Reena flew far ahead, her wings flapping wildly. Kara somehow managed to keep up, breathing hard as she ran after her. At last, the two girls reached a small house. It was partially covered with vines, and most of the windows were cracked or completely broken. Reena landed swiftly on the old house's porch, not looking the slightest bit alarmed by its worn down appearance. "Um, Reena?" Kara called. "This house looks abandoned. Are you sure this is the right one?" "I'm positive." Reena pressed the doorbell with her thin finger. At first, nothing happened, but then the house shifted and changed before their eyes. Kara watched in shock as the vines receded away, and the glass returned to the window panes. When the building grew still again, Reena looked back at Kara, a wide smile on her face. "Cool, huh?" Kara blinked, still utterly confused. "Yeah..Um, why does it do that?" Reena patted one of the house's sides. "It's a defense mechanism. If any demise beasts were to storm the forest and try to attack the people that live here, the veils on them would activate and shield their houses from enemy eyes." She turned back to face the door. "Let's go in. I'll be late if I stay out here any longer." Reena knocked on the door, and it creaked opened slowly. She opened it further and went in. Kara trailed after her, a little nervous as to what she would find inside.

The house was quaint, more of a cottage than a house. There was a cobblestone fireplace, a kitchen, and two hallways that most likely led to the bedrooms. The fireplace had a fire in it now, and the crackling of the bright flames was soothing. Shadows danced along the walls. Kara noticed that in the kitchen, at the corner of a table, sat a woman with vibrant golden curls and a gentle looking face. Her luminescent wings reflected the fire's glow, giving them an orange tint. The woman straightened her pencil skirt and rose from her chair, greeting Reena with a smile. "Reena! My, you're so early. I would've turned a light on in here if I'd known you'd be coming here now." The fairy clapped once, and the room was flooded with light, oil lamps brightening the room. The fire went out with a snake like hiss. Reena smiled back. "Sorry. I would've told you, but I was a bit caught up this morning with other stuff. It's good to see you again, Mrs. Celia." Kara's interest got the best of her then. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it when the new fairy looked at her expectantly. "My word, who's this?" She exclaimed. "I've never seen anyone with hair as bright as yours before." Kara cast a timid glance at Reena, then looked back at her friend's instructor. Clearly, the other girl wanted her to introduce herself. "Uh, I'm Kara. Kara Tilling." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm not from around here." "Well, certainly. Your lack of wings clearly states that. Are you a human?" Reena interrupted them then. "Yes, she is. Well, sort of." The older woman looked curious at that, and Reena looked uncomfortable. Kara couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something strange had passed between them that she didn't really understand. "Alright. As Reena said before, I am Mrs. Celia Blackbriar, one of many flying instructors in this realm." She bowed, curtsying to Kara. "I teach flying techniques to younger fairies in order to better their lives for when they are chosen as a Guardian." The woman looked at her closely with her pale blue eyes, then faced Reena. "Does she know what that is?" Reena shook her head, strands of her raven colored hair moving from side to side. "Oh. That's not so important, I suppose. Humans don't need to know about that." That last bit had been muttered, but Kara had heard it anyway. Celia turned to Reena and spoke again. "Let's begin, Miss Fern. Chin up. We'll be having class outside today." The blonde fairy left the house, approaching the door and opening it, leading her pupil out by the start of the woods. Kara followed them, but something still hung in the air that put her on edge.

Celia stood outside by one of the broad oaks that ringed the edge of the forest. She smiled, and without further hesitation, rose up into the air, her feet leaving the ground. She twirled when she reached a spot up past the top of the tree, then spun, doing a back flip and front flip all at once. Kara's eyes widened significantly. Was she showing off, or had she always been able to do that? The fairy balanced on a tree's branch, somehow remaining steady, and then leaped off the side, smiling as she continued her wild dance in midair. Eventually, she landed again with a flourish, her wings fluttering and folding themselves up at her sides. Kara was astounded, so she couldn't help but gush at her expense. "That was amazing!" she shouted. "Reena, can you do that too?" "Somewhat," she replied. Just like her teacher, she took flight and back flipped, whizzing up past the treetops. She wobbled a little as she landed, but looked proud as she steadied herself again gracefully. Her face was flushed, but she still looked happy anyway. Kara clapped for her, but couldn't ignore her jealousy. She wished she was a fairy too, so she could fly like that. But maybe you are, a little voice reminded her. Maybe you are, and you just haven't realized it yet. Celia beamed. "Bravo, Reena. That's enough for today. Work on your landing next time." The skilled instructor left then, her wings beating slightly.

