The sun's light peered into the valley where Dadar's cottage lay. The door opened and a young boy stepped out. Twelve years passed since the dragon came to this cottage. The small baby grew, his skin darkening to a slight brown like his mother's. His eyes turning a similar shade with a small white spark in the pupil.

He stretched outside for a second and closed his eyes breathing in the warm air. The light of the sun-kissed his forehead and a light breeze moved his short black hair. 'Beautiful,' Anah thought.

His eyes opened and he stepped forward towards a forest close by. He explored the woods a hundred times. Every time he swore the trees rearranged themselves. His father called it, "a Pixie's trick". Trick or not, Anah swore he saw some tree branches move.

The forest seemed different today, the trees pulled themselves tight. Their branches pushed against one another attempting to make a wall with their canopies. Bushes placed themselves at the bases closing the gaps between the tree trunks. Anah walked the tree line until he found a spot where the bushes weren't as thick.

Anah got down on his hands and knees and pushed against the branches carving an entrance just large enough for him. He turned, bent, and pushed past branch after branch. Every few inches something wrapped around his ankle and held him. His shirt and pants were ripped in spots. What remained became coated in dirt and debris, but he managed to get to the other side.

Even within the forest, the trees stood closer together than normal. "This is so weird," Anah whispered. He reached back and grabbed his journal along with the stick of graphite his father gave him. He flipped through the pages. Many were pictures of plants he found interesting, or notes about his day exploring, but now and again a page held a creature Anah spotted.

He got a blank page and began writing about the wooden wall in front. Dadar allowed him into the forest alone but made a condition. Anah must record everything he did. If he left anything out Anah wouldn't be able to continue coming. As soon as he finished writing, he put the journal back in his pocket.

The little god pulled himself past two thin trees. His body squeezed past them, but his foot caught a root. Anah fell to the dirt between the two tree trunks. The light of the noonday sun shined on his head. A clearing lay beyond a bush. Anah pulled himself through the opening scratching and clawing through the dirt until he lay in front of the bush free of the tree roots.

Anah took a few deep breaths. After a moment he peered into the clearing. Two orbs of light, one emerald the other lavender, floated around each other inside the clearing. They hovered over a stream.

"Pixies," Anah thought.

Their wings a blur of motion. Their bodies small and narrow, their heads shaped like teardrops. They held their arms close to their bodies making them blend into the skin of their bodies but their legs dangled below as thin as a leaf stem. Anah found his journal entry and began drawing the pixies as they flew. Pixies were common in this part of the forest, but every time Anah found one he made the mistake of stepping on a stick or talking.

Most pixies don't like gods, any movement they will put up a field to hide them. A few gods can see through them, they tend to look for pixies so they can grind them into powder and use them in candles. They create different colored flames and scents.

Anah finished the drawing. He caught a couple of glimpses of their arms while sketching they looked much like their legs only with small white hairs at the ends. He smiled at the drawing and put the notepad away. The lavender and emerald pixie fluttered through the clearing and came to a rest on a stone next to a small stream. They began to squeak a soft squeak. Few gods ever heard the pixie's speaking before. Anah wished he understood.

His heart beat faster. On the other side of the clearing, a small blonde girl's face stuck out of the brush. The beautiful face looked familiar, but he didn't remember who. The bush in front of her shook and a branch snapped. The sound made the pixies take off again. They flew high and towards the edge of the clearing.

"Don't let them escape," a male voice shouted. A muscular boy jumped from the brush along with two others. One boy of similar size with long red hair shot his hands forward and a clear dome consumed the clearing. The pixies bounced against the shield over and over attempting to escape.

The muscular boy clapped a hand on the other boy's shoulder. He moved a bit of his short blond hair out of his eyes. "Great job, Sinnah. Knew you been good to have around for this." Vasna pulled a wooden stick out from his belt. He jumped up and swung at the fairies.

They avoided him again and again. More lights appeared in the air all of them illusions to hide the real two. Anah watched two of the lights swirl near the top of the dome out of range of Vasna's stick.

Vasna and his father Adro venture into the forest a few times a week. Every time they walked with their hunting parties. Adro used light to scare some creature into the open, and Vasna hit him with a spear or ax. Vasna's spirit powered his muscles making him stronger than those around him.

The girl emerged from the brush only came a few times. Nasha hung to the back of the hunting parties away from Vasna and Adro. Now she huddled behind her brother wrapping herself in her arms trying to stay at the edge of her brother's vision. Anah didn't think Nasha developed her abilities yet. She was Anah's age and much smaller than her older brother.

