#elei fafie

[phytochorion]

Elei

Name: Elei Fafie

Pronouns: She/Her

Order Represented: Bennettitales

Age: Kungurian, Early Permian

Height: 6 centimetres

Eye colour: Dark Green

Magical Proclivity: Water, Wind

Spells: Chalaza Afa, Synangia Fa'afilemu, Interseminal Galu, Ramentum Asiosio

An outgoing and dutiful woman who serves with Sirichai's crew. She's adventurous, straight-talking and short-tempered. Although she isn't related to Kai Namele, she looks remarkably like him, with many assuming at first glance that they're twins. She personally finds the assertion that they look alike irritating and is quick to correct it.

Like Kai, her tresses and wings are made up of tough, spiny foliage, and her crown is a pair of tough cones. They are rounded, colourful and more ornate than his, almost like compact inflorescences. She enjoys weaving and usually wears a skirt made from dry leaves, repurposed after they have been shed by her wings.

She's physically strong and also wields impressive wind and water magic that allows her to summon brief, intense storms, or launch fibrous scales from her own body. Considered the crew's best fighter, she and her lookalike have the responsibility of protecting the vessel, its cargo and of course its other inhabitants from the many dangers of the deep.

[phytochorion]

How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Sixteen - Boom and Bust

The sun was wobbling fat and red just above the horizon. Sen had a soft landing in a tangle of Cullodena's herbaceous trimerophytes, hopping down from their springy stems and picking his way through the undergrowth. Whereas once the fort had dominated this whole space, now plants scrambled in such profusion that it couldn't even be seen from the ground.

There was someone, no, two someones, standing by the base of the trees that held up their communal home.

Sen slowed down. Short tresses, pointed crown, huge boots… Phonso was back.

"Good evening, Schuppenbaumer, looking for Nathair again?", queried Sen as he drew closer. He didn't know the man standing just behind Phonso. Of indeterminate age, with wings reminiscent of Simon's and tresses in a box braided style, he regarded the two of them wryly.

"If you must know, I just came over to meet with an old friend. Have you met? No? Very well, this is Gongsun, this is Wesley."

"A pleasure." Wesley gave a quick bob in response to Sen's bow.

"Hang on, you're…"

The mechanisms of Sen's mind were whirring.

"You're not Wesley Candock?"

"The very same." His smile grew at the recognition.

"Oh wow, I… I've dreamed of meeting you since forever! It really is a privilege!" Sen was vaguely aware he might come across as cloying, but any cautionary thoughts were drowned in his excitement.

"What a stroke of luck that you're here!", he continued. "I'm just back from a visit to Simon, he mentioned you'd made the crossing but I didn't expect we'd cross paths!"

"My limp-leaf brother, huh?" Wesley's smile stiffened and one eyebrow rose. "Don't waste your time with him, mate. Suffers from a critical lack of ambition, he does. At this rate he'll be stuck in that swamp forever, but me? I've got a vision to chase."

Sen's trail of speech faltered. Simon had seemed to bear his brother no animosity, but then again, he was always the forgiving type. Had something transpired between them?

Thinking he should change the topic, Sen asked, "So. Ahem. How long have you known Mr Schuppenbaumer?"

Phonso stepped in to answer. "We've been friends since the Triassic!"

Ugh, thought Sen, exaggeration, but Wesley's smile brightened again as he clapped the lycopod fairy on the back.

"Yeah, Phonsy and I must have combed every inch of Epiphyllia, and with any luck, there'll be plenty of secrets to uncover here!"

"And I've been honing my skills, day in, day out."

Phonso gave a demonstration, light magic springing to life in his hands like a pair of miniature suns. Wesley whooped in admiration.

A weird feeling was blossoming in Sen's chest. A bad and unfamiliar feeling, like the mycelia of a fungal parasite infiltrating his nervous system, except it wasn't growing into him, but out of him. It took him a minute to put a name to it - envy.

Sen tried to think of some excuse to back out of this conversation, to go anywhere else. Before he could, Wesley addressed him.

"So how about it, Gongsun? Wanna join us sometime?"

Sen's focus snapped back to the conversation, his tongue feeling heavy as he tried to decide on an answer. He could see Phonso glaring daggers at him from behind Wesley, daring him to crash the party.

He was spared when something else caught the horsetail fairy's attention.

"Is it my imagination or… is someone there?"

Sen and Phonso swivelled around.

"Now that you mention it…", began Phonso, "I sometimes get the feeling I'm being watched when I come here." His usual bravado had diminished a tad.

Wesley took a curious step towards the darkest corner of the undergrowth. There was a twitch of movement and for a split second, they all saw the same thing; a pair of large eyes in the shadows, discreet yet intent. They were gone in a flash and a rustle of leaves. 

"Who was that?!", yelled Wesley, not waiting for an answer as he bolted after the runaway. Sen and Phonso exchanged a glance and followed.

Making a sharp corner at a hollow log, they nearly tripped over Si-woo, who was flat on his back with another fairy on top of him. A perplexed Askarya observed from a few paces back.

The fairy atop Si-woo sat up slowly, wide eyes looking from one face to the next. Between an ornate mask and long robes, not much else could be seen of them. All were silent for a moment.

"Guys, you scared them," tutted Askarya, breaking the spell and helping the small figure to their feet.

"Um. Ok. Who's them?" Wesley voiced what was on all their minds.

"This is Noori," replied Askarya. "And you should all be grateful for the work they do, I don't know a single fairy who remineralises so much detritus."

"Well, good to meet you, Noori," ventured Sen. Noori returned his bow without saying a word.

As Askarya introduced them to the rest of the group, Sen tried to figure out where Noori's limbs were. It was difficult with their frame completely obscured by their robes, but Sen found their movement intriguing. They seemed to glide across the ground rather than walking, which was especially strange as, like all fungus fairies, they had no hint of wings.

Sen shrugged and leaned against Si-woo.

"Hey rénxiōng. It's getting late. I'll sleep here tonight, what's your plan?"

"Yeah, I'll join you. Night all."

Phonso waved an offhand goodbye, then returned his attention to Wesley as he too made to leave.

The two friends fluttered into the quiet recesses of the fort. It was open and airy, warm and dry. Compared to the early days when they'd slept in a pile on the floor, it had become very comfortable, with silk, straw and twine hammocks strung from the rafters, while feather and moss mattresses lay below for those who didn't fly.

It was quiet, with few occupants around. Over the years, accessory rooms and levels had been built, housing everything from Nathair's growing library to Jess's frock collection. Live vines and stems grew through the construction, replacing dead branches as they rotted away and turning it into a growing, ever-changing structure. More than a structure in fact, but a living thing in its own right, and a home.

Sen and Si-woo looked out through the slats towards the horizon. The sun had just vanished, leaving the sky burnished rose and copper. Heavy clouds were building closer to the ground, threatening storms. Sen pointed to them.

"I don't like the look of those. Hope the river doesn't sweep away all of Simon's hard work."

"The look of what, sorry?", queried Si-woo, surprising Sen. He was normally the first to spot rain.

"Those clouds!"

"There's no clouds there." Si-woo rubbed his eyes. "Oh, so there are. Strange."

Sen gave him a puzzled look.

"Clouds come from the sea," added Si-woo.

"I know," responded Sen, and hesitated. "While these ones are… coming from over the mountains…"

An uneasy feeling hovered between them.

"There's a telescope in the admiral's room," suggested Si-woo. They raced there right away. Sen rapped the door.

"Admi- I mean, Sirichai?"

No answer. They pushed in, sorting as respectfully through his belongings as they could, then rushing back with the telescope in hand. Si-woo shakily put it to his eye & adjusted it.

"What do you see?"

Sen felt like he didn't want to know the answer.

"Oh crap. Oh FUCK this isn't good!"

Si-woo looked to his friend and spoke a single word.

"Locusts."

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

"Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm, damn it!"

Si-woo scampered up and down the fort at breakneck pace, half climbing, half flying, banging Glen's pots and ladles together. Cullodena emerged from her quarters, looking furious, but her expression softened when she saw the fear in Si-woo's eyes.

"Byun, dearie, whatever's the matter?"

"Locust swarm, headed this way," he gasped. "Round up everyone you can find!"

Sen stood in the crown of the fort's tallest tree, telescope trained on the dark mass with shaking hands. A lichen-covered head emerged through the foliage.

"Nobody gonna tell me what all the fuss is about?"

"Askarya!" Sen blushed and fumbled the spyglass, embarrassed that he'd forgotten all about them in the confusion.

"See for yourself."

They trained the eyepiece on the horizon and scowled.

"That's not good. What's the plan?"

Si-woo fluttered up beside them, followed by everyone else present; Cullodena, Nathair, Glen, Jake, Kai, Elei and, to Sen's surprise, Noori.

"Well me old chum, I'm glad you asked," cut in Nathair. "Our goal is to stop that swarm settling on our fair demesne."

Askarya smiled despite their situation, nudging a fretful Si-woo and mouthing, I think a bit of the Admiral’s rubbed off on him.

"What can you tell us about locusts?", asked Sen. "That's relevant right now, I mean."

"Okay, they typically fly by day. As ye can see, the sun's going down." The fern fairy folded his arms. "That means they'll be looking for an overnight stopoff. Wherever they land, they'll strip it clean of greenery by morning. That's what we stand to lose."

The others shifted uneasily. From one perspective, it would be easier just to abandon the fort and rebuild once the swarm had moved on. But no one voiced this. That option meant abandoning years of work, all the investment of time and energy that had gone into this place, not to mention the likely destruction of every treasured possession they stored inside. It was common knowledge that Nathair would lay down his own life if it meant preserving his library.

"Well, no time to lose," prompted Sen. The others switched their attention to him, faces resolute. "Jake, Kai, Elei, you'll be our first line of defence."

Kai cracked his knuckles.

"Glen, Askarya, reinforce the fort however you can. Nathair and Cullodena, you'll help us coordinate." He handed Nathair the spyglass. "And Si-woo and I will be in the air to deal with locusts that get through the outer defence."

The group nodded and quickly dispersed to their positions, Sen waiting to make sure all vulnerable points were covered.

Noori walked over to Sen and looked him in the eye.

"Oh. Sorry Noori, I… ahem, if you want to help, that's great! What kind of magic do you have?"

Noori opened one fist and revealed a sprig of moss. A dingy, stifling aura slowly leached out from Noori's shrouded silhouette. The little moss sprig withered and died.

Sen felt like a lead weight had dropped into his stomach. His breathing hitched and he forced himself not to step backwards.

"R-r-rot magic? That's-"

He swallowed.

"Hold on. That's precisely what we need right now!"

Sen looked over his shoulder. The swarm was less than a kilometre away.

"Noori, will that work on animals?"

The fungus fairy nodded once.

"Oh holy souls, superb. And can you, er, direct it? So that it won’t catch plants in the collateral?"

Noori wavered, then gave an unconvincing thumbs-up.

"Er. Alright. Whatever, it's our best option. Si-woo!"

Si-woo dived to meet Sen.

"What's up?"

"I need you to carry Noori."

Si-woo blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Noori's got amazing rot magic, I think it could take out half the swarm if we time it right. I need you to get them to the centre of it!"

"No way, no way, you're out of your mind," muttered Si-woo, pacing. "You want me to carry a disease causing fungus - no offence - into a plague of leaf stripping bugs on my own?!"

"Well, when you put it like that…" Sen sighed.

"Who's doing what on their own?" Kai alighted alongside them, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"Perfect, now he won't have to!", Sen exclaimed. "Kai, Si-woo's going into the swarm. Keep him safe."

Kai happily agreed, while Si-woo spluttered in indignation.

"Don't just go along with him like that! And Sen, may I ask why you're not the one carrying Noori?"

Sen froze, face flushing green in embarrassment.

"Well… you're a much better flyer than me. And my magic will be little use out there. And- and I'm scared."

Si-woo's expression softened, just a tad. "I know. But what makes you think I'm not?"

Sen didn’t know how to respond. After a pause, he simply went with, “I’m sorry.” Clearing his throat, he continued, “I’m trying to do what has to be done to protect everything we’ve worked for. But a good leader leads by example. You’re right, really I should be the one going out there.”

He took a deep breath and turned to Noori. “You ready?”

The little fungus fairy nodded.

“Alright,” replied Sen, trying to stop his hands shaking. “Hop on.”

Kai pressed his hands to a cycad leaf, drawing in magical vivacity while Noori clambered self-consciously onto Sen’s back.

“Let’s go.”

The three of them dropped from the branch and veered out from the dense stand of trees, into the evening air that was all that lay between them and the storm. At that moment, a voice rang out behind them.

“Dang and blast it, wait for me!”

Si-woo had caught up with them in an instant, his wings flowing like banners. He caught sight of Sen’s knowing smile.

“Well, after all that talk about leading from the front, I could hardly just sit back and watch. You’ll stand a better chance with two pairs of eyes on you.”

