I blinked at the reaper, momentarily confused as my mind had shifted onto a whole other track. Though that state only lasted a moment before my eyes darted around, looking at the dozens of people still milling about discussing the events that had just transpired. If anything, it seemed that their opinion of the party had increased several times with the injection of a duel and an inquisition.

Without warning, a sound barrier appeared around us, only for it to be broken an instant later and reestablished. Before I could turn, a demanding voice called, "Explain to me what just happened."

"To be frank, senator, even I am not sure of that, and I was just about to question the one who might know." Turning to me, the inquisitor raised an eyebrow, looking down at me with an expression that told me in no uncertain terms that I would be answering his questions.

A moment of irritation lanced through me. Not only was I the one being persecuted here, having been the victim, but it was the reaper's mistake that brought about all of this. If he had detected the mental manipulation of the dark elf, he wouldn't have needed to ask me anything.

The fact that he couldn't only showed his own incompetence… or it spoke to how I had changed in more ways than I wanted to admit. With the chilling thought, the emotion was smothered, and I sighed, suddenly feeling tired. "The dark elf was somehow manipulating your casting, Inquisitor Keeper. I think he was influencing what you could perceive while he attempted to invade and take control of my mind. If I had to guess, he wanted to make me a thrall. Then he would have me say I wanted to kill Noble Sathrin and use me as a spy."

The reaper's face paled at my words before flushing red with indignation, but the senator's only reaction was a narrowing of the eyes. "Is that so? And how is it that you managed to detect and fight off the intrusion while an Inquisitor, specifically trained for it, could not?"

I only shrugged before saying, "The Letairry said it was strange that I had detected him. And I do not mean to cause any offense here, but I can control seven tendrils independently, while I do not think Inquisitor Keeper can manage the same. My control is significantly above his."

"Yes," murmured Senator Ponpti, hardly paying attention to what I was saying anymore as he partially turned away. "I noticed that during the fight. A commendable achievement for anyone, let alone one with your disabilities." I looked at the senator after his comment, and I felt nothing for his pity. Which surprised me. "It's a shame that you don't have a larger psy reserve. However, this brings up troubling implications if the dark elves are capable of such feats. Inquisitor Keeper, can you be sure that you have not been compromised?"

"If it really happened, then no… Although I do remember feeling a sense of dizziness and disorientation immediately after the first inquisition on Noble Sathrin. It could be that he did something to me during that time."

"I would doubt it," I said, cutting in, earning looks of surprise more than annoyance from both of them, so I continued before they could think to stop me. "All it took was the barest effort in forming a mental shield on my part to hold back the dark elf's efforts to enter my mind. Detecting the probes was the problem, but that was because they were so small that they slipped by my notice. And when I say small, I mean smaller than a spider's web, but that same feature also makes them individually weak. Altering the information of what a casting is relaying is not the same as implanting a thought in your mind, though it could be harder in some ways."

"If that is the case, were you maintaining a mental shield, reaper?"

"Of course."

"Then I believe this matter is mostly settled. We will need to be careful, but treating this matter as more than what it appears will only seed distrust between us, and slow down our responses as we constantly search for misdirections." The senator said, locking eyes with the inquisitor. "But first of all, I need confirmation that this is what actually happened."

With that, both of the men turned to me, their eyes cold and demanding. Well, the reaper showed some level of regret, but his resolve made his personal emotions meaningless. And with implacable movement, his hand raised and lifted toward my head.

I didn't pull back, I didn't complain, and I didn't even really judge him for his actions. I more than anyone understood the stakes of what was occurring. The accusations I was making, having barely survived becoming a slave, were no small matter. Suffering a mild indignity in the great scheme of things to make that less likely in the future wasn't that big a price to pay.

If there was a silver lining to all of this, it was that the second mental intrusion was far less eventful. Just a simple bar of power driven into my mind, and a couple of questions about whether what I told them was true. Understandably, the confirmation of the dark elf's actions and the assumed complicity of the other senator were not warmly received, but they didn't lash out at me either, so there was that.

It wasn't long after the questions that our small group disbanded. The senator plastered on a smile and talked to some of those waiting to speak to him. The reaper stormed off to do something probably related to his job, and I was left alone for a couple of seconds before Franklin appeared next to me. "That was an interesting fight. Didn't think it would be as one-sided as it turned out, though."

I chewed on my cheek for a moment before responding confidently, "It wouldn't have, if I had more time to prepare."

"Hmm, well, at least you still won me two golden eagles for how long you lasted… not that I know how much they are worth."

"Ha!" I threw my arm around his shoulders and started walking with him, "Depending on where you go, you can get a feast to feed a village or one of the plates the senator puts on his table."

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"Hmm… If I had to choose between quantity and quality, I would usually choose quantity. A mouthful can be the best thing you have ever tasted, but if you can't fill your own and your family's stomachs, what good is it? More importantly, where are you leading us?"

"Yeah, I would have to agree with that logic… And as it turns out, an old childhood friend of mine was part of the dark elf's group. I saw her disappear this way, and she seemed to want to speak to me."

"And you don't know if you can trust her. Or trust that she wasn't mentally corrupted like you narrowly avoided," stated the badgerkin, sounding casual. However, I noticed that Franklin's head had perked up, and he was looking around more vigilantly than before.

I, on the other hand, was focused on the badger, "How did you know that? My words should have been hidden behind a casting."

