Nearly three months goes by, spent figuring out how to reverse the curse on the Estoc - and solving each riddle only seems to make the weapon stronger, an added bonus - and continuing to repair Caed Nua.

They also traveled to Dyrford, found the site where Eder's brother, Woden, died and managed to find the top of a banner pole from the Readceran side. Woden touched it for an instant, which Cera used to then track his path from Gilded Vale - he made it as far as Defiance Bay, then took a very sharp turn in a beeline towards Readceras. Whatever his reasons though, whatever it was that made him stay, it was lost in a thunderous noise that was Waidwen's voice that left Cera with a pounding head for a good ten minutes and Eder extremely unsatisfied. No real wonder why, but it was also clear that Cera couldn't pull anything else from the standard topper but a massive headache.

The ruins, on the other hand, were a lot more informative - not for Woden's death, but for what exactly the Leaden Key is doing. There's another machine, like in Cilant Lis, and they used it exactly the same way. A few clinging wisps of one of the agents' souls revealed that the machines are being used to keep Waidwen's legacy going - they're what's causing all the children to be Hollowborn, not a man who was allegedly possessed by Eothas. The effects of the machine were wearing off, a child a few miles away from Dyrford was born healthy, with its soul, so they had to perform the ritual again.

Everyone, Cera most of all, is horrified at the revelation - and Aloth comes a very close second to her. "Gods, that's what I saw? And that's why all the children keep being Hollowborn? These people are truly demented!"

Kana says "If they even know what they're doing when they activate the machines."

"These guys did, at least. They knew what they were getting into and what it would mean for Dyrford and the surrounding area." She sounds absolutely disgusted by these people, and no wonder - they're deliberately bringing so much grief onto the Dyrwood, knowingly doing it.

Aloth quietly says "Everybody thinks it's the gods punishing the Dyrwood for Animancy, or the work of Animancers themselves…"

Cera quietly says "These people are disgusting." Her utter loathing is pouring out of her for a minute, but then she reins it back in and they can't feel it anymore - she's getting good at that. She rubs her temples for a moment, then says "Let's get out of here. Before any Glanfathans find us trespassing." They all agree, the new knowledge of what they just witnessed putting everyone in a sobering mood to say the least.

They head back to Dyrford, where they get stopped by some guards. "Have any of you seen a young elven woman named Lady Aelys? She's missing and her father is deeply worried."

Cera shakes her head, mustering up as much politeness as she can, and says "No, I'm sorry. Not that we know of, at any rate. What does she look like?"

They give a description, but they sadly haven't seen her anywhere. They're pointed towards the inn, where Lord Nestor Harond is waiting for any news.

When they get inside, everyone just wants to get a room and rack out for the night - however, they're approached by Aelys' father. Cera quickly says "We haven't seen Lady Aelys, sorry. We could help search for her, though."

He agrees, and gives them their reasons for traveling through the village - it's a rest stop on the way to Eina's Rest. Cera freezes for a split second, her expression flitting to one of shock for the briefest instant before falling into a polite mask. She says she'll start looking for Lady Aelys right away, then gestures to the others to meet her outside the inn. When they do, she looks around to make sure there aren't any guards before quietly telling them just what she heard from Nestor Harond's mind: Aelys isn't his daughter, she's his niece - and she's carrying his child, the real reason he's so worried and why they're traveling so far away from Defiance Bay.

Everybody's horrified, Pallegina and Sagani in particular, and Cera says "I'll find her tonight, somehow. See what she wants to do. Because I seriously doubt she wanted to carry her uncle's child."

She looks every bit as disgusted and loathing as back in the ruins, and Aloth says "I'll come with you, Cera."

Cera shakes her head though, and says "No, get some sleep. Everyone's dead on their feet."

Eder says "Then that would mean you're the worst off, considering how many times I've woken up to find you awake and practicing with your crossbow."

Cera shrugs, and says "So I'm an early riser lately." They can see they won't change her mind on this, so they all reluctantly agree to head back to the inn - all except Aloth, who won't change his mind either.

They go to Hendyna, who says she saw Aelys talking with Trygil. Trygil gives them a story about being in the woods with Aelys when an ogre interrupted them - his thoughts however, tell quite another story. A Skaen cult, kidnapping Aelys, and a secret temple with two entrances - one in Trygil's Curriery, the other out in Dyrford Crossing.

