Chapter Three: Familiar Lands
The red dragon who Ezran had befriended, whose name was Pyrrah, had Rayla at the Silvergrove in a matter of minutes. The speed was incredible; maybe she should suggest a dragon to Callum the next time he wanted to take a trip home, rather than the mage wings that, while amazing and cozy to be wrapped in, separated them for days. It was almost embarrassing to her how lonely she felt without him.
Rayla stood on the massive tree root that marked one of several entrances into the village. Pyrrah was under orders from the Dragon Queen to wait for Rayla and give her a ride back to the spire when she returned, and now she was laying under a tree and watching the smaller creatures of the woods scurry around her paws as she relaxed. Rayla hated how nervous she felt, and now she longed to have Callum with her for more than out of simple loneliness. She needed the support he would be giving her right now. Probably some sweet, sappy speech about how she needed to do this, and that this timidity was so unlike her. She could practically hear him saying it and was reminded of his absents when she performed the dance to lift the illusion, alone this time.
The illusion was lifted and the beautiful village was revealed. Rayla forced herself to go in. The shadowpaw that Ethari had lent her and Callum, who had tagged along for the trip, now rushed into the village in what was clearly joy at finally being home. Lucky boy, she mused. Several elves acknowledged the animal as it frolicked by, a few others getting out of its way and others seeming amused by its antics. Faceless elves who payed her no mind. The ghosting hadn't been lifted. Somehow, word must not have gotten to the Silvergrove of her part in the war. Or else, they decided that despite her heroism, that she was still banished for consorting with and fighting alongside humans as equals, no matter the threat. She briefly wondered if word were to get out about her relationship with Callum, if some of these elves would actually come after her themselves, looking to end her.
She smiled at the thought in a sort of bittersweet amusement. This isolation didn't spark the despair that it had during her last visit, maybe because she actually had somewhere else to go if her people refused her. Queen Zubeia had been happy to allow her to live at the spire as a full-time guard, and failing that, Ezran's first official decree as king was that Rayla was welcome in Katolis if ever she wanted to come live with them at the palace. The innocent yet somehow knowing glance he gave his brother and said brother's resulting blush gave her the feeling that Callum was ultimately behind this sudden declaration. She had rewarded him with a bold kiss in full view of everyone. Rayla let out a small laugh as she recalled Callum fumbling in the way he does, trying to explain things to his aunt who really only looked amused. She'd laughed then too, even under Queen Janai's scandalized look, back when the older elf was still not used to such displays.
This train of thought sustained her as she walked to Ethari's forgery. She entered, at first alarmed to find the place empty. She looked around and before panic could begin to mount, she noticed a cracked door with a sound coming from it. Rayla had to admit that there was a perk in being a ghost; she didn't have to worry about being stealthy. Enjoying the short-lived freedom while it lasted, she peeked through the door. It was a large pantry, the walls lined with shelves of fruits and vegetables, bottles of juice, and the occasional prepared delicacy like cakes or jams. Rayla had to admit, she hadn't come here enough to be familiar with the place's layout, but she supposed a pantry wouldn't be out of the question. Smithing was hungry work, after all; most smiths she knew, Ethari included, ate a lot.
Ethari sat at the table in the middle of the room, lazily picking at his bowl of berries. At his side was something that surprised Rayla; a small moonstrider sitting beside him. It must have been a young one with how small it was, only coming up to his waist. That was odd, Rayla thought; it was rare in the village that even small animals were allowed indoors. Rayla couldn't count the number of times where, as a child, she would be scolded by her parents, or later by Runaan and Ethari, for trying to sneak adoraburrs, lunar squirrels or shadowpaw cubs up to her room. The hypocrisy only bothered her for a moment, though; she had a self-appointed but important job to do.
As fast as the flight over here had been, Rayla had had time to think about the possibility of her ghosting being unlifted and how she would get Ethari's attention if that was the case. She had concluded that she was only invisible and silent, but she could still interact with objects. Rayla was quick to retreat to Ethari's desk and rummage through things until she found an ink-plume, a magically modified feather that never needed to be dipped in ink, and a simple slip of paper. She hastily scrawled the message that she was back and they needed to talk urgently. Rayla walked back to the open door, folding the paper along the way.
