"It really is you," the mystery woman declared, her arms outstretched. She rushed forward as Azar looked on, his expression puzzled. I could feel his happiness as his arms opened up, hugging her deeply. I was mystified because I could have sworn she was not there a moment ago.

As she nestled in Azar's arms, her scarf fell from her head, revealing more of her features. I was admiring the color of her hair, which was a peachy pink, falling in soft waves around her face. She was tall, almost as tall as Azar, with light brown skin that looked striking against her pale hair. I could tell that even under her long, baggy trench coat, she had a slender but curvy body. Her deep green eyes were locked onto Azar, and there was a faint smile on her face. The mystery woman had a round nose, full lips, and a sad expression etched into her eyes. Her feelings were faint, but I could sense her sorrow. She wasn't wearing a talisman because I could see her small, pointed ears poking out from her hair. Even in the dull afternoon light, it seemed almost like her skin was glowing to me. I glanced around, but there were no other people on the street to notice our strange gathering. As I watched the pair, I stood nervously to the side, afraid to interfere.

Who is this woman? Is she from Terra? I had to assume yes since she was speaking in Terrarish.

"Calliope, what are you doing here?" Azar finally said after he was done hugging.

"I could say the same to you," she replied, her beautiful face frowning. "I have been looking all over for you. When I returned to camp, no one knew where you had run off to. There were rumors that-"

"You came back? When?" Azar blurted out.

"My cover was almost blown, so I had to pull out of my post," Calliope whispered, her gaze fell on me, lurking off to the side, and she stopped talking.

Azar noticed her staring at me, and he swore under his breath, switching to English. "Shit, oh sorry, Calliope, this is Diana."

"Di-ana, is she...?" she repeated cautiously in slow English.

"Yeah, she knows about us, so you don't have to pretend around her," Azar muttered.

I shot the fier elemental a look before introducing myself. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Diana Massey, reincarnated princess of Eirene or whatever."

"Princess, I'm sorry I didn't realize," Calliope murmured as she began to bow, but Azar stopped her, as we were standing in public.

"Please don't bother bowing," I said, my face blushing.

Calliope stared at me for a beat before nodding. "As you wish, princess."

"Just Diana is fine," I added.

"Yeah, good luck with that, this one is a stickler for formalities," Azar chuckled. He smiled down at her, and I could feel small waves of his admiration. He really liked this woman.

Calliope pursed her lips a little, jabbing the fier elemental with her elbow lightly. "You are always too informal, Azar."

I laughed lightly, smiling at their exchange.

"Azar, we need to talk," Calliope began, her tone turning more serious.

The fier elemental nodded but sighed as he looked over at me. "Yeah, we do except..."

They were both staring at me, and I was beginning to feel like a third wheel. "Sorry, he's kinda stuck with me," I babbled nervously. "Hey, let's go to the bookstore, there is a cafe there. You can chat while I browse." I pointed as I talked, but it was in the wrong direction, so I had to correct myself, laughing awkwardly. The pair stared at me blankly before agreeing to my idea.

We walked the short distance to the bookstore, entering through the cafe side as we arrived. Lucas' Book Nook and Cafe didn't have the largest selection of either books or food, but it was a fairly popular hangout in town, especially during the Winter season. The place was clean, cozy, and well-run, with the owner always around to answer any questions you may have. Originally, it started as just a bookstore until they expanded into the building next door, turning it into a reading room and cafe which served coffee and snacks. I thoroughly enjoyed the cluttered walls, full of art, along with the plush couches scattered around the cafe. I also liked the decoration they would place in the cutouts on the walls that separated the two stores. Each month, it changed to celebrate the season or the theme of a book. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the scent of freshly ground coffee. Quickly, I texted Grandpa, letting him know we were stopping at the bookstore so he wouldn't worry. I wasn't sure if I should tell him about Calliope yet, so I left that part out. I wanted to make sure that the pair could have their talk without any interruptions. Azar and Calliope picked out a corner table, far away from the other patrons gathered near the coffee bar. Azar went to get them both drinks, and I stood next to the table, glancing nervously at the newcomer. She was examining the decor in the cafe when I saw another flash of her ears, and I panicked.

