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"Sooooo... I'll just be going to the training grounds now." Sobble and Calico go to the training grounds. "There we go, that was really awkward."

---

She watched Atticus leave. It took all of her strength to focus her mind on the task at hand, and not go running after him. The words to an apology stuck in the back of her throat. I'm sorry. But there would be time for apologies later. Mr. Redding had been sadly misinformed about the nature of relations between the two kingdoms. Trust had never existed, not even when Ravenor had served in the Fryvern Court.

She arranged the area, sketching a few runes in the earth. The Kitsune Flower was in the second pot by her feet. Cath knelt down on the ground in the Queen's barrier, and took a deep breath. She hoped Najomi would have the intelligence to reinforce the barrier, just in case Ravenor tried anything.

"I don't trust you at all, Miss Rin, so… no. Besides, the whole point is for King Ravenor to attest to the power of the Kitsune Flower first hand. On your mark, your Majesty."

Ravenor's power was building, she could feel the rise in the levels of shadow magic. The resonance frequency was ever so similar to her own. The King was still oblivious. Cath wondered whether or not to tell him when this was all over.

And then, she could feel his presence in her mind, trying desperately to assert control. He was clawing at her memories, trying to find anything of use before she buried them. Queen Lily, the Kitsune Flower, diplomatic relations. Cath gave him the courtesy of transparency, and allowed him to see that she was indeed telling the truth.

As King Ravenor sifted through her mind, Cath could sense he was looking for something in particular. He was looking for documentation of Scarlett's possession. Cath showed him glimpses, but avoided Scarlett's and Ayran's faces. And Melvin. She completely blocked out Melvin.

The process had taken but a few seconds, and securing her final thoughts, Cath let him take over her mind. This was different from the possession of the blood moon. Cath was still aware of absolutely everything that was going on, a bystander in her own mind.

Ravenor-Cath lifted their hand, and dropped it back to their side. They stood, turning in a slow circle, surveying the gathering in the clearing.

"Very strange." The whisper escaped their lips softly. Ravenor began to tap into Cath's magic, creating a ghostly flame at their fingertips. They tested the barrier, throwing spheres of magic at its edges, which rippled slightly.

Their head turned, taking in the form of King Ravenor. He was slumped slightly, being supported by the Fryvern that had escorted the Queen's party to the clearing.

And then Cath knew it was time for her to make her move. Their form froze, an epic struggle of power taking place inside Cath's mind. She attempted to force herself around Ravenor's consciousness, so their body could pick up the Scarlet Lily. But he was blocking her at every turn. The enjoyment he was taking from her struggle was palpable, echoing throughout her mind.

What will you do now, little shadow mage? The whisper inside her own mind was terrifying. Thankfully, the blood moon couldn't speak to her directly like this.

Cath distantly registered Queen Lily's worried look. She was supposed to be in and out quickly, banishing the King from her mind. But this was a challenge.

Risk for reward.

Before she had voided it, banishing the book to the Shadow Realm, Cath had read an interesting passage in the Darke Chronicle. (Remember this from way back on page 26?) Splitting consciousnesses.

She continued to struggle against his consciousness with the majority of her mind, but slowly split a small segment of it off. Carefully, the segment darted through the corners of Cath's mind, dodging and weaving around Ravenor.

As if it had a life of its own, their hand picked the flower from the pot. Shaking from the exertion, it slowly lifted the flower to her palm. They crushed the petals and Cath immediately felt a rush of energy, and she forced King Ravenor out of her mind.

She straightened up, and the King staggered, returning to his body once more.

"Believe me now?" She said, raising an eyebrow and letting the crushed Scarlet Lily drift out of her hand.

Deep in the recesses of her mind, the fracture of her consciousness began to bring a few memories to the surface. Disastrous memories… but no matter. That was a problem for another day.

---

"Nice, time for some good training Calico! Let's see here." Sobble flips through the book he always keeps on hand, a book about special moves that you can perform. "I guess you can learn something called Hone Claws Calico, it says here that it boosts your attack power. Seems pretty nice." Sobble glances around him as he feels like he is being watched. "Um Calico, do you feel like we are being watched?"

Ravenor watched her with interest.

"I agree to your terms, Queen Lily. I will send some of my herbalist here to begin the process of transplantations our agreed plants."

"As will I."

Queen Lily watched Cath with anguish. "There is one more thing I'd like to discuss. I want to create a transition village here, for those who wish to move to the other Kingdom."

King Ravenor watched Cath. "Consider it done. I assume you'll send workers as will?" She nods.

It was getting late. Najomi spoke up. "Queen Lily, I think it's best if we camp here tonight."

"Yes, of course."

"Alright Calico, do this." Sobble does the pose he uses when he does Swords Dance. "Now you try." Calico does somewhat a close pose to what Sobble does but to no avail. "Hmmmm, since Hone Claws is a claw type move, try clearing your mind and strike a pose."

---

Cath swept into a formally deep bow directed towards the King and Queen before beginning to help Lady Najomi and the other members of the party set up camp on the Fryvern side of the border. She still felt strange from the experience, and worked quietly. Sliding her hand into her bag, she made sure that all of her important things had survived intact. Though everything was where she had left it, a prickle of unease coursed through her.

