Day by day, our trip to the Heinnd Mountains became better. The second night with the wolves still felt fresh in my mind, though, and I was sticking close to my family, no longer wandering anywhere beyond their line of sight.

  I continued to practice magic with my mother. Varis hung around for a couple of the lessons. While he seemed magically inclined like me, Mother theorized that maybe he was suffering from a shallower well than mine. Though I didn’t know if she was just trying to comfort him, she made it clear that with practice, he could deepen it, especially since he was young.

  Yet him being young didn’t seem to be helping. While I was fully engrossed in learning, Varis nearly fell asleep on the log when Mother lectured us about the schools of magic on Enora.

  There were several, and most of them I was familiar with from fantasy settings:

  Evocation, Conjuration, Divination, Transmutation, Necromancy and Abjuration.

  Except for these st three:

  Dition, Gravitation and Spirimancy.

  Mother expined to me that dition was a rare form of magic that involve the use of time. Very rarely did time casters appear, though it was specuted that with the use of ether, the fundamentals of time could be altered. Which was horrifying.

  Secondly, gravitation was, well, the control of gravity. It was how Mother flew in her encounter with the timberwolf alpha, and how certain mages made flying towers. Which was interesting.

  Finally, there was spirimancy. The power of the soul. This, she told me, was a very dangerous and new form of magic, as it had only been discovered this decade. It was also already the most powerful form of magic. Spirimancy was the art of consuming a piece of one’s soul or other souls from the ethereal realm to manipute all of reality. Because everything was known to possess a soul, the power obtainable from this form of magic was insurmountable and highly votile.

  Even as we spoke, within the confines of the Magus Concilium, the Magi Council was still discussing the ethics of this discovery. Thus, the usage and teaching of spirimancy were put on hold until the magisters confirmed their approval. I hadn’t expected to learn about magical politics, but they were fascinating.

  Another interesting thing I learned from my mother was that teleportation wasn’t a thing. Well, there were portals, in a sense, but they were pathways known as Web Ways, which allowed people to travel between realms or far-off destinations. Yet no one knew how they were made; she told me they were just natural events.

  Web Ways could open up in the world and remain there for thousands of years or seconds before they disappeared. She went on to tell this long historical tale about how humans came to be—

  “Wait…” I stopped. “What do you mean, humans came to be?” I asked, staying focused as Father motioned for me to climb onto the wagon. We were about to depart for home.

  Mother climbed on. “Oh, humans aren’t from Enora.”

  “Eh, what?” I sat beside her and looked at her with wide eyes.

  My mother smirked at how interested I’d become. Wrapping her arm around me, she pulled me in for cuddles.

  Crap, I should’ve expected her to snuggle me on the way home!

  “Humans came to Enora via a Web Way many, many thousands of years ago,” she hummed.

  Accepting my fate, I sighed, rexed into her bosom, and gnced at Isa, who was climbing into the driver’s seat beside Father. “Isa, why haven’t you told Varis and I this?” I asked, knowing she was listening; she was always listening with those rotating feline ears.

  “Because we haven’t gotten to human history yet in our historical studies,” Isa said as Varis boarded.

  “You seem very interested in this, Luna.” Mother pulled me into her as she bent over and kissed me on the head.

  Like, hell yeah I am! Being a reincarnated human makes this very interesting! I wanted to say, but instead suffered under the onsught of love.

  I shifted and said, “I am; I read a little bit ahead in my books. But I want to hear it from you!” I smiled.

  We might as well get a story going while we ride.

  Once Varis made sure all his stuff was on the wagon, Father checked in with us one st time. Seeing that we were ready, he flicked the reins and ordered Opal to take us home.

  As the wagon began to move, Mother mused, “Sure, why not? Though Isa, you’re better with ancient history than I am. So, if you want to dive in and help, feel free.”

  The serelli nodded as she gave my mother a thumbs-up.

  Mother took a deep breath. “It was long ago. About seventy thousand years ago, before the Intrusive War, there was an event that rocked all of Enora and possibly even the universe.”

  My eyes widened. “What the heck could that be?”

  Mother smiled. “The Consolidation of the Pnes.”

  “The what?” I tilted my head.

  Isa spoke up for Mother as she turned to face us: “The Consolidation of the Pnes was an apocalyptic event that shattered many of the ancient kingdoms and allowed for the Dark Lord to begin his rise. The event is theorized to be the convergence of many different universes and pnes onto one point.”

  I blinked. “So, wait… you mean… like another Enora hit our Enora?”

  Mother giggled. “Yes and no. That’s one of the theories, though, you smart girl.” She pinched my cheek. “The event is still being studied to this day.”

