"Alright, calm down." I nearly laughed out at the still crying aelenvari whose tail wagged back and forth while I stroked their hair. Her eyes still being glued straight on that mountain in the distance, the one that would never be forgotten by the world.

"No... It's too beautiful to stay calm about..." she barely got out after many failures. It being particularly interesting how she only succeeded once she stopped looking at the mountain. Her face having to be firmly placed against my body before she even started getting words out.

"I mean, sure, it is very impressive with all that magic and stuff, but it's just a mountain." I said while knowing full well I was downplaying the sight immensely. Because, like her, I needed to keep my gaze away from the mountain otherwise I'd be entranced by it.

"Very impressive? My love... My sweet, precious love..."

"Hm?"

"You know how I have told you before about how my kind don't see things the way you do, how we see the world in a more magic-focused context?"

"I do."

"Well, try and remember that before you tell me to stop crying at the beauty of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra."

"I take it that it is the purest magic you have ever seen?" I asked her to which she nodded happily. Like a bride at her wedding just after or before the kiss that sealed the bond.

"It is... And it annoys me."

"How come it annoys you?"

"Because like with that food you gave me after you came back to life, it has ruined my perception of the world forever! No longer can I guess what the gods might be capable of, no longer can I just guess what the Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra is like. I have seen it and experienced it!"

"So you are worried you will never be able to enjoy anything ever again?"

"No... I am worried this has warped my sense of reality so much that I am going to be nothing but detached from it all."

"Well, just keep your mind on me then? Not that you need the advice for that."

She smiled a little, "And what could you offer me that the taste of that desert could not? What can you display that the Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra cannot do much greater to an impossible to describe degree."

I huffed out some joy-filled air as I tried to think, "Well, I am the one who brought it all into your life. Besides, we were both there together when these joys came about. So I'd understand very well what you were going on about."

Her hands tightened their grip as she slowly looked up at me, "I guess so, I guess so..." she said quietly as her forehead went against the tip of my nose.

"So," I then said after we spent some time in silence, "Want to stay here for a little longer or go somewhere where the other two can find us?"

"Let's build a home and start a family right here..." she said with a grin before laughter came out, she knew full well it wasn't going to work!

"Now you know we can't do that."

"I know, I know... But, let's just keep ourselves here, before Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra for a little longer."

"You don't have to keep saying the full name of the mountain, Rose."

She went back, a clear sensation of offence having gone through her, "Not say the full name? It is the single most important place in the land, it deserves the respect of its full name!"

"I'm just saying, it's a bit of a mouthful, no?" I tried to tell her to show I meant no disrespect, but, it seemed to backfire.

"So? A little bit of effort on the part of everyone in this mountainous land is a fair price for the great gift it gives us!"

"Great gift...?" now I had done it...

"As I told you before! It is the source of all wind magic! Every wind that breezes through the meadows, every gale that tears apart cliffs! They all originate here! Your power comes from that mountain, Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra!"

"I don't know where my power comes from..." I sighed out as she straightened herself out and went through a proverbial step-back to observe the situation.

"Did the witches of your home not teach any of it to you?"

"We don't have witches back home."

"Don't lie to me, your power cannot be cultivated in a witch-less home!"

"I'm not lying! I have told you before, Rose! This power I have was not something I was born with, magic is nearly non-existent in my home! Dammit! I only just found out that the Anvil-Peak was a thing for real before I arrived in that hive..."

"The Anvil-Peak...?" she said in confusion while her tail wagged excitedly.

"Yeah, the mountain where Thurnmourer-"

"I know what it is! I'm... Just surprised to hear you say that you have seen such a sight..."

"She believes I have seen the forge of the Thunder God but she has a hard time framing that my home isn't magical..." I sarcastically mumble to myself while she looks on at me with some awe.

"Can you describe it to me, please, my love?"

"Well, you know, as the name is, its top is shaped like an anvil, it has near endless thunder clouds all around it and it is just a forest of golden lightning bolts. And, at the base, a lake of molten gold that foams with the lightning that drives down into it."

"It is close to your home?"

"I am not sure, it took us at least a few weeks to get there when we initially set out on this journey to find something."

"That is not far..." she mumbled, my mind pondering if she was contextualising what I had just said in more aelenvari-familiar concepts. Large migrations and lots of walking. The opposite of what I knew it to be which was large vehicles and a warehouse of supplies on the move.

"A few weeks travel is hardly close."

"No it is close, but, if you are that close to such a divine spot... Then it is no wonder you are so powerful yet raw with your magic! You have been close to the gods since your birth, my love! Their power seeps off onto you!"

"Debateable..."

"Which makes it make more sense as to why they brought you back... You are the member of some kind of chosen people!?" I had no idea what she was now going on about but I suppose I could not complain. As, after all, I was now experiencing one of the most passionate and loving hugs I had ever gotten. I felt like the treasured stuffed toy to the young child that was called Rose.

"A very vivid imagination you certainly have." was the best I could come up with as I sat there and enjoyed the affection.

"I am only stating likely theory." she retorted back with before she stood up. My own legs bringing me up shortly after so I could follow her as she turned her attention to the city of Thrurstradtur.

"Something the matter?" I asked her as her mannerisms seemed to have just changed without much influence.

"Do you promise me you will bring me to see the Anvil-Peak one day?" her eyes focusing on the top of that large wedge structure that dominated the view we had.

"We will see, Rose, we will see."

"You do not know the way?"