“You know I couldn’t ask for more, Si-woo.”

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Nathair watched the thrumming storm of wings grow until it blotted out the horizon. His fingers clenched, trying not to let the spyglass slip from his sweaty grasp. Beside him, his mother called something down to Elei, who answered in the affirmative as she geared up for battle. In the distance, the little shapes of Sen, Si-woo, Kai and Noori looked as though they were to be swallowed up without a trace.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Sen briefly took his eyes off the wall of jointed legs and compound eyes ahead, looking into Noori's eyes. Up to this point, their composure hadn't faltered, but he saw terror in their eyes.

"Hey, Noori, look at me. It'll be ok, you hear me? We'll get through this. I promise I won't let you fall."

Noori shifted nervously, inhaled deeply and sat up a bit straighter, their mood settling.

"That's the spirit."

They were so close that the sound of chitinous wings and hungry mouthparts nearly drowned out Sen's voice.

"Alright, this is it! You ready? Kai, Si-woo? Got your magic ready, Noori? Yeah? Here goes!"

All at once, the swarm surrounded them. Locusts rushed by on all sides and from directly ahead. Kai reacted in a flash, swift strikes of his toughened limbs and wings sending orthopterans raining from the sky, keeping the path clear for the others.

"Now?", shouted Si-woo.

"Wait until we're at the densest point!", answered Sen. "Our friends will take care of the rest!"

Si-woo gave a grim nod and fell in line beside Kai, calling up his water magic to create a shield of droplets that deflected the ravening grasshoppers around the quartet.

"Noori, it's up to you now. I'll give you as much help as I can."

Sen focused, grateful that for the moment, he didn't have to swerve around locusts as he did so. Breathing deeply in and clasping his hands as his wings powered onwards, he drew on a flow of inter-promoting and overacting magic. It was an atypical combination, but it would allow Noori's magic to feed off the energy Sen provided. It wasn't without risk, as if Noori overstepped their boundaries they could begin draining Sen's life force directly, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Noori locked themself in place with their legs, raising their arms with robes trailing. Flakes began to crumble and spill from their skin, a grey pallor extending all around. Sen nervously took a deep breath as the spores surrounded him, but they appeared to do no damage. The locusts weren't so lucky.

The moment the ashen dust touched them, the insects went into disarray, legs jerking and bodies spasmodically careening into each other. With every collision in the densely packed cloud of wings, another plume of spores went up, enveloping the sky in a grim haze.

"Will that be enough?" Sen shouted to Noori, who shook their head and pointed upwind. Sen nodded and flew on, to where the first spores had difficulty reaching. The locusts were beginning to disperse, flying in chaotic patterns as they avoided the cloud of death, and making it hard to get a good shot in. Noori took their best shot, sprinkling the infectious powder over another portion of the hungering plague, but it was clear that they weren't catching all of them.

Kai and Si-woo closed in on their location.

"At this rate, too many will get through, the fort will be overwhelmed!", hollered Kai.

"I know! Blast and damn it, we should have had a plan in reserve!"

"Guys, why is the moon rising on the opposite horizon to normal?", Si-woo chimed in.

"Now's really not the time-", Sen began, but trailed off as the ball of yellow light in the distance rapidly grew in size and intensity.

"Pretty sure that ain't the moon," observed Kai.

Something about the light was familiar, and Sen felt a twinge of premonition in his gut.

"I think we should shield our eyes."

Kai shrugged. "Hey, it's not that bright, it might help us corral those bugs more easi-"

"Cover them!", snapped Sen.

The light exploded.

Beams as piercing as the noonday sun burst forth, bathing the landscape with saturated shadows and cold fire. There was no noise, no heat, just a white glow that granted Sen the chance to get a look at the back of his own eyelids.

As quickly as it had arrived, the light blinked out, leaving nothing but its technicolor afterglow across their vision. Sen slowly got his bearings, wings continuing to beat on instinct as he turned in midair. Noori was still on his back, Si-woo still beside him. Kai was gone.

[phytochorion]

How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Eighteen - Up in Smoke

The stone on which Sen had sat while his first ginkgos germinated had been overgrown. Askarya's lichen, Yuval's liverworts, Lee's mosses and small, creeping things Sen couldn't even name coated its surface. As the roots of ginkgo and archaeopteris stabilised the soil and the humus of dead plants accumulated, the rapid trickle that had once flowed here slowed and broadened to a winding concourse of pools.

It was the perfect spot for sitting in contemplative silence. Today, though Sen found his perch on the stone occupied by someone quite unexpected.

"Elei?", he called softly. She turned to him, slowly withdrawing from her reverie.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I'll find somewhere else…"

She smiled at him, the faintest of flickers. "No need. Come and sit."

He scaled the overlapping layers of rhizomes to the craggy overhang and sat.

"I'm sorry about Kai."

"Not your fault. But thank you."

She squeezed his shoulder, folded her hands in her lap.

"Did you plant this? It's beautiful."

"Thanks. Si-woo gets some of the credit."

They were quiet for a time.

"I should get back to the fort," Elei decided eventually, stretching.

"There's no hurry," reassured Sen. "We understand if you need space."

"That's alright. I'm feeling in a better headspace. And I'm starting to miss everyone."

"Safe travels," Sen nodded.

"Same to you."

Elei's jagged wings carried her away.

Sen remained. After some time mulling things over, he turned back to the task at hand. If he were truly going to approach Osmund like that, he couldn't go empty-handed. Something reciprocal would suit, but Sen had nothing to match Osmund's benefaction. Unless he made one.

Hurrying to his nest, Sen scooped up the silk he had gathered and glided back to the forest floor. Casting around for suitable stalks to form a loom, he dashed around a toadstool and collided heavily with something solid yet flaky.

Sitting up in befuddlement, Sen looked into the eyes of a fairy nearly twice his height. This was still only a few centimetres, but to Sen that was enormous.

"Dreadfully sorry!", announced the fairy in a timbrous voice befitting his stature. An arm overgrown with hyphae and thalli hauled Sen bodily to his feet.

Sen blinked. "Robin?"

"The very same!"

"I haven't seen you since the Jurassic! What have you been up to?"

"Diversifying, thriving, the usual. Entered into a partnership with many other Mycors."

Sen wasn't clear if that was a romantic or business partnership, but decided to let it slide.

"And you've come here for those newly opened niches, I'm guessing?"

"Looks like everybody had the same idea, huh? I've met some other old friends already."

It was only then that Sen noticed Askarya, Noori and Glen behind the much taller lichen fairy.

"Ah. Jake mentioned you had some, er, fungal matters to attend to. What does that actually involve?"

"Strictly need-to-know basis," gloated Askarya. Sen threw his hands up.

"Fine, I get it, I'm not a fungus," he huffed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some weaving to do. See you Robin."

Picking up his silks, he began stringing them through a suitable loom. It wasn't long until Askarya was crouched beside him.

"Hey, sorry yaar. Just teasing."

Sen nodded curtly.

"Noori is assaying the nutritional composition of the leaf litter around here. I just thought it wouldn't really interest you."

Sen smiled gradually.

"No worries. Go on, tell me about it."

Askarya launched into a diatribe on how necrotic magic required a good understanding of the base material's properties, especially if it was to be decomposed in a useful way. Sen nodded along, asking questions every so often. The others joined presently.

"Ey, you need help there?" Glen offered. "I'm a dab hand at weaving, meself."

"You are? That would be most appreciated!"

Between them, they worked the silk into a thin, strong string.

"It would have been so nice if I could dye this red," hummed Sen, admiring their finished product.

"Your wish is my command," Robin supplied, taking the strand between his palms where it immediately began to infuse with deep maroon. The others cheered in astonishment.

"Souls below, I never knew you could do that!", Sen marvelled.

"Perks of being a lichen. I should teach Askarya and Likhith sometime."

"You're tying it as a Shrivatsa, yeah?" Askarya confirmed. "Got you covered."

A few versed turns and the silk was pleated into the eternal knot.

"It's perfect," Sen beamed. "I really hope he likes it!"

"Oh?" Askarya's voice was salacious enough to drip. "Who's "he"?"

""He" is one Sir Osmund Umber, if what I've been told holds water." Si-woo dropped feet first through the canopy, wings streaming like banners, and landed in a flurry of leaves.

"Osmund? You're spinning a present for that fruitcake?" Robin scratched his encrusted head, shaking spores free.

"Gongsun, why didn't you tell us, I could've given you some courting tips!", squeaked Glen.

Noori gave a series of rapid hand gestures to Askarya, who laughed and thumbs-upped.

"Are we going or what?", muttered Sen.

"Yeah, yeah, coming. Want a lift, Askarya?"

"Eh, I'll stay with these guys, lemme know how it goes!"

"Before you go." Robin placed a hand on Sen's shoulder. "I don't want to discourage you, but Osmund is a tricksy one. Just… be careful about committing to anything too quick, yeah?"

"That's what I've been telling them!" Sen pointed at his grinning friends, relieved to find someone who shared his concerns. "What would Umber see in someone like me? This is daft, I'm going back to the fort."

"Oh no you aren't!" Si-woo put a firm arm around him and guided him back up the overhanging stone. "We're gonna go, you're gonna have a fabulous time and I'm gonna tell this lot all about it!"

Waving, he called "so long, my ascomycete acquaintances!", before winging due south with Sen begrudgingly in tow.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

"Tell me what he looks like."

"Handsome."

"Wow, your grasp of the Fae language knows no bounds. I mean describe him, Hubae."

"Ugh. He's, he's skinny. Taller than me, though not as tall as you. Piercing eyes, high-bridged nose, crenellated tresses."

"The heck is crenellated?"

"Whose language skills are lacking now?"

Si-woo laughed and performed a loop the loop. "No comment."

They had passed Wilbur's grove, waving to some liverwort fairies flying in the opposite direction, and were well on their way to the fern chaparral.

"Do you smell something?"

Sen tested the air with his tongue, nose and crown. "Yes. I got a smell like that last time I was here, closer to the ground."

"Holy fucking souls."

Si-woo stopped abruptly and they nearly collided mid-air.

The chaparral was ablaze.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The two fairies got as close as they dared. A flock of squalling jimmylegs flew as fast as their legs would carry them away from the approaching wall of flames.

Sen closed in on the basalt pinnacle. Its height did little to temper the wildfire's heat. Sen felt his wings crinkle and dry painfully, and folded them tightly for protection. As Si-woo landed beside him, he saw they weren't alone.

With a rapier's sweep, the flames were willed to rise higher. A fleeing herd of rhynchocephalians were swallowed by the rolling inferno. Mosses baked, shrubby seed ferns cracked and burst in heated agony.

"What are you doing??!", Sen screamed.

Osmund started and whipped round. He at least had the decency to look genuinely shamefaced.

"Gongsun. Didn't expect you to be back this soon."

He coughed, drew himself up and continued with renewed confidence.

"As for what I'm doing, this is a fire-prone ecosystem anyway. I'm doing no more than hastening the inevitable."

It all fell into place. The remarkable speed with which this land had accumulated soil. The lingering, burnt smell. The dearth of any plants except the interrupted ferns. Osmund's attempts to limit tree cover.

"You aren't content to rely on natural decay and humification." Sen tried to keep his voice level, his entire being quaking in anger. "You'd trample anyone's aspirations if it means you'll get your own way. You said we're all just competing to ensure our own survival. No. The path to survival lies in mutual assistance. You're about to drown in your own self-absorption."

Osmund shrugged. "All's fair in love and war."

Sen felt like he'd been punched in the guts.

"You wouldn't know the first thing about either you limp-leaf, servile, parasitic scum! Extinguish those flames before I extinguish you!"

He pushed the cord they'd woven into Si-woo's hands, and then grabbed the antique robes Osmund had gifted him, wrenching them off,  compressing them into a ball and hurling them straight for the fire with a fluid, ferocious swing of his arm.

"HEY! Hey, I spent centuries on that one!"

Aghast, Osmund rose into the air, too late.

"Good riddance!", stormed Sen, buck-naked. "I am going to splinter you tracheid by tiny blasted tracheid."

Osmund looked down his nose.

"I'd like to see you try."

His fern frond wings rolled protectively up. He held his rapier en garde and approached with slow steps. Sen kept his eyes fixed on Osmund, while feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"This is a bad idea," Si-woo cautioned.

"Don't care."

Si-woo stepped back and the duellists circled each other.

"You'll look cute when you beg," decided Osmund. Sen suddenly wished he'd kept his clothes on. "Ready when you are," he declared, rapier tilting ever so slightly in Sen's direction.

Sen breathed deep and long, through his nose and all the way to his diaphragm. He felt his awareness heighten and narrow at the same time, the encroaching flames fading into a secondary concern. His leg muscles flexed imperceptibly, a moment of tightness before they flung him forth, fists-first.

