"I want to come."

Several pairs of eyes looked at the brown-haired man with the yellow eyes and blood-stained clothes. The corner of Henry's lip curled up with distaste. The night before Wills had been dragged through the forest and into their little camp, with hastily bandaged wounds that were infected.

Though Ash had disinfected the injuries and used a suture pen to close what he could of the wounds, Wills still had a fever that night. Now, just as they were getting ready to leave the next morning, he could barely stand on his own two feet, but he still wanted to go with them to confront the spring fairy?

"Are you crazy?" Alana said what they were all thinking. She shot him a glare as she looked him up and down. "You can barely stand. You're swaying as I speak!"

"Wills, perhaps you should just wait here," Reggie said, holding out his hands as if to try to calm an agitated beast. "You were almost delirious last night, and your wounds are still healing. You should stay here and rest. Make sure none of the sutured skin breaks. I'll stay with you."

Despite his brother's logical reasoning, Wills remained stubborn. He shook his head, though as he did so, he swayed a bit more to the point that Claude rushed forward to prop him up before his legs gave way and he stumbled to the ground.

"You're clearly not well enough to continue," Claude said in a low, irritated voice. "Stay here and rest. Reggie will stay with you. We'll be back tomorrow."

"You don't know that!" Wills said as he tried to push Claude away and stand on his own. "What if that murderous fairy floods the grotto again and sweeps you out gods-only-know where?"

"And with that situation a possibility, why would you want to come?" Ash asked, raising a brow. "Wills, the fact of the matter is that you are injured and a liability. It's already a dangerous situation, and having you, an injured person who can't fight, let alone run if things go sour, isn't going to help. It'll only worry the others, which may create a distraction during a life-threatening moment. Is that what you want?"

"Ash, you weren't there! You'll need all the help you can get!" Wills said. "I understand that you can do a little magic-"

Henry finally let out a mocking scoff and turned away, shaking his head. "A little, he says...."

"Wills, Ash is also a talented swordsman. You know that," Claude said with a frown. "He taught you how to use the Sword of Echoes' magical features. Or are you forgetting?"

"I haven't, but-"

"Do you really want to come to help fight the spring fairy, should it come to that, or do you insist on coming to make sure that we actually try to save that woman who abandoned you and your party, and got you all into this situation in the first place?" Henry whirled back around to face the other man. His eyes darkened as they bore into Wills. Ash closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

Wills choked back his words. His eyes crinkled up as he stumbled back a step. A trembling hand grabbed on to Claude to keep him steady.

"I...I...."

"Heh...." Alana shook her head. "You don't trust us. Wonderful."

Wills' face heated up. "You're the ones who want to resign from the party and don't want to save her!"

"We already agreed that we would go. Even if we don't want to, we gave our word!" Claude said. He stepped away from Wills, gently pushing Wills to Reggie as he put distance between them. He glared at the party leader. "Unlike Brenda, Alana and I have always kept ours."

Wills grit his teeth and looked away. "Except for the fact that you want to resign from the party."

Henry ran an impatient hand through his hair. "This is only delaying us," he said, looking up at the sky. "Ash and I have things to do, and don't want to spend more than is necessary in these mountains." He turned to Wills and narrowed his eyes. "Put him on a horse. If he wants to come so badly, let him, but whatever happens in that grotto, neither I nor Ash will take responsibility for and protect him."

Reggie looked at Wills, who lowered his head and clenched his hands at his side. Ash didn't wait for them to answer. He brought forward Reggie's horse.

"Put him on. If you're tired, you can ride with him. I'll put your things on my horse," Ash said.

Reggie looked at him with a helpless expression. He seemed to want to answer, but couldn't find the words. Instead, he nodded his head and took the reins.

"Claude, Alana, how are you two feeling this morning?" Henry said. "Will you be able to make the walk? If you're tired, ride our horses. Ash and I aren't strangers to walking."

"No, Young Master, we'll be fine," Claude replied in a respectful tone. "Thank you."

"We're sorry about this," Alana added with a small bow of her head. "He has always been stubborn."

"A good party leader always has some stubbornness," Henry said. He glanced at Wills, who was being helped onto a horse by Reggie. Henry sneered. "They should also know how to compromise."

There wasn't much else to pack up. Henry checked the fire pit one last time to make sure the embers were completely out and that there was no more smoke before getting on his horse and leading them into the next canyon.

