ã€ŠSanctum of the Worldã€‹


 Are we There Yet?

    ¡°Wake up, little one,¡± says the soft voice.

    Amethyst opens her eyes and looks around. Her surroundings had changed so much since she drifted off for her nap. She untangles herself from the soft auburn hair and sits on the Elf¡¯s shoulders, looking around. There¡¯s a salty echo of the sea in the mist. The air is humid from recent spring rain. They are walking along a path through dense forest. The wood is alive with the cheerful sounds of nature. The trees are a combination of tall redwoods, maple, and dogwood.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± she chimes in a soft, crystalline voice.

    ¡°Lantafalma.¡± Lyric, the Elf, replies.

    The Fae glances at her companion. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a Human place. I thought you said we were going to Earth. Last I heard, there were no Elves left on that world.¡±

    Lyric chuckles softly, making the pixie-sized creature on her shoulder bob up and down. ¡°We are on the mortal plane, little one. This place is special.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± chimes the crystalline voice.

    ¡°This is one of the rare regions of concentrated magic in this world. It holds the last known portal to The Sanctum.¡±

    ¡°Lantafalma, I like the sound of it.¡± The Fae creature smiles.

    The Elf smiles back. ¡°I¡¯m glad you approve. We¡¯ll be staying here for a while.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the small creature squeaks on her shoulder. The raised voice is a high-pitched tone nearly out of Human range. Lyric winces slightly.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± the small creature blushes.

    ¡°I understand your surprise, but we need to scout the area before we attempt to use the portal here. We¡¯ve not heard from The Sanctum in decades. We must be cautious. Humans here dislike strangers setting up camp, so I have secured lodging.¡±

    Amethyst stands up, holding on to the Elf¡¯s ear to make sure not to fall off as they enter a clearing and approach a small cottage. It¡¯s a quaint little place, only really suitable for one person. The elegant walls are made of polished local stone with stained glass windows and a clay tile roof. Elven architecture inspired its ornate design, as it blends in with the surrounding forest. In this form, the Fae doesn¡¯t take up a lot of space, so the single-bedroom cottage will be more than enough for the Elf to sleep in.

    They step through a beautifully crafted wooden door with a stained glass window. Amethyst admires the craftsmanship. They cut and shaped the pieces to look like a blooming flower on a vine.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to stay here at least overnight.¡± Her Elven companion comments. You may not have been walking all this time, but for me, it¡¯s been a long journey.¡±

    Amethyst hops off her companion¡¯s shoulders and flies throughout the cottage. Exploring the various nooks and crannies. She returns in a few moments as her companion is unpacking her travel bag into a small dresser in the bedroom.

    ¡°There are things in this cottage I¡¯ve not seen before.¡± The flying creature reports.

    Lyric chuckles. ¡°Humans here have inventions many in the other realms have not seen before. What they lack in mystical ability, they¡¯ve compensated for with technology.¡±

    ¡°Techno-what?¡± asks the small purple glowing figure floating in front of Lyric¡¯s face.

    ¡°Technology, here, make yourself larger, so I can show you.¡±

    The fairy lands on the ground, and expands to medium size, appearing much like a meter and a half young teen. She could easily be mistaken for a Human girl of fourteen or fifteen years of age.

    As her eyes dim down to a crystalline amethyst colour. She looks up at the Elf. ¡°Is this big enough?¡±

    Lyric nods, looking at her companion, truly seeing the Fae for the first time. The girl¡¯s skin is a soft white, like mother-of-pearl or polished porcelain. She wears a soft purplish off-white long-sleeve shoulder-less tunic. An embroidered cream doe-leather vest is tied to her body like a corset, making the bottom of the tunic appear to be a skirt. The embroidery on the arms of the tunic resembles silvery-white flowers and vines, matching the patterns on the vest. Her outfit has changed since they first met, denoting an Elven influence.

    Covering the girl¡¯s legs are lilac leggings ending in a pair of soft cream-coloured flats. She could be mistaken for a Human girl dressed up as a princess. Her amethyst eyes, peaked ears, and pastel rainbow shoulder-length hair are the true tells that this girl may not be entirely Human. As Amethyst is tying her hair up in a tall pony tail, her gossamer lilac wings unfold and flap to air themselves out. They move naturally and definitely won¡¯t be mistaken as a prop.

    ¡°You will have to hide your wings when out in public.¡± Lyric reminds her.

    ¡°Hide my wings?¡± they flutter as she objects.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to pass your gossamer dragonfly wings as a costume. They¡¯ll be too noticeable. Until we reach The Sanctum, humanity shouldn¡¯t see your natural form.¡±

    The fairy pouts and sighs. ¡°Fine,¡± she chimes in a crystal voice, and folds the wings about her torso. The wing pattern blends into her bodice, looking to be a mere decoration on the vest.

    ¡°And your ears,¡± pointing out that, with her hair now tied up, the points of her ears are too noticeable.

    Amethyst frowns. Her eyes glow as she concentrates. She pushes her index fingers on her ear tips and they round down. ¡°Better?¡±

    The Elf nods. ¡°Would you be able to do that with mine as well? So that I don¡¯t have to worry about hiding my long ear-tips in my hair?¡±

    The fairy nods and motions for the Elf to lean forward. The woman leans down, bowing to the Fae. Again Amethyst¡¯s eyes glow, with a touch of her hands the Elf¡¯s ears and face take on a more Human appearance.

    Amethyst steps back, ¡°The glamour won¡¯t last more than a few days. I¡¯ll have to do this again if we stay here longer.¡±

    The Elf nods, ¡°Thank you, my friend.¡±

    The girl nods and smiles, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡±

    ¡°That and so much more,¡± Lyric comments to herself.

    The girl turns to look at the big grey screen on the wall beside her, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Lyric stands and follows her gaze, ¡°That is a television.¡±

    ¡°Tel-e-vi-sion,¡± the fairy repeats slowly, turning the word around on her tongue. ¡°What does it do?¡± Her eyes sparkle with wonder and excitement.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°It¡¯s a form of entertainment,¡± the Elf smiles, picking up a small, hand-sized thin box. ¡°This remote controls the wall display,¡± she points at the buttoned device in her hand.

    To demonstrate, she pushes the red button at the top of the small box, and the wall lights up in moving colour and sound. The girl gasps, eyes wide as she gazes at the screen in amazement. ¡°It¡¯s like an illusion!¡± she cocks her head to the side, ¡°but flat.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a quick and simple way of looking at what this does, yes. These are public broadcasts, including news, information and entertainment. The remote allows you to choose a show or performance that you like.¡±

    ¡°Can you interact with the illusion?¡± the girl ponders out loud, touching the screen gently.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just something to watch. If you want to interact with entertainment, you need one of these.¡±

    Lyric moves over to the kitchen¡¯s island counter. Beside a strange-looking book, she picks up another slim box with a glass face, turns around and hands it to the fairy.

    ¡°This is a cell phone. Humans primarily use it for communication, but it can do much more. You can perform other tasks such as searching for information, and playing games,¡± she presses the power button before releasing it.

    Amethyst looks at it in wonder as the device shows an animated logo. Flashes the lock screen with the time, date, and weather, then goes dark. The girl stares at the darkened glass face, and then back at her companion, ¡°How does it work?¡±

    ¡°Press the dimple at the bottom of the screen.¡±

    Amethyst does so and the screen lights up again. The device chimes, startling her, and she nearly drops it.

    ¡°Careful, those can be expensive to replace. You don¡¯t want to break it.¡±

    The Fae nods, looking the device over. ¡°What strange writing...¡± she mumbles. Her eyes glow as she whispers a spell and then smiles, ¡°There, now it¡¯s legible.¡±

    The Elf looks at her small companion in amazement. ¡°If only I could translate things with a mere incantation,¡± she mumbles. It took Lyric decades to learn only one or two of the human tongues. When she can, the Elf borrows a Comprehend Languages scroll, but it¡¯s not a spell she can cast on her own.

    Lyric patiently shows Amethyst how the cell phone works. Noting that, when she¡¯s in the mortal realm, she can¡¯t just send off a Message spell. ¡°This is how Humans talk to one another over long distances.¡±

    For those who may not know, Fae love shiny things, and Amethyst is enthralled with this new device. Lyric shows her how to change the colours of the display to what she likes. The Elf produces a similar device from a belt pouch and shows the Fae how to contact each other by voice or text. Once she covers the basics of the device, Lyric shows her some simple things that might amuse her friend ¡ª of course, the Gems game would be the one the Fae enjoys the most. Once convinced that the Fae could use the cell phone without breaking it, Lyric stands up.

    ¡°There is a bigger version of this over here on the counter,¡± she walks over to the strange book, and opens it.

    Amethyst looks up from her game as the screen lights up. The flat image resembles the ¡®television¡¯ on the wall, but the bottom of the open book bears lettered buttons. Tied on a cord to the book is a strange palm-sized ovoid.

    ¡°The mouse is used to move this pointer on the screen.¡±

    Amethyst blinks, then looks around the room, her eyes glowing slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t detect a mouse.¡±

    Lyric chuckles, ¡°This ovoid object, the Humans call it a ¡®mouse¡¯. It¡¯s not a real mouse, it only helps move the little arrow on the screen like this... ¡±

    ¡°Why do they call it a mouse?¡± the Fae probes as she¡¯s shown how it works.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, little one. Humans have odd names for many of the things they¡¯ve created.¡±

    ¡°Such strange creatures,¡± the Fae muses.

    ¡°That¡¯s putting it lightly,¡± the Elf giggles.

    The Fae becomes enthralled as Lyric shows her how this strange book device that the Elf calls a ¡®laptop¡¯ works. Lyric smiles as Amethyst giggles over the name. As a mystical creature, she wasn¡¯t expecting the Fae to catch on to Human technology so quickly, but the cunning little fairy seems to connect with the laptop on a level she¡¯s only seen few possess. Soon, the curious girl is showing her things on the device that the Elf hadn¡¯t even learned yet. What was the term her Human friends once used? Oh, yes... geek. Her little fairy friend was a natural geek. That could prove to be both advantageous and problematic ¡ª seeing as how curious Fae can be.

    When convinced Amethyst won¡¯t likely break the laptop, Lyric stretches and yawns. ¡°I¡¯m going to grab something to eat and get some rest. Unlike you, little lazy one, I¡¯ve been walking most of the day. Luke assured me that Angel would restock the icebox when I called ahead and told them of our arrival.¡±

    The fairy pouts, ¡°Walking is boring, and you can¡¯t keep up with me when I¡¯m flying.¡±

    The Elf chuckles, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think anyone can keep up with you when you¡¯re flying. Even at a full run, you still move faster than I can.¡±

    Lyric walks around the counter to a large ornate cast-iron box. Brass inlays form vines and leaf-like designs, making it as attractive as it is functional. The chest has two doors in the front. The Elf opens the large bottom door, pulling out some fresh lettuce and vegetables to make a salad.

    ¡°Can I help?¡± Amethyst volunteers.

    ¡°Gather some bowls out of the cupboard there,¡± pointing to her left. ¡°If you want some, I¡¯ll make enough salad for two.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± the Fae chimes.

    As Lyric dices up the vegetables into smaller morsels. The girl bounces over to the cupboard and looks up. They designed the kitchen for adults. At only a meter and a half, there is no way to reach the cupboard handle at her height. After hopping a few times, she sighs. Her eyes glow as she reaches up again, this time growing in size to the same height as her companion. She removes two stoneware bowls from the cupboard. Turning around, her eyes dim as she shrinks back to her previous size. The girl hums to herself as she places the bowls on the counter.

    Lyric glances over and chuckles, ¡°Most people would have asked for help, or gotten a stool or chair. The cutlery is in the drawer beside the wash basin.¡±

    ¡°That would have taken too long,¡± Amethyst retorts playfully while pulling open the drawer. She gathers two forks, then sits down on a bar stool. She watches her companion mix the salad in a large bowl before portioning it out between the two of them.

    The Elf goes back to the ¡®ice box¡¯ and removes a small bottle, pouring sweet-smelling liquid onto her salad. ¡°Care for some dressing?¡±

    The Fae nods and watches as the liquid is poured.

    The salad dressing, as the Elf calls it, is deliciously sweet and tangy at the same time.

    The two converse about their plans for the next day while eating: Check out the portal, see if it¡¯s still active as her contacts have assured, then make contact with someone on the other side. Hopefully, the day will go as simple as the plan sounds. Originally Lyric was going to scout alone, but the fairy insists on joining her, not wanting to be alone in this strange place.

    The Elf doesn¡¯t object. She¡¯s learned in their months-long journey that it is pointless to argue with the energetic little creature. While the girl seems very pleasant and outgoing, one does not cross the Fae. The one time she saw Amethyst lose her temper, it was a frightening experience.

    She studies her companion, thinking that the term ¡®girl¡¯ probably isn¡¯t completely accurate. The Fae appeared to be a young thing, but who knew just how old she actually was? When she shifted to adult size, the Fae ¡®aged¡¯, resembling a young adult. Appearances can be deceiving for long-lived races. As an Elf, Lyric is already a few centuries in age, but by Human standards, she resembles your average twenty-year-old. It¡¯s quite possible that the Fae is the same age, or even older. She read that fairies never truly age. The elders of the Forest Fairy village didn¡¯t look much older than the children running around them. For all she knew, Fae live millennia like the Elves, or may not die of old age at all. As closely as her clan had worked with the Fae from the Forest Realm, they never truly knew their mystical cousins.

    What Lyric knew of her companion is that Amethyst has talents in the arcane ¡ª unlike her surface cousins who revere nature. Amethyst is a Grotto Fae who lives underground. The fairy¡¯s power seems to be focused through gems and crystals. Like the silver-wire-wrapped gemstone that bears her name around her neck. She carries more with her in a small pouch. Although Lyric preferred working with a woodland fairy, the elders chose Amethyst for her abilities, insisting they needed her.

    ¡°So, who¡¯s going to do the dishes?¡± the Elf asks once done eating.

    Amethyst waves her hands over the dirty bowls, and the bits of food and dressing disappear. The Fae then snaps her fingers and the bowls vanish.

    ¡°There, done and put away,¡± she beams, hops off the stool, and picks up the phone to explore it more.

    ¡°Well, I guess I don¡¯t have to explain how a dishwasher works with you around then,¡± Lyric grins. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest. We may have a long day tomorrow. Try not to stay up too late.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± the Fae smiles, poking at the screen in her small hands, already absorbed in her game of Gems.

    ¡°Like a magpie, drawn to shiny and pretty things.¡± Lyric shakes her head. So far, Lyric had caught the little creature ¡®acquiring¡¯ things more than once. It was hard to get angry at the fairy, though. Amethyst was not stealing out of greed, mischief, or malice. She was just drawn to the object. More than once in their travels, they picked up a trinket or two that the Elf paid for, as Amethyst was unwilling to part with her new ¡®possession¡¯.

    Amethyst has already been a handful as it is. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that it has been worth it,¡± Lyric muses. She changes out of her dusty travel clothes and slips into a soft, comfortable shift. Pulling back the covers, she reaches out to the side table and turns off the small tulip-shaped lamp, then climbs into bed. She relaxes and lets her mind and body rest. It was so good to be in a safe place for a change.

 Scouting Delayed

    Lyric wakes to the sound of music and voices coming from the living room. She quickly composes herself and cautiously investigates. Opening the bedroom door, she sees Amethyst in an off-white tunic and pant set dancing around. Glancing to her right, she discovers the source of the sounds. The fairy discovered the fitness channel and is working out to a dance aerobics broadcast. The elf smiles. ¡°Well, Amethyst seems to be having no trouble adapting to her new environment.¡±

    Feeling hungry, Lyric moves over to the icebox, pulls out some yogourt, milk, a banana, and some berries, then sets them on the counter. From a bottom cupboard, she pulls out a small bag of <mark>chia</mark> seeds and protein powder. From another bottom cupboard, she pulls out the blender. ¡°Time for a morning power shake,¡± she smiles to herself. Something the Humans had introduced her to two decades ago. After filling the glass pitcher with her breakfast, she hits the ¡®Smoothie¡¯ setting and puts what is no longer needed away.

    Amethyst hadn¡¯t been paying much attention at this point until the blender started. The TV suddenly grows quiet. The next thing Lyric knows, the girl is beside her, looking intently at the blender.

    ¡°What is that?¡± she gasps, her purple eyes wide with wonder.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a blender. It¡¯s used to quickly mash and mix food into a liquid you can consume.¡±

    As the ¡®Smoothie¡¯ preset finishes, the blender beeps and stops. Lyric reaches up and grabs a large glass from the cupboard, then turns to her companion.

    ¡°Did you want to try some?¡±

    The Fae nods, and Lyric pulls out a smaller glass, unsure if the girl will like the drink or not. It¡¯s a bit of an acquired taste. She pours the small glass, her own, and then sets to rinsing out the pitcher. She places it in the dry rack and turns to get her drink. Amethyst, by now, has finished her small glass, and looking at Lyric¡¯s drink hungrily.

    ¡°You enjoyed that, did you?¡± she probes and the Fae grins while nodding. ¡°Sorry, I only made enough for one.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the girl pouts slightly. Before she can offer to make amends, the <mark>Fae¡¯s</mark> expression changes, ¡°Then we¡¯ll just create another.¡± She snaps her fingers, and a copy of Lyric¡¯s full glass appears beside it. She takes the copy, leaving the original for the Elf to drink and sits down on the couch humming to herself.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be!¡± The Elf chuckles to herself. ¡°So that¡¯s why you only take samples and small portions. I wondered how you never went hungry during our journey. You don¡¯t need to cook. You just duplicate any food you see?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± the Fae smiles. She has a frothy moustache, as she enjoys her shake, ¡°but I do know how to prepare food when I need to.¡±

    Lyric smiles and joins her on the couch. She regards her companion, ¡°Did you sleep last night?¡±

    ¡°Was I supposed to?¡± the Fae turns the question around. ¡°The day cycle is so short on this world. I slept enough during our trip.¡±

    The Elf shakes her head, wondering if she should worry about what the curious creature could have gotten into last night. The cottage is still standing, so it wasn¡¯t destructive, she muses. She switches on the weather channel to make sure it is going to be favourable to venture out today. She frowns as the woman on the screen talks about the hills surrounding them.

    ¡°Well, unless you want to go scouting in the rain, Little One, we¡¯re better off staying inside where it¡¯s warm and dry today.¡±

    The Fae glances at her companion and objects. ¡°I thought the weather didn¡¯t bother Wood Elves?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we can go out in the rain if you like. But, when given the choice, we don¡¯t enjoy scouting in the pouring rain where visibility is limited.¡±

    As if to prove her point, they hear a rumbling outside as the storm pours down from the mountain. The room darkens, and the round stained glass window is soon pelted with rain.

    Amethyst looks disappointed, ¡°Oh, alright.¡±

    As the storm continues, the two make the best of their situation. They, fortunately, don¡¯t lose power; not that she thinks this cottage ever could. She¡¯s sure most of the lighting and heat are magical. It allows Lyric time to wash their travel clothes. The washing machine is another new discovery for the Fae, who sits there for several minutes watching the wet clothes tumble through the glass door in the front load washing machine.

    Eventually, Amethyst grows bored and wanders over to the laptop, where she discovers the web browser. There are no more complaints about being bored or not going out after that. Again, Lyric marvels at Amethyst¡¯s aptitude for using technology; the Internet doesn¡¯t seem to be a mystery to her winged friend. Amethyst spends the day reading up on Human culture and locations. Every now and again, she has questions in which Lyric points out where to find the answers.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Of the Humans she¡¯s met on this world, only a few have recognized Lyric as not being one of their kind. Some due to fictional literature that the Humans call ¡®fantasy¡¯, others because of her odd accent and inability to speak their language properly. Humans have both a keen interest and a fear of the mystical and unknown. She¡¯s always cautious to see which side of the pendulum the Human stands on before revealing her true identity. Artisans, mystics, and Bards, like herself, are the most receptive to her presence. They are more curious than afraid of what she is. <mark>Elvenkind</mark> exiled themselves from Earth two millennia ago, long before she was born. She¡¯s a third-generation mortal Elf born in Arvandor. Some would say that a mortal born in the High Heavens is a strange occurrence, but Gaia¡¯s children aren¡¯t the only mortal Elves that live in <mark>Arboria</mark>. Until Humanity is mature enough to accept Gaia¡¯s Firstborn back to Earth, they¡¯ll remain in exile. Lyric has seen some of Humanity¡¯s fear of the unknown firsthand, and wouldn¡¯t wish it on any of her kin.

    The most interesting of mortals that she¡¯s met most recently is Luke Goodson and his family. It didn¡¯t take long for Lyric to ascertain that Luke is a powerful alchemist and half his family are magically adept. She¡¯s known the boy for years now and watched as his family has grown. It was through Luke that she heard of the <mark>Lantalfalma</mark> portal ¡ª or <mark>Fallcrest</mark> as Humans call this place. She¡¯s been unwilling to cross the barrier without aid. It was Luke¡¯s suggestion that she seek others outside of his mortal kin to help her. Through him, she¡¯s discovered a magical society hidden among humanity, but the <mark>Goodson¡¯s</mark> keep themselves distant from other <mark>arcanists</mark> ¡ª as if he doesn¡¯t truly trust his own kind.

    She was both disappointed and surprised when the only aid she could acquire was this little grotto fairy. Certainly, she needed more help than the one Fae could provide, but the guild masters were quite certain that Amethyst would be sufficient to the task. It took months to find a way to contact the creature, and weeks to prepare for the journey. As a protected world, there is no direct route through the planes to Earth, which is why she only returns here every few years. Fortunately, this was not her first trip to this remote mortal world. With her contacts, she was able to bring Amethyst here without encountering many problems. It was a long trip, but here they finally are; ready to venture into the Realm of Sanctum and see for themselves what has happened.

    ¡°You know so much about these people,¡± the Fae comments, breaking Lyric from her thoughts.

    The Elf smiles, ¡°As a Bard and Lore Master, my guild has entrusted me to gather knowledge from the other realms. I¡¯ve been travelling in and out of the Material Plane for the past century, keeping tabs as they make and discover new things. I bring the information back to the Lore Keepers of the Bardic Council for archiving. When the magically attuned mortals split off and formed their own realm a millennium ago, to protect themselves from their fearful mundane cousins, Elves have been keeping tabs on what Humanity does with the knowledge they accrue.¡±

    Amethyst nods, ¡°The Earthen Realm, where I come from, sent our own emissaries to Sanctum; so that we could learn what the mortals were studying. We sadly have not heard from our children in some time¡­ which is why I wanted to be on this mission with you.¡±

    Lyric ponders if the term ¡®children¡¯ is literal or symbolic. It now made sense why the elder Fae were so insistent on sending the Grotto Fairy than one of their own. The Earthen Realm has much more vested interest in this mission than <mark>Arborea</mark>. If she wasn¡¯t such a knowledgeable guide, they may have just let Amethyst find her way here on her own. She¡¯s heard the Fae has tried more than once already. The Bardic Council was adamant that one of their guild accompany the Fae. Not only for Amethyst¡¯s protection, but for cataloguing the event. While the Council has had their doubts, Lyric can¡¯t deny that her Fae companion can well take care of herself. Fortunately, the Fae was glad to have a guide. Lyric, being one of the more knowledgeable of the Human experience, was a natural choice.

    This is a delicate mission. Lyric has discovered on more than one occasion that diplomacy is not one of the <mark>Fae¡¯s</mark> strong points. Amethyst enjoys speaking in riddles and is often more direct than a stranger feels comfortable. Lyric wouldn¡¯t go so far as calling her Fae friend impulsive, but she certainly is not shy. While she appears innocent, Amethyst certainly knows more than she lets on, and has unorthodox methods of getting what she wants.

    This mission, however, doesn¡¯t have room for a misstep. They can¡¯t fail. Gaia¡¯s children need to reconnect to their <mark>homeworld</mark>. The connections to Sanctum shattered a few decades ago. All attempts to <mark>scry</mark> or communicate with the Realm have mostly failed. This connection in <mark>Fallcrest</mark> is the only known link ¡ª on account of the mortals opening it for themselves from Earth. Since then, images from Sanctum come in, disjointed and incomplete. No one has a clear idea of what happened.

    Earth hasn¡¯t been forthcoming or helpful. The Humans have been rather quiet about it. Either they are being secretive, or they are just too busy to bother with the Outer Realms. Lyric worries that the Humans have lost knowledge of the Outer Planes, which is why their missives have gone unanswered. Worlds in the Material Realm often lose contact with the High Heavens. Once a race stops believing in the Gods, their connection to the universe outside of their own can fracture or disappear entirely. Even as the <mark>Goodsons</mark> recognized her race, they didn¡¯t inquire as to her origins. The only one who seemed curious was their youngest child. Lyric eventually named the bright, talented Human Angel. That is a tale which shall be told at another time.

    The Elf stares out the window for a few moments, ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re not out in this storm,¡± she mutters. Lyric should have checked the seasons before offering to join this mission. Spring is wet in this part of the world, and it may have been better to delay the journey by a few months when the ground is dry and travel more favourable. Too late to dwell on that now, though. With them being this close to the portal, there is no way that Lyric can convince the Fae to wait until summer.

    Amethyst hums happily as she plays this adventure game she found. Lyric is glad she¡¯s not bored. Who knows what the Fae could get into otherwise?

    She turns back to the window. Tomorrow they shall find out. The weather bureau forecast shows a break in the rain in the morning. They¡¯ll head out after dawn before the rain resumes late afternoon. From what she¡¯s heard of Sanctum, it never truly rains there. The weather is always favourable. Magic keeps things green and spells are used to water plants when needed. It would be nice to get away from having to worry about the clouds in the skies for a change.

 Arrival

    It¡¯s cool and damp as they step out of the cottage this morning. Dew coats everything and a thin mist covers the ground. It¡¯s not thick enough to obscure everything, so it doesn¡¯t take long for Lyric to find the path Luke had mentioned.

    A few minutes later, the winding path along the river leads them to their destination. Just before the falls, almost in the middle of the river, is a stone platform. One can easily hop from the path onto the platform, without getting their feet wet. In the middle of the platform, stands a stone archway. Its runes glowing brightly in the misty air. A motion to their right draws their attention from the prismatic pattern in the doorway to the river¡¯s edge. There appears to be someone standing along the path. A tall blonde woman stands there smiling, patiently waiting, as if she knew they¡¯d be here today.

    Lyric smiles as she recognizes the young woman in front of them. ¡°Angel, My Child, how did you know that we would be here?¡±

    The blonde woman¡¯s smile brightens, tapping the green stone cabochon on a gold collar. It matches the one that Lyric wears herself. ¡°I have my ways,¡± the woman¡¯s soft, melodic voice chimes as they continue to approach.

    ¡°The friendship stones. How could I have forgotten?¡± Lyric had gifted Angel one a few visits ago. Not only did it help in connecting and sending magical messages, but it also helps in finding its mate when on the same plane.

    ¡°When Daddy asked me to restock the cottage, I just knew it had to be you! I¡¯ve been waiting to feel your presence,¡± the blonde grins.

    The two meet each other in a loving hug. ¡°It¡¯s been too long, My Dear.¡± Lyric smiles, ¡°How have you been?¡±

    Angel takes a step back, still holding the Elf by the shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m doing very well. I¡¯ve finished university. I have a good performing career now, and I¡¯m getting married next month. Please tell me you will stay long enough to be our guest. It would break my heart if you were to miss it,¡± she pouts slightly.

    Lyric smiles. ¡°So, you and your roommate have become that serious, have you?¡± I always thought you two made an adorable couple. Unless situations change, I shall be here to bless your wedding.¡±

    Angel hops back and claps her hands excitedly, her voice almost a song, ¡°Oh, that is wonderful news!¡±

    Her focus then turns to the young teen, who is standing a few steps behind Lyric. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± Angel¡¯s voice fills with curiosity. Her eyes glow momentarily, ¡°She¡¯s very powerful.¡±

    ¡°Now Angel, how many times have I told you to ask before magically assensing someone new?¡± Lyric returns sternly.

    Angel hangs her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am, I was just curious¡­¡±

    All this time, Amethyst has been amazingly patient, just standing there smiling. Lyric wonders what the Fae may be up to. She¡¯s usually not so shy¡­ she turns as the Fae looks up at her expectantly, waiting to be introduced. ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re playing at being polite now, are we?¡±

    She motions for the Fae to walk forward. ¡°This is Amethyst Lily. She is here to help me assess what we need in Sanctum. Amethyst, this is Angel Goodson, an old family friend.¡±

    The Fae smiles and curtsies in response. The small creature replies, ¡°You forgot to add that she¡¯s a powerful Bard and of an ancient bloodline. Likely stronger than you. Surprising, for a Human.¡±

    Lyric blushes and Angel looks a bit surprised at the comment.

    Amethyst¡¯s expression changes. Her tone denotes maturity that belies her youthful face, ¡°You are not the only one that can sense magical auras, Dear Child. Your family must be proud to have such a capable arcanist at such a young age.¡± The blonde woman blinks. Amethyst continues, ¡°Come now, My Dear, be honest. Were you here to merely say hello; or are you just as curious as we are with what lies on the other side of the portal?¡±

    Angel looks between Lyric and Amethyst, blushes, then nods, ¡°My father has never let me enter the portal before, but I am an adult now and no longer live under his house rules.¡±

    Lyric smiles, ¡°and you¡¯ve been looking for an excuse to pay Sanctum a visit, have you?¡±

    Angel blushes more and nods again.

    Amethyst pipes up, ¡°Well then, shall we go through together?¡± She holds out her arms so that they can join hands.

    The two women smile, and each takes a hand. They hop onto the platform and cross the archway¡¯s threshold. A swirling mist of rainbow colours surrounds them as they shift from the Mortal Realm to Sanctum. It takes a moment for the world to materialize. Shifting realms is a lot more complex than other portal spells.

    As they finally arrive on the other side, Amethyst emits a mournful gasp. They are on a large island, floating in a starry void. Ribbons of blue and purple energy weave through the air above and around them. A large building dominates the centre of the island. The place feels green, with lush purplish willow-like trees surrounded by stone paths, tailored landscaped hedges, and flower gardens. Debris and other islands float nearby, hinting this place was once larger than it is. While there is a definite feeling of up and down. They can¡¯t help but feel the island is tilted slightly compared to their surroundings.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Amethyst squeaks, releasing their hands. ¡°Oh no, oh no, oh no!¡± she continues. ¡°By the Stars, what has happened here?¡± her voice is a high-pitched whine.

    She steps forward, changing to her natural form as her wings spread out. With a flutter, she takes off like a rocket. She¡¯s leaving a trail of sparkling purple dust as she quickly climbs into the night sky, slowly circling further and further away.

    ¡°You declined to comment that Amethyst was Fae in your introduction,¡± Angel notes as she watches the stream of purple becoming harder to track.

    ¡°When she called you ¡®child¡¯, how did you not figure that she was more than Human?¡± Lyric replies, her Elven eyes more adept at tracking the Fae.

    ¡°Oh, with her skin colour and purple eyes, I figured she wasn¡¯t quite Human. I know someone else like her, but they are wingless and a far different creature than Ms. Lily.¡±

    Lyric looks pensive for a moment. The only other porcelain-skinned purple-eyed creature in the Human realm that she¡¯s ever known was¡­ ¡°You are speaking of Countess M¨¦lodie de La Rivi¨¨re, aren¡¯t you? That was way before your time. How do you know that woman?¡±

    Angel is straining to see if she can still follow Amethyst, ¡°If we¡¯re speaking of the same woman, she goes by the name of Melody Rivers. She married my former neighbour, and I attended their wedding last spring. Not only has she helped springboard my career, but how am I not to know one of the most famous women in San Marino?¡±

    ¡°Famous?¡± Lyric blinks in surprise, ¡°Again? Do you know what she really is?¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Angel chuckles, ¡°You really need to drop by more than a few times a decade to keep up with Human celebrities, you know. I¡¯ll fill you in with the details later, but I have an idea that Melody is not quite Human. I know that she¡¯s quite powerful and filthy rich! Where do you think that fairy went?¡±

    ¡°Assessing the damage,¡± Lyric replies with a sad note. ¡°By her emotions, before she took off, she was quite upset.¡±

    Angel regards Lyric pensively, ¡°Right. You¡¯re an Empath, like another Bard I know.¡± She looks up, trying to see if she can find where the fairy went, ¡°To say it with that level of certainty, she must be really upset.¡±

    As they wait, Lyric continues with her questions. ¡°M¨¦lodie de La Rivi¨¨re is at least four centuries old from what I¡¯ve been able to follow in Human history. Every few decades she pops up, usually as some sort of artist or entertainer ¡ª though she¡¯s an incredible archeologist. As you¡¯ve noticed, she does very much resemble our fairy friend: pale skin, purple eyes, and usually wearing an amethyst pendant. Though she changes her hair and eye colour slightly, to hide the fact that she is the same person. As a Lore Master, the resemblances are too close to imply good genetics. Is that how you made the connection?¡±

    At this point, Angel has given up searching the sky, ¡°Well, currently she¡¯s a digital artist and animation specialist. She was the artistic director of a high-profile science fiction film last year. Her charm and connections helped my friend and former neighbour, Penny, climb the celebrity ranks, rather quickly, I might add. With her assistance, I¡¯ve recorded an album that has soared the charts reaching gold and soon platinum recognition. Last I heard, they live in some spooky neighbourhood in the hollows, or something like that, instead of some ritzy house in Del Rey Valley. ¡±

    ¡°Spooky Neighbourhood?¡± inquires the Elf. ¡°Does Blightwood ring a bell?¡±

    ¡°That sounds familiar,¡± Angel nods.

    ¡°You realize what lives there, don¡¯t you?¡± Lyric probes.

    ¡°Creepy people?¡± Angel responds with a shrug. ¡°All I know is that it¡¯s always gloomy. The very air feels unpleasant. There is something about the Victorian-style houses that raises the hairs on your neck; like you¡¯re always being watched. Some of them look to be older than you,¡± she smirks.

