Index

Calista - She is the main character (depicted on the cover), a human mage who wears heavy armor. She is spontaneous and easily gives in to her curiosity.

Aenaes - He is a healer, an elf and the first of the men Calista started traveling with. He is a ball of anxiety and overprotectiveness.

Vahlatok - He is an orc druid. He owns the horses that pull their carriage. He is nonchalant and levelheaded.

Glyph - He is a half-dragon warrior. He clashes with Calista a lot. He’s the smart twin.

Rune - He is a half-dragon warrior. He gets along with everybody. He is the dumb twin.

Syutae - A type of fae creature that grants wishes

 

Chapter 2

After their meal Rune collected a clean bucket of water while Aenaes and Vahlatok cleaned the dishes used.

Calista joined Glyph in the large tent. She looked briefly at the warrior. She took note that he was reading then she went to her area. She removed her plate cuirass, then she set it beside her bag. “Why not argue with me further about what to do?” she wondered. Glyph grunted. “That’s not an answer. It’s an acknowledgement.”

Glyph lowered his book. “The others are going to agree with you anyhow.” Glyph leaned back against the tent post. “No point arguing.”

Calista frowned. “I feel as though you are implying something.” She slowly rose. Glyph remained entranced with his book. Calista folded her arms over her chest. “Since when are you indirect?”

Glyph chewed the inside of his cheek. He looked up long enough to note that the mage had removed the bulky piece of armor that hid her form. He tried to avoid lingering gazes while she was in only her smallclothes and the chain armor she utilized beneath the large chest piece. “What do you want, Calista?”

“An answer to my question is a good start,” she muttered. Keeping her chainmail on she picked up a hooded cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

“I’m not implying anything. The others side with you because,” Glyph took another look at the young woman, “because they are smitten with you. They have it in their minds that agreeing with you will make you see them as worthy of your affections.”

Calista stared slack jawed. She then shook off the shock of hearing the words. “It is nice to know we still cannot carry on a civil conversation.” She pulled up the hood of her cloak then she gave Glyph a final mocking glance.

“It’s true whether you want to believe it,” Glyph mumbled.

“By that logic you despise me because we cannot get along?” Calista mused.

“You’re inferring that. I’m not implying anything,” Glyph remarked. He smiled when he heard her familiar scoff. The sound of the tent flap falling pulled a longing sigh from the warrior.

Calista eyed the three men who were outside the tent, lounging about the campsite. They each greeted her warmly with gazes that solidified Glyph’s claims into truth. Her cheeks became flushed. As she sat beside the fire she replayed every interaction with her friends in her mind.

***

Aenaes and Glyph stared at the cave entrance. The others were resting inside the tent. The night was peaceful with chatting crickets being the most eventful visitor for the group. The weather remained calm with a comfortable, mild temperature and no precipitation.

Aenaes glanced sidelong at Glyph. “I would have guessed you’d reason I was overreacting to some remnant energy or the like,” the elf said. He stood with his wand readied.

Glyph rolled his eyes. “We already told you. We felt something earlier.” His arms were folded over his chest. His axe was on his belt and he wore his plate and chain amor still.

Aenaes sighed. “You could apologize for always thinking me overly anxious and overly protective of Calista.”

“Why?”

“Because you feel the same way,” Aenaes answered. He watched the warrior become visibly tense. “Or keep denying it,” his voice was a verbal shrug.

“Just watch the cave. Try to sense the dangers,” Glyph mumbled.

***

Wondering if what Glyph said was true, Calista was trying to think up a means to test the truthfulness. She sat on her bedroll, still wearing her chainmail and cloak. She hugged her knees and she tried to avoid meeting Rune’s and Vahlatok’s eyes. Why was she suddenly worried that Glyph was telling the truth? Calista jumped when she realized Vahlatok walked into her line of sight. “W-wha?!”

Vahlatok offered her a piece of bread. “Sweet bread,” the orc said. “I still had some.”

“Oh, thank you,” Calista replied. She took the sweet, nutty confection and smiled. Then she saw the redness on the orc’s cheeks. He sat with her enjoying a slice of bread himself. While she ate she stole a glance at Rune. Rune gave her occasional looks while he doodled in his drawing pad. Her heart keeled when she had the thought that Rune may be drawing her.

