The next morning, as the sun began to beam over the mountainside and down upon the valley, I awakened to the bright rays piercing through the canvas of our tent and shining upon my eyes. I squirmed and moaned, rolled onto my back, and sat up. Gncing over, I saw Varis curled in on himself, sleeping still, the sun’s rays not quite reaching him as yet.

  Outside my tent, I could hear the adults were already awake. The smell of coffee over the fire permeated the camp. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. God, what I’d do for a fresh cup of coffee right now, I thought. Damn shame, Mother says I’m too young to be drinking it.

  I shifted out of my covers, and with Varis asleep, I took the chance to strip out of my clothes and change into fresh ones. Already, the air was warming up out here, as spring seemed to be blowing in with full force this year. I chose to slip into something warm yet lighter than the yers on yers: a nice blue dress with white cing around my chest and the usual vest over it. To top off my outfit, I went with some white stockings and my usual dark, heavy cloak.

  When I finished dressing, Varis started to stir, which was perfect timing as I dipped out of the tent and into the morning light. I squinted and held a hand up to shield myself from the sun, then looked towards the campfire in the center of our tents and was surprised. Mother wasn’t wearing her usual dress today. Instead, she wore men’s garb, like we were at home. A loose-fitting abaster polo with the top few buttons undone, exposing her pale chest, and a pair of bck-suspendered khakis joined the calf-high boots that were normally hidden beneath her dress.

  She was kneeling over the fire, inspecting the heated coffee, as Father came out of the tent wearing a simir polo and dark pants, his hair a mess like Mother’s. The two of them smiled at each other before noticing me and waving.

  “Morning, sleepyhead,” Father teased me as I frowned at them. “Sleep well?” He smirked.

  I did not smile; I simply squinted. Mother read my look and gnced at Father with a faint blush on her cheeks. Yet my father seemed oblivious and shrugged.

  “Ah, well, you’ll get used to traveling on the road this week.” He took a seat at the fire while Mother set some tin cups out and filled them. “Love, why don’t you give Luna a tin?” Father gestured to the bck coffee she just poured.

  “No, she’s too young. If she takes a drink now, she’ll not sleep at all tonight.”

  “Oh, c’mon, it’s not that strong. Besides, it’s early morning.” Father chuckled. “And also, her birthday is in just two days. So, lighten up a bit.” He winked and nudged her side.

  Mother pursed her lips as she gnced at me. Yet my eyes were locked on the tin of coffee. If there is a God, I prayed, and if you’re the one who brought me back, please, just please, this one time. Let me indulge in the bean.

  My prayers were answered.

  Mother sighed. “Well, do you want some, Luna?” she relented.

  I nodded my head rapidly. “Yes, please,” I murmured. “I’ve been wanting some again”—I cleared my throat—”wanting to try some.”

  Mother motioned for me to come over, and I sat down beside her. “Careful. It’s hot.” She handed me the tin.

  I grabbed the cup, the thin metal instantly warming my hands. The smell was stupefying. I never cared much for pin bck coffee; whenever I ran out of creamer in my past life, I would spike it with some sugar to combat its bitterness. Yet now, after almost seven years, I didn’t care. I craved the bean.

  Tipping my head back, I brought the tin to my lips and sipped it. The taste struck me hard. It was bitter, very bitter, but somewhat sweet. It nearly made me cough it back up.

  Was it because of my childish taste buds? Or perhaps this world’s coffee was different? Most likely the tter. It wasn’t horrible, but… strong.

  Father ughed and smirked. “Okay, that took me back.” He hummed as Varis came out of the tent dressed in his own shirt and suspenders, and his fine bck vest. Father waved him over. “Boy, come over here and join us.”

  Varis stepped over and said, “Yes, Father?” He was rubbing under his eyes.

  “Sit down; try a grown man’s drink.” Father grabbed the other tin of coffee our mother just poured and passed it over to him.

  Varis blinked at the cup. He gingerly took it, sniffed it, and his nose crinkled. He looked at Father, who smirked and gestured for him to drink. Hesitantly he sipped it.

  “Blegh!” He instantly spat it out, which sent Father howling with ughter.

