Archive of Our Own

For centuries, dragons have coexisted with wizards. The dragons protect the beings who harness the magic from gemstones and crystals as the beings take care of the dragons. Some get close enough to the point of practically being ‘domesticated’. Some wizards are born during a time where they can help raise a dragon.

Gemini Tay was born at one of the most magical times of day, twilight. There was a full moon that night. Clan Tay was a diverse one, and Gem’s closer relatives were all deer. Amethyst had started to grow out of their horns in the recent generation as the magic started to infuse with their blood. The Tays specialized in amethyst but were willing to learn other magics.

The small nomad community her family lived with had a mix of clans and four dragons. One opal adolescent they adopted after it was abandoned, a yellow topaz dragon who they randomly met one day and never left, and two adult fire dragons. They all roamed the countryside and Gem grew up playing with tall dragons in taller grasses.

During the middle of the day on her seventh birthday, the fire dragons had a son. Gem was bestowed with the responsibility of taking care of the small creature. And once he could live on his own, the parents left. Of course, Gem did her job well. Her love for animals was extraordinary and the small dragon always got enough food and would always walk beside her. She called him Gandalf.

Five years later Gem had already mastered amethyst magic with and without her staff and now juggled learning healing magics and other types that interested her. Gandalf had grown to the point where they could take small flights together. He and the opal dragon played together, dousing each other in their opposing magic. Gem found out a few years later that she was one of the few anomalies that grew horns even though she was female. They were decently sized and twinkled with amethyst crystals. She loved them. And so did Gandalf.

“Gandalf,” Gem said, staring at the dragon. She was lucky to have him this overcast night, his orange flow was quite nice. “Do you see that?” She pointed over at what looked like a strange mound of earth.

Gandalf shook his head and took a few steps towards it.

“Do you think it’s safe? Was that here before?” She asked, following beside him. His response was a short burst of fire. “Of course, you'll protect us.” Gem looked behind her at the sleeping community. As a Grand Wizard, she had to do a shift of night watch. Being fifteen, this was not a very fun job. And in the dead of Northern winter, it was worse. At least Gandalf gave off enough heat that she didn’t freeze.

They approached the thing, and nothing happened. It had clearly just been put there, as lines from the wheels were still in clear view. To Gem, it looked like a smaller and metallic (although it was painted white) wagon. Even fit with glass windows. A door was open and she peered inside, there were some seats inside. They seemed quite comfortable as well.

She kicked at it, “Something from a city. Not a drop of magic in this thing.” Gandalf nodded and circled the weird wagon.

There was a loud BANG out of nowhere as something dinged the metal of the wagon. The two turned to the source and saw a tall man bundled in winter clothing holding something else Gem didn’t know but guessed was dangerous. The weapon was raised again and Gandalf roared. Gem made her staff and pointed it at the man, thinking of the best spell for this.

As Gandalf sent a spurt of fire at the man, Gem pulled vines up from the ground and pulled him down. He fell and another crack from his weapon. Gem was about to congratulate Gandalf when there was a third crack. From the camp.

“Defend!” Gem commanded Gandalf. He did as said and bounded off. She saw the man raising his weapon once more and she readied a spell. There was no chance to cast it as whatever was projected out of the weapon hit Gem’s left antler. She fell back and dropped her staff, almost blinded by the pain.

Perhaps she had been blinded as in the next moment, the man was pinning her down and holding an axe. She tried to move but was pinned with one of his knees at her neck. With all her might, she tried to break free with her free arms as the axe hit an antler one, two, three, four times. At the last hit, it broke off completely.

The man laughed, “Oh, jackpot. Girl antlers are so precious! Didn’t know I’d be so lucky…Thought it would just be the dragons!” He laughed and readed the axe again, going for the other antler.

Now, Gem had never done magic without her staff. Some of her male relatives could, as those with amethyst-crystal antlers had a magic source on them. She hadn’t been taught yet. But in an act of desperation and her staff being too far away, she raised her hands and tried one of her ice spells. Repeating the spell over and over again, feeling for something, she tried casting it. Sharp daggers of ice erupted through her gloved hands and found their marks along the man’s torso and neck. He fell off her with dead weight and did not stir. Gem grabbed her staff and ran back down to her family.

At least ten other men with the strange and loud weapons had appeared and were fighting her family. The dragons spat their magic and dodged the projectiles, her family cast a variety of spells. Gem found Gandalf protecting some of the children and ran over, hurling magic vines at him. This man hit the ground hard and lost his weapon. When he reached for it, Gem scooped it up and aimed it at him. She didn’t know how to use it and luckily Gandalf just shot fire at him to kill him.

Gem encased the thing in ice and turned back to the dragon, “Let’s go, we need to get the kids out. The adults can handle the rest.” Gandlaf nodded and lowered himself, letting the small children climb onto his back. They ran through the dense snow and away from the shouts of the camp. When it was more so a dot, the kids dismounted. Gandalf laid on the ground and curled his tail around so the children would be warm. Gem paced around, keeping an eye out for danger.

