AN: Just a little set up chapter here. Hope you liked the exam arc. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"Blah" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

"It's about time."

His deep, gravelly voice echoed off the rugged walls and ceiling of the dimly lit tunnel, bouncing down its stretch before fading into the emptiness ahead of them. Sasha craned her head back at him for a moment, continuing to move forwards. A black long coat. Black pants. Black leather boots. Face completely obscured by the shadows his hood cast. Or perhaps that was just some magical effect of it, she couldn't tell.

Neverless, she decided to humor him. "It's not easy getting an outsider into a meeting with one of the council members." Her deep brown locks bounced with every step, plum eyes flaring in agitation. "You're lucky I got you in at all."

He conceded with a shrug, and she faced forward again. They walked in complete silence, not that it was awkward. Both simply understood that the other wasn't fond of their presence anyway.

The cave didn't seem to grow darker the deeper the traveled, evenly spaced candles appearing halfway in and lighting their way through the splitting corridors and narrowed halls, allowing Sasha to extinguish the candle she held up. The path slanted downwards, stopping at a large cylindrical hole cut into the earth whose edge was rimmed with a spiraling walkway and whose bottom could be faintly made out.

They reached the bottom a few minutes later, and both looked up to the far side of the staircase outlet. A colossal wooden door stood buried in the wall of rock, as tall as the hole's opening that led to it was wide. Black briers and brambles littered its old, nearly decaying wood, but it was easy to tell that it was still more than functional for keeping out intruders.

Just before the gateway stood a moth eaten old woman using a knobby, wooden staff as ballast to keep her on her feet. The wide brim of her black wizard's hat shielded her face where her long white hair could not. Sasha arrived at her first, and surprisingly took a knee immediately, head bowed in reverence. "Rise, young one." The old woman remarked gently, and she followed through just as the hooded figure that was following her approached as well.

Sasha hissed at him. "Bow you ungrateful—" But the woman cut her off, holding out a hand for her to stop.

"Enough, Sasha." The girl followed orders begrudgingly, and then the woman continued. "My name is Gretta Darkkettle, a member of the elder council. We have acknowledged your peace offering of fairies and are willing to hear out your requests."

The figure nodded, voice deep. "I only ask permission to access Stormdrain Tower."

"Stormdrain?" Gretta narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Only our records abide within its walls. What could you possibly achieve there?" The next five seconds of silence were her answer, the hood simply facing her direction. A wary scowl crossed her face, and with a sigh, she gave him a slight nod. "Very well. We will accept your request, but we will also have Sasha accompany you."

He nodded reverently without a word, then turned around and began towards the spiraling staircase that would lead him out of the gargantuan hole. Gretta and Sasha watched him carefully. As his feet touched upon the first step, she whispered to Sasha without glancing in her direction.

"He is untrustworthy."

"Agreed." She replied just as matter-of-factly.

"Let him find what he needs." She continued, turning towards the massive gate. "If he does anything that could jeopardize our position, kill him immediately."

Her calm expression belied the anticipation in her voice. "Gladly."

EXSEED

Chapter Twelve: Ensnare

Victoria's eyes snapped wide as her body shot forward, just barely managing to restrain herself from tumbling out of her chair. Her breath was laden and heavy, cold beads of sweat gripping all over her skin, and the sharp pain in her head wouldn't subside no matter how long she massaged her temples.

Through the haze of confusion and discomfort, she managed a glance around. A myriad of colors, some close and some on the other side of the room, assaulted her sight, and her strangely sensitive eyes had to shut and blink rapidly to adjust. As they did, the sound of a familiar groan brought her attention a chair to the right, resting on the form of Tala who seemed just as disorientated as she was. She allowed him time to recover before sleepily asking. "T-Tala? Where…where are we?"

"I….uh…can't remem—" His eyes widened as a spark of realization flared. "Wait…the exam!"

Both shot up, inadvertently knocking their chairs over and grabbing the interest of the color myriad, who turned out to be the remainder of their classmates. Susie, Mindi, and Blain were the closest and approached first, the latter two assisting the staggering duo to their feet. The former attempted to calm them. "Whoa, calm down guys. Everything's alright now."