  Even Mother grinned a little as she sighed. “Well, this was to be expected… Luna, wait!”

  While they were distracted, I swung my head back and took a big swig of the dark liquid, chugging it all in one go as the searing heat burned my tongue and throat. Yet I fought through the tears.

  I won’t have this taken away from me! I thought as I lowered the tin and gasped.

  Father looked at me with wide eyes, then gnced at my mother. “Oh, she’s going to get the jitters.”

  My mother looked at me shocked. “You’re supposed to sip it, love!” she chided, but I simply beamed with excitement.

  “This is very good!” I squeaked out; all it needed was some sugar. Some sugar, or milk, and then I’d be content.

  “You can drink this crud?” Varis spat more of the coffee from his mouth. “It’s gross.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Father said. “Give me your tin if you’re not going to finish it.” Varis passed it back.

  Meanwhile, Madam Soza crawled from her tent and came over, and I gawked. She was wearing nothing aside from some loose, tied robes. Yet what stunned me the most was that I never realized how built she was, not to mention the dragon tattoos that covered her upper bicep and shoulder and went down her back. Her red hair was disheveled, and her fluffy crimson tail flicked left and right. She wasn’t even wearing her shoes, and for the first time I noticed her feet were cwed. Stopping just a few feet away from me and the campfire, she gred at my mother and father with tired eyes.

  I take it she was disturbed just as I was the night before.

  Soza stepped past me and walked over to my mother, who greeted her. “Morning, Isa, did you—”

  My mentor’s face fred with rage. “I recall explicitly telling you two to be quiet st night!” Soza cried, and my mother sputtered, blushed, and lowered her head.

  “S-Sorry about that,” she mumbled.

  “Ah, there’s nothing to be sorry about,” Father butted in as he prepared for my sleep-deprived teacher a tin of coffee. “Things just got a little heated between us, and we got lost in the moment. We won’t let it happen again.”

  “Are you guys referring to the wrestling match st night?” Varis asked obliviously. “Who won?”

  I couldn’t help it. I tried to stop myself, but I snorted and crowed with ughter. Even Soza, who had moments ago been pissed, hesitated before also succumbing to the fits.

  Father and Mother both sat there stun locked, their eyes trained on the fire and coffee in front of them. Mother looked at Varis and then at me just as I fell back, giggling uncontrolbly.

  “Va—Varis? Luna?” Mother blinked as her gaze flicked between us, and I sat up, wiping the tears from my eyes. She looked at me, her face red with embarrassment. “What have you been teaching your brother?”

  Before I could answer… “Your mother definitely won,” Father said nonchantly as he raised a clenched fist. “Her grip is nothing short of a—” Soza and Mother both smacked him upside the head, sending me into hysterics once more.

  Well, the news was out now, and my parents were well aware that I knew what they did at night alone. A shame… well, for them, not me. Now that they knew it, they’d probably try to hide it. Or not; they might just say screw it and do it anyway. But I doubted that, honestly. I was better off for it.

  For many years, I’d had to sit in my bed or my crib and listen to my father plow the fields in the other room day in and day out. Before I had acclimated to this world, when I was seeing this life as more or less a vacation, I was like, “Hell yeah, free content.” But, as I began to see these people for who they were, my parents, that creeping thought came into my mind and was like, “Hey, you degenerate, you’re disgusting.” And when that realization hit me, it hit me hard.

  It was yucky and gross. Ew. No more do I think like that. I made sure to double kill that side of me. Which is, like, harder than normal killing.

  However, I hate to admit this, but that part of me was not entirely dead. Now that I was aging, and my little body was starting to develop it was only natural that it would start to stir things up. Things I wasn’t ready for, and I hated it. I hated it so much. I wasn’t ready for puberty round two.

  What was elven puberty going to be like? Let alone an elven girl’s puberty? Was I going to have periods? I didn’t even know what normal human periods were like! I wished I had a smartphone or a PC so I could just Google it. Was there a library back in Oren? I never asked. I’d need to make a note about that.

  I won’t lie and say I wasn’t a little excited for puberty. I hoped I’d get taller, and with how Mother looked, I was hoping I’d take after her. If I did get lucky in the genetic lottery, though, my mother was going to have to work hard on making me new clothes… especially in the breast department.

