Name: Gremlin
Type: Greater Goblinoid
Rarity: Very Rare
Disposition: Mischievous, obsessive, hyperactive
Habitat: Towns and settlements
Notes: Gremlins are some of the shortest goblinoids, barely three and a half feet all. These goblins have vibrant hair, usually green or red but sometimes blue and a pair of animal ears with a small, nub tail. This can range from canine to feline to rats and rabbits. For this reason they are sometimes mistaken for a type of beastman. Like all goblinoids, gremlins tend to have an object of their obsession they hyperfixate on. This is usually tech and tinkering or even magictech and artifice. Gremlins are known for their hyperactivity, more so than goblins, where they will find the energy to disassemble an entire mana engine, improving it, then putting it back together just as quickly. They tend to work in IT, mechanic shops, blacksmith’s shops, and the like. 
	A single gremlin can get a lot of work done solo, and even more with assistants of other races, but two or more gremlins working together can lead to a disaster as they try to mess with one another or get in each other's way. They are sought after to perform more complicated jobs, or to maintain very complicated one of a kind machinery. The only downside is their hyperfixation and hyperactivity can put a damper on work output if they are in the wrong field.

	“How’s that?” I asked.
	The gremlin across from me nodded. She had emerald green hair and cat-like ears that stuck out from the sides of her head. Her orange eyes looked at the man next to her, “What do you think, Jack?”
	Jack was a somewhat tall human man with olive skin and short, dark hair. He peered out the window of the meal car and then back to her, “If you’re happy with it, I’m sure it's fine. Just don’t call him later being all pissy about it, Pin.”
	“I won’t!” Pin groaned.
	I smirked and put my journal away, “What are you two doing heading to Salem?” I asked before taking another bite of the chicken salad that Kleeix and I were sharing. The pixie was using the cutlery I had gotten her, which I was happy to see.  The two across from us paused between bites of their burgers and fries to answer.
The gremlin looked at me with her bright, orange eyes before she snatched up an onion ring from the platter she was sharing with Jack and ate it, “Heading home. Coming back from visiting a friend out in Florida. Really nice place this time of year, not too hot. We got to swim with mermaids,” She brushed the crumbs off of her purple t-shirt, “We live a bit north of Salem.”
	“At an old, tiny airfield,” Jack added with wide eyes and a smile, “She’s pretty much the only person in the pacific northwest to service hobby planes, so it fits.”
	“Aviation is just so cool…” She sighed, “But I like cars too.”
	“I haven’t even seen a plane in person!” I grinned, trying to recall what one would look like, I most likely had seen one in a book, at the least.
	Jack nodded, “Well, after that incident… What was it, forty years ago now?”
	Pin shook her head, “It was in thirty two. More than fifty now, big guy. Do you know about that, Reece? The crash of the Sugar Plummed Princess?” I shook my head. Kleeix was just as curious too, “Well, since the Great War, most planes have been one or two passenger planes. Other than crop dusting and hobby flying, they don’t see much use. Zeppelins were and are still used for moving passengers en masse. The S.P.P, the one I mentioned earlier, was the first modern passenger plane. Huge custom mana engines, but at the heights it was flying, the mana intake couldn’t keep up and the whole thing went down. It’s scared everyone off of making new ones,” The gremlin prattled off her explanation quickly, “I think we could make it work, but it's not really viable and investors don’t want to do it. LOTS of litigation after the crash of the Princess. It bankrupted the company responsible.”
	I whistled and wrote that down, “I see…”
	“It was a tragedy, yeah. But we gotta be able to move past it eventually…” The gremlin sighed, “We can’t use trains forever.”
	“You used to love trains,” Jack laughed and patted her shoulder.
	“So are you two friends?” Kleeix interjected in between bites of food.
	“More than that,” Pin looked a little confused at the odd question.
	Kleeix put her fork down, “How did you two meet?”
	“That’s a long one,” Pin had a big grin on her face, “We had seen eachother a bunch. Where we live there aren't a ton of people. At a hardware store, I helped him, then he helped me when I was looking for tech stuff.”
	“Then I ran into her a third time,” Jack sighed as he thought of a good memory, “Helped her get something off a high shelf at a local grocer. She got all flustered. What was it you said? You were glaring at me the whole time.”
	She huffed and folded her arms and looked at the ceiling, “I demanded I take you on a date to help regain my honor. He fell for my wily goblin charms on the spot.”
	“Oh, whatever,” Jack laughed.