Reena was quiet as they walked back to her house. "Did you like Celia?" She finally asked Kara. "Yep, she was nice." There was more silence until Kara spoke again. "Are you okay, Reena? I mean, if you're worn out from flying, I understand, but-" "No, it's not that." She sighed, and her wings drooped down. "I guess I can tell you what's wrong. Friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other." She smirked, but it wasn't genuine. Tears glimmered in her eyes. "I...used to do my flying lessons with my older brother, Shade." Kara was surprised at this. "Shade?" Did she mean the fairy that had saved her life before? "Yeah. He's fifteen, only a year older than me. He was always better than me at most things, but that never really mattered because he wasn't full of himself." Kara suppressed a laugh. Yeah, right. Reena's words broke into her thoughts. "He used to teach me new techniques after class. It's just not the same without him here." Kara listened sympathetically, though grief and guilt stabbed at her heart like a knife. "What happened to him?" Reena sighed again. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned away from her. "He went missing. No one knows where he is, or what happened to him. You see, certain fairies are chosen to protect a Flightless that the fairy council chooses." Kara was interested. "The fairy council?" "Yes. They're the fairies that govern our realm. We have a queen too, and she makes decisions and laws with the council's help. The prince and and the princess have some say in it too. Anyway, he was chosen to protect a human, and he was going to leave for the Flightless world the very next day. He said his goodbyes to all of us, since fairies that are chosen as Guardians are usually gone for months at a time." Reena seemed so distant then. It made Kara feel like crying. "I told him not to go. I wanted him to stay here, and be with his family. He could've changed his mind, but he didn't. He said that he'd be fine, and he'd come back safe and sound." She sniffled, rubbing at her face. Tears were in her eyes again. "It's been a few months now. I haven't seen him since. I don't know if he's still out doing his job, or...something else." Kara struggled to say what she had to. The words seemed to cling to her throat. "Reena...I know what happened to your brother." Reena's eyes widened. "You do? Wait, how would you know?" It was Kara's turn to sigh. "Shade was assigned as my Guardian. He protected me and my friends from a monster at my high school." Reena listened. "Is he coming back now?" Kara shook her head. "No. He was fighting this...demise beast. He took his focus off of it for a second, and the thing waved its fingers, making him go away. He was screaming, and he's been gone for a really long time. I think he's dead, Reena. I'm...I'm so sorry." Reena's expression turned as cold as ice. She was silent for what seemed like a long time, even though it was probably only a few minutes. When she spoke again, her voice was almost a whisper. "Shade...Shade isn't dead. If he was, I would've known. I would've known!" Tears streaked her face. "He can't be. He's not dead! He's not!" Kara felt like her heart was breaking all over again. "He is. I saw him die." "No! No, this isn't fair! He said he would come back! He said he would be here with me!" Reena was sobbing and shaking now, her arms wrapped around her legs as she sat on the ground. Kara came over to her, trying to calm her down. "Reena-" "No." Her voice was hoarse. "Leave me alone. You're the reason my brother is dead, and I can never forgive you." Kara's chest ached with dread. She hadn't meant for this to happen. It had been his job to save her. Shade had known fully well that he could die fighting that demise beast on the roof, but he had refused to back down, and now...He was gone. Kara fought back the urge to cry and ran off. She heard Reena yell for her to stop, to come back, that she was going to get lost or hurt, but she was beyond listening now. "Flit!" Kara wailed. Flit appeared, his vast wings casting shadows across her face as he landed beside her. She threw her arms around the dragon's scaly neck, hugging him. Flit grunted in surprise, then wreathed his wings around her. Kara didn't know why, but being with Flit was familiar. Comforting, almost. It shouldn't have been. This was a monster that could tear her to pieces. She should have been afraid of him, but she wasn't. An ear splitting screech broke into the dusk's silence. The griffin! Kara glimpsed its huge, feathery head, and it cried out again, its screams agonizing. Its gnarled talons scraped the ground as it moved. It