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"I still can't believe that you thought this was a good idea," Luke muttered, glancing nervously up at the high walls of the canyon that enclosed them.

"If I recall correctly it was Azee who made the choice to follow these two." Eloise nodded at Rayes and Sinda. "If our current situation displeases you, perhaps you should take it up with her."

"And who exactly was it who put the decision on her head? I don't care that it was technically her choice, if this goes badly, I'm holding you responsible."

"A burden which will haunt me till my dying day, I am sure."

Luke's anger flared, "I'm serious, witch, just what were you thinking? Azee has no experience with the outside world, or with people!"

"And whose fault is that exactly?"

The question gave Luke pause.

Grumbling under his breath, Luke looked ahead, watching as Azee walked alongside Sinda. He felt the weight already sitting in the pit of his stomach grow heavier as Azee laughed out loud. With each step he found himself contemplating what Sinda would look like as a rug.

"Jealous?"

Eloise shrugged as Luke turned to glare at her. "It isn't hard to see Windhill."

"Shut up, and leave me alone." Luke shifted his pack and quickened his pace to get away from Eloise.

"I only ask, because at this rate, you'll lose her."

Luke stumbled and nearly fell as he froze midstep.

Eloise strode past Luke, shooting him a sideways glance. "Assuming, of course, that you haven't lost her already."

Eloise's words rang in Luke's head as he stared down at the rock between his feet.

'Lose her... I... I can't lose her.' Luke closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. 'Not after everything... not after all that's happened. I won't...not Azee.'

"Luke?"

Luke looked up quickly. Azee stood in front of him, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"What's wrong?"

"I..." Luke cleared his throat. "Nothing... nothing's wrong. Just... a pebble in my boot."

"Oh... alright. Well, here-" Azee extended her hand, "-take this."

Luke blinked in surprise as Azee handed him her collar. "Azee, it's dangerous for you to not-"

"Sinda says we're far enough off the trail that the chances of us running into anyone are small, so I don't have to wear it anymore." Azee interrupted. "Besides, it's hot."

"So why don't you carry it?" The moment the words left Luke's mouth he regretted them.

Azee scowled, her lip curling in anger. "I've had to wear one these all my life, so now you can carry it." Spinning on her heel, Azee stalked back towards Sinda and Rayes, her ears pressed flat against her head.

"Wait, Azee I didn't mean..." Luke's voice trailed off as he felt a flicker of anger rising in his chest, but it quickly sputtered out.

Luke sighed heavily and looked down at the collar. Despite the spell placed upon the leather to make it weightless, it felt as if it were made of solid lead.

"Another brilliant move, Windhill." Eloise sighed, shaking her head as she returned to Luke's side. "You really are going from strength to strength today."

The leather collar creaked as Luke's hand tightened, rage once more flaring up inside of him. "Keep your mouth shut, witch. Condemn me all you want, but I've kept Azee safe for most of her life."

"Mhmm."

"And this whole insane journey is just begging for trouble."

"Really?" Eloise shrugged. "It seems to me it's gone rather well thus far."

"Rather wel- you do remember the two Order agents that we encountered, right? And you do recall what they were moments away from doing when we found them? If we'd been even a minute later, Azee would be dead now!"

"We stopped them, didn't we?"

"That isn't the point! Those were agents of the Illuminant Chain, witch! Frankly, it is amazing we survived that, let alone got away with our hides intact."

"And yet we did." Eloise glanced over at Luke. "But if we are being honest, it seems to me that you are more irritated by the fact that Azee is growing as a person, or more accurately growing beyond your control."

Eloise raised an eyebrow as Luke stopped walking and turned towards her, resting his hand on his gun.

"I've had just about enough of you poisoning Azee's mind with that garbage," Luke snarled. His fingers drummed rapidly on the hilt of his gun. "Perhaps I wasn't perfect for Azee, I'll admit it, but she was safe, fed, and comfortable, thanks to me. She didn't wake up every morning fearing a whip, or a beating, or being hung from a tree from some infraction of the 'holy law'! You, on the other hand, and this insane hairbrained scheme, has taken all of that away from her!"

"And there you go again." Eloise rolled her eyes. "It is a small miracle that a man, as 'well educated' as you are, could be so clueless. How many times are you going to try the same thing, over and over again? Some would call that the very definition of insanity."

"You-" Luke started to draw his pistol, his patience spent.

