“How much longer?” growled Harper, annoyed. The prospect of visiting Fallen’s Cry made her pretty excited to the point where she stayed up until five o’clock, tossing and turning in her bed. The fact that it was past eight, and they were still in the barracks courtyard pissed her off beyond words.

We should have been there a fucking long time ago! She cursed in her heart.

All her life Harper had heard of the seekers and their adventures in the Castiana labyrinth, sometimes even watching them disappear into the depths in flashes of white light on the platform in the middle of Labyrinth Square. And now that her time had come, there was delay after delay.

“I bet they just sit there with their thumbs up their asses. How much longer can it take them?” she grunted, pacing back and forth along the bench where Freyde lay. The annoying quarter-gnome basked there, unfazed by the delay.

“Until Korra resolves whatever issue she had,” Maneur, leaning on the backrest of the bench, said, his voice not as calm as he would have liked. Unlike her, he was not so enthusiastic about the opportunity to delve into the Labyrinth. He had seen what that ancient structure and the beasts, creatures, and even plants in it could do to their tribe’s best warriors. “Give her time, Harper.”

“Time? It’s been a fucking hour. What’s taking them so damn long?”

“You know the Imperial Chief Healer is there too, right?” Freyde asked, opening his eyes for a moment as the baker’s shadow passed over his face. 

“Your point, pointy ears?”

“That it can’t be that simple, Harper,” he spelled it out to her. They knew of her going to Esulmor with Lord Wigram. How could they not, when like so many in the barracks, they watched the imperial soldiers leave and Korra Grey with them? Even then, he wondered what their squadmate was involved in. Now, with strange rumors spreading through the barracks, he was even more curious about what had happened in those woods.

Eight dead soldiers, not just any soldiers. One of the best the Sahal Army had. Losing them was no simple matter. What really happened there?

Harper sneered, crossing her arms under her endowed chest. “You mean the gossip?”

“Warriors talk, exaggerate their triumphs,” Meneur said, recalling the wild stories he’d heard since childhood around the campfire he kept for his clan and warriors returning from hunts, dungeons, and in recent years from Fallen’s Cry.

“Exactly. It’s just gossip, bullshit, Frey.”

“Not what I was trying to say,” the big taurus huffed, displeased that she didn’t let him finish his thought. “There’s always some truth to bragging, and you have to learn to see it.”

“Um-hmm...so what’s the truth?” Harper raised an eyebrow at him. Not quite yet, but they’ve kind of grown back after she had lost them in that unfortunate, but, in her opinion, awesome incident during their fight with Korra. “Cause from what I heard, they were fighting some fucking level six hundred eagles.”

“Yeah, I've heard that too, but not about such a beast being around Castiana,” the quarter-gnome remarked, agreeing with the baker. Something didn’t quite add up. “The only ones of that level are Mossbears in Esulmor as far as I know.”

“Not if they really were the northern eagles, as they claim. The beasts live in the mountains far to the north, but it was not rare to see them in the Federation. They could cover great distances very swiftly. The question is, what were they doing here, so far south? And why were they attacking people?” pondered Meneur.

“Because they’re beasts?”

“That’s what they do, right?” Baker agreed with the Bookkeeper. 

The big taurus shook his head. “Not the northern eagles. They see humans and terrans as something inferior, not worthy of their time.”

“Then it all sounds like even more bullshit to me,” Harper grumbled, kicking a rock in frustration. “Where the heck is she?”

“Are you really that eager to dive down there?” Meneur asked her, hardly understanding her desire to expose herself to the dangers beneath the city.

“I don’t understand why you guys aren’t. This is our chance.”

“Oh, I can see that, but...”

“Don’t tell me you chickened out. Is that fear I smell?”

Freyde gave her the middle finger. “I don’t know if you realized we’re gonna be fighting beasts, not humans. Or am I missing something, and you trained with some behind our backs?”

She scowled. “I wish. I’ve been sweating my ass off with you two for the last few weeks. Fuck, for the last three days, we were stuck together like two baked buns. The only time I didn’t get to see your two ugly mugs was when I went to take a piss.”

“Unless you were facing the beasts there, squatting down, you just proved my point,” Freyde argued. Sure, he was excited to visit the labyrinth. It was as big a step for him as it was for her. He was just unsure if he would be able to face the beasts in Fallen’s Cry, having only trained with these two, instructors, and other city guards. “The closest we came to fighting a beast was our bout with Korra.” 

The way he looked around, making sure their fourth member wasn’t around to hear him made the Baker laugh. “Afraid she’ll kick your ass?”

