"So, what's the plan, you all-knowing Fae?"

Tyrian glares over at Lucy who has seemed to go back to normal after being in the inn café. Or, back to normal when it comes to talking to Tyrian.

"First things first. I'm going to need to inspect the castle," he says with great confidence. Lucy's steps stop immediately and I almost bump into her before gently pushing her back to keep going. I'm guessing he can sense our shock because he continues, "Well, it seems only fair. You and the castle have been stuck in my mind for months now. How do you expect me to help you if you won't even welcome me inside the castle?"

"You didn't say anything about going to the castle. I thought you would have a better idea of what you're looking for."

"What she means," I cut in, elbowing her side. "Is that we have had bad experiences in the past of letting people just wander inside the palace with only a story."

He turns around and walks backward. "You mean yourself."

I can see Lucy's arm in the corner of my eye advancing, but I grab it before anything happens and clear my throat. "Actually, yes."

His eyebrows raise at the tone of my voice and even Lucy's hands go quite colder than usual. "How do we know you're not just trying to infiltrate Lumbridge with a false promise that you can help us?"

Just as I'm done asking the question, the crystal around my neck starts to glow a fiery red. The whisper of tiny windchimes hums from the necklace and it glows even stronger. The brighter it gets, the louder the hum becomes until it starts to float off my chest and gravitate towards him.

Glancing up at him, his eyes are wide and fixed on the crystal looking just as surprised as I feel. Lucy's presence behind me is like a faint shadow and I know what I'm thinking would make her go mad, but I can't help it.

Unclasping the necklace, I hold it out in front of me and the pendant swings back and forth between us like a pendulum. Lucy peeks out from behind me and stands next to both of us, the necklace gravitating towards her as well. Swinging in a triangle the pull becomes stronger until it is waving around us in a circle out of my hands and floating in the middle.

Tiny sparks of what seem like fire start to erupt out of the heart of the crystal and wrap around all of us. The sparks stop in midair and hover above all of our heads and quite suddenly change to a burning black that sprinkles gently on top of our heads. The ash stands out on Lucy and Tyrian's heads like a spot of ink on paper.

Tyrian whispers under his breath. "I thought it was only legend," he says mesmerized by the falling ash.

"What legend?" I whisper.

"A bond as strong as fire shared amongst the select.

A blessing over souls, the mighty flame protects.

Till dusk of the dead, the fire will burn. From ash we were made—"

"To ash we will return," Lucy murmurs. "The Ash Bond."

"You've heard of it?" he asks roaming his eyes over her.

She nods her head slowly. "I... I've seen it."

"Who? Where have you seen it?" The glow of the crystal fades and the sound of windchimes becomes only a faint whisper again. I hold my hand out underneath it. The necklace falls into my hands as gently as a feather and with one last whooshing noise the crystal goes back to normal.

"Adam's family," she says shortly and I can feel Tyrian tense next to me. She takes a deep shaky breath. "I was there with him in the Medic Room when he passed. Adam's father. Right when he closed his eyes and took his final breath... it was as if the heavens were crying. The room started raining with ash. I didn't know it at the time." She folds her hands together, her pale knuckles turning stark white. She sniffs and shakes her head quickly, her loose curls swishing.

"Adam..." Tyrian tries cautiously. "He's the one. In the visions... the tears... the grave?"

I purse my lips not knowing whether to open my mouth or let it play out. I instead opt to fidget with my necklace clasping it back on. Keeping a close eye on Lucy, she doesn't explode and her fists aren't even clenched anymore, in fact, she looks almost relieved. Nodding ever so slightly, Tyrian does the same.

"That's beautiful," he says and at first I don't recognize his voice without the snarkiness. We both wait in silence. He looks off in the distance, pondering. "My mother and father never had that kind of love. When my mother died, it was like it was just a regular day to him. And then I saw her... as a spirit." His eyes soften. "And she looked so happy, so beautiful, so young. She reached her hand out towards me and when I went to do the same... knowing my hand would go straight through hers, I was surprised to find it solid."

"She had recited the bond. I knew what it was, but it couldn't be. Ash Bonds can't be made with the dead. I thought it was only a comfort."

"Sorry about your mom," Lucy says quietly, bowing her head. "Is she... really dead?"

He looks down at his feet and clears his throat. "Yes," he says with a twinge of defiance.

The memory of when I had lost my mother the first time bubbles to the surface of my mind. How poorly my father reacted, how malicious he turned so quickly. "Sorry about your dad," I tell him.

"Anyway. I don't know a better way to say I'm no threat than to have an Ash Bond connect us."

"Agreed," Lucy says and my heart jumps from surprise.

"Is... ah... is there anything in particular that you'll be looking for?" I ask.

"I'll know," he says furrowing his eyebrows. "Although," he looks at Lucy. "I think I'll need your help to find what I'm looking for."

"My help...Why?"

"Everyone's visions are a bit different. Some of my strongest visions come from an object; something of importance. I'm hoping that maybe we are connected because there is something I'm supposed to find within the castle. And I think you might know what it is."

"But, I don't," she says earnestly. "What happens if we can't find it?"

He sets off walking again. "We will."

We make it to the stables and I take refuge from their tension feeding Stella some carrots and apples from a nearby barrel.

"It will just be easier to teleport. There's no point in riding and exhausting your horse when I can teleport you guys." Tyrian says breaking the silence. "Zaria?"

"Yes?" He leans up against the stable a few feet away from Lucy. Both of their hair sparkles in the morning light.

"How strong are your teleportation powers?"

"How?"

"Doesn't matter," he says shaking his head. "How strong?"

"Not that strong," I say with shame. "I can only go short distances and even then, it's just myself. I don't know if I'd be able to bring anyone with me."

