different to any other meadow on Earth. But the sound of
an otherworldly shriek above them at that precise moment, shot the
idea in the foot. They all looked up to witness a hideous winged
creature, unlike any they'd seen before, flying overhead. Its body
was covered in what look liked snakeskin and its leathery wings
beat a foreboding rhythm as it circled around the field, eying them
with studious intent, before taking off over the trees. They looked
back at one another.
“Not the World of Men, then.” Etyran said, running a
hand through his hair and avoiding eye contact with Faedra.
“Yeah, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas, anymore,”
Faedra mumbled.
“But, Faedra, we were not in Kansas to begin with,”
Jocelyn remarked, looking perplexed.
“The Wizard of Oz?” Faedra said, but got nothing more
than a blank expression from her young friend. “Never mind.”
“Why is it always me that messes up?” Etyran
asked.
Faedra turned her attention from Jocelyn back to the
Lightbender, only to see the look of dejection on his face.
“Etyran, it's not your fault,” Faedra said, noticing
the awkwardness in his posture. “I'm sorry I snapped at you. You
weren't to know any of this would happen. I was just frustrated,
that's all. Just for once, it would be nice to go out and enjoy
myself without my world being turned upside down.”
“Faedra is right, you know. None of us blame you.”
Jocelyn agreed. Etyran's face lit up at her words and Faedra gave
Etyran a knowing smile.
“So, what do we do now?” Faedra asked.
“Well, out here we are sitting ducks in this meadow,”
Faen replied. “I suggest we take cover in the trees and try and
find out where we are. We have no way of knowing if this place is
hostile or not, and until we find out I think it best that we try
and stay out of sight.”
Faen held out a hand for Faedra and she took it with
a smile as she allowed her Guardian to pull her up from where she
was sitting. She tucked the cypher wheel back in the pouch that was
still slung across her body.
Etyran offered his hand to Jocelyn.
“Thank you.” Jocelyn almost sang the words as she
accepted Etyran's gesture. A rosy glow permeated Etyran's
cheeks.
The four friends only made it a few yards towards the
trees before they heard a noise in the distance. Faen held out his
arm, stopping Faedra in her tracks from going another step forward.
Etyran scooted Jocelyn behind him so fast she let out a squeak of
surprise.
“What is it?” Faedra whispered, heart thudding in her
chest.
“I hear something.” Faen explained. “Do you hear
that?”
They stood silent for a moment, hardly daring to
breathe. Faedra's ears were straining to hear whatever Faen had
picked up.
A moment later, Faedra heard the soft thud of hooves
in the distance. She would recognize that sound anywhere. A second
later, two white horses emerged from the trees on the far side of
the meadow. Their riders cloaked in blue robes that billowed out
behind them like ripples on a lake. The horses cantered across the
meadow towards them, prompting the four cohorts to take defensive
action, once again.
Faen held his sword in front of him, as the riders
closed the gap between them.
“Etyran, I am quite capable of looking after myself,”
Jocelyn said, looking a little bemused. The young fairy extricated
herself from his grip and conjured her own sword. Etyran's cheeks
colored up, and despite the danger they could be in, Faedra
couldn't help but smile and stifle a chuckle.
As the riders got closer, Faedra looked down at her
ring. There was no warning tingle and the horses were nearly upon
them now. The horses slowed to a walk before taking another few
strides and came to a halt a few feet in front of the group.
The tension in the air was palpable, but still there
was no warning from Faedra's ring. These riders were not there to
hurt her, or her friends.
With almost synchronized precision, both riders
pushed down their hoods to reveal their
an otherworldly shriek above them at that precise moment, shot the
idea in the foot. They all looked up to witness a hideous winged
creature, unlike any they'd seen before, flying overhead. Its body
was covered in what look liked snakeskin and its leathery wings
beat a foreboding rhythm as it circled around the field, eying them
with studious intent, before taking off over the trees. They looked
back at one another.
“Not the World of Men, then.” Etyran said, running a
hand through his hair and avoiding eye contact with Faedra.
“Yeah, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas, anymore,”
Faedra mumbled.
“But, Faedra, we were not in Kansas to begin with,”
Jocelyn remarked, looking perplexed.
“The Wizard of Oz?” Faedra said, but got nothing more
than a blank expression from her young friend. “Never mind.”
“Why is it always me that messes up?” Etyran
asked.
Faedra turned her attention from Jocelyn back to the
Lightbender, only to see the look of dejection on his face.
“Etyran, it's not your fault,” Faedra said, noticing
the awkwardness in his posture. “I'm sorry I snapped at you. You
weren't to know any of this would happen. I was just frustrated,
that's all. Just for once, it would be nice to go out and enjoy
myself without my world being turned upside down.”
“Faedra is right, you know. None of us blame you.”
Jocelyn agreed. Etyran's face lit up at her words and Faedra gave
Etyran a knowing smile.
“So, what do we do now?” Faedra asked.
“Well, out here we are sitting ducks in this meadow,”
Faen replied. “I suggest we take cover in the trees and try and
find out where we are. We have no way of knowing if this place is
hostile or not, and until we find out I think it best that we try
and stay out of sight.”
Faen held out a hand for Faedra and she took it with
a smile as she allowed her Guardian to pull her up from where she
was sitting. She tucked the cypher wheel back in the pouch that was
still slung across her body.
Etyran offered his hand to Jocelyn.
“Thank you.” Jocelyn almost sang the words as she
accepted Etyran's gesture. A rosy glow permeated Etyran's
cheeks.
The four friends only made it a few yards towards the
trees before they heard a noise in the distance. Faen held out his
arm, stopping Faedra in her tracks from going another step forward.
Etyran scooted Jocelyn behind him so fast she let out a squeak of
surprise.
“What is it?” Faedra whispered, heart thudding in her
chest.
“I hear something.” Faen explained. “Do you hear
that?”
They stood silent for a moment, hardly daring to
breathe. Faedra's ears were straining to hear whatever Faen had
picked up.
A moment later, Faedra heard the soft thud of hooves
in the distance. She would recognize that sound anywhere. A second
later, two white horses emerged from the trees on the far side of
the meadow. Their riders cloaked in blue robes that billowed out
behind them like ripples on a lake. The horses cantered across the
meadow towards them, prompting the four cohorts to take defensive
action, once again.
Faen held his sword in front of him, as the riders
closed the gap between them.
“Etyran, I am quite capable of looking after myself,”
Jocelyn said, looking a little bemused. The young fairy extricated
herself from his grip and conjured her own sword. Etyran's cheeks
colored up, and despite the danger they could be in, Faedra
couldn't help but smile and stifle a chuckle.
As the riders got closer, Faedra looked down at her
ring. There was no warning tingle and the horses were nearly upon
them now. The horses slowed to a walk before taking another few
strides and came to a halt a few feet in front of the group.
The tension in the air was palpable, but still there
was no warning from Faedra's ring. These riders were not there to
hurt her, or her friends.
With almost synchronized precision, both riders
pushed down their hoods to reveal their
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