“You’re real quiet up there.”

Rowan poked around in his hair, searching for her. They had made it back to the Dregs, and Nyve had barely made a peep. She had told him everything—Callahan’s desperate attempt to save Ollie, what she had to do to protect them both, his outburst, his hurt. Rowan had seen how much it weighed on her. The weak flutter of her wings, the way she flew in tired circles. She wasn’t even half as lively as when they first met.

“Hello? Little fairy? Nyve, you alive up there?”

“YES, Rowan, I’m alive! I’m fine and dandy and grand! Oh, your lovable Nyve is ever so happy! No need to worry, not at all! Back to Kiki’s with all due haste, for Callahan, the little giant awaits!”

“That’s fake. I’ve never heard something so fake before.”

“Oh, what would you know, you big idiot!” He felt her tiny fists pounding against his skull. “You need to step more and talk less! Those legs need to move, no time for rest!”

Rowan kept his pace through the Dregs, but the streets were tense. Onorion guards now filled every entrance and every corner, watching the people with quiet, suffocating scrutiny. The city pulsed with friction. So many dead. So many injured. Ollie’s wrath had been felt. But whether he knew it or not, the fallout had already begun. The Onorions wouldn’t forget this sleight—not against them, not against their empire. And the Dregs and Moravyr would pay the price.

“Ah, it’s okay to admit it! I won’t judge. It sounded rough, and it was a hard decision to make. And Cal…”

Rowan trailed off, thinking back. He tried to remember home—how he and Callahan used to spat over everything, from petty things like breaking the rules of their games or stealing each other’s toys, to real fights that cut deep. Like the first time Rowan left. That had been a bad one. Words were said. Feelings might have been hurt—if Rowan hadn’t already heard it all before. But he had. He knew his brother.

“When Cal gets angry, his mouth moves before his brain catches up,” Rowan said, shaking his head with a small grin. “Ya gotta not take it too seriously, y’know? You should’ve seen how mad he got when I first left home.” He chuckled to himself. “Ripe roilin’ ragin’ he was—which is funny now, considering he’s here with me and hates this place.”

Nyve still hadn’t said anything. Rowan wasn’t sure if she was listening or just ignoring him, but he didn’t mind—he was enjoying the memory.

“I remember, Ma and Brig coming to see me off. But Cal? He stayed home. Or at least, that’s what the girls thought.”

A laugh rumbled in his chest. “The day before, he cursed me out, told me I was abandoning him. Said he should come and help with his bind!”

Rowan jostled his head a little, hoping to coax a peep out of Nyve, but nothing. He kept talking away

“He was still too little. I didn’t want him to get hurt—he had more growing to do, well I guess not much! Haha! I remember waving goodbye to Ma and Brig, already feeling a little homesick. And then I spotted the little bastard.”

His grin widened at the memory. “He swore up and down he wasn’t gonna see me off, but there he was—up on the hill, watching.”

Rowan let out a chuckle. “I gave him the biggest wave, a bigger holler and a shout, just to make sure he knew I saw him. ‘Cause I knew, hah—his little outburst didn’t mean nothing serious!”

He felt Nyve shuffle closer to his forehead. At least she was curious now.

“You give him a few days, let him sit with it, think about it. He’s got a lot to toss over now.” Rowan did his best to reassure her. After all, she was part of the crew now—especially if she was gonna sit on his head all the time.

“You’re very kind, Rowan.”

“Ah, it’s nothin’ really. I don’t much like when people are down. You, Cal, that Ollie fella too—I could see it in his eyes, the weight he was carryin’. I knew from the start he wouldn’t hear a word outta me when we were teamed up on Bimos.” Rowan clicked his tongue. “Didn’t think he’d do something like that, though. Maybe I should’ve said somethin’ to Galvos... but it happened. Not much to do now but deal with the consequences.”

“Oh, and consequences there will be,” Nyve’s voice carried a half-hearted tune, but he could tell she was feeling a little better. “That’s why we must get to Kiki’s quickly! Callahan... he might hate me, but he’ll still listen to you. You’ve gotta keep him from doing anything too reckless, Rowan...”

She winced, knowing exactly who she was asking to curb recklessness. “I hope that won’t be too hard for you!”

“Ehh... he probably won’t listen to me much either right now. Like I said, he needs time.” He felt Nyve slump on his head, disappointment radiating from her tiny form.

