Author's Note:
Greetings, once again! I must apologize for such a long time between chapters. Finals hit hard, but I'm on break now, so hopefully I can a lot of writing done! If anybody is still around, thanks for being so patient.
-Tangent
The morning came, bringing crystal-clear skies and a rising temperature as the sun peeked over the horizon. The markets of Happily Ever After began to fill, slowly, as merchants opened shop for the day. Soon, as the sun emerged in full, the market became a bustling place, as it usually was on the sixth day of every week. Deals were cut, and bargains were made everywhere that Iya looked as she moved through the rows of stalls.
"There's a lot of strange things here." Ava remarked from behind her, and Iya turned to see her gesture at a stall that appeared to sell dolls of some sort. "But I suppose Seri would appear weird to outsiders as well."
"I haven't been to Seri." Emma said from the elf's other side. "What's it like?"
"Well…" Iya turned her attention back to the road as Ava began describing her home to the younger woman, who seemed quite enraptured by the images the pirate was painting. Her gaze flicked across the stalls as she recalled the conversation she'd had with Ean just an hour or two ago, as they were departing. He had mentioned another dream, and she wondered what he'd seen in order to make him look so unnerved.
The others will keep him safe. Assured by this notion, she continued moving through the market, scanning for an information board or somebody who looked to have a lot of knowledge about the city. After all, based on what the chancellor had said, the school of magic here was quite secretive. Still, she knew that they accepted applicants, so somebody must know where it was located.
"Hello, young lady! I can't help but notice a fellow elf. Or at least, your ears are the same as ours." The voice came from her left, and she turned to see a shopkeeper waving at her from a nearby stall. She moved over, aware that Ava and Emma were following her closely. The man, who appeared to be a middle-aged elf, smiled at her. "Still, you look different than most of the ones here."
"I'm not what you'd call a native." Iya said with a smile. "Just visiting, really."
"You looked a bit lost, out there in the market." The elf said with an eyebrow raised. "Do you need directions anywhere? Or are you looking for a particular item?"
"Well…" Iya said slowly. "I'm looking for the mages guild on the island. Your chancellor mentioned one, but not exactly where it was."
"Ah, you're a mage, then? Good on you." The merchant said. "Well, not sure if they'll let you in, seeing as they rarely take students, but I know where it is." He gave them directions that would take them to the east side of the town, and Iya thanked him as they departed.
"Do we need anything else?" She asked, and Ava frowned.
"I'll need to get more supplies for the ship, but the only problem is that it's quite far away. Perhaps we could borrow a cart or something…"
"A topic to ask the chancellor, then." Emma said, and Iya nodded in agreement. They walked in silence for a moment, before the green-haired woman broke the silence. "So, about you and Ean…" Iya tensed visibly, a blush beginning to appear on her cheeks.
"What about us?"
"How long have you… know about how you felt?" Emma asked, eyes facing determinedly forward. Ava wore a small smile as she listened to the conversation between the two younger women.
"Honestly?" Iya sighed. "From what I can recall, I think I had a bit of a crush on him for years before I was taken here."
"Really?" Emma said, intrigued. "What was he like?"
"We were both much more immature." The female elf admitted as they wove through a small crowd of people surrounding a stand that seemed to be selling a fruit drink of some sort. "Well, perhaps that's not right. We… my home does know war or conflict like the Land of Man. I suppose that makes us seem complacent."
"Not at all." Ava said quietly. "I would think peace is something worth cherishing. If you grow used to peace, you are more inclined to try and keep it."
"But you could grow sloppy." Emma argued. "Sorry." She added to Iya, who waved the gesture away.
"Don't apologize. You are right, according to Ean. I vanished, and nobody except him could even remember me. Even the elders, wisest of all, did not believe him. The Snow Queen's enchantment made them forget, yes, but I suspect she also tried to make them not want to remember me."
"So that they would not search." Ava murmured, and Iya nodded.
"Yes. But Ean did." And now she blushed again, and the pirate favored her with another smile.
"You truly do care about him."
"I do." She said firmly, and Emma smiled as well.
"Then perhaps it all worked out in the end."
