“How long were you up in that tree anyway?” Conner asked.
“Long enough to grow irritated with your endless gibbering,” said Wren. “I thought dragons droned on.”
“Now that you mention it, Rileau does talk an awful lot,” replied Conner. “Gets a bit annoying.”
“Quite,” said Wren.
“Dude, she’s saying we talk more than him!” Jake said.
“Oh, right. Yeah, I know,” said Conner.
“Are we going to learn to use weapons to take Brigara and her minions out?” Seneca asked in an attempt to get the topic back on their mission.
“Do you believe you are equipped to battle the likes of Brigara?” asked Wren. “Give it ample thought before you spew out any answer.”
“My answer is that we are not equipped,” said Jake.
Seneca shot a look at Jake. She did not care for his jumping in before she had a chance to reply, although she did agree that they were not equipped.
“Then why are you in the Otherworld? This is a waste of my time! I could be off with the others and preparing for her return,” Wren said. Her face was flushed as she jabbed her staff into the ground. Jake instinctively looked at the crystal, but there was no change.
“A waste of your time? Are you kidding me?” asked Jake.
“You lack skills, awareness, and training!” said Wren.
“Why are you so angry?” Seneca asked. “I thought that’s what we’re here for—you know, to get training on how to get Shayna back.”
“Yeah, what gives?” said Jake. “Rileau told us you would help with the perplex.”
“If you do not believe that you are equipped to put an end to Brigara, then there is nothing I can do,” she said. Her anger was still present as she glared at them. “You must consider that your companion Shayna will surely be lost to another realm. You cannot have doubts as we face this war. Brigara will capitalize on this weakness, as you wear it so prominently.”
“How the heck are we supposed to have confidence in something we’ve never done before?” Jake asked.
“Do you not possess any esteem at all? Do you not walk in the belief of limitless possibilities? Rileau did not inform me of your simple minds,” she said.
“Excuse me! Why are you acting so rude? You’re supposed to be here to help. Stop giving us your sermon on how we are beneath you!” Seneca yelled.
Seneca was livid. Her wings expanded and flashed brighter than Jake had ever witnessed. He felt an instant wave of heat. The tips of her wings glowed as she pulled them back and spread them wide. Conner stumbled back from the turbulent force they created.
“Whoa!” said Conner. “I seriously didn’t see that coming.”
“Me neither,” said Jake. He knew it was time to step in to deescalate the tension. “Obviously, we need your help, and you’re either going to give it to us, or you’re not. Let’s calm down and talk this out—please be reasonable.”
Wren did not acknowledge Jake’s plea, as she was fixated on Seneca. Her eyes locked in a stare-down with Seneca. He worried it was potentially the beginning of a magical brawl.
“Look, we’re all supposed to be on the same team. It’s us against Brigara, right?” asked Jake. “Maybe we can call a time-out, maybe a truce or something.”
Wren and Seneca remained unmoved and silent. Jake was startled but pretended not to notice the edges of Seneca’s wings turning a brilliant cobalt blue. Sparks flickered at the tips. He could feel his heart beating hard and fast. He knew that was not a good sign. He prayed they weren’t about to erupt into an all-out knockout fest. He held his breath when Seneca moved several steps closer to Wren. He had experienced a small glimpse of how gutsy she was, but he thought she was taking it a bit too far.
“Hold up, Seneca!” he shouted to no avail.
She was on a mission of confrontation, and he feared there was nothing he could do to stop her. As if she sensed his fear, she took in a deep breath and shifted her stance slightly. She looked at Jake, and he read her expression to mean she wasn’t going to do anything foolish. He tried to relax but couldn’t.
“I’m sure slander by a trainer ranks somewhere on the list of not-to-dos,” said Seneca. “It comes down to this, plain and simple. You either help us figure out this perplex thing and get our friend back, or you can just go climb back in your tree. In either case, you need to stop with the putdowns.”
“Get ready for a blast from the wings!” Conner said. He was only moderately kidding as he stepped back a few feet. He identified an old oak tree to dive behind if needed.
“I seem to have lit a much-needed fire under you,” said Wren. “Your surge of spirit will serve you well in battle. Restrain it, or your anger will cloud your judgment.” She stopped suddenly, and her body became rigid.
Something or someone had caught her attention. Wren grabbed her staff and gestured for the threesome to follow her. Seneca felt her body tremble. She rarely felt such rage, and shutting it down wasn’t easy; she took a deep breath in an effort to refocus. She counted slowly to ten. Her wings relaxed, and she opened her hands. She had balled them so tightly that nail imprints were embedded in her palms.
“Remind me to stay on your good side,” Conner whispered to Seneca.
She huffed in response and walked ahead of him to create distance. Wren led the way to the edge of the pond. She pointed her staff in the direction of a lone bullfrog. Its wide body was perched on a partially submerged log.
“It is time,” she said. Her voice was airy and light.
“Is she talking to that fat frog or us?” asked Conner.
“I guess we wait and see,” said Jake.
