As we landed near the ruins, there was a sigh of disappointment from Ikini. “Here we are, Lady Morgana. Thiss iss where Bahruun iss. Well then, I will take my leave here. I look forward to your nexxt vissssit.” She gave me a polite nod, and I gave her one as well. Then she turned around, dove into the deep snow, and disappeared. Meleri looked at the spot she disappeared. “How did she…?” Her voice trailed off. I shrugged. "I felt a small bit of magic, so likely some form of Cryomancy. Now let’s go."

  Meleri glanced over to where Ikini disappeared one more time, then followed me into the ruins themselves. Meleri looked around at the dilapidated state of the place. “Why would anyone set up shop here?” I looked around as well, taking in the snow-covered stones and the collapsed walls and ceilings. “Privacy. Or maybe archeological curiosity, though I doubt it’s the latter where Bahruun is concerned.”

  As we neared the center of the ruins, we found a set of stairs leading down and a bunch of runes keeping snow clear. I began heading down without hesitation. Meleri followed, her teal eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. The tunnel soon opened up into a large underground hall, covered in dust and the crumbled remains of stone furniture, and on the far end a bright light illuminated what looked to be a small workshop.

  Meleri began moving towards the light, with me beside her. As we got closer, the camp began to take a clearer form, becoming similar to an archeological dig. In the center of the camp, kneeling inside a small indent, was Bahruun. “I didn’t know you were interested in archeology, Bahruun.” Bahruun flinched and scrambled out of the hole.

  He was a tall, powerfully built man with visible muscles. Which made sense given all the physical activity he got up to. There was short, grey hair on top of his head, and a small grey beard around his jaw topped by a large, brush-like grey mustache. His eyes were a solid, glowing white, and he was dressed in what I, personally, would describe as a brown, medieval monk cloak. “Lady Morgana. To what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice was deep and melodious, though I could detect some strain there.

  I took a deep breath. “First, Bahruun, you can calm down. If I were here to harm you, I wouldn’t have announced my presence. I would have just jumped you.” I could see a bit of tension leave his shoulders. “As for why I am here, I find myself in need of a sorcerer, and since I only know two, you were the obvious choice.” Bahruun shifted around a bit. “If you need a sorcerer, why not make use of her, then?” He nodded towards Meleri. “Because, Bahruun, my darling sister here, has never cast a single spell in her life. And I find myself in need of a teacher for her.”

  Bahruun blinked, then tilted his head as if he saw Meleri for the first time. “Never cast? But she… oh. Dammit, girl, get over here now!” He waved for her to follow him to a small cleared area in the camp. “Absolutely insane… Shimmering without casting? She should be dead… Well, better make the best of it.” He gestured for Meleri to sit down, cross-legged, like I did when I was about to meditate. He sat down in front of her in a similar pose. “Lift your arms and hold them forward, palm up.” Meleri did as instructed, and Bahruun put his palms against hers. I could feel the magic in the area stirring.

  With the two of them busy, I sat down on a small stool and looked at their session from a distance. It took about an hour before either of them physically moved, but in that time the magic in the area was moving like a strong wind. Then Bahruun rose. “You, young lady, are incredible. I have seen no one take to my lessons with such ease before.” Meleri grinned sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head. “I just followed your instructions. So it wasn’t like I did anything incredible.”

  Bahruun shook his head. “I have never encountered someone who could succeed at my first lesson on the first go before today.” He put a hand on Meleri’s shoulder. “I would be delighted to be your teacher, actually, I insist.” He looked over at me. “You already have my go-ahead, Bahruun, or I wouldn’t have brought my sister here. It’s her you need to convince.” Meleri began to nod immediately as she leaned down and began to pet Irenji, who until now was quiet. Being shy around strangers, no doubt.

  “Well then, all we need then, there is only one last thing.” Bahruun looked confused for a moment. “Transportation, I take it you are not too keen on commuting between these ruins and my home, considering the sheer amount of gate stones that would cost in the long term.” Bahruun grumbled a bit. “And knowing you, you’re not willing to leave your sister in my care.” I didn’t even bat an eye at his remark.

  "If it wasn’t for your reputation, I might have considered it, but as is. No." Bahruun began to grumble for a bit… “Fine, I’ll come with you to write the employment contract over at the Hall, then give me a few days to finish up here, and I’ll head on over. And don’t worry about your sister’s health. She has already learned how to release excess magic, so the danger is over on that front.”

  That fast? Usually, a new sorcerer or sorceress would need weeks of guidance to get that down. No wonder Bahruun was so insistent, if she was that quick a study she was beyond a prodigy. “Sounds good to me. By the way, what are you even doing here, anyway? By the looks of things, you’ve excavated this entire hall.” Bahruun shrugged. “Artifact hunting. However, since stuff like that is usually rather fragile, I have to do it by hand. Then, once I dig them up, I take them to my lab for study and proper packaging so they can be preserved.”