  Isa nodded. “The Consolidation triggered an event we call the Portal Storms, or the creation of the Web Ways. When our reality collided with the others, it tore the fabric of it open all over the pce, allowing entities from other worlds to enter ours and ours to enter theirs.”

  “And such entities included humans?” I guessed, and Isa smiled and nodded.

  “Yes. It was said that during the crisis, a human war fleet entered our world in the Westriden Ocean near my home of Kazora. It was here that the humans founded what is today known as the nation of Vinnd.”

  I nearly convulsed with shock and fell from Mother’s arms.

  Vinnd? Were these humans Norwegians, by chance?

  Isa blinked as she noticed my mental break and asked, “Are you okay, Luna?”

  How did I not know about this? You’d think out of all the maps and books at home, I couldn’t possibly miss freaking Vinnd! Alright, a new thing has been added to the bucket list of my new life. I need to see Vinnd.

  I coughed and cleared my throat. “I-I’m okay; it’s just that name. It’s very cool.”

  Isa chuckled. “It is, I guess. But yes, before seventy thousand years ago, humans did not exist on Enora. Based on Vinnder studies and descriptions, it’s thought they come from an ancient nd known as Norvegr.”

  It kind of sounds like Norway, but I don’t know too much about Vikings.

  She continued, “A nd whose descriptions do not match anything here in Enora. Thus adding to King Erikson’s story of how the Vinnders sailed to their homend over a rainbow ocean within a nd of stars.”

  “And what makes it even more interesting?” My mother patted me on the head. “That means they would’ve had to traverse over The Thing.”

  Isa nodded. “Exactly. Vinnders are famous for making tough vessels, but even now Iona’s dreadnoughts avoid The Thing.”

  Varis groaned. “What even is The Thing? Momma mentioned it before, yet she never crified.”

  What the hell are they talking about? The Thing?

  “Hold on, Luna, hop off my p. I think I brought a lot of my maps with me.”

  I scooched off her p and sat to the side as my mother bent over and began to rifle through her belongings. After about a minute of searching, she said, “Aha! I got my sea map here.”

  “Why did you bring a sea map to the mountains?” Isa asked her, squinting.

  “I like to read maps!” she hummed, and began to unfurl it on the floor of the wagon.

  It was a massive map, revealing many of the world’s oceans and seas. It stretched about four and a half feet wide and was tall enough to ride up on Varis’s legs. My eyes widened. I had never seen this map before. I’d only had the chance to look at Isa’s maps and the ones in our books. Perhaps this was in the cabin, I wondered.

  Enora is really huge—way bigger than Earth, I assumed. Either that or the cartographer exaggerated here. Yet… what the heck is that?

  I leaned over Mother’s shoulder to see. My eyes squiggled over the entire known pnet from the top down, passing a couple of continents to reach this world’s version of Antarctica, known bluntly as the Eternal Frost. Was this a massive bck line? It was almost as if the cartographer got drunk, or let a child ruin a perfectly good map.

  Yet there were some gaps in this enormous ink stain coming out from the ice, with bels such as “safe passage” or “only use during the summer season.”

  “Why is there a big mess?”

  “That, sweetie, is The Thing.” Mother tapped on it.

  I blinked. “What is it?”

  “That’s what I’ve been asking!” Varis huffed.

  “Nobody knows what it is or even if it is an it,” Isa said with a shrug. “The Thing has been here since time immemorial. It is dangerous to cross over it in the ocean. A very, very small number of brave adventurers have tried in the past, and only a few have succeeded. Those who have succeeded never wish to speak of it, and many of those have even gone mad.”

  Mother smiled. “Weren’t the Ions trying to create an underwater vessel to explore it? I recall reading in the papers about it a few years ago.”

  Underwater vessel? A submarine?

  Isa said, “I do not look much into what the Ions are doing nowadays, and I honestly don’t care.”

  “So, is it like a big, scary monster?” Varis asked again, and everyone sighed.

  “Nobody knows what it is, Varis,” my mother repeated as my brother sighed and crossed his arms. He still seemed skeptical.

  “Fine, when I grow up, I’m going to go see what it is!”

  My mother ughed and shook her head. “No, you aren’t. I’ll make sure you don’t ever get near it.” She gnced at me. “Is something wrong, Luna?”

  I hadn’t realized it, but as I looked at the map, my face was scrunched up. Hearing my name, I rexed. “O-Oh, I’m fine. It’s just a lot to take in.” I ughed nervously.

  Humans came from the Norwegian Vikings, and there’s something big wrapping around the world. Not to mention this world is massive. This is just a lot to take in.