This time it was Eloise's eyes that flashed as she stared Luke down. "Before you get yourself killed, much like the last fool who pulled a gun on me, and all the ones before him, let me explain something to you for, what I hope, will be the last time. Azee wants more than just food, shelter and relative safety. Maybe the rest of your slaves would settle for that sort of paltry 'kindness', at least in the short term, but you helped bring out in Azee that she was more than just a slave. You helped create this unique creature, you helped convince her she had worth, you, as the order would say, 'put those ideas in her head'."

Luke had to fight hard not to retreat in the face of Eloise's overwhelming presence. "And what's wrong with that?"

"You bloody foo- Nothing!" Eloise brought her hand up to her face in exasperation. "No one is denying that you showed Azee some kindness, and that is... well I wouldn't say 'admirable', but it is notable. But in the end it seems you only wanted a pet with the trappings of a free woman!"

Luke tried to reply, but no words seemed remotely right.

"And now, here you are, jealous of her exercising her freedom to choose who she spends time with. You say you wanted her to feel free, but the moment she takes a mere step away from the path you believe is best for her, that you want her to take, you grow indignant! You want Azee? Fine, earn her! Don't just try and buy her with the meagre comforts that she has deserved all her life, regardless of your affection for her! Not starving, not being beaten or whipped, not having a sword hovering above her throat, those should not be luxuries, Windhill!"

"I-"

"Do you agree or not?"

"Well.. I... I don't..."

"Do you agree or not?!" She demanded, glaring directly into Luke's eyes.

Luke tried to speak. But the answer he knew was right, that had lurked in the back of his mind for so many years, simply would not pass his lips.

With a disgusted scoff, Eloise resumed following along behind Rayes and Sinda, leaving Luke to stare at his own boots. "For the tyrant's sake, two hundred years and your bloody family has learned nothing!"

?

"Unbelievable." Azee grumbled to herself as she marched back towards Sinda. "The nerve of him, 'why don't you carry it', should have kicked him in the balls again!"

"Everything alright?" Sinda asked, cocking an eyebrow as Azee drew closer.

"Fine," Azee growled, tail swishing back and forth. "Just fine."

"Trouble with your human?"

"He isn't my human."

Sinda shrugged. "The way he looks at you, he sure seems to think he is."

Azee's scowl deepened. "What he thinks he is is my master."

Sinda's gaze darkened a little as he looked back at Luke. "Ah, I see, so he is that kind of Windhill."

Azee nodded.

"Huh... guess I thought he was different." Sinda extended a hand as Azee stepped up alongside him. "Here, I can take your pack if you like."

"Why would you think he was different?" Azee asked, handing her pack to Sinda with a grateful nod.

Sinda sighed heavily as he shrugged. "Well, to tell the honest truth, I've had more than a few masters, and not one of them would have put themselves between me and Rayes. Seems like he actually cares"

"I'm just a plaything to him."

"Well considering what the people of this nation are taught about Shiyan, can't say I'm that surprised. Still, it's a bit disappointing."

Azee cocked her head. "Disappointing?"

"He's a romantic." Rayes spoke up, glancing over his shoulder at Sinda.

"More like... I like it when things and people are different." Sinda grinned as he bounded over to Raye's and put his arm around the man's shoulder. "Take this 'ol smoothskin for instance, trained by the Seraphim to be a cold remorseless killing machine, and now he's tame as a well fed couch cat."

"A well fed couch cat who knows well over a dozen ways to cook and eat you." Eloise interjected. "Assuming the legends about the Seraphim are true."

"They are." Rayes replied simply. "Though a dozen is an understatement."

Azee's eyes widened. "Y-you eat pelts?"

"Shiyan," Sinda interrupted, an edge to his voice that was just sharp enough for Azee to recognize. Azee flinched a little, and Sinda, immediately noting her nervousness, raised his hands. "Gracious, I... I'm sorry. Just... please... just... don't use that word. We are Shiyan, not pelts."

"Alright... I'm sorry..."

"It's just... we used to be a people who built things, told stories, and made art. We learned lessons from our world, and lived freely and in control of our own lives. Halcyon took all that from us, they call us 'pelts' to strip away our dignity, our value, reduce us to nothing but what we look like."

Azee's ears drooped as her shoulders slumped. "I didn't mean you, I just mean-"

"Take yourself, for example."

Azee blinked in surprise. "Me? What about me?"

Azee paused as Sinda reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You speak well, there is strength in your step, and a smouldering fire in your heart. It is plain to see that you are far more than just the fur that covers you."

