"Stay there," Venza warned the boy. "Where we can see you."

"Y-yes."

"Aiela, can you see to Roeder's injuries?" Venza asked. "The big one got him bad."

Aiela nodded, and stepped off the sleeping lizard to check on Roeder.

"I'm so sorry," Tom said again. "I was taking a bath upstream, I would have stopped her sooner if I'd known-"

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Venza said, her tone serious.

"I- I guess I do," Tom said. "Where do I start?"

"First, are you alone down here?" Venza asked.

"Just me, Sally the Mu'drakker, and her Mu'drakk brood," Tom answered.

"Are these things responsible for poisoning the river?"

Tom hesitated, but nodded. "Mu'drakk eggs have a toxic coating. It makes them undesirable prey for most predators."

Venza's temper flared. "Are you stupid, then, or are you poisoning our town on purpose? Actually, nevermind. The latter would automatically also make you the former."

"I- I'm sorry! It wasn't my idea! I didn't want to do it!"

"Save your apologies," Venza said. "Are you in league with the group peddling fake healing water in town?"

A spark of hope seemed to shine in the boy’s eyes. “Were they led by a big man?" Tom asked. "Was there a girl with them?"

Venza's eyes narrowed to slits. "So you are with them."

"Wait! No, well yes, but not exactly!"

Venza focused on her staff. She’d dropped it during the battle to strike at the lizard better with Reach. She grabbed it through space with her left hand using the one spell she could manage and pulled it towards her, catching it with her right hand. For effect, she spun it once before slamming one end into the ground. "You have twenty seconds to explain yourself before your brain becomes a splatter on the cavern wall."

Naturally, she didn't mean it, but this boy named Tom seemed like the type to cave to threats.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Lauren and I were members of the circus. That's where Sally is from, too. Bandits attacked our caravan and most of them got away but I couldn't leave Sally behind, so Chad and his group managed to capture us and-"

"Stop," Venza said. "Twenty seconds are up."

Tom looked at her with wide eyes and slowly started backing away.

"I won't kill you," Venza assured him. "But I am going to need you to explain a bit more."

"Oh," Tom said, dumbfounded. He clearly hadn't expected her to believe him. "Thank you. Uh, sorry, I didn't catch your names."

"I'm Venza," she said. "Of House Greyfield. My family rules over this region."

"Aiela," the other girl supplied, returning from the other side of the lizard. "Venza rules over me."

Venza rolled her eyes. "How is Roeder?"

"I put him to sleep," she answered. "His dominant arm is broken. I think I can fix it but it’ll take weeks, if not months.”

Venza nodded, swearing internally. This was her fault. She'd let him get hurt. Frustrated, she focused her attention back to the cowering boy. "Go! Get changed first."

"Oh, yes," Tom said, snapping himself back to the conversation. He left them for a minute, leaving the girls to discuss.

“How’s Carver?” Venza asked.

“Watching his partner,” Aiela answered. “We’re not sure the tunnel is safe yet, but I have Hidden looking around.”

“Do you have eyes on-” Venza began, but Aiela cut her off.

“Tom?” Aiela finished for her. “Of course.”

Venza nodded her thanks and walked past the slumbering giant lizard. Looking at it closer now, it wasn’t as large as she’d initially thought, though that might have been because it was curled up.

She found Carver kneeling over a sleeping Roeder. Aiela had raised a portion of the earth so his head wouldn’t be submerged in water. His right arm was bent at an unnatural angle. Looking at it, she could only imagine how much it must have hurt without Aiela’s sleep spell keeping him under.

“What do you make of what happened?” Venza asked.

“Unfortunate,” Aiela said with no hesitation. “If only we’d encountered him sooner, we could have avoided a battle.”

Venza heaved a sigh. “Yeah. We had no reason to go upstream, but to think we must have just barely missed him. I guess it is what it is. Please take care of Roeder.”

“Of course,” Aiela said, putting a reassuring hand on Venza’s shoulder.

“Miss Venza,” Carver said, eyes focused on the sleeping monster. If looks could kill, it would have been dead from Carver’s gaze. “Why have we not finished this monster off?”

