Chapter 3

**Significant plot details follow** - peruse at your own risk, lest your game experience be ruined.

Below here is the plot synopsis for Chapter 3 of Temptation's Ballad, titled **"The Person My Choices Made"**. The intention for this synopsis is for it to function as a basic overview of the events that occur in the story for one to refer to if they a) haven't read the story in a while and want to refresh their memory, or b) are just trying to remind themselves of some of the broader details and events that have happened (think spark notes). This should not serve as a replacement for reading the story yourself, as reading the story will provide a more complete and nuanced experience of the events that occur.

Also note that this chapter is currently incomplete, awaiting further updates from the author. This page will be updated as new content is released for Temptation's Ballad.

## Summary

Cole stumbles down the stairs to the Bonebreaker Mercenary Guild's main lobby to find that Artemi is already present. She charges a few Arcane Crystals with some offensive spells for Cole, so that he can cast some offensive magic in a pinch. After Cole gives Artemi some advice on how to talk to nobles, the two depart to head towards Town Square to attend the Firefly festival.

Meanwhile, Sidd and Clyde are having a training session so that Sidd can better wield the Lanius. They have a conversation in which Clyde encourages Sidd not to be so self-conscious and to be proud of what he can do. Clyde recalls fond memories of his own past with Cole, before starting to feel dejected due to the fallout of their relationship.

Sidd, remembering that he forgot his coin purse, rushes home to pick it up, only to find that Hamish is also there to collect some recipes from Ilia. The two both get their respective items and leave.

The three meet up at the festival, but with all of the distractions around, it is difficult to stay focused on their objective to investigate. Eventually, they decide to take a break to grab some food and relax.

During this time, a few things happen:
1. The group meet Agatha Stoker, an old bat who charged various crystals around the city with [Alarm] spells to alert people of mischievous activity. She takes an interest in both Cole and Artemi-Artemi being the chosen one, and Cole due to his association with Marrow Bonebreaker.

2. Cole takes a moment to himself, but it lasts a short while when Calder, a hyena noble from house O'Shannessy, confronts him. The two are quickly put off by each other's attitudes, but before conflict can escalate, Hamish steps in and dismisses Calder, scaring him away. Hamish offers Cole some advice, providing him with some aetherically charged trap wire for spellcasting while doing so.

3. Sidd takes a moment by himself, still sulking over comparing himself to Artemi. Suddenly, He encounter Emil, who he remembers from Chapter 1, being cornered by a much larger Orca, Reinier. Reinier wants to beat up the urchin for his theft, but Sidd, trying to be kind, tries to get Emil to turn himself into the police. Unsurprisingly, Emil takes advantage of this naivete, and spots an opening to make a getaway, taking Sidd's wallet in the process. Reinier, upset at Sidd for allowing the thief to escape, forces him to participate in the upcoming Firefly Festival Brawl and to form an alliance together.

After these events, the party congregates to prepare for the jousting tournament.

While they are waiting, they learn a bit about the Locust Famine from twelve years ago, a tragic event that killed many and nearly decimated all of Axia's food supplies. We are also introduced to Prince Cassius for the first time, but the impression is not great, as his incredible shyness causes him to fumble his introductory speech and run away in a panic. Maeve Osmia, a newly minted member of nobility, then takes the stage. In contrast to Cassius, she is collected, and calmly thanks the citizens for the opportunity to sponsor the event.

The party then converses with Calder for a time, but things become heated as Calder, thinking himself superior to the party, decides to throw a verbal lashing at Sidd, using [Detect Thoughts] to prove his mind and reveal his deepest insecurities. Cole, challenges him to a duel in retaliation, which Maeve approves, as a warmup to the events of the joust.

Cole wins in a spectacular fashion, ridiculing Calder in the process.

Shortly after, the jousting tournament begins, with the first match being Calder against Artemi.

Artemi as well, wins in a spectacular fashion, Summoning a lightning element steed to send Calder into a cowering mess, winning immediately and ridiculing Calder in the process.

The other tournament participants are terrified at Artemi's power and withdraw from the tournament upon seeing her might, causing her to win the tournament by default. After a brief discussion with Agatha about magic, she is called to see Maeve Osmia to receive her reward. She requests Maeve's aid in recovering the stolen rubies, and Maeve accepts in exchange for Artemi's assistance in uncovering the truth about the events of the Locust Famine which killed many of her fellow Druids.

Sidd, having been left by Cole (who had some important tasks to attend to), is meanwhile, moping due to having his darkest thoughts revealed to Sidd and Artemi. It takes pep talks from Reinier, Val, Artemi, and Clyde to lift his spirits, but eventually he finds his confidence again and is ready to participate in the brawl.

Oh, also Ilia finds Calder and ridicules him.

Sidd and Reinier work extremely well together and take out most of the competition with ease, only having some noticeable struggle against Val. Once they are the only combatants remaining, they duel in a one versus one battle, in which Sidd triumphs. With his victory, he calls Clyde to the arena and boasts about the strength of the Lanius to the crowd, hoping the advertisement will garner some attention from potential investors, leaving Clyde touched and grateful.

They don't have long to celebrate, however, as shortly after, a giant explosion can be heard coming from near Sol's arcane curiosities.

During the events of the joust and brawl, it's revealed that Cole at Sol's Arcane Curiosities, where he posed as Sol to allow Clyde to go to the festival to witness Sidd fighting with the Lanius firsthand. Clyde returns to the shop, furious at Cole for his deception, and renouncing their friendship. He makes a final request to have Cole return the ruby he stole, so he can sell it for money, and Cole is nearly about to oblige before realizing that something is wrong. Calling out the imposter, the fake Clyde reveals himself to be Zelos, the envy demon.

Zelos requests that Cole hand over Malus if he wants to be spared death and torture, but Cole refuses and flees. An extended battle ensues where blows are exchanged in both sides, much destruction being caused in the process.

In the end, however, Cole ends up completely exhausted and is about to be annihilated by Zelos before Hamish swoops in to save the day. With his cunning battle tactics, he turns the tables and defeats Zelos, forcing her to flee for the time being.

In the aftermath of the battle, Sidd and Artemi catch up with Cole, Artemi patching Cole up with a healing spell. A barely recovered Cole quickly leaves to meet up with Hamish and talk to him, leaving Sidd and Artemi to assess the damages and assist with aiding the side casualties resulting from the battle.

Calder, who had been polymorphed into a boot (and thus, ridiculed) by Ilia, returns to his normal form, just in time for a crow to come bearing a message. His grandfather had uncovered the news of his failure and demands his immediate return. Calder manages to avoid this casting [Suggestion] on the crow to make it believe that it had failed to find Calder and return to his Grandfather. The anxious hyena then proceeds to get robbed (and ridiculed) by Emil begins to wander around in search for an inn where he can somehow manage to stay at for free.