"I... I suppose so... Sorry."

Sinda stopped and stepped in front of Azee, bowing his head. "I am the one who should apologise, I shouldn't have snapped at you. Please forgive me."

Genuinely taken aback, Azee shook her head. There was an earnestness in Sinda's voice that resonated deep within her. "N-no it's alright, I just didn't know..."

"Of course not, you have been amongst humans, rather than your own kind." With a friendly smile, Sinda reached out and took one of Azee's hands. Bowing his head, he gently licked the back of her hand.

"W-what are you-"

"This is the way our people apologise." Sinda's smile widened a little. "And it's a sign of... affection."

"I uh..." Azee's face flushed as she felt a subtle flutter in her stomach. "It's alright, really..."

"You are very kind and understanding." Sinda looked up, his big amber eyes staring directly into Azee's as he ever so slowly leaned closer to her, his voice little more than a low rumble. "Thank you."

There was a warm glint in Sinda's eyes that sent a shiver up Azee's back. Her tail wagged excitedly, her face growing even redder as she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. "Y-you're welcome."

With another bow of his head, Sinda released Azee's hand. "Please, after you."

Running her hand through her hair and smiling nervously, Azee resumed walking. Behind her, Sinda straightened, still smiling as he looked Azee up and down. His own tail began to wag slightly.

"Nice recovery," Eloise commented as she stepped up beside Sinda. "I imagine those skills made you rather popular in the pleasure houses."

Sinda's smile faltered at Eloise's comment, his confidence suddenly stripped away. "H-how did you-"

"No whip marks on your back, and the scars on your wrists and ankles are barely visible, suggesting your restraints were padded. Add to that the tag mark on your ear, and the fact that you're far too well spoken to be a field slave, it was either that or some kind of consort." A half smile crept across Eloise's face. "I merely went for the more likely option."

"You are... very observant."

"True." Eloise glanced sideways at Sinda. "But, much to my own surprise, when it comes to that girl, I am also rather protective. If Azee chooses to take you into her bed, be my guest, I simply recommend that you tread carefully."

This time it was Sinda's face that grew red. "Just because I have been trained in certain... niceties, doesn't mean that I'm trying to-"

Eloise's eyes narrowed. "Windhill might be under her direct control, and so could be commanded not to harm you, but I have no such restraints upon me. If you hurt her, whatever you do to her, I will return to you in kind."

"It would seem that you place a great deal of value on Azee making her own choices," Sinda said at last.

"That is true," Eloise admitted after a moment.

"And it isn't as if she is a child."

"Again, true." Eloise resumed walking. "She can choose as she desires. But she's also never had the chance to make choices on her own, and should you take advantage of that... Well, you won't need to worry about being called a 'pelt' anymore, because I'll be using yours as a rug."

In truth, Sinda wanted to get angry, or at least indignant. But a single glance at Eloise, and all of his instincts, told him that her threat was not an idle one.

"I have worked very hard to put my past, and all it involved, behind me." He said at last, keeping his voice low. "I would appreciate it if you could keep your observations regarding my former... profession, to yourself."

"Naturally." A thin smile crossed Eloise's lips. "What you did to survive is of no import to me. Just keep my words in mind in your dealings with Azee."

Sinda nodded quickly, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Eloise moved on.

?

"So... were you being serious?" Azee asked, jogging up beside Rayes.

"About what?"

"About eating pel-Shiyan?"

Rayes was quiet for a few moments, before reluctantly nodding. "Yes."

"So... have you ever eaten... someone?"

"Personally? No. But I was trained to be capable of doing such things."

"W-why would they even teach you that?" Azee asked, morbid curiosity pushing her own despite her certainty she didn't really want to know the answer.

"The Seraphim are taught that we are reincarnated fragments of the Lord's holy being, that defeat, under any circumstance, is not an option. We are taught to use anything and everything at our disposal to keep fighting. As such, the world, and its people, have an obligation to us, to serve as we require, in all things."

"A-all people?"

"Yes."

"Even humans?"

"If it comes to it, yes."

"So... you're saying you would... actually..."

"To a truly loyal citizen of Halcyon, to be consumed by a Seraphim would be an honour." Rayes turned, his mouth cracking into a smile. "Though I am told that the taste leaves something to be desired."

Azee's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she stared at Rayes. "Luke was right... you.... I mean the Seraphim are crazy..."

"Yes."

