Johnson County Library is pleased to announce that Ava S. has won third place in the 13-19 age group for the Summer 2021 Youth Writing Contest.
Ava S. is a homeschooled junior that recently traded her Ohio buckeye trees in for the wild sunflowers of Kansas. Ava has been writing for most of her life and has worked on multiple novels, poems, songs, and short stories. Her inspirations are the books she grew up reading in her elementary and preteen years. This particular short story was loosely inspired by the classic Thumbelina. Some of her author influences are Lucy Maud Montgomery, Leigh Bardugo, Marissa Meyer, and Trenton Lee Stewart. She hopes to write more stories in the future that give underrepresented kids and teens a chance to see themselves in the books they read. When she’s not crafting stories, you can find her experimenting with visual design, learning riffs on her guitar, or playing with her adorable rabbit, Theo.
Elavyn wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. The once blue sky was now painted with an array of bright pinks, warm oranges, and deep lavenders. A smile stretched across the young girl’s lips, it was finally the time once again. She let out an excited giggle as she continued to pick the crops of her family's farm, filling her second basket of corn. Tonight was a special night she looked forward to for the past few years. Every five moons the fairies lit up the midnight sky and flew to Everence to restore their powerful crystal springs of serenity. Last time Evalyn was too young to fully experience it, but now the excited seven-year-old could finally experience the moment she only could find described in books. The sky continued to blend like some sort of magical painting until the colors completely blended into a deep dark eve.
Her breath hitched as she stared up into the endless sea of sky, the stars dimly twinkling as the lady moon rose up to the heavens and shone her warm light. “It’s happening!” She shouted to no one in particular, her mouth opening in awe and her woven basket tumbling to the ground beneath her. The sky suddenly lit up with a beautiful light, it looked like the brightest stars were all dancing for her. The fairies soared across the sky, sprinkles of light and magic trailing behind them, leaving Elavyn entranced. Then suddenly a small shimmer of light came crashing and falling from the heavens above as if a shooting star. It landed abruptly somewhere in the fields. She gasped
wondering what had happened, before looking back up at the fairies, but they had already vanished.
“Mother! Father! What could that be?” She anxiously questioned her parents, who only shrugged and sighed.
“Don’t worry about it Vyn, I’m sure it’s nothing. You best be getting to bed, we’re headed into town tomorrow.”
Elavyn began to protest, only to be stopped by her father who picked her up and carried her into the small cottage. She sighed, pouting, she was absolutely certain something was out there.
She lay in her bed, snuggled under the covers with a scruffy stuffed rabbit she had gotten as an infant, it was missing one button eye and had a patch of fabric on its left ear but she still loved it. Her eyes were stuck on the ceiling, her heart racing with wonder and awe. She tried to memorize and remember every moment she had just witnessed. Her heart went back to the shooting star, the fairy who was forgotten. Was she seeing things? Or was something extraordinary about to happen? She smiled to herself as she closed her eyes shut, escaping to her world of dreams and fantasies. The world where tears were actually magical and her family didn’t have to work each day in the fields. A world where everyone was truly at peace.
Elavyn fluttered her eyes open to the bright sun, happy at its arrival. She quickly jumped out of bed and out of her nightclothes, putting on a red shirt and blue overalls. She brushed her tight coils up into a messy puff. The barefooted girl dashed through the kitchen and out the house, heading towards the fields to do her morning chores. The sun shimmered as the fluffy clouds drifted through the bright blue sky. She glanced around the fields, hoping to spot the fallen star. Letting out a sigh she began to pick peppers of all different colors, shapes, and sizes, sorting them into individual baskets. A percentage of these would be taken to town later today. Her family had a small stand where they sold crops. Elavyn always looked forward to visiting town, meeting new creatures from all different places. She and her family were Amani,
human-like creatures that lived peaceful lives in farms and rural land. As much as she adored her simple farm life, she always hoped for more. She longed to explore the great deep world. She smiled to herself, dazing off in a daydream while she picked and sorted the next set of peppers. Then suddenly a soft whimper came out from a nearby bush. Elavyn paused, glancing around. “Hello?” She murmured, unsure what would reply. There was nothing said except more wailing, as if a young child was crying. She set down her woven basket and crawled about in the grass, slowly and shyly creeping over to the bush the sound came from. As she pulled away vines and leaves her eyes landed on a small infant fairy! A gasp escaped her lips as she continued to stare. It was
around the size of a mouse, with chubby little limbs and the tiniest of wings. Tears streamed down its big round cheeks, as screams erupted from its tiny mouth. Elavyn gently grabbed the young fairy, cradling the tiny being in her hand. “You must be the shooting star, the fallen fairy!” She whispered, “Don’t worry! I will get you a bit to eat and a place to lay!” She ripped off a couple of leaves from the bush, then spread them flat against the grass, creating a soft blanket for the fairy to lie on. “There!” She set it down, “I’ll be back with something for you to eat! And some cloth to wear!”
