It's been about two years since the expedition. We all agreed not to tell a soul about what had truly happened, as to deter wannabe treasure hunters from releasing the aberrant. Our alibi was that we were attacked by bandits in the night, which is why the casualty rate was so high; and that the six of us that escaped managed to flee before we were caught. No one questioned our story as it was consistent between all of us and most of us have lived clean lives. The only one of us to get any sort of negative consequence out of the situation was Maeki; as after we arrived to port, Keildrik and his men delivered him and a handful of written statements from the other students and I about what happened. Apparently Maeki had the tendency to be a bit of a loose cannon at times and despite his parents being rich enough to bribe the police in the past, they had supposedly come to an agreement that the next time he lashed out on someone would be the last time. His parents tried all sorts of tricks and schemes to try to get him out of jail, but with the other students' testimonies- in addition to their parents' money and power- Maeki likely wasn't going anywhere any time soon, thank The Nine...

Recovery from the whole ordeal took some time, as well. Potions are great for short-term solutions as they can typically stop bleeding and numb pain; but they leave behind a lot of scar tissue so those of us who suffered major injuries, namely Aiya and I, had to take a lot of time to allow our bodies to fully repair. It wasn't all bad, however, as it meant we were able to spend a lot more time together outside of a stressful environment; which was great for forming an actual bond instead of one forged by trauma and terror. During our recovery time together, she told me she'd been studying Ancient-Kaimarian culture for years and was on the brink of getting her degree in history. Listening to her talk about all that she's learned was truly eye-opening on just how much was lost to the sands of time... I got to hear how a stupid fad survived the tests of time instead of other core components of the Kaimarian culture, which bits and pieces of slang gained 'official' status by historians, as well as how historians apparently viewed certain leaders! It wasn't just myself who enjoyed these conversations, either, as Aiya got to learn a living first-hand account of some of the historical events she described and she nearly died cackling when I told her about the slang she'd been using in her studies, thinking it was some sophisticated vocabulary.

Once I had been given the 'all clear' by Keildrik's head-mechanic- the only person in a medical-adjacent field who knew I was an automaton- and that my body had made a full recovery, I started making plans to to look for a crew to take out that accursed blemish of a being. Initially, I heard the best place to find someone who was a demolitions expert was to go to Xylotile and look for a Tinkerer; as they tend to be quite well-versed in such explosive knowledge. I'd also need a magic user of some kind which meant I best make a stop in the Kingdom of Ascensia as it's apparently some major hub for mages... I'm still unsure if or where to even begin for a Champion or other front-liner; but I'm sure I'll come across someone of some kind as I search for the other two... Aiya wasn't exactly keen on me setting out as soon as possible, but she understood the gravity of the situation. Luckily she was going to start her next semester of classes soon, so at least she'll have something to keep her busy.

Once I set out, I headed straight to the Kingdom of Ascensia in search of a mage, hoping to find an Etherial or Oath-Sworn crazy enough to take with me. As soon as I made it to the city of Ascensia- the Kingdom of Ascensia's capital, located high up in the Ascensian Mountain range- I encountered a rather quirky individual by the name of 'Doctor Faust Strangelove'. He claimed to be some kind of 'nuclear chemist back home', whatever that meant; but he was exceptionally skilled in making explosives! Perfect! Now I didn't even need to go to Xylotile for a Tinkerer! I invite him to come back with me to the dig site to erase it off the face of Idoria. He was initially hesitant; but when he heard about the rituals that took place there, he was determined to turn the site into a crater.

As we chatted about others who may help, Faust suggested an old friend of his; a Champion of Idor by the name of Rae'Nör. He mentioned how she became a bit of a loose cannon by the time she departed his adventuring group; but that she was extremely strong and reliable. The way he described it sounded like they were once lovers, or at the very least she was a crush of his... The last he saw her, she had gone to The Vas'kii Deserts, just south of the Kingdom of Ascensia, to exorcise a lich that had amassed an army of Nulls and was terrorizing the region. A Champion would be wonderful; as I'm not sure if non-magical attacks from a standard 'run of the mill' Pit-Fighter would even affect the aberrant...

During our chats, Faust regaled me with talk of his previous adventures. How his first adventuring party delved into The Void during a time of crisis to purge it of an ancient tyrant who sought to destroy that plane and all others. He also revealed that his friend got married while in The Void only for her to join another adventuring party and disappear a year or two after that original adventure wrapped up. Something about 'two mages and a Pit-Fighter seeking some magical relic and ending with three of the four of them dying just to get it'... Sounds familiar... He did suggest that one, or both, of the mages were not Etherials, Oath-Sworns, or Naturians, however; but that they radiated an identical aura that he'd never seen before. Jackpot. I'm not very well-versed in magic; but if someone who also isn't into the arcane arts can tell a major difference, these people had to be Arcanists! We arrange plans to leave the city of Ascensia and head for a small village called 'Riverbrook' just south of here; but first Faust said he needed to grab some supplies from his residence that lay just outside the city limits at the base of the mountain. I was excited to get going, I just had to see them for myself; if there was any chance that they were Arcanists, I knew my prayers had been answered.

