Anxiety, guilt, longing.

Wyn tried not to let his actual thoughts leak through the bond, but emotions—he let them seep in and out like water through a sieve. Emotions leaked easily through their bond, but he found intentionally letting them through without the rest of his thoughts was hard.

Eia’s thoughts likewise were a mystery to him, but she too let her emotions flow freely, and they bled together until it was difficult to tell whose were whose.

Though he’d grown somewhat used to feeling her in his mind, this was different. It was intimate in a way he’d never experienced before, and in the air above him, the lone purple light began to slow in its flight. Eia descended, moving closer until she was only a few feet away, hovering in the air at eye-level.

“You want to talk?” She was nervous. It was easy to tell, even without their bond. The way she couldn’t quite meet his eyes, the way she rubbed her wrist timidly. Eia was terrible at hiding her expressions.

“That’s right,” Wyn nodded. “We’re supposed to work together right? I think that means we should be a bit more open.”

Eia kicked her feet against the non-existent ground. “And what exactly would that entail?”

“For starters, we need to lay all our cards on the table. I want to know why you don’t want me telling people about our bond. Why is it such a secret? Is it personal?”

“No! Well, yes, in part… but that’s not the entire reason.” She fumbled with her words.

“Then what is it Eia? I can’t understand it if you won’t tell me. And that’s a crazy thing to say considering our thoughts are literally connected.”

The wind picked up, blowing across the top of the sea, it was cold, and Wyn shivered a bit. But Eia didn’t react. Her solemn expression didn’t change—her dress, her hair, neither waved in the breeze. They were still.

As the wind died down, she seemed to come to a decision. “It’s not exactly a secret, but spirit fire is special.” She bit her lip, as if contemplating what else she should say.

“Spirit fire? Of course, it’s a blessing. I gathered it was special.”

“No I don’t mean—” she shook her head. “It’s more than that. It is unique, created with a purpose. Most blessings are given freely, nothing is expected of someone given the blessing of stone singing, it is a gift.”

“Then, spirit fire isn’t? Iillia wants something from me.” Wyn closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “What is it? And why didn’t she mention this?”

Eia looked down. “I don’t know what it is. Maybe she didn’t know either, or maybe she does, but she doesn’t want us to know. But still, I know it’s true. I can feel it in every ember of the blessing, it has a certain will to it, like it had a goal once, but only the longing remains. It feels… wistful.”

“Expectations huh?” He clenched his fist and chuckled dryly. “I’m supposed to do something with it. I hope it's not important, she chose me at age eight.”

Eia was silent. Wyn could feel frustration through their bond, but whether it was his or hers he wasn’t sure. She drifted down towards his lap, and he held out a hand, catching her gently.

“We’re both in the dark then.” He met her eyes. “But you feel that knowledge of our blessing is important. You can understand why you feeling something isn’t exactly a convincing argument right?”

“That's all I have.” She looked down.

Even without the bond, Wyn could tell she wasn’t lying. Eia was a terrible liar, she seemed to have poor control over her own expression, her body always in tune with how she was feeling.

Wyn sighed. “Fine then. A compromise. After winter, I expect to be heading to the spirit tree. Iillia said she had a sibling there. If that’s the case, we can get real answers then. Until that point, I’ll continue as I have. I won’t reveal our bond, and I’ll keep the details of my blessing vague around everyone besides Corrin.”

Eia looked back up at him, her eyes surprised. “You’ll be discerning, yes?” Eia shook her head. “What am I saying? Of course you will.”

She knew him.

“I’ll be careful, I promise. I have two more conditions though,” Wyn said, holding up two fingers. “The first, is that keeping it a secret can’t interfere with me using my powers. I won’t reveal their details, but I need to use them as I see fit. I won’t let anyone die to keep a secret I don’t even understand.”

“I wouldn’t ask you not to.” Eia’s eyes were warm. “You have them for a reason.”

“And two. You stop holding back, and we become real partners. That means no more veiled answers, no more ‘figure it outs’. From now on, we’ll be completely honest with each other, okay?”

Eia took a breath, collecting herself. Though maybe it was just an imitation of what a human might do. “Yes, I can do that.”

Wyn smiled. “Perfect, then I have a question for you Eia. Can I bond with other spirits right now?”

Eia stiffened for a moment before letting out a sigh. “Well… I suppose forming contracts shouldn’t be impossible. Even if you can’t use our blessing properly yet.” She frowned. “Contracts? That’s a strange word for it, I don’t like it.”

