Jamil noticed that the city seemed to perk up for some reason about a week into his stay there.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"The Lord is returning to the city. He got bored playing follow the leader with idiots," said Seti cheerfully.

Kalim had all too cheerfully lead his trackers through hell and back, pretending to get 'lost' occasionally. He also used his signature spell to make them very miserable indeed, causing it to rain at inopportune times during the night before morning had properly begun.

Not enough to kill his trackers, but enough to start their inevitable mornings in a very uncomfortable manner. He also deliberately scared off any proper game for them to use to resupply.

Kalim was getting rather bored of the game, so he had called ahead while flying to let Seti know he was going to 'disappear' by boarding one of the merchants who was on friendly terms with the Gryffin. If anyone asked, Kalim had been on board the entire time and they saw him get off before they actually reached the shore of the next city.

Needless to say his city was rather happy, as Kalim wasn't planning on going back to Silk City as himself.

Jamil was very curious about the Gryffin. He was aware that the Al Asim had planned to imprison him because of the fact he was the Sacrifice. The Elders had been very clear on what happened once the curses began to set into his body.

He had very narrowly escaped a fate worse than death.

Jamil looked up feeling rain drops on his skin a few hours later. There hadn't been a cloud in the sky before, and now it was raining?

"The Lord is back!" cheered several children with glee.

"Lord Gryffin has returned!"

Jamil used a pair of binoculars and saw a procession coming in. Several people were leading a respectably sized elephant that had gold adornments and had something on it's back to shade the man standing on top of it. He recognized the set up...it was one Kalim used sometimes to impress dignitaries. He balanced himself well on the elephant as it lumbers into the city and let out a triumphant cry.

The moment the man entered the city properly, the impromptu festival that the officials had thrown together the night before began.

It wasn't nearly as lavish or over the top as the ones Kalim threw, but it was still clear that the people were glad their lord had returned.

The Al Asim could have put on something like this, but the smiles were nowhere near as genuine.

"Where did the rain come from?" asked Jamil.

"Lord Gryffin is a water mage, and he knows a strong rain spell. He uses it to announce his arrival, since he can cast it from a good distance and give us a discreet notice of his impending arrival," explained his mother.

"So he casts the spell regularly?" asked Jamil. That would explain why there was so much plant life, if there was a water mage around to bring enough rain to support it.

Since he was on one of the nearby roofs, he was almost eye level with the elephant in the procession.

If it wasn't for the mask, Jamil might have come eye to eye with the mysterious Gryffin. As it was, he got a good look at the males back which bore a distinct and proud-looking Gryffin tattoo which had given him his name.

The moment passed, and Jamil went to help his mother make dinner.

The next morning, he went to the personal base of the Red Sands group, which doubled as the guard of the palace.

He found himself brought forth to the main throne room. The room was filled with water, a ridiculous amount of it. Closer inspection revealed native fish swimming around, and plants in tasteful patterns. There was a single pathway which lead to the throne itself, which was surrounded on both sides by the water.

There were more flowers in tasteful vases that lead up to the throne itself, upon which Gryffin sat. He was adorned in gold, which was to be expected as the was the ruler of the city.

"I assume you have questions," said Gryffin.

Something about his voice was maddeningly familiar, but Jamil put it aside for now.

"You broke the curse on my family, and kidnapped me. Why?"

"A favor," said Gryffin. "Your former master, Kalim, spoke highly of your skill and proficiency. The boy is well liked here, and the thought of rescuing a servant close to the heir and infuriating the Al Asim amused me. As for the Vipers...the Al Asim should never have made false promises."

"You know how to break the family curse we are under," said Jamil.

That had come as a massive shock, seeing his baby cousin who had been struck by the Maledictus curse when she was five running around in her human form again.

It had taken a lot of demonstrating (mostly by introducing him to those he knew had long since been trapped by the family curse) before he had believed they were more or less free of the malady that had afflicted their bloodline for countless generations.

"I am a curse breaker by trade. I stumbled across a way to mitigate that particular curse, however it is rather difficult to perform and requires more of a personal sacrifice than the Al Asim were willing to give."

The Al Asim were more interested in having their own personal assassins than they were about breaking the curse.

Kalim had to take in the curse itself, purify it with his magic, before giving up a part of himself in exchange as the magic was returned to the afflicted. It was an intense spell, and not one to be done lightly as it left the caster completely exposed, their magic vulnerable to outside influence.

More than that, there was no guarantee that the caster would receive that part of them back, which could cause their core to shrink or worse, become broken entirely.

And to do it to nearly twenty-one different individuals afflicted... the effort alone could have killed him in short order.

Once the elders understood the sheer risk that Kalim had taken to help them, despite the fact his family would never allow it and had gone out of his way to break the curse binding them to the Al Asim...well, they were quick to swear proper loyalty to Kalim and only Kalim.

As a side effect, Kalim's core had swelled once he had recovered.

Jamil didn't know what to think of Gryffin.

Two days later...

Kalim still hadn't figured out how to tell Jamil who Gryffin actually was, and time was running out before the winter break was over.

He was in the treasury when he sensed Jamil enter. He knew why...Seti had said that he would 'arrange' for the two of them to have a private chat before the break ended.