She watched the two other dragons take to the sky and attack from there. More shouts, more bangs. She shivered.

“Gem-Gem, where’s your antler?” One of the younger ones, Culad asked. 

She touched the small jagged snip bit of antler that was left and winced, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not really.” It did hurt, it hurt quite a bit. But Gem just smiled and looked back at the camp. An unnaturally bright light appeared out of nowhere and she turned. The white wagon she had seen earlier barreled towards her and the others. The bright lights entrapped her as Gandlaf and the kids ran to the side.

What snapped her out of it was someone grabbing her from behind, holding her staff against her neck. Gandalf roared and started to move towards them before another man got out of the car and raised his own odd weapon.

“Move and I shoot!” The man shouted. Gandlaf stopped but looked between him and Gem. “Alright, Rodger. Go ahead.”

The man holding Gem, Roder, started to move backwards. His breath stank and his voice sounded like he had inhaled too much smoke. Towards the car. Gem dug her feet into the ground and resisted thrashing in the grasp. Rodger grabbed her remaining antler and swiveled her head around so she could see him. “You cooperate with me okay, girl? I chop this off no problem and we’ll be out. You won’t even lose a limb for killing our friend. But, you keep fighting and we take you. As your antlers regrow, we cut them off. And when they stop growing? That’s it, you served your purpose. To the grave . Got it?”

Gem nodded. She didn’t think her antlers would regrow. They hadn’t fallen off in the winter like all the others and weren’t bigger than they were a month ago. The man stopped at the open door to the wagon and pulled something out of a pullout box. He let her staff fall to the ground as Gem stood there, ridged with cold and fear.

BANG!

The sound ringed through Gem’s ears as the momentum of the projectile made her fall to the ground. Her vision was blurry as she registered the antler being ripped from her head. She saw the man climb into the wagon with her antler and shut the door. The other man got in as well. They had started to leave when Gandalf started to give chase.

The last thing she saw was one of the men reaching out of a window and shooting multiple times. All projectiles hit one of Gandalf’s legs, and he crumpled to the ground.

Gem walked through the empty streets, and the rain was threatening to bring her umbrella down. Each stay drop that landed on her made her floppy deer ears flick. She had just gotten off work at the local cafe working the closing shift. It closed way too late for her liking but is fine money.

She turned the corner and saw a tall woman with moth wings and antennae standing in the middle of the street. She wore an open-backed white dress that flowed like water in the breeze. The woman stared up at the moon with a furious gaze. 

“Do you need help?” Gem called out.

The woman turned. She was shocked but her eyes grew wide as she smiled. “No, I’m good now.” Only now did Gem notice that no part of her was wet. Even in the pouring rain.

“Only now?”

The woman walked quickly over to Gem and took her free hand. “I’ve been told to look for you.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Gem was used to magic and its oddities but this was extra strange.

“I can't tell you!” The woman teased and laughed.

“Okay…Well, uh, either way, you’re going to need a place to sleep. Come with me.” Gem forced her hand away from the woman and continued to walk home. “What’s your name, by the way?”

“Pearlescent Moon! But everyone calls me Pearl. And you’re Ms. Gemini Tay.”

“Yeah. But just call me Gem.”

“Alright! Why do you have this…thing?” Pearl tapped the umbrella.

“So I don’t get soaked by the rain.”

Pearl blinked and tilted her head. Gem sighed and stuck a hand out into the rain. A small puddle formed in her palm.

“Woah,” Pearl gasped. “Is that annoying? To have water interact with you?”

“No? It’s…normal?”

“Huh.” Gem heard her add, “Humans are so weird…” under her breath.

They walked together through the pouring rain then into the emptiness of Gem’s apartment. She didn’t have much to her name even after almost ten years of living here. Just enough to live off of. Pearl made sure to remark upon the sadness of her living space. Even still, Gem got out a blanket from her closet and plopped it on the couch for Pearl. The odd woman followed her as she did her nightly ritual before giving Gem a friendly wave as the lights were shut off. Pearl actually glowed slightly in the darkness. Gem shut the door.

She got up seven hours later and did her morning things. Pearl insisted that she go with Gem to work but she just gave her a small amount of money to explore the city. Then she went to her work at the local pet shelter. Many hours later, at five, she went home. She found Pearl reading one of the few books she owned. A cat and a small…dragon sat on her coffee table.

“The vendor said they were for luck,” Pearl waved at them, “But they have no magic in them at all.” Her antennae moved to the side, some way of expressing anger.

“Why’d you buy them?”

“They’re cute! Humans buy things because they’re cute, right?”

“We do. Yeah.”

Gem did what she did every afternoon: charge her phone, eat some food, shower, lay in bed, change into uniform, then go to the cafe.

