《Arpeggio of the Dragons》


 Magic

    I yawned as I watched the green butterflies I conjured float through unseen air currents above me. Sunset, the tavern¡¯s resident Cockatrice, snapped at them playfully from where she was coiled around the rafters. I leaned back against the tavern bar, absently tracing my finger around the rim of my apple juice glass. Several hunters watched them, fascinated by my magic.


    Magic wasn¡¯t uncommon at all, but out here, on the edge of civilization, we didn¡¯t have much of a need for it beyond the occasional potion or relic. Some hunters used magic to trap certain beasts, but learning magic wasn¡¯t the easiest thing to do for most of us, unlike those who lived in the city where they had access to grand libraries and even an elite, albeit very small, school for magic. Generally, it was frowned upon out here, but I¡¯d been practicing for most of my life, so they hardly bothered me about it anymore.


    ¡°Hey, Riv.¡± Rinko, one of my best friends, said as she slid onto the stool next to mine, sharpening a knife blade.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, lazily reaching up to allow one of my butterflies to land on my finger. The shimmering ocean green and silver wings glinting in the afternoon sunlight.


    ¡°You feeling okay?¡± She asked, poking me in the forehead with the knife handle.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep the best again, but yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± I yawned again, feeling completely rundown. I took another sip of my apple juice and absentmindedly swirled the straw around the cup.


    ¡°Have you heard the news?¡± She asked, in a hushed voice.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I know you avoid politics, but you need to know this. Apparently, the Astral Order is getting their way.¡±


    I froze and lost all concentration, my blood running cold as my butterflies faded.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s bad, Riv.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not¡­ they¡¯re not really going to outlaw magic, are they?¡± I asked, suddenly getting dizzy. There¡¯d been talk throughout the capital for months now, but I really didn¡¯t think they would go through with it.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but Torgrud¡¯s worried. Lord Silvo has too much sway within the King¡¯s Council.¡± She said, nodding to her adoptive father, the Dwarven owner of the tavern.


    Sunset lashed her tail and snapped her beak in annoyance, so I remade one butterfly for her and she happily went back to snapping at it.


    I turned and rested my chin in my hand, elbow on the bar and finished my apple juice. Rinko was quiet, other than the snick of the blade on the whetstone.


    I felt sick to my stomach thinking about what the loss of magic would mean for most and my entire future I saw for myself as one of the few magic knights. I looked at the tome laying open in front of me that I had spent the last 12 years or so filling with spell diagrams, circles, and conjurations. Did that include magic artifacts? I thought of Lady Emilia, an old lady who lived alone and watched over the fae sanctuary in the Deepwood Forest. She had a hard time moving around and picking things up, but with a Bloodstone, Amethyst, and Tiger¡¯s Eye amulet infused with earth magic, she was able to get around easily without help. If they took those¡­ how many others would be left to suffer?


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe King Edvard would go for a plan like that.¡± I snapped my tome shut in frustration and twirled my straw around in the cup. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough we have a war going on at the southern border, now this?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Torgrud said gruffly, pouring more apple juice into my cup from a glass pitcher. He wiped the counter down, pulled his stool over and sat across from us, a pint of beer in his hand.


    ¡°Lord Silvo has more influence than you think.¡± Torgrud said, his bushy eyebrows scrunched together. ¡°Queen Elincia would never go for it, but word is, King Edvard hasn¡¯t been his usual self. What do you think of his recent behavior, Rivienne?¡±


    I thought back to the last time I was there a few weeks ago. ¡°When I was there last with Princess Igraine, she seemed to be really down and out, it¡¯s true King Edvard isn¡¯t himself. He¡¯s been¡­ distant. Even towards Igraine. There¡¯s a lot of tension between those three. Oh, and Silvo¡¯s son. He¡¯s not exactly the person I remember him being. He¡¯s been rather¡­ cold.¡±


    ¡°You mean worse than normal?¡± Rinko smirked. It was no secret that he and I couldn¡¯t stand each other, but this was a whole new level.


    ¡°He¡¯s always been mean, and sour since I knocked him flat on his ass during our duel a few months ago, but he won¡¯t even acknowledge me anymore, he¡¯s cold to everyone.¡±


    Torgrud chuckled and chugged some of his beer. ¡°It¡¯s probably all the pressure his father is putting on him, and you¡¯re all just angsty teenagers right now. He¡¯ll come back around to insulting you one day. All I can say is to be on your guard Rivienne, and I wouldn¡¯t practice your magic in public for a while. At least until they finalize a decision. Like you said, we already have a war going on that the king shows no interest in stopping, there''s no telling what he¡¯ll do next. When living in uncertain times, always be cautious.¡±


    I sighed, pulled my legs up on the stool to cross them under me and rested my head on my arm on the bar, twirling my straw around in my cup. I couldn¡¯t imagine a day without magic. Doing chores around the house without it? I¡¯d had to on a few occasions, when I¡¯d gotten in trouble, but I¡¯d always found a way to get around it, as soon as my sister turned her back and quit making sure I was doing what I was told. Mom never breathed down my neck, I never could quite understand why Elidyr insisted on doing that.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He said, tapping me on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t get caught up in the negative thoughts. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He knew me better than I knew myself sometimes. I had a bad habit of getting in my own head and thinking the worst of everything, creating problems that weren¡¯t really there. I sat up far enough to drink some of my juice, before I rested my head back in the crook of my arm, intending to close my eyes for a few minutes. I jumped and looked up at a commotion by the doors.


    Hunters by the door stood up and started cheering as an elf and a centaur came in, carrying a massive horn almost the size of the door between them.


    ¡°They killed it?!¡± I asked, sitting up, gaping at them in awe. I instantly regretted moving however, when the room started spinning again. Notably missing was their friend Inigo. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just outside still.¡± I thought to myself.


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Rinko said, pumping her arm in the air.


    For several years now, much of the forest was off-limits to anyone who wasn''t a hunter, due to a massive basilisk that had been terrorizing many. It was bad enough traveling anywhere with the bandits, direwolves, and other various beasts that we had to be on the lookout for, but this monstrosity had quickly become a nightmare worse than anything else.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Torgrud got down off his stool and went to the back, bringing back an assortment of barrels in preparation for the celebrating. Knowing the hunters, they would be drinking the rest of the afternoon and night away, and quite possibly even the rest of tomorrow. Rinko and I sidled closer, trying to hear the tale of how they managed to take it down.


    ¡°-and there it was! We thought it was asleep, but it¡¯s odd for it to be sleeping during the day, so we didn¡¯t take any chances. Turns out the thing was just so old, it wasn¡¯t moving as often.¡± Basiss, the centaur, was saying.


    ¡°It still managed to get Inigo though. Nasty, nasty fight.¡± Shalana said, her dark brown braids swinging as she shook her head. It was then that I noticed their wounds. Shalana had a nasty gash down the side of her face, continuing to her shoulder and across her torso. Basiss wasn¡¯t in much better shape, deep gashes down his flank, deep purple bruises on his abdomen.


    ¡°We can¡¯t thank you enough for taking that beast down.¡± Someone off to her left said, murmurs of agreement followed. We¡¯d lost many good hunters to the beast. All they¡¯d been able to do so far was destroy any eggs they found, doing their best to keep the population down. Even the dragons hadn¡¯t dared go near it, the basilisk was so ancient, they hadn¡¯t been able to kill it. There were tales of roosters killing a basilisk, but this one was immune somehow. The only thing Torgrud could think was that it was deaf, which wasn¡¯t an impossibility as old as it was.


    ¡°Oh, hey Riv. Mind helping us out?¡± Shalana said when she noticed me, motioning to her arm and Basiss.


    I shook my head, went back to the bar to grab my tome and sidled back through the crowd, holding my breath to smell as little of the sweaty hunters as I could. Bathing was never high on their list of priorities. I thanked one of the guys who pulled a chair up to them for me, and sat down, getting to work. We had potions, but they were rather expensive, besides, why use a potion when you had a healer right here? I hummed to myself, happy I could save them some gold.


    I didn¡¯t really need my tome for this, as I¡¯d cast the spell so often, but I was really tired and it made me feel better knowing it was next to me. I set it down on the table and held my left hand out, palm up, feeling for the mana in the air. I laid my right hand on the magic circle I¡¯d drawn in my tome, using it to help me stabilize any mana I could grab. It was hard to pick out from the emotions flooding the area, but I found a wisp of mana and pulled at it, drawing more to myself.


    It was a simple thing to convince the mana to do my bidding, but gathering up enough was a different story. It felt very thin, more than normal. I could feel Shalana¡¯s worried confusion, but I blocked it out, grasping at other wispy trails of mana, pulling more together.


    ¡°Riv-¡±


    ¡°Sh!¡± Shalana said, shushing Rinko.


    Suddenly there was a massive influx of mana added to what I had gathered and I was able to bend it towards both of them, healing their wounds in a matter of a couple of minutes.


    When I was done, I slumped in the chair, suddenly more tired than I¡¯d ever been before.


    ¡°Rivienne, what happened?¡± Shalana asked, leaning forward, placing her hand on my forehead.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± I said, shaking my head and immediately regretting that, as I¡¯d made myself dizzy again and was seeing spots. ¡°It¡¯s never been that difficult. Were you the one that added the mana to mine?¡±


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re running a fever.¡± She said, leaning back in her chair, inspecting her arm. There was a thin scar in the middle, where her skin had knitted itself back together, but it would fade in time. ¡°No, I felt it when it was added, but it¡¯s not a color I recognize.¡±


    I let out a short laugh. That would explain why I hadn¡¯t been feeling the best recently. ¡°Color?¡± I asked. Mana wasn¡¯t really something she talked to me about, just occasionally asked about my latest spells I¡¯d figured out and on occasion, if I could heal her various wounds she inevitably came back with after a long hunt.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± She nodded. ¡°Mana by itself is a light blue, from the mushrooms that purify it, but once it¡¯s manipulated by someone, it takes on the color of their soul. Yours is a lighter color than your hair, mine is orange, and the mana that was added to yours was a darker blue than pure mana. Here, try manipulating mine, see if you see any colors.¡± She said, as she gathered some in front of her.