Wyn raised an eyebrow. “Then why say it?”

“Most spirits can’t speak, we don’t have a language other than what we’ve learned from humans. For example, I don’t know any words that you don’t know. I can use your language to explain concepts you don’t understand, but if you don’t know a word, I would have to learn it on my own. On the other hand, if you learned a word, I would learn it through our bond. In this case, ‘contract’ is the best I can do, but it’s more like…”

Eia closed her eyes, and a distinct sensation flowed through their bond, an idea pushed into Wyn’s mind. He didn’t have a word to describe it, but he could feel it.

“Like… a lesser bond? A temporary one?” No, that wasn’t quite right. It was a type of bond, but different from either the kind he had with Eia, or the kind Nereus had with his loom.

“A contract,” Eia shrugged.

“What’s the difference practically speaking?”

She paused, humming thoughtfully. “I think a… contract is just more rigid. You could only form it with spirits, or someone else like you, who could form bonds directly. You give something to them, and they give you something back, the terms are the bond.”

“And what would I be giving?”

“Spirit fire,” Eia explained. “Being cleansed and heightened in its flame is reward enough. Not to mention the blessing confers some of my mother’s authority onto you. It will make you well… quite popular with spirits.”

The girl of lavender frowned, looking down into his palm. A hint of an emotion slipped into his mind, and he blinked as he picked it apart. It couldn’t be… could it?

“Eia,” he said carefully. “Why exactly did you wait until now to tell me all this?”

There was embarrassment. “I…” Guilt, shame. Had she thought about lying? Finally she cracked, slapping her hands down onto his palm, closing her eyes and shouting. “Fine! I was being possessive okay? I liked you before you had spirit fire! I was the first one forward to form the bond! The thought of all those other spirits trying to cozy up and leech off it…” she ground her teeth.

Wyn snorted, breaking Eia out of her tirade. He laughed. It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

“Wyn?”

He held up a hand as he leaned back steadying himself with his other arm. Wheezing, he forced some words out. “I’m sorry Eia it’s just, I wasn’t expecting jealousy of all things. I mean really?” He choked back another laugh and felt her embarrassment seeping through.

“It’s dumb, I know!” She protested, almost tearing up. “I just—”

“No.” He interrupted, calming himself as best he could. It was just so human. “I get it, you don’t really have anyone else do you?” He remembered feeling that way when he was younger, in times when Corrin would play with other kids instead of him. At least back then, Corrin had been the more popular of the two.

Eia was as far from home as he was, and he was the only reason for it. She’d come with him without question, without complaint. But before him, had she ever even spoken to a human? Had she ever left the glades? Maybe he should’ve been angry, after all how much of her apprehension was actually due to jealousy? Maybe there was no point keeping his blessing close to his chest at all.

But he couldn’t blame her for being afraid. He understood not wanting things to change all too well, and what was two months compared to his eight years? Besides, even if she had exaggerated the importance, if spirit fire really was special—and he wasn’t an idiot, that was a real possibility—then he should be prudent. His bond was different from a normal one, constructed of spirit fire instead of aura, so there was some credence to it. Past that, his meeting with Iillia coinciding with Corrin’s meeting with the demon was too perfect. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else at play.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Spirit fire has a purpose does it? What does it matter? That’s just one more weight, and frankly, it’s light.

Wyn looked out across the waving surface of the sea, it was a beautiful sight. The grass, once a vibrant green, had grown yellow, and rippled in the last embers of sunlight. In the sky, a huge flock of birds flew towards the south, fleeing in the face of the growing cold. Perhaps they wanted to remain, or maybe they relished the flight, but heedless of their feelings, the seasons changed, the winter came, and the birds flew south, or they died.

“I need to get stronger, Eia. You saw what Tor could do, and there are things beyond even him. If I want to reach that level someday, I’ll need my blessing in full.”

“Yeah… I know. Couldn’t you be a little more unreasonable about it though? You’re making me feel like a jerk.”

“I’ve never been able to do much on my own.” He hesitated. Eia would know that, she’d been watching him after all. Since that day in the woods, she’d waited, believing he’d awaken his blessing, even when he had long since given up on his dream. Of course, she’d been mad it took so long, but she’d never given up. That night in the storm, she’d been with him, guiding him even then. What did she see that he didn’t?