He kept a close eye on where the ravens were leading them. For the most part, they walked in silence. No one questioned Henry's leadership. Once he gave an order, Ash would obey, prompting the others to follow.

While they could take drinks from their waterskins while they walked, they stopped past noon, when they found a shaded area, to eat lunch. The break was just over half an hour, and then continued their trek.

"It's starting to look familiar," Claude said as the canyon they had descended into changed. The climate was a bit warmer, and the plants became more varied and different. It wasn't odd in the mountain range, as different microclimates encouraged the growths of different plants, but Henry had been around several continents.

He knew subtropical plants when he saw them, and they shouldn't have been at that elevation.

"This is it," Alana told them. "There is an entrance somewhere here, behind all those vines and trees.

"Do you remember where it is?" Reggie asked. Alana shook her head and looked at Claude, who also shook his head.

"I didn't pay attention to any landmarks. We found it by accident just fumbling around."

Alana looked at Henry for guidance. "Should we split up and search?"

Henry pursed his lips and then looked towards Ash. Ash shook his head. "No," Henry said. "No need. Stay together."

The sound of wind seemed to fade behind them the further they went.

The valley was far lusher, with more greenery than any other they'd passed coming there. The cliffs on either side seemed covered with trees and vines. The ground seemed carpeted with low lying vegetation and there was a cool humidity in the air.

Ash narrowed his eyes and looked around. Henry glanced over. "Is something wrong?"

"There is magic in the air," Ash said. He met his brother's gaze. "And I don't mean that in a romanticized way. There is literal magic feeding into all these plants and a thin layer in the air."

Henry frowned. "What do you think it means?"

He watched Ash turn his head to their left, towards a particularly dense patch of jungle more than forest. His eyes were narrow behind his glasses and his lips tightened into a line. "It means that she knows she has guests."

Several heads turned in his direction.

"She?" Alana's voice was tight. "The spring fairy?"

Ash nodded. "There's likely a water source underground that's connected to her spring and feeds the plants here. They become an extension of her."

Reggie rubbed his arms as he shuddered. "Ash, do you think there are...." He trailed off and looked at the ground beneath them.

He meant bodies. "You mean those she exchanged for?" Ash asked. Reggie's pale face nodded. Ash took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Perhaps not under us, but...if she...how can I say this...consumed...."

"That's the best you can do?" Henry gave him a deadpan look and he grimaced.

"I don't know what exactly she did with them. I'm making an educated guess," he said. "What do you want me to say? Ate?"

Reggie let out a loud whimper as horrified expressions filled the faces of the other three. Henry shot Ash an annoyed looking before turning to calm the others. "They're made of water. How can they eat someone?"

The adventure party seemed to relax and Ash nodded. "Absorbed would be a better-"

"Shut up, Ash." Henry rolled his eyes and dismounted. His feet landed on the soft ground. It wasn't muddy, but it wasn't so dry that it was hard packed. He looked down and up ahead of him. "Is that the entrance?" He looked towards where Ash had been looking earlier.

"Yes, there's a lot of magic rolling out," Ash replied with a slight frown.

"Amazing," Claude said. "We found the entrance to the grotto by accident."

"We spent an entire day combing this valley," Alana told them. "The benefits of having a mage in the party."

"Anyone can have sensitivity to magic," Ash said. "They don't have to be a mage. I'm just particularly sensitive."

Henry walked towards the draping vines and branches that were so densely packed together, he couldn't see past them. He stepped a few paces away. There was no path leading into the grotto, just plants.

"Leave the horses out. Ash, get the ravens to lead them out, away from the valley in case there is a negative reaction to our confrontation with the spring fairy," Henry said.

"Understood." Ash slid off his saddle. "What about Wills?"

Henry didn't take his eyes off the vines and branches. The air was still in the valley, but the foliage was moving ever so slightly.

"Is he going to come with us or wait with the horses?"

"I'm going, too!" Wills shouted from behind him.

"Reggie, you keep watch over your brother while we're walking through. Ash, follow behind, but be on guard. I'll lead the way," Henry told them.

Reggie and Claude went to help Wills down and make sure he got on his feet. Alana handed him a tall walking stick she'd picked up on their way in, at Henry's order, for Wills to use as a sort of crutch when they arrived.

Once Wills had hobbled away with Reggie, Ash let out a low whistle and above them, the ravens replied with caws. He took the reins of the three horses and turned them around before releasing them. Ash moved his arms out, towards where they had come from. As he stepped back, the three horses began walking in that direction.

