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Edgin's stomach sank as they descended, down and further down, stone steps echoing with everybody's boots. Resentment coiled in his chest until his ribs ached, and he loosed the tension in a long sigh.“Feeling wistful, Edgin?” asked Xenk, turning to look over his shoulder, that stupidly perfect mouth half curved into a smile.“I'm not nostalgic, Xenk,” huffed Edgin, lifting his lantern so the light danced on every harsh line of his glare. “That was a suffering sigh.”“You aren't suffering,” Holga grunted just behind him, gravelly voice edged with teasing. “You slept late, then you had a giant breakfast.”“Yeah, that's my point,” said Edgin, waving his free hand, its shadow looming across the cramped brick walls. “I was having a great morning. Then the Harbors summoned Xenk and now everything's going to shit.”“If the Harbors have requested my presence,” Xenk said, frustratingly noble, “then some peril must have arisen. I cannot refuse.”“I can,” muttered Edgin, so low that only Xenk would hear.But he followed the paladin down and round, until the spiral stairs ended in a blank stone wall. Xenk reached out and swept his flickering fingers across the surface – a motion so familiar to Edgin's hands, even now that they were ice – and the floor rumbled, dust dropping from the ceiling, as that impassable wall shuddered sideways to reveal the sanctuary.Edgin shivered as he crossed the threshold, glaring at the back of Xenk's head, at the tiny flames skittering over his locs. But if Xenk even noticed, he didn't turn around – just strode ahead, leading them all deeper in.Built to a common plan, it looked the same as every other Harbor sanctuary, unchanged in the twelve years since Edgin had been a member. The solid bricks, damp and musty this far underground, rested in the warm glow of the candles – though it didn't feel quite as cosy as it all used to. Icy fingers creaking, Edgin clutched his lantern tighter as he passed the mandatory well, refusing to lean over and check if it was just symbolic or really had water at the bottom.Beyond the screen of some well-laden shelves, their contact was waiting by the strategy table. “Yendar, thank you for coming,” the man said, calm and serious. “And your companions –”“Harland,” said Edgin, voice almost even, as he set his lantern on the heavy table.“Edgin Darvis,” said Tolm Harland, softer than Edgin had expected, his curiosity gentle. But then Edgin had always got on with the guy. Old even a decade ago, he looked just as he always had: beard cropped short, long white hair smoothed back, eyes blue as the ocean. “It's been a long time.”“Yeah,” Edgin muttered, shrugging, ignoring his friends' glances as they settled round the table.“You have an important matter to discuss, Harland?” asked Xenk, dark eyes stern. For once Edgin was glad the paladin had zero awareness of social subtleties.Lined forehead creasing further, Harland turned his gaze on Xenk. “I'm afraid so. We've received credible reports that a young man has found the Kinaxis Orb.”“Shit,” breathed Simon, as Xenk tightened his grip on his pommel.Inhaling slowly, Edgin gestured with one icy arm. “For those of us that don't eat magic for breakfast, you gonna explain why that's bad?”Xenk turned to him, worry gnawing at those perfect features. “The Kinaxis Orb will allow him to change his element.”“Change his element?” said Doric, eyebrows raised, the leaves in her hair rustling. “On purpose?”Edgin swallowed, glancing down at his hands. Once they'd been pure water, deep and blue, rippling with good cheer. Now they were pale and frozen, glossy surface glinting in the candlelight, warm glow catching on the little jagged edges.“Doesn't sound dangerous,” grunted Holga, crossing her rocky arms, as Kira shuffled her vined feet beside her.“The Kinaxis Orb isn't limited to just stone or fire or ice,” said Harland, eyes lingering on Edgin as he spoke that last word. “With the right catalyst, he can become something beyond the bounds of nature.”Stomach swirling, Edgin's gaze flicked to Xenk's clenched hand, the shape of the charred vines still visible beneath the shimmer of the Beckoning Flame. “And you want us to stop him.”“Do you know which catalyst he seeks?” asked Xenk, sharp eyes finding Harland again.“The Altar of Regret,” said Harland, mouth pulled thin.“Fuck,” said Simon, the lightning at his fingertips crackling.“Again,” sighed Edgin, feigning weariness to cover his concern, “for those of us –”“The altar is a place of forgetting,” said Xenk, brows pulling taut. “A place of giving up what one was. If I am understanding correctly, he seeks to reject the elements entirely. To become nothing, to become a...”“Void,” croaked Simon, eyes wide. “He wants to become a void.”“That is my suspicion, yes,” agreed Harland, expression grim as he plucked a tome from the shelves, flowing fingers leaving no mark on its cover. “An eternal void. Endless. Unchanging. With the power to destroy every true element.”Edgin grabbed the offered book before Xenk could take it. “And this'll tell us how to stop him?” he said, flicking through the pages. They were covered in arcane diagrams, every word a scrawl, and the few bits he could make out were complicated magical terms. He handed it to Simon.Harland glanced between them. “Now that Gazzon has the orb, I doubt even the six of you could prevent his transformation. Or should.”Edgin grunted. Damned Harbors, why were they so –“Then what is your plan?” asked Xenk, his voice gaining a sharp edge that Edgin approved of.“I suggest you seek the Trueglass,” said Harland, and raised a watery hand to cut Edgin and Holga off, their mouths already open to complain about more obscure magic. “An enchanted mirror. Its surface displays the deepest truth, the reflections every bit as powerful as reality.”“Great,” said Edgin, swallowing a sigh. “So Gazzon can admire himself as he kills us.”“No, no,” Simon said, tone brightening as he shoved the book into his bag of holding. “It makes sense. What is a void? Just emptiness, right? Pure destruction. So you reflect destruction onto destruction...”“And the void destroys itself,” Xenk finished, firm and even, the tension draining from his pose.Eyes soft and wide, Kira rubbed at her necklace of invisibility. “So we have to let him change before we can stop him?”“I'm afraid so,” said Harland, mouth curving to a kind smile. “And that is why I'm asking for help. These old bones rarely make it beyond the town walls these days. You must acquire the Trueglass, reach the altar, and defeat Gazzon the moment his ritual is complete.”“How long do we have?” asked Xenk, the flames on his hands rippling gently.Harland glanced at Simon's bag. “The best time for his ritual will be noon on the equinox.”“Three days,” sighed Edgin, icy fingers idly scratching at the table. “So where's this Trueglass?”“Pedder Tylus has it,” said Harland.Edgin groaned. “That dick's still around? Thought you would've arrested him by now.”Harland wrinkled his nose, slight amusement twitching in his lips. “He's troublesome, but there are always more pressing dangers than a minor wizard.”Edgin grimaced, frozen fingertips scraping at the table edge, then straightened up. “He still living in Jennervale Manor?”Harland nodded.“Jennervale Manor,” murmured Xenk, warm eyes narrowing as he stared at the air. “That is two days from here. Another day from the Altar of Regret.”“That makes three days,” said Doric, viney tail swishing. “So we could do it.”“But will you?” asked Harland, eyes settling on Edgin instead of Xenk.Edgin clenched his jaw, stomach swirling under that sincere gaze. He glanced at Kira – her innocent face edged with worry but mostly bright with excitement – then at Xenk, the paladin's own gaze intense and urging. Edgin sighed. “Well, there's nobody else, is there?”“Probably is,” muttered Holga, but she didn't argue any further.Xenk smiled, a lopsided curve of his mouth that was all the more earnest for being imperfect. “Then we should begin the journey at once.”Edgin sighed, the rush of air almost turning to a groan. Damned Harbors. Damned paladins. * As they emerged back into the pale spring sun, Edgin tilted his face to the sky, exhaling the stale sanctuary air, savouring the fresh breeze. The tree in the town square was heavy with appleblossom, sweet as the coming harvest, branches not yet laden with fruit but with tiny sparrows, twittering as they darted.Xenk trotted up beside him, mouth settling to a softer smile. “It's good to see you working with the Harbors again.”“You're working with them,” grunted Edgin, glancing at that annoyingly perfect face. “I'm working with you.”“I doubt that will reduce their gratitude,” Xenk said, light and earnest, tiny flames dancing on his locs, “when we return triumphant.”Edgin clenched his icy fingers. “I don't want their gratitude. Just some gold.”Stride faltering for a moment, Xenk's warm eyes softened. “Harland clearly still holds some respect for you. I do not think it would take much for him to forgive –”Taking the lane towards the stables, Edgin huffed out a sigh. “So what?”Xenk shifted closer as they hurried across the cobbles. “You still have a Harbor's spirit,” he said, voice aching with sincerity, even as his gaze flicked to Edgin's frozen hands. “Do you not desire to rejoin them?”“I've done my time,” Edgin said, fixing his eyes ahead, on the people bustling towards them. “Had enough of being a safe Harbor, of strangers throwing their anchors into me.”Xenk's fire wavered, struggling with that metaphor. “But you could do so much good –”A woman curled her vined arm around her son as they passed, eyes sharp and fearful, steering the boy from Xenk's burning form. Xenk said nothing, but his flames guttered, like a candle in a draft, and they shrivelled almost to nothing – but didn't extinguish. The Beckoning Flame still blazed upon him.“I don't need the Harbors to do good,” said Edgin, pressing one frozen hand to Xenk's shoulder, dismissive and protective.Xenk hummed a low note, stride still strong but dark eyes slightly fragile. * “Wish spring would hurry up,” grunted Holga, rocky fists gripping her reins tight.Edgin snorted, shifting in his saddle to cast his gaze around. The forest path was lined with blooming trees, thick with greenery and sweet blossom, eager bees buzzing between the cupped petals. In the shadow of that canopy, along the grassy verge, the white winter crocus was giving way to rich yellow daffodils. Even Doric was sprouting, buds clustered between her horns.“Think spring's already here,” said Edgin, a grin tugging at his mouth.