always and forever is forever young
your shadow on the pavement, the dark side of the sun
Mallos was right. She was Xaran.

Interesting that two ker should appear in Shaman at approximately the same time. Then again, was it overly surprising considering the nature of the two planets? Shaman was a sanctuary which magically transported asylum seekers within the safety of its borders, and Xara was at war. Perhaps the only surprise was that there weren’t more ker wandering about.

He listened without interrupting or changing expressions. Her accent rooted her firmly in the Swamp kingdom – which she confirmed with her final, tired question – which was intriguing in itself. As far as Mallos knew, the Swamp wasn’t at war. Why would a young ker of the Swamp be seeking asylum? She looked about fifteen; perhaps she’d been travelling through the Volcano to embark upon her aja quest, and had gotten caught up in the fighting when it broke out there. That would explain why her aja wasn’t here with her, if she didn’t have one yet.

“Yes,” he answered simply. “But let’s fix the hunger problem first.”

He stood up, offered her his hand, and led her over to the food stall.

Typical of Shaman, the food was a motley of dishes, containing ingredients and recipes from a number of different planets. Nothing from Xara, though. Xara and Earth were known to each other, but for the most part Xara existed in its own little corner of the universe and didn’t interact much beyond its immediate neighbouring planets. The shuttle system which ferried Xarans to other worlds for holidays was really only utilised by the elite who could afford it. The closest cuisine to the Swamp diet which the food stall had to offer was some kind of sushi dish, which Mallos purchased with some spontaneously generated gold. He handed it to the girl and waited quietly, giving her some time to eat and himself time to think.

What was the morally right thing to do in this situation? What would Aura do? The young girl clearly wanted to go back to the Swamp, where presumably her family and friends were – but if Mallos returned her there, he could be teleporting her into a danger zone. Without question, it would be much safer here on Shaman. What would a morally upright person prioritise? Choice or safety?

“What’s your name?” He gave her a moment to answer, before continuing in a gentle tone. “You are a long way from Xara. This is the planet Shaman, a sanctuary for fairies in trouble. These are fairies,” he gestured to the people around them, “which is why they have wings instead of tails. The magic in Shaman rescues and protects fairies who need help. Sometimes it does the same for other people too.”

It wasn’t a probe. Mallos’ tone made it clear that he wasn’t enquiring into the girl’s affairs.

“It is possible, but difficult, to travel to Xara from Shaman,” he added. “And it is safer here. The other ker living here has chosen to stay.”


i can feel you in the silence saying, “let forever be,
love, and only love, will set you free.”