  This is going to sound weird. Honestly, I kinda feel gross thinking about this. Is that normal? But I wondered if I’d get boobs like hers. The thought had cropped up from time to time. Though usually my right hand was quick to shut thoughts like this down, right now, around family, smacking myself would only raise concerns.

  So, I’d just need to take deep breaths and try to send the degenerate back into his corner.

  Begone, vile thoughts! Or I’ll kill you a third time!

  “Luna, what’re you doing?” Mother asked as she held me against her chest. We were back in the wagon to the Heinnd Mountains, after my parents were humiliated and we packed up camp. The wagon bounced and rolled along the path.

  My hands patted my cheeks as I looked up at Mother and said, “Purging my mind of impurities.”

  Mother blinked a couple of times before she said a confused “Okay.”

  A few awkward minutes passed as the wagon strolled along the dirt road. Looking forwards, I saw that Varis had fallen back asleep, meaning it was just my mother and I currently. Gncing down at myself, I idly set a hand on my chest and shifted my weight a little on Mother’s p, feeling a bubble of nervousness.

  It’s going to be a while before you’re back in town to visit a library… What’s wrong with just asking?

  Taking a deep breath, I gnced up at my mother. “Momma, can I ask a very personal question?”

  I felt her tense up. “If it’s about st night, no.”

  “No! No!” I cried, and bit my lip so I didn’t ugh. “It’s, uh… about growing up.”

  My mother rexed and sighed. “Growing up?”

  “I, uh, recall reading from the books about how elven girls go through…” I was pying dumb. “Puberty.” I nodded.

  Mother snorted. “Puberty, eh?” She tousled my hair as per usual. “Aren’t you still pretty young to be thinking about that?”

  I blushed and said, “Maybe, but I want to learn about it. What is it?”

  Mother sat in silence, pursing her lips in thought. Her brow knitted as she seemed to debate whether or not she should even tell me. I was still young, after all. Maybe I was being too forward?

  After a few moments, she breathed out, “Well, you’re smart and pretty mature. So, I think I can expin it briefly.” She smiled and poked my cheek. “Don’t go telling Varis this stuff; this is only for us girls, okay?”

  Oh wow, girl talk?

  “Okay. I won’t say a thing!” I said as I mimed zipping my mouth shut.

  Mother smiled. “Good.” She nodded and thought for a second. “Puberty for little elves really kicks off between seven and ten years of age. So, for you, it may happen in a few months or a few years.” She booped my nose. “When that happens, you’ll start on your path towards becoming a full elven dy.” She hummed. “It’ll feel weird; cramps and pains will make themselves known; your voice will get deeper; the hairs on your body will darken; you’ll get hair in silly pces; and the most painful part of it is that your chest will feel sore because your boobs will start to fill out.”

  Oh god, she’s ying it on thick, I thought as I gulped and nodded.

  “Is it really painful?” I asked.

  Mother giggled and said, “I wouldn’t say it’s really painful, but it is uncomfortable.”

  “What’re you two talking about back there?” Father called from over his shoulder.

  “Girl talk! No boys allowed!” Mother snipped, and Father flinched and refocused on the road ahead. Soza giggled and continued to read the map. Knowing her feline ears, she could probably hear everything we were talking about.

  Mother looked back at me and continued, “It’s around this time that you’ll begin to grow, and your body may change a little bit. This goes on for a few years for us elves but compared to other races like humans or the serelli, we elves develop much faster.”

  “Much, much faster,” Soza said from over her shoulder, and Mother nodded. Well, that confirms it; she’s most definitely listening in.

  Still, that was nice to hear. Puberty was more like a speedrun this time around. Or… wait, if all the changes happened at once, that might actually be a nightmare. I shuddered at the thought.

  “But the hardest part—and this is the part you most want to try and be ready for—is the menstrual cycle.”

  Ah, fuck, this is what I’m most scared of.

  Mother pulled me in tight against her. “It’s hard because the first one is unpredictable and can be painful. We elves do not menstruate often. It happens every ten years or so, but when we experience it, it sts for a full week. Or more, if you’re unlucky; all girls are different. It does crazy things if we’re not prepared.”

