mean that all men were beings of 'Lì', meaning profit or self-gain. What do you believe, Gwen?" Gwen thought of Niccolò Machiavelli, wondering if this world had a 'Magister' from the 15th century who tried to suck up to Lorenzo Medici. Machiavelli wrote that goodness in man never existed, that in politics, as in life, it was every man for himself. Powerful men desired to be loved alone, without loving back. "I suppose it's easier to say people are greedy," she replied. "There's altruism, right?" "Of course," Jun replied. "Though altruism is a luxury for those with power and excess. I think the Demi-humans are much more honest than us in this regard." "Demi-humans, Uncle?" "You'll see," Jun again responded mysteriously. "You'll come away from this trip with more than just a Lightning Spirit, I hope." "In that case, I'll keep my eyes peeled," Gwen promised, wondering what her uncle had in store. She was confident that Jun wouldn't drop her into a pit of snakes to teach her that "not all snakes are poisonous," unlike Gunther. As the distance wore on, Gwen's thoughts turned to that of Hai, her father. _What was he doing now? Was he safe?_ The last time she'd spoken to Morye—AKA—Hai, he had appeared almost ragged with tiredness. _What could the man be doing now?_ The aquaculture landscape eventually ended after what seemed like hours, with the sighting of mountainous buffalos becoming more frequent as the road tapered. From the twelve-lane two-way freeway, the road narrowed into a four-lane rural strip. When they reached their final checkpoint, a troop of PLA guards examined Jun's papers regarding Gwen with interest. Soon after, their destination loomed. Hangzhou, a Frontier city of the Jiangnan geo-block, was a satellite region attached to Shanghai. Together with Anhui, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, the three Frontier regions formed the Green Zone immediately south of the Yangtze River, creating a fertile delta known widely as the 'rice bowl' of China. The region had been occupied by humans since antiquity, having remained in Human possession for over four millennia. During the Han Dynasty, it famously formed the nation of Wu during the Three Kingdoms. In the 1204 AD Mongolian invasion, it was the last part of China to fall to the Demi-human Incursion from the Northern Steppes. Later, the Ming Dynasty had Nanjing as its temporary capital. Three centuries later, the Qing Dynasty sacked the region when it came into power. Despite its historical turmoil, the temperate climate, the scarcity of Demi-humans, the lack of predatory Magical Monsters and a wealth of ley-lines made the region quintessential to Shanghai's continued prosperity. After the Cultural Revolution, the region expanded. When the bureaucrat-leader Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of the CCP after the death of its founder Magi, Mao, opened the country to the international Tower system, the regions blossomed. At the southwestern extremity of Jiangnan was the Anhui Frontier. Anhui, including the 'Yellow Mountain' of Huangshan, was the borderline to China's southern Black Zone. Arguably, the apathy of the mountain's Yinglong made it closer to a Purple Zone—an area with intelligent creatures who saw humans as a food source. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Before one reached Anhui, three human cities made up Shanghai's Western Frontier. Wuxi to the northwest, Suzhou to the west, and Hangzhou to the southwest. Wuxi, known for its beautiful Taihu north, sat beside an Orange Zone—a zone suitable for human occupation but prone to the formation and habitation of intelligent Magical Creatures and Demi-humans who saw humanity as competitors but not a food source. South of Wuxi was Suzhou and then Hangzhou. Most famously, it was Hangzhou and Suzhou which gave birth to the aphorism, "where there is heaven above, there is Su-Hang below." Next door, Hangzhou was an ancient and cultured city famous for producing poets and ancient Kenshi. To Gwen's surprise, her uncle began to hum a short poem as they passed by a picturesque estuary upon which a pagoda temple was attached. _"The river flows beneath a stone bridge-_ _One listens to the pattering rain,_ _Dreaming of soft willows."_ Her Ioun Stone took its best shot to translate her uncle's romanticism. According to Jun, verbosity was the common disease of all those who came to the land of silk and willows. The northern Emperors often said that the Jiangnan was a womb whose tepid weather, flowing streams, and pale women milled away the ambition of northern kings. From their vantage point, the city of Hangzhou stood tall and gleaming in the distance, mirage-like in the haze of the Jiangnan summer. A few minutes later, their Jeep pulled into what Gwen could only describe as an idyllic landscape painting produced in the late Song Dynasty. Compared to the ancient and venerable architecture of the siheyuan, the concrete parking bay outside the riverside garden home was jarring to the extreme. "We're here." Jun popped the locks and invited Gwen to disembark. "We're where?" Gwen put on a pair of runners, stretching her languished body. "Your father's temporary abode, so I am told." Jun's expression was one of surprise and delight as well. His eyes scanned the whitewashed walls of the siheyuan, marvelling at the ancient lichen-covered terracotta. The door was deeply set into the covered porch, the eaves opulently inscribed with weather-beaten lacquer. "Mao, this place is as incredible as I recall." "Have you been here before?" "I have. Once, a long time ago. We were both fresh out of military school. The house belonged to the local Magistrate back then. Oh, he's probably the District Official now." Jun approached the door, lifted the brass knocker, and tapped it several times. Gwen, meanwhile, inspected the Chinese watercress and lotuses growing in the moat surrounding the impressive facade of the homestead. There was always something soothing and wonderful about the lotus flower that soothed the viewer's mind with its gentle arrangement of pastel carmine. The door opened a sliver. "Young Master Song," an elderly Chinese man greeted them. "Please, the side door. We are expecting you." _The servant's entrance?_ Gwen had at first believed themselves victims of a conspiracy. However, when they reached the side, she could see that it was a modern door with a mechanical lock. From its well-worn step, she deduced that this was more likely the 'usual' entrance used by the venerable home's residents. Inside was a small rock garden which led to a gallery, where the duo was politely asked to switch to inside shoes. The old butler patiently waited on them, neither introducing himself nor greeting them formally. "This way." Inside, the quadrangle garden terrace was exquisite, with an eye-straining volume of detail painted into the alfresco murals of cranes in flight. The compound was likewise enormous; the corridors endlessly extensive, while the galleries and gangways looped through river-stone outcroppings and slow-moving pools of bean-green water spotted with lotuses. When Gwen came to a ledge, she saw a school of florid koi lazily combing the surface for fallen seeds and insects. When they finally came to a central pavilion circled on all sides with water, she caught sight of two figures lounging on cushioned benches. There was a stained mahogany coffee table by the wayside, upon which a pot brewed gently. An assortment of fruits and flowers had been laid on the low table; silk shawls filtered the harsh sunlight. The scenery was exotic beyond measure, a silk-screen painting where life imitated art. All that was missing was the gentle plucking of a guzheng. "Beautiful," Gwen muttered. "What're we here to see?" "Hai…" Jun paused beside Gwen. There was a sharp intake of breath. "BROTHER! _Great Leader's Ghost! W_ hat are you doing?" Gwen caught herself mid-stride. Uncle Jun couldn't use Mao's name in vain without meaningful agitation. Jun swore again before he began moving. As they came closer, Gwen saw what Jun had seen. "Fuck a duck!" Gwen swore under her breath. Following Jun's cue, her mouth felt suddenly full of ash. "Jesus, Dad, you gotta be shitting me." She wasn't sure if her uncle understood the slang, but the sentiment was conveyed. Morye, AKA Hai Song, the No.1 son of the House of Song, lounged in the lulling arms of a woman who may as well be liquid. Hai looked far better than when she had seen him at the last family dinner before University began. His complexion, which had been peeling and cracked, had by now been restored. He was topless but for a robe which hung from his shoulders. When her eyes dared drop lower, she thanked the Gods that her father had pants on, though the glimmering silk left nothing to the imagination. Gwen resisted the urge to stab her eyes with two chopsticks so that she could pull them from her bloody sockets and feed them to the koi. She shifted her attention to the woman. A young woman. The most salient part of her was her pale-petal lips set upon her flawlessly white face. Next were her eyes, two long slits tipped with wings that made them seem overlarge and juvenile, a style preferred by women of the region. She was feminine beyond measure, radiating an air of motherliness, her body as soft as a swaying willow. Her heart-aching face sat atop an elegantly arched neck, below which two narrow collarbones met in harmonious alabaster. Her arms enveloped Hai in a secure embrace, wrapping around his face and neck. Her father's head rested on the snowy globes of her breasts, which were doubly superior to Gwen's endowments. Beneath a Mandarin mermaid dress, a pair of white feet with red nails playfully hung over the gold-trimmed lip of the embroiled cushions. Hai slowly took notice of his brother and his daughter. " _Gwen!_ " Hai shot up as though someone had jammed a wand up his bung-hole. "Aya—" The woman lost her balance; her father instantly turned and caught his lover by the waist, helping her to stand. When they both recovered, Hai's face was scored by rouge. Besides him, the woman's white face was petal-pink. "S-sorry!" Her voice was both soft and demure. "Hai said you wouldn't be here until the evening!" The servant who had brought them abruptly turned and left, shooting Hai a disgusted glance. "Hai, what in the world?" Jun's voice sounded just like their father's. He faced the girl. "Qin, is that you? Xiao-Qin right? Qin Liu?" "I… I am," the woman became flustered. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Second-Brother Jun." "Hi, I am Gwen." Gwen extended a hand. "Gwen Song." "Hello, I am Qin Liu," the girl reached out uncertainly, then shook Gwen's fingers. _Gods!_ Gwen's fingertips touched Qin's flawless hand. The woman's hands felt boneless and tiny; she was as tender as a ripe peach! Hai coughed. "Yes, very good." He regarded Gwen distractedly. "This is Gwen, my daughter." Jun still appeared to be in shock. "Little-Qin? _Qinnie_? How did you find Hai? I thought it was a coincidence when he told me to come here. Hai, shouldn't you be at the base? _Why aren't you at the base?!_ " "Well, Qin's father's the District Secretary now, so…" Hai smiled innocently. "Father is NOT going to be pleased, Brother," Jun warned him. "Oh, he'll have his plate full." Hai's laughter had a touch of insanity to it. "Why?" Jun became immediately suspicious. "What did you do?" Qin's face looked as though she had become intoxicated. Uncle and niece shifted their gaze from Qin to Hai, then back again. Gwen wondered if the School of Divination had a Meister Murphy who laid down some laws. "Can we speak in private?" Hai motioned with his hand toward a farther pavilion. "I am sorry, Qinnie." To maintain amiability, Jun switched over what Gwen assumed to be a pet name. "Can you give us a minute?" The girl nodded. She had been fascinated by the sandstone floor the whole while. The two men walked a few corridors away, then began an animated conversation, with Jun striking his temples and gesticulating as Hai shrugged and chuckled. The reaction seemed to set Jun off into a wilder display of despair. Gwen rigidly turned to her father's new lover. "So er…" Gwen tried to think of something to say. In the past, she had always ignored her father's girlfriends. She didn't mind playing the cold, bitchy daughter; it wasn't as though he kept the same woman for a few months. "How long have you guys been together?" "About three months." Qin's lips barely moved. Gwen nodded in what she hoped was a friendly manner. She inspected her father and uncle in the distance, then caught Qin studying her face. "You're very beautiful," Qin observed—her voice strangely sour. "Your mother must be very beautiful too." Gwen wondered if there was a correct response here. Thinking of her absent mother and her father's feeling, she chose diplomacy. "You're a sight to behold yourself," she returned the compliment. Then, with a measured tone devoid of criticism, she asked the most pivotal question on her mind. "How old are you? You don't look a day over twenty!" The compliment appeared to have pleased her father's latest squeeze. "I am thirty-two!" Qin intoned proudly. Gwen breathed out a sigh of tremendous relief. She felt more cathartic than when Choi had finally breathed his last. _Thank fuck!_ She cried internally. Thank the Gods that her father wasn't a total cradle raider. "You're a _Healer_?" Coming closer, Gwen sensed a familiar aura of gentle vitality, not too dissimilar from Elvia's, though far less intense because Qin was more sensual than adorable. "Yes, I am a Cleric." Qin nodded, allowing a lock of hair to fall over her face. "I was assigned to work with Hai at first, and things happened." _I bet they did._ Gwen thought numbly. "So, are the two of you going out?" Gwen decided to do her mother a solid and gather some data. When she'd last heard, Helena had been doing well with her Fabricator husband, who had taken up a new position thanks to some new contracts their house had established with the House of M. "Oh no, we're not going out." Qin shook her head vigorously. A casual fling? "YOU WHAT!" Jun's voice could be heard from far away. "YOU IDIOT! You're insane!" Gwen turned to Qin, who responded by placing a hand on her abdomen matronly. White noise filled Gwen's mind. _NO! NO! NO! NO! SHIT-SHIT-SHIT!_ Number THREE? After Percy, they're going to have a sibling? "Yes. We're engaged!" Qin reached out and pulled Gwen closer so that her hands were held captive. " _We're going to have a baby!_ " There was a ring on the woman's ring finger, a simple metal band. Gwen felt too tired even to swear internally. "Oh, Gwen!" Qin pulled herself from Gwen, then took up her hands and held them close to her lips to be kissed. Her eyes were feverish like those of a woman who'd been praying for salvation all her life; then, one day, God answered. "Yes?" Gwen gave her the most capable smile she could muster, hoping it didn't look too forceful. "Gwen!" Qin said seriously, her eyes glassy and happy. "You may call me Mother, but I would prefer Sister..." Gwen embraced the woman just so that she could avoid her gaze. Her fucking eyes! The woman was an intensity and a half! Why, oh, why did her father have to stick his dick in crazy? Was it for the thrill? Why was his pullout game so weak? Why was someone with an astronomical Salt Affinity so goddamned fertile? How was that fair to uncle Jun? She turned her head to regard her father with wilting despair. Besides Hai, Jun was oscillating with impotent anger from head to toe. Her father winked at Gwen happily. "I told you, Gwen's fine. Just look at her!" Hai boasted to his brother. "You think I'd fall for some hellcat like Helena again? Ha! Not on your life, brother!" I should set Caliban on him. Gwen thought seriously. Wen would love it if she returned with new data. Her father was tier 6 Transmutation. Maybe she could hit tier 3 in one fell swoop?

Qin 'Qinnie' Liu settled her step-daughter and brother-in-law into the guests' suite while she and Hai returned to the bedroom to get changed. As much as their Emperor Moth silk robes suited the decor, parading around in bedroom garbs was hardly going to make an impression on their eldest daughter. _There was a son as well, wasn't there?_ Qin wasn't fussed. According to Hai, the mother was a Frontier woman, some local labourer's daughter. When Hai had been banished to the Frontier, he must have been heartbroken and weak-willed. That was why a man as great as he picked a low-hanging fruit. Her father, the District Secretary, would soon be home for dinner. Her old man had been in a good mood as soon as he heard that the Ash Bringer himself was going to visit their humble, millennia-old abode, though he was less than thrilled to hear that Qin's groom had invited his daughter. "I'll be next door." Hai kissed her expertly, sliding a hand onto her waist as their lips met for the third time. Her lover's kiss felt like hot brands, causing Qin's heart to quicken. Her body turned liquid. She guessed they were both feeling it. "Not here!" Qin chided the man of her dreams. "The servants will talk." "Let them talk!" Hai laughed. She loved that about Hai; he was so confident all the time. For now, the two of them had to live in different rooms. Qin's father would not have the two of them under one roof until they were married. She was sure that her father knew that Hai had taken her weeks ago when they were together on an outing to the waters of Taihu, then again and again when he had been away. The servants gossipped like anything. When Hai becomes the young master, he has to exert some discipline. Happily, her father had pretended not to know. His "Mienzi", his _face_ , wouldn't be able to take it. Parting from Hai, she opened the door to her room. One of the problems of living in a venerable siheyuan was that any modern decor ruined the atmosphere. The open roof was chalked matt-black, offset by the wine-red lacquer of the beams. The windows were glass, though a subtle Illusion kept the facade faithful to its original paper-screen aesthetic. Qin's bedroom was spartan by twenty-first-century standards, consisting of several chests and cupboards, a double bed, and an area where she could sit and sip tea. Beside the window, she could engage in reading or meditation while listening to the sound of flowing water. There was another room a short way to the side, an old storage section; it was there that Qin now went. The alcove wasn't a secret, though Hai hadn't seen it yet. She wanted to keep it a surprise for their wedding night. Several semi-permanent Dancing Lights lit the small shrine she had built within its alcove. A leather-bound book full of newspaper clippings from two decades ago was atop a table with several blocks of pinkish salt. In the middle of the room was a life-sized wall-scroll silk painting. It depicted a young man, handsome and chiselled, encased in a pinkish layer of crystalline armour that resembled articulated plate mail. The young man within the image was smiling gently, his eyes dark and gleaming, full of confidence and intelligence. It was here that Qin felt at peace. Here, she could calm her mind and dispel the dread of finally meeting Hai's daughter. She had no idea if Hai's eldest child was willing to see her as a mother. She knew that Gwen was particularly striking and uniquely talented. A threat. Her hand fell to her abdomen. She was with Hai's child. As the Head Physician of the Anhui regional hospital, she knew every inch of her body, inside and out. Life was engendered within, a life that belonged to her and the man she loved. After all these years of waiting, hoping, despair and then desire, she would give birth to a child. Her father would have an heir. The Clan of Liu, the First of those who called Jiangnan their home, would have an heir! Gwen and Jun sat stunned in the guest room, sipping tea and staring blankly over the vista of the artificial lake. A pair of swallows alighted on the eaves; they regarded the two humans sullenly basking below it, then flew away amidst a bell beat of wings. "I still can't believe it," Gwen said at last. "Why are we here again?" "Your father said he wanted to surprise you," Jun replied miserably. "Maybe we should have gone straight to Huangshan." "Bloody oath, we should have." Gwen sighed. Jun patted his jacket for a cigarette, tried his Storage Ring, and then remembered he'd promised his mother. "Who the hell is this woman?" Gwen asked. "Qin is..." Jun's expression looked like he was trying to grasp some distant memory. "... a childhood associate. We were both in our late teens when our father spent a summer working with hers. We would have met no more than once or twice. I wonder why she's so obsessed with Hai. A childish infatuation? I seem to recall Qin's mother died when she was very young." A psychological complex? Hai just happened to scratch an itch? Gwen was herself no stranger to mental complexes. The human psyche remained infinitely obscure and mysterious. Humanity could collide atoms at sub-light speeds to create new matter, but they struggled to fathom the depth of human insecurities. The two sighed together, the tranquil view of heavenly Jiangnan mocking their unsettled hearts. "Sorry," Gwen said. "We're both sorry." "I feel sorry for Babulya." "Have you ever seen mother angry, Gwen?" Jun asked. "You will." The two sipped the high-grade Tisane provided by their new in-laws. A jade dragonfly alighted on a lotus. Golden Cicadas heralded the stifling summer. The dinner banquet was fit for twelve, though the table only sat five: Gwen, Jun, Hai, Qin and her father, plus dozens of attendants. The District Secretary of Hangzhou was no paper tiger like Secretariat Choi. He was the bona fide number one Chair in the region, a "Central Office" man directly overseeing the region's administration. As Hangzhou was one of the most central rice bowl regions of the entire Chinese food economy, his position as acting official between the CCP governing branch and the local Frontier's provincial government made him supremely influential on both ends. "How fares Guo? I heard your father had dislodged a few notable names from the ranks in recent weeks," Sumei Liu, Gwen's new grandfather-in-law, was putting on a friendly face for his guests. There was no doubt what they were here to discuss. The man sounded out Jun, who was Guo's most regarded progeny. What Sumei and her uncle were doing was an etiquette Gwen internally entitled _the waltz of words_ , a ritualistic social decorum the big-wigs in the CCP had mastered. It was the ability to say and demand something without ever saying anything. "He's very pleased with the MSS's recent progress," Jun replied carefully. "You've heard about the incident regarding the late Secretariat Choi, yes?" "Oh yes, public disbarment," Patriarch Liu raised an eyebrow. "Messy business, that one, who'd have thought the man was so depraved? We went to the same academy, you know. He had always been the quiet one. You know what they say. Watch out for the quiet ones. The dog that bites doesn't bark." "It's over. Thanks to that," Jun remarked offhandedly. "Father's schedule's open. I kept telling him to take a break. The family could revisit Jiangnan. It'll do him and mother good. You know how she loves the region." "It's a beautiful season, a bit hot. Still, the flowers are out; plenty of fresh produce to sample. Does your family have a place to stay? I have an abundance of room here." "Hangzhou's fine. He'll be eager to see an old friend, I am sure. Mother misses Hai as well." Gwen listened to the conversation, mesmerised by the subtlety of it all. "So, you're Hai's daughter." Unexpectedly, the conversation had shifted to her without warning. She had no idea what had passed between the two men, but it felt as though an agreement had been engendered. "Uncle." Gwen inclined her head respectfully. "You're a lucky man, Hai. I am sure your daughter will marry well, " Sumei said offhandedly. Hai had been playing footsies under the table with Qin and was caught off guard. Sumei's expression darkened. Taking the razor-filled compliment, Gwen shot her father a glance of irritation. The least he could do was stomach a few razors for her. "How old are you, Gwen?" "Seventeen, Sir." "Almost a fully grown woman! Have you any request for your hand?" "No, Sir." Gwen felt ire colouring her cheeks. _What kind of small talk was this?_ Was the man hoping that she could be fucked off somewhere so that they wouldn't have to take care of an unmarried daughter? She wondered if insulting the Sumei would dent her father's new marriage prospects, but the thought of the innocent child in Qin's belly doused her fury. The flush of her cheeks, however, betrayed her intentions. "We're on our way to training, Secretary Liu," Jun interjected. "Gwen is a very talented sorceress; the Tower expects good things from her in the future." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Gwen noted that Jun had failed to mention which Tower. "Oh, are you a Salt Mage as well, Gwen?" Sumei seemed surprised that a Gweilo girl had inherited the Song family trait. "Your grandfather must be very proud." "I am…" Gwen glanced at her uncle. Jun dipped his head. "I am a Void Mage, Sir…" Sumei Liu looked toward Jun. The Ash Bringer nodded. "…and Lightning." Sumei's superior expression grew as rigid as Taihu's famous caesar stones. Beside Hai, Qin's countenance likewise blanched. Had her father said nothing? It was very "Hai" to omit important information just for shits and giggles. "A once-in-a-century talent," Sumei's tone grew unhappy. "Hai, explain yourself." Hai looked as though raked over by hot coals. "Gwen is a special girl," he replied carefully. "Her abilities are… a product of chance." "Absurd!" The Patriarch was now very unhappy. "He's telling the truth." Jun came to his brother's rescue despite his clear annoyance and misgivings toward Hai. "Helena comes from an Enchanter family, but she's a Fire Evoker. She's remarried now too. Who knows, she might even have more children." That much was true. Gwen had not contacted her mother since the gift of the Vitae Fruit. Assuming it made her a decade younger, it wasn't impossible that Gwen might be looking at a pair of half-siblings by next year. Qin collapsed against Hai's arms. Gwen felt a sudden sympathy for her mother, who was now a mere conversation piece. "Fine." Sumei sipped his rice wine. He had ordered a three-decade-old bottle of Maotai opened for the occasion. Gwen tried a sip; the spirit almost gave her a coughing fit. When she managed to swallow the crystal-clear liquid, it was the smoothest thimble of fire she had ever consumed. "So, Qin, how did you and father meet?" "It's Qīn," Qīn's father corrected her pronunciation. "Like the guzheng harp. Though I guess you would have to call her _mother_ in the future." Gwen's expression was unreadable, her facial muscles channelling Guo's impassivity. Perhaps as a show of future amiability or possibly deliverance from a former wife's shadow, Qīn persisted in providing Gwen with the proper context for her rediscovery of her father. "Our fathers' are acquainted with one another," Jun was the one who chimed in, thawing the glacial atmosphere. "We trained near Fuyang when it was still an Orange Zone. It was 83', I think. We were both stationed at the Huangshan outpost." "Yes, I remember it fondly." Sumei's face grew softer with the remembrance. "The two of you were busy making a name for yourself. The Song boys, rising stars of the PLA." "I was just a little girl then." Qīn's milky complexion grew warmer, her eyes dark and liquid. "We were on a boating trip through Taihu. Some Riven Merfolk had slipped through the Barrier Shields. Our boat was attacked. At first, we were okay; our teacher did her best to fend them off. Then one of the Merfolk scuttled our ferry." It was with great fortune then that Hai, Jun, and a troop of fresh Cadets were on border patrol. The girl's instructor had sent out an SOS, and they had been the first to respond. "Hai was incredible. He came down from the heavens just like that and turned the water's surface into sheets of solid pink salt. Hai looked so amazing in his crystal armour, just like a Tian-Jiang! We all thought a land deity had answered our calls for help!" Qīn's impassioned articulation made Gwen think of evangelicals selling their saviour. She'd seen the same enthusiasm before, especially during product seminars for new iPhones. Jun shifted toward Gwen, then leaned in until his lips were an inch from her lobes. "While the others and I were busy fighting the Merfolk. Hai went to save them of his own volition. Our protocol states that saving civilians is secondary to the extermination of intruders. Honestly, I think the girls would have been fine. Their teacher was a Water Mage. That would have been a spectacle if someone drowned under her watch." "Was the teacher…" "Yeah, she was a real beauty." "Did father…" "… for sure. Brother was bow-legged when he returned after curfew. Received a week's confinement for his dereliction." Gwen's head felt groggy as she returned to Qīn's "Astounding Tale". _Fucking Morye Song_ , she grumbled internally. _Goats and Monkeys!_ "I couldn't forget him, the man who saved my life!" Qīn continued. Qīn's father's eyes glazed over. He had heard the story a thousand times. "I was heartbroken when I heard Hai passed away on the Front, so I vowed never to marry! In my heart, I already belonged to Hai Song!" Gwen felt a pricking of her thumbs. _Something evil this way comes._ "So imagine my delight and surprise when I went to work at the Hangzhou Military Hospital. Guess who I saw?!" "My father?" Gwen answered the rhetorical question politely, feigning interest. "Yes! HAI! Oh, Mao! I was so happy I burst into tears right there in the hospital. To think he was alive! Thank the ancestors! They must be looking down on us from the heavenly court!" "Or turning in their graves," Sumei muttered unpleasantly. "At this rate, we'll be accused of Necromancy." Qīn appeared not to notice her father's foul mood. She continued the tale with her bird-song voice, trilling against the taut tension in the room. By her account, Gwen's father didn't know who she was at first but wasn't opposed to giving her a chance. Qīn had thus gotten to enact her childhood dreams from ground zero. "… that was when he professed his love! It was very romantic, so Western! We were in the middle of the lake, where he saved me! How fortunate was that?! It was fate, I tell you. I broke down and wept like a child." True to her words, Qīn broke down and began to weep like a child. Gwen and Jun sat like dumb statues, joined by Qīn's father. Hai laughed happily, hugging Qīn to his chest. Sumei looked as though someone had stabbed him in the liver, then spat in his face. "Try the fish," Qīn's father said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "It's a speciality here. The Vinegar Sturgeon of the West Lake has the most tender flesh of any fish in China." The ingredients in their banquet were indeed something else. Au naturale and entirely different from the semi-processed food in the city, each bite seemed to contain some form of elemental mana or subtle vitality within the flesh. Dinner concluded with Swallow's Nest in Wildland Osmanthus and Heart of Pear, a dessert and a palate cleanser. Sumei insisted that Gwen and Jun should sleep over in the guest rooms, but the pair had already booked a hotel room in Hangzhou. At any rate, they were both in silent agreement that the sight of Hai and Qīn hot in the heat of their steamy passion was too much for their mental health. "Alright, but you're welcome to stay anytime." Sumei materialised a glyphed plaque, then handed it to Jun. "My authorisation for entering the Purple Zone. Ensure it is confirmed by the Commander there when you reach Anhui." "Thank you, Sir. I appreciate the trouble." "It's no trouble." Sumei regarded Jun thoughtfully. "We will be troubling you. I think. When do you expect to be back?" "A month at most, Sir." "I see." Sumei sipped his tea thoughtfully. "Qīn needs to be accounted before… things begin to show." Qīn hid her face against Hai's chest. "I will speak to mother tonight. I expect you will get a call from father tomorrow." "Good." Secretary Liu's bearing alternated between that of a father and a District Official of the highest order. "Our houses joined, will become greater than either. There will be great things for this child. Your father has no heir nominated, yes? Our union will be a good thing for all of us. For both of our Houses." Gwen kept her mouth shut. Jun's face was unreadable as the two men shook. Gwen shifted her eyes with great deliberation toward Hai, who saw nothing. He was busy sweet-talking his new bride, making her giggle and laugh, the picture of a perfect fiancé. Hangzhou CBD was an hour away from Patriarch Liu's lakeside estate. The city's centre had re-developed much of the surrounding landscape, keeping many of its old dynastic facades. Rather than neat rows of street lights, the city's suburban sprawl floated on dark water, lit by Dancing Lanterns, forming a mirage-like reverie of floating reflections. Hangzhou's reputation as the city of _lakes and fishes_ was a misnomer; the CBD was instead built on a network of estuaries. It was famous for its canals, not large masses of water. Conversely, the inland penetration of seasonal streams resulted in many pseudo 'lakes' of various sizes, giving the city the illusion of being situated on the water. At ten to ten, uncle and niece arrived at a hotel that was neither lavish nor modest. It was one of the taller establishments in the city, offering a view of the city's north, beyond which one could see a shimmering sheet of light illuminating a massive body of water in the far distance. "Aqua-farming operation." Jun pointed toward Taihu's surface. "Big quasi-magical fishery." "What's the plan from here on out?" Gwen spread her toes, allowing the cold air to infuse her moisture-drenched skin. She had sweated non-stop the entire drive from the Liu Estate. Jun looked already exhausted. "Originally, I was going to request Hai to join us in the city. We can try out local delicacies, tour the lake for a day, and then visit the Administration Office. We were then going to see Secretary Liu." Jun pulled up a cantilever chair and fell into it heavily. "Now, I propose we go straight into the mountains." "Sounds good to me," Gwen agreed. "Regarding Dad?" "I'll call mother now. Why don't you get ready for bed? We'll leave at 0600. I'll inform the base we're on the way." "Thanks, Uncle." "Don't mention it." Gwen felt unbound sympathy for her uncle as he hunched over and Messaged Gwen's grandmother. "Wei? Mother? Yeah, it's me, Jun. Can you hear? Okay, yeah… look, er… I met Hai today. We need to talk." Gwen entered the bathroom, turned the lock, and then laid out her pyjamas and intimates. She took a cold shower, the only activity that could provide solace against the clinging humidity, then dried her hair, tying it into a loose ponytail for sleeping. When she emerged in a silk bathrobe and a white face mask, Jun almost spat out the tea he'd made. "Not going to say I've never seen a facial mask before," Jun replied depreciatively. "But that scared the ghost out of me! Did you know the Banshees we get up north sometimes wear the faces of their victims just like that?" _Was her uncle unused to the feminine company?_ Gwen wondered. Surely a hero like him would go through multitudes of girlfriends? Then again, she reminded herself that her uncle was infertile. If one was infertile, did that impact one's libido? If the Ash element's negative drain took away the victim's desires and passions, as it had done to Lulu's Huashan uncle, how did it impact Jun, its wielder? Jun did not appear flustered by her liberties beyond her face mask. "I've spoken to mother. She will sort it out with father." He rested his mug against the glass worktable. "You finished?" "Sure, go ahead." "Great. Lights out at 00:00. Don't wait for me." Gwen slipped into the rough sheets, glad she'd brought her silk robe. She listened distractedly to the sound of the shower next door, thinking of what creatures they would soon encounter. When the opportunity arose, she had asked her Bestiary instructor, Hufei Chen, about the variety of Dragon spawn commonly found within its demesne. "It's easier to go from the top down." Chen had taken her line of questioning as innocent curiosity. After all, dragons were very rare and very interesting and charismatic creatures, especially to the Chinese. "One needs to follow the food chain. We mentioned before that Dragons, intelligent or otherwise, thrive on two core instincts, eating and fucking. A dragon goes to a mountain and takes over one of the peaks. The first thing it will do is kill the alpha Magical Creature there. If it's a buck or a bull, it'll likely kill it. Occasionally, it might fuck it—" "Wait—" Gwen stopped the instructor. "Dragons can be gay?" "What does that matter?" Chen gave her a dirty, disgusted look. "Ignorant child! Dragons are protandrous hermaphrodites. You can't just presume a Dragon's sexuality, Gwen." "… sorry." Gwen waited for the instructor to continue. "As I said, sometimes, when Dragons see a creature they think is useful, they might mate with it. The Kunlun Range, for example, is full of pseudodragons because the original alpha there was an enormous wyvern. There are Draconic thunderbirds too, amongst a dozen other species—the Shenglong ain't fussy." "So anyway, as I was saying. Start from the top. The biggest thing that used to live in those mountains will be the basic template of whatever draconic-alpha you're likely to run across. Then go down the food chain. Rocs and Wyverns tend to feature a lot, after that, downgrade to terrestrial hunters like bears and wolves. It might not sound like much, but when you consider that the draconic blood empowers these spawns to live for up to a millennia, all they do from day to day is eat and fuck, fuck and eat. They're a plague." "I see." Gwen stopped her instructor there. "I get the picture." When Jun emerged from the bathroom in shorts and a tee shirt, he gazed at her paternally, then quietly laid himself on the second single. "Night, Gwen." "Night, Uncle." Jun's right hand moved to encompass the Kirin Stone. After quietly invoking mystical incantations, the man was fast asleep. Gwen closed her eyes. Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

The hotel offered a decent breakfast the next morning at daybreak, consisting of congee and preserved vegetables, after which uncle and niece were on their way. In the Jeep, Jun continued the education of his niece. "Our first stop is the Anhui guard station, after which we're going dark. I've brought a full set of Optic-Camo for you on loan and some survival basics. Hai tells me he brought you a set of self-preserving intimates, yes?" Gwen thought she heard wrong at first; then, she remembered her father's questionable gift. Her friends had roasted her over the incident. "Yes." "Good, I am similarly provisioned. We can't leave behind anything that might attract predators." "Right." Gwen kept her eyes on the road. She still had it in the original box. The freeway from Hangzhou was a narrow and tapered stretch of bitumen in a significant state of disrepair. Gwen was beginning to see why her uncle bought his army Jeep, not some cosy sedan. Even with the lifted suspension, the patches of water and erratic vegetation made for a teeth-chattering experience. "Hangzhou is the last Frontier city of its size this far west from Shanghai," Jun noted Gwen's dismay at the road's growing dilapidation. "This far out, it's not uncommon to see Demi-humans and Magical Creatures. Huangshan would have been perfect for a Barrier, though the PLA never got to penetrate that far. The Yinglong keeps to itself, and we have to respect its boundaries by keeping to ours. A Shielding Station would disrupt that unspoken agreement." "So what happens when Magical Monsters sneak in?" "More like saunter in, right through the glaring gap between Nanking and Hangzhou," Jun chuckled. "We have two battalions stationed in Anhui, including three mid-tier Mage-Flights on rotation tours. If the Yinglong empties the Three Heavenly Peaks one day and comes roaring... well, you were in Sydney, you get the idea." "Would it be better or worse?" "Worse, Hangzhou has no Tower, much less Magus Shultz. That man is a world wonder when it comes to Strategic-Class Artillery," Jun confessed more candidly than Gwen liked to admit. "Assuming the Hangzhou Frontier holds up for twenty-four hours, the PLA or the Pudong Tower could Teleport to its aid. The PLA Tower was built for Mythic-class engagements. Its superstructure can provision up to two thousand active Mages up to the rank of Magi. The Dragon is as good as a pile of priceless ingredients." "You make it sound painless," Gwen regarded her uncle, watching the passing scenery refract from his cool aviators. "Nothing's that easy, of course. Four million NoMs are living in Hangzhou. Maybe half will survive an attack of that scale. As for moving the Superstructure, Hangzhou will semi-permanently entertain the PLA Tower for the next decade." "Would the city ever recover?" "Sure. Two or three decades? It will be shorter if we can migrate citizens over from Shanghai. But you know what won't recover? The Yinglong. It'll be gone for good. Forever. Humanity can finally expand the Anhui Frontier. Terraform it into an Orange Zone. The resources alone are going to keep Shanghai going for a decade." "But that's not going to happen." "Of course. A pyrrhic defence against a Yinglong is a necessary act of survival. Attacking a Yinglong while it's in its lair? I don't think we have enough Mages in Shanghai to invest in a conflict of that magnitude. Assuming we fight all out against the Yinglong and its children, Total War and all that, I'd say we'll be down anywhere between a thousand rank-and-file Mages, a hundred or so Maguses, and at least a few Magisters." "That's-" "Potentially a whole generation wiped out," Jun reiterated the devastation. "Sure, we'll be fine for now. Dead Dragon and all. What about the next calamity? Suddenly, there's a generational gap. Shanghai is missing a hundred Maguses! That means potential Magisters! Maybe a Meister! Then there's the lost potential that at least one-fiftieth of those acolytes would have survived to become something greater. That's why humanity cannot persist in protracted wars. Humanity neither possesses the lifespan nor the personnel. Without the rank-and-file, how do we keep the Demi-humans out?" "Does Hangzhou have a Magical Creature problem? In Australia, they're a constant menace. Most of the military budget is spent on Purging the east coast; that and the Saurian tribes up in Queensland." "It's done seasonally here. We'll be heading through the lowlands, where it's spawning time. As for types, in South-East China, we get all sorts. Mermen from the ocean, Mountain Merfolk from the Changjiang, cannibalistic little River-gobs that swarm; its the diverse geography." "Are the ones here as strong as our Mermen?" "Not inland, and especially not individually. Only the South Pacific can throw up Siege and Titan-class threats. The River-folk are more like vermin, impressive when they reach a critical mass. Habitually, they're the Dragon-kin's primary food—." The Jeep struck a patch of caked mud. Gwen had to hold onto the rails to endure the crumbling, half-solid silt. Her uncle continued unabated, enjoying the rough ride. "—the main problem is how long it takes for them to mature. That's why we have to keep purging the local population. It's endless. How long do you suppose it takes to train a Mage to the right tier of magic?" "Ten Years?" Gwen replied very carefully. "Well, 'twenty' from birth?" "More like thirty, if we're talking about mastery of a single School of Magic. Most Mages are capped around tier 5, give and take. THIRTY YEARS Gwen, to produce a Mage capable of holding their own. There's another caveat; how many of us are Combat Mages?" Gwen shook her head, feeling the moisture of the lowland clings to her hair. A stink of decay in the air hinted at swampland and stagnant water. "Ten to one in tier 1 cities. A little over five to one on the Frontier." "Oh?" "How long do you think it takes to pop out a combat-ready Water Gob?" "Six?" Gwen seemed to recall good sized Barramundi took that long to mature. "Three," Jun remarked. "They're fish. They spawn, meaning broods are usually ten to twenty thousand per; once per annum. At around two years, your average water-imp is fully functional. For a Riven Water-Priest, the rarer variants take longer, just under a decade. They don't have institutional guidance either; Merfolk magic is innate. The egg-heads at the academy think it's an evolutionary trait or some form of endemic memory ingrained in the bloodline." "T-Ten thousand?! How are we not swamped with fish-faced mermen?!" Gwen started alarmingly. She could believe it if it were the ocean, for the Pacific was a big place, far deeper and wider than any terrestrial landscape. "One, we Purge annually. Two, the tribes are cannibalistic. Three, they're food—for Dragon-kin and us. Caught between a rock and a hard place," Jun chuckled. "Remember that 'famous' Vinegar Fish? Now you know why it's so tender." "You mean..." "Well, as I said, it's spawning season." Gwen first felt ill, then she felt guilty, followed by remorse. It was a Man-eat-Fish versus Dragon-eat-Fish in a _"Hey! That's my fish!"_ world. The car rocked again, shaking her from her thoughts. They were entering a sort of lowland floodplain. The road itself was inundated by patches of water left by episodic showers. Just as uncle and niece came to a lull in their conversation, a cacophony of commotion came from beyond the hill. From the sound and the mana signature, it felt like Evocation was being used. "Is there a fight ahead of us?" Gwen asked. "Yeah, sounds like they're in the thick of it, at least one Evoker. Not uncommon along this stretch of the road. The Merfolk need food for their young, and humans are growing copious amounts of food." Jun slowed the Jeep to a halt. The engine plinked beside an algae-covered milestone. "We'll proceed on foot," Jun commanded with casual confidence. "Your call. Show me what you can do." "Yessir!" Gwen deployed her Familiars. "Caliban! Ariel! Invisible Familiar! Invisible Familiar!" Watching the marten and the void-worm fade from sight, her uncle whistled. "That is an evil spell." Jun listened for the sound of Caliban's slithering. "Well, lead the way." The two made it over the crest, gliding above the ground via their flight spells, bypassing the mud and grime. A battleline of human soldiers pushing against a swarm of amphibian frogmen came into view. "URRGH'ug! Kreee!" The most salient spectacle in the chaotic melee below was a frog giant the size of a water buffalo. Conversely, the unfortunate victim of the frogmen's ambush was precisely one buffalo. From the looks of it, the frog things were trying to get away with their loot of flesh when the human patrol caught them red-handed. "A Frogger-alpha," Jun remarked. "Big bastard. The smaller ones are Spawllings." "Really?" Gwen turned to the frogs, pondering how the swarm managed to cross the road, evading the traffic. Three dozen of its spawns accompanied the great brute, tadpole-men covered with mucus armour, carrying bladed reeds on poles that reminded her of a half-pike. To Gwen's astonishment, the Human unit fighting the frog-folk were NoMs backed by two Mages. One of the casters was an Abjurer, while the other Gwen guessed to be an Evoker-Transmuter. NoMs, equipped with armaments! Gwen felt taken back. It was the first time Gwen had seen Chinese NoMs fighting Magical Creatures. The infantry looked to be armed with staves enchanted for elemental damage. With a command, the pole extended and retracted. Whenever the head struck an enemy, the pole weapon sent out a brilliant burst of deadly energy from the business end. "A Frontier Militia, likely from the local agricultural garrison." "No wands?" In Sydney, the Militia all used range weapons. Jun said nothing. Instead, he folded his arms, waiting for her to act. Gwen studied the battle below. The Merfolk were retreating, but neither side had casualties. The sticks wielded by the Militia were having a hard time penetrating the mucus of the amphibian men, while the van-sized frog-giant kept the Merfolk battle line from crumbling by holding off the two Mages. Occasionally, it spat a glob of viscous-white glue, disrupting the battleline. Despite being outnumbered, the Militia was doing well. The Abjurer, in particular, was keeping his men safe with timely Shields. It was ten against thirty, but thanks to what Gwen assumed were buffs from the Transmuter, the NoMs held their positions. "Do they even need my help?" Gwen entreated her uncle. Jun crossed his arms. His expression was unreadable. Gwen turned back to the scene. "Alright then. _Here I go_." This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Shield!" Rurong Peng wondered if his sergeant had a plan other than trying to grind the Merfolk's morale, hoping that the frogmen ran out of stamina before they ran out of mana. The squad was doing well, perhaps better than he had anticipated. When they had arrived and disembarked, no one vomited, and no one complained. The men formed, made two rows, and awaited their buffs. They found the frog-folk raiding party not far from the location described by their first intelligence report. A local farmer had been accosted while taking his buffalo out to forage; he fled, abandoning his charge to inform the garrison of the raiding party. When it was clear to the frogmen that they could not escape from their quarry, they attacked. Li's squad fell into formation with Rurong at its centre and the sergeant himself hovering behind them, forming a V-wedge. With the melee joined, Rurong's work began in earnest. The attacks from the smaller of the Merfolk were not difficult to deflect. It was the big bastard duelling sergeant Li that took out his mana by the increments, pulverising his Shields one by one. His sergeant was doing well, gouging chunks of its Demi-human flesh with fire. As for the NoMs, they performed better than last; prior, half had fled during their first engagement against a Mud Salamander. Sergeant Li flittered backwards, drifting through the air as another globular of glue flew overhead. Rurong altered the projectile's path with a deflection Shield. Still, the viscous liquid adhered to the Earthen crust, remaining in midair until Rurong could be sure no unfortunate NoM was going to get caught below. The extra second was vexatious, Rorong complained, a waste of mana. "Careful," his sergeant advised via Message. Rurong hailed back an affirmative. "Scorching Ray!" Sergeant Li let loose his favourite spell, blasting three beams of fire into the Frog-spawn's hide, turning a chunk of its flesh into char as the surrounding mucus boiled, sending up a great stink smelling of rotten reeds and fish. Before the sergeant could load up another, the giant frog-man reared up on its hindquarters, rising to almost four meters in height. "Cao!" Rurong swore. He had seen the ability before in similar creatures but hadn't accounted for the frog to possess enough of its bile still to execute the AOE. 'GLUUUARRRRGH!' A torrent of sticky liquid poured forth from the frog's lips in a viscus, semi-circle arc. "Shield!" "Earthen Wall!" Rurong was very proud of his simultaneous casting. It was a staple ability of the Abjuration school. The conjured wall caught half of the viscous vomit while his Shield prevented the NoM closest to the strike zone from becoming enmeshed. The same could not be said of Three NoMs further down the battle line. "Curse your ancestors!" Rurong growled. "Sarge!" "Hold it steady!" Sergeant Li shouted back. "Cover me! I'll try to cut them loose." Not even Enhanced Strength was enough to allow the NoMs to escape the suddenly solidifying gloop. Furthermore, a mild acid within the creature's phlegm immediately began its terrible work. "Cao, it burns!" "Don't come! I think it's poisonous!" "Save me! Sarge! Save me! ARRRRRGH!" Rurong felt a cluster of annoyance clench in his chest. The NoMs were drilled not to panic. Mass panic would impact morale and could lead to a rout. Without the platoon holding down the little fuckers, how could he and Li focus on fighting the big bastard? Sensing the Abjurer's preoccupation, the amphibian giant launched an attack, unrolling a corkscrew, arm-thick length of pink flesh from its mouth to snare one of the hapless NoMs. "No! Please help me! I don't want to die!" It was L04, the coward of the bunch, always the first to panic. Rurong swore under his breath; he felt no compulsion to risk his sergeant's safety to preserve the useless meat bag. Even if L04 returned safely, the _Er-bi_ would be whipped within an inch of his life for failing to maintain discipline and endangering the platoon. The Commander had reiterated that it was best for useless conscripts to be weeded out naturally. He had called it Social Darwinism, a term coined by an old English Magi who studied Magical Beasts, theorising that natural selection made Wildland Creatures superior combatants. "Caliban! Onslaught!" "Ariel! Ball Lightning!" A shrill female voice echoed across the clearing. Rurong whipped his head toward the voice's source. He spied two human silhouettes floating above the steep rise. _Mages? Senior ones at that!_ Rurong's heart grew glad. His hypothesis was soon answered by screaming orbs of crackling cobalt striking three frogmen quickly. The self-seeking bolts sizzled the thick mucus on contact, then burst into a hysterical brilliance, resulting in an eruption of flesh, amphibian gore, and snot. The startling ultra-violence forced a pause in the combat, followed by an even lull of silence as an enormously hideous humanoid toad materialised from thin air. _A Gila?_ Rurong had graduated from technical college and thus knew the likeness of Hengsha Dungeon's signature Monster. From the icy prickling of imminent death engendering in his spine, Rurong knew he might be in deep shit. A wave of revulsion and vertigo permeated the battlefield with the Death-Gila at its epicentre. The NoMs fell backwards, a few becoming violently ill; others screamed insensibly; L04 became incontinent. _Shit! Cao!_ Rurong looked toward his sergeant, whose expression was ashen, suggesting he was likewise affected by the Death-Gila's necrotic Aura. The sudden appearance of the three-meter amphibian also smote the Merfolk. The lesser ones fell to the floor and began to thrash and convulse, while the larger ones turned to flee. Their giant leader appeared as though it was facing down a cobra. It halted where it stood, its haunches frozen, too terrified to move. "Sarge! Now's our chance!" "Corporal! Get back! Get everyone back now!" The sergeant's response flipped a switch in Rorong's head. What if these were ROGUE Mages? Rurong's hope grew dire. "Back! F03! S04! Get back! C11, you take point! MOVE YOUR ASSES!" The NoMs, as tradition, were too terrified to obey. “CAONIMA! You bastards want to die! SHABI! MOVE IT!” With Rurong's abuse ringing in their ears, the NoMs came to; the first was F03, then S04. Finally, the others began to mobilise. "FORMATION! FOR MAO'S SAKE! FUCKING SPELL FODDER! STAY IN FORMATION!" _The idiots!_ Rurong growled, wishing he could dispatch one to motivate the others. Supposedly, during Mao's unification campaign, the Commissariat system worked wonders to encourage the NoMs. When a squad failed to exercise order or delayed the speed of a battlefield manoeuvre, the presiding officer could execute the slowest member, thereby saving the rest of the team from annihilation. Heedless of the humans panicking, the Death-Gila began to move. Terrified, the Frogger-alpha spat a globe of sticky residue toward it. What would the Gila do?! Rurong couldn't look away. He had heard that the Death Gila could use Necromantic magic, enfeebling the enemy before tearing it apart. Without even slowing, the Death Gila opened its maw. _A Death Beam?!_ Rurong's heart hammered at his throat. In one swift motion, the Gila caught the spitball in its mouth-pouch, swallowing it wholesale. Rurong vomited a little in his mouth. "Caliban can perform complex actions independent of my commands," Gwen explained carefully to Jun; she had no desire for her uncle to be surprised in their dragon-poaching journey. "It leaps, jumps, uses abilities; Caliban even attacks and retreats via its own volition." "Yet it's not a _Spirit_." Jun tapped his chin. "How curious." Gwen located three more targets; she made the mental image in her mind and then executed the necessary somatic components to activate her newest incantation. "Ball Lightning!" Three orbs flew from Ariel, some hundred-odd meters away, seeking their targets. Ariel itself was busy mauling a frog spawn with gleeful bloodlust. "Why aren't we exterminating them?" She asked. "The Merfolk possess low-cunning," Jun observed Caliban moving in on the adult alpha. "You should leave the small ones to tell the tale. An overwhelming force always discourages the tribe from sending out larger raiding parties. This way, they're encouraged to raid their own." Meanwhile, Caliban's claws dug into the giant Frogger's torso with a terrific force, vivisecting the creature in a horrific onslaught, cutting through its exterior without apparent effort. "Did you figure out how Caliban gathers morphic forms yet?" "No." Gwen shook her head. "I thought it just took whatever it ate at first, but now that I think of it, it probably has something to do with Affinity, preference, or Cores." "Speaking of Cores." Jun took her hand. "Let's test that hypothesis. _Come!_ " One Dimension Door later, the two of them were face to face with the dying Frogger. In its final moments, the Merfolk-alpha recognised the origin of the creature that had been its undoing. Its intelligent eyes bulged with hate and despair just as Caliban raised a bladed appendage and dashed its brains out, forcing a tennis-ball-sized eyeball to pop from its socket. Jun stood casually beside the corpse as its assorted organs failed. The creature was almost three hundred kilograms of flesh and bone, and its amphibian offal died sequentially, gurgling and popping as spleens ruptured and vessels deflated. "Ariel, Caliban!" Gwen retrieved her familiars. Jun dug through the body, kicking it apart with his combat boots. With a triumphant expression, he retrieved a small core the size of a fist with Mage Hand. "Unimpressive, tier 3 at best," remarked the Ash Mage disappointedly upon closer inspection. "Elements' all muddled up too." As uncle and niece picked about the body for potential loot, the Abjurer and Transmuter approached them. By now, it was self-evident that they were on the same side. "Sir!" The Transmuter saluted. "Sergeant Li, Anhui 22nd Militia, may I petition that you identify yourself?" The Abjurer fell into step behind his superior officer. Behind them, the troop of frightened but unharmed NoMs regarded the duo with dreadful expressions, clutching their staves with white-knuckled fear. A few of them were covered in their own sick. One man stayed away from the rest, his pants heavy with toxic cargo. Jun returned a salute. Gwen bowed, then smiled. The men relaxed, then tensed up when they recalled the mountainous carcass was her accomplishment. "Jun Song. Captain. _Internal Security._ " "The Ash Bringer?!" The sergeant raised an eyebrow. A moment later, recognition dawned. "Captain Jun?!" His Abjurer companion was beside himself. PLA propaganda made a strong impression. "S-Sir! Can I have your autograph?!" "Corporal!" Sergeant Li snapped at his subordinate. "It's no trouble." Jun materialised a scrapbook. "Your name?" "Rurong Peng! Sir! The boys won't believe it!" Jun wrote something nice for the young man, signed the page, and then neatly tore it from the book. "Thank you, Sir!" "You did well, Rurong." Jun patted the man on the shoulder. "We need more men like yourself and Sergeant Li." "It's our duty!" Li beamed, his eyes strangely moist with gladness. Gwen watched the proceedings with great interest, marvelling at her uncle's charisma. "May I inquire as to the young Miss?" Li turned to Gwen apologetically. "My niece. We're in Anhui for business," Jun replied cryptically. "I know the protocol. Here are our Passes." "Of course, Sir. Sorry for asking," Sergeant Li apologised. He checked their Passes, then respectfully returned the tablet. "May we be dismissed?" "You may, Sergeant." "Thank you, Captain, Miss Song." "Sir! Ma'am!" Rurong saluted both of them. "Sergeant. Corporal." "Bye!" Gwen bid the Militia goodbye. "That went well," Gwen commented to Jun, wondering if she 'did good' enough to receive a pat on the shoulder. "I am frankly impressed." Jun regarded his niece in a new light, patting her shoulder. "Caliban held his own against a tier 5 Monster without endangering others. So Ariel can displace and extend the range of your Evocation, hmm? Very useful indeed." "Thank you, Sir!" Gwen mimicked the militiamen, knocking her heels as she touched her fingers to her forehead. Jun laughed. "Good, keep your spirit up," he replied ominously. "We'll be trying our luck with the quasi-dragon spawn soon. They're going to be tough customers." "A real challenge, Uncle?" "Naturally." Jun nodded. "The ones we're after are immune to Lightning. Besides, the dragon-kin possesses universal magic resistance. The purer the bloodline, the harder to score a clean hit. We'll visit the local garrison to check in, after which we'll proceed on foot. Hopefully, you'll get your first taste of dragon flesh by tomorrow night!" Gwen nodded her head, her eyes full of eagerness. _Dragon-spawns!_ Eaten like free-range chicken!

