The howling wind was followed by a much more subdued and brief thrumming, along with an ominous build-up that could only be associated with powerful magic. The result was nowhere near as alarming as the rabbit's appearance--it was easy to miss the change on first glance. Kneeling off to one side, yet distinctly above the ground itself, was a small figure in foreign clothing, apparently cataloguing every minor error with the previous teleportation.

The clothes, though resembling Nori's, appeared far more expensive: when it caught the light, white rabbit-like shapes could be seen in the fine blue silk, and no practical clothing would ever have such long sleeves or as elaborate a belt. The person wearing it was distinctly familiar, since her face was on one of Candaeln's many portraits.

Merilia, former Knight-Witch of the Iron Roses, had returned. Only, it obviously wasn't in body: the descending flour fell straight through her and she cast no shadow. It seemed that Akitsushima was too much to her tastes for the archmage to leave for good.