    I closed my eyes so I could focus on it more and block out the sounds and emotions around me. When I pulled her mana to me, I felt it, rather than saw it. It felt warm, like the summer sun. Mine was always like a cool spring breeze and the mana that was added earlier felt like a cold water current in a lake. I pushed her mana around to see if I could see the color of her mana, but no such luck. I released it and slumped further down in my chair, feeling like I¡¯d been run over by a herd of centaur.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see any colors.¡± I said, shaking my head.


    ¡°How do you see mana, then?¡± She asked, genuinely curious. She watched as most of the hunters around us went back to their respective tables, no longer interested in our conversation.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s like¡­ more of a feeling, I guess? Yours feels like the summer sun.¡±


    ¡°Huh, interesting. You feel it rather than see it. It¡¯s not uncommon, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve met very many who can. That just goes to show how differently people view the world. Now that Basiss and I are healed up, we need to go collect our reward from the guild. You need to go to bed and stop staying up so late at night.¡± She said, standing and grabbing her broadsword from where she¡¯d leaned it against the table. ¡°Are your parents still in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they won¡¯t be home for at least another day or two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop by later and check on you, are you going to be here or in the tree?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be here.¡± Rinko said, coming back over to us. ¡°Her parents asked Torgrud to keep her here until they returned. Not that he¡¯s keen on letting her go anywhere like this.¡± She said, giving me a pointed look.


    ¡°Good.¡± Shalana said, shaking her head at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you planning on joining the King¡¯s Army in the spring?¡±


    I nodded, knowing what she was going to say next, but I beat her to it, holding up a finger for every point I made. ¡°I need to take better care of myself and I need to stop practicing magic so often. I also need to stop forgetting I have a spell still in use.¡± I added, mostly to myself. I turned around and waved my hand at the butterfly that was still floating around where Sunset was coiled around the rafters, napping.


    ¡°Rivienne.¡± Shalana said, exasperated, as she watched what I was doing. ¡°At the rate you¡¯re going, you¡¯re not going to last long in the army. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts.¡± She said, waving a hand at me. Basiss never once took his eyes off me. He¡¯s never really said much to me and it was rather unnerving sometimes, especially not knowing what he thought of me.


    ¡°Go sleep.¡± Shalana said as she and Basiss turned and left the tavern.


    Rinko and I went back to the bar, and sat back down in our seats. I pulled the bowl of stew closer to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said to Torgrud, who only nodded, his mouth full of stew.


    ¡°What kept you up last night?¡± Rinko asked, dipping bread into her bowl of stew.


    ¡°Bad dream.¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°It hit a little too close to home and then I stayed up too late designing a new sword.¡± I flipped my tome to the sword I¡¯d drawn last night, it was simple, but the design worked better for my style of fighting. With a slightly curved blade, it was more of a cutlass, but it was shorter, making it easier for me to move quickly with. Amazonite in the hilt for clarity and intuition that I was planning to infuse with wind magic to help me move even faster and think clearer.


    Torgrud turned the tome towards him so he could look at it. As a former blacksmith, he had a passion for weaponry still, but preferred his quiet life he¡¯d built for him and Rinko here. ¡°The design, in theory, should hold up to most weapons, but you won¡¯t be able to directly block an attack, otherwise it¡¯ll break right here.¡± He said, pointing to the narrower part of the blade by the hilt. ¡°If you continue to just let their weapons slide off your sword, you should be fine.¡±


    I flipped to where I kept my pencil and pull it out of the page where I¡¯d drawn one with some charcoal. I flipped back to the sword and widened it up some more, earning me the Torgrud nod of approval.


    After I finished my stew, I put my bowl in the sink and Torgrud shooed me away, telling me to go nap, so I did. Sunset slid down from the rafters and followed me upstairs to one of the rooms at the end of the hall next to Rinko¡¯s room. I slid into bed and Sunset coiled around me, instantly warming me up and I drifted off to sleep.

 Crows

    I woke up sometime in the night, sweating profusely and shivering uncontrollably. Sunset was nowhere to be found. I tried to get up but lost my balance and fell, so I laid in the floor where I¡¯d fallen and curled up, waiting for the room to stop spinning. A short while later, I vaguely heard the door open and shut, a hand on my forehead, and then someone picking me up. A comforting warmth washed over me and I went back to sleep, dreaming of the first time I¡¯d gone flying with the dragons, comfortable in the thought that it was Shalana who helped me.


    ~~~


    I groaned and rolled over, glaring at the window where a crow was squawking almost non-stop. I didn¡¯t necessarily hate birds, but gods, could they be so loud.


    ¡°Hey kid.¡±


    ¡°Hey Shalana.¡± I said, rolling onto my back and sitting up, turning to look at her.


    ¡°You feeling better?¡± She asked, not looking up from her book she was reading.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I said, stretching.


    ¡°Good.¡± She said, closing her book. ¡°You¡¯ve used too much of your mana lately on top of not sleeping enough to replenish it, that¡¯s why you were running a fever. I should¡¯ve noticed yesterday, before asking you to heal Basiss and I. I¡¯m sorry, kid.¡± She said, shaking her head.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve done it anyway.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You were both hurt from taking down the basilisk, it was the least I could do.¡±


    ¡°Still, if you¡¯d used too much more, you probably wouldn¡¯t have survived the spell. You¡¯re only 15, you¡¯ve got your whole life ahead of you. Don¡¯t be so quick to throw it away.¡± She said, standing up.


    ¡°16, but true. I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± I said, looking away. We both knew what I said was a load of crap, but it would have to suffice for now.


    ¡°Good, now come downstairs and eat breakfast. I¡¯ll go grab a change of clothes from your house for you after I eat, you¡¯re not going home until your family¡¯s back from the capital.¡± She said as she left the room, closing the door behind her, not leaving any room for arguments.


    I flopped back down onto my pillow and groaned. Was I really that low on mana? I hadn¡¯t really noticed a change. I didn¡¯t feel any different than I normally did.


    Mana had two parts, it was kind of like a magnet. A person had to have mana to be able to manipulate and move mana in the air to cast a spell. It was the same stuff whether it was in the air or our bodies, but like Shalana said yesterday, mana had a different fingerprint when it was manipulated by someone. Once used, mana had to be purified by glowing mushrooms found within the dark recesses of the Deepwood Forest in order to be used again. If it isn¡¯t purified, it could grow stagnant and then become a toxic mess of miasma.


    The crow squawked again, so I got up and opened the window, shooing it away. I froze, my eyes widening as I realized it was a crow from the Witch¡¯s Forest. I felt the blood drain from my face. ¡°Not again.¡± I whispered, thinking of the last time that I saw one. I had been down by the lake with Princess Igraine and her little brother just outside the city walls when one had shown up, and with it a man who had snatched the prince up and vanished. 8 years later and he still hadn¡¯t been found.


    I turned around and dashed away from the window, getting as far away from it as possible. I slid down the banister and landed with a soft thud at the bottom, and walked quickly to Torgrud.


    ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± He said, sliding a plate of bacon and eggs down the bar to me, before going to the back rooms behind the bar.


    ¡°There was a crow right outside my window.¡± I said, sliding onto a stool at the bar next to Shalana.


    ¡°What about a crow?¡± Shalana asked, before chugging the last of her orange juice.


    ¡°A Witch¡¯s crow, it had four red eyes.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it could be nothing. We are near the Witch¡¯s part of the forest, after all.¡± She said, waving a hand at me. She whistled low once, and a tall, slender man stood and came up to her.


    ¡°I assume you want me to go check it out?¡± He asked, laying a hand on his sheathed sword.


    ¡°Yep.¡± She turned towards him. ¡°Can¡¯t be too careful nowadays, now that the Basilisk is gone, I have a feeling some of our more sinister forces will be attempting to move back in.¡±


    He shook his head and looked at me. ¡°I was beginning to enjoy my breakfast, you know.¡± He smirked, ruffling my hair. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, and you,¡± He said, pointing at me. ¡°stay out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yessir.¡± I sloppily saluted, the ghost of a grin on my face. Keegan complained a lot about having to do any work, but we all knew he enjoyed it. He¡¯d preferred the company of beasts to humans for as long as I could remember.


    ¡°Eat your breakfast, I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± Shalana said, standing and leaving the tavern.


    ¡°There you are.¡± I looked up as Rinko was coming down the steps in a red dress with a black sweater over it and her usual black boots.


    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s a cute dress.¡± I said through a mouthful of eggs.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± She said, smiling brightly. ¡°The winter festival is tonight or did you forget already?¡± Rinko asked, sitting down next to me and swiped a piece of bacon off my plate.


    ¡°Apparently so.¡± I said, shaking my head. I wasn¡¯t much for partying anyway. Being the daughter of a noble, I¡¯d been invited to many parties over the years and did my best to avoid as many as I could. Usually with no luck.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re coming this year, right? Beth said she¡¯d be able to come. It¡¯d be nice to be able to see both of you at the same time.¡± She said, pointing at me with her bacon. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re leaving in what, three months?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go.¡± I rolled my eyes and snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can go anywhere else tonight. I dunno what I¡¯m gonna wear, but I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± I shrugged, fighting off a yawn to no avail.


