timewalk

  Rezan Jin “I said, use everything! St to ignore your Soul Sight. Do you think you defeat me without it?” Unsciously or not, the girl was holding back, perhaps afraid of the pain of her bloodline. But he needed her to use everything, even if it burned her up. Without that, there would be absolutely no ce.

  Rezan studied the energy flow of her skills with Eyes of the Soul, the plex gestalt of energy and power that was the essence of her css, roiling and smashing through her body in a reckless maelstrom. It was clear to him, now, that she was dying. Throughout her body he could see the angry knots where the blue-white of her soul energy was twisted up, g with the blood-red tendrils of her bloodline and her life energy, the tangled formations blog the flow of her skills, causing them to pierd tear the very core of her soul.

  Some dared to call the Ahn Khen bloodline a curse. He shook his head slightly, refog on this girl, on her needs.

  Sometimes, when the bloodline maed a skill too early, it could bee unstable, and its uhered power would tear down the life energy of the soul. It had happeo Ha – but with the immediate application of the rituals of the aors, and proper meditation, he had helped her bring her energy and bloodline safely bato harmony. Malika had unlocked not one, but two bloodline skills – and she was barely level forty and lived far from ah the knowledge to help guide her. The violent storm of energy it had released within her had beeroying her unchecked for five days. He had never seen anyone so was astounding she was still even standing, let alorying to fight him.

  She ot st much longer. It was a shame; he could see fshes of genius itacks.

  She attacked, and he carefully analyzed the flow of energy that powered her skills as the energy illumihe twisted knots. There. The pulse of her magic backed up against a blockage in her elbow, causing it to fre brilliantly and highlight the exact shape. He unleashed his fist; a precision punch, striking the tangled knot with a pierg pulse of his own soul-affinity energy. As she spun and hit the ground, the ed energy twisted and theed to the inal tangled form. He frowned.

  Her soul is strohan her body. He would o use signifitly more power to separate her energies from her bloodline properly. This may very well kill her. She was banced on a knife’s edge, and if he couldn’t do it, he would have her death on his sce for the rest of his life. He steeled his heart and mind. Now was not the time to be seal, there was literally no other way, and he would be just as responsible if he simply left her to die without trying. He punched again, releasing a violent core of energy through his punch that bsted through her body. There was a sharp crack as her elboed, but the tangled knot of energy finally eased, smoothing out.

  Inwardly, he grimaced. “Heal it,” he said, waiting for her to get back up.

  She seems surprised, did she not notice it was broken?

  As she resumed her attacks, he shifted his attention to the knots of broken energy in her legs. Her skills were bleeding energy through the tangled knots into the surrounding area, damaging her flesh, blood, and bone as it went. The skills she wielded forced power through the knot, driving them to twist and spread like a malevolent cer.

  He didn’t make the same mistake again, his two kicks delivered powerful energy strikes with perfect precision, honed by decades of training. Kicks that could sunder granite. Her legs both snapped, and she colpsed, but she didn’t register any pain. Likely she ot feel her broken legs over what she is already enduring. Both tangled knots slowly dissolved as her energy smoothed out and began to trickle through. Better.

  He stood waiting for her to heal herself, his ay rising at the sight of her energy dimming dangerously. Her bloodline is ing her quickly. He admired her determination as she once again got to her feet, despite the obvious pain.

  eling his energy, he waited while she attacked from above, and, as soon as her body desded and she eled her stamina, the giant knot iomach came into clear focus. He unleashed his punch, forced to use enough power to send his energy through her body. He felt a chill as her energy faltered, and her shirt darkened with blood, but she stabilized once more.

  I o be more careful. Her body is too weakeo take much more.

  He studied her energy with the i focus of a lifetime’s mastery of his arts, watg as it flowed past the former blockage. But to his dismay, her fading energy illumihe worst, most tangled mess he had ever seen. One in the head, two in the chest, and three in the ribs? That is crazy. Her energy dimmed, a she attacked with more power and spirit than in the beginning. He could see the energy pulsing through her body, tangling with the knots and tearing at her, a she refused to give in. This girl has spirit.

  He found himself admiring her will and grit and wishing he could have found her earlier as an apprentice.

