Chapter 20: The double fortress
The group moved on. Many comments were made about the recent events, especially by Erin who, after hearing Timper's version of the story, could hardly believe he'd almost got his butt kicked by an actress. He refrained from commenting on the parts where he had been kicked. Things hadn't turned out the way he had expected, but he still wanted to believe there was hope for Miranda. She was troubled and confused, she'd made many bad choices, but he still had the feeling that there was some good in her. He tried not to talk about it too much, though. He didn't want Erin to come to the wrong conclusions. The last thing he wanted was the faerfliye warrior to be mad at him, for more than one reason. It wasn't worth the risk anyway. His thoughts about Miranda were merely speculations; he didn't really know her.
"Why are you so mean to me?" he finally decided to ask Erin.
"What are you talking about?" she questioned.
"I tried to do something good and you made fun of me. And you're always rude to me when we talk."
"I'm not rude to you. I've actually been nicer to you than I've been to anyone else."
"Well, it's true that not everyone has seen you smile, which is quite sad. But not everyone has had your sword pointing to their hearts either."
"What? When did I ever point my sword to your heart?"
"When we first met. Don't you remember? It was the first thing you ever did to me."
"Oh, I didn't point it to your heart. You didn't even have a heart for me to point at!"
"Heart, trunk, whatever. You threatened to kill me when you first saw me."
"You'd earned it, you were stalking us. I wasn't going to kill you anyway. And you didn't seem to find your life threatened either, or else you wouldn't have uttered that ridiculous phrase."
"Ridiculous?"
"Is 'don't kill me with that look' a reasonable thing to say to someone who may slice you in half?"
"Wow!"
"Wow what?"
"You remember the first words I ever said to you! I'm impressed."
"You're crazy."
"Maybe a little," Timper grinned.
"If it makes you feel better, I promise I won't kill you," she said with a smile.
"Seeing you smile does make me feel a lot better. Promise you'll keep smiling and I may let you kill me some time," he winked.
"Hey, isn't it too cold?" Erin changed the subject.
"It's winter," Timper replied.
"I know, but it wasn't this cold yesterday."
"It wouldn't be the first time the weather's changed abruptly around here. But yes, I grant you it's quite cold."
"It's going to snow," Gallead commented. His gaze was lost in the sky.
"We should find shelter before the night comes," Eric suggested. "We can't sleep in the open."
"Everyone's stating the obvious today," Erin retorted.
"You could be less incisive and more helpful," Timper told her. "Unless the cold is getting to you more than you care to show."
"If I couldn't take a winter day, I wouldn't have survived all this time," she replied. "But it's true I'm not enjoying it. How come it snows here, if it never snowed in Shantar, nor in Isthum?"
"Snow isn't that common here either, but we're higher above the sea level than Isthum is, and we're not sheltered by mountains like Shantar was," Timper explained. "Cold winds can blow freely in this region."
It didn't take long before snow began to fall. Fortunately, the wind wasn't strong, so everyone was able to keep moving. It stopped almost as soon as it started, just a warning of the upcoming days, leaving a thin white coat on some parts of the ground, and just water on others.
"Gallead, what's wrong?" asked Mariel, noticing the ferwill was still lost in his thoughts.
"Oh," he said, turning round to face her. "I really don't know. I guess I'm just worried."
"Why? I mean... We do have things to worry about, but why is now different?"
"I've told you I don't know. I have a bad feeling, but I can't explain it. I don't normally have feelings like this."
"What do you feel?"
"I feel something's wrong. And I'm worried, but I can't help it, can I? Not if I don't even know what the problem is."
"Maybe we can figure it out," Mariel suggested.
"I'm not sure. I'm not a sorcerer; the only magic I know how to use is related to physical enhancement and healing, so I have no reason to have a hunch that actually means anything."
"The only magic you can actively use. But you've been open to connection magic before. What if someone is trying to contact you?"
"In that case, wouldn't you feel it?"
"Hmm... I guess I would."
"Don't worry. I guess I'm just getting tired of finding more enemies and not making it to the point. I wish Jamie was here."
"Yes, she and her family could be of great help. But they're already helping us where they are. As for the point, I have good news for you."
"Are we close?"
"We're about to reach it," Mariel announced.
As if on cue, lights came flashing from behind a nearby hill. As they got closer -which they quickly did-, their true nature became evident. It was fire! More precisely, fire arrows. Gallead reacted quickly and pushed Mariel down before the arrows could reach her. A puddle of water put out the fire. The group, taken by surprise, got ready to confront their new attacker. About ten seconds passed before two new arrows came by. Already prepared, the travelers easily dodged them.
