"What was that about you trying to use Ket'shiu's magic and possibly going blind?" Bero asked, frowning at his nephew as they walked through the long-term patient building, heading toward the analysis lab. It was still early morning, so the hallways were mostly empty. "Focilo sent a message through Sano to say that you needed a thorough checkup after you got here and to pay special attention to your eyes, but he made it sound like you'd just been using magesight too much...."

Ariom avoided his gaze. "Well, that's basically what it was. We ran across an unusual enchantment, and my normal magesight wasn't enough to analyze it properly. So I had to...enhance it a little."

"Enhance it? With a mythic beast's magic?"

"Well...yes. From the anti-demon medicine."

"Ariom...." Bero felt a serious headache coming on.

"I know. I heard what that Brel guy said just now. I wouldn't have done it if I'd known it was that dangerous. But I was lucky, and Ket'shiu was watching somehow. So it worked out. And my eyes feel fine now. They're really tired, but they're fine."

Bero sighed. "Honestly...just when I start to think you're all grown up and I can stop worrying about you...you go and get yourself tangled up in a mess like this...."

"I'm thirty-eight years old," Ariom said sourly. "And you only just started thinking I'm grown up?"

"You've only just started giving me reason to think that...."

Ariom glared at him for a moment. Then he sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry. I know it was foolish to just try something like that on the spot, without knowing whether it was safe or not. The whole idea of going on that raid in the first place was foolish.... It felt like something I needed to do, and we got Thenio and Focilo back safely, so I can't really say that I regret it. But...well...I'm sorry for worrying you."

Bero raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well now. Maybe you're a little grown up after all...."

Ariom snorted and didn't look at him.

Bero smiled wryly and reached up to pat him on the shoulder. "Hey. I mean it, you know? You've really grown a lot in the past few months. As much as I hate worrying about your safety, I'm really proud of you. I know it took a lot of courage for you to work together with the Magic Corps like that."

Ariom didn't respond. But a little bit of color had come into his greyish face.

"So how was it?" Bero asked after a pause. "You finally got a taste of what it's like to be a battlemage, after all these years. Was it anything like you imagined?"

Ariom glanced at him and then looked away again. "When I wanted to be a battlemage, it was to fight demons, not demon-obsessed criminals. But...." He was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed. "I don't know. It felt like everything was happening all at once. It was overwhelming. And...I'm tired. I need some more time to process things before I'll really know what I think about it."

"Well, that's understandable. We can talk about it later, after you've gotten some rest."

He was hiding something. Bero recognized the look on his face. Something had happened that he didn't want to talk about.

But it was fine. Kathia and Namyis had both been on the rescue team as well. If Ariom wouldn't talk, he could find out what happened from one of them. There was no need to pressure him, especially not right now when he was clearly exhausted.

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

Bero couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable as he passed through the familiar corridors. The long-term patient facilities hadn't changed that much since he'd worked here. The walls had been repainted, and the equipment had been replaced with newer versions. But the circuit analysis lab was still in the same place it had been when Bero used to take his father there for his weekly scans. And Gereon, the elderly necromancer who was in charge of the lab, had been working there almost as long as Focilo had.

As he led Ariom through the lab entrance, Bero had to remind himself once again that they were only there because Thenio had a suite in this building, so it was more convenient to bring Ariom to this lab than take him to the one over in the main building. 

Not because he was actually a patient here.

Bero had been careful to teach all his children good magic training techniques and to impress on them the importance of getting their circuits checked regularly. And none of them had shown any signs of serious instability so far.

But the fear of one of them ending up here someday never quite went away....

 

---

 

The scans and tests took more than an hour to complete. Ariom looked half dead by the time it was all over, but at least there were no signs of any serious damage to his body or magic circuit. And he still had enough energy to scowl and refuse a wheelchair when Bero offered to get him one.

Fortunately, Thenio's assigned suite wasn't too far from the analysis lab, so Ariom was able to make it there without any further damage to his dignity.

