When I came down with Ivolethe on my shoulder Erin freaked out.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my god! A faerie!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t do subtle. As every eye turns to me I glance at Ivolethe. The small fairy is just sitting on my shoulder, looking around with keen interest.<\/p>\n She\u2019s not even that cold; she\u2019s definitely part ice, but she\u2019s not giving me frostbite, which\u00a0 I think is a definite improvement. To be honest, it\u2019s like having a miniature air conditioner on my shoulder. Not ideal in the winter, but I\u2019d pay anything for one on a hot summer day.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d she get in? Don\u2019t cause an avalanche again! Please? It\u2019s not even my inn!\u201d<\/p>\n I have to smile as Erin tries to shield herself with a serving tray as a shield. She really, really<\/em> can\u2019t do subtle. I wait for someone to ask what Erin\u2019s looking at\u2014<\/p>\n Until I realize they\u2019re still staring. Everyone. Agnes, the guests, the two barmaids\u2014everyone. And they\u2019re looking directly at Ivolethe.<\/p>\n Slowly, I look at the faerie on my shoulder. She looks like normal, but\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cHey Ivolethe. Can the others\u2026see you?\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie shrugs as she looks around the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps. There is much iron here. Too much for a glamour.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looks at some of the gaping faces.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. I think they can, or they would not gape like buffoons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt talks!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Agnes exclaims in tones of ringing horror. Yep. They can hear Ivolethe, too. I stare at Erin. She stares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, where are the rest of them, Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n I look around the room. Everyone\u2019s still staring. This is amazingly awkward.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll uh\u2014explain in a bit. Can we get a seat, Erin? Agnes?\u201d<\/p>\n That breaks the spell. In a few seconds I\u2019m seated in the center of the room, while everyone tries to cluster around me asking questions. I hate it. I try to relocate to a corner of the room, but Erin won\u2019t hear of it and Agnes is beaming. She probably smells another attraction for the inn.<\/p>\n Ivolethe looks unconcerned as well. She stares up at the Humans around us, older men and women mostly, mostly married couples or travelers, and sniffs. I\u2019ll say this for her and the other faeries; they\u2019ve all got the air of little queens, with the arrogance to match.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell? What are ye staring at?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one moves. Even Erin\u2019s staring with fascination at Ivolethe as she sits on my shoulder. I clear my throat.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s right. This is private, so if you\u2019d all leave now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, begone or I will curse ye with faerie magic!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one moves. Ivolethe scowls. For my part, I\u2019m at a loss. Normally my\u2026charming disposition helps scare away even the friendliest busybody, but these people are too fascinated by her. One of them, a burly man with massive forearms, speaks.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this really a Winter Sprite? Truly?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYup! Doesn\u2019t she look cool? I guess faeries can\u2019t disguise themselves when they\u2019re indoors, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n More confusion and looks among the other onlookers.<\/p>\n \u201cFaeries? What are faeries?\u201d<\/p>\n I open my mouth at the same time Erin does, but both of us pause. This world doesn\u2019t know about the fae? Even though there are actual faeries that visit regularly? Ivolethe sits up with indignation on my shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhelp! Ignorant fool! I am a member of the Winter Court! I demand respect!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The man just looks at her curiously. I sense\u2026trouble.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re the creatures that bring winter each year?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd throw snow at us from the sky?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd torment the animals?\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the other onlookers look closer at Ivolethe. To her credit, she shows not a whit of fear. Can faeries even feel fear? When have I ever seen them even acting afraid? Oh yeah. When they were facing down a fire-breathing Dragon. Shit.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think annoying her is a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looks scared. She told me the faeries once threw an avalanche into her old inn when Pisces bothered them. I\u2026don\u2019t want to see that here.<\/p>\n But Ivolethe appears remarkably restrained despite her clear ire. Why? My analytical side takes less than a second to give my unhappy brain a response.<\/p>\n Normally, any of the faeries would have thrown snow or frozen the people around us if they were this mad. But Ivolethe hasn\u2019t done that because she can\u2019t. Cold iron saps a faerie\u2019s strength and makes them mortal. She can\u2019t use her magic here.<\/p>\n What she can use is her mouth. So she does.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLeave me you fool, or I will make you suffer! A faerie\u2019s oath on it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n That\u2019s bad too! I open my mouth, but the big guy isn\u2019t impressed any longer.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t do anything. You\u2019re just like one of them Fraerlings in Baleros. Tiny.\u201d<\/p>\n He cautiously pokes her where her breasts would be if she had nipples. I open my mouth and shove my chair back, but Ivolethe moves first. Her tiny mouth opens and bites.<\/em><\/p>\n The scream is immediate and loud. Ivolethe might be tiny, but she\u2019s still big enough to take a chunk<\/em> out of the man\u2019s finger. Not just a chunk; she bites so far down that I see bone as he yanks his hand away. Her teeth cut through his flesh like nothing.<\/p>\n The man screams again as he holds up his bloody finger. Everyone, including me, stares in horror at Ivolethe. The faerie looks supremely unconcerned as she turns her head and reveals bulging cheeks. She chews, swallows, and grins at us with bloody teeth. Then she waves at Agnes, whose smile has frozen on her face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cInnkeep! Your finest meat and drink! I am a guest here, am I not? I want service!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The onlookers desert our table in seconds. The big man might have come back for vengeance, but Agnes drags him away with promises of a healing potion. Erin and I stare at Ivolethe as she hops off my shoulder and onto the table. After a while Erin looks at me.<\/p>\n \u201cSo\u2026Ryoka. Introduce me to your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n I nod. Ivolethe triumphantly leaps up as one of the barmaids comes hurrying back with some stew. Erin must have made it ahead of time, because it smells delicious. The faerie leaps into<\/em> the bowl as if it were a hot tub and immediately begins chomping down on her immediate surroundings. I carefully move the bowl into the center of the table and clear my throat.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is\u2026Ivolethe, Erin. She\u2019s one of the Frost Faeries that\u2019s been following me around since I met them. And she is <\/em>my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight. That\u2019s what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I mean, she\u2019s my friend. I am friends with a faerie.\u201d<\/p>\n Did I say that with too much reverence? Maybe. But the words that I speak aloud are magical in their own way. A faerie. I really have one of the fae sitting in front of me, chomping down on a slice of potato the size of her head in a bowl full of soup. My friend.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my gosh.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin finally gets it. She puts her hands on her cheeks in delight.<\/p>\n \u201cYou made a friend! Ryoka made a friend! I\u2019m really pleased to meet you, Ivolethe! Any friend of Ryoka\u2019s is a friend of mine. I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll get along great\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe doesn\u2019t even look straight at Erin. She takes another bite of the potato and squishes it into a ball with both hands. Then dunks the potato into the gravy and scarfs the rest of it down. Her eating is both disgusting and fascinating to watch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI will not be your friend, Human. I have made one friend, and she is the reason I entered this place of iron and sacks of flesh. I do not need another, and if I did, it would certainly not be ye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin\u2019s face falls. I don\u2019t quite look at her, and I\u2019m not quite smiling behind my hand. Looks like she\u2019s met someone she can\u2019t <\/em>instantly charm. Hah!