“Yeah, but summer's better,” said Holga, fierce and earnest, not even looking at him. “Spring's got too much winter in it.”Edgin swallowed, the ghost of a chill rippling down his spine. “Yeah, not a fan of winter,” he muttered. Even with limbs of ice, he could still feel the cold. And he and Holga had shared two years of endless cold, locked up in Revel's End. The crunching snowdrifts and clawing bare branches of winter never stopped whispering about that terrible place.“Wish it could be summer all the time,” sighed Holga, even her gravelly voice almost wistful.Edgin summoned a teasing smile again. “Don't think the seasons work like that.”Holga waved one grey hand, rock solid against the burgeoning forest behind. “Yeah, but if they could...”Edgin glanced down at his icy fingers, curled around his reins. “Guess it'd be good if things didn't have to change,” he said, then reached back to grab his lute, urging all his charm onto his lips. “Alright, who wants to hear On A Summer Afternoon?”Doric swivelled in her saddle, blue eyes bright and sharp. “It's spring!” she protested, thrumming with amusement and all the life of the season.“Yeah, well,” Edgin said, calm and smooth, as his frozen fingers strummed the first chord. “I've got the lute, I pick the song.” * They stopped for lunch by a little stream, clear water burbling over the pebbles. Yellow scales flashing, tiny fish scattered as their horses eagerly bent their necks to drink. Edgin munched down some bread, teasing Kira that he'd steal her cheese, then fed the second half of his apple to his horse. Murmuring as he stroked down his mare's neck, his gaze landed on Simon, the young sorcerer sitting alone, head buried in Harland's book.“Doing a little light reading?” asked Edgin, deliberately casual as he folded himself onto the grass.“Yeah,” snorted Simon, half closing the tome to gesture at the thick spine. “Very light.”Edgin chuckled. “You'll figure it out,” he said, nudging him, smile sculpted to soft encouragement.Simon nudged him back. “I'm fine, Ed,” he said, flipping the book open again, his lightning fingers fizzing slightly. “I've got three days.”Edgin tilted his head, then inhaled deep, the air fresh with grass and blooms. “Better not waste them,” he said, and groaned back to his feet to go bother Xenk. * Whatever Holga said about spring having too much winter, it was easy to forget the fading chill. As the afternoon warmed, pale sun humming in the sky, Edgin savoured the soft heat on his skin, savoured that lingering glow. The woods were deeper here, clustering along the road, eager to show their new clothing of green leaves and pink blossom. Nestled in the thick greenery, various birds called loudly, songs battling as they sought out mates. Kira gasped in glee, Doric casting her a wide grin, as a rabbit hopped across the path. Dirt puffed with every thump of the horses' hooves as they plodded onwards.Under all that, at the edge of his hearing, Edgin caught a soft rustle. He glanced at Xenk.Forehead creased, the paladin looked one way then the other, sensitive ears listening. Edgin didn't know what he could hear, because that rustling had paused, but –Xenk grabbed his pommel, eyes wide. “Arm yourselves!” he called. “Ambush!”Lithe forms barrelled from the forest, covered faces yelling, hands bright with fire or storm or water.Edgin yanked out his lute, icy hands easily closing on it even as his eyes flicked to Kira – his daughter vanishing as she slipped off her horse.Xenk drew his daggersword, metal ringing. Holga leaped down, axe in hand, Simon already calling up magic, Doric swelling to an owlbear, roaring –Inhaling sharply, Edgin dropped to his feet, swinging his lute as a bandit charged in. The reinforced back connected with a thud, the bandit grunting, but another one was coming up behind –Edgin's horse reared, scattering them, then skittered backwards. But the bandits weren't after the horses – just their riders, and their money –Dodging a stab from a knife, Edgin tripped the second bandit. He whipped his gaze around, checking on the others – Holga delivering a rocky punch, Simon's hands flashing as he loosed a jet of fire, Xenk elegant as he spun to dodge one blow and parry another, flames blazing with righteous indignation –A blade whistled towards Edgin. He ducked, slamming his lute into the attacker's stomach. But his satisfaction melted as a pained roar shook his ears –Bellowing, Doric reared up, giant paws batting at the bandit who'd speared her gut. He went sailing through the air, slamming into a patch of parblooms, and sank into groans.“Shit,” said one of the bandits, as Doric made another shaky swing –“Shit,” hissed Edgin, as Doric faltered, staggered, collapsed –But her attack was enough of a distraction for Xenk to slide in, glowing sword arching through the air, and shove two bandits backwards. Enough for Holga to follow up with a kick – for Simon to fling out a rumbling shockwave –Edgin smacked one bandit with his lute for good measure. Eyes wide, their leader grabbed at her closest companion. “Scram! This lot are too much!”Another bandit scraped their fallen comrade from the flowers, all of them scrambling away.Flames fluttering, stance still tense, Xenk gripped his blade as the bandits fled. Then his stern eyes softened as he sheathed his sword, sprinting to Doric's side.Her owlbear roar melted to a soft groan as she swirled back to a tiny tiefling, claws and feathers becoming skin and vines.“Are you injured?” murmured Xenk, kneeling down, as the rest of the group crowded in – Kira rippling back into view.Doric grunted as she propped herself up on her elbows, fierce little face twitching with pain. “Yeah.”“May I lift your armour?” Xenk murmured, one burning hand reaching out, his dark eyes so kind.“Sure,” she croaked, chest shuddering as she inhaled. Edgin shifted closer, and she flapped a hand at all of them. “Come on, give me space to breathe. It's not that bad.”Charred fingers careful, Xenk pried the leather from her, revealing the place where her vined hips met the pale skin of her stomach, now slick with crimson blood.“Doric,” whispered Simon, voice wavering with the same worry that coiled in Edgin's gut.But Doric flashed a smile at Xenk, fragile and urging. The paladin reached out and pressed his fingers to her skin, his flames blazing, his touch gentle. Edgin swallowed as Xenk murmured, as soft magic glowed, flowed into her, that searing hand not burning but healing her.Doric sighed as her wound closed up, as Xenk released her, leaving her skin smooth and unmarked. “Thanks.”“It is nothing,” murmured Xenk, standing, with that same kind tone he always had in the aftermath.Brown eyes still nervous, Simon offered Doric a hand, pulled her to her feet. But she just snorted, nudged him, rearranged her armour. “Are you going to watch me all day,” she said, striding past them to whistle softly to the horses, “or are we getting back on the road?”Edgin glanced at Xenk – at that annoyingly perfect face, still gentle and solemn, his flames shimmering quietly – then at Doric, back to her usual sharpness. “Back on the road,” declared Edgin, slinging an arm around Kira, as they followed the druid to the horses. * As evening drew in they made camp in a clearing, just off the road, a few trees screening them from passersby. Everyone chipped in – fetching water, building a campfire, chopping the vegetables – and soon they'd all scarfed down a good stew, resting rich and warm in their bellies.Simon collected up their bowls, magicked them clean with a mutter, then shoved them back into his bag of holding. “I've got some reading to do,” he said, pulling out Harland's book again. “You guys carry on.”Shifting on his log, Edgin pulled his lute from its holster, eyes following his young friend as Simon settled himself at the edge of the clearing, leaning against a tree trunk. The campfire crackled as Edgin gently strummed the strings, the sound soft enough not to disturb Simon as he worked.Kira swayed in time with the melody, leaning into Holga's side. Vined tail resting in her lap, Doric nodded along, fully recovered from her injury. Xenk studied Edgin, back straight, eyes intense. Icy fingers plucking at the strings, Edgin swallowed, a heavy warmth settling in his chest – just the glow of the campfire, yeah, those vibrant flames heating his skin –As Edgin smoothly slipped into the chorus, Xenk stood and ambled over to Simon, sitting down beside him. Mouth drawing thin, Edgin stuck to his rhythm as he watched Xenk's face, unable to hear his words from here – but there was a lightness to the guy's expression, an earnest urging, a gentle camaraderie as he leaned in to inspect those esoteric pages, neither his nor Simon's face scrunching with confusion.Stomach tight, Edgin turned his gaze to Kira, pushing his mouth to a grin. This was a good song, one she liked, and he did too – so he channelled himself into it, savouring the trill of his lute, the flicker of the campfire, ignoring everything else –When Xenk got up and went to inspect the horses, Edgin finished out the last verse, then yawned and laid down his lute. “Gonna stretch my legs,” he declared. Doric nodded and drew Kira into a chat about their buds.Edgin stood and wandered away, keeping his gait casual. Xenk was stroking his gelding's nose, looked like he was muttering – maybe the guy was better at talking to animals than to people – but Edgin didn't approach, just skirted the treeline opposite. A tension coiled in his gut as his eyes lingered.Licking his lips, Edgin sighed and drifted over to Simon. “How's it going?” he asked, flopping down next to him.“Yeah, fine,” said Simon, half smiling, and turned a page. The yellow glow of his lightning skittered across the scrawled words, his hands bright and sure, so smooth and solid now. Not zipping and sparking, the way they had when they were both thieves, when Edgin's little talks were all that calmed that nervous storm. “Slow but steady, right?”“Yeah,” chuckled Edgin, bumping his shoulder, offering him a grin like old times. “Need any help?”“From you?” asked Simon, eyebrows raised, mouth tugging to an almost confident smile. He tipped the book to show Edgin a diagram. “Oh, yeah, 'cause this makes perfect sense to a bard.”Edgin huffed, chuckling again. “Come on. I can't do magic, but I can still do pep talks,” he said, tone smooth, though his stomach shivered a little.Simon's smile widened, slyly teasing, brown eyes sparking with mischief as they flicked to Xenk and back. “That's definitely why you came over here,” he said, and returned to his book.