"It seems our new opponent isn't brave enough to show its face," Erin stated.
Flaming arrows kept coming at a rather slow rate, until Gallead set up a front of wind to deflect them. The fifth pair of arrows were sent back to their source, but they didn't reach it. Instead, they disappeared into thin air.
"I don't like the look of this," Erin said.
"Fire and vanishing weapons? Either someone's imitating you or we're up against a faerfliye," Eric deduced.
"I don't use arrows," Erin told him. "By the range those arrows reach and the force they come out with, I'd say it's a faerfliye alright. Not a very experienced one, though. Otherwise those arrows would have at least scratched one of us."
"First a merial, then a shifter, now a faerfliye... What's next? Are they trying to summon one of each of our races to fight against us?" Eric questioned.
"Before anyone jumps to more conclusions, I think I'll go and check out what's going on," offered Pura.
"Are you sure?" Eric asked her.
"Those arrows won't touch me," she assured.
"Ok, go."
Pura flashed away, disappearing behind the hill. Oddly enough, the arrows stopped coming. The group waited for a minute, but nothing happened.
"Pura, is everything alright?" Eric called out, ready to go after her.
The violet light emerged from behind the hill.
"Everything's fine!" Pura answered. "Come here, all of you! They're friends!"
"They're... friends?" Eric repeated, puzzled.
"I have no idea what's going on," Erin said. "But I guess we'll find out if we go. There's no getting an explanation from Pura from this distance."
Eric, Mariel, Erin, Timper and Gallead made for the top of the hill in the best way each of them could. It wasn't as steep as it had seemed from the distance. When they reached the top, they found that the path ahead of them was shrouded in mist. While they were still contemplating the whiteness, Pura came to greet them, followed by two young, red-haired faeries who didn't look older than twelve. They were a boy and a girl. They both wore thick yellow clothes, and the girl had her bright orange hair tied in a ponytail. She had freckles on her face, and brown eyes. The boy's eyes were hazel.
"Hi! These are Jim and May," Pura introduced the two. "My friends Mariel, Erin, Timper, Gallead, and my friend and brilliant student Eric."
Eric chuckled at Pura's remark.
"Don't embarrass me," he told her. "But what are you two doing here? And why were you attacking us?"
"I'm sorry," May apologized. "We thought you were invaders. We've been attacked so many times... We were just trying to defend ourselves."
"Who's been attacking you?" asked Eric.
"Who hasn't?" Jim retorted. "Starting with zombies and strange earth creatures back in our old home, then an elf mage, a quirran and two whisterels... They just can't leave us alone."
"It seems you've been the target of as many attacks as we have," Timper noted. "Why?"
"I don't know," Jim said. "We've done nothing to them. All we want is just to live."
"Gavin says they see us as a threat," May explained.
"Who's Gavin?" Erin asked.
"He's our friend. He saved us when our town was attacked," May said. "He took us to our new home and has been protecting us since then. I mean... We all protect each other."
"That must be the place Jamie spoke of!" Gallead cheered.
"It must be. I can feel it from here," Mariel confirmed.
"Who's Jamie? And how can you feel it?" asked Jim.
"Jamie's a friend, and I'm a sorceress," Mariel explained. "We've been told that a source of great good lay in this area, and we've been looking for it. We're trying to stop the attacks too, so maybe we can help each other."
"This is strange..." Jim said. "I feel like I can trust you, but why?"
"Because it's true," Mariel smiled. "And I know we can trust you too. We're on the same side."
"You're strange, but nice," May told her. "I know! Why don't you come home with us? We'll introduce you to Gavin and Galmand and Seren and everyone. You'll love them!"
"Who did you say?" asked Pura.
"Oh, some friends of ours," Jim told her. "Come on, follow us!"
The children flew into the mist, and the group followed, not knowing what to expect. When the mist cleared out, they were surprised at what they saw ahead. It was a construction with a rather unusual shape: one large cylindrical tower made of grey stones, and a smaller, white, castle-shaped structure attached to it.
"Is that Twocastle?," Eric asked, looking at the strange building.
"Yes, it is," May said. "Come on in, you can wait in the big tower and we'll bring Gavin to meet you."
"Wait a second," Erin stopped them. "Before we go in there, I'd like to know something. How do you two know you can trust us? And how do we know this isn't just another trap?"
"Your friend was kind to us," Jim said, pointing at Pura. "Bad people are never nice."