"We won't lose them in the mountains will we?" Alana asked.

"No, the ravens will keep track of them," Ash said. He motioned for her to walk ahead of him. "I'm in the back."

"Will you be all right?" Alana asked. He nodded and played with a few slips between his fingers.

"I will, but stay on guard," he said.

Henry listened to their footsteps. When they were close enough he moved forward and up a slight embankment. As he reached the wall of vines and branches he stopped.

"Guests have come for an exchange!" His voice seemed to boom through the valley, catching Reggie and Wills beside him off guard. "Allow us entry!"

Everyone seemed to freeze in place, listening for any sort of response to Henry's request. Reggie furrowed his brows as the silence continued without so much as a rustle of wind through the treetops.

Wills let out a low, frustrated breath. "Just-"

His voice was cut off as the faint sound of cracking and rustling was heard. In front of Henry, the branches seem to rise and move out of the way as the vines coiled to the sides, revealing the narrow entrance of the crevice that led to the grotto.

Claude let out a low whistle. "We had to fight our way in last time," he said in a low voice. "The plants didn't move and we kept getting tangled in them."

"It was so tight and there were so many, we couldn't get to our weapons," Alana added as they followed Henry inside.

All around them, the thick vines and various plants seem to move away, turning from the center of the crevice to give them room to walk. Every step Henry took was through parting plants. Not a single leaf touched them.

Behind Ash, the plants returned to their natural location, sealing the exit.

"How did your brother know to do that?" Alana asked. She still had two knives, one gripped in each hand as she looked warily at their surroundings.

"Spirits and creatures that fall into that category are bound by particular rules of engagement," Ash said. "Fairies in particular are infamous for insisting on hospitality. You must treat them with respect befitting a guest for them to respond to you positively. If you engage with them outside those rules, the interaction will end poorly."

"No wonder the spring fairy was furious with us," Claude replied.

"Wills," Reggie said in a quiet voice. "Try not to lose your temper."

Wills grit his teeth.

Ahead of them, Henry kept his eyes forward. "Leave the negotiations to myself and Ash. You four stand back and wait. Do not get involved."

Wills frowned at once. "Brenda is our friend."

"Yes, but dealing with supernatural creatures is more our specialty," Henry replied smoothly. He glanced over his shoulder. "For the sake of getting this over with as soon as possible, please stand down."

He ignored Wills' red, indignant face.

"Then, what's your plan?" Wills asked. "You said you are here to negotiate. What are you going to bargain with?"

Henry inwardly rolled his eyes. "Ash, is there anything to shut him up for the duration of this? If he says something to anger the spring fairy, it'll delay us."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Wills opened his mouth, but only a slight gasp came from it. A small white slip appeared attached to his back. Wills opened and closed his mouth, appearing to try to speak, but no words came out.

"Sorry, Wills. Don't take this personally," Ash said from behind the group. "But we really can't afford any variables at this point."

Wills looked over his shoulder and wanted to yell at him, but he couldn't. He then tried to reach for the slip on his back, but was shocked when his fingers got too close. He opened his mouth and seemed to let out a cry as he snatched his hand back.

"You've thought of everything," Alana said with an impressed nod.

"If he tries to run out and attack the spring fairy, I'll have to freeze him in place." Ash lifted another slip and held it in front of him so that Wills could see. "Don't make me use a second one."

Wills shoulder slumped down and his mouth snapped closed. His jaw clenched as he glared daggers at Henry two steps in front of him.

The sound of gently running water could be heard and the narrow crevice they were walking through began to open up. Light came from the wide opening at the end.

As described, the grotto was a wide space filled with greenery, and surrounding a large, deep blue pond. The ground appeared flat, but upon closer inspection, it sloped gently down into the pond, where a thin zone of dirt separated the green grass and the clear water.

"Stand back," Henry instructed the group once more, holding his arm out and motioning for them to stand near the entrance of the grotto while he walked closer to the pond.

Ash the four a slip of paper. "Hold on to these. If something happens, this will help us track you."

The others, except Wills, gave him small nods of gratitude before he followed his brother.

Ash stood just to the side of Henry as Henry stopped halfway between the entrance and the edge of the pond.

Henry took a deep breath. "Spring Fairy, we are here to make an exchange!"

The grotto was quiet except for the sound of water. The placid pond in front of them began to move.

