Mother

The scent of putrid rot permeates muggy, congested air, accented by the sound of buzzing insects and the trills of far off mystery creatures. Despite this stench, Lillith draws in a long, satisfactory breath and stirs the turbid waters of this lurid swamp with her toes. She knew better than most the kinds of creatures which lurked beneath these stagnant waters, blessed with disease, poison and fungal magic. Lillith watches the water with a sweet smile, peeking into the bog as a mother watches her child at play.

She perches on the back porch of her simple cabin overlooking the deepest portion of the Festering Peninsula. Lillith has sharp features and long limbs while her skin appears flushed by red undertones, bringing color to an otherwise light complexion. Her bright eyes hide rich intelligence in their depths and she keeps her fuschia hair woven into a messy braid with flowers and mushrooms stuck in between. Lillith's tranquility is interrupted, an anaconda slinking around the edge of her home and casually curling himself around her body, resting his head next to hers.

"What is it, Wyrm?" Lillith sighs.

'One of the children has a report', Wyrm hisses into her mind.

She runs her fingers over smooth scales, rising and traipsing through her meager home. A young woman is weeping on her front porch, stained by the blood of a tiny creature she cradles.

"What happened, child?" Lillith coos, wiping tears from the girl's face as her eyes slide to the creature she clutches.

"M-my partner!" Ivy sobs, exposing a young black mink in her hands.

It's wheezing and barely conscious. Wyrm slides down Lillith's arm and his tongue flickers over the creature. Lillith hears an audible tsk in her mind.

'He's been struggling for hours, if not days,' Wyrm's voice echoes back to her and she finds herself frowning.

"Give him here," Lillith commands, hand outheld with natural expectance. Ivy's eyes widen, glancing between Lillith and her partner. "You must trust me," Lillith urges her.

Ivy chokes down any protest before transferring him into Lillith's hands. Lillith examines it, hair matted with dried blood. Without hesitation she snaps the creature's neck.

"No!" Ivy cries, reaching for him.

Lillith's eyes flash with a warning and Wyrm covers the mink with his body, poised to strike. Ivy flinches and cowers back. After a tense few seconds, the body of the mink begins to shake violently in Lillith's cupped hands and shadows pour from its mouth and ears. Once the tremors settle down, the mink opens its eyes and shakes itself as if emerging from a refreshing slumber. It glances around and startles at the sight of Wyrm, fleeing back to Ivy.

"Pepper!" Ivy cries and presses her forehead to his.

"You forget what we are," Lillith sighs with exasperation, wiping bloody hands on her apron. Ivy paws at her eyes vehemently, angry at herself and at her tears. "Death isn't something to fear, it is the most natural thing in this world!" Lillith chimes, watching Ivy try to compose herself. Lillith presses her lips together and gestures for the girl to follow her into her home. "Come in and tell me your report," Lillith directs her.

Ivy closes the door behind her and Lillith points to a small table and chairs by the window. She moves about a humble kitchen while Ivy slides into the cozy nook, taking in the rich smell of herbs lingering in the cabin.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Ivy apologizes, finally regaining her wits, "Pepper and I were in the forests of the Tenebrous Chain, keeping track of the target you assigned," Lillith hums in agreement, preparing a pot of tea, "We had been watching him for some time. He had never interacted with us before. B-but..." Ivy pauses, rubbing her partner's head in her lap and glancing into his endearing eyes.

"Who were you assigned to?" Lillith questions, fastidiously arranging the tea set onto a tray and gathering a mix of herbs while the water heats.

"Duff," Ivy replies, Lillith going still at the familiar name until a smile breaks across her face.

"Yes, Duff is normally quite reasonable," Lillith titters, "As long as you keep your distance. He must've been very angry to attack one of his own children. Did you offend him?"

"No, Mother!" Ivy replies quickly, almost jumping up, "I-I followed all of your instructions!"

Lillith hums in response and the kettle begins to whistle. She leaves the girl to brew in uncomfortable silence, taking her time to pour the water and steep the herbs. Ivy watches Lillith stir the sugar in with her fingers before wiping them on her apron again. It isn't until Lillith sets the tray on the table and melts into her seat that she acknowledges Ivy again.

"I trust you have something of more importance to report than that old codger lashing out?" Lillith asks, blowing on her tea and gesturing towards Ivy's cup.

"Of-of course, Mother. I wouldn't waste your time," Ivy answers with a quick breath, grabbing up the offered cup, "Duff, he..." Ivy pauses again, unsure of the proper way to explain the event, but Lillith is patient. Ivy sips at the tea as she considers her words. "He chose someone," Ivy finally imparts. Lillith's eyes spark with life and she holds Ivy's gaze for an agonizing duration.

"Did they survive?" Lillith's questions, her words heavy.

While Ivy's confirmation is slight, a miniscule nod, Lillith's usually mellow demeanor gives way to an overwhelming intensity. The toothy grin which consumes her face is unsettling in its vigor. Ivy swallows a large amount of tea, trying to soothe her nerves.

"Y-yes ma'am," Ivy answers in a husky voice. She feels a heat in her stomach but tries to continue after clearing her throat, "A girl fe-fell down th-"

Ivy finds herself unable to speak as the fire in her stomach leaps into her throat, clamping it shut. Lillith sips her tea casually, her face still carrying traces of excitement as Ivy sputters and gasps for air. Horror overtakes Ivy's mind as she looks from Lillith to her own teacup. After a moment of fear and desperation, gulping fruitlessly for breath, she falls to the floor. Lillith smiles at Pepper as his partner dies. Then, exactly as Pepper had, Ivy's body trembles and shadows pour from her mouth and eyes. The girl gasps for breath as she comes to and scrambles off of the floor. She turns to escape but freezes. Wyrm hangs down from the threshold above, nose to nose with Ivy.

"Sit down," Lillith directs, her tone firm. Ivy, shivering, backs away and reluctantly takes a seat. She pushes the tea away with quivering fingers and places a hand over her mouth.

"W-why?" Ivy squeaks. Lillith maintains her smile as Wyrm rejoins her at the table, coiling around her arm. Lillith's expression is warm despite her actions.

"Your partner," Lillith answers simply and runs her fingers over Wrym's head, "He suffered all the way here. It's only fair you suffer some too, if only a little." Pepper climbs onto Ivy's shoulder, nuzzling into her cheek to comfort her and she winces.

"I-I'm sorry," Ivy gasps, her voice weak, and Lillith pats her hand on the table.

"I know," Lillith answers simplistically, "But we must respect our partners!" She emphasizes her words very slowly. Ivy's head bobs with rapid nods and Lillith attempts to get back on task, "Tell me about the one he chose. What happened?" Ivy describes the bright flash which initially caught their attention, Tia's tumble down the mountain and how Duff approached her as she was dying.

"Afterwards, a man emerged from the forest," Ivy explains, "I.. I think he saw her fall. Duff was still protecting her but the man spoke to him. And... he let the man take her before the soldiers arrived." Lillith raises her brows but a quick smile shows she isn't truly surprised.

"Shrewd as ever!" Lillith chuckles, "And then?"

"I'm... not really sure," Ivy admits, tensing up again, the possibility of disappointing Lillith frightening her, "Th-thats when he attacked us. Or..." Her eyes land on Pepper.

"He came for your partner but not you?" Lillith questions. Ivy finds herself on the edge of tears again, shaking her head. Lillith sighs and taps her nails against the table. After a brief pause she adorns a sour smile.

"He means to evade us then," Lillith states, her voice as tart as her smile, "Tell me about the girl."

"She's a teenager, of age I think," Ivy explains, "She looks Accian, has white hair, very small. Um..." Ivy pauses, reviewing her memory, "She used a watery form to protect herself and some kind of light magic. She was being chased by soldiers and was dressed in expensive clothing as well. Though, I didn't see a crest." Lillith stares at Wyrm, having an internal conversation with her partner before glancing back to Ivy.

"Is that everything you saw?" Lillith questions, Ivy's eyes glued to the floor as she shakes her head.

"Go on then," Lillith dismisses the girl with a sigh, releasing Ivy from her harrowing attention. Ivy thanks Lillith before skittering out the door, her flight akin to prey spared from the jaws of death. Lillith shakes her head into Ivy's absence.

'The young ones are always such a handful,' Wyrm agrees but Lillith is already grinning at him, 'It's too early to celebrate...!'

"I know, I know," Lillith's laugh is light, dancing past her lips, "But Wyrm! After all of our scheming, there's finally a chance!"

Lillith finds herself spinning around the room with Wyrm on her shoulders in her own private waltz. She releases a sigh to settle herself down and looks at him with a contemplative expression when she is done.

"Duff will make finding her a challenge. We can't let any of the children mess this up," Lillith muses, glaring after Ivy, "Yes, I think its best if we do this ourselves!"