The two elves instantly decide to go to Dyrford's Crossing, for some incredibly obvious reasons, and they quickly find the statue that is hiding the temple entrance. A few moments and Cera has the lock picked and they're in. And then, it's only a few fights with some Skaenite devotees and another door before they find a pool of blood with a bunch of people dead of blood loss and posed like they killed themselves.

Aloth mutters "Now that's…devoted, I suppose you could say."

Cera mumbles "Their essence is there. It feels…angry. But maybe I can get some answers from them." She focuses on the pool for a minute, then puts a hand to her head for a moment. After a moment, she says "They're in there. Doing something to Aelys." She points at a door, and they head in - just as a man is helping a young elven woman out of a chamber.

It ends up being a fight when Cera frees Aelys from the vengeful essence infusion that would have made her kill her entire bloodline starting with her uncle. Aelys ran for cover in a small corner, Cera fell to the ground and held her head in agony, and Aloth quickly cast one of the spells he learned from Ninagauth's grimoire - the one called Ninagauth's Killing Ray. An appropriate name, as it kills all the Skaenite priests that it passes through.

It takes maybe ten seconds for everything to settle down, and then Aloth kneels beside Cera and asks "Are you alright, Cera? What happened?"

"Ngh…freed Aelys. It hurt though." She's holding her head in both hands like it may or may not crack open, this is why Aloth insisted on coming with her. He cups her face in his hands and tilts her face up so he's looking into it, then let's out a small breath and helps her to her feet. She stays upright at least, though she stumbles once or twice.

Aelys finally comes out of her corner, and hesitantly asks "Are you alright?"

Cera smiles and says "Yeah, head hurts is all. What about you?"

Aelys looks at herself, making sure she's got all her fingers and such. When she presses a hand to her stomach however, her look turns to confusion and worry.

Cera grimaces and says "Trust me on this, Aelys. You don't want to remember."

She nods after a moment, and then asks "What should I do now?"

Cera says "Hit the road, go where it takes you. That's what I did for a while."

"And then?"

"And then I managed to be in the wrong place at the incredibly wrong time for about two hours. The caravan I was with was attacked by Glanfathans who thought we trespassed, and then I found a group of people doing some ritual on the other side of said ruins after being forced to take shelter in them from a biawac."

Aelys winces in sympathy, and says "Thank you for the advice. I'll…I'll take it."

They get out of the ruins, and Aelys bids them farewell before leaving. They make it about halfway to Dyrford before Aloth decides they should rest - Cera's stumbling and nearly tripping every other step, they'll never make it back before sunrise anyway.

And the guilt that's been eating away at the Wizard since they discovered the fact that the Leaden Key has been causing everything to do with the Legacy and would go so far as to turn an entire district of innocent people that had done nothing wrong into a shambling horrors is getting too much to bear - he's got to tell her.

She doesn't know, she'd have reacted in some way - he could sense her appall, disgust, and pure horror back in Cliaban Rilag, a mirror of his own feelings, and the knowledge of what the Leaden Key is really doing is driving him crazier than Iselmyr does sometimes.

Lad, if your gunnae tell her, then tell her already.

Iselmyr has a point, there isn't really much point in putting it off until they get back to Dyrford.

Cera's exhausted voice pulls him out of his extremely troubled thoughts, asking "Tell me what?"

Aloth blinks, and opens his mouth - she quickly says "I wasn't reading your mind or anything, I swear. It's just…everything's really loud at the moment. And I'm too tired to block it all out. Freeing Aelys wasn't the easiest of things."

She rubs her head and he says "Cera, there's…there's something else I should have told you about myself. Something I didn't really know the implications of until earlier today." He can see he's got her full attention - no turning back now. He takes a deep breath, and says "I'm a member of the Leaden Key, or was anyway."

