Chapter 14: Living On The Edge

Journal Entry No # 445

Learned lesson while being trained, about magic. Magicians have to learn to doubt everything, to allow our bodies and minds to properly harness the power of the arcane, and then we have to learn to never doubt ANYTHING, because in doing so we can lose control of our own power. This paradox often serves as a final test for rookie mages: if you can't figure it out, you wash out. I myself didn't have too much trouble with it: I simply approached it in terms like the wind. Just because I can't see the wind doesn't mean it's not there, and all that.

Maybe I would have made a decent shaman, if the darn Draenei weren't hogging all that knowledge to themselves.

Yes, I know it's not their choice. They're still stupid. Rielle, if you're getting up to hit me, I'd like to remind you that you are INVADING MY PRIVACY AND HAVE NO REAL RIGHT TO.

Back to point.

That fine balance works great for magic, but not so well when you're trying to address a potential problem. Like whether or not a place is haunted. The only comfort we have, or rather I have, is that in general, evil spirits are not sophisticated in their dealings. Which means the odds favor it just being in our heads.

Well, my head. Having not turned up anything, Rielle had already pretty much dismissed this as nothing. I really can't tell if she's ignorant or enlightened for doing that.

There's still that hidden room, and the weird writing I found. And I'd lay money the sounds are not just my imagination. Now, whether that means they're just the castle or the wind…

Believe in anything. Believe nothing.

…sometimes, being a mage really, really sucks.

Despite what Zackel had theorized, Rielle had not completely dismissed the recent incident. Her giant ears were not just on her head for balancing her face, and she'd used that fact as she'd sprinted and jogged through the fortress during her morning run. However, she'd heard no strange or out of place noises, nor felt any indication that anyone (or anything) was observing, following, or stalking her. And while Rielle wouldn't call herself an expert in stealth, she'd learned enough to survive in Northrend, where a constant stream of Horde had a dozen different options to sneak up or get the drop on you. True, it wasn't like the Alliance was denied those options themselves, but Rielle had almost always been on their receiving end instead of the giving one. That was probably the more useful lesson here, considering the situation.

She almost hoped some Horde HAD somehow found this place and were the source of the noise. Despite her best efforts, she was starting to go a touch stir crazy, and bashing the hell out of a member of that group of monsters and fiends would have been wonderfully cathartic. Unless she somehow got one of the decent ones, but considering in what short supply those seemed to be, she didn't lay odds on it.

Back in reality, and having found no more evidence supporting her companion's worries, Rielle returned to their sleeping quarters to find that said worries were still foremost on his mind.

"What are you doing?" Rielle said. The fact that Zackel didn't jump when she spoke, despite not looking at her at all when she'd entered, re-indicated to her that the mage was considerably more alert to danger than he normally was.

"An old trick I used to do. Dragging it back out." Zackel said, as he jerked up his foot and tried to use the motion to toss his staff up into his hand. The staff only made it a few feet into the air, and well out of range of Zackel's grasping fingers, causing the blue-haired mage to grimace. "Apparently I'm rustier than I thought."

"You're trying to kick your staff into your hand."

"Yes."

"Don't you have some magic spell to call it into your hand?"

"Always good to have other options." Zackel said.

"Isn't this a rather IMPRACTICAL one?"

"It distracts me, so no." Zackel replied. Rielle rolled her eyes and headed over to her bedding, taking a few minutes before she had breakfast/lunch (the two, in their efforts to conserve their remaining real food, had restricted themselves to two meals a day) to check their remaining provisions and that they were staying properly preserved. Much to her (lack of) surprise, when she'd finished and turned back around to look at Zackel, he was STILL performing the kick-up staff trick.

"Would it help if I found a white sheet and put it over myself and came in moaning?" Rielle asked.

"Ha ha. No." Zackel replied, and resumed doing the kick-toss. Rielle watched for a few more minutes before the tedium finally got to her, and she stood up and walked over.

"Hey, you. If you want something to do, I could use another bath." Rielle said.

"You smell fine." Zackel replied. That earned him a smack across the back of the head. "OW! Well, YOU DO!"

"You're not who I'm trying to approve." Rielle said. "If you really have so much spare nervous energy, you can put it to good use."

"I really would…"

"March!" Rielle said, giving Zackel a decent push. "Get to burning! Nervous energy that is."

