He jolted in the chair before her mom had a chance to wake him.
“What?” He sat up, staring at the room while he tried to place himself, “Is it time to go?” He calmed down as he realized where he was.
“Yeah, it’s time.” Luna answered. “Is the bag ready Mom?” She asked, walking to the kitchen.
Everything seemed to be back to normal, all of the food had been cleared off of the counters and Luna’s school bag was sitting on the kitchen table.
“Yes.” Her mom answered, “And there are clothes for you there, you should go change.” She pointed to a neatly folded outfit next to the bag.
Luna took the clothes and raced up to her room to change. She wasn’t sure what her mom had packed, but there wasn’t anything from Earth she could think of that she needed to bring, except her necklace that was fastened around her neck. She glanced around her room once hoping that she hadn’t forgotten anything too important.
When she returned down the stairs, her mom and Lucas were waiting at the front door. Lucas had the bag on his back and her mom was waving a pair of sneakers at her.
“Wear these, you’ll be doing a lot of walking.” She handed them to Luna and waited for her to put them on.
A moment later they were walking out into the pre-dawn darkness, around the house and through the back yard towards the woods.
Luna’s mom had grown silent, though she had taken Luna’s hand in hers and was holding it tightly.
Before they reached the trees, Luna paused. “Mom you should take this.” She pried the ring from her thumb and handed it to her mom, “In case you decide to join us, or whatever, you should have it.” Luna pressed it into her mom’s palm, “I have my necklace now, I don’t need it anymore.”
“Thank you Luna.” Her mom stared at the ring for a silent moment, tears welling up in her eyes as she slid it onto her finger. “Be safe Luna.” She whispered, staring into Luna’s eyes, her face soft with worry.
“Aren’t you coming in?” Luna stared back at the trees, Lucas was waiting on the path a few steps down to give them some privacy.
“I can’t Luna,” She shook her head, “It’s too hard, I can’t go back there now…” She pulled Luna in closer for a hug, “Just be safe…” She whispered.
“I will Mom.” Luna squeezed her arms around her mom, “I’ll come home soon, three days tops.” She promised so her mother wouldn’t worry.
“Okay.” Her mom nodded, letting her go. “I love you.”
“I love you too Mom.” Luna squeezed her mom one more time before she turned to the trees.
Lucas was waiting for her, he waved at her mom as the two walked farther into the trees, leaving the house behind.
“Is your mom going to be okay?” He whispered.
“I think she is.” Luna answered, but she wasn’t sure.
She wasn’t sure of anything anymore, a day ago she would have thought that she was safe from Eranox forever, the whole world seemed to have turned on its head. She wasn’t sure why she had leapt so suddenly at the chance to go back, she didn’t even really know what she was getting herself into.
CHAPTER SIX
The grove of fireflies was waiting for them in the clearing. A serene amber glow in the barren autumn forest, beckoning them in as the light bugs flickered in and out of focus in a mesmerizing pattern.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Lucas stopped, turning on the path before they reached the clearing, “This is your last chance to turn back…” He reminded Luna.
Luna had already thought about it enough, though they kept giving her chances to change her mind, “I’m ready.” She answered, sounding more sure than she really was.
Lucas nodded, “Okay.” He turned back towards the grove, getting on with it. “We’ll have about half an hour before the Gateway is clear.” He continued, checking the sky overhead through the thinning trees.
“Thirty minutes?” Luna looked up, as though she could figure out how he had made his estimate, the sky was just as dark as it usually was at night, “I think we can handle it, right?” She nodded her head, watching Lucas carefully for his reaction.
She could feel her heart beating in her chest, like she was reaching the top of a roller coaster and was about to take a plunge into the unknown.
Lucas looked like he was feeling the same.
“Yeah, we should be fine.” He didn’t sound convinced, but he put on a brave face.
“Let’s get this over with.” Luna suggested, steeling herself for whatever might be on the other side in the Gateway waiting for them.
Lucas paused, “We get through, and we hide until the sun rises.” He decided, still not stepping forward, “There is an outcropping near the entrance, we should be able to stay there until it is safe, until the sun rises.” He corrected himself.
Luna stopped, “And if it’s not?” She asked, reminded of the dangers on the other side of the portal, “And if it is not safe?” She waited for Lucas to answer her, her feet planted firmly on the ground.
If they went through and there were creatures waiting for them, she didn’t want to be taken by surprise, she wanted to have a plan; she didn’t want to be running for her life.
“Then we run.” Lucas looked serious, “And we stay together.” He added, sternly.
Luna had been hoping for a different answer, but it seemed that there was only one way to get through the Gateway safely; don’t get caught.
“Okay.” She agreed, “It’s settled then. I think we’re good.” She nodded, preparing herself for the shift.
Lucas held the bag with their supplies, if they had to run, she was staying with him, no questions asked. She certainly didn’t want to find herself alone in the Gateway again, not ever. He also had all of the supplies, and was the only one of the two of them that could navigate back to the doors to Eranox.
He held his hand out to Luna, “Are you ready to go back to Eranox?” He asked, a small smile on his face masking his fear.
