Soft, gentle winds caressed Darla’s cheek as she continued to walk through the winding forest. The sky was darkening ever so slightly. Night would fall upon the hikers soon, and it was best to move fast.
“How much longer until we reach Brywood Peak?” Cecily mumbled, wiping the sweat pooling from her brow. “If we keep walking any longer, I think I might faint.”
Hugo sighed, looking over intently a sketch he drew of the incense map. “Well, ever since the will o’ the wisp got us off the trail, we’re sort of, kind of, well, completely and utterly lost. If my sense of direction is right, we might be headed in the direction of the Peak…or to someplace else.”
Ruby rolled her eyes angrily. “We’re lost, Hugo. Forget about your pride and just admit it. We’re stranded in the middle of the Seraphine Mountains miles and miles away from any civilization.”
Charles scowled at his twin sister. “Don’t be so negative, Ruby. We’ll find a way to get to where we need to be. And c’mon, there’s no other monsters in sight. Let’s fly!”
Darla’s eyes widened hopefully. “Could we?”
They hadn’t been flying because it was unwise for a dragon to be seen on unmarked territory, especially that belonging to monsters who weren’t particularly fond of dragons. Especially as they were nearing the Pegasi’s turf…dragons and Pegasi never got along very well in the past.
Hugo cracked a slight smile, which illuminated his tanned, chiseled face. “Fine, but if we get caught we’ll just blame Charles.”
Charles smiled. “I’m fine with that.”
Darla didn’t wait for anyone to start. She had been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Inside of her, the magic roared like a caged beast. It was ready to prowl. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the electricity pulsing through her veins, erupting in fiery chaos throughout her body. She screamed and leaped into the air, feeling the transformation occur-her nails gave way to sharp black claws, her skin withered into shining golden scales, and her button nose jutted out into a whiskered snout. She watched as everything became so much clearer. She could see far into the distance, into the beautiful mountains…
She noticed something billowing into the air in the distance-a gray ribbon of smoke. Smoke that must be coming from something!
“I see smoke!” Darla yelled to her friends, who were hovering midair next to her. “It doesn’t seem too far.”
“Let’s go!” Cecily proclaimed, racing forward like a rocket. A mischievous twinkle glistened in her deep black eyes, her amethyst purple scales sparkling like glass.
All her friends made the most beautiful dragons. There were Charles and Ruby, with their sleek silver scales and piercing green eyes, precisely the color of jade. Hugo was strong and commanding, the largest dragon of them all, with deep blue scales and fiery red eyes just like his father. Cecily was the tiniest, but also the most slender and the quickest. Her endless energy reminded Darla of a hummingbird.
So off they flew, the ragtag group of misfits, wings outstretched into oblivion. For a brief second of time, it was if nothing else mattered. There were no more Firemongers, White Maidens, or Wreckers. Fern wasn’t gone or in any imminent danger. The Shadowmaster wasn’t devising an evil scheme to destroy Earth. All was safe, all was happy, and all was serene. The only thing that existed was the warm, balmy winds and the darkening sky, streaked with vibrant oranges like paint.
Darla closed her eyes and flipped upside down, doing a midair back flip. Strong air rushed all around her in a whirlwind. She giggled freely, never feeling quite so calm and wonderful. Flying was truly a magic of its own. Darla found herself thinking how amazing it would be to fly forever. The sky would be your haven, the only thing you’d dwell in. Darla closed her eyes, picturing the serenity of eternal flight.
“Darla, watch out!”
Something flew straight into Darla, breaking her tranquility. Her eyes shot open and barely registered the abnormal sight in front of her.
Frolicking in the winds was a Pegasus, or at least, that’s what Darla assumed. She had never seen one before, but it matched all the descriptions she had heard.
It was the size of a large horse, except a bit human-like with its intelligent eyes and wisecracking smile. Its fur was soft white smudged with lavender with wings like an angel-soft, white, and feathered. A sleek silvery horn protruded from the top of its head, and its eyes were as bright as blue bells. Behind it, Darla noticed another Pegasus quite similar to this one, except much smaller.
“Hello there,” the larger Pegasus said in a feminine voice. “I’m Audessa, Pegasi Princess.”
“Um,” Ruby began, looking quite miffed. “I don’t think there are any more monarchies in Pharix except for King Jameson and Queen Eliza.”
