Page 20 of Beginning at the End
“She is, she’s peeking around the corner.Dex, come on.Bring Tosh if he is lurking.”
A woman with pearly skin and jagged, pointed ears came out hauling a dark elf.
Den laughed.“Hey, Tosh.”
He nodded.“Den.Things good?”
“Yup.”
They moved through the building to the main stage.Dex showed Fen where she could change, and when Den had set up his equipment, she took centre stage and began to stretch.When she was ready, she nodded.Eudora started the music, turned it up, and got it to the right level for her, and then Fen began to move, and Den got it all.
Chapter Four
Eudora watched Fendance, and her friend spoke between rounds and said, “When we go outside, I am going to fall a few times.There’s a lot of drumbeats, and I think Eudora can use it.”
Den nodded.“Thanks for the warning.”
They nodded and moved outside, with Fen putting sneakers on her bare feet for the walk.
They trooped out, leaving nothing behind.Dex was grinning, and Tosh kept a careful arm around her waist until Etienne smiled.She went over, and he ruffled her hair.Tosh snorted and moved to them.
Fen looked at the outdoor stage.She put a finger to her lips and made a gesture.A cloud of dust flew from the surface of the stage and ended up left and right, but the stage was clear.
Den set up, and Fen danced again, did some spins, let fatigue bleed through, and fell.Then she fell again.Each one was on a turn.When she was done with one final run-through, they applauded wildly.
Den sighed and handed her the memory cards.“Go do your thing.I will see Fen home.”
Fen called from the back, where she was changing.“I don’t need seeing.”
Den grinned.“Yes, you do, dance mage.”
She laughed.“That isn’t my thing.I am a plant mage.Dance is someone else.I can just move dirt as part of my skill set, and I learned to dance starting at age five.”
Fen came out dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt.“We need to make ahow to identify the mageschart.It isn’t much.I mean, we are the betas who are finally developing the same skills that certain alpha groups developed generations ago.So we are proudly beta and our own thing.”
Eudora smiled.“What she said.So, Fen, choose your chariot?”
