Eleana found them; evil taking the kingdom. She had to do something. Without understanding why, she raised her hand at Raynor.
“NOOOOO!” she shouted.
A current stirred somewhere inside her. New and unfamiliar, it rushed down her arm. A white rippling wave of energy leapt from her hand forming a large flat barrier, shimmering in the sky.
Raynor saw it, his wings flew open attempting to pull himself out of the dive, but it was too late. He slammed into the wave of magic as if it had been a brick wall. The black pegasus crumpled upon impact and dropped lifelessly toward the forest floor hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
Kiora’s mouth hung open, looking down at the crumbled black horse on the ground. “Is he dead?” she asked. “Did I....” she swallowed, grief nudging next to the cold threads of the enemy.
Without answering, Arturo circled lower a little above Raynor. They could see his side rising and falling with strained breaths.
No, Arturo answered, not yet. A small flutter of relief buzzed inside Kiora. I am sure his master will come for him. We must get you back to the Hollow. Now.
Kiora turned to Emane. “Arturo’s is taking us to the Hollow.” Emane’s eyes were wide, his mouth hanging slightly open.
“What?” she asked
Pronouncing each word slowly, he said, “Did you do that?”
Kiora looked down at her hand, spreading her fingers wide before turning it over and back again. “I think so. I don’t know how.” She looked back up to him. “It just happened.”
***
Kiora scanned the forest below them, looking for the tell tale signs of the Hollow. “Look,” she said to Emane, pointing down into the canopy. “There’s the Hollow.”
“All I see is trees,” Emane said, sounding as exhausted as Kiora felt.
“No, look.” she said pointing again. “See, those trees are different from the rest.” Amongst the forest of pines stood trees of a different variety, with smooth trunks that arched slowly up over the canopy. Once at the top, a fan of branches sprang out. The trees surrounded the boundary of the Hollow, each one bending its branches over the top, making a natural ceiling inside.
Emane looked over her shoulder, “I don’t see how hiding in the trees is going to keep those hounds from finding us again.”
“The Hollow isn’t just trees,” Kiora said. Arturo swooped gently to the right, preparing to come in through a small break in the otherwise dense pines. “It’s enchanted to keep all threads inside from getting out. The Guardians have been hiding here since the last war. This is where Aleric brought me after we left the castle.”
Arturo swooped through the branches, one of which caught Emane under the arm, pulling him up and backwards under the cracking protest of the trees around them. Grunting, Emane threw his other arm around Kiora’s waist. Her heart did an awkward little skip and minus the adrenaline, she was very aware of the heat of his palm against her stomach.
Landing gently within the magical borders, Arturo spoke to her as Emane slid off his back. They are waiting for you in the meeting hall.
“Thank you,” she said, sliding off. “Emane, they are waiting for us in the–” turning she nearly ran right into him, “meeting hall,” she finished, jerking to a stop. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
“What?” she said putting her hand on her hip, “I told you, he’s telepathic.” When Emane’s eyebrow didn’t move, she shoved past him with a huff. “Come on.”
Over Emane’s chuckle she heard Arturo, You should mention to him that if he continues to complain about my flying, next time I will leave him for the Hounds.
Kiora stopped abruptly, whirling on Emane. “You were complaining about his flying!”
Emane’s mouth dropped open a bit, before tossing an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “Not much.”
“Emane! He just saved our life!”
Stopping, Emane looked skyward shaking his head, “Alright!” Turning he looked
“NOOOOO!” she shouted.
A current stirred somewhere inside her. New and unfamiliar, it rushed down her arm. A white rippling wave of energy leapt from her hand forming a large flat barrier, shimmering in the sky.
Raynor saw it, his wings flew open attempting to pull himself out of the dive, but it was too late. He slammed into the wave of magic as if it had been a brick wall. The black pegasus crumpled upon impact and dropped lifelessly toward the forest floor hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
Kiora’s mouth hung open, looking down at the crumbled black horse on the ground. “Is he dead?” she asked. “Did I....” she swallowed, grief nudging next to the cold threads of the enemy.
Without answering, Arturo circled lower a little above Raynor. They could see his side rising and falling with strained breaths.
No, Arturo answered, not yet. A small flutter of relief buzzed inside Kiora. I am sure his master will come for him. We must get you back to the Hollow. Now.
Kiora turned to Emane. “Arturo’s is taking us to the Hollow.” Emane’s eyes were wide, his mouth hanging slightly open.
“What?” she asked
Pronouncing each word slowly, he said, “Did you do that?”
Kiora looked down at her hand, spreading her fingers wide before turning it over and back again. “I think so. I don’t know how.” She looked back up to him. “It just happened.”
***
Kiora scanned the forest below them, looking for the tell tale signs of the Hollow. “Look,” she said to Emane, pointing down into the canopy. “There’s the Hollow.”
“All I see is trees,” Emane said, sounding as exhausted as Kiora felt.
“No, look.” she said pointing again. “See, those trees are different from the rest.” Amongst the forest of pines stood trees of a different variety, with smooth trunks that arched slowly up over the canopy. Once at the top, a fan of branches sprang out. The trees surrounded the boundary of the Hollow, each one bending its branches over the top, making a natural ceiling inside.
Emane looked over her shoulder, “I don’t see how hiding in the trees is going to keep those hounds from finding us again.”
“The Hollow isn’t just trees,” Kiora said. Arturo swooped gently to the right, preparing to come in through a small break in the otherwise dense pines. “It’s enchanted to keep all threads inside from getting out. The Guardians have been hiding here since the last war. This is where Aleric brought me after we left the castle.”
Arturo swooped through the branches, one of which caught Emane under the arm, pulling him up and backwards under the cracking protest of the trees around them. Grunting, Emane threw his other arm around Kiora’s waist. Her heart did an awkward little skip and minus the adrenaline, she was very aware of the heat of his palm against her stomach.
Landing gently within the magical borders, Arturo spoke to her as Emane slid off his back. They are waiting for you in the meeting hall.
“Thank you,” she said, sliding off. “Emane, they are waiting for us in the–” turning she nearly ran right into him, “meeting hall,” she finished, jerking to a stop. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
“What?” she said putting her hand on her hip, “I told you, he’s telepathic.” When Emane’s eyebrow didn’t move, she shoved past him with a huff. “Come on.”
Over Emane’s chuckle she heard Arturo, You should mention to him that if he continues to complain about my flying, next time I will leave him for the Hounds.
Kiora stopped abruptly, whirling on Emane. “You were complaining about his flying!”
Emane’s mouth dropped open a bit, before tossing an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “Not much.”
“Emane! He just saved our life!”
Stopping, Emane looked skyward shaking his head, “Alright!” Turning he looked
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