Jun chose the scenic route, venturing off-road into a patrol trail to acquaint Gwen with the particulars of the local geography. "Look up," he told her as they moved through the valley, where occasionally a glimpse of the 'Yellow' mountain could be seen in the distance, surrounded by clouds and obscured by mist. "The peak you're now seeing is the Lotus Peak, about 1864m from base to tip. That's where the Yinglong has its lair. Behind it, just visible, is the Celestial Peak, about 1800m. There could be something else living there, but we haven't seen it." "There's a third rise out of sight, the Bright Peak, aka Guanghua Peak, verily the moniker used for the Fudan Towers. Together, the three peaks form a natural leyline called the Three Heavenly Reaches. The locals suspect an open tear into an Elemental Plane exists somewhere in-between because the volumetric thickness of Elemental Air is visible even with the naked eye—look." Gwen looked. It was true what her uncle said. When she squinted against the sun, she saw the tropospheric cloud banks. In streams and eddies, they swirled and traversed from peak to peak as if moulded by some unseen hand. As they approached a tree line, Jun slowed the Jeep to a stop. "This is the unspoken natural boundary; marked by the Dragon-Pine. Back before the PLA left Anhui, they used to call it the 'Welcoming Pine.'" "I can guess why the name changed." "Yep, the Yinglong wasn't very welcoming, at least not to the PLA." Jun chuckled. He turned the Jeep around and began to retrace their route. Gwen had no idea how her uncle could navigate using nothing but his head. They would have driven off a cliff if she had been the one performing the orienteering. "You know what's the most famous produce here in Anhui?" "Lumber?" "I wish." Jun slowed the Jeep, then turned into another fire trail. "It's tea. The best green tea in South China. It's called the Maofeng Cha, the Tea of Fur Peak. That name had also changed, by the way." "Oh?" Gwen was the sort of girl who drank fancy, fashionable fruit tea. "We call it Dragon-Peak Tea now. The main plantation is within the Dragon's territory, and we trade them for it." "Sounds better than _furry_ tea." Gwen grinned, wondering if her uncle was in on the joke. "Does the dragon tend to the tea?" "Hahaha." Jun laughed. "I don't know if the Dragon is rubbing the tea trees or dribbling its Dragon juice into the ground or what, but you'll see what I mean once we get back to Hangzhou. There are only a few select places that sell them. Anyway, the circulating currents of Elemental Air up on the Three Heavenly Peaks means the place is permanently clouded. The cloud coverage is good, perfect for hiding. Once we're over the thirteen hundred mark, there's very little visibility past twenty to thirty-odd meters unless a freakish gust clears the bank." "A Sea of Clouds," Gwen returned, thinking of Casper David Frederich's Wanderer above the Sea of Fog. Would she be Gwen above the Sea of Clouds? Indeed, the vista above was of sufficient sublimity to stir the Romantic soul. Maybe there was a Lumen recorder she could buy or borrow from the base. In all her time flitting from one magical place to another, she hadn't thought about taking any pictures. After all, without Insta or Facebook, what was the point? What was curious, however, was that the mountain was dark-granite, emerald pine, blue sky and white cloud. There wasn't a spec of yellow to be seen. "I've been thinking for a while, Uncle," Gwen interjected on Jun's geography lesson. "Why is it called the Yellow Mountain? There's nothing yellow here, not even mustard." "It's a wordplay. It's said to be the birthplace of the first Sage-King, the Huang Emperor. The word 'yellow' and 'Huang' are homophones. Huangshan is also where the forging of the Pill of Immortality took place, so the name caught on. As for how the moniker spread, we have the Sage Li-Bai, the Jade-Lotus Wanderer himself, to blame." "Who's Li-Bai?" Jun cleared his throat, slowing the Jeep until they faced the mountain and the Sea of Clouds. _"Thirty-six immortal peaks,_ _Their blades touch heaven._ _Morning sun strikes the darkening trees,_ _Here in this sky-mountain realm._ _Men of Han! Raise your mien!_ _A thousand springs and autumns,_ _The cranes have come and gone._ _Far off, I spy a travelling swordsman,_ _Plucking clouds from the stone crevice."_ Uncle and niece sat in the now silent Jeep, watching the clouds descend the distant mountaintops. The breeze was temperate and pleasant, dispelling the oppressive humidity of summer. Wild and thrilling birdsong filtered through the trees, joined by the chirping of cicadas. Leave rustled, diffusing a minty scent of pine wax. After an indeterminate passage of poetic silence, Jun restarted the engine. "Welcome to Huangshan." He beamed at Gwen. "Let's go." The duo reached the Anhui garrison by late afternoon. The garrison commander had gotten wind from his returning soldiers that the Ash Bringer himself was in the area and would likely visit them. In anticipation, he had set up a tremendous banquet. Jun thanked the commander for his hospitality, then bid Gwen join him and the garrison's unisex Officer Corp for dinner. Upon arrival, they had been given generous accommodations in the officer's quarters. Wanting to make an impression, Gwen changed into something semi-formal, taking her uncle's advice that all the men and women they were liaising with would wear their dress uniforms. The banquet itself kicked into gear once Jun arrived. He wore his Army Captain uniform, though his clandestine rank within Internal Security would likely place him at the same level as the base's commander, if not higher. The next morning, the two were back in their hiking garbs, ready to roll out. Jun had acquired an updated map for their perusal. He had consulted the garrison's Rangers, updating his knowledge on the local fauna, their whereabouts, and the current occupation of the Yinglong. "No sighting for two months and three weeks so far," the Ranger Sergeant enlightened the pair. "If it's not sleeping—that's how Dragons cultivate—but it is safe to assume the Lord Dragon isn't active." Jun thanked the man, then called for Gwen. He left the Jeep with the quartermaster, after which the pair embarked on foot. There were no trails into the Three Heavenly Peaks, much less the Sea of Clouds. Aided by Expeditious Retreat and Enhanced Constitution, the pair had to bushwack and trek through the shrubland, using the scenery above and Jun's Compass as orientation. Though forty-something, Jun remained at peak physical condition. Gwen, meanwhile, was buoyed by her good physique, her Druidic Essence, her youth and the stolen vitality of her hapless victims. "You hike like an Army Ranger." Jun was sweating when they reached the tree lines at 1100 meters above sea level, appearing embarrassed that Gwen appeared more refreshed than exhausted. "Alright, equipment check. No more fun and games after this point. Discovery by the Yinglong could be life or death." "I understand." "Here, take these." True to form, Jun had thought of everything. Gwen's uncle produced all the necessary Magic Items for their "poaching" adventure from his Large Storage Ring, appropriated from the Internal Security quartermaster. One Optic-Camouflage Cloak, full size. One pair of Soundless Boots. One Hide Presence bodysuit, reinforced. "I know you've got Habitat and potions, so I forwent those. Babulya informs me that you're able to use Teleportation beacons now?" "Yes, uncle." "Good. You're our Translocator from here on out." "I am? But you Dimension Doored us earlier." Jun tapped his wristwatch. "Allenberg's Portable Translocator. Usable three times per day. Takes HDMs as well, though the rearming process is rather fiddly." "You're not a Conjurer, uncle?" Gwen had assumed that Jun was a Transmuter-Conjurer. "I dabble here and there," Jun smirked. "Nothing like your legitimate Schools of Magic. My major School is Evocation. Transmutation is my secondary school. I also know most of the utility low-tier spells from Conjuration, Abjuration, Illusion and Necromancy." "Wow, that must have taken a while." She thought about her Schools of Magic. Her methodology was cheating the system. She counted the number of Schools her uncle knew against her own: Conjuration, Abjuration, Illusion and Necromancy...' When she looked up at Jun, she caught her uncle grinning. _NECROMANCY?!_ Her tongue became caught on a barb-wire snare. Her uncle was visibly trying to keep a straight face. _Was it a joke?_ The cavalier manner in which Jun had dropped the truth bomb seemed to suggest that Ash Bringer was not joking. If it was true, Jun was now sharing something extraordinarily intimate and delicate. They were now crossing a dangerous threshold of faith. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The trust which Jun delivered made her feel shameful. She had refrained from informing her uncle of many things: Almudj's possession, Henry Kilroy, Elizabeth Sobel, and the ultimate secret that she was a twin-souled cross-dimensional migrant thrust across space and time to usurp his niece's body. A little alarmed, Gwen tested the waters for buoyancy. Far more accustomed to the crumbs of intimacy, Jun's generosity frightened her, setting her mind on edge. "I must have misheard." "I don't think so. I mean what I said." "Seriously though, _Necromancy_?" "It's an old family secret. A necessity. I suppose my father wouldn't have told you, and it seems Hai never shared that secret. His selfish instinct for self-preservation astounds me sometimes. But to answer your question, YES. _Necromancy_." If knowledge could induce vertigo, then that was what Gwen was feeling. "Can you clarify?" Gwen demanded reflexively. "Sorry, Uncle, it's just a lot to take in... in a place and time like this." Jun pulled out his half of the Kirin Amulet. "You activate this—" he met her hazel orbs with his charcoal irises. "—with Necromancy. That's our Clan's secret." Gwen couldn't help feeling that Guo would jump out from behind a pine tree and start screaming at her. Her brother was using the Amulet, was he not? "S-should you be telling me this? Does this mean Percy…" So Percy's a bloody _Necromancer_?! "Oh yes." When Jun saw that she was beginning to hyperventilate, he gave her a confident smile. "Let me stop you there. Don't fret! The magic may be Necromantic, but it isn't a spell to raise the dead. There's nothing overtly illicit about it other than the political." "Oh, that makes it _all better_ ," Gwen replied with unintended sarcasm; she was still trying to catch her wits from escaping through her ears. "Watch." Jun produced the Core they had seized from the Frogger Alpha. "Ready? Stand back. A little further. A little more. There you go. Normally, the rite is much more subtle. I am going to show you the full extent of it to vindicate its reputation." Gwen nodded, her eyes as wide open as humanly possible. Necromancy! Now that she had calmed herself, she could rationalise that it wasn't so bad. Magister Lee had gone on and on about this. To think he was mocking her Clan as well. Her fright stemmed more from social stigma from the indoctrined learning that 'Necromantic Magic' was the worst thing to have ever happened to the human race. But this was her uncle. "Drain Life!" There was a sudden dimming of the sunlight surrounding Jun, as though something invisible had distorted the spectrum. The area around Jun's feet turned instantly to decay, with every living thing within half a meter radius turned to Elemental Ash. The Frogger Core cracked. Gwen could feel a presence, a palpable life force akin to her Druidic Essence, escape from the misshapen orb and enter Jun's body. Her uncle took the life force without blinking, then casually stowed the remains. "Drain Life, the staple spell of the Necromantic school. The transference of the life energy of another to empower one's Negative-affinity incantations. Though considered Necromancy, it's perhaps truer to say that it's a form of latent biomancy. In conjunction with the Kirin Amulet, the Necromantic infusion of Drain Life syphons drained Essence, living or Undead, into the Kirin stone as pure Essence. I can draw forth this purified Essence to fuel my casting. Though my ash is more volatile than your Void, I can remain combat-active for a long time. My single longest bout of combat was 14,000 VMI's worth of continuous spell-casting, all thanks to the stored Essence I had collected. That battle made me famous. Did you know that?" "I didn't." Gwen stared at the Kirin Amulet, thinking of Percy's other half. "I want to hear it, though." Gods, 14,000 VMI worth of spells? That must have been some battle! She was surprised there wasn't a book about it. "I am surprised you haven't heard it. Another time then," Jun teased her. "All I can tell you now is that I managed to spend six years' worth of accumulated essence in twenty-two hours of continuous combat." "The Kirin Amulet—" Gwen cut in, suddenly sad now that she knew the truth. "I gave mine up." "I don't know about that." Her uncle smirked. "Is it possible to make an Amulet?" Gwen pulled her eyes away from the dazzling presence of the solution to all her problems. "Are there Kirins here we can kill?" "No! Kirins are near Mythic Class!" Jun battered away her romantic fantasy. "Not to mention, if we did possess a core, where are you going to find an Enchanter of antiquity at the 8th tier, versed in the old magic of the Song Dynasty?" Oh..." Magister Wen was said to be close to 8, but Gwen could hardly trust the knowledge-crazed academic, not to mention her less than pure interest. Her Opa was at tier 6, but the wizened oldie was unlikely to progress any higher in his craft. In fact, with the onset of dotage, his proficiency would slip rather than grow. "Maybe with CCs?" "Impossible." Jun shook his head. "A world-class Enchanter would be needed, one that is Chinese and well-versed in ancient magic. You can't tell anyone of this at any rate, else the greatest secret of our Clan would be known to outsiders. The MSS Secretary and the Ash Bringer, _Necromancers_? Gwen, we wouldn't have enough heads for the CCP to chop! What would happen to grandmother if either of us carelessly blabbed?" "Does the CCP know?" "Maybe, maybe not." Jun shrugged. "I've been told no, at any rate. The rite of the Kirin's Blessing remains an heirloom secret." "But you just told me." "Indeed, I've told a member of my family, a dear member." Gwen hesitated. The taste in her mouth was bittersweet. "Gwen," Jun leaned inward, his presence looming over her. Her uncle's closeness made her flush with a strange heat. She had never confronted a family member who opened their heart. She forced herself to face Jun's paternal gaze, feeling abashed by how differently they felt. Internally, her thirty-something spirit clashed with the teenage oxytocins firing away inside the hemisphere of her brain. When Jun spoke again, it was with absolute sincerity. "If and when I am no longe—" Her uncle's fatalistic words splashed over her feverous rapture like a bucket of ice-cold water. "No. No. NO. NO," Gwen heard herself say. "I don't want that. Ever." "Let me finish- Gwen, I am a soldier. A good soldier doesn't die in a retirement home. In the probable event that I perform the ultimate service in Mao's name, I have instructed in my will that the Kirin Amulet will go to you." Gwen felt sick. She felt a sudden and grotesque loathing for the Kirin Stone. She wanted to pull it from Jun's neck and dash it against some rocks or launch it into the sky and consume it with a Void Bolt. "Don't say that!" The voice that issued from her lips felt not her own. Her eyes flashed angrily; her breath came in rags. "Fuck the Amulet! I'll stick to Consume. I'll eat every bloody one of my foes: man, woman, Dragon or otherwise. I don't need it!" Jun touched a hand to her quivering cheeks. "I have no children. I want it to go to you." "You don't know that!" Gwen interjected. "Maybe there's something you haven't tried. The Elves might have something. Wen said they have Druids! I've got Druidic Essence! I can consult with Almudj, a mythic being! If and when it wakes up! If it can bring life to the dead clay of Australia, it can help you conceive children! Hell, ask Dad for one! He's probably got bastards everywhere!" Gwen could barely breathe. _How did it come to this?_ They were just about to enter the forest, then Jun made a joke about Necromancy, and then it wasn't a joke; how the hell did they arrive at this morbid bullshit fucked up conversation!? Her uncle brushed a lock of wayward hair from her face, one that had fallen out of place in her excitement. "My affinity is 7, almost 8, and I don't even have a Spirit," Jun interrupted his naive fantasy. "I cannot have children because the Ashen Mana has made me its vessel. With a touch, I can turn even the Undead to ash. Not even the greatest Necromancy can raise what I have laid to rest. That is why I am the Hero of the Northern Campaign. Gwen, you see, oblivion and I, we're old chums. We've walked side by side for far too long. I am not a man capable of bringing life. That was the price I paid for power. There is balance in all things, Gwen. A man such as I cannot be greedy. Else the ash would bring calamity to everyone I love." "Uncle…" Gwen touched her chin. Her cheeks were wet. _Was she crying?_ Jesus Christ, she scolded herself. My internal chemistry must be a hot mess. She opened her mouth to speak, to find soothing assurances, only to discover herself in the rare circumstance of being lost for words. Her estrangement from her old-world family had meant that never had she entertained the possibility of a loved one being consigned to the Void, never to be seen again. "Uncle, I…" Caliban swallowed her tongue. She watched Jun's calloused hands move from her face, mesmerised by his slow, articulate fingers. Suddenly, in a swift gesture, Jun pinched her nose. "Uncle!" Gwen protested, her adult soul feeling bruised and ashamed. It was as though a spell had been broken. "Nobody is dying! You silly goose of a girl!" her uncle chastised her. "Such morbid thinking! I am going to live for a long while yet! So will you, and so will father and mother! Hai's going to have another child. You're going to have a baby sibling. You will have children one day too. We'll be four generations sitting at the banquet table!" Gwen stared at her uncle, stunned by the sudden change in tone. "Why should anyone be dying? I am hale and healthy thanks to the Kirin Stone. Your biometrics are fine as well, far better than mine. Caliban is doing God's work, or at least the work of some deity-like power that resides in the Void. Some dark, old God, maybe, who knows? You have a balancing force, Gwen, which makes you precious. My Path is not for you." "A dark power, you say? An old God?" Gwen scoffed, thinking of Caliban. With her sentimentally dashed, she felt at a loss. She felt a little hurt. _Why couldn't Jun play the doting father for a little longer?_ She was feeling it! She was _really_ feeling it! It was warm, fuzzy, sour, sweet, and bitter all at once! Just a little longer would have sealed up something that had been leaking since she left home at the age of sixteen. Gwen sighed; instead of an internal retreat, she felt an ill humour rising to the fore, a reflexive response to the blues. "Uncle, there IS a God in the Void. What if I told you his name is _Yog-Sothoth? The Hungry One? The Lurker at the Threshold?_ " Jun's expression became earnest because he couldn't tell whether Gwen was serious. In response, Gwen opened her arms and raised her hands to encompass the vista of the mountains, just as Jun had done the day before when reciting Li-Bai. " _Great is HE, the protoplasmic flesh that flowed blackly outward to join together and form that eldritch, hideous horror from outer space, that spawn of the blankness of primal time, that tentacled amorphous monster—the noxious one—who froths as first slime in nuclear chaos beyond the nethermost outposts of Void and time!_ _"Lä! Yog-Sothoth!"_ _"Lä! He who lurks in the Dark!"_ "Mao!" Jun's expression transformed into a mask of concern. "Great Leader's Ghost! Are you serious?" Gwen kept her face serious for as long as she could. When her uncle's severity proved too much, she burst into laughter. Jun joined in nervously, carefully studying Gwen's face for signs of madness. When Gwen met his scepticism, she doubled over with a joy that was half-choked laughter. Only when she became almost blue in the face did Jun perceive that her jest was genuine. "Oh, Uncle..." Gwen wiped away ambivalent tears. Her makeup was ruined. But the time for the feeling was over. Up ahead was the imminent business of the tree line and a sojourn in the Sea of Clouds. "I'll be changing into the suit. No peeking." Jun scoffed. "Wouldn't dream of it. You're too skinny anyway. What's there to see?" Gwen snorted derisively at her uncle. She seized her boots, cloak and bodysuit, then loudly rustled her clothes to inform her uncle that she was slipping out of one gear and into another. Jun kept his eyes on the horizon, meditating. "Yog-Sothoth," he mumbled to himself, mincing her joke. "The Lurker, the spawn of blankness… blackness? Darkness? The toxic one..."

