Chapter Nine

Chapter 9: The Illumination Forest

Cevlon - dungeons:

Kade paced his cell with anxiety. The girls had no idea where he was! They had gone out shopping, and would never suspect that he had been caught! He hadn’t even expected that, but apparently Eleyos had other plans for him. 

There was a high pitched creak of rusty hinges that were in desperate need of oiling. 

He turned to see the new comer and sighed with relief. 

   “Mentis!” He rushed over to one of his beloved teachers. Mentis looked more frail then Kade had ever seen him before. 

   “There must be some misunderstanding. I’ve done nothing wrong.” He said. 

Mentis nodded in deep thought.

   “I’ll see what I can do about it son. I can’t stay long, I just came to check up on you is all.” 

Kade nodded. His mind at ease. 

Mentis handed him a plate of bread and a cup of water. 

   “It was all I could manage to smuggle in.” He said with a wink. Kade took it gratefully, ravenous something fierce sense he hadn’t eaten in the past twenty four hours. 

   “I’ll be back as soon as I can to get you out son. But until then, sit tight.”

Kade nodded as he watched the man leave. 

   “From the pan and into the fire.” Mentis muttered once he was out of ear shot, rubbing his chilled hands together. Oh the life he was loosing so quickly. He never imagined youth to be so fleeting. 

   “Oh well. It does not matter. For soon I shall live forever.” He said to himself as he made his exit of the dungeons.

.:+:.

Sonera chased the little thief down several streets before finally taking back what was hers. Well it wasn’t really hers. It was Kade’s. 

When she caught the little boy, he kept his eyes on his feet.

   “Hand it.” She ordered. He sighed and handed over the red cape. 

   “Now, where did you get this?” She knew it was unlike Kade to leave his stuff out, especially his cape.

   “I found it in a barrel miss. Honest!” 

She cocked an eyebrow and tried to decide if the boy was lying to her or not.

  “I just want’d to play wift it is all. I meant no harm by it. ‘Cause see, me and my pals were playin’ that we’d be mighty warriors just like Lieutenant Kade and all! And when I found this cape, I landed the role and we were just getting to fight the bloody Magi when you caught us...so is not like we were trying to ruin it or somethin’...honest...” 

Sonera always had a soft spot for kids. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

   “Well, now that you put it that way. You run along and have fun, there was no harm done. This cape belongs to a friend of mine is all. So don’t you fret about it. Go on now!” 

The little boy met her gaze and smiled.

   “Mighty kind of ya! Thanks miss!” He then ran off down the street to a band of boys and girls, where he immediately started to reenact what had just happened. 

Sonera smiled at the sight and went back to where she had left Ellie. 

   “Catch him?” She asked, half her face hidden by the deep cowl of her Magi cloak.

   “Yeah. And now I just have to find out why Kade doesn’t have his cape.” 

This really troubled her. She couldn’t think of any valid and good reason for Kade to have left his cape behind, and let a kid get it.

   “Hmm...well I’m sure we can ask him about it when we meet back up again.” Ellie said, trying to calm Sonera’s nerves. 

Sonera nodded in silent agreement and the two continued hunting for a new jacket for her.

 “Did you hear? They threw a Warrior in jail today. He’s some big shot, Kade I think was his name.” 

The girls froze and tried to act normal as the Palace Guards passed by.

Then they passed wiry glances. 

   “Oh I knew something like this was going to happen!” Sonera complained in a low voice.

   "Don't worry. We'll get him out." Ellie said, her mind already cracking a plan.

   "How? I'm just a girl with nothing but a sword and my best friend's cape." 

   "And then there's me..." 

Their eyes met as Sonera caught on.

She pulled the cape onto her shoulders and placed the hood atop her head. The shadow covering her dark skin and silver hair.

   "Can you slip past unseen?" She asked, more worried about Ellie getting caught then herself.

Ellie nodded and slipped out of her white cloak. She turned to the store keeper of a near by shop, with a charming smile.

   "Can you keep this for me?" She asked. The woman nodded and placed the cloak behind the counter.

   "Of course. But I close at two." 

Elowen nodded. 

   "Thanks so much!" She then turned back to Sonera.

   "Ready?" 

Sonera nodded.

   "Love the dress by the way. Royal blue looks amazing on you." 

Ellie blushed a little as she glanced down at her new dress. Ellie had liked it when she saw it in the shop, and liked it even more when it was on her.

The ribbon emperor waist fit her nicely, and even though the dress it's self had a low square cut neckline, she had bought a black tunic to go underneath it with a high collar and full sleeves. