Aliandra Ali sat quietly, listening to Ryn’s at of the state of the town, and by her telling, the situation was dire. Food prices had skyrocketed as the crops failed, and the farmers had fled into the city with reports of a horrible pgue on all living things and terrifying monsters creeping around in the dark.

  “You guys are still wanted for questioning in e with the deaths of the Town Watch,” Ryn said, her mouth drawn into a disapproving line. “And the Torian army is massihe northern road. There are rumors of a battle or siege ing. People are worried and h essentials.”

  “What about trade?” asked.

  “The mert caravans haven’t been seen,” Ryn answered. “I think there’s been no traffi the south road for a week. I heard Jax Hawkhurst and Donel Novaspark nearly came to blows in the cil meeting – supposedly, teleportation into and out of Myrin’s Keep is not w.”

  “Couldn’t happen to a better person,” Mato muttered. “People are starving and all he wants is higher food prices.”

  Ryn gnced sharply at him, her lips pressed into a thin lirue,” she allowed.

  “That’s worse than I thought,” noted. “We should make a report on the Neancer and the undead army to the garrison ander, but I’m not sure how to get taken seriously et the message through without getting locked up or killed.”

  “Why should we help them?” Ali burst out. People were going to die, either from the food she or from the Torian siege. Or worse, the blight when the Neancer appeared. But Ali struggled to find any sympathy for Myrin’s Keep – all she could find in her heart was frustration, anger, and fear for how they treated her. She simply couldn’t shake the image of Roderik’s face as he taunted her, enjoying her pain. “They made you all into fugitives and you were only trying to defend me from the Town Watch. It’s not like we owe them anything.” Trying to approach the garrison headquarters was likely suicidal – they would be found and killed or locked up immediately.

  “It’s the right thing to do, Ali,” Malika said, her voice grave. “Don’t let your pain speak –”

  “They burned my forest and tried to kill me, Malika. He was enjoying hurting me!” Ali shouted, her heart seething with fear and anger. She still could not banish his sadistic ughter from her mind. “I don’t care if the skeletons do e for them!”

  “Ali, that’s not how you really feel, is it?” Malika insisted.

  “I don’t want my mom to die, Ali,” said, speaking softly from his seat beside her with deep lines of worry etched on his face.

  His quiet and sincere voice, filled with worry and for his mother brought Ali up short, her anger instantly snuffed out, repced by embarrassment and shame. They are all here supp me, and it has cost them their freedom. They risked their lives and their families and all I think of is myself.

  “I’m sorry ,” she said, taking a deep breath to try and calm her heart. “I was being selfish and scared, and I didn’t think of what it is costing all of you.”

  “Thank you, Ali,” answered, giving her a small smile.

  “You’re right to be angry for what they did to you,” Malika said. “That’s not selfish. But there are many i people in Myrin’s Keep.”

  “What should we do?” Ali asked.

  “I think we should talk to the Guildmaster,” Malika suggested. “She’s probably the only person on the cil who will at least listen to us first.”

  “Isn’t it a big risk to trust her?” Ali asked, dubiously. Vivian Ross owerful woman, and although she had been good to them so far, that was before she knew Ali was a dungeon. She was easily strong enough to kill them all ht, and Ali’s css ged everything.

  “It is a risk, but Ryn said everyohinks you’re dead,” Malika said. “I think you should stay here and not risk exposing yourself in case it doesn’t go well.”

  But ’s quiet for his mother, and her shame at her selfishness, was still fresh in her mind. Ali could not let them all take the burdens and risks on her behalf while she risked nothing iurn.

  “No,” she said firmly, her mind made up. “We will face it together.”

  “I set up a meeting, if you like,” Ryn suggested. “That way you don’t o risk the guards or the Town Watch.”

  ***

  “Here?” Ali asked, staring at the pristine, crystal-clear water of the tiny bubbling stream that flowed under a boulder and vahrough the rock wall of the cavern. Her Spore Spreaders had been busy, filling all the ponds and streams in Lira’s now-forested cavern with the water-affinity Psathyrel mushrooms, ridding them of the murk and stagnant stench.

