Valiant: Tales From The Drift

[Tails #27: Kaldt Fjell]

Log Date: 10/26/12764

Data Sources: Jazel Jaskolka, Lysanne Arrignis

Event Log: Jazel Jaskolka

Redleaf: Road through the Voriat Tundra

11:43am SGT

Not much has been said since we dropped off the others at the geothermal springs.

There was plenty of conversation prior to that, but mostly because it was the others talking and asking questions. Now that it’s just Mom and I in the car, the source of those questions has been removed, and there’s not much for us to converse about — we both know all too well what Redleaf Valley is. What it represents for us, both as witches and as Aurescurans.

Hometown of the Witchling, and arguably one of the most sacred places on our planet.

At the moment we’re on the road heading north from the original Redleaf town, rising up through the slope that takes us through the stretch of tundra that precedes the Blackneedle Hills and Kaldt Fjell just behind it. The northern side is the part of the valley that doesn’t get visited as much as the rest of it; the tundra is much less photogenic than the Redleaf town, or the Fire Forest that borders it. Out here, it’s just grey shrubland that stays cool and dry for much of the year on account of its altitude, and the lack of water or vegetation. From time to time, gusts coming off the snowy mountain beyond will kick up enough dust on the tundra to send a dull grey sandstorm billowing south towards the town.

“I think they will enjoy the hot springs.” Mom says. “Kaya seemed interested in them.”

I turn my head a little at that. “Yeah. The others seemed excited.”

Mom nods, then goes on. “Some of the Redleaf witches will be waiting for us at the mountain. Our matriarch spoke to the Redleaf matriarch, and they have granted us permission to enter the Hypogaeum.”

“Is that why you told me to wear another layer underneath my cloak?” I ask, thumbing my cloak. Visits to sacred locations such as Kaldt Fjell required that we wear our formal overwear as witches.

“Yes.” Mom says, raising her gaze to the mountain, which towers behind the hills like an ebony giant with a snowy mantle — an austere, inhospitable presence. “Kaldt Fjell in the old tongue means cold mountain. The caverns within are just as cold as the outside of the mountain, sometimes colder because they do not receive any sunlight.”

“Makes sense.” I say quietly, watching how the road winds through the tundra ahead of us. “What will happen when we are there?”

“We will visit the Hypogaeum. I can’t say more than that.” Mom says. “It’s just something you will need to see for yourself, and I will explain more once we’re there.”

I remain quiet at that. I don’t know what’s going to happen while we’re there, but I have had this feeling of unease ever since the meeting with the matriarch. I don’t know what will happen at the mountain, but I want to make sure I come clean with my mother before we get there. Just in case whatever I find out there changes things.

“Mom?” I say quietly. “I haven’t been honest with you. I have seen Jayta since she went missing.”

Mom looks at me. “Why did you tell me you hadn’t during last Krysmis?”

I take a deep breath. “It’s complicated. It was only for a few minutes. I got attacked during Hallow’s Eve last year by this soul-harvesting business sorcerer that had been chasing Kaya, and he had this gang of elves, and he… well, I mean, the bottom line is they attacked me, and Jayta showed up and helped fight them off, but I think she was working for some sort of demon or something…? I mean, it was hard to tell, I’d gotten a rib cracked and I’d been punched in the throat, so I wasn’t really paying a lot of attention, and she ran off and I had to get taken to the hospital after that because I could barely move. And I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry about us getting hunted across the galaxy by a soul-stealing sorcerer, and if I told you about that, I’d have to explain Kaya to you, and I was afraid you wouldn’t like the fact that she’s four centuries older than me, and it was. Just…” I rub my hands over my face. “…complicated. And a lot to deal with. And I didn’t want you to worry.”

Mom looks like she’s struggling to process all of that, but on the whole it looks like she’s taking it better than I expected. “It sounds complicated. What’s all this about a soul-stealing sorcerer chasing you? Did the Vaunted catch him and put him in jail?”

“Uh…” My mind races as I try to figure out what to tell her.

“Jazel?” Mom asks, glancing at me. “Is that sorcerer still on the loose? Will he be coming after you?”

“What? No, no. He, uhm. I killed him with a microscope.” I blurt out.

“You what? How did you do that?”

“Uh, I picked up the microscope… and hit him in the head with it?”

“Oh. I thought you meant… okay. Maugrimm have mercy, why am I just now hearing about this? I understand if you didn’t want to tell me about Jayta, but it sounds like you were in a lot of danger if it landed you in the hospital!”

“Well… yeah, but it’s complicated, and a long story…”

“We’ve still got an hour before we reach Kaldt Fjell.”

“Really? But it’s right there.”

“Roads in the hills and on the mountain have a lower speed limit and a lot of switchbacks. Tell me about Hallow’s Eve and this sorcerer that was chasing you. I figured the least CURSE could do is let me know when my child ends up in the hospital.”

“That actually happened twice.”

“What?! What happened the second time?”

“I should probably start from the beginning…”

Event Log: Lysanne Arrignis

Redleaf: Redleaf Springs

12:24pm SGT

“Aurescura above, why didn’t I think of that.” I groan, pressing my palms to my eyes.

“Is something wrong, Ms. Arrignis?” Dandy asks, stepping out of the changing stall behind me.

“We never took Kaya shopping for a bathing suit.” I sigh, motioning to the naked Kaya holding her clothes and giving me a headtilted look. “And she didn’t say anything before we left, so…”

“We are going swimming, are we not?” Kayenta asks.

“In a manner of speaking. It’s more along the lines of soaking in the hot springs.” Dandy says, glancing towards the marked doors in the changing room. “They do have a section for naked bathing in the springs…”

“Yes, but it’s partitioned from the rest of the springs. Which means that she won’t be able to hang out with us.” I point out.

“Why don’t you just take off your swimsuits and you can come with me?” Kaya asks, as if it was that simple. “And doesn’t everyone swim naked?”

The back of my neck heats up a little at her suggestion. “No, most people in the galaxy wear swimsuits when they go swimming.”

“But why, though?” Kaya asks. “That just gets your clothes wet.”

“It is typically a matter of cultural preference.” Dandy explains. “Standards around decency and modesty, typically relating to sexuality or the constrainment thereof, usually require body coverage in some form or another in most social interactions, hence swimsuits.”

It’s not entirely clear that Dandy’s highly technical explanation has gotten through to Kaya; if anything, she just looks more confused now. “Well, those rules are dumb.” she declares. “Clothes aren’t meant to get wet. That’s why you take them off before you go swimming!”

I bite my lip, look at Dandy, who shrugs. “The intricacies of the conversation around modesty and sexuality within certain cultures may be lost on her.” Dandy says. “Though I must admit her straightforward pragmatism about the topic is… compelling, given what I know of the swimsuit industry.”

“Well, what are we gonna do?” I puff, looking at the doors on either end of the changing room. “We don’t have a spare swimsuit, she can’t hop into the water with her clothes on, and the staff won’t let her into the clothed part of the springs without a suit.”

“If you are not opposed to it, I would not mind attending the nude part of the springs.” Dandy suggests. “It does not matter to me one way or another.”

I take a deep breath, weighing that. I don’t oppose it in principle; generally speaking I’d always been of the opinion that there was nothing wrong with nude bathing and swim locations. But I’d never considered myself as someone that would use them — just that it should be an option for those who preferred it. “…y’know what, sure. I’ll give it a try.”

“You do not have to if you do not want to, Ms. Arrignis.” Dandy says as I start digging through my clothes. “We can seek another solution if you’re not comfortable with this one.”

