Here's the second update for the week! Can't believe that. Enjoy!

After a few turns, or hours had gone by, Sage had rattled off numerous campfire songs, and she was now begging me to take her for a quick trip to The Stomp'in Grounds cafe.

"Come on, pleeaaase." She smiled with her hands folded under her chin, her pleading eyes batting away. "A mochaccino topped with a mile of whipped cream and chocolate shavings would be awesome right now." She rubbed her hands together and blew on them.

The dropping temperature and fading light made me wish I had a paper cup filled with the hot sweet caffeine goodness too.

"No way. Who's to say, I'd even be able to get us back here. My luck, we'd end up on Racine, with the criminals. And trust me, I never want to go back there."

"Party pooper." Sage flopped back onto the bags in the wagon. "Why are we traveling this way? It's taking forever. Wouldn't it be faster just to zap us wherever we're going?"

Rygar rode up to the side of the wagon and tossed her a warm smile. "Once we get to a portal, you can travel with me."

"Wren doesn't need a portal," she answered.

"She's the only Traveler in history that can do that," Rygar responded sounding offended. "But even as strong as she is, there's no way she could manage all of us, our equipment, the equestars, and the prongmeras as well."

"Fine," she hollered as he rode ahead. "I'll just lay here, going through caffeine and sugar withdrawals." She tossed a hand in the air, then pressed the back of it to her forehead.

"Dramatic much?" I laughed.

She propped herself up on her elbows. "I could add another layer if you think it might convince you."

I chuckled. "You'd have better luck convincing Rygar."

The progression slowed to a halt, and Jaxon rode up beside me. "We're going to camp here tonight."

"Sounds good to me, I'm hungry." I hopped down off Amaress. "What's for dinner?"

"Food! I'm in." Sage jumped down from the wagon, grabbed a bag of rations and headed to the center of the clearing where it looked like another group had previously lit a fire. "What are you standing there for? This stuff isn't going to cook itself. But that would be a cool trick if you could pull it off."

"Keep wishing." I took my pack from Jax's outstretched hand. "That's not something I can do."

Vega walked the perimeter of the clearing, wandering into the treeline gathering twigs and dry grass to start the fire. Each time she dumped a pile at my feet, I tented the wood and positioned the grass so it would ignite easily.

After positioning the last stick, I stared at the pile, knowing I still had to light it. I licked my lips and glanced back at the girls. "You two might want to move back a bit more."

Let's see if I can light this thing without setting the camp on fire.

"You've got this!" Sage cheered like she was coaching a basketball game, clapping her hands.

Vega joined in clapping too. "Show us how it's done. Come on, Wren!"

"Seriously?" I looked across the stack of unlit sticks at them.

The two broke into a fit of laughter, high fiving each other. "Sorry, we couldn't help it," Vega said. "That look on your face was so intense."

"It's just a campfire, not an entrance exam to college." Sage walked over closing the distance between us. "Relax. You know, breathe." She took a long drawn breath and let it out slowly. "Now light this thing already, I'm starving."

"And maybe try not to nuke us in the process," Vega whispered.

Sage rolled her lips, trying to restrain a fit of laughter. But within seconds she was practically crying, she was laughing so hard.

I shook my head at the two of them and their giddiness.

"Hey, come on." Sage reined in her rolling laugh to a final few chuckles. "That was funny given you blew up the last campfire you tried to light."

"I might not have won that bet, but I did light those logs."

I closed my eyes and inhaled a long breath and concentrated on the warmth of the fire within me. Coaxing the flames forth, they burned through me until a smokey taste filled my mouth. When I opened my hand, flames flared three feet high throwing sparks into the sky.

Jaxon stomped on a tent stake jamming further into the ground, then glanced up at me with a smile. Nice work. You didn't even need my help with that one.

Told you, I was more practiced using your fire talent.

After we finished setting up camp, and our bellies were full, a few of the group were drinking something that resembled hot chocolate with hairy white clumps in it around the campfire.

Sage down the last of her drink. "It's not a mochaccino, but it at least it's sweet."

I peered into Jaxon's cup another time and shuddered. "Yuck. There's no way I'll ever take a sip of that with those furry white things floating in it."

Rygar picked one out of his drink and popped it into his mouth. "You don't know what you're missing. They might look horrid, but they're sweet on the inside."

Elena cringed. "She's not the only one who thinks that drink is disgusting."

"Second that," Vega said next to me. "But it there is something we should be celebrating tonight." She tapped her finger on her necklace.

Man, she doesn't miss a thing. She can't even read my mind, and she still manages to figure out my secrets.

Rygar stared at my necklace, then jumped to his feet when he saw the tigress stone on the chain around my neck.

"Woo, do we ever!" He passed his cup to Sage. "Congratulations!" Rygar tossed his arms around me and patted my back.

