Around noon, the wizard instructs his apprentice to find them a clearing to settle down for lunch. The only roaring beasts they’ve encountered so far are their hungry stomachs, and if they don’t slay them now, it will be a problem when they do find a real creature to slay.

Luhan hums a tune as he spreads out a blanket and brings out their rations. The sandwiches are cold and a bit soggy—Yifan reprimands Luhan about his failed preservation spell—but it’s the only food they’ve had all day and it tastes like heaven. At least the wine is good.

“So, what are you hoping to find in this perfect partner you keep dreaming about?” Luhan asks before glomping half his sandwich in one bite.

Yifan raises a brow. “Can’t we just enjoy the quiet?”

Luhan, his mouth still full of bread and cheese, says, “I could start singing—”

“The Great Wizard Wu wishes for a partner that is as grandiose as he is,” Yifan says abnormally loud. “Someone at his level. Someone who appreciates him and is not intimidated by all this.” He motions to his entire figure with one hand.

“You’re disgusting.” Luhan bites the other half of his sandwich and continues speaking. “It seems that you just want another kisser. I thought I was here for that.”

Yifan levels him an unimpressed look. “You’re disgusting. You eat like a pig. I can’t stand the sight of you.”

“Oink oink.”

Yifan scowls and tries to remain unaffected. Only Luhan presses the tip of his nose upwards, does the piggy sound again, but ends up choking on his food and coughing. Yifan can’t help the laughter that bubbles out.

“See? You can’t get rid of me,” Luhan says once the coughing stops. “No one else can make you laugh like this. Your face will freeze into that haughty and pinched look you get if you don’t laugh often.”

“It’s my signature wizard face,” Yifan says, picking up his goblet of wine and taking a long drink. “Besides, it goes so well with the cape and the magic. A cape which you will not get if you keep acting like—”

A monster-like wail of despair makes the earth tremble underneath him.

“—a big child.” Yifan pauses. Blinks. “That was not you, was it? Because if it was, you just proved my point.”

However, Luhan’s eyes are wide and full of fear. “What the hell is that?” he asks in a tiny voice.

Yifan stands, fixes his blue tunic, and dusts his cape before clasping it once more about his broad shoulders. It seems that they won’t have to travel anymore since the foul monster has found them. His smile widens. “Let us find out.”

“How about no!” Luhan screams.

But Yifan is already off.

The wizard follows a trail down to the nearby river and tracks the beastly sounds down the grassy bank. It’s around the second river bend where he finds the source of all the wailing and earth trembling. The creature is two-horses-tall in size, quite ugly, and stinkier than Luhan’s undergarments after a long day of travel.

Yifan snaps his fingers repeatedly at Luhan when his apprentice finally catches up. Luhan fumbles in his pack and brings out a worn, leather notebook. When he finds the right page, he reads the information.

Troll
Attack: +5
Magic: -3
Habitat: forests, caves, under bridges.
Weakness: magic, furry animals and other cute stuff, being made fun off.
Danger Ranking: Lame.
Notes: They’re duh-umb.

“I really don’t think this is the super evil beastie we’re looking for,” Luhan says, closing up his notebook and placing it back in his pack.

“It’s not,” Yifan says. “But we can’t just leave it here causing such a ruckus.”

“Then I think the best plan of attack is to blast him with water,” Luhan says, eyeing the troll critically. “If anything, that will clean him up and then we can attack up close.”

Yifan tuts and shakes his index finger. “Ah-ah. You forgot something.”

“What?”

“That they are kind and sociable creatures. There’s no need for violence, Luhan.” Yifan shakes his head, thoroughly disappointed in his apprentice’s tendency in starting fights. Yifan turns to the troll and calls out. “Greetings!”

The troll stops crying and turns his watery eyes on them. He hiccups. “H-hello?”

Yifan winks at Luhan, and continues showing him how things are done. “What is your name, gentle creature?”

The troll sniffs loudly, up the mucus running out of his nose back in. “Y-Yeol.”

“Yeol. I am the Great Wizard Wu.” He sweeps his robes to the side and bows at the waist, before rising, his signature smile on. “This is my lowly apprentice Luhan, who just failed his assignment on properly dealing with trolls.”

Luhan peeks from behind Yifan, before fully stepping out. “Hi. Stop crying. You look hideous. I mean, more than you are already.”

The troll’s lower lip trembles and it seems it’s about to wail again so Yifan quickly says, “What he means is, why are you crying?”

