A few days later, Xhez was floating on the water, staring up at the sun as it bathed her. She enjoyed this dichotomy, the water on her back, the sun on her front. It had her smiling to herself as she kept her eyes closed to bask in the sensation. She couldn't stay out for too long, otherwise, she'd end up with her energy low and she'd have to sleep in the same way her mothers were at the time. But, she did take some time out of the morning to do this.

Then, she heard something in the distance. By now, it was a sound she was familiar with. The rustles of leaves, the hushed whispers of something approaching. Another human was nearing the water. Xhez dipped, shrinking her form to wait it out as she usually did.

However, something was different this time. The tone of the voice was different and the person beyond the surface was equally as strange.

Then, she saw the thing more closely and Xhez gawked when she spotted the creature. As the human took off its layers like the other ones usually did, Xhez was stunned to see that the thing was a lot like herself.

But, most of all, what shook her spirit was the look on its face. Anxiety, confusion, fear. This one was scared and looking for relief from the waters.

It muttered things that Xhez couldn't understand and took steps closer to the water. And this was when Xhez remembered that dream of hers. [Could it be?] She thought. [Is this an opportunity?] She wondered. Then, the thing stuck out a foot that looked just like her own and touched the water with it.

Xhez felt like this was what she'd been waiting for. Every part of her was begging her to go up, to greet this thing, to see its reaction. And yet, there was another voice in her mind stating that if this went poorly, she could end up dead. No different than any of those other sprites who were sent to their graves by humans.

[There is only one.] Xhez rationalized. [She does not have any metal on her. She is as bare as I am.] Before she even realized it, she was floating up. If this is not the best chance I will ever have, I cannot imagine what will be.

So, she grew into her normal size and swam up. Slowly, hesitantly, she breached the surface and let the sun touch her head once more. And then, she and the human locked eyes.

"Hello!" Xhez said, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

It appeared so strange. The human had arms and legs like her own, but her skin was a pale white while Xhez's was a dark blue, and her eyes were the color of the sun above while Xhez's were a deep sapphire. Their hair was also similar in length, but the human's hair was thinner. Finally, the human had breasts and legs that were like her own, if only a tad bigger.

They were so similar that Xhez couldn't help but wonder why the humans seemed to hate them.

The human fell back and looked up at Xhez with an expression she'd call "surprised".

It spoke back to her.

"UAGAGH?" The human asked. Xhez didn't even bother responding because the most important part was that it did not attack her and it did not run. So far, so good. Xhez thought and continued moving towards it. The human raised up two hands in a gesture that Xhez didn't quite understand, so she flinched. When it didn't seem like the human was going to do anything else, Xhez continued.

Eventually, she started extending a hand towards the human. It didn't back away and it didn't move forwards, so Xhez continued.

Their hands touched and Xhez took a second to appreciate the moment. She hadn't seriously thought she'd ever get to experience this.

The human's hand was slightly rough, its skin somewhat firmer than Xhez's own. It was warm and as she slid her hand up the human's arm to what would be her own wrist, Xhez could feel something thumping softly every second or so.

Another idea popped up in her mind. [Maybe I could...] It was stupid, and it risked alerting the human and removing whatever trust had led the human to allow her to feel it, but still. She wanted to try. So, she moved closer. The human shifted away, so Xhez stopped until it looked like the human's caution had passed and then, she slowly placed her hands on the human's hips.

Then, she pressed her forehead against the human's and closed her eyes.

To her surprise, it worked. The human's memories temporarily became her own, her understanding of the world, of her community. Xhez only saw one moment in this woman's life, but that moment was enough.

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Xhez nearly collapsed. She saw how this girl, "Rin" was trapped, held hostage by things called "kobolds" that Xhez hadn't seen before and other humans. She felt her fear, her adrenaline, her determination. She escaped, she cried, she walked the land.

Then, she saw herself. Her own body rose out of the water as Rin stared with a mixture of wonder and caution and asked herself a very similar question to the one Xhez had asked. [Do I have to fight her?] The human had thought.

When their hands touched in the memory, they separated and at that instant, Xhez knew. She had found the one. If her plan was ever to work, it would only work with this woman. So, as the girl hugged herself, standing up in shock and stumbling away...

Xhez followed with a burning hope in her spirit.

---

{Cara}

One week had passed since Rin's disappearance. One week where all Cara could do was reflect upon the fact that she had failed her duties as a teacher.

After Cara realized that Rin disappeared, she'd returned to Libera, only to come back to the fortress bringing guards along with her. When they arrived, they had only found burnt bodies and an empty fortress.

