Meisla managed to get a few hours of rest before the sound of footsteps wake her. She poked her head out of her tent and saw Yoviene kneeling in front of the pond and splashing the cool water on her face.

“Morning,” Meisla said to Yoviene shyly as she walked over to her.

The woman grunted and continued wiping her face.

“How are you feeling? Any better?” Meisla asked.

“I must be feeling better. I only had four nightmares last night,” Yoviene said dryly.

She peered into the pond and looked at herself and felt around her forehead, and quickly turned to Meisla,” Do you still see it?”

Meisla examined Yoviene’s head and could see the rune almost faded away. The blue light it gave was gone.

“It looks like it’s disappearing.” The girl answered.

“About time!” Yoviene shouted with relief. “Maybe tonight I can start getting a good night’s rest.”

Meisla smiled, happy to see Yoviene brighten and become more energetic.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Meisla asked eagerly.

“Once everyone is awake, we’re gonna scout ahead and try to find where the Mage lives and kill him.” Yoviene declared as the two stood in front of each other near the pond. Silence wandered the air as Meisla saw the bags under Yovine’s eyes and remembered how she antagonized her last night. Regret pooled in Meisla’s heart.

“I’m sorry for what I said last night. I get too harsh sometimes.” The girl said glumly, looking down.

“Being consumed by our passions is part of having the blessing of fire; I won’t hold it against you.” Yoviene folded her arms and smirked.

“Is it alright if I asked you for a favor?” Meisla asked.

“What?”

“I haven’t been able to use the blessing of fire like last time, and Bronson was talking about how you were so good with it, so I was wondering if there’s anything you can teach me? I want to be useful for when we fight the Mage.” Meisla’s determination forced a chuckle out of Yoviene.

“I wouldn't call myself a master of fire, but I can help you move along.”

Yoviene walked over to a tent and quickly went inside. Meisla could see two gray rocks in her hand.

“You got lucky conjuring a flame to destroy whatever that thing controlling the boar was. To conjure an element, you have to get used to it first.” Yoviene stepped in front of the clump of ashen clumps of woods where the group had surrounded themselves the night before, and in a single quick motion, she rubbed together, and the resulting sparks started a flame. Yoviene signaled Meisla to come closer to the fire.

“Normally, a fire sustains itself through feeding off its surroundings before it starts to die out, but if you focus and…” Yoviene held out a hand in front of the flame, and with slight concentration, the small flame suddenly rises a few feet in the air in a streak of heat before lowering, “You can control it however you want.” Yoviene grinned. “I want you to try and focus on the fire and see if you can make it rise.”

Meisla put an eager hand out and closed her eyes, her brow furrowing with concentration. She could feel the warmth of the flame on her fingertips and imagined the fire ascending high into the air, even more than Yoviene had it. She opened her eyes and saw it had only risen a few inches into the air and bent itself, pointing straight at her.

“Good. Keep practicing, and you can control the fire however you want.” Yoviene encouraged as she held out the flint. “You can use these to practice with.”

“Can’t you teach me something more advance? Like a few fire spells or techniques?” Meisla slowly took the flint with a look of slight disappointment.

“Get a better handle on the fire, and maybe I’ll show some tricks.” Yoviene laughed.

Meisla practiced all that morning while Yoviene watched on. She managed to get the fire to move around her but was unable to increase its intensity. The woman sat close to Meisla and watched.

As Meisla twisted the flame around, she felt the temptation to put her hand in the fire. The girl moved closer, but the heat didn’t bother her. No blaze had ever harmed her, thanks to the blessing. A sense of power surged through her body as the flame enveloped her hand. She made a fist and pulled out and saw a tiny sliver of red in her palm.

“I guess that’s the closest you’ll get to a fireball at your level.” Yoviene snickered.

Meisla was about to snap back a reply before an idea entered her head.

“I don’t need to sling a fireball.” She replied as she quickly walked over to her tent with the tiny flame in hand. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver with her free hand.

“Stay on the arrowhead. Stay on the arrowhead.” She mumbled to herself, focusing on the small flame.

She wrapped it around the arrowhead, and the flame had managed to linger around with eating up the entire arrow.