“Hey, it is,” protested Edgin, reeling back, a sliver of cold sliding into his gut.Simon gave him a fond laugh, a fonder look, then turned back to trace one bright finger across the lines of the diagram.Edgin swallowed, brows drawing tight as he clambered to his feet. Striding towards the campfire, he clenched and released his icy fingers, itching to get back to his lute and release the strange quiver in his stomach.Xenk cornered Edgin before he got there. “How is Simon?” he asked, tone earnest, dark eyes lingering. “I can never be sure.”Edgin almost snorted; Simon was definitely the easiest of their group to read. “Says he's fine,” Edgin said, shrugging, his stomach still unsettled.“Mmm,” Xenk hummed, eyes intense as they studied Edgin. The moment stretched, air heavy with the silence, and Edgin was about to peel away when Xenk spoke again. “I find it curious that you are so keen to encourage Simon, yet so resistant to being encouraged yourself.”“What?” scoffed Edgin, holding his hands up and stepping back, putting a little space between him and Xenk's imposing form. “That's not – Don't compare them, they're not the same at all.”Xenk tilted his head, the little flames on his locs shimmering in the dark clearing. “Are they not?” he asked, the slightest smile in the corners of his mouth.“No,” huffed Edgin, crossing his arms, wrapping his ice around himself. “Simon just needs some words to be his best, sometimes. You want me to be something I'm not.”Xenk's gaze drifted down Edgin, then back up; Edgin forced down a shiver. “You may no longer be water, but you are still a Harbor at heart.”Chest squeezing, Edgin glared. “Kinda curious,” he snapped, waving one hand, “that you're so quick to call me a hypocrite for not believing I can change, when you can't admit that I already have.”Xenk's brows softened a fraction. “I see your ice, Edgin,” he murmured, dark eyes wide and gentle, “but I also see the good in you.”“Thanks,” grunted Edgin, thrusting his arms down to his sides, frozen limbs tense inside his sleeves. “But I've told you: I don't need to be a Harbor to do good.”“If I believed you did,” Xenk murmured, half turning to go, “we would not be travelling together.”Edgin opened his mouth, those words jabbing at his throat, but all his bardic skill abandoned him as his stomach clenched tighter. Xenk trailed away from him, armoured form slightly hunched, the blaze on his hands burning low.“Well, we are travelling together,” Edgin muttered, knowing Xenk would still hear it, unsure if he was protesting or agreeing. * Edgin groaned, cracking his eyes open as the morning clatter of their camp finally penetrated his prized sleep. Yawning, stretching, he pulled his blankets tighter for a moment, though his bedroll didn't quite mask the hard ground beneath him. But the spring sun was warm on his face, the air already sizzling with breakfast, so he sighed and pried himself from his cosy tangle.Knees creaking as he stood, Edgin groaned again. Gods, he was getting older. His bones weren't as forgiving of a night on the ground as they used to be, especially after two years in Revel's End. But he wasn't ready to give up on adventuring yet. Ice or not, a restless urge still vibrated inside him, and just sitting in his cottage would wear at him. Didn't want to end up like Harland, watching everyone else set off to have fun. Even if the white hair was inevitable.“Harbors didn't spoil your lie-in then,” teased Holga, gruff and fond, as he approached.Feigning a glare, Edgin grabbed a bowl of porridge. “Better not spoil my breakfast either.”Holga didn't laugh, but the corner of her mouth twitched, which he'd learned years ago was a sign of amusement.Edgin ate leisurely, until the bustle of his friends burrowed under his skin. He gulped up the last few mouthfuls, then threw himself into the business of breaking down their camp.They were almost ready to go when he spotted Doric digging a hole by the doused firepit, yet again, her little hands scooping out the soil.“Alright, I gotta know,” Edgin sighed, pausing with his bedroll in his arms. “Why do you always do that?”“Returning the earth to the earth,” she said lightly, not looking up, as she scraped the ash and charred wood into the hollow and covered them over. “Now they'll fertilise new life.”Edgin snorted, hoisting up his blanket. “Don't think there's any life left in a few half-burned twigs.”Doric turned her sharp eyes on him, the soft buds between her horns partly open. “Which of us is the druid?”Chuckling, Edgin shook his head. “Fine. Knock yourself out. You're the one who's gotta dig the hole, druid.”“Some of us don't mind hard work,” she said, wiping her hands, and strode off to adjust her saddle.“Some of us,” Edgin called after her, “use our brains to make the work easier.” * “Looks like it's gonna rain,” said Holga, tilting her head up.“Don't jinx it,” Edgin teased, but he shifted in his saddle as he looked up too. Shit, those wispy clouds were starting to get pretty thick...“Rain's not a jinx,” Doric said, sharp and earnest, gesturing at the burgeoning forest around them. “Plants need rain. Where do you think all this new growth comes from?”“I'm a rock,” huffed Holga, solid hands squeezing her reins. “I don't need to grow.”Xenk turned to look back at them. “We are all capable of personal improvement,” he said, his dark eyes achingly sincere.“Yeah,” said Edgin, eyebrows raised. “So what are you working on, Xenk?”Xenk's taut brows softened, intense gaze fading to a fragile look. But as Edgin opened his mouth the first raindrops began to splatter down.“You jinxed it, Holga,” he said, tearing his eyes from Xenk, stomach a little tight.“Great,” sighed Simon, pulling his cloak further around himself. “Now we're going to get soggy.”“This better not last long,” Holga said, glaring at Doric, as if the druid was responsible for all of it.Doric snorted, buds rustling as she shook her head. “It's only a spring shower.” * “It's not a shower,” grunted Holga, rivulets streaming down her hair.Edgin hummed a sharp note, forehead creasing as his eyes flicked over their group. Everyone was hunched in their saddles, cloaks wrapped close, except for Xenk – still sat perfectly straight, focused on the road ahead. The guy didn't even have a hood, his flames hissing as the rain bucketed down.“You really jinxed it, Holga,” groaned Simon, brown eyes wide and gloomy, though he was swaddled tightest of them all.“Me?” huffed Holga, almost crossing her stone arms, raindrops tracing the tribal patterns carved into her rock. “It's not my fault.”Doric sighed, blue eyes still bright, though her ginger hair was plastered to her head. “It's the weather, it's nobody's fault. Just part of the cycle, the seasons working as they're meant to. You want plants to flourish, they need water.”“Maybe I don't give a shit about plants,” said Holga, hunkering lower.“Potatoes are plants,” Doric reminded her.Holga scowled, but her shoulders relaxed a little.Edgin couldn't help a small chuckle, but his own shoulders were still tense. They'd travelled through rain before, of course, but – man, the way Xenk's blaze sizzled with every spatter was unsettling. Sure, the Beckoning Flame wasn't a normal fire, but a heaviness squirmed in Edgin's gut –“Okay, wise druid,” he said, playfully as he could manage with his own hair dripping, threatening to freeze to rime, “how long's this rain gonna last?”Doric wrinkled her nose, squinting up at the sky. “A while,” she said, and there was an edge of apology to that.Edgin sighed, tugging his jacket tighter. At least Kira still looked bright, her vines soaking up the water as eagerly as Doric. But the path was soaking it up too, slowly squelching into mud, splattering with each flick of a hoof. Edgin knew everyone would be happier if they took shelter, but they were on a tight timeline –“Careful with your horses, guys,” he said, encouragement more weary than he'd aimed for.“Mmm,” Xenk hummed in agreement, those warm eyes drifting across to Edgin. “I should not like any of our equine friends to twist an ankle.”“But you could heal them, yeah?” said Edgin, ribs tight as he idly rubbed his mare's neck.“I could,” Xenk said, intense and earnest, “but attempting to lay hands on a frantic beast with flailing hooves is not a test I relish.”Edgin swallowed, the sizzle of Xenk's flames filling the silence. Gazing down, Edgin studied how those dutiful hooves pressed into the mud, sinking deeper with the party's weight upon them.“Alright, we're on foot from here,” said Edgin, tugging his mount to a stop. “The horses will have an easier time if we're walking, not riding.”A soft groan rolled through the group, but nobody protested more than that.“Just think of the potatoes,” Edgin said, forcing a bright tone as he jumped down from his saddle.Mud splattered up his legs as his boots landed in a puddle. Edgin exhaled sharply.“Just think of the potatoes,” repeated Holga, mischief flaring in her dark eyes. * Lunch wasn't potatoes, just more bread and cheese and apples, their little group huddling inside a ruin. The remains of the roof kept the rain off them all for a bit, even if the cracked floor and half-tumbled walls didn't really add any cheer to the mood. Not keen to fiddle with his lute while the strings were wet, Edgin whistled a jaunty tune instead, trailing his icy fingers across the ancient stone walls as he ambled around the edge of the crumbling room, waiting for Kira to nibble the last of her hasty sandwich.His melody and feet both faltered as he reached a shattered altar. Maybe this had been a temple once, filled with urgent worship. Now it was a monument to no one, occupied for just a few minutes by some bedraggled adventurers and their horses, all stamping their muddy feet to shake out a trickle of water.“A melancholy sight,” said Xenk, looming near his shoulder, and Edgin almost jumped.“It's not sad,” huffed Edgin, chest drawing tight, ice creaking a few inches from Xenk's solid form. “It's just some rock.”Xenk tilted his head, those earnest eyes searching. “You do not mourn the fading of faith?”Edgin cleared his throat. “Wasn't much use to begin with,” he said, tearing his gaze away, heart thrumming a little. “Faith always fades when it meets the real world.”“Joy is no less real than pain,” murmured Xenk, with a yearning that made Edgin's stomach shiver in sympathy. “And faith grants as much strength as it is given.”“Should've kept some strength for itself,” grunted Edgin, gesturing a frozen hand at the cracked and sorry altar. “And joy doesn't last as long.”Xenk's flames rippled as he turned to gaze at Kira, mouth full of bread as she giggled with Holga. “There are always new joys.”“Yeah,” muttered Edgin, glancing at Xenk, then back to Kira. “So who needs old vows?”