Children of the Dark

~Chapter 2~

The rain poured and the thunder boomed loud in the sky by the afternoon when they reached Hidden Forest. The small gang decided to rest from the exhausting flying and replenish their light for a while. They alighted on the ground and ran towards the Treehouse. They dashed inside, soaking wet, dripping from head to toe. Several middle aged men gave them suspicious glances upon their obstreperous entering.
Chauncie walked up to the bar at the front and sat down on a stool. Erherderohn, Faedowyn, and Chauncie's nephew, whose name was Lolietto, sat down at one of the tables near the fire.
It was a cozy sort of tavern, perfect after a long and exhausting flight. It was dark, aside from the magical glow of the fire and other lanterns and such on the walls. They all ordered tea and sat around the fire.
"You know, my uncle used to always take me and my brother here." Lolietto said, pensively staring into the leaping flames. "It has changed a lot since he took me last."
"Oh, what is different?" Erherderohn asked, attempting eye contact.
"Well, there seems to be mistrust in the air, I noticed we received several glares from those men over there."
"Hm, what did it used to be like here?"
"Well, Uncle Chauncie used to always get me and my brother hot chocolate and then he'd dance over there and everyone would be ever so friendly and join in on the festivities, but now it is solemn here."
They were all quiet for a moment.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Lolietto," Erherderohn said eventually, "Perhaps this meeting we are to attend will aide situations of stress and anxiety like this.
"I sure hope so."
They chatted for a little longer before Chauncie stood up and grunted them towards the entryway. They flew off again with the setting sun to finish off their journey.
~
A couple hours later they arrived in Prairie. It was very dark, not as you'd imagine a place called Daylight Prairie to be, but as go most places at night.
They landed near the governing building. And stared up at it, overwhelmed.
"Now," said the gruff voice of Chauncie, "We have rooms in here. Come on quickly now, no dilly-dallying!"
They followed after him into the dimly lit reception hallway. There was a snoring lady at the desk, but no other beings.
"WAKE UP MARM!!!" Chauncie bellowed at the woman. She started most dreadfully and fixed her mask a bit, for it had fallen askew in her placid rest.
"Excuse me sir, that is much too loud," she whispered back with vigor, "Now, how may I assist you four?"
"We were summoned for the moot. We were told there were rooms." Chauncie said in a raspy whisper.
"Yes, we have rooms, I'll just need you to fill out some forms, please."
They took the forms and rapidly filled them out.
"Alrighty then, you're all set, follow me please." she said and they all followed her to a door near the corner of the room.
If lead into a long, cozy hallway with little plants and paintings of old governors past.
"These are your rooms, I'm Geizela by the way, just come see me if you have any questions. Now I must leave you, for I have to be attentive if there are any more travelers arriving tonight."
And then she left them awkwardly standing there at the two doors Geizela had directed them to. Chauncie immediately barged into the first door and closed it. Faedowyn, Erherderohn, and Lolietto then made some perplexed faces and then ventured into the second room.
It was adorned with vines and plants climbing on the walls, and there was a cozy corner of the room with two cooshy arm chairs looking out a window. There was one problem however. There was only one bed. This caused some very nervous faces. No one dared suggest that Lolietto have to sleep with his uncle who would just shoo him out immediately, so they all put their cloaks on a rack by the cozy fireplace in the corner and awkwardly got into the bed. They all fit, but we're quite snug. Erherderohn was smirking the whole time and found the situation immensely amusing even considering how he was the one squished in the center.
Then, after much situating and resituatuing, they all found a comfortable position.
Faedowyn, faced outwards towards the fireplace, Erherderohn had his arm about her waist and faced the same way, but far more snugly, and Lolietto faced a window not wishing to address his discomfort. They all fell asleep within minutes and dozed off into the fair realm of dreams away from the noise of reality.
~
Erherderohn awoke to Faedowyn attempting to escape his embrace without disturbing him in his sleep.
"Hey!" he said grabbing her hand, "Where are you going?"
"I was just getting up to see if there was a sort of breakfast situation prepared." she said.
"Without me?"
"Well I didn't want to disturb you. You smile in your sleep, did you know that?"
Erherderohn's face turned a couple shades more red.
"No, I don't think I normally do." he said, rising and grabbing their cloaks from by the fire and realizing that Lolietto was already gone.
"Well, you did then. Anyways, let's go see if there's food."
So off they went.
~
Geizela had directed them to what she called 'Serendipity Hall' which turned out to be a large bright space with many tables with yellow and green cloths on them. There were groups of people chatting at the different tables, some more rugged than others. Lolietto sat at a table listening to his uncle rant about how young people are too young nowadays and should just grow up.
Lolietto looked up at the two and waved them over. Chauncie stopped his ranting and sipped on his juice.
"Good Morning, Lolietto, Good day to you Chauncie," Erherderohn said, in a particularly good mood.
"Good Morning you two!!" Lolietto said in reply motioning for them to sit."
A gruff 'morning' was all that was uttered from the old man who then picked up the paper and began to read upon the happening politics and etcetera.
"You guys should eat, they have food up there." Lolietto pointed.
There was a counter of sorts near the back of the room with bunting along the counter. Behind the counter was a large kitchen which was expelling whimsical scents, sweet and savory.
Erherderohn's stomach grumbled a bit, he smirked at Lolietto as a thank you, and ran up to the counter.
Faedowyn followed, but less aggressively.
"Goody good day to thee Marm!" Erherderohn said to the short lady at the counter. She wore a white cloak like all the other kitchen workers and her hair was pulled back in a bun.
"Good Morning sir, how can I help yeh?" she has a sort of accent we humans would associate with a southern American accent.
"Hm, hm, hmm, what have you?"
Well, this morning we've got a large assortment of fruits and a good deal of oats."
"Ooh Joy!!! Thankee!" he said, grabbing a bowl of oatmeal and putting it on his tray and then shoveling enormous mounds of fruit upon his plate.
"Is he alright?" the kitchen lady asked Faedowyn.
"Oh him? Never better, he simply adores fruit." she replied, grabbing her own breakfast and joining the rest of the Valley representatives at their table.
As they were feasting, the doors opened and in strutted three tall men all maskless. One wore a black cloak and had a mow-hawk sort of hairdo, another wore a green cloak and had messy hair, the third also wore a black cloak and had some blunt sort of hairstyle.
The green cloaked man made eye contact with Erherderohn, smirked and went to get his breakfast with the other Wastelanders behind.
They ate semi-uncomfortably for the next couple minutes before leaving to prepare for the moot later that day, but before they exited the room Erherderohn waltzed over to the Wasteland men and introduced himself.
"Hulloa gentlemen!" he said grabbing one of the black cloaked men's hands and shaking it. "I am Erherderohn of the Village of Dreams, to whom do I owe this acquaintance?"
The first man in the black cloak spoke, swishing his mow-hawk in a demure way, it must have been a force of habit.
"I am Galian of East Wasteland," his smooth voice said, firmly shaking Erherderohn's hand in return.
"I am Winsnor of East Wasteland," came another similar voice from the other black cloaked man with the blunt hairdo. He and Galian must have been brothers.
"And I am Lysistreff of East Wasteland," came the final voice, so low, and so mysterious. His wavy locks rustled when he shook Erherderohn's hand.
"Well, 'tis a pleasure to meet you! I will see you later then!! Toodles!!" and with that Erherderohn slid over to Faedowyn, linked her arm in his and sashayed out of there.
~