Douxie yawned and tried to push away his fatigue. He needed sleep, but he couldn't rest just yet. He had work to do, and it was far too important to just give up on it just because he was tired. Lives were at stake.

Douxie was glad for the clear night sky and bright moon that was illuminating the area. Faes were usually careful with their territories. Douxie knew the general area of where he might find the fair folk, but he knew that the real clues wouldn't be extremely obvious. He would need to search carefully, and a light source definitely helped.

If the moon wasn't out Douxie might have to resort to summoning an orb of fire magic, and he didn't know if he had the magical energy to accomplish that. He'd used up far too much of his magic that night.

After an hour of searching Douxie finally found what he hadn't even known he was looking for. It was a small circle made of pebbles. It wasn't a true fairy ring, as those were made of fungus and were much larger. This was just a sign, a signifier to other fae, or people who knew fae well.

Douxie sat next to the small mock fairy circle and pulled out his lute. He started to play a small tune that Morgana had taught him. Apparently she and Gwen used to sing it all the time when they went out to explore the Wild Woods as children. According to Morgana it was a fairy song, the kind of tune that they danced to within true fairy circles. Douxie didn't know if playing this song would catch the attention of the fae, but there was no harm in trying.

Douxie played to the end of the song, and then he stopped and waited. He didn't have to wait long.

"That was a lovely song." A voice said. Douxie stood up and turned around. He saw an ageless looking being with long hair that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Their hair and clothes were flowing as though there was a gentle breeze, though the night air was completely still. Their eyes, which were brother than was natural for mortals, glistened with mischief.

"I play to please," Douxie gave the fae, for he was sure that was what he was looking at, a small bow. "Forgive my intrusion. I don't mean to trespass, but It's urgent. I need to speak with your leader."

The fae tilted their head at him. "Our king is a busy man, and he doesn't often agree to entertain mortals."

Douxie chuckled. "I'm not exactly mortal." Despite his exhaustion Douxie flicked his wrist and muttered an incantation to summon a simple charm. "I'm a wizard." Archie nudged Douxie's leg, and the boy smiled. "And this is my familiar."

"A wizard?" The fae looked intrigued, as Douxie had hoped they would. In Douxie's experience, magical beings were fascinated by each other. Unless they were natural enemies, their curiosity often got the better of them.

"I can't remember the last time our court was visited by a wizard." The fae eyed Douxie's lute. "And even longer since we've been entertained with outside music."

"I would be honored to play for the court." Douxie gave another bow. The fae gave him a small smile. They walked past Douxie to the fairy circle. The fae walked around the very small ring, muttering words that Douxie couldn't understand under their breath. A moment later a beam of moonlight seemed to fall onto one of the mounds nearby, illuminating the stone of a ringfort that Douxie would swear hadn't been there before.

"Come along, young wizard." The fae practically skipped to the ringfort, though they still maintained a certain level of dignity that Douxie didn't think he would ever achieve. The boy followed, a wide grin on his face. He knew he should be extremely cautious, as fair folk could be tricky and dangerous, but he couldn't help it. Very few people could claim that they had been to the realm of the fae. At least, very few people could claim they'd walked away from one with their lives.

Douxie climbed over the mound of dirt and stone wall. The ringfort looked like a perfect circle of grass, surrounded by a small ledge. From where Douxie stood to the bottom of the ringfort it looked to be just a short drop, no deeper than Douxie was tall, but looks could be deceiving.

The fae gave Douxie a mischievous look before they jumped into the middle of the circle. A moment before their feet touched the ground they disappeared without a trace. They had transported themselves to the realm of the fae.

Douxie took a few calming breaths before he jumped into the ringfort. The world around him shifted and Douxie felt a sensation similar to being underwater in a storm. All of his senses were muted and numbed, and yet he still felt like he was being tossed and turned all over the place. His surroundings were also thick with raw magic.

As quickly as the dizzying feeling had come it vanished and Douxie found himself standing in the middle of a massive cavern with countless tunnels. It looked like he was underground, and yet the entire area was so brightly lit that it was almost blinding.

"Come along, wizard," The fae said. They made their way down one of the tunnels, and Douxie was quick to follow them, with Archie right at his heels. They passed other fair folk as they went, and most of them gave Douxie curious looks. He couldn't blame them. He'd probably stare quite a bit if he saw a fairy just walking down the hallways of the castle back in Camelot.

As they walked Douxie felt the aura of magic in the air get stronger. It was almost suffocating, which meant that it had to be powerful indeed, as Douxie wasn't the best at sensing magic in the first place. He did his best to hide his discomfort. He could tell that Archie was doing the same, though Douxie could see how puffed up his fur was as his hackles were raised.

