I moved my fingers bit by bit. They responded. My legs did too. I pushed myself up from the dirt. The wings of my disguise had shattered. I was left with my beautiful god wings exposed.
I had no idea where I was. I was surrounded by dense trees, taller than I could quickly fly over. There were so many unfamiliar sounds. I could feel the damp dirt beneath me. Where did I end up?
"Hello?" I heard someone call.
"Hello?" I called in response.
Soon, a pixie appeared before me. He lowered the long knife in his hand.
"Jumbo," he said. "Hello."
"Hi," I stood waveringly. "I need help. I think I'm lost."
"Follow me," he gestured.
The long knife he used to hack through vines that grew thick before us. I noticed that even behind us, they grew back together. Magically charmed weapons that didn't hurt the environment. It was very kind.
"I'm sorry to intrude," I stumbled. "I'm-"
"Orpheus," he nodded. "You were prophesized to come here for a long time. I'm Ka'Geru."
"Thank you for coming to get me, Ka'Geru," I felt flush.
"I heard a loud noise, is all," he shrugged. "I'm glad it was you and not a space rock. They tend to burn the forest when they land," he lifted a jug from his side.
"Where are we?" I dared to ask.
"The Swali Farming Fae," he gestured. "This is the town of Swali, Zannikar. We are a producer of cocao, tea, and coffee."
We entered the town. Houses and businesses lined the streets. Ka'Geru led me toward the tallest building in the city. I followed him, unsure of what else to do.
"Orpheus!" A woman approached me. She kissed my cheek before leaning back. "I can't believe it. We were told we would have you for hundreds of years! I am so glad that I get to meet you."
"Yes, thank you," I bowed my head. "I was wondering if there's a place I can sleep."
"Why yes, of course. There's been one built for you at the edge of the village. I'll send someone to clean it up for you."
"No, I can do it myself," I insisted.
"Orpheus," she set her hand on my arm. "You have no magic right now. Let us take care of it."
I kept my mouth shut. No magic? I finally had it flowing off my every move. Where did it go?
"I am Princess Imani," the woman finally introduced herself. "My dad is the king of this town. He's currently out tending our fields but will convene with you later."
"It is nice to meet you," I followed her outside the building.
"Each of our families helps tend the crops since they have rotating seasons. Our children attend school, and the others run businesses. We export many goods to the planets around us. We share profits from farming evenly among our fae. We make cloths and clothes to export. We make baskets that are sought after as far as Seratonium. I hope you can find your niche in our town until your magic returns."
"Thank you," I paused before the small brown hut she led me to at the edge of town.
"This is what our ancestors have built for you. I hope you like it," she gestured me towards the door.
I entered. There was a small table with a single chair, a kitchenette, and a bedroom behind it. The water closet was modest. It was a bit cramped, but I was only one person. I was grateful for any hospitality I could get. I'd take sleeping on a mat on someone's floor. This was an honor.
"This is fantastic," I turned to Princess Imani.
"You should get some rest, Orpheus," she kissed my cheek again. "Anything you need, find me. My fae will gladly point you in the right direction should you need it."
I hadn't thought about how exhausted I felt. It's like I had been drained. An ache had begun growing throughout my body from the fall. I found my way to the bed. It was so soft. I didn't deserve this comfort. My eyes closed almost instantly.
"Orpheus," A voice was very muddled in my ears.
"Lex, my son," another accompanied it.
"Orpheus," I was being shaken.
I opened my eyes to a blue sky. Green trees came into view. I could hear a river trickling by. Flowers were growing all around me. Beside me, Persephone and Domascus sat kneeling.
"Thank the gods of our realm," Domascus sighed. "He's still here."
"Orpheus," Persephone cupped my face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm all right," I eased up onto my arms. My body was unbelievably sore.
"We grew so worried," she shook her head. "You faded from our ability to watch. We thought something bad had happened."