"Vasna, leave them alone," she said. Her voice soft, and timid.

Vasna turned to her. He approached and smacked her arm with his stick. He mocked her, "Vasna, leave them alone. I don't see why I bring you along. All you ever do is ruin my fun." He smacked her again.

The fourth companion with Vasna touched Vasna's arm and pointed at Anah. Anah brushed some dirt off him and glanced at swirling lights.

"Anah," Vasna said. "Haven't seen you for a minute. How's your traitor dad?"

"Stop calling him that." Anah glared at Vasna.

Vasna came closer. Anah balled his fist. A bit of heat flowed into his palms.

"He made a deal with a dragon to have a little weakling like you. My father should have taken his head off for allowing a dragon to escape. What would you call a soldier giving help to an enemy race?" Vasna struck Anah with his stick. "A traitor." He attempted to strike Anah again, but he reached up and caught the stick.

"He's not a traitor. He wanted to save my mom." A spark came into Anah's hand. Smoke floated into the air, and the stick ignited in a white flame.

Vasna jumped back and threw the stick away stomping on the white flame. His leather boot caught fire. "Ow, ow, ow." Vasna jumped back. He fell into Sinnah knocking the god to the ground. As Sinnah fell, the dome faded away. The pixies flew high and away from the scene their illusions fading.

As the pixies escaped, Vasna threw his shoes off his feet. He turned his head to Anah, who laughed. Vasna charged towards Anah grabbing him. Anah put his hands next to Vasna's face hoping for a blast of flame. The two paused, Vasna's eyes widened, but Anah's hands didn't even spark. Vasna pushed Anah down.

He and his two friends kicked Anah again and again. The impact of Vasna's kicks hurt worse than the other two boys combined. Blood filled Anah's mouth. His nose shattered and blood squirted out. White blood soaked into the grass.

"Vasna stop!" Nasha rushed forward and pulled at her brother's arm. "Vasna stop, please."

Vasna turned around and backhanded her. Nasha hit the ground her lip busted open. "They say with enough pixie dust I can make a wish. I was going to bring my mother back. You know the one you killed."

Her eyes filled with tears. She became smaller and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's just. You're... You're..."

"You're... You're." Vasna turned from her. "Pathetic." Anah's breathing turned erratic, blood pooled around his head. Vasna gave him one last kick and shook his head. "He's not worth it. Come on boys, we'll find some pixie dust tomorrow."

They walked away, but Nasha stayed for a moment. "I'm sorry." She followed her brother into the brush.

Anah's body healed, but hours passed before he moved to his side. By sunset, he sat by the water. The larger cuts sealed themselves and pulled the top layer of skin closer together. The pixies that fled before hovered above him. They rubbed their heads to Anah's cheek and landed on his shoulder.

The sound of creaking tree branches got Anah's attention. Dadar stood at the edge of the clearing, a tunnel of trees sat behind him. He walked over and joined his son at the edge of the stream. The pixies didn't leave they only bowed.

"I think they're saying thank you," Dadar said.

Anah's heart lifted for a moment. "How did you find me?"

"The tree told me. Led me right to you."

"I told you they moved."

Dadar smiled. He leaned down to Anah's ear. "I know." He put a finger to his lips. "Not all gods like to know the trees can listen to them. Makes keeping secrets harder. So, we must be careful with who knows. They move more than I would like, but I think they move to entertain you."

After a moment Dadar held out his hand, as he did every night. Anah handed his notepad to his father. Dadar smiled as he flipped through the pages seeing all the different things Anah drew. "One of these days you may find yourself journeying further into Nibmu looking for new creatures." He handed the pad back.

Anah nodded. The forest moaned as the wind blew through the branches. 'Were the trees speaking to him?' Anah wondered.

"It was Vasna," he said. "He tried to smash... I didn't mean to..." He trailed off. His hand caught that stick on fire, and a white flame, like his father's.

Dadar nodded. "Tree already told me about that. We'll deal with the fallout tomorrow." He helped his son up.

"But Dad, my hand..."

'Sparked,' Dadar thought. 'A simple enough move.' He knelt in front of his son. 'Sparks meant heat, and heat meant his powers emerged.' Dadar held out his hands.

"Give me your hands."

Anah did as his father asked.

Dadar closed his eyes. As his father did for him, he attempted to pull heat from Anah's body. His blood held more heat than other gods. Enough to show his power emerged. Dadar nodded.

"We will deal with that tomorrow as well. I can't let you come to the forest. Vasna will be back and probably be looking for you. You will come with me to see Chiron."

Anah smiled. The two walked towards their home.