  Mother giggled and nodded as she began to roll up the map. “Enora is a big pce with a lot of different cultures and mysteries.”

  Isa nodded. “Especially on the Western continents.”

  “Which reminds me!” Mother snapped her fingers and smiled widely. “The Ions recently uncovered an ancient ruin in the Wylde Lands that, if they are to be believed, was once held by the Far Reachers.” Her eyes were gleaming with possibilities.

  Isa rolled her eyes. “Once again, the Sunset Migration is desecrating sacred ruins.” She grumbled and turned away.

  I blinked and looked to Mother, who’d defted a bit. Okay, that seemed like a sore topic. So, I made a note of it and reached over to pat my mother.

  She exhaled. “I didn’t mean to sour the mood, Isa.”

  “What’s wrong with some old ruins being dug up?” Varis asked.

  “Brother,” I said, “I don’t think it’s right for us to poke.”

  Mother nodded. “Yes, we can discuss this ter. For now, let us enjoy the ride.”

  The trip home was uneventful, which, frankly, I was more than happy to take. The past week had been too packed with events. Sleeping had become difficult. I had recurring nightmares about my encounter with the wolves. It’s embarrassing, but I’ll admit that the first night on our way back, I snuck into the tent with my parents and Isa and cuddled up to them.

  I hadn’t done anything like that since I was a child in my old life. Yet when I felt my mother’s arms around me, I passed out almost instantly. That next morning, even though my behavior had surprised her, she was happy to comfort me. Doing so might have also made her feel better herself, as she seemed a lot more upbeat and cuddlier for the remainder of the trip home.

  Well, actually, there was one event I forgot to mention. I was officially seven years old! Due to the trip almost killing me, the actual birthday celebration hadn’t happened. Yet on the ride home, my mother slipped something into the pocket of my skirt, and what I found was truly touching.

  It was a tiny ornate wand with a wooden handle and a silver top that spiraled on itself, forming a cage that contained a bright sapphire.

  “I made this for you,” she said to me as the wagon strolled along. “I meant to give it to you the day you cast your first spell.” She was whispering into my ear so as not to wake Varis, who was passed out in front of me. “But as you know, my little mage got me all distracted.” She tickled me.

  “Wahha! Stop!” I squealed and squirmed before smiling as I gripped the small wand in my tiny hands. “Th-Thank you, Mother.” I looked back at it, my eyes shimmering, getting a little emotional.

  Curse these child hormones!

  “This looks lovely,” I said. Then I smirked. “How do I use it?”

  Mother giggled and kissed me on the cheek. “I can show you when we get home. The wand is meant to supplement the somatic parts of spells—the hand motions,” she crified. “It can also enhance the spells as well, though…” She smiled smugly. “My little archmage probably won’t need that.”

  I blushed deeply and kissed my mother back, which made her ears wiggle fast and her face turn red. Her smile was so wide, I thought her face would split as she pulled me tightly into her and nearly smothered me with a hug!

  After that, the trip ended at our two-story property sometime before dusk. The sun was dipping beneath the mountains and illuminating the sky in bright blues and purples. Spring was officially settling in, with winter departing early. A warm gust of air wafted over us as Father stopped the wagon outside the front door.

  “Alright,” he said, “I know we’re all tired, but let’s get this unpacked so I can take Opal back to Mr. Hautchkins.”

  “Would you like me to come with you, love?” Mother asked him.

  “No. Stay here with the kids. I’ll be back shortly, I promise.”

  Mother nodded, turned to me, and ruffled my hair. “Alright, kiddos!” She lightly kicked Varis to wake him up. “Unpack the wagon, then it’s bedtime!”

  “Bedtime?” Varis groaned. “We just got home!”

  “You have csses in the morning,” Isa reminded us, and Varis whined.

  “No whining!” Father said sternly. “Listen to your mother and Isa.”

  I smiled. “Okay, Papa!” I got up and stretched before grabbing my bag and tent and hopping off the cart.

  So, it finally began to happen. I didn’t know how or what the hell triggered it, but I could feel it. Puberty 2.0 had arrived, the speedrun edition.

  Both Varis and I were hit by it at once; it all started around the spring equinox in the month of Cirrus. Varis turned nine years old, and like we did for me, we held a big event. Nothing too crazy like going out to the mountains. No, Father rented out the town hall for a hefty sum; I knew this from listening to our mother belittle him for how much he spent. And we held this massive party! We invited the Hautchkinses, some of Father’s fellow constables and their families, and even a few distant retives from both sides I had never met before.

