by T Ariyanna
“Then why are we wandering around? I can tell that you're stalling because you don't know where we're going,” Noma said again, buzzing annoyingly close to Cy's face. He waved his hand through the air, deliberately missing her. Noma didn't see it that way and went straight back to Adoette. “My Lady, he's becoming violent! Please, we must return home before it's too late for us.”
Cy glanced behind him to see Adoette's reaction. With hesitating, she shook her head, caught Noma from the air, and sat the pixie down on her shoulder. She pat the pixie on her head with a finger. Noma crossed her arms and resolved to pouting.
Cy’s attention strayed to Kaitlyn, who was smiling peacefully as she chatted with Gil. The Droll had his arms wrapped around himself. He walked as close to Kaitlyn as possible, and they were nearly tripping over each other. Their conversation was hushed, and Cy couldn’t hear them. His magic hummed loudly in irritation as he watched Kaitlyn grasp Gil’s hand firmly. She smiled sweetly at the Droll, and he relaxed.
Jayr brought up the rear of the group. He watched the shadows intently. The Draken was on edge, though Wayonn was sleeping soundly on his shoulder, curled up tightly as though he were a pet.
With a few skips, Adoette caught up to Cy and looked at him apologetically. He let out a sigh, and the air whistled throughout his metal body. Adoette covered her mouth and giggled. She nudged him playfully with her arm. She stared him down with a wide smile on her face until he forced a grin to appear in the metal plates.
Noma was hovering in front of him in an instant. She stomped her foot in the air as her wings flitted. She opened her mouth to complain, but Adoette scooped her from the air first. Noma lost her balance, and fell back into Adoette’s hands.
Noma glanced at Adoette, then rolled her eyes. “My Lady would like to have a pleasant conversation,” she said in an agonized voice. Cy turned to Adoette nervously, and she nodded her head excitedly.
“Pleasant conversation? With a demon? Like I even know what to talk about,” he grumbled, picking up his pace.
Adoette kept up with him easily, Noma hovering around her like always. “I know. Why don't you tell us why you're collecting different species from all over Lontorra? That sounds like a good topic to start with,” Noma said, a smug look on her face.
“Collecting? Why do you make it sounds like I have some sick fetish? They all chose to come with me, you two included. Either you didn't need a reason to come along, or you already know. So which is it?” Cy rounded back on Noma, who paused in a fluster.
She giggled mischievously instead of answering, and turned the conversation back onto Cy. “You're just avoiding the question. I want to hear it from you, why you need all of us. Because let's face it, you do need us for whatever reason. So what is it?”
“My reasons are my own. All you need to know is that I’m following Theresa’s orders,” Cy growled.
Noma was silenced for the moment. Cy held his breath, waiting for the onslaught on questions he was sure the pixie was preparing. He closed his eyes to enjoy the peace.
The voice he heard next wasn’t the one he expected. “Who are you strangers? Why are in the streets so late at night?” a deep voice called. Standing a few feet away from them was a man donned in shining armor. His shoulder was branded with the mark of Talgrin Tower: a book laying open with fire resting on its pages.
They all froze in terror, and Cy pulled the hood of his cloak further over his face. He felt Kaitlyn grab the back of his cloak. He clenched his fists in anger. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He hadn’t a single idea on how to get out of this.
To his surprise, Gil stepped forward. He pulled Jayr with him by his arm. “We have both been asked to help sell wares in the market district starting tomorrow. We were called on such short notice, and were provided with escorts for the night’s trip.”
He motioned behind him to Kaitlyn. Cy could feel her press closer to him, shaking her head against his back. Gil held his hand out to her, and whispered, “You can do it.”
Kaitlyn took a deep breath, then pulled herself away from Cy. She stepped up to the man with her right hand outstretched. Cy moved to stop her. Gil grabbed Cy’s arm tightly, surprising him. Gil’s face was set in determination, though his hand was shaking.
The man grabbed Kaitlyn’s hand and turned it over. The outline of a rose was clearly visible on her palm, and it seemed almost to glow in the flickering lamplight.
The man stared at the mark for a long time. No one breathed as they waited for his response.
