Lucy was overwhelmed with gratitude for Master Adars’ victory. She went pale when Luscin described Vania’s finishing move. She can’t imagine how much power this woman wields and is truly stunned when she remembers Vania assuring her that Luscin is stronger.

“This calls for a celebration.”

Vania would enjoy staying for a party, “I wish we could, but we have our duties to attend. We’ll be leaving tomorrow at first light.”

Strangely Luscin was glad they would not be staying long, “We’ll need to buy travel provisions today before the shops close. Maybe you can show me your shoe business?”

“Mammatus gold will be worthless in Thuma by the end of the day. Once I spread word that the witch is truly dead this time, you two will be celebrated as hero’s and never have need of gold in Thuma.”

Master Adara, “Believe me sugar when I say this. It’s unnecessary but appreciated. The people of Thuma can even the scales of obligation in gold or deeds. There may come a time when we need allies. A vow to stand with us in our time of need is enough.”

“You have my vow, and I’m authorized to speak for the family on this matter. The Lael clan will stand with Mammatus.”

“The Study at Mammatus accepts your vow as payment. Now, Luscin, you know this city better than I, where should we pick up those supplies?”

“Well, my favorite grocer is dead. I have no idea where to shop now. Mom, why don’t you recommend somewhere.”

Lucy thinks for a moment, “I’ll do you one better. I’ll have one of my bird watchers take you on a tour of the best places. You can get dinner while you’re out.” Standing up she continues, “I guess this is goodbye. Please come back anytime. Father is waiting for that beat down, he’s going to be so proud of you.”

Lucy grinning walks the two out; the hall is now lined with every student from the study. When the two appear, the students break out in applause and cheers. The three slowly make their way through a mirid of halls, clearly not the most direct way out of the study, but every student wanted a chance to show their gratitude. Shoulders are patted hands are shaken. The kids that lost someone personally were in tears and insisted on hugging each of them.

Luscin modestly kept saying it was all Master Adera, nobody listened. They all knew she was the one to bloody the witch all those years ago.

Finally, out of the study, the Defender bids farewell to Lucy and the student says her parting words to her mother.

“I know this isn’t the type of thing a daughter says to her mother, but I am so proud of what you’ve done for yourself.”

“You were more of a mother to me than I ever was to you. I made me what I was, you made me become what I am. Thank you Luscin.”

“Goodbye mother.”

One last hug and the two, part ways.

A man of indetermined age waits at the study gate for them, “I hear you two need a tour of Thuma.”

Vania finds him very appealing, “You heard correct, are you man enough for such a job?” She tilts her head a little and raises an eyebrow as if asking something else.

He’s as literal as most men, and women, and misses the innuendo, “I certainly am, I know this city as well as any man you’ll find.”

“Well then let us get started,” Vania reaches for the man’s arm and pulls him to her side.

Luscin sees where this is going and opts to go her own way, “There’s a couple friends I’d like to check up on. You two go ahead and I’ll see you tonight at the inn.

“That sounds wonderful dear, see you in the morning.”

Luscin waits to see which way they go and turns the other way. Once out of view she stops and waits to make sure Vania isn’t following her. Assured she’s not, Luscin backflips into the air.

She shoots skyward at as steep an angle as she can hold. She estimates she’s turned the clock hand to halfway between 10 and 11, maybe 80 degrees on a compass. Once she’s sure to be too high to notice she eases off and lets normal gravity slow her and eventually bring her back down. But not just anywhere, the moment she made up her mind to leave she remembered something and now it’s bothering her. When she arrived, she checked on her old windmaster, but his shack was abandoned. She remembers setting a red tea pot on the windowsill. He may no longer live there, but that was disrespectful of his belongings, she should put it away.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Luscin locates the lake shore and follows the shoreline until she sees the stretch of beach with the old shipwreck. She angles her fall towards it and lets gravity do its job until she needs to slow herself and land.

Calling what she does landing is generous, it’s more of a controlled crash. She absorbs more kinetic than she’s comfortable holding and always has to vent it back out.

Luscin makes her way up the sandy path, her heart quickens when she sees four sets of tracks in the sand. Two are hers, coming and going, and two look familiar but she can’t dare to hope. There could be other one-legged men besides her old master walking this beach.

