Addie liked to think she didn’t get angry easily. Sure, she could get upset, or more often, just feel hurt if someone did something mean. But, she rarely got truly, violently, angry. Not even when she was fighting the cascade did she get angry.

  But, right now, Addie was angry. Angry that the fog demon had pulled her away from home into a freezing mountain. Angry that she couldn’t get home, no matter how much she wanted. Angry that she kept having to fight all these random ruin sites or solve their puzzles. Mostly, Addie was angry that the one good thing from these ruin sites, the book that taught her magic abilities, was being taken away from her by exactly the same being that brought her here in the first place.

  With anger fueling her and Ember helping her, Addie formed a fire spear faster than she’d ever done before. The fog demon’s face went from a malicious grin to a fearful grimace. Addie could spot the exact moment the fog demon knew she was in trouble.

  The flame spear hit her again, right in the same spot on her back hip, this time penetrating deep into her side. She yelped and hit the ground with a limp flop, the book falling out of her open mouth and onto the ground next to her.

  At first, Addie was surprised but happy! That had been a very quick win. But then, a bit of guilt started to come up— she’d just seriously injured someone, and she wasn’t getting up. The fog demon clawed at the ground with her front paws, grunting in pain. Blood leaked out from her hip, and the fur surrounding the wound looked more like ash than hair. Addie was glad she couldn’t smell anything in ethereal form.

  Together, Addie and Nettal approached before the girls let go of each other’s hands. Keeping one eye on the whimpering fog demon, just in case, Addie bent down and picked up the book. All at once, knowledge rushed into her, teaching her. The concepts made sense immediately, something she’d thought about before but hadn’t been able to master. The best part? This technique would work with Squishy, too— not just Ember.

  Addie would have sighed in relief at a good victory, except for Nettal. Nettal just about made Addie’s heart drop in absolute panic; her cousin was touching the fog demon, eyes glowing green, and healing her! Healing their enemy!

  She wanted to tell Nettal to stop, except she couldn’t talk! She rapidly floated over, trying to push Nettal away from the fog demon, but Nettal wouldn’t budge. She turned to look at Addie, both eyes glowing green with a scowl but otherwise not responding. Just like Addie, she couldn’t respond.

  If she could have, Addie wanted to remind Nettal that the fog demon was their enemy. The person who brought them so far away from home. And yet... yet, Addie did know why Nettal was healing her. Nettal always would heal anyone in need, but that didn’t mean Addie had to agree with it.

  So, Addie did the only thing she could do, even if it would make Nettal mad at her later. She hit Nettal in the chest with an open palm, activating her magic with Ember at the same time. Nettal looked at Addie with a gaping mouth, but before she could react further, Nettal’s ethereal form got yoinked away so fast that Addie barely could keep track.

  There, now, without Addie’s magic to keep her ethereal, she’d return to her body immediately. Addie quickly moved her eyes back to the fog demon, only to see her starting to get up. She managed to make it onto all four legs, her back left leg limping but still a lot better than earlier.

  Running forward, Addie began to charge her magic. She needed to make sure that the fog demon was properly defeated. That meant she needed to... she needed...

  The fog demon turned her head over her shoulder, looking at Addie with blind terror in her eyes. She scrambled, barely moving, more just flailing with little traction. “Stay away!” she shouted, not a command, but a desperate plea.

  Purely reactionary, Addie floated a step back. And then, Addie just... let her go. Addie’s magic fizzled, incomplete as she dropped her hand back down. The fog demon scampered off, awkwardly run-limping down the mountain without looking back.

  For the first time, Addie had hesitated. She hadn’t known what to do. In that moment, the fog demon hadn’t seemed like an enemy, but rather just a terrified person running for her life. And Addie wouldn’t— couldn’t kill her. Killing people was really bad, and she didn’t want to do it. So, she’d just let the fog demon go.

  It’s okay, Addie tried to tell herself. She’d passed the last trial and gotten the last book. Now she’d just meet back up with Nettal, go meet that weird pointy-eared guy, and then he’d give them directions home.

  “My lady, it may be best if you return post-haste. Nettal is rather... distraught. Particularly with your actions. She may, or may not, be pulling hard on my poor ears and yelling at me.” Squishy’s telepathic words relayed a bit of the pain he was feeling to Addie, too.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Addie grimaced. She knew Nettal would be mad, but now she hardly wanted to go back. But, she had to. They’d get out of here together, no matter what.

  When Addie got back to her body, she just floated overhead for a moment, not quite ready to talk with Nettal. She could see her cousin pacing back and forth, practically stomping her feet with barely restrained irritation. At least she’d stopped bothering Squishy, though he did have both of his ears drooped flat against his head.

  But, stalling here wouldn’t do any good. Addie wanted to get home, and that meant she needed to get this over with.

  She flew down and inside her body, letting go of the magic holding her in ethereal form at the same time. Her eyes blinked open slowly, and she took a deep breath. Being back inside her body, having to breathe again, reminded her of coming home.