  The day after, and I swear it felt like the day after… it struck us. It started weird at first. I began to feel little pains beneath my ft breasts. That area was tender, and wearing my outfits caused annoying pain whenever the fabric ran over my nipples. Not to mention I felt a little taller.

  Varis had another growth spurt too, and most of his clothes weren’t fitting anymore. And he was nky! I mean, skin and bone and nothing in between. It didn’t hit me what was happening until te one Rest Day after my weekly magic training.

  Things had been a bit dirty.

  I’d recently gotten the hang of wind spells. The problem with my first Gust, as it turned out, was that I’d succumbed to those pleasurable sensations when spell casting, which resulted in me being overwhelmed with ether and overcasting. Once I had that down, I moved on from wind to water magic, which was extremely easy and fun, and that day, Mother and I moved on to earth.

  Well, I’d decided to get a little cheeky. I’d learned that while magic could break physics, to some extent it still followed them. Back in the old world, I was a bit of a science nerd. I won’t say I knew it all, but I liked to read. And I wanted to experiment.

  I wanted to make mud.

  Can water magic fuse with earth magic?

  It turns out it can, of course, but my little child brain and inner RPG nerd wanted to test this tiny bit of knowledge.

  It backfired.

  Mother and I were standing outside as she expined to me a simple mote spell perfect for self-defense. A spell known simply as Stone Shard.

  Essentially, the spell would allow me to magically pluck a decent chunk of earth from the ground, about the size of my small fist, and lob it at whatever speed I decided based on how much ether I applied to the spell.

  But I could do a little bit more. I could also levitate the rock around. So, using a bit of my knowledge of erosion, I wondered, What if I apply some wind and water to the dirt to shape it into something like a drill or arrowhead?

  I was missing a crucial piece here: fire. I forgot that I would need to heat the stone and dirt to harden it, and that air wouldn’t be enough. So, as I began to do my little trick to show off to my mother, I began to spin the rock while concentrating my ether into a gust of wind to whittle away at the stone along with sprinkles of water.

  What started well turned into me aggressively spttering myself and Mother with globs of mud! Father and Varis, who’d been watching while they worked on the fence around our house, howled with ughter.

  Mother was a bit frustrated, as she was wearing a fine dress today rather than her usual sundress or polo and pants. She sighed.

  “Okay, css is dismissed for right now,” she muttered as she flicked some mud off of her eye. “Let’s go get cleaned up.”

  “S-Sorry,” I whimpered, feeling immensely embarrassed.

  I should’ve seen this coming!

  Mother smiled. “It’s okay, but instead of doing your own thing, sweetie, let’s follow instructions.” She patted me on the back and began to pull mud out of my long bck hair.

  “Is it me, or have you gotten a little taller?” Mother hummed. “I swear you used to be this big just yesterday.” She pced her hand at her hip, about half a foot below me; now I stood about chest height to her.

  I blushed. “I dunno… Maybe I just got lucky and grew with Varis.”

  We began to walk inside, but just by the act of turning, my dress shifted. A sharp throb hit me right in the nipples. I halted, groaned softly and rubbed my chest, grimacing as I wondered what the hell that was.

  “Something wrong?” Mother asked as she held the kitchen door open for me.

  “My chest has been feeling funny,” I said softly.

  “Did you get hit in the chest on accident?” she asked me as she shut the door and waved to Isa, who was eating her lunch at the table.

  “I don’t think so,” I grumbled, and sighed. Great, now I’m all grumpy.

  Mother was silent for a second. “Why don’t you go up to the bathroom? I’ll join you in a moment.”

  I blushed. “Wh-What? I can wash myself!”

  “No arguing,” Mother ordered.

  My face burned brightly as I heard Isa snickering. I bit my lip, huffed, and marched up to the bathroom. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d bathed with my parents, and it never got easier. Seeing them naked was something I wished I could expunge from my memory. Not saying they were ugly, quite the opposite. Both of them were practically supermodels, it’s just… they were my parents. The mere thought sent shivers through me.

  I hadn’t bathed with them in almost two years because I was a “big elf” now according to them. So why now? What changed? Did Mother… Dear god. She wants to cuddle with me more, I said to myself. No. No. No. I’m not ready for it! I thought anxiously as I went into the basement. There I pumped the in-house well to fill the rge metal tub in the upstairs bathroom.

  Calm yourself, Luna, I thought. Maybe she just wants to make sure I didn’t strain myself with my magic. Or, uh, no actually, that might be it. That must be it. There’s nothing else I can think of that would make her want to wash with me. I groaned, went upstairs the bathroom, and shut the door.