"Now we've only got to save the world." The elf responded dryly. Ava surveyed her for a moment, and she could tell that thoughts were brewing in the woman's mind. For a moment, the pirate was silent, and then:
"I think I've misjudged you." Iya raised an eyebrow, but let her continued. "When I first met all of you, I felt as though none of you had the experience I did that was necessary to win this fight. You are powerful, but…"
"You thought we were lacking in knowledge." Emma finished, and the pirate nodded.
"Perhaps a better word would be that you had endured less hardships than I. But now…" Her gaze was serious as her eye met the blue ones of the elf. "You've endured more than anybody should have had to, and you came out stronger because of it. I apologize."
"It's not necessary, Ava." Iya said, mildly shocked at the admission. "Your experiences are invaluable, and there's nobody we'd rather have with us. Besides, I know we look… untested, but I think we've all proved otherwise."
"Even Nicholas?" Ava raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you have to admit he's much better." Emma put in. "Given that he's not trying to kill Gavin whenever they're near each other."
"I suppose. Guess that's my fault, though…" Ava told them what Uthar had asked of her, and how she had initially dealt with the spoiled prince. This sent Emma and Iya into fits of laughter at the picture she painted, and even Ava had to admit that he had looked quite funny.
"I can't believe you dragged him through the castle!" Emma said, containing her giggle as it threatened to escape once more. "And to think Uthar allowed it!" They rounded a corner, and all three of them stopped quite suddenly. This side of town was completely different, with larger, more spread-out houses along a wider street. Lanterns were strung across the gaps with near-invisible wire, giving them the impression of floating.
"This is different." Iya remarked, gazing down the lane. "But this sounds right, based on the directions. It should be at the end of the street somewhere." They proceeded down the quieter road, which had far less people milling about in the morning.
"Oh, what's that?" Emma asked, gesturing to a smaller shop on a corner. It was a small, cozy-looking building with a chimney on top. White smoke was issuing from the hole, and there were windows all along the front.
"Must be a pastry shop." Iya said. "Can you smell the air?" The scent of freshly-baked goods was carried to them from the bakery, which admittedly smelled quite good.
"I may be tempted to go there later." Ava said with a smirk.
"I'd be right there with you." Emma said, and Iya smiled.
"Perhaps you can go pay it a visit while I speak to the mages in the guild." They were approaching the edge of town, which was clustered right up against the edge of the hills that formed the boundaries of the city. Ahead, they could see a single building at the end of the street, and it appeared more ornate than the buildings around it. Lanterns hung from the edges of the roof, and Iya saw two guards wearing pink cloaks in front of the main doors.
"Think they'll let us in too?" Ava muttered, and Iya shrugged.
"Probably not, so maybe you guys should take a break and look around. If I need help, I'll set the building on fire or something."
"Won't there be a lot of mages in there, though?" Emma said, frowning.
"As far as I know, I'm the only song mage here." Iya said, and her eyes flickered with storms for just a moment. "So they'd better be careful, but I doubt they mean me any harm."
"Fair enough." They were at the steps leading up to the main doors, and one of the guards raised his hand.
"Stop! Who are you?" Iya stepped forward, holding her own hand up. Her green song orb appeared in her hand, and the man's eyes widened. His female companion seemed similarly shocked.
"I am the last song mage in the Land of Man. I've come to speak to your teacher." The man hesitated for a moment longer, then gestured to the door behind him.
"Go inside. She'll meet you in the main hall." Iya turned, nodding to Ava and Emma, who gave her encouraging smiles. Then, taking a deep breath, the elf ascended the steps and stepped into the building. The door shut with a clack, resonating through the still air, and Iya was gone.
Ean panted as he swept his claws down, slashing through another of the strange cards they had encountered the last time they had crossed the Dogwort Plains. As it fell, disintegrating, he turned to see that the other enemies had been dispatched as well, and that Rye, Gavin, Jack, and Nicholas were unharmed.
"Good work." He said. "Now, we should be almost to the place on the map…" He scanned the forest, eyes searching for a way through the impenetrable trees. A few moments later, he was rewarded with a narrow gap between two trees that wound its way into the woods and disappeared. "I see something over here."