The door to Thenio's bedroom was closed, and there was the faint sound of voices coming from inside. Was he still undergoing treatment? Or were Focilo and the two mythic agents discussing what had happened? Considering how protective Eteon seemed to be of Thenio, it wouldn't be surprising for him to want to hear all the details of the kidnapping.

Ariom looked briefly at the closed door before turning into the open doorway across from it, which led to the second bedroom. He went straight over to the bed and collapsed face down onto it.

"I did offer you a wheelchair, you know...." Bero shook his head and set Iggy's carry bag down on the end of the bed. "Do you want to eat anything?"

"No." Ariom's voice was muffled by the pillow. "I just want to sleep."

"Well, fine. I'll leave something on the table there for you, all right? Try to eat a little whenever you wake up. Your body needs food to help compensate for all that recovery medicine you drank."

"You sound like the ice mage...."

"That's because the ice mage is smart and knows how to take care of her body...unlike a certain void mage...." Bero lifted the sleeping Iggy out of the carry bag and put him on the pillow next to Ariom. "Here, at least pet your poor dragon a little bit before you fall asleep."

Ariom turned partway over to look at Iggy with a reluctant expression. But then he sighed and obediently started stroking the dragon's back.

He was a stubborn kid, but at least he kept his priorities straight.

With the sleep magic removed, Iggy stirred at the touch and lifted his head, blinking groggily. Then suddenly his eyes popped open, and his head and ears shot up straight. "Ariom! Where's Ariom?!"

"I'm right in front of you, you silly dragon...."

Iggy flipped himself over and grabbed at the hand that had been petting him. "Ariom, I don't want you to leave me! I don't want to be brave anymore!"

"Iggy—"

"I'm not a big, strong dragon!" Iggy howled, clinging tightly to Ariom's fingers. "That's just for pretend! I'm only a little baby dragon, and I need Ariom!"

Ariom sighed again. "Iggy, I'm not going anywhere. I already went and came back, while you were asleep."

"Huh?" Iggy turned and stared at him, the confusion evident on his face. "Ariom's...not leaving?"

"No. I'm not leaving. I'm planning to stay right here and sleep for the rest of today. Maybe the rest of tomorrow, too...."

"Oh." Iggy blinked a few times and then looked around. "Where is here?"

"This is the Stability Center," Bero told him. "It's the place where Thenio goes to see the doctor—remember? Ariom and Namyis already went and brought Thenio back. He's sleeping in the next room. He needs to stay here for a couple of days to make sure his magic is all right. And Ariom is very tired from going to save him, so he's also going to stay here and sleep for a while."

"I want to stay, too! I want to stay with Ariom!"

"That's right. You stay here with me." Ariom rubbed the little dragon's head. "Just be good and let me sleep, please...."

"I'll put your toys and snacks over here, Iggy." Bero put the carry bag down on the floor and then took the canvas bag full of Iggy's other things out of his space pocket. He went over to the sofa on one side of the room and started setting the food and toys out on the table in front of it. "I need to leave soon to go get Humerus. He's still at the necromancy guild. So you stay here and look after Ariom for me while I'm gone, all right?"

"Mmm." Iggy nodded solemnly. "I'll watch Ariom!"

"Good boy." Bero opened a tin of fish treats, took a few out, and set the rest down on the table. He went back over to the bed and put the treats down in front of Iggy. "Here. You were asleep for quite a while, so you're probably hungry. I'm going to go look for some food for Ariom. I'll be right back."

"There's a stasis box in the kitchen area," said a voice from the doorway. Bero turned to see a tired-looking Focilo entering the room. "There should be some pre-prepared meals inside it."

"Are you all right?" Bero asked him with concern. "You look exhausted. And you were kidnapped by demon lunatics, too, after all. Should you really still be working?"

"Ah...I'm fine. Talking with those two is just a little overwhelming." Focilo nodded toward the other room, grimacing a little. "They wanted to know what happened. And then we were discussing Thenio's condition.... But they're more than capable of taking care of him, so I'll go rest soon. I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed first. How were Ariom's scans?"