"Hmm...more mortals." A low, smooth female voice came from an unknown source around them. Henry didn't take his eyes off the target, the pond. The water rolled in the dark blue pond as a mound of water rose in the center. It grew larger and larger, as if a small hill of water, and then slowly took the shape of a giant woman. Dark, blank eyes stood out against opaque water as the fairy moved closer, leaning forward as if to get a better look at her 'guests'. "I knew you'd come." Her voice echoed around them.

Leaves and flower petals that had fallen into the pool could be seen floating in her body as it rippled.

Henry tilted his head up, keeping his eyes on the creature as the upper body of a woman the size of a house loomed overhead, blocking the little sunlight that came from above the canyon walls.

"We are here for a blonde woman with a big mouth named Brenda," Ash said, lifting his chin. Claude and Alana slowly turned their heads from the towering water creature to look at him. "What? Am I wrong?"

"Brenda...." The spring fairy's voice was gentle, almost thoughtful. She slowly tilted her head to the side. "I recognize them...." Her full lips pouted. "You have come back to fight?"

"Not fight," Henry said. "Bargain. May we see the woman?"

"Bargain?" She sounded curious. "What do you have to bargain with?"

"First, we want to make sure that you have what we want," Henry relied.

The water lapped around the edge of the pond as the spring fairy moved to one side. "I only exchange for water." The curiosity in her voice was gone, and in its place, a hint of arrogance.

Henry didn't falter. "We can trade for water, too."

She sneered and turned her head away in distaste. "Your exchange is rejected-"

"It seems that the host will not humor us, Brother," Ash said, his voice filling the grotto with disappointment. "We came all this way, and she will not even show us the woman."

Henry clicked his tongue and turned his head away from the creature, shaking it gently. "After we have come in good faith and with gifts."

"Gifts?" Henry was about to turn around when he heard her ask. He held back a small smirk. "What kind of gifts?"

He turned his head back to face her and held his arms out. "What other gifts do spring fairies want?" He motioned to Ash beside him.

"Each spring fairy likes something a little different from the last," Ash said as he dug into his space preservation bag strapped across his chest. He lifted up one hand and a fist full of shiny, lustrous goods. "Gold coins? Pearls? Gemstones?"

The spring fairy snorted. "I have plenty of those-"

"Oyster silk fabric." Ash shoved the fistful of expensive items back into his bag and then pulled out a shimmering cloth. Almost metallic, it changed colors under sunlight, making it reminiscent of the blue, green and purple oil slick colors of mother-of-pearl.

"Wait." The spring fairy paused and moved closer. "I've never seen that before."

"Of course, you haven't," Ash said with a slight chuckle. He pulled out another arm's length of the fabric and held it out to reveal its brilliant colors. "It was newly developed by our family's fabric division. It is a more vivid version of the Celestial Kingdom's famed moonlight silk, which in itself is extremely rare."

Henry kept a straight face. Rare? Half their sleepwear was made of moonlight silk, and many ceremonial Lunapsar clothes were made of moonlight silk. All of their Lunapsar traditional dance costumes were made of that fabric.

"Why does a fairy that's made of water and naked want fabric?" Reggie muttered behind them.

"Shut up, Reggie," Alana's sharp voice replied to silence him.

All fairies liked beautiful things, even if spring fairies were slightly different. The massive water creature in front of them seemed to follow the fabric with her eyes as Ash walked to the side to try to change the angle the light hit the fabric in order to show off more of its beauty.

"I will show you the woman if you give me the fabric."

"Of course!" Ash beamed.

"Consider this as our gift to you," Henry said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Ash carefully folded the fabric and then walked towards the edge of the pond. He raised the bundle in his arms.

Henry wasn't afraid that the spring fairy would renege her part of the bargain. Doing so would be against their rules of engagement.

A tendril of water began to protrude from the side of the spring fairy and wrapped around the silk bundle, soaking it before lifting it out of Ash's arms. The fabric was absorbed into the clear water in the form of a woman's torso, and they watched as it unraveled, creating a long sheet that shimmered underwater.

"Hmm...I like it," the spring fairy said. She seemed to take a moment to admire the fabric swaying inside of her before moved to the side. From her vacated space, a mound of water rose and inside was a large bubble containing an exhausted blonde woman who had slumped down to her knees.

"Brenda!" Several voices shouted from behind them.

Henry didn't know if Brenda could hear them from within her bubble, but she lifted her head and squinted. As soon as she saw them, she stumbled forward, raising her arms and opening her mouth. They could only hear muffled screaming.

