When Janney woke up the next morning, she thought she had the strangest dream. The images from the night before danced around in her head as she got ready for the day. It was not until George came up to her at breakfast did she realize it actually did happen. The look in his eye told her everything. “So it really did happen?  It wasn’t a dream?” Janney asked George.

“I know, right?”  George responded. “We’ve got to get back over there. I have so much to ask him.”

“Mom, can we go over to Mr. Virago’s after breakfast?” Janney asked.

Mom looked surprised by the question. “Why, Janney, it is Sunday. You know we have church on Sundays. Maybe later this afternoon.

‘Sunday,’ Janney thought, ‘how could she forget?’ Of course, how could she not forget after all she just found out that her neighbor was not just the kindly old man, but was really her great, great, grandfather, and oh yeah, he is an ancient dragon and king of the fey as well.

George looked over at Janney as if to say, You have to help me. What are we going to do?

“Right, I forgot it is Sunday. But we can go over after church, right?” Janney asked Mom.

Mom looked surprised by the sudden interest in going to the neighbor’s house. George could see the doubt in her face and quickly added. “He asked if we could help him with this garden today. He was teaching us about the different plants, and his back was hurting him, and he needed someone young to help out.”

“Really,” said Mom skeptically. “You want to learn about gardening?”

“Actually Mom, George just wants the homemade ice cream that Mr. Virago promised if we help. But I kind of like learning about his garden.” Janney confessed.

George looked shocked and realized that this must have helped sell the idea to Mom. He was not shocked about Janney telling on him, but he definitely was that she was able to come up with a lie so quickly. Janney was never good at trying to fool anyone.

“We will see. The bake sale is today, and I need you to help out afterward.” said Mom.

No, not the bake sale, thought Janney. They needed to get back and see Mr. Virago as soon as possible. She didn’t want to wait for the afternoon. “Okay, Mom.” Janney said, trying her best to sound convincing that she was not anxious.

A curious thing happened on the way to church. The entire drive there, both Janney and George looked out the car windows at the bushes and trees, studying them the best they could as if trying to see what was hiding in them. They didn’t know what they were expecting to see if they did. Both Pix and Mr. Virago told them they were the last of the fey in the world except for the Darkness and the Ichneumon, whatever that was. Neither one of them truly explained what the Ichneumon actually was. It was clear it was very bad and very dangerous, but not what one was exactly.

The old stone wall that went around the church property came into view as the car turned onto the street where the church was located. The rock wall looked like it belonged on the moors of Scotland, with patches of the wall that had crumbled and fallen down. Janney half expected to see Pix running along the wall. The terrain on the far side of the property sloped down with large oak trees scattered about in the back. In the middle of the property stood a great willow tree. The tree looked like one of the trees you would find in stories of far-off lands and magic. Janney could picture all kinds of creatures living around the tree as the memory of the images from the fire last night was still fresh in her head.

Somehow, both Janney and George made it through the church service. It was agonizingly long today, with every passing minute seeming to take 10 minutes to go by. Everything always took longer when you were waiting for it to be over. Janney felt as if just breathing took more effort as she waited for the service to end. She did like Father Joe, but he tended to be more long-winded than most priests. The torture of it all was that they needed to help their mother with the bake sale afterward. They dutifully helped set up the tables and smiled at those who came by the parish hall to inspect the cakes, banana breads, and pastries. George managed to thank those who bought items from the table where their mother was working. Normally, he would be trying to sneak a taste, but today his mind was elsewhere.

Neither one of them could hardly contain themselves when their Mom announced it was time to go. They tried to act as if everything was normal and thought they were doing a good job covering up their impatience. They didn’t want their Mom to ask too many questions by seeming too eager to go to Mr. Virago’s house. But both Janney and George could think of nothing else but the fact that Mr. Virago was their great, great-grandfather. Their world had been rocked on its axis with the revelation that dragons and pixies were real. Magic is real. That they might have magic too.

They waited until after lunch and helped out around the house a bit before deciding it was safe to ask if they could go out. “Mom, can we go out for a bit?” Janney asked her mother.

Her mother looked at her watch before answering, “I suppose so.. But,” she added, “you best be home before dark. And don’t go any further than Mr. Virago’s.”

“We won’t!” they both answered as they hurriedly jumped up from their seats and headed out the door.

They took off running and soon found their way onto Mr. Virago’s property. Before long, the garden and the farmhouse came into view. “Pix!” cried out Janney. “Pix, where are you?”

“Ah, there you are.” came a small voice that they knew had to be from Pix.

Both children looked around the garden, but neither one could see him. “Where are you?” asked George.

“Right here.” said Pix as he rose out of a patch of persian shield. Their indecent purple leaves gave off an otherworldly glow outlining his tiny form as he hovered in the air just above the plants.

“Hi, Pix.” George said excitedly. “Man, I am glad to see you.”

Pix cocked his head to the side as if in thought. “Why?” he asked. “Has anything happened?”

“Of course!  Everything has happened. I mean, you happened.” George declared.