The military-issue bodysuit from the PLA was a wonder compared to the mass-produced variety rationed to Gwen by the Melbourne Tower. Its Hide Presence Enchantment soaked up all scent and sweat, was resistant to heat and cold, and helped her skin breathe through its porous fabric. The suit was semi-plated and magically fitted, protecting her bosoms and abdomen. It possessed a stocky collar made from Magi-tech, with a slot for inserting raw or processed HDM crystals. When she asked her uncle to check her equipment, Jun's reaction gave Gwen a smug thrill, knowing she had paid him back for that _too-skinny_ remark. "It's American." Jun noticed her fiddling with the artificer's tag. "Only the States make stuff like this. They're known for it." The Soundless Boots were of Chinese construct, a copy of the Elven variety known to deaden all sound of the wearer's passage. A fashionista at heart, she noticed that despite its parallel magical qualities, the boots were hideously tailored. "The CCP tried its best." Jun shrugged. "For now, our Manufactoriums can only copy, not create." The Optic-Camouflage Cloak was the last layer, a Japanese creation. The tag read "Sumitomo Heavy Industries", sporting a four-diamond petal flower as a logo. __ With the cloak activated, Gwen and Jun could spot one another due to an inherent design included in the product. To outsiders, they appeared as grass, stone, bark, foliage, and all but invisible when remaining still. "Keep Caliban and Ariel out," Jun advised. "Apply your Invisibility spell. Get them used to the woods. Ariel should have a scent like most of the creatures here. As for Caliban, I suppose we should be glad it's scentless." "I'll get it to roll around and pick up the ambient odour," Gwen suggested. A presence without scent was just as notable to the right pair of olfactory organs. "Sure, we'll be taking some time to get acquainted with the landscape and the fauna." The party of four moved out. Soon, an adorable marten, a Spawn of Yog-Sothoth, the Ash Bringer and the Girl who eats lined up at the tree line formerly known as 'Welcoming Pine'. Jun bunched a fist, raising it beside his ear. Gwen halted, holding her breath. It wasn't necessary, but she didn't know that. Her first foray into a Purple Zone had her walking on tippy-toes as soon as they stepped past the first set of gnarly trees. The visibility within the mountain was horrendous. The massive cloud bank that moved and shifted with the currents from the Elemental Plane of Air sent down mist and gust almost ceaselessly, pelting the duo with light showers of pine needles. After the first three hours and fifteen-odd kilometres, Gwen understood precisely why the magical equipment was essential. It was the micro-climate. The region's flora consisted mainly of Pinus and Strobus, punctuated by the occasional Magnolia and interrupted by unexpected groves of enormous bamboo. The conifers did not grow straight but burst from granite outcroppings, twisting and turning like the proverbial dragon until finally erupting into waxy umbrellas of dark jade. Whenever a wayward gust stirred the leaves, a shower of pelting pine needles fell upon uncle and niece, sliding from their durability-enhanced cloaks in glistening sheets. When the rain passed through the region, it filled the surrounding area with a freezing mist that chilled the bone. Yet, walking through the muggy fog was a warm, wet, and bedraggled affair. Had they not been wearing their American-made bodysuits, the alternating heat of the stifling summer and the cold bursts from the Elemental Plane of Air would have sapped their mortal bodies before long. Another hour in, they heard the crashing sound of ponderous lumbering. Their first victim arrived, crawling on all fours. A goanna?! No, Gwen corrected herself. A pangolin. A draconic pangolin. "Check it," Jun commanded. Gwen incanted a Detect Magic, relying on the suit's Enchantments to muffle her sound and movement. The pangolin was six meters long and just over two metres tall. It didn't look particularly ferocious, though the scales on its back suggested an imperviousness to physical assaults. In the zoology of Gwen's old world, pangolins protected themselves by curling into impenetrable balls. In the cryptozoology of this world, Gwen felt she could assume an educated guess of the same. Indicatively, the ridges on its scales inferred a draconic origin, though it was visually evident that the thing was more pangolin than thorny-drake. The element that radiated from the creature was a dull ochre. "Earthen," Gwen passed along the silent Message, their devices operating via LOS and radius. "Care for first blood, or let it pass?" Gwen considered Jun's offer. The creature looked reasonably powerful. Maybe Caliban could pick up a new form? Her Void-worm already possessed a lizard-amphibian body morph, not to mention Caliban was primarily immune to physical damage, presuming infinite access to vitality. Having armour plating on Caliban was akin to adding nipples to a bat suit. "It's alright." Gwen felt no desire to kill gluttonously. They allowed the creature to pass. "Let's see where it's going," Jun suggested. To the experienced survivalist, creatures like these did not roam without reason. "Follow my lead." As a novice tracker, Gwen could only do her best. Her agility and natural fitness, combined with purpose-made Magical Items, however, more than made up for her inexperience. Their quarry, likewise, was supremely confident in its safety, paying no heed to Gwen's potential blunders. The duo pursued the Draconic pangolin for half a kilometre until it stopped. A buzzing sound that had been barely audible before grew louder as they climbed. Soon, the winged thrum grew to encompass every audible spectrum as the duo came within visible distance of the pangolin's prize. The bee hive—at least that's what it resembled—was enormous; it hung three meters tall from zenith to nadir, hanging from the side of a pine tree with such weight that its growth had yielded to the unwelcome burden. Bees the width and size of two of Gwen's fingers caught sight of the pangolin. Within several seconds, they began to swarm. "We're in luck." Jun motioned with a glance. "Wildland Sting-blossoms. Their honey is good enough to extend your life and restore youth. There's the queen inside as well. That's what the pangolin wants. We should gather the honey. One portion can be for my mother, and the others you can use as gifts. It's a fairly sought-after youth elixir for women." "Sounds good. Anything for Babulya! So, do we keep watch for now?" "For now, yes. We must intercept it before it eats the queen when the time comes." "Are we saving the Queen?" Gwen hadn't figured Jun for an entomological conservationist. "… You're going to eat it." Jun was likely smiling underneath the cowl. Meanwhile, the pangolin languishingly strolled toward the nest, possessing no consideration for the thousand or so bees swarming its face, eyes, and nose. "Armoured eyeballs?" Gwen marvelled at the resilience of the creature. "Probably immune to poison too, Draconic-constitution." The pangolin stood on its rear two legs, climbed the nest, and began to pound away at the shell-case exterior. Chunks of sticky honey fell from the nest in golden globs, filling the air with sickly sweetness. Watching the spectacle, Gwen felt nostalgic for the running commentary of a certain British Naturalist. "Hmm, this is not good." Jun urged Gwen to remain hidden. He pointed a finger upward. The pangolin's efforts continued unabated. A rustling sound came from a tree top. The two looked up to see a feathered silhouette outlined against the mist-diffused sky. Gwen adjusted her magic. It took a great deal of concentration to focus Detection spells in a place like this. "Another predator!" she informed her uncle, her voice eager and hungry. "Good for us, but wait and see," Jun advised. "We need to ground it with Void or Ash; it's likely highly resistant to Lightning. It's interested in the nest, likely the queen itself." Jun's hypothesis proved correct. The pangolin also noted the intruder. It turned to the bird-like creature and began to bark. The bird ignored it. As far as it was concerned, the terrestrial-bound pangolin was harmless. What a waste of a Draconic bloodline, Gwen grumbled. At least have a Dragon breath or something. How unimpressive. Without a reply from the bird-thing, the pangolin returned to the nest and continued digging. By now, the bees were in a frenzy. Had Gwen not seen the process, she would have thought the pangolin was naturally armoured with a buzzing layer of living chitin. "It's making a move. Get ready. Lightning Sphere on the bees. Avoid the nest. Void on the pangolin. Go for the eyes. I'll clip the flyer." "Yes, Uncle." The avian silhouette began to move. When the bird creature came into view, Gwen realised it was a winged lizard. The spectacle of the chimeric creature was as strange as it was awe-inspiring. The scales were rainbow-hued, a dark oily obsidian with a petrol sheen. Its wings were like the Macaw's, a brilliant emerald and vibrant orange burst with just a touch of cobalt at the tip. It swooped for the exposed queen. _Splat!_ To their surprise, the pangolin was waiting for it. _Clever bastard!_ Gwen's lips parted in surprise. The stupid-looking, ponderous pangolin launched a glob of honey toward its assailant! The delicious golden liquid caught the lizard entirely by surprise, smacking it face first and crashing it against the ground. Suddenly, the bees that had made their new nest on the pangolin's hide found a new target. "Good God!" Gwen grimaced. The lizard was instantly carpeted in bees with stings the size of surgical needles. She didn't need to be a biologist to know that the rainbow-bird-lizard did NOT have armoured eyes. _"Huuu huuu huuu…"_ The pangolin laughed. IT WAS LAUGHING! FUCK, Gwen thanked the Gods for her uncle. It was fucking intelligent! The fucking thing was sapient! What did that mean? If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Well, that kicks it up a tier or two." Jun seemed relieved they had waited as well. "We're swapping targets. I am on the Pangolin. You take care of the bees. As for the Queen, you'll have to retrieve it by hand. Use your Void Skin; your gear should be elementally-shifted." The pangolin turned back to the hive. "Ashen Spear!" A bolt of white ash struck the creature's head, hitting it just below the right eye. There was a sickening crunch as the armour plating crumbled, filling its head with negative energy. The pangolin slumped, losing all interest in the nest. The unique attribute of the Plane of desolation and destruction sapped its will. It turned around apathetically, uncaring of what had penetrated its scaly dermis. It wanted to flee, but its instincts were brutally suppressed. "Ashen Smite!" Blasts of necrotic fire, burning invisibly, consumed its limbs until only stumps remained. The pangolin fell onto its belly, barely bothering to move, patiently awaiting death. Gwen, meanwhile, stepped into the open, clad in midnight. She moved like tenebrous ink, her feminine figure shifting with the alien articulation of ferrofluid. A frenzied swarm left the lizard and assaulted her as she approached. When the bees made contact, a sizzling sound of corrosion signalled the futility of the insect's actions. Gwen's Void skin wasn't enough to stop Lulan's blows, but it was perfect against swarms. After the first two hundred bee-kamikazes, Gwen could feel her vitality stores beginning to falter. These were large and heavy insects, and they kept on coming relentlessly. The good news was that she had future provisions in the form of a lizard and a limbless pangolin. She reached the nest, crushing mounds of half-consumed bee corpses underfoot. There it was, the _queen_. It was easily distinguishable by its golden buttocks, aflame with whatever insects passed for hair. Jesus Christ, Gwen felt her skin crawl. The bee monarch was the length of her forearm! She reached out with a blackened arm as the buzzing intensified. The dive-bombing of the bees continued, covering the floor with carcasses. "Erect a half-dome Shield, keep the workers at bay, then eat the queen. Snap off the abdomen. That's where the important parts are," Jun compelled her. Gwen knew her uncle meant _eating_ in the literal sense. The queen writhed in her hand, its abdomen curled suddenly; a pale-white egg ejaculated from its ovipositor. The creature's compound eyes regarded Gwen's Void-smothered, featureless mien with insectile eyes begging for mercy. She could let it go, but this wasn't that sort of adventure. She wasn't here to Disney Princess. Gwen was here to eat. "Shield!" Gwen retreated the portion of Void Skin protecting her face. _Goodbye! Sweet sanity! Fare thee well, noble queen!_ She took her supplement like a bitter pill. The queen was stingless, but it was too large for her mouth. Gwen had to take it in recurring bites. The insect died, hopefully without pain. In her mouth, the innards exploded, filling the cavern of her mouth with the thankful scent of royal honey. She munched and munched, dreaming of deep-fried soft-shell crabs with salt and pepper. Gwen must have drunk about a litre of water as they waited for the bees to disperse. When finally, the last bee wandered off and the two collated their loot. Jun stowed a dozen portions of the honey, ate a length of honeycomb, and then cleansed the area with ash. Her Familiars gluttonously polished off the remaining molasses, with Ariel stuffing its mouth pouches full of the sticky liquid as Caliban took up entire slabs: dirt, bee and all, sliding whole lattices into its bottomless maw. "Let's test your hypothesis." Jun checked their misty surroundings. Visibility remained poor. "Time for a Lightning-affinity boost." "Caliban, enough playing. It's time to work!" Gwen called for her pet. Caliban came slithering forth, slathered with honey. The winged lizard, disappointingly, turned out to be a unique species. Lacking the resilience of the dragon-kin, it had unfortunately perished in the bee's assault, having had its eyes and soft parts pumped full of venom. Jun flipped the thing over. He sliced it open only to find a shattered core of no value. "Well, that's a shame," he apologised. "Maybe we should have moved sooner." Beside the corpse of the winged lizard, the pangolin watched the two humans without emotion or distress. Until the Negative Energy drain from Jun's Ash faded, it would remain utterly indifferent, disinterested in anything and everything. When Gwen touched her hand to the pangolin's snout, it merely regarded her with deadened orbs awaiting death. "Uncle, this is the effect of all Ash attacks?" Gwen couldn't help but be curious, thinking of the Huashan Elder whom Jun's Disintegrate had struck. He seemed to have lost all will to live. "Indeed." Jun inclined his chin in affirmation. "As one of the four Negative Quasi-elementals, Ash removes an individual's seven passions and six desires. I would have been deadened to the world were it not for the Kirin Amulet. Ash users are comparable with Void Mages, though our malady tends to be of the mind rather than the body." "Are there others like you, Uncle? Ash Mages, I mean." "Oh yes," Jun answered. "The ones who survive have all found ways to deal with the side effects, one way or another. Unlike Void Mages, we have an abundance of time. An insensible, uncaring Ash Mage can still be studied. They make excellent specimens, considering how little they care about their wellbeing." The two hid for another half an hour, waiting for more scavengers. "Right, I guess nothing interesting is going to show up. Let's finish up. Not bad for our first day. At least we found a Draconic-Something." Gwen regarded the Draconic pangolin. The creature watched its captors. "Steel your resolve, Gwen." Jun gave her a prod on the shoulder. "This thing escapes. We're both going to be hunted until we get back to Shanghai." "Sorry, big guy," Gwen apologised to the pangolin. "Caliban, you're up." Her serpent performed its terrible duty, starting at the tail. Inch by inch, like a python working its way up the body of a saltwater croc, her creature slid its victim into its gullet. Empathically, Gwen could feel that Caliban was enjoining its meal very much. When finally only the head of the pangolin remained, it suddenly appeared to have regained some of its lost lucidity. The Ashen mana must have worn off. A sudden look of fear and desperation entered its eyes. _"TAILUEN VE!"_ An enormous sound emerged from its lips, echoing through the mist and bouncing off the trees. _IT CAN SPEAK?!_ Gwen's mind grew blank. "Kill it now!" Jun commanded. _"FOO! SIA KIN WI-"_ "Caliban!" Gwen jolted her familiar with a shot of vitality. Caliban convulsed, and the engorged body of the Void serpent expanded suddenly outward, then violently contracted. The motion was enough to pull the rest of the pangolin into Caliban's maw. "Bad luck." Jun pulled the cloak over his head. "Dismiss Caliban. Cloak up. We got to get moving. Send Ariel out to scent up the place." Caliban's carapace clicked shut. "What did it say?" Her uncle shook his head. Maybe the man knew, but he said nothing. Receiving no confirmation from her uncle, Gwen dismissed her Void-worm and her gluttonous Ariel. She activated her cloak. The vitality hit came a moment later. On the Nephres-index, she would register it as a six, just enough to keep her disabled but conscious. "I'll need about 5 minutes," Gwen spat out between clenched teeth, her face turning the colour of beetroot as waves of vitality battered her Astral and Physical Body. "The life force of this thing is enormous!" Her uncle laid her beside him and covered the both of them with his optic cloak, forming the shape of a lichen-covered boulder. Ariel helped by dashing here and there, leaving its scent to confuse potential pursuers. As a creature of Air and Positive energy, Ariel's trail of lightning residue would hide the presence of its human masters. When the marten was half a kilometre away, Gwen retrieved her familiar. She couldn't move, but she could do that, at least. Uncle and niece thus waited, Gwen's breath coming in quick bouts. The answer to their opportunistic ambush arrived as a thunderous swooping. A vast shadow covered the area of the now ravaged nest, after which a serpentine drake alighted. Gwen couldn't help but stare despite the pangolin's Draconic Essence pouring in, sending her mind into a euphoria-induced tailspin. The intruder hovered midair with the grace of a falling feather, its wings churning not wind but Elemental Air itself. It then landed tail first, balancing its overlong frame before touching down, at which point the length of its rear legs coiled to take the weight of its body. An Amphiptere? No, Jun ran the strangely shaped creature through his internal bestiary. A Wyvern. The Amphiptere did not possess any limbs and resembled more so a winged serpent. This thing had two pairs of hind legs and bat wings that could be folded to support the fore of its body. As for Gwen, what she found alarming wasn't so much the size of the creature nor its imposing presence. It was that the Draconic Wyvern was a mount. The rider looked like a bona fide Dragon-kin, a rare offspring between a humanoid and a dragon. Invariably, these dragon-men were the result of females coupling with Draconic beings. Unlike the egg-producing reptilian partners, mammalian creatures rarely, if ever, survived the child-bearing agony of gestating a child far more substantial, powerful and more demanding than that which the mother's physiology could bear. How could a womb of warm flesh survive a child of teeth and claws? How does a mortal mother provide the necessary essence and nutrients for an offspring who would outlive its birther by magnitudes measured in centuries? The alternative was likewise unthinkable. A dragon kind, subjecting itself to be impregnated by a lesser creature? Absurdity! The Draconic humanoid stood just over three meters, with iridescent scales more serpentine than draconic. That was expected, for the Yinglong was a creature of the air. Only terrestrial Dragons favoured heavy plating. The thing's face had a casual sophistication, a smooth reptilian head ending in an elegant snout. As for whether it was male or female, it was impossible to tell. Gwen tried to stifle her convulsions, her chest rising and falling violently. Furrowing his brows, Jun gently placed a hand onto her diaphragm, then channelled into her channels a sliver of Ash-tainted mana. Beneath her uncle's calloused hand, Gwen felt her interminable sensations abruptly cease. Such was the power of the Ash Mage, an assault that was both mental and physical, peerless against any sentient creature capable of longing and agitation. Once she was calm, Jun lifted his hand from her abdomen and cupped her mouth, reminding Gwen to remain still. No more than fifty paces from where they took the guise of granite boulders, the pearlescent dragon-kin was rubbing the ashen mixture of dirt, honey, and dead insects between its scaly fingers. Its eyes were glowing with what Jun could only assume to be Divination magic. Unlike Humans, Dragons attained abilities with age and bloodline and could train in almost any form of magic. Be it Human Spellcraft or Demi-human, they were the apex existence in a world of creatures immeasurably more powerful than humanity. Were it not for the Draconic races' loathing of each other and their few numbers, the world would have turned into the Dragons' plaything. As for their optic obfuscation, her uncle was confident in the Japanese artificer's craft. When static, the Transmutation Enchantment transformed the surface layer into lichen and stone; it was only in motion that Illusion came into play, exposing the wearer to keen eyes and low-level Divinations. "I smell human equipment," The wyvern spoke through rows of dagger teeth. "Ayxin, you see anything?" Her uncle translated the speech into Common through their Message devices. His had come equipped with a Ghost-spec Ioun Stone. "Si keefum munthrek equip, Ayxin, re wux ocuirir??" Comparatively, Gwen's ears registered a syllabic string of what sounded like Cantonese mixed with tongue clicks and a hacking cough. Unable to comprehend their new circumstance, she closed her eyes and focused on circulating her new-found Draconic vitality. "We lost one of our young ones. I think it was Angkar-Molis; this is his domain." "Bah, a weakling of no import." The one who scoffed was the wyvern. Tyrian-purple scales covered its tree-trunk, serpentine neck. On its massive head, over its eye ridge, a few bright cobalt feathers jutted from its horned crest, giving it a refined dignity. Its eyes were hungry and cruel, a single reptilian slit that scanned its surroundings hungrily, a dark gash amidst the sky-blue iris. A _Thunder Wyvern_ , Jun noted apprehensively. A mature adult, likely sitting between tier 9 and 10. The creature was the jackpot Jun and Gwen had sought, though they had no hopes for its subdual. Her uncle whispered that they would be evenly matched, but he was confident he would eventually win out if he liberally consumed the stowed essence in the Amulet. "The Queen's gone." The pearlescent one called Ayxin kicked what remained of the bee's nest. "Lots of human magic residue here. I don't know, though. Something's not right. Angkar's a resilient child. I would have expected more collateral damage." "He was a pup." The wyvern cocked his head arrogantly. Jun's translation wasn't exact, but it worked. "Now likely someone's armour." "Don't be like that." The humanoid Dragon-kin gave his mount a cold look. The two wanted to linger for longer, checking the area, but a shift in the wind meant the region would soon be smothered by fog and mist. Watching the haze thicken, the two made one last round through the site. "Let's return to the peak," the pearlescent one advised. The humanoid dragon-kin mounted the wyvern without a word. The pair took flight amidst a great bell beat of bat-like wings twenty meters from tip to tip. "Gwen, keep meditating. Don't move." Her uncle whispered. After a few minutes, they heard beating wings pounding the air above their heads. The wyvern snorted. "See? Told you. So much for that prized head of yours." "… Shut up, Golos." The sound of wingbeats faded once the wyvern reached the necessary altitude, where it caught a slipstream of Elemental Air. Her uncle's arms stirred. "Hee hee, the mind of a Dragon is formidable, but a man's mind is far more suitable to ploys and schemes. As creatures of absolute power, it was difficult for the dragons to position themselves from the perspective of the meek. Remember that, Gwen." Underneath him, Gwen raised her head and shoulders, putting herself onto her elbows. "How do you feel?" Jun asked. "Wonderful." Gwen met her uncle's eyes. "Uncle. I am feeling on _top of the world._ "

Jun suggested they penetrate deeper into the Yinglong's territory before extracting to an outer region to lay low; it would both throw off their pursuers' expectations and provide opportunities to Consume higher-order lifeforms. "Resource raids are the norm here," Jun explained to Gwen as she stretched, too full of energy to remain static and standing. "There are no resonance crystals between here and Hefei, the capital of the Anhui Frontier, or any surrounding regions. When tensions are high, it's a free for all." "That means we won't cause a stir?" "No, not if we remain discrete. There should be thousands of beasts like the one you just Consumed. So long as we avoid the pure-bloods, like that talking duo, I doubt the Yinglong would care." Jun inspected Gwen's gear again. The next portion of their poaching adventure would be doubly more dangerous, and any equipment failure would result in mission failure. "Let's find a place to rest for the night. You still need to process the Queen's latent life-essence." At the mention of the poor insect, Gwen forced down her priceless cargo even as the revolting remembrance threatened to expel the Queen's mangled carcass. Soft-shell crab, Gwen told herself, nori-avocado wrapped in sushi rice from Sushi Hub down on George St. "It'll do you good." Jun watched her throat bobble. "A creature capable of spawning tens of thousands of younglings almost indefinitely until its death, imagine the primal essence contained in something like that!" Gwen would prefer _not_ to imagine anything. As night fell, the temperature dropped considerably. Even sheltered by their bodysuits, Gwen felt a chill permeating her skin. The two reached a sheltered outcrop and then employed Transmutation magic to form an isolated one-meter escarpment unreachable by creatures without considerable arboreal or flying capabilities. Gwen set up her Portable Habitat, then laid down a Lightning-based Faithful Hound. The subtle mana signature would not seem out of place, giving them plenty of warning to buff up before clearing out. Once inside, the duo finally relaxed. The need for constant vigilance had niece and uncle walking on a tightrope all day. Gwen freed her Familiars into the living room. She had grown accustomed to their presence. Caliban coiled up under the coffee table to contemplate its next meal while Ariel raced around the Habitat in a frenzy, scenting every inch of its new abode. "Can you cook?" Jun checked the pantry and the cooler, finding both empty. Kusu had meticulously cleaned the cottage before returning it to Gwen. "I've got military rations if you can't." Gwen produced a small mountain of Korean Instant-Noodles and a dozen cans of Spam. Jun regarded the volume of 'food' presented in front of them. "Military rations it is. We'll hunt and forage something edible tomorrow." Gwen hadn't wanted to trouble Jun with domestic duty, but her woeful home economics prevented her from exercising feminine bewitcheries. She could strut, she could kick ass, and she could talk, but _cook_? Neither of her life in either world was equipped for culinary craftsmanship. She forgot to turn off a boiling pot of pasta water once. Two hours later, the plastic on the lid caught fire. She became henceforth known by her neighbours as the woman who could set water on fire. "Go freshen up. Run a Cleansing cube over your gear." Jun then ran a hand across the length of the table and produced a dozen silvery packets without labels. "Those are?" Gwen eyed the bars. "Military rations," Jun announced. "Tonight, we're having Aurok Stroganoff, Shandong Chicken, Coconut Rice, and Custard Pudding." Oh. My. God. Gwen glanced at her mountain of Spam. There exist ready-to-eat Military Rations that could be heated up with magic and immediately consumed. _What the hell am I doing?_ Why didn't anyone teach this at the University? "It'll take a few minutes to plate them, go. I'll find us cutlery." Gwen retreated from the living room, feeling better that Jun didn't have to waste more time. Perhaps a little inconsiderately, she took the main bedroom without thinking. Once inside, she unhooked the cloak from her neck, inspected the fabric for damage, and tucked it on a wall hanger. The bodysuit was harder to remove. Even with the zipper down, a contortionist's level of flexibility was required to disrobe. Would it be too much to ask her uncle? God, that would be awkward. Suddenly, she slapped herself on the forehead. An ingenious _Mage Hand_ solved her problem, allowing her second skin to be productively peeled. She turned to the mirror doors of the built-in cupboard to inspect her post-draconic Consumption body. No tail. No horns. No scales. To her hypercritical eyes, her unusually pallid complexion appeared to have acquired a warmer hue; she slowly twirled, arching her neck, inspecting any nooks and crannies for scaly growth. Very carefully, she studied her eyes. The most evident change to a Mage's physiology almost always began with the irises. Like her flushed dermis, her amber-speckled emerald irises appeared warmer. Gwen wondered if there was something particular about Draconic Essence that paralleled the effect of Druidic Essence. Satisfied, she took a long shower. Her Decanter of Infinite Water had been left in the Habitat some time ago, providing the place with hot and cold water. Gwen towelled off, then slipped something comfy. She exited. Outside, Jun had finished making food. On her plate was a strange collection of multi-coloured gloop. There was a brown one. And an orange one. And a white one. A small dish held what looked like cold custard. There was no fork and no knife. A spoon had been placed next to her plate. Just one. Gwen looked around, bewildered by the lack of solids. What the hell was this? She checked the oven. Was there food in there waiting to be heated up? Where was the Auroch Stroganoff Shandong Chicken? Don't tell her the gloop was— _Click!_ The door to the secondary bathroom opened. Jun emerged with wet hair. "Dig in if you're hungry!" Jun indicated to her plate, a second towel hung over one shoulder. "Sorry, Uncle, I didn't mean to take the main bedroom." For a few seconds, Gwen forgot all about the un-food. Where her Father had an arguably well-formed masculine frame, Jun's looked like something chiselled out of marble and then put into a museum. Even with a t-shirt, his skin was stretched taut across every detail like an anatomic model of human musculature. He had no scars, which was a shock. Then again, knowing their babulya was close at hand, it was unlikely the _good_ son would be without cosmetic care. _SNAP!_ Gwen looked down. She had snapped her wooden spoon. "That's some impressive grip strength. Did the Draconic Essence increase your physical abilities?" Her uncle studied her. "You're growing up quite quickly." After a half-laugh, a new spoon was proffered by her uncle, who watched Gwen with amusement. The matter then turned to dinner. "Let's dig in!" Her worst fears came true. Indeed, the gelatinous gruel was the military rations; it was real food, powdered, remixed with purified water, and filled with nutrition and vitality. But for a girl who had spent the last six months eating herself to death in one of the most food-obsessed cities in the world, it was torture. After dinner, Jun placed his elbow on the table. "Wrestle me," His dark eyes gleamed. "I want to see if you've got stronger." Gwen obliged by taking her uncle's hand. The two seesawed back and forth, with Jun gauging her strength. "Pretty strong," He remarked. "Stronger than your average male Cadet, I'd say." "Do you think this strength is permanent?" Gwen enquired. What if she became incredibly strong? A semi-permanent Enhanced Ability could do wonders. "Would I become stronger the more Draconic Essence I consume?" "Maybe, you might experience some physical changes, though. You did say your Cleric Aura came and went when Nephres' vitality was spent, right?" Gwen nodded. "Well, you have to understand the distinction between Vitality and Essence," Jun commented. "Vitality is the life force, an abstract concept we don't understand. Only experts like Mother have insight into how it manifests independently like a resource. On the other hand, I can tell you about Essence." Gwen touched the space between her collarbones, where her amulet had once sat. "Magister Wen said that my Druidic Essence is an arcane-compound spell shaped by a Mythic being's will and intent." "And she's right. Though in my experience, I favour an older, more obsolete term. It's the _soul_ of a being." "The soul." Gwen felt a few goosebumps engender. She thought of Mark Chandler's ghostly sister. Her insane screaming went on and on. "Or something like it. As we know, Essence is neither mana, vitality, nor element. If so, what could it be?" Gwen had no answer to that. "Well, no use worrying. Just letting you know how it is. You're human. Nephres Zalaam was human. That sapient Draconian was certainly not a human being. When you take in so much alien _Essence_ , there are bound to be some changes. I mean, didn't Almudj's Essence change your physiology?" What if she OD'ed on Dragon juice? Gwen wondered. Am I going to start hoarding gold and kidnapping young maidens? Having Elvia to herself in a castle wasn't too bad. She could invite her friends, build a Tower, and have a slumber party. "As for your strength, I'd wager it's not permanent. It's a nice temporary buff, though. I am interested to see how long you can keep it. In prolonged conflicts, an ability to acquire certain traits could trivialise certain disadvantages and obstacles. Oh yes, speaking of morphic essences, can Caliban turn into a pangolin yet? That would be something!" Gwen called for her serpent. "Can you do it? Caliban?" Gwen focused on the image of the pangolin they had seen earlier. "Do the pangolin?" "Shaa?" Caliban rolled onto its belly and wiggled. "Caliban! Pangolin!" Gwen pictured the creature ponderously moving through the woods. "Shaa?! Shaa!" Caliban performed a bellyflop. The feeling she got from their Empathic Link was that it understood. "Hurrrrughk!" Its carapace contracted. _Thunk!_ Caliban regurgitated a jagged, egg-like shard of crystal in burnt amber. The pangolin Core. "Oh, very nice!" Jun retrieved the Core and scraped away the grey goo. After a moment, he disappointingly shook his head. "No Spirit. Sorry." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "No worries," Gwen dismissed her uncle's unrealistic expectations. Most people struggled to see a Core, much less a Spirited Core. "Still, it is worth quite a bit." Jun hefted the crystal in his hand. "Tier 5 core like this, Draconic lineage—25,000 HDMs? More if there's the right buyer. It would probably make an incredible Elemental Bangle for the right Earthen Mage. More funds for University?" "Surely, you'll take a cut, Uncle." "What am I going to do with crystals?" Jun scoffed. "Is this a bribe?" "No…" "I am a government official and an officer of Internal Security." Jun tossed her the Core. "It'll do me no good. For a man in my position, austerity is security. You know a girl from the House of M, right?" Gwen nodded. "Problem solved. Do that thing you do, and _shout_ me a few fancy dinners if you feel bad about it." Gwen bit her lower lip thoughtfully. Caliban wagged its tail, expecting praise for doing the 'pangolin'. Still caught up in her contemplation, its Master retrieved it bodily, then gave it a mighty squeeze. Caliban exerted a squeal of gleeful pleasure as its carapace split, oozing a joyful grey goo. "Eeee!" Ariel raised a paw in protest; it received Gwen's apology in the form of a belly rub. Caliban objected and hissed at Ariel. Its brother had done nothing today! It deserved nothing! The marten nipped the serpent in return. "No!" Gwen scolded both of them. "Down! Hand! Roll over! Kisses!" She ran through the routine Chen had taught her. Nightly discipline was not to be missed, and she had already skipped a few nights thanks to their travel time. For a Creature Mage, obedience from Familiars must be active and subliminal. Jun watched his niece toy with her creatures. "You know, it's strange that you would treat your Familiars with such familiarity. In our doctrine, most Conjurers saw Familiars as little more than phenomena manifested from the spell of the same name. Those in the PLA especially often used Familiars as spell-fodder." "They're my babies," Gwen grinned. Jun shrugged. Then sat on the couch. Gwen soon joined him. There was no Vid-Cast and no fireplace, but the antics of the two Familiars provided plenty of entertainment. _Was this what a family was like?_ Gwen wondered. She thought of Hai, of the girls that Hai dated and more than often left in tears. She did not want to think about her mother. Her uncle turned to regard her. Gwen grew strangely aware that she was a young woman, a lonely one. Watching her uncle's gentleness, Gwen reminded herself that she was Hai's daughter, not his. "Are you alright, uncle?" "I am fine," Jun murmured, averting her curious gaze. The man studied the ceiling for a moment, then patted her head. "Sleep early. You've got a Queen Bee to digest. Remember, we're leaving at first light." " _Father._ " The all-powerful presence of the Yinglong atop Lotus Peak shrouded the Draconic Palace with miasma and mana, illusion and obfuscation, making its location impossible to scry even with the most powerful of Divination magic. "Speak." "Angkar is dead, Father. His presence is gone." An eye opened within the uncertain mist, enormous, almost the size of Ayxin's torso. "Angkar…" "The Earthen child, Father. He was born two decades ago, blessed by the permeation of your Essence into our land." The Yinglong exhaled a stream of vapour. "Father?" The single-slit pupil within Yinglong's eye made Ayxin shiver. What emotion was engendered there? Not even after two centuries could Ayxin tell. He had arrived to serve his Father at the behest of his Clan, but that had been a lifetime ago. He didn't even know if his relatives still existed. Likely not, as humans were woefully short-lived. The world had changed drastically since then; the Humans world especially had transformed more abruptly in the last fifty years than it had for the previous five hundred. The silence proved too oppressive for Ayxin to bear. "He was weak, Father, but he was one of us. Another decade and he would have gained the ability to metamorph himself. You need to—" The white-jade palace, an enormous cavern of granite smoothed out by the wind until it was pearlescent and achingly beautiful, shook as Ayxin's Father extended a limb. An eagle's claw with serpent's scales, adorned by brilliant cobalt-emerald peacock feathers, solidified from the mist, its foreclaw as tall as Ayxin himself. Ayxin knelt to kiss the claw, then prostrated himself. "Please admonish me for presuming your wishes, Father." "You will assume your original form until the culprits are brought before me for questioning. One wonders what it is about the matriarchal lineage that you loathe." An ill-humoured punishment. Ayxin tried not to let the displeasure reach his, or as it were—her face. A true spawn of the Yinglong, Ayxin could change her gender at will. Both forms had advantages and disadvantages, though as their Father preferred the male form, so did all of his children. Therefore, assuming the female form showed others that Ayxin was in disfavour. It further attracted unwanted attention from the lower ranks, especially those whose intelligence was tied to their mortal lineage. When Ayxin was a wyrmling, she had spent decades as a female. There had been yearly contests to _woo_ her, as the humans would put it, a futile endeavour which gave Ayxin a feeling of ambivalence. Dragons were wanton by nature, though Ayxin had found no one worthy to bear her brood. "If it pleases you, Father." Outside, Golos was waiting for her. He was surprised to see Ayxin in her fairer humanoid form. The Thunder Wyvern was one of the foremost powerful creatures within her Father's demesne, though his intelligence made him a blunt instrument. "You looking to lay?" Golos tilted its head, mocking her. Ayxin's response was glacial. "I am right here," Golos smirked with teeth. "I told you we should have stayed put. Angkar was a snivelling fool, the heavens will not rain for his passing, and the earth will not shake. He was an insect, nothing more." Ayxin gnashed her pearly teeth. Her siblings felt nothing for each other. If so, why was she bothered? Was it because of the lesser half of her heritage? Was that why she was prone to these sentimentalities? "We're going on patrol!" Ayxin declared annoyedly. She would have to give Golos another sound thrashing if he tried anything. Her half-brother combined the worst of Draconic chimaeras: the savagery and impulse of the lascivious Thunder Wyvern and the prideful, compulsive desire of the Winged Dragon. "I am hungry," Golos complained. Ayxin sighed. She looked toward the palace, where her Father had slumbered since immemorial. Before Ayxin was born, her mother... The pearlescent dragon-kin shook her head, swallowing her all too human feelings. She had wondered about Father's original mate, the first of her line. But all that was left was the dusty dowry, an Emperor's tithe, a time-faded silkscreen painting composed before the humans learned to recreate personages realistically. Ayxin's name was also unique amongst her siblings, consisting of a human syllable in place of the draconic tongue. "Ay" was Draconic for _air_. Its homophone meant "love". The second syllable, " _Xin"_ , derived from the Human language, read as "prosperity"; it was formed from three pictograms for "gold", though according to her Father, the archaic phonic was " _xùn_ "— meaning vessel. _So she was a vessel of air?_ Or was her name a phonic for love and prosperity? Or maybe, she was a _Lover's Vessel?_ That possibility was too crude and morbid to entertain. "I could do with a dozen goats," Golos reminded his half-sibling. In Golos' mind, she spent far too much time thinking and far too little time eating and doing what came naturally to dragons. "Maybe a carp. Think Ryxi dares to complain?" Ignoring the wyvern's grievances, Ayxin mounted her half-brother. She dug her claws into his flanks, striking sparks from the azure scales. Golos grunted, then lifted into the air. Once he reached a viable altitude, his wings unfurled, running their full length, bristling with bright feathers. For the spawns closest to their progenitor's bloodline, reptilian scales and bright plumage featured prominently. Finding the Humans would be difficult, assuming they had not retreated. They were diminutive beings, their presence almost negligible. She would return to Angkars' demise and try her best to retrace any tracks. Uncle and niece were up just before the first light. Gwen hadn't slept a wink, though she was abuzz with energy. True to Jun's prediction, her body had begun to absorb the vitality held captive within the Queen Bee. She could feel her Druidic Essence activate mote by mote, multiplying rapidly until its primal fecundity was spent. Sweating profusely and unable to sleep, Gwen sat on the bed and meditated until the alarm went off. "You're looking refreshed," Jun pointed out. Gwen told him about her swell of Druidic Essence. "Good," her uncle congratulated her. "We should not forsake any potential paths you could take to master your Void abilities." Gwen thanked her uncle. "Where do we go from here?" "We head towards Lotus Peak. The higher we go, the more likely we will find something with lightning as its base element. We'll camp out until we can capture something, ideally several things, then immediately retreat for the outer regions. Luck pending, we'll be here a week, maybe two." "What if those intelligent dragon-kin finds us? Do we fight them?" "We can negotiate, or we can escape. At worst, you'll be activating your contingency beacon. Don't worry about me if that happens. Unless the Yinglong shows up, nothing will prevent me from making a bolt for it. They'll give up pursuit once we're south of the Dragon Pine." The two emerged into the sickly daylight of the permanently overcast mountain, ready to move on. Transmuted Flight was out of the question. It ruined the Transmutation function of their Optic-Cloaks, and the magic left a jet stream of mana distinct to Humans. By mid-morning, Gwen and Jun penetrated the Sea of Clouds. True to its name, the cloud sea circled the three peaks of Huangshan like a cat, enveloping the granite tops and its draconic-silhouetted pine trees like a shroud. Occasionally, the two caught glimpses of blue sky, affirming their orientation via revelatory confirmations of Lotus Peak. Most of the time, the misty haze made orientation difficult. When the peak came into view again, Gwen felt slivers of ice stabbing her spine. "I think the Yinglong is up there," she noted to her uncle. "My Divination is acting all funny." "We're here to avoid it," he assured her. "Don't stare at the Peak too intently or anything. Let's not tempt fate." More than once, they almost ran headfirst into the local fauna. The first time it was a harmless mountain goat. When they hid and made their observations, they could see that it had claws for feet and that its teeth were tooled to rend flesh. Not knowing if it was a part of a herd, they left it alone. The next monster to encounter them wasn't so lucky. The duo's first victim was a bird creature, a mere head shorter than Gwen from head to tail. While Ariel distracted it with lightning sparks, Caliban snuck up in its spider form, made invisible by her new spell, and ambushed the creature by pinning it into a tree with its fore-limbs. The bird was then pulled, kicking, flapping and screeching into the Void-spider's all-consuming secondary maw. The commotion meant that they had to relocate. Carrying Gwen on his back, Jun pushed upward for another kilometre, then turned downhill for another two before moving up again, forming a zig-zag trail as the duo made for the Lotus Peak. She recovered a minute later, citing that the bird, for all its pretty plumage, was lacklustre on all accounts. When the sun reached its zenith, the duo arrived at the saddle of Lotus Peak. "Let's get a lay of the land first. Pass me the map." Jun produced a Divination-enhanced compass, a device that unscrambled the influence of leyline interference. Gwen watched and listened as Jun marked out three locations. A Sky Lake where magical creatures frequented, a grove that looked to be a prime nesting, and a gorge where Mermen were reported to have lightning-based abilities. Now that they were above an altitude where less hardy plants could grow, the pine coverage thinned, making progress easier thanks to the hard granite underfoot. Newly vitalised with the pangolin's Essence, Gwen made easy progress, outpacing even Jun, who became out of breath after an almost sixty-degree climb that lasted forty minutes. "Okay, take a break." Her uncle regarded her with a critical eye. She had leapt from rock to rock like a mountain goat. "I am an old man, you know? Have some decency for the elderly." Gwen laughed, berating her uncle for his dishonesty. Jun elected to self-buff, reinforcing himself with Enhanced abilities from the Transmutation school before they continued. The Sky Lake came into view an hour later after the two ate their military ration of nutritious un-food. From a distance, the "Billabong", as Gwen would know it, was formed between two outcroppings that created a wide wedge. One end appeared to have been dammed by fallen debris from a shattered crag, suggesting that the lake was likely made intentionally rather than naturally formed. Drawing on her recollection of National Geographic, Gwen knew that Huangshan lacked the altitude for glaciers, adding to her suspicion that the lake was a thing of design. The two remained cloaked and hidden as they surveyed their new hunting ground. Besides the watering hole were various creatures, each bearing a hint of Draconic ancestry. Goats the likeness of those Gwen had seen before roved in herds of a dozen and more. From a further edge of the lake, predatory fauna such as Owl-faced Bears warily watched the roving herd of omnivorous goats. The larger of the Owl-faced Bears particularly caught Jun's fancy, who noted its pelt could be converted into elemental-resistant battle armour. "The Americans prefer their Golem Plates, but us traditionalists always value mobility and flexibility," her Ash Bringer remarked, the ethos of his achievements speaking for themselves. The Owl-faced Bear they eyed was of the Asia-major species, more agile than stocky, reaching a little over the size of a full-grown man and weighing half a ton. The Draconic variant retained their hawkish facial features and cumbersome body, though their reptilian claws looked formidable. "Look over there." Jun pointed. "Draconic-macaques." _Goats and Macaques!_ Gwen's eyes widened at the sight of what she first thought was a dozen harmless fur balls hanging from trees. Now that she could adequately put into perspective what she was seeing, the damned things were numberless. They were so numerous that the enormous, heaven-piercing metasequoia beside the lake was drooping with the weight of their bodies! "I think we're in luck." Jun's voice turned hopeful, pointing to a herd of snow-white deer led by a massive stag. "Check those out." Gwen activated her Detect Magic, distinguishing that those were indeed Lightning-based creatures. The stag looked a little like a Kirin, with jutting antlers, a draconic face, scales covering most of the body, and hooves like jewels. "Beautiful," she uttered, feeling a pang of guilt. "Don't dwell on it," Jun reminded her. "Just one herd of those things could take out an entire season's crops. That hoard of monkeys could probably dismantle half of Hangzhou." "There's something in the water as well." Gwen registered the peculiar refraction. "The surface is brimming with motes of Lightning." Just as Gwen began to doubt her eyes, one of the goats approached the tranquil edge of the lake. It watched the surface warily, then, with great deliberation and care, began to lap. To Gwen's eyes, the motes of lightning instantly condensed. The goat rose into the air as though stepping on invisible stones. It had made it a dozen meters when the water's surface exploded, revealing the head of a fish-cum-serpent creature with a cumbersome, armoured head, saliently characterised by two whiskers. A Magical Carp! One whose dumb-founded expression was almost comical. A jolt of Tyrian-purple lighting lashed the goat from the whiskers, paralysing it midair. With another powerful swish of its tail, the nine-meter odd creature lunged into the air as though swimming through water, took the goat in distended lips, and then dove back into the lake. "A Dragon Carp!" Jun placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "That's no lake! It's a pool of condensed elemental mana! We're in luck!" Uncle and niece spent the next hour marking down the traits and habits of fauna they could observe. "We can start by isolating the smaller creatures. As for the larger ones, caution before action. We need to doubly affirm their numbers, intelligence, social groups, allies and enemies. One strike—that's all the chance we're getting each time. We take our prey and leave no traces. The more discreet our poaching, the more shots we can get at Core-harvesting. Hopefully, one of them would retain a Lightning spirit." "Alright, Uncle." Gwen turned to the map and studied it carefully. The updated map was overlayed with keys and guides, with colour-coded annotations for all the different creatures, their routes and territories. "If you want some meat tonight, though." Jun grinned. "I doubt anyone would miss one of those goats."

