"Arlyn, are you sure this is a good idea?" Horman asked probably for the fifth time since the pair had left Brennadam on a cart.

"You can go back if you don't like it, Horman." The singer replied in a stern tone, obviously annoyed.

"That's not... I mean... Tides be damned, forget I said anything." He slumped back, defeated.

"Look, I'm not thrilled about it either, you of all people know that... but I started something, and that old place might have the answers I need to complete it."

'I hope there are answers, at least. It's not like I can just ask one of the tidesages or beg to rejoin the academy at the monastery in Boralus. Most of the shady old fools got removed when the place was cleaned up after Lord Stormsong's death, but... Bahh, it might worth a try is this trip fails.'

"What do you expect to find, exactly? If what you say is true, the tidesages already collected everything that's connected to them or dangerous. If there was anything of value left, the looters must have picked it up while cleaning out the building." His worry for her was clear, but she wished he didn't give voice to those doubts right now, her own was more than enough.

"You don't know my birthparents, Horman. I don't either, not anymore... but out of everyone who's not rotting in Tol Dagor and is still alive, probably I know them best." What Arlyn didn't say was she doubted anyone outside of the family was aware or could enter the hidden rooms. Tides, she wasn't sure how many of those existed herself, but Tidemother willing, the one she sought was still untouched.

He frowned, but didn't contradict her this time. A small mercy, that.

Their trip continued in silence, neither really up for a conversation even as they passed Sagehold and turned towards the gulf. The outlines of a building carved into the wall of rocks were already visible to the naked eye even from this distance.

"Zien Manor... as if it could be as impressive as Proudmoore Keep." Arlyn scoffed, her distaste for the grandeour of her ancestors clear on her face. *** 'To think all this started as a desperate plan to save a group of new friends... I should have found another way, one that doesn't involve tidesage magic or the family that disowned me. Of course I didn't, and was also too anxious and stubborn to consider the consequences.' Arlyn shook her head to dispel her self-deprecating thoughts. It didn't matter what she should have done, she made her choices.

She went back and actually succeeded in finding the luggage she'd buried outside of Boralus with all her books and notes from the Tidesage Monastery all those years ago, along with a number of prized books she stole from the library to spite her instructors. What an irony that those very books allowed her a quick, if unsteady grasp on some of her long-suppressed magic.

The call of the Tidemother was in her blood - silenced by spell ever since she was sacked from the monastery -, its siren song free again, irresistible. And Arlyn gave in. 'I didn't expect that the elemental would show up right away... It didn't seem too happy to be dragged here from the elemental plane again. And the one to blame for that is the overly curious past version of myself. Of course a child is not capable of mentally completing the ritual, so my parents sent me to study way earlier than planned, all so I could bind it as soon as possible. My teachers at the monastery took care of it while I was studying, and it disappeared after I got kicked out with my magic silenced. I hoped the connection was dissolved over the years, but apparently no such luck... I haven't the slightest idea on how to complete the procedure to dismiss it, so now I have an agitated elemental to put up with until I find a way. What a blunder... at least it didn't attack anyone yet. it just keeps following me from a distance. Could be worse.'

It was a Zien family tradition to create a bond - as in enslave - with one particular elemental, a connection that usually lasted until the death of the tidesage initiating it. She knew her parents and her elder sister did the ritual, that they had a chamber for it in the manor. She spied on Juliana shackling hers, after all. She even started to copy her words out of mischief, causing this whole mess.

What the child Arlyn didn't know - among a lot of other things - was that once the complicated process was started, it had to be formally finished to be considered complete regardless of the result: the formed bond or the dismissal of the elemental.

'Who knew that trying to imitate my sister with just the part I could remember would come to bite me in the ass so many years later. If only-' A loud crack made the singer jump, turning accusingly at her companion with a death glare.

"Sorry." Horman winced, slowly lifting his foot away from the rotten floorboard, hands lifted in apology.

"Seriously..." Arlyn rolled her eyes and took the lead, taking more care on her way towards the first floor.

"Why are you going up? I thought you said the chamber is somewhere below."

