Sunset had given way to twilight by the time that we saw the shadows and intermittent torchlight of the town from above. Loden was not a big city and could likely not afford expensive oil lamps, except within the residences of wealthier residents or the mayor, who served as the local Lord’s vassal. We had to fly around the town for a while to spot the main road and the clearing alongside it where our troupe had made camp. Usually, I would just have to feel for the magic of the Seeming, but I had been told that we would not be trying to hide and were making our stop in Loden easily apparent for several reasons.

It seemed that the people of Loden were used to Voyager caravans passing through since this was a main travel route and many troupes often used it and stopped to stay briefly during their travels. We could use it to resupply and earn some coin, and troupes passing through usually made camp in the clearing outside town since we did not wish to keep our presence secretive here. Loden usually welcomed the excitement that a troupe staying for a few days offered and many villagers would seek us out if they needed an experienced Healer, wanted protective wards cast around their farms, or wanted to have their futures read.

My grandparents had told me that most troupes had fortunetellers for stops like these. They were all well versed in rolling bones, reading palms, tealeaf reading, and Savas cards, the latter of which were named after the God of Luck, Fortune, and Fate. Some few were truly blessed by Savas and had a gift for it, but mostly it was just another way to make money from the locals, like busking or picking pockets. I was told that Tanna exclusively used the cards and was usually fairly accurate, though it was far less precise and more generalized than her visions.

Vesha had been through this route before and knew where the clearing was and as we got close, I could sense the faint magic that the various members of our troupe possessed. After that, I just needed to fly straight since I could not feel any sources of magic in the town below. It was truly a shame that most Changelings seemed to have a much weaker magic sense and magic potential than other Fae.

They made up for it with the versatility that shapeshifting offered, but most of us could not sense magical dangers until they were nearly upon us, as I had proven when I first encountered Sharai and her Demon pursuer. Even my grandmother’s magic sense, the strongest of the whole troupe other than mine since she was our strongest mage, probably would not allow her to sense my approach until we were forty to fifty hands away. Master Nirlyn could see magic, but she needed to be looking in the right direction since it was something to do with her eyes rather than a magical ability. If we were quick enough, I did not think that anyone but my grandmother would sense us until we were upon them.

When we approached the camp from above, my sharp eyes could see the whole troupe gathered around a large fire and having what appeared to be a very animated conversation. It was easy to pick out Master Nirlyn as the lone Ravieri, and she looked tense sitting there with her arms crossed. She sounded particularly unhappy as well as we descended and her words reached us. “Sunset ‘as passed. We need t’ start searchin’ fer ‘em. They could be hurt or dead, we never should ‘ave let them go on their own.”

“Such is the nature of the Vel’Nassar, Nirlyn, there is always some danger involved. You know this as well as any of us,” my grandfather chided. “You are not the only one worried for them, they are both precious to this entire troupe and we almost lost Kaelyn once already. They are of age and we could hardly refuse such a trial when it was given through one of Tanna’s visions.”

“Aye,” my grandmother agreed with a nod to my grandfather before I saw her briefly gaze up as we descended and got within the range of her magic sense. It seemed that she had indeed sensed me coming as she added, “They are brave and capable girls, so let us give them a while longer. If they are not here by the time dinner is ready, I will have Glimma send out the owls while we prepare a proper search party to go after them. Yes, they could be in danger, but they could also be a lot closer to home than you fear.”

Well, that was just the kind of opening that Vesha had been hoping for. Since her hearing was not as good as a Faerie’s, I quickly gave her the signal as she circled downward. Then I allowed myself to drop the remaining distance before catching myself in a hover an arm’s length away from the ground. I was almost off on my timing since I was surprised when Vesha burst into flame, becoming a fiery serpent that shot toward the ground at my side. I was almost as stunned by her appearance as the rest of the troupe as we settled down to the ground by the fire and the flaming serpent once again returned to being the girl that I knew and loved.

Vesha, casually acting as if she had not just shocked everyone, including me, into stunned disbelief, grinned at our Master and said, “Sorry we’re late, Mom, but a lot happened.”