"Give her back to us!" Wills shouted as he tried to push forward, but was restrained by the others.

The spring fairy frowned. "I told you; I do not exchange for anything but water."

"What do you want for your water?" Henry asked. "What does your water do?"

It was as if that question was the trigger. The spring fairy turned towards him, a wide smile as the tone of her voice turned sugary sweet.

"The waters of my fairy spring are the most potent healing waters you will ever find."

"Bold claim...." Henry heard Ash mutter under his breath in Lunapsar, but he pretended he didn't.

"What kind of injuries can your water heal?" Henry asked. "Cuts? Bruises? What about internal injuries?"

"My water can heal them all! A simple drop can erase a bruise. Drinking the water can heal one's insides. It is fast acting and more effective than a cleric's healing magic!" The spring fairy was filled with pride. If she had a spine, it would've straightened.

Henry nodded. "I see," he said. He looked at Ash. "Do your friends understand Lunapsar?"

The question was asked in Lunapsar and Ash turned around. "Do any of you understand Lunapsar?" Though tense, the four behind him shook their heads, appearing at a loss. Ash looked back at his brother. "It doesn't seem like it."

Pleased, Henry nodded. "Good." Supernatural creatures could understand all human speech, and Henry wanted to address it directly without too many questions from the adventure party. "What is it that you want for your water?"

The spring fairy came closer. Henry could almost feel the excitement rolling off of her as she replied in Lunapsar to mirror him. "My spring water is so potent it can bring the near dead back to life," she side. She lifted her chin. "So, it is only fair that for water that can give life, you must exchange a life."

Henry and Ash didn't react. First, it was expected. Second, they didn't want to alarm the others.

"That is fair," Henry agreed with a nod. The spring fairy looked pleased for just a moment before he continued. "Then for your life, return Brenda to us alive."

The spring fairy opened her mouth, about to agree, when she froze. Henry's words seemed to sink in and for a moment, it didn't seem as if the creature understood.

"What did you say?" Her voice was both confused and incredulous, stunned at his audacity.

Henry smiled. "For your life, return Brenda to us alive. A life for a life."

The spring fairy's eyes narrowed. "You dare threaten me?" Her voice dropped. "You dare to threaten me?"

"It isn't a threat." Henry's tone didn't change, it remained as calm and casual as earlier. "It's an exchange. A life for a life. In this case, in exchange for your life, you will give us Brenda alive."

"Hah...ha!" The grotto filled with the spring fairy's disbelieving cackling. She almost doubled over as her arms went over her stomach. Ash and Henry remained unfazed in place, but the other four couldn't help but take a step back. The spring fairy whipped her head back towards Henry and sneered. "Have you lost your mind, human? With what confidence do you have to threaten my life?"

"A spring fairy is only as strong as their water," Henry said. "If there is no water, there is no spring fairy."

The maniacal grin on the spring fairy's transparent face was wiped off in an instant. Her eyes widened before narrowing, glaring at Henry.

"Do you think you are brave telling me that?" she asked, her voice growing deeper and becoming more of a raspy echo. "I can flood this grotto in less time than you can take a breath! Do you think you can divert that water on your own?"

With each other, her voice grew louder and louder.

"I didn't say I'd divert it," Henry said. "But I can make it disappear. Simir!"

A flash of light and wave of intense heat shot through the grotto, making the adventure party hold up their arms to both shield their eyes and try to avoid being burned. However, the intense heat lasted for just a fraction of a moment.

"Is that a phoenix?" Claude was the first to lower his arms and look up. The source of the light was a massive fire bird that hovered above Henry and Ash, gently flapping its wings as flames danced around it.

Reggie took a deep breath as his eyes widened. "A fire spirit...Ash's brother is a summoner?"

Henry didn't pay attention to what they were saying. He remained in place, watching as the spring fairy in front of them shrank back. Her body that had been protruding from the pond from the waste up grew smaller as the heat rolling off of Simir focused on the pond.

"You feel it, don't you?" Henry asked, his placid smile never leaving his face. "What kind of fire he has."

The spring fairy's face was filled with terror as she lifted her arms to try to block out the heat. The water of her arms instead began to boil. Simir could control where the heat coming from him went. Henry flickered to Brenda for just a moment. Her bubble remained unaffected by the heat.

"Di...divine fire!" the spring fairy cried out, as if hoping if she replied, the fire bird would withdraw.