The Dragon Goat was lured with a can of half-opened Spam. Uncle and niece located a sheltered space between two crags, Transmuted a thin ledge, and then set up their Portable Habitat. Once they were snug and secure, a length of Everlong String and a can of processed meat managed to isolate a wandering goat looking to forage. When the bleating omnivore came close enough to the entrance, an ambushing Caliban in its spider guise materialised from its Invisible pretence and pierced the creature with its foreclaws. "Shaa-shaa!" Caliban deposited dinner at Gwen's feet, waving its scythe-like limbs. "Thanks, Cali." Gwen patted her pet's head, careful to avoid the forelimbs. They were outside the house proper, in the grey zone that extended twenty-odd meters in a radius around the bungalow. The pocket dimension had been empowered to afford extra storage, though anything outside the dwelling was stowed at the owner's own risk. "I am going to show you how to dress your kill," Jun instructed Caliban to hang up the goat. "But first…" Jun held out a bowl and collected the blood. "A pint of the fabled heart-blood of a Draconic-something. It'll be _fortifying_. Go on." Gwen stared at the bloody gloop in horror. "I'll pass." Jun wagged a finger at her picky eating. "You down a full-sized healer kicking and screaming, and now you're squeamish about drinking some blood? Just think of it as medicine." Gwen had no retorts. She took the bowl, held her nose, and then slammed the shot like a Bloody Mary. To her surprise, the blood did not taste too disagreeable. If anything, it had a hint of oxidising iron in an old factory. The flavour was a strange synaesthesia, nostalgic too; the blood's olfactory stimulus reminded her of the abandoned St James Station in Sydney, with its rusted rails. As with the Queen Bee, Gwen soon felt a heat roaring in her torso. Hopefully, it was the fire of vitality and not the water of dysentery. "We'll have as many pints as it takes for the diminishing return to hit." Jun nodded happily, drinking a bowl himself. "Oof! That's the stuff." After a few more bowls, they got down to work. "Alright, Caliban, take the hind legs. Yep. Just like that. Now spread them. Good. Forelegs too. Very good. Okay, Gwen, you're up." As a born and bred city girl, Gwen wasn't entirely sure what dressing an animal involved, though she could guess it didn't include bowties. By now, the Dragon-Goat was mercifully deceased. Caliban held the goat like a rack, rearing on its hind legs by locking its chitin-plated joints. The carcass was thus splayed like a cheerleader jumping in mid-air, in the likeness, _"gimme an X!"_ Jun passed Gwen a bowie-knife. "Cut here and here." Gwen sawed away, striking sparks. Jun raised an eyebrow. "Tough customer. Alright, draw me a mote of Void onto your fingertips." Gwen concentrated for a second, then carefully raised a stark-white finger with a dash of darkness at its extremity. "Try again." She did as she was told, with Jun giving the instructions slowly and meticulously. Where her fingers touched, the skin and flesh quickly fell apart. The unconventional use of her element gave Gwen an idea, though the execution of it was a little terrifying to entertain. "Right. So, the belly and bowel contents are high in contaminants and must be removed promptly to avoid contaminating the flesh. The body's organs need to be removed as soon as possible. Yes, that means everything from the throat to the anus." Gwen held back her Military Rations as bundles of stuff emerged, splattering the ground with obscene noises. "You see that? That's a scent gland. Mature male goats and deer have pungent scent glands. Do you see those? Balls. You don't think an animal of this size would have balls bigger than its brains, no? That tells you a lot about these Dragon Goats, hahaha." Her uncle's jocular manner made her both pale-faced from the gore and blushing from the brusqueness. Indeed, the Dragon Goat's member was like a bloody eel. Before Gwen could riposte her uncle's ill humour, Ariel dashed from the porch, snatched up the foot-long wang, and then fled. "Ariel!" Gwen felt a rush of blood reddening her face; she willed a jolt of Conjuration mana into compelling Ariel's obedience. "For fuck's sake!" "Ahahaha! It looks like your mongoose has a craving for snakes!" "Arrrgh! Ariel—!" * * * Her uncle took over sentry duty, gifting Gwen the opportunity for a good night's sleep. As Caliban was an existential insomniac, Gwen instructed the creature to keep Jun company. She found that whenever Jun patted the void-serpent, she could feel a phantom sensation upon her Astral Body. The strangeness kept her from sleeping, like a caress in her bones that she couldn't scratch, subtle but infinitely distracting. When morning finally came, she felt more tired than ever, while Jun appeared fully refreshed. "Blood not agreeing with you? I heard it could act like caffeine for some people." "Something like that." Gwen had to rinse and gargle multiple times; her morning breath may be because of the blood, but more likely, her restlessness was to blame. When the two re-emerged, the rising sun had cast a deep shadow across the valley, punctuated by geometric rays of burnishing coral which lit the peaks with fiery contours. Gwen found the splendour breathtaking until the cloud banks rolled in, making the majestic surreal. The valley's temperature, especially before it could receive the sun's consecration, was single-digits at best. Cooling currents of elemental air and water thus flowed down the mountain, epic streams of lazy mana, pooling and congealing, swirling in eddies and streams until they reached the bottom, collecting into the Sky Lake. "Magnificent." Gwen had seen Life of Pi in IMAX, but the view exceeded even that. "Yeah." Her uncle stood beside her, happy and refreshed. "Alright. Let's buff up! Fresh crystals for all your gear." * * * As they marked a perimeter for their hunt, the duo placed teleportation beacons here and there for insurance. "I suggest we proceed opportunistically," Jun suggested, satisfied that they had several routes of escape planned. "The goats and the small fauna will help, accumulatively at least. A little draconic Essence here and there. Even a mosquito has meat if you're eager enough. Wen said there should be diminishing returns on your Consume; I say let's find out its limits." The duo's ultimate target was the deer herd. As expected, the Thunder Deers were guarded by a massive buck the size of a people-mover van. In addition to emitting AOE Lightning, it made a cacophonic noise when charging, creating a thunderclap on impact. Gwen had witnessed one such attack when a civet-like predator tried to have a go at a fawn. The resultant sound from the stag was like rolling thunder, echoing from cliff to cliff, refracting from the surface of the Sky Lake. Their secondary target was the Dragon Carp. A voracious, vicious and mindlessly species willing to eat anything. Watching the dumb fish, Jun figured that they could likely fish one by using Ariel as bait. "EEEEeee?!" Ariel presented itself eagerly, happy to serve. Her innocent pet had eaten half of the goat member, forever losing its innocence. When she made it vomit, the bitten parts were gone as though atomised. "Both of your Familiars are strange, to say the least," he noted. "Caliban's on a whole other level, of course. Ariel is likewise unusually salient, or I should say, 'invested' within the Material Realm. It has taste, it can feel, it knows pain..." "Is that weird?" "I am not a Master Conjurer, so I can't offer any educated advice." Jun shrugged. "But let me remind you that you ARE running a _Signature Conjure Familiar_ unique to Kilroy." Jun's reminder made Gwen think of her deceased Master, engendering a tightness in her chest. She thought of the last time she had seen him, asleep beneath Sufina's Lifetree, presided over by the expressionless face of his eternal guardian, Master and Familiar, silent in the cold dark Grot. Was her Conjure Familiar yet another legacy from her Master? Her Master had drawn the Summoning Circle himself, had he not? Her Opa had likewise said the duo spared no expense. There was even a mention of Griffin blood, Powdered Mithril— Now that Gwen had received a practical education, the remembrance astounded her. _Griffin blood?!_ Where does one acquire Royal Egyptian Griffin Blood in Australia? _Powdered Mithril?_ That stuff was from the Demi-human Dwarves, from the depth of the Glocknergruppe range, east of Brenner Pass. _And herself?_ She had been just a fledgling Conjurer. Now that she was educated, those medium-tier Warding Glyphs looked suspiciously like Conjuration Glyphs. According to the instructions given by Magister Birch, the ones in her memory matched that of a Twin-Radii Octogramic Summoning Circle. An upper-tier circle formula used for a tier 1 Conjuration spell? Nothing made sense. "Hey, focus." Her uncle nudged her. They were lurking not far from the edge of the lake, two mucky cats eyeing the fish in the pond. "So, Ariel lures the carp when it clears the water. We'll both Alpha-Strike. I'll go for the limbs and fins; you go for the tail. We only need the head and torso. Caliban will collect, and then we'll make for Safe Point Alpha. We'll extract to Delta or Epsilon if anything goes amiss to regroup and assess." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Yessir." Gwen performed a salute. She ran the map locations through her head again, then commanded Ariel to go and drink. They had earlier discovered that allowing her lightning Familiar to bathe in the hyper-condensed mana increased its constitution little by little. Were it not for the fact that the waters were filled with tier 5 Ariel-eating Carp, Gwen would have happily allowed the little furball to soak. After a minute of Ariel's one marten, the full monty bath show, the first fish happened upon them. _The early carp gets the weasel!_ With a burst of Elemental Air, Water and Lightning, the glassy-eyed carp emerged in its six-meter glory. The front of its body resembled a koi, while the rest resembled a predatory Arowana crossed over with a sea snake. "Elemental Sphere!" "Ashen Spear!" Jun's spell struck first, executed with both finesse and precision, severing the creature's tendrils which it used for elemental attacks. The main body proved far too resistant even for Jun's penetrative potential, disabling only one of its four frontal fins. More importantly, Jun's Negative-Energy drain filled the struggling fish with Ashen thoughts of despair and apathy. _Whoomp!_ Gwen's Void-empowered orb imploded upon the petrified carp, striking its lower torso; first shrinking, then expanding into a two-meter sphere before erupting again as a concentric ring of necrotic ink, severing the creature in twain. As the carp's initial momentum brought it forward, Caliban emerged, first hooking into the front half of the still writhing Dragon-Carp, then fleeing for the Safe Point Alpha. "Gwen, you're up." Jun informed her that it was best they save his translocation device for emergencies, meaning it fell upon Gwen to act as their Dimension Door to and from the sheltering recess of the twisting pine grove. Once inside, her uncle checked the surroundings for danger with Ariel aided the Ash Mage by sniffing out potential adversaries while Caliban laid out their quarry. The two Mages inspected their still-living prey. To their relief, the Dragon-carp was a creature of lightning and air. Its eyes were glazed over, two giant yellow spheres which reflected the faces of its assailants. It opened and closed its mouth like a landed fish even though it could breathe the air as easily as it did the Elemental Water of the Sky Lake. From lake to plate, the poachers had a window of several minutes. These Magical Carp were hardy creatures. Without Jun, Gwen would have struggled to keep her prey from fleeing into the depth. Even with two-thirds of its body missing, its Draconic constitution could likely keep it alive, mayhap even regrow its lost lower half. "Consume!" A fraction of the creature's elusive Essence became absorbed by Jun's amulet; the other portion by Caliban. Gwen sat crossed-legged on the pine-needle-strewn floor, anticipating the rush. The ecstasy arrived a minute later, filling her with supernatural vitality, hitting 4 or 5 on the Nephres-Index. As before, the pair cleaned up their murder scene, then waited. When no pursuers appeared, they snagged a few Draconic goats, whose attraction to small furry animals scurrying for cover far exceeded their capacity to process caution and safety in numbers. While they waited for the Thunder Deer herd, the pair continued their Ariel Dragon-noodling. There were a few close calls when the marten was nearly swallowed, but Gwen found that she could unsummon her Familiar, even if it had entered the gullet of a four-hundred-kilogram carp. Any injuries Ariel sustained quickly recovered once her pet returned to the Pocket Dimension of her spell. The second day thus came to an end, three carps and a dozen goats stuffed into The Lurker in the Dark's limitless gullet without the slim creature showing so much as a bulge. Caliban coughed up three fist-sized Cores of various clarity. The carps' Cores were without hosts, but at least they were lightning. On the other hand, the goats were a mixture of primary elements that made them seldom more useful than low to mid-level materials. "Feed them to Ariel?" Jun suggested. "How desperate are you for crystals?" "Not overly much," Gwen handed the loot to her pet. "I am flexible." "Wait, don't feed Ariel now. What if it goes to sleep? You said that's what happened last time." "Oh yes, of course." Gwen was reminded that Ariel had been out of action for almost a week after the eland Core. She needed her marten with her right now. Any potential boosts for her familiar would have to wait, "The Dragon carps are dumber than I anticipated," Jun noted suspiciously once the duo retreated into their den. "You know what they remind me of?" "Pets?" Gwen thought of the Koi she had seen in Qīn's pond. "Cattle." Jun dug his chopsticks into a leg of roasted Dragon goat. Another reason for dressing the animal was to release the leftover Essence and residue mana so that mundane heat could be used to cook it. In high-class restaurants, Magically trained Chefs prepared chomps of vitality-filled Auroch-hinds with arcane fire in enchanted kitchens. There were rarer, higher-class restaurants where actual Mage chefs prepared rare and exotic Magical Creatures, crafting alchemical cuisine with magical properties. "They milk… the Carp?" Gwen tried her best to imagine how such a thing was possible. Did reptile fish even produce milk? Maybe they excreted gloop, one which could be synthesised into something edible. "For... meat," Jun corrected Gwen's overactive imagination, bemused and amused. "Did you notice how they kept to the Sky Lake even though they could swim through the air however they pleased? Maybe it's a pen to fatten them up?" "Hmm…" Gwen knew all about the dangers of stealing livestock. The greatest Australian folk song of all time was about an old swagman thrifting an escaped jumbuck til the troopers chased the poor bastard into a billabong, where he joined the fishes. Even now, they say one may hear the winds singing "Waltzing Matilda". As for why the story made a popular children's limerick, it spoke volumes for the morbidness of Australian bush humour. "Should we relocate?" "No, not at night." Jun carved out another generous portion for himself. "We'll check on the Thunder Stag and its herd again tomorrow. Whether it's present or otherwise, we need to move out." With dinner done, Gwen washed up. From the kitchen sink, she watched Jun undergo the rite of drawing Essence from his Kirin Stone. Her uncle wasn't even bothering to hide his Necromancy now. He gratuitously _masticated_ , for the lack of a better arcane metaphor, the Essences captured in the heirloom at every opportunity, keeping himself in peak condition. Thinking of Jun's proposal, Gwen felt full of disquiet. For how long could they remain hidden, poaching the Magical Beasts? Now that they were in the thick of it, her optimism that a Lightning Spirit presented itself miraculously seemed ever more dubious. What was the tipping point where risk outweighed the reward? She was too inexperienced to know. Nonetheless, she trusted Jun absolutely to make the right decision, regardless of the tinnitus buzz pinging her Divination Sigil, whispering that all of this was hubris and folly. * * * "Ryxi, it's not Golos," Ayxin halted her two half-siblings by placing her body between them. "He took one carp. I was there when he caught it." Ryxi snarled, his serpentine form sleek and slender as he coiled and uncoiled with barely contained rage, his ivory scales glimmering. "Those were meant for Father! They were a gift!" Unlike his siblings, Ryxi was the descendant of the White Serpent, one of the original residents of the Three Heavenly Peaks. Unlike the Yinglong, the Spirit-Serpent lacked the draconic vitality to survive past its second millennium, choosing instead to spend its final few centuries hibernating until its children could find something to prolong its life. Celestial Peak was where it made its home, though it was more accurate to say that the peak _was_ its _form_ since the great serpent slumbered in the guise of a skyward block of pure white granite. Over the years, Dragon pine and other flora had taken up residence on its body until it resembled a part of the original landscape. Of all their siblings, Ryxi was the oldest, though not the most powerful. Ruxin was the most powerful, though the Thunder Dragon rarely came home, preferring to wander abroad and consort with their oceanic cousins, the Hailong. Ryxi took after his mother, possessing a scholarly soul who found joy in rearing rare butterflies for half a century. Both brothers knew that Ayxin was the favourite, she had the most clout when any issue was presented before Father, and therefore it wasn't worth it to anger her. "I am missing FIVE Dragon-carp!" Ryxi snapped. "Goats too! Nothing else within Father's demesne has an appetite like this greedy, insatiable lizard!" "There should be other tracks." "What tracks?! The only tracks I could find was this fat lizard trailing carp-scales, blood and guts all over my territory!" Golos' temper flared. "I don't like your tone, brother. When was the last time you shed your skin? I hope it won't take another century for your scales to grow back," the wyvern threatened his sibling smugly. He knew the spineless Ryxi couldn't stand up to him, not before and certainly not now. It was just a carp; father was barely awake these days. When would he even have the time to eat stupid carp? "Shut up! Both of you!" Ayxin spat, her draconic eyes sparked with annoyance. "We have an intruder into the realm. I believe they took Angkar." "Who? The earthen whelp? He's useless." Ryxi seemed confused about what possible use anyone could have for something as diluted and un-dragon-like as Angkar. Hundreds, if not a thousand, beings like Angkar in the lower reaches. Ryxi wouldn't even consider them Father's spawn, for they were merely mundane Magical Creatures who had taken up aspects of their father's immortal Essence as his slumbering spirit permeated the mountain. If someone cared about those bastards every time they died, he would have no time to tend to Bonzai, fish, or silkworms! How would Ayxin like it if she had no silk to cover her immodesty? Golos was terrible enough as he is. "Maybe one of the others ate him?" Ryxi suggested. The list of culprits could go on virtually forever. Angkar's primary defence was to become a tasty, crunchy ball. Both he and Golos could arguably swallow Angkar whole. "No, this is different." Ayxin put a finger to her lips, making the others stare. "It's the intruders, I know it. They have no scent and leave virtually no tracks. All I found was Elemental Ash and something else." "What is it?" "I don't know." Ayxin couldn't put it into words. It was truer to say that she detected an absence. However, Angkar had ceased to exist. Where his scent was everywhere at first, it suddenly disappeared as though their sibling had evaporated. "Look, forget about Golos. Keep an eye on your flock. Stop playing around with your insects and miniature trees, and stay near Sky Lake. Tell me as soon as you find something. Hold them down until we can arrive." The three Dragonkin were perched, coiled, and seated on a rocky crag overlooking the Sky Lake below. The moon hung high in the sky, though only a little pierced the thick banks of elemental air circulating to and fro from one peak to another. "Fine," Ryxi muttered, displeased with the unsatisfying outcome. "I shall be as watchful as my originator, a veritable stone sentinel." * * * "We're in luck!" Jun hollered. The duo was indeed in luck. After more than two days at the Sky Lake, the Thunder Stag and its herd finally returned. They were there as soon as uncle and niece had emerged from the Habitat, each animal carefully taking turns drinking from the liquefied elemental air of the lake. The buck, a big brute well over four meters and zinging with excess motes of lightning, stood guard while the females drank one after another, guiding their fawns to sup at the condensed mana. "We'll have to take down the buck first," Jun observed. "As for the rest, how ambitious do you feel?" "Very." "Heh, alright. That means we'll try to corner the whole pack, the females, fawns and all." Gwen fought down the thought that she was mass-murdering innocent beasts. Though the Thunder Deer had Draconic facial features, they remained gentle creatures with a clear emphasis on herds and family. The old Gwen of Sydney would have surely revolted at so much slaughter. The current Gwen was hungry in more ways than one. "Alright, what's the play?" "Distract with Ariel, alpha strike the buck, disable, not kill, until you can Consume. I'll construct a Blade Barrier to the left and right in a triangular arc, pinning them against the water. Assuming they can't fly, they should be trapped. Start Consuming as soon as it is safe to do so. Once Barriers are up, I'll help you with the rest." "Are we giving up being discrete?" Jun nodded. "Calculated risk. The Stags are too skittish to hunt one by one. Here is an opportunity, Gwen. A docile, high-tier, Elemental Spirit. It's too good a chance to pass up. There are potentially two dozen cores here." "No risk, no gain." Gwen convinced herself. "That's right. Keep an eye out. Remember, stick close if we run into the Demi-humans from last time. Extraction via point Beta to Episolon." "Alright, Uncle." Gwen stilled her guilty heart. Indeed, the prospect of a high-tier Spirit drowned her protest. By God! If she could get her Affinity to Eight, her spell volume and damage would be immeasurable! For the IIUC, she could keep casting without pause until the opposing Abjurer was OOM, then continue unabated until victory was all but certain! She thought about Lulan's speciality, that spell-flurry of ceaseless strikes! If she could perform the same with Lightning or Void, they could make a ridiculous range-melee combination. Gwen felt shivers up her spine. All she could do was ask nature to forgive her transgression. _I am sorry, deer fawns._ To Doe, or not to Doe, there was no question. It was time to crash the stag's party.

Ariel again played the Judas Goat, making itself visible as it sashayed toward the Sky Lake's edge to partake in nature's bounty. Initially, the Thunder Stag regarded the unexpected intruder with wariness. By instinct, its caution was quickly dispelled by curiosity as it noted an ancient, emerald presence, more alluring than anything the stag had ever encountered in its half-century of existence. The source of the glow was a viridescent light held in the marten creature's mouth-pouch. The stag ventured closer, followed by a few braver females, licking their Draconic snouts. Others soon followed, perceiving that it was safe when the alpha began sniffing the minuscule predator. Soon, the herd formed a small semicircle around the marten. " _Hrrmph!"_ The stag nudged Ariel, demanding that it give up whatever prize it held, greedy for the delicious fecundity withheld by the marten. Bullied and harassed, Ariel dropped the crystal at the buck's feet. The marten was gone in the next second, remembered only by a streak of silver. "Neerrrgh?" The stag nudged the crystal. Perhaps it was edible? The crystal cracked. _BUNG!_ Though Thunder Deer were no strangers to a good racket, the _Flashbang_ that now struck the herd seared their eyeballs and jarred their brains. The resultant din echoed far and wide across the misty sound, sending the lake's surface to churn. "NEERRRRGH!" The stag panicked, swinging its mighty sixteen-pointers to and fro, knocking aside doe and fawn in its frenzy. Its eyes became dark; its ears rang with tinnitus. All it could smell was fear, the scent of blind terror from its herd, with the females shitting and pissing as they hysterically scattered. _Whirp! Whirp! Whirp! Whirp! Whirp!_ There was a strange metallic vibration in the air, so loud as to be audible even to the stag's impaired sensory organ. It inhaled the redolence of blood, tasting the iron in the air. A female had died! Then another! And another! "EEEAARMF!" the Thunder Stag Buck roared, gathering lightning into electrified horns. It would envelop its entire surrounding with a lightning field, bypassing its herd and injuring its enemies. "Conjure Elemental Void Swarm!" A series of chants concluded somewhere near it. Sudden vertigo overwhelmed the herd, sending the weaker creatures tumbling to their knees. The stronger ones buckled and bolted, only to run into a wall of scything blades formed from scalding ash, severing limbs and heads. Those that survived the dismembering sank limply onto the grassy knoll, choosing instead to bleed out, losing the will to flee. _Shaa shaa shaa..._ a strange sound followed. The buck was cunning enough to wait until the sound of crawling intruders could be palpably felt within the perimeter of its electro-sensitive fur. As the charge in its horns peaked, it unleashed a semi-dome blast of lightning and thunder, forming a circumference of crisscrossing electricity twenty meters across and expanding rapidly. With its reserves spent, the stag snorted the scent of charred grass, ionised air, and lingering ozone. "Neerrrgh!" it warned its females not to stray too far. _Shaa shaa shaa..._ _Shaa shaa shaa..._ _Shaa shaa shaa..._ The strange noise came on again. The stag circulated a jolt of lightning through its body, fortifying its fur with an electrified charge capable of instantly killing lesser creatures. All around it, the insane bleats and neighs of its females tempted the stag to flee. Within its hormone-induced brain, self-preservation and herd instinct fought for dominance. Its vision returned as its wounds healed. The stag raised its head proudly, its electrified irises contracting, ready to ignite the first enemy it spotted. The first and last thing it saw was two tentacles, one red and the other blue, a fraction of a second before their lamprey's lips, lined with thousands of grinding teeth, kissed its eyeballs. "SHAA-SHAA!" A three-metre Death-Gila brought the stunned stag to its knees, its jaws distended impossibly, ready for the feast to come. Caliban needed no coaxing from Gwen to execute the dazed stag with two direct strikes to the eyes, instantly causing its body to go limp. When her Void-Familiar had been caught in the Lighting AOE, Gwen had felt her heart skip. Even in its thick-skinned Gila form, the energy had been enough to de-glove Caliban from faceless mien to bladed digit, stripping away its obsidian toad skin to reveal pulsating purple flesh beneath. Had Caliban been a creature with actual biology, it would have died from the shock. Chocked full of usurped vitality, Caliban recovered in the next instant, drawing upon its stores to replenish its physical presence within the material realm. Gwen gave up her excess without reserve, willing her creature to gorge itself. Meanwhile, her previously repelled Void Swarm again manifested, fueled by carp and goat. Her error had been a product of inexperience; she couldn't hold onto the final incantation and had blown the spell's payload too soon. As for her long-anticipated Void Elementals, courtesy of Magister Wen's extensive research on her Master's signature incantations, the result proved spectacular and terrifying. She had presumed scarabs or even long-limbed netherworld aberrations, but she got lampreys—slick, slithering lampreys—roving as an oily, oozing mess of hungry mouths, moving en masse. Thousands of lampreys swarmed over one another in an eager bid to reach the feast before them. What was worse was that, like Caliban's serpent form, the things had no eyes. Worse still, Gwen had seen the spectacle before. Though she had no dark egg to house her swarm like Elizabeth Sobel, her inadvertently identical manifestation hinted at their undeniable link. "Mao, that's a terrifying sight!" Her uncle also felt the Void's impact, growing paler as he maintained both Bladed Barriers. "At this rate, we're definitely going to have company! Get Consuming!" Gwen needed no encouragement from her uncle. Caliban was already at work. It sucked in the four-meter stag with a single gulp before turning upon the hapless females. Meanwhile, her swarm had reached the weakened herd members too hurt or injured to thrash and kick. The lampreys slithered up the bloodstained coats of horrified deer as they bleated in hysteria, lapping up the scarlet dew. Except for those made insensible by Jun's Ash, the rest began an insane shriek that echoed around the valley, filling Gwen's ears with madcap, child-like wailing. _Gods!_ She was going to be sick! Gwen willed herself to steel her proverbial spine. _But she couldn't relent now!_ The slaughter must continue. She was doing this for a Lightning Spirit! To stop would be an insult to her uncle's endeavour! She scanned the horizon. Gwen knew it wouldn't take long for reinforcements to arrive. That Druidic Essence empowered Flashbang, the Thunder Stag's AOE, the slaughter within which they were now engaged; each one was enough to draw the Yinglong's ire. _“MEeaaaaaah!”_ _“Meeeeeh!”_ _“EEeeaa!”_ _“Baaeeah!”_ _"SHAAA!"_ Unlike Caliban's Master and her uncle, her pet had no qualms. Young and old, large and small, wounded and maimed, the Void-worm had never known a more celebrated orchestra in all its life. The feast was endless. It leapt from creature to creature, Consuming one after another, shrugging off lightning strikes that would strip off its hide, shatter its carapace or displace its limbs. Somewhere, a fawn tried to hide by digging into the carcass of its mother. Caliban cared not. The more it fed, the haler it became. By its third doe, the Void Swarm joined the slaughter; prey ceased struggling altogether as a swarm of dark and unspeakable things smothered their bodies and delved into every orifice, natural or otherwise. "Careful." Jun hid behind Gwen, safe from her hungry, hungry lampreys. "Good god, that is A LOT of Essences. My Kirin Stone is hot with absorption. Another minute, then we DD! Exfil to designation Beta!" "The Cores…" Gwen wanted the Cores. "Don't be greedy," Jun cautioned her. "Caliban already has the buck stowed inside and a dozen others. Besides, you'll be out like a candle." She blinked. It was true. Gwen had been so concerned that she had neglected that she wasn't consuming one or two of these things but dozens! "Caliban! We're leaving!" She drew up her next spell effortlessly. "Dimension Door!" She left the swarm manifested as they made their escape, taking as much of the biomass into her as she could. Like Caliban, each lamprey was returning to her tiny slivers of health; en mass, they added up. Like the wind, the pair blasted through the cloud forest on her Dimension Doors, moving faster than she had ever accomplished in all her career as a Mage. Two kilometres into the mist-shrouded pine forest, Caliban delivered its payload. "Uncle! Help—!" Gwen let loose a cry more embarrassing than anticipated, stifled by forcibly clenching her jaws. She had commanded it to hold on, but there was a limit to her Familiar's proverbial bladder. Jun caught her as she doubled over. Her breath was coming in rags; her eyes were rolling back into her skull. Gwen hid her face against Jun's chest. The alternative was too upsetting. A quick manipulation of the Portable Habitat opened up its near-invisible entrance, after which the two were gone from sight. Ryxi had never been gladder that he wasn't the combative sort of Dragon-kin. The lineage of the White Snake were intellectuals of Elemental Air. They were scholarly beings, creative and interested in the world. When met with an interesting stimulus, their first instinct was to study the thing, a world's difference from, say, its Thunder Wyvern half-brother, whose preference would be "can I eat it?" followed by "what if I mated it?"; when one failed, Golos chose destruction. When the culprits appeared, he had been meditating in the Sky Lake, well covered by the clouds. A first, Ryxi felt cheated. If he had caught Golos bloody-clawed and gore-toothed, there would have been a case to make in front of Father. His first instinct was how to toy with the two humans. After all, Ryxi was a master of mirage and illusion, and these were puny mortal beings. He watched with great interest as the creatures ambushed his animals, waiting for them to expend their mana before he could strike. Ryxi relished his herd; he often milled their horns to make alchemical medicine for himself, crafting pills for his father and mother. He disliked the buck; Ryxi had a strange suspicion that the boisterous brute might be a spawn of Golos. One of the Mages passed a viridescent crystal to its pet, a ferret. The gem was of great interest to Ryxi because there was a familiar but also alien energy within it. He watched it being delivered to the stag. _BUNG!_ _An incapacitation spell! How wonderful!_ His scholarly curiosity lasted until the larger Human manifested a dark fire, heat without matter, an all-consuming force that sapped all life. "Heavenly Father above!" Isn't that the power of the Drought Goddess?! Ryxi would have opened his eyes wider were they not set into his skull by bone plates. A second barrier went up, ashen blades reeking of desolation and destruction cornered his herd. Ryxi shook head to tail, all fancy of fighting fleeing from his mind. It was a cowardly thing to do, but he wasn't about to go tail-to-toe with a descendant of the thrice-damned Drought Goddess. His ancestors, the original occupants of the Three Peaks, had learned that the hard way. Now only his mother remained. Just as the White Serpent didn't think things could get worse and he should probably report to Ayxin, he felt an aversion strong enough to turn his gullet. A horrid beast was ravaging his stag! It was eating his deer alive! Yinglong above, he saw it penetrate the buck's SKULL with—tentacles? WHY IS THERE A DEATH GILA?! ARE THOSE NOT FROM THE FAR PLANES? Ryxi had no idea his race— the divine White Cloud —could regurgitate into their mouth without prior abdominal contractions. Now he knew. He had inhabited this body for almost five centuries and was still learning new things. Then a swarm of dark things began to consume everything in sight. The White Serpent held the goat carcass in his mouth, afraid to provoke the condensed mixture of Air and Water that made up the Sky Lake. "Caliban! We're leaving!" Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. _Thank the Dragon-father!_ Ryxi thought to itself. He waited another minute to ensure the poachers didn't double back to catch a delicious White Serpent guiltily slinking away. Ryxi knew he had to find his half-siblings as soon as possible. If the Mages were to escape the mountain range, he would lose track of their whereabouts. The serpent lifted effortlessly into the air before speeding toward Ayxin's territory, adjacent to their father's White-Jade Palace. _The Drought Goddess had returned!_ Ryxi baulked, and her attendant controlled a Death-Gila! Gwen dreamt of a white-jade palace. A palace sculpted from granite, shaped by wind and will until it was perfect. Nine mystical thresholds led from the saddle to the mount's zenith, for thereupon Lotus Peak perched the White-Jade Hall, within which sat the Nephrite Throne. Within its vaulted hall, a mighty presence slept, slumbering the years away, bathing in a concourse crisscrossing with Elemental Air, Water, and Positive Energy. There, amongst the throne room pillared in white, in the midst of which sat an enormous lotus, she saw Master and Mountain both bathed in incandescent light. The peculiar synaesthesia induced a wave of déjà vécu. There had been a time when she, too, experienced the intimacy of land beneath one's feet, entwined body and soul. The old Dreamer, Goolagong, had slapped her chest, thighs and buttocks with earthen handprints, dabbed her forehead with ochre and red earth and painted her abdomen. _"Kapi! Kapi! Kapi!"_ uttered old Goolagong, slapping her thighs. Gwen had slapped her belly, following awkwardly. The landscape beneath her feet shifted. As in a lucid dream, she travelled where she wished. Red earth, blue skies. Short, stunted trees sighed at waterless creeks. A flat and vast expanse now stretched before her, extending from nowhere to infinity, its distance maddening. Here was the Dreamtime, conceiving a continent rich and untouched. Gwen blinked; she was back in Huangshan again, her face wet with dew as she stood upon a Dragon pine, watching the cloudscape unfold as a silk-screen painting. The mountain called to her. It compelled her. She had taken so much of it inside her already. Why not join it? She could be the land, as unmoving as the three Heavenly Peaks. She could be the air itself, wandering and weightless. She could bath in the light of the risen sun. She could shower in the rain cascading from the crags, awash with white water; she could delve into depthless gorges below. But the vastness frightened her and threatened to overwhelm her, so she _dreamed_ of more familiar places. Within herself, Gwen saw the intimate glow of Almudj's Essence, forming the contour of a multi-hued serpent coiled and slumbering. The outward world pressed in. Almudj's will rolled outwards like a tide. Her world folded inwards, pulsing like a heartbeat. She was straddling two worlds, disorientated to the extreme. Like a retreating tide, the two visions flowed into each other; the ebb and flow of life and land, living in one another, falling apart, coming together. She felt homesick for the native jacaranda, the blood gum, the iron-oxide earth. She saw a Dragon Pine wilt, fighting the dry, foreign wind. She saw, from the misty peaks awash with rain, bushfires of the black north choking the blue sky, she saw a harsh horizon rimmed with red drought. How could a tree from a temperate land withstand such a thing?! Gradually, the arched, gnarly pine growing from a granite crag withered; in the next moment, it was abloom with flaming galahs, fuming with wild wings! The pine needles, the wet squelch of fecund southern soil became overpowered by the scent of blooming dogwood under the stark moon, sweet from the hint of thunderstorms crackling cane fields. From a red-stone throne in a vast desert, she saw the ponderous form of Almudj staring out, its obsidian orbs iridescent amidst the scintillating colour of its rainbow scales. From the triple-silhouette of an eastern mountain, she saw the shape of a winged dragon; its wingspan stretching from peak to peak. Gwen gasped, her breath catching in her chest; the pressure from the two beings was immense. A thick-fingered pair of dark-skinned hands took her by the wrist. _"Kapi! Kapi! Kapi!"_ came the voice of old Goolagong, slapping her thighs. " _Come, girl! The corroboree is this way!"_ _"Almudj!_ _The rainbow snake_ _see it take wing_ _the wind_ _and water fills the rivers and gullies_ _and billabongs!"_ _"Migloo girl! Did you know that Almudj dislikes strangers?"_ Gwen tried to speak, but she was in the grip of a power far greater. "Yes." old Goolagong pointed at the winged dragon haughtily. "Almudj will attack strangers! It is known!" "Woa! WOA! It's me!" Gwen's fist smacked into something solid. "Ooomph! Careful now." Jun's face hovered over his niece, wincing. "Are you alright?" Dazed and nodding, the girl straightened her camisole and then pulled her legs closer to her body. Her eyes swiftly studied the room before returning to his face. "I am okay now, Uncle Jun." She saw him nursing his ribs. "Sorry..." Jun retreated, wondering if he should imbibe a healing potion. His ribs felt like someone had rammed them with a small truck. When he had heard the commotion, he burst into the thankfully unlocked bedroom to find her writhing on the bed, grinding her teeth with a dangerous intensity. Failing to wake her even with a slap, Jun ran to the kitchen, fetched a wooden spoon, and shoved it into her mouth. Bodily wounds could be healed, but a severed tongue could spell the end of their poaching adventure. _Still, the girl was unnaturally strong!_ Too strong, in his expert opinion. She could rival a buffed Transmuter! Was the Draconic Essence to blame? There was plenty of it in his Amulet, but the girl's Consume had never interacted with Human nor Demi-human Essence before, such as those of the bipedal Gila or the Merfolk. Unsure of how to proceed, he kept her grappling before resorting to more drastic measures, like flushing her body with his Ashen mana. It would alleviate her struggle, but they had neither access to a medical facility nor a healer who could offset the Drain. It would be disastrous if he accidentally triggered her priceless Contingency Ring. What would Magus Shultz think if Gwen disappeared and reappeared in the Pudong Tower, raving mad, frothing at the lips? Perhaps more terrifyingly, his mother's wrath would be unthinkable! Klavdiya had been against the trip herself, preferring Gwen to travel with her peers to well-explored Dungeons. Thankfully, the girl recovered. Unthankfully, she then punched him. "Sorry," the girl apologised, her expression full of mortification. He told her not to worry. Perhaps it was best he injected the healing potion out of sight. "I'll be in the kitchen. Come out and explain what's happening to yourself, if you can. If you can't, we're going home. I'll have breakfast ready." He felt his terms were a little harsh, but there were no 'maybes' when a Yinglong hung over their heads. If Gwen suffered an episode while they were hunting, the best he could do was trigger her Ring and run for the woods. In silence, he made breakfast: nutritious ration soup and toast with milk and Wildland honey. His niece emerged ten odd minutes later, hair slicked back in a ponytail and padded up in her sneak suit. The girl seemed taller, Jun felt, or was it her presence that changed? "Uncle." Gwen turned to face him seriously, ready to explain. Jun took a sip of his military coffee. The acrid taste must have been modelled on the philosophy that what couldn't kill you woke you up. "I am listening." His niece took a deep breath before opening her hands, cupping the familiar glow of her Druidic Essence. Jun leaned toward the brimming liquid. It was different somehow. The energy felt alive, wilful, possessed by a commanding presence. A _Draconic_ presence. Had all the Dragon souls she inadvertently consumed joined with the Druidic Essence? Or had the girl always been capable of assimilating Essence as an innate ability? When he dipped a finger into the mana, he felt goosebumps. Jun had fought Dragons before. Staring down an adult Dragon gave one the feeling of facing down a storm front stretching across the horizon, a tsunami drawing back the tide, or a forest fire that blackened the sky. Spellcraft may have allowed Humans to harness the energies of the Planes, but nature easily reminded them that she was effortlessly more potent. That was the feeling he got now from the dancing viridescent mana within Gwen's hands. "Uncle Jun." Gwen's face was equal parts apprehension and excitement. "My Druidic Essence… I think it has gone and taken on a new nature!" Gwen was very sorry she punched her uncle Jun. The first few seconds of her groggy wakefulness had been punctuated with irrational fear, especially as a man was pinning her arms. Though Faceless and Edgar were a lifetime behind her, some things refused to be forgotten. Her precious clothes were drenched and tattered. There was something in her mouth that she'd been biting, which turned out to be a cooking paddle swaddled with a pillowcase. The guilt of punching her uncle was overshadowed by the lucid vision she had just undergone. When was the last time she had Sang the Snake, dreamt the Dreaming? Not since her Xmas adventure with the girls, when they fought Wanka. Had Almudj awakened? _Had she awakened it?_ She recalled seeing the red rock of Uluru; there was something else—the Three Peaks! Lotus Peak! There was a white-jade hall and the Yinglong! "I'll be in the kitchen. Come out and explain yourself..." uncle Jun understood, as always. He was always worried for her. Once she was alone, Gwen turned her mind inward. Last time, when the Rainbow Serpent had left, a part of it had remained in her, a spark of primordial divinity that had made her special, giving her a way to combat the hunger of the Void. This time, Almudj's intervention was born from anger and possessiveness. Calming herself, Gwen rationalised the phenomena. Almudj was an old and natural existence, a mythical being from times immemorial. Dragons, for all intents and purposes, even Chinese ones, were largely the same thing. Creatures of magnificent elemental Affinity intimately linked to land and legend. Assuming she was Almudj's kin, wouldn't that mean that her possessing its _Essence_ made her an extension of Almudj's domain, sharing its presence and being? If so, her voracious consumption of the _Essence_ of creatures engendered by the Yinglong would she not offend Almudj? After all, she had been cramming Draconic vitality into her body intemperately for days. Just in the last twenty-four hours, she had Consumed at least a dozen deer, including a buck. _Oh no._ Gwen bit her metaphoric tongue. Did that count as cheating on Almudj? She switched to her mind's eye. Within her Astral Body, she saw that the fortifying vitality stolen from the Draconic creatures now nourished her Druidic Essence. For Gwen, her limited understanding of the mystical phenomena could only be clarified by the imperfect analogy that Almudj, _a_ _native fauna,_ was subsuming the _invasive species_. After all, her Rainbow-scaled kin hated usurpers and invaders more than anything. For now, her 'Amuldj' Essence swelled with vigour, floating beside raw motes of lightning and Void. As for her Astral Body, it glowed a bit brighter but otherwise remained the same. As for what her Druidic Essence 2.0 portended— She had no idea. If nothing else, her Divination Sigil remained as quiet as a church mouse. Once outside the Habitat and within the grey zone, uncle and niece were eager to see what her new mana had portended. "So, your Druidic Essence is taken up with the Dragon juice," Jun observed. "Try circulating it—" His niece closed her eyes— "Steady now..." Jun self-buffed with Detect Magic. He saw the viridescent Essence infuse his niece's body. There was the distinct feeling of existential oppression again, though it was faint. It was stronger than what the pangolin could manage but far from the Wyvern. "Can you cast anything with it?" Gwen pointed a finger away from them. "Barbanginy!" A cobalt arc of plasma appeared in the distance. A regular old Lightning Bolt. "Mao!" Jun noted the change in his nieces' Affinity far more readily than Gwen herself, whose brows furrowed. "Try again!" Gwen shook her head. "I can't work it into the Sigils." The girl looked devastated by her continued inability to tap into her Almudj-Essence. "It's the Spellcraft, I am sure. Our element-integration algorithms aren't compatible with it. I can feel it trying to feed into my mana channels, but my spells refuse to recognise it." Jun felt a wild thrill thumping through his chest. "Nonsense! Lightning! Gwen! Please give me the best blast of Lighting you possess! Lightning! PURE LIGHTNING!" Gwen's eyes glowed electric-blue as she channelled the maximum allotment she could muster. With his encouragement, the girl was giving it everything she had. "Lightning Bolt!" A bolt of lightning ionised thirty-odd meters away, as thick as Gwen's leg, its plasma so vivid as to leave a scar burning across their vision. An ear-splitting _CRACK!_ resounded a split-second later, almost deafening the duo. "What's your Affinity NOW!?" Jun held his niece's shoulder. His voice quivered. "I- I don't know." The pitch of the girl's voice rose at least two octaves. Her heart rate rose well over a hundred. Her breathing quickened as she tried to clear her head for a better measure of what was to come. "Let me try to gauge my mana-quotient." Jun helped Gwen with a quick breathing routine to soothe her mind. "Okay—now keep going." "Lightning Bolt!" "Lightning Bolt!" "Lightning Bolt!" "Lightning Bolt!" "Lightning Bolt!" "Lightning Bolt!" "STOP!" Jun halted his niece. The grey space was shuddering. Any more, and they might deactivate the Portable Habitat. Regardless, he was certain Gwen's Affinity had gone through the proverbial roof. The clarity of her lightning Mana may as well be directly harnessed from the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Lightning itself. "I am not sure, but it's using three-quarters of the mana I used to," her voice quivered. Like Jun, Gwen was trying to work out the calculations in her head. Without instruments, they could only manage an educated guess. It was common knowledge that Elemental Affinity impacted casting cost and power. Previously at 4.8, Gwen enjoyed an unprecedented discount of mana cost at 50% of her lightning spell's designated VMI cost. With a decrease of 25% on her current casting, if she had to ballpark a figure- "Tier... 6?" There was an old saying amongst Elementalists. 'Four's hard work; Five's talent, Six is good luck." It meant that no matter how hard a Mage laboured, they may never reach a baseline tier 6 elemental Affinity. "Tier 6?!" his niece squealed with glee. "I am tier 6, Uncle! Unbelievable! Amazing! Oh! I can't believe it!" "Ha! Congrat—" Before Jun could confirm her growth, his nostrils filled with the soft scent of floral shampoo. His niece had wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely. "Tier 6!" Gwen's gleeful voice choked with happiness. "That's incredible, Uncle. I… God… I …” _Was she crying? Why was Gwen crying?_ Jun couldn't fathom why Gwen was so distraught. All he could do was wrap his arms around her slim shoulders and the small of her waist, feeling a patch of wetness built on his collar. Jun had imagined a moment like this in the past. He, too, once had the proverbial dream of a family, of a child who had been accepted into an elite university, her future assured. As a father, Jun would congratulate her, and then she would hug him—like so. When later he was told of his infertility, he had buried those fancies. They remained in place, the girl sobbing and the uncle patting her back, for longer than either would have liked to admit. "You have made me happier than you know." His niece pulled away before facing him, her eyes wet and a little swollen, her white face melting his heart. Suddenly, she lifted her lips to his grizzled chin, then kissed him on the cheeks. "Thank you, Uncle Jun." "I am glad t-that you're happy." Jun released the girl. The touch of her softness lingered, moist against his stubble. His mind struggled to find something suitable to say that wouldn't betray Hai, his bastard of a useless brother. "I am _happy_... too," he remarked after a while, unable to find the words. His niece materialised a handkerchief and applied the corners to her eyes. "Sorry." She sneezed into it. "Got a little 'too' emotional there. Ha! Not very becoming of me. Let me freshen up. Then we can go. We have to relocate as soon as possible, right? We can test the new Essence later when it's safer, probably back in Shanghai." "Yeah, that's fine." Jun felt more paternal at this moment than he had his entire life, finding himself drunk on the unexpected bliss. He touched a hand to his chin, wondering how else he could dote on the girl, his heart flushing with immeasurable affection. _What else could they do?_ "Maybe there's a herd of Void-deer somewhere too? You never know!" Jun's insensible gesticulation had not escaped his niece's notice, who bit her lips before fleeing for the ensuite. Watching her go, Jun felt a novel satisfaction. _Happiness?_ He wasn't one for sentimentality, but if this wasn't it, then no other satisfaction would suffice.

