I let Ace and Morgan in on the plan over lunch and they eyed every part of it with suscpicion. It was almost not to pull my hair out, wondeering why they were not supportive.“Because you are the only one doing everything. We are coming with you,” Morgan said.“I can’t get anyone in more trouble.”“Screw that thought. I’m coming because I want this crazy plan of yours actually work. The chances of it not working if you do it solo are high, Phoebe.”“If you don’t me tag along, I will screw you up,” Ace threatened.“How are the kids?”“Turning that place into a fortress. Tina is a boss in the making. You should ordering the rest around and it makes you wonder if she really was shy or an introvert.”We continued to gossip until we had to separate at the town’s market area. I locked eyes with Sir Hampton as I found my way back to the Tower. A light smirk played on his lips, leaving me weirded out. Whatever he was up to would definitely not be good. If he could put his trouble making on ho

“Father?” I called out, knocking on his door. I pushed the door open as soon as he allowed me to come in, ignoring the pain in my wrist. An strange encounter with Hampton earlier this morning left me with uneasy flutters in my belly and a pulsing pain. I would have demanded what spell he had directed at me if I was not concentrated on finding my Father. In his brightly lit room, Father sat in his couch, nursing a cup of hot coffee in his hand. His eyes crinkled when he saw me. Waving a hand for me to come closer, he set his cup down and crossed his legs. The color had returned to his face and the gauntness in his body slowly disappeared. Mama Owens must have paid him another visit.“To what do I owe the visit?” He asked.“Why? Can’t I come see my old man?”“I hear you’ve been active with the council meetings and all.”I shrugged my shoulders, settling down in the couch opposite his. “I try my best.”“You want something. Spit it out,” he sighed, clasping his hands together. His brows

Tracking someone down can be difficult, especially if you are only an intermediate like me who was putting it into practice for the first time. The only ones who could properly track were the officers who were to trained to do so for months. However, I have the abridged and er… weirder version of a spell to find my uncle, thanks to my mother’s spell book. Finding it under a scattered pile of romance novels I had purchased over the years, I felt a bit guilty for not using it as often as I should. Flipping the pages, I searched for the spell I had briefly read and found it on the second try. After reading through the requirements for the locator spell, I rummaged through my belongings for the lightest thing I own (a sheet of rumpled paper), a feather from my pillow and salt. I chuckled to myself when I achieved all three and threw them into a boiling pot of water. Watching the odd mixture, I winced and went back to the book to confirm if I really did as it said. I did. After I stirred

69"What...?" I gasped, feeling the hairs on my body stand up. "What are you doing, my lady? The tour is only beginning." They chuckled, tugging me by the arm. "But... what? Did you see that?" I looked at the statues which had returned to their previous positions. "See what?" "Could it be that you received a vision from the goddess?" One of them gasped."Then you must see the priestess right away." "Uh... Wait, no. I'm fine," I assured, pulling their hands off. It's probably nothing. "So what else is there to see?"It must be a trick of the light or something. A girl in white robes thrust a tray of fruits in my face. "Would you like to have some?"I picked up a banana and nodded in appreciation. It was a wonder how pristine the temple appeared. I thought it was ruined in the war with everything else. The tour around the temple ended when we arrived a private room. "Leave all negativity out here and try not to think so much. It can be overwhelming for first timers," they said.

"That dress looks better on you than I expected," Celeste remarked with a gentle nod. "How did you...?""Your father never had an eye for fashion so I helped him.""Oh." The breezy pink dress in question arrived earlier this evening when I was putting on black overalls to sneak away in. I made an eye contact with Commander Turner who seemed surprised to see me but he made no move to ask me about it. The main streets of Arth was brightly lit with many colours, upbeat music, tasty street food and chatters. It was easy to get carried away by the exuberant atmosphere. Hugging the stuffed snail which I won from solving a hundred piece puzzle without magic in record time, I skipped around with a bright smile. It was fairly easy-"Would you like corn dog, Phoebe?" I turned. Commander Turner chuckled softly, handing me a hot piece of delectable meat on stick. "Thank you," I said, taking it from him."I suppose you changed your mind about leaving tonight?""Of course not. I was blending a