Another quick recap:

Andr is showing a dramatic change, becoming colder, more confident and more ruthless. Her powers correspond to this; her darker side causes her to emanate a 'darklight' that weakens regular light.

Raulyn is a mob known as the Rogue, capable of disguising himself as a human and instill a kind of fear into others through his voice.

Chapter twenty-eight: The messenger

A momentary feeling of nothingness surrounded Raulyn before he materialized in front of the familiar portal. Andr let go of his shoulder.

The others were already back at their temporary base. They had been teleporting around from island to island all day, heading in a single direction in the hopes it would lead them to their goal. Alas, nothing. Tomorrow they would try going in a different direction. Eventually they should find Jack and Tristan.

Theoretically speaking, that is. This was different from the kind of hunt he was used to.

He sat down and placed his scabbard next to him. The others were working on a fire—though with Blazette's help, there was little work to be done besides gathering some wood. He did not move to join them, instead sitting to the side of the cave, tentatively running an oiled rag over his sword's blade.

Someone sat down next to him. To his surprise, it was Andr herself, watching the group. The sword she had carried all day lay beside her, and the darklight her body and eyes emanated were moderately strong. Raulyn said nothing. Finally he turned his attention back to the now-burning pile of branches in the cave's center.

"There's got to be a better way of doing this," Andr finally told him. Her voice was not as cold as before, but it did make her sound…certain. "We're not getting anywhere teleporting in a random direction."

"If you have a better plan," Raulyn muttered, "you are welcome to tell me."

She fell silent, but he noticed her fist clenching just a little tighter. The purple darklight intensified slightly, too.

"Why is Mystia here?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"Mystia, the witch," Raulyn clarified. "She could have simply handed those potions of hers over to you. Why did Athena choose her to come with?"

Andr did not answer immediately. "She's our medic. She knows most about the Aether. She's got an instinctive knowledge about potions and which to use. Athena picked us based on who wanted to come and who could be the most useful."

"And Mystia was one of those?"

"Yes."

"Why was she so eager to come with?"

She scoffed. "Because we brainwashed her, and now we've got her undying loyalty."

Raulyn held back a sigh. He could not let her think that her sarcasm hit him in any way. With what he'd recently learned…

Her eyes softened a bit, as did the darklight around her. "She's a friend who wanted to travel."

"Is that the only reason?"

The darklight flared back up. "You're a mob too. Why don't you tell me?"

He said nothing. He had not meant to imply that Mystia was here because she was forced to. Despite her apparent knowledge and experience, her presence felt a little out of place to him. As if there was more to it than there seemed to be.

He glanced at Andr. If Mystia did have some personal motive, were the mobs even aware of it?

Conversations around the campfire had quieted down. Raulyn frowned. Hunters and mobs alike had stood up, weapons in hand, eyes fixed on the cave's entrance. What was…?

Then he heard it too: soft footsteps, too regular to be anything other than a person. Jack…? Had he…?

A silhouette emerged at the entrance. Clad in white and gold plate armor, brandishing a lance and a shield. Two feathery wings protruded from its back.

Mobs and Hunters scrambled to their feet, grabbing whatever weapon lay in reach. Firelight flared up as Blazette conjured flames around herself, ready to attack.

Raulyn grabbed his own shield and spear and rose to meet the intruder.

"Hold," the knight said in a feminine voice. "We're not your enemy."

Raulyn glanced to the side, where Andr brandished her sword. "We?" Raulyn said. "Who are you?"

The knight faced him. "Is Jack here?"

Raulyn opened his mouth to repeat his question.

"Why would Jack be here?" asked Andr.

The knight remained silent for a moment. Then she relaxed her stance. "My name is Skotur," she said. "I think we need to talk."