Atticus. He was in the forest, having run away from her. Her harsh words to him echoed in her mind.

"Maybe you're right. You are just a weak little light mage who doesn't understand how the world works. Try living in the shadows, try learning the magic of bone and blood. Then get back to me."

Self loathing boiled up inside of Cath, and she hammered a tent stake into the ground harder than she meant to. If something happened to him, it was all her fault. But she had lied to him; Atticus was strong and resourceful and was capable of fending for himself. He had proved that on multiple occasions. She owed him a huge apology.

What if he did try dark magic? His soul was so pure that it would literally kill him, just as light magic would kill her. His color would taint, and the blood moon would have a hold over him. No, he was smarter than that. Cath needed to believe in her friend.

Friend. Were they still friends? She hoped so. But the distance that she had achieved… It was indeed enough to keep him safe. Safe from all the ridiculous things she was bound to do, safe from all the dangerous plots that all the crazy people she surrounded herself with would cook up. Ignoring the loneliness, Cath came to a decision. She would let him go. It was for the best, anyway.

Which left Rin. Who now was looking for an excuse to get in her mind as well as her… Cath didn't complete that thought, aggressively hammering another stake into the ground. She had been living rent-free in the girl's head for long enough.

She exhaled angrily, peering across the clearing to where the delegates from the Dark Kingdom stood. King Ravenor. A mass exodus to a tenuous homeland just for the hope of fellowship and understanding. Cath had never stopped believing in a kingdom of Darkness as strong as Light, but could not in good conscience recognize his rule. The kingdom was forged from pity, the Fryvern Queen having signed a few miles of land into existence. And Ravenor was no king.

Queen Lily was looking at her with worry. Could she read minds? Did she know that Cath wasn't sure whether or not to trust the Fryvern Monarch? Cath hammered three more stakes into the ground finishing the tent she was working on.

Was Atticus right? Was she messing with forces she could not control?

---

Atticus, being already far away, sat by a quiet brook. A blank notebook page flapped in the quiet breeze. Fish were swimming around in the brook, catching his attention. They were little grey fish. He grabbed a spare cup in his knapsack and cupped three into it. They swam around in the clear cup, calmly swishing. They were better than him. He had run away, they had not. He checked his elbow and watched it, just as Lady Najomi had. The clock markings were larger. It was three hours and thirty minutes now. He looked up at the sky. He had come here on purpose. A small grave was nearby, but Atticus still hadn't mustered courage to look at it. He let out a hiss of a sigh. Reina... He was lingering in the past again. Rin had yelled at him, causing an outburst, because he was lingering in the past. She had found Cath, he had found murder. The fish swimming around in the cup paused and died. Atticus was staring at them. As he had done the trees, he had taken the little pigment left in them. He opened his knapsack again. A clear crystal. He tossed it on the ground, sending his location to anyone who would care. Enemy, friend, stranger... he didn't want to be alone.

---

Calico does the pose again taking a deep breath along with the pose. Scratch marks appear in front of Calico. "I think that was Hone Claws Calico. You need to learn more offensive moves, I should go ask someone."

---

Rin noticed a magic signal in the ground. She was in her tent, and it was late at night, but curiosity got the best of her. She silently left the tent, resisting the urge to talk to cath, and followed the signal. She saw a small brook and froze. This was near where the Children of Eden camp was. She couldn't stand going to the burnt camp. But luckily a person came into view. She walked up to him. It was Atticus.

She sighed. He was in pain, clearly.

"Hello Atticus." She simply said.

---

Sobble walked back to his dorm. "What a day Calico, I think people hate me by now. Good night Calico." Sobble falls asleep.

---

Atticus was just about to leave his area but turned to Rin's voice. "Aren't you supposed to be with the others?" It had taken time, but Atticus had set up a small shelter with sticks. The grave was hidden behind it.

He put a small bottle back in his knapsack. Alcohol. He hadn’t intended on consuming it, but Rin came along before he could open it. He hadn’t expected Rin to come, of all people.
“Look Rin, I’m too tired to talk right now, but maybe if you come back tomorrow…” he trailed off. He was going to go back home tomorrow. He glanced up at the stars and found Venus in the mix.
“Just… just go back to Cath and the Queen… and the King.” He wasn’t ready to call that excuse of a mage a king.

---

Kaori sighed. Well, it seemed like Lucinda was kind of asleep, or dead, or something, and Kaori needed to get something done. She wrote a note that said:
'Dear Lucinda,
I am very sorry for abandoning you.
You were sleeping so peacefully,
and I didn't want to wake you.
If you need me, I'll be at the
Draken Village. I'll be waiting.
Kaori'

Kaori grabbed her things, and walked out of the school, map and compass in hand, katana in sheath. Using the compass, she found the village, and wild boar overpopulation issue was an understatement. At least half of the village was overrun with boars, and they all seemed to be quite happy with it...

---

Queen Lily bent down beside Cath, helping to set up the tents. She said nothing for a moment.

