They started their new life by finding a nice spot in the woods to sleep for the night. But Faye woke up the next morning from a loud shrieking sound. Her eyes shot open and landed on Jyri, who paced wildly in circles.
"I can't find Ran!" he shouted, pulling at his hair. "He's gone, and I don't know where, but he's-"
Before Jyri could finish his sentence, a lynx bounded over, knocking into him.
"Ran!" Jyri squatted to pull the lynx into a hug, then pushed him away. "What in the demons is wrong with you! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Ran hung his head.
"Going off like that. Where were you?"
The lynx let out a retch, and transformed into a human. Ran adjusted his shirt, and stood up. "I'll tell you, but... promise not to yell at me."
Jyri narrowed his eyes as he got to his feet. "What do you mean? Why would I yell at you?"
"There's... good news."
"Good news?"
Ran nodded. "I found where the door is."
"Really?" All the stress and worry left Jyri's face, leaving him to appear the exact opposite. He even did a little jump, and squeezed Ran into a hug. "That's amazing! How'd you do it?"
Ran pulled away from Jyri, and took several steps back. "Promise you won't get mad."
"Why would I get mad?"
"Because... I went back to the nymph."
All the stress and worry returned to Jyri's face. "You WHAT!"
"You said you wouldn't get mad!"
"I didn't say I wouldn't!" Jyri went back to tugging at his hair. "Odis, Ransu! What in the demons for?"
"Because I don't want you to give up on your dream," Ran said quietly.
For a split-second, Jyri smiled. But just as quick, gave Ran a disapproving scowl. "That isn't worth risking your neck over. What if she did something to you?"
Ran fiddled with the hem of his shirt awkwardly. "I was just trying to help..."
"And now you can help us get to that door," Faye said, before Jyri could go back to shouting. Listening to him freak out all the time had grown tiring. "We can get ready now, and go."
Jyri and Ran agreed.
The journey to Wizard's Point was an easy one, and once they got inside the cave, Faye conjured a flame.
"The nymph made a trail of bread crumbs," Ran said.
Jyri raised an eyebrow. "Bread crumbs?"
"In case we get lost."
Faye lowered her flame to the ground. Little bits of bread were scattered haphazardly in a line. It was certainly helpful, though she hated how a perfectly good chunk of bread was wasted. Her stomach had been rumbling non-stop since leaving Vustaria.
The three followed the crumbs, deeper and deeper into the cave. No one spoke until a significant amount of time passed.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Jyri asked. "The nymph didn't trick you?"
"I saw it with my own eyes. It's not much longer."
"I don't see the crumbs anymore," Faye said.
"Yeah, she ran out." Ran stopped in front of yet another fork. "We just need to make one more right." The three moved rightwards.
"I see a light!" Jyri cried, and ran towards an orange glow in the distance. "It's a door!"
Ran and Faye jogged to catch up with him. It turned out the light came from two torches on each side of the door, though there seemed to be some sort of purple light emitting from the surrounding cracks.
"It was dark when we came here, but Nephele lit the torches," Ran explained.
The door had no handles, and pushing on it did nothing. But there were letters engraved in it forming words Faye didn't understand. A foreign language, most likely.
"Looks like instructions on how to open it," Jyri said.
"Convenient," Faye said. "If only we understood it."
Jyri ran his fingers over the lettering. "We need to make a mixture."
"A mixture?"
"And dump it down that hole." Jyri gestured towards a round hole on the floor next to the door.
Faye's mouth flopped open. "Wait... Don't tell me you can read that?"
"Do I look like a peasant to you?" Jyri asked, sounding snootier than usual. "Of course I can read it."
"It's in veomi," Ran explained.
Of course Jyri would know veomi. It was a language reserved for the privileged only. Someone like Faye would never be allowed to learn it. "So you know how to open it?" she asked.
Jyri nodded. "Everything we need to know is right there on the door."
"This sounds too easy."
"It probably isn't." Jyri ran his fingers over the lettering again, then squatted down and read aloud. "We need the petals of a purple lotus, dried up. Water. Tears from a changeling and..."