“Make sure you reach your lodging safely and swiftly. Master Crestyss has enforced a curfew for all of Centric.”
Cy flinched at the name, but kept himself in control. He knew very little of Crestyss, but none of it was good. Adoette squeaked beside him, her gentle face twisted in fear. She gained the man’s attention, and he approached.
Adoette tried to back away, but the man grabbed the hood of her cloak and threw it back. Adoette threw her hands up to shield her, but it was too late. There was no hiding the bark that still covered half of her face and the ivy that tangled within her hair.
“A Kindling,” the man breathed in anger. He reached for a sword that hung on his hip.
Noma jumped from Adoette’s back and slammed into the man’s face. He shook off the blow as if it were nothing and smacked the pixie out of the air. She fell against Cy’s chest, stunned. He scrambled to catch her.
Adoette was no longer afraid. She was furious. She lunged for the man and wrapped her hands around his neck. She pushed until he tumbled into a bush on the side of the road. She squeezed the air from him as vines slowly covered him.
Carefully holding the unconscious Noma in one hand, Cy dove after Adoette. He grabbed her shoulder, and the bark cracked under his grip.
Adoette whirled on him. Her face softened as she caught sight of Noma. She looked back to the man and released him quickly. He struggled to breathe, though he remained unconscious.
Adoette stood and backed away from the guard. She turned to Cy, though she refused to meet his eyes for the first time. She held out her shaking hands, and Cy set Noma down gently. She pressed the pixie to her cheek. Her mouth moved slowly, though she made no noise.
“We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Kaitlyn, I want you stay close to me, okay?” Cy said monotonously.
There was no answer. “Kaitlyn?”
He spun around, but the road was completely empty. They were gone.
Kaitlyn
“Jayr, why are we running? Where’s Cy and Adoette?” Kaitlyn yelled at the Draken that had a tight grip on her wrist. Gil was being dragged behind her. She was shocked either of them could keep up with Jayr as he wound his way through a maze of streets.
She tried to wrench her hand away, but it was no good. “Jayr!” she screamed. It was no use as she gasped for air.
“No matter what, we can’t get caught. They’ll figure it out, just keep running!” Jayr called back. He wasn’t out of breath in the slightest, but Gil seemed like he would collapse at any moment.
With all the strength she had, Kaitlyn pulled Jayr to a stop. Gil fell to his knees on the cobblestone, clutching his chest.
Jayr whirled on her, angry. “Why are you stopping? We have to keep going!”
“Not without Cy,” she said defiantly. She stared Jayr down, unwavering.
“Damn that demon! He couldn’t even lead us to the destination safely! And you.” He turned on Gil. “What was with the pathetic excuse, huh? I didn’t think I would ever meet someone dumber than you, but I guess that guard must have been, since he fell for it.”
“Just shut up, Draken. You talk so big, but I didn’t see you trying anything! You just ran away like a coward, and you’re supposed to be a warrior. Do you even know where we are anymore, because I sure don’t. Have you even ever been to Centric?” Gil snapped. It was the first time Kaitlyn had seen him lose his temper.
“At least I’m not as bad as you. You’re too afraid to even set foot outside your
caves, Droll. You’ve been nothing but useless this entire time. What are you doing here, anyway?”
“That’s enough!” Kaitlyn screamed. She turned away from the boys and started to retrace their steps.
“Where are you going?” Jayr called. He caught her arm and stopped her.
Biting back a growl, she spun out of his grip. She caught his arm with her claws, smirking as she chipped off scales from his armor. He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn’t go for her again.
“I’m going back to find them. You can’t just leave your friends.”
Jayr groaned, but she ignored him. She stared down the unfamiliar road, defeated. She hadn’t paid attention to anything once Jayr had dragged her away. It was all she could do to hold onto Gil so they wouldn’t get separated.
“Kaitlyn, I hate to agree with him, but I actually don’t think that’s a good idea,” Gil spoke from the ground.
“Not you, too! I thought you got along with Cy?” Kaitlyn moaned in exasperation.
“I do, but that’s not the point. We’re already here.”