“I can hear you. While you may find it unbearable, remain silent, please,” said Wren as she closed her eyes. “You must always become tuned into your surroundings—that bullfrog is an emissary and has gathered much from our encounter.”
“The frog is working for Brigara?” asked Conner as he lowered his voice and craned his neck to get a closer look.
“Things are not always as they appear on the surface—you must heed this belief at all times,” said Wren as she pointed her staff in direct alignment to the frog.
The illuminated amethyst orb brightened. The bullfrog’s yellow throat expanded. It sensed danger and let out a deep baritone croak. Wren aimed the staff directly at it. The frog pushed off with its hind legs and leaped high while stretching its wide body to full length. It was attempting to escape. The globe emitted a charge of light and shot across the water. The beam hit the target in midair just as it transformed into a squatty, scruffy black-bearded man. His eyes closed, and his mouth gaped open before he exploded into a barrage of sparks and ash. Fragments of what remained spread across the water’s surface.
“Wow. Did that just happen?” Conner said softly. “You just took him out like a mosquito. I didn’t see that coming.”
Wren lowered her staff and turned to the threesome. They stood motionless as they gawked at the water, searching for any sign or remains of the frog man.
“That’s a powerful weapon you’re holding there,” said Jake. “Are you sure it was necessary to obliterate him completely?”
“I am quite sure. His task was to do the same to us,” said Wren. “That was Scarge from the forest of Praves. He was infused with dark magic and would have killed us all.”
“It’s good you were here, because I sure didn’t have a clue,” said Conner. “He just looked like any ordinary bullfrog—enormous but otherwise just a regular frog.”
“How did you know?” asked Seneca.
“An ordinary frog would not pass up the tempting dragonflies that meandered within reach of its tongue,” said Wren. “Frogs have a voracious appetite. He was quite inadequate in adapting to his elected form.”
“The crazy thing is that I could swear I heard it giggle just before it was zapped into d
ust,” said Jake.
“Me too!” shouted Seneca. “I thought I was just imagining it.”
“Here’s an even stranger thought,” said Jake. “I may have crossed paths with it before. It happened when Seneca and I were fighting those nasty acid puking fairies.”
“Seriously?” asked Conner.
“I fed it one of the fairies. At the time, I didn’t think it reacted right, but I just brushed it off as another strange thing in the Otherworld,” said Jake.
“That is not a good sign,” said Wren sternly. “He is known as a skilled tracker.”
“Have you dealt with him before?” asked Seneca.
“Yes, I have. He led the attack on the fairies of Fionia two moons ago. He escaped and was the lone survivor,” said Wren. “I knew we would cross paths again, as his kind will always resurface.”
“As in the Lake of Fionia, where Celestia’s from?” asked Jake. “Is she okay?”
“There were no casualties of fairies,” said Wren. “They are fierce and wield great magic. Celestia is quite safe.” Her tone reflected a sense of pride.
“Are you a fairy?” asked Seneca. “You haven’t really told us anything about yourself or where you’re from.”
“I am an elemental, as are many in the Otherworld,” said Wren. “I am an elf, to be precise. I am from the clan of Evan.”
“An elf? I totally pictured elves as roly-poly, short guys with pointed ears,” said Conner.
“I think what Conner is trying to say is that, uh, you know, you’re quite unique,” said Jake. He felt like kicking himself for stumbling over his words.
“More like extraordinary,” said Conner. His flushed cheeks framed a wide grin.
“Actually, I’m not,” she snapped, and she took a long pause before continuing. She calmed her tone and spoke with controlled authority. “It is you who have qualities like no others before you. Be thankful of your inherent gifts as well as those bestowed upon you. Not all elementals are allowed to experience the gifts of magic, as they are born into this world without it. Only a few have lives precisely charted in prophecies. Do not focus on outer appearances, as they can be lures for cruel deceptions.”
Jake could feel the heat rushing to his ears. He caught a glimpse of a snobbish expression just before Wren turned away. She was not pleased. He hadn’t intended to anger her and prayed that he wouldn’t be the next target for her staff.
“Sorry if I said something wrong,” he mumbled as he shifted his weight and cast his eyes downward.
“Guess you blew that one, huh?” Conner whispered. “You’re not at all smooth with the ladies.”
“Hey! You’ve gotta be kidding—you suck at it too!” Jake tried to keep his voice down but had an uneasy feeling he was overheard. He decided to drop the topic before getting even more embarrassed.
“I’d like to learn more about the different kinds of elementals. Each time we turn around, we’re being told about another type,” said Seneca. “It’s like there’s this endless list in the Otherworld. Can you tell us about elves?”
“There is truth in what you say, Seneca,” Wren replied flatly. “I will say this much: to be of the elf clan means to be strong. We are warriors and are aligned with the ancient ways of the forest. Our gifts are rooted in nature and, as such, are unpredictable. Now, let us proceed with the vanquishing of the perplex.”
“You do realize that’s sort of a cliffhanger you just threw at us, don’t you?” asked Conner.