Osmund clearly anticipated a head-on attack, and all he had to do was hold the point of his rapier forward. Sen was forced to break off his strike and jerk sideways to avoid running himself through, but came in for another try. He feinted towards Osmund's head, keeping just out of the blade's reach, then swung a kick at his undefended ankles. Osmund couldn't hit back, but managed to skip away from Sen's strike just quickly enough to avoid tripping. Sen tried to keep his foe on the back foot, but Osmund was swift and nimble. Sen's overhead hammer blow was caught on the flat of Osmund's blade, throwing him off balance, and now the fern fairy was the one on the attack.

Sen just about managed to duck one strike and retaliated with an uppercut that jarred Osmund's sword arm. That bought him a little breathing room, but Osmund recovered fast enough that Sen could make no use of the opening, and kept pushing him back, towards the edge of the precipice. It was hot on Sen's back, the flames climbing the bare stone despite the lack of fuel. In slow horror, he watched as they followed the sweep of Osmund's blade.

"That's cheating!"

"You didn't specify no magic at the start. Too late to change the rules now."

Hemmed in and with his focus split, Sen reacted to Osmund's next thrust a millisecond later than he should have. The root-forged weapon glinting in the firelight, he saw it in the corner of his eye and jerked his head, its fine edge missing anything vital but catching right in the carefully knotted tresses atop his head. For a moment, neither moved.

"Huh," was all Osmund said.

Then he ripped the blade free, cutting supple shreds to ribbons, Sen screaming in agony as he was dragged down by his bleeding scalp.

"I win."

He raised his sword high and brought the deadly point down. Kneeling on the glassy stone, Sen raised his arms and clapped his palms together, catching and holding the blade between them. The smell of caramelising honeydew filled the air as Sen's lifesap bubbled from gashed hands and volatilised in the heat.

"Don't count your spores before they sprout."

Osmund, just for a moment, had no idea what to do. Regaining composure, he drew the blade back, lacerating Sen's palms, and raised it for a strike that, this time, there would be no hope of intercepting. But in doing so he left himself open.

Sen, the moment his hands were free, leaned back to plant them against the stone. Osmund's rapier was descending, but Sen's body was already in motion. Bracing with his arms, he swung a kick horizontally, heel connecting hard with his enemy's shin. Osmund went down, blade skittering away and over the cliff edge.

Sen leapt up. He was in control now. But Osmund flicked his wrist and the flames around them closed in, trapping the gymnosperm fairy where he stood. A slight whistling drew the attention of both.

Si-woo was facing away from them, arms raised. As they watched, the whistling grew louder, a jet of clear water summoned from the highland lakes many kilometres off, and flying to meet them. Si-woo turned one step at a time, a fastidious half-circle, the water following his movements. It was upon them, falling like aggregated rain and rushing in spate around Sen.

"Two against one isn't fair," objected Osmund.

"Oh don't start that," snapped Si-woo, resin rising to his cheeks with the effort of holding the flow steady. Vapour was already peeling off the edges. "What was it you said about not specifying the rules at the start?"

Osmund's crown twitched and he made no retort.

Shielded by the cloud of moisture, Sen prepared to finish the fight. Inhaling acrid air, he moved swiftly and smoothly for Osmund, who appeared on the verge of hysteria. He skittered to where his blade had disappeared, changed his mind and faced Sen in a fighting stance, but he clearly had little experience with unarmed combat, and Sen called his bluff.

He made an obvious jab at Osmund's neck, Umber moving both arms up to defend and in so doing leaving his midriff unguarded. With a quick forward leap and pivot, Sen sank his knee into Osmund's diaphragm, knocking the spiritedness clean out of him.

The fern fairy lay flat on his back. Sen watched him for signs of life and saw none. He approached.

A sudden twitch and the flames closed back in, catching Sen and Si-woo off-guard and breaching the curtain of water. Si-woo yelled something wordless and appalled as his friend disappeared from view.

Then Sen was airborne, smoke trailing from his body as his leap cleared the stifling flames and brought him down atop Osmund's prone form. Pinning his magicking hand and raising a fist for a strike there wasn't a hope of dodging, Sen howled, "Call off this madness!"

"You won't kill me, coward." Osmund smiled through his pain as a flash of fear in Sen's eyes told him he was right. "And you have more pressing worries than trying to divert my masterful schemes."

Sen sat back, not liking the confidence Osmund still maintained. What worries?

He flinched and choked on the ashen air as he saw his wings. 

Burned down to all but stubs by the inferno.

"Byun! We're getting out of here, now!"

Si-woo hastened to comply, his enchanted cloud shielding him as he readied for takeoff.

Osmund took the opportunity to get to his knees. Sen kicked him in the ribs.

"You're right. Vile as you are, I can't bring myself to end your life. But I swear on all the souls, if you come after us, this hell you've made for yourself will be nothing to what I'll put you through."

Osmund wheezed, in pain or laughter he couldn't tell. Si-woo gathered Sen's sooty, quaking figure in his arms and they sped away north.

[phytochorion]

How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Seventeen - In the Heat of the Moment

"Kai!"

Sen swung his head frantically back and forth, so vigorous as to dislodge his hairpin and send his tresses billowing in the wind. He swept them back with one hand to clear his sight, to little use, as stunned locusts fell like hail.

"There!", shouted Si-woo, and dived, Sen right behind.

Fairies didn't weigh much. Their bodies, adapted for flight, were reasonably resilient to falls. All the same, Kai had suffered a particularly bad landing. As the others swooped down beside him, they could see that he'd hit the ground at such an angle as to break both his wings, and likely internal bodily structures along with them. They ran to his side.

"Oh dear souls, Kai," muttered Si-woo, kneeling beside him. "Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere," croaked the cycad fairy, sap welling from his mouth. Sen didn't have to be an apothecary to tell he was in a seriously bad way.

"Here," Sen offered, crouching to let Kai put an arm over his shoulder. "We'll get you back to the fort."

With Si-woo and Noori taking the other side, they made to haul him off the ground, eliciting a stricken groan from Kai. Si-woo cursed and tensed up, carefully resting him back down.

"This isn't good, guys, we're just going to injure him worse if we move him."

"Alright, yes, bad idea," admitted Sen. "Si-woo, fly to the fort and bring anyone with any skill in healing, Noori and I will stay with him."

Si-woo nodded and was gone in a flash.

With alarm, Sen noted that, as well as making short work of most of the insects, the spores drifting across air and land had taken hold of Kai. While Noori had done all they could to stem the effects of the propagules on unintended targets, the weeping fractures splitting Kai’s skin had proven an inexorable draw to them. Already, his dark, healthy skin looked like it was flaking. Sen held his hand and whispered, “Hang in there, help’s on the way. Won’t be long now.”

Movement drew his attention away from the stricken cycad fairy. Those locusts lucky enough not to be ensnared in Noori’s necromancy were shaking off their stupor. Sen had no idea how the minds of insects operated. Were they confused? Getting their bearings? Or was hunger all they knew? Regardless, they’d seen or smelled the fairies, and were closing in. Sen assumed the drop stance, spreading his wings in a futile gesture of intimidation and to shield Kai and Noori. 

A faint voice rang through the fog.

"Mother fucker!"

Sen jumped, then looked at Noori to see if he was imagining things. Noori shrugged.

"Eat shit and die!"

The swearing was followed up with a dull crunch.

"You want some of this? COME ON THEN!"

More painful noises interspersed with curses. The voice, Sen realised, was one he'd heard not long ago.

A locust sprang at him and he seized it with both hands, its thorny limbs cutting his baggy robes to shreds. He dashed it against a rock, and Noori finished it off with a coating of decay. They looked up to find a celestial light building among the clubmosses, outlining a short and stocky figure. It hefted one of the spiny stems, crushed a locust's head with it and remarked, "Well, that's the end of you."

"Schuppenbaumer?" Sen called into the gloom.

The glowing individual turned to face them and came into view.

"Maybe a thank you is in order."

Phonso looked unassailably pleased with himself. He was coated in locust gunk and Noori's spores, breathing heavily and shining like a beacon. The bugs wisely backed off as he stepped towards them.

Sen bowed. "Your help in grounding the swarm cannot be praised enough. But we fear those insects weren't the only casualty."

Phonso's brow furrowed and he trotted closer, stopping short on seeing Kai.

"Oh shit. Oh no, Kai, I'm sorry, I- what were all of you even doing out here? You didn't think you could fight a plague of locusts yourself?"

Sen bristled and was about to issue a snappy retort when Si-woo crash-landed beside him, Askarya on his back and most of the defenders in tow. Jake and Gawain's magic put paid to the few orthopterans still skulking in the gloom.

Sen's two friends were at Kai's side immediately, Askarya drawing up magic to stabilise and mend his injuries. Their attention swung frantically back and forth between those present.

"What in all the souls happened? Si-woo said something about a shooting star and…"

Their focus suddenly fixed on the still-illuminated Phonso.

"You! What did you do?!"

Phonso started, arms rising defensively.

"Hey don't blame me! I just saved your asses from being torn asunder by-"

"Everything was under control until you showed up! And now look!"

"Guys," croaked Kai, all heads turning to him in concern, "don't fight. If I was in Phonso's place I'd have done the same. It's just-"

He broke off, coughing up sap.

"It's just bad luck."

"No no no, Kai, look at me."

Elei knelt beside him, resting his head on her lap.

"We're gonna get through this. Don't talk like that. We'll be back at the fort in no time."

"Look after Belek. Give the admiral my regards. And Elei?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Sorry I'm always a step behind you. It's not fair that you've always had to pick up my slack, I should've- I wish I'd worked harder for you."

"Kai, you have nothing to apologise for. I don't care how much work has to be done, if it'll keep the crew together, I'll do it."

Kai exhaled softly. "We'd be lost without you. Well, Elei. Until we meet again."

Elei touched her brow gently to Kai's. There she sat, silent and still but for the rise of her shoulders as she took the occasional, wracked breath.

Everyone else stayed where they were, heads bowed. Sen took Si-woo's hand in one of his, Askarya's in the other. Si-woo linked hands with Noori, and so on, until they were arrayed like a half moon. Phonso was the only one left out. He looked away as though deciding to leave, but wavered and turned back to them. After a moment, Askarya imperceptibly eased their posture and took his hand.

And there they stayed. United in their vigil, the winds washing over them, going without eating or sleeping as the magic within Kai's body slowly returned him to the forces of the world.

More than a week later and he had passed on, his body dissipated and the toughened leaves of his crown and wings scattered on the ground.

The sun rose softly through the mist. Elei sat still.

As though discerning a change in the atmosphere, Gawain detached his hand from that of his brother beside him, stepped back and quietly propelled himself into the air and away. The others stood a little longer, and then they too started to go their separate ways. Soon it was just Sen and Phonso. Phonso met his eyes briefly, nodded in acknowledgement and fluttered back in the direction of Schuppenbaumer Schloss. Sen looked back to Elei, implacable as a monolith. He wished he could go to her, reassure her, but he knew nothing he could say would be enough. His wings feeling heavy and unresponsive, he climbed laboriously up and out into the blue sky.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Sen was back at the mossy ravine, catching up with Con and Wilbur as had become his habit.

"I've noticed more springtails lately!", chirped Wilbur, rummaging through the leaf litter and sending a swarm of the tiny bugs hopping away. "Really remarkable, they got all the way out here without being able to fly! They're so light they can be blown on the wind!"

"No, they float on the sea," argued Con, Wilbur rolling his eyes in response. "No, seriously, they repel water."

Sen dangled his legs over the edge of a bracket fungus and listened contentedly. Compared to those representing larger trees, moss and fern fairies concerned themselves less with wide-scale, climatic processes in favour of cultivating an intimate knowledge of the stone and soil beneath their feet. Sen often found their discourse hard to follow, verging on nonsensical, but it was refreshing to listen to a different point of view.

Sen stood and made his excuses, Con and Wilbur waving him off. Before he could take flight, he heard his name called.

"Oh! Mister… Theodore Kaupa? What is it?"

"Just thought you might want to know," the liverwort fairy drawled, "those ginkgos you left here? They're close to blooming."

"Ai?? That's fantastic! I'll be able to cross-pollinate them!" Sen hustled over to Theo and they flew a quick circuit of the treetops so he could inspect them.

"Let me know as soon as they've matured, will you?", Sen pressed.

"Sure thing. Been meaning to check out that fort you guys set up."

Sen thanked Theodore and took his leave. Although the various bryophyte sprites he'd met in the gorge had gone their separate ways, the place had come to serve as a focal point. Con was reliably found there and always accommodated visitors, so fairies tired by their exploits or looking to catch up on gossip dropped in like clockwork. Sen hadn't quite got a handle on all their names, but a few were distinctive among them. Viktor Kaledon, flightless and with a taste for bugs, Yuval Bakalin, permanently smiling like he was up to no good, and Elmer Florakis, tall and colourful, stuck out from the rest, but the other names blurred together after a while.

Sen shook his head. He could reacquaint with the hornworts later. For now, he was on a mission.

