We entered this small narrow way that led us to a big space leading down, we ran down the stairs. "Hurry Denise! " Pan called out. I looked behind me, the gobblers disappeared. I looked back in front of me and a cage has landed on me. I was thrashing around, testing its type, but sadly it was a changeling proof cage. I was forced to watch the children being forced into nets while Emeline was in one of the cages herself, the children were screaming and pleading us to help them, save them.
But Emeline and I were too tired to even move a limb, so we just laid there. We can't do anything to protect the children. I morphed back into a human, breathing ever so heavily. Then the cage door opened and a gobbler came quickly crawling in. I tried kicking him in the face but he crawled over my legs, he placed this weird metal collar around my neck, locked it, then the chain was connected to both sides of the cage's walls. So now, I couldn't move as much as before.
When the gobbler stood up and grabbed the handle, an arrow pierced him right through the heart, his daemon blew up and golden dust had blown everywhere. The second gobbler looked up to see who killed his mate. Before he could react, an arrow has been shot through his neck. So no one was near me, I turned around to see the others. All being shot down, except the children. People who were hiding behind the massive stairs came out to each and every one of us.
They got their daggers out and freed those who have been trapped inside the nets, I heard my cage rattle, I didn't flinch because of how tired I was. The cage's door was opened, someone was crawling on top of me, the reached out for the collar and somehow unlocked it. After they got out, I felt someone holding onto my ankles and gently dragged me out.
Then I felt this powerful burst of energy hit through me. I kicked whoever was dragging me out and quickly sat up to see who it was, but they dropped to the ground and held their stomachs, tucking their head inside made it difficult to see who it was.
"Gyptians" Lyra's voice caught my attention, I looked over my shoulders to see the children in a tight group formation, fearing that they might be separated again. I picked myself up and head over to the group. "Don't fret none, girls" said a recognizable voice walking towards us with arms out wide. This woman walks in front of Lyra and Lyra suddenly burst into a hug with this woman. "You're all safe with us" said the woman.
"You're Ma Costa, Billy's Mum!" said Lyra as the woman pulled away and gave Lyra a kiss on her forehead. "But what you doing here?" said Lyra breaking into a smile.
" Half of us have been in Alexina, Rosana, Emeline and your shadow ever since, and the other half had been watching over Samaria and Denise too, ever since you girls had left the college, we have been all watching you," said Ma Costa smiling at all of us. "And a good thing too" she added as she nodded her head. "It's best if you all come with us" She tapped on Lyra's shoulder to get her attention. They both turned around, I morphed into a pegasus and let all the children have a ride.
The group had walked right to the docks and we were about to board a boat. "Where are we going?" said Lyra.
"To see Lord Faa, King of Gyptian" Ma Costa arrived.
"C'mon, get yourself aboard" said a crew member aggressively.
Once we got ourselves on board, we all had turns going into the bathroom to have a shower and fix ourselves up, Ma Costa gave us all clean clothes so we all weren't so easy to spot and all.
The boat sailed day and night, sunrise to sunset, sailed far and wide with freedom on their shoulders. We sailed until a huge ship came into view.
We soon aboard that huge ship, we all amounted the steep steps that bring us all upwards, as we got up at the first deck, everyone was giving us strange looks, like we all stand out in the crowd. Samaria hissed at someone that got too close to her, the person jumped back as a reflex. We all followed Ma Costa in one long line, looking at all the dirty folk that's on deck, eyeing us. Not even blinking or anything. Just staring at us.
Lyra didn't like this, so she tried acting like Samaria, "What are you looking at?!" she snapped at a man, the man didn't flinch nor move.
Embarrassing move Lyra!
Someone opened the door for Ma Costa, and we all trailed in as if we were Ma Costa's tail. Inside the room, was dark, the only light source here was just candles, but the room was spacious, there was a large table in the middle of the room, a lot of people were sitting around while this big man was talking to him. Ma Costa grabbed Lyra's shoulders and urged her on, I felt hands on my shoulder as well, I snapped around and hissed aggressively, the man's hands retreated away from my shoulder.
"Ma Costa?" The big man turned around, drawing all the attention on us. He eyes us all carefully.
"Are these the children?" His voice softens. Ma Costa pushed Lyra, but it wasn't long until someone did something similar to all of us, which was shuffling us forward as if we were prisoners.
"It's alright, girls" we heard Ma Costa say.
He gives us all a strange look. Lyra steps forward, curtsy and said, "How do you do, Lord Faa?"
Lord Faa looks at us all, I curtsy, then a wave reaction happened with the rest of us. We looked up at him and he smiles. He walks towards Lyra and grabs her hand.