No one dared to move for several minutes. 

The quiet sound of a sylph sobbing was all they heard as the group remained collapsed on the ground in stark silence. Mantis was clutching her partner tightly, mothering her like he had never seen before. The coil of flame that had seemed like a leash at first was like a physical manifestation of their bond as it faded to allow Mantis to soothe her. 

Hazard was clambering out of a caved in section of wall, Gizmo was clamped tightly in his jaws, wriggling and swearing at the unperturbed Firestep wolf. Surprisingly enough, Hawkins was grateful to see their unruly prisoner was unharmed but as much as he wanted to greet them properly he couldn't move.

His leg throbbed in pain, his chest heaving as his hands were stinging with blisters but he was alive. The reminder of how callously the Overtaken had swallowed Thea sent his stomach lurching, his overuse of his Trait and his added injuries making his head spin.Trying to steady his breathing, he numbly held the black grimoire close and attempted to process what had just happened. 

Somehow, after all his efforts he had not only managed to use his Fire Trait but the Overtaken had fled away from him even though it could’ve killed them all. It was like they were scared of him...no, they were scared of the black grimoire. 

Memoriam, Odi had called it. The strange grimoire's ability to conjure and recall memories daunted the Overtaken who didn't want to remember the trauma and would rather forget it all. Hawkins had seen their face, broken by grief like he had been before he had experienced so much to help him heal Mantis. 

But Cricket seemed different than her supposed siblings, she had lapses in memory and only ever clinged to the sole purpose of finding the black grimoire, saving Rin and punishing those who harmed her. It was like she was scared of forgetting.

"We need to find Odi. We need to find out what happened to Cricket before she became part of the Swarm." He addressed the group, directing his worries mostly towards the struggling Tinker Mole.

Gizmo was unceremoniously plopped on the ground by Hazard who proceeded to flop down next to him, exhausted but remained diligent to monitor the shady businessman. Aware of the sudden creation of a discussion circle, Mantis reluctantly stood up and gently carried Thea towards the group in her cupped hands. 

No doubt she overheard the new problem to resolve and found a spot next to him, surprising everyone but no one said a word. Hawkins gave her a half smile, noting how she had chosen her seat based on a lesser of two evils. Obviously she hated Gizmo more than him so it was a nice change but he didn’t have the heart to ask her Lariat to heal them, deciding to suffer silently a little longer.

"How're we supposed to do that? Just walk up and ask her?" Mantis asked, visibly cranky but still upholding her usual dry nature.

Normally that would irritate him but Hawkins knew her tactics by now and allowed her to vent her anxieties before dissecting her issues and working through them with the group. After everyone had settled down of course. A Lariat wasn't so evil when completed out of necessity. Just like an Oathed and an Agar the bond was still just as important.

"Worth a shot. At least it's better than being chased by her attempt at a family reunion. There's not even cake." Hazard complained, grinning wickedly as his tail thumped happily against the ground.

A light giggle caught Hawkins attention, spotting Thea cuddling up to her partner still covered in a strange mix of gooey mud and rocks. Half wishing they had a Water Traited in their group to help clean her up a bit, Hawkins gave her a smile anyways, grateful to hear her slightly back to normal.

"You could ask Rinelle? She is her current caretaker."

Mantis glared at him, furious at the Tinker Moles brazen attitude but Hawkins couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the anonymity of Rin's current whereabouts. Her current history of her Chimeran ancestry and her treatment from Cricket, being stuck imprisoned could easily take a toll on her mental health and in turn, her Trait. He was only just experiencing the after effects of his own flames but Rin? It was too painful to even think about.

"We need to know how to open the black grimoire. Odi's the only one who knows how." He said simply, trying to alleviate the hostile tone between the two.

Mantis' visible frustration at having to risk life and limb for a damn book wasn't exactly her kind of fun but she held her grievances aside. Until a Tinker Mole decided to interrupt.