The tremors that were a regular feature of the island's south side were waning in frequency and intensity. Tectonic activity was grinding further out to sea, forcing up yet more land, while the lava fields left behind were stabilising. Sen, Si-woo and Askarya could take much of the credit for how quickly life had carpeted the sterile landscape, but they weren't the only actors in this unfolding drama. The moss fairies, as ever, had been quick off the mark, and the liverworts and ferns followed close behind. And above all, the forces of wind and water worked their weariless weathering.

No longer at serious risk of volcanism, Sen had settled on this spot as prime territory for planting the first ginkgo fruits to be conceived in this land. Flying low and slow, catching the warm updrafts, he surveyed the tuffaceous landscape. The soil already looked deep in places, surprisingly so. Sen wasn't sure how it had already built up to such an extent with such a sparse cover of vegetation. He folded his wings and touched down on the springy turf.

A strange smell met his nose. Like the ashen graveyard of a forest fire, when herbs and ferns had replaced the devastation, but the fire's mark remained beneath. Uneasy, he escaped back to the sky and continued south.

It wasn't long before the ground cover changed. Sen had been expecting it to dwindle, but the opposite seemed true, the plants growing larger and lusher as he neared the lava fields. Baffled, he made another landing. The verdant fields he'd observed from above, on closer inspection, were something of a façade. Although huge ferns lay as far as the eye could see, they were the only plants around. No moss, no horsetails. Just ferns growing from cooled lava. Too late, Sen realised why this felt so familiar.

"Well well. Gongsun Sen, wasn't it? Always a pleasure."

"Sir Umber," ventured Sen. Sir? He had no idea where that came out of. But if it suited any fairy, it was Osmund. At any rate, a warm but rather intense smile lit up the fern grower's face.

"I wasn't expecting a visit," he jested, and while Sen flailed for something to explain his presence, Osmund continued, "I've been busy, as you may espy."

Sen kept his composure easy and detached, while scrambling to put the pieces together in his head. Osmund had effectively monopolised this marginal habitat, sustaining a remarkable density of plants beyond the reach of any competition. But the lava fields were just that, marginal. Soon they'd be overtaken by more diverse plant communities from inland.

Unless something stopped them.

Before Sen could fully consider the implications of this scenario, Osmund stepped close. It should have been uncomfortably close, but his proximity was embarrassingly welcome. His skin smelled faintly of cinnamon.

"You're not content to stay out here with nothing but bare rock to live on," Sen stated. He hoped he at least sounded confident.

"Very perceptive." Osmund's voice was practically a purr. "Follow me."

He launched without looking back. Sen dithered back and forth, then threw caution to the wind and followed.

Osmund brought him to a windswept spire of obsidian, rising like a black dorsal fin above the chaparral. There they perched, and the fern fairy drew the exquisite rapier he kept at his waist. Shaped from a single, magically hardened rhizome, it had a hilt like blown glass and a blade so sharp it practically disappeared. Sen watched, mesmerised, as Osmund struck neat lines in the dark stone.

He tapped a little triangle he'd carved with the sword's tip.

"That represents this crag."

Sen craned his neck, then nodded excitedly as the etchings resolved themselves as a map.

"I'm here," Osmund continued. "You came from that direction… and this stretch, between, is as yet unclaimed."

"The land belongs to us all." Sen kept his voice neutral.

"Don't be naïve." Osmund was unfazed. "You know as well as I do that incumbency comes with certain privileges. Everyone seeks to bolster their own position, openly or covertly. It is the natural way of things."

Sen opened his mouth, found himself without a response, and closed it again.

A conspiratorial note crept into Osmund's voice.

"You yourself have plans to extend your reach into this place, do you not?"

Sen squirmed.

"Alright, that's different, trees take much longer to grow and ferns can disperse on the wind so-"

"So I should just be passive?" Osmund cut him off without batting an eye. "Let the whims of the world decide my fate? I don't think so. You may believe that promulgating ferns is somehow easier than bringing a forest to fruition, but let me tell you now, it is not."

He cleared his throat.

"Make no mistake, I have no enmity with you, Gongsun. You are doing the same as I. In fact, I believe we can help one another."

Sen put his hands in his sleeves, sceptical.

"Really? How so?"

"Knowledge is power, as you're aware. And soon, there will be nothing that happens on this island without me knowing about it."

Sen moved closer despite himself, hanging on Osmund's next words.

"I'll keep you in my circle. We'll be the most powerful fairies this side of Epiphyllia. Any challenge can be anticipated, any opportunity taken."

Sen's heart was nearly beating out of his chest, his tongue felt as though it were moving through treacle.

"... What would you ask in return?"

"Not much," answered Osmund, eyes glinting. "Just that you leave a bit of space for me."

"Surrender this territory, you mean."

"Not entirely. Just thin your trees to, how about, one every mansus?"

"Five every mansus," Sen gambled. Osmund's nose wrinkled in displeasure.

"One."

Transpiration beaded on Sen's brow.

"Three?"

"Two and that's my final offer," sighed Osmund.

"You have yourself a deal!"

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Sen ran the conversation through his head countless times on the flight home. He and Osmund had quickly hashed out an agreement of what constituted the limits of the unclaimed land, and after shaking hands on the agreement, Osmund had surprised him with a sudden turn of generosity. He'd remarked on Sen's tattered robes, then brought him to a nest he'd built under the ferns and produced a newly woven, sumptuous silk ensemble. Sen had tried to refuse, but Osmund wouldn't hear it, and before he could process what had happened, the ginkgo fairy was flying home dressed in the most stunning outfit he'd ever worn.

His whirling thoughts settled down as the scenery became familiar. Up ahead was the fort, Aliwen and Gawain laughing as they propped up a platform together. With its mixture of living plants and easily dismantled timber, the structure continued to reconfigure and adapt to its surroundings.

Sen landed up in the high rafters, where the Pioneers were having lunch.

"Afternoon, gentlemen," he remarked, getting a chorus of "Howdy" in reply.

"Have you seen Si-woo?"

"Out, I think," Jake mused, chewing slowly.

"Askarya?"

"Went on some fungal business with Glen and Noori."

Sen thanked them, keenly aware of three pairs of eyes scrutinising his clothes, though without comment.

He opened his wings and parachuted down from the light and airy apex to the recesses of the fort. Its main room, originally the sleeping area, had steadily shifted into a spot for preparing food, trading resources and catching up on gossip, earning its title as the exchange hall.

Settling on the wooden floor, fragrant with dew, pollen and resin, he greeted Ponnarasu and headed to the food stores. Picking up a little wooden cup crafted from a seed pod, he stepped outside and filled it with dew from a swaying ginkgo leaf. Sitting and sipping, his thoughts returned to Osmund.

Away from the fern fairy's smothering personality, Sen was able to consider their deal more critically. He didn't trust Osmund, that much he knew. But he had no evidence of him doing anything reprehensible. He was an aggressive expansionist, yes, but he'd made the perfectly valid point that it was the driving aspiration of all fairies to ensure the survival of their plants. And themselves in the process.

Si-woo materialised from thin air as was his wont, diving, folding his wings and landing all in the same smooth manoeuvre. Sen flinched as his train of thought went runaway, then chastised himself for startling so easily.

"Heok, someone's looking fine today!"

Si-woo examined the hem of Sen's sleeve between two deft fingers.

"Tell me, Hubae, what have you been up to?"

Sen sat up primly.

"I was just on my way to tell you, in fact. I… I met someone."

Si-woo's face betrayed no emotion, but he listened intently.

"I'd flown out south to the lava fields, they're rapidly being colonised by mosses and ferns. And there's someone there. Sir Osmund Umber."

Si-woo's eyebrows rose in slow recognition.

"You know him?", Sen asked quickly.

"Name rings a bell. I met him… a few times, I think, long ago, though we were never close. So what happened?"

Sen twirled one of the ginkgo petioles that composed his tresses round a finger.

"Well… he was very magnanimous. I was scouting out somewhere to plant my ginkgos, and it turned out he already had designs on that area. But we made an arrangement, and I'll still get to cultivate some there!"

"Let me get this straight. He blocked you from land that, by all rights, is yours, granted you a small concession and you're thanking him for it?"

"No, hang on, let me finish," protested Sen. "His offer for ceding the land was information. He knows a lot and he's willing to share, provided he gets something in return. He… gave me some good pointers on where others are extending their range, and if some ecosystem space suitable for my ginkgos opens up, he'll let me know. He's a scoundrel, that much is true, but a brute he is not. He was most genteel when speaking and listened to what I had to say. He doesn't beat around the bush, he's impeccably presented and he smells really nice, I don't know how to put it, kind of spicy? And yes, he gifted me these robes, entirely of his own volition."

An expression Sen had never seen settled on Si-woo's face.

"Dude."

"What?", fretted Sen.

"DUDE. You have the fattest crush I have seen in all my many ages!"

Si-woo's weird expression grew and grew until his face was nearly splitting open in silent laughter.

"Aiyoo?! I do not have a crush on that- that fiend! He's venal and I'm not interested in him, it's merely a settlement of mutual interest! What put the idea in your head??"

"Nobody talks about a trading partner that way! He "smells nice"???," gawked Si-woo. "Gongsun, I say this with the greatest respect, get your ass down south and ask this guy out before this golden opportunity passes you by."

"But-"

"No buts! Oh my souls, where's Askarya?"

Si-woo was gone in a wingbeat.

Sen could feel himself shrivel in disgrace. He should make himself scarce before the whole fort was betting on his next move.

[phytochorion]

How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Twelve - Scramble and Interfere

The day rose swift and bright. Horsetails crackled as they baked in the heat. Sen was up early as usual, and after watering his ginkgos, decided to check on those at the fort.

Swooping down on a warm breeze, he noticed that all the other fairies were assembled outside the structure. And intriguingly, the flora in the vicinity had grown a great deal. Where before had been bare sand or sparse bracken, now saplings of considerable height were already raising their green shoots. Sen wasn't the only one to have treated his plants to a bit of magic. It seemed their actions, though uncoordinated, had acted synergistically. Even his ginkgos, slow growing at the best of times, had sent up shoots.

"Sen, jolly good to see you!" Nathair waved cheerfully to him as he landed. "You're just in time!"

Sen looked around. "For what?"

"We," announced Nathair, gesturing to himself, "are lifting that-" he pointed to the fort- "up there!" He swept his arms to encompass the newly grown sprigs.

Jake stepped over. "The other pioneers an' I've been fertilizin' the soil since we got here. With a bit o' help from these new folks, we got them seeds the admiral brought sproutin' pretty darn quick. So we figured, why not lift the fort up there? It'll be easiest now when they's little, an' as they grow they'll put us outta reach o' any varmints crawlin' below."

"I see. It's a fine idea," agreed Sen. "How are we going to lift it?"

"How else? A bit more magic," Jake replied. "Hope yer feelin' sprightly."

"Fit as a finagle," smiled Sen.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Jake paced up and down, scrutinising the group.

"Aliwen, you stand opposite me, over there. Jess, this side, Elei, that side. Sen, yer magical proclivity is balanced, correct? Here with me."

"I dinnae ken if I feel up to much magicking at me advanced age," cautioned Cullodena, "but I can fly up there and guide her into position, if ye fancy."

"I better do the same," mumbled Sirichai.

With everyone at their coordinates, Jake held up an arm.

"Y'all know what yer doin'?"

A chorus of assent rang out.

"Let's get a move on!"

Jake swept his arm down, signalling them to start. One group of fairies stood close to the young trees, using earth, metal and shadow magic to steady them. The others drew on wind, water and lightning to form a miniature tempest, coalescing underneath the fort and rocking it back and forth.

Joe, Cullodena and Sirichai perched in the shaking branches, sure-footed and keen eyed. Joe wordlessly gestured to Jess, who braced himself and ramped up the power of the whirlwind he was coaxing into being.

"Gawain, wee bit more on your side!", called his mother. Obligingly, he summoned a crackle of electricity, balancing the wickerwork construction as the micro-cyclone slowly lifted it off the ground.

Jake cheered.

"Nearly there now! Keep goin' up! Admiral, guide us!"

Sirichai strode out to the edge of the floating fort like it was the prow of his ship.

"Alright, we need to go… towards you, Jake. And a little higher."

"You heard 'im!", commanded the moustachioed fairy. The others hastened to comply.

"We're in position. Brace those trees."

Sen touched his brow to the bark of the nearest sapling. It was an exquisite young Solenites, one of Belek's. He let the turbulence of his mind clear like the sky after a storm, feeling the meeting of his consciousness with the tree's. Firm. Supportive. Each assuring the other that they would make it.

Askarya was doing something similar. Where their hands touched the trunk of a strapping tree fern, lichens unfurled and spread. Aliwen nodded appreciatively, embracing the stem of the next fern over.

"And down," called Sirichai.

"Slowly," added Cullodena.

