It was because of her determination to not give in to her anger that Qube was able to tolerate the Head Mage trying to congratulate the Chosen One on completing the Grand Working. Not Definitely Bad Guy, who had actually cast the spell and suffered a terrible curse, no. He complimented only the Chosen One for such a task.

Which isn’t to say she didn’t derive pleasure from watching the Head Mage be confounded by the Chosen One, who, having broken free from the group hug, chose to ignore the Head Mage, and was instead trying to get Squiggles to eat a bubbling green beaker.

And Qube could have stopped said pet from getting overexcited by the Hero’s encouragement and launching herself onto the table, spilling everything everywhere, but really, if the Head Mage was so elevated that he didn’t need to worry about things like fire hazards, or warning his visitors that a giant snowmage would try and cast a fatal curse on them, then who was she to intervene?

Instead Qube just serenely smiled as the Head Mage started running back and forth, demanding that someone do something to fix the rapidly-spreading spillage, while the Chosen One locked the other party members in place by telling them all about how disappointed he was in the non-flying skeletal wyverns they’d faced earlier.

After all, the other party members had the option of ignoring the Hero and instead electing to help. It wasn’t Qube’s job to guide them into doing the polite thing.

Her only job was guiding them into doing the Good thing. And, really, what could be more Good than a happy little sharktopus slorping around, enjoying some snacks?

Nothing, that was what.

Qube felt a dreaded teehee bubble up her throat, but she ruthlessly suppressed it.

“Chosen One, perhaps we should be going?” Qube asked mildly. A part of her was interested in reading the few books remaining, given she’d burned all the other ones, but she didn’t want to test her resolve against any more time in the Wizards’ Academy. The potential for provocation was too high.

For a place she hadn’t been able to wait to visit, she was now equally as eager to leave it behind. No wonder Definitely Bad Guy was occasionally strange, if this had been where he’d grown up! Honestly it was astonishing he was as well-adjusted as he was, given there seemed to be almost no new students, and only teachers.

The Chosen One, having finished giving the left-behind party members his opinion on the unfairness of skeletons that refused to fly, was now fondly watching the team mascot rampaging around. He sighed at the wisdom of Qube’s words.

“Sure, time to go,” he said, brushing past the Head Mage, who was finishing another lap of the tower.

“Thank you for your gracious hospitality,” Sewer Bard said, giving the running Head Mage a courteous bow.

“It was a pleasure,” Sexy Screamy Spider Lady murmured, still paging through the book on law.

Sexy Screamy Spider Lady and Sewer Bard must have noticed the change to Definitely Bad Guy, but both were too diplomatic to mention it. Qube wouldn’t have been able to stop herself from asking a million questions, but the duo showed their discretion by not even looking at the scarring on his chest.

It seemed like no one was going to discuss it! Instead the Chosen One just whistled at Squiggles, and started out the Wizard’s Tower, following the path back to the misty doorway they’d entered the Wizards’ Academy through.

“So, Definitely Bad Guy,” Qube said, unable to help herself. “Did you want to tell everyone about what happened?”

The Mage looked at her in surprise, the snow touching the freshly-blue tips of his red hair before melting away.

“We completed the Grand Working,” the Mage informed the rest of the party. “The shield to the dungeon should be destroyed.” He continued looking at Qube, a slight questioning in his voice. “Did you wish for me to tell them of your contribution? It was indeed indispensable.”

“What? No!” Qube said, flushing. She slowed her steps, and the Mage obligingly matched her pace, the others pulling ahead slightly.

“Try eating the snow! It makes your mouth cold!” the Chosen One was instructing an extremely over-hyped Squiggles.

“Don’t get your ribbon dirty, darling!” Sexy Screamy Spider Lady called, hurrying over to the mascot who was now frenziedly chomping at the falling snowflakes. Sewer Bard shot the two Mages a glance, then sped up, giving them more privacy.

“It was more about what you said in the final tower,” Qube said leadingly. She wasn’t going to push Definitely Bad Guy to talk about his secret, not after the Chosen One had done so much to reassure him that it wasn’t a big deal, but she was insanely curious to find out what it was. Also who he’d promised to save the king and queen.

“Ah,” Definitely Bad Guy said, flushing. His cheeks hadn’t picked up any of the blue tinge from the curse. “Yes, that. I am not entirely sure what came over me there. I just felt the compulsion to tell him.”

Qube nodded. The Chosen One was a very comforting presence, and someone that every person should feel able to confide in.

“It is something I would have mentioned to you privately beforehand, had I meant to disclose it,” Definitely Bad Guy continued.

Qube’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what the Mage meant. It was so hard to think in this place.

“It is just, well, while I know what your feelings were when we first met, lately I have been wondering if, perhaps, they had changed.”

Oh. Oh. He was talking about when they’d first met, and how she’d rejected him in favour of the Chosen One’s quest! That was his terrible secret! Of course, he’d never actually told the Chosen One that he’d tried to lure her away with romance.

“While I know our mission is important, spending time with the Chosen One, with the party, has made me think that perhaps…” Definitely Bad Guy swallowed, hard. “Perhaps the plan the Evil Emperor has for the world… the Chosen One has made me think differently.”

The Mage was looking at her pleadingly, as if begging her to help him out. Qube nodded slowly. Ah. For once, the Mage wasn’t talking about romance. He was grappling with the same problem she’d been struggling with.