Journal Entry No # 446

She thinks she knows me. She's stubborn like that.

Me? More stubborn than Draenei under right circumstances.

"…oh you have got to be kidding me." Rielle said. She had indeed gone through the entire bathing process again, including blindfolding Zackel and making him assist, but unlike last time Zackel's head was clearly ten miles away, and as soon as she'd said she was done he'd fumbled his way out the door and closed it. When Rielle had gotten dressed and headed out that way, she'd found him practicing the kick-toss in the hallway outside.

"…you need to get LAID, wizard." Rielle said, leaning against the wall.

"…maybe." Zackel replied. "But as you might have guessed, that's not exactly an option here, is it?"

"Are you insulting me?"

"You decide." Zackel said, giving the draenei a brief glance before walking past her into the sleeping quarters. "However, I think I've taken this about as far as I can go. Time for Phase 2."

"Oh really. What's that involve, standing on your hands and firing the staff with your feet?"

"At least I'd have the means to do so." Zackel retorted lamely.

"All you have is an insult about my hooves? You ARE slipping."

"I'd rather be slipping in trading barbs than when it counts." Zackel said, as he produced his cleaning mirror and held it up, aiming his staff behind him.

"What are you doing?"

"Another old party trick. I used to be a half decent shot firing my staff behind my back without looking. Never used it in combat, but…"

"Whatever." Rielle said in mild exasperation at her companion's paranoia, heading over to another part of the room and starting into her combat routines. She was not much surprised (again) when she finished running through every single one and found Zackel was STILL practicing his behind the back shots, the wall behind him covered with pitted ice.

"Are you still doing that?"

"No, I'm attempting to establish a new school of absurdist art. Yes Rielle, I am."

"What use is that trick anyway? Anything with half-decent reflex could probably dodge the likely-sloppy shots that would come from such a move."

"All I need is one good hit. You'd think you'd know a thing or two about one good hit."

"Oh now the meat sack is lecturing me on proper blow integers. Maybe you should learn to take a punch before you talk."

"Maybe you should learn how to avoid them before you do." Zackel said with a wry smirk. Narrowing her eyes, Rielle marched over to the mage and drew herself to her full height, something that managed to cow (mostly comically, but with a touch of seriousness) Zackel. Due to the nature of her legs, it was easy to forget how easy it was for the alien to look down on him.

"Come now, mage. Would you like to learn some serious combat?"

"I really don't want to get repeatedly slammed into the ground again…"

"No no, not sparring. Well, yes, sparring…but something more boring. To me anyway." Rielle said, as she walked over to her axe, having set the weapon down before she'd looked in on Zackel's behind the back training.

"Oh, so a lack of pain to you is BORING. Sadist."

"Weakling."

"Barbarian."

"Cream puff."

"Savage."

"Invertebrate."

"…degene…no wait that doesn't really fit…wait, you know what invertebrate means?"

"I'm a WARRIOR, Zack. Best to know a thing or two about skeletal structures and what the lack thereof means, hmmmm?" Rielle said. "Stop questioning my intelligence."

"But it comes so easy."

"And I'll bet YOU DO TOO." Rielle said, flicking Zackel in the forehead.

"Ow, ow. Low blow."

"Now you're catching on." Rielle said, assuming a combat stance. "Okay Zackel, in all seriousness…try and keep your staff in your hands."

"That's what SHE said!"

"She had that little confidence in you?"

"No, she…I mean…that is…sigh. Just chop my head off. It will probably be less painful."

"Better use of a head too."

"You won't damage my staff?" Zackel said, changing the subject.

"Trust me."

"All right." Zackel said, holding up his staff. In three seconds, Rielle had used her axe to twist it out of his hands and into one of hers.

"Okay, I really won't complain about your stance. It's probably not on the curriculum, OH LOOK ANOTHER BIG WORD I KNOW, and we combat classes don't tend to mix and match much. More's the pity." Rielle said, putting down her axe and stepping around Zackel, pressing in close to him. "Okay first, try and stand like this…"

"You know, I don't think I'm THAT poor a student. I think you just can't keep away from me." Zackel commented a few hours of training later.

