by Logan Byrne
“I’d love to go over your code with you tonight, if you’d like. I mean, that is, if you have time,” Faus said.
“Go Faus,” Charlie whispered, nudging him a little. Faus pushed him back, already looking embarrassed.
“I would like that,” Rosie said, her eyes softening as she flashed a small smile.
“You two have fun tonight, but not too much fun,” I said, ribbing them a little.
“Oh, what? I mean, yes, we’ll have a great time looking over the code!” Faus said, panicking. “We have to go, though, it was nice speaking to you. I’ll see you tonight!”
Faus grabbed me, pulling me along. The other guys ran up laughing as we scurried out of sight. “What did I just do?” Faus moaned.
“I think you just got yourself a date,” Blake said, punching him softly on the shoulder. “Good going.”
“A date? I can’t do dates, I’m me. Oh boy,” Faus said.
“Relax, she likes you,” I said.
“She does?” he asked, quickly perking up.
“She told me as much, especially after you shifted during that battle. She thought you looked, as she said it, beautiful,” I said, smiling.
“Aw, Faus, you’re going to have yourself a girlfriend!” Britta said, clapping.
“I think I need to lie down,” Faus said, before walking off, shuffling his feet. I could see him talking to himself and gesturing as he moved away.
“What a guy,” Charlie said, his arms crossed.
I jolted out of bed the next morning at the crack of dawn as the sun started to break in through the front flaps of my tent. It was the day, the day the hunt for the crystal wand would finally begin, and I was ready. I must’ve showered faster than I ever had before, scrubbing my hair with shampoo so quickly it was close to catching fire, before wrapping myself up in as many layers as possible to combat the cold.
It was winter, and Greenland wasn’t going to be an easy adventure. The camp supplied us with coats, gloves, and all the other essential equipment, but even with the five of us and packs full of gear, it still was going to be difficult, to say the least.
From what I understood, this town, Ilulissat, sat along the coast, surrounded by deathly cold water that would suck the air straight out of our lungs should we fall in. Not only that, but outside, it was pure nothing. The only civilization we might see would be the wildlife that called the place home, but even the animals likely wouldn’t be out in the winter weather. Ice cliffs loomed above the town, giant sheets of ice and snow that packed together to form a veritable glacial canyon. It was going to be a very physical mission, if nothing else.
I walked out of my tent, meeting up with the others as they clipped on their gear, pulling on hats and gloves, as the five of us checked to make sure we were all set.
“Faus, you have everything you need?” Blake asked.
“Indeed, I do. Do we all have food and our thermoses?” Faus asked.
“Yup, I got my food delivery earlier. I’ll be eating well, all things considered. How long is this trip?” Charlie asked, looking at me.
“As long as it takes. It’s not like any of us have anything better to do, so we might as well take our time and make sure we canvass the area to the best of our ability. I figure we can start in town, I heard they have a small magical community there of at least a few people,” I said, pulling out my wand.
“Ready?” Britta asked, grabbing hers. I nodded, and we all huddled together, before Britta and I raised our wands, focusing on our location, picturing the town in our minds, and we were all sucked up in a vacuum and sent north to Greenland.
We popped out just outside the town, where we could see the picturesque huts painted an array of bright colors shining brightly, like friendly beacons in a sea of white. “They really like their colors, don’t they?” Charlie asked.
“Probably the only good way they get color, considering how white it is around here,” Blake said.
“I’m already cold,” Faus complained.
“Well, we better get into town before we all freeze, then,” I said, starting to trudge along. The snow must’ve been around a foot high, soft powder, as if it had recently fallen. We could’ve used magic to blow it away, or even to melt a path, but it wasn’t worth the risk. I knew there were some magical creatures here, since the intelligence team in the camp told me as much, but I knew not everybody here knew about magic or would react well if a lady started melting a bunch of snow with a wooden stick.
We walked for fifteen minutes, the townspeople staring at us as we walked by, as I was sure we screamed tourists. I nodded, trying to look as friendly as possible, before walking up to a red house with a thick dark wooden door. I tapped on it three times, the way I was told, before the door creaked open, a single eye looking at me from the dark interior. “Yes?” the woman asked, her voice shrewd.
“We were sent by those who wish to seek justice,” I said, using the code word the intelligence team had told me. The door opened all the way, the woman hurriedly waving us in, as we all piled into the small cottage. “What is your name?”
“I’ve been called many things before, but you may call me Hanna. I received word of your impending arrival. It’s not often we get visitors of your caliber here in our small town,” she said, hobbling towards the kitchen. “I still haven’t learned why you’re here.”
“We’re searching for something, maybe you know of it,” I said.
“The crystal wand, I presume. Legend says it lies in the icy mountains just outside town,” she said, before bringing over a wooden tray with a teapot and cups.
“Have you ever searched for it?” I asked.
“Oh, honey, I am not a witch, no, and I would never do something that foolish even if I were one,” she said.
“Why not?” Britta asked.
“I know I would not be the chosen one. Besides, legend talks about the golems that protect the wand, vanquishing any poor soul who dares to try to take it,” she said.