Changed

Tia wakes with a start, gasping and springing up. She finds herself alone inside the inn, tucked away into bed. Her hands seek out her injuries, patting and scrounging around her body, but she finds only healthy, unmarred skin. Her fingers quiver as they graze torn and burned cloth but she finds she is free from any injury. Even the soreness she had acquired over their journey has left her. Despite the empty room, she couldn't shake the feeling she wasn't alone.

"Was it... a dream?" Tia considers at a whisper but her eyes fall back to the singed edges of her clothing. She notices then the voices just outside the room and pads to the door quietly, pressing her ear against it.

"--n't found her. We've set out trackers but she is surprisingly elusive," Martin explains and then pauses, "We haven't found your daughter either."

"My daughter is still asleep in her bed, Martin," Allen states, letting annoyance touch his tone. Martin laughs at this suggestion but it fades quickly as Allen doesn't budge.

"You're joking," Martin spits, "My man saw her! The fool blasted her down the mountain before I could see her, yes, but-"

"And I would have his throat if that were the case," Allen seethes through gritted teeth, "But she never left the inn." A silence lingers between them.

"Bring her out then," Martin replies carefully, "Unless she's injured? It was a brutal tumble," Allen doesn't deign to reply to this suggestion, "Either way, I need to see for myself."

"Fine," Allen's answer drips with disdain, "I'll go wake her then."

Tia practically jumps away from the door, bare feet skittering across worn wood before she leaps back into bed, throwing the blanket over herself. The door clicks open and shut, Allen sitting on the bed after a near silent approach.

"I know you were listening, snowdrop," Allen's voice is like a gentle breeze. Tia turns to him and her tears flow immediately.

"It-it wasn't a dream, was it?" Tia squeaks, barely a whisper.

Allen shakes his head and wipes at her tears, his gentle expression exposing how he shares her wish. As his fingers graze her face, Tia feels a ferocious shocking sensation, as if she had been electrocuted, drawing out a gasp.

"What happened?" Allen inquires softly, seeming not to have felt it. Tia tries to find the words, her chest heaving as the distressing events flash through her mind.

"Mom left and-and I followed her," Tia huffs, more tears pooling in her eyes, "They started flinging explosions at us and mom she... she-" Tia chokes, her throat contracting as she pushes down tears. Allen places a hand on her shoulder, his eyes darting as he observes her distress.

"They still haven't found your mother. Is she alright?" Allen questions and Tia scowls, instant bitterness rising in her. She is surprised with how cross she becomes with his innocent, ignorant concern for Mina.

Allen waits eagerly but Tia can't bring herself to tell him about her mother's betrayal. Martin raps at the door, urging Allen to hurry. Tia feels around her body again, baffled by her pristine condition.

"What happened?" Allen questions again, more urgently.

"I fell down the mountain," Tia answers in an empty tone, shivering as fear creeps up her spine from the memory, "I fell and then... I'm here? How did I get here?"

"A young man brought you back," Allen states carefully.

"He was real?" Tia gasps, her face growing hot instantly. 

"He saw what happened," Allen explains, frowning at her reaction, "And brought you out of the forest before they could find you. I saw him carrying you into the village," he shakes his head with a sigh, "He was also surprised you weren't hurt. Ah!" Allen pauses and then groans to himself, "I didn't even get his name!"

"I was injured," Tia insists, producing one hollow laugh before whispering again, "I should be dead!" They both fall into a bleak silence.

"He mentioned... a creature," Allen's words are slow and deliberate, holding his daughter's eyes with a strange expression, "Do you remember anything else?" Tia shakes her head, his reasoning unclear to her, "There are legends about certain creatures, of them changing people." 

"I passed out," Tia states clearly. Martin begins knocking on the door again.

"Come on now, Allen. I don't care for stalling," Martin's voice rumbles as he complains, "Either she comes out or I come in!" Allen places a hand on his daughter's shoulder again and offers her a quick smile.

"Wait here. I'll handle this," Allen reassures her. He opens the door wide, allowing Martin to barely glimpse Tia over his shoulder -the briefest flash- before shutting it again. Martin's expression is blank, stuck on the door with genuine shock. "I've just told her about her mother, Martin," Allen reasons, "Give her some time to collect herself." 

Martin shakes his head in disbelief, blinking wide and mumbling an agreement as they both shuffle downstairs. Tia moves to sit at the vanity, looking over her disheveled appearance and wiping away remaining tears. Her body may be whole but her hair is a wild, matted mess and her clothes are tattered beyond use—each tear, hole and burn a reminder of the nightmare she had endured.

"I look terrible," Tia grumbles to herself, giving her reflection a gruff scowl.

'You looked far worse last night,' Tia jumps up, hearing an unnaturally deep voice echo about the room. She scours her surroundings but still finds herself alone. 'There is no time for explanations,' the voice husks and Tia realizes she doesn't hear it with her ears, 'You're still in danger.'

"Who are you?" Tia breathes, hands over her ears, "Where are you?"

'It's always the same questions...' the voice complains, '"Who's there, who are you, where are you",' a self-indulgent chuckle sounds in her head, 'One would think humans to be more creative,' there is a brief silence as Tia waits for an answer, 'Fine. My name is Duff. The rest can wait.' Tia swallows, hesitating before sitting back down.

"You... saved me didn't you?" Tia questions after a moment of consideration, talking to her own reflection.

'Yes. Don't let me regret it,' Duff warns.

"How?" Tia replies quickly, her thoughts drifting to her father's questions.

'He was correct,' Duff confirms, 'I changed you.' 

"Changed me...?" Tia's questions anxiously, looking herself over in the mirror more carefully, "Changed how?"

'It's astonishing how little you know,' Duff comments and she can sense his annoyance as well as a hint of something more, 'I made you into what I am, I linked us. Your form, your....' Duff pauses and she can sense an awareness pushing into her mind, seeking out the words, 'Your racial magic, as you call it, has become more fluid.'

"What does that even mean?" Tia breathes, ambivalent such a thing could be changed.

'There's not enough time!' Duff growls, 'You need to erase suspicion.'

"You mean... from that soldier? And the General?" Tia questions, her eyes landing on the door, "Dad won't let them hurt me!"

'He didn't stop them last night,' Duff reminds her, his grim tone rumbling in her head. Tia shivers, the memory of her helplessness still frightening her.

"H-he wasn't there last night," Tia reasons halfheartedly, shaking her head at no one, "He would've stopped them!"

'Your father is only one man,' Duff denotes more carefully, 'Thankfully.... it was only one man who saw your face. The one who attacked you.'

"How did you-" Tia begins to ask.

'There is no time for your questions!' Duff barks and Tia falls silent, 'You can alter your appearance now. Change enough for him not to recognize you.' Tia opens her mouth to question him again but snaps it shut as a guttural growl echoes in her head.

"Fine, 'no time'," Tia huffs, mocking him, "What do I do?"

'Focus,' Duff directs her, 'See yourself in your mind and picture what you want to change. See it, feel it. It will happen.'

Tia examines herself in the mirror again. Her eyes catch on the features she shares with her mother: white hair, indigo eyes, porcelain skin, dainty features. She seethes at her mother's face, quickly deciding on the changes. Tia pictures it in her mind and, as she opens her eyes again, her mouth hangs open. Tia had felt Duff's claims absurd or even fanciful but, despite her doubts, an unfamiliar face reflects back at her. Tia's skin possesses far more color than before and her face was more rounded like that of her father. Her eyes and hair are a deep chocolate with green touching the edges of her irises. Feeling oddly emboldened, Tia takes a knife to her hair too, cutting it to chin length. She felt lighter. Whether it was from the change or from the gaggle of hair she rid herself of she wasn't sure.

"When I rounded the corner I saw her," Ben continues his explanation reluctantly, his anxiety palpable, "The girl I spotted riding into the forest. I needed to stop her from getting away s-so I aimed at the road ahead of her."

Ben's nervous eyes flit between Martin and Allen, who was clearly constraining himself to a mere scowl, as he runs over the night's events in the empty tavern. Allen's arms cross tightly in front of him, a dam restraining his wrath, and he bounces his leg. Yet it is Martin Ben's eyes stick on, who he fears. 

"I missed and hit her by-by accident!" Ben stutters and a spike of disgust passes over Martin's face, "She used her form to protect herself but was pushed down the mountain."

"What was her racial magic?" Martin inquires and Ben averts his gaze, "Well?" Martin insists, making him jump.

"She had..." Ben hesitates, knowing his claim would sound dubious, "Ithisda's Body and some kind of light aura." Martin is holding back laughter before Ben finishes and claps him on the back.

