I stepped back from the thunder crystal, sweating slightly—which just reminded me again that I needed to make a clone already. I glanced at Kinthek, who was watching the crystal with curiosity. “I can feel it now that the aura’s gone. I didn’t even notice it before.”

  I shrugged, looking back at it. Hopefully that faint but powerful aura when you were a few steps away from it wouldn’t get us killed. I shook my head, putting a hand to it and feeling the pulses of those strange creatures that lived on it. How did they even really exist?

  I jumped back as the aura momentarily spiked, feeling my body try to teleport away and I barely stopped it in time—Sparks I needed to figure out why that kept happening—but it certainly seemed like the little insect-things didn’t like this suppressor…

  I shuddered slightly, and exited the area. They’d dedicated a whole wagon to the crystal, apparently having enough room in the others for anything that had been inside this one. I nodded to Kinthek, walking with him as we made our way to the oakay mounts.

  I hadn’t ridden one before, but according to Fora, it wasn’t that difficult.

  I let out a long breath at the reminder of her existence. If Fora was also having spontaneous teleports, she would probably end up dying. I folded my arms at the oakay, watching the beast for a moment before swinging into the saddle. I was as graceful as a sack of potatoes, but I stayed on.

  --

  ~Fora…~ I hesitantly sent out the connection as I found myself back in Eternal River for the third time in as many days, ~Fora, do you know why I can’t control my instinctual teleports? It was working last month, but they’re starting to get out of hand.~

  Fora didn’t respond for several heartbeats, but didn’t seem able to stay silent. ~Oh, the sparking pretend scholar is finally talking to me. That’s just dandy.~

  I started banging my head into the side of the desk. ~Fora… I’m sorry, okay? I just didn’t have time to listen to your ideas and I knew you wouldn’t stop trying to shove them at me.~

  ~Oh, but now that you need something it’s alright to break your silence.~

  ~Well I have time now, do you want to tell me about these emergency feasts you were thinking about?~

  ~Too late, it’s been three days, it doesn’t sound as fun now.~

  I groaned, seriously, did she not understand how difficult she was being? She just had to make up her sparking mind! ~Awesome. Well could you tell me then if you’ve had any trouble with instinctive magic?~

  ~Nope! None at all!~

  ~Fine.~

  ~FINE!~

  The connection was cut, but I don’t think either of us even cared. Something stirred within me, a feeling. Shouldn't you get to know her point of view? Her story? You’re connected, you need each other.

  I pushed away the thought, standing up as I activated a teleport to return to my scouting.

  --

  I walked around the area, peering under shrubs and through the trees. It was odd to see a forest, this was the first one I’d seen in the entirety of Arithren so far. But to be fair, neither me nor Fora had really gone all that far yet, there was still a lot to see. Nelfourne was relatively small compared to the rest of the world.

  Either way, this spot—despite being amazing in practically every way—wouldn’t work for the crystal either. The path was too worn, the area too well known. It was the only real forest for hundreds of miles, trapped in a sea of grasslands with patches of sand and rocky cliffs.

  Was it so dry because the water floated? Or was it so dry because there were no trees to hold on to the moisture? I found myself focusing on the connections in the ecosystem, there had to be hundreds of them.

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  I blamed my discovery about thunder crystals, but to be honest it made me wonder how many similar connections I’d missed back home. How many had I just labeled ‘magic’ and moved on? I didn’t think Fora would be very amused at this line of thought.

  I shook my head, pushing myself back into the sky now that my mana was more recovered. I’d fly on for a bit, look for spots with high sensitivity to the between, and hopefully I’d find somewhere that would make the whole process of dissolving a crystal quick and painless…

  I glanced downward, tilting my head as I thought I felt something. I frowned, if I’d been watching that area, I might have seen a rune.

  Oddly, it was already gone.

  I watched the ground for a moment longer before turning away and pushing myself back into the sky, I’d started to fall, we couldn’t have that happening. I moved onward, this time keeping close watch on the ground.

