Winter 4994, 31 Aoimoth 

Tuth was given a mask, but Lily and Ragther didn't need one. They exited the city through the west gate into the refugee encampment that was still growing even months after the flooding had subsided. Ramshackle shacks mixed with tents formed winding roads marked with makeshift signs designated by numbers for those running east to west and letters running north to south. Priests in all manner of robes, from the pale yellow of Soliel, to the dark brown of Cathbad, and even the red of Saint Bjarki and colorful rainbows of Saint Domhnall, roamed the streets. Handing out food and comfort where they could. They couldn't magically heal most infected, the spell causing a drastic heat increase in their already fevered bodies. Clerics of Horsa healed the Paladins and soldiers of their Temple as they shifted watches, while the common folk looked on behind their face masks, trying to stifle their coughing.

"It could be worse," Tuth muttered. 

Ragther huffed, "We care for our own, Mage. Did you expect the Temple of Horsa to leave our people in squalor?" 

Lily rolled her eyes, "Look, I know you have some misplaced beef with Hengist, but Shon is the only one of us tied to that Temple. So unclench and relax, Ragther."

The knight stopped walking, "You would do well to watch how you speak to me, Sor-" 

"Lily." She interrupted, "My name is Lily. And whether you like it or not, we are the only ones here to help you find your sister." Ryuuko whistled, and Lily turned to face the Paladin, "Believe it or not, I admire your pride, but I expect at least a little bit of respect in return." 

Ragther tilted his chin up and looked down his nose at her, but when she didn't blink, he let the subject drop, "This way." 

He led them to the edge of the encampment, near the river. Here, there were only tents, and though most were set close together, the medium one Ragther led them to was set apart from the rest.

"He was alone..." Tuth muttered. He still held the file from the Abbot's office and flipped it open to thumb through, "A fire Sorcerer from a small town south of here..." 

"Even with his clearance, fire Sorcerers carry a stigma with many of the common folk," Ragther explained unnecessarily. Maybe she was imagining it, but Lily thought his voice held a bit more civility than it had before.

He held the flap to the abandoned tent open for them, and Lily entered to find a modestly sized dwelling much larger than the one she shared with Shon. Large enough to stand in, the tent was ten feet squared and held a small collapsible desk as well as an actual bed. It made her wonder if the apparent animosity displayed was less to do with the Sorcerer's magic, and more do to this man's modest wealth.

Tuth furrowed his brow at the room and started to chant while Lily circled it and asked, "No signs of a struggle... and no one reported anything?" 

Ragther stood 'at ease' with his hands stiffly behind his back, looking just as uncomfortable to Lily as when Shon took the formal position. He shook his head, elaborating, "He was last seen before lights out, and the only anomaly reported was a minor malfunction of some patrolling guards' lights."

"A disenchantment charm... Or perhaps an antimagic field..." Tuth mumbled. Lily suppressed a shudder, and Ryuuko nuzzled her cheek. The young Mage's eyes glowed purple, and he stood in the middle of the tent, turning in place before focusing on the single extinguished candle on the little desk. "There's no magical residue from a Sorcerer's spells. Nothing."

An antimagic field then, "So that's how they suppress the Sorcerer's magic..." Lily whispered, "But they should still fight back. Make noise."

"Unless they caught his familiar first." Tuth countered, "Held it hostage." Ryuuko buried its face in Lily's hair with a quiet hiss. 

"Still... And they would have to get him past the patrols." Lily pointed out, then looked to Ragther, who was glaring around the room as if angry it didn't start speaking to him directly of what had happened. She wondered if he had any expressions beyond angry or contemptuous. "Could the kidnappers be guards?" 

Ragther's lip twitched. "I've considered it." If there was any pleasure in his grin, it was at what he would do to any such soldier involved. "The guards on duty that night were questioned, thoroughly, and those permitted to be on this mission have been rigorously vetted." He shook his head, "The remaining clearanced Sorcerers in the city have been placed under protection. What little we can provide considering. But this man had only just reported to the Guild. We have also considered someone in their ranks being involved."

"But why?" Tuth asked, shaking his head, "Why kidnap Sorcerers at all? Was this man tied to Lady Raina?" 

"Only loosely," Ragther answered, "She helped train him eight years ago, but he left once he had his clearance. And not all the Sorcerers taken had even that much." 

"It might not have anything to do with her," Lily said, going for the door. Ragther blocked her path with a hand, though he didn't touch her.

She looked up, half expecting him to arch an eyebrow at her, instead, he said, "Explain." 

Lily sighed, "You've looked back ten years because that was when she got her clearance and started helping others, but she was only taken recently. If she, or her efforts, were the reason behind this, then why wait a decade?"