Kaitlyn turned around to look where Gil was pointing. In front of them stood a small purple house squished between two gray buildings. It looked exactly like it did on the scroll. Jayr was already walking up to the door.
Gil stood with a sigh and held his hand out to Kaitlyn. She grabbed it tightly. He led her after Jayr, and it took all her energy to keep herself calm. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream or cry, but she couldn’t do either.
They came up behind Jayr as he knocked on the door. It burst open and a tall woman with seductive curves opened the door. Purple silk hung loosely on her clothes, draping down from her hips and billowing out around her arms, leaving her stomach bare. The fabric was connected to fingerless gloves. A heart shaped mark could be seen on her palm. Narrow, purple eyes shone with anger in her rounded face, and big, shiny black hair flowed down her back.
Jayr was the first to speak. “I am Jayr, a Draken.”
“And I can assume you have a dragon with you? You can't hide anything from me. Introduce him,” she said, snapping her fingers in the air. She was glaring openly at the Draken, though Kaitlyn wasn’t sure how this woman could already dislike him.
Jayr groaned, but pulled the scorpion out of a pocket in his armor and held him up. “Wayonn.”
The scorpion looked at the woman for a long moment before bowing to her, surprising Jayr. The woman smiled and rubbed Wayonn's head with a finger. As she pulled away, her hand brushed against Jayr's and her eyes shot back to his own.
She turned to Gil next, and his whole body stiffened. “I'm a Droll, ma'am. My name's Gil.”
He was very abrupt with his words, shaking nervously. The woman smiled to him as well, and patted him on the shoulder. He let out his breath and collapsed against a wall.
She glanced at Kaitlyn before snapping at the boys, “You two, start a fire in the main room. I have a feeling we have a long night ahead of us.”
Gil and Jayr exchanged glances, unwilling to work together.
“And I don’t want any more fighting from you two, or there’ll be hell to pay.”
“Who says we fight?” Jayr asked innocently.
The woman glared at him in annoyance. “You do realize you were just screaming at each other right outside my house. Now get to it,” she snapped.
The boys nodded, then made their way awkwardly into the house. Kaitlyn dropped her head as she waited for the woman to turn on her.
“Come on now. It’s cold outside, come right in,” the woman said, her voice now soft and kind. Kaitlyn stepped nervously into the woman’s house, but was too scared to take more than few steps inside.
Kaitlyn looked at the ground nervously. Following suit of her companions, she spoke, “My name is Kaitlyn. I’m a…” Kaitlyn’s voice trailed off as she wondered how to continue. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and finished uneasily. “I’m human.”
“You may call me Jemmina,” the woman said. She extended a hand in greeting. Kaitlyn forced a smile and took her hand.
Jemmina’s face fell, and a deep sorrow set in her eyes. Without a word or a sign of why, she enveloped Kaitlyn in a hug. Kaitlyn stood still in her embrace, at a loss for what to do.
“You poor thing. You've been so strong through everything, no matter how badly you've wanted to break. You're safe now. No one will think less of you. Remember, there is strength in showing weakness.”
The woman rubbed her back, and Kaitlyn felt an overwhelming flood of dread and sorrow. Everything flashed through her mind at once…Arion's death, the loss of her home and family, her own near-death experiences. She grabbed onto the woman for dear life and cried more than she ever thought she could. The woman held her through her sobs and settled her shaking.
A long time passed with Kaitlyn wrapped in the woman's arms, and by the time her tears had run dry, she felt better than ever. The grief was slowly replaced with hope, and she pulled away from the woman.
Kaitlyn wiped her face clean of tears. “How did you know?” she asked quietly. She was too embarrassed to meet Jemmina’s eyes. Her sudden shift in demeanor shocked her, but Kaitlyn felt relieved.
“In simplest terms, I am a fortune teller. I have the ability to see into someone’s soul.” Jemmina spoke softly, slowly.
Kaitlyn raised her head to ask further, but a crash from the other room cut her off. Anger flashed across Jemmina’s face. She whirled and stormed through the door. “I thought I told you two to get along?” she yelled.