She worked until two then went back home. Rinse and repeat. Not a single piece of food was gone so Pearl never ate and never claimed to be feeling off so…She wasn’t like some spirit inhabiting a human-moth body…?

More and more small trinkets appeared around the house as Gem gave Pearl some sort of small allowance each day. They ranged from cringey tourist souvenirs to small plants (Gem had to teach her how to take care of those).

Gem was given the day off from the cafe because of some electrical work and ended up walking around the city with Pearl. They somehow found themselves at a toy shop.

Pearl picked up a box that claimed to be full of crystals. She held it tightly before frowning and putting it back, “Nothing's real anymore. City humans don’t care about authenticity anymore. Did they ever?”

“When they used to be country folk, yeah,” Gem shrugged.

“Do you miss magic?”

“What?”

“I can feel magic around you. Faintly through your bedroom door, near your heart, but it’s all so faint. And the city’s so devoid of it.” Pearl crossed her arms with a scowl.

“Magic doesn’t do much in the city. So not really.” Gem looked away. Couldn’t pay rent or figure out her taxes. Useless in the city, maybe that’s why she liked it here.

“But you used to be good at it, right? You have the mental and emotional strength, along with clearly having a country past.” Pearl gave her a small smile. She listened up, “Can I do your hair?”

“No,” was the quick and sharp retort. 

Pearl seemed unfazed by the snap but frowned, “Why? That high bun can’t be fun all the time.”

“My hair is fine .”

“Pleaseeeee?”

“No.”

Pearl did some odd equivalent of puppy dog eyes then had some bright idea: “I do your hair or you tell me all about your past life when there was magic.”

“I was a magician. A good magician. Then I stopped. The end.” Gem turned and walked away. Pearl called and said how the response wasn’t what she wanted but it was enough for Gem.

Gem started her weekly ritual off cooking a large pot of food to eat for however long it lasted. Her Dutch oven sat simmering a soup on the stove while some bread baked in the oven.

Pearl hung around nearby, waiting for a moment to help out. Her moment came when the oven timer rang out. She rushed to the oven and grabbed the casserole pan before Gem could stop her. The pan barely got out of the oven before she screamed with her wings flaring and dropped the pan. It shattered on the floor, with the bread still intact.

Gem still had her mitts on and saved the bread before turning her attention to Pearl. “What was that? Are you dumb?”

“I didn’t know it was going to be hot!” She was on the verge of tears and watching as her palms slowly turned more and more red.

“Pearl! Oh, that’s got to be second degree. And on your palms…”

“What does that mean?”

“It just means how badly you burned your body. It’ll hurt to touch everything and will heal in a couple of weeks.”

“Weeks? I—What? I didn’t even know I could get hurt by mortal things…” Pearl looked up with pleading eyes, “Can’t you heal it?”

“In theory, but I don’t do magic anymore.”

“Please?” She looked back at her hands, “ Dear Goddess Luna this hurts. ”

“Sit on the couch,” Gem sighed and walked away. She pulled the door almost shut and opened the lowest drawer of her wardrobe.

Multiple magic items. She took the amethyst and wood necklace before walking out. Pearl sat on the couch, sniffling.

Gem crouched in front of her and tapped the crystal, making both grow and shift into a staff a little taller than she was. She angled it down to Pearl’s hands and closed her eyes.

She took a breath, “ Hear me earth and animals. Hear— uh. Hear my request. No I can’t say that. We’re inside, that’s the wrong request.”

“You can do it, Gem.”

Gem gripped the staff tighter. “ Hear me air and—and… ” She inhaled and touched the staff to her head, “Hear me air and fire. Hear my request. Grant me strength to heal a friend. ” She waited. Nothing.

“Gem?”

Gem threw her staff down and stood. “I’ll—I think I’ll have to go out and buy you burn cream. And some bandages. I already had ibuprofen for you.”

“Gem, what do you mean?”

“I’m not worthy of magic. So I can’t do it anymore. We’ll do it the city way.” So they did.

“Where are you from?” Pearl asks another day, a month after she burnt her hands. Fall had truly rolled in and she cradled a hot apple cider in her hands. She didn’t need to drink but enjoyed the taste.

Gem looks up from her book, “Not anywhere in particular. Nomad group.”

“Are we far away from where you wandered?”

“Fairly, yeah.”

“Too far to…oh what’s the main mode of transport for humans?” Pearl stood up and started to pace.

“Car? I mean, if I was dedicated enough I could drive.”

“Yes! Then let’s go! Back to your roots!” She clapped and jumped up and down.

“Oh, I’d rather not. And, anyway, I’m not sure where my community is this time of year.”

“Come on ! This place is so non-magical I’m beginning to feel sick.” Pearl crossed her arms and poured. “And maybe we’ll find someone you’ll be able to say if you’re worthy of magic or not.”

“I’ve got work. I can’t take that much time off, I need the money! You’re charismatic enough to get someone to drive you. But I need to stay.” Gem snapped her book shut and stood up. Pearl tried to say something else but Gem simply walked away, ending the conversation.