  I gulped. So, it was a trade-off. I tried to recall my old sex ed and Wiki diving (it’s a valid source in my eyes!). If my hazy memory was right, women back in my old world had to deal with periods for about a week out of a month. Ten years and one or two weeks of pain? It sounded okay to me.

  “What kinds of crazy things?” I asked, feeling anxious.

  Mother ughed nervously and said, “Uh, well…” She leaned into my ear and whispered what I can only describe as horrid, vile descriptions. I shuddered before she pulled back. “It also makes you act all goofy as your mood swings all over. Don’t worry; when you go off to school next year, I’ll make sure to pack everything you’ll need for it when it happens.”

  My right eye twitched. I had expected her to tell me it’d only be blood. Yet no. It was much worse.

  “Are you okay, Luna?” My mother poked my cheek.

  Soza turned around, looked back at us, and smirked. “I think you broke the little one.” She giggled. “If I am being honest, I have always wished to swap the serelli heat cycles with what you elves and humans experience.”

  “Oh, believe me, you don’t want it.” Mother ughed, and I shook my head.

  “Okay! I’m ready to change the conversation!” I blurted out.

  Our second day of travel went smoothly. The Heinnd Mountains now towered over us, and our elevation was steeper and steeper. The night had glided by; Mother and Father did not partake in a second wrestling match, allowing the rest of us a peaceful rest.

  This morning was pretty much a repeat of the morning before. We gathered around camp, ate porridge for breakfast, and had some coffee. Varis refused the sacred bean this time, that infidel, and Father snuck a second tin for me, which only made my love for him grow more. The caffeine was very much a godsend. Oh, deity, whoever brought me back, you truly are my GOAT.

  Madam Soza and Father spent some time reviewing the map of the nd while Mother, Varis and I packed up camp and loaded the cart. As we waited for our drivers, Mother and I tended to Opal, the strider, making sure she was fed and cared for.

  Striders were interesting creatures, except for Mr. Bxen’s. Opal was very nice. She was rge, which was intimidating, yet her scales were this adorable gray-blue shade, which shone perfectly in the sun, sparkling. The same went for her feathers, which lined her jaw and the joints of her arms. She looked kind of like those realistic depictions of velociraptors, except make her the size of a fully grown stallion, if not a bit bigger. Yet despite her razor-sharp cws and teeth, which could eviscerate my tiny elven body, she was immensely gentle and docile.

  “Momma?” I asked as my mother pulled out some chunks of preserved meat. She handed them to Opal, who happily and carefully grabbed them before chomping them down.

  “Yes, Luna?” She gnced at me just as Father and Soza began to walk over to us.

  “Why is Opal called a ground dragon? I thought dragons were big and flew.” Opal gnced at me, and I swore she seemed offended. I looked at her warily. Does she understand me?

  Mother chuckled and said, “That’s because Opal is a dragon, love. Not all dragons are like the ones we see in the books. There are many breeds of them. Opal just happens to be of the ground type, or more specifically, a nd strider. They’re the fastest of all ground dragons.” As if to boast, Opal puffed her chest out and squawked.

  Huh, so kind of like dogs, in a weird sense. So many dogs looked drastically different from each other, yet they were all cssified as the same species. If that was how dragons were in this world, I was curious as to what the other types looked like.

  “Alright, are we ready to go?” Father asked us.

  “Wagon’s packed up!” Varis called from the other side of the wagon.

  “Guess we are now.” Mother hummed and patted Opal’s nose before turning around. “How far do we have to go?”

  “Not far at all,” Soza said as she pced a hand on her hip. “About three more gilos, and we’ll be at the base of the trail.” If my memory served me right, a gilo was almost equal to a mile, if not a little under.

  “Excellent,” Mother said as she patted me on the shoulder. “It should take us about an hour to get there. Come on, Luna; it’ll be our st snuggle session.”

  “Gaaah, I don’t want snuggles!” I protested. “Cuddle with Varis!”

  “But you’re so soft!” Mother said as I ran to the cart.

  “You’re just going to say gross things again!”

  “You asked for it!”