  I o hit them all simultaneously. But she is too weak to survive the Fists of Coherent Iy.

  As she executed her flurry of attacks, he waited carefully for the precise moment. This would be close – he would o use enough to destroy the tangled energy while holding back just enough so that she would survive. He knew her broken body could not handle a sed attempt, nor could it withstand the power of his legendary attack. But he had its precursor – the skill that had started him dowh of the Elders. As the twisted power fred through the knots, he seized the opening, allowirike to hit him to set up the perfegle.

  Aors, protect her!

  And with his silent prayer, he unleashed the power of his Instantaneous Strike. His fist blurred, impossibly fast even to his accelerated perception – the pinnacle of haste. Splitting time itself, his fist took six separate paths simultaneously, striking all six remaining energy knots while releasing his soul power in a pulse that pierced clear through her body, pig her up and knog her flying. He automatically healed the damage to his muscles, torn by the extreme demands of his martial skill.

  He held his breath for a long moment, but the fatal chime did not e as her body crashed into the ground. The energy within her crumpled form flickered angrily, pulsing chaotically, dipping to bck a few times, but then it slowly smoothed out and Eyes of the Soul told him that the tangled knots of her bloodline had finally been unraveled. He could see the damage to her energy flow and the bloodlihat both he and the instability had inflicted on her, but although very weak, her life force tio shine – a tiny spark of will that refused to be extinguished, perhaps a mark of the suffering she had already eo reach this point.

  Suddenly, the little Fae blocked him with a golden barrier, her energy a dazzlingly intense gold in his sight.

  “I won’t let you kill her!” she yelled at him, her face firm aermined.

  “I’m not about to kill her, nor was I trying to,” he stated, sighing in relief. “But she does require urgent healing.” He didn’t want an unnecessary fight, but his healing required him to be much closer.

  It was then that he noticed the curious rippling pulses of energy flickering along the domaiween the girl sprawled in the dirt and the giant oak her panion had transformed himself into. He didn’t cast anything, but it was abundantly clear that the Beastkin’s aura was stabilizing Malika’s life force.

  Is he bleeding for her? His own healing magic would have been faster, but the youkin Druid’s magic was strong.

  Good friends and a powerful will. It seems Malika will do well. Inwardly he smiled, careful not to let it show. May the Mark of the Aors burn brightly in your blood, young one.

  Lag his fiogether before his throat, he bowed deeply to honor his oppo.

  Malika Malika opened her eyes and bli the light of the te evening sun falling on her face. She was outside, out in the open air, and for a moment she couldn’t recall where exactly she was. She y on the ground under a rge spreading tree, and somebody had covered her torso and legs with a light b. Somewhere nearby, she heard the sounds of voices versing quietly; Mato, Ali, Ryn, and several others she could not pce.

  Rezan.

  Her memories crashed bato her head; the excruciating trip, her rapidly unraveling bloodline, and the fight with the Elder. Her heart accelerated in her chest, but its flutteri strangely weak, almost detached from her wandering perception.

  I failed.

  She had ood a ce, but she had o win the fight to awaken her bloodli had been her only ce, and now it was gone.

  Why… why am I still alive? Hold on…

  She blinked and sat up, suddenly realizing that there was no pain. fused, Malika checked herself over, but the pain that had been her stant unwanted panion for the st four… no five days remained blissfully absent. She realized that the sense of disorientation was somehow rooted in her ret walk to the edge of death itself… yet she breathed, her heart beat, and something fual had ged.

  What happened?

  She checked her notifications, finding numerous entries for the st few days.

  …Your bloodline has deteriorated. -7% to maximum mana.Your bloodline has deteriorated. -3% to maximum health.Your bloodline has deteriorated. -4% to maximum stamina.Your bloodline has deteriorated. -6% to maximum mana.

  Your bloodline has awakened.

  She stared at the st line, dumbfounded. How… it’s awakened? But he said I had to win. Am I dreaming? He beat me like a ragdoll. Broke my legs – but they look fihis ’t be real.

  fused, she checked her aptitudes, but it had indeed ged. She was not dreaming.