The trip to Faust's residence was a short one, all things considered, as his place was apparently just off the main road that leads to and from the city of Ascensia. As we near his residence, I find myself face-to-face with a massive spire jutting out of the ground; its height was enough that I could see clouds crashing into it like waves on a light house. Faust told me he had someone enchant the area around it to conceal it, else they'd get nonstop bandit raids; and as much as I didn't mind testing new explosives out on 'willing participants', he disliked disposing of their bodies... There was a looming presence over the area, however, one that filled me with as much dread as the aberrant's presence. Faust instructed me to stay in the carriage once we arrive, 'just in case'. He was only gone for a matter of moments, but in those moments it felt like something incredibly sinister was trying to break into my mind and caress my soul in a twisted manner... Once Faust returned, he ordered the carriage driver to leave immediately. Something was wrong, but he didn't feel like answering my questions... According to Faust, Riverbrook was just a hop, skip, and a jump away; no more than an hour at-most.

As our carriage pulls through the gate of Riverbrook, I notice a sign labelled 'Apothecary'; if a mage lived in this town, they had to be here. Stepping inside the apothecary shop, we're greeted by the overwhelming smell of herbs and spices. The walls of the shop were lined with shelf after shelf of various exotic ingredients. Who ever runs this place is either quite the adventurer, themselves, or makes quite a lot from whatever they sell to be able to afford such ingredients to be shipped in like that. As we inspect the shelves, Faust points out a plant in the corner that is identical to the one the mage brought him all that time ago! It pulsed with a gentle light, the air feeling a lot more energetic and pure around it compared to the other items. As Faust is telling me all about what he's discovered about the specimen from his sample, we hear the clicking and the clacking of heels descending from the second floor. A tall and beautiful woman appears the counter- she had to be at least ten centimeters taller than me- her eyes were that of a polished ruby, and the magical energy that surrounded her was immense. This had to be the mage Faust was talking about.

She flashes a light smile as her eyes gently glow, "Hello! I haven't seen you here before," Her eyes beaming at me as they continue glowing a brilliant red. Eventually she blinks and turns to Faust, "Welcome back, Faust! Who's your new friend?"

Faust gives her a nod before gesturing towards me, "Ah, yes, this was 'Ain'! She told me she was looking for a mage, so I recommended you," He lets out a light chuckle.

"Wonderful!" Her eyes glisten with intrigue as all of her focus shifts onto me once more, "Well I'm 'Yviira Hyric'," She gives a curtsy, "Arcanist and potion brewer extraordinaire! What can I help you with?"

"A-ah, w-well, uh," I struggle to think of the words as her other-worldly eyes entrance me, "I-I've got a uh, situation... I need your help destroying an a-aberrant..." Damn, I haven't struggled to talk straight like this ever since Aiya and I began spending more time together after the expedition.

"An aberrant!?" Her gaze immediately switches from intrigue to laser-focused, "Are you sure it's an aberrant?"

I fearfully nod my head, "Y-yeah? I encountered it at an Ancient-Kaimarian dig site... It was locked inside the ruins. It's a sort of incomprehensible creature made of a sort of goo or ooze and sounds like the gods, themselves, have abandoned the world to shield themselves from its cries." The memories of the creature flood my mind as I begin to noticeably panic.

"Damn, I was afraid you'd be right," She turns around to grab an ingredient off of a nearby shelf before pushing it close to my face, "Inhale for me?"

I hesitantly obey and the smell of lavender fills my nostrils through my mask as I feel myself slowly calm down, "Oh, th-thanks..."

"Not a problem," Yviira winks playfully, "You looked like you were starting to have an anxiety attack. This stuff helps me with mine all the time!" She places the lavender back on the shelf before turning back to us, "Anyways, about the aberrant... I've fought several of them in the past. Vile creatures, abhorrent monstrosities against the gods and their wills. I try my best to put them down when I can; but luckily thanks to that plant over there," She points towards the plant that Faust was ranting about before she showed up, "And many others I've planted around the outskirts of the village, they're not a problem here anymore."

"You get them here, too!?" I manage to spit out, my jaw dropping, "I didn't know they came from non-Kaimarian sources!"

"Oh yeah, they're basically just the result of putrid magic or magic gone awry. Any place that's got enough magic- especially bad magic- can see them appear randomly... Usually they're the coagulation of the bad magic, so defeating one, in a way, destroys the bad magic from the area. Get rid of enough of them, or purify the tainted magic, in a certain area and they'll stop showing up! They're quite fascinating once you get past their terrible existences." Yviira flashed a smile which felt wrong given the topic at-hand, but considering she's had plenty of experience, I guess she was just desensitized to it all.

"So you'll help us!?" I plea, pressing my body against the counter in anticipation.

"I'd love to, but unfortunately I have a business to run and people from all over come here for my potions, so I can't just abandon shop to go to gods-know-where," She pauses for a moment before turning back to me, "Although, if you've got coin, I can certainly find a way to make it work."

"How much?" I hesitantly ask, hoping for a low price, but expecting it to be steep.