"And I thought you didn't have one joke in you!" Martin chortles, receiving a sharp look from Allen and diminutive silence from Ben, "Bullshit!" Martin complains, "You expect me to believe Allen married a woman with that rare a form? In Nippon of all places?" Allen gives a long, drawn out sigh through his nose and Martin squints hard into his eyes.

"That's what I saw," Ben mutters, knowing how ridiculous it sounds.

"The point is," Martin grunts, "We pursued two horses up the mountain. This fool blasted one woman and my men pursued the other. They didn't find either one but they did find your daughter's horse," he observes Allen carefully as he squints, "Now I saw her upstairs, I'll give you that, but she still could have fallen down the mountain and gotten back here some way or another."

Allen and Martin stare each other down for a long moment. Before anything else is said, Tia makes her way downstairs with a fresh set of clothes to match her fresh new appearance. They watch her cross the room in silence as if a specter drifts before their eyes, Allen just as flabbergasted as the rest.

"Morning!" Tia breaks the silence with an invigorated tone, "Sorry I took so long." She runs her fingers through her hair significantly.

Allen grins as he turns to Ben. Tia feels her body lock up and her breath catch standing before him again, her face twitching as she battles to keep the fear from touching her expression.

"Is this the woman you attacked?" Allen questions Ben with a smug tone, placing an arm around Tia. He can feel her trembling, pulling her closer to him in response and positioning himself between the two of them.

"N-no...No it isn't..." Ben stammers, jarred by Allen's unexpectedly ruthless expression. Allen was struggling to restrain his anger now, Tia quivering in his grip.

"Hold on, now. What is this?" Martin blusters, eyes on Tia, "I've been travelling with your family for nearly a week. This is not the same girl as before!" He looks from Tia to Allen for an explanation, his face growing red. 

"I didn't want to look like her anymore!" Tia blurts, catching them all off guard. She looks into Martin's eyes and continues with genuine emotion, "I've always looked up to my mother. She is beautiful and elegant and calm. I-I wanted to look more like her so, usually, I use make-up and enchanted items so I could look just like her," Tia casts her eyes down before continuing, eyes glazed with moisture, "When dad told me she just left us!" Tia gives a sharp gesture, resentment washing over her face as she clenches her jaw, "I-I didn't want to look like her anymore...!" Her voice cracks again, tears brimming just behind eyelashes. Martin averts his gaze, her open display emotion making him uncomfortable. "Now I would rather be more like my dad," Tia states honestly and smiles at her father.

"Well," Martin grumbles quietly at first, deflated, "At least you look more like a real Minx now. Women and their make-up. One of many reasons I didn't want to marry!" Tia snorts despite feeling emotional and dabs at her eyes.

"What about her form?" Ben cuts in, uncertain at first but then gaining confidence, "Like she said, makeup and enchantments to alter her appearance. She could've done that this morning to fool us!" An uncomfortable silence lingers as they contemplate his suggestion. Ben becomes indignant, furious at being made the fool. "But you can't change your racial magic." Ben's statement is firm, gesturing with a pointed finger. Martin releases a grumbly sigh.

"Fine, boy, one last test," Martin concedes with a measure of agitation, "If you're wrong," he pauses and juts a finger at Ben, "We let this go and get on with the escort. We've wasted enough time already!" all eyes land on Tia, "Go on then." Tia locks up and sucks in a breath, looking to her father for rescue. She can see Allen's thoughts racing too and she hesitates.

'Don't panic,' Duff's voice echoes in her head again and Tia has to stop herself from jumping, 'When your father touched you, you gained his form. You've sensed his magic, feel it again. Focus on it.'

 Tia closes her eyes and recollects the feeling she had when her father wiped away her tears: a ferocious, jolting shock. Duff was right, she had sensed his magic. Martin looks to Allen, running out of patience.

"Don't be embarrassed, Tia," Allen tells her in false reassurance, trying to use a soothing tone but falling short. He turns and whispers to Martin instead, "You know how the court in Nippon is..." Martin grumbles, crossing his arms but waiting.

Tia focuses on the sensation she had felt, letting the energy grow and roll over her body. Once she could feel herself change, she begins manifesting her form in the way already familiar to her. Instead of her body converting into water and light, feathered wings emerge from her back. They form over and destroy the fabric where her wings meet her back but leave the rest intact. They all take a step back as she spreads them out and when she opens her eyes, she looks at them with green, feline orbs which constrict into smaller circles as she focuses them.

The chocolate wings match her hair but white spots speckle the inside and bright yellow feathers are interspersed throughout her wings. Feline ears also emerge from her head and her human ears fade away, sharp tufts of black fur tipping them while the inner fur is also yellow. Tia extends her palm in front of herself and finds glowing yellow stripes covering her hands and arms as well as less concentrated streaks across the rest of her body in jagged lines. She runs energy into her hand and sparks jump between her fingertips, running over her palm before she closes her hand.

"A real Minx indeed!" Martin mutters breathily, eyebrows raised, before turning to scoff at Ben, "Ithisda's Body...!" 

"B-b-but that's im-impossible. I saw-" Ben stammers, cut short by Martin's sneer.

"I know what you saw, boy," Martin spits and he takes a long breath before continuing, "This is what happened," Martin states while holding Ben's gaze, "Lady Minx took two horses, presumably with the intention of complicating tracking. Your first attack threw her from her horse. The second blast threw her down the mountain," he glances at Allen, somber sympathy marking his face and voice, "She's either dead or, somehow, she managed to slip away despite her injuries."

Allen's face is blank, playing the suggested scenario over in his mind. A flush of red creeps its way up his neck as the reality of what occurred sinks in, what his daughter had gone through. His anger spikes dangerously at the thought of Ben assaulting Tia as he had described and attempting to assault his wife. He knows that Ben would have killed Tia if not for the price she paid to survive.

"You!" Allen seethes, his voice tremoring with a vicious tone.

Yellow lines streak across Allen's body, flashing rapidly and casting violent shadows over the walls. He blinks once and yellow-green pupils lock onto Ben's throat. Allen shifts his weight slightly, just barely lowering his body, and sparks begin to crackle over his palm. He holds this hand just out of Ben's sight behind his back. Martin's breath catches and he slides between Ben and Allen on instinct.

Their eyes lock, Allen oozing a pitiless, murderous intent which threatens to spill forward with the slightest provocation. Martin begins to sweat, his body rigid, and a hint of fear creeps into his expression as Allen's gaze drifts to his neck. Only Martin is aware of how keenly lethal Allen is in this moment. Only he recognizes the tells of Allen's fatal technique and he questions just how many men he's seen fall to it. Was he fated for the same end?

"Don't do anything reckless," Martin husks slowly, his voice uneven, "That wretch isn't worth the consequences."

His words bite at Ben, who didn't seem to understand Martin's fear. He had never seen anyone make Martin sweat like this and Allen is unblinking and merciless in the face of his fear. Tia is also jarred. She hardly recognizes the man in front of her.

"Dad?" Tia's voice squeaks and Allen inhales sharply as if he'd forgotten she was watching.

His eyes flash to Tia and he curses. Allen grits his teeth and forcibly recomposes himself. As he does, the sparks and yellow patterns fade and he steps back from Martin. Martin releases a held breath all at once and his shoulders drop.

"Out of respect for your House," Martin breaks the silence after clearing his voice, "Your services to the kingdom as well as for your loss, we will dismiss your wife's desertion," Martin offers, Allen blinking at him, "It will have been a horrible accident," he states before turning to and leering at Ben, "One you will still be responsible for!" Ben flinches in response.

"Fine," Allen bites, "I expect you to see that through!" Allen gives Ben a spiteful glance and puts an arm around Tia, to comfort himself more than anything else. "Fine," Allen repeats more calmly.

"If you want to hang onto any dreg of dignity," Martin grumbles at Ben, "You'll keep your mouth shut for the rest of this escort!" he looks to the door and juts his chin, "Get out of my sight."

Ben's entire body tenses at once and he averts his gaze with a pained expression before saluting and absconding. Martin looks at Allen again, shame washing over his face.

"Reason two I didn't want to get married," Martin admits and spits in the direction Ben fled. Allen raises his eyebrows, aghast, and points after the young man.

"That's your boy?" Allen questions, aggravation deepening his tone.

"Unfortunately," Martin grunts and nods with further shame, "Spineless, stupid, reckless. Thinks he's hot shit 'cuz he has half of my magic—the wrong half. Fool takes after his mother too much," Martin shakes his head and looks at Tia, "Sometimes family can disappoint us." Her jaw clenches but she gives him a firm nod.

"We need to pack up," Allen sighs, tired, and guides Tia upstairs. Martin watches after them, scratching at the scars on his arm.

"Make-up..." he mutters, shaking his head.