The shock that slams into him through their connection is like Minoletta's Concussive Bolts for all the intensity - hard, strong, and as heavy as a pile of bricks. He hurries on before she can say anything, and says "At the end of my training in the Academy, I was introduced to the organization by one of my instructors. After seeing several of my colleagues abandon their studies in favor of animancy - and the disastrous results it had - I was convinced that the unchecked spread of it was a terrible mistake. And the Leaden Key was clearly opposed to it. They could guarantee posting far away from the Cythwood and my father, and…and it was enough, at the time. Their rules were strict, but their guidance was clear. I came to the Dyrwood a little over a year ago, honestly believing they were trying to stop the Legacy. My orders were to gather information about Animancy in the region, and eventually I was sent to Gilded Vale to report on events surrounding Raedric. I met with a senior member of the Key to give my report and get new leads, but I lost track of her shortly after arriving in Gilded Vale. I don't know if she was reassigned, killed…or maybe sacrificed in the way you witnessed. Either way, I'd been on my own for some months by the time you arrived in Gilded Vale. I needed some kind of direction, but after that scrape with the locals I was ready to get out of town - and then you said you survived that biawac, and I thought maybe you could put me back on the Leaden Key's trail. And, well, you did - but I never thought for an instant that it would lead us here! Causing the Legacy, causing the disaster at Heritage Hill, I never had any idea of what they would do! I knew they opposed Animancy, but I never knew they'd resort to something like this!" He wouldn't blame Cera in the slightest if she read his mind to see if he was telling the truth - he almost wishes she would, so she'd know he was telling the truth - but she's just giving him that shocked, wide-eyed stare, she must be feeling his emotions though - a torrent of regret, guilt, and massive amounts of apology.

Finally, she blinks after a minute, and says "Let me get this straight. Your apologizing for stuff that happened before we even met, that you did because you honestly believed that you were helping a cause that was trying to protect kith from their own folly, an organization you joined because you wanted to be far away from the monster your forced to call your father…and you think I'd be mad about that? That I'd be mad you wanted to get away from him by any means necessary? That I'd be mad you were trying to keep kith safe from what is in reality a subject that carries some heavy risks?"

Aloth lets out a massive breath all at once and asks "Your…you're not…"

"Mad? No. I'm a bit upset that you didn't just tell me your reasons for wanting to find them, but it's not like I told you everything about myself either! My parents, for instance! Or how they kept trying to marry me off to people I hadn't even met before! Or the fact that I saw a Leaden Key ritual and survived what two other people beside me didn't!"

"How are you not feeling, I don't know, betrayed or lied to entirely or-"

"Aloth, you didn't have any idea about what the Leaden Key was doing. You thought they were trying to stop the Legacy, not cause it! I might've been reading the minds of all the other members in the catacombs, and literally none of them had any idea about anything other than what they did on their mission. Lady Webb said they weren't told anything about missions they weren't in on, and sometimes they aren't told things about the missions they are on!" She suddenly grabs her head with both hands, moaning "Ohhh…"

Aloth's by her side in an instant, leaning her into his chest so he can look at her head. "Remember when I said freeing Aelys wasn't easy?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It was hard. Really hard. My head's been pounding ever since."

He doesn't find any lump on her head or anything - freeing Aelys might've given her a concussion. She lets out a massive sigh as he starts combing through her hair looking for any injury, and says "Keep going…" He chuckles and does exactly that, but after a minute she asks "Will you tell them?"

"Yes, I suppose I'll have to. I'm still amazed you don't hate me or want me gone."

"Aloth, I want you beside me. You joined a group you thought was good, and it turns out it wasn't. You made a mistake, big deal. Everybody does at some point!"

"Let's go to sleep for now. Given how exhausted you are, you might actually be able to sleep for a change."

Cera nods, waiting for Aloth to finish with her hair before laying down for the night. And then she wakes up frantically the next morning, saying "We've got to go back to Stalwart!"

AN: Alright, sorry for the massive waits on all my stories people! Forgot to say that I'm currently on vacation in Missouri - haven't actually had time to write much or post anything. Please be patient, will be back home by the eighteenth. As for the story, Aloth's finally figured out what exactly it means to be a member of the Leaden Key - and its so far from what he thought that he can't even see it. Did some reading, and he went to the Dyrwood believing that his reports were being used to help try to stop the Legacy, not monitor it for signs of weakness to shore up or anything like that. And seeing as he lost contact with the organization, he basically isn't one of them by the time you meet him.