  Our bathroom was of average size and even had basic plumbing, which was a nice thing to discover when I first came to this world. There were no water heaters or anything, at least not that I knew of. I had originally thought the basement held a water heater until Mother expined to me that it was a crynpump: a big archeo device, or magic item, that apparently moved the water throughout the house. But what we did have were these neat things called heat stones. I went to the closet and pulled out a little red rock with a fme etched on it.

  I didn’t know if Mother made these with her magical abilities or if my parents bought them, but what you did was toss them into the water. Immediately they’d begin to steam and bubble lightly, warming the water to a comfortable level but never boiling.

  Or probably never. I hadn’t actually left a heat stone in water that long, nor did I intend to experiment. Especially not after getting dirty outside from my st test.

  Once the water was at my preferred temperature, I reached in, plucked the warm stone out, and put it away. You’d think with a stone that’s capable of heating water, I would’ve burned myself, yet shockingly no. The little archeo was warm to the touch, yet nowhere near scalding. As to how that’s possible? Magic, I guess.

  Then I took a deep breath and began to strip out of my mud-covered clothes, tossing them to the side. Now I stood in the bathroom naked and alone, waiting for Mother. I nervously gnced at the mirror and saw my pale-naked self staring back, blushing faintly. Seven years. Seven long years and I still couldn’t stop feeling gross looking at myself like this.

  I need to stop feeling like that, I thought. I’m not that guy anymore. I’m not some old geezer. I’m Luna, little Luna the elf girl. But… it’s hard. I closed my eyes and shook my head. You’re not a freak. You’re just a little growing girl. In a humble little home. Just stop. But—no, stop!

  Don’t lie to yourself.

  I cpped my cheeks with my little hands and pulled myself back into reality. My heart beating heavily in my chest. I took a couple deep breaths and closed my eyes as I tried to calm down. With a sigh, I leaned against the sink. “Is she really going to barge in here?” I muttered with a gnce back at the mirror. It was already starting to steam from the hot bath. Getting on my tiptoes, I reached over and wiped the fog away to look, this time pushing the dreaded thoughts away and just focusing on myself. Seeing the young elf staring back, I cocked my head and blinked before narrowing my eyes at her.

  Something’s off, I thought as I stretched my tiptoes and leaned closer to the mirror. That’s when I saw it.

  “No shit…” I muttered under my breath as I brought my hand up to my right breast. What I noticed in the mirror was a bump. It was like a small hill forming on my chest. My hand lightly touched it, and I gasped as the sensitive flesh throbbed at the touch.

  It’s finally started, I thought, just as Mother threw open the door and I screamed!

  “Time to get washed!” she procimed in nothing but towels draped over her body.

  I frantically jumped away from the door, hands shooting behind my back as I prayed she hadn’t seen me exploring myself.

  So, Mother noticed that my breasts were finally starting to develop. That was why she wanted to take a bath with me. She was ecstatic to see her baby girl developing into a woman. So much so that when we finally got into the tub together, Mother behind me as I sat between her legs, she just wouldn’t stop talking about, “Oh, I can’t wait to get you this kind of bra.” Or “If you get as rge as me, I have the cutest outfit that’ll get you all the boys.” And, of course, “My little girl is finally becoming a woman!”

  It wasn’t fun. I loved my mother to death, but for the love of God. Please, I’m dying of embarrassment here!

  Part of me was just as excited as her to grow up, but… dammit, I was jealous. I wanted her excitement! To be able to express it openly like her. But I couldn’t stop feeling like I shouldn’t be. Doing so would make me gross.

  “Is something wrong, Luna?” Mother asked me as she leaned over, resting her chin on my shoulder as her fingers dexterously scrubbed my hair. “You don’t seem excited. Aren’t you happy to be growing up? Don’t you want to become as beautiful as me?” she said with a smirk.

  I blushed. “I—I do…” I said, scrubbing my arms. “I—I… I just—feel…” I wanted to talk about it. I did. Yet telling Mother that I was actually a thirty-four-year-old man in a little girl’s body dreaming about becoming hot like her would just absolutely ruin the mood. But…

  I wasn’t that guy. But even though I knew that, I couldn’t stop thinking like him. I felt dirty, and no matter how much I scrubbed myself, I couldn’t get rid of those thoughts.

  “I feel embarrassed,” I said, blushing deeply.

  “How come?” Mother asked, pulling away from me as she focused more on my hair. “It’s natural for all dies to go through this, there’s no need to be embarrassed.”

  I sputtered. “I, well… I—I… I wanna become pretty like you,” I forced out. “I—I want to have… uh…”

  My mother giggled. “You can say it, dear. We’re both dies and we’re alone,” she hummed as her fingers combed my hair elegantly.

