“You’re Maximilian Magnus?” Kel was stunned. Now, however, the confusion from Caaron’s letter made sense. Have you found her?, it had said.

The Arbiter of Light and Dark nodded sagely. “It’s a stage name, really. Inspires confidence when I write letters to important people. Most people in the know understand - it just makes things easier.”

Kel thought about asking what she meant when he remembered his conversation with Lianna, about the work in the inn being easier for him as a boy. "Pawed at by drunkards and shorted on tips," he murmured to himself.

“What was that?” The sorcerer asked, her robes flowing in the non-existent wind.

“Nothing. Just…I think I understand.”

“Good - Caaron wouldn’t have recommended you to me if you weren’t perceptive. I would have no time to teach you about the magical world if I had to catch you up on the mundane. Very well,” She turned her back to them, “Let’s get a move on.”

She waved her arms and the forest beyond shimmered, as if it were a large curtain, a facade to be swept aside. As the trees and shrubs parted for them, they saw a great sunlit field and beyond it, a large stately manor house, the like of which Kel had never seen. It had to be ten times the size of Mayor Hardstahd’s house, or anyone in Fellow’s Glen’s home for that matter. Acres of flat, grassy land lay before the large house and a backdrop of forest and mountains stretched beyond, but they were unlike any mountains he had ever seen. The peaks were all wrong - crooked and scraggly was the best way to describe them.

The journey along the very long route through the open field to the mansion went much faster than he felt it should, even with their new acquaintance leading them at such a hurried pace. It was as if they were drifting through a dream, where the distance between points was negligible. Occasionally the sorceress seemed to check the air for unseen assailants, but nothing ever happened and she gave them no reason to be alarmed. The road leading to the house was lined with topiaries of various, strange shapes. Kel didn’t find them sinister, exactly, but they weren’t comforting either. They seemed to him like grass giants standing watch.

As they got closer, more details came into clearer view. On one wing of the house, there was a large glass hot-house. On the other, a strange rounded dome made of slowly corroding copper, green as if it were being overtaken by vines. The great lawn just before the mansion and its strange assortment of decorations came into focus. He noted a large fountain, topped with a marble winged gargoyle, in the middle of a circular walkway just before the grand steps into the building. Clear violet water burst from the gargoyle’s horns and cascaded down the multiple layers of the fountain. Shouldn’t water be blue? Kel thought to himself, but just as quickly forgot his question.

“I apologize for not coming to collect you sooner, Kel Fellow.” Maximilian spoke without looking back, “I had much to prepare before I could take you on.” She spoke with a resolute confidence that seemed to indicate that, though she was apologizing, she was in no way actually sorry. As they passed the fountain, realized they were walking on a cobblestone circle similar to the streets of the Capital.

“You’ll have to excuse the lack of servants. The locals don’t serve…humans and I am very, very distrustful of most people.” She turned a silver key in the latch of the great door and let them into a foyer with dark, wood-paneled walls. Jasper leaned on the door frame, seemingly unsure of whether to cross the threshold or not. Kel was pretty sure the run and subsequent walk had probably caused some damage to his still-unhealed wound. His veiled grimace said enough about that.

Maximilian, who seemed oblivious to this, turned abruptly on her heel. “Firstly, let’s get rid of your passenger.”

“Do what?” Kel felt himself instinctively backpedal.

“Your demon friend. Now hold still,” she commanded. Kel stiffened and held his breath as she made a sign in the air, the same star pattern that the wise woman Beverly had used previously. Maximilian’s form was a bit more careless, her arm less stiff. She performed the banishing like a stubborn child that had been told to clean her room, ending with a very pointed thrust of the forefingers at his face. It would have been very alarming if he hadn’t seen the ritual before. As before, there was no outward sign that anything had happened. Only a stillness in the air.

“There. No demons now. Try calling it.”

“Err…” Kel was afraid to try. His familiarity with what happened whenever Poe crossed into his world prevented him from feeling safe, even with the power he sensed coming from his new mentor.

“Go on,” she urged, raising a brow.

“Poe?” he asked tentatively. Nothing responded.

“Try harder. Reach out to it.” Was she crazy? Did she realize what she was asking?

“Poe!” he tried to put more urgency into the call, seeking for a hint of the demon’s presence.

They were greeted only by silence.

She listened, intently, her eyes roaming the room as if looking intently for invisible assailants. Then, her face broke into a smile. “Oh yeah - still got it.” She did a little dance, right there in the foyer. Were all mages this…weird?

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Maximilian turned back at the two stunned travelers on her doorstep. “So a few rules apply in my household. One: always do what I say, when I say it. Never question me. It’s for your own good, as it is mine. I will never ask you to do something that will harm you.” She put a finger to her lip, musing. “Well, nothing that will harm you if you do it right, that is.”

This was not at all alarming to Kel. Not at all.

“Two - do not wander the halls or grounds until I give you permission. My sanctum is safe…for me. You should consider it a minefield of possibilities, some of which are very pleasant and some of which are too awful to imagine.”

This, also, was not alarming. No sir. Perfectly fine.