Ragther dropped his hand, and Tuth said, "She has a point. We should look further back, see if the numbers taper off." 

But the Paladin shook his head, "The numbers didn't spike until six years ago." 

"Si... Six?" Tuth gulped, looking down at his file again, "That stack wasn't even ten years' worth? Only six?"

"Six years..." Lily whispered and left the tent. Ryuuko twittered, sticking its nose in her ear until she pet it. Six years ago was when she'd left the Mages guild to travel with Master Velona...

The two men followed her out, and she turned to face them, "Let's get a look at the other locations out here and check with the guild." 

Tuth nodded in understanding, "They are the most suspect. They're the most likely to have the information kidnappers would need on registered Sorcerers." 

Ragther led the way through the tent city again but glanced sideways at Tuth as they walked, "You are quick to suspect your own Guild..." 

Tuth shrugged, "It is important to remain objective in any study or investigation." He looked up to the Paladin, his eyes still glowing purple with his spell, "The Guild isn't like the Temple. They're tied together by their art, but consist of individuals doing individual things. Even two Guild towers in the same province might have very different focuses and goals."

Lily snickered, "Even two Mages in the same tower might have two very different goals. I know a Mage who is absolutely obsessed with dragon components. But he's the only one, and everyone else just tolerates him." 

Tuth nodded, "I think it's to do with the nature of academia and research in general... Even if they share a common goal, they might hold different theories and methods of reaching that goal." 

Lily hummed but didn't respond, staring ahead as they walked without seeing the people around her. Common goal but different methods... Her neck itched. 

***

Shon and Yua followed the Horsa guards and a city map to each of the missing Sorcerers' last known locations. Mostly their homes, though some had been in private businesses. All but one had been isolated, and none showed signs of a struggle. 

The keystone, and instigator, of this investigation was Lady Raina, and her last known location was their last stop. Hers was the only disappearance that didn't fit the mold, and so held the most possibility for leads.

According to the report, she'd attended a ball the night she went missing. But had left early, and alone, to return to her second home in the Mages Guild. But too many things about that story didn't add up.

The Guards took them to a noble's townhouse, just off one of the city's busiest streets. Though now the population seemed sparse, or at least spread wide apart, with half of them wearing masks over their mouths and nose.

"I thought the plague hadn't reached past the camp..." Yua whispered.

One of the guards nodded, and the other explained, "Only those who show no symptoms are allowed through the gates and are still purified by a Paladin. But people are cautious." 

Yua smiled at him, saying only, "Rightly so." before passing him into the manor. They were led to the ballroom where Lady Raina had last been seen. 

This was the last place Shon expected to find anything. Many of the locations had been left untouched, and yet they still showed no sign of struggle. This place had been a party of nobles with their servants, and no one had seen anything. Except... "Who accompanied the Lady that night?" Shon asked.

The servant escorting them around the manor cleared his throat and said sheepishly. "The Lady Raina does not court with anyone... She had only her lady in waiting that night." 

Shon arched an eyebrow at the man, and he paled. Yua sighed, "And where can we find her?" 

The scrape of silk slippers echoed through the empty ballroom. Together, Shon and Yua turned to see a young woman with dark blond hair sweeping toward them. She curtsied elegantly and spoke to the floor, "The Lord Sir Ragther asked me to wait here for the investigation team today... Are you they, m'lord and lady?" So she hadn't been imprisoned...

Shon shifted his eyebrow to the other side and leveled it at Yua, who laughed, "It seems our Sir Ragther is taking this quite seriously." He was at least thinking ahead, but that just made Shon even more suspicious. Too much about this specific case didn't fit his experience with Horsa's knights' or nobles' behavior. Something was missing, and he didn't like being tested.

"Please, follow me." the servant took them to a sitting room and held the door for Raina's lady and Yua. Shon stopped at the door and shook his head at the guards and servant before they could follow. Closing the door behind him.

The woman flinched as the door clicked closed. "No need to be nervous, lady," Yua said softly, plopping down in one of the comfortable couches and crossing her legs as the lady in waiting took her seat much more gracefully. Shon stood. 

Yua opened Raina's file and flipped through the pages for show, "It says here that you were already questioned-" and punished, "-about that night... Tell us, why did you not go with your Lady back to the Guild when she chose to leave the party early?" 

The woman clutched her skirts, her eyes flicking around the room, "The Lady Raina bid me stay. She doesn't like being treated delicately-"

"And yet, a noble -especially a Lady- doesn't travel alone. Ever. Which is why she employs you in the first place." Yua stated. The woman flinched again, "You see, her case is the only one different. Even if she'd left you, she should've taken a carriage. Shouldn't have been alone..." Yua laid out their map and pointed at the road between this manor and the Mages Guild, "Even if she'd walked, she would've traveled on a well-lit and highly populated road. None of these side roads would've made her journey shorter either, so she had no reason to take them. And yet you were the last to see her." 