    Lyric returns a wry smile, ¡°Ever the comedian, like your father.¡± Her expression changes, ¡°The area is a hive for vampires.¡±

    ¡°Those exist?¡± Angel blinks.

    ¡°Unfortunately so,¡± the Elf replies worriedly. ¡°When was the last time you saw your friend Penny?¡±

    ¡°Shortly after the wedding, when we released my album. She was really happy. While powerful and influential, Melody¡¯s never come across to me as a threat. In fact, she¡¯s very attractive, friendly, and really fun to hang around with. It¡¯s easy to see why Penny fell in love with her.¡±

    ¡°Then how would you explain how old this Melody is?¡± the Elf argues.

    ¡°How do you explain to others how old you are?¡± she turns the question around on Lyric.

    ¡°I am a Wood Elf. We live longer than Humans do.¡±

    ¡°So, Melody isn¡¯t entirely Human? It doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s evil just because she lives in a creepy neighbourhood. Maybe she just likes her privacy? The press doesn¡¯t like going there at all.¡±

    Lyric looks pensive, ¡°I need to do some more research.¡±

    Their conversation is interrupted as a purple explosion lands in front of them and coalesces into Amethyst. The fairy looks up at the two women with a forlorn face.

    ¡°This is just absolutely horrible! So little of the realm is left!¡± the fairy whimpers in a defeated tone.

    ¡°There¡¯s enough to keep us going¡­¡± a new voice replies.

    The three turn their attention to the new arrival coming down the path. A woman who resembles their Fae friend approaches. Her Fae ears, pale skin, and purple everything else is unmistakable.

    ¡°Elphaba!¡± the Fae squeaks happily. The girl runs up and hops into the woman¡¯s arms.

    The two hug tightly for a few moments, and the girl¡¯s legs wrap around the woman¡¯s waist. Finally Amethyst breaks the hug, leans back, and looks at the woman, holding on to her shoulders. In order to not let her Fae friend fall, she holds the girl by the waist. ¡°My dear child,¡± Amethyst chimes. ¡°How have you been?¡±

    ¡°We thought we would never see you again, Mother. How did you get here? The portals to the other realms have been closed for so long! We didn¡¯t think you could reach here through the Mortal Realm.¡±

    Amethyst finally releases Elphaba and stands on the ground, ¡°It was difficult, My Child. It¡¯s taken me decades to find the means to reach you. But I¡¯m here now. How are the others?¡±

    ¡°Well, last I saw Ci?l, she was acting as a mage¡¯s familiar¡­¡± the woman responds.

    ¡°And my other children?¡± Amethyst looks hopeful.

    The woman merely shakes her head. A tear welling in her eye. ¡°Outside of a few Pixies, there is one other, but she abandoned the realm centuries ago. Being only Feytouched, I doubt she¡¯s alive anymore. The rest¡­ they¡¯re gone! I don¡¯t know where, but I¡¯ve not been able to find any of them since we¡¯ve started rebuilding.¡±

    Amethyst suddenly falls to the ground, clutching her chest as if badly wounded, ¡°My children! All gone?¡± She looks up, tears streaking down her face, ¡°I sent a dozen of you here, and only the two of you remain?¡±

    The woman slowly, sadly nods her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother. I wish I had better news.¡±

    Amethyst¡¯s voice is a soft, crystalline whisper. ¡°I was hoping there would be more of you left. I am so sorry. Their loss must be as painful to you as it is to me.¡± She slowly stands up, sniffles, and wipes her cheek, ¡°I will mourn their deaths later. There is much work to do. We will work with what and who we have.¡±

    At this point, Angel¡¯s curiosity gets the better of her, ¡°You keep calling everyone your children, but you look to be no more than a young teen, younger than myself.¡±

    Amethyst blinks and looks up at the blonde woman. She looks as if she is about to reply, but breaks out in laughter instead; her crystalline voice a lovely chime, as she can¡¯t stop giggling.

    Elphaba smiles and looks at Angel, ¡°Humans are so comical. I thank you for making our elder laugh. I think she needed that, considering the horrible news she just discovered.¡±

    Angel frowns at them, confused. They¡¯re all smiling. Elphaba elaborates, ¡°As an arcanist, you, above all others, should know that looks can be deceiving. Amethyst Lily is the oldest member of the Realm of Earth. She¡¯s immortal; not a single tale can date when she was born. Amethyst Lily is as old as the Realms have existed. She helped build the ground you stand on¡­ so it is as if someone has stripped her work away from her seeing how little of Sanctum remains.¡±

    Angel looks down at the ground, embarrassed, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I must have sounded so stupid then.¡±

    Lyric offers a sympathetic smile, and Elphaba continues, ¡°It¡¯s not like you knew. Fae don¡¯t age like you do, My Child. I¡¯m Feyborne, about twice the age of our Elven friend here, but Amethyst is nearly as old as time itself. She¡¯s never found a need to appear to be anything older than a young girl. In fact, she¡¯s rarely larger than a foot-tall pixie. I almost didn¡¯t recognize her at first.¡±

    Lyric speaks up, ¡°That would be my doing. I needed to show her how Human items and technology work. Her pixie size would have made it difficult to manage most of what¡¯s in the cottage.¡±

    ¡°Like this cell phone,¡± Amethyst remarks, her giggles now under control. She produces the glass-faced device from some invisible pocket. She frowns, disappointed that there¡¯s no signal here, not quite understanding how radio communications work. She turns to Angel, ¡°I¡¯ve learned that your race has made many amazing things ¡ª fascinating for such a short-lived species.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to take any offence to that comment,¡± Angel smiles. ¡°Like my father and some of the other mages here, I will likely live longer than most Humans do.¡±

    Lyric looks the girl over, ¡°Have your mystics been toying around with time magic again? I had warned Elenarian about the dangers that it possessed.¡±

    Angel merely shakes her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is. My father and our current Arch Mage rediscovered potions that rejuvenate the body and extend our lives.¡±

    Amethyst looks pensive, ¡°Potions? Then some knowledge survived the destruction of this realm? If you¡¯ve recovered some of the more potent alchemical formulae, that is promising.¡±

    Angel continues, ¡°They exiled my father and his friends to Earth before the cataclysm. Apparently, their ancestors saw it coming. They sent a generation of magically attuned children to preserve our ways.¡±

    Elphaba adds, ¡°It is with their knowledge that we have brought order back from the chaos. We have spent much of the effort in the past few years on stabilizing what remains and establishing the magical college. We¡¯ve not had much time to rebuild the Realm itself.¡±

    Amethyst returns a thoughtful nod, ¡°Very well, then. I am needed here. We must find Ci?l. I require her talents in the tasks that lie ahead.¡±

    Elphaba frowns, confused, ¡°The pixie has never shown to be very strong. She merely helps mages learn the arcane arts and study.¡±

    Amethyst returns a cunning smile, ¡°My daughter may not appear to be much to you, but my Ci?l is much more powerful than she will ever let you know. I gave her instructions to keep her powers hidden until needed.¡±

    Elphaba looks almost dejected, ¡°Mother, we could have used those powers a long time ago.¡±

    Amethyst pats the woman on the arm, ¡°Now, now, My Child; the powers of the universe show themselves in mysterious ways. The proper path often lies hidden and riddled with doubt; but if you are observant, the way will present itself. If it were not for Ci?l, none of the realm would have survived. We wouldn¡¯t be standing here today.¡±

    The three women gape at Amethyst in stunned silence as she makes her way toward the large building in front of them. ¡°Summon my Ci?l, you will see what my daughter and I are truly capable of.¡±

 School of Magic

    Amethyst enters the large building noticing about a dozen students and Sages performing various tasks in the learning of magic. She peers through a doorway into what looks to be an alchemy lab. Of the four cauldrons, two are currently in use. An older adult is supervising students in brewing potions. She turns as Elphaba and the two other women catch up to her.

    ¡°Welcome to our school, Mother. This is where we teach Humans the fine arts of the arcane. Since the return of our Sages, we¡¯ve discovered about one percent of the Human population has a magical affinity. Many do not progress very far, but prodigies like our Angel here occasionally come to us with the ability to master many forms.¡±

    ¡°You know of my abilities?¡± Angel returns, surprised.

    ¡°While you¡¯ve never been to this realm before, your family¡¯s talents are well known, My Dear,¡± Elphaba smiles. ¡°Not only do you have your father¡¯s arcane and alchemy gifts, but you¡¯re also a competent Bard. You are very special indeed.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Angel blinks.

    ¡°We had hoped you¡¯d come to The Sanctum to study after high school, but you remained on Earth and went to a mundane university instead,¡± Elphaba remarks.

    ¡°Sorry. Outside of personally teaching me, Daddy never encouraged me to reach out to others beyond our family and friends,¡± she apologizes. She glances at the Elf fondly, ¡°Lyric was my teacher and muse in becoming a Bard.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sad that your father cut ties with most of the magical community. We could use a man of his talents,¡± Elphaba remarks.

    The Fae nods as she watches a group of students reading a large tome. Elphaba follows her gaze. ¡°When we rebuilt this centre of learning, we started off with three primary principles of magic, basically dividing them into layers of complexity. Since then we¡¯ve formed a few sub-schools to help certain students focus on one or two talents, rather than a full range.¡±

    Elphaba points to the group around the tome. ¡°This group recently found an old tome on portals. They¡¯ve been studying the complexities of reopening the Gates to the other realms. I¡¯ve been watching them gathering focus crystals all week. Our overtaxed High Druid suggested opening a permanent Gate to Arborea first, to help regrow land bridges and sow some of our more barren islands. She¡¯s sadly not equipped to handle the work that¡¯s needed between her and her few grove tenders.¡±

    Lyric steps beside Elphaba, ¡°Let me know when they are ready, I¡¯ll return home and see about setting up an anchor at our end to help bridge the gap in the void.¡±

    Elphaba smiles, ¡°That would make our job so much easier, Thank you! We¡¯ve been searching for a way to contact Arvandor. Your arrival is most fortuitous.¡±

    Lyric turns and bows to Amethyst, ¡°Milady, if my service to you has concluded, I ask for your leave. I have enough for my report to the Bardic Council. This would allow me to petition support from the Druid Council for their aid. There is much work to be done to set a dimensional anchor.¡± Angel returns a startled glance. ¡°If I leave now, Sunflower, I just might make it back in time for your wedding.¡±

    Amethyst nods. She brings her hands forward, and concentrates for a moment, moving her hands in a circular motion. A fist-sized moonstone orb forms in her hands. She twists her hands once more and the orb neatly separates in two.

    ¡°Here, you will need this to keep in touch with us. It will be powerful enough to breach the gap in the void.¡± She motions her right hand and half of the orb floats toward Lyric who gently receives it.

    ¡°Never before have I witnessed the creation of a Fae Sending Stone. That was incredible! I thank you for this gift, we shall wait for your instructions.¡± Lyric then turns to the others, ¡°I apologize that my stay here will be brief, but, if all goes well, we shall be in touch soon.¡± She smiles, steps forward and offers Angel a hug, ¡°I won¡¯t miss your wedding if I can avoid it, My Dear. Now there¡¯s a very attractive young man here, don¡¯t let his charms fool you.¡±

    Angel giggles, ¡°I¡¯m engaged to be married to the most amazing redhead I¡¯ve ever met. If my costar couldn¡¯t pry me from her embrace, I doubt some boy has anything to offer me.¡±

    Lyric chuckles and softly punches the blonde woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s the first redhead you ever met, falling in love with your roommate, doesn¡¯t make you immune to the charms of others.¡±

    Angel retorts with a soft poke in the belly, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous because she¡¯s prettier, and stole my heart from you. The next prettiest to my Eva is Rose. My bardic costar is charming, yet she only comes in as a close second to my fianc¨¦e.¡±

    Lyric scoffs, ¡°A Human, prettier than me? You really are smitten,¡± she teases. ¡°My dearest Angel, I have known you since you were but a toddler. You will always be precious to me, as you are part of my family. When your jealous little minx learns that I am no threat to your relationship, she will be part of my family as well. I love you both you know.¡±

    Angel smiles and steps forward for another hug, ¡°I know. Oh, I¡¯ve missed you! I wish you would visit more often.¡±

    Lyric returns the hug, then steps back, slipping the moonstone into a belt pouch. ¡°Well, if this Gate works, then the way between our two realms will be closer. I promise that I will visit more often then.¡±

    Angel smiles, ¡°You better, or I¡¯ll come looking for you¡­ remember your promise, the wedding is in one month,¡± she winks. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your tutelage, I wouldn¡¯t be half the musician I am today.¡±

    ¡°My dearest Angel, I named you such as you have the voice of a Fey choir. You have always had talent, it just needed focus. I shall rejoin you as soon as I am able.¡±

    ¡°Rather than take the long way around, let me help you home,¡± Amethyst offers. She walks to the centre of the foyer and stands in the middle of a magic circle. She hums and whispers in a strange tongue, and a purplish misty portal opens. Lyric studies the portal in stunned silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t create this earlier, but I needed an anchor, to know where it would be safe. This gate will bring you back to where we first met.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°The glyph you etched in the stone that day. Once again I underestimate the power you possess my small friend,¡± Lyric smiles. ¡°I hope our paths shall cross again. I feel I¡¯ve yet to know a portion of your true potential.¡±

    ¡°When we reach the old Gate¡¯s grove, I¡¯ll contact you. I enjoy travelling with you, and these people will need me more in the near future,¡± the Fae winks.

    The Elf raises a finger, and merely smiles, shaking her head, ¡°You always seem to know more than you let on.¡± She places a hand on Angel, ¡°With this Gate home, I will definitely be back for your wedding, My Child.¡±

    Angel beams happily. With a wave, the Elf leaves the School of Magic.

    As the Gate closes behind Lyric, a middle-aged man approaches the group. Elphaba turns to him, ¡°Ah, Simeon, so good to see you. Come, you must meet someone very important to me.¡±

    Elphaba steps forward, taking him by the arm, ¡°Mother, this is our Sage of Practical Arts, Simeon. He was one of the original exiles I spoke about. Simeon this is Amethyst Lilly, our elder Grotto Fae. My call for aid finally reached her!¡±

    Simeon bows to Amethyst, ¡°Milady, so good to meet you. We don¡¯t receive very many non-Human guests these days. Please, if you need anything, let me know.¡± He then steps forward and offers Angel a fatherly hug, ¡°My dear Angel, you have grown so much since I last saw you! So nice to see you on this side of the Gate for a change. Have you finished university yet?¡±

    Angel returns the hug and smiles, ¡°Just this month, Uncle. I now have a degree in computer science, and Eva focused on electronic engineering and robotics.¡±

    Simeon looks impressed, ¡°Magic and the sciences. That¡¯s an interesting combination.¡±

    Angel smiles, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t spend my whole life as an entertainer and musician ¡ª well¡­ I probably could, but I wanted to do something more with my life. I¡¯m not quite the master alchemist my father is.¡±

    Simeon nods, ¡°That¡¯s your brother¡¯s talent, he¡¯ll be a good future CEO for the company. And yes, there are much better things in life than being an entertainer.¡±

    Elphaba notices the undertone in his comment, ¡°Are you still pining after my Feytouched cousin? I told you that she¡¯s probably passed on by now, she was well in her senior years when you were dating.¡±

    Simeon shoots Elphaba a sidelong glance, the annoyance in his eyes and tone are clear, ¡°I can guarantee you that the woman I knew as Melodia de Riviera is still very much alive. I believe Angel knows her as well, seeing as she recently married her best friend. Meeting Penny was a marvel. She¡¯s the most talented latent pupil I¡¯ve had the grace of training in decades. I wish she could have stayed here under our tutelage.¡±

    Angel blinks as she finally makes the connection. She knew Melody was special. Lyric had hinted she may be more than Human. She looks down at Amethyst. Is it possible her best friend¡¯s new wife isn¡¯t even from Earth?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s done with her life,¡± Simeon continues. ¡°But she looks as young as ever and the power she¡¯s shown to us is beyond explanation.¡±

    Amethyst pipes up at this point, ¡°Melody? My Rune Weaver, Melody?¡± Elphaba nods. She looks pensive, ¡°We could use her talents and her song in the rebuilding process. Though, as Elphaba points out, being only Feytouched, I wasn¡¯t expecting her to live this long.¡±

    Simeon continues, ¡°I believe she¡¯s beyond Feytouched at this point. Her powers were cold and steeped in darkness. Something about being the Dark half for the Light half to work for Penny. They wield ancient magic rings. Their combined power makes them one of the most formidable magical forces in the realms. Morgyn is afraid of them.¡±

    Morgyn approaches from upstairs, his wavy blond hair bouncing as he steps, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of them, just concerned for what they can do with their powers. The potential of what they are capable of is frightening.¡±

    Elphaba counters his argument, ¡°Adam and I have already told you more than once, Melody has a loving soul. Even back when you first met her. She couldn¡¯t use her powers for evil, even if she wanted to. If what Simeon says is true? With Penny, they are the balance that could save the Realms and help us rebuild faster. I wish you would just trust her more!¡±

    Morgyn sighs and rolls his eyes, ¡°Yes, yes, they will save us all. It hints of a wonderful epic tale that I¡¯m sure Melody would love to write¡­¡± He scans the room, ¡°Speaking of Adam, where is he?¡±

    ¡°Penny summoned him, she sounded like it was something important. He¡¯s been gone nearly an hour now,¡± Simeon replies.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t commend that he¡¯s teaching her magic and alchemy alone. She should be learning the mystical arts here, in a controlled environment,¡± Morgyn broods. ¡°Lightbringers are rare, we can¡¯t let her talents go to waste.¡±

    ¡°After the loudmouth stunt you pulled, do you think Melody would let any of us come close to her wife? I thank the Stars she¡¯s allowed Adam to teach Penny. She was quite clear that she doesn¡¯t trust you any more than you seem to trust her,¡± Simeon grumbles in a snide remark.

    ¡°I needed to test Melody¡¯s resolve that she was not going to suddenly go on a rampage and destroy us all!¡± Morgyn raises his voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re timing was totally off, we should have gained her trust first,¡± Elphaba snaps back.

    Amethyst steps in, ¡°The Melody that I sent to this realm to teach and learn would have done no harm to a living creature if avoidable.¡±

    ¡°Considering I suspect that she was turned by a Vampire or Warlock, do you think she would still have that softness of heart?¡± Simeon retorts, unconvinced.

    ¡°I¡­ a Vampire?¡± Amethyst blinks startled, and he merely nods.

    ¡°She¡¯s no longer Fey-blooded. Nor does she follow the path of the Light, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Morgyn remarks.

    Angel snaps. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough! The Melody I have met is not a threat! She¡¯s a compellingly beautiful, funny, loving, and compassionate creature¡­ and a bit of a geek if you ask me. Not only did she help springboard my career. She is highly protective of Penny and would give her wife the world if she asked. Their wedding was magical ¡ª literally! In her wedding vows, Melody mourned how she had searched all over the world for ages to find her true love. I¡¯ve seen them a few times since the wedding. They are bound by something strong, a level of love and affection I have rarely seen. They occasionally even act like silly lovesick teenagers. The love they share is pure, wholesome, and unbreakable. I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s not Human! Fae or Vampire, I¡¯ve sensed none of the threat of malice that you are intending in your accusations!¡±

    Silence falls over the group after Angel¡¯s outburst. ¡°What¡¯s a geek?¡± Amethyst chimes, breaking the tension. She looks around, confused, as they laugh.

    Angel smiles and is the first to answer, ¡°A geek, like myself, is someone who enjoys technology, like that cellphone you showed earlier. We revel in using electronics and gadgets. The more proficient of us even know how to build and repair electronic and mechanical devices. The less social of us have a bad habit of using jargon and terms that will confuse the average layman. It was first used as an insult, but we now use it as a badge of honour for those of us who are smarter in some things than others.¡±

    An illusion of Adam¡¯s face appears among the group, breaking any further conversation. ¡°Oh, good, most of you are here,¡± he glances around. ¡°I¡¯m calling for an emergency meeting of the Council of Sages. I¡¯ll explain more at the Grand Council Chambers. There is something important for you to hear.¡±

    His gaze turns to Angel, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your first trip Home, My Dear. We will have more time later to make up for it, alright?¡± Angel, not sure what else to say, merely nods. His attention is drawn again to the others, ¡°Assemble the other Sages. Meet you in thirty minutes.¡±

 Council Meeting

    As Adam¡¯s image disappears, the Sages suddenly grow agitated and concerned. They offer disjointed apologies and, one by one, leave Amethyst and Angel alone, heading off in different directions.

    ¡°What do you think that is all about?¡± Amethyst watches <mark>Elphaba</mark> head toward some stairs leading down.

    Angel frowns slightly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but with how they are reacting, I don¡¯t think Uncle Adam calls for a council meeting very often. This must be pretty big.¡±

    Amethyst smiles mischievously, ¡°Should we find out what it¡¯s about, then?¡±

    Angel returns a disbelieving look, ¡°I don¡¯t even know where they¡¯re going.¡± The <mark>Fae¡¯s</mark> smile doesn¡¯t waver. ¡°They didn¡¯t invite us. I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea to intrude.¡±

    Amethyst¡¯s grin widens. A coy, playful tone enters her voice, ¡°Oh, they won¡¯t know we are there.¡± Her expression shifts, ¡°Besides, I have a feeling this will involve us in the end.¡±

    Angel frowns. ¡°You sound rather certain about that¡­¡± she replies with doubt in her voice.

    ¡°My child, one has not been around the universe as long as I have and miss the patterns. They will eventually bring us into this. It¡¯s best we hear it from the source.¡±

    ¡°You mean bring you into this? I don¡¯t think this involves me at all,¡± Angel argues.

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re involved in this, Child. Come, we need to get there before they do.¡± Angel follows her out of the building. ¡°So, we have two choices, My Dear: Fly or Teleport?¡±

    ¡°Which would be the most discreet?¡± Angel returns hesitantly, still worried about being caught eavesdropping on a meeting she¡¯s not invited to.

    They step out into the open. ¡°Teleport it is then,¡± Amethyst sings in a playful tone, ¡°now I just need to get my bearings¡­¡± she mumbles, looking around.

    ¡°You know where they¡¯re meeting?¡± Angel probes.

    ¡°I better. I helped build the place! If it¡¯s not drifted too far from its original location, it¡¯s this way!¡± The Fae points excitedly and skips off toward the left side of the building. Amethyst looks around, ¡°Yes, definitely this way.¡±

    ¡°How are we getting there again?¡± Angel follows in confusion.

    ¡°Why we hop, of course!¡± Amethyst grins. ¡°Grab my hand.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, we hop?¡± Angel tilts her head as she reaches out for Amethyst¡¯s hand.

    Without answering her question, the girl twirls around, grabs Angel¡¯s other hand, and ¡®leaps¡¯ backwards¡­

    The world vanishes from view as Angel feels herself being tugged forward. In a little more than a blink of an eye, the two of them land on the top of a large marble dome.

    Amethyst looks around, ¡°Perfect, just where I remembered it was!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on the roof¡­¡± Angel objects.

    ¡°Of course, we are, My Dear. You can¡¯t sneak in unnoticed by walking through the front door,¡± she waves dismissively.

    They more slide than walk down the dome to a two-meter-wide lip. From her vantage point, Angel can see the Sages arriving. A rune circle marks the ¡®landing point¡¯ on the large, round platform. The Teleportation Circle can easily fit ten people, but the Sages are arriving one by one. They walk some thirty meters along a lit marble path into the building. Angel tries her best to stay hidden as she looks around. Compared to their surroundings, the islands and debris, the Council Chambers are miraculously untouched. Amethyst is slowly walking along the ledge, feeling the smooth surface as she goes.

    ¡°I wonder how this place survived the cataclysm?¡± Angel¡¯s voice is barely above a whisper, hoping her voice doesn¡¯t carry far or be heard below.

    ¡°Protection runes, it would take more than what has happened here to destroy this place, as was intended,¡± Amethyst chimes as she continues searching the surface of the dome. ¡°Ah, here it is!¡± she exclaims in a loud whisper. Suddenly a portion of the dome quietly, gently pushes inward, showing a doorway.

    Angel catches up to her and looks down the makeshift entrance. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Maintenance hatch. One has to reach the roof easily from inside¡­ for cleaning and other such matters,¡± Amethyst replies, matter-of-fact, leaving the human to shake her head.

    ¡°What am I getting myself into?¡± Angel mutters.

    The two make their way inside. As Amethyst turns to close the opening, Angel takes a moment to adjust to the change in lighting. They are on some sort of balcony that surrounds the circular chamber, some fifteen meters above the floor level. From her vantage point, they are overlooking staged seating. It¡¯s some sort of amphitheatre. The centre of the room features a large crystal ball on a pillar. There¡¯s enough seating for a good hundred people, divided into slices or sections. Today there are only twelve seated in a small arc, flanking a large chair.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± Angel whispers.

    ¡°The Grand <mark>Arcanium</mark> Assembly. All the great mages, and their houses, used to sit here. The purpose was to allow each house and its members a voice in the debate. The house leader would sit at the front of the wedge, the further back one sat, the less one¡¯s voice was of importance,¡± Amethyst chimes. ¡°The Sanctum was to be a place of refuge, order and study. Magic follows family bloodlines, which led to a caste system of sorts. A caste system that your father and their friends were kept away from ¡ª for their safety, according to our friend Lyric.¡±

    ¡°You know so much about this place¡­¡± Angel muses.

    ¡°I helped design it millennia ago. Quiet now, not so loud; we designed this place as an amphitheatre and I can do only so much to mask our conversation.¡±

    ¡°From the way they divided the ¡®wedges¡¯, this building held a good twenty houses,¡± Angel remarks.

    ¡°Yes, this is a glimpse of how few there are left today,¡± Amethyst notes sadly.

    Adam walks in followed by Melody and Penny, his voice easily carries through the building.

    ¡°The old Council of Magi Chambers. One of the few places that remained intact when we came back to the Realm. We use this place from time to time for special meetings.¡±

    Amethyst gasps as she sees Melody, who takes a moment to look around. Angel ducks when Melody glances upward before taking a step forward, ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in a very long time¡­¡±

    Angel glances over at the Fae, who sobs. ¡°By the stars, what have they done to you, My Child?¡± Amethyst whimpers, a tear running down her cheek.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Neither Adam nor Penny seems to hear them. The two are glancing at Melody. ¡°Honey, you know this place?¡± Penny¡¯s voice rings through the room.

    Melody smiles, ¡°I guess it would be a surprise to some that, at one time, I sat on the council.¡± She glances around the room, ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t sitting in one of the front chairs, but my voice was a strong one many years ago. It almost feels like another lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Are you done reminiscing? We are here for a meeting. Why did you summon us here, Adam?¡± <mark>Morgyn</mark> voices from a chair at the far end of the room.

    There is a gasp of surprise from <mark>Elphaba</mark> to his left. She has almost the same expression as Amethyst in seeing Melody.

    ¡°What is she doing here?¡± <mark>Simeon</mark> grumbles next.

    Adam ushers them to the middle of the room before making his introduction. ¡°La <mark>Comtesse</mark> M¨¦lodie <mark>de</mark> La <mark>Rivi¨¨re</mark> has a warning for us, and I thought it was best that she explain the situation personally.¡±

    ¡°Let her proceed, then,¡± <mark>Elphaba</mark> nods and then shoots <mark>Simeon</mark> a warning glare to not object. He¡¯s about to say something, looks at her, then settles back in his chair, apparently unhappy.

    From here it¡¯s clear <mark>Elphaba</mark> and Melody trade an unspoken agreement. Penny has that expression on her face when her mind is trying to sort something out. Angel can clearly see the resemblances. Melody, <mark>Elphaba</mark>, and her Fae friend here are obviously from the same plane of existence. Though they lack wings, their skin tone, hair and eye colour are too similar. If Penny could see Amethyst, she would draw the same conclusion, but she¡¯s missing Angel¡¯s piece of the puzzle. Melody whispers something to Penny that the two on the balcony can¡¯t hear. The wives quietly talk while Adam joins the other Sages.

    Melody waits for Adam to sit down before speaking again.

    ¡°Sages of the Realm, I bring you dire news. A warning that could hold a larger threat over the realm should my fears become reality.¡±

    She pauses for dramatic effect, letting it sink in for a moment before continuing, ¡°Most of you seated here today were not present when the tragedy befell this Realm in the last age, but I was here in the beginning. Now I see this new threat as an outsider.¡±

    She looks at each Sage, making sure she has everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°It is not common knowledge that The Council of Elders that rules over most Vampire families were the ones responsible for the fall of this Realm in the last age. By the time they revealed their involvement, it was too late. Most of the Council of Magi had fallen into petty arguments and bickering. The Vampires had sown lies, hatred, and deceit among the council members, poisoning their thoughts and motives. When the mages were at their weakest, the Vampires attacked. As accusations flew, and fingers pointed at each other, no one knew who was the enemy anymore. The resulting war tore this realm apart! They fought each other as much as they fought their invaders, until all that remained is what you see here today.¡±

    Her words hit the Council like a hammer. All but Adam stammer, argue, and talk over each other. Amethyst leans against Angel quietly crying. Hearing the events that lead to the fall of the Realm from one of her own children must be hard to bear. Angel can feel herself well up from the overflowing emotion.

    This is the first time, in her memory, that Angel has ever seen her Uncle Adam lose his temper. He pounds his fist and suddenly shouts, ¡°Quiet! Hear her out or I will make you!¡± his voice is near deafening as it rings through the chamber.

    The room suddenly grows quiet. There is a look of actual fear from some and only contempt from others. Angel follows Melody¡¯s gaze as <mark>Elphaba</mark> nods. There¡¯s definitely an unspoken agreement between the two pale-skinned cousins, as if they were working on the same wavelength.

    Melody waits until everyone settles down before she continues. ¡°Like you, the Elder Vampire Council sees my family as a threat!¡± Some Sages speak up to argue. Melody holds up a finger to let them know she¡¯s not finished.

    ¡°You may deny it, but you see me as a threat. I can feel it from most of you. It is tangible. I am here today to reinforce that my family is of no threat to The Sanctum,¡± she glances at Adam. ¡°Some of you are like family to me. I was once a prominent member of this Realm, and I refuse to see an outside source threaten it again!¡±

    Melody takes Penny¡¯s left hand in hers and raises their clasped hands up in the air.

    ¡°While the Sages know of these rings, and the powers that they may contain, the Elder Vampire Council does not. We can use this to our advantage. They see my family as an obstacle to reaching you. With powers laying in both Light and Darkness, my wife and I are a threat to them larger than we are a threat to you. Our recent contact with the Arch Mage has led the Vampire Collective to worry we are no longer a neutral party. They were not to know of my wife Penny, but having a very public wedding has made it clear to them who and what we are. The whispers of prophecy hang heavy in their ears. They also fear we may now be allies. Since the fall of The Sanctum, their rule on Earth has grown relatively unchecked. Your rebuilding of the magical community has made them nervous. They may be foolish enough to counter what plans they think you might have.¡±

    She lets this sink in.

    ¡°Yes, the Vampires are a paranoid and overly confident society. In the time that you¡¯ve worked slowly rebuilding this realm, their numbers have swelled! They know they could easily overpower the Sages and the Realm in numbers. You are vulnerable, weak, and a potentially easy target.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s stopping them?¡± asks the Sage, sitting behind <mark>Elphaba</mark>.

    ¡°Two things,¡± Melody smirks. ¡°My family and your Arch Mage. Not to offend the other members of this council, but we are the only ones truly powerful enough to overcome them, and they know this. The Vampires¡¯ most competent of assassins has recently threatened my family.¡±

    This draws a few gasps of surprise from among the Sages.

    ¡°It was a test of my allegiance. The Black Widow will soon relay my answer to them. If we do not respond to this threat, then it may push them to make their next move and go for one of you next,¡± Melody stresses. ¡°Unlike your predecessors, you are a united council. They do not have the element of instability or surprise in their favour. With the Arch Mage by your side, your council is currently a power unmatched by anything they can throw at you. As is their way, they will first attempt to divide and conquer. Starting with your weakest, they will pick you off one at a time to break your resolve.¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± <mark>Morgyn</mark> queries, now interested.

    ¡°To strengthen you, of course. Let us confirm their fears and allow my family an allegiance with the Council of Sages.¡±

    ¡°What if we don¡¯t accept your offer?¡± <mark>Morgyn</mark> counters.

    ¡°We could wait and see what their next move will be, but mark my words, that could prove to be a fatal mistake. The realm cannot afford to lose any of you. I propose we strike at them instead,¡± Melody states flatly.

    ¡°What?¡± <mark>Simeon</mark> interjects, almost getting out of his chair.

    ¡°I am not asking any of you to put your lives at risk. However, I want to warn you all that there may be repercussions for my next actions. In order to reduce the threat to yourselves, I will make the first move.¡± She looks at Adam, ¡°This is my formal request that you assist my family in making a front-line attack on the Elder Vampire Council¡¯s main meeting chambers. A small decisive strike force is harder to predict than a large offensive.¡±

    Adam smiles, ¡°I had a feeling you were leading towards this.¡± He looks among the council, and all but <mark>Simeon</mark> immediately nod in agreement. It¡¯s clear he¡¯s still holding some sort of bitterness toward Melody that¡¯s colouring his judgment.

    With no objections, Adam returns his attention to Melody, ¡°It is agreed.¡± He looks to <mark>Morgyn</mark>, ¡°I want the Sages to prepare for any possible retributive response.¡± <mark>Morgyn</mark> nods. ¡°The remaining host will likely come here for revenge. The vampires can still overpower us in numbers, so we¡¯ll need to prepare for that. We¡¯re stronger in pure arcane power, but they can overrun us if we do not place barriers. Make sure they cannot come at us from behind, agreed?¡±

    This time <mark>Simeon</mark> answers with the rest of them, ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Melody looks relieved. Angel wonders if Melody was expecting more resistance to her plan. Angel always wondered why others call her Uncle Adam, the Arch Mage, and now it¡¯s clear. He holds a lot of power over the Realm, both in station and in arcane ability. With all the Sages assembled, Adam¡¯s aura is the strongest among them.

