From the policeships came a policewoman looking exactly like Cleoni did before she transformed. She came up behind Charmteller and at her side the Rauvurens landed.

"I'm , you can call me. I am the High Collection Sorcerer faction Police Captain. You may leave the rest to me, Cromlight, Lady." She gave a nod to Cypur and Wescherlie. Then with a commanding call, more police Sorcerers filed out of the policeships and captured the frauds.

"Before I could even declare to rewrite the law after the Great Sigh, they all apprehended us, using forbidden binding magick to render us useless," Reith gave a smile over her shoulder, "We've been in the Fifth Ring, but upon hearing of your escape, well, Marchis sends his regards."

Before Cypur could find his voice, Reith continued. "What Charmteller has done was in our better interest. He saved Korva. He killed their enemies to protect them. I will erase his criminal record for he has none. I had only seen what those who feared his powers wanted me to see." Reith came over to rest a hand on Wescherlie's shoulder. "Fear not, Lady, for Charmteller is just as his son," She winked at Cypur, "one with a kind heart. And right heart."

Wescherlie's hand slipped away from his as a few of the Korva came around to hug her in their arms. One of the males whispered something in her ear.

"Stone the Rauvuren!" she laughed and faced Cypur, beaming ear to ear. "Guess what, I have a brother!"

Cypur finally felt a smile tug at his lips. He could hardly believe his eyes. What he thought might have been impossible, of Wescherlie finding Korva alive, it was happening right before his eyes.

And Charmteller saved Korva. He noticed Charmteller coming over to him. Just as I saved Wescherlie. Nerves suddenly tickled him. Cypur lowered his gaze a moment, unsure of what kind of things to say to Charmteller now. He wasn't the mean Sorcerer everyone else seemed to make him out to be.

"Seems you didn't need my help." Charmteller shrugged. "I knew it would take just about this long for the spell to break." He bent down to pet Cypur's Faud. Chrysios squealed in delight and shuffled his feet.

Cypur finally found his voice. "So, you did hold my magick back. But not for experiment?"

Charmteller scoffed. "It's only a rumor, Micalius, I mean, Cypur." He fixed his cape and gave a shudder. "I sent you away because I knew they were after me. Reith only saw what the rest of her brigade showed her, among them, frauds. But I didn't want them to take you away and lock you up somewhere because you inherited my powers. Golden magick out of control can be deadly. So, I put a spell on you, locking your powers up for fourteen years."

Cypur gritted his teeth. Charmteller bound his powers. So, that was why his Faud didn't come out when it should have! "But they held me back—"

"They weren't supposed to!" Charmteller stomped a foot on the ground. "That wasn't Reith's law. As long as you were challenging your magick, it would never have had to explode like it did. Never!"

That Cleoni had planned that far and into that much detail, Cypur had no words. The things some Sorcerers did for the sake of their aesthetics was beyond comprehension.

And what patience! He found her standing bound before Reith, face contorted in anger. She was willing to wait fourteen years and willing to do everything to ensure it would all happen as she envisioned it.

"She's known for this record-breaking patience for things she wants," Charmteller broke the silence, "but I didn't know how far she was willing to go. If I had known," He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, "But in the end, things turned out okay."

"You've returned for good?" Cypur asked and Charmteller shrugged.

"I hope so. I never want to go back to that depressing planet Earth. I don't know why Humans still live there. It's nothing like bright, and colorful Elgana. No I," He flashed a smile, "I like it here. I rather do like it here."

Cypur wasn't sure what to do with all this new, unexpected, but good information. Charmteller had been trying to save Rauvuren Korva, not killing them. He had bound Cypur's magick to protect him from those who would want it, not used Cypur as some sick Faud experiment. And his exile was probably more about the fact that he went against his own race to save Rauvuren.

Misunderstood golden magick, Cypur thought. Turning his gaze, he watched Charmteller rolled on his heels. Beyond him, Wescherlie mingled at last with her own kind. With a pang in his chest, he missed his parents and Jarvur. He ached for home.

Cypur spotted Arius coming over to him. He gave a bow to Charmteller who clapped him on the back and laughed, telling him to straighten up.