"Yes, I am afraid so." I told her while thinking more so on the fact I had no intention of taking her with me back home. There would be no place for her there, her existence is just too contradictory to the norms of Tobaballe. No life exists which is smarter than a human, no such concept as magic. She could be killed just by the paranoia she would incite!

"Then we can learn the route together!"

I laughed a little to hide my nervousness, "I suppose we can, I suppose we can do that, yes..." I said to her as I also looked away. Not really wanting to look her in the eye when I was thinking of how I was not going to do that... At least, not go through with the final goal of it.

"What about you? Are there any sights you might want to see that I know of? I have been to many places thanks to my travels with my flower."

"I don't really know where you have been."

"I know the selection I would have would not compare to your experiences in the slightest, but, I can show you smaller settled-flowers of the wind-people with great statues and grand designs with explicit magic use... I can even take you to my garden-mount, maybe even inside it if luck permits it."

"I wouldn't mind seeing that last one, that is your home, is it not?"

"My home is with you."

"No, as in, your home-home, the place you are from, where it all started."

She tilted her head, "I think I understand...?"

"Well, regardless, I would be very happy to see it Rose, maybe on a different trip, though? I would not want to be shown somewhere special to you and just ruin it by talking non-stop about the Anvil-Peak or..." a digit of mine waggling off at the great mountain in the distance.

"Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra." she told me.

"That's the one! Honestly, I am surprised you even remember such a long name..."

"It took me some time to get used to, admittedly, I never was one for speaking with words. But, perseverance saw me get it right."

"What language is that, anyway? I can't understand it." I said while rubbing the side of my head. Remembering what I was told following the incident with Vadei stuffing her spit up my ear canals.

"It's from the first tongue, Gods Speak. Sometimes called the Origin Language or the Language of no Magic."

"Gods Speak... It's the language mentioned in the myths of when the Fourteen Moon Gods betrayed the others?"

"Yes, the words derived from the names of all the gods seen by the first men and dragons as the gods and goddesses battled around them."

"I liked those stories, back home we had this large decoration that had an engraving of the Defender God standing watch with his legs positioned against two mountains as a trail of people walk under him."

"They are more than just stories, my love, it is all real and the proof exists even in the most minute places."

"I kind of gathered that after meeting the gods themselves..." I chuckled out to her, a smile coming from her in response.

"Who knows, maybe one day, our children's children will learn the stories of the man who returned from the dead."

"Ain't that something, but, to go back a little, you mentioned that Gods Speak was sometimes called the 'Language of no Magic,' what do you mean by that?"

"The fact it was a language made before Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra came alive when the Lone Lancer as the greatest wind-people who live on Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra call them charged down it on a hand made of emerald light."

"A lone lancer? Never mind, carry on."

She nodded a little, "See, when Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra lit up the world with its beautiful light and strength, it began to change all those who lived in this land. Their words were no longer just concepts derived from the custodian of it. It took on the features of the magic itself."

"Oh... Is that why Einervaene sounds a little, different? Because she is from a land with a different magic source."

"Yes, my love! You understand it well."

"Alright, so elaborate, what does this Windy Gods Speak not share with the regular?" I asked her out of genuine curiosity and the need for an answer. Did that thing Vadei do to me do a little more than just make me able to understand her?

"Ikra mon." Rose said while angling her arm and holding her palm upwards.

"What?"

"Land and people." she then said with no gestures.

"Land and people is what it means?" I ask to which she nods.

"Yes, but what can you tell me about them? What was the main difference you heard?"

"Would you mind repeating the Gods Speak?"

"Ikra mon." she said so again, the gestures repeating as well.

"It sounds, blunter...?"

"Well, what sounds different as I speak right now?"

A claw went to my chin while I thought on it all, "It sounds like... You are almost singing in comparison?"

"That is correct, that would be the influence of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra's power. It influences your voice with what it makes."

"What about the other languages influenced by magic? Einervaene for example?"

Rose pointed at the city of Thrurstradtur, "You'd be better off asking the people there, I am afraid, my love."

"I suppose that is fair."

"Do you have any other questions then, my love? I will try and answer them as best as I can."

"Actually, can you teach me a little more of that Gods Speak if you can? It'll give us something to do while the light of day is gone."

"I can teach you what I know, if that is what you want." she told me as she came closer once more.

"But, honestly, I have no idea of if it is nighttime or not, this... Purple is not something I am used to." I comment as I look up at the sky once more. My eyes finding it very hard to look away from all the magic that was up there with such paradoxically see-through density.

"The sky is much different up here, isn't it?"

"You can say that again... Down there it is nearly black with only the light of the moons really being visible yet up here it is like a whole new sky..."

Rose giggled, "So, what is it? Looking up at the night sky or me teaching you the first language ever to exist?"

"A bit of both is fine." I say to her as I laid down against a tree. The city of Thrurstradtur directly in my eyesight with all but the mighty mountain being seeable. And soon, I had a beautiful woman lying on my bandaged up chest who would teach me parts of a new language.

.

.

.

"So any idea where it will be best for us to meet back up with the other two?" I asked Rose as I finished putting my mask and hat back on. The bag I carried her up the mountain with soon being slung over my shoulder. My eyes lingering on Rose as she happily hummed to herself as we had just finished watching the orbital-halo rise over the horizon. It was a nice sight.

