The first sense to return to Collin was sound. Even while he was still half-asleep he was being played a soothing melody on a flute. As he regained himself, he sat up from the ground and peered around for the source of the music. The others were all still sleeping, undisturbed by the song. Collin followed the notes, almost hypnotized by their serene beauty. 

He came across a faun in the forest. Her pelt was a stark white, the silvery glisten of snow. A pair of gray goat’s horns grew back from the top of her skull. A knitted, light blue scarf was draped around her neck, fluttering in the wind. Even though it was Spring, she seemed to shiver even beneath her tawny coat. 

As Collin drew close, she held a long note and then stopped altogether. As the song subsided, Collin blinked open his eyes as if waking up for a second time. But just as he realized what had happened, a net clasped around him. 

“Nice work, Bella.” Ireth’s voice rang from above. Collin watched helplessly from the ground as Ireth and two others walked out from the thicket. One was a tall, muscular orc covered in battle scars. She wore her pale blonde hair back into a tight bun, a braid dangling in front of her face. 

“Do we get to eat em’?” the orc asked eagerly. 

Sticking close to Ireth was a man dressed in silk robes and beaded necklaces. His hair was straight and long, flowing over his back like a waterfall. His eyes were covered by a red bandana with an eye painted in the middle.

“Fools are ones who act on hunger,” he said, his voice soft like a ghost’s. 

“No one eats the boy,” Ireth snapped. “We have to get him back to my father immediately.” 

“I recall the King telling you to return with the Shared Soul, or to not return at all,” Bella mumbled, hushed beneath her scarf. “Do you really think he would banish you? You’re his son, oh dear, how dreadful-” Her words shot from her mouth so fast and anxiously, that you could hardly make out a word. 

“Enough!” Ireth roared. “Shut your mouths or no one gets paid.” He knelt beside Collin, ensuring the net was taut. Then he threw Collin over his shoulder, carrying him off deeper into the woods. 

Collin tried to summon Raz, but the rune was pushed up against the ropes, keeping him trapped inside. But with every failed summoning, embers and sparks shot out from the rune, like the starting of a lighter. Collin continued to try to summon Raz until the ropes burned black and grew loose. The second he broke free, Collin flipped off of Ireth’s shoulder and ran. 

But before he could even get a few feet away, a bolas wrapped around his legs, sending him crashing to the ground. The orc-woman stood behind him, holding a bolas and net in opposite hands. 

“Your aim is on point today, Emis.” Ireth complimented, trudging toward Collin who struggled to break free on the ground. 

But just as Ireth went to reach for him, an enormous, clawed hand pressed down onto Collin’s back. A black wolf stood above Collin, snarling and biting at Ireth until he backed away. 

A second wolf, brown and speckled, stepped in front of Collin. 

“Leave him alone,” it snarled. 

“Animus…?” Collin asked tearfully. The wolf turned back toward him and nodded, closing its yellow eyes. 

“Yes,” they answered. “And I’m not the only one.”

The black wolf turned into a dark vapor, swirling up into the sword clutched between Breven’s beefy fists. He spun the sword wildly and then struck it out toward Ireth. 

“Don’t fret! No party member left behind!” Breven roared with laughter. 

“Damn you,” Ireth wore, shaking with rage. “What do you think I pay you for!? Kill them and bring me the boy!” the Prince yelled toward his posse, walking away. 

Emis charged wielding a heavy battle ax. Breven met her in the middle, blocking her powerful swing with the flat side of his blade. The metal screeched deafeningly as a small firework of sparks shot out from the impact. 

Animus went for the magician, transforming into a large, white snake. They coiled up the magician’s body, constricting it tightly. 

“To kill a snake you must chop off its head.” the magician mumbled. 

A curved blade of air whipped toward Animus’s throat, but they were able to dodge it at the last minute. Their cheek split open with a fresh wound, blood dripping down the side of their face. 

Collin struggled to unlatch the ropes from his legs. Kace emerged from the shadows and knelt beside him. “Hold still,” he whispered. He held up a single finger that began to glow brilliant gold. With a single tap of his finger, the ropes unbound themselves. 

