Redo

Chapter 17: Before the Battle Begins

She recalled her mother saying that odd occurrences followed her when she wore the necklace in her infancy. As of right now, no such thing had happened. All the same, she decided she wouldn't remove it. She too wanted to repossess her rightful authority and identity. Perhaps it was only her imagination, but with every step she took, it felt as if the earth was speaking to her. Its voice was muffled. It was difficult to hear, but they would find a way to communicate together.

Her body was sensitive. Her skin prickled to the slightest motion of the wind. Her scalp tingled at the sensation of the cold. She had never felt like this before. She sensed that she belonged here, and though she had been absent for the majority of her life, she wasn't out of place. Every path she had taken had brought her back home. To think that her dream of opening her own agency was now overshadowed by her embarkment to discover herself....and what of Antonio?

The love she had for him was still overwhelming, but where would this journey take them? Would she have to leave this newly discovered world? Would he understand this part of her existence? He had accepted Kayane, shouldn't she expect him to be more open-minded and understanding? "Where are you, my Lady?" Faeona questioned.

Rogue sighed, "In my thoughts. I want to know where I come from."

Priscilla's arms hugged her tightly while she nodded her head. "Now that you have been returned to your rightful place, we will find Lily and break the spell Genevieve cast in order to reunite you with your people."

Her lithe fingers continued to play with her necklace as she warred against the eagerness inside of her. "Yes, let's find Lily."

As the wind picked up, she was surprised that she wasn't affected by the chill. In the human world, she would have already layered up with an undershirt, a long sleeve, a sweater, a vest, and a winter jacket. Here, however, she was the least bit bothered. In fact, she welcomed the cold. "Because you're Snow White," she heard whispered by the wind in her ear.

"Did you hear that?" she audibly posed as they prepared to move forward.

"Here, in this realm, everything is alive. Every element, every object, every being lives together in sweet cohabitation and harmony. You only have to listen to hear their voices."

"Wow."

"Come. If we are to find Lily, we will need to infiltrate Genevieve's lair in the castle."

"We will need reinforcements. Genevieve baited us. She knows we will come for the human girl," Spryte reminded them. "Allow me to go and call for reinforcements." Without another word, she reverted back to her robin form and flew away in a different direction.

"We will head north," Priscilla informed them.

"But the palace—"

"Was moved," she predicted. "The dark witches are known for their love of heights. The Mountain of Love will be their highest vantage point. They'll be able to witness any attack while their dragons nest their eggs in the warm caves. It's a win-win situation for them."  Faeona reverted back into his true form and flew ahead. Levitating off the ground, Priscilla flexed her enormous wings and stretched her hand out to Rogue.

Without hesitation, she accepted barely able to inhale before they were soaring against the wind. "Are you all right?"

"Never better!" she yelled with a grin.

"I didn't expect any of this," Antonio remarked. "I'm barely wrapping my head around the truth."

Maepel understood how he felt. One minute he's coming to terms with his identity as the long-lost prince and now he had to deal with the impending battle. With their troops gathered, they were mere seconds away from marching in formation. They would be somewhat at a disadvantage because their fleet was dwindling by the second, but they would do what they could and try to gain more ground. She had felt the shift in the atmosphere and had a good feeling that their situation was finally about to change.