Azee swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to be sick. "S-so... why did you leave?"

"I met Chess. She saved me, showed me how to find the soul I had been taught to bury."

"Is Chess... a human?"

Rayes did not answer.

"Is she kind?" Azee pressed. "What is she like?"

"She is beyond my ability to describe."

Azee tilted her head slightly. "How?"

"You shall see soon enough." Rayes turned back to the path. "We are almost there."

As Azee glanced around she realised that the colour of the rock had changed without her noticing. The deep red had been replaced by a chalky white, streaked with bands of ashen grey. The rocks were no longer as jagged as before, but more rounded and smooth. The Canyon had also grown narrower and deeper, and the heat was no longer as intense. Each step seemed to take them deeper into the earth.

Coming round a bend in the canyon, Azee's eyes widened at the sight laid out in front of her.

The canyon opened up into a large semicircular basin. The floor of the basin was a maze of shallow pits filled with bubbling white mud, as well as steaming pools of impossibly clear water. The shores of the pools were coated in mineral deposits, all colours of the rainbow. Amongst the bubbling pools, were stands of peterefied trees, like gaunt spears of bleached bone, thrusting up into the sky. More than a few skeletons lay scattered about the basin, some of which seemed impossibly large. A thick cloud of steam hung in the air, dancing and waving in the breeze.

In the centre of the basin was a particularly large tower of rock, with a huge, flat top that blocked out the sun. Ancient vines clung to the bottom of the rock, hanging down like pieces of a curtain torn to shreds.

"Mineral springs..." Eloise glanced around, her eyes lighting up as she sniffed the air, "Sulphur, arsenic, kaolinite, pyrite, alumina, lignite...this place is a treasure trove! I wouldn't be surprised if this place had catalyst crystal deposits."

"Looking for ingredients for your next brew, witch?" Luke asked.

Despite herself, Eloise chuckled a little. "Let me tell you, boy, the minerals harvested from just one of these pools could double the yield of your crops for the next thirty years."

"Indeed, but we must be cautious," Rayes warned. "More than a few travellers and pursuers have come to know the dangers of these pools."

"And the mud is deep enough to swallow you whole, and hot enough to cook you in moments." Sinda added.

Azee's initial fascination at the natural beauty laid before her faded quickly as she envisioned what it would be like to be pulled under the searing hot mud.

"Follow closely." Rayes began walking, picking his way through the maze. "And do not trust solid looking ground."

"Y-you do know where you are going, right?" Azee stammered, trying not to whimper as a mud bubble from a nearby pool let out a loud *GLORP*.

"I have navigated this path many times." Rayes turned to Azee and managed a reasonable imitation of a reassuring smile. "Do not fear, I know where I am going."

As she followed closely behind Rayes, Azee found her gaze drawn to one of the deep pools. The water seemed to go down forever, the bottom obscured by a haze of dark blue. On a ledge, several hundred feet below the surface, she caught sight of a handful of skeletons, three humans and their hounds, their bones coated in bands of colour.

Sensing Azee's fear, Luke reached out a hand to steady her. But before he could speak, Sinda lightly touched her arm.

"Don't be afraid,"

"H-how long have th-they b-been down there?"

"Long before we got settled in this place. Chess thinks they were probably prospectors, after the very minerals your friend was talking about."

"D-do you think it..."

"Hurt them?" Sinda shook his head. "Nah, doubt they even knew what hit them."

Azee shuddered. 'Is that really better?'

With a warm smile Sinda offered his hand to Azee. "We know the way, it's perfectly safe, so long as you stay close."

"I..." Azee took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you."

Luke's heart plummeted as Azee took Sinda's hand. His own hand shook as it fell slowly to his side.

He jumped a little as he felt Eloise's hand touch him. She didn't say anything, and her expression was unreadable, but for a brief moment she squeezed his shoulder as she walked past.

Luke didn't know what to say. He was frozen, staring ahead as Azee held Sinda's hand, her tail wagging as she smiled at him, her fear wiped away. It wasn't anger, or vengeance that he felt, just a yawning chasm, like the pools all around him.

"Don't fall behind," Rayes called out. "And walk only where we walk."

"Right." Luke squared his shoulders and shifted his pack.

The path through the labyrinth of pools was both long and complex. Azee could not help but marvel at how confidently Rayes led them, not pausing for even a moment.

As they passed through a stand of the bleached old trees, a loud squawk drew Azee's attention upwards. Nestled amongst the tangle of branches high above Azee's head was the trifit.