The path in question was overgrown, but they could still faintly see the signs of footsteps as they wound their way through the bushes. A few minutes later, Ean brushed aside a large plant and stepped into the clearing that housed one of the largest houses he had ever seen. The mansion, for it was really the only title that fit such a structure, was five stories high, composed of smooth white wood and reddish tiles that formed the roof. There were many windows, all different sizes that stretched around the side of the building and out of sight. In front of them, a small, neatly-manicured path led up to a closed door which had a stone gargoyle on either side of it. More oddly, there was what appeared to several mirrors strewn on the grass around the house, some propped up against rocks or lying flat.
As Ean took in these details, he also noticed the thick bushes on either side of the house, preventing any sort of access to the back of the mansion. The trees grew thickly, and he could see any way to enter except the front door.
"Wow." Jack breathed, gazing up at the house. "Who lives here?"
"Guess we'll find out." Ean said, moving towards the door. Raising his palm, he knocked twice upon the wood, creating a sound that echoed through the trees for a second. For a moment, the air was still, devoid of any sounds at all. Then, a bird chirped, and Ean lowered his hand.
"Nobody appears to be home." He said, examining the door. "Do you think we should come back?" He tried the handle, but it would not turn. A small keyhole indicated a lock, and he turned to Gavin. "Take a look at this, will you?" The warlock nodded, moving over to examine the keyhole while Ean stepped back. Rye was examining one of the mirrors on the grass, and he frowned.
"Hey, look at this." Ean moved over to him, gazing down onto what he thought had been a mirror. Although the surface was shiny, there was no reflection to be seen, not even their own. Instead, the empty mirror appeared like a canvas: blank and waiting to be filled.
"They're all like that." Jack said. "And hold on, even the windows are mirrors!" He was quite right. The windows high above had no reflection either, only a blank smoothness that seemed hollow and fragile.
"Lock's no good either." Gavin said, turning back to the group. "It's been enchanted to only open with the right key."
"Can you break the spell?" Rye asked. "Or override it, or something?"
"Unlikely. It's strong magic. If I had years to spare, maybe…" Gavin trailed off, and Ean turned to stare at the house.
"Who goes to such lengths to make a lock? And who's got the magic to do that? I never saw any evidence of somebody like that in Happily Ever After."
"Besides, you would have thought the chancellor would have mentioned something like that." Rye pointed out. "So we can assume it's not somebody from town." Nicholas, who had been quietly examining the house, raised a finger.
"You're forgetting somebody, and they certainly seemed strong enough to do this. The only question is, why?"
"Who?" The ranger said, turning to face him, but it was Gavin who answered.
"The witch." He glanced at Ean, whose brow was furrowed with concentration. "I'm not saying she took Aisling, but who else would stand to gain from that but her?"
"It makes sense…" The elf said slowly. "And now that you mention it, she had another mirror in her house that she told us not to touch…"
"It's better than nothing." Jack pointed out. "You think we should try and find out what she's hiding?"
"I… don't know." Ean admitted. "If she's the one behind it, she could easily move Aisling from wherever she is holding her now. We have to find a way to distract her."
"How do we do that? She didn't seem like the trusting type." Rye pointed out, and the elf shrugged.
"It's probably best to talk to the other about this before we make a decision. Iya should have finished her business with the mages by now, so let's head back. Sound good?" The other men and Jack murmured assent, and Ean led them away from the mansion without looking back.
Behind them, a shadow flickered across one of the mirrors, watching the group move away from the house. After all, its master had commanded it to keep all intruders at bay. As the party vanished into the forest, the shape slowly dissipated into nothingness…
The doors closed silently behind Iya as she stepped into the main hall of the building. Several students were standing in groups, and she saw that they were wearing the same robes as the guards outside. As she entered, they fell silent and turned to watch as the blue-haired elf made her way forward.
The hall was circular, with several staircases leading off to other parts of the building. Fires burned in sconces on the walls, giving a cheery look to an otherwise empty place. Iya gripped her staff a little tighter as one of the students gave her a look.
"Who are you? You don't belong here." The elf opened her mouth to respond, but:
"Peace, students. This is an honored guest." From the staircase opposite her, a woman descended into the hall, dressed in white robes rather than the pink of the students. Her hair was black, and it accentuated her pointed ears that matched Iya's.
"Who are you?" Iya asked politely.
"My name is of no import. Consider me a servant of the Goddess." The elf responded, nodding deeply to her. "And you must be Iya Tiki."
