Tamsin Swiftwing's Arc

Chapter 9 of 10

Tamsin stood at her doorway as the first pink light touched the meadow. She had trained her magic until the crystals glowed steady green. She had opened the practice barrier and packed her weatherproof chest. But something still felt incomplete. Her grandpixie's letter mentioned one final step before entering dangerous ruins—a clear mind and calm heart. She couldn't carry doubt into those dark chambers. She walked to the clearing behind her home where she had set up her final tests. A dark stone balanced on thin sticks, just wide enough to fit through. It looked like the sealed doorways she had read about in old ruin maps. She crouched low and pushed against the heavy stone with both hands. It didn't budge. She planted her feet wider and tried again, channeling magic into her arms. The stone shifted, then toppled off the sticks with a heavy thud. She had done it without breaking the delicate supports. When she faced real barriers in the ruins, her strength would be ready. Next she found the fallen branch she had placed across two tree stumps. It was barely as wide as her foot and wobbled when she touched it. The ruins would have crumbling paths and narrow ledges over deep drops. She stepped onto the branch and felt it shake beneath her. She spread her arms for balance and took another step. The wood creaked but held. She walked the full length without falling, then turned and crossed back. Her feet stayed steady even when the branch dipped and swayed. Balance would keep her safe when the floor gave way to nothing. She returned to her birdhouse and placed a small tree near her door. Purple crystal orbs hung from its branches, glowing softly in the morning light. Any pixie looking for help with dangerous ruins would know she had the skills they needed. But more than that, the crystals reminded her of what she had become. She was no longer the pixie who feared the altar and the dead explorer. She was strong enough to move barriers, steady enough to cross dangerous gaps, and focused enough to find what others had missed. The mirth spell was waiting in those dark chambers, and today she would finally go claim it.