  Finally, for the first time since the start of our journey, our environment began to change. After an hour of travel, the wagon veered left slightly, going uphill. Everything around us darkened. Massive trees resembling evergreens towered over us as we entered what Mother told us was the Heinnd Forest. These trees were called kefners, and unlike the beautiful pink-petaled sycoras, the kefners rose hundreds of feet into the air, their massive trunks resembling redwoods and their pine needle branches like natural umbrels, which blocked all light, leaving the forest almost sunless as we went deeper into it.

  Madam Soza turned around to face the three of us in the back and said clearly, “Listen up, children. This is very important. The Heinnd Forest is not a safe pce for little kids. Legend has it that a Web Way is connected to this forest, which leads to the Fae Wylde. This area is known for its creatures of trickery.”

  She gnced at Mother, who lightly shifted me off her p, reached into her satchel, and pulled out two frosted rods of metal. “Both of you,” she said, “take one.”

  Varis and I reached out and grabbed the metal rods, and I gasped. These things are freaking cold!

  “These archeos are rods of cold iron,” Mother said.

  “Archeo?” I asked, and Varis nodded as he wondered the same thing.

  My mother smiled and leaned in. “An archeo is an item that’s magically enchanted.”

  My eyes widened. Real magic items? This really is becoming D&D!

  “I made these just before the trip,” Mother said, and my thoughts drifted back to what Herbert Hautchkins said about her cooking up weird things. “If by chance we get separated out here and you encounter any fae, show them this, and they’ll surely leave you alone.”

  “Why?” Varis asked as he pyed hot potato, or perhaps cold potato, with the iron rod in his hands.

  “Because the fae despise all forms of metal,” Madam Soza answered for Mother. “Yet they are especially terrified of cold iron because it is said to be the only metal that can truly sy a fae.”

  Mother nodded. “But as long as we stick together, we shouldn’t have to fear. This is only a precaution. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Mother,” both Varis and I said as I stashed the magically cooled metal away into my skirt pocket.

  “We’re almost to the campsite!” Father called over his shoulder.

  Over the next few minutes, the ground leveled out once more, and sunlight appeared as we entered a rge grass clearing slightly off the path. As our wagon crept forwards, our father pulled the reins and brought Opal to a stop.

  “Alright, get comfortable. We’ll be here for the next six days,” Father whistled as he hopped off the wagon.

  One by one, we all dismounted and began the routine of setting up camp. I was getting quite comfortable doing this, as this time it only took Varis and I about ten minutes to pitch our tent. When we finished and I stepped back, I gnced to my left and gasped.

  “Whoa!” Staring out, I saw over the treetops and down below to the valley, and just further out. There was the town of Oren and the puffs of white smoke coming from chimney stacks, and I swore I could see the Hautchkins mill and the speck that was our house.

  “What is it?” Varis asked, and I pointed.

  “I can see our house from here!” I beamed.

  And soon Varis gasped as well, shouting for our parents.

  “Mother, Father! Luna and I can see our house!” He ran towards them.

  Grass crunched behind me. Turning, I found Madam Soza stepping forward. “This is exactly why I chose this campsite specifically.” She giggled, then smirked. “A beautiful view, isn’t it?”

  “It is; it’s almost like something out of a painting,” I said as I looked back across the valley and to the mountains that wrapped around the southern edge of it. Our lovely valley home was pretty much in a giant bowl, its walls being nothing but beautiful mountains.

  Once again, I’m reminded of Bob Ross… Maybe I should get into painting.

  “I agree,” Madam Soza said beside me. “Many pces I have traveled yielded such pretty sights. Though I must admit Heinmarr probably has my favorite mountains.”

  I nodded and said, “Is that so… You know, Madam Soza—”

  She raised her hand to me. “Please, Luna. Before you continue, you can call me by my birth name, Isa.”

  My eyes widened a bit, and I blinked. Oh, shit we’re leveling up from formalities to casual speaking?

  “At least when we’re not in school.” Isa winked.

  I sighed and smiled. “Deal, but Mad—I mean, Isa… you never got around to story time with Varis and me.” This was true. She always said she’d talk about herself when story time came, but it never did.