"Um, I don't want to be rude," I whispered, pointing at her ears, "but you should probably cover up your head."

"Of course, my apologies," she replied, plainly. Calliope wrapped her white scarf across her head and then around her neck, staring up at me when she was done. I broke her gaze, looking over to see if Azar was coming back yet.

"Your English is very good," I blurted out, not sure what else to say.

"You are very kind, princess," she said with a smile. "I am afraid I am a poor student of your language. I don't understand as much as I should."

I shook my head because somehow I found that hard to believe. Her pronunciation, although slow, was spot on.

"I'm sure that's not true," I reassured her. There was another long pause before I thought of a better question. "How do you know Azar?"

Her face fell slightly, and she glanced over towards where the fier elemental was standing. "We met in the resistance. We were, are, comrades in arms."

I waited for more information, but she didn't seem very forthcoming. "Oh, so are you a warrior also?"

"Yes."

"Is it rude to ask what your powers are?" I babbled, my face flushed red.

"You don't know?" Calliope asked bluntly.

"Um, should I?"

She opened her mouth to respond but paused, unsure of herself. I could feel her confusion and also a hint of pity. "I am one of the Poch'ouk. I make use of the air to aid me in battle."

"Oh, air? So a wind elemental then? That's cool," I replied. I was betting her magic looked beautiful.

"The wind can have many temperatures," she stated bluntly. I opened my mouth to correct her, but then thought better of it. I was guessing she didn't know much slang. As I waited, I was admiring Calliope's poise and calm demeanor. When Azar returned, he placed down two mugs of coffee, and I took the hint, excusing myself to go browse the bookstore.

"Don't go far," Azar ordered.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, taking one last look at Calliope before walking away. I strolled down a few aisles of bookshelves, sneaking off to the side and then doubling back so I could eavesdrop. I know that wasn't the nicest thing to do, but I was so curious as to why Calliope had suddenly shown up that I couldn't help myself. Honestly, I was tired of being kept out of the loop. Lucky for me, the pair had chosen to sit in the section of the cafe that had the cutout window, so I could pretend to be browsing books while I listened in. I took off my winter coat to keep from overheating, wrapping it over my arm as I crouched. I became whisper silent as I strained to listen. The pair was speaking in Terrarrish, which made it easier to pick them out amongst the other conversations.

"This place, it's so strange," Calliope mused.

"Yeah, it's very different from Terra."

"What is this beverage?" she asked.

"Coffee," Azar answered."It's a lot like roasted chikoree tea."

There was a small pause where I assumed she took a sip of the coffee before pronouncing it 'good.' I scooted closer to the window, bending down like I was perusing a section of books on the bottom shelf.

"I can't believe you crossed over," Azar said suddenly, his voice full of irritation."That was so reckless. You know what will happen if you are caught."

"You as well," Calliope replied coolly.

There was a poignant pause, and I imagined the pair was staring at each other. I wondered if I could reach out and listen to their feelings. It was hard to single them out at first; the other patrons in the store were clouding my thoughts, but I eventually zeroed in on them. Calliope was still faint, but Azar, I could tell, was irritated.

"So what did you want to talk about?" he grumbled.

"I was worried about you."

He laughed bitterly."Okay, sure."

"You are still mad at me," Calliope stated plainly. She was very matter-of-fact in her speech. It reminded me of a teacher speaking to a student.

"Calliope, you made yourself clear all those years ago how you felt."

I held my breath, wondering what feelings he was referring to. Perhaps Calliope was the ex-girlfriend Maayan had spoken of.

"I lied. Or I should say, I was lying to myself," Calliope said softly.

"What?"

"I thought I was doing what was best for you, for us," she explained. She really believed this, although I could feel her shame as she spoke.

"'What was best for us'? There you go, treating me like a child."

"Azar, I was afraid of what would happen if we continued..."

To be Continued in Part 2