“Thank you,” Collin said hurriedly, getting to his feet. “You haven’t recovered enough to do another disappearing act, have you?”

Kace shook his head somberly. 

Collin watched the fight from afar, staring in terror. He gripped his fist tightly at his side, his fingernails digging into the skin. 

“I feel so useless…” he gritted. “I can’t fight or do magic like them. All I can do is watch.” 

“Many people in this world aren’t skilled with a weapon, nor possess magic. Even I am limited with what I can do. That’s why we have to find ways to strengthen what abilities we do have, and not mourn over what we do not. Because far distance teleportation makes me dizzy, I do quick bursts instead.” Kace explained. “So what about you? How can you get us out of this situation using your strength?” 

Collin examined their surroundings with a determined look. He spotted an old tree breaking from its stump. 

“If we can push that tree over, it could give us a momentary distraction,” Collin explained. “Do you have enough energy for a short burst?” he asked, Kace nodding. “Good. After we’ve all regrouped I want you to send us up into the canopy. Ireth doesn’t know that your powers are limited. He’ll probably think we teleported far away like last time.” 

“Good thinking, Magpie,” Kace said, ruffling Collin’s hair to make it wilder than it already was. He raced off into the battle while Collin headed for the old tree. 

He slammed his shoulder against the tree, making it teeter ever so slightly. 

“Come on,” Collin groaned, pushing his weight against the sturdy tree, digging his heels into the earth. Raz burst from the rune, pushing his paws up against the tree. 

“Raz, what are you doing?” Collin asked. 

“I want to help!” Raz yipped. “If that masked idiot dies then I won't get to taste his cooking again.”

Collin smiled brightly. “Use your fire breath to weaken the base of the tree,” he ordered. Raz produced a steady, small flame, rotating it around the circumference of the trunk. Collin stepped back and slammed his body into the tree one last time. With a loud crack, it came loose from the trunk, tumbling down. 

Breven and Animus shoved their opponents out of the way, dividing them between the fallen tree as it crashed into the earth. 

“This way!” Collin yelled as loud as his lungs would allow. 

They ran to each other and Kace took hold of each of their hands. 

“NO!” Ireth roared, climbing over the tree. 

In a flash of light, they were gone. They reappeared up in the canopy, surrounded by long arched branches and lush green leaves. Collin motioned for the others to stay quiet and peered tentatively down over the branch. He watched as Ireth kicked the dirt and swore. 

“What do we do now?” Bella squeaked. “Your father he-!”

“He doesn’t need to know,” Ireth said coolly. “He said to return with the Shared Soul or not at all. So that’s exactly what we shall do. Until we capture him, we will not be returning to the castle.” 

Collin watched as they wandered back into the woods. No one spoke until the sounds of their footsteps had completely disappeared. 

“That orc was an amazingly skilled warrior. If she hadn't been trying to kill me, I might have asked for some pointers.” Breven chuckled. 

“We’ve managed to buy ourselves some time, but we should keep heading to the port as quickly as we can,” Kace said. They each climbed down from the tree one at a time, Animus transforming into a small songbird and swooping down with ease. 

“Thank you,” Collin said once they had all made it back to the ground. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come and saved me.”

“I don’t know if we would have made it out of there without your quick thinking!” Breven bellowed back. “We’ve made a damn fine team,” he added, grabbing Animus and Kace by the shoulder, pulling them close to his sides. 

Just then a carriage rolled down the dirt path leading through the forest. It was led by a single white horse with gray spots. Sitting atop a small seat at the front of the carriage was a Fungolo. He was a stout man with a curly beard and sharp goatee. Above his red and white mushroom cape head was a long top hat. 

Plastered on the side of the carriage was a poster reading, “Fibaro Fungolo’s Fantastic Circus”. With the tree in his path, he pulled back on the reins, bringing the carriage to a slow halt.

“Do you folks think you could move this tree?” he asked politely. “Surely the four of you are strong enough.”

“We can…” Animus said, stepping forward with a sly smile. “...in exchange for a ride.”