"Remarkable…!" Allen breathes as he clicks the door shut. He pauses to study Tia's new appearance. "You really are a shape shifter..." Allen's voice becomes wistful, sitting on the edge of the bed with wide eyes and hands cupping his mouth.

"Shape shifter?" Tia echoes. Her father nods to her with eyes shut.

"I'm so sorry, snowdrop..." Allen laments, "As if there isn't enough happening already... and now this…!" He gestures to her whole body.

"I mean, yes," Tia answers in a curt tone but then laughs, "It's a lot to take in... but its kind of exciting too? I mean, out of everything else this seems like the only good thing!" Tia pauses as her father frowns, "What?" Tia questions, her smile wavering.

"Having these abilities is amazing," Allen agrees, "I mean, now I get to teach my daughter how to fly!" she can see the excitement touch his face briefly before it drops away, "But this is something you are going to need to keep very secret."

"Secret? Why...?" Tia questions in a muted tone. He pats the bed beside him and she plops down, letting Allen study her hair before continuing.

"The people of Accia have a long history and many legends," Allen explains, "Shape shifters have a role in that history that makes people… uncomfortable, afraid and superstitious if not garnering actual hatred and violence. If the wrong people find out things could get really bad, really fast," he cups her face and she watches the worry pull at his expression, "We've already lost your mother. I can't lose you too...!" Tia's face wrinkles as she squeezes her eyes shut, face trembling as she holds back tears, and she places her hand over his.

"I know, Dad," Tia chokes, "I understand. I'll keep it a secret for the both of us."

"So much... so quickly," Allen sighs again, closing his eyes a moment as his hand falls away from her face, "But I'll always be on your side, snowdrop, and I'll help you adapt to whatever else is coming our way, okay?" Tia nods, pushing back tears again. He searches her face carefully before continuing, "What… happened last night? What happened to your mother?"

An acrid anger bubbles into her expression, warping her face into a scowl as she squeezes her eyes shut. She stands abruptly with her back to him, shaking her head and turning enough for Allen to see the side of her face. Despite the changes, Allen still sees Mina in that instant and it churns his stomach. Tia begins packing up into his silence before any more can be said.

Whit's Fur Ye

The next several days of the escort pass by in general monotony. Tia battles her sore, exhausted body privately and keeps to herself. She wouldn't speak a word to Allen about her mother, even in the few moments they had alone. He saw her, when she believed no one was watching, battling with anger, loneliness and resentment. Mina's absence weighed on them both but Tia's bitterness suggested more than simple grief. Despite his own desperation Allen was reluctant to tug at that wound.

Martin leers at Allen, watching Tia as if she could shatter at any moment, again disgusted with the stranger Allen has become. Martin kept a tight grip on them now, uncaring if they noticed or objected. He rarely leaves Allen's side and all members of his unit keep eyes on Tia. That also seemed an unspoken condition of their agreement.

Tia haunts Duff over the course of their journey, pressing him for answers amid the monotony, but he is as silent to her as she is to her father. If not for the connection between them, she would wonder if he had left her too but she could still sense his presence trailing after them. With concentration, Tia could even tap into his senses. She understood he was some kind of beast, some kind of predator, tapping in during a hunt one night. Through his eyes, she knew he followed them at a distance from various perspectives and she couldn't quite wrap her mind around the inconsistency in these perspectives. The road they travel today runs between fields of wheat on their right and heavily wooded foothills on their left.

"What kind of animal are you?" Tia whispers to herself again, almost inaudible. Her frown grows steadily as she waits through several minutes of silence, "Do I have other abilities? Why do people hate shape shifters?"

"Who is she talking to?" Martin questions Allen, bemused but wary. Allen's shoulders roll with a shrug.

"She just lost her mother, Martin," Allen reminds him, "Talking to herself isn't the worst reaction." Tia feels their eyes on her and her face heats before she pointedly looks away.

'Stop talking aloud,' Duff's voice sounds in her mind, 'We can share our thoughts with each other.' Tia jumps at first but a smile quickly follows. 

'You couldn't have told me sooner?' Tia thinks to herself, feeling foolish. Mirth springs into her mind and she hears his laugh bounce around in her head. 'I didn't know animals could laugh,' Tia teases pointedly. Duff falls silent again and she glares out into the farmland. 'Damn you, just talk to me!' Tia demands.

'I planned to keep my distance and limit our contact,' Duff grumbles with a tired tone, 'But clearly you're going to talk me into madness!'

Tia's lips wiggle as she tries to stifle her smile, catching Martin's attention once again. He watches her making faces at nothing and raises an eyebrow at Allen.

"Oh that's right, I forgot," Allen gasps, unnecessarily dramatic, "You're wholly unfamiliar with human emotions!"

Allen grins as Martin puffs up and his face goes momentarily red. Martin releases a puff of a sigh, deflating and grumbling complaints to himself as he urges his horse forward, deciding to head the group instead. Allen projects his laughter after Martin, entirely too raucous for such a small victory.

'Why would you want that?' Tia continues her questioning, 'It was your decision to... to link us like this!'

'My decision was to save your life,' Duff emphasizes, 'Everything else is an unfortunate side effect.'

Tia sucks in a breath, the familiarity of perceived rejection quickly leaving her awash in loneliness and her chest stings. Duff senses her reaction and mulls over his response. Tia finds she can feel his immediate reactions as well but not into his mind as he seems able to do.

'It's not you that's unfortunate,' Duff corrects himself.

'You don't have to pretend to like me,' Tia snaps all too harshly, 'I already know I'm shitty company!'

Tia's mind drifts to her childhood and Duff senses the unpleasant memories too, clamping onto them. His consciousness presses into her mind again, into the memories, and she finds herself unable to impede him. Her attempt is too clumsy and unpracticed.

'That isn't true,' Duff insists after parsing through a number of memories, 'You were alone because you were foreign. They hadn't met anyone like you.'

'That's no excuse!' Tia hisses, malignant animosity popping through their link and catching Duff by surprise, before she smothers her anger and changes the subject, 'How did you do that?' 

'Our minds are linked,' Duff states again, 'I'm accustomed to this connection. You'll learn, over time.'

'You've… done this before?' Tia questions with a measure of suspicion.

'You have a lot of questions,' Duff complains with a heavy sigh.

'And you have a lot of secrets!' Tia sasses back, earning more laughter.

'I'm glad you aren't a bad human,' Duff praises suddenly, seeming relieved.

'And how do you know I'm not "bad"?' Tia jokes, a bit thrown by the sudden, broad compliment. He considers for a long moment before responding, practically brooding.

'I have known many bad humans,' Duff answers, cautious, and she can feel a heavy emotion she didn't recognize, 'And... I've skimmed through your memories while you slept,' he can sense her shock and rising anger, threatening to burst, and continues quickly, 'You must understand, I needed to know who you are. I need to know who I'm bonded to and who I... burdened with this fate.' Tia can feel immense guilt crash into her through their link, drowning and muffling her own anger in its extremity.

'Why do you feel so guilty?' Tia's thought is tentative at first, 'You saved my life!'

'There are worse fates than dying,' Duff's voice is ominous and laced with sorrow, 'I hope neither of us come to regret my choice.'

'How do you manage to sound so foreboding while remaining utterly vague,' Tia complains. She is quiet for a long period before speaking to him again, 'I didn't say it yet but...' Tia smiles and says the words as a whisper, "Thank you for saving me."

Duff doesn't respond but Tia can feel his mood shift and the weight of his guilt lighten minutely. Tia feels light again, smiling at her surroundings, the world bright with possibilities. Swaths of golden wheat rustle in the breeze to her right, their fluffy yellow grains nearly ready for harvest. To her left, pines stab into the sky, girdled by a dense fog which resists all gentle warmth within the shade the forest provides. Tia thinks, for a moment, she can see eyes staring back at her from within the forest brush but when she blinks and rubs at her eyes they vanish.

"Everything alright?" Allen asks, Tia startling at her father's question.

She hadn't realized he was nearby. Allen had been riding ahead of her for some time but dropped back to speak with her, riding a small ways ahead of her to her left. Tia readjusts herself in the saddle before responding.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Tia assures him, "I was..." her voice trails off as their surroundings hush all at once.

Tia is instantly spooked by the unsettling silence, goosebumps raising on her neck. The entire escort is on alert, peering into the forest. The fog darkens suddenly, a shadow spilling into it from the depths of the forest and overtaking it like ink swirling into water.

"Form up!" Martin barks and turns his horse back towards Tia and Allen.

The soldiers attempt to reposition their arrangement, trying to move into a more defensive position around their charges, but they had barely budged when the shadowy mist bursts forward as if a sudden wind had thrashed it. It swallows all of them instantly, blotting out all light. Tia closes and blinks her eyes, tingling in response to the shadow. When she looks again the stark pall engulfing them fades, only small traces remaining. In fact, the world outside of the mist dims instead. Yet everyone else glances about blindly save one woman whose eyes rapidly pierce the forest.