Other than me, my grandmother was the first to manage to shake her disbelief. Master Nirlyn was not far behind though as a look of relief washed over her, followed quickly by a theatrical sigh as she muttered, “Aye, yer both Bards through an’ through, makin’ a flashy entrance like that one. I take it ya found yer proof then?”

Vesha nodded but hesitated as if uncertain what to say. “I found my pa… lifegivers. They were able to give me the answers that I needed, Mom. I’m a Salamander and they didn’t abandon me after all, they just thought that you could give me a better life since they can’t hold physical forms for long. They’re working on it, but it might take a while for them to be able to hold those forms long-term. They want to help us fight the Demons though, when the time comes.”

I held up my own proof for everyone around the fire to see. “This is Fal’hevar, and like Neva’kul, she is one of the five Vos’oraik. Her original bearer, Alara, was a Changeling like us. She needs a new bearer, but I am certain that she will be a great help in our fight against the Demons. It is what she was created for after all. I think she was down there since the fall of the Ancients. Hopefully, whoever binds themselves to her will be able to tell us more when they can talk to her spirit.”

My grandparents both nodded, bearing proud smiles. It was my grandfather who spoke though, as his expression turned pensive. “It must be fate that she has found her way back into Changeling hands after so long alone. There are few of us with the training to use such a weapon though; most of us do not see the need for more than a dagger. Bryden, Mara, and Hagen have some experience with swords, perhaps one of them would do. Kaelyn, what would someone have to do to bind themselves to Fal’hevar?”

I tried to remember what it had taken to bind myself to Neva’kul, but I was uncertain whether we had everything required to make that foul mixture that I had to swallow, and if I would even wish that on anyone that I cared about. Sharai took that as her cue to explain. -Kaelyn, you only needed that to unlock your magical potential. Neva’kul is a mageblade, and would only accept someone of Fae blood with powerful magic and a strong will. I would assume that Niyr’votak has similar requirements, but the others relied largely on physical prowess. Fae blood, a strong will, and a desire to master the blade and destroy the Demons should be enough, and then, they just need to swear by blood, blade, and magic to bind themselves to Fal’hevar and see its will done, as you did with Neva’kul.-

I passed on that information to the others but quickly added, “For whoever decides to take on the blade, I do not think that the decision should be made lightly since you will have to prove yourself worthy. With Neva’kul, it was a battle of magic and wills, and I have a strong feeling that the cost for losing such a battle is far more than being deemed not worthy of the blade.”

-Aye, you are right. Kaelyn,- Sharai said in my mind, her tone sounding almost haunted. -I was not Tamisun’s only apprentice. There were three of us, but when she Faded, I was the only one of us who proved worthy to bear Neva’kul. Bakis was arrogant, he saw Neva’kul as a prize to be won, and himself as the inevitable winner. Sheeva was a powerful mage and had a desire to see Neva’kul’s will done, but her will was not strong enough.-

“What happened to them?” I asked, uncertain whether I wished to know the answer.

-Neva’kul saw through Bakis’s arrogance and selfishness in their battle of wills. He was deemed unworthy, and his mind ravaged for his arrogance. He was left with a mind like an infant’s; his family in Tarin’dol was forced to care for his every need from that day on. Despite her power and wishing to wield Neva’kul for the right reasons, Sheeva’s will was overwhelmed. For over a year, her body slumbered as her mind healed. I guess that she found her willpower while sleeping because when I passed through her Glade on the way to visit home, I was told that she left to join the Daughters of Zhahime as soon as she was healthy enough to make the journey.-

A sigh escaped my lips at this revelation. I had been extremely lucky that I had been worthy and, looking back, I now saw the wisdom in Sharai having me make and swallow the mixture that ended up changing me. I had had enough trouble winning that battle with my suddenly increased magical ability, without it I would have surely lost. I frowned and cautioned those gathered around the fire, “Sharai tells me that the costs of losing such a battle are indeed great. We need to be sure that whoever attempts to bond with Fal’hevar is doing so for the right reasons and that they have a very strong will.”