"Ryxi…" Ayxin pinched the centre of her brow ridge. In her draconian form, she had a single horn—a little protruding ivory tooth forming a distinct and aesthetic addition to her androgynous appearance. However, her eyes had grown glacial with displeasure, the ultramarine of her vivid orbs resplendent against the obsidian slits that formed her iris. Golos spat a glob of phlegm at their eldest sibling. The viscous gunk splattered on Ryxi's Emperor-moth silk robes. Their eldest took the insult with measured dignity. "I don't know what to say." Ayxin shook with emotions she didn't know she still possessed. "The Drought Goddess. You expect us to believe that?" "It's the truth!" Ryxi had chosen to bypass the stage of haughty denial, arriving straightaway at despairing defeat. Their eldest had presented himself in his Draconian form, a slender male with a feminine silhouette, the equivalent of showing one's belly. It was degrading, but it drew sympathy from Ayxin. Ryxi knew he had humiliated the lineage by not attacking the intruders, but what did his siblings expect him to do? The last time he had struck an outsider was two decades ago. The last time he fought Golos, the Wyvern had stripped off half his precious scales, after which Ayxin had to intervene. "It was terrifying! They were slaughtering my stock like Merfolk! There was a hideous creature eating them alive! Alive, Ayxin! Swallowing them whole! The Death Gila stabbed the buck in the eyes with its members!" Golos shifted its impressive bulk. "It kills with its penis?" Golos demanded. "How big are we talking?" Ryxi made the dimension with his hands. "That's nothing. Are we talking, prehensile or what?" "I think it had a mouth on one end." Golo's reptilian face took on a contemplative air. "… Lined with teeth!" Ryxi added. "This thing is an abomination!" Golos declared, snapping his maw and shifting his barbed tail. "We have to kill it!" "You two idiots!" Ayxin snarled. "Silence!" "Grrrr!" Golos snapped back. He hated it when Ayxin treated him like a wyrmling. They were almost the same age, and he had twin Draconic lineages. "Hissaaaak!" Ayxin's face contorted, extending a forked tongue. "Aaeeeee!" Ryxi bolted for cover. With a twist of its densely muscled back, Golos swung its tail across the plateau like a whip, stirring dust, pebble and lose plants unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. "Jilg Soti!" Ayxin spat from her petal-like lips, invoking the bloodline magic gifted from their mutual father. Though Golos was the better brawler to Ayxin, it was no match for the most prominent of the Yinglong's endowment—the ability to invoke Magical effects via sheer will and Dragon Tongue. Few Dragon-kin could develop the power of the pureblood, and even fewer could master it. Ayxin was an exception. That was why she was her father's favourite. A few inches from her face, Golos's spiked tail halted. "You cheat!" Golos gnashed its teeth. "Try fighting me with your body! Your REAL body!" "We need to apprehend the assailants!" Ayxin's scales bristled with malice. "Fighting me is only going to delay father's wishes." "Fight me, pissant!" "Vataka!" Golos knelt, crashing against the granite and sending up another dust cloud. "Guuaaarrgh!" Golos opened its muzzle. "Don't you dare!" Ayxin glared at her brother coldly. "Huurrrgh—"The shriek of thunder and lightning rose to a crescendo. "Saut coi!" Before the rumbling blast of superheated plasma could emerge, Ayxin commanded Golos to close its mouth, catching his breath attack halfway. Golos' eyes bulged as thunderous lightning travelled up its sinus and blasted out its nose and ear holes. For all its comical effect, Golos felt as though a small mountain had fallen onto his head. Hammered by his breath, he slumped onto the plateau. "Tut-tut." Ryxi watched Golos' suffering with evident glee. "Idiot!" "Can you find them?" Ayxin turned her wrathful mien against their eldest sibling. "Your answer better be 'YES', else I am feeding you to Golos." Ryxi's retort choked in his mouth. "Y-yes." His uncertain answer was full of apprehension. Why the hell was his siblings so strong? Their youngest, Golos, was reasonable. His mother had been the alpha of the southern range for half a century before the Yinglong took an interest. As for Ayxin, the Dragon-kin had shown up one day at the mount demanding to see Father. Ryxi had taken Ayxin, who knew only her human form, to see their esteemed patriarch. It had been at least two centuries since. The mountainous realm of their father remained as immutable as the three peaks themselves. When the Humans came to parley half a century ago, Ayxin had taken care of their affairs, with the humans conceding the entirety of the territory they called Anhui in return for peace and annoying skirmishes. Though the humans were hostile, it was impossible to know the patriarch's magnificent mind, so Ryxi could only guess what the Yinglong would want with these poachers. He was sure his father had no interest in punishing the humans for stealing deer. As for Angkar, Ryxi couldn't recall who the pangolin was supposed to be. He was just an Essence spawn, one of the numberless thousands. "Doton Szcy!" Ryxi activated the bloodline magic of the White Serpents, a form of greater Clairvoyance tied to the mist that permanently surrounded the land. "I asked the Mists to distinguish their passing," the Draconic-sprite explained. "They have no scent. That's why you couldn't find them. Their equipment makes them almost invisible." A large pool of water appeared in front of the two humanoid Dragon-kin. The two leaned in closer, jostling for space against the unconscious Golos. Dragon form was great and all, but there was only so much space on top of the peaks—if they all took their natural states, at least one of them would have to hover by the edge awkwardly. "Nothing!" Ayxin hissed. "There's no one there!" The scrying pool showed an empty patch of forest. Ryxi wasn't entirely sure if White Serpents could sweat, though his scales did secrete a slimy substance. "They may be in a Pocket Dimension. The humans often hide in such spaces." "Bah! Keep an eye out." Ayxin approached the unconscious body of her half-sibling wyvern. Golos' breath was shallow and feeble. Cobalt oozed from every orifice on his face. "You are not to rest or sleep until they are found." "I obey, Ayxin." Ryxi's prideful Draconic heart bled blue blood as he bowed. "Irisv!" Ayxin touched a finger to Golos' face. Healing energy infused Golos' head. The restoration continued for half a minute as Golos' torn scales mended, his eyes returned to clarity, and his serpentine neck again rose into the air. "What happened?" Golos looked around confusedly. "You lost consciousness." Ayxin folded her arms. "Rest, Golos. You're on standby. We're moving to intercept as soon as this 'Drought Goddess' appears." Golos glanced at Ryxi, who mediated with a swirl of mist entering and exiting his nostrils. The memory of their last exchange came flooding back. Golos knew he had lost again. He could always ambush Ayxin, of course, but that would be meaningless, not to mention Father would be very angry indeed. "Fine." Golos shook its massive head. He would have to take it out on their prey. "I obey." Gwen emerged into the heavily shaded pine forest, slipping from the grey space of their Portable Habitats' Pocket Dimension. Jun followed shortly, after which Gwen retrieved her Habitat, stowing it within her ring. "This way." Jun lead the way with his peerless orienteering. Their destination was six hours away by foot, including shortcuts undertaken via Flight, Feather Fall and Jump. "The gorge should have some fascinating fauna as well," Jun spoke of the marked map they had received from Anhui's Rangers. "Draconic Mermen. Some may even be lightning, although those would be the elite warriors." More lightning affinity, Gwen couldn't help but feel her lips curl. "Do you think Consume has a limit?" "It must have," Jun pointed out. "There is balance in all things. Even if it can take you beyond tier 7, there has to be a cost." "I don't feel any different," Gwen assured her uncle. Though she was inclined to agree, there had to be a limit. Once her fevered celebration cooled, she was forced to acknowledge the unnatural state of her Affinity. Jun had informed her earlier that possessing a tier 6 Lightning Element made her the top five per cent of all Elemental Casters. Additionally, that she was only seventeen meant she had room to grow. Unilaterally, she gained raw power; abstractly, she gained future autonomy and respect from her institutions. Just like that, her IIUC selection appeared closer and within reach. For the prospect of her ultimate freedom, she wept. For her uncle's paternal generosity, she cried. In a way, Jun's warning was more superstition than fact, but Gwen trusted her uncle's intuition because her Divination Sigil had been buzzing like an alarm clock since they left for the gorge. When she mentioned this to her uncle, they had stopped, hid, and then set an ambush. When nothing appeared for almost an hour, they began their trek again. "Perhaps something in the gorge?" Gwen queried her uncle. "We might get swarmed by Mermen or ambushed." "We'll be cautious," Jun assured her. "Does your Divination pertain to yourself or our quest?" "Just me," Gwen replied. "Mayuree said that our trip was going to be fortuitous. She's right so far! Bang on the dot. Gods, I still can't believe it, tier 6!" "Yes, yes, tier 6." Jun chuckled. "Alright, let's keep going. We're just getting started!" "They're headed for the Buxian Gorge." Ryxi displayed the vision for his half-siblings, refracted from his conjured scrying pool. "There's a female." Golos licked his lips. "She looks delicious." "That's the Drought Goddess," Ryxi pointed to Jun. "Brother..." Ayxin wondered if Ryxi had spent so long holed up in the Sky Lake that he had become a carp. "Pretty masculine for a Goddess," Golos grunted. "Looks tough." "I'll take the male." Ayxin pointed at the vision in the pool, rolling her eyes. "You can't handle him." Golos' scales bristled. Ayxin waited until her half-brother finished stroking his machismo, glaring at Golos until he averted his gaze. "Ryxi, I don't want them seeing us until we're close. I am going to separate the girl so Golos can have fun. My Misty Realm needs to catch our 'Drought God' by surprise, or else they'll teleport away." "Then I shall coax the sea of clouds." Ryxi lowered his head. "There shall be rain and thunder to mask our approach." "Good. Golos, take care not to break the girl. She has to be brought before Father alive. No eating her." "Blargh!" Golos hesitated. "Alive is fine?" "Be careful." Ayxin scrutinised her half-brother, ensuring that his wounds were healed. "No one will help you if you become fodder like Angkar. From the sounds of it, she's got a Death Gila as a Familiar. If she's a full-fledged Necromancer, flee." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The gorge came into sight. The sheer drop was best traversed via a free fall from the cliff using Feather Fall, though that would expose the two of them to sharp-eyed spotters wary of churning shrouds and cascading mist. Gwen and Jun discretely made their way down the mossy crag, avoiding the gruel-like slick and the occasional block of deceptively anchored mud. She slipped once or twice, though Jun always caught her, once by the scruff, another time by the wrist. They arrived twenty minutes later at a metasequoia bursting from a fissure, forming an umbrella over the scene below. The duo was resting above a Merfolk village, a sizeable one with a hundred huts and what looked like extensive warrens dug into the granite. It was the first time Gwen had seen a Demi-human village. She studied the layout intently, noting with disquiet how much it resembled those rural communities she had seen on her previous travels. "Map." The two stretched their cloaks between them, forming a hidden canvas. As always, the Japanese-made military equipment astonished Gwen with its versatility. Jun produced a pair of binoculars. He jotted down notes on the map of the gorge, marking down patrols, numbers, and types, explaining the legend. "Here, you try. It even works with Detect Magic. It's a Carl Zeiss AG 70—300mm, made in Germany." Jun noted his niece's interest in the maker of the ocular device. "It was a gift from your grandfather." Gwen adjusted the nosepiece, placing the device over her eyes. The Merfolk below looked almost human. The males stood just over five-foot, discounting their crest-fin, with a slick dermis which suggested they were likely descended from eels. The females were smaller, with thinner frames and proportionally longer limbs. Despite the familiar silhouette of their bodies, the males had a larger upper torso, while the females had wide birthing hips. As with most Merfolk, their faces were horrendously ugly, with wide lips that looked like open sores and milky eyes with indistinct pupils. Despite their eel-like nature, their foreheads had scales that resembled markings. The ones Gwen could spot radiated a strong presence of Elemental Water. When Gwen willed the device to zoom in upon an abnormally large hut, she caught the distinct glow of Elemental Lightning, its motes of mana sharp and precise. "Four or five of them." Gwen marked their locations on the map. "Good." Jun tapped the cartographic chart. "You plan and execute the operation this time. I'll be back up. The younglings are tier 1 at best, their warriors about 3. The Lightning Warriors would normally be General Class, an equivalent of tier 5, but I wouldn't worry about their chances against you." At the sound of Jun's suggestion, his niece regarded the village with an unreadable expression. "Can you do it?" Jun wondered what the girl's hesitation was. "Yeah." Gwen met his eyes. Strangely, they looked mortified. Was this the same sorceress who had just cornered and slaughtered all that deer? He placed a firm hand on her back, feeling the tension in her spine. The girl flinched. Her heart was racing. Jun reminded himself that the girl was seventeen and green and hadn't Purged a Village before. She was a survivor, but one warzone did not make a warrior. It took the death of teammates, friends, and acquaintances, again and again, to make a man or woman stone-hearted. He had no desire to wish calamity on his niece, but she had to acclimate herself to walking the Path of Violent Conflict. In the Wildland, mercy to one's enemies was cruelty to oneself. The secondary objective of their poaching adventure was to whet the girl's edge and hone her killing instinct. Jun hoped the girl recalled his promise that she would walk away from this trip with more than just a Spirit. "They're only fish," he assured the girl, finding her hesitation endearing. "You can't make a Jiang-bing without breaking a few eggs. No sushi roll without fish-men roe. If we leave them, they'll grow to be a menace." His banter did not appear to sway her. Jun waited while the girl stared into the middle distance, contemplating her options. When she opened her eyes again, they were clarified with renewed purpose and determination. "I don't want to kill beyond our objective," the girl answered. "So be it. If that's your choice, then we'll wait." Jun was not opposed to his niece's strange ethics. When he and Hai were boys, Guo had taken them to the Wuxi Frontier and made them slaughter Merfolk until their mother threatened Guo that she would take her sons home, with or without him. For now, he would bear her tender burden and buy her the time she needed to come around. That was the fatherly thing to do. He pointed a finger toward the darkening clouds. "Rain is coming," he elucidated to his niece, instructing her to observe the volumetric increase in Elemental Water. "Always remember people, time, and place. Without the congruency of all three, you will always be at a disadvantage. Let the rain obscure everything; then you begin your mercy mission." Gwen nodded. The girl observed the Merfolk below, some by themselves, others in twos and threes. Her breath sounded heavy, for the atmosphere was full of moisture. Her body language looked rigid despite the Enchantment embedded in her skin suit. She glanced at Jun, who nodded back. His niece closed her eyes to wait, not wanting to see the village life. What she wanted to fight was monsters, not fishermen. Side by side, the hunters waited for the first drop of rain. The spawning pool simmered, warmed to perfect brooding temperature by quasi-magical firestones. Beside it, a sleekly shaped Merfolk, a female, decorated the sides with precious gems. Her name was Glugurp, meaning the 'gleaming of silver streams at midnight'. Glugurp's mate, Bhu, was the best warrior in the village. Bhu had been blessed by the Dragon God of Lotus Peak and could use the endowment of heaven to punish the tribe's enemies. His lineage made Bhu desirable as a mate, and he had since spawned with many females. But Glugurp knew herself to be special to Bhu; every time Glugurp set up her spawning pool, Bhu would bring her insects, sweet fruits, and even flesh from creatures he had hunted. Tonight was special because the rain would be plentiful and the thunder would be loud. The Water Priest had said that children hatched during this time would receive the blessing of the Master of the Mount. It meant that maybe, some of her spawn would be like Bhu. If enough of them survived, it would make Glugurp very influential in the village. She may even become a Sacred Mother. One day, her children may invade the village across the gorge and usurp their hunting ground. When the tribe became large enough, they could leave the Dragon's Mountain. Thinking about this made Glugurp very excited. It also made Glugurp angry and upset. Hairless ape-men ruled the outside world. Not the ape-men of the woods, by the Sky Lake, but ape-men wearing exotic skins and wielding terrific powers. The elders had said that these Humans were all blessed by their Gods. They had the means to control fire, water, earth, everything, even the heavenly thunder. Humans were scary, Glugurp agreed. But they were a future threat. What they endured here and now was what troubled her mind. Half of her little ones had to be offered to the Dragons during her last spawning. The village Elder even offered her most beautiful daughter, Gui, whose scales were blessed by the golden sun, to the Thunder Wyvern. The Elder hoped that, perhaps, the indescribable beauty of Gui would entice the Wyvern to spawn with her, thereby empowering the village. Glugurp was sure that Golos would mate with Gui and plant his seed in her pool, a thing her daughter had meticulously decorated for the Wyvern, lining it with all the precious babbles in the village. Then the Wyvern came, but not to spawn. The thrice-cursed Golos ate her daughter. Gui screamed just once; then, she became two halves. Glugurp wasn't sure what she had expected. Why did the elders say that Wyvern lusted after Gui? There were plenty of others the Wyvern could have eaten. Then came the famine. Winter was unseasonably cold. Only a dozen of her children survived. Then came the fire. They said a Dragon started it. Or humans. Or it was an accident. No one knew the truth. All she knew was that she had lost more of her precious ones. Then there were raids. Some against them, and some they orchestrated against the other tribes. After many summers, Glugurp was left alone. Her pretty ones had died, all of them. Her chest grew sore when she looked at the other females' elvers. But the village survived. It was the wet season again. It was time to spawn again. Bhu would have to do his best; she hoped his body would keep up. He was no longer a young fish, and there were many females. Though she alone would be the first. Thunk! A strange sound. A fallen cone, perhaps, from one of the Dragon trees, dislodged by the rain. Glugurp went to investigate. The gorge resounded with the pitter-patter of rain. But where were the frogs' songs? What happened to the night birds trilling from the shelter of their bowers? The lack of nature sounds frightened her. Bhu, she told herself. I need to find Bhu, my Dragon-hearted love. "What has happened?" Her neighbour. Though not as beautiful as Glugurp, a young female came to see if Bhu had arrived. Glugurp does not like the upstart, whose only worth was her youth. Bhu had visited her a few times, though not as often as Glugurp. "Nothing, go back to your hut," Glugurp snapped at the young female. Glugurp hoped that Bhu wasn't on his way to see her now, for they may miss each other, then that young one would receive his seed first. Nonetheless, she was afraid; she had a gut feeling. Glugurp was very good with her gut feelings. Were she not so fertile, she would have become a Water Priest. Glugurp made her way to the Elder's hut. The largest building in the village. During the tribe's glory days, it held over two thousand warriors. Now they have only a hundred. One of the reasons why Bhu was so important. The Elders knew this; they had asked Bhu to become an Elder, even though he lived a mere twenty summers. The other females were busy preparing their huts and decorating their pools. A few of the young males gawked at Glugurp. Glugurp was very attractive. Glugurp has silvery, shimmering scales and very supple limbs. Her abdomen was very large for a Merfolk of her size, meaning she could produce many eggs. Glugurp bared her teeth at them; the young men gurgled shyly. They would not receive a chance to spawn with Glugurp, not while Bhu was around. They knew this. Still, they were young warriors, useful in their way. She has made it to the large hut. Where are the guards? Glugurp wondered. There were usually two burly warriors standing guard. Kar and Vurg. One season, she spawned with Kar. He is a good eel but not as good as Bhu. The ground was soft with mud. Glugurp saw misshapen footsteps leading into the Chief's hut. The squall was heavier now; the air was growing electric. Should she enter without an announcement? The Chief would beat her. Or not. Not if Bhu has anything to say. "Glugurp is coming in," Glugurp said to no one. The inside of the hut was dark. Too dark. Where was the light? There was usually moss or magic, just enough to see. Clack! Pottery shattering. A drinking vessel. What was that?! Glugurp felt her heart jump. She walked forward slowly. "Guards?!" She raised her voice. The rain drowned out her voice. The hut has many rooms. She proceeds to the guard room. Many of the warriors had designs on her. This pleased Glugurp. She can persuade them to do things for her, even though they are afraid of Bhu. "Jukl, Fup, Dui, are you here? Where is Bhu?" She smelled it before she saw it. Blood. Merfolk blood, the colour of bruised cerulean. Jukl was slumped forward. His head and torso were missing. Fup was missing his chest and right arm. Dui's head was attached, but it looked like something chewed through his lower abdomen and attempted to decapitate him. Glugurp felt her blood run colder than usual. She began to secrete a milky ooze all over her skin, a defence mechanism. She turned around. Only darkness. "Guards!" she called out. "GUARDS!" A flash of lightning. CRASH! Then a sound of thunder rolled in. The rain was falling harder now. For some strange reason, she felt a sensation like the time Bhu had taken her up onto a cliff, and they dared each other to dive into the depth of the pool far below. Glugurp quietly exited the guard room. The second room did not burst open with burly Warriors. There was ash on the floor. The dark motes stuck to her feet. Maybe out of morbid curiosity or perhaps the courage given to her by Bhu, Glugurp approached the double door of the Chief's meeting room. She hesitated at the threshold, then pushed. The door opened. Glugurp saw. A huge frog… no—a toad—was trying to swallow Bhu! No. NO! It was swallowing Bhu whole. That flash of lightning and thunder, was it from Bhu? Her Chief lay to one side, mangled. His skin was charred, and his eye sockets smoked. Bhu did not do this. Bhu wasn't that powerful. Four other warriors like Bhu, one of whom was Bhu's spawn from another mate, lay here and there, unmoving. One of them even looked awake, though his eyes were wide and vacant. "BHU!" Glugurp couldn't help herself. "Let go of Bhu!" She spat a glob of gastric acid at the giant frogman, conjuring a water missile to attack its face. She once had the potential to be a Water Priest. It was known. The toad's chest convulsed. There was a sucking sound. Bhu was gone. Glugurp stared, disbelieving. Her Dragon-hearted Bhu, just like that? "Get out. Go!" "Gwen, that's a female..." "Uncle..." "Gwen! Do you know how much that one female can spawn?! Our combat doctrine prioritises the females!" Strange language came from the limbless dark. Glugurp did not understand the voice calling her in the dark. "Void Bolt!" Glugurp recognised the sound of human magic. It was extremely distinct, the melody of its incantation like nothing that could exist in nature. A dark shadow consumed her lower limbs. Glugurp lost her balance and fell to the floor. The pain came. Her legs were gone! "Wuaah, whuaaah!" Glugurp flailed. “It hurts… ah... ah… Bhu…” What was happening? Why was this happening? The monstrous toad plucked another Dragon-blessed warrior from the floor. WHY! Glugurp felt the warmth drain from her lower body. Why this cruelty? What had they done to deserve this? The Dragon Gods! Why weren't they there to defend Glugurp? Protect their people? They had sacrificed so much and lost so many of their children to appease the powers that be! Else where her spawning pool glistened. It was supposed to be filled with eggs by tonight. "GUUAARRGK! DAMN YOU!" Glugurp cried out, only to have her cry drowned out by thunder. Her pretty Gui. All her pretty ones are gone. Gone forever. The Gods were cruel, and they didn't care. "WHERE ARE YOU?! WHERE ARE YOU, LORD GOLOS?" CRRAK-CRASH! A blast of thunder erupted overhead. The hut's roof splintered, flying every which way, scattering all over. The sound was so loud, its eruption so intense, that Glugurp was sure she might never hear again. Not that it mattered now. Glugurp was dying. The rain cascaded into the room, splattering over the bloody floor, over the stunned warriors, over two vaguely humanoid silhouettes, over the tenebrous form of the toad, over Glugurp's body. Glugurp's eyelids enfolded her orbs, wiping away the blurry vision. There were two Humans here, now exposed by the thunder blast. Then came a flash of lightning. One of the human silhouettes disappeared. "UNCLE?!" the female cried out. Next came a thunderous bell-beat of wings. Glugurp could barely keep herself conscious. The rain was freezing. Had it always been so cold? Wasn't it summer? It was spawning season, she was sure. A familiar shape landed atop Glugurp. A cruel face Glugurp would never forget, not even as her world grew too dark to see. Lord Golos. Their God was here. He was here to avenge Bhu, to avenge all her pretty ones, doomed to be never born. A petty master who came to avenge the theft of his livestock. The gorge was lovely, dark and deep; it was only now that Glugurp could sleep. But she as happy. The Gods listened, after all.

Ayxin, Golos, and Ryxi watched as the interlopers descended into the gorge. "We should take them now," Golos snapped impatiently, his voice low and vulgar. "Silence," Ayxin sibilated. "We shall observe their abilities and cantrips." Golos grumbled, emitting a thrum of louring thunder. "This is your territory, isn't it?" their eldest declared mockingly. "Your people are in a shocking state. They look half-starved." "Yes, you have taken too little care of this place." Ayxin furrowed her brow ridges attractively. Her territory was flush with fat Merfolk, building entire theologies surrounding the Dragon of the Mount. "Father will hear of this." Were it not for the fact that they were about to ambush two intruders, Golos would have taken a chunk out of Ryxi. _Tattletale Snake!_ The Wyvern visibly fumed, sending up two streams of blue smoke from his nostrils. "Hee hee." Ryxi knew he would pay for it, but not before Father berated Golos. The White Serpent remembered fondly the time Golos was so intimidated by their father's Dragon Fear that he took a dump right there in the middle of the White Jade _Hall! Oh, that was the day!_ The putrid stench was worth it. Golos had been nest-ridden for a month afterwards, denied all healing as his body mended bone by bone. The two humans, one male and the other female, stopped to study the village. As their quarry waited patiently, so did they. "Ryxi," Ayxin urged their eldest. "Hurry it up." "Subtlety takes time," Ryxi replied with a sibilant whisper, barely audible. "It's almost here." Possessing both the blood of the White Serpent and the Yinglong, their eldest could persuade the rain, fog and snow to fall where and whenever he wished within their father's territory. The cost of moving elemental Air and Water from their natural formation was no simple feat. It took incredible volumes of mana and unimaginable concentration to coax even a single cloud to move against the course of nature. As Ryxi was a horrendously incompetent combatant, he chose to contribute to the obfuscation of their enemy. The rain began. First with the gentleness of soft archery, then growing with strength until Dragon Pines bent from the sudden inundation. A flash of lightning rolled across the sky. "I feel strong." Golos cracked the many ligaments in his neck. "This is good." CRACK! The fulmination of thunder soon followed a low rumble which matched Golos' chuckling. The Dragon-kins watched as their quarry skulked into the village. "Sneaky rats," Golos puffed with growing agitation. The village looked vaguely familiar. He recalled feeding here. The eels here were not as fat as the ones in Ryxi's territory. "I will make them pay." "Caliban, do it now—" Under cover of rain and thunder, uncle and niece moved from shadow to darkness without fear of detection. Ariel streaked from hut to hut, cover to cover, with impunity, while Caliban stalked in its Spider form. Until they engaged in combat, both of her Familiars were invisible to the naked eye, courtesy of her new Illusion talent. As the rain fell, an air of celebration seemed to take over the village. The males, slick with milky gloop, seemed to take on new vigour. When Jun said it was spawning season, Gwen hadn't imagined they would be stalking past spawning pools swimming with transparent egg sacks. Some of the eggs were enveloped in creamy gunk. Gwen shuddered. The two skirted around the village until they reached a point where it was easier to switch to Flight. Caliban and Ariel soon followed, skittering and creeping into place. Two guards stood in front of the Chieftain's hut, ugly humanoids with wet neck slits for breathing gills and fat lips that rolled in and out as the eel-folk breathed, savouring the moisture in the air. A low rumble began to build. Gwen waited. _CRACK—BOOM—_ "—d Bolt!" "—en Lance!" Two headless bodies struck the floor. One head turned to ash. The meagre magical resistance of Merfolk warriors was no match for the duo's notoriously corrosive elements. Caliban, perched atop the hut, pulled up both carcasses with its foreclaws before packing away its humanoid cargo wholesale. "Alright, Uncle, as we discussed." Jun nodded. The two entered the Chief's abode. Despite the smaller height of the eel-like Merfolk, it was impressively large and served a dual purpose, likely as a place of ceremony. "Three guards on the right, one on the left. Uncle, can you take the lone one?" Jun made an _okay_ with his fingers. The two pushed inward. Gwen waited at the door, a stick-straw-barrier that would prove no obstacle. The guards appeared to have been drinking. There was a sickening smell of alcohol in the room. From the festive atmosphere outside, she guessed that they were likely having a gala to celebrate the breeding season. Another thunderbolt began to swell. On her right, Jun emerged. He was done. She turned her attention back to her quarry. _CRACK—_ Caliban pried the door open, surprising the guards inside. Gwen let loose the incantation she'd been nursing. "Void Orb!" Her elementally-shifted Ball Lightning sought out their targets unerringly. _Thunk!_ _Psuwark!_ _SPLAT—_ One guard lost his face. The next took a hit in the right shoulder, with the spell expanding to consume his chest and arm. The final guard took it in the abdomen. He looked up at Gwen and opened his mouth to scream. With a wet, piercing _Schwark_ , Caliban sunk his foreclaw into the wood behind the Merfolk's neck. The head fell, tethered by a flap of slimy skin. Gwen suppressed the acrid taste touching the cavern of her mouth. She stalked from the room, her nostrils distending from the scent of gore, half-digested fish, and failing organs. Before Caliban could consume the corpses, a stirring commotion came from inside the hut's main chamber. “Rbmrgr mrmrll grrbmrgrmrgllbaba?” “Ml mrllmrmgrlrl glrllrlrbrmrgllbaba!” _The smell!_ Gwen cursed herself. The stink of these creatures' carcasses was immense and impossible to hide! Unlike her uncle, her spells did not entirely consume the bodies of her enemies. "Ariel! Like last time!" "EEEee!" "Cali! Onslaught the Chieftain." "Shaaaaa!" The double thatched doors opened. Ariel shot into the room, between the Merfolk's legs. The surprised warrior was one of their desired quarries, with a strong presence of lightning. Inside, Gwen could detect her remaining Affinity-boosters scrambling to act. _BUNG!_ Ariel escaped right before the Flashbang payload filled the room with the rolling coil of lightning and thunder, mixing well with the sound of the outside pelting rain. Gwen allowed her mana to flow freely. "EE-EE!" Ariel grew into its mongoose form. It re-entered the room, a living streak of lightning. The mongoose barrelled into a large Merfolk, ripping out a chunk of his throat. “Shaa—SCREEEEEEEE!!!” Caliban burst into the room, knocking the first ell-man onto his back. “RBLLR MRRRLRRR! Grmlllgrmrgllbaba!!!” The Chief was the first to act. It let loose a syllable of warnings before Caliban erupted into a full-fledged Onslaught fed by the collective death of three dozen Draconic deer and a stag. The Eel-priest managed half a spell, raising a wall that barely covered its waist, before Caliban hacked off its limbs, stabbed two rending pincers into its chest, and then shot a tentacle into its gaping mouth. "Ashen Chains!" A lightning bolt wreathed in dark ash appeared for a split second, making a sizzling sound akin to fat pressed against a red-hot grill. Jun's Ash-shifted Chain Lightning scored its first target, then leapt quickly to a second, third, fourth and fifth. The Merfolk warriors slump to the floor placidly, drained of will and fortitude. _IFF without a Spirit!?_ Gwen wondered how her uncle managed such a thing. Was it because of his absurdly high Affinity? "Caliban!" Her Familiar threw the rag-doll body of the dying Chieftain away from itself, splashing its audience with a slick spray of slimy offal. It then turned to the first Merfolk, effortlessly assuming its toad-form; unlike the spindly spider shape, the bipedal Gila allowed for an expedient Consume. "Looks like everything's under control." Jun scanned the room. "They should be stunned for at least five minutes. Better hurry. They'll be spent before long." Gwen followed her uncle's advice. She ignored the fish-stink assaulting her nostrils, fortifying her mind for the butchery to come. _These Demi-humans were the enemy of the Human Race_ , she reminded herself. It's a Fish-eat-Man-eat-Fish world out here. Like her uncle said, you can't make sushi roll without Mermen roe. The downpour continued unabated, filling the room with the dull thud of pellets pelting the thatched roof, killing the clamour caused by their atrocity. "That one first—" Gwen directed her Familiar to the biggest of the bunch. With a smooth strike from its left, Caliban skewered the humanoid-eel like an unagi-slab at an Izakaya restaurant. It then distended its mouth, enclosing the victim's upper body— _Creak—_ The double door opened. A womanly Eel-folk stood at the threshold, its milky eyes wide with horror. _A female?_ Gwen's stomach lurched sideways. The Merfolk pointed to the male struck halfway in Caliban's gullet. “ _BHUERRH?!_ GHMMMRRL LR BHERRH!” "Get out! Go!" Gwen hissed at the wretched thing. She had promised herself there would be a limit. This matronly aberration was that limit. They would be done soon; they could afford to let one go, surely? "Gwen, that's a female, AND it'll give us away." Her uncle appeared to have a different idea. "Uncle... she's... pregnant." "Gwen! Do you know how much that one female can spawn?! Our combat doctrine prioritises the females!" Her uncle waited for Gwen to act. When she did not, he raised his hand to strike the Merfolk. Gwen caught her uncle's arm. Jun's unconscious attempt at cleaning up her mess came so naturally that it made her heart sore. A spell uttered from her lips, accompanied by a dreaded sense of guilt far more compelling than her initial remorse. "Void Bolt!" Her attack shaved off the female's lower body. Jun gave her shoulder a reaffirming squeeze. Gwen felt an immense wave of relief. A muffled cry of inner turmoil chided her hypocrisy, but now was not the time for a performance reevaluation. Gwen crushed the ambivalent feeling rising in her chest and urged Caliban to hurry. If she were foolish enough to abandon her objective after all that, the wretched female would have died for no reason. "Wuaah, whuaaah…" The damned thing flailed. It was crying! Milky tears were flowing from its eyes! Her hand reached out again. “Burl… ahrr…Bherrh…” She attempted to finish it, but her invocation choked as it escaped her lips. "GUUAARRGK! GBBBLRH! HURR!" the female let loose one last cry, her voice drowned out by the coming of rolling thunder. Gwen thanked the weather, for the thunder should mask the hateful thing's voice, after which there would be blessed silence. "WWARRRRBL ARRH HURRR?! GOORRRLOOOOTH!" _CRASH—BOOM—_ The thankful thunder came. Gwen turned away from the sorry sight of the pitiful thing, her conscience numb with self-loathing. She would have to take up her issues with the woman in the mirror at a later appointment. "Wha—" A jolt of Divination struck her spine. "UNCLE!" Gwen cried out. Her voice was drowned by the rolling rumble filling both of their ears. "ROAR!" That's no thunder! Gwen's mind barely had time to register the shock before they were struck. In a mocking parallel of how they had stunned their enemies, now they were the ones being _stunned_ , rendering uncle and niece incapacitated and disorientated. It was only a split-second. Stolen novel; please report. But it was enough. The roof splintered. Rain poured in. An enormous draconic shape began to descend, its advance far quicker than Gwen could believe possible for a thing of its size. A puff of mist and vapour appeared beside them. Jun was about to recover, his hands already in the motions of invoking a spell. There was a burst of colourless mana mixed with air; then her uncle was _gone_. The Thunder Wyvern landed in front of Gwen. She could smell its stinking breath. “Imputak munthrek nak!” the Thunder Wyvern spat at her. "Hur-hur-hur!" Desperately, Gwen circulated a violent jolt of her Almudj's essence through her body, defeating her deafened and stunned state. Her mind was running ten-thousand paces a minute, trying to catch up to reality. _Where was Uncle Jun? Where did he go? Was it an attack that took him?_ "Where is he?" Gwen spat back at the Wyvern. Her chest felt tight. Her face flushed with blood. A strange heat was quickly consuming her rationality. "What the fuck did you do?" "Shaa… Shaa…” Caliban swallowed its victim. It snarled at the Wyvern and bared its teeth-lined maw. Two tentacles, one red and the other bright-blue, distended from the recess of its bottomless gullet. "Ee-EE!" Ariel likewise flattened itself in its combative mongoose form, having dispatched its victim. The Wyvern taunted them. “Fogah shafaer ir! Si hefoc wer odat!” Gwen's vivid irises grew bright with encircling lightning. There was a terrible sensation in her bosom, an unspeakable emotion that harkened back to when she saw Sobel standing over her Master at Rosebay when her friends disappeared along with the Grot. When Gwen next spoke, she too possessed the baritone of rumbling thunder. "You will give Uncle Jun back, or I will fuck you up from the inside out, you oversized flying maggot!" "Fiesk! Origato ui|ulph ocuir sjek wux retalk huena si spred dout hoinpic! Huhuhu, si inglata wux geou ergriff scivarn!” The Wyvern had a lascivious glare in his eye that would have usually made her nauseous, but Gwen was beyond such sensitivity. Gwen felt her mind glowering with white rage. Everything had happened so fast; her comprehension couldn't keep up with the chemicals bombarding her amygdala. All she knew was that she wanted to kill the fucking thing in front of her. "Sho ve svabol wux tepoha itrewica!" "YEAH, WELL FUCK YOU TOO! _Elemental Sphere!_ " The Wyvern tensed. An unruly smirk took to Gwen's lips. Her spell emanated not from herself but from Ariel's horns. The Lightning Sphere caught the Wyvern entirely off guard. It stuck his flank, crawled up its scales and then exploded into a blast of cobalt-energy more potent than anything she had ever manifested in her entire life as a Mage. The power and efficacy of tier 6 Affinity! The second eruption was palpable enough that the Wyvern's body shifted half-a-meter in the mud. _She could do this!_ And she was far from done. "Void Bolt!" "Lightning Sphere!" "Warding Bolt!" "Void Bolt!" "Conjure Storm!" "Void Bolt!" "Blast Bolt!" Before the Wyvern could recover, she let loose as many incantations as her rage-induced mind could weather before a temporary spell-fatigue of set in. By the last spell, her mana reserve dropped to three-quarters, her vitality to a lesser extent. "Shochraos Shud!!" A sheet of blue-white lightning emanated from within the Wyvern, shrugging off her assault with its absurd constitution. Her hopes for a quick kill faded as her spells _slid_ from its neck and torso. Her lightning ripped through the Wyvern's scales but failed to penetrate its tissues and ligaments as it had done so for her usual monstrous enemies. The Void-matter was likewise limited. Though it consumed some of the Wyvern's keratin, her opponent's leathery hide was warded by an unseen, supernatural force, weathered by the Wyvern's Draconic vitality, his inherent Affinity for lightning, or both. Gwen's heart fell. Now that she had gotten her immediate feelings out of the way, she began to realise the size of the shit-show within which she'd starred herself. "Durrhop riika!" The Wyvern seemed to grow larger the angrier it became. Suddenly, it launched itself forward. "SHIELD!" "SCREEEEEE!" "Gaurrrowl!" Ariel and Caliban propelled themselves into melee attacks. Ariel latched onto the Wyvern's flank and dug into its back with tooth and nail. Caliban dropped back into its spider form, Hasted, then leapt into the air. _THUNK—_ "SHAA—" It was met by a lashing tail which instantly crushed two of its forelimbs, slamming into its thorax. With another sickening crunch, the void-spider tumbled into the mud and the darkness. Some distance away, it connected with a hut, crushed the thatch-wall, and then spiralled into the interior. The Wyvern entirely ignored Ariel's assault and pushed forward into Gwen's Shield. "FEEBLE!" it roared in a human-tongue as it brought its massive jaws to bear. Looking up and seeing the splattering rain against Gwen's opaque Shield, Gwen flashed back to the original Jurassic Park. Never in her life did she imagine that the T-Rex scene would be played out for her so intimately. There was a moment of uncertainty as a toothy maw connected with the Non-Newtonian Shield. Both attacker and defender were caught off-guard. Gwen hadn't expected the Wyvern to be capable of actually biting a semi-dome Shield, while the creature had not expected a Mage's fragile mana barrier to be so impervious. The Wyvern's head twisted awkwardly as its teeth failed to penetrate her Shield. This miscalculation brought forward the awkward momentum of its body, making it stumble. With a grace that seemed improbable for a creature of its size, the Wyvern brought its rear to bear, twisting and turning until its wing-tips dug into the muddy earth, allowing him to stomp the Shield with both hind legs. 'CRACK!' The thunderous noise that followed was not issued from the cloud-strewn heaven; it came from a semi-trailer-impact, from claws the size of Gwen's arms raking against her double-Shield. Her Shield broke. There was too much force, much too quickly, exceeding what her N-N Shield could maintain at her current tier of Abjuration. Without more complex barrier-patterns such as those employed by Whetu, her Shield was only so strong against an overwhelming force. A Shield-Break. She hadn't experienced such a thing since Wanka had struck a claw through her semi-dome in Australia. Its remaining momentum sent the Wyvern sledging into the mud and dark, though not before its lashing tail, its most deadly apparatus of bodily harm, struck her across the chest. All the air was pressed from Gwen's lungs at once. Her vision faded to black. Gwen was vaguely aware that she was flying backwards. She observed a sudden shift in her bodily fluids as a sudden G-force accelerated her from zero. Smothering rain splattered her face as a portion of her cloak disintegrated against the abrasive caress of the barbed tail, her American-made armour thankfully taking the brunt of the appendage's scaly hooks and nooks. The ground kissed her shoulder, setting her on fire. She rolled in the soft mud, a doll sprawling across the earth, skidding and sliding until she found herself face down in a pool of filth. Gwen tried to cough, but her chest was aflame. All she could hear was the sound of Ariel snarling. That and the thudding rain. "Aaaaaaaaah—" she screamed. Not because her body was broken—but because Caliban finally delivered its payload of stolen Essence. "Ashen Spear!" Ayxin battered away the eldritch force with one hand, forming a protective barrier preventing necrotic energy from touching her body. It was a nuanced and modified version of the Abjurers' crude Shield Magic. "You cannot defeat me." Ayxin flared her nostrils, her ivory horn glowing with unidentifiable magic. "This is my Domain. I control the space here." Her hand felt numb. Not all of the Ashen mana had been parried. So that was the power of the Drought Goddess that made Ryxi flustered. Ayxin flexed her fingers, flushing them with healing energy to purge the ash. Their eldest was right to avoid the human Mage; if Ryxi had fallen under the blight's influence, he would be a sitting snake awaiting slaughter. Ayxin readied herself for another attack. The human Mage appeared flustered when she first forcibly pulled him into her pocket dimension, yet he grew calm and collected very quickly. Strangely, he didn't attack her immediately. But just as she was about to speak, he did. "What do you want? Ayxin?" the man asked. Ayxin felt a sudden unease in her chest. How did the man know her name? "The name's Jun, Jun Song. I am also known as the Ash Bringer." Ash Bringer? The name brought no recollections to Ayxin's mind. Was it a nickname or a title? During Ayxin's time, all Daoshi and Kenshi had officious titles. "I am a member of the CCP; I hold the rank of Captain in the PLA. I currently serve as a member of the Internal Security Bureau, holding the position of Inspect-Secretary." Ayxin had spoken to representatives of the CCP before. They were the ones who had succeeded the Dynastic rule of the Clans. It had been almost five decades since she heard of their rebellion. Did the CCP even exist still? Were they still farmers? The man furrowed his brows. "Now that we're acquainted. Let's get on with business, then. Where is my niece?" "My brother, Golos, is entertaining her." Ayxin was relieved that the conversation returned to a familiar setting. "Do not fret. He has been instructed to leave her alive." She raised both hands to show her peaceful intentions. "Skryig jillepse!" The mist cleared, and they were now hovering above the village. Below, Golos, mongoose, spider-demon and niece engaged in a grand melee of Void and Lightning, tooth and nail. "She is performing admirably, but Golos will have her soon," Ayxin observed the man. "Do you yield peacefully and place yourselves under our guard?" "And be at your mercy? I don't think so," 'Jun' replied sardonically. "I suggest you let me out of here. I'll take my niece, and we'll peacefully retreat from your territory. You may lodge an official complaint with the local garrison." "Absurd!" Ayxin snapped. "Do you think you can waltz into our territory?!" "You certainly take your liberty with our lands and people," Jun snapped back at the dragon-woman. "Look, how—" The sound of a Shield shattering interrupted her opponent's speech. They observed Golos crushing the girl's Shield. Then she was sent flying. "It's over," Ayxin sneered at the man's arrogance. She would break his will yet. "Do you yield? Golos will make that girl wish she were never alive if you refuse. You know the depraved appetite of the Dragon-kind, do you not? Your niece appears to be a fertile female, no?" The human warrior grimly watched as his niece skidded across the ground like a rag-doll. The girl landed shoulder first, then sledged onward for several meters before resting in the mud. Ayxin studied Jun's expression carefully, watching his jaws set, his eyes growing bloodier by the second. A smile touched Ayxin's lips, flushed raw by the violence. Now was the time to push the descendent of the Drought Goddess over the edge. "Vataka!" With a will and a word, Ayxin brought the power of her blood to bear. Dragon fear radiated from Ayxin's body, filling the limited space of her pocket dimension like a haze, thick as molasses. If Golos had been here, he would have dropped on all four knees and whimpered. The human Mage tensed. His face grew white as ash. _Good,_ Ayxin felt vindicated by the outcome. Now they could negotiate. One should always negotiate from a position of power. But the man did not kneel. "Avatar of Ash!" What answered her was a burst of necromantic mana. A prickle of instinctual panic struck the Dragon-kin, bone-deep and likewise born from the blood. It was the dread of desolation, the fear of destruction, an anxiety shared by all living beings. Her opponent stood no longer as a man—he was now a humanoid fount of death. No, not death, Ayxin realised. The sooty fire smothering the man's physical form was worse than death. Tenebrous flashes of netherworld-fire the likes of which Ayxin had never seen licked at the edge of her vision. Her unassuming opponent had become the embodiment of eradication and extinction. In front of the terrifying visage of absolute destruction, all beings and things material could be made immaterial. "A year from now," Jun's voice came across with searing intensity, sending shivers up her spine. "The Yinglong will mark the passing of his children." "Insolence!" Ayxin simultaneously activated the latent powers of her draconic bloodline just as Jun delivered his threat; instantly, her dragon soul repressed any feeling of dread and panic. A single stag-horn sprouted from Ayxin's ivory stump, crackling with incandescent motes of sizzling lightning. Her pearlescent scales took on a delicate shade of ultramarine as her irises became iridescent and cruel. Her garb, complexly stitched sheets of Emperor-Moth silk woven by Ryxi, immolated as she abandoned her orthodoxical draconian form, sprouting feathered wings of scintillating jade shimmering with metallic citrine. She willed herself to attack. Incredibly, to Ayxin's disbelief, her opponent proved the faster combatant. A ripple of stark-grey mana erupted from where Jun stood in a concentric ring, flaying every inch of Ayxin's pocket dimension with the destructive embrace of ashen obliteration. Her mind was suddenly aflame, as though her brain had ballooned twice its size and was now rebelling against her skull. She fought the agony, her Draconic-constitution suppressing the pain. The man was trying to escape! She again called upon the bloodline of her progenitor, invoker of thunder and lightning, Lord under the blue heaven, who answered the first Divine-Emperor. "Kepesk!" Incandescent sheets of lightning ionised from every direction, converging onto the human warrior. If caught, Jun would become the epicentre of a hundred lightning bolts, each capable of reducing a man to cinders. No matter how powerful the man's Shield was, no matter how well he weathered the elements, Ayxin was confident her opponent would be lashed and whipped into submission. Her vision blurred. The Ash Mage disappeared! But he hadn't made an incantation! Ayxin spun her head, flaring her wings out with the violence of a gale. She was sure that Jun would try to close in on her, exploiting the one glaring weakness of her Misty Realm —the invoker herself. Unlike the originators of her magic, she wasn't a human Mage. Her physical abilities, gifted via her father's lineage, made her capable of crushing a man's skull with one hand. Besides, she was near-imperious to most magic. As far as Ayxin was concerned, her talent had no weakness! Only a higher-order existence could suppress her control over the pocket dimension, space she could command to shrink and expand, enveloping her enemies or ejecting them. Her wings caught something. She instantly capitalised on her good fortune. Ayxin's lips curled cruelly. The Ash Mage, for all his bluster, was only human. Then her smile faded. _"Enervation!"_ The ash-smothered Mage wasn't sent flying. He instead held onto her wings, one in each hand. Instead of being buffeted by the force of her blow and falling to his knees, he had caught her. There was a sound of creaking sinew; the Mage had his right hand crushing the metacarpus of her right wing, while his left had snuck between her shoulder-blades and was now placed behind her back, against her heart! Was it the Transformation?! Did his spell strengthen its user? Or was the man this strong all along? Father above! He could rival Golos when the Wyvern took on his brutish, humanoid form. But Ayxin did not need words or gestures to control her magic. Dragon-Sages had no such drawback. With her eyes, she directed the sheet of lighting toward her assailant. She heard a snap. Then she felt something as alien as the Ash Mage itself—pain. "AAARRRRRGH!" The pain was unreal because Ayxin had never sustained an injury like this. She was raised with a silken cord, first in the Forbidden City and then by her father. The sensation was fresh and hot and so new that Ayxin wondered if it was possible to escape the torture by blacking out for a second. At the same time, her concentration held. Her Lightning Field converged, licking the Ash Mage, gouging his body with white-hot plasma claws. The man wasn't finished. Her whole body suddenly grew rigid. Necrotic mana poured into her wound, into her back. With a grunt of supreme effort, Ayxin activated her draconic blood yet again, driving back the negative energy, expelling it from the divine sanctuary of her body. _No!_ She forced her mind to focus, isolating the pain. This bastard! She would show him the power of the Yinglong's daughter! An Avatar of Ash? How would the Mage's human body fare against the living embodiment of lightning itself? She would abandon her human form entirely, a prospect she did not cherish, but there was no helping it now. Her will focused—the lighting converged. Dragon-kin and Ash Mage, the two became wreathed in lightning, glowing white-hot with explosive discharges of erratic electricity. Another bout of ash-tainted mana invaded her body, disrupting her concentration. Ayxin felt the man's mocking breath inches from her neck. She desired to turn her head and snap at the man's face, though rationality dictated she would lose a mouth full of teeth as opposed to the man losing the tip of his nose. Another explosion of plasma licked the two as they danced the waltz of death. Ayxin felt the hot lick of electricity ripping at her scales, dancing upon her and Jun's exterior before grounding themselves like hysterical eels. _How was the Human still alive?!_ Ayxin felt herself growing weaker, her vital reserves draining. The man's mana was becoming more and more invasive, more forceful, pushing its way into her body, his fingers dug into her broken wing, scattering multi-coloured feathers that turned to ash the moment they left her body. His grip grew stronger. "Impossible!" Ayxin felt her legs falter. The man pressed in on her. How could it be that she, a Dragon-kin, could be overpowered by a human Mage?! "Cease your Lightning," a voice rang out beside her ear-hole. Had Ayxin been human, she would have visibly flinched. "I can't stop the Enervation if you don't stop your lightning. At this point, you're just killing yourself." It suddenly struck Ayxin why the man wasn't taking damage. _The spell! The spell the man used—it was Necromancy!_ He wasn't trying to invade her body with ashen mana. He was feeding his spell with her life-force, with her vitality! Suddenly, a boot struck the small of her back. Ayxin fell forwards, stumbling and slipping, landing on her hands and knees. Her broken wing sent up another bout of searing pain, making her curl into a ball instinctively as she broke her fall with a roll, just as the man's niece had been sent skittering into the mud by Golos. Ayxin found her balance. She stood, propping herself upward. "You want to die, be my guest," the Human stoically stated as lightning continued to bath his ashen-form. "Three seconds and I will resume my assault." "One—" _Why had he let her go?_ Were they not in an embrace of death, seeking mutual destruction? Ayxin looked down and found her answer. The girl stood up from the mud, clothes torn and armour in shreds. "Two—" Unharmed! the _Human girl_ was _unharmed_? Who was this duo? When had human Mages become so capable at physical combat?! "Thr-" Ayxin willed away the sudden deluge of lightning. She felt her draconic constitution working to repair her twisted wing, restoring tissue and bone. She placed a hand awkwardly to where it bent. The bone mended, the feathers regrew; her tissues reconnected. "No wonder," the Ash Mage chuckled. "A Demi-human incapable of channelling positive energy would have lost their will by now. Look, I'll meet your Master if the Lord of the Mountain insists, but.." "But what?" Ayxin's words emitted grudgingly. Dragons respected the strong. This man was strong. Ayxin couldn't deny that. "Well, I was going to say you had to let my niece go, but now we wait—" The dark fire withdrew into the Ash Mage's body, though Ayxin was confident it could flare up at any time. "Wait?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "For what?" The barbaric male tapped his feet, indicating the scene below them. "We wait for my niece." The Ash Mage folded his arms. A cruel smirk touched his lips. "A girl's gotta eat."

