Startouched Mage

Chapter 6

Before the group sets out to finish the final stretch of their journey, Callum and Rayla stand aside for a quick Big Feelings Time while Zym and Ezran play. Callum stares up at the petrified dragon with furrowed brows and dim stars. "He's the one that took my mother. And looking at him right now, it makes me sad, and angry and... confused."

Rayla puts a four fingered hand on his shoulder. "Of course it does. It's painful. How could you feel different?"
Callum gestures up at Avizandum's chest. "You see that spear? It was my moms. And my stepdad put it into his heart. How am I supposed to feel about that? Glad? Happy we got revenge?"

"And then there's the whole elf thing I got going on that makes things a hundred times more complicated. Did I even know my mom? I'm standing in a country that I'm technically a part of, and I have no idea about any of it. I have no idea about my culture, or who my dad was, or anything. Was I somehow created with magic? Will I ever actually know anything? Like, what if I had an elf name, what would it be?" He sits on the grass and rests his head on his knees. "Or maybe I'm just being stupid and thinking about things that don't really matter."

Rayla sits next to him. "Feeling a disconcert from a world you could have been and maybe want to be a part of doesn't sound stupid to me." Rayla looks at Zym, Ezran and Bait and gets an idea. "Tell you what, you taught me human Big Feelings Time, so now I'm gonna teach you the Moonshadow version."

Callum looks up from his knees, intrigued and face sparkling. "Ok, first, you take all those confused feelings that you have no idea what to feel, and... you don't think about them."
Callum frowns as his sparkles die down. "That doesn't sound-"
"I'm not done. And then," she uses her hands to frame the playful trio in front of them for Callum "you look at what's in front of you. And then you ask yourself, "what am I gonna do, right now"? So tell me Callum, what are you gonna do?"

Callum looks over his shoulder at Avizandum before following his arm to the Storm Spire. "I'm gonna get Zym home."
Rayla watches Callum perk up, his stars shining bright. "Yeah."
Callum stands up. "I'm gonna help stop the war."
Rayla stands with him with an excited nod. "Yeah."
Callum raises his fists to the sky. "I'm gonna learn about myself and find my place in the world!"
Rayla pumps her own fist. "Yeah!"

Callum looks down at his hands. His proudly five fingered, purple sparkly hands, the stars across his skin shining brighter than ever. "Wow. I feel so good! Confused Feelings Time is really inspiring!" He looks at Rayla with literal sparkles in his eyes. "Look at you becoming a feeling guru."

Rayla blushes with a dismissive wave. "It was nothing." She quickly coughs into his fist. "Although, I could help you with the more elven name thing... if you wanted, you don't have to, I'd understand if you prefer-"
Callum chuckles, stopping her. "Rayla... I think I'd like that."
She blushes brighter, lost in his eyes. "Right." She brushes a thumb over a star speckled cheek. "I actually already had one in mind. Caelum. "The heavens" in draconic."
Callum smiles. "It sounds amazing." They leaned together slowly before colliding in a passionate kiss, the newly dubbed Caelum gently tangling his fingers in the hair at the base of her horns, Rayla doing the same.

"What's, uh... what's going on here?" They suddenly break apart and turn to see a puzzled Ezran.
Caelum explains whike Rayla tries and fails to hide behind her hands in embarrassment. "Well, you were gone for a while and now, this is a thing." He gestures between himself and Rayla.
Ezran looks between them. "What?" His jaw drops and his eyes widen. "Whaaaaaaaa-"