The next morning, all of the non-living trinkets Pearl had bought were gone along with any trace of her. In truth, the only traces of her were those trinkets. 

Gem went to work, came home, went back to work, then came home again. She fixed herself a meager dinner and ate in her room. Honestly, she missed Pearl. She was like a toddler, if one could speak perfect English. New to the world, curious. It was raining tonight. Like the day they met.

Heavy knocks pounded on her door.

“Hello? Does a ‘Gem’ live here?” A frantic voice called from behind the door. “The man down the hall said you live here. Hello?”

Gem left her food on the bedside table and hesitantly opened her door. A teen she’s never seen before stood in the doorway along with an older man. He carried a limp and paler than normal Pearl. She was soaked. Terribly.

“Get her in here, on the couch,” Gem moved aside and watched as the man gently laid Pearl on the couch. She shut the door and rushed to her side. Her pulse was slow, skin cold, and breathing shallow.

“We were coming back from a party,” the teen said, “And we found her in the lobby, leaning against a wall. All she said to us was something about ovals—”

“No, it was ‘opals’.” The older man countered.

“Well. Whatever it was. But also something about you, ‘Gem’.”

She nodded. “Okay. Yes. Thank you.”

“Do you need our help…?” The teen asked.

“No, no. Go to bed. We’ll be alright.”

And so the other two left.

Gem owned many magical items. Amethyst, opal, quartz, obsidian, lapis, multiple dragon scales she found as a kid, dried herbs, charms from the Elders. Pearl had always seemed connected to the moon in many ways so her being connected to opal made sense. She was magic so magic would help her. Gem grabbed her cut opal along with her necklace and pushed back out to the couch. She set the smooth stone on Pearl’s chest (where her heart should be and hopefully was) and turned the necklace into her staff. Gem checked her pulse again, a little better.

“Hear me night sky,” Gem put her hand on the opal and held the staff between her and Pearl. “Hear me night sky. Hear my request. Help my friend. Heal her magic. Night sky, hear me.” Gem waited. Magic hummed from the opal but not the staff. Nothing stirred in her chest. Gem got all of her other magical rocks and put them next to the opal.

That seemed to help Pearl. Heartbeat stronger, breathing deeper. Pearl’s eyes slowly blinked open. A little unfocused, but she was awake. She smiled, “Gem! Hello.”

“Hey.” Gem smiled back.

The crystals helped her. Made her stronger. Pearl said she was feeling sick in the city. She always complained about the lack of magic in the city. Sometimes, Gem would come out of her room at night and see her staring out the window at the moon saying things in another language.

Gem looked up at her staff. Was she unworthy or did she just lose her magic? No, but, she’s had those stones for years. Would they have lost their magic?

She sighed, “Alright, Pearl. You’re getting what you wanted. Road trip.”

“What?”

“No magic in the city, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, I needed to ask you things.”

“When you’re stronger. Let me give you some dry clothes. You change and then we leave. Alright?” Gem made her staff back into a necklace and slipped it onto her neck.

“Yeah.” Pearl took the stones off her chest but kept them close as she sat up.

Gem did as she promised. Pearl got a much warmer set of clothes and the hair drier was pulled as a precaution. Then they piled into Gem’s run down and low-fuel car and stopped by a gas station. Then Gem just started driving. Straight east, out to the country where magic flowed freely. Where Gem used to roam. But it would take a few hours for the magic to come back.

Pearl found out how to lean the seat back and did so. “So. I’ve got things to say.”

“Might as well. Nothing good on the radio right now anyway.”

“I went around town for a long time. I guess I don’t have as much charisma as I thought. Then I went to the library when the rain came. Looked through every book about nomadic tribes and magic. Some I wanted to know, some things I didn’t care about. But they mentioned how across the mountains on this continent, there are dragons .” Pearl had a face of pure joy and wonder. Gem tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “I’m sure you know all about it. But, also, you’re really bad at hiding your disdain for them. I bought five dragon trinkets, all of which you moved somewhere else.”

“So?” Gem tried to look away from Pearl but also looked at the road. “You’re non-human, but haven’t even told me what. Something with the moon is all I know.”

Pearl sighed. “I’m a Child of the Moon. Made of the ashes of dead stars and the dust of the moon. Made of pure Universal magic. The Goddess Luna sent me here on a mission, to find you. Then some other stuff.” She shifted in her seat and rearranged the stones, “Good? Will you answer my question?”

“I did live with…them. Dragons. One opal, two fires, one yellow topaz. We were tight-knit. The fire dragons had a kid and I took care of him.”

“Until? There’s an until, right?”

“That’s not about who I am.”

“Okay…Anything else I need to know?”

Gem glanced at herself in the side view mirror. “No. Not at this moment.”