"Well without knowing where we're going, how long we'll be there once we arrive, and considering the hazard of an aberrant, hmmmm..." She points to random spaces in the air, as if doing calculations with the dust particles floating around, "Let's assume a three-month journey? That'll mean I'll have roughly twelve gold in expenses owed to the Maji... If I make some stock and have Harvey sell it while I'm gone, I guess I could settle for six gold?"

I instinctively gag upon hearing the price, "Yeah, th-that's fair..." I dig around my coin purse to see if I have the coin, "Ah, that's one, two, three, four, five, aaaaand six!"

"Damn, I didn't think you'd have the coin," She chuckles, "Usually people hear that kind of price and scamper out the door before I realize it hahaha! You must really want this thing gone. No worries, I'll collect half now and half later. How's that?"

I give her a blank stare, unsure if she's serious or not at this point, "A-are you sure?"

"Absolutely. No one would immediately cough up six gold if they were just trying to waste my time, let me make some preparations. Where are we heading, anyways?" She begins to shuffle some bottles around as well as pull impossibly large objects out of a small golden bag.

"Ultimately, Mar'karéth, but Faust says we need to find someone down in the Vas'kii Deserts first," I state blandly as I stare at the bag, "Say, is that a 'Bag of Many Spaces'?"

"Sure is! I'm surprised you recognize it!" She finishes setting up what I can only assume is a distillery station and tests it to make sure it's still functional, "Why do you ask?"

"O-oh, I was just curious where you got it..." I sheepishly mumble, "I lost mine in the ruins with the aberrant and have been looking for another ever since; but they're just so impossible to-"

"Impossible to find?" She cuts me off, "Yeah I hear that a lot... I do make them if you want, but they're a platinum each for one of this size or fifty gold if you want a pouch like your old one..."

"You can make them!?" Faust and I ask in shock.

"Y-yes? It's not that hard, you just have to rip open the fabric of spa- oh... Hmmm... I guess ripping open space and time isn't a very common feat for non-Arcanists... I forget that sometimes," She pauses her tests to think, as if verifying her sources, "But yeah, if you want one I can do it."

"Hmmm, I think I'll pass for now, thanks though..." I mutter, slightly defeated. Fifty gold is a lot for me, let alone a platinum, geeze.

"No worries, it's a lot for anyone to justify, to be fair... If you guys give me a few hours to pack, and finish up here, I'll meet you at the village gate and we can get going from there. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds good," Faust nods in agreement. I echo his sentiment as we head to the carriage driver to let them know the situation.

As we leave the apothecary shop, I gesture a little prayer in thanks to Po'oraat that I was able to find an Arcanist; the gods really are on my side! Now all we need to do is find ourselves that Champion of Idor and we can head back to Mar'karéth.

Two hours after we stepped out of the apothecary shop, Yviira meets us at the carriage in a black, hooded, cloak. Once she's aboard, we begin setting out for Black Gem as Faust tells us stories about some of his previous adventures. He explains how he once had gone up to The Frosthead Kingdom and bumped into Rae'Nör on her way South as she tried to avoid freezing to death with the rapidly approaching winter. He mourns the loss of some of his old adventuring companions, and how they all used to get along in the most chaotic manner. He mentions how, much like himself, one of his companions loved blowing things up. As he describes the other explosives expert, Yviira begins to connect the dots, revealing that they were likely an Arcanist, but that they probably preferred the astromancy spells instead of the chronomancy ones. Yviira also mentions that the other Arcanist casting their big and flashy spells was probably what did them in, as Arcanists are limited by their mortal bodies; and if they over-exert themselves, they can tear their body to shreds... Meaning even if one can theoretically cast something, some spells are just too taxing on a mortal body to be cast without consequence.

After a moment of silence, Faust begins to talk on and on and on about this Rae'Nör person. About how she liked Performers, and one lashed out at a band of them for being greedy sleaze-bags. He also explained that he was witness to the first time she killed someone and how it seemed to have broke her inside. Something that not even time had been able to fix, according to Faust... With how much he talked about her, I became convinced they were a thing or that he yearned for such.

Once we reached Black Gem, we hired another caravan further south to the Vas'kii border town of Vas'vanu, known to the natives of The Vas'kii Deserts as 'fertility before the sands' or the last reliable place to stock up on things like water and food before being met by the near-endless expanse of sand that expands for weeks in any direction. We expected to have to travel quite far into the desert to find our Champion of Idor, so we took a few days to rest; ensuring that we had the proper strength and resolve to force our way through the sandy hellscape that lay just outside the boundaries of the town. Faust figured it was appropriate to reserve his own room during our stay, as not to intrude on Yviira's and I's space or comfort; so she and I decided to split the cost of a room.

Sharing a space with an Arcanist wasn't something I thought I'd ever experience, and I felt myself drawn to her actions and movements far more than I usually would with someone else. She moved with purpose, rarely backtracking; as if she had planned every action in advance and was executing several tasks at once. On multiple occasions, I'd watch her sit down to do some work just to see a mess of notes and diagrams appear not even a second later. It was a strange feeling, an endless fascination with someone for what they were; always wanting to know more, but rarely asking anything out of fear of condemnation. Is this what the other side of that feels like? To yearn for more information and insight, but barely being able to contain myself? How curious...