The tunnel eventually opened up to a wide and spacious cavern that was so tall that Douxie couldn't see the ceiling at all. It was darker than the rest of the cave had been. At the end of the cavern, barely visible through the shadows, was a throne of sorts where a fae with a powerful magical presence sat.

"Well well, what do we have here?" The fae on the throne said. Even though he was far away Douxie heard his voice as though he were standing right next to him. His accent was different than the other fae. There was almost a subtle Scottish twinge in his tone.

The king stood up and started walking towards them. They met near the middle of the cavern. The fae that had been leading Douxie knelt on the ground, and the young wizard was quick to follow their example.

"My king, I found this wizardling playing fae music near out mounds." The fae said. "He wishes to speak with you."

"A wizardling?" The fae king walked around Douxie, eying him carefully. Douxie kept his gaze down. He didn't want to insult the fae by meeting his eye before being given permission. "He's a mere child. What could he hope to speak to me about?"

"I come with a warning, your majesty." Douxie said.

The fae king chuckled. "Rise, boy." He did as he was told. He was finally able to get a good look at the fae king. He was tall, far taller than any human Douxie had ever heard of. His hair was an ashy white. His eyes were bright, though there was an unnerving amount of sadness in his gaze. "What is your name?"

Douxie knew better than to share his true name with a fae. There was magic in names. However, he also knew better than to insult the king by refusing to answer him. "I am called Douxie." The nickname didn't have the same amount of power that his full true name did. Douxie gestured to the dragon at his side. "And this is Archie, my familiar."

The fae king frowned in confusion. "Your familiar?" He eyed Archie curiously. "Are you certain?"

"Fairly certain." Douxie said confidently, though he couldn't keep the slight tremble out of his voice. Why was the king questioning him about this?

The king stared at them for a long moment before he gave them an amused smile. "As you say." The king straightened, making himself taller. "Now, what was this warning of yours?"

"People have been gathering in the nearby mortal town," Douxie said. "They're preparing a fae hunt. I believe there may even be a reward in place for someone who may be able to find one." Douxie heard mutterings of the fae around them. The fair folk that were watching the interaction sounded unnerved and distressed. The king held up his hand and the muttering ended in an instant.

"As you were," The king said sternly to the crowd. "I would speak to the child alone." Douxie wasn't too excited about being called a child, but compared to fae, who had much longer lives than mortals, he probably was seen as a child."

The fae reluctantly left, leaving Douxie and Archie alone with the king. "We've been expecting a hunt for several weeks now." The king said. "Regardless, your warning is appreciated. However, I would like to know why you would put yourself in danger for our sake. These hunters could easily mistake you for one of our changelings."

"I...wait, you have changelings?" Douxie's eyes widened. He'd read about changelings. Morgana used to be fascinated with them, and Douxie had once seen her experimenting on the trolls in the dungeons under Camelot. Inspired by fae changelings, she'd tried to use her magic to give trolls a human form so they could walk among menkind. Douxie had no idea if she had succeeded, and now he couldn't help but wonder about it.

Douxie shook his head, forcing himself to focus on what was right in front of him. "Sorry, forget about that. I came to warn you because it didn't feel right to just leave you at the hunters' mercy. I know what it's like to be hunted for what I am, and I couldn't just sit back and allow it to happen to anybody else."

"A noble cause," The king said. He still sounded amused, as though Douxie was just a small child who was about to do something dangerous but funny. "Foolish and incredibly naive, but noble nonetheless." The king began to make his way back to his throne, and Douxie nervously followed behind him.

"You have put yourself at risk for the sake of my court," The king said as they walked. He looked over his shoulder and gave Douxie a cold look. "Though you could have just as easily put us all at risk by leading hunters to our mounds."

"I would never," Douxie insisted. "I used my magic to make the hunters fall asleep. Nobody knows I'm out here."

"We shall see." The king said.

"May I ask something?" Archie asked. The king of the fae nodded. "Why do you live in a court? I thought the fae courts were in Scotland."

The king grinned mischievously. "They are. I hail from Scotland myself, and brought some traditions of the courts with me when I came here. The fair folk haven't adopted all of the mannerisms of the unseelie, but we're a court nonetheless."

Douxie shuddered and Archie grew tense. All fae could be tricky to deal with, but if Douxie was remembering his courts right the unseelie were more malevolent and unforgiving than their seelie counter-parts. On one hand, Douxie was more convinced than before that his plan was a good idea. There had always been a chance that the fair folk would retaliate against any hunters that went after them, but with a king from an unseelie court that chance became an absolute certainty.

