A dull throbbing in my back pulls me awake. I hadn't fully appreciated the magic of matresses until now.
A yawn escapes and I stretch widely. Aside from the achiness, I actually feel well rested.
I sit up and glance around. Zack leans against a tree with his head down. His hair covers his eyes so I can't tell if they're open or closed.
Regardless, his hands rest on the handles of his dischargers. Always prepared, I see.
Looking around again, I fail to spot Leanna. Where did she go?
I think I heard a cry in the distance. Is that her? I should investigate.
Crossing over a hill, I see Leanna practicing in an open field. She grips her blade in a fighting stance, her face stern with concentration.

"Hyah!"

She swings her blade in a high arc, ending with a graceful spin. Judging by how fluid and accurate her movement is, it's clear she has dedicated many years to perfecting her craft.
Her hair whips around her as she turns, but never seems to blow in her face.
Even with heavy armor, her movements are still nimble, as if she's wearing no armor at all. Only great warriors can be this agile in such an armor.
Once she notices me, she lowers her sword.

"Oh sorry, did I wake you? I moved out here so I wouldn't disturb you."
How considerate can one person be?

"No, I was already up. I didn't see you at camp so I came looking."

"Gotcha."

"Poi!"
Glancing down my feet, I spot the beaming pango. Leanna giggles.

"Looks like you guys are best friends already!"

I can't deny I already grew fond of that little blob.
"The best of friends! Isn't that right?"

The pango nods excitedly.
"Poi poi!"

Taking that as a confirmation, I continue.
"It's pretty early. Do you always begin your mornings with a warm up?"

Leanna nods.
"It helps me wake up and prepare for the day ahead. Also, it's become a part of my routine so it just doesn't feel right when I don't do it."

"I know what you mean. I can't really go through with my morning routine from Odessen here on Terra and it feels a bit strange."
Though I have to admit that it is a nice diversion from hearing problems from all around the galaxy all day.

"Right."
Leanna looks down.

The awkwardness creeps into the silence. She probably took that in a negative way, which wasn't my intention.
"That's okay, though, I can always make a new routine!"

"New routine?"

I unsheath my blade and grip it.
"This morning practise you do seems like a good place to start."
I can spend more time with her and get some sword training in. It's a win-win situation.

She grins, so I think she likes the idea as well.
"Considering how well you handled yourself yesterday, I'm curious to see what's the extend of your skillset."

I smirk.
"Only one way to find out. So, what's the lession today?"

She focuses and matches my fighting stance by raising her sword.
"Since you already have some experience with a blade, sparring will be the best way to gauge your skills!"

I tighten the grip on my blade.
"Ready when you are!"

"Here I come!"

Leanna dashes towards me. Her movements seem slower than what they were during the bandit fight. It seems like she isn't using her wind magic.
I manage to keep pace with her, but every time I think I'm about to get the upperhand, her intensity increases until we're equally matched again.
Even so, I could feel her holding back. Without using magic, Mage-Knights are still a formidable opponent with the sword... Especially if they're anything like Leanna.
We go back and forth with a few more swings, until Leanna strikes from above.
I hurridly block with my sword, but I lose my balance in my hurry and topple to the ground, landing on my back.
"Oof."

Leanna kneels down beside me.
"Your fundamentals are solid. If you keep practicing, I'm sure you'll be a formidable warrior in no time!"

"That's pretty high praise when it's coming from you."

She smiles and blushes. Cute.
Leanna extends a hand and helps me back onto my feet.

"It would be better if I could watch you spar with someone else. That way, I can see your movements from different angles and give you better feedback."

A grand idea, but...
"Unless the pango can use a sword, the only other option is Zack."

I look around and spot Zack leaning against a tree closer to our sparring location. He watches us with his arms crossed. Wait, how long has he been here and how come I didn't notice him?
Leanna rushes over to him.

"Zack!"

"Hm?"

"Would you be willing to duel with him?"
She points to me.
"I'd like to get a better look at his technique."

He merely stares at her.
"Oh... right. You'd need a blade."