<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? But you guys like me, right?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy should I or any of my kin like a thoughtless waste of space like ye?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I made that big feast for you all! You loved it! And you paid me in gold, which turned out to be fake flowers\u2014but you said it was a great meal! You did!\u201d<\/p>\n I cough.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Ivolethe was there, Erin. Not all the faeries stayed around your inn. Some were with me the entire time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. But I did make food! Magical food! I even got a Skill from it!\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe looks slightly impressed. She stops eating to study Erin from head to toe, at any rate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTruly? A faerie\u2019s banquet? I was not there, but my kin spoke of it. My answer remains no.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I interrupt Erin before she can try again. I\u2019m not sure how Ivolethe would react if Erin pushed the matter\u2014and I don\u2019t want her losing a digit.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure Erin respects your decisions, Ivolethe. But she\u2019s my friend as well. My best Human friend. I uh, was just wondering if we could talk. Unless you\u2019re busy?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin gives me a betrayed glance, but Ivolethe just shakes her head. She sinks deeper into the bowl of soup; I notice the steam has already stopped rising, and it looks like the gravy is starting to congeal thanks to Ivolethe\u2019s freezing presence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf I had aught to do, I would be doing it. And we are already talking, fool.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yikes. Ivolethe may call herself my friend, but she\u2019s clearly going to be the kind of friend who uses words as barbs no matter how close we are. I always wondered what having a friend like that would be like.<\/p>\n I wondered what having a true friend would be like, too. Maybe that\u2019s why I can\u2019t stop smiling. Erin\u2019s looking at both me and the faerie oddly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look so creepy right now, Ryoka.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up, Erin. Ivolethe? Why can everyone see you indoors? Is it because of the iron?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe sits up a bit in her bowl as two more come for Erin and me, complete with soft, warm sliced bread. She stares around at the other tables, and the other guests instantly look down at their food.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmf. It is the iron. Too much of it interferes with our magic. Outside it would not matter, but indoors is like a cage in a way. I cannot use my spells. But I can bite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She grins at me again with those sharp teeth. Erin shudders.<\/p>\n \u201cInteresting. But Erin and I can see you no matter if we\u2019re outside or not. Why is that?\u201d<\/p>\n A tiny shrug.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do not know. If ye had the eyes of a cat or god\u2014or ye were great masters of magic like Myrddin, it would make sense. But ye aren\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin looks confused.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Myrddin?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMerlin, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Oh.<\/em> Merlin! He\u2019s real! What\u2019s he like? Does he have a cool staff? What kind of magic did he\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I cut Erin off, although I really want to know as well. The thing about faeries is that you have to stick to one subject and keep bothering them about it. Get sidetracked and they\u2019ll lead you down a merry trail of breadcrumbs, but never get to the truth.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have that kind of magic, Ivolethe. So how else would we see you? Are there any ways mortals can see faeries?\u201d<\/p>\n She shrugs again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlenty. If you stood in the right place under full moon, or caught us dancing without glamor\u2014if you had the secret drink of the fae, you would be able to see us, but I would know if ye were taught thusly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDrink? Of the fae?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looks confused\u2026again\u2026so I explain it to her. How does she not know any myths about faeries?<\/p>\n \u201cThe faerie\u2019s drink would be given to people trusted enough to enter a faerie mound. They would be able to see the secret world with it. Could it be that?\u201d<\/p>\n A rude snort.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHardly. Ye cannot simply make the faerie\u2019s drink by chance. Ye would need the essence of countless gases and things not known to ye humans. Poisons and humors of foul natures beyond your ken.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSuch as\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe sighs dramatically. But there\u2019s a wicked gleam in her eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYe truly want to know? Then, grab as many insects as ye can, Humans! Crunch them up in your mouth, for one of the ingredients is the shell of bugs that may be used to create blood out of water.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEw! You have to eat that?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe nods in satisfaction as Erin wrinkles her nose. But I pause. Blood out of water? That sounds like part of a riddle; probably the rhyme to the faeries\u2019 drink they\u2019d tell people. Blood out of water. A dye?<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you say insects that can be used to create blood out of water\u2026do you mean carmine? In that case, Erin and I have eaten lots of that already.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? We have?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin turns horrified eyes to me. Ivolethe looks up sharply as well. I nod.<\/p>\n \u201cCarmine is a big ingredient in anything colored red, Erin. Skittles, lemonade\u2026if you\u2019ve had anything like that in the past, you\u2019ve eaten ground up insect shells.\u201d<\/p>\n Just a little bit, in truth. But Erin turns pale and Ivolethe looks\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, there are many other things that go into the brew. Not just\u2026that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe we\u2019ve eaten all the ingredients before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Like bugs?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe eat countless bugs each year, Erin. They\u2019re all ground up in our food. And companies use a lot of preservatives\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I think out loud as Erin makes gagging sounds over her meat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S. government started putting fluoride in the water decades ago. And we breathe in any number of pollutants that we didn\u2019t in the past. Add that to whatever they put in most foods in the form of preservatives and to change the taste\u2026Ivolethe, what else goes into your brew?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs if I\u2019d tell you! The brew is secret to all mortals! And ye\u2019d never guess in a million years!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally? Let me just list off a few things and you let me know if I\u2019m getting close. Sodium nitrate? Propylene glycol? Uh\u2026what\u2019s it called\u2026olestra? Monosodium glutamate? Sodium benzoate?\u201d<\/p>\n She glares at me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do not know half of these names! You must be making them up!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally? Well, sodium benzoate originally came from benzoin, a resin found on trees. It\u2019s an ingredient in incense\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I see Ivolethe\u2019s eyes widen. Just for a fraction of a second, and then her head spins away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI-I don\u2019t know anything about such things. This talk bores me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin and I exchange a glance. But Ivolethe\u2019s mouth is clamped shut. Erin leans over to me, looking slightly green.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think it\u2019s true?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, that we ate all of the ingredients of the faerie brew? It might be possible. We eat a lot of weird stuff, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot that! Do we really eat bugs?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. We do, Erin. You know about all the stuff food companies put in candy and fast food. Why are you surprised?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought they were just chemicals and poisonous stuff! If I knew bugs <\/em>were in Skittles, I\u2019d never eat any again!