“Calista?” Vahlatok asked. The orc frowned.

“Huh?” Calista met Vahlatok’s eyes. She swallowed hard when she realized he had been talking to her. “What?”

“What do you think you sensed in the cave?” Vahlatok asked.

Calista sighed. “I don’t know. It seemed…magical,” she said the last word with uncertainty. “Not threatening.” She took a bite of sweet bread.

“Do you feel the same, Rune?” Vahlatok asked.

Rune nodded. “If it was a problem we’d have left,” he answered.

“Alright. So it’s magical and it scares Aenaes. Neither of you seem worried about it, though. Unless something happens, I’m inclined to agree with you. The horses didn’t run off and everything else around here seems fine. Normal.” Vahlatok finished his piece of sweet bread, then he dusted the crumbs from his hands.

Calista swallowed another bite of bread. “Not that we should let our guard down. But we do need to sleep.”

“That is why we’re winding down for the evening,” Vahlatok replied. He sprawled out on his bedroll beside Calista’s. With a relieved grunt his head hit the pillow, then he shut his eyes. “And why the other two are standing watch.” He motioned to the tent flap.

Calista finished the slice of bread. She stood then she walked to Rune’s bedroll. She looked down at the drawing. It was a charcoal sketch of their tent’s layout with rough details. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

Rune gave her a soft smile. “Practicing. Dexterity.”

“That’s very smart,” Calista remarked. As anticipated Rune’s face became flushed. “Warriors need to stay sharp.” She smiled at Rune as well, then when he didn’t verbally reply she excused herself from the tent. She walked out, then the conversation between Glyph and Aenaes stopped. “We’re getting closer to sleeping.”

“So noted,” Glyph muttered.

Aenaes nodded. “Sleep well, Calista,” he said quietly.

“Goodnight,” she replied.

***

Despite bidding the others goodnight, Calista was unable to fall asleep. The thought of her companions having developed feelings for her plagued her consciousness. The minuscule amounts of evidence she felt she had collected could have had an innocent explanation. She turned over and looked at the two men inside the tent with her. They were each asleep already despite the presumed early night hour. Calista sat up, then she walked out of the tent, giving in to the restless unanswered thoughts. Before she could announce herself to the healer and the warrior who were sitting beside the fire, she felt a pervading warmth. The sensation became a tingling, positive sensation. “What is that?” she whispered.

As she spoke Aenaes stood, “It’s happening,” he remarked.

“But your protective measures are working,” Glyph said.

“I think so,” Aenaes replied. His eyes were on the energy flow of the cave. There was a circle of salt around the campfire, the horse’s rest post and the tent. The magical energy from the cave reverberated off the circle’s boundaries.

Several roots poured out of the cave. The large plant limbs flopped to the ground then dissipated when they touched the salt. Calista cringed. The devastating effects of the roots sweeping through unchecked went through her mind. “I want to help but I don’t want to break your salt circle,” Calista remarked.

Aenaes looked back at Calista, startled by her presence. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

“Focus,” Glyph said. He redirected Aenaes’ attention on the cave and the strange root system. “Keep up the protective energies.” He walked past the healer, then stopped beside Calista. “I know you like getting your way but stay here where you’ll be safe. I’m waking the others so we can fight whatever this is, then get some sleep.” He walked past Calista, then disappeared into the tent.

Calista approached Aenaes. “Do you need anything to keep up the focus?”

Aenaes shook his head. “No. Some quiet and something to protect.” He smiled and blushed.

Guessing she was at the heart of his want to protect, Calista smiled as well. She stood directly across from the cave looking expectantly at the opening. “I feel like something else is happening,” she whispered. “As if there’s more…”

“Me too,” Aenaes replied.

A humanoid stumbled out of the mess of roots at the entrance of the cave. Calista squinted. She wanted to make certain she did not imagine the person falling from the roots. “Did I…?”

“I saw it, too,” Aenaes muttered.