“Of course... time and time,” she let out a frustrated sigh. “I’ve had lots of time. Time to think, to ponder, to roam and wander... and now, I’m finally out here! Other voices again, sights that aren’t just endless fields of flowers or infinite dark expanses... The world is so alive!”

She rolled onto her back, staring up at the late afternoon sky, a marvelous gradient of reds, purples, and pinks. Rowan’s hair felt like a field of long grass she could roll through if she wanted.

“I just want to enjoy the world again... and guide my little giant along the way. But what fun will it be if he hates me the whole time?”

She tugged at Rowan’s hair absentmindedly, like pulling up grass in frustration.

“Hey! If my head’s gonna be your primary way of gettin’ around, you oughta treat it a bit nicer! All that yankin’ is gonna make me bald!”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Hush, I saw it all fall out when Callahan turned you into that monster, and it grew right back!”

“That’s different!” Rowan scratched at the spot she pulled, trying to ease the irritation.

“Cal’s Binds, when they start fadin’, I’m right back to normal—or at least as normal as I was before some weird animal part comes explodin’ outta me!”

He rolled his shoulder, remembering an adventure from long ago. “There was this one time, me and Cal took a small job, way smaller than any Kraken Caller business. We were supposed to rout these Garruhm who were holdin’ up the roads in eastern Vallara. Neither of us wanted to kill ’em—they’re Kiki’s kin, after all. So we came up with this plan to spook ’em instead. So, Cal starts thinkin’ about what might scare a Garruhm. They’re tough bastards, y’know, comin’ from the scariest parts of the world. But he tries anyway and says, ‘Pachyderms. Those big monsters that roam the deserts. I’m gonna turn you into one of those right in front of ’em!’”

Rowan’s arms began to mimic the scene, playing it out in the air as they walked. He wasn’t sure if Nyve was watching, but he didn’t care.

“So I go out there, thinkin’ it’s a great plan—get to be a big monster? Sounds fun! But Cal still hadn’t worked out every kink of his power yet. I’m standin’ there, hammer in my hand, yellin’ threats at them, and then... I feel it comin’ on. As they get closer, my arms start changin’, and—hah! It didn’t go so well. My arms turned into Pachyderm legs!”

He balled his fists and stomped his foot to emphasize the memory. “Dropped my hammer right then and there—no damn fingers left!” Rowan started to heave, laughter catching on his words as he continued. “So there I am, waitin’ for the rest of it to kick in. I’m thinkin’ I’m about to turn into a big ol’ beast and chase ’em out! But nothin’ else happens. I’m just standin’ there with Pachyderm arms and no fingers.”

He wiped a tear from his eye, still grinning. “The Garruhm are starin’ at me, dumbfounded, tryin’ to figure out what they’re lookin’ at. And now I gotta figure out how to knock ’em out before they find Cal hidin’ in the bushes.”

Rowan chopped at his own arm, acting it out. “Those arms were awkward as hell, but they were real damn strong. So I go in there, big ol’ hand-feet swingin’, ready to scare ’em off and lay a beat down on ’em. It goes pretty well at first—I knock out one lizard, then another. But the last one... he gets the jump on me.”

Rowan shook his arm, mimicking the scene. “Next thing I know, he cuts my arm clean off!” He threw his elbow back, imitating the limb flying off. “I’m standin’ there with one Pachyderm leg-arm, and Cal’s losin’ his mind, screamin’ and runnin’ toward me, even though the last Garruhm is still up and ready to fight.”

He let out another laugh. “The Garruhm got distracted by Cal’s shoutin’, and that’s when I clocked him, the lights went out real quick with that kick? Punch? Whatever it was he got it in the head!”

Nyve’s voice was incredulous. “Your whole bloody arm came off?”

“Yep!” Rowan beamed proudly. “We learned somethin’ real valuable that day. Turns out, I don’t feel much pain when I’m bound, and if somethin’ goes wrong—like, y’know, my arm gettin’ chopped off—once the bind fades, it’s all back to normal!”

“Oh, what marvelous sight my little Callahan has… Lughren would be so proud!” Nyve was really getting into the story, Rowan could feel her leaning off as far as she could, trying to make eye contact with him, or maybe she was watching his hands, “I’m surprised you don’t know this, Nyve. Thought you were supposed to be some magical fairy goddess! You’re tellin’ me you don’t know all there is to know about Bindin’?”