"Pardon moi? Am I not adequate enough?"

Hawkins raised an eyebrow over the return of the fake accent, folding his arms in displeasure over the Tinker Mole and his over dramatic tendencies.

"No. She's the only one I trust not to blow us all up to Hellgrind and back."

Surprisingly, the suave businessman merely shrugged his shoulders nonchalauntly in reply. 

"Fair enough."

Thea fidgeted nervously, her healing ability slowly helping their wounds knit back together but the sheer exhaustion couldn't be fixed by such amazing feats. Hawkins couldn't help but notice her partner's impatience, Mantis' feet tapping out an irregular rhythm no one else could hear. 

Hazard glanced over at her abject temper but her unsureness about asking without being interrupted several times. Sighing, the Firestep wolf lashed his tail out to smack the ignorant Tinker Mole on the back of the head and asked the question not even Mantis wanted confirmation about.

“So why do you wanna open it anyways? I thought it was crazy powerful...”

His tone was wary as if being reminded of how both of the Overtaken had responded to just seeing the black grimoire. It had repelled the most powerful creature they had faced with ease and that was without even using the power stored within it.

But it had been showing him memories from his past, Rin's past and even Hack's in an attempt to connect with him and help him understand why things had progressed the way it had. Surely the information locked within was worth the risk?

“If Gizmo is right and those Overtaken we encountered were Cricket’s family then Odi is the best person to help them and us out of this situation."

"Help them? They all tried to kill us." Mantis snarled, her hostility towards the young Tarragon out in full force.

But Hawkins held his ground, her Air Trait buffeting him despite his own smoke being nonexistent. Mantis wasn't scared of him. She was scared of everyone getting hurt again.

"So did you, Mantis. Or did you forget we wouldn't be in this mess had your crew decided not to burst into Grimmordeals when you did?" Hawkins reminded her bluntly, the memory of how she had tortured Odi still fresh in his mind.

Mantis almost fought back, her fist clenched tightly but she took a moment to settle her thoughts and let out a resigned sigh. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she nodded in begrudging agreement as if accepting his logic in her own surprisingly quiet way since she was too tired to argue. 

Hawkins smiled ruefully, finding the lack of conflict strangely uncomfortable as if someone was silently watching him from a distance. Shaking his anxieties aside, he didn't think that Mantis was angry at him, it was just how she dealt with stressful situations and now her constant habit of biting back had completely burned her out. For now, at least.

"I understand she hurt us all and is responsible for her actions and Trait but...I don’t believe the Overtaken are. They have basic cognitive understanding but...we need a necromancer to unravel what is going on. Without getting us all killed.” 

He internally grimaced at his own explanation, knowing full well that Odi could have worded it better. Then again, with the black grimoires Lockbind involved and Cricket's past she'd probably struggle just as much with what to say. 

With the information he had gleaned from seeing Cricket's history along with the two healers he couldn't help but wonder about the implications. The fact Cricket didn't seem to recall any of her past and was visibly changed by it made him theorise that the healing might have affected more than just her.

Perhaps it was why her family had become Truant or even Overtaken and that the healer within Cricket's memory was in fact responsible for all of the trios ailments. But the niggling feeling in his gut made him want to deny all of it and trust in the strange familiarity of the healer's gaze. 

His thoughts darkened as he was reminded of how much he concealed from everyone else. Much like his instinct towards Cricket's situation it felt like the things that Memoriam showed him shouldn't be shared.

Him explaining or lying to them wouldn't have gone down well and he didn't want to make things worse even though a lot of the things he had seen were of course private. To both him and many others. So he would stay silent for as long as the situation would allow.

"Alright. If the Mediator says that's what we should do then I have no objections. Cricket will get what she deserves, either way. Provided it gets my partner and my sister back safely, Hawkinson." Hazard said, the warning crystal clear even without the harsh tone.