"She... she bid me stay..." the lady repeated.

"Why?" Shon asked. 

Her eyes flicked to him then away again, and she tried once more to say, "She doesn't like-" 

"She didn't go back to the Guild, did she, m'lady?" Yua asked. 

"I...I..." the woman stuttered nervously, and Shon sighed.

He ran his hand through his hair and leveled his stare at the woman, catching her eyes and locking them in place with his own. She stiffened, and her hands shook, "I don't like chasing ghosts, m'lady. We are here to help those taken, including your Lady, not to punish you or anyone else not directly involved. We are alone, speak plainly." 

The woman's jaw worked silently for a moment, then she swallowed and whispered, "She went to meet... A friend." 

"Who?" Shon asked shortly.

She managed to break the eye contact and looked away again, "The Lady Nickola..." 

Yua leaned forward, "Oh? And you didn't want that in the official records, did you?" she looked up at Shon and grinned, "I suspect the Lady Raina might swing more my way than yours, big guy..." 

Shon shook his head. Only nobility would care, and only because she was an heiress. It wasn't any of his business. "Did she make it to her liaison?" he asked. 

The woman shook her head and shifted forward in her seat to point at the map, "No, m'lord. She would have taken this route..." 

Yua stood, "Then we have one more place to stop." 

They didn't explain to the guards why they wanted to be taken to that particular back alley and left them at the entrance as they examined their surroundings. But once again found nothing of note. 

"Seems strange that Ragther wouldn't see the inconsistencies," Yua muttered as she knelt to look for footprints or damage to the earthen road, "considering how thorough he's been, and his worry for this victim in particular."

Shon shook his head and closed his eyes to see through Ryuuko's. The pseudodragon was in a room full of shelves of binders and notebooks. It stood on a table and watched Lily -who was looking through a book- while the Paladin questioned a young Mage and Tuth scanned the shelves. 

Shon opened his eyes, "He's testing us." 

Yua scoffed, "Go figure. That and he probably doesn't want his sister's preferences in any records." 

Shon nodded, "Unless he weds, then the family heirs will need to come from the Lady Raina."

Yua sighed, "Ah, noble drama..."

"It's nothing to do with us." He walked away, "Let's go. Lily and the rest are heading to dinner." But now they had one less lead. Unless Tuth and Lily had found something.

***

They had nothing. Ten of the Sorcerers taken in the last year had been refugees, and none of them left any signs of a fight or witnesses of their passing. With no leads, Ragther took them back into the city, and -after being cleansed of possible plague- to the Guild. 

Tuth took over once they entered the tower, requesting, with Ragther's scowling authority over his shoulder, to be shown the records room where the Mages organized all their files and logs. When they entered, a tired-looking young man was working on transferring all the data from the previous day's general log to their individual books. 

He jumped as the door closed and stuttered, "I... Um... How may I help you, Sir?" 

"We need all the records you have of local and visiting Sorcerers for the last ten years," Tuth said.

Behind him, Ragther nodded and added, "And a list of everyone who accessed those records in that time."

Lily rolled her eyes and wandered over to the young man's abandoned book as he jumped to his feet, still stuttering, "I... We... Yes, Sir..." Ryuuko hopped from her shoulder to the table and twittered dragon snickers at them while Lily picked up the book. 

She doubted they would have what Ragther asked for. Only Paladins were so anal that they kept such strict records. Even if it was law. 

Lily left her thumb on the boy's page but flipped a few pages forward until she found her name, scrawled at the bottom the night before. So they hadn't gotten to the newest arrivals yet. She turned to the next page and found Shon's name at the top, along with a handful of resident Mages logging in after returning from town that morning. Looking up, Lily watched the Journeyman pulling binders from the shelves to hand to Tuth and Ragther.

Lily sneezed. The men looked at her, but she just whipped her nose and mouth with a spare scrap of paper and muttered, "Pardon me. Dust." She shoved the crumpled paper in her bag and went back to flipping through the book's pages until she found the name of the missing fire Sorcerer. No others had checked in. 

Ryuuko chittered disapprovingly. Lily shushed it. 

Ragther demanded again a copy of who had checked the logs over the last decade while Tuth himself compiled a list of all those Sorcerers who'd been taken versus those who were under protective custody. Lily wandered aimlessly, her stomach growling. 

The Paladin watched her while the Journeyman followed his orders. Still, he didn't say anything until they left, making for the restaurant and dinner with the others. "What did you do?"

Lily tilted her head and let her eyes widen innocently in question, but Ragther just glared, "Horsa may not hold the same disdain for lies as Hengist, Sor... Lily. But if you do anything to hinder this investigation, he will be the least of your worries." 