The fairy began to quiet as Elavyn walked into the cottage and back out, hands full with a small rag and a strawberry. She draped the rag against the naked baby, hoping it would keep them warm, then fed it a small piece of the red berry, “Try this!”
The fairy took a reluctant bite then began to quickly nibble on the fruit. After finishing it, she making grabby hands at the older child. Elavyn giggled, quickly rushing into the house to get more. She returned with more small bits of strawberries, feeding the small fairy.
“So, where did you come from? What is your name?” The young girl whispered to the adorable creature. It cooed in response, unable to speak yet. She giggled patting its tiny head, “I’ll name you...” She paused, glancing around the garden. “Pepper!”
The baby giggled in response, sucking on its tiny toes.
“I’ll take that as a yes, then!” Elavyn smiled, gently wrapping Pepper in the leaves and bringing her inside the small house.
As the springs turned into summers and the autumns turned into winters, the two girls grew together and became the best of friends. Although Pepper was much younger and much smaller, they still had the loveliest times together.
Elavyn was no longer alone with her storybooks and her simple farm life no longer felt so uninteresting. Once Pepper fully blossomed and grew her wings every day became a new adventure. The hyper fairy would often disturb Elavyn’s slumber, begging her to wake up and play, and distract her from her chores and assignments. While Elavyn was maturing and getting busy with real-world problems, Pepper still yearned for adventure and the unknown part of herself she so badly wanted to know.
“Vyn!” Pepper, let out a sigh, calling the older girl’s name for what seemed to be the hundredth time. The impatient young fairy flew over to the older, landing softly on her shoulder. “Vyn! Look at this, it is super important!” Elavyn groaned, setting down her quill pen and ink, She was making another map for a very special client. “Pepper! You know I’m trying to make some extra money right now! All-day long you have been bothering me!”
“Well, I promise this is really important!” Pepper pleaded, tapping her foot against Elavyn’s shoulder.
“Fine,” She huffed, “But please make it fast!”
“Yay! Follow me, the book is too heavy to carry!” Pepper flew over to the other side of Elavyn’s bedroom. Books and pillows were stacked up on the windowsill, where Pepper had been devouring Elavyn’s old childhood stories. “Remember that day where I said I don’t think I belong here?” Pepper asked as she landed on one of the lavender pillows.
“Yeah, but no one really belongs! Everyone is different and unique.”
“I don’t mean it like that! I’ll just show you! Look!” Pepper pointed to an illustration she had found in one of the books titled Legend of the Wisterii. On the page was a sketch of a small fairy similar to Pepper, with the same droopy wings, small limbs, and growing bright eyes.
“This is me! And look- these are my people!” She flipped to the next page excitedly, which had a sketch of many of the other fairies. “My family!” Elavyn’s heart dropped, family? Although she understood Pepper wanting to find her true family, it still hurt, what about her newfound family, with Mother and Father and her? She swallowed down the selfish thoughts, forcing a smile. “That’s awesome Pepper! I forgot I still had all of those books, I used to be obsessed with them when I was younger. Then you came along, and I realized I didn’t need to only live through books.”
Pepper smiled in response, continuing to quickly flip through pages of the book. “And look at this! The Wisterii have a great power that produces the Crystal Waters of Serenity! It has healing powers and gives its drinkers all they need to survive! It makes the weak strong, the poor rich, the old young!” She read excitedly, “Only thing is that the Wisterii need to be connected to create the crystal waters, so I can’t just make that right now.”
“The Crystal waters?” Elavyn choked out, a switch suddenly clicking on in her brain. She had heard so much about the Crystal Waters and the powers they held. With the Crystal Waters, her old parents wouldn’t be so exhausted and would be able to live on their own without her constant help with money and farm work. With Cyrstal Waters, she could finally explore the world without limits or guilt.