I believed in what you would become.

“I followed Corrin into the woods that day, you know? I didn’t want to go. I like things that make sense, and I like it when someone else has the answers for me. Forging my own path, having some special power, honestly it terrifies me. It’s definitely not my style.” He sighed, he was rambling. “You said you believed I could be a hero, and I said that’s what I wanted to be, but I’m not even sure I know what it means, not really. I’m not asking you to give me all the answers, but will you help me?”

Eia looked up and met his eyes. She held his gaze for several long breaths, then she stood up in his palm and straightened her dress, her face firming. “You could force me, you know? I cannot exist as I am without you.”

Wyn’s eyes widened at the suggestion. “I couldn't!”

Her expression broke, and Eia giggled softly, covering her smile with a translucent hand. “I know…” Her eyes took on a distant quality for a moment, but it passed. She dipped into a proper curtsy, one leg sliding behind the other as she lifted the edges of her dress just a bit. “I’ll help you with whatever you want Wyn. We’re partners after all, right?”

“Of course.” Wyn removed his hands from beneath her, but she stayed floating. He held out his pinky and she rolled her eyes.

Eia rolled her eyes. “So formal.” She ignored the finger and flew up and kissed his cheek. It felt a bit odd without her having a physical form, but Wyn could appreciate the gesture.

“Sorry, I’ve been a bit selfish,” she said as she skipped away through the air.

“It’s alright. Just payback for me taking so long right?”

Eia chuckled, a bit embarrassed.

“So then, you’ll help me out now, and you think we can form contracts right? How do we start this?” He asked.

She blew air past her lips, looking around thoughtfully. “You’ll trust me right?”

“I promise.”

“Well in that case,” Eia gave him a wry smile, “when you get the chance, I need you to pee into a cup.”

***

He managed to talk her down, settling for dirty water that he’d found a woman using to wash clothes in the street. Thankfully, it didn’t smell, but even with his blessing he didn’t want to drink the murky grey liquid. It wouldn’t harm him of course, but it definitely wouldn’t taste good.

Wait, I can drink lethal poisons. I wonder if any of them taste good.

An experiment for later.

Eia had flown off after he’d gotten the water, telling him to hold onto the cup so they could test her theory. If it worked… Well, he had ideas.

He found Corrin meditating on the deck of the skiff. It was quiet, and the light of the sun had grown dim. It seemed that The Grass Sentinels had left, so Corrin was training alone. Despite his stationary posture, his forehead was beaded with sweat, his messy white hair sticking to it, and his breathing was heavier than normal.

Not wanting to interrupt, Wyn sat down on the edge of the skiff quietly, waiting for him to open his eyes. The wood, which had been damaged in their fight with Tor, had been repaired, and no evidence of the scuffle remained. In fact, as he looked over the deck, he noticed that nowhere was there so much as a plank out of place, surprising for a ship that had traveled thousands of miles from the capital. He wondered if they could ride back to Taravast with Tor. Certainly that would speed things up, he’d have to ask when he saw the spirit knight the next morning.

He felt a light tap on his bond with Eia. It had started. From that point, there was a tap every few minutes, but the sensation he was waiting for had yet to come. It was easy enough to ignore.

Eventually, Corrin opened his eyes, starting a bit when he realized he was no longer alone.

“Oh, hey man,” he said, only missing a beat. “How’d your stuff with Nereus go?”

“Well, I learned a lot.”

Corrin snorted. “So boring then?”

Wyn glanced away, stifling a smile. “How about on your end?”

Tap.

“Not bad,” Corrin said, stretching. “A bit slow, but I’m starting to get better at controlling my mana. You’ve got to spar against Emryn at some point, she’s…”

The sun finished falling as they talked, and across the town, moonstones lit up, dimly lighting the streets. The nights were getting long enough that lesser stones would begin to go out a while before the sun rose, but they would last for hours yet, providing light to navigate the streets.

“So what’s with the cup?” Corrin eventually asked, gesturing at it clutched in Wyn’s hand.

Tap.

Wyn looked around innocently. “Oh this? Who knows?”

“Come on! Just a hint?” Corrin’s interest had been piqued.

“It’s really not that exciting, but if I can do what I think with the water, then I can do something way cooler later.”

Corrin touched his fingers to the side of his head and began making a whirring noise as he stared into Wyn’s eyes intently.

