Night did not often come to the fairy city of Ellinia. As a land densely doused in the magic of the forest, with a canopy of trees overhead, it was rare to even notice that night had fallen. The trees were strung out with magic, glowing brightly even in the darkest of nights. Fairies, who did not have to sleep as long as humans, often fell asleep standing up, comfortable in the embrace of their protective city.
An old man draped in a white robe with a matching magician hat looked morbidly out of the window of his loft, gazing to the empty and dark city. In the darkness surrounding the city, the glow from the trees almost dimmed as they swayed in the gale. As if on cue, a strong gust swept through, and the man grabbed onto the window as the tree bent, nearly reaching a 90 degree angle. It was a mark of the strength of the forest that it didn't snap under the pressure.
As the tree began to return to a more upright position, the silence spell put on his library faded. As the wind suddenly grew from deathly quiet to an all out wail, crying out in injustice, he called upon his magic reserves to cast the spell once more over Ellinia. Pausing to drink down some potions to ensure his magic stayed completely filled, he listened as the sound faded once more.
Grendel let go of the window and walked up the bookcase toward the elemental magic section, pulling out an old and dusty book. Flipping through a few pages, he located the spell that would serve his needs, and cast it on himself as the tree tilted the other way. His gravity spell finished, Grendel walked toward the floor, and stood in the library as if it was a normal day despite the fact he was now standing sideways. Using a levitation spell to ensure the books would not fall out of place while the wind blew through the room, Grendel opened the door and quickly exited his home as the wind struggled to push him inside.
Grendel closed the door and cast a small shield around him to keep the wind from pulling him off the platform, despite the gravity spell. Gazing around Ellinia, he was glad to see some faces peering at him from the windows, everyone had stayed indoors as he had suggested. Looking left, or down seeing as he was technically on a wall, he realised the trees were leaning over into the deeper parts of the forest, where few Fairies had ever trod.
Seeing very little wildlife around, Grendel knew the forest was prepared to weather the storm as it had done so many others in the past. The good thing about living in a dense, magical forest was also a bad thing too; magic tended to react badly to bad weather.
Looking out towards Henesys, Grendel could see the road filled with flying rocks and sticks, and knew they would not be receiving any supplies while the storm persisted. Only a fool would brave this storm, even if the supplies could very well mean life and death. With Arwen suffering from a poison mushroom she had ingested, the cure of which could only be produced in Henesys, along with the sudden storm that had descended upon Ellinia as they did once in a blue moon, thing's were dire for the city.
If this persisted another 24 hours, Grendel would be forced to send a beginner via a risky teleportation spell. With the weather as it was, there was every chance the spell could go wrong and be blown off course. Arwen didn't have more than two days at the most. Grendel needed the storm to blow over soon, less he risk loosing one of the town to an easily-preventable disease.
"~a~~ah!" Grendel felt the wind picking up again just as it carried a voice to his ears, faint and an obvious cry for help. Using pinpoint accuracy, he tracked the source immediately, and realised the voice was coming from the path to Ellinia. Peering down, even resorting to a spell to improve his eyesight, he scoured the path for the source of the cry.
Grendel found the source quickly, a brown-haired form running towards Ellinia while drinking potions as if they were air. Grasping his staff, he quickly prepared a teleportation spell, abandoning his concern the spell would go off course. The person was obvious struggling to keep himself upright, let alone climb a tree. Casting it, he heard the relieving thump of something landing inside his library as the form below vanished. Quickly heading inside, closing the door behind him, he briskly walked over to the hunched form.
The boy was in bad shape, cuts and barely-healed scars covered his entire body, and a bruised face that would take a few days to heal, even with magic. His short, brown hair was almost black with blood, a large rock stuck in the back of his head. His bag, clutched to his chest, tattered and mere ribbons. Grendel could also see his arm was broken, and both legs sprained. Calling upon his magic, Grendel began healing the more serious injuries, even as the boy returned to consciousness. After completing his task, Grendel leaned down to put the arm in a brace, knowing it needed to be bound in the right position before he could begin healing it.
"I-I brought th-the cure for th-" Grendel cut the boy off with a shake of his head, and finished binding the arm. Giving the legs a once over, he was pleased to see they would heal quickly. Turning to look at the boy now that he was healed enough to not be in any danger of dying.
"I thought that would be the case, thank you for risking your life to bring it here through the storm." Grendel held out a hand, and the boy handed him the small vial of pink liquid. Grendel put it in his pocket, and cast a gravity spell on the boy before standing up.
"I will be right back boy, please wait right here. Feel free to use my bed in the loft above you, and don't go outside under any circumstances. I must go administer this right away." Grendel turned and headed for the door, preparing the spell to keep the books steady.
"Uhm…I-I do have a name sir." The boy's bright green eyes stared at the back of Grendel as he paused, hand on the handle of the door. Grendel smiled and turned to face the boy.
"Then speak up boy, what would you name be?" Grendel glanced out the window as the tree tilted farther than normal, before swaying in the other direction.
"It's Blaise sir." Grendel nodded, turning for the door once more.
"Well then Blaise, call me Grendel. You have my gratitude for coming all this way for us." Opening the door, Grendel left, closing it behind him. Blaise stared at the door for some time, before glancing down at the floor/wall.
"Gradditude…"