Shape Shifter [sheyp shif-ter]

Appearance: Their true form appears as a dark, jagged shadow, although they are able to change their appearance at will

Power: Beyond changing their form, they are unable to wield additional magic. However, they innately know the names of those they interact with.

Habitat: They are typically spotted in the center of the Fardian Woods; their territory roughly spans from the River Kell to the wild apple groves in the north

There are several clans of shape shifters that can be found in the Faudian woods. Some are benign, but most are known to cause havoc. These clans are often at war with one another, striving to take control of the various territories they claim.

Luckily, beyond their ability to change form and to innately know the names of those they interact with, shape shifters cannot yield magic of their own.

Shape shifters enjoy taking on the forms of those humans typically trust, such as family members or small children. But when they transform, there is always a dark mark of their true nature left behind on their body. Familiarize yourself with these marks, to ensure that you don't fall prey to the beasts' tricks.

* * *

I couldn't sleep that night; I kept worrying that the shape shifter would return. Nathan, Lira, and I all took shifts, staying awake to make sure that nothing breached our camp. Yet even when I was supposed to be asleep, my eyes were peeled open; I kept envisioning the shadowy creature that had attacked us, hallucinating that each shadow and crackle of leaves was a shape shifter in disguise.

When it was finally my turn to keep watch, I also spent some time examining my two new companions, searching for marks. Rationally, I knew they were not shape shifters. After all, they had breached the circle of salt and did not smell of sulfur. And yet, I still scoured their flesh in the flickering firelight, as if suddenly expecting to see a blemish on Lira's brown cheek, or a strange bruise on Nathan's pale arm.

Eventually, the sun slunk its way above the horizon, bringing with it rays of light that dissolved the night away and made me feel marginally safer. I knew I had no reason to feel safe; the Field Guide hadn't said anything about whether shape shifters were nocturnal beings or not. And yet I still felt much better with the sun warming my skin and bathing the clearing in sheets of white light.

As I put out the fire, Nathan swept up the salt circle and Lira put all three of our jars inside my bag. We had decided it was best to keep them out of sight as we traveled, and I was the only one who had a bag big enough to fit all of them.

"You're running low on salt," Lira said as she peered inside the small drawstring that held my supply. She looked at me sheepishly. "I think that's my fault. I poured some out when that... thing attacked us last night."

I took my bag from her, slipping it onto my shoulders. "It's fine. There's a market not too far from the mountain. I'll stock up there after we deliver these jars. Got the map?"

"Yep."

I looked at Nathan. "Got your bow?"

He held it out in front of him. "Ready to fire if any more creatures come at us."

I nodded. "Good. Then let's head out."

* * *

The day was clear, and a light breeze whistled its way through the trees, bringing with it the smell of running water, strange flowers, and occasionally a hint of sulfur. However, for the most part, the walk was pleasant and serene. We hardly saw any creatures save for a garden snake, a few beetles, and a tiny green pixie drinking nectar out of a flower.

Lira really had her way with maps. We moved at a much faster speed than I had on my own, and she hardly needed to look at it to steer us in the right direction. Soon, conversation shifted away from the shape shifter from the night before and instead veered into the personal.

"I left home for good last year, when I was eighteen," Lira explained as we climbed over a stretch of log. "There was a man in town who wished to marry me. He had a good social standing, a nice home, some money... He presented my father with his proposal without ever once approaching me about it, even though we must have passed each other on the streets at least once a day."

My stomach squirmed hearing her story. "So your father tried to force you to marry him?"

Lira laughed. "Actually, my father is the one who encouraged me to leave town. He said, 'Lira, I know you won't be happy with one of the men here. You need to go out and find your own path.' And so I did. I left a week later, traveled to Malta, and began my apprenticeship."

"Nice," I said, and turned to Nathan, who still held his bow in case some creature lunged out of the woods. "And what about you."

A blush crept onto his cheeks. "Nothing too exciting. I still live with my family. Mother, father, two sisters and a baby brother. I tend to do the hunting." His eyes swept the forest. "I really don't have a sense of adventure. I wish I did, but I don't. When the Elder approached me, it was so surreal. It was the only time I really felt like I was being drawn into something bigger than me, something important you know? I wasn't going to accept his offer, but then he told me that he saw something in me. And then I couldn't refuse. It was not out of a desire for adventure, but out of a desire to see if he was right. To see if I really have what it takes." He paused, his eyes locked on a nearby tree. "I'm still not sure if I do."

I exchanged glances with Lira, but we both remained silent. I didn't feel close enough to the boy to know how to reassure him that his feelings were untrue. Though how could I say that when I was so unsure about myself as well?

As if on cue, Nathan asked, "What about you, Krista? What did you do before you left home?"

I hesitated, wondering how I could launch into a tale that seemed far too convoluted to explain to a near stranger. However, Lira saved me from answering when she announced, "We're here."

I looked up and saw that we had reached the base of a grand grey mountain. It appeared to purely be made of rock with no trace of life speckling its sides: no scraggly grass, no gnarled trees, and no hardy plants of any sort. Just grey rock that reached towards the heavens.

And, roughly carved into the side of the mountain facing us, was a tunnel into its heart.

I wanted to surge inside the mountain and meet this faerie, but I felt a sort of hesitation. It took me a moment to realize why I felt so unsure.

Surrounding the entire base of the mountain, carved into the dirt, was a series of symbols. They snaked their way around the mountain, forming a giant unbroken circle.

"What do these mean?" I asked, looking at Lira in confusion.

She shrugged. "I've never seen marks like these before."

"I have," Nathan said, staring at them in confusion. "These are runes that work similarly to the ring of salt you used. They are meant to keep magical creatures out. One of the churches in our town is surrounded by runes like these. They believe that all magical beings are works of the devil, so the runes ensure that none of them can enter the church."

I frowned. "What about humans with power? Surely they aren't barred from your town?"

Nathan grimaced. "Not the town, but definitely the church. It is a bit of a hot issue right now, actually. A lot of the magic folk are thinking about moving out, which would ruin our economy. But then again, some townsfolk would rather they leave than have cursed souls running around." He shook his head and took a step over the edge of the line of runes. "Come on. We should have no problem getting inside."

We stepped over the line no problem, and soon we began to head inside the mountain.

The pathway into the mountain was crudely carved, but surprisingly well lit. Torches lined the walls, casting flickering shadows that bounced against the jagged stone.

We walked in silence for the most part, heading deeper into the depths of the mountain. I expected to see something frightening as we traveled—human skulls, bloodstains, signs warning us to flee—but there was nothing of the sort. The pathway was smooth and clear, as if well traveled.

After fifteen minutes of walking, we emerged from the tunnel into a large cavern. We had arrived at the center of the mountain.

And in the center of the cavern, trapped in a large iron cage just as the Elder described, was a faerie. She was crumpled to the ground, her large grey wings folded over herself as she shivered in pain.

Athia.