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not\u2014why would you be okay with\u2026? Okay, never mind Erin. Ivolethe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou shall get nothing from me! I will not reveal my kind\u2019s secrets so easily!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The faerie sinks up to her ears in the cold soup. I raise my hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to ask you any more questions. I was just curious. Why don\u2019t we talk about something else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes! Let\u2019s!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin grabs her milk and drinks deeply from it. With a little coaxing, I get Ivolethe to come out of her stew. She dries herself off on a slice of bread, and then she sits on the table with Erin and me. And we talk.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what did you do after I left you, Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I just made some stuff at Octavia\u2019s. You know, more experimental stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. Where\u2019s Octavia now? I\u2019ve never seen her eat\u2014does she do it at her home or should we invite her here now and then?\u201d<\/p>\n I think that would be the polite thing to do, but Erin shakes her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, but Octavia won\u2019t want to eat today. She\u2019s in bed with bad food poisoning.\u201d<\/p>\n I pause.<\/p>\n \u201cHow bad?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBad.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026And how did she get so sick, Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n The other girl doesn\u2019t quite meet my gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cI uh, fed her something that didn\u2019t come out as well as I\u2019d hoped.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI would like to try it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh no, it\u2019s impossible. I threw it out\u2014it was starting to stain the pot. It was just another failure.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin sighs. I eye her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been going over to Octavia\u2019s every day. Still trying to make new recipes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYup! I don\u2019t want to go back to Liscor until I figure out how to make more cool stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about your inn?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about it? Mrsha\u2019s safe with Selys, and I don\u2019t know where Toren is. My inn can stay where it is, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Lyonette\u2019s in it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smacks her forehead lightly. I shake my head. Erin hesitates.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll probably be okay. I really want to stay here for a little while longer, though, Ryoka. I can experiment with Octavia all day, and I can help Agnes out at night!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019re not bored? You\u2019re okay with that?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looks at me blankly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Why not?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe and I shrug at the same time.<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter to me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Tis your choice to die of boredom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin scowls at us, but then she smiles widely at Ivolethe again.<\/p>\n \u201cSoooo\u2026Ivolethe! You must have lived a long time, right?\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie eyes Erin suspiciously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat is obvious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd you met all kinds of cool people\u2014like Merlin and King Arthur, right?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps. What of it, mortal?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin throws up her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me stories! Tell us all about Merlin, and the knights of the round table.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe considers this, one tiny hand on her chin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do not want to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlease?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo. Such tales are too grand for the likes of you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I put a hand on Erin\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard her, Erin. Ivolethe doesn\u2019t want to tell, so you should respect her wishes. Besides, she probably didn\u2019t see any of the good parts.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe sits up in outrage. She leaps upwards and flies towards my face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYe think I did not witness the legends in person?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you don\u2019t want to say. So I just assumed\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFool! I was there when the boy became a king! I witnessed the instant the true king fell, and I have seen countless miracles besides! I saw the three kings die to each of Lugaid\u2019s spears! How dare ye!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just saying, you talk big, but if you\u2019d care to share a story that you remember\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHah! I will recount to you a legend beyond all else!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe flies into the air and raises her voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBehold! I will tell you for the one true king of Camelot! His sword still sits in Avalon, waiting for his hand to draw the ancient blade! Listen well mortals!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n All heads turn as the small faerie begins to declaim. She has an amazingly loud voice, and the story\u2014<\/p>\n I\u2019m going to get to hear King Arthur\u2019s story. I feel like a kid again. This is amazing.. Erin gives me a delighted look, and I wink at her. What can I say?<\/p>\n I do know a bit about faeries. Or at least, this one in particular.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next day dawns bright and early. Or so I suppose. For once, I\u2019m sleeping in.<\/p>\n So is Erin. And the rest of the guests in the inn for that matter. In fact, some are still snoring as I walk downstairs and find them lying on the tables or ground.<\/p>\n As it turned out, Ivolethe did know the stories of King Arthur, the entire story. The true story. And she told it to us last night, with many dramatic flourishes and a whole host of embellishments it\u2019s true, but it was true. Every word of it. Faeries don\u2019t lie, and to look at Ivolethe as she was speaking was to believe.<\/p>\n It was true. And if I were an author I would have tried to capture every word she spoke on paper. Or maybe that would have been an impossible task, because her story was one of the greats.<\/p>\n In the end, we just all fell asleep listening to the tragic end of the tale of the King of Knights. His kingdom in ruins, his knights dying on the field, and only the hope of his eventual return to keep spirits strong in the dark times to come. Thus, the King of Camelot closes his eyes and breathes his final breath.<\/p>\n And here I thought I was being smart by ripping off the poets of my age. No wonder faeries looked down on us mortals for not creating stories that can match that level. If you\u2019ve got forever to live, your standards for good storytelling rise accordingly.<\/p>\n Of course, that was last night. In the light of the day, all I want is for a hot meal before I go running. But with Erin so tired, that might be asking too much.<\/p>\n She has [Advanced Cooking] as a skill, but apparently you need to be at least moderately conscious to make it work. Or else not even that skill can fix dumping a bag full of flour onto an iron griddle. At least I got the pan off the fire before the flour combusted.<\/p>\n Mandatory near-death experience for the day completed, I finally make myself eggs and let Erin snore in the kitchen. I open the door\u2014<\/p>\n And find Ivolethe waiting outside. The faerie grins at me, hovering in the crisp winter air. Honestly, I hadn\u2019t even realized she\u2019d left when I dragged myself into my room upstairs.<\/p>\n \u201cIvolethe. How are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, mortal!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She flies immediately to my shoulder and lands on it. Then she fidgets, and flies up to my head. I stare up at her dangling legs and sigh. But I make no comment.<\/p>\n As I begin to walk down the street a tiny frozen leg kicks me on the temple.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, what are ye doing today? More staring at books and cursing? Or will ye run about like a snail once again?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re bored, you can leave. You don\u2019t have to follow me all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBah. I might miss something interesting. Besides, there is much to do that will amuse me in the meantime.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I shrug, but feel a bit better. I try not to smile so openly; it doesn\u2019t feel natural.