Chasing Shadows
Sleep was never soft for Avaluna, the night was not her place of rest, unlike her sister and unlike her brother.
It was not like she desperately needed it either, she was not mortal, things like sleep were not a requirement. For the moon-wizard, dreaming was her way of receiving visions. When tiredness overtook her in the arena before Jim’s fight was a premonition, it only happened when the world had something to whisper.
Her eyes were closed, her physical body relaxed, however her heart and soul were hard at work.
She kept her spiritual eyes open in the darkness, until images began forming and she felt her limbs begin to awake internally. The soft glow from her hands telling her of the vision she was about to witness, nothing she had not been faced with before. From the depths of her core, she hummed a melody of old and an owl appeared in her view, wings made of moonlight. It flew within a moment, leaving Avaluna to follow.
As she did, the terrain began taking shape.
The grass gave way to tree tops, feeling more and more familiar as they flew on. Avaluna followed closely to the spiritual guide, never losing it from her sight, staying close, but not too close, as they dove beneath the canopy. The trees were ethereal, yet running into one would hurt the same, no matter if it was vision or not.
Finally it landed, the moon wizard recognizing the layout of the opening more than the bridge that stood before her.
Drawn by the remnants of the phantasmagoric owl, she sought the core of the vision, it wasn’t a hard mission, she had traversed those dream-like plains for centuries. Hopefully, it would bring some clarity to some of the mysteries that had appeared around Arcadia, or at least, that had shown themselves in the times they paid attention.
The meditative realm she created, for all its hallucination-like sights, was one of comfort. It wasn’t hard to traverse by no means and it had been a long time since that realm had become hostile to her, not since she had learned to master traversing the currents.
As the owl disappeared, Avaluna was left with a new woodland, younger trees, different grass. Following the horizon’s light, she found the city, still in its beginnings. Wooden houses, no concrete, only carved stone and faces she could almost remember. Flickers in the corner of her eyes brought her attention, faces and bodies flickered among the crowd, going from human to troll-looking, some didn’t even have a form.
Changelings. They were always there.
Time moved forward, the city unmaking and growing, and they were all still there. Among them, a figure she had seen before, towering before her for a moment, long enough only for her heart to skip a beat.
“I suppose I will break my promise.” She sighed, a mixture of feelings churning inside her.
Her mind barely wrapped around the memories before the ground gave in below her feet, dropping the wizard through the air, no matter how much she tried to summon her wings. Though the lack of control sent a shiver through her spine, she did not scream, looking around the void for a reason. Only then, finally spotting the dark prince, much younger, on a cliff’s edge as the sun crept up, ready to envelop him in stone.
Avaluna watched, heart pounding now, focus loosened.
Her wings returned, her body moving without her command, she dove toward the gumm-gumm.
She shouldn’t care, not after everything, not after her promise.
—
As they were about to collide, Avaluna opened her eyes to reality.
The dimly lit room of the library welcomed her, air entering her lungs deeper as she sat up. Her heart was still pounding, though now it slowed down.
“Pleasant vision, Lady Ava?” Archie queried, sitting down next to her on the living room table.
Avaluna’s eyes didn’t leave that spot on the wall she stared at, though slowly, the sounds of the ambience overshadowed the one of her heart. “I have not had a pleasant vision in quite a while, sadly enough.”
Her voice was hoarse and tired, she had been asleep for a while. “Are… Bad things to come?”
Avaluna watched the little dragon as she took the tea mug from the side table, carefully sipping the liquid, which softly soothed her throat. “I do not know… It was not too clear… But there seems to be adversity.”
“Well. We have dealt with adversity before! Right? It cannot be too difficult.” Her brother’s familiar was optimistic, that was something.
The moon-wizard turned to the window, watching the gleam of sunlight through the blinds, then she turned to the clock on the wall. It was almost time for her to go to her new work, she needed to get ready. Thankfully, she noticed her clothes had already been set aside for her, a sticky note with her sister’s handwriting on top of them.
“Hope you have a good day sis! Tell me about the vision at 14h? Same place as we used to? Love, Suni*. Ps: You owe me breakfast ;)”
Avaluna chuckled, pocketing the note and moving to the washroom with the change of clothes, emerging as her “Miss Lunalima” persona.