Artemi accompanies Maeve in providing convalescence to those injured during Zelos' attack. While they're at it, they discuss the events of the mass fainting, and note it's substantial similarity to how people's life forces were drained during the Locust Famine.

Artemi encounters Wes (who soon leaves) and Agatha. Agatha reveals to Artemi more about her work with King Roderick and her objective to be able to create life, such that people of all backgrounds could raise a family. In doing so, she suggests that Prince Cassius may the product of one of such experiments gone awry.

Sidd and Clyde talk briefly about Cole in a busted up Sol's Arcane Curiosities, and Sidd attempts to reassure Clyde that Cole is doing his best to try to become a better person. Soon thereafter, Maeve arrives and promises to fund the repairs to the battered store. She also takes an interest in Clyde's smithing abilities, and the two soon form a business partnership where in Clyde supplies her with tools, she provides a forge along with connections to suppliers.

While Artemi and Maeve finish the rounds, healing the injured, Emil sneaks up, attempting to rob them. Artemi notices and apprehends him, aggressively demanding answers. Maeve, on the other hand, takes a gentler approach, urging Artemi to let him go, and letting him know that they will have a home waiting for him if he ever so needs. This sways the young thief into revealing new information about the Crown, suggesting that a blue peacock with features similar to Prince Cassius tipped him off to Artemi carrying such a valuable package.

Elsewhere, Cole meets up with Hamish. The appear to reconcile momentarily before Cole confronts Hamish about his ability to use magic. He calls the older hyena out on keeping this a secret from Marrow whilst simultaneously wanting Cole to confess his abilities himself. In the heat of their argument, Cole snaps and casts [Detect Thoughts] on Hamish, inadvertently revealing his past.

Hamish grew up in a well enough family, but his mother always appeared distant. He grew up learning to hunt from his father, but could never win his mother's approval.

One day, on a hunting mission, an accident happened, killing his father. He came home to find the house burned down and his mother missing.

When he finally found her, he discovered she was happily with another man and a new child. Traumatized by this revelation, Hamish sought to take his own life before happening to meet Marrow, who was named Merrick at the time. The two spend some time together and Merrick helps Hamish to process the grief of the recent events in his life.

Once the vision provided by [Detect Thoughts] subsides, Cole curses himself for his bratty nature and for ruining things as he has before.

After searching for a few hours, Sidd comes home to the tavern only for Ilia to inform him that Cole has been there the whole time, disguised as the Badger before running off to the hills of the Marauder's District. She gives some advice on how to comfort him before sending him off to see his friend.

The two meet on the hill and share a heartfelt moment where Cole confesses his bratty and toxic attitude, and Sidd acknowledges these aspects of his character yet still shows believe in his inherent goodness. Sidd urges Cole that he is a person capable of great kindness and urges him to try to be better, and the hyena reluctantly promises to try.

Cole then reveals to Sidd that Malus is in fact one of the missing rubies, and that all of the rubies are likely demons. After some discussion on the topic, it comes to light that if Artemi fails her mission, she may be executed as punishment to make way for a new chosen to arise.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

## Plot

### Preparing for the Festival

The chapter opens up with Artemi perusing the pamphlet for the Firefly Festival excitedly, searching for an absent Cole after realizing he's not there with her at the Bonebreaker Guild ~~shack~~ building. Cole stumbles in tiredly shortly after she finishes reading, and asks Artemi to charge several arcane crystals with some offensive spells, as Cole lacks any offensive magics and needs a way to defend himself in case the cloaked mage comes after him again. Artemi obliges, charging a few crystals with [Thunderwave] and one with [Cure Wounds].

Artemi then asks for advice on gathering intelligence at the festival, to which Cole suggests that she leverage her status as the Chosen One and Bishop's daughter to gussy up to the nobles, so as to gather vital information. Marrow makes a brief appearance, letting the pair know that he will not be partaking in the festivities due to his dislike of nobles. The group talk a bit longer, briefly bringing up Sidd and his recent brooding behavior before taking their leave of the tavern to head towards Town Square.

Meanwhile, in Sol's Arcane Curiosities, Clyde and Sidd wrap up their morning training session (set up by Cole in the previous chapter). Sidd falls back into a slump of self-deprecation during their reprieve, feeling unworthy of wielding such a masterwork creation and again comparing himself to Artemi in the process. Clyde snaps him out of it by telling him about his own experiences as a novice craftsman, where he once compared himself to the other blacksmiths until he learned to work on improving himself with Cole's help. He recommends that Sidd makes a few friends that he can relate to outside of his party members to let off steam before the belltower tolls to indicate the party's designated meeting time. Sidd rushes out to head to the festival... just kidding, first return home, as he realizes he has forgotten his coin purse.

Back at the Sparrow's Roost Inn & Tavern, Sidd barges in and spots a sheepish Hamish waiting to receive some recipes from Ilia, apparently having 'loudly' been informed by Cole of his food preferences prior. Ilia comes down with the recipes as well as Sidd's wallet. Sidd promptly leaves, promising his mom souvenirs, and Ilia takes a moment to chat with Hamish, praising him for his fatherly love, much to his dismay. He idly laments Cole's lack of consideration and appreciation in response. After a rather awkward exchange, Hamish leaves as well to begin his investigation into the missing rubies.

### At the Festival

The scene transitions to Cole, lost and irritated as he cannot find Artemi anywhere among the sea of dreadful tall people. Sidd arrives just in time to save the day as Cole all but begs Sidd to hoist him up on his shoulders, to which the badger happily obliges. Afterwards, they quickly find Artemi, struggling to resist the relentless temptation to let herself be distracted by the food and entertainment at the various festival stalls. A frustrated Cole is concerned that the three will quickly lose sight of their objective, but puppy dog eyes from Artemi and a hungry party of 3... + Noodle is enough to convince Cole to allow the group to take a break to eat.

#### Enter Agatha

During their break, they run into a bat named Agatha Stoker, in the midst of erecting giant arcane crystals around the city with the begrudging assistance of Wes. After realizing that Artemi is the Creator's chosen, she is quick to introduce herself to the young knight, and equally quick to dismiss Cole and Sidd, to Sidd's dismay and envy. Agatha tells the group about her current occupation as a public safety enchanter as well as her previous work as an arcane researcher, and invites Artemi to participate as a subject for her research, which Artemi accepts in hopes to obtain more information about the rubies. Agatha extends a similar offer to Cole as well upon learning that he is the son of Marrow Bonebreaker, citing an incident in which someone in the Bonebreaker family had stolen some of her confidential research. Cole, very suspicious of the bat, declines her offer, and warns Artemi to be careful around her.