“Belief may ebb,” Xenk said, eyes solemn as they fixed on Edgin, their warmth almost aching, “but an oath does not release its hold as quickly as the oathmaker. Can you not feel past prayers still weighing in the air?”“No,” huffed Edgin, shuffling his heavy feet, uneasiness crawling through his body. “I feel wet and muddy and like I want a nice hot bath. That's it.”Xenk offered him a smile, lopsided and laced with apology. “I'm sure the gold you're given for this quest will purchase a very cosy stay at the inn,” he said, so earnestly Edgin could only gape as the paladin wandered away. * The downpour slowed from a drenching to a drizzle and then to nothing at all, though the day remained cool and grey. Spring's vibrant colours shivered in the chill, greenery and birdsong caught in the ghost of hibernation, but at least the roads improved – slick mud ceding to solid dirt. Which meant they could ride again, allowing Edgin to squirm in his saddle instead of just his stiff and spoiled clothes.As the afternoon drew on, the trees thinned out, but Edgin kept their party on the road until the sky loomed orange – conscious that they needed to stretch every hour after the slower going of that wet day. When Kira sighed heavily, he led them off the path to set up camp, and they emerged from a little thicket to find themselves on the edge of a lake, its smooth waters gently lapping at the pebbled shore.“Look, Edgin,” said Xenk, frustratingly bright, his wonky smile almost playful. “You may have your bath after all.”“Not a hot one,” grunted Edgin, as he half tumbled from his horse.“I don't care if it's cold,” said Holga, dropping to her feet, “long as I don't have to share it with you.”Edgin glared at her. But Kira was shuffling her feet, young eyes weary as they lingered on the promise of that water.“Fine, yeah,” said Edgin, waving one icy arm with feigned dismissal. “Ladies first. We'll start on the camp while you three wash, then we'll swap.”“Take a blanket as a towel,” Simon advised, any earlier sulk melting under chipper sincerity. “Leave out any clothes you want me to clean. I can magic all the mud off them.”“Great,” said Edgin, leading his horse towards a curve of aspens, a cosy screen that would conceal the lake from their camp. “Good. Let's get the campfire going, I'm starving.” * Wading into the lake, Edgin loosed a long sigh. The evening water was cold even against his icy legs, but it was a good cold – a pure freshness that sluiced away the day's grime as he poured cupped handfuls of it over his body. Not like the endless, pointless chill of Revel's End.As he washed the dirt away, the tension in him unspooled too. A favourite tune bubbled to the surface, a hum settling in his throat, and Edgin's gaze drifted as his hands worked, idle curiosity taking in the faint lap of the water, the sunset glow on the mirrored surface, the solid shape of the paladin ahead of him –Edgin swallowed, scraping some mud from his collarbone. He'd kept his eyes to himself, stripping off his jacket and shirt and boots without glancing at either of his friends. But Xenk, intense in everything he did, had waded deeper in – and now Edgin had a full view of the paladin, of his ablutions, of the muscles flexing in that broad back – the charred vines of his arms arching down his sides to his hips, hugging the V of unblemished skin that narrowed from his strong shoulders to his lower spine and disappeared beneath his waistband – flames hissing but blazing strong even as Xenk plunged those nimble hands into the cold depths.“Enjoying the view?” Simon asked, splashing in next to Edgin.Edgin met that playful grin with a huff. “Just wondering if all that water will, I don't know, put Xenk's fire out. Or something.”Simon snorted. “You know that's not how elements work,” he teased, scrubbing at himself. “It's magic, Ed.”“Yeah, exactly,” grunted Edgin, sending ripples out as he shuffled his icy feet, tension coiling in his gut. “It's magic. It's the Beckoning Flame. What if it...” He waved one frozen hand, vague and inarticulate.Simon laughed, the tumble of amusement so much less awkward than it used to be. “Ed, how many baths do you think Xenk has had in the last century?”Edgin's stomach clenched. Neat and elegant Xenk had probably – probably –Mischief curled into Simon's smile as he chuckled. “Nevermind. Forget I asked. I'm just saying, if water was dangerous Xenk wouldn't have waded arse-deep into a lake.”Edgin cleared his throat, hurrying to splash water on his trembling chest. “Xenk's always wading into danger. Spend half my time figuring out how to keep the guy alive.”Ahead of him, Xenk glanced back, annoyingly perfect mouth curved to a smile that almost seemed fond. Edgin shivered, lakewater trickling down his body.“Yeah,” Simon sighed, tone airy for a man with limbs of lightning. “You do spend a lot of time thinking about Xenk.”Shoulders hunching, Edgin grunted and turned back to the shore. “Not really. Anyway, magic my clothes for me, yeah?” he said, water sloshing as he strode to his blanket. “I want my dinner.”“Already did your clothes,” said Simon, tipping more water down himself, lightning refracting through the liquid. “They're clean.”Edgin grunted, slightly more grateful, and grabbed his blanket to towel off. A restless gloom rushed in his veins as he rubbed himself dry. Xenk wandered over to his own pile of clothes, a few feet away, but Edgin refused to look, just muttering, “Hey.”“Your concern is touching,” Xenk said, firm and kind, when he was safely wrapped in his own blanket, “but you need not worry. No water can extinguish me.”“I know that,” huffed Edgin, squeezing lakewater from his hair. “It just makes this weird hiss. Always sounds like you're gonna go out, yeah?”“But I will not,” insisted Xenk, so earnest, so soft. “There is no more danger than when your ice creaks as you warm your hands by the fire.”Edgin wrapped his blanket close, brows tugging to a frown. “Yeah, but if I melted, I'd just turn back to water. Your flame goes out, you go out.”Xenk blinked at him, hands pausing in their work. “My flame is not my life. It is the Beckoning Flame.”A tightness tickled at Edgin's throat and he swallowed it down. “But you are a fire elemental,” Edgin said, gaze drifting across that rippling blaze.“Of a sort,” murmured Xenk, fingers twitching to the ashen mark on his forehead. “My flame is not my life. The Beckoning Flame brings no life. Everything it burns is extinguished.”Edgin's stomach rolled, an ache blooming in his chest. As Xenk's eyes gazed down, dark and fragile, Edgin studied the form peeking from that blanket. Beneath that blaze lurked twisted ash, vines charred and stunted, lifeless. But Edgin had seen those hands swing a sword with mastery, seen those burning hands protect, comfort, heal.Petulance coiled in Edgin's chest. “You know why I make my ice creak, why I sit so close to the campfire? 'Cause it keeps us warm. Keeps us alive. That campfire is cooking our dinner right now. Fire makes food that keeps us going.”Xenk's stupidly gorgeous mouth curled into a soft smile, wonky and vulnerable. “For an ice elemental,” he murmured, dark eyes lingering, “you are surprisingly warm.”Edgin grunted, turning away to grab his clothes. “Shut up. You'll see how warm I am when I shove these icy hands into your flames.”That threat faltered in the air, melting to a hesitant thrum between them.“If you have need of my heat, you are welcome to it,” Xenk said, kind and earnest and completely fucking oblivious to any other meaning.“Thanks,” hissed Edgin, yanking on his shirt, buckling his belt as he stumbled away. “But no thanks.” * Half pouting as he shovelled down his stew, Edgin kept glancing across the campfire at Xenk, the paladin quiet as his flames flickered. Gods, every conversation with that guy went off a cliff. Nevermind a cursed blaze, it was like talking to a brick wall. He just wanted to throw himself against it and – no, shit, that wasn't the right metaphor. Fuck, even thinking about talking to Xenk was a disaster. And that was definitely still Xenk's fault, Xenk and those dark eyes that lingered on him –Edgin practically shoved his bowl at Simon when the young sorcerer came to collect it, had to mutter a sorry at him, then Edgin scrambled to his feet and stalked off to circle the camp, check on the horses, check on everything, because he couldn't sit by that fire any more. Couldn't sit close to the campfire and have Xenk thinking about his ice melting, because it wasn't going to melt. He wasn't going to melt, he was frozen now, just plain ice forever.Holga slipped in to lurk nearby as Edgin tugged his bedroll from his horse. He raised his eyebrows at her.“You alright?” she said, gruff but soft.“Yeah,” grunted Edgin, marching past her to lay out his bed, his stride perfectly normal and casual, thanks.Silent as a boulder, Holga watched him as he arranged the bedroll. “Don't be like me,” she muttered at last.“Always a good plan,” sighed Edgin, clomping past her again to the horses. “Got any other advice?”Holga frowned, worried more than fierce. “Don't waste what's in front of you 'cause you can't let go of something else.”Edgin glanced back to the campfire, to Simon intently studying his tome, to Xenk polishing his armour, to Doric playfully poking her tailtip at a giggling Kira's closed buds –“I'm not wasting anything,” murmured Edgin, heart shimmering as he grabbed Kira's bedroll and spread it out next to his.Holga grunted, flexed her rocky fists, then thumped back over to the campfire. * “Look, look!”Edgin groaned as sleep slipped from him like a blanket, Kira's excited voice prying him from his dream, some dark eddy of sensation more than discernable story.“That's great, Bug,” said Holga, dulled by distance, but Edgin could still hear the softness to her voice. “They look great.”“Must've been the rain yesterday,” said Doric, bright and eager – more bright than Edgin felt as he wobbled himself to a sitting position. “Mine have opened too.”He blinked twice, forced his eyes to focus, vision swirling from sleep to his companions crowding around Kira, his daughter gleefully pointing at the flowers in her hair.Edgin swallowed and scrambled to his feet.“Dad!” cried Kira, skipping over to him. “Look, I've sprouted.”“You have,” he said, a smile creeping across his mouth, a soft ache in his chest. Gods, his daughter, blooming already. Felt like only last week she was a baby, waving her little vined hands. “That's amazing, honey. Really pretty.”“Two of them this time,” she said, beaming, turning her head left and right so he could get a proper look. One of them was a rich purple, the other paler lilac. “I only grew one last year.”