Orelie

*9*

*9*

Crae woke me up early the following morning. I was reluctant at first, until he decided to put a light frost spell over my blanket. Only then did I want out of bed. He got me ready for the day and dressed me in loose, comfy clothing upon my request.

"Mystic will be coming by shortly." Crae stated as we headed down the stairs. "I don't know when; she always seems to pop in unexpectedly."

I just nodded. "That's fine. I just want to be comfy when we talk to her."

I suddenly remembered what I saw last night before bed. "Crae, I have to tell you something."

"Hm?" He set me on the couch and allowed me to get comfy. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath and stared at my hands. "I... saw a shadowy figure run across the field. It vanished into the trees and away from the house."

"Did you happen to see the size or any features of this creature?" He asked as he sat attentively in the chair across from me.

I shook my head. "I didn't want to risk it seeing me. I'm sorry."

He nodded and sat back into the chair. "It's alright. I might have done the same, especially with the Blood Demon possibly still out there. From what I have read in books is that they only seem to attack their prey if they make direct eye contact, which seems to occur a lot when someone hears a noise."

I shivered. "I hope it leaves soon."

"With a Blood Demon in the area, there is a possibility that when it moves, the work associated with it will move with it, and since I am one of the more powerful Druids in the area, I'll most likely be called again."

I groaned. "Fine, then I hope it goes back to where it came from and never return."

Crae remained silent. I was about to ask why when the front door suddenly burst open. "Mister Crae, why don't you have tea prepared for your guest?"

"I really wish you would knock..." Crae rubbed his temples and stood to get the tea made.

"So!" Mystic took Crae's spot and stared hard at me. "I'm Mystic, one of Crae's former apprentices. I specialize in water magic and I communicate with the Fairies. I use their help to strengthen my power and in return I give them things they would want. Now, tell me your name, your magical preference, where Crae picked you up from, how you guys met, if you're a Druid," She took a breath.

"That's quite enough," Crae spoke up as he entered with a tray with three cups on it. I was thankful he came in when he did. I was getting overwhelmed with her questions.

"Her name is Kyrene, she doesn't have a preference for magic, and I met her in the human realm." He answered her questions smoothly and to the point.

"But is she a Druid, or something else?" She took some breaths from speaking too much in one go.

"If I tell you, will you keep quiet?" He asked her with a stern look as he gave her a cup.

Her eyes widened. "I swear on my life."

He straightened up and gave me a cup. "She's the Orelie I found."

His body was blocking me from her reaction, but I heard her squeal like a little girl. "I just knew you found one! The great Master Crae found an Orelie! Praise the gods! We must celebrate!"

"Mystic, no." I moved my legs so Crae could sit down. "We are not drawing attention to her. If we did, whatever is killing off the Orelie may come for her. We can't risk losing her."

Her ecstatic mood dropped instantly. "Oh. Right. I forgot about that..." She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"So we need to keep her identity as hidden as we possibly can." Crae took a sip of his drink. "Your little stunt in the market might have hurt us a bit, but no one really knows for sure if it's true or not. That's in our favor."