But Simir didn't and remained in place.

Henry narrowed his eyes. "Give us Brenda alive. Place her on the shore gently, or I will have my fire spirit make short work of your pond." Steam could be seen rising into the air from all around the spring fairy.

The creature whimpered. "Please, recall the fire spirit!"

"Place her on the shore." Henry didn't relent. His voice only grew louder.

The spring fairy hesitated. Her face kept looking away, as if unable to handle the light coming from Simir.

The large bubble encased in water began to move. It was pushed forward towards the center of the pond's shore. As it moved, Henry wasn't sure if it was Simir's heat or if it was the will of the spring fairy, but the water around the bubble dissipated as it neared the shore.

Brenda was all but carried and left ashore like a washed-up log on the beach. The bubble popped and Brenda's shouting filled the air.

"Pick her up," Henry instructed in a low voice. "And take them out. I'll follow after I finish here."

Ash nodded and rushed forward. To avoid dealing with any struggling, he threw a slip at her, automatically freezing her in mid-screech, her face twisted in an ugly position, and silencing her. Ash knelt down and picked her up, heaving her stiff body over one shoulder before turning around.

"Let's go!" he said, pointing towards the exit.

"Now?" Alana asked.

Ash didn't go towards them; he made a beeline for the crevice to leave that grotto. "Let's go! Hurry up!"

"What about Henry?" Claude asked.

"Don't worry about him! He knows what he's doing!" Ash shouted without looking back. Claude and Reggie both looked back at Henry, who remained standing with the fire spirit above him. His back was to the exit, but Ash was yelling for them to hurry up.

Wills was also trying to stumble forward to leave. The two men grabbed his arms and dragged him out, leaving Henry alone with the spring fairy.

"You have that woman now!" The spring fairy screamed. "Recall your fire spirit!"

Henry didn't budge. "How many lives have you taken in exchange for a drop of your water?"

"It was the humans who made the exchange! They willingly gave life for a life!" she shouted, unable to meet Henry's eyes. "I gave them the price; it was them who agreed! It was them who offered their companions to me!"

"And what did you do with them?" Henry asked in a cold voice.

The spring fairy couldn't focus and answered without thinking. "I used them to nourish my plants!"

Henry took in a sharp breath. "Are there any more left alive?"

"No! No, they are all dead! That woman was the only one left!"

"I see...well...." Henry nodded, coming to an understanding. "We can't let that happen again, can we?"

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"Is it done?" Ash rose to his feet when he saw his brother's figure approach from a distance. Light slips had been placed along the way to lead his brother to where they had stopped to rest, as it was unknown how long Henry would take. Ash looked his brother up and down for any signs that could've indicated a struggle. His clothes seemed untouched, no rips, dirt, or wetness from possible retaliation from the spring fairy.

Henry gave his brother a small nod. "It's done. Simir made the final call," he said in Lunapsar.

Ash furrowed his brows. "What happened to the spring fairy?"

"Gone," Henry said. "I was hesitant, as the healing properties of the spring fairy's water could save lives, but in order to save lives, it would require other lives to be taken. There are different situations, and I hesitated. Simir made the final decision to destroy the spring fairy."

Ash took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Perhaps it was not your decision to make, Brother."

Henry nodded once more. He patted his brother on the shoulder and led him back to where the adventure party had created a small camp. Ash was waiting further away, both to wait for his brother to return, and also to avoid the inevitable fall out of Brenda's decision among the group.

"Where are you going?" Wills' tired voice seemed to cry out as Brenda stomped in a direction opposite where they'd come from.

"I'm leaving! If you're going to blame me for everything, I don't have to stand for it!"

Henry squinted and leaned in towards his brother. "But isn't she to blame for this whole debacle?"

Ash drew his lips inward and nodded. "Yes...." Ash tugged his brother's sleeve and led him to where their horses were, along with a separate firepit that had yet to be ignited. He flicked his hand and sent a slip into a small, loosely piled stack of dried twigs and some other kindling.

A small fire began to burn as the two brothers sat down. Ash handed Henry some water and snacks from his bag before taking out additional foodstuffs they'd packed. Several paces away, the argument continued with the adventure party confronting Brenda, then Brenda and Wills argued, Claude and Alana didn't backdown on their decision to leave, and Reggie sat in silence with a despondent look on his face, as if unsure how they ended up in such a place.

"Are those two really going to leave?" Henry asked.