    ¡°Yay! You always figure something out to wear, besides, Shalana¡¯s probably got you covered. Pretty sure I heard her say something about getting you a change of clothes for today.¡±


    I nodded, picking at my eggs on the plate. It was true that I wasn¡¯t here much during the year, I spent a lot of time in the capital helping mom and dad out when I could, or listening to Princess Igraine rant about her problems, helping her solve some of them, helping her escape from the palace, avoiding my older sister and younger brother on occasion, and wandering the city, learning what I could.


    ¡°Hey, spacey, you still here?¡± Rinko asked, poking me in the shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, yeah.¡± I looked up at her.


    ¡°Think you could help Torgrud and I out with the tavern today, so we can close up early and all go into town?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± I said, nodding. I finished my eggs even though I wasn¡¯t very hungry and got up, putting my plate in the sink. I grabbed the rag and soap and started scrubbing the dishes in the sink. I could use my magic to wash them all, but after Shalana¡¯s conversation with me this morning, I wasn¡¯t sure I needed to use magic today unless absolutely necessary, plus the monotony was rather relaxing, giving me some time to think.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the tavern was full of rowdy hunters, excited for the festival tonight. Shalana came in with two outfits for me, my usual short, soft, green dress, black pants and boots, and a silver dress that I assumed was for the festival. I went upstairs to change and Shalana followed me as she usually did sometimes.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this dress from?¡± I asked her, holding it up to look at it. It was really pretty with quarter sleeves, a square neckline, and tiny opals and emeralds in the belt.


    ¡°Cereus brought it to me, she said she outgrew it and thought it might fit you, thought you might like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you.¡± I said, making a mental note to thank Cereus for it later.


    ¡°I always forget how many fae you¡¯re friends with until they show up looking for you.¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°I tell you, that Rafflesia is something else.¡±


    I laughed, only guessing what she could¡¯ve done this time. ¡°She¡¯s a pixie, what do you expect?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Not for her to drop a bucket of water on me.¡± Shalana said, sitting on the chair by the window in the room I slept in last night.


    ¡°Oh no.¡± I said, covering my mouth and laughing silently. ¡°That was most definitely meant for me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± I snickered.


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about it. It could¡¯ve been worse.¡± She said, waving a hand at me, referring to any number of pranks pixies were known to dish out. She leaned towards the window, watching something intently.


    I changed shirts and then was swapping my pants when she sighed. I looked up at her to see if something was wrong.


    ¡°Listen, kid.¡± She leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. I know you probably get a lot of slack from your family over your decision, but I really don¡¯t think you should join the King¡¯s Army.¡± She said, her brown eyes flashing in the sunlight.


    I buttoned my pants and then sat on the edge of the bed to put my socks and boots on and was quiet for a bit, even after I¡¯d finished putting them on. I sighed and sneezed, and then lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. ¡°What makes you say that? If it¡¯s because I¡¯m not allowing my mana to replenish properly, I¡¯ll work on it. Unless, of course, they¡¯re really outlawing the use of magic, then I¡¯d have no choice but to let it replenish. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d have much of a choice either way.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Keegan, Basiss, and I are of the same opinion on this. The Basilisk didn¡¯t just appear here, as old as it was. It was brought here on purpose. What purpose, we don¡¯t know, but what we do know is that there are dark forces at play in the entirety of the Deepwood Forest. If the kingdom really does outlaw magic, that would give them the opening they need to rise up.¡±


    ¡°Rise up? Rise up against what exactly?¡± I asked, looking at her upside down.


    ¡°Humans.¡± She said, leaning forward, placing her forearms on her knees. ¡°Torgrud made me swear not to tell you, but Rivienne, I think you should know. You¡¯re probably already aware of a lot of the goings on, you may be young, but that doesn¡¯t make you oblivious. Well, for the most part.¡± I glared at her for the jab. ¡°Anyway, as you know, 72 years ago now, there was the mage war, the Astral and Umbral War.¡±


    ¡°The war the Astral Mages started and won and forced the Umbral mages to the underground city to live.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The witches are angry at the loss of their human counterparts and have been moving in the shadows, they¡¯ve been planning something. While yes, they have the pact with the faerie queen and the elves, but that isn¡¯t stopping them. I¡¯m not entirely sure the fae and elves wouldn¡¯t dissolve the pact so they all could join forces in battle.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that? The crow this morning?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that crow is just a drop in the bucket, and I believe the one from several years ago when the prince was taken is a part of all this as well. The trees themselves are growing restless, the treants haven¡¯t moved in hundreds of years, ever since the gods¡¯ exodus, but they¡¯re¡­ stirring.¡±


    ¡°Why would they take the prince? Wouldn¡¯t taking Princess Igraine make more sense? She¡¯s the Crown Princess afterall. Not that I wanted either of them to be taken.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know about this entire situation and it scares me Riv.¡±


    I rolled over and looked at her. Sure enough, her emotions were in turmoil. Thick, dark waves of fear, anxiety, and confusion roiled around her. I didn¡¯t need to see them to know that, but it was hard to believe that she of all beings would be so afraid.


    ¡°Whatever they¡¯re planning, we¡¯ve got to be ready to weather the storm.¡± She said, shaking her head and standing.


    ¡°All the more reason for me to join the Army, right? I would have more training, I¡¯d be able to help. Plus, we¡¯d have an inside informant.¡±


    ¡°But Riv, if the inhabitants of the forest rise up against the kingdom, we¡¯d be fighting you. Once you sign that contract to the crown, you can¡¯t get out of it, except in death, and even then they¡¯d probably still find some way to make you serve.¡± She laughed darkly, referring to some of the necromancers that had wormed their way into the Astral Order.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to work together here and in the kingdom to make sure these problems are resolved before any fighting broke out between any side.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t think you were this naive to think you stand a chance. You are one person with almost no political power, Riv. It doesn¡¯t work how you think it does. Sure, you¡¯re a daughter of Lord Nightingale, but your house doesn¡¯t hold much sway in the capital.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just do nothing, besides, I have plenty of contacts in the capital that I can speak with, not to mention being friends with Princess Igraine, she¡¯s always had a soft spot for the peoples of the forest.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough, but I see you have your heart set on it, so I won¡¯t try to stop you anymore. Just know that if we stand on opposite sides of a battlefield, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± She shook her head and walked to the door.


    ¡°I would hope you wouldn¡¯t hold back, but it won¡¯t come to that.¡± I said, sitting up. ¡°I¡¯ll move up in the army and do what I can to protect us all. High-ranking knights have the ear of the King¡¯s Generals, if I can make it up far enough, I can find a way to convince them.¡±


    Shalana said nothing more, and left, closing the door behind her. I wondered, not for the first time, if they were all right. Was me joining the army really a good idea? Was it the right path to bring my dream to reality? Was there really going to be a war between the forest and the kingdom? Tensions had always been high between both sides, but the fae queen, witch queen, elven king, and other leaders had formed a pact to prevent an outright war between them and the humans. After the Astral and Umbral War, a vast majority of each race was wiped off the map, the Deepwood Forest became the only safe haven for any non-humans. Humans had started the war amongst themselves, but much of the kingdom got caught in the crossfire.


    I listened for Shalana¡¯s boots on the steps and then got up, left the room and leaned on the balcony railing, watching as she spoke with Basiss and Keegan. Keegan looked up at me and waved, before they all three left the tavern.


    I stood there, watching hunters come and go, thinking, but not focusing on any particular topic. Rinko noticed me and threw a rag up at me to get my attention. I reached out and caught it before tossing it back. She motioned for me to join her, so I did, sliding down the banister railing and then ducked through the throngs of people standing between tables to get to the bar.


    ¡°Took you long enough.¡± Rinko smirked, flicking water at my head as I picked up dirty dishes off the bar and set them in the sink.


    I ducked, failing miserably at dodging the water droplets and shrugged, not really in the mood for conversation. I felt horrible about it, but talking was never my strong suit. She started humming a tune and I quietly sang along.


    Rinko spent most of the day filling orders and cleaning tables while I washed dishes and stirred the chicken soup, making more when the massive pot was getting low. It was a nice change of pace, being busy for once. I was starting to feel better since I didn¡¯t have free time to get pulled into my own head, but I wouldn¡¯t have minded a few minutes to think about what Shalana had said.


    Later that evening, Beth stopped by and she and I went and changed for the festival while Rinko and Torgrud finished closing up the tavern for the night.


    ¡°Okay, spill it. You¡¯re normally broody and quiet, but this is weird, even for you.¡± Beth said, while she brushed her long blonde hair out, sitting in front of the mirror table.


    ¡°Just something Shalana said earlier.¡± I said, shaking my head, as I buttoned the side of the silver dress up.


    ¡°You wanna talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m not entirely sure I have all the information, not sure how much of it I shouldn¡¯t know, plus, she might be right. Which means Elidyr is right, in a way.¡± I sighed, pulling the silver flats out of my tome that I¡¯d drawn during a lull in the tavern.


    ¡°Let me guess, it¡¯s about you joining the army?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Your sister isn¡¯t right. Elidyr is going to tell you what to do no matter what. You do what you want and stop listening to her so much. Seriously, Riv. I don¡¯t want you joining the King¡¯s Army either, simply because Rinko and I would get to see you even less than we already do, but I¡¯m not going around telling you not to join. You¡¯ve been talking about this for years now, plus, with Captain Teodoric¡¯s training, you¡¯re more than ready. Not to mention all your ideas you have for the future, you¡¯re not alone in that.¡±


    ¡°I guess so, but I can¡¯t help but wonder if I¡¯m really doing what needs to be done. If there¡¯s a better way to go about doing what I want to do.¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you this. What exactly is it you¡¯re wanting to accomplish?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, firstly, I¡¯d like a career of my own. Elidyr has the family business and Alisdair has his blacksmithing, I don¡¯t exactly have anything. I¡¯m not against becoming an apothecary like mom, but it¡¯s¡­ not for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not giving yourself enough credit.¡± She held her hands up in surrender after I squinted at her.