The mixture of slow-building agony and orgiastic rapture was exquisite, a serendipitous convergence dulling all sensation. Gwen took advantage of her pumping adrenaline and circulated Almudj's mana throughout her battered body, mending her beaten flesh and bruised ligaments. There was damage there, she could feel it, but at least there was no pain, and her system wasn't in shock. She spat out the awful taste of fish and mud in her mouth. A dozen meters from where she crawled on all fours, the Wyvern tried to snap at Ariel. The mongoose proved too fast for the serpentine creature, but it couldn't penetrate the damned thing's armoured scales. Her Opti-Cloak was in tatters; it was never built to withstand the abrasion delivered by a Thunder Wyvern's barbed tail. Her sneak suit was torn from the collar down to her left breast, holding together only under cross-sectional straps and slings. Quickly, she tied the tattered cloak over the left side of her body. Unlike the Wyvern, she would find fighting semi-disrobed infinitely distracting. Her opponent's form was barely distinct in the downpour. The rain hid all the potential damage her spells might have caused, giving Gwen imperfect knowledge of how to proceed. "Uncle Jun?!" her voice reflexively called out. Nothing. No answer but the rain and the low rumbling of swelling thunder overhead. The rainwater stung her eyes and ran into her suit's torn collar, making it clammy and uncomfortable. Uncle Jun HAD to be alright. She had to believe that. He was the Hero of the Northern Front, right? He was the fucking _Ashbringer_. NO WAY he would fall, just like that. With the fire in her head put out by the Wyvern and doused by the rain, she decided to put faith in Jun. If the Dragon-kin had such means, they would have unconditionally ruled this region, usurping the verdant paradise of Suzhou and Hangzhou with impunity. If so, there was only one thing left to do. She had to mangle this Wyvern, then force its owner to confront her. She could hold it hostage. Once Jun was back, he would know what to do. Her lips formed a grim, thin line. "Caliban!" Caliban leapt from the rubble, revitalised by Gwen's and its internal stores. "MAGGOT WITH WINGS!" Gwen howled, utilising the projected voice of her Illusion talent to penetrate the rain. "COME ON! I'll MAKE A VEST OUT OF YOU YET!" Her cat-calling caught the Wyvern's attention. "Si siofmea wux loreata!" it snarled. "Nomeno ui gethrisjir ekess qe diwhaf!" Gwen knew she couldn't tank the bloody thing. It was big, and it was fast, not to mention too strong for her Shield. She would have to kite it around the village and wear it down. If one Void Bolt wasn't enough, how about twenty? How about a hundred? So long as she could keep her vitals up, she was confident she could mill it down to the stumps. She had her Conjured Storm up; she had her Warding Bolt. It was just a matter of time. As for her _vitality and mana..._ Gwen's eyes grew dark and cold; her irises faded to pitch as the Void inundated her body. There was a whole DAMNED village here. How tough could the flying fucker be? Ayxin pursed her lips. "A girl's gotta eat," the Ash Mage's nonsensical inference made her heart skip a beat. "What… is that girl?" Ayxin furrowed her scaly brows. "Is she human?" "That's not for you to know," Jun answered. "Though if she had died just now, I can guarantee that two of your three peaks would have ceased to exist. One by me and another by her ward in Sydney. Lucky you then, huh?" Ayxin glared at her quarry. She regretted underestimating the human Mage. The damned human was at least her equal. He reminded her of the Elders in her long-perished Clan. They, too, had been powerful beyond belief, but unlike her, they grew old, their power waned, and then they died. Their will had seemed insurmountable when they sent Ayxin away to meet her maker. Ayxin vaguely recalled that when her mother died, she had wanted to visit vengeance upon her maternal Clan. But in the end, her zealous ambition was laughable. Before she even matured into her Draconic powers, her enemies had died of old age, consumed by the shift of dynastic power and became dust in the wake of history. How fragile these humans were! How transient their mark on the world! How bright and brief was the candle of man? "We can continue if you like." The Mage shrugged, utterly relaxed now that his niece was worse for wear but otherwise unharmed. Ayxin wasn't the combative kind. Unsure of how to proceed, she turned her attention to the battle beneath them. She would dispel the Misty Realm and expel both of them if need be, though the chant would require significant concentration. Below them, Golos charged the girl again. Her boisterous brother better not play the fool now of all times, Ayxin pondered grimly. The uncertainty oppressed her, stifling her breath. She was confident she could subdue the Ash Mage, though Ayxin was ashamed to admit the subjugation cost was higher than she was willing to pay. "Suit yourself." Her opponent scratched his head. For some reason, the man's gaze made her uncomfortable. The cloak he had been wearing had been disintegrated by her lightning, though his body armour remained intact. The Mage coughed. Curiously, he retrieved a crude linen garb from his ring. It was large enough to cover the upper and lower body. "Look, Miss Ayxin? Mr Ayxin? I know you're a talking-walking lizard, but how about putting something on?" Ayxin looked down. Her destructive melee against the Human Mage had shredded the silken garb which Ryxi had woven for her. It should have been durable enough to resist elemental damage, though not, as it appeared, the Negative Energy fire. The Draconic side of her couldn't care less. Her body was a wonder of natural beauty. Who wouldn't be proud to be a descendant of a Dragon with scales to show for it? Her human side screamed blue murder. Ayxin rigidly turned halfway away from the Ash Mage, hiding her profile. She couldn't think of an appropriate curse in Draconic. Nor was she in possession of another item of clothing. Below their awkward silence, the duel intensified. Golos was surprised by his vehemence. There was something in the air that made him oddly stimulated. His first attack had been a ground assault, covering the space with his powerful legs, guiding his strike with perfect poise, balanced by a pair of prideful wings and delivered via his thick, muscular neck. One snap of his jaws and the girl would be bereft of a limb. Then he could take his time. He was confident because the Mages he had fought in the past were all glass canons. This female, however, had both powerful Shielding and offensive magic, which confused Golos. She appeared to possess the same blessing of lightning which he had. More worryingly, the girl wielded a Negative-aligned power potent enough to penetrate his resistance. It was with this foul element that she tarnished his scales. The very notion of such an idea of being wounded by a female he could eat or mount at his pleasure was the greatest insult. He had to call upon his father's constitution to resist the painful permeation of the tenebrous matter into his otherwise impervious Draconic body. Then there was the matter of the two strange beasts that accompanied the female. The first was an existentially inconsequent rat twice the size of one of Ryxi's goats. It couldn't touch Golos, but it was absurdly agile. For Golos, the effort he had to expend to catch the thing was more troublesome than just ignoring it. As for the second creature, Golos had sensed a tingle in his thirty-foot spine when it made a horrendous noise and charged him. He had experienced a strange sensation of falling followed by the urgency one felt when urination was imminent. Alarmed, he dealt with it more seriously than he would have liked to admit. It was just as well that the insectile thing was as fragile as glass Father knows what would have happened if it had latched onto him. According to Ryxi, that thing has a prehensile penis' with teeth. The girl was screaming at him now. "I'll MAKE A VEST OUT OF YOU YET!" Golos thought the girl had perished. It wasn't every day he was pleasantly surprised. "I thought you died!" he roared with glee, speaking in Draconic. He saw no reason to talk to the girl in the tongue of her apish ancestors. "This is going to be fun." If the girl could survive a strike from his tail, it must mean she was immensely durable in taking abuse. He had been worried earlier, as Ayxin had explicitly stated that Father wanted the girl alive. Now that the human female was proving to be such a good sport, his blood boiled. After the interlopers met with their father, he would ask for her as a reward. If he could populate the place with Demi-Ayxins, he could happily vex his half-sibling. "WHOMP" With a single sweep of his wings, Golos lifted into the air. If a ground assault proved too weak to hinder the girl, then an aerial one would have to do. A pinpoint dive was a force multiplier, a talent every Wyvern mastered. Even Ruxin, the purest of Father's blood-spawns, could be brought low by a well-aimed dive bomb. But first, a greeting for the girl was in order. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Golos opened his jaws and let loose a line of lightning that cut through the rain, vaporising water droplets and carving a channel into the earth. "Dimension Door!" The female teleported. Golos tried to sense the girl's elemental aura; previously, she had blazed like a thunder-struck Dragon-pine. Disappointingly, he found none. The strange dark energy she had emitted must be shielding her presence. "Void Bolt!" Another splash of corrosive muck struck his flank, removing yet more scales and soaking into his skin. _There!_ He caught a glimpse of the sorceress. She was using a spell to hide her presence, taking advantage of the darkness brought by the storm. The sorceress was covered from head to toe in the same dark substance she used to attack him, hissing as the rain struck. Were it not for Golos' highly developed prey sense, he would have missed the slim silhouette shifting between the Merfolk's buildings. "ROAR!" A thunderous shockwave, concentrated into a conic blast, flattened the building behind which the Mage took cover. There was a splash of ink as his breath attack struck. But the girl was gone. _Curses!_ Golos flapped his wings. The damned ape sure could hide! From up on high, the Demi-dragon surveyed his domain. His Merfolk livestock had been fleeing by droves as soon as their combat began, elevating chaos into full-blown anarchy. The pelting rain did not impact Golos' line of sight. Still, it diminished the efficacy of his kinesthetic vision, which specialised in hunting smaller creatures, especially in hot pursuit. A commotion caught Golos' eyes. _The spiderling!_ It was alive, and it was hunting down the Merfolk. Golos scoffed. What use would the slaughter of useless eel-men accomplish? He could kill them by the dozen any given day, a hundred even. Once, he ate one with golden, shimmering scales, believing she would taste better. While not as good as Ryxi's carp, the eels possessed a fatty but delicate taste; they were one of Golos' go-to snacks. "SCREE—!" The spider turned itself inside-out, then consumed one of the Merfolk. Others fleeing beside it fell to their knees and began convulsing and retching. "Void Bolt!" Before Golos could register what the thing was doing, another assault struck his right wing. The sudden pain spreading across his dactylopatagium felt like stinging ice. Golos inspected his limb for damage and noted that several of his most precious feathers, the likeness of which father possessed, were gone. "DISGRACE!" He felt his head aflame with thunderous rage. The girl was spitting in his face! Her attack was an insult to their sacred Progenitor! "Ball Lightning!" Three blasts of enormously destructive lightning cascaded off his breast, chipping a few scales and bruising his flesh. With another mighty roar, the Wyvern dipped below, the wind pressure of his dive so great that nearby huts were sent rolling, their roofs blasted open by the jet stream of Golo's passing. A flash of lightning lit up the darkened gorge with a hysterical light. _Crash!_ There were two sources of crashing cacophony. The first was the rumbling storm sundering the valley with ear-splitting sound. The second was Golos, smashing into huts and Merfolks, flattening shelters and storehouses as he snapped at the space where the spell emanated, where he could still taste the girl's lingering lightning aura. Instead, he was greeted by a fleeing mongoose. "EE-ee!" _BANG!_ A blast of light and sound disorientated Golos for a mere tenth of a second, but it was enough for the mongoose to escape. _Where was the female?!_ Golos swung his tail in a wide arc and cleared a whole row of huts, sending a cloud of dust, debris and Merfolk. All around him, his people begged him for mercy in their grotesque fish-speak. "COME OUT! COWARD!" Golos had lowered himself to speak the human tongue. His frustration knew no bounds! "Void Orb!" The voice came from further than Golos had expected. As he lifted into the air, another three blasts of the dark matter struck his leg, chest, and neck. More precious scales disappeared from his dermis. If Golos could see himself now, he would have revolted, for his once beautifully patterned scales now resembled the fur of an eclectically shaven cat. "ROAR!" Another thunder blast, this time catching the culprit. A half-dome Shield foiled Golos' hopes; then the girl was gone again. He could do nothing else but lift into the air, searching for yet another opportunity. _There!_ Golos caught the silhouette and began his dive. This time he would not stop until everything within range and beyond was ploughed and annihilated! "Lightning Sphere!" The expansion of a lightning-charged explosion intercepted the trajectory of his flight. _WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!_ The Wyvern felt as though he was going insane. Was the girl an Illusionist? Was he trapped in an Illusion? Ryxi could weave Illusions, but Golos never fell for those. Was this girl more adept than even a scion of their father? Before he could pivot and turn, he was struck again. "Void Sphere!" _WHAT?!_ Golos felt his world go dark as a blast erupted right in front of his face, consuming his head. Instinctively, his scaly lids protected his eyes. The Wyvern quickly channelled vitality and lightning, protecting his sensory organs, emerging better than he had expected from the exchange. The darkness ended. Golos opened his eyes. Collision with a hut was imminent. "GARRRGH!" Golos smashed head-first into the hut, completely demolishing the exterior structure. Something must have been hiding inside because he heard the bone crunch and blood smell. From the stink of crushed roe, he knew it not to be the human female. _CURSES! CURSES!_ Golos whipped his neck back and forth, clearing the space around him. _WHERE WAS SHE?! WHERE IS SHE NOW?!_ "Your pet's not doing so well," Jun taunted the dragon-Mage. "Golos is my half-brother," the dragon-woman answered. Jun regarded the absurd sight of a Draconian wearing a pink t-shirt with an anthropomorphic cat at the front with the words, "Hello Kitty." He had bought it for Gwen after the salesperson promised his _niece_ would love it. However, when he saw her usual fashion, he realised the design was for far younger girls. Would Ayxin try to murder him if he took a Lumen Pic? The boys at the barracks would never believe such a thing. But then again, few would believe he was face-to-face with a Dragon Mage. _Dragon Mage_ was the designation the PLA had for Draconic Demi-humans who could use human magic. From her appearance and Spellcraft, the stupendously garbed Draconian must possess human blood within her, or else how she could not possibly manifest this Misty Realm of hers. Spatial magic was a lost art, or perhaps, some would say—a deliberately 'forgotten' art. These days, Enchanters could recreate its effects with mandalas and glyphs, but the 'School' itself no longer exists, at least not in the sense of a curriculum. He eyed the Draconian as she squirmed, alarmed by the battle below. Gwen was doing very well, using mobility and cover and her Familiars as distractions. The two-legged Wyern might be impervious to her spells, but so long as she could keep her vitality up, it was a matter of time. As for his Hello Kitty companion, he had heard of Ayxin; she had received an honourable mention in the archives. What he didn't expect was that she did use Human Spellcraft. It meant the Demi-human had been around before Mao's Great Revolution in the 40s, before the fall of the Qing Dynasty. The dragon-woman caught him staring. Her castigating expression amused him; it wasn't every day you pissed off the equivalent of a Demi-goddess. From what he could discern, she could use Lightning magic innately with impunity and near-limitless capacity, AND she had access to Spatial Magic. Her body possessed Draconic-constitution, meaning she could live for millennia, AND she was highly intelligent. If she had been a Mage, the Towers would be grooming her to be a Magi. But as she was a Demi-human, he should be seriously considering killing her. But neither of them chose that path because Mutually Assured Destruction was overrated. Instead, they stood in the space of her Misty Realm and watched the battle below. _Was it curiosity?_ Jun wondered. Or was it that they both lacked the necessary bloodlust for senseless victories? He had known peaceful Demi-humans, but Dragon-kin seldom counted amongst that number. Perhaps this Ayxin was a sentimentalist? One for whom violence was the means and not the end? If so, he was in luck. Each second he maintained his Ashen Avatar, the spell set his soul ablaze. All these years, he had paid for it with the Essence from his Amulet. Sadly, his reserve wasn't infinite. Either way, pending the outcome below, he would have to coax her into diplomacy. With words—or with _dark fire._ Falling rain turned to steam against Golos' obliterated dermis. His once proud armour was wounded, cracked and corroded. The running streams of water cooled him—a pleasant sensation amid the agony. He would normally enjoy such a thing, but not so now. Instinctively, he knew that his pretty plumage, those rare ornaments that had once framed his skull like a lion's mane, like the ones Father wore, was gone. The exchange had gone on for almost half an hour, with his attacks missing the girl every time. During their last dozen melees, he hadn't even bothered trying to spot her. He merely hovered, demoralised and stunned by the turn of events, tanking her attacks until he was sure of her whereabouts. But he was wrong. The girl stayed just ahead of him, again and again. It was Madness! Did the girl have an infinite mana pool? He was being ground down by monotony and indifference! The ceaseless impediment was making him question his sanity. Frustration, loathing, impotent anger; he couldn't flee, he couldn't lose, and he couldn't win. The Wyvern preferred to be beaten to the ground. At least then, there was an end to the misery. As Golos surveyed the desolated village, half strewn with corpses of Merfolk, the female Mageling was still nowhere to be seen. _FINE!_ Golos congratulated his opponent. He would give her what she wanted. With a flap of his leathery wings, Golos took flight until he was above the gorge. If the girl wanted to play the coward, he would destroy everything. From this day forth, this region will be nought but shattered stone, a memory of what once was. Riding the currents surrounding the storm, Golos found a spot to hover which allowed him the necessary space to manifest one of Father's most destructive abilities. There was no name for the power he was about to employ. Golos knew it only to be the manifestation of his father's wrath. He would call upon heaven, offering his vitality and spirit to the skies, then call down a sweeping deluge of thunder and lightning. That in itself would not be enough, of course. Golos grinned, his cracked and bleeding reptilian lips forming a toothy curl. The thunder and lighting would destroy the crags, the cliffs, the trees and the granite—the very substance that formed Huangshan. The falling debris would build momentum until a flash flood of logs, rubble, granite, and whitewater consumed the entire valley. Then the girl would have to emerge. That or die below. Once above, Golos unfurled his once magnificent wings, now torn and spattered with blighted scales, bloody membranes, and feather stumps. The winds changed. The air began to form a vortex. The already dark sky became lightless, plunging the gorge into a deep pitch. As his assault intensified, Golos noticed a little green mote below. It grew brighter, then brighter again. It was coming closer. Golos felt his muscles tense. His vertebrae trembled. _What was this feeling!?_ It was as though Father was watching! He glanced about him bewildered, wondering if the Yinglong's all-seeing eye would suddenly appear and scold him. The green silhouette piercing the darkness became fully visible as it came closer. It had been scaling the cliff face at a terrific speed. A serpentine form. Four limbs. Two long, protruding horns crackled with emerald energy. _A Kirin?!_ No, Golos' jaws hung open. No divine beast could look as ridiculous as that thing. It appeared almost like that mongoose he had encountered below. But that creature couldn't fly. And this creature swam through the air, albeit with its paws waddling like a dog paddling through the water. Golos wondered if the world had gone daft. He was exhausted, and the Wyvern had taken at least three dozen bolts of both elements to various parts of his body. The damned sorceress and her cowardice had sapped his patience and sanity. _Was it a Kirin, then?_ Its aura was palpable. _Old!—w_ as the impression Golos received. Older than anything he had ever seen or felt, perhaps older than Father?! Was it an emissary from the Great Mount? "Lord Kirin?" Golos couldn't help but ask as the creature finally managed to lift itself to his eye level. "Why do you visit us at this hour?" The Kirin opened its mouth to deliver its edict— "EE—EE—EE!" A Barbanginy Elemental Sphere Exploded in Golos' face. Illuminating the gorge, the heavens, and the cliffs, painting the cumulonimbus formation above in a blinding blast of viridescent light. The explosion expanded violently, engulfing Golos's body, then erupted again as a supernova, scattering the clouds above. The rolling thunder could be heard as far as the horizon. From within a shroud of superheated steam, Golos fell. A Draconic shooting star, fallen from heaven.

_STUPID GOLOS!_ Ayxin hadn't known panic in as long as she could recall, not since she had been a human girl trying to awaken her wyrmling powers. An Ashen Bolt flew past her face. "What are you" Ayxin was in the middle of dispelling Misty Realm when the Ash Mage disrupted her incantation. The bolt had been too weak to harm her but enough for her to flinch. "—don't you want to leave?" "Not right now." The man grinned. "Give it time." "I am letting us out of here!" Ayxin's eyes formed two cold slits of repressed anger. "Golos is subdued. Your niece is safe. Father had no desire to maim you; he said he wished to hold an audience." "That's hardly fair on the girl!" The Ash Mage became once again cloaked in dark fire. "You weren't going to let me out to help my niece, no? Why should I let you out to help your brother?" " _You!_ " Ayxin wasn't sure how to respond. "You insolent, arrogant ape!" A blast of lightning struck the Mage, more purposeful than harmful. The Ash Mage took it unflinchingly. "I know it's not fair, but I took the opportunity to inject a Greater Resist Elements potion," the man explained, amused by her frustration. "You've paid too much attention to the fight. I could have sneak-attacked you a dozen times and over. Miss Ayxin, you don't get much fighting up on these mountains, do you? Nice and peaceful up here, no? Are you not getting enough action _around_ here?" "I get enough!" Ayxin's face would have flushed if she had possessed the soft dermis of her human form. As she was, her Draconian scales merely bristled. "Tell me, how old is that w\Wyvern? Would he leave behind a Core? I need to be down there for the Core to be preserved. The more powerful a creature gets, the more likely the Core shatters on death. Unless he's over a century or two, which is it?" Ayxin's eyes grew large with rage. "Do you have a Core? A half-human like you?" Dragons were warm-blooded creatures. Even so, Ayxin felt her blood run cold. Below, the girl was approaching the fallen Wyvern, her eyes glowering with murderous intent. "Well, I am not going to stop you. As I said, I need to be present for Gwen to retrieve your brother's Core. So if you're happy to let us out, go ahead. I am just as happy to duke it outside." "If she kills him, I will destroy you and your niece," Ayxin spat. The man shook his head. "NO. You will not," the man retorted in an almost friendly manner. Such was his confidence. "You're a powerful being, sure. But your combat experience is laughable. You've never fought a contest of life or death, ever." Ayxin trembled with frustration. Her hands wrung the hem of her Hello Kitty t-shirt. WHERE THE HELL HAD RYXI GONE? She could guess. Their eldest was either hiding somewhere, shivering with fright. Or hiding somewhere, giggling with glee at Golos' abuse. "So, what will it be?" _Was the Mage right?_ _Could he be bluffing?_ More importantly, dared she test his hypothesis? "Take your time." The Ash Mage pointed to the scene below. "Gwen is about to start." * * * Gwen watched the Wyvern fall from the sky. Her draconic vitality was spent. A dozen tier 5 spells, two dozen tier 4 attacks, and an endless number of Void Bolts and Dimension Doors had drained her reserves. Her head throbbed, and her brain felt inflamed; the mental drain from spell fatigue was tremendous. When she tried to breathe, her chest ached. Without the Draconic-vitality, she could not sustain the intensity of the Void-mana ravaging her body. Much less the injury she had sustained. Even walking the distance to engage the Wyvern made her breath rip out in rags; no matter how hard she gasped, she couldn't get enough air. Additionally, she felt ravenous despite a sumptuous feast of two dozen Merfolk. Given a choice, Gwen would have chosen the warriors - had the males not been the first to flee. Unluckily for both herself and her victims, only the females and the elvers left. But she couldn't afford the sentimentality now, her body was vitality-poor, and beggars couldn't be choosers. The final choice of expending her Almudj-Essence had been a significant gamble. Without the Rainbow Serpent's breath of life, she couldn't use the Void variety of Dimension Door without corrupting her constitution. Then the Wyvern flew out of range to launch a massive attack. The downpour was easing up, though the rain persisted. Already the water was ankle-deep in the gorge. Even from a diminished vantage point, Gwen could see what the brutish Wyvern was trying to accomplish. Her plan involved feeding Ariel all of her Essence, allowing it to climb the cliffs until it was within a hundred meters of the Wyvern. From there, Ariel could launch a volley of positive-charge Lightning Orbs that would hopefully disrupt the Wyvern's ultimate attack. Then Ariel exceeded all of her expectations. After Almudj's altered Essence infused her Familiar, it lifted into the air, growing to multiple times its standard size. Its Eland's horns, two twisted spirals, grew large and protruding, splitting into stag horns. Her mongoose marten's mammalian face likewise distended, taking on a strange draconic shape. When Ariel furthermore began to dog-paddle through the air, she became struck with a sudden epiphany; the sort one gained when moments away from extinction. Her intuition was right; the rest was history, one in which she'd been written the victor. "Enhance Constitution!" That was the best Gwen could do for now. 'SPLOSH!' For all its terror and bluster, the Wyvern landed with a comical splat, cushioned by the soft mud. Gwen had hoped that, like in the movies, it would fall on pailings or spikes, skewering itself. Real life, it seemed, seldom provided such serendipitous clichès. Elsewhere, Caliban continued the hunt. When the Wyvern did not move from its muddy crater, Gwen took the liberty of waiting until she was jolted by a surge of meagre vitality from an eel woman before she approached the great beast. "Caliban! Ariel! On me!" The three of them converged. Twenty meters from the Wyvern, it suddenly twisted its head in a last-ditch effort, letting loose a clap of thunderous air. Gwen's Non-Newtonian Shield manifested instantly with a speed that would have made a Master Abjurer applaud. Her barrier weathered the blast without strain, splitting the palpable force in twain. Around her semi-dome, a 'V' shape formed in the muddy ditch, then sloshed inwards as the breath faded. "Where's Uncle Jun?" Gwen stated the first thing on her mind, enhanced by her Illusion. The Wyvern regarded her with fierce eyes; two blue-white orbs split with dark slits. Its maw snapped; just one of its fangs was the size of her forearm. "You will never see him again; Ayxin has taken care of him," the Wyvern laughed cruelly as its body convulsed. It tried to rise. "So you do speak my language." Gwen's nostril flared, a block of icy despair engendering in her bosom at the Wyvern's boast. The rain ran from her pallid face in clear streaks, washing away the mud and grime. Her fist clenched. "Dark Tentacles!" Gwen's complexion took on an ashen cast as vitality from her final Merfolk drained into her Conjuration staple. Four writhing tentacles wrapped around the Wyvern's neck and wings, pinning it to the ground. Where the dark matter touched its scales, it scorched the skin and ate into its hide. A tiny trickle of vitality began to feed into Gwen, far from sufficient to keep her standing. The Wyvern's natural resistance was beyond her affinity and her tier of magic. "GNNNARGN!" the Wyvern howled. "BITCH! I'll mount you! I'll skewer you!" "I hope you'll generate a sizeable Core." Gwen's voice lost all emotion at the threat of violence, growing hollow and cruel through the cascading rain. "Caliban!" Caliban skittered toward the Wyvern. The Wyvern writhed and struggled, dangerously whipping its tail. Gwen materialised two healing injectors and jammed them into her thigh. She was well past the limit for alchemical fatigue, but every mote of Positive Energy helped. "Dark Tentacles!" "Lightning Tentacles!" Her cheeks were sallow like a ghost's. Against the dark leather of her armour, she appeared almost like a Wraith. _Caliban!_ She commanded her pet. _YUM-YUMS!_ Her spiderling skittered beside the Wyvern and struck at its sides with its forelegs. Despite striking sparks, it couldn't penetrate the leather. The difference in tiers was too great. "You cannot get past my armour! Your monster is worthless!" the Wyvern mocked her. "When I recover, I am going to tear you apart!" Gwen parted her lips to deliver a riposte. Alarmingly, she realised that her consciousness was waning. Her sneak suit was torn; the water ingress had lowered her body temperature significantly. With her vitality running on fumes, she was likely coming down with hypothermia. Her tentacles tightened. The Wyvern chuckled arrogantly. She had to finish this soon; the Wyvern grew stronger by the minute. "You probably have no idea what I am talking about, but once, I watched a movie called Stalingrad where these Germans had to fight tanks. They couldn't get through the armour, so they had to hide, stick explosives onto the tank's engine blocks, jamming sticky bombs into exhausts." Golos glared, its eyes uncomprehending. The rain was clearing up. "Anyway—Caliban!" Gwen commanded her spider to revert to its serpent form, long and sleek, torpedo-headed, translucent and obsidian. Within its carapace, purple muscles and sinews writhed like worms. "… enter from its anus." The rain stopped. The Wyvern remained as still as a Draconic statue, trying to make itself appear as a rock. It was because rocks, for all intents and purposes, lacked an anus. "Shaa-Shaa—!" Caliban began to move. "MMMMM! GHMMM! GGGGGMNNNNNNN!" The Wyvern was in a frenzy now. It managed to open its maw, forcing apart the tentacles in an adrenaline-fuelled rush of desperation. "YOUUNCLEISALIVEAYXINHASHIM-WERETOLDNOTTOKILLEITHEROFYOU!" "TOO LATE, FUCKER!" Gwen willed Caliban to hurry the fuck up. Her body was a hot mess; she doubled over in pain and could barely breathe. Once she lost consciousness, there was no telling what this half-dragon-half-maggot would do to her. "YOU WANNA LIVE? GIVE ME UNCLE JUN NOW! CALIBAN! GET THE FUCK IN THERE!" "NOOOO~ GGNGGNNMMM!" "I WANT ITS CORE-" She fell forward. A pair of arms took her by the waist and picked her half-flailing, half-wrecked body up from the ground. _Shit,_ Gwen immediately regretted her grandstanding. Her mind was a chaotic mess of shell-shocked noise and sound. Reinforcements for the Wyvern?! She needed another vitality injection ASAP. Caliban, hurry the fuck up! She spun, her backhand striking a human face. "Gwen, calm yourself." The familiar face had a five-fingered mark over the right cheek. "It's over. You're safe now." "Uncle Jun?!" Gwen reflexively blurted out. The man was smiling, albeit awkwardly. He opened his mouth to explain. "UNCLE JUN!" a cathartic utterance exploded from her lips. Her knees folded. Before she struck the mud, her uncle's hands caught her, one arm wrapped around her knees, while another first slid around her waist. The next moment, she was lifted from the ground and cradled like a child. "I am glad you're okay." Jun held onto her tightly. "There's no need to keep fighting. Miss Ayxin and I have arrived at a compromise." _Over?_ How could it be over just like that? Gwen's mind was immediately suspicious. Uncle Jun would never spare the Demi-humans. They were harvesting CORES, for fuck's sake. Why would the Dragon-kin negotiate now? Was she in a delusion? Is this an Illusion? "AYXIN!" A screeching voice cried out beside them in the human tongue. "TELL HER TO RETRIEVE HER THING! IT IS INVADING MY G-GUTS!" Ah— Gwen reminded herself. _Now that isn't an illusion._ "Lady Song," a woman's voice sounded beside her. "Do you mind retracting your creature from my brother's anu… insides? Your Uncle and I have agreed to negotiate with my Father." "Gwen, do as the Lady says." Her uncle's voice was the same low and assuring tone she'd heard all week, certifying the authenticity of the man who now held her. "Do it now; else we'll seriously be in trouble." "Okay." Tension drained from Gwen's body in torrents. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. A horrid fire erupted over her right lumbar and solar plexus. “Caliban… Ariel…” Gwen's head rolled against her uncle's bicep, free-falling into uncertain darkness. * * * Round and round, the corroboree went, circles within circles. She was there, amidst the ring, moving her body wildly, a migloo ghost swaying to the beat of the thumping cadence. Sweat trickled off her chin, soaking into the body paint. Below, the earth clung to her thighs, covering her feet and warming her sole. Faster and faster they went, following the pace set by the clapstick. "Kapi! Kapi! Kapi!" The material world became less defined. The figures blended into one space. The rumbling of distant thunder joined the didjeridu. Above, the snare-drum sibilance of wind-tossed blood gums splattered dewdrops over the frenzied figures below. She was in the middle, _Singing the Snake,_ inducing the tempest. Its waters came from the oldest place, Uluru, from a hole where all the world's waters originated. That was its home, the cheeky snake, the Old One who comes when called by the singing, pleased by its sound and rhythm. When the snake spoke, its voice filled every crevice in her head. "KIN!" * * * Gwen opened her eyes, her vivid irises adjusting to the brightness. The scent of hibiscus was heavy in the air. There was also the melody of a gentle guzheng, adding to the ambience. She was floating. Don't panic, she told herself. A dungeon did not smell like a five-star day spa at the Shangri-la. Slowly, her pupils focused. Indeed, she was in a spa. Everything was white. Alabaster walls, ivory floors, porcelain pillars. Even the mineral-rich bathwater was white and milky. On the ceiling was a carved fresco, a scene of women bathing. The water was warm and buoyant, and pink-lilac hibiscus petals were floating here and there. Amongst the visage of naked women, there was a dragon with wings. _SHIT._ That can't be good. Was she imprisoned in a draconic seraglio? Something was slithering up her thighs and caressing her toes. Her eyes scanned the tranquil pool. Was there something in here with her? It had felt like a hand or at least an appendage. Could it be a woman? A man? A fish-man-woman? Another tactile sensation, indistinct, rubbed her shoulders, kneading her neck. The richly mineralised water lapped between her breasts. As more of her faculty returned, Gwen realised strange _hands_ were in the water, massaging her calves. The massage felt good. Very good. As a long-time patron of her Swiss masseuse, she could differentiate between a hydro-massage and an assault. It was just that the disembodied experience was creepy as anything. Carefully, she channelled a mote of Almudj's Essence through her body and found that she was in perfect health. Not as hale as her halcyon days of Draconic-constitution, but as hale as can be for a woman who had gone vis-a-vis with a wyvern. "Don't fret. Those are Water Elementals," a soft voice emitted from behind Gwen. Gwen slowly turned her head. A woman was there. Or a man, she couldn't tell. She had rarely seen anyone so androgynous. He or she had a perfectly symmetrical face, Asian, but mixed with something unfathomable. Her face, an aesthetic masterpiece, was angular but not sharp, long but not intimidating, masculine but not oppressive, and feminine but not delicate. "You are…" Gwen scanned her memories. "Ayxin?" The being nodded. "This is my human form." Ayxin caught Gwen staring at her chest. Indeed, there was a gentle swelling there. Comparatively, the woman's chest was barely noticeable, much less protrusive. Her waist as well was slender but not waspish. Then some features hinted at her inhumanity. She had a small horn jutting from her forehead. Her hair, which fell to her waist, was silvery-platinum. Her eyes were the most obvious giveaway. They were impossibly blue, speckled with snow, possessing a single slit in place of a round pupil. "Are you finished with the healing pool?" the woman enquired impatiently. Gwen had never bathed in public, much less in an open hall with Water Elemental masseuses and a Draconic voyeur. When it was clear that Ayxin had no idea what privacy entailed, she steeled herself and lifted herself from the water, streaming milky minerals over her porcelain skin. One of the formless water elementals accosted her for the final time. When it departed, her skin and hair were bone-dry. "Convenient," Gwen remarked. The room was a little chilly. "Where are my clothes?" she asked. "Do you not have any in your Item Ring?" Gwen turned away to mask her faux pas. Of course, she had her rings. If the Contingency Ring had been forcibly removed, she would have Teleported to Shanghai by now, perhaps in the nude. Amazed she was still being watched, Gwen grudgingly materialised intimates and slipped on her bra and panties. "May I see one of those?" The Dragon woman appeared interested in her briefs. Gwen wordlessly handed over a spare, a mundane pair constructed of fine cotton, wondering if the Chinese wore briefs a century ago. While Ayxin hefted the garb, meditating on its purpose, Gwen slipped on a porcelain-pattern Mandarin dress, seeing that whoever ruled this place had a craving for white and blue. She then produced her sift sandals, hoping the cork would soften her footfalls and make walking on the granite less conspicuous. "Is there a mirror here?" Gwen asked Ayxin. The dragon-kin stared at Gwen's shoes intently as she muttered a word Gwen couldn't even begin to pronounce. In the next moment, one of the water elements formed into what could only be described as a reflective pool suspended in mid-air. "Thanks, Love." "I am not your friend, nor your love." "Okay." Gwen tipped her eyes with wings and applied a pink-petal gloss to her lips. She had a pretty good idea what their next meeting would entail, and showing up to meet the mountain's owner looking like a pale, colourless undead certainly wouldn't do. "Can I see those?" Gwen passed over the makeup kit. "Those shoes, they look uncomfortable, and yet." She passed over a spare pair of platform pumps. "Why does that dress cover so much of your body? Is it a religious garb?" Gwen gave the woman a new dress she hadn't yet worn. A white and floral number that reached the knees. If anything, Gwen had never worn it because she felt it was a little immodest. When she regarded Ayxin, however, she realised the dragon-lady was wearing a single layer of silk, like a kimono, and nothing underneath. She wasn't leaving much to the imagination. The Dragon woman held her treasures thoughtfully. "Thank you for the gifts. Come, your uncle awaits." _Thank you for what now?_ Gwen blinked. _Those are my clothes. I bought them with my money._ But the woman was already walking away. Gwen felt a strong dislike for this Ayxin. * * * "Uncle Jun!" Gwen stifled the desire to run to her uncle as they entered a grand hall with an impossibly tall ceiling. The carved architecture was seamless, polished with a blinding gleam that made orientating one's eyes a chore. A sort of sanctified music played as they walked, but after a pillar or two, Gwen realised it was the wind playing through the vaulted roof, creating a gentle echo that resembled voices in prayer. Her uncle was still garbed in his sneak suit. His equipment appeared relatively unharmed, unlike her own, though his optic cloak was missing. What was surprising, however, was that they weren't convened in a throne room. Instead, the white palaces' corridors led to an outdoor garden overlooking the breathtaking view of Huangshan. Even more incredibly, Gwen acknowledged from the dozen or so gates in view that this was the exit. _That's it?_ What happened to the Yinglong kicking their ass? Where was her grand meeting? She had a whole speech in her head! "Uncle?" Her uncle assured her that, _indeed_ , they were leaving. Gwen turned to Ayxin, whose demeanour was as unwelcoming as ever. "Your Uncle will explain, child." The Dragon-kin pointed toward the descending stairs. "You must leave now. The Sacred Mount is not for the likes of Humankind, Vessel or otherwise. Your presence here has already taxed my father's generosity and sullied the White Jade Hall." "Gwen, let's go." Jun reached out to Gwen, taking her fingers in his palm. "I'll explain later." * * * The trio flew through the mountain range, taking in its majesty. Below them, above them, beside them, Huangshan's magnificence revealed itself as fog and mist parted, revealing thousand-year-old life-size bonsais contorting from cliff-sides and crags. An occasional waterfall added to the breathtaking scenery, cascading until the stream turned to vapour, fuelling the mystic realm below. With Ayxin leading the two, the conversation was kept strictly to business. Gwen still couldn't believe they were leaving just like that. What about all the animals they hunted? That talking pangolin? The Wyvern that she defeated? "Miss Ayxin," Gwen ventured an inquiry. "The Lord of the Mount has forgiven our transgression?" Ayxin scoffed. "Father's interest in worldly matters has significantly diminished as he grows ever wiser with age," the Dragon-kin replied cryptically. "You will do well not to venture into our realm again. Father has decreed that you are a force of Calamity, and I applaud your expulsion." "A _Calamity_ for whom, though?" Jun interjected. "Lord Yinglong was not specific in his prophecy." "What Calamity?" Gwen recalled that her grandfather had said something similar as well. A peevish annoyance crept into her chest. “I am the 'Calamity'? That's hardly fair. You make it sound like I have no freedom or will, that I'll harm those around me simply because I exist. What am I? A Tsunami?" Ayxin slowed until she flew beside them. With her diaphanous shawl and silken garb, she did look like one of those mystical women from ancient legends. Gwen was reminded of the mythos where a mortal kept a Heavenly Maid who had lost her shawl as an unwitting bride until she stole back her clothes and could flee her husband. Gwen doubted Ayxin would have that problem. She'd probably nuke the whole village from orbit. "Of course, dismissing the ageless wisdom of infinitely greater beings is also a very human thing to do," Ayxin riposted smugly. "Father does not wish to consult with you because to do so would disrespect an elder. Our race is very particular about seniority." "Do you mean _Almudj_?" Gwen did a double-take. "You dare speak the Old One's name?!" Ayxin snapped at her. The woman's eyes were suddenly ablaze with fury. "Your audacity knows no bounds, human girl! One wonders how you have lived so long! Or what the Old One sees in you!" The winds picked up. The moisture crackled with static. Dragon fear washed over the landscape below. The sound of lesser creatures fleeing filled the valley. Birds rose from the treetops in splendiferous colours, scattering in all directions. Gwen bit her tongue. His uncle shivered, his fists balling unconsciously. Without their magic active, they had to endure the brunt of Ayxin's draconic presence with will alone. Surprising even herself, Gwen relaxed. Once the shock passed, she seemed entirely unfazed by it all, looking more like a girl scolded than a lower being whose existence had been threatened with extinction. "Never say the Old One's name without the proper respect," Ayxin warned her, annoyed that the girl didn't panic and fall. "Do not enunciate that name, especially not to your fellow Humans. An Old One is a special existence." Gwen nodded. There was no point contending on how much respect she felt for Almudj. It would appear that the relationship shared by the Indigenous people of the wide-brown land with their deity was far more intimate than that of the Yinglong, who had marketed himself as a deity to be worshipped and feared rather than loved and admired. The flight continued in silence until Gwen could no longer withhold her curiosity. "What's happened to the Wyvern?" "Ah—about that," her uncle pipped up. "I tried my best, Gwen. But no dice. I am afraid there is no Dragon Core." "Imprudent!" Ayxin jeered her uncle. From the look on her face, she had recalled an unpleasant memory. Jun smiled broadly at the Dragon-Mage, then turned to Gwen. "Conversely, I have spoken with the Lord of the Huangshan, and he has informed me that there will be reparation for losing your victory spoils." Ayxin lowered her eyes, glanced at Jun, and then turned her chin away. Gwen regarded the atmosphere between the two. She was very good at reading people, and what she read now made no sense to her. In her human form, Ayxin was extraordinarily beautiful, albeit aesthetic and abstract. There was tension between the two, but it wasn't sexual. If there were, she would know. Gwen was confident she could read sexual tension like a violinist tuning the tautness of her strings. No, what the two shared was a kind of cross-species admiration, which made it worse. "And what may that be?" She asked. "Golos owes you his life, though no doubt my brother would prefer death to indentured servitude, so your Uncle here negotiated your terms with Father in your stead." "Oh?" Gwen reminded herself that there were still a dozen or more cores held captive within Caliban, which she had not examined. Whatever spoils she could receive now would be in addition to the surety of her secret stash. "Yes, Golos shall save your life—THRICE—in the coming years, even if it means he would expend his own in the process. Should he survive the endeavour, he will be allowed to return to his former position." "That's…" Gwen mulled Ayxin's words in her head twice over, only to find that she couldn't comprehend a single word. "Gwen," her uncle came to Ayxin's defence. "The Yinglong is well known for its prophecies. I believe it's a good offer. Think about why we're here. Despite everything, we're leaving unscathed. As for saving your life, if Ayxin says her father is to be trusted, then that's three times you will cheat death!" _H-her uncle was playing the devil's advocate for the dragon lady?!_ The nerve! Gwen fought down a sudden soreness in her chest. Suddenly and unbidden, she felt Almudj's Essence come alive. Ayxin regarded Gwen with wonderment, then matched Gwen's unconscious projection with one of her own. Caught between two opposing waves of Dracon Fear, her uncle appeared hen-picked. "Ayxin..." He had spoken the woman's name with such familiarity! "Gwen…" "I am not doing anything," Gwen snapped. "Ayxin," her uncle again turned to the Dragon-kin. "Can you teach Gwen how to… control that? I am afraid we'll have incidents back home if she keeps leaking." "Control what?" Gwen confirmed she was safely provisioned underneath her skirt. Her maxi dress was bone-dry. Her face took on a darker shade. "What's leaking?" "Your aura, your presence, or rather, I should say—the presence of the Old One." "Almu-" Gwen stopped herself. "As a _Vessel_ —" the Dragon Woman began. "What's a vessel?" "You presume to be too familiar with me!" Ayxin chided her, cutting her off. "I am older than your ancestors! Learn some manners, girl!" Gwen chose diplomatic silence. "Please continue," her uncle urged his new favourite. "Your niece is a Vessel, meaning she has been chosen to contain a portion of the Old One's being. As for what it means, Father would not say." "Surely you know something?" Jun coaxed the Dragon-kin. "Maybe I do." "Well?" Ayxin shrugged; her lips were pressed. Jun sighed. "Why am I leaking? What am I leaking?" Gwen grew disconcerted with the idea that she may be leaking anything. Jun looked exhausted already. Gwen turned to her least favourite Dragon-kin. "Can you answer the question, Ma'am?" Gwen added sweetly; her voice tinged with tartness. The sound of her tone surprised her. Why was she so peevish? Gwen touched her chest uncertainly. It wasn't like her to be like this. "Miss Ayxin. Allow me to apologise." She controlled herself. "Hmm—" Ayxin slowed their progress. "Come here, girl." Gwen drifted closer. Ayxin placed a finger to her forehead, then withdrew a mote of light from it. The rarified substance condensed until it formed a small trinket, not unlike an Ioun Stone. Upon closer inspection, she noted that it was a dragon scale. "Father foresaw and instructed me to give you this." She turned to Jun with a knowing look before returning her judgemental eyes to Gwen. "Wear it like one of your magical items. It will help you temper the Draconic Essence within your body. Eventually, it will teach you to perform the meditation unconsciously." "Thank you." "Good, take this—" the woman placed the scale in her hand, then smirked at Gwen. "Now go over there. Your Uncle and I need to speak in private before I leave you both." Gwen surveyed their whereabouts. Indeed, they were at the border. Gwen could see the line of Dragon-pine standing at the base of the mountain. "A moment please, Gwen," her uncle requested. "I'll be with you soon." Gwen took the scale ungratefully and drifted far enough to be out of earshot. She would have a 'talk' with her uncle at her earliest convenience! * * * "Sorry, she's young." Ayxin shook her head. "She is not young." The Dragon-Mage's expression softened. "You know this. Father told you so." Jun breathed out, sighing deeply. "She will be a Calamity. Father is never wrong." "I don't believe in predeterminism." Jun shook his head. "I only believe in choice and consequence." "Father's offer…" "No. I am sorry." "But the girl isn't who she says she is," Ayxin protested. "Your niece is no longer; what inhabits her body now is an aberration. A being that should not exist." "Doesn't matter." Jun met the concerned woman's single-slit eyes, like pale water amidst the soft light of the mid-morning. "Did you know that I had previously not known she existed? I never knew this 'original'. It makes no difference to me. Gwen—is Gwen." "You're wasting—" "Enough! Lady Ayxin." The Dragon woman lowered her eyes. Jun took a quiet moment to wipe the expression of vexation and conflict from his face. "I am sorry." He felt sorry for the woman. The two listened to the lilting melody of Dragon pine swaying below their feet. "I will remember you," Ayxin said at last. Her candidness surprised Jun; such a promise was not easy for a near-immortal to declare. He thought of the Yinglong's offer, the conversation he had shared with the Demi-Deity about the Drought Goddess, family secrets, and the Amulet. The Yinglong had also bestowed upon him a prophesy, just as it had given his niece. A lock of Ayxin's silvery-flaxen hair blew across her face. Now was the right moment to touch her hand and speak softly, but he was neither Hai; nor happy with the Yinglong's meddling. Humans took fate into their own hands. "Thank you." Jun drifted away from her. He liked the Dragon woman, but she was a Dragon, and he was merely a man. "And Goodbye."