	Kleeix grinned half heartedly, feeling as if she hadn’t learned anything, “I don’t get it much, but that sounds nice.”
	I checked the time, “We better go, Kleeix,” I stacked our plates quickly, “We’re almost in Salem.”
	“We are?” Jack looked at his leftovers with a frown, “We better go pack up, too. Have a good one, guys.”
	“Byeee!” Kleeix picked up her things and started towards our room.
	Just like our last trip, I had gotten a small sleeper room with a single bed for the two of us. It had been a two day long journey with many stops and even a long train transfer. I put my clothes away and packed up my books, “Who are we looking for in Salem?”
	“My mentor,” I replied, “Maybe my parents and a few other places.”
	“Ooooh, mom and dad, huh?” The pixie had a mischievous smile on her face, “You know, I never had a mom and dad.”
	“That’s… Terribly sad,” I frowned at her.
	Kleeix giggled, “We’re formed from emotions, Reece, remember?”
	“Ah. Yeah,” I rolled my eyes and picked up the bag of candy we had been munching on for most of the ride, “Don’t do anything crazy with my parents, please.”
	“Why do you sound so sad?” Kleeix flew into my face with a frown on her lips, “Is something the matter?”
	I bit my tongue, “Nothing. Come on,” We were pulling into the city now. Downtown Salem was pretty small, despite being the capital of Oregon. A two story tall, ten mile by four mile patch of urban sprawl intermixed with trees of all kinds and a few small parks that dotted the area. We stepped out of the train and onto the platform before looking around. The sun was shining for once in this rainy town. In the parking lot were numerous people offering their services for travel through the town or into the more suburban zone to the south.
	“Oh, can we take another carriage?” Kleeix wondered.
	“Nah, too expensive. Give me a moment, friend,” I stopped at the edge of the platform where a pair of payphones sat. I put a coin in and punched in a number. It rang. Once. Twice. Thrice… You have reached the Gawain residence. Sorry we could not come to the phone, please leave a message after the tone. A loud beep rang in my ear. I opened my mouth to speak, but I found myself losing the words. I put the phone back on its hook and hung my head.
	“You have that look again,” The perceptive pixie frowned, “Your aura is all sadness.”
	I shook my head, “It's nothing. Let’s move on,” I made my way to the stables on the far side of the lot. It was a small, six stall building. The Pony Place, a local chain, “Can I get a horse for the day?” I asked the griffonite running the building. The griffonite was a tall woman with long, feathery, black hair. Her sharp eyes looked my way when I addressed her, like a bird-of-prey looking for its next meal. Her talon-like hands rested on the counter she ran for the stalls, occasionally ruffling the brown feathers on her arms.  She wore an apron over a button up and long skirt and a pair of wings were folded against her back. I quickly recognized her as one of the griffonites colloquially known as a skydweller.
	She sized me up for a moment before finally speaking up, “How experienced are you in riding?” She asked.
	“Been riding since I was a kid.”
	“Excellent,” She nodded with the usual cold expression griffonites wore, “I recommend Prances in the Blood Moon’s Glow. He is healthy and fast.”
	“The what!?” Kleeix flew around my head, “That sounds magical!” Her eyes were wide and her antennae wiggled with excitement.
	The woman stared wide eyed at the pixie for a moment, surprised by her sudden appearance, “J-Just the old boy’s show name.”
	“Pick that one! Pick that one!” Kleeix fluttered around me.
	I relented, “We’ll take him. I’m sure he’s your premium option.”
	“Oh yes, he knows tricks and everything,” The young woman gave me a small smile. She went into the building after unlatching the front gate. 
	I looked back into the lot. The only car, a bright green car that was of course owned by Pin and Jack, was being loaded up with their luggage. Unlike every other mana reactor engine, they had installed a device to make the engine roar like ancient diesel ones. It of course startled everyone around, much to the mischievous gremlin’s delight. They peeled out and drove off. Just after, the employee returned holding the reins of a red coated horse with white spots, “He’s a pretty one,” I offered my hand to him and he bowed for me, “Well trained too.”
	“Definitely. You’ll pay when you return him to any of our locations,” She put a few hole punches on a green card noting where I rented him and when. Downtown Salem, trainstation was marked, “Need a hand saddling up?”
	With the simple grace of someone who has ridden horses dozens of times, I climbed up onto the saddle, “He’s tall, but not too tall. Let’s go, uh…”
	“Prances in the Blood Moon’s Glow!” Kleeix very easily recalled as she climbed into my chest pocket again. I took the card and slipped it into my pocket. With a nod, I tugged the reins and had Prances start down the road. 