“Three - no visitors whatsoever. From time to time, I will send you out on errands. You are not to bring anyone back here. I value my privacy and not one of the secrets I keep is below the notice of the gods themselves. No one can know about my house, where it lies, or how to get in." She paused, as if waiting for questions. When no one said anything, she nodded and continued: "And four - no magical objects. As I said: minefield of possibilities. Until you are ready, I forbid you from bringing anything magical in from out there. The reactions could be catastrophic.”

Kel felt the chain around his neck grow heavy. Should he tell her that he had a magic pendant? But surely, it was just a means of communication. She couldn’t fault him for that. He didn’t want her to take it away; not when he hadn’t even gotten to talk to Petyr yet.

“Anything I should know about, before we continue?” Despite knowing full well he should, Kel couldn’t give up his pendant. He so desperately wanted to speak with Petyr again and he knew, somehow, that his new, strange tutor would not understand that. As he wrestled with his hesitance, suddenly the choice was taken from him and the moment was over.

“Very well then, welcome to my home.” Maximilian opened the door to reveal a sprawling foyer, complete with checker-tiled marble floors and two sweeping, symmetrical staircases that led up to a second level.

Jasper loped on the doorstep, now clutching his side in unmitigated pain. “I wouldn’t suppose you have a chair in which I could rest for a moment.” He was breathing heavily.

“You poor thing. I quite forgot that you were injured. I am sorry for my lack of empathy. Here,” she made a series of gestures and, before he could protest, placed her hand ever so gently on Jasper’s torso, just above where his bruise lay. The bard winced but was otherwise silent. She closed her eyes and inhaled. After a moment her eyes fluttered and she exhaled, a small smile crossing her lips. “There. That should suffice.”

Jasper was noticeably and instantly relieved. He inhaled deeply and stifled a laugh. “You. What was that?”

“My own spell. Much faster than healing magic. And also more effective.”

The bard lifted his shirt to look at the spot that had, until that moment, been causing him agony. “I’ll say - there’s nothing left of it,” He said in amazement. Indeed, his abdomen was no longer the patchwork of black and blue that it had been before. If anything, he simply looked a little pale.

“You were still bleeding on the inside. I’m glad I found you - that hedge magic the healers use couldn’t help.” Max wrinkled her nose.

Kel couldn’t believe it. This should not have been possible. Healing magic was the hardest, which was why wise-folk always used potions and salves to aid in the process. Any doubts he had possessed about this woman were completely and thoroughly exorcised now.

Jasper was still sputtering a thankful response when the mage cut him off again. “You can repay me by playing fine music for me to enjoy. A bard is always welcome in my home.” She looked him over and Kel had a feeling that music was not the only thing that interested her about Jasper.

“How did you know I was a bard?”

“You have a lute slung across your back and hands that haven’t seen manual labor since childhood, if ever, yet the tips are callused harder than stone. You’ve also been humming incessantly since we met. Not a bad tune - I like it.”

“Fair point. Still, I would hate to intrude…” He made a show of turning to leave.

The sorceress smiled. “Not at all. You will earn your keep by playing for me. In return, you may stay with us as long as you’d like and will be treated to the best food and drink that can be offered in this whole Gibbs-damned plane of existence. How does that sound?

“Well, I was planning on wandering but…” At this point he was just hamming it up.

“You can wander when you’re dead. Stay here,” she said with a tone of finality. The musician obliged.

They walked into the grand entryway, footfalls echoing with every step. It was dim inside, despite the sunny day outside, and Kel surmised that Maximilian kept blinds over most of the windows in the great house. A few errant candles and lanterns scattered about the hall kept a feint glow alive, but they illuminated very little. It was more than a little spooky. Just then, to the left of one of the great staircases, Kel caught something in the corner of his eye: A large black hound lurked in the hall, its eyes glinting in dim candlelight. It was the beast from before. As it emerged from the hall and into the light, Kel was able to see it much more clearly than he had in the forest. It lowered its head and stalked toward them. The hound was an impossible umbral black, standing nearly three feet tall. The massive canine growled low, hackles raised so that it almost seemed to have a mohawk running down its spine.

Max reached to pet the great beast and Kel felt like yelling out a warning, but at her touch the giant canine calmed and settled, nuzzling against her. “It’s fine, she said, “This is Grim: short for Grimoire. He’s my familiar.” The black dog stared at Kel and Jasper as if unsure they could be trusted.

“You have a familiar?”

“Yes,” she caressed the dogs great head lovingly and the hackles lowered and ears flopped. “There was a time when nearly all sorcerers did. Say hi, Grim!” She gestured towards Kel and the dog half-ran, half-leapt at him, wagging its giant black tail. Despite being a dog, its movements were neigh-feline, especially the way its tail swished fluidly to and fro. For a dog of its size and appearance, Grim was very friendly once its master gave it leave to be. Not knowing how to interact with a magical dog, Kel stupidly patted its head in a way that probably wasn’t comfortable. The shadowy hound did not complain.

“Come along,” Maximilian called, and she led the way down a long hall lined with strange paintings and tapestries of strange lands while Grim followed behind them at a serpentine trot, the shadows growing in their wake.