Mara had trekked along the path for what seemed like hours, and she decided to make a quick stop at Oster Cemetery. She walked over to her mother's grave and began to speak.
"Hello, mother," she enounced. "I'm sure you've heard the news already, but I defeated the Minotaur. I risked my own life to save countless others, and he is now safely locked up in the Silent Tower. Our battle was long and difficult, and I sustained heavy injuries and nearly died, but now people can rest easy."
The water mage took a deep breath before finishing her statement. "Well, I'd better get back to Summer Hold. People revere me as a saint now, and I've begun to suspect that my friends at home are planning a party for me. I hope you're doing well up there. I love you."
Mara exited the cemetery and continued heading south. She walked for a while until she made it back to Summer Hold, except the town seemed a bit different. It didn't take long for the townsfolk to notice the water mage and yell, "Welcome home, Mara!"
Mara donned a shocked expression. She figured a party would be held in her honor, but she didn't expect a party this big. Everyone crowded around her and began to cheer. Even King David Silver was there to congratulate her. The water mage was truly overwhelmed with emotions from all the positive feedback she received.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned mineshaft, a woman with long, purple pigtails in black clothes had been scrolling through her news feed on her MagiSlab. She seemed to wear a displeased countenance as she saw the headline.
"So, the Minotaur has been captured," implied the woman. "Conquering the world may be tougher now than before." She continued reading and saw the name of the hero who defeated the big brute. "This Mara Stone character may be a lot more trouble than she's worth. I ought to strengthen my magic if I want to eliminate this pest."
The woman began to make her way out of the cave until she encountered a young and innocent wizard. "Hey," he shouted, "you're one of those criminals the Magic Council is trying to hunt down! I can't let you hurt anymore people!"
"Tsk, tsk," the woman taunted. "You goody-two-shoes wizards make me sick." She then casted a powerful poison spell, and the young wizard began to choke. She continued blasting him with poison spells until he was on his knees.
"You and your dark wizard friends can't win," the young wizard coughed. "Mara Stone will see to your demise."
"If you're so confident in your 'saint'," jeered the woman, "tell her that Ivy Marshall would kill to meet her in person."
With what little energy he had left, the young wizard fled the cave, leaving behind a cackling Ivy. He kept running until he bumped into a traveling merchant. He told the merchant about the powerful dark wizard he encountered, and the merchant decided to head to Summer Hold to warn Mara about the possible threat.