The others obliged, easing off the power of their magic. The swirling winds became a gentle gust, keeping the fort airborne, but only just. Finally, with a crunch, it came to rest in the canopy. Jess sprung into the air in an instant, vaulting up to the branches and cajoling his arborescent ferns to send out twining tendrils. These crept over twigs and petioles, finding the struts of the edifice and wrapping tightly around them. Secured with biological guylines, Jess signalled the team with a thumbs up.

Cheering erupted from below. Jake wiped his brow.

"Fine work, y'all. We're indebted to yer efforts."

"Please, think nothing of it!", insisted Si-woo, bouncing on the balls of his feet, the thrill of the achievement coursing through him. "We weather together or flourish never!"

In the branches above, Jess leaned forward and propped up his chin imploringly on his hand.

"Gawain, be a dear and help me secure these supports, wouldn't ya?"

"Oh, um, yeah! I'll be right up!" Gawain nodded to Aliwen and sprinted for the nearest tree trunk, his momentum carrying him vertically up and his wings assisting him in leaping from branch to branch until he was level with Jess. Aliwen crossed her arms, her face clouding for a moment as she fixed her sights on Jess. Then she shook herself and went to help Elei rework some loose roots into the soil.

Sen could see Cullodena coming his way.

"Sen, laddie, some wee fae by the name of Wilbur Fiddlehead flew in yesterday, mentioned you by name. Asked after Aliwen, but I dinnae think she'd ever met him before."

"Ah, I met him earlier that day, he was with a moss fairy named Con Ringarooma."

"Oh, I ken Con," she remarked. "Fine young man, little reserved perhaps, keeps a low profile most always."

"I suppose that's often the way with thallies," mused Sen. "The quiet life suits them."

"I'll say," quipped Askarya, on their way to help Belek shift an obtrusive stone. "I reckon you vasculars just like to be the centre of attention."

Sen shrugged. "There is a certain lure in the limelight."

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

With all immediate needs seen to, the group settled down to rest awhile. The plant fairies and Askarya sat and photosynthesised, while Glen tucked into a satchel of snacks which Nathair carried.

The comfortable silence was broken when Kai leapt up, exclaiming, "Sen! Nearly forgot! Something I wanna show ya!"

He raced across the dusty ground, not quite getting airborne and instead using his wings for added thrust. In a single movement he launched himself at the scree slope and vanished into a cleft between the stones. With the exception of Elei, everyone watched, dumbfounded.

Kai popped out seconds later, moving much more slowly and cradling something to his chest. He gently descended the crags and strolled across the plain. Sen realised he was holding his breath. Kai smiled as he rejoined the finagle, feeling all eyes on him. With a flourish, he raised what he had been carrying to the sun.

It glittered and swirled. Silver liquid coiled in a vial as clear as ice. Nothing like it had any of them seen in all their millions of years.

"Kai, what's…" Ponnarasu stifled a cough and grasped for words. "What's that you got there?"

"Well, some of you may remember the mercury I was kind enough to purge from the soil."

That got Elei's attention. "Blast it Kai, what have you done this time?!"

"Don't worry! Look, I sealed it!", her shipmate beamed. "You can come and look guys, it won't harm you!"

Askarya sat beside him, peering into the mirror-like carafe. Sirichai, Belek and Si-woo craned their necks, unconvinced if the toxic fluid was as secure as he claimed.

"How did you make that bottle?", inquired Sen.

"Is there a safe place you can store it?", queried Ponnarasu.

"Why not just get rid of it?", harrumphed Elei.

"Ok, it's made of glass, you all know what that is, yeah?"

Sen nodded. He'd seen glass on occasion, a strange, translucent stone formed by events such as lightning striking sand. This was thinner and clearer than any he'd seen before, though, clearly shaped by fairy hand.

"I enlisted Joe's help," elaborated Kai. "Not much of a talker, but he always seems happy to pitch in. Jake found us some nice fine sand, and I instructed Joe on how I wanted it shaped. He used his flamecraft to fuse it, and presto! A nice little watertight vial."

The crowd nodded, moving a little closer.

"And that cork, you're sure the fluid won't leach through it?", insisted Ponnarasu.

"Positive, grew it myself," chirped Kai. "So long as I don't- SHIT!"

The bottle suddenly slipped from his grasp, and panic flared in the group as he threw himself groundward and snatched it by the neck in mid-air.

Kai straightened up, scratching his spiny tresses awkwardly.

"Yeah so long as that doesn't happen it's fine."

Elei glared. Sen put a hand to his chest, waiting for his heart rate to slow.

"Bro, not to sound rude, but maybe let Askarya hold it?", Suggested Belek.

"Uhh, yeah, probably for the best," he admitted, passing the beaker to the lichen fairy.

"I've been keeping it in a nice, dry little alcove in there," Kai continued, waving toward the scree slope.

"You sure it's stable?", pressed Sirichai.

"Oh yeah. Pretty sure. Anyway, even if it does spill, I can extract it from the soil again no problem."

Passing the group, Glen and Nathair came over for a look.

"Upon the souls, mercury!", Nathair exclaimed, fluttering over in a series of hops. "Mind if I peruse it?"

"Be my guest," flourished Kai, delighted to find someone who shared his interests. They were soon shrouded deeply in a discursive of the properties of toxic metals, too academic to hold the attention of anyone besides Glen and Askarya. The group dispersed. In the shadows, unseen, an inquisitive pair of eyes watched.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

"Hey, Si-woo?"

The Archaeopteris fairy rolled over in the patch of sunlight where he was basking.

"Whassat?" He rubbed his eyes, looking in Sen's direction.

"I was thinking, have you been in this kind of situation before? Virgin territory, I mean?"

"Not to this extent. You were born back on Pangaea, yeah?"

Sen nodded.

"So that was a well established biome, even after the continents started to split. There were always stands of your plants nearby. Even after the worst calamities, you could repopulate."

"My thoughts exactly."

"And now… well, we're starting from scratch, isn't that right? This is volcanic bedrock, still growing. There's no seeds in the ground, barely a humus layer. It's everyone's game."

Sen was quiet for a time. He fetched Askarya and the three sat down together.

"What's this about?", the lichen fairy inquired.

"We think we need to lay plans," Sen began. "In order to ensure successful establishment."

"Of course," Askarya immediately nodded. Sen and Si-woo shared a brief, relieved glance. Somehow, it had felt like Askarya might chew them out over this.

"I'll move south," Sen decided. "The land there is barren, but it will improve in time. I've already planted some seeds there, so once more soil is formed, I'll be in prime position."

"I'm thinking along the same lines," mused Si-woo. North of here is crowded, I'll have better luck down south. You can apply yourself to the inland reaches and I'll take the coasts?"

"Let's do it. Askarya?"

"I'm happy to help. But I have to ask… why us? Haven't you known some of the others much longer?"

"That's true, but I feel very close to both of you. You've given me all that I could ask while it was just the three of us here. And, well, I just like being with you two." He thought he saw them both blush, and chuckled inwardly. "Besides, the others will look out for themselves. Baegu's crew are experienced and the Pioneers are tough as old boots. The only one I'm a little concerned for is Belek, but you know how independent they are. Wouldn't take assistance even if it were offered."

Si-woo stretched his arms and wings. "Don't know about you, but I'm beat after lifting that fort. Are you planning to start today?"

"Tomorrow," assured Sen. "We'll go back to mine, rest up, make a start early next morning."

His friends grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Waking together with the dawn, Sen, Si-woo and Askarya relaxed for a bit and prepared themselves, then set out on their quest. They flew swiftly, taking turns carrying Askarya. The wind was against them, but they made good progress, and by noon had passed the gully where the new ginkgo seeds were taking root. Beyond this point, they entered the unknown.

The ground only got more barren, with even Con's sparse mosses no longer in evidence. Sen and Si-woo descended simultaneously, sensing that this was the place. Askarya hopped off Si-woo's back, and the three of them looked to the horizon.

They stood at the peak of a volcanic slab that had been thrust upwards, forming a cliff that towered over the landscape. In every direction, empty fields of granite lay immutable. A shiver ran up Sen's wings. The thought of transforming this wasteland into a verdant home was daunting. Not impossible, surely. But it was going to take a very long time.

Fortunately, they had all the time in the world. And what better time than now to make a start? Without a word, the three fairies got to work.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

For nigh on a decade they toiled. Their labour was painfully slow at first. With his developing ginkgos not far away, Sen was in the best position to draw on his magic, and so he took the lead. Unfortunately, despite his balance magic granting him capability with various natural systems, sterile rock was not one of them. It barely responded to any of his entreaties, and several times they considered asking Jake for help, but pride or self-consciousness held them back. They could do this themselves.

A breakthrough came when Sen discovered that, instead of trying to work the rock as a single unit, it suited him better to focus on the feldspar and other metallic compounds contained within. These, with gentle coaxing, he could denude and crumble, until the rock split under its own weight and crashed down the precipice.

Askarya and Si-woo, meanwhile, made return trips to their nesting site daily. Askarya carefully split tiny pieces from the lichens flourishing there, carried them to the stone barrens and searched for tiny clefts and hollows where they could regenerate. Creepingly, imperceptibly, the granite fields were turning green.

Some of the lichens died soon after replanting. Others survived but failed to proliferate. Still others found themselves in that sweet spot where all their needs were met and they could thrive. The more lichen that claimed these stones, the more Askarya's power grew. Soon they had overtaken Sen as the unofficial chief worker.

Askarya's efforts were to all their benefit. As the dead lichens rotted away, they left the thinnest layer of soil behind. This was something Sen could really work with. Using inter-regulating, and sometimes overacting magic, he called on the enzymes, acids, fluids and nutrients of the decomposing fungal matter, fomenting microbial communities to eat away at the underlying rock.

Eventually, there was enough sandy humus gathered in some cracks and pools that Si-woo reckoned his spores might take root. He fetched a capsule of them immediately, carefully planting the myriad tiny spores wherever he thought they stood a chance.

All this time, the three barely saw any other fairies in the granite fields. They made regular trips back to the fort, though, which was quickly becoming a truce zone as competition elsewhere heated up. Materials, camaraderie and gossip were exchanged.

Kai and Jake were continuing to extract any harmful substances from the soil, encasing them in glass and storing them in the scree cave. Nathair took a keen interest in everything discovered, and by amalgamating plant fibres and starches that the others weren't using, managed to compress them into a rough parchment. He sat in a shady spot most days, writing frenetically. Belek had established a healthy grove of Czekanowskiales which they took meticulous care of. Like soft, willowy ginkgos, they sang softly in the breeze and provided a home to a diverse understory of ferns and horsetails.

Elei and Jess had apparently fought an aerial duel over a prime patch of land, with Jess's speed and manoeuvrability unable to stand the test of Elei's raw power and granting her ownership, for now at least. Aliwen had taken Gawain with her as she flew north, and neither had been seen in months. Joe kept to himself as ever. Sirichai had made several exploratory forays along the coast, reporting that he had met Simon Candock, a venerable horsetail fairy well-known to all of them, and his twin sons. The greatest excitement came when an old friend made a surprise appearance.

The community were in a relaxed mood. Sen, Si-woo and Askarya were at the fort, having made good progress breaking rocks that day. Cullodena sat in the shade, knitting a gift for Wilbur and Con. Glen was experimenting with new recipes. Then an odd shape appeared over a rise to the east. Two long spines, adorned with bells and ribbons, cast their arcing shadows across the verdant terrain. All present stopped to observe the apparition. The spines continued to rise, revealing themselves as the horns of a great, reptilian beast, which surmounted the rise, then trundled toward the fort on columnar legs. Upon its back, cross-legged, sat a fairy.

“Girjesh!” 

Everyone’s heads swivelled back in the opposite direction, just in time to catch Ponnarasu flying headlong over them. The fairy atop the beast tugged on the reins to slow it, smiling broadly. Ponnarasu flew to him and into his embrace.

“How long has it been, old friend?”, Girjesh wondered aloud.

“It feels like forever,” admitted Ponnarasu. “Sometimes I wish I had tried harder to stay in contact.”

Girjesh clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. “You had duties to attend, I hold you no ill will over it. I’m just delighted to see you again.”

Together, they spread their wings and drifted down from the reptile, which remained obligingly in place. “Come, Girjesh,” motioned Ponnarasu. “I’m sure you’ve met most of my present company, but there may be a few new faces.”

Questions were eagerly asked of Girjesh, many tales recounted and offers of lodgings for him at the fort instantly offered. He declined with a polite regret that he was on business and couldn’t stay long. They didn’t press him on where he was going, trusting that it was important and, if his previous travels were anything to go by, exciting. He convened with them until sundown, using his fire and water magic to brew excellent ma huang tea, being introduced to the Quacey clan and complimenting them on all the progress they had made. Eventually, he flitted back to his steed and with a last, heartfelt wave, disappeared to the west.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Sen and his friends sat back and admired their handiwork. At long last, the igneous badlands were looking something like an ecosystem. Si-woo poked at a leafy, soft plant growing close to the ground.