  “Yes, sir, we’re looking for someone! Someone who perhaps doesn’t belong? Someone who allegedly has been… ‘dismantling the local government?’ is there anyone by that description here?” I winked, “We can pay you.”

  The larborak behind the counter blinked at us sleepily. Perhaps asking a barkeep in the early morning was a mistake, but spark me if I was going to try asking nobles or something! “Miss, I’m sorry to hear that you can’t find your friend, but we’re closed right now.”

  I gave him a confused look, “then how come the door was open?”

  Someone walked out from the back room, carrying no less than five bottles of alcohol. “Thank you kindly! I’ll be sure to let my superior know that this place is perfect.” The plump man dropped down on the nearest seat and started chugging the first bottle.

  I blinked at the man, that was-

  The barkeep sighed, under his breath I heard something that sounded vaguely like a prayer for patience. “Because he showed up. We can’t very well reject him, he’s a very important patron.”

  I gave Kenny a dubious look, but he did have a thing about taverns, he’d probably given them more money than half the city combined. Eliax had mentioned running into him, as a way of subtly hinting that she’d found a real tavern somewhere. I rushed over to him, eyes wide. “Kenny! What are you doing here?!”

  Kenny jumped, looking at me as if he was worried I was about to start attacking him. “Hah? Fora?”

  “Yes!” I shouted, wondering how he could see through the illusion.

  “Fora?”

  “YES!”

  “By the debts, Fora! It’s not that odd for me to be here! I’ve been here before, practically more than I’ve been to that other place!”

  I sat down across from him, the disguised arkorians exchanging looks as if asking if any of them knew who this was. They each shrugged in turn, leaving me to stare Kenny in the face all creepy-like. “Kenny it’s so great to see you! Do you know anything about someone who’s friends with me coming here and ruining the local government? OH MY SPARKS IS IT YOU?!?”

  Kenny regarded me, taking a swig of his bottle, “My days of toppling governments are far behind me, but I did think that things were more chaotic than usual here… hmm.”

  I nodded to myself, filing away that little piece of Kenny lore. He was such an odd person! “Do you have any idea which friend it is?” I gestured toward the arkorians, “Their boss didn’t tell me!”

  Kenny regarded me for a moment, and then turned to look at my companions, “Oh, that’s what’s going on. Trying to impress Zolinal, eh?” He glanced at me, “I’d try using those senses of yours, Fora. I’m sure you’ll find your friend in no time.”

  I raised an eyebrow, how would that help? I was sure to know them on sight, wasn’t I? How would magesight make that easier? I looked down at my illusion, frowning. Perhaps they were also using an illusion? “Is it Aymi?” I hoped it wasn’t, she’d been through enough crap already.

  “Not sure who it is, but now that you’ve mentioned it, and with Zolinal involved… well I think you’ll be just fine.”

  -

  Now that the possibility of the friend being Aymi had crossed my mind, it took an iron will to keep myself from running down the streets and making a nuisance of myself. Knowing Aymi, she’d most certainly be attracted by that kind of thing, if only to put a stop to it.

  But I was left walking through the enormous city, fingering the illusion bracelet and examining the faces of everyone who passed me with magesight. There was nothing so far, but that didn’t mean it was working.

  Unlike our previous assumptions, the population was not only made up of humans. The bartender had been larborak, and from what I saw on the streets, it seemed like it was about half and half. It felt strange to once again be in a place with humans. I found myself constantly glancing up at Arendi, part of me thinking that I might have somehow ended up in a place back home.

  But of course, I hadn’t.

  I thought about asking Eliax what she thought but… well we were still angry at each other. I wished that would stop happening. Why did she have to keep pushing so hard?

  I froze as I noticed a familiar rune. Familiar and yet… not. I turned and crouched down, staring at the round white mushroom that sat innocently beside a building.

  It wasn’t one of Aymi’s.

  And it wasn’t one of Netun’s.

  ~ELIAX HELP MEEEEE!!!! WHO’S THE SPARKS IS THIS?!?~