Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty-Three: New Friends

“I-I don’t think I can accept that,” Akira said, taking a step back.

Wolfric moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “You can’t deny the offer, little one. It would be disrespectful,” he whispered into her ear.

Akira sucked in a breath, her eyes opening wide as she stared at the Fairy. “I am sorry, I did not mean any disrespect.”

Julianne smiled. “No worries. I did not take it disrespectfully. I guess I would be shocked too if I were offered three wishes for doing something that came so naturally to me.”

Akira smiled. She liked this woman—a lot.

“You don’t have to make all of your wishes now,” Julianne said as she moved closer to the girl. “You can make them when you need them.”

Akira nodded. “Thank you. I—I….” She blinked. “I have never been offered a wish before, let alone three. And you said anything I want?”

Julianne smiled. “Anything. Well….” She stopped and looked around her. “I do have to follow the three rules of wish-granting.”

“What are they?” Akira asked.

“One: I cannot bring anyone back from the dead.”

Akira nodded. As much as she would love to see her mother again, she had a feeling that would be a no-no. Unless she wanted to deal with a Draugar. Mythology’s form of a Zombie. She remembered how they were portrayed in Game of Thrones, and they were pretty damn accurate.

She would not wish that upon her enemy, let alone her mother.

“Two:” The Fairy said, bringing Akira back to reality. “I cannot make anyone fall in love.”

Akira looked at her Warriors, who were all looking at her, their eyes filled with love and adoration. She looked at the Fairy with a smile.

“I don’t need that.”

Julianne looked around at the Warriors and smiled. “No, I guess you don’t,” she said, then looked back at Akira. “Three: I cannot bring world peace to any realm. If I could, I would bring peace to my home.”

Akira nodded. “Sounds reasonable.”

Julianne nodded. “Those are the only restrictions. Anything else your heart desires, I can grant you.”

The Fairy bowed, her right arm swaying out away from her body.

Akira nodded. “I don’t have to ask for any now?”

Julianne stood up and nodded. “You can save them for as long as you need. But I must warn you. If I offer a wish to anyone else, yours will be forfeited. So, don’t take too long.”

Akira looked around at the others, then nodded at the Fairy. “Understood. Thank you.”

Jules smiled. “I take it you are searching for your Warriors.”

Akira nodded. “Yes.”

Jules looked at her best friend, then at the Havent, and made up her mind on the spot. She would rather travel with the young girl and her Warriors than go to another boring dance.

“May I join you? It would make it so much easier to grant your wishes if I were close.”

Akira looked at her Warriors, her face bright with excitement. Not only did she meet her first Dragon and two Fairies, but then one offered her wishes and asked to join them on their journey.

‘Could this get any cooler?!’

“That would be so awesome,” Akira said.

It was taking all of her willpower to not let herself jump up and down like a kid in a candy store.

Julianne turned to Leviasen. “Please tell your parents that I will not be joining in the celebrations this month, and I don’t know when I will return.”

Leviasen frowned. He did not want to be separated from his best friend for such a long period of time. He looked at the girl who had saved Sevean. She was beautiful, and there was something about her that drew him to her. He was not sure what it was, but he would love to find out.

Leviasen looked at Jules again and decided then and there what he was going to do.

“Fuck that,” he said, then threw his arm over Jules’s shoulders. “I’m going too.”

Julianne’s eyes opened wide. “You can’t. You have the ball….”

Leviasen chuckled and pulled her closer. “I’m about as excited about another ball as I am at the thought of shoving a beehive down my pants.”

Jules and Akira broke into laughter while the Warriors cringed at the thought.

Akira watched the male Fairy move away from the female Fairy and dig in his shirt for a piece of paper. He jotted something down, then whistled. She looked up when she heard the squawk of a hawk. The bird swooped down and took the note from the Fairy, then flew away.

“I’m Julianne, by the way,” the female Fairy said, holding her hand out to Akira, “you can call me Jules.”

Akira smiled and shook the Fairy’s hand. “Akira.”

Jules nodded. “Beautiful name. It feels familiar, but I’m sure I have never met you before.”

Akira chuckled, “I’m sure I would remember meeting a Fairy, especially one as pretty as you.”

Jules grinned. “And I’m sure I would remember meeting a beautiful human….”

“I’m actually not fully human,” Akira interrupted.

“She’s a direct descendant of Brynhildr,” Wolfric said, moving to stand next to Akira.

Jules nodded. “I thought I sensed more power in you, other than your healing abilities. Also, your healing is much stronger than a human could possess.”

Akira nodded, then looked up at Wolfric. “Wolfric saw it too. When I was three, he found me and saved me….”

“I couldn’t let my little Havent go through all of that alone, now could I?” Wolfric asked with a wide wolfish grin.

Jules laughed, “I can see that you two are very close.”

Akira nodded. “He’s my Wolfie.”

“Wolfric,” Wolfric said, holding his hand out to the Fairy.

Julianne smiled. “Nice to meet you, Wolfric.”

“And that’s Malique, my Upir Warrior, and Darius, my Pegasus Warrior.”

Julianne’s eyes opened wide as she looked at the three Warriors. She must be special indeed to have three Mythical Warriors.

“A Vampire Warrior is rare. And a Mythical Vampire,” Jules said, shaking the Vampire’s hand.

Julianne turned to Darius and chuckled. “A Pegasus and demigod. Are you a direct descendant of Medusa?”

Darius nodded. “I am. And before you ask, yes, I have her gift.”

Jules nodded. “I can see it is a gift rather than a curse for you. You have control over it, no?”

“Yes,” Darius said with a nod.

“And Wolfric, I scented you right away. A Direwolf. Let me guess, a direct descendent of Amarok.”