Leanna hands her blade to Zack. He takes it from her and inspects it.
"What are the rules of the duel?"

"Standard spar. Be the first one to knock your opponent to the ground."

Zack nods and heads toward the field.
As Leanna returns to me, we share a glance. That was suprisingly easy.
I guess it's not in his nature to back down from a fight... even if it's a fake one. I'm still sure he would make a fine mandalorian.

"Are you two ready?"

I step a decent distance away from Zack and ready my blade.

"Yes."

Zack continues to stand there. I look at Leanna again and she just shrugs.
He nods.

"Okay, begin!"

I immediatly rush forward and just barely notice how he draws his gun. I reflexively raise my blade to block the blast. It connects and the force behind it is greater than anticipated, it knocks the blade straight out of my hand.
He fires again and suddenly I'm on the ground, staring at the sky with an aching pain in my chest and the wind knocked out of me.
I groan.

"Strange, I thought he'd last at least three shots."
He sounds smug. Well, at least he's not indifferent anymore.

"Zack!"
Uh oh, Leanna's mad.

"What?"

"Why did you use your discharger?!"

"Why not?"
He has a point.

Leanna don't seem to see it, as she steps forward.
"The whole point was to have a sword match with him!"

"You didn't list that as a rule."
True again.

But Leanna's frustration is evident in her voice.
"Why else would I give you my sword?"

"Why did you give me your sword?"

"For you to use!"
She snatches her blade back from Zack and heads over to me.

"Are you hurt?"

"So this is what it feels like to be emasculated... twice."
My gaze drifts slightly past Leanna to the blue sky behind her.
"At least the view is nice."

Leanna helps me up again.

"The one and only lesson you need to know when fighting: do whatever it takes to win."

Memories of Darth Thanaton, Arcann, Vaylin and Valkorion cross my mind.
"I already know that one."

Zack didn't hear me mutter, because he turns around as soon as he's done speaking and heads back to the campsite.

Leanna huffs.
"Mercenaries can be so annoying sometimes."

"Maybe so, but this point is pretty valid."

Leanna shakes her head.
"There's more to a battle than winning, like honor, justice, and even mercy if the case calls for it. The last thing you want to do is forget who you are and turn into your enemy."

"While it is admirable to hold onto one's gospel, sometimes it is absolutely crucial to win, and you have to use every advantage you can get. Let's say you are against an enemy you know you can't beat without swallowing your pride and do something you absolutely don't want to, but the whole kingdom is at stake."

"You speak out of experience, don't you? Did something like that happen to you?"

"Yes. My whole life..."

She seems to notice my scowl.
"Anyway, I think we've had enough practice for one day. We should pack up and continue on our journey."

I nod and follow Leanna back to camp.
We pack up our things and clean up the campsite. Then we continue our journey.

As we walk, we slip into a comfortable silence. Zack lingers behind Leanna and I while the pango returns to his usual spot on my head.
I let my gaze travel across the marvelous landscape. Rolling hills with green grass on one side, and a forest with tall trees to the other, I can't help but be in awe of the natural beauty. While I visited many beautiful planets before, like Alderaan and Rishii, this is still something special.

After a few hours of gazing at the landscape, it doesn't feel like we're getting any closer, though.
"So... how long until we reach Illumia?"

"We'll need to stop at Raven Pass to restock and spend the night, but if we continue to make good time, we'll reach Illumia by mid-day tomorrow."

One more day of walking. Oh, how I miss Storm Rider...
I nod, and we fall back into silence.

By mid-afternoon, we arrive at the gates of a settlement even smaller than Meadowhill Village.
The town consists of an inn and a few shops - the bare essentials. They probably only ever see travelers like us, people passing through on their way to Illumia.

"Okay, we should stock up on supplies.", Leanna speaks up.

"I'll be making a stop at the weaponsmith."
Zack pats the two holstered dischargers by his side. Now that I think about it, I only saw him use one during that bandit ambush. The other one must have already been damaged.

"I'll check out the shops since my weopons are okay on repairs."

