The Shadow of Beauty

Ch 21- What's the Plan?

"Hey, Sig." Kendrick murmured, nonplussed by the wizard's amazed reaction.

Sig blinked. Kendrick's distinct eyes and skin color gave him away but the greeting he always gave him was also the same; minus the rumbling quality.

"Kendrick?...whoa. I was not expecting to see you...like this!" He stated, bewildered.

"Yeah...me either."

"What happened? How did this happen?" Sig lifted the lantern up and down to look over the former giant who now stood at his own height.

Kendrick growled with frustration and threw up his hands, "I don't know! Magic I guess."

Sig noticed Helia and her horse behind Kendrick, "And...who is that?"

Kendrick gestured without really looking at her, "Her name is Helia. She's Twillow's friend."

Sig waved politely.

"You must be Sig, the wizard." Helia nodded in greeting.

Kendrick briefly caught a whiff of fear from Sig but he explained, "She's a slayer, Sig...I don't think she cares if you're a wizard."

"A slayer? Like...a monster killer?" the young blonde wizard seemed amazed.

Helia nodded, "That's the job."

His green eyes slowly roved back to Kendrick with a confused look on his face, "And...she knows what you are?"

"Yeah."

"But...how ...why?"

"Sig? I just got the kids to sleep. Who is it?" Leida appeared from the back, her tone reflecting incredulity considering they never got visitors; especially after dark.

The young wizard turned with a wry grin, "You aren't going to believe me."

She squinted and came up behind him. Then when she saw the broad gray figure outside the door and she stopped, eyes wide.

Kendrick dropped his gaze from her, still abashed with the situation, "Hello, Leida."

"Kendrick?" she gasped.

He nodded and then grew serious, "Sig, we need your help. Someone took Twillow."

"She's been kidnapped?"

"A portal opened and two fae abducted Twillow through it." He gestured to himself, "And they did this to me."

The wizard's eyes lit up with excitement, "A portal! You mean the portal to the Parliel Realm?"

"We think so." Helia spoke up, grabbing the two vials from her belt and handing them to Sig, "I collected this after the portal closed. Twillow said you needed it to open the portal."

Sig reached out eagerly to examine the vials of gold goo, "Parliel Ichor! You found it!"

Kendrick's tone became low with urgency, "Sig...can you open the portal? We have to get Twillow back."

"I...I don't know." He admitted but still seemed hopeful as he stared at the golden liquid, "But this is exactly the thing I've been needing to try it! Please, both of you, come in."

Helia lifted Hershel's reigns "Do you have a place where I can keep my horse and care for him?"

"Um, yeah. At the back there's a lean-to where we keep our horses. You're welcome to put yours there. Should be hay and water too."

Helia reached into her pouch and produced a few coins of silver but Sig waved her away, "No. No. It's ok, Helia. We have more than enough. Just take him back there and then come in when you're done."