Leir was leaning as far out of the carriage as he possibly could to get a good view of the approaching town. It looked like they were coming up to an ancient settlement—Aztec or Egyptian or Indian—if those civilizations had never fallen. Passing through the smallest, outermost buildings, Leir took great pains to study the way the stone was cut and the designs that had been carved into them, as well as the occasional splashes of bright geometric paint on the outer walls. It was more impressive than any actual ancient cities he’d ever visited; the dwarfs were clearly benefiting from centuries or more of architectural advancement that older civilizations on earth hadn’t survived to see.

When they stopped outside of a little stone stable with a wicker roof, Leir jumped out of the wagon and started scanning around. The dwarfs, even full grown, were shorter than he was despite his stature. They weren’t nearly as stocky or hairy as Leir had imagined they’d be, and though plenty wore sleeveless shirts that showed off toned muscle, more than a few were pretty wiry by comparison.

“Leir, Melisende,” Baldovin said, getting their attention. “Be careful how you interact with the locals. Dwarfs are very particular regarding etiquette. The rules are going to feel esoteric, and the locals only going to give you a little bit of leeway as outsiders before deciding you’ve offended them. Watch how they behave and try to emulate it the best you can.”

“Got it,” Leir said. “Make the first impression count.”

“I think I’ll stay with the wagon,” Melisende said, sitting down right on the edge.

Baldovin took Lotus Dust and Whisper off to sniff for clues while Burrow made arrangements with the stable master. Leir scanned the crowds and saw spirits here and there, some noticeably animal-like and others harder to come up with a name for, but none of them were particularly familiar to him. He squirmed a little and strayed further away from the wagon in hopes of spotting at least one of the criminals that they were after.

“Hello there, strangers!”

Melisende and Leir turned their attention to a small gaggle of young dwarf women who had approached them. They looked similar enough to each other to be related, though the one in front had noticeably longer hair tied into braids. She bowed to Leir and Melisende, so Leir nervously fumbled a bow in return, eliciting snickers from the group.

“We saw that you were new in town,” the leader said, “and were hoping that you would indulge us the opportunity to make you feel welcome.”

Leir and Melisende exchanged a glance, but before they could say anything Burrow wandered over and said, “I think that’s a great idea. These two aren’t used to long travel and could certainly unwind while we work.”

“O-Of course!” Leir agreed, and Melisende mumbled, “Why not?” before climbing down from the wagon.

“Try to relax, both of you,” Burrow told them, patting Leir firmly on the back.

The strangers led Leir and Melisende through the town to a small stone building and led them inside. A wrought-iron chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the smooth stone walls and brightly colored tiles on the floor. Both Melisende and Leir were given silken robes and asked to remove their clothes, which Leir did after some protest and retreating behind a paper screen. Once dressed, the two were led to a small octagonal sauna illuminated my small sconces and a hole in the center of the roof. In each corner was a small pile of coals, the center of the room featured a basin of standing water filled with herbs, and stone benches sat in a small circle occupying the middle of the room.

“There’s a small ceremony we like to do for travelers,” one woman explained, picking up a little bowl of charcoal and dipping her thumb into it. “It’s very relaxing and won’t take long.”

Leir closed his eyes while she rubbed little symbols all over his face with charcoal, muttering quietly to herself as she did so. One of the other women got behind him and started giving him a shoulder massage while the last wrapped small wreathes of flowers around his arms. Leir did his best to trust their hosts and relax, even if Melisende beside him still felt really tense.

“Repeat slowly after me, one at a time,” the woman in charge said once she was done.

She started reciting words in a language Leir didn’t recognize. Leir gulped and did his best to copy what she’d said, fumbling over more than a few of the words. Melisende fared little better on her turn, much to his relief. Their host nodded in approval all the same.

“You may stay here as long as you please,” she told them, stepping away. “Relax and enjoy the warmth. There is a wash basin right at the entrance for you to clean your faces when you’re ready to leave.”

“Thank you,” Leir said.

“Thank you very much,” Melisende added, presumably just to outdo him.