"And what?" Faye asked. But Jyri froze, his finger pointed at one of the words on the door. Next to him, Ran winced.
"What?" Faye asked.
"I'm sorry." Ran patted Jyri's shoulder. Jyri remained paralyzed to the spot.
"What!" Faye repeated, much louder.
Her echoing voice broke Jyri out of his trance, and he stood up. "It wants blood."
"What's so worrisome about that?" Faye asked. "You're a doctor. I think you can handle a bit of blood."
"Not just any blood..."
Faye rolled her eyes. "You don't need to get all dramatic on me. Get out with it, for once in your life."
"It wants nymph blood," Ran said simply.
"Oh." Faye's eyes widened. "OH."
"We need Nephele for this." Jyri swore loudly, and pounded his fist against the door.
"The other stuff doesn't sound hard," Faye said. "Is it?"
Jyri skimmed through the lettering a second time. "We'll need to find a fairy colony for the purple lotus. That might be challenging. Water is easy. Changeling tears... That's our biggest problem."
Faye bit her lip. "Why changeling tears? What makes those so different?"
"Magical properties," Jyri said. "They're rumored to have them. But I've never even seen a changeling, much less tested on one. Not much is known about them."
"Really?" Faye asked.
Jyri nodded, then rubbed his hands over his face. "I don't even know where to begin that search. They're so rare, they might as well be extinct."
"Aren't they supposed to be bad luck?" Ran asked.
"Luck is just superstition. But they are foul-tempered. If we do find one, it'll be hard to get it to cooperate with us."
Faye looked down at her feet, rubbing her elbow. For a moment she considered telling them what the spriggan had told her. That she was a changeling, and so the changeling tears would be the easiest to get. But when she opened her mouth, different words came out. "We should try for the purple lotus first."
"Let's go into town and ask people," Jyri said. "Someone has to know how to get to a fairy colony."
"We don't need to," Ran said. "I passed one on my first trip through Dorendi. I think I remember where it is."
Jyri grinned. "Perfect!"
The next morning, the group trekked through woods until they came across an open, grassy area. In the center, mushrooms had grown to form a perfect circle. The spot gave off a magical vibe. It certainly seemed like a place to be filled with fairies. But they were the only ones there.
Ran gestured towards the mushroom circle. "Behold..."
Jyri raised his eyebrow at him. Faye tilted her head. "Where's the fairies?"
"In the fairy ring," Ran said with a wide smile.
Realization seemed to have hit Jyri, and he ran his hand over his face. "Don't tell me you believe that folklore."
"Folklore? It's a fairy ring."
"It's mycelium growth." Jyri groaned. "The only fairy we'll be seeing here, is Faye."
"But if you step in it-"
Jyri stepped inside the circle, throwing his arms out. "Nothing. It's a myth."
Ran grabbed his arm, and yanked him out. "You'll make them angry!"
Jyri rolled his eyes. "There won't be any colonies here. Fairy rings have nothing to do with fairies."
"But-"
"I studied fairies. I became a doctor for them. I know what I'm talking about."
Ran gave Faye a questioning look. Faye stared back at him. "I've never heard of fairy rings."
"See," Jyri said. "Not even the fairy knows."
"She didn't grow up with fairies," Ran said.
"We've wasted enough time," Jyri said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's go back to the city, and ask someone where the fairies live."
"They live here," Ran said insistently, pointing to the circle. "If you walk in there, you'll be transported-"
Jyri stepped back inside the circle, and threw his hands out again. "Transported where?"
Ran hesitated. "Maybe it's because you're not a fairy?"
Jyri stepped out, and gestured towards Faye. Taking a deep breath, Faye stepped inside the circle, to the center of the ring. Nothing happened.
"You were saying?"
Ran bit his lip. "She's only half. But fairies made that-"
Jyri bent down, and picked a mushroom. Ran gasped as he held it up. "It's just a mushroom." Tossing the mushroom aside, he picked another one, and tossed it aside.
Ran grabbed his shoulder. "Stop!"
"Stop what?" Jyri plucked another one. "I'm just getting rid of the evil ring you're so afraid of."
Faye chewed her lip. A bad feeling settled in her stomach. "Maybe you shouldn't..."