"I'll go with you."
More time with her is always a plus.

Leanna smiles.

Zack nods.
"See you soon then."
He turns down another path.

"Let's go!"
She sure is energetic for walking about more than half a day. Not that I complain.
Leanna smiles back at me as she leads the way to the shops.
Her smiles could very well become my only weakness...
Oops, I zoned off a bit.
"Wait up!"

We find the general store with ease since the marketplace itself is quite small. In fact, I'm suprised at how busy this store is.
I guess if you're the only general store around, business is bound to be good.
As Leanna picks out a couple items, I look around the shop. I notice people of all backgrounds, wearing clothes ranging from the leather I'd seen in Meadowhill to intricately embroidered robes. They aren't as elegant as my own, of course, but they don't look bad. They really get all types travelling through here, though.
Once Leanna is finished, I follow her to the counter to pay for our items.

"Will that be all for today?"

Leanna nods with a friendly smile gracing her lips.

"Your total comes to 34 coins."

Leanna's eyes widen.

"34 coins for these? It should be at most 30!"

The shopkeeper frowns apologetically. He doesn't seem too happy about the price either.
"I'm sorry, miss. The goods themselves are only 20 coins. The rest of the cost is the 70% tax."

70%? That is about as much as the Republic and the Sith Empire had to pay Zakuul every month after their defeat. And way too high to pass off to the common folk.

Leanna furrows her brow.
"I don't remember the tax being so high in the past."

"The mayor only recently increased the tax..."

"Has no one asked why? It doesn't seem fair."
Such high taxes are almost never fair. Maybe they lost a war, too? It can't be helped in such cases.

The man nods.
"We did in the beginning, but then the Mayor hired 'enforcers' of the new law."
Something's fishy here...

Leanna frowns, but doesn't say anything more. The shopkeeper continues to look apolegetic as he gestures at her items.
"I'm really sorry, miss, but I don't have any other choice."

"I understand. It's not your fault."
She hands over the coins.

"Thank you for understanding. Safe travels."

As we head out, Leanna seems quiter than usual.
"Are you okay?"
I think I know what's on her mind right now, but I can't help to be worried.

"Something about this just doesn't seem right. New tax rules and new guards to enforce them? I came through here only a few days ago on my way to Meadowhill and the tax hadn't been changed then. It all seems too sudden."

"We should find out what's going on here."
I'm always one for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong.

Leanna blinks.
"Really?"

I nod.
"We can't just leave it alone if something foul is at play here."

Leanna smiles. And the additional hassle is already worth it.
"You're right. Anyway, let's go meet up with Zack."

I nod.

We make our way to the lane of armoury and smiths and peek through a few shop windows before we spot Zack. A guard looms over him.
"Uh oh, this doesn't look promising..."

Leanna frowns as we enter the shop.

"This doesn't concern you. Stay out of it!"

"It became my concern when you threatened him in front of me!"

"Threatened? All I told him was what 'may' happen to his store if he doesn't pay up for these protective services."
This scum sounds like a goon of the Hutt Cartel...

"Leave. Now."
Zack's tone leaves no room for argument. Seems like he's about as mad as me, so it would be a good idea for that 'guard' to leave.

The guard laughs. Goons like that usually lack intelligence, so it's not suprising.
"What makes you think I'd listen to you?"

Zack glares at the guard as he flips open his coat and reveals his discharger. He grips the second one on the table.

The color drained from the guards face.
"Two dischargers with purple spheres and a black trenchcoat... It can't be..."

Zack shifts slightly, increasing the ferocity in his eyes. The guard tries to hide his fear with false bravado. He turns to the shopkeeper.
"You're lucky your friend was here today. He won't always be here though."

After imparting one last more or less subtle threat, the guard hurries out of the shop, brushing past Leanna and I. I was close to trip him up.

Zack relaxes and the shopkeeper sighs in relief.
"Thank you."

"That have to do with the new tax you mentioned?"

The shopkeeper nods.
"The taxes just keep growing. I've tried to hold my prices as low as possible for my costumers, but then our taxes grow and... well... you saw what happens next..."