Lily laughed. He'd both respected her and threatened her in the same breath. She might like this man after all. She shook her head, "I did nothing of the sort. And even if I don't follow Hengist, and I don't even like him; I also don't lie. No Sorcerer except myself was listed in the log after the one taken three days ago. That's all."

Ragther huffed. They rounded the last corner to see Shon and Yua doing the same from the other end of the street. The Paladin narrowed his eyes at Shon but spoke to Lily, "You don't seem the least bit worried for your own safety. Do you trust your companions that much?" 

Lily grinned and sidestepped to bump Ragther's shoulder with her own. Ryuuko hissed and crawled to her other side to get away from him. Ragther pulled away in surprise, but Lily just laughed, "I do, but more than that, I trust myself." She gave him a sideways look, "I told you before, I'm not a normal Sorcerer." 

She left him behind to wonder and hurried ahead to meet Shon and Yua in front of the restaurant. She pivoted to stand beside Shon and gestured for the door, saying, "After you!" to Yua. The Ranger looked from her to Shon and grinned.

Yua held the door open for Tuth and Ragther, who dismissed the guards, before following them in. 

Shon tried to catch the door before it could swing closed, but Lily pushed it out of his hand, then grabbed his arm and pulled him around the side of the building. Shon followed stiffly and blinked in surprise as she stood on her toes and quickly kissed him. 

"Sorry," she said, grinning at him, it was only half a lie, "I missed you, but we can go inside now." 

Lily turned to leave, grabbing his hand again to pull him back around the building. Shon let her get to the full length of both their arms, then tugged her back. She fell against his chest, and he cupped her face wordlessly, kissing her long and deep. Lily melted against him, sighing through her nose.

Shon stroked her scaled cheek with his thumb until they separated, then said only, "Now we can go." Ryuuko whistled, and Lily kinda regretted having no one to pray to. She really wanted this mission to end sooner rather than later. 

*** 

Ragther had gotten them a table in a corner far from the other dinners, ejecting those already there and forcing them to move. Yua eyed Shon and Lily as they entered, and what little hope Shon had of her continued professionalism held, as she said nothing when they sat. 

They were served a dinner of grilled fish sprinkled with a red spicy powder and sides of sliced citrus by a nervous-looking waitress who kept eyeing Ragther in particular.

The patrons stared more at Ragther than even Lily, though they dare not whisper behind their hands about him as they did about her. It was clear from the small eatery's location and general upkeep that this was not the kind of place that nobles or Paladins frequented.

The food was delicious nonetheless, even wiping the scowl from Ragther's face -if only for a moment- until he noticed Lily grinning at him. It might be no more than a hole-in-the-wall place for underclass workers, but whoever ran the kitchen knew what they were doing and clearly loved their craft. 

 They didn't speak of business until their plates had been cleared, "We should meet at the Temp-" Ragther tried to insist again. 

Lily rolled her eyes theatrically, interrupting, "This is fine. Besides, Shon won't surrender his sword to the Temple of Horsa."

Instead of glaring at Lily for the interruption, Ragther settled his gaze on Shon and sneered, "Afraid, soldier of Hengist?"

Shon didn't dignify that with a response, and Tuth cleared his throat, "Did you guys find anything?" 

"Oh, so we get to go first?" Yua grinned at the Mage, "Very well. Other than the interesting fact that our dear Ragther has been keeping secrets, no. There were no signs of struggle or breaking and entering at any of the locations, and all but one of the reports of the questionings were thorough." 

Shon watched Ragther throughout, but his expression didn't shift in the slightest at Yua's accusation. Lily's did though, she tilted her head at the Paladin and asked, "Secrets?" 

Ragther tried to answer, "I have not-" 

Yua interrupted, "The Lady Raina did not leave her party to return to the Guild as her lady in-waiting reported in the file. She left for a liaison. Taking a back alley and disappearing as isolated as everyone else." 

"She was-" Ragther tried again, but Lily interrupted this time, 

"Ooooo, noble drama! A secret lover, maybe? Oh, tell me, it's a commoner! Forbidden romance is the best." 

Tuth rolled his eyes, and Ragther growled, "We are aware-" 

"Does it matter?" Tuth asked, "She was a Sorcerer, and she was taken while alone like the rest. This leaves us with no leads." 

"Exact-" the Paladin started,

"But we have no record of her intended contact being questioned," Yua argued. 

"ENOUGH!" Ragther's voice held the power of a god. The ground shook as he pounded his fists on the table and stood. The entire restaurant went quiet as the grave. 

