CHAPTER ONE:
Song of Destiny

• • •

Eight years ago

THE VIRIDIAN FOREST WAS FORBIDDEN.

Mother didn't care that the tree's leaves were sparkly and blue-green. She didn't care that their bark was golden. Even the healing petals of the white flowers didn't matter to her. Because the monsters lurk there, she always reminded me.

Her warnings only strengthened my draw to the woods. I had no understanding of what a monster was—I'd never seen one. Our village was so muddy and wet and cold, but the forest... it was colorful and beautiful and the rustling branches kept calling to me like a song.

One evening when Mother and Sky went to the front of our cabin to plant new herbs, the song started up again, and I followed. I knew it was just the wind brushing the leaves, but my eyes shut as I imagined it to be the sound of waves rolling over a beach. I'd only learned about the sea from class, and this seemed like the closest I would ever come to the real thing. It felt like there really was sand between my toes...

My bare feet sunk into cool, moist soil, and it was only then that my surroundings hit me. Glancing first at the flower-dotted ground, then up to the towering trees, my hearts stuttered one after the other. The first skipped with excitement, but the second faltered in terror.

Too deep.

A caw sounded from an unseen bird, and my head snapped to the noise. Silence, and then—

I gasped at the twinkling, foreboding laughter that spiraled from behind me. Whirling around, I brushed strands of white hair from my eyes, hoping to spot whoever or whatever was laughing at me. Watching me.

Then they began humming, and the sound inched nearer with my every breath. One became two, then three, and soon there must've been a dozen different voices giggling and murmuring while they approached.

She's just a child, I heard the voice of one whisper in my own mind. My bones shuddered beneath the ominous tone. Then I heard another: Strike a deal, must strike a deal.

They invaded my head, and my thoughts buried deeper and deeper below their foreign voices.

Pretty little halfling.

It's time to play.

Lost, make her lost.

I tried running, but my feet slid against the dirt as they revealed themselves. They flew out from behind the tree trunks—creatures no longer than my forearm, with wholly black eyes that took up half their faces and translucent, multicolored wings. Their purple skin glimmered like stars, but their lipless mouths were fixed in ferocious grins that shot ice through my veins.

Were these the sprites Mother always warned me about?

"Is little halfling lost?" One of them spoke outside of my mind, and I shook my head.

"I'm not."

LOST, MAKE HER LOST!

Shaking from the awful shout that sliced through my brain, I tried again to escape. Just as I leapt for an opening between two of the flying monsters, they dove toward me with that shrill laughter. I screamed as ten or more started swarming me, their wings acting as blades that cut my face, then cut my arms when I tried to shield myself. They knocked into me and grabbed at my hair and limbs, pulling and twisting my body in every direction.

Finally, I caught my breath as they flew back, circling above. Dizzy and disoriented, I couldn't tell which way I'd come from. Exactly as they wanted.

"Is little halfling lost?"

Trembling, tears pricked the corners of my eyes. My skin stung, and blood droplets were already drying on my face.

"Yes, yes, I'm lost," I admitted past shaky lips.

They tittered again, the sound even higher-pitched than before. Gift, gift, let us taste her gift.

Separate from their thoughts, another spoke out loud. "Would you like us to guide you home?"

It felt wrong, I knew it was wrong. But how else would I get back?

A thunderous growl ripped through the air before I could answer, so deafening that I fell to the ground. My ears rang while heavy steps pounded toward the clearing and shook the forest floor. The sprites screeched as a giant bear came crashing toward them, snarling and widening its deadly mouth. I scrambled backward on all fours, distancing myself from the beast. The bear swiped at a sprite and clawed holes in its wings and shoulders. The creature shrieked and flew unevenly, ramming into the nearest tree before dropping to the floor. The rest of them vanished without looking back.

The bear was still facing away from me, staring at the fallen sprite. As quietly as possible, I returned to my feet. My eyes locked on the back of the beast as I took a step away, then another. I was positive I made no sound, save for the hitching of my breath when the animal shot around to look at me.

I wanted to run. I wanted to scream. But those eyes held me down like the snares Mother and Sky used to catch animals for dinner. Something about the bear seemed so... aware. Like it knew I was afraid. Like it knew not to hurt me. Any thought of escape was forgotten as it sat on its haunches and tilted its head at me. I still couldn't move, too caught in awe of the power and beauty.

The bear's eyes were dark blue, and its black fur shined with highlights of gold. Even beneath the thick coat, its muscles shifted with each movement. Then striking fear back into me were the long black claws, a few of which still had shredded sprite wing clinging to them.

But it made no step for me. Instead, I watched from across the clearing as it groaned and fell to the side, sprawling out on the dirt. It almost seemed it was going to sleep, but...

I yelped when the bear shifted and some sort of blue mist formed a veil around it. In seconds, the massive animal shrunk down and morphed into a male elf.

I'd seen plenty of Alfir in our village but never their gifts. Father used to tell me stories about Elven abilities before bed. When I'd asked why I never saw them, he answered that the King wanted to control what he was afraid of. Mother argued it was to keep redbloods safe.