“I’ll do it,” Shava said clearly over the mumblings of the rest of the troupe. There was not a shred of hesitation or uncertainty in her voice, and everyone turned to gape at her.

I had been half expecting this though and let out another long sigh before telling her as gently as I could. “Shava, you do not need to prove yourself to me, Sharai and I have both seen how hard you are working on your lessons.”

“You are only ten summers old, Shava, you are still a child,” my grandfather stated sternly.

“I’ll be eleven soon!” Shava protested before adding, “And Kaelyn was surviving on her own in the forest when she wasn’t much older than that.”

“Kaelyn’s circumstances were different,” Uncle Bryden pointed out, “and it was only skill and good fortune that allowed her to do so.”

“But I…”

“Enough, Shava!” my grandmother stated, cutting off whatever new protest she had been about to make. “We will discuss suitable candidates later. For now, it is time to eat and there are more important matters to discuss. Vesha and Kaelyn, you have completed your trial and tomorrow we will have a proper feast to celebrate your new status as adults. Bryden, do you have enough silver to make their rings?”

“Aye, Mother, I will get them both fitted, and the rings made before the feast tomorrow,” my uncle replied. I had heard that his gift was somewhat similar to my own, but where I could only push and pull through some unknown force to move and manipulate certain metals, Uncle Bryden could change the state of precious metals and even reshape them with his gift. He had shown me the various pieces of jewelry and some ornamental daggers that he had made with his gift to sell when the troupe made stops like the one in Loden.

As we all ate dinner, plans were made for the celebration to come the next evening and it seemed that the topic of Fal’hevar was forgotten for the moment. Then, after a quick trip to my wagon to change out of my armor and place Neva’kul’s sister blade in our wagon for safekeeping, I returned to the fire. I also brought Zaiya out so that I could feed her and give her some attention after being away, and she seemed very happy to see me.

While I fed the owlet and gently stroked her feathers, Vesha and I told the troupe the story of what had happened while we were gone. My new armor, and the fact that I had gotten it after using faerie fire to purify a Darkling and allowing her to Fade, were keen topics of interest. If faerie fire could be used to purify Darklings, and corrupted mana in general, then there was hope that dark zones could be reclaimed for the Weave, though it would likely amount to a gargantuan effort.

Another big topic of conversation was what had happened when Vesha had entered the eternal flame since not even I knew the full details of that. She told us what she had learned about her people, why she had been born, and how the troupe had been chosen to find and raise her. She was also able to tell us some of what she had learned about the city, the Ancient Ones, and a few things about the Great War and the fall of the Ancient Ones, or the Sa’vash as they were once called. It looked like that conversation was going to go well into the night when I heard a scream come from the direction of our wagon.

Shava ate her meal quietly and sullenly, her thoughts elsewhere. Ever since she had first seen Fal’hevar revealed in the ruddy light of the fire, the blade seemed to call to her. Even now, with it placed safely in the wagon shared by Nirlyn and her apprentices, she could still feel the pull of it. Her interest was not due to her needing to prove herself either, as her cousin and everyone else seemed to believe.

More than anything, Shava wanted to be a warrior. Even before her cousin had joined the troupe, she had been fascinated by her father’s, Mara’s, and Hagen’s weapons, though she had been too nervous to approach them about her interest. It wasn’t until she saw her cousin practicing her swordplay on that first morning that she realized that this was what she wanted to do with her life. Sharai and her cousin teaching her only seemed to make her more certain of it.

She did not want to catch up to her cousin because she felt lacking, but because she wanted to make the Demons and their church pay. They had done so much to hurt Kaelyn, and they had killed her parents. They needed to pay the blood price for that and to be stopped from hurting anyone else. Her cousin was determined to fight them and Shava could do no less.

In the short time that they had spent together, she had come to greatly admire her cousin, and she felt that they had become close while training together. She was close to all the members of her troupe; such was the nature of her people, but Kaelyn was special. She had seen something in her, and she and Sharai had gone out of their way to help her learn about her passion and grow stronger. Her cousin was her hero, everything that she wanted to be, though she did not share her musical interest and could go without the whole Faerie thing.