#### Enter Calder

Cole slips away from the crowd, having a moment to himself at the Town Square's fountain plaza with meat kabobs in hand. He doesn't get much privacy, however, as he is interrupted by a hyena of noble descent named Calder O'Shannessy. The new hyena claimed to have been searching for Marrow in order to prove his might against him and claim some nondescript revenge, but found Cole instead using [Locate Creature]. Calder continues boasting about his familie's accomplishments before Cole astutely points out that none of those accomplishments are Calder's own. Cole then goes on to assert that Calder is likely an unaccomplished individual sent to the Firefly Festival commons to finally do something useful for House O'Shannessy. After brief bickering exchange, Cole also asks him about the missing rubies, but Calder claims to have no interest or involvement with them. The two then get into a heated argument over Cole's magical prowess. Calder takes a note of Cole's magical prowess, but the hyena is dead set on denying his observations-much to Calder's annoyance and rage-before Hamish finally steps in to break up the fight and scare Calder away. Hamish warns Cole to not be alone if possible, and provides him with some trap wire made of aetheryte for conducting spells. In a rare show of humility, Cole thanks his father before returning to his usual indignant state and storming off back into the main festival area to meet up with Sidd and Artemi.

#### Sidd's Alone Time

Sidd, temporarily left alone, begins brooding over his feelings of inadequacy and jealousy of Artemi. Malus pops up out of nowhere, apparently having left Cole before he could get all emo over his dads, but not expecting Sidd to also be moping. He tries to take the opportunity to tempt Sidd into evil, but an oblivious badger mistakes the temptation as a backhanded pep-talk and finds himself surprisingly cheered up at the snake's words.

Their conversation is cut short by an [Alarm] being tripped, shortly followed by a panicked Emil seeking help from the much bigger Sidd. An orca catches up with the Siamese cat, fuming over his stolen wallet and demanding it back. Sidd, overly gentle as he is, attempts to kindly direct Emil towards city watch officials before he gets his own wallet... + Malus stolen from him. Despite the orca's efforts to chase down Emil, a surprise attack of sand in his face allows for a clean getaway by the sneaky cat. The angry sailor, turning over to Sidd, introduces himself as Reinier and forces him into an alliance for the upcoming brawl so they can make their money back at all costs. Sidd, being partly responsible for Emil getting away with their money, is reluctantly agrees. Reinier exchanges some flirtatious words before leaving, right as Artemi arrives to rejoin him... + Malus-he was found on the floor by Reinier somewhere along the way. Sidd expresses embarrassment about being hit on by his new friend, Clyde, and Cole, only for Artemi to inform him that he is forming a harem-just like in all of the cultured literature she has read. Sidd, wanting to drop the subject, decides to get everyone to head towards the arena for the Jousting Tournament and Festival Brawl.

### Pre-Tournament

Cole's Adventuring Party reconvenes and makes their way to one of the tournament viewing booths. They meet with Agatha and speak briefly, but Agatha quickly steps away from the conversation at the mention of children. Regrettably, Calder shows up following Agatha's departure, and the group introduce themselves to him before quickly growing tired of his high and mighty attitude. Agatha returns briefly to rescue the three however, making some interesting claims slandering House O'Shannessy to get him to stop talking.

The tournament announcer declares the start of the tournament festivities, with Cassius making an appearance to speak to the crowd. The nervous peacock begins delivering his speech to the audience before his notecards slip and fall out of his hands and into the arena below. Cassius responds in a rational and reasonable manner by having a panic attack and rushing off of the stage. In his place, Maeve Osmia leads with her own introductions, thanking the citizens and nobility, and wishing for splendid days of festivities, while also noting the boon reward for winning the jousting tournament, and gold reward for winning the brawl.

When Artemi explains her lack of knowledge of House Osmia, Calder elucidates her, explaining her house's origins as Druids from the External Farmlands whose group played a pivotal part of feeding Axia during the Locust Famine, and noting that Maeve is the last surviving member from House Osmia. It is at this point that Calder declares his objective to win the Jousting Tournament as a means to court Lady Maeve and bring honor to House O'Shannessy, to which Artemi responds with disgust, appalled at his lack of chivalry. The two get into an argument over Artemi's choice of companions, and Calder pulls a low blow by using [Detect Thoughts] to peer into Sidd's mind, exposing all of his insecurities and his resentment towards Artemi. Sidd retreats, visibly hurt by the attacks on his mind, while a furious Artemi pins Calder to the viewing booth's walls. Calder is unfazed as he threatens her by pointing out the potential drama and slander that would result from the Creator's Chosen raising her fist against an innocent civilian of Axia. Artemi is taken aback, and is about to relent and begrudginly apologize before Cole suddenly uses magic to loudly proclaim to the whole crowd Calder O'Shannessy's wrongdoings against Sidd and Artemi before challenging him to a duel. Calder accepts, eager for a chance to expose Cole's magic to the world and humiliate him.

### Impromptu Duel, and the Jousting Tournament

Despite the Tournament Announcer's concerns, Maeve approves the duel. Cole and Artemi both take some time to comfort Sidd. Cole takes a moment to reassure Sidd that they are friends and that he doesn't keep him in his party out of pity before heading towards the arena for the duel. Artemi then shares the story of her childhood as a defective chosen, constantly being under the stress of having to live up to the expectations of the church before also letting him know that Sidd is her friend no matter what. Sidd, now a bit more understanding of Artemi's true circumstances, takes a bit of comfort in her words, realizing that the two have shared similar struggles in trying to feel a sense of adequacy in life.

At the arena, Calder displays a flourish of fireball magic in order to intimidate Cole, which completely fails as Cole looks on unimpressed. Cole responds by wildly strumming his lute, appearing to cast some sort of bardic magic. The music is a ruse, however, as Cole suddenly whacks the snooty noble in the face with the hard instrument, sending him down in a single blow. The hyena is quick to take the new opening pouncing on the defenseless opponent before starting to beat on him continuously. After several minutes of unrestrained violence (perpetuated by Maeve), the duel is finally called to a close with Cole declared the victor.

Sidd and Artemi meet up with Cole, Artemi congratulating him on his victory, and Sidd being concerned for Calder's dignity. The announcer announces that the Jousting Tournament is to begin in proper with the first matchup being Artemi... and Calder. An eager Artemi leaves to prepares for the match, eager to clobber the noble as Cole had done. Meanwhile, Cole let's Sidd know that he has to leave to take care of some important tasks, but provides him with some encouragement and a charge of [Bardic Inspiration] before leaving.

