Drenit

  Azale ducked out of the house for the first time three days after Father’s visit. She wore a white and grey dress that was rather plain for a princess and a large floppy hat with the poisonous flowers that decorated near, every cup, plate and decorative knickknack that came out with the tea and cookies. According to father she liked the image of them.

  It reminded him of the shadowed girl then woman who was always present but always on the outside. His mother would often breath empathy toward the girl, but they never approached her. When everything went wrong he’d wondered if they had if things would have been different.

  Regret was something that Drenit knew like a snake in his stomach. And it seemed his biggest regrets had lines leading to this little sister. Drenit stood and followed Azale on her skipping walk. He could tell that Azale took notice of him but she kept moving not telling him to leave her alone or running away, actually her skipping even slowed as if letting him catch up to her.

  “Where are we going?” He asked when he reached pace with her.

  “The stone patio near the bushed.” She told him waving the basket in her hand forward in the direction. The stone patio was a decent bit into what once was gardens. All the flowers had withered and died except for the smallest crop of new buds a few feet from the patio. They’d been identified as mostly food items and a few well know potion ingredient and a sprinkling of poisons.

  He raised his brows at a spirit gopher that popped up near the plants and the plants seemed to grow a bit before his eyes.

  Azale stopped and lowered toward the ground looking them over.

  “Oh, Mori, you did a lovely job!” She brightly complimented and though he couldn’t tell what the spirits said he could tell Mori was pleased with her praise.

  Drenit was struck for a moment how much she seemed like the child she was this time around. His other interactions with her she’d tried so hard to seem an adult that it was relieving to see her this bright.

  Drenit glanced at the other guards who trailed farther behind. Drenit flashed hand signals to ensure they were placed far enough away not to interfere with Azale’s fun but to ensure they would have no unexpected surprises.

  Azale knelt on the patio and dug in her basket until she pulled out a piece of chalk and ran it across the ground.

  Once again it seemed the simplest childlike thing she could do. That was until the images were a bit too balanced and built more and more in a structured circle. He realized she had a first circle in a runic set done before his eyes. Even at thirteen, which he was told was the oldest she’d lived to a record cut short because of him, a runic set with more then one circle should be very difficult to accomplish but it seemed almost second nature to her to complete this set of three.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  When she was done Azale jumped up beaming with pride. In a moment she glance toward him as if seeking approval like any child would before blinking and looking away the smile gone. Unwilling to let the moment disappear he stepped forward making a scene of looking it over.

  “This is very impressive.” He praised her and he noticed the twitch in her shoulders as she glanced at him. “What’s it for?” He asked. Once again she almost hopped.

  “It’s a focus. I’ve been practicing my portals and spirit paths. This helps my portal be able to be big enough while rooting the path with it’s mirror image that I have in the house.” Azale explained pointing toward the house. “So far I’ve been able to go between floors and right outside, today I’m going to go from her to inside the doorway.” Azale indicated.

  Drenit looked over the distance, normally he wouldn’t think it much, but he knew stories of the spirt real and it’s confusing twists and turns. He knew some never found their way out after entering. It was somewhere he didn’t know how to protect her and yet as the Sister Spirit it was fundamentally apart of her.

  “Is it difficult?” He asked her. Azale tilted her head back and forth.

  “It can be.” She admitted. “I’m pretty good at the traveling part at the moment, It’s time that fluctuates, this walk in the physical is forty-two… of my steps.” She offered looking at his feet. “It could only take two spirit steps to get there or a hundred and eighty-two.” She explained with a shrug. Drenit really didn’t like how this was sounding.

  Drenit dropped a knee in front of her meeting her eyes.

  “Why do you need them. I could take you anywhere you wish?” He tried offering. Azale though frowned.

  “But then I wouldn’t be able to get away.” She pointed out. He knew she didn’t trust them and he wasn’t sure how to prove it to her. Azale showed a flicker of hesitation. “If I can get good at this I wouldn’t mind going places.” She told him. “If I can get away.” She insisted.

  Drenit sucked in a breath at the confirmation, assurance to attempt trust. He nodded.

  “Alright, what is the goal for time?” He asked her. Azale blinked then grinned.

  “Less then an hour the first time.” She told him. Again he didn’t like that but he nodded and stood.

  “I am going to watch you leave from here and then I’m going to wait for you at the other portal.” He insisted. Azale paused and turned to the ground hog.

  “Can you go with him so the others don’t get mad at him? And be careful not to smudge the circle with the door.” Azale breathed looking between them. Drenit nodded his agreement. She walked over to the circle lowering and touching the edge energy flickering around her and lighting up the circle in a circle perception warped and it looked like water. Similar to the one she’d opened the day they found her only it was cleaner and larger.

  He realized that day there hadn’t been a circle, she hadn’t spent as much time on it. The understanding scared him but it also made him realize why this test was needed. He didn’t want her to leave them but if she did he wanted her to have every way to be safe. When she stepped inside and waved to him he waved back breathless as he was before the spirit that had cut of her panicked escape.

  When the portal closed he started counting in his head making his way toward the door glancing at the ground hog that kept speed with him.