Tuth and Yua exchanged nervous glances along with the rest of the patrons, but Lily leaned forward on the table and grinned, whispering, "Sit down, Sir Ragther. Or is that extra flail poking you?" 

"You..." the Paladin growled. Ryuuko shuddered, and Ragther seemed to swell. Lily just continued to grin.

"Lily." Shon's voice was cold and quiet, but she leaned back in her chair and looked away. Ragther looked from her to Shon and back again. His called power drained as he resumed his seat. Shon arched an eyebrow at the Paladin. 

Ragther exhaled slowly and leaned back, crossing his arms, "Do not interrupt me again." he told the table at large. Tuth pursed his lips, Lily huffed, and Yua made a sweeping gesture to give the man the floor. Ragther reached into an inner pocket of his uniform and pulled forth a page, sliding it towards the middle of the table. Shon eyed it from a distance. It was a missing page from Raina's file. 

"My sister was seeing another Lady that night, the Lady Nickola. I have already questioned her, and Raina did not make that meeting." 

Yua waited for more then said, "So you were testing us." 

Ragther gave a single nod, "That, and it doesn't matter." 

"It could," Yua argued, "If she was taken for a different reason, by someone else, then we could have two cases on our hands. Her's is the only high-profile kidnapping. If someone didn't like that the Lady Raina, a noble and heiress, was seeing a woman..." 

"Then they would answer to me," Ragther growled. He took a long breath through his nose and continued, "My sister was private but not ashamed. If anyone should have a problem, it would only have been those attempting to court her for a political marriage. All of which our father would have refused after getting what he wanted from their attempted bribery. Hardly lovers scorned." 

"Awwww," Lily let out, leaning on the table again and resting her chin in her hand while Ryuuko twittered, "You're so cute. You really care about her, don't you?" 

Ragther's eye twitched, but he resisted snapping at Lily's teasing. Tuth cleared his throat pointedly, "We are off-topic. Sir Ragther is correct. It really doesn't matter for our purposes. I highly doubt that anyone but those experienced in kidnapping Sorcerers specifically would have been able to take Lady Raina."

Yua nodded, "And it shows that they're patient, waiting for her to be alone, which would be rare. And possibly a little mad, to target a noble." 

"It seems we've been dealing with a lot of mad people lately..." Lily muttered under her breath, though if anyone but Shon heard her, he couldn't be sure. 

Tuth tapped the table and hummed in thought. "As for us..." he started, "We've determined that they're using an antimagic field. And I personally think they're using their familiars as hostages to prevent them from fighting back even without their magic."

Ryuuko whistled, and Lily pet down its back as it slinked from her shoulder over to Shon's, draping itself around his neck. Ragther watched the movement. Lily sighed, "Well, we questioned the Guild to see who might have accessed the Sorcerer registry, but I doubt that will turn up any leads. It's not that hard to lie on the logs or change them after the fact." Ragther and Shon huffed in unified disapproval, then glared at one another as if their implied agreement was an insult. 

Tuth ignored them, "So we have the remaining Sorcerers under protective custody, and no leads... Any ideas?" 

Lily lifted a hand, "I could-" 

"No." Shon, Yua, and Tuth all spoke in unison. Ragther blinked at them, and Lily whined, 

"Oh, come on! We know they're keeping them alive. If they take me back to their hideout, I can get them all out, and you guys can follow." 

Ragther caught on to what everyone else had known right away, "You would use yourself as bait?" 

Lily shrugged, "You said it yourself when you met us." 

"No." Yua and Tuth said again. This time Shon just crossed his arms, staring at the table in thought. 

"They left no traces, and if the other Sorcerers couldn't escape..." Tuth tried

"I'm not a normal Sorcerer," Lily argued, "I don't need my magic to defend myself. And the whole point would be to go quietly so you can follow." 

Yua tried, "We have no idea how many there are or where they're being taken, or even why. It's too great a risk."

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but Shon interrupted, "She can take care of herself..." He looked up to find Lily with an expression that said clearly she wanted to jump him here and now, but he shook his head at her plan, "we should save it, for if we have no other options."

"And what if they take you." Tuth snapped at Shon, clearly not liking that he even partly agreed with Lily's idea. 

Ragther narrowed his eyes at the Mage then looked at Shon, who only shrugged. Lily laughed out loud, "Shon can take care of himself even better than I can! Oh, wouldn't it be hilarious if they tried to take his sword?" She giggled into her hands evilly, then sighed, "But they won't. As far as the Guild knows, I'm the only new Sorcerer in town." 

"You didn't..." Tuth breathed in horror.

"Lily..." Shon started in stern disapproval. Ryuuko chittered in his ear. 

"Wait," Ragther stated, leaning over the table, but not looking at Lily, "You're a Sorcerer?" he growled at Shon. 