But, I had seen many nice sights recently so I don't think it meant much. Yet, there was something interesting to me about how that was the first time I ever saw it properly rise in the distance. I guess I had just spent so much of my life in the shadow of something that such a common and guaranteed occurrence never came up. I am glad I had this opportunity, though.

"We'd likely see them again near the exit of the road that spiralled up the mountain. Assuming we had not lagged behind them, in which case it might be better to head to our destination that we set out to go to originally." she said to me with her index finger pointing towards the old-looking structure that seemed to go around the walls of Thrurstradtur. Did Thrurstradtur even need walls, though? It was on top of a mountain with a single meaningful road up. Seems like you'd just need some barricades on the road rather than actual walls for the city.

Unless it had to do with how the large structure at its centre circled around and followed the orbital-halo? It was there to support it and the city in and of itself was a giant machine to track the divine-made device that gave us day? A question I could get answered once we got to the Academy and met up with Vapooliar again. And at the same time, it was a question I could answer myself right here.

"That's right..." I found myself saying as I looked at the city, my mind focusing on the short-haired woman I met in a bug hive. The one who controlled those little emerald wisps as we left it, the one who supported me in the build-up to our escape. The one who was there when I finally got out myself. I was nearly back with her and I could see if she was okay...

"Come on, we may have climbed up the mountain, but there is still quite a lot of walking still to do as we are so far from the main road!" Rose called out to me as I had lingered behind her.

"We? Woman, I'm the one who climbed up it!" I hysterically told her as I caught up to her. A laugh coming out of me as I dealt with her absurd wording choice.

"Hey, I provided the support you needed to reach the top!"

"You certainly did something..." I grumbled while rubbing the arm I had dislocated getting her out of that cold. Yet, it was meaningless because this magic cleaned it all up and healed it. I never had felt better after a breath of fresh air! Which made it all the more noticeable as we got closer to the city, it started to feel more controlled. Something I had no idea how I knew.

But, it might have been because I felt like something was tugging at me as we passed by the city. Like an air duct sucking in air as you passed it or decided to put a hand against its slotted openings. It felt like that, so it left me a little worried, was my uncontrolled magic about to bite me in the most tender of parts? Did I need to start thinking in a way like I did when I snuck into Tryhpeltzweig?

"My love, does it make you curious as to how the snow-belt works? With how everything up here is so lush and wonderful?"

"Hm? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

She pouted a little before smiling softly, "We, you, climbed up and through the snow-belt, a place covered in frost and snow. Yet, up here, it is as if there never was a snow-belt." she told me as she skipped through the gap between a pair of trees.

"That is peculiar, yes." I said to her while gazing off at the fields of green that went all the way up to the city. My mind was a little confused for a bit as it was lingering on farms for some reason despite there being none in sight. Or maybe that was why it was lingering on the topic...?

"Do you perhaps think this is a side-effect of the efforts of the wind-people, or do you think the snow-belt was always like it?"

"Like what?"

"Just a small strip near the top of the mountains."

"Ah, sorry, but, I'm afraid I don't really have an answer."

"It doesn't matter if you do, conjecture is fine, it is all I have as well." she grinned out to me to which I huffed a laugh out.

"If that is the case, then, given how everything is very different to how it is back home, for me at least, I'd have to say it was likely always like this. With pleasant fields on the mountain tops hidden behind a frozen barrier. A naturally occurring wall to put some perspective on it."

"I like to think the wind-people are responsible, it makes them seem more impressive."

"I don't think you need to make up reasons as to why they are impressive." I say to her as I came to a stop and looked at Thrurstradtur. Why would anyone need to reinforce their pride when what they had to call upon for it was something like this? A city that followed the path of the day bringer! Something I am sure most other peoples only had little tools for, not an entire city!

"I'm not! I just find it the most likely answer."

"If you cannot confirm it, it is made up." I told her with a grin to which she tried to gently shove me away.

"So what are we going to do when we finally get there?"

"Try and find Vapooliar seems like the best option." I tell her.

"The Valkinvar is going to be there?" she asked to which I nodded with a growing smile. One I tried to keep amidst the battlefield of my mind that was filled with both optimistic hopes and pessimistic dreads. One of where I met her and she would listen to me carefully and be fine that I was back with her so we could go through our plan. And one of where she looked on at me as nothing but a monster...

"Yeah, she's going to be there..." I began to say before I stared off into the distance at a flying machine that was headed straight for us. Many had flown by us as we walked, but this one seemed to be coming into land...? Or was it just someone doing a drive-by and splashing you with the big puddle they saw to put it into another context?

"Should we start running?" Rose whispered to me as after she followed my gaze to that approaching vehicle. My head looking about after she said that before I just shook it in response before speaking again.

"There'd be no point, where would we go? This is a pretty flat place even with the small woodland area we just went through."

"But what if it is something we should be concerned about?"

"Running would only make the problem worse." I tell her as I frown upon seeing the vehicle release a couple of smaller machines. Too small they were to hold people, but they were much faster, perhaps they were like a motorbike? The other vehicle like an open-trailer lorry or hauler?

Well, that was what I was going to think before they zoomed past and then around us with glowing circles popping up on their rears. A sudden group of armed men appearing around us before they then moved to hover by us as the larger one came to a stop. My hands bringing Rose in closer as I stared carefully at all these magical weapons. The strange vehicles concerning me the most as those magic circles had not disappeared.

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"Citizenry identification, please." one of the men asked me in a gentle but still stern voice as he came forward and lowered his gun. A small device in his hand as his eyes kept glancing around me. A click leaving my mouth as I realised that my magic had proved to be a means to drag us out into the open before armed authorities. And considering my recent history with them, I was a little jittery.