<\/p>\n \u201cSuit yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a short jog to the Runner\u2019s Guild, but I pause at the door. Ivolethe senses my intentions and tenses, but she makes no move to get off my head.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going inside. Do you want to wait somewhere else?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI will stay right here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe iron won\u2019t bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot overmuch. It is simply a shackle indoors, not a needle in the skin. Even if it feels so.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Huh. I wonder how uncomfortable it is? Are faeries allergic to the metal, or is it like kryptonite?<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t want to go inside, that\u2019s fine with me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI shall stay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I really don\u2019t think you should go inside.\u201d<\/p>\n After her last interaction with people other than Erin and me, I really have a bad feeling about letting Ivolethe inside a building. But she bends down to glare at me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI insist! I do not fear the iron!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I sigh. For a being that calls herself my friend, Ivolethe doesn\u2019t seem capable of yielding on any point. Or maybe she considers her stubbornness part of friendship.<\/p>\n \u201cJust don\u2019t cause trouble, okay? And\u2026can I persuade you to hide in my belt pouch?\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie is silent on my head for a few seconds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMayhap. Is there food in the pouch?\u201d<\/span> That was how I found myself stuffing fried meat and sticky-sweet jam buns into a belt pouch, much to Ivolethe\u2019s muffled delight as I walked into the Runner\u2019s Guild. I close the pouch; Ivolethe assured me she wouldn\u2019t suffocate inside if I did, and I\u2019m honestly not sure if faeries breathe.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got a Frost Faerie in my belt pouch. Well, there\u2019s that. I walk into the Runner\u2019s Guild and stop when I see a familiar face.<\/p>\n \u201cGaria!\u201d<\/p>\n The broad-shouldered girl turns and gives me a big smile. But then her expression changes to one of dismay.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka? I didn\u2019t know you were here\u2026today.\u201d<\/p>\n I walk forwards, frowning. Garia seems nervous. And then I look over her shoulder and see a crowd of people, Street and City Runners alike, clustered around one person. She has a familiar face. Sallow, I would call it, although pinched is the more accurate word.<\/p>\n \u201cPersua.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s standing in the center of the room, surrounded by a huge number of people\u2014everyone in the Guild, in fact. Even the [Receptionists] have come out from behind their counters, and an older man is standing by Persua\u2019s side. I think\u2026he\u2019s the Guildmaster. I don\u2019t know. He normally never comes out of his small office.<\/p>\n Persua is basking in all the attention, talking loudly in her shrill voice and laughing often. When she laughs, the others laugh with her. It\u2019s like how she normally interacts with her posse, but now everyone\u2019s doing it. She\u2019s so engrossed she hasn\u2019t noticed me yet, and from the way Garia drags me to one side of the room, maybe that\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n I whisper to Garia as I look back at Persua. She doesn\u2019t look that different\u2014new clothes and running gear maybe, but she\u2019s just the same unpleasant person who once had my leg crushed by a wagon. My fists itch to break a few of the bones in her face.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t see Fals. He\u2019s normally in the same room as Persua, mainly because she tends to follow him about wherever possible. He\u2019s not here today, though, and his absence is somehow conspicuous.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka, why are you here? Didn\u2019t you hear what was happening today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I did not.\u201d<\/p>\n I frown at Garia as I take a seat at a far table from the group. No one tells me anything. Mainly because I don\u2019t listen if it\u2019s an invitation to hang out or hear the latest gossip. But this\u2026I probably should have paid attention to.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on, Garia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Persua. Today\u2019s her going-away party. She\u2019s going to move to Invrisil, or\u2014some other city up north. She might come back this way, but she\u2019s not going to be around here so everyone\u2019s having a party for her!\u201d<\/p>\n Persua? Going north? Best news I\u2019ve heard all day, and I\u2019m barely awake still. I smile at Garia with genuine pleasure.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with that? If she\u2019s going, I\u2019ll congratulate her as well and help her on the way out.\u201d<\/p>\n Garia doesn\u2019t grin at my response. She doesn\u2019t like violence anyways, but she looks worried. There\u2019s an odd emotion in her voice I can\u2019t quite place. She lowers her voice even more.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka\u2026she\u2019s going to be a Courier.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I can\u2019t believe my ears. Persua? A Courier? She\u2019s not nearly fast enough to be one. I should know\u2014I saw Valceif and Hawk running, and they\u2019re like lightning compared to me.<\/em> Persua\u2019s barely quick enough to be a City Runner, and she\u2019s lazy to boot.<\/p>\n But Garia\u2019s eyes are deadly serious as she nods. And I remember that moment where I swore she passed me on the road earlier\u2014<\/p>\n No. It couldn\u2019t be. Could it?<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe leveled up and got a Skill, Ryoka! A rare one\u2014she\u2019s not even Level 20, I know that for a fact, but she learned a powerful movement Skill. Everyone heard about it! Ever since then, she\u2019s been completing deliveries so fast none of us can keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n A Skill. Of course. I feel a bit sick. Persua\u2019s got terrible form, bad endurance, and she\u2019s got no incentive to train or push herself. But give her a Skill and suddenly she can outrun anyone.<\/p>\n \u201cWas it just luck? Or\u2014how do you get Skills?\u201d<\/p>\n Garia looks miserable as she shrugs. No, not just miserable. Jealous. That\u2019s the emotion I\u2019m seeing in her.<\/p>\n \u201cNormally the good ones come up every ten levels. But you hear stories\u2014some of it is chance, and Persua got lucky. Really lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, what skill did she get?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[Double Step]. It\u2019s one of the core skills most Couriers have. That and [Quick Movement]\u2014those were the ones Valceif had, remember? If you get those, people say you\u2019re already two thirds of the way to becoming a Courier!\u201d<\/p>\n Fuck. I remember Valceif running as if he was taking two strides for every one of mine. Garia\u2019s right; get even one of those skills and there\u2019s no Human from my world that could touch you. That is\u2026completely unfair.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019s she going north, then? It sounds like she could stay here and make a comfy living.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Couriers make way more money and have more respect up north. And, Perusa has <\/em>been doing just that! She\u2019s completed almost half of the requests in the guild by herself. They\u2019ll have to make her a Courier soon, or we\u2019ll all be out of work!\u201d<\/p>\n I drum my fingers on the table, good mood completely forgotten. Persua the Courier. I wanted to be one, but I can\u2019t run fast enough. Valceif told me that I might be one if I proved myself, but Persua? Before me?<\/p>\n It\u2019s really, really pissing me off. But\u2014and I have to think of the plus side here, at least she won\u2019t be bothering me again. And if she\u2019s taking high-level requests, maybe someone will put a hit out on her and she\u2019ll end up dead. I can only dream.<\/p>\n But for now, I think I\u2019ll get out of the way before I have to deal with Persua again. I\u2019m about to ask Garia if she wants to join me at Erin\u2019s new inn so I can drink the bad taste from my mouth when Garia makes frantic gestures. I don\u2019t even have to guess to know that Persua is coming my way; it just makes sense. When I step in crap while running, oftentimes there\u2019s a second pile waiting for my other foot*.<\/p>\n *Translation: When it rains it pours. Plus, Persua\u2019s a spiteful little monster, so she\u2019ll take any opportunity to try and piss me off.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy Ryoka, I didn\u2019t see you there! Come to congratulate me on my special day, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n Garia freezes, and goes pale. I stare at her, considering my next move. I don\u2019t turn around. I don\u2019t change my expression.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Persua.