-Callen-

  It had been a year since the town had been nothing but cinders. Houses, fields, and the forest—there was nothing that was spared. I walk up to a platform standing before our town at the request of Mayor Hew. He felt since I led the reconstruction, it would be best if I was the speaker announcing our complete recovery. I tugged a bit at the collar of the carefully made shirt Mom had personally sewn me especially for this event.

  “We all stand here; a year has passed since we overcame a terrifying monster. Our homes were once stolen by a hive of terrifying monsters, but here we stand. Our recovery can be attributed to the actions of several extraordinary individuals, my father Sir Marek, who slew the beast, or the other knights, who cleared out an infestation despite all odds. Some may attribute it to a certain plant that has accelerated the growth of our forests and fields, keeping us fed. I have even heard some attribute the success of our reconstruction to myself. However, I will say, even if some made an outstanding contribution, it was our community that held together. It was everyone’s efforts that truly saved our home. No individual stands alone, and here I raise a toast to everyone! To the return of peace and to a future of hope!”

  Across the plaza at the heart of our town, people cheered. Drinks were shared, tears were shed, and couples gathered to dance. Some are somber in remembrance, but far more are embracing life. Living had always been hard on the frontier, but nothing beat the feeling of making something built to last. We had all wondered if it was even worth staying in the ruins, but those who had hung on and put in the effort were rewarded.

  While I was directing the reconstruction of our town, I had set a lot of projects in motion. Some would still take some time to be completed, like paving the previous dirt streets with stone and new training fields for the new guards filling the losses, and Master Yoren’s workshop had to be significantly expanded as a wave of interested apprentices took my role supporting him.

  Most of the laborers who had worked with me throughout the reconstruction had accepted the promise of eventual payment so long as I kept them fed. Mayor Hew had left a sizable fund that was enough to send the workers home with something, but we had both agreed to slow down the remaining projects until the town had the funds. Paying back would take several years, but the laborers had also gained significant levels, which had restored the gaping hole in the town's craftsmen. Meaning we had time to recover so long as another disaster didn’t rip the town down again.

  I waded my way through the crowd of well-wishers. I had made a lot of friends working to rebuild, and it seemed everyone wanted a piece of my attention, but I pressed through, determined to spend time with the family. I make it out to the quieter portion of the crowd and am greeted by the warm smiles of my family. Even little Rylin in the stroller I designed for him babbles happily seeing me. Still too little to say anything, but he is a very expressive baby.

  I try to settle in and watch as people dance around some of the big bonfires that had been erected around the plaza. A gentle smile spreads across my face. In my previous life I never got to see the perseverance of humanity, but in this world perseverance was the heart of humanity. Rain or shine people would set out to prove themselves and give their all, and that's not to say there weren’t a share of troublemakers or slackers. I’ve been on the bad side of a couple people who wanted to see me fail, but I’ve also had support from the people who matter.

  My thoughts are interrupted as Crescent breaks through the crowd. She has a big silly smile on her face as she grabs my hand, pulling me over by the fires. Together we spin around to the sound of the music, and we dance. The sun begins to set, casting shadows around us. The light of the fire dances from her expression as we dance, and my heart feels like it’s jumping.

  We don’t stop dancing until late at night, but I hadn’t even noticed. Crescent’s and my eyes meet, and I can’t help the rush of heat creeping to my cheeks. My former life sensibilities clash with my current life. We are young, but the young mature early, and I can’t deny Crescent makes me feel alive. She stops moving while our eyes are locked before blushing as well. She bashfully glances away, but from our position locked in each other's arms, she slowly turns back to me.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  We stand there illuminated by the fire and moon, holding onto each other without giving a glance to the world around us. We are young, too young for anything more, but I don’t stop as I lean in and she leans up, gently tapping our lips together before gently backing away. The moment seems like an instant and an eternity as we hold each other's eyes, confirming that what we felt that moment held meaning.

  A sudden loud calling all around us suddenly breaks our trance. Our moment hadn’t been private but shared with the whole town, and now all around us people were whooping and cheering. Crescent finally hit her limit fleeing for the sanctuary of her home. I follow behind while the crowd stays in place, cheering as we pass. She runs as hard as she can but slows down once she needs to catch her breath.

  I catch up to her, and we awkwardly walk side by side as I escort her back home. At some point unconsciously my hand reaches for hers, holding her firmly by my side as we finally make it to her home. Not a word was spoken, but we both knew things had changed between us. We stand outside her home, hesitant to split, but eventually, as if drawn by a quiet fate, we part. She looks back three times as if confirming I was truly there and not some fantasy on the way to and at the door. She closes the door, and I find myself standing there watching the house as if waiting for something to happen. Until finally my legs move and I slowly walk myself home with memories of the gentle tap that had occurred.

  I had always told myself I was way too young, but relationships from this age aren’t uncommon in our region. Nothing intimate, but platonically I could accept. We won’t step onto the bounds of intimacy until at least 18; that would be my line. I stared off into the night sky and felt something stare back at me.

  I reach into the void and try to banish it. Again and again I push as hard as I can, but something changed, and I can’t seem to get the leverage I need. I feel my breath get short as an unbearable pressure settles on me.

  “GO AWAY!”

  I cry into the ground, clutching my chest, and finally I feel my skill Void Repel take hold, and the EYE is shuttled off back into the darkness. I eventually pulled myself off the ground I had curled up on. So many times I had banished it without issue, but never had I felt something like that. This time I clearly felt something had caught its interest, and it had pushed back on me far harder than ever before. The EYE could return and stay; it merely had chosen to let me banish it previously.

  “Great timing,” I quietly mumble to myself, forcing my exhausted body back home. Callia was there waiting for me and quietly helped me into my room, where I collapsed into my bed, thankful for her quiet support.

  An Old Hand

  Mayor Hew looked up to Callen addressing the crowd. He might be an amateur speaker, but his words are spoken from the heart. He gives credit where it’s due but doesn’t disregard the efforts of others. Hew felt confident that even if Callen never chose to succeed him, as long as Callen cared for this town, it would thrive.

  Callen left the stage, signaling the start of the party, and Hew snuck next to Crescent.

  “You should drag him out there.”

  Crescent seemed stunned by the old mayor's suggestion.

  “You want to dance, don’t you? Go drag him and drag him out. He won't resist, and you’ll both have a good time.”

  Crescent seemed stumped at the idea and hesitant to go out, but her hesitation was broken as the old mayor gently shoved her off. Crescent stumbled at first, fighting her way through the crowd, but the fantasy of dancing even for a little with Callen had taken root. It spread across her face, and in the heated atmosphere of the party, Crescent hadn’t noticed. She finally found him, and just like her grandpa had said, he didn’t resist.

  Crescent’s head wasn’t even properly processing everything around her. Just swinging to the flow of the drums and swaying to the sound of the fiddle. Callen was at her side the whole way. When she finally came to, she found herself trapped in his arms with nowhere to look but into his eyes.

  In those eyes she saw something she had never seen before but had always secretly imagined. It was something that made her heart flutter and was even more impactful than her wildest imaginations.

  Eventually she made it back home. It had been an incredible night, and she couldn’t calm down till after spending a minute screaming into her pillows. It was then that she noticed her grandpa, Mayor Hew, in her doorway looking amused.

  Crescent decided to take a note from Callia’s book and threw her pillow at him.

  “You set us up!”

  He just broke into laughter. With tears in his eyes, he countered with

  “Of course! It looked like you needed some help from this old hand!”

  With that, the old man gently returned her pillow and left her to her ruminations.