"Hey, we've seen that little guy before, when we first entered Stepstone pass!" Azee smiled and waved at the curious creature with her free hand.

"That's Xia, Chess's partner," Sinda explained, glancing up as the trifit let out a curious chirp."He keeps a look out for any unwanted company." With a smile he gently squeezed Azee's hand. "Or much desired company, as the case may be."

Azee blushed a little at Sinda's comment. "So... he's not a pet?"

Sinda laughed out loud. "No! No he's actually the one who led Chess here in the first place. This place is his home. Not to mention the fact that he's older than all of us combined. it might seem odd but... Chess says that Xia probably considers her his mate."

Azee tilted her head. "Wait, so what does that make you?"

"I'm Chess's mate."

"Oh!" Azee quickly released her grip on Sinda's hand. "I-I'm sorry-"

"It's alright." Sinda gently kept his grip on Azee's hand. "It's not like with human partnerships, their... 'marriage' or whatever they call it.

"Then..." Azee looked down at her hand.

"Yes, I can hold hands with you." Sinda chuckled. "When I say I'm Chess's mate, I mean that... she's a part of me, body and spirit. My life would be... lesser, without her in it."

Azee thought about it for a moment. "I... yeah, okay, that makes sense. Then Rayes is... a bodyguard?"

"No, he's also Chess's mate. So is T'Varo."

"Who's T'Varo?"

"Oh, he's also Chess's mate. And Rayes' as well."

"Hold on..." Azee raised an eyebrow. "So... You and Rayes, are you two... mates then?"

"Not in the way you are thinking." Sinda laughed out loud as Xia took to the air and flew off with an ear piercing screech.

"It's more like how things worked for our people before the humans attacked us. A mate wasn't just someone you had sex with, it was someone who added something important to your life. Our people could have just one mate, or many, it all depended on a person's kshatri."

Though she was certain she'd never heard it before, the word sent a shiver down Azee's spine. "Their what?" Azee tilted her head again.

"The humans would call it a soul, or a spirit." Sinda paused for a moment, scratching his chin. "How to explain it..."

"Cooking!" Rayes called back.

"Right!" Sinda snapped his fingers. "You've cooked before, right?"

"Yeah," Azee looked over her shoulder at Luke, scowling a little. "Yeah, I have."

"Right, so, you know how some dishes take a lot of ingredients before they are just right, and others only need one or two?"

Azee nodded.

"Well that's people. We're all a little different here and there, some are more different than others, and we become... different, when we are combined. Like... have you ever had a grazer steak before?"

Azee shook her head. Grazers were massive, loud, and smelly beasts that spent most of their day with their heads dragging along the ground, munching on grass. They were highly desired as food animals, and for their thick fleece and milk.

"Wait, never?" Sinda blinked in surprise.

"Nope." A small smile crept across Azee's lips as she looked over her shoulder at Luke. "Never got the chance, not after what happened."

Luke's eye twitched slightly. "Azee, there really is no need to-"

Despite the tension in Luke's voice, Azee pressed on. "See, a few years before he died, Luke's father bought a bunch of grazers to put in one of the back fields, figuring he could make a profit."

"Azee, that's enough!"

Ignoring Luke, Azee turned back to Sinda. "It was a disaster. Apparently the heat made the creatures crazy and dangerous. Within about half a season, ten slaves and two overseers had been crushed to death."

Sinda's eyes widened. "By the tyrant..."

Behind Azee and Sinda, Luke's face turned bright red, his fists shaking in rage.

"They were also really expensive to feed, and they kept getting sick and keeling over, lost half the flock in the first season. But it got even worse. The damned things knocked down fences and got into the other crops and devoured them."

"Hope they were tasty at least," Sinda laughed.

"Nope. Before they had a chance to slaughter even one of them, the grazers broke out again and vanished into the swamps. They never found them, not one. Eighty-three beasts, and they didn't get to taste a single one."

Sinda tried to hold back, but after a few moments threw his head back and let out a great howl of laughter that echoed across the basin. Azee started to giggle at first, before she also started to laugh out loud. Eloise tried to keep a straight face, but after a few moments she was unable to stifle a quiet chuckle. Rayes didn't laugh, though a smile did curl the corners of his mouth.

The only one who didn't find the story funny was Luke, whose face was bright red as his hands shook, his teeth gritted so hard that they squeaked slightly. He wanted to grab Azee by the scruff of her neck and shout, "traitor!" But he also knew how ultimately fruitless such an act would be, even if it weren't for the curse in his chest.

