“Guardian!” Drazaria called out, waiting on the fully formed platform, “I’ve come to challenge you!”

The entire team came running out of the Temple - and three of the teens came onto the platform, along with the Guardian’s Companion.

Oh, great, the sorcerer thought, Almost forgot this was happening.

“I thought you died,” Kendra said, twirling her ball-ended staff.

“You wish you were so lucky,” Drazaria replied, marking how Kendra and Jax stood in front of Tedi. A sound formation for fighters to protect a spell caster - obvious, but sound.

From behind them, Vasskr’s brows drew down in concern at his brother - but quickly schooled his expression into something more neutral. Hik, the nankin, seemed to prefer the sidelines as well.

“By the wrath of the cosmos, I heed the call!” Jax called out, and the red Guardian armor wrapped around them.

Starting offense? Well, let’s see what they can do, Drazaria thought, powering up a reactive barrier around his body and charging.

Kendra jumped forward first and slid, swinging her staff down for a leg sweep Drazaria avoided by jumping to the side - which kept him from getting hit by the girl hitting the ball-end on the ground to make it bounce back up. Typical Basin Guard technique - her fathers must have taught her. Fortunately, the sorcerer had sparred with Basin Guards before.

What Drazaria wasn’t counting on was the small barrier waiting near his landing, causing him to trip - before he needed to roll to avoid Jax’s hammer.

Cute, Drazaria thought, sliding a swap stone along the ground towards Tedi. Then he raised his arms coated in defensive magic to block a few more hammer swings - much more sure than they had been in the past. Didn’t help that more barriers were scattered across the ground. When he tripped backwards on one, he teleported - rolling to his feet behind the fighters and next to Tedi.

“What the-!” Tedi yelled in panic, wobbly attack magic blinking around his hands as he swung wide.

“Take a nap,” Drazaria said, flicking the teen sorcerer’s forehead - sending a bit of utility magic to make him fall asleep.

As Tedi collapsed, Drazaria bent backwards to avoid the ball end of Kendra’s weighted staff.

“Stay away from him!” Kendra demanded, taking up a position in front of her friend.

Good coordination - they must be practicing a lot, the sorcerer thought, turning back to face Jax again. He kept Kendra in his peripheral, but it seemed she wouldn’t move. Good, that brought him down to two opponents.

Unfortunately, the Guardian and their Companion had even better coordination - while Drazaria didn’t need to worry about harming the magical creature, its horns were deadly, and it knew how to use them. At last, it was a real trade of blows with Jax - mostly thanks to their Companion, but it was still a marked improvement.

As ever, this led to Drazaria retreating after some time - and once again he found someone waiting for him.

“Um, hello,” the young pelatia said, stepping out from the tree line - they had on a rough tunic and breeches that had seen some wear and had a messenger bag strapped across their waist that they held the strap of, “Do… you remember me by chance, sir Drazaria?”

“Don’t call me sir,” the sorcerer replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets to hide the red glow around them - he wasn’t sure what this was, but he didn’t like it, “And no, I don’t.”

It wasn’t strictly true, as the kid looked familiar - but it wasn’t a lie, either, since he couldn’t place how they were familiar.

“I’m Heline. I worked in the Royal Library with my mother - Lady Cloir?” the pelatia teen went on, still staying back, “I heard about the raid near the Scourge and-”

Drazaria sent magic out around him as he placed her - yes, the young librarian girl and daughter to the Royal Librarian. A perfect innocent for the Royal Sorcerer to send as a trap - except his magic sight saw nothing but a slight aura around her bag, and his other magic senses picked up nothing. Still, he ran forward and towed the girl further into the woods at a much too fast pace by grabbing her by the upper arm.

Heline yelped in surprise but didn’t attempt to free herself as she jogged along behind.

When they were some distance away, Drazaria released his grip and set up an anti-magic, soundproof barrier before turning to her, “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to help,” Heline said, with a small sniffle as she rubbed at her arm, “It’s not right, the way he lied about you and the prince! And after I heard about the raid, I just… I couldn’t keep doing nothing!”

Drazaria sighed, scratching at his forearm, “Go home, kid - I don’t need your help.”

Heline drew herself up to her full height - which was not particularly impressive at four feet - and said, “I brought all your research notes.”

“My…” Drazaria blinked, then scowled and massaged the bridge of his nose, “Why the fuck would I need those out here?”

“They’re yours,” the teen said, “You should have them.”

“Fine,” the sorcerer held out a hand, “Give me the notes, then go home.”

“No,” Heline frowned, clutching the strap of her bag again, “I… I’m going to help you!”

“Does your mother know you’re here?” Drazaria tried a different approach. He was already dealing with one teenager; he really didn’t need two under his roof.

“Yes,” the teen replied defiantly, “She’s… the only one who had access to your notes… and! And she gave me some books about the Guardian and Swordheart you could use!”

“Kid, I’m not out here studying; I’m fighting the Guardian to steal one of the most sacred relics in Vaseridan so I can steal the most sacred relic in Vaseridan,” Drazaria huffed, “While being on the run from Ballatsa and any merc with something to prove, and I recently pissed off a lot of them. Give me what you came here to give me - or don’t. But go. Home.”

Heline’s lip quivered as she looked about ready to cry, but then she shook her head, softly stomped her foot, and said, “No! I’m staying to help!”

Drazaria grumbled in frustration - then snorted and dropped his barrier, “Fine - keep up then.”

