There's a creek that sparkles under moonlight....

"What is a mage like yourself doing here in this small town? And why had you been following me all these days?"

"Princess of the Crepuscule, a raised warrior with excellent senses, particularly baneful to her enemies- she seldom shows mercy; who could use magic only under the moonlight- it's a pity you could not inherit the extraordinary power of foresight and psychometry or you would have been formidable." He mentioned as if he knew more than he uttered.

So he was it. He definitely was the one who followed me- all my doubts were erased now. "Woah! Some stalker you are. Only a few knew the moonlight part." I replied with a smirk. "So, what are you going to do with it?"

He was not provoked by anything I said but his puppet came at me time and again and every time he was ordered to stay back. I was barely surprised he knew all this about me, after all he'd been at it for almost a month now.

He started walking, "Follow me. It'll be a walk to the edge," said he as he paced up. The shadow accompanying him disappeared and I could see only the faint light on the tip of his cane, I followed him into the darkness that only disappeared around me.

************************

I lost the track of him somewhere in between and then got lost myself. Being all alone now, I stopped and watched around me. I couldn't trace anything. While I was standing there, my mind repeated what he said earlier, '.....with excellent senses....' and I thought how he did not know that my excellent senses lack the ability of directions and as pitiable as it sounded it made me laugh. I stood and thought where I should head to.

Just then I saw a light faintly lighting the air around me. I looked down at my chest and it was the poppy pendant that was shining. With its light, slowly things lighted around me- I looked closely and there were too many fireflies lighting the whole place. I could see much clearly the things around me now so I looked to find a way.

After walking for a while, I found the way that I had seen earlier, the path made by Orion which led me to the creek. I walked to it and reached the water flowing by the Old willow.

"Took you long enough" said he as he appeared under the willow. "Do you know what happens when you cross this stream?"

I shake my head as I look at the sparkling water. The moonlight could never have made it look prettier. "Don't get distracted by it, Young lady. The water may only look pretty until it is touched. It holds the ability to dissolve a person."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The thing that you are looking for, you aren't the only one who's seeking it. Many Kingdoms have been on it. But looks like you are the least informed." He gestured me to come towards him.

I did not, Of course.

He continued, "Let me inform you then. This creek had been created by the fourth King of the glaze, Vulturnus, to protect the magical diversity that resides in this forest. The Creek is the junction where the magical and non-magical elements of this world meet, this part of the woods harbor the magic of this town. There are many creeks as this around this world. Only people who are befitting for the other world could cross it, others just perish in its effervescence."

I was astounded to hear that something this magical rested in these woods. I moved ahead and looked at my face into the water disfiguring in its waves. "Which means," I said questionably, "people of this world- the humans- cannot go to the other side?"

"Except a few. There are instances of magic seen among them- though very minimal but I believe they may be able to cross the stream." He said as he gestured me again to cross it. It was not wide but still crossing it in one leap seemed dicey. I looked around to find a large stone and threw it over the water, it was levitating until I stepped on it to jump to the other side. It fell into the water the moment I was on the other side. And the next moment, it vanished.

So the froth theory was right after all, I thought.

As I looked at the enormous willow this close, I was awed at the aura it possessed. Some old and powerful magic rests in it, it did not take a second look to figure that out. Something very powerful. I restrained to point that out loud.

"So, why did you made me follow you all the way here?"

"You know, you have the gift which you are deemed to have lost in inheritance. I can sense that the seeds took long to sprout but they have now."

"What do you mean." I stepped back, "What are you talking about?"

"You cannot deceive me by being all wide-eyed now. I can sense abilities inside anyone by looking into their eyes. I want it- your ability. So sweet princess, are you going to give it to me or shall I take you with me to choose which all abilities I want to rip off you." He was looking at me, his eyes gleaming more than any light around and only greed I could sense in them. "I'll let you choose. Make it quick."

I couldn't believe I encountered one of his kind. Even among mages, very few have the ability to transfer abilities of magic from one to another. "I can't believe you have been going around stealing abilities and nobody cared to put a stop to it. Well, looks like it's on me now." I was up for the fight.

To transfer abilities, a chain is conjured that connects the two entities through the dominant wrists of the ones between which transfer occurs. So I just have to evade the chains while attacking him at the same time. It shouldn't have been that big a deal had he been not stealing for ages. I did not even know the extent of his powers and so I had to be extra cautious.

"Ahh! Young souls, always ready for a fight. I really appreciate the spirit but you'll soon wish you shouldn't have had this recklessness." He said as he stuck his cane hard to the ground.

The ground began to tremble.