spotted Kara and let out another deafening screech. Flit snarled at the griffin and turned to Kara. Scooping her up with one claw, the dragon tossed the girl onto his back. Kara gasped in astonishment as Flit rose into the sky, his wings flapping and stirring her red hair. The griffin gave chase, but soon left them alone. The dragon's wings were bigger and more powerful, enabling him to fly faster. Kara smiled and held on for dear life as Flit wheeled around in the darkening sky. The sun had set now, and the first stars of the night were appearing. "Flit, you can put me down now," Kara told him as he continued to fly higher and faster, not going back to the ground. "Flit, the griffin left. Flit!" The dragon didn't listen, or maybe didn't hear. He continued to soar through the air and then flew low over the ground, heading back to the forest. He passed Reena's house and came to an abrupt stop in front of an elaborate oak tree. He almost slammed into its trunk, but managed to stop before he could hit it. He sat down so that Kara could jump off his back, and sat there patiently, his spiky tail waving back and forth. Kara went up to the tree, feeling its bark with her fingertips. Why did Flit bring her here? This was just an ordinary tree, no matter how big its roots or how green its leaves. She sat down below it, catching her breath. She hadn't realized she had been holding it in in the first place. "Hey." Kara jumped. Afraid, she looked around. Who had said that? There was no one else here besides Flit and her. The voice she had heard was a boy's voice, one with a gentle, low sounding tone that was almost..lively. Kara picked lint off of her rosy jacket and stood up, wondering once again who could have spoken. She glanced at the tree. There was a strange indentation in one spot, and Kara had to squint to see it since it was so small. It was a logo of sorts, a leaf with an x crossed over it. What did it mean? "Hello? I know you can hear me." Kara froze with bewilderment. There it was again. The voice..."Who are you?" she called out. "Who's talking to me?" "I am. Well, sort of." Kara looked around wildly. There was no one here that could talk except her. The only things that were here besides her and Flit were the massive oaks that stretched towards the sky. Only trees...trees? Kara turned to face the oak that she had been sitting underneath. She felt crazy, but she tried it anyway. "Are you...talking to me?" There was silence, and then the voice answered her. "Yes." Kara felt dizzy from the weirdness of this situation. "How? I mean, you don't have a mouth." "I know that." The tree sounded amused. "I communicate using my thoughts. I learned how to do that when I was younger." Kara smiled. "When you were a seed?" The tree seemed to laugh. "No. Believe it or not, I wasn't always a tree. I was turned into one four years ago as a punishment by-well, I don't have to tell you that." "Four years ago?" Kara was shocked. "That's a long time. Aren't you lonely here?" "Yeah, but my family comes to visit me sometimes, so I'm not always alone." Kara was extremely curious. "What were you before?" She felt like she was being too intrusive, but the tree didn't seem to mind telling her. "A fairy. I was eleven when they changed me." He seemed to sigh. "Today's my birthday, and I'm stuck here like I have Bern for the last three seasons. It sucks." "It sounds like it. Is there any way to break the spell?" "No, sadly. Not unless you're secretly a high up member of our society or are just really good with magic. What's your name?" "Kara." Kara's heart ached for this boy. "It's nice to meet you, Kara. I'm Toby." "Toby." Kara said the name aloud. It was a cute little name. "It's nice to meet you too, Toby. I wish I could help you." Toby made a little noise, something like a cough. "You can't, but you're welcome to try. My mother has tried for a long time and hasn't done it. I don't think you'll be any different." Kara heard a rumbling sound, and turned to see a stone plate rise up off of the ground out of nowhere. It had words carved into it, ancient words that were difficult to read. "What do I do?" "Read the words that are on the stone tablet out loud. If it works, I should turn back into myself again. If it doesn't, don't beat yourself up over it. It's supposed to be hard to reverse." Kara glanced down at the words, concentration making her hazel eyes narrow. "Traceis caverti," she began, unsure if she was saying the ancient words correctly. "Oakaenun duperid. Vestries mulneris reversum!" The tablet shuddered in her hands. Kara almost dropped it, but managed to hold onto it with all her