"I'm ALSO in a very condition to use your face as a wall sander." Rielle said, seizing Zackel's hair as she stood behind him and giving it a brief yank to show she meant business. "Oh that note, hair grabbing can be very effective. Helps control the body direction. Well, unless you're smart enough to grease your hair up first, but that's something else. Okay now." Rielle said, gliding in close and placing her fingers over Zackel's arm. "Blow to the left!"

Zackel did a basic block.

"Up!"

Another.

"Up!"

And so on it went for a touch over a minute, before Rielle finally stopped yelling commands.

"I don't think I screwed up there."

"Good boy." Rielle whispered in his ear. Her eyes widened as she felt his body abruptly tense up. "What? Just me mage. The only woman in a hundred miles lacking enough shame to get close to you."

"………right." Zackel said, stepping away from Rielle and heading for their water canteen. Finding it empty, he began to focus on re-filling it.

"Toss it over here when you're done." Rielle said. Zackel did so, and Rielle drank deeply from the water container before she pulled it back and dumped the rest over her face and upper body. "Ah, the pause that refreshes."

"If you're desperate enough." Zackel said, and ducked when Rielle threw the empty container at him.

"I'm not the one who spent repeated long stretches of time on the roof. Alone."

"…I was trying to STOP THE STORM. Like you ORDERED."

"Yes, and you've had REAAALLLLL success there, haven't you. I'd say that reinforces my theory."

"I'll reinforce your…never mind, that sounded better in my head."

"Like everything else."

"A rag and a bone and a hank of hair, but the young fool yet called it his lady fair…!" Zackel intoned, gesturing dramatically towards Rielle. "Nope, that sounded even better coming out this time."

"So will all your blood." Rielle said, as she seized up the axe and began chasing Zackel around.

"Okay, really! I need some more help! I have an idea! Really! Stop chasing me! Watch that thing! Hey! You can stop now! Now would be good! ACK! WATCH THAT EDGE!"

"Light, you suck so bad at this. I think I'm actually getting worse."

Journal Entry No # 447

After she was done making me collapse with exhaustion, Rielle did listen to my idea. Thought it had a little potential. But it was getting late, so we turned in for the night.

Should have known. I woke up feeling like someone had run a Goblin Presser over me. Rielle, of course, was bright eyed and bushy tailed. Well, her tail remained as smoothly cute as it always is, but you get the picture. She told me that I had to learn stretches.

Learning stretches hurt. A lot.

Then she declared it was time for more sparring to make up for all the time she was 'wasting' on my weak rear end.

Sparring continues to hurt. A lot. More.

Sat down to rest, ended up falling asleep. Somewhat surprised when I woke up on my bedding. Of course, that was because Rielle was prodding me with her foot because she bored and wanted me to play Thrust.

Didn't hear anything, playing late into the night.

Don't know what to think of that exactly.

"Sontar-ha…rutan…" Zackel whispered the next day, as the blade of ice slowly formed in his hand. "Rutan…mutterspirel…tan."

"Nice. Though I fail to see how a melting, slippery blade would be much use." Rielle said from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Not a problem in the hands of a mage who knows what they're doing." Zackel said, as he gave the sword a few swings.

"Here's another." Rielle said, picking up her axe and swinging it into the ice-sword. To her (actual) surprise, while she knocked the sword out of Zackel's hand, the ice did not break.

"It's not just some random icicle off a roof, Rielle. I'm not going to make a makeshift blade without making sure it's suitably dense." Zackel said, walking over to retrieve the ice sword and running his fingers along it to fix any damage the alien might have caused, as well as reinforce it some more. "Okay, weapon's ready Rielle. I am your student."

"Okay…same basic stance…" Rielle said, walking up to Zackel and slipping behind him. "Now, a sword's a pretty different animal from a staff. It's best to try and have your shoulders…like this…" Rielle said, trying to make Zackel adjust himself. "Your head needs to be tilted up a bit…right then…"

Zackel tried to focus through Rielle's constant touch and adjustment, which was bothering him more than he'd like to admit. If someone had asked, though, he wouldn't have been able to really give a reason why.

Unfortunately, he was also not good enough to conceal it.

"Yeesh. Loosen up, Zackel. You're as tight as a wire. I won't bite." Rielle said. "What's going on? Are you still worried about possible intruders?"

"…it has crossed my mind."

"I thought we were doing this to get your mind off that."

"It IS helping." Zackel said, making a point not to specify why.