Houses were thinning out by the time they had to stop. Gem had been awake too long and the car was starting to get low again. They filled up the car and pulled into a dingy inn just nearby. The sun was starting to rise and now the two of them were going to have to stay in this town for the next day.

“Humans have a sleep schedule, right? Let’s not ruin it! What’s the drink? Coffee?” Pearl said before dragging Gen out of the room. One coffee later and they had started to wander around the small town. There wasn’t much in it. 

Pearl claimed to be feeling better and only kept the opal in a pocket. Everything supposedly magic was still non-magical. But she claimed the ground had magic now. Gem had them stop by the convenience store as she would need a toothbrush and toothpaste for however long she was away from home.

Then, after a very long library visit and dinner for Gem later, they were back at the inn room. The sun hadn’t set yet but Gem still decides to go to sleep.

An hour after both of them got out of bed (Gem wasn’t sure if Pearl actually even sleeps but maybe she does), they were back on the road. So many hours and gas stations and minimal chatter later, Pearl declared that magic was back. Gem found an open and off-the-main-road field and pulled over. With a giddy smile, Pearl dumped the stones into Gem’s lap and ran out of the car. Gem out the stones into a plastic bag she found and got out, leaning on the hood of the car.

Long grass swayed in the wind and the wind whistled beautiful notes. It reminded Gem of home. Her pendant seemed to hum against her chest. Pearl felt the magic as she held her arms up to the sky and twirled. Her wings fluttered rapidly but didn’t lift her off the ground.

“Gem! Gem, come over here!” Pearl held her arms out. Gem set the bag of rocks down on the hood and walked over to Pearl, taking hold of her hands. They spun around in a circle, laughing with a childlike glee. Pearl stopped them and hugged Gem, “This is living.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Oo! Maybe you can do magic now! Out here! With all of it in the earth.” She twirled around again. Gem smiled then shooed Pearl away. Pearl obliged and frolicked around in another part of the field.

Gem created her staff and stood tall. She raised her head to the sky and angled her staff slightly forward.

“Old Ancestors, I ask for forgiveness. I have abandoned you as you have abandoned me. But now I ask for forgiveness. I stand on the ground you now nurture and face the sky your spirits now reside in. I ask that I may be forgiven and that I get your blessing to practice the arts I trained in.”

She remembers the hours she spent behind the others, casting spells in the fields. The youngest Grand Wizard her people knew. Now her staff is gaining some buzz. A small hum of magic. Gem places her empty hand on her chest.

“Old Ancestors, I was once called Grand Wizard Gemini Tay. I wish that with your blessing, I can be called that once more.”

Her staff begins to warm up, magic coursing through it once again. There is a whisper in the wind, Yes. Gem raises her staff to the sky and opens her eyes as she slams it back into the earth. Sparks and swirls of amethyst magic shoot out from the bottom of the staff, swirling around her before disappearing with the wind.

Some newfound courage grows in her. She remembers all her old spells, the motions to do, the words to say, the state her mind needs to be in. There is a ritual of trust she remembers. ‘The Dragon’s Dance’. Swooping motions around a large expanse of land with large gestures. It ends by kneeling down on the ground, laying your staff in front of you and keeping your head to the ground. One would do that in front of the one they were showing trust to, Gem was doing to the earth in general. So wherever she landed would have to do.

Gem did the motions. A small trail of magic followed her as she swooped and twirled in the tall grass. A tail, a body, some legs, a head. At the tip of the dragon’s head, she kneeled, head to the dirt. She has thanked the earth and now lays on her back. The dirt is cool against her skin and the grass tickles her.

A shadow crosses over Gem. She opens her eyes and sees Pearl standing over her. “I can feel the magic around you.”

“That would make sense,” Gem gave her a thumbs-up.

“Yay!” Pearl clapped. “Do you want to get up?”

“Yeah, sure.” Gem held her arms up and Pearl grabbed them. She was pulled to her feet and shook herself out. “Happy about the magic out here?”

“Yep! It’s so nice.” Pearl looked around the field. “I talked to Goddess Luna, asked some questions. There are things you haven’t told me, haven’t figured out yet. So I will stay with you.”

“In the city? You know that’s bad—”

Pearl rolled her eyes, “No, not the city! Let’s stay out here a little! Do you have any familial loose ends to tie up?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“No, I think I’m good. But I’m going to guess that you do have things to tie up, So, where do we start?”

“Nowhere really. We were wanderers, so I don’t know.” Gem crossed her arms and sighed. “But patterns suggest…somewhere more northern?”

“Road trip!” Pearl declared, throwing her arms up.

They drove for a while, past empty fields and small farmhouses with large farms. An hour later, they reached a small town and decided to stop and buy Gem some snacks along with a map. Gem paid up front as Pearl went outside to ask the first person she found where they were. She exited the store, opening a bag of chips while holding a drink under her arm.