After the second day, Yviira approaches me after our typical dinner hour, "I know you've been watching me, is there something I can help you with?" Her ruby eyes glistened as she spoke, it was hypnotizing.

Her question caught me off guard. When did she notice? How did she notice? I don't recall her ever looking my way. "O-oh, I uh..." I felt myself tripping over my words again, "I-I've just never seen an Arcanist before, I apologize."

"Ah, no worries then," She smiled gently, "It must be like how others feel when they find out you're an automaton, if I had to guess." How did she know that, too!?

"Wait, you knew???"

"It was quite obvious when we met that you were," She moves her hands when speaking as if to denote certain ideas in physical space to make it easier to connect them together, "When we first met I immediately noticed your coverings and tried detecting any magic on you to see if it was some sort of curse or illness. I typically do it to all of my clients as it saves me a lot of grief and confusion trying to ask a plethora of questions to figure out their illness or issue," She pauses her train of thought before flickering a few centimeters to the right, "Anyways, when I went to detect what the issue was, I noticed a very old magic deep inside you. It wasn't a curse or illness, so I knew that you had to be either made of this magic or that you, yourself, used such magic. I also theorized you may be an airenian, due to the coverings, but that deep and ancient magic was truly what made me guess 'automaton'."

I sit on my bed, stunned that she was able to figure all of that out before we had even spoken a single word to each other, "Was that all that gave it away?"

"Oh no," She chuckles, her freckles dancing as she smiled, "That initial 'test' was what made me hypothesize that you were an automaton. What really convinced me was during our travels so far- including staying here- I noticed you wouldn't eat or drink. During the night I also noticed that your head would slightly turn towards me whenever I got up, implying you were never really asleep." She pointed to the several places she'd been gesturing towards as she spoke, connecting them back to each other like some sort of invisible string-board conspiracy theorist, "So given you had this deep and ancient magic, you never showed to use any magic, and you neglected what a normal person would require every day; it was pretty easy to connect the dots."

I felt seen. No one's ever figured it out without poor timing or me revealing it, myself, before. I'm usually exceptionally careful, especially around new people; but somehow she saw through my facade...

"If it makes you feel any better," Yviira continues, "I've met an automaton once or twice before hahaha."

"You've met more than one!?" Even I hadn't met any in recent centuries! How was she able to find two to three of them in her lifetime living in that tiny village!?

"Of course," Her tone was nonchalant as she blinked to the desk in the room, a pile of papers suddenly stacked to her eyes, "I travel a lot for my ingredients. I've seen all kinds of people from all over. Automatons, airenians, dwarves, elves... I've even known a gnome and a zoi at one point!... I wonder if they're okay."

I knew she had to have traveled for all of those ingredients! Faust owes me a copper piece next I see him, "That does actually make me feel a bit better," I scratch the back of my head in relief.

"Also, if you ever wanted to ditch the bandages and mask, I could whip up a potion for you that would altar how you appear to most people," The pile of papers suddenly disappear as she appears on the bed, her face was pale and she looked exhausted.

"I'll be okay for now, thanks... Say, are you alright?" I finally ask, pointing out her paleness and the papers that were previously here not even a moment ago.

"Oh," She attempts to sit up, but is unable to bring herself to it, "Yeah... I just over-exerted myself is all. I like to abuse a 'simple' spell that allows me to stop time for a set period; it lets me get a lot of work done but can really drain me."

"What work have you been working on?" I ask, as I could never read any of her papers by the time they disappeared.

"Potion-craft, mainly," She pulls out a small backpack from under her pillow and pulls out a few of the papers she'd been working on, "Some of my potions are expensive to produce, so I've been trying to find ways to stretch the ingredients out to lower their costs. People buy my potions and medicine regardless, but I feel like helping more people is better than making more money, you know?"

I look over the paper she gave me and notice it's covered in diagrams of pipes and flasks. It looked incredibly complicated; but Yviira assured me that it was much more simple than it looked and that Faust had been helping her design the apparatus in exchange for some potions or ingredients when she goes out for more. According to her, Faust lived only about an hour away by carriage- or a half day by foot- and they had been occasionally working together for various projects that the Kingdom of Ascensia had hired them for. I hand the paper back to Yviira as it disappears back into the backpack. We both decide to get some rest, as tomorrow we'll be heading into the desert in search of Rae'Nör.

The next morning I decide to beat the others to the tavern portion of the inn for breakfast; the room was mostly empty, save for the bar-keep and a woman humming as she tapped her fingers on the table. The woman was built like an ox and was covered in scars where her chainmail didn't cover. Besides her sat a dirty and battered shield with what I thought used to be a golden triangle. I felt strangely drawn to her, but decided to sit at an empty table with a book as I waited for Yviira and Faust to make their ways down.