Uncle and niece returned on foot, travelling in sullen silence, each buried in their ruminations. Gwen tried to reignite the conversation, but her uncle responded with scant and sodden interest, extinguishing any small talk. Sighing inwardly, Gwen excused herself, found a secluded area, let out her Familiars and then changed out of her dress. She first switched to her Flying Boots, finding the leather more suitable for trekking, then attired herself with a plain t-shirt and the skort, lamenting her missed opportunity to see a living, breathing mythical Dragon from yore. She had anticipated the encounter, wondered at the physicality of a being possessing every chimeric animal part, and fantasied about how inferior to Almudj the creature would be. As she laced up her boots, she observed Jun in the distance, casually leaning against a tree, resting his eyes. Was he thinking, perhaps, of _Ayxin_ , the Dragon-woman? A tenderness in Gwen's chest made her diaphragm cramp uncomfortably. Jealousy was a useless emotion, she knew - AND this was her uncle Jun, a man toward whom she should be infinitely grateful. Try as she might, subconscious longing and rationality rarely made bipartisan partners. If anything, her peevish pettiness surprised her. For a woman weened on the parable of the green-eyed monster that doth mock the flesh it feasts upon, she was eating it up. Was it an Electra-complex thing? Gwen attempted some self-imposed Freudian psychoanalysis. She had paid her psychologist enough to learn a thing or two. Or maybe, she was merely a terrible sharer, a hoarder of affections, a proverbial, selfish bitch? They had made it about halfway when the two ran smack into an 'ambush' by a pack of Merfolk. These were the classic bipedal kind, fish-faced and brightly-scaled, wielding crude spears with sharp obsidian tips that worked wonders against naked flesh and animal hide; omnivorous, vicious, and possessing a dangerous low-cunning. Her uncle stood back and watched his niece expend her peculiar frustration, testing her powers against regular foes who didn't possess near-immunity to Spellcraft magic. Having spent all of her vitality stores, Gwen opened up with Lightning. A single Bolt pierced three Mermen in a row: the first disintegrated, blown clear apart; the second had electricity gushing out of its eye sockets and the third fried. Behind the trio, a conifer caught fire. "No! My vitality food!" Surprised by the potency of her spell, Gwen switched to her Familiars. Caliban and Ariel stalked through the forest, plucking up the escaping Merfok one by one. Compared to a week ago, barely a hint of colour touched her cheeks as her arachnid aberration hunted down the fleeing opponents. The ease of her hunt, both physically and psychologically, startled Gwen. After the prison and their poaching adventure, her mental state had crossed a threshold for using Caliban's most grotesque and unnatural powers. She pursued the Merfolk for about half a kilometre, harnessing about a dozen individuals worth of life force. After returning with a portion of her hunger sated and a spring in her step, she rejoined dear uncle Jun, and the two went on their merry way. By evening, they arrived at the outpost. Immediately, the two were accosted by a PLA patrol. "Sir!" It was a man and a woman leading a group of about ten NoMs. Jun had approached, hands in the open, his ID visible. "Captain Song!" The woman's eyes burned with worshipful intensity. "Welcome back, Sir! The Commander told us to look out for the two of you and to inform him immediately upon your return!" Jun thanked the troop and commended them for their hard work. The two Mages bristled with conviction while the NoMs gave Jun apathetic looks. The NoM conscripts were, as per doctrine, all-male; as men possessed higher combat potential, and having female NoMs about was a recipe for public outrage. The soldiers' eyes looked over Gwen, who paid them no mind. She was far more interested in her next meal. The crass vitality of the goblinoid Merfolk was hardly sufficient after the draconic feast. Another hour of magically-assisted trekking took the duo into the vicinity of the Anhui Military Outpost. Having received word of their arrival, the Commander put on yet another banquet. A second officer's dinner ensued. Again, the female Officers broke out the distilled spirits, though Gwen had wisened up to their attempts at loosening her lips. After eating everything on the table that wasn't utensils or plates, the dinner ended in high spirits. They stayed the night at the Commander's behest, opting to leave by early morning. Gwen informed Jun that she wanted to account for their loot, but her uncle advised patience until they could obtain privacy. Cores, particularly from Draconic creatures, may cause a riot. One Core was fine; two were a surprise, and three pushed the narrative. A dozen Cores at once, all of the same type? A recipe for disaster. The next day, after a pleasant breakfast with the Commander, the two were again on their way. They had been absent from Shanghai a week by now, about half the anticipated time they would be away. "It's like I've got a new car," Jun joked as he started up his Jeep, fully fuelled and polished inside and out by enthusiastic grunts. As the two drove out from the base and hit the main road, the real world came flooding back, not just in the sense that they were on bitumen, finally seeing signs of human habitation, but the surreal unreality of Huangshan was finally behind them. "I am not looking forward to checking my Messages." Jun adjusted his Message Device and changed the setting from LOS to roaming. Oh yeah, Gwen reminded herself. The trip was done, the voyage was over; she was back on land and all the things she had left in frozen now wanted thawing. The matter of her training for the next few months. The mind-blowing absurdity of her father's marriage. The machinations of Magister Wen. The displeasure of her grandfather. The designs of her unseen enemies, such as a certain Lord Ravenport, Spectre, Outsiders, Rogue Mages, or whatever they called themselves. But there were more pleasant forecasts as well. Dates with Mina and the girls around downtown. A jam session with Tao just as soon as she could learn how to make music with Illusion. Spellcraft studies with Petra. Luncheons with babulya. Maybe an adventure or two with Richard and his crew. Checking up on Lulan and Kusu. Mayuree, who was probably worried sick after a week without a peep from her 'fated' Gwen. Calling her friends overseas. Aping her uncle, she likewise activated a Glyph on her Message Device, a discrete bangle, switching the Divination to roaming. _Ding!_ _Ding!_ _Ding!_ _Ding!_ Gwen cherished the din. It was the sound of civilisation. Birdsong was nice, and the pines were pretty chill, but she was a big city girl, and nothing comforted quite like the sound of a mass communiqué from friends and family. As any Instagram addict would know, there's nothing quite like a full inbox and a list of notifications that fell off the screen. She tapped through the messages. _"Gwen, it's Petra. How are the woods? I hope you're keeping safe. Master asked for you, and I told her you're still with Uncle Jun. All the best with those Cores. Spirits are rare for a reason. Don't worry; you can always save up on CCs to get one. The main thing is to stay safe. It's strange coming home to an empty apartment."_ Gwen played the next Message. _"Yo! Cuz, its the big T with the big P, PEACHES! Hey yo listen, er, last time you guys made a real-good impression at the show, and I was hoping that you and Pats could like, come to another show you know? This time for real there'll be hunnies there, not just homies. By the way, Mina misses you too; she be so HIGH if you could come down to the next show!"_ Gwen bit her lips amusedly, then pressed the Glyph for next. _"GWEN! Don't LISTEN TO PEACHES. He's got nothing! It's another one of those stupid rap battles! I am not even going-"_ _"—HEY! Give that back to me! PEACHES, GIVE IT BACK! You're asking for it, you little ass—!"_ Chuckling until her abdomen hurt, she pressed next. _"Gwen. Got a Message from London for you. Elvia called. I don't know when you're back, so that's what I informed her. She said she'll wait for you to get back. Petra."_ Next, a familiar voice drifted out from the Messages' recorded audio. It was Hai. "Gwen! I have excellent news. After speaking to your new soon-to-be mother, she decided you should be her bridesmaid! WONDERFUL. Right? You're a maid, I hope, and you happen to be at a perfect age! It's a rare position! You have no idea how many beautiful girls were jostling for the hono—" Gwen turned off the Device. Her cheerful mood was drawn and quartered. "Uncle." She turned to Jun, who had been listening to his very own Messages as they sped along the winding pass back to Hangzhou. "I just received a terrible piece of news from Father." Jun's expression suggested he had also received 'the good news'. "You can listen for yourself." Her uncle pressed another glyph, and an audible Message from Guo began to play. _"Ah-Jun, where are you now? Could you return to Hangzhou? Leave the moment you receive this Message. If your niece protests, tell her the Dragon-spawns are not going anywhere. I have just met with Sumei Liu. Your Mother and I are currently at his estate, trying to salvage what's left of our mien. The wedding needs to proceed as soon as possible. Your brother has requested you to be his best man. This whole thing is moving faster than expected. Qīn's pregnancy will be showing soon. Your Mother is upset. Let me stipulate, return as soon as possible-"_ Then there was a brief silence followed by a grudging postscript. "—the both of you, be safe." "I guess we're headed back to Hangzhou?" "Don't think we have a choice." Gwen sighed. Jun sighed. They sighed together. Their synchronicity was such that they both chuckled. "Okay, let's make the best of it," Jun urged his niece. "You could dress up again." "No, no, no!" Gwen advised her inexperienced uncle. "Father just asked me to be a bridesmaid, meaning I cannot dress up. I need to dress DOWN. It's taboo for a bridesmaid to have better makeup, hair, or a better-looking dress than the bride. I'll be wearing flats and making my hair as flat as possible. Then I'd have to hold her dress and follow her around all day; there's going to be a lumen-pic Illusionist following us around, recording the whole thing. There's going to be the ceremony, the reception, the dance, the line-up and farewell, speeches—my GOD." Stolen novel; please report. "You know awfully a lot about weddings," Jun marvelled. "I've been to a few, but never… well. You know." "Not even as a best man?" "Not even once." "Wow, that's hard to believe." Gwen raised a sceptical eyebrow. "The guys I graduated with, not many of them left," Jun's tone took on a more serious edge. "As for the guys I work with, the Ghosts—let's say we're usually not the kind to marry, much less have a life outside work. One of the guys got married while under deep cover, and let me tell you, that was one hell of a situation." "Oh?" Gwen rather liked her uncle's stories of the 'dark side'. "Yeah. So, as a 'best man', what should I expect? From the sounds of it, it's going to be a Western-Eastern wedding. It's all the rage these days, and I suppose Hai spent most of his life overseas." Gwen had no idea, but she could make a few educated guesses. She had been to numberless weddings in Australia. All her friends and colleagues were in their 30s, meaning most of them were married. Chinese, Indian, Thai, Anglican, Christian, Hillsong; she had been to all sorts, taking on roles such as the MC, multiple times a bridesmaid, and once as the maid of honour. Weddings were fun, even if they were highly stressful. More often than not, her purse would be bulging with cards and numbers by the night's end. Once, she even took a girl home. "Well, as you said, it's a Western Wedding with an Eastern reception. There's probably going to be a ceremony, walking the aisle and all that. I don't know if there will be a Priest, but probably not, as we're in China. There's probably a Celebrant who will do the rites and say a few interesting aphorisms. They'll exchange vows; then we walk out under a shower of rice and flowers." Jun listened, fascinated by the strange details of the matrimonial world. "Then there's the reception. Which I can guess is going to be a Chinese one. It means the family had to do the tea ceremony; kowtow the heavens, the earth and the parents. The Eastern ones are pretty good for bridesmaids because we don't have to do anything other than help the bride get up and get down in her dress, pass the tea, fill the pot and all that." "As best man, you have to organise a buck's party, though I doubt Qīn will like that, knowing Dad. Not to mention this is a shotgun wedding whether we like it or not. You'll need to coordinate groomsmen, assuming there will be..." Gwen paused. A disgusting and resentful reality struck her cerebrum. "Wait a second. Why AM I a bridesmaid? Doesn't Qīn have female friends? Relatives? Who is going to pair with you? _Who is going to pair with me?_ " Gwen recoiled; if she were to pair with some stranger, she would prefer to be absent. "How do you know all this?" Jun grinned at Gwen through his visors. "Feeling your age? Do you want to get married? Getting the jitters?" The question caught her off guard. "Me? Marriage?" "Sure, it's every girl's dream, isn't it?" Jun laughed, nudging her defensive silence. _Marriage._ She had entertained the prospect in her old life, but an opportunity had never presented itself. The concept of matrimony was both the norm and the status quo, but like her literary heroines, she had wanted to enter into sacrament for love with a friend who was also a lover. The problem was that though there was no shortage of willing men, she had never felt secure. Though potential partners were willing to give in to her demands, she wouldn't wish a union like that on anyone, much less her spouse. Dr Monroe once told her that it was her fear of trust. And that she needed better role models. _Role models?_ Gwen had snorted with laughter. Certainly, her father's apathy and her mother's screeching bipolar psychosis did not paint a pretty picture of married life. Gwen recalled having fantasies when she had been an adolescent that her parents weren't her own, that she was adopted, or that she was a foundling; anything to suggest that her abnormal family life was no fault of her own. Her mundane-world childhood was already traumatic enough; what the Gwen of this world had to go through appalled even her jaded sensibilities. "I don't know…" she fell into a contemplative silence. "Look, sorry I asked." "It's okay..." Jun fell silent for a moment before popping up once again. "Say, you ever watched a movie called Stalingrad?" Jun suggested offhandedly. "The German WWII film?" Gwen remarked. What a strange pivot, Gwen thought. Did her uncle realise he touched a nerve? It was like she had felt insulted. Sure, she wanted to get married one day. But it wasn't as though she could marry anyone because her ovaries were ticking down. "Yeah, that's the one. The one with the tanks and the suicide platoon." "Sure, it's a classic. Why do you ask?" "Well, I have no idea what a _tank_ is, and I've never seen a _Sticky Bomb_ either. Can you elaborate?" "What, a tank? You're the military man—" Something in her mind clicked. A sensation of numbness manifested, first from her toes, then travelling up her calves and into her thighs. The tingling continued until it became a sliver of ice, travelling up her abdomen, chilling her spine and twisting her diaphragm until it cramped. It crawled up her neck until her scalp itself was paralysed with paranoia. Her mouth opened and closed a few times. The emptiness within her mind could rival the Bolivian salt flats. "You tell me," she finished ten seconds too late. "Gwen." Jun kept his eyes on the road, his expression unreadable behind his aviators. "Would you like to get something off your chest?" It took her battered brain another half a minute to catch up. _What did her uncle know?_ _How did her uncle find out?_ Her body relaxed. Stirred to defensive wakefulness by her cerebral agitation, Almudj's Essence grew alive and animated, filling her mana channels with its blessing. Unlike the previous morning when she was upset by Ayxin, her body inhaled, then exhaled, profoundly, then in expeditious successions. A pin-prickle from behind her neck activated simultaneously. Though she had doubts about the true purpose of Ayxin's scale, she allowed it to induce in her body a cadenced meditation, expanding and contracting Almudj's Essence, massaging the passage of her emerald mana until the turbulent current calmed. After a few moments, she found herself relaxed and no longer held in the grip of crisis. With her mind returning to lucidity, Gwen took note of the paths before her. She could confess to her uncle and hope for the best, or she could play the fool and hope for the moment to pass. In this instance, she faced two divergent paths, two trails that bent in the undergrowth, preventing her from seeing past the woods that wend. In times like this, Gwen wished her Divination had been rarer, like what Mayuree possessed. To tell or not to tell; that was the question— _How deeply did she trust Jun?_ Jun kept his eyes on the road as Gwen's leaking Dragon-fear subsided. He was beginning to regret breaking the news to his '"niece" so soon, but his thought had been suffocating with the disturbing knowledge ever since they had left the Yinglong's domain. Maybe that was the purpose; Jun questioned Yinglong's gift of wisdom. Secrets had a way of festering and fermenting. If he kept this from Gwen, it would inevitably affect his feelings for his niece. First, he would see her differently and then notice her abnormal behaviour; the strange maturity she had exhibited since they first met in the Sky Prison would become more prominent and self-evident. Each time she would attempt to hide her identity, it would sour their bond. Then, one day, he would tire of her, perhaps even grow to loathe her. Indeed, now that he thought about it, the Yinglong's actions felt increasingly more malicious. The Yinglong may market itself as a Demi-God transcending mortal concerns, but in the end, it was still jealously guarding its rice bowl. The Dragon wanted to retain its territory but was wary of the Human neighbours next door. Fifty years ago, it could have wiped out Shanghai if it had been willing to risk its life. Now, with two Towers, especially the PLA Super-Structure, the Yinglong had no chance. Though humans only lived a short lifespan, they were ingenious. Though Dragons were wise and ageless, they were ruthless, millennia-old mafiosos who ran century-long cons. If so, why did the Yinglong choose to remain in its hole, knowing that Humanity was only biding its time? One day, Jun was sure, Humans would spread across the Northern Steppes, defeating the undead and conquering the oceans. Even before the Spellcraft Revolution at the turn of the 20th century, Humanity had carved out its niche in the world. Now with the human cities inter-connected by trade, Spellcraft and the Tower System, the demise of the Demi-humans was only a matter of time. Unless, of course, Humanity, or at least Shanghai, would receive a considerable setback. That was where Gwen came in, and the Yinglong's vapid, vague Prophesy reared its ugly head. Jun wasn't a man to believe in fortune-telling. The CCP had long since alienated China's mystic Diviner-Clans, choosing instead to follow the global trend of Spellcraft-driven Divinations. A Divined-warning, even from the Oracle of Delphi herself, was to be taken with a grain of salt. The Yinglong had called Gwen a Calamity, but what did that even mean? A Calamity, by Jun's standard, had to be an all-consuming disaster that enveloped all without discrimination. In the past, the Calamities predicted by the Oracle had been self-evident enough: Tsunamis caused by Merfolk, Incursions of Undead, and natural disasters. If Gwen were to be a 'Calamity', would she trigger an event of catastrophic proportions? More importantly, what did Yinglong intend for him to do? What did it expect ANYONE to do? Was his niece a Calamity? He recalled seeing Gwen sleeping, curled on her single bed, pale against the moonlight. The girl had breathed softly at first, then nearing midnight, she bemoaned Something about "Evees", then snored thunderously before fitfully returning to silence. How in Mao's name could _that_ be a Calamity? Jun had replaced her blanket, despite knowing his niece couldn't catch a cold. The simple gesture was another paternal fantasy ticked off his bucket list. Therefore, it had to be a ploy. Indeed, Jun grew troubled as he drew out a hypothesis. He could have returned to the city to inform his superiors, or his father, that Gwen was indeed a 'Calamity'. With confirmation from Yinglong, the PLA could ensure the city's future prosperity by keeping the girl iced via indefinite Stasis deep within Tianlianqiao. As for the Dragon's motivation— Didn't Gwen boast that she had connections to an older, more powerful entity dwelling in a Black Zone at Australia's centre? It was entirely plausible to Jun that the Yinglong feared this Almudj. He felt invested in the theory because it explained Ayxin's concession and the circumstance of their unscathed exit from Huangshan. There were more unearthed secrets the Yinglong had given him as well, which he had to return to Hubei to rediscover via House's archives before he could even begin to believe the Dragon's information on the origins of the Song family's Kirin heirlooms. Now all that remained was to see how Gwen reacted. _How much did the girl trust him?_ In Gwen's mind, she had already confessed to her beloved uncle. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish trying to breathe on land. She felt Prufrockian, marked by weariness, regret, embarrassment and longing, a mess of emotions. Summoning a bout of courage from Almudj's blessing, she tried again. "So... the German soldiers were being punished for desertion," she recalled expertly from the film. "They had to fight the tanks because it was both punishment and a means to prove themselves loyal soldiers of the Reich." _FUCK,_ Gwen wanted to bang her head on Something. That's not what she meant to say at all! What the hell was she doing? "I see." Jun's face was unreadable. Gwen gave her cheeks a gentle squeeze. She was burning up. Jun did so much for her. He had risked his life. He was like a father to her, not an imaginary one either. Surely, she could tell this man the single most critical secret of her second life, right? “I… er…” She felt a strong desire to flee. _FUCK_ , if only Dr Monroe were here to mediate. "I... want... to SAY... that..." "Gwen," Jun interceded any further attempt by Gwen at painfully assaying the truth. "Just say yes, or no." "Okay." "Are you the same Gwen Song I met at the Sky Prison?" Gwen considered this question without a truthful answer. "Yes." "Are you Hai Song's daughter?" "Yes." "Are you a doppelgänger?" "No." "Are you an undead Spirit or a being who has died and come back to life?" That was a more difficult question. "No. I don't know. I don't think so. I never died as far as I know." "Okay, that takes a weight off my chest, haha. Did you kill the old Gwen?" "No!" It was true, far as Gwen knew. As far as she knew, the old Gwen likely fell victim to a Void-awakening. "Can you leave this body?" "No." "Do you have a spare body or an original body somewhere?" "No! I don't know." "Did you 'willingly' occupy your current body." "… No. Yes. I mean, I've grown into it now." "Do you wish to destroy Humanity? Do voices speak to you from the Void?" "WHAT?! No!" Gwen protested. "I'm as human as anyone! I am… I don't know. I don't know anything, Uncle Jun." "Do you know a Yog-Sothoth?" "No! It was a joke! I made it up! Yog-Sothoth is fiction! An excellent fiction, but PURE FICTION nonetheless!" Jun snorted before he exploded into jovial hilarity. Gwen listened to her uncle's deep-throated mirth. The ridicule made her feel better; the pressure lifted from her bosoms. If Jun could laugh, then everything might be okay. "Let me tell you what I told Ayxin." Jun's voice came across as full of seriousness. "I told her that it doesn't matter who you are. I told her I knew nothing about this 'Gwen' that is now gone because I wouldn't have known you existed anyway. The 'niece' I chose to help is you, and it is only you—the girl sitting beside me _now_. You are GWEN, the one and only 'Gwen'. Do you understand?" Gwen understood. She understood every word, and the comprehension made her feel so light that she could take to the air and drift away. Yes, she could trust this man. With her life story... With her life... "Thank you, Uncle Jun. If you're willing to listen, I want to tell you my story." "I am listening," Jun replied. "Alright." Gwen took a deep breath. "Here goes…"

By the time Gwen finished her tale, her lips were parched, and the duo was within Hangzhou's city limits. She had told all, from her rebirth in the Forrestville apartment to her mind-meld with the old Gwen, to her adventures in Highschool, her awakening with the Void, then Edgar, Almudj, her Master Henry Kilroy, Gunther and Alesia, Mark Chandler, as well as her embroilment in the feud between Elizabeth Sobel and her remaining siblings-in-craft. There was only one innocuous detail that she had left out. Her original age. A woman lying about her age was acceptable in any meta-universe, surely? Not even an elder God spawned from nether space could blame her for that! If Jun knew that a thirty-year-old broad with hardwired daddy issues had been thrillingly calling him 'Uncle' this whole while, the cringe alone would prevent them from speaking again. By her recount, she was a 'graduate' who had 'just built her career'. A fresh out of university 'adult' who had left home at sixteen and had lots of experiences while living a worldly life. Her story had been acceptable to Jun, so Gwen left it. What followed were more cans of worms. "What's the other world like?" "Was there Spellcraft?" "What's an iPhone?" "What do you mean there are only NoMs?" "You're telling me humans have wiped out every other Demi-human race on the planet? You must live in Utopia!" "How does one destroy Nagasaki without Japan having a Magi retaliating strategic spells of its own? You said their Emperor was alive, no?" "A bunch of 0's and 1's connected the whole world?" "There's a library of all human knowledge for anyone—ANYONE to read, at any time, called Wikipedia?" "Can you explain again what Global Warming is?" "The Theory of Relative to what?" "President Trump? Never heard of anyone by that name." "This NoM-Science business sounds sketchy, haha." Gwen struggled to explain basic concepts from her old world, especially science. It was like describing the colour red to a deep-sea dweller at a depth where long-wavelength spectrums did not reach. She had always been an Arts student with scant interest in science other than math and therefore lacked the nuance of knowledge herself. Had she known that she would be born again into another world: math, physics, chemistry, and engineering would have made excellent choices. After several confusing bouts of jargonistic, nonsensical nomenclature, the conversation turned to the fact that she was the third officious disciple of Henry Kilroy beside the Morning Star and the Scarlet Sorceress. "No wonder the Pudong Tower made it very clear that they wouldn't condone any interference with your studies." Jun slapped his thighs. "At least now we know why Pudong is so polemic." "Would you mind if I joined the Pudong Tower?" "As long as we won't be pitted against each other," Jun warned her, foreshadowing a most undesirable prospect. "You should always have a choice, though. The Western Towers employ free agents, unlike us military grunts trained and fed by the PLA." "You can't ever leave the PLA?" Jun shrugged. "They gave our families everything we have after the Great Revolution and again after the Purge during the Cultural Revolution. The _Juche_ Undead would rule the entirety of Northern China were it not for the defence put up by the PLA in the 50s and again in the 80s." Gwen wanted to ask about the Undead, but Jun interrupted her with a sudden chortle. "I wonder what they will call you," he snickered. "The Devourer? Gwen the Voracious Eater?" "Why not Lightning Gwen or something like 'The Flash'?" Gwen fired back. What kind of bloody moniker was the Devourer? Was she a terror at the buffet, the consummate consumer of roasts? The emptier of the oyster tray? If they're going with nonsensical names, why not something that sounded terrifyingly cool, such as _The Lurker in the Void_? The Tempest-tress? "Well, the most memorable aspect of a Mage that makes the moniker. Think about it. Gunther's powers manifest as Radiance, so it goes to show that he's the Morning Star. Your sister-in-craft is well known for her scarlet fire, and she always wears red, so she's the 'Scarlet Sorceress'. On the other hand, I don't think anyone will remember your Lightning spells after one look at Caliban." An approaching structure loomed in the near distance. It was a sentry gate, after which they would be within Hangzhou's city limits. As Liu's manor was on the outskirts, they didn't need to enter the city. Following the orbital ring-road highway around the estuaries that marked the city's crawling watery progression was sufficient in delivering them to their destination. "Gwen, your secret is safe with me. I am on your side," Jun assured his niece. "I know." Gwen channelled her inner Han Solo. "Great. You can tell me more about your world at your leisure. I am very interested in this Science business. Though I fear we shall have to keep it to ourselves." "Sure thing, Uncle, of course. Should... I tell Babulya?" To her surprise, Jun shook his head. "No, Mother has enough on her plate. The shock and disappointment aside, it would drastically complicate your relationship with Father." "Alright," Gwen replied, her voice a little hollow from the loss. "On to a more immediate matter then. What do you think about this wedding business." Gwen sighed. "To be honest, I think it will be a _shit show._ Excuse my French." "Aha." Jun chuckled. "Go on." "Uncle Jun… I don't know how well you know Dad - he is not a one-woman man. Qīn is the most feminine woman I have ever seen, and she's very much in love with him, but that hardly compares to Dad's history. He's a free spirit." "Why do you think he's choosing to settle down?" "God knows," Gwen shrugged. "Maybe he is in love with the woman; maybe he wants to have a normal family again—I mean, I am a pretty shitty daughter." "No!" "It's true. I am bitchy; I am ungrateful; I am judgmental. Dad couldn't wait until I was out of the house." "Oh, Gwen, that's not true." "Well, it's spilt milk now." Gwen puckered her dry lips, wetting both petals with her tongue. "As I said, Dad likes women like I like food. I can't imagine eating hotpot every day, no matter how spicy and awesome it might be, and Dad can't f—SLEEP… with the same woman. It's in his blood. Sorry, Uncle." "That's alright, keep going." "That's it. Dad's not a bad bloke. He took care of Percy and me materially and _minimally_ , and I am not unthankful about that. He's the sort of a guy who makes a far better _mate_ —that's a friend in our Aussie lingo—than he is a father or a husband." "I can see that, yeah." "What I am worried about, and this is what you should tell grandfather—is what happens when Dad sleeps with the maid? Or one of Qīn's colleagues, or a female something with two legs, a gash, and happens to be in the local vicinity." Jun winced. That respect Gwen had for Hai made his eyes water. "Father believes Hai is a changed man." "Because of Qīn?" "The House of Liu is an old family with strong ties to the CCP. We're not Clanners, like those Sectarian Sword-Mages, the old Daoshis, or the Monks, just old families that have done well in the new China. The Lius are a decent Clan, as far as Power Progeny goes. A little nepotism in the ranks, but well within norms. The older generation is well deserving of their reputation." "That makes it worse, right?" Gwen felt a sinking feeling in her chest. "Unfortunately, yes. I suppose we should be glad that Hai is a divorcee to a nobody. Sorry, Gwen. On the other hand, Qīn is way past the usual age for marriage but is well-regarded as Chief Physician. She is a gifted healer, certainly better than Sister Nen, Tao's mother." "Wait up," Gwen thought of an unpleasant projection. "Was Dad ever a mummy's boy?" "Of course, he was always her favourite. He's extremely good at squeezing adoration and affection from her, you know." "Was Babulya famous for her beauty, youth, motherliness, wonderful personality… classic Oedipal and all that?" "What's Oedipal?" "It's when you... love... your mother, very much." "That goes without saying, Gwen. We ALL love mother, right?! At any rate, Klavidya was the most eligible bachelorette in the CCP's Medical Spellcraft Division! She was probably more famous than you or Petra when she studied in Fudan. They called her the czarina from the Harbin Frontier!" "Did the two of you get a lot of affection from Babulya?" "Yes and no, she was working as much as Father. The military raised us. But Mother used to shower us with affection every chance she had." "Absent mother, huh?" "Gwen, what are you getting at?" "So DAD is marrying a HEALER who is soft-hearted, kind, beautiful, and dotes on him unconditionally." "Oh, Mao…" Jun pinched his brows. "Surely Dad won't cheat... on his mother?" Jun's fist gripped the steering wheel. "Is... this the 'psychology' you spoke of?" "Yeah…" "Don't... ever be a Mind Mage." "Okay..." Gwen promised. On the horizon, the quiet outskirts of Hangzhou came into view, a shimmering sheet of haze hanging over a mirage-like waterscape of dynastic terraces sitting over the city's tributaries and estuaries, wilting in the summer haze. The same servant they had seen last time led uncle and niece into the courtyard. Babulya was there, as well as Gwen's grandfather, including Gwen's aunty, Nen, which she had seen only twice. The younger generation was missing and likely would not be present until the wedding date. Her father was present, naturally, along with the Liu brigade. "Ash Bringer! Welcome back! Miss Song! I am glad to see you are safe!" Sumei, the Patriarch, opened his arms expansively and welcomed the two into his 'abode'. Not wanting to take her chances, Gwen curtsied expertly. Jun bowed, then bowed again toward his parents. Gwen quickly moved to the other side of the aisle. "You look as lovely as ever, Gwen," Qīn remarked. Gwen wasn't sure if her comment was a genuine compliment or yet another jab at her mother, so she took it with as much grace as possible, putting up a smile as synthetic and illuminating as the Day Light lanterns brightening the courtyard. "Gwen IS very pretty, isn't she?" Nen flattered her niece. "She's famous in Fudan, you know. Even I've heard about the _Deathworm-Beauty of Guoding Road_ , hahaha! Tao and Mina have nothing but praise for you, Gwen. My husband thinks the world of you as well." "Thanks, Aunty." Gwen played the coy waif. "Gwen." Her babulya made a come-hither with her hands. Gwen carefully approached, cute as a button and meek as a kitten. "Grandfather~." "Sister." The sound of the familiar voice gave her a start. It was deeper than she'd recalled, more mature, but also worn and weary. Behind Guo was her brother. " _Percy!_ I've missed you!" she let loose a genuine yelp of jubilation before recalling how they'd parted last time, with unspoken bad blood. "How are you? The training is going well, I hope." "I see you have done well for yourself," Guo interjected before her brother could reply. A dull glow in his eye suggested some Divination; the effect was subtle, and Gwen had only noticed because every time she felt 'scanned', the follicles on her arms and her legs broke out in goosebumps. "The trip has gone well?" "It has, Grandfather," Gwen replied carefully. "Uncle Jun has taken great care of me." "As he should." Guo inclined his head, his expression unreadable as usual. When Gwen persisted in looking behind him, the old man annoyedly sidestepped. "Percy." "Sis." Her brother was as cute as usual. "How have you been?" She asked. "Good, good." The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Percy looked paler than Gwen recalled, though it was no surprise if he had spent his time indoors, training in his private gym. While the youngsters talked, the oldies moved to occupy more comfortable seating in the East Wing. The manor was tranquil and beautiful, especially as subtle manifestations of Dancing Lights played across frond-filled ponds that surrounded the pagoda pavilions, joined by frog song and the sibilant water trickling. With the two left alone, Gwen attempted to thaw the ice. "So, how's the training." Percy looked sheepish. "Coming along, I am filling up my second tier in Evocation. Grandfather hopes I can concurrently train with another school, but learning meta-Schools Spellcraft is very taxing." "Oh yes." Gwen nodded sagely. She vaguely recalled her _Generalist_ days. Learning anything had been a chore until she had properly Awakened to Conjuration and Evocation, cognitively conjoining her Astral and physical bodies. "The headaches you get from mana burn can get pretty disgusting. Don't push yourself too hard, hey?" When she looked up, Percy had a sarcastic smirk on his face. "Do you 'really' have trouble with meta-School spells, Sis?" "It's only natural," Gwen defended herself reflexively. "Which School, exactly?" "Well." Gwen placed a few indignant fingers against her collarbone. "I would certainly struggle to learn Enchantment, for example." "But not Evocation, Illusion, Abjuration, Transmutation, or Divination?" Her next words became tongue-tied. Did Percy think she was humble bragging? In hindsight, the boy was right. What she had said was exactly that. Of course, Percy would know the true extent of her Schools. Her grandfather had watched as she dissected Choi for his Illusion talent. Percy snorted. "So, how was the trip?" "The trip? Oh yes, the trip! It was fascinating! Jun and I had many encounters with Wildland Magical Monsters. Ran into a Dragon-kin, the most intimidating Pangolin you have ever seen. Started shouting when we tried to kill it. Then there were bees. My God! So many bees! Bees the size of your hand." Gwen launched into an endless tirade of relative half-truths detailing what had happened on the mountain. She couldn't possibly tell Percy about her harvest of Draconic-Essence, nor was she about to reveal the existence of Ayxin or Golos. Instead, Gwen focused on hunting the Dragon-carp and the Draconic deer. "So, did you find a Core? or a Spirit?" Her brother asked. Ah, Gwen snickered internally. You sneaky little rascal. 