He felt a little tap on his forehead—a tiny punch from her, no doubt.

“Well, excuse me! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the grander world! Lots has changed since then! Gwyndadoraoralaeolye doesn’t have the same influence as it once did. We can’t all see the whole world like we used to. Only Lughren now.”

“Ah, our god, right? Or so you say.” Rowan’s tone was curious, more curious than Callahan ever was. It delighted Nyve. “What’s he like?”

Nyve brightened at his interest. “Oh, he is indeed! He was magnificent! The grandest, most marvelous, most loving of the Six Eternal Ones!” Her voice became dreamlike, filled with reverence. “He brought the flow to rivers, the green to the grasses. The rains wept when he did, and the sky cleared at his command. He watched over you all endlessly as you scurried about, with love and patience.”

She drifted into memory, her voice tinged with a soft melancholy. “He was ever so welcoming, too. When you all began to think bigger, to dream grander... your worship, your love—oh, it shaped my brothers and sisters. It shaped even me, your lovable Nyve.”

For a moment, her voice hung in the air, carrying with it a longing for a time long past.

“He loved us too, every one that came. From your warriors who ascended into divinity through their ferocity, to your poets and writers who inspired generations. The grandest of them all flourished under his influence, in his realm... in the beautiful Gwyndadoraoralaeolye.”

“Huh... so you weren’t always a fairy? And so little?”

“Oh, not all of us, Rowan. Some of us were born from folktales, like me!” Her voice grew playful, lightening for a moment. “The trickster! The playful fairy you might find in the forest. Will I lead you astray, or will I guide you out of nature’s cold, violent grasp? Who can say! Me and my sisters... oh, we could be troublesome!”

She giggled, a wistful sound, and for a moment, she longed to show him—to weave illusions of her old home, to dance among the fractal lights like she once did. But the streets were full of eyes that she’d rather not let see.

“Oh, so you’re a sibling too, eh? Well, you should know better than anyone—Cal doesn’t stay mad forever. He’ll come around.”

Nyve’s laughter faded. “A sister no longer, I’m afraid, Rowan.” She felt her tiny chest tighten, the weight of an ancient sorrow pressing down.

“What happened? I know some of it—Cal told me bits and pieces. But I always say, you can only get the story right from the one who lived it.”

Nyve’s eyes turned to the sky, searching the colors for ghosts long gone. “Gods like us... the lesser ones, the ones who didn’t spring from the will of the universe itself... Without your worship, without your stories and reverence to keep what we are stable, we cease to be.” Her voice quivered, fragile as the dying light. “I still wonder every day... why I’m the last one here.”

There was a pause, heavy and quiet, before Rowan’s voice broke through, warm and bright as the sun.

“That’s easy. You’ve got a job to do, obviously! You’re comin’ with me and Cal. We’re gonna go on adventures, make some money, get Ma all better... and she’s gonna love you. She always told us stories—her grandpa’s stories—about fairies like you.”

“That would be grand. I’d love to meet her... but there’s more to do still, Rowan. Gwyndadoraoralaeolye, Lughren... one day, they’ll both be be gone. And even I won’t survive that.”

Rowan’s face softened. As gentle as he could, he raised a finger to his head, then to hers. It was like a mountain petting an ant. He tried his best to be comforting. “Ah, we’ll add it to the list of things to do then—save your home, save our Ma. Cal’ll come around.”

Nyve blinked, dumbstruck by how easily he agreed. She found herself second-guessing if he and Callahan were even brothers. “Do you even know what you’re agreeing to, Rowan?”

He rubbed his chin, pretending to think it over. “Ah, not really, to be honest. But hey, Cal’s binds, and your breaks—if that ain’t special enough to save your home, then what is?”

If she were anyone else, she might have been lost for words. But she was Nyve, after all. “You’re really are a big idiot... a big lovable idiot.”

He felt a tiny squeeze on his head and smiled. “Ah, if you say so.”

They finally made it back. Kiki’s bar was packed to the brim. Tense stares were exchanged all around, eyes red from weeping, voices raw from crying out. It was different from the usual noise.

“Well, we’re here. Let’s go find out what’s goin’ on,” Rowan said, his voice softening. He waded through the crowd, his broad shoulders parting the sea of worried faces. Hopefully, Kiki had some idea of what was to come.