“It’s fine. We’re on vacation; I figure it’s a good time to try new things, right?” I say, getting my phone. “I just need to call Milor and let him know that we won’t be joining him and Ozzy over on the swimsuit side.”

“If you are fine with it, then.” Dandy says, stepping back into one of the changing stalls. “Kaya, we will join you shortly. Put your clothes in one of the cubby lockers, and lock it. Make sure you don’t forget what cubby you put them in.”

I step back into my stall while I’m waiting for Milor to pick up, and start getting out of my swimsuit as I do so. “Hey Milor? Yeah, it’s Lysanne.”

“Hey blondie! What’s up?”

“Change of plans. Kaya doesn’t have a swimsuit, and we didn’t think to check if she had one before we left Falcon’s Crossing.”

“What? C’mahn now, you girls didn’t get Fluffy McFoxtails a bikini when we went shopping for her and the witchling on Sybione last year? Tchaaaaah.”

“Don’t you ‘tchaaah’ me, whiskey whiskers.” I retort. “It was October, swimsuits weren’t the top of our shopping list. If anything, it just gives Jazel and Kaya an excuse to go shopping later, though I’m not sure Kaya would be down with a swimsuit in any case. She seems to be under the impression that you’re not supposed to wear anything while you’re in the water.”

“You can take the animal out of the wild, but you can’t take the wild out of the animal, I guess. So what’s goin’ on, is she goin’ to the nude section?”

“We all are. Didn’t want to leave her alone. Plus she might get into trouble if she doesn’t have someone watching her.”

“I heard that!”

“Don’t get your tails in a twist, Kaya, we’re just watching out for you.” I shout over the top of the changing stall. “But yeah, the three of us will see you and Ozzy in the main lounge once we’re done soaking. Just figured we’d let you guys know so you wouldn’t start wondering what happened to us.”

“Got it. Well, thanks for letting us know, we’ll just chill here over on the normal-people side. By the way, you owe me one for leaving me alone with Ozzy.”

I snicker at that. “C’mon, he’s not that bad.”

“You’ll be singin’ a different tune after having to listen to him ramble for two hours straight. But whatever, you three go ahead and enjoy your girly powwow over there in the exhibitionist zone.”

“We’re not exhibitionists, we just didn’t want to leave Kaya alone.” I grumble. “But yeah. We’ll see you guys in a couple hours, okay?”

“Got it. Talk to you later, blondie.”

With that the call hangs up, and I lower my phone. Tucking it back in with my clothes, I glance down at myself now that I’m fully undressed, then take a deep breath and glance back up before I get too carried away in my doubts. If Kayenta could stroll around wearing nothing, so could I. This would only be weird if I made it weird.

Bundling up my clothes, I step out of the stall and head over to the locker cubbies, pushing my clothes in and closing the door, then pressing my thumb against the pad so it reads my print and locks until I come back. Turning about, I spot Dandy and Kaya waiting at the door leading out to the springs, and smile at them. “Alright. You two ready to do this?” I ask, making my way over.

“Milor and Ozzy are not coming with us?” Kaya asks, pushing through the door.

“They’re staying on the swimsuit side.” I say, following Dandy and Kaya outside, and onto an expanse of damp black rock that stretches out until it reaches a wide pool that takes up much of this section of the springs. There’s a few other smaller pools around it, but almost no one here — only two other people hanging out in one of the smaller pools. Steam is coming off the pools, painting the entire area in a faint white haze that slowly curls into the pale sky. “Huh. Thought there’d be more people here.”

“Perhaps public nudity is not quite as popular as media portrayal would make it out to be.” Dandy remarks, following as Kayenta weaves her way to the main pool.

“It’s hot!” Kayenta proclaims as she dips her toes in the pool, then starts slinking in bit by bit. “Looks deep too. I think the bottom’s… here? No… here? So it’s about up to my ribs.”

I ease a foot into the water as I arrive at the edge of the pool, hesitating when I feel how hot it is. Seems like they definitely call it ‘hot springs’ for a reason; it’s probably about as warm as a decently hot shower. Descending further into the pool, I find my footing under the water before getting my other leg in and wading into the water. “This isn’t too bad, I guess.”

“If either of you would mind telling me if it gets deeper further in, that would be appreciated.” Dandy says. I look back to see her long scarlet hair pooling on the surface of the water as she steps into the pool, turning from a bright red to a darker, rich red as it soaks up water.

“Can you not swim?” Kayenta asks. She’s now up to her shoulders, though whether that’s because of the depth of the pool or because she’s sunk down into the water is unclear.

“I am familiar with the theory of swimming, but lack the buoyancy needed for it, since I am a Cyber.” Dandy explains. “I have a crysteel-alloy skeleton and a high-density musculature, and as a result, I sink in most liquid bodies.”

Kayenta looks to me for translation. “She has metal parts inside, and metal is heavy, so she sinks in water.” I explain as I feel my way along the sand at the bottom of the pool. It feels pretty level; there are little pockets where it dips, and I’ve already bumped my foot against a rock protruding from the bottom, but other than that it doesn’t seem to be much deeper than four or five feet. “As far as I can tell, the rest of it feels level to me, Dandy.”

“You’re not metal.” Kayenta says, pushing back through the water towards Dandy to poke her arm. “See? You’re soft. You’re flesh, not metal. And so pale.”

“My bones are metal.” Dandy explains, sinking into the water up to her neck like Kayenta and I have done. “Synthetic Cybers are designed to resemble organic creatures as closely as possible, and as such, have all the trappings of organic forms, but reinforced with mechanical and cybernetic design in core areas. If you set aside a Synthetic’s endurance, strength, and ability to wirelessly network with computer infrastructure, then we can easily pass as the species we are designed to resemble. Human, in my case. Marshy base model design.”

Kayenta narrows her eyes at that, then ducks under the water. Dandy’s eyes widen, and she yelps in alarm as she’s sudden tilted back and then lifted out of the water by Kayenta, who surfaces with her arms bracing Dandy. “Maelstrom have mercy! You’re heavy!” she sputters.

“Kaya! Put her down!” I order, moving over to the pair of them. “She just told you her bones were made of metal, of course she’s heavy! It’s literally what we’ve both been telling you for the last couple of minutes…”

Kayenta lowers Dandy back into the water, reaching up to wipe her sodden black hair out of her eyes. “You’re probably heavier than even Milor. I can lift and throw him with ease.”

“That does make me wonder, Kaya. How are you so strong?” I ask, drifting over to the side of the pool to see if there’s some good spots to settle and lounge. “Dandy’s got her superdense muscle groups and her metal skeleton to explain her strength, but as far as I can tell, you’ve got normal humanoid biology.”

“That’s my magic. When I’m not using it for other things, I can use it to make myself stronger and faster.” she says, paddling as Dandy and I as we scout the rim of the pool. “I’ve been doing it so long it’s second nature. I hardly even have to think about it now. Plus, the more tails a morphox has, the more magic we have.”

“I wonder if we could ever get measurements on the amount of arcane energy you generate every day. It’s got to be something crazy high.” I say as I find an uneven ledge under the water to sit on. “I think there’s enough room on this ledge if you’d like to sit here, Dandy.”

“So this is the town where the Witchling was born?” Kayenta asks as Dandy makes her way over to sit next to me.

“That’s what everyone thinks.” I explain as I get comfortable. “There’s some doubt; historians aren’t entirely sure. But the witch covens and the Church of Aurescura both think this is the original Redleaf Valley, and that it would’ve been where the Redleaf town was. The Fire Forest is the biggest hint that this was probably where the original Redleaf was.”

