"Life would work so much easier if you just told me where you're hiding."

"Uh, that's sorta missing the whole point of hide-and-seek."

"Then why are you talking to me when I'm supposed to be finding you?"

"Because you couldn't find me even if you had a radar strapped to your chest."

"Did you just compare me to a suicide bomber?"

"I'm hecka glad I don't live in your brain because how did you jump to that comparison from what I said?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, Clifford Mershire, four years of college education under his belt."

"Um, I wouldn't be throwing stones, Miss I-didn't-realize-there-are-twenty-six-letters-in-the-alphabet."

"We don't speak of those times."

"Oh, you mean last week's mind-blowing discovery? Okay."

"I swear, I'm gonna kick your ass once I find you."

"Take out your highlighters everyone and highlight the words 'once I find you'."

"Oh, yeah, ass-kicking needed."

"You're so aggressive. Taking out your pent-up anger on poor, innocent me."

"Well, I can believe you're poor hence the useless college degree, but innocent? Anyone who's had sex ain't squeaky clean in my book."

"And how do you know I'm not 'squeaky clean', mh?"

"So you're gonna sit here and admit that you're a twenty-five-year-old virgin? Got it."

"And there's nothing wrong with being a twenty-five-year-old virgin."

"I dunno, sounds like something a twenty-five-year-old virgin would say..."

"How the hell did we get on my sex life anyway? In fact, why am I talking to you about my sex life?"

"Because clearly you need some pointers from a pro, like myself."

"You're thirteen!"

"Jk, bro, I'm messin' with you. You can pick your eyes off the ground since I know they're probably on the ground- not that I can find you..."

"You're nothing like I was at thirteen."

"Yeah, and I make sure to thank Jesus for that fact every night."

"Hardy-har-har."

"God, can you just come out already? This is annoying now."

"Well, I'm not gay or bi or anything so..."

"I meant come out of hiding! You know what I meant."

"Okay, fine, since you want to act like a baby. This better? You know, next time I'm just going to-hey! Why are you attacking me!?"

"I told you I was gonna kick your ass once I found you."

"Okay, okay, I give up, I surrender. Geez, I see those anger management classes didn't work on you."

"Eh, you can't say I'm not a woman of my word."

"Double negative."

"You're a double negative."

"You good? That was a weak sauce comeback right there."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"...what's up?"

"The sky-"

"No, I'm serious, what's eating you? I thought you seemed kind of off today, I don't know, you're not quite you."

"What are you talkin' about? I'm chill."

"Alright, who are you and what have you done with the real Joan?"

"Okay, okay, I'll spill, but you have to promise not to tell my parents anything- especially not my dad."

"Now what makes you think I'm a tattle-"

"You told my dad that the 'cranberry juice' I accidentally spilled was actually my period blood when I told you not to tell. Don't act like you don't have loose lips around my dad. You guys are worse than a pair of fuckin' schoolgirls with that shit."

"Well that was just disgusting, plus it really did slip out."

"Yeah, uh-huh, that's why I'm telling you now that this better stay between us or else I'm going to hunt you down and make sure you never use your mouth again."

"Cross my heart and swear to die. Now, what's up?"

"Okay...so you know how I've been trying to get the captain's spot in my track team?"

"Yeah...I may or may not remember this important convo we did or didn't have..."

"So, Coach G let us nominate and vote for who we wanted as captain and co-captain, and I nominated myself for the captain's spot. Well, the votes were tallied and announced yesterday and I didn't get picked."

"You win some and you lose some. Don't tell me you're in a hissy fit because you didn't win. Come on, Joan, that's not like you."

"I mean, 65 percent of me was not expecting to win, but it woulda be nice seeing as I'm about to age out into the older girls."

"Not to bring up old wounds, but you did miss- what?- two seasons last ye-"

"-and that was all due to that bitch that doesn't deserve to have her name mentioned."

"Nothing like me at thirteen..."

"But that wasn't even the worse part- I woulda been fine not being voted captain. No, what has me in this funky mood is that most of the girls didn't vote for me because I'm quote-unquote 'not leadership material'. I love those bitches, but some of them would forget their fucking brain if it wasn't already in their skull. Plus, I know I'm not George Washington, but I think I could make a pretty decent leader."

"...okay."

"Alright, you're holding back. Give it to me straight, kid."

"Well...I dunno, you're gonna be pretty PO'ed at me and you already attacked me once today."

"Hey, I'll have you know I completed my anger management class and my instructor loved me."