Back in the arena, Artemi and Calder exchange some trash talk before the first round of the jousting tournament begins in proper. The crowd is confused at Artemi's notable lack of a horse... Until she charges forward, summoning a lightning-aspected steed via the [Call Steed] spell, surging towards Calder in a brilliant flash of light. Calder, ever the coward, immediately admits defeat, falling off his horse and begging for mercy before the two even collide. The battle ends unceremoniously, and Artemi, filled with adrenaline after having gotten revenge for Sidd and fighting for the first time in tournament, is eager to proceed to the next round. Regrettably, the announcer informs her that all the other participants have withdrawn from the tournament after seeing the devastating visage of her lightning element horse. A dismayed Artemi heads back to the viewing booths where Cole and Sidd once were as the organizers prepare for the Festival Brawl.

### After the Jousting Tournament

Artemi arrives back at her viewing booth to find that both Cole and Sidd are absent. Agatha remains present, and remarks on her power as the Creator's Chosen. She also expresses some pity for Calder, noting that he has been born into a family of wizards with apparently dubious practices towards their children to hone their magical abilities. The two continue to discuss the concept of the Creator and Her Chosen, with Agatha revealing a very scientific hypothesis on the origins of the Creator's Blessing, claiming that her blessing may in fact be a result of natural forces. The conversation ends with a respectful disagreement as a servant arrives to usher Artemi to see Maeve of House Osmia.

Artemi heads to the viewing tower and meets with Maeve. After some awkward and overly polite introductions, the knight asks the newly minted noble for her boon: to ask for her assistance in recovering the four stolen rubies for the prince. Maeve is surprised and rather disappointed at first, thinking Artemi to just be the nobility's lapdog, but after being informed that the rubies may contain magical powers and have potential for destruction in the wrong hands, she agrees to lend Artemi her aid. In exchange, she asks Artemi for a favor of her own: to assist Maeve in investigating the true cause of the Locust Famine, as well as recent fainting spells, expressing suspicion towards the monarchy, as a few of the circumstances surrounding the Locust Famine paralleled some key events in the late King and Queen's reign. Though reluctant, Artemi agrees to assist with their investigation and the two make a deal.

### Preparing for the Brawl

Reinier is shown munching on some delightful cheesy bread while trying to find Sidd. He eventually discovers him sitting on the floor, polishing his weapon while crying softly to himself. Reinier gives the discouraged badger a pep talk to whip him into shape, mainly so that the pair can actually have a chance of winning the tournament. He suggests that the young fighter go chat with some of the other competitors, convincing the badger to try and make some friends. As Sidd leaves, Reinier reminisces over how he sees himself in Sidd, and gives a brief nod to his mentor, Master Ingrid.

Sidd finds Val, who confirms with him whether or not he's participating in the tournament. Sidd confirms, but adds that he's now participating due to additional extenuating circumstances. the crocodile shows some disappointment at this, expressing disinterest, if not disdain towards an unmotivated fighter who is working for someone like Cole. Sidd gives a fervent defense of his boss, his retort surprising the more experienced warrior-and raising his expectations for a potentially rewarding battle. Val expresses a newfound interest towards their inevitable clash before departing.

Third to arrive to the scene is Clyde, who Sidd is surprised to see, as the tiger had previously stated he wouldn't be able to make it. He explains that Sol returned to the shop and insisted that Clyde get out and experience the festival-so he decided to go watch the brawl to see Sidd and the Lanius in action. He notes Cole's absence with a bit of disappointment and the two discuss the upcoming tournament. They talk about how the other had reached out to them to propose the idea of Clyde agreeing to train Sidd, and are confused when their stories do not match up. After a moment of thought and additional probing from Sidd, Sidd makes the connection that all of the events, from the training to Clyde's arrival-was orchestrated by none other than Cole himself. Realizing that Cole has discreetly tasked Sidd to ensure Clyde is able to get the recognition he deserves, Sidd feels a wave of newfound confidence surging from his boss's faith in him as he looks forward to the upcoming battle.

He returns to Reinier, ready for action. in the meantime, Reinier is introduced to Val and the orca immediately attempts to hit on him. It is at this point that Sidd also begins questioning the abundance of cheesy bread, and is directed to his parents' stall in one end of the festival. Realizing that they must have seen the entire scuffle between his party and Calder, he immediately expresses worry as an enraged Ilia temporarily leaves the stall to... take care of some important business. Disregarding his newfound concern for what his mother is going to do to Calder, Artemi finds Sidd and gives him her own bit of encouragement before all the participants are called to the arena to prepare the start of the brawl.

### Let the Free For All Commence!

With a some more rallying from Reinier right before the battle, the Brawl begins on the coundown of Three, Two, One-

Nope. It's interrupted by a blood curdling scream coming from Calder. The horrified hyena is seen turning the corner of one of the booths as a menacing hovering bird chases him, claiming to just "want to talk".

Once everyone has recovered from the shock of that scream, the Announcer decides to ignore the terrified noble crying for help, and begins a second, uninterrupted countdown, finally starting the fight in proper.

The pair do a good job covering each other's backs. Reinier is quick to dispatch enemies with his speed and precision, and Sidd surprises and overwhelms foes with shapeshifting properties of the Lanius. Eventually, as the fighters thin out, the duo find themselves surrounded by a large alliance threatening to charge them all at once. Sidd comes up with a plan to take them all simultaneously. Reinier begrudgingly makes a dramatic display, feigning weakness and surrender. Despite the terrible acting, it successfully goads the small army of enemy combatants to charge them all at once. At the perfect timing, Sidd swings out the Lanius, extending it to it's peak length and instantly knocking all foes charging in out of the ring with the far-reaching spin attack.

With the only enemy left being Val, Sidd lunges towards him, immediately engaging him in close-ranged combat. Despite his training, Val is still the more skilled and seasoned fighter, and quickly overpowers him. He and Reinier manage to narrowly secure a victory over him by having Reinier restrain the croc while Sidd uses the extending properties of the Lanius to hook the spear unto Val's shoulder strap and propel him out of bounds.

With Sidd and Reinier as the last ones standing, they engage in a wild duel to determine who the official victor of the Brawl is, as a spectacle for the audience, and for the thrill of battle. With many exchanged blows, Sidd finally manages to pin Reinier down. In the moment where Sidd towers over the swashbuckler, he spots the image of Mels the Beast in Sidd's hulking visage. In his moment of distraction, the badger plunges the Lanius down just next to Reinier's head, signaling his victory in the duel, and by extension, the brawl.

### Victory Lap

With Sidd being crowned the winner and asked to deliver a brief victory speech, he pulls Clyde to the center of the arena and shows off the Lanius to all the crowd, making sure to direct everyone's attention to Clyde as, the blacksmith who crafted this masterwork weapon. A stunned Clyde holds back tears as he thanks Sidd for his efforts. Sidd responds by informing him that it was in fact Cole who planned all of this, and that he deserves all the credit.