“Oh! We drove through that forest on the way here!” Kayenta says, her silver ears perking up. “It was so pretty! All the trees had bright red leaves, even though there’s snow on the ground. Do they not lose their leaves in winter?”

“Ignis trees keep their leaves year-round, yes.” Dandy confirms, settling in beside me. “They are one of the rare species of softleaf, broadleaf trees that keep their leaves year-round. It’s why they are popular ornamental trees for grounds and lawns, and they are synonymous with Redleaf, which is synonymous with the Witchling. The leaf of the ignis tree is present in many of the official symbols and crests of the Aurescuran government, in addition to being the official tree of the Aurescuran Republic.”

“And the official tree of every influencer, blogger, and touring holographer on the galaxynet.” I mutter. “If I had a credit for every online picture of a preening socialite posing on the edge of the Fire Forest…”

“You’d be very rich.” Dandy says with a smile.

“So why couldn’t we go to the mountain with Jazel and his mother?” Kayenta asks, bobbing in the water in front of us. “They said only the witches are allowed to go to the mountain.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Well, that’s… why we couldn’t go. Because only witches are allowed to go to Kaldt Fjell.”

“Yeah, but why?” Kayenta insists.

“It is sacred to the witches, which is why outsiders are not permitted.” Dandy explains. “In their religion, it is believed that the caverns of Kaldt Fjell are close to the edges of the Old City, which is the Aurescuran afterlife. As such, the covens believe it is a place where one can communicate with the afterlife, and all those that are thought to reside in it — the souls of the dead, the Old Ones, the Faceless Ones, and more.”

I glance at Dandy. “I didn’t know you knew that much about Kaldt Fjell.”

Dandy shrugs. “In some of my downtime, I have been passively researching Aurescuran culture. I read up on much of Redleaf on the way over here.”

“So Jazel and his mother are going to speak with the dead?” Kayenta asks, flicking some water out of her damp ears.

“We don’t know.” I say, shaking my head. “And we probably shouldn’t ask. Witches can get very aggressive with defending their secrets, and that’s mostly because both the Church and the government have taken advantage of their trust in the past to access some of those secrets. Many times they used them for their own agendas, sometimes destroying sacred places or resources in the process. A lot of those transgressions were a long time ago and the covens have forgiven, but they have not forgotten.”

Kayenta scowls at that. “He’s my mate. I should be allowed to ask.”

I look to Dandy for backup, but Dandy just shrugs. “She has a point. Living with someone often means living with their belief system as well, and it is reasonable to expect that a living partner will want to know about your culture and closely-held beliefs. I think she should be allowed to ask.”

“Yeah… true.” I concede. “What about you, Kaya? Are there any sacred places back on Vissengard for you?”

She shakes her head, chin skimming the water as she does so. “Vissengard is not a special world. All the sacred places are on Rantecevang. Many of our gods still call it home, though they also rove abroad to other worlds.”

“I’ve heard Rantecevang is a nice world.” I say, rocking a little on the ledge. “Basically the capital of magitech in the galaxy. I’ve always wanted to visit to see what sort of stuff they make and use there, but because the Diaspora isn’t part of the Colloquium, neither CURSE nor the Preservers have jurisdiction on any of their worlds or colonies. So we never get assignments in Ranter colonies.”

“Ranter colonies and worlds often have morphoxes present as minorities within the general population.” Dandy points out. “In areas where they constitute a larger share of the population, they sometimes form morphox communities. Though we have enough soul stockpiled to feed Kaya for the next decade or so, it is still a limited reserve, and Jazel has not ceased his research into finding feeding alternatives for Kaya, although his urgency has receded somewhat.”

“You think we could get a visit to a Ranter colony on that basis?” I conclude, seeing where Dandy’s going with this.

“We could put in a request for a research priority of our own.” Dandy says. “It will require that we first clear our current slate of assignments from CURSE, and handle any priority assignments they send our way. But if we meet those requirements, and the travel to a Ranter colony would not be excessive in terms of time and fuel, then I imagine it is within the realm of possibility.”

I look at Kayenta. “What do you think of that, Kaya? You could go meet other morphoxes. See if they have any advice for how to handle your… situation.”

Kayenta’s lips press together; she doesn’t look as happy at the suggestion as I thought she would. “I was a child when I last saw my kind; I have been a long time separated from them. I am not sure they would welcome me back after so long.”

“Modern Ranters aren’t like that.” I assure her. “They won’t know you, so you’ll be meeting them fresh. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind helping one of their own.”

“What will they think of my mate? He is not a morphox.” Kayenta asks apprehensively, her ears lowering a little.

I chuckle at that. “They’re not gonna care, Kaya. Like I said, modern Ranters aren’t like that. Do you think Ranter colonies would be so diverse if they were against interracial mingling?”

“If they were… what?” Kayenta says slowly, looking confused.

“There are many different species and races within Ranter colonies.” Dandy explains. “Humans, dwarves, elves, orcs, sylvans, ectognathans, vampires, Halfies, Kidaku, wereckanan, vashaya’rei — Ranter colonies are incredibly diverse communities. Chaotic, at times, and a little more dangerous than your standard galactic community due to the absence of Colloquium laws and regulations. But they are not going to take issue with your mate being human, at least not within the wider context of Ranter society.”

Kayenta chews on her lip, clearly thinking it over. “And you think other morphoxes may know what to do to keep me alive without having to feed on my witchling?”

“It is worth checking.” Dandy says. “They are your kind. They may know something we may not, and besides that, the Diaspora has the highest share of arcane experts by population in the galaxy, due to the heavy influence and use of magic in their society.”

“Okay.” Kayenta says, taking one of her long locks of dark hair and lifting it out of the water to suck on the ends. “If Jazel is okay with it, we can go.”

I smirk at that. “Since when have you needed Jazel’s permission to do something?”

Kayenta scowls at me. “I don’t need his permission! I just don’t want to go if he doesn’t want to go.”

“Sure, sure…”

“He will go if I tell him to go!”

“I’m sure he will.”

“Why are you still smiling? You are mocking me!”

“No reason. I just think it’s cute that you get all huffy over him.”

“Stupid human. Go make your robot moan.”

“Whoa whoa whoa, hey now, that was uncalled for!…”

Event Log: Jazel Jaskolka

Redleaf: Kaldt Fjell

1:15pm SGT

Mom turns off the car, and we’re both quiet for a bit as the engine clicks off in the gravelly parking area not far from the entrance to the caverns.

“I wasn’t aware that you’d been struggling so much.” she says after a moment.

“I mean. A lot of it was struggle, but there were good parts too.” I say, not wanting her to come away with the impression that it was worse than it actually was. “It’s been a long year. A lot of it was hard, but it was worth it. Coming out on the other side of it, I’m happy I stuck with it. It’s been worth it, to be with Kaya.”

Mom takes a deep breath in at that. “It’s… it’s a lot to absorb, Jazel. I’m glad that you told me while we were on this road trip; I’m not sure how I would’ve handled hearing about her… feeding on you… if she’d been with us.”

“It’s not her fault, Mom—” I begin.

“I know. I know. But that’s tough for a mother to hear, and… I don’t know.” Mom says. “Personally, I think Lysanne’s right. Kaya does have a choice, and she’s choosing to… feed on other people to keep living. But, I also understand that given her background, she may not know any better. I can still see traces of wild animal in her; I’m sure you all have. I don’t think that’s ever going to go away, and wild animals will do what they have to in order to stay alive. Witches know that better than most.” She presses her lips together. “I just wish she didn’t have to feed on my son.”