"I'm not going to fumble around blindly and make an even bigger mess out of this. As a family of tidesages for generations, it's impossible that there are no records for spells and rites that come with the job... and if my hunch is correct, any that still remains will be in my father's office."

"Arlyn, we talked about this already, this place is empty. Why are you so sure there's anything left?" Horman crossed his arms, unconvinced.

"My family might be evil and followed Lord Stormsong's will, but as much as I hate to admit it, my father was smart. Achton Zien wouldn't just leave anything of importance lie around carelessly... and that leaves us to find the entrance to his hidden office. I was in there, before." She muttered, leading Horman past romm after empty room, eventually striding into one on the right.

Even after years of abandonment, one could find marks that this was meant to be an office: a broken, partially moss-covered desk and empty bookshelves full of dust greeted them, tapestries and maps torn from their frames from the wall behind a shattered chair. There were even remnants of a fine rug that once covered the floor.

"This is it. His real workroom opened from this one. Just need to find the exact spot..." Arlyn started slowly walking from one corner of the now-empty western wall to the other. Eventually she went down on one knee, touching two slight dents in the wall at the same time. Dust filled the room as a part of the wall seemingly vanished, revealing a staircase curving downwards.

"The tidesages must have examined this room thoroughly. How come they didn't find that switch?"

"Actually, I think they found it, just either didn't know what it was or how to activate it. As for how it works, I only have guesses myself... but I'm sure that I've never seen anyone open this aside from those of the family related by blood. Probably some sort of magic that stays dormant until someone from their... from our bloodline wants to get in."

Horman frowned but only nodded, giving Arlyn a few moments to collect herself.

They were barely down a few steps before the missing wall reappered, sealing them in the dark. The singer fumbled a little in her pouch before bringing out a lighter. "Made by mechagnomes, so hurry up in case it plans to explode."

"Tides, this just keeps getting better and better." Horman rolled his eyes and followed her. *** Arlyn was far from proficient at using her magic, but what little she did remember from her basic training was enough to turn on the magelights lining the office's walls and ceiling, illuminating the room as if it had access to direct sunlight.

"Woah! You weren't joking." Horman gasped as he looked around at the scrolls, books and odd trinkers filling the shelves, not to mention the desk and its many drowers.

"I told you so. Though I also underestimated how much stuff is in here. The bags we borrowed won't be enough. Guess I'll- sorry, we'll have to come back at a later time to get the rest." She quickly corrected her reply at his glare. "Let's just..."

Horman glanced at his friend as her words trailed off, her focus on a pair of tidesage outfits in pristine condition. The bigger one was meant to be worn by a man based on its size, it obviously belonged to the singer's father.

Arlyn's attention was on the other one: it was made for a more slender body and had far less ornamentation, clearly made to be more practical. Her eyes were roaming from the anchor-themed belt, over the durable deep-blue vest with its hood, to the shoulderpieces decorated by kraken symbols.

"This was my birthmother's. It's not even her ceremonial garb, unlike the one next to it, so why is it here? She had her own secret room too, I don't get it..."

"Do you want to take it with us? I'm sure it doesn't take up a lot of space." Horman offered right away, though he was also glad his question brought the singer's focus back to the task at hand.

"Maybe. I'll think on it and decide later. Let's find what we came here for first."

"Ooookay. Does this book of yours have any unique marking or decoration we can use to recognize it?"

"Well, it's quite gilded, but a lot of these are, so that doesn't help. You know what, you should start collecting the scrolls into our bags first. Those are older, mainly historical records and such, so not what we are looking for, but definitely useful. We can exchange them with the remaining tidesages later for some reward or information. While you do that, I'll start on the books. I'm sure I'll recognize the correct tome once I see it."

"This stuff is essentially all yours, so I'll take your word on it."

"Okay. I have a feeling this will take a while." *** It took close to three hours, but Arlyn's eyes widenes as she finally found the correct book.

'This is it, I'm sure. I distinctly recall the cover as father handed it to Juliana.'

The singer quickly opened it to avoid wasting more time, flipping through until her eyes found the chapter about the enslaving of elementals.