Her whistle was, of course, unheard by Ethari, but the young moonstrider's ears perked up and he looked at her. He trotted over to her and she couldn't resist the urge to scratch his ears as she presented the note to him. He took it and bounded back to Ethari. Ethari, who up until now looked stoic, gave the animal a curious look as he took the note. His eyes widened at its contents and he stood up.
"Wait here." He said, part of him feeling foolish for speaking to what appeared to be nobody. He swiftly left the room. Rayla sat and waited in another chair, continuing to scratch the moonstrider's ears and chin. She was given appreciative yips in return.
Rayla must have been getting rusty because she didn't notice Ethari approaching her until he placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him as his face appeared. The sight of his familiar, gentle eyes was of great comfort, but he still looked sad.
"Rayla, you can't keep doing this." were his first direct words to her.
"It's important." she told him. "I need to know how to lift the spell. Not for me, for my parents." Ethari gave her a surprised look, waiting for her to carry on. "Mom and Dad didn't abandon the egg, they…I'm not sure what happened, but they didn't run! They were the only ones that did stay, the egg only survived because of them. I'm here to rid myself of the spell. If they ever come back, I want to be able to see them. To talk to them."
"How could you know such a thing?" Ethari asked after a moments silence.
"Callum." Rayla told him, her eyes softening at the memory of the drawing. "He performed a spell using the moon opal you gave me. He's a mage – a real mage who doesn't need a primal stone! We delivered the Dragon Prince to his mother and…that place made me upset. Callum casted a reveal spell and told me about it. I know it's true because he drew a perfect picture of them."
Ethari smiled, his heart warming at the way Rayla's eyes lit up as she talked about this, and he knew at once she was being truthful, among other things. "I can get a stronger spell canceler. A permanent one. Just tell me one thing." Ethari said. "This Callum. He's a human?"
Somehow, Rayla wasn't surprised that half-baked disguise failed to fool anyone. "Yes, but he's not like the rest. Callum is kind and good, he wouldn't dream of hurting anyone here, I know it!"
"True, he didn't really seem like much of a threat." the smith said before looking her in the eyes. "I'll trust your judgment on this, blinded as your little heart is by love." When Rayla looked stunned, Ethari smiled. "You don't seriously think I missed the way you two looked at each other the last time you were here. And those misty eyes of yours just now only confirmed it."
"A-and you're okay with it?" Rayla asked, amazed but also keenly aware of how dangerous it would be if this information got out. His smile disappeared, scaring her for a moment; did Ethari really not approve?
"I'm not thrilled about it." Ethari admitted with a resigned sigh. "A human is a human; they've killed thousands of us over the centuries. But if your heart really is set on him, I guess I can't stop you. I can only hope he's good to you."
"He is." Rayla said, quietly. "Like you said before, I failed them. My actions cost us Runaan and ruined the mission. But somehow, Callum still thinks the world of me. He still loves me."
Ethari's smile was warm and full of a fatherly love for the girl standing before him. His heart gave a painful lurch and his smile fell after a moment. "Rayla, my spell is almost up." he said. "I'll go get a stronger reveal spell for you. Just know that the spell allowing me to see you will be broken by the time I get back." He turned away and headed out the door. In the doorway he stopped and gave her a small look. "Oh, and give Callum my best, will you?"
Rayla nodded and Ethari left her alone in the pantry in the company of the young moonstrider.
Miles and miles away, in the palace of Katolis, the doors to the throne room opened. Soren and Callum entered, and the young king beamed.
"Callum!" Ezran gasped and hopped off the throne to run to them. "Zym!" The brothers hugged, and Zym climbed down Callum's arm and nuzzled Ezran's cheek with happy puurs. Ezran had grown some, a little taller and his hair seemed a bit more tamable. After a moment, Ezran pulled back a bit awkwardly. "Oh, sorry." he said and gestured to the two royals Callum was frankly embarrassed he hadn't noticed before. He recognized Queen Anya and King Jiro, the new king of Neolandia. Jiro was a nervous, quiet sort who reminded Callum of himself before the quest to return the egg.
"Queen Anya? King…Jiro, was it?" Callum greeted with a court bow. They returned the gesture. "Uh, Queen Anya, you remember the Dragon Prince." The small dragon bounded up to her, walking in a circle playfully, keeping excited eyes on the young queen. Anya smiled as she bent down to pet the small prince.
