Published at 2nd of May 2026 6:41 am

Chapter 148: The True Meaning of Family

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I rush out of the party, almost panicked as I try to discern what manner of magic I just witnessed. Obviously, Cecilia is a mage who could doubtlessly disguise herself as her client with little difficulty. But this was much more than a mere illusion. If that was Cecilia disguised as her pet Marquis, then she didnt just replicate his appearance, voice and smell with details that could stand up to a very close examination, but also took on the physical capabilities of a chevalier. Something that would require its own separate, advanced magic.

Could she have done so? Possibly. But just an illusion of that detail would have required an expert level spell that might be at the limit of even what a specialist like Adrian might manage. The self buffing would also have to be at a similar level, and thats a completely different specialization. Royals might get a boost when learning magic, but that would still be absurd. Even if she could pull it off, that wouldnt mean she could replicate his behaviour so flawlessly. Everything about him seemed like he was the Marquis. So, what was that?

The obvious answer is that her divinity is somehow at play here, but in which direction? Does she have a divine power that lets her disguise herself as those close to her, even going so far as to assume his magical abilities, or was she watching through his eyes and took over briefly? Or perhaps something even stranger?

I simply do not have enough information. Divine powers are simply too strange and varied, breaking too many rules mere mortals are bound by, to make a guess. So, I push it out of my mind for now, instead focusing on watching the low section through my birds. I of course dont see anything insightful, but it helps to focus on the problem at hand.

I arrive at the warrens a few hours before dark. Jack is waiting for me, as he usually is.

Whats the situation? I ask, plopping down on the usual chair.

He nods in acknowledgement of my presence more than my question. Dont know. The mage just said she would only talk to you. Our patron, rather. I have the rest of the Hares on alert in case we need to go to war.

I doubt that will be necessary, I say, with a grin that hopefully hides my lack of confidence. I mean, its not like she could have found out anything truly damaging about me. Besides, realistically, it was only a matter of time before someone found out about Malichi Monhals clients in the section. Did she say when and where to meet?

He shrugs. Her place, whenever. Wants you to come alone, though. Which I dont like.

Hmm that is concerning. Less for my safety and more because it suggests she knows something about me that she thinks I wont want my clients to learn. Well, you can gather on the edge of our territory and come in if I signal you. I should at least be able to survive until you come, and if not, then I doubt youll be able to tip the balance anyways.

His face sours slightly from my frank assessment of their ability. I dont know why. Surely he knows he wouldnt be of much help against a knight if thats the sort of ambush Im walking into.

The mages house is in a dusty back road with almost no foot traffic. Its far too quiet, as if the people here have been cleared out. Further evidence of this being some sort of trap, though I cant imagine why. I glance to the surrounding windows for onlookers, but dont spot anything. Still, I have a sense not quite of being watched, but that I should be watching. Watching what I dont know.

Unfortunately, my preliminary divinations didnt help. I asked whether shes planning on ambushing me, but it came back neutral, neither yes or no. Which would be an indication of countering, but I dont sense any other sign of it. I also cant divine anyone in the surrounding buildings, which is equally strange.

After several moments of tense walking, I finally reach the destination a single story house with a red door.

Twenty steps away, the door swings open and a willowy woman a little older and a lot taller than me, with dark pink hair, walks out with a sing-song sway. She turns to me and freezes, a broad smile taking her face, and freezing mine.

Oh, hi Malz! So nice of you to find yourself for us.

I jolt into action before my thoughts can catch up, targeting her with the multi-guidance spell and throwing my wrist knives into her heart and throat. Naturally, a shield spell flares into life on the impacts, and the blades clatter uselessly to the ground.

Rude, she says, going into a chant. I recognize some fire element, but seemingly more advanced than what Im familiar with due to its rapidly nearing completion.

I immediately rush her, trying to disrupt her spell by slamming my sword down onto her head, but her shield holds from the first blow, and she agilely dodges the second. Shes clearly under a boon, likely several. She leaps back with supernatural strength, giving herself enough room to finish her spell and shoot a fireball into my chest. The impact shatters my shield and sends me flying back, though my enchanted clothing holds. She starts chanting again, and I only have enough time after recovering to dive into an alley for cover before a second explosion rocks the street.

Similce! What is she doing here? She should have died three years ago with the rest of my cult! I did divinations. I was sure I was the only survivor. Obviously, shes part of the new cult, but My thoughts are cut short as she begins a different chant that I find far too familiar, forcing me to rush through my own casting of the spell. I still dont know if the liquifying beam will protect me from anothers, but I guess Im about to find out.

She finishes her chant first, emitting the familiar silent purple light which shears through the building Im hiding behind, collapsing the walls as a foot wide swathe turns to mud. I finish a moment later and hit her with my own beam using the guidance spell, but hers doesnt stop, and Im forced to jump out of the way as the building nearly collapses on me.

I dash out into the open where I focus the beam on her, and she does the same for me. Light refracts on contact with both of us, dancing around in dozens of small rays that liquify the buildings around us in inch wide swathes.

Well, would you look at that. I guess daddys book had the lance of absolution after all. She says indifferently, though I can see the strain on her face from sustaining the complex spell.