“She’s not a bad person, Mom.” I say quietly. I hadn’t thought this would matter all too much to me, but I’m starting to find that it does. I want my mom to like Kayenta. Or at the very least, to be able to accept her. “When I was lost, she came for me.”

“I know, Jazel.” Mom says. “She is what she is. I don’t blame her for that. But that doesn’t mean she’s good, either.”

“Couldn’t you say the same about us? About witches?” I point out. “We once hunted and killed creatures of the wood to feed ourselves. That didn’t make us bad or good. It just meant that we did what we had to in order to survive.”

“Perhaps.” Mom says, opening the door of the car and starting to get out. “I just wish you’d told me about what was happening. If I’d known how bad things got earlier this year, I would’ve called you home earlier to make this visit.”

I get out of the car as well, immediately hit with the cold air of the mountainside. Around us, the black rocks are intermittently blanketed with snow, and there’s not much growing up here. The air is sharp, and thin. “You mean this visit wasn’t something that was spontaneous?”

“I knew you would have to return to Kaldt Fjell one day, I just didn’t know when that day would be.” she says as she locks the car, starting towards the short switchback trail that leads to the cavern’s mouth above. “There are some things you should know in here.”

I follow after her, reaching up to tug the hood of my cloak up over my head to protect my ears from the biting chill. “And I am not to learn those things until we have entered the caverns?”

“I could tell them to you, but it is better if you see them yourself, to have the proof of your eyes before you.” Mom says as we start up the trail. “You may not believe them otherwise.”

“Alright.” I say, focusing on the frozen, beaten ground beneath my feet. We walk in silence for some time, and it’s only when we’re nearing the top of the trail that Mom speaks again.

“Jazel.” she says over her shoulder without slowing down. “I am glad you found someone to love. Even if it is complicated. I don’t want you to think that I want to take that away from you, or wish that it hadn’t happened. I do wish the relationship did not demand so much of you, but you’ve made it work, and I’m glad for that.”

“I wish it didn’t demand as much as it did.” I say as we crest the top of the trail onto the stretch of flat ground in front of the mouth of the cavern. “But it’s been worth it.”

She nods, and the both of us turn our attention towards the cavern, where two witches wait on either side of the entrance. Instead of the typical black cloak, these two wear bright red cloaks — the unique privilege of the Redleaf coven. As we near the entrance, the witch on the right parts her cloak and raises her hands out to us. “Jaskolkas, of the Falcon’s Crossing coven. You are here to visit the Hypogaeum.”

“We are, by the command of our matriarch.” Mom confirms as we slow to a stop in front of the entrance.

“You know the laws of Kaldt Fjell?” the witch on the left asks.

We both nod.

“And you know the way to the Hypogaeum?” the right witch asks.

“I have been here before. I remember the way.” Mom answers.

“Then you know it is guarded.” the left witch says. “And if you are judged false or unworthy, you will be turned away.”

“I will not be turned away. I came here once, and was commanded that I would one day return. Today is that day.” Mom answers. There’s a certainty in her reply that strikes me as unusual.

“Pray that the guardian will judge the same.” the right witch says, motioning into the darkness of the cavern beyond. “Do not wander or stray. You know the dangers of Kaldt Fjell.”

“We will mind them.” Mom says, starting forward into the cavern, and shaking the grimoire on her hand awake as she does so. “Come, Jazel.”

I follow after her with a nod to the Redleaf witches, shaking my grimoire awake as I do so. Ahead of me, Mom is searching her grimoire for a lantern spell, and pulls it from the clockwork fractal hovering above her hand as we tread into the cavern. The air in here is marginally warmer than outside, which is not saying much, since it is below freezing outside.

“How many lantern spells do you have prepared?” Mom asks as we delve deeper into the cavern, the light from outside slowly growing weaker and slowly being replaced by the ghostly lantern she’s holding.

“I have at least three, I think.” I answer. “I prepared one after you asked me to, and I have at least two stocked up besides.”

“Good. I have five lantern spells prepared, but it always helps to have backups.” Mom says as the cavern starts to narrow to a dipping tunnel.

“Five lantern spells? Is it going to be that long of a journey?” I ask, alarmed.

“No. A lantern spell will last the journey there, and another one for the journey back. But we do not know how long we will be in the Hypogaeum.” Mom explains. “I always bring more than what I need. You never know what you’ll encounter in a place so close to the Old City.”

“Will we be in danger here?” I ask, ducking a little under a low-hanging bend in the tunnel’s ceiling.

“I cannot say for sure. I have only been here once, many years ago.” Mom answers, the light from her lantern casting distorted shadows on the walls. “But there are many stories of witches who strayed in the caverns, or were led away by whispers in its darkness. The Old Ones cannot step into the mortal plane without invitation, but the caverns of Kaldt Fjell are a place between the afterlife and the mortal plane, a bridge that is neither here nor there. It would not surprise me if the Old Ones roamed the caverns now and again.”

“I have war spells if we need.” I offer.

“I don’t think we will need them. But just in case we do, just make sure not to use anything with explosions.” Mom advises. “I am now sure how strong the tunnels are, and a cave-in will kill us just as surely as it’ll stop an Old One.”

“Alright.” I say, poking through my grimoire. “I will stay away from the explosive spells. Is there anything else I should have prepared?”

“Simply remain close, and remain alert.” Mom says as the tunnel widens into another cavern. “Kaldt Fjell may be witch territory, but nobody is guaranteed safe travel in the caverns. Not even witches.”

I nod to that, and on that sobering note, we make our way deeper into the depths of the mountain, our ghostly shadows flickering and dancing, bending and twisting against the atrementous walls.

Event Log: Lysanne Arrignis

Redleaf: Witch Market

2:31pm SGT

“You think I should, uh… do something about that?” Milor says, reaching up to take his toothpick out of his mouth and point across the mall to where Ozzy is stumbling along with several bags of merchandise.

“Good lord.” I say, squinting across the food court. “How’s he gonna fit that all in his suitcase when we go back to the starport?”

“I am more concerned about the current storage capacity of our vehicles.” Dandy says, sipping from her drink. “We may be testing the limits of the rental car’s trunk with such a load.”

“What did he even buy?” Milor says, using his toothpick to scratch his temple underneath his wide-brimmed hat. “I mean, they got some neat stuff here, but I can’t imagine buying multiple bags of… of what, exactly?”

“Books on eschatology and the Old City, I believe.” Dandy remarks. “Although I cannot imagine him buying so many that it would require multiple bags.”

“Can you see what’s in the bags?” Kayenta asks, directing the question at Milor.

Milor leans back in his chair a bit, craning his head to try and get a better look at Ozzy as he makes his way towards us. “It looks like… he might’ve gotten some holoposters? And… don’t quote me on this, but I think I see plushes in one of those bags. Oh my god, he’s gone full tourist.”

“Do you think he got any of it as gifts for us?” Kayenta says, sneakily reaching over and stealing Milor’s basket of fries while he’s got his head turned.

“I mean, I’m flattered, but I ain’t the type to collect travel junk. You wanna get me a gift, a bottle of Venusian vintage will do the trick.” he says, turning back to the table and reaching for his fries, only to find them gone. For a moment, he just sits there, staring at his tray, before looking around the table. “Did they… forget my fries? I coulda swore I had an order of fries with this burger.”

Kayenta shrugs, munching on a fry. “Maybe they forgot?”