Being a counselor wasn’t entirely different from what she expected, but in Arcadia, it was still a different experience from most places. Many came with the usual fears, being SAT prep, tests, driving, romance. Others came with strange experiences they couldn’t explain, many of which she had insight on, but covered up with a layer of lies scrambled in scientific terms that seemed to make sense. Jim and Toby came by that day as well, requesting advice about who to look for when it came to the changeling threat, how to seem inconspicuous and so on.
They left with some answers, which hopefully she worded in an understandable enough way. She sighed, turning her gaze down once more towards the papers of student files, a few bullies she was told to talk to, recommendation list students…
She almost didn’t feel time pass, the light outside darkening, the moon shining through her window even as the sky was still blue. As she left the office, the chattering of the faculty reached her ears. They spotted her before she could turn around, calling out warmly.
“Yoohoo! Miss Lunalima!” Ms. Janet called, waving at her. “Wrapping up for the day?”
“Yes. I’m heading home. We’ve been busy!” She smiled back.
“Oh! We could drop you off! I’m dropping these two off and there’s space in Suzana, my car, for one more!” Uhl offered. “If anything, we put the coach on the trunk.”
“Hey!” They all laughed.
Avaluna obliged, walking alongside them, taking the time to start friendly chatter. “Mr. Uhl, is it? Thank you for the offer. May I ask, where are you from? I recognize the accent but fail to remember where it is from!”
Uhl puffed his chest with pride, “Austria! My home land!”
Avaluna smiled, remembering the little german she knew from five decades prior, “Aaah, das heißt also, dass du Deutsch sprichst, ja?”
“Ja!” He replied, a shin of recognition and excitement in his eyes. “You speak german as well?”
“It’s been a bit, but I had some friends from Germany.” She then switches to spanish, “¿Pero me han dicho que también enseñas español?”
“Si… I am a polyglot. I learned a lot of languages in my travels, talking to people.”
“Indeed. That takes skill.” He seemed to have become quite shy now, apparently unused to the compliment. “What about you, ms. Janet? Where does your passion for theater come from?”
She blushed. “Oh… It’s a long story…”
“Well, why not? We have a bit of time.”
Ms. Janet grinned, ecstatic over someone showing interest in her story. “Well, it began in my college years…”
Although indeed long, Avaluna found the story both enlightening and entertaining, explaining well the woman’s passion for theater and passing it onto the next generations.
“Well that’s a story! Thank you for sharing!”
“Oh… It was nothing!...” Ms. Janet took a long sigh. “I just wish this generation knew all the things theater can provide…”
“Oh but they do!” Avaluna smiled, while the other woman’s eyes widened. “I cannot share private details, however many students have mentioned how much the theater classes have been beneficial to their mental health, how it helps them be better. Just like you said.”
The woman leans back, a slight blush and a few tears in her eyes. “Oh… Really…?”
Coach Lawrenced rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, Avaluna watched him, he was a bit dull, though many mentioned how warm he was although he showed through tough love. He was about to ask something, when they finally arrived at the bookshop and he leaned back, waving it off. The counselor nodded, understanding, however made mental note to check on him.
Uhl stopped the truck, allowing for her to jump off.
Thanking her newfound friends once more for the ride, the wizard watches them roll off and disappear behind a corner. Once the coast was clear, she enters the store, bids good evening to Archie, then exits through the back before disappearing into the skies. Her eyes scan through the night, perfectly used to the wind that stings them, as she makes her way to Trollmarket for the Trollhunter’s lesson. The woods that cut through Arcadia were quiet, some bats, some night birds, some deer.
A few goblins, a few gnomes, a few trolls that used the night time to meet on the surface. She grins as she swerves in the air, descending quietly beneath the bridge. Entering Trollmarket as trolls exited made her feel centuries younger, as she flew through the crystalline cave, waving to friends and newcomers. Then finally, she arrived at the Forge.
The mechanisms were already tiredly at work, however, she was not hearing the screams of teenagers. She knew she was slightly late, however she knew they were still supposed to be there. She waited and sat by the feet of Unkar, scanning the training grounds, she found her sister at work, dodging the blades.
“The Trollhunter never came…” The ghostly presence spoke in her ear.
“Oh? Why?”
“Watching over a human child… Brother to a girl he’s infatuated with…” There’s silence for a long moment, tell that the ghost was hiding something.