The three women gave the two of them another bow before departing. Leir leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes, content to stay there forever. He’d never been one to seek out pampering before, but it was actually quite relaxing.

“Do massages even do anything for you?” he asked Melisende. “Should you be in this steam? You’re made of wood, after all.”

“I’m not just some wooden doll,” she retorted, scooting away from him and crossing her legs. “I’m capable of having a full life of my own, with sleep and sickness and romance and all that other stuff.”

“You don’t eat but you can get sick?”

“Yes.”

“Huh.” Leir closed his eyes and admitted, “I’ve never really been one for romance, myself.”

“Oh? Perhaps you haven’t found the right person.”

“I don’t think so. I honestly just don’t see the appeal. People always told me to settle down, so I lied and said I would when I was more stable, but… I’m just not that interested in other people.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Melisende asked.

“I’m serious, though,” Leir said, sliding down in his seat a little. “I don’t like admitting that to people because they always think I’m broken, but I’ve never really wanted to be close to someone in that way.”

Melisende was quiet for a while before saying, “I don’t think that makes you broken. I almost envy you; nobody in Silverleaf is interested in getting too close to a spirit, especially not a poppet.”

“You don’t have to stay there,” Leir offered.

“It’s my home.”

“Yeah… I understand that feeling.”

When they were done, Leir and Melisende washed off their faces and changed back into their clothes before heading back to the stables. The stable master pointed them in the direction of the inn where Burrow had gotten them rooms. The rest of the group was already there, huddled into a two-person suite and muttering conspiratorially.

“Welcome back,” Baldovin said, grinning widely as they entered the room. “Burrow said that you were invited to relax by some of the locals?”

“Yeah.” Leir found an open spot on a bed and sat down. “They brought us to some kind of sauna and did some private ceremony.”

Lotus Dust blinked in surprise and asked, “The one with the charcoal and the flower wreathes?”

Leir and Melisende exchanged a glance before Melisende replied, “Yes?”

Turning to Baldovin, Lotus Dust asked, “Isn’t that ceremony explicitly for women, though?”

From his perch on Burrow’s head, Whisper started cackling while Burrow winced and mumbled, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”

Leir’s face was red hot, but Baldovin simply let a heavy hand fall on his shoulder and declared, “Now, now, it’s hardly Leir’s fault that he didn’t realize what he was agreeing to. This is all very new to him. We’ll just try to keep this in mind moving forward, alright?”

There were mumbles of agreement, but Leir couldn’t look any of them in the eye. His face was still burning at the thought that he had, for a scant hour, been pretending to be a woman and didn’t realize it. He should have known, though! No man—no real man, at least—would accept that kind of spa day treatment without protest!

Lotus Dust, Burrow, and Whisper took off shortly after to continue investigating for signs of Shadow Fang and her gang. Baldovin sat on the bed and scribbled into a journal for a bit, muttering to himself while he worked. Melisende stared out the window while Leir remained curled up with thoughts of the ceremony from earlier running through his head.

“Alright!” Baldovin declared, making the both of them jump as he snapped his journal shut. “Leir, I believe that I promised I would teach you more magic. Melisende, if you’re interested, I would be happy to teach you a few new tricks as well!”

Melisende cringed a little and said, “No, that’s alright, I think I’ll just watch.”

“Suit yourself. Leir?”

Leir sprang to his feet and cried, “Yeah! Let’s do this!”

“Wonderful!” Baldovin clasped his hands together, beaming. “I believe that you have the determination necessary to become a great magus and just need to push yourself.” He sat cross-legged on the ground. “Sit in front of me and we’ll practice the strength domain.”

Learning the new domain was very similar to the process that Eudes had taken Leir through before. He meditated for a while as Baldovin explained the ‘primordial form’ of strength. Leir paid rapt attention, determined to get this right as soon as possible so he stood a better chance of fighting Shadow Fang when they finally tracked her down.

“Strength comes in many forms,” Baldovin said. “We find it most often in determination: physical strength requires training hard for long stretches of time, emotional strength allows us to weather hardships that would destroy a lesser man, but our determination allows us to overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable. Strength is about more than what we accomplish, it is our willpower given form.”