"I don't deserve such respect anymore, eh, don't," Charmteller pressed his fingers against Arius' lips to shush him, "I was once an Arch, but no more. The world is changing here in this magical Ring. And I say, I approve of you two." With a grin, he pushed Arius toward Cypur. "Come on then. Get it out."

Cypur looked up at Arius, disheveled and wounds healing, some slower than others. This male fought for him out there. And nothing in return. It was the right thing to do. His heart swelled and tears pooled his eyes.

Arius wiped them with the cuff of his sleeve.

"You were wonderful. I-I mean," Cypur blushed at his own words, "I mean, well, you were wonderful. Thank you."

A hand caressed his cheek. Arius bit his lip. "I'm still confused about your, well, situation, but a part of me wants a part of that someday. Is that strange?"

"No, not strange at all." He lowered his gaze as his cheeks burned like fire under Arius' intense stare. His Faud was dancing steppenchellia, tippity-tappity. Arius' fingers grazed his chin and lifted his head.

"I first saw you in the swordstry, it blossomed in my heart, a change. You changed me. You didn't even know it." He grinned. "I want you to continue changing me."

Continue? Cypur gazed up into his orange eyes. Did that mean...?

Suddenly, Wescherlie latched her arms around him from behind. "So, you're going to take care of my Cypur while I'm gone?"

At that, Arius' ears turned red. Cypur's blush faded when he realized he had the upper hand here. He grinned and said, "Well, are you?"

Arius scratched his neck, bit his lip, and nodded. "It's embarrassing to finally realize what I think I feel about you. I don't know how this will turn out but—"

"Bring it on." Cypur clapped in steppenchellia rhythm, and they shared a laugh. Wescherlie tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Cypur, look—"

"Come on, Wes. I'll teach you, too. I'm good." He striked a pose, but she only gave a faint smile and shook her head.

His smile faded and he rested a hand on her arm. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She gave a sad smile. "They're waiting for me." She turned briefly to the Rauvuren. Some of them already took the sky. A few remained, talking with Reith and Charmteller. "I have a home with them far off at Drazlesk Mound. And then I might be gone for my destiny. It won't be a few days, weeks. Might be a year or more."

The hole she filled in his chest, hollowed out. He had known this day would come. Not this soon though. He thought they would have more time. Wescherlie still hadn't met his parents. He knew they would get along if they gave each other a chance. And he wanted to show her a new Fourth Ring. He wanted to see it change with her.

"But we just—" He shook his head, grabbing her hands, "Wes, we won this. We should celebrate. Have a party. You can meet my fam—"

"You were so, so damn cool." Wescherlie's eyes glistened.

He smiled a little. "Yeah, you were, too. Combat master, I see."

In that pause, he held out his arms and she burrowed her head into his shoulder.

"I don't want to leave yet," she sobbed, "but there are Korva waiting for me to return as their Lady and there are magick things that have a time limit and, I-I'm actually wanted home," "Cypur, I have a home."

He hugged her as tight as he could, wishing to keep her here but knowing it was best to let her go. Her smile brightened his days and her no-nonsense attitude got him through his toughest times. How would he do it all without her? But he had to.

"I'm going to miss you." She whispered in his ear. "Really miss you. I'll come back some day."

"I'll miss you, too," he said. Someone called her name. She pulled away and a part of his heart tore from his chest. "And I'll be waiting, my dear, dear félagi verskur."

Wescherlie wiped her tears and her nose crinkled in her signature grin. "To whatever end?" she said.

Cypur shook his head. "Forever, Wes. There is no end. It's always. Forever."

"Forever," she echoed him spreading her wings as Rauvuren Korva took flight. Sadness hung in the air, but he didn't want to part like this. He wanted her to remember this day with a smile, not a sob. He wiped his tears, composed himself quick, and peeked at her between his legs.

"A bow for you." He grinned. When he straightened his back, he staggered from sudden dizziness. "Oh damn," he swore, "How do you do it, Wes?"

"I'm the backwards bowing master." She gave a teasing smile and rose to the sky. "See you later, Cypur Sorcerer."

"You, too, Wescherlie Rauvuren!" Cypur laughed. Then he watched her and the other Rauvuren until they disappeared behind the clouds.

When he turned back to his own life, Reith was waiting by a policeship with Charmteller and Arius. It was time for him to leave this place behind as well.

