“You don’t know shit, Cullian.”

Mantis' stern voice faltered just a fraction, her hostile facade crumbling as she swore for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. She sounded tired, exasperated as if he could see her frustrated face in the flickering darkness even with everyone still on edge. But Cull’s expression was illuminated by his own Triad, a strange mix of worry, anger and regret.

The thoughts of betrayal filled the Mediator's thoughts, Cull’s menacing fire punctuating all the times they had hogtied him to the roof, punched him in the face, yelled and swore at him continuously to force him to work together with people he only just met. But he trusted Mantis’ judgement and allowed the two to work it out without interfering.

"Did you ever wonder why we were stuck together as a group, Manny? We're not exactly best buds and my sister couldn't even grow enough of a backbone to leave me in the dust with her Trait.” Cull said, trying to convince her despite the gruff tone he was using.

"Don't say that. You’re Trait is plenty…" Odi began but the comforting glare from the Fire Traited made her take a step back, allowing him to continue on.

Giving the dragon the first genuine smile he had seen from Cull since Blaize left him, his Triad struggling to maintain acting as a compass with his discord over Mantis’ predicament. The Forecaster gave the dragon a grateful pat, knowing she meant well and wanting her to know that even as he continued walking alongside them both.

“Hornet didn’t need to say much but I know enough to recognise a half elf with anger issues. But not one as powerful as you."

The group continued on at a stately pace, dawdling around the newly rebuilt Axis as the Fire Traited and half elf continued to confront each other even as they tried to look for Rin. The halo of dimming flame flickered in and out of focus, making Hawkins already blurry vision even blurrier. As he stared around the mystifying replication of Mantis’ Trait…Casting his eyes adjusted to the strange, new heat seeking Cull was now using to hunt for his sister.

The fading blue Trait lingering like vines on every interchanging piece of brickwork, interlocking together with a strange insignia matching the very familiar who now perched on Mantis’ shoulder without a care. Much like how her Windspell had reconstructed Axis the complex runes that were secretly embedded in every structure began to flare much like Hack’s mini earthquakes from his Trait when he was mad or upset.

Much like the ash stored within Sleek’s Flickerwick candle the Infernal Triad gravitated towards it like a magnet, the aura of burnt umber glowing dimly in the darkness. It reminded him of the colour of the Brinehearth festival lanterns mixing together like grains of peeling oil paint as it faded from murky orange to a deep mustard clinging to the mud. He’d bet money that it was showing him Hazard.

Just as quickly as Hawkins had found the shifting colours of Trait the paths diverged from amber to different hues of yellow: one for Blaize and one for Hazard following steadily behind her. The Infernal Triad began to drift haphazardly towards the left as Mantis’ cerulean Forecasting overwhelmed what little trail Rin had left for them as it tinged with purple and green.

Hack’s grimoire crossed his thoughts but as the trail went cold for several seconds the two definitive colours he could see flecks of bright amber as bright as the Hanging Sun and an sickeningly acidic, unchanging emerald green. He knew it wasn’t Rin’s Trait smothered in amber. He didn’t know who that belonged to. But as much as he hated to admit it Cricket’s Trait was far stronger and closer than ever before.

"Unlike our boss, I know how to keep my mouth shut and considering the sheer irony of her shoving us together…” Cull continued, folding his arms even as he tried to convince the most stubborn person in their group.

Slowly, like waking up from a long sleep, Mantis' features began to soften just a fraction, her cold laugh making her sniff, rubbing her eyes even as the mess of heat signatures distracted his attention. The bright blaring orange marker surrounding the runes kept blinding Hawkins in the face, his senses overwhelmed enough to feel the traces of a migraine creep over his temple.

Trying to ignore where he had seen such a loud Fire Trait, his mouth filled with the sour taste of something unfamiliar, the hazy memory of an empty bottle on the ground even as drips of silver liquid dripped off the side. He rubbed at his forehead, trying to refocus without the strange mix of abilities plaguing his brain and took a deep breath before forcing himself to look away as the Triad kept directing them towards its missing master.

