Hands at her face, Jeze shot through the sky, leaving Magus's laughter.

"This is brilliant."

Matax slowed in his moving, the pool of blood at his throat getting bigger and bigger still.

Ved spoke for the first time, "Father, he's dying."

Wyrn stared after Jeze. Finally, he told Ved, "You both ran away. You came here. That means your sister went there." He turned to point.

Pyer's peak loomed in the distance.

"And she's gone there in some sort of rescue attempt for me." He turned to tell his son, "But perhaps I should be making a rescue attempt for you."

Ved's lips parted.

That action, as small as it was, made Wyrn nod. "You called the Fae on him. You led them here." He glanced from Ved to Fanli as he scoffed. "And now I see why."

"He causes nothing but trouble...."

"A leader does not decide to help some of his people some of the time." Wyrn vanished.

Magus cried out and then everything returned.

When it did, Wyrn held the little fairy in his grip.

His action spread terror across Magus's face. "Impossible! My small size is my magic—our safety!"

The grip tightened, shutting him up. "I am not human. I am not even a proper Jaffo," Wyrn told him. "Ask yourself what—who is capable of capturing a night fairy."

Two gray eyes widened until they resembled little saucers. "Impossible."

Wyrn scoffed. Finally, he said, "Night fairies follow the law. His son's no longer a fairy, but an ogre. He did not attempt to rescue a fairy, therefore there is no slight." He held the fairy out towards Matax's now still frame. "Undo this."

"I refuse—" Magus stifled a sound then complained, "This will not go unanswered."

"Then I have no use for you." The hunchback pulled his hand back and sent the fairy sailing into the air.

It recovered but didn't descend as it stared Wyrn down. "This is far from over! I'll let everyone know."

Wyrn's eyes gravitated to Pryer's Peak and he said, "Everyone's gonna know soon anyway." He turned to make his way towards the village. "Fanli, see to Matax. I'll get the dragons."

Ved finally loosened his grip on Fanli. "The dragons. But—but how? How will you stop them?"

His father glanced back and said, "I'm going to tear them from out of the sky." He ran. "And beat them senseless!"

People scattered from their homes. Fanli remembered Matax and rushed him.

She wasn't the only one there, Pest joined her, hovering his hands over the listless frame, afraid to touch him. "Can I save him? Can you show me how to save him?" Pest begged.

Fanli stared down at Matax, fearful. This unskilled, by herself she could only heal a bug. "The wound hasn't closed up."

"We can do it." Lowgli emerged from hiding. "Enough of us can do it if we work together."

Pest looked at him, grateful as he gave a single nod.

Ogre after ogre circled them, much like a hunt. In essence, this was the same thing. As ogres preferred live prey, in groups, they'd revive it only to eat it finally.

It was morbid and awful but now they needed it and Fanli had to admit, the power of an ogre, especially in a group, was amazing.

The first stitching of the skin came with Pest's excited gasp. In the distance, something shot into the air, grabbed the yellow dragon by its leg, swung it around, then whipped it to the ground.

Upon impact, the dirt shook.

Fanli was in awe, but the ogres around her still circled, chanting. No amount of distraction would stop them. Matax flinched. Pest bit back a cry but laughed out when his father coughed.

A second dragon slammed into the ground.

The world fell silent.

Pest kept his hand on his father's shoulder, concern etched into his face.

Someone brought something to cover Matax who crouched up, shivering. Whether it was from being killed by his wife or abandoned by his people, he didn't seem capable of speech.

Wyrn appeared out of nowhere, that spoke of speed because he slowed, then landed crouched before Matax.

"You are alive. Good." He looked Matax over and said, "You've lost one of your four wings. But endure it for a moment. I need your help with the dragons. I don't want to injure them and it's a risk I run unless I get them subdued."

Matax scowled.

Pest looked up from him and asked, "What does that mean? Will he be human forever?"

Wyrn met his gaze and took his time answering, "With a wing missing? It means it will be painful for him to stay in fairy form. So yes."

Pest took the news hard. But so did his father.

"To think, I lost what I held dear for some useless human child."

"F—"

That hesitation was back. With how many years he'd avoided using the word, it was a wonder he still made the mistake.

"Go on then," Matax shouted. "Go on and call me Father. Now that I'm stuck as this sack of meat forever." When Pest hung his head, Matax tried to see his face. "Hey! Are you crying?"

"You didn't mean being a fairy. You meant mother." Pest met his gaze and challenged, "That's what you hold dear."

For the first time, Fanli recognized the smile beyond Matax's scowl. Even his voice dripped with pride.

"Your mother's a fairy. A proper one. Not a fool like me. She's bound by law. We're all bound by it. And would she have broken it if that bastard wasn't here? Who knows? It doesn't matter—"

"Of course it matters!" Pest blubbered. "It matters to me. It more than matters because she cut your throat."

"Matax..." Wyrn interrupted.

Matax raised a hand but continued to stare his son down. "It does not matter," he repeated. "Because we don't love based on how much we get loved. But we don't have to suffer for love either." He looked Pest over, pleased. "I know your wish." A smile peeked through his frown. When he brought his hand up, Pest pulled away. It came to rest on his shoulder then his face. "You are a terrible human son. But, I should think you are a very good ogre one."

Pest's look of surprise never faded.

This might have been the first compliment he'd ever received.

"It's not like you love me," Pest blubbered.

In this, Matax gave his answer thought. "Perhaps. But I do respect you. I respect what you've done."

His recovery was short.

"Jaffo," Matax called out in warning.

All eyes gravitated to Wyrn who tried to step forward but couldn't move. A light tore through his back. "She's done it," he lamented. "She's actually done it." He told Matax, "Keep my wife safe."

Ved cried out, terrified when the glowing grew brighter, "What's happening to you?"

Wyrn watched the ground then scoffed as he shook his head. "Your sister's made her wish." His eyes gravitated to Ved and he regarded his son as if he were a stranger. "That means you're...."

His back glowed. The look of woe spread on his face broke Fanli's heart.

Matax stood, a deep scar slashed across his back. "Jaffo, your shield."

Despite his panic, Wyrn barely reacted. He was slow to take off his shirt. Two well-worn leather straps anchored at his shoulders held something in place—a shield. The one thing to trap his magic.

When Wyrn tried to turn and look, Fanli caught sight of the spell sprawled across the metal encompassing his hunch. He hesitated. That was incredible in an off itself because the magic burning his skin, so strongly that smoke wafted off him, would surely leave a mark.

The shield cracked in two.

Silent, they watched on. A touch of Wyrn's fingers against the leather disturbed the magic there, causing it to glow green. Finally, he used each hand to loosen the strap. The heavy metal shield fell, hitting the ground with an unceremonious thunk, and segmented.