"Tia? Tia?!" Allen calls to her, unable to see her just behind him, even with his feline eyes manifested. Martin continues toward them more slowly with eyes shut, navigating by sound instead of sight.

"I'm right h-" Tia begins to reassure her father.

'In the field!' Duff cuts her off, redirecting her focus with sharp urgency.

Two men creep silently out of the wheat while the soldiers focus on the forest. They approach her swiftly but freeze as she locks eyes with them. The older man holds her gaze, mentally re-working their plan in a quick instant. Without breaking eye contact with Tia, he gestures to Allen and his partner redirects his focus. His partner, Euan, is a young man barely older than Tia herself, tall and broad shouldered with ginger hair and clever eyes. Charcoal seems to smear the skin around his blackened eyes but the rest of his markings are intentionally concealed by a mask and gloves.

The older man produces a long dagger from his belt and positions himself between Tia and her father as Euan approaches Allen. The frigid chill of danger slides down her spine at the sight of the dagger, worsened by the man's expression. Her eyes dart to her father despite this and, while Allen has turned toward Tia after hearing her voice, he still doesn't perceive Euan's approach. Panic wrenches Tia's gut and leaps through her as his fingers graze her father.

"No!" Tia shouts, reaching as if to stop him.

Tia's hand blazes yellow and electricity arcs forward as she gestures, jumping from her fingertips to Euan. His body goes rigid, the boy collapsing and convulsing on the ground as Tia continues to shock him. The light produced by the stream of electricity cuts through the darkness, blinding Allen and their assailants.

Tia gasps, pulling her hand away from the gesture and the current disconnects. She stares at her palm, expecting to find charred flesh, but finds her skin marked only by the flashy patterns which crackle and pop with energy. Euan gives a raspy breath and groans, still reeling from the shock.

The older man gawks briefly, whipping around to Tia and re-gripping his dagger. His eyes assess her carefully, deciding where to stab and pulling back to strike. Tia gestures towards him as she had done before and he flinches. While static rolls over her skin and between her fingers, it doesn't arc out as it had before. He gives Tia a malicious grin and moves to strike. Martin flies between them on horseback and, at the wave of his arm, blood sprays out chaotically. His body splits into two pieces, the mess of flesh flailing to the ground.

"W-w-wh-" Tia flounders, frozen by the viscous warmth splattering her face. Martin circles back around and turns his face in her direction, causing Tia to flinch, but his eyes remain shut.

"Stay right where you are," Martin directs clearly, Tia astonished by his calm.

Tia wipes at the blood on her face as Allen re-maneuvers himself between Tia and Euan, still prone on the ground, despite also remaining blinded. Martin approaches Euan steadily and seems to know exactly where he lay. As Martin turns abreast to Tia, she sees a strange blade emerging from his palm. The blade consists of a pitch black energy, an absence of light radiating into the shape of a blade while no light glints off of its surface. It is impossibly sharp, receiving no resistance from any material, even air itself. It hardly looks real. Martin's hands are also marked with similarly pitch black markings and bright orange swirls, the two hues competing with each other up to his shoulders.

Euan comes to his senses and sits up from the road, his head still swimming as he tries to re-orient himself. When he spots his companion split in two he seems momentarily numb. This quickly alternates to terror as he spots Martin approaching him and his face loses all color.

Martin moves forward at a deliberate, grim pace, dragging the blade along the road. The earth splits apart where the blade touches in an unnatural manner. It slices through everything it touches effortlessly as if dragging through water but leaves nothing behind in its wake. Martin drags the blade in Euan's direction and stops just before reaching him. Euan fails to see the blade but watches the earth split apart seamlessly before him. He curses and scrambles backward, blundering in his panic and forgetting his own abilities.

"Call it off," Martin demands steadily, menace lacing his words.

Euan brings trembling fingers to his mouth. He tries to whistle, failing at first and having to steady his fingers. He tries again and a loud whistle echoes up the hill. The pall vanishes all at once. Tia and Allen blink into the sudden light while Martin calmly opens his eyes, locking them onto the boy before him.

"Tia!" Allen sighs in relief, turning to her and finally meeting her gaze.

He examines Tia briefly, nodding to Martin once he is satisfied with her wellbeing. Martin signals to one of his soldiers in response with a gesture Tia didn’t recognize. As Tia looks to the rest of the group, she is alarmed to find most of them have vanished. One of those who remain is a fair looking middle-aged woman, speaking despite no sound leaving her lips. Her eyes have a crystalline, silver glow to them and her entire face is marked with silver tinted white and teal patterns meshing together.

Her eyes are focused on the forest halfway up the hill. Martin generates an orange ball of light in his left palm, a light which still causes Tia to tremble. He raises this hand and takes aim where the female soldier is staring. Martin takes a deep breath before shouting his demand, eyes remaining locked on Euan still held at sword-point.

"Surrender quietly," Martin orders, "Or all of you will die. Now!"

He's met by silence but the woman's eyes and mouth are frenetic, her gaze dashing and her soundless words running rapid. Shouts and the sound of clashing metal echo down the mountain. A man cries out in pain—and then silence returns. The woman takes a breath and looks to Martin, nodding to him, who proceeds to dissipate the explosive ball.

"Have the rest of them brought down," Martin responds to an unasked question.

"Them...?" Tia asks as the second remaining soldier dismounts and approaches Euan with a rope.

Martin gestures to the boy and he rises cautiously, holding out his wrists in compliance. Euan's face is still pale but he has recomposed himself. It is then Tia makes he mistake of looking at the body. It had been split, perfectly from collarbone down through the torso before ending along the pelvis, making an utterly clean cut through the body—even through the bones. Blood, viscera and entrails spill out about the edges, littering the ground and exposing the contents to the open air. His eyes remain open but blank.

Tia feels her face drain in horror, bile rising into her mouth, disgusted just as much by her inability to look away as she was by the image burning into her mind. Allen catches Tia gaping and moves to block her view of the carnage with his horse. Finally able to close her eyes, Tia places a hand over her mouth and finds herself in a battle with her reflexes. Numbness swims in her head and vicious ice weighs in her stomach. She doubles over in her saddle, fighting getting sick.

"You've kept her too soft," Martin derides, watching Tia dispassionately.

A fire ignites in Tia's stomach at his derision, overcoming the ice and creeping up to her ears. Tia feeds into this anger, swallowing and eating away her disgust. She erects herself despite the lingering queasiness and meets Martin's gaze with defiance.

"But she has good instinct," Martin grins and chortles in response, "Maybe she'll survive after all!"

Allen's anger flares immediately, puffing up and giving Martin his own heated glare as if to silence him. Before Tia can question either of them, the missing soldiers reappear with captives in tow. Almost a dozen of them are led onto the roadside, bound the same as Euan. Martin scans the lot of them, draped in leather and furs. His eyes catch on one particular man, well into his years, and their eyes flash with familiarity when they meet.

"Brother!" the man exclaims, spreading an awkward and nearly toothless grin. The scar on Martin's face pulls in resistance as he grimaces. Ironically, Ben is his captor and looses a vehement gasp before looking back to his father.

"Hamish," Martin growls the name, ignoring Ben's reaction, "You're no brother to me!" Hamish's smile doesn't waver, "And you're even more a fool than I remember. This is an affront to the kingdom!" Tia's eyes slide from one man to the other, unsure of what was happening.

"Alright, General then," Hamish enunciates carefully, "We hevny broken yer laws. Jus' a misunderstanding! Wer jus' as glad as any t' pay oor dues fur his highness," Martin maintains his glare, seeming to bore through the man.

"Attempted kidnap and assault of a Duke and his family," Martin drones with a gravelly tone, "Is no small crime. Attacking a military escort at all is a poor choice for a chief to make!" Hamish's facade cracks and he sucks in a breath, his eyes darting to Allen and then to Tia.

"Jus' a misunderstanding," Hamish repeats in a higher tone, "'Course we willny dae that on purpose! Thir no' soldiers," he attempts to excuse them and looks at his captured allies, "They can act oan thir own an' make bad calls!" he gives Euan a hard look and the young man scowls back at him, unwilling to take the fall, "An' th' fog was thick t'day, Euan must hev missed-"

"I don't care about your intent or who made what mistake," Martin mocks him, "You've attacked and resisted agents of the crown. One way or another there will be a cost for this."

They share another intense stare, his words seeming to have a hidden meaning. The chief takes a long, deliberate breath and nods to Martin.

