Young Writers Society

They shouldn't have been following the group.

The two who looked fully human - the woman with the ax and the boy with the glasses - had talked. There hadn't been any white text over their heads. It was so hard not stopping them in the middle of the walk to ask them everything that came to mind, but they had to focus on the destination that lay at the end of the path.

And they didn't want people to think they were crazy, either. Télos wasn't here. Even if he had been, it was likely that he wouldn't have been able to do much to help. You had to be involved in...everything to understand Lexal. You had to be prepared for the unexpected.

...Then again, they were following a woman with an ax that had just talked to a man more than four times smaller than them.

It was silent in their head. Someone was brooding, but it was useless trying to break the sour mood. Many failed attempts had proven that. Instead, Lexal fell into step beside Alan and gave him a warm, friendly smile. It was time to make up for failed first impressions.

(And to ask some much needed questions.)

"It does seem like a party," Lexal agreed.

"An exceptionally delicious-smelling one." Nibbin trotted after them, picking up the pace quickly. "I wonder if we've done something that warrants a reward?" He had certainly been fairly outstanding in the colony these past few months, negotiating with Madre Tove so he and his could stay beneath her home and then taking the brunt of the Master Sorter's work when he fell ill.

Alan nodded at Lex, although he had to admit that this person's smile seemed... too much? Like they were trying too hard? He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Remembering that he caught Lex staring above his head earlier, Alan casually lifted his arm to pretend to scratch his head, but really he just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything weird up there that they may be staring at.

Nibbin trotted by right next to them, although to keep up with their pace, his short little feet had to move so fast. He had no idea why he was so small, but it was probably too rude to ask. Instead, he made a mental note to watch where he was going so he wouldn't step on the poor guy.

"That reminds me," he said after Nibbon mentioned a possibility of this being a recognition party. "Did you both also receive an envelope before coming here? Daisy and I did. Perhaps this is a party were were invited to after all."

"Now that you mention it, I believe I did." Nibbin flicked out his handkerchief and removed his glasses, polishing them as he walked. "I recall some lovely penmanship, but not much else, I'm afraid."

Lexal froze when Alan asked the question. The brooding temporarily stopped; the shock was enough to halt it. But then relief flooded through them when they realized that the question was being addressed to Nibbin as well as them - it was a different "both" than they were used to hearing.

"W-"

Wrong pronoun, idiot.

"I," Lexal corrected, maybe a little too forcefully - and with the very strong, mutual urge to roll their eyes, "received an envelope, too. I don't remember much about it, but..."

They trailed off. The letter must have been important, but they had barely been paying attention to the details at the time.

I see you're done brooding.

They fought over the urge to scowl. I wasn't brooding.

You were doing the thing where you don't say anything for awhile, was the swift response. In reply, a mental irritated growl reverberated throughout their mind.

They had been too busy talking to notice how good the area up ahead smelled, but it smelled good. The corners of their mouth twitched up into a smile; their stomach quietly growled for food. They hadn't been able to grab a snack before ending up here.

We're not eating any of the food.

The smile faltered. Why not?

It could be poisoned.

For the second time in the past five minutes, Lexal skid to a stop. You think we got invited to eat poisoned food.

Why else would we be here?

...For a party?

The scowl finally broke free. I can't believe how stupid you are.

A moment ago, Carter had picked up a letter on his desk with his name on it. On occasion, paperwork would be left for him to look over, but nothing dressed up as nicely as this, in an envelope with a wax seal. He'd only just looked at the teacup imprint and broken it when there was a shift in the air.

He was in a forest, and a very colorful one at that.

He glanced down at what he was wearing, noting that he was dressed up for an occasion he didn't consent to, but he was more focused on his surroundings.

He was standing on a path, and a little further down it, there was a group of three people walking away from him. There was a woman with an axe on her back, a man with a sword on his, and a younger fellow who was unarmed. Together, they somehow looked out of place, and yet like they belonged in the enchanted forest they had all ended up in.

Carter took the liberty to make a few educated assumptions: the people in front of him were probably in the same boat as him, and if they weren't, they were key to getting out of here. The latter could still be true even if they had arrived in the same way he did. Barely opening a letter, by way of transportation.

It was a strange sort of magic he had stumbled into, but he'd stumbled into others, before all of this. He would survive another experience, even if it was inconvenient for him.

He hastened to catch up to the group, only slowing when he came a few feet behind them.

"Greetings, strangers," he said, tilting his chin up and smiling. "It seems I've arrived a tad late to the party, but it looks like we're all headed in the same direction. Please, allow me to introduce myself." He bowed forward, with one hand behind his back.

Outfitted like this, in full armor, he might as well use his full title. It would be silly to hide it.