“Every five years they all fly throughout the midnight sky to the festival to restore the Elitian’s Cyrstal Spring, last year I was too young to fully understand. But, I think I was a fallen Wistie, It’s happened before! My birthday is next week and on the exact same day as the festival! Maybe we could go- Like as a gift?”
Elayvn’s eyes sparkled with excitement, Pepper’s proposition did sound like a great break from her constant map-making and farm work, she couldn’t say no to her. Plus, maybe just maybe she would be able to bring some of the
Crystal Waters back home after their journey. “That’s a great idea! It will be a long journey though, We must leave tomorrow!”
“Wait? You actually mean it?” Pepper laughed excitedly, flying over to hug her sister. “Yay! I’m so happy, I can finally see Wisteria and maybe even find my family!”
Elavyn hugged her back with a wide smile on her face, glad the younger girl was excited. “We should start packing, I don’t know everything we should bring but let’s try to bring as many useful things as we can.”
She began to wander around the room in search of her compass, telescope, and moleskin travel journal. “I’ll ask Father if I can borrow Melody from the stable.” Melody was one of her family’s horses, they had two. Melody was a deep chestnut brown with a long raven mane, and Rain was grey with white spots and a light grey mane. Melody and Rain were sweet and kind, Elavyn enjoyed riding, grooming, and spending time with them. “Can you make a few bags of seeds for us?”
Pepper nodded eagerly, flying off to the kitchen to get the jars of sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Elavyn sighed, excited but worried. She hoped things would work out as they expected.
The girls spent the rest of the afternoon packing and preparing for the long journey they had in the morning.
Elavyn fluttered her eyes open to Pepper flying around in her face. “It's time! Wake up!” The little fairy chanted loudly.
Elavyn giggled, shushing the younger girl. “Alright, Alright, I’m getting up!” Her feet landed on the cold wooden floor, and she clothed herself in a hooded dress, paired with lace boots and her satchel. She didn’t have any weapons except for her short silver dagger, which was small but had a great amount of strength. She sighed, her stomach filling with poisonous butterflies, she didn’t feel as prepared as she wished she did.
“I promise we will stay safe! We will be back soon!” Elavyn smiled, giving her parents one last hug before loading a few small bags and satchels onto Melody’s saddle and mounting on. Pepper flew behind her, resisting Elavyn’s offer to ride in the saddlebag. She was bursting with excitement, quickly speeding ahead and soaring as fast as she could. “Hurry up slow slug! Our adventure begins!”
The journey was long, and much tiring than either of them had expected. The sun had set and the sky had gone dark, but the stars weren’t out yet.
Elavyn rode into a small forest, the tall evergreens were so thick that they blocked every bit of the moon as if they were carefully trying to avoid any of it peaking through the cracks of its branches. Pinecones, mushrooms, pebbles, and remains of plants were scattered about the ground below them. Pepper was fast asleep, tucked safely inside of a small satchel. A sigh escaped Elavyn’s
lips as she glanced around the strange forest, something felt off. She gulped, her head pounding and body weak from the hours of trekking through hills and creeks and bustling town settlements. She reluctantly began to stop Melody, reaching for her jar of water and quickly chugging it down.
“Stop where you are!” A loud voice shouted out of nowhere, startling Elavyn. Her breath hitched, eyes landing on the owner of the voice. It was a tall girl around her age with a similar cloak, half of her body hidden behind bushes.
The girl was pulling back a bow from her arrow, aiming it at her. Elavyn flooded with confusion, was she about to die?! She froze, watching as the arrow came straight at her, clenching her eyes shut as the arrow nearly grazed against her cheek. She gasped, reluctantly opening her eyes and watching the arrow soar behind her, piercing right into the thick skin of a large bear. It moaned in pain, collapsing to the ground. She hadn’t even noticed it behind her. She turned back towards the girl. Her heart growing with gratitude, “You saved me! Thank you!”
The girl didn’t respond, only putting up a finger to shush her. “There could be more of them lurking, follow me!”
Elavyn reluctantly followed steering Melody throughout the windy uneven path the woods naturally had paved. “Who are you?” She questioned. “Didn’t I already tell you to stay quiet?” The girl sighed, quickening up her pace.