Jamil perked up when he saw the familiar mask, and once again wondered who was behind it.

"Seti said you wanted to see me?"

Kalim was glad he had cast a minor spell on his voice. It wouldn't give away his identity too quickly.

"I've finished the contract that will permanently free you from the Al Asim," he said.

Which was true...he had that contract ready the moment the Sacrifice became active in Jamil.

Jamil read it over carefully, and without a second thought cut his finger to 'sign' it. The familiar blood snakes formed, and Kalim decapitated them with his foot with the ease of practice.

Jamil felt nothing but relief, having his freedom back.

He looked at the Gryffin with interest.

"You know the Al Asim will not be happy about this. They'll be infuriated at losing one of their pawns."

Kalim snorted without meaning to.

"If I had actually cared about what they thought, I never would have become the Gryffin in the first place. Everything was done because I would rather chose love over the hate they've created."

"Love?" said Jamil, confused.

"Everything I've done, it was for the sake of the person I care for the most. My family would never approve of us dating, and would almost certainly disown me once they find out. After all, I'm just one of many, many children. Replacing me would be of little consequence."

"You did all this...just to date someone?" said Jamil incredulous. He couldn't imagine being so in love with someone that they'd challenge such a massive family like the Al Asim for it.

"Love can be the strongest and most terrifying curse of all," said Kalim sadly. "It can move mountains, or it can break someone so thoroughly that hope is a distant memory."

His love for Jamil had lead to him being used as a pawn by his father. Had lead him down a deep, dark place that light seemed a fleeting dream of the lost.

Kalim had dove into curse breaking with a fervor that he never would have thought possible when he was younger.

When he had lost Jamil, he had nearly died trying to find a way to change things.

It was because of his search that he found the lamp which had given him the first flicker of hope...even if it meant losing his soul in the process.

Jamil took a moment to really look at Gryffin. There was something very familiar about him...too familiar.

"This person you went to such lengths for...did they ever return your feelings?"

"He died before I had a chance to find out," said Kalim sadly. "I was a fool who had everything, but lost what mattered most at the end."

He refused to take Jamil for granted ever again. Not after what happened.

Jamil was silent. It was clear Gryffin still carried a deep wound from the loss of his beloved. And yet he had created all this in his memory.

"I think he would have been happy," said Jamil. It was better than any empty platitudes. "He would have wanted you to move on at least."

Kalim was silent...it wasn't like he could tell Jamil the person he had loved so deeply was his future self after all.

Jamil was almost nervous returning to Night Raven, but Seti had assured him he would be 'well protected' at the school.

You could imagine his surprise learning the Gryffin attended the same school he did.

"Wait. The lord attends Night Raven?"

"He's a Scarabia student," said Seti.

"What year?" asked Jamil.

"I'll not make your search easier," laughed Seti. "Let's just say he attends a few of the same classes you do and leave it at that!"

Jamil entered the portal...and felt utterly exposed.

He knew the Al Asim would not take his escape lightly, and that assassins would almost certainly be sent after him instead of Kalim.

At least he wouldn't have to worry after Kalim as much...he was no longer Jamil's responsibility.

The second Kalim saw Jamil, his face lightened up.

"Jamil! Thank the Seven you're alright!" said Kalim with such honest relief that Jamil relaxed, slightly.

"Get off me, you idiot!" said Jamil harshly.

Kalim stared at him for a moment, before he laughed.

Everything had changed, and at the same time nothing had. Kalim was still a fool, but he seemed to have sensed the dynamic had shifted between them. Jamil no longer had any reason to hold back, and his grades shot up exponentially.

Kalim was still the housewarden, but seemed to have grown up slightly.

Slightly, being the key word.

"For the love of the Seven, what is that horrible smell?" wondered Jamil.

He walked into the kitchen to a minor disaster.

He felt a vein throb in his forehead, looking at the mess Kalim had made.

"Kalim...what in the name of the Seven do you think you're doing?"

"Um... I didn't want to bother you and I was hungry?" he said sheepishly.

"What have I said about you cooking?" he said, hands on his hips in annoyance.

Kalim looked a bit sheepish.

"I didn't want to bother you..." he said quietly. "I know you're mad at me for something, and I was trying to make something to apologize... this stupid cake recipe is hard."

Cooking was easy...baking something from scratch was an art he never got the hang of.

Jamil looked at the disaster...there were clearly bits of chocolate, which explained the smell in the air. Kalim had attempted to melt it on the stove and had burned it.

"You...were attempting to bake me a cake? Why?"

Kalim's expression turned unusually serious. It was an almost foreign look on his face.

"I know about the Sacrifice. I went looking after you disappeared, and I found the records. All the symptoms you had matched the records perfectly, but the severity was worse."

That would neatly explain why Kalim had tried to distance himself when the term restarted.

"I...I don't want to burden you anymore. Not with that hanging over your shoulder. So I thought I'd try making my own snacks, and well..."

Jamil was silent, his expression blank.

"Kalim, you're an idiot. Next time you try to bake, do me a favor and ask someone. Preferably Clover-sempai from Heartsabyl."

Kalim brightened.

"Okay!"

"In the meantime, you're going to help me clean this mess up!"