It had been nearly a year in Paliano, by Faust'ian's reckoning. He was a favorite of the queen and had even garnered praise as her foremost of scholars. But Faust'ian was restless. It had been months since Kaya had last been seen and he was nearly certain she was avoiding him. And when Faust'ian saw her striding off to another mission he cornered her amidst the beiges and browns of the marbled stone pillars.

"Since you're avoiding me, I guess I should just assume you will refuse yet again to teach me more." Faust'ian said with a low growl.

Kaya turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. "Hello to you, too, Faust'ian. I've not been avoiding you, I've just been busy."

Faust'ian frowned at her. "Doing what exactly?"

Kaya chuckled sardonically. "Oh, just this and that. My business isn't really any of yours."

"Yes, but..." Faust'ian paused and looked around to make sure no unwanted ears were upon them. "...You said you'd help me understand our... mutual condition. You owe me at least a basic walk through on how it all actually works."

Kaya crossed her arms and eyed Faust'ian, he dark skin in direct contrast with the pale gray cobblestones set smoothly in the streets. "I don't owe you anything. I kept my deal. I told you what I know. And I'm not quite sure how planeswalking works, it just does. If you want the science of it, maybe find someone else to help you. If it's so much trouble for you being here, then just go back home."

As she turned to leave, Faust'ian flinched at her words. "Because I can't go back home. My plane is dead and all I've got to show for it is a book of echoes and a broken bodyguard. If it's money you want, fine. I'll pay you. Her Majesty's been paying me handsomely and I've been living as modestly as possible. So I have a fortune saved. If that's what you want, so be it. I will pay."

Kaya screeched to a halt and turned to face Faust'ian again. "What do you mean book of echoes?"

Faust'ian's grip on his leather satchel tightened immediately with regret. "I will tell you more about it, if you train me to travel so I can find us a home. Deal?"

Kaya shrugged, trying to play it cool, but Faust'ian had noticed a small her crack in her facade. "Add a hundred gold florins and it's a deal."

Faust'ian nodded. "So the deal is simple. A hundred florins and information about my grimoire in exchange you teach me how to planeswalk. Right?"

Kaya scowled at Faust'ian. "What do you think I'm going cheat you or something?"

Faust'ian shook his head and tossed her a worn leather pouch, which she deftly caught.

"That's three hundred gold florins. A hundred for you and the rest for whatever other supplies we'll need."

Kaya looked at the pouch and back at Faust'ian. "Three hundred, huh? You mean I could have gotten more out of you?"

Faust'ian shrugged. "If there's anything I've learned from being on Fiora, it's that you better when if you gamble or risk losing it all. But in all honesty, I learned the hard way that it's always best to prepare for the worst. Oh, and one more thing. When you meet my parents, you have to promise me you won't kill them. Well, re-kill them."

Kaya snorted in amusement. "What are they like ghosts or something?"

Faust'ian looked away and Kaya chuckled. "Oh. They are ghosts! I swear I won't kill them, as long as they aren't murder victims or held against their will or anything like that. Unnatural or no, it's not what you're paying me for." But Kaya sobered up instantly. "But if they are ghosts as a result of cruelty, I swear this to you Faust'ian. I will end you before I end them."

Faust'ian looked her coldly in the eyes. "Were I the monster you implied me to be, I'd expect nothing less."

Kaya smirked and nodded. "Good to hear, Faust. Well, we're meeting on a dock I've got on the Corru River. I'll send you a message as to when and where."

Before he could respond, Kaya phased through the beige stone wall, a glow of purple lingering from her ankle beneath the fiery color of baked clay shingles.

Faust'ian crossed his arms in frustration. "You can come out now, Des."

Iri'desnet emerged from behind a nearby collumn. Her oaken armor had previously been only accentuated by hardened leather and polished silvery chitin, but Faust'ian noticed that lately it had adopted elements of electrum as well, matching his own outfit.

"That went well, eh Faust? Maybe a little too well. I don't know how to feel about you telling her about the book. How do you know she'll keep her word?"

Faust'ian eyed his friend and bodyguard. She has always eager to defend him, arguably overeager. "She will."

The Nettlekin glared at Faust'ian, tossing her blood colored back in haughty irritation to reveal slightly pointed ears. "How do you know, Bookmage, huh?"

Faust'ian held up a hand, in quiet acknowledgement. "I have a hunch, Des. And I usually am not wrong with my hunches lately, right? Just trust me. You're very paranoid, you know that? Loosen up a bit."

Iri'desnet scowled at Faust'ian and then let out a large sigh. "One of these days, Faust, my paranoia will be proven right."

Faust'ian chuckled bitterly. "And when it is, I will certainly have deserved the I told you so that follows. But I haven't failed you yet, have I? I mean aside from my best friend being the one to try to consume the plane or my old mentor who deceived him into doing it in the first place..."

Iri'desnet became less tense and put a hand on Faust'ian's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault."

Faust'ian shrugged off her hand and looked at the cobblestones. "Yeah, well, Airia is dead either way. You and me are all that's left."

The creature clawed itself out of Mock'ry's mouth. Tentacles ripped apart the suit of flesh and Mes'chre trembled by the forces of the ever growing beast. Faust'ian watched in horror as magic distorted around the monster before being drawn into some hidden maw. The creature was vast and all consuming, its strange chinitous head like an anvil that glowed with silvery glints like moonlight.

Faust'ian had to fight every instinct within himself to cast the one spell every Bookmage was taught on graduation but never expected to use. He opened his grimoire and began drawing sigils in the air, traces of violets, gold, cerulean, crimson, and emerald all meeting and collided with each angular flick of his wrist. He almost lost focus when the hand grabbed his arm and begged him to stop, but Faust'ian knew that he had to stop the fighting. He had to save them.

But as Faust'ian cast the spell, he knew it wasn't enough. And sure enough, the plane imploded around him and erupted into flames that sent him careening through a supernova of reality. In the dark emptiness between it all, the creature watched Faust'ian. It seemed to call to him before encasing itself into a sphere of silver. And like that, the creature was gone. But as a strange new world materialized around him and he faded to unconsciousness, he saw Iri'desnet gasping for air.