After a short time, I heard a familiar clicking and the clacking of heels descending a staircase and see Yviira order some food before sitting down across from me. We chat for a bit about various menial things until a groggy Faust shows up and sits down next to Yviira.

"Good morning, Faust," Yviira smiles, scooching over to make more space for him to sit more comfortably.

Faust mumbles something unintelligible as he holds up his right hand in an attempt to greet us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the woman from earlier look in our direction in a snap once Faust's name was mentioned. As we begin discussing our plans to search for our Champion of Idor, I notice the woman eventually stand up and approach the table.

"I'm sorry to intrude," The woman apologizes, her voice softer than I anticipated, "But I couldn't help but overhear your plans to venture into The Vas'kii Deserts in search of someone." She gives us all a quick judging glance, "It appears you don't have a 'front-liner'... I can offer my services if you'd like. I have unfinished business that requires me to go back in that direction at some point in the future..."

Yviira was too busy eating and Faust was still in the process of becoming conscious so the conversation was up to me, "I wouldn't mind the help, personally; but what do you bring to the table? Just a standard Pit-Fighter set of skills?"

The woman cackles maniacally, "Oh no, darling, I'm not a Pit-Fighter," She pulls off one of her chainmail gloves and extends her hand for a shake, "The name's 'Rae'Nör': Champion of Idor, but you can just call me 'Rae'."

Oh. I blink blankly for a moment before finally reaching out to shake her hand, "You are the exact person we were about to go looking for! Faust had told us all about you, so it's nice to finally meet you in person!"

Rae'Nör glances over at the barely cognizant Faust, "I knew I wasn't hallucinating when I heard the name 'Faust'!" She pulls herself in towards my ear, "What did he tell you about me?" Her grip tightened around my hand like a boa around its prey.

"N-nothing- Ow! Nothing bad, just that you like Performers and that one of your other companions was also an Arcanist!" I manage to free my hand from her iron-grip, shaking it to attempt to relieve the pain.

"Oh?" She raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "I didn't realize you were an Arcanist."

"Ope," Yviira slips out before covering her mouth to keep from being rude, "No, that's me! I'm an Arcanist," Yviira extends her hand out for a handshake, apparently missing the fact I nearly had mine crushed by Rae'Nör just a moment earlier.

Rae'Nör gives Yviira a suspicious look and hesitantly reaches back for her hand, "You're not an explosive-seeking psychopath, are you?"

Yviira gives a concerned look, "No? Astromancy is a great way to have my body ripped to shreds, and I worked hard to earn my body, thank you very much."

"Hmmm, so I take it you're the chronomancy-type?" Rae'Nör was still glaring suspiciously at Yviira.

"That's right. Much less risky and has a lot more utility than astromancy."

"Right... So I just have to worry about that one when it comes to exploding then?" She points acquisitively at Faust, "I can handle that. So what's the plan now that you don't need to track me down?"

"Find Rae," Faust snores, as he tries his hardest to avoid falling back asleep, "Get back to Mar'karéth, then head to the Southern docks to venture towards the place that Ain needs us to deal with..."

"All the way to Mar'karéth?" Rae'Nör asks, "Why so far?"

"That's where I'm 'from'," I state, "I went searching for information and ended up finding an aberrant. Normal weapons don't seem to affect it any, so-"

"Ah, yeah I'm familiar with aberrations," Rae'Nör nods woefully, "Horrible creatures... I've had to take care of a few of them in my travels. Not fun, especially for those without the proper protection."

"Agreed," Yviira nods in unison, "I've fought several of them before my magic was fully awakened. Horrendous scourges. I should be able to protect us from anything it's capable of if you protect me, Rae."

"Easily. So how do we want to get back to Mar'karéth then?" Rae asks, "We can either cut through The Vas'kii Deserts or we can backtrack up to Snowmelt and hire a boat to take us from there all the way around Karia to Mar'karéth. The first option is the cheapest, but more dangerous and would likely take longer; and the second option is more pricey, but is guaranteed to be far safer and faster once we actually get on a boat..."

"I vote we avoid the sandbox," I hold my hand up, Yviira and Faust following suit.

"Damn," Rae sighs, with a slight look of disappointment, "The deserts are more fun though... But you're right, if we're to rid the destination of the aberrant, we'll need to survive getting there in the first place."

Once we've eaten our breakfasts and gotten ready for the day, we hire a carriage to take us to Snowmelt in the Frosthead Kingdom. The journey was relatively uneventful until we approached what Yviira called the 'Wyvern Caverns' territory, an abandoned settlement in the North-East corner of the Ascensian mountain range where a family of wyverns had decided to settle some few hundred years ago. According to Faust, that was the source of Ascensia's 'Wyvern Riders', a band of elite knights that worked in the military of the Kingdom of Ascensia as aerial support for ground troops. Their existence is the sole reason why The Nation of Xylotile hasn't tried to capture any of The Kingdom of Ascensia's land. Our carriage driver told us that we'd be stopped just outside of the wyverns' territory until nightfall, and then we'll continue our journey towards Snowmelt.