His fingers tremble as he takes back the discharger. I think he's still shaken up by what happened. Understandable, not everyone has to deal with something like this on a day to day basis.
"I'm sorry, I still need a few more minutes to finish up the repairs. It would have been done by now if we hadn't been interrupted."

Zack nods. The weaponsmith gives him a grateful smile as he returns to his workroom.

"Tax issues again."
They managed to piss me off.

"It looks like it's affecting all of the stores, and it's only going to get worse."

"I'm not going to let it escalate."

Leanna and I glance at Zack in suprise.
"You two head to the inn. I have something to take care of first."

"What are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to pay a visit to the mayor."

That is remarkable, but...
"A gun-for-hire working for free?"

For a second, a shadow of regret crosses his face so quickly I wonder if I actually saw it. It's soon replaced with his usual blank stare.
"I'm sure a sizeable reward will be offered by the shopkeepers for lowering their taxes."

Now I know he's just acting tough. Even if the shopkeepers did want to give a reward, I doubt they have the money right now. But at least I know now that he is a decent person. I can work with that.

Leanna frowns.
"As much as I disagree with your reasoning, I also want to get to the bottom of this."

"I'm in too."

The shopkeeper returns and places Zack's discharger on the counter.
"All fixed."

"Thanks. Here."
Zack offers coins to the vendor, who shakes his head.
"Please don't worry about it. You've already done me a huge favour by helping me with the guard."

Zack holsters his discharger and places the coins on the counter anyway.
"I insist."

The shopkeeper looks conflicted, then sighs and nods gratefully.

Zack leads the way out of the shop and through the town. His footsteps are long and full of purpose, which is a change from his quiet, cautious demeanor.
I can't help but look at him with newfound respect. This is the first time I've seen him so determined and driven.

Soon we arrive in front of a large, elaborate mansion. It looks very out of place compared to the modest shops in the rest of the town.
Two men guard the entrance.

"Hm."
Zack pauses and sizes up the guards.

"I doubt they'll just let us waltz in to see the mayor."

Zack nods and readies his discharger.
"Agreed."

"W-What are you guys planning?"
Leanna's slightly fearful voice makes my heart tremble.

I try to reassure her.
"We'll knock them out and make our way in."

Zack blinks, then fiddles with his discharger.
"Right... Just knock them out..."

Leanna looks at Zack.
"I don't agree with this decision. We don't know for sure these guards are bad."

I just can't bring myself to disagree with her on that one. She does already have more influence on me as she thinks. Weither that is good or bad remains to be seen.
"She does have a point. We might be jumping to conclusions. Maybe we should try talking with them first?"

"I doubt that would work."

"It doesn't hurt to try."
Leanna sounds more optimistic now. I'm reliefed.

Zack frowns, but after some thought, he nods.
"We'll try that first. If that fails, we go to plan B."

"Plan B?"

Zack has already moved towards the guards and doesn't hear Leanna's question. She faces me.
"Do you know what his plan B is?"

"I assume the B stands for 'breaking in'."

"Let's just hope it doesn't resort to that."

"Yeah, I hope so too."

We catch up to Zack.

"Halt, what is your business here?"

"We're here to see the mayor."

"Does he expect your audience?"

Zack shakes his head.
"No, but I need to speak with him about this latest tax hike."

The other guard chimes in.
"The tax hike?"

The guards glance at each other and lower their weapons slightly. It almost seems as if they disappprove of the taxes too.

"You guys don't seem to happy with the taxes either."
Leanna's voice is understanding but firm.

One of the guards hesistates, then nods.
"My sister runs the bakery in town and the taxes have been hurting her business."

"Then why haven't you done anything about it?"
Zack is not amused.

"We've tried, as have some of the other guards. When we protested, the treasurer recommended the mayor to hire 'real' guards.
He gloweres as he mentions the treasurer.

"Treasurer?"

"Yeah. Things have gotten really strange ever since he came to town. Suddenly the Mayor is passing crazy rules he never would have passed before.