    ¡°Reilu Tuuli is known for being the City of Magic, but that¡¯s not true anymore. The school for magic can¡¯t really be called a school, the Astral Mages have so much control over magic already, it¡¯s suffocating. Magic used to flow freely, but now it¡¯s constricted, even more so if they do go along with outlawing it.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, so what are you planning on doing about it? Joining the Astral Order sounds like the ideal plan to me.¡± She asked.


    ¡°As if!¡± I scowled. ¡°Their views on magic are extremely narrow. ¡®Magic should only be used for daily activities.¡¯¡± I said, mocking my sister and Lord Silvo¡¯s son, Silvo II.


    ¡°Okay, so joining the army. What then?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I figured I would just ride it out and let the pieces fall where they¡¯re going to, I suppose.¡±


    She turned to face me, a fierce determination in her brown eyes. ¡°People respect the powerful, it¡¯s true no matter how you look at it. If you join the army, get high enough of a rank within the army, you¡¯ll have a following. Your ideals can, and will be shared by many. You¡¯re not the only one that relies on magic. The Astral Mages aren¡¯t looking out for the general population, the King could care less about what happens to us out here, the council won¡¯t agree to end the war they started, and the Umbral Mages deserve the chance to live in the sunlight again. Your resolve has to mirror that. If you have a plan that your heart is set on, as long as you don¡¯t lose sight of it, you can make it happen. It might take you years, decades, or you might never see the fruits of your labor in your lifetime, but you have to do something with the power you have. I have to do something, but with my family¡¯s farm taking up my time, it¡¯s not the easiest thing. Rinko has the tavern to look after, and like you said, your sister will be the next head of your house, your brother is a blacksmith, and a damn good one at that, I might add, while you are free to choose what you do. I, and I know Rinko will too, support you no matter what it is you decide to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought about it like that.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She said, turning back around to look in the mirror as she put her earrings in. ¡°You¡¯re a doer, not necessarily a thinker. You think as you go, but looking at the bigger picture isn¡¯t something you¡¯re good at, but that¡¯s fine. Rinko and I can. We share your ideals, you have the strength and resolve to follow your goals to the end, if you need a push, we¡¯ll be here doing what we do best. Now, if you¡¯re done moping, can you zip my dress?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I said, smiling softly for the first time in a bit. ¡°If you need a push, we¡¯ll be here doing what we do best.¡± If I needed a push, all I had to do was come find them. I felt better being reminded that I had a support system here. I stepped forward and zipped her blue dress for her before fixing the silver pins she¡¯d put in her hair, making sure they were straight.

 Dancing

    Rinko shoved the door open and it crashed into the wall, her arms full of our coats and scarves. It would be warm by the bonfire, but we had a ways to walk before we got to the town square.


    ¡°Okay! Who¡¯s ready for some fun tonight?!¡± Rinko asked, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Oh, and no, Riv, you¡¯re not allowed to sit by the food tables all night. You have to come and dance with us for the last dance, as is tradition.¡± She added, her smile twisting into a triumphant smirk when she saw my disappointed face. I wasn¡¯t much of a food eater normally, but when it came to party food? All bets were off.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Beth said, grabbing her coat from Rinko to put it on. ¡°We can be antisocial tomorrow, but tonight we gotta enjoy tonight to the fullest before we get too busy in the coming months.¡±


    I wanted to argue, that a party could be enjoyed without having to mingle with anyone, but I would suck it up for tonight. It was one night, after all. I could do that at least. I only nodded, taking my coat from Rinko and put it on.


    After we were all ready, we walked down the stairs, Rinko and Beth chatting animatedly while I listened. Torgrud waited at the bottom of the stairs for us, his hair and beard neatly combed.


    ¡°Torgrud!¡± Beth said, jumping down the last two steps to give him a hug. ¡°You look dashing in your blue suit!¡± She winked, causing him to blush.


    He waved her off and held his hand out, helping Rinko down the steps where she stopped and gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Thanks Dad.¡± She said as he beamed with pride.


    He held his hand out for me, and I accepted even though I really didn¡¯t need it, it was just a nice gesture and I appreciated it. ¡°Thank you, and Beth¡¯s right. The blue suits you.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Ah, geez.¡± He shook his head, still bright red in the face but smiling under his bushy beard. ¡°You girls look beautiful tonight. Go have fun.¡± He said, waving us off.


    We left the tavern and he lingered behind, locking the doors behind him. Rinko and Beth linked arms and Rinko held her arm out for mine, so I joined them, listening as they talked about who they were hoping would ask to dance with them first.


    ¡°I think Felix would be a good dance partner.¡± Rinko said, sighing.


    ¡°He¡¯s not still fawning over Eloise, is he?¡± I asked, hoping he¡¯d gotten over that one-sided crush. I didn¡¯t want to see him or Rinko be heartbroken because one girl was blind to Felix¡¯s good heart.


    ¡°Probably not.¡± Beth said, huffing. ¡°But! You could try asking him. You won¡¯t know til you ask, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, true. I won¡¯t get my hopes up too much though.¡± Rinko said. ¡°I just hope she doesn¡¯t break his heart too much.¡±


    ¡°No, but see, if she does break his heart, you just swoop in and sweep him off his feet, then he won¡¯t be brokenhearted for long! I don¡¯t see how anyone could, especially with this gem picking up their pieces.¡± Beth said, laughing.


    ¡°Gods you have a strange way of thinking.¡± Rinko laughed breathily.


    ¡°Emphasis on strange.¡± I laughed. ¡°But is she wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Rinko snorted.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not wrong!¡± Beth said, skipping ahead of us. ¡°I¡¯m hoping Roman will ask me.¡± She said, grinning at us as she walked backwards.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Rinko said, pumping her arm in the air. ¡°You do like him!¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± She snorted. ¡°Just look at him.¡± She grinned to herself.


    I had to admit, she did have very good taste. He wasn¡¯t the kindest guy our age, but he had a way of charming everyone around him with his hazel eyes and a smile that could light up an entire room.


    ¡°What about you, Riv? I know there¡¯s someone you¡¯re dying to dance with.¡± Rinko asked, nudging me with her elbow.


    ¡°Yeah, who?¡± Beth asking, coming to my left side to link arms with me.


    ¡°V- uh¡­¡± I panicked, forgetting his real name. ¡°James.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Rinko asked, tilting her head in confusion, a smirk beginning to grow on her face. I rolled my eyes at her, knowing full well she knew who I was talking about.


    ¡°The guy who sits with his nose in a book all the time? Sorry darling, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ask you. You might have to make the first move on that one.¡± Beth said, bumping shoulders with me.


    ¡°Yeah, probably so.¡± I said, shrugging. I smiled to myself, knowing she was probably right, but there was always hope. I smiled to myself, thinking about the last time I¡¯d spoken with him. He¡¯d come to get lunch at the tavern and read his book like he normally did, as he¡¯d done for as long as I¡¯d known him. We didn¡¯t really see each other as often as we used to growing up, when he and his brothers would come and play with my siblings and I every day, but we did what we could.


    We¡¯d grown apart over the years, after Elidyr had suddenly announced that she no longer wanted them to come see us. For months, I¡¯d tried to keep the friendship afloat, but it was a failed endeavor after the oldest of the four had all but told me to give up on it. My brother, Alisdair, had followed in Elidyr¡¯s footsteps as usual, so it was just me and James, or Violet as I liked to call him. We would meet in secret on occasion, just to go catch tadpoles and watch them grow before releasing them, or talk about new spells we¡¯d learned, or to spar with each other. The last time he¡¯d come to the tavern, he¡¯d left his bookmark in his rush and I had shoved it in my coat pocket so I would remember to give it back to him.


    ¡°Well, good luck to all of us!¡± Beth said as we were getting close to the town square. ¡°Remember, the last dance is ours!¡± She said, skipping off to where Roman was sitting.


    ¡°And there she goes.¡± Rinko said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Whatever happened to spending the night together?¡±


    ¡°Technically, we are.¡± I shrugged. ¡°We do our little meetups between dances to check in.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, sorta. Well, good luck with Violet.¡± Rinko said, winking at me and ran off before I could respond.


    I silently laughed to myself and looked around at the square that had been completely transformed into an outdoor dance hall with a massive bonfire in the center, a small band performing on a stage to the left, storefronts decorated with silver icicles and snowflakes for winter. I followed my nose as it led me to the banquet tables laden down with all sorts of food from all over. I ducked as a few pixies and sprites flew overhead, not watching where they were going. I waved to Shalana who was drinking with some of her elven friends already.


    ¡°Hey, Ribbit!¡± I whirled around as tiny voice sounded from right behind me.


    ¡°Oh, hey Rafflesia! Egen!¡± I smiled as my pixie and sprite friends came to light on my shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you came.¡± Raflessia said, drinking from a tiny cup.


    ¡°I told you she¡¯d be here. Cereus gave her a dress after all, if she hadn¡¯t come, Cereus wouldn¡¯t have ever let her hear the end of it.¡± Egen cackled.


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me.¡± I laughed, shaking my head at them. ¡°Speaking of, where is she?¡±


    ¡°The faeries haven¡¯t shown up yet, apparently the Queen¡¯s coming this year.¡± Raflessia shrugged.


    ¡°Really? I wonder why now all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°You have to wonder?¡± Raflessia asked, tossing her cup and it disappeared with a tiny poof. ¡°Probably to make a show of her power, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the basilisk.¡±


    ¡°Mm, yeah.¡± I nodded, reaching down to pick up a plate to fill it with an assortment of food.


