Christy dove back into the depths of the forests. She transformed back into her smaller form as the rest of the group ran deeper through the forest to hide for cover. They peeked their heads out from the trees as more sprites took guard at the entrance to the Glimmer Grotto; the lanterns dimming out before lighting up brighter than before. They weren’t too far now, but how would they get inside and past the fairies?

“Hey,” Sebastian whispered, trying to get the magician’s attention. “Do you see any openings?”

Benjamin’s eyes shifted around the area, only to find every ‌entry blocked by enemy reinforcements and guards.

“I don’t. This isn’t good.” Benjamin hissed, biting his lip.

The sprites talked to one another before some of them moved closer to their hiding spots. Benjamin clutched his chest, a knot formed and tightened around his stomach. A beam shot out from a tree, creating an explosion from the sidelines, causing everyone to turn their heads toward the sources.

What the—?

Sebastian stepped out with his sword in tow, emanating a glow at the tip of the sword.

“Who goes there?” A sprite called out.

Sebastian crawled down and hid near the bushes, aiming to shoot out surprise blasts so the others wouldn’t catch on.

“Over there!” Another pointed near the shrubbery. The sprite conjured a magic spell and threw the orb towards Sebastian, when Trinity got out of his hiding spot and blocked the attack with his sword.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Trinity called out to his apprentice.

“Trying to form a distraction!”

“You won’t get anywhere with one like that. Allow me to assist you.” He helped the boy up on his feet and gave out a quick nod.

“Thanks.” Sebastian brushed himself off and grinned. “You better hurry.” Sebastian hissed at the magician. Benjamin nodded as he watched them leap toward the branches.

“Hey, they’re getting away; stop them!” The fairies gave chase, leaving only two behind to stay on post.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Thank you, guys. I won’t let you down. Benjamin adjusted his hat as he crept closer to the entrance.

While the loud chaos ensued in the background, Benjamin made sure not to let it distract him and stayed quiet during the whole ordeal. He thought up an idea. He noticed the nearest pebble, picked it up, and threw it a considerable distance away. One fairy guard insisted on investigating the scene from the other side of the chase, leaving only one to stay and flutter by the entrance post.

There weren’t as many nearby now, so it might be the best time to use one of his old techniques. With a flick of the wand, Benjamin turned himself invisible, making sure he trudged past the Fairy guard with relative ease.

Once he got back inside the village, magical glitter appeared from the corner of his eyes. Benjamin looked down to find his body making a faint glow. He hurried and hid behind a building before the spell wore off. His back pushed against the wall as he watched the insides of the village being ‌quiet compared to the outside.

Benjamin slid over and peeked his head. There, in the short distance, he spotted Eris, who was also hiding, with some purple and pink vials in her hands. He looked both ways before running over to her. Once Eris finally noticed, she put the vials away and glared at him.

“There you are. It’s about time you got back.” Eris pushed her hair behind her ear. “Guess my plan worked after all.”

“What do you mean?” Benjamin remembered the vials in her hands, which immediately clicked in his brain. “Did you know how long it took for me to notice them?”

“Whatever the point is, you have some work cut off for you.”

“I know,” Benjamin said. “Do you have any idea where Chi-Chi and Harry are?”

“Chiara and Harris, you mean? They’re in that building over there.” She pointed at the tallest building in the back of the village. “I saw them through the windows after Scarlet told me about it. I don’t know what’s going on inside, though. They won’t let me in there.”

“Why didn’t you go—?”

“This isn’t my responsibility. They’re your familiars! If you want them saved, you need to do something about it yourself.”

“Oh no, I gotta hurry!”

The two darted over toward the building. Benjamin peeked through the windows. Inside, Chiara and Harris stood in the center of the room, behind a podium, their heads hung low. He couldn’t see much inside the small room besides the two, but knew something was off.

This is bad. Benjamin bit his thumb as he tried to keep himself from quivering. If this keeps up…

“See what I mean? I’m not sure if—”

“Hang on, I’m coming!” Benjamin made a beeline towards the entrance, no longer caring if he got caught.

“What are you doing?” Eris thundered from a distance as she tried to stop him. “Are you crazy? Do you realize what you’re about to do?”

“No, but I’m not sitting back and doing nothing either!”