“Ah, I see. Newborns.” The pixy said as he moved to come to rest atop the fence rail to be at eye level with the children. “Your eyes are open, and for the first time, you are seeing the truth of it all.”

“I guess it is kind of like that.” Janney said. “There is so much I want to know. So many things.”

“Like, how can I know if I have magic?” George asked.

“Oh, George, really?” Janney rebuffed her brother.

“What?” George looked hurt by his sister’s slight of his desire to learn about his new potential. “I just found out that my grandfather is the king of a magical land and a dragon too. You mean to tell me that you haven’t thought about it yourself?  Really?” George said incredulously.

“Well,” said Janney thoughtfully. “Now that you ask me, no, I haven’t. I think it is obvious that we don’t have any magic. I mean, we would be the first to know if we did, right?”

Both George and Janney stopped and looked at Pix as they realized he had been silently watching them argue amongst themselves. The pixy’s frown slowly turned into a smile, which soon turned into a laugh. “I told your grandfather that you need to know sooner.” Pix said as he continued to laugh. “I told him you two were different. The time had come to teach you the truth. You both need to be taught how the Light works and to be trained.”

“A point that I am sure you will remind me of for a very long time.” Virago said as he made his way from the farmhouse to the garden. His face held a scowl, but his eyes betrayed him. Janney had to refrain from a giggle watching the interchange between Pix and Virago.

“Where have you been old man?” George burst out.

“Boy…” Virago snapped sternly as his gaze quickly landed on George, causing him to freeze, suddenly afraid that his familiar jab crossed a line. Virago held his gaze a Moment longer before he allowed his generous smile to emerge, followed by his deep laugh. “I am delighted that you both came to visit. I was afraid last night might have been too much for you, and you thought me an old fool.”

“Well…” George started to say, and was promptly cut off by a hard stare from his sister.

“Of course, we came back, Mr. Virago.” Janney replied. “How could we not?”

“Right,” George agreed. “Magic is real!  Dragons are real! And …”

“We have a grandfather.” Janney said breathlessly, which caused the warmest smile that either had seen on Virago’s face.

“Yes, you do my dear. And more importantly, I might add, I have a family again.” Virago said proudly. This time, both Janney and George smiled big, and Janney thought George was even blushing a bit.

“Now that we have the reunion over with, can we get to work?” Pix said, breaking the Moment between them.

“What work would that be?” George asked.

“Why your training!” Pix declared as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Janney and George both looked at each other, confused. What training was Pix talking about, they both thought. Janney had no idea what it could be. It was obvious that, despite being descendants of the prime dragon, neither she nor her brother were anything special. They were very ordinary. Janney sometimes thought that she was below average, even.

Pix looked annoyed at the children’s confusion. He turned to Virago, looking for help. “Are you sure they are yours?” Pix teased Virago. “You better catch them up.”

“What Pix is attempting to explain is that now that you know the truth, you will need to undertake an education of a sort. So that you can become better equipped for your new realities.” Virago explained. “You will begin taking lessons from the two of us. Each is tailored to your unique qualities and personalities. The purpose of the lessons is to help you become stronger and grow in the truth. To become better stewards of the Light.”

 “Lessons?” George asked. “Like school?”

“Exactly like school, young George. Except this school is more important than you realize. You need to not just get a passing grade, you need to be top of the class. Your very lives may depend on it.” said Pix.

“That sounds a bit much, Pix.” Janney said.

“Does it?” Pix asked as he moved to hover before her nose. Suspended in the air before her, Janney could make out the scowl on his face as he began to speak. “A bit much to think that the prime dragon’s offspring, who does not know anything about who she is, and that she is as helpless as a baby, might be in danger?  A bit much to think that the only thing that protects you and those you love is your ability to control your surroundings?  You two know nothing of the struggle between the Light and the Darkness. You know nothing at all of the lengths the Darkness will go to get you if it discovers who you are. Your very existence is a threat to it.”

Janney was terrified of what Pix was telling them. Their lives were in danger from who?  Why was he scaring her so much?  She could tell George was just as scared as she was, more so, even as he was younger than her. She felt a wave of anger building up inside at Pix for scaring her brother. At the same time, she discovered that she had a small worry about what if Pix was right. What if he was right and both she and her brother were in danger, and there was nothing she could do to protect either one of them?

‘We’re sorry, Pix.” George said quietly.

“Yes Pix, we are sorry. I didn’t realize.” Janney apologized.

“Of course you didn’t.” Pix’s smile returned, and he moved back to the fence post.

“Fear not.” Virago said reassuredly. “Pix is a bit passionate in making his point. Forgive him, he has not had much of an opportunity to interact with anyone besides me for a long time.”  Pix looked slightly embarrassed and quickly turned his gaze away from them for a Moment while he regained his composure.

“That’s alright.” George said. “I guess it is just as new for him to be talking to us as it is for us with him. I mean, I have never talked to a pixy before, and he hasn’t talked to a human in a long time.”

“That is very astute of you, George.” Virago said proudly.

