“Don’t they have anything but humans in your world?” he asked. “How tedious.”
The elf approached with a smile.
“Tolin, you never told me you had a friend!” she exclaimed. “And such an exotic-looking one, as well.”
“Faryn, this is Ethan, my new pupil. Ethan, this is Faryn, of the Radiant Dragon Guild.”
I stood in time to shake Faryn’s hand. Her fingers lingered over mine, and her eyes dwelt on my face, as if she was examining the details of a painting. I was more than happy to be observed by her. She looked to be somewhere in her 30s, with a beauty made all the more striking by her maturity. Her emerald eyes glinted as if filled with the joy of life.
I’d been so distracted by Faryn’s presence, it took me a moment to fully register Tolin’s introduction. Until now, any time someone visited the temple, he had introduced me as his assistant or his dogsbody, taking delight in emphasizing my menial position. But to Faryn, he had introduced me as his pupil. Apparently, this was someone we could trust.
“What brings you back up here?” Tolin asked.
“I’m on my way into the forest,” Faryn replied. “To harvest beasts for potions.”
“Are you a physician?” I asked.
“Faryn is another Augmenter,” Tolin said. “She specializes in wood magic.”
“I can talk for myself, old man.” She rolled her eyes.
“Less with the old, or I’ll tell him how many years you’ve got under your belt.”
“It’s not age that matters,” I said. “It’s how you wear it.”
Faryn smiled at me. “At last, someone up here with a little charm.”
Tolin poured her a cup of wine, and we all sat, looking out across the city below.
“Are you going deeper into the woods this time?” Tolin asked.
Faryn frowned. “Not yet. I still can’t bring myself to stray far from the guild house. One day, I hope…” Her voice trailed off.
“Bah,” Tolin said. “There I go again, an insensitive old man. Why don’t you two go for a walk while I have my nap? Ethan can show you the work we’ve done on the temple, and you can both avoid my snoring.”
“That sounds delightful.” Faryn smiled at me. “This old place could do with a tender touch to bring it back to life.”
“Then, let me show you what we’ve been doing,” I said as I led her away.
“You have fun getting to know one another,” Tolin called after us, his voice light with mischief. Then, he lay back on the grass with Master Softpaw curled up beside him and closed his eyes.
Together, Faryn and I walked through the temple gates and around the courtyard. I showed her the re-painted beams, the work we’d done rebuilding the walls, even pointed out the straightened and replaced tiles. But I was pleased to see that her eyes were never really on our surroundings but instead returned over and over again to me.
At last, we stood in the doorway of the main temple chamber. Over the past month, I’d had plenty of time to explore the place. The walls were carved just like the ones back in the Himalayas. There was the same pedestal in the center of the room and the same shelf in a recess at the back. But there was no sign of the orb or the sword that had been there in my world, and Tolin shrugged off any questions leading that way. I was tempted to ask Faryn what she knew about it, but she seemed more interested in me than anything in the room.
“I’ve never seen anyone like you.” She leaned in close to me. “Such blue eyes. And your hair…”
She ran a hand through my hair. It had been growing out for the past month but was still shorter than that of anyone else I’d met in this world. Faryn’s touch was a gentle stroke that stirred my heart, making my pulse pound faster.
“Where are you from?” she asked quietly. “What brought you here?”
I leaned in toward her, and she drew closer to hear. For the first time, I truly saw the green of her eyes—not just an emerald green but a swirling, fractal pattern, like coalescing leaves.
“I’m not sure I should tell you.” I reached out to touch her cheek. “Not until we know each other better…”
We were so close that I could feel her breath against my face. She tilted her head and leaned toward me. Our lips touched, and a rush ran through me as electrifying as all the Vigor I had ever channeled. Her arms were around me and mine around her. I gathered her close as we kissed.
Then, she broke off and pulled free of my embrace as she touched a hand touched her lips.
“What have I done?” she said. “You’re below my station. I shouldn’t have—”
“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t,” I replied. The kiss had left me aroused, desperate for more of her. But if that wasn’t what she wanted, I could at least enjoy the memory of the kiss and take the moment to learn more about this world. “Is it because I’m a human and you’re an elf?”
“Partly, yes. But not just that. I’m a tutor at the Radiant Dragon Guild. If you plan to join us at some point—”
“No need to worry about that,” I said. “I’m learning all I need to up here. I don’t need a guild.”
“Actually, you do,” Tolin said, appearing around the corner of the veranda. My hopes of greater intimacy with Faryn wilted. Nothing would ruin the mood like a snarky old man.
“I thought I was your pupil,” I said, “not theirs.”
“I also said that you would need to learn from many tutors,” Tolin answered. “But that isn’t why the guilds matter to you. You’ll need them to find your way home.”
“His way home?” Faryn looked confused. “Where are you really from, Ethan?”
Now, Tolin had all of my attention. What had he been holding back, to keep me here as his pupil? Could he have sent