The Mediator nodded nervously, the Firestep wolf's intense glare reminded him how scary Hazard could be. It broke the chain of thought Hawkins had in his head by suggesting how to begin tackling how to deal with Cricket. Staring around the group for help to try and start such a discussion he received no indication until Thea nudged the already zoned out Mantis that he was saved by her over the top sarcasm.

"If only someone knew where they were keeping her and that grumpy lizardman? Oh wait, Mantis and I do!"

It took Hawkins a few seconds to register the facts behind Thea's words and gaped at her. He was completely stunned that they had stumbled across the others and had gotten so badly injured in the process. 

"You know where she is? Why didn't you tell us that beforehand, Mantis?" He said incredulously, half annoyed at himself for not asking sooner.

"Did you forget that I almost died not twice but three times today? Why else would I end up battered and beaten where you found me if I didn't? I wasn't exactly fit for conversation back then, Mediator." Mantis explained dryly, rubbing her arms to try and keep warm.

Hazard's gaze flickered over to her direction, shuffling closer to try and help his flames warm them up a little more. Being a Thyraxian, Thea was drawn to the light and flitted back and forth between wanting to rest or wanting to heal whoever she could. 

"Anyways, the others and I got nabbed by Cricket's goons. Thea managed to escape and free me but those things got to me before I could break out the others."

Hawkins suppressed a wince, her disdain towards the Overtaken making him feel bad for them. Despite Hazard's agreement he wasn't convinced the others truly wanted to help them. They just went along with it and only saw it as a survival advantage along with them being monsters in their eyes.

He couldn't blame them but he couldn't help but be reminded of bias towards the green eyed power of Tarragon. Even those without the power would be discriminated against, whether being shunned for their lack of power, heritage or simply what colour eyes they had. No wonder the meaning of Tarragon meant monster.

"More like you got what you needed Mantis and saved yourself, like always." Gizmo said, scoffing and threw his head up for good measure.

The half elf bristled in anger, blazing red faced as her blue Windspell aura furiously surrounded them. Mantis tried to ignore him and control her temper but no matter how hard she tried it got the better of her.

"Speak for yourself, Monsieur Pyrotechnique. At least I didn't attempt to ally with people, I just exploded!"

"Technically you did it first, Mantis." Hazard quipped, reminding her of her group stunt in Grimmordeals.

Hawkins couldn't help but laugh, the bickering halting for a moment in a stunned state of silence. Summoning the army of smoke trolls to distract Mantis felt like years ago but the sombre thought of Wisp being missing dampened the humourous memory a little.

Not too long ago he would've vehemently refused to work with or even save a necromancer. But this strange journey he had been on with Memoriam was a lot more eye opening than he had ever thought. 

The Swarm weren't just simple thugs and necromancers could be more than labelled as an immediate threat. Not all Tinker Moles were kind and cooperative just as not all elves were cold and unfeeling. Trait could be complex and complicated to a point where no amount of studying would ever achieve all the answers and that was OK. It had always been. It had just taken him a long time to finally see it.

"Alright, alright. That's enough. I'm sure Mantis did what she could. I'm just glad we're all safe. Gizmo included, despite his woeful storytelling."

Mantis grinned at the slight dig towards the Tinker Mole, Hazard chuckling at Gizmo's sour expression. With a gentle swat from her partner, Thea settled into the Firesteps fur and got some well earned rest.

Hawkins smiled knowingly, still holding a grudge that Gizmo had outed Mantis' innocent crush on Rin and all the private gossip he had shared about Odi and Hack. Obviously he wasn't going to change his ways and asking him was more useless than telling Hazard to stop using his flames. But he could use Gizmo's skills to his advantage.

"Mantis has information we don't. Coward or not we need to know what we're up against, yes we Gizmo. You've decided to throw in your hat with the lot of us-"

"Technically, my hat was long abandoned-"

A loud growl silenced Gizmo's dry sarcasm, Hazard getting completely fed up with his antics towards the Mediator. Taking a leaf out of Mantis' grimoire so to speak, the Firestep wolf closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It would really help us greatly if you could quit being such a vague dumbass for the first time in your life and tell us what's going on?"

