Chapter 21
Staring at the sealed letter in Jai's hands, Lyv was being selfish. She wanted to know what Dessa wrote to him just as much as he did, but she wasn't going to stoop so low as to sneak a peek at it later that night. Still, knowing Dessa had written something to her father specifically had tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at him.
Jai's hands began to shake as he looked at it, knowing exactly who it was from.
"You sure you don't want to read it now?" she whispered, trying to swallow down the lump that formed in her throat. "We...we can wait a little while for you."
Jai shook his head as he tucked the letter into the inside pocket of his leather jacket. "Not that I don't want to right now, because I really do...but we have another, more important adventure to continue on with. It...it can wait for a little while," he said, then turned to Kalla, Mik, and Allel. "So, if you don't mind, lead the way."
Lyv's eyes went back to the tree, which still moved in a conscious manner, another world flickering into view on either side of it. Jai's hand wrapped around her own again just as she reached for Elys's.
And they all moved forward.
Still watching for any hostile movement, they followed behind Kalla, Mik, and Allel. Kalla, having been the one to go through the portal the most, knew what to expect. First, though, she touched the oak's trunk, quietly thanking the unknown spirit within it for keeping them safe on their journey.
She turned back to them then. "We have to go through one at a time. I've tried it with a few people at once and we all ended up in different areas along the coast. I'll go first and then you'll will follow. We shouldn't get separated if we go that way."
"And if we do?" Lyv asked, thinking more about Elys than anyone, seeing as he didn't have magic like the rest of them.
"Then head east until you reach Lake Iris. We'll meet there."
Without another word, she turned and stepped forward to the natural portal between their world and Laria. The way she approached it reminded her of watching Dessa and older Elys when they disappeared through their own after helping her in the Keep. The air twisted and rippled, flashing images of another forest beyond it. Kalla took a hesitant step...
And completely disappeared.
Lyv's hands tightened on both Jai's and Elys's as they watched Allel and then Mik go through it, too.
"Here goes nothing," Gideon grumbled, but Lyv knew him almost as well as she knew herself. He tried to hide his nervousness as he walked forward with Thia, stepping through just before she did.
That left Lyv, Jai, and Elys.
"Me next!" Elys said with excitement.
And before she could stop him, the little boy let go of her hand and bolted forward. When he disappeared, too, Lyv's stomach twisted into a panicked knot.
Jai looked over at her, giving her hand a squeeze. "You want to...?"
But she shook her head. "No, you go first. I'll be right behind you."
Together, they walked right up to the portal, the oak creaking beside them. Squeezing her hand once more before letting go, Jai stepped through the portal, followed by a low hum and slight breeze.
Lyv was the only one left.
Taking one last look around the forests of the Wilds, she finally followed behind them.
It was a feeling she'd felt like she remembered and yet didn't all at the same time, reminding her of fading through the shadows. It wasn't like going through a doorway as she tried to convince herself. Not at all. More like being pulled through a gateway in all directions by invisible hands as the air was sucked out of her lungs.
Wind rushed around her, silencing her frightened scream. Her hair whipped around her, sticking to her face, and her cloak tangled with her legs. She tried to touch ground, but all she could feel was herself falling.
Time passed strangely, too, just as it did before, seemingly stretched and condensed all at once. She had no sense of direction either. And even though it felt like an eternity...
It was over in just a few seconds.
Lyv's boots finally touched down on soft grass, which cushioned her fall when she pitched forward into it. She caught herself on her hands and knees, trying to suck in as much air into her as she could. It wasn't every day she went portal jumping...and she was surprised she didn't get sick. Shakily pushing herself up to stand, everything in front of her twisted on itself, her body still feeling like it was being pushed and pulled.
Well, scratch that about not getting sick.
Lyv's stomach clenched and she stumbled over to a large tree to lean one hand against, disappearing behind it just before she vomited. She didn't even have to look up to know Jai was there in the next moment, smoothing his hand over her back as she continued heaving.
"Here," he told her when it finally subsided, handing her water to drink from a glass bottle. "Rinse your mouth out and then drink some."
"Thanks," she groaned, reaching for it with a shaky hand. Everything within her sight, including Jai, was still twisting. "Gods, that was awful."
"Not too bad..."
"You mean to say I'm the only one to get sick?"
His small smile told her the answer, even before he nodded. "It wasn't the easiest experience, but yes, you were," he said, reaching up to brush his hand along the sweat that beaded across her forehead. "Are you all right now?"
"I think...but can we never do that again?"
That smile grew. "You want to go home, right?"
"Ugh, I guess."
Jai laughed and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Come on," he coaxed, pulling her by the hand. "We've only got a little bit of daylight left and we need to set up camp."
When she was finally able to focus on everything other than her rolling stomach, it finally managed to click that she wasn't in her own world anymore. Sure, the oak was still there, the portal flickering on either side of it, but the world around her changed.