"Not the Windhill family's brightest moment then." Sinda chuckled. "Well, I can tell you this much, they are delicious. If you ever get a chance, you really must try some."

Through the link binding their minds together, Azee could feel Luke's anger towards her, and his humiliation. Despite herself, she felt a twinge of guilt. The grazer disaster had cost Luke's father more than money, it had badly wounded his pride. Though Azee had no love for the vile creature that had been Luke's father, the pain it had caused Luke to see his father so diminished was something that had stuck with her.

Azee's eyes narrowed and she sniffed. 'Good, he should be humiliated. That's nothing compared to having to sleep in a barn and wear a collar.'

Somehow, that thought didn't make her feel any better.

"Slightly off topic for a moment, but how do you get grazer meat this far out in the middle of nowhere?" Eloise looked around, raising an eyebrow. "I can't imagine that there is a great deal of viable grazing lands around these parts."

"True, but every once in a while some damned fool will set upon the idea of trying to rob some poor rancher trying to drive a herd down the main roadway. Course the problem they get into is where exactly they plan to take the beasts." Sinda shrugged. "Doesn't happen often, but Xia lets us know when it does. We wait till one of the grazers gets separated from the others, then we help ourselves. Can't really steal what's already been stolen, and the meat'd just go to waste otherwise."

"Watch yourselves here." Rayes called over his shoulder, carefully picking his way across a stretch of flat rock dotted with small pools of steaming water. "Trust me, you don't want to fall here."

Azee paused as she looked down at the steaming hot water, old fears suddenly resurfacing.

"May I?"

Azee turned quickly, "huh?"

"Help you I mean."

"Uh... Sure, I suppose so-"

Azee yelped in surprise as, all of a sudden, Sinda bent down and picked her up, holding her against his chest.

"There we are," he said with a small grin. "Don't want you burning your feet."

"But what about your feet?"

"Totally used to it."

Azee blinked in surprise. "R-really?"

Sinda took a step forward into the shallow water and smiled at Azee. "Yep."

Azee let out a nervous laugh, looping her arms around Sinda's neck as he carried her across the steaming pools.

"S-so, you were saying?"

"Hmmm?" Sinda titled his head.

"A-about people... and spices.... and grazer meat?"

"Oh yes! Well, grazer meat is great on its own, especially when it's all raw and juicy... But if you add salt, or onions, it's all the better! But some ingredients don't go together... that way. I love Rayes like a brother, actually much closer than that, I'd kill for him, I'd die for him, but even though he's my mate, I'm not that interested in... sleeping with him. Make sense?"

"I... suppose so." Azee's face twisted into a scowl. "The closest thing I ever had to a mate was Luke."

Gently, Sinda set Azee back down on the ground. "Hmm, I suppose that makes sense."

"What do you mean?" Azee demanded, ears twitching.

Sensing he had strayed into dangerous territory, Sinda quickly attempted to retreat. "Well you're travelling with him, without a collar, and he doesn't treat you like a slave."

"He put a collar on me, a collar that prevented me from fighting him when he sold my sister." Azee's eyes narrowed and her teeth flashed. "If he cared for me, then he had an odd way of showing it. And if I ever did care about him," Azee glared over her shoulder at Luke. "It's over now."

"I understand." Sinda bowed his head. "I didn't mean any offence, I was just pointing out what I observed."

Without another word, Azee straightened her shoulders and marched away, walking alongside Rayes instead. She heard Sinda start to follow her, before thinking better of it and hanging back.

It took only a few more short minutes before the group arrived at the base of the great rock tower in the centre of the basin. The stones appeared like the pallet of some old artist, covered in hundreds of cracked and peeling layers of colour. A few scrubby bushes eked out a difficult life amongst the rocks, their leaves a striking shade of crimson.

Azee peered around, unable to spot an obvious entrance. A high pitched call rang out as Xia dropped from the sky, lighting gently atop a small outcropping, just over the traveler's heads.

Azee's fur prickled a little as the trifit stared down at her intently, his head tilting back and forth, like a jeweller examining a stone.

Raising a hand, Azee waved. "H-hello."

The trifit made no reply, merely watched her. Azee felt as if she now understood how a book might feel, having everything inside of her read with ease.

Reaching to a small pouch on her belt, Azee withdrew a morsel of dried catfish and extended it. "Would you... like some?"