“We need information from the boy,” Venza answered. “And he seems to care for her.”

“And then?” Carver asked. “What about after?”

“We’ll see,” Venza stated.

Carver clenched his teeth, but saluted her. “Understood, ma’am.”

Venza walked away from the two boys, returning to the other side of the slumbering lizard. Her boots were covered in mud and the tunnel was damp and cold and she hoped they would get out of there soon, but she had a duty to fulfill.

“Should we be concerned?” Aiela asked.

“About Carver?” Venza asked. “He’s the son of a military man. I’m sure he’ll listen to orders.”

Aiela nodded. “You’re probably right.”

A moment later, Tom Lowrey returned, dressed in a simple shirt and breeches.

"Now," Venza began. "Tell me what happened."

"We were on our way to your town for a show, but we were robbed on the way. Those bastards took everything, but luckily most of us got away."

"You stayed for this creature?" Aiela asked. She'd barely looked at him as he spoke, instead seemingly studying the sleeping beast known as Sally.

"I was her handler," Tom explained. "She's practically family. I knew if I left her there, the bandits would have killed her, or at least left her in the cage to die."

"What is she, exactly?" Aiela asked.

"She's a Mu'drakker," Tom answered. "One in every thousand or so Mu'drakk grow up to be Mu'drakker instead. You know how insects are ruled by a queen? It's like that. I'm really sorry I didn't stop her sooner. Still, I can't believe you four took down a Mu'drakker by yourse-."

Aiela held a hand up to shush him. This was clearly a topic he enjoyed talking about. "So she rules over all the others? Based purely on chance?" Aiela clarified.

"To my knowledge, yeah," Tom said. "Why?"

"How tragically human," Aiela deadpanned. "Strange. I've never encountered the creature in my studies."

"They're not native to Odolenia," he said. "Here I supposed you'd call them Mud Drakes, or something. I guess Sally would be a Greater or Dire Mud Drake? Depends on your pref-"

"Setting aside how fascinating this conversation is," Venza interjected. "How did you wind up working for these bandits with Sally here? I imagine she could hold her own quite well against your average brigands."

"Well, that would be my fault," Tom said, sighing. "There's a girl from the circus, you see. Her name's Lauren. She's like a big sister to me. She didn't want to leave me behind while I was helping Sally escape."

"Tall girl, bronze skin, eyes green as fresh grass in spring?" Aiela asked.

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"That's her, yes," Tom said, looking relieved. "So they haven't hurt her?"

"She's alive," Aiela offered. "But she did look rather miserable. She wasn’t eating well, if I had to guess."

"She is- was one of our acrobats," Tom explained. "She can normally take care of herself, but they're using us to keep each other hostage. Plus, there are about twenty men in Chad's gang. No way she could slip away from that many. They managed to capture us on our way out with Sally, and Chad showed interested in the Mu'drakker when he found out she listens to me. Thought he could make a small fortune using her."

"So he came up with the idea to poison the town?" Venza asked. "And then sell it medicine?"

"This Chad fancies himself an intellectual, I take it?" Aiela asked acidly.

"It isn't the smartest scheme I've ever heard, yes," Tom said, sounding exasperated. "But I'm the one who can't make a move on him, or he'll kill Lauren, so I can't say he's completely stupid."

"We could take them," Venza suggested.

"Obviously," Aiela agreed. "Unless these bandits somehow have a mage in their employ? Actually no, even if they did, I can't imagine any trouble from a mage so inept they decided to work with bandits."

"They had one who used fire," Tom said. "Normally I'd warn you against taking on a group of armed bandits, but seeing as how you managed to beat Sally…" he trailed off.

Venza considered that. Aiela was right. A lone Fire Mage wasn't much of a problem, especially if they were willing to work for bandits. It implied they either had little or no actual training. Mages were in demand all over the empire, after all. Why stoop to banditry?

"They didn't leave any men to keep an eye on you?" Venza asked.