The other guard elbows his comrade.
"Quiet down! Do you want one of his lackeys to hear?"

The first guard frowns and falls silent. Leanna raises her hand to her chin in thought.
"This treasurer sounds really suspicious."

I think she just spoke all of our minds.

The guard motions to her manipulator.
"Wait, you're a Mage-Knight?"

Leanna blinks.
"Yes, that's correct.

"Can you scan the treasurer for Magic use?! I swear he's doing-"

"Not your crazy theories again! They already have a court mage to see to that."

"Yes, a court mage who was assigned by the treasurer."

The second guard frowns but doesn't reply.

"If we let you through, will you just scan around and see if you notice anything?"

Leanna nods.
"Yes, I'll do what I can."

"Just be careful. Some of the treasurer's hired guards may not be so fond of you poling around."

Both guards step to the side.
"On your way."

"Let's go."

Hmm, this went better than expected. But then again, I half expected to have to battle through half the garrison here.

Zack leads the way again. We follow behind as Leanna fiddles with her manipulator.
As we progress through the mansion, we pass unnoticed by the clerks and guards miling about.
They must assume we have a reason to be here if we got through the front door.

Leanna stares intently at her manipulator, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"This doesn't make any sense."

"What is it?"

"The readings... they're so erratic... it's almost like there's-but there can't be..."
Okay, now I'm concerned. For her sake, not for mine, of course.

"There's what?

"Shadow magic."

Zack looks sharply at Leanna.
"Shadow magic?"

She reluctantly nods.

Zack sets his jaw and thightens the grip on his discharger.

The way she pronounced it and Zack's reaction implies that this 'shadow magic' is not welcome here. If my theory is correct, then I found the element balancing the others. But I need more informations to confirm my assumptions.

"Shadow magic, huh? Someone mind telling me what that is?"

"It's forbidden magic."

Really now? I sense great powers waiting for me.
She's entirely focused on her manipulator, though.

"It's coming from-"
She jogs down a hallway and stops in front of fancy looking wooden double doors.
"-Behind there."

Suddenly, a voice calls out from behind us.
"It's you!"

Standing down the hall is the same guard from the shop.
"How did you get in here? Intruders!"

All eyes fall on us as he begins yelling. The guards who previously ignored us, now draw their weapons as they close in.
Zack pulls out his dischargers.
"You go deal with whatever that is. I'll keep them busy here."

Zack kicks down one of the tables and drops behind it for cover.
"Go, now!"
As he raises his guns, purple energy swirls to life. He rains a hail of energy bolts down the hall in supressive fire.

Leanna bursts through the doors, and I stay at her heels. The noise from the battle gradually fades away as we run deeper into the mansion.
Eventually, the hall leads into a study. A carved wooden desk, laden with books and ledgers, is in the center with bookcases surrounding it.
A man wearing a hooded dark robe sits at the desk. He sribbles something with one hand while the other hand is hidden within his robe. The man just screams 'Sith'.
An older man sits on the other side of the desk. His greying hair sticks out in strange angles and his embroidered clothes are slightly askew.
He stares at the ledgers on the desk, but his eyes are dull, as if they aren't really seing it. Two guards stand by the doorway, as still as statues, with the same dull eyes.
That is probably the second strongest form of mind control I've seen up to this point. I need to know how he is doing that.
My musings are cut short as the treasurer rises to his feet.
"Who let these two in?! I explicitly said no visitors!"

Leanna's manipulator pulses wildly, especially when she raises her arm towards him.
"It's him! He's the source of the shadow magic!"

I wouldn't have guessed. But his obvious attire aside, I can feel the dark power emitting from him as well.

Neither the mayor nor the guards react.

"How dare you making such accusations! Arrest her immediately!"

The guards ready their weapons.

I look around the room again. I don't want to hurt them. Leanna seems to misinterpret my expression, though.
"It's no use. He's influencing them with shadow magic!"

You are influencing me, woman. He controls them. But I'm smart enough to keep that thought to myself.