	The main road was busy, just like I remembered it. People on horseback, carriages being pulled by horses, and even the odd car. Businesses lined the road, anything I could think of I could probably find. A lot of restaurants, just like any mixed town. Some races had it in their culture to go out to eat a lot, and for that I was grateful. It meant most towns had a wide variety of foods. Kleeix used the pocket liner to keep the pocket flap open as she sat on a hammock-like seat, staring out at the city before us. I brought the horse to a stop at a red light, letting other travelers pass by. I raised a brow as I saw a human boy and a gnomish girl sharing the seat on a vehicle I hadn’t seen before. The woman was sitting behind the man, clinging to his hoodie. It had two wheels, a flat bottom, a seat and handles above the front tire. The vehicle barely made a sound as it sped by, “What was that?” Kleeix asked.
	“Some new fangled, two wheeled, open air car, I guess,” I shrugged, “Was it electric or did it have a tiny mana reactor? Didn’t seem to have an intake.”
	“So where are we going?” Kleeix wondered aloud as she began to gently strum her instrument.
	“My childhood home,” I quietly told her. I was gripping the reins tightly.
	Kleeix looked straight up from my pocket and into my face, “You’re doing it again.”
	“What?”
	“Worrying. I liked it better when you were nervous but excited. Now you just fret. What is it about this town? Something in the air I can’t smell?”
	I tried my best not to look as defeated as I felt. She was right that I was anxious, “Don’t worry about it.”
	“Hard not to,” She snorted and idly went through her things as our horseback ride continued. I sighed as I pulled the horse off the main street and onto a long side road that twisted and turned, up and down over hills. We moved away from the somewhat packed suburbs to the sparse area slightly out of town. Gray buildings were traded for forests of green. I pulled off this road too and onto a long driveway. To the right was a big, fenced in yard where four horses trotted freely. The house at the top of the driveway was a two story, six room home of a dark, gray blue color on the brick walls. At the top, I got off of Prances and brought him by the reins to the front door. I knocked. I waited. And waited. And waited some more. With a sigh, I took Prances to the grazing area and let him loose. He chose to drink from the nearby trough and then sit and wait. The other horses stood around the nearby stables and watched him. With a key I always had on my keyring, I unlocked the front door and went inside. 
	As always, the entryway was immaculate. A little bench in a small alcove beneath the stairs, two pairs of shoes under it, the office or den or whatever dad called it to my right. Beyond that was the living room, then a small entryway into the kitchen, laundry room, and then a room used for storage. I went upstairs, “Big house. How many people live here?”
	I lost the words again. Anything I wanted to say beyond a short, almost snippy answer wouldn’t come to mind, “Just the parents,” I muttered.
		“Ohhh this is the parents’ house,” The pixie left my pocket to flutter about, “I was hoping to see how similar a human’s parents look to them.”
	I gave her a shrug and went into the first room at the top of the stairs. I gazed at my dusty old collection of tomes that sat on shelves that went from floor to ceiling. A desk sat below the window with numerous drawers. The room and desk felt so small now, just like every other time I visited. Kleeix landed on a shelf and wiped the dust from a book’s spine, “What is this? That’s not A, or B, or C, or D, or…” She pointed to the rune on the book. I didn’t reply, “Okay…” She sneezed after kicking more dust up with the fluttering of her wings. 
	“Bless you,” I quietly said.
	“Can you read all of these?” She pointed to dwarven books, spanish books, french, elven, and every other character she could find. I shook my head. 
“Only some,” I quietly answered, memories of the many times I spent in my room alone, teaching myself to read flashed in my mind's eye. I picked up some new books and left my old books here, not wanting to dwell on them.
“Can your parents?” I heard Kleeix ask. My shoulders slumped as my parents came up. I shook my head slowly again, “What are they like? What do they do?” I gave her a shrug. Kleeix stopped as she turned from the bookshelf and back to me, “Do… you not know?”
	I paused myself for a moment. I had done my best for as long as I could remember to stay out of their way and out of their business and now I came to realize after all these years I didn't even know what they did for a living much less what hobbies or skills they had. I took a deep breath before shaking my head.
	“That’s a lot of sprites,” I could hear her whisper to herself. It took another few moments for her to speak again, “Find anything good to read?”