Something they did not seem to like...

"Let's try this a different way, Thrurstradtur or Suhurlodst?" the guard then said as he noted my behaviour. But, it seemed like he was hesitant to order the others to lower their weapons. Maybe I just needed to come off as unthreatening? Was that it?

"Can... Can you lower the guns...?" I asked cautiously while slowly raising my hands. Stopping when the sudden noise of mechanical parts moving filled my ears. Those guards back at Tryhpeltzweig had weapons that could nearly kill me, these guys must have had much worse all things considered...

The eyes of the guard narrowed as he looked at my claws, but, he did not seem to catch on to anything, "Put these on." he said as he then tossed something to me. It was like my old ankle bracelets, but distinctly more magical.

"Alright, just lock them onto my wrist?" I asked as I moved them about, to which he nodded which then led to me putting them on properly. And, all of a sudden, I felt, weak, very weak, collapsing to my knees weak. My strength had not disappeared but I felt extremely nauseous. Something Rose did not take kindly to as she suddenly took on an aggressive posture that I had to take her out of.

"What did you..." she began to say before I put my claw on her.

"It's alright, I am fine." I told her as I stood up, looking carefully at the foremost guard who was now looking at me expectingly.

"Sir?" he said in a clear reference to how I had not answered his question or shown him the identification.

"I am from neither and I have nothing on me concerning identification." I tell him, to which he responded to by gesturing the largest of the aircraft down. The machine hissing as it opened up upon landing, my gaze focusing on the insides of it.

"Both of you, please step onboard and you will be sent off to the necessary facilities." we were told as he waved us in. Rose's tail soon keeping itself close to my back as we went aboard it before sitting down. Our stuff resting on my lap while Rose herself just leaned against me with a scowl. And, just across from us on this vehicle, I had a pair of guns pointing at me.

It did not take long for a digit of mine to begin tapping against my leg so I had the means to vent the nerve-wracking sensation going through me. My eyes blinked a lot more than they normally would as well, especially given how I was so close to armed men who had an open view of me. I could not hide my body all that well, and while my carapace was hidden under the bandages and cloak... The distinct shape of my body could not be hidden.

So I was left having to listen to the quiet whispers of the guards as they made bets and debated amongst themselves as to what I was. They did not have an issue with the fact we were not humans, but, it did seem like they took issue with the way I was dressed. The word 'suspicious' and references to the concealment of items was something I heard them say a lot. Of course, I was hiding nothing, but there was no way they'd take my word for it.

So, as I had nothing better to do and Rose seemed to on edge to converse with, I just decided on looking at the armour of one of the guards.

It seemed to have been a mixture of metal plate and cloth, with the general layout of it all being relatively light on the plate. The feet were only covered at their top while the legs were covered only at the shins and upper front with a bit going towards the thigh. Hands and arms were in a similar state, back of the hand, a strip along the forearm and a small piece just about the shoulder. The chest was probably the most protective piece, though, just one big piece that covered it all but the back seemed to be exposed.

I couldn't get a good look at the helmets, however, as they were all taken off before the ones that got on, got on. But, if I was to make any guesses from what I could see, they had little flaps at the side, so they must have had ear and neck protection. Or would it be cheek protection for the ones most positioned at the side? I guess it didn't matter, either way, the face seemed to have been completely exposed otherwise.

Colours seemed to match the city itself as well, lots of brass and copper colours with some darker sections seemingly outlined with black paint or something. Possibly a form of oil? It looked very greasy in those decals that sometimes glowed a very and I meant very soft blue. The cloth portions, however, were just a shade of brown, I guess to put more emphasis on the plate armour?

A short while after I made that observation, the vehicle shook, so I guess that meant we landed? And once I was done looking at the armour of the guards as well! Which thankfully, they never caught on to thanks to the dark lenses on my mask hiding my eyes. So now all that lay ahead of me was a different problem entirely.

What was going to happen...?

"Where have you taken us?" Rose asked the guard with a more controlled tone than I thought she might have spoken in normally. And while she asked and spoke to them, I just looked around the large chamber we had landed in. Though, I suppose hangar was the correct term as this place was otherwise loaded with aircraft.

Not many guards, however, so had we perhaps just been dropped off in a civilian area? Yet, I was thinking I might have been more comfortable in a military building as this escort we were getting seemed to make us talk of the town. Or, talk of the hangar, rather. I did not like it at all, in no small part to the various bits of baseless information I heard spring up amongst the onlookers.

It did not take us long to get to a more meaningful place, but, it seemed that we had attracted the attention of a small group of well-dressed individuals. Ones that seemed to command some form of authority here, were they perhaps the men we were being sent to regarding our lack of identification? Those who would punish us for our climb up the mountain? Assuming they knew or would find out about that climb...

"Who's this, State-Guardsman?" asked a man with greying hair and a short beard as he looked at me after completely ignoring Rose. Something I had a feeling I might have had to console her about later if I was guessing her response correctly.

"We do not know, Head of Oddity House Frihdeicalkbr, he had not produced any citizenry identification and by their own admission, he was not of Suhurlodst." the guard explained to the now named and titled man. A title I found odd, admittedly, Head of Oddity House...? What kind of title was that even?

This man, this Frihdeicalkbr then approached me directly, "What is your purpose for being up here?" he asked me with an inquisitive stare. His eyes almost immediately falling upon the sight of my claws and brick-like feet. Parts of me I tried to hide upon seeing where his gaze was headed.