“It’s not even a coincidence at this point. How I missed it after all these…you already knew?” Mantis said, half stunned half annoyed at how she had missed such a simple set up despite all she had done to hide her history.

Hawkins couldn’t help but notice how smooth the trek was considering how many potholes the two wolves had dug to drain out as much rainwater they could without damaging the Spirit Grove or the supports underneath more than they already had. It seems Mantis’ Casting had more of an effect on Axis than he thought.

Hawkins couldn’t help but glance back at how far they’d moved, barely able to distinguish anything except the darkness behind them without the help of Cull’s Triad. Its faint glow despite being in front of them allowed his Fire Trait to decipher the different heat signatures much like the Tinker Moles could whenever they had the minerals available to use their Craft. The mesh of colours behind him were muddled with every step they took away from it, like a painting hidden over by frosted glass even as their Traits collided together.

Mantis’ conflicting sky blue and cerulean aura overwhelmed the hints of the mottled brown and autumn coloured mix of Craft and then Trait in dark reds, oranges, misty purples and a bleak, darker hue of his usual metallic Trait. He flinched, taken aback by the Triads discovery as it reminded him of the threatening thunderstorm above even as the Divide darkened their doors but pushed his thoughts of necromancy and Memoriam out of his mind.

“Here I thought Cricket was blind…”

Hack couldn't help but snort.

“Did you honestly forget I met Blaize in Nocturus, Manny? We’re practically swimming in Neridian gossip. Besides, she’s an ex Vargar. She knows everything about that side of the Brink. So quit acting stupid about it and tell them. They’ve been through enough without your shit getting involved.” Cull continued, mildly annoyed at the Air Traited as he jerked his head toward the group behind him.

He gave her a look, gesturing to the rather large clue resting on top her shoulder who squawked loudly at him as August demanded to be anything more than a giant giveaway in someone’s deduction. Odi growled at the Fire Traited for being so rude but even as he held up his hands in surrender towards the dragon Mantis couldn’t help but start laughing, almost falling off the dragon’s back in the process.

“Rin would’ve kicked your ass for keeping that from her. Not to mention dissing your Trait like that, Cullian.” Odi began, trying to continue on despite the unruly passenger on her back.

The Scale Shrieker let out a strangled yep, the half elf brushing against her wing bone as she tried to catch herself before getting hurt but Odi grit her teeth and caught her with her tail, the elf quietly apologising as much as she could. The blue runes emblazoned on every part of Axis’ walls began to warp from blue to green, Hawkins anxiety spiking as he was reminded of a certain hostile Traited nearby.

"My Trait is fucking basic compared to the leaps Rin’s made with hers. Heck, the only reason we made this Triad thing in the first place is because she had the guts to do something I couldn't." Cull reminded him glumly, his face clearly showing more guilt than his gruff tone ever could.

"Your point?"

"My point is that despite all this constant bullshit with Cricket, necromancy and it being all for some fucking sentient journal. Rin has never been brave enough to do anything without me being right beside her. Until now.”

Mantis glared at him.

"And you're saying that's because of me?"

"Fuck no."

Cull’s grin made the Mediator snort.

"But her talking about our Chimeran shit with the Mediator Trio seemed to put things into place for a bit. Not a lot. Just long enough to punch an Overtaken in the face and then go off on her own for a bit.”

"Already did that."

Mantis’ wry response said all they needed to know, the amount of conflicting emotions between what to do next and the difficulties with her interchanging abilities making her hesitate. Hawkins tried to catch her eye but she was too lost in thought, instead mouthing the nickname Cull had prematurely given them to Hack to get his thoughts on it.

The Sand Wraith hung back just to shrug at him, eternally confused by the ‘trio’ even as Odi laughed painfully, wheezing with the sheer effort of showing some amusement after so much torturous time alone. Waving the two away with a flick of her tail, Hack grumpily kept his comments to himself as the stubborn Scale Shrieker pressed on regardless.