Wolfric laughed, “I see you have caught onto how special our Havent is.”

Jules nodded. “I have.”

“My parents should get the note soon. But I think it best if we start on our journey, just in case they figure out where I sent the hawk from.”

“Wonderful,” Jules said with a grin.

Julianne was so excited to join this party. She has not had fun in ages. Not since the king and queen had decided it was time for their son to settle down and start a family.

“I’m Leviasen, by the way,” Levi said as he offered the Havent and her Warriors his hand. “But you all can call me Levi.”

When Akira’s hand slid into Levi’s, he felt a jolt and almost pulled away from her. He knows he is not her Warrior; his realm does not do Havents and Warriors. But there was something about her that was making his mind run a thousand miles per minute. Almost making him dizzy.

Akira felt a jolt when she shook Levi’s hand. She almost pulled back, confused about what the jolt meant. He is not one of her Warriors—she can tell that. But there is something about him, something she cannot place.

“We can head out once we find our Trolls,” Wolfric said, looking around.

They had disappeared around the time the Fairies had appeared.

“Those Trolls are friends of yours?” Jules asked, shocked.

Akira nodded. “Yeah. They saved me from an Arachne, and I saved their little brother. I guess their grandmother feels that they owe me, so she sent them to help us,” she said, looking around. “Stella! Fin!”

“Uh, Akira,” Malique said, walking up to his Havent. “Why are you still on your feet?”

Akira looked at him with her eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”

“Yeah, I hadn’t noticed that until now,” Darius said, looking Akira over. “Normally, you’re passed out from healing, especially the kind of healing you did on the Dragon.”

Wolfric chuckled as he watched them.

Malique looked at his friend. “Do you know anything about this?”

Wolfric nodded. “It’s the herbs that brought down her fever. It also replenished her energy and gave her double what she normally has.”

Akira stared at Wolfric. She was so excited. Meeting a Dragon and Fairies, she had not thought of not being passed out on the ground.

“Maybe we should find more. I’m pretty sure she will need the energy boost again,” Malique said, watching Akira.

A green ball rolled past them and stopped at Wolfric’s feet. Wolfric chuckled while everyone stared at the ball. He leaned down and picked it up, then tossed it into the air and caught it.

“I do believe our Troll friends thought of the same thing,” Wolfric said.

They turned when two larger balls rolled past them. Stella was the first to pop out of her ball.

“Tada!” Stella shouted.

“Tada!” Fin shouted as he rolled out of his ball and into his sister.

Akira chuckled and watched the twin Trolls argue about being offkey.

“Okay, you two, enough of the arguing,” Wolfric said with annoyance.

The twins stopped and looked at the Fairies.

“So, that’s why…,” Fin did not get to finish what he was saying.

Stella covered Fin’s mouth with her hand and shook her head.

Akira watched them, then looked at the Fairies, who were staring at the two Trolls.

“Everything all right?” Akira asked.

Jules looked at Akira and smiled. “Everything is fine.”

“We should really be going,” Levi said.

He watched the Trolls, who were staring at him like he was a secret.

‘Okay, this is getting weirder and weirder,’ Levi thought to himself.

“Do you know where your next Warrior is?” Jules asked, looking at Akira.

Akira shook her head. “No, we’ve been jumping through portals, hoping I will sense my Warriors.”

Jules nodded. “Well, now you have wishes.”

Akira’s eyes opened wide. “Really? You mean I can wish to be taken to my next Warrior?”

Jules laughed, “no. But I’m sure I can grant you a wish that will show you where you can find him. Maybe not the exact location, or what he looks like, or even what he is. But something that can bring you closer.”

Akira nodded. “That’s better than what we have now.”

“Maybe we can do the wish thing after we get out of here,” Levi said, taking hold of Julianne’s arm. “My parents won’t be too happy that I’m bailing on the ball,” he said, then pulled on Jules to get her to move.

“Bye, Sevean! We’ll come to see you again!” Jules called out to her friend.

Sevean roared. Having heard everything the group had said, he was happy his little friends were finally going on a real adventure.

“Try not to get hurt,” Akira said, placing her hand on the Dragon’s arm.

Sevean looked at Akira, a hint of a smile on his large lips. “Thank you,” he said, then turned and headed into his cave.

Akira smiled, then squealed when Wolfric picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Malique and Darius grinned at her as they followed Wolfric.

The Trolls rolled beside them as they followed the Fairies into the forest on top of the massive mountain.

~⚔~

“Are we far enough away to make a wish?” Jules asked Levi as she pulled on her arm.

Levi stopped and looked around the forest. “Yeah, I think so,” he said.

Jules huffed and pulled her arm from his grasp, then turned to Akira. “Now, what is your first wish?”

Akira shrugged. “I guess what we discussed would work.”

Jules chuckled, “you must word it.”

Akira nodded. She felt like smacking her forehead with her hand, but she knew her Warriors would have a fit. Okay, so how should she word this properly? Akira looked at Julianne and took a deep breath.

“I wish for a vision of where I will find my fourth Warrior. Whether it will be land, sky, or sea.”

They watched the Fairy close her eyes and smile. “Wish granted,” she whispered.

Akira sucked in a shocked breath as visions flowed through her mind. Water, so much water. And land, there is an island. The vision left as quickly as it had appeared, and she looked at her Warriors.

“What did you see?” Wolfric asked.

“Water,” Akira said, “lots of water. And land, there’s an island.”

“So, to the seas,” Darius said with a grin. “Well, that’s better than searching the forests forever.”

Akira smiled and took hold of Darius’s arm. “You know you like the forest,” she said, holding onto him.

Darius chuckled, “only when I have you for company.”