Jyri scoffed. "Don't tell me you believe in this nonsense too."
Ran and Faye watched Jyri crouch along the rest of the circle, plucking each mushroom, and tossing them into a pile. "It's just a bunch of fungi, growing from mycelium that grew out from the center underground. It has nothing to do with fairies." Jyri got to his feet, tossing the final mushroom into the pile. "Ta-da! No more scary fairy ring. We can return to the city now."
A high-pitched scream erupted from somewhere behind Faye, and she turned around. A fairy, half her size, fluttered in, hands over her mouth. "What have you done?"
"He did it!" Ran pointed at Jyri, who shoved him.
The fairy landed on her feet, arms folded across her chest as she pouted up at Jyri. "Why? Why would you humans do such a thing?"
"I was just trying to prove-"
"Just trying to prove something?" The fairy shook her head. "Typical human, trying to prove himself superior to everyone around him."
Jyri gaped at her. "It's not that at all."
"It's not that at all," the fairy mocked. "Are you aware of what you just did? You disrupted the burial site of our dead."
"What?" Jyri asked.
"Our dead." The fairy gave him a fierce glare. "When one of our kind dies, we bury them in the fairy ring."
"No you don't," Jyri said. "You cremate your dead."
The fairy looked ready to slap him, and Faye wouldn't blame her if she did. "And what do we do after we cremate them, oh great and knowledgeable human?"
"Put the ashes in a box, and bury it," Jyri said.
"And where do we bury the boxes?" The fairy squinted at him.
Jyri didn't reply, and looked down at his feet.
The fairy answered for him. "We bury them in a fairy ring. Surely someone as smart as yourself would have known that."
"I knew that!" Jyri snapped.
"No you didn't," Ran said. "You said yourself. Fairy rings have nothing to do with fairies."
"I meant..." Jyri's voice trailed off.
"Typical human, too proud to admit he's wrong." The fairy shook her head. "Disrespecting our dead to prove a point. You disgust me." The fairy looked to Faye, eyes on her wings. "Why didn't you stop him?"
"I didn't know it was sacred," Faye said. "I was born into a human orphanage."
The fairy nodded, though eyed her curiously.
"Do you know where we can find a purple lotus?" Jyri asked.
"It's important," Faye added.
"Important for the human, I suppose." The fairy regarded Faye for a moment. "I know where they are."
"Can you take us there?" Faye asked.
The fairy looked over at Jyri and Ran, then back at Faye. "I can take you there, but the humans have to stay behind. I don't trust them in our world."
Jyri opened his mouth as if to protest, but no words came out. Ran stared at the pile of mushrooms, hands in pockets. Faye looked back to the fairy. "Will it take long?"
"It shouldn't. My name's Tasi, by the way. What's yours?"
"Faye."
"Alright, Faye." Tasi linked an arm with hers. "I need you to close your eyes."
Faye complied, and could feel herself being lifted off the ground. Every inch of her body tightened, and squeezed until her feet touched ground again. She opened her eyes and found herself standing on some sort of cloud-like floor. She took a step forward. The floor felt solid enough, unlike clouds. "Where are we?"
"This is a fairy colony," Tasi explained. "Only fairies have the magic to teleport here. All others have to be escorted."
Faye followed Tasi down the cloud-looking path. There weren't any horses, and everyone they came across fluttered past them. Many stared at her, which made her feel self-conscious about her battered wings. Every fairy had flat, translucent wings, much unlike hers.
"They only grow along our waters," Tasi said, as they left the cloud path for a dirt one. They walked across green grass, and up to a small body of water. "Here."
Faye's mouth fell. The pond was beautiful. A waterfall trickled down into it, giving it the impression of a fountain. Colorful flowers surrounded the area.
"Gorgeous, isn't it?" Tasi asked. "That'll be because humans haven't traipsed in here and messed with it." A butterfly flew in and landed on a purple flower. "That'll be your lotus."
The butterfly flew away as Faye squatted down, and picked it. Or, tried to. The flower remained tied to the ground no matter how hard she tugged.
A smile spread across Tasi's face. "Can't pick it, can you?"