    ¡°I wonder if the witches will come this year.¡± Egen sighed, draping herself across my shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re already here.¡± A bored voice sounded from just to my right, at the middle of the tables.


    ¡°Mira.¡± Egen growled.


    ¡°Peace.¡± Mira said, holding her hands up in defence.


    ¡°Who let you out of the Witch¡¯s Forest.¡± Egen sat up, glaring daggers at Mira.


    ¡°Hey now, Egen.¡± I said in warning. ¡°She has every right to be here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to forgive her for what she did?!¡±


    ¡°You started that fight in case you forgot.¡± Raflessia said.


    ¡°I did not!¡± Egen shrieked.


    ¡°Egen, you took her hat.¡± I sighed, shaking my head.


    ¡°She stepped on my flower!¡±


    ¡°I said I was sorry!¡± Mira said, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Egen, it¡¯s been three years.¡± I said, turning back to the table and grabbed a roll.


    ¡°That flower was the one you gave me!¡± Egen cried.


    ¡°I gave you another one, didn¡¯t I?¡± I asked, turning to my fiery friend.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She sniffed. ¡°But the first one was special.¡±


    ¡°Egen, I really am sorry.¡± Mira said, her blue hair hiding her face as she looked away.


    ¡°Egen, do you forgive her?¡± I asked, passing her a cookie.


    Egen was silent for a while as she nibbled on the cookie, so I went back to filling my plate.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± She mumbled, before flitting to Mira¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I will never understand sprites and their grudges.¡± Rafflesia said, as she flitted to the table and landed, walking around and inspecting the various platters.


    ¡°Me neither.¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you here, Mira.¡± I turned to the witch in question.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to come, but I thought about what you said a while back, about making the first move. I don¡¯t want to live in the Witch¡¯s Forest forever and having friends out here would help.¡± She said, shoving her hair behind her ear.


    ¡°Are any others coming tonight?¡± I asked, following her to a table a short ways away.


    ¡°Mmm, maybe.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I heard something about the Faerie Queen coming tonight, and if she shows up, I imagine the Witch Queen and maybe the Elf King might also make an appearance. They seem to be a package deal, after all.¡±


    I nodded, savoring some cheese. We sat in relative silence, watching as people danced, filled their plates, and chatted. I had no desire to go dance, so I just sat and took my time eating my snacks while I listened to the band perform. Rinko and Beth might be upset with me if they find out I didn¡¯t at least mingle with other people besides my friends, but I was comfortable right where I was.


    It wasn¡¯t long before horns started blowing and everyone stood, watching as, sure enough, the fae queen, witch queen, and elf king made a very long procession in to the festival. The crowd started cheering and waving to them. This was huge. I wasn¡¯t sure when the last time was that they had made an appearance.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    As the crowd grew and my plate got emptier, the less I wanted to be there.


    ¡°Well, I came, I saw, I¡¯m now leaving. I think I¡¯ll go explore other parts of the forest.¡± Mira said as she stood and left without another look back.


    Raflessia patted me on the cheek and then flew off, probably to go find Egen and plan some more pranks for the night. I was debating on what to do next when I looked up and made eye-contact with James. His purple eyes flashed as he nodded in my direction, so I stood, set my dirty plate on the pile of other dirty plates and made my way over to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad you came.¡± He said quietly when I got to the table he was sitting at with his three older brothers.


    ¡°Well, when you¡¯re not given much of a choice¡­¡± I laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Hey, Riv!¡± Sam, the third brother said.


    ¡°Hi Sam, how¡¯ve you been? I hadn¡¯t seen you in a while.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been really busy at the forge.¡± He shook his head, his blue eyes dancing in the firelight. ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about it. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been hanging around the tavern, so not very much for now.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Still planning on joining the army?¡± Rhett, the oldest of the four, asked.


    ¡°Of course she is.¡± Rory, the second brother said, tossing a cookie at me.


    I caught it and shrugged. ¡°What else do you expect?¡±


    ¡°Not much else.¡± Rory said, grinning at me.


    I scoffed and threw a roll at him, which he caught and bit into. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll be in the same squadron.¡± Rhett said, leaning back in his chair, his blond hair and green eyes reflecting the firelight, almost blindingly so.


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll let us be in the same squadron with us being from the same place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a veteran member, they split newbies into veteran squads, so it¡¯s not an impossibility.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it.¡± Rory said, shaking his head. ¡°You, joining the army.¡± He said, his red eyes reflecting the sadness in his voice. ¡°Feels like just the other day we were all sneaking through the forest together.¡±


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to reminisce, isn¡¯t there something you¡¯re forgetting, James?¡± Sam said, flicking their youngest brother in the head.


    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± James scowled, running his hand through his black hair, his purple eyes flashing in annoyance.


    ¡°Well, then ask her.¡± Rhett said, standing up. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Isla.¡±


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Rory said, as Rhett disappeared into the crowd. ¡°You¡¯re all he can talk about these days.¡± Rory said, winking at me.


    I blushed bright red, wondering why he would be talking about me of all people.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± James said, glaring daggers at Rory. He sighed and stood, grabbing my hand and pulled me away from the table.


    ¡°Hey, what¡­ what are you doing?¡± I tried pulling my hand away from him, but he held tighter, pulling me through the crowd. ¡°James!¡± I called, but he shook his head and kept pulling me with him. I debated on jerking my hand out of his grip, but part of me was really curious, so I followed, dodging people as my heart pounded in my chest. When we got to the edge of the square, where there were few people, he stopped and turned to me, still squeezing my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I scared you, I just¡­¡± He looked away, his purple eyes hidden by his longer black hair. He sighed, facing me head on. ¡°I didn¡¯t want an audience¡­ Will you dance with me?¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­¡± Completely taken by surprise I started laughing. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just surprised. I really didn¡¯t think anyone would want to dance with me tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± He said, sheepishly, running his hands through his hair again.


    ¡°Stop that, you¡¯re fine.¡± I reached up and straightened his hair, smiling as I did so. Some things would never change. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll dance with you.¡±


    Relieved, he visibly relaxed and released his grip on my hand, but still held on to it as thought I might disappear if he let go.


    From where we were standing, we could barely hear the music, but it was enough. It was a livelier tempo, but not so much that it was difficult to dance to. I drowned out the rest of the crowd and started to feel the music, swaying my hips and I held my other hand out for his and he followed my lead and we danced. Song after song went by, and we grew closer, blocking out everything around us. In that moment, it was just us. It felt natural. Not perfect, but it was close enough to not matter. After the third or fourth song, he started to smile more, his eyes never once leaving my face. It was then that I understood the term dancing the night away, I¡¯d never understood it before, but for whatever reason, I felt safe, happy, content, and other emotions I couldn¡¯t really put a name to right then, but I knew I never wanted it to end. I¡¯d always had a bit of a crush on him, but I knew it could never be. I liked his friendship too much to ruin that but now¡­ now I wasn¡¯t so worried about that. We were still awkward, but I could tell that we¡¯d grown up a lot.


    When we eventually broke away from all the dancing, we wandered into town, cooling off in the night air. Still holding hands, I leaned against him some, enjoying the quiet.


    ¡°Oh, you left your bookmark in the tavern.¡± I said, pulling it out of my pocket and passed it to him.


    ¡°Oh, I was wondering where that went. Thank you.¡± He said, looking at it. It was beautifully painted, the purple matching his eyes almost perfectly. I wasn¡¯t sure why I was so drawn to them, maybe because they were so different, like my hair. The fae and witches all had various hair and eye colors like they were plucked straight from a rainbow, but for a human, it was uncommon, but not overly so. The only thing anyone could figure out was there was a possibility the colors were somehow tied to magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, maybe we should head back, before they send out the search parties.¡± I laughed to myself, but not wanting to go back just yet.


    ¡°Before we do, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to show you.¡± He said, gently tugging me with him as he veered off to the left, down a back alley. I tried keeping up with where we were, but he took so many twists and turns, I couldn¡¯t tell which way was which anymore. He came to an abrupt halt, just outside of a small house tucked into a corner of a dead end, five different flowers painted on the door, one green, one red, one blue, and one purple in a circle with a white one in the center.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked, stepping forward and gently brushing my fingers across the purple flower.


    ¡°This is our secret meeting place.¡± He said, brushing past me to open the door. ¡°I wanted to invite you into it years ago, but we weren¡¯t sure where your loyalties lie.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, ducking in the door after him as he flicked on the lights inside.


    Inside was just a circular table covered with maps, books, and various weapons.


    ¡°Teodoric started all this.¡± James said, shutting the door behind me, referring to my former battle mentor. ¡°The resistance we¡¯ve been building in the shadows, it¡¯s still small, smaller than we¡¯d like, but with time, I think it¡¯ll grow.¡± He walked forward and shifted a few books to the side and rested his hand on the map on the table. ¡°We know the kingdom is suffering but the powers that be aren¡¯t doing anything to stop it. He¡­ that is, Teodoric, told me not to tell you about it, but Shalana said it was my decision. That if you betrayed us, I had to be the one to put an end to you.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Understanding more than I wanted to, a dagger of ice lodging itself in my heart. Even after all these years, they still didn¡¯t trust me. Though, I supposed it couldn¡¯t be helped... I was best friends with the princess after all. ¡°What exactly are you working on here?¡±


    He pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit, so I did. He didn¡¯t speak until after he¡¯d pulled a chair out for himself and sat down beside me. ¡°Right here¡¯s a map of the kingdom.¡± He said, pointing to the one in front of us. ¡°These marks are other towns that are far from sympathetic to the king¡¯s cause,¡± he said, pointing to each one, most of them other outlier towns. ¡°We¡¯ve rallied several members in each town under our banner, in the event that the king allows the Astral Order to ban magic to all but their own and force all non-humans into the forest. The war to the south is picking up again, meaning that they¡¯re going to start pulling people from their homes to fight. We¡¯re losing the war, yet they still won¡¯t end it.¡± He said, shaking his head.