"I am she."
"Then you have come to learn a new song." The elf spread her hands, and an orb manifested itself in front of her. It was a deep, rich pink filled with lighter shades that seemed to flutter around inside of it, moving independently of each other. "This is the song of the Butterfly, chosen one. Do you intend to accept it?" Iya felt the eyes of students on her as they retreated to the walls, giving her and the unnamed elf the center of the room.
"I do. I need this power to defeat the Snow Queen." She declared, pulling her staff from her back.
"Then let your trial begin. Best of luck, young one." The elven master flicked her hands, and light flew outwards in a circle, creating a barrier that trapped them both inside of it. "Now, show me the strength of your song." Iya summoned her chaos orb into her hand, and hurled a bolt of lightning directly at her opponent. However, before it could reach the elf, it struck what appeared to be a rainbow that manifested itself in midair, causing it to fizzle out.
What? With another gesture, the elf sent the spectrum of colors flying towards her, and Iya dodged to one side as she hurled a fireball at the oncoming magic. However, like the lightning, her magic died away as it touched the spell, leaving her to roll to one side as the light flew past.
My magic doesn't affect it? It is not a physical attack? Her mind raced as she considered the possibilities. She had never had the chance to learn much about song magic, but it had seemed to all focus on physical or elemental attacks. However, this song seemed to completely ignore any magic she had cast thus far.
Elemental magic won't work, then… but what about this? As the next beam of rainbow light shot towards her, Iya flicker her wrist, sending four gleaming daggers flying towards the woman. They intercepted the light and passed straight through with little effort, and the elf woman's eyes widened.
"Battle magic…" She murmured as she made another, different hand gesture. This one created a shield of violet light in front of her. The blades bounced off, vanishing as Iya narrowed her eyes.
A new move… I wonder why?
"You've learned much already." The woman said, bringing her hands in front of her to form a circle. "But this magic is different from any thus far." What seemed to be a light pink fog burst forth, spreading outwards rapidly. Iya backed up, sizing up the magical mist.
I don't know what will happen if I touch it, but I doubt it'll be good. The elven magician smiled calmly at her as the mist formed a circle around her, slowly closing in. Iya whirled around, searching for a way out, but she was completely enclosed in the spell. A second later, the mist touched her arm, and the elf immediately felt a wave of intense drowsiness sweep over her. Her knees buckled, and she was dimly aware of them hitting the floor.
No… a sleep spell… need to… stay awake… She struggled, desperately trying to stay awake as the mist engulfed her, and she heard her opponent speak from outside the spell.
"It's no use, child… This spell preys upon your mind itself. Your magic can't defend against it."
So that's… how it works… Her mind was going dark, but she thought she understood at last. As her eyes began to close, Iya summoned her remaining strength and smashed her staff upon the floor. Fire, hotter than nearly any she had summoned before, burst forth in a wave that engulfed the entire arena. The elven mage stumbled backwards, and her concentration wavered for a moment. In that instant, the mist vanished, and Iya felt her mind clear abruptly. She leapt to her feet, turning to face her opponent as she staggered upright, her robes burnt and torn.
"Impressive…" She breathed. "But it's not over yet."
"It is now." Iya said, and she flicked her staff in the direction of the witch. Her battle orb manifested, and daggers flew outward. Once again, a violet barrier emerged from the air to block the attack.
I understand it now. Iya moved one hand behind her back, concentrating as her daggers were knocked aside once again.
"It won't…" The elf began, but her eyes widened and she was forced to dive aside as a spike of ice pierced the air where she had been standing. "What?" From behind her back, Iya withdrew her other hand to reveal her chaos orb, sparkling with grim delight. However, her right hand was still holding the battle orb, and the pale elf smiled.
"I've figured out your secret. Your magic is only resistant to one of my attacks. However, you can only summon one spell at a time, so if I strike with both…" She trailed off, and a look of surprise flitted across her opponent's face.
"You learn so easily… To think that you can use two songs at once…" She lowered her hands, and her own song orb dissipated. "I surrender to you, Iya Tiki." Her opponent bowed low to her, and a rush of whispers began to spread throughout the hall. Students murmured behind their hands to each other as they observed her, and Iya felt a faint sense of discomfort. Despite everything, she was still not used to being the center of attention. She bowed hastily in return, and the elven master stepped closer to her, so that only she could hear.