Shon tilted his head up and didn't answer, but Ryuuko whistled and nuzzled his cheek. Ragther's eyes went wide, "The pseudodragon... It's not her familiar..." 

"But if the kidnappers think it is, then Ryuuko will give Shon a direct link to my location when they take both of us. You said yourself that they aren't killing the familiars, and Tuth said they're probably using them as hostages." 

Ragther stood again and growled over the table, "Hengist sent two Sorcerers on this mission? By Horsa's holy flail, I..." 

"They sent me because I have kingdom clearance and have worked in Horsa land before," Shon said. 

"And even if they knew about him, his power is sealed," Yua added. 

Tuth shook his head, "With an item, though. They just have to take it out of range, and he'll be just like the others." 

Ragther sat back down and covered his face with his hands. Shon could hear the whispered prayer before he dropped them and looked at Lily, "Where's your familiar then?" 

Lily shrugged, "I don't have one. I never have. I told you I wasn't a normal Sorcerer."

The knight looked around the table and shook his head, "None of you are normal..."

Yua rose her hand, "I am." but that just made Tuth snort and Lily snicker.

Ragther leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, "These are the tools I'm given to find Raina..." he opened his eyes again and said, "Fine, we will keep this plan in reserve as we look for more information,"

"Do you have any theories about their motivation at least?" Tuth asked, "Why take Sorcerers specifically?" 

Ragther held up two fingers, "Neither of them makes sense. The first is that they hold some kind of vendetta against Sorcerers,"

"But then why not kill them?" Yua mused more than asked.

Ragther nodded, "Exactly. The second..." he trailed off for a moment and Shon sighed, 

"Slaves," 

Ryuuko hissed, Lily growled, and Yua scowled. Ragther nodded again. Slaves were kept and sold only as punishment for high crimes in Horsa provinces. However... "Criminals will sometimes forge documents to sell free citizens kidnapped and made into slaves." The Paladin explained. Lily hissed, causing Ragther to double-take between her and the pseudodragon before he cleared his throat and continued, "The crime is punishable by public execution, slowly, but it still happens, rarely." 

"But if that's the leading theory, then even if they take Lily, we won't necessarily be able to find the others. If they were already sold in another Horsa province." Yua argued. 

It was Tuth who shook his head, crossing his arms and chewing on his thumb in thought, "That's highly unlikely. A Sorcerer can't be safely enslaved without sealing their magic, and once that happens, they might as well be normal and not worth the risk or effort to target them. And the Lady Raina would be too conspicuous to ever sell... They should have demanded a ransom if they were doing it for money..." 

Shon and Ragther snorted in unison, though for very different reasons. "We do not negotiate with criminals," Ragther stated, exchanging glares with Shon once again at their shared response. Horsa and his followers were the types to shoot through a hostage to get to the criminal for the insult of even attempting to challenge them. 

"So the most likely theory," Tuth continued, "Is that they're kidnapping unsealed Sorcerers for their magic. And holding them alive somewhere." 

"So my plan-" Lily started triumphantly, 

Ragther nodded, interrupting, "May be necessary." Perhaps they were rubbing off on him.

"Not yet," Shon said, shaking his head at Lily when she looked to argue. "We will at least try to gather more information and come up with a safer alternative. Starting with the Guild and their logs of those who had access to the Sorcerers' data."

"I don't like it." Yua stated plainly but raised her hand to stall Lily arguing with her, "But if we're going to consider it, then we need to do it right. We can't show our hand. Meaning we can't keep her under guard then suddenly lift it out of the blue." Yua took a moment to eye her companions and finished with, "We should split up where we sleep at least." 

Tuth scoffed, "We might as well be hanging her out with a diner bell in a din full of drakwalves now then!" 

Yua shook her head, "Lily can stay with the Church, in the dorms as we are now. That should be enough of a deterrent at night, as all the others were taken when alone. You can move into the Mage's Guild tomorrow. I'll take refuge at Cathbad's Grove and Shon with the Temple of Hengist. It won't be seen as suspicious or unusual for us to split and stay with our respective organizations and only convene during the day. IF we need to go with this plan, Lily can move into a private room when one "suddenly" becomes available." 

Lily sighed, dropping her chin to rest on the table, "So I get to sleep alone until this is over..." Ryuuko whistled sadly, hopping from Shon's shoulder back to Lily's head. 

"It was your idea," Tuth said, looking away from her angrily. Ragther looked once at Lily but then focused on Shon, who only nodded at Yua to confirm the plan. 

Yua sighed, "Well... it's decided then. One more night in the Church, then we go our separate ways." She stood with another sigh, "We'll at least meet for breakfast at the Church and convene there as neutral ground. Deal?" She directed the question at Ragther, who eyed Shon one last time, then nodded. 