It took quite a bit of practice, but Leir was able to shift his focal energies into a new shape as a surge of power flooded through him. Baldovin placed a small stone in his hands and Leir squeezed it until it started to crumble. He let go, allowing the dust and rubble to fall to the wicker mat they were sitting on, and had to bite his tongue to keep from squealing.

“Very good,” Baldovin said, patting Lier on the head. “Couldn’t have accomplished it any easier myself. Now, let’s see how well you can apply what you’ve learned by heading out back and sparring for a bit.”

Leir’s tail was wagging as he followed Baldovin out of the room, Melisende hot on their heels. They made their way behind the inn to find a large enough patch of dirt for them to spar in. They were mostly blocked from view by other stone buildings, which definitely helped Leir’s performance anxiety.

“Don’t get hurt,” Melisende said.

“There’s no need to worry about him, Lass,” Baldovin assured her, flashing her a warm smile. When he and Leir had taken their positions, he said, “Alright, Leir, align your focal energies and come at me as fast as you can. Don’t worry about hurting me; I can take it.”

Leir nodded and summoned up all the power he could until it filled every inch of his body and made him a little lightheaded. He kicked off the ground, taking a huge stride and drawing back his arm. Another couple of steps and he was right in front of Baldovin, slamming a fist into his gut. Baldovin grunted and scooted back a little, but seemed uninjured. Leir fell to the ground, clutching his hand to his chest and gritting his teeth; that had hurt more than he thought it would!

“Good effort! You need to push yourself a little harder, though. Now I’ll show you how to pool the energy into your arms and block attacks.”

Baldovin showed Leir a few tricks: how to block attacks, how to get the most air out of a jump, how to put enough energy into a kick to punt something far without obliterating it by accident. Leir was breathing heavily and covered in bruises, but it really felt like he was improving, and every time that Baldovin told him to push himself harder he nodded and smirked. Practicing at something to get better at it was still new to him, but sheer determination was going to see Leir through to the end.

Melisende had to support Leir on her shoulder and drop him onto the bed once they were back in the room. He spread out on the straw mattress, wincing in pain, and closed his eyes. Leir had never been one for exercise, but that had been immediately gratifying in a way that he hadn’t expected, even if it did hurt to breathe a little.

At dinner, Lotus Dust was fuming.

“He’s all banged up!” she cried, gesturing at Leir. “There was no reason to push him so hard, Baldovin!”

“He’s alright, Lotus,” Baldovin replied, shrugging. “Clearly, he thought that he could take it or he would have asked to stop.”

Melisende insisted, “Leir doesn’t know his own limitations. You promised that nobody would get hurt if we came with you.”

“I’m fine!” Leir said, putting his fork down. “I really am! I’m just a little tired. Baldovin didn’t do anything wrong.”

“See? From the man himself: he’s perfectly alright.”

The argument continued, but Leir could hardly pay attention to it. He yawned and stared down at the potatoes, corn, and turnips on his plate, struggling to focus on the food and wondering if his hunger outmatched his exhaustion. In the end, he decided to excuse himself early to lie down and get some extra rest.

They were on the road the next day, Leir sitting up at the front of the wagon so that he could watch the river pass by. Being outside of the covered wagon also gave him the freedom to practice summoning up his flames again, letting them dance in his palms without fear of burning up the tarp that covered the wagon. Occasionally, Leir would swap as fast as he could between the fire and strength domains, feeling his focal energies shift between them a little easier every time.

He still felt like he was pushing up against a wall, though. The others had talked about him finding “what he stands for” or what the “purpose” of his magic was. Leir still had no idea what that actually meant or how it applied to him; his goal was to get back home no matter what the cost, and if magic made him a better fighter then he would pursue it relentlessly.

As the sun dipped behind the mountains and the shadows grew long, Lotus Dust brought her horse closer to the wagon and said, “The horses are a little spooked. I worry that there might be something lurking in these woods.”

“A mountain lion?” Whisper asked from Baldovin’s shoulder.