“She kicked yours, too,” the quarter-gnome shot back.

“She beat us all,” Meneur pointed out as a matter of fact.

That was the plain truth, which made all three pause for a moment.

“Call me a pussy if you want, but if that was any indication of how the beasts fight...damn. We’re gonna have some problems down there.” Unlike other people, Freyde had trouble reading Korra, counting her movements if you will, and he suspected he would run into the same problem with the beasts. “Don’t get me wrong; it could push us further as Rayden thinks, but I don’t expect it to be a walk in the park.”

“It won’t. You should be prepared to bleed.”

Harper stopped her pacing. “I do get Meneur, but you, Frey? I thought that you'd show more excitement.”

The Bookkeeper lying on the bench shrugged. “That makes two of us. I don’t know...the ‘unknown’ got to me, I guess.”

“Nervous it won’t go like the ledgers, huh?” remarked Harper, this time not meaning it as a tease. Despite her excitement, she, too, felt a flutter of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. “...but isn’t that why you’re trying so hard? So you don’t have to see the ledger again in your life?”

“...and not have to listen to my grandmother,” the quarter-gnome added.

“You and your gr...dude, you leveled up twice since the fight with Korra. Keep it up, and I don’t think you have to worry about your fucking granny.”

“Is that envy I hear?” Freyde smirked, knowing that his and Meneur’s level-ups were eating away at her.

[Bookkeeper: lvl 55]

[Mage: lvl 50]

“You bet,” she said bluntly. “I’m the only one stuck on the same level.”

[Baker: lvl 69]

“Maybe Korra...” 

“Don’t give me that shit,” she cut Meneur off. “You saw her, heard what the others said. If she’s still at a hundred and two, I’ll eat my flour bombs.” That was Korra’s level when they saw her leave with the soldiers for Esulmor.

“Heads up,” Freyde said, jumping up swiftly off the bench, motioning with his head to the entrance that several figures came out of. “Looks like we’ll find out soon enough if you have your handyworks for lunch.”

“Finally,” breathed the Baker when she saw half woman half beast walking towards them, her big bushy tail wagging behind her and her wings moving in rhythm with her gait. She was ready to give her a piece of her mind but swallowed her rant upon seeing her walking in the company of Captain Rayden and the Imperial Chief Healer. “Why is he coming here too?” she whispered to her squadmates.

“How the hell should I know?” Freyde shot back in an equally low voice, his eyes fixed on the approaching trio. “Straighten up.”

And they all did so, saluting the old man who held a duke-level position in the Sahal Empire. “”Sir.""

Lord Wigram smiled but let the Captain talk. “At ease, Squad Four. A slight change of plans.”

“We’re not going to Fallen’s Cry, ma’am?” Harper blurted out as the nightmares that had kept her awake at night seemed to come true. In those, the entrance to the Labyrinth was right in front of her, but for reasons that were always changing, she was unable to go in.

Rayden scowled back. “You’re still going in, Breadbaker. Only with more people to observe you. Or rather, Grey here.”

When the trio, at last, looked at their fourth member, they gasped, not believing what they saw.

[Slave: lvl 112]

“Granny’s ears!” Freyde swore first, pinching his own pointy ears to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

The huge Taurus was more restrained, but even he failed to keep his mouth shut. “Damn, I’m impressed.”

“The actual fuck!” Harper cursed outright. 

It wasn’t just her level that threw them off, but also the way she looked. In addition to the half-beastly appearance they already knew, she was now covered in glowing tattoos.

“Hey guys,” Korra greeted them, obviously nervous, though she tried to hide it. “Sorry for the delay. Things got a little complicated.”

“Complicated my ass,” Harper barked, not minding the Captain or the Imperial Chief Healer. “You...how? What am I doing wrong?”

“Private Breadbaker!” Rayden raised her voice, warning her to mind her manners.

“Ma’am, sorry. Sir,” she straightened up, realizing her mistake. Yet her eyes darted between the two figures she held in high regard, her mind torn. She wanted so badly to grab Korra and shake all her secrets out of her. 

“Accept our apologies as well,” said Freyde, who stood with Meneur before the frustrated baker, bowing their heads respectfully. “Our squadmate was taken quite by surprise to see Korra so much stronger than she expected; all of us, actually, sir.”

Though the apology belonged to Lord Wigram, his gaze and that of the taurus were equally on the hybrid beside him, eyes full of questions. 

