It took most of the Magi to cast the spell. Vara assisted them as her last act on the Path of the Seer. "I'm thinking...it's time I take a Zero Step of my own," she told him as she and Shaul cuddled over breakfast. It was diabetically delightful. "I think that maybe...I should let me Faith do the talking for a while. Tempered, of course, by love..."

They'd kissed then, the Ranger and the Seer. Caden checked his teeth for cavities the moment they left the room.

He had time enough to take one last look around the town, to wave good-bye to a few of the locals he'd gotten to know. To impart some choice wisdom and/or moral corruption on the youngsters. Both the remaining Drow Rangers, Fiera and Nolara, pecked him on the cheek and slapped him on the rear (which would've felt better if not for chainmail gauntlets). Suggestive comments were offered and brushed aside just as quickly; Caden didn't expect to get anything more out of Drow women than he did out of Elves.

He only regretted this decision for a minute or two. Really.

At the end of it all though, something unexpected happened. He was ascending the stairs to the College Arcana's inner sanctum, where the teleportation was going to take place, when Neesal practically intercepted him out of nowhere. Iera was with her, couched on momma's lap.

Caden didn't remember a lot of what was said. And he'd never write it down. Just that they stood and walked outside the college for a good twenty minutes before arriving back where they started. And then she'd said some things, and he'd said some things, and somehow the little girl had the name Iera Law.

At the last moment, right as he was about to continue up the stairs, Neesal got ahead of him. Cut him off and turned around. And with a smile, she did a very human thing by grabbing him around the ear, clumsy and not at all ritualized. She ran a thumb across his ear lobe.

Then she placed her lips to his.

Five years on, Caden Law finally got a kiss.

If he still kept a score card relating to Elven women, it would've been updated to 1-Irrelevant right then and there. They said some more things after that, a lot of maybes and what ifs. They hugged and embraced again, and then he continued on and she followed. Not as an apprentice, or even as a woman, but as a fellow Mage.

Neesal was there that day, helping carry out the spell. Ranger Cessae watched after little Iera Law during the process. Caden brandished his staff, checked his armor one last time, saluted everyone and said simply...

"No rest for the Wizard, folks. I'll see you on the other side."

He stepped through the portal and was gone.