'That' was the million-HDM question. Gwen puffed out her chest. "You did?" Percy's breath quickened. His face grew flush with crimson. Gwen almost felt sorry for teasing him. "NOPE!" She laughed, slapping his shoulder. "I got nothing! We did find a Core, though, an earthen one. Going to hawk it for crystals to pay for rent, haha." Her brother laughed awkwardly, from the looks of it, he rightfully doubted her story. But there was one more thing on Gwen's mind. If Percy wanted to test her, it was only right that she prodded him back. The information that Lulan had told her. "Percy, tell me about the young man from the Huashan Sect called Pei Li." It wasn't a question. Gwen wouldn't let her brother off without at least twisting his arm. Percy's demeanour palpably shifted toward the defensive. "He's a classmate." Percy was visibly sweating. The young man was too green! Gwen mused - though it was endearing that her brother immediately thought he was in deep shit. Their grandfather must have informed him that she'd made up with Lulan; if so, Percy should have expected that Lulan would have told her everything. From the looks of it, Grandfather was leaving Percy to deal with his cock-up. "Are you close friends?" "We're acquainted." Percy couldn't meet Gwen's eyes. "Did you ever talk to Pei regarding my circumstances? About things like—" Percy appeared hesitant. "About... you know... like..." She could hear Percy audibly breathing now. The boy looked as though he was being racked! The schadenfreude was intoxicating, but she had to stop. "... how _pretty_ your sister is!" Gwen wrapped an arm around Percy, pulling him closer until his face was against hers. She blinked her eyes coquettishly, clowning with her brother. "Are your friends interested in the infamous Deathworm Handler of Fudan?! I am rather infamous, you know. They say that Petra and I have become the most well-known faces around University Road!" "Let me go!" Percy struggled feebly, caught off guard by Gwen's aggressive body language. Gwen kept Percy captive under one arm. Despite the growth spurt her brother had enjoyed, he was no match for her Almundj-Essence-empowered body. Even without the Draconic-vitae, she was far sturdier than her lithe arms suggested. The kinship felt good, as did the skinship. It was the sort of thing she had done with Percy in the old world. When Percy finally escaped, pressing against her with all his might, Gwen had to let go. "Hey! You're crushing my, you-know-what!" "Am not!" Percy's face had become scarlet pork-liver. "That's your rib!" "Ah—Boys, they grow up so fast. Did you get to know any girls from school? Xiangming Metropolitan is Co-Ed, right?” Percy nodded, fixing his ruffled hair. "So, you got a girlfriend yet?" Percy shook his head. "WHAT?! FOR SHAME!" Gwen scolded her brother. "Loser! Look at Dad! How can you continue your father's legacy if all you do is sit around on your ass, not having a girlfriend?!" "Grandpa forbade me," Percy muttered. "PUFFT!" Gwen spat out rancorous laughter. "Why?" "He said that er… we need to preserve our… purity because of Salt." "What? Are you for real? You're celibate?" Her mind was a riot. Percy growled, looking as though he wanted to find a hole and crawl into it. "Hahaha, you need to preserve your… hahaha." Gwen slapped her thighs. "What kind of Fengshui logic is that?! If your father had done that from the start, we wouldn't exist! Can you imagine Father having enough temperance for that sort of thing?" "OKAY~ Jeez." Percy shot her an annoyed look. Gwen wiped a tear from her eye. Percy sighed. "Bloody hell, Percy, SO MOROSE. What are you, Vincent Price?" "Who's that." "Ah, never mind." Gwen giggled. "Okay." "So, what do you think about Dad's wedding?" She asked. "I don't _think_ ," Percy muttered, his voice sullen and affected. "It's not like my opinion matters." That means he hates it. Gwen recognised the rebellious tone. Well, it only stood to reason. Their father was indeed having another child, and Percy was right to feel paranoid. Replacing the heir was unlikely though, Grandfather had gone to great lengths to set up his new grandson, and a bird in the hand is always better than two in the bush. She was confident their patriarch wouldn't give up Percy in exchange for the great unknown inside Qīn's belly. "Well, what do you think about your soon-to-be baby sister or brother?" "My WHAT?!" Percy shot from where he'd sat as though a pin cushion had materialised on the wooden bench. OH SHIT! Gwen mentally slapped herself. He didn't know?! Did no one tell Percy? The boy must have known?! Right? That's the bloody reason for the shotgun wedding! "Well, it was a secret? Or should I say, an open secret? Can you pretend to have not heard?" There was no salvaging the shit show that had been unleashed. _Loose lips sink ships!_ Gwen berated herself. Percy sat down. She took her brother's hand, and Gwen felt his skin boil, then rapidly cool until it was icy. "Percy—seriously, are you okay?" she intoned worriedly, putting a hand on his forehead. Her brother's skin became clammy with sweat. "I-I-" Percy looked as though he was intoxicated. His eyes suddenly grew wide; then he doubled over. "Percy! What's happening?" Gwen tried slapping his back. “I… be okay…” Then Gwen felt it. That familiar aura of Jun subsuming Essence. The Kirin Amulet—something was happening within the Kirin Amulet. Not only that, her own Almudj's Essence was agitated. "Percy, it's the amulet! What are you doing with it?" "NOTHING! I'll be fine!" Her brother spat defensively. "Leave me alone!" "You're not fine! You bloody idiot! Let me see!" "NO!" Percy battered her hand away, jarring her fingers. The audacious act filled Gwen with a sudden bout of righteous fury. She felt such resentment and annoyance that any feeling of sentimentality became drowned out by a sudden wave of all-consuming vindictiveness. How dare Percy refuse her generosity!? "Don't be shitty with me, you little oaf!" The words escaped her mouth before she could even think of them. " _Let me see the bloody thing before you kill yourself._ " Even though the words had engendered from her mind, she hadn't the slight intention of expelling them. That her diatribe had escaped her lips, unbidden, shocked them into stunned silence. Percy glared at her with a fierceness that made her flinch. "Shit, Percy, sorry, look, I didn't mean that." Percy clasped his amulet protectively. "I AM FINE!" He stood up, his neck throbbing with purple veins. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" "Alright, alright… Jesus…” Gwen backed out of the pagoda pavilion. She wasn't sure how to deal with Percy's outrage. Not even in the old world had her brother ever screamed at her. "DAD! UNCLE JUN?!" she called out. If Percy refused her help, maybe someone else could help her. "MR LIU? ANYONE?" "SHUT UP!" Percy hissed at her. "SHUT UP! GOD DAMN IT!" A few of the servants came running. Jun and Guo materialised from the East Wing. "What's happened?" Jun turned to Gwen. Her uncle's face was a mask of concern. "Percy's not feeling well…" Gwen tried to explain. " _She wants my PENDANT!_ " Percy almost howled out his accusation. His face was a mask of blind anguish. "She tried to TAKE IT!" "Grandson!" When Guo stepped into the pagoda, Gwen felt the moisture drain from the air. As the old man held up his precious heir, he gave Gwen a cold and dangerous glare full of suspicion. "WHAT! NO!" Gwen protested wildly. "It's a misunderstanding!" She begged her uncle with her eyes. Jun looked to be far more worried about his father, who appeared on the verge of popping a gasket. "I'd never!" she stated again. "Brother was in pain! I was trying to help! I gave him the amulet. Why would I want it back?!" "Gwen, we believe you," Jun interjected. "Let's all just calm down." "Grandfather…" Percy held onto Guo's shoulder. "I don't feel well." "Bring your Grandmother!" Guo snapped at Gwen. "Go now! She's attending Qīn! The East Wing!" Gwen ran. Her heart felt like it had been dashed on the floor and stomped. Her brain was a jumble of mixed emotions; indignity, impotent fury, and wilting betrayal all mixed into a volatile cocktail. Of course, she wanted the fucking thing, but she would never TAKE IT from her brother, GOD DAMN IT! She swore internally, gnashing her teeth. As she ran past the terrified NoM servants, her chest felt so constricted that the pressure against her ribcage felt rigged to blow. _SPLASH—!_ Below her, the Koi in the pond began to boil, writhing as though they were trying to escape the water itself. A few of them became driven into such a frenzy that the fish started attacking each other. _SHIT!_ Gwen caught herself before the commotion spread too far. She was LEAKING Dragon Fear _now_ of all fucking times. Calm your tits, girl! She scolded herself as she activated Ayxin's scale by directing her seething Essence toward it. _Harmony!_ She had to remain calm and collected. She had to be placid like a summer Billabong. An indistinct passage of minutes passed. Her heart had returned to its usual cadence when she opened her eyes. Her unruly Essence was under control. That and two dozen priceless Koi were dead, floating belly-up after tearing themselves to bits. FUCK! FUCK A DUCK! IT DOESN'T FUCKING END! Her zen shattered as the tranquil green water below broke into silvery fragments refracting the Dancing Lights hovering over the pond, hinting at the violent demise of yet more Koi. _She had to get out of here!_ She had to get somewhere where her 'leaks' wouldn't murder the pet fish Qīn had likely raised for a decade. Gwen fled the sight of the carp Holocaust, only to run into her uncle coming the other way, two pavillions away, catching her on the narrow bridge where there was no avoiding the anxious-looking man. "Gwen." Her uncle was surprised to see her. "You try to find Mother, yes?" Gwen froze. Did she go and get babulya? Of course, that had been the plan. "Yeah…" "You were gone for almost ten minutes. Mother found us by herself." "Oh…" "Where did you go?" "I _leaked_." "Mao! Did you get it under control?" "Yeah, I mean, no, I—" She couldn't continue because, in the next moment, her uncle and niece were no longer alone. Her grandfather was accompanied by her brother, who looked pale but otherwise restored. Her babulya flanked them. "Gwen, I had requested that you find your grandmother." Guo's expression spoke of one whose patience and kindness were running on fumes. "What did you do instead? Where did you go?" "I was looking," Gwen told the half-truth. "I find that _very difficult_ to believe." Her grandfather saw her lies. "Gwen," her babulya tried to intervene. "Guo, let it go." "Klavdiya! Stay out of this!" Guo growled at his wife, furious that she would take the ingrate's side. Watching her babulya's crestfallen expression, something snapped inside of Gwen. "Well, I _did_ , old man! What's so hard to believe?" Gwen riposted suddenly, her eyes vivid with barely contained passion. "Whether you believe it or not, I did. That's the truth, take it or leave it!" The resultant silence was as though a magical debuff had descended upon the crowd. Not even the frogs dared to croak. Gwen pressed her terrified and vague fingers against her lips, wondering if slapping herself loudly and humiliatingly across the face would salvage the moment. Her grandfather's demeanour suggested the situation had escalated way beyond that. "Jun, with me. Gwen, do as you please." "Father…" Her uncle was helpless. "Guo…" Klavidya's face was in pain. Gwen lowered her head. Her grandfather's glower was enough to make their blood run cold. "Jun, you have disappointed me. Is this _disrespect_ what you hoped to accomplish by risking yourself? Is this what you've been teaching her?" Her uncle lowered his head as well. In Gwen's eyes, the transpiring act became a physical pain stabbing at her chest. "I am sorry, Father." Jun apologised. At that moment, Gwen would have gladly tested the hypothesis of whether their grandfather could tank an affinity 6 Lightning Sphere to the face and if her babulya could put fuck-wit McGuo back together again. But her uncle and babulya were watching, so Gwen held her tongue. "I am sorry, Grandfather." Gwen bowed deeply. It was all she could do right now. Her hair fell over her face and shoulders, blocking her forward vision. All she could see were the feet of those who shuffled past, each by each. Guo. Jun. Percy. Then finally, babulya. An elegant pair of embroidered sandals stopped just below her eyes. "Gwen, you don't have to like your grandfather, but you do have to _respect_ him. Can you at least do that for me, Dear?" “Yes, Babulya. I am sorry.” "It's alright, dear. Now is a sensitive time. You Grandfather doesn't want to lose face in front of the Liu family." "Yes, Babulya." "We'll talk once this is all over, alright?" "Yes, Babulya." The troop moved on. Gwen was left alone. Gwen felt sick. She felt exhausted. She would rather fight two Golos. "OH, MAO!" The shriek from the koi ponds made her cringe. "GREAT LEADER'S GHOST!" "SOMEONE KILLED THE KOI!" "MISTRESS' FAVOURITE KOI?!" "WHO WOULD DO THIS?" That was the final straw. She had run out of the necessary willpower to deal with even more shit after a world of shit had just descended upon her shit-filled moment. "Flight!" Gwen incanted her Lesser Flight spell; she lifted herself into the air, then pointed her face toward the lights in the distance. She needed a fucking drink, a quiet place to sit, and time to think.

Gwen had never bought alcohol in Shanghai. Bad as things had gotten, she had been too busy with new friends to desire chemically induced leisure. Luckily, the first shopping street she found had a local mini-mart selling booze. She filled her basket with a six-pack of Tsingtao, a bottle of what looked like soju, and a sparkling flask of peach-flavoured mystery. Usually, Tequila was her poison of choice, but beggars couldn't be choosers. The store clerk, an NoM, stared at her with such intensity that he may as well tear out his eyes and toss his orbs onto her legs. That was when Gwen realised she was still wearing her black skort, easily mistaken for a salacious minidress. When she had left the military base, she had thoughtfully tossed on something that allowed her to survive the humidity of Hangzhou. Concurrently, she was open-bloused and _did not give a shit._ Her hair was also wild from the late-night Flight, plastered to her face, having picked up every mote of condensation rising from the West Lake. "Can I see some ID?" The clerk swallowed. Gwen glared at the poor NoM. Mayhap it was the Dragon Fear, or maybe she looked pissed off enough to skin a man alive; the clerk apologised profusely for daring to question her age. Ashamed for terrifying the hapless NoM, she left him the change, whatever it was. Not wanting to try her luck with opposite-sex encounters, she flew over the rural farmlands, where presumably No-Fly restrictions were not in play until she found a rather attractive location on the uninhabited shore of the West Lake, dotted with lotus flowers, glimmering with muted moonlight. She descended on what she had thought was a floating deck but turned out to be an enormous water-lily leaf almost four meters across. The platform first wobbled but quickly stabilised as Gwen lowered her centre of gravity. When she further tested the buoyancy of the flora, she noted with wonder that it was quite unsinkable. The furry surface felt like carpet, not to mention hydrophobic. Confident in the plant's ability to keep her above the tepid, weed-filled water, Gwen sat crossed-legged in the lotus position and tried to come to grips with what was happening. Breath in— —Breath out. It all began when her uncle found out about her origins. That particular crisis turned out fine, the drama was unwarranted, and she could trust the man unconditionally. The revelation was more cathartic than it was traumatic. Then her father called. After that, they arrived in Hangzhou, and there was a big family reunion. She spoke to Percy and tried to rile him over his snitching. It was harmless fun, and the boy seemed to take it in stride. Then she revealed that their father had a new child on the way. Percy freaked out. Something happened with the amulet. She felt it activate—that distinct _tingle_ , just like her uncle manifested when the Ash Mage _fed_ on the Essence captured in the Kirin Stone. Her brother then had an asthma attack. She tried to help. Percy had battered her hand away. Then what? Then she snapped at him. _That little shit!_ The thought was most definitely her own. Even now, she felt upset over the rebuke. She had demanded to see the amulet. Ah, fuck. Gwen cringed. _Freudian slip?_ Or was it? They were doing so well, making a connection, getting along, and then the amulet dispelled the Illusion, bringing the two kicking and screaming into the real world. Percy saw her as a competitor. And the Kirin Amulet remained a point of contention. Feeling that she needed something to ease the kick-boxing kangaroo in her chest, she popped a bottle of Tsingtao. With Almudj's unconditional aid, she had no idea if she could still become intoxicated. "This one's for you, Uncle Jun!" Gwen threw her head back, allowing the ice-cold fluid entry into the temple of her body. She persisted through another bottle despite the likelihood that her buzz was a placebo effect. "Puuwa—!" She continued her rumination. After an unintended trespass, Percy freaked out. Did she leak her Dragon Fear, then? Gwen wasn't sure. If she had, the koi would have gone nuts right below them. The fish always congregated where there were people, expecting to be fed. She then called for help, anxious that Percy was gripping the amulet and crying blue murder, which brought their grandfather and Jun. Then what happened? The little shit _snitched_ on her! _That fucking weasel!_ I ought to fry his lily ass. A spark of electricity zinged across her vision. It must have escaped from somewhere on her person. _WOA WOA WOA!_ Gwen caught herself yet again. Her Almudj-Essence was immensely agitated, and with it, her thunderous lightning mana. Why was she uncharacteristically upset, so out of control and impulsive? Her 'grin it and bear it' demeanour was arguably world-class. She had been less upset when some guy grabbed her ass on the train! She hadn't even felt this intensity of emotion when her father pulled a whole alt-life story out of his ass, then doomed her to being stuck in Shanghai, taking her away from Yue and Elvia. She closed her eyes and tried to mediate. Almundj's Essence revolved around her body, again and again, diffusing the alcohol. Gwen topped up with the soju. Wait up, her mind clicked. What the hell had Instructor Chen said? It was during that conversation they had about the Dragon Cores. _"You two should learn to temper yourselves, as Quasi-Elementalist Mages, the more Lightning Affinity you possess, the keener your physiological and mental metabolisms will become. Your temperament will worsen..._ " An irrational sense of pride and possessiveness came with high Affinity. Her Affinity? Six. _SEX sexy tiers_ of lightning, as Whetu would say in his Kiwi Kant. Gwen chuckled to herself. The narcissism was real, but she had to give herself credit for grinding down a tier 10 Thunder-wyvern, then fucking it in the ass with Caliban. A girl had to know her worth; there was a difference between humility and ignorance of one's excellence. Why she ought to inform those twats at the House of Liu that— Gwen stepped on her mental brakes before her fantasy roared down reality highway and ran someone over. "An irrational sense of pride," she repeated to herself, tasting the words on her tongue. "And excessive possessiveness." _How awful_ , Gwen thought. Was she to become like Ayxin or Golos? Transformed into an insufferable, stuck-up, better-than-thou Machiavelli-Draconian? In her old world, the sociopaths with psychopathic disregard usually got ahead. That was one of the reasons she dreamt of working for herself. She had always been prideful. Else she would not have left home at sixteen. The problem now was that the face she had prepared to meet faces that she meets was cracking like poorly applied makeup. In all honesty, Gwen found her Affinity-induced PMS hard to swallow. That somehow she was not in control simply because she had grown more powerful was abhorrent to her. It made no sense that she couldn't dig herself out of this hole. How would she fight her 'Calamity' if she couldn't uproot something as simple as a little chemical alteration of the brain? Where there's a will, there's a way, wasn't there? Feeling the space around her, she desperately desired someone like Yue, Elvia, Richard, and Petra. Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, she punched in the Glyphs and did exactly that. Richard should be with Lulan and Kusu, Gwen recalled. They had gone Questing roughly the same time she had gone off with Jun. "Hello? Gwen? You're back?!" "I am back!" she replied cheerfully. "How's everyone?" "We're all in Nantong at the moment, though, Gwen... I heard from Mina that your father is getting remarried?!" "YES! And guess who's a bridesmaid?! It's a ME! GWEN!" "Bloody oath, Uncle Hai... he's such a fuckwit. It's like he can't help himself. I mean, who'd want YOU as a bridesmaid?" "Hey! Are you saying I'll make a terrible bridesmaid?" "It doesn't take a Diviner to know that!" Richard laughed. The joy was infectious, and Gwen felt better already. "Ah, bloody hell. Strewth... Gwen, NOT that I care about Aunt Helena or anything, but if you want someone to talk to, I am here with Lulu, Kusu and the crew. Do you mind if I put us on audible? Lulu is keen to talk to you." "Sure! Hi guys!" "Hi, Gwen!" "Miss Song, I am glad you've returned safely." "So, how was the trip?" Richard asked, perhaps wishing to divert her from becoming further depressed by the woeful wedding. "Regale us with your adventures!" The voice of her cousin and friends worked its magic like a much-needed dose of Celexa. Gwen felt the taut tension in her body unwind as though the rack she'd been stuck on had released the screw. "The trip was good, VERY good! We ran into all sorts of interesting Draconic animals - then ate all of them, ha! Uncle Jun was amazing! I LOVE HIM TO BITS!" Gwen's voice took on a hysterical edge. With great enthusiasm and flourish, she told them the same version she had narrated to her brother. As for Richard, her cousin and Petra would receive a private revision once reunited. "Wonderful!" Richard's voice bellowed across wherever the 'crew' was gathered. "I look forward to seeing your new Affinity and Caliban's new form." "Oh, his new form is terrible," Gwen boasted guiltily, reminding herself to consult with Caliban after the call. What would a Void-stag resemble? A living nightmare, she would wager. "Caliban has yet another monstrous form?" Kusu's voice was equal parts anxiety and nervousness. "Kusu, don't interrupt —so, Gwen—how was the peak of Huangshan? I've only ever seen Huashan. Is it as awe-inspiring as they say?" It was Lulan who spoke up. "Lulu~, Huangshan was beautiful - deadly but also pretty as a painting." "That sounds wonderful. I'd love to climb Lotus Peak one day." _Assuming you don't run into a Dragon!_ Gwen mused. "So, Lulu, how's working with Richard?" "Richard is amazing," Lulu's response was worshipful. "I feel like such a frog in a well." "The siblings are BOTH doing great," her cousin butted in jovially. "Kusu helped as well. He's our level-headed strategist." "I didn't do anything worthwhile," Kusu interjected humbly. "Those two are insane." "Hahaha." Richard chuckled. "So, what did you guys do?" As Lulan was far too drunk on happiness and excitement to tell a lucid story, Richard obliged in Lulan's stead. According to her cousin, they ventured to Nantong with his old crew to participate in the construction of Tonlv Canal, a major infrastructural project connecting Nantong to the Yellow Sea, enabling maritime trade between Seoul, Nagasaki, Qingdao, and upper Shanghai, forming a quadrangle trade-route. Richard's party had initially cleared wildlife ahead of the construction Mages and NoM labourers. However, after Lulan started to 1-hit KO every other river-gob they came across, the presiding official recruited the party for Purge requests across the Dayang peninsular. With almost triple the pay and double the CCs, the party immediately made a name for themselves, with Richard acting as Abjurer and support. Naturally, Lulan served as the primary offensive damage dealer. On the fourth day, the party uncovered many Merfolk warrens. Before the Party official had even issued a proclamation, Richard's party had cleared the entire Dungeon bringing back a half-dozen Cores and the head of the Merfolk Chief, a fifty-stone humanoid catfish. "... We stood back while Lulu did her thing. I kept her Shielded, and Kusu had our backs. The other guys spent the whole time digging for cores and mining water crystals." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Sounds like you guys had a great time." "Indeed it was. Smooth as butter. We're on a break right now, on government expense, ha!" Richard boasted. "It's a state-sanctioned hotel, but the buffet is wonderful. Wish you were here. The water's beautiful and Merfolk-free!" "How's Lulan dealing with the boys?" Gwen asked a critical question. As she recalled, Kusu had been very nervous. "Hahahaha!" Richard broke into rancorous laughter. "Richard!" Kusu complained bitterly, evidently triggered by Gwen's query and Richard's mirthful mockery. "Lulan brought a risque swimsuit to enjoy her R&R, but Kusu has forbidden her from wearing it!" "It shows her—" "Kusu!" Lulan's voice cried out shrilly. "I can wear whatever I want!" "Gods, Kusu, it's just a boob tube! Mate, calm your tits, not that the ones on display are yours to withhold, hahaha!" The Message Device became inundated with snickering laughter. Gwen shared in the merriment even as her chest became punctured by disappointment and resentment, a feeling worse than checking Facebook during the end of the fiscal quarter and seeing people on holidays in Santorini or Hokkaido. She felt hollowed out, as though all sensation of joy became consumed by gut-wrenching, maddening envy. Why couldn't she be in Nantong with Richard and Lulu, kicking ass and eating on the government's dime, living life however she wanted? Of course, Gwen knew the answer to her rhetorical question; it was the source of her grievous upset. She was such an ungrateful bitch, moping about her teacup drama when Uncle Jun risked his life to gift her with tier 6 Lightning. With the shame of her churlish egocentrism crushing her mood, the bounty of happiness her friends provided no longer felt nourishing; instead, their carefree laughter grated her ears. "Okay, I got to go. Thanks for the laughs, Richard. I'll Message you again later, or see you guys in a week!" "Laters, Gwen!" "Bye!" "Stay safe, Miss Song." With the call ended, Gwen called forth Caliban and Ariel. Her serpent and marten weighted down the discus-foliage of the water lily. She needed something else to cheer her up, and a little loot could do that. "Alright, Cali, let's see what you got." She commanded her serpent to do its thing. "Shaa!" She squeezed Caliban between her arms, pressing the obsidian serpent against her ribcage. Caliban heaved. Out popped the first Core, then another, and another and another. _Plop! Plop! Plonk!_ Thirteen Draconic-deer Cores of exceptional clarity were steadily milked from Caliban, adding one Merfolk core of indistinct quality. Gwen likewise released the three carp-Cores from her Ring, as well as the pangolin's Earthen Core. The larger orbs joined the pile of smaller cores in the middle of the lily pad. By her inexperienced appraisal, the deer-Cores likely fetched 4 - 5000 HDMs, while the carp-Cores were slightly higher at 6000. Jun had said that the sapient pangolin's Core could be worth 25,000 to the right buyer, especially as Earthen Mages were numerous and Abjurers especially were highly sought after. She wasn't sure why there was such a price disparity. Perhaps it was because the Core's owner was capable of speech? It was an answer that only an experienced crafter like her Opa could give. The fact that the small pyramid was likely worth up to 100,000 HDMs improved Gwen's mood immensely. It was like looking at a six-digit figure in one's bank account, basking in the monitor's glow. Her breath became audible pants as she ran a finger over the stockpile, feeling a secret thrill run through her coiled body. The moment of truth had descended. Gwen activated her Detect magic, then picked up the first Core and ran a mote of lightning into its interior. It lit up dimly, humming with Elemental lightning. But it was without spirit. Disappointed, she placed it into a separate pile. The second, the third, and the fourth followed. Some cumquat-sized, others a small orange—the Alpha's Core was the size of a grapefruit. It was an impressive thing of superb clarity, as potent as the Eland core which Mayuree had gifted to Ariel, likely worth a solid 8000 HDMs as well. A mote of mana left her fingertips and made its round inside the Core, projecting such a light that it was as though a Daylight spell had momentarily irradiated the lily-filled lake. Gwen cursed her indiscretion and surveyed their surroundings. The light faded. She was still, as far as she could tell, thankfully alone. This late at night, NoMs respected curfew, while Mage patrols would be visible from kilometres away thanks to their Day Light lanterns. Greedily, she cupped the alpha Core and examined it. Nothing. Just a Core. _SHIT._ Gwen prevented herself from stomping the lily pad and sending her collection tumbling. _No spirit._ _After all that._ _After Uncle Jun risked his life for her!_ Should she have killed Golos? Made Caliban consume the bastard from inside out, heedless of the Yinglongs' retribution? She was confident there was a Core inside that Wyvern she could use. "EE-EE!" Ariel nudged the stag's Core in her hand, begging her with its big button eyes. Gwen had known Ariel's desperate desire and wantonness in only one other instance. It was at the Auction when Mayuree had tossed her the Eland core. This time, Ariel's whining was even more intense, possessing such urgency that her empathic link tickled her bladder and gave her an urgent desire to visit the ladies. Should she give the Core to her Familiar, though? She could trade it away for CCs or sell it for HDMs. Who knew what projects in the future needed one or the other, or both? But then again, she corrected herself. _Wasn't Ariel a significant investment?_ Hadn't its Eland ability helped her immensely, almost single-handedly upped her damage and strategy potential? Sensing her thoughts, Ariel cried a thankful "EE—EE!" Receiving her mental permission, it bit into the Cores, crushing it within its jaws. There go at least 8,000 HDMs, maybe even 10,000 HDMs. Gwen allowed the dust to fall from her fingers, enough to pay for her entire tuition were she not a Scholarship student. She had Babulya to thank for that. "EE-ee!" Ariel swallowed the rest and then indicated to the carp Core. "Sure, go ahead." At this point, Ariel was a sunk cost; the wiser option was to commit her resources fully. And so Ariel then treated itself to a second. "Cali, you want in on this action?" "Shaa!" Caliban wagged its tail, stating no. "Alright, I guess not." Gwen examined the last Merfolk core. She mused that it would be ironic if this one were pregnant with a Spirit. A mote of mana later, she was left making a face, chewing one side of her lips contemplatively. Nope, she sighed despondently; _no luck._ Having ravaged two creature cores, Ariel licked its chops and surveyed the rest of the loot pile. "Oh no, you don't," Gwen warned her gluttonous Familiar. "The rest has to be split with Uncle Jun. You got those other two because you worked for them! They're coming out of my share." "Ee-ee! EE!" "Alright, get back in there." She unsummoned her Familiar. Ariel was already getting sleepy. Whatever was in those Draconic Cores, they were very quickly inducing her Familiar to undergo another metamorphosis. Gwen wondered how long Ariel would take this time and if she would need it in the week or so to come. With Ariel gone and her loot failing to cough up a Spirit, she packed away the pile of assorted cores and tapped into another beer, feeling the still-cold liquor dispel the summer haze that hung over the West Lake. Occasionally, a breeze came through, borne upon a cross-wind, lifting her hair and chilling her legs. Those moments were both rare and tranquil, allowing her to forget—if only for a moment—her grandfather's displeased face and Percy's fearful eyes. "Oh yeah, Caliban, what else you got?" "Shaa?" "Any new forms?" "Shaaaaa!" "Well, let's see 'em." "Woa!" Drained of its stores, Caliban returned to its old tricks, taking a pound of flesh from Gwen's body. It was fortuitous that she had earlier had a meal of Merfolk grubs. Otherwise, she would have been bereft of a significant chunk of vitality. Standing upon the lily pad, framed by the silver of the moonlight, Caliban began to bloat, twisting into its new form. First came the stag horns, an anticipated addition, then limbs, long and tangled, stabbing outwards until they formed arm-thick double-jointed needles. A serpentine neck distended from Caliban's bone-frilled skull, framed by its massive shoulders. Below, its torso tapered into a narrow waist of darkest obsidian, supported by bulging hindquarters. Upon closer inspection, Gwen noted she could spot scales just beneath the smooth exterior of its semi-opaque obsidian dermis. "Good boy, Calib—OH JEZ LOUISE!" Just when she thought Caliban's horror-filled growth spurt had ceased, it launched itself upward, sprouting two long and elegant hind legs half-a-length longer than its front limbs, likewise armed with needle-point hooves. "Christ, Cali," Gwen breathed in the tepid air of the West Lake. _That is not a PG-13 morphic form._ "Shaa-Shaa!" Like all his forms, Caliban was faceless. His skull was Draconic shaped, with a hint of the stag but without distinguishing features. "Where's your tentacles? Cali?" Gwen glanced at Caliban, hoping that thick, prehensile tentacles wouldn't sprout between the stag's legs. If so, Caliban's new power was going to be X-rated. If so, she would soon miss the days when people called her the "Devourer". "Shaa!" Caliban stood on its hind legs. "Bloody hell, you can be bipedal in that form?" Caliban's pointed hooves stabbed into the water lily's membranes. Fully erect, her monster Familiar stood well over four meters, including its sixteen-pointer. Eerily, the night sounds were filled with slithering, accompanied by a mass of lamprey-lipped tentacles dipping low to scent her, touching her hair and cheeks. _Its friggin stag horns turned into tentacles!_ Sixteen points—sixteen tentacles? What would happen if she commanded it to attack? "Shaaaa! Shaaaa!" Caliban turned, sending all of its appendages to assault the air, snapping as though each was bestowed with a life of its own. The effect was awe-inspiring and terrible, akin to the stop-motion Medusa Gwen recalled seeing in Clash of the Titans. Her Master once said _the nuance of a Familiar's forms was associated with a Mage's deep psyche._ As such, Gwen wondered if she was digging through old literature to fuel Caliban's nightmarish appearances. If one was asked to think of a Magical Stag, wouldn't the Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke come to mind? Why did her creation look like Lovecraft and Geiger had a love child? A thousand-young-cum-xenomorph Black Goat? Retracting its tentacles and returning its horns into coral-like branches of obsidian bone, Caliban dropped to all fours and stalked toward her. The lily pad swayed as Caliban's bulk shifted its centre of gravity, forcing Gwen to balance herself. "Caliban, enough." She recalled her Familiar, instructing it to refrain from shifting into the horror stag unless given express consent. _Ding!_ Her contemplative privacy was interrupted by an incoming Message. "Dad?" "Gwen, where are you now?" "I am still in Hangzhou if that's what you mean," Gwen answered chirpily, her mind dizzy from the trace of alcohol still in her blood. "Where in Hangzhou exactly?" "I am at the West Lake," she confessed. "Enjoying the moonlight." "There's no moon out tonight; it's clouded over." "Enjoying the darkness then." Hai sighed. "Mother wants to see you. Are you coming back?" "Yes, I am coming back." "Well, if you do, remember to take the servant's entrance, the one by the carport. The side entrance door is locked." "It's alright. I flew out. I'll fly back in." "Bloody hell, Gwen," Hai spat in English, switching to the Australian dialect he had acquired in his years in Oceania. "Just because there are no bleeding patrols doesn't mean Hangzhou is a Fly-Zone! It's a major food bowl district! What made you think you _could_ use Flight in a place like this? Why do you think the estates all have walls?!" "Hangzhou is a No-Fly Zone?" "Yes!" "But I flew to the convenience store, and I flew to West Lake." "Oh _God damn it,_ " Hai cursed. "You flew out of Secretary Liu's house! You and the family are registered as VIPs! Of course, no one is going to intercept you! Your step-grandfather will likely cop an earful tomorrow. What else did you do? No boys, I hope?" "No, just a few drinks." "You're FLYING DRUNK?" "No!" "Were you drinking?" "I guess." "How many?" "About six beers and a bottle of soju?" "Fuck." "It was a small bottle. I'll be home soon." "Walk! For God's sake!" "Alright! Jeez, Dad, I am not a child." "You're A MINOR WHO IS DRINKING AND FLYING IN A NO FLY ZONE!" Hai hissed with impotent anger. "You don't even have a Flight licence!" Gwen's agitated Almudj-Essence sobered her up. Her father had a point. "I'll run home then. See you soon." Hai muttered a few grudging pleasantries, then hung up. Huffing unhappily, Gwen packed her garbage; she might be selfish, possessive and prideful, but she wasn't a tosser. Her late-night excursion had gone as Gwen had expected. She had given herself time to think and now had a general idea of what was happening. As the holder of six tiers of Affinity, Gwen would have to do her utmost to keep her _Electric Blues_ in check. For now, she would apologise to Percy for her unintended and poorly worded expression, help her father with his wedding, and play nice with her grandfather. For one week, she would do anything to keep her babulya and uncle de-stressed and content. "Okay!" Gwen slapped her cheeks with both hands. "Come on! You can do it!" It was time to go home and face the music. Hai sighed, tossing his Messenger Device onto the pile of clothes on the floor. "Hai, I am worried about Gwen." Qīn's breath was pleasant and ticklish against Hai's ear. "Going out to drink at a time like this, she's going to ruin herself. Such a pretty and talented girl as well. What a shame." "She'll be fine, dear." Hai brushed a lock of his fiancee's hair from her cheeks. "Gwen's a good girl. It's just a phase. You were young once, heck; you're young still! Just look at those cheeks—softer than ripe peaches!" Qīn laughed, her voice trilling like a nightingale's through the winding corridors of the pagoda. Hai had thought his wife would be livid over the dead koi. Instead, Qīn had told him that it was no big deal. What was important, his wife had stipulated, was that both Gwen and Percy were safe. _What a wonderful woman!_ Hai couldn't believe his ears. Had this been Helena, the decibel of her voice would have shattered the transmuted glass in the courtyard. His soul would have escaped his skull! "You don't think it's a mistake asking her to be a bridesmaid, do you?" Qīn asked uncertainly. It was only natural. Any woman would want their wedding to proceed swimmingly. "No, of course not, dear. Gwen might be in a bad mood now, but she always comes through in the end." "Alright, I trust you, Hai." "The feeling is mutual." Hai tasted his fiancee's flushed lips, held captive by her tenderness. "So, what do you think of my earlier proposal?" "Ah—" Hai felt his passions wane. "I think this is a wonderful opportunity for Gwen to meet some of the young men in the local bureaucracy," Qīn continued. "I think she'll be far less troublesome if she can settle down with someone to look after her and teach her the ways." "Umm..." Hai pulled away. "I don't know about that." "Is Gwen not interested in boys? Well-mannered, good-looking boys from prominent families?" "Em…" As a father, Hai wasn't sure how to respond. He couldn't exactly critique Gwen. In the past, he had brought hundreds of women home. From when Gwen was young, the girl had developed an especially hostile attitude toward men, particularly flatterers. He was also reminded of her running home yammering about a train molester. _Had that been a big deal?_ She'd just gone to her room after. Well, it wasn't as though Gwen had lost a piece of her flesh. Sometimes, an ass grab was just an ass grab. After all, Hai had grabbed plenty of buttocks in his time; understanding the context was important. From what the Railcorp Officers had said, the man was likely going to gaol, an apt punishment for a man incapable of reading the situation. "Hai, I need you to be on my side. Can you do that for me?" Qīn nibbled his earlobes, making his whole body quiver. "I don't think Gwen would enjoy meeting young men like that," he mumbled. "I don't even know what kind of men Gwen is attracted to, though. As I've said, we're not the closest, ha." "She needs someone to ground her, Hai, just as I need you." Qīn ran a hand against his abdomen and injected positive energy. "Hai?" His future wife worked her magic. "You have my consent." Hai pulled his fiancee's milky body closer. "But tell the youngsters not to be so pushy. Gwen doesn't like that. Agreed?" "Of course, dear." Qīn was already straddling the man of her dreams like a jockey at an El Caballo-Blanco horse show, cantering into a comfortable cadence. "I was going to speak to Gwen." It took Hai several attempts to complete his sentence. "My father's still angry as well." "Don't worry. _Daddy_ will deal with Magus Guo." Qīn sealed his lips with her own, her eyes melting into him like liquid. "Yeah...Gwen's a big girl," Hai's breathless voice added as an after thought. "She'll be fine."