"How did you manage to restore all of Axis? And these runes…I don't know them but…" Odi muttered incoherently, glancing back at each building they passed and expecting some kind of response from the group.

Dragging his feet, Hawkins listened to the trudging footfalls and scraping claws in the same funeral march of a rhythm set by an unconventional grimoire and the biggest eclectic mix of Traited, Crafters and whatever Mantis was since the demon war was documented. He half stumbled forwards despite wanting nothing more than to collapse on the ground but when he looked at everyone else still moving forwards because he suggested it kept his feet moving.

Hawkins couldn’t help but guess at whether this Stormstress buisness was connected to his whole Bookkeeper conundrum but he was too tired to retread old wounds even if Cull clearly wasn’t. Besides, they might’ve been able to bridge the gap between hostility and apathy but that didn’t mean Mantis wasn’t still scary. Dispatching Reina the way that she did was more than a little intimidating.

“Not all of it.”

The two Tinker Moles had stopped in their tracks, causing the whole assembly line to follow suit even as Odi gawked at the complex designs of the runes unable to withhold her curiosity. The unison of Gidget and Gizmo’s disdain startled Hawkins enough to look up from his daydreaming, half expecting that kind of comment from Gidget’s double crossing uncle but never Gidget himself. Much like Odi herself he couldn’t help himself from drifting towards the hazy outline of each recreation of the abandoned warehouses, Gizmo staring at the strange Casting with disgust.

But although his nephew mimicked his expression his claws remained at his side as if restraining himself from harming such a thing. His eyes didn’t lie, goggles no longer blocking the sunlight as he stared up with it with the same wonder Hawkins did when trying to unlock a particularly difficult grimoire or finding a good book to read in his favourite spot in the Halls of Mediation. With the group coming to a standstill Mantis was forced to confront the very thing she had been avoiding most. Her Stormstress ability. Whatever it might be.

The Mediator couldn’t help but notice Gidget standing in between the two as if trying to decide whether or not to try and match his sucessful Forger Craft uncle or to idolise the discovery searching Odi and try and search for something new outside of simply being a Crafter. For a moment he forgot Gidget was still considered a teenager in Tinker Mole terms even though he had the maturity to lead the last rites for a dead Traited at the Soulcatcher Grove.

Hawkins couldn’t help but smile, the memory of his sister desperate to show him a new trick with her Trait and impress anyone she could muddling together with Rin’s desire to learn as much as she could from the Scale Shrieker. His head ached, blinking even as the sturdy buildings began to crumble under the weight of the scrutiny. Even though there was no signs of Cricket’s trademark green mist or Reina’s rapid change in weather patterns he could see the partial forms of the buildings beginning to rot like they had been under acid rain.

The outside of the streets looked pristine and perfect but the more they looked the emptier they seemed, bare of any life, furniture or signs of being lived in even without any of the windows being boarded up. He could almost replay the scene in his mind, the moment the storm wrenched back and became under Mantis’ control before sending the force of the natural disaster into the very siren who dared to conjure it. But just as she did another force came over her far more familiar than Mantis’ conflicting Trait. Cricket’s Transference.

Hawkins hated to admit it but there was no mistaking the sight of her Transference after seeing it up close the first time and watching her be forced out of the space only to be replaced immediately with her awaiting Agar. Bait and switch. Just like before. But if that was the case, Cricket should have replaced her in taking the impact of Mantis’ tornado but…the clearing was empty.

He tried to recall the different types of Transference but he was just too tired to process it but the niggling feeling that it was important wouldn’t leave his mind. Even so, two theories made him shudder with unease: one that the fact she was learning so quickly that one of the hardest abilities a Traited could perform had evolved and the second: even with Memoriam so far away Cricket was more than likely remembering things she had already been taught. Cricket was learning. But they were too.

"No, it can't be…"

Odi’s eyes went wide but no one followed her line of sight, Mantis remaining surprisingly reserved and tight-lipped while seething at Gizmo, spiking Hawkins' own underlying frustration that had been bottled up for the past few hours for self preservation to survive this chaos. Despite his superhero arrival to double cross their double crosser he had still known everything about his supposed Bookkeeper abilities and had not only said nothing but used it against them to betray them.