“What does that mean?” George inquired.

“It means clever.” Janney answered.

“Why you’re right!” exclaimed Virago. “It looks like George is not the only clever one.”

Janney laughed. Mr. Virago always made her laugh. She always felt so safe with him; she was having a hard time believing that this was not a dream and that he really was her grandfather, or great-grandfather, or great, great-grandfather. She was a bit confused about how many greats, but that didn’t change that he was related.

“Today’s lesson will be short, but it is the foundation of everything you will learn. Before you can learn anything, you must first respect and appreciate what you have and who you are.” Virago began and moved inside the garden, stopping near where Pix stood on the post. “Now, what do I mean by that, you are asking yourself? Before you can move forward, you need to respect life. All life. Not just yours or your friends. Not just including those of strangers, but this garden’s too. All life flows from the Light, and because of that, there is a dignity to it. Respect that. Think before you act. Truly think about how what you do or don’t do will impact others. To do otherwise is to aid the cause of the Darkness. Indecision can be just as harmful or more harmful than a decision. When good people do nothing, bad people and bad things are allowed to prosper.”

Janney thought she understood. She remembered hearing something like this in school once, but she was probably not paying attention to the teacher at the time. George on the other hand looked confused.

“Try and think of it this way, George.” Virago explained. “You know how to ride a bike, right?”

“Yes,” George nodded as he answered.

“Were you able to ride that bike the first time you tried?” Virago asked him.

“No, I fell.” George said.

“Just so.” Virage said. “Before you knew how to ride, you first had to learn how to fall. But more importantly, you already knew how to balance yourself. You learned to do that when you first learned how to walk. To be able to ride your bike, you needed to learn how to balance without using your feet.”

“I guess that makes sense.” George said slowly.

“But before he learned to walk, he needed to learn how to stand without falling down.” Janney added.

“Correct!” Virago sounded pleased with Janney’s understanding. “The same is true with this. You need to learn about the Light, life, and magic. But, you need to learn about them in the correct order.”

“Okay.” George agreed. “So, how do we learn?”

Pix cleared his throat in an attempt to get their attention.

“George, you first.” said Pix. “You are the youngest, which means you need to mind your sister at all times.”  Pix could see George was going to argue with his last statement and quickly cut him off before he could. “At all times!  Because she is older, she knows things that you do not. Besides, her talents are different than yours. But, more important than minding her is that you keep an eye on her. As her brother, you are the direct heir to the lineage of your grandfather. What is it that he has been doing over the last few hundred years?” asked Pix.

George thought about it for a Moment before he answered. “Protecting his people?” he said almost as a question.

“Exactly.” The pixie replied. “And that is what you are to do too. Protect your sister at all times. No matter the cost, you must protect her. Family takes care of its own, and in your family, that is even more true.” Pix said proudly.

“But how am I to protect her?” asked George.

“First, by thinking before you act.” Pix said. “Second, by using what you have to your advantage.”  As he spoke, the slingshot his grandfather gave him appeared next to Pix. “Take this and start practicing. But remember your promise, you are never to use it against anyone except in self-defense. It is not the size of the object that makes a difference, but how it is used. Trust your instincts. Remember that it is not the strength of your arms but that of your will that guides the stone.”

George picked up the slingshot and inspected it, which took on a different feel today. It felt somehow right in his hands. He took aim across the field and let the pebble he placed in the pouch loose. This time the stone flew straight and farther than last night and with less effort.

“Good, you see, you reached out from a different place than you have used before.” Virago said. “Go out into the field and practice. But you must be calm before you let a stone fly. Find the inner stillness of the hunter. As my grandson, you have the hunter within you. Search yourself for it. Find it, and be still with it. Then you will find the clarity of mind that is needed.”

George’s face lit up with a grin as he headed out to practice. Janney watched as her brother left, waiting to hear what her first lesson was to be. She did not have to wait long.

“Janney,” Virago said. “You will be with me. I have been wanting to add a new section in the garden, and I need your help with that.”

 “What?” Janney said, startled. “What does gardening have to do with anything?”

“Why everything!” her grandfather said. “All life is from the Light. You must learn how to care for it and nurture it. Before you can control something effectively, you must first discover what it is. Follow me. I have the area marked out that I need you to help with.”

Janney followed Virago around to the far side of the garden, and sure enough, there was a section of the yard roped off in a small rectangle with two shovels resting nearby. She had a feeling she knew what the shovels were for, but she could not stop herself from asking anyway.

“What am I to do?” she asked hesitantly.

“We are going to clear this space out. Then we need to till it up good before this can become my new vegetable garden.”

“Wouldn’t it have been better to have George do this?” she asked.

“Why, whatever for?” Virago laughed.

“Because he is a boy. You don’t really want a girl to help with manual labor, do you?” Janney asked, shocked.

“My dear, George is a hunter, a protector. He needs to discover himself. His connection to the Light is different than yours. You are special Janney. You need to learn how to connect to the Light and there is no better way than gardening.”  Virgo said as he handed her a shovel.