  Aptitudes- Languages: on- Bloodline (Ahn Khen): +45% te and power of Bloodline skills- Mana (Affinity): Soul- Relentless (Css): +100% to Stamina Regeioless (Css): You pay for any abilities with stamina instead of mana

  She stopped reading, suddenly being aware of the growing silence around her and the feeling of being watched. She looked up to find her friends staring at her with etched on their faces. Her face wao redden but that seemed a step too far for her abused heart.

  “How are you feeling, Malika?” Ali asked.

  “I’m… just about ok,” she answered, finding, to her surprise, that it was true. Someone had healed the bruises and the damage. She still had substantial losses to her maximum health, stamina, and mana, but the jagged bolts of pain were gone, and so were the disorienting haloes of distortion in her vision.

  “Your energy is stable now,” Rezan said, studying her with eyes that glowed.

  “My bloodline awakened,” she told him, acgly. “You told me I had to beat you.”

  “I told you what you o hear. I o see the flow of your energy at full power to uand the knots and blockages and where to apply my energy. The only way to be sure was to have you go all out.” The glow in his eyes faded. “gratutions on awakening, I’m sorry it had to be so violent and forceful.”

  He made me think I had to win just so he could see my energy?

  Malika’s fury faded as she realized it had been an effit, necessary method. And that he had saved her from an excruciating, drawn-out death. Yes, just that minor victory. Idly, she wondered if she was truly being rational, or if it was just her Crity finally reasserting its calming influen her mind.

  “Now what?” she asked. She found her awakening filled her with a plex flood of emotions, stained with the deep mencholy of her old grief. Awakening her bloodline was a formative and potent achievement, and ohat no doubt meant she would survive. However, without her parents, nobody remaio perform the Rite of Naming.

  “The damage you’ve sustained from your bloodline will fade with proper meditation and care,” Rezan said. “I suggest you apany us to Kezda, and I will teach you what you o know – you should make a full reciven a little time.”

  “I would like to stop at Bakahn vilge and pay my respects to my parents’ resting pce if that’s not too much trouble,” Malika said.

  “Of course; it’s on the way. But before we go, Malika, I must apologize to you.” He shifted unfortably.

  “For the deception?”

  “You may not have noticed yet, but my st attack imprinted my mana on your soul. It has left us linked by a mentorship tithe. It was not something even I was aware ossible without your explicit permission. It is not appropriate to force sufluence over your css on you while you were unscious.”

  A mentorship tithe? How did I miss – oh, there it is.

  Patrons & Tithes- Mentor: Rezan Jin

  Sure enough, it was there. Without her scious agreement, she had his mana signature tied to her own mana, f a mentorship bond.

  “I’m sorry,” Malika said. “I will remove it, if that’s what you wish.” Mentorships were agreements that were entered into with care and sideration. For ohing, most people could only support one or two students or disciples at a time, and he looked like he had two already. For ahey could dramatically influeh the development of the master and the disciple. Even her removing it would cost him several months of recharge time before he could use it for someone else.

  “I would have removed it myself,” he noted serenely. “But that would mean I would never be able to offer it to you again. Resding a tithe is perma.”

  About to remove the ent, she suddenly stopped as the implications of what he had just said sank in.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, not ready to believe it.

  “I know it’s rather sudden – and I just deceived you, beat you up, and forced the ent on you. But I’d like you to sider it as a real offer for you to bey student.”

  Malika simply stared at him, struggling to catch up with what he was saying. But she couldn’t miss the sudden smiles on the faces of his other two disciples.

  “I admire your tenacity and will. I studied the mystical energies of your soul. It would be a great honor to have you as a student.” Malika nearly bit a hole iongue. An honor? She was a Street Rat. “I ask that you sider keeping the mentorship at least until you’ve recovered so you have the time to make your decision properly. But if you’d rather not, I uand.”

  She examihe entment, trying to process her emotions. She did not even know this Elder, and while she felt she should be honored by his offer, something within her resisted. Her parents had always cautioned her to only accept mentorship from someone she trusted implicitly. She pulled up the description to see the details.

