The clatter of horse hooves sounded down the grand road to the palace. Cybelline slowed down once the din of the palace faded from her hearing. The city was still a lively place, despite the late hour, though not exactly hospitable. She took the horse to the night market that Solara had told her about.

"What's a young lady like you doing out here at night?" A voice jeered at her. Cybelline looked over and gave the man a razor sharp smile, "Shopping." A few men stirred and looked at her with interest once they saw that she was alone.

Carefully she guided the horse down an alley, five men following her as she did.

Thirty minutes later, a boy emerged, grey eyes and dark haired dressed in the everyday peasant clothes. The boy hefted a big bag of coins in his hands and ambled away with a grin. Behind her, in the darkest corners of the alleyway, lay strewn a a pile of men tied to the stirrups of a big horse. On their foreheads were the words, "ARREST ME. I TRIED TO STEAL A PALACE HORSE."

Cybelline ruffled her hair, grimacing as powder from the wig flew into the air, she needed a bath after that.

She ambled through the city back to the hovels of the poorer district and back Solara's house, no one noticed the slight little boy who seemed to blend into the shadows. Reaching the street, she stopped and frowned.

Three men stood outside of the house, talking quietly to each other. They wore similar, dark grey clothes and had ordinary faces, but it was clear as day to Cybelline that they didn't belong to this part of the city.

Tall and muscular, and with eyes swept through the street every once in a while, they had the sharp look of men who had been trained in combat. Ubiquitous daggers hung on their belts, in a part of the city where weapons were prohibited.

In a few moments, another man came out of Solara's house, he walked over to them and shook his head. The leader spat on the ground and cursed.

Swifty, he ordered,"She can't have gone far. Comb through this city, check the tunnels, even if we have to turn it upside down, we have to find that Witch. Remember, kill on sight. Don't take any chances. I rather that we kill a hundred women who look like her than let her slip away again." He signalled another one of his men, "Tell the Legion to be on the lookout, by tomorrow I expect them to have searched every major city in this country inch by inch."

Cybelline turned and walked away casually, Solara didn't seem like the type to stay and get caught.

Thirty seconds after she left, the ground shook and a column of flames shot up into the sky from what used to be Solara's house. Cries of pain was quickly engulfed by the flames.

Cybelline looked at the column of flames thoughtfully, well that was unfortunate. With a shrug, she left to find an inn.

The Bear and the Hare was a quaint little inn, a place for weary merchants to rest before a day at the market. Cybelline made her way to the innkeep.

Finding that there was no one there, she headed towards the backroom. She heard the sounds of heavy thudding and someone whimpering in pain. She opened the door a bit and saw a middle-aged man beating a child.

"You stupid child. Moronic brat! I'll sell you if you ever eat the leftovers again. Those are for the pigs. Not for a worthless thing like you."

A thin, balding man was kicking a child with all his might, his face purple with exertion. There was a cruel glint in his eyes as if he was enjoying it. Cybelline frowned, turned around and walked back to the front. Long ago, someone had tried kicking her like that. They lost their leg.

She sighed, "I must be going soft." When she returned to the front she tapped a boy her age, "Go find your innkeeper, I want the best room you have." She threw him a coin, the little servant bowed and went away.

A short while later, the same man who had been kicking the little child emerged. He had the kind, gentlemanly look of an beloved uncle and asmile that faded a little when he saw the plain dressed child who had ordered his servant to find him.

"I want a room." She pulled out ten copper coins from her purse. He looked at it, his eyes widening before bowing his head, "My lord, our humble establishment is not good enough for one as august as yourself. If you go to your mage house, they will help you find a place."

Cybelline looked down at the coins in her hands, "I'm sorry?"

He looked at her, "That's mage money. We common folk aren't allowed to handle it, it'll burn us on contact. Any one caught harboring magic coins will earn twenty lashings and a day in the stocks."

Cybelline placed the coins back into her purse, "I'm see. I'm from far away and didn't know your customs."

The innkeeper frowned, "This is sacred law, taught to all when we were young. This is known in every country by all. Mages are the heralds of the True King."

Cybelline grinned and took out a piece of silver, "Yes, indeed. You have passed my test. You are a loyal subject. Truth be told, I am on a mission for my mage house."

The man's eyes were bright with greed as soon as he saw the coin. Cybelline placed the piece of silver in his hand, and lied in a low voice, "I am on the lookout for an escaped convict. A woman. Surely some of my people have asked you about her already. Her name is Solara."

The innkeeper nodded, a few men had come into today to ask him about a woman, though they didn't speak of her name. Cybelline continued, "In the next few days or so, there will be more men who come to you, giving you tests as I have done. If you answer wrongly," Cybelline drew her hand across her neck, "The consequences are serious."

She smiled at him, "But I like you, you are an honest and kind innkeeper. If anyone asks you about me, tell them that you know me well. Tell them that you know everything and that you helped me. Go with them and they will reward you for your...loyalty."

He looked the boy up and down, was this little boy a mage?

Cybelline's eyes went cool, "You dare question my will? The will of a mage?"

