Kai and Aria exchange a look. "Everything?" Aria says, her voice uncertain. "That's... that's a lot."

  "Let us start with the basics," Kai suggests, not wanting to test the patience of their saviors. "The kingdoms."

  Aria nods, taking a deep breath. "Alright. In this continent there are five great kingdoms."

  "The Kingdom of Terra," Aria says, gesturing around them. "We're currently in the Forest of Kemet, which lies near the borders of both Terra and Xian. Terra is divided into duchies: Valdris, Agvara, Kaelen, Ravencrest, and Ironhold. Each duchy is ruled by a duke, and they all answer to the king. It's a feudal system—nobles, commoners, that sort of thing."

  "The Kingdom of Kaiyo," Kai adds. "They're to the west, across the great sea. They're known for their navy, their trade routes, their ports."

  "The Kingdom of Upepo," Aria continues. "They're to the east, in the high mountains and plains. They're nomadic, mobile."

  "The Kingdom of Xian," Kai says, his expression darkening. "They're to the north, in volcanic regions and deserts. They're known for their forges, their warriors. They've been expanding, conquering, threatening the other kingdoms."

  "And the Kingdom of Akasha," Aria finishes. "They're in the highest peaks, the floating islands. They're mysterious, aloof. They rarely interact with the other kingdoms."

  "The five kingdoms have existed for centuries," Kai adds. "They're ancient, established, part of the natural order. But Xian... Xian has changed. They've become aggressive. Dangerous. They're not following the old ways anymore."

  Tara processes this. Five great kingdoms. Xian is attacking Terra. That's... concerning.

  **WHY WERE YOU CHASED?**

  Aria's expression darkens. "We... we were in Xian," she says, her voice quiet. "I'm a mage apprentice. Master Chen Long is one of the greatest fire mages in the world. He's renowned across all five kingdoms. I was studying under him, learning advanced techniques."

  Kai nods. "I was also an apprentice of Master Chen Long. We both were. He's... he's a legend. His mastery of fire magic is unmatched. We went to Xian specifically to learn from him."

  "But things went wrong," Aria continues, her voice quieter now. "Xian officials started suspecting me of being a spy. They watched us, questioned us. Then they started hunting us, calling us traitors."

  Kai's expression hardens, but there's something else there—guilt, or trauma. "I was helping her, so I got caught up in it too. We had to flee, cross the border. But they kept chasing, wouldn't stop. They were going to kill us. We fought them." His voice breaks slightly. "I didn't want to. They were going to kill us. I... I killed..."

  Aria reaches out, placing a hand on his arm. "Kai," she says softly. "You did what you had to do. We both did. It was them or us."

  Tara listens to their story, but before asking more, he wants to verify. He wants to know if they're telling the truth, if there's anything they're hiding, anything he can learn that they haven't said.

  He activates Appraisal, focusing on the woman first.

  **APPRAISAL:**

  **Aria (Level 29)**

  - **Class:** Multi Mage (Intermediate)

  - **Skills:**

  - **Fireball (Uncommon)** - Launches explosive fire projectiles

  - **Water Shield (Uncommon)** - Creates protective barrier of water

  - **Earth Spike (Uncommon)** - Summons sharp stone spikes from ground

  - **Mud Trap (Uncommon)** - Creates area of sticky mud to slow enemies

  - **Mud Armor (Uncommon)** - Coats self in hardened mud for protection

  Tara processes this. "So she's a multimage—a mage who can use multiple elements. Must be rare to use all kinds of magic. And she's Level 29. Weak or strong? No idea."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  He focuses on the man next.

  **APPRAISAL:**

  **Kai (Level 27)**

  - **Class:** Fire Swordsman (Intermediate)

  - **Skills:**

  - **Fireball (Uncommon)** - Launches explosive fire projectiles

  - **Ember Strike (Uncommon)** - Infuses sword strikes with fire damage

  - **Sword Strike (Common)** - Delivers powerful, precise strikes with blade

  - **Flame Blade (Rare)** - Channels fire magic through weapon, extending reach

  - **Combat Instincts (Uncommon)** - Enhanced reflexes and combat awareness

  "Interesting," Tara thinks. "Kai is Level 27, lower than Aria's Level 29. He's a Fire Swordsman—a fighter who combines fire magic with sword combat. That's a rare combination. Fire Swordsman, Flame Blade—so he can channel fire through his sword. That's cool."

  Both were learning from Master Chen Long. Aria is a multimage—she can use multiple elements. And Kai is a Fire Swordsman—possibly a rare combat class that combines magic and swordplay.

  "Okay, no gaps in their story so far," Tara thinks.

  Tara writes again.

  **WHY DID THEY SUSPECT YOU?**

  Aria hesitates, looking at Kai. Kai nods slightly, and Aria turns back to Tara. "I'm from Terra," she says, her voice quiet. "The kingdom Xian is trying to attack. That's probably why they suspected me. Once they found out where I'm from, they decided I was a spy. There was no way to convince them otherwise."

  Tara writes more questions. Many more questions. About the kingdoms, their relationships, their histories. About magic, about dungeons, about races, about artifacts. About the Mage's Guild, about adventurers, about monsters. About Master Chen Long.

  Kai and Aria answer as best they can. They're both apprentices, but they know enough. They share what they've learned, what they've heard, what they've experienced.

  Hours pass. Four hours of questions, answers, clarifications. Aria's voice grows weaker, her injuries still healing. Kai looks exhausted, his body still recovering. But they keep answering.

  Finally, Aria's eyes start to droop. Kai notices, and his expression shifts—concern, exhaustion, both.

  Tara looks at them—the mage apprentice and the swordsman—and sees their exhaustion. They've been answering questions for hours, despite their injuries, despite their fatigue.

  Tara writes **REST** on the patch of dirt, gets up and prepares to leave.

  As Tara moves, Unolf wakes up, pretending to be alert. He had slept through all that, unable to comprehend their interaction.

  ---

  Later, in the quiet of the cave, Tara processes everything he's learned. He sits in the main chamber, thinking, organizing, summarizing. The conversation echoes in his mind—not just the facts, but the weight behind them.

  "The peace of this world is being disturbed. I don't wish to take part in it, but I will be forced to if I am weak."

  "There is no time to waste," Tara thinks as he moves outside the den in the middle of the night. He transforms into his pyramid form and splits. Dozens of pyramids dash outward from the wolf den in all directions, disturbing the quiet of the night.

  ********* Chapter end *********

  *Happy new year to all of you!*