"A few in th' clan hev come o' age, or will soon. Some o' 'em," Hamish pauses for emphasis, "Hev skills 'is highness wuid find useful." Martin holds his gaze, not hiding his dissatisfaction but nodding.

"Take his Grace further along and set up camp," Martin directs his orders to Ben, his eyes landing on Tia and Allen. Tia is still pale, wiping blood from her face, and Allen hovers about her. "They could use the rest," Martin continues. Ben hesitates, his eyes stuck on the bandit chief. "Benjamin!" Martin snaps and Ben whips his face around. Martin jabs his chin in Allen's direction, seeming to break Ben of his trance.

"Yes, sir!" Ben responds, saluting and handing off Hamish's lead before trotting over to the the Minx family.

Martin watches him converse with them briefly. Allen looks to Martin for confirmation and Martin gives a curt nod back. Tia's finds herself trembling in Ben's proximity, too exhausted to put up a facade. Once they've left, Martin brings his attention back to the chief. Hamish chats with the rest of his party, seeming to reassure them that he knows what he's doing. They were obviously confused and nervous, eyeing the remaining soldiers and looking to their chief for answers. Some of them eye the nearby body with dread.

"If ye dunnae mind?" Hamish asks waggling his bound hands. Martin's expression is unsympathetic, responding with silence. Hamish grumbles but shrugs before approaching one of his kin.

"'Is wan," he begins, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, "As ye saw can make a cloud o' shadows an' can see into em. Am sore tae give him up, fur reasons ye understand." The color drains from the boy's face at 'give them up', he is barely a teenager. Hamish still pushes him forward despite his intent. "But," Hamish continues, "Giv'n oor mistake, Am willin'."

"Azowyr's aura and eyes," Martin grunts, rubbing his chin, "Yes, that may work out well." He gestures and the boy is led away from the others.

"Ch-Chief!" the boy calls out.

Hamish frowns but otherwise ignores the boy, not even sparing him a glance. Some of the others begin to look at each other, panicked, while others are chillingly calm. Especially the older among them.

"'is wans no' as young," Hamish explains, "But he cannae be touched by dark magics." Martin shakes his head into Hamish's words.

"You know he's too old for service. Don't waste my time," Martin responds and Hamish nods while scanning his party again.

His eyes catch on a young man, eyes downcast and seemingly apathetic. The others around him give him a wide berth, even more as the chief points him out.

"'is wan! Aye, more dark magics. He no' good fur oor work but maybe he's meant t' serve 'is majesty?" the boy glares at the others but steps forward.

"This one?" Martin asks, hesitant as he eyes him. He finds himself unimpressed with the scrawny boy based on appearances alone.

"Weel, we dunnae hev th' same fancy names yer scholars hev cooked up," Hamish responds with a measure of mocking, "But Morris can mek people bare themselves."

"Bare themselves?" Martin squints at Hamish and he clears his voice.

"People cannae lie around 'im," Hamish continues, "Get n'all close an' ye start coughing up secrets left an' right." 

"And the second?" Martin questions, eyebrows raised. Hamish shrugs before continuing.

"Hevny figured it oot yet. Sometimes, instead o' spouting secrets ye... eh..." Hamish sighs, "Yer in yer form all o' sudden."

Martin contemplates as he stares at Morris, his eyes challenging Martin as their eyes meet. Martin snorts and nods at Hamish and the soldier. Morris is confused at first but isn't upset in the slightest, readily walking to Martin's "accepted" group. The others seem pleased to be rid of him.

"Les see...." Hamish muses, looking among them and they seem to consign themselves, "Aaaah!" Hamish exclaims, "Aye, 'is wan," he says and a guard brings him forward, "'is wan cannae be blown up, by magic o' whit else!" the young man is rather large and his eyes are sharp, "An' he's able t' make ye tired jus' by touchin' ye!" Martin motions for him to join the others immediately.

"Are you keeping the best for yourself?" Martin questions with a scathing stare. Hamish throws his hands up in his defense

"'is is jus' wan party, Eairdsidh. Dunnae strip me fur all I 'ave!" Hamish reasons and gestures wide. One of Martin's soldiers sucks in a breath and another stiffens.

"I would be more than happy," Martin husks slowly, leaning forward with a chilling calm despite his burning gaze and white knuckles, "To take a look in those caves, see how many others you have stashed away. As I know you're aware, everyone must serve the kingdom when they're of age. Even the mangiest among us," he growls and narrows his eyes at Hamish, "Do you remember the last time I paid a visit?"

Hamish's lips press into a thin line as Martin watches him and he begins to sweat despite his calm facade. His sigh is deep, the man closing his eyes as pain touches his face briefly.

"Alright," Hamish grumbles grimly, dropping the cheerful act, "I dae hev wan mair prize fur ye, if it spares th' rest o' us. Euan," his dour expression lands on his son, who is aghast at the sudden implication, "Yer own nephew, in fact." 

Martin shifts in his saddle and grunts in discomfort before appraising Euan. They're both clearly discomfited, looking each other up and down, but Martin waits for his explanation.

"He can make bombs, like ye," Hamish explains, "By touching somethin', walking away an' settin' it off from a distance," he explains, ignoring Euan's wide eyes as they search his face, "It works real well with 'is jumpin' in an' o' shadows."

"Azowyr's Step?!" Martin exclaims, the suggestion shocking both Martin and his men.

"I dunnae ken how it works," Hamish admits, "But he can jump from wan shadow tae another. Extremely valuable," he emphasizes. Martin is visibly impressed with Euan, machinations of his potential playing in his mind, "I hope 'at satisfies ye an' keeps oor arrangement?" Martin glances back at Hamish, frowning.

"I take no pleasure in repeating history," Martin bites, "But I'm not one to question my king. So, yes. That is enough. This time." Euan's eyes are glued to his father while Martin's men tie off their captives' leads to different saddles, readying them to depart.

"Weel?" Hamish persists, holding out his bound hands. Martin pulls out a knife from his saddle and throws it to the ground a few feet from Hamish.

"If you follow us, I won't hesitate to kill every single one of you," Martin warns, Hamish knowing well the truth to his brother's threat, "And learn some damn discretion!" he derides, leading the group forward. Hamish scrambles for the knife as Euan pulls at his bindings to turn to his father, yanking down mask covering his face .

"Da!" Euan shouts, his confusion apparent and his eyes darting between his clansmen.

None would meet his eyes, guilt or shame burdening them. Realization that the course of his life was changing before him flashes over Euan's face and he finds himself at a loss for words as he's led away. Hamish watches his son disappear, no pity, fear or empathy crossing his face. He looks at him as if for the last time before turning to the remainder of his kin.

Eairdsidh

Tia watches their campfire flicker, feeling her father's concern without needing to look. They sit at their own fire, the soldiers keeping a respectful distance. Tia is far more uncomfortable with Ben's presence than anything else, grateful for her father placing himself between them as the man stands guard nearby and keeps a close eye on them. She does what she can, despite her exhaustion, to conceal her discomfort. Tia was becoming increasingly frustrated by this reflexive fear but Ben is hardly paying enough attention notice. His mind is spinning instead with this new knowledge of his father's background. Relief washes over his face as Martin approaches the encampment, quickly followed by confusion at the sight of their captives.

Martin addresses a few of the soldiers and they get to work preparing to take charge of the captives, three of them grabbing a device from their belongings. Euan watches as his kin are each given a torc and instructed to don them.

"Whits wi' th' jewelry?" Euan questions readily, receiving only a wordless grumble from his uncle.

"We took captives?" Ben questions, his eyes rolling over Euan and the others as he approaches.

"Recruits," Martin corrects him, "We're escorting them to th' capital for assessment. 'is one…" Martin leers at Euan and sighs, "This is yer cousin."

"My what?" Ben responds, earning a glare from his father. They both appraise each other awkwardly.

"Don't be daft, boy," Martin spits, quickly followed by another sigh. Ben recognizes his father's exhaustion then, drained from interacting with his brother. Martin pauses to consider, scratching at his balding scalp for a moment. "I'm gunna give you a chance to redeem yerself, Ben, but you best not miff it up!" Martin gives Ben a prickly look before continuing, "I'm putting uh…" He looks over to his nephew expectantly.

"Euan," he answers, eyes jumping from one man to the other and trying to wrap his head around their exchange.

"Euan," Martin rolls the name around, "I'm putting Euan under yer watch. He's gunna be thrown into the capital real soon, same as that Minx girl, and I think it best he gets started being in better company. Luxis knows what he's used to…" Martin grumbles, leering at the other captives.

Euan finds himself frowning at the prospect already but his expression changes once he lays eyes on Tia. Martin pauses, seeming to reconsider, but his fatigue gets the better of him.

"Yer also watching over his Grace and the girl tonight," Martin continues, "Am turning in early." Ben opens his mouth to object but quickly thinks better of it.