Luna put her hand in his, “Ready.” She answered.
Hand in hand, they walked towards the grove. Each slow step was another second that they wouldn’t have to worry about the creatures in the Gateway. It was starting to seem like Lucas was stalling for time, when suddenly he took a deep breath and ran forward, pulling Luna behind him.
The fireflies were waiting for them, not startled by their quick approach. The tiny flickering bugs swirled in a circle, encompassing Lucas and Luna as they finally approached. The light grew brighter as the two traveled through the rift towards the Gateway on the other side.
It was different than the last time Luna had passed through from the woods behind her house, there was less panic as the light surrounded her. This time she knew what was happening and was able to pay more attention as the transition between the two worlds enveloped her.
The feeling was unreal, like she was being pulled apart and put back together; though surprisingly it wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling at all, more like she was being woken up from a deep sleep. She could still feel Lucas’ hand in hers, though she knew that if she dared to open her eyes, she wouldn’t see him in the light.
And then in a moment it was all over and she could feel the stone beneath her feet and stumbled to stay standing.
They were in the Gateway.
Luna opened her eyes and tensed, trying to take a quick scan of her surroundings to assess the dangers. She could feel the change from the woods to the Gateway, her instincts told her that she wasn’t safe anymore.
She could hear them, the creatures were calling, growling, their claws clicking on the stone.
They had seen the light, they knew that someone had come through.
Lucas passed her a look, it wasn’t good. They could already hear the heavy footsteps coming towards them from somewhere in the depths of the maze. The growls were getting closer. Luna couldn’t help herself, she felt frozen to the spot, she knew what was happening, she knew she should move.
The creatu
res were coming for them.
Lucas grabbed for Luna’s hand again, silently pulling her down the path and away from the door that could take her home.
It was officially too late to turn back. The creatures were already arriving, she knew that they had to keep going.
“Move.” Lucas hissed, racing around another bend.
Luna swung around the corner behind him trying to keep up. She hadn’t been expecting that they would have to run as soon as they had entered the Gateway, she thought that she would have had at least a few minutes so she could catch her bearings before they had to run for their lives. But Lucas wasn’t slowing down, and he was dragging Luna along behind him.
Luna glanced back, the eyes were there, watching her, following behind her as Lucas led the way farther into the maze. She hoped that he was going in the right direction to get them to Eranox, it would be a shame if they had to wait until dawn to retrace their steps and start over.
Lucas turned another corner and quickly pulled back a curtain of vines, holding them back so Luna could go inside first. Luna glanced up the path, making sure that it was clear before she agreed to hiding in a hidden dead end. When she knew that the coast was clear she clamored inside, and Lucas followed, carefully draping the vine cover back over the opening so they wouldn’t be seen while they waited out the night.
Luna tucked her body against the rocks, trying to make herself small. She could hear the scraping, the howls, the growls. The creatures had arrived at the entrance and were looking for them. Luna wasn’t sure how keen their sense of smell was, they weren’t too far off, it wouldn’t take them long to be found. And if they didn’t track scent, her heart was beating loud enough to be heard a mile away. She tried to calm her breathing, only a little longer until the sun appeared, only a little longer and they would be safe for the day.
The half an hour before the sun peaked over the Gateway was the longest of Luna’s life. Every moment felt like it lasted an eternity. Each breath sounded like a fog horn calling the creatures closer. She was terrified that they were going to be found.
More than once the shuffling scrapes of a creature passed by them and she was sure that they had been discovered, and yet each time the footsteps had carried on, and they had remained safe.
Until quite suddenly the noises stopped.
Luna waited, the silence somehow scared her even more. It was as though she had lost her hearing, the Gateway had become empty, though it was still dark in their hiding place.
“Is it safe?” Luna whispered after a moment, “Is it dawn?” She wondered where all of the night sounds had gone.
Lucas leaned over carefully, peeking his head out from the vine covering as he checked. “All clear.” He pulled back the vines the rest of the way and crawled out, holding out a hand for Luna to follow.
The Gateway was still dark in the early dawn hour, though it was already considerably brighter than when they had first entered.
“Which way?” Luna asked, walking with Lucas to the first path marker.
“Turn here.” Lucas didn’t even look, it seemed that he had already memorized the Gateway for all of its twists and turns. And when they weren’t running from creatures in the dead of night, it was probably easier to travel through.
Luna was more curious than ever, she had decided to return to Eranox, and she wanted to know everything. “Tell me about the Gateway?” She asked Lucas, “My mom told me a bit…” She wasn’t sure how much her mom had told her in the grand scheme of things, there were still so many questions. “Like the Oreos, where are they?”
Lucas stared at her like he was holding back a laugh, “The Oreos?”
“Yeah the other world, how does that work?”
“Oh, you mean Oro.” Lucas chuckled, “Not like the cookie…” He shook his head.”
“Oh, well where are they? the Oro…” Luna repeated.
“The portal to Oro is on the other side.” Lucas pointed over the wall, “If you walked the whole way around Eranox in the Gateway you would find another door. It leads to Oro.”