  Mentor Patronage – Rezan JinTraits: Soul, Dexterity, Perception, Wisdom, Bloodline (Ahn Khen), Haste, Melee, Evasion, Knowledge, Healing.Experience gain is increased for as aligned with your mentor, or uheir supervision. Gain additional skill unlocks and advances aligned with your mentor’s traits and experience.A portion of your increased experience is awarded to your mentor, increasing their reputation.Entment – Tithe

  “It is a decision of significe, so I don’t want you to answer right now,” he tinued, and she realized that he was taking pains to offer her an honorable way out, and not force her into anything else. Did that reveal enough of his character to help her decide? “Please take the time to sider it while you recover in Kezda.”

  Malika nodded, not trusting herself to answer his overwhelming offer. Before she was forced to speak, the touch of a small hand reag for hers distracted her. Looking down she saw Ali looking up at her, her eyes filled with .

  “I was scared you were going to die.”

  “Me too, Ali… me too.”

  ***

  As they made their the narrow winding mountain road, childhood memories rose unbidden in her mind. She remembered one particurly clear evening before su, riding on her dad’s shoulders as they walked back from shopping in the nearby city. She must have been five, and it had been such a happy day. Her dad had shown her how to make rings of pea and she had worn one in her hair.

  The road wound higher and higher into the mountains until it opened into a small, secluded pteau. An open expanse filled with rubble was all that remained of Bakahn vilge, the home she had been forced to flee so many years ago. To the right was a burump of the tree she used to climb when she had wao be alone. And the giant boulder she and her friends had used to py heroes-and-demons was bed around its base. As she walked through the old wreckage of the town, her memories pyed out a vivid overy of the town before disaster had struck.

  Walking on automatic, she found herself in front of her parents’ house. The dojo she had practiced at, pretending to be a hero. Or more often trying to copy her mom or dad’s teiques. Her old home. The rubble in front of her was bed and weeds were growing through it, but in her mind, she could still see it all clearly.

  She was dimly aware that the others had withdrawn to give her space. While she stood before what was the grave of her family, the tears she had been uo shed all those years ago finally came.

  Aliandra Ali sat quietly itle camp Rezan’s disciples had pitched oskirts of the rubble that was all that remained of Bakahn vilge, watg sadly as Malika wahe ruins m her parents.

  This must be so hard for her. I hope she find some peace.

  “We lost so much when Bakahn vilge was destroyed,” Rezan said from the opposite side of the campfire. “Almost everyone was killed, only a small few like her mao escape.”

  “I heard it was a dungeon-break,” Ali said. Malika had opened up to her about her past and shared some of the details.

  “Yes, a previously unknown dungeon suddenly went wild aroyed the entire area with fire-affinity monsters. I heard the advealking about an undead mohey found at the heart of the dungeohey extermi.”

  Undead? Just like the Twin Wights and the Skeletal Wyvern. Ali’s miuro the terrifying enter with the Blind Lich after they had defeated the undead in the Ruins of Dal’mohra, and then to her ret versation with Lyeneru and her observation that Nevyn Eld was using dungeons for his inscrutable and malign purposes.

  Perhaps he is closer than I imagined? She shook her head, trying to dislodge the morbid idea that the Lich was somehow responsible for Malika’s grief and pain.

  “The disaster also took one of our Elders and the st remaining copy of the hs of Ahn Khen. It’s been ten years and, without the aext, already people are fetting how to correctly train the children and develop their arts,” Rezan said, his voice mencholy and heavy with sorrow.

  “Was it a book?” Ryn asked. “The hs, I mean.”

  Ali g Rezan, worried for a sed, but he didn’t seem to take offe Ryn’s curiosity about the lost artifact which was obviously sacred to him.

  “One book for each of the hs, bound in the fi drake leather and written in the a nguage. The books were beautiful, filled with ic, the culture of the Ahn Khen handed down from the aors, our martial arts, training, and the development of our teiques and skills.” Rezan’s voice was filled with pride and passion, but his eyes were tempered with sadness.