"Odi, wait! Slow down!"

Hawkins turned to find the scattered group being barged into by a rough and ready Sand Wraith trying to find his footing with his useless rock prosthetic and the staff he had only just summoned to assist with it. Mantis was in the middle of clambering down the dragon before she took off, leaving the half elf sprawling to keep her balance while Thea tried to cling to her and stop herself from falling. August veered after her, his wings barely a blur but not even he could outfly an erratic dragon, wingless or not she didn’t need her wings to get where she needed to go. Home.

“Grimmordeals. My library. My books. My things. It's all…gone."

Hawkins scrambled to meet up with them, the Tinker Mole’s already on the move as the others kept a fair distance behind the much bigger Scale Shrieker in a circle around her. Thea clung to her Agar’s hair, August nudging her curiously and comfortingly even as her pincers passed through a little bit of his corporeal form. Grimmordeals was now completely unrecognisable.

The chilling mist that seemed to surround every crevice of the new Axis clashed with the pristine building that used to be Odi’s home. What was once a slightly creepy, crumbling exterior now reminded Hawkins of the quaint apothecaries found in enchanting children stories from Opalis where nothing goes wrong. Even the wooden sign that was once dilapidated beyond repair swung gently from side to side, the small oil lantern burning a cold, blue flame as Odi looked up in disbelief.

"I…August tried to restore it…to the way it was. But I'm not a miracle worker. I didn't know what the inside looked like so I…we did what we could but…it isn’t functional. Not anymore.”

Hawkins didn’t know what caused Mantis to open up as much as she did but there she was, honestly and courageously admitting to something without so much as a gruff word or swearing rant. It took a moment for him to register that it was her, her head bowed in sorrow as her long, silver hair hid her expression even as she mumbled her reasonings.

"I'm sorry. Truly. I should never have destroyed such a place. I didn't think I'd miss it much…now we’re so out in the open. But now we need the information inside to try and stop Cricket but...”

Mantis crumpled under the weight of trying to hide her mistakes, unable to even finish what she was saying as the guilt she felt was too much to bear. Before she could stop herself her irregular breathing turned to sheer panic, struggling to handle all the emotion at once as her two companions tried to comfort her to no avail. Her legs had given out underneath her, a shaking, sobbing mess even as an unlikely source helped her to her feet.

Hawkins hadn’t realised he had reached for her but a grateful pat on the shoulder had him stepping back, the Sand Wraith offering as much assistance as he could. The two begrudging allies sat on the ground like old friends, quietly muttering as Hack’s entire attention was on the half elf trying to keep a smile on her face even as she angrily wiped the tears away and gave him a half hug in thanks.

“Dunno what you’re crying about Manny, I'm the one who blew it up.”

Mantis let out a bark of a laugh, snorting at Cull’s stupid comment even as she covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her amusement despite the sombre situation. Her eyes darted to the mostly silent Scale Shrieker, half expecting to be reprimanded or growled at for disturbing her musing but remained lost in thought.

Hawkins shivered at the thought of the last time he had crossed an angry dragon, the namesake of her scales and strange Shadow Trait reminding him of the last time someone had been on the receiving end of her roar. It wasn’t hard for Hawkins to guess that Mantis’ Trait or Casting had reached a breaking point. It could no longer allow her to keep how she truly felt about being an Enforcer secret and the Windswept grimoire responded by recreating Axis with her Stormstress ability.

“I’m so sorry, Odi. I never meant to go this far.”

Hawkins couldn’t help but feel for Odi, even though he only spent a short time there he could tell how much it meant to her. It was her haven, her comforting nook to get away from the Traited and their problems. It was where he had been saved by the Overtaken and allowed to rest without so much a complaint surrounded by books and tomes he could only dream of. All that history was now gone.

