Coralline was anxious. Her little girl was out there and here she was stuck in bed. A coughing fit reinforced that it was the correct decision, still, it was hard. She wanted to protect Azura although she knew that if anything it would be the other way around. Or could she? She mentally felt inside her body at the mana within. It was small, of that she had no doubt. If it was of any significant size it would have awakened on its own. Even Azura’s had awaken but apparently it had been too small to use. But she had anyways. How had she done it? She had taken mana and changed it to something grander. Could… she do the same?

Her musing were interrupted by a commotion near the entrance. Fatania was already there yelling at the rat-kin and whatever the source was. Coralline cursed her frailty. A brief visual investigation told her there was no immediate danger. This was further proven as several more kin joined her in the cave. A family of squirrel-kin and mole-kin. They must have been the ones Hamal had help escort back. There were so few. A moment later Hamal was there looking worried.

“Where’s Azura?” His head swiveled back and forth as if he expected she was hiding and would jump out at him. It all fairness she did tend to do that a lot.

“She went to look for Toren and Gerald.”

Hamal swore turning back toward the entrance at a trot.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Fatania asked sharply.

“I’m going to look for Azura,” Hamal stated firmly his tail twitching.

“No. We have more important things to do.”

“More important!” Hamal shouted. “She could be in trouble.”

“I have no doubt there is trouble, but it won’t be for that girl,” Fatania said as she glanced at Coralline.

“I have a job for you. I want you to find out where the kin are being held. Take ten of the family and scout the area.”

“That could take all night!” Hamal protested.

“So?” Fatania countered.

“I think it might be easier than you think,” Coralline rasped. They both turned to her. “Mages are prideful. If we think about it logically there are only a few places. They were taking the kin of out the slums for some reason. So where is there to take them? They wouldn’t take them into their part of the city. It would be some holding area. Either in the slums itself or outside of town.”

“That makes senses,” Fatania said nodding. “Have two kin search the slums and the rest scout outside the walls. I imagine if they are all crammed together it should be obvious once you’re near. After you find it come back immediately.”

Hamal looked like he wanted to protest. Instead he nodded and quickly gathered up more rat-kin before leaving.

“He’s a good kid,” Coralline said after he left.

“That he is,” Fatania said proudly as she sat by her friend. “You should try to sleep.”

“Been sleeping a good portion of the day. I think I rather talk.”

“Don’t strain yourself or your daughter might beat me to take out her frustrations.”

Coralline chuckled. The pair talked for another ten minutes when another commotion happened up front. This one sounded different. There was fear this time.

Fatania shot to her feet but before she could take a step Azura was there.

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It was her little girl, yet not. Her perpetual playfulness was gone. Her eyes were hard, her visage grim. This was further reinforced by the blood on her pale skin. In her arms she held what could only be a body wrapped in a bloody blanket.

“Oh no,” Coralline whispered her fingers covering her mouth. Azura gently set the wrapped bundle down. Suddenly Coralline knew who it was. She also knew exactly what Azura was thinking. It was going to get her killed. There was no way to stop her, except…

Coralline coughed. She intentionally made herself cough long a deep one, which quickly became real as she stressed her body. The violent coughing had its desired effect as Azura was there her hard look changed to concern. Coralline seized her daughter in a hug till the fit passed after which she refused to let go.

“I have to go mom,” Azura said starting to gently pry her arms off her. She was gentle but unstoppable. So she played her last card. She let her emotions show with tears in her eyes as she met her daughter’s stony face.

“Please don’t leave me!”

Azura hesitated.

“I can’t lose you. I won’t survive without you.” Coralline cried. She hated herself for doing this. But she would do anything to protect her little girl. Even from herself. She had to reach through the shell of hate Azura had created or it would consume her.

Fatania wisely didn’t interfere and instead ushered everyone away to give her privacy. Once they were alone with Toren’s body she continued not letting her daughter go. Azura had stopped trying to pry her off at least.

“What happened?” Coralline laid back down trying to pull Azura with her. There was a moment of resistance. She was afraid she had failed. That Azura would speed away never to return. Instead Azura relented allowing herself to be dragged onto the cot.

Azura was rigid for a few seconds before it happened. She broke. Her body went limp and began to cry. She snuggled into Coralline’s soft fur and wept. The tears kept coming followed by soul destroying sobs. Coralline rubbed Azura’s ears and stroked her hair. She further wrapped herself around her daughter with her legs as she whispered comforting words. Azura didn’t protest or try to pull away. Her misery was all consuming.

Coralline wasn’t sure how long they lay like that. At least an hour but finally Azura crying had stopped. She clung to her mother as if she last was the raft on an endless ocean.

“I was too late. His family was gone. I thought he might have gone to Gerald’s place or Hamal’s. I was about to leave when I found his body.” Her voice was scratchy and muffled by Coralline’s fur.

Coralline didn’t interrupt just kept petting her daughter.

“Some mages came after that. There were five, I think. They must have heard me screaming.”

Coralline hands trembled but she kept stroking her daughter hair.

“I killed them. Only one got away. It was… easy.”

Azura voice went dark. “I hate them. I hate them all. They deserve to die!”

“Perhaps,” Coralline said. “But what I know for certain is that I want you to live. Toren would want the same. Don’t throw away your life trying to kill others. I need you. Not for your power, but because I can’t live without my little pig-kin.”

Fresh tears filled Azura’s eyes as she clutched her mother. “What are we going to do?” Azura choked.

“We’ll lay Toren to rest and see if we can help his family. We also to have to find Gerald and the rest of our friends,” Coralline said. She felt Azura’s acceptance as she snuggled in closer. Her grief replacing the darkness, for now.

“Okay mom.”

Fatania poked her head around a corner and Coralline gave her a nod. They stood where they were as Fatania approached.

“I’m sorry about Toren,” Fatania said. “Hamal is going to be devastated when he gets back. Toren was like another brother to him.”

“Is he okay?” Azura asked.

“He’s fine dear,” Fatania replied. “He managed to evacuate two families before I sent him back out to gather some intelligence. Don’t worry. He knows how to sneak around.”

“He’s a sneaky rat that’s for sure,” Azura mumbled.

“Damn straight,” Fatania said proudly leaving the pair alone.

They didn’t say much. They didn’t have to. Coralline continued to stroke Azura while her daughter held tight. This continued until Fatania returned. Her face was grim.

“We found them,” Fatania said.

This got a reaction out of Azura who turned toward the rat-kin.

“The mages dug a massive pit to the north of the city just outside the walls. The kin are kept inside with mages patrolling above. They must’ve had a team of Geomancers do it since it wasn’t there yesterday.”

“We have to rescue them!” Azura said.

“We will but it will take careful planning,” Fatania said but Coralline shook her head.

“Azura ran into some mages. She killed four of them but one got away. Our biggest surprise will soon be gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Azura muttered.

“Don’t be,” Fatania said and joined Coralline in petting Azura.

“We will act tonight then. We can’t free all of them but we can get a good number out and teach those mages a lesson. I’ll need your help Azura. Can you do it?”

“I can,” Azura growled.

“Good. I’ll send the kin back out to get what we need. We have about two hours. Rest up. The remainder of the night is going to be long and bloody,” Fatania said.