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning to you too, Ryoka! How are<\/em> you today? You were gone for so long in Liscor, I thought you were dead. But you aren\u2019t. Did you get a lot of deliveries done while you were away? Or did you just like sleeping with non-Humans that much?\u201d<\/p>\n Is that an insult? I shrug. I\u2019m not giving Persua anything, even if she\u2019s not apparently the best Runner around.<\/p>\n \u201cI had fun.\u201d<\/p>\n I still refuse to look her way. Persua\u2019s shrill voice goes up an octave as she grows frustrated. She walks around me and I catch a glimpse of her pale, sharp features and her pursed lips that compliment her sour expression.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t like her. I hate her guts. But I\u2019m also smart enough to know that she\u2019s goading me in her hour of triumph, hoping to get me in trouble. And you know what?<\/p>\n I\u2019m not going to do a thing. It\u2019s time for the ultimate Ryoka skill: acting impassive. Guaranteed to annoy anyone with an ego.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure if you\u2019ve heard, but I\u2019m going to be a Courier now. Isn\u2019t that wonderful?\u201d<\/p>\n The old man who\u2019s probably the Guildmaster clears his throat nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cActually Persua, that\u2019s not decided yet. You\u2019re a wonderful Runner of course, but a Courier\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He brakes off as Persua gives him a vicious look. She turns back and gives me a big, fake smile. I just grunt.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think, Ryoka? Won\u2019t I be a wonderful Courier?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMhm.\u201d<\/p>\n She blinks at me, and then frowns. I look slowly around and see the other Runners standing and watching us. I know some of them by face, if not name. They\u2019re City Runners, the people who band together and pat each other on the backs. They follow the leader or the fastest Runners, like Fals. Some of them are Persua\u2019s people, but most are just like Garia; afraid to cross someone like Persua.<\/p>\n The others are Street Runners, desperate to suck up to anyone for a bit of help, a leg up, anything. They\u2019re standing behind Persua as if they\u2019re afraid she\u2019ll blast them to ash if she gets unhappy. Garia is frozen in her seat, and I\u2019m at the center of this maelstrom. No way out but deflection. Bring it on, Persua.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you want to say something to me? Before I go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot really.\u201d<\/p>\n I wish I had a drink so I could sip it calmly. I study Garia\u2019s face as Persua\u2019s fake smile turns into a frown.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, I saw you yesterday. Well, I think I saw you. You were moving so slow, I thought, \u2018that can\u2019t be Ryoka<\/em>\u2019. But you were gone so fast\u2014it\u2019s hard, being the fastest Runner around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure it must be.\u201d<\/p>\n Another scowl, covered up again. Persua might have all the abilities of a weasel, and the ability to backstab people and even orchestrate attacks, but she\u2019s not that good at concealing her emotions.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, I\u2019ve been taking all of the deliveries recently. I just\u2026do them. One after another. It\u2019s so easy.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the City Runners shift at that, which makes me privately happy. They don\u2019t like Persua much, and I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll be glad to see her back. But I don\u2019t let my features change for an instant.<\/p>\n \u201cGood for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Persua grinds her teeth audibly. I keep my hands on the table, calm, cool, collected. I\u2019m wondering if I can get her to storm off or throw the first punch. I would enjoy that.<\/p>\n But she doesn\u2019t blow her lid. I see Persua pause, and then her eyes flick to the tabletop.<\/p>\n \u201cI notice you\u2019ve lost something. Did you leave your fingers behind on one of your runs?\u201d<\/p>\n The other Runners go silent. I feel the spike of emotion in my stomach. My fingers. Garia gasps in horror as she notices them for the first time, but I refuse to react. I look at Persua coolly, meeting her evil little eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to stand around or do some deliveries, Persua? Because if you\u2019re just going to stand around talking, then do it in another corner of the room.\u201d<\/p>\n She blinks at me. I don\u2019t blink back. I hold her gaze; I\u2019ve beaten her in a staring contest before and I\u2019d love to humble her again. But she doesn\u2019t play my game. Instead, she smiles and looks back on me.<\/p>\n Crap. I shouldn\u2019t have reacted. She knows I was annoyed. No help for it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sorry<\/em> if my little party is bothering you. I suppose great City Runners like you are too busy to socialize, right? Too good for us lesser Runners?\u201d<\/p>\n I shrug.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much.\u201d<\/p>\n Persua\u2019s face goes flat, and little pinpoints of rage appear in her eyes. She smiles at me again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2014and I know you don\u2019t mean to be rude, but you are\u2014you haven\u2019t told me how happy you are. And I know you wouldn\u2019t want to be rude, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n She wants me to congratulate her? I meet her gaze steadily.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on. Don\u2019t you have anything to say?\u201d<\/p>\n No. But she might go away. But no and never and not in a million years.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t hear me, Ryoka? Did you lose your ears as well as those fingers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI heard you. Congratulations. Piss off.\u201d<\/p>\n The words pop out before I can stop them. I hear an audible gasp<\/em> from the peanut gallery, in more than one place, and some titters of laughter as well, quickly silenced. Persua\u2019s pale face blushes and blotches in places.<\/p>\n That was a mistake. I just humiliated her, and instead of backing off, she\u2019s going to try and make an example out of me rather than lose face. I know how the routine goes. I grit my teeth and wonder how I can deal with this.<\/p>\n Maybe if I just walk out? But no, she\u2019ll just call that a win or block me from leaving. And I don\u2019t run from bullies. Let\u2019s see what she does next.<\/p>\n Persua looks around, and meets the eyes of some Runners around her. Her personal posse, the ones who kissed her ass even before she learned her fancy Skill. She jerks her head and they move out from the crowd. I count them. Four\u2014six\u2026seven\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cThat is such<\/em> a rude thing to say, Ryoka. And on my special day as well! Here I am, Courier-to-be and you\u2014you\u2019re just a Runner. I think you should apologize. In fact, I insist on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh? She\u2019s going to get her friends to beat me down? I\u2019m impressed; most girls wait a few months before they get that nasty. But then, this is another world and Persua\u2019s a demon wearing crappy skin.<\/p>\n The other Runners step back when they see what\u2019s about to go down. The old man tries to interject, but his voice is wavering with nerves.<\/p>\n \u201cPersua, I really think\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Her head turns and the Guildmaster goes silent. I feel a moment of sympathy for him; he\u2019s probably not going to get much respect once she goes. Everyone\u2019s going to remember how she walked all over him. But then I remember that he\u2019s supposed to be in charge, and that he\u2019s a coward. The other runners flank me, as if they\u2019re a local mafia boss\u2019s thugs and I\u2019m the cringing victim.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? I\u2019m waiting for my apology.\u201d<\/p>\n Persua faces me, supremely confident because she\u2019s got a few Runners behind her. Oh come on. They don\u2019t even have combat classes, most of them! I\u2019m taller than all but one of the guys, and she\u2019s seen me take down a Bronze-rank adventurer.<\/p>\n Okay, there are ten of them. Plus Persua. But I\u2019ve changed a bit since we last met as well. The first day I found Erin, I had Octavia refill all of my potions and alchemical bags. I\u2019ve got two of everything ready to go, and I know several magic tricks as well.<\/p>\n I keep still. Not exactly a power play, but I\u2019m not going to react to her stupid little posse.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not apologizing for anything. And if you don\u2019t get your obnoxious little cronies out of my face, they\u2019re all going to suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n Of all the things I know Persua was expecting, she wasn\u2019t expecting that.<\/em> Her face goes slack, and I feel the people around me shift. Garia\u2019s looking at me as if I\u2019m insane and trying to signal me to say I\u2019m sorry, but I\u2019m calm.