“I know what you mean,” she said. Definitely Bad Guy’s face cleared.

“You do?” he almost whispered. “I was certain that you would hate me, see me as a traitor, for having doubts.”

“I could never hate you!” Qube said passionately. “Even if my own mind hadn’t changed, I would never hate you for getting a new perspective!”

“Yes,” Definitely Bad Guy said enthusiastically. “That is it! This whole quest has given us a new perspective!”

“Good or Evil, right or wrong, it’s all changed,” Qube said earnestly. “Or, well, it hasn’t changed, but my understanding of it has!”

Definitely Bad Guy smiled, a true, genuine smile, as a tension Qube hadn’t even noticed drained out of him.

“It is something that has been weighing against me,” he said. “But if you, his dearest, also believe it, then I hold out some hope that he can be persuaded to see our point of view. Not that he is particularly known for listening to reason.”

Qube flushed slightly. “I don’t know that I’d say I’m his dearest,” she said modestly. “But he certainly takes what I have to say into consideration. He’d listen to you, too, though! He might not always show it, but I know he respects your opinion.”

She didn’t at all argue that sometimes the Chosen One didn’t listen to reason. He wasn’t exactly known for his strong attachment to logic. Definitely Bad Guy just looked away though.

“I do not know if it would be… wise… to discuss such things with him,” the Mage said.

“I’m sure if you explain to him about your doubts, he’d have no trouble talking to you about them!” Qube said cheerfully. Definitely Bad Guy gave her an incredulous look. “He would!” she insisted.

“If you truly think so,” Definitely Bad Guy said, sounding extremely doubtful.

“I do!” Qube said emphatically.

“Very well. I trust your judgement in this.” The Mage took a deep breath, bracing himself. “I will discuss this with him when there is an opportunity to. If — could you — that is to say…” he trailed off, all his previous tension creeping back in. He gathered himself.

Qube patiently waited for him, as she had for so many things.

“Would you be willing to accompany me when I discuss this with him?” Definitely Bad Guy asked.

“Of course!” Qube said cheerfully. “I’d be happy to help!”

The Mage smiled again, a dazzling sight, and Qube felt a warm glow as she contemplated just how wonderful it was that there were no more secrets between them.

---

It turned out that, even with the warning from the Head Mage, the Chosen One had still attempted to “borrow” a few things. His cry of outrage when they disappeared was full of righteous indignation. Even Sexy Screamy Spider Lady had walked through the portal still paging through the tome she was reading.

It did, however, make Qube feel a bit better about burning all those books.

Leaving behind the judgemental mist door, the group fell back into their familiar dynamic, the Chosen One using his faster-travel technique of meditating, and the others landing halfway between a meditative state and awareness.

Qube, meanwhile, was feeling increasingly invigorated the further away from the Wizards’ Academy they got. There had been the initial burst of energy as soon as they’d been teleported out of the region, and the relief at no longer being around a group of people who seemed more concerned with their own petty squabbles than the fate of their kingdom, and now she was getting excited to embark on the final Temple, and be one step closer to saving the world!

It was because of this alertness that she noticed the strange atmosphere as they walked through the eerie forest outside of Lake Fear. Last time there’d been no signs of life, but several times she could have sworn she caught glimpses of brightly-coloured birds darting through the trees, creatures which would have looked more at home in the jungle-like environment of the Forbidden Forest than the black-and-white mangroves they found themselves in.

A few times she could have sworn she heard snatches of a hauntingly familiar song.

Soon enough, however, they were through the woods, and jogging along the rolling green hills towards the groves that surrounded Cobbletown. The Chosen One, for some reason, hadn’t summoned Scaley-waley, which Qube was secretly somewhat glad for. She didn’t put it past the Chosen One to complain about the undead wyverns in front of the very much living wyvern, and she didn’t want Scaley-waley to feel bad.

She couldn’t seem to settle, though, even with her fellow party members being quiet, even with the serenity of nature that they passed, even though nothing unusual at all happened in their journey save for some displaced birds singing bird songs.

Maybe it was because Definitely Bad Guy had almost died. Or the fact that she had come face-to-face with her inner self, and it had been unpleasant. Or maybe it was because the leaves weren’t swaying smoothly like they normally did, but rather jittering back and forth.

She couldn’t place it at all, but the knot in her chest started to unravel slightly when she spotted the snapping flags posted high above Cobbletown, and saw the giant wooden gate guarded, as always, by the same two blue-clad guards.

Soon they would be settled in, and she would hopefully be able to talk the Chosen One into everyone being allowed a good night’s rest at the local inn. She wasn’t sure how long it’d been since any of them had last properly slept, so she was probably just feeling the strain from the constant tension.

Yes, a good meal and a good sleep would do wonders for everyone.

“Greetings,” one of the guards said, as the Chosen One came to himself and eagerly started forward. As usual, he brushed past the guards, completely ignoring their standard welcome routine. He charged forward, dragging the others in his wake, and Qube was so used to being invisible that she didn’t even bother to reflexively smile at the guards.

Instead she just glanced past them, groaning when she saw that the Hero was heading for Mr. Igma’s store, and only casually noticed that one of the guards had abandoned his normal rigid stance, and was instead leaning against one of the gate's walls, quietly humming an oddly familiar song.