Sidd and Artemi meet up with Ilia and Rennet, Reinier and Val having left to grab drinks (and who knows what) over at the *Bottomless Pit* at Rotten Redd's Alley. Sidd tries to give his 5000 gold winnings to his mother, but she refuses it, saying that he should spend the money on himself. Ilia presents her son with a single boot which Sidd eyes suspiciously before demanding that she stop polymorphing his bullies and that she change Calder back to normal. A disinterested Ilia hurls the boot somewhere off in the distance before the parents go back to managing their cheesy bread stall.

Sidd and Artemi exchange a few words, but don't have very long to celebrate before a gigantic explosion erupts from another part of the city. A messenger arrives and declares that there's been a big explosion and crowds of civilians fainted in the general area. Artemi and Sidd respectively realize that the explosion had traces of Artemi's magic, and that it came from the direction of Sol's Arcane Curiosities. True panic sets in once Cole's [Bardic Inspiration] buff suddenly flickers out, and the two rush towards the direction of the shop.

### An Hour Earlier: An Unexpected Visitor

Back at Sol's Arcane Curiosities, A disguised Cole removes his glamour of Sol after closing the doors to the shop and flipping the sign over to "Closed." Malus cries out in discontent over being forced to coop up in a dingy shop when he could be enjoying the festivities and food, which the hyena largely ignores. In his frustration, Malus once again calls Cole out for his use of manipulation and underhanded tactics in order to do good things for people. Cole responds by repeating that there is no way his friends will trust any of his good deeds without expecting some sort of ulterior motive, and resigns himself to resorting to these methods to help out his allies.

After Malus laments Cole's sad way of living, he changes the subject back towards trying to tempt Cole into a contract with him. This time he offers Cole a taste of his powers, bestowing upon him the ability to use [Detect Thoughts], [Detect Magic], and [Ghostly Gaze], alongside a small boost to his pre-existing magical abilities. He notes curiously that Cole's body is completely incapable of offensive spellcasting, rendering him unable to supply the hyena with any offensive magics.

Cole does not have very much time to test his new abilities though, as the door suddenly swings open. He and Noodle duck under the counter and try to shoo the customer away, only to realize that it is a very angry Clyde who has come to visit him. The tiger announces that he remembers the [Charm Person] spell that Cole cast on him and is sick and tired of his schemes, demanding that the hyena leave his life for good. Cole, guilt-ridden and defeated, quietly accepts the fate of their relationship.

Before leaving, however, Clyde asks Cole for a favor, such that they can end things on an ever slightly lighter note. He professes that he knows that Cole managed to steal one of the rubies at the fighting ring and asks for it back, saying that he can use the earnings from the ruby to restart his blacksmithing career in proper. Malus protests via their soul-link telepathy, but Cole begs for the snake to revert to his ruby form so that he can at least honor his estranged friend's final wish. With great hesitation, Malus gives in and transforms into the crimson ruby.

Cole is about to hand over the Ruby, but stops when Clyde(?) makes a comment revealing just a bit too much information that he should not know. The hyena is quick to pick up on his slip and demands to know the imposter's true identity. He-or she, rather, makes a show of shapeshifting into Cole before revealing her identity as Zelos the Faceless. Malus pokes up and reacts indignantly, shocked by her presence, only for her to scoff at his current form as a puny snake. She insists that he leave his current host, to which Malus refuses.

Turning her attention to Cole, she informs him that she has made a pact with the cloaked mage to retrieve Malus, and that the mage has ordered her not keep the little Bonebreaker alive. Not being nearly as kind as her master, however, she warns Cole that if he does not peacefully hand Malus over, she will not hesitate to end his life. Cole tries to use his soul-link with Malus to intimidate her out of killing him, threatening that Malus will also perish, but Zelos contends that Malus will simply be in great pain, and that he will not actually die as he is an immortal demon.

Noting Zelos' ruthlessness, Cole and Malus deliberate for a while. As Zelos approaches to hear Cole's answer, he quickly throws an arcane crystal charged with [Thunderwave], which explodes in a brilliant flash of white light right in front of her, blowing her back and knocking her into the wall of the shop's interior. As Zelos regains her composure, she spots Cole's escape and intercepts with a bolt of arcane magic. It strikes him at the back of the neck but leaves no significant damage as Cole continues to escape into the center of the city.

### An Hour Earlier: The Chase

Among the crowd within where the festivities are being held, Cole attempts to ask for help, but finds that his voice has been silenced, blood gurgling up his throat whenever he attempts to speak or yell. He then tries to inject his magic into one of the nearby arcane crystal towers so as to set off the [Alarm], but it fails. Malus notes that Zelos' magic can be smelled in the crystal, and that she must have tampered with it somehow. Cole attempts to escape deeper within the city to trigger an alarm further away, when suddenly he is struck by an [Acid Arrow]. Dealing with the severe pain, he attempts to get the attention of a nearby civilian, but everyone he interacts with either look away or kick him in disgust. Malus realizes and explains to him that Zelos' initial magical blast must have also contained an illusory enchantment which is making him appear as a drunkard. The hyena does not have much time to process this realization as another [Acid Arrow] pierces his leg. He quickly ducks behind a building towards an alleyway to regain his composure and consider his options.

Assessing the situation, he and Malus makes a note of the following:

- Zelos is a spell-sniper, so Cole will not be able to hide in any one place for long. [Acid Arrow] is capable of curving and turning directions, so she will be able to strike him no matter what their relative positions are.
- As Cole's more powerful illusory magics require a spoken component, being silenced will limit many of his spell-casting options. The current spells he has available to cast are [Minor Illusion], [Prestidigitation], and the new [Ghostly Gaze] that was just acquired.
- Zelos is likely disguised as someone in the crowd, and the best way to incapcitate her will be to identify her and stun her in order to interrupt her casting... though this will be a much more difficult task than defeating Calder.

Being struck with another [Acid Arrow], Cole is forced to get back up and start moving again. He attempts to use [Ghostly Gaze], but due to Zelos' shapeshifting talents, it is unable to help identify her. Just then, however, Emil tugs at him, attempting to rob him as Emil sees him as a drunkard. Emil then takes a moment to look at Cole, as though he is vaguely able to see through the magic that is disguising Cole's form. Cole takes this moment to come up with a plan.

Meanwhile, Zelos is found skipping along the street in the form of a young bat child. Suddenly, Emil runs out with his hands full of arcane crystals, excited at having scored such a huge stash of goods. Zelos, recognizing the arcane crystals as similar to the one that delivered the shocking blast, panics as Emil stumbles and drops the collection of crystals. She ducks and braces herself for an explosive impact...