With an excited squeal, Xia leapt from his perch and dived at Azee.

Rayes turned and reached out a hand, hoping to keep Xia from accidentally hurting Azee. He paused as, instead of snatching the morsel from Azee's hand with razor sharp talons, Xia instead carefully slowed his descent. Azee stayed as still as she possibly could as Xia settled upon shoulders, draping himself across the back of her neck like a scarf.

"W-what is it d-doing?" Azee asked curiously as Xia craned his neck around to look her in the eye.

"I'm... not sure. He's never done that to anyone before." Rayes raised an eyebrow as Xia let out a gently trilling purr as Azee shakily offered him the morsel.

"Really?" Azee smiled as Xia rubbed his head against her cheek, purring loudly. "I like him." She giggled a little as Xia nibbled at her whiskers.

"He is very picky."

"Picky?"

"He's never let me touch him, and the last time Sinda tried he earned himself a rather painful nip."

"Oh."

The tiniest flicker of a smile crossed Rayes' face as Azee shifted cautiously, trying not to jostle Xia with her movement. "Come, we're almost there."

Azee reached up and gently scratched Xia's chin as she followed along behind Rayes

Leading the way around the base of the tower, Rayes eventually came to a stop in front of a large crevice, leading deep into the rock, from which billowed great clouds of foul smelling steam.

"That... looks a lot like a volcanic vent." Eloise raised an eyebrow. "We're not planning on going into that... are we?"

With a gentle squak, Xia gently nipped Azee's ear, before taking off and flying up towards some unseen entrance higher up the tower.

"Stay to the right, or you risk falling down one of the steam vents. Cover your mouth and do not breathe in." Rayes commanded, before stepping into the steam.

With a moment's hesitation, Azee took a deep breath and followed along behind him, pinching her nose shut. Immediately upon entering the steam her eyes started to sting, as did the sensitive flesh of her ears.

Her eyes filled with tears and her lungs began to burn. The urge to take a breath grew with her panic as she lost sight of Rayes.

All of a sudden, Azee felt a hand grab hold of her arm and drag her forwards. She felt a slight tingle run across her body as she stepped through some kind of energy field, and suddenly the burning in her eyes began to fade.

"It's okay, we're out of the sulphur; take a breath before you pass out." Eloise pulled Azee's hand away from her nose.

Azee took a long, deep breath, the air fresh and cool in her throat. Rubbing her eyes she looked around.

"Welcome to the roost." Sinda called out, reluctantly helping a coughing and sputtering Luke through the thin curtain of flickering energy that Azee had passed through just moments ago.

Immediately Azee spun round "Luke!"

Luke could give no answer, instead continuing to hack and cough, his eyes red and streaming.

"Is he alright?" Azee asked, turning to Sinda.

"Idiot didn't listen when I told him to hold his breath, he tripped and started to panic, but he'll be fine." Sinda clapped Luke on the back as he coughed. "Gonna have a sore throat for a long while though."

Azee felt an uncomfortable mixture of relief and... another darker emotion she couldn't put a name to as she watched Luke catch his breath again.. "They told you not to breath-"

"Yes, thank you Azee, I'll keep that... in mind... next time." Luke interrupted, wiping the corners of his mouth.

Satisfied that Luke was in no immediate danger, Azee turned and took a moment to observe her surroundings. The interior of the tower was hollow, leading up to a small hole in the roof, through which shone a bright shaft of sunlight, filled with glinting particles of dust. Dozens of outcroppings and plateaus jutted out from the walls of the tower, with a great network of ladders and rope bridges stretched between them. The plateaus and bridges were festooned with many multicoloured shreds of cloth, bits of string, and other trinkets. Shelters, made from scrap wood and brightly coloured blankets, sat upon the larger plateaus.

Azee's mouth hung open as she looked around. Never in her life had she seen anything even close to this place, and its staggering, alien beauty left her speechless.

A high pitched call drew Azee's attention upwards. Xia descended from near the top of the tower, a long scrap of red cloth held in his talons. As Azee watched, Xia lit upon one of the bridges draping the red cloth over the handrope, tying it with a dexterous twist of his neck.

"No one knows why he does it." Sinda commented, as they watched Xia grab a nearby length of beaded rope, pull it free, and take off with it. "Everytime he goes out he brings back something new to display. I remember once he brought back a broken slave collar that it looked like he'd chewed off himself. No idea where or who he got it from, though I hope whoever it used to enslave managed to get north."