“Huh.” Milor says, still looking perplexed as he stares at his half-eaten burger. “I guess so.”

Dandy and I, who witnessed the entire deception, smile at each other but don’t give away Kayenta’s ploy. “So I’m guessing you didn’t get any souvenirs, Milor?” I ask, poking at my salad.

“Only souvenirs I need are up here.” he says, tapping his head. “Side effect of doin’ time in the service. You get used to traveling light. What about you three? Pick up anything interesting?”

“We haven’t finished visiting all the stores yet, but I don’t usually buy much at the Witch Market.” I answer after chewing on a forkful of salad. “It’s a tourist mall. A lot of the stuff is just way overpriced, but the Redleaf coven knows that tourists either don’t care, or won’t be the wiser. If I pick up anything, it’s probably just gonna be some Regenix potions to keep in stock for dangerous assignments. Those are actually cheaper here, since they’re made on New Aurescura and they don’t get hit with import, export, and transport markups.”

“I thought my burger was kinda pricy, considering it’s only a double.” he says, picking up his burger and taking another bite. “Guess the tourist tax explains it. Makes me wonder how much Ozzy burned, with all those bags he’s got.”

“Oof. I don’t even wanna know.” I say, shaking my head. “But hey, it’s his money, so if that’s how he wants to spend it, he’s welcome to it.”

“My understanding is Mr. Oxiris has not-insubstantial savings left over from his previous employments.” Dandy says. “Those savings have been holding him over while we work to get him, Milor, and Kayenta on the contract payroll.”

“Good new for him. It means he can afford this tourist trap.” Milor says, using a leg to push out one of the chairs at the table as Ozzy arrives. “Alright, Ozzy. Sock it to us. What’s the good word?”

Ozzy flops into the chair that Milor pushed out for him, clumping all his bags on either side of him with a combination of rustling, clinking, clanking, thumping, and jangling. “This place is incredible! There’s so much Aurescuran witch culture here! Did you know they sell authentic, custom, hand-tailored witch cloaks in one of the outlets? I mean, they cost an arm and a leg, but still!”

“Custom, you say?” I ask as I start corralling the last of my salad into the corner of my bowl. “Maybe we could take Kaya to get something special tailored for her. A cloak with a slit up the back to accommodate her tails.”

Kayenta’s silver ears perk up at that. “A cloak? Like the one my witchling was wearing today? So we can be matching?”

“I mean, you’re Jazel’s mate, so I don’t see why not.” I say. “Plus it would be good for you to have some sort of ceremonial wear that you could use for formal occasions.”

“Yes! I want it. Let’s do it.” Kayenta says before starting to shovel the rest of Milor’s fries into her mouth.

“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down!” I say, jerking forward with a hand out. “Relax, we’re not going right now. We’re still doing lunch, okay? Take it easy, you don’t have to bolt down your food all at once.”

“So while the rest of us are finishing our lunches, Ozzy, why don’t you show us what you got in those bags there.” Milor says, nodding to Ozzy’s massive haul of merch. “I didn’t peg you as the collecting type, but this is some next-level shopping right here.”

“Oh man, you guys aren’t gonna believe this.” Ozzy says, reaching into one of his bags and pulling out a tshirt with a big, stylized V printed on the front. “They’re sellin’ Valiant tshirts here! I thought you couldn’t get this stuff outside of Valcorria, but they had a whole kiosk for Valiant merch!”

I finish my salad and set the bowl aside, furrowing my brow at that. “Valiant… what?”

“It’s the organization that has formed out of the remains of the Challenger program.” Dandy explains. “The one that CURSE was trying to crush last year, led by Songbird and other resurgent Challengers. The invasion of Mokasha has pushed a lot of coverage of the Valiant to the background, although it was reported that they were involved in a covert evacuation mission on Mokasha shortly after the invasion began.”

“And they started releasing holoposters of their major players!” Ozzy crows, pulling one of the holoposters out of his bags and letting it drop open, showing a four-foot holoscroll of a man with tropical blue hair, in a battered black battle coat. He’s looking somewhere out-of-frame, while the pair of short swords in his hands glow in a swirl of glassy rainbow hues. “I got the main five — Songbird, Kiwi, Jackrabbit, Valkyrie, and Nympho. I think they’re all candid shots, except Nympho’s, hers was definitely staged. Also, rumor has it we might be getting a line dedicated to just Songbird and Kiwi. The working theory is that they’re an item, since you always see them together when they surface on missions. Personally, I’m not so sure about that, since we’ve got some pretty strong evidence that Songbird was hung up on Nova, but it has been fifteen years, so I’m willing to—”

“That’s starglass!” Kayenta interrupts suddenly, leaning across Milor to get a closer look at the holoposter. “He’s a Ranter!”

“Whoa Fluffy, a little heads-up next time.” Milor says, leaning back in his chair. “What’s got your attention now?”

“The swords! They’re starglass!” Kayenta says, pointing at the glassy blades that Songbird is holding. “You need stellarite to make starglass, and you can only get stellarite on Rantecevang. So he has to be from Rantecevang!”

“While the conclusion is a bit of a leap, the initial premise is correct.” Dandy says, studying the poster. “You cannot make starglass without refined stellarite ore, and stellarite is only found on Rantecevang and on some of the Diaspora’s colony worlds. Sourcing it is rather difficult, though; a single purified ounce can go for tens of thousands of credits.”

“I didn’t know the Valiant were making merch now.” I puff. “Shouldn’t that be like. Illegal or something? Since they’re a vigilante group operating beyond Colloquium oversight?”

“In principle, yes. However, they’ve had a run of good publicity due to the rescue at Mokasha and the Talingrad Concert.” Dandy explains. “Additionally, they have been increasingly vocal in the media, asking for and accepting opportunities for interviews and appearances on outlets that will have them. And they have not been shy about using those platforms to blast and challenge the motivations of those that oppose them.”

“I mean, let’s be honest.” Ozzy says, rolling up the holoscroll. “If you’re gonna trust someone to protect you, who’s it’s gonna be? The vigilante group made up of Challengers that rescued a bunch of people from assimilation, or an organization whose name literally spells out the word curse?”

Dandy lifts a hand towards Ozzy, while glancing at me. “As you can see, the Valiant media campaign has already proven quite convincing to certain segments of the galactic population.”

“Clearly.” I say, pushing back from the table. “Well, we’re gonna go see if we can get a cloak tailored for Kaya. Milor, you’re welcome to come if you want, but I figure you may want to stay with Ozzy while he gets something to eat.”

Milor waves me off. “Get on with ya. I know how shopping for clothes with women goes. I’ll be better off here.”

“This is why you don’t have a girlfriend.” I say, picking up my tray. “We’ll let you know when you’re done and ready to go visit the Fire Forest. Ms. Jaskolka said she and Jazel would be back by evening, and would meet us there.”

“And I can surprise my witchling with my new cloak!” Kayenta crows, standing up and giving Milor’s mostly-empty fry basket back to him. “Here. You can have these since you didn’t get any fries.”

“Well, ain’t you just a saint today, Fluffy.” Milor says, picking a fry out of the basket. “Much obliged. A burger without fries isn’t much of a burger at all.”

I smirk at that, but motion to the table. “Grab your tray, Kayenta. It’s good manners to return it back to the tray station instead of making the staff come get it during cleanup. Dandy, do you know where we can find the cloak-tailoring place that Ozzy mentioned?”

“Allow me a moment to review the mall’s online map, and I believe I can identify it and lead us there.”