	I nodded as I slipped the books and some leftover journals into my bag. I found a third, older book from my childhood and put that into the bottomless bag as well. It would be good to help Kleeix learn a few harder to read words. Without a word, I left my room. The halls were silent. No sibling’s laughter or hollering to fill the void anymore. I hated it. I wanted to leave. Heading to the kitchen, I tore out a piece of paper and began to write a note.
	“Sorry I missed you,” Kleeix read aloud, “I know you’re busy. Hope you’re well. Working for the Hamiltons of all people at the moment. I think my latest project will make you proud. Re… Reach?”
	“Reece,” My voice was little more than a squeak.
	“Proud?” Kleeix didn’t understand the word.
	My downcast face was the only answer I had. The pixie easily picked up on it, knowing how I felt without my needing to tell her. Without another word, we left, getting the horse before moving on.

	After a quick stop at a liquor store for a bottle of my mentor’s favorite spirits, I dropped the rental horse off and paid for his time. My feet were slow as I made my way into the suburbs again. Tall oaks lined the roads, casting dark shadows onto the sidewalks of concrete and asphalt roads. Kleeix gripped my coat as she rode on my shoulder. Even the excitable fey was at a loss for words. Every so often, I saw her swat at the air, shooing a sprite away from me, “Are they all blue?” I asked.
	“Very sad sprites,” She sighed, “I’m trying to keep them from breeding. They’re not really blue, like you know. It's hard to describe the colors of sprites in your tongue.”
	I nodded in thanks and continued my walk. The miasma of sadness was slowly dissipating as I went. I knew where I was going, the route to my mentor’s home was etched upon my mind. Long days and maybe thousands of hours of studying had been spent there so many years ago. The building was white, three floors tall, and had a big yard. The structure was almost completely made of big, painted bricks with a gently sloped black roof. A long black car with glossy paint sat in the driveway. I didn’t see a stable at the side of the house anymore, which was a little surprising for me. I grabbed the knocker and pounded it a few times, “Where are we?” Kleeix asked.
	“Graxon Filz-Barrox’s house. My mentor,” I explained. I still felt a little anxious.
	I heard three bolt locks turn before the door was pulled open. I had expected a four and a half foot tall dwarf at the door, but I found myself face-to-face with a tall, gray-skinned individual with a single huge eye. It blinked at me before peering a little closer at my face, “Can I help you, sugar?” She asked. Her green iris shone like an emerald as she looked me over once more.
	“I-Is Graxon here? He should be expecting me,” I stammered out nervously, afraid I was somehow at the wrong home.
	“Oh!” The cyclops grinned, showing me her sharp teeth and filed down tusks, “Reece, is it? You’re late! Come in, come in!”
	I got a better look at the woman as I stepped inside. She was giant, roughly seven or so feet tall with gray stone-colored skin, a single big eye above lips that seemed to be permanently in a smile. Her gray and white hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she wore a simple, short dress in shades of green that implied a forest with a leather apron over it. Her footsteps made the hardwood beneath our feet groan as she lumbered down the tall hallway, leading me to a familiar room. The walls had once been a dark blue but were now a creamy yellow color with photos of Graxon and this woman together adorning the entryway. Through a pair of double doors we went. Reaching up three floors and dominating most of the home, we were in a massive library. The ground floor was lined with bookshelves and contained many rows of books and a few desks to study at. The upper two floors had shelves against the walls and walkways at their bases but was open air with the other two floors. A huge, crystalline chandelier below many roof windows spread the sunlight that came in across every inch of the room and once it was dark would do the same with the moonlight. When that failed, lanterns and candles would be used. 
	Sitting at his usual long desk was my mentor, Graxon. An old, bald dwarf with a salt and pepper colored beard. Most of it flowed freely, but the top row of hair was braided with one massive braid in the middle and two smaller ones on both sides of it. He was reading from a massive, dwarven tome and taking notes. It was hand written and ancient looking so the old man was wearing a pair of gloves. Other than that, he had on that same old brown tunic and those loose fitting pants. A cane was leaning against the desk. 
	I stood with my hands behind my back, as did the cyclops. The clicking of the dwarf’s tongue let me know he was aware of our presence, but his transcribing and note taking was his highest priority at the moment. A minute passed, then two. The only sound was our collective breathing and the dwarf’s feather pen on the parchment. I could feel Kleeix stirring in my pocket as we observed the man at work, “What are we waiting for?” The pixie broke the silence.