While we burned daylight in favour of a safer travel, we got to listen to Rae's side of Faust's stories in addition to some of her very own! We learned what it's like for an airenian to grow up in a temple of Idor and what kind of discrimination someone like faces in their formative years. Occasionally as Rae regales us with her tales and experiences, we'd have to stay quiet as to avoid the wyverns overhead from hearing us; if they caught wind of our presence, they'd surely make us into their next meal. Once the last of the sunlight vanished over the horizon, the carriage driver alerts us that the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be out of this treacherous area. We climb aboard and he whips his horses for maximum speed. The carriage driver's finer movements boasted his experience, and his horses responded in kind; it's clear they've been working together for far longer than most in their line of work.

We breeze through the wyverns' territory in only an hour and a half, much to Faust's dismay; he was adamant about obtaining wyvern scales for a new trinket he was working on, though he was eventually convinced to wait until next time. Shortly after escaping the wyverns' territory, we stumble across a stone bridge near a waterfall. The carriage driver stops so we can see the water glistening in the moonlight. Just then, an apparition appeared at the top of the falls, beckoning me up. My body begins to move on its own, as if it were in some sort of trance.

"Come unto the falls~" The apparition beckoned, "Make your wishes come true~"

"Ain, no!" Yviira and Faust shout, yanking me back by the shoulders, the force of their pull knocking me out of the trance-like state.

"Don't trust the ghost, Ain," Yviira stated coldly, "These are the Wishing Falls; a place where local legend tells that surviving the fall into the jagged rocks below will grant you any wish!"

"That doesn't sound too bad-" I stop to reprocess what she said, "Did you say 'jagged rocks'???"

Yviira nods, "The idea of a wish is alluring to many," She leads me over to the edge of the bridge before casting an orb of light that drifts down to reveal the spike-trap-from-hell, riddled with the corpses of those who attempted the spirit's temptation, "But unfortunately for all who attempt it, that desire is the last thing they have before losing it all... Some speculate on the spirit's true nature. Is it malevolent? Is it even a real spirit? No one knows for sure. All that's known is jumping is a death sentence."

I look back towards the cart and see the carriage driver and Faust nodding at Yviira's explanation. I feel silly for my body taking over, but I'm glad I had those two to catch me before I did anything stupid. As we step back into the carriage, the whip startles me as it cracks in the air above the horses.

Departing from the Wishing Falls, Rae informs the carriage driver to make no stops in Myrefall. He's initially hesitant, but relents because of the authority that Rae holds as a Champion of Idor. Passing through Myrefall, we see no trace of people. No candles or fireplaces lit, no guards on patrol, the tavern and local brothel were even silent and empty; as if the place were abandoned. Rae told us Myrefall was not a safe place. She did not give us any straightforward answer, but her tone was off-putting enough to trust her on it. I do wonder at what made the town feel so... Odd, though. Was it the stillness of the air? The willows looming over the roads and buildings? Or was it the lack of any sound outside of the carriage and its horses? Perhaps it was a combination of the three; regardless, I trusted Rae when she said not to dwell there, so I may never know...

When we arrived at Snowmelt the sun was just beginning to peek over the Iamic Ocean to the East. Exhausted from the near-nonstop travel, the horses nearly drown themselves at one of the troughs by the stables. Paying the other half of our fare, we say goodbye to the carriage driver as we enter local inn to rent a room for a few days as we search for a boat-for-hire that'll take us back to Mar'karéth. We decided to save costs and opt for the largest room the inn had to offer instead of splitting rooms or each of us taking one, much to Faust's dismay. We tease him that we don't have cooties, and so long as he's respectful, there's nothing to worry about.

As we begin our hunt for a ship, we find out that a merchant vessel that was docked nearby was about to head to Mar'karéth in two days time and that we could hire it to catch a ride over if we paid the coin! Rae, Faust, and Yviira were willing to dish out a bit more coin to get there without having to do any extra work; but I opted to save as much as I could by trading myself out as a deck-hand for the trip in exchange for my 'fare'.

A decision that I almost regret doing that more than going into that cave back at the dig site... Almost.

The three week journey around Karia was brutal for me. The captain ran a tight ship, but also ran it a bit shit, if you were to ask any of the crew. Every night I'd pass by the other three relaxing or laughing about previous adventures in their quarters on the way to my bunk. The difference that spending a few gold coins can get you is often overlooked by most when comparing quality-of-life features or luxuries. While the others had a clean, spacious, room, I was left with a hammock underneath one of the most foul and rancid-smelling people I've ever had the displeasure of being near... It was a good thing I don't need to eat, as I would've starved from a lack of appetite otherwise.

Nearing the Mar'karéth port, Faust had to restrain me from jumping overboard and swimming to shore just to avoid spending another second on this lousy vessel than I had to. The second our boat made contact with the pier, I was climbing down the wooden siding while cursing the ship's very structure.

"Miss Ain?" A familiar voice calls out, "Miss Ain is that you!?" I snap my head in the direction of the familiar voice and nearly begin crying when I see my old friend Keildrik again.

"Keildrik! Thank the gods you're here!" I embrace him for an exhausted hug, "You will not believe the journey I just went on..."