"What's going on?" Tala questioned, beginning to regain coordination.

"We think the exam's over now." Mindi conjectured. Her finger directed their sight to the Retae Sutol, no longer glowing the sinister purple it once held. "The machine cut off just a second ago."

Victoria's face grew grim. "Wait so did we make it in time?"

"Depends. Remember what your dream was about?" Alex Greatspell asked with a smirk, approaching Tala. The latter's eyes drew upwards as his mind ran through everything that happened. And came up short. After a few moments, a smirk of his own split his face, and he cast a knowing glance to Alex, who matched him. "Good. Neither do I."

Victoria gave a sigh of relief at the revelation, the rest of the class advancing to their position to join in the group discussion and wait around for whatever was supposed to happen next. The class as a whole had done better than she expected, specifically after she had figured out the vital ideas behind the exam. Some of the victors were still rather put off by the whole ordeal, and the blonde could sympathize with them. Only the memory of the dream was wiped. The emotions you felt and the grave feeling of loss were completely untouched. She gave the device one last withering glance before she noticed that one particular person was missing.

"Hey, where's Fate?"

Silence, contemplation, then multiple shrugs from those around them. Alex spoke. "I was the first one up. When I looked over at his seat, he was already gone."

Just as the boy ended, before Victoria or Tala could finish casting confused glances at each other, the room's door handle twisted and the door eased open. Herbert Runewarden's head peeked in first, followed by the rest of his body upon seeing everyone now full awake.

"Good, all of you are awake. Quickly now. The headmaster has something to say."

He motioned for them to move through the door, and they silently followed his orders. Victoria meant to ask him about Fate's whereabouts, but found him standing in the space left for their class, waving them all over. The Runewarden class squirmed their way through the other classes wherever they could fit before finally forming their own block. Hushed whispers and excited chatter mixed into an unintelligible hum, only broken as the teachers minus Cyrus appeared and Ambrose took his spot at the top of the staircase once more and corralled their attention.

"My, my….it seems we've had quite the unprecedented event occur here. It seems that nearly every group achieved or surpassed the one out of three rule. More than ninety percent of the first year classes have passed the exam." Thunderous cheering and sharp catcalls rang out, and the elderly wizard gave them all a few moments to calm themselves back down. They had earned it, after all. "A splendid endeavor by all of you. However, there is something I would like to explain to all of you. Particularly to those individuals who failed the test individually."

The chamber became dead silent as he explained. "This test is different from any other we've implemented before. It did not test your aptitude, vigor, or ability. We wished to see your willpower." Ambrose's eyes remained focused on the throng, but they seemed to be looking afar off, at something beyond them. "Wizards rarely work alone in the field. They are most often part of a group, a cohesive unit with a goal. Sometimes for that unit to complete its goal or even survive, sacrifices must be made. This exam was to ascertain if you were willing to make that sacrifice, when so much was on the line, with the strong chance that you may have not needed to sacrifice at all. For those of you who did not pass, I hope you recall this lesson as you decide whether to continue in wizardry or pursue other trades."

His eyes surveyed a few in the crowd, notably a few in the Runewarden class, and managed a smile. "And for those who passed, perhaps you've learned something about yourself."

Victoria did, as far as she knew. She glanced over to Tala, seeing him staring at the Headmaster while a satisfied, triumphant smile crossed his face. The most genuine one she'd seen from him since she'd first met him. And she was genuinely glad for him in return. Because he'd passed the test just as she had.

Because he'd put her and Fate before whatever was in the dream. Just as she had.

The Headmaster dismissed them soon afterwards and each of the classes formed into lines and squeeze back through the entrance hallway one at a time, heading back to their respective classrooms. Most were glad that had been the only part of the exam. Any more than that might have been too much mental stress to deal with.

Ambrose watched until every last student had left the room, then turned to all the teachers present to dismiss them as well. They left much quieter than the students had, though Professor Greyrose kept uttering something about all of them joining her for tea later in the day. It was sometime after that the old wizard turned to the back of the balcony and spotted the once missing Cyrus Drake approaching him with an even look. Ambrose's beard masked the unwilling frown his mouth created. "Was anything found?"