Her breath hitched in her chest as she looked around. Here, there were the sounds of birds and animals scurrying in the canopies above them, unlike in the Wilds. Soft grass that reminded her of the smooth carpeting in the Escarrali palace was beneath her boots and colorful flowers bloomed at the bases of the large trees. Somewhere a short distance away, a river rushed, water bubbling over rocks, and she caught sight of the wooden bridge that crossed over it two dozen yards away.
Lyv leaned her head back, peering up at what was above them – the bright green leaves, the setting sun, the night sky that bled into day, and constellations of stars different from the ones that burned above them back home. Even with the sun setting, the forest was still very much alive and lit up. Speckles of something she didn't have a name for floated all around, giving off a blueish light that was just enough for them to still be able to see.
When she and Jai met up with the others, Elys was chasing one of the specks, laughing as he attempted to catch it. It flitted away quickly, though, making him stumble after he jumped, and he fell into a giggling heap right in front of them.
"It's so pretty here!" he grinned as Jai leaned down to help him up. "Are you all right, Lyvi? You were the only one to get sick..."
Somehow, she managed a smile as she ran her fingers through his tangled hair, pushing it back from his forehead. "I am. How about you? No visions of Laria just yet?"
"Nothing yet," he answered, shaking his head. He reached for her, wrapping both arms around her waist. "But maybe once I go to sleep! You know how much I'll get to see about mine and Dessa's adventures here? I haven't seen her much here in the last few weeks, but I..."
He stopped up short, snapping his mouth shut as his eyes dropped to her stomach.
She once again ran her hand through his hair. "Everything all right?"
"I...I guess," he nodded...and then leaned in to hug her tight. "There's something else, though. I think we're being watched."
Lyv lifted her head just as Gideon and Thia were making their way over to them, along with Mik and Allel, but Kalla...Kalla was standing still and staring off past the river.
She whirled around, pressing one finger to her lips. Almost immediately, they all went silent and Lyv's arms tightened around Elys just a little more.
The ground shook beneath them, rhythmic. No...footsteps. Closer and closer they shaking steps got.
Kalla motioned for them to hide before she darted behind one of the large trees. Mik and Allel seemingly knew what was coming, each of them finding shelter behind two others just a short distance away. Gideon wasn't letting Thia away from him, securing her between him and a tree that easily hid them both. Jai did the same with Lyv, though they had Elys between them.
Lips pressed tightly together, she tried to ignore her racing heart. There was no way she could, though, not when they were in a world they didn't know with some kind of creature that was even bigger than Roshan and Erly, one who's approach they couldn't ignore or get away from in time.
Eyes wide with fear of the unknown, she looked over at Kalla, who's back was pressed tight against the tree she hid behind. When their gazes locked, Kalla pressed a finger to her lips and then slowly peeked around the trunk. With Elys burying his face against her stomach, Lyv shifted in Jai's arms, wanting to look, too, just as its shadow eclipsed the rays of the setting sun around them.
The creature was massive, having to be at least three times larger than Roshan in both height and width. Covered in dark brown fur, Lyv had to describe it as looking similar to an elk that used to roam in certain area of Escarral, though the upper half of its body was broader. Large hooves pounded against the ground, which continued to rumble the closer it got to them, and its antlers were even wider than its body, draped in green moss.
Somehow, it was able to shift between the trees, not even touching them with body or antlers. When the wind blew through, it caught the scent of something and snorted, steam billowing from its snout before letting out a thunderous roar. The sound had Lyv leaning back against the tree once more and pressing her face to Jai's chest.
They waited until the ground beneath them stopped shaking, which took several minutes. Lyv never let go of Jai just as Elys didn't let of her. Even for another minute after all was quiet again and the animals in and around the trees began to move, none of them did until Kalla's voice sounded.
"We're clear," she called out.
Jai's arms squeezed Lyv tight once more before he let her go, keeping his hands on her as he stepped back.
"What in the Mother's name was that?" he demanded, looking between Kalla, Mik, and Allel.
Allel was the one to answer, her gaze still lingering on the direction it went. "A beist. That's the closest I've ever seen one..." She looked over at Kalla. "But I thought nothing ever got close to the portal?"
"Nothing has," she said, shaking her head. "I don't know why it was either."
"Don't tell me there's more throughout this forest," Gideon said, still keeping Thia close.
"There are. Several different forms of them, too. That one – the elk form – is the largest of them. Then there's the ram and the lion forms, too. All three have their own territories and don't like it when their boundaries are crossed. That one likely caught a whiff of another and went to challenge it. Obviously, we'll know if they're close just by the ground shaking."
Thia let out the breath she'd apparently been holding, then shivered. "I'm really glad we sent Erly and Roshan off and didn't let them come now. I was questioning myself there for a moment..."
Before she even finished, one of the trees near the portal shook, causing several leaves to fall. And who stumbled out to follow them from their world?
Roshan and Erly, two of the most stubborn dragons they'd even known.
"Are you serious?" Lyv cried out as she let go of Jai and ran over to Roshan. "We told you to stay in Ethran!"
Her dragon snorted out a hot breath before pressing his nose to her stomach.
Thia had run over also just as Erly moved, protectively curling herself around her. "I can't believe you two. What happened to you doing as we say?"