  “Yes, this should lead directly to your old cavern,” answered fidently.

  As usual, his sense of dire was impeccable. Ali wielded her Domain Mastery skill at the tiny stream el, making the rock of the cavern wall flow like liquid. She flexed her mana and the tiny rocky el expanded as her skill reshaped the cavern wall. In just a few minutes, she bored a tunnel rge enough for them all to walk through, with the tiny stream fio a small, meandering el running down the ter. A lot better than the first time I tried to open a river el…

  As Ali’s magic opened up a rao her inal cavern, and she floated through on her barrier, her heart sank. The once-beautiful cavern, filled with trees and the sparkling light of her pnts, the blue glowing ke, and the ever-present mana of her domain, was instead dark and dead. All that she had created was gone, and the only thing that remained was ash and burnt stumps of trees, and the stale stench of fire.

  Ali hovered above the ground, but her Kobolds and her Forest Guardian ched through the cold charred remains of her forest, kig up ash as they went. Even the sound of their footfalls and the quiet voices of her friends were muted, like the hush after the first snow.

  “Well, that’s depressing,” Mato said, emerging from the tunnel.

  “Indeed,” Lira answered.

  Their somber mood as they made their way to the shrihe only source of dim light iire cavern – was remi of a funeral procession. Ali had enjoyed pnting the forest, and all her work was destroyed in one day by a bunch of angry people out to kill her for the crime of having the wrong css. She covered her mouth with her sleeve, feeling as if the atmosphere was so heavy, it was not merely a struggle to breathe but even for her heart to beat.

  As their procession he burnt remnants of the Grove, Ali’s heart jumped at the sight of the shrine, dirty and covered with soot, but standing unbowed and unbroken, like a glowing lighthouse against the worst storm of fire the Town Watch could unleash against it. “Well, that’s a relief,” she said.

  “I told you, they have not the power to destroy su artifact,” Lira answered.

  “They’re here,” interrupted.

  Ali’s mood ged quickly as she saw two figures standing beside the shrine waiting for them. Ryn waved wearing a smile and a pretty blue dress, and beside her stood the imposing figure of Vivian Ross. Her expression was guarded, and the oion Ali could read was the slightly raised eyebrow of surprise as their party came into view.

  “I see why you wanted secrecy,” Vivian said, her voice as cool and trolled as her expression. “I was told you had been killed.” Her gaze flickered across their group, lingering on Lira before returning to Ali.

  “Roderik came very close,” Ali answered, stepping off her barrier and onto the ash that was all that remained of her moss carpet. But as she did, she caught sight of a third figure, standing behind Vivian as if to take cover behind her imposing presence.

  Mieriel! Ali’s heart began pounding as she filled with inexplicable ay at the sight of the out-of-pce elegance of the Sun Elf in the middle of the burnt Grove.

  Spy – Sun Elf – level 50 (Mind)

  Several things crashed into her mind at the sight of her, and the distinctive nature of her mana. An image of the Sun Elf sitting by while Vivian shouted about her being a dungeon while she sat unresponsively. The horrifyiion of Mieriel doing something to her mind. Stunned by the power of the images, Ali gasped for a moment, and Mieriel instantly ducked back behind Vivian.

  “You knew I was a dungeon.” Ali finally found her void realized that the images were not dreams, but memories that had been hidden from her. Her ay faded, repced by a cold anger.

  “We did,” Vivian answered roughly, not b to hide it.

  “Why did y her?” Ali asked, the anger making her voice harsh.

  “Aliandra, yer is mispced,” Vivian said. “It was me who insisted that she do it. Stop hiding, Mieriel, you wahe ce to apologize. At least let her see you.”

  Mieriel sidled sideways out from behind Vivian, hands csped together and looking down at her feet. She looked small and frightened, and nothing like the looming specter of her dreams. Ali g Vivian’s closed expression, trying to grasp the sudden shift iuation.