“Last year,” murmured Edgin, ribs squeezing out his breath. Last spring, he and Holga were still in –Kira shuffled her feet, excitement fluttering down as she bit her lip, almost shy. “Yeah,” she muttered, then her mouth wavered back to a smile. “I saved it, if you want to see.”“Saved it?” said Edgin, heart skittering as she skipped over to her horse, trailing after her.Kira pulled a book from her saddlebag, opened the pages to reveal a little mauve flower, dried and flat. “Forge showed me how to press it before it wilted. So I could keep it.”Edgin swallowed, urging a smile to surface. “I guess he was good for something,” he said, stealing as much of Simon's irony as he could.“Yeah,” said Kira, the edges of her grin now fragile.Chest tight with tenderness, Edgin slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Glad I get to see them blooming now,” he said, mustering his most gentle charm. “Maybe we can press those too, before summer comes.”Kira giggled, soft joy sparking in her young eyes. “I can grow a whole collection,” she said, so earnest, so innocent that Edgin's ribs ached. “Take me a while to catch up with Doric though.”Edgin glanced at Doric, now helping Simon dismantle the cooking spit, a whole rainbow of blooms peeking from her hair. “I dunno,” Edgin teased, squeezing Kira close. “Might need to become a druid to compete with her.”“Maybe I will,” chuckled Kira, her eyes bright.“You can do anything you want,” murmured Edgin, then gently slipped his arm away. “But first, why don't you go show Holga last year's flower? I bet she'd love to see it too.”“Oh, yes,” breathed Kira, and scurried away, clutching her book reverently.Edgin smiled at her retreating form, and ambled to join the work. Simon had shoved all the cooking apparatus back into his bag of holding, used his magic to put out the campfire, and disappeared off to do something else – leaving Doric by the ashes.“Again?” Edgin asked playfully, as Doric scraped out another hole.“Every day,” Doric said, depositing the ashes. “Don't look at me. Simon's got some toast for you somewhere.”“Great,” Edgin said, more earnest than it warranted. “Bag toast. Delicious.” * After yesterday's rain, spring was asserting itself again, bright and fresh and clear. The fields preened with new growth, richly green, and the roads were dry and easy again. They made good time, passing only a few travellers. No bandits, no mishaps, no distractions.That left Edgin with little to do except shift in his saddle, restless thoughts whirring. Kira had two flowers! Gods, half of him thought she'd only ever grow closed buds. But his little girl was blooming, and the purple shades really suited her. So did the smile she had when talking about them. His own smile blossomed in response, chest thrumming.“It's good to see our earthen friends in bloom,” said Xenk, his tone soft and almost casual, as his horse trotted up.“Yeah,” sighed Edgin, pride coiling in his chest. “Guess all that shit with the rain was worth something.”A smile inched across Xenk's perfect mouth, pushing it to a wonky curve. “Our trials often provide the fertile ground for fresh joys.”Edgin groaned. “Trials are the scars that make it hard to plant a seed.”Xenk's gaze drifted over him, slow and gentle. “I was not aware you had been trying.”Grimacing, Edgin curled his frozen fingers tighter on his reins. “I haven't, so don't start.”Xenk glanced at Kira, then Doric, and back to Edgin. “Does the day not urge you to begin?”“No,” Edgin huffed, shoulders hunching. He glared at the paladin, still sitting tall and calm. “Don't start talking about the Harbors again.”Xenk raised his eyebrows, handsome face serene. “Are we not to discuss our quest?”“Quest, yeah,” grunted Edgin, wishing his stomach would stop quivering. “Other things, no.”A frown twitched across Xenk's forehead, eyes lingering on Edgin, the air between them crackling – that frisson only dissipating when Xenk turned his gaze forward. “It is the other things I struggle to categorise,” he murmured.“You're telling me,” muttered Edgin – but though Xenk must have heard the words, the complaint rolled off him like rain off a duck's back, the paladin as oblivious as ever.Edgin half wanted to enlighten him, only he wasn't sure about what. * “Right,” said Edgin, as they all clustered round the side gate to Jennervale Manor. “Here's the plan –”“Do I get to invisible in there?” Kira asked, soft hope blooming in her eyes.Edgin swallowed, gaze flicking from her vined fingers where they fiddled with her necklace, to the purple flowers nestled in her hair. “Honey, I know you'd like –”Kira tilted her chin up, eyes bright, her flowers rustling with the movement. She really was growing up – but that thought just deepened the tender ache in Edgin's chest. “Dad, look, I can just – Oh.” Kira frowned, squeezing her necklace – but nothing more happened than a small ripple across her form.Edgin sighed, half relief, half concern. “Right, yeah. Tylus is a minor wizard. He's got wards and things.”“That kind of ward isn't minor magic,” said Simon, brown eyes wide, a flutter of his old awkwardness creeping in.“Minor in his general success,” said Edgin, biting back a chuckle. “Not his ambition.”“Sounds familiar,” muttered Holga.Edgin nudged her and carried on. “Look, we don't need to scout the place. I've been here before,” he said, waving one frozen hand, nonchalant and calm. “The Harbors sent me to sneak into a ball once. I know all about Pedder Tylus and his mansion.”“You did indicate that you knew him,” said Xenk, nodding earnestly.“How well do you know him?” asked Doric, her smile less earnest, more mischief.“Danced one waltz with him, then slipped out to grab his latest artifact,” Edgin said, refusing to meet her gaze. “The guy's a charming asshole –”“Sounds familiar,” Holga said, louder.“And predictable,” Edgin said, glaring. “Guy's never changed the trunk he keeps all his artifacts in, just adds more spells to it every time the Harbors break in.”“Will that not make our attempt more difficult than your last one?” said Xenk, dark eyes intense.“I didn't say they were good spells,” grunted Edgin.Simon clicked his fingers, frowning, a faint puff of smoke sparking from his lightning. “Good enough to mess with my spells,” he mumbled, a pout settling on his mouth.Edgin swallowed down a huge sigh, regretting his words before he spoke. “That's why I'm taking Xenk in there.”“I will do whatever is required of me,” Xenk said, annoyingly noble, “though I cannot match Simon's skill with disenchantment.”“That's the point,” Edgin said, tension already settling in his chest. “Your paladin vows give you a different kind of magic to wizards and sorcerers. Tylus's wards won't give you as much trouble.”Xenk looked down at his hand, flexing the ashen fingers, flames rippling over them. But he didn't test it with a spell. Xenk never wasted magic.“So that's it,” Edgin said, another sigh lurking behind his ribs as he gestured at the group. “That's the plan.”“Then if Holga will oblige me,” Xenk said, urgent and earnest, the metal of his armour clinking as he stepped forward, “we shall scale this wall and begin.”Edgin's sigh escaped as he rubbed his face. “Xenk, this is a stealth mission.”Xenk blinked at him. “We shall scale the wall... quietly?”“We're not climbing the wall,” said Edgin, mouth pulled thin. “We're using the door.”“It is locked,” said Xenk, brows twitching slightly. “I saw you try the handle.”“I can pick the lock, Xenk,” groaned Edgin, and gestured at himself with one icy hand. “Why do you think I'm going on this mission?”“Because you know the manor,” said Xenk, eyes earnest.“Because I know the manor,” said Edgin, returning his stare, “and because I can pick locks.”Xenk nodded, sage and infuriating. “I suppose your thieving past has its advantages.”“Unlike my heroing present,” sighed Edgin, casting his eyes to the heavens. Gods, Xenk could be obtuse. Sometimes Edgin wondered if the guy was doing it on purpose – but he was pretty sure Xenk was just being a paladin right now. “Just stand back and let me unlock the door.”As Edgin bent down, whipping his lockpicks from his pocket, everyone took a step back. Xenk's armour clanked with the movement.Edgin raised his eyebrows, glancing at Xenk as he slipped the first pick into the lock. “Maybe you should take off your armour.”“Oh, it's that sort of mission,” Doric said, nudging Holga playfully.“It's a stealth mission,” huffed Edgin, adding the second pick, eyes flicking to Xenk. “Do your sensitive ears not hear how much your armour clanks?”“Will I not require my armour,” said Xenk, solemn and sincere, “if we are discovered?”“We won't be discovered,” grunted Edgin, jiggling his picks in the lock, “if you take off your armour. All you'll need is your sword.”“Definitely that kinda mission,” whispered Holga, elbowing Doric with half a grin.“Not helpful,” said Edgin, as one of the tumblers clicked.“If you are sure I will not need my armour, I shall remove it,” Xenk said, with all the noble sacrifice of a man sworn to duty.“I'm sure, Xenk,” sighed Edgin, icy hands channelling all his resentment into that lock. “That's why I'm asking.”Xenk's armour clinked even more as he set about removing it – unbuckling the straps, peeling away each solid layer, handing them all to Simon – but Edgin didn't watch him undress, just frowned and prodded at that lock until it clicked open.“Right,” said Edgin, straightening up, turning to Xenk, maybe swallowing at the acre of muscled chest now exposed by the guy's open shirt. “That's it. Let's go.”“We shall proceed... quietly,” said Xenk, his dark eyes intensely earnest.Edgin bit back another sigh, tugging the door open and leading Xenk in. To Xenk's credit, without his armour the guy was basically silent, feet nimble as they crept through the shrubbery, past the fountain and up to the kitchen door. Of course, with his imposing form and blazing limbs and sculpted chest, Xenk was a distracting sight –Not that Edgin was distracted.Edgin crouched down by the kitchen door, lockpicks slipping back to his fingers. Xenk hunched down next to him, those dark eyes watching, patient and intense. Licking his lips, Edgin narrowed his eyes, a tension shivering across his chest as he forced all his focus into picking that lock.“I assumed his locks were magical,” Xenk murmured, almost conversational.“Nope,” grunted Edgin, torn between commending the guy on his attempt at social interaction, and reminding him – again – that this was a stealth mission.Xenk paused, serious gaze sweeping over the door, as if he could peer through it. “Does Tylus not have servants?”“Normal locks,” muttered Edgin, jabbing his lockpicks deeper. “Magical servants.”“Ah, another thing to concern us,” Xenk declared confidently.