"Hmmm?" The Kin look at me, confused, his brow furrowed. "Oh, you're serious? You and your people need to practice better information security. First off, you are speaking, and while it is faint, it will send vibrations into the ground. The right spells can isolate, detect, and translate them. Also, you are aware that there are individuals who can lip-read, right? Just because you block sound doesn't mean that people won't know what you are saying."

"Well, shit," I muttered. There wasn't anything to say to that without looking stupid. Though every time I heard about the true versatility of the Kin's spells, I was surprised. It made me wonder if olimpian castings could also be taken in such a direction.

Stopping mid-step, I turned, looking down a short cobbled side path. The sides of the intricately inlaid and colored stones were lined with flowers and small glowstone lamps, leading to a shoulder-high hedge circling a small fountain. Standing in clear view of the path was an elven woman, leaning over the fountain's edge and running her hand through the water.

"I'll wait here," Franklin said, stepping off to the side, pulling out a bag of some kind of nuts, and starting to munch on them. He might have appeared like he wasn't doing anything but eating, but he had more than proven how capable his earth-sensing abilities were.

Turning, I walked down the path, and I found my heart starting to race. It was like… I was finally going home. Memories from my childhood flashed through my mind, and it was almost as if the world around me was darkening, as everything else faded away.

Stopping at the entrance to the small secluded area, a smile twitched at my lips as I called, "You know, if we were still kids, I would have pushed you into that fountain."

"Haha!" Rang out Whites pealing laugh. "After all these years we were apart, and you want to bring up the time you broke my arm when we finally meet again? I thought you had grown up a little… but I guess that one's features can be deceiving."

"Hey! I only pushed you into the creek because you did the same to me a week before, not my fault you can't fall right. And I thought your mother always told you to never trust a pretty face?"

"She said that to you," White said flatly, but there was a twinkle in her eye as I brought up the old joke.

"Ohh, yeah, I guess she did… Not sure why, though. It's not like anyone in the village our age qualified."

After looking at me for a second, White walked close and gave me a tight hug, whispering, "It's good to see you, Green."

"You too, White. You too." I murmured into her hair while returning the tight embrace. "Though I have to wonder, what are you doing here?"

"Wow. Not even going to enjoy the moment for a second before you go and ruin it. I thought going to the legion might have loosened the mud you were stuck in."

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean? I was never that bad."

"Okay, sure you aren't." She said, leaning back and giving me a bright smile. Then she puffed out her chest in an effort to look important, but it didn't really work. Her stern expression only made her look cute rather than serious. "And I was with Senator Drelgath because my mistress has a deal with the man, and I am supposed to ensure that he abides by it."

"Really? I wouldn't think a noble would give a mission so important to an elf."

A flood of emotions quickly flashed behind Whites eyes as she said sharply, "Well, she is different than other nobles…" Giving me an apologetic smile, she calmed down before it brightened, as she continued, "I know, how about I try to introduce you to her? I think that she would like to meet you."

"If you say so, but I am more concerned about your interactions with the… Letairry Ambassador. He and his people are known for taking control of people's minds, and I am concerned for you." My hand raised as if of its own accord, to almost press against her temple, but I stopped just short, as I asked, "Can I check your mind for any kind of mental manipulation?"

She wore a small, placating smile as she looked up at me for a few seconds, before tilting her head the final bit of distance between her head and my fingers. "Sure, Green."

Quickly forming a tendril and reinforcing it with willpower, I pressed it into her mind and promptly found it falling apart as her natural resistance ate away at the casting. I didn't have the mental energy to maintain the spike for long, but I didn't need to. The peak I got into White's thoughts showed that they were completely clear of any blatant manipulation and control.

"Satisfied?" White asked as my spike collapsed, and she shook her head.

"For now," I muttered, "I still do not trust the dark elves. That bastard tried to take control of my mind during the inquisition. Do not trust him and watch your back. Better yet, avoid him."

At my words, shock appeared on her face, then her face darkened. Rage filled her voice as she asked, "Did he now?"

"Yeah, I thi—"

I turned to the side, hearing a voice call for White. Looking back, the woman was scowling in annoyance before sighing. "It seems that our time has come to an end, as the senator is ready to leave, and I can not make him wait."

"When can I see you again?" I asked, causing her to give me a radiant smile, "We still haven't talked about how you got here."

"Don't worry," White said, leaning up on her toes and surprising me by planting a kiss on my lips. "We will have plenty of time to talk. The senator is planning to show up at every event Victorus and the Kin put on." While I was still processing the fact I had just been kissed, White wiped at my shoulders, saying, "You look good in a uniform, Green." Then turned and darted off.

Running the back of my hand over my lips and frowning, I looked around, following White's back as she moved through the brightly lit area. I frowned. I had never thought of my childhood friend in such a romantic way… mostly because we were told all our lives that we had to find someone from outside the village. But I couldn't say that the idea had never crossed my mind. It was just that I thought of her as my sister more than anything.

Turning and walking over to Franklin, I saw him pouring the last of his bag of nuts into his mouth. "How was your secret meetup?" He asked through a full mouth.

"It wasn't a secret meeting." I instantly said, then paused for a moment in thought, "And I don't know. Though she did tell me that Senator Drelgath was going to show up at every event Kanieta holds."

"Huh, so I guess the meeting was worth it then. Anyway, how about we get some cake?" Shrugging, I followed after the badger, hoping that nothing else would happen this night.

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