Tuth and Lily both made to stand, but as Shon did the same, the Paladin said, "A private word, soldier." 

The other three hesitated, but Shon sat back down and nodded them towards the door, sending to Ryuuko to stay with Lily. Better to keep the show going that it was tied to her. 

Lily brushed Shon's shoulder as she passed, and Ragther watched them go while Shon watched him. Once the door had closed behind them, Ragther stated, "She's your lover." he looked back at Shon, who only arched an eyebrow at the man. The last thing he wanted was a private chat with a Paladin of Horsa, especially if this was going to be the topic. 

Ragther leaned forward on the table and tapped the wood, "And yet you let her risk herself without so much as a token argument." Shon didn't respond, and Ragther growled, "I don't understand you, soldier, and I don't trust what I don't understand. This is your opportunity to explain yourself to me before I get ahold of your file tonight. So explain. You are a Sorcerer, though you did not disclose this information even after learning what we're facing. You hardly speak, and risk both your lover and familiars' life, and yet the others still defer to you as their leader. You are not much younger than myself, and yet you carry a kingdom clearance... What's your rank, soldier?" 

He would find it in Shon's file, but Shon answered anyway, "Staff Sergeant." 

Ragther blinked in disbelief, then his eyes narrowed, "How?" 

Because I was trained to be an officer... "I proved myself loyal to the Temple and Hengist." 

The Paladin smirked and leaned back in his chair again, crossing his arms and looking down his nose at Shon. "A true devotee then. Let me guess..." he waved a dismissive hand. "You failed the divine compatibility test and yet swore an oath to serve the Temple anyway in the childish hope that you might become a Paladin regardless. Hoping that with enough effort and devotion, the gods might rewrite your blood-" but he stopped as Shon alternated his eyebrow to the other side. Ragther's scowl returned, "Then explain. What exactly have you done to earn such a high rank? And why risk yourself and your companions as a meer enlisted?"

He would know everything soon enough... Shon dropped his brow, "I did not fail the divine compatibility test." He watched as realization slowly dawned on Ragther's face. His gray eyes flicked to Shon's bastard sword, the symbol and weapon of Hengist. Typically, only Paladins of the god wielded anything greater than a short sword...

"You... The vigil..." Ragther mouthed under his breath. Shon tilted his head up but didn't look away. "He denied you." Ragther finally said. He watched Shon, but unlike the Paladins of Hengist, he didn't show sympathy or even pity. Shon would've appreciated the absence, if he thought a Paladin of Horsa capable of such emotions.

"But you serve anyway?" Ragther asked. Shon didn't answer. He didn't need to. He was here now, and that was all Ragther needed to know. 

But the Paladin asked anyway, "Why?" 

"I swore an oath." 

Ragther's lips twisted in a foul grin, "To what? He rejected-"

Shon leaned forward, and Ragther stuttered to a stop. Shon's blue eyes locked on Ragther's through a curtain of dark hair, blacker even than the Paladin's immaculate uniform. When he spoke, it was with a calm and cold quiet that carried, his sword pommel swirling translucent sky blue, "Listen very carefully because I will not repeat myself. I am here because I was ordered to be here, and I follow those orders because I swore an oath to Hengist. I am staying to help you find your citizens, all of them, because I believe that is what Hengist demands of his followers, and I still believe in him and everything he stands for. Paladin or not. Would your faith in Horsa be any less if he had not chosen you?" 

Shon held the knight's gaze, and Ragther stood. He tossed a handful of gold on the table -far more than was necessary for the meal- and didn't answer Shon's question, saying only, "I will trust you then, Staff Sergeant." He finally looked away, staring at the door, "I wonder, however... If perhaps you spoke your oath to the wrong god..." Shon glared, but the Paladin just walked away.

*** 

Ragther exited the ratty little restaurant to find the Sorcerer, Lily, waiting against the wall across the street. He looked around, but the other two were gone. Already she was risking herself, staying alone to wait for the Hengist loyalist.

He eyed the pseudodragon on her shoulder. Now that he knew it was tied to the soldier and not her, he would have to watch what he said in front of it...

Ragther shook his head and smirked, Or not, "Your lover is a fool." He told her. 

The little dragon hissed, but the woman just tilted her head at him, her eyes slit like a cat's in the dark of the evening. The effect, partnered with her strange stripes and shining hair, was inhuman, probably the result of some magical experiment.

"Sometimes," she answered, "Are you complaining? It's to your advantage this time." 

"No. Unlike Hengist, Horsa will use any and all advantages he can to suit his needs." Ragther responded, "If there is one thing that Hengist can be counted on, it is his willingness to sacrifice his followers for 'the greater good.'" He scoffed at the very concept and looked back to the door in time to see the Staff Sergeant exit. 