Pearl came over with a wary look on her face, “I got it. Let’s go.” She held a tight grip on Gem’s arm. Gem nodded and they left. Some ways away from the town Pearl looked over at her, “That…That guy. I asked where we were and he gave it to me then he started ranting about how he knows every animal from this continent. Every animal, every hybrid. So, of course he asked why he couldn’t recognize my wings. And I’m not a very good liar, Gem. We’re not meant to lie. But…I don’t know, maybe I convinced him by saying I was a different continent. There are other continents, right?”

“There are many others, yes. Why are you telling me this?”

“Because he started to boast about how good he was at ‘getting the animals’ resources’. Said he was ‘akin to a poacher’, whatever that is. But then he pulled out a necklace he had around him. I had felt its magic but didn’t want to ask about it, just in case he tried to do something…bad. It was an antler. To an amethyst deer.” Pearl wrapped her arms around her and Gem tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “And he just kept talking about it. How he went out for dragons, but came back with antlers. He said it like it was okay . And—And he just scared me.” Pearl shuddered. “And I know you’re a deer. And your main magic is amethyst. So…So, uh, have you ever run into poachers or anything?”

“Yeah, yeah we did. The guy, did he have a, uh, really rough voice? Like, was it similar to the voice of that woman from the coffee shop?”

“I’d say so…yeah. Why?”

“Then chances are that his antler necklace was made from one of my antlers.” Gem sucked in a breath and glanced over at Pearl. She laughed uneasily, “Yeah, there’s a reason I keep my hair up. I actually hate it, having my hair in a bun. Always more of a braided-hair girl.”

“Then why do you wear your hair up? Are there remains of your antlers?”

“Ugly remains. And, you know, out of sight out of mind. Lots of things happened that night, all containing magic.”

“So you moved where there wasn’t magic.”

“Yep.”

“Oh, wow. Okay then. I’m sorry. Though that says nothing.” Pearl looks out the window. “And night? We did nothing to help, did we?”

“It was overcast. Not yours or Goddess Luna’s fault.” Gem patted her on the shoulder and looked at herself in the side view mirror. She held the wheel with one hand and undid the tie that held up her now-sloppy bun. A shower of fire-orange hair dropped on her shoulders. Oil had made her ringlets and curls almost nothing and the weight felt immense after years of having it up. Gem pushed strands of hair out of her face and continued driving. Pearl didn’t make an audible reaction.

Gem woke up as she felt herself land on hard ground. She and Pearl had gotten a room at the first town they found some time after midnight, and the beds weren’t the best but not this bad. And, anyway, why was she landing on one?

Her eyes fluttered open to be blinded by a light. She pushed herself up and found out that she was in a field next to a river. There was a car as well, headlight pointing right at her. The light illuminated a bag next to her. The one holding all of her gems and crystals.

Shaped moved about the car and only Gem’s eyes properly looked part the blinding light, she saw the slightly glowing figure of Pearl and a man who looked like a lumberjack. She quickly stood and grabbed at her chest of her necklace. There was no hesitation as she summoned her staff and fired ice at the man.

He dropped Pearl and she ran over to Gem as fast as she could. “It’s him, he followed us,” was all she said. Gem held her arm out in front of Pearl and stepped up in front of her.  She moved her staff in a circle motion and a purple shield was held out in front of them. It wavered with Gem’s shaking arm.

“Nice to see you again,” She said. “Rodger, was it?”

He clutched his arm, “I’m glad that neither of us could forget each other. Your antlers sold at such a nice price, so I thank you for that. Murderer.”

“Like you aren’t guilty of that yourself.”

“I have never killed a person,” Rodger rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I’m surprised your antlers didn’t regrow. Was it the damage we caused?”

Gem tightened her grip on her staff and squared her stance. “Do you happen to have any family or loved ones?”

“Why do you care?” Rodger looked hurt by this question. She had hit some nerve. Even if he didn’t answer the question, she could guess that the only people he was close to were his poaching friends.

“Returning a favor, one could say,” Gem shrugged. Then, she raised her staff and made a slashing motion. The shield switched from a defensive item to a blade of magic. It hit Rodger square in the chest, creating a deep gash. Pearl screamed from behind, but seemed frozen otherwise. “What was your plan? Drown us in the river? Try to make an accident?” She moved forward while saying this and crouched down next to Rodger. The found the string holding the necklace with her antler and ripped it off his neck before retreating, “So?” Rodger didn’t respond with all the blood spilling out of him. He staggered to his feet and reached into his car.

Gem learned many things when becoming a Grand Wizard. How different magics worked against others, the optimal types in a fight. What she figured out first is that nine times out of ten, fire is the best. Naturally, animals and people feared it. It would easily freeze someone in their tracks, whether they were in the flames or not.

So instincts kicked.