The dragon's eyes were focused on her, a conflicting mix of anger and grief as they reflected the blue glow of the cold, empty shop. She was mere inches from the cold glass, resting her snout against the frosted over glass as if expecting to get a glimpse of the warmth and happiness she had once felt from inside. But even though it was empty, Odi lowered her head and smiled.

“It’s alright. I’m a little grateful, actually.”

Half expecting Gizmo to ruin the moment the others stared in varying degrees of silence, Hack half losing his grip on Mantis as she struggled to stand on her own. Gidget had a tight grip on Cull’s jacket, who was wordlessly threatening his uncle by standing directly behind him just enough to make the Tinker Mole incredibly uncomfortable.

Strangely, Hawkins wasn’t surprised. With how selfless she was even after so much pain and suffering she would never blame Mantis for that, despite everything that had happened between the Enforcers. Otherwise all the time she spent being tortured and still remaining resolute to not give Cricket the answers she had been desperate for would’ve been for nothing.

“For a long time, I was alone in that building. Collecting things, reading things, learning all there was to know over and over again. I had people I considered family. But I never left.”

The familiar haze that came with the feeling of Memoriam taking over his vision felt a little less wary each time, his anxiety lurching a little less than before. As much as he didn’t want to pry on such unclear memories clearly the black grimoire had decided there was no refusing anymore. The reminder of how he had refused the Enforcer’s memories still burned in his mind. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. No matter how harrowing the experience was.

Hawkins watched his Smoke Trait intertwine with the gloomy mist surrounding Mantis’ creations in an aura of mystery as it peeled away the past to reveal the building he knew all too well. The ramshackle cobblestones brought forward the warmth and hearty feel of the blazing fireplace surrounded in a haven of soft chairs overrun with books and sliding doors leading into hidden rooms and secret bookcases.

A young girl ran through the different rooms, a much smaller Odi chasing after her only to resize big enough to knock a few shelves over and catch her by the scruff of her hood, the pair giggling all the while as a slightly familiar Tinker Mole looked on helplessly and began picking up the stray books that had dropped. The young Traited girl refused to get dressed, her sleeves half dangling like a superhero cape even as Odi tried to convince her with a happiness in her voice Hawkins had never heard before. It was motherly but joyous. But now, it was matter of fact and permanently tinged with sadness.

“You’re a dragon, Odi. It’s in your nature to hoard.” Hack reminded her, gingerly stepping forwards as all he could see was the soft blue sheen of Mantis’ Casting over them.

The dragon’s eyes betrayed her sadness, the monochrome scene of the seasons changing and the fire kept flickering from Bitrfall to Fyrebloom and back again as the room was left empty even as Fidget’s visits became less frequent. The happiness Hawkins had felt radiating from every room now dwindled without the spark the young girl provided as his heart ached at the only possibility that many young Traited faced before they could even form a contract. The Eternal Death came for them all.

Hawkins couldn’t even fathom how many seasons had passed before Memoriam showed him something far more familiar. A silver haired half elf beckoned for the small group to follow her, her Agar lockpicking one of the back exits with her pincers. He didn’t need to see the rest but even though Odi hesitated she still jumped into the fray after years of remaining pacifistic.

“It is. But I chose to stay. Even when everyone leaves. I always stay.”

Hack’s eye twitched as Odi’s sombre tone seemed to get to the Sand Wraith, forcing him to turn away for a few moments to recompose himself and grip the Fatekeeper’s staff tightly. For a few seconds, the smoke coiled around his mentor and flashed with mauve light like a highlight reel of connecting memories as Hawkins got a glimpse into the reasons why. The very same flaming chains that had once caught another young half elf wrenched the slightly younger Sand Wraith into submission, his inconclusive yells towards the familiarly branded Traited trapping and tugging both him and Odi apart as she begged for his safety. They didn’t care. Chimera never did.