“Not really,” sighed Edgin, carefully prying the lock open. “They're dim as shit.”“Their lack of illumination means they will not raise the alarm?” asked Xenk, painfully earnest.“That's not –” Edgin swallowed another sigh. “They're stupid, Xenk. Have I mentioned Tylus is a shitty wizard? His summons won't even realise we're not meant to be there. Last time I walked right past one and it just kept on sweeping the floor.”“I see,” murmured Xenk, as the kitchen lock clicked open.“Wish you did,” muttered Edgin, easing the door open and slipping inside.The small kitchen was warm and cosy, the oven humming and a pot bubbling on the stove, filling the air with the rich scent of roasting beef and boiling broccoli. A magical construct, a blue and ghostly shape of man, was chopping carrots by the sideboard. As Xenk and Edgin tiptoed across the tiled floor, that translucent form turned and walked right at them – both of the interlopers skittered out of the way, the arcane servant not reacting at all.Xenk stared as it rifled through a cupboard. “They really are oblivious,” he whispered.“Sounds familiar,” grunted Edgin, and crept into the corridor.Xenk trotted alongside him, dark eyes wide and alert, silent form sticking close. He really was quite stealthy – except for the flickers of fire licking at his locs, the sheer blaze of his hands, both burning raw and bright –Edgin pursed his lips, casting a glare at those flames. “Can't you calm down?”“I am very calm,” Xenk assured him, voice smooth.“Your flames aren't,” Edgin said through gritted teeth.Xenk glanced down at himself as they slipped round a corner, approaching the back stairs. “The rest of me is equally visible.”“But that glow lights up everything,” hissed Edgin, creeping up the steps, one at a time, trying to remember where the creaky spots were. “Wouldn't need to see the rest of you.”“I thought we were not concerned about the servants seeing anything,” murmured Xenk, copying Edgin's movements, keeping close behind.“Not the servants,” sighed Edgin, as he reached the landing – freezing as the floorboard groaned beneath his foot. He gestured wildly with one arm. “Pedder Tylus is probably here somewhere. And he's an idiot, but he'd still notice two guys standing in his house.”“Mmm,” rumbled Xenk, low and earnest. “Stealth mission.”“Exactly,” huffed Edgin, waving his icy fingers at Xenk's blazing fire. “And you're glowing like a lighthouse.”“Ah.” Xenk's eyes softened, and he paused – then his flames rippled, shrinking to almost nothing – just a little flutter on his hair, a low simmer on his charred hands, orange and red whispering over the ash.Edgin opened his mouth. “I... didn't realise you could actually do that.”“Was that not why you were asking?” said Xenk, confusion twitching in his brows, eyes slightly vulnerable.Edgin swallowed, breaking that gaze to press on. “I thought they just reacted to your feelings.”“That is not entirely inaccurate,” murmured Xenk, slinking behind him.Edgin peeked around the corner before he crept onto the main landing, checking again that the bedroom was empty before he slipped inside, Xenk sticking close. The bedroom was fairly modest, like the rest of the little manor – just a large, comfortable bed, a cosy chair by some well-stacked bookshelves, and a battered old chest of drawers... with a golden trunk sitting on top, enchantment shimmering across its elegant carvings.“Knew it,” chuckled Edgin, hurrying over, lockpicks already poking from his icy fingers. “This guy never learns. Come on, I'll pick the normal lock, then you break the enchantment.”Xenk paused as Edgin eased his picks into that lock. “Hmm.”“You don't like the plan?” asked Edgin, veins rushing with the thrill of imminent victory.“The plan is fine,” Xenk said cautiously. “But I hear footsteps coming.”“Shit,” whispered Edgin, tugging his picks out, frantically glancing round. “Why didn't you say that first?”“There must be many magical servants taking care of this place,” Xenk said, annoyingly calm and annoyingly bare chested.“Xenk,” hissed Edgin, grabbing his arm. “The servants don't make any noise. That's Tylus.”Xenk's eyes widened, but he didn't protest as Edgin dragged him over to the closet door, yanked it open, launched both of them in, squeezed it shut as quick and quiet as he could –Even Edgin heard the footsteps as Tylus strode into the room, a little of the wizard's fire glowing under the crack of the door. Half panting, trying to force his breath to calm, Edgin prayed that Xenk's own glow wasn't visible too. Swallowing, Edgin looked at Xenk, his flames still simmering low, body pushed against him in the tight space.Xenk gave him a wonky smile, apologetic and soft. The closet was half full, which left half the space for two grown men, squeezed together in the gap. That sculpted chest pressed against him, broad and solid, and Edgin hoped the paladin couldn't feel the shudder of his breath. But Xenk's blazing hands were pinned over Edgin's frozen ones, flame to ice, contorted in the –“Curious,” Tylus rumbled outside, sounding as confused as Edgin remembered him being. “I thought I heard...”Edgin sucked in a jagged breath, heart thumping in his chest, eyes locked on Xenk. Shit, shit, come on, Tylus was an idiot, don't let him figure out –“Hello, my little pretty,” murmured Tylus, and Edgin raised an eyebrow. Was he talking to the box? “Nobody's played with you, have they?” Fuck, he was talking to the box.A laugh bubbled in Edgin's chest but he swallowed it down, veins thrumming with nerves, so aware of Xenk's solid form, Xenk's heat against him. Not just the warmth of that muscular chest, but those burning hands –“No, no, you're alright,” said Tylus, footsteps clomping as he moved around the room a little.Edgin vibrated with the tension, just waiting for Tylus to throw open the closet door. And all Xenk had with him was his sword – fuck, why had Doric and Holga been joking around like that? But Edgin couldn't stop thinking about him now, couldn't stop thinking about the steady press of Xenk's body, couldn't ignore the heat of Xenk's flames –That touch seared him, not painful but lighting up his senses, striking deep into his soul. Edgin swallowed hard. That wasn't normal, right? He remembered dancing with Tylus, all those years ago, blazing hands in his – not like Xenk's, fire over charred vines, but pure fire, solid and roaring – and he'd felt the warmth, but it hadn't burned.A tiny gasp escaped Edgin's throat, eyes wide. Xenk gazed at him, eyebrows raised, his own eyes soft and kind even in the faint light of the Beckoning Flame.“No, there's nobody here,” muttered Tylus, still pottering –The Beckoning Flame, that's all it was. Strange magic, cursed magic. That's why Edgin's icy fingers were tingling, trembling, aching – Breath ragged, Edgin gaped at Xenk, alarm slowly creeping into those dark eyes. There was a soft sizzling, like the rain on Xenk's flames, only there was no rain – and Edgin almost whimpered as he felt a ripple in his fingertips, realised his ice was melting, the surface swirling back to water –Xenk's eyes shot wide, tender and fearful, blaze roaring hotter. Maybe Xenk could feel it, the change in Edgin's hands, water pressing to his fire – Edgin glanced down, barely able to look, his body pressed so close to Xenk's, no space at all between them, that solid chest steady on his – but Xenk's flames were flickering, flaring, reaching –“If there was somebody, I'd have noticed,” said Tylus, footsteps ambling towards the exit.Edgin shuddered against Xenk, desperate, dazed, yielding – hands tingling as Xenk's touch pressed close, hard and kind, that heat sinking into him, melting his surface – fuck – oh, fuck – that shouldn't be –Xenk gaped at him, unable to speak with Tylus still there, unable to move as his flames blazed against Edgin's ice – his muscular body solid and imposing and trembling – heart pounding against Edgin's ribs –Tylus's footsteps thumped out, away, faded –Gasping, still grasping for silence in his frenzy, Edgin shoved the closet door open and tumbled out, panting as he bent double – as he grabbed his knees with half-melted hands – Shuddering, he straightened up, staring at what Xenk's flames had done, the little ripple of water over the core of ice, still his hands and yet – “What the fuck.”“Edgin,” murmured Xenk, pressing one simmering hand to Edgin's shoulder, dark eyes wide and aching. “Are you alright?”“I'm –” choked Edgin. Gods, he'd almost forgotten – But water or ice, he had a job to do. He could worry about this later. “I'm fine.”Xenk's thumb rubbed his shoulder. “You can still pick the lock?”“Yeah,” croaked Edgin, digging his lockpicks from his pocket again, watery fingertips as solid as the ice had ever been. “Yeah, I can.”He hurried over to that golden trunk, set to it, fingers trembling slightly. Shit, they'd almost been caught – and now he – and they still needed –Xenk stepped in behind him, not pressing close like in the closet, but lingering – maybe feeling guilty, maybe just that paladin urge to protect, who fucking knew –Edgin swallowed a groan, twisting his picks inside that exquisite lock. It was expertly crafted, but then he was an expert too – trained by the Harbors, honed during a decade as a thief. Nobody became a Harbor unless they had skill, nobody went to Revel's End unless they were a threat –Shivering, Edgin rode the rush in his veins, focus narrowing to his goal. He could still feel Xenk looming behind him, that solid presence tickling his consciousness, but Xenk was an enigma that couldn't be solved and this lock was a puzzle that'd come right apart if he –The lock clicked and Edgin stepped away, panting. “Right. Yeah,” he breathed, turning his trembling gaze to Xenk. “Now you break the enchantment.”Xenk nodded solemnly, his eyes lingering on Edgin, inscrutable.With a press of that burning palm and a mutter of arcane words, the shimmer on the trunk vanished.A raw chuckle slipped from Edgin's mouth and he tugged that golden lid open, plunging his half-water hands into the depths. It was like Simon's bag of holding, and you had to know what you were looking for – but he did, and his fingers closed on a handle, sliding the Trueglass from Pedder Tylus's trunk –The silver surface gleamed in the sunlight, the reflection ringing clear, not an imperfect shadow but true as the original. Edgin almost laughed again as he pulled it out –He caught sight of his own reflection. Not rime and ice, not even half-melted, but his element pure water – deep and blue and strong as it had ever been –Edgin almost dropped the mirror, grabbing the other handle with a gasp, watery fingertips gripping tight.