Unstable

Chapter 15

--- Aither's POV ---

When I woke up, we were definitely not in the cabin anymore. We were in the middle of a bustling marketplace.

The air seemed vibrant with energy, and laughter rang through the area. It was warm, but I guessed the temperature was cooling down in the evening.

I was lying on my back in a forgotten corner, and I sat up stiffly. I had a massive headache, and I clutched my head, wincing. "Where am I?" My voice was raspy, and I desperately wanted a drink of water.

I looked around, Raiden and Xander were lying next to me. I checked, and saw they were both breathing normally. They must be asleep. I shook them awake, both of them grimacing from headaches as well.

"Sorry, dimensional travel is always rough for first-timers." I looked up, seeing the sun setting in the distance. Dion offered me a hand and I took it. He hauled me to my feet. I swayed, unsteady, then helped Raiden up.

Xander was able to stand on his own, and he looked at our surroundings. "Are we in the middle of a market? The last thing I remember is being at the cabin." His voice wasn't as hoarse as mine.

"Same." I clutched Raiden's hand. He made me feel safe.

"Welcome to the underworld." Dion said proudly. His sister stepped out next to him, seemingly out of nowhere.

While his sister still had the black halo and tail, Dion had gained a white halo and white tail. They looked like opposites, but also the same. It was weird.

"This is the underworld?" I glanced around. There were people shopping, walking, and selling. Some were closing up shop. It appeared to be a regular food market, but looking closer, I could see that some people had horns, others had furry tails, and some were floating. Some looked just like humans. There was a wide variety of demons, apparently.

"This is awesome!" Xander raced off, excitedly looking at the stalls and weaving around civilians. Dion cursed and chased after him. Quickly catching up to him, he grabbed Xander's collar and dragged him back.

"You can't just run off! This goes for all of you, but especially Xander." Dion scolded.

Xander glared petulantly. "Why not?"

"Because of your eyes," Dion stated simply.

"My eyes?" Xander's glare grew hostile. "What about them?"

"Having two different colored eyes is very rare here. People with them are quite popular. Although some are kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder." Dion frowned angrily.

Xander's eyes widened. I bet he had never heard of eyes like his being popular before.

He was silent, turning over this new piece of information. Dia clicked her tongue impatiently, "Let's go, Fox."

Fox peeked out from behind her. They looked nervous. They had hidden their ears and tails, and was dressed in a plain white shirt and shorts. Their long hair was in a ponytail, and had a chain necklace that had the word DIAMOND spelled out.

"Uh, I'm sorry for the rough trip." They shuffled up to me, pressing a finger to my forehead. All of a sudden, my headache was gone. I felt my head incredulously. They did the same to Raiden and Xander.

"Come on, Uncle's going to be annoyed if I don't bring you back soon." Dia grabbed Fox by their shoulders and steered them off into the crowd. Raiden and I looked at each other, and followed them.

Our group, made up of two humans, one merman, and three demons, was apparently a sight to see. Making our way through the crowded streets, I felt many stares burning into my back. Xander looked even more uncomfortable, casting shifty eyed glances.

Finally leaving the market area, Dion waved his arm, and a carriage rolled up to the sidewalk. It was white, with gold trimming. Seeing our confused looks, he shrugged. "It's a common type of transportation."

I'm not going to get used to this anytime soon.

The underworld had a medieval age sort of feel to it, with the carriages, black and purple flags hanging down everywhere, and the soldiers marching around. They had swords at their belts, and they bowed their heads when Dion and Dia passed by. Fox attracted curious looks as well, for some reason.

We piled into the carriage, with Raiden, Dion, and I on one side, and Dia, Fox, and Xander on the other. The seats were cushioned, and the inside of the white carriage was adorned with velvet. I looked through the curtains at the window, watching the cobbled street pass by us. There were demons walking on the sidewalks, and I saw a cute family, and a couple of kids playing some kind of game.

Then, I realized, the carriage wasn't being pulled by anything. Just a driver in the front seat. I couldn't see any smoke being emitted from the back of the carriage.

I asked Dion about it, and he responded, "It's powered by magic. Far more efficient than fossil fuels, don't you think?"

I sat back in my seat, stunned. I want to live here now.

--- Fox's POV ---

I wriggled in my seat. I didn't know how they would react, but they seemed to be okay so far. I was worried they would start screaming when they saw a harpy or something.

But... I didn't tell them. During their barrage of questions, I had managed to avoid answering about royalty, but the truth would come to light soon.

Aither was looking out the window, pointing out things to Raiden.

"Where are we going?" Xander asked, nudging my shoulder.

"It's a surprise." I wanted to see the look on his face when he saw my home. The home I haven't seen in years.

"Hmm, okay." He turned to the window, pushing aside the silk curtains. I glanced down at my thigh, pressed against Xander's leg.

I had hidden my ears and tails, knowing that if I had them out, my secret would be exposed. I wanted to be safe at home, when everyone finds out that I've returned. Years after I was supposed to.

My thoughts turned to the trial.

The Hawks and the Hornets. A trial that had been around for thousands of years. It was crucial, very important. There were, of course, buildings where one could apply to take the trial, and pills for the Heat Fever were free, because without them, incubi and succubi would run rampant in the kingdom.

I had learned about an alike phrase in the human world. The birds and the bees. The phrases were curiously similar.

Dion pulled aside the curtain adorning the window on his side of the carriage, "We're here." My friends gasped as we rolled up to the front gate. "Welcome to our castle."