"Commander Carter Haddon," he said as he stood back up. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Daisy turned at the sound of the newcomer's footsteps and paused to hear his introduction. Once he'd given it, she matched his bow with a curtsy, "Likewise commander. I am Daisy Milldebrooke, and my acquaintances are Lex, Alan, and Nibbin." She gestured to each in turn as she introduced them, then turned her attention back to the newcomer. "None of us are from this wood. There appears to be something down the path, however, would you care to join us in discovering what that is?"

Carter smiled. "Of course," he said, noting all the names and glancing down at the tiny man on the ground that Daisy had gestured to.

Oh. A tiny person. Kind of like that fairy he met once.

Nibbin removed his hat and dipped into another bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." What curious people. A military man, a gentlewoman of some sort, and two very sharply dressed fellows.

Alan nodded, curious to hear that the others have received an envelope too. Must be a party they were invited to, then.

An armored man then caught up to them and introduced himself as Commander Carter Haddon. A military man! What a rare occurrence.

Alan let out a little bow when Daisy introduced him to Carter. He felt a little out of place since it seemed that everyone except for him was prepared for an attack, but maybe they all just came from a different part of the world where wielding weapons and wearing armor was normal.

"You have lovely armor," he said to the commander while they all walk down the path.

Carter dipped his head to recognize Alan's comment and let his smile fade naturally. As the group got moving again, he matched their pace and walked up beside the boy.

"Thank you, Alan," he said. "Though it's nothing like what I wear in the day-to-day, and I didn't exactly put it on before I was brought here. Is it the same case for your suit?"

Another person had joined the group. The scowl on their face was threatening to remain; it was hard reigning it back. They felt uneasy at the sight of the newcomer. It might have been the fanciful armor, but the real source of unease was likely the title. They had become so used to unusual people in power that they had completely forgotten what the usual kind of leader was like.

I don't like him.

I know you don't.

There was a pause.

You don't like him either, was the swift accusation.

What? I never said - I'm just thrown off by the armor!

Lexal crossed their arms as they caught up to the rest of the group. They didn't say anything to the others. They barely spared them a look. They were too intent on staring at a distant spot on the horizon instead. I know what you're like. You haven't been obnoxiously friendly with that annoying smile yet.

I was waiting for you to have an outburst, was the protest. They're calling us Lex instead of Lexal like you wanted.

The comment was met with silence.

Lexal let out a quiet, hopefully inaudible sigh. Then they turned back to Alan and Carter, looking the two's outfits over before studying their own.

"Hi," they offered. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Daisy beat me to introducing myself. I'm Lexal. This outfit also isn't what I usually wear. Maybe it has something to do with the invitation we received?"

You said we, the sulking voice said.

I was talking about the group, was the exasperated reply. Not us. Don't worry - I'm being careful.

Alan looked down at his suit. It has been months since the gala and he had no idea how he was wearing it now, but considering that everyone else was wearing nice attire and they appeared to be heading towards a party, he was glad he was dressed this way.

"I think Lexal is right," he said, emphasizing Lexal's corrected name to show that he heard him. "I don't usually dress like this, but I think it has something to do with this party."

How curious.

Carter nodded as Lexal and Alan came into agreement with what he'd already concluded: their outfits had changed, by whatever magical means, because of the invitations they'd all received. Clearly, whoever invited them wanted them dressed their very best for this occasion.

He hoped there wasn't a catch, but he was anticipating one.

"Did anyone get a better look at the invitation?" he asked. "I barely had a chance to open it."

"I do believe the brief glance was by design," Daisy speculated, then waved it off, "But making guesses at the moment is futile, hm? Let's get to whatever our host has planned for us. I'm sure there'll be more answers there." As much as she wanted to think this was all pleasant and friendly - just some magical creature inviting special guests to some sort of party - it was difficult not to suspect something a tad more sinister.

Daisy hadn't even truly believed in magic before this. Only advanced chemistry and technology could accomplish something like this ordinarily, but that was simply implausible in this case, if only for the sake of Daisy's modesty. She simply blushed to consider that a stranger had broken into her home, rifled through her belongings to find her only nice dress in and amongst her...more sensitive baskets of clothing. It was unbearable to think that they then managed to change her into it!

No, it was magic. Even if that was possible - which it was not - it was impractical. One of the people here was a commander! A military man would surely have some sort of security, and he wouldn't be sent strange letters without having them somehow sorted through and checked for toxins - such as those that might render him unconscious - before they reached him.

And then, of course, there was Nibbin, who was neither human nor from Daisy's world at all, as far as she could tell.

No, this was magic, plain and simple.

As she reached this conclusion, they rounded the bend, and even more proof of it stared her dead in the eyes.

A tea party, it seemed this would be. A thought strayed to a book she'd read when she was young. Alice and the Timekeeping Hare, was the title. She gave a small shake of her head as though to dismiss the thought. Now that was silliness.

She approached the table and found a card, neatly folded into a tent at a place where the tea was pouring itself into one of the flower-shaped teacups - each was a different color, hers happened to be pink - and the spoon was stirring in the two lumps of sugar that dropped themselves in.