"Actually, they are sometimes," Eric told him. "We've fought two enemies who tried to look like friends before."
"And that was nothing," Erin added. "But if we go on, it will seem we're trying to prevent you from trusting us. We'll just deal with things as they come."
The young faerfliyes gave Erin a puzzled look. Giving up their attempts to understand her, they pushed the large and heavy door of the grey tower, allowing everyone to enter.
"May, you can wait here with them while I bring Gavin, so they know this isn't a trap," Jim told his sister.
May nodded, and her brother went back outside.
The interior of the tower was lit with candles stuck all over the walls. The door led to a wide, round hall, in the center of which was a large wooden table. There were pillows of different shapes, colors and sizes all over the stone floor, and a fireplace warmed up the room. A set of stairs spiraled up from the walls, leading to a first floor.
"What's upstairs?" Timper asked.
"Rooms for large guests," May answered. "You and the faeries can stay in the smaller castle, but the others won't fit inside, so they'll have to use the rooms upstairs if you're going to stay for the night."
"What is this place?" Mariel asked, intrigued.
"They said it was built as a resting spot for travelers, but it has turned into a fortress since the war began," May replied. "Refugees like us are coming from everywhere. Most of us have had to leave our homes to escape the attacks. But together, we're stronger. We can defend ourselves. Twocastle is protected by both an army and strong magic, so we can hold on until the war is over, and still offer shelter for those who need it."
"For now, at least," a female voice came from above.
Everyone looked up, as a slim figure started moving down the stairs. Her steps could not be heard, nor her feet seen; only her long yellow dress could be seen crawling down the steps. Its wearer had brown skin, golden eyes and thick lips. Her ears barely stood out on the sides of her perfectly curved bald head, which was decorated with a yellow ribbon tied around it, crossing the middle of her forehead. The ribbon had a bright red stone in the center.
"Oh, Seren! Hi! I thought you were outside," May greeted the newcomer.
"Hello, May. Greetings to everyone else," Seren replied. "I was outside, indeed, but I came in as soon as I noticed the snow was coming."
"You were smarter than us, then. Have you been listening to us since we arrived?"
"Since you met, actually. Sorry, I was curious. You did a good job as a guide, but you got one detail wrong. This castle wasn't built as a shelter. It was turned into one after it was found; the only building still standing among the ruins of an old city. No one here knows what its original purpose was."
"Are you a refugee too?" Eric asked Seren.
"I can say I am," she replied. "I did come here to escape an attack my people couldn't possibly resist, but I didn't come just to save myself. I came here to find someone who'd be able to strike back, and possibly end the war once and for all. I've been helping around since then, and waiting."
"Waiting for what?" asked Eric.
"For the winter to end," Seren smiled.
"But why did you say we're only holding on for now?" May questioned. "Don't you think we can resist here until the war ends?"
"I really wish I could be that optimistic," Seren said. "My intuition, however, tells me otherwise. And I'm afraid it's never been wrong before. We haven't seen the worst of our enemies yet. All these attacks have been just tests. When they really decide to get rid of us... Oh, sorry. What am I doing? I shouldn't be speaking like this to a girl your age. Forget what I said, you can actually still make a difference; just... not necessarily here."
"I'm not a little girl, you know!" May complained. "I'm twelve already, so don't treat me like a baby. I've seen horrible things happen... I've lost my home and most of my family and I'm still here, fighting. So don't hide things from me just because I'm young."
"I'm not doing that," Seren replied. "I'm not hiding anything; but I must learn not to be so harsh."
"Seren, harsh? Is that even possible?" a strong yet cheerful male voice said.
The door was pushed open again by an adult male faerfliye. He had short, reddish-orange hair and beard and was wearing a white shirt and beige trousers. Behind him came Jim, and by his side floated a male faerie with pointy ears and transparent wings which were quite large in proportion to the rest of his body. He wore the same kind of clothes as the faerfliye, only that his trousers were as white as his shirt. His eyes were green, his hair was bright blue, and an aura of blue light surrounded his body.
"So these are the new visitors," the faerfliye contemplated the guests. "Welcome to Twocastle! Sorry for the unfriendly reception, we've been through many attacks lately and can't help but be cautious. My name is Gavin, and this is my friend and right hand Galmand. You've already met Jim."
"Consider yourselves forgiven!" Pura blurted out. "As long as you show us around and we get the chance to talk."
Galmand's eyes opened widely, but he took his time to reply. Finally, he said he'd show them the small castle, but only the smaller three would be able to see the whole of it.