<\/p>\n If they want a fight, I\u2019m completely ready. Persua might have a Skill that makes her faster, but I\u2019d love to see if she can dodge a pepper potion to the face. If she tries anything I\u2019ll use [Flashbang] and then hold her down while I pour the potion in her eyes. I\u2019m just hoping she takes the bait.<\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t. Persua eyes me, her companions, and then decides not to risk it. She tosses her head and turns away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not even worth my time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCoward.\u201d<\/p>\n I toss the insult at her back and see it stiffen. I don\u2019t know why I said it; my mouth just won\u2019t stop in situations like this. Persua turns back, a smile full of hate on her face. We don\u2019t even try to pretend towards civility now.<\/p>\n \u201cFingerless insect. My back is all you\u2019ll see of me from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeats looking at your face.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow many mutts and lizards did you sleep with in Liscor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh you know, one or two. More people than you\u2019ll ever sleep with in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t touch one of those mongrels or scaly freaks with a stick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019d just run away screaming when they saw your face.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBitch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be stuck here forever, you pathetic, classless slug.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ll never be a proper Courier in a thousand years.\u201d<\/p>\n We meet eyes for one last moment, and then Persua turns away. I let her walk to the other side of the room, followed by the group and don\u2019t make any move until she\u2019s laughing loudly with them and not looking at me. Then I sigh and turn back to Garia. She looks like she\u2019s swallowed her tongue.<\/p>\n Well, that was fun. Now I\u2019ve got to warn Erin about Persua as well.<\/p>\n I hate my life.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m out of here. Garia, do you want to join me in the Frenzied Hare? I could use a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n Garia starts and stammers as she looks at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI uh\u2014I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t want to get on Persua\u2019s bad side. Fine. I sigh and stand up. My heart is pounding fast, but I got the better of Persua in that one. No matter how hard she laughs\u2014<\/p>\n I\u2019m halfway across the smooth wood floor when I sense a blur. Persua seems to blink<\/em> across the room, and then I feel her foot tangle with mine. She moves too fast for me to react; I trip forwards\u2014<\/p>\n And catch myself, thanks to an ungainly wind milling of arms. I\u2019ve been tripped before, and I\u2019ve got a good stance. Nevertheless, I stumble forwards and hear Persua\u2019s mocking laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cHow clumsy of you. What happened, Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n I turn and look at her. She\u2019s smirking off to one side, daring me to say something. I consider my options, and decide it\u2019s not worth it. That\u2019s her small victory; if she does it again she\u2019s dead.<\/p>\n I walk on, adjusting my belt pouch. Persua\u2019s still laughing, but I just make sure she didn\u2019t grab anything from me. Potions? Check. Teriarch\u2019s bag of holding? Check. Belt pouches?<\/p>\n One of the pouches is undone. I feel at it, and find cold, greasy meat and jam-covered crumbs in the pouch. Nothing else. My heart skips a beat. I whirl around\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cVengeance!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The shout springs from the tiny Frost Faerie that flies at Persua\u2019s face. The girl only has a moment to scream before Ivolethe is all over her. The faerie flies around Persua, shouting triumphantly as Persua screams and people shout in surprise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTake this! And suffer that, ye mortal wench!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She rips at Persua\u2019s hair, tearing out strands and bites and scratches at Persua\u2019s face. The girl is screaming, flailing at the small creature, but Ivolethe is everywhere. But then Persua\u2019s hand connects with the faerie by pure chance, and Ivolethe is flung to the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it? Kill it!\u201d<\/p>\n Persua shrills as another Runner dashes forwards and scoops Ivolethe up. She yells at him and tries to bite, but he has a finger under her chin. Everyone goes silent as they see for the first time what Ivolethe is.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat creature is this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it\u2014it\u2019s not a monster? A Fraerling? It\u2019s too pale! And it has wings!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet her go.\u201d<\/p>\n I stride forwards, but Persua and her cronies immediately block my way. She stares at me, blood dripping from the scratches on her face and the places where Ivolethe yanked away skin as well as hair.<\/p>\n \u201cYou <\/em>did this.\u201d<\/p>\n I ignore Persua and look at the Runner holding her. He\u2019s uncertain, but his grip on Ivolethe is strong and no matter how hard she struggles, she clearly can\u2019t break free. And neither is she freezing him either; she must not be able to without her magic.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not a monster. That\u2019s a Frost Faerie. Let her go, now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA Winter Sprite?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He looks at Ivorethe, stunned. She tries to move her head, but his fingernail is under her chin. She glares and dripples spit onto his thumb, but that\u2019s all she can do.<\/p>\n \u201cKill it.\u201d<\/p>\n Persua hisses at the other Runner. He hesitates. My heart constricts, and I raise my voice.<\/p>\n \u201cHarm her, and I will kill you. My word on it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Runner looks back to me. He\u2019s one of Persua\u2019s flunkies, but I know my eyes are serious. I mean every word. Persua looks at me, and then at the faerie. Then she smiles evilly.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this your friend? Do you have to make friends with monsters since no one else likes you?\u201d<\/p>\n I ignore Persua and hold out a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cGive her to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t listen to her.\u201d<\/p>\n Persua interposes herself between the Runner and me. She gestures, and now her posse steps around me. I don\u2019t even look at them; my eyes are on Ivolethe.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never seen a Winter Sprite before. Is this what they really look like? They must be the rarest of all monsters; how did you catch this one?\u201d<\/p>\n I try to tune out Persua\u2019s words. What can I do? If I grab for her, what if Ivorlethe gets hurt? How can I talk Persua down peacefully? No\u2014it\u2019s the Runner who\u2019s got her. Focus on him.<\/p>\n But Persua blocks my view of the Runner. She looks at me, and now I see the hatred shining in her eyes, pure and simple. She turns to look at the other Runners.<\/p>\n \u201cHave any of you ever heard of a Frost Faerie being captured? No? I bet that if we sold her to a [Merchant] or an [Alchemist], they\u2019d pay hundreds, no, thousands<\/em> of gold coins for her.\u201d<\/p>\n The Runners around me shift. The mention of that kind of money changes their eyes, and some of them slowly walk over to the crowd around me.<\/p>\n Shit. This is bad. But I have to let Ivolethe get free. I look past Persua and raise my voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you harm her, you will suffer for it. I don\u2019t care how many people you\u2019ve got; I\u2019m not letting you take her. She\u2019s a living being.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe attacked<\/em> me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n Persua hisses<\/em> with fury. She takes a step forwards, and her arm jostles the Runner holding her. Instantly, Ivolethe shouts, her voice ringing in the Guild.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSisters! Sisters, hear me call and take retribution\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Her voice cuts off as the Runner reapplies pressure on her chin. But the damage is done. I see the other Runners looking nervous and try to capitalize on that.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you hear that? She just shouted for her sisters. You\u2019ve seen the Frost Faeries and what they do when they\u2019re mad. What do you think will happen if you kill one of their own?\u201d<\/p>\n That<\/em> makes the Runners think twice. Some of them shift and edge back a bit. No one wants to suffer the vengeance of creatures that bring the winter, no matter how much they might earn.<\/p>\n Persua looks uneasy too, but she\u2019s too stupid to think straight. She whirls and screeches at the Runner.<\/p>\n \u201cShut her up! Squash her already!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Runner holding Ivolethe hesitates. His hand shakes and the faerie is gasping, but he doesn\u2019t let go. I step forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cLet her go. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou coward! Give it to me! I\u2019ll do it!\u201d<\/p>\n Persua\u2019s patience snaps. She reaches for Ivolethe, but the Runner pulls away from her as well. I step forwards again, thinking he\u2019s seen reason, but he raises her up. I halt, hand outstretched. Persua stares at the Runner, eyes flinty daggers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n He licks his lips. But he\u2019s staring at me now. He opens his mouth and croaks a word.<\/p>\n \u201cCoin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2014you want her back, you\u2019ve got to pay for her.\u201d<\/p>\n I stare at him incredulously. He can\u2019t be serious. But oh, yes, he is. He pauses again, but he holds onto Ivolethe tightly as he looks at me.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all know you\u2019ve got a lot. Well\u2014give it over. And then I\u2019ll let her go. Otherwise\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He squeezes a little harder and Ivolethe cries out. My blood boils, but Persua\u2019s all smiles now.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right! Just hand over your belt pouches\u2014and your potions\u2014and we\u2019ll call it even. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Those greedy bastards. But the Runner\u2019s eyes are serious, and Ivolethe is in pain. What should I do? If I give them Teriarch\u2019s gold coins\u2014but Ivolethe\u2014<\/p>\n I stare at Persua. I stare at the Runner. I stare at Ivolethe, and come to a swift decision.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck it. [Flashbang]!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The world and sound itself explode into confusion and chaos. I closed my eyes, but the sound wave still hits me like a physical thing. My ears ring and go silent; but I\u2019m already charging into the Runner, body-checking him to the floor.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no time for thought or anything else. I reach for his flailing hands. I have to get Ivolethe free. Get her loose. Grab his arms. Break his bones. Bite his fingers off. I punch him repeatedly as I search for the small blue shape among the dancing spots in my vision. Where is she?<\/p>\n Nowhere. Gone. She\u2019s free! I see a blue shape flying towards the door, and then someone strikes me from behind.<\/p>\n Persua is on top of me, fingers clawing, biting, kicking. She\u2019s like a wildcat, and some of her friends try to batter me as well. I roll over, and pull out one of Octavia\u2019s potions.<\/p>\n The pepper potion would be better as a spray. But one good toss still gets it on a lot of faces and eyes, including Persua\u2019s. I shield my face and feel the hot liquid stinging as it reacts with my skin, but the screams are worth it. I stumble up and see Persua stumbling away from me, shrieking as she rubs at her eyes.<\/p>\n Something in me snaps. Her little insults, her tripping me, my crushed leg\u2014and Ivolethe\u2014all explode outwards in a fist that catches her on the cheek and sends her to the ground. Persua tries to get up, but I kick her down and then mount her as she flails and begin to punch.<\/p>\n Punch her. Hurt her. My ears are ringing, but now I hear the roaring of blood, and all that I want in this or any other world is to bash her face in. I hit and hit and hit, until something drags me back. I struggle, fighting, but whoever\u2019s holding me is too strong.<\/p>\n The rage hammering every inch of me subsides after a while, and I stop struggling. That\u2019s when I hear and see and think again, and realize I\u2019m being held by two strong arms.<\/p>\n \u201cGaria?\u201d<\/p>\n I look around and see my friend, her nose bleeding furiously, holding me back as Persua lies on the floor. People are still shouting in pain\u2014I see Runners clutching at their eyes and more raising their voices, deafened. Two people are with Persua, and then I see the girl herself lying on the ground.<\/p>\n Her face is\u2014I only now begin to feel the pain in my hands. My fingers hurt terribly, and I feel small lacerations and bruising on my skin. I see the echoes of their impressions on Persua\u2019s face.<\/p>\n It\u2019s already swollen. I can barely see her features, and there\u2019s blood. A lot of blood. I broke her nose, even parts of her face. She\u2019s crying, and shaking, and the [Receptionist] holding the healing potion barely knows where to start. But as the swelling reduces a tiny bit, one of her eyes swivels towards me. And I hear her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n She struggles, but the two women hold her down. Persua\u2019s face is filled with blood and snot and tears and who knows what else. But her voice is intact. It\u2019s a trembling mess of emotions; not a shriek, but a warbling, piercing whisper.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m near enough to Persua that I can feel her spitting as her malformed lips form the words. Her eyes fix on me, wild, and the words pour forth, hatred in each syllable. Tears run through the blood on her face, but she still stares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll kill you. I swear it. I\u2019ll have you raped and killed. You\u2019ll die screaming.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Garia tries to pull me back, and the [Receptionists] try to force us apart. But Persua thrashes and I refuse to move. She screams.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll kill you! You\u2019ll die horribly! There won\u2019t be pieces left of you! I\u2019ll kill you and everyone you love, you\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The [Receptionist] tries to jam the potion in her mouth, but Persua just spits out a broken tooth with the potion as she continues shouting at me.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a crazy look in her eyes. Garia holds me back as I stare at Persua. She continues speaking, half-sobbing, half-cursing. There\u2019s nothing I can say to her, nothing to reply with. So I just kick her in the stomach and watch her puke before Garia pulls me away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Two hours later, I stand outside in the cold snow. I barely feel it, even though I haven\u2019t had any of Erin\u2019s soup. I feel the cold air blowing my clothes and don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n \u201cIvolethe.\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie hovers in the air next to me, looking uncharacteristically serious. I\u2019m dressed up, and she\u2019s naked. But I feel like the colder one. My heart is very cold. Very still.<\/p>\n I slowly sit down in the snow, and the faerie flies down next to me. The snow is wet\u2014I don\u2019t care. I don\u2019t have anywhere to be, and I can\u2019t stand. Not right now.<\/p>\n After a while, the faerie speaks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Twas an unexpected encounter, was it not?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I look at her. Ivolethe looks back.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the hell am I supposed to say to that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am not sure. But did it end how you expected?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I laugh, shortly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think? I\u2019m banned <\/em>from that Runner\u2019s Guild\u2014maybe all of them right now. They might press charges, or make me pay for what\u2019s left of the building.\u201d<\/p>\n Shortly after I left, the other Frost Faeries appeared. They crashed an avalanche of snow into the building. If it hadn\u2019t been deserted\u2014as it was, it destroyed nearly everything inside. The last I saw, the building was so full of snow that people were having to chip away at the compacted ice.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n The short version of what went down is that Persua went to the best local Healer around to get treated for the injuries the potion couldn\u2019t fix. The Runners scattered, mostly thanks to the other Frost Faeries pelting them with shards of ice, freezing them, and so on. I think the Guild staff would have liked to hold me accountable, but when they saw the faeries literally destroy the entire Guild in one go, they had second thoughts. So did the Watch, which is how I found myself politely asked to leave the city now <\/em>rather than be kicked out.<\/p>\n I probably could have stayed. But I didn\u2019t want to be anywhere near Persua, not even in the same city. I still remember the look in her eyes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not over. I\u2019ve never seen anyone look like that, but I know without a doubt that she meant every word she said to me. Part of me wishes I\u2019d gone back and taken my knife and stabbed her right there and then. She\u2019s never going to forget. But I\u2019m not a murderer.<\/p>\n No matter how close I got back there.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a mess. What a horrible, terrible…\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie looks up at me. I stare down at her. In a way, this is all her fault. Persua would have left me alone if I\u2019d just walked on. But I can\u2019t hate her for what she did. It\u2019s what I\u2019d do for Erin, the exact same.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom now on, I\u2019m not taking you inside ever again. Got it?