"To see a friend at Suhurlodst..." I told him nervously while also processing how the man seemed to become very happy at the mention of my destination.

"Well, let's hope we can keep you around longer then. May I perhaps come along and observe the procedure then take him to the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding?"

"If that is the case, yes, it will save us some time on the tabletwork. However, if issues arise, it will be a firm no."

"Of course, I understand completely." Frihdeicalkbr told him as he began to get a little more hands-on in trying to see beyond my cloak. Something Rose, thankfully, was able to put a stop to by just being her usual, assertive self.

"Thank you." I whispered to her while we both kept an eye on Frihdeicalkbr who had grown a very peculiar grin. Had I perhaps been too loud? But why would he take on such an expression from a show of gratitude...? Was it more to do with that he found the idea of an aelenvari travelling with me interesting?

Were we an entertaining gimmick to him?

I guess I would have time to think on it later, as now, it seemed like we were being put through some kind of test. A few prods, scans and jabs later and we were now before a desk of some description looking at the guard who guided us here.

"Names and occupations please." he said with a confused frown after muttering about the lack of information on us.

"First name is Nin, last name is Urtuan." I told him while being mindful of how Futhans thought my first name was a job.

"First name...?" the guard said in confusion before he then shook his head. I presume he just went ahead and put my two names together as one. He then looked up at Rose and repeated his prior question.

"Rose'lhia." Rose told him.

"Noted, no occupations for either of you?" the guard said to us with a raised brow.

"No, she gave hers up before we set off on our journey to here and I am not too sure about the circumstances of mine in this place."

"Circumstances?"

"I am not... A wind-person, as Rose here would put it."

"I see, and, would you care to explain why none of you show up on the database controlled by the Guard of the Road?"

"We uh... Well, I, climbed the mountain rather than walk along the road."

"I see." the frown on the guard deepened as the sound of moving weapons filled my ears.

"What's going on...?" I then asked as I began to panic at the sight of approaching guards.

"We are just going to pat you down for anything illegal."

And in my haste, I flung my cloak up, "I haven't gotten anything, see!?" I told him not really registering what I had done which left him sterner in gaze.

"Take the mask off." he then said which left me cold. Rose was soon pressing up against me under the imminent likelihood of us having to go on the run again.

"He can't! It's religious! He cannot take it off unless you want to occur the wrath of the gods!" Rose tried to ward them off with, but it had no effect.

"Neither the Founding Pantheon or the Faith under the Mighty have any documented uses of beak-like masks in their religious attire. It will be removed or you will be under arrest and you will face the charges you have accrued." he explained as he stood up and held out some kind of pistol at me. Rose was becoming increasingly aggressive and I was unable to stop myself from shaking...

But, then, it just became clear... There was no getting out of this situation, so I just held Rose tightly and turned her around, "Rose, it's going to be alright, just move over there, away from them." I told her as I began to slowly move her away.

"No it won't be! IT WON'T BE!" she said with increasing hysteria even though she did as she was told.

"Can you guys not be trigger happy...? Please?" I asked the guards awkwardly to which the one in front just gestured for me to get on with it. Clearly indicating that as long as I didn't try anything there would be no shots fired. And so, with shaking claws, I began to take off my hat and mask. Tightly clenching them in shame as the guard ahead of me looked on in bewilderment, clearly knowing what I was but still not doing anything.

"Now isn't this interesting indeed." Frihdeicalkbr said as he began to walk around me at rapid pace. Likely to keep away any potential shots from the magical guns pointed at me.

"Sir, what do we do?" one of the guards behind me asked.

"Head of Oddity House, will you be taking this Nin into your care?" the guard ahead of me asked. My eyes, however, were not looking at him, they were looking at Frihdeicalkbr as he had grabbed me by the chin and was staring intently into them.

"And what if I don't?"

The guard put some thought into it, "It will be killed off here and now."

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Rose screamed at him as her own magic began to flare up.

"I'll take her too," he said with a pointed finger before he let me put my mask and hat back on. And now, well, it seemed like my life was in the hands of this man. But, I was glad somewhat... I did not have to run away...

But...

There was no way this would end up well, me being osibindah was likely just going through all of the guards like the water behind a collapsing dam.

"So... Uh, thank you for your help?" I said to the man who just got me out of an imminent execution.

"Don't thank me, I won't be having you think I did this out of the kindness of my heart." he told me with cold pragmatism. A pragmatism that left me with a dangerous amount of curiosity within me.

"Then why did you do it...?"

"Because you are an osibindah, the first one ever to be documented with your level of docility and compliance and intelligence and I plan on seeing what makes you tick."

"If you think you can experiment on me, you have another thing coming." I growled out at him which left him just sending an unamused expression my way. Not even caring for the sounds of moving guns I just heard as this was far more serious. I would not turn myself into this mans care just to be cut open!

"Experiment? Well, yes, but not in the usual way. You are, admittedly, far too valuable to just cut open or put through a maze, so, instead, I will make you a student. Clearly you need the education, but that is beside the point." he said to me before he then gestured to the magic flowing out of me and around me. That same magic that was still getting tugged at by something in the direction of Thrurstradtur. Or, possibly the city itself.

"So if you got me out of that situation because you were curious about me, then why did you let Rose come too?"