Faye shook her head, and stood up to face her. "Why can't I?"
"Because only those with fairy blood can pick anything in our world." Tasi said.
Faye felt her mouth run dry. "But... I'm a half fairy-"
"You are a changeling." Tasi's voice was cold. Harsh even.
Faye rubbed the back of her head, swallowing. "I'm not."
"You are." Tasi crossed her arms, frowning up at her. "I suspected you were."
"How?"
"Your eyes and damaged wing, for starts," Tasi said. "I've yet to meet an actual fairy who wasn't beautiful." Faye opened her mouth to defend herself, but Tasi quickly continued on, before she could interrupt. "You're also orphaned. It's rare for a fairy to be abandoned, even a half one. Do your human friends know?"
"No."
"Good," Tasi said. "Odis knows what they'll do if they find out. Nobody wants a changeling around. You're lucky humans are too thick to know one when they see one. But I've seen things. Dorendi might be open to magical creatures, but even changelings are unwelcome here. It would be wise to leave this country before you get found out."
"But where am I to go?" Faye asked. "I just escaped from Vustaria, and they're even worse there."
Tasi gave her a look of pity. "I don't know, but you need watch yourself. Here." She plucked a handful of the lotus flowers, and handed them over. "We best get you out of here now. Judging by some of the looks you've gotten, I think fairies here are suspicious." With that, Tasi linked her arm around Faye's, and they teleported back.
When Faye and Tasi appeared, Ran and Jyri were sitting on the ground, chatting. And the fairy ring was back. Sort of. The mushrooms were flopped over on their sides in a crooked circle.
"We put the fairy ring back together," Ran said cheerfully.
"I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but I'm sorry," Jyri said.
Faye blinked in surprise at Jyri's apology. It sounded truly sincere. Though she didn't respond, an amused smile appeared on Tasi's face as she looked at the attempt at fixing the wreckage.
Jyri rubbed at his arm, and glanced at Faye. "Did you get them?"
Grinning, Faye held up the flowers. Jyri wrapped his arms around her into a tight hug, then grabbed the flowers from her. "Beautiful."
Tasi studied them all with an unreadable gaze. "I must be off." She patted Faye on the shoulder. "Remember what I said." Without another word, she left.
Jyri was too distracted by the flowers to question Tasi's final words to Faye. "Now that that's taken care of... We'll need changeling tears. And nymph blood. Who first?"
"The nymph blood will dry up before you get a changeling," Ran said.
Jyri nodded. "True. But how are we supposed to find a changeling?"
"Maybe that fairy could've helped us," Ran said.
"I think she's helped us more than enough," Faye said quickly, before Jyri could suggest running after Tasi. "Considering what somebody did."
"Oh shush. I fixed it, didn't I?" Jyri rubbed his chin, appearing lost in thought. "Maybe there's other fairies in town that could help us."
Faye shuddered inwardly. The fairies in the colony were suspicious enough. The ones in town probably would be too. Especially if the subject of changelings comes up. But I was in town before and nothing bad happened. Nobody suspected anything. Though she did get a lot of dirty looks. She had assumed it was due to her appearance, but maybe there was more to it...
"What do you think, Faye?" Ran's voice tore her out of her thoughts. "Should we go to town and ask around?"
"Uh... you two can go ahead. I'll wait here. I..." Faye fell to her knees, struggling to think of an excuse. "I don't feel so good."
Jyri's face fell slack, and he stepped towards her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Faye said a little too quickly. Ran raised an eyebrow. She clutched her stomach. "I... cramps. I just started my..."
Ran scrunched his nose, and began walking in the direction of the city.
Jyri squatted next to her. "Get some rest, we should be back in a few hours." To Faye's surprise, he wrapped his arm around her, giving her a hug. An honest, genuine hug. Normally she'd tell him off, but without realizing it, she hugged back. Then, withdrew her arm as though he were on fire. Gross!
Jyri smiled, almost like he read her mind. "Sorry. I'll, see you later." And with that, he hurried off after Ran.
Leaving Faye to wonder how kind he'd be if he knew the truth about her identity.
ns 18.68.41.141da2