  She did it? Why? And then…

  “I’m sorry for hurting you Aliandra,” Mieriel said in a small voice. “I don’t ask for any fiveness, but I hope one day to make it up to you somehow.”

  “Why did you do it?” Ali asked, gring at Vivian and ign Mieriel’s apology. She was too upset to even respond to the Elf.

  Vivian’s stony guard cracked, and she sighed. “After you showed me the shrine, I had to know. Only dungeons make shrines like this,” she poio the obelisk of stone looming over them. “I admit I inteo kill you as soon as Mieriel verified you were actually a dungeon, but it was her that ged my mind.”

  Mieriel stood up for me? Against her? Everything seemed upside down – the mind magic Elf was on her side? And the Guildmaster had wao kill her?

  “Why did you stop her?” Ali asked, turning to the visibly distressed Elf. “Why would you side with a dungeon?”

  “I…” Mieriel took a shuddering breath, and looked up, meeting Ali’s gaze for the first time. “I know what it is like to be persecuted for my css. I have felt the anger of people who would kill me, no matter what kind of person I am.”

  Her words hit hard in Ali’s gut. Hard enough to make her wheeze, “Aaah!” All she could see was the gloating face of Roderik, grinning as he tried to kill her, not for anything she had done, but for the css she happeo have. In that moment, Ali knew Mieriel uood her pain.

  “I have a dangerous css,” Mieriel tinued, nodding meekly. “Before I learo ceal it, I had to live alone, without any tact with the civilized world, but they found me and threw me into a dungeon anyway. Just because they were scared of what my css could do. It was Vivian that rescued me, and gave me a home and a life, proteg me from those who would kill me. I just reminded her of that, and the fact that you’ve only ever doions that supported your friends, the guild, and the town. And that killing you would be hypocrisy.”

  “Mieriel is being too kind,” Vivian said quietly. Ali could scarcely imagihe demure Elf standing up to the powerful Vivian, save for the core of adamant she had witnessed when she briefly glimpsed inside Mieriel’s heart.

  “You are not here to kill me? Or turn us in?” Ali demanded.

  “No. You are all too valuable to the guild. I know that is a selfish reason, but it’s an ho one. If the four of you hadn’t saved Aiden’s group and survived the attack, the guild would have been wiped out by the Town Watch. I want your names cleared and you ba the guild hall – there are important jobs that need doing, and new recruits to train.”

  Ali simply stared at them, speechless. On one hand, they had invaded her mind, and very nearly killed her. Oher hand, she believed Mieriel’s story and Vivian’s motive. But something doesn’t add up here. While Vivian’s cimed motive sounded authentic, Ali was certain there was more to it that the Guildmaster was not sharing. She could have just killed me… Ali khe Guildmaster’s power. A sce? She g Lira, notig the almost imperceptible deepening of the creases around her eyes, the fraal nod of her head. She sees it too.

  Despite her aversion to Vivian's as, Ali decided to trust her word for now. Her friends would need every bit of help they could get if they ever wao set foot in town again, visit with their families, or simply show their faces without fear of attack. Besides, with the Neahreatening Myrin’s Keep –

  “How does one such as you propose to help clear their names?” Lira asked meantime, her soft resonant voice filling the silence. “After what you did to her, I think it is the least you offer as repense.”

  “The only way is to wie of the Town cil,” Vivian said. “I propose we prepare for that.”

  “And you ehe vote is favorable?” Lira pressed.

  Ali still struggled to calm herself down, grateful that Lira had stepped up to drive the versation. It was all overwhelming – how could they hope to win a vote with the cil? She was a dungeon. She had killed people.

  “I ot. But I am a member of the cil, so we have oe,” Vivian said, her eyes filled with unanswered questions as she studied Lira. “Mieriel has offered her skills to learn how we might sway the others.”

  “Very well,” Lira answered. “What you tell us about this cil, and what leverage do we have?”

  “You think this pn is a good idea?” Ali asked incredulously. The idea of allying with people who would invade her mind and throwing herself on the mercy of a cil that knew she was a dungeon was terrifying. Wouldn’t they all want to kill her, just like Roderik? Ahat recisely where Lira’s questions seemed to be leading.