“Awesome. Alright, we’ll see you lads in a couple hours!”

Event Log: Jazel Jaskolka

Redleaf: Kaldt Fjell

3:10pm SGT

“There were times when our people would assemble in these caverns. A great convocation of witches.” Mom says, lifting the lantern higher. Currently we stand on the edge of a vast, deep cavern, which slopes along the sides. Large boulders are scattered at the bottom, while a rockfall forms a field of sizable boulders that could be used as places to sit along the slope. “The matriarchs would speak from the great boulder down there. And witches would fill the slope, so many that you could not see the rocks they sat upon.”

“Yes. I remember those assemblies.” I say quietly. Though I have never been here before — at least not in this life — the place is familiar, and Mom’s words bring back memories of when this cavern was filled with a multitude of witches. Recollections that seep through the damaged veil that separates my current life from my past ones. “Let’s not linger here.”

Mom glances to me, and perhaps sensing I’m uncomfortable, turns and starts walking over the rockfall path once more. “Are you sure you do not want to speak with the matriarch, Jazel? She may be able to help, and if not, I’m fairly certain she could get you a referral to the shamans of Kammarheit. They are supposed to specialize in afflictions that stem from knowing prior incarnations.”

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.” What I don’t say is that I’m scared that their assistance may just stir up the memories of my past lives, memories that have mostly settled back behind the veil now. Memories I do not wish to revisit. It was enough that I had filled a small book with forgotten and forbidden spells; I did not wish to have any more of that lost knowledge. To others, it may simply be knowledge, but for me, that knowledge was chained to the recollections of how my past selves came by that knowledge.

And much of it was worthy of shudders.

As we continue around the rim of the cavern, the ground starts to level out and become smoother as we leave the rockfall. We enter another tunnel, traveling in silence, and follow its twisting, winding direction further into the dark, with Mom leading the way, and me, focusing on the hem of her cloak. I am finding that the deeper and deeper we go, the more and more of this place I recognize, even though I have never been here in this life. I could probably find my way on my own, but I am afraid my recognition of these caverns might bring back older memories that I had tried so hard to put to rest.

“It has been many years, Katya Jaskolka.”

The voice, low and quiet, comes from the left and startles both of us. I twist around, already bringing my grimoire hand up, and at first I don’t see anything — but as Mom turns around, the lantern swinging with her, an outline comes into sharp relief, recessed into the tunnel wall. It’s a pale, pale woman sitting within an alcove, her jacket, jeans, scarf, and hair all just as pale as she is. Something about her reminds me of cavern creatures, little newts and salamanders and spiders that have spent so many generations underground that they’ve become achromatic, bleached of color in the unending dark.

Mom bows to the woman in the alcove, then speaks. “I have returned, Vigil. As I was told I would.”

“You brought the child back.” At this point the woman’s eyes open, and I can see her irises are a pale pink — again the sort of thing you’d expect from a subterranean creature. Moreover, color starts to seep into her scarf and boots, the former turning a vivant red, while the latter turn black. But everything else remains white. “You have raised him, as Mother asked you to do.”

“I did.” Mom says quietly. “The time has come to pass. He has been visited by the Faceless Ones, so I thought it was prudent that we return to the Hypogaeum so that he may know…” Mom falters at this point, as if hesitating on what she was about to say. “…so that he may know.”

Vigil stares for a moment, and in that long gaze, I realize something about her is not quite right. Her voice is without tone or inflection; her face is without expression or emotion. Some might call it robotic, but I’ve seen robots with more expression than this, Dandy among them. This is something different; it’s like she’s a person, but she’s empty, hollow. As if there’s nothing beneath the surface.

“It is time, then.” Words that feel like they should be more ceremonious, but the way she says them, they’re little more then flat statements of fact. Standing up, she steps out of the the alcove and drops to the tunnel floor with a weighty thud that gives the impression she’s much heavier or denser than she looks. I can see what appears to be combat pads or an armor weave of some sort beneath her jacket, but that alone wouldn’t explain the immense weight in her step. “I will see you to the Hypogaeum.”

With that, she starts marching down the tunnel in the direction we had originally been going, and Mom falls in behind her without a word. I follow behind both of them in silence, wanting to ask questions but not daring to; I don’t know what Vigil is, but it seems likely she is not mortal. I don’t know if she’s an Old One, or a part of the Order, but either way it would be unwise to test her patience. Any questions I have would probably be better kept for the time when I am allowed to ask them.

The pace that Vigil sets, while neither fast nor slow, is unrelenting. Regardless of whether we are going uphill, downhill, or climbing over rocks, she always moves at roughly the same speed, apparently unhindered by changes in terrain. At first it’s a simple task to keep up with her, but after the first uphill stretch, it’s easy to get winded and fall behind, and on the downhill stretches, you find yourself trying not to step on her heels.

It’s probably for the best that the remainder of the trip to the Hypogaeum is short; within five minutes we’re stepping into a vast cavern unlike any of the others we have encountered so far. The floor slopes down to meet a body of water that just goes on and on — it stretches away so far it goes beyond where the eye can see. There is light in the cavern, a weak, pale glow that seems to come from the other side of the underground lake, but with no distinct source — simply emanating from somewhere in the far distance. It does not do much to light the massive cavern; the shadows still linger heavy upon the walls and stalagmites jutting out of the lake’s surface.

“We have arrived.” Vigil states, stepping to the side so that Mom and I can walk down to the water’s edge. “You may look, but do not touch the water.”

Mom stops short of the lake’s edge by about five feet, and I do the same. For a moment, we remain in silence, staring over the vast, dark expanse before us - with no wind or currents to move it, the surface is like a single unbroken pane of black glass. As a body of water, it’s certainly large enough to house aquatic life, but it’s unclear what would survive down here, if anything natural even could survive down here.

“You know that I adopted you when I was young, very young.” Mom says quietly. “And we have never spoken of your birth parents. I told you that we would discuss it one day, when the time was appropriate. And that time… I suppose it has come.” She takes a moment, as if she was bracing herself. “The reason I never told you about your biological parents, Jazel, is because you do not have any.”

I was expecting many things — to hear that my parents had given me up, or died in some accident, or perhaps that I was removed from a neglectful or abusive family — but this wasn’t one of them. “I… what? What do you mean, I don’t have any biological parents? That doesn’t make sense.”

Mom motions to the dark lake before us. “You were born here, by the will of the Witchling. Gestated out of the waters of this lake; elements given form, form given life. She assembled you before my eyes; I watched as you went from a ball of water and mud into a set of rapidly dividing cells, and then into an embryo, and a fetus, and then into an infant. All within the span of minutes.”

I understand the words that she’s saying, but for me they’re not really processing. My own mother is telling me that my conception, my birth, were immaculate… even more than that, that they were effectively divine in nature. “That’s not possible; that sort of accelerated development would require unimaginable command over the forces of nature.” I say, as if bringing science into the conversation would give me the space I needed to process the things I was being told.

“Yes.” Mom agrees. “Command which the Witchling possesses.”

I have no reply for that, for I know it is true. The Witchling is a force of nature, on par with deities; of course she would have the capability to create life with ease. And yet still, it is hard to accept. That this was the way I came into being. “But why?”

Mom shakes her head beneath her hood. “It was not my place to know. All that she told me was that she had a task for me, and after she created you, she told me that I was to raise you.”

“And you did not ask her?” I press, surprised to find faint desperation creeping on the edges of my voice.