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  Meleri looked up from where she was playing with Irenji. “Oh, so you’re an archeologist?” Bahruun blinked while giving her a blank stare. “I… err… a what?” I shot Meleri a quick glare, earning a sheepish smile in return. “It’s a profession from our homeland. They study lost civilizations and try to preserve the remains of them, so history is not forgotten.” Bahruun looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yes… that actually sounds pretty close. Too bad the officials in Nekkal didn’t believe me when I explained my reason for being down in the ancient crypts they use for burial. They’ve been around since before the city was founded, after all.”

  Just then, there was a sound from where Bahruun was digging earlier. “Hey boss, found it! Boss?” Out of the indent came a small creature I couldn’t recall seeing before. Short brown hair, large clawed hands akin to those of a mole, amber-colored eyes with a strange plus sign-shaped pupil, and were about the same size as Tobin. The thing was covered in dirt and was clutching a small ceramic shard in its hands as it eagerly approached Bahruun.

  Bahruun, for his part, hurried over, knelt down, and gently accepted the pottery from the small thing. “What you think, Boss, is that it?” It sounded hopeful. Bahruun looked at it. “Looks promising. An excellent find, Millid.” The little thing grinned widely, showing lines of small, sharp teeth.

  With the rest of us forgotten, he hurried over to a small corner of the hall where his “lab” was and began to test the shard against several partially broken pots. “Millid, you did it!” Millid hurried after Bahruun and watched with eager glee as Bahruun magically fused the shard to one of the broken pots, mending a part of it. Bahruun was being cautious as he mended the pot.

  The pot itself was an intricate thing of ceramic. It was likely used in some kind of ritual, given its odd shape and strange engravings. That aside, given how eagerly Millid and Bahruun were talking, it was obvious they both shared in this archeological interest. “Alright you two, as much as I would love to let you continue your discussions, I have other plans for today, so if you wouldn’t mind…”

  Bahruun looked up from the pot. “Wha- oh right! Sorry, I just get so into it when I find another piece to study.” I could hear some snickering from Meleri. “Don’t worry about it. Morgana is the same.” Her teal orbs were glowing brighter as she looked at us. As Bahruun rose, Millid gave me a curious look. “What’s all this about, Boss?” Bahruun looked over at Meleri.

  “That young woman over there direly needs a teacher in the art of sorcery. Lady Morgana has asked that I will be that teacher. I have asked for some time to finish up here before I take the position, but we agreed to sign the contract today.” Millid nodded slowly, then plodded over to Bahruun’s side and hugged him. “Ah, I gotcha. I’ll get back to digging while you’re over at the Hall, then.”

  Millid gave me a quick nod, then disappeared into the ground without leaving a trace behind. Bahruun looked at the spot where Millid disappeared for a few moments before he grabbed a small toque and some mittens from his worktable. “Well, better get going then, shall we?” Meleri and Irenji nodded, and the three of us followed Bahruun back outside. “Well, I’ll be. Not a single track, however did you get here?”

  In response, I pulled out the flying carpet. Bahruun put some pressure on it before he plopped down on the right side of the carpet. “That’s a convenient idea. I’m surprised it hasn’t caught on.” I looked back at him. “It’s because it’s quite clunky to control. And the more people or items are loaded on it, the worse it gets. Not to mention, I am pretty sure a bigger carpet would make matters even worse.”

  As I took off and started to fly back towards the hall, I kept looking around for Ikini. She couldn’t have gotten back yet, after all. Bahruun noticed and gave me a curious glance. “Ikini showed us the way here. She disappeared into a snow dune, and I figured if I spotted her, I could offer her a ride back.” Bahruun leaned back on his elbows. “No need for that. If she disappeared into the snow without a trace, she used the Snow Gate spell to transport her back to the hall. It’s much easier than teleporting and doesn’t need a gate stone, like a circle or portal spell. However, it requires an unbroken line of snow or ice between you and the target. I know it, too, and intend to use it to get back to the ruins after the fact.”

  Ah, good. That meant I didn’t have to fly him back. Before I could respond, however, Meleri joined the conversation. “Say Bahruun, if you don’t mind me asking. What is Millid?” Bahruun blinked a few times, not expecting the question. “Millid is my familiar and my family. After I first left Nekkal, I grabbed a portal south out of Mendir, all the way to the southlands. Once there, I ran afoul of one of the merchant families, needed to get out of town. I found myself in the desert, where I stumbled over Millid, half dead of hunger and exposure. We’ve been together ever since. It was Millid’s idea to become my familiar though, after the lil thing read through one of my books and saw the basic familiar rituals. If that was what Millid wanted, I was more than happy to oblige. Though, answering your question more exactly, Millid is a Sand Devil. They are a reclusive species of sand spirits that live in the southlands deserts.” Bahruun’s voice held genuine care and affection as he spoke.

  Meleri seemed quite intrigued. “Since you’re up here, I take it you got out of the southlands then?” Bahruun nodded. “We were lucky enough to catch a ride with a caravan going to the edge of the midlands, and from there we just bought a one-way trip north per portal. About a month after arriving, I met some members of the Winter Hall. I got on well with them, joined, and have been here ever since.” As he spoke, the spires of Winter Hall came into view, and soon after we landed in the courtyard. Now we just needed to find Ahron so we could get the hiring process done. After all, Bahruun was a member of Winter Hall, and so the hiring would go through them.