    Melody smiles, ¡°Good, I will leave this council to sort out your defensive. I have plans of my own to make. Ready to go, Penny?¡±

    Angel tries her best to remain hidden as they watch Penny and Melody leave. Once the two are past the marble-pillared entrance, Amethyst emits one last sniffle. ¡°She saw us,¡± the Fae whimpers quietly, ¡°She knows she now has even more support than she had expected.¡±

    Angel leans back against the wall as the Sages rise from their chairs. They seem too focused on each other to glance upwards. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Angel whispers worriedly.

    ¡°Certain of it, I could feel her relax when she realized she had another card to play,¡± the Fae draws a deep breath to compose herself. She reaches out to Angel, ¡°Come, take my hands. We have much to prepare, and you need to contact your father.¡±

    ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± Angel formulates an argument, thinking of how angry her father will be when she tells him she crossed into Sanctum without his permission.

    ¡°It is necessary,¡± Amethyst answers firmly.

    Angel leans forward, and the two of them blink out of the dome. The flash may have been noticeable if any of the Sages were still seated, but they all had their backs to the two as they were leaving.

 Preparations

    Angel and her fairy friend arrive soon before the council. No one seems to notice they had gone missing, so Amethyst takes this opportunity to summon more Fae in preparation. She reminds Angel one last time to call her father before she takes off.

    Angel still isn¡¯t so sure about this, but she promised. Amethyst doesn¡¯t seem like the type of creature you want to let down. She uses her family stone as a focus to contact her father. He shouldn¡¯t be in the office right now.

    There is a longer pause than she expected. Could it be the distance between the realms? Her father¡¯s face in the stone shows that he is not happy. ¡°Angel, you fortunately caught me at the end of a meeting¡­ what are you doing there?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know where I am, Daddy?¡± Angel blushes guiltily.

    ¡°The stone always tells, you can¡¯t hide it,¡± her father¡¯s smile lightening the tone. ¡°We have time to discuss later why you are in Sanctum. I take it you reaching out to me magically isn¡¯t just a friendly, casual call?¡±

    Angel draws a deep breath, trying to process everything that she has witnessed today. She tells her father the story.

    ¡°Uncle Adam called a meeting of Sages, and something big is about to happen.¡±

    She sees his brow quirk. ¡°Go on¡­¡± her father pushes, now curious.

    ¡°It turns out that my best friend Penny has married a Vampire who wants to start a war,¡± she blinks, recalling Melody¡¯s words.

    ¡°A war with whom exactly?¡± a frown creases her father¡¯s face.

    ¡°With the Elder Vampire Council,¡± Angel states, as if he should already know. ¡°Penny has been building up her magical power. You know how I sensed she had potential?¡± Her father nods. ¡°Well, Uncle Adam has been teaching her, and the Vampires are growing nervous¡­ so¡­¡±

    Angel hears a groan. ¡°Melody Rivers is not about to let idle threats go unchallenged. Being the dramatic troublemaker she is, she¡¯s about to anger a hive of Vampires¡­¡± her father finishes for her.

    ¡°Oh, you know Melody, Daddy?¡± Angel seems surprised that everyone seems to know more about her friend¡¯s wife than she does. Outside of being Angel¡¯s band manager and her source of influence, the blonde has to admit she barely knows the woman. She¡¯s powerful, and has entertainment connections ¡ª which has spring boarded the young Bard¡¯s music career faster than she ever thought possible.

    ¡°A bit too well, unfortunately. She dated your Uncle Simeon for enough years. I got to know her better than I would have liked,¡± he sighs. ¡°Let me tie the pieces together.¡± Angel¡¯s father is so clever in these things. ¡°Melody has invited Adam to join in the attack. The arcane residue will lead any surviving Vampires come after us in retaliation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what my fairy friend is worried about, yes. She¡¯s gathering any Fae she can find as we speak,¡± Angel returns worried.

    ¡°Wait, what fairy friend are you talking about?¡± Luke asks, now confused. ¡°Sunflower, what have you got yourself into this time?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I made a new friend today!¡± Angel beams excitedly. ¡°She¡¯s apparently this powerful fairy from another realm. Lyric says we can trust her. Elphaba apparently summoned her a long time ago, but it¡¯s taken this long for her to respond¡­¡±

    ¡°Over twenty years¡­¡± her father grumbles.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, Daddy?¡± Angel blinks.

    ¡°I was actually born in Sanctum. The Realm shattered shortly after your Uncles, Aunts, and I came to Earth. It¡¯s been almost thirty years since then. All portals to The Sanctum shattered that day, and it took several years for us to reopen the one in Fallcrest. This Fey has been trying to reach us for decades. She must be quite dedicated to her people. ¡±

    ¡°Lyric says she¡¯s the Elder of the Grotto Fae, if that means something.¡±

    ¡°Elder?¡± her father blinks and she nods. Luke looks pensive. ¡°Grotto Fae? If I remember my planar studies, that means the Earthen Realm. Which means this fairy will have control over earth, crystals and likely have amazing arcane powers.¡±

    ¡°Her aura is so bright, it¡¯s almost painful,¡± Angel comments.

    Her father looks at her for a moment, then his eyes narrow. ¡°That Fey asked you to recruit me, didn¡¯t she?¡± Angel blushes and nods. ¡°One thing you¡¯ll learn quickly, Sunflower, never cross the Fey. They are more powerful than you can imagine.¡± He frowns and sighs, ¡°Well, nothing else to do but agree to her request. She¡¯s likely to drag me into this one way or another if she has her mind set on it. How she knew you needed to contact me¡­¡± There¡¯s a pause, ¡°I need to finish up some things here and bring the adepts with me. We¡¯ll need their support.¡±

    When what passes for dawn rises in the Realm, Angel is by the portal as her father and ten of their company¡¯s best adepts arrive.

    Angel greets him with a loving hug, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here, Daddy! Amethyst arrived a couple of hours ago with a dozen multicoloured Pixies. They¡¯ve been busy making and planting yellowish crystals in the ground in a circle around the school.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to talk with your uncles. They¡¯re likely expecting the Vampires to come here,¡± Luke comments.

    Angel nods and follows as her father and his apprentices walk up the hill to the school¡¯s doors. They find Adam in the kitchen, with the rest of the Sages. Adam turns in surprise to see his good friend arrive. Then he spots Angel and the ten alchemists by the door.

    ¡°Luke!¡± Adam smiles and greets him. ¡°You¡¯re early, and you brought support. I don¡¯t recall sending you a summons.¡±

    Angel approaches her father and stands beside him for a moment, before offering Adam a hug, ¡°Uncle Adam!¡±

    ¡°A little songbird whispered in my ear about something big. Care to elaborate?¡± Luke thumbs toward his daughter.

    Adam blinks, then looks from Luke to Angel. A frown creases his forehead for a moment, ¡°I see. Did she tell you that Melody Rivers is about to declare war on the Vampire Enclave?¡± Adam gives a moment for that to sink in. Soon he has the attention of everyone in the room. ¡°Apparently the Vampires are growing nervous about her wife Penny¡¯s growing arcane powers. My teaching Penny magic has them fearing the Rivers family is no longer neutral. The Vampires have already threatened their family. Melody believes we will be next if she doesn¡¯t do something about it.¡±

    He pauses a moment before continuing.

    ¡°In the time that we¡¯ve slowly been rebuilding the Realm and the magical community, the Vampires have grown in numbers, exceeding ours. If you all recall your history lessons, the Vampire Enclave and the Council of Magi have been at war for millennia! The remains of the last war surround us. The Elder Vampire Council has grown in power and influence. They are in control and at a point where they could wipe us out forever!¡± he lets the impact of that statement sink in. ¡°I may have been hesitant about accepting the mantle of Arch Mage, but I won¡¯t let them destroy what work we¡¯ve done to rebuild the magical community.¡± He turns to address more of the room, ¡°Melody wants to weaken them, and maybe even the odds. If what she has in mind works, this will slow them down. With luck it will force them back into hiding to lick their wounds,¡± Adam finishes.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°What about the angry hive of surviving Vampires? They will come after us if you get involved,¡± Luke argues.

    ¡°What I¡¯d like to know is how Angel knew all about this?¡± Adam turns, and Luke smiles knowingly. ¡°Never mind the how. We can discuss that another time. I need to meet with the Rivers family soon. And yes, the Vampires are likely to come after us. We¡¯re actually hoping they will. That is the next step of her plan.¡±

    ¡°Well, the fairies outside are busy setting up some sort of defensive screen,¡± Luke points out.

    Adam raises an eyebrow, ¡°A defensive screen? Someone said they saw an unusual amount of pixies flying around¡­¡±

    Luke nods, ¡°They¡¯re building some sort of crystal lattice outside. If I¡¯m following the pattern, it should almost cover the building in some sort of barrier once activated.¡±

    Adam looks pensive for a moment, ¡°Well, that solves our dilemma of how we¡¯ll defend the building once this all starts.¡± He blinks, then frowns, ¡°How did the fairies know?¡±

    ¡°The songbird has a new fluttery friend,¡± Angel chimes. Cocky, just like her father, saying things in riddles.

    Adam frowns slightly, ¡°Angel, we will have a discussion about how you overheard a secret meeting of the Sages.¡± Angel looks down and blushes in embarrassment. ¡°For the time being, I am glad that you are here. This unexpected support is most appreciated.¡±

    Adam glances at his watch, ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to know more about how you became involved, I need to run. I can¡¯t be late.¡± He draws a breath, ¡°Wish me luck. If all goes well, I¡¯ll see you in a few hours.¡±

    ¡°What happens if it doesn¡¯t?¡± Luke places a hand on his friend¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Pray that Melody¡¯s plan succeeds. This is a gamble we can¡¯t afford to lose.¡± Adam returns flatly. With a flourish of his hand, the Arch Mage disappears.

    Angel looks at her father, ¡°Do you think Uncle¡¯s angry? Should I have waited until his official announcement? Amethyst was so adamant to get started, like she knows what¡¯s about to happen.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s more surprised than angry, Buttercup,¡± Luke returns with a disarming smile. ¡°The Adam I know is not about to deny the gift of foresight, and the aid that comes with it.¡±

    Angel¡¯s shoulders relax, and she smiles.

    ¡°On that note, let¡¯s set up a war table so that we can plan the rest of this defensive properly.¡± Luke turns to his team; they nod and set into motion.

    They are setting up a large table in the foyer when Amethyst enters the building. The Fae immediately bee-lines for Angel and her father, ignoring the other mages that are busy setting things up. She offers Angel a warm hug, as if the woman was an old friend, and not just someone she¡¯d met yesterday. Amethyst then turns to Luke.

    ¡°You must be my little Angel¡¯s father,¡± she chimes, holding out a hand in greeting. ¡°The family resemblance is uncanny.¡±

    Luke returns the greeting and smiles, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°So what are you setting up?¡± the Fae asks in curiosity.

    ¡°Illusionary war table,¡± Luke states. ¡°Once the focus crystals are in the right place, we will have a live miniature of what goes on around the island.¡±

    Amethyst smiles. ¡°Lyric and Elphaba told me you are a brilliant mage. I am glad to see that they were not merely exaggerating your potential.¡±

    Luke chuckles. This fairy is cunning. While the size of a teenager, Amethyst¡¯s eyes glow purple, and her gossamer wings flutter occasionally before hugging themselves around her body. Most fairies are little more than the size of one¡¯s hand, a foot tall at most ¡ª like Ci?l, who he met once. Speaking of Ci?l¡­ a girl, about the age of eight or ten, runs into the building. She looks around briefly before dashing towards Amethyst. Though her hair is a bluish-purple, she looks like the younger sister of the one standing beside him.

    Amethyst looks down at the new arrival and smiles lovingly.

    ¡°The lattice is near ready, Mother. Should we activate it now?¡± the small crystalline voice of the girl is sweet and innocent sounding.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll wait on that, My Dear. No point in straining the crystals until needed,¡± Amethyst chimes in response.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the girl curtsies and dashes out of the building, slowly getting smaller as she goes.

    ¡°Was that Ci?l?¡± Luke asks, trying to place the girl¡¯s voice.

    ¡°It was,¡± Amethyst replies, watching the Fae disappear out of the building.

    ¡°She called you, Mother¡­¡± Luke remarks.

    ¡°Yes, my daughter and I have been apart for some centuries now, but she is ever the capable organizer. It is good that she survived the cataclysm. I don¡¯t know what I would do without her.¡±

    Luke is trying to piece it together; then he looks at Elphaba, ¡°You¡¯re all related?¡± They nod. ¡°So, the term Mother¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t just symbolic,¡± Amethyst finishes for him. ¡°I sent them here from the Earthen Realm, some of them centuries ago, to aid The Sanctum. We¡¯re albino. There is no sun on our home plane, our blood is not the same colour as yours.¡±

    Luke is piecing everything together. Angel loves watching her father¡¯s mind work. ¡°So, that means that Melody¡­¡± he continues.

    ¡°Is a distant relative of Elphaba, a cousin of sorts, considering she is mostly Human.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so she is mostly Human¡­ but not from Earth?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Not from your world, no,¡± the Fae smiles.

    Luke then looks at his daughter. She can tell what his next question will be, so she answers it for him. ¡°Yes, my best friend married a vampiric alien from another realm¡­ and probably doesn¡¯t know it, at least not yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, she wasn¡¯t a Vampire when she left my Realm,¡± corrects Amethyst. ¡°How that happened, I would like to know. We consider Melody Feytouched where we are from. She has Human parents with Fae ancestry. She¡¯s not as powerful as a full fairy, or even her cousin Elphaba here. Feyborne have one Fae parent. Regardless of her Human parentage, Melody is my Rune Weaver, a prodigy with a fair amount of magical potential.¡±

    ¡°So there are Humans in the Earthen Realm?¡± Luke probes with a skeptical tone.

    ¡°Would it surprise you, Master Goodson?¡± she uses his arcane title. ¡°That humanity is not unique to your world?¡±

    ¡°I suppose it shouldn¡¯t,¡± Luke returns thoughtfully, ¡°just something I never considered.¡±

    Amethyst continues. ¡°There are some planes of existence that are hazardous to your kind. Where you either don¡¯t exist, or the Realm created a hybrid that could scarcely be called Human. In many of those planes, they are called Djin or Jani.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying Djin and Humans are related somehow?¡± Luke blinks in surprise.

    ¡°Well, the genus is close, but each Realm is unique and creates its own creatures,¡± she notes.

    ¡°I see,¡± Luke rubs his chin thoughtfully. ¡°I really need to touch up on my planar history. Perhaps there is more out there than most of our small cadre of mages have ever imagined.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, mages have been travelling throughout the Outer Planes for millennia. Some creatures throughout the universe are likely related to Humans of your origin. After a few generations, it is not always apparent where their ancestors come from.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the reminder that Humans are short-lived,¡± Luke returns sarcastically.

    Amethyst looks at Luke, ¡°Do not think of your mortality as a curse. The progress your race has made is amazing.¡±

    Luke raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Long-lived races can grow stagnant, and intolerant of change. While some of your kind fear it, I find Humans overall revel in change, and the challenges that it can present.¡±

    Luke chuckles, ¡°Well, humanity has thrived on conflict and innovation. We¡¯re sadly as destructive as we are creative. Many have wondered if there is life on other planets. Mind you, they are just looking at our night sky. Very few of us know of other planes of existence. That knowledge would overwhelm those with small minds who still believe a Divine being created us.¡±

    Amethyst smiles, and he cuts her off. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to know the history of my universe and what you know of creation. You are likely ancient and it would take me a lifetime to learn half of what you know. We have a battle to plan. We can have these debates later when I¡¯m not worried about being some Vampire¡¯s lunch.¡±

    Amethyst shrugs, ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll leave you to your planning. I¡¯ll check to see how well my children are fairing with the defensive dome. Will that show on your display?¡± she queries, looking over at the war table.

    ¡°It will, should be quite the light show if your screen does what I think it should,¡± he smiles.

    ¡°Oh, it will be a wonderful surprise for unsuspecting Vampires, though I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll appreciate the irony as much as you do,¡± she grins. Amethyst bows before taking her leave, turns and makes her way out of the building.

    Luke watches the Fae for a moment, chuckles, and shakes his head. He looks towards his daughter. ¡°My dearest Angel, I¡¯ve always said that you meet the most interesting friends I¡¯ve ever seen. I¡¯d say that fairy tops the list.¡±

    Angel giggles, ¡°She is quite the character, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    The two return to planning on the war table.

 The Calm and The Storm

    Angel, her father, and his Goodson Corp. Adepts are standing around the activated war table. All non-essential students and residents have hunkered down in the sub-basement floors to stay out of the way. Some other mages come and go, stockpiling potions, and spell components by the door. If the protective screen holds, the only way into the building is through the front door. The Fae protect the rest of the island with a dome of sun crystals.

    ¡°Where did you meet that mysterious little Fae?¡± Luke looks at his daughter.

    ¡°She arrived with Lyric over a day ago. They probably would have been here sooner, but it was raining,¡± Angel answers.

    ¡°I guess we can count our stars for the fortunate timing. She seems to be just in the right place at the right time for what¡¯s going on¡­ almost too convenient, if you ask me,¡± Luke frowns.

    ¡°Lyric trusts the Fae. She says that Amethyst and her children helped the Council of Magi create this realm over a millennium ago. As you¡¯ve pointed out, it¡¯s taken her decades to get here. Amethyst could have just left us to fight this on our own. I¡¯m not about to question her timing,¡± Angel argues.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I just don¡¯t like unknown variables. Fae are unpredictable. I rather have something a little more solid than twenty excitable, hyperactive little casters as our front-line defence.¡±

    Angel looks at the war table in surprise, ¡°How did Amethyst find so many?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know too¡­ far as I knew there weren¡¯t that many Pixie familiars here in Sanctum, makes you wonder where they¡¯ve all been hiding¡­ They¡¯re all different colours, not all arcane. It¡¯s possible she gathered some from Earth. I see Winter, Summer, Spring, and Fall. Not sure where the elemental ones come from¡­¡± Luke muses.

    ¡°How can you tell?¡± Angel probes, looking over the war map.

    ¡°You can tell by the colour of their wings or the particles that surround them,¡± he explains. ¡°Amethyst, Ci?l, and these other two are purple. The winter Fae are blue, as they harness the cold. Summer control light and are yellow. Spring influence plants so they are green. Fall affect Autumn and are orange. Meaning that brown one is probably Earth, the white one air, and the red one fire, but I¡¯m not sure about the black one. Amethyst has assembled a full rainbow. I wonder how they¡¯re all working together?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Fae control her size so easily. Could she be stronger than them?¡± Angel probes.

    ¡°Oh, she definitely is stronger. I can¡¯t tell how strong she is. Her aura is so bright, it¡¯s unreadable! Let¡¯s just hope she stays on our side.¡±

    A pinging sound starts, ¡°What¡¯s that, Daddy?¡±

    ¡°Early warning that a Dimensional Gate is opening,¡± he replies, peering at the screen.

    There is a blip, then a flash, and a swirling vortex opens. Adam, Melody, Penny, and a man with red hair step through into the middle of the courtyard, between the Fallcrest gate and the Sanctum School. As the vortex closes behind them, they glance back, then look around.

    ¡°Well, that could have gone a little smoother,¡± Adam frowns.

    ¡°Do ye think they know where we went, lad?¡± the man asks, sheathing glowing curved swords. ¡°We killed most of the first basement before they started swarming up the stairs.¡±

    ¡°They know where we went, Mr. Duncan,¡± Adam frowns. ¡°We have little time to prepare. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    ¡°So much death!¡± Penny shivers, ¡°Did you have to kill the entire room, Honey?¡±

    ¡°Darling, had we left any of the attending Elders alive, we would not have gotten out of there. It was them or us. Parlay would have been a waste of time on them,¡± Melody replies as they walk up to the building. ¡°I know that was horribly violent for you, My Love, but they had become a blight on our world. A cancer that needed to be removed.¡±

    Penny leans into her wife and draws a deep breath. ¡°Please, never ask me to do something like that again! I¡¯m supposed to be a Lightbringer, not a death dealer.¡±

    ¡°Let me shoulder the burden of the dark act we just committed. It is for this reason I am your other half, My Darling.¡± Melody pulls her wife¡¯s face to look at her, ¡°This was my plan, my responsibility. Do not blame yourself for what we did today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Penny returns with a pained look.

    ¡°Keep to the middle of the path,¡± Adam raises a hand. ¡°There is some sort of field surrounding the school.¡± His eyes are glowing gold as he scans the area, ¡°That is an unusually large number of Fae. Where did they all come from?¡± Melody flashes a cunning smile. He turns to Melody, ¡°what did you do?¡±

    ¡°Mother is here,¡± the pale-skin woman replies. ¡°She¡¯s called every Fae within range to help her.¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡± he gasps. ¡°Wait¡­ Angel said that she had a little fluttery friend, and that¡¯s why she knew what we were planning. Luke was here this morning and ready for a fight before I even summoned him!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Mother?¡± Penny probes.

    ¡°The Mother of all things of the Earthen Realm. She is one of the most powerful creatures in the cosmos. Do be polite with her. You want to stay on her good side,¡± Melody notes.

    ¡°Earthen Realm?¡± Penny narrows her eyes at her wife. ¡°Is there still something about you that you¡¯ve not told me, Dearest? I thought we were past hiding things from one another!¡±

    There is a high pitch sound like angry insects. Melody glances around, ¡°After the fight, My Love. I¡¯ll introduce you to Mother when this is over.¡±

    The quartet turn around and three dark orbs appear surrounding the area they¡¯d landed. They slowly spread out, expanding into swirling grey and black disks. Pale-skinned vampires in tattered robes walk through, and then expand the disks further.

    ¡°Should we kill them now?¡± Mr. Duncan draws his swords. They sing and glow with magical power.

    ¡°No, if you kill the Gate Wardens, they will just find another way through,¡± Melody frowns.

    ¡°Move inside the dome. We don¡¯t want to get surrounded,¡± Adam pushes them back further.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    They back up slowly to the door, preparing spells. A few more mages stand behind them on the stairs. They spend anxious moments wondering what to do, when suddenly streams of Vampires pour out of the portals like angry bees.

    ¡°Now Penny!¡± Melody exclaims.

    ¡°Firin!¡± the two women intone together, a ray of sunlight erupts from the joining of their hands. Anything heading straight toward them vaporizes. The ray reaches the middle Gate Warden, destroying him. A few Vampires seep through the closing gate as that disk closes. There is a long row of weapons, armour, and ash on the ground before them.

    ¡°One down,¡± Adam comments as he prepares a spell. The air rumbles and lightning arcs from Adam through the line of vampires nearly reaching the gate. Many incinerate on contact, others are still burning. The survivors scatter before he can cast again.

    Vampires spread out and try to attack in multiple directions, only to be met with the defensive screen. The globe surrounding the school lights up, and each Vampire who touches it suddenly bursts into flames and tumbles to ash. Those who punch through following a fallen are killed by the Fae on the roof. The outside of the building is alight in multicoloured brilliance as Fae of different powers cast spells. The bulk of the wave destroys itself on the grid before they realize there is only one way to reach the mages.

    ¡°That won¡¯t hold much longer if they keep plowing into it,¡± a mage worries behind them.

    The rest of the attacking force stops its assault and scatters, looking for another opening. Those at the front of the building open up with spells. Magic missiles, beams, rays, fireballs and lightning bolts take out anything that comes close to the only opening there is in the sunlight dome. Out of the throng that surged through the Vampire Gates, only a few hundred remain. You can almost count them now.

    The remaining Vampires grow more cautious and start throwing weapons or shooting dark spells.

    Finally, an Elder vampire steps through the left gate to survey the battle. He makes a high-pitched sound that causes the remaining Vampires to turn to him.

    Melody follows Adam¡¯s gaze as he prepares a new spell. ¡°No! Adam, you cannot kill my Master!¡± she smacks his hand before he¡¯s done casting. ¡°That was our agreement. He will remain to pick up the pieces and control the ones that are left now that our numbers are even.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just kill them all while we still have the chance?¡± Mr. Duncan sneers.

    ¡°Because feral Vampires are worse than an enclave! Master Phan will pacify the remaining collective. They will be controllable now,¡± Melody retorts.

    ¡°You have won this day, Arch Mage!¡± Master Phan yells out as the Vampires leave through the portal beside him. ¡°We expect compensation before we discuss a neutrality agreement!¡±

    ¡°This is my opening offer!¡± Adam yells, releasing the spell he¡¯d been holding on to. A lightning storm destroys the gate warden and any Vampires around it on the right side, leaving only one gate open. ¡°Try to breach my realm again, and I will not leave any survivors next time!¡±

    Master Phan bows, ¡°Well played, Arch Mage.¡± He reaches out. The dark Fae on the roof is suddenly pulled into his hand. He drains it of its life force and drops it to the ground, ¡°Now we are even. We will be in touch. You have won your peace today,¡± he ushers a few more Vampires through, then walks through the gate himself.

    ¡°Kill anything left,¡± Adam growls.

    The mages let loose volleys of magic, destroying the handful of Vampires who had not yet reached the portal. It destroys the Gate Warden as well, and the portal closes.

    Adam turns to her, ¡°I hope you and your Master know what you are doing, Melody. Or, for all that is Holy, I will throw you against this dome myself!¡±

    ¡°Adam!¡± Penny gasps, ¡°I thought we were friends?¡±

    ¡°Your wife put my realm at risk!¡± Adam snaps. It¡¯s the second time Penny¡¯s really seen the Arch Mage lose his temper, ¡°Were we not prepared for their arrival, we would have been lunch today!¡±

    ¡°Had we stayed at the Vampire Enclave and fought longer, like you wanted to, they would have surrounded us. This was a better battlefield!¡± M¨¦lodie snaps back.

    The two of them stare each other down. Amethyst is looking over at the Fae that died today. Outside of the dark Fae, five others perished during the attack. Amethyst stands up and approaches them. ¡°Then it is most fortuitous that I arrived when I did.¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡± M¨¦lodie sings, releasing her wife¡¯s hand. She runs over and pulls the Fae into her arms, ¡°How did you get here?¡±

    ¡°The bardic chronicler, Lyric Eversong, messaged me. We¡¯ve been travelling for some time. We arrived two days ago,¡± she remarks, leaning back. She studies M¨¦lodie, ¡°what happened to you, My Child?¡±

    ¡°It is a long tale, Mother. I first want you to meet someone,¡± M¨¦lodie sets the Fae down. ¡°Penny, I¡¯d like you to meet Amethyst Lily. She¡¯s the governing power of the Earthen Realm and the leader of my people.¡±

    Penny looks between her wife and the teenage girl with pastel rainbow hair. Like Elphaba, the racial traits are unmistakable. ¡°The leader of your people? Were you ever Human, Melody?¡± she challenges in a hurt tone.

    ¡°My Rune Weaver Melody is only Feytouched, My Child. She¡¯s half Human, half Fae. Worry not, your trust is not misplaced. Dearest Penny, you found something special and latched on to an otherworldly creature. Do not doubt what your heart tells you, you¡¯ve not been misled.¡±

    Penny relaxes, and her face softens, ¡°I should have known you were too beautiful to have come from Earth. I¡¯ve never met a woman like you.¡±

    M¨¦lodie smiles, ¡°I have never hidden my love from you, Dearest. Know that I would have told you this in time as well,¡± she walks towards her wife and the two embrace.

    ¡°Children, you can start dismantling the screen,¡± Amethyst calls out, ¡°but keep the crystals; I have plans for those.¡± Several Fae bob their heads. The outside of the school becomes this flurry of colour and activity as the Fae work at cleaning everything up.

    Everyone else gathers in the school building. Amethyst regards the wives. ¡°So, my dear Rune Weaver is light-skinned, but her aura is now steeped in darkness.¡± She turns to Penny, ¡°You are dark-skinned, and yet your aura is full of life and light.¡±

    ¡°Like a living yin-yang,¡± Adam chuckles. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a couple so dynamically opposite, yet so well matched.¡±

    ¡°You love her?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°With all of my heart; she is my soul mate!¡± Penny gazes at M¨¦lodie lovingly, who kisses her.

    ¡°Intriguing,¡± The Fae looks thoughtful. ¡°Let¡¯s clean all this up and we can discuss what¡¯s happened in the past six centuries since I sent you here.¡±

    ¡°Six centuries?¡± Penny turns to her wife.

    ¡°You knew you were marrying an older woman, My Love,¡± M¨¦lodie teases.

    ¡°You are too much sometimes,¡± Penny giggles and kisses her wife.

    Adam leaves the Fae to talk to M¨¦lodie. He¡¯s still upset and rather not be around the purple-haired Vampire right now. Half Fae? No wonder she was such a puzzle when they first met. The central room is abuzz with activity as Luke¡¯s adepts are taking down the war table.

    ¡°Uncle Adam!¡± Angel¡¯s song-like voice rings happily through the room as she hugs him, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s my little songbird,¡± he looks up at her. ¡°When did you get taller than me?¡±

    ¡°My last year of high school?¡± Angel looks thoughtful. ¡°Maybe sooner. You¡¯re still taller than my fianc¨¦e,¡± she offers in compensation.

    ¡°I saw the online announcement and the engagement party afterwards. Wish I could have been there,¡± he apologizes, holding her shoulders. ¡°Glad that you and Eva are still happily together. She keeps you grounded,¡± he winks.

    ¡°Please, Uncle! I¡¯m not that bad!¡± Angel rolls her eyes.

    ¡°Between you and that redheaded Bard, who was the biggest troublemaker on the Foxgrove campus? I¡¯m sure everyone in the world has heard of you two by now!¡±

    Angel giggles. ¡°Rose and her wife Cassi are lots of fun!¡± she grins. ¡°I think we were evenly matched regarding who caused the biggest waves on campus.¡±

    ¡°What are they doing now that you¡¯ve all graduated?¡± Adam probes. ¡°Still performing with you?¡±

    ¡°No, they went back to Birch Creek to work on some huge programming project. Eva knows more about it than I do, as she¡¯s been busy setting up servers. I¡¯ve contributed new musical compositions. It¡¯ll probably be a fantasy game. Rose was pretty specific as to the songs she wanted.¡±

    ¡°Ask Rose to reach out to me, Sunflower. I have a job offer for her,¡± Adam smiles.

    ¡°Anything I should know about?¡± Angel raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Worry about your wedding first, then we¡¯ll talk about it,¡± Adam smiles.

    ¡°Will I like it? Will this hinder my touring this summer?¡± Angel worries.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll love it, and no, it won¡¯t affect your touring this summer,¡± Adam assures.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Angel smiles happily. ¡°I¡¯ll see if Daddy needs more help,¡± she chimes excitedly, plants a quick kiss on his cheek, and dances off to talk to her father.

    Adam shakes his head. He doesn¡¯t know where she gets all that energy.

 Catching Up

    Amethyst sits with Melody and Penny as they sip some tea. ¡°So, I sent you with a dozen of my brightest sparks to help maintain Sanctum after we built it. What happened, Child?¡±

    ¡°At first, we flourished as a magical society. Ten of us sat on the Council of Magi. The Arch Mage Wilyafanya set up houses and kept the peace. Not all factions always got along. It made for occasional heated debates, but it worked. Then this ancient Vampire demanded a private audience with him. No one knows what they discussed, only how the Vampire left angry. Soon after, the Vampires and Demons would periodically raid us. Whatever the Dark Council wanted, they were going to take by force if necessary.¡±

    M¨¦lodie sips her tea, then waves her hand to summon a plate of cheese biscuits. ¡°In my time as Earthen Realm representative, I had developed a relationship with a Warlock from the Seer¡¯s court. He was such a handsome man, Mother, you would have approved of him,¡± she smiles at the fond memory. ¡°Allister had found these rings that would allow us everlasting life. Being Human, he was afraid of his mortality, you see. Only once I read up on the ritual to bind them did I find out they were actually rings of everlasting love.¡± She pauses, then looks down at her wedding ring, ¡°While I cared deeply for Allister, I did not believe in true love back then. I wanted us to be together longer, though, and he was already approaching middle age. I would far outlive his mortal life.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°We found a grove to focus the magic, enlisted a priest to marry us. During the marriage ceremony, the Vampires and Demons attacked¡­ at least, I think so,¡± she frowns.

    ¡°What do you mean, you think so?¡± Amethyst looks confused.

    ¡°Focused on the ritual, I was not paying much attention. One moment everything was going perfectly, I could feel the spell binding us, and then¡­ the world exploded around me, followed by blackness.¡± Her brows knit, ¡°so much pain, everything hurt¡­ I¡­ I do not know how long I had been unconscious, but ¡ª when I awoke ¡ª a Warlock Vampire was standing over me,¡± she swallows. Penny holds her hand like she¡¯s feeling the same pain as her wife. ¡°I tried to move, but I could not,¡± M¨¦lodie gasps. ¡°He told me to lay still, my wounds were fatal, and he was actually trying to heal me.¡± M¨¦lodie looks at Amethyst, ¡°Sadly, my wounds were too great. He said I would need time to mend, but where my body lay was not safe. As much as I knew he was the enemy and should not trust him, his expression was soft and caring. When I agreed to his aid, he picked me up gently as if I were a child, and carried me off to a tower away from the conflict.¡±

    She draws a deep breath. ¡°I remember his words like they were yesterday,¡± sadness seeping into her tone. ¡°He could heal my injuries, but there was a gap in my aura as if my very soul had been torn in the mishap. I would never feel whole. He could not mend it. The incomplete ritual cause more injury than the eye could see. My body would eventually falter and wilt away,¡± she frowns. ¡°I no longer had centuries to live. I had days! The alternative was to trade my abilities for greater power. Rebind my soul with a new focus to not lose myself. I should have known what he was up to, but I was afraid of death. I could already feel my life energy draining from me. In my desperation, I accepted his offer.¡± She looks up from her cup, ¡°That day, I accepted the demonic pact that would give me this vampiric curse. Unlike the afflicted Vampiric Virus, I am still very much alive. The dark energy from the pact regenerated my body and made me whole again. I can still use some of my arcane abilities, but it stripped my Fae powers from me. There is no more Light to my magic, all of my spells are now born from Warlock or Dark Magic.¡±

    M¨¦lodie finishes her tea, ¡°To prolong my life, I accepted the Demon¡¯s blood. While the dark energy replenishes my body, there have been sacrifices. The gift leaves one anemic. My body is sensitive to sunlight. I will not disintegrate as the afflicted do, but I will burn, blister, and the pain is quite uncomfortable. While I can still eat, Warlock spells drain my body of nutrients. I have to consume blood or plasma to nourish myself, or I get sick. My Master eventually found this otherworldly fruit.¡± She pulls a purplish peach-like fruit from a pouch, ¡°Heavy in iron, the fruit shares properties much like Human plasma. It is actually poisonous to mortals, but to a Warlock with Demon blood, it is quite refreshing. This allows me to survive without feeding on living creatures. There are some interesting side benefits to regularly consuming this fruit. The body metabolizes the sweetness, producing an interesting aphrodisiac. It masks what would normally be a darker presence.¡±

    ¡°She smells so delicious. Her scent drew me to her, like a bee to nectar,¡± Penny offers her wife a sultry smile.