'Wait, what?! By the Tides... those sick bastards!' She cursed inside as not to alarm Horman. "The so-called dismissal of the elemental is literally feeding its magic to the ritual circle! I don't even dare to guess how many elementals earned this fate thanks to my family. I've never been so glad to be disowned. Still, this is troublesome. I don't want to enslave and control it like a puppet twisted to my will, but the alternative is even worse... Wait, this section here, during the ritual it is bound in place, unable to move. It is done by binding it by its bracers through the gems embedded in them. Maybe if I can remove the gems with my dagger..."

"Is that the one?" Horman's sudden question made her shut the book as she glared over her shoulder.

"Yes, and I have the part I need to finish the ritual. I'm going to complete it as quickly as I can and will be back to help in gathering the rest of this up."

"Wait, what?! Do you seriously-?"

"Yes, I have to do it alone. Part of the ritual process. There's a magic circle down there, so I will be safe. See that door over there? That's the one leading to the site and is enchanted. It will stay locked until the procedure is over, and the whole thing can last from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the tidesage. I'm not really one, so don't freak out of I only show up after an hour and a half or more, okay?" The singer quickly interrupted him to explain - and lie about - some of the details.

'Please Horman, eat the whole thing. Most of it is really true, so please. Pleasepleasepleaseplease.'

He didn't like the news one bit, but finally deflated with a sigh. "Alright. Just be careful, will you?"

"Sure thing, big guy. I'll see you in a bit" 'and sorry, I'll make it up to you somehow'. She reassured him before grabbing the tome and opened the door to the winding corridor leading to the ritual site.

She didn't like lying to her friends and avoided doing so as much as possible, but he wouldn't let her continue if he knew the truth.

'It's time to put an end to this.' *** Arlyn arrived in the cave, illuminated by magelights the moment she stepped inside. A multi-layered magic circle was carved into the rocky ground with smaller ones inside of it. The view was completed by the subterranean river flowing through the chamber.

The singer set the book on one of the stones jutting from the ground, opening it again in the hope of finding something she missed before - anything really - that could truly free the elemental. Nothing. Servitude, or being absrobed into the ritual circle to strengthen it further.

"Fishguts!" She cursed, she had no chocie but to gamble. Hopefully if she managed to remove the gems from its bracers, the elemental would be pulled back to the elemental plane. To attempt that though, she had no choice but to use the circle to bind it in place.

Arlyn sighed and nicked the tip of her index finger with her dagger, a single drop of her blood waking the circle from dormancy as she walked inside it.

Not a moment too soon, as the water elemental emerged from the river a few seconds later, slowly making its way towards her.

"Sorry. This is for your sake, truly." The singer muttered as the magic activated, the elemental now bound in place with its arms spread and locked there by the smaller circles. The sound the creature made was unmistakably fury. She didn't have much time, so she got to work.

The moment the tip of her dagger finally dislodged the third gem from the elemental's right bracer the kul tiran exhaled, but didn't notice that the light of the binding runes carved into the ground flickering before going out. "Alright, one more on this side and-" The words got caught in Arlyn's throat as she was sent tumbling back by the swipe of the elemental's arm.

"Ughh..." The singer groaned as she came to a stop against a rock. She struggled to sit up with a hiss, a hand clutching her side. Fishguts. Her free hand went to feel her aching jaw and already swelling cheek, smearing the blood dripping from her nose. "Fuck, that hurt..."

Even as she struggled to stand, Arlyn squinted at the water elemental, watching it struggling to free its other arm unsuccessfully before turning its focus on her once again. Her eyes widened as its free limb contorted and extended into a really long, thin blade, but her cracked ribs made it impossible to completely dodge the horizontal attack aimed at her head even at the distance she kept.

The singer tried to lean away, only to collapse to the ground with a scream of pain, a lock of hair landing on the ground nex to her. A hand quickly covered the left side of her face, blood seeping between her fingers, with tears falling freely on the other side amid her sobs. The thin, elongated water blade that the elemental's arm morphed into was pulled back, reforming into a clawed hand and freed its other arm. Finally able to move but unable to leave the circle yet, the angry elemental crashed into the singer in the form of a large wave.