  “Ali, do you think I should try my Seeker skill?” Ryn asked. “I don’t think it will help if the books were burnt, but maybe…”

  “It couldn’t hurt,” Ali answered. Ryn had been essential to getting them to the correct pce, but other than that, Ali could tell she felt out of pd useless. She was by far the lowest level person, and her css had been unsuited for healing or helping Malika in any way other than her ability to find the right reference books to tell them where to go.

  Ryn closed her eyes, and as her familiar magic forked out across the ruined buildings and charred tree stumps, Ali could see the plex magical formations flickering in Rezan’s eyes as he studied Ryn’s skill.

  Her magic traced arcs across the ground, hopping from building to building, as if it were searg for something by feel. Ali watched it curiously for about a minute before suddenly one arc fred with a corusg golden light, leaving a powerful afterimage on her vision as if she had just witnessed a ground strike of lightning right beside her.

  Ryn gasped, breathing heavily. “I saw something, but it was too blurry to make it out. But that building – uh, that ruihere – has a secret celr beh it.”

  Ali followed as Ryhe way, excitement mounting as everyone joined in the curious hunt. She didn’t allow herself to hope – Ryn had even said she couldn’t see what her spell had found.

  “Uhere,” she said, pointing at a huge sb of fallen stone.

  Mato immediately shifted to his Bear Form, and together with Basir – the stocky male disciple – they heaved the wall up and over, revealing a trapdoor set into the bed stone floor. Together, they reached for a rge brass ring offset irapdoor, but a few tugs revealed that it was well sealed.

  With a few quick fshes of his magic, Rezan disabled the magical seals.

  “I think this was Elder Inaya’s house,” Malika said, drawing their attention to her as she joihem. “I didn’t know it had a celr. I didn’t think any houses in the vilge had celrs.” She had her lockpicks out, and she had wiped the tears away from her eyes, but it was clear that even though she retending she was normal, it would take her a while to recover.

  With a twist and a click, the door opened, and Ali caught the st of dry and dusty air esg. She created a barrier in front, both to light the way, and to protect herself from whatever might lurk within, and she desded the stoairs behind Mato, sneezing as their feet kicked up dust iairwell. Perhaps the trapdoor had not been so well fitted or the magical seals let through blown dust, because it was several inches deep in pces, and they had to take each step with care.

  Entering the cramped stone celr, Ali found only a small, frayed carpet in the ter of the room, a small table with a few keepsakes, and a single shelf taining g reddish leather-bound books that glowed softly in her mana sight.

  “The aext!” Rezan gasped. He turo Ryn and bowed. “You have my eternal gratitude for finding that which we had thought lost forever.”

  In the soft light of her magical barrier, Ali could see Ryn blushing at Rezan’s decration.

  “Perhaps Ali could copy it for you so that it’s harder to lose ime?” Ryn said.

  Rezan gnced up, meeting Ali’s gaze. “It’s a magical text in an a nguage. No scribe has been able to copy it in my lifetime.”

  “Ali has a unique magic,” Malika said, still sounding rather subdued.

  But Ali was gd she hadn’t eborated. Even though it was more or less on knowledge in Myrin’s Keep now, she was still relut to simply blurt out the nature of her css to people who were mostly strangers.

  “I will try,” she said, levitating herself up to the shelf arieving the first book. As she opehe cover and began to memorize it, she felt her Sage of Learning struggling with the unfamiliar nguage. Without text she would not be able to learn it; however, the magical script yielded easily to her analysis.

  It would be a lot easier to memorize if I uood the nguage.

  She struggled with it for a bit before she decided to ge tactics.

  “Would you mind transting some of this into on for me please?” Ali asked, pushing the book over to Rezan.

  “Which part?” he asked, seeming a little surprised.

  “It doesn’t matter, it will just go a lot faster if I know what I’m memorizing.”

  She eudy Trance, watg carefully while Rezan began to read from the aome.

  You have learhe Ahn Khen Language.

  She was still uo determily how much time had passed, but she had the feeling it wasn’t more thay minutes.

  “Ok, now let me read it and you correct me,” she said, taking the book and beginning to read, transting it into on as she went. Rezan raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he did as she asked, his corres growing fewer and less frequent as she proceeded.

  Your proficy with the Ahn Khen nguage has improved.