A gust of wind gatheres around Leanna, violently whipping her hair and clothes. It concentrates in her gauntleted palm, and she hurls it at them.
The wind knocks the guards against the walls and blows open the robe of the treasurer, exposing his hidden hand.
Within his palm is a dark crystal sphere. It looks like a marble of darkness and swirling smoke. It reminds me of the seeds of rage, although they were more cylindrical.
From within the crystal are shadow tendrils which extend to the Mayor and his two unconscious guards.

Leanna's voice is flat when she speaks. I've never heard her sound so serious before.
"A tainted sphere and the branding of VOID."

"You... You have seen too much!"
The treasurer raises the black sphere high and shadow energy shoots straight towards Leanna.
She raises her hand and creates another ball of wind which she fires at the shadowy bolt.
The shadow ball cuts through Leanna's magic like a lightsaber through most matter and her wind scatters harmlessly into the room.

She gasps suprised.
"Ah!"

An image of her being impaled by that energy flashes briefly through my mind...
"Leanna!"

I dash towards her and knock her out of the way. I take the full brunt of the shadow blast and I'm flung back against the wall. Agony sears my body. This power is more potent than I expected, I admit.
I grit through the pain and look at Leanna. It doesn't look like any of the magic hit her. I'm glad.
She rushes over, her face a mix of bewilderment and concern.

I muster up a smile.
"Go get 'em."

"That was so reckless..."
Her voice is small and I am once again abashed by her concern. She really does care about me, doesn't she?
Leanna unsheathes her blade.
A determined fire in her eyes, she faces the treasurer and raises her sword.
Her manipulator glows with power which flows into her blade, encasing it in a similar glow.
Magic particles swirl around as static sparks of energy lash out from her weapon.
In an instant she dashes towards the treasurer at a speed even I have to admit is quite impressive.
He fires two shadow bolts, but Leanna uses her blade to cut through the air and shoots off two slices of energy which cut through the shadow magic.

Interesting. Either she has received a power surge or my theory of balance was wrong.

The treasurer seems perplexed as well.
"What?!"

"Hyahhh!"
Leanna lunges and charges her blade towards the treasurer.

"!"
It was at this moment that he knew, he screwed up.
But just before her sword could pierce him, the treasure throws his tainted sphere to the ground.
It shatters apart and the shadowy mist leaks out of the orb, enclosing the room in a dark fog.
The thick fog clouds my vision, so I can't see anything. However, I don't feel the presence of the treasurer anymore. As it begins to fade, I make out Leanna watching her surroundings, but the treasurer is nowhere to be seen.
When she doesn't see her enemy, the glow from her sword fades away.

"Ugh..."
The mayor lets out a throaty groan. He rubs at his head, his eyes now looking groggy like somebody who has just woken up.
"What is...?"

Leanna sheathes her blade.
"Take it easy. You were under the effects of shadow magic."

"...Shadow magic...?"
He shakes his head as if to free his thoughts. He must be trying to shake off the lingering effects of the magic.
"Is.. is it finally over...?"

Leanna nods.

The mayor takes a few more minutes to compose himself. When his eyes seem more focused, he sighs in relief.
"You have my thanks."

Suddenly the door barges open and Zack races in. Behind him is a wave of guards.
"Stop him!"

"He's with us!"
Leanna's response is as swift as her sword.

The mayor stands unsteadily on his feet but adresses the guards.
"Leave them be!"

"But they-"

"I said leave them be!"

They hesitate and shoot confused glances at each other, but ultimately follow the order and lower their weapons.

"Took you guys long enough."
I'm happy to see you, too.

He looks at me,
"What are you doing down there?"

I groan as I rotate onto my back. I was so mesmerized by Leanna's fierce side that I completely forgot to heal myself. Eh, I can do that later. Leanna offers me a hand, which I accept.
"He took a shadow blast... Aimed for me..."

Zack blinks in suprise, but looks impressed.
"Seems like you ended up being useful after all."

Say that again and I'll show you how useful I can really get. Luckily, I know it's just his way of showing his respect.
"Thanks?"