“What if one is chosen, though? Would it still be a problem then?” I asked.
“Oh no, they would still attack,” she said, as she poured cups of tea for us.
“So we’re in for a fight no matter what,” Charlie said.
“How would the golems know your worthiness without a battle, my dear? You must prove to them that you are worthy enough to wield a wand crafted by the great wizard Merlin himself,” she said, sitting back.
A fire crackled behind her, the howling wind outside slapping her brass doorknocker against the thick wood. “If you aren’t a witch, do you mind me asking what you are?”
She brushed back her hair, revealing elvish ears, though she didn’t really scream elf to me when I walked in. I’d dealt with a lot of them, both forest and otherwise, and I thought I knew enough about them to spot one a mile away. “What type of elf are you?” I asked.
“My mother was a mortal, but my father was a forest elf, though his father was mortal, so really the whole elvish thing doesn’t run that deeply in my blood, but just enough to make me part of the magical realm. I came up here to escape it all thirty years ago. I meant to come for a summer, just to get away and reconnect with my elvish roots, practicing herbal remedies, but I fell in love,” she said, looking fondly upon her cup of tea.
“With a man?” Charlie asked.
“No, you dolt, with the lifestyle. As if I’d waste my time with some stupid man,” she said, shaking her head, as Charlie looked embarrassed. I giggled a little, wondering if she had it right. No, it wasn’t right for me—I cared about Blake too much, even if he did get on my nerves sometimes.
“How big is the magical community here?” I asked.
“Well, the town has around forty-five hundred people in it, give or take a few. I would say us magical folk only make up about thirty of that on a good day. We are few and far between, though, most of us being old folks who came here for something else. A few were born here, or at least in Greenland,” Hanna said.
“When’s t
he last time you were in the magical realm?” Britta asked.
“Depends what part you’re talking about, dear. I don’t do much for the cities, but I go to the openness of the realm whenever I get the chance, though that isn’t often in my older age. Instead I stay here, happy as can be, as life passes me by,” she said.
“Is there anything we need to know before we embark on this mission?” I asked.
“Anything you should know, huh?” she asked, before putting her hand up to her chin. She looked deep in thought, her eyebrows rising as if she thought of something, before she shook her head and erased the idea from her mind. “Be wary of the polar bears. They pack a wallop.”
“There are polar bears up here?” Charlie asked, in terror.
“Of course, we’re hundreds of miles north of the Arctic. What’d ya expect?” she asked, laughing a little.
“You know, I used to be a happy guy. I was safe, secure, didn’t have a care in the world,” Charlie said, getting up and pacing around the room.
“Have you heard any talk about the general location of the wand from any legends you might have heard in the past?” Faus asked, with his notebook and pen out.
“No, not really. The only real way to go is east from here, so I would just try going out there. I don’t think anybody has any real idea where it is, but it sure isn’t going to be close to town, now is it? If it were, then it would be claimed already,” she said.
“How do you know it hasn’t been found already?” Faus asked.
“Guess I never thought of that,” she said, her eyes wide. Then she shrugged, saying, “Oh well, what can you do?”
“We should get going while it’s still morning, or at least morning enough,” Blake said, rubbing his hands on his thighs as he stood up.
“Thank you for your hospitality and for speaking with us. It’s been a pleasure,” I said, smiling, before walking over and giving her a hug.
“Oh, you kids be careful out there, and remember to watch each other’s backs. The Arctic is as unforgiving as Kiren,” she said, winking.
“Take care,” Britta called, as a gust of cold air blew into her home as we walked out.
“Well, that was nice,” I said, listening to the hard packed snow on the road crunching under my feet as we walked off.
“Well, there it is,” Faus said, pointing off in the distance at the vast, untouched wilderness teasing us. I took out my sunglasses, shielding my eyes as the sunlight gleamed off the sparkly white dust. It was like diamonds, refracting even the smallest rays of light.
“Can you girls get us over there quicker?” Blake asked, as Britta and I looked at one another.
“Sure, if we get into cover first,” I said, smiling. I’d never even thought of making this process a bit quicker.
We walked beside a café, one of the few in the small yet colorful town, before Britta and I took out our wands and focused on the icy fjord nearby.
A moment later we hopped out of the teleport, the five of us standing on the edge of the snowy bank that separated civilization from the untamed wilds, before turning around and taking it all in.
“I have a feeling this really isn’t going to be easy,” Faus said, as the wind whipped around the fur outer lining of his hood.
“No, Faus, I don’t think it will be, but it will be worth it in the end,” Blake said.
“Get the wand, get the power, and then defeat Kiren. That the plan?” Britta asked.
“Yeah, that’s it,” I said, smiling, as we took our first steps towards greatness.
10
“Perhaps we should set up camp,” Faus said, as the sun started to retreat slowly into the horizon.
There was an eerie calm to the tundra. I stood there, looking around and breathing in the cold air as snot dribbled down my nose before I quickly wiped it away. There hadn’t been anything in sight all day besides the endless monotonous landscape that never seemed to end. I tried using my mark, my gut feeling, but nothing had spoken to me yet. I hadn’t thought I would feel it on the first day, but I thought maybe, just maybe, I would get a fuzzy feeling that would at least point us in the right direction.