"Not bad." Bero took out the copy of the scan printouts that the lab had given them and handed them over. "There's some minor circuit damage, and his body was stressed by taking too much recovery medicine. But Gereon thinks he'll be fine if he just takes it easy for a week or two."

"Hmm." Focilo flipped through the printouts and then nodded. "Yes, it looks like he got off pretty easy considering what he went through last night. Just make sure he doesn't use magesight for a few days. I know that will be difficult for him.... Put suppression bands on him if you have to."

Bero grinned. "Don't worry. If I can wrangle a revenant, I can handle my own nephew." Then his expression became serious again. "How is Thenio doing?"

"Having his circuit sealed was a bit hard on him, but he should be all right in a couple of days. Brel and Eteon both have experience taking care of chaos morphs, so they know what to do." Focilo frowned a little. "Speaking of which...we need to discuss some of the things I've learned from them. Things that may affect the boy's treatment plan moving forward. But it can wait until after we've all gotten some sleep."

"Right." Bero sighed. "I think we're okay here, so you should go home and rest. You look almost as worn out as Ariom does. I need to go find something for him to eat, so I'll walk out with you."

The two of them left the bedroom and walked out to the front of the suite, where there was a small kitchen area.

"You can contact the cafeteria if you don't find what you need, but it should be fairly well-stocked. Since we prepared this place with emergencies in mind, we've tried to keep it ready for Thenio to move in at any time." Focilo gestured toward the large stasis box installed in the kitchen wall. "Go ahead and use whatever you want—we'll restock it later. I'm not sure how much of the food here is suitable for dragons, though. I wasn't anticipating Thenio and Ariom both needing care at the same time."

"That's fine. We brought enough food and toys with us to last Iggy for a while, and I'll bring some more over from Ariom's house later." Bero paused with his hand on the door of the stasis box. "Hey, Focilo...can I ask you something before you leave?"

"Of course. What is it?"

Bero looked back at him and hesitated for a moment. 

Focilo was his longtime friend and mentor, the man who had supported him through the most difficult years of his life and had, along with Kalion, helped fill the void that had been left when his father died. 

Bero wasn't sure what effect the question he was about to ask might have on their relationship. He suddenly felt a strong sense of empathy toward Thenio.... 

But still, he needed to ask.

"Are you Ket'shiu's agent?"

Focilo simply looked at him for a moment. Then he let out a long, tired sigh. "I was wondering if you would notice.... You can tell I was using magic while Thenio and I were trapped at the Order's base, can't you?"

"Yes. Your power reserves look awfully low for someone who was stuck inside a full suppression barrier. But if it was a typical barrier, it would have only blocked elemental magic. So if you're capable of using another kind...."

"Very good. You're obviously much more knowledgeable than the Order's researchers are," Focilo said drily. "Though I'm grateful for their oversight, of course. We would have been in real trouble if they'd had a spectral beast expert around to remind them that other types of magic exist."

"Well, even with that, it might not have occurred to me if it weren't for all the contact with mythics and agents that Thenio's been having. But...you're really an agent? Like Eteon and Brel?"

"No. I'm an agent, but I'm not like them." Focilo's expression turned slightly bitter. "Not all agent contracts are the same. Ket'shiu has greater resistance to demon poison than most mythics do, so to help deal with the rifts, he's been working hard to spread his power throughout the world. Including forming contracts with a larger number of less powerful agents. I'm one of those. But Brel has been an agent since long before the Rift Crisis. He's the real deal. Eteon should be as well, based on what Ket'shiu told me when I asked about him."

"Wait, are you the one that Kalion contacted when I told him that I thought a mythic agent was watching Thenio?"

"Yes."

"So Ket'shiu told you to be polite to him because he's a more powerful agent? I thought it meant he was the agent of a higher ranking mythic beast, but if you have a contract with Ket'shiu...."

"He is," Focilo said quietly. "Ki'shiu is higher ranked than Ket'shiu is."

"Really?" Bero's eyes widened. "Isn't Ket'shiu one of the most powerful mythic beasts in the world?"

