Home

The cave she was in did little to curb her inner fire, and yet it had stepped her deterioration. Everything was brightly lit. Not a single shadow was left. The stone closest to her was glowing orange-red.

She had problems repairing her magical construct on her own. Her power ripped every little bit, that she had managed to repair, apart. At least the magic that Elan’drin had taught her kept the damage from spreading.

Ria wondered, if she should give up. If she should just give in to her fate … She had fought for three whole days and had made no significant progress.

“But you have made progress,” she heard En’rin tell her. “Every little bit helps. Eve if you make just one small step each day, you’ll eventually reach the next room.”

In her case, the next room was a long corridor to the outside. If she disintegrated here, the mountain would probably contain most of the blast. That was her hope at least.

Ria looked at the robes she had discarded a few days ago. Parts of the fabric had turned brown or black. It had begun to smolder just because she had been wearing them.

It was too soon to give up. She wanted to see her friends one last time at least. Wanted to make sure that they were safe. So she closed her eyes and concentrated on reigning her power back in. She had no idea, whether it worked. Everything just seemed to be made of light around her.

Then she looked deep inside her, at the damage Kal’s attacks had done. She took two strands of magic that seemed to fit together and connected them. Then she isolated them away from her leaking power. They would drift back, but it gave her time to repair something else. It would’ve helped, if she knew what she was doing.

Time passed. Maybe even days. She couldn’t say. At some point, she heard something scrape over the stone of the cave.

Ria’s eye flew open. There, at the end of a tunnel, right at the corner was something that hadn’t been there before. It reflected her light with a harsh glare. The shape was familiar. Could it be? But if it was, how had it come here?

“Hello?” she called out. There was no answer. “If there is someone out there, don’t come and closer,” she cautioned them. “Get as far away from the cave as possible! You might die, if you stay!”

There was no answer. No further sound.

Ria waited a few more minutes. Then she got up and walked to the metal object. She recognized it although it seemed to be like the sun itself. It really was En’rin’s collar. His last gift to her.

Her hands shook as she picked it up. She could only hope that it still functioned. Once it reinforced her magical construct, she’d really be able to heal.

Carefully she put it back where it belonged. The clasp closed with a soft click. For a long moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then she felt the pressure on her mind weaken. Her light faded as if she had become the setting sun.

“Reestablish Restriction Level One.” The collar reacted. It still worked. The pressure inside her eased and she felt almost normal. With a smile on her face, she continued: “Reestablish Restriction Level Two.” Her light faded completely and the cave was plunged into darkness. Ria created a small light, grabbed what was left of her clothes and put them on.

After that, she walked out of the cave and into the light of the real sun out there.

“You’re back to normal.” A familiar voice greeted her. It sounded relieved.

“Brannzza?”

“I told you that I wouldn’t mind getting too cloze to my sun?” His smile was a sight for sore eyes. It warmed her heart. And on his shoulder was a slime that had grown even more.

“How did you get here?” she asked. She had picked a mountain that was close to Solstice. She could even see its ruins from here.

“I walked.” Brannzza looked at the ruins. “Climbing up here waz the hardezt part. If only I had my wingz.”

“Thank you for coming.” She pulled the lizz in a hug and held him tight.

He said nothing in return, but she heard that deep rumble that Erzza had made before.

“How is Volasis? What happened?”

“Everyone saw your battle with that guy.” He shivered. “I didn’t know that there were other people besidez Saxatar that could summon whole mountainz. And then you juzt blastet it away. We were all stunned.” He turned back to her. “Then you chased him off. And turned into a second sun. I knew then that I had to find and help you, so I ran to the palace, where I stumbled upon Rin.”

The slime trilled happily.

“It clung to your collar and pointed me in the right direction. I almost immediately set out to find you. Just bought a few provisionz and I waz off.”

“Thank you.” She smiled.

“Now you have to come back to the city with me.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I put everyone in danger just by being there.”

“You have to. You’re the hero who saved it.” He grabbed her hands. “You need to tell everyone what happened to the guy!”

“You can tell everyone that the Mage Inquisitor is gone.”

“You fought a Mage Inquisitor?”

Ria couldn’t quite tell, whether Brannzza was excited or in panic.

“Yes. He killed President Nepp Thun and tried to erase the city by killing Ariel. And then me. And when that didn’t work out, he tried it himself.”

The lizz gasped. “Then let’z get back and tell everyone that they’re safe. I’m sure that everyone wants to see you!”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Becauze you saved uz. Now come. Pleaze.” He pulled her away from the cave.