"Let's switch gears then." Rielle said, removing herself from Zackel's personal space and producing her dagger. "Make with the mojo."

"On it." Zackel said, holding out his hand. Blue energy began misting over to the dagger, ice forming and expanding on its blade until Zackel had transformed it into another stopgap ice-sword.

"Hmmm. Not bad on the weight, mage." Rielle said, turning the sword over in her hand.

"I aim to please."

"Explains a lot." Rielle replied. Zackel didn't know if he was being insulted or not, and kept quiet as Rielle swung the sword a few times.

"Okay. Sword's not my area of expertise, but I think I can teach you a few basics." Rielle said, stepping up next to Zackel. "Here's the first basic drills. Number one…"

To his surprise, Zackel found, over the next ten or so minutes, he actually wasn't too bad at (very, very) basic swordsmanship. He was also smart enough to keep his mouth shut about that fact, lest Rielle showed him how little he actually knew.

"Zackel!"

"Yeah?! What!?" Zackel said, jumping a bit.

"You gave me shoddy work! Your teaching aid is melting!" Rielle said, indicating her 'sword'.

"Really? Thought I put more juice into it than that. Here, allow me…" Zackel said, holding his hand out to take the sword.

"No need. Just come over here and do it." Rielle said, holding the sword up.

"What, think I'll steal your dagger?"

"No, it's a warrior thing. You need to really get used to a certain weapon, and letting it go can interrupt that process."

"How very zen." Zackel said, walking over and holding a hand out, moving it over the ice blade as he worked to rebuild and strengthen it.

"You do have nice eyes."

"Hmmmm?" Zackel said, looking up at Rielle's face.

"Was thinking of your story with Jasciona last night. When you came over here, that observation of hers popped into my head. She was right. "

"…thanks. And you have nice…" Zackel said, said eyes darting around as he tried to find the right word. "Uh…horns?"

Rielle's face crinkled up, which would have looked kind of cute if she hadn't proceeded to raise her hand. Zackel, expecting another forehead flick, instead found Rielle honking and lightly twisting his nose.

"Ah, it's real. Which means you're just dumb for not being able to tell that you stink. Well, overall, but ESPECIALLY at compliments." Rielle said. "So much for Mr. On The Spot Poetry."

"Hey, no one succeeds all of the time." Zackel complained.

"It would be nice if you succeeded at all. Actually no, that would probably be so shocking I'd drop dead of a heart attack."

"I consider a liar to be worse off than someone poor with flattery." Zackel said with light sarcasm.

"I consider someone who can break their insulter in half better than someone who can't."

"…Let's get back to training now."

"Darn straight." Rielle said, as Zackel turned around. "Wait, Zackel."

"Hmmmm?"

"Loosen up. You're still tense as fel, and it's impacting your efforts."

"…right." Zackel said. Whether he succeeded in following Rielle's advice for the rest of their practice, he couldn't say.

Journal Entry No # 448

I'm…really not sure how I feel about Rielle.

I'd like to think we've become friends, and that none of her insults are serious any more. But…I'm not wholly sure if there isn't some hidden venom behind them. I can't tell why. One would think Sparse, but Rielle seems well adjusted enough to not let that affect her so much. That nagging strangeness…it's starting to really loom over my thoughts.

The worst part is, I don't know if it's her. It might be me. And what happened. No matter what I try to do, I keep linking her to it. I feel it's…getting in the way?

Still not sure what to do about it. Figuring out if we're alone in this castle would help.

However, I have conceived of another solution, however small and temporary it may be…

"Whatever you're making, make more of that breath stuff. It's starting to stink again. Your breath, that is. Well you do to, in all aspects, but that goes without saying." Rielle said, as Zackel hunched over the table, various alchemy tools around him.

"I still have some left. I'll just use it later." Zackel said, as he dripped a blue compound into a yellow base.

"So what ARE you making?"

"It's a surprise."

"Don't like surprises. Tell me."

"It's a chemical mix that will remove the stench from your excrement, hence drawing it in line with how you view it."

"Ha ha." Rielle said, and lightly smacked Zackel across the head as was her want.

"Please don't do that." Zackel said.

"Oh look, are we growing a spine? Finally?"

"I have one. It's not helping. And no." Zackel said. "I'm working with limited chemicals here, and also not the safest ones. By myself they're fine, but if we add you, well…results could go worse."

