I'm the last person to upload ANOTHER story, but I could have sworn this one had been put up. Oh well.

"I am rather impressed with how far you've come." Garth said to his pupil. The dreadlocked man looked over the red haired woman that sat next to him. "Truly." He added when she looked at him uncertainly. "I know it's hard, leaving behind all those you care for." The two sat in a quiet inn that doubled as the town bar, though "town" was hardly appropriate for their location. An oasis in an otherwise barren landscape, the campsite (as that was more appropriate) they'd arrived in two days prior had a name the woman could not recall, and frankly, she didn't care to recall it. Besides the inn, that seemed to be made of stone the same color as the sand everywhere in this particular bit of land, there were two other "businesses" in the gated community. One being a restaurant, and the other being a weaponry, and alchemist lab.

The woman gave a silent scoff. "Luna was moving on." She said, "She was always loved by the people. It only figures that she'd be crowned Queen."

"Loved by the people because of the deeds you both did." Garth pointed out, crossing his arms and sitting back straight. "Toddlyn, you are one of the greatest Will users I have ever had the pleasure to meet."

"I'm one of the only ones you've met." Toddlyn smirked mischievously, "And I'm only as good as you've taught me to be."

"I've tried to steer you on a good path." Garth said, not daring to glance at the peeking of horns on Toddlyn's head, "It is your own corrupted feelings that have held you back from your true potential."

"Thanks, dad." Toddlyn sighed sarcastically, she looked at the small wooden table in front of her. They sat on colorful cushions on the floor, the table just barely knocking their knees. The two sat at the table in the corner, Toddlyn's back to the inn, Garth's back to the outside wall. He could see anyone coming in or out, as well as their third party member at the bar who was currently slumped over. They were three of the few people in the inn today, though that hardly surprised Toddlyn. The whole of Samarkand had been barren, but this was still boarding on ghost town. Not to mention the fact that night had fallen and with it, the hope of more people coming to the village.

"I'm sorry," she said after a long silence, "I am grateful for all you've done for me. Letting me come along, teaching me more about," she looked at the glowing blue lines on her skin, "this."

Garth reached across the small space, grabbing her hand, "You're welcome." His smile, while revealing his age, was kind and showed wisdom Toddlyn could only dream of. There was a commotion at the small wooden bar against the back wall. Toddlyn and Garth turned, the latter releasing the former.

"You call that AGED wine?" Their other party member accused the skinny man behind the counter.

"Reaver." Both Garth and Toddlyn sighed, the former with irritation, the latter with exasperation. Without much warning, the Hero of Skill pushed himself away from the bar and staggered over to the small table.

"Why is this place FILLED with commoners who can't differentiate between GOOD wine and poorly squashed fruit?" Reaver directed his glared at Garth, who only raised an eyebrow in response.

"I'm surprised you could say such big words like 'differentiate"' and 'squashed', Reaver." Toddlyn mocked, moving till she was as far from Reaver as she could be without moving the cushion beneath her.

"I'm surprised some man hasn't swept you off your feet," Reaver swiftly, without a second thought, pulled his gun on Toddlyn, tucking it under her chin, "and made you a,"

"Reaver!" Garth barked, drawing the drunken mans attention to himself. The few other people in the inn said something in a hushed, frightened tone and scurried out, the bar and inn keeper gasped and ducked behind the bar.

Toddlyn, while used to Reaver's brash behavior, still swallowed uneasily as Reaver lowered his gun to rest on her collar bone. His finger still on the trigger. If he pulled, would she even have enough time to react?

"Put the gun away." Garth warned.

"Don't go protecting this Port Rat," Reaver slurred, leaning forward, his gun still pointed at Toddlyn, "I've caught this rat red handed."

"Red handed?" Garth demanded, "doing what?"

Toddlyn raised her right hand, ready to swipe the gun away till Reaver's head snapped back to look at her, "Why don't you tell him?" he purred, "Tell your precious teacher what you've been doing in your spare time, Port Rat?"

Toddlyn kept quiet, she had horns for a reason, and knew no matter what she did they'd never go away.

"Hard to break some habits," Reaver clicked back the hammer, "Isn't it? Sneaky, little, Port Rat." He said slowly, tilting his head one way and then the other.

"Toddlyn, what is he talking about?" Garth demanded.

"I went through his stuff." Toddlyn blurted out.

"That's not all you did," Reaver pressed the gun under her chin once again, "Tell him everything."

"Toddlyn, it's fine." Garth tried to reassure her, "You did those things as a child to survive, it's natural for those habits to kick in."

"Tell him." Reaver moved his finger back to the trigger.

"I read his journal." Toddlyn admitted, not realizing she was holding her breath.

"Bravo." Reaver pulled the gun out from under her chin, and Toddlyn took a shuddering breath.

"Toddlyn." Garth started slowly, "You must never invade someone's privacy." Toddlyn wanted to say that Reaver had left the journal in the pack they all shared in their trek across Samarkand. She wanted to say that she'd only taken a peek before Reaver had caught her and given her hell for it. However, she knew he was right. She had invaded someone's privacy, something Garth, of all people, valued as a private man.

"I'm sorry." Toddlyn began to apologize.

"You're just letting her off the hook like that?" Reaver demanded, "As a teacher you should take action," he raised his eyebrows provocatively. "Punish your student," he tried urging Garth who looked as disgusted as Toddlyn did.

"Unlike some people," Garth didn't look at Toddlyn, "I have self respect."

"Harsh." Reaver rolled his eyes, turning his gun on Garth and shooting the other man in the chest. Garth looked at his chest in shock, his uncovered eye growing wide, and hazy with pain.

"Run." he managed to choke out before slumping back against the wall. Toddlyn scrambled to her feet, dust kicking up behind her. She only managed to get outside the inn before Reaver tackled her.

In the huts around the inn people peeked out of their windows, watching the scuffle in the dark, illuminated by the lights from inside the inn. Reaver had managed to turn Toddlyn over, he straddled her, holding both her arms with one hand. His free hand yanked a small, glistening dagger from his waist.

"This will teach you," he lowered his body, his lips just barely brushing Toddlyn's ear, "Not to spy, little Port Rat."

Those watching from the safety of their huts quickly pulled the fabric back over their windows and ignored the screams from the young woman in the road. Toddlyn felt nothing, nothing aside from the snap that separated her from the suffering. Her head felt empty, her eyes tried to roll back, but couldn't. Everything had shifted ever so slightly to the left, it felt as if she were dying. He had to have shot her. She continued to scream, even after the starry sky had disappeared.