  I was red as a tomato. I gulped. “I want to have a body like yours. I want to be striking. Beautiful, alluring.”

  My mother d’awwed. “Is that how you see me?” I could feel her smug smile behind me.

  I tried to nod, though my mother held my hair tightly. “Y-Yes. I think you’re really pretty. I want to grow up and have… people look at me like Father does you. I—I want to…”

  “You want to be irresistible?” she mused.

  “Yes… but I feel like that’s… wrong…”

  Mother stopped for a moment and leaned to peer into my eyes. “How so?” she asked.

  I pulled my lips into a tight line as I tried to find the words. “I f-feel like… it’s… naughty.”

  This seemed to amuse her. “Naughty?” she repeated. “Oh, dearie, I love you.” She draped her arms around me and pulled me close, her ample chest pressing into my back. “There is nothing wrong with that.”

  “Wh-Why not?” I blinked.

  “Because it’s natural, sweetie. Girls your age always dream of becoming beautiful maidens or princesses, and as you get older, you’ll start thinking about boys or girls. And you’ll want them. Like how I wanted your father when we were growing up together.” She hummed. “It’s okay to have those thoughts.”

  Maybe if I was a normal little kid… The dreaded thoughts returned.

  “Luna,” my mother said, “you’re starting down a path all of us have taken and will take. It’ll be weird, it’ll be gross, but it’s normal. Knowing myself and your father, you most certainly are going to be like me. Soon you’ll be going through bras faster than I can make them, and then we’ll be needing to get you pads—”

  “I don’t wanna talk about those pads,” I said, remembering the conversation on the wagon.

  Mother ughed. “But it’s okay, sweetie. If you wanna grow up and be sexy, go ahead.”

  “Mother!” I gasped, and she howled once again.

  “Don’t repeat what I just said,” she said, patting my shoulder. “Momma got caught up in the moment.” She snickered. “But what I said is true. It’s okay to want these things.”

  “But I thought that stuff is, like… bad,” I said with a deep blush. “Like, thinking about that kinda stuff is—gross.”

  Mother snorted and shook her head. “No. Maybe if you were part of the clergy, sure, but we aren’t.” She booped my nose and pced a blob of sudsy soap there, making me go cross-eyed. She sighed. “Just know that your mother doesn’t judge you. Honestly, I encourage you to be more open like this. I want you to be happy, safe, and comfortable. If you ever have any worries like this, don’t be ashamed to talk to me about it,” she said confidently, and we fell silent for a few moments.

  Finally, I decided to speak up. “Momma, why do we elves mature faster?” I asked. Ever since our conversation on the wagon, I’d wondered about that. I was only seven years old and beginning to develop, yet back on Earth, boys and girls didn’t start developing till sixth grade or middle school.

  Then again, Luna, you were human back then, I reminded myself.

  “Like,” I continued, “we mature really fast, but you said we have…” I blushed again. “Periods every decade or so. That doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “How come?” she asked. I noticed her peering with a curious eye.

  “Well… doesn’t that… mean that… babies can only be made once every decade?” I muttered, shrinking under her gaze.

  My mother cocked an eyebrow. “Who told you how babies are made?” she asked. She didn’t seem mad. Mother knew I was much smarter than other kids. Perhaps she’d expected I’d catch on?

  Despite knowing that, I sputtered. “I—I, uh, eh… I r-read a book.”

  “So, you got into my books again?” Her eyebrow arched higher.

  “Uh, yeah,” I lied, though I was terrible at it.

  To my surprise, Mother didn’t press the issue. “Oh, you poor girl. Why must you rob yourself of your own innocence.”

  “I like learning!” I excimed, and Mother ughed lightly.

  “Spoken like a true schor…” she said, and now she was blushing. “I’ll be clear, Luna, and say that I don’t know entirely. Biology is not really my realm of expertise, as I’m an Ethereal Archon. Some of the clergy theorize that in the ancient era of stone and wood, our race made a deal with the gods to prolong our lives in exchange for our kin so that our elders could preserve our knowledge rather than pass it down. I’m paraphrasing, but that’s sort of how it goes. In the ancient period, our species almost went extinct due to this very reason,” she hummed.

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  She nodded. “It was said that there was a period of great abstinence. Our ancient elders either thought it abhorrent or weren’t interested in procreation. Like factory workers going on strike.”

  That made me snort with ughter, and my mother grinned. “I shouldn’t be surprised you got that joke,” she said. “Are you really seven years old?” she asked, then shook her head. “Maybe you’re just around your father too much.”

  “What happened?” I asked. “To the elders? Did they… throw a party and have a lot of fun?” I smirked, and my mother scoffed.