	The old dwarf’s concentration broke and his pen scratched on the paper and sprayed a splotch of ink onto the parchment. My heart sank, but the dwarf calmly used a long, crystal rod that easily pulled the ink splotches off the page. It spiraled up the pointed rod to a small container that he then dumped back into his inkwell. After this, he looked up at me and the cyclops. He pushed his thick glasses up his face and peered at the pixie on my shoulder, “Fraternizing with the fey, mister Gawain?” There was a hint of disappointment in his voice, like a dad learning his child is doing drugs, “That fairy dust will kill you, you know?”
	“I-I’m not using anything like that,” I explained, “Kleeix is only my traveling companion.”
	“Is that her true name?”
	“No.”
	Graxon put the ink collection crystal down and looked up at me with a gruff look on his face and a knitted brow, “One day, someone is going to take advantage of you, Reece,” He warned, “What kind of deals have you made with her?”
	“None. N-nothing formal at least. She isn’t like other fey.”
“Hmph. Did the Hamilton girl at least pay you well?”
	“Too well, almost,” I fidgeted with the back of a chair. I was rocking it back and forth as I stared at the floor, “It's going to be a lot of work.”
	“And you will get it done. Just as you have before. That is why I recommended you to the Black Cat. Sit, we will talk.”
	“The Black Cat?” Kleeix echoed in confusion.
	“The Hamilton girl, Maxine,” Graxon started slowly putting papers into a folder then into his seemingly infinite storage space of the big, dark wooden desk. 
	“She met with you and your friends?” The cyclops had a sweet smile on her face, the total opposite of the dwarf. 
	“Not friends, council, Ildegrada. Was looking for a young buck who wasn’t exactly a green beard to go on her little excursion.”
	“It's not exactly a little adventure,” I meekly corrected before pulling up a chair.
	The cyclops cleared her throat, “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” She leaned towards the dwarf. 
	“To the boy? Aye, Reece, this is Ildegrada. My wife,” The dwarf gestured to her without looking up.
	I nearly choked on my spit in shock, “W-wife?” With three sets of eyes on me, I quickly began to speak after a coughing fit, “I-I don’t mean anything by that, I just expected you to die as stubborn and alone as the stone you come from, Graxon.”
	“Aye, well so did I. But you don’t pick who you fall in love with,” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his fat and red nose, “I could use a drink.”
	Ildegrada nodded, but I interrupted by bringing out the bottle I had gotten for the old man, “Ah, his favorite. As expected from the pupil he kept going on and on about,” The cyclops was all smiles still, “Not until dinner, dear.”
	“Aye,” He grumbled, “What notes do you have to share, my boy?”
	I presented my journals, poorly rendered sketches, and the few photos I had taken during my journey. It had been little over a week since my journey began, but I still felt I had learned a lot. I did my best to professionally explain each encounter to my mentor with Kleeix chiming in with more emotional and colorful details.
	By the end of my spiel, which Graxon wasn’t even nodding along to, the old dwarf blinked at my notes, “I’ve never seen your writing so messy.”
	I felt myself deflate. Whilst attempting to keep my composure I took them back, struggling to form words as the dwarf looked at me expectantly, “I-I keep learning more,” I mewled, “It's hard to keep it all organized.”
	“You’re doing that thing again…” Kleeix whispered in my ears. 
	Graxon looked back at a book he was pouring over, “Well. I will see what it looks like when you are finished. I imagine your thoughts will be much more concise then.”
	I nodded slowly and leaned back, putting my hands on my lap. Ildegrada put a cup of tea in front of me, I hadn’t noticed her stepping away. For such a tall woman, she was surprisingly sneaky, “I made sure the guest room was ready for you. I’ll make dinner in a few hours. I’m sure you know where the room is.”
	I nodded and sipped on the tea, “I’ll lie down soon. I think I need a nap. But first… Can I ask you a few questions?”

	Name: Cyclops
Type: Giant
Rarity: Very Rare
Disposition: Friendly, hard working, shy
Habitat: Underground caverns, dwarven keeps
Notes: The smallest of the giants, the cyclops stand between six feet at the smallest and twelve feet at the most. These tusked, gray-skinned smiths are rumored to have developed adamantine, and techniques to work in other, very difficult materials. In ancient times, they were rivals of the dragons, and were much larger. Over time, they were driven underground and shrank in size as other forms of giants rose to power. Eventually, the cyclops and dwarves made an alliance, as both lived underground. The cyclops taught advanced smithing techniques and the dwarves taught them warfare. Surprisingly, cyclops are one of three races that have ancient treaties with dwarves, the others being humans and halflings. It is not uncommon to see dwarves and cyclops married, either for political reasons or their own courting. Despite their musculature and size, they are surprisingly gentle and shy after their fall from being great warriors.