"The assailant wasn't in any of their memories." Cyrus replied with a shrug. "If anything, it narrows down our search. None of the first years have a connection with him."

Ambrose nodded, pleased at the lack of first year involvement but resentful at the diminishing number of leads in their possession. "There is still the Exseed's chamber to investigate. I want a team down there by the end of the week. We will find this fiend yet."

—o—o—o—o—o—

"You can do it, Fate!"

"Focus!"

"Take them down!"

Fate Evergreen drew in a deep breath through his nostrils to calm his nerves, unblinking emerald eyes focusing wholly on the target ahead of him. He took a moment to wipe a sweat bead before it drifted into his eye. Then, his grip tightened, his arm cocked back, and he let loose. The whiffle-like ball spun through the air with a sharp whistling sound before crashing into a pyramid of empty bottles, which fell backwards and shattered into dozens of pieces.

Cheers erupted from behind him in tandem with a grunt from the stall's proprietor. The man discharged a small plush toy – a baby fire dragon – and Fate eyed his accomplishment with pride before handing it to Victoria, who returned with an embarrassed 'thank you'.

The group of eleven set off from there, still slightly high off their victory at the game. A game that had taken them upwards of twenty tries and that was obviously fixed. Sabrina Greenstar had been the first one after the test to suggest class attendance at the fairegrounds for a night of relaxation and stress relief. The others thought it was a great idea, and soon it spread through the rest of the first year classes. Runewarden all decided to stick together throughout the night, though. This may very well have been one of the last times they'd be able to spend time with each other before their promotion into the magical disciplines at the semester's end.

The famous fairegrounds of the commons housed many a wonder, and the class would made sure to partake in all the sights and sounds on their trip through. The byways were as filled with people of all kinds as the normal commons streets were. Confetti drifted down like snow, kicking up from the ground by the displaced wind of their steps. Teams of performers poured their souls into their trade, balancing and tossing all manner of dangerous devices in the air while wheeling around on odd contraptions. Strings of colored flags and magically powered lights crisscrossed above their heads, from light poles, rooftops, or anything else high enough to house them. Most of the illumination originated from the gargantuan Ferris wheel at the grounds center, and the group had to careen their heads back as they drew closer to it.

Susie, Mindi, and Anna moved to enter its line before giving anyone time to respond to the suggestion, but nobody raised any complaints and followed them in. The class split in two, each cabin large enough to accommodate six. Victoria, Fate, and Tala found themselves paired with Pathos and Alex. For some reason Victoria didn't think to ask about, Thena didn't join them in their celebration, though it was already something the class was used to, so no one paid it any mind. A comfortable silence sprang up between the five as they just gave each other time to relax from the more eccentric class member's undying energy.

The cabin circled upwards, and at the wheel's ten o'clock position, Victoria remembered what she meant to ask Fate before. "Where did you go during the exam? Alex said you weren't there when he finished."

The boy looked up in wonder, then said. "Oh yeah, well I finished early."

"How early?" Tala said with a quirked eyebrow as everyone else tuned in.

"About two minutes."

Victoria and Tala froze, and the life seemed to drain from their eyes. Fate could have sworn the temperature in the cabin dropped a few degrees.

"Two?" Alex filled the resulting silence, watching from his peripheral vision as Victoria and Tala's mouths gaped open like dead fish. "That seems extremely fast. It's hard to believe you escaped your greatest happiness that quickly."

"Oh that's what was supposed to be in there? I don't remember exactly what was in it, but I do remember everything being…jumbled. Nothing really made sense." Fate shrugged. "Maybe mine was just broken."

Alex conceded the thought, then glanced at the still perturbed duo to Fate's right, who he could have sworn had been foaming at the mouth at some point? "What's wrong with them?"

"We could have stayed in the dream…" Tala whispered breathlessly, head slumping forward as Victoria's did.

"Well look on the bright side…" Alex led in sheepishly, hoping to comfort them. "Your group was one of the only ones where all three members passed. Surely that counts for something."

Tala and Victoria sat straight up, faces completely calm now, and turned towards each other. "We should have stayed in the dream."