Shava saw herself as an apprentice of sorts to her cousin, much as Kaelyn was to Nirlyn. She would do anything for her and wanted to fight the Demons by her side when the time came. She needed to get stronger for that, she needed to push herself to become the best that she could possibly be. She knew in her heart that she had what was needed to claim Fal’hevar, but Mara, Hagen, and even her father had no passion for the sword, no drive to fight the Demons at Kaelyn’s side.

Oh sure, they wanted to help her get vengeance, but that could be said of any member of the troupe and Shava did not think that it would be enough to claim the magical blade. Shava knew she was young, and that many among the troupe thought that her fascination with her cousin and learning the sword was a phase, but she also knew that this was what she needed to do. This was her destiny and the blade called to her, even now, as she listened with half an ear to conversations about Salamanders and Ancient Ones.

She slipped quietly away while everyone’s attention was on whatever Vesha was talking about and followed the call toward Nirlyn’s wagon. The doors were locked, she had heard her grandmother tell Niryln to do so once Fal’hevar was placed inside, specifically to stop Shava from doing exactly what she was about to do. Locked doors would not stop her though.

Shava was an early bloomer, possibly because she was a quarter Elf, or so her mother said since she too had blossomed early. She had her first moon cycle not long before Kaelyn had joined the troupe, and had accidentally discovered her gift a few days later, though she had not yet revealed it. Now, it almost seemed as if it was meant for this very moment.

She took a deep breath and focused on the magic within her, pulling it to the surface of her skin until it stretched out over her entire body. It felt similar to shapeshifting, but very different too as she felt it take hold. Looking down at herself, she smiled as she saw that her body had become faint to her eyes, almost as if she was a spirit. Unsure of how long she could hold this state, she quickly dove through the door of the wagon and then willed herself solid again before she could begin to sink through the floor.

The blade sat beside her cousin’s new armor, which had been haphazardly piled atop her cot. Shava reached out but hesitated for a moment as her hand neared the hilt. It felt like she was stealing, and Voyager’s don’t steal from their troupe. “No,” she told herself firmly. “This belongs to the whole troupe; they just haven’t decided who should wield it yet. I’m protecting the others by trying before they can. With this, I can help Kaelyn fight against the Demons; I can protect my troupe from them.”

She reached out once more and took the unfamiliar weight of the sword in hand. It was heavier than she had imagined, she would have to get used to the weight by practicing with it. She removed the blade from the sheath and saw that it seemed to be in pristine condition, not even a fleck of rust or a chip to be seen with her eyes. There was only that strange solitary glyph etched into the flat of the blade by the cross guard.

The edge proved to still be razor sharp too as she reached out to grip it tightly in hand. As her blood ran down the blade, she gritted her teeth and ignored the pain to hiss out, “I swear b-by blood, blade, and magic to bind myself to Fal’hevar and to see its will done.”

Suddenly it was as if something was pushing against her thoughts, a searing agony in her head that was determined to make her falter. Shava screamed aloud, but stood her mental ground, pushing right back. No. She would do this. She would get past whatever this was because she needed to. For Kaelyn, for her troupe, and most importantly for herself. She would get strong enough and skilled enough to take down the Demons by her cousin’s side and protect everyone. Nothing was going to stop her, not even a magical sword.

Just as swiftly as the barrage against her mind had begun, it receded, giving way to a sense of… pride and amusement? Shava collapsed to the floor, her throat raw from screaming and more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. -Well done, lass. You are much as I was when I was your age. I was hoping that you would have the courage to try to win Fal’hevar’s favor. You are young, but determined, and more suitable than the others of your troupe. I am Alara, the first bearer of Fal’hevar, and I have been awaiting you for a very long time.-

“I’m Shava, well met, Alara,” she replied with a weary smile as she heard the door to the wagon being hurriedly unlocked.

-Rest well, Shava, when you wake we will have much to…- Whatever else the spirit might have been trying to say was lost to the Voyager girl as she passed out.