She reaches the shack to find it still empty. Sadley, she looks around and there’s the tea pot still in the window. She picks it up and hears a clank. Looking inside she finds a rock, which made the noise, and a piece of paper with a short note upon it.

Little fish,

I hear yer in town a few days. I be back on sunset. Wait for me.

The wind runner’s grammar is as bad as ever. She destroys the note with a quick blast of flame and puts the tea pot back in its cabinet. Settles down in one of the three chairs and waits for her old friend.

The afternoon sun burned hot, Luscin waited, kept comfortable by the constant lake driven wind. The sun dipped and set, Luscin continued to wait. An hour passed, then two, Luscin sat motionless and waited.

“Little Fish,” calls a voice from the beach.

Luscin jumps up and darts down the path, for a moment it feels like three years ago.

She clears the sea grass and brush and there on the beach is... not Windmaster Wheller.

“Who are you? Where’s Wheller?”

The man who goes by many names, including Windmaster Wheller, Todd Brindle, and now Dorson Milnor. Throws a veil over Luscin. Something he wouldn’t be able to do if he had not gotten to her long before the Masters of Mammatus. The repetition of the activating phrase will make the veil reoccur on its own with enough repetitions.

“Little fish, Luscin. I have a new mission in a place not too far from here. Are you listening?”

“I’m listening.”

“Good girl, you did good with finding the boy Teum. He’s not the one I wanted, but a solid find. My new mission will get us closer. You can’t return to Mammatus Study. You failed too many tests; the restrictive rules of the Order of Defenders are not for you. Master Terius himself recommend you be expelled, and Headmaster Gale agreed. You decided to be a duelist. You will join me in Mecanose where I am known as Dorson Milner. I will have many tasks and jobs for you. Repeat that back to me.”

“Master Terius and Headmaster Gale kicked me out of Study. I decided to become a Duelist and will go to Mecanose to assist you.”

“What’s my name?”

“You’re Dorson Milnor, who else would you be?”

“Good girl. Find me at my family estate in Mecanose in one week. Do what you want until then.”

Luscin shrugs and says, “See you in a week.” Then she backflips into the air.

The next morning, Vania wakes early and knocks on Luscin’s door. When there’s no immediate response she peers through the door and sees the room is empty. Almost, Luscin’s pack is still sitting on the floor in disarray. Puzzled, she goes downstairs and checks the common room. The innkeeper didn’t see her return last night. It’s still the weekend, the study will not be open. She hopes the bird watchers meet every day.

She makes her way back to the study and heads for Lucy’s office. There she is grateful to find Luscin’s mother at her desk reading reports.

“I know we already said our goodbyes. Did Luscin come back here or say anything about errands?”

“No, where us she? That’s what I wanted to ask you. Last night she said she had some old friends to catch up with. We were to meet this morning and depart.”

“Luscin has no friends to catch up with, the witch killed them all.”

Vanya is quiet for a moment before asking, “What about friends she may have made after running away and coming to Mammatus? There was a two-year gap where she wandered all over Cenoka?”

“I would know less of those years than you,” Lucy says flatly.

Vania asks, “What about a Windmaster, going by the name of Wheller?”

“No clue, but I’ll put out some feelers and send you anything I find.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lael.”

Master Vania Adera fast traveled across roof tops until she found the lake shore. Once there she did the closest thing to flying, she would ever dare. She ran across the water.

Following the shoreline is impossible on land. Some sections are crowded with buildings, others with docks, and lastly there are unsettled stretches with dense brush and small trees. She knows what she’s looking for. A small shack near a shipwreck.

She finds a wrecked ship only a few miles up the Thuma coast. It must have been tossed by a rogue wave because it’s a full twenty yards from shore. She was about to search for the shack when she saw the footprints in the sand. One set belonging to a man, the other to a smaller person who can apparently fly. There’s no way to follow Luscin, so she tracks the man’s prints. His prints lead up the beach to a path where the unmistakable signs of a master fast traveling make him impossible to follow as well.

Vania waits two days for Luscin to return before pushing herself harder than ever before. She must report back to Mammatus Study that Luscin is missing. Her last hope is that Luscin flew back to the study, but the left behind pack isn’t encouraging.