...But nothing happens. Zelos realizes that she's been duped all too late as Cole swings in with lute in tow, delivering a sharp blow to her head and revealing her previous form as the cloaked figure. She has no time to respond as Cole shoves a handful of true [Thunderwave] arcane crystals into her hood and seals her hood shut with the tripwire Hamish had given him. Zelos screeches wildly, but Cole holds the hood shut tightly until the arcane crystals detonate with a gigantic explosion, decimating the immediate surroundings. Cole is sent flying as he is flung from the shapeshifter and topples along the floor like a rag doll.

As the explosion subsides and Cole tries to pick himself up the floor, Several passersby come to his aid, and Cole is pleased to realize that he has regained his voice, admidst all of the other pain he is in. While treating his wounds, the civilians spot another figure in the smoke, near the center of the explosion. They attempt to help the other figure, when suddenly, a wave of necrotic energy pulsed from their figure, causing all of the nearby civilians, sans Cole to faint on the spot. She makes one more demand for Cole to hand over Malus, as she ascends into the air, charging up a final destructive blast to finish him for good. Cole, completely out of tricks, stands defeated as he waits for the beam of death to take him...

### An Hour Earlier: Rescue

As Zelos fires her arcane blast, Cole's vision suddenly swerves as a figure swoops in to pull him out of the way of the blast just in the nick of time. Taking a moment to identify his savior, Hamish sets his weary sun down and urges him to rest before turning his attention to Zelos.

He fires a volley of arrows at Zelos, appearing to completely miss as the Demon taunts him. It is soon that Hamish's tricks are revealed, however, as shards of ice crystallize from the arrowheads before firing out in all directions. Zelos, just a bit too late to react, is pierced by several of these ice shards, as tripwire attached to the shards start wrapping around her. Hamish intercepts the falling demon, connecting an empowered flying kick which shoots her back with the force of a cannon. Not done yet with his assault, he affirms his grip on the tripwires, pulling them in such a way as to ensnare Zelos in his web of wires. In a gruesome and relentless display, Hamish pulls harder and harder on the wires, despite Zelos' screams of gutteral protest, until finally, the wires cut straight through, tearing the demon's body into pieces.

As her body fell in pools of body chunks and black mist, Hamish carefully approached her remains, staring intently to ensure that the pieces would not re-animate. Feeling satisfied that he had properly finished the job after waiting several minuntes, he returned to Cole. Cole awkwardly thanked Hamish for his rescue, which Hamish acknowledged with equal nervousness. Their moment's reprieve did not last, however, as the remains of Zelos suddenly bloomed into a dense black fog that engulfed them both. Thoroughly amused by Cole and Hamish's resistance, Zelos decides to play one more sinister game with them.

When the fog finally cleared, Cole blinked and refocused his vision to find two identical Hamishes standing next to each other, and mimicking each other's personalities perfectly. Cole gives several tests to ascertain which Hamish is the real one. They are both able to recall facts about Cole that only the true Hamish should know, and [Ghostly Gaze] and [Detect Magic] are both unable to reveal any information as to which Hamish is the imposter.

Picking up a stone, he tosses it in the direction of the first Hamish. The Hamish explodes into a cloud of black smoke on contact as Zelos begins cackling with entertainment. As a reward for his correct guess, the Demon leaves, promising several days of relative peace for Cole.

As Hamish asks how Cole was able to identify him, Cole trudges towards the older Hyena and reaches into his cloak, pulling out the recipes he had borrowed from Ilia. Cole weakly, but snidely remarks that Hamish's cooking is actually okay, before his battle high fades and he collapses from the fatigue and damage that immediately begins catching up to him. He blacks out with the last thing he sees being Hamish's concerned expression.

### Back to the Present

Cole suddenly finds himself zapped awake by a surge of electricity to see Sidd and Artemi standing over him. It turns out, Artemi was actually healing him, but her magic is aspected with lightning, resulting in sharp electrifying sensations. Sure enough, Cole process that his injuries have healed, somewhat. Cole assesses the various casualties, destroyed buildings, and injured citizens receiving aid before picking himself up to prepare to find Hamish. Artemi and Sidd protest at first, wanting him to rest and recover before leaving, but Cole refuses, insisting that he will be okay.

Before leaving, Cole and Sidd share a brief exchange. Sidd shares with Cole the success of the brawl, and that Sidd's performance has garnered much interest in Clyde's smithing abilities, to Cole's relief. Sidd gently tells Cole that he doesn't need to go through shady means to ask favors of him, and urges him to be more honest and forward. Cole reluctantly lets the advice sink in, and asks Sidd to fund any repairs necessary for Sol's Arcane Curiosities with his tournament winnings, and tells him that he will reimburse the expenses before finally leaving to seek out Hamish.

### What's this!? Calder-boot is Evolving!

We catch a glimpse of a regular old forgotten boot lying on the street. Suddenly, in a shimmer of arcane light, it transforms into its original form: Calder. The stunned hyena takes a moment to get his bearing before examining his surroundings and realizing that the city has been torn up by what appears to be a storm, with medics scurrying about providing aid to the wounded.

He doesn't have much time to process this information though, as a raven flies down unto him with a message from his grandfather. The letter tells of his grandfather's learning of Calder's blunders and his great disappointment. He demands that his grandson return immediately to be "dealt with".

Calder, not wanting to return home after such a blatant threat of punishment, casts [Suggestion] on the bird, convincing it that it in fact, failed to find Calder, and that it will return to Gaius believing as such. In doing so, Calder buys himself some time to take a breather before having to return home.

While deciding on where to stay for the night, a swift-footed Emil swoops by and picks his wallet, leaving him with no money, and forcing him to find a commoner's inn that will allow him to stay for free, much to his disgust.

### Assisting Maeve in the Recuperation Efforts

Artemi follows Maeve as she attends to the wounded. While Artemi offers to assist with the effort, Maeve respectfully declines, noting that due to the lightning aspected nature of Artemi's magic, it would not be ideal to heal the injured with such power. Artemi apologizes, noting her healing instructor, Sir Theomore's absence. Despite this, Maeve encourages the chosen to accompany her, reassuring her that her mere presence will assuage the worries of the public.

After making the rounds, Artemi compliments Maeve on her healing ability and laments her own general lack of usefulness. She questions why the clerics are not around to assist with the healing along with Maeve and the other Druids, and Maeve scoffs at the question, asserting that the clerics want little to do with the druids, due to ever-present class prejudice. When asked why the Wizards won't help either, Maeve informs her that Wizards are incapable of learning healing magic. Maeve laments the irony of being forced to learn the "superior magic" when it is ultimately useless in this circumstance.

That being said, the knowledge she gained from studying wizardry did allow her to glean some insight into the fainting phenomenon-namely, that the nature of the magic has strong parallels to that of the Locust Famine twelve years ago. The two share a brief discussion, wondering if the two events could have been perpetuated by the same culprit, but ultimately decide that more evidence will be needed to make a determination.

