The archive room fell deadly silent as Rowan and Madeleine finished reading the passages. "So there's really no way of knowing if Hannan magic could be used by Karman's?" Rowan pondered. Madeleine chuckled, "Not unless you know a Hannan who would be willing to share the secrets of their summoning magic with us."

Rowan pursed his lips together in a tight line, the Woodbead mage clearly lost in thought. "We still have to travel to Bicknor Institute about the remnants of that summoner's stone mother used. Afterwards we should see if Bolliver would allow us access to interrogate Jarsdel to see if he knows anything." Rowan nodded. "I'll send my brother the pigeon at once." And with that he walked off, parchment and pen in hand. Madeleine took a seat next to Seiren.

"How do you feel? About going back I mean?" Seiren looked at her younger twin. "Confused I guess. One because it brings up old memories I would rather forget and, two, I guess I'm just scared of what this would entail." Madeleine's face whirled in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" Seiren rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about facing mother again. This time what if she has her full powers or Hannan magic on her side. Do you really think would we be able to take her on?"

Madeleine clasped her hand onto Seiren's. "I know this is hard for you, it's hard for me too. But, we have to do the right thing, and that's bringing mother back into custody. She killed so many people at the Battle of Benover. We can't let a repeat of that happen all across Karma."

God Seiren hated it when her sister was right. The older twin just gave a curt nod of her head, her lips so tight they almost disappeared. The sound of Rowan's footsteps on the wooden floorboards echoed loud across the silent and tension filled archive room. "The pigeon has been sent, in the mean time I suggest we pack are things for Bicknor. If we want to interrogate Jarsdel then I suggest we hurry with this mission so we may return to Benover." Seiren and Madeleine quietly nodded as they placed everything back in order, the texts tucked carefully under Seiren's arms.

A spark of confusion ignited on Madeleine's face. "Are you sure that we would be allowed to take those?" Seiren looked down at the texts and gave a exhausted sigh. Walking over to one of the archive tables Seiren sat the texts down and pulled out a slip of rune paper and a stick of chalk. Seiren sketched a quick copying rune, aligning the circle and sigils so that nothing would be lost in translation or otherwise tampered with. Setting her rune on the stack of papers the echo of snapping fingers were heard before a violet glow branched out from the confines of the rune paper and onto the stack of Hannan texts.

Another form of light began to form in the exact shape of the stack of texts before the light slowly faded, and the rune was gone. Sitting side by side on the table were two twin sets of the texts. Seiren grabbed the runed copy and left the original on the table. "Now that that problem is fixed it's to escape this educational hellhole!" "I wouldn't exactly call King's a educational hellhole" Rowan stated. Both Madeleine and Seiren just stared at Rowan and in unison chorused, "then you never went to King's!"

*****

Returning to the crowded but joyous streets of Bicknor filled Seiren with both nostalgia and a tightening pain in her chest. Rowan, Seiren, and Madeleine decided to cut through the market place to Bicknor Institute rather than take the long way. The air smelled of many spices and foods, the chanting of vendors calling people to their stands were heard for miles. The great sun burned down on Seiren, the poor mage sweating like a cold beverage left in the sun for transpiration. Sweat rolled down Seiren's neck and the Nithercott mage's throat was dry and sore in desperate need for water.

Seiren eyed a specific vendor selling beverages. I've found heaven! Rushing over to the stand Seiren quickly ordered a large carton of crystal clear water. In exchange Seiren dropped a few gold coins in his awaiting palm and quickly sauntered off, unscrewing the cap and taking large chugs of the cold thirst healing beverage. Once Seiren felt satisfied with her thirst quenched she looked around and stiffened. "Seiren?" Rowan questioned from afar. A small grimace stretched across Madeleine's face. "This was the spot where we met Loren." Madeleine's voice rang hollow, almost no emotion detected

Seiren's heart hardened as she trudged forward. "Come on, we want to make it there before night fall. The last thing I want is to spend more time here then I have too." It was a pretty weak gimmick in Seiren's opinion and Madeleine probably knew it too. Being here was hard for all of them. But Seiren seemed to be taking it the hardest.

One of the many things unchanged was the Bicknor Institute. The large imposing white building had doctors and mages running in and out carrying things ranging from books, to packets of blood, to even rune paper and chalk. Yup nothing's changed so far. Walking into the entryway Seiren dared a glimpse at the garden. The image of Seiren sketching the rune for her terrible blob horse was pushed to the forefront of her mind. "That indeed was a terrible rune, not really one of your best Seiren." Seiren scoffed whilst giving Madeleine a playful shove.

The great white entrance hall to the Institute was filled with a Ever shifting mass of people and the inaudible droning cacophony that carried through the air and clouded it like thick syrup. "Wasn't the mage tasked to the investigation supposed to meet us?" Rowan questioned speaking his first sentence since arriving in Bicknor. "Madeleine?" A voice called out. Seiren's head perked up to see the voice belonging to a rather young looking man with orange fire colored hair. His eyes a deep blue like sapphires, he was dressed in all white, the clothing of a doctor or mage working in the facility. A grin stretched across Madeleine's face, "Corwin?"