"I was told I lost my magic," I sat up more. "What happened?"
"We don't know," Domascus shrugged. "You'll have to go through it. We'll try to explain if it makes any sense to us."
I looked down. Shit. "I was on Medowlark, with Arn. We had made it to Parisia. I learned that the Parisians were killing the demon-possessed Germaines instead of exorcising them."
"Most cultures lost the ability to exorcise others," Domascus explained. "It's a practice that isn't commonly needed anymore."
"I had argued with Arn that we shouldn't team up with the Parisians. I argued with him, and I-" I took a deep, shaky breath. "I-"
"Let it out," Persephone hugged me close. "Whatever it is, we can take it."
"I broke up with Arn," I spat out.
Tears fell from my eyes. Persephone exchanged a look with Domascus. He simply nodded.
"Do you hate me now?" I wiped my eyes.
Domascus set a hand on my shoulder. "Lex, my son, we could never hate you. We're your family now; you chose us. Arn or not, we promised we would be here for you. Please, continue to tell us what happened."
I took another shaky breath. "I flew away from him. I wished that I could be home. Then I was in space and somehow ended up on Zannikar."
"I see," Persephone nodded. "You jumped planets."
"I can do that?"
"Well," Domascus grinned. "All gods can do it. It is extremely draining on your magic, though. You won't be able to perform many acts of magic for at least a month. You must make sure you're eating well and sleeping enough. When your power recovers, you can make another jump."
"But I need to return to the war," I argued.
Persephone shook her head. "Lexington, what you need to do is rest. Without your magic, your god powers won't work."
"How do you know?"
"My mother used to jump planets. It's the reason she disappeared after Levi, and I got married. We didn't see her again until Arn was small. She took an extra long time to recover because of...well...her drinking problem," Persephone flushed.
"Titania and Xena have jumped planets before. They jumped with us once," Domascus pondered. "We had to reach out to you through dream-walking because yours wouldn't have worked to reach us. Not for a few days at least."
"It's actually my dream you're walking in," Persephone gave me a small smile.
"Explains the flowers."
Domascus patted my shoulder. "We will continue to look out for you, Lexington. You will not be alone in this endeavor. Please, look after yourself. I know you are worried and heartbroken, but you need to think about yourself this time."
"Will you guys continue to visit me?" I pleaded.
"Of course," Persephone smiled at me. "We love you very much and will always be here for you."
"For now, rest. We will see you again soon," Domascus nodded.
I laid back down in the grass and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
~*~
I removed the Black Daliah as the pixie's eyes rolled back. I whispered a sleeping charm as he fell to the ground. He would wake up once more in a few hours.
"That's it?" I checked with my companions.
Lilian nodded. "That's the last one."
We were getting tired. It had been five days of nonstop fighting and exorcism on my and Ciana's part. We were starting to look a little rugged. Zuri had a scratch above her eye that wouldn't heal. Beth had tears on her arm. I had holes in my pants now from being shoved down onto rocks. Ciana was missing one of her metal claws. Lilian luckily fought from a distance and remained unharmed.
Something rustled in the trees beside us. We all froze. Eyes fell on me. I nodded. I ducked between the bushes.
There was nothing.
It couldn't have been my imagination. I know I hadn't slept well, but all my companions had heard it.
Metal came slicing down my arm where it was bent. I pulled away from the force and attempted to duck for cover, but a heel slammed down against mine.
I fell and scrambled to look behind me. The dark green glass wings took me away for a second. I noticed some key details that immediately took my hope away. A very tall woman stood there. Her dark skin nearly blended her into the colors of the forest, but her clothing choice brought her right back out. She had bright pink hair. Her pink pleather top ran right into her short purple skirt. She snapped a fan open in front of me.
"Ugh, another one," she reached out to catch another fan. "And a pretty one too. What a shame."
"Hey-" I began to say, standing up.