    Melody smiles, ¡°Yes, it enhances our appearance, lending an otherworldly beauty that few can resist. As the body is forever young and the scent is sweet, it is almost a drug to those I seduce. I probably should not be proud of how I have had so many relationships in my long life, but one grows lonely over the years.¡±

    Penny shifts and snuggles into her wife.

    ¡°When Master Phan turned me, I feared the Council of the Magi would think of me as a traitor. When the Vampires retreated again after failing to obtain their prize, I followed them back to Earth. I knew I should have reached out to you, Mother, but I was lost, confused, and drunk on my newly gained abilities. Using my allure to influence others, I acquired land, bought a title, and became a Countess in medieval France. I ruled over my people sternly, yet they still loved me. I first fed off people, never taking enough to kill my servants, but enough to keep me alive. When we learned of the Blood Fruit, I stopped feeding off humanity. It was just as well, they were growing suspicious. I grew my own trees, acquired a manservant, and a few lesser thralls. I made a new family for myself.¡± She glances at Mr. Duncan, ¡°When the French Revolution started, we were the only two that managed to escape the wrath of the peasantry. I eventually faked my death, changed my name, and then roamed the world in search of antiquities and relics. Ultimately I was looking for the ring I now wear, as it was lost during the battle in Sanctum.¡± She holds up her wedding ring, ¡°This is the Dark Ring, it requires the dark magic of a Warlock to fuel it. My wife wears the Ring of Light. Only those pure of heart can wield its true potential. With Penny¡¯s light magic and my dark magic, the rings combine to make us unstoppable.¡±

    ¡°You spent centuries roaming the Earth, looking for that one ring?¡± Amethyst seems surprised.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Mother, the power this ring holds, I could not leave it in the hands of someone evil. Even without it¡¯s mate, it increases the power of a Warlock. While my new abilities are tainted by demonic influence and dark magic. My former life as a Fae has prevented me from being a creature of ill intent. I needed to keep the ring away from those who would do wrong. Mr. Duncan and I spent centuries researching and hunting for the Dark Ring while keeping the Ring of Light with us. It was originally mine, but with no more light in my being, it was now useless. My hope was to eventually find a mate that could wield its power. The Ring of Light requires a being of light magic; a healer, Druid, or creature of nature. I also found that the ring just won¡¯t work for anyone. The ritual to bind the two holds a condition. They are rings of Everlasting Love. I had to find my soul mate, my true love. The binding spell only works if the pair are bound by Fate.¡± M¨¦lodie smiles at her wife, ¡°I had almost given up hope until I met Penny. The moment our eyes met, I could not let her go. As much as I tried to excuse that it was just another case of false hope, that I was fooling myself yet again, I felt compelled to be with her. We were drawn together, but without this ring, there was no point. As Fate would have it, we found the Dark Ring when I finally admitted my love for her. I could not deny she was the one. When the two rings resonated, begging to be joined, I took that as a sign that it had finally found the loving mate it was seeking. Odd how Fate would offer me a wife, but I suppose it is fitting. We are only eternal through the rings. Any offspring would be mortal. We will live so long, it is probably best we can not have children together.¡±

    ¡°We have children, My Love,¡± Penny reminds her.

    ¡°Yes, I suppose we could consider the thralls I have turned over the years as my offspring,¡± Melody smiles. Her face turns sad. ¡°But you will never know the joys of motherhood now. I can¡¯t offer you a baby, My Darling.¡±

    ¡°I was ready to make that sacrifice the day I accepted your betrothal,¡± Penny smiles. ¡°I¡¯ve not regretted our time together. I love you so much!¡±

    ¡°I love you too,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles and they kiss.

    ¡°You¡¯ve travelled the world, witnessed humanity change and develop. You¡¯ve hidden among them all this time?¡± Amethyst probes. M¨¦lodie breaks her loving embrace with Penny and nods. ¡°Sanctum, there is so little of it left! What happened?¡±

    ¡°You will have to ask Elphaba. No one outside of the Sanctum knows. I have searched for the remnants of the Seers court and have found none of them. Decades ago, a generation of teenage potentials were exiled to Earth. Some were scattered across the globe, but the most powerful of them were sent as a group. Shortly after that, all the portals to the Sanctum went dark and this realm shattered. There are no recordings or writing. What the survivors recount is riddled, and incomplete, making no sense. Much like my own near-death experience, the world suddenly shattered in a flash of light, followed by darkness. All they can agree on is that it was a horrible day. Only ruins remain of this once beautiful realm. The few survivors banded together here. Fortunately, what little magic was left, allowed them to create food, water and enough supplies to live. Even this school needed to be rebuilt.¡±

    ¡°Being one of those exiled teenagers, it was not a pleasant experience,¡± Adam remarks as he steps into the kitchen. ¡°I was born here. I remember how beautiful it was. It took us five years to gain enough strength to reopen the Fallcrest portal.¡± He sits down at the table, ¡°From what I could gather from the survivors, the Demons and Vampires made a final great push. Before their attack, they had sown lies and deceit among the High Magi. My father, the ruling Arch Mage, was having a harder time keeping the unrest under control. As a precaution, he sent my generation away from Sanctum. I couldn¡¯t understand his worry. At the time, the affairs of the Council were beyond me. We were told we were going on a field trip. It would only be for a week, or two at most. It was only a matter of days before we lost all contact with Sanctum.¡± He frowns, ¡°Elphaba told me that, when the Demons struck, the magi started accusing each other. They fought each other as much as they fought the invasion. I can only imagine the amount of magical feedback such a battle could create. I¡¯m glad I was not there to witness it. I lost my family, my friends, and my home. Elphaba barely survived the ordeal herself. She gathered a few refugees and had been living here, downstairs for years before we could reconnect the Gate.¡±

    ¡°What is your goal now, Arch Mage?¡± Amethyst looks at him.

    ¡°With the Vampire threat mostly eliminated, we can focus on rebuilding. We don¡¯t have enough space here, I¡¯ve been slowly connecting our magical society on Earth. There are no children in Sanctum. I¡¯ve spent the past few years setting up ¡®Schools for the Gifted¡¯; a safe harbour for children to manifest their abilities. The goal is to connect magical families; we form communes, covens, and closed communities. Allowing us to advance magic while hiding in plain sight. It¡¯s dangerous; we constantly worry about being found. We need to rebuild this realm where we can once again find a safe refuge. We could use your help,¡± he looks at Amethyst with a pleading look.

    ¡°It is why I am here,¡± she places her hand on his. ¡°The Pixies I¡¯ve gathered are good workers, but the Spring Pix is but a flower seeder. She¡¯s not strong enough to sow the soil or grow large things. Do you have Druids?¡±

    ¡°Not enough for the task at hand,¡± he frowns.

    ¡°Which is why I sent Lyric back home to Arvandor. Our first task is to build a bridge to where their gate once stood. Hopefully, it is only dormant and mostly intact. Once we contact Lyric, the Druid Council will ideally open the Gate from their end. With Elven aid, you gain the resources of their Bardic Council network. We shall rebuild Sanctum,¡± Amethyst smiles.

    ¡°You sound so confident,¡± Adam quirks an eyebrow.

    ¡°Young Arch Mage, I once helped build this realm from an insignificant speck to the vastness you knew as a child. Rebuilding will be much easier,¡± the Fae grins.

    ¡°You helped build the Sanctum?¡± he looks surprised. ¡°Over a millennium ago?¡± She smiles and nods. ¡°Just how old of a Fae are you?¡±

    ¡°Now, now, My Child, did they not teach you it is impolite to ask a lady her age?¡± she offers a disarming smile. The women at the table laugh at her little joke. ¡°Your grandfather was a handsome man, but you must take after your mother¡¯s side of the family.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Adam smirks, almost amused. ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°You have neither his stature nor his looks. Your grandfather was an Elf. You definitely look Human, though I see that you have inherited nearly all of his magical abilities.¡± She taps his arm as she stands, ¡°That is the most important part of your heritage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I should take that as an insult or a compliment,¡± Adam¡¯s smirk doesn¡¯t falter, causing Penny to giggle.

    ¡°I do like your sense of humour. It will make our job more entertaining,¡± she beams. ¡°Come, let¡¯s gather my children to plan what we must do next.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t intend on rebuilding so soon, do you?¡± he queries.

    ¡°No, we are all too drained from the battle,¡± she replies. ¡°Planning is something Master Luke Goodson seems to be proficient in. Bring him along with us. We need to see what resources we have before we can take our next step.¡±

    ¡°Luke is not one I would call cooperative,¡± Adam warns the Fae.

    ¡°He was here when it was important, I can entrust him to do what needs to be done,¡± she smiles confidently as she leaves the kitchen.

    ¡°Is she always like this?¡± Adam queries, turning to M¨¦lodie. ¡°How can she be so confident this will all work out?¡±

    ¡°Oh, she is being reasonable right now. Wait until she gets stubborn,¡± M¨¦lodie grins.

    ¡°What happens if she gets angry?¡± Adam queries.

    ¡°Let us hope you never see Mother angry,¡± M¨¦lodie¡¯s voice is laced with worry.

 Planning Forward

    Adam gathers all the sages in the kitchen. Not only would it take time to arrange a formal meeting in the Council of the Magi, but people are also hungry. Some of Luke¡¯s adepts busy themselves in the kitchen to make a large enough meal for everyone. M¨¦lodie reminds them that some people are vegetarians, and to not only make a meat meal. They nod and start pulling more food from the fridge and cupboards. Elphaba points out where they can find things, seeing as she¡¯s lived in this building for the past few decades.

    Angel decides this is probably a good time to head home. As a relatively weak spell caster and alchemist, she won¡¯t be of much use in the planning stages. While a phenomenal entertainer, she¡¯s not the organizer her father is. She asks Amethyst to promise to reach out when they¡¯re about to connect with the Elves. Angel eagerly wants to see Lyric again. Adam reminds his niece that it¡¯ll probably be two or three days until they are ready to connect the Gates, but not to go too far if they make progress. Angel hugs them and heads out.

    ¡°Why do you figure it¡¯ll take two to three days to connect with the Forest Realm?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°Well, when the path existed, it was about a day¡¯s walk for an adult to reach the Arvandor Gate from here,¡± he explains. ¡°As you will have to assemble and build a stable land bridge, I figure it¡¯ll take us longer.¡±

    ¡°If we have enough material on hand, yes, it would take a couple of days to rebuild a thin enough land bridge. We¡¯re going for speed, and then filling out the rest later?¡± Amethyst queries.

    ¡°You need Druids. Why waste what little resources we have to make it pretty when there are more capable nature casters on the other side?¡± Adam replies.

    ¡°You have a point,¡± she smiles. ¡°My Rune Weaver, can you still use any Fae magic?¡± Amethyst queries.

    ¡°Limited,¡± M¨¦lodie frowns. ¡°Penny will be more of a use to you than I am.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Penny looks at her wife, surprised. ¡°What can I do?¡±

    ¡°Your aura suggests you have abilities in nature magic, stronger than the Druid I¡¯ve enlisted to maintain the gardens here,¡± Adam answers. ¡°If what Amethyst wants to do is what I¡¯m thinking¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need at least grass and shrubs to knit the earth chunks together. Otherwise, the land bridge will likely break and drift apart,¡± Amethyst finishes for him.

    ¡°You think I can do that?¡± Penny looks puzzled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the spells tonight,¡± a tall auburn-haired woman smiles. She¡¯s dressed in leather and has a knobby staff leaning against her chair. Penny looks at her curiously. ¡°Susan Samuels, I¡¯m the Druid the Arch Mage keeps speaking of. I also dabble in minor illusions, but that won¡¯t help us here,¡± she chuckles and then looks thoughtful. ¡°There might be a few growth potions we can brew tonight. Did you want to help me?¡±

    Penny agrees, stands, and follows the woman out to the nearest cauldron.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good start,¡± Amethyst smiles. ¡°Your village down the hill; it¡¯s not large enough to support the people here, let alone new residents.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Adam frowns. ¡°We¡¯ve barely touched Caster¡¯s View. It has a few townhouse shops and can house a dozen people right now. The ghosts that maintain the shops don¡¯t need lodging, so some of our Sages have rebuilt the homes to live in.¡±

    ¡°Ghosts?¡± Amethyst looks puzzled.

    ¡°The residents of the town were all killed during the cataclysm. The shop owners found themselves bound to their businesses and haven¡¯t been able to find permanent rest. There are several lost souls who float around the ruins of the town and the surrounding islands. They are surprisingly friendly, if not a bit confused, but they¡¯ve not moved on.¡±

    ¡°Can they interact with the world?¡± M¨¦lodie queries.

    ¡°Yes, they can fully manifest and almost look mortal. They¡¯re slightly transparent, and their voice sounds distant,¡± Adam replies.

    ¡°With the ambient essence that floats around, we figure they probably use the realm¡¯s energy to manifest. We¡¯ve not seen them cast spells though,¡± Elphaba adds as she brings the greens to the table.

    ¡°Good, at least that gives us physically able bodies. Outside of Sylphs and Nymphs, most fairies find keeping my size quite taxing. We¡¯ll need manual labour for some tasks. Rebuilding part of your town to house at least two hundred would be a good start,¡± Amethyst comments.

    ¡°Just how much of the realm do you intend to rebuild?¡± Luke probes.

    ¡°As much as I can to house and feed your people,¡± the Fae replies.

    ¡°What?¡± Luke looks confused.

    ¡°Sanctum is a finite pocket dimension,¡± Amethyst explains. ¡°This realm needs enough trees to produce air, enough water to keep things from dying, and farmland to feed you. You don¡¯t intend to spend half of your day casting Create Food and Water spells, do you?¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Magic comes in handy for minor tasks, but you need to make this a place where your people can once again live, grow, and learn. My children tell me that your world is not friendly to magical creatures.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Luke frowns. ¡°Some of us manage to live among humanity with little notice. However, creatures like you stand out without illusions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve moved some of the more vulnerable creatures to gated communities. Where they can live in peace outside of humanity, but it¡¯s a lot of work finding them all,¡± Adam comments.

    ¡°How do these gated communities get their resources?¡± Amethyst turns to him.

    ¡°We have people we trust to provide them with what they can¡¯t produce themselves,¡± Adam smiles. ¡°As you pointed out, many of us can live quite comfortably magically fabricating the creature comforts we need.¡± He leans back and thanks the adept, who places a plate down in front of him.

    Amethyst smiles as she¡¯s served. ¡°Still, would you rather not live as your ancestors did? In the Sanctum where you are safe from Human persecution?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to hope we can get along better if we work with humanity instead of against it,¡± Adam frowns. ¡°Yes, I would love to move more magically active people and creatures here. Earth is becoming overpopulated. Some of us have come dangerously close to being discovered. Others have not been so lucky,¡± he looks down sadly. ¡°It¡¯s why I built the communities and the schools. Children of magical families need a safe place to learn; where we can deal with their powers when and how they manifest.¡±

    ¡°And the adults?¡± Amethyst probes as she eats.

    ¡°The college here is reaching its limits,¡± Adam admits.

    ¡°This was once just the administration building to a university,¡± Amethyst comments. ¡°We have much work ahead of us,¡± she smiles.

    ¡°Why are you so interested in helping humanity?¡± Luke asks, narrowing his eyes.

    ¡°Humans are interesting,¡± Amethyst returns playfully. ¡°For such a short-lived race, you expand, explore and create so much. Your race has this constant need to grow and adapt. Humanity is peppered throughout the Cosmos and is always looking to discover more. That sense of curiosity, that drive to learn, and to seek knowledge¡­ it¡¯s refreshing.¡±

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Despite the cruel and fearful nature that our world is rife with?¡± Luke retorts bitterly.

    ¡°Master Goodson, those who choose not to expand their minds will wilt away as your world dies. We can save those who have the power and willingness to learn,¡± Amethyst replies in a sombre tone.

    ¡°What do you mean, as our world dies?¡± Luke rises from his chair, leaning over the table.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Amethyst looks unmoved. ¡°I felt it the moment I arrived on Earth. Have you not heard the cries of your world?¡±

    ¡°Global warming, Luke,¡± Adam replies sadly. ¡°Please sit down. Don¡¯t act so surprised. She¡¯s an Elemental Fae. She can feel the resonance of the world around us.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ oh,¡± Luke slumps down in his chair. ¡°Once we¡¯re done rebuilding Sanctum, do you think you could help us with our world?¡±

    ¡°That is not my role here. You are a clever race; you will find a way,¡± she smiles knowingly.

    ¡°Does she always speak in riddles?¡± Luke looks at M¨¦lodie.

    ¡°She has been pretty straightforward so far. What riddles do you think she is speaking?¡± M¨¦lodie returns a disarming smile.

    ¡°Bards,¡± Luke grumbles.

    ¡°Come now Luke, there was a time where you liked me much better than this,¡± M¨¦lodie offers a mock pout.

    ¡°And then you broke my best friend¡¯s heart. You think I¡¯m going to forgive you that easily?¡± Luke glares at her.

    ¡°Seriously, Luke? That was nearly two decades ago!¡± M¨¦lodie huffs. ¡°Simeon is mostly over it. I am not the evil temptress you take me for.¡±

    ¡°No. You are a Vampire M¨¦lodie de La Rivi¨¨re, what makes you think I can ever trust a creature like you?¡± his anger grows. ¡°God knows how you are corrupting your wife!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Adam slams his fist down. Luke visibly shrinks. ¡°Regardless of whether or not you like it, Luke, she is our ally. I¡¯ve been teaching Penny recently, and M¨¦lodie loves her more than you can ever imagine. Insult their relationship one more time, and I will not interfere with the wrath they bring down on you.¡±

    Luke glances at Penny as she enters the room. ¡°She is my soul mate, Luke. We are one heart, one voice. Never insult my wife like that again,¡± Penny snaps coldly before sitting down to eat.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Luke hangs his head. ¡°You¡¯re probably better here without me¡­¡± he motions to stand.

    ¡°Luke, don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Adam commands. Luke stops and sits back down. ¡°Amethyst seems to think there¡¯s some merit to your planning skills. I agree with her. Tomorrow, I need you to assess what we¡¯ll need to rebuild the town.¡±

    Luke nods. ¡°Steven?¡± One of his adepts looks up from his meal. ¡°I need your top five to stay here with me. The rest can go home once we¡¯re done eating.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the man replies. ¡°I have my portable tower if we need it.¡±

    ¡°Portable tower?¡± Penny looks at him curiously.

    The man reaches into his pocket, taking out a fist-sized metal chess piece. ¡°I need six square meters of clearance and this turns into a ten-meter tall tower that will house up to ten people,¡± he smiles. ¡°I thought it was merely a toy that I brought from Sanctum when I was younger. When we returned to the realm, I found the spell trigger to make it work, and it¡¯s pretty amazing!¡± he grins.

    ¡°The things that we lost,¡± Adam frowns sadly.

    ¡°Hopefully we can find more of these lost treasures when you rebuild the realm,¡± Amethyst places a comforting hand on his arm.

    ¡°Well, I found my family¡¯s manor. The only part left was the warded arcane library tower. The rest is in ruins.¡± Adam looks around the table, ¡°Some of us have family estates floating out there in the void, waiting to be rediscovered.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s where you found all those cool spellbooks?¡± Luke smiles knowingly. ¡°You think my family estate is still there?¡±

    ¡°I can see it from my family¡¯s lands. There¡¯s not much left, but the basement looks intact. I¡¯ve not explored it.¡± Luke tilts his head, so Adam continues, ¡°If your family estate is anything like mine, there are wards protecting what¡¯s left. Only someone from your family line can approach it safely.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ genetically attuned warding. There¡¯s a novel idea!¡± Luke¡¯s face lights up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I ever think of that?¡± he ponders.

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably find a lot of interesting spells and relics we never knew existed,¡± Adam smiles warmly. ¡°Village first, you can look for your estate later.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Luke replies playfully, making Adam chuckle.

    ¡°I miss having you around,¡± Adam smiles.

    ¡°Our class jokester and troublemaker,¡± Morgyn speaks up for the first time. ¡°I even remember you asking me out once.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, kinda glad that didn¡¯t happen,¡± Luke teases and Morgyn pouts.

    ¡°Once Lisa caught Luke¡¯s eye, no one else could ever compete for his affection after that,¡± Kyle chuckles.

    ¡°To Luke and Lisa, may their happy marriage continue for decades to come,¡± Adam lifts his glass to toast.

    ¡°To Luke and Lisa!¡± Most around the table echoes him.

    ¡°I can only imagine what you were like as teenagers,¡± Penny giggles as she sips some wine. ¡°Who was the biggest troublemaker of the Sages?¡±

    ¡°He was!¡± everyone points to Luke. As a retort, he makes a ¡®who me¡¯ gesture, causing more laughter.

    ¡°Adam¡¯s always been our leader,¡± Morgyn smiles. ¡°When we all felt lost, he kept us together.¡±

    ¡°Even before you realized you were the Arch Mage, you¡¯ve always led your people?¡± Amethyst smiles.

    ¡°How do you know I didn¡¯t realize I was the Arch Mage when I was younger?¡± Adam narrows his eyes.

    ¡°Call it mother¡¯s intuition,¡± Amethyst winks.

    ¡°You are a puzzle,¡± he looks at the Fae, amazed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± she smirks. ¡°Young Arcwave, as wise as you are, you still have much to learn.¡± He lifts a finger. ¡°Oh, yes, I know you are older than you look. Between your Elven heritage and your potions, you shouldn¡¯t look older than you are for decades to come,¡± she smiles knowingly. ¡°I¡¯ve been alive longer than your race has recorded time. Trust me when I say you will never know as much as I do.¡±

    ¡°Point taken, wise master,¡± Adam bows in a playful tone, causing Amethyst to giggle.

    ¡°Your sense of humour makes the task ahead feel lighter,¡± the Fae smiles happily.

    ¡°You aim to keep me busy,¡± Adam catches on.

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± she beams. ¡°Such a cunning young man you are.¡±

    ¡°Keep calling him young, and it might get to his head,¡± Luke chuckles.

    Adam smiles, then clears his throat. ¡°Alright. So¡­ Simeon?¡± The Sage looks at him. ¡°I need you to assess supplies. The way Amethyst is talking, I expect our population is about to expand quickly.¡± Simeon nods, finishes his mouthful, and leaves.

    ¡°Morgyn?¡± The blond-haired Sage looks at him. ¡°As it¡¯s spring, I want to see what we¡¯ll need to make a small campus for those graduating from our schools. We have over twenty high schools now. The first students should finish this year, with anywhere between ten to thirty graduates each. Not all of them will be magically adept enough to attend the college, but we should have a dorm and enough buildings for the subjects they¡¯ll need to learn.¡± Morgyn nods and shovels one more forkful before heading off.

    ¡°Will we have enough teachers or professors for these classes?¡± Elphaba remarks. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have enough Sages for that many students.¡±

    ¡°One step at a time,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°Long-term projects Arch Mage?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°You said this used to be a university. If you¡¯re planning to stay around to rebuild. I need to know how much land we¡¯ll need for a full magical college come fall,¡± he replies.

    ¡°Who¡¯ll finance all these supplies?¡± Penny asks.

    ¡°The magical community will provide what we need, in either supplies, labour or magical knowledge. It might surprise you at what we can build with the right spell casters,¡± Adam grins.

    ¡°You mean all those schools you built?¡± Penny probes.

    ¡°Existing buildings or created by private contract. We built the shell by conventional means. It would draw too much attention, otherwise. Afterward, we can fully furnish and design the inside magically. We fabricate everything through spells. No wood, plaster, brick, or wiring needed, just enough casters to not completely drain them while building,¡± he grins.

    Penny smiles. ¡°You¡¯d think I¡¯d know better. I have a wife who magically created a bowling alley in our basement. It shouldn¡¯t surprise me what one can build with the right magical knowledge¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you buy some supplies, My Darling. Just not all of them,¡± M¨¦lodie winks.

    ¡°Can we get a layout of the island and surrounding area?¡± Amethyst probes.

    Adam glances at his friend. ¡°We removed the table, but the focus crystals are still in place,¡± Luke answers.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Adam smiles. He stands and closes his eyes. Motioning his hands as if reaching out to something. An illusion of the island where they stand slowly materializes.

    Amethyst studies it for a moment. ¡°Can you include the surroundings?¡± Adam nods and focuses again. The closest islands materialize. She studies the illusion. ¡°The most obvious and easiest would be to pull the garden courtyard back in place,¡± Amethyst points to a rock floating slightly higher than theirs. ¡°Then the greenhouse and arboretum will help you reach your basic food production easier,¡± pointing to the island floating to the right of where she is standing. ¡°We can rebuild the bridge to the town,¡± motioning to the island floating in front of the school. ¡°What are those?¡± she points to smaller stone gateways.

    ¡°Not all our students can teleport or fly,¡± Adam answers. ¡°We set up Mirror Gates to hop short distances of the void. They require line of sight to work together.¡±

    ¡°Well, when we rebuild the bridges, you won¡¯t need them anymore,¡± Amethyst remarks.

    ¡°That would be nice. They leave your skin all tingly every time you use one,¡± Elphaba remarks.

    The rest of supper continues, with Amethyst asking where things are, and the Sages pointing out where to find them. By the time they finish eating, the illusion now takes up most of the room. Adam remarks that what she has planned will likely take days to gather the resources and personnel required. More than once, he looks at the Fae. He wonders if she can handle the burden of using that much magic. He¡¯s a competent telekinetic, but she¡¯s looking to move large islands and then ¡®stitch¡¯ them together with the surrounding debris. By her timeline, they likely won¡¯t reach the location of the Arvandor Gate for a week. When he points it out, she seems happy with that assessment. He wishes he could share her confidence and enthusiasm in all this. As the leader of the Magical Community, the logistics alone are enough to worry him. He hopes they can manage.

 Objects in Motion

    The next morning, Luke passes two Spring Pixies on his way to the Sanctum gate. He can¡¯t quite make out what they¡¯re discussing, but they seem excited as they zip by, nearly colliding with him. Amethyst is waiting by the portal as he arrives in the realm.

    ¡°Are you waiting for me, or for those two Spring Pix that nearly ran into me on the way here?¡± he teases.

    ¡°The Pixies are searching for their Spring Court stewards. I don¡¯t expect them back for some time,¡± Amethyst replies.

    ¡°Stewards?¡± he raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°The Pixies tell me that there are no royals left of the Spring Court. The Vampires consumed their entire royal line. It is most troubling news, and it would explain why your world is so out of balance. We¡¯ll deal with the Courts later. For now, I need Sylphs to assist with what we plan to do,¡± Amethyst smiles.

    Luke shivers at the term ¡®consumed.¡¯ ¡°No wonder M¨¦lodie said they were a blight that needed to be removed,¡± he mutters with a slight frown. ¡°Why do you need more Spring Fae? Aren¡¯t Susan and Penny sufficient for the task?¡±

    ¡°I worry we may drain the Human Druids, I want a backup if they need rest,¡± Amethyst remarks.

    ¡°And Fae are better?¡± he challenges.

    ¡°Master Goodson, while Humans are capable, curious and cunning, you are not naturally magical,¡± Amethyst returns. ¡°Until we can summon the Elves, I will rely on the Fae to provide the resources I need.¡±

    ¡°You know, I¡­¡± he starts.

    ¡°You are third generation Human mixed from your Elven ancestry, young Master Goodson. While you are a capable arcanist, you do not wield the powers I require,¡± Amethyst cuts him off. ¡°None of you here do. We need Gaia¡¯s Firstborn to truly rebuild The Sanctum.¡±

    ¡°Alright, fair enough, you win!¡± he raises his hands in surrender. They turn and walk to the school. ¡°Where do we begin this morning?¡± he probes, changing the subject.

    ¡°I want to reconnect the back gardens, then we can repair the bridge to the town for you to help rebuild it,¡± she answers. ¡°Your adepts should wake soon. I¡¯d like them to witness what we¡¯re doing so that they can repeat the process.¡±

    ¡°My adepts are mostly alchemists,¡± Luke counters. ¡°Only three have any telekinetic abilities.¡±

    ¡°And the other two?¡± she probes.

    ¡°Fabricators. They can create food, water, shape stone and bend wood. I thought their talents in manipulation would come handy,¡± Luke replies.

    ¡°You are ever the capable planner that your Arch Mage has been praising,¡± Amethyst smiles and Luke raises an eyebrow. ¡°You seem so close, yet so distant. May I pry into why you¡¯ve nearly cut yourself off from the friends who need you?¡±

    Luke frowns and looks down at the expectant Fae. It should be illegal how something that feels so ancient and wise can wield such an innocent-looking face.

    Luke answers the question he¡¯s rarely told others. ¡°I¡¯m a year older than Adam, and my father involved me in the Council of Magi of the Sanctum that was,¡± he explains. ¡°They rounded down the ear tips I was born with so that I could blend in with the Humans on Earth. I didn¡¯t want to leave Sanctum, they made me!¡± his anger rises at the memory. ¡°When we returned and saw what little remained¡­ I felt like it was my fault for leaving. My family is next to the Arch Mage¡¯s in power. We were the stewards who were supposed to keep the realm safe! I failed my people in letting it be destroyed!¡±

    ¡°So, instead of helping them rebuild, you abandoned your duty as steward in your guilt?¡± she returns.

    ¡°Gods! How you can look so innocent, yet read right through me, is absolutely irritating!¡± he gasps. ¡°How did you know?¡± he narrows his eyes, and she returns a knowing smile. ¡°You are too much sometimes!¡± he grumbles.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± she chimes.

    Luke¡¯s eyes widen. He draws a breath, and then releases it with a chuckle, shaking his head. ¡°This will be an interesting week,¡± he smiles.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be with us all week?¡± she probes as they reach the school.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve taken the week off. My son Clark is old enough to run things until I return,¡± he smiles.

    ¡°Can I inquire what this company of yours does?¡± she probes as they make their way to the kitchen.

    ¡°We make beverages, nothing more,¡± he returns with a coy smile.

    ¡°His company brews magical potions, then dilutes them with vitamin enriched water; passing them off as energy drinks,¡± Adam remarks as they sit down at the table.

    ¡°AdamAid was your creation. I merely market it better than you did,¡± Luke smirks. ¡°The drinks energize and bolster the body¡¯s metabolism without dangerous chemicals. They¡¯re only mildly addictive, yet have no narcotics, steroids, concentrated caffeine or other harmful toxins that other energy drinks contain. They¡¯re perfectly natural and safe to use,¡± Luke defends his popular product.

    ¡°The non-magical population has not caught on to your ruse?¡± Amethyst smiles.

    ¡°Nope!¡± Luke grins. ¡°They are none the wiser. The potions are cheaper to produce and more environmentally friendly than anything else on the market; making the products we offer the first choice for most sports teams. As the potions fully metabolize in the body, there is no residue in tests. Their athletes are healthy, energized, awake and able ¡ª without destroying their bodies with dangerous drugs.¡±

    ¡°Your magical society affects your world discretely. You slowly influencing humankind without exposing itself?¡± she probes and they nod. ¡°Such a cunning race indeed,¡± she smiles.

    Amethyst crosses the bridge to the back gardens. She notes how the water flows from the middle of the bridge, flowing down both sides to the front of the property. ¡°Good, the water source is intact.¡± She turns her focus to the task ahead. The back half of the gardens have been sheared off. It floats ten meters above and away from where they are standing.

    ¡°So how do we move this?¡± Adam probes.

    ¡°We give it a little nudge,¡± Amethyst smiles. The Humans frown and she notes their confusion. ¡°Come now, you must have all passed basic physics if you run a college,¡± she challenges. She sighs as they don¡¯t seem to catch on. Melody and Elphaba are smirking, and her scolding glance keeps her children from vocalizing their amusement. She clears her throat and explains. ¡°Gravity here in The Sanctum is relative. While the islands have mass and keep you on the ground, the surrounding void has none. When you push something¡­¡±

    ¡°It stays in motion until it collides with something else or is slowed by one of the energy ribbons which act as traction,¡± Adam smiles as he finally gets it.

    ¡°Correct,¡± she beams. ¡°I need Adam and Luke to hook the rock. Pull it down and a bit towards you. Not too forcefully or it¡¯ll hit us too hard and bounce off. I¡¯ll try to keep its momentum stable. Ready?¡± she glances at them and they nod. ¡°Alright, reach out with your minds, like a rope, and latch onto the rock. Then ever so slightly tug it,¡± she instructs them. Nothing happens at first. The two men frown, take a deep breath, and try again. They reach out, magically focusing more power into the spell. Near invisible tendrils reach out and latch onto the rock. They lean backward, as the translucent ¡®ropes¡¯ tighten. They each take a step back and the island shifts. ¡°That¡¯s it, nice and gentle,¡± she coaches them as they take another step back.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Amethyst was right. Outside of the initial tug, the island is slowly drifting down and closer. The Fae flies up and hops on the upper island to push it down some more as the two land masses collide. They stumble slightly and there¡¯s a strange rumbling groan as the two islands grind together.