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped my head to face him. ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re planning on forcing everyone into the forest?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. You live in the capital most of the year and you don¡¯t even know that much? What in the gods¡¯ names are you doing in the capital?¡± He looked at me in disbelief.


    I looked away, embarassed by my lack of attention I¡¯d been paying to, well, anything. I¡¯d known there was a possibilty of them outlawing magic, but I¡¯d tuned it out, too afraid to give in to the thoughts that usually followed thinking about something like that. I wasn¡¯t a good offensive fighter, not by a long shot. Magic was where my talents lay, I¡¯d been so focused on practicing magic to get a position in the King¡¯s Army as a Mage Knight, mostly because¡­. Well, I really liked their uniforms and I wasn¡¯t sure what else I wanted to do. I wasn¡¯t good at building things like my brother, and my older sister would be taking over the family business after our father stepped down. I had the power to choose what to do for the rest of my life, but I would¡¯ve preferred to be told what to do. To be given a purpose.


    My conversation with Shalana came flooding back to me. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were this naive.¡± she¡¯d said. Naive? Selfish? Caught up in trying to prove myself to my older sister? ¡°You¡¯ll never make anything yourself at this rate.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to drown out my sister¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Riv, are you okay?¡± James asked, his hand brushing gently across my shoulder, snapping me back to reality.


    ¡°So I assume¡­¡± I started, opening my eyes to look at the map before me and blew out a laugh. ¡°You want me to be a double agent?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s not¡­ exactly it, we just-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll join your cause. I have a plan, and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but I have to try.¡± I said, leaning forward, my mind made up. ¡°We¡¯ve got the resistance building out here, the entire forest itself might, no, will rise up to join you, I¡¯ll build some sort of following within the army, get a high enough ranking to stage a coup, get the king and his council to stop the war and to fix their checks and balances.¡±


    ¡°It sounds so simple when you put it like that.¡± He said, shaking his head.


    ¡°It does, but it isn¡¯t, you know that as well as I do. But.¡± I said, slapping the table, making him jump. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He nodded. ¡°As long as we keep our heads down. We just have to figure out how to get the Deepwood Council on our side.¡±


    ¡°I think they already are, they just haven¡¯t officially announced anything yet. But, it has to be political. They would never go for an all-out war, not after the last one. 70 some odd years later and they¡¯re still recovering from the massacres.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, it makes me wish I¡¯d asked you sooner.¡± He said with a laugh, leaning back in his chair.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been a good idea.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I was blind. Blinded to a lot and only in the last several days have I begun to realize just how corrupt our government is. I¡¯m not sure what I would have done, but it wouldn¡¯t have been to consider overthrowing it altogether.¡±


    ¡°What gave you that idea, then?¡±


    ¡°Talking to the dragons a few days ago, and then Shalana this morning, actually.¡± I shrugged, thinking back to the dragons¡¯ angry rant that turned into a long history lesson.


    ¡°You still meet with them?¡± He asked, gaping at me. ¡°I thought they¡¯d cut themselves off from the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°They have, sort of, but they haven¡¯t left. They still guard the forest like they always have.¡± I jumped as I heard the bell toll 1 in the morning. I hadn¡¯t realized it had gotten that late already.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± James asked, silently laughing at me.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. I¡¯m just not used to the bell being that loud.¡± I shrugged. ¡°We should probably get back. We¡¯ll have time later to talk more about all of¡­ this.¡± I said, waving my hand at the table in front of us. ¡°They¡¯re probably wondering where we disappeared to.¡±


    He sighed and nodded as he stood up. ¡°Hopefully they don¡¯t ask too many questions.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not, but they¡¯re all way too nosy to mind their own business.¡± I snorted, standing.


    He nodded in agreement, opening the door for me. I walked into the cool night air and shivered involuntarily.


    ¡°I¡¯d offer you a coat, but I don¡¯t have one with me either.¡± He said, gently taking my hand in his again as we made our way back to the town square.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± I shrugged, leaning into his shoulder a little more. I smiled to myself, content to be near him again. It hurt to lose a friend like I did, but knowing we were still friends, even after all these years of having to stay away, I knew it was a genuine friendship. Maybe we could become more than just friends, but right now, I was happy just as we were. If only Elidyr could see me now, being near a guy like I was. I smirked to myself, imagining her face contorting in anger because I was with a guy. ¡°Must you be so boy crazy?¡± she¡¯d glared at me before running to our parents about it, worried I was going to become pregnant or something. Mom hadn¡¯t said much, other than to tell me to be careful and not add to the population or take away from it, which I wasn¡¯t planning on doing anyway. Besides, we were just friends who would run off and catch lightning bugs and tadpoles. There was never any talk of anything, we shared an occasional hug, but that was really only when one of us was upset about something, or to say goodbye. I shook my head, shaking her voice out of it. I wasn¡¯t going to let her continue to control what I did. Talking to James about our plans for the future really helped steel my resolve. From now on, I would be my own person, making my own decisions. I wasn¡¯t going to be a child forever, I had to learn to grow up, with or without my sister¡¯s help. Preferably without.


    We were silent the whole way back to the square, minus my occasional humming, which he was used to. The band was announcing the last two songs of the night before the fireworks show when we got back. James went and got us some hot cider while I grabbed our coats. It was very warm by the bonfire, but being a water mage, fire and I never got along very well, so I moved away from it quickly before I started to burn too much more.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Beth said, running up to me breathlessly, Rinko shortly behind her. ¡°Where were you?¡±


    ¡°James and I went for a walk.¡± I smiled, humming one of my favorite songs as I set our coats down on a chair nearby as they shared a knowing look.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to tell us all about it, but first!¡± Beth said, dramatically holding up her finger. ¡°We must dance.¡±


    ¡°My lady.¡± Rinko grinned, bowing low and dramatically holding her hand out to Beth.


    ¡°My lady.¡± Beth repeated, doing the same to me.


    I giggled, unable to keep it together, as I bowed to Rinko, our hands now forming a circle with each other.


    ¡°Oh come on, you didn¡¯t say it.¡± Rinko huffed, laughing.


    I cleared my throat, trying to stop the laughter that was threatening to bubble over. ¡°My lady.¡± I managed to say, just as the band started up with the next to last song. It was a very old, but lively song, one that had been performed last at every festival for hundreds of years. Composed by a brownie, an imp, a giant, and a faerie in celebration of the peace that was built between the non-human races. Nonplussed, the three of us looked at each other, wondering why they weren¡¯t performing this one last like they always had.


    When people started bumping into us, we started dancing together in a circle, pausing to clap once on occasion, before twirling around each other.


    The last song of the night was a lullaby that had been passed down through many families. There wasn¡¯t a soul in the Deepwood Forest who didn¡¯t know it. It was as much a part of us as the very air we breathed. A lullaby written by the gods themselves, long before they abandoned the world for their silver and gold palaces.


    I missed a step when I made eye contact with James, my face lighting up in pure joy. It felt good¡­ no, amazing to feel like this, like everything would be okay. It would be okay. We would be okay.

 Conviction

    When we finally forced ourselves to get out of bed the next afternoon after crashing in Rinko¡¯s room sometime in the early, early morning, Torgrud made us breakfast. I was just sitting down at the bar to eat, when the doors burst open behind us.


    ¡°There you are.¡± An angry voice sounded from behind us.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back Elidyr.¡± I said, turning to face my older sister.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your tome?¡± She asked, marching towards us, her riding boots thudding on the wood floor.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, my heart racing, as I turned my body fully to face her, hiding it behind me.


    ¡°Give it here. I know you have it.¡± She commanded, holding her hand out for it.


    ¡°But-¡± I yelped as she snatched it off the counter from behind me, clipping me in the head with the metal corner of the book.


    ¡°Magic¡¯s been banned. All tomes and artifacts are to be turned in to the Astral Order of Mages immediately. Cough up anything else you¡¯ve got.¡± She said, holding her hand out to me, her dark blue eyes colder than I¡¯d ever seen them before.


    ¡°Since when has it been banned?¡± I said, standing up, angry that she would take it from me like that.


    ¡°Since this morning. If I find out that you have anything else, you¡¯ll be turned in to the Order yourself for hiding anything. That goes for all of you as well.¡± She said, turning her attention to Torgrud, Rinko, and Beth before she abruptly turned on her heel and left before I had a chance to say a word. All I could do was gape at her. She¡¯d always been insufferably bossy, but this¡­ this was a whole new level, even for her.


    I snatched a piece of bacon off my plate and ran after her, barefoot and shivering in the cold winter air as I still had my dress on from last night. None of us had bothered to change out of anything. ¡°Elidyr!¡± I called out.


    ¡°What.¡± She snapped, stopping a short ways ahead of me, looking back.


    I caught up to her and she took a step back. ¡°Why?¡± I asked, looking up at her as she turned towards me.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have handed it over to them yourself.¡±


    ¡°You never even gave me a chance!¡±


    ¡°Oh right, like that makes a difference. You would have run off to hide it, instead of turning it in.¡± She said, waving my tome in the air.


    ¡°Of course I would! I¡¯ve spent the last 12 working on filling it with spells and I¡¯ll be damned if I turn it in without a second thought. You still could have at least given me a chance to turn it in myself. Instead, you barge in and snatch it from me. I¡¯m not a child anymore!¡± I growled.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like one right now. Go back into the tavern with your little friends and-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I said, standing up straight and squaring my shoulders. ¡°Give it back. It¡¯s not yours to hand over.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡± She said simply, turning away, heading back to the mechanical carriage a short ways from us. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m doing you a favor. Lord Silvo knows you have this, you¡¯d be one of the first to be arrested. The last thing this family needs is a criminal.¡± She called as she climbed into the carriage and shut the door.