“The knights came and kicked me out of my home.” Yeol wipes his tears with his dirt-stained fingers, leaving smudges below his eyes. “They said…they said I was too ugly to be in or near the faire!” At this, the troll starts sobbing again. His big loud wails make Yifan and Luhan cover their ears.

“He’s really sensitive about his image,” a new voice says.

Yifan jumps, startled at the person standing right beside him. He pedals back on his feet, one hand extended forth in case he needs to cast a spell. But instead, Yifan freezes at what he sees.

It’s the raven-haired boy. More like a young man, really. He’s dressed in a white cotton tunic, pants, and worn sandals. It hadn’t been a trick of the light or a ghostly vision after all. He was real.

The boy smiles, dimples forming and eyes turning into crescents. There’s a cute tilt to his head that makes Yifan’s insides melt a bit. Or a lot. “Hi.”

Yifan is struck speechless by the young man’s presence. The longer he stares the more his heart speeds up, like a horse rampaging down a road. He’s never had this reaction before, a mix of fear and excitement rushing inside his chest. It’s very peculiar.

“Hi, creepy person who just came out of nowhere,” Luhan says, and if Yifan weren’t star-struck, he would’ve smacked his apprentice for being so rude. “Who are you?”

“I’m Lay,” the young man says, never losing the smile even faced with Luhan’s rudeness. “Nice to meet you.”

His apprentice narrows his eyes momentarily, before returning the smile. “Luhan. And the silent specter beside me is my master, the Great Wizard Wu.”

“I’m sorry,” Lay says. “I didn’t mean to scare him.”

“I’m not…I don’t….” Yifan clears his throat and straightens. He fixes his cape and adjusts his leather pants, then stands in a more dignified manner. “The Great Wizard Wu is never scared. I was…silently contemplating the mystery of your sudden apparition.”

Lay’s smile widens and he winks at Yifan, like he knows exactly how much Yifan is having trouble to be coherent.

Once again, Yifan fumbles on what to say next, because Lay is very pretty when he smiles and that wink just about destroyed Yifan. “B-Before I question you about this sudden apparition feat, I must try to calm Yeol.”

At the sound of his name, the troll sniffles loudly. “I want to go back home. I want to go to the faire.”

“Fear not, sad troll,” Yifan says, getting into his savior role again. “The Great Wizard Wu will help you find a new abode which to call home. As for the faire, we are deeply sorry, but the king has requested that no magical creatures attend.” A troll would take up considerable space on the faire grounds, not to mention, stink up the place.

Yeol thumps his boulder-like fists against the ground as he yells. “I WANT TO”—thump—“GO TO”—thump—“THE FAIRE!”

“Now you’ve done it!” Luhan yells at Yifan.

“Perhaps a compromise?” Lay pipes in loudly. “Trolls love bridges, yes?”

Yifan nods. It’s basic knowledge.

“Build him one to live under!” Lay opens his hands as he presents his grand solution. “Yeol can guard it and greet the guests that come to the faire. That way he feels part of it without being in the way of everyone else.”

Yifan is impressed with Lay’s quick thinking. It’s a great plan. Both sides win. And most importantly he can get on with his hunt of the monster that is wreaking disaster on the faire preparations.

He casts an immobilize spell on the troll, and blessed quiet descends. Yifan repeats Lay’s suggestion to Yeol who is now frozen with one arm up and his mouth wide open. “Is this agreeable to you?”

Yeol blinks fast until Yifan releases him. The troll then dries his tears, wipes his snot, and nods. “But you have to promise to bring me sugared webs.”

“Lu, take note,” Yifan says. “You must bring Yeol his candy once the faire starts.”

Luhan grumbles something, but bows to Yeol. His apprentice might at many things, but Luhan always does the tasks he’s assigned.

“Excellent! Now, stand back and be amazed.” Yifan spreads his arms wide and starts to wiggle his fingers. It’s all for show. An experienced wizard like himself doesn’t need the aid of wands or big hand gestures, but the people love a good magic presentation and Yifan loves to impress.

“Wait!” Lay grabs hold of Yifan’s hands and pulls them down. “We must ask the guardian first.”

Yifan is both affronted at the young man’s dare of stopping him mid-spell, and having trouble controlling the impulse of closing his hands around Lay’s fingers to feel their warmth. “What guardian?”

“The river guardian,” Lay says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Yifan sighs. He knows of wizards who deal with the elemental forces and believe in tales of spirits, but he’s never been one of those. However, he decides to humor Lay. “And how do we contact this…creature?”

“You must dip your toes into the river.” Lay pulls him to the water’s edge. “Wiggle them around while calling his name.”

Yifan steps away from the water. “Luhan—”

“No!” Lay grips Yifan’s hand tighter. “It only works with strong magic casters.”