"Because I get to test just how strong an aelenvari's love is." he said while staring intently at Rose who took a step back in shock. Her eyes looking at me with an expression that seemed almost pleading. Was she worried that she would lose interest in me? I mean, I can't say I'd be bothered by that.

I did only see her as a friend, after all, a good one, if an overbearing one that was far too open with me for my tastes in some areas. But, as long as she stayed my friend, then I did not see an issue with her getting interested in someone else. Yet, for now at least, I should probably try and reassure her or something at the very least. Because, if I was remembering it properly, this had happened before at her flower when I was in that sporting event she set up.

"So we are heading to your academy then?"

"The Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding, yes. But, I would like to know who it is you were going to see there before what happened, happened." he asked me as we came to a stop. My head turning to look on cautiously at the guards who were following us through the building while I thought of an answer. Was mentioning Vapooliar a good idea? Maybe I should just mention Einervaene and Baltanthan so we could get back together.

Yeah, that was probably best for now...

"I am not sure if she has got there yet, but it is a young woman and man by the name of Einervaene and Baltanthan."

"A Jherikrani name and an Eusorochiian one? Well, Eusorochiian and Jherikrani one as you gave me her name first, not his."

"Uh, yeah." I said after he was done with his ramble.

"Hm, can't say any Eusorochi have arrived at or joined Oddity House recently. So, I guess we are heading to the Plateau Gate to see if they are there." he then said as he began to move again. Following him until we reached a garage of some description from which he then guided us to some land-based machine. It seemed to be a car, but, its magical aspects made me unsure if calling it a car was correct as it was the same in purpose but not really design. We were gestured into it shortly after and were speeding off just as quickly.

"So what is Oddity House?" I then asked him while we had some privacy. Well, that might have been untrue as we were already being followed by armed aircraft and more of those things with the magic circles. And, well, it made me uncomfortable because being in a situation where I was viewed as a threat just hurt. I was not an innately violent person and yet I was being stalked as if I was...

"It is one of four student divisions with the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. It is there for all non-human students and students not from the Jherikra continent."

"Why would you have a segment for different species and foreigners?"

"Because, for example, if you look at your aelenvari lover's legs, you will see her biology is adapted to handling magic differently. As such, we have a different set of facilities set up for them."

"And the reason non-Jherikrans go with it?" I asked him while rolling that word, 'Jherikran,' in my mouth. I swear this land was called Jhermonikra so hearing it be called something else was odd. I could probably ask Rose about it later, though.

"Because if you come from another one of the five main continents, your magic will be different, as such, facilities that are not the norm which we have the most of will be best suited for you or them. More so if you are of mixed-race, even if those rules also apply to a learnt pureblooded Jherikran as well."

"What happens if you are mixed-race?"

"Your magic takes on both traits of the parent lines. For example, you probably won't ever meet her, but, the lady in charge of the security of Thrurstradtur was born from an Errakurdish mother and a father from the lands of the dark mountain. As such, she has a mixture of dark magic and fire magic at her disposal, it is quite interesting to see it as it is so contradictory."

"I assume the contradiction is that fire is the most well-known source of light?"

"Correct."

"I guess you are right about it being interesting then." I mutter while trying to think of how such magic might work.

"Was she ever a student at your rooted-flower?" Rose then asked.

"She was not, no, she was largely self-taught and instructed by those at the school she went to, to learn how to use a sword."

"Do you have many hybrid users like that at Oddity House?" I then asked him.

"Unfortunately, no, most of them are at Exceptional House, who, admittedly, I have been rather jealous of as they inducted quite the student recently."

I perked up but managed to hide most of it behind my cloak and mask, "What sort of magic does she have?"

"Wind magic, but, what gets me is how much inspiration she seems to have taken from the Valkinvar who used to actually call Suhurlodst their home. In fact, the Ringed-City was built by them." he said which left me smiling behind my mask as that basically confirmed Vapooliar was here. It wasn't inspired... It was!

"What is different about Exceptional House then?" I followed up with as he had not explained the other student segments yet.

"It is the section of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding for native Jherikran students who did exceptionally well in the entrance exams, one the aforementioned student broke all the records in. Traditional House being where they go if they just pass it without issue. Mechanical House if they are seeking more engineering-based arcane education."

"Are there any other Houses?"

"None, though, admittedly, there has been talks of establishing a fifth by dividing mine into two."

"One for foreigners and one for non-humans?" I asked him, personally thinking my guess was probably quite obvious.

"That would be correct. We've been getting a lot more non-Jherikrans as of late and Oddity House just isn't equipped for such diversity as it originally was just a frequently updated measure to deal with any children from a minority of imported specialists."

"And these entrance exams, am I going to have to take them given the situation I am in? I did not exactly get a choice in the matter." I say to him with a frown.

"Yes, yes you will still need to take the entrance exams."

"And if I fail?"

"You will be executed for your crimes."

"How can climbing a mountain be a justifiable reason to execute me!?"

"It isn't, but they won't likely treat it as such, they'd just mark it down as monster hunting or pest control. Which, in and of itself is a sham to the legal system of our associated Republic, but, you won't find any legal aid given what you are."

I slowly slid down my seat in despair, "Great... Just great."

"Chin up, you have a very impressive reserve of magic so I can't see you failing."

"What even is in this exam?" Rose then asked him with a glare as her hand moved to hold my claw affectionately to reaffirm my self-belief.

"As long as you are not going to be doing any arcane-engineering, it will just be a test of your magical capabilities. Any spells you have begun to develop and so on alongside a few reading and writing exams to make sure you are properly learned enough."