“No, Jazel. I did not ask her.” Mom murmurs somberly, her voice gaining force as she goes on. “You have never stood in the presence of the Witchling, never heard her speak through the very fabric of reality itself. She has a presence… beyond description, beyond comprehension. She contains all the souls of Aurescura within herself, all their combined millions and billions of years of life and suffering, and with all those years she is older than most other living things in the galaxy. Through us, the people of Aurescura, she has lived uncounted lifetimes. And though, in person, she is a small personage, to stand before her is to be in the presence of something so vast and expansive that you are drowning in it, dwarfed by it, a speck of sand gazing up at an ocean of stars. You feel your place in the universe most keenly; you know how small and singular you are. And how can someone so small have the audacity to question something so immense, so vast, so cosmic? What could you ever say that would have any meaning or weight at all?”

She falls silent, and looks back towards the lake; and I have nothing to say to that, trying to comprehend all of this. The cavern is silent, with only the echoes of our voices traveling over the still waters.

“I was young.” Mom continues at length. “I came here, as many young witches do, chosen by their covens to take a pilgrimage to Kaldt Fjell. It is supposed to be a spiritual experience, an opportunity to tread on the ground that our ancestors walked, stand in the places that the witches of old did, and return a little wiser for it. That is what our coven sent me here for, and it is what I came to do. I came into Kaldt Fjell seeking wisdom, but when I left, I had a child. And that child was you.” Mom turns to look over her shoulder. “Vigil can attest to it, because she was here.”

I look around to see Vigil turning her unnerving pink gaze towards us, unwavering and unblinking. “I was present. Mother brought you forth from the water, and charged Katya with your upbringing. It was the ninth day, in the eleventh month, in the depths of winter. I surrendered my cloak so Katya would have something to swaddle you in, for the cold was bitter both inside the mountain and out, and you had no clothes.”

Coming from anyone else, I may have have questioned it; but Vigil’s factual, unvarnished delivery leaves no doubt in my mind that my mother is telling the truth. “What are you?” I ask her, even though I know it may be unwise to ask.

“She is one of the Daughters of Maugrimm.” Mom answers quickly, as if she wanted to close the subject as quickly as it had come. “It is why she is tasked with guarding the Hypogaeum, for it lies on the edge of the Old City, and she keeps watch over the border. For things which try to enter it without approval, and for things which try to leave it without permission.”

Though I know that it’s unlikely, I direct my question towards Vigil now. “Why, though? Why was I created in this manner? What was intended for me?”

“Mother’s designs are beyond my comprehension. It is not my place to know, but to carry out the duty given to me.” Vigil replies. Flat, toneless, final — and I realize that she may not be capable of having actual conversations, but merely stating facts and orders as she receives or dispenses them.

Unable to pry an answer from Vigil, I look to Mom now. “Then why do I need to know all this, if I don’t know what I was created for? What’s the point?” I can’t simply have this knowledge for the sake of knowing; there has to be something more to it. There has to be a reason, a purpose, somewhere in all this.

“The point is that you have a right to know where you came from, Jazel.” Mom explains. “You have a right to know where you came from, and how you were born, so that if you are given a consequential responsibility in the future, you can step into it with purpose, knowing what you were created for. I don’t know why you were created, and neither does Vigil; only the Witchling knows the reason why she made you. But she always does things for a reason; I know you are here for a purpose, even if you haven’t come to it yet.”

Here for a purpose. I think, before Kayenta, I might not have minded that. Having a purpose would’ve sounded nice, would’ve felt like my existence was not futile or without forethought. But now that I had Kayenta, I didn’t like the idea as much. Being created for a purpose now felt like an obligation rather than a gift, and if that obligation took me away from her, it would become a burden I was not sure I wanted to bear. “And what about Jayta?”

Mom shakes her head. “Your sister is normal. I chose to adopt her because I did not want you to grow up alone. The Witchling entrusted you to me, and I wanted to make sure I raised you the best I could, and that involved having siblings, and doing the best I could to create a family for you to grow up in. At least, the best I could manage in terms of creating a family. I know our family is small, but I tried my best.” She heaves a heavy sigh, looking back out across the dark lake. “But with what has happened to Jayta…”

“Mother is aware of your daughter’s displacement to Sjelefengsel.” Vigil states, prompting both of us to turn towards her. “She intends to address it soon.”

“You know about Jayta?” Mom says, taking a couple steps towards Vigil. “You know what’s happened to her?”

“She was manipulated and deceived by one of the Lesser Lords of Sjelefengsel, the great hell where the uncommitted among the damned are delivered unto. She is now in the service of the Lord of Regret, in violation of Mother’s exclusive right to each and every Aurescuran soul.” Vigil says. “She will go unto Sjelefengsel soon, to reclaim what is hers, and remind Sjelefengsel why the heavens and the hells alike quake and tremble in her presence.”

Vigil’s declaration is almost reassuring, but there’s something just too… ominous about it all. And the threat of retribution has me worried for Jayta. “Jayta won’t be punished, will she?” I ask. “If she was manipulated and tricked?”

“Mother will discipline as she sees fit. It is not my place to make declarations about what judgement she will mete out.” Vigil says. “Know, however, that your daughter and sister is not forgotten. Mother knows all the souls of Aurescura, and she is keenly aware of all of them, at all times. They are hers alone to exalt, to damn, or to release unto unending rest; and those who usurp that right shall receive their due without fail, whether mortal or immortal.”

Mom pulls her cloak tighter about herself. “It is good to know. Thank you for telling us, Vigil. I am still concerned, but less so now.”

“Your children have a part to play in Mother’s design. They are not forgotten.” Vigil says, before lifting a hand towards the tunnel we came from. “If you have shown and told your son all that he must know, it is time to depart. To linger on the edge of the Old City is dangerous; the Old Ones are continually craving the taste of lives they will never know, and mortals are an envious feast.”

“Yes, let’s go.” Mom agrees, starting back up the slope towards the tunnel. “Come along, Jazel. We can talk more on the journey back.”

I start to follow her, then pause, looking back at the still, dark lake; the weak, sourceless light glowing somewhere along its distant edge. There is a part of me that wants to go back, to step into those waters I was supposedly born from; to run my fingers through the liquid and know the element I was carved out of. If this was where I was born, in this place between worlds, I feel like I should at least touch the water. To acknowledge my place of origin.

“It is not yet time to return to the ocean, little witchling.” I turn to see Vigil staring at me, her relentless pink gaze shredding right through any excuse I might’ve otherwise offered. “Come away from the water.”

I do so, though not quickly, turning and making my way back up the slope. As I reach the tunnel, Mom pulls out another lantern spell from her grimoire and opens it, while Vigil falls in behind us, ensuring that neither of us can turn back and return to the Hypogaeum. Silence fills the cold, dry dark as we head back the way we came.

And even if not a word is spoken, I find I am leaving with more questions than I had when I arrived.

Event Log: Lysanne Arrignis

Redleaf: The Fire Forest

6:25pm SGT

“Well, there’s no two ways about it.” Milor drawls, speaking around the toothpick in his mouth. “Those are some red trees.”

We’re sitting at one of the tables outside the Redleaf Visitor Center, which borders the Fire Forest. It has a good view of the flame-red trees, which stretch for quite a ways in either direction. Jazel and Katya are supposed to be returning soon, and after a day spent touring Redleaf, I think we’re all tired and ready to go home.

“Why haven’t they lost their leaves?” Kayenta asks, sipping on the hot cider we got from one of visitor center’s kiosks.