  “Yes, dear,” Lira answered. “I think it will be our best ce. Besides, I have some experieh politics, and the stylish elf seems to be a talented spy. We are not without means.”

  Mieriel g Lira, clearly a little overawed by the three-mark Dryad.

  “Also, if the cil votes against us, we’re in no worse a position than we are now,” added.

  “But we’d have to put ourselves in their grasp, wouldn’t we?” Ali said. Surely, the cil would want them to be present.

  “I at least guarantee your safe passage,” Vivian said.

  “There are eight cil seats,” Mieriel expined, pushing her gsses up on the bridge of her nose. “Killing Roderik is one of gest problems, and ironically, a substantial advaoo. He would most definitely have voted against us, and now his seat is vat. But his death will scare some of the cil members.”

  “How did you mahat, by the way?” Vivian asked. “He was strong, well above your level, and he had plenty of experieh duels.”

  “He kept reminding me of his experience,” Ali answered, grimag at the memory. “He cimed to have killed over a thousand people.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Vivian answered. “But most of them were probably vagrants and drunkards in the slum district that he hunted for sport. It’s a good thing for the town that he is dead – he hid his crimes behind his nobility for far too long.”

  “I summoned one of those and had it charge him,” Ali said, gesturing to the Forest Guardian.

  “That wouldn’t kill him, he would just teleport away. And doesn’t your summon magic take a while?” Vivian seemed full of curiosity, but Ali was loath to spend much time on the gruesome memory.

  “I waited till his teleport was on recharge, sed a skill for an instant cast support skill, and put some of these behind him,” she said, summoning a barrier shard to demonstrate. “The guardian used Rush as soon as it was summoned and –” she brought her hands together, uo voice the result.

  “Well, that’s terrifying,” Vivian answered, looking meaningfully at the enormous Forest Guardian.

  “Why does the cil have eight seats?” asked. “Doesn’t that cause a lot of tied votes?”

  “Bastian Asterford is the executor, and his vote is the tie-breaker,” Mieriel expined.

  “Well, that’s a problem,” Mato said, and Ali reized the name from the boy she had had to destruder the rock pile.

  “Bastian will vote acc to the ’s is, which likely means he will vote against you because of the poli dungeons. But even without that, killing Roderik has certainly turned him into our enemy.”

  “ting Vivian as for and Bastian against, we have five unted votes which will require leverage,” Mieriel said. “Without it, we assume they will vote against our side just because Aliandra is a dungeon. Major issues affeg the cil are the deaths of the Town Watd Roderik, who was a noble, and the sudden food she as of moo the south. There are also the Torian troop movements. They have moved a spatial suppressor css inte of the town, and most of our le teleportation and unication is down. And then, whatever you did yesterday with the adva of the Lirasian Oak – a new grove, right? That got the attention of the eown.”

  “Well, that’s the reason we wao talk to you in the first pce,” Ali said, colleg herself. “This is Lirasia, the Dryad of the southern forest, and my aunt,” she introduced. “We just got back from there, and we report that the Neancer, Alexander Gray, has wiped out the entire Lirasian Forest from Toria, across the Myrin River, and all the way to just south of Myrin’s Keep. There is a huge undead blight across the nd and armies of skeletons and zombies, and they’re just a few days away.”

  “What?” Vivian excimed, her eyes flying wide.

  “The Torians must think New Daria is to bme,” Mieriel said softly.

  “We’re going to have to get ander Brand involved immediately! Why didn’t you mention this before?” Vivian nearly shouted. “Here we’re arguing about a cil vote… tell me everything you know! Now!”

  ***

  “I’m scared,” Ali admitted as they all revened in the library for dinner. It had been a long and stressful versation, and they had parted with more questions and unknowns thahey had started. All Ali knew was that she faced a trial at the hands of the cil – a group she barely knew, and who were likely to o death for being a dungeon. And she still wasn’t sure of Vivian’s motives.

