At lunch, Cypur, Wescherlie, and Daero were enjoying a picnic out by the lake. It was halfway through dessert of a triple berry pie that Daero announced that he had found a Sorcerer female that might help them.

"She used to work for Zarkentauf's Library which was not your typical library," he explained. "The Library of Eternals and Deaths and it archived and recorded all Sorcerers that had ever lived and died, and what they did. She might have also worked near or around the adoption archives, so you, Cypur, could ask her about that."

Starlights, finally a good contact. Relief washed over him. It was such a long time coming to get some headway at last.

"I wonder if that's the one Precense told us about?" He wiped crumbs from his chin and handed another tissue to Wescherlie who had berry juice on her cheek. She took it but didn't use it. Sighing, he wiped her cheek for her, and she pretended to bite him.

"Oh, come on!" He smirked and threw the tissue in her lap. She crinkled her nose at him as she grinned.

"So, we just make her tell us things?" she asked, shoving another chunk of pie in her mouth. "Slack pie, mmm!" Some crumbs fell on her lap, but she ignored it.

Daero chuckled. "Wescherlie, I thought you were a lady by now."

She stuck her tongue out at him and brushed the crumbs away.

"Anyway, just my name would do," Daero said, "I can send you off to Poppintum directly. It's where she lives. Her name is Marlevianne Trufflesome, a lion-like or Leovra. Halfhuman Sorcerer."

Wasn't Poppintum where Wescher—Wes wanted to go? He hid a mirth behind his hand. Calling her by the nickname was going to need some getting used to.

After they finished their pie, Wescherlie announced she needed to stretch her legs. Before anyone could say anything, she flew off across the lake. With a shout of spell, launched a spray of water in their direction. Quickly, Cypur diverted it with a wind spell, and it hit an approaching Kirlan, drenching his stomach.

"Feigat!" he cursed, bristling. Cypur gulped when Kirlan glared at him. Now he was certain to have made an enemy out of that Kathula.

"Sorr—"

"You missed a spot," Wescherlie said with giggle, splashing water into Kirlan's face. With a hiss, he made a grab for her, but she dodged. She turned into a raven midair and flew away. Kirlan growled and chased her.

"Do Kathula hate water?" Cypur said and snickered when Kirlan leapt in the air, trying to pull Wescherlie down. It was a crazy sight to see a feline type chase a bird type, mirroring their counterparts.

Daero laughed. "Only if it's sudden." He rested an arm on his knee. The other leg stretched out and his tail squished under his other arm. When he spoke, his tone was serious.

"Cypur, while I was out, I took liberty to sneak around your town."

Cypur didn't even want to think about what happened to Cormeialette since he became a wanted criminal. He did hope the neighbors hadn't done anything horrible to his family. He frowned when he thought of them as his family. They were his family and would forever be. He was a Sorcerer, not a Human. The lifespan was vastly different. He would look young longer than his Human parents.

But what about after all this? Wouldn't they disown me?

"To be frank, I think you should stay a little longer."

Cypur blinked, turning to face Daero who was watching Wescherlie and Kirlan tumble about on the opposite side of the lake. Both Cypur and Wescherlie had tried hard to get better soon so that they could leave as soon as possible.

"There's a new ransom. Racked it up high." Daero straightened up and sat cross-legged on the blanket. He held out his paw, forming the finger sign for 'hundred'. "Five hundred thousand omnias for whoever could find you and bring you in. Alive. All because of a rumor."

"Five hundred th-thousand?" He couldn't even fathom such money! He didn't even know if his parents ever had that much. Now he wasn't just expensive. Maybe a jewel? A gem? Nothing could ever amount to that.

Cypur sat up, hugging his knees to his chest. "I could be twenty mansions," he breathed out in disbelief. "Or a whole city, or, but why so much money?"

Daero didn't answer and there was no way to tell emotions from that statue face and with his tail hidden under his arm. Opposite the lake, Wescherlie was in her Human-like form and Kirlan was inspecting her wings. She flapped them and he fell back as if surprised.

"Because someone is rumored to have returned," Daero said at last, "Rumored to be looking for you. Reclaim you. Your magick exploding means it must be ripe. His first experiment gone right."

All at once, the temperatures seemed to have dropped, but it was only cold dread. On such a nice day like this, Cypur almost forgot he was still someone's experiment.