  “Luna, that’s… ah, whatever.” She gave up scolding and giggled. “That was kind of funny.” She patted me on the head. “Watch your mouth,” she pyfully chided. “But no. Not entirely. I unfortunately don’t know how exactly the legend went, but I do know what happened in the real world. The tsunari—”

  “Who?” I asked.

  My mother sighed. “Tsunari, they’re sea elves. The Elders of the Waves, as they call themselves. A nomadic race and nation of sea dwellers. They travel across Enora on massive ships and their home isnd of Tsuna.”

  “They travel with an isnd?” I gasped. “Like, the isnd moves?”

  “It flies,” Mother said with a big smile.

  “A sky isnd?!”

  Mother beamed. “Yep,” she said. “They are schors and traders. Traveling the world and learning and sharing all they can. The tsunari people are said to be the ones who stopped our extinction by developing a sort of drug… that helps with making baby elves.”

  I nodded. “Is that what you did?” I asked.

  “Huh?”

  “Take a pill to have me.” I blinked.

  Mother’s face turned a deep, deep shade of red. “I, uh…”

  “Well, if Varis is nine and I’m seven, that’s before the cycle—”

  Mother held a hand up. “That’s a story for when you’re older.”

  I giggled and nodded. “Okay, okay… I won’t pry anymore.” Mother smiled and patted me on the head as we began to wash again.

  I appreciated her words. Everything she said was true. I believed her, or wanted to.

  What’s happening is normal. I am normal. Yet I’m not. Again, I could just tell her, and spill the beans about who I really was, but… her, or anyone, knowing who I was would change nothing. Honestly, I might just alienate them. I just wanted to be happy. I wanted to enjoy being a girl and growing up, yet… it felt gross. I felt like I was taking advantage of something, but what? Myself?

  Just focus on the now. Just focus on the now.

  As we continued washing up, we grew quiet. Mother continued to wash my hair, and I got to scrubbing my upper body. I winced as my hands ran the washcloth over my chest.

  “Ouch, why do they hurt?” I whimpered.

  “It’s because they’re growing, sweetie,” Mother whispered in my ear. “Your little boobies are growing, and doing so is tiring.”

  “Don’t call them that,” I said.

  “What?”

  “That,” I huffed.

  “What is that?” Mother smirked. Oh, she’s messing with me.

  “That word.”

  “What word?”

  “Boobies!” I barked, and she cackled.

  “Oh, by the seven, you’re so cute!” She kissed me on the cheek and cuddled me again against her breasts. As she held me tightly, Mother reached up with her right hand. “No promises on saying the word, but hold still, this will help.” She lightly pced her hand in the middle of my chest and whispered, “Resilience.” Her hand pulsed with a blue glow, and warmth shot through my chest and up and down my body like a raging current.

  Within seconds, the tender, raw feeling that pgued my developing chest faded. “Wh-Whoa, wh-what was that?” I gasped, no longer feeling the pain in my chest or, surprisingly, aches I hadn’t known were in other spots of my body.

  “Something I wish I had when I was your age,” Mother said delicately into my ear. “The spell won’t st forever, but as you continue to grow, my love, if they ever bother you, let me know, and I can make it go away. The pain, that is. You’re stuck with the boobs,” she joked.

  “Darnit!” I pyfully compined and smiled.

  “Aww, I thought you wanted big boobies like your mommy?” She snickered and poked me.

  I stammered, “I said I do, but don’t call them that!” Then I giggled as my mother poked my right breast, which no longer hurt. “I just wish they weren’t so annoying,” I huffed.

  “You’ll learn to live with them,” Mother hummed as she began to help me wash my hair. The remainder of our time went peacefully by as we cleaned up.

  Eventually, when we got out of the tub, my mother told me to keep checking in with her going forward. She mentioned taking me to the doctor to get checkups in town. It surprised me to hear this, but she expined we elves developed so quickly that it was best to keep an eye on our health during this process. She also told me to let her know whenever my clothes started to feel restrictive so that she could adjust them.

  Ugh, so much to keep track of. I groaned internally. But I guess it’s all part of growing up.

  Elven puberty isn’t fun. Not saying normal puberty back when I was a human boy was fun. Even though I was in the early stages, I could already feel stuff changing. Was I excited to get boobs, and maybe some like Mother’s? Heck yeah. My mother was beautiful, and I wanted to be too, but if their growth sucked this much, I dunno, man. Not to mention the pain I was feeling all over.

  When she said elven puberty was fast, she wasn’t kidding!