The Pegasus-Princess Audessa-let out an airy chuckle which sounded faintly like a flute. “Oh, you dragons think you own everything, don’t you? I’m from Serendipity, the Pegasi Nation. We do not identify with the Pharixian law. Ever heard of independence?”
“I didn’t know there was a Pegasi nation,” Charles said, looking worried. “Is that even legal?”
Hugo shot him an acidic look, but Audessa only continued to giggle. “Of course it’s legal, silly. Us Pegasi are not creatures of violence, war, or bloodshed like you dragons. We believe in peace, harmony, and unity. Pharix is a free land for all of us monsters to roam freely without fear of persecution.”
Audessa spun around. “Oh, and there’s my little brother Benny. Benny, come here! Sorry, he’s a shy little thing, only six years old. I’m fifteen.”
Benny, the smaller dragon who was almost identical to his older sister, fluttered over with the grace of a gazelle. “Hello, sister. Who are the dragons?”
Darla cleared her throat. “I’d love to stay and chat, but we’re on a quest. Do you know where Brywood Peak is?”
Audessa and Benny laughed in unison, annoying Darla. Why were these Pegasi so perky? It frustrated her in ways she was unsure of.
“Brywood Peak is in the center of Serendipity,” Audessa chirped. “Follow me, dragon friends!”
Darla exchanged a glance with the others, who shrugged and nodded. They were lost anyways-might as well follow the supposed Pegasi princess.
Audessa lead them swiftly to a small, woodsy area that appeared to gleam every color of the rainbow, even colors Darla couldn’t even recognize. Everything about this strange place was merry and bright, from the trees to the flowers to the tiny, quaint cottages. Darla noticed a slightly larger cottage-style home with tiny white turrets plunging out into the sky. A few guards stood in front of it, looking stern. Darla assumed it was the palace where Audessa and Benny lived.
“This place is adorable,” Cecily gushed, landing onto the grassy green ground, allowing herself to morph back into a human. “It’s all so pretty and colorful. I wish the rest of Pharix looked more like this.”
Darla dropped to the ground and allowed herself to quickly shift. She was very sore and sweaty from travel.
“Do you think we can speak to the king or queen?” she asked Audessa, who landed softly onto the ground like a ballerina coming down from a leap.
Audessa was magnificently beautiful, in the way that made you feel like the world had frozen in place. Her waist-length hair was a creamy rose gold that streamed in the softest of spiral curls down her waist. Her huge eyes were a sparkling light blue flecked in gold, framed by thick lashes that curled slightly at the tops. Rose petal pink flushed over her chubby cheeks, giving her a youthful appearance. She fit the image of the fairy tale princess to a tee.
Next to her, Benny shifted back into his boy form. He was very petite with the same features as his sister-golden hair, blue eyes, and a plump, round face that made him look years younger.
“Yes, our parents-King Sullivan and Queen Esmeralda. You can most definitely speak with them, but probably won’t get too until much later,” Audessa began, smiling cheerily. “Tonight is the Springtime Jubilee! It’s a big celebration with music, dancing, and scrumptious food! It’s in the Hilltop Grove. You must come!”
Ruby began to refuse, but Charles cut her off. “We’d be honored to attend the Jubilee tonight, Princess Audessa.”
Audessa beamed brightly, and it felt like they had been showered in starlight. “Marvelous! I’ll tell my seamstresses to make new outfits! You’d look absolutely stunning in cornflower blue.”
She pointed towards Ruby, who looked a tad disgusted. “Um, thanks.”
With that, Audessa and Benny bounded towards the picturesque white palace. Darla noticed Hugo’s entranced expression as he watched the ethereal princess skip away, flaxen curls shining like silk.
“Why’d you do that?” Ruby snapped, aggravated. “We don’t have time to go to some celebration! We have work to do.”
“Aw, c’mon, Ruby! It’s just one night. Besides, we’ll be able to talk to the Pegasi King and Queen afterwards. They might have some answers about Laurel,” Cecily insisted, looking excited at the opportunity to go to a fancy event.
Ruby looked at Darla. “What do you say?”
Darla paused, surveying the charming Brywood Peak. “I say we have a night of fun before the sun comes back out.”