The fire haired mage let out a laugh. "It's been a long time, I haven't seen you since King's." Madeleine and Corwin embraced each other in a bone crushing hug. "And who is this dear sister?" Seiren asked wrapping her hands across her chest. Madeleine and Corwin broke their hug, "Seiren, Rowan, this is Corwin Basil, he was a fellow classmate of mine's while I was attending King's." Seiren gave Corwin a polite smile and wave while Rowan decided to give him the full hand shake and 'how do you do.' An awkward tension took over the room, the inaudible cacophony of the Institute felt mellowed out and distant. "So what are you doing here in Bicknor?" Madeleine asked, a newfound sparkle in her eyes.

"Well, after I graduated King's I got stationed here in Bicknor as the city's state mage. Afterwards this investigation fell in my lap and I've been waiting for the mages that are supposed to be coming in to review the lab results." "That would be us" Seiren deadpanned. If Mage Basil was discouraged by Seiren's statement then he didn't show it. "If you all would follow me I can show you to the lab." The trio of mages followed Bicknor's state mage up a long flight of stairs to the top floor of the Institute. At the very top of the cold metal stairwell, a large steel door laid at the end of the hall. "This is my lab where all the research of the institute is collected, transferred, and where I make my own. Obviously my research focuses on analyzing magic and different branches of magic that we can hopefully tap into in the years to come."

Seiren was slightly colored impressed. "Wow, seems you really are the revolutionary type." Pink flushed across Corwin's face as they approached the steel door. Corwin pressed his palm against a small crook on the left side of the door, the panel now bathed in an amethyst light. A forensic print analyzed locking rune. That's quite the complex and high level spell in it's self. The steel doors slid aside like the sea being parted. Crossing the threshold Seiren's nostril was assaulted by the strong scent of cinnamon.

In the center of the room was a large glowing bubble, the translucent film that held it together reflected the room's fluorescent light. But what interested Seiren was what was inside the bubble. Inside the small containment field was a miniature swirling vortex of black and gold dust. As Corwin walked over to it he pulled a stack of papers out of a drawer and handed Rowan a stacked of papers. "From the analysis I've conducted the stone was composed of Hannan summoner's dust and was imbued with rune magic that made the spell accessible for that specific person."

Rowan stiffened. "That means--", "that mother thought of this as a contingency plan" Madeleine whispered in horror. Seiren clenched her fist in anger. This was the second time mother played me. And here I thought that everything was finally gonna end. Mage Basil seemed to notice Seiren's frustrated expression. "Mage Nithercott, you may think that this is your fault but Mage Harred had years to plan this, and something tells me that we just scratched the surface of another stratagem. All that matters now is to prevent another further harm towards the people of Karma."

Seiren said nothing but took the flame haired mage's word to heart. "If any case I'll report your findings to my brother in Benover. Thank you for your help Mage Basil." Corwin flashed Rowan a kind smile. "It's an honor Mage Woodbead." Corwin then turned his attention to the blonde haired twins. "It was an honor meeting you as well Mage Nithercott, and I hope I'll see you again Madeleine." The younger twin let out a laugh. "Best believe that now I know your stationed in Bicknor you'll be hearing a lot from me."

A faint blush crept on Corwin's face. "I'll be waiting." Okay, this is too sappy, even more me. Seiren took this as her cue to leave. "I'll wait for you guys at the train station." And Seiren left Bicknor Institute.

Strolling down the crowded streets Seiren ignored the pleasant salutations of the town's citizens. Her mind was solely on returning to the train station and booking tickets for the first train back to Benover. Speeding down the cobbled pathway of the city Seiren couldn't help but think back to Rowan and Madeleine's words. It made her blood boil to think that she actually thought she could stop her mother and in the end, mother had a plan to escape the rebel mage's clutches the entire time. Curse the Karma rune. Curse mother to hell with her lies, her false promises. Curse me for actually believing--

Seiren was so absorbed into her thoughts that she crashed into someone, the state mage's butt connecting with the hard stone cobbled path. "Damn that hurts!" Seiren exclaimed as pain lanced through her backside. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there! Are you okay?" Seiren opened her eyes to see a young man with long waist length blonde hair. But the truly standing out feature he had was his strange golden amber eyes. Like reflective crystals, but so unnaturally gold that they would belong to a cat.

He was dressed in simple common rags. A simple navy blue tunic with cream colored pants and black boots. "I'm sorry miss, I'm in a bit of a hurry, here let me help you up." The stranger outstretched his hand for Seiren to take. The state mage accepted the hand and propped herself up whilst dusting off her pants.  The stranger spotted Seiren's mage's tattoo and was instantly horrified. "I'm terribly sorry Mage--?" He fumbled around for Seiren's name. "Nithercott. Mage Seiren Nithercott. And now if you please I have somewhere to be!" And with those words Seiren angrily shoved the stranger aside and disappeared into the throng of people.

The long blonde haired stranger gave a smile. "She has not changed one bit" he mused. A chill ran up the stranger's spine as another voice spoke. "Fancy bumping into you here, Mage Chadwick." The mage now dubbed Chadwick turned to face the speaker with disdain and disgust. "Well it seems I have the most unfortunate luck to run into you...."

The blonde mage stared down his foe. A deadly and icy gaze glossed over his face.

".....Tahir Portendorfer."

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