I only vaguely heard them through the fire that was my anger. A voice in my head said that wasn’t anger, but actual fire. I paid no heed to the voice as I walked to my fallen familiar. I shot a fireball at the shovel in Jansen’s hands. The guard dropped the burning tool as the villagers scattered. Ama huddled in fear on the ground near Lily.

“Don’t hurt my wife,” Mohe begged.

I finally noticed the fire around me as I bent down to pick up my pixie. I stopped and stared at my hands. The flame retreated from my hands, and I scooped up Lily, holding her tenderly.

“Jase, you need to put out the fires,” a wise voice stated. I turned to see Trillium hovering near me. “There has been enough violence. Let your anger go.”

“But Lily…”

“She’s hurt but alive,” Trillium said. “I cannot help through your fire.”

“Listen to her, Jase,” Isabella shouted.

I focus on the flames surrounding me and will them to dissipate. The fire obeys a short time later.

“Now, the fire on the ground,” Trillium said. “Don’t let it burn the village down. I’ll take a closer look at Lily.”

I held my closet friend and familiar out so the elder could examine her and focused on the other fire. They would not heed me. “The fire isn’t listening to me.”

“What beats fire?” Trillium simply asked.

“Thank you elder,” I replied, causing the older pixie to smile as she worked. I summoned the energy and water fell from the sky.

“He can make it rain?” Ama wondered. Jansen tried to flee. My eyes found him, and I waved my hand. The guard crashed over a small stone wall.

“Dear God!” Mohe exclaimed as he and Ama clutched each other.

“Well done,” May said as she flew overhead.

“Don’t worry about the guard, we got him,” April said as she and the rest of the pixies followed May to Jansen. I forgot them as I heard a small cough from my hands. Looking down, I saw Lily staring up at me.

“Lily!” I exclaimed, pulling her up and doing my best to hug her.

“I’m ok,” Lily whispered.

“Take it easy,” Trillium warned. She’s bruised and battered but will recover. She looked up. “Will they never learn?”

“What?” I asked, looking up. The villagers had returned holding weapons and farm implements.

“My Jase, you must show them,” Lily said.

“How? I don’t know if I can,” I replied.

“I have faith in you,” Lily whispered, sending me as much love as she could.

“So do I,” Trillium added. I took a deep breath and stood up.

Without moving my hands as I still cradled Lily, I willed lightning to flash over the villagers’ heads. They flinched but didn’t stop their advance. A second later, a lightning bolt crashed between them and Ama and Mohe. The villagers stopped.

“Behold the first human wizard in several hundred years,” Trillium said in a commanding voice. The pixies cheered while the humans looked on in disbelief.

“Uh Trillium,” I muttered.

“Just go with it,” Lily said. “Everything is going according to plan.”

“You planned this?” I asked looking down at my familiar.

“Nope, but it sounded good, didn’t it?” Lily replied. I laughed. “Put me in your pocket.”

“What does this mean?” Mohe asked as I did as Lily asked.

“That you don’t fu…” Yam trailed off as Willow covered her mouth.

“Thank you, Willow. Yam, what have I said about your potty mouth?” Trillium said.

“That you’ll wash it out with soap,” Yam answered. The pixies laughed.

“I don’t know what this means,” I finally said. “All I ever wanted was to live peacefully and make a living doing what I loved.”

“You’re not going to cut us off, are you?” Mohe asked.

“I should, but I won’t,” I replied after thinking about it and seeing the expressions on Izzy’s and Gabriela’s faces.

“What about my wife?”

“As long as she leaves us alone, we’ll leave her alone,” I answered.

“Thank you,” Mohe and Ama quickly said.

“What about our son?” Owen Beers asked after forcing his way to the front of the crowd.

“Where is he?” I asked, looking around and not seeing him.

“Over here!” April answered from the left.

Jansen was gagged and tied to a fence post. I wasn’t sure how the pixies did that so quickly. Four pixies I didn’t recognize held a bucket of something steaming over his head. April and May hovered over them holding pillows.

“What are they doing?” Isabella asked after hesitantly approaching me.

“Looks like they are going to tar and feather him,” Willow answered.

“I’ve only seen that done in cartoons,” Yam said. “This should be interesting. Where’s some popcorn when you need it?”

“Please let him go,” Owen and Julia Beers begged.

“Children, is that hot tar?” Trillium asked the pixies.

“Yep!”

“You are aware that hot tar could kill him, aren’t you?” Trillium asked.

“Nope!”

“Well, it will. So, don’t tar and feather the boy,” the elder instructed.

“Yes ma’am!” the pixies chorused. They flew off with their bucket of tar.

“Drat!” April exclaimed pretending to be upset.

“On three,” May told April. They exchanged a look.

“Three!” The two pixies shouted and dumped the feathers from the pillows onto Jansen before joining the other pixies on rooftops.

“I’m taking Lily home,” I announced. Without waiting for anyone to say a word, I turned towards the north gate and started walking.

“Jase, we should help Gabriela’s caravan,” Lily said, stopping me.

“But you need rest.”

“Oh please! I’m not human. I’ll be right as rain after some candy,” Lily said.

“And lemonade,” Willow added.

“And chocolate,” Yam said.

“And ice cream!” April shouted.

“And cookies!” May shouted.

“Jase, take Lily home. We’ll help the merchants,” Trillium said..

“Alright,” I agreed. “We’ll have some sweets waiting for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Why did you allow me to handle this?” I asked.

“Because it was time,” Trillium answered. “You did well.”

“All hail Jase, the wizard! All hail the giver of treats!” The pixies cheered.

“That’s taking things too far,” I muttered. Lily giggled. “Not even clutching your sides, huh?”

“Nope!” Lily replied. “Izzy, are you coming with us?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Gabriela said.

“Me either,” Juan added.

“I’m coming,” Isabella said.

“Good decision,” Willow said.

“Aunt Gabby, Jase is my friend and mentor. We’ll be fine with him,” Izzy said. “I trust him with my life.”

“We’ll talk more later,” Gabby said unhappily. “I need to see to the caravan.”

“I won’t change my mind,” Izzy assured her. “Jase wouldn’t abandon me, so I won’t abandon him.”

“Thanks Izzy,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” Isabella replied. She side hugged me and quickly disengaged.

“Let’s go home,” I said giving my friends a smile. Lily couldn’t see it from my shirt pocket, but she felt it. We started walking home. “Are you sure you didn’t plan any of this?”

“I’m positive. I did want you to show your magic eventually, just not yet. I figured we had a few years before I could talk you into that,” Lily replied. I nodded my understanding. “You know I love you and would do anything for you, but I’m not crazy enough to get hit with a shovel on purpose.”

“Love you too,” I told my familiar.

End

“Hey! We’re not done yet!”

“Uh Lily, you guys are supposed to break the fourth wall.”

“I don’t care Mr Writer. Let’s get on with the rest of the story.”

“It’s done.”

“No, we still need to do the Thanksgiving and Christmas parts.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Now get to writing or I’ll zap you!”