    ¡°Hold it there,¡± she commands and is busy fusing the stone before the islands drift more.

    While Amethyst works to meld the stone as if it had never shattered, Susan shows Penny how to fix the greenery and stitch the soft ground together. After a few minutes, it looks as if the two pieces were never separated.

    ¡°There. One down!¡± Amethyst beams happily. ¡°Should we work on the greenhouse island next, or the town¡¯s bridge?¡±

    ¡°Amethyst has called for Spring Sylphs, let¡¯s connect the greenhouse first,¡± Luke offers to Adam.

    ¡°Those Sylphs are supposed to be helping you with this,¡± Amethyst argues.

    ¡°The greenhouse is in serious disrepair. In its current state, we only use it for growing alchemy ingredients. If they can help mend the other half so that we can grow food too, then that will help us. I see his point,¡± Adam agrees with his friend.

    Amethyst smirks, ¡°You two think so much alike, I can only imagine the trouble you would get yourselves into when you were younger.¡±

    Adam blinks and Luke chuckles, ¡°Adam¡¯s my conscience. I can get ahead of myself, and he keeps me from going too far.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you both. We need you right now,¡± Amethyst smiles.

    ¡°You do?¡± Luke blinks, then glances at Adam, who¡¯s nodding. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get moving,¡± he scratches the back of his neck nervously.

    They make their way around to the school on the right side. The stairs down to the greenhouses ends in a Mirror Gate. Past the gate, what used to be the remaining meter of stairs is a broken, floating mess of debris. Pieces of guardrail, chunks of step, rock and a few floating flowers hint the stairway had once been longer. The greenhouse itself is floating several meters away, having drifted slightly. Like many things in Sanctum, it¡¯s floating at a slight tilt, more apparent now that the college has righted itself with the addition of the rear gardens.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to fix this one a little differently,¡± Amethyst comments after a moment.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we just pull it to the main island, like we did with the other one?¡± Luke argues.

    ¡°The pieces don¡¯t fit together,¡± Amethyst motions at the broken stairwell. ¡°The last meter lies completely shattered. We¡¯ll need to repair the broken portion.¡±

    ¡°That debris doesn¡¯t look sufficient to repair the gap,¡± Adam comments, studying the floating pieces.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. I knew you had a keen eye for these things,¡± Amethyst smiles. ¡°We¡¯ll have to create a new land bridge.¡±

    ¡°How do we do that?¡± Penny muses as she¡¯s caught up with the group.

    ¡°With these Gates, their stonework is sturdy enough for a new bridge,¡± Amethyst suggests. Luke frowns and shakes his head. ¡°Problems, Master Goodson?¡±

    ¡°The arch at the top of each doorway,¡± he points to one. ¡°They won¡¯t make a seamless fit ¡ª unless you¡¯re planning to overlap them.¡±

    ¡°Mother?¡± Ci?l probes and the Fae nods. ¡°This will be fun!¡± the girl chimes.

    ¡°Wait! You¡¯re not actually considering overlapping the mirror gates, are you?¡± Adam gasps and she returns a knowing smile. The two Fae push their hands forward and the stone gates creek, then bend toward each other.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Adam?¡± Penny places a hand on his arm.

    ¡°She plans to overlap the gates!¡± Adam¡¯s voice is barely above a whisper. The gates form an archway now, nearly touching.

    ¡°I need you to pull the island closer. I can¡¯t be distracted during the meld,¡± Amethyst commands.

    ¡°On it,¡± Luke nods and Adam gapes at them.

    ¡°Do you know the energy feedback that will result from what you¡¯re planning?¡± he argues.

    ¡°Of course, I need to make a new land bridge,¡± Amethyst dismisses him. ¡°Come, snag the left side before the islands fall out of alignment.¡± Adam hesitates. ¡°Now Arch Mage, or the islands will drift and it¡¯ll take more energy to push them back into place!¡±

    Adam grumbles something about unstable elemental forces and she¡¯s trying to kill them all, but does as he¡¯s told. What he can read of Amethyst¡¯s aura, she¡¯s easily ten times more powerful than he is, and he hopes she knows what she¡¯s doing. If this fails, the resulting cascade will push the greenhouse chunk further away.

    Amethyst instructs them to tug together, ¡°This needs to be perfect.¡±

    M¨¦lodie nods and is acting as a guide while the men have moved further apart. They ¡®rope¡¯ opposite corners of the land mass and draw the greenhouse island closer.

    From his vantage point, Adam watches as Amethyst aligns the two mirror gates until there is an eye as they overlap one another. She then bends them together to form a nicely rounded arch. Adam worries as the two Fae are hovering over the middle of each gate. As they meld, the two gates flicker for a moment, then ripple. The area where they overlap glows so brightly that the Humans need to shield their eyes.

    ¡°Now!¡± Amethyst commands.

    Adam watches as the two Fae bring their hands together as if in prayer. They then push their hands down and spread them out. The effect on the gates is astounding. The unstable energy building up within the gates suddenly pushes down and ripples outward, like dropping a large stone in water. It appears as a stream of energy under the bridge, absorbing the floating debris, which is forcing the energy stream to harden. It¡¯s acting like a magnet, pulling in anything floating nearby until it solidifies into what appears to be cooled magma. The bridge itself now looks to be made of clear quartz in a frame of stone. The middle is still glowing.

    ¡°Um, is that stable?¡± Adam points to the orb.

    ¡°That was amazing! Do it again!¡± Luke exclaims in child-like wonder.

    Amethyst offers them a smile. ¡°It is quite stable, My Children,¡± she chimes as she steps forward and picks up the glowing orb. The bowling ball sized globe of topaz crystal swirls and pulses with energy.

    ¡°Um¡­ you left a hole,¡± Adam points to where the orb had been. There¡¯s an eye of emptiness. ¡°That¡¯s a safety hazard. You can¡¯t leave it empty like that. We should make some sort of handrail. This land bridge isn¡¯t very thick. Will it hold?¡±

    ¡°Safety first,¡± Luke mouths, mocking Adam.

    ¡°Safety first,¡± Adam comments, leaving Penny to giggle. ¡°This isn¡¯t a laughing matter. The point of rebuilding The Sanctum is to make it safe for everyone, not leave hazards or holes lying around!¡±

    Amethyst hands the orb to Ci?l, and draws a gem from her pouch. She drops it and expands her hand as it¡¯s about to fall through. The amethyst stone expands until it fills the eye. ¡°There,¡± she returns a satisfied smile. She glances at Adam, ¡°The bridge will hold. It spans the length of the greenhouse chunk and we¡¯ll reinforce it when we build the surrounding land. As for making this bridge safer for human use, I¡¯ll leave that to you. We have visitors.¡±

    ¡°Earthen Mother, we found the Sylph you seek,¡± chimes a Spring Pixie as they fly towards the group.

    ¡°There¡¯s a greenhouse that has seen better days,¡± a song-like voice comments.

    Two Spring Sylphs land behind the Pixies. Their wings remind Adam of Birdwing butterflies as they¡¯re green with black centres. The top wings are almost a teardrop shape whereas the bottoms are more rounded. A third lands behind them. His wings resemble a Luna moth.

    The older appearing of the three steps forward. ¡°I am Feren, my brother Leaglin, and our cousin Tundo. We are the West Coast Stewards of the Spring Court. You called for us?¡±

    ¡°Just in time, My Children,¡± Amethyst beams. ¡°Ardamir?, Artamir, take this globe and store it with the sun crystals.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother,¡± the two Spring Pixies chime. Ci?l hands them the globe and they flutter off with it.

    ¡°What are your plans for the orb?¡± Adam probes as he watches the Pixies fly off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. We have other concerns right now,¡± Amethyst dismisses him.

    ¡°So, like your Pixie cousins, Spring Sylphs resemble butterflies,¡± Luke remarks as their hair, skin colour and even clothing make them appear like over-sized insects.

    ¡°We need to blend in with nature so that humanity doesn¡¯t suspect we¡¯re any different,¡± Tundo replies. ¡°Would you have us walk around looking like you?¡±

    Feren turns and snaps at him, ¡°Tundo, be polite. You know full well that many of us, like myself, carry a Human Veil to blend into populated regions. It¡¯s how the Fern clan survived after the Humans invaded our glade.¡± He frowns. ¡°Not all of us have the benefit of living in a forested valley the humans have barely seen,¡± she continues.

    ¡°I stand corrected, my apologies, Cousin Feren,¡± he bows.

    ¡°You recruited a racist Sylph to help Humans rebuild our realm? This is off to a fabulous start,¡± Luke rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you start on me, High Mage!¡± Feren turns and snaps at Luke. ¡°Tundo¡¯s clan are tree planters. You¡¯ll need his expertise in what you want done.¡±

    ¡°And what do you and your brother do?¡± Adam asks calmly, his voice doesn¡¯t carry any of Luke¡¯s accusatory tone.

    ¡°We Fern specialize in woodland shrubs and undergrowth. The Spring Pix said the Earthen Mother was needing help in mending clumps of ground together to make new grass, moss and shrub-covered regions. We¡¯ve sent word to our mid-west Orolanda cousins to find a Sylph that is more proficient in grasslands, but it might take a few days before they can reach here.¡±

    ¡°Sure, announce to the whole Spring Court what we¡¯re doing. How could that ever go wrong?¡± Luke grumbles.

    ¡°Do you or do you not want our help, Human? We don¡¯t have to be here!¡± Tundo snaps back.

    ¡°Quiet now, Children! Now is not the time to bicker. We have much work ahead of us,¡± Amethyst¡¯s high-pitch cuts through their arguments.

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother,¡± the Sylph all turn and bow to her.

    ¡°What will you have us do?¡± Feren glances up.

    ¡°Come, let us see what the greenhouses need first,¡± Amethyst smiles and flutters across the bridge.

 Making it Green

    Amethyst is impressed by how intact the greenhouse appears. There are a few large fruit trees equidistant from the long metal and glass structure. The greenhouse frame is elaborately decorated. Nothing like the utilitarian greenhouses she¡¯d read on the Human¡¯s Internet. Inside she finds an orderly self-watering hydroponic system that grows the herbs and roots the mages need for their spells and potions. The hydroponics are an interesting blend of magic and Human technology. The curved shelving and ornate supports hint at Elven influence. Her mind wanders back to the day she watched the Elf Druids help the Arcanists build this growing place for Sanctum. Her fingers graze an ornate support beam that houses some hanging planters.

    ¡°So much has been lost. At least this piece of their history survived,¡± she mumbles to herself. Amethyst turns as the others join her. ¡°This looks intact. What¡¯s wrong with this place?¡±

    ¡°Open the door to the rest of the complex,¡± Adam offers. ¡°This isn¡¯t even half of it.¡±

    She opens the doors opposite the entrance and notices the corridor is empty with nothing growing. The hairs stand up on end as she steps forward. Curious, she leans down, feels the dead soil, then looks up, confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe to stand here now, but the charged air prevents anything from growing. It doesn¡¯t get better,¡± Adam¡¯s face is grim, motioning forward.

    Amethyst¡¯s brow creases with worry as she turns around. That original sense of unease grows as she flutters down the wide barren hallway. ¡°This used to be where they grew and studied root vegetables,¡± she mutters to herself.

    The mages noticed that Sanctum¡¯s environment changed plants from Earth. The strong magical essence that weaves and permeates the Realm tends to alter or evolve plants. It ¡®awakens¡¯ them as one Druid called it, making them potent storage vessels for magical use. Potions and spell components from the Sanctum were considered masterwork supplies with their enhanced traits. Non spell component food grew larger and plentiful, holding a larger array of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Sanctum food was more filling, tastier and satisfying. She¡¯s drawn back to the present. The way the hallway twists slightly like a corkscrew increases her worry. As she opens the doors at the end of the hall, she gasps.

    ¡°What in the Elements has happened here?¡± she whimpers as she feels the Arch Mage approach her.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Adam replies sadly. ¡°Some sort of explosion, from what we can tell of the debris. We figure one or more Druids made their last stand here.¡±

    Beyond the door lies the shattered and twisted ruin of what used to be the larger half of the greenhouse. Gnarled roots and warped plants keep everything from floating away. It appears as if there had been an explosion in the middle, followed by a fire. The charred remains still ooze and seep as the plants tried their best to heal from the magical attack, but never succeeded.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know where to start in cleaning this up,¡± Adam comments. ¡°It used to be worse. Elphaba and her Pixies helped remove the worse of the arcane residue, so it¡¯s safe to stand here.¡± He motions, ¡°The rest is so twisted and grown into each other, we don¡¯t know how to tame the plants without the whole place coming down on us.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, we have our work cut out for us,¡± Feren comments as she quietly flutters up to them. She turns to her brother. ¡°Leaglin, return home and call for at least a dozen Pixie tenders. We¡¯ll need help to tame this place.¡±

    The Fern Sylph nods and turns, slipping past his Greenleaf cousin. Feren shoots him a glance and Tundo raises his hands. ¡°You won¡¯t get any argument from me on this. I¡¯m with the Arch Mage. I¡¯d have no idea where to start with this mess.¡±

    Feren studies the area for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the damaged plants, then work on taming the warped wood.¡±

    ¡°Watch out for awakened plants and Assassin Vines. The Druid who took their last stand here might have left traps for the unwary,¡± Tundo cautions, gently touching the nearest plant. ¡°So much pain! So much sorrow,¡± his brows crease in worry. ¡°We¡¯ll make it better,¡± he caresses a leaf, noting that it follows his hand. He frowns, ¡°Back up.¡± Feren glances at him, confused. Then her eyes widen in surprise as a mass of vines shift and move. ¡°Back up now!¡± he shouts.

    Adam reaches out and they¡¯re suddenly teleported back into the hallway. Vines reach out to them and he casts a barrier in front of the group. The vines recoil as they touch the arcane shield, whip at it a few times to test it, then retreat, closing the doors to the shattered portion behind them.

    ¡°Even from the outside, those vines will attack any attempt to rebuild the greenhouse,¡± Adam frowns.

    ¡°Definitely have our work cut out for us,¡± Feren frowns. ¡°Thank you, cousin.¡±

    ¡°Not to boast, but my specialty is in awakened plants. It¡¯s what keeps our vale safe from outsiders,¡± Tundo replies. He turns to Susan. ¡°I need access to an alchemy bench and a cauldron. I can whip up something that will tame the vines so we can reach the nest.¡±

    ¡°Right this way,¡± she motions. He follows the Human Druid as they head back to the college.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can tackle this from more than one angle,¡± Amethyst muses. She turns to the Spring Fae. ¡°Help me create safe land around the greenhouse. While we can manage this work in flight, the Humans with us won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother,¡± Feren bows.

    ¡°You call her Earthen Mother,¡± Luke remarks as he follows them, curious as to what they¡¯ll do.

    ¡°We teach most Sylph to remember and respect our origins,¡± Feren replies, mildly annoyed. ¡°She is the Earthen Mother, the creator and mistress of the Earthen Realm, the Plane of Elemental Earth ¡ª as your magi call it. Have you Humans forgotten so much of your history that you do not recognize one of your creators?¡±

    ¡°One of my creators?¡± Luke blinks, then looks down at the two pale Fae.

    ¡°After the Three created the Material Realm, my sisters and I watched over the worlds and guided their development, young Master Goodson,¡± Amethyst returns a disarming smile. ¡°We aided in the birth of your solar system. Sol, Gaia, and her sibling planets could be considered some of our children. You are Gaia¡¯s creations, Her children. You ask why I have vested interest in Earth and what humanity does. You can think of me as the grandmother of your existence if you like. Though I prefer the term Mother; Grandmother makes me sound so old,¡± she smirks. The comment leaves Melody and Feren to giggle.

    ¡°You know, I warned you not to tell me of the history of my creation,¡± Luke retorts, shaking his head, causing Ci?l to giggle. He raises a finger¡­

    ¡°We will have plenty of time to refresh your knowledge of the Outer Planes and its history later, High Magus. We have other, more pressing concerns to worry about,¡± Amethyst cuts him off.

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother,¡± he returns in a playful tone and bows.

    ¡°You are fun to have around,¡± Amethyst returns a playful smile. ¡°Let us make some more ground to stand on. How close can we approach to what¡¯s left of the greenhouse before the vines attack?¡±

    ¡°No more than a meter or two,¡± Adam remarks. ¡°Today was the furthest we¡¯ve managed so far. Now that the vines are on alert, though, it¡¯ll be difficult to move closer.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Noted,¡± Amethyst nods as they exit the greenhouse.

    She turns left, and they follow her as she makes her way around the building. Unlike the main island, there is no drop-off where the land ends here. The ground gradually becomes more unstable as they walk toward the ruined half. The ground is bouncy, suggesting it¡¯s not entirely solid. About halfway to the floating ruin, it¡¯s clear the ground won¡¯t hold up one, let alone all of them.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need Tundo here unless you girls are good at meshing root systems,¡± Amethyst remarks.

    ¡°I can help stitch the roots to form a web of ground cover or carpet of moss,¡± Feren muses. ¡°We will need Tundo here for something more solid, but we can manage a temporary lattice for now.¡±

    ¡°I can help,¡± Penny offers. ¡°I can spread grass and thin roots with the spells Susan taught me.¡±

    Amethyst nods. ¡°Melody, my Weaver, do you still have telekinetic abilities?¡±

    ¡°I do, Mother. What do you have planned?¡± M¨¦lodie raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Help the boys and I move the debris together. Penny and Feren can stitch the rocks together with roots to lend us firmer footing. We should be able to make a floating nest of vines and stone a meter or more thick so that we can walk around without falling through.¡±

    M¨¦lodie glances at Adam and Luke who nod. ¡°Yes, Mother, let¡¯s get started,¡± she smiles.

    They¡¯re rounding the greenhouse by the time Susan and Tundo rejoin them. The vines are active, but don¡¯t reach beyond the shattered glass and bent frame. Tundo begins to carefully spread the powder he brought back, and the vines retreat even more.

    ¡°The vines are reacting as if this is some sort of acidic powder,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°Reactive Lyme. Try not to get any of this on your hands or organic clothing. It will cause irritation,¡± Tundo nods. ¡°I¡¯m not fond of these synthetic gloves I found in your lab, but they are better than having this on my skin. It also means the ground won¡¯t keep plants where we sprinkle this, so be careful not to toss it someplace you need greenery.¡±

    ¡°This could be a potent bio-weapon,¡± Luke remarks as Penny prepares the next ¡®dust bomb¡¯ ¡ª as he calls the fragile globes in the bucket they brought back.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sharing this recipe with humanity, and you are not to keep one of these globes.¡± Tundo narrows his eyes at Luke. He glances at Adam, ¡°You limit the use of offensive spells and potions, do you not?¡± Adam nods. ¡°Then you will treat this as a hazardous substance as well,¡± Tundo stresses.

    ¡°As you wish. Our relations with the Fae are tense enough. I would do nothing to hinder it,¡± Adam bows slightly.

    ¡°If we can trust you with such matters, my elders are discussing allowing some of our clans to attend those pretty new schools you¡¯ve made,¡± Feren remarks.

    ¡°Fae attending our school would finally convince the Garou to join our schools instead of continuing to teach their pups at home,¡± Adam remarks. Tundo shoots him a startled look. ¡°The Garou are tame packs of Werewolves. I would never place my students at risk trying to enlist a feral wolf into my schools.¡±

    ¡°Why not just enlist the Warlocks and Vampires while you¡¯re at it?¡± Tundo rolls his eyes. Adam smiles. ¡°What? You¡¯re not actually thinking of enrolling Dark Magic users into those schools of yours, are you?¡± the Fae gasps. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°That our community needs to be united if we are to save the world. The mundane society doesn¡¯t take global warming seriously enough. We don¡¯t even take it seriously enough, but we can at least try to make some kind of difference,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°The Arch Mage has offered we build a school in Hillcrest,¡± Penny remarks. ¡°We just need to convince Melody¡¯s master. Phan¡¯s knowledge of history and the world would be an invaluable asset to our schools.¡±

    ¡°After the battle with the Vampire Collective, I still think you place too much trust in that my Master would agree to this offer, My Darling. I appreciate your enthusiasm,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really trust your Master, Melody, but Penny is right. His knowledge of history, society, and natural sciences would be invaluable. It would mend the rift between your surviving Dark Council and the Council of Magi. We can¡¯t continue to be divided like we are.¡±

    ¡°What if the surviving Vampire Collective will not agree to your terms?¡± M¨¦lodie queries.

    ¡°They can¡¯t all be evil, can they?¡± Adam argues. ¡°Some must be pure of heart, like your Master and the family he has created?¡±

    M¨¦lodie returns a cunning smile, ¡°I now see why my wife thinks so highly of you, Arch Mage. You can be such a clever man.¡± She draws a breath, ¡°You are correct, about half of Blightwood is composed of Warlock and Vampire families that follow my Master¡¯s banner. Some of them even have children.¡±

    ¡°Vampires can have children?¡± Luke glances at her, surprised.

    ¡°The afflicted cannot bear offspring naturally. Though some have turned children, we do not encourage it. The poor creatures are forever trapped in a young state and never age,¡± M¨¦lodie scrunches her nose.

    ¡°I can imagine never finishing puberty wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant experience,¡± Luke grins, causing Adam to chuckle.

    ¡°Warlock and Witch families differ,¡± M¨¦lodie reaches out and Penny takes her hand. ¡°Demon-blooded vampiric Warlocks are still living creatures. We can age and even have children. There are half a dozen families living in Blightwood that would have children old enough to attend this school Adam is looking to build.¡±

    ¡°What of the schools on the West Coast?¡± Feren probes.

    ¡°Seattle and Vancouver hold mostly Humans and a few Dwarves. We could double the student body if Fae and Garou would join them. I think it¡¯s safer north for you. The school down in Del Rey Valley is primarily composed of children from Hollywood. The Humans are Bards, performers, Illusionists, and Artificers, with the occasional Dwarven engineer and blue-collar worker.¡±

    ¡°This Del Rey Valley school sounds more suitable for the Summer Court, not one of ours,¡± Tundo agrees.

    ¡°If you could reach out to the Summer Court, I¡¯d appreciate it,¡± Adam smiles.

    ¡°The Summer Court won¡¯t speak to the steward families,¡± Feren frowns. ¡°We¡¯ve tried! They see us as lesser clans and not worthy of their time or effort.¡±

    ¡°Someone will have to get through to them if we¡¯re to have any hope of returning the seasons in balance,¡± Amethyst remarks.

    ¡°They may just listen to you, Earthen Mother, but they won¡¯t talk to any of us,¡± Feren returns sadly.

    ¡°What of the Winter Court?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°The remaining royal family is in hiding after the Vampires wiped out over half of their court in the past century,¡± Feren returns sadly.

    ¡°None of the remaining courts are strong enough. The Fall Court is in the same boat we are. The Vampires consumed the last of their royals recently. Is that not why you went to war with them?¡± Tundo glances at M¨¦lodie.

    ¡°Word spreads quickly I see. It is why my Master wanted them thinned out, yes,¡± M¨¦lodie nods. ¡°The final straw for me, and where we became involved, was when they threatened my family.¡±

    ¡°So, you were just going to allow the Vampire Collective to continue consuming every mystical creature on the planet? You only became involved because they threatened you directly?¡± Feren gasps.

    ¡°My family does not involve itself with the Vampire Collective. It was none of my business,¡± M¨¦lodie retorts.

    ¡°You selfish, sanctimonious¡­¡± Feren launches at M¨¦lodie.

    ¡°Children, please, let us not argue,¡± Amethyst cuts them off.

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Feren bows to her, then shoots M¨¦lodie a dirty look.

    ¡°Drop it, My Child,¡± Amethyst orders.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she pouts.

    ¡°I know this pains you greatly, My Dear,¡± Amethyst lays a comforting hand on Feren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We will help your people rebuild.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Feren tilts her head.

    ¡°In time, you will see,¡± Amethyst returns a knowing smile. ¡°Your people will find a Voice soon enough. Be patient, all will happen in good time.¡±

    ¡°Will this be within my generation?¡± Luke chides.

    ¡°Now that would be telling,¡± Amethyst winks playfully, leaving Luke to chuckle and shake his head.

    ¡°You rarely tell the whole story,¡± Luke digs.

    ¡°I will tell you what you need when it¡¯s needed, young man,¡± Amethyst retorts. ¡°To give humanity too much foresight is dangerous. It could hinder the outcome that is needed.¡±

    ¡°Or we could speed its arrival,¡± Luke challenges.

    ¡°All in good time, and not before, High Magus. Knowledge can be as much a tool as it is a weapon,¡± Amethyst pauses. ¡°Your race has shown all too often how it leans to the latter.¡±

    ¡°She has a point there,¡± Adam defends the Fae.

    ¡°What do you know of all this?¡± Luke turns and narrows his eyes at his best friend. Adam returns a disarming smile. ¡°You know something¡­¡±

    ¡°If you kept in touch with the magical community, you¡¯d be more in the loop of what¡¯s going on around here,¡± Adam teases.

    ¡°What are you scheming, Adam?¡± Luke pushes.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Adam sings playfully, causing the Fae to giggle.

    ¡°People wonder why I have trust issues,¡± Luke grumbles.

    ¡°As Amethyst says: all in good time, my friend,¡± Adam pats him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Says the half-centennial Arch Mage who looks no older than twenty-two,¡± Luke pokes at him.

    ¡°You still look nearly as young as me,¡± Adam shoots back.

    ¡°No, I look older than you; so that Angel still resembles my daughter, and not my sister,¡± Luke argues.

    ¡°Come now, we¡¯re only third-generation Humans. We¡¯ll see nearly five mundane generations pass before we even have a hint of grey hair,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°If we ever have grey hair,¡± Luke smirks. ¡°My father had none.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell what is blond and what is not?¡± Adam digs.

    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous because I¡¯m more handsome than you are,¡± Luke returns smugly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine just the way I am. Your better looks come with a bigger ego,¡± Adam chides.

    ¡°Hey! I resemble that remark!¡± Luke retorts. The two glare at each other for a moment, then laugh loudly. This apparently is a long-standing joke between them as they clap each other on the shoulder.

    ¡°Are they ever serious?¡± Tundo frowns.

    ¡°I rather like this lighter side of Adam,¡± Penny smiles.

    ¡°Playtime later, boys, we still have much work to do,¡± Amethyst scolds them playfully.

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother,¡± the two magi intone together and bow, causing everyone to laugh.

 Moving ALong

    It¡¯s nearing supper time. The land surrounding the greenhouse is mostly solid, with a bit of give in its corners. The building is mostly intact on the edges, but vines keep breaking the glass and frame whenever anyone gets too close. It¡¯s almost as if the vines prefer chaos and destruction, like they have a mind of their own. The Fae, being able to fly, have built up more land underneath. From Amethyst¡¯s view, as she surveys what Tundo is doing, it looks like an iceberg.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to connect this island to the rest of the land mass,¡± Amethyst remarks.

    They¡¯ve been focusing on giving the greenhouse a solid base, but have still left it as a floating island. The molten land bridge created by the controlled explosion of the mirror gates is thin, less than a meter thick.

    ¡°Are you worried that it might drift or twist?¡± Feren remarks.

    ¡°I am, yes,¡± Amethyst nods. ¡°The cooled molten river is not very thick, and I fear the bridge will not suffice to keep this stable.¡±

    ¡°I can work on it with Ci?l after we break for a meal. Maybe half a dozen pixies to gather the debris floating around?¡± Tundo offers.

    She looks at her daughter and Ci?l nods. ¡°Very well,¡± Amethyst smiles. ¡°Try not to drain yourselves too much tonight. We have a long day tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You want us to stay here tonight?¡± Feren glances at her.

    ¡°Unless you have other pressing matters,¡± Amethyst returns. ¡°We need more hands if we are to truly help rebuild Sanctum. On the morrow, we press forward to create a land bridge to reach the Arvandor Gate. The Elven Druids will be much more adept at what I need than trying to enlist more Fae or Pixies.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the Elves will help us?¡± Luke queries from above them.

    ¡°Millennia ago, the Elves that did not go into exile helped build this realm with humanity. That none of them survived this cataclysm is a loss to your world. Master Telpetmo, do you not want to welcome your people back to Earth?¡± Amethyst queries.

    ¡°Where have you heard that name? Who told it to you?¡± Luke snaps, nearly tipping into the void as he lashes out.

    ¡°It took some time to recognize your family traits,¡± Amethyst ignores his angry glare. ¡°You come from a great family of noble Elves. Are you ashamed of your heritage, High Magus?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no I shouldn¡¯t be, should I?¡± he relaxes somewhat. ¡°I¡¯ve just¡­ hid that name from the world for so long. It almost feels wrong to use it.¡±

    ¡°Arch Mage, did you not use your last name while you were growing up?¡± Amethyst tilts her head.

    ¡°No, I used my uncle¡¯s last name, Archer, for years until I reached adulthood,¡± Adam remarks. He¡¯s working at rebuilding the frame, trying to keep the vines from destroying the greenhouse all over again. ¡°Even then, few of those outside the magical community know of the last name Arcwave.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Amethyst ponders out loud. ¡°You hide among the world, living beside it. The magical community keeps itself segregated from the rest of humankind?¡±

    ¡°We have to, Mother,¡± M¨¦lodie replies. She¡¯s controlling their movement on a broom as Penny assists Ci?l in binding more landmass to the island. ¡°Humanity, overall, still fears the unknown. We¡¯ve witnessed too many crusades to rid the world of magic throughout history. The less they know of the magical community, the more we can all live in peace.¡±

    ¡°Does it not bother you that you have to hide who you are from the world?¡± Amethyst returns worriedly.

    ¡°Well, until we can rebuild The Sanctum, hiding among humanity and occasionally behind illusions is better than being hunted down,¡± Adam returns a grim smile.

    ¡°Why ever would Gaia create such a race that hates others so vehemently?¡± Amethyst mumbles out loud.

    ¡°Humanity more or less evolved on its own,¡± Adam remarks. ¡°We have done worse to our own kind. A ruling nation will deem anyone who doesn¡¯t look or think as they do to be inferior or a threat. Over the millennia, we have warred continually against one another ¡ª often wiping out entire cultures in the process.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡± Amethyst gasps. ¡°However have you advanced to produce such marvels of technology?¡±

    ¡°As you¡¯ve pointed out, humanity is a short-lived race,¡± Luke retorts. ¡°We also appear to have short memories, often forgetting or ignoring the mistakes of the past. We live less than a century, so we push to discover, progress, and learn. Few will continue the studies or projects of their parents, so it¡¯s up to each generation to achieve what it can. Humanity is competitive, emotional, and reactive. It leads them to be self-serving, jealous and aggressive. Conflict will often spur us on to build faster. If you think that cell phone of yours is a marvel, you¡¯ve never seen the power of a warship.¡±

    ¡°Humanity is so violent,¡± Amethyst whimpers. She pauses and sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to help you rebuild Sanctum. Sadly, as an outsider, I¡¯ll never manage to help you fix your world.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± those around her chime all at once.

    ¡°Do you honestly think your world will accept my help when they find out who I truly am?¡± Amethyst challenges.

    ¡°She has a point there,¡± Adam returns sadly. ¡°People will more likely hunt her down to kill her than want her aid. We¡¯re on our own, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Then how¡­¡± Luke objects.

    ¡°As I said earlier, your people will find its Voice,¡± Amethyst returns a cunning smile. ¡°Gaia will find her champion to lead you. The miracle will likely be within your lifetime, expect the unexpected.¡±

    ¡°Can you be more specific?¡± Luke narrows his eyes and then shakes his head as Amethyst smirks. ¡°Will we recognize them?¡±

    ¡°The Fae will recognize their Voice before you do,¡± Amethyst returns a knowing smile. Feren and Tundo smile at one another.

    ¡°How in the blazes are these flighty creatures going to spot a ¡®Voice¡¯ before a Mage can? We are ten times better at reading an aura than they are!¡± Luke spits accusingly.

    ¡°Why you entitled Human piece of¡­¡± Tundo rises to meet him.

    ¡°Children!¡± Amethyst snaps and Tundo stops. ¡°Your world will never recover if you cannot get along!¡± she scolds them.

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother,¡± the two males hang their heads.

    ¡°The Fae are in tune with nature,¡± Amethyst explains, ¡°The Voice will be a High Priestess of Mother Earth, likely a Druid. They will sense her arrival,¡± she motions to the Fae.

    ¡°So we¡¯re looking for a girl?¡± Luke raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said too much, get back to work,¡± she huffs and flutters away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it out of her eventually,¡± Luke offers a challenging smirk.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know when to quit, do you?¡± Tundo growls at him. ¡°Would you even know what to do when you find the Voice of Gaia?¡± Luke raises a finger and stops, stumped. ¡°I thought so,¡± the Fae huffs and flutters down to see how Penny and Ci?l are managing.

    ¡°What will you do when you find this Voice you seem to know so much about?¡± Luke challenges as he looks down.

    ¡°The Voice of Gaia will guide her children and reunite the world. You might not think you need a Voice, but the Fae desperately do. With the Summer Court in control, global warming is only getting worse with their rampant tampering,¡± Feren replies. ¡°The Courts have been bordering on war for centuries now. The last remaining royal family of the Winter Court in hiding is the only thing that has kept the Fae from an all-out conflict. Pray that never happens in any lifetime.¡±

    Adam looks out at the shattered remains of his home realm. ¡°A war among the Fae would be disastrous. We can¡¯t allow what happened here to happen on Earth. The Fae won¡¯t care who gets in their way.¡± He looks at Feren, ¡°As Spring Fae, you would-be victims in this conflict as much as we would.¡±

    ¡°We would,¡± Feren replies sadly. Penny offers her a sympathetic smile. ¡°Few Spring Fae know any sort of harmful spells. It is the Summer and Winter Court who wield elemental powers. Summer Court Fae can manipulate fire. Winter Court Fae control ice and cold. Fall Court Fae can manipulate the weather and storms. We Spring Fae merely control plants and nature.¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the ability to form earth and stone or throw spikes at your foes,¡± Luke smiles as he reaches out for a large boulder, pulling it in.