"Maybe the rest of you would prefer to see this tower now," Gavin concluded.
Mariel said it was ok either way, and Eric agreed. Gallead hesitated for a second, but then decided it would be best to take a look at the large tower while Erin, Timper and Pura saw the other section.
"I'll show you around, then," Seren offered. "Gavin, you can go with the others in case they decide to split up."
Gavin didn't understand Seren's reasons, but he'd learnt to follow her instincts without questioning them. He nodded, and left the tower followed by Galmand, Jim, May and the three smaller travelers.
"This is really strange," Eric commented once his friends had left. "I feel like I'm missing half of what's going on."
"I'm not too sure about it either," Mariel admitted. "Gallead?"
"I don't know, I may be seeing things," the ferwill said. "I just thought I saw Pura's light glow brighter, and with what she said I thought she was up to something. I was curious, but I thought it was best not to follow her this time."
"You thought correctly," Seren told him. "If I'm right about her. Come, I'll show you your rooms."
She moved up as silently as she had descended, and the others followed.
"How does she do that?" Eric wondered.
"She's a grumma. She doesn't have legs, only a strong and very flexible tail," Gallead explained.
"Oh. That too, but I was asking why she seems to know everything."
"About that, I have no clue."
"You can always ask," Seren giggled. "I don't know everything, I just have an uncommon intuition, and I've heard a few stories about your friend Pura."
"Really? How?!"
"I know someone who knows her," she said. "He's only said good things about her. If it really is her. It could be another Pura, but too many things match. Oh, here we are. You can pick the rooms you like the most. No one's occupying this floor aside from me right now. There are two bathrooms down the corridor and a small kitchen for those who want to cook or brew potions. The main kitchen is on the small castle, though, and dinner will be brought to you from there, so you don't have to use this kitchen unless you want to. There's a library on the other side; you can read as much as you want while you're here; or you can take a book, but only if you leave one in return. Everything else is distributed among the rooms. I'd give you a tour, but I think you'll get the most out of exploring by yourselves. You can relax and do whatever you like, but I suggest that you get down by sunset. There will be a show before dinner, and you don't want to miss it."
"A show?" they all asked.
"Lights on the sky, music and some surprises. Everyone's invited to participate or watch. We always have shows on special events."
"And what's the event now?" queried Gallead.
"Your arrival, of course!" Seren smiled.
*************************
The small castle was filled with even more light than the large one. Many creatures were inside, and they all greeted the visitors joyfully.
"They don't look like war refugees," Erin commented.
"We celebrate what we have instead of mourning for what we've lost," Gavin explained. "That makes us stronger."
"Does it?" Timper questioned. "Can't all those hidden feelings explode in the worst possible moment?"
"Oh, we don't hide them," Galmand told him. "But we look at all the good things we still have, and all we've gained. Life has so much to offer! It's worth not missing it. We could all have died, but we didn't, so we try to make the best of our lives."
"You remind me of a young girl I know," Erin laughed.
"In more than one way if it's Mariel you're talking about," Pura added. "What do you do here, Galmand?"
"I mainly protect the fortress with magic, heal those who need it and fight if I have to. I also make light shows when we have a party; I guess I'll be making one tonight, right, Gavin?"
"Yes, it will be a good way to honor our visitors," the faerfliye replied.
"A light show?!" Erin laughed louder than before.
"What is it?" asked Gavin.
"Nothing. It's just... You guys are the opposite of subtlety."
"Our enemies already know we're here," Gavin remarked. "We may as well let them know that all their attempts to bring us down are failing and we still have reasons to celebrate."
"Alright, that explains the light show. What about certain discretion rules?"
"We haven't been breaking any," Galmand stared at Erin, puzzled. "But I assume someone has, or else you wouldn't be asking that question. Maybe we could talk about that in detail later."
"No, it's ok," Erin shrugged it off.
After walking through countless corridors, rooms and halls, the visitors were left to move freely. Gavin and Galmand headed to their rooms to change their clothes for the party.
"I'll take around 5 seconds, so I guess I'll then sit around and wait for the fun to start," Galmand stated.
"5 seconds? You do always get ready before I do, but don't go overboard with the bragging. It doesn't suit you, and someone might put your words to a test," Gavin word them.
"I'll be looking forward to that moment," Galmand replied in a mysterious tone.
"I think I'll take another look around and leave you two guys alone," Pura spoke out to Erin and Timper.
"Do what you like best," said Erin, deliberately ignoring any possible connotations.
