Novalunian Frontier: The DovePort Journals

Chapter 8: Forest

Romina had fallen asleep in the new library and heard a ruckus outside that sounded like things falling and hitting the ground. When she checked her phone it told her it was still really early in the morning. A few fairies sat on the ledge watching something and giggling. Romina opened the window initially scaring the fairies before they returned to their new perch after she apologized. The source of the sound appeared to be her brother Aleron escaping just as Raziel had complained the day before.

"Aleron what are you doing?" Romina called out from her window to his open window. His head popped out and her half blind half ravalian brother stared up at her. He made a shushing motion before climbing onto the window sill. He hopped out the second-floor window like it was nothing, her brother had no wings due to his half-human genetics. Aleron is half human half ravalian making him a nivian, a species with no wings or magical capabilities. An unfortunate species that came to be due to humanity and their lack of magic use.

Romina headed out of the library and met Aleron at the stairs. "What are you doing out here?" He demanded. Her brother's golden eyes glared down at her like she was in some kind of trouble. Aleron only stood a few feet taller than Romina, she hadn't hit a growth spurt yet as her father warned a long time ago. According to Onni, she would get much taller than the rest of her siblings.

"I fell asleep studying, and I should be asking you the same thing," Romina said staring up at him. Romina and Aleron were not all that far off in height but for the time being, he still towered over her. Romina also always attempted to make herself smaller, possibly for his sake.

His short brown hair covered the blinded side of his face, when he was younger he went mysteriously half-blind. Salis assumed it was due to his father's genetics since Vasya was perfectly healthy and had no history of that in her family. The cloudy blockage in his eye ruined his beautiful golden yellow eyes that matched Vasya's. "I've been recruited to this place I can't tell you about okay? I was told to leave my home and find them" he explained after thinking for a moment. He looked away in hopes she would give up.

He had some ravalian markings similar to Vasya but most of them blended into his warm skin and freckles that decorated his skin. He was wearing his usual sleeveless getup. His arms bore the markings like Vasya's wing structures did, it was fascinating to see how different species' characteristics could be seen in human-like beings like Aleron.

"Sounds like a party," Romina said teasing him. She placed her hands on her hips making herself bigger to block him.

"You can't tell Mom and Dad, they'd kill me," he said glancing back at the house he had just left out of. The other half of his bangs were pulled out of his face as usual held back baby a few dark-colored clips. When Romina was younger she used to put colorful ones in his hair instead. Sometimes when he was working he would wear a headband to keep his bangs tucked back entirely. The baby hairs always stuck out like feelers. When it was colder out his hair always looked fluffier and curlier, maybe he simply gave up on proper hair growing at that point of the year?

She laughed at him and scoffed, "doubt it" she said rolling her eyes at him. Aleron was Vasya's firstborn, he could do no wrong. None of their kids could.

He rolled his eyes at her reaction and shook his head slowly. "Yeah yeah, laugh at me all you want. This is important and I don't need you getting in my way" he said sizing her up a bit. It wouldn't have taken much to move her, she was simply in his way for the moment.

"Who says I'm laughing at you?" Romina said looking him up and down, "I just find it a bit ridiculous," she said smiling at him.

Aleron pushed his lip out and stared at her, "this is a waste of time" he said with a sigh as he turned to leave.

"Wait no where are you going?" Romina asked as she followed him into the forest. She remained a few paces behind understanding he had his sword with him. Not that he would have used it to hurt her, he could use it to threaten her though. He probably wouldn't, he liked Romina.

"Go home Romina," he said without turning to face her as he started walking faster. Romina paused and watched him walk away. She watched as fairies flew past her a few stopping to see if she had anything of interest to them. They flew on past leaving glittering trails in the early sunlight. They danced around in the air mimicking the falling leaves.

She turned around and headed back to the treehouse. "If he wants to leave so be it," she said to no one as she walked back. She clenched her fists as she walked as if to stop herself from turning back around to find him. Still, something tugged at her as if she needed to follow him. So far her gut hadn't been wrong. She whistled for Toast and marched her way back to where she had left Aleron. Toast came running after her a few moments later.

Romina had never been exploring in the forest before. She kind of wished she had brought offerings for the fairies in case she needed to ask them for directions. Her brother had told her to just ask them for help if she needed it, but she knew every task asked of a fairy called for a price. After a bit of walking a small bird fairy started following Romina. She recognized this fairy as Elroy, the messenger fairy basically everyone in town knew. She slowed down so he could catch up.

"Well hello, I've heard of you before," Romina said as she held out her hand as a perch for him. He sat down on her hand and let his wings rest. "I heard how you helped my mom when they were building my home town, and how you delivered that message to my brother"

The little bird fairy had wings for arms, Romina wondered how he got his job done with those.

"Thank you kindly miss, and it's just what I do" the small fairy responded. Romina often forgot that most fairies can speak to people, they simply choose not to. "What are you looking for?" He asked.

"My brother, Aleron," she said, "I'm afraid he's going to do something he regrets, something very stupid," she said staring into the forest of falling leaves and dancing fairies celebrating the morning sun.

"I can keep an eye on him! It's easy for me to find you Pharaceres kids, even the twins. You have a certain importance to Esporia" Elroy offered as he took flight again. "I can keep an eye on him when I'm not on delivery requests. No problem, no payment"

"I thought all fairy deals had a fee," she said as she helped him perch on her shoulder. He sat happily waiting with her, she was waiting for Toast to appear out of nowhere as usual.

"Depends on the job, I like you Pharaceres kids so I won't ask for anything in return. Maybe the occasional offering if I return with news but otherwise I don't mind" he said shrugging his shoulders.

"If you are sure it's not a problem I suppose that wouldn't be a bad idea," she said tilting her head away from him, she wondered why he was so friendly with her but brushed it off as he had said he liked her family.

"Great! I will go find him! You go home, I already know where to find you. But just in case" he paused and dug something out of his small bag that rested at his side. It was a charm, "keep this with you always so I can find you wherever you are" he said as he handed it to her. Romina took it from his tiny hands and watched him fly away in the direction that Aleron headed in. Toast slowly walked up from behind her making very little noise in the fallen leaves in the grass. She was carrying a stick, on one end a fairy sat giggling as Toast walked the other had some leaves sticking out of the end.

"Toast, take us home," Romina said as she turned around. Toast happily led the pair back home and the pair were met by Uriel at the treehouse. She trotted around the treehouse with her stick dancing around the leaves as they fell to the ground.

"What were you doing in the forest?" Uriel asked staring at Romina from the bridge attached to her treehouse rooms. He leaned over the edge with his arms resting on the wooden barriers that helped keep the bridge together and them from falling. His short dark blond hair was a bit of a mess, he clearly hadn't left his treehouse room in a while. He had small bandages decorating his fingers most likely from books or birds.

"Research" Romina said as she walked up into her treehouse room.

"Fair," Uriel said as she entered her room. He didn't seem to wish to pry more and Romina was thankful for that. Surely he would notice soon that Aleron was gone and begin asking questions, but until then he seemed to not care.