“What is it?”
“The child’s been changed… That is not a human anymore…” A chill went down Avaluna’s spine, “It will end well. You should not intervene. Do not let the changeling know you.”
“It was never my intention.” The mechanisms stopped, allowing Avaluna a better look at her sister, sweaty and with a grimacing glare at the ground, following the grooves. “I will calm her.”
She flew down, looking over her sister’s shoulder at the cracks on the floor and smiling. Suniva’s voice didn’t need to be directed at her, “These gears need some oil. I wonder if Kanjica hasn’t been taking care of it.”
“He had been awfully busy.” Avaluna smiled. “What is bothering you tonight, dear sister?”
“Oh nothin’ just…” Suniva opened the latch, tossing the stone aside to look at the mechanisms. “Jim just… Doesn’t seem to take training seriously!” She grumbles, jumping in with her trident, fighting the rust. “I mean! Doesn’t he understand! That this is- is- like a job?! You have to work! No sick days!”
“He is also a teenager. Or did you think it would be easy?” Avaluna sent a current of cool air to aid her sister, as the Forge could get overheated, “You were excited once, about him.”
“Yeah, but now I realize how hard it is.” There is a crashing sound and a curse from her sister. “CARALHO NINGUÉM CUIDA DISSO MAIS NÃO?!”
Avaluna does not hold back her grin as she helps her sister out of the machine. “They do take care of it, if not, I shall help you later. For tonight, perhaps resting is more appropriate. It’ll clear your mind for their training tomorrow.”
Her younger sister glared at her, the smile the moon-wizard held was the same as she had when the sun-wizard was younger. However, it was hard to argue, when she was indeed tired. Rolling her eyes, she summoned her wings, ready to take to the skies.
“You owe me breakfast.” She grinned, charging up towards the exit.
Avaluna chuckled, she hummed a low and powerful melody which scrapped the rust off of the metal gears. There was little left to do, thus, she walked her way back to the market. Somehow, the shadows that lurked among the hallways and stores felt darker than usual. It was only then she realized she had not told her sister of the vision, and by that time, Suniva was already in bed, out cold. Sighing, Avaluna opens the portal out of Trollmarket, stepping out into the night for what felt like the millionth time.
She’d tell her sister in the morning, as usual.
As the wind washed through her hair, its voice warned her of a presence. Her armour was dawned, her bow drawn as she climbed out of the canal, watching the shadows. Two glowing red eyes caught her lenses, heading for the city, like a lone wolf stalking prey. She never understood, but did not beg to question why they would do that, hunting alone was a hazard. Still, she could not allow him to trouble anyone, not tonight, not when she was watching.
Her arrow flew righteous, hitting the gumm-gumm in the back. It would never be enough to kill, however it drew his attention, that was enough.
Bular turned to her, his eyes glimpsing the black and silver armour that hid among the trees, his hands moving instinctively to the swords in their sheaths. His grasp on them did not frighten her, even as he charged her, his blades were caught effortlessly by her arch, sliding off to the sides. Her arrows would not pierce his flesh, few arrows could. Only the Trollhunter’s blade could kill the son, her arrowheads were too weak in comparison. Still, they’d annoy him enough.
Just as planned, he chased her, striking over and over in that predictable way, a way she tried to force from her mind.
“What are you, demon?! Speak!!” He demanded.
Her response was a blinding arrow he deflected, having learned from their last confrontation. Her head tilted, surprised that he picked it up as fast as he did. His smirk sent a burning feeling to her head, an anger she repressed failing to be contained as her arrows flew. It didn’t take long for her to drive him from the city, an old overflow diverge laying in front of them, the empty muddy walls a remnant of the drizzles that sometimes hit Arcadia.
His eyes were on her, trying to decipher what she was.
Well, her job was done.
“You are not human… Not troll… And you don’t smell changeling…” He growls, hatred dripping out of his words. She does not react. “What are you…?”
She rolls her eyes, whispering a fast song, she claps her hands and disappears in the blinding light that follows. The skies served well as a hiding place.
Only when she landed, did she realize one of the steel feathers was missing. What she deserved, for not wearing her armour in so long.
—
Bular saw the glimpse in the grass, taking the steel in his claws and examining it. It was hand made, it was durable, it was magic.
It smelled… vaguely familiar.