Arlyn let out another cry at the fresh jolt of pain from her chest, taking breaths got harder and harder. She was given no chance to get up - even if she could - as the elemental's water body slowly covered and crushed her own, inch by inch. The pain of the bones in her lower legs breaking under the pressure was pure agony.

Her mind was fuzzy from the all the suffering and lack of oxygen, but one thought was clear:

'It's over. I'm going to die... but maybe I can see Jake again. Need a song for that.'

One last song, then.

All Arlyn could manage was a weak hum through ragged breaths, but it made the elemental pause, to lower its raised arm that was again morphed into a blade. The singer was too caught up in the tune to notice, even as she could finally form words easier with the lessening pressure over her body.

" The call of the Tides, Freedom of the sea Song of the siren I follow where it leads Storm over the ocean A danger I've forgotten Now my ship is broken Sinking beneath the waves This is the end of my days The watery grave awaits Still I have no regrets For I chose this path myself The call of the Tides Freedom of the sea Song of the siren I follow where it leads "

The last line was barely more than a whisper as darkness finally claimed her. The proud water elemental, Baron Tymest was watching in silence as the human's song faded and she went still. He could have finished her off easily or just let her die, but he didn't. The song... the human didn't wish to enslave him. He would have noticed that earlier if not for his anger at being bound in this infernal cage. She intrigued him even, the first mortal to do so in a few human lifetimes. "I will give you a chance, human. Do not make me regret it." *** The cold of the darkness slowly abated as Arlyn's half-awake mind started to perceive it, replaced by warmth. This was how she imagined the Tidemother's embrace. Safe and soothing despite the dark depths.

"... thus is our covenant made."

The reverberating sound - was it a voice? - in her mind nudged the singer towards wakefulness.

As her consciousness returned, Arlyn felt the damp stone under her body through her soaked clothing. She tried to blink her eyes open, the coagulated blood covering the left one making it difficult. She was almost done rubbing it clean when her memory finally caught up and made her gasp. She felt no pain. That should be impossible, yet she also had no issue moving her limbs, could see just fine and could breathe freely.

"By the Tides, what's going on...?" The singer muttered while pushing herself into sitting position, turning her ankles and curling her toes. No pain at all. She knew she was injured, in critical condition before passing out. While her clothes could have covered a lot of marks, the dried blood on her face and the missing lock of her hair were more than enough to prove that everything truly happened.

"How am I ...?"

"I have healed the wounds I have caused. Now dismiss me, for the restoration exhausted us both. Your questions can be answered another time."

Arlyn's head snapped to the side where the elemental was towering over her, though its - his? - voice was directly in her head. Another thing she couldn't help but notice were new gems in his bracers, diluted crimson as if blood was mixed into water.

"Uhh, how do I...?"

"Wish for me to return to where I came from and concentrate on that thought." The elemental started to fade but had one last message for her before vanishing completely. "We are bound now, you and I. Should you require my help, call for me and I will come to your aid. May the sea carry you to safety, child of the Tides."

The singer just sat there with wide eyes even after he was gone, flabbergasted at the turn of events. Yet the he spoke true, she could still feel their connection despite it returning to the elemental plane. She also had no idea that after her healing, her left eye was glowing with translucent blue light until the elemental disappeared.

The glow of magic circle faded with the completion of the ritual, it was finally over. She couldn't believe it.

'We found the right book, I almost died during the ritual, am now perfectly and even bound a water elemental to myself despite trying to set him free. All that happened, yet I feel so... numb. Maybe I just need some time to digest everything.' She shook her head, the whole chain of events was absurd. At least the issue was dealt with, now she just needed to hone her skills to be useful in saving her friends.

"Ughh, he was right though. Sleep sounds really appealing now. Hopefully Horman did as I asked and collected what he could in the bags, because a bed at the Brennadam Inn has my name on it." Arlyn grumbled to herself while washing off the blood from her face in the river. She had half a mind to frighten him, but was too exhausted to deal with the rant she would receive for the scare.

Her clothes were a mess too, but she didn't bring any spares. Wait, she could borrow her mother's outfit from the office. It would do until she had a chance to change into a dry, clean set of her own... and add one of those shoulderpieces to her collection. It would be a waste leave them behind.