Elavyn silenced herself, glancing into her satchel to see if Pepper had awoken. The small fairy was sound asleep despite the roars of the bear. She bit her lip to keep herself from asking any more questions, and mindlessly followed the strange girl deeper into the forest.
After some time, the girls finally arrived at a tiny hut crafted out of large branches and leaves. It made her family’s small cottage look huge. “Come inside, it will be safer here.”
Nodding, Elavyn mounted off of Melody, feeding her some seeds and a bit of carrot from the saddlebag. She loosely tied her ropes to a nearby tree, patting her back.
She readjusted her satchel and followed the girl inside. Although small, the hut looked very lived in. A small wooden table was placed in the middle, covered in books, there was a makeshift kitchen a few bookshelves, and a small mat on the floor as a bed.
“Who are you?” Elavyn asked, after glancing around the hut once again before her eyes landed on the stranger girl.
“I’m Calypso.” The girl smiled underneath her hood.
“So, What brings you to these parts of the woods? I’m guessing you’re trying to get to the festival? ” The girl asked, pouring Elavyn and Pepper cups of tea.
Pepper had abruptly woken a few minutes ago, rambling on about her lovely dream about meeting the Wisterii.
“Yes!” Pepper nodded eagerly, “I couldn’t exactly locate where they were, since Wisteria is hidden, so I thought I would be able to finally find my people at the festival. We all know where the Elitians reign over us, they live among the clouds.”
“Smart thinking! Wisteria does like to stay secretive, hence why they only leave around the time the stars shine the brightest. Around the festival.” "I wonder what made the Wisterii so secretive? Something had to have happened." Pepper fluttered around, deep in thought.
"Probably the Elites," Calypso muttered in response, "They are quite cruel people, and abuse their power on all of us."
The Elitians affected all sides of their world, from the farms to the cities. Everything was under their control.
Elavyn nodded, too exhausted to join the conversation, her body felt weak and her head was twisted with anxieties and worries. How much longer would the journey be? She longed for her cozy bedroom and a warm bed.
Calypso noticed the worry flooding the other girl's face, "Don't worry! I can help you guys, I have some maps to Everence, I'm sure we will get there in no time."
"Really?" Elavyn's eyes lit up, "Thanks!"
"I should also teach you both a bit about safety, weapons, and creatures to look out for! The world isn't as safe as you might think. And looks are deceiving, the cutest creatures are always out to get me!"
Vegetable stew bubbled on the stove, spreading a delicious aroma throughout the air. Elavyn greedily gobbled it up, the warm meal comforting and healing her empty self. She was shocked that the strange girl was able to cook such an amazing meal with the barely even kitchen.
They all laughed in response and spent the rest of the evening resting up for the next day of their adventure.
The girls woke up refreshed and nourished, Calypso agreed to help the others reach Everence, but would not be joining them in the kingdom. She seemed a
bit unsteady whenever they mentioned the Elitians, always bitting a fingernail or quickly changing the subject.
The days passed quickly as the trio trekked through small towns and all sorts of terrains, meeting unique creatures from around the land. Such as the kind grifin family who shared a bit of baked bread with the hungry girls. They were low on food and all of their bags combined couldn't even create a small meal for Pepper.
Calypso knew a lot about the Elitians and had brought many books and maps with different instructions and paths.
"How do we know which one is right?" Pepper questioned, feeling a bit worried.
"We just follow the stars."
Elavyn was intrigued. How did this girl know so much about a place she had never been to? She felt as if something was off. She stared at the hooded girl, and suddenly blurted, “Where are you from? How do you know so much about Everence?”
“What do you mean?” Calypso quickly responded, freezing. “You know more than you should.”
Calypso let out a deep sigh, glancing up into the starry sky. “That’s because I come from Everence, I was one of them- or more like half of them.”
“You’ve been there before!?”Pepper gasped, fluttering in front of her “What do you mean half?”
“My mother was a shifter, my father was an Elitian, and I, I was the cursed child. The baby born into the wrong world,” She pulled down her hood, her downturned eyes droopy and as dark as Elavyn’s raven black hair. Her body was nearly translucent, except for the medium grey shimmers that illuminated off of her skin as most Elitians did. Elavyn had never seen a shifter before, but she had read about them in books. They were nothing on their own unless they shapeshifted into some sort of animal or creature. But despite being nothing, Elavyn still saw just as much of a heart in Calypso as she could in any Amani or Wisterii.