    ¡°Or plants. That assassin vine, or whatever it is in the greenhouse, would kill us all if we were to move within its reach,¡± Adam frowns, glancing over his shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure whatever is controlling the vines is more than a plant,¡± Tundo remarks. ¡°I can¡¯t control it at all, it¡¯s like it has a will of its own. There is some sense a sentience to it, but it won¡¯t talk to me.¡±

    ¡°You can talk to plants?¡± Luke blinks. Tundo places a hand on his hip and raises his eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re a Spring Fae, of course, you can,¡± Luke mumbles a half-apology.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯m drained for now. Let¡¯s break for a meal and recharge,¡± Adam offers and receives various acknowledgements.

    As they leave the school building, Luke stops following the group to the greenhouse and is looking down the road. Two of his acolytes join him before Adam notices. He waves the others to continue on without him before joining the trio.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Adam questions as he steps beside them.

    ¡°I¡¯m of no use with what¡¯s left of the greenhouse,¡± Luke replies. ¡°I¡¯m likely to start another argument out of boredom.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t really get along with the Fae, do you?¡± Adam returns a disarming smile. He noticed how Luke sat apart from them during dinner, staying with his group of acolytes.

    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Luke chuckles nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I just can¡¯t relax around them. How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°The Fae bother you because of Melody¡¯s half-blooded nature. You¡¯re still angry at her for hurting Simeon,¡± Adam remarks, causing Luke to stiffen. ¡°I¡¯ve been working with Penny for a year now, I¡¯ve sort of grown used to their chaotic nature. They¡¯re not all that bad, you know?¡±

    Luke draws a deep breath, ¡°I know.¡±

    Adam pats him on the shoulder. ¡°So, what would you rather do?¡±

    ¡°That village won¡¯t fix itself,¡± Luke remarks. ¡°All we¡¯ve done with Caster¡¯s View is fix the few buildings along the stable part of the ruin so that the Sages can live in them. There¡¯s an entire hill worth of floating debris we could use to build a small town.¡± He turns to Adam, ¡°What did Amethyst want again?¡±

    ¡°A town that could house several hundred,¡± Adam remarks.

    There is a hum above them and they glance up. ¡°Are we ready to work on the town?¡± Amethyst chimes.

    ¡°We are,¡± Adam smiles. ¡°Are we going to do the same with these mirror gates and restore the bridge?¡±

    The Fae shakes her head. ¡°The remnants of the bridge are still here. We just need to pull the island a little closer and we can rebuild it. Then we can restore the canal that used to run underneath it.¡±

    ¡°How much of Sanctum do you remember?¡± Luke probes.

    ¡°Enough,¡± she smirks. ¡°I¡¯m sure it grew some since it¡¯s creation. We don¡¯t need to rebuild it exactly as it was before, but we can use the ruins for a general idea of what should go where.¡±

    ¡°Are we ready, Mother?¡± Ci?l chimes as she zips past them, she¡¯s only Pixie size right now.

    ¡°We are,¡± Amethyst chimes. ¡°I¡¯ll need you boys to pull the landmass just a few meters, it didn¡¯t drift far.¡±

    Adam, Luke and Steven work at dragging the land masses back together. It¡¯s not easy, Caster¡¯s view is larger than anything else they¡¯ve tried to move so far. Fortunately, as Amethyst pointed out, the void around the islands offers no resistance. Once the land mass is in motion, it¡¯s a matter of stopping it from moving too fast or too far. Amethyst whispers a spell and dismisses the Mirror Gate. Ci?l does the same, then the two Fae break the Gates apart to use in the bridge.

    Once in place to Amethyst¡¯s satisfaction, the three men work at reassembling the bridge. The fourth in their group, Todd, is fusing the stones together.

    ¡°Not sure if this would meet a stone mason¡¯s seal of approval, but it¡¯s sturdy, if not a bit crude,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°Let me worry about making it prettier,¡± Todd remarks as he works at rebuilding the handrails. ¡°I can add a nice artistic flair like we did when we remade the college.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Adam smiles. ¡°At least it¡¯s a short enough bridge. We only needed the one arch without any additional piers or cabling.¡±

    ¡°What motif do you want for the capstone and newel posts?¡± Todd queries as he softens some of the railing. The design looks Victorian or Moorish.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always admired your carving and stonework, Todd,¡± Adam smiles.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t make them silly little cherubs,¡± Luke remarks. ¡°I don¡¯t need another argument with Morgyn about how feminine it all looks.¡±

    ¡°I thought the cherubs were cute!¡± Todd argues, causing some chuckles. ¡°Lions?¡±

    ¡°I love the majestic look of a lion as each newel post,¡± Adam nods.

    ¡°Lions it is then,¡± Todd grins.

    The men leave him to his work and cross the bridge. ¡°Someone find Kyle? Todd is likely to fuss with the bridge all night, and I want to make a few houses before we call it a day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find him!¡± Ci?l chimes and zips off, leaving a small stream of blue and purple sparkles behind.

    ¡°Will we be furnishing these houses?¡± Steven asks as Ci?l zips off to find Kyle. ¡°We still have my tower to sleep in tonight.¡±

    Adam shakes his head. ¡°No, we¡¯ll leave them as empty shells and let whomever moves in decide how to design and furnish them. Since we¡¯re setting up dorms for the campus, I want the village to house families.¡±

    ¡°Will we charge people rent or housing?¡± Luke probes as they assemble the first side street from the main market road.

    Adam shakes his head, ¡°I don¡¯t want Earth¡¯s materialism to corrupt Sanctum. When we were younger, most of us lived in manors, estates or villas ¡ª seeing as our families were large and often two or three generations in the same home.¡±

    Luke smiles and nods, ¡°Well, a ten to twenty room villa would take up a quarter to half a town block ¡ª depending on how large of a road grid we build.¡±

    ¡°Or an entire block for a larger family,¡± Kyle remarks as he suddenly appears beside them.

    Luke jumps slightly, ¡°Wow! That was quick!¡±

    ¡°You made it sound urgent that he join you, so I teleported us back,¡± Ci?l chimes. ¡°Did we startle you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to remind myself never to underestimate your abilities again,¡± Luke points to the blue and purple Pixie. Her giggle is a musical chime.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± she beams, leaving the others to chuckle along with her.

    ¡°While you were busy with the greenhouse, the rest of the team drafted a few models that we could use for a town,¡± Kyle remarks.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this part of the task in your capable hands,¡± Amethyst remarks as the men gather around the tablet Kyle pulls out. ¡°If you need us, just call,¡± she reminds them. Adam nods and then is pulled into the conversation. ¡°Come, Ci?l, let us leave the boys to their town project.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother,¡± the Pixie chimes and the two of them fly back to the greenhouse.

    As Pixies flutter around gathering debris, The Fae are fusing the rocks together with a combination of earth spells. Melody again is just guiding their flight on a broom while Penny works with the Fae to form a solid land mass. Amethyst wasn¡¯t sure about the Human Lightbringer when they first met. Her skills seem to focus more on light, healing and arcane, but she¡¯s proving to be a capable Druid. She might become more with the proper tutelage.

    ¡°This is a little soft, I¡¯m not sure how well it¡¯ll hold over time,¡± Tundo remarks.

    ¡°Then perhaps we should reinforce it a little,¡± Amethyst notes.

    The Fae flutters up to a gap they haven¡¯t filled. She reaches into her gem pouch and pulls out what looks like a metallic oval of hematite. She shoves the oval in the gap, whispers a spell, and the stone in her hand grows to be a cylindrical rod, burrowing into both sides.

    ¡°A few more of these should give the surrounding dirt something to hold on to,¡± she remarks to no one in particular. The Fae moves to another gap and repeats the motion.

    Once she is done, two dozen rods connect the greenhouse island with the main land mass. She¡¯s planted them at various angles so that they form a loose latticework to fill in.

    ¡°There, that should hold,¡± Amethyst smiles, satisfied. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a night, we have a long day tomorrow.¡±

    No one argues. They merely follow her back to the school where Elphaba has been busy setting up an area for them to sleep in for the night. The newly furnished wing resembles barracks with rows of double bunk beds. The beds are warm, comfortable, and everyone quickly finds a place to settle down for the night.

    ¡°Will you not rest with the others, Mother?¡± M¨¦lodie queries as she joins Amethyst and Elphaba in the kitchen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll rest in a bit. Unlike my Fae children, I don¡¯t require six hours of rest. Aren¡¯t you tired, Child?¡±

    ¡°Since I became a Dark Witch, I do not require any rest at all,¡± M¨¦lodie replies. ¡°Warlocks consume animal blood or Blood Fruit to nourish our bodies. A two-hour ritual meditation is all I require to be fully rested. At that, I do not need to perform it daily.¡±

    ¡°I notice you do eat normal food as well,¡± Elphaba remarks.

    ¡°We can eat food like most mortals do, but it does not fully replenish the nutrients in our bodies, we still need some form of plasma to satiate the Demon¡¯s thirst.¡±

    ¡°Do you miss your former life?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°To be honest, I have been like this for five centuries. What it is like to be Fae is a distant memory,¡± M¨¦lodie returns a sad smile. ¡°Probably not what you wanted to hear.¡±

    ¡°At least we didn¡¯t lose you completely,¡± Amethyst smiles, placing a hand on M¨¦lodie¡¯s. ¡°There are so few of you left, have you found my seed?¡±

    ¡°You left a seed on Earth?¡± M¨¦lodie and Elphaba chime together.

    ¡°I did, but you¡¯ve not found it?¡± she returns calmly. The cousins shake their heads, leaving her to frown. ¡°It¡¯s been long enough, it should have found a host by now, is there that little magic left on Earth?¡±

    ¡°Not enough to birth a Fae of that potential, if I remember what you are speaking of,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks.

    ¡°Do you think the Humans will become suspicious if I poke around a little?¡± Amethyst queries.

    ¡°Mother, what are you planning?¡± M¨¦lodie frowns worriedly.

    ¡°Earth is in peril, you¡¯ve felt it,¡± the Fae stresses, and her children shuffle nervously. ¡°Gaia¡¯s Voice will need a protector, do you know of any Dragons that are left?¡±

    ¡°I, um, dated one for a while,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks in a small voice. Amethyst returns a sly smile. ¡°I did not know she was a Dragon at first, Mother, it was a rather startling discovery!¡± M¨¦lodie blurts.

    ¡°She? Do you know her true name?¡± Amethyst probes and Melody shakes her head. ¡°Do you think she will help?¡±

    ¡°As a Bronze Dragon, unless the future Voice of the Earth Mother is an Elf, I doubt it,¡± M¨¦lodie grumbles.

    ¡°Then I need to find my seed, will you help me?¡± Amethyst pushes.

    ¡°There are nearly ten billion sentient creatures on Earth, Mother, the seed could be anywhere. It will be akin to hunting for a needle in a haystack!¡±

    ¡°Can we enlist other Fae to help find it?¡± Elphaba probes.

    Amethyst glances over her shoulder and lowers her voice. ¡°No, they¡¯re already worked up enough of a possible Voice in this century, I rather not get their hopes up that another prophesy will fulfill in their lifetime.¡± She¡¯s quiet for a moment then smiles. ¡°With luck, they¡¯ll guide us to my seed without even realizing it. When close to budding, the Seed, like the Voice, will attract Fae. They¡¯ll be drawn to the power and potential, like a moth to a flame.¡±

    ¡°Then it is now necessary that I establish a kinship with my Earthly cousins,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks.

    ¡°If you could do that, My Child, I will never be far. Now that I¡¯ve rediscovered a link to Earth, I¡¯ll strive to keep in touch. The Seed will help heal this world. We need her now more than ever.¡±

    ¡°Her?¡± Elphaba quirks an eyebrow.

    ¡°The visions show the Voice and the Seed are both female,¡± Amethyst nods. ¡°The prophesy speaks that they will find each other. Let¡¯s hope the prophets were not just being hopeful.¡±

 Forging a Road

    ¡°Come, children, we have a long day ahead of us,¡± Amethyst calls out.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Tundo grumbles.

    ¡°Dawn from what my body tells me, but there is no sun here in Sanctum, so it¡¯s hard to tell,¡± Feren replies as she refreshes her clothing before dressing.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do something about that, won¡¯t we, Mother?¡± Ci?l probes as they gather in the kitchen.

    ¡°The day cycle?¡± Amethyst asks, and the girl nods. ¡°Yes, those sun crystals I had you gather we¡¯re keeping to create an orb.¡±

    ¡°For what purpose?¡± Adam queries.

    ¡°I¡¯ll create a sun for you,¡± the Fae smiles. Adam raises an eyebrow. ¡°It won¡¯t be a real sun, no. I¡¯d need my sister Ignis here, she¡¯s the specialist in solar bodies. If we can connect to the Fire Realm, then we could enlist her aid.¡±

    ¡°So each elemental plane¡­¡± Adam muses.

    ¡°Has a mistress, such as myself,¡± Amethyst finishes for him. ¡°We are the embodiment of our home realm, entrusted by the Creators to manage the prime elements of the Cosmos. It¡¯s no small feat,¡± she reminds him casually.

    ¡°You are a¡­¡± Luke blinks.

    ¡°Try not to think too hard about it, High Magus. Like any other creature in the universe, I serve a purpose,¡± Amethyst waves him off.

    ¡°But the power you wield!¡± Luke exclaims.

    ¡°Power that your race would likely abuse,¡± she hisses at him. ¡°I am but a simple Grotto Fae and nothing else. I serve my purpose and will help where it is needed, but do not ask me to abuse what abilities I have. You will be sorely disappointed when I deny your request.¡±

    ¡°Do Lyric and Angel know what you are?¡± he narrows his eyes at her.

    ¡°No, they do not, and you will not tell them. The fewer people that know the true scope of my abilities the better, do I make myself clear?¡± she growls.

    ¡°Crystal,¡± he squeaks, leaning back.

    ¡°Why tell us, then?¡± Adam frowns.

    ¡°You are Earth¡¯s Arch Mage. Those present here are either part of your Council or important to the cause. Fae do not abuse our powers. The deceptive manipulative creatures that your myths make us out to be is completely over-exaggerated. We Fae are not purposefully malicious in that way.¡±

    ¡°No, you just like to hide who you are and what you can do,¡± Luke digs.

    ¡°Does knowing the scope of my abilities change this arrangement or what we have planned?¡± she challenges.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. I doubt we can fathom the full scope of your abilities,¡± Adam replies. ¡°Let¡¯s get on the road; we have a long day ahead, and you have a town to build,¡± the Arch Mage shoots his best friend a look.

    ¡°I do,¡± Luke smiles. ¡°I¡¯ll go see if Steven and the crew are ready, is it fine if I call on more bodies?¡±

    ¡°Use whatever you need to get the job done,¡± Adam nods. ¡°We¡¯re building the future town for our people to live in. I rather move families to Sanctum as soon as possible. Some communities are likely to be discovered soon ¡ª if they haven¡¯t already. I want them to have a place to fall back to if things turn ugly.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Luke returns a grim smile. ¡°On it!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll join us Arch Mage?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°As powerful as you are, I¡¯m sure you still need help in opening a stable and permanent Dimensional Gate. Otherwise, you would have been here years ago,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°How perceptive of you,¡± she smiles.

    ¡°If we¡¯re using the ritual I think you have planned, we¡¯ll need three. I¡¯m pretty sure Elphaba isn¡¯t strong enough, so that means you¡¯ll need me and M¨¦lodie to help.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, you are correct,¡± Elphaba nods. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and help Morgyn plan for the campus.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Morgyn be able to help open a Gate?¡± Feren pipes up. ¡°From what I read of his aura, he should be strong enough¡­¡±

    ¡°Ask any Sage here, and you¡¯ll find out why we keep mobility spells out of Morgyn¡¯s grimoire,¡± Adam smirks, causing Simeon to chuckle and the blond Sage to huff.

    ¡°Seriously? Whatever makes you doubt my abilities?¡± Morgyn crosses his arms.

    ¡°It¡¯s not lack of ability, my friend, it¡¯s what happened the last time you opened one,¡± Adam reminds him.

    ¡°How was I supposed to know that opening a portal to summon a water elemental would flood the ritual room!¡± Morgyn objects causing some laughter.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you write the runes on the ground and not on the wall,¡± Simeon teases, causing more laughter.

    ¡°I was only eighteen, how was I supposed to know that?¡± Morgyn continues to object. ¡°I¡¯m more responsible now than I was then!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need your help with Gates to the Elemental Planes, but let me handle the nature one, alright?¡± Adam returns in a soothing tone. ¡°You have the campus to work on and you¡¯re our best manipulation mage.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± the Sage of Elements nods.

    Amethyst stares out into the void at the end of the garden courtyard. To her left Morgyn and Elphaba are standing at some sort of portable drawing board as they sort out what buildings they want to put where.

    ¡°You do know where we¡¯re going, right?¡± Adam probes.

    ¡°Unless the land masses have shifted, the portal we seek is a nearly straight line from where I¡¯m standing,¡± Amethyst replies.

    ¡°Should I fly out and confirm?¡± Ci?l queries.

    ¡°No, Dear. It¡¯s too far and I rather not risk you becoming disoriented or lost. We¡¯ll start building from this point and pull it back in place if we need to,¡± Amethyst replies.

    ¡°Provided it¡¯s still in one piece,¡± Adam frowns.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s hope the wards kept the Druid Grove intact. Without it we lose our focal point for the Gate,¡± the Fae frowns. ¡°Children, we¡¯re going for speed, not making things pretty. Only collect enough material to make a land bridge we can stitch together with grass, vines and roots.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother,¡± the other Fae respond and scatter about as they start collecting debris.

    ¡°Susan, I¡¯m entrusting that you and Penny will work at stitching this all together. If I just fuse the stone, it¡¯s likely to twist and break with how long of a bridge we¡¯re making,¡± Amethyst remarks. ¡°Tundo, I hope you brought enough tree seeds.¡±

    ¡°How far is it?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Nearly a day¡¯s journey at a slow walk, we¡¯ll probably take two with the work we¡¯re doing,¡± she replies.

    ¡°So¡­ a tree every hundred to two hundred meters and I should have enough,¡± Tundo remarks as he dips into his bag. ¡°Provided we don¡¯t plant more than one on each side of the path. Ready when you are.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll work on making it pretty later; our goal is to reach the Elves as quickly as we can. We¡¯ll call for Angel tomorrow; she asked to meet Lyric when we connect the Gates.¡±

    Amethyst¡¯s eyes glow purple as she starts fusing the debris together. There¡¯s a nice patterned two-metre white pebble path forming in the middle. She instructs the others to extend it two more on each side, ten where the trees will grow, or their root systems will buckle the path when they are pushed to grow.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    After an hour, Penny looks back and their trail resembles some sort of suspension bridge in the void. A white path with green trim and two-meter-tall trees forming the ¡®cabling¡¯ that¡¯s keeping this all together. There is a slight curvature to their construction, it weaves slightly in the ¡®breeze¡¯ which is the flow of essence streams.

    ¡°This is why Mother wanted the trees. Without the roots, this undulation would eventually tear the bridge apart,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks.

    ¡°Since when do you know about nature, My Love?¡± Penny teases her wife.

    ¡°I know physics. I watched the science develop throughout history,¡± M¨¦lodie smirks.

    ¡°Once again, you remind me how you are ages older than I am. Whatever did I do to deserve such a smart and lovely wife?¡± Penny smiles.

    ¡°You forgot charming, My Darling,¡± M¨¦lodie teases and they giggle. ¡°It was Fate that drew us together. I could no more ignore you than I can the need to drink when I am thirsty. You fill my heart and my life more than anyone ever could.¡±

    ¡°You are such a romantic,¡± Penny purrs and kisses her wife. ¡°I love you more than words can describe.¡±

    ¡°More building, less smooching,¡± Tundo calls back to them.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on a schedule, I know,¡± M¨¦lodie rolls her eyes, causing some giggles.

    ¡°He¡¯s just jealous he doesn¡¯t have a porcelain doll to love and cherish,¡± Penny teases Tundo.

    ¡°If I wanted a porcelain doll to admire, I¡¯d gather the raw materials, form it to my desires, and bake it myself,¡± he retorts.

    ¡°My darling Dark Witch is more than a treasure to admire. She¡¯s smart, agile, resourceful and ten times more powerful than you¡¯ll ever be!¡± Penny snaps.

    ¡°Now, now, My Darling, do not let the child¡¯s rudeness ruffle your feathers,¡± M¨¦lodie places a hand on her wife¡¯s arm. ¡°He spends most of his days in the woods, surrounded by near mindless wild animals. We can discount his lack of civility and manners for he has learned none of them.¡±

    ¡°Why you sanctimonious entitled piece of¡­¡± Tundo flutters into the air, his hand glowing as he prepares an attack.

    ¡°Children!¡± Amethyst snaps. He drifts a little as he looks her way. ¡°Save your energy for building. I want to reach the mid-point by our evening meal,¡± she commands.

    ¡°If you would just control your¡­¡± he retorts.

    ¡°Do I need to make an example out of you? Can you grasp the powers you dare to challenge, Child?¡± Amethyst¡¯s eyes glow purple as does the gem around her neck. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough with your attitude. You either learn to get along or I¡¯m shipping you back to Earth. It won¡¯t be hard to exchange you for a well-mannered replacement!¡±

    Tundo gasps and he drops whatever spell or ability he was conjuring. He hangs his head. ¡°Yes, Earthen Mother. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He draws a breath, glancing at M¨¦lodie, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not used to people and civilization. I¡¯ll behave. Please, this project is a great honour and means a lot to my clan.¡±

    Amethyst flashes M¨¦lodie a look. ¡°I too apologize. I was rude and judgmental,¡± the Dark Witch bows slightly.

    ¡°Earthen Mother, we welcome your wisdom and counsel in this important task. Please forgive my cousin,¡± Feren pleads.

    ¡°Such a well-spoken leader,¡± Amethyst smiles. ¡°Shame that your family will not be crowned as the next royals for the Spring Court. I hope you will welcome your new king and queen with equal respect.

    Feren gasps. ¡°My clan are not the next Stewards to be crowned?¡± she squeaks and Amethyst shakes her head. ¡°Then who will it be? Where are they? When will this happen?¡±

    Amethyst raises a hand, ¡°All in good time, My Child. We¡¯re not yet ready for the Courts to mend.¡±

    ¡°Please tell us. Earth is already on the verge of collapse; any longer and my Court will be powerless to stop the erosion of plant life,¡± Feren pleads.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, Child. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Amethyst returns a sad smile. ¡°Other events need to be put into motion. You will know when the time is right.¡± The surrounding Fae return pleading looks. ¡°The grove in Lantafalma is the key. When they activate the standing stones, cleansing the Vale, then you have found the sign you seek.¡±

    ¡°Lantafalma?¡± Adam frowns. ¡°What are you planning to do with my peaceful valley, Earthen Mother?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely nothing, Arch Mage. The Voice of Gaia, on the other hand, will have a purpose for the grove. It is well suited and well protected for what she needs,¡± Amethyst returns a playful smile, leaving Adam to frown.

    ¡°Thank you Earthen Mother. You did not have to tell us this much; we are grateful for your foresight,¡± Leaglin bows as he approaches.

    ¡°Brother!¡± Feren beams. ¡°That was quick, we weren¡¯t expecting you for at least another day.¡±

    ¡°Apparently word travels quickly through the steward clans, and Veld here was already on her way from the Everglades when I was gathering Pixies,¡± he smiles. Behind him, a dozen Pixies follow a blue-green Swallowtail Sylph. She¡¯s taller and her skin more blue than her West Coast cousins. She could be mistaken for a Human if it weren¡¯t for her skin tone and butterfly wings. ¡°From there, it was just a matter of following the white pebble path,¡± he grins, causing some chuckles.

    ¡°Everglades? However did you get here so fast?¡± Tundo gasps.

    ¡°I am called Veld in the common tongue,¡± the new Sylph bows. ¡°We have an active grove by my home. Finding one on this side of the continent that was still active was a challenge. I came up from Mexico where Mountain Dwarves live with our Orolanda cousins. The grove is well protected there.¡±

    ¡°Would this already active grove in Mexico be better suited than the one in my valley of Fallcrest?¡± Adam probes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a national park. While it is useful for ceremonies and travel, we don¡¯t want to spend too much time around it or we might draw attention. Whatever would you need it for?¡± Veld queries.

    ¡°Whatever your Voice decides they need it for,¡± Adam shrugs.

    ¡°A Voice? We¡¯ll see a Voice of Gaia in this lifetime?¡± Veld chimes excitedly.

    ¡°Is there something special about this Voice of Gaia?¡± Penny queries.

    ¡°Our world has not seen a Voice of Gaia, a Druid Priestess of the Earth Mother since Elvenkind fled to distant realms. When Gaia lost her Voice, the Fae Courts fell into disarray, bickering over how to deal with the growing Human threat. Instead of fighting them, we chose to hide. It was a horrible decision. In two millennia, only half of the Fae population remains, and even fewer of our groves. Most have been turned into tourist traps as the nosy Humans push us out of our sacred places and poke at the holy sites. They still have no idea what they are for, yet they won¡¯t leave them alone! Our world has not been the same without her Firstborn, we desperately need a Voice if we are to save our planet.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re placing a lot of responsibility on one person,¡± Penny frowns. ¡°What if they can¡¯t pull off what you¡¯re seeking?¡±

    ¡°The Voice will know their purpose and embrace their role. Gaia will lend them Her power to overcome the challenges that lay before them, so it is written,¡± Veld bows, her hands motion to form a glyph in prayer to Gaia.

    ¡°Not to sound impatient, but can this wait for our meal break?¡± Tundo grumbles. ¡°We¡¯re falling behind schedule, we¡¯re not quite halfway there.¡±

    ¡°Halfway to where?¡± Veld tilts her head.

    ¡°To the Arvandor Gate, we¡¯re summoning the Elves for aid,¡± Amethyst replies.

    ¡°Will they be coming home to Earth too?!¡± Veld pipes up.

    ¡°That will be up to the Elves, not me, Child,¡± Amethyst replies.

    ¡°Oh,¡± her wings droop. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get underway then,¡± she perks up. ¡°Pixies, gather some debris and let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    Veld seems to command the Pixies better than the others. They reply promptly to her commands and follow her instructions without question. It leaves Feren to wonder if this East Coast Fae¡¯s family will be the next royals. She certainly has the posture of a noble, she stands several fingers taller than everyone else.

    Having doubled their manpower, the road project progresses much faster. They reach what Amethyst calls the halfway point earlier than she had predicted. Amethyst guides the Fae to make a large glade, where they trap the remains of what looks like a Greek Wayside Shrine or pavilion ¡ª sort of a gazebo without a roof. Adam and Melody are summoning food and drink for the group while the Fae are fabricating tent-like structures from vines.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m fried and ready for a little pick-me-up,¡± Susan pulls Penny aside.

    ¡°What do you have planned?¡± Penny queries.

    ¡°I have these seeds. If we can just get them to germinate¡­¡± she mumbles. They¡¯re off to the side from the others.

    Penny recognizes the growth spell they¡¯ve been using all day on the trees and two blueberry bushes grow from the new green grass.

    ¡°Do you know the Goodberry spell?¡± Susan probes, and Penny shakes her head. ¡°Darn, I don¡¯t either,¡± she frowns. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, but have yet to find a book that contains the spell.

    ¡°Druids can learn magic from spell books?¡± Penny raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh yeah! Druids learn their magic through spell books and have to pray to their God every day for spells. Nature tomes are rare though, usually written by a High Druid and passed down through their grove. As there have been no High Druids since the time of the Elves, the few books that could have survived two millennia are hard to find,¡± Susan remarks and then is quiet for a moment as she focuses on the berry bushes. ¡°If we can enchant them with a little magic, we might get something even better,¡± she smiles.

    Penny is quiet as she watches Susan draw in the magic to enchant the bushes. Once she sees the pattern of the weave, she adds her chant to the spell. She tries to maintain focus and suppress her fascination as the bushes grow to about waist height. They resemble a hybrid between grapevine and high bush blueberry. So does the fruit that¡¯s growing in front of their eyes, as the grape-sized blueberries almost glow with arcane energy.

    ¡°Oh, that worked!¡± Susan claps gleefully. ¡°I was studying this spell before we left.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡± Penny raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Manaberries!¡± Susan beams plucking a newly ripened berry and popping it in her mouth. Her face scrunches. ¡°Oh, not quite ripe, that¡¯s really sour!¡± she complains. ¡°Oh!¡± Susan¡¯s eyes glow as if she just drank a Fulfilling Needs potion. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice!¡± She smiles dreamily. ¡°You should try one, they¡¯re amazing!¡± she grins then giggles a little.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite,¡± Penny returns a curious smile. She walks around the bushes, finds the largest of them and plucks it. Susan¡¯s right, they are a touch sour, but¡­ ¡°Oh, hmm!¡± Penny sighs as her eyes glow golden. ¡°That¡¯s soooo good!¡±

    ¡°What are you two conspiring about, My Darling?¡± M¨¦lodie probes, walking up to them.

    ¡°Honey, you really need to try these berries!¡± Penny returns a lopsided grin. ¡°They¡¯re amazing!¡± she falls into M¨¦lodie¡¯s arms and kisses her passionately.

    ¡°Darling, you are acting as if you are tipsy!¡± M¨¦lodie comments pulling herself away from her wife.

    ¡°It¡¯s the berries. These are amazing!¡± Susan smiles dreamily. She whispers a spell maturing the bushes a bit more and gathers what she can hold; running into the camp to announce what she found.

    ¡°My wife is drunk on magic fruit, will we get any rest tonight?¡± M¨¦lodie smirks.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, I could really use some relief,¡± Penny purrs.

    M¨¦lodie chuckles and shakes her head as she half drags her wife back to the camp. ¡°No more berries for you, My Love.¡±

    ¡°But, Honey!¡± Penny objects and they both giggle.

 The Gate

    When what passes for morning rises in Sanctum, the group has a small breakfast before breaking camp. Adam announces he¡¯ll be leaving to Teleport back to the Sanctum school. Outside of fetching Angel, he has other things he needs to do, and his services aren¡¯t really needed here.

    ¡°You¡¯re our best telekenetic, Arch Mage, this could slow down our progress,¡± Amethyst voices her worry. ¡°If you don¡¯t stay with us, please send someone in your stead?¡±

    ¡°What? With all these Pixies helping you? You really don¡¯t need me here,¡± Adam argues.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Amethyst concedes. ¡°Please be here for when we meet the Arch Druid, I think you two should meet.¡±

    ¡°You think the Arch Druid would pull himself out of his busy schedule to meet me?¡± Adam returns with a sarcastic chuckle.

    ¡°The Elves have been in exile for two millennia, Arch Mage. Losing the Sanctum portal was akin to them permanently losing Earth as a home. The Arch Druid will want to meet the Humans that now inhabit this realm since he was last here in Sanctum over a century ago.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Adam returns a grim smile. ¡°Are you sure they will help us?¡±

    ¡°Elves helped create the realm a millennia ago, they will help now. The Arch Druid may appear strict, but he has a good heart. He might just surprise you,¡± she returns a knowing smile.

    Adam raises a finger and smiles, shaking his head, ¡°You always have some hidden card up your sleeve.¡±

    ¡°Come now, there is no deceit in my plans. I never purposefully hide anything from you. I just volunteer what information is needed,¡± she retorts, mildly offended.

    ¡°Will I ever truly understand you?¡± he frowns.

    ¡°Maybe in a few centuries,¡± she grins.

    ¡°If I ever live that long,¡± he rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Come now, My Child. You are the Arch Mage. Third generation Human-born to a long line of near-immortal casters. You will live a long and fruitful life ¡ª provided you are cautious.¡±

    ¡°That you keep calling me your child when you only look to be a teen yourself¡­¡± he chuckles.

    ¡°I could look older if this form makes you uncomfortable,¡± she offers.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t age your looks for my sake. I¡¯ll check up on Morgyn and Luke, see where they are at. Then I¡¯ll reach out to Angel, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just itching to be here as she¡¯s between tours,¡± he stands and gathers his things.

    ¡°Between tours?¡± Amethyst asks in an innocent voice.

    ¡°Angel is a performer, now that she¡¯s graduated from school, she¡¯ll be singing and performing full time unless her friends have a project for her,¡± Adam smiles. The Fae tilts her head. ¡°Angel isn¡¯t just a pretty face and lovely voice. Though her current album is likely to hit platinum this year, she¡¯s also very intelligent. She¡¯s a programmer. Her co-singer and good friend Rose Montgomery has been talking about this new big game project her team of friends is working on ¡ª or so I¡¯ve heard.

    ¡°My Lovely Angel is very bright, I look forward to where her career takes her,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have any influence on where Angel¡¯s career is going, would you?¡± Adam narrows his eyes at the vampiric creature.

    ¡°Me? What could little old me do, Arch Mage?¡± she teases.

    ¡°The recording studio and indie label is only a portion of what we¡¯re doing for my best friend,¡± Penny smirks.

    ¡°You two¡­¡± he smiles and shakes his head. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m glad you can be there to help her when I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Arch Mage, you have enough on your plate with the new schools, do not feel like you are neglecting your niece,¡± M¨¦lodie comforts him.

    ¡°Speaking of new schools, I plan on opening one in your neck of the woods,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°Really?¡± the wives chime together.

    He nods. ¡°Hillcrest isn¡¯t far from where you live now. It seems to have a sizable magical community, for such a small town,¡± he smirks.