Feeling proud at how the two were working through their anger issues, Hawkins smirked at Gizmo's complete and utter shock towards Hazard's blunt but polite tone. The Tinker Mole laid back onto the broken stone pillar and sighed, finally resigning his fate to working with them.

"Alright, alright. On your head be it, mon ami. But you won't like what you're about to hear."

“When do we ever?" Mantis said snarkily, reminding them of every other time Gizmo had given them news.

The Tinker Mole shuffled around precariously, searching for a few collections of stones nearby. Gizmo rolled the collection of pebbles in his claws and set them onto the dusty ground. 

The varying stones glowed amber with Craft, flickering brightly in the dull air as they projected embers into the sky like stars. Hawkins couldn't help but become mesmerised, noting the similarities between Gizmo and Odi's choice of storytelling by using his Craft. Despite the repetition, the Tinker Moles version was much more eerie.

"As I'm sure you're aware, your...friend tried to contact the Gadgeteers guild using Hammerlocke: the oldest translation to use."

 "So?" Mantis interrupted rudely, glaring away from the flashy Craft.

His Craft shifted into flames of silhouetted Tinker Moles tapping with shovels and pickaxes to communicate before heading to the next tunnel. This habit became a fully fledged language and was carved out and issued to every Tinker Mole clan. But eventually it became obsolete as technology developed at a rapid pace. Hammerlocke was forgotten and replaced.

"So, any Tinker Mole worth their Craft would realise that this irregular method would raise alarm to any idiot manning the already damaged comms. Not to mention that damnable Sand Wraith."

Hawkins couldn't help but shudder, feeling like he had been dunked in a bucket of ice water. He was frozen in shock despite already being told of his mentor's transgressions.

"But...Hack's a Mediator. Surely-"

"Do you truly think my kind would care about what standing he held here? He is a war criminal, an outcast and he deserved his fate and worse!" Gizmo snapped, his Craft causing the stones to rattle with overpowered fire.

"Why my brother sided with him is beyond me…"

Hawkins couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, Gizmo's mutterings proving how little he didn't know about the Sand Wraiths or Hack himself. But just like Wisp he'd have to wait for answers.

The Craft began to flicker, the Tinker Mole projection becoming more agitated as the communications device went down after sending a very familiar message. It was a warning just before Axis went into lockdown. A wanted poster of Cricket and Hack.

"No matter the cause, the Gadgeteers guild adamantly refused his request but sent an Axis wide warning, not only about L'echanter but the Kinslayer as well. This is why no one has come to your aid which is both a good and bad thing."

"How in Hellgrind's great grinding gnashers is that a good thing?" Mantis interrupted rudely, resting against the foundations of abandoned houses and businesses. 

Hawkins' mouth tweaked upwards, noting how Hack's turn of phrase had been getting to the others. Mantis said nothing, warming her hands against a small fire they had made by asking Hazard to offer to light them with his fur.

"Well, for one thing it gives Cricket less fodder to work with. Another is that she had a harder time locating you thanks to my brethrens over usage of Crafting. Her Trait gets confused due to its...similarities." Gizmo explained, the Mediator only half believing in his words.

The black grimoire began to heat up at the mention of his Craft, reminding Hawkins of the few times it had done so as if it were a dragon who could detect lies. This was different from its anger or happiness but felt more curious or disbelieving in what he had been told.

Of course, Gizmo being a Snakecharmer meant he had a way of convincing people but his time with Memoriam wasn't wasted. He didn't always listen to it but every time it voiced its opinions the only way he could it was very difficult to ignore.

"What's the bad news?" Hazard asked, grumbling as he reminded Gizmo of his own words.