On the other hand though, Douxie would have to be more careful than ever. He definitely didn't want to get on this fae's bad side.

"What do I call you?" Douxie asked. He knew the fae wouldn't give him his true name, but Douxie didn't want to use the wrong title and accidentally offend the king. The safest thing to do was to ask.

Douxie was relieved when the king just smiled. "My people call me Auberon." The name sounded vaguely familiar to Douxie, though the pronunciation didn't sound quite right.

"And may I call you that as well?" Douxie asked, just to be sure.

"You may." Auberon chuckled. "For such a reckless child you're far more careful than most humans are."

"I've become far too familiar with interacting with a king who is likely to order my execution if I say the wrong thing." Douxie said. "Camelot was not a safe place for beings of magic."

Auberon frowned. "I've heard of Camelot."

"Whatever stories you've heard, the kingdom was far worse." Archie said. "The only reason we came out of it alive is because Douxie found himself under the care of the kingdom's local Wizard."

"We could have survived without Merlin's help." Douxie said. He'd lived most of his life without his master. Archie gave him an unimpressed look.

"The very first thing that happened when you arrived at Camelot was to nearly get yourself killed." Archie reminded him. "Merlin saved your life that day, and countless times after that."

"I know, I know, no need to remind me." Douxie said quickly just so he wouldn't have to listen to it. He was already feeling a little doubtful that he'd be able to survive on his own. He didn't need his familiar's comments to add to his uncertainty.

"So, you're not just careless with the fae," Auberon grinned. "I'm not sure whether that is concerning or amusing."

"Take it from somebody who has known this boy for most of his life, it's concerning." Archie said. Douxie was not very happy with the turn this conversation had taken. He had come here to warn the fae of the threat, not to be made fun of.

"Can we please focus on the problem at hand?" Douxie asked. "I think I may have an idea of how to ward off the hunters, but I'll need your help."

Auberon sat on his throne. Douxie stood awkwardly a few feet in front of him. "What sort of assistance were you hoping for?"

"A way to trick the humans." Douxie said. "I don't want anybody to get hurt. Not you, and not the mortals. I'm a pretty good musician, and a decent story teller, but I don't think they'd believe me if I just claimed that your court fled the area. At least, they wouldn't believe me if a song is all I provide."

"What do you propose?" Auberon asked. He was starting to look a little bored. Douxie needed to get to the point.

"Give me something I can claim as a sign that you've been defeated." Douxie said quickly. "A broken fairy circle, ripped and bloody fae clothing, any token that can support my claim. If I throw in a catchy tune and extravagant story, as well as a persuasion charm or two, I believe we can convince any hunter that remaining in this area would be a waste of their time."

Auberon almost looked disappointed. "It's a much tamer trick than I would ever play on humans who would even think about crossing my court."

"I told you, I don't want anybody getting hurt." Douxie insisted.

Auberon sighed. "Seeing as you've gone to the effort to warn us when you didn't have to, and you're volunteering to do the work yourself, I suppose we can go with your plan."

Douxie let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."

Auberon held up one hand. "However, I have a condition."

"Of course," Douxie said.

"I do not like to owe anybody favors." Auberon said. "You have done a great service for my people, and I am grateful, but I do not want to give you the chance to hold this over us in the future. Allow me to repay you now, and then we shall be even."

Douxie didn't need any repayment, but he knew he knew he wouldn't be able to convince Auberon that this wasn't necessary. If this was what the king needed to feel comfortable with accepting Douxie's help, then he's accept it.f

"Alright," Douxie nodded. "I don't really know what I want in return though."

"I have an idea." Auberon said. He glanced between Douxie and Archie. "You claim this dragon is your familiar, but I sense no magical bond between the two of you. If you're unfamiliar with how to do it, I can teach you."

Douxie and Archie looked at each other. They felt like they had a connection and a close relationship, but Douxie couldn't sense any magic there. He'd felt like something was missing for several years now, but whenever he brought it up to Merlin he was waved off. Neither Merlin nor Morgana understood much about familiars. Merlin had once admitted that there was supposed to be a magical bond between a wizard and their familiar, but it was complicated and dangerous magic that Merlin had never needed to learn.

Douxie grinned. "I would appreciate that."

"I thought you would." Auberon said.

"What do you know about familiars?" Archie asked suspiciously.

"I told you we have changelings." Auberon said. "Every changeling has a human familiar that we must care for. It's not quite the same as the bond between wizards and the familiars, but it's similar enough."

