Page 155 of Dark Fate

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, my curiosity piqued. I want to unravel the riddle wrapped up in his lighthearted commentary.

Calimero's sky-blue eyes shimmer with unspoken laughter, and he continues with a note of jest, "I meant precisely as I said—we unicorns had marked the calendar for a slightly earlier prophecy fulfillment. I suspect some unforeseen escapades delayed your grand entrance. As for your mate, you could say that, in the grand tapestry of fate, not everyone appreciates the... eccentric stitches," he muses cheekily, a quip veiled in wisdom.

Calimero doesn’t miss a beat, and his spirited wit is still going strong despite being the astute beastie he is. "Hence, you carry the Atherite Stone in your crown," he notes, with the air of solving a particularly juicy riddle.

"Sharp as ever," I respond with a smirk, appreciating his ability to piece together my tangled journey with just a few puzzle bits. Thinking about it, I’d expect nothing less from a creature who’s probably seen more plot twists than the stars themselves.

The combination of his intellectual jest and the half-mocking, half-teasing light in his gaze makes it impossible to feel offended. His tone echoes the unseen smiles, combining comedy and cosmic timing.

When I don't think things could get any more magical, more unicorns emerge from the forest, slowly peeking out. My eyes go wide, hardly believing the scenery unraveling before me. Unicorns, with coats so white it's almost blinding, but it's their horns and sparkly colored manes that make me gasp—painted every hue you could dream, and then some, are stepping out shyly. Their horns and manes are not just textbook white—they look like they've been dipped in pots of sky blues, sunset oranges, deep sea greens, and then some. Even the baby unicorns are toddling out—pure cuteness overload.

"Wow," escapes me, a breathy whisper of sheer wonder. "How many—"

"Thousands of us," Calimero cuts in, and his pride is as tangible as the forest air. With a flick of his beautiful mane, he continues, "Indeed, the time has come for us to emerge from the Hidden Valley, to mingle with the Fae as we've yearned for countless moons. Your being here signals the moment to resume our place in the realm—we place our faith that the Shadow Queen has been sufficiently thwarted to allow for this. It is then essential to restore the realm to find itself again in an era of wholeness and prosperity."

"Yes, they mentioned that you are needed, and nothing has been the same since the fracture," I admit to him, acknowledging the weight of the past and the hope pinned on the now. "Amara has been detained," I confirm, a matter-of-fact edge lining my voice as if I'm reporting on mundane courtly bureaucracy rather than the fate of a powerful adversary. "Until I find a more permanent solution for her…that is."

The words carry the weight of decisions yet to be made—decisions that will shape the future of the realms. But for now, Amara’s chapter is written in stone, leaving us to script the next with the fresh ink of newfound alliances and the hope that comes from the turn of fate's tide.

Lore and destiny thread through the conversation, and I can feel the gravity of my role—the nexus where shattered paths aim to meet and mend. There's work to be done, rifts to heal, and unfamiliar alliances to forge.

"Right…now that we've cleared up the Shadow Court Queen situation, I trust you are prepared to learn of the Faerite stone?" Calimero inquires as if we're swapping something as mundane as borrowed books.

I nod, resolute. "Yes."

"Very well. With this stone, you hold the authority to commune with creatures and beings touched by magic, along with an empathy deep enough to dive into their souls."

It's an empathy so profound that it’s nearly overwhelming, but in the same beat, it feels like coming home—a connection to the pulse of the magical world, an intricate, invisible thread now tied to my essence. This is the gift of understanding, the purest form of communion with the magical heartbeats of the Seven Realms.

"So I can talk to any creature, animal, or magical being with this?" I question the notion, almost too grand to grasp. A door to endless possibilities swings wide open before me.

"Exactly," Calimero affirms with his succinct conviction as if it’s the most natural next step in the world.

Words almost fail me as the reality sinks in: with the Faerite Stone, I've just been handed the universal passcode to converse with the heartbeats of the wild and whimsical. A new dimension of dialogue awaits—every whisper in the woods, every murmur of the meadows, now an open book. The world just got a whole lot more conversational.

Calimero chauffeurs me through the mystical woods and returns me to my motley crew. Upon entrance, I catchRhyland’s face lighting up like I've just returned from a one-woman mission to Mars. Everyone gets to their feet, playing it cool, but eyes are glued to us. Calimero hits the brakes, and with a slick dismount,Rhyland’s there to snag my waist with a ‘you’re-never-escaping-me-again’ kind of hold.

I sidle up in front of Calimero, petting his neck, slipping in alongsideAxilya, who looks ready to burst into tears. Then Calimero takes a knee, bowing toAxilyalike she’s fae royalty,and I can't help but raise an eyebrow.

What's the deal here?

"Thanks for the lift," I say, gratefully glancing at Calimero with the kind of nod you’d give a cabbie after a clean getaway.

My face scrunches as a twinge of 'oops' creeps up. "There's a teensy detail I might've glossed over..." I half-mumble, suddenly finding an interesting speck of dirt on my shoe.

Calimero perks up, all ears. "Speak—"

So I drop the bomb: "Azrael, my personal stalker from beyond—yeah, he hitched a ride through my DIY portal, and now he's here crashing the party. You might want to hold off on any plans to ditch this fairytale hideout until I've shooed him back to his nightmare."

Calimero releases a puff of air that's a billboard for frustration. I'm picking up on his vibes loud and clear with this shiny new stone. "Ship him back to Mortalis. Let's keep the theatrics in your backyard. Snag that little shard of his, and he'll vanish from our list of headaches."

I quirk an eyebrow and let a wry chuckle slip. "That simple, huh?" The words roll off my tongue, drenched in a heavy coat of irony.

A hint of a smirk plays on Calimero's tone; his voice touched with both amusement and gravity. "Indeed it is. Think of yourself as the wielder of an unseen scepter, with powers that multiply his by leagues and lengths. Employ it, and never play down the might at your fingertips. And your mate? Ah, he's a veritable trove of untapped potential—has this not been a topic of fireside whispers between you two?"

I swivel my gaze toward Rhyland, locking eyes with his sea of confusion for a brief moment. Pivoting back to Calimero, I plant my feet and declare with resolve, "I'm clued in on his mojo."

But beneath that certainty, I can't help but wonder, What's he driving at?

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