Star Scion: The Mortal Realms Trilogy, Book 2

Back in the Feywild

"Open your eyes Oriander." A familiar voice said. Oriander looked to see Celestriun standing above her. "If you aren't accustomed to traveling between planes of reality, it can be very disorienting."

"Where have we come through?" Oriander asked as she stood up and pulled Tiandra's cloak around her body. It appeared to be early morning in this world, and the morning air was brisk.

"I don't know." Noctalium said as he was collecting himself. "But it doesn't look all that different from where we were."

Celestriun looked around. "It appears that we are just outside of Senaliesse. You can see the Heart Tree to the east."

"What do you mean we are in Senaliesse?" Noctalium yelled. "We are back where we started? Why is there no destruction? Why is..."

"Relax." Oriander cut him off. "We are not in your world anymore."

"What... is that suppose to mean?" Noctalium looked thoroughly confused. "You said that the Heart Tree is right there?"

Celestriun walked up to the panicking man and touched the palm of his hand to Noctalium's forehead. Suddenly a rush of information was transferred into the eladrin's mind. 

He stumbled back before stammering, "What... there is another mortal realm? A separate Faerun and Feywild."

Oriander steadied him. "Only in this world, the humans live in a place called Nentir. And yes, their world has a Feywild too." 

Noctalium was about to respond but suddenly Oriander looked around. "Where is Kal? Where is the pixie?"

"Gone." Celestriun said stoically. "Kal did not travel with us to this world. He was never fully with us in the last plane."

Noctalium continued processing his environment and the conversation. Oriander was not satisfied by the answer. "What do you mean he didn't come with us? Doesn't he care about the destruction of the worlds?"

"Kal is the Herald of the Seldarine. This is not just a title. He was created by the elven gods, Corellon and Sehanine to do their bidding. He has more in common with the energy waves that will destroy Faerun than he does with you or Noctalium."

"What about you?" Oriander asked. "Why are you still with us?"

"Because once, you protected me on my journey across worlds. This time, I will return the favor." There was no expression in the angelic man's face when he said those words. Oriander was just getting used to this lack of emotion.

"So where is the pixie?" Noctalium said, just beginning to catch up.

"She has fled into the woods." Celestriun said. "I could not persuade her to stay."

Oriander began to catch a hint of sweat and dirt on the air that had not been there moments before.

"Quiet," she said. "I can hear breathing. It sounds almost cavernous."

Noctalium's eyes grew wide as he looked beyond Oriander. She turned in time to see a large single eyed giant rise up from the ground.

"A cyclops." Celestriun said. "Run."

Led by Celestriun, who was flying only a few feet off the ground, Noctalium and Oriander made their way toward the Heart Tree. Each person reached for their weapons. Noctalium quickly noticed that his sword was missing.

The forest was bent and flexed in front of them to clear the way for the lumbering cyclops, who was close behind. This made their travel much easier. Suddenly the group was stopped dead in their tracks by the sight of another cyclops in the trail in front of them.