	Similar to clan dwarves, they don’t like to leave the underground. Both Ildegrada, and her husband, are outliers to this, living in a big house and library. Ildegrada explained to me that they fear hurting smaller races, gnomes and halflings in particular, but dwarves are hardy enough to handle them so they get along very well. She clarified that to her kind most others are ‘smallfolk.’ I was unsure if this was in jest, but she said cyclops are frightened by horses and ponies. Unlike the rest of her kind, she was very friendly and outgoing.

	Soon after drinking my tea and questioning Ildegrada, I retired to the guest room. No matter how much I tossed and turned, the embrace of sleep eluded me. I had stayed in bed all afternoon and even skipped dinner. Writing, reading, counting sheep, and everything else I could think of did nothing. Kleeix’s glow was absent long into the night. I was getting a little worried at this point, but I doubted Graxon or Ildegrada would try anything. I pushed the comforter away and slid out of the bed and into a pair of slippers. I pushed the cracked door open and slipped into the long, dark hallway. A draft of cool air went by, making me shiver. I decided to wander into the library from the second floor. I wondered if Graxon was still awake. Stealing through the dark of night, I cracked the door open and went in. The clouds overhead kept the moonlight from illuminating the room. I didn’t pick up a lantern, but peered over the bannister at the first floor where Graxon sat at his desk, glowing orange from the surrounding candles. Kleeix’s white light was visible on a small stack of books next to him. I stepped away from the railing, listening to the dwarf’s heavy handwriting as it scratched across the parchment, “So you have nothing more to add to what the boy has told me?”
	“No. I haven’t learned any more than he has,” Kleeix replied.
	I slid to the floor and held my legs against my body as I hid in the darkness, “Are you speaking truly?”
	“Yes.”
	“Are you speaking truly?”
	“Yes, I already–”
	“Are you speaking truly?”
	“Yes!”
	Graxon paused for a moment, “Alright. I believe you. Fey can be wily creatures, but perhaps Reece was right when he said you were an odd one. Go ahead and ask your question now.”
	“Can you tell me more about Reece? We went to his parents’ home and he wouldn’t or maybe couldn’t speak,” The little fey explained.
	“Is that worry in your voice?”
	“I-I don’t know…”
	There was a long pause, “The boy is right, you are an odd one.”
	“If I can help him, I need to know what is wrong.”
	“I can’t say if you could help him. The boy has been alone for most of his life. Absent parents, much older siblings. He may as well have been an only child orphaned at a young age if I am being frank. Never had many friends, if any at all. The boy was given to me daily for tutelage. First it was usual school subjects, writing, reading, math, geography, and history. When he was old enough, I began to teach him my forte, language and scribing. I expected him to do the same as me, but he has performed far beyond what I had expected of him.”
	“Really?” Kleeix noted, “I have only seen him write. Same as you.”
“Reece does more than I do. I take works, translate them into new languages or compile them. Reece does this too, but when he compiles he creates a dialogue, a story to follow along with, completely transforming the work. He is creative, he used to doodle in his noteworks, at least until I smacked his hands with a ruler. I should have nurtured that talent. He didn’t have anyone who would, but he stayed with creative writing on his own,” Graxon’s tone was gentle, almost sounding fond of me.
	“On a note he wrote,” Kleeix slowly began, “He mentioned his parents being proud. What does that mean?”
	“Pride… Well, I wonder if that is a feeling a lesser fey can have. Pride is having satisfaction in an achievement or thing. His parents are difficult to please, as you might imagine. Even with the success of his Sol Eater saga, he hasn’t been given any congratulations. Of course, I did tell him he did well. I sent him dwarven spiced wine and a letter.”
	“Are you proud of him?”
	“...” The dwarf sighed, “Aye, I am. Someone needs to be,” There was another pause, “I might be hard on him, but he is doing well for himself. May I ask you something?”
	“Of course.”
	“What do you think of the boy?”
	“Oh, you’re not going to ask me thrice to see the truth?” Kleeix teased in her usual sing-songy voice, “Truthfully, I struggle to form a cohesive idea. I’ve heard him lie, seen him at his lowest, but he’s been nicer than most tall, lumbering folk. He has given me food, clothed me, helped me, and even taught me to read and write. I-I feel as if I haven’t done nearly enough in return.”
	“You saved his life, pixie.”