"Yeah, fam, I agree, you're not leadership material- okay, okay! You're going to poke my eye out! I thought you said you passed your anger management classes."

"I said completed- I said nothing about passing."

"Sheesh, I feel sorry for the poor punching bag of a boyfriend that ends up with you."

"You could have ripped the honesty band-aid off a little nicer."

"Touché, but you're like Miss brutal honesty yourself, I thought you could take it. This comes from the same girl who said my new hairstyle looked like a bad weave- I took that in stride. What's wrong? Can't take what you dish out?"

"How am I not leadership material? I know what has to been done to get everybody in shape, I'm always at meetings and races, and my dad says I'm very assertive. Boom, perfect leader."

"Firstly, seeing how you just sucker-punched me in the ribs, I don't know if I would want someone over me like that. Secondly, Axel's the only person on this planet that would ever downgrade you to assertive- hun, you're as aggressive as a rabid pitbull. Thirdly, you're not much of a team player and you get pretty competitive so I dunno..."

"Aggressive as a rabid pit bull?"

"And then some."

"Okay, I'll admit, I can be a bit much, but I'm not this cold-hearted tyrant."

"Eh...debatable. You're definitely more of a hot head- okay, no more hitting, seriously."

"How am I a tyrant! You've never seen me lead."

"Joan, come on, you're slow but not this slow. You really think that you, a person that's been in a physical altercation, forced to attend anger management classes, has a habit of cutting people off, doesn't hang with most of the girls on her team because they're 'airheads', and doesn't care about other people's inputs or opinions are the best candidate for captain? Like..."

"So I'm really that sucky of a leader? Got it."

"Oh, come on, don't act like th-"

"Like what? You clearly don't have faith in me."

"I have faith in you. I just don't thi-"

"You're supposed to have my back and here you are putting me down. You asked what was wrong then I told you and now you're telling me everything that I'm doing is wrong."

"I never really said that, but o-"

"Look, I was feeling pretty crummy before, but now I'm-"

"Well maybe if you let me finish a thought I could perhaps, I dunno, explain where I'm going with this!"

"...fine."

"Jesus, you're something else, you know that. Okay, so right now you're not much of a leader, but you can be one in the future."

"How far into the future are we talki-"

"Zippa the lippa. One of the biggest things you can work on is not talking over people or cutting them off like you're used to doing. But another thing is connecting better with people."

"What do you mean?"

"Like how you and I click, or you and Brent, or Nora. I know this is going to blow your mind, but it's a good thing to build relationships with other people."

"Thing is, people like you, Nora, and Brent are the only tolerable people I would choose to get to know- and Brent's family so..."

"But you could try so..."

"You know, you're right."

"I'm a wha? Are you sure you're not on the verge of a heart attack? Are you, Joan Domshov, admitting that someone else other than you is right?"

"Whatever. Don't make me sock you again. I could try and bit a little more...open, I guess. It's just, I know I'm not everyone's cup of tea so it's like what's the point in even trying to get others to like me?"

"You are the most offensive thirteen-year-old I've ever met, but maybe there's something in you that's leadership material."

"Eh, well, I'm not a follower, that's for sure."

"Most definitely not."

"Or a vice leader."

"True, true."

"And I have to try to be more of a leader than a lone wolf."

"Might be challenging for you, but you can do it."

"Yeah...well, thanks for the encouragement. Maybe next time you won't try to play this stupid game."

"Ow! I thought we agreed no more hitting."

"I never agreed on that, you just stated it. Plus, you said nothing about pinching. Gotta read in between those lines, kid."

"Have I ever told you how I wasn't like you at thirteen?"

"About three times now if I'm counting correctly, yeah."

"Good."

°°°

Stirring to the faint cry of a bird somewhere in the distance, I gradually ease out of my sleep, cautiously opening my eyes and allowing them to adjust to the light.

Glancing around from where I lie on the jungle ground, there seems to be no one in sight- it's like everyone just abandoned me in the spot where I dropped.

But I'm not in the same place I passed out at, though, instead, I'm laid up along a log that bolsters my head.

Sitting up, I wince at the bright, sharp pain that sears through my skull, partially blinding me and ultimately causing me to quickly lie back down again.

"Jesus," I hiss.

Apparently, I'm not as alone as I previously thought as a voice nearby gently shushes me.

"Don't stir too much."

Continuing to wince, I turn my head to look over at Dhisnaek who stands close by, watching over me.

"Don't have to tell me twice," I croak. I'm dying for some water all of a sudden.

Approaching me, he kneels down beside me.

"You know how to give a man a death scare, don't you?"

