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My hand slammed down on the countertop faster than my bag hit the floor.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" The words left my mouth half a shout of anger and half a cry of alarm, anger peaking more as I realized that my sudden reappearance in my own space did not cause them to stop what they were doing. Their head only half turned in my direction, their pale eyes not even shifting from the items in their hand.

"I'm reorganizing."

The complete disinterest in their tone was enough to tip me over the boiling point several times over. Before I could stop myself I was storming forwards all grasping hands trying to wrest back that which was in their hand.

"That's mine! That's MINE, put it back-"

Before I could even wrap my fingers around the object it was pulled out of my grasp. I tried to lunge to make up the space but they were so much taller than me. My precious item dangling just barely out of reach of my fingertips.

So close yet so far.

But now, at least, I had gotten their attention. Pale eyes fixed me with a stare I couldn't place as thinly crafted eyebrows slowly arched at my outburst.

"Yours?" Their voice was deep, their tone inquisitive in a way that could have been charming were this not the second (third? Fifth? Sixth?) time they had done this after I had explicitly told them not to.

"Yes, MINE! I told you that you could stay here but while your here this is still MY place and I put things where I want them to be! You can't just move my things around as you like!"

"I can't?" The tone was almost mocking now, made only worse by the fact that another one of my precious things was still firmly in their grasp. Desperately I tried to make a half-jump, doing my best to make sure my body didn't give away what I had been attempting to do but as always it simply wasn't enough. Even as I was starting to move forwards, towards the offending hand that had taken my precious thing, they were already taking a half-step backwards and increasing the distance once more.

But now? Now that aggravating indifference was replaced with something much more infuriating. The triumphant smirk only made their gaze that much more mocking, that much more insufferable. Even worse because I could feel my face begin to gently prickle and burn under that unblinking stare.

"Give. It. BACK." The words left my mouth before they could even open theirs and I found my foot stamping despite of myself. "I swear if you don't Give it back or Put it back where you found it, so help me, I'll-"

"You'll do What, exactly?"

They took a step forwards, both hands now gently holding the small object from my desk in their hands. Long fingers idly turned the thing this way and that, carefully exploring the thing even with their eyes locked completely on mine.

"I don't think that I have to remind you exactly Why I'm here, do I? You literally need me. You told me so yourself. And until you don't need me anymore I Literally cannot go anywhere else or Do anything else except exist here. In Our space."

I hadn't realized how close they were getting until they were standing right in front of me. Their head rested at a slight tilt, the smug look on their face. I could feel the overwhelming heat from their body even as those pale eyes remained as icy as ever.

"Give it back."

The overwhelming roar that had once taken hold of my voice was now down to a crackling smolder, but it was still there. They didn't have to say anything, I could hear the soft chuckle just by looking at the corners of their eyes.

They leaned in closer.

Too close.

"Take it, then."

“Natalia, sweetheart… what are you doing?” Mama asks me from the doorway.

“I’m reading!” I say back to her without looking at her, focusing on the book instead.

“I didn’t teach you how to read yet…?”

“I taught myself!”

Mama gently laughs at what I said and walks over to me.

“Then what’s this say?” She asks as she points to a part of the book where I’m opened to.

“It says ‘you should stay at home with me more’!”

She looks upset at what I said once I say it.

Did I say something bad?

Mama puts her hand on my head and closes the book before she sits down next to me, then pulls me into a hug.

“I’m sorry I’ve been gone so much these past months, sweetie, I really am…”

“Then why can’t you tell me where you go?”

I feel her tighten her hug on me as I ask that question. I think from that alone, she still can’t tell me why.

I think I know that she’ll never be able to tell me, I just… don’t know what else to do.

“One day you’ll understand. And I hope when that day comes, you won’t be angry with me for what I’m doing now.”

“Why would I be angry?”

“I don’t know… just know that it hurts me to be as secretive about this to you; that I can’t be more of a mama to you.”

“But you are being a mama to me. No matter what you do, you will always be mama.”

I feel a small drop on my face, but I try to ignore it. I feel like she would be angry if I told her I felt it.

She lets out a big sigh before she gets up from the sofa and takes the book from my lap.

“Alright, how about this: next week, I’ll start teaching you some basic magic. Would you want to try that?”

“Yeah!” I stand up next to her.

“Good! While I’m out this weekend, I’ll get some things ready, and I’ll even teach you to read a little while we’re at it!”

I like it when mama gets to spend time with me. It doesn’t often get to be a lot of time, but it makes me happy.

Maybe when she gets done with whatever she is doing, we’ll get to be able to move out of Helmholtz and go somewhere nicer. I never liked it here; the people are usually mean and unfriendly.

But that’s probably just because of me.

“What would you rather learn how to do, make a light, move lights, or be able to blow on things really hard?”

“Hmm… What can I do if I learn to blow on things?”

“Well, you can do lots of things with that. You can move really light things, you can blow out candles or torches, the possibilities are so big!”

“Can you use it to push yourself off the ground and fly?”

Mama laughs at my question, but I’m not sure if what I said was funny…

“I’m sure you could find some way to use it that way, yeah. You just have to put some thought in. Once you grow up, I’m sure you’ll test the limits of magic in ways we’ve never seen before!”

“Really?!”

“I know you will. You’re a smart girl, Natalia. You’re going to do great things, I’m sure of it.”

Mama turns around to place the book back on the shelf, and I think I heard her say something, but I couldn’t make out what it was.

“So when can I start doing really big magic?”

“With as quickly as you pick it up, I’m sure you’ll be rivaling the best wizards before you’re my age!” She says as she turns back around and kneels next to me.