“So the Gateway is to stop them from invading?” Luna used the information her mom had told her.
“Technically, though I haven’t seen them, ever.” He added, “The Gateway was cursed when I was a newborn.” He reminded her, “Though I’ve heard stories, those Clurichaun were always full of trouble… used to sneak in and play tricks on us. And then the Hobgoblins would come at night and steal things…”
“What is a Clurichaun?” Luna wondered.
“It’s a small humanoid creature, they have a strength that is unparalleled.” Lucas seemed to be describing them based on what he had heard more than he had seen. “They are only one of the creatures from Oro, that place is quite different from here.” He added.
“So are those the three worlds then, Earth, Eranox, and Oro?”
Lucas shook his head, “No, there are nine realms.”
“Nine?” Luna stared at him, “And they all come through here?”
Lucas stared at her again, “You really don’t know much do you?” He sounded disappointed.
“Only what my mom told me in the last couple of days and what I saw here when we were running.” Luna defended herself, she hadn’t even known about Eranox a week ago, and Lucas was surprised that she didn’t know there were nine realms, it was infuriating.
“Okay, sorry.” Lucas softened, “You just seemed to know a bit about Oro, I thought you knew more…”
“Nope.”
“Well there are nine realms, but only Earth, Maar and Oro are connected to Eranox.” He explained, “think of it like a big circle, each world is connected to the ones beside it by a rift, Earth is kind of in the middle, they all have a portal there, and then there is the council in Avidaura, they are connected to all the realms by a series of mirrors that they created to unite them all.” He paused, “Or at least I heard they used to be…”
“They’re the ones that sealed themselves off from Eranox.” Luna recalled, “My mom said it was a High Wizard from there that cursed Eranox.”
“Yes.” Lucas confirmed, “It was.”
“Have you ever tried to get to the other worlds?” Luna wondered, “Like Oro?”
“No, I can’t get there.” He answered.
“It’s sealed off?”
“No, I just don’t have the right stone.” Lucas stared at Luna again.
She knew that she was missing something, something that Lucas thought she should have known, “Well, what is it?”
“You don’t have to get so defensive.” Lucas sighed, “You’ll figure it all out eventually.” He looked down, “Earth wasn’t easy for me, and I already knew about it…” He admitted.
Luna laughed, “I bet.” She chuckled. “So what about stones?”
The rifts are designed to only open for someone with a stone from that realm.” Lucas explained, “The Gateway to earth is sealed by Eranox, so you have to have a carnelian.” He pointed to her necklace, “But Oro has a different stone.”
“What is it?” Luna asked.
“Pyrite.” Lucas shook his head, “And you won’t find any in Eranox, it comes from Oro. Only the King has one.” He paused, “You’d have to steal one from someone who came through, and they haven’t bothered us since the curse. Too dangerous for them.”
“So your dad has a stone?” Luna was still curious, “Has he ever gone through?”
“I don’t know.” Lucas answered, he seemed to be getting tired of all of Luna’s questions, though she was learning a lot while they walked.
They came to another fork in the road, Luna leaned in to see the markers, though Lucas had already decided which direction they were going.
“Are those markers for the worlds?” Luna asked.
“Yeah, the one that looks like a firefly is Eranox, the circle is earth, and over on the other side there are markers for Oro and Maar, one is kind of squiggly, the other is a bit like a dragonfly. There aren’t any markers for Maar, that portal is seal
ed with magic from both sides.” He explained. “The one on the top tells you where the right path leads, the one on the bottom tells you where the left path leads.” He continued, pointing to the markers so Luna would understand.
“That’s good to know, if I ever get stuck in the Gateway alone, at least I can get out.” She added.
“Let’s hope that never happens again.” Lucas looked stern, “You’re lucky you’re still alive…”
“What happened to the Knights?” Luna wondered, though she suspected she knew the answer.
Lucas slowed down, “Most of them died.” He said slowly, “The horses too…”
“I’m sorry.” Luna didn’t know what to say, she knew that they had been following her, trying to keep her out of the Gateway. They had died because of her.
“A few returned…” Lucas turned away, “They brought the curse into the city.”
“What?” Luna stopped walking, “That’s how it started spreading again?”
Lucas shifted uncomfortably, it was clear that he hadn’t planned on telling Luna that it was her fault that Eranox was dying. But he had spilled the beans and it was too late to take his words back.
“They had been bitten, and when night fell… they turned.” Lucas stared past Luna, not making eye contact. “We locked the castle, and many locked their doors, but by dawn it was too late.”
“Where are they now?” Luna wondered, “Are they here, in the Gateway?”
“Some, those that were still sane when the sun rose. But the others took to the woods, and they’ve come back every night…”
“How long will it take?”
“Eranox will be gone by the end of the week.” Lucas answered sharply, “Once they have grown their numbers, mere doors won’t hold them back. They will take everyone.”
“And then that’s it? Eranox is gone?”
“Pretty much.”
“What if someone found a way to reverse the curse, after…” Luna was starting to feel the pressure of her quest with Lucas. She was the last High Wizard of Eranox, if she couldn’t save them, she wanted to know what would happen.
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