    ¡°Small towns and closed communities are better places to hide. Were those not your words, Arch Mage?¡± M¨¦lodie challenges.

    ¡°They were,¡± Adam¡¯s smile grows. ¡°Could I lean on you for art and music?¡±

    ¡°What of my wife?¡± M¨¦lodie argues.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Arts degree in English and Communication could come in handy. Feel like teaching some bright kids? I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯re not as active in social media as you used to be.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to reduce my presence, my wife and I can¡¯t go anywhere unnoticed,¡± Penny frowns.

    ¡°There was a time you enjoyed the attention. What happened to the jet-setting socialite I first met?¡± Adam teases.

    ¡°A bit apprehensive of what would happen to my wife and I if people found out who we really were,¡± Penny replies. ¡°There have been a few whispers among the celebrity circles that we¡¯re hiding something, and I¡¯m worried someone might find out something we don¡¯t want them to,¡± Penny returns worriedly.

    ¡°We¡¯re here for you,¡± Adam places a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Both of you,¡± he stresses.

    ¡°I thought you did not trust me, Arch Mage,¡± M¨¦lodie frowns.

    ¡°You are safer in my community than you are in the Vampire Enclave you nearly destroyed,¡± Adam offers.

    ¡°True¡­¡± the purple-haired woman nods.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll consider my offer?¡± he raises an eyebrow. ¡°Having you teach in my school might sway your Master to offer his services to my school as well.¡±

    ¡°Let us finish this task at hand, and I will have an answer for you then,¡± she returns.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he bows. ¡°See you all soon.¡± He raises his hand, mumbles a spell and disappears.

    ¡°Did you want to teach, My Love?¡± Penny asks after he disappears.

    ¡°My Darling, I cannot give you children. Think of all the inspiring minds we can influence,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles.

    ¡°Not to mention magically active families are smarter than average and won¡¯t be as unruly as a public school would be?¡± Penny smirks.

    ¡°That too,¡± her wife giggles.

    ¡°Hillcrest isn¡¯t far from where we live now¡­¡± Penny muses.

    ¡°The chateau on Elm Hill that we use for a recording studio is better warded than our house is now, it would offer us more protection if we need it,¡± M¨¦lodie notes.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried what¡¯s left of the Vampire Collective will come after us?¡± Penny probes.

    ¡°I am,¡± M¨¦lodie nods. ¡°My other children are more vulnerable than we are. We need to protect Landon, Regan and Houda.¡±

    ¡°You want your past boyfriend and girlfriends to move in with us?¡± Penny blinks.

    ¡°My Darling, while we still love one another, you are the one who will share my bed. I no longer have that kind of relationship with them. They are my thralls. Were you not the one to say you see them more as my children, not past lovers? Did you not see that during the wedding planning?¡±

    ¡°Warlocks and Vampires are so strange,¡± Penny shakes her head. Her wife is still looking at her intently. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, alright?¡±

    ¡°That is all I ask, My Darling,¡± she chimes and Penny kisses her as she leans in. ¡°You are my soul mate, I have loved no one the way I love you.¡±

    ¡°For all eternity,¡± Penny smiles affectionately and kisses her wife again. ¡°If someone had told me a few years ago that I¡¯d fall in love with an immortal woman, that I¡¯ll cast magic myself someday, and it was going to change my view of the world we live in¡­ I would have called them crazy. Yet that is the life I now lead.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Any regrets?¡± her wife raises and eyebrow.

    ¡°Never. I will always love you,¡± Penny smiles and they kiss again.

    ¡°You two make such a lovely couple,¡± Amethyst smiles. ¡°I am glad my Rune Weaver has found happiness.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mother,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles down at the Fae.

    ¡°Why do you call her Rune Weaver?¡± Penny queries.

    ¡°When my child was Fae she was an expert in ritual magic. Her ability to quickly and efficiently draw runes to create ritual or permanent spells set her in a league above the others I sent to Sanctum.¡±

    ¡°Like when we combine our magics together to make a stronger spell,¡± Penny remarks. ¡°Another door opens in the mystery that is my wife,¡± she teases.

    ¡°My Darling, I tell you what I can when I remember it,¡± M¨¦lodie defends herself.

    ¡°I know, Honey,¡± Penny pulls her wife closer into her arms. ¡°You spent so much of your life hiding who you really are that you need to remember you don¡¯t have to anymore; not with me.¡±

    ¡°I never want to hide anything from you ever again, My Love,¡± M¨¦lodie returns. ¡°You are my soul mate, we need to trust one another without question.¡±

    ¡°And I do,¡± Penny smiles. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving?¡± she offers and her wife nods. ¡°Just let me get some more of those Manaberries¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh no, not this morning! I do not need my wife drunk on magic berries trying to grow grass, who knows what you will do!¡± M¨¦lodie catches her arm.

    ¡°But, Honey!¡± Penny whimpers causing some chuckles.

    <hr>

    When Adam catches up with the group they are nearing the Arvandor Gate. Angel greets Penny with a hug and then stands by M¨¦lodie to let her friend continue to work with the other Druid.

    ¡°Penny¡¯s aura in Druid magic is significantly improved in just two days,¡± Angel remarks. ¡°Do you think the Elves will teach her?¡±

    ¡°We can only hope,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles as she helps guide a larger chunk into the path.

    ¡°Is that our destination?¡± Angel points at the large island ahead.

    ¡°It is,¡± Amethyst nods.

    ¡°Um¡­ is it supposed to look like that?¡± Angel frowns.

    The Fae joins her Human friend, and has to admit that there is cause for worry. The island is floating off-centre at about a thirty degree tilt. The upper end of the grove shows the standing stones broken and one likely missing from their number. The right tree is severed at it¡¯s base, as if a battering ram had shattered the trunk just above the roots. It¡¯s still connected to the left tree as the bottom two branches seem to be woven together, but it¡¯s clearly dead.

    ¡°Tundo?¡± Amethyst calls out.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he soon shows up by her side after having planted the last pair of trees.

    ¡°Do you have any oak seeds left in your bag?¡± she glances at him.

    ¡°An oak that size could take more than a day to grow!¡± Tundo frowns. ¡°Do you need it?¡±

    ¡°That broken tree is the other half of the Gate, yes we do,¡± Amethyst frowns.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just fix the tree that is there?¡± Angel queries.

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Tundo shakes his head. ¡°That tree has been dead for decades, it¡¯s too brittle and likely to break before it¡¯s mended.¡±

    ¡°This is bad news, isn¡¯t it?¡± Adam frowns.

    ¡°We¡¯ll reach out to our Elven friends once we connect the island, see if they have an option,¡± Amethyst suggests. ¡°As it stands, the grove is too broken to use as an anchor.¡± She lowers her head, ¡°I had hoped the wards would have protected the grove better.¡±

    ¡°All is not lost, I have faith in you,¡± Adam smiles.

    Amethyst looks up at him, ¡°Have you consulted with a Seer recently?¡±

    Adam blushes. ¡°I know that foresight and scrying are not an exact science, as one¡¯s hopes can colour the vision, but I had to know.¡±

    ¡°Let us pray the visions were not just hopeful thinking,¡± Amethyst replies. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re close enough to bring the island back into position,¡± she calls out.

    With some effort, they manage to realign the island and connect it to the path they had been making. Tundo plants the last six of his saplings to add more life to the half-dead floating rock. They remove the dead grass and plant new growth around the stones, leaving the centre circle bare.

    Amethyst touches one of the stones, and mumbles an incantation. Three glyphs on the stone begin to glow green. She looks around. ¡°We¡¯re missing one focus stone entirely, and two are broken. Ci?l, help me fix them while Angel reaches out to Lyric.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother,¡± the girl answers.

    Penny watches the two Fae as they begin to mend the stones, ¡°Regardless of size, have you noticed that Ci?l always looks younger than Amethyst?¡± She turns to her wife, ¡°They both look younger than any of us, is that on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Mother has always looked youthful,¡± M¨¦lodie answers. ¡°Even her Pixie form is but a young girl. I don¡¯t think she knows how to age.¡±

    ¡°Alright I have Lyric on the line,¡± Angel chimes looking up from the stone that Amethyst gave her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the trees?¡± Lyric¡¯s voice suddenly comes through loudly.

    ¡°The right tree is shattered, and it looks dead,¡± the blonde Bard replies.

    ¡°Oh dear, What do you think, Arch Druid?¡± Lyric¡¯s voice asks.

    ¡°Nar certar apai certarondoli en ronda?¡± a male voice asks in Elvish.

    ¡°What?¡± Penny chimes beside Angel.

    ¡°They are asking if the glyphs on the runestones are still intact?¡± Veld chimes in. ¡°I¡¯ve not heard that dialect of Elvish in so long!¡±

    ¡°¨¢ni v¨¦la¡± the male voice says.

    ¡°He wants to see for himself,¡± Veld comments. ¡°Manen?¡± the Fae replies.

    As the man replies, M¨¦lodie starts writing glyphs on the ground, and voices out ¡°Manwa,¡± when she¡¯s done.

    She steps back as the circle of glyphs begin to glow. There is a slight breeze as air suddenly blows out from the circle. Five Elves stand within the glowing symbols.

    The tallest of them is a male with a crown of golden vines and berries. He¡¯s accompanied by two Elven maidens holding staves. Lyric is not among the two that are left. They¡¯re all wearing leather tunics with green silk shirts. On their right shoulder is an embroidered gryphon on a kite shield. ¡°Council Druids!¡± Veld gasps. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen the Druid Council crest in ancient tomes.¡±

    ¡°Culaicacuruni Y¨¤viesul? Laitaur?, meet Arch Mage Adam Arcwave,¡± Amethyst makes introductions.

    The Elf raises an eyebrow, and the darker haired maiden nods. He extends a hand as he steps forward and smiles. ¡°I understand handshakes are exchanged among Humans. You are rather young for an Arcwave,¡± the Elf¡¯s English is strongly accented.

    ¡°Third generation of my family line,¡± Adam volunteers. ¡°I greet you Arch Druid.¡± The two men shake hands.

    ¡°These are my aides, Lair?acarca and Hriv?nahta,¡± the Arch Druid comments. ¡°These two other men are my arcane and science advisors. High Magus Calithlion and Arquen Valataram?.¡±

    ¡°A knight as a science advisor?¡± M¨¦lodie queries, translating his title.

    ¡°There are few arcane advisors on the Druid Council, Milady, does that bother you?¡± the bronze-skinned Elf returns a disarming smile.

    ¡°You remind me of someone,¡± M¨¦lodie muses.

    ¡°Someone I may know?¡± the Elf raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°As they live on Earth, it¡¯s doubtful,¡± M¨¦lodie dismisses the thought. She turns and motions, ¡°This is our problem.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± the Arch Druid frowns. He walks over to the tree with his aides while the other two study the standing stones.

    ¡°These two are missing their glyphs,¡± Calithlion comments.

    ¡°They were broken; while I could reconstruct the menhir stones, I didn¡¯t know what was written on them,¡± Amethyst apologizes.

    ¡°I have a copy of the glyphs on the other end, we should be able to reconstruct them,¡± the magus smiles and pulls out a strange tablet with a transparent glowing screen. ¡°Val hold this here so that I can transcribe them?¡±

    ¡°Your English is quite remarkable,¡± M¨¦lodie comments as he whispers a spell to engrave the glyphs into the stones.

    ¡°I study inter-dimensional and planar science,¡± the Elf smiles. ¡°I know at least ten languages.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen if you consider how many dialects of Common you know,¡± the Knight smiles.

    Penny is watching as the Arch Druid and his aides are using some sort of spell to stitch the tree back together. ¡°Do you think you could teach me to use that spell?¡±

    ¡°A Druid that doesn¡¯t know how to Warp Wood? Who was your teacher, Child?¡± the Arch Druid returns in a gruff tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have one,¡± Penny returns boldly at his dismissive statement.

    The Elf stops for a moment and blinks thoughtfully. He glances at the blonde aide who nods.

    ¡°Where is speak stone?¡± The blonde aide asks in an even stronger accented Elvish. Penny points to Angel still holding the other half of the Sending Stone. ¡°L¨ªr?, tuluty? yess?a parma apa Laicacuruni sairina?¡±

    ¡°Al¨¢, Hriv?,¡± says the voice on the other end.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to bring a primer book on Druid magic?¡± Angel comments after translating the statement.

    ¡°For the dark-skinned Human, yes,¡± the blonde aide smiles.

    ¡°My best friend will become a Druid, this is so exciting!¡± Angel sings happily causing the Elf to smile. The Druid nods, then returns to the other two working on the tree.

    Once the tree is reattached the three Druids start to chant, their hands glowing. The glow extends from their hands to spread onto the bark. The colour of the tree changes as the glow expands. Once it reaches the branches, the dead leaves fall down while the tree sprouts new growth. The Spring Pixies add to the chant and the oak flowers as if it¡¯s in spring.

    ¡°There, the tree should recover provided we can water it before we leave, she¡¯s very thirsty,¡± the Arch Druid smiles.

    ¡°Let me conjure some,¡± Adam offers.

    ¡°You¡¯ll want this fertilizer, conjured water is too pure, we¡¯ll need something the tree can feed on,¡± Susan offers. The Arch Mage and his Human Druid start feeding the tree so that it doesn¡¯t die on them.

    ¡°I want everyone to move out of the grove,¡± Y¨¤viersul? announces. ¡°Who is helping me open the Gate?¡±

    ¡°That would be me,¡± Adam approaches him.

    ¡°Me,¡± M¨¦lodie offers.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need me as your anchor,¡± Amethyst steps forward.

    ¡°You have been a busy Fae since we sent you on your quest,¡± the Arch Druid smiles down at her, ¡°You are so much prettier in that form than you were as a little Pixie.¡±

    ¡°They warned me you were a romantic and a bit of a flirt,¡± Amethyst giggles. ¡°So, two on the left, two on the right, and we stand by the first stones?¡± she queries and the Arch Druid nods.

    The Fae and the Arch Druid start the Gate chant, followed by the others. As the spell takes hold, the runes on the menhir stones glow and then cast beams onto the two trees. The braiding on the roots and lower branches shift to form a circular door. The air is first sucked through the opening, only to bubble back outward. The swirling mass of green, brown and white almost looks like water as the event horizon of the Gate spell stabilizes.

    Lyric is the first through the Gate once it settles, and Angel bounces into her foster aunt¡¯s arms to greet her. ¡°Told you I¡¯d be back in time for your wedding,¡± the Elven Bard smiles as she squeezes her Human friend.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about a wedding?¡± the Arch Druid raises and eyebrow.

    ¡°The Arch Druid loves a good party, could you invite him to the reception?¡± Lyric queries.

    ¡°The wedding is among the magical community, he won¡¯t be the only non-Human there. I¡¯ll ask my fianc¨¦e, but I don¡¯t see her saying no,¡± Angel smiles.

    ¡°Her?¡± the Elf probes. ¡°Apparently wedding traditions have changed since I was last on Earth,¡± he smiles. ¡°Can you tell me more?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good day¡¯s walk back to the College, I¡¯d love to,¡± Angel returns excitedly.

    ¡°We¡¯re walking back?¡± Adam half argues.

    ¡°The Arch Druid hasn¡¯t been here in centuries, I think it¡¯s best to let him survey what Sanctum needs to rebuild,¡± Amethyst replies.

    As they walk back toward the College, Penny notices the Pixies are laying wild flowers ahead of them, colouring the grass before the Arch Druid and his aides. She glances back as she sees the land bridge expand behind them. She wonders what spell they are using to double the size of everything in half the time it took them to get there.

 Druid Influence

    It¡¯s late by the time they make it back to the rest stop. With the time taken to reach and open the Gate, then meander back at the Arch Druid¡¯s pace, it¡¯s past supper time ¡ª or at least that¡¯s what Penny¡¯s stomach says, and her watch agrees. She tries not to look impatient as the tall male Elf stops, once again, to examine a nearby tree. Fortunately, Angel¡¯s and Lyric¡¯s singing and music have made the rest of the day tolerable. The Elven Bard brought lutes with her, and the two have been entertaining the group as they walk.

    ¡°Tundo, you ability in quickly growing trees is admirable, but the plant is drawing too much nutrients.¡± The Arch Druid remarks in broken English.

    ¡°Is there a better way to slow down its growth once it reaches maturity?¡± the Fae queries. ¡°At this rate, they¡¯ll die in a few days or grow too big for the surrounding soil, won¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°They will,¡± the Arch Druid nods with a grim smile. ¡°Come, feel this tree.¡±

    The Fae does so, and they are quiet for a moment, eyes closed. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Angel whispers.

    ¡°Talking to the tree,¡± the Arch Druid¡¯s tall blonde aide answers.

    ¡°You can do that?¡± Angel¡¯s eyes grow wide with wonder. The Elves smile and nod.

    ¡°Your enthusiasm is much more welcome than your father¡¯s mischievous, and often pessimistic, nature,¡± Adam remarks with a smile.

    ¡°Come now, Uncle. Daddy¡¯s not that bad!¡± Angel rolls her eyes.

    ¡°Do you know half of the trouble he would get into?¡± Adam smirks.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a few stories from the other Sages,¡± Angel giggles, ¡°but he runs his own company on Earth. I¡¯d like to think he¡¯s better now than when he was in his teens.¡±

    ¡°Well, his custom hormones sure helped with you,¡± Lyric remarks.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯d have developed to be this pretty on my own?¡± Angel pouts.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Penny turns away from watching the Druid and Fae ¡®talk¡¯ to the tree.

    ¡°Did you not tell her, my Little Songbird?¡± Lyric smiles knowingly.

    ¡°Penny knows I¡¯m not completely female,¡± Angel admits, brushing the comment aside.

    ¡°Eva is not a quiet lover,¡± Penny smirks, leaving the blonde performer to blush.

    ¡°How long were they merely roommates before they became intimate?¡± Lyric queries.

    ¡°Weeks?¡± Penny muses.

    ¡°It took me three months to admit to Eva that I wasn¡¯t born a girl,¡± Angel corrects her. There¡¯s a pause as her best friend returns a disbelieving glance. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not my fault that wanting to see it after I admitted what I have between my legs led to something more!¡± Angel huffs.

    ¡°You are so adorable. Didn¡¯t I warn you what would happen playing show and tell with the girl you¡¯re crushing on?¡± Penny teases, leaving her blonde friend to blush more. ¡°I¡¯m just glad it worked out for you,¡± she pats her friend¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Thanks, Penny. Eva is my world! I don¡¯t know what I would do without her!¡± Angel sighs and leans against the dark-skinned woman.

    ¡°Which is why you are getting married,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks. ¡°You make an adorable couple.¡±

    ¡°I just hope you don¡¯t mind me borrowing your wife to be my maid-of-honour,¡± Angel returns a coy smile.

    ¡°Your entertainment made our wedding night phenomenal, Child. I more than welcome the opportunity to return the favour,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles.

    ¡°I have a smashing bachelorette party planned,¡± Penny grins.

    ¡°At my cousin¡¯s club?¡± M¨¦lodie queries.

    ¡°Is that how it works with Warlock broods? You don¡¯t call her your sister?¡± Penny remarks more for the others than for herself.

    ¡°With her husband gone, I suppose you could call Ashanna a sister now, though cousin still fits better with the relationship we have,¡± M¨¦lodie nods.

    ¡°Ashanna?¡± Angel queries.

    ¡°They share the same Master. She owns Temptations, the club that will host your party, Hun. Ashanna has assured me she¡¯ll make the night memorable and I¡¯ve barely had to organize anything. Which is good, it¡¯s given me time to work with Marino Meadows in sorting out your reception.¡±

    ¡°I thought Mom was planning my reception,¡± Angel frowns.

    ¡°Your mom can¡¯t do everything, Sugar. She needs some help as your grandparents are off to Europe on their cruise and won¡¯t be back until a week before the wedding,¡± Penny remarks as she sits down now that they¡¯ve reached the benches. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t remember getting this much exercise since our honeymoon!¡±

    ¡°Darling, you jog every morning,¡± M¨¦lodie reminds her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not the only exercise she gets either,¡± Angel teases her best friend.

    ¡°What exercise I get outside of my daily workout is none of your business, Young Lady,¡± Penny retorts playfully, causing the women to giggle.

    ¡°Why does the name Ashanna sound familiar?¡± Adam queries as he sits down beside Penny.

    ¡°Because her twin sister is someone I¡¯d rather not meet again?¡± Penny ventures. Adam stiffens.

    ¡°Ashanna Rasmussen might be a Drow Witch, but she is not evil. Do not confuse her with the Black Widow, they are nothing alike,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks, leaving Adam to frown. ¡°I am not lying Arch Mage. My cousin does not have a mean bone in her body, she is nothing like the rest of her race.¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s a pacifist, why isn¡¯t she involved in the magical community?¡± Adam objects.

    ¡°Until Penny and I killed her husband, Lady Rasmussen aligning with the Council of Magi would have been a death sentence, Arch Mage. Her late spouse sat on the Vampire Collective Elder Council. Openly defying him would have been unwise. She has remained neutral to keep herself and her daughter safe. Temptations also secretly serves as a paranormal safe house, she performs her part in the order of things.¡±

    ¡°And yet I¡¯ve never heard of this woman or her club before,¡± Adam argues, visibly annoyed.

    ¡°Do you think you have that much influence on the magical community, Arch Mage? Do you honestly think everything that goes on in the world reaches the ears and sight of your Council?¡± M¨¦lodie challenges.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not that naive,¡± Adam continues to frown. ¡°I was hoping the schools would allow me to reach out to more of the community. Though you seem to be well connected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made my own alliances throughout the years,¡± M¨¦lodie smiles smugly.

    ¡°Yes, with families like the Villeneuve and Gallo. However have you managed to earn their trust when they refuse to deal with my Council?¡± Adam argues. ¡°What have you offered them that I can¡¯t?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Well, if you had made a better impression with Rose Montgomery when you first met, you¡¯d have a better relationship with her connected family,¡± M¨¦lodie scolds him.

    ¡°The convention-hopping Bard?¡± Adam scoffs.

    ¡°Considering how powerful of a Bard your ¡®niece¡¯ is, Arch Mage, you really need to stop dismissing the influence they hold on the magical community you hold so dear,¡± M¨¦lodie chastises him.

    ¡°Uncle?¡± Angel turns to him. ¡°Is that why you asked me to reach out to Rose?¡±

    Adam slumps and sighs. ¡°Yes, Sunflower. I met Rose years ago at a convention. I may have been a little¡­¡±

    ¡°Rude?¡± M¨¦lodie interjects.

    ¡°I merely challenged her abilities to influence people when she had the crowd eating out of her hand,¡± Adam grumbles.

    ¡°Loud enough to cause some damage to her reputation within your community,¡± M¨¦lodie snaps. ¡°You are fortunate that she is a brilliant woman. Between her programming talents and her performing with Angel here, she has held her celebrity status ¡ª despite you nearly ruining her career.¡±

    ¡°Rose¡¯s career was never at risk,¡± Adam argues.

    ¡°Do you not realize how many magically active people hide in the entertainment industry, Arch Mage?¡± M¨¦lodie retorts. ¡°People like Rose and myself have formed our own small collective of magically active friends. If you were not so full of yourself, you would realize that!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Adam admits sadly. ¡°What can I do?¡±

    ¡°Your Adamarcus personality could benefit from taking it down a notch or two,¡± M¨¦lodie suggests. ¡°You have nearly exposed yourself more than once in debunking myths. How many have reached out to you when they realized the magic you display online was real?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the purpose of my vlog,¡± Adam argues. ¡°To catch the attention of magically active people and have them reach out to me. It¡¯s time for the myriad of hidden magical cloisters to regroup and rejoin to form a cohesive community. My Council can offer them organization, structure, a place where they can be safe!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to rebuild more of this realm if you want to offer a safe place for your people, Arch Mage,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks.

    ¡°Which is why I am here,¡± The Arch Druid comments as he joins them. They all turn to him. ¡°I was here millennia ago with our little Fae friend,¡± he pats Amethyst on the head. She looks at him fondly. ¡°You need a safe place for your kind to live.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the cost of your benevolence?¡± Adam narrows his eyes at the Elf. ¡°Am I to believe you willingly do this out of the goodness of your heart?¡±

    ¡°Stop being so pessimistic, Arch Mage. Elves are not like Humans. We are not self-serving, selfish or need a motive to help others,¡± Y¨¤viersul? frowns. ¡°Can you not see the benefit that this realm serves your kind? You are rebuilding it to house your magical community, are you not?¡±

    ¡°What do you want, Arch Druid?¡± Adam pushes.

    ¡°Nothing more than what I asked of your grandfather,¡± Y¨¤viersul? remarks. ¡°An embassy here in your realm, half a dozen of my people on your Council as advisors.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I could do that,¡± Adam relaxes. ¡°Will your people be returning to Earth as well?¡±

    ¡°Do you think it wise for Elvenkind to return to the Earth? Would it be safe for my people?¡± the Arch Druid asks as he examines a nearby tree.

    ¡°Considering that Fae hide themselves from humankind, I would say no,¡± Feren answers.

    ¡°I would agree with the Fae, most mystical and paranormal creatures live in a world outside of the mundane, hidden from society with illusions or in closed communities,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks.

    ¡°Then, no. Elves will not return to the Earth. It¡¯s clear that Humans are still too young of a race to willingly share their world with others,¡± the Arch Druid returns.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just keep hiding in the Outer Planes,¡± Adam argues.

    ¡°Why not? What does your world offer us that we don¡¯t have in the Outer Planes?¡± the Elf challenges. Adam shuffles his feet. ¡°We have lived peacefully, with little conflict, and are far more advanced than the Humans we left behind. Give me one reason Elves need to return to the Earth?¡±

    ¡°We need you on Earth,¡± Feren pleads, Tundo nods. ¡°We are losing the connection with our world. Nature is imbalanced; if we can¡¯t find a solution to pollution and global warming, the Earth could die!¡±

    ¡°That is no longer my concern,¡± the Arch Druid dismisses them as he focuses on the tree in front of him. He holds up a finger that he doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed. The Fae look at each other worriedly, and Amethyst offers them a sympathetic smile.

    ¡°Give him time, My Children. The Elves need a reason to return Home, we¡¯ll find it, alright?¡± Amethyst assures them.

    Veld looks thoughtful. ¡°The elders used to tell us stories of the Voice of the Earth Mother. She was a beautiful blonde Elven Druid High Priestess with green eyes.¡±

    The Arch Druid is currently transforming the tree in front of him. The trunk twists and turns, then branches flower. ¡°Ooh, apples!¡± Feren licks her lips.

    ¡°Yes, I think we all need to eat,¡± the Elf remarks. Adam raises his hand. ¡°Summoning food is a poor caster¡¯s shortcut, Arch Mage. I want actual food that will sustain us.¡± Penny chuckles as Adam slumps his shoulders. ¡°As for the Voice you speak of? My wife died at the hands of the Romans. Your world hasn¡¯t seen a Druid of her calibre in centuries. I doubt it will any time soon,¡± he grumbles as he moves on to the next tree.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you lost your soulmate, Arch Druid,¡± Amethyst offers him comfort. ¡°Do you not think Gaia would find a new Voice on her own? Is your family truly the only one that could fill the task?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the Arch Druid remarks as he transforms the next tree to grow pears. ¡°Does the Earth need a Voice that badly?¡± he raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°It does,¡± she stresses.

    ¡°None of my people in Arvandor could fill such a roll,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°I hope you are right when you believe Gaia will find a new champion. None of my family survived, I¡¯m not here to save you.¡±

    ¡°I think Gaia has a surprise in store for all of us,¡± Amethyst smiles mischievously. He raises an eyebrow. ¡°No, I¡¯m not telling you.¡±

    ¡°Fae¡­ always some secret you won¡¯t reveal,¡± the Elf grumbles as he moves on to the third tree.

    ¡°Where is the fun if we tell you everything?¡± she chimes playfully, leaving him to chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what we need when it is needed,¡± she grins.

    ¡°Of course you will,¡± he smiles as he works on a peach tree. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± the Arch Druid suddenly steps back.

    The trunk of the peach tree cracks and ribbons of purple energy from the nearby stream of essence seep into it. The bark darkens as the tree draws more energy from the ground, the surrounding grass browns as it dies. Amethyst pulls the tree and the affected clump of soil away before it kills the rest of the glade.

    ¡°Well, well, that is a wonderful discovery!¡± M¨¦lodie smiles as she hops onto the now floating clump. She picks a slightly glowing purplish peach from the tree and bites into it. She moans as blood-like juice drips from her mouth.

    ¡°You made a Blood Fruit tree!¡± Penny beams. ¡°Well, my wife won¡¯t need anything else to eat with that.¡±

    ¡°Not on purpose,¡± the Arch Druid frowns as the Witch sucks up the juices happily.

    ¡°This realm tends to change certain foods,¡± Susan remarks. ¡°I tried to transform a berry bush to make grapes and created a Manaberry bush when I channelled enough energy into it.¡±

    ¡°Really? May I see it?¡± Y¨¤viersul? asks. Susan guides him to where she made the two Manaberry bushes. ¡°Incredible!¡± he smiles. ¡°The apple and pear seem normal enough, I wonder what happens if we grow a plum?¡± he almost seems to float excitedly to the next tree and focuses on it.

    ¡°Do plums have a magical equivalent?¡± Penny queries, munching on one of the Manaberries she swiped from the bush.

    ¡°We call them Spark Fruit on Arvandor,¡± he smiles. ¡°They taste like a carbonated fruit drink and provide energy to magic and mundane alike.¡±

    ¡°Are they hard to grow?¡± Tundo probes as he watches the Elf.

    ¡°They won¡¯t grow on Earth,¡± he remarks. ¡°We only discovered these trees when we reached the High Heavens. The homeworld does not hold enough magical essence. There wasn¡¯t enough when my kind walked the world. Magic most likely has dimmed rather than grown in our absence.¡±

    ¡°It sadly has diminished more than we would like,¡± Veld agrees in a sad tone.

    The cherry tree they grew next was equally stimulating, with Penny comparing each cherry to a shot of espresso. She then had to explain coffee to the Arch Druid. Apparently it¡¯s a plant that Elves never saw before they left the Earth, and not something they¡¯ve sought where they live now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never get any sleep tonight!¡± Angel fidgets, digging into the supercharged fruit salad they made. ¡°Can someone keep those cherry stones? I want to see if we can roast them and make coffee back home.¡±

    While they¡¯re eating, the Arch Druid speaks to three Pixies and they zip back to the Arvandor Gate. ¡°What are you planning?¡± Adam flashes him a wary glance.

    ¡°L¨ªr? left a Bardic Scout at the Gate, I¡¯ve asked the Pixies to summon more Druids,¡± the Elf answers.

    ¡°Why?¡± Adam challenges.

    ¡°You need more Druids if you want to rebuild this realm,¡± Y¨¤viersul? replies. ¡°Tundo¡¯s trees need to be re-balanced and you need a source of water nearby or this expanse,¡± he extends his arms, ¡°will not live long enough to remain stable.¡± Adam frowns. ¡°I asked you¡­¡±

    ¡°To allow half a dozen Druids on my council,¡± the Arch Mage finishes. ¡°Yes, and I will uphold that request. I doubt my Council of Sages would argue. We really need your help in rebuilding the realm.¡±

    ¡°Why do I feel you do not trust me, Arch Mage?¡± the Elf challenges. ¡°We are your kin, or have you forgotten your heritage?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. I guess I¡¯m no better than the rest of humanity who fears you intend to invade our world,¡± Adam admits guiltily. The Elf raises a finger. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve already mentioned you have no interest in returning to the Earth. Seems I¡¯m no different from any other narrow-minded Human.¡±

    ¡°There, now that you¡¯ve exposed your fear, you can work on overcoming it,¡± Y¨¤viersul? pats him on the shoulder.

    ¡°My distrust doesn¡¯t bother you, does it?¡± Adam blinks and glances at him.

    ¡°Should it?¡± the Elf looks down at him. ¡°I¡¯m not a stranger to hateful Humans.¡±

    ¡°No, I guess you¡¯re not,¡± Adam frowns and glances up at the expectant face. ¡°No, Humans aren¡¯t much better than the last time you were here, is that what you wanted to hear?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I expected,¡± the Arch Druid dismisses him and walks away.

    Adam slumps his shoulders, and Penny pats him on the back. ¡°Does he really hate our kind?¡± he mumbles.

    ¡°Give the Arch Druid time, Child,¡± Amethyst stresses. ¡°You reminding him he lost his family to Human hatred hasn¡¯t earned you any favours, but the Elves he places on your council may come around.¡±

    ¡°How long will that take?¡± Adam challenges. ¡°Days? Weeks? Months?¡±

    ¡°More like years or decades,¡± M¨¦lodie remarks, following the Elves. ¡°Centuries if they¡¯re anything like him¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted to hear¡­¡± Adam grumbles.

 Return

    With the supercharged supper of energized magical fruit, they break camp after eating. No one is tired anymore. Everyone is primed to push on and continue to walk to the nexus of the Sanctum. The trip back is less work. They¡¯re not making a new trail, merely cleaning up where they may have hastily done sections. Lyric and Angel help improve the mood as they sing. The Bards have two sizes of lutes and can add additional instruments with spells.

    Amethyst tells Penny that the Lantafalma Gate has always been the nexus of the Realm. It was from there that they spread out. The town by the gate seemed to cement the college as the focal point. There are, of course, other notable locations. The Council Chambers were the hub of politics. At one point, there were representatives from various regions of the Cosmos aiding humanity in managing magical society.

    ¡°I remember it was a pretty large building, can we see it from here?¡± Penny remarks. Amethyst scans the endless flow of energy and then points to what looks like a white ball to their left. ¡°How far away is that?¡± Penny gasps.