“Fine, I’ll bring you back and see whether the city is fine.” He was her friend. She couldn’t turn him down. But she’d return as soon as she noticed, that the the people of the city were afraid of her.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now come. It’z a long way back. We can climb down over there.”

Ria shook her head. “We won’t be walking. Lift Restriction Level Two.”

Brannzza looked at her with huge eyes. He moved his mouth a few times, then, as she picked him up, he closed his eyes and stopped moving.

He only opened them after they were half way to the city already.

“I-I can’t believe that I’m flying.” He whispered. “I’m flying! Like a true dragon!”

He was far more excited than he should be. Especially since she was flying him. But she couldn’t begrudge him that. He had walked all the way just to get her.

“Wohoo!” His tongue was flapping in the wind. He only pulled it back in when they got close to the city walls. Ria slowed down and approached the plaza of wisdom in front of the palace. It was full of people. Brannzza waved down at them and cheers erupted.

“What? Why?”

“I told you that they wanted to see their hero.” He grinned. “Can you land in the central pool? For them?”

Ria was skeptical, but it would allow her to see, whether people were afraid of her. She landed on the pool. Her feet touched the water’s surface. Suddenly there were even more cheers.

“How could they even know when we’d arrive?”

“Because I got everyone together.” Erzza, no Erzatar came down the stairs from the palace. “I went to fetch Brannzza after three days. He was adamant to get you back.”

“I believed in you.” He smiled.

Tears welled up in her eyes. The warmth and friendship she felt seemed to heal her construct more than any other attempt she had made in that cave. It was as if her connection to everyone strengthened her being more than any form of meditation could.

“Wh-Where’s Eran’drin? And Ariel?”

“Eran’drin haz gone to the High Mage Council. They need to be informed. Az hiz second, I have taken on the duty to restore order in the city.”

“Ah.” She felt slightly disappointed. Ria wanted to see the elf once more.

“Come, Ariel wantz to see you, too.”

Ria looked around and the crowd parted. She walked over the water and stepped onto the stone path that led to the palace. It felt weird. She still wanted to flee, but now she knew that her collar would likely hold. And even if not, she’d be able to contain her powers somewhat.

She walked up the stairs and away from the crowd that still cheered her on. “Do they know who I am?” she asked.

“No, they do not. Elan’drin thought it would be better to keep that secret.”

Ria nodded. Especially if the High Mage Council really deemed too dangerous to exist.

“The waterz of wizdom have been buzy.” Brannzza walked with them and smiled. “The outer ring haz water once more, and Erzza haz opened the gatez to the rezt of the refugeez.”

“We removed the rest of the rogue distribution nexi. Auron waz furiouz and dismantled them himself.” Erzatar smiled. “Most of the organization’z memberz have gone into hiding though and the black market price of the Brain Power Potionz haz skyrocketed. They’re clearly running out of them.”

They entered the palace and Erzatar led them downstairs.

“Many people outside have been reuinited with their familiez. Catrina found her brother. But Aeri iz still mizzing.” The smile on Brannzza’s lips faded.

“It seems that Aeri haz been smuggled out of the city long before we destroyed that part of the organization. We have no jurisdiction in other cityz, so our handz are tied. But Elan’drin iz going to report that to the High Mage Council az well. We’re hoping that they’ll sort thiz out. We’re looking after her brother until then.”

Ria nodded. So much has happened after she came to the city and it felt that she had changed the lives of several people. And at least lately, she had changed some lives for the better.

Brannzza and Erzatar stopped as they reached the training chamber. “Go on,” the dragoness said. “She’z in the middle of the nexuz chamber.”

“Nexus chamber?”

“It’z what thiz place iz. Now go, your sister iz waiting.” Erzatar pushed her forward.

Ria stumbled through the wall of water. Ariel turned toward her and her expression brightened.

“Ria!” The other Elemental Avatar ran to her and jumped into her arms. “Welcome back!”

“Thank you.” Ria hugged the other girl. This felt right. It felt like … home.

“No, thank you, for protecting everyone. I heard what happened.” She hugged Ria tight.

“I just did what had to be done,” she whispered back.

“I know. And I can’t thank you enough.” Ariel pushed herself away. “But I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“Teach me. I need to be able to suppress my powers the way you do!”

Ria smiled. “Sure. I’ll teach you.”

Now she was sure: This didn’t just feel like home. It was home. Her new home. And she’d continue to protect it.

The End