If the Alfir in front of me was breaking the law and using his gift, did that make him bad?

No, he shifted back without attacking. He... saved me.

The male slowly sat back up, stretching his neck and shoulders. When he stood and met my gaze, I realized he was only a couple years older than me—maybe fifteen. Tanned skin, those same blue eyes, short black hair with two thick strands of gold framing his face. He wore the same simple, loose shirt and pants that most low elves did, only his set was dark brown with a black belt around his waist. And there were the tips of his ears poking out just past his hair.

When he stepped closer, moving carefully as if to not startle me, I asked him, "Did you do that to help me?"

Eyes widening, he replied, "Yes. I thought you'd be afraid of me."

"Well, you're not as scary as you were a minute ago."

The elf chuckled but stayed in the center of the clearing. He had the same warmth in his eyes as the bear did, and it felt safe enough to walk up to him. I stopped a few paces away to not have to angle my chin up for his taller height.

"You're too brave for your own good. Elves should scare you more than bears." His sight roamed over my face.

"Not Alfir. They're not bad like the others." Perhaps they weren't always the most friendly, but neither were redbloods. Not to me, anyway. Still, they'd never been hostile. It was the nobles and high elves my parents warned me about.

"Then you've been lucky."

As I pulled my hair behind one ear, questioning what he meant, his gaze snapped to the movement.

His eyebrows knit together. "You really are a halfling."

"I might as well be a redblood." I shrugged.

His head tilted. "You've two hearts. Most would say that means your Elven blood is more dominant."

"How'd you know I have two?"

Dimples appeared as he grinned, gesturing to one of his pointed ears. "They aren't shaped like this for nothing. I bet you could hear mine too, if you focused enough."

"All of my family are redbloods, so I don't feel like an elf."

"You certainly look like one," he said as he eyed my white hair, my sharp cheekbones, and again my ears that were only slightly less pointed than his. "Your height is the only redblood quality to you." His lips pulled into a lopsided smile.

I narrowed my eyes. "I'll have you know I'm taller than any of the redbloods my age. Smarter too."

He laughed, the sound as sweet and smooth as the syrup Father would sometimes buy from the village square.

"Those were sprites, right?" I asked, and his smile faded.

"Yes. They're tricksters. They try to make deals with people by promising to lead them through the forest, but in exchange, they usually want to feed on gifts. They won't stop until you're stripped."

I frowned. "But I don't have a gift."

"Sprites don't make mistakes. They wouldn't have wasted their time if they didn't sense anything in you."

My arms crossed over my chest as I recalled their strange voices in my head. "I heard them say they wanted to...taste my gift."

The elf scowled. "They said that in front of you?"

"In my head. Like they were sending their thoughts to me."

His eyebrows lifted as he smiled again. "That's your power."

I blinked. "What?"

"Sprites don't reveal their thoughts to anyone. They don't let anyone know of their plans beforehand. Whatever you heard was because of you, not them."

My head shook. "No, I wasn't trying to hear them. It wasn't me."

He swiped some of the golden hair away from his face. "Listen, halflings rarely have a gift, but those who do usually don't discover them until they're a bit older. And even then, it usually takes some kind of stress for it to appear."

I only stared at him, struggling to accept what he was trying to tell me. If it were true, how would I ever control it? What if I ended up being caught? And how much more out of place would it make me feel at home?

"What's your name?" asked the Alfir gently, like he knew I was worried.

"Moon."

"Such a redblood name." That smile returned. "It's nice to meet you, Moon. I'm Namjoon."

We both placed our left hands over our hearts, bowing our heads slightly in greeting.

"Can you help me get back home?"

Namjoon nodded. "I'd be happy to."

So I let him walk ahead of me and followed his lead. I might've been able to follow my own footsteps home, but the soil was alive and righted itself to be smooth again. It was why so many lost themselves in the Viridian Forest—the perfect place for sprites to do their work, it seemed. Even the clearing was back to looking untouched as we left.

Elves were skilled hunters. Their heightened hearing, sight, and smell probably made it laughably easy for Namjoon to lead me back the way I'd come from.

"So why were you out here in the first place?" I questioned as we weaved between the colorful trees. The last of daylight was swiftly slipping away, but I still tried to take in every detail around me.

He waited a while to respond. "I can only tell you if you're interested in learning how to control your gift."

Biting my lip, I pondered if I even wanted to acknowledge the fact that I was gifted. The devious plans of the sprites, the aggression in their thoughts replayed in my mind. I wondered how useful that ability might be if I ever came across creatures that meant harm again. Maybe it would help me protect my family in the future. If it was only in my own head, it could stay a secret. No Keepers would be able to tell.

Better to know how to use what I've been gifted. Better to learn how I might protect people with it.

"I'm interested."

━━━━━━ ◦ ♔ ◦ ━━━━━━

Namjoon managed to get me back to the cabin just before the sun fell. Mother and Sky were pacing beyond the forest's edge—searching for me—when they spotted us. They froze at the sight of my companion, but then Mother thanked him for getting me back safely.

Namjoon bowed his head, introduced himself, then sent me a hidden smile before walking off to toward the village center.