The monochrome haze began to mix with the blues and purples of their auras as Odi curled up alone within the dark of Grimmordeals as the memory of so many dragons leaving one by one for better things away from the dusty streets she loved. A black dragon, scarred but similar in features tucked beneath her wings together, was overshadowed by another, towering sibling with pale scales and a narrowed gaze even as he walked away. Both burdened by duty, by blood and by an unseen purpose the two brothers cursed with the knowledge that Odi had given them in exchange for some simple company took everything they had from her and burned it to never return.

“But you didn’t. You fought back even after so long. You helped me, someone you just met to not only figure out my unconventional Trait but everyone else’s here. Heck, you ventured out of your home and took in everyone around you, even people who were trying to kill you.” Mantis tried to reassure her, quiet but restless as she shifted awkwardly being surrounded by the very unknown she created.

Thea worryingly remained by her Agars side, the clearing where they all met set out before them a little ways away from Odi’s old home. Hawkins could see the indents in the earth where the rubble colossus Hack had created crumbled beneath the sheer weight of the Enforcer’s flames, he could see the uneven blocks shaven into the gravel and the small pothole they had attempted to use as a fire pit. The scuff marks of repetitive training, quick blasts of Air Trait and scuffed claws clashing within their element.

“Especially people who were trying to kill you.” Cull muttered, elbowing the Air Traited who couldn’t help but laugh.

Despite Cull’s attempt to lighten the mood Memoriam was not listening, plunging the Mediator into its own haze despite the surrounding pitch black it was still giving him insight into the memories it so desperately craved. So many different types of Traited, Trollians and dragons passed through the main streets even as the dark loomed over them. The only way to tell the difference between night and morning was the amount of people once rushing about now dwindling in their single digits as gangs prowled the back alleys. But this particular night was not theirs.

Hawkins rubbed his eyes just as the smoke outlines of drunkards and swindlers were plucked out of existence, the vengeful shadows clinging to their life force even as they silenced the screams over the sight of their own ashes coiling into something else. Something more than simply the Eternal Death. They begged for more, to know why someone had done such a thing as the large presence of their saviour turned accuser simply watched them crumble and transform in a streak of desperation by the only original necromancers left in the Undercity. The dragon slipped away, sealing her reputation with just a name. A name that had once been tainted and changed by another. The Arbiter of Axis. Odiphilis herself.

“Thank you, Mantis. Cullian. It’s nice to know that something other than me will remain here, even if it’s just a replica.”

Odi’s genuinely heartfelt words clashed with the memories Hawkins had seen, the same green eyes that the very emotionless beast that had haunted those unfortunate to cross her path. The unapologetically kind, obsessively curious and always optimistic Scale Shrieker dragon that had guided them and had been guided by so many eclectic Traited and more had willingly partook in creating the very Truants that had haunted so many. She wasn’t just a necromancer. She wasn’t just a Shadow Traited. She had once forced the Traited into the Truants.

Odi had used her knowledge of the Lockbind to break them, to taunt them so simply with just a few muttered words, a few alluring phrases enough to topple even the most stalwart scholar or pious worshipper. Their eyes wide with the same recognition Hawkins now held in a macabre horror, a dark dance of endless questions culminating to a singular answer that was enough to trigger the same ravenous desperation that every Traited succumbed to. To know. To understand. To turn them into mindless beings fixated on one, singular focus. Trait.

“I could…” Mantis began, cut short by a stubborn shake of her head.

Odi’s eyes met his. Troubled, concerned but watchful. Her grief and sorrow warped into selfishness and cruelty even though part of him knew it was Memoriam’s bias over its chosen victim he couldn’t help but recoil. Victim didn’t seem to be the right word. Target, perhaps.

Memoriam’s hesitation between Hack and Odi’s memories seemed to betray its indecisiveness and the Scale Shrieker’s overwhelming presence was enough to influence it over the Sand Wraith. Perhaps over everyone. He didn’t know. All he knew was that her friendship with Hack, Hack’s friendship with him and all of the time she spent with him and the Traited was either an elaborate lie or a twisted way to atone for her sins. Odi smiled and Hawkins' trust in her broke a little more each time.

“No. It’s time to move on.”