Daddy? Oh, right, I forgot she called our patriarch that. She always did have NO! I cant be distracted. Tactics first, then history. The headache from having both multi-guidance and the beam active is distracting, but not debilitating. Though Im certain I cant cast a third spell, even for an instant.

However, Im also certain the same also is true for her. She still has her shield up, as evidenced by lingering flashes where I struck her. But shes clearly unable to cast anything else without dropping it, and the moment she does, Ill hit her with a dagger.

But the same is also true for me. If I drop my guidance spell to blast her shield apart with a lightning spell, I would have to drop guidance, and without that I dont know if I can hit her with her heightened reflexes. She would be able to drop her shield to cast her fireball spell, and it has a much faster casting time than my lightning bolt.

That leaves rushing with my sword, which would be dumb given that she seems to be under multiple Anar boons. Shes very likely stronger, ect., than me right now. I do have better equipment, and my sword can likely pierce her shield with a few more hits, but its not something Id want to try unless I must.

Fortunately, she seems content to not rush me herself, giving me time to move on to history.

Youre the mage? I ask, glancing at the building.

What? The little girl who livd here? Dont be silly. I just killed her and the rest of her little family. You see, some of our friends got attacked yesterday. They said it was a short person, so we thought it was the annoying mage whos been annoyingly looking for us. But who would have thought itd be you? I mean, you havent grown an inch, Malz!

What are you even doing here, Similce? I ask, ignoring her laughter and inaccurate barb about my height. Ive grown precisely two inches since I last saw her. What could possibly make forming a cult in the capital worth the risk?

Oh, you know, just hunting a traitor, she laughs at my evident confusion. You, silly! Were hunting you!

Traitor? I ask.

What else do you call someone who steals daddys book in a crisis and abandons his family to die?

We werent family! I snap back. That was just a lie the patriarch fed us to keep us in line.

Well of course it was a lie, silly billy. Dont tell me you only realized that after you read it in daddys book? But just because it was a lie doesnt mean it wasnt true. She laughs at me as if Im the absurd one.

I mean, typically it does.

She laughs more. Malz, Malz. You never did understand what family is all about. Its about taking from each other. But its a special thing where the more you take, the more everyone has to be taken. So of course, daddy lied and called us family so he could take from us. But we were taking from him, too. So, if thats not what real family is, then I just dont know what it could be.

Shes insane? I mean, its not like I have a strong conception of normal domestic bonds to counter hers, but I feel that she must be twisting something. I also dont remember her being so enthusiastic towards cult. She wasnt hostile, but I would say she viewed it as a moderately good thing at best. In fact, I would have bet that she would have taken the patriarchs Biblio if she had the chance.

Okay, fine, lets say we were a real family. I dont see how that makes me a traitor. Anar is the god of ambition. We were taught to take opportunities, and thats just what I did when I took the book. Besides, its not like I was nearly strong enough to make a difference that night.

Then you should have died with the rest of us, silly brother.

Us? I ask, pointedly.

I did die, but then I rose again.

No, you didnt, I say flatly. There are no spells that can bring back the dead. The eye does not allow them.

Well, you know, metaphorically. They thought they killed me, but didnt check very well.

Okay, then how did you know I was here? And why didnt you find me before?

She grins. Well, lets just say Ive found a new daddy recently, and he has ways to find errant children.

My mind races through what she might mean. Almost certainly some form of divination, but Ive been countering that routinely. Meaning that it has to somehow cut through my defences. She did mention children, which was likely metaphorical for Anar initiates. Though they would have found me already if it were that simple. Meaning

You mean your new patriarch has a divination method that specifically tracks active Anar boons? Something unique to his copy of the Biblio, and likely requires the tracker to be under a boon themselves?

She giggles. So, you figured out old daddys book is incomplete? So clever. New daddy was so interested when I told him about it. Started tracking you right away. It was a bit annoying, since we went all the way back to old dreary Caethlon before we found trace of you here. But thats past. Here we are, and so are you.

Youre here for the Patriarchs Biblio? I ask, mind reeling from the revelations. I could just make a copy

No, silly. We want that too. But were here to kill you. She smiles so wide.

I glance about, looking for if she has reinforcements. I consider calling my own, but theyd just get torn apart. Fortunately, it seems she hadnt seen fit to bring her own. So, making a show of hesitancy, I suddenly leap at her. Theres really nothing else to talk about, and Im sure the guard will have heard her explosions.

I swing my sword down at her head. She parries with her own sword, but it seems her blade isnt enchanted since mine bites into it and gets stuck. Seeing this, she laughs and kicks me in the stomach, dropping her blade as she does and jumping away as I go flying.

Find us if you can, Malz! Well be waiting! She shouts, then runs away.

I curse, gathering my thrown knives before rushing after her, but I quickly find that shes faster than me, at least for the moment. Still, even if I dont call in the Mud Hares, Im not fully alone.

I start frantically calling in my birds, having them intercept and track her. I grin as she doesnt seem to notice. My heart beats wildly. I havent been this excited since Caethlon. The final hunt of a long overdue prey, and I will not let her elude me.

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