“Quite a sensible young man,” remarked the Imperial Chief Healer, amused, stroking his beard. “Just so you know, I also find Miss Grey’s growth quite unusual. Not unheard of, but unusual for sure. I know a few people who have managed to grow at the same pace, if not faster. In some ways, it was a blessing to them; in others, a curse.

“A curse, sir?” Harper asked, not seeing how such a thing could be a curse.

“They may have found a way to increase their class level quickly, but you mustn’t forget the skills. While they could be seen as two hundred level warriors, their true strength in many ways lay in a mere hundred.”

Captain Rayden nodded, pointing at Korra. “As I said, Grey here is such a case and the reason she’s in the squad with you. Her skills aren’t worth a damn compared to her class level.”

Korra’s ears twitched, and she frowned but said nothing. Instead, Lord Wigram spoke. “Not how I would put it, but...true nonetheless. Let me give you advice.”

Their attention taken, they straightened up and listened, clinging to his every word. After all, this was the Imperial Chief Healer, a man who had risen from a humble background to become one of the most influential figures in the Empire. The Emperor himself listened to him and took his thoughts into consideration. They would have to be stupid not to listen when he wanted to give them advice.

“Don’t try to compete with individuals like her. That only leads to disappointment, frustration, despair, envy, and hatred. You’re gonna hurt yourself; your growth will stop, or you may do something you might regret,” he said, pausing to take a breath. “Better to accept the way it is and pick up as much as you can from those individuals. Trust me. It will help your growth.”

“The Grey’s case is a little more special, though,” Capt. Rayden pointed out. “Following her example won’t do you much good. Focus on your class, on yourself.”

The Imperial Chief Healer smiled. “True. But she got to where she is because she didn’t give up. That’s pretty inspiring, and I’m of the opinion that it’s important to have that drive to keep going if one wants to reach beyond their current limits.”

A little red in the face, Korra cleared her throat. “I’m just doing my best to survive.”

“And you do it most splendidly, Miss Grey.”

“Really, I feel like the list of people coming after me is only growing.”

Lord Wigram chuckled. “That goes hand in hand with success. The more power you have, the stronger you are, the more unique you are, your value goes up. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that as a slave, though it’s not far from the truth either. People may be curious about the secret to your rapid growth as your friends are or want to take advantage of your position. Why do you think a unit of the best soldiers is escorting me around the Sahal?”

Harper, Freyde, and even Meneur watched the two talk as if they were old friends, a mentor and his apprentice, or maybe even a grandfather and his granddaughter, in a silent stupor. It was like Korra had no idea who she was talking to. Freyde found that very hard to swallow. For thirty-three years, respect for his elders and betters had been drilled into him... particularly regard to his grandmother, which in his case developed into a strange hatred. He still respected her, though. It was part of the Gnome culture.

In that regard, Meneur was only better off simply because, until recently, he had only a vague idea of who Lord Wigram was, as he had no interest in learning about humans in distant cities unless it involved his ember magic. For that reason, it was only with the Imperial Chief Healer’s arrival in Castiana that he became interested in the prominence of the old man his odd squadmate talked to.

“Anyway, guys,” Korra spoke up, taking them out of their thoughts. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions...”

“The fuck we do,” Harper blurted out.

Korra twitched her ears with her outburst but smiled back. “How do you feel about me answering them for you in the labyrinth?”

That sounded much better to Harper. “Now you’re talking...”

“But before that, let me introduce you to someone,” Korra said, her gaze wandering off into the distance for a moment. Freyde noticed that the tattoo on her side shone a little brighter than the rest, and then a playful giggle reached his pointy ears from behind him. He turned at the voice, as did the others, finding nothing but empty air.

Did he hear wrong? The question arose in his mind and similar in the minds of both Harper and Meneur.

“Is that them, your friends?” The ear-pleasing ethereal voice brought their attention back to Korra. Next to her now stood the strangest creature they had ever seen in their lives. Even weirder than their squadmate.

“Yes, they are,” Korra said, gesturing to the ethereal creature. “Squad Four, this is Idleaf...”

 

***

 

I know I said I’d answer all their questions in Fallen’s Cry, but some things had to be said now. They needed to know who they were dealing with and what could happen down there.

In the morning, after I got out of Sage’s fluffy soft grip and read the system notifications warning me of the poisoning, finding out that my Constitution had outgrown the strength of my orange tail mist, but ‘trained’ it nonetheless, I spent a long time at breakfast downstairs in the tavern part of the Broken Inn thinking about how to approach the issue of Idleaf and me going to the Labyrinth.