“Edgin,” croaked Xenk, hand claiming his shoulder again. “Are you alright? Is it your hands?”Shivering out a breath, Edgin forced down the memory of his old self and held the Trueglass out to Xenk. “Y-Yeah. My hands. Maybe you should hold this.”Xenk nodded, burning hands steady as he reached for it – but as Edgin passed it over, he caught a glimpse of Xenk in the Trueglass too – his locs no longer flickering, his eyes still dark and warm, hands not blazing flame over ash, but vibrant vines, thrumming with all the life of spring –Edgin swallowed hard, releasing the handle. But if Xenk saw anything at all, it elicited no more than a steady blink.“Come on,” urged Edgin, hurrying to the door. His heartbeat thumped in his veins. They'd done it. They had the Trueglass. All they had to do was escape –Xenk clustered in close behind him, the two of them retracing their steps – slipping down the landing, down the stairs, back through the kitchen, past that oblivious ghost – the joy of success spiralling inside them until Edgin was gasping out a laugh as they sprinted across the lawn, to the garden door, to their waiting friends –“We did it,” Edgin called, grinning at them all, triumph pounding in his chest.“We have the Trueglass,” Xenk said, more solemn, but even he had a slight lilt of pride.“Well done,” grunted Holga, and she sounded pleased too.“Can I see it?” asked Simon, holding out his glowing palm. “I'm gonna have to attune, so I ought to start as soon as...”“Yeah,” breathed Edgin, waving with one half-water hand.Xenk reverently presented it, then stepped away. “And I should check on the horses,” he murmured, striding off before anyone could protest.Snorting, Edgin shook his head, then rounded on the others, still grinning.“What happened to your hands?” asked Doric, her blue eyes fierce.Edgin faltered, gazing down at them. “Beckoning Flame shit,” he said, dismissive as he could.Doric and Holga exchanged a glance. “So... Xenk melted your ice?”“What?” Edgin huffed, eyes flicking between them, over to Kira and back. “That's not – It was the Beckoning Flame, not him.”“Right,” said Holga, crossing her rocky arms, raising one eyebrow. “And why were you touching the Beckoning Flame?”Edgin opened and closed his mouth, flexing his watery fingers. “Mission things,” he declared, then quickly hurried past them, to go check on – on something –Behind him, Doric leaned in to mutter to Holga. “He still hasn't figured it out.”Edgin whirled around. “I've got everything figured out, thanks. The plan is perfect. We're gonna take down Gazzon and it's all gonna go perfectly.”“Sure,” said Holga, calm and even.Edgin exhaled sharply, glancing at Kira's confused little face, then strode away. * By the time they made camp that night, Edgin's hands were ice again. It crept up his fingers as they clutched the reins, crystals advancing with each hour they rode, until the shimmering water was frozen solid.Simon's hands were glowing bright as he gestured, explaining to the group, all of them huddled round the campfire. “So I'm pretty sure Harland's right,” Simon said, waving the thick tome. “Gazzon's going to use the Kinaxis Orb and the Altar of Regret to give up his element and become – well, not nothing, but a something that isn't anything. You know?”Edgin raised his eyebrows.“A void,” Xenk said, nodding.“Yeah,” said Simon, smiling round at them, barely wavering. “And then I'll turn the Trueglass on him. And it should reflect his new form back at him and –”“Hang on, when I –” said Edgin, mind flashing back to that vision of himself, his hands fully water again in the enchanted mirror. He cleared his throat. “How do we know it won't show his old self? How will we know which one the mirror thinks is the true one?”Simon quirked an eyebrow, only an edge of nerves creeping in. “Because I've attuned to it. I'll be holding it, telling it what it's meant to do.”Doric's viney tail swished. “If you can choose what's true, is it really true?”“Who cares?” grunted Holga. “Just magic him with the mirror, Simon.”Simon pouted. “Yeah, I will. And it'll work, because the Kinaxis Orb will change his true form. That's the point of the orb. So the mirror will reflect a void onto his void –”“Wait,” squeaked Kira, eyes wide. “Will that kill him?”“Uh.” Simon cleared his throat, shifting on his makeshift log seat. “I don't think so. But that bit is a little hard to... predict, uh...”Edgin slipped an arm around Kira's shoulders, hugging her into his side. “Maybe you shouldn't watch, honey. It's not like we'll be fighting, anyway. We just have to jump out once the ritual's done, maybe distract him for a sec while Simon flashes the mirror, then it's all done.”Kira offered him a wobbly but grateful smile. Gods, she might be growing up, but she was still so young...“I am sure we can succeed with five of us,” Xenk said. Edgin's gaze drifted to him, to that serious face – annoyingly perfect, annoyingly hard to read – to that solid form, maybe slightly hunched, or maybe the guy just seemed smaller now he wasn't pressed right up against Edgin's –Edgin cleared his throat, gave Kira a little squeeze. “Yeah, kiddo. You don't need to worry.”She smiled up at him and Edgin released her, smiling softly in return.“Right,” Edgin said, clapping his frozen hands together. “Bedtime. Big day tomorrow. We gotta be at the Altar of Regret by noon.” He urged his mouth into a wider grin, flashing it at them all.Doric and Holga exchanged a look.“What?” huffed Edgin.“Nothing,” grunted Holga, crossing her rocky arms.“Good. Great,” said Edgin, springing to his feet, plastering on that grin again. “Don't worry, it's gonna work. The plan is perfect.”“Yeah, 'cause it's not your plan,” muttered Holga, mostly fond. * “Come on, guys,” chirped Edgin, beaming at them all. They glanced at him, various eyebrows raised, for once sleepier than him. But if anything could pry Edgin out of bed with a bounce in his step, it was the rush of adventure. “We gotta get on the road. Let's get to it.”“Don't overdo it, Ed,” muttered Simon, shoving the clean porridge bowls back into his bag.“Overdo what?” asked Edgin, still grinning, his heartbeat already thumping fast – half anticipation, half... No, better not think about that.“Maybe,” Doric said casually, as she bent down to dig another little hole, “you could overdo the hard work, instead of the easy talking.”Edgin scoffed, putting his icy hands on his hips. “Morale is important. We're gonna save the world today, team.”Doric just scooped the ash into the hollow, mixed it back with the earth, rolled her eyes as she wandered away.Edgin swallowed as his eyes lingered on the tiny mound she'd left behind. He wondered when it would rain again.But he inhaled sharply, springing back into motion, about to bustle off –Across the camp, he caught Xenk's gaze, realised the guy was watching him while adjusting his saddle. Xenk raised an eyebrow, his expression tender even at this distance. Edgin's eager step faltered, heart squeezing tight, fingers tingling with the memory of yesterday –Edgin swallowed again, harder, and spun the other way to launch himself into some work. * “Okay, gang,” muttered Edgin, as they all crouched behind the low wall surrounding the amphitheatre. “Remember the plan: we wait for Gazzon to transform, then pounce on him with the mirror. We've got this.”“Yeah, we do,” muttered Holga, stone arms clutching the wall as she peered at the figure below. “Pretty simple plan.”“How will we know when it's time?” murmured Kira, eyes wide.Edgin glanced down at Gazzon, standing tall by the plain altar, muttering as he held the orb aloft. “Well, we... We'll see him transform, right? Right?” He raised his eyebrows, smiling insistently at each of them.“Yeah,” said Simon, brown eyes wavering, lightning hands clutching the Trueglass's handles tight. “But we don't know how fast he'll change.”Xenk leaned a little closer to Edgin, expression stern. “And once he has transformed, he may possess untold power. We may have mere moments to end his campaign.”Edgin swallowed a shiver, swallowed a sharp retort. “Fine, then. We can go a bit early. Make a show of pretending to attack him. Get in position so we're ready for the exact second.”“Ooh,” breathed Kira, a flicker of excitement igniting in her eyes, “can I join the pretend fighting?”“Might turn into real fighting, Bug,” Holga muttered gently.“Right, right,” murmured Kira, sinking down, looking at least slightly relieved.Edgin pressed a hand to her shoulder. “Bet you'll be joining us soon, kiddo,” he said, with as much false charm as he could muster – though a glance at her little purple flowers told him maybe that was the truth.“But today,” said Holga, tone still soft, layered with the kindness she mostly saved for Kira, “you gotta keep the horses calm, Bug.”Kira nodded, then Doric jerked closer to the wall. “Something's happening,” Doric hissed.Everyone's heads swivelled to stare at Gazzon, the young man still thrusting the orb at the sky, his vined arms clutching tight as he intoned louder and louder. The Kinaxis Orb flickered and swirled, rolling through every colour of the rainbow – then turned dark as the night sky, peppered with tiny stars.Swallowing, Edgin gripped the wall tight. Shit. Was this it –That night, that void, began to flow out of the orb – around Gazzon's hand, down his arm, turning that vibrant green to something dark, eternal, static.Inhaling sharply, Edgin's eyes flicked over that spreading nothingness – over the distance they had to cover to reach the altar – Shit, this was –“Go, go, go,” he urged, leaping up and over the wall, only turning back to say, “Not you, Kira!”The rest of the group lunged with him, sprinting down the rows of steps, barrelling towards the young man who already had one arm thrumming with a void so empty it seemed to suck in all thought, all life, all possibility –Gazzon noticed them halfway down, cackling as they sped closer. “You've come to stop me?” he taunted, voice singsong and carefree.“Yep,” lied Edgin, unslinging his lute. A bard was always more convincing with an instrument in his hands –Beside him, Xenk unsheathed his sword, Holga her axe, Doric aiming her slingshot –Simon was running with the Trueglass in one hand, half hidden behind his back, other hand stretched towards Gazzon as if about to fling a spell –“You'll make a good first test,” chuckled Gazzon, eyes wild as that void flowed down him, into him. “Already I feel the void's power.”Edgin twanged a string with icy fingers, pelting closer. “There's no power in nothingness.”Gazzon cackled, that inky emptiness swirling into him, changing him into the unchanging. “I'm already more than you will ever be! Powerful, unending. No more waxing and waning with the seasons. Not weak and mutable.”Doric skipped over a step, firing a pebble past his shoulder. “Change isn't weakness,” she called, fierce and earnest. “It's part of life.”