“My parents fell for each other, my father didn’t mind that my mother was a shifter he still loved her. But then the other Elitians nearly caught her and she ran away, leaving baby me alone with my father. My father tried to keep me, but with my out-of-control shape-shifting and my constant whimpering, he was caught, and forced to kill me. He brought me to the forest, hiding me from
the Elitians. An owl who once watched over me told me of how I came to be.” She fidgeted with her cloak, looking down. “I’ve tried traveling back to Everence many times, but I could never make it past the frosted gates. I was too afraid they would remember, and call me the cursed one. I wish they would realize that not all shifters are deceivers, some of us just want to have a normal life.”
Elavyn gasped, running over to hug the girl. “I’m so incredibly sorry! I never knew of the hardships shifters endured.”
Pepper fluttered over, joining the embrace. “Me neither, I promise that we will help your people!”
The night grew colder as the trio continued their journey, “We are close!” Calypso smiled at the others, stopping for a quick break to feed Melody some seeds. She was bubbling with excitement and fear and she knew she couldn’t keep avoiding Everence. Her home.
As the days passed, the once brown paths became covered with snow, the trees were painted with white fluff and the animals all blended into the deep frost.
Within hours they would arrive at the place they had been searching for for so long.
In the distance, something shimmering was seen, the icy blue sky peaked between the cracks of the tall tree, a warm frosted sun shining upon them.
Gates locked them out from the snowy kingdom. It was Everence, in all of its glory.
Calypso’s heart skipped a beat as she ran ahead. “Guys! We finally made it!” She cried to the girls who were a few steps behind her. “We made it!”
The other girls cheered, running up behind her with excitement, “We did it!” Pepper fluttered around them happily, “How are we going to get inside?”
“I can shapeshift into a small creature to get inside and unlock the gates! Then shift into an Elitian.” Calypso suggested.
“But, that won’t work for me, I don’t think my muddy cloak will fit in with the flashy wealthy villagers.” Elavyn sighed, before remembering something. She reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a map Calypso had given her when they first met. She unraveled the tattered paper, showing the others, “There’s a hidden path that leads to a small garden! Maybe we can get in more discretely that way, it’s in the courtyard near the castle so we will be closer to the festival inside.”
“Good idea!” Calypso nodded, glancing over at the map. “What are we going to do about Melody? I don’t think she will be able to fit on that small trail. Plus, horses aren’t really in these parts, Everence prefers polar bears and grifins.
Elavyn, paused, glancing down at Melody. She had known the horse since she was a young child and wouldn’t want for her to be alone in the snow, but if they
brought her along it would be far more dangerous. She sighed, dismounting and hugging the horse before tying her to a tree, hidden behind its leaves. “Hopefully we will be quick enough that no one sees her!”
The girls followed the map through the frosted woods, searching for the path- their key to getting beyond the gates. Pepper flew ahead, she spotted the tunnel-like trail. She looked back at the other girls, making sure they were right behind her. Noises from Everence could be heard, making the small fairy shiver as she flew through the tunnel with ease. Elavyn and Calypso followed her, crawling through the tunnel and into a strange garden. They were surrounded by flowers and all sorts of unique plants, some resembling snowflakes others resembling clouds. “We made it inside,” Elavyn breathed, careful to keep quiet, she pulled out the map, trying to locate the palace. They were so close to reaching the festival.
“Pepper!” Calypso whispered, “Can you check to see if the coast is clear?” Pepper nodded, carefully flying out above from the end of the tunnel and throughout the garden. “The coast is-” A big firm hand grabbed her, mufling her voice, she squealed, squirming under the man’s grasp.
“Come out, Come out wherever you are.” The man teased in his gruff low voice, before crouching down and giving the other girls the most hideous smile they had ever seen. In his right hand was Pepper and in his left was a sharp long spear, with a crystal tip. The girls froze, not moving.
“I said. Come out!” He shouted once again, multiple guards lining up behind him.
The Elitians were tall and angular with long fingers and pointy ears with tips as sharp as swords. A guard behind him smiled, glancing at Pepper. “A Wisterii, what a lovely surprise.” Her eyes landed on Calypso and Elavyn, “And a shifter and Amani. Looks like we are in for a treat. Take them to the main hall, I think our highnesses will be delighted with the gift we have brought them.” She reached for Pepper, placing her into a small glass bottle. The small fairy began to squirm and bang on the glass.