I could have kept quiet about it and hoped it wouldn’t be a big deal like the young World Tree said. But the issue was much bigger than whether or not I would suffer pain if I entered the Fallen’s Cry, so I decided to share my thoughts. 

That the World Trees had a history with labyrinths and quite possibly had a hand in their creation was information that made Lord Wigram sit his ass down. He didn’t say a word for the whole ten minutes after I told him, thinking about what he had learned, what he knew, and putting it into a new context.

In light of that new knowledge, he then agreed with me that the growth of Idleaf below the Granora mountain range was more than coincidental, and my visit to Fallen’s Cry could hold a lot more significance than anyone had given it credit for. It may be no big deal and just appease the curiosity of a young World Tree not bound by oaths like the older ones, or it could change a hell of a lot.

That’s why instead of one master guard, who was supposed to accompany us as Squad Four on our first joint expedition to the depths below the city, two were to go with us. In addition, two imperial soldiers, Janina, Deckard, and much to my delight...Lightfeather.

Turns out she was still in the city, enjoying the days off she’d been given before she was due to return to Granhill, where a permanent garrison of soldiers was stationed. I was looking forward to seeing her and Pip. Though, I wasn’t so sure she was going to be so thrilled as her leave was cut short because of me.

Well, as for Rayden and Lord Wigram, they weren’t going to take part in the dive. Of course, much to the displeasure of the Imperial Chief Healer. According to Colonel Gill, it was an unnecessary risk, and if he should go, then only with the whole unit of his imperial soldiers.

So those two were there with me to break the news to the rest of Squad Four and basically give credibility to my wild story. Even so, they had a hard time believing what they heard.

“...so...that’s Idleaf...” Freyde stammered, the first of Squad Four able to speak. As soon as he did, the spirit jumped up to him, beaming with excitement.

“I am. I’m Idleaf, hi. Who are you?”

“Eh...hello, Freyde W-Welkes.”

The spirit fluttered her wings. “Welkes? What a strong name.” Freyde gave me a puzzled look. The explanation of the meaning of the names would take more time and could wait.

“Why are your ears different? Are you not human?”

“M-my grandmother is a gnome. Are...are you really a World Tree? I mean, she used to read me stories about you, y-your king. How valuable your fruits ar...what the...” he winced as Harper elbowed him in the side to shut up. I didn’t blame her for worrying that talking about the fruit of the World Trees in that manner might upset Idleaf. If I didn’t know what she was like, I’d be worried, too.

Instead of the reaction Harper was expecting, the spirit giggled, shifted to her, and poked her side. “Hi, I’m Idleaf. Who are you?”

“Harper,” she said tensely.

“Just Harper? People tend to have more names. You don’t?”

“Harper Breadbaker.”

“Oh...interesting name? Do you bake bread?”

The question obviously caught her off guard. “I used to...”

“Could you bake me one? Korra’leigh said freshly baked bread is the best thing in the world.” I might have mentioned that yesterday when we were walking past a bakery.

“Korra’leigh? Is she really your Guardian?”

Idleaf smiled widely, stepping back to dance around me. “She is. Korra’leigh is the name she earned when I named her mine.”

“Fuckkk....” Harper cursed softly, her eyes fixed on me.

Even the spirit glanced at me, looking to me for help.

Sighing, I tried not to be embarrassed. “She doesn’t want to mate with you.”

Hearing that, her attention shifted to the last member of Squad Four, a giant taurus, who struggled with whether he should kneel before the spirit and show her far more respect than she was getting from the others.

“You are beastman,” Idleaf remarked, unaware that calling terrans that was considered offensive.

Meneur didn’t seem to mind, though. “Indeed, I am, great spirit. Meneurmut Ironhoof. It is a great honor to be in your presence and your Guardian’s.”

“Take no heed of it, Meneur,” I said, not wanting my status to put a wall between us. “I’m still the same Korra.”

Rayden and Lord Wigram both smirked, saying nothing. Harper, on the other hand, didn’t hold back and made her opinion clear. “Same Korra, my ass, look at you...”

“I do agree,” Meneur said, regarding me with his gaze. “You seem more and more like a Kirin to me.”

“I told you I’m not,” I retorted. Becoming some kind of terran idol that they will look to for salvation was not my intention. At the very least, it smelled of more trouble. No thank you.

The taurus smiled. “I know, still...”

It wasn't hard to see what he meant. For terrans who wanted to see one in me, it was getting easier to say I was one.

"What is Kirin, Korra'leigh?"

Speaking of which, wasn't Idleaf more suited for the role?