Kaitlyn could hear Jayr and Gil talking at the same time, trying to defend themselves.
“Enough!” Jemmina silenced them. “You, just leave.”
Gil was shoved out of the door. He was pale and sweating. He moved silently to stand beside Kaitlyn. He watched the door cautiously.
Jemmina and Jayr had picked up conversation, but their voices were indistinct.
“What happened?” Kaitlyn asked, praying that her voice didn’t give away that she had just been crying.
Gil looked at the floor sullenly. “Jayr just said something stupid. Don’t worry about it.”
Kaitlyn sat down against the wall. She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. Most the scales had fallen off, remaining only on her upper arm. She opened her hand and willed the mark to appear again. She winced as her skin gave way, and the rose stood out bright pink.
“I knew you could control it,” Gil said. His carefree tone was forced. Kaitlyn looked up at him, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. His gaze was fixed on the front door.
“Hurry up and get here, Cy,” he muttered.
“Come sit by the fire,” Jemmina called from the room. Gil took Kaitlyn’s hand and helped her to her feet. She kept her head down as they joined Jayr and Jemmina. Her chest ached as she silently echoed Gil’s wish.
Cyllorian
Adoette followed Cy easily as he ran through the streets of Centric. “I’ll kill that Draken,” he grumbled under his breath. “Please be there. Please be there.”
The purple house came into view quickly, and he ran to the door. A faint light could be seen through the heart shaped window, and he took a nervous breath. Adoette was very near to him on the small porch, and he shifted his weight to lean away from her. Holding his breath, he knocked on the door with three sharp raps.
There was a moment where everything was still, and Cy could sense the panic that came from within the house. Hoping Kaitlyn was inside, he wanted nothing more than to break through the door, but he couldn't give them any more reasons against him, so he waited.
Locks turned in the tumblers, three altogether. The door opened slowly, and a familiar woman stood blocking the entrance.
“Jemmina?” he whispered in shock, recognizing the fortune teller that Arion and he had met during their trip to Centric. Her eyes flashed at her name, but she acted as though he had never spoken.
“Can I help you? Are you lost?” she asked, irritated. Her eyes were narr
owed in suspicion.
Cy raised his chin, and spoke clearly, “Theresa sent us.”
Her eyes thinned further, and her fingers twitched where they held the door. Cy heard a gasp from within the house, and scuffling. He leaned to the side, trying his best to see around the door, but the woman mirrored his movements to block his sight.
She raised a hand to his face, and he froze. In one swift movement, she flicked the hood of his cloak from his face.
“I'm terribly sorry, but you've missed your window of opportunity. I'm currently not taking any in who claim to know Theresa. You could always try again later, but I doubt I’ll forget a face like yours.”
She started to close the door, and Cy panicked. What the hell is going on? What did they tell her? I've got to get in there. Think, you stupid demon. Think!
Cy searched his head for anything he could say to convince her, anything Theresa might have told him, but there was nothing. In a last spur of hope, he though back to Arion, hoping he could use him as an excuse for her help.
At the thought of Arion, a realization hit him. He slammed his foot between the door and the frame, and flashed a smug smile at the woman. She glared at him intently, waiting his next words.
“Holten sent us, Jemmina.”
She smiled back at him, and threw the door open with a wide gesture. Cy crossed the threshold into the room, his pulse racing within him.
“My apologies for the demeanor. I had a theory I wished to test, though I'm sorry I had to be right. For you to be here means that things have finally gone south. If you'd please?”
She held out her hand, and Cy placed it in hers. She closed her eyes for a moment, and her face twitched. “You better get ahold of that temper of yours. It'll be the death of you, demon.”
“What was your theory, exactly?” Cy asked as he pulled his hand away. He examined it closely, worried her magic might have damaged the metal.
“The last person Holten had ever sent to me had been the boy. Theresa had given me orders to stray anyone that came looking for her, either by feigning my ignorance of her, or convincing others that she was dead. I did only as I was ordered. I cannot set someone's fortune off of their set path. I tried once. I was bedridden with a deathly illness for a month, and without powers for two. Though that seems harsh, I know it was only a warning.”