  “We’ll do it together,” Malika said, eg her own earlier resolve. A somehow it did soothe her fears. The others were fag trial with her, and at least she would not be alone.

  They had parted ways with a w pn. Vivian would discuss calling the cil with the mayor, while Mieriel did some information gathering. was to produce the scouti of what they had seen, and he was already hard at work, drawing out maps and writing up the details.

  “Aliandra dear, what will you wear?” Lira asked, ing up beside her.

  “What do you mean? I’ll wear this?” Ali asked fused, looking at her perfectly serviceable adventuring gear.

  “Oh, no that won’t do. Trials are at least as much presentation and fidence as they are evidend leverage. You must present a strong presence. Do you happen to know a good tailor?”

  “Lydia,” Ali said, and perked up immediately at the mention of his mother’s name. As it so happened, Ali did know the best tailor in town, and with a sudden whirlwind of activity, Ryn was dispatched to Lydia’s Allure with an emergency order for all of them and a small, but heavy, pouch of gold s. But that was not enough for Lira, and Ali was subjected to a crash course in court politics, presentation, reading a room, and stage presence by the highly motivated Dryad.

  How did Lira learn royal court etiquette? she wondered when she finally emerged from the lessons in a daze.

  “What do you guys think?” asked, presenting the final draft of his report, plete with exquisitely dras, estimates of travel velocity, distribution of forces, details on the uhey had entered, and the progression of the blight into the town’s outlying farmnd.

  “We probably need a copy for each cil member,” Lira suggested.

  “You’re probably right,” said, his shoulders drooping in response. He had been w on that for hours.

  “Hey, Ali, you were able to write my name on my calligraphy workbook. you do more?” Malika asked, produg the book to emphasize her point.

  “I’m not sure,” Ali answered, staring at ’s report. She had just been messing around with Malika’s book when she added the runic script to the cover, but she had been able to suppress the writing in the book too. And what Malika was hinting at ossible in theory. But ’s book had detailed notes and maps and all sorts of stuff.

  I even do it?

  But now Malika had stuck the idea in her head. “It ’t hurt to try,” she said. Borrowing ’s report, she activated Sage of Learning, and paged through it slowly, memorizing every siail. She took substantially more time on each map, trying to capture every little nuance. After she repeated the process twice, she felt her memorization was as good as it was going to get.

  She opened her Grimoire to the book imprint. P her mana into it, she focused on her memory of the report, trying to stitch the maps a into the ized stru of the book her spell was creating. She struggled with it, twisting and pushing, coaxing and f, trying to get the two to ect.

  With an audible thump, a small brown bound book dropped into her p. She ope curiously, but the first several pages were entirely garbled.

  I k was too hard, she thought, mouth twisting in frustration. But, to her surprise, when she reached the final page, she found it erfectly rendered copy of the st page of the report.

  How did that happen? She cast her mind back to the experierying to recall what she had been thinking at the end. But other tharuggling, all she could remember is that he end she had sort of given up, and simply let her intuition take over.

  Even more curious now, she eled her magice again, but this time she strove simply to keep the image of what she wanted present in her mind while she worked, avaible, present, but unforced. It was a lot harder than she had expected, like trying to pour water from a big bucket into a small gss vase. She faltered several times, but she recovered quickly after each misstep.

  For some reason, the entire process reminded her of Malika’s lessons oation.

  The sed book dropped into her p, drawing an approving grunt from Mato. She picked it up aedly opehe cover. The first page was correct, but as she slowly flipped through the book, she found that wherever her tration had slipped, there would be a se of garbled writing, or jumbled lines on the map.

  Third try! It felt right there, within her grasp. This time when the book dropped into her p, she k was correct. It was made to the perfect size, with exactly the right number of pages – something she had just figured out – and every single page erfect replica of ’s inal report.

  It worked!

  Overjoyed, she ha to to i. “What do you think?”

  “Sure beats copying it by hand,” said, a big grin f on his face as he paged through Ali’s creation.

  timewalk