"The prophecy states that your path is far from finished… and so I shall reveal the secrets passed down to us by singers long ago." Instinctively, Iya extended her hand, and the elven woman placed her own atop it. The pink orb formed once more, but when the woman pulled her hand away, it stayed, hovering over the younger elf's palm. Her eyes widened as she heard, rather than felt, the song flow through her as a gentle melody.
"This is the Butterfly Song." The elf told her. "It is used to charm and entrance your enemies so that your way can be cleared. Now, you only have one song left."
"Thank you." Iya said, closing her palm and concluding the ritual. "I will put it to good use."
"Then I will be satisfied." The elf said, bowing. "And if I may, can I make a request of you?"
"Oh." Iya said, surprised. None of the others schools had asked anything of her so far. "Of course. What is it?"
"After you have defeated the Snow Queen, visit this school again. I do not know that the other schools have told you this, but the songs you have learned must be returned to their homes once their time is done. Without this, your body will eventually be worn down by so much magic."
"Why did the Oracle not tell me this?" Iya said, confused.
"Perhaps she felt it was best for you to find your own way. The magic will stay with you, as long as you remember the songs, but you can think of the song as a physical presence. The physical song within you is powerful, and can chip away at your spirit if used for too long. The memory alone is enough to cast magic, should you have need of it."
"I see. So, the physical songs are meant to help me understand the magic more quickly?"
"You are quite astute." The older elf said with a nod. "That is the gist of it, yes."
"Than I shall return when my mission is done." Iya bowed to the woman, who smiled fondly at her. "May I ask you one final question?"
"Of course, child."
"Where is the last school of magic?" Iya asked, brow furrowing. "I have seen no records, nor heard anything of it." A shadow seemed to pass over the elf's face, and she frowned.
"We do not know. It fell into darkness, around the time Eredar was abandoned."
"Are the two events connected?"
"Perhaps." The elf said to her, meeting her eyes firmly. "I think that you must discover the answer to that yourself. It has been long since I have seen an apostle of any other song."
"I will find them." Iya vowed as she stowed her staff upon her back and adjusted her robes. "Thank you for everything, master."
"Travel safely, Iya Tiki." Turning, Iya walked back across the circular room, and the students parted as she passed, clearly intimidated. When she reached the doors, they opened of their own accord, and the elf stepped out into the sunlight once more.
Emma and Ava were leaning against one of the pillars of the school when she emerged, blinking a few times at the bright sun. They leapt up immediately as she came forward, smiling at her.
"How'd it go?" Emma asked, and Iya held up her hand in a silent answer, willing the butterfly orb to appear on her hand. Both women looked equally amazed and impressed at the sight, and Ava whistled.
"Well done."
"Thank you." Iya said quietly. "Any word from Ean and the others?"
"No, but they should be back by now, unless they found something huge."
"And," Emma added, raising her eyebrows. "We had some of the best pastries I've ever tasted."
"Oh, really?" The elf said, smiling as they began walking back down the mostly empty street.
"They were good." Ava said unabashedly. "I'd go back for more."
"Perhaps I'll have to try some before we leave." Iya said, fingering her staff absentmindedly. Ean's face unexpectedly crossed her mind, and she frowned. It was true that Ean and her had not spent much time together ever since they had left the mainland. They talked, but the elf still wondered what it would be like if they were a normal couple, with no grand fate to interfere. Emma noticed the sudden change in expression, and turned to her.
"What is it?"
"I…" Iya hesitated. "Nothing. Just a foolish idea."
"In my experience, very few idea are not worthy of consideration." Ava said.
"You can trust us, Iya." Emma told her, reaching out to touch her shoulder gently.
"I… Well… It's about Ean, I suppose." The elf began, eyes focused on the road in front of her as they made a turn. "We haven't spent a lot of time together since we sailed from Thais, and I thought the town would be a good place to go on a 'date', I suppose. Is that what humans call it."
"Yes, that's the right word." Emma looked confused. "And I think it'd be good for both of you to do something like that."
"It feels selfish." Iya admitted. "Like we should be focusing on other things."