“But life ends,” snorted Gazzon, gaze gripped by a frenzy, grinning as that twilight spread through his body. “Life falters every winter, until mortality claims it. But I will be immortal, eternal.”“Eternity,” grunted Xenk, ashen hands gripping his sword, “is nothing without life.”Edgin inhaled sharply, lungs burning for air, thighs aching with this burst of speed – But they were nearly – and Gazzon was nearly –Gazzon shuddered, laughter a horrible ripple as the void claimed his vined limbs. He flung his empty hand towards Xenk, just as that deep nothing closed over his fingertips – but the orb was still thrumming, flowing, his legs not quite covered – “Give me your life then,” he crowed, and fired a bolt of empty darkness right at Xenk.Edgin's heart squeezed, icy fingers freezing on his lute –Xenk gasped, ducking, his nimble feet just fast enough, that beam of night skimming past his shoulder –A laugh caught in Edgin's throat, body almost airless as they sprinted at Gazzon, so nearly –“We can't let him win!” called Edgin, forcing himself not to glance at Simon, not to alert Gazzon to the danger, trusting that his young friend needed no more assistance –“Look at me,” screeched Gazzon, that void flowing over his feet. “You've already lost!”Edgin's heart pounded, ribs tight, frozen limbs heavy as he ran –Gazzon's laughter choked off in a gasp, young face contorting with pain and joy, as the void thickened, claimed him, changed him to some eternal nothing –And settled, calm and ominous. The orb dimmed. Gazzon tilted his head, eyes blank. “It is done. I am complete.”“Sorry,” Edgin said, juddering to a halt, his companions matching him. “Now you're done. Simon!”“Alethine verinar!” called Simon, his voice more sure than Edgin had ever heard, lightning fingers clutching the Trueglass tight as he swung it to face Gazzon's twisted, unnatural form –Gazzon screamed, serenity shattering, as his twilight limbs thrummed – as the Trueglass reflected void onto void, destruction onto destruction, the one change that could conquer the unchanging –Edgin held his breath, heartbeat thumping as the void slipped back into flux – as it retreated, shrinking from Gazzon's body – and in its wake, it left not earthy vines, green and rich, but pale flesh –Gazzon whimpered, breath rattling, that eternal nothing slipping away. His eyes rolled back –And he collapsed to the ground.“Finally,” muttered Holga, rocky arms stowing her axe. “Thought he'd never shut up.”Doric shifted forward a step, tail swishing, her flowers rustling in the soft breeze. “Is he dead?”Xenk slipped his sword into its scabbard, striding over to crouch by the young man. “Merely unconscious,” Xenk reported, eyes soft.Edgin forced a breath into his lungs, gaze locked to the form sprawled by the Altar of Regret. Gods, he'd never – Gazzon's arms were flesh. Nobody had limbs like that. Faces, chests, backs, yeah. But arms, legs – they were always elemental. And in trying to defy his element, defy the seasons, defy inevitable change, Gazzon had lost all – Fuck –“Makes him easy to arrest, I guess,” croaked Edgin, chest trembling with the weight of their triumph.“But harder to cart out of here,” sighed Simon, stowing the Trueglass in his bag, gingerly collecting the abandoned orb.“I'll carry him,” said Doric, and swelled into an owlbear, scooping Gazzon's limp form into her huge arms.“Need any help?” grunted Holga, and nodded when Doric shook her feathered head. “I'll check on Bug then.”As Holga followed Doric back up the rows of steps, Edgin's gaze drifted to Xenk – quickly on to Simon, as his stomach clenched –“Hey, Simon, that was great,” Edgin said, summoning a smile, pressing one icy hand to his young friend's shoulder.“Thanks,” mumbled Simon, smile sheepish but earnest.Edgin grinned at him. Hah, so Simon might not need encouragement all the time, but he still had his soft spots.“Uh, I'll just –” Simon cleared his throat, eyes flicking between Edgin and Xenk and the Altar of Regret, and pointed vaguely at their retreating friends. “I'll go and –” He scurried off.Chest tight, Edgin swallowed as Xenk stepped close to him.“I'm sure the Harbors will be grateful for your work,” murmured Xenk, with a hesitant tenderness that set Edgin's hands tingling.Edgin forced out a snort. “Yeah, they might even forget to bring up my betrayal.”Xenk shifted closer, eyes kind and warm, tiny flames flickering across his locs. “You know they would accept you back, were you to ask.”A chill lanced through Edgin's stomach and he frowned. “Why are you so obsessed with me returning to the Harbors?”Xenk halted, glanced at Edgin's frozen fingers, glanced at his own hands – at the fire that rippled across them, at the ash beneath, his vines burned and charred. “Because I know what it's like to be changed.”Edgin's ribs squeezed tight, breath catching in his throat, eyes lingering on that achingly perfect face. “Xenk, I –”Shoulders drooping, Xenk half turned away. The paladin's usually solid form now seemed small, fragile. “I'm sorry, it was a selfish impulse,” he murmured, gaze fixed upon the floor. “I ignored your desires, your protests, clinging to the hope of change. Too desperate to believe that one could return to what they had once been. But the choice was always yours.”Edgin swallowed, tenderness blooming in his chest. “Xenk, you're the most selfless person I know.”A small smile tugged at Xenk's mouth, sad and earnest. He lifted his head to meet Edgin's gaze, those flames dancing across his body. Soft reproach thrummed in Xenk's eyes, and Edgin knew it wasn't aimed at him.“Xenk,” Edgin murmured, low and urgent, stepping closer. He ached to make him understand, to convey his own sincerity –As Xenk studied him, the air around them thickened. Edgin reached a hand halfway between them, halting –Xenk's brows softened, his dark eyes full of yearning. For a moment he didn't move, neither of them speaking, only that gentle look whispering between them – then he clasped Edgin's hand, his touch tender.A smile crept across Edgin's lips, and he squeezed Xenk's fingers. The ash was warm against his ice, but there was no pain as Xenk's little flames fluttered against him. Just that same strange tingling from the manor.Swallowing, Xenk glanced at that contact, eyes settling back on Edgin's face – so earnest, so longing.“Xenk,” Edgin said again, shifting closer. “Xenk, I'm sorry it's taken me this long to figure it out. I guess I wasn't ready for my life to change again. But I – I want you to be part of it, Xenk. I want you to be with me.”Dark eyes fragile, forehead creasing slightly, Xenk stared at Edgin. “Am I not already with you?” he said faintly, confusion rippling through his words. “I have no plans to leave your group.”“Good,” chuckled Edgin, even as an ache flared in his chest. He inhaled a deep breath and embraced that ache. “Because I think I'm in love with you.”Xenk's lips slowly parted, that fragility spreading across his features – followed by a wave of hope. “Edgin, I did not dare to imagine –”Edgin snorted, heart squeezing behind his ribs. “Neither did I.”A soft laugh tumbled from Xenk's mouth, and then he surged forward – and Edgin did too, arching to meet him, to press their lips together. They met in the centre, bodies matching each other, shapes fitting together so easily. Moaning softly, Edgin nudged into the kiss, savouring the warmth as their mouths brushed over each other – slow and gentle and sweet.Xenk chuckled, sliding closer, still clutching Edgin's hand in his, other arm reaching up to guide Edgin near. As Edgin curled into that embrace, lips gliding over lips, a warm sensation bloomed in his chest and began to spread down his limbs – half-forgotten yet familiar, thrumming with tenderness, with acceptance, with joy –Whimpering, shivering, Edgin arched towards Xenk, towards his flames, that gentle heat rising in him too – and a soft crackling filled the air, as Edgin's icy limbs strained, creaked, shuddered – melted, swirling back to water, pure and deep and still gripping Xenk tight –Edgin gasped, pulling back, eyes roving over his old form – over Xenk, that handsome face rippling with concern, with tender yearning –“Xenk, I –” whispered Edgin, words trailing to hesitant laughter as he lifted one flowing hand, fingers refracting the light as he flexed them. His heart pattered, soaring, jubilation and trepidation swirling together.“Edgin,” murmured Xenk, eyes wide and lingering, wonder flaring there. “Even after the manor, I hardly dared believe such things were possible.”Edgin laughed again, turning his hand – then flicked his gaze to his other hand, still clutching Xenk's, water now wrapping flame – those flames hissing, steaming as his touch extinguished them. “Xenk, I'm hurting you,” he choked, releasing him.Smiling softly, Xenk shook his head. “It does not hurt, Edgin,” he said, earnest and yearning, reaching for him again.Edgin inhaled a shuddering breath, gently closing his watery fingers over Xenk's burning ones – fragile hope blooming in his chest as Xenk squeezed back, as the Beckoning Flame finally surrendered – and Edgin laughed, urgent and raw, and surged in to resume the kiss.A moan rumbling in his throat, Xenk arched into that kiss, now half chaste, half need. His body trembled as Edgin's water worked its magic, dousing the flames with the simple touch of his hand, his lips – that fire flickering out as an invisible wave rolled across Xenk's body.When it was done, Edgin pulled back, surveying Xenk – affection surging even for this new form. “An ash elemental. Is that gonna be weird?” he asked, chuckling softly.Xenk inspected his own hand, turning it this way and that, as Edgin had done. The surface was charred, but the shape of his old vines remained. “Perhaps I cannot return to what I was,” he murmured, soft and earnest, “but you have restored hope to me.”Edgin urged his mouth to a trembling smile, entwining his fingers with Xenk's ashen ones. “You know Doric always buries the ash from our campfires? Says it's gonna nourish the soil.”Xenk laughed, soft and aching with that hope, squeezing Edgin's watery hand. “And it is the rain that helps new life to grow.”Edgin chuckled, joy surging in his chest, and arched closer. “If water's what you need, I'd better keep kissing you.”“Yes,” murmured Xenk, their mouths almost touching. “I really think you should.”Laughing, heart singing, Edgin pushed their lips together, transforming their agreement to a yearning kiss.