The innkeeper quickly lowered his head, "No, my lord." He had heard that there were mages whose power far surpassed this age. He didn't want this boy to destroy the inn.

He took the silver coin, "We'll get you the nicest room, right away my lord. Will my lord be needing anything else?" Cybelline nodded and tossed him a few more coins, "A horse and some provisions. I'll be leaving tomorrow for Alinor, you can keep the change."

The innkeeper looked at the coins, bowed, and hurried to do his bidding.

------

Cybelline took a bath and sighed as the muck and dust of the last few days fell away with the hot water. She closed her eyes and contemplated her situation.

Solara was nowhere to be found, but only she knew how to get rid of her powers. The most obvious person to go and find now was Jinon. It was time to go home.

Cybelline frowned. Home?

Since when had she had a home? She had been a spy and assassin. Home wasn't a concept she was familiar with. She didn't have many friends, the more people she knew the more she would lose. She didn't have many belongings. Afterall, if her enemies found out where she lived, it would all get blown up into smithereens.

Had it only taken a few months for her to get acclimated to those people? Did she consider Ithos, Mirai, and all those children to be family? She wasn't sure, but she knew that she wanted to see them. Perhaps this was what missing someone felt like.

Cybelline grinned, she had a home to go to. Even if she couldn't find Solara now, it was a matter of time. She got out of the tub, dried herself and changed into some clean clothes she had some servants buy for her.

A knock on the door sounded. She looked up, "Enter."

A child of six or seven came in, from the way she hobbled, it was as if she was in great pain. The child placed the fresh candles by the bedside, "My lord." She said and then looked down, "Thank you."

Cybelline looked at the child, "For what."

"You called the master away. I know you saw me when he was beating me." The child said quietly.

Cybelline tossed her a copper, "You will need to save yourself next time."

The child looked up, surprised and met a pair of eyes that seemed to hold thunderclouds. She took a deep breath, "I can't. He's killed three girls already in far more gruesome ways. I won't last long. He's bigger than me."

"As most people will be." Answered Cybelline, "But if you think that his strength is the only thing that matters, then you're bound to die."

The servant girl drew a sharp breath. Cybelline leaned forward, "What is your name?"

"Cyra" The girl replied, "My lord."

"Cyra, play to your strengths and attack his weaknesses."

Cybelline took out a ring that she had stolen from the palace, that just happened to be from Restan. She looked at the girl, "In a few days, the palace guards will search this inn." She tossed the ring to the girl, "Do what you think is best." The girl looked at the thing thoughtfully and gripped it in her hands.

When the servant girl came down, the innkeeper looked at her greedily, "Well chit? Hand it over." The girl seemed to jump at his voice and her hands closed automatically. The innkeeper was a greedy man who never allowed his servants to keep their tips.

With a shaking hand, the little girl opened her palm, on it lay the copper. The innkeeper came over and snatched it. Looking at it, his eyes narrowed, suddenly, he backhanded her viciously, "Show me your other hand!"

The little girl hit the ground hard, and from her other hand, rolled out the jeweled ring. The Innkeeper grinned, "That's more like it!" He sped away, the treasure in his hands.

The girl on the ground spat out a mouthful of blood, sat up, and grinned.

--------

Early next day, Cybelline got up, saddled the new horse, exchanged all the baubles she'd stolen from the palace at a disreputable establishment and went on her way.

A day later, a few guard of the palace came to the inn, searching for the thief who had bested their lord.

"Have you seen this child?" They asked, holding up a drawing of someone who looked slightly like Cybelline.

It wasn't an entirely accurate likeness but enough that the innkeep nodded, excitedly.

"Yes my lords, I know him well." He said proudly, "I know everything. I even helped him."

Their eyes widened, "You helped a thief get into the palace to steal from our most sacred towers?"

The innkeeper's face went pale, "No..no...You must be mistaken! He said he was a mage! He even tried to pay me in Mage Coins!"

"Oh, and do you have those coins as proof?" The man in the front demanded, his arms crossed. The innkeeper panicked, "He paid in real money."

Hearing this, the men scoffed, "Why would mages have real money? Everything is taken care of by the mage houses."

The innkeeper opened and closed his mouth in panikc, "My lords, I assure you, I know nothing of him!"

"Of course. And that's why you're wearing a ring stolen from a noble on your finger." The captain drawled, he was none other than Lord Lionsbane, one Killian's men. He recognized the ring based on the insignia.

"My lords! This is a mistake!" The innkeeper cried, he looked around and saw the little servant girl Cyra, "You! Tell them that it was you who gave me this ring!"

The little girl looked frightened and shook her head, "I don't know what you mean. I've never seen the thing in my life. Look at me, how could I afford anything like that?" They all looked at her, she was indeed a pitiful little thing, with worn clothes and a thin frame. They turned to the innkeeper, "Let's go. A few nights in the dungeons will have you singing like a bird." They pushed the man out of the inn roughly.

Cyra grinned and ran to the innkeeper's rooms, where he had hidden his gold. It was time for a new life, she decided.