  “Addie!” Nettal yelled, causing Addie to flinch. “What’d you do?” she asked accusingly.

  Addie sat up, responding demurely, “Nothing. I couldn’t do anything.” She frowned.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The fog demon got away, I, uh. Well, I didn’t know what else to do.”

  Instead of being upset about the fog demon’s escape, Nettal did quite the opposite, sighing in relief. “Good. That’s good, Addie.”

  Wanting to let out some of her frustration, Addie spoke up with an upset tone, “You shouldn’t have healed her. What if she comes back and fights us again? What if she makes it harder to get home?”

  Rather than defend herself or get upset back at Addie, Nettal sounded gentle with her explanation, “You already beat her, Addie. She wouldn’t try to fight us again; she knows she’d just lose. You know it’s important to me, as a healer: do no harm. I’m glad you defended us, but the fog demon is harmless to us now.”

  Addie had a hard time coming up with a reason that Nettal was wrong, though she still felt like Nettal was wrong. She couldn’t explain it, but leaving the bad guy out and about to do who knows what felt... upsetting.

  “I believe Nettal is correct, my lady. It is dishonorable to strike a downed foe.”

  Addie scoffed. “Fine, but if this blows up in our faces somehow, I’m gonna say I told you so!”

  Nettal’s eyebrow twitched. “Anyway,” she said, sucking the air between her teeth, “I’m a lot more upset that you sent me away.” She tilted her head at Addie with an incredulous, irritated face.

  Not quite sure what to say, Addie stayed quiet.

  “I mean, really? We’re a team! I’m the healer; you can’t just wave your hand and magic me away.” Nettal chastised. She really sounded like Christena.

  “I can, though...”

  “Agh! You can, but you shouldn’t!” Nettal crossed her arms, irritated.

  “I’m sorry.” Except Addie didn’t really think she was in the wrong. She just didn’t know what else to say.

  “Just... I don’t want you to get hurt somewhere that I can’t heal you.”

  Addie could understand that, at least.

  “Okay, I won’t send you away like that again, unless—”

  Nettal interrupted, “No unless! You. Won’t. Do it.”

  Addie shook her head, raising her voice a bit to make sure Nettal understood. “I’ll only do it if it’s an emergency and you’re in danger.”

  Sighing, Nettal slowly shook her head. “We’re a team.”

  “Yeah, and it’s my job to protect you.”

  “Whatever, I wasn’t even in danger this time, and you still sent me away. You won’t do that again?”

  Feeling a bit like she was forcing herself to step on broken glass, Addie reluctantly agreed. “Fine. I won’t send you away just because you’re healing someone who might hurt us,” she said sarcastically, trying to point out how silly Nettal was being.

  “Fine!” Nettal said, halfway shouting.

  “Fine!” Addie said back, exactly the same way.

  Then, Nettal let out a big, frustrated groan. “Fine! Come here.” She held her hand out for Addie to take, and Addie did so. She pulled her up, then Nettal forced Addie into a tight hug. “I’m sorry for getting mad. Just... don’t send me away when we’re supposed to be a team.”

  “I’m sorry for getting mad, too,” Addie said sincerely before grumbling out the next part, “I already said I wouldn’t do it again.”

  Nettal’s hug felt warm, just as always. Due to Nettal being taller than her, Addie’s face steadily got squished into her chest. Even if they disagreed on some things, Nettal was right that they needed to be a team.

  “Teammates must trust each other, Addie. I think Nettal wants to make sure you know that. But, I also understand your fervent desire to protect.” Squishy plodded over to the two girls, rubbing his side, covered in cool scales, up against Addie’s legs and twining between them. “She may have trouble trusting you in battle, when it’s most important, if you do unexpected things to her. I know it was a difficult situation, not being able to talk to her and resolve things that way.”

  Addie still remembered exactly how difficult it had been, watching Nettal run over and heal their enemy. But she agreed with Squishy now. No more doing strange things to Nettal without communicating, unless it was an emergency. That being said, she still didn’t think it was right to heal the fog demon; they’d just have to disagree on that part.

  “Okay, can we go back now?” Addie asked, her voice muffled from her mouth being so tightly pressed against Nettal’s hug.

  She let out a contented sigh. “Yeah. Let’s figure out how to get home!”

  They all started moving out again after that. Addie almost expected the fog demon to come back— attack them while they were traveling. Either Nettal was right, and the fog demon knew she would lose, or they got lucky.

  A few days later, when they returned to the city, everything looked the same as before. They saw the same empty streets, unbroken concrete buildings, and perfectly designed streets. Approaching the castle, they had to go through Realmspace to get past the moat again.

  Walking inside, at first nothing happened. Not that Addie had expected a grand welcoming or anything, but she thought maybe the long-eared guy would be around. After a bit of discussion, both girls, plus their companions, agreed to make their way to the main chamber. Hopefully, the man would still be there, or at least the crystals surrounding him might give some kind of clue if he wasn’t awake yet.

  With a nod to each other, both girls stood behind either of the main doors. After they opened this, maybe they’d finally find some answers.