“That-… Mama that’s a long time away!”

“I know it is, sweetie, but magic takes a long time to learn. Even people who study it for lifetimes can struggle to learn really advanced things. That’s just how it is.”

“What can I learn to do before I turn your age, then?”

“It’s hard to say what you’ll be capable of at that point. You may well be able of surpassing me then, I don’t know. You’re special.”

“Why am I special?”

“Because I see what you’re capable of. You may not yet, but I know you’re going to do great things when you get older.”

“What kinds of things?”

“You will change people in ways I never knew could happen.”

“But I haven’t seen it happen?...”

“No, but I have, Natalia.”

“So… what do I do until then?”

“Learn how to be a good girl, learn how to do all types of things. I’m confident that no matter what, you can do anything you set out to do. Never give up. And I’ll be here behind you as much as I can for as long as I can.”

“O-okay…”

“Good,” she says as she starts rubbing my head.

She stands back up, picks me up, and sets me back on the sofa.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever said it enough to you… but I love you, Natalia. I’m proud of you for being a strong young girl.”

“Thank you, mama.”

“No! You complete and utter dumbass!”

My words bring the dining hall to a standstill, with everyone quieting down and listening to what I have to say.

“What part of any of this looks like it’s safe to store in the attic of an Inn?!” I once again yell out.

“They’re just mushrooms, Miss MacAllister!” The bald, one-eyed adventurer says to me.

“Yes they’re mushrooms, but do you know what kind of mushrooms these are?”

“Uhh…” he spouts, “…the… green kind…?”

I stare at him intently with a face of astoundment. My eye twitches slightly before I plant my face in the palm of my hand.

“I might as well have gone and gotten them myself at this rate… just… go throw those out in the pond-- and wash your hands very vigorously afterward. I’ll even pay for an extra bar just for you to keep.” ‘Gods know you need it,’ I want to add, but it would be pointless to try speaking sense to this guy.

The mushroom the adventurer in question brought in was- most likely- an immature bone fungus. Highly toxic when fully grown and tends to release toxic gasses during its maturation and growth.

I should have known that the less-than-average-looking adventurers wouldn’t have known what a trillimac looks like, but even still, they should have figured out that something that looks toxic green might actually be toxic.

I was really hoping to avoid having to go out into the forest out west, but it seems like I’m going to be left with no choice at this rate.

The Inn hasn’t seen a whole lot of foot traffic the past week or so, so I can’t relegate my mindless work to mindless adventurers like I usually do.

Most of the clientele over the past couple of months has been… slightly denser in makeup than typical. I can’t help but wonder if the recent surge of disappearances in the Misted Forests has anything to do with the recent uptick in “new adventurers”.

Either way, the people pay Walker all the same; I just happen to be able to help them recoup some of their payments for rooms every now and then.

I should probably make ready to head out for a foraging session sometime on the weekend, in that case. Wouldn’t hurt to stop by Severfront while I’m out in that direction either; pick up some more alchemical supplies.

“Ah, Natalia,” Walker stops me before I return to my room, “A letter arrived from your employers.”

He hands me the sealed envelope, then I return up the staircase and to my room to find out what it is the Collective needs from me.

I take out the letter opener from my desk drawer, slide it underneath the wax seal, and hastily remove the contents. From the seal cipher, it was something fairly important.

“…noticing a downward trend in my capabilities since the incident in the Fragrach Plains…?” I say the letter’s content out loud under my breath.

What are they talking about? I’ve only failed to complete two out of the twelve contracts I’ve received since suffering heat stroke- it’s only been a year and a half since then, how is that ‘a downward trend’?

The full letter, once unciphered read:

Wraith Natalia MacAllister,

Recent reports of your contract work have indicated a downward trend in quality and capability since the incident in the Fragrach Plains. If your future contract quality fails to correct itself, you will be ordered to immediately return to Helmholtz and be placed under supervised duty until the trend is set right and you qualify to return to unadvised fieldwork. We hold your potential in great regard both as the daughter of Advisor Vallith MacAllister and as a proven member of our Collective. However, we will not allow this opinion to create room for your work to degrade in this capacity.

It takes me a moment to process the information I’ve just read.

After burning the letter and the envelope by summoning flame in my hand, I decide to mentally review how they could see my work as “degrading in quality”, but the only occasions that come to mind were when I failed to assassinate one of the counts from Amphale and when I failed to forge documents in Bocombria, but the count was alerted to the scheme, and Amphale was also alerted to our scheme so unless--

No, there can be absolutely no way.

They cannot possibly believe that I’m to blame for the lack of secrecy in those plots, right?

That would make no sense, why would I knowingly go to an assignment when I knew that I would be discovered?

I suffered from heat stroke because the mission in Amphale was botched without me knowing.

“How could I possibly…?”

I run countless scenarios in my head, but none of them make me understand the situation I find myself in currently. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I struggle to process what’s going on.

"Something the matter, Natalia?” Walker calls out to me as he cracks the door open to my room.

“Oh, it’s… nothing, Walker. It’s just… my job sent me a confusing message, that’s it.”

“Well, I know you’re typically quite secretive about your work, but my door is always open, should you need a new job.”

“Thanks, Walker, really, but this job isn’t really the kind you can just… walk away from.”

“I see. I hope it all works out for you, then.”

Hesitantly, he closes the door behind him and leaves me alone in my room to my thoughts.

I just hope the Collective never brings him into the situation if it were to escalate for whatever reason… I couldn’t live with myself if someone innocent got thrown into all this mess simply for being associated with me.