Tom shook his head. "Chad wanted to, but uh, his men weren't really keen on the idea of spending time alone in a Mu'drakker den. They'll listen to him most of the time, but they're not gonna bet their lives on it."

"Hang on, how did you block the river?" Venza asked.

"Sally probably used Earth Magic," Aiela answered. "She has two Earth spheres and one Water. Pretty good for a monster, actually."

"That's right," Tom said. "She used her magic to raise the earth up ahead. We'll be happy to undo it, of course. As soon as she wakes up."

Aiela opened her mouth, then closed it. "I was about to say I can do it myself, but I would be curious to see it."

Venza guessed Aiela was nearing her limit, too, and needed the time to rest her magic. Of course, Tom didn't need to know that.

Aiela turned to Sally, who was still asleep and in a state of muscle paralysis. "Dispel. Regeneration."

Tom suddenly gasped. "Ah! S-Sally's eye!"

He apparently hadn't gotten a good look before. Venza hadn’t either. Where the large lizard had once had a yellow eye, there was now only a blood-stained hole.

Venza grimaced. "Sorry. That was me."

"It should grow back if she can keep casting healing spells on herself for a week or two," Aiela offered.

"Isn't Regeneration a Nature spell?" Venza asked. "How is she supposed to manage that? And that's not even thinking about where she'll stay. Obviously not here, but-"

"Most biological monsters can cast low level Nature spells," Aiela explained. "You can more or less consider them to be at about half a level of Nature, I guess? It's enough for them to cast Regeneration on themselves, but not on others. Water has a few healing spells, too. I'm sure she'll manage on her own." Aiela paused, seemed to consider something. "Well, unless…" Aiela trailed off.

Biological. Biological. What did that word mean again? Venza was sure Aiela had explained it before. Flesh and blood, perhaps?

"Unless what?" Venza and Tom asked at the same time.

"Well, even if he was coerced into it, Tom and his pets did commit a crime," Aiela said, giving Venza a look that the heir to the Greyfield name couldn't quite understand.

"I think we can let this one slide," Venza said. "They've lost their home and were working under duress. I'd rather not throw them in prison."

Aiela looked annoyed, but managed to contain it to a soft sigh.

"But what if we were to make him work for his transgressions?" Aiela suggested.

"I'm not following."

Aiela heaved another sigh, louder than the first.

"Neither am I," Tom said. "What kind of work?"

"Wouldn't a Greater Mud Drake be a rather useful asset in keeping your family's lands safe?" Aiela hinted.

"I still don't follow," Venza said.

"You must be joking!" Carver interjected storming over from where he’d been watching Roeder, his tone clearly angry. "That thing nearly killed Marcus and you want us to work with it? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised how willing you are to toss good men away whe-"

Carver suddenly staggered in place as if slapped by an invisible hand.

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Aiela

Her Projection entered Carver's mind with no issue, his mind's guard as down as it was.

"Choose your next words very carefully," she'd projected into his mind with such malice that it made him physically flinch.

Carver stood dazed for a moment but then his eyes focused on her, narrowing to slits. "I'm not scared of you," he warned her.

Aiela crossed folder her arms across her chest, unimpressed. She sent another Projection into his mind. "You should be."

"You may have cowed my father back in the day, but I won't let you do the same to me!" he said.

Aiela nearly screamed. Six years! Six years she'd managed not to let Venza know about her deal with William and now his idiot son was bringing it up out of nowhere. Perhaps Venza had been right. Perhaps she should have objected to having Wilson Carver join their party on this little outing.

"Aiela?" Venza asked, voice tinged with concern. "What is he talking about?"

"He's talking about things he doesn't know," Aiela answered in a low growl. "And he's wrong."

"Wrong?" Carver spat. "You think I don't know? You forced my father into retirement! You were afraid he'd hold his saving Venza's life over you forever so you forced him to become a farmer! The healer told me you did something to him."

Aiela sighed. So that's what this was about: William hadn't told his son the particulars of their arrangement, and Wilson assumed the worst. She knew she'd told William not to let word of his injury spread but this was ridiculous. And if Carver meant Healer Jones, well- Aiela would need to have words with her later.

