After their public display, the siblings had retired to one of the staff rooms. As much as Niala and, to a certain degree, David, wished their little heart-to-heart had solved everything and answered every question, the truth is that a decade-old wall still stood between the two brothers.

  Only, now, there was a window open through which they could talk once more.

  Progress.

  Niala let them have their boy's time, respecting their boundary. Mostly. She couldn't help receiving feelings through their links, after all.

  And if David really didn't want anyone listening in, he should have removed his communicator. She needed half a bell before convincing herself to remove her own. It was just so interesting and cute in the awkward ways that grown men tried to communicate their feelings without actually doing it. But! She was a grade-A girlfriend, and so reason won over desire in the end.

  They came back out a few bells later, when almost everyone had gone to sleep, a few sentries up, though they probably weren't needed.

  Isaac went to his men, finding a cot set up and waiting for him, while David joined Niala, lying down beside her on the stacked sheets and cushions laid in a corner formed by crates.

  Putting her notebook away, she cuddled up to him. Even if they didn't share an empathic link, she could have told that he was... uneasy. A state of mind that required quality snuggles from the best girlfriend in the world. The way he leaned into her and how his arms coiled around told her he agreed.

  She had looked up to him, stretching her neck and silently asking for a kiss, which he eagerly provided. After their lips parted, she had asked if everything was alright.

  “For now, yes. We'll talk about it later, once we're back home. Alone.”

  That was good enough for her. She settled over his body and nestled her head into the crook of his neck.

  They were both out within a few minutes, their accumulated exhaustion taking its due.

  Spirited arguing woke them up. The warehouse had no morning sun, but a look at their bellwatch told them it was mid-morning. They rose and investigated the commotion, finding a few of the support personnel surrounding one of the Fel-sensing apparatus, shouting and pointing fingers, with Isaac and Leandro nearby.

  Joining their side, Leandro caught David's unspoken question.

  “They are trying to determine why the sensor did not pick up traces of the Fel.” He explained.

  David arced an eyebrow. “Sounds more like they're trying to find out who's to blame.”

  Isaac grunted. “It doesn't matter. I need them to figure it out. If, as you said, the Fels hide underground during the day, being able to find them one by one, dig them up, and exterminate them would be the only safe way to eradicate this infestation.”

  David nodded before tilting his head and looking at Leandro. “Do Fels usually hide from the sun? Or sleep during the day?”

  The large man shook his head. “In most cases, no. Some have been known to prefer to roam in the dark, but not exclusively so, from my own experience and knowledge.”

  “So this isn't standard behaviour.” David posited.

  “It is not.”

  Niala stared at them, ears wiggling.

  “What is it, kitten?” David asked.

  “Well, we did fi- find a Fel that, huh, stuck to the dark.” She said.

  David squinted, needing a second to understand what she meant.

  The greater Fel. It brought the dark with it. If we assume that it's the next step in their evolution... Does that mean older, more evolved Fels hide from the sun? Then the one we found in the vault was a younger one.

  He looked at Leandro. “The guards make a distinction between the corrupted and the Fel, right?”

  “They do,” the man confirmed.

  “And the Fel are corrupted that have fed enough?”

  “That is the understanding.”

  “Would you say that all the Fels you've fought had been relatively recent evolved corrupted?”

  Leandro rubbed his chin. “Relatively... yes. The Azure Guards promptly respond to reports of corrupteds and Fels. Impossible to tell in some cases, but once they are found, no more than a week or two will pass before a force arrives.”

  Isaac knitted his brow. “What are you getting at, brother? That sun sensitivity is something that Fels gain as they age?”

  “That's my theory,” David confirmed.

  “Hrrm. It could be. Does not explain why the sensors did not catch their scent.”

  Niala put a finger to her temple. “How do they work? The sensors?”

  Isaac eyed her before pointing his chin at the support staff yelling at each other. “Ask them, the three magitechnicians.”

  She smiled, turning and walking up to the two men and one woman surrounding one of the sensors.

  Their bluster died down as Niala greeted them and began asking questions. The mood soon went from frustration to elation as they enthusiastically began explaining the sensor's function and underlying principles to the interested interloper.

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  The three men watched as the magitechs began dismantling the sensor, showing the catkin the various parts, as she scribbled in one of her notebooks, pointing at things and asking more questions.

  Soon, the area around the sensor turned into a demonstration, with the three techs following Niala around, as she pointed at things and quizzed them on the hows and whys.

  At some point, one of Niala's questions had the three magitechs freeze. They blinked, slowly turned toward each other, and bolted toward one of the light globes strewn around the warehouse to provide illumination.

  One of the men fumbled with the thing, ejecting the mana-pellet that had been powering it, as all three observed it like hawks, squinting. They moved deeper into the warehouse, where it was darker. To all observers, they saw what had the techs so obsessed; the light globe was still emitting light.

  Niala approached, took the globe from the stunned magitech, and brought it down toward the floor. The closer she moved it, the more light it emitted, until it was brightly lit, almost to full strength, when she deposited it on the floor.

  The techs scrambled back and retrieved another, non-dismantled sensor and began fiddling with it, as Niala rejoined the three men, all with the same question in their eyes.

  “Ambient mana,” She said as if it was all the answer they needed.

  She pointed a hand at the three technicians. “You'll have to ask them for the specifics, but I think we figured out that the ambient mana in here is so dense that the sensors are just flooded with input, like...”

  She pondered, putting a finger to a corner of her lips. “Like if you were trying to figure out if a piece of cloth in the middle of a river was soaked with apple juice.”

