“Ugh, it’s hot,” Noa complained as they rode down the trail on the second day of the trip. “It’s still early in the year, why does the sun have to be so rude?”

            “It dislikes your face,” Nidi said deadpan next to him. “This is a punishment.”

            “Ack! We have the same face, you moron!” Came the reply, followed by the sounds of a short slapping scuffle. 

            “I never thought I’d see the day where I admit to bein’ excited to see Hawthgrove of all places, but if I have to listen to those two go at it for another second…” Danae trailed off, shaking her head. 

            “It’s just how boys their age are,” Kevza said, tilting his face back to enjoy the sunshine, hot as it was. “And I still can’t figure out why you don’t like Hawthgrove. I think it’s pretty!”

            “Hawthgrove gives me the creeps, and you know it,” she shot back. “All the dark and the rollin’ rocks and glowin’ plants. It’s just not right.”

            “Well, with all the activity from the Ether-“

            “Aye yes, I know, I know!” She interrupted with a playful slap to his shoulder. “I already took the damn class when Bores was teachin’ it, I don’t need to hear the lecture from you too. But magic or no, it sets me off.”

            “And here I was, planning to beset you with a bouquet of light lilies,” he joked with a snap. “My plans are ruined.”

            “You get even one of those things near me and I might just hit you for real.”

            Kevza laughed brightly, and let it drop. 

            He couldn’t fault Danae for her feelings. In truth, quite a few people had a hard time following the trail into the forest, where sunlight faded away under the thick canopy of trees and the world changed from the norm. The regular exposure to the Ether had left large traces of magic lingering in the soil, affecting the plants and animals around the area. 

            For his part, Kevza found it to be quite relaxing. The darkness bloomed in traces of blue and purple, greens and pinks; colors he had never before considered to be particularly haunting and beautiful until he’d seen them used to light up the world. He could still recall the first time he’d traveled there as a teenager- the distinctly alien feeling of it all making his younger self giddy with excitement to see what oddities it held, like stepping into another world.

            As they followed the simple cobbled road into the trees, darkness began to fall, the sunlight having to fight through the webs of branches above only to be diffused in the ever-lingering mists. But for all the lack of sun, their path wasn’t dark. Colorful luminescent leaves and flowers lined the edges of the road, with little stone lanterns set in regular intervals housing small clusters of glowing mosses in their chambers to guide their paths. 

            Patches of the earth thrummed steadily with energy, encouraging the flora to grow in increasingly convoluted ways, which in turn brought out the strange animals that liked to hide in the underbrush, skittering about to and fro as they foraged in this land of oddities. On occasion, they could even see a larger forest cat out between the trees, their patterned coats shimmering in the darkness.

            In his childhood, he’d wanted to catch one of those big cats, and ride it back to Domen Keep to be his familiar after his Trials. It was a good thing his teacher had never permitted it, seeing as how he’d never gotten to the point where he was allowed a familiar in the first place, after everything that happened.

            But that was in the past now.

            Noa and Nidi were seemingly impressed and pensive with the changes in scenery, respectively. The boys looked around, the former drawing his sword and brushing it through the leaves of a bush, laughing as it shivered and changed from blue to green where the cold steel dragged along.

            Xavi, their medical officer, was quick to put a stop to it before they got something that would annoy them back.

            Hawthgrove was a few hours down the path yet, deep in the heart of the forest, and with the amount of riding they’d already done, Kevza soon called for a break, swinging down off his horse in a clear spot near the trail.

            Water gurgled nearby, frothy where it bubbled over the small glowing stones in the bottom of its bed. The arcanist drug his fingers through the stream, using a nudge of magic to sense its quality before declaring it safe to drink.

            Their little group made use of the water, drinking and refilling their canteens before leading the horses over and settling down for a moment of rest from the road. After about ten minutes, Kevza perked up from his place sitting against the base of a tree, something having caught his attention.

            “Hey,” he said quietly, leaning over to tap on Noa’s shoulder and pointing out to the other side of the grove. “Look over there.”

            Across the way, a trio of creatures was slowly carving out a hollow in one of the tree trunks. Their small, palm-sized forms were thin and willowy, the pale skin where their gossamer wings attached to their middles gradually shifting into the wooden hues of their arms and legs, and the wood crowns resting on their little heads, their attention affixed to pulling down the edges of the tree’s bark to widen their new living space.

            “What are they?” Noa asked, shifting closer to them slowly, drawing the attention of his brother.

            “Forest dryads,” Kevza answered with a smile. “They’re all over in here if you know where to look, but you rarely get to see them building new homes.” He pointed to them again, continuing. “Do you see how they all match, from their wood grains to their crowns and wing shapes? Those three are probably a family getting ready to welcome a fourth.”

            “Whoa,” the young man said, watching the three work. 

            “Watch this,” Kevza grinned, slowly standing and making his way over to the tree, picking up a small stick along the way.

            The three dryads stopped their task as he approached, slinking back and poising their wings to take flight, watching him with their reflective eyes. They may have been small, but they were far from stupid. Quite the opposite in fact.

            “Hello little ones,” the arcanist said with a small bow. “I’ve come to give a gift.”

            He rubbed the small piece of wood he’d picked up between his palms, sending a small current of energy through to twist and shape the wood to his will. With a humble gesture, he held out the finished piece- a small wooden swing with a hanging peg. The small creatures took flight, buzzing around and chirping as they carried it off between the three of them, the smallest returning with a small glittery stone and a whistle of thanks.

            With another small bow, he excused himself, returning to his spot by Noa and passing him the rock. “It’s from a nearby deposit most likely,” he said with a smile. “You and Nidi might be able to practice making something from it.”

            “How’d you do that thing with the wood?” the boy asked, turning the stone between his fingers. 

            “I’m a trained arcanist,” Kevza answered with a shrug. “Over time, if you’ve got the skill, you learn all sorts of little things.”

            “Do you think I’ll be able to do that someday?” Nidi asked, coming to sit with them, fascinated.

            “It depends,” Kevza said simply. “Some people have a stronger connection to the Meridian than others. You’ve got a good baseline talent for helping the Alchemist Guild, but I can’t say much more than that until we get you some more hands-on experience.”

            “Which none of us are goin’ to get lazing around here,” Danae cut in, clapping a hand on each of the twins’ shoulders. “Back in the saddle boys, we’ve still got a fair amount of ground to cover if we want to reach Hawthgrove before the real dark sets in.”

            And with a few playful jabs and grumbles, their little group swung back up onto their horses and returned to the path.

***