“Possibly.”

Baldovin asked, “Do you think we should keep going? The horses won’t be able to travel well in the dark.”

Leir chewed on his tongue, sinking down in his seat a little bit. The last time that he’d encountered a mountain lion, it had gone very poorly for him and he was not eager to revisit that experience. The thought that a wild animal could make him this scared incensed Leir, causing him to grind his teeth and fume.

He was stronger now than he had been a few weeks ago. With a couple domains of magic under his belt, even if he was new to them, Leir actually stood a chance against a mountain lion in a way that he never would have in his own world. Actually, he couldn’t wait to encounter one again and put it in its place!

“I think we should stop and set up camp for the night,” Lotus Dust finally said, “but we should also scout the woods and scare away anything that could be dangerous.”

“Alright. Let’s find somewhere.”

Whisper stayed with the horses while Burrow instructed Melisende and Leir to start unloading the wagon. Leir watched Lotus Dust and Baldovin disappear into the forest to search for their prey, wishing that he could do something but wait. He couldn’t help but keep glancing over his shoulder at every small rustle of leaves or snapped twig in the distance.

Leir could take on a mountain lion this time! He knew that he wasn’t in any real danger! There was no reason for him to be so fidgety, but he wasn’t going to be able to put this to rest until he’d faced his fears head-on.

When Burrow sent Leir back to the wagon to grab some firewood, Leir paused at the entrance. Instead of climbing in, he glanced back to make sure that nobody was watching before taking a few steps toward the tree line. Closing his eyes, Leir took in a deep breath and could smell some kind of distinct animal that hadn’t been present earlier in the day.

Leir opened his eyes and followed his nose into the woods, arms and legs shaking as he shifted into fox form to run faster. His heart was hammering and his head was pounding but Leir knew that he was strong enough to take on whatever he found! The smell was getting closer; Leir’s ears twitched as he heard movement in the underbrush; he’d spot it any moment now.

The movement stopped and Leir swiveled his head in its direction, spotting a massive cat with its head low to the ground and staring in his direction. Leir stopped in his tracks. The cougar growled and flicked its ears before glancing away from Leir and starting to walk away.

With a cry that made the animal jump, Leir launched himself into the air, shifting into his humanoid form and launching a blast of fire. The cougar was too fast and dodged before letting out a primal howl. It circled around Leir before leaping at him. He responded by shifting his focal energies and sending a surge of strength into his body.

When the cat hit him, Leir managed to stay standing, but as it was knocked off the creature slashed through his shirt and skin. Leir leapt and threw out a punch, hitting the mountain lion in the shoulder and knocking it down. It bit at him, sinking its fangs into the flesh and tendons of his hand and making Leir cry out in pain.

He released a burst of fire into its muzzle and the animal released him. Leir fell back, gasping for air. He was exhausted already! His hand was bleeding everywhere. The cat got back to its feet and started circling him again, head low and ready to attack.

Leir couldn’t do this on his own! But he had to! He simply had to prove himself capable as a fighter! This would be nothing compared to fighting Shadow Fang!

The cat pounced and Leir rushed forward to grapple with it. Teeth sank into his shoulder and claws lashed around him, but he slammed the cat into the ground. A claw slashed across his face, causing Leir to let out a girlish scream.

A powdery substance hit Leir and he suddenly left the ground, floating in the air and slowly drifting away from the thrashing cougar. A stone pelted the creature, then another, and one more until it finally stopped moving. Leir and the cougar floated down, the cat hitting the ground and Leir falling safely into the arms of someone with long bunny ears.

Burrow said something, but Leir was having a hard time focusing on their words. Everything was getting a little hard to see and hear as darkness edged in from the corners of his vision. Burrow stuck something in their mouth and then Leir must have lost some time because they were back in the campsite before he knew it.

Leir was placed on the ground and something was poured into his mouth; the taste seemed watery but it was difficult to be sure through the blood. Melisende was running around throwing her hands up and yelling at Whisper, who was trying to talk to her. After some time, Melisende joined Burrow in trying to bind Leir’s wounds the best that they could. His back was wet and Leir wasn’t entirely sure why. Each new thought was coming slower than the last.