Ash glanced up at the group and nodded. "Yes. Until Wills accepts the negative impact that Brenda and his relationship is causing the party, they don't want to deal with it."

"It's a pity for Reggie. He entered the conservatory to become a better bard for this party, didn't he?"

Ash nodded once more. "I hope he doesn't blame himself for any of this."

Henry narrowed his eyes. "As the older brother, I would take the blame. Wills put too much faith in Brenda and didn't pay attention to how she treated the others." He paused. "Or maybe he did and didn't think it was as serious as it was. Either way, his ignorance, whether accidental or on purpose, played a hand in this."

Ash hummed in agreement.

After a few minutes, the voices died down. Wills had followed Brenda a few paces away to talk while Claude and Alana shook their heads. Reggie finally stood up and walked to where Ash and Henry were.

"Thank you." He stood across from them, on the other side of their small fire, and bowed his head. "I couldn't have found them, let alone saved Brenda, without you."

Henry gave him a curt nod and Ash waved his hand dismissively. "We're friends, Reggie. I'm happy to help where I can, especially in such a dire situation."

Reggie nodded his head dumbly. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Study hard and become a master bard," Henry replied as he took a sip of tea that Ash seeped. "You and your brother have long worked towards your goal of entering the conservatory, after all."

Reggie gave them a wry smile. "But where will I go afterwards?"

Ash raised a brow. "That depends," he said. "What do you want to do afterwards?"

The other young man lowered his head and furrowed his brows. "I'm not sure."

"There's time," Henry replied. "You have three years."

"Even then, you can try different things," Ash added. "You can join Alana and Claude, you can do solo work at the Guild, you can even go into entertainment." He hoped that if Reggie went in that direction, his music would improve.

"Being a bard does not offer as many opportunities as a mage...." Reggie said with a weak smile.

"You don't have to be a bard forever," Ash said. "It's a skill class, but it's not as if one person can only learn one thing. Sometimes, you find yourself in a position completely different than what you had originally intended, and the work you did to get to that point are no longer relevant."

"Ash is both a beast tamer and a mage," Henry pointed out. "He learned beast taming later than he started learning magic."

"To be fair, I started learning magic as soon as I was sensible," Ash said. "But beast taming was an interest and it's been useful. You can do more than one thing. Don't see learning a skill as a waste of time."

Reggie nodded once more. "I suppose you're right."

"Maybe your brother and Brenda will figure things out and settle by then," Ash said. "But when you get back, just focus on your schooling."

"Speaking of getting back, we'll set out at first light tomorrow," Henry told Reggie. "Tell the others. It'll take us about three days to get out of the mountain range and then another few days for you to get back to the capital."

"Brother and I will take another route to get to Shae, since returning to the capital will add more days of travel for us."

"I'll let them know," Reggie said. He took a step back and paused. "By the way, what happened to the spring fairy? What about the people she'd exchanged for before Brenda?"

Ash looked to his brother.

Henry lowered his tea cup. "Unfortunately, those who were exchanged earlier were no longer alive. Brenda was going to be absorbed by the spring fairy. When the pond was dried, there were human remains in the form of some bones and remaining metal pieces from buckles and jewelry protruding from the bed of the pond."

Reggie drew his head back. "The pond was dried? How? Isn't it connected to a spring?"

Henry nodded. "There are ways to deal with that. Don't worry about it Reggie. We told you from the start that we would deal with it."

Ash watched Reggie nod once more and then head back to their camp. "When do you think the spring fairy being destroyed will be noticed."

"It depends when another party comes to try to make another exchange," Henry said. "There are others that provide healing waters for the usual gold and gems. Perhaps they're not as potent, but at least no one has to die."

"Was that Simir's reasoning?"

"That and he has a natural aversion to creatures like spring fairies. The entire pond has been dried and the energy has been purified. When the water returns, it should be clean, without another spring fairy."

Divine fire could do many things, Ash supposed.

"Don't spirits that bind to a summoner also have a give and take relationship?" Ash asked, raising a brow.

Henry grinned a bit. "Yes, but it's a two-way, mutual agreement and it's beneficial to both parties, otherwise it would be parasitic. Strong spirits also try to contract strong summoners."

Ash looked back at the adventure party that had settled down after several hours of cold war and then arguing. "To be fair, Simir isn't just a spirit."

"True," Henry said. He held out his tea cup and nudged Ash to prompt him to fill it. "But others don't need to know that."

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