    Shaking with anger and despair, the last spell I cast was a blood magic spell, sealing my tome so it could never be opened by anyone but me. She was always right, but that didn¡¯t mean they would be getting what they wanted. If I couldn¡¯t have access to my spells, neither would they. I could have just used a spell to take my tome back, but then what? Live as a fugitive for the rest of my life? No thank you.


    I stood there in the cold winter air, watching as my sister¡¯s carriage took her back to the capital, barely registering Rinko and Beth coming to stand on either side of me. It was then that something inside of me broke. At the time, I hadn¡¯t a clue what. But from then on, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak cordially with my older sibling and I threw myself utterly into my sword practice, vowing that I would dismantle the Astral Order brick by brick if that was what it took to bring magic back.


    The next several months flew by, riots frequently breaking out as the Astral Order arrested any who refused to give up magic artifacts if they couldn¡¯t be convinced to join the order. The home I lived in with my parents had been raided on numerous occasions, trying to catch me hiding any magical items from them. I avoided going to the cave that I practiced in, hoping that my pixie, sprite, and fae friends were able to keep it hidden for me. It was a veritable goldmine of tomes, weapons, and artifacts in there, if they found it¡­ I couldn¡¯t think about that.


    The only time I drew a rapier and dagger was when they started forcing any non-humans further into the forest, putting up a veil to keep them locked away from the rest of the world. They could take magic from us, but they couldn¡¯t take us from each other. We protected our own. I hadn¡¯t wanted to hurt anyone, but when it became kill or be killed, Shalana and I had drawn our weapons and taken down as many as we could to protect those that couldn¡¯t protect themselves.


    Spring was starting to creep into the corners of the world when they finally left us alone, putting the veil up just before the village, locking us away from the rest of the world. No one seemed to mind at all, even though it made getting certain supplies more difficult, but we managed. The hunters and merchants started working more closely together to make sure the village could self-sustain.


    During one such meeting between the two groups, Shalana and I were sitting at the bar, me with my apple juice and her with her beer, listening to them discuss what else they were missing.


    ¡°Still set on joining the King¡¯s Army next week?¡± Shalana asked, taking a sip of her pint.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± I said, gripping my cup angrily. I had to be careful, of course, the Astral Order and the King¡¯s Army were two separate entities, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t still be arrested for the times I raised a weapon against the kingdom¡¯s mages. My unusual green hair didn¡¯t help matters any at all, making me stand out like a sore thumb, but I had to do something.


    ¡°Good.¡± She said, passing her pint to Torgrud so he could refill it.


    ¡°Good?¡± I said, surprised she was on board now.


    ¡°Watching you fight, fight for us, made me realize you might actually have what it takes. It¡¯ll be tough, but you go and get your power and strength to make a change.¡± She said, her brown eyes glinting angrily in the light. ¡°We¡¯ll rally behind you, whatever standard you bear. I know I speak for myself and a vast majority of this forest. You proved yourself that day to us all. Don¡¯t do anything brash, don¡¯t forget us, and don¡¯t lose sight of your goal. If a coup is what it takes to regain our freedom, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°I only hope I have what it takes to do what needs to be done.¡± I said, chugging the last of my apple juice.


    ¡°Keep your head down, follow orders, stay alive, and do what you can. You¡¯ll get there.¡± She said, her eyes flashing as a sinister smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. ¡°We¡¯ll continue what we¡¯re doing out here, biding our time, building our strength, and waiting. Now, you should probably make an appearance at home, test the waters or so to speak.¡±


    I nodded. It was true, I hadn¡¯t been home to see my parents since the day Elidyr took my tome. I hadn¡¯t said much, but I hadn¡¯t needed to. The sadness etched into the lines on my mom¡¯s face, the dark scowl, Alisdair, my younger brother had, and the deep shadows under my dad¡¯s eyes were enough to say everything. Elidyr had come in about the time I¡¯d gone to give my parents a hug, a smug smile on her face as she proudly proclaimed what she had done and berated me some more. She was 18 so she had every right to do what she did, my parents had shared a look and I¡¯d gone straight to my room, too angry and hurt to stomach eating dinner. All I could do was bury my face into my pillow and weep, not just for the loss of the last 12 years of my life¡¯s work, but for the loss of magic as a whole. I¡¯d felt it in the mana. It was angry, cold, and wouldn¡¯t allow itself to be manipulated any longer. The longer it went unused, the more wild, untamed, and stagnant it became. Miasma was thicker than ever in certain parts of the forest, making large swaths of it unlivable.


    After dinner, Elidyr had come into my room and sat on the end of my bed. I refused to acknowledge her presence, I didn¡¯t even care if she called me a brat for throwing a temper tantrum over the loss of my tome. I was empty and had no room left for her in my heart right now.


    ¡°You know I had to do it.¡± Was all she¡¯d said. Maybe so, but that didn¡¯t excuse what she¡¯d done. What she¡¯d helped become reality. Reilu Tuuli had once been known as the City of Magic. Now? I hated to see what it looked like, but I imagined it was a reflection of what I felt. A hollowed out husk. ¡°You would be rotting in a prison cell right now if I hadn¡¯t.¡±


    She¡¯d laid a hand on my shoulder and I smacked it away sitting up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± I¡¯d all but snarled at her. Angrier than I¡¯d ever been before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Was all she¡¯d said, backing out of my room.


    Maybe I would be rotting in a cell right about now, but only if they¡¯d found my tome. It was true that it had just been sitting out in the open on the bar, but if they were confiscating tomes, the Order wouldn¡¯t have come straight for me. They would have started in the capital and worked their way outward, making this town one of the last places to check. She was either sent by someone, or came straight to me herself, knowing I had it. I wasn¡¯t sure I could or would ever forgive her. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Believe me, dear sister, the feeling is mutual.


    I¡¯d gotten up and jumped out of my window, landing on one of the tree branches below my window, climbing down the the tree as quickly as I could, before sprinting to the dragons that roosted above the cave I had claimed as my own.


    I¡¯d heard their mournful song before I saw them, it was full of heartbreak and loss. As ancient as they were, they remembered the Astral and Umbral War, and even hundreds of years before that, when the gods had retreated to their abode, leaving the demons and sages to rule in their stead which eventually led to the Astral and Umbral War. A repetition of history.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go see them, even though I knew they needed me as much as I needed them in that moment. All I could do was sit under the tree and curl up, my silent sobs wracking my body, as the magic of their song worked its way through me.


    The sun had set hours ago and the night chill had set in, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move. I was really cold, but it didn¡¯t bother me near as much as the events of the last few hours. Eventually, I had fallen asleep, only waking when the sun was coming up through the trees. Raflessia, Egen, and Cereus had found me at some point in the night and were sitting in silence near me. I sat up, and silently, Cereus had shifted closer to me and wrapped me in a tight embrace. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face into her shoulder, unable to cry anymore.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be okay.¡± I whispered, my voice hoarse from crying too much. She¡¯d only nodded, her powder blue faerie wings fluttering in the breeze. Raflessia sniffed hard from where she was sitting on a mushroom cap, holding Egen¡¯s hand. I held my hand out for them, and they both fluttered to my shoulders, hugging my neck.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The dragons¡¯ mournful lament continued as I made my way back home, Cereus had assured me that she would go to them, but she wasn¡¯t sure they would be happy to see a human, even if that human was me of all people. So I¡¯d gone home, walking with a tiny bit more pep in my step after singing with Raflessia and Egen for a bit, trying to will away the negative thoughts and emotions. I¡¯d gone to the cave and sealed it up with blood magic, layering an illusion over top of the seal before leaving the deep part of the forest for the last time in a long time.


    When I got home, I went to the dining room, where my parents were sitting around the table eating lunch. I still wasn¡¯t hungry, so I sat at the end of the table, on Mom¡¯s right, in my usual spot, listening as they talked about the goings-on in the capital.


    ¡°Some of the merchants have left the country altogether, with many more packing up to leave soon.¡± Dad said, shuffling papers around on the table, his sandwich lay forgotten on his plate.


    ¡°Unsurprising.¡± Mom said, before taking a bite of her sandwich.


    ¡°It¡¯s not looking good.¡± He said, shaking his head, as he picked up his sandwich and then set it back down, pulling another paper out of the stack, reading something on it.


    ¡°Hey kid.¡± Mom said, bumping me with her elbow.


    ¡°Hey Mom.¡± I smiled halfheartedly.


    Dad sighed heavily, picked up his sandwich and finally took a bite, shoving the papers away with his elbow.


    ¡°Are you sure you have to join the army?¡± Mom asked.


    I snatched a chip off her plate and ate it. ¡°Yeah. I do. Becoming a merchant sounds like a failing business right now, being a mage is out of the question, and there really isn¡¯t anything else I want to do. Becoming a knight is one of the most steady jobs currently.¡±


    ¡°If you joined the Astral Order, you could become a mage.¡± Dad said, looking at me over the top of his sandwich.


    ¡°After what they¡¯ve done? I-¡±


    ¡°Ribbit, we know. We know more than we¡¯d like to.¡± Mom sighed. ¡°We¡¯re just not sure joining the army is going to get you to where you want to be.¡±


    ¡°Not that we¡¯re entirely sure where you want to be. Maybe that¡¯s our fault as parents for not keeping up with you more, but we just want to be sure you¡¯re happy and aren¡¯t just jumping into something blindly.¡±


    ¡°Originally, I wanted to become a magic knight, but that plan¡¯s gone to shit.¡± I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest, ignoring Mom¡¯s disapproving look for my language. ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to become a member of the royal guard.¡±


    ¡°You do realize how long it takes to become one, right?¡± Mom asked, before finishing the last bite of her sandwich.