It would have been easy - magically enhancing his speed while covering more ground. It was too advanced for someone Heline’s age to keep up - if it was even a spell she knew, which he highly doubted. He’d turned with both spells ready, about to take the first step-

“Wait! I - I have a gift from your daughter!”

Drazaria’s foot stopped in midair, but the rest of the world seemed to tilt. He felt nausea well up in the back of his throat and swallowed it back - releasing the spells and letting his foot touch the ground. It didn’t make him feel any steadier.

When he didn’t say or do anything for several minutes, Heline walked up to him. She came around to his side and peered at his face in cautious hope.

Drazaria looked away. He didn’t know what his face looked like, but he knew he didn’t want anyone else to see it.

Gently, a small hand pulled his wrist and placed something soft in his palm. Heline stepped away and said, “It’s her favorite - she wanted you to have it.”

Drazaria wanted to drop whatever it was - but he couldn’t. He couldn’t…

He turned, pulling the object closer to his chest. Biting his lip, he forced himself to look at it - a stuffed badger that had been mended more than once, with one yellow button and one brown button for eyes.

Damn him, Drazaria thought, thinking of his… daughter’s other father. After all, ‘badger’ had been the man’s nickname for him - and he’d been the only one to use it.

“Come on,” he said, stuffing the toy in his pocket and holding out a hand. He had no energy left to argue with Heline and needed to get to his base now.

The pelatia teen put her hand in his, wisely staying quiet.

Then Drazaria did something he usually avoided - he teleported.

Teleportation without a gateway was always risky - it required great concentration, considerable magical energy, and an anchor which conducted magical energy. Drazaria’s anchor was a carved bit of weirwood he left in his base for an emergency, and he managed to pull both of them through space just fine.

Once in his base, he walked Heline to the door and pushed her outside, trusting she could find her own way to the cottage addition as he locked the door behind her. He hit his forehead against the wood - then repeated the motion a few more times with force.

Head aching, he turned and leaned against the door - then slid down it to the floor. Drazaria pulled the stuffed badger from his pocket, cradling it against his chest and breathing heavily as he bore an imaginary hole into the floor.

Damn him. Damn Vasskr, he thought, feeling like a stuffed toy himself - pulling his seams tighter to keep his stuffing from popping out, She doesn’t need to know about me. She’s better off not knowing.

He’d never planned to have a daughter - it made the ache of losing her feel more bitter on his tongue.

Drazaria woke the next day to the sound of fighting. With a heavy sigh, he rolled himself out of his mattress and slid down from the loft to get dressed. The sounds of magic blasts didn’t particularly phase him, as none of his traps had gone off or been deactivated - meaning it was probably the teens. He couldn’t think of anyone else fighting so near his base with no ill intent toward him.

When he stepped outside, he was proven right - Heline and Owal appeared to be locked in combat, both in the shallows of the ocean. Heline was surrounded by kelp that whipped awkwardly around, revealing her lack of experience manipulating plant life. Meanwhile, Owal was darting around, throwing sharp shards of attack magic, and using water manipulation.

“What are you two doing…?” Drazaria called out, not even sure they would hear him.

To his surprise, they did - letting go of their respective magic to rush up to him.

“Heline asked me to help her practice fighting,” Owal started, stretching and crossing thons arms behind thons head, “When she said the Guardian’s pals are teaming up in the ring, I thought maybe I could earn some extra hiding time helping you out.”

“I told you I want to help,” Heline added, a serious expression on her face, “And I meant it - so I’ll learn how to fight, too.”

Drazaria grumbled, carding a hand through his hair, “No.”

“Hey! I’m a highly trained fighter here!” Owal argued, “And if team goody-goody can team up, you should, too - might even help you actually win.”

“Both of you would just get in my way,” the sorcerer sighed, letting his head fall back. Thon had a point, though - his current strategy of fighting without seriously hurting the kids wasn’t working. He needed to change tactics, somehow.

“I know I’m not very good at attack magic right now,” Heline said, “But I’m going to keep practicing with Owal until-”

“What can you tell me about Jax’s father?” Drazaria interrupted her. He definitely wasn’t above using the kid’s family against them - but with the man likely in Ballatsa, that could be… difficult. He wasn’t even going to include Aanda - he did owe the apothecary more than that.

“Uh… which one?” Heline asked.

Drazaria let his head fall forward again to meet her gaze and ventured, “Is there one not in Ballatsa?”

“Yes!” the teen girl said excitedly, then cleared her throat and straightened up, putting her arms behind her back - a posture the sorcerer recognized as the girl’s mother’s.

Owal quirked a brow ridge, looking to the pelatia girl.

“I mean, yes - Jax’s other father, Ked, runs an inn near Faobrin,” Heline replied, “According to my research, he and Aanda - Jax’s primary parent - are estranged, but Jax still keeps in contact with him.”

“And what ‘research’ is that?” Drazaria asked, not sure how accurate her information was.

Heline opened her mouth, then sighed, deflating as she admitted, “It’s part of some dossiers my mother made for me to bring to you.”

Owal snorted, then cleared his throat to poorly hide it.

Drazaria hummed, then said, “Show me.”

Heline led the way into the cottage addition of the base and brought out the promised dossiers, some books about Swordheart and the Guardian from the Royal Library, and his old research notes on the Scourge. Setting aside the other items for later, the sorcerer dug through the dossiers.