  Really quite handy, this skill. Ali studied the pages, knowing she had lear suffitly well that she could finish off the books entirely on her own now.

  But it would be a wasted opportunity.

  “Do you mind reading it in Ahn Khen for a bit? So I might learn the pronunciation?”

  She could tell he was curious, but he began to read, the words ing out in a strangely lyrical-sounding speech, full of profound iion. After a few minutes, Ali took over, reading the text directly in Ahaking a few pointers of feedba the correct vowel sounds before her chime sounded once more.

  Your proficy with the Ahn Khen nguage has improved.

  “Thank you,” Ali said and picked up the book. She paged through it rapidly, using the full speed of her Reading and Runic Script skills to quickly it the eome to memory. She double-checked her memory by sing through the book o time, finding no errors.

  “Got it?” Ryn asked.

  “Yes, much easier now,” Ali answered, gng at Elder Rezan, but he seemed to think this feat deserved only his most inscrutable expression. She bit down on a surge of irritation. Fine. And now for her rick, maybe he’d like this one?

  She opened her Grimoire to the book imprint, notig the flickering formations in Rezan’s eyes again as she began to el her mana. She chose a variant with a simir leather binding, and then flowed her magic through the imprint, blending her memorized text and Runic Script into the stru as she replicated all the spells, magid writte of the inal. Rezan had been right, there was a lot of magitained within the book, and her Runic Script spell worked overtime, drawing heavily on her mana and memory to duplicate the spells and runes.

  A leather-bound book dropped into her p. The cover was darker and of a differeher than the inal, but it was a reasonably atch. As she paged through it, she quickly verified the accuracy of the copy before handing it to Rezan.

  He studied it carefully, his eyes growing wide in surprise as he paged through it.

  Ali left him to it and began to duplicate the rest of the volumes. When she was finally done, she found she was barely able to hold all nine books in her memory at the same time – more than she had ever been able to do before.

  “Would you mind if I made a copy for my library?” Ali asked. “If nothing else, it would be a good way to have a copy in a different location in case something happens to these.”

  “I’m afraid I ot give you permission without sulting with the other Elders. I’m sorry. You’ve done us araordinary service today, and I will try aheir agreement, but I ot guara.”

  “I uand,” Ali said. She couldn’t quite keep the disappoi out of her voice but after a moment’s hesitation and with an inward sigh, she released the memories she had created.

  At least I learhe nguage. Quietly, she reviewed the notifications she had suppressed earlier. Hmm. Good.

  Runic Script has reached level 22.Sage of Learning has reached level 19.Reading has reached level 11 (+2).

  ***

  “What would you like to do, Malika?” Ali asked. They sat around the campfire uhe stars where Mato had provided them all with a warm dinner. Ryn chatted with Ha about life in the vilge of Kezda, and Mato was discussing bat forms with Basir.

  “I think I’d like to return to Kezda with Elder Rezan and his disciples so that I heal,” she answered thoughtfully. “I will return when I’m recovered. I assume you’ll o return home soon?”

  “Yes, I have only four more days,” she said. She was excruciatingly aware of the passage of time, as tracked by her domain withdrawal, aing back to her domain was being more and more urgent now that Malika was not in immi danger of dying. “We’ll go to Vertias in the m so that we return some of the maps Ryn borrowed and I’ll teleport home from there.”

  “Ali, before you go, I have a favor to ask,” Malika said.

  Not quite sure what Malika had in mind, especially given that she rarely asked for anything for herself, Ali simply followed her as she led the way dowrail for a few moments.

  “This is pea,” Malika said, pointing at the patch of beautiful tiny white flrowing on the ground. “My mom always said that wherever pea grew, peace was sure to follow.” She looked at her, eyes full of emotion. “Would you learn it for me? It would remind me of home.”

  Pea – Wildflower – level 4 (Soul)

  Soul! I like that. “Of course,” Ali agreed, as she would have done anyway. Carefully, she destructed several patches of the tiny white flowers, enjoying the soft st of their delicate perfume.

  Variant: Pea added to Imprint: Wildflower.

  “I’ll pnt some around the shrine when I get home,” Ali said, happy to see a small smile appear on Malika’s lips.