### Where it All Happened

Artemi finds herself in the center of where the biggest blast occurred, spotting Agatha and Wes bickering nearby. Wes is groaning about how useless the [Alarm] Crystals ended up being while Agatha is clapping back, saying that the sheriffs likely would not have fared any better. Upon spotting Artemi, Agatha asks about the safety of Cole, to which Artemi assures her that he has healed somewhat... before stubbornly leaving to do something or other while still injured.

Artemi asks Agatha if she might have any clues based off her expertise as an arcane researcher as to how to find this demon or their master, or if she has any suspects in mind.

After Wes leaves, Agatha points towards King Roderick as a possible suspect. She cites his dedication to studying life magic to save his wife, the queen, as well as the timeline of events of her illness, followed by the locust famine, and the queen's recovery, the birth of Cassius, the death of the King and Queen, and the arrival of demons; how these events line up just a little bit too conveniently to not be connected.

When Artemi asks why she would work for Roderick despite knowing they may have ill intentions, Agatha reveals that she had suffered five miscarriages. Being put in a position where she desperately wanted to bring children into the world, she assisted in the King's endeavors dreaming to one day be able to allow people from all walks of life and all circumstance to be able to raise a family of their own. Agatha shows scorn and bitterness towards Prince Cassius, labeling him a perversion of the goals Agatha had aimed to achieve all this time (and indirectly suggesting that he may in fact, be one of these life magic experiments), and expressing that she would feel no sympathy if Roderick were to get his just desserts.

Agatha leaves at that, imploring Artemi to seriously ponder the perspective that she has provided her, leaving the young chosen with much on her plate to consider.

### Sol's place. Wrecked. Again.

Sidd finds himself at the wrecked Sol's Arcane Curiosities, with Clyde also present, inspecting the damages. Clyde asks if he's okay, and Sidd states that he is well-in turn asking Clyde about his own state of being.

Clyde explains that he came back, expecting Sol to be here, only learning afterwards that the old geezer never left the medical ward. Sol gave Clyde a long talking-to, but ultimately didn't fire him. Clyde further elaborates that while at least the worst possible scenario was avoided, investors are going to be more reluctant to support him while he's stuck paying off his debt for all of the damages.

Clyde shows some disdain over Cole not bothering to show up to check on him, and Sidd tries to comfort him, telling him that Cole is doing his best to improve himself, and that he truly does care about Clyde's well-being, despite how much of a mess he is. The jaded tiger is very reluctant to take these words at face value, and the line of conversation ends without much progress in either which direction.

As the line of conversation comes to an end, Maeve makes her way into the store, assessing the damages. She promises Clyde that she and the festival committee will fund the repairs for all of the damages to Sol's Arcane Curiosities, asserting that the damages are the responsibility of the festival committee, and that they were the ones at fault for not being able to ensure the safety of the civilians.

Additionally, she takes an interest in Clyde's smithing ability after observing the power of the Lanius. She asks to invest in Clyde for his services to build enchanted tools and devices that will support her countrymen's ability to work in the Outer Farmlands. When Clyde asks how he will be compensated, Maeve offers to build a small forge in Sol's shop, as well as the opportunity to connect him with some of her suppliers. An impressed Clyde eagerly takes the offer, and the two form a business partnership, to Sidd's delight.

### Pitiable Emil

As the recovery effort draws to a close, Artemi and Maeve are once again together. Maeve does an excellent job leading the process, while Artemi feels rather useless without any tasks she can assist with.

While Maeve tries to comfort Artemi for feeling inadequate, the Chosen spots Emil sneaking up behind the two in an attempt to steal yet again, and she catches the thief red-handed.

Picking Emil up by the arm, Artemi demands that Emil explain to her how he knew that she would be carrying a package with such a valuable crown and jewels inside, lest she turn him in to the authorities. Emil, ever indignant, refuses to spill his secrets.

Maeve takes a peek at the young street urchin, quickly identifying him as the infamously talented thief who robs people with his charm and cunning. Artemi further threatens to either take Emil to city watch, or put bring him to his parents, when Emil reveals that he has no parents, and has escaped from both prison and the orphanages he has been taken to, leaving Artemi at a loss for words.

Maeve encourages Artemi to put the child down, and at her behest, the knight reluctantly does as told. Maeve does a careful once-over on the Siamese cat, and assesses his condition, that he is taken care of by the thieves guild, who provide for him and enable him to survive in exchange for his work as a thief.

But while Emil proudly admits to his allegiances, Maeves sees through him and takes note of his malnourished figure and has him consider his future after he is grown up and his youthful innocence-the lynchpin of his pickpocketing ability-fades. She asks him to think about whether or not the thieves guild will abandon him once that time comes, and gives him a solemn, warm assurance that if he seeks her out, she will provide a permanent home for him where he can utilize his skills to the fullest and be well compensated for it. With all that said, she departs with Artemi.

The confused Knight asks Maeve if it was okay to just let the thief go like that, to which Maeve bluntly states that Artemi has the social skills of a brick, and that not all problems can be solved with force.

As if on cue, Emil arrives, eager to share information about the crown theft in exchange for the compassion shown to him.

He reveals that just prior to Artemi's arrival that day, he was tipped off by a bright blue peacock, similar in appearance to Prince Cassius, that a knight carrying valuables would be found in town square, and that the valuables could easily be pawned off in Rotten Redd's Alley for a good deal of gold. The stranger even provided the cat 10 gold coins to go through with the theft-a shady deal, to be sure, but nonetheless, too good to pass up.

When asked why Prince Cassius would do such a thing, Emil elaborated that he didn't immediately recognize him as the prince at first, because the man who provided the tip has a scary demeanor to him, far removed from the ordinary Prince Cassius' timid nature.

Maeve concludes that if the prince was truly the culprit, then his objective was to scatter the rubies cross the city, without much care for where they went or who obtained them. Artemi informs Maeve of the location of the rubies.

When Maeve hears that the cloaked mage has two of the rubies, she is curious about why they would then choose to attack Cole, and calls into question his trustworthiness. Artemi attempts to confirm that Cole is a reliable ally, but Maeve is quick to pick up on Artemi's lack of certainty. However, Maeve drops the subject, and discusses the next course of action: to meet with the prince as soon as possible to investigate him.

### Reunion with Hamish

Trodding through the market plaza, Cole eventually finds Hamish. He apologizes to his father for his bad behavior and thanks him again for rescuing him. Hamish in turn acknowledges Cole's combat prowess and praises his battle tactics and ingenuity. The two share a soft moment together before Cole changes the topic of conversation to something more serious.