She threw her fans in opposing directions. I didn't have enough of a grip on my senses to be able to hear them. I attempted to pull the Black Daliah from my side, dropping to my knees as the blades sliced over my head.
A few strands of my black hair fell down. The Daliah stayed insistently inside her case.
Fine. She was going to be picky today.
I used my position to rush forward. Indeed, this woman had to be waiting for her fans once more. I attempted to take her out at the knees, but she bent backward, flipping over me. She landed perfectly upright on her lilac pumps and caught those damn fan blades of hers.
Even in heels, this woman was more graceful than I could have imagined.
"Hm," she smiled. "I love them feisty."
She ran for me again, swinging at my face with the fan in her grip. I lowered myself and reached for her arm. I caught it, turning her a reasonable distance away from me. She blinked twice before throwing her fans, one by one, in my direction. I headed for the nearest tree, dropping into its cover. I heard her blades go thunk, thunk into the tree's trunk.
"Your red eyes mysticize, darling," her voice came closer. "But you don't fight like you're possessed."
"I'm not!" I yelled back.
"Oh," she leaned around the tree. "Then we better stop fighting because I think we're on the same side."
Vines wrapped around her arms, forcing them to her sides. I finally stood to find my companions in this clearing, holding this woman hostage.
"Beth, let her go," I instructed. "She's fighting on our side."
"What are you all doing out here in the woods alone?" this woman asked.
"A troupe of Parisians abandoned us," Ciana explained. "We've been fighting our way through Germaines for a couple of days, exorcising them and leaving them to return home. We're just trying to get to Germania."
"Of course," she popped open a fan. "That's what the Parisians are. Une bande de lâches, a bunch of cowards. They can't fight with others because they know some of the helper fae are also getting possessed. Well, I should take you back to my camp. We've caught a few stragglers such as yourselves."
"I've never heard anyone speak Parisian aside from..." Zuri grew quiet. "It sounds very pretty as a language."
"Compared to Quickian," the woman smiled. "I could imagine. Where do you all hail from?"
"We're from Delta Ace," Lilian answered.
"Students," she snapped her fan closed. "Well, then, we are definitely on the same side. Come, follow me to my camp. Tell me your names; I want to know who you are, especially you," she winked at me.
"I'm Arn Juno of the Dawlingwood Necromancy Fae," I answered as I had been trained.
"Lilian Spacic of the Fretela Star Fae."
"Zuri Musclave of the Plavia Ice Fae."
"Beth Hargrave of the Solemten Necrobotany Fae."
"Ciana Lau of the Pangu Silk Fae."
"Two dead ones," the woman crinkled her nose. "How cute."
"You haven't told us who you are," Zuri added.
"Well," she stepped through to another clearing. "Welcome to the Queens and Kings of Medowlark! And guests."
"You're royalty?" I asked.
"No, no," she waved me off. "Different kinds of kings and queens, darling."
I didn't even get a chance to ask further when she struck a cute pose.
"I," she snapped her fan open. "Am Lady Legacy of the Parisian Fae. Allow me to introduce you to the rest of my crew. There is La Luna of Espana. Here we have King Edward the Thirty-Fifth, or as we call him, King Eddie of Everfi. This is Lord of Darkness from Romina, and trust me, he's less scary under the hood. Lastly, this is Ginger Mince of the Gaelia. Please let me know if you can figure out what she's saying. Our guests include Mamba of the Genish River Fae on Zannikar and Charleze of the Everfi Steam Fae. Our crew used to be much bigger, but the war has been hard, darling. Even our guests were once part of a larger group. This is where we are."
"I think fighting together is better than fighting alone," Lilian nodded.
"Exactly!" Lady Legacy spun around. "Please, make yourselves at home. But remember, if you are going to take any of my kings or queens, we do have a fight in the morning."
"Yeah," I added. "The war isn't pretty."
She approached me, grabbing my face between her hands. "Yeah, but you sure are, though."