    ¡°Walking, it would likely take a day or two depending on the size of your legs,¡± the Fae muses. ¡°While a finite pocket dimension, it is not small. Thousands of magical creatures once lived in this Realm. It is why there¡¯s a teleport circle. When you find them again, other portal nodes around the realm will link to it. It¡¯s also a focal point, so anyone can Teleport to it from anywhere in the Realm ¡ª if you know the spell.¡±

    ¡°My wife casts the majority of our travel spells,¡± Penny blushes. ¡°I can bounce around small distances, but nothing like she can.¡±

    ¡°You make such a well suited couple,¡± Amethyst remarks.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Penny smiles. ¡°My life stopped being normal the day we met.¡±

    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± Amethyst queries.

    Penny glances to M¨¦lodie, the two blow each other a kiss and the Human woman smiles. ¡°Far from it,¡± Penny continues to smile at her wife fondly.

    ¡°There should have been a farming community and Druid Grove that lay between. Have you not seen them?¡± Y¨¤viersul? glances up from the tree he¡¯s studying.

    ¡°No,¡± Adam returns worriedly.

    ¡°While my people did not return to Earth after their exile, we had sent some of our people to live among your arcane community,¡± The Arch Druid frowns. ¡°Hundreds of souls found their way back to Arvandor to report war among the Council of Magi had killed them all.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Adam slumps his shoulders. He glances at the Arch Druid, ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°We knew what befell of our people, but not of your realm,¡± the Elf replies. ¡°Those souls will gladly serve you again if you are willing. What bothers me¡­¡± he looks out over the void, ¡°is that there is nothing left of it, only debris.¡±

    ¡°Let us hope that enough of your Glade survived this,¡± Amethyst remarks.

    ¡°What could have happened to cause that much destruction?¡± Feren gasps.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Adam returns sadly. ¡°Only that the Realm nearly collapsed that day.¡±

    ¡°Would Elphaba know?¡± M¨¦lodie queries.

    ¡°Whenever we ask any of the survivors what happened, their faces grow pale, their eyes grow distant, then they panic,¡± Adam remarks. ¡°It can take hours to calm them back down again as they just curl up in a shell and whimper or cry. The event is clearly too horrific to revisit, so we¡¯ve stopped asking them. I can only imagine the magical horrors unleashed that day as the High Mages fought Vampires, Demons, and each other.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the fighting each other that worries me the most,¡± Amethyst frowns. ¡°Like whatever is in the greenhouse. What horrors did it experience that it rather live in a chaotic twisted ruin than help us rebuild?¡±

    ¡°You still think it¡¯s sentient?¡± Adam raises and eyebrow.

    ¡°Whatever is in that greenhouse is sentient,¡± Tundo remarks. ¡°The plants bear at least a mind or two. They won¡¯t talk to me though, and all I can get from them is two words.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡± the Arch Druid asks.

    ¡°Pain and Die,¡± the Fae whimpers. Everyone is quiet for a moment. ¡°Whatever happened to the greenhouse all it feels is the pain of it¡¯s death and wanting revenge.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me more of this greenhouse?¡± the Arch Druid worries.

    ¡°Do you think you can do something about it? We really need it. That section of greenhouse could feed those that currently live in this realm,¡± Adam remarks.

    ¡°What about those who will come now that you are rebuilding?¡± the Arch Druid raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Greenhouse first, then we can work on a farming community,¡± Adam retorts.

    ¡°Just seeing how far ahead you were planning, my boy,¡± the Arch Druid walks off talking with Tundo and Feren from what they¡¯ve noticed.

    ¡°Are all Elves so condescending?¡± Adam grumbles.

    Amethyst returns a sympathetic smile, ¡°Elves are always looking at events by three angles.¡±

    ¡°Which are?¡± he raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Past, Present, and Future,¡± she smirks, leaving him to shake his head. ¡°While contemplating the past, the Arch Druid is looking at the now, what will happen today and maybe up to the end of this week,¡± she explains.

    ¡°Continue,¡± Adam feels she¡¯s not done.

    ¡°He¡¯s also looking at what will happen next month, next year, and maybe as far as the next century,¡± she finishes.

    ¡°The next century?¡± Adam stops and blinks. The Fae is about to elaborate. ¡°Elves are long lived and never just plan in the here in now. They prepare for what could come after, and not just in the next decade, but what would be generations to my kind?¡±

    ¡°Now we just need you to start thinking like the Elf you are,¡± she smirks. Adam raises a finger. ¡°You are more Elf than the Humans you call family, Arch Mage. You keep forgetting that.¡±

    ¡°I rather not lord it over others that I¡¯m longer lived and more powerful than they are,¡± Adam objects.

    ¡°No one says you have to be overbearing, Arch Mage. Just make sure you have more than one plan going and never underestimate where things may lead. Keep a contingency for everything and nothing will catch you by surprise,¡± she smirks and catches up with the others.

    Adam stands there for a moment, chuckles, then jogs to catch up. ¡°Will I ever know what she¡¯s up to?¡± he asks M¨¦lodie.

    ¡°No one ever really knows what Mother is up to, Arch Mage,¡± she chuckles. ¡°Just know that she will never ask you to do something you are unable or unwilling to do yourself.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really help me,¡± he grumbles.

    ¡°Life is not always filled with known variables, Arch Mage,¡± M¨¦lodie returns playfully. ¡°You have to prepare for the unexpected. Stop questioning everything and have a little fun with it,¡± she encourages.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Is she always like this?¡± Adam looks at Penny.

    ¡°Makes life interesting,¡± Penny giggles and leans into her wife.

    When they return to the college, there is some sort of illusionary campus laid out. Morgyn, Elphaba, Luke and several of his adepts are on brooms. They guide pixies to move focus stones as they re-arrange what they want it to look like.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been busy,¡± Adam remarks as they meet in the gardens.

    ¡°Well, when you give me a few days, a small cluster of Pixies, and a handful of Mages, things get done,¡± Morgyn smirks ¡ª causing Amethyst to giggle.

    ¡°A few days?¡± Penny gasps. ¡°How long have we been gone?!¡±

    ¡°Four solar rotations, give or take?¡± Morgyn glances at Luke.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my cell-phone clock, I¡¯d have no idea what time it is,¡± Luke remarks. ¡°How do you live here where time seems nebulous?¡±

    ¡°You sort of get used to it,¡± Morgyn shrugs.

    ¡°So, what are we looking at?¡± Adam queries.

    ¡°Using the path as the centre for the design, Luke, Elphaba and I have pretty much divided the campus in half,¡± Morgyn explains. He motions and waves his hands as he points things out. ¡°On the right we have living and lifestyle. We¡¯ll start with one dorm, but we¡¯re leaving space for two. Then there¡¯s the Student Union Building that will house an amphitheatre, media room, commissary, lounge, and computer research hub. We¡¯re hoping to connect to the Internet somehow. Otherwise it¡¯ll be a leisure library where they can study, or just read non-academic material. Further on, there¡¯s a public gym, workout studio, arena¡­ we¡¯re thinking we¡¯ll place the art studios and visual arts classrooms here as well.¡±

    ¡°All the amenities of a small town,¡± Luke boasts. ¡°This should encourage the students to stay on campus, but our town design is including some bistros, bars, and a dance club. We¡¯re also doubling the size of the market so that students can come to town for fresh food if they don¡¯t want whatever the cafeteria is serving.¡±

    ¡°Feren raises a finger. ¡°Only Fabrication and Manipulation Mages can make food and drink. We need to feed those who can¡¯t make it themselves,¡± Morgyn remarks.

    ¡°Will you build a recording studio and radio station as well?¡± M¨¦lodie queries. They all look at her. ¡°With most of the known magical community having a strong bardic tradition, you do want to encourage our young Bards to attend the college, do you not? You will need all of the Arts available if you do. Not only visual arts, but music, dance, theatre and other performing talents would encourage them to stay in the community.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Morgyn smiles and nods. ¡°We¡¯ll work that into the design.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of a radio station?¡± Luke frowns.

    ¡°Outside of offering the realm some entertainment? I am sure one of you lovely intelligent people will figure out how to broadcast it across the Internet on Earth,¡± she returns. ¡°Come now, what good university does not have a campus radio station?¡±

    ¡°She has a point,¡± Steven remarks.

    ¡°The left side is where we¡¯re trying to work things out,¡± Morgyn waves his hand to the other side. ¡°I know we¡¯ll need alchemy labs, a library, classrooms for magical and mundane topics, and maybe an engineering lab, what else will we need?¡±

    ¡°We need to cover all topics,¡± Adam returns. ¡°Engineering, Science, Medicine, Magical Theory, Spell Casting, Alchemy, Herbalism, Language Arts, maybe even Law. Have you thought of an Enchanting and Fabrication building?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on the list now,¡± Morgyn nods as he draws out a tablet.

    ¡°What about Summoning?¡± Kyle probes. ¡°I know it¡¯s sort of a taboo subject on Earth, but it should be safe to do that here, no?¡± Adam frowns somewhat. ¡°Not all students will want some sort of animal as their familiar. There¡¯s a book I read once where constructs and Elementals used to serve powerful masters.¡±

    ¡°It has merit,¡± Adam nods slowly. ¡°I¡¯d like to have Conjuring and Summoning as individual warded towers though, so that students don¡¯t accidentally cause a bigger mess than they should.¡±

    ¡°Four towers with Fabrication and Enchanting in the middle, make it look like some sort of castle?¡± Todd suggests.

    Adam smiles. ¡°I¡¯ve always loved your imagination Todd. Think Luke can spare you for a few months? We¡¯ll need your eye for detail as we make the buildings.¡±

    ¡°Sure, steal my best artisan, why don¡¯t you?¡± Luke returns half insulted. His playful tone leaves Adam to chuckle. Todd returns this pleading look. ¡°Fine, next thing I know you¡¯ll be asking to live here,¡± Luke teases.

    ¡°Outside of the town we¡¯re rebuilding, one of the first things he wants to do is look for his family estate once we¡¯re done here,¡± Kyle remarks. ¡°If memory serves correctly, it was across the road from mine.¡±

    ¡°You too?¡± Luke glances at his friend.

    ¡°We were all from prominent families, who here have an estate they left behind?¡± Kyle retorts. Several hands go up.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Luke smiles.

    ¡°Arch Druid, do you think you could spare a few people to help make a road to these estates they speak of?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°To what purpose?¡± Y¨¤viersul? argues.

    ¡°There was farmland between the college and estates. You had mentioned that this realm needs food production and greenery to feed and give air to the realm,¡± she remarks.

    ¡°I did say that, didn¡¯t I?¡± the Elf smiles. ¡°You are very good at diplomacy,¡± he smirks.

    ¡°Remember that when you stubbornly want to oppose one of my ideas,¡± she returns smugly, causing some to chuckle.

    ¡°Speaking of wanting to accomplish something, show me this greenhouse you mentioned earlier,¡± his tone insistent. He sees Adam hesitate. ¡°You know Elven?¡± the Elf probes and the Arch Mage nods. ¡°Look for a flight of eagles coming down the road. The Pixies know your authority, and will vouch for what you want them to do.¡±

    Adam frowns at the comment. ¡°Are you worried you might not come back from the greenhouse?¡±

    ¡°That is a possibility,¡± the Elf nods and Amethyst looks worried. ¡°If I don¡¯t return, my people are to follow your guidance.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Adam swallows.

    ¡°While unlikely, if I should meet my end, you will sheer off the other half of the greenhouse. Send whatever angry spirits that reside within into the abyss where they can cause no other harm,¡± the Arch Druid remarks.

    Adam nods worriedly. ¡°Should I come with you?¡± his voice cracking.

    ¡°No, you are too important here,¡± the Elf argues.

    ¡°And you¡¯re not?¡± Adam blinks.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made my peace with the universe and have performed my duty to my people Arch Mage. You, on the other hand, still have much work to do until you meet your end.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Adam returns a grim smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Amethyst insists as he starts walking off. The Elf turns to object. ¡°You can¡¯t do this alone, that will certainly be the end of you. Unlike your speech to the Arch Mage, you still have a lot to do in this age.¡±

    ¡°I do, do I?¡± he remarks with a half smile. ¡°What have you seen, Mistress of the Earthen Realm?¡±

    ¡°All in good time,¡± she returns.

    ¡°The Bardic Council said I would find you an enigmatic puzzle that would give me a headache to figure out,¡± he smirks as he continues walking.

    ¡°Were they wrong?¡± she returns smugly.

    ¡°No they were not,¡± he chuckles. He glances to the Spring Fae as they catch up to him. ¡°You¡¯re coming too, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Of course we are,¡± Feren returns.

    ¡°This is not your realm, you don¡¯t need to help the Humans fix their problems,¡± Y¨¤viersul? remarks.

    ¡°You are,¡± Tundo argues.

    ¡°I have a¡­ promise that I need to fulfill,¡± the Elf remarks. ¡°As much as they don¡¯t remember, most of the Council of Sages are my kin. They may not call themselves Wood Elves, but they still hold the blood of my people.¡±

    ¡°Druids used to guide the Fae when we couldn¡¯t hear Mother Earth,¡± Feren remarks. He raises and eyebrow. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m too young to remember that, but my foremother used to tell me stories of the wisdom of the Druid Council. We need you as much as they do!¡±

    ¡°My kind is not returning to Earth at this time,¡± he argues.

    ¡°But can you at least show us some guidance?¡± she pleads. ¡°We need you!¡±

    ¡°Humanity would kill any of my kind who make any visible change in their lives, I will not risk my people for a dying world,¡± he grumbles.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to rebuild Sanctum as a refuge for when the Earth dies?¡± Feren gasps.

    ¡°It¡¯s a start,¡± he nods.

    ¡°That only saves the magical community!¡± Feren argues.

    ¡°Your point being?¡± Y¨¤viersul? returns unmoved.

    ¡°What did they do to you?!¡± she returns, mortified.

    The Elf spins, his face that of controlled rage. ¡°When humanity spread like the disease they are, they didn¡¯t want co-existence, they wanted control. They wanted what we could provide, and were willing to remove anything that stood in their way to possess it. First we sank Atlantis, then they came after the Tir. Time and again we fought them off, only for them to keep coming at us in larger numbers! What they didn¡¯t assimilate, they destroyed. In the end they forced my people to flee, they killed my wife, my children, and all that I held dear. We now live in the realm of the afterlife where no mortal should reside. It¡¯s changed us, offering us immortality. No other Elf has perished since the exodus unless it was through injury. We have prospered where the Humans have stumbled along, destroying as much as they have built. These are my people,¡± he points back to where the Magi are working on the campus. ¡°I have no desire to save the lives of mundane filth who would rather see me dead than to help them!¡±

    ¡°Humans aren¡¯t the only creatures left on Earth, do you not see that the Fae need Gaia¡¯s Firstborn?¡± Feren pleads. ¡°We need your people to come Home, Arch Druid!¡±

    His expression changes at her plea and his face softens. ¡°Let me think on that,¡± he mumbles. He turns and Tundo guides him to the greenhouse.

    ¡°It¡¯s a start,¡± Amethyst places a comforting hand on Feren¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Is it enough?¡± the Fae whimpers.

    ¡°He still has a lot of pain to work through. Trust in the Fates to give the Arch Druid a reason to return to the Earth. It¡¯s just a matter of time now,¡± she stresses.

    ¡°What have you seen?¡± Feren tilts her head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, as the vision isn¡¯t quite clear, but Gaia will find a new Voice, that is all I know,¡± Amethyst replies. ¡°She will call Gaia¡¯s children home.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Feren whimpers. ¡°The Arch Druid said there were no Elves left on Earth.¡±

    ¡°None that we know of,¡± the Earthen Fae smirks.

    ¡°You are a puzzle,¡± Feren finally smiles. Amethyst giggles as they catch up to the others.

 Druid Matters

    They reach the Greenhouse. From the front, all appears to be fine. It¡¯s green, growing, and feels normal ¡ª or at least normal to Sanctum standards. The magical realm seems to infuse everything with Mana, leaving plants changed. The Arch Druid reaches the hallway to the second half. Immediately, he senses the difference. The very ground here feels wrong. He stands in front of the twisted door and reaches his hand out worriedly.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± he frowns. ¡°The very ground around me is saturated with dread and decay!¡±

    ¡°Adam said his people had removed much of the arcane residue in the hallway, but is that why this feels wrong and the ground is all dry?¡± Amethyst probes.

    ¡°Do you not feel it?¡± Y¨¤viersul? raises a brow.

    ¡°The ground feels wrong, but I do not have the connection to nature you do, Arch Druid,¡± she reminds him.

    ¡°Right,¡± he returns a grim smile. ¡°My friends, I need your help with this,¡± he turns to the two Fae fluttering behind him.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re friends now?¡± Tundo remarks and cringes when the Elf flashes him a glare. ¡°Sorry, shutting up now,¡± he peeps.

    ¡°What do you want us to do, Arch Druid?¡± Feren returns calmly.

    ¡°Before we approach what¡¯s behind the door, let us first cleanse the soil in the hallway,¡± the Elf offers. I¡¯ll need a fourth so that we can form a sort of oval. I¡¯d rather a circle, but this corridor is too narrow for that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll fetch my brother. Veld seemed preoccupied with the gardens when we left,¡± Feren bows and flutters off.

    ¡°Why do you need four of us?¡± Tundo queries.

    ¡°I want to perform a cleansing ritual. Sanctify the ground, purify it,¡± the Arch Druid replies. ¡°Arcanists have their gifts, but they can¡¯t affect nature the way we can.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve performed growing rituals, how does one sanctify the ground?¡± Tundo queries.

    ¡°Do you have no Druids left on Earth?¡± the Arch Druid blinks.

    Tundo shrugs. ¡°There are Shaman,¡± he replies thoughtfully. When the Europeans arrived on the western continent, they discovered a primitive-to-them Human population. The natives of the land surrounding the gate are highly spiritual. Much like a Bard, they perform dances, songs, and sing to the spirits. I¡¯ve seen them call upon those spirits for aid, but I¡¯ve not heard of any that are designed to Sanctify the ground.¡±

    ¡°Continue,¡± the Elf is now curious.

    ¡°A Shaman sees the world as a living being. Everything is connected, everything has a spirit, even the stone and the trees. When they hunt, they will offer a prayer to the Earth to thank it for its bounty. They use everything they can, and waste little. They call Fae messengers of the spirits and see us as a sort of holy creature,¡± Tundo explains.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet one of these Shaman you speak of. They sound like interesting people to talk to,¡± Y¨¤viersul? muses out loud.

    He turns as Feren returns with her sibling. ¡°The ritual removes the impurities and cleanses the soil. It will allow it to become green again,¡± the Arch Druid remarks.

    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± the new Fae queries, ready to launch right into it.

    ¡°I need you two to stand on each side, mid-way down the hall. Tundo, you can stand by the green side of the hall, and I¡¯ll stand by the ruined door,¡± the Elf motions and the Fae move into position.

    The Elf then reaches into his bag and pulls out four stones. They are warm to the touch, light and smooth. Each stone has a rune etched into it. He tosses them to the Fae and asks that they lay the stones at their feet. Once that is done, he closes his eyes for a moment, then looks up at the ceiling.

    ¡°We call upon our Mother Earth, Gaia. While we are far from the warmth of your embrace, we ask that you reach out to us, reach across the expanse and guide us in our time of need. We offer a plea to you, Mother, let these stones draw you to us in our time of need.¡±

    It takes a moment, and Feren gasps as the stones first start to hum, and then glow ever so slightly.

    His voice is almost a song as he prays in Elvish. ¡°Yes, Mother Earth, we feel your presence,¡± he smiles. ¡°The circle within these stones has fallen to corruption and become barren. We offer this prayer to you, Gaia, to cleanse the circle, cleanse the earth within, to allow nature to return. We ask that you lend us the gift of your bounty so that life can once again grow here. Mother, we ask that you bless this circle so that we can continue your work in making the world green.¡±

    The Arch Druid asks that they repeat the prayer. With each intonation of the prayer, the glow in the hall increases. Finally, they feel it. A warmth that was not previously present. There is a soft glow permeating the room. Everything finally feels right.

    ¡°Thank you, Gaia. Your children have not forgotten you,¡± Y¨¤viersul? smiles. ¡°Thank you for gifting us your boon, even when we are so far away from the warmth of your embrace.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ was¡­ amazing!¡± Tundo gasps. ¡°I felt a connection to nature I¡¯ve never experienced before!¡±

    ¡°I love seeing a Druid work their magic,¡± Amethyst smiles. She steps forward, hand outstretched, not quite touching the door. ¡°The room beyond still feels wrong,¡± she worries.

    ¡°The ritual only cleansed the hallway,¡± Y¨¤viersul? remarks. He draws from his pouch a handful of seeds. ¡°Let life flourish where there was once only decay,¡± he intones. A gentle breeze scatters the seeds in his hand. As they land, grass and flowers grow along the sides, leaving a stone path in the middle. ¡°There, better.¡± His expression changes, and he turns around. ¡°Now we deal with this,¡± he frowns as he stares at the twisted door.

    With some effort, they manage to open the doors again; the vines had warped them more when pulling them closed. As Amethyst works on repairing the twisted metal, the Arch Druid steps forward.

    ¡°Careful,¡± Tundo reaches out to him.

    ¡°Stay back, let me handle this,¡± the Elf motions. ¡°No one else enter this room, what is in here is in pain and you¡¯ll only add to the confusion.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Arch Druid,¡± Feren bows.

    He approaches the burnt out section of the vines, frowning. As he pushes the vines away to get a closer look, the vine first caresses him, backs away, then attacks. It wraps around his right arm pulling it away from him.

    ¡°Arch Druid!¡± Feren calls out.

    ¡°No! Stay back!¡± he commands.

    As he brings his other hand forward muttering a Control Plants spell, other vines wrap around that arm and pull it away.

    ¡°Pusta!¡± he commands the plants to stop in Elvish. The next pair of vines that were diving for him pause, as if hitting a barrier. ¡°Pedaslaimar,¡± he intones.

    ¡°Culaicacuruni?¡± the leaves rustle and whisper. ¡°Is that really you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Show yourselves!¡± the Arch Druid commands.

    The vines twist and turn, forming an almost humanoid form. ¡°My Arch Druid, it is you! How long has it been?¡±

    ¡°Too long, my friend. Is that you Ezel?¡± the Arch Druid muses. ¡°You were among those souls that never returned to Arvandor. What happened?¡±

    ¡°The Magi, they¡­ trapped us, no escape, nowhere to run! Hurt, pain, couldn¡¯t run, couldn¡¯t leave, stood ground, burning, pain, anger, pain, so much pain¡­¡± the vine figure moans and kneels to the ground. The entire greenhouse shutters and groans as the vines echo the words. They shift and shrink back, causing the Arch Druid to wince as they tighten their grip on his arms.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Ezel, my good friend, please release me,¡± Y¨¤viersul? grunts. He can feel the blood flow being restricted, his fingertips turning blue.

    ¡°Oh, Dear! Yes, forgive us!¡± the vines rustle and whisper. ¡°Laimaril, release him, he¡¯s a friend.¡±

    ¡°Yes, husband,¡± a higher-pitched rustling floats through the foliage.

    The Arch Druid nearly collapses as he¡¯s released. He flexes his fingers as the blood suddenly flows into his hands. ¡°Thank you, my old friend. There are two of you here?¡±

    ¡°I would not leave without my mate,¡± the deeper voice of Ezel replies. The leaves caress the burnt portion, ¡°I tried to protect Laimaril, couldn¡¯t save my love!¡± the plants lament and the room shudders again as the emotion ripples through the greenhouse.

    ¡°How can we hear them?¡± Amethyst¡¯s voice is a little over a whisper.

    ¡°The Arch Druid intoned a Speak with Plants spell over the room, otherwise all we¡¯d hear is creaks, rustling and wood rubbing against itself,¡± Feren mutters in awe.

    ¡°Can Laimaril speak?¡± Tundo ventures.

    The vines suddenly lance out at the Fae. ¡°Pusta!¡± the Arch Druid commands. The vines stop, then turn toward him. ¡°I know you have suffered much, my dear Laimaril, but we are not your enemy,¡± the Elf stresses. ¡°Here, let me show you.¡±

    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± the vines rustle in both voices.

    ¡°Trust in me, my old friends,¡± Y¨¤viersul? replies. The burnt vine shrinks back a little, revealing bones. ¡°You¡¯ve been dead for too long, I can¡¯t revive you, but a Reincarnation spell will restore you to a life that can live outside of the confines of the greenhouse. Let me first heal the wound.¡±

    While he can do nothing to heal a humanoid, he can still mend nature and fix plants. He mutters a healing song, and the burnt plants regrow and become green. There is a collective sigh rippling through the greenhouse. The vines clear away and leave a larger area in the centre, exposing the skeleton that they were protecting.

    ¡°There is only the one body?¡± the Arch Druid muses.

    ¡°There is nothing left of my corpse,¡± Ezel laments. ¡°It was shattered into millions of pieces. In my last attempt to preserve my life, I tried to turn myself into a tree, only to be bound by the vines. While I could seek vengeance on those that killed my beloved, we have been trapped here since,¡± the leaves moan and wail.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with Laimaril then,¡± the Elf returns.

    He begins the chant of rebirth. Druids don¡¯t raise the dead or resurrect the fallen like a priest, they reincarnate them into another life, another form. One that will suit nature¡¯s need and desires. He uses the bones as his focus. The vines wrap around the bones, making them stand, making them move. The vines soon form a more humanoid shape. To his surprise, they extend past, forming four feet rather than two. The Fae stare in marvel as they watch a Dryad form from the leaves and vines to finally stand in front of the Arch Druid. She¡¯s half a head shorter than he is. As wood becomes flesh, leaves become fur, she has a brown-spotted coat, black hooves, and her body turns more green above the shoulders. Like other Dryad, the deer¡¯s neck is replaced with a torso of an Elven-looking woman. Her eyes glow silver, the fur of her coat cover up to her chest, like she¡¯s wearing a tunic or corset. Her hair forms from fine leafy grass peppered with wild flowers.

    She closes her eyes and takes her first breath. ¡°Oh, to breathe air again!¡± she smiles at the Arch Druid and he doesn¡¯t hesitate to return her hug. ¡°Thank you, Sire, for returning me to a life outside of that¡­¡± she glances down at where her body was. ¡°This new form is¡­ suitable,¡± she steps back, examining her arms and back. ¡°I¡¯ve always been fond of Dryads.¡±

    ¡°You make a lovely doe, Laimaril,¡± Y¨¤viersul? smiles.

    ¡°What will become of my husband?¡± she worries, leaning into the Elf as she¡¯s not used to standing after all these years.

    The vines pull themselves back together to make a semi-realistic Elven form. ¡°Ezel may be the easier of the two of you. He¡¯s already a living plant. Let¡¯s lend him a form that can move, shall we?¡±

    The Dryad nods, though the confusion is clear on her face. Rather than a Reincarnation spell, as there are no bones or body to focus on, the Arch Druid uses his Control Plant spell to pull the vines closer together, to shape an even more humanoid form. The group watch in wonder as the Elf closes his eyes, focusing on what he wants to achieve. Vines snap from the ground to pull themselves into a solid trunk. The trunk then grows arms, a head, the thinner runners form something resembling hair. When Y¨¤viersul? opens his eyes, he¡¯s now looking at a tree taller than him. Its head grazing the top of the greenhouse is staring at him; the eye holes glow a florescent green. Before him is not an Elf, but a living tree. The Treant has absorbed all the vines and plants, leaving bare broken planters and scattered soil.

    The Treant takes a hesitant step forward, then another. ¡°I can walk!¡± Ezel¡¯s voice booms through the now empty greenhouse. ¡°Darling, I have a body again!¡±

    ¡°You make a wonderfully handsome tree, M¨¦lavenne,¡± she smiles. ¡°Tall, strong, and beautiful!¡± she beams. She slowly steps toward him, each movement stronger, more steady. She reaches out and caresses his trunk. ¡°Such lovely strong bark, never have I seen you so muscular, My Dear.¡±

    ¡°Of course it would take a Dryad to find a tree sexually appealing,¡± Tundo chides. They all look at him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he slinks back slightly at the Dryad¡¯s glare.

    ¡°Oh, if looks could kill!¡± Feren nudges him.

    ¡°Oh, to hold you in my arms again,¡± Ezel breathes, his voice still raspy. The leafy vines form hands so that he can hold her. He looks up from her loving smile. ¡°Thank you, my Arch Druid, for giving us something worth living again.¡± He glances at the vine-wrapped arm, and studies it for a moment. ¡°I still feel like the vines, but this body should allow me to move.¡± He looks down at his wife, ¡°We can finally leave the greenhouse!¡±

    ¡°You probably won¡¯t like what you¡¯ll find,¡± Feren returns sadly. ¡°There¡¯s not much left of Sanctum, maybe you should return to Earth?¡±

    ¡°Is there a place for creatures like us on Earth?¡± the Dryad turns to her.

    ¡°Not really¡­¡± Tundo muses. ¡°You¡¯d have to hide among the forests, and Earth is sort of low on magic in this age. It might prove difficult to hold your form ¡ª if I¡¯m understanding the spell that the Arch Druid used on Ezel.¡± He returns a worried look. ¡°You might end up falling apart and become merely a pile of vines again.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t lose my husband! Not now that I can finally hold him in my arms again!¡± the Dryad whimpers, shooting the Treant a worried look. She turns a pleading gaze to the Arch Druid. ¡°What can we do, where can we go?¡±

    ¡°I would suggest you leave the greenhouse, the Magi need it for growing food,¡± Amethyst offers.

    ¡°Why would I offer them anything? They are the ones that killed us!¡± the Dryad snaps angrily.

    ¡°The Magi that ended your life are long gone and dust as you were, my dear Laimaril. Do not punish those that are left. They too have lost their homes and their past,¡± Y¨¤viersul? remarks. ¡°Come, let me show you,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going through there,¡± the Treant motions to the door. ¡°Let me make us a way out.¡± Ezel turns to the wall, and effortlessly pulls the metal lattice apart, like opening a can.

    ¡°Mental note, don¡¯t piss off the tree, he¡¯s really strong,¡± Tundo chirps, causing some chuckles.

    ¡°We¡¯ll help the Magi make a door of this later,¡± Feren suggests as Amethyst studies the twisted opening. The Grotto Fae nods as she follows the tree out. ¡°Careful of your step!¡± Feren reaches out.

    The tree stops, leans forward, then lets out a squeak, like a whistle. ¡°There¡¯s no bottom to this?¡± he rumbles and the Fae shake their heads. ¡°Thank you for the ledge,¡± he croaks as he takes a sharp right and walks along the floating island. The ground ripples and one can see root like feelers reach out and release as he walks, like he¡¯s always lightly rooted to the ground in some form.

    Feren is thoughtful as they follow the Treant around the greenhouse. Unlike the Dryad¡¯s high-pitched voice that sounds like a birdsong, the Treant¡¯s voice is a creaky rumble, like wood rubbing against itself to generate a sound. It squeaks and groans, but is understandably a language. ¡°Will we still understand you when the Speak with Plants spell expires?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the more I use this voice, the better I can form words,¡± Ezel replies. The rumble¡¯s ¡®t¡¯ and ¡®d¡¯ hit hard like a snapping of wood while the ¡®s¡¯ is elongated, like a snake hiss. The Treant looks over the void and sighs, his whole body moving with the sound. ¡°So little of the Realm is left!¡± he groans.

    ¡°Will we help the ¡®Magi¡¯ rebuild, my beloved?¡± the Dryad spits out the word magi, but otherwise sounds concerned.

    ¡°Yes. Much work to do here. As the Realm¡¯s Grove Tender, I cannot leave Sanctum as it is,¡± he replies.

    ¡°What of the Earth?¡± Tundo speaks up.

    ¡°There is no going back to the Earth,¡± Ezel grumbles.

    The Fae look at each other, then back at him. ¡°That¡¯s what the Arch Druid said as well. Do you not miss your homeworld?¡± Feren returns worriedly.

    ¡°There is nothing left on Earth for our kind, what would we do there?¡± Ezel argues. He raises his arms. ¡°This realm needs rebuilding!¡±

    ¡°Earth is falling apart, we need nature¡¯s creatures now more than ever!¡± Feren pleads.

    ¡°Let Gaia worry about what happens with the Earth, it is no longer my concern,¡± the Treant grumbles. ¡°I have a purpose here.¡±

    Amethyst places a hand on Feren¡¯s arm, ¡°No use arguing with the tree, My Dear. Earth will find her champion.¡±

    ¡°Earth has not produced a strong enough Druid to rally the creatures of nature in two millennia,¡± the Spring Fae argues. ¡°They are nothing but florists, groundskeepers, and park wardens. Who will save our world when the Earth has so little time left?¡±

    ¡°The Fates won¡¯t let your world die, My Child. Trust in the cycle.¡± She glances at the Arch Druid, ¡°This won¡¯t be the last your see of Y¨¤viersul?. Fate has a surprise in store for him,¡± she smirks.

    ¡°That¡¯s the most you¡¯ll tell us?¡± Tundo frowns.

    ¡°For now,¡± Amethyst returns a sly smile. ¡°This is a good thing, patience, My Child,¡± she stresses.

    ¡°Are you coming with us?¡± the Dryad looks over her shoulder, tripping slightly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the Spring Fae answer together.

    ¡°You will tell us this grand secret you¡¯re keeping?¡± Tundo narrows his eyes at Amethyst.

    ¡°Yes, all in good time,¡± she returns.

    The Fae grumbles and then catches up to the others.

    ¡°Should we not tell them, Mother?¡± Ci?l chimes by her side.

    ¡°No, the vision isn¡¯t clear. I don¡¯t want to get their hopes up. There¡¯s still a chance the Voice won¡¯t be in this generation,¡± Amethyst shakes her head.

    ¡°Will the Earth have another generation if she doesn¡¯t?¡± Ci?l worries. ¡°The reports I¡¯ve read of global warming and environmental decay¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope there is still time to save the Earth. Otherwise my seed will never be born,¡± Amethyst frowns. ¡°Come, let¡¯s not dwell on uncertainty and join the others,¡± she smiles. The two Grotto Fae catch up with the group as the tree seems to be running a monologue of what he wants to do next.