Cole points out Hamish's use of [Hail of Thorns] and [Longstrider] in the battle with Zelos, and asks if he is a Spellcaster Ranger. Hamish reluctantly admits to this, having learned magic some one or two years after meeting Marrow for the first time. He also admits to the fact that Marrow does not know of this fact.

Cole becomes irritated at this, noting the hypocrisy of Hamish urging Cole to admit to Marrow that he can use magic when Hamish himself hasn't done so.

Hamish attempts to reason with Cole, explaining that because he is Marrow's son, that Marrow wouldn't be as upset with him. He also acknowledges that he was hoping that Cole's admission would soften the blow and make it easier for Hamish to do the same.

Cole doesn't buy this, not believing that Marrow could ever have any reason to be mad at Hamish for any longer than 5 minutes. He asks Hamish to explain to him Marrow's hatred of Magic, a secret Hamish refuses to divulge.

Growing increasingly frustrated at the layers of hypocrisy among the members of the Bonebreaker Family, the argument escalates until finally, Cole decides he's had enough and casts [Detect Thoughts] on Hamish before he can react.

### Losing the Family You Never Had

Cole sees a vision of Hamish's Childhood. The images of his father and mother are blurred, but his childhood is depicted as seemingly normal. Hamish's father was a hunter, and was good to him, training him well in the skills of archery. His mother however, remained perpetually distant, despite showing signs of superficial kindness. Despite Hamish's persistent efforts to please her by doing nice things for her, she never appeared truly happy in their household. Hamish blamed himself for his shortcomings and not being good enough to win his mother's happiness.

One winter, as Hamish and his father sought out game to procure food, a terrible accident occurred. Perhaps due to exhaustion, or mere bad luck, Hamish's father perished during the hunt. Hamish cried for the longest of times before finally returning home.

Only... there was no home to come back to. It had been burned down, reduced to ashes.

Seeing no sign of his mother, Hamish set out to find her-absolutely certain that she was still alive.

It took him months, but when he finally found her was when he learned the harshest truth: that she was with another man-with another child-Happier than the young hyena could have ever imagined.

The revelation did unbearable damage to Hamish's psyche, leaving him depressed and broken.

Several days later, Hamish found himself in a nearby lake, filling his pockets with rocks so that he can take his own life.

Suddenly, a tall Hyena approached him, asking what he was doing.

Hamish, at a loss for words, didn't say anything at first, so the taller gentleman asked again, though it was clear to them both that he definitely already knew.

Already embarrassed, Hamish made a lame excuse, which the older gent accepted without questioning it. It was clear that he didn't buy the story, but he was considerate enough to not call Hamish out on his lies.

Hamish noticed the bag in Marrow's possession, and out of a sense of curiosity, and desperate to dispel the awkward silence that had overtaken them both, asked about it.

Marrow explained that it was for an assignment to measure properties of the lake using arcane tools, and suddenly had an idea to get Hamish to help him. The smaller hyena, without much else to do, quietly agreed.

The two spent some time together, with the stranger jubilantly talking about whatever he could think of while Hamish simply listened. In the meantime, Hamish would discard rocks from his pocket when the other hyena was looking away, and the gentleman would pretend he didn't notice.

With the long task done and the sun setting, Hamish slowly realized that he had had a moment of calm amidst the non-stop flood of tears and anguish.

The tall hyena offered Hamish a nice dinner as a reward for his assistance, but Hamish reluctantly declined. When he then asked if he had a place to stay, Hamish said that he didn't. When he offered work to him, he refused that as well, not wanting the noble to waste his time on a forgotten layabout.

At that moment, the larger noble set a hand on his shoulders, and with a worried expression, pleaded for the ranger to make his troubles known to him, that he may help, or even just lend an ear.

This triggered a mental breakdown in the traumatized hyena, as he broke into tears once more, but this time in appreciation for the stranger's kindness. Hamish introduced himself in bitter tears, and the noble responded in kind with his own name, Merrick.

At the end of the recollection, Hamish recalls the years of companionship and affection they'd share in the years to come, yet still with the lingering fear that that bond was still just as fragile as any other, and that at a moment's notice, he could be replaced yet again.

At the end of the memory, Cole's senses come rushing back to him, and he is left with disappointment and disgust towards himself for his pettiness and bratty behavior.

### Lost and Found

After searching for Cole until nightfall to no avail, Sidd tiredly returns home to the Sparrow's Roost Inn and Tavern to find that it is surprisingly empty. His mother greets him with a knowing smile, remarking that she is surprised to see him back so soon.

It doesn't take the badger long to put together that Cole had been at the tavern this whole time, disguised as him. He asks his mother what Cole did while he was there, and she explained that he had not done too much, merely helped with chores for a time and listening to her ramble before heading off to the hills in the Marauder's District. She also adding that he looked quite upset, as though he had been crying for hours beforehand. Before leaving to confront Cole, Sidd asks his mother for advice on how to comfort him, to which she provides a few nuggets of wisdom. She points out Cole's deep-seated self-loathing, and urges Sidd to be forthcoming with addressing his faults, but equally warm in believing in his ability to improve and become a better person. With her words lingering in Sidd's mind, he takes off to find his friend...

...Which he does in no time at all, meeting with a doppelganger Sidd on the hills who was quietly cursing his own existence as he wallows in self-pity and destructive thoughts.

After exchanging some banter, Sidd lets Cole know that he is welcome at the Sparrow's Roost Inn and Tavern anytime and that he doesn't need to show up in a disguise... and also that Ilia thought his disguise sucks, eliciting small chuckles from the somber hyena.

Cole reveals his thoughts about himself to Sidd, proclaiming himself as a mess who managed to ruin things for himself and his family despite a near ideal upbringing. He recounts his experience with Hamish and how they got into an argument before he cast [Detect Thoughts] on his father, in the same way that Calder did to Sidd.

After his monologue, Sidd responds in kind, not only acknowledging his cowardice and mistreatment of others, but also addressing the times he has been noble, kind, and upstanding towards his friends. He fully accepts Cole for who he is, both good and bad, and urges him to become someone he can be proud of, showing unwavering unloyalty and faith in his friend. To that, Cole can only quietly apologize and promise to make an effort.

After the heart to heart, Cole reveals to him that Malus is in fact, one of the missing rubies, and that most likely, all of the rubies house some manner of demon within. During this discussion, he also notes the archbishop's furious rant at Artemi and her threats to revoke her title as the Chosen One. To this, Sidd gives a concerned look, explaining to Cole that when Artemi had talked about the title of Chosen One with him, she said that the only way the blessing of the Chosen can pass on is when the current Chosen passes away. The two stare at each other in shock, unable to believe the implications of these facts suggest.

**To Be Continued...**

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