This time, Erly was the one to grumble.
"Uh-huh. I thought you were a better listener than that. Did you not see that thing? We don't want to risk something happening to you!"
The dragons looked at each other...and didn't seem even the slightly bit regretful of following their bloodrite bonds through the portal into Laria.
But that feeling of them being watched was still there, still lingering all around them. Now, even Roshan and Erly felt it as they shifted to protect them all from whatever it was.
The rustling in the trees wasn't just from the birds then...not when a small green face with sharp faces, long pointed ears, and pitch-black eyes peered at them from behind one of the branches. Silvery wings fluttered out behind it, twitching with the chance of taking flight. It excitedly started chattering in a high-pitched voice and speaking in a language known only to it.
And was then joined by several dozen more in the trees surrounding them.
This time, Mik was the one to speak...and it wasn't in the most eloquent way either. Lyv didn't even mind the language around Elys then.
"Oh, fuck...run!"
Before she even had the chance to do it herself, Jai scooped Elys up into his arms, grabbed her hand, and bolted in the direction Kalla was heading. Mik and Allel disappeared to the right but came back into view just a few moments later.
Lyv tried concentrating on keeping her feet from tangling beneath her, trying to keep track of the others and the dragons as they quickly maneuvered through the forest. Roshan and Erly kept behind them, even as the pixies flew through the trees, that excited chatter coming from all of them.
They couldn't get away, though, not when there had to be at least two hundred of them.
Roshan and Erly were the first to go down, being overcome with a few dozen. Roshan's roar bellowed around them as flames shot out. They were easily dodged by the pixies, though, who began to laugh at his attempts.
Somehow, another group of them had got in front of them, halting Kalla in her tracks. She tried skidding backward but ended up tripping over roots and falling flat on her back. She yelled several creative curses as she disappeared beneath a dozen pixies, taking down Mik and Allel a dozen feet away.
Thia yelled out a curse as soon as they caught up to her and Gideon. While he brandished his sword, she stuck with her fire magic and ran to help the dragons. Several of the pixies disappeared in a flurry of ash, but even more appeared.
And Jai...his hand slipped from hers as he whirled around, Elys still tight against him. He was watching as the pixies overtook them all, knowing the three of them were going to be the last.
Her magic sparked, both light and dark, and built up inside her as she tried to keep it at bay. Everyone's screams and the dragons roaring became too much for Lyv as her vision tunneled. Then she wasn't thinking, giving in to her magic and letting it reign.
Her shadows curled around her, building until she was the one blocking out the sun. Embers sparked at her feet and rushed in thick lines across the ground, scorching the grass and dirt in its path.
The pixies closest to her were quickly turned to ash, both mouths and eyes wide with surprise before they disappeared.
The shadows took care of the rest, plucking each and every pixie from her family, making them screech in surprise, before they also disappeared. No ash was left in their place, though.
With her hands palm-side up, Lyv twisted her wrists, easily controlling where the shadows went next, making them protect the others, even though she could feel its curiosity at their magics. And as soon as they got a whiff of the blood spilt...Lyv had to clench her teeth to stop the raging bloodlust that overwhelmed her.
She didn't have to see herself in a mirror to know her eyes were onyx.
It took her a moment, but it was just a little bit easier to control herself, reign that dark magic back inside. It helped when she knew her family was safe once more, though bloodied and bruised and looking around in confusion as to what happened.
But when they saw her, saw her eyes were still pitch-black and her shadows were still curling around her, they knew.
And, of course, the look on Jai's face was the hardest to see. Because he knew there was something she hadn't told him...and finally figured it out.
Blinking twice, she watched as her shadows disappeared and knew her eyes had changed back to normal. "Everyone all right?" she called out since they were scattered throughout.
Both Roshan and Erly whimpered, licking at the cuts along their backs and wings.
Gideon grunted as he pushed himself up to stand before helping Thia also. Both of them were still staring at her.
"Lyv...you..." Gideon began.
"Are you all right?" she asked again.
"I guess...but you went dark. Are you...?"
"I'm fine, since I know that's what you're going to ask," she nodded.
Jai walked over after lifting a still shaking Elys in his arms, rubbing one hand up and down his back in an effort to sooth his nerves. "Lyv, you went dark," he told her, repeating Gideon's words.
"I didn't go dark, just used it to my advantage. We were being overrun, so I did what I had to do," she corrected, trying to keep the snappiness out of her tone.
Because she knew. She knew the criticism would come, no matter how long it was until they were alone. She could feel his disapproval...and his worry after watching what she'd done.
"Lyv..."
She held up a hand and he immediately went silent. "We'll talk about it later, Jai, though I have a feeling we'll be yelling instead. But right now, I'd rather make sure all of you are all right and heal what needs to be healed, then make camp for the night."
***Welcome to Laria, where trouble still manages to find them all!
Ugh, I'm so excited for this next section of chapters. Everything about this world, especially Arloerin since I've been able to flesh it out more, is going to be similar yet different from the one we already know.
What did you guys think? Comment and vote!
Happy reading!
- Ansley***