The Mage leaders lead you through the city in at times an almost comical fashion. Each vying for the lead as they brush past each other and use the corners of buildings as a block pushing to the front. The lead changes several times and you would have giggled if it weren't for an uncomfortable silence wedged between them. "Remind me not to study with any of them," you say to Talik who nodded in agreement at their juvenile behaviours. The once vibrant streets now feel cold and foreign, the weight of the fractures between the mages pressing down on your shoulders. You sidle up to Talik, who seems lost in thought.

"I don't remember them always this angry at each other?" you whisper, glancing at the tension crackling between the leaders.

She shakes her head. "Mages aren't always like this. But the Mage leaders — that rivalry goes back eons and with the 'imbalance' changing their abilities to perform and teach spells and powers I think things are far worse."

Talik's words hang in the air as she stops abruptly. You follow her gaze to Kiva, who stands before the enormous statue of Ky. The white stone is cracked from age, and the inscription reads, Ky, Mother of Magic.

Tharah steps forward, placing a comforting hand on Kiva's arm. "You knew her, didn't you?"

Kiva nods, a shadow of sorrow crossing his face. "Ky and I were good friends. She invested me with many things. So much has changed. Too much."

You can't imagine what Kiva must feel, seeing all this again, returning home to a city so different from the one he left. The past seems to echo in every corner, every stone of the city.

Kiva, this ancient mage who had been trapped underground for thousands of years, stood before the trio of mages, his eyes reflecting the weight of centuries. "I said I knew Ky, and this is not how Ky would allow mages to act," he said forcefully belying his age, his voice tinged with reverence. "The great mother of magic."

Caska, shook her head, her brow furrowed in disbelief. "Impossible. Ky lived more than a thousand years ago. How could you have known her?"

Rek, crossed his arms and scoffed. "You're asking us to believe you've been around for millennia? That you knew the most legendary mage in history?"

Aerka, added with a hint of skepticism, "Anyone can claim to have known Ky. It's easy to fabricate tales from long ago. What proof do you have?"

Kiva sighed, a weary sound that seemed to echo with the passage of time. "Ky was more than a legend. She was a woman of unparalleled power and compassion. I remember one winter solstice when she gathered us under the Yuka tree. She wove a spell of such beauty that the purple leaves of the tree danced in the air, forming intricate patterns that told the story of the world's creation. She called it the Dance of Origins."

Rek snorted, "A nice story, but stories are easy to come by."

Aerka nodded in agreement, "Yes, a tale anyone could spin."

Kiva closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with a look of determination. "If words are not enough, then I will show you something only Ky knew how to do."

He stepped forward, extending his arms. His fingers began to move in a fluid, intricate dance. Water rose from the sea, forming a spiraling column. As it ascended, flames intertwined with the water, creating a shimmering helix of fire and liquid. Wind swirled around the column, adding a chorus of whistling and howling. Finally, the earth beneath their feet trembled and rose, lifting Kiva onto a pedestal of rock and sand. The elements combined into a magnificent display of balance and harmony, a testament to Ky's teachings. He then fell exhuasted upon the ground , flopping to all fours and you rushed over to help the aged man regain his footing. 

The trio of mages stared in awe. Caska's mouth fell open, and she whispered, "That's... that's impossible."

Rek's eyes widened, the flames in his heart humbled. "Only Ky could have mastered all four elements in such a way."

Aerka stepped back, her skepticism melting away. But there was a strange look in her eyes. 

Caska and Rek bowed their heads in deference, acknowledging the ancient mage's truth and power. "Forgive us, Kiva. We were wrong to doubt you." Caska spoke apologetically to Kiva who looked at them, a gentle smile on his lips. "The past holds many secrets, my friends. It is time we uncover them together."

Your hope for unity are interrupted by a sudden gust of air, gentle but insistent. The artifact slips from Alster's clutches and sours into the air. As you try to catch it, it dodges and moves between the gathered crowd. It is carried by the wind into the outstretched palm of the Air Mage. Aerka's eyes flash with determination as she seizes it, whirling around and this aretifact might jsut be the tool to allow us to incorporate all these powers, we will lead all mages to this new age of combined powers. The air seems to lift her, her form becoming a blur as she ascends, the artifact clutched tightly in her grasp as she heads for the Government Centre.

Panic surges through you. "Stop her!" you shout, but it's too late. Aerka's figure is already a distant speck, carried by the wind towards the horizon. The chase is on as you all follow somewhat confused by Aerka's assertive action.  The artifact's ancient secrets might be the key to combing all the mage powers but it could be something completely different and you don't think this is how the girl of light intended things to go. 

There were three unusual words used in this story. Find them and explain what they mean in Thy Quests below. 

Next: E3Q2 A Delicate Partnership