"Hold on, Grey," Elira whispered, her face showing she was having a hard time wrapping her head around what I had just said, while Vara looked even more lost. "When you say beast core, you mean... like, an actual beast core?"

"Y-Yeah."

"The core that only beasts have?"

"Yeah."

"And you can use it?"

"Yeah. Well, sort of. I'm still learning." A bit of a lie, as I didn't have time or thought to do anything with the damn thing that destroyed my womb. The beast knew how to do it, though.

"Traiana's tits!" Elira swore, not like her at all, eyes locked on my belly as if she might catch a glimpse of that core. "And you have it - there? Beasts usually have it in the chest, opposite the heart."

"I know. The mind bitch said so, too."

"The one that wants to get you - as a pet for her daughter?"

"Yeah - or at least, that’s what I thought. Now, I’m not so sure it’s even about that anymore." Truth be told, I feared she had something far worse in store for me. "Anyway, as for why I have it in... well, t-that bastard, Dungreen, was afraid it might rot my heart too quickly, so..."

"I see," Elira said in a whisper as my voice broke and I found myself unable to say more. "Not a mage myself, but I have read that anyone who has messed with beast cores has not ended well."

"T-That's what I picked up, too. Lucky me, right?" The irony in my words was not lost on those two. They both gave me a sympathetic smile.

Behind Vara's, however, there was confusion - mixed with curiosity. "So, you said he put it in your... tsk... belly. Did he, like, put it in your...you know, pu..."

"Vara!" Elira whispered sharply, her face heating up to her ears as she cut off her friend before she could finish what she had in mind.

"Oh, grow up, El. You're not array'less anymore. If I were... tsk... If I were you, I'd worry about your nights being awfully lonely from now on," she said, wiggling the fingers of her right hand over her face. It was a pretty obvious jab at Elira's missing fingers, which only made the woman blush even more - and me too.

"When we get out of this, I'm going to have them grow back."

"That's possible?" I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Back on Earth, unless the fingers were cut clean off, which they weren't, and the person in question had them with her, which she didn't, something like that was impossible. But hey, I was basically a walking miracle myself.

"Figures you wouldn’t know, not with your fancy regeneration," Vara grunted, grimacing through the pain. "Fuck my tits! Right now, I could use it - any way you can share it?"

"If I could, I would, I swear."

"Thanks, but no need to get all tits up. I was joking. No one can, as far as I know."

"Sorry, Grey, she... that's just Vara being Vara," Elira said, half-annoyed at her friend, yet half-relieved to have her back. "What she's trying to say is, for a decent healer, fixing a few fingers is nothing. Marcus - Lieutenant Marcus - he can grow back an entire arm."

"Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes once. It took him hours, but the guy got his leg back. On that note - what about your regeneration?"

Good question. "I don't know, I've never lost a leg - and I don't intend to." According to Never-Dying's description, though, I should be able to grow anything as long as my brain remains intact. Not that I want to test that either.

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"Of course, you don't," Elira said, thoughtful. "I'm wondering, though. Is your regeneration really the reason you're still alive? I mean, those mages must have thought of something like that ages ago - regeneration, healing, recovery. Yet..."

Yeah, all of them apparently ended up dead.

"Ugh, I'm probably gonna look like an idiot saying this, but what's so great about the core?" Vara muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, every magic tool out there uses them. Sure, the big ones can go for tens of golds, but... you can find them in every market."

Elira, thankfully, chimed in. "Those are used through enchantments."

"And?"

"Well, the tools might not care what kind of mana they use, but people do. In fact, a mage cannot use another mage's mana without some nasty consequences."

"Sorry, still don't follow. What's it got to do with the cores?"

"Really, Vara? You don't know anything about magic?"

"Only what I need to."

"And what is that? You know what... I don't want to know?" Elira added quickly, realizing that Vara's magic knowledge would likely have something to do with bed activities. But even as she brushed off her friend, her brain was working overtime, and suddenly it hit her like a slap. "If a mage wants to use a beast core as a mana reserve, they have to convert theirs to beast mana first. Then convert that mana back into theirs before using it. Which Grey with her own core doesn't have to... fuck! So that's why."

"Why what, El?"

"For fuck's sake, you're the one obsessed with war stories. Don't you see how terrifying that would be - the mind mages with their own beast cores? They'd have a mana reserve they wouldn't have to worry about using."

"I get that part," Vara grumbled. "I just still don't see why it's such a big deal. They've got plenty of ways to refill their mana besides..." She jabbed a finger at my stomach. "... some core. Tools, pills, potions, even damn weaves. So why the fuck go to war with Sahal over this?"

"Wait what? A war?!" My throat went dry. I didn't want to be the reason for a war. Not that I had much say in it, but still...

"There won't be a war," Elira hissed at Vara, then muttered even softer, "At least, I really hope not."

"Say what you want, but talk to anyone who’s fought... tsk... and they will tell you that the Mind Wars are far from over."

Elira frowned at her friend. "I don't get it. I thought you didn't buy into that crap? That you only listen to those war timers for stories about thralls and stuff?"

"Well, yeah. But getting mauled and kidnapped by the mind mage's goons will change your mind."

With that, Elira couldn't help but agree. "Then you must understand that the mind mages are looking for an edge to help them gain the upper hand."

"And you think it's the core?"

"Mages have been craving it for centuries. There are many stories in the library about how they turned evil in pursuit of it. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of mages joined the mind mage side just to get the core once the word gets out - tits!"

"What now, El?"

"What if... what if that's why Ward agreed to work with them? He's a mage."

That stopped me cold. Ward was a mage. So was Harcon.

"You think... tits that hurt... he'd risk the whole Shadowbreakers for that?"

"Yes. Would make sense," Elira agreed. "Unless he's brainwashed, what else would be worthwhile for him to go so far? It couldn't be the money."

"True. They say... tsk, for tits's sake! Can't they go a bit slower?! Fuckers! Anyway, word is, he’s got enough gold to buy the entire Egerton Manor."

"But, he..." I trailed off, thinking back to the first time I met him. "...he didn't seem to know the reason they wanted me?"

"Could’ve just been an act all along," Vara remarked, hissing again in pain as the wagon jumped. "That bastard's been playing everyone his whole life."

"True." Elira nodded. "He even fooled Captain Rayden a couple of times."

"T-Then, what a-about..." I stammered, straining my senses, ears twitching for the slightest sign of someone eavesdropping. "What about Harcon?"

"What about that bastard?" Vara spat, her words dripping with anger and pain.

"He's a mage, too."

Understanding flashed in Elira's blue eyes. "He asked you to tell him?"

"Um-hmm. He said that depending on what I tell him, he might help us."

"Tell him," Elira blurted out, startling not only me but also Vara. "Definitely tell him."

"Are you...?"

"I know what you think, Vara, but he used to be a Master Guard. This is what Captain Rayden trained them for - he'll know the right thing to do. Besides, what else do we have to lose?"