Despite only half listening to the conversation in favour of a nice rest, the Firestep wolf resting near the group was more alert than ever. Mantis had agreed to keep lookout this time, her Windswept grimoire sending gusts around the area to help detect where things were or who might be lurking in wait.

Thea meanwhile had enough of doing nothing and had decided to help heal Hawkins wherever she could as a thank you. He stretched a little, still exhausted but he had the feeling back in his left arm. 

The blisters on his hands had soothed enough to use them again and the lack of pain in his chest allowed him to breathe without complaint. He couldn't help but feel grateful to the little Thyraxian but she didn't want thanks, only returning the favour for what he had done to help her partner.

Despite the good mood Gizmo was anything but chipper, his dour expression alluding to the 'bad news' that Hazard had asked about. His Craft began to dim, the bright glow ominously changing to a detailed visual of the area they had once used as a campsite.

"My fellow Enforcers have all been forced to turn into Traunts."

His Craft immediately focused on the group of entrapped Traited near a strange spider web like prison. It was made from a familiar emerald mist and a strange mix of metal chains that obviously put Mantis on edge. The Swarm had a previous leader with a similar ability but no one recognised the style of Trait used to entrap their comrades.

"How?" Hawkins said, daring to ask as the others remained in abject silence.

The mood had immediately darkened, the group looking incredulously at the repeating images as if not quite believing what they saw. Hawkins turned his head away from the visceral sight of the Truants, lying abandoned like trash on a road. They were still alive but it was obvious to see what had happened to them.

"Cricket...she's removing their grimoires by force." Hazard confirmed eerily, his eyes wide before jerking his head away quickly.

Hawkins knew the look in the Firestep wolf's eyes, the shame of witnessing such an event before and allowing it to happen. Thea screeched at the sight of Cricket prying a mottled brown grimoire out of sheer thin air before forcing Barnstormer herself to imbed it into her own chest.

The Forger Craft didn't spare any detail and the harrowing sight of seeing not one but four Traited being forced to transform into a being not quite themselves was...sickening. Hawkins clutched the black grimoire tightly, his vision swimming with the memories of the Enforcers he had seen only hours ago.

He had known who they were but the fact he hadn't had the chance to stop their transformation hit him in the pit of his stomach. Much like Cricket, he had seen the Enforcers in the same light and had hoped he could help them. But things in this world weren't so clear cut and accepting that was a hard thing to do.

"Yet you want to save her?" Mantis said in a small voice, not angry but terrified at the prospects of achieving such a goal.

Visibly shaking, it was obvious to see how unsure she was of her own decisions, herself and the situation. Hawkins couldn't help but feel like he failed, comparing the difference between what Rin did to help her brother but far worse.

He couldn't help but remember Odi's words and how Cricket was mutilating it to suit herself. It was like butchering someone's chest and carving out their heart with a blunt knife, using her Tarragon to torture them to summon their grimoire by force. 

Due to the nature of the contracts, the partner felt the full effects of the process and it was excruciating. No wonder none of the Enforcers survived if Cricket was ripping their souls out of their bodies.

"What about...Odi?" Hawkins asked, almost too afraid to hear the answer.

Gizmo's expression was all he needed to know.

"The dragon is being kept with the others but refuses to give the Betwitcher the knowledge she needs to transfer souls properly. She cannot resurrect them without it and tearing out grimoires isn't exactly proving fruitful."

Hawkins' anger rose to the surface at Gizmo's insensitive behaviour towards 'the dragon' as he put it. But the thought of an already injured Scale Shrieker dragon being tortured for information made his blood boil.

"Why not?" Mantis asked hesitantly, not sure she really wanted to know.

Gizmo sighed loudly but surprisingly she didn't show an ounce of anger. Hawkins decided to explain just in case the Tinker Mole decided to push her buttons further.

"Remember what Odi said? Your Trait is the mind. Your grimoire is the heart. The bond between the two is your soul. There's some kind of disconnect within the Overtaken but I don't know what."