Good riddance! He kicked up sand, running to the policeship. The dark clouds that only threatened a few large drops of rain, had cleared, leaving the sky black with the one giant moon again.

In the policeship, Reith told him that she would look into his memory on the account of Gallen's death and also the death of the Leovra boy. As for any other police deaths, she suspected the ones killed were frauds anyway.

"In a sense, your name is clear, Cromlight," Reith said from the front seat, "And I will have a word with that principal of yours', wouldn't you agree, Charmteller, that this young Sorcerer deserves a better rank?"

Chrysios emerged from Cypur's chest and squealed. Charmteller smiled.

"I do wholeheartedly agree, Reith. As we discussed, Scholar should challenge him most."

"Scholar?" Cypur breathed out the title he never thought he would ever deserve. It was the highest you could get in Academy before the ranks of Professor. He sat back in his seat, stunned and wished he could tell Wescherlie. Wished they'd talked about this before she left.

"I was only Junior at your age." Charmteller raised a brow at him with a smirk. "Seems you are more exceptional than I was."

Cypur returned the smirk. "One day, I'll be an Arch."

Charmteller, Reith, and Arius exchanged glances with smiles playing on their faces. Arius said, "Sounds like a plan."

"I wouldn't be surprised as I became an Arch."

"I could look into early placement, if you like?" Reith said.

"That, you should," Charmteller said, leaning his elbow on the windowsill, "if he ever decides later on, at least he would know what to do. I approve of it. I know Thereanbold would as well and a few others. You only need one formal letter of request, Micalius, I mean," He cleared his throat, "Cypur."

Talk continued on without him then. What were the procedures after receiving a request and what would that mean for his future? Was a young Arch possible? Cypur could hardly keep up with the conversation. He only meant it as a joke, and he never thought of seriously pursuing magick studies. What he really wanted to do was dance. The performance he did for the Humans had been liberating.

But maybe I could do both? He wondered if such a future was possible. A steppenchellia Arch would probably be the first in all history.

As the edge lands of the Fourth Ring slipped under the stomach of the policeship, he could almost feel the change in the air as Charmteller and Reith chattered about new politics and what must change to ensure a better life for those who deserved it, like males who loved males, or Sorcerers who were too kindhearted for current society, or about Human pets for entertainment and the ethics of that.

A new age was coming, and it was going to be good. He could feel it in his gut. Maybe even exceptional.

Like me. Cypur smiled as he stared out the window. Narsy moment.

His eyes watered as he thought back to those special moments with Wescherlie. Their friendship transcended time and distance. Covering his face with his hands, a sob exploded from his lips, he choked on his tears, and slouched over in his seat. It had never hurt so much to say 'goodbye' to someone.

Arius rubbed his shoulder and Cypur leaned into him. He wanted to hear her call him a Narsy. He wanted to hear her laugh. And he wanted to share these moments with her as the world began to change. But she had her own destiny somewhere far away.

Soon, exhaustion fell upon him. His tears dried and he leaned against Arius. Closing his eyes, he relived all those moments with her first ever best friend.

Wes, I wish you were here.

* * *

When the policeship touched down on the ground, Cypur woke from a dreamless sleep. He pulled himself off of Arius and looked out the window at the gather of police. It was a foggy day here, but through the fog stretched the tall rectangular buildings of Zarkentauf. The policeship had landed in a square somewhere. Citizens were gathering to see what the commotion was all about. Policecitizens were regulating the crowd.

I'll be in your heart, and you'll be in mine.

Cypur blinked at her voice and sat up, searching for that purple attire or those large raven wings, but of course she wasn't here. He wiped his eyes and leaned back in his seat. It was her voice. He was sure of it! But Wescherlie had left.

Am I going crazy? He furrowed his brows and caught himself searching the crowd for her again.

"Are you okay?" Arius peered into his face.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Cypur nodded with a slight smile. I'll be in your heart, and you'll be in mine, he pondered the words. Whether that voice was real or merely imagination, it told the truth. He and Wescherlie were in each other's hearts. One day, they would meet again because they hadn't said 'goodbye'. It was 'see you later'.

See you later, Wes. Cypur turned his gaze to the sky as he stepped out of the policeship. The fog cleared, revealing a crisp Wintertine morning above.