Land of Light and Shadows

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It was only a day later they decided they would leave the next morning. With no time to tell her parents in person, Lyv decided to write them everything in a letter...which turned out to be several pages long. Jai told her just to worry about that and not about packing. He would do it all for her since he knew everything she usually packed anyway.

They had been in the council room at the crack of dawn, knowing they had to leave for Palrion by no later than noon if they wanted to be there that evening. They had to go over plans for two missions – Camilla and Soren's going back to Escarral and Jai, Lyv, and the others' to Laria.

"Not that we wouldn't want to go with you all to another world, but we got word from a group that stayed behind when we came back," Soren stated. "There's been movement on the continent. The darkness that enveloped the port town...well, it's starting to recede inland. They were able to get a smaller group on the shore without any incident. They even got a message back to the ship, which we could never do before."

"What does that mean?" Lyv asked, her hand clutching Jai's then. "If we're able to get troops on land..."

Camilla continued when she couldn't finish. "We're going to see how far we can get in before we hit that wall of darkness again. Donovan's staying here with the dragons and riders. Not only do they need rest, but they're going to start working on creating more armor for the dragons. Once they're finished, he asked if you, Lyv, could put another layer of protection on it like you did with our weapons when we escaped Escarral before."

Lyv nodded quickly, her eyes flashing with fierce determination. "Of course."

"Anyone else going with you?" Jai asked then.

"Merek," she said with a sigh. "We told him he didn't have to, but he insisted. That's why he's not here right now. He's packing up and saying his goodbyes to Evelien and the children."

"Good choice since we aren't going just yet," Gideon agreed. "Merek knows the lands of Escarral almost as well as Lyv and her sisters do. Just...watch his back, all right? Watch everyone's backs including your own, just like we all know you will."

They then began planning out their own excursion through Ethran and the various stops along the way. Kalla had spread the maps of both their world and Laria across the table, side by side. She'd drawn their route throughout both and marked where the portal in the Wilds was located and where it would release them in Laria.

"I'm going to warn you now," she said with a hint of a smile. "The Wilds hold nothing of what the rumors claim. But once we're in Laria...well, we'll probably cross with a few certain creatures none of you have ever seen or even heard of before. I'm usually alone, so nothing bothers me except here and there, but with a group as large as ours..."

Allel groaned and leaned her head down against the table. "Please tell me you're not talking about what I think you're talking about."

"Unfortunately, I am."

"Do we even want to know?" Jai asked.

"Oh, you do," Allel answered for her as she leaned back up again. "She's talking about pixies. Only they're not the same kind of pixies we have here in our world. Sure, they come across as sweet and innocent, but then they morph and attack you, especially when you cross their territory. You have to since the portal puts you out right on the edge of it and you have to cross to get to Arloerin."

"So, in other words, Posy and Jett are staying here to keep them safe," Lyv said matter-of-factly.

The two pixies in question had been walking across the map of Laria, hand in hand, staring at all of the new kingdoms, small villages, and lands in awe. When Lyv said their names, though, they stopped up short and glared at her.