Gizmo nodded thoughtfully, his head in his claws but there was a slight edge in his voice. He knew Cricket was looking in the wrong place but there was nothing tangiable within the grimoire to prove there was no soul intact. Just pages and pages of nothing. An empty vessel.

"So while her Trait works on the dragon, Cricket continues to pry grimoires from their owners with her own to try and réparer her siblings. Eventually, she will come for you."

Hawkins stomach lurched but there was no denying the fact Cricket's attention was solely on him. It had been from the start but that didn't make his anxiety any better.

"Is that why you left her? The Bewitcher, I mean." Thea intervened, flitting in and out between the Mediator and her partner. 

Gizmo said nothing, nodding in confirmation as his body language became much smaller and closed in as if introverted and wary of answering yes to such a question. Deciding to change the question, the Tinker Mole reluctantly confessed to why he had joined Cricket in the first place.

"My nephew. Cricket is only keeping Gidget alive because of me. She thought I knew how to get through to Odi. I might've gleaned some knowledge from her-"

"Stolen more like." Mantis retorted, reminding him of his own interruptions.

"But even I only know so much." Gizmo said, his melancholic tone sounding strange compared to his usual mocking.

Hazard couldn't help but roll his eyes, yawning a little at the Tinker Moles statement.

"Of course she did since you constantly brag about it. Looks like your charm failed."

Mantis couldn't help but laugh at the Firestep wolf's dig towards Gizmo's Snakecharmer ability. He didn't seem to care, taking it as a cue to continue his conversation.

"Indeed. I know about grimoires but even the Gardiens de Trait is out of my capabilities. Gidget remains a prisoner along with your friends until I give her the proper resurrection process. So, that is why I came to you: Mediator Hawkins."

Despite his extensive knowledge with grimoires and Trait in general, when it came to these Guardians of Trait he was completely stumped. The only vague assumption he could make was that the chains in the Lockbind were involved with them somehow. Seven chains, fourteen candidates.

 If Gizmo knew about it from Odi then it wasn't too much of a stretch to say Hack knew too. Perhaps this is what they all had in common and due to the nature of the Lockbind had to keep quiet. The irony of the situation was almost laughable. If they hadn't destroyed Grimmordeals then maybe they'd have a lot more information.

Taking a breath he tried to process the nuggets of conversations he had with Odi, Hack and anything else that might help. Every hesitation, half lie and avoidance of the question that stood out to him made him pause for thought until his theory came to fruition. 

Stretching a little, he shook his shoulders and winced as his arm overstretched a little. The Seven Principles. It was the only half baked idea he had and with regards to the black grimoires abnormality and these crazy notions of 'Guardians' needed some kind of order. The only hint of such a discussion was back when they created a Triad. But Gizmo didn't need to know that.

“Then we’ll just have to find out ourselves." He confirmed, standing up with a groan as he shuffled his feet to get them going again.

The Tinker Mole gaped at him, incredulous that the once timid Mediator he had heard about had made a decision so quickly. 

"How? It is not exactly common knowledge and even if you could Grimmordeals is-"

He was interrupted by a loud yawn and an over exaggerated stretch as Mantis joined him in standing up and making sure to be as dramatic as possible.Just to mock the Tinker Mole a little.

"It's not a matter of could. After all, anything that can happen, will happen."

Hazard gave a wolfish grin and joined in on the fun.

"Anything that can't is down to your own self mentality."

Hawkins couldn't help but laugh, the pang in his chest reminding him of the last time Odi had spoken those words. She had taught all of them regardless of their background, history or differences. 

From half elves to Sand Wraiths and even a group of adversaries turned allies she taught them all equally about the Seven Principles and the diverse nature of their Traits. The fact he had forgotten and they had taken her words to heart made him hurt but a lot more hopeful that they could overcome this situation. Together.

"Alright then. Let's start a jailbreak."