  Isa gnced back out at the valley, took a deep breath, and looked at me. The noon sun was beating heavily on her red hair and tanned skin, her green eyes shimmering in the light. She smiled, her fangs peeking out from behind her lips.

  “Aye, that’s true. I never have. Though now isn’t the time for stories just yet.”

  Crap, I knew this was coming.

  Isa ughed, as my expression didn’t hide what I felt.

  “Don’t look like that, Luna. You’ll get wrinkles if you frown so much. How about this?” She turned to face me and squatted down; her red, fluffy tail was raised and flicking gently back and forth. “This evening, around the campfire, I’ll tell you something about me.” She booped my nose with a cwed finger.

  Isa stood up. “But for now, let us enjoy nature. There’s a path up there that leads further up the mountain to something I think all of you will enjoy.”

  I sighed and nodded. “Okay, deal. But I’ll hold you to it!” I stuck out my little hand. “We shake on it—no, we pinky promise!”

  Isa cocked her head. “Pinky promise?”

  Oh shoot, this might not be a thing in this world.

  “Uh, yeah… It’s like a super promise that Varis and I do,” I lied. “Breaking a pinky promise is worse than breaking a normal promise.”

  “Ah, so like marriage.” Isa nodded as if she understood.

  Wait, what?

  Once again, Isa could read the confusion on my face. “In serelli culture, part of the marriage ritual is linking our smallest fingers in a dance like this.” Isa linked her cwed pinky with mine and began to skip around with me in a circle. “And sometimes the rowdier mates like to kick their legs out like this!” she said pyfully, kicking her legs out wide with every other skip as we danced.

  “Luna!” Father walked over to us, feigning disappointment. “Isa, what are you doing, marrying my daughter? She isn’t even of age yet!” he joked. Isa released my pinky and blushed as she waved her hands dismissively.

  “No, I was just showing her something… She wanted a pinky promise.” Isa coughed into her fist.

  “A pinky what?” Father gave me a sly look. “Making advances on your teacher, Luna? I knew you were smart, but not—” In a fsh, Isa was beside him, and she bopped him upside the head. “Gyak! I’m just kidding.” He ughed.

  Isa smirked, then told me, “But I will uphold our promise. Now, please, get ready; once everyone is settled, I would like for us to go on a hike further up the mountain. There is something I wish to show you all.” With that, she winked before turning and making her way back over to Mother and Varis, who were feeding Opal once more.

  Show us something? I wondered. Has she been here before? Well, duh, she’d have to have been here to want to show us something.

  Father rubbed the sore spot on his head and said, “Making a serelli promise something, eh?”

  I looked up at him. “Is that uncommon?”

  He shook his head. “No, but they’re known to keep any promise close to their chest. What did you get her to do?”

  I ran a hand through my hair. “I made her promise to tell me something about herself. Isa doesn’t talk about herself too often, and when she does, it’s usually simple stuff.”

  “Isa? She’s letting you call her by her first name now, heh.” He smiled. “Well, knowing her, she’ll probably just tell you what she dreamed about st night and nothing else.”

  I giggled. “I’ll be so mad if she does that. Oh, is me calling her by her first name weird?”

  “Not at all; it just means that specific serelli really likes you.”

  Blinking, I covered my face. “Wait, so did we actually get married?!”

  He snorted and ughed. “No, no, I meant like in a friendship sort of way!”

  I giggled softly and beamed at him. “I guessed that; I was just kidding.” I snickered as Father pyfully dug his knuckles into my head.

  “You little goof.” He gently pced his hand on my back and pushed me towards the camp. “Go on, let’s finish setting everything up, and let’s go see what Isa wants to show us.”

  With a big smile, I nodded and ran back to camp.

  They came together shortly after the Age of Awakening: the first eight channelers, each specializing in a piece of the great power that is the well. It was they who founded the Concilium to regute and control the power that Merlin had granted us. Without them, Enora would’ve fallen into chaos before the Dark Lord. Axlier, Chultahn, Elleanor, Zavion, Karn, Narven, Vinlette, Elran. These eight are the true heroes of Enora we no longer hear about.

  —Order of Ether, Jhaton Lowe.