"Of course, sir," Ben replies, saluting his father.

"Ye call yer da sir?" Euan snickers but Ben refuses to acknowledge the comment.

"And you," Martin grumbles, glancing significantly at Tia, "Keep yer eyes to yerself!"

Martin squints at each of them again before handing Euan's rope off to Ben. He also hands Ben one of the devices and a matching ring before leading his horse away. Ben turns to Euan then, offering him the device. Euan eyes the item with suspicion and doesn't take it.

"You want out of those bindings?" Ben propositions, trying to imitate his father's tone.

Euan snickers again, finding himself amused by his wholly laughable cousin, but he takes the torc. He turns it over in his hands, examining it.

It looks ordinary but he can feel traces of magic woven into it, the metal almost humming to the touch. Euan glances at his kin, wearing the devices and sitting casually around the fire. With reluctance, he fits it around the base of his neck.

"Is yer da always like 'is, or did I jus' piss him off?" Euan questions, watching as Ben slides the ring onto his finger. Ben snorts at Euan's inquiry.

Once the ring is secure, Euan feels the coolness of the metal creep through his skin and sink into his bones. Euan tries to remove the jewelry but it seems melded to his skin.

"Whit is 'is?" Euan growls, glaring at Ben.

"They're enchanted," Ben explains, his tone belittling.

"Aye, ye gommy!" Euan mocks him and Ben produces a knife from his belt.

"So you can't run off," Ben continues impatiently and gestures to Euan's hands with the blade.

"An' where am I gonnae run aff tae?" Euan complains, offering up his hands, "Clan willny take me back. An' I dinnae want t' anyway."

"You're taking this well... I think," Ben answers, struggling with Euan's dialect, and severs the rope. Euan shrugs and rubs at his wrists.

"Whits fur ye'll no' go by ye," Euan sighs, the aphorism rolling out of his mouth smoothly. When he looks back up at Ben, he is met with a confused and openly judgmental expression.

"Clan or not," Ben continues, glazing over the interaction, "You're going to serve the kingdom. Your form makes you more elusive than most, so, I'll warn you once," Euan eyes him, unimpressed, "The torc will activate if you use magic, any kind of magic. Or…" he pauses and takes a few steps back. As he does, Euan feels the torc begin to shrink around his neck minutely with each step, "If you get too far away. Test it too much and it'll kill you."

"Whit a lovely gift," Euan sasses and tugs at the torc in vain, "Might as weel be yer pet."

Ben shrugs and approaches the Minx's campfire. Euan trails after him and a grin spreads on his face as he spots Tia again. Ben steps between them when he notices.

"You do anything to the Duke or his daughter, I will kill you," Ben threatens, far less effectively than his father. Euan makes a show of appraising his cousin again and chuckles to himself before leaning to look past Ben to Tia. Tia tenses up and frowns at him impulsively.

"Ye Am no' so worried aboot, but her," Euan smirks and tilts his head, "Damn near killed me already!"

Tia blinks hearing his statement and her face reddens as he grins at her. Unsure of what to do with the unfamiliar attention, she stares hard into the fire, refusing to acknowledge him despite her embarrassment. Allen puffs up and glowers at Euan but the boy is undeterred by the whole interaction, seeming more amused than anything else.

"Why is he with us?" Allen snaps, glaring at the both of them.

"I'm sorry, your Grace," Ben speaks politely, "The General has doubled me up tonight," he glances to Martin's tent, "I'm responsible for all three of you, I'm afraid." Allen is clearly uncomfortable with this, with both Ben and Euan.

"I suppose you're not giving me a choice," Allen spits, his discontent apparent, but his tone softens seeing the youth of the two boys before him, "But I know Martin can be... difficult to please." Ben's eyes are blank hearing this, drawn to the fire.

"Was he always like that?" Ben questions, his voice a wisp, and Euan snorts as he takes a seat across from Tia.

"A crabbit old shite?" Euan suggests, "If he's anythin' like ma da I bet he wis!" Euan's jest garners some laughter and Ben finally sits with them.

"I knew Martin well, when we were your age," Allen informs them, feeling nostalgic, "Your father and I trained, travelled and fought alongside each other and the king, back when he was still 'Prince Ambrose'. We were quite the trio!"

 Despite the intense interest of the two boys, Tia finds herself tuning out of the conversation and beginning to doze off. Allen pauses, placing a hand on her shoulder and rousing her.

"Go on to bed," Allen directs gently. Tia gives him a grateful nod and settles into her tent nearby, the mutterings of their continued conversation lulling her to sleep.

"So," Euan catches Allen's attention again, "Ye cannae drop a bomb like 'at an' stop. I want t' hear mair aboot ma uncle... uhhh, Martin? Ma da never mentioned 'im!" Allen chuckles, his eyes sliding Ben and he sees the same eagerness. Despite this, he can't shake his hesitation.

"I have no right to request anything from you but," Ben's voice is soft, uncertainty and shame painting his face, "But my father won't talk about his family. I... don't have anyone else to ask."

Allen isn't surprised Martin never told his son about his origins. He was always a very private, stubborn man and went through great pains to escape all traces of his past. Allen observes Ben's demure behavior and, despite his resentment for the boy, he sees just that. A boy who wants to understand his father. Allen looses a long sigh.

"You boys are in luck," Allen informs them and grins, "I'm a sucker for campfire stories!" His smile is infectious, both boys' faces lighting up. Allen clears his voice before he begins his tale, "Martin has always been a passionate man in everything he does! When he arrived at the capital this passion took the form of unwavering anger and a sharp tongue, mostly directed at his father. He was embittered by betrayal and sworn to vengeance," Allen is clearly enjoying himself, both of the boys listening intently "He was committed to becoming stronger, and he certainly did, but along the way he found a new family and purpose," Allen can't help but feel nostalgic again, a mild smile lingering on his face, "He found an avenue for his passion which built into something greater: the kingdom itself! But Martin never let go of his anger or commitment to revenge."

"Revenge for what?" Ben interjects, trying to grasp Allen's story.

"It isn't common knowledge," Allen's voice drops, carefully quiet so Martin wouldn't overhear, "But the kingdom has an... agreement with the various bandit clans of the Tenebrous Chain. Dark racial magic has always been rare. Because of this, the kingdom has made an effort to collect and preserve those with these abilities."

"Really?" Euan interrupts, "Almost all o' ma kin hev it."

"Outside those mountains, the southern valley and a few noble families, it's almost non-existent," Allen assures him, his eyes sliding to Euan, "Clans like yours are native to the Chain and dark magic runs strong in your blood. Oddly enough, these rare forms surface more frequently when the clans are left to themselves. I'm assuming you have dark magic?"

"Ehhh, whit did he call it..." Euan grumbles, unfamiliar with the kingdom's nomenclature, "Zoweer's Step?"

"Azowyr's Step?!" Ben gasps the same as his father, Allen blinking and seeming equally surprised.

"Then you're a fine example," Allen marvels, "Those inheriting Azowyr's Step were believed to have been completely eradicated! Your ancestors were the easiest for the Dark King to identify and eliminate, travelling through his shadow plane."

Euan's is left stupefied, his face blanking and his eyes sliding vacantly into the fire. He had heard stories of the Dark King's vengeance, it was an important folktale to his people who were among his victims, but learning he may be the only shadow stepper left is chilling. Euan finally understood why he had never encountered another human within the plane.

"But I'm getting off topic," Allen tries to redirect, "To maximize the number of dark casters being born, the kingdom has made a special exception for the bandit clans. As long as they offer the best of these casters to the kingdom, the rest of them are permitted to evade service."

"Evade service?" Ben repeats with distaste, finding the concept repulsive. Such a thing was unprecedented to his knowledge. As Ben mulls this over, Allen can see Euan connecting dots he'd never questioned before. 

"Am a bribe!" Euan laughs at the realization, "Never ken I wis so valuable." Allen finds himself laughing with the spirited boy.

"So my father...?" Ben questions, bringing the conversation back around.

"Martin was the eldest son of his clan's chief but it was his own father who offered him up to the kingdom," Allen answers and Euan frowns at the similarity, "Though he didn't take it nearly as well as you are," Allen raises a brow at Euan and he shrugs, "Martin swore vengeance and, once he had the opportunity, he killed his father himself."

"Och," Euan gasps, sudden understanding flashing over his face, "He's ma uncle Eairdsidh! I always wondered aboot 'at."

"Shhh!" Allen hushes him suddenly, sucking in a breath when he hears the name.

Allen watches Martin's tent for a long duration, relieved not to see the man storming out in a fit. He turns back to the boys once he's satisfied, both of them put off and confused by his reaction.

