Sparks!

He looked confused, sitting next to her.

"What do you mean?"

 

"Chances are, it'll be Ben," he said with a small laugh. "The dude has enough tragedy anyway."

 

"Maybe it'll be you," he suggested, tilting his head. "I'm still betting on Ben, though."

 

He looked over at her, frowning.

"You're really worrying about this? It was a voice, Cal. We'll all be careful."

 

"It was real," he assured her. "But it probably wasn't all-knowing. We'll be careful."

 

He emerged about 15 minutes later, looking a little confused. His gaze flickered down to the two of them, and he frowned.

 

He was frowning before he shook his head slightly.

“They... do not wish for aid, but they will help us in the response to any future attacks in this conflict.”

 

He nodded, not looking at her.

“Yeah. As quickly as we can.”

 

He nodded, glancing down at Puck for a moment. His expression hardened and he started walking, heading for the outside.

 

The return home to the Elven Kingdom was surprisingly uneventful. Ben was unresponsive and uncertain throughout the journey, and Puck was nervous and on-edge. For the most part, they walked in silence. Any attempts to start a conversation fell on deaf ears.

They were approaching the large archway that held the Ortus from the Fae kingdom. Ben was leading the way, followed by Calliope and with Puck bringing up the rear.