I can't resist smirking at that. "Hey, if I can't get your heart racing then why bother showing up?"

He gives me a quiet smile followed by a soft chuckle that resounds from the back of his throat like you'd expect an echo in a cave would sound. Standing up again, he goes to retrieve his weathered staff from a rock that it's propped up against.

I glance around again before piping up.

"Where are the other three?"

"Out gathering supplies," He answers, more focused on his staff than me. "They ought to be returning soon."

A light headache is coming on now, annoying me even more. It's one thing after another out here, I swear.

Finally approaching me once again, Dhisnaek stands over me, not bothering to kneel down to my level which forces me to strain my already sore eyes up at him.

"Is it common for you to not tell others about the injuries you suffer?" He asks, staring at me disapprovingly.

For some reason, I get all sheepish about the situation- which is a rarity for me. I know what he's referring to, and just the way he says it makes me feel stupid for not speaking up sooner.

"I mean," I half-heartedly shrug. "I'm used to pain."

"To the verge of losing consciousness?" He questions dubiously.

"Well...not usually..."

But in track, you usually never expect injuries of this caliber.

Giving me another one of those looks, he then shifts his attention back to his staff which, after a heartbeat, he holds horizontally over me.

Though cocking my head causes some pain, I'm too puzzled by this strange act to even care.

"Um, whatcha doin'?" I ask.

Not only is he holding his staff over me like some weird ritual, but he also has his eyes closed in some sorta trance or concentration. The weird factor just shot up from 0 to 100.

When I don't receive an answer to my first question, I persist.

"Dhisnaek? You co-"

"Shh."

I'm momentarily silenced by his shushing, but now I'm even more curious- and with my pounding headache, slightly peeved.

"What's going on?"

Releasing a sigh whose meaning is quite familiar to me, he finally answers me in a flat voice while his eyes remain shut and his staff still hovering above me.

"Restoration."

It's an answer, but at the same time it's not.

"Restoration?"

"It'll only take a moment. I just ask that you remain relaxed and at ease."

"Uh...okay?"

Funny how asking questions only resulted in having even more questions. Since he's not giving me straight answers- and appears really focused on whatever the hell he's doing- I guess I'll just shut up.

The second I decide to stay quiet, I immediately notice an aurora glowing around the staff. The light purple hue glows brighter and brighter in a rapid lapse of time, the color growing darker and darker with each second passing until it appears almost midnight purplish.

Transfixed on the unexpected spectacle above me, I almost don't notice the tingling sensation pricking my body like pins and needles until I happen to catch a glimpse of something surprising. Not only is the staff glowing like a mood ring, so is my body or at least the aura around me. While the staff glows a dark purple, an orange energy surrounds me, glowing brighter and brighter just like the staff. It's the strangest sensation I've probably ever felt; it's like feeling your skin pulsing yet at the same time feeling warm and like tiny pricks are gently poking you- the best I can compare it to is like being a heart, beating and living.

Though it feels like it lasts for ages, in reality, it probably only lasted all of two minutes tops. Dhisnaek slowly waves the staff over me periodically, keeping his eyes closed throughout the entire ordeal until finally both the aura around the staff and myself have faded to nothing.

After everything's said and done, I don't know what to do. Slowly, I sit up, hardly noticing that my headache is gone and my body feels the best it's had since being here (actually, hell, since I first started conditioning my body for cross-country tryouts).

"What the hell was that?" I ask in sheer amazement.

Acting as if what just happened was no big deal, Dhisnaek goes to prop the staff back against the rock before kneeling down next to me.

"How do you feel now?"

How am I feeling!? That is not the question that needs to be asked after such an experience.

"How did you do that!? Is that magic or something?"

He chuckles again, offering me a hand up as we both stand.

"You know magic or something?" I continue to ask. This is most amazed I've been since finding out there are only twenty-six letters in the alphabet.

He gives me a nonchalant half-shrug, still acting as if this was nothing short of a miracle.

"I should hope a skilled sorcerer would know his proper magic," He muses with a faint smile.

"A sorcerer?"

Hold on, wait just one second.

It's not like I haven't run across magic here, I mean I still remember Sephora and her daughter (who I owe a solid). But this is different, this is family.

I feel like I might need to take a seat again. Looking over at him, I blink, stunned honestly.

"Wait," I shake my head. "So you're trying to tell me that you are a sorcerer? Like you do magic and stuff? Like 'You're a wizard, Harry' kind of magic?"

He's clearly amused by my sheer amazement, but this is crazy to think about. Not only did I manage to run across a grandfather I didn't even know existed, but he's also a sorcerer. Like, what are the odds?

