Liam quickly snatched his phone from Fae Willow's hand. "Fae Willow, what have you done?!
You just revealed my identity!" he whispered, a hint of panic in his voice.
Fae Willow: "But Elder Liam, you are indeed an Elder! And you provided valuable information
about the elixir!" she replied, genuinely confused by his distress. In her world, sharing such
knowledge was a sign of respect.
Liam slumped into his chair, rubbing his temples. "Just… don't mention me to them directly
anymore, okay? And please, don't call me Elder."
Fae Willow: "Understood," she murmured, though her expression still held a touch of
bewilderment.
Meanwhile, the Conclave of Arcane Lore was abuzz.
River North Wanderer: "Fae Willow, is Elder Liam Stone with you now? Tell us more!"
Blade of the Madman: "Yes, Fae Willow, we await details!"
Apothecary: "Elder Liam Stone... which lineage?"
Liam watched the screen with growing dread. He was now a mysterious figure, a new 'Elder,'plunged unwittingly into their peculiar world.
Fae Willow of the Spirit Isles: "Elder Liam is not accustomed to revealing himself. And his
lineage… he keeps it private." She attempted to shield Liam, unknowingly reinforcing his
'mysterious Elder' persona.
River North Wanderer: "Ah, a recluse! Very intriguing. Elder Liam, welcome to the Conclave! We
look forward to your contributions."
Blade of the Madman: "A recluse? Even better! Mysterious! Elder Liam, tell us, are you skilled in
the arts of seduction? Perhaps you could share some tips?"
Liam wanted to throw his phone across the room.
Lord Obsidian: "Silence, Madman! Elder Liam, welcome indeed. Your presence was foreseen,
as my divination indicated a profound connection. Fate has brought you to our Conclave."
Liam winced. Lord Obsidian was still clinging to that "prophecy."
The day wore on, with Fae Willow still unable to find Whispering Lantern Abbey. Liam tried to
convince her to contact her father, but she remained stubborn. "I must solve this myself," she
insisted.
As evening approached, Liam's roommates began to trickle back into the dorm. First was Ethan,
a lanky computer science major, who blinked in surprise at the sight of Fae Willow and her
enormous suitcase. "Liam, uh… guest?" he stammered.
"This is Fae Willow," Liam introduced quickly, "she's a… friend. She's a bit lost and needs to find
an abbey in Port City. Her phone died."
Ethan, though bewildered, was polite. "Nice to meet you, Fae Willow. Port City, huh? That's
quite a drive."
Soon after, Daniel, a jovial history major, arrived, followed by Mark, the quiet literature
enthusiast. Both reacted with similar surprise, though Daniel quickly took it in stride, offering Fae
Willow a seat and striking up a friendly conversation. Mark, true to form, merely offered a polite
nod before retreating to his desk with a book.
Liam tried to get his roommates to help Fae Willow with directions, but even with their collective
knowledge, 'Whispering Lantern Abbey' remained elusive.
"You know, Fae Willow," Daniel said, scratching his head, "I've been to Port City countless times
for historical research, and I've never heard of a 'Whispering Lantern Abbey.' Are you absolutely
certain of the name?"
Fae Willow: "I am certain," she replied, her voice growing increasingly despondent.
Liam sighed. He pulled out his laptop. "Let's try looking up the name of the 'Sacred Flame'
again, Fae Willow. Maybe we missed something."
As they searched, Liam noticed a new message in the Conclave of Arcane Lore. It was from
Blade of the Madman.
Blade of the Madman: "Elder Liam Stone, I beseech you! The Lord of the Spirit Isles has once
again paid me a visit! He is currently instructing me on the intricacies of proper etiquette for
speaking to 'maidens'! I am undone! Elder Liam, you are skilled in the art of charming maidens,
are you not? Please, save me from this torment!"
Liam felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. Madman was still under the Elder of the Spirit Isles'
'tutelage'. And now, Liam was dragged into it! He decided to ignore the message for now.
Just as Fae Willow was about to give up on finding her abbey, Liam's phone chimed again. It
was a message from Anya, his cousin.
Anya Reed: "Hey Liam, quick question. You mentioned those strange names of herbs. 'Mystical
Morning Dew Herb' and 'Solar Blaze Bamboo'... you wouldn't happen to have a sample, would
you? My professor, Dr. Elena Vance, is a leading expert in exotic botany, and she's incredibly
curious. She says she's never encountered anything like them in her research. She evenmentioned something about 'previously undiscovered bio-luminescent properties' if these plants
exist. She'd be ecstatic if you could procure samples, for scientific research, of course!"
Liam blinked. Could the fantastical ingredients actually exist? He looked at Fae Willow, who was
still poring over his computer screen, her brow furrowed in concentration.