"Askarya, this one of yours?"

"Yaar, that's not a lichen, that's a liverwort."

"Huh. So it is."

"That's good!", remarked Sen. "None of us planted that, so either there's someone looking to help us, or plants are naturally starting to establish here!"

"Sure is promising," smiled Si-woo. "And look, the rains are on their way."

"Where?" Sen and Askarya craned their necks, nodding as the progymnosperm fairy indicated some fast moving wisps that coagulated before their eyes.

"I'm pretty happy with how the Archaeopteris seedlings are coming on," continued Si-woo. "I think the soil here is too shallow for them to reach a great height, but if they can develop to maturity under these conditions, they'll be self-sustaining."

Sen nodded, scrutinising the windbeaten trees for any sign of spore capsules.

"I'll go and check on the lava fields again," he decided, the others nodding as he leapt skyward.

There had been a few earthquakes while they had worked, reminders that this land was in its turbulent infancy. One had split the hillside near where they were working and dredged away the soil in a spectacular landslide. It had undone years of progress and killed a multitude of young plants, but also shattered more rock in an instant than they could in years, and created a deep chasm that was filling up with clear lakes.

The granite was old rock, formed long ago and deep underground. The recent geological activity had pushed it to the surface, forming this part of the island chain. But other reaches were undergoing a more active creation.

Boiling, bubbling magma was forcing its way to the surface. Some was still spilling onto land, creating bleak fields of basalt and andesite. At the coast, more dramatic eruptions were occurring, spewing out trachyte, dacite and pumice. It was to this unstable shore that Sen flew now.

He settled on a promontory looking out to sea, far above the terrifying, molten flows, and even then feeling their heat. No signs of them subsiding.

He was about to fly back and report this site as unsuitable for plant colonisation when a flash of green caught his eye. To his sheer astonishment, a pair of stately ferns was standing proud above the igneous wreckage. Sen marvelled at them. How resilient indeed were plants, to take root and grow even in the most unlikely places, nothing to sustain them but a crack in some cooled lava.

He wondered who the lucky fairy was, the very first to make their mark in this place. He was quite certain they were true ferns, not seed ferns, which narrowed it down somewhat. How many fern fairies did he know? Nathair, Gawain, Aliwen, Wilbur… and it didn't look like any of theirs.

He took a step toward them.

"How do you do?", a smouldering voice announced.

Sen stopped in his tracks. Descending on resplendent green and gold wings was a fairy of radiant countenance and regal bearing. He settled before Sen with calculated poise and looked his guest up and down.

"I… good day to you, sir," Sen enunciated, bowing. "Gongsun Sen, at your service."

"Osmund Umber, likewise," the fairy replied. He remained upright, eyes fixed on Sen. The ginkgo tender felt as though his foliage might crinkle under that searing gaze.

At length, Osmund turned away, arms crossed. Sen let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding and straightened up. He noted how fine the fellow's clothing was, billowing in folds of scarlet and white as he looked across the churning miasma below.

"Beautiful, is it not?", Osmund mulled.

"So it is," ventured Sen. The flickering flames, the rising smoke, the roiling waters… in a terrifying, primordial way, it was beautiful indeed.

"Pardon my interruption," broached Sen, "may I ask what your ferns are called?"

"Winnifred and Montgomery," supplied Osmund without missing a beat. Sen was at a loss for words.

"Just my little joke," smirked Osmund, catching sight of his expression. "They're interrupted ferns."

"Oh, that's nice," was all Sen could think to say. Had he heard him right? Interrupted?

"Truly resilient," spoke Osmund, folding his hands behind his back as he leaned in to inspect the hopeful plants, "to build a kingdom from nothing".

"I should let you get back to caring for them," decided Sen, warming up his wings.

"Very well. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other." Osmund didn't so much as turn his head.

Far from the volcanic flows and nearly back to his friends, those words kept circling in Sen's head. From anyone else they’d be reassuring, but on Osmund’s tongue, they had sounded almost like a threat.

[phytochorion]

How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Ten - Community Effort

Sen awoke in the morning quite unsure where he was. Someone's arm was on him and unfamiliar smells pervaded the warm space. His mind adjusted and started to make sense of the situation. He could make out little Belek nearby, while Aliwen had the whole Quacey clan wrapped in her wings. Reassured, he sat up and headed outside.

Si-woo waved to him. Jake and Askarya were breakfasting on the remaining rations, regarded by Sirichai. Sen sat alongside them.

"You're up early."

Si-woo shrugged. "Restless when I'm in a new place. Besides, Admiral's got a job for us."

"Request," corrected Sirichai. "I'm afraid I can't pay you, not in cash. But there'll be something in it for you all the same."

"Oh, don't worry about that, we're happy to- ei?"

He was cut off by a determined nudge from Si-woo.

"Hey, if the Admiral wants to give us something for our troubles, who are we to say no?", he urged Sen in an undertone.

Sen laughed. "Very well, Admiral, I look forward to what you have in store for us."

Sen scratched one shoulder. With the fine spring weather, his wingbuds had been growing steadily since he emerged from hibernation. As Si-woo swivelled to say something to Askarya, Sen saw his wings had already unfurled.

Sirichai, clearly thinking along similar lines, commented, "your wings are looking fit to burst, Maidenhair. Think you'll be in shape to fly to the boat with us?"

"Hmm, yes, I reckon. Let me warm myself up."

"Take your time, I'll go rouse those layabouts."

Sen hopped off his perch and back up the scree slope they'd descended yesterday. He had a good view of the whole gully. A bit away from the burned out campfire, Kai and Elei were sparring. He had no idea who was the better of the two, as both were ending up on the ground a lot.

As the sun climbed higher, his wingbuds began to itch, straining against the thin parenchyma containing them. He fell still, enduring the familiar sensation, until the pressure gave way and his wings opened up and spread out.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Once the others emerged, Sirichai made a quick circuit of the group to gauge who else was willing to help. All of his crew put themselves forward, while Jake, Joe, Aliwen and Gawain also volunteered. With a rustling of leafy wings they rose, Askarya waving them off.

Sen found the process of flying on tender wings easier than last time, the relearning experience serving him well. As they progressed seaward, he investigated what Aliwen had been up to since he saw her last.

"Po, same old, same old."

She managed to shrug mid-wingbeat.

"But you've got a boyfriend now and everything!", argued Sen.

"Huh, has it really been that long since I've seen you? Well, Gawain is such a sweet boy, really makes me feel special, cachai?"

"Um, sure," Sen replied, watching Gawain soaring a few wingspans away. He was a rather unremarkable looking boy, but Sen supposed he should get to know him a little before judging if he was a good match for Aliwen.

"There she is!", announced Sirichai, as his ship came into view, moored at the high tide line.

"Ohhh, crap," groaned Kai. "We've got company!"

Everyone swung their heads in different directions, trying to locate what he'd seen, but it quickly became clear that his attention wasn't on the air, but the ground.

"Well, it was going to happen eventually," sighed Sirichai.

The source of their discontent quickly became clear. Crawling all over the hulls and mast of the ship were assorted herbivorous insects. Most appeared to be miomopterans and paleodictyopterans, with a few glosselytrodeans thrown in.

"Alright folks, battle stations," ordered the admiral.

"Sir, yes, sir!", responded Elei, Kai, Belek, Ponnarasu, Aliwen and Gawain. Sen, Si-woo, Jake and Joe looked at each other.

Kai folded his wings and fell. Plunging feet-first into the black sand, he stood firm, coralloid roots sprouting from his legs and writhing down, down into the sediment. Elei was right behind, skimming just over him with pollen streaming from her crown. It drifted in a shimmering cloud down onto the bugs, though without immediate effect as far as Sen could see.

Aliwen crunched down beside Kai and started shaking spores from her own crown, creating an effervescent fog around them. Jake looked to Sirichai.

"What's the plan, Admiral?"

"I have three priorities," replied Sirichai. "Number one, preserve the wellbeing of my crew. For the time being, that includes all of you."

Sen felt his heart dance a jig at those words, and he could tell Si-woo felt the same.

"Number two," listed the admiral. "Protect my ship and cargo. And three, drive off those damnable arthropods. If possible, get the bugs away from my ship before going on the offensive to avoid collateral damage, but above all, keep yourselves safe. You got that?"

"Aye aye, Admiral," saluted Jake. "Gee up!"

The four of them flew in close formation to the shore. Jake and Joe peeled off to land on the beach, Sen and Si-woo continued out over the waves. Sen hovered, looked to the sky and concentrated. Si-woo alighted on the sea's surface and raised his arms, trying to entrain the salt water to his beck and call.

"Si-woo!"

"Yeah?!"

"My magic's not working! There's no ginkgos anywhere near here!"

"I'm in the same boat! Uh, metaphorically."

Jake and Joe were getting on slightly better. Their fast-growing, wind dispersed ferns had spread unassisted as far as the nearby dunes, giving them a resource to draw on. Jake thrust an outstretched palm toward the waves, whipping up scouring sand grains. Joe heated the air around his body and combined it with the effects of his friend's magic to create a hot sandblast that tore into the swarm of bugs. In a sudden panic, the insects scattered from the vessel and flew in all directions. A few unfortunates swerved right into the stream of sand and dropped into the waves with tattered wings.

"Hey, watch my boat!", called the admiral. "You'll strip the varnish off like that!"

"Begging your pardon, sir!", Jake shouted back, redirecting the miniature sandstorm further out to sea. Sen and Si-woo rose to avoid it, noticing that although scattered, the bugs hadn't fled far, and some were moving back in to grab another bite.

"Try and keep them from landing!", Sirichai commanded. He swooped into formation alongside both of them, and together they made a series of passes, using midair jabs and kicks to give the insects pause for thought. Sirichai directed them in tightening circles, corralling their foes into a clustered mass.

"Miss Oleanane, you're up!", Ordered Sirichai.

"On it!", responded Elei. Landing in front of Kai and Aliwen, she whipped her arms forward in circles, the tough lignin in her skin fracturing and beginning to protrude in shards. With a rippling crack, the elastic material snapped, catapulting itself forward with a final swing of her arms. A hail of jagged sclerenchyma tore through the swarm, ripping apart bodies, limbs and wings. Elei let her arms go limp.

Sirichai waved to Belek, Gawain and Ponnarasu, who were still airborne. Nodding, they saw off the survivors, pursuing them until they had fled an acceptable distance. The others regrouped on the beach.

“Okay! I’m ready!”, proclaimed Kai, causing the rest of them to jump. He heaved one leg out of the sand, festoned with spongy, coral-like roots. The other followed, and he took up a fighting stance, legs apart and arms outstretched. “Lemme at ‘em!”

A stray miomopteran flew their way. Kai spun into the air, plunging down again fist-first and pulverising the insect in one blow. “Yeah, that’s what you get!” He wiped haemolymph off his wing. “What’s next?”

“We… I think we’re finished,” shrugged Sirichai.

“What, seriously?” Kai rotated his neck with a loud crack. “Man, I was just getting started.”

Sen peered curiously between him, an exasperated-looking Elei, and Aliwen, who was sharing one of Si-woo’s spore cakes. Taking Sirichai aside, he inquired, “Admiral, how are your crew such effective magic users? Si-woo and I were having trouble mustering any strength out here, there are none of our plants nearby.”

“That’s always the problem when you’re out at sea. Probably one of the reasons not many fairies go there,” agreed Sirichai. “When you don’t have a mature forest to draw on, you’re forced to improvise. Kai and Elei have worked out a way to draw magic from their own bodies.”

“Their bodies?”, repeated Sen in a horrified whisper. “But that’s their life force! That could kill them!”

Sirichai looked down solemnly. “A risk they’re willing to take. I don’t ask any of my crew to put themselves in any more danger than I’d put myself. But being away from their forests really started to get to them, and they spent decades casting around for some way to still work magic while sailing. This is the solution they hit upon. And I assure you they’re careful with it, they spent a long time learning their limits, and they make sure to recuperate afterwards.”

Sen raised an eyebrow. “I mean no disrespect, but I really hope Belek hasn’t been doing that.”

The admiral smiled. “No worries there, Maidenhair, I believe they take after your cautious nature. The rest of the deckhands have found a slightly safer source of magic. Let me show you.”

Sirichai turned to his crew. “Ready to unload?”

“Aye aye!”

“Well hop to it then!”

Ponnarasu floated down on a sea breeze and landed aboard the boat. He undid a few ropes and let down the gangplank, the others scurrying up on deck. Sen and Si-woo trailed after them, marvelling at the craft’s construction. She was composed of many hollow Gnetum seed cases, floating vertically and lashed together by supple, living vines. She had a decking of bark, varnish of waterproof resin, and a twig mast with huge, waxy leaves billowing out as sails. A simple craft, really just a raft with extra rigging, but still the most beautiful and seaworthy vessel either of the two friends had ever laid eyes on.