If there was one good thing about this mission, though, it was having my friends with me. I couldn’t imagine doing this by myself.
“Do you have the tents?” Blake asked Britta.
“Right here,” she said, setting down her pack before rustling out three tiny tents, each of them no bigger than a pill bottle. She spaced them out, seating them on the crusty snow, before pulling out her wand.
They grew before our eyes, coming up to size, before stakes plowed into the ground and ropes kept the tents from flying away. The tents all had their doors pointing towards a middle spot, our main area to hang out and cook in.
“How are we going to make a fire?” Charlie asked, looking around. “I just realized there aren’t any trees here.”
“I have that covered,” Britta said, smiling. Clearing her throat, she pointed her wand at the middle of the area, incanting a spell I’d never heard before. “Ignatius Procurus.”
A fire started to form, thick wooden logs and all, as the harsh Arctic wind tried to blow it out. “Don’t worry, it can’t be blown out, it’s magical,” Britta said, putting away her wand.
“You can do that?” Blake asked.
“You can do anything with magic,” she said, tossing her and Charlie’s bags in one of the tents.
“I take it I have a tent to myself?” Faus asked, walking over to another of the tents.
“You do indeed. I figured three was enough, right?” Britta asked.
“It’s fine for us,” Blake said, nudging me a little.
“Nothing weird. Remember, it’s not like these walls are thick,” Faus warned. “Why don’t we get settled in and then come back out in half an hour to make our food?”
“Sounds good to me, I could use a rest,” Charlie said, before getting on his hands and knees and crawling inside the tent.
“Can’t believe we get to be together all night,” Blake said, zipping closed the tent door after we crawled inside. The tent was small, enough to sit up in with some head room, but it definitely wasn’t as big as the ones from the camp. I supposed we only needed them for sleep and shelter, not to lounge around in, after all.
“I know, it’s a treat we aren’t usually afforded. How are you doing so far?” I asked.
“I’m doing well, just holding it in. I figure if things get really bad I can always shift. My fur will keep me warmer,” he said.
“I didn’t even think about you doing that. I guess Charlie could do the same,” I said.
“Nope, I have that over him,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “He would have to go into his jaguar form on all fours, with his paws in the snow. Can’t see him doing that.”
“You guys have such a funny rivalry. Britta and I love watching you two compete,” I said.
“Come here,” he said, lying back, using his pack as a pillow. I crawled over to him, lying down beside him, as I heard the wind howl and rattle the walls of the tent. “Quite powerful winds,” Blake said.
“Do you think I can do it?” I asked bluntly, out of nowhere.
“What?” he asked, treading carefully.
“Defeat Kiren,” I said.
“Don’t you think you could? Besides, it’s not like you’d be doing it alone, Lexa. You’d have me, Britta, Charlie, Mirian, Pote—everybody would be involved. It’s not your burden to carry. We all have a part to play in it,” Blake said.
“Yeah, but if they could all beat him, they would’ve already done it, right? Assuming we don’t find the crystal wand, then what? I don’t think I have what it takes now, even if I sometimes act really confident,” I said.
“Well, I’ve seen what you can do, and I think you’re more than capable, but it’s okay to be a little unsure of yourself at times. It’s a lot to think about, and a lot on the line, and I think you think you’re going to let people down, which you’re not,” he said.
“Yeah, I guess. I just really hope we find this wand, so that I know I can get the job done. He’s powerful. If there’s any respect I have for him, even the tiniest sliver, it’s for his ability. Guess that’s what you get for a master rune mage,” I said.
“We’ll find the wand, you’ll be worthy, and then things will come together. M.A.G.I.C. will go back to the people, we’ll go back to normal, and before you know it, this will all be a distant memory that we sometimes look back upon and wonder why we didn’t do it sooner,” Blake said, kissing my forehead.
“Yeah, I hope so. Hopefully with him in prison things will change. I believe they will,” I said.
“Well, prison or death, things will change. The people will see that his marital rule isn’t the way they want to live,” he said.
“Let’s just take a nap for a little bit,” I said, snuggling up to him. He didn’t say anything else. The tension in my mind grew, as a million and one thoughts ran through my head.
I didn’t particularly like feeling doubtful, that was for sure.
I woke up panicked, my eyes shooting open as far as they could go, as I looked around and tried to work out where I was. The flaps on the front of the tent flapped violently in the wind. I calmed myself, realizing we were out on assignment. “Doing okay?” Blake asked, running his fingers through my hair.
“Just forgot where we were for a second. That doesn’t usually happen,” I said, wiping my eyes. “How long has it been?”
“Just over thirty minutes. I heard somebody rummaging around out there, probably Faus. We should go out,” Blake said, getting up and putting his layers back on. “I can’t wait to eat.”
“Yeah, we definitely need it. How far do you think we walked today?” I asked.
“Well, I do have to say that things are a lot easier with two witches on the team. I can’t imagine it would be too much fun having to push our way through all this snow. To answer your question, probably six or seven miles, give or take. We didn’t have a full day,” Blake said.