    ¡°Yes, but I have to try. Captain Teodoric thought I might have a chance at making it far enough to become one.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to join the king¡¯s army to make it anywhere. You could become an apprentice apothecary and work in the palace, or somewhere else.¡± Mom said, leaning back in her chair.


    ¡°I could, but I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not Elidyr. I¡¯m not good at staying calm, or being patient, or dealing with people in that kind of setting, I¡¯m not¡­¡± I trailed off. I¡¯m not good at anything other than magic. I thought to myself. ¡°You¡¯ll never amount to much at this rate.¡± Elidyr¡¯s voice came flooding back.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, you got your impatience from me, but Riv, you¡¯re not giving yourself enough credit.¡± Mom said, dad sat silently, lost in thought if I had to guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m joining the army.¡± I said with finality, standing up from my chair. ¡°I¡¯ve got some things I need to take care of before I leave.¡± I leaned forward, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, kiddo.¡± Mom said, hugging me back and kissing me on my cheek.


    I left my dad to his thoughts and problems and headed up to my room, shutting the door behind me. While mom was a very talented court apothecary even with as headstrong and impatient as she was, it wasn¡¯t what I wanted to do.


    The tree we lived in creaked as it shifted. As if reading my mind, some roots shifted, bringing my suitcase and various weapons I had laying around the room to me, dropping them at my feet. I looked curiously at a book that was half buried under one of my dresses I¡¯d left in the floor.


    I reached down and picked it up, gaping in surprise at a tome I thought I¡¯d lost years ago. I¡¯d gotten mad at it and hurled it across the room after several spells I was trying to make failed in succession. Once I¡¯d finally calmed down enough to think clearly, I¡¯d gone in search of it and couldn¡¯t find it, even after moving all my furniture around.


    ¡°You had it this whole time?¡± I asked, looking at the walls around me. No response. I shook my head and opened it up, thumbing through the pages, cringing at my handwriting and drawings I¡¯d made as a kid. I stopped when I got to some of the pages Elidyr had filled out, back when we enjoyed magic together.


    ¡°How to catch your sisters pants on fire (without using a dragon)¡±


    (and her nose)


    #1 take one cup of burnt cricket legs and put in a bag.


    #2 take slime fudge patties (snail scented) and place in bag (5 cups)


    #3 take Elkwood droppings (3 teaspoons) and place in bag


    #4 slip in sisters pocket¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ SMELLY!!!!!


    All I could do was laugh at it and the little doodles she¡¯d put all over the page. I didn¡¯t remember her doing this one, but I was probably too busy practicing magic with James.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d be able to do with this tome, but I set it beside my suitcase anyway.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I sat and opened the suitcase, picking through the clothes that I¡¯d already packed months ago for when I left, making sure they still suited my current tastes. As if they¡¯d changed at all, I mean, there was only one or two color choices I could pick from that didn¡¯t clash with my hair. The tunic I¡¯d be wearing once I officially joined the knights was red and I¡¯d been debating on just dying my hair black. I¡¯d grown attached to my natural green color, but I¡¯d be less of a target if I dyed it.


    I picked up a rapier and a dagger and shoved them into the suitcase before resting my hand on a bow that my brother had made me when he first became the blacksmith¡¯s apprentice. I¡¯d always wanted to use it, but my aim was horrendous. He¡¯d spent days on end trying to help me aim better, but I just never could get the hang of it.


    Suddenly struck by a thought, I picked up my dagger and started notching runes into the smooth metal of the bow, wondering if I could fix my terrible aim. I hadn¡¯t been working with simple runes much, since magic circles were made up of different types of runes put together, almost like writing a detailed sentence about what you wanted the outcome to be. Runes by themselves were seen as being too archaic, but for what I wanted them to do, I figured it would be fine. I notched runes for stability, power, precision, good luck, and I giggled to myself as I put one on it for multiplying. Hoping it would do what I intended it to do.


    Once I was finished, I slung my bow over my shoulder and climbed out of my window onto the branch and climbed up the outside of the tree house, up to a high branch I could sit on. I grabbed my bow and pulled the string back, channeling magic into it, the gears clicking. My bow hummed with an almost terrifying amount of power as the runes glowed, magic circles appearing before me with many magic arrows in the center of each one.


    My eyes wide in shock, I held onto the string as I slowly let it go slack, watching as the magic circles disappeared. It looked like it would do way too much.


    I looked around for a target and saw one of my target dummies still standing a short distance away. I snorted to myself, wondering how I missed one when I was hiding them in my cave. I focused on it and dug around for some mana to create wind magic to pull the dummy into the air and rested it on an air current, holding it in place.


    I sat for a few moments, wondering if it was a good idea, but I really wanted to know what my bow was capable of now, almost wishing my brother was home so I could show him.


    I pulled the bow back again and waited for the circles to appear and realized they weren¡¯t going to stop. I slowly let the bow string relax and laughed silently to myself. If I ever got the chance to use it, I¡¯d have to be extremely careful. I quickly pulled the bow string back and released it, still managing to send a large number of arrows flying to the dummy. I watched as some shifted to dodge tree branches to reach the dummy, all of them hitting their mark with an explosive force. I scurried down the tree branches as fast as I could to go inspect the damage and clean up the splintered mess.


    When I got to the site, not so much as a splinter remained of it. I held my bow out in front of me, impressed and a little afraid of my own creation. I slung it back over my shoulder and ran back to the house, climbing back up the outside to my room. I was going to leave it out to show it to my brother when he got home later, but I quickly thought better of it. He¡¯d spent a very long time making this bow and I¡¯d gone and ruined the beautifully smooth metal with my carvings.


    I sighed and shrugged, looking around for a place to hide it. Now that it had runes carved into it, it was a magic item and I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it. I crawled under my bed and put it under the floorboard that popped up when I tapped it. If another mage were to try getting it open, the tree would just move the contents further into the wood. The tree wouldn¡¯t respond to anyone other than one of us Nightingales, and only if the tree approved of their actions. That is, unless someone were to find the soul of the tree, then all bets were off.


    We Nightingales, consisting of me, my parents, older sister, and younger brother, were the only humans living in this part of the ancient forest. The massive tree we lived in was a gift to Mom¡¯s grandparents after single-handedly protecting a vast majority of the forest from the devastation the Astral and Umbral War caused. Made of magic, the tree was ever-growing and shifting as our needs changed, allowing us to live as we needed within its roots. Some things, however, would never change within the tree. Including the fact that my sister and I had one room to share. We both absolutely hated it, but she voiced her opinion far more frequently than I did. I had begged and pleaded with the spirit that lived within the tree, but all he would say was that my time would come, but he wouldn¡¯t split our rooms. I had even gone so far as to move all of my belongings to a different room, and had come back to it all returned exactly where it had been in our bedroom. Talk about frustrating. That is, until a few years ago when she and I had had our biggest fight ever. Suddenly, the one room had become two.


    I¡¯d met the soul of the tree on occasion when I was younger, hiding from Elidyr and Alisdair, after one particular bad argument with both of them, I¡¯d found a root to hide behind and the tree had opened, swallowing me up, bringing me into a hidden room, tucked away somewhere within the heart of the tree. The tree was ancient, almost as old as Tiamat, one of the dragons who guarded the forest.


    I crawled back out from under the bed and leaned against the wall, connecting my thoughts to the tree itself. I could feel the life of the tree humming as I looked for its soul, gasping as I was suddenly pulled into the tree, popping out into the room, sunlight drifted down from a hole in the top of the tree.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I said quietly, as to not disturb the peace too much.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Rivienne.¡± The tree spoke, sounding tired and worn down.


    ¡°It has¡­ I¡¯m sorry for that. You comforted me on my bad days and I¡¯ve ignored you on yours.¡± I leaned against the wall, comforted by the warmth of the tree.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything like that, but I do appreciate you coming to see me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long time before I can come back and I just wanted to see how you were doing. Especially with the recent events¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°I have lived through the exodus of the gods, the rise of the demons, and thousands upon thousands of petty wars. I will live through the next and many, many after that. The goddess of nature dropped a seed, and from it, I grew. I am immortal, living as a physical embodiment of her will.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ the gods haven¡¯t abandoned us entirely?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. She would, no doubt, have some wisdom to impart, but seeing as she is no longer around, would you like some advice from me?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say no.¡± I said, sliding down to sit on a root jutting out from the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for thousands of years and one thing humans lack is patience and you are one of the least patient humans I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°W- wow.¡± I scoffed, knowing it was more than likely true.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because if you don¡¯t learn to be more patient with yourself and your goals, you¡¯ll take on too much and get in over your head before you know it. I¡¯ve seen many, many of your ancestors come and go from this home. Many leaving before they could make their mark on the world. I don¡¯t wish to see your potential lost before you yourself even discover all of it.¡± The tree said, before fading. I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling myself drift back to my room.


    ¡°Patience.¡± I sighed again. ¡°Easier said than done.¡±


    I got up and went back to the suitcase and finished stuffing everything into it that I was taking with me before I flopped on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Months later and I still hadn¡¯t figured out what to do with my free time, now that it was difficult to practice magic. I could play around with it some still, but the miasma had been growing too thick and it was too much of a risk accidentally finding a pocket of it. It wouldn¡¯t kill me if I tried to use some, but it would definitely make me very, very sick. It wasn¡¯t long before I found myself dozing in the afternoon sun, so I gave in and fell asleep, tired from the night before.