\u201d<\/p>\n She nods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat is fair.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I shiver. Now I\u2019m feeling the cold again, but I stay seated, cross-legged.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just glad you\u2019re okay. If that Runner or Persua had tried\u2014would they have killed you?\u201d<\/p>\n Another nod.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBetter that you had let them. If she had slain me, her death would have followed before the next moon rose in the sky.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chill from within, chill without. I stare at Ivolethe.<\/p>\n \u201cWho would have killed her? The other faeries?\u201d<\/p>\n She shakes her tiny head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot my sisters, no. There are others among the Winter Court who move in matters of death. And they are far more terrible than we.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I don\u2019t want to know. I don\u2019t. Ivolethe\u2019s face\u2014I don\u2019t want to know. Some things about the fae terrify me.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s better that you didn\u2019t die.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps. But that girl\u2014she swore a dire oath against you. Such things can only be resolved in blood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re probably right.\u201d<\/p>\n I know she is. But I can\u2019t think about that now. I can\u2019t, or I\u2019ll have to choose between killing her now or\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be a Courier. And I won\u2019t see her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBah. That one would give up all for vengeance. Her blades will find you no matter how far apart ye are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019ve just got to outrun her, then. Although she\u2019s faster than I am now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We sit in silence for a while longer. I bow my head. Ivolethe just looks at the still landscape.<\/p>\n \u201cI was jealous of her, you know. Just a bit. I don\u2019t like Skills and Classes but\u2014I\u2019m so slow and weak without them.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe looks up at me silently. I avert my gaze; look at the gray horizon as I try to explain.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always the same argument. I think I\u2019m giving away something by leveling up. Or\u2014or I\u2019m compromising, taking the easy route to success without any effort. But there is<\/em> effort required, and what\u2019s the harm in doing what everyone else is doing? It\u2019s only logical.\u201d<\/p>\n More silence. Ivolethe just listens as I externalize my struggle and confess.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s hard. I want to be strong. Erin\u2019s\u2014she\u2019s stronger than me in so many ways. But I thought that would be fine. I could do things my own way, become a Courier even\u2014I had Octavia\u2019s potions, and I can even do magic. But it turns out I can\u2019t even do magic that well.\u201d<\/p>\n Some snow blows off of the ground and into the air. I watch it whirl upwards and away.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do magic. And I\u2019ve hit my limit physically. I could\u2014try altering my body, I guess. Teriarch mentioned that. But that\u2019s cheating too. I just wish there was a way to be faster. Just faster. If I were faster, I\u2019d be happy with the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what is it ye wish?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe turns to face me in the snow. I look down at her, and feel that same sense of envy.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I was better. Just\u2026better.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Tis a tall wish. Even a King could not grant your request. Why not be content with your self as it is now? You are brave and quick; is there aught else you need?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I know she\u2019s right, but at the same time, she\u2019s wrong. I shake my head and shiver.<\/p>\n \u201cWho I am isn\u2019t enough. I want to become more. Is that too much to ask?\u201d<\/p>\n For a while Ivolethe studies me. Then she smiles, teeth flashing in the winter sunlight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is. But mortals have always wished for such. That is why you spread like wildfire while we remain, timeless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looks rueful and sad, and happy at the same time, like an adult watching a child play. My heart aches.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do. What would you do, in my place, Ivolethe?\u201d<\/p>\n She looks at me from head to toe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it you\u2019ve dreamed of, Ryoka Griffin? What do you wish for with all your heart?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s an important question, but I know the answer in a second. I just have to think back to the day I started running. I speak my reply to her and the cold.<\/p>\n \u201cI always wanted to run like the wind. I felt it once, when you led me and Mrsha away from the Goblin army.\u201d<\/p>\n I remember the rushing air behind me, and the sense of weightlessness I felt. Each step was forever, and I watched the world fly past me. For a second I was wind, and I lived my dream.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell then, I would search for that. I would seek to run as the wind, for that is my dream. If I did not chase such things, I would not be mortal, no?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n I have to laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cEven a Courier couldn\u2019t run like that. At least, not Val or Hawk. And certainly not without levels. How would I ever get that fast, when I can\u2019t even outrun Persua?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe spreads two tiny hands.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe are friends, are we not? What do friends do but help each other?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She grins at me again, and I pause.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? How could you help?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou want to study magic? To become better? I told you once; you will not find what you look for in a book. But perhaps it is because ye haven\u2019t seen what magic truly is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I know what she\u2019s hinting at. But I have to hear it out loud.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you suggesting?\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, Ivolethe flies upwards until she sits in the air in front of me. She looks me in the eye, still smiling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll teach you the ways of the fae, not the tricks mortals use. I will teach you to listen to the wind and run like we do. That is what a friend does for a poor mortal who wishes to be better than she is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n My heart is thundering. My breath catches in my throat.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you do that? Isn\u2019t it against the rules?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo one has made rules against this. No one has been mad enough to try. But for you, friend, I would try. It\u2019s worth a shot, eh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I look at her. Ivolethe grins at me, a tiny, mad faerie. My friend. I stare back at her, a shivering, depressed Human girl who dreams of flying. Slowly, I offer her a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019d be crazy enough to try it, I\u2019d be forever in your debt.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe wrinkles her face in disgust and slaps away my hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBah. Do not make such promises so lightly. Nae, I offer you this: I will try to teach you to run like the wind for one thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cName it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFriendship.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She offers me a tiny hand. I don\u2019t hesitate. I reach out, and her grip is like melting ice, winter\u2019s thaw, the moment of tiny warmth in the frozen heart of the world. We shake, and it is done.<\/p>\n A faerie\u2019s bargain. A friend\u2019s promise. A child\u2019s dream.<\/p>\n The wind blows, and my heart races off with it.<\/p>\n To run like the wind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I came down with Ivolethe on my shoulder Erin freaked out. \u201cOh my god! A faerie!\u201d She doesn\u2019t do subtle. As every eye turns to me I glance at Ivolethe. The small fairy is just sitting on my shoulder, looking around with keen interest. She\u2019s not even that cold; she\u2019s definitely part ice, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693083,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693132],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-2498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-3","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u201cLet me get some.\u201d<\/p>\n
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