No matter how much his reluctance is crumbling away under Lay’s gaze, Yifan still protests. “This is ridiculous. Are you absolutely sure this is necessary?”

“Oh yes. Very sure,” Lay says.

Luhan giggles.

Yifan gives up. He takes off his boots, his cape, and tries to roll the bottom of his leather pants as far up as he can. When he finally dips his feet into the water, he yelps at the cold. He settles down at the edge of the water and sighs. He feels silly.

But Lay is looking at him and smiling. “Wiggle your toes,” he prompts.

Yifan wiggles them.

“Now, call the spirit.”

Yifan puffs out his chest and calls in a deep voice. “River spirit, heed my call. Come forth. Show yourself!”

“Is he always so dramatic?” Lay asks Luhan.

“So dramatic? Yes,” Luhan says.

Yifan’s call is answered and water starts to rise in a column, swirling around and taking shape. The guardian’s body remains amorphous from the waist down, but his chest is finely sculpted by transparent waters. His arms are lean muscles which ripple like waves, and his face is a delicate oval with pushed back hair and luminous eyes.

“I am Suho, the guardian of this river,” it says. “Why have you called, wizard?”

Yifan closes his mouth with a clack, because an elemental spirit has not only appeared in the most awesome way, but now it’s talking to him. “I…That is…We. We wish to build a bridge across your waters, Suho,” Yifan says. “A place our friend the troll can use as a home and the people of the kingdom can use to reach the Valentine Faire. Will you allow this?”

“No.”

“Thank yo—excuse me?” Yifan shakes his head. He’s not used to hearing the word no when he asks for things. No one refuses the Great Wizard Wu. “Did he just deny my request?”

Luhan snickers. “I believe he did.”

Yifan throws him a dirty look, but then softens it when he sees Lay standing nearby. He breathes and focuses back on the river guardian. “Is there a reason why you do not want a bridge?”

“The bridge is not the problem,” Suho says. The waters under him splash about when he speaks, like the vibrations go through his entire form. “It’s the troll.”

Yeol wails at this.

“Trolls are walking messes that stink up the atmosphere,” Suho says. “They like to hoard things under bridges and I do not wish to have my waters polluted. And his foul odor will keep princesses away from admiring themselves in my clear reflections.”

Yeol sobs harder.

Yifan ponders this setback. It’s not like Suho is wrong. Trolls are a mess to live with. But maybe an agreement can be made? “What if Yeol promises to wash often and keep the bridge clean?”

Suho crosses his arms. “I also have other demands, like no keeping small critters against their will and calling them pets. No charging a toll to cross the bridge. No loud crying that disturbs my melodical cascades—”

“Perhaps!” Yifan interrupts, “you should speak directly to Yeol and tell him your requests?”

Suho’s luminous eyes turn on the troll. “Very well.”

Yeol and Suho move to the side to discuss their new co-habitation arrangements. The water spirit wastes no time in splashing the troll with a big wave, leaving him semi-clean in one swoop. The troll grins and claps his hands.

Yifan takes his feet out of the water and grabs Lay’s hand when he offers it. There’s a tingly sensation that remains when the young man lets go. It almost feels like magic.

“Well? Go on,” Lay says, giving him a little push. “Build that bridge.”

Yifan opens his mouth to say something about a wizard doing things at his own time, but Lay is smiling and he can only respond with a tiny twitch of his lips. He faces the river once more and gathers his magic. No show this time, Yifan simply raises both hands and roots erupt from the riverbanks on both sides. They knot and twist and twine, forming a wide and steady bridge with enough space underneath for the troll to lie down and sleep.

“Woah,” Luhan says and furiously takes notes. The spell is too advanced for him yet, but Yifan likes the enthusiasm.

After Yifan puts his boots back on and grabs his cape, he searches around for Lay. But the young man is nowhere to be seen.

“Lu, did you see where Lay went?”

Luhan is too busy writing and drawing the newly built bridge to answer. He was probably too distracted to even notice anyways.

Lay has vanished once more and Yifan is absolutely mystified.

Before they leave, Yifan approaches Yeol and Suho. He still has a task to complete. “Do you know anything about an evil creature living in this forest? One that is disrupting the faire’s preparations?”

Yeol shakes his head.

Suho blinks. “There are no evil creatures in this forest.”

The cryptic remark is all the water spirit says. So, they leave Yeol the Troll sitting calmly on the riverbank and chatting with Suho. Of all the things Yifan’s seen through the years in his many travels, this sight counts as one of the weirdest.