Wyn held two fingers up against his own forehead, staring back as he blocked such an obvious mind reading attempt.

A second later Corrin blinked and looked away with a grin, losing the unspoken staring contest. “Fine fine, be all secretive. But I won’t tell you about my own plans either then.” He waggled his eyebrows and Wyn had to stifle a laugh.

“I figured I’d stop by Kei’s inn and see about getting some food. Got to let her know about the change in plans too,” Wyn said. “Want to join me?”

Corrin waved him off. “I’ve got more to do. Two weeks isn’t a long time. Besides, I took a break and ate from one of the stalls earlier.”

Tap.

“Fair enough. Good luck then, I’ll catch ya later.” Wyn shrugged and waved. And as he walked off, he wondered if Corrin had actually eaten or not.

But sometimes, the truth didn’t really matter.

The inn was crowded when he arrived, but not as much as he would’ve expected. There were a few empty tables left, but to his surprise, Kei wasn’t at any of them. Instead she was at the bar, talking to the old couple who owned the place—he remembered seeing them the previous night.

As he took a step towards her, he felt another tap, but it was different than before. Along with the gentle tap, a weight settled against his mind, light, but noticeable. He paused mid-step for a moment, unable to hold back a smile. It was starting.

Luckily, there was a spot open next to Kei, and he sat down, setting the cup on the counter, but keeping his fingers around it. The barkeep eyed the murky gray water within, but before he could say anything, she greeted him.

“Oh Wyn, you’re back! How was it?” She was smiling, but her eyes seemed a bit tired. He wondered what she’d been doing with her day, perhaps exploring the town?

Wyn clicked his tongue thoughtfully. Where to even begin? So much had happened in only a day he could hardly believe it. “Well, so it started this morning when…”

He began to relay the day’s events to her, but he didn’t miss it when a drop of what looked like water flew through the air and into the cup on the counter, splashing into it almost silently. No one else seemed to notice, and he continued talking as though nothing had happened. As he went on, two more weights settled into his mind, and the same number of drops flew into the cup. The barkeep noticed, his eyes widening, but the man didn’t say anything.

“But uh, yeah I mostly learned about grass to be honest.” Wyn scratched the back of his head with his free hand as he finished. “Hopefully I’ll have better luck tomorrow. Oh and could I get something to eat? Whatever’s easiest.”

The bartender, who’s attention had been split between the cup and the story, nodded curiously and went to fill up a bowl with some sort of pasta dish. Only a few moments later he set it down on the counter, and Wyn thanked him before digging in.

After a few bites, Wyn wiped his lips with a cloth and turned back to Kei. “Anyways, how about you?”

“You want to stay two whole weeks?” Kei shifted in her seat.

Wyn titled his head. That was an odd thing to get stuck on. What was she—? Oh of course.

“Don’t worry, we should still be able to make it before the deep winter. It’ll be close, but we’ve been making great time already. We won’t get stuck out here on the sea, and since we can’t travel during the deep winter anyways, we won’t lose any time getting to Taravast. Besides, with two weeks to train here under Tor, I think Corrin and I can get to a whole new level, we’ll be able to handle anything the sea throws at us.”

She glanced away for a moment, her face hidden before it returned with a smile. “Of course, and this is a rare opportunity for the two of you. Two weeks is no problem.”

Wyn felt a bit uneasy, but he smiled back. “Great, thank you Kei.”

“Of course,” she chuckled. “I—” her eyes widened and she trailed off, looking above his head.

“Kei? Is everything alright?” He glanced up, following her eyes, and then he understood.

Alright I think that's all I can find. On my way back. Eia said through the bond. Did it work?

He almost hadn't noticed, but the weight in his mind had been increasing slowly. It was heavy now, like thick iron chains woven into the spirit fire within him. But that wasn’t all he’d missed. The inn had grown still. Raucous laughter and chatter had given way to a quiet anticipation, a collective breath held in awe. Every pair of eyes was fixed on him.

Above, water spirits swam through the air, shimmering with a faint, ethereal glow. They shifted shapes with fluid grace—pinpricks of blue light, droplets that hung impossibly still, and spectral fish darting through unseen currents in the room. More of them gathered, their presence growing, some spiraling down in lazy arcs around his body. But the rest—more than a dozen—hovered above him, weaving and circling like a living crown.

Wyn looked down at the cup cradled in his hand, and a smile crept onto his face.

The water inside was clear.