Daero shook his head. "But many are under aesthetic possession. They cannot let someone else claim you. The ransom poster signed HC Sorcerer Police faction. Anyone would want that kind of money even under aesthetic possession."

That was their whole scheme. Rack up the ransom to be sure they, the police, would capture Cypur. Was it even about the crime at this point? They were Sorcerers with similar greed. Maybe they wanted his magick for themselves?

He sighed and bit his lip. Seeing Wescherlie smile and laugh, he couldn't help but feel bad for dragging her along with him. But he had seen her eyes, hearing the Daero mention Poppintum, filled with such hope. He couldn't wait another day to finally get this for her. He owed it to her after all.

"Danisilus rí Charmteller," he whispered and Daero nodded. "Why does he want me?"

"To reclaim you."

"But why?"

"Allegedly," Daero arched his back to stretch, "because he wants to harvest your developed magick for himself. And it can kill Sorcerers without effort. Deadly, but beautiful. I understand many Sorcerers find mortal deaths fascinating." He lay back on the blanket and yawned. "Allegedly though," he said, closing his eyes. He still hid his tail and something. Cypur was certain Daero wasn't telling him everything, but he was also certain those things would remain secret.

If every Sorcerer was looking for him, he would disguise himself. And Poppintum was on the outskirts of Zarkentauf, so not many citizens lived there. He and Wescherlie could go in and get out quick.

He pressed his lips together and looked up when he heard Wescherlie squealing, flying over the lake, sending up sprays of water as she passed. The threats to her were the police and the bounty hunters. If Cypur could evade the police for them both, all that was left were the bounty hunters if they would even appear in Poppintum. Slim chance, but they might.

But I'm ready for them now, he thought with a check of his magick energy. It wouldn't be like last time. He could defend them both. Those Junior Bounty Hunters would be sorry they met him.

Cypur opened his mouth, but a tail came over his face making him sneeze. "Damn," he said, rubbing his nose.

"I know what your decision would be," Daero said with a soft smile and wink, "Just be careful, okay?" There was something off about that smile. His eyes held a hint of mischievousness. Which was odd. Why would Daero act sneaky at a time like this?

His ears twitched as he cocked his head. "Omnia for your thoughts?"

Cypur narrowed his eyes. "You're hiding something." He crossed his arms and stared at those purple eyes with golden specks of sparkles like stars. Some of the sparkles were twinkles. Sneaky twinkles.

The outer corners of Daero's eyes crinkled and he chuckled. At that moment, Wescherlie returned, and it was time to go. Cypur followed behind the two and a thought flickered.

Faud? Can you always hear my thoughts?

No, only when you direct them at me.

Good to know. He wanted privacy in his thoughts about Charmteller. Why would an exiled former Arch risk his life to return to the Fourth Ring? It couldn't be to fetch his experiment, or was that an underestimation? And one major thing Daero didn't talk about was how. How did Charmteller know that Cypur was ready?

I thought he was exiled to Earth?

The only idea he could come up with was some inside citizen. Someone in Elgana who was able to somehow relay information back to Charmteller. That someone would have to live in the Fourth Ring, but also have access to the First Ring where communication to Earth was possible in the HC Human Police faction.

His thoughts went to Wescherlie who had been in the First Ring, but that was the most ridiculous. She probably couldn't even say 'Charmteller' without butchering it. Although, he didn't think he was too far off.

A Rauvuren would be the perfect candidate. Off the grid outcasts, no one paying too much attention to them, but what if a former Arch went to them for help? They would jump to the opportunity, wouldn't they?

As Wescherlie came stumbling back down the hill to join him, Cypur shoved those dark thoughts away. He didn't want to think bad about Wescherlie's species just because they had suspicious relations with an evil Kathula in the past. Besides, he knew Charmteller had been exiled many years ago. Neither he nor Wescherlie may have even been born.

Ruled out, he assured himself.

Wescherlie linked her arm in his. "So pensive!" She shook him. "Lighten up, Narsy."

"I'm light enough," he said and flicked his hair into her face making her giggle. "Look at this blonde! Look."

"I'm looking." She laughed. "You silly."

Cypur smirked and strutted the rest of the way, dragging her with him as she called out his Narsy-ness. He needed to do one last thing here before they left—ask Daero to temporarily transform the color of his hair.