  To make matters worse, Varis was in full swing too, and he smelled. Did boys smell this bad? Did I smell? I hadn’t checked. But… dear lord. I needed to ask Mother if I could get my room now.

  Life continued to trudge forward. A month had passed since puberty smmed into both Varis and me. My breasts had swelled more and were now visible when I bathed. Nothing crazy, just some noticeable bumps, which Mother was easing every morning for me. Thank God for her magic.

  Father and Mother had also conceded my pleas. He emptied his study, which he rarely used anyway, and moved all the items to Mom’s mystery cabin. Thus, the study was then transformed into my room! Once again, I praised God.

  For the first time in seven years, I officially had privacy. Or at least some privacy. The walls in this house were thin, and my room was now next to Mother and Father’s.

  Mom and Dad didn’t care that we knew what they did at night. Maybe getting my room was a mistake.

  But as the month of Orpheus came around and the warm spring air cleansed the nd, trees and flowers began to bloom, and the fresh air was immacute. My new room was now in the front of the house facing town, and every morning, I would wake up, throw open my window and curtains if they weren’t open already, bask in the light, and look out towards the streets of Oren.

  This morning, as I got out of bed and stretched, I noticed I could reach up slightly higher. Maybe I grew a little again? I thought as I went over to my curtains and threw them open. I squinted as the sun’s bright rays hit me, then untched my window to breathe in the fresh air.

  Yet, as my eyes adjusted, I noticed something off. The town of Oren looked different. Along the edges, I saw massive, drab green and gray tents, smoke trails from campfires, and a lot of movement. Before I could focus, my ears twitched at the sound of thunderous boots marching just outside the house.

  A man’s voice shouted out, “One! Two! One, two, three!”

  And along the road in front of our house, a column of soldiers marched from Oren. The one leading began to sing.

  “In the heart of Heinmarr, where the alders soar,

  We march with pride, forevermore.

  Through fields and cities, a united might,

  Heinmarr’s sons, we stand and fight.”

  As the leader quieted down, the rest within the marching column boomed in unison.

  “For glory, for honor, our banners held high,

  Under the sun, under the sky.

  With comrades true, side by side,

  Heinmarr’s strength our eternal guide.”

  I stared as the soldiers continued past my house. Mother and Father ran out the front door to see the commotion as once again, the man leading the march sang,

  “Onward, soldiers, through day and night,

  With disciplined steps, our duty in sight.

  In the nd we love, our voices raise,

  Heinmarr’s sons, our anthem pys.”

  A loud cheer erupted as the boisterous soldiers all sang out once more,

  “For glory, for honor, our banners held high,

  Under the sun, under the sky.

  With comrades true, side by side,

  Heinmarr’s strength our eternal guide.”

  A knock came from my bedroom door. I turned away from the soldiers and rushed over to find tall, nky Varis looking as if he were going to keel over with excitement.

  “Luna! You see the army marching outside?!” he frantically asked.

  I stammered. “How could I miss it?” I pointed out my window as the leader belted out another verse.

  “Papa said it’s the whole battalion, whatever that means!”

  I blinked and said, “O-Okay, go down the stairs; I’ll get dressed.”

  Varis nodded and raced down.

  “We’re almost there, ds!” a soldier shouted as I stopped to listen to the song once more.

  “Through trials and triumphs, we shall endure,

  Our unity strong, our spirits pure.

  In the face of challenge, we stand tall,

  Heinmarr’s call, we heed the call.

  For glory, for honor, our banners held high,

  Under the sun, under the sky.

  With comrades true, side by side,

  Heinmarr’s strength our eternal guide.

  As shadows lengthen, and the night draws near,

  Heinmarr’s sons, free from fear.

  In unity we march, a nation strong,

  Heinmarr’s legacy our marching song!

  Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah!”

  The soldiers cheered as the thunderous marching continued, soon followed by the roars of nd striders. They were pulling along wagons filled with supplies and what looked to be massive cannons and siege engines.

  I quickly put on a simple bck dress and stockings and slipped into my boots. Thankfully, with the warm season blowing in, I no longer needed to yer up so much. As I went to grab the wand my mother gifted me, my ear twitched at the sound of my parents outside.

  Mother and Father were standing in the yard side by side, holding each other, as they watched the column of soldiers go by.

  “He wasn’t lying,” Mother said as she gnced at Father.

  “No, he wasn’t, so far everything he said is coming true,” he said in a low but audible voice.

  “How much longer do you think we have?”

  “I don’t know, but I know for certain that this isn’t a training unit. Look at all the stationary armaments. They’re going to fortify the border.”

  My eyes widened as I listened in. What the hell are they talking about?

  Then again, I am an impatient man...