Rodger was distracted and busy. Gem didn’t want to know what he’d pull out of the car and simply just aimed her staff at him and the car. With a few simple words, heat and magic from everything around them started a raging fire. The sun had started to peak over the eastern horizon and the fire was fueled by that. A large column in the earth, from ground to fifty feet up. Blazing orange and white. Because it was a certain spell and pure magic, it made no smoke and didn’t spread to the nearby plants. But both Gem and Pearl stepped back from the heat of the flames. She kept the spell going for a good ten minutes.

When the spell dissipated, the car was nothing but a melted pile of metal and rubber. Somewhere in there was Rodger’s ashes. Gem looked at the antler necklace in her hand. A small piece wrapped in twine, like someone would an animal’s tooth. One small chunk of amethyst sat on it. She untied the knot at the end and wrapped it around her staff.

“What was that for?” Pearl asked as Gem wrapped vines around the car, trying to pry it from the earth. “Why’d you kill him? Do you know how bad that is?”

“I do, Pearl. Wouldn’t be the first time.” She stumbled back as the melted pile was ripped out of the earth, vines swaying. “Killed another man in self defense and killed the dragon I was meant to protect through my inaction.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“While trying not to have my second antler being ripped off, I sent ice through a man. One of Rodger’s poacher friends.” She set the pile back down and considered what to do with it. “And because I fainted after my second antler was ripped off, I couldn’t try and heal Gandlaf. He wasn’t awake two months later, and hadn't gotten much better in that time as well.”

“And after those two months?”

“I left. That was…ten years ago.”

“Ten?” Pearl walked forward and stood in front of Gem. “And, hey, you don’t know if your Gandlaf dragon is dead. Could be alive.”

“Chances were slim.”

Pearl held her arms out, “Like this was more likely?”

Gem shook her head. It truly wasn’t. She looked to the east at the sun that looked red. A steady breeze blew through the plain and the river near them bubbled over the rocks. Gem walked over to her plastic bag and looked through it, all the rocks were intact. The wind blew a little more and her hair tickled her neck. “That’s…the first time I’ve mentioned any of that for ten years.” She looked back at the sun, shoulders sagging.

“Well…” Pearl started. “It’s good you did, right? Lots of unresolved grief. You either explode or…explode then devolve into yourself.”

“You mean like…supernovas and black holes?” Gem looked back at Pearl and laughed.

“Is that what humans call them? That is accurate, I will say. But, yeah. Those things.” She smiled back. Pearl opened her mouth to say something else but was cut off by a loud roar.

From the sky swooped down a large opal dragon. It snatched the car, leaving a small dent in the earth and flew some ways away. From there, Gem could see that there was a person atop the dragon. It curved around and flew back to the two women. With a gush of wind, the dragon landed.

A small man some years younger than Gem dismounted and approached Gem, “Did you do that? The fire?”

“I did.”

“Okay, wow. That was some skill,” the boy put his hands on his hips.

“Really? I mean, it was impressive but I thought I was a little rusty.”

“Oh no, not at all.” They stared at each other. Well, Gem was looking the boy directly in the eyes while he was definitely looking at her head. Where her ruined horns peeked through.

The dragon behind them made a rumble akin to some greeting and walked forward, winding around Pearl. She stiffened up, drawing her wings closer at the large animal stared at her. It stopped after some time and lowered its head in front of Pearl.

Gem called over to the confused Pearl, “It's a sign of respect. Recognizing your power.” Pearl said a quiet ‘ohhh’ and kneeled in front of the dragon, whispering something to it in her other language.

The wizard boy smiled at this and took out his own staff. It had a white quartz gem nestled in a nest of birch woods. He raised it to the sky and sent a beacon of white light into the sky. The light held for ten seconds before he lowered his staff. A common signal amongst wizards of safety.

“You could stay the night if you need more sleep. Or Sara could bring you to the nearest town.” The wizard puts his staff away and points to the opal dragon.

“I’ll do whatever,” Gem looks over to Pearl. “But I’ll let Pearl have her fun. She’s like a small toddler.” She gives a light-hearted laugh. The wizard just laughs back and shrugs.

After some time Pearl stops talking to Sara but stays standing next to the large animal. Gem stands close and listens to them, or looks off to the rising sun.

The lumbering footsteps of a dragon turn Gem away from the sun. Pearl sits uneasily on Sara's back as she crouches down. The moth woman holds out a hand, an offering. Gem hesitates but the joyful expression on Pearl’s face gives her no choice. She climbs on and sits more confidently on Sara’s back. With a running start, she takes off and climbs high into the sky. Pearl laughs and throws her arms up, causing her to fall into Gem for a moment. The two laugh and watch the ground below them fly past. Sara lets out a loud roar and starts to dive down. Angling one wing down, they turn on a dime before shooting back up into the sky. Gem looks over at the ground and sees a group walking just far enough away to be a blob.

But from all the way over there, they hear the loud response of another dragon. Sara responds to this by climbing even higher in the sky. Once at an acceptable height, she levels out and starts doing a large loop around one area.