"You're just trying to find an excuse to not get hit."

"Why don't you keep smacking me and find out?"

Rielle promptly began to (very lightly) Zackel repeatedly on the top of the head.

"Okay seriously Rielle, knock it off. I said KNOCK IT OFF!" Zackel said, jerking towards the draenei, something which did make her take a step back. "Please."

"Sorry." Rielle said, sounding genuine.

"Thank you. Okay then." Zackel said, turning back to his work.

"I still want to know what you're doing."

"Something to help us pass the time."

"And you need so much focus because…what, you risk making a poison gas and killing us both?"

"Nothing THAT serious…but I've learned to treat every mix you make as an alchemist with the same degree of caution." Zackel said. "Back in my early days learning the field, I had a bad incident with training, a kid who didn't listen to his trainer about the risks, and an additive."

"Oh really. Do you happen to recall what that additive was?"

"Nitroglycerine."

"And the results were?"

"Negative."

"And?"

"Noisy."

"NOISY!?" Rielle semi-yelled, causing Zackel to jerk and scramble to get a grip on his vials. He shot an intense glare at the draenei, who responded with an innocent smile that Zackel would have found very appealing if he wasn't so annoyed with the woman.

"You know, I could get you Rielle."

"You already get me. You get me everything." Rielle replied with semi-fake smugness.

"Oh this won't be something you'd like." Zackel said. "I'm the one who has to gather all our drinking water. There are definitely a few…THINGS I could add to it."

"I'd kick your ass for it."

"Oh no, you'd be far too busy dealing with the other issues revolving around your rear end it would present you. Even if you caught me, you'd need me to make an antidote."

"Ah ha ha ha." Rielle said, before she reached out and seized Zackel by the chin, the humor leaving her expression. "I do like you, Zackel. I really do. So let me very strongly state that something like you're suggesting is making you head out onto thin ice."

"…okay." Zackel squeaked.

"You ARE getting better though. I don't think I've had to threaten you with violence for a few days. I'll get you trained yet." Rielle said, letting go.

"Is that what you do with all your men? Train them?"

"Oh please, don't even start STRAYING into that tone." Rielle said, though her annoyance didn't sound like it was directed at Zackel. "I'll fully admit that I'm not perfect. Most of you men can't even CONCEIVE of that concept. I'm not even talking about Sparse and co, it's all of you. Most of the time, you're good for a few rolls in the hay, or some laughs, or an extra sword. Beyond that, you always seemed lacking."

"…present company included?" Zackel said. Rielle paused, putting a hand on her chin as she considered her answer.

"…I'll get back to you."

"Yes, getting back sounds like a good idea. Especially in regards to a response to your constant badgering while I try and work." Zackel said, as he withdrew something from his robes. "So, since my first thought was subpar for…various reasons, I figure I can just take the simple route and keep you from pestering me by threatening you with this inflated animal bladder I had deep in my bags."

"Oh really." Rielle said, looking at the engorged sack. Apparently Zackel had correctly guessed that she'd be annoying him, and prepared beforehand, just needing the right moment to pull it out.

"Yes. With this weapon, I am now in a superior position to you. It's design holds a great deal, as well as disguises its contents, and allows me distance options in my offensive efforts."

"Yessssss." Rielle said, leaning in close and locking eyes with Zackel. Zackel found himself briefly absorbed in their depths for a few more seconds before he realized the draenei had something in her hand herself.

"I, on the other hand, have a knife."

One quick thrust and backwards dodge later, and Zackel was sitting with a wet face and chest, Rielle's very swift thrust having popped the makeshift balloon and gotten its contents (which was thankfully just water) all over the mage while she had gotten out of the way. He took a moment to look at Rielle's contented face, and then blew a wet bang of hair out of his eyes.

"That's the problem with weapons technology. It becomes obsolete so quickly."

"Oh, are you done now?" Rielle said, having gone for her semi-nightly run around the fortress and come back to find Zackel sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding one of their water canisters out in front of him.

"Just about…" Zackel said, as he dripped a few drops of a green liquid into the container, and then a few drops of a purple liquid before closing it up. "Okay, swirl it around, and…" The mage shook the canister and let it sit a moment before opening it and smelling the contents.

"Well?"