Keildrik looks over my shoulder, "Did you just get off that ship there?" He points towards the merchant ship we had hired to take us here.

I nod woefully.

"Well that's your problem, lassie!" He cackles maniacally, "That's Captain Jeögn'r's ship! He burns through men like my ship burns through coal! Oh hohoho! That lousy piece of work hasn't had a consistent crew since he bought his first boat ten years ago! Fifteen gold says that half the crew you came here with aren't leaving this port with him again!" His laughter was contagious and it was difficult to resist laughing despite the situation. Keildrik nods towards the others as they approach, "Who's this lovely bunch, lassie?"

"Oh! Let me introduce to you the people who are going to help me with my 'issue' from last year!" I say, with more excitement than I intended, "The mage with the ruby-red eyes is 'Yviira', the one that looks like she can break me over her knee without even trying is 'Rae'Nör', and the guy who looks too eager to blow something up is 'Faust'-"

"Doctor Faust," Faust corrects.

"... Y-yes... 'Doctor Faust'..." I echo awkwardly, "They are an Arcanist, a Champion of Idor, and a Tinkerer? I think Faust is a Tinkerer..."

"Well I'll be damned," Keildrik says astonishingly, his hand on his hips, "You must've encountered something real foul to get an Arcanist AND a Champion involved!" He lets out another chuckle, "Do ya need my ferry services over to that blasted place again or were you going to have 'Captain High Turn-over Rate' take you?"

"I would love it if we could take your ferry, Keildrik," I say with an exhausted smile. The sheer thought of getting back on that blasted merchant's ship made me want to melt myself down for scrap.

"Of course, lassie! Anything for you!" He gives me a tight squeeze before setting me back down, "Are ya takin' that sweet lass with you again? What's-her-face again? Aina? Agatha?"

"Aiya?" I ask, assuming he meant her.

"That's the one!" His smile beamed like the sun overhead, "She's been worried sick about'cha, by the way. You may want to find her before she finds you..." His tone turned to a slightly-serious one as his voice dropped into a whisper.

"I will, I will," I chuckle nervously. Aiya didn't like that I'd be gone for so long, especially if I didn't check back in with her when I was in-town. If it weren't for her studies, she would've come along, too; but she'll be graduating in the next couple months and needs to focus on her school work, "Do you know where she's at right now?"

"Aye, she should be in the university's library around this time," He nods, agreeing with himself as if he wasn't entirely sure, "I pop in every so often so she sees a face that isn't the librarian's or her classmates'."

"Awesome, I'll head there as soon as possible then," I give Keildrik one last hug before signaling to the others to follow me, "Let's discuss the ferry later, yeah?"

"Sure thing, lassie! Tell Aiya I say hello!" Keildrik waves as he continues on towards his vessel.

"Who was that?" Faust asks quietly, as to try to not insult me with the question.

"Shit," I bury my hands in my face, "I forgot to introduce him! Agh! That was 'Keildrik', an old friend of mine. He and I have been going on adventures for a while. He's the most trustworthy sailor I know."

"Also, who's 'Anya'?" Yviira asks, similarly to Faust.

"'Aiya', and you'll see! She's pretty great! We're actually going to stop by and say hi to her before resting for a bit, if you don't mind?" I smile awkwardly as I glance at Rae who has been noticeably silent since we docked.

"What?" Rae asks, looking behind her then back at me, "Oh no, I'm good. No questions here."

As we continue towards the university's library, I begin undoing my bandages and storing my mask in my bag, "Just a little further!"

"Aren't you scared you'll be seen as an automaton?" Yviira asks nervously, "I know you said you try to keep it hidden, so I just want to make sure you're okay..."

"Oh yeah," I wave my hand, "It's fine. This town knows me already. Aiya, Keildrik, and the other students from the trip spent a lot of time after my previous expedition petitioning the university and the town to crack down on their kidnapping laws; especially for folks like me. It took some time, but I feel safer in the streets, uncovered, now than I did before when I was completely concealed!"

Faust nods in fascination, "How'd they manage that?"

"A lot of the students who attend the university come from noble bloodlines. Since I saved some of the students, and assisted in the identification of the ones I couldn't, they wanted to extend a hand of thanks to me," We turn a corner in the alleyway and enter into a large courtyard, "I was hesitant at first, but they wouldn't take my 'no' for an answer... Oh, we're here!" I push open the doors and enter into the library, the salty-air of the sea being quickly replaced by the smell of old dusty tomes and scrolls. In front of us were massive bookshelves reaching all the way up to the ceiling; some of them even sliding on rails to reveal more books behind even those shelves! I glance over at the others, Yviira's and Rae's jaws were agape in awe.

"Woah!" Yviira whispered, "I haven't seen a library like this since I was a child! Even then, Ascensia's library is quite small compared to this one!"

"Tell me about it," Rae agrees, peering around the room as if trying to find something to latch onto without being overwhelmed by the sheer volume, "The temple I grew up in had a library, but it was all scripture. None of it had much substance beyond that... And it was more of a closet with a table than a library."

