The Forsaken Prophecy

Chapter Thirty One

Ayren was growing increasingly worried.

This won't work, she's gone, I can't do this - 

Maria screamed.

Ayren was instantly alert, scanning the campgrounds for danger. It took him a moment to see a brown-haired girl being ferociously hugged by Jason and Maria.

His heart nearly stopped.

She was there. She was alive.

Rowen finally broke away. She laughed. She smiled. She cried slightly. She asked a question.

Maria pointed.

Rown turned.

Ayren and Rowen locked eyes and he couldn't move.

I'm not this lucky.

Rowen said a few words to her friends and pointed to the tent. Maria and Jason went inside, chattering happily.

Rowen  began walking toward Ayren.

She stopped in front of him. She opened her mouth to speak.

Ayren kissed her, cutting off any attempts of speech she may have made.

*

Finally, Rowen pulled away, heart beating fast. She felt lightheaded as she leaned against Ayren's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair.

She glanced over at Polly's tent and saw Maria poke her head out.

Finally, Maria signed.

*

A lot happened very quickly.

Firstly, the enemy army completely retreated. Vanished into the woods, abandoning many of their supplies.

Second, there was a feast planned to celebrate the easy and swift victory and Terr's death. Ayren could still hardly believe that the man who had tortured him for years was dead.

Third, Maria, Jason, Rowen, Ayren, and Polly were smuggled out of camp as quickly as possible.

"We're not going to stay for the feast?" Jason asked, disappointed.

"Your families are probably worried sick," Polly pointed out, and Jason snorted. "Plus, we need to talk about a lot. In private. That's something we're sure not to find at the feast."

Jason, Maria, and Rowen took a three-person flighter. Polly and Ayren took a double.

"Couldn't we  just teleport near the portal or something?" Maria asked.

"Two portals that close together? Unwise," Polly informed them.

Ayren didn't really want to ask why it was unwise; Polly had been very short-tempered ever since Rowen was resurrected and she had lost the use of both of her legs.

As they flew, they talked.

"First and foremost," Polly began, talking with all the confidence that only young children have, "you two" - here she pointed at Ayren and Rowen - "are a couple."

Rowen, after a startled pause, laughed embarrassedly. "This is a priority...?"

"Of course it is! It's the BIGGEST priority!" Polly exclaimed. "All in favor of Rowen and Ayren being a romantic couple, say 'aye.'"

"Aye," intoned Maria, Jason, and Polly immediately.

Ayren looked at Rowen, who was blushing furiously. His heart beat faster. "Aye," he said loudly.

Rowen tried to hide a smile. "Aye!" she exclaimed, laughing. Everyone cheered and clapped.

"Now for the boring stuff," Polly said sadly.

"Uh oh," Ayren said, getting the feeling that this involved humans in the Earth dimension.

He was right, of course.

*

"It's weird, saying goodbye in the air," commented Rowen.

"If everything goes according to plan, this isn't goodbye," Polly pointed out.

"And if it doesn't?"

"Don't think like that." Polly grinned. "But if it doesn't, we bust you out of your stupid dimension."

Rowen sighed, smiling slightly. "Okay."

Jason and Rowen watched the portal opening with interest. Since Maria had made them close their eyes the first time this happened, they were curious as to what a portal looked like

"Rowen, pay really close attention," Polly called over her shoulder. Ayren had gotten out of the flighter and was fluttering in midair next to Rowen, carrying Polly.

"I am," Rowen responded.

Polly began muttering under her breath. She held her hands in front of her, palms up. As she continued the chant, a golden glow began to surround her hands, as if she had dipped her hands in fluorescent honey. Still chanting, she lifted her hands and reached out into the sky. Obviously having found purchase on an invisible something, she grasped her fingers into fists and pulled outward.

Rowen and Jason gaped as the very sky seemed to part into a large, rough circle about thirty feet tall and wide. Instead of glowing or being a black abyss or anything like that, it showed a grey sky. A robin fluttered past, oblivious to its audience.

Rowen broke into applause and Jason followed. Ayren and Maria shared a look and laughed.

The group flew through the portal. They found themselves above the same clearing they had left from about two weeks ago. It felt like months had passed.

They landed quickly - Ayren was too emotionally exhausted to keep up a good glamor and Polly was weak both physically and mentally from the resurrection spell.

Ayren and Polly had left their flighter hovering in the other dimension, so Ayren held Polly like she was any other little girl. Maria stood next to them, stroking Polly's raven black hair.

Rowen grabbed Jason's hand after disembarking, looking back at her friends. Her heart swelled with love.

They had become more than friends. This was her family.

With luck, her mother would come to feel the same way.

Rowen and Jason decided to talk to his family first. They developed a plan as they walked through the woods, one that would make them throw Jason out on the streets faster than anything. Then, he would be free to come with Rowen.

"Stay by an exit," Rowen reminded him before he went into his house via the back door. "Run if they try anything or even look like they're going to try anything."

Jason tried to smile but he was too worried. "Thanks. I'll remember that. I'm just expecting a lot of screaming." He took a deep breath and entered the house.

It went pretty well, but only because it resulted in Jason's freedom. Otherwise, it happened exactly as he had predicted. There had been a lot of shouting, most of which Rowen could clearly hear from the woods, and the throwing of heavy objects. Rowen heard them call Jason "crazy," "ungrateful," and several other, more profane names even she wouldn't want to utter.

The plan worked well, though. Jason's parents were huge homophobes and already assumed that Jason was gay purely because he hung out with two girls, neither of which he was dating, and didn't play sports. There was a deadly silence after (Rowen assumed) Jason lied about where he had been for the past two weeks - with his new boyfriend.

Finally, Jason emerged from the house. "They didn't even let me pack any clothes or anything," he said forlornly. "Just...kicked me out."

"Wow," Rowen said as they sat on a log. "That was...intense."

"I didn't expect anything less," Jason admitted. "God, I hate them." He climbed to his feet, brushing off his jeans, and held out a hand.

"Your mom, then?"