"Now the last, crucial part." Zackel said, as he produced one last vial of pink liquid and dripped it into the canister. Closing it up, he shook it firmly once more, this time for several seconds, before letting it sit again.

"Getting bored…!" Rielle insisted.

"Just…a few more seconds…" Zackel said, and then opened up the canister. "Moment of truth."

With that, Zackel drank from the container. Rielle tensed up, wondering just what was in the canister and if she was going to watch Zackel explode, melt, or turn into an animal.

Instead, he just lowered the canteen, smacking his mouth as he tasted whatever he had drank.

"I think I have it."

"Have what?" Rielle said, walking over and picking the water-holder up. While not a chemist, she recognized the smell when she sniffed it.

"…ale?"

"Not quite. Any self-respecting dwarf would probably gag and spit out what I've made. I say considering the tools at my disposal, any fermentation I'm able to do is damn good. And I think I did pretty well here." Zackel said. Rielle glanced at the wizard, and then drank from the canister. What was inside was a semi-sour, semi-sweet drink with the bitter hint of alcohol behind it.

"…you actually managed to brew a beer." Rielle said.

"Well, not exactly. I doubt it would sell anywhere…but considering what we have…"

"I'll take it. I'm getting sick of water." Rielle said, drinking more from the canteen. "How much more of this can you make?"

"A fair bit, provided we're careful. Which we should be. I just wanted to calm down some, not go all the way into vomiting, blackouts, and splitting headaches. Not that you could really reach that state with the concentration of that mix, but you get the picture." Zackel said. "Go bring out the Thrust board and I'll 'brew' some more of the drink. See if it helps pass the evening, or a few of them."

"You sure know how to show a girl a good time." Rielle said, tossing the canteen back to Zackel.

"Well, for a real good time I'd probably need considerable more chemicals and…a few lines of thought which are actually very, very disturbing to me."

"Just mix the drinks, bartender."

Zackel had not been wrong: a touch of alcohol did help to liven up the games and conversation that he and Rielle had shared until exhaustion had finally crept in and they'd gone to bed. Unlike Rielle, Zackel had chased all of his brew with water, and hence found himself waking up an hour after he'd gone to sleep with pressing needs.

He was on his way back when he heard the whispers. He froze to the spot, his eyes darting around.

"Still in denial…"

"Choice is at hand…"

"You know…"

Zackel grimaced, clutching his head. What had that been? Had he actually heard a whispering tone? He wasn't a hundred percent sure that his beverage wouldn't have side effects, but he WAS fairly sure that they wouldn't have included auditory hallucinations.

Which meant…

"Weak beggar…"

Zackel whirled around, misty blue energy forming around his hand. If there had been a voice, though, that was the last thing it said, leaving Zackel alone.

Zackel said nothing, as he turned around, slowly, and then started back to the sleeping chambers, also slowly. He finally came to a stop near Rielle, who was curled up and clearly in a deep sleep.

She hasn't heard anything.

Zackel stood there, grinding his teeth, before he turned towards his own bedding. He did not return to sleep himself: instead, he retrieved his staff. After doing that, he stood and considered what he'd decided while standing near the draenei.

The smart thing would have been to wake her up and bring her along. Splitting up was always frowned on in nearly every task in Azeroth, and by leaving her behind, he might be exposing her to danger. On the other hand, Rielle was good enough to look after herself, even asleep. Waking her up might irritate her, and would definitely result in more mockery heading his way if they didn't find anything. Which they likely wouldn't.

Whatever the problem was, it seemed to settle on him. He had to settle this issue himself, and involve her, if necessary, depending on what he found. If it was all in his head, he was the only one who could face it, when it came down to it.

Zackel spared Rielle one final glance, and then headed out of the sleeping quarters.

Waiting for the voice again, and whatever might lie behind it.

"I'm searching for answers…

Cause something is not right…

I follow the signs…

I'm close to the fire…

I fear that soon you'll reveal…

Your dangerous mind…"

Writer's Note: Yeah, sorry for all the cliffhangers and the somewhat filler-ish nature of this chapter. The middle was always the weakest part of this story. I think I've managed to lay down all the plot details now, so now hopefully things pick up.

But expect more cliffhangers. Sorry, that's just how this story-

Zackel/Rielle: GET ON WITH IT!!!!!!

Ack. Ingrates.