It had been three days and nights of travel since Finn and his companions had left Wayfair. And yet, Finn still found that the distance that they had put between themselves and the University had not been enough to forget the horrors of the archives. The ordeals in the many rooms of the archives had galvanized his relationship with Daphne and Araxis. He’d long considered Daphne a little sister and had adopted Araxis as a mentor from whom he could learn. And these thoughts were distilled to crystal clarity within the archives. For Finn, where there was good, beauty, love, and laughter in the world he would stand against the wickedness that would swallow it. That is how he justified what had happened. Nonetheless, he had awoken in a cold sweat every night since Wayfair, haunted by the innocent whose life he helped to snuff out.
That is why, when the trio came upon a lonely looking Inne along the side of the road, Finn was keen to shelter for the night. He was looking forward to an evening of song and laughter. He was profoundly aware that when you let the Light die in your own heart, you can’t preserve it in the world, and there had certainly been a dimming about his heart. Finn tied his steed, Light Bringer, to the hitching post and made his way into the shelter. He was immediately enveloped by the warm glow of a crackling fire, and suffused by the intoxicating smells of the cauldron bubbling over the coals. It reminded him of the night so long ago at the Ribbon at Arms, when he first met Araxis and Daphne and set out on this unlikeliest of journeys.
On this particular evening, however, the three travelers were greeted by a curious owl, a cat, and the host of Tuesday House. Certainly, Finn had read much about the various creatures of the material plane, and had encountered a fair number of them already. He also know that the Light worked in mysterious ways, that all creature had Light and Dark within them, and that by harnessing The Light, one could accomplish miracles. Through prayer and meditation Finn was learning how to harness The Light in truly magical ways, and he had certainly witnessed miracles and incredible feats performed by both Daphne and Araxis. Nonetheless, coming face to face with anthropomorphic creatures was unusual enough to set Finn aback for a moment. It wasn’t long; however, before the small group was gathered around the fire sharing stories of adventure and daring. Finn shared an exceptionally scintillating tale of the oath of silence he had once pledged, but he had to admit that Daphne and Araxis were tough acts to follow.
As a reward for their tales, and incredible skill at solving word puzzles, Finn, Daphne, and Araxis were granted access to the Inne’s garden. Crossing the threshold to the garden was like crossing the threshold into another world altogether—like an echo of the material plane where the sky was alight with the faded colors of the setting, or perhaps rising, sun, dusky and low in the sky. The trio began to explore the garden and were almost immediately faced with a puzzle to solve—three keys needed to be found to unlock the secrets of the garden. Daphne quickly set to work, and within moments had found a literal key hiding amongst the beautiful foliage. Finn was taken with the setting. He sensed Light and good in all of the surroundings, particularly the birdsong dancing on the breeze. Within moments he was humming along with the birds, but it was a few minutes before he realized that he too had found the right key. Ever wise and patient, Araxis allowed the situation to unfold in front of her, before taking action. Harnessing her own Ki, Araxis molded the Earth to her will and soon enough three keys had been found.
Within moments, the tree before which the trio was standing was alive. At first Finn was only able to catch a passing glimpse of a furtive creature dashing here, or a mischievous creature causing a ruckus over there, but before long the three were beset with the most magical beasts Finn had ever beheld. A brace of blue Fairy Dragons rooted through purses and rucksacks, nuzzled necks, and ultimately bilked Finn and Daphne out of a few coppers before disappearing….
Leaving the Inne the next morning, Finn felt refreshed and invigorated. He had slept through the night for the first time in recent days, but it was more than that. When he was called to The Light he’d sworn an oath to kindle the Light. Through acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, he would kindle the light of hope in the world, and beat back despair. What he’d come to realize in the garden, in the presence of Fairy Dragons, and his new family, was that they had in turn kindled the Light within him. Their kindness had beaten back his despair and renewed his hope in the world. Finn turned to catch one last glimpse of the Inne as the trio set off down the road, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised when he noticed it wasn’t standing where it had been just a moment ago.