Leanna checks her manipulator, but it remains still.
"The shadow magic is gone."

Not quite, since I absorbed a bit, but I guess I don't mention it. I want to study it further this evening.
The mayor seems much more alert, though.
"It was my treasurer, wasn't it?"

Leanna nods. He sighs heavily and sits back down in his chair.
"When he first arrived into town I thought he would be like all the other travelers and go on his way. But he said he knew how to make this town even greater than what it is now. He had ideas on how we could become more than just a wayward stop. The first step was to increase taxes to build up our treasury..."

He hangs his head in his hands.
"All I wanted was to help the people here have better lives, but all I've done is cause them suffering."

"You weren't in control of yourself."

"But it was me who made all the rulings and enforced those tax laws."

Leanna shakes her head.
"It wasn't you. That man had a tainted sphere and he was using it to influence you."

The mayor leans back. He looks tired, as if a huge weight was dropped on him.
"I don't deserve to continue as mayor of this town."

This is an admirable leader. To realise a mistake and offering to step down because of it takes guts. Heh, the complete opposite of Saresh. I'm just glad we dealt with her. Permanently.

One of the guards steps forward.
"That's not true!"

I look over at the voice and recognize him as one of the guards formerly controlled by shadow magic.
"I know what it's like. When he used that magic, all I could think about was how I could become an honor guard... That thought was overwhelming and I'd do anything to achieve it. I know that wasn't the real you, mayor."

The other formerly controlled guard steps forward and nods.
"Me too. Little Garrett still plays with the toy sword you gave him for his birthday. Says he's practicing for when he joins the guard too."

The other guards in the room murmur their assent.
"There's nobody who can run this town better than you."

The mayor glances at the hopeful faces of his guard. In this small town, I believe that he knows each of them by name.
Finally, he gives them a weak smile.
"I suppose somebody needs to clean up this mess."

He gets back to his feet and turns to us.
"I don't know how to thank you for what you've done for us."

Leanna smiles warmly.
"I'm glad we were able to help."

Zack and I nod.

"You must be exhausted. Please feel free to stay at Raven Pass for as long as you like. You are always welcome here."

"Thank you."

The three of us leave the mayor to his business and head out of the mansion.
Once outside, I glance up at the darkening sky. Leanna mirrors my movements.
"We should rest up for the night."

"Agreed."

I nod.
Ha! I said less then Zack.

"I saw the inn back towards the shops."

Zack leads the way. After turning down a sidestreet, we see the lighted sign for the Hogs Head Inn. I stifle a yawn as we head inside.
Zack and I sit down while Leanna speaks with the innkeeper. She returns with two room keys, looking a bit shoked. Wordlessly, she passes one to Zack.
"What's going on?"

"The innkeeper refused to let us pay for the rooms or food. Said it was by order of the mayor, and one he would happily oblige."

"That was really nice of him."
Though I expected something in this line.

She nods.

Another silence falls over us, but this one feels natural and not a bit uncomfortable.
After a few more minutes, the staff brings out three steaming bowls and places one in front of each of us.
Once the bowl hits the table, Zack digs in with gusto and practically inhales his food.
Leanna and I share a look before we grab our spoons. It can't be this good, right?

"Ah, stew again?"

She nods.
"It's hearty and filling."

Can't argue with that. And still better than rations.
"Rabbit again?"

"Actually, this time it's venison."

I take a bite. I was wrong. Now I understand Zack.
"No way, this is even better!"

Leanna grins.
"I like venison more."

Venison, got that. I have no clue what that may be, but I'll remember it.
I try not to wince every time I use my spoon. The fire has eased out of my body but my shoulder still throbs from when I landed on the ground. It's nothing major, but it's uncomfortable.
Leanna glances at me, then gets up and walks back to the innkeeper. She returns with a compress in her hand.
She offers it to me with a smile.
"This should help with the pain."

I hold it against my shoulder and smile appreciately as the pain slowly melts into a dull ache, only partially due to the compress.
"Thanks for helping me back there."