During the week that proceeded, she and her coworkers still tried to find an answer, with regards to what to do about the rookie's situation.

"There are too many places for one group to check," Harriton argued as the teachers all gathered in Mannon's office to discuss their plan to bring Rin back. "We should contact the Guild up in Cradle, and have them send us some people to help. We can set up a mission, promise a reward, and hopefully, we'll be able to cover more ground this way."

As reasonable as his suggestion was, Cara was still angry with him, as he had taken part in this failure as well. When Cara had come back to the academy, the first thing she did was walk up to Harriton and ask him if he had any idea about the people she'd encountered, but he denied it.

And, considering that three days was more than enough time for a group of people to arrive there, Cara had no evidence that he did. So, she was forced to accept that explanation, though she was still furious at him.

Maria cleared her throat.

"I will search on my own on the break days," she said. "I will make it my priority. I feel all of us, should do the same," she said, staring at Cara.

That was the worst part. Though Cara and Maria hadn't been alone together in the same room since Cara had come back and delivered the news about what had happened to Rin, every time they passed each other by, Cara felt Maria's eyes burning a hole through her skin.

"... Agreed," Eli said, crossing his arms. "It'll be better if we get help from the northerners though. We should send word soon."

"... I'm not too sure though," Mannon, the school's dean, replied.

"What?" Cara asked, baffled.

"You've heard the rumors, haven't you?" He asked in return. "That the Guild is incompetent. That we're growing weaker by the day, while the monsters get stronger. What would communicating this event to Cradle do, but reinforce them?"

"Rumors or not, a woman's life is at stake!" Cara nearly yelled.

"I understand that, I am merely suggesting that we attempt to find her on our own first before we spread any unnecessary rumors," Mannon replied. "Ultimately, it is Maria's decision though, as the highest-ranking member here. Since this has gone beyond the scope of the academy. Especially if what you had to say about that group is true, then something larger is at play. Maria, what do you say?"

"I agree with Eli and Harriton, of course," she replied, and Cara didn't miss how she was purposely left out of that. "We should send word and ask for help."

"... Very well then," Mannon nodded. "I will write the letters immediately. Dismissed."

"One last thing," Cara raised a hand, stopping them. "Harriton."

"Yes?" The slick-haired mage asked.

"The [Teleportation] spell. It was something the Mages Guild came up with, right?"

At that, Harriton blinked and nodded.

"Yeah, just a couple of months ago, actually."

"So... How did those people know it then?"

The room went quiet.

"You're certain that was what they used to make Rin disappear?" Mannon asked.

"Yes," Cara replied. "I saw one of them begin to cast it. I recognized its pattern and I stopped them. After that, I went looking for Rin, and I saw that all trace of her just vanished."

"I will send a letter to the Mages Guild as well, then," Mannon stated.

"... Okay."

With that, they all stood up and walked out. Moving out of the room, behind Harriton and Eli, who were the first to leave, Cara had been about to exit the academy so that she could go on her own and look for Rin already, but Maria called out to her.

"Cara," she said with a low tone, that hinted at just how angry she actually was. "A word."

Cara gulped. Nodding, she turned around and followed Maria into a nearby room.

As soon as they were in, she closed the door, and turned around, only to be met with a hard punch from Maria to the jaw.

Any normal person would have been knocked out, probably with a broken jaw, but Cara took it and held onto the pain, feeling she deserved it.

"You," Maria said, scowling. "You... So, in an effort to prevent me from bias, you doomed her!?"

"..." Cara took a deep breath. "I did not expect-"

"That does not matter!" Maria shouted. "Expectations be damned, you knew your priority was to ensure that the student remained safe and you allowed her to be taken away like, like some..." Maria walked up and grabbed Cara by the arms, as Cara looked down into her eyes.

As much as it tore her heart in pieces to do so, she made herself do it. She needed to see the anger in Maria's eyes to internalize how badly she'd fucked up.

"... I will continue searching," Cara stated. "Every time that I am able."

At that, Maria took a deep breath.

"... I would hope so," Maria said with a low, disappointed tone. "Otherwise, your hatred of me will have caused the death of an innocent girl."

Maria stormed out of the room then, as Cara reached up to massage her jaw. She hadn't lied, she would dedicate as much of her time as she could to saving Rin, but she did have questions that needed answering as well.

Specifically, how exactly had those people gotten their hands on a spell that had been made so recently?

Cara would need to investigate this, in addition to her search.