Those words had worked wonders. Even Timper was fooled about Pura's intentions.
*************************
Ten seconds later, Galmand heard knocks on his door. He stood up, expectantly, and slowly turned the door open. His eyes met a sight he had been missing for years. It was one of his own kind... A female, with deep blue eyes and light violet locks falling on her chest, wrapped in a green dress that would have been more suitable for the summer. But he didn't think she was feeling cold at that moment: it was quite warm inside. And it had just turned warmer.
"Who's that mysterious lady waiting at my door?" he welcomed her with a wide smile.
Even though he'd spoken in the form of a question, his tone and expression showed that he clearly knew the answer.
"So you remember me! I'm impressed," she told him, letting herself in.
"How could I not? That trip to the south was an experience I'll never forget. I'd never found a lurian who was not afraid to open up like you did."
"I'm sorry to be the herald of bad news, but they have managed to introduce that fear into me. Those history lessons were truly vivid."
"But that was another time. Another era. Neither of us had been born back then. I think we do have a chance, if we try. I believe there's a way to stop history from repeating itself while being and active part of it."
"You haven't changed, have you?" she giggled. "Well, I am an active part of history. I'm a guide... A teacher."
"But wouldn't you like to do more? For yourself as well as for others."
He turned towards a trunk that lay in front of his bed, and opened it.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked him.
"I want you to fulfill the promise you made to me before I left," he replied, searching inside the trunk. Finally, he found what he was looking for. "I'd been keeping this for you in case we crossed paths again."
He stretched out his arms, revealing a long silver dress. The cloth was as soft as it was shiny, and it seemed to be made to fit her size, though Galmand knew it could stretch and shrink as needed.
"This is... beautiful!" she exclaimed. "How did you get it?"
"Shh..." Galmand whispered, gently touching her lips with his fingers. "I'll tell you later. For now, I'd like you to go to the room assigned to you and put it on. Then, if it fits you, you can wear it during tonight's dinner and impress the audience."
"The audience? Are you asking me to sing... in public?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"I've never done it before!"
"Trust me. There was a first time for everyone who did it and, if something about you hasn't changed, you have nothing to be afraid of," he assured.
"What if the audience doesn't like it?"
"Nothing bad will happen if they don't, but that's not going to happen anyway. They'll love you; it's impossible not to."
"I wish I had your confidence," she sighed. "For this and every other aspect of my life."
"It will do you good. There's nothing like singing to boost your own confidence," he told her.
"Will you sing too?"
"If that's what it takes to make you feel comfortable, I will."
She thought for a moment, and then came to a decision.
"Ok, I'll do it."
*************************
Everyone had had the time to hold their own investigations by the time the celebration began. Mariel and Gallead had been exploring the library, while Eric filled Seren with questions and was left with even more questions than he previously had. One thing was clear, though. The inhabitants of Twocastle were friendly. Seren's answers were puzzling, but she didn't try to dodge Eric's questions, which represented a positive change for him. That way he found out that her people used to live in underground tunnels until waves of invaders started coming. One time they'd flooded the tunnels, another they'd set them on fire. Few grummar had survived the attacks, and she'd had the feeling it would only get worse. She had volunteered to serve as a sentinel, and spent days on the surface, trying to detect the next wave before it was too late, but this time it had come from below, destroying the very foundations of her city, and causing the land above it to crumble and smash everything to pieces. Then the attackers had left, ignoring her presence, or escaping what was coming next. Only the following day she had met Gavin and the two kids he had just rescued from another slaughtered village. He'd told her the shadows were coming, and urged her to follow him, and that was how she had arrived at Twocastle.
When Eric asked her about the reason of the attacks, Seren said she could only reckon something too powerful had been awakened, and all those with lust for power were now jumping at the opportunity. At first, it had been just random, chaotic attacks; but now it was getting worse. Now a group was prevailing, and getting organized.
"How do you know that?" Eric asked her.
"It's clear. Their actions have a direction now. And time only seems to push them towards their goal. There's something I'm missing, but I'm sure someone has got a hold of the cause of all this. And unless it breaks from the inside, our chances are minimum."
"Break from the inside?"
"I mean something needs to cause that direction to turn. And what about you? What has caused you to come this far?"
Eric told Seren his own story, and for some reason that brought some hope back to her. Especially after he described their last battle.
"Stick together," she advised him. "Maybe not everything's lost."