"Nobody said that you had to devote your entire life to this quest." Ava told her gently, but firmly. "You and Ean deserve just as much a chance at happiness as everyone else. And besides, I think we could manage without you for a few hours."
"I suppose you're right." The elf said, feeling a growing sense of happiness. "I'll ask him later, then. Perhaps we'll go to the that cafe."
"Sounds romantic." Emma raised her eyebrows as she spoke, and Iya laughed.
"That is kind of the point."
Jack let out a sigh of relief as he sank into an armchair in the main room of their inn. He didn't mind going out with Ean and the others, but it still took more of a tool on him than the others, being the youngest out of the group. Still, he knew that it was good for him, seeing as he had gotten much stronger and faster since Ean had dragged him out of Thais. Rye and Gavin took seats next to him as Ean headed upstairs to drop his pack off, his footsteps echoing slightly as he moved out of view.
"No sign of the women yet?" Rye asked, and Gavin shook his head.
"I'm sure they'll be back soon. What do you make of all this?"
"I don't know." The ranger said quietly, being careful not to be overheard by the innkeeper or anyone sitting at the bar. "There's just too many things we don't know. It makes sense that the witch is behind the nymph's disappearance, but there's no proof."
"And we can't just break into her house, if she really is behind it all." Gavin agreed, eyebrows furrowed.
"Why not?" Jack asked, shifting forward in his chair.
"It would give away our element of surprise." Rye answered. "She could easily move Aisling somewhere else before we could get to her." They fell silent, and Rye adjusted his cloak behind him. Suddenly, the door behind them opened, and three familiar figures came into the inn.
"You're back!" Jack exclaimed as Iya gave him a smile. "Did you get our orb?"
"She sure did." Ava answered, nodding to Gavin as he stood up. Ean appeared from the stairs, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the female elf. He came over, and wrapped her in a quick hug.
"Knew you could do it." He murmured, something Jack barely caught over the sound of the others. After they separated, Ean gestured to the empty chairs.
"I suppose we should fill each other in." The others sat, and the elf began relating what they had found outside the secluded mansion. He described the mirrors, and the theory that the mirror inside the witch's hut was the key to breaking the locking spell.
"It's plausible…" Ava muttered, frowning. "But how do we get in there without her noticing?"
"It seems rather difficult." Rye admitted. "If she moves Aisling, we might not get another chance to find her. But what else can we do?"
"Sometimes you have to go backwards to move forwards." Jack said suddenly, leaning forward in his chair. "A man told met that, many years ago."
"And how do we do that?" Emma asked, making the boy frown.
"Well, we still have Gulliver's cloak, don't we? Why don't we return it to him, and ask him about breaking locking spells in the meantime?" Ava looked skeptical, but Ean and Iya seemed to be considering the idea.
"Do we really have a choice?" Nicholas muttered from his chair. "We aren't getting much else done sitting here." Ean deliberated for a few more moments before nodding.
"Fair enough. With the winds, it won't take much time to get back to Verashema. Ava, can we leave today?"
"Sure." The pirate said. "The ship should have enough supplies."
"There is one more thing I should mention, though." Iya said. "We met a talking boar today."
"Say again?" Rye said, looking half amused, half uncertain. "It spoke?"
"It said that he was a prince, cursed by the witch because he did not love her the way she loved him." Emma filled in. "He said if we could find him a wife, somebody that doesn't care about his ugliness, then the spell will be broken."
"Great." Gavin muttered. "More love curses."
"We'll keep it in mind." Ean said, scribbling a note into his book that contained their other requests. "Where do we find one, though?"
"Bogwood, maybe?" Jack put in. "They are witches, after all." He glanced at Ava, who frowned.
"It's not too far from Verashema, I think. Maybe another half-day's travel to the edge of the swamps?"
"If we head that way, we can go look around." Ean decided, placing his notebook back into his pocket. "Everybody go pack really quickly, and meet back here in a few." The others chorused assent and headed for the stairs. Iya stayed behind for a moment, placing a hand on the shoulder of her dearest friend.
"It will be okay, Ean. This is the best option for us right now."
"You're right." The elf sighed, giving her a small smile. "I'm just glad that we've got something to do now. Whoever hid Aisling did a good job, but we'll find her."
"I know we will." His mate murmured, and he squeezed her hand wordlessly.
I'll find her for you, Iya.