"Maybe," Lily whispered before Shon could get close enough to hear and continued quickly, "But I do not follow Hengist, and I will not sacrifice any of mine for yours. Keep that in mind, Sir." 

Ragther narrowed his eyes at her, "Is that a threat?" 

Lily just grinned, passing him and countering, "Does it need to be?" before she gave a little skip to stand before the soldier, her hands held behind her back as she smiled up at him like a child waiting to raid a candy store with a pocket full of gold. 

Something in the cold man's eyes softened as he looked down at her but solidified again as he glared over her shoulder at the Paladin. There was no doubt in Ragther's mind what element the man embodied.

He suppressed a shiver and said only, "Tomorrow then, Staff Sergeant." 

The man answered with a silent nod. Ragther left the two behind, feeling more confident in this investigation now than he had that morning. He hadn't lied to Lily. A loyalist to Hengist might not have the pride befitting a true Paladin, but he would do his utmost to see the mission through and everyone safe. Even if it cost him his life. After all, his days were numbered anyway...

***

Shon watched the Paladin disappear around a corner and let out a slow breath. Lily hooked her arm in his and turned him towards the Church. "What did he want?" Shon asked. 

Lily shrugged, but Ryuuko chittered angrily, "To insult you." She rolled her eyes and lifted her other hand to soothe the pseudodragon. "But it was just the usual Horsa versus Hengist bull, so I didn't think you would be too offended." 

Shon ran his hand through his hair, looking to the stars. Ryuuko chirped, and his hand froze, "You threatened him?" he asked. 

Lily glared at the pseudodragon, "Traitor..." She accused it but then shrugged again, "Only a little," she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, "We've just gotten started Shon, I'm not letting you go yet." 

Shon eyed the few commoners left on the road, all retreating back home before the curfew. He stopped walking, and Lily turned to tilt her head at him, Ryuuko mirroring the motion on her shoulder. The sight made him grin. "You're going to be the death of me," he softened the accusation by lifting her chin to bring her lips to his.

Lily smiled around her kiss, running her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck, "Tell me we're going to finish this quickly?" she whispered against his lips.

He rested his hands on her hips, tilting his head so their foreheads rested against one another, "It still won't be fast enough." he answered. He gave her a quick squeeze but then pulled away and stepped past her, retaking her arm, "Let's go. The matron will be waiting up for us..."

"Ug..." Lily whined but leaned on him again, "Fine, let's just get this over with. I want to be out of there by Winter Solstice at least." 

*** 

At the Mages Guild, a harried Journeyman finished his task later than usual. All he'd had to do was transfer the entries from the front desk's general logbook to their specific logs. Check-ins of residents returning from town went in one book, check-ins of non-residents in another, and each common reason for the last had its own log. Those making calls with the magic mirrors had one, those purchasing magical items from the Guild store another. And those coming or going through a teleport gate needed to be cross-checked with the gate logs, and many more besides, ranging from social visits with a resident to use of the public library. 

And then there were the Sorcerers... Their information had to be entered into three separate logs, the general non-resident check-in, their respective reason for visiting log, and the ongoing list for Sorcerers in residence in the city. The last of which included request forms for the kingdom Guild to transfer the given Sorcerer's files and detailed data to yet another log that was linked directly between the kingdom and city Guilds. Anything written in one appeared in the other. The Journeyman was just glad he didn't have that particular job, which went to those both lucky, and in this case, unlucky, enough to be in the Capital, Diem. 

The last of the ones he needed to deal with was hardly ever needed but had gotten a lot of use lately with the Lord Paladin Sir Ragther checking it out multiple times over the last two weeks. The apprentice sighed, rubbing his sore hand as he finished the last, entry for this book...

***

Miles away, deep in a secluded swamp, in a tower reported abandoned and uninhabitable, another log lay open.

Journeyman Briman rubbed his stump of an arm, flinching as his hand passed through what his mind still told him should have contained solid flesh. He pulled the file of the new male Sorcerer's preliminary data from the shelf for their living samples; Fire/red; power level - 4/10; purity - .2/100; sex - male. Turning for the door, movement on the open logbook caught his eye. 

Briman hummed, setting the file down beside the book and running his finger under the line as it magically appeared, as though written by a ghost, on the page. Lily, Female, Fire; power level - 10/10; Familiar... He didn't bother to wait for the rest of the entry, scooping up his file and returning to Archmage Shaloon. 

Another fire Sorcerer, and a female at that! And so powerful... Perhaps that had been miswritten by the ignorant Journeyman back in the city... Briman shook his head. It didn't matter. They would do their own assessment once the woman was brought to them.

Master Ryuugen must be smiling across the planes at them after all.