Arwen didn’t seem surprised by this stranger’s appearance. He gave a simple wave before turning to see what Aratazz and Ozani were reading. 

“You forgot to add Greer tongue, otherwise this won’t be a healing spell, but poisonous instead.” 

She shoved him away, sticking out her tongue at the man. “Whatever you nerd. It’s only for a report.” 

“So, when we get reports that sick people are getting dying, we all will know it’s Tazz’s fault.” 

“Zani! Don’t be so mean!” Aratazz leaped at the girl, whining about how mean Ozani was. Arwen ignored them, going back to the stranger. 

“So, here to spy on us, Emmy? Don’t trust us enough yet?” 

She let out a laugh, skipping over. “Of course, not Arwen. We are a rebellion that could all be arrested if you were actually working for the dragons. So, I’ll stick with you to make sure, and then you can see the base, meet the boss, you know, things like that.” 

This girl was not human.  

I could feel nature's touch on her, and the green skin was a pretty big sign by itself. She must have had some relative that was a nymph or a satyr. How it happened, I had no idea since the mythical creatures haven’t been seen in over two decades. 

Arwen ran his fingers through his curls and let out a sigh. “I guess it makes sense; though we are currently living here.” 

“Oh, no worries! Once you are trusted, the boss will provide space for all of you. Though, there is already a space for this magnificent creature. May I greet her?” 

She got bonus points when she turned to me before attacking my dove. 

“I’m okay with it, though, Marakin has the last word.” 

She just laughed, bouncing over to the animal. She stopped right in front of Mara, gently touching her feathers. The two spent some time together as I watched, the girl with soft caresses and kind words. I couldn’t be more sure about her family history.  

“So, are you going to introduce us or what, wizard?” Sora kept fidgeting with the cloak, probably tired of folding his wings. 

“Right! I forgot you didn’t know her. This is Emelina Champion of the Green. She is a wizard like the rest of us, senior of the class.” 

“Yup, I’ve already graduated, but I stayed to teach others and keep learning. Ixon is a great teacher and then I get to see cute things like Marakin here!” Her words ended with a squeal as she rubbed her head against Mara. 

Sora and I were totally forgotten as Arwen put dinner out on the table. Per my request, he picked out several animal-free foods for me and Emelina while the rest ate something called a sandwich. My food was called a salad which was like an amazing gathering of leaves, berries, and nuts. Sora gave me a look; I just threw a nut at him in response. 

“You’re a fairy!” 

I guess Aratazz’s spell wore off. 

Since I was finished eating, I set my bowl down and turned to show them off to the woman. Even though I couldn’t see her, Emelina’s happy noises and coos showed how much she like them.  

Fairy wings were beautiful. They were see-through with swirls of iridescent colors; each pair of wings were unique to that person specifically. At the top of mine, they thinned off to a point and curled into a spiral.  

Emelina did have respect though. I could feel her close and yet she never touched my wings. She just kept muttering to herself about color and design or something like that. I didn’t even hide my blush, pride making my wings flutter. 

“Are we done yet?” 

We both turned to Sora and I thought Emelina was going to faint. Sora had taken off his cloak, showcasing his wings to the world. 

“Guo minn goour, eg trui ekki minum eigin augum. Mamma hfoi rett fyrir ser, bau eru enn til...” Her voice trailed off as she stared at Sora. 

“So, is the whole staring thing going to happen with everyone?” He folded his arms, blush reaching his cheeks. “Cause, it’s cool but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.” 

Emelina was a nymph and I couldn’t believe it.  

Nymphs were the spirits of nature, often tied to their plant or environment. They sided with the angels and fought to protect Kirham. It’s why the island wasn’t invaded, most believed that they faded back into their plant to wait for the next attack. The fairies thought they were all dead since no one had seen one.  

She even knew the ancient language, Angel Grace. It was used for ceremonies supposedly, but the language faded away with the angels. Only the elders knew it, I’d heard it as they whispered at meetings or events. 

“You know Angel Grace?” 

She was still focused on Sora and I looked back at the wizards. All three were staring at their friend, mouths open or eyes wide. Most likely, they had never heard the language before.  

My chitera knew one song that she sang for bedtime. I loved it, the words themselves seemed to be full of angelic magic. The words rolled off the tongue in such a way, it was like the soft pattering of rain or the smell of homemade sweets.  

“So, we have got a lot to talk about, but right now we need to get Marakin to the academy since it’s dark enough.”  

“Don’t bother anymore Arwen.” She turned, determination on her soft face. “You need to see the boss now. He needs to know about the angel.” 

“Again, my name exists. Sora, or even Sorata.” 

“Seriously? Like, right now!” I flew between her and Arwen, anxious to meet someone that knew what was really going on.  

“Yeah, we can leave right now, though it is a long walk.” 

“How far, can we make it in one night?” 

Emelina grimaced and spoke in a soft voice. “Beyond the academy?” 

All the wizards groaned and moaned; slouched over and pouting. How far was the academy? Arwen talked to people and made it back in a day, so it can’t be that bad. Right? 

“Are the harpies active at night?” 

“Absolutely, more than during the day. There isn’t a curfew, but most people stay in their homes anyways. No flying for anyone here.” 

Marakin let out a honk and I agreed with her anger. It would all be so much faster if we could fly. 

“Well, let’s set out then.” Aratazz stood, brushing dirt from her robes. “We can take the cart to hide Sora and there should be space for one or two to rest while the rest walk. And, we already told the border guards this is what we were going to do.” 

Great, more walking. 

So, we packed our stuff and set into the night. Because, why, would we get one night of rest? The Writer loved to do this, even though it always left everyone exhausted. 

Sora, claiming his back hurt, stayed with Mara as we cleaned up. We didn’t want to leave any traces in case someone was looking for us. I didn’t trust those dragons and didn’t want to see them ever again.  

Because Ozani and Aratazz had studied earlier, the two were exhausted so it was up to Arwen and Emelina to pull the cart. With the added weight, it would take up too much of one person’s magic to defend in an attack. 

While Arwen’s magic glowed yellow as it connected to the cart, Emelina’s was bright green. If I looked closely, I could almost see a vine connecting her staff to the cart. That left me to walk beside Mara or the wizards, doing nothing and waiting for empty skies.  

Seriously, I was not going to walk all the way to this academy of theirs.