I gulped in worry, sure, I might be able to do the magic... But I can't write or read Gods Speak or its wind-blessed descendent language! And there'd be no way I could learn it all before an entrance exam! It's impossible, I might as well just kill myself right now and save the guards the trouble...

"Would we have to do it upon arriving at your rooted-flower?" Rose then asked him, her hand having allowed her to figure out my sudden worries.

"No, you are given a three to five-month period to prepare using onsite equipment. We are aware many coming in won't have the most refined magic so we give them a period to refine it." he explained which put me at some ease. That was enough time, wasn't it? I could learn enough in that time frame if I put my mind to it... Yeah, I just needed to briefly go through some time where I was just learning... I could do that...

"Are there any limits to what we would be able to use?"

"Nope, the entrance exam build-up period is also treated as a taster term for potential newcomers so we let them have at it and it also lets them see if the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is right for them. A system that has worked out quite well for us so far."

"But I won't have the option of just deciding it ain't for me and leaving."

"No, I am afraid not, but, with the stakes clear to you, you should have the drive to finish it well."

"Yeah, sure. I will go above and beyond because otherwise I will be shot dead for having the body of a bug..." I sarcastically spat out at him.

"I am no psychology expert, I admit, but, Nin was it? You have an aelenvari lover there. If it helps, try readjusting your goals so that you are doing it for her rather than yourself." he said in a much softer tone as he brought the vehicle to a stop and got out. Looking at Rose before I did anything else and just staring intently at her worried face. A smile soon forming on her face before she hugged me.

"Don't worry my love, I won't let them kill you. I will help you however I can." her hug ending after she said that to me. A slow nod being my response before I got out.

"Oh! And I nearly forgot, but, I'll have to look into it considering your situation, but, we also allow score sharing if you sign up to the entrance exam together."

"Our scores get added on to each other?"

"Yes and no, if one of you does well enough to cover the passing grade for both individuals, then you both pass. However, if one fails too much, only the one with enough gets in."

"Why only if you sign up together?"

"Because magic is defined by the experiences of the user, some people have theirs defined more by their close bonds. Either way, you now know, so let's get those friends of yours."

"What is the passing score?" I then asked him, hoping and hoping it wasn't anything absurd.

"Seventy out of a hundred made up of averages from all your tests which are also scored out of a hundred. If you score sixty-one or higher, we offer the chance to redo some of your tests to get it up."

"So that means as long as me, Vine and the human-root can get more than seventy, we can fill in for any of your deficiencies, my love." Rose whispered to me. I hope she was mostly thinking on the language issue rather than the magic one. I think I can pass that one on my own, but I don't know. All I have to show for it so far is this thing I do with my fingers...

"Okay..." was all I really had to let out right now, my mind was just too bothered to think up anything else. So, for now, I just followed my new caretaker of sorts as he went into the main building for the gates we had arrived at. Plateau Gate he said, so I guess the idea was it is the last gate before the top of the mountain where the city was. And, now that I was at the traditional start of the way to Thrurstradtur...

Well, I was scared more than anything. The wonder of the sight was gone and now all I could do was see it as the world's longest executioners road. And I was also just angry with myself, I went through all that effort to get up the mountain only to be let down by my own incompetence regarding magic. There was no dismissing it as anything else but incompetence.

I knew full well I had barely any time to learn it but I was now being presented with a situation where I might die again. And, frankly, the possibility of being killed off for no justifiable legal reason left me bitter and cynical. Or, rather, more so than usual. I had a lot of things to be bitter about as of late.

"Hopefully we can get to the others before this gets out of hand." Rose commented with a sneer as the stalking of the guards was attracting attention to us. A lot of bad and negative attention because they were also uncomfortable with the fact guns were raised. I just really wished right now the crowd would disappear as they were making this all worse. Luckily, it seems what we came here for was found.

"Rossie-chira, Urtuoi-kishchu! What's going on?" Einervaene asked me in confusion as she looked around at what was happening. Baltanthan, however, was currently having some form of discussion with Frihdeicalkbr. From what little I could hear over the murmurs of the crowd, it was about how he would not be required to follow us. The previously mentioned fact of him not being eligible for Oddity House likely being the case.

He had no issue with it, though, in fact, he breathed a great sigh of relief and nearly hopped for joy before disappearing. And, going by how quickly he was out the door, I could only assume he was going to enjoy the walk there while we drove. I was fine with that, I doubt his foul mood would have made mine any better. Besides, Einervaene would at least listen without interruption or snark.

"And off we go, assuming I got the correct two?" Frihdeicalkbr asked us, to which I nodded before we then left the building and returned to the vehicle.

"Can I know what is going on now?" Einervaene asked in worry as she uncomfortably watched those aircraft follow us again.

"Your companion here was forced to let slip the fact he is an osibindah," Frihdeicalkbr told her, "As such, the various security forces of Thrurstradtur are on alert regarding him. How high up is aware, I have not a clue, but, it shan't be long until the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is forced to address the issue in tabletwork."

Einervaene looked on at me with pity in her eyes, "This wasn't because of me or Baltanthan, was it?"

"No, no it wasn't..." I tell her quietly.

Her face went to rest in her gloved hand, "Will we have to worry about what happened in the town we left?"

"No, they aren't within the legal jurisdiction as far as I know..." I mutter to her while trying to recall what I heard from Futhans.