might. Golden letters appeared on the stone, glowing brilliantly. They almost blinded her, but she read them anyway. "Say the accursed person's name for the same amount of years the spell has affected them," she read quietly. "Alright." She spoke louder, saying his name. "Toby, Toby, Toby, Toby!" There was a flash of light, and in her mind, Kara heard Toby scream. Greenish light spread up through him, and he trembled. The light surrounded him and shone so brightly that Kara couldn't see the tree anymore. She shielded her eyes and put some distance between her and Toby. There was a large puff of smoke, and a boy stood where the tree had once been. He had sandy colored blond hair that stuck out all over the top of his head, and wore a plain brown shirt with dark pants. His brown eyes were wide, and he was looking at himself with wonder. "Oh my God, what...I have fingers? Fingers! And feet! Yes, feet! No more roots!" He looked at his bare feet and wiggled his toes happily. "Kara, you did it! You did it! Oh thank you, thank you so much!" Before Kara could react, Toby, the real Toby, had his arms around her, almost in tears. Kara smiled faintly and hugged him back. "You're welcome." When the boy pulled away, Kara saw his wings. They were big and pointed at the ends, tattered and worn in some places. Toby gave them an experimental flap and rose into the air, laughing. "I missed this!" he cheered. "I really, really missed this!" He landed and hugged her again, then spun around over and over until he was dizzy. He fell to his knees, laughing still. Toby caught his breath at last, his shoulders heaving a little. He laid on the ground, putting his arms behind his head. Kara walked over to lay beside him. "How did you do that?" he asked. "Do what?" "You know, break the spell. That spell was extremely powerful." He had a thoughtful expression on his face. "I thought you were a human at first, but no human could undo a spell like the one that was placed on me before." Kara shrugged, sitting up. "I don't think you know what I am. I don't even know what I am anymore." She started to walk away, anger and confusion making her not what to talk to him. Toby instantly ran after her. "Hey, wait, wait! Where are you going?" "Somewhere. Anywhere but here." Kara folded her arms over her chest and walked away faster. Toby crossed in front of her. "Wait, just wait a second. Did I offend you or something? If I did, I'm sorry. I haven't spoken to any pretty girls in four years." Kara laughed half heartedly. "No, you didn't. Wait, you think I'm pretty?" Toby's face started to turn red. "Well, no, I-I mean-" There was a loud roar, and the two jumped in shock. Flit! Kara rushed forward, calling her dragon's name. "Flit! Are you okay? Where are you? Flit!" Toby followed her closely. "Hey, wait up, Kara! Who's Flit? Wow, you run fast when you want to." Kara skidded to a stop in a clearing. Toby almost ran into her. Flit was there, looking at something on the ground below him. His dark eyes studied the object, and he nudged it with his snout. Kara went up to him. "Flit, what happened? I was worried sick! You-" Suddenly, she noticed what the big black dragon was looking at. It was a book, an old worn out book with letters across its cover. "Legend of Faerie," she murmured. "Flit, where did you find this?" Flit's tail slapped at the ground, the equivalent of "right here" for him. Toby's eyes were wide. "Flit is a dragon..." Kara laughed at his terrified expression. "Sorry. I didn't get the chance to tell you. I have a pet dragon." Flit growled. "A dragon companion, I mean." "He's not gonna eat me?" "Nope, he wouldn't hurt a fly." Kara picked up the book and felt its ageing cover. Foster was holding this when we went through the portal, she realized. Maybe he's here! "Foster!" she cried, looking around wildly. "Foster, it's me, Kara!" All that answered her was the whisper of the wind against the leaves of the trees. Toby looked at her in bemusement. "Who are you talking to?" "My um....friend. He came here with me but got lost. Foster!" "If he didn't answer you the first time, I highly doubt he'll answer again." Toby came up beside her. "We can look for him later. Maybe now we should find some shelter for the night." Kara nodded. "Yeah, okay." She turned to her dragon. "Flit, take us to Reena's house!" Flit dipped his head in agreement and crouched down to let Kara climb onto his back. Toby climbed up with her. "Are your sure your friend here knows where to go?" he asked uneasily. "I'm not sure, but he seems to." Toby was alarmed
"What?" Flit flapped his mighty wings, and then they were off, headed back to Reena's.