The Druid

Chapter 13

Alan was the last to exit the great Oak.

The sun was at its midday, the breeze was cool, and the air was comfortable, yet Alan already found himself missing the dark-blue sky and the cluster of silver moons. He knew he had to return to the garden one day.

Thomas shivered and said, "That went faster than it should have. It's not suppose to be bein' like that, is it, Mags? Too easy, ain't it?"

"It is exactly how Dagda planned it," Maggie said sagely. "Whether or not the puzzle piece fits the first time, we continue with the next step. The Council will be receiving my letter soon. We need to buy Alan a sheath and a new outfit before then. Looking the part is a great irony."

"And how in te world do we do that?" Thomas said. "We can't be walkin' into any old wright's with te bloody Sword of Justice. Not even Alexander could keep his voice down. Ye'll send the whole Surfaceworld into a frenzy."

Meanwhile, the teenagers exchanged glances, as they were accustomed to doing. Alan found himself unable to resist the urge to constantly wield his sword. A slight flick of the wrist here or there, just to watch it slice through the air. It was his fatigued shoulder that kept him from doing more.

Alan had been waiting for Savannah's newfound quietude to crack, for her to break down like he was so accustomed to her doing. Ever since they were kids, the slightest uncertainty or qualm would cause her to panic. Sometimes it would be so bad that she would not attend school for a day or two. He, however, saw no cracks of her past, just quiet resolve.

"We will not go to a wright, nor a blacksmith," Maggie said. "You will need to stay here with the others. We will draw too much attention if we all go."

Thomas squinted his eyes, before nodding. "Fine by me." He waved at the group. "Come on with me. Trust me when I say we will be havin' more fun than those two. I'll show ye things a human hasn't seen in ten centuries."

Savannah and Will went to move, but Callum didn't. "I want to go with," he said. "Belenus said I have to walk with Alan."

Maggie nodded and unbuttoned her cloak. She ripped it off and threw it at Alan. "Cover your sword." She turned around and beckoned for the two cousins to follow.

"Ye got a pint waitin' for ye when you come back," Thomas yelled, although they weren't that far away. Close enough for Alan to hear him tell Savannah and Will, "You ever been hurlin' before?"

Alan was disappointed to find the amusing troll napping, but excited to return to the commotion of Falias, and its spiraling silver towers and smooth cobblestone streets. The line to Barrett's Bookshop had shortened, but still out the door. Alan found it curious that a bookshop would be such a hot destination.

Maggie moved like a phantom through the crowd. Between the unfamiliarity of the street and the plethora of otherworldly distractions, Alan and Callum were constantly on the verge of losing her. They practically did once, when they both slightly diverged from the path to get a closer look at the store they believed the enticing, sweet-smelling aroma was emitting from. Alan would not forget it's name: Stostle's Sweets.

The surroundings began to change the farther they walked. The winding cobblestone paths straightened, the white-marble bridges connecting the two sides lessened in number and the lively buildings carved from trees ceased. Up ahead, Alan spotted what he believed to be a street sign, a marble block that read "Druim Cetta and First." Falias lost some of its wonder and magic, for Alan, and instead became more real. They passed the sign and entered an open area, fenced in by towering buildings that seemed so magnificent from afar, but were truthfully disconcerting and alien up close. Druim Cetta and First was exceptionally busy with bustling Druids.