"Yes. But he's not the most powerful one. And their social hierarchy doesn't exactly correspond to their strength, anyway.... In any case, there are a few other mythics who are above him. Ki'shiu is one of them." Focilo glanced back toward the bedrooms. "Though I recommend that you don't tell Ariom that."

Bero made a face. "You're right. Ki'shiu already intimidates him enough as it is.... So what about Relisa?"

"She has a contract with Ket'yia. That's actually how we met."

"Is she a more powerful agent, too, then?"

"Not exactly. She has a more typical contract, but Ket'yia is actually quite a bit less powerful than Ket'shiu is. So her agents aren't nearly as strong as someone like Brel." Focilo smiled wryly. "Well, she's probably still stronger than I am, though. Our powers are different, so it's hard to do a direct comparison."

"Honestly...I feel like the whole world has suddenly flipped upside down...." Bero sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The Order of the Ravener infiltrated the Royal Guard. Humerus went on his worst rampage in years. Thenio got kidnapped. Ariom went on a raid with the Magic Corps. And now I find out I've been friends with two mythic agents all this time. I'm expecting to wake up any moment now and find out this has all just been a crazy dream." He sighed again. "And to think...this time yesterday, all I was worried about was how Ariom's going to react if he ever notices that Namyis likes him...."

 

---

 

The raid on the Order base was starting to wind down. The fighting was mostly over, and the first line teams were in the process of being swapped out for fresh replacements who would continue to patrol the area while the cleanup teams went to work. 

Most of the captives in the research center had been evacuated and taken to the appropriate medical facilities. The Poison Center was currently working on safely containing and transporting the few infected ones. And once that was done, they could finally start on the dangerous job of moving the behemoth crystal to a secure location.

Well...it wasn't as dangerous as it would normally be. That lunatic Vehnkir had made the terrible mistake of kidnapping both a child that the mythics were interested in and one of Ket'shiu's agents. Which had eventually resulted in four agents and the giant tree himself getting involved. 

The extra help meant that they'd been able to find and infiltrate the base much more quickly and easily than they would have otherwise. The intelligence that the agent called Eteon had provided gave them a huge advantage. And Ket'shiu's assistance had prevented a disaster from happening in the research center.

Not to mention that a skilled void archer had unexpectedly volunteered to join the raid and saved them an hour or two of attacking the outer barrier.

Commander Soteran Myrel—who most people knew as 'Hydra'—couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief as he reviewed the most recent report from the medical team. No fatalities on their side. And a relatively small number of major injuries. It was rare for such a large raid to go so well.

They'd gotten seriously lucky with this one....

Soteran handed the report back to his adjutant and turned his attention back to the large map of the base that was spread out on the table in front of him with colored markers scattered across it, showing where different teams were currently active.

At the same time, he was listening to the ongoing streams of telepathic communication that Riven was processing, occasionally adding in a direct response or command.

...has been cleared. Proceeding to the next area....

Team Seven to Hydra Blue.

Two members have severe burns. Requesting medical backup....

Hydra Blue here. Go ahead, Team Seven.

...transferring our patrol over to Arial Team Four, led by Mistral. Hailstrike out.

Back warehouse is secure. We'll monitor the building until cleanup arrives.

Riven currently had five heads going: red, blue, orange, green, and gold. Each one was keeping track of several different telepathic links, allowing Soteran to monitor and communicate with all the raid teams at once through the strong mental bond that he and his familiar shared.

This was half the reason he'd been given the position of Field Commander. His combat power might be lower than most other battlemages, but no one in Kafron's Magic Corps could beat him where telepathy was concerned.

Things continued steadily for a few minutes. Then the adjutant appeared at Soteran's side again.

"Commander," she said, looking a little awkward. "Emberhawk is outside. He wants to speak with you."

Soteran closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I knew he'd show up sooner or later.... I'd better get this over with. Cyram, Riven, take over for me for a few minutes."

"Yes, sir." Cyram, the Central Division's Lieutenant Commander, looked up from the report he was reviewing and gave Soteran a small salute.

Riven's gold head shot him a disgruntled look. Then it glowed softly and split down the center, forming a slightly smaller gold head and a new silver one that stretched over to look at the map in Soteran's place.