"Don't worry," he says with a soft smile. "We'll work on it. You, on the other hand." He turns around to face Lucy who looks shocked. "Your mind seems to crave attention, but how are you on receiving?"

"What do you mean?" We share a look and I shrug.

"Your mind calls out to me a lot. Like it's screaming to be heard, yet I get the idea that you struggle to listen to others."

"I beg your pardon?" she half yells, her cheeks blushing again.

And here we go, I think. to myself. Another round. It's barely ten a.m.

"Have you ever received any of my visions?" he cuts in. "Have you ever seen me or what I'm doing throughout the day? Have you ever heard any conversation that didn't have to do with the palace? Have you any connection to the Fae Realm at all?"

I quickly look away hoping that Lucy doesn't see understanding flicker on my face. She stays silent as I go back to feeding Stella.

"No," she finally says, swallowing her pride. "No, I haven't."

"We must work on that too," he says flatly. "We'll have a leg up if we can communicate and share visions silently and without anyone knowing. You should know my visions and I should know yours. Zaria, I can send a message to you easily through magic, I think you're strong enough for that."

"How?" Stella nibbles my hand. I hadn't even realized she had eaten the whole carrot I'd been feeding her. I reach back into the barrel and pull out an apple.

"Put the crystal to your ear," he says smirking.

I do as he says, fumbling awkwardly.

"Can you hear this?"

I almost jump back and bump into Stella's muzzle.

"If you need to tell me anything, speak into it."

I hold the crystal to my lips. "Like this?" I ask, though my voice is inaudible.

He chuckles. "I get the feeling you have no idea all the power that is stored in that little stone. How much do you know about it? It seems to respond quite well to your command."

Lucy and I both look at each other again. Now she is the one to shrug her shoulders.

"Perhaps the next time you are in the Crystal Cave you should ask it something? Who knows, it may answer?"

"The cave can answer questions?"

"The Cave is a conduit of magic itself. It contains history."

"How do you know so much about this?" Lucy asks, coming to stand beside him. "I thought you said you were just an appointed seer for the Fae Ruler?"

He clears his throat. "Like I said. Spirits talk." He claps his hands, "So... Who wants to go first?"

***

Teleporting with someone else is not anything like doing it myself. I hold on tightly to his arm probably leaving bright purple fingertip bruises.

Ice-cold air swooshes around us. It is nothing like the calm leaps through space I've done before. I had always thought of teleporting as walking through a dark alley at night, but this... this is more like falling through a hurricane down a flight of steps.

My hair whips around my face, stinging my cheeks and eyes. I grip even tighter hoping the cold pressure will stop soon enough, and before I know it, I'm quite literally falling.

Screaming at the top of my lungs I land on a grassy hill, dew drops dampening my skin. It must be where we landed because I start tumbling downward.

"Ty—ri—an!" I yell as I roll down the hill, hitting my head and back over and over.

And again, I am stuck waiting for the pain to stop. Once my momentum starts to slow, I scream, "I'm going to kill you so bad!"

He sits on top of Stella with his arms crossed in front of him perfectly fine. He says nothing in return but salutes, carelessly smirking and disappears once more for Lucy.

"Why?" I groan to myself patting my clothes. Rubbing the new knots out of my neck I trudge back up the grassy hill, careful not to slip back down again.

Lumbridge... Squinting my eyes I try to look through the windows. If I look hard enough, I can see the outline of Crista's wardrobe, and through another, the shiny pots and pans hanging in the kitchen. The birds sing happily, returning to their nest from their winter departure, the trees sprinkled with pastel colors of pinks and purples. Spring is coming. It's good to be home.

"EEEEHHHHHHHH!"

A shrill pitched scream breaks through the peace behind me and I don't have to look to know that Lucy is falling down the hill as well. I catch a glance at Tyrian over my shoulder who is hysterically laughing.

Lucy covers her head as she rolls down, smarter than me. "You did this on purpose," I say tightly to him.

"A lesson," he says trying to compose himself. "Learn how to teleport for longer distances and you won't be dropped off the side of a hill."

I roll my eyes and check back on Lucy. And that's when I realize she wasn't covering her head. Her hands clasp over her ears and she lays at the bottom of the hill. Risking a glance at Tyrian, he is looking at her as well with his eyebrows raised. I could be reading too much into it, but part of me thinks he did it on purpose to catch her off guard... to show herself. I huff a laugh to myself. He doesn't know Lucy like everyone else does. And he's going to have to try a lot harder than that.

She looks back up at him with the same murderous glare I had when I had been dropped.

"Ah, ah, ah," he says before she can say anything. She marches, her dress fisted in her hands as she trudges up the steep mount. "Before you say anything, I must apologize. A tragic accident," he says bowing.

My eyes roll so far into the back of my head that they may permanently stay there if he keeps this up.

I've never seen Lucy's face more red. "Drop me again. I— dare—you." She hastily fixes her hair over the side of her head.

He backs away a bit. Pushing her way through us she trudges to the side of the castle. Looking from Tyrian to Lucy I jog after her, Tyrian following right behind.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"Through the side entrance. Doesn't cause as much attention."

"I'm sure people already know we've arrived. I mean..." I choose my words carefully. "We did make quite the entrance," I grumble glaring behind me.

"This way is faster," she says bluntly shaking her head. I don't have the will to argue with her so I keep my mouth shut. I guess Tyrian is thinking the same because for once he is quiet and it's actually a little awkward to not have him talking.

She leads us to this tunnel that is hidden in plain sight with a wall of ivy. Parting the vines, she holds it open for us to go inside.

"Ladies first," Tyrian says bowing again.

Snorting, Lucy bumps his arm. Her shoes click along the stone floor echoing into the vast tunnel.

"Where does this lead to?" I whisper, but my voice carries through the whole tunnel.

"The Sparring Room."