"Yes, I am," He nods, patiently waiting for this to finally click in my brain.

"How long has this been?"

Like he magically (pun maybe intended) picked this up overnight or something.

"Since I became stranded here in Pyranaleath'tai. Believe me," He chuckles with a shake of his head. "I never expected to become one, but our paths are chosen for us long before we recognize them."

"Oh. So what exactly can you do other than heal people?"

"Many of things."

"Like destroy things or something?"

"Destroy, create, alter, magic can do many things if you use it properly. It is a lifelong craft that one must constantly be perfecting."

"Cool beans. So...could someone like me learn it?"

He gives me a slightly apprehensive expression (most likely because the world is probably better without someone like me wielding magic).

"As I said before, our paths are chosen for us before we even realize it. Not everyone's paths are the same."

"So, I'm guessing that's a no."

He smiles again. "It is not for me to decide, but if you are then I would gladly teach you everything I know."

"Sounds awesome," I grin back.

With my body restored and up-to-par, I'm rearing to get going again, but the other three have yet to return. I'm ready to go gather them back together so we can hit the road again- or wherever those footprints lead us- when out of nowhere, the familiar voice of a certain white-haired snake rings out from behind me.

"How unfair."

Gritting my teeth, I focus on taking in several steady breaths rather than the overwhelming urge to knock the teeth out of his mouth. I still haven't forgotten that repulsive kiss he assaulted me with the last time we interacted. This time, I'm keeping my distance and not falling into his hypnotic trance.

By now, Dhisnaek has been poofed out of the picture and I know it's just me and him, which makes my skin crawl worse than hearing about lice.

Hearing him approach me closer and closer from behind, I remain with my back to him.

"You broke our rules," He says in feigned disappointment. "I thought we had made a deal."

I finally decide to face him, taking an instinctive step back when I realize how close he is.

"What are you talking about?" I scowl.

"The second clause in our agreement. You weren't allowed to rely on any magical assistance unless given permission by me. Your grandfather has broken that rule."

"Well, you said it yourself, he broke the rule, not me. I didn't even know he had magic until he started."

Shaking his head in amusement at me, he wears that patronizing expression that drives me up the wall mad.

"You certainly do have much to learn in the ways of a leader. As a leader, the responsibilities of this group rest on your shoulders."

"Wait, so you're holding me responsible for him healing me?"

"Such is the game of life."

If my blood isn't boiling now, it's evaporating into steam at this point.

"This isn't a game," I spit out.

Not even bothering to respond to that, he continues. "I ought to terminate the rest of this game and crush your heart now since you have proven to be false with your word," He takes a daunting step toward me, causing me to reflexively back up. "But, you hold a special place to me, Joan, so I will allow you this one injustice, not without consequence of course."

Oh, lucky me.

"And that is?" I ask eyebrow arched impatiently.

"You are only allowed a certain number of words to say for the remainder of the day."

"What!?" This is bull!

He gives me a twisted smile, clearly entertained by my shocked reaction.

"I will let you know your limit in due time, but for now you may speak freely."

I'm so outraged and still processing this that I don't respond until he speaks up again.

"This was only a brisk- though largely unexpected- visit. Let's hope you learn your lesson about not breaking any more of our rules or else I might not be so forgiving next time."

And in a blink of an eye, he vanishes with a few sharp words for him still lingering on the tip of my tongue. Dhisnaek has been returned to the moment, unaware of the interaction that just occurred.

"Perhaps it's wise we gather the other three and continue onward," He says.

Brushing back my hair out of my face, I sigh then turn around and nod.

"Yeah, let's go find them."

If Dhisnaek was around me a little more and knew me as well as my dad did, he would have immediately picked up on my subtle shift in mood. Everything felt pretty good for once, but then Tymos had to come along and be the dick that he is and crap all over my sunshine and good vibes.

Even though he grates my nerves worse than Chelsea Moore- which is quite the accomplishment- I know Tymos is a play-by-my-rules-and-my-rules-only kind of guy so I know this warning is my only one so I better not slip up again since apparently this whole squad rides on my shoulders. So even though Dhisnaek's wizardry could do us a world of good, I'm going to have to prevent him from using it again without him figuring out why I don't want him to. I mean, that was the first time he used it, so maybe if I avoid getting seriously hurt he won't use it. Hopefully...

It's pretty quick and easy rounding the other three back up, and so we're started back on track with more supplies, the rest of the daylight to seize, and a vague punishment hanging over my head.