  ***

  You have been afflicted with Domain Withdrawal.Separation from your domain weakens you.-10% to maximum health.Affli – Duration: Indefinite. t: 6

  It was the lo she had been outside of her domain since being dropped into the Ruins of Dal’mohra, and Ali found herself being rather anxious as she flew Ryn and Mato up to the gates at Vertias.

  The guards seemed bored, as might be expected, demanding a few coppers for entrance, but rather than worry about their mildly rude behavior, Ali studied the city a little. She had been far too preoccupied the first time through.

  It was called a city, but she decided it was likely smaller than Myrin’s Keep. What made it stand out were the massive stone walls, clearly the result of a powerful stone crafter or earth mage, and the fact that it had a teleportation locus. Without a souragicite to power them, things like teleportation circles must have cost a fortuo install.

  I’m just gd Malika is going to be ok. She had been sad to say goodbye, but after the fear of losing her friend, a couple of days or weeks apart would not be so bad.

  “Do you guys still have a potion of recall?” Ali asked Ryn and Mato after they had fiheir business iy. Something she should probably have thought to ask before they left.

  “I have one,” Mato said. “But it will probably e the entire day to repay the ma.”

  “I cover it,” Ali answered. With Inspiration and her rge pool of mana, it shouldn’t take her too long.

  “I don’t have one,” Ryn said, “but my teleport doesn’t have a range limit, I just return to the library directly.”

  “I’m jealous!” Ali said. “My teleport is eeers.”

  “Oh, Ali,” Ryn said, feigning a pletely i expression, “do you think there’s a library in this city?”

  Ooh! “We should definitely check,” Ali said excitedly. “Let’s do that first.” But then the reality of her situation reasserted itself, cheg her mood. “Oh, but I don’t have any gold for a membership. I spent it all to get here.”

  “It’s ok,” Ryn said. “They will probably let me check the catalog for free, and I bind it as a teleport location for my skill. I e back whenever we have the money.”

  “You just make some s, ’t you?” Mato asked.

  “ht,” Ali said. Finding a spot out of sight, Ali wielded her Grimoire to fill the purse and ha to Ryn.

  “That’s… amazing,” Ryn said, her eyes wider.

  Sinking to one knee, Mato threw his arm over Ali’s shoulders – startling her – and drawled, “Ryn, have you met my portable gold mine? She’s totally loaded.”

  “Mato!” Ali gasped, as Ryn cracked up ughing.

  “What’d I say?” he chortled.

  Well, ba the day that might have been a spient but, Ali realized now, three thousand years had passed and so much had ged. Not wanting to spoil his ebullient mood over Malika’s recovery, she said, “I’m telling your mother on you, you rascal. Let’s go look for the library.”

  With only a few quick questions, they located the library and very soon, Ali found herself inside an imposing stone building, a regle built around a shady inner courtyard that had benches and nooks set up for reading. Tasteful. Perhaps I should take notes for the Grand Library… She had takeime to memorize the Vertias Teleportation Locus, which surprisingly was situated in an antechamber attached to the library – a fact she had been too busy to notice the first time around. She had no idea when, or even if she would ever he locus, but she assumed it may prove handy iure. If nothing else, Malika might well want to return and revisit Kezda.

  “I’m going to stay and browse the catalog for a while,” Ryn said. “I’ll meet you back at the library ter?”

  “Ok, see you soon,” Ali answered, and with that, she and Mato used their st recall potions to return to the Novaspark Academy of Magic receiving room.

  Ali paid more than four thousand mana to cover their teleport in one go, much to the surprise of the official, and then both of them headed out.

  “That’s ve,” Mato said, grinning broadly.

  “Let’s repce our recall potions, and then head home,” Ali said.

  “Ok, rich girl.”

  She shot him a raised eyebrow.

  “If I turn you upside down and shake you, do s fall out? Or flowers?”

  “Mato!”

  Simmering i his eous teasing, Ali heless smiled up at the Beastkin. Oh, he definitely had a soft spot for Malika, she was sure – Mato’s big heart had been on full dispy for the st week. Still, she realized something else. To have a friend like him at your back was a gift all the gold in the world could not buy.

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