Lady Legacy kissed my cheek, winked, and ducked into her tent.
"Arn," Ciana popped up beside me. "Your hands are shaking. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I insisted.
Zuri found herself at my other side. "We should treat this. You go eat something, and I'll see if they have fresh medical supplies."
They weren't going to let up. I had practically given up on life. I was missing the greater half of me. This war had become an excuse to fill my mind with other concerns. I tried not to think about him. I wanted nothing more than to curl up, cry, and not take care of myself. I had no appetite. I couldn't sleep because sleep brought him on to me. These companions of mine had started to step in and take care of me. It was starting to get annoying. But they wouldn't let up on me if I didn't eat, so I found myself to their fire.
"Mind if I sit here?" I asked a boy in a full mask.
"By all means," he gestured.
"Thank you," I sat. "You are?"
"Charleze Williams," he answered. "Of the Everfi Steam Fae."
Charleze was tall and slender. I should have been able to tell he was Everfi by how he dressed. Simple white button-up, black slacks, and a brown vest over it all. His brown leather boots matched the two bags at his side. His mask was an odd affair, a solid brown color with two lights where the eyes should be. I wondered why. What magic did he utilize?
I realized then he was waiting for me to introduce myself. I gave him my name and clan.
"Lady Legacy has taken a liking to you," he joked.
"I am not particular of women, though," I reached into my bag.
Charleze burst with laughter.
"Arn," Beth sat beside me. "You do realize what the kings and queens of Medowlark are, right?"
"No," I narrowed my eyes.
"Mate," Charleze elbowed me. "That's a woman with a penis."
"What?" I froze.
"They're drag kings and drag queens," Beth smacked her forehead. "Have you never heard of the practice?"
"No," I shook my head. "It's not something I've ever heard of."
"It's fae who don't feel like the gender they're born into," Beth explained. "Well, in some cases anyway. Sometimes it's a gateway to being transgender. Sometimes it helps fae feel more comfortable as themselves. It's the practice of dressing and acting like the opposite sex."
"I can tell I'm going to like you already," Charleze patted my shoulder. "We have drag bars all over Everfi. It's quite a fun show. Not all fae do it for entertainment. Some do it just to leave the house. It's great, though. I used to take blokes to drag shows on dates. It's got a great sense of love and community."
"You were sheltered," Beth sighed.
"Well," I unclenched my jaw. "I only came above ground a few times and didn't get a chance to spread my wings until I was fifteen. The town above the Underworld is small. Fae didn't like me all that much because I was 'one of those dead things.'"
"Yeah, I hear that one," Beth elbowed me. "There are many things you have yet to learn."
"Would you like some tea?" Charleze asked. "I've just taken the kettle off."
"I would," I tried to smile at Charleze, he was kind, after all, but my face faltered.
Beth set bread and jerky into my lap. I waited until Charleze handed me a warm tin cup full of tea before I ate. I swallowed the dry bread with the tea. It made it easier to eat. I was pretty much forcing myself to do so.
Zuri reappeared. "Thankfully, they have fresh wound supplies."
"I can take care of it," I tried to argue.
"We're not wasting magic anymore, Arn," Beth warned. "This is serious."
Zuri carefully wrapped my arm, choosing not to say much of anything. I couldn't blame her. This was all very weird.
"Make sure you get some rest, mate," Charleze stood, a cup of tea still steaming in his hands. "You'll need it in the morning."
"Thank you," I managed to say.
Sleep was a struggle. It continued to be. Sleeping made thoughts of Lexington come back. I didn't want to dream of him anymore. The dreams were painful, sour. A mishmash of everything I had done to completely fuck up our relationship. I wanted him back. I begged to say I'm sorry. I wasn't sure how well this war would do without him beside me.
I looked up at Medowlark's five night moons. They were all different colors. I closed my eyes, praying quietly. Lexington, wherever you are, I hope you're okay.