"Thanks, but it's not official until my birthday."

Sage and Elena looked at each other trying to puzzle out what Rygar was talking about.

Vega cupped her mouth with her hand, directing her response to my clueless friends. "She's been offered a position on the Traveler's council."

"Ohhh. Congratulations are in order." Elena gestured to one of the guards to grab her saddle bag.

He dumped the rest of his drink into the fire, grabbed the bag from behind him, then passed it over to her.

She pulled out a short, cherry-black colored bottle with a cork jammed in the top.

"You had that, and let us drink that other slime?" Sage gave her a playful shove, then rubbed her hands together. "Right now, I'm ready to celebrate we have something to celebrate with."

"It's not like this stuff is easy to get. I was saving it for Wren's birthday, but since she's here and we have a reason to partake. Why not now?"

She held out her cup, and Elena poured a little of the silvery drink into it. Sage swirled the liquid while Elena continued to pour everyone a small amount.

"Congrats, Wren." Rygar held up his cup.

Vega leaned on me and grinned. "Here's to no longer being the youngest member of the council."

"To Wren, and drinking the next best thing to a mochaccino."

Elena shook her head. "I don't even want to know what that is." She placed the bottle down. "To the girl, I've grown to love like a sister."

I lifted my cup, and they drank back the liquid. Remembering the last time I drank some mysterious drink I'd been given, I paused.

Jax had said practically nothing since sitting down next to me, held his mug and stared into his drink. The silvery liquid dripped down the inside of the cup as he rotated his wrist. "Stone Nectar— The way you're looking at it makes me think haven't seen it before."

I hadn't. The metallic-silver tendrils spreading through the liquid were mesmerizing to watch, so I probably looked like a rookie.

"Why? Should I be worried?" I asked still thinking about that Fire Bomb he'd given me to drink a week ago.

"No. The talent of the holder changes the properties of the drink's flavor," Jaxon said in a low tone. "It's infused with minerals from the foundation stones of each talent."

I furrowed my brows, not sure if I followed. "Do you mean your drink will taste different than Vega's?"

He turned to face me. "That's the question, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your talent is Traveling, like Vega's, and mine Fire. But since you're wearing my ring and..." His voice trailed off, and I knew there was no way he'd ever finish that sentence.

"You're wondering if it will recognize us."

"Only one way to find out I guess." He cupped the drink in his palms and the liquid rippled. The color of the drink changed to aqua then darkened into a ruby one. He smiled and lifted the mug to his lips, taking a sip. His eyes flared bright amber then cooled to green. "Mmm... Chocolate with a hint of mint."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Very good." He gestured that I should try mine. "Every other time I've had this it's had a spicy chocolate flavor to it."

I palmed my cup, letting my hands warm the liquid. It turned Kelly-green, lingered for a moment before transitioning to aqua, then finally took on a ruby color. I brought the cup to my lips and drank it all down at once.

Tropical fruit flavors rolled over my tongue. My senses sharpened, and a frosty sensation spread like a gigantic wave washing over me. The feeling crested, leaving my taste buds tingling with a cleansing mint flavor. I inhaled a breath through my mouth, letting the air wash my tongue, intensifying the minty sensation. When I let the breath out, a warmth spread through my fingers and toes, moving throughout my entire body until even my mouth heated with a chocolate taste.

"No wonder Elena saved this." I peered into my empty cup. "I feel recharged." I rubbed my thumb over my fingertips. "More connected to...everything." I couldn't just see the fire crackle in front of me, I felt it. "I don't know. It's hard to explain."

Jaxon swiped his finger through some of the liquid drizzling the rim of his cup, then licked it from his finger. "That's the fusion of the minerals amplifying your connection to the circle." He opened his palm, and a low blue flame hugged his skin. "The drink continues to cycle in your system until its re-energized every cell."

Two of the guard stood, grabbed their packs and tossed it into one of the tents. The last one handed his stuff to his comrade, and said, "I'll wake you in a few hours to take over the watch."

Elena pointed Sage in the direction of army green tent. "One big slumber party. This will be way more fun than the trip to the guild with these guys and their watch duty. It's creepy listening to someone walk around your tent all night."

Rygar lingered on the log, watching the guards. Without saying so, I knew he also wasn't prepared to turn in of the night, until he knew I was okay. But why wouldn't I be? That's when I realized the looming presence of the third tent behind me.

Jax laced his fingers with mine and rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. "We should turn in."

We? My heart raced, and mouth went dry. I glanced toward the remaining tent. Its canvas door bundled in ties exposed the transparent protective bug netting, and the contents within—my belongings and his.

NEXT update on Jan 27th.  Try not to go through withdrawals. Jax and Kellan will be back shortly! Till then, comment and vote your love for them.