“Welcome,” announced Admiral Baegu, “to the good ship Emping!” The crew cheered, and after a moment, Sen and Si-woo joined in. “Now, to business,” commanded the admiral. “Aliwen, Elei, get those lids off.”

The women knelt and slid sections of the deck aside, hauling up the seed cases beneath. They were dark from long exposure to water, with handles clamped onto them for ease of access, and, as Sen watched in rapt fascination, he noticed the tops had been expertly sliced to form lids. It was these that Aliwen began prizing open, layers of caked, sticky gum popping free with a dry gasp of air.

“Take a look,” she smiled, beckoning them closer. Curious, Sen and Si-woo stepped forth. When they saw what was inside, Sen couldn’t contain a gasp of delight.

“Ginkgos!”, he squealed, hands flying to his cheeks. “Oh Aliwen, oh Sirichai, I don’t- how can I- how did you know?!”

Sirichai laughed. “You’re always one to take the initiative, Maidenhair. As soon as I heard about this place, I had a feeling you’d be among the first here. And establishing yourself on virgin ground is hard, I know, so I thought the little gesture might be appreciated.”

“This is much more than a gesture, there’s- how many are in here? Eight? Ten?”

“All from unrelated plants,” chuckled Sirichai.

“You really don’t know how much this means… how can I thank you enough? With this, I’ll have forested half the island in no time!” He embraced Sirichai warmly, who grinned and lifted him off the ground.

“And don’t you worry, Callixylon, I have a little something for you too!”, the admiral continued.

Si-woo’s ears instantly perked up. “You don’t mean…?”

“Yep!”

Elei heaved open the next lid, and with a gentle rustling, somewhere between sand and leaf litter, the spores inside flowed over each other.

Si-woo whooped and lifted into the air. "Oh my gosh, you remembered me! Nice, this should save me a few return trips."

Enthralled, he scooped a handful of spores, watching as they slipped through his fingers and back into the pile.

"My crew all brought some seeds for their own gardens, plus a few more gifts, should we run into old friends." Sirichai looked to Sen. "This is how your cousin can maintain their skills so far from land. Even an unsprouted seed contains the potential of a vigorous plant, the desire to grow. It’s not quite like drawing magic from a fully grown tree, but Belek has found a way to make it work."

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Over the course of the day, the seed cases that formed the body of the admiral's ship were carefully loosened and extracted. As they came free, the vines, twigs and leaves of the ship folded in on themselves with a little guidance from Sirichai. Wrapping around the few empty cases left, they came to resemble a little shoot growing from a pile of fallen fruit. The admiral was happy to let each fairy fly off with their own crate of seeds or spores, so long as they return them once empty. That way, he explained, they could be stored in one place and lashed back together whenever the sea next called.

Sen's parcel was heavier than the two ginkgo fruits he'd brought from Epiphyllia, and more awkwardly shaped. This time, with the luxury of flying overland, he decided to transport it back to his garden in short hops, first from the beach to the fort, and from there, back home.

Si-woo accompanied him, and after landing, they popped in to the woven fortress to fill the others in on what had transpired. Jess and Glen listened excitedly to how they'd driven off the insectile menace, while Nathair seemed less impressed but hearkened politely all the same.

Some of Sirichai's crew and passengers, along with the pioneers, had already begun sowing seeds and spores around the structure. Once the bare ground was covered by a carpet of green, it would provide shelter from the elements as well as other potential threats.

The two friends spoke with some of the crew, finding out their long-term plans for the site. Afterwards, they hastened to show their surprise gifts to Askarya. They found the third member of their group sitting outside, stock-still, reasonable behaviour for a fairy. Seeing them approach, the lichen-encrusted figure roused themself.

"Hi Sen. Si-woo. How was the boat?"

"Oh, fabulous!", gushed Sen. "Look what we got!"

He creaked open the lid of the cask, proudly displaying the seeds, while Si-woo did likewise.

"Oh, oh wow. Pretty cool," admitted Askarya. "That admiral must really like you."

"You think?", claimed Si-woo, running a hand through his tresses.

"I was talking to Sen," they jibed back. Si-woo clutched his chest and mimed falling over.

They chatted for a bit longer, then Sen and Si-woo started the next leg of their journey. As they lifted on a thermal, Sen looked over his shoulder.

"It's nice that Askarya was happy for us. But…"

"But?", prompted Si-woo.

"Well, now I feel bad we had nothing to give them. It's not Baegu's fault, they're not acquainted, but I feel we should have made an effort. I was so caught up in my excitement it didn't occur to me."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it," Si-woo advised. "You deserve to enjoy life's pleasant twists. And Askarya isn't one to take things the wrong way. Well, they kinda are, but next time you see them, just offer to help them with their lichen planting, yeah? No harm done."

"You're right. Maybe I'll fly them out to somewhere we haven't explored, and have it all to ourselves."

"That's the spirit."

[phytochorion]

How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Nine - Foundational Facilitator

As predicted, the storms blew in. Sen, Si-woo and Askarya woke from their silken slumber to a cold, unsettled day, and the weather only got harsher. They ventured outside less and less, mostly to check for damage to their plants and lichen. They also used any remaining silk (mostly repurposed from Sen's discarded loincloth) to create strong, elastic guylines, securing their nest against the elements.

Sen was faced with the inevitable fact that, as the ginkgos turned to gold, then let their leaves drift away, so too must he forgo his wings. His body not yet acclimated to the island's seasonality, there was naught he could do to resist this environmentally-mediated process. Si-woo suffered the same fate, while Askarya refrained from any jibes, but looked smug regardless.

Eventually, they retreated entirely, entering a state of dormancy within the nest, and waiting winter out.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The rocky landscape faded from deep green to brown as ferns and horsetails withered. Leaves accumulated in deep drifts. Barely a birdont or insect stirred.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Spring crept slowly back to the island. With each passing day after the solstice, the days stretched a little more. The soft curls of young ferns extended through the thin soil. Buds on the ginkgo twigs quietly unfurled. Within the battered but structurally sound nest, Sen opened his eyes.

Shuffling blearily through the entryway, he blinked and sneezed in the light. He considered returning to bed, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. His trees needed him.

Clambering up the branch, then down the trunk, Sen was pleased to find that the extensive growth of Askarya's lichen had provided plenty of hand and foot holds. Letting himself fall into the leaf mulch at the base of the trunk, he stood and made his way to the wide creek.

A dreadful feeling struck his heart as he saw that the winter floods had uprooted five of the little saplings. Fortunately, the newly opened twigs on their leaves were testament that they had survived their ordeal, but he wasn't sure if they would last much longer. He raced back to the tree to wake his friends.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The next two days were a hard slog. Sen righted the saplings, packed earth around their trunks and used all the generating magic he could muster.

There was still more to do. When he and his friends had returned to the grove, they'd found that more saplings on the opposite bank had suffered the same fate. Once the five on the near bank were cared for, Sen moved immediately across. He repeated the process, and finally gave himself a quick break. All he could do for them now was wait and pray.

In the meantime, he checked on the large ginkgos. They had weathered the storms well. A few branches had been snapped, but they were overall in good health. Sen checked to make sure their wounds weren't in danger of infection, then left them to recover.

Askarya had helped him as much as possible, but both they and Si-Woo had to prioritise their own gardens. Lichens were tough, and damage had been minimal, while he hadn't heard from Si-woo since he left, and could only hope none of his trees had come down.

Once the pressing jobs were out of the way, Sen could slow down and decide on his plan of action. Strolling by the stream and breathing in the spring morning air, he considered his situation.

As he'd been discussing with Si-woo on his raft, they both intended to spread their gardens, but they needed fresh gametes in order to do so. Simply propagating the plants they already had would leave them too vulnerable to pathogenic outbreak.

He'd have to find someone who knew a reliable route between here and the mainland. Someone with wind magic would be ideal, but anyone who'd made the journey more than once would do.

There were other fairies here. He'd seen clear evidence of them. But despite the traces they'd left, the beings responsible remained tantalisingly elusive.

As he travelled upstream, the ground cover of horsetails and hornworts became thicker, enough even to impede the progress of a five centimetre tall fairy. Doubling back, Sen arrived at the twin ginkgos. Climbing the one without a nest in it for a change, he sat in the highest branches and gazed seaward.

Getting an idea, he stood and turned to face inland. With a deep inhalation, he began to sing. Si-woo had been the only reply his calls had gotten since he arrived, so he didn't expect a response. Still, if there was anyone out there, he'd let them know they weren't alone.

His trills died away. The usual soundscape of chirping insects returned. He sat back down.

An answer reached his ears. Another song, fast and piping, it could almost be dismissed as the exaltation of a little birdont, if it weren't for the definite structure and meaning he could discern within.

Inland.

Fern and sand.

Two others and I.

Not far to fly.

Sen raced back down the tree.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

"Si-woo! Si-woo! Askarya! There's someone there!"

"Three someones!" Agreed Askarya. "We were listening in!"

Si-woo, who was topless and covered in wet compost, looked like he'd just arrived. "Do you want to go and meet them now? I… might need a minute to get changed."

"Okay, but hurry up or we're leaving without you, I wanna see who this is!"

Si-woo babbled a breathless reply, already halfway down the river bank. He took a flying leap, vanished beneath the surface, and was back by the land route in minutes, his clothes clean but soaking.

"Ready?", he gasped.

"Ready!"

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

They moved at a fair pace away from the creek and across the prairie, the chance to stretch their legs welcome after a somnolent winter.

"I'm placing my bets now," said Si-woo, brushing aside a bristling zosterophyll.

"By that you mean…?", wondered Sen.

"Who it'll be! I'd bargain anything I own that we'll find Tadgh and Steve there."

"Not that you own that much," hummed Askarya.

"C'mon, who do you think they'll be?"

"My money's on Callisto and Aylmer. Have you noticed that they show up everywhere?"

"They do, huh?", nodded Si-woo. "And that song did sound like something Aylmer would make."

"Both of you only named two," Askarya pointed out. "I reckon it'll be Robin, George and Æthelred."

"Who's Æthelred?" Responded a quizzical Si-woo.

"A mycor I know."

"From the sounds of it we're not dealing with a fungi fairy."

"Oh? Don't think we can sing?" Askarya stopped and crossed their arms.

"No, obviously I didn't mean it like that, vascular plant fairies just have a different register, you get me?"

Sen ignored their bickering as he reached the top of a rise just ahead. "You two! Get up here! I've found them!"

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The three of them scuttled down the weathered scree slope, hopping between jagged, jumbled rocks colonised by moss and lichen. The three fairies they were here to meet stood some way from the base of the slope. They appeared to be in the process of constructing their nest. It was enormous, still in its early stages, and crafted from tightly bound stems of fern, cooksonioid and any other plants growing nearby.

It was quickly apparent to Sen and Si-woo that these were none of the fairies they'd been expecting, nor were they Askarya's fungal friends.

The fairy closest to them was lithe and petit, with long tresses and wings, dressed in a white blouse and pleated shirt. Behind stood two others, the first short and stocky with a moustache and tassled jacket, the second tall and lean, face covered by a wild rag. All three wore wide-brimmed hats. Almost as one, their heads swivelled to face the newcomers.

"Hey!", exclaimed Si-woo. "Hey, it's Joe!"

He took off at a sprint, barely touching the ground as he sprang from stone to stump to stem and skittered to a stop on the sandy scrub. Sen and Askarya watched him talking animatedly and waving his hands about, while the fairy with his face hidden listened silently and nodded.

They turned back to the other two standing on the plain and picked their way down the slope to meet them.

"Well howdy," waved the one with long tresses. "Y'all must've been the folks I was just singin' to!"

Sen smiled. "That we are. Gongsun Sen, at your service."

"I'm Askarya," his friend added. "And you?"

"We're the Pioneers!", boasted the little fairy.

"Might I ask, exactly who are the Pioneers?", queried Sen. "Well, obviously, I know you are, but-"

"The toughest sons-of-bitches this side of Epiphyllia, that's who," interjected the moustachioed fairy, striding over to join them. He thumped himself on the chest. "Name's Jake." He indicated with an open hand to the fairy they'd been speaking with, who curtsied. "He's Jess." Pointing back at the mantled fellow behind him, he concluded, "And that there's Joe."

"A pleasure," nodded Sen. "I take it you know Si-woo?"

"Somewhat," replied Jake. "Joe's an ol' pal of his. They go way back, as I understand it." He doffed his hat. "Head on up this way and I'll show y'all what we've been constructionizin' out here."

Jake led them to the vast web of branches, forming a loosely connected wall that towered above their heads. "Behold!" He spread his arms. "Our fortress!"

"We've been workin' on it non-stop since we flew in," chimed Jess. "Barely had time to stop for a drink, let alone check if we had any neighbours, but once I heard y'all singin' I just had to reply."

"Darn impressive," whistled Si-woo, stopping mid-ramble to crane his neck in their direction. "How close is it to completion?"