“Hey, Gem!” Pearl shouts over the wind, twisting around. “Do you want to know what my mission was after finding you?” She shakily stands up on Sara’s back, facing Gem.

“Yeah!” Gem shouts back, accepting Pearl’s hand as she stands.

Pearl squeezes Gem’s hands in her own, “I was to help you find yourself!”

Gem’s about to ask what that means while another dragon levels out to Sara’s height. Red, orange, yellow, and shimmering. The slight pattern in scales is unmistakable Gandalf. He is alive and seems well. Larger than all those years ago, but seems just as happy. Everything under the knee of his right leg is gone but he looks otherwise unharmed.

She gasps and rids herself of Pearl’s grip. Pearl sits back down and pats Sara, who tilts toward Gandalf slightly. Using footwork from years ago with so much practice, Gem slips off Sara and lands lightly on the back of Gandalf. She sits down and smiles. Gandalf looks to see if she’s holding on before diving down and doing barrel rolls.

When he goes upright once more, Gem laughs and hugs him. He does a cat-like purr before slowly descending onto the ground. Even though he’s missing a leg, he still lands gracefully. Gem hops off and goes around to where his head is. Gandalf gently rests his head on her shoulder. They stand there for a few moments.

Someone running up calling out drew Gem’s attention away. “Gem!” She looks over and sees a tall teen running towards her.

She laughs as she recognizes him, “Culad?” He runs up and crashes into Gem, tightly squeezing her. “You’ve grown!” She held him at arm’s length, “I always knew you’d look like your father.” She ruffles his hair and laughs.

“I’ve really missed you. Well, we’ve all missed you.” Culad looks over at the approaching people and calls out, “It’s her!” There seem to be a few cheers from them. Two people push through the crowd and rush forward. As they approach and Gem can make out their features, she recognizes her parents. She leaves Culad’s side and rushes forward, into her parents’ arms.

They hold her tight and whisper things she doesn’t understand because they say them too fast and her mind is already full of apologies she wants to make. When they stop talking for just a moment, Gem opens her mouth to say something like ‘I’m sorry for leaving’ or ‘I’m sorry for never contacting you’ or just something , but her mother gives her a kind look and tucks some hair behind her ear. Gem doesn’t say anything but keeps her parents close.

“The elders couldn’t feel your magic,” her father says. “Some thought you died, others thought that the ancestors stripped you of your magic. But the continent was too wide for anyone to search, and the cities created dead zones the dragons didn’t want to pass into.”

“I did go into a city,” Gem wipes tears from her eyes. “I didn't want anyone to find me. And I didn’t even notice when I became detached from magic. It was what I wanted, anyways.”

“Why?”

“It was one thing to kill a man in defense, but another to not protect the one you had the privilege to protect.” Gem looked over at Gandlaf then back to her parents, “It was my job and I thought I had killed him.”

“But you didn’t,” her mother said. “The chances were very slim, no one blames you for thinking the worst. But I do have to ask, what made you come back out here? And what was all that fire magic for?”

“Oh, well, uh,” Gem looks behind her to where she thinks Pearl is. Sara, Pearl, and the young wizard stand nearby, quite awkwardly. Gem waves Pearl over. “A friend, I suppose.”

Pearl smiles, “It’s truly a mixture of me failing my mission but also completing it in the wrong way.”

“Your mission?” Gem’s father asks.

“I am a Child of the Moon. The Goddess Luna told me that I was to find your daughter then to help her find herself. It was difficult only because you’ve got a stubborn one!” Pearl laughed and lightly shoved Gem. “But, me feeling sick in the city brought us out here. Then, to you. By a major stroke of good luck.”

Gem’s parents smiled and looked at each other then back at Pearl. Her mother gave Pearl a nod, “Thank you very much, Child. Is there a way we can repay you?”

“Just keep Gem safe.”

“So this means you’re leaving?” Gem asks.

“By nightfall I’ll be gone. But. hey, maybe the Goddess will let me visit. The other night time creatures can keep you company as well.” Pearl takes one of Gem’s hands. “And is there anything you need from your city house? I can quickly get it through magic.” She does jazz hands with a laugh. “You know what? I’ll grab anything that looks important or cool. Go and talk to your family.”

Gem pulls Pearl into a hug, “Thank you for everything.”

“I should be thanking you more, teaching me how humans live and everything,” Pearl responds and lets go.

Pearl stays back as everyone moves back to the crowd. Her and Gem wave good-bye before Pearl is gone with the passing breeze. The people of her old community smile and welcome her back in with open arms. There are some people she’s never seen before, some are unrecognizable from years ago, and very few are gone.

Later that day, Sara walks up to Gem, carrying a messenger bag in her jaws. Gem takes it to find all of her magical items that she had brought on the trip and were in her apartment. A small note from Pearl sat at the bottom.

‘Congrats on the second disappearance! This one is much more mysterious than the last.

Your friend, 

Pearlescent Moon’