The Ferris wheel slowly completed its revolution, and eventually the quintet discharged from their cabin into the street where the remainder of the class awaited them. They stepped back into the flow of pedestrian traffic, Tala and Victoria bringing up the very rear. The two seemed to have fully recovered from their disappointment, and they quickly made an agreement between them to petition Ambrose to let them borrow that machine again one day.

But for now, they would rest and spend some quality time with their peers. At least for tonight, one night to cast their cares and worries aside. And it was with that thought that all of them returned home later that night, retreating to their warm beds and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

—o—o—o—o—o—

The rain fell, the echoes of its tapping against the high ceiling of the Haunted Cave the only sound to permeate the inner sanctums of Stormdrain Tower. A dark figure sat at a candlelit desk within the structure's thick walls, pouring over the numerous books strewn over its flat, oaken surface. Otherwise, the room was pitch black all the way to the rough door on the far side, the space between littered with tomes, crates, and the strangest of objects.

It was here somewhere, that much he knew. He tossed one the faded scripts aside and threw open what looked to be a tattered journal, if the nearly illegible handwritten print on its pages gave any indication. Nothing important on the first half – dates, logs of memorable events – but around the last third a page appears, and the hooded figure's head reared back as if his eyes were widening at the finding. He lifted from the chair, scanning the page again for accuracy, then folded down the page's corner before snapping the book shut.

He turned on his heel, moving towards the door. Just one last piece now.

"What do you think you're doing?" The figure's eyes flew up to the door. Sasha leaned off its frame and took careful measured steps towards him.

"I thought you were going to wait outside."

She ignored the comment, purple eyes glowing with magical energy caught sight of the book. "What is it you're truly after?" Electrical streamers began to spark around her. "Answer wisely."

He stood silent for a few moments, and at length a chuckle escaped his mouth. It escalated, growing deeper and darker, until it forced Sasha on the defensive, ready to draw her spell symbol. Then, he simply stopped, released a raspy sigh, and his voice was much different than before. It was strangely younger. More innocent.

"By all means, try. If you think I wouldn't have already taken precautions against you. You've already lost, Sasha, and do you know why?" His statement caused her to flinch, but she did her best to hide the slight waver. "Because I know who you are, where you live, and most importantly…" She didn't have to see his grin to feel it. "Who your loved ones are."

"You think I'll fall for that?" She attempted to downplay it, face growing cold and murderous. "Surely you jest. No matter how large your organization is, you couldn't possibly get away with attacking the witches."

"I never planned to harm the witches…" His hands reached up to grip the rim of his hood, and the vitality drained from Sasha's visage as she gazed into his face. At that, he began his raspy laugh one again, the youthful voice now deforming back into the menacing, soul-disturbing one from before. "…not when your real brother and sister are so much easier to reach. They make more…effective examples."

Her body trembled continuously, eyes locked on his until the hood shielded them again. Her mind ran through quick countless scenarios of what she could do right now. And every one of them fell short. She waited as long as she could, until he solicited a response. She squeezed her eyes shut in regret, and her arms fell with the magic she'd been gathering.

"I'll do what you want. Just don't touch either of them."

"Good. You're not a fool after all." He stepped towards her, reaching into a pocket in his coat to bring out a jeweled necklace whose links seemed to be made of some cartilage or bone. It was hard to differentiate them. "Wear this. If you take it off, reveal anything you shouldn't, or disobey an order, I'll know immediately." He paused, presumably to consider. "And I suppose your siblings will too."

She masked her face in stoic indifference, but violently snatched the necklace away from him. She glanced at it for a moment, and cursed under her breath as she realized he had probably planned to manipulate her from the very beginning. When she'd fastened it around her neck, she looked back to him. "Is that all?"

"For now." He answered, walking past her. "Just lay low. I'll contact you when I need you." He stopped at the door and craned his head enough to catch her in his peripheral vision as she spoke calmly to him.

"Don't you dare touch my sisters. If you do anything to harm them, I swear I'll kill you myself."

"Noted." He cocked a smirk, and his breath came out in a low hiss just as he left the room."Pleasant dreams, Sasha Gryphonbane."