"Yes, of course, we've met." Anya, who didn't seem like she'd changed much at all, smiled as she gave Zym a brief scratch under the chin. King Jiro, having never seen a dragon in his life, baby or otherwise, looked tense. Callum watched him sympathetically. Having been second born, Jiro probably never expected to take over as king and was feeling lost and unsure even now. Maybe that was why he and Anya were here, to either mend fences or so Ezran could assist Anya in giving another very young ruler some much-needed confidence and advice.
Callum eyed the shiny new crown atop Ezran's head. "New crown?"
"Yeah. The one Viren took was never found, so they finally just made a new one. New crown for a new era, right?" Ezran said. "But I guess that's not why you came all the way here?"
"Nope." Callum said, again drawing himself up. Behind him, Soren rolled his eyes fondly, and was soon jumped on by Zym who again attacked his hair. "The news I have for you is too important to be sent in a letter." Ezran and his fellow royals waited patiently. "My training with Ibis is complete. I'm now a full-fledged sky mage."
"Callum, that's awesome!" Ezran exclaimed and hugged him again. Callum ruffled his hair.
"Than it's true." Jiro said in wonder. "There are rumors all over the place about a human who performed magic during the battle without a primal stone to be seen. A human mage who doesn't use dark magic."
"Sure is." Callum said.
"But that's – "
"Remarkable." Came Gren's voice. Callum turned to see his aunt and Gren arriving behind Soren. He barely had to run at all before she lifted him off the ground in a tight hug. When he was set back down, he took a couple of steps back for distances sake.
'What are you doing here?' Amaya signed.
'I am finished with my training.' Callum was so excited, his fingers fumbled a few times. 'I am a real sky mage now!'
'That is wonderful, C-A-L-L-U-M.' Amaya signed, and her eyes softened. 'Your mother would have been so proud. She always knew you were destined for great things.'
Rather than continuing, Callum just smiled and hugged Amaya again. This one was gentler, more about comfort than celebration. When they broke apart, Callum began signing again.
'So, how is it going with those new recruits?'
'Very well. S-O-R-E-N and I are whipping them into shape as fast as we can.' She replied. 'Thanks to V-I-R-E-N wiping out over half of our army, we'll need all the help we can get should D-E-L B-A-R or E-V-E-N-E-R-E start acting up, which is part of the reason King J-I-R-O and Queen A-N-Y-A are here today, to offer their continued support until we are back to full strength. J-A-N-A-I has also warned me that not every creature in Xadia is thrilled with the promise of peace.'
Callum's face fell. He supposed that made sense; the likes of Sol Regem wouldn't let go of their hatred so easily, not to mention the kinds of elf that had no part in the battle, even if through just a single member who could vouch for them like Ibis and Rayla. 'I will be careful. I promise.' Amaya nodded.
"Are you coming home, than, or are you staying in Xadia?" Ezren asked. Callum turned back to the throne, Amaya stepping back to stand beside Soren.
"I'm staying in Xadia." Callum said. "There's still so much to learn and…what if it's possible for me to connect to more arcanums?"
"You'll come back for more visits, right?" Ezran asked. He didn't seem to register the weight of Callum's question, or else it was simply unimportant to him.
"Definitely." Callum said, smiling.
It was dusk by the time Rayla emerged from the Silvergrove. In her hand, she held a small pouch of powder. Ethari's simple instructions had been to throw the powder over herself and speak the incantation followed by the names of the redeemed elves, so that's what she did. "Ignosco tibi, Lain et Tiadrin." There were no sparks, noise, tingling, nothing to indicate that the spell had worked. She supposed she wouldn't know for sure until she met them again, something that was, in itself, far from guaranteed.
As Rayla boarded Pyrrah and the dragon took to the sky and flew back toward the spire, neither was aware that they were being watched. If they had some way of seeing the astral plain, they would have seen the Startouch elf and the young dark mage watching Rayla like a pair of hawks as she emerged from her former home and cast that odd spell on herself. While the mage's eyes were locked on the retreating dragon, the Startouch elf looked at the tree root almost greedily.
Author's Notes: The incantation for un-ghosting is more Latin because old languages fascinate me, so you guys might want to get used to it. The incantation simply means 'I forgive you'. Also, I looked it up, in sign language names are usually spelled out, for pretty obvious reasons, so that's what that's about. Review.