	Kleeix scoffed, “That doesn’t really mean anything.”
	The old dwarf paused, “Aye, that wouldn’t to ya. So where does that leave your relationship with him?”
	“I-I don’t really know,” The pixie paused as she thought about it, “I think we’re friends, as little as I really understand this world’s version of it. Does this love you and Ildegarde have come after being friends?”
	“No, no. Not always. Though love, just like friendship, comes in many forms. Love for your friend can always become real,” The old dwarf explained, “Not all love needs to be romantic.”
	“I see…”
	“What do you think being a friend means? Think about it through the lens of a non-fey, perhaps.”
	Kleeix took quite a long time to answer. I felt anxious over it as I awaited for her to speak again, “Helping, feeding, and teaching another?”
	“If that is how you believe it should be, then perhaps that is what friendship means,” He explained, “There is no wrong answer. Perhaps you will feel different in the future. Caring, loving, protecting, perhaps you will add those into your thoughts and feelings on the topic.”
	I could imagine Kleeix shaking her head, “I’m not sure I understand those. But I’ll keep researching.”
	“Wonderful,” Graxon rose to his feet, “These old bones are weary, pixie. Let us retire for the night. I have a surprise for the boy in the morning, perhaps you will enjoy it too. One more thing, Kleeix.”
	“Yes?”
	“Keep an eye on the boy for me. And… Thank you for being so friendly with him.”
	“...” Kleeix was silent.
	Knowing time was short, I slipped from the room as quietly as I could. I hurried my pace, returning to the guest room without making the floor squeak as much as possible. My mind wandered to what Kleeix said about me and friendship, I could only wonder if she meant all of that. If it was a lie, it was by omission, not an outright falsehood, so there ought to be some truth to it. I sat on the edge of the bed with a candle illuminating the room next to me. I felt much less restless, at the least. Kleeix was silent as she glided into view, “Why are you not sleeping?” She asked as she tilted her head.
	“I’m really restless, or at least I was,” I explained, hanging my head as I felt a touch of guilt for listening in on them, “Reading helped a little bit.”
	“I was the same,” She sighed and floated to the desk where her belongings lay, “I spoke to the dwarf for a time.”
	“Was it a nice conversation?” I yawned as I slipped into the bed.
	“Enlightening, I would say.”
	“Is that so?”
	“You don’t sound surprised.”
	I looked over at her, “It's easy to have enlightening conversations with the old man. He’s always trying to teach. Did he speak ill of me?” 
Swapping topics seemed to fluster the pixie a little bit, “No! Of course not! Neither did I!”
	“Thank you, friend,” I chuckled.
	“Yeah, yeah,” She huffed, “Go to bed.”
	“I’m trying. Goodnight.”
	“May the moon give you pleasant dreams,” Kleeix said.

	With the break of day, I slipped into a hot bath. The short showers allowed on trains were nothing compared to the bliss of a steaming bath. The windows were foggy by design, letting in bright sunlight but not peering eyes. Kleeix lounged in a large bowl full of equally steaming water. As I expected, the fey form was a lithe, otherworldly beauty. Another assumption of mine that was correct from my singular glance, the lesser fey had no need for reproductive organs so their body reflected that. Not even a belly button. I made a mental note to write that down. 
	I glanced up as Kleeix used a toothbrush to clean between her wings. It put a bemused expression on my face as she basked in the glow of the morning sun. Her wings and fluff sparkled in the sunlight, complimenting her otherworldly look. I sighed and stopped gawking, certain that she would not appreciate it. I climbed out soon after, dried off, and got dressed. Kleeix giggled at me, “Can’t you relax for once? You were barely in there.”
	“I can relax on the train,” I replied.
	“PUH-LEASE,” She exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air, “You’re working on the trains too!” She got her leotard then armor on quickly. It seemed the wings simply phased through her clothes. I had to imagine it was some kind of magic, or she simply was able to slip it over either of her wings. If that were the case then they were more flexible than I had originally thought. Still part of me was convinced it had been some form of magic. I would need to confirm this at some point and considered a more tactful way of asking her about this that didn'tI involve wayward glances. Kleeix picked up her things and found a spot on my shoulder, “What’s the plan for today?”
	“Find transport to Saint Helens. I want to write about the sundered lands,” After stretching, I returned to the borrowed room.
	Graxon and Ildegrada were both there already, looking at me expectantly, “You’re going to be late, Mister Gawain,” The old dwarf warned with a grave tone in his voice.