I'm sorry, Soteran told him silently. I know you're getting tired. I'll try to keep it quick.

He could still feel the hydra's annoyance as he left the command building. Riven hated emergency raids. Doing such strenuous work on short notice was difficult for mental magic users. They had to budget their energy carefully. Overwork caused mental fatigue, which frequently led to headaches.

And it was much worse for hydras, since they could easily end up with six or seven headaches all at the same time if they weren't careful....

There were quite a few people moving around in front of the temporary building that had been set up to house the raid command center: Security personnel patrolling the area. Coordinators from the Royal Guard or the medical center. Team leaders coming to drop off reports.

But they were all carefully keeping their distance from a single man wearing a black combat suit with orange silhouettes of a diving hawk on the front and back. He had copper-tinted skin, vivid yellow-orange eyes, and black hair with orange and gold streaks in it.

And as usual, his expression looked like he'd just gulped down a glass of lemon juice.

Riomel Denifor glared at Soteran as he approached. "You know why I'm here."

"I know," Soteran said calmly. He gestured toward one side of the command building. "Let's go around there where it's quieter."

He turned and started walking without waiting for a response. Riomel could easily get carried away by his emotions, so it was better not to let him set the tempo of a conversation. Especially when he was already upset. Soteran could feel the anger coming off him like the heat from a bonfire, but he did his best to ignore it.

He led the way around to the side of the building, away from the people passing by in front. A couple of young men on security patrol gave him questioning looks, obviously concerned about the angry battlemage following behind him. Soteran gave them a nod and a small smile to let them know he was all right. They both saluted in response and continued on their way.

When they'd gone out of earshot, he turned to face Riomel.

"Why did you let him do that?" the firestorm mage snarled without any preamble.

"Because he wanted to. And because I didn't have any good reason to stop him."

"What do you mean you didn't have a reason? He's not even a combat wizard!"

"No, he's not. But he's a grandmaster and a well-respected enchanter, in addition to being a very competent magic archer. He wanted to help save his kidnapped assistant, and he felt that his skills were up to the task. I agreed with him. But I also put Copycat and Red on his team. I knew they'd look after him."

"He still shouldn't have been going on a major raid!"

"Riomel," Soteran said quietly but firmly. "I understand why you kept him away from the military when he was younger. But Ariom isn't a child anymore. He's capable of making his own decisions. And Copycat said he was a huge help to the rescue team. Your son's stronger than you think he is. You don't have to keep protecting him like this."

Riomel glowered at him, his flame-colored eyes sparking dangerously. Soteran stood calmly and looked back at him. Most people would see a furious fire mage on the verge of snapping. But Soteran wasn't most people, and he could feel that Riomel's rage was now colored with worry and regret. 

That wasn't how he felt when he was about to attack someone. Soteran knew from experience....

In the end, Riomel simply turned and stalked away without saying another word. Soteran watched him go and then let out a long sigh.

His relationship with Riomel had always been a complicated one. Soteran wasn't directly responsible for Amara Denifor's death, of course. But it was hard not to feel a little guilty when the same project that had killed her had made him one of the top mental mages in the world, allowed him to form a familiar contract with a Prismatic Hydra, and eventually led to his current position in the Magic Corps.

He'd always been a bit soft on Riomel as a result, trying to give him some extra attention and help as a sort of ongoing apology. But in this particular case, it was definitely better to stand firm. 

It would do that stubborn fool a world of good if he could finally stop being afraid of his own son.

Hey. Quit moping over that guy and come back already. Riven's unhappy voice said in his head. Syrza keeps asking me questions instead of going through Cyram, and if I answer her directly then I have to repeat it for him. It's annoying....

Soteran rolled his eyes. Just answer out loud, then. They already know how you talk.

I don't care if they know! I don't want to talk to them!

All right, all right.... I'm coming, you silly, self-conscious lizard. Soteran shook his head and headed back inside.

Everyone always talked about how difficult Riomel was to deal with. But they'd never tried living with a hydra....

I heard that... Riven said grumpily.