"I would avoid using that name in his company," Allen insists quietly, "I've seen him shred men apart in 'duels' just for uttering it to him. There's a reason those of us who know it know better than to use it!"

"I've never even heard that name before," Ben states vacantly, "I never knew any of this."

"Martin," Allen continues, feeling a pang of pity, "Prefers to be known for his strength and his accomplishments, not for where he came from," sorrow wells in Ben's eyes as he meets Allen's gaze, realizing this man knew his father better than he ever could, "Despite being a 'crabbit old shite'," Allen's eyes switch to Euan again, the boy grinning in response, "You won't find a more loyal, honorable man."

"I know that," Ben mutters, knitting his brows, "But it's still haunting how much I don't know about my own family."

"Weel," Euan cuts in cheerfully, "I can tell ye all aboot oor kin an' all 'at!" Ben blinks at Euan, astonished he would make such an offer while still being held prisoner. His cousins in the capital weren't by any means kind or accommodating. 

"Alright," Ben answers almost sheepishly, a bit of red on his cheeks, "Maybe I can... tell you about the capital?"

Allen listens silently, surprised by his own enjoyment of the almost heartwarming exchange. As the boys continue chattering, Ben trying to give Euan an idea of the path ahead of him, Allen can't help but worry for how his daughter will tackle these same hurdles. He knew better than anyone the monster awaiting them. The city, the nobles, the war. All of it ready to pick each of them apart and swallow what remains.

Partners

Several more days go by and the road pulls them away from the mountains, into the heartland of the valley. More uniform fields roll out before them, pocked by quaint farming villages and rocky knolls, and are occasionally touched by dinky forest glades. Broad rivers and tender brooks lace through the verdant valley as well, leaving the rural atmosphere picturesque. Martin seems to believe they were only a day away from the capital and they camp for what was presumably the last night of their journey.

Tia finds her mind drifting often, questioning what her new normal was going look like at the end of this disastrous journey. She struggles to envision a life with her mother absent, despite her anger towards Mina. Nearly every memory of her life in Nippon is touched by the woman, a soft and comforting presence amid a cruel and lonely existence. How will she endure isolation without her mother? Tia also chafes under her father's suffocating guard and consideration, feeling he treats her like delicate pottery which has already cracked. Euan and Allen clash often as he baits or teases Tia at every opportunity, further triggering her father's overprotective nature. Tia's density and lack of experience did not deter Euan's flirtation and neither did his uncle's scolding.

"You'd best learn who you can talk to and how, quickly," Martin prattles on, recapturing Tia's attention, "You're lucky his Grace is more tolerant now than in the past!" Tia snorts, finding that assertion ridiculous. Her father hardly seemed tolerant.

"Jus' a bit o' fun!" Euan insists, "Or dae ye no' want me talking t' her because Am a bandit an' she's a noble lass?"

"Ex-bandit," Martin emphasizes, "If you want any kind of life now, learn and earn your place!"

"An' ye earned yer place?" Euan scoffs, "Forgetting yer kin an' licking th' King's boot?" Martin shakes with derisive laughter before he finishes.

"That 'kin' threw me away, just as it's thrown you away, to save their own skin," Martin chides and Euan falls silent, "They're not a family, they're a business," Martin continues, "You're better off this way. They live like animals, wallowing in filthy caves and picking scraps off travelers. If you can prove your strength and serve your King, you'll never want for anything!" Euan's face reddens at how Martin describes his lifestyle while Morris, the smaller boy they picked up, listens intently behind them. "You'll all have that chance now," Martin claims, looking to the other captives. Tia shifts around, unsure of why his speech leaves her so uncomfortable.

'Tia,' Duff calls out to her. She stares into the fire, waiting for him to continue, 'You need to make a decision.'

'What kind of decision?' Tia asks him.

'That man, these soldiers, their conversations... Your future is more tumultuous than I believed,' he explains and she can tell he's been considering this for some time, 'And when we reach the city it will become difficult to follow you.'

'What are you suggesting?' Tia asks.

'I will let you decide' Duff becomes solemn, his voice heavy, 'I can stay out of your life for as long as possible, regardless of what dangers you face. You can live as normal a life as possible for as long as you wish or...' Duff pauses, hesitant, 'I can stay close to you and act as your guardian. This will skew the course of your life if it isn't too late already. Your fate will darken and secrets will burden you. Change you. All I can promise is that you wont face it alone.'

Tia's mind spins trying to make sense of his foreboding offer. Fate, secrets, burdens. It all sounded too intense and melodramatic but Tia could feel he was completely serious, that he knew more than she could understand. She draws in a long breath, steadying her mind.

'If all of this is going to happen, if everything is going to keep changing more than it already has, I don't want to face it alone,' Tia's clarity surprises him but there is also fear, 'I don't think there could be anything more terrifying than being alone. Especially when I don't know what's coming,' she closes her eyes, remembering the night they met, 'I was never more scared than in that moment, up on that mountain, when she was gone. I've always been alone and I'm done with it! I'm not strong enough to make it by myself," her words waver with her uncertainty, "I mean, I would already be dead without your help!'

'There is more to you than you believe... but I understand,' Duff responds, 'Come find me in the grove.' Tia rises from the campfire and they all look to her. She gestures to the small forest they camp beside.

"I, uh, need to go, uh" Tia rambles and looses an awkward smile, Euan coughing on a stifled chortle, "I gotta go."

Martin grumbles and gestures for Ben to escort her. Tia grimaces but says nothing. Ben follows her into the forest and she holds a hand up for him to stop halfway in.

"You don't need to follow me this far," Tia argues and gestures at the size of the wood, "Where am I gonna go?" Ben releases a sigh and leans up against a tree.

"Be quick!" Ben calls out as she wanders further in. Tia pauses once out of sight to stifle her quivering hands. Further in, she enters a small clearing on the top of the knoll and glances about. Her eyes struggle to adjust to the mix of shadows and moonlight, shuffling as a breeze rattles the trees.

"Are you here?" Tia speaks softly, unsure of what to look for. A dark form emerges from across the clearing and she jumps. "Duff?" Tia squeaks. Lined in obsidian fur, a moonlit sheen contrasts a bulky black silhouette. Tia squints trying to identify his shape.

"You're a... dog?" Tia questions, uncertain.

'I'm a wolf!' Duff snarls, incredibly offended by the suggestion.

Tia resolves she wouldn't make that mistake again. As he lowers his head, an audible growl matches the rumbling in her mind, Tia backing away on instinct. Duff huffs, sitting abruptly with a tinge of indignity.

'You don't need to be afraid of me,' Duff assures despite his annoyance, 'We are... partners.'

"You could have told me what to expect!" Tia chides in a shrill tone, embarrassed, and begins to whisper, "I've never seen a wolf in person."

'I have my small pleasures,' Duff gives a deep laugh, flicking his ears.

"Can I...?" Tia asks and moves to pet him.

'I am not tame!' Duff warns her clearly, a growl rumbling in his chest again, and Tia can sense his discontent as he continues, 'But... We need to become comfortable with each other. I will allow it—but only you!' 

Tia reaches out again, running her hand over his head and down his neck. The outer hair is course but when she runs her fingers through his fur, the undercoat is soft.

'If anyone else touches me' Duff grumbles, 'I'm taking fingers!'

"I'll admit," Tia whispers with raised brows, "You're much cooler than any dog!"

Duff tries to stifle his pride but his vanity radiates through the link and Tia can't help but snicker. She hadn't expected him to be such a proud creature. She jumps again as Ben calls out to her.

"I'm almost done!" Tia answers him and looks back to Duff, "How are you supposed to stay close to me? You're huge!"

'I already told you, our link made you into what I am,' Duff explains with a tinge of annoyance, rising to his feet, 'Your abilities imitate my own.' 

Tia watches, doubting her eyes as he shrinks down. The long body of a ferret takes his place, pink ears and a white muzzle off-setting his dark coat. Duff scampers up her dress and stops on her shoulder. A deep breath sticks in Tia's lungs as she looks him over.

"Kawai!" Tia gushes and strokes his tiny head rapidly.

Tia pauses only because she can sense his urge to nip at her fingers but his this anger is quick to convert to smugness. Duff changes again, his fur falling away to reveal the bright sheen of smooth scales and his legs fade as he takes the form of a rat snake. Tia lets out a yelp and quickly covers her mouth.

"Are you alright?!" Ben calls, ready to charge into the thicket.

"Yes, yes," Tia calls back abruptly and glares at Duff for the surprise, "I just... saw a snake!" Duff slinks into the sleeve of her dress as she grins, wrapping himself around her shoulder and hiding under her cloak. "That's definitely something I'll need to get used to!" Tia whispers, shivering as she departs to return to camp. Despite his serpentine form, she felt safer with him on her person. Tia is finally able to approach Ben without quivering.