map and jogged after me. “Wait! Where are you going? Where’s my gold?”
Once I had enough room to fly, I turned to face her. “This is where we say our farewell. It wasn't a pleasure travelling with you. Goodbye, Emily.” I closed my eyes and spread my wings. I kicked off the ground and took flight, my mind filled with thoughts on how to find the pages.
Immediately, my wings screamed out in pain, and I crashed onto the ground. I opened my eyes.
Emily stared down at me as if I was an idiot. “Narius, you shouldn’t fly. Your wings aren’t healed yet.” Then the pity in her eyes disappeared, replaced by anger. “But, really, we should be talking about the money you owe me, and how you are going to pay me.”
“What? No! I kept my promise. I can do whatever I want.”
The weight of her boot pressed down onto my back, making me taste the bitter ground. “And I can do whatever I want, you con artist. I needed that money to pay our guild’s debt, and just when I got a page easily worth a thousand gold pieces you turned it into confetti.”
“But I had to. It was dangerous.”
Emily tapped her foot against my wing and made me moan.
She pushed her foot deeper into my back and growled. “And on top of that, you were just going to leave me here. No, no, no. This just won’t do at all. I’m coming with you until I can squeeze the gold out of you.”
I snorted, unable to imagine anything of the sort. “I’ll just fly away as soon as my wings are healed.”
Emily’s brows wrinkled. “You’re right. You would just escape.” The pressure on my wings disappeared, and with Emily frowning at the ground before her, I struggled upright.
Though my wings ached, I felt happy for winning the argument, and I triumphantly marched away from the village, but Emily ran around and blocked my path with her arms spread out.
She pushed herself against me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“What are you doing?”
“Giving you a hug.”
“Why?”
My, my. It appears she is trying to rub herself against you and force you to stay, Codex whispered.
The pleasant scent of mint wafted from Emily as she pressed herself further against me. “This is how friends say goodbye to one another,” she said when a bright light flashed next to my waist.
Surprised by her words, I ignored the light. “I am your friend?”
She didn’t answer.
I closed my eyes, unable to understand her behavior. The hug felt warm and calming, but her words brought forth uncomfortable guilt. “Emily, I am sorry, but I have to leave you. Maybe we can meet again?”
Emily pulled away from me. “What? You can talk? I thought Narius was just crazy.”
“Huh?” I opened my eyes.
Before me, Emily held the Codex over her staff, the top of which was on fire, waiting eagerly to devour the book. "Quiet, I'm talking to Narius."
I reached down to my side and found the chain that held the Codex broken. Panic gripped my mind, and I held up my trembling hands. “No! Wait! Hold on a second! Think about what you are doing.”
Emily gave me a creepy smile. “Relax, fire beats paper. Besides, I’m sure there are plenty of other books around you can scribble on.”
“No! She’s my companion! I received her as a gift from Lord Halfaya ten years ago!”
Emily tsked and moved the Codex right over the magical torch, only a finger’s length away from a fiery death. “Ten years? Well, that seems like an awfully short time for an angel. I’m sure you can ask him nicely, and he'll give you another companion.”
Fear overwhelmed me, and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “You can come with me!”
Emily kept her hand in place, the fire almost licking the book's tender flesh. “I don’t know… why don’t you make that into a promise?”
“I... I promise! Just give her back to me.”
Emily smiled sheepishly and handed me the book. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”
Upon touching the book, Codex screamed at me. What were
Once I had enough room to fly, I turned to face her. “This is where we say our farewell. It wasn't a pleasure travelling with you. Goodbye, Emily.” I closed my eyes and spread my wings. I kicked off the ground and took flight, my mind filled with thoughts on how to find the pages.
Immediately, my wings screamed out in pain, and I crashed onto the ground. I opened my eyes.
Emily stared down at me as if I was an idiot. “Narius, you shouldn’t fly. Your wings aren’t healed yet.” Then the pity in her eyes disappeared, replaced by anger. “But, really, we should be talking about the money you owe me, and how you are going to pay me.”
“What? No! I kept my promise. I can do whatever I want.”
The weight of her boot pressed down onto my back, making me taste the bitter ground. “And I can do whatever I want, you con artist. I needed that money to pay our guild’s debt, and just when I got a page easily worth a thousand gold pieces you turned it into confetti.”
“But I had to. It was dangerous.”
Emily tapped her foot against my wing and made me moan.
She pushed her foot deeper into my back and growled. “And on top of that, you were just going to leave me here. No, no, no. This just won’t do at all. I’m coming with you until I can squeeze the gold out of you.”
I snorted, unable to imagine anything of the sort. “I’ll just fly away as soon as my wings are healed.”
Emily’s brows wrinkled. “You’re right. You would just escape.” The pressure on my wings disappeared, and with Emily frowning at the ground before her, I struggled upright.
Though my wings ached, I felt happy for winning the argument, and I triumphantly marched away from the village, but Emily ran around and blocked my path with her arms spread out.
She pushed herself against me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“What are you doing?”
“Giving you a hug.”
“Why?”
My, my. It appears she is trying to rub herself against you and force you to stay, Codex whispered.
The pleasant scent of mint wafted from Emily as she pressed herself further against me. “This is how friends say goodbye to one another,” she said when a bright light flashed next to my waist.
Surprised by her words, I ignored the light. “I am your friend?”
She didn’t answer.
I closed my eyes, unable to understand her behavior. The hug felt warm and calming, but her words brought forth uncomfortable guilt. “Emily, I am sorry, but I have to leave you. Maybe we can meet again?”
Emily pulled away from me. “What? You can talk? I thought Narius was just crazy.”
“Huh?” I opened my eyes.
Before me, Emily held the Codex over her staff, the top of which was on fire, waiting eagerly to devour the book. "Quiet, I'm talking to Narius."
I reached down to my side and found the chain that held the Codex broken. Panic gripped my mind, and I held up my trembling hands. “No! Wait! Hold on a second! Think about what you are doing.”
Emily gave me a creepy smile. “Relax, fire beats paper. Besides, I’m sure there are plenty of other books around you can scribble on.”
“No! She’s my companion! I received her as a gift from Lord Halfaya ten years ago!”
Emily tsked and moved the Codex right over the magical torch, only a finger’s length away from a fiery death. “Ten years? Well, that seems like an awfully short time for an angel. I’m sure you can ask him nicely, and he'll give you another companion.”
Fear overwhelmed me, and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “You can come with me!”
Emily kept her hand in place, the fire almost licking the book's tender flesh. “I don’t know… why don’t you make that into a promise?”
“I... I promise! Just give her back to me.”
Emily smiled sheepishly and handed me the book. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”
Upon touching the book, Codex screamed at me. What were
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