Wanda tossed and turned in her bed for a time before she sat up to head the call she heard. She prepared a small bag with essentials, including her Drifter’s uniform. She set out to follow the call. As she climbed the path out of the canyon she let her shell thin out a bit. She let her mind wander as she followed the call. Her people’s magic was different. Flits were made of magic and fire. Wanda, like other flits, could feel and see the magic in the air, no matter where they were. For a race of people without eyes, flits could see quite a bit. Just not so much as other beings. Wanda for one, could see a family of foxes on the side of the path. She couldn’t see details very well from far away, but that is what her magic was for. She could feel the movement of magic and the creatures around her. She could feel the sway of the plants in the gentle breeze. Wandah felt a sudden surge of urgency from her Calling. She reached out with her magic and let it pull her to her Calling.

When Wanda landed, she put her Drifter’s garb on and continued along her path. The Calling grew louder and louder to her ears alone. She searched the streets for some sign of what her calling was. It only took her a few minutes to be noticed by the people in the town. They were all sprites, except for the one who approached her. A young goblin girl came up to Wanda and tugged at her sleeve. Wanda knelt down to be at eye level with the girl.

“Why are you wearing fancy clothes,” the girl asked.

“They are my work clothes, they only look fancy because they are new,” Wanda answered.

“You don’t look like most of the people around here,” the goblin girl cocked her head to the side and blinked. “I think I’ll like you.”

“I hope so,” Wanda chuckled. “Do you know of any problems that anyone here is having?”

“There was a fire about a week ago. The Mamma and Pappa died,” The goblin girl looked around and leaned in closer to Wanda. “They were Disgraced ones. The little boy’s wings are raven wings. No one wants him.”

“Would you mind introducing me to the boy,” Wanda asked.

The young goblin nodded her head, took Wanda’s hand, and began leading her down the dusty street. Wanda eyed the sprites that danced out of her path. Most refused to make eye contact, some looked but moved past quickly. The little one finally came to a stop in front of a small inn, perhaps two floors high. The girl knocked on the door and stepped back. A few moments later, an elderly man opened the door. His falcon wings were tipped in white, as was his goatee. He looked first at the girl, then Wanda.

“What brings you here, Fire Drifter,” the old man’s voice crackled a bit.

“I am here on a Calling,” Wanda answered. “Something happened here and now someone needs help.”

“I think I know who you mean.” the old man gestured for Wanda to enter. He led her through the main room, the kitchen, and the pantry. Then, he opened a small door in the wall, and nodded for Wanda to go through. “I can’t keep him in the other rooms, or he will be taken from the windows. He needs a new home but no one here will take him.”

“I have a family in Current who has no children,” Wanda let her shell thin a bit so she could see the sleeping boy.

“No sprite in their right mind would take him,” the old man shook his head. “His bloodline and wings are bad omens for anyone. They’re too scared and I’m too old.”

“I never said this family was of sprites,” Wanda said. “What is his name?”

“Nehkiri,” the goblin girl chirped. “His name is Nehkiri Solen.”

“Nehkiri,” Wanda knelt down beside the small cot the boy slept on. “Nehkiri, wake up.”

He rolled over and rubbed his eyes. His wings were still too big for him, and his feathers weren’t glossy as they should be. Wanda offered him her hand.

“Who are you,” Nehkiri asked.

“My name is Wanda,” she smiled. “I heard you need help.”

“Can you bring my Mamma and Pappa back,” Nehkiri asked.

“No darling, I can’t,” Wanda sighed. “But I know someone who doesn’t have a son anymore. They need some help too.”

“Why would they want me,” Nehkiri asked, pulling his wings closer to his body.

“Sometimes, having someone new come in can help with the empty feeling in a person’s heart. I think it would be really good for all of you,” Wanda said. “And if it doesn’t work out with them, there are other people who would be more than happy to have a special little boy in their lives.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“I’m not a good special,” Nehkiri mumbled.

“I don’t think so,” Wanda shook her head a little bit. “And I know others will agree with me.”

Nehkiri smiled a little bit and took Wanda’s hand. The old inn keeper helped gather what little Nehkiri had with him. The goblin girl stood on her tiptoes and beckoned Wanda down with her again.

“Thank you for helping Nehkiri,” she said.

“Thank you for helping me with my Calling,” Wanda replied. Wanda led Nehkiri out of the inn, keeping him close. She stood with him in the middle of the road and cleared her throat. Then, she used her magic to make her voice louder. “This child should have been looked after by the community. You should all be ashamed that I, the Fire Drifter, a flit from Ignis, has been Called to take this poor little boy away.”