“It’s not like back then, but close enough!” Meisla shouted proudly before blowing out the flame.

“Look at the little firestarter!” A jolly voice proclaimed.

Bronson and the others had started to emerge from their tents while Meisla was focusing on the flame.

Denlo rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he approached his sister, “I hope you got some sleep last night before you started this impromptu training. You were talking to Gaerra for ages.” Denlo said dryly.

“Don’t worry, I did!” Meisla responded.

“And we didn’t just talk. She showed me what happened to them after they fought the Mage. Denlo, Minthea is still in the forest!” Meisla exclaimed.

Her brother stared at her for a moment, his mind deep in thought.

“Canno would have a fit if he heard this…” Denlo whispered.

“What’s is it that got you two whispering over there?” Yoviene asked the pair.

Gaerra looked over to them as well with a puzzled look. Meisla could tell the rune was still doing its work on her.

“Before we make a plan to find the Mage, there’s something you should know.” Meisla began.

The girl recounted Gaerra’s vision and Minthea’s unwillingness to do anything about the Mage. As the tale was being told, Meisla noticed a Yoviene’s eye twitch as she spoke, but the rest of her face was neutral.

“So that’s what happened,” Yoviene said, looking at Gaerra and Sylvar.

Both of them were looking at the now faded marks on their bodies, “It’s strange hearing it. I remember showing you my memory, and I know what you said is correct, but now it’s completely different in my mind.” Gaerra confessed.

Sylvar nodded, not saying a word.

“So what’s so special about an evil wizard that a goddess would want to keep a secret from the other deities?” Bronson wondered aloud.

“Secret child?” Meisla chimmed.

“He was so ugly when he was born she kept him here to hide the embarrassment.” Bronson laughed.

“Or the Mage is her own weapon against the other gods, and she just waiting for the right moment to strike. Yoviene declared.

“Either way, wondering what he is still doesn’t change the fact that we need to kill him.” She continued.

“Today, we’re gonna scout around and find his lair. Tempting as it is to rush in when we find we have to be careful.” Yoviene’s gaze lingered on Bronson for a moment before returning to look at the rest of the group.

“Ah, recon how exciting.” Sylvar cooed.

“How boring.” Bronson frowned.

“There’s too much we don’t know about the forest, so we’ll stick together. Meisla. Denlo. This is your chance to back out. If you stay or not is your choice, but I’m not responsible for your life.” Yoviene declared.

Meisla looked over at Denlo, and she could see the claw marks over her brother’s armor where the bear had slashed him. Guilt rattled within, but the desire to be of use to the village burned it away.

“I want to stay, Denlo. It feels right that someone from the village is here to do something.” Meisla stated.

“And like I told you if you’re here, then so am I.” Denlo nodded to his sister, thoughts of a time he'd rather forget haunted him.

“Alright, we’ll set out when everyone is ready.” Yoviene proclaimed before leaving to her tent to ger her equipment.

“Welcome to the team!” Bronson shouted happily to the two as everyone began to gather their things.

****

As the group began to leave the clearing into the unknown of the forest, a figure in a dark cloak flitted through the trees. Even during the day, he could feel Darlocke’s protection over the clearing.

That woman deserved to suffer for what she did to me. The Mage thought to himself.

Like all the others who faced him, those two humans and elves were nothing special, but that creature had caught him off guard—remnants of pain where the boar had struck him pulsed throughout his body.

The Mage admitted he was careless after years and years of playing around with haughty adventurers. The Mage was not nearly as cautious and precise as he used to. Audacious behavior cost him bodily pain and humiliation. Yoviene’s arrogant smile as she watched the boar gore the Mage seared his mind. Ripping out her throat right then would have been too kind and quick. The elation that surged through him as he felt the woman’s terror at stabbing her companion was exquisite. That wretched goddess ruined his plan of watching her scream in agony and potentially attack her other friends as buried fears sunk their claws into her mind.

She always tries to ruin my fun.

He had to give these adventurers credit for wanting to continue their futile quest. The Mage became excited as he witnessed the group leave their encampment; he thought of all the ways he could use them for entertainment. He focused on the faces of Meisla and Denlo. The Mage sneered as he looked into their minds.

“It has been so long since I had the chance to play with people from that village.”