“Ignis trees are unique in that their leaves curl in winter, forming a cylinder shape.” Dandy explains. “It reduces the surface area that’s exposed to the cold, and the cells of the leaf thicken in the lead-up to winter, producing a waxy substance that protects against the elements and reduces the loss of moisture in the cold season. Once the weather gets warmer, the waxy substance loosens up and eventually melts away, allowing the leaves to uncurl in the summer.”

“Must be even more of a sight during summer, then.” Milor remarks, leaning back in his chair. “If we’re only seeing half of the leaves here, it must look even more amazing when they’re not all curled up for the winter.”

“Alright, so it cost me a pretty penny, but I was able to get a few packets of ignis seeds, one ignis bonsai, and a few potted cuttings from the most prevalent ignis cultivars.” Ozzy pants as he arrives to our table, lugging yet another bag with him. “This way we can take a little bit of New Aurescura back with us—”

“Good googly, man.” Milor says, reaching up to take his toothpick out of his mouth. “What are you tryin’ to do, start a garden? How are we gonna fit yet another bag into the car? The thing’s already packed to the gills with all your other junk! How do you plan on gettin’ all this through customs and security at the starport?”

“Oh, that’s easy! I’ll just box it up and pay the extra luggage fee at the starport. It’s only, what, fifty credits for each additional checked case after the first two? And besides, it’s worth it. I figured, we got plenty of biomes on the ship, right?” Ozzy begins, flopping down into his chair. “So I thought to myself, we could probably cultivate a few ignis trees in some of those biomes, right? I imagine they’d make a real nice ornamental tree, help spice up some of the biomes, ‘specially the temperate deciduous one on the…”

“He does not understand conservation ecology, does he.” I sigh as Ozzy continues rambling to Milor.

“No, I don’t believe he does.” Dandy concurs quietly. “Somewhat surprising for someone that spent so long in academia, but Ozzy if nothing if not full of surprises.”

“All of them mediocre, disappointing surprises.” I say, then notice Kayenta looking disgruntled. “What’s up, Kaya? Why the long face?”

She looks down at the cloak she’s wearing. “I want my witchling to get here so he can see my cloak.”

I smile at that. As promised, we’d gotten her a custom-tailored witch cloak, which she was now wearing - black fabric, layered at the shoulders, with ocean-blue trim on the edges and the rim of the hood. The alterations for her ears and tail had taken some time, since they didn’t usually tailor for nonhumans, but with a little effort they’d been able to make it work. It helped when we told them that her S.O. was a witchling, and we were trying to get something for the two of them to match as a couple. “Jazel and Ms. Jaskolka will be back soon. I’m sure she wanted to spend some time catching up with her son without the rest of us interrupting.”

“That is excellent, Ozzy. Tell ya what: hit the pause button on that for jussa sec, there’s something I wanted to ask blondie.” Milor says, shutting down Ozzy’s rambling so he can glance at me. “Speaking of family time, blondie, what’s the deal? You’re from New Aurescura too, aren’t you? Don’t you have family here that you should be visiting?”

“Milor!” Dandy protests. “That’s a very personal question to be asking Lysanne in front of everyone else.”

I touch Dandy’s wrist. “It’s fine. I don’t mind answering it.” Looking to Milor, I go on. “I don’t get along with my parents. For a long time, they’ve had… opinions about my career choices, my friends, my relationship decisions. Ever since I was a teenager, actually. I fought with them a lot during that time, and I don’t speak with them nowadays.”

“Ah.” Milor says, leaning back in his chair and adjusting the brim of his hat. “No, I getcha, blondie. No need to explain, I’ve been there too. I know what it’s like to disappoint the ol’ man and butt heads with him. What it’s like to be told you’re not living up to your potential.”

“Yeah. But that’s why I like the Jaskolkas so much.” I say, sipping from my cider. “They’re my second family. Ms. Jaskolka was good to me when I was a teenager, always let me come over when I was having it out with my parents. And she encouraged and supported me the way my parents never did.” I rock my cup back and forth on the table, thinking about it a bit before going on. “I really owe her for that. She was a single mom and already had two kids, but she made room for me too. Even if I wasn’t a part of the coven. She deserves to have a lot more than what she ended up with.”

“Yeah. Well, that’s the universe for ya. It ain’t fair.” Milor says, sticking his toothpick back in his mouth. “Good people get the shaft, and no good deed goes unpunished.”

“Perhaps we could get her something nice?” Ozzy suggests. “To thank her for hosting us during this visit. Although I’m not sure exactly what we’d get her; I can’t admit to knowing her too well.”

“What about flowers?” Kayenta offers.

“I appreciate the thought, Fluffy, but flowers wouldn’t really cut it.” Milor says, scratching his chin. “We wanna give her something substantial, something that’ll help her and that she can get use out of for a while.”

“She could do with a new car, or a new house, but…” I lament, leaving the rest unsaid since it’s obvious both those things are outside of our gift budget.

“Wait, no, I think you’re onto something there.” Milor says, shaking a thoughtful finger. “We can’t get her a new car or a new house. But we can brush up what she does have. I’m pretty handy in the garage, and there’s enough of us that it shouldn’t be too much work to fix some things up around the house.”

“The Deputy makes a compelling point.” Dandy agrees. “We could provide service and labor that Ms. Jaskolka might not have either the time, money, or wherewithal to do herself.”

“I’m a little creaky to be doing roofing jobs or home repairs, but I may be able to pitch in here or there.” Ozzy says, stretching. “I think it’s the least we could do for Jazel’s mom. She’s been just great the whole time we’ve been here. That pumpkin pie she made last week? Oh my god, just primo. Surprised she doesn’t have a husband with cooking like that.”

“Alright then. I’m good with that if you all are - patch up the house, trim up the car, leave things a little better than they were when we got here.” I say. “We can run it by Jazel, see what needs to be fixed up in the house, and go from there.”

“Speaking of which.” Dandy says, nodding to the parking lot where it looks like Jazel and Katya’s sedan is pulling in.

Kayenta’s silver ears perk up. “He’s here!” she says, surging to her feet and immediately moving around the table towards the parking lot.

Milor chuckles, watching as Kayenta goes to try and intercept their car before they’ve even found a parking spot yet. “Y’know, if you told me a year ago Fluffy would make good girlfriend material, I woulda laughed ya out of the room. But it turns out she’s a real sweetheart. Never thought I’d see her so happy to see someone. Lookit her tails go.”

“Yeah. I guess she is.” I admit, watching as the car opts to just pull up on the curb to accommodate Kayenta. Jazel gets out of the car, and Kayenta holds her arms out to either side, bouncing up and down as she shows off her new cloak. Jazel stares for a moment, then simply steps forward to pull Kayenta into a hug, burying his face in her neck and the folds of her hood there.

Dandy shifts in her chair beside me. “…he seems stressed.”

“Yeah.” I agree quietly. “I wonder what happened during the visit to the mountain…”

Kayenta looks caught off guard by Jazel’s sudden embrace, but she still takes it in stride, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling her head against his. For a moment I feel a pang of envy for the two of them; that they seem to understand each other so effortlessly that they don’t even need to exchange words. It’s almost like they sense each other and what the other needs just by looking at each other and touching each other. Dandy and I aren’t to that point, and with the fundamental differences between us — Cyber and human — I’m not sure if we ever will understand each other on the level that Kayenta and Jazel seem to be connected.

Yet watching Katya get out of the car and watch her son, and seeing Ozzy and Milor murmuring to each other about Katya’s cooking, I realize it could be worse. I might not have the kind of connection that Jazel and Kayenta do.

But I’m not alone, either.