The People of Magic

6

Fairouza was waiting in her room, she knew it was strange but she wanted the chance to properly thank Stephen. She heard his door open and she opened her own, he seemed surprised to see her.

"Were you waiting for me?" he asked.

"... No," she lied.

He had a small grin on his face, "Oh?"

She hesitated, "I wanted to thank you," she told him. "For pulling me out..."

"I'd like to think you'd do the same..." he leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms.

"I just..." there was a lot she wanted to tell him, she scratched her arm and realized what she was doing so she stopped herself, "I just treated you with so much scrutiny – yet you jumped in after me without hesitation – you pulled me out of a situation that you did not know much of and... I am appreciated..."

He held a hand up, "I want to show you something," he told her and went into his room once more, she hesitantly followed and stood at the door, "when we visited you – you did not like me one bit," he said and rummaged through a trunk at the foot of his bed. "However, on the day we were to take a train to Istanbul –" he took out a bit of folded fabric, "you gave me this..." he chuckled, "you were five and your grandmother was already teaching you how to embroider..." he unfolded it and saw that it was a handkerchief with a crude little S embroidered in the corner.

She ran her thumb over the embroidery, a strange feeling washed over her, "I don't remember making this..." she told him.

He chuckled, "Well, you were only five, I was amazed that you could do it – and thought that was Magic..." she looked up and saw he had a gentle smile on his face and his eyes suggested he was recalling something, "You were too shy to give it to me yourself," he stated, "you hid behind your grandmother's skirts the entire time and she gave you a good shove, you dropped it – and it got dirty but you gave it to me anyways..."

She drew her hand away, "Was that the last time you visited with your family?" she asked.

"Yes," he confirmed.

She was about to say something but Bran walked by, "The Lady of the house demands our presence..." he said.

They nodded and followed him, as Fairouza walked ahead of the two she could barely hear Bran and Stephen muttering behind her. Whatever it was amused Bran and annoyed Stephen.

Ignoring them they went downstairs to Freyja's workshop where she was waiting for them.

Halvdan was also there sitting with his arms crossed. Fairouza sat beside him and the large man gently patted her hands. "Now that we are all here," said Fairouza. "This is what our plan is for the oncoming days, I am developing a spell that will help everyone see the Demons..." she said, "therefore I will routinely need one of you Sightless saps to help me until I have perfected the spell and the method..."

"Will you be charming our eyeballs?" asked Stephen.

"Don't be daft," she told him and she held glasses up, "I will be designing spectacles for everyone in the valley – it'll be a difficult task... but it needs to be done..."

"If you perfect the spell," her father began, "we'll task the glass masters to help..."

She nodded, "That would be helpful..." she looked to her father, "What do you have to report?"

"We've reached out to Nephthys and other Ancienthome leaders for reinforcements, when we told them the situation and what a victory might mean they seemed interested though they could not promise big numbers... we expect aid from Shangri-La, Atlantis, Alexandria, Babylon, and Cíbola."