My punishment for giving Mother such a scare was to wash our dirty clothes and then sweep the floors of the rickety cabin. She could've assigned much worse to me, but when she saw the scratches on my face and arms, she must've figured I suffered enough. If it weren't for my blood serving as evidence, I would've kept my experience with the sprites a secret.

"You never listen," Mother grumbled as she took a wet cloth and dabbed at my face. "You could've been hurt. Those things could've—" her scowl eased as she met my eyes. She cupped my cheeks. "You must be careful, Moon. You act too quickly for your own good."

"I'm sorry," was all I could mumble.

She sighed and returned to wiping the blood from my arms. When she was done, she glanced at the purple stains on the cloth. "The color of your blood doesn't matter to us, but it does to others. I hope you understand that's why I fret so much," she whispered.

I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I know."

When Father came home, I explained again what happened. Mother was silently brewing tea, but Sky and Father were asking me question after question. They were always interested in the unusual like me.

Two days later, Namjoon found me out by the creek that ran through the center of the redblood camp near our home. I'd gone for my daily walk where many of the people there sent me sidelong glares from under their tents. Whenever I could bring food for them, I did. Even then, they still sneered at me. It was never clear if their bitterness was because I had a roof over my head or because my ears had a different shape than theirs. Or maybe they weren't bitter at all, just tired. I never held it against them either way.

"Didn't expect you to come so soon," I said as I hopped down from the fallen log at the edge of the streaming water. I was surprised he found me so easily.

His eyes were brighter than I remembered, more excited. He gestured with his head for me to follow him. "Seeva's anxious to meet you."

"Seeva?" I echoed, catching up to his side. He was walking directly toward the Viridian Forest.

"My mentor. He'll help you learn." The Alfir's volume lowered at even the hint of my gift, knowing there were listeners nearby.

We jogged through the forest, me staying as near to his side as I could without brushing against him. Sometimes distant laughter or the fluttering of wings drifted past my ears and put me on edge. It took us half an hour before we reached the caves he had told me about.

The jagged mess of rocks had blue moss and vines clinging to them, and they dangled over the opening of one of the caves like a canopy.

This was where he'd come from the other evening when he helped me.

"Come on," he said before offering his hand out. Hesitantly, my palm found his. After pulling the vines out of the way, he helped keep me steady while I ducked through the entrance, rocks crunching underneath my feet. He ducked in after me and picked up the lead again.

I followed closely behind, feeling my breaths quicken while we followed the cave lower and lower to the underground. The deeper we went, the darker and colder it became. Just when I couldn't even see Namjoon's back, we turned a corner and were met with a soft yellow glow. The passageway was lit by flaming torches that were nailed into the rock walls.

My shoulders and face warmed from the heat of the fires as we passed by. After another minute of descending, we turned a second corner where grunting and shouting started to echo.

Namjoon led me into the expansive opening, and I gaped at everything before me.

The rock opened up to an expansive cavern with a towering rock ceiling. More torches were scattered around the carved-out room, and there was that same blue moss painting the walls. My favorite white flowers of the forest were all over the walls too, scattered amongst pink and purple mushrooms. Water dripped down the massive stalactites that hung from the ceiling. My hearts swelled at the sight and the sweet scent of my surroundings.

Something about it all felt right. Like my dreams of the unknown had been alive and real all along.

My attention snapped to the low elves in the space at the same time they noticed our presence.

One of them had several glowing white orbs circling her head like a crown, but they disappeared as soon as her eyes met mine. Another closed his fists to stop the water that swirled around his wrists.

"You must be Moon," a deep, throaty voice said. Turning to the Alfir who spoke, I noted his shoulder-length brown hair, dark skin, charcoal eyes, and burly stature.

"Are you Seeva?" I asked without thinking. The older elf glanced at Namjoon before looking back at me.

"Now that you've seen all of this, I must ask you to swear that you'll never speak of this place to anyone else."

It wasn't a request, but I had no problem agreeing. Oaths were a serious thing to make, but from the moment I stepped into that cave—into that forest, even—it felt like my destiny was near. The song that called to me had never been from the trees. It had been from these caves, from these people. And I was not going to deny the force that brought me to them.

"I swear."

Seeva's eyes shined as the corner of his mouth tilted upward. He placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head. "In that case, halfling, welcome to the Viridian Order."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey everyone! What do you think so far?

Because this takes place in an alternate world, it's going to take a little bit of time for you to become accustomed to the details, especially with things like titles and names. But that's what the previous chapter is for! I hope I can introduce things in a clear way for you to follow, though. The most important things to remember for now is that the highest ranking elves (nobles) are called Teserans, the middle-ranked are Trians (high elves), and Alfir (low elves) are the lowest ranking. Redbloods are essentially just humans. Halflings are a mix of elf and redblood (:

This story is going to pick up pretty soon, but it will take a couple of chapters for things to really get going and to have more characters introduced. So please give it a chance beyond just this first chapter!

Thank you all so, so much for taking the time to read this story. I'm really excited to lead you through another journey.

June 18, 2021