“I do not understand what you imply,” said Wren. Her brow furrowed as she glared at him. “We must prepare for the release of your friend. The time is nearly upon us.”
“I have a question. It’s probably not relevant to the perplex, but if you wouldn’t mind answering, it could really help,” Seneca said meekly as she shot Jake a look.
“What is your question?” Wren asked without any attempt to disguise her impatience.
“Seneca, don’t!” Jake protested, but he knew it was pointless. He started to reach for her but thought better of it. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He grunted under his breath and winced as Seneca cleared her throat.
“Jake claims to have seen some floating things—some kind of beings. He saw them floating over the lake. Conner and I didn’t see them,” said Seneca. She could feel Jake’s eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. She resisted communicating telepathically. She refused to be distracted from getting an answer. Instead, she did something impulsive and regretted it the instant it happened: she looked over her shoulder, stuck her tongue out, and rolled her eyes before whipping her head back around to Wren.
“Did she just—”
“Let it go, Conner!” Jake snapped.
“I said we could talk about it with Rileau,” Jake grumbled.
He knew it was a weak rebuttal. He wasn’t completely against bringing up the idea with Wren, but seeing things no one else could wasn’t something he wanted to discuss. What if she thought he was delusional? He let out a heavy sigh. Conner instinctively gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.
“Is there a question coming, or can we move on with our preparation?” asked Wren dryly.
“What I wanted to ask is about what Jake thinks he saw,” Seneca said through clenched teeth. “Do you know if it’s real?”
“I cannot say. What specifically did you see, Jake?” Wren’s eyes narrowed as she jabbed her staff deep into a mound of dirt and placed her hands on her slender hips.
“These wispy things—maybe I just imagined them,” he muttered while looking at the ground.
“Tell me more!” she commanded.
She was skilled at exerting an aura of intimidation. Jake knew it was useless to resist. He sighed heavily.
“There were four of them, I think—right there over the water.” He pointed to the area where he’d last seen them. Immediately, his finger began to shake. “They’re back! Do you see them?” He pushed Wren toward the edge of the pond. He was anxious for any confirmation of his sanity.
“Uh, nope,” Conner replied as he shook his head.
“I’m talking to Wren! Can you see them? They’re coming this way. I’m telling you—they’re right there hovering or gliding!” Jake said.
He was frantic and searched for any sign of confirmation from Wren. He couldn’t tell from her expression if she believed him or not. She remained quiet and just looked out across the water.
“Sheesh! You’ve gotta be kidding me. Am I just imagining this?” Jake ran his fingers through his hair. It was damp with perspiration.
“Wren, do you see what Jake’s talking about?” asked Seneca as she eased next to him.
“No, but he is correct. The Glactra are approaching,” she said slowly.
“Glactra, huh? So I’m not seeing things. There is something out there—Glactra,” Jake said. He was relieved. He felt even more nervous at the realization that there was something out there as he wiped a stream of sweat from his brow.
“How do you know it’s the, um, Glactra things if you can’t see them?” asked Conner.
“See the ripples in the water? They’re uniform and moving in the opposite direction of the water’s natural state,” replied Wren. “It’s a clear sign they’re moving and heading in this direction.”
“Are they another Brigara nightmare ready to pounce?” Seneca asked as she flared her wings. The tips flashed a shade of electric blue.
“They are not our enemy. Glactra are neutral during strife and usually act as observers,” Wren explained.
“Usually?” Jake said. “Can you clarify that?”
“They do not enter battles unless they deem it necessary.”
“Does that mean they might choose to take the side of evil?” asked Seneca.
“That is not what I’ve stated. Glactra are neutral. If elected, they will resolve the divergence until it is neutrali
zed,” said Wren. She lowered herself to one knee and examined the water’s movement.
“They won’t harm us?” asked Conner. “Are you sure?”
“They will do what is necessary to stabilize conflict,” Wren replied.
“That’s not the answer I was hoping for.” Conner scratched his head. “Hard to fight something you can’t even see.”
“If it were your fate for the Glactra to be involved, you would be unable to fight, even if they were in your direct line of sight.”
“They sound dangerous. Why am I the only one seeing them?” asked Jake. “Are they coming for me?”
“I do not understand why you have been given this gift. It is rare,” said Wren. “I suggest you speak up. Ask of their presence and why they have remained for you to see.”
“Talk to them? Seriously?” he said nervously.
Jake backed away from the water. He was afraid to blink as he watched them steadily glide in his direction. Their pace remained slow and steady. Jake tried to focus on their delicate details; he wanted to relay what he saw accurately. They continued to move closer, and he sensed they were not changing their course.
“Aye, Jake. You must speak,” Wren said stiffly.
“I should ask them—you think I should actually talk to them?”
“Why not? Fear is your only limitation. Why let it control your fate?” Wren asked.
“Uh, what do I say? I mean, what should I ask them?” Jake asked as he turned to Seneca and Conner. “Any suggestions? They’re getting pretty close.”
“How about asking them what they want and why we can’t see them too,” said Conner.