  Isaac narrowed his eyes. “That doesn't make s-”

  He was cut off by a blaring alarm that grated on the nerves. Everyone turned their head toward the three magitechs who were patting each other's shoulders, looking like kids who had just aced a test.

  Niala herself looked rather smug, throwing a look at the young noble, daring him to finish his thought.

  “Bleeding pits...” The young man said, stomping toward the screaming sensor and the three technicians.

  David walked up to Niala, giving her a headpat, a feeling of pride and admiration pouring through their link. She leaned into his hand, beaming him a smile.

  “Well done, Kitten.”

  “Thanks, trumpet!” She replied.

  His hand froze, as his head slumped.

  Niala wiggled her head under his limp hand.

  He resumed the petting.

  The rest of the day was spent escorting the Azure Guards as they collected the remains of their fallen and their abandoned equipment, as well as confirming that the Fel sensors did work properly, tracking down and eliminating a few.

  David and Niala had to admit that the guards' teamwork was impressive. Barely any orders had to be barked out; the members of each team had roles assigned to them which they fulfilled to the best of their abilities, adjusting on the fly during battle.

  Leandro commented that, while not up to his standard, the troops were still acquitting themselves rather well.

  By the end of the day, the Azure Guards had gathered everything they could and had taken out eight Fels, with only a few minor wounds to show for it.

  For their part, David's crew, including Anaakendi and Jordo, rejoined at the warehouse at the end of the day, closing back the massive gate which kept the Fels out, and everybody else safe in.

  It was then that Jordo reported something he had noticed after having spent time with the natives.

  “You mean, they don't have a single person over the age of 45?” Niala asked, the tip of her tail swishing.

  Jordo nodded. “That is correct, Madam. After conversing with their elders, they told me that those of age are exiled from the maze, to fend for themselves out on the surface.”

  “But... why?!”

  “According to them, it is to sate the hunger. If they do not do so, the hunger eventually comes and claims them, turning kin against kin.” The golem explained.

  They exchanged glances. David turned his head back to Jordo. “That sounds like corruption. They're sending them out before they corrupt. That would explain why there are so many Fels.”

  Jordo's eye pinned. “Indeed, Sir. That is my theory as well.”

  Anaakendi's accented voice rose. “And, if your theory of evolving Fels gaining light sensitivity is correct, then the beast that attacked Riverwall, and the one we found in the forest...”

  David shook his head. “I doubt they came from here. The one we fought in the forest was so far up north. Wouldn't it make more sense for them to come straight to Riverwall instead of heading north?”

  “...you may be right.” The incarnation admitted, before looking at Jordo. “Golem. Are there other vaults, or similar installations, further north?”

  Jordo went rigid as his eye flashed a few times before he looked up at the older woman. “There are some, but not on the same scale, and where we met the evolved Fel was near the Reign's northern border, where the Whispers Kingdoms began.”

  David leaned back against a crate as he groaned. “Nothing easy in the Ruinlands.” Stretching, he looked at everyone assembled. “I was thinking that, tomorrow, we'd let the guards do their thing, now that we know they can handle themselves. We'll find the herbs we need and head back home. Renewal Day is coming up soon, and I'd rather spend the holidays there than here.”

  Niala's ears flopped. “What about the natives?”

  “What about them?”

  “We can't... just leave them here, can we?” She asked

  David's head slumped. He brought it back up with a warm smile aimed at his girlfriend. “Kitten, Jordo said there were thousands of them. They're not lacking for food or shelter, and from what Jordo said, the daytime is relatively safe. BUT!” He said, stopping Niala from interjecting. “I agree, we should find somewhere nicer for them to move to. I'm just saying, it can wait a little.”

  A voice rose up, approaching the group. “And you will need a place for them all to stay. Riverwall cannot absorb that sort of population, and moving that many people without having them starve along the way will require supplies.”

  Isaac reached them, looking down at Niala. “The Wardenfels will petition the crown to arrange for a parcel of land for those people you talked about to settle on, but it will take time.”

  She sustained his gaze, ears erect, tail swaying, “...ok.”

  Isaac quirked an eyebrow. “You were much more deferential to my station just a day ago.”

  She smiled. “That was before I knew you were angry because you missed your big brother. Besides, I'm going to be your sister-in-laaaaaaaaaa-” She shut her mouth, blushing red, turning to stare at David, who stared back, blank-faced.

  Leandro guffawed, slapping David on the shoulder, loud enough to make nearby Guards look his way and wince in his stead.

  Isaac reined in his eyebrows, coughing into his fist. “Right, well, I'll let it slide down here, given how much we owe you and your potions, but back in public, you should use the proper address.”

  He looked between the catkin and David, turning his head toward the former, while glancing at the latter. “At least, until you marry into the family.” He said with a barely controlled smirk, before going back the way he came. Niala reddened further as she tried digging a hole into the floor with her eyes, while David simply remained frozen as his brain attempted, and failed, at figuring out the proper response.

  Later that night, as Niala was cuddled into David, and his head rested atop hers, he could feel unease coming through the link. He waited until she was ready to tell him what was worming inside her brain.

  “I'm sorry for earlier. I know it's too soon to talk about that. I know. It's just that... I... it comes out by itself. I'll do better. Please?” Niala murmured, pleading.

  The feeling of embarrassment and love that poured out of their link made his heart melt a little. He squeezed her body into his, landing a kiss on her head. “It's ok, Kitten. It is a bit early, I think, but also... I think it's a question of when, not if, right?”

  She vigorously nodded her head before pressing herself against him further, and gently rubbed her face against his chest. He could hear her tail beating against the sheet.

  And then, she whispered back.

  “I love you, trumpet.”

  He froze, before finally giving up and accepting his lot in life.

  “I love you too, kitten.”