It certainly couldn’t hurt to close his eyes for a little bit. A nap sounded really good at the moment. He’d explain what happened when he woke up.

As Leir drifted through the dark fog, he could hear the noise of people mumbling very far away. He turned away from it and tried to sink deeper into a long sleep where he could finally get the rest he’d been long denied. Leir would deal with paperwork and emails and phone calls when he woke up; the world wasn’t going anywhere.

Pain started to seep into Leir’s body from nowhere and he squirmed in a desperate attempt to get away. His body was so heavy. Leir groaned, but it came out as a pathetic gurgle. The voices around him were louder, people shouting frantically while someone had their hands on his body. The pain started to fade away as a soothing sensation ran through Leir and numbed him to all feeling.

His eyes flitted open, then shut tightly at how bright everything was.

“Good, you’re still awake,” came a soft voice. Leir opened his eyes again to find a scowling plant person kneeling over him with their hands on his stomach. “You can’t imagine what kind of trouble you’re in, Leir.”

He groaned.

When Lotus Dust finally removed her hands, Leir could keep his eyes open even if breathing took all the strength he had to give. He was still numb all over and couldn’t make out what people were saying just a few yards away, but he was alive. His savior stepped away for a few minutes, letting Leir stew in his agony, before returning and smearing a salve over his cuts.

“I lost count of how many stitches you needed,” they chided him. “You would be dead by now if not for my magic. By all rights, we should turn around and march you back to that village you came from, but we simply don’t have the time.” They snorted. “Just because we’re more durable than elves or dwarfs doesn’t mean that we can’t be killed. You were unconscionably reckless.”

“I was fine,” Leir tried to mumble, though none of it came out coherently.

Baldovin entered Leir’s view and sat down cross-legged beside him before saying, “Leir, while I appreciate that you want to help us however you can, you’re still new to magic. New to this world, if what you’ve told us is true.” Lotus Dust rolled her eyes. “We can’t keep you safe if you run off and get in fights on your own. Promise me that you won’t do it again.”

Leir grunted, and Baldovin nodded, seemingly satisfied.

It was dark before Leir could actually sit up again and was finally given some stew. Lifting the spoon to his mouth was a monumental effort every time he had to do it and, despite his best effort, he was crying a little from the pain. How emasculating.

Closer to the fire, he could hear Lotus Dust telling Melisende, “He’s not going to try that again, I promise. We’ll chain him to the cart if we need to. You’re both going to be safe with us.”

Melisende, noticeably shaking, replied, “You’ve already promised we’d be safe once. How am I supposed to trust you after letting him slip away like this? I’m responsible for him!”

“You’re not at fault for what he did, Dear. Some people only learn that fire is hot by sticking their hand in first. He’s not going to make the same mistake twice.”

“I never wanted this,” Melisende said. “I never wanted to leave my home where I was happy and comfortable. This kind of life isn’t for me.”

Lotus Dust hummed in acknowledgment before saying, “I promise you that, in some ways, it’s more relaxing than you realize. My favorite part of this lifestyle is getting to travel and see the world without having to commit to any particular place. I’ve never understood the appeal of being busy all the time like city folk do.”

“Me neither,” Melsisende admitted, sounding a little less weary. “Chores are good for the soul, but I don’t need a complex life. Even this is too much for me.”

“We’ll get you home before you know it.”

After a moment of silence, Melisende asked, “How can you possibly be comfortable in a lifestyle where you might have to fight someone at a moment’s notice?”

“It’s not really about fighting; it’s much more about simply having a cause worth fighting for. People need defending and we’re the best chance some of them have. That’s worth getting up in the morning for, even if it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

They continued talking but too low for Leir to make out much of what they were saying. Eventually, he finished his meal and Burrow came to take away his bowl. Baldovin scooped Leir up, making the heat from the stew run right to his face, and brought him to his tent before lowering Leir to the bedroll. Leir mumbled a thanks, but wasn’t sure that Baldovin heard.