"Now, young wizard, put yourself at your dragon's level." Auberon instructed. Douxie was a little surprised that they were doing this now, but he obeyed Auberon's directions. He supposed there was no point in waiting.

Douxie sat on the ground across from Archie, who switched to his dragon form and sat up straight, facing him.

"Everybody, whether they're magical or not, has an aura around them." Auberon said as he walked around where Douxie and Archie sat. "Those with magic just have an easier time sensing auras, and their own energy is more noticeable to those around them. Have you ever felt each other's energy?"

Douxie and Archie both nodded. It wasn't something they had ever consciously done, but they were both incredibly familiar with the other's magical signature. It was how Douxie could always tell where Archie was, even when he was shapeshifted and they were in a crowded place, and Archie always knew when Douxie was upset and needed a good cuddle.

"Reach for each other's magic now." Auberon said. Douxie felt for the dragon's familiar fire. It was all too easy to find. Auberon smirked. "And now is when it gets complicated." He spent the next half an hour talking Douxie and Archie through the process of forming a magical connection with each other.

Douxie could feel that magic was happening, but he wasn't sure if they were doing this right. He didn't feel any different, and he knew that Archie didn't either. Still, they continued to follow Auberon's instructions. Finally, after the final step, it all seemed to click into place. All of a sudden Douxie could feel something like a magical bridge connecting him and Archie. He felt like his own magic was combining with Archie's protective fire.

Archie and Douxie stared at each other in near awe. Douxie had never exactly felt incomplete, but after having bonded with Archie he felt like he was whole for the first time in his life.

"Is this what it was supposed to feel like this whole time?" Douxie asked. Archie gave him a small smile.

"If it is, we've been missing out." Archie said. "This feels absolutely incredible, unlike anything I've ever felt." Archie almost sounded relieved about it, though Douxie didn't understand why.

"There are risks to being bonded with a familiar." Auberon said. "If one of you gets hurt, the other will feel some of their pain. If one of you dies, the other will forever feel incomplete."

"It's worth it." Douxie said as Archie nuzzled close to him. Douxie had only been feeling this connection for a few minutes, and yet he couldn't imagine ever being without it again. Douxie stood up, holding Archie close to his chest.

"Our debt has been paid." Auberon said. "We are even. Now, there's an abandoned fairy ring hidden near the town. If you can uncover it, you can use it as the token you were looking for."

"I can do that." Douxie nodded. He remembered something. "Oh, I told the fae that found me that I would play my music for the court." As much as he didn't want to upset the king of the fae, he didn't want to go back on his word to any of them.

"It's been a while since we've had a proper dance," Auberon said thoughtfully. "Before you destroy the fairy ring you may play your music for any fair folk that want to dance. Just be finished before sunrise."

"I can do that." Douxie agreed quickly. He bowed towards the king again, just for good measure. "Thank you."

"And thank you, young wizard." Auberon said with a small nod of his head. He waved towards the entrance Douxie had first come through. "Now go before I decide that I want a pet wizard after all."

Douxie thought that Auberon was just joking, but he didn't want to take the chance that he wasn't. He quickly retreated back towards the corridor. He found the fae that had first brought him there waiting for him.

"Did your meeting with my king go well?" The fae asked.

"Better than I had expected." Douxie grinned. "We've come to an understanding. He helped me bond with my familiar, and I'm going to help ward off the hunters in the nearby town." Douxie looked around. He saw dozens of fae watching him. "Does anybody know where an abandoned fairy circle is? I've been given permission to play my music for a dance at the fairy circle until dawn."

Some of the fair folk looked a little nervous, but Douxie's fae, the one that had guided him, beamed ecstatically. "I was hoping to hear more of your music."

"I'd be happy to oblige," Douxie gave them a small bow. The fae happily started to lead the way, while other fae around them followed them somewhat nervously, though they seemed excited as well.

Douxie was looking forward to this himself. He was tired, and he knew that he probably wouldn't be getting any sleep that night, but it was worth it. Douxie was about to be playing his lute for a fairy dance. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It would be well worth the lost hours of sleep.

A/N: I took some liberties with this chapter. I'm not super familiar with the Witcher games, so this Auberon is probably completely different from the one in the Witcher. He's not supposed to be the same character, just somewhat based off of him.

I'm also trying to stick to the fair folk rules specific to Ireland, but I really wanted to include courts, as those are the fae that I'm most familiar with. I honestly had no idea that the Irish fair folk don't really have courts the way that the Scottish fae do. Having Auberon come from a court was my best compromise.

And it was only as I was in the middle of writing this chapter did I realize what overarching theme I wanted to have in this story, so at least I now know where I'm going from here.