“You two, come with me.” The man grabbed them, shoving them in between him and another guard.
Elavyn shivered, her body going numb. Everything was crumbling down and all her nightmares were coming true. She feared she would never make it home, she feared she would never see the sun again, she feared that she would disappear forever and become another forgotten star.
They were dragged through the halls which brimmed with music and laughter as the Wisterii performed their festival dances. It music ended abruptly as they entered the courtyard. They hid their faces, mortified as Elitians looked at them with disgust. The guard addressed the puzzled crowd, “My deepest apologies for interrupting our sacred festival. I found caught these three, sneaking in through the west gardens.” He held Calpsyo and Elavyn up by their
hoods like a trophy, his chest puffed with pride. Another guard came up next to him, displaying the captive Pepper.
The elders glanced over in curiosity. The chief guard approached, to examine them further. He lifted the glass, “A young Wisterii,” He glanced at Elavyn, quickly noting she was an Amani. He paused at the last trespasser, his eyes softening at the familiar face, “Where are you from?”
“I live in the deep woods.” She said, looking up to meet his gaze. “Your parents?” He questioned.
“I don’t remember them. All I know is what the Owl that raised me told me.” “An owl?” He gasped, “And what did it tell you?”
“I beg your pardon, but is this necessary?” The first guard loudly barked, “Let’s dispose of these troublesome misfits and get on with our festival!” His eyes landing on the Cyrstal Springs.
“As your chief, I command you to be silent.” The Cheif retorted. The guard flushed, obeying the command.
The chief turned back to the Calypso, “Answer me, child. What did it tell you?” She gulped, glancing around the crowded room. Everyone’s eyes were on her. “She told me that my mother was a shifter and my father…” She paused, searching for the courage to continue, “My father was Elitian.”
Audible gasps filled the courtyard. A wave of whispers traveled throughout.
“Enough of your foolery and lies!” The guard interrupted, “How dear you claim such a vile thing you dirty little-”
“Quiet Bence!” The Cheif interrupted. Redirecting his focus onto Calypso, he turned and stared.
Another elder spoke up, “Surely Florian, you don’t believe this girl.” “Surely, I do.”
More gasps erupted in the courtyard. The elder sat back in disbelief. “Your name is Calypso is it not?”
Her eyes widened, “But how…?” Her voice trailed off in confusion.
“I named you Calypso because you were to be hidden, but now I see I was wrong. I loved your mother and lost her, I should’ve never let you go.” He pulled her into a warm embrace, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Father?” She murmured, nuzzling her head into his chest.
After a moment, they separated.
“So you snuck in here to take your place as an Elitian? That explains it.” An elder called out, frowning.
“No! I came to help my friends,” She gestured at the other captives. “Two festivals ago Pepper was found in Elavyn’s garden. She was a fallen
Wisterii. She raised and cared for her for all these years. I met them on their way here, to find Pepper’s lost family. I wouldn’t have ever made it here without them.”
“Fallen Wisterii?” A soft voice piped up. A beautiful Wisterii descended fluttering over to the glass jar that held Pepper. Her skin was stained with marks of worry and fear as she murmured, “Celeste! Could it be?”
The moment she spoke the words, Pepper began to glow, suddenly aware of her true identity, the glass that held her captive shattered and she fell into her mother’s arms. She was Celeste, no longer the fallen star but the star-aligned. “Thank you for watching over my daughter,” She smiled warmly at Elavyn, fluttering over towards her. “I don’t think I will ever be able to repay you.” “Oh!” Pepper jumped and fluttered over to her mother, whispering something into her ear.
A smile spread across her mother’s face and flew off. In a few moments, she returned, carrying a vial of the purest crystal waters. She handed it to Elavyn, “This is for you.”
Elavyn’s heart soared, her dreams finally fulfilled. “Thank you! Thank you!” She laughed happiness flooding her soul.
Elavyn stood with Melody outside the gates of Everence. She had spent the seven days of the festival celebrating Everence’s newfound freedom. Stolen Wisterii had been restored to their clans and Pepper-now Celeste- was planning on flying back to Wisteria with her family while Calypso was adjusting to her new life as an Elitian.
As the sun rose in the east Elavyn set forth on her long journey home. The vial was securely tucked away in her satchel. Hope was securely tucked away in her heart.