"Augh!" Cat yelps as her hand snaps up to her head.

Cicero looks up from penning his journal. "Another headache?"

"Yeah, you got anymore of that stuff?"

He frowns. "Cicero is afraid he's all out. You have used all of it."

"It should pass." Cat's tone is hopeful. "I've never had headaches this bad before." She grips her head with both hands, gritting her teeth. "God, it feels like a knife in my brain!"

"Wanderer? Are you alright?"

Unresponsive, Cat stands, stumbling across the stone floor. Her hands still grip her head as she groans louder with pain.

Cicero jumps to his feet. "Wanderer!" He rushes toward her.

Cat's body spasms and convulses, but she remains on her feet. Cicero reaches for her, but before he can get a grip, she spins around, facing him. Cat spreads her arms with her fingers outstretched and her eyes frozen in a wide, vacant stare. Her body is motionless and her eyes are no longer a beautiful sea green. From corner to corner, they've darkened to a steel gray. Inside their centers, Cicero notices the outline of yellow glowing rings. They look almost... mechanical.

"W – Wanderer?" For the first time in a very long time, Cicero is frightened. Is his Wanderer hurt? Is she in distress? His poor dear Wanderer! He approaches her with hesitation.

Cat blinks. Her eyes continue to stare ahead, unfocused on Cicero, unfocused on anything at all. "Greetings," she says in a voice that sounds unlike her own. The voice has a metallic timbre to it – a subtle reverb that echoes with a hint of something not quite human. "This Communication Access Terminal is now activated." …. "Greetings."

Cicero backs away ever so slightly, reaching for the blade fastened to his hip. "Greetings," he replies, unsure of how else to respond.

"Scan complete." … "Accessing identification code." … "Identification code 0001E64A acquired." … "Greetings Cicero."

Cicero's grip on his blade tightens ever so slightly.

"Accessing designation." … "Cicero: Designation: Assassin. Sub-designation: Keeper." … "Incoming message from unknown identification code." … "Designation: Night Mother." … "Continue with message?"

Cicero's heart skips a beat and he nearly drops his dagger. "Mother?" he asks.

"Continue with message?"

Cicero breathes deep through his nose, then loudly exhales with frustration, "For the love of Sithis, YES!"

Cat's glowing eyes speedily bounce from left to right. "Message processed." … "Retrieval in progress." … "Subject: Darkness rises when silence dies. Message: Travel to Volunruud. Speak with Amaund Motierre."

Falling to his knees, Cicero looks up at Cat and shouts, "What?!"

"Message replay command accepted." … "Subject: Darkness rises when silence dies. Message: Travel to Volunruud. Speak with Amaund Motierre."

"Those words!" cries Cicero. "How could you know those words? WHO TOLD YOU?!"

Cat blinks. "Inquiry received." … "Processing." … "Processing complete." … "Reply: Message sender designation: Night Mother. Identification code unknown."

Cicero's face contorts with a mixture of befuddlement, hope, and dread. "Does this mean I'm the Listener? Or does this mean you're the Listener?!" He claps a hand over his mouth.

"Inquiry received." … "Processing." … "Error. Inquiry unclear." … "Do you wish to discard this message?"

Cicero grabs his jester hat from his head and frantically twists it in his hands. "NO!"

"Message saved." … "No further messages are available." … "This Communication Access Terminal will deactivate in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

Cat collapses into Cicero's arms, both of them sprawled across the cold floor. Cradling her, he lifts her head only to see that her eyes are now closed.

"Wanderer, wake up!" says Cicero, desperately moving her chin back and forth to arouse her from her stupor.

Cat's eyes flutter open and they are back to their usual sea green color. She groggily mutters, "W – what happened? Why are we on the floor?"

"Wanderer..." Cicero gives a small gasp as he wipes something from her upper lip. "Your nose is bleeding..."