"Prob'ly a good few months yet." Jake scratched his chin. "Course, we'll be able to bed down in it long before that, but packin' in every last lil' gap and crevice to waterproof it will keep us busy."

"When did you get here?", asked Askarya.

"Hmm, sometime within the last two weeks," answered Jess. "Flew across from the old country with the last of the storms." His eyes flicked to the wing nubs sprouting on Sen and Si-woo's scapulae. "You folks been here all winter?"

"Yeah, I thought it would be worse really," replied Si-woo. "A few gales are no match for the likes of us!"

Sen met Askarya's glance in disbelief.

“Y’all must be hungry. I’ll see if we’ve got some tucker,” suggested Jake. They thanked him, and he headed off to rummage around in a mess of satchels, clothes and plant parts strewn nearby. He returned with a burlap sack and they plonked themselves down on a fallen branch. Si-woo clapped Joe warmly on the shoulder and came to join them. Askarya lay prone on the wooden limb, taking keen interest in the varieties of lichen enveloping its decaying bark.

“Ooh, what are these?” Sen investigated, sniffing the pale, hard lumps Jake was handing out.

“Root nodules. Don’t look like much, but they’s as fine as cream gravy.”

Sen bit into his, and was pleased to discover that Jake was barely exaggerating.  Si-woo was soon going back for seconds.

“So what are the plants you’ll be growing here?”, Sen continued, wiping the starchy juice off his chin.

“Coenopterids, all three of us. Or pre-ferns, as some young whippersnappers are callin’ us these days.”

"Lovely."

Sen stretched out, feeling his wingbuds scrape the branch.

"I tend ginkgos, Askarya, lichen."

Jake furrowed his brow. "Ginkgos, you say…"

"Er, yes. Something the matter?", inquired Sen.

"Well, no, but I've been thinkin'- ain't no point havin' yer nest down at ground level, is there? Bugs'll get in."

Sen crossed his arms triumphantly at Si-woo, who glared.

"Problem is, we couldn't spot any stands of mature trees, and the plants we cultivate don't appreciate bearin' the extra load, so we supposed we'd build down here for now."

"But if you moved your nest into a ginkgo canopy, it would solve the problem," Sen concluded.

"Well, I was thinkin' we'd just ask you to sow some o' them trees here, but it's mighty kind of ya to offer."

"I wasn't- nevermind," said Sen. "Alright, sure, I could plant a tree or two here. The problem is that mine aren't at an age to set seed yet."

"I see." Jake took off his stetson and ran a hand through his short tresses. "I s'pose we could always- hrrm, who's that?"

Sen, Si-woo and Askarya followed his gaze. A fairy was silhouetted against the noonday sun, far off but getting closer. As they watched, the shadow descended, making a sweep over their heads and touching down a few metres away in a clubmoss stand. Jess and Joe wandered curiously over to the group.

"Was that… no, can't be, surely," faltered Si-woo.

"I was thinking the same," answered Sen. They exchanged an excited look. Jess raised an eyebrow.

"C'mon, better go meet them!"

Si-woo leapt up, Sen and Askarya close behind, the Pioneers followed at a more leisurely pace.

Just before they reached the clubmoss, the stems parted and a fairy with scar-crossed skin and a high, segmented crown stepped out to greet them.

"Mister Callixylon and Mister Maidenhair," he chuckled. "How did I know you'd be here?"

"Admiral Baegu!", cheered the two boys as one. Si-woo began bubbling over with questions, and for once, Sen didn't stand back, but jumped right into conversation, trying to make himself heard before Si-woo could launch his next spiel.

"All in good time, all in good time," was about as much of a response as they got from Baegu. "Good to see all of you settling in."

Sen and Si-woo nodded enthusiastically. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" Askarya prompted from behind them.

"Hang on-" checked Si-woo. "Are you telling me…"

"You don't know who this is?!", he, Sen and the Pioneers gasped in unison.

Askarya groaned. "Without the theatrics, please."

"This," stated Sen, arms held wide, "is Admiral Sirichai Baegu, master of the three great seas!"

"Voyager without fear!" Emphasised Si-woo. "Navigator of the twin hemispheres! Ceaseless conductor!"

"A real gentleman o' the first water," enthused Jess.

"Okay, I get it," sighed Askarya. "These guys all have massive man-crushes on you. I'm Askarya. Looking forward to getting to know you better."

"Likewise, Askarya," replied Sirichai, taking one of their hands in his and planting the lightest of kisses on top of it.

"I, I, um, okay. You guys go back to talking to him," Askarya commanded, stepping smartly back and propelling Sen with a soft but insistent shove back to where he'd been standing.

"I better let the others know where I am," remarked Sirichai, taking a few steps backwards, then turning and racing away, shifting straight into an ascent with a mighty beat of his wings.

Sen looked to his friends.

"I get the sense that everything is about to work out nicely for us."

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The group settled down on the sand and conversed while they awaited Sirichai's return. Si-woo introduced his neighbours to Joe. Sen noticed that the fellow hardly spoke a word, though would sometimes softly mumble a response when prompted by Si-woo. He was a little younger than Si-woo, it turned out, but with tanned and toughened skin, he showed his age more clearly than the youthful progymnosperm.

"There 'e is," Jake observed, pointing skyward. The others looked up. Sirichai's silhouette was leading a group of five fairies, with two flanking further out. They watched him circle down to meet them, then stood back as his companions followed his flight path and came in to land. The two flankers came in fast, one scouring out a path in the dust and nearly taking a tumble as she brought herself to a stop. The other wasn't as lucky, his very momentum tossing him crown-over-calx. He thudded into the grit and rolled to a halt in a tangle of spiny wings. Sirichai looked mildly embarrassed.

"He just needs a bit of time to get his land legs back."

As the flankers righted themselves and turned to face the group, Sen's eyes lit up. "Elei! Kai! How wonderful to see you again!"

Elei strolled over, lifting Sen off the ground with a firm hug. She had tresses as tough and jagged as her wings, and a magnificent crown composed of two great strobili adorning her temples. "Nice to see  you're doing well, Sen."

Kai limped up behind her, picking sand grains out of his teeth. "Yeah bro, haven't seen you in forever. Thought we'd be here first, to be honest."

Sen giggled as Elei plopped him down. "How long have you been at sea?"

"Lost track ages ago," yawned Kai, stretching his arms and wings so high above his head that his joints began to audibly creak and pop. He swept them down with a sudden crack and a flurry of sand. "Ugh. Feels better."

Elei scoffed.

Meanwhile, the finagle they'd been escorting were also sorting themselves out. The group that had looked like five in the air turned out to be seven, as two were being carried. One was a tall and wispy fairy with white tresses. He had one long, shovel-shaped wing, while his other wing… well, he appeared just to have the one. He was stepping down from the arms of another fairy Sen recognized, Aliwen Añpe. Tall, firmly built and with gigantic wings, she was the only one apart from Sirichai who didn't appear tired from the journey, though given how far they must have travelled, Sen presumed she was just good at hiding it.

Beside them, a pale, wingless lad who could only be a fungus fairy was tumbling out of the grasp of an absolutely shattered looking boy with brush-like wings and bags under his eyes. An older woman with a sharp yet matronly air was keeping an eye on them. Ponnarasu Kompu, an old friend of Sen's, was the sixth fairy in the group, and the seventh was… Sen made a squeak of delight and hurried forward.

Behind the others, doing a good job of pretending they weren't there, was a fairy with dark, mid-length tresses and a downturned gaze.

"Belek!" Called Sen. The fairy looked up, startled, and a small smile flickered on their face. Sen weaved through the crowd to clasp Belek's hands in his, their heads tilting forward so that their crowns touched. "Belek, my dear, it's been so long since I've seen you, how have you been?"

"Not too bad, Sen," Belek answered, looking groundward again. They let go of each other and stepped apart. "Admiral Baegu was kind enough to consider me fit for his fleet, so that's been my employment for a good while."

"And how are you finding it?" Sen inquired.

Belek folded one hand over the other. "I'm managing. It's tough sometimes, especially when there's a big storm, or a sea monster. Still, we haven't lost a cargo yet. He's very proud of that."

"As well he might be," supposed Sen. "His reputation rests on it." He looked over his shoulder and waved to Si-woo and Askarya. "Come over here, there's someone I'd like you to meet!"

His friends waved goodbye to Kai and Elei and sauntered over. "Belek, these are my good friends, Byun Si-woo and Askarya." Sen pointed them out in a genteel fashion. "Si-woo, Askarya, this is my wonderful cousin, Belek Ürüŋ!"

"Wow, nice to meet you Belek!" Askarya greeted them, enthusiastically shaking hands. "Pardon my asking, are you... are you hermaphroditic as well?"

"Um. Yeah, I am," answered Belek.

"Ay, me too!", cheered Askarya, holding up both hands. After a moment's surprised hesitation, Belek grinned and high-fived them. "Yeah, I have a nose for these matters," laughed Askarya, skipping back to the crowd.

"Huh. Don't think I've ever seen them quite so happy," noted Si-woo. "It's nice. Ahem. I'm Si-woo. Pleasure to meet you, any cousin of Sen's is a friend of mine."

He gave an amicable bow, which Belek reciprocated.

"Come, Belek, you've got to introduce me to your crewmates," urged Sen, motioning his cousin back into the throng.

"Oh, haha, sure," obliged Belek, a little trepidatious but in high spirits all the same. "You know Ponnarasu and Aliwen, right? This is Missus Quacey," they announced, bringing Sen face to face with the stern looking woman. "Missus Quacey, my cousin, Sen."

"Charmed," she proclaimed, curtseying in time with Sen's bow. "And really, ye must call me Cullodena, the both of ye. Belek here has told me of you before. You have quite the reputation to live up to."

"Um??" Sen turned to his cousin so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. Belek remained poker-faced. Sen looked back at Cullodena. "You really think so? Well, I must do my best not to disappoint." He hoped from the twinkle in her eye that she was pulling his leg.

"These are me weans," she continued, pointing first to the taller boy with pale hair. "Nathair, and his chavie, Glen." She indicated the mycor who was currently providing him with a sip of water. She then waved a hand in the direction of the shorter boy. "And of course Gawain. And his ladyfriend, Aliwen."

Aliwen caught Sen's eye and they exchanged a cheery wave.

"Now that we all seem to be caught up," announced Sirichai, striding into the centre of the group, "who's hungry?"

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The Admiral’s crew didn’t lack for provisions, it turned out.

“These were meant to last us the whole journey,” smiled Gawain, waving a sheaf of dried stalks. “Well, they did their duty, and then some. Bloody glad to see the last of them, to be honest, subsisting off hardtack for years will humble the strongest stomach.”

“You make them sound so appetising,” sighed Askarya.

Cullodena and Belek were unpacking their own supplies. Jake turned to his pals.

“Joe, why not get a fire going?”

Joe nodded, raising his arms. With a wrenching motion, he seemed to strike embers into existence. Elei and Kai warily shielded themselves with their spiny wings, while Nathair yelped and sprung back.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”, cautioned Sirichai.

“What, the fire? Shucks, I’m so used to havin’ one I forget some folks ain’t comfortable around ‘em. Want me to put it out?”

Kai peeped out from behind his wings. “I’m fine with it so long as bandana dude doesn’t take his eyes off what he’s doing.”

“No fear of that, I can assure you,” drawled Jake.

Sirichai looked back and forth. “Everyone else feel the same way?”

There was an uncomfortable silence. “The lads and I will sit back a bit, but don’t mind us, keep on with what you’re doing,” volunteered Cullodena.

“Ah, yes,” added Sen. “I’m fine with it so long as it’s something you want.”

“Mighty generous,” noted Jake. With a nod from Sirichai, Joe resumed his magic. On close inspection, Sen could see the stems of the shrubby ferns nearby responding to his call. They bent in towards him, with strange buds unfurling and bursting, creating bright sparks that flew to him and gathered in a scintillating cloud. Jess called on a burst of wind magic to sweep a scattering of dry twigs and leaves into a pile, which Jake surrounded with pebbles, his earthcraft forming them into a flameproof wall. Sen had to admit, with the fire out of sight, it felt properly cosy.

Cautiously, everyone gathered by the fire pit, moving larger twigs and stones into position as handy seats. The food was shared out and chowed down, tough and flavourless as it might be. A lot of catching up was done. Sen got the full tale of the voyage from Ponnarasu, who had a memory for every twist and turn along the way. Sirichai and Si-woo ate and talked and drank and joked until late into the night. Askarya got into a deep discussion with Kai, while Elei and Jess found a lot in common. Gawain dozed in Aliwen’s arms.

Growing drowsy one by one, the group gradually dispersed. Joe quietly guided them inside the wickerwork fortress, where everyone found a spot to their liking and drifted off to sleep. Soon only Sirichai was left. Joe went to sit with him, and they kept watch in companionable silence. A few hours before dawn, Joe extinguished the last embers and they retired for a little rest, darkness sweeping in once more.