"You have been though much more in a lifetime than you should. More than even a Kitsune does." She paused. "With that kind of experience..... You may think of me as irrational, and you may be right. However, I'd like to ask you,... Would you do me the honor of becoming my High Dark mage?"

Queen Lily seemed anxious as she waiting for an answer.

---

I'm going home... Scarlett picked herself off the floor and headed to the headmistress' office, hair messy, eyes puffy, and nearly ran into Ayran.

Her eyes went wide. "Ayran ..."

"Hah, no." She glanced at the sticks put together. "Pfft, that's not a shelter. Let me fix it, I have experience." The touched a stick and it all crashed down, revealing a grave. It said "Reina" on it. She had visited this place often when colecting berries for teh Children of Eden camp. A few flowers near the grave were drying out. She took some green dust from her pocket and sprayed it over the flowers, making them flourish again. She took some stream water and used it to clean the grave. She used to take good care of this place, never realizing it was Atticus's fiance.

---

"Spaghetti... Wheremmm is everybodyzzz."

---

"You have been through much more in a lifetime than you should. More than even a Kitsune does." She paused. "With that kind of experience..... You may think of me as irrational, and you may be right. However, I'd like to ask you, ... Would you do me the honor of becoming my High Dark mage?"

The Kitsune Queen was helping her to set up the tent. Cath respected the fact that she was willing to work alongside her delegates. But to ask her to be the High Dark Mage…

Cath was not expecting that question at all. On one hand, she could definitely do the work of a High Dark Mage, and do the work well. She had the power and the strength to succeed, and would serve the Fryvern Queen well.

On the other hand, she routinely dealt with manipulative and unstable persons in her "line of work", and said persons would not hesitate to take advantage of her position. Or her.

She focused on erecting the tent, the feel of the hammer in her hand. Cath closed her eyes briefly, feeling the power of each swing, hearing the metallic clink of hammer on stake. Still she focused on her work, but Cath began to speak.

"Your Majesty, I will be but seventeen in a week. I am young. In the spirit of transparency, I have neither the experience nor the expertise that most other candidates would have. I am still in school. I am the age of your daughter. I have so many enemies who will recognize my position, so many enemies that will try to take advantage of it. Trouble follows me like a specter wherever I go." Her voice was low, barely above a whisper.

Yet there were so many advantages to political power. Cath looked at the dying Queen that she didn't know if she could trust…

"For reasons that I cannot reveal, because I already have a myriad of secrets, I will not be able to hold this position forever. If you can acknowledge all this, and stare me straight in the eye, and ask again, then I will accept."

She finally looked at the Queen, Cath met her pair of bright, Kitsune eyes with her own dark ones.

She could feel the pulse of a crystal, and saw Rin disappearing in the distance. The girl hadn't spoken a word to her since she offered to possess her. Cath may not have been the paragon of virtue, but even she knew what that was. Rude.

But the crystal. It was undoubtedly Atticus; no one else used magic of light and color as precisely as him. Cath fought the urge to fly through the forest after him. This entire mission was on paper, a resounding success. But in reality, it was a complete disaster.

---

Atticus nodded and turned his back to Rin. He took the bottle out again and opened it. He took a small sip. The last time he had drunk, Reina had yelled at him. He took another sip. He walked away. Rin could have that area. As he walked to the kingdom, he slowly drank, each sip going down with another minute of his life. He paused and looked back. Would Cath need him? No. She had said he was weak, so she probably didn't trust him to not screw up. He sat on a rock. He was a mile from Rin already. Reina, Cath, Rin... Why were girls so hard for him to understand, or was it just him?

---

Lucinda sat up startled and read Kaori’s note, typical… she thought and jumped off the window sill onto a branch. She raced through the forest beaches like a monkey and finally saw the overrun village. Kaori was definitely there already, she had started fending off the boats. She raised her bow and shot an arrow from her perch on a tree close to the each of the village. It shot the boar closest to Kaori right in the side, now Kaori was bound to know that Lucinda was here. She jumped off the tree and more that dozens of boards came charging towards her. Great, just what everyone needs to start their day… she shot down about three of them, but the rest were all too close to shooting range. She summoned her light sword and slashed at the boars, whenever she got tired she would scramble up a tree, the boars that remain would repeatedly charge and hit the tree until it was dangerous to even think of staying up there. Lucinda jumped off behind the charging boards and stabbed them from behind. 6 boars left, but more were attacking Kaori and the villagers. She waved her sword and kept fighting.

Sobble is still sleeping. "Mmmmmm I didn'tzzz ordermmm pickles on myzz burgersmmmm. I wantmmmm a refundzzzzz."

---

Ayran seeing Aiden not daying anything, decided to walk away and talk to the head mistress another day. But before he took a step away, a head bumped into him, it turned out to be Scarlett.

Ayran widened his eyes in surprise, he was about to raise his hand to pat her hair that is horrendously messy, (did he cause this, Ayran wondered in the back of his mind) before stopping and instead pushing her away gently.

He then took a step back, before brushing past Scarlett, as if nothing happened, as if they were strangers once again.

---