Calista readied a small on her fingertips. She inched ahead of Aenaes, then she stopped at the edge of the salt circle. She eyed the person straining to get up from the roots. “Are-are you alright?!” she shouted.

The woman got to her feet, then dusted herself off. She called out in a language unknown to the others. She stopped short of the salt circle, then she waved at the two people behind the salt barrier. When she saw the confusion on their faces, she muttered in the strange language again. “That should have worked,” the woman said.

Calista nodded. “We can understand now, yes.” She looked at the woman’s naked form. She was tiny with red-purple skin. From her forehead were antennas. Confused, startled and tired, the mage began asking questions as they came to mind, “Do you need help? What just happened with the roots? Are you hurt?”

“Oh, I’m safe.” The woman grinned. “Nothing needs done, but these are because of you, I expect.” The nude woman looked at the three additional men exiting the tent. A quiet giggle escaped her. “Oh, you are definitely the reason for all of this.”

“I don’t understand,” Calista said. She looked to Aenaes. He was deep in thought. “What do you think? Is she dangerous?”

“She’s a syutae,” Aenaes whispered. “They’re harmless according to the literature I have read. Fae creatures that fall from the sky then grant wishes after a person’s energy gives them a burst of energy, waking them on the earthen realm.”

One of Calista’s eyebrows rose. “One of us woke her and that’s what the roots are about?”

“That was me looking for you,” the fae explained. “Since you woke me, I want to help you.” She extended her hand toward Calista.

“Back up,” Glyph commanded. He dashed forward then got between Calista and the fae. “We don’t know what you want or what will happen when you touch her.” He raised his axe and kept his gaze fixed on the fae creature.

Calista scoffed. “Aenaes said she’s harmless. We woke her. That’s all.” She pushed past Glyph.

“Maybe think about this before approaching, still. Do you even know what you’d want?” Vahlatok asked.

“I do.” Calista looked at Rune. He looked worried. “Everything is alright, Rune,” she said. Calista reached past the barrier, then she touched the fae’s hand.

***

Calista pushed herself up from the ground. Dawn was breaking over the horizon. She and her companions all got to their feet slowly. The horses were still asleep and the campfire burned. The roots were gone. Calista looked around the campsite, then froze when she found the syutae.

“Don’t worry. I’m still harmless,” the fae woman said. She pet each of the horses briefly then she approached the group. “But I would absolutely like to see your wish come true.”

“Didn’t you already do that?” Vahlatok asked.

“I granted the wish, yes. But seeing it? That will prove far more worthwhile than flitting around here with the bees and butterflies,” the syutae answered. She looked at Calista then beamed. “Whenever you’re ready, use your new gift.”

Calista looked at each of her companions. Her face became flushed. “I-I have so many questions before I could even consider that!” She covered her face with her hands. Her breathing quickened.

The fae creature patted Calista’s arm supportively. “How about you and I go for a walk and discuss your new gift before you use it, then?”

“Uh…sure…” Calista said uncertain. The syutae took Calista’s hand then led her along the path. “What’s your name?” asked.

“I don’t have one. How does one get a name?”

“At birth we’re given a name,” Calista answered. “I suppose you could pick one, though.”

“I like that word your friend said. It sounds…whimsical.” The fae woman beamed. “I am Wish! Wish the syutae!”

The fae creature and mage disappeared along the horizon. The four men stood watching while the sun climbed in the sky behind them. “What in the names of the old gods just happened?!” Vahlatok asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Aenaes muttered. He shook his head slowly. “One minute there’s roots everywhere, my salt circle is being utilized to protect us, then the next we’re waking up after falling asleep in our armor in the middle of the dirt.”

Glyph folded his arms and dropped his gaze. “Calista once again ignored our wanting to protect her,” he muttered.

“Yeah, she did,” Vahlatok agreed.

Aenaes shook his head. “Sincerely, the fae is harmless. She granted a wish to Calista.”

Rune shrugged. “What did she wish for, you think?”

“Something that made her uncomfortable,” Vahlatok reasoned. “She couldn’t even imagine using the gift without her face becoming crimson.”

Rune became tense. “W-what could do that?” the warrior stammered.