Azee watched as Xia draped the beaded rope across one of the tents, before taking hold of a length of deep purple fabric in his talons. After examining the fabric for a few moments, Xia took back to the air, diving down towards the Azee.

Azee blinked in surprise as Xia landed at her feet and set the length of purple fabric in front of her.

"W-what should I..." Azee looked uncertainly at Xia. The trifit let out a loud squawk, before picking up the piece of fabric and setting it down again between Azee's feet.

"I'd say he wants you to take it." Sinda blinked in surprise. "That's... odd, I've not seen him do that for anyone... aside from Chess."

Azee bent down and gently picked up the piece of fabric, it was soft, running through her fingers almost like water.

"I... thank you." She knelt down and gently touched the top of Xia's head. The trifit let out little squeaks of pleasure as he rubbed his head against Azee's palm.

Pushing herself back to her feet, Azee draped the purple fabric around her neck. Xia let out a cheerful squawk, leaping back into the air and once more settling on Azee's shoulders.

"Speaking of, when are we finally going to meet this 'Chess'?" Luke interrupted glancing around.

"Chess will show herself if and when she desires," Rayes replied simply, pulling off his travelling cloak and draping it over a nearby rock.

Eloise reaching out and gently touching the shimmering energy field that covered the doorway. "You've coupled a purity rune with a shield rune to set up a cleansing field at the entrance. You get the advantage of a protected entrance, without the risk of all that coughing and death business."

The shield danced as wisps of steam brushed against it, with only a few licks drifting through the protective barrier. "A rather ingenious use of runes."

"Mmmmm, thank you," a strange voice called out from above. "I'm... not usually one to boast, but I'll admit... I thought it was rather clever."

Azee looked up as a strange looking man stepped down from one of the nearby plateaus and approached the group. The man was tall and thin, his dark tan skin, thick, rough and marked with bands of soft dark brown fur, was stretched tight across an angular, inhuman skeleton. A pair of large antlers curved along the man's skull and down his back, before flaring out into wide plates around his shoulders.

"By the lord," Luke's mouth fell open. "... a drathain."

Azee's eyes widened. She'd read about the drathain, heard the stories about them, but never had expected to meet one. They were a people, unwelcome in the south, shrouded in mystery and rumour. Even the books in Luke's father's library had been vague at best, describing the drathain as little more than the 'enemy from the other side of the gate'.

The drathian's legs were digitigrade, like Azee's, and ended with two large toes, tipped with narrow hooves of pale grey bone. A tail, slender and made from armoured plates, reached from the base of his spine down to the back of his knees, the plates decorated with jagged stripes of light brown and pale amber.

Most striking of all were his eyes, of which there were four. The lower two, placed where a human's eyes would be, were wide and almond shaped, filled almost entirely with large violet irises. The second pair were smaller and closer to the temples, little more than narrow slits that showed the odd flash of golden yellow.

Upon the sight of the drathain man, Rayes' face split into a wide smile and he rushed forwards as fast as he could. "Love!"

With a happy grin, the drathain man opened his arms and embraced Rayes. The two held each other in a gentle embrace, each sighing in contentment as they held one another. After a few moments the two pulled away to stare into one another's eyes, before meeting in a soft, yet passionate, kiss.

"Welcome home," the drathain man smiled, stroking the side of Raye's face with one of his two-fingers hands.

"I'm back too," Sinda spoke up, stepping forwards, his tail wagging and his ears twitching as he danced from foot to foot.

"Mmmm, and I am glad of it." The drathain reached out and ruffled Sinda's hair with a grin..

With a a glint in his eye, Rayes turned, "Everyone, this is my mate, T'varo. T'varo, these are the strangers that Chess mentioned, Eloise, Azee and Luke Windhill."

Eloise nodded respectfully, while Azee awkwardly waved. Luke, on the other hand, stared in open mouthed shock and fear.

"Oh yes, she's been rather keen to meet you three." T'varo slowly bowed his head in return, his yellow pupils locked on Eloise.

"And yet she is nowhere to be seen." Eloise crossed her arms. "Seems rather odd to invite us into her home and then not show up to greet us."

"Chess will join us when she is ready." T'varo turned and gestured over his shoulder. "Come, we have beds prepared for you, but first I imagine you are rather hungry."

After quickly glancing at one another, Luke, Azee and Eloise followed the strange trio up into the maze of plateau and bridges.