"That's not what happened," Aiela said, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Oh, yeah, then tell me what-" Carver didn't finish his sentence, because she used that moment to quietly shift the earth beneath his feet, causing him to fall on his ass.

Aiela was not particularly tall, but with him on the ground, she towered over him. She glanced down as he scrambled backwards. Good. Perhaps now he knew his place.

"Aiela!" Venza yelled in a warning tone.

Aiela glared at her friend of many years. Was she really siding with him in this situation?

"That's no way to treat the son of the man who saved my life," Venza told her.

She held Venza's gaze coolly for a moment before breaking eye contact with a sigh. She glanced at Carver, who was slowly getting back on his feet.

"Your father is crippled," Aiela finally said. She did her best not to look at Venza's questioning eyes as she said it. "He suffered an injury that could not be healed defending Venza from a Bloodbeak. He can function, but he can no longer be an effective soldier. I assume he didn't tell you this?"

"That's a lie!" Carver answered. "His arms and legs are fine."

"His right arm, I assure you, is not," Aiela told him matter-of-factually. "I tried to fix it as a child, but I wasn't powerful enough back then and it's too late to repair now without extreme risk. On the surface he looks fine but that arm can never hold a weapon again."

"You're saying my father lied to me?" Carver demanded.

"I'm saying your father kept his condition a secret from you and many others at my request," Aiela said calmly. "And you assumed the worst about what he was hiding. I thought he would at least tell his family but I guess he was ashamed he was letting his son join the soldiery when he himself was no longer fit to do so."

"Then what about the farm and the house?" he asked.

"That was a gift from House Greyfield," Aiela said. "A reward for saving their heir's life." She turned to Venza for the first time, trying not to stare into her eyes. She knew she'd find a lot of questions and hurt in them.

Fortunately Venza seemed to understand her intention.

"It's true," Venza said. "It was Vosmer's idea. If not for your father, House Greyfield would have no heir today so we rewarded him as best we could. Father can't grant a peerage without facing heavy scrutiny from his opponents at court, so this was the next best thing."

The idea had actually been Aiela's, but the two of them didn't need to know that. Aiela continued. "William had to retire due to his injuries anyway so he was given a plot of land to manage for as long as House Greyfield saw fit, which off the record, is indefinitely. Not quite his to own, but it's a big step up from being a soldier to almost a landowner, no?"

"But you came to the farm often," Carver said. "Almost once a month, to ensure he stayed quiet!"

"I gave William seeds every so often and helped him figure out farming," Aiela explained, both to Carver and Venza. "For your information, that farm wouldn't be half as successful as it is without me. Your father was a good soldier, but a terrible farmer."

"But- but you're a witch!" Carver said.

Aiela rolled her eyes, allowing an amused grin to spread on her face. “What of it?”

"I'm sorry, Wilson," Venza said gently. "But you're mistaken. Aiela may act and dress the way she does, but deep down she's a good person. The townspeople respect her not out of fear, but respect and gratitude. She's done a lot for Verdeholm."

In truth, it was a bit of both, but it didn't help Aiela to say that now. She didn't dare look at Venza. It might trigger an emotional response. Instead, she focused on Carver.

Carver looked shaken, but not fully convinced. "I'll be having a long talk with my father."

"Had I known this would be such a headache, I would have told you sooner," Aiela said. "And chosen my words with William more carefully. I suppose I was too young at the time to think things through."

"Don't think you're in the clear yet," Venza reminded her, but then smiled. "You and I will discuss this later, after we've finished today's agenda."

"Of course," Aiela answered. That was about as tempered a response as she could have hoped for. "Anyway, worry not, Carver, we'll clear the decision about Sally with Vosmer and Lord Greyfield first. You need not worry yourself over this."

"What exactly are we suggesting?" Venza asked.

Aiela cast a knowing glance at her friend of six years. She knew that Venza’s decision to support her scheme or not today would likely alter the course of House Greyfield’s future. Fortunately, Aiela knew exactly what would catch the the heir’s interest.