Erin and Timper, on the other hand, had been inspecting each corner of the small castle again and again, first to make sure they knew where they were standing, and then to try to find Pura. They came across May and Jim several times, but they found no signs of their luminous friend.
"She's been acting too strange today," Erin commented. "Even for her."
"I guess she must know what she's doing," Timper told her. "I haven't managed to understand her yet, but you know her better. Do you think there's anything wrong?"
"I don't see anything wrong, but I don't know if I should be worried about that."
"That kind of reasoning would lead you to be worried all the time. Give yourself a break and relax, you've earned it."
"Relax? How?"
"I don't know. What do you like doing, other than fighting?"
"Hmm... No one's ever asked me that question before."
"Really? I can't believe it!"
"Why not? It's not the first time you go where no one else has gone."
"I know, but that's a common question."
"Then I guess I must not be common myself."
"That's out of the question. You're anything but common," Timper smiled.
"You seem to be more used to that relaxing stuff. What do you suggest we do?"
"Well, when I visit a place and the locals are friendly, I often talk to them to find out about their lifestyles and traditions... Which from your face I can tell is not what you'd like to do. Then I usually find out what games they like to play, learn them and beat them at those games."
"You'd spent too many hours without bragging. I was starting to get scared. You can't possibly beat everyone at their own games."
"Not always, of course, but I often make it. I'm skilful, you should know it by now."
"I'd like to see you back up those words."
"No problem. Just follow me and watch."
He started heading to the main hall to find someone to challenge, but found the whole place decorated, the table served with a wide variety of meals, and everyone converging towards the center of the room. The show was about to start.
"Ok, maybe later," he concluded.
A male neini welcomed everyone, "especially tonight's visitors". The guests from the grey tower arrived just in time to watch the show begin. It opened with the ceiling turning transparent and revealing the clear and starry sky above it. Actually, since there were two floors above, either those floors had become transparent too or magic was being used to replicate the sky. Mariel stared at the stars, trying to figure out which of the two it was. All she could conclude was that it was light magic, and it wasn't a simple illusion. "I need to find the person who cast that spell and learn it," she thought. Few seconds later, the sky became filled with lights of many colors. Some lights stayed together, forming colorful flowers, circles and spirals, while others moved across the sky, sometimes falling, sometimes dancing high above with the stars.
Everybody clapped and cheered, and then, with the colorful lights still up, came the time of the performers. Two kraggletups made acrobatic pirouettes, first with nothing but their bodies, then with a ball, then with two, until they had four balls almost as tall as them piled up on each other, and the two of them on top. From that height, they jumped, letting the balls fall on the stage, and each of them landing on a chair by the table.
"All that exercise has made me hungry!" one of them said, grabbing something grayish from a plate in front of him, and receiving general laughter as a response.
After them came a leenia, a small water creature with silvery blue skin and long teal hair. She hummed a sweet melody, the vibrations never stopping as her body moved smoothly, waving and circling in an almost hypnotic manner. She, too, was applauded when she left the stage, though she did it in a much more discrete way than her predecessors.
And then the third act began: the singers. The announcer got on the stage and immediately looked back. Upon receiving the message, he revealed that a mysterious singer was going to make her debut that night. Erin nearly fell off her chair when she saw "Ümberliry" ("mysterious lady" in an ancient language), displaying her whole 15.5 centimeters of height on the stage, her silver dress reflecting her bright purple light. Her reaction alone allowed Timper to confirm his earlier conclusions. Behind this singer came Galmand, shining as brightly as his partner, dressed in an elegant white suit with blue arabesques that matched his glow and his hair. The song they sang was in a language no one in the audience could understand, but they were enchanted by the sound of Ümberliry's voice. When the song finished, dozens of spectators were cheering and asking her to sing one more song. The female singer blushed with shyness, but Galmand caressed her hair, mixing his light with hers, and whispered something to her which convinced her to sing again. This time she sang a popular song which Eric knew well. Many others knew it too, but that didn't make any it less beautiful. Then she left the stage and the hall, not knowing how to react to a crowd that was applauding her. She'd never felt anything like that before... Except that time when a young mage had visited her village. She was still a student then, and he'd managed to opened her eyes to a world she'd been completely unaware of... to possibilities that, against all predictions, were finally becoming real. He'd always tried to get her to open up, to show the world who she really was, and what she was capable of. Even then she'd been too shy, too influenced by the things she had learnt, but she'd made the promise that, should they meet again, she'd let no obstacles interfere between her and her dreams, and he'd get to see the best of her. So, literally, that night had been a dream come true. And it wasn't over yet.
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