	“Late? I haven’t even bought tickets though?” The confusion was obvious in my voice, but I went into the room and began to quickly pack.
	“We have!” The cyclops grinned excitedly, “A one way ticket to Saint Helens via the best air travel we could find!”
	“Air travel!?” I gasped, “No, you didn’t–”
	“Aye, I did. One ticket aboard the Sky’s Fount. The pixie will be your carry on,” He held out the slip of paper. It was simple with dwarven runes, a gold color surrounded by a red border and black stars. In dwarven runes, it read ‘Luftschiff Zeppelin: Sky’s Fount’ in glossy letters, “We’ll drive you to the airport. You have fifteen minutes.”
	“Got it, got it,” I hurried my pace, “Kleeix, are you ready?”
	“I don’t know what we’re doing, but I can be ready,” The pixie loaded up her backpack in just a minute, “What about breakfast?”
	“Eat on the zeppelin, your meals are included with the ticket,” Graxon explained.
	Once ready, all of us went out and into the dwarf’s sedan. I anxiously looked around the back seat, “Make sure you buckle in,” Ildegarda warned. I did as told. Kleeix hid in my pocket as the vehicle rumbled to life. My stomach hurt, “Never ridden in a car?” The cyclops teased.
	“Maybe twice,” I sank into the dark leather seat as I tried to relax. I always hated this.
	The old dwarf pulled the car out of the driveway. The mana reactor was smooth, barely rumbling the car as he coasted down the road. I did my best to lean into the turns as the loving couple who were crammed into the front chattered about the mountain, “Make sure you join a guide’s group, last thing anyone needs is for you two to get sundered,” Graxon explained, “Dress warm and travel light, though I think you have both of those down.”
	“Oh, and make sure you take a lot of notes, this isn’t an experience you get every day!” The cyclops chuckled. The car was easily able to travel around the horses and carriages that moved toward the side of the road. We didn’t go much faster than them, but cars got the right of way. A few thousand pounds of metal and magic-based engines would easily flatten a horse. Not a pretty sight, “Do you have a camera?” She continued. I nodded, “Make sure you send us a few photos! Our old bones can’t climb up that easily.”
	“Don’t let the mages harass you for being a non-magic user.”
	“Don’t eat the snow.”
	“If the wind picks up and your hair stands on end, move.”
	“Do not pee on any trees. Mana can travel up that stream. Hold it or find a designated spot for relieving yourself.”
	“If you get sundered, if you still have a corporeal form, a wizard should easily be able to flush your body.”
	I wasn’t sure what was making me more sick. Their warnings or the car rapidly listing around turns. The verbal barrage and the bends in the road were twisting me up tighter than the night before and my head was spinning at the idea that a single misstep could lead to my demise - or so it sounded.
“Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,” I heard myself whimper under my breath.
“It will be okay,” Kleeix replied, “I'll be there to help you.”
I nodded, wishing I had her confidence.

	By the time we made it to the airfield, I was a little wobbly. Graxon was able to drive right onto the airfield where a trio of zeppelins were lined up. I peered into the hangars that we passed to see a few more along with some small planes. We pulled up next to a group of people before the dwarf stopped. The big onyx balloon with red lettering was my destination. A long, two floored carrier hung beneath the balloon that was tied down via a few chains. A group of well dressed dwarves in cloaks and robes were getting aboard now along with a few humans, “Ain't she majestic?” Ildegrada sighed dreamily.
	“Mister Gawain– Reece,” Graxon looked over his chair at me, “It was… Good to see you again.”
	I put on a weak smile, “I’m glad I got to see you again. I’ll try to visit more often,” With a nod, I departed from the car, my legs feeling like jelly and prepared for another terrifying ride in an unfamiliar vehicle. I missed trains. I handed the dwarf at the bottom of the stairs our ticket, which he punched a hole in before motioning for me to go ahead. My knuckles turned white as I clutched the railing with all my might. I stopped toward the top of the stairs and waved to my mentor one more time before stepping inside. It was a very melancholic feeling.
	“Hey, you don’t have that look and feeling anymore,” Kleeix said from where she poked her head out.
	“Really?” I found myself smiling at this, “Well, I’ll feel even better after breakfast.”
	The large enclosure had two floors, with the stairs being right next to the entry. The bottom floor had a stocked bar and many leather couches facing out the windows with the glass bending towards the floor to allow patrons to look straight down. A sign noted that the restaurant was up the stairs. I went up and found somewhere away from the big windows and did my best to relax, knowing I should be there before the day ended.