As the night proceeded Emray found herself more and more at ease ingratiating with some of her fellow students. G’Hiira had shown up dressed in a slim fitting periwinkle dress with an open back to let her wings unfurl freely, although she was using them as a coat to protect from the chill night air. Professor Goldhands had indeed gotten two casks of dwarven brandy and was busy regaling a selection of his students with various tales of heroism on the front while completely smashed. Emray herself had only taken a single sip of the drink and felt the room tilt fifty or so degrees to the right, so she wisely decided to back off from it for the rest of the evening.

For all of her trepidation about the night, the evening was actually going rather well. She had discussed some of her work with Professor Sedgewick once he’d been unshackled from the stamper’s booth, and Professor Marigold had been happy to see her, if somewhat reserved in his mannerisms before excusing himself to go grab some hot cider. She and Antareon had chatted after his set was up, and he made for a very astute debate partner despite his apparent lack of education.

As the night wore on Emray felt a warmth spreading through her that she couldn’t rightly explain. Whether it was the warm drinks or the newfound camaraderie, she felt good for the first time since Wednesday night. Even further back than that, really; it was the type of feeling she remembered having back home, when it was just her and Ardrax and the villagers around town. The feeling felt like comfort, like home.

“Hi Emray,” a familiar and dreaded voice said softly to Emray’s left. Agonizingly she turned to face Elifas, who was standing a few feet away with two steaming cups.

“Hi Elifas,” Emray replied, patting the adjacent section of the fountain she was leaning against. Elifas sidled up next to her, keeping a respectful distance and holding a hand out with one of the cups.

“I thought you looked cold, so I got you some cider. Hope you like it.”

Emray accepted the cup, her fingers brushing against Elifas’ purple painted nails. Elifas’ outfit was perfectly color coordinated, with varying hues of red, purple, and pink that made her stand out against the blues and silvers that most everyone else was wearing other than Antareon and Emray herself.

The only thing that stood out was the noticeable amount of red makeup on Elifas’s left cheek, and the sight of it made Emray’s throat clench.

“Yeah, its really good,” Emray remarked as she took a sip. “Did you make it?”

“Oh no, I’m no good in a kitchen,” Elifas answered. “I got the casks delivered from a farm in Biasta, and then used some flame plates to heat it up.”

“Well, then you have impeccable taste.”

The two girls leaned against the fountain together in abject silence for a time, interrupted only by the occasional sip of their drinks. Emray could feel her heart about to explode in her chest from the stress.

“Elifas, I’m sorry about what happened,” Emray said, breaking the silence. “I shouldn’t have slapped you like that. You didn’t deserve it, and I’m the way I treated you was unbecoming of an arcanist.”

Elifas took another long sip of her cider before setting the cup down on the fountain ledge. Emray noticed her hand shaking as she did so, before quickly clasping both of them in front of her.

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t think that’s genuine, Emray,” Elifas replied. “You’ve treated me badly ever since I showed up here in the fall when all I’ve ever done is try to be kind and welcoming to everyone I meet, and now that Professor Irhüm is making you face the consequences you decide you’re going to bury the hatchet. Forgive me if I think that's far too coincidental.”

“Well, I’d be lying if I said that being set back a year in my studies wasn’t a pretty heavy incentive to try and make amends, but that’s not all of it. I’ve gotten some advice over the last few days.”

“From whom?” Elifas asked, turning to face Emray.

“A myriad of sources; Marigold, G’Hiira, Luxom, even that dark elf bard you hired tonight.”

“Seriously, Antareon? He gave you some good advice?”

“Do you know him?” Emray asked.

“Oh, he’s a friend of my father’s back in Sashpaldol,” Elifas answered, her tone lightening considerably. “My father gave him one of his first jobs when he decided to settle down after a childhood spent on the road and aboard skyships, and that money he earned working for father is what allowed him to get started in music.”

“Hmm, small world,” Emray commented, looking across the crowd to where Antareon was. He was busy chatting with the draconic woman from his band.

“He was at the Harvest Festival as well, and did a mean reel on that bouzouki of his. It even got Irhüm dancing a bit, not that that stick in the mud would admit it.”

Emray let out a short chuckle at the sheer thought of tall, green, and dour Irhüm dancing at a Harvest Festival. Elifas giggled a bit too, but more at Emray than at her own statement. The air quieted between them a bit, before being stirred back up by Elifas.

“Emray, I’m sorry that I said what I did,” Elifas stated. “My magic is weird, an—”

“Elifas, you really don’t have anything to apologize for,” Emray interjected, curt and direct. “You didn’t know what you were doing.”

“Is it bad that I sort of did?”

Emray snapped her head towards Elifas, who flinched back reflexively. Taking a moment to soften her no doubt firm expression, Emray took a step away before speaking.

“What do you mean you ‘sort of did?’” Emray asked.

“It’s like I did and I didn’t,” Elifas said. “I remember saying what I said about you and your parents.”

“Watch it,” Emray cautioned with a raised finger.

“Right, sorry . It’s just that when I have one of my episodes, it’s like I take a back seat in my own head. The best way I can describe it is like watching my life play out in front of me without my input.”

“That sounds nightmarish,” Emray remarked, starting to gain a better picture of what her assault must have looked like from Elifas’ perspective.

“It is to a certain degree, but I learn things when that happens,” Elifas said, wringing her fingers together as she spoke. “I see places, people, hear information I maybe shouldn’t be hearing.”

Emray cast a long, intense look at Elifas, who was pointedly avoiding looking in her direction. The infernal girl looked perturbed as she spoke, like any word would set Emray off. At this rate it just might if Emray got an honest answer.

“What did you learn from the episode with me?” Emray asked, heart pounding in her chest.

“Not much that I can recall. That slap really knocked me around, jumbled up the new thoughts. However, I do remember seeing a lot of trees, more than in Biasta or even the Irifil Woodlands in Nubhovaar, and in the center of them all was a large lake with some kind of wooden palace sticking out of the center.”

“Do you know where that is?”

“No,” Elifas answered, “but if I had to… had…”

Slowly Elifas trailed off, her eyes growing unfocused and her arms falling to her sides. Emray could see a faint orange glow surrounding her eyes in the dimness under the pavilion, and a soft tinny whine echoed around Elifas’ head.

“Elifas, what were you saying? Elifas, what’s happening?” Emray asked, shaking Elifas by the shoulders.

With lightning reflexes Elifas’ hands snapped around Emray’s arms, pulling her from around the devil girl’s shoulders. Her expression was hard and panicked, and the faint pupils that were visible in her mono-colored eyes were wide and vacant.

“We have to leave the pavilion now,” Elifas ordered, grasping Emray by the wrist and dragging her away from the fountain.

“What do you mean? Elifas, can you hear me?” Emray asked, her shoes skidding against the stone as she tried to resist Elifas’ grasp.

“I can, and we have to leave now,” Elifas answered. “Something is coming, something dangerous.”

Taking the cue, Emray wrenched her hand free and jogged behind Elifas. A few curious onlookers noticed the two rushing past towards the exit, and Emray quickly motioned them to follow.

“Elifas, what is coming?” Emray asked.

Elifas said nothing in response, her gaze resolute towards the exit as Emray trailed behind.

“Elifas, what did you see?!” Emray asked again.

Elifas turned to look at Emray, with tears streaming down her face.

“I see death,” Elifas replied.

Then the first bomb landed.