I smile.
"Anytime."

I continue to dig into my meal.
"So, what exactly makes shadow magic bad?"

"It's far more dangerous than any other elemental magic and it's incredibly unstable and volatile."
Sounds familiar.
"The most serious thought of shadow Magic is how it's able to amplify the shadowy thoughts in someone's mind."

Sounds familiar as well.
"So the treasurer was manipulating what the mayor was already feeling?"

She nods.
"He might have wanted to help the town by looking to expand, but there's also a bit of selfishness on his part for wanting to do that too. Either greed for more money coming in and more luxurious goods, or wanting more fame or recognition."

"Everyone has thoughts like that. It's just a matter of keeping those thoughts in check."
Darn, Zack has beaten me to the punch.

Leanna nods.
"Shadow magic, unfortunately, let's those desires loose in a destructive way."

"Is there any way to block against it?"

"Unless you are a mage, not really."
Zack seems to speak out of experience.

Leanna picks at her food.
"Most people can't control the magic well, and it's very easy to backfire and cause more harm to the caster than the intended target."

"The treasurer seemed to be handling it well."

She looks even more worried.
"I know, which is even more troubling considering the fact that shadow magic is outlawed in Havengarde."

Zack pushes his now empty bowl away from him.
"I think he's part of VOID."

Leanna's frown deepens.
"I think so too. I noticed the branding on his forearm."

"What's VOID?"

"They're practitioners of shadow magic. They first rose to power during the struggle of the three kingdoms, before the Treaty of Esaria. They wanted to grow their power and the outreach of shadow magic, and a lot of innocent people were killed in the process. At the height of their power, they grew so powerful and were so destructive that the three kingdoms had to set aside their differences and band together."

Zack's finished and Leanna continues.
"That's when the treaty was formed. Part of the agreement was to outlaw shadow magic."

"Are you really telling me it took three kingdoms to take out one cult?"
Then again, it took both the Republic and the Empire to take out Revan's cult as well. Where do I optain these powers?

"Shadow magic is a lot more powerful than any other elemental magic, which is why there are people who still want to practise it. It's impossible to stabalise the magic, so it's deemed too dangerous to be used."

Zack nods.

"I see."
No wonder both Leanna and Zack seemed so grim when they first noticed the shadow magic. From what I've gathered so far, I mustn't take this world and their mages lightly.
I stifle another yawn.

"Is everyone done eating?"

Zack and I both nod.

"Then I suggest we head to bed."

"I second that motion! I'm exhausted."

"I know."
She grins and I can feel a rush of warmth to my face. I guess she saw my yawn.

Zack leads the way upstairs and, clutching one of the keys. We stop in front of two adjoining doors.
"Well, goodnight then."

"Goodnight."

Zack nods.

Leanna turns the key and lets herself into the room.
Then gently closes the door behind her.

Zack also turns the key and lets himself into the second room. As I'm about to follow him in, the door slams shut!
Very funny. I turn the handle, but it's locked.
What the hell?
"Zack, let me in."

He ignores me, so I pound on the door.
"Come on, let me in."

He doesn't answer, but a couple of people are poking their heads out of their rooms and glare at me.
"Sorry."

I gently knock on the door again.
"Either you open up now, or I'll do it."
My patience for such crap is running thin.

...No answer.

"3."

Nothing.

"2."

Still nothing.

"1."

Suddenly, the door swings open and I walk in. The first thing I notice after throwing Zack a glare are the two twin beds. Zack lounges on one and fixes his stony gaze on me.
"What the hell was that? Why didn't you let me in?"

"No space."

I supressed a twitching eyebrow.
"There are two beds!"

Zack wordlessly walks over to the other bed and pulls back the blankets. Tucked inside the bed are both of his dischargers.

"Not cool, man! Not cool."

I go to remove the weapons.
"What are you doing?"

"This is my bed."

"But then where will they sleep?"

I bite back a strongly worded retort and just look at him. Finally, he sighs and collects his dischargers.

I lie back on the bed, secretly cast a self heal and, as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm asleep.