With that, Wanda picked Nehkiri up and pulled at her Elkire magic to carry them away. Nehkiri wrapped his arms around Wanda’s shoulders and buried his face in her neck. Wanda rubbed his back soothingly as she walked through the Drifter’s cabin. She carried him into the kitchen and saw a small minor earth elemental. She gestured for the elemental to come closer.

“Hello little friend,” Wanda said. “Would you please help me?” The elemental nodded. “Thank you. Please bring Neshire and her husband Kylin to me. I will be out by the creek with Nehkiri for some much needed sunshine.”

The walking rock hopped up and down twice before rolling itself out of the kitchen and down the hall to the little door that Brooke had made for it and its little friends. Wanda hummed quietly into Nehkiri’s ear. She wandered down to the creek with Nehkiri in her arms. He perked up a little bit and lifted his head off of her shoulder, just enough to look around. His grip on Wanda’s robes and watched a few birds squabble in the trees. After a few moments, he pointed to them.

“Why are they fighting,” he asked.

“They are probably arguing over a good branch, “ Wanda answered. “It’s getting close to mating season. The birds are all looking for the best branches to build their nests on.”

“Are there babies,” Nehkiri asked.

“Not yet,” Wanda said. “Soon there will be nests full of baby birds. So many that there will be a bird family in every tree.”

“That’s a lot of babies,” Nehkiri said.

“Well, baby birds are delicate and not many get to grow up,” Wanda said. “So, Mama and Papa birds have a lot of babies.”

“I miss my Mama and Papa,” Nehkiri said.

“I miss mine too,” Wanda sat down on a rock. “I wasn’t much older than you are now when mine died.”

“What happened?”

“There was a flood. My Papa didn’t make it out of the house because the roof collapsed. My Mama got me and my siblings to safety but there was a mudslide. She was swept away.”

“Mine died in a fire.”

“I heard about the fire.” Wanda smoothed his hair down.

“I don’t want a new Mama and Papa.”

“We won’t replace them. If you’d like, you can call whoever takes you in as Auntie and Uncle. That’s what I did. They will call you their ward or fosterling.”

“Will they be nice like the inn keep?”

“Very nice.”

“But I have curse wings.”

“I think that’s just superstition.”

“Why?”

“Because ravens are the smartest and most mischievous birds. They know it too and play tricks on everyone. “

“Like changing a paint from red to orange?”

“Yes. Ravens don’t hurt anyone with their tricks. But many don’t like crows.”

“Why?”

“Because mischief makers are smart enough to find things bad people want to find things bad people want to keep secret. Bad people tell bad stories about mischief makers.”

“And ravens are really big mischief makers.”

“Exactly.”

“I want to see more ravens like me.”

“I think there is a family of ravens living a little ways down the creek. We can look for them later.”

Nehkiri nodded enthusiastically and cuddled close, wiping his nose on Wanda’s shoulder. A bit of rustling in the brush caught their attention.

“Drifter Wanda,” a voice called.

“Over here,” Wanda replied.

Two humans stepped out of the woods hand in hand.

“We were sent for,” the woman asked.

“Yes, I sent for you,” Wanda beckoned them closer. “Come closer, I won’t burn you.”

“Who is your little friend,” the man asked.

“Neshire, Kylin, this is Nehkiri,” Wanda nodded to each in turn. “Nehkiri lost his parents a little while ago.”

“Oh little one, I am so sorry,” the woman, Neshire, knelt down a few feet away and opened her arms for a hug. “May I hug you Nehkiri?”

Nehkiri looked for reassurance in Wanda’s face. Then, he slipped out of Wanda’s arms. He shyly shuffled over to Neshire and let her hug him.

“I am afraid that I cannot take care of Nehkiri on my own,” Wanda sighed. “I was hoping that he could stay with you.”

“Why us? We aren’t sprites,” the man, Kylin, asked.

“None of the sprites from his home town who can take him in are willing to do so. His wings are of a rare sort. You know how rarities become targets,” Wanda came to stand beside Neshire and Nehkiri. “I believe Drifter Endrah will be able to help to teach him how to fly when it is time. Do you three think that you can help each other?”

“I don’t see why not,” Kylin shrugged and joined Neshire.

“What do you think Nehkiri,” Neshire asked. “Would you like to come live with us?”

“I..” Nehkiri looked between the three adults for a moment, wings shaking. “I would like that.”

“And if you’d like to, we can make sure Drifter Wanda drops in every now and then,” Neshire ruffled Nehkiri’s hair and smoothed it down again.

“I would really like that,” Nehkiri smiled a little bit.

“Then let’s go get you settled in,” Kylin put a hand on Nehkiri’s shoulder.

“Thank you Drifter Wanda,” Nehkiri waved to her and followed Kylin and Neshire into the woods.

“I will see you soon,” Wanda waved back to the new family and made her way back to the cabin.