"Eh," Faust shrugs, "I've seen bigger..." Yviira, Rae, and I all turn to look at Faust, dumbfounded by his declaration.

"I'm sorry, bigger!?" Yviira asks, unconvinced, "Where in the hells have you been???"

"Back home, actually..." His voice was hollow and filled with yearning, "This is big, don't get me wrong, this is bigger than anything I've seen here; but I have seen bigger."

The three of them begin bickering over menial details about the library and its size when I spot Aiya on the second floor, "Follow me, she's up here!" Storming up the stairs, we approach Aiya from behind; I turn around giving the others a sign to be quiet as I approach. Sneaking over, I notice Aiya staring longingly at the ring on her left hand, the emerald shimmering in the light from an overhead skylight. Positioning myself just back and to her left and reaching my hand over, I poke her on her side opposite of me, causing her to jump, before quickly retracting my hand. Aiya turns towards her right, looking for what just poked her before snapping back towards my direction, "Hey cutie~" I smirk, poking her side closest to me.

Within a fraction of a second I see her face go from angry to confused to flustered before settling on excited, "By The Nine! I didn't think you'd be back so soon!!" She wraps her arms around my neck before leaning in for a kiss, "I thought you were still looking for folks to help with the aberrant problem?"

"Ah, I see I somehow beat the parcels I've been sending!" I giggle, motioning towards the others who were acting awkwardly as if they didn't see what happened, "Well, I'd like you to meet the folks that will be helping me with the aberrant! That's 'Yviira', she's an Arcanist. The one with the shield and flail is 'Rae'Nör', she's a Champion of Idor. And the last one is 'Doctor Faust', he's a Tinkerer... I think..."

Aiya goes to shake each of their hands, "Nice to meet you all! I'm 'Aiya', Ain's fiancée."

Immediately upon Aiya revealing that, I see everyone's faces change. Yviira grows a smile I didn't think was possible for her face to display and Rae's attitude shifted from aloof to showing off a gentle smile; but Faust's calm demeanor dropped, as if he was frustrated or something.

"Oh my goodness, that's adorable!" Yviira squeaks in excitement, "Congratulations! Why didn't you tell you were engaged, Ain!?"

Aiya slowly turns towards my direction, her face depicting a smile that communicated a feeling of dread. It was one of those smiles where you fear what will happen if you say the wrong thing, "I- uh, I wanted it to be a surprise!" I chuckle nervously, patting Aiya on her head. Aiya's smile returned to a gleeful one as she and Yviira were squealing about the details of the ring, the proposal, and when the wedding would be. I didn't expect them two to become such quick friends, but I'm glad that it happened. "We were thinking about heading back to the dig site in a day or two, by the way, Aiya," I call out, hoping to pry her attention away from the conversation she was having with Yviira, "I've got Keildrik willing to give us a ride, so we'll leave once we've had some time to rest from all the travel."

"So soon?" Aiya frowns, "But you just got back!"

"Yes, but we both know the situation down south and how important it is that we deal with it sooner than later," I reach out and grab her hands, "We'll only be gone for a few days, at most."

"I know..." She rubs my hand against her cheek, "Why don't we all get some dinner in an hour? There's this place just up the road that has really good pasta!"

Rae shrugs indifferently, "If you're buying, I'll go."

"I'd love to!" Yviira's face lights up, "I haven't had good pasta since I last lived in Ascensia..."

We all turn towards Faust, who'd taken a few steps away from the group, "I guess I'll go..." He mumbles. Something's up with him, I just know it. He was all chipper and dandy until five minutes ago... I'll have to ask him later.

"Sweet!" Aiya exclaims enough for us to all feel the librarian's gaze set upon us before she quieted down a notch, "Let me finish up my work here, and I'll meet you all there!"

Saying our farewells, I lead the others towards the closest inn so they can get settled before dinner. As they settle in, I head back to my own apartment and clean myself up. Despite not smelling rancid, I feel gross... Not to mention I was still filthy from the journey back on that blasted merchant's ship. Just thinking about that lousy excuse for a captain made me irritated.

The rest of the night went as smoothly as I had hoped it would. I met the others at the inn and showed them how to get to the restaurant and back. When we arrived, Aiya had already reserved us a table and was waiting for us. We each told stories about our individual adventures, where we came from, and what we were excited for in the future. Rae told us that despite defeating the lich in The Vas'kii Deserts, she had yet to track down all of its nulls that it created; nulls, she told us, are undead servants. Every member of The Nine Divines abhors their existence and make it their Champions' primary duty to rid the world of their rot and decay amongst other things. Yviira mentioned how she was on-the-fence about taking on a student due to trauma surrounding previous students of hers; Aiya tried to encourage her, but I had to intervene when I saw the visible distraught welling up on Yviira's face. Faust barely mentioned what he was going to do... Something about a 'reactor' or 'getting home'... Aiya tried asking where he's from, but he wouldn't give her an answer; it was starting to rub me the wrong way.

After dinner, we each parted ways for the night and agreed to meet at Keildrik's vessel at the end of the week on Teriae morning. We'd need the rest for what was to come.