Page 39 of Phixmery

“Are you okay? Should we head back?” I ask him, concerned for my feathered familiar.

He shakes his head. “No. we’re already here. I just needed a little nap, I promise,” he tells me, sounding slightly more awake, but if I dig down our bond past the front he’s putting up, I can still feel how worn out he is.

I debate on going back, but we really do need to find somewhere out of sight from everyone else. “We should be fine once we are behind this door. Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you if something happens.”

His hesitation hits me. “Are you sure, Rav?”

“Positive. Will you be fine resting on my shoulder, or did you want me to tuck you into my tunic?”

He scoffs, fluttering his wings as if he’s offended. “Nestled away like a hatchling? Please. I’ll be fine here.”

A light chuckle leaves me and I swiftly make my way through the door and down the copious amount of stairs, being careful not to jostle Nero and to watch my footing. If I fall and crack my head open, no one will be the wiser. I come across the door that holds that fates-damned cursed item, but I’m not here for that today.

I push forward, lighting sconces along the way, the walls and floor becoming less smooth and more rocky. Thin and thick rocky structures try to reach each other but the floor and ceiling are still too vast a distance apart for them to touch. And then the space opens up into a large cavern.

The fire I have in my palm lights the way as I step farther into it. With a few flicks of my fingers I split the fireball into multiple glowing orbs and scatter them around the space. The floor is a touch uneven and boulders sit in the way, but those issues can be easily fixed.

This place is perfect.

The first thing I do is summon the magick I haven’t dreamed of touching in a long time, at least not here, and sculpt a stone perch from the earth for Nero. That way I can work and not worry about knocking him down or waking him.

I kneel and place my palms on the cavern floor, letting the earth whisper its secrets to me, and it sings a song like I’ve finally come home. A peace calms me as I ask the earth to flatten, picturing what I need, and before my eyes the ground shifts and shakes, groaning as if stretching after a long nap as it smoothes into a flat surface.

Next, I rest my hands on the walls of the cavern and coax sconces along the walls of the great space before sending my orbs of flame to light them, setting the room with a soft glow of flickering flame.

Last but not least, over the entrance I came from, I slide the stone, successfully hiding my new training room. I know it’s unlikely that someone may follow me down here, or find the door themselves. But just because the chances are low, doesn’t mean that it may never happen. This space is just one tunnel down here, who knows where the others could lead. But for now, I have this. Now my training really begins.

USUALLY I FEEL exhausted after aimlessly searching the castle, but after finding a space finally, I feel energized. Excited, even. Like nothing can bring me down. Not even having to clean the fates-damn gryphon stables with Banshee One and Two.

The winds blow roughly as Ember, Roz and I step out through the back of the castle, heading towards the vast stables near the cliff face of the mountain.

Roz curses up a storm. “Fates fucking damn it, it’s too damn early to be this cold and have to shovel shit. I hope Banshee One and Two fall into a damn shit pile for doing this to us again for being jealous wenches.”

Ember and I blink at him before laughing at his outburst.

“There’s nothing to be jealous of,” I state. “But I would just like them to leave me alone. Maybe focus on themselves for a change.” My annoyances peaks as another gust of wind tunnels through, making us lose our footing a bit.

Ember side-eyes me. “Ravina, they see you as competition. You went from null, to having magick and a familiar, then getting special attention from Wing One… Do you see where I’m going with this?”

My brows furrow with confusion. “But I’m no one, and I didn’t ask for that special attention. The three of us were doing just fine with training me. In fact I’d rather those males just leave me alone.” But do I? The thought of them not paying attention to me makes my gut sink. But that’s a bizarre reaction, because all they ever do is beat my ass into the ground and belittle me every chance they get.

“Exactly,” Roz agrees. “You were no one. Now you’re making a name for yourself. Fates, you will already be in the history books because of the fact you have a familiar after how many years of none of them cropping up? It’s just up to you whether or not it’s a good thing.”

His words make me pause, but in reality, I will always be known as a traitor to the crown, which is ironic in its own way. So I just nod, and we continue to the stables huddled together for warmth.

We arrive inside and take a collective breath in as the warmth of the gryphon housing washes over us, the wind howling loudly outside. The three of us split up and we get to work.

As disgusting as this work is, I can admit that the workout it gives me has strengthened my muscles in a way Combat and Physical Training haven’t. Maybe I should thank them for the slight definition of muscle I now have.

Once I layer the floor with straw, I grab my now full wheelbarrow and brace myself to head outside into the windy mountainscape. A small smile tugs at my lips as I see the snow storm that’s now at full throttle. I’m barely able to make out the dumping station and the few figures that are out there, emptying their manure.

As I get closer, I notice it’s none other than the reason we are all here at this hour with her accomplice. At first I debate against doing what I was hoping to accomplish with them. But between the threats with Nero and the boiling water, my mind settles on it.

Just as Evera dumps her barrow of shit, and Cresida’s joins the pile, a strong gust of wind blows and I watch as they try to get their footing. I quickly pretend the wind knocks me down and place my palm on the ground. The earth replies excitedly and the stone rises slightly right under their feet, knocking them even more off balance. They fall directly into the mountain of steaming fresh gryphon poo.

Their screams carry across and into the stable with the help of the wind, which in turn grabs the attention of the rest of our squads and anyone else here. A surplus of fae come running to see what the commotion is about.

Ember, Roz, Melissandre and Lennox jog over to me as I rise to my feet, brushing off the snow that’s piling on my dirty, black cloak while Bracken and Zoela Spade rush to help the two who are now very covered in the dark brown, almost black foul-smelling substance.

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