Court Of Night

Greetings

Just as my eyes latch onto what I think the gate is, a snapping of twigs causes my ears to twitch as my eyes zoom in on where the source of the noise is coming from, body going stiff and ready to attack as I lower myself down just a bit, only to relax as I catch the scent of the person.

Appearing less haggard than I previously saw him, a now smiling Thaddeus makes his way towards us from the thick cluster of trees, almost as if he's emerging from within the flora around us. "Your Majesty," The man beams as he bows deeply at Malleus and then passes me a smile while repeating the action. I can barely voice my awkwardness and discomfort at the show of respect as he motions towards what I had set my eyes on previously, the two fused trees that I thought could be the gate.

"There seems to be nothing out of the ordinary in regards to the gate but like you ordered, no one has been passing between the two realms. I made sure of it." Thaddeus says confidently as he bows once more, nearly snapping his spine in half at how close to the ground he gets.

"Thank you Thaddeus." Malleus answers with a curt nod of his head, motioning for everyone to stay back as he approaches the realm, caution thrown to the wind as he stretches his arm out and places it against the bark of the tree. I wait with bated breath, expecting something cataclysmic to happen but it seems to be rather anticlimactic as nothing extraordinary occurs. No brilliant flashing of light, no howling in pain from anyone, neither does Malleus show anything come onto his face like recognition or surprise. A breath of relief escapes me as my mate steps back safely, everyone else taking that as a sign to approach the normal looking trees.

"Well whose going to go first?" Erza questions from behind me, standing a bit too close and invading my personal bubble, the closeness not going unnoticed by mate as his fingers twice against the bark of the tree where his hand is still placed. Smiling gently at his antics, I take a step forward and peer into the gaping archway that the trees make, trying to decipher and see if there's even a shimmer in the air, just about seeing a gently swaying from the other side that mirrors exactly that of the opposing forest.

"How about we let Fie go in first, she did last time." Erza gestures to me, completely ignoring the deathly glare that I'm sending his way. When no one says anything to object, I let out a sigh while rolling my eyes, taking a hesitant step towards the gap in the trees.

They're all insufferable pieces of shit, I think with a low grunt just about to put my foot into our own realm but stop, albeit slowly, waiting for my mate to get the hint since he's been oddly quiet as I sacrifice my life for the rest of the inconsiderate pack members. The man seems to know what's good for him and his hopes of having a peaceful life with his mate as a muscled arm wraps around my waist, lifting me off of the ground and back into the confines of his safe chest, tingles erupting over my skin at the contact.

"Can you not fidget around for one second? I'm trying to focus on something." My mate asks gruffly. Raising my eyes from the trees in front of me, I glance over my shoulder at Malleus, a sheepish smile coming onto my face when I realised why he hadn't spoken up before. The hand that was on the tree placed in the same position except this time, his dazzling blue eyes are obscured from my own eager eyes, frown lines over his forehead depicting the concentration he's mustering as he stands behind me stiffly, head lowered and almost touching my shoulder.

Deciding it's best to remain quiet, we all wait for a few moments in complete and utter silence as my mate does whatever it is that he's doing, the concept flying over my head since wolves can't exactly talk to trees nor magic. The most we can do is sense changes in people's aura and feel a persons wolf.

Peering closer at my mate's hand, I bite my lip as I stare on with widened eyes, not entirely sure if I'm seeing things or if the faint glow under his palm is an actuality that I'm having trouble digesting. Gulping, I look behind me and over at Malleus' face, taking in his furrowed brow and look of utmost concentration sketched onto his features. Taking a quick glance at everyone else, I gather that I'm the only one aware of this, the rest watching their surroundings aimlessly as I take in a deep breath. Facts hitting me in the face or more like one fact in particular that places everything into its desired slots.