"This has happened before?" Frihdeicalkbr asked us, either because I was too loud or he has too keen a set of ears.

I nodded in reply but Rose was the one to answer, "It has, a root," she said with venom-laced words, "stuck her nose where it shouldn't have been and we were forced to leave on more violent terms."

"A ravineer town, was it?" he then asked to which I nodded again, "That's good, assuming they are listening in, they can't hold that against you."

I frowned and nearly snarled, "You sure are prepared to go through a lot just to satiate some curiosity..." I told him with a rising temper.

"Indeed, but, you are a very exceptional situation, a very exceptionally special one indeed. But, to change the topic a little, what ravineer town was it?"

"Tryhpeltzweig." I answered.

"Tryhpeltzweig... Hm... Ah! I remember now, the residence of one of our former students who made quite the reserve of wealth before he left."

"You know him?" Einervaene asked him, it being clear she wanted to try and get on to a different topic. Away from the issue I was currently faced with.

"I do, he was a student I sometimes looked into whenever he came back from some jobs he took on as part of his education."

"He is older than you, no?" Rose then asked while my mind was suddenly thinking of how Brewbrt did look much older.

"He is, by a few centuries, in fact."

.

.

.

"Vine, have you seen him?" Rossie-chira asked me while I sat at a table set up just outside the guest house we had been assigned to since we arrived at the academy. It wasn't our main dwelling, we'd be moved to that later, but, since we arrived here, we have barely seen Urtuoi-kischu and it worried us. More so Rossie-chira, but, I can't help but feel worried for him as well as he is my friend and he seems to be getting increasingly bothered.

At least, that is what I assumed from the few times I have been able to see him.

"Attention all students. Attention all students. Please make way to the King Kaishelin Debate Chamber." the speaker system throughout the Academy then began to repeat several times before stopping.

"Would we go to that...?" Rossie-chira asked in confusion as I looked on in the distance at all the students suddenly on the move. If I wasn't bothered by other things, I might have been impressed with how it was a small city's worth of students. Some of which were travelling by magic or other means.

"We are students as far as I am aware, either way. It seems important so it will probably be best for us to go." I tell my friend as I got up from my chair and walked alongside her. And while I did not know where we had to go, the horde of students did work very well for getting us a rough idea of where we would have to go. But, after a certain part of the trip, it became clear without them because the building was very distinct.

Almost like a little mountain...

Rossie-chira then stopped, "Can't we go find my love first?"

I sighed uncomfortably first, "We aren't going to find him in this crowd, besides, even when this wasn't happening, we could barely find him, remember? You nearly collapsed from exhaustion when we did it on our first days here."

"You know I can't just leave him on his own..." Rossie-chira nearly cried out as she looked on at the guards which had begun to populate the grounds of the Academy since we arrived. They even set up a base or camp of some description on the grounds of the Academy which seemed a little excessive...

I pulled her in close and hugged her, "I know, I know. But we need to just try and keep positive about it, once this is all done and dusted we can get on with what we came here to do and forget it ever happened."

"Positive...? There's nothing to be positive about." she whimpered out as I stroked her hair before she returned the hug and cried harder. And while it wasn't really an appropriate thought to have, I was glad she was opening up to me more and more. It was very assuring to know she was willing to see me more and more as a friend.

"Well, let's just go to this thing first and then we can have another look for him? They have no issues with us using magic on campus so long as we aren't endangering anyone with it."

"Okay..." she said with a slight and very brief wag of her tail. A ghost of a smile appearing on my face before we began to walk again. My curiosity soon being stoked by how we were all being segregated by our associated House before we all went in. And, to my surprise, I was soon next to a girl with a fluffy tail.

"What's this all about? I have studies to get back to..." she complained bitterly while her claws tapped against the rest of the chair she was in. My head and focus going forward when she caught sight of my staring, but, she did nothing about it beyond maybe complain in her head. Yet, even with this girl offsetting the tone, something felt very off about the fact this building was all focused in on one spot.

That podium at the centre... I could only pray it wasn't going to be used for anything that could be called nefarious. Someone would soon go on to it, however, and it was the man who took us here. The one I had forgotten the name of as he had pretty much disappeared since we arrived.

"Quiet please." he said with an absurdly loud voice. A mixture of magic and the shape of the chamber likely echoing his voice.

"Finally..." the girl next to me complained.

"Quiet! Now, thank you. As I am sure you are all aware, these past few cycles and or days have been quite hectic with the current addition of Thrurstradturian security forces setting up on the campus of the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. You will now find out why. So, I now present to you the cause of it all, a new student of ours, one Nin Urtuan." he explained which left my heart sinking as he stepped aside.

"I'm sorry, what...?" the girl next to me growled out upon hearing that name. Her eyes going wide along with what must have been the eyes of everyone else as Urtuoi-kischu nervously stepped up onto the platform. There was no confidence in him at all, it was like I was staring at a child being called out...

"My love..." Rossie-chira whispered in disbelief as the chamber suddenly rose up in uproar with our section possibly being the quietest area. I assume it was because of how it was mostly filled with people like me, people who did not know of the gravitas of what Urtuoi-kischu was. That by no means meant it was quiet, though.

My face soon sank into my hands as I took it all in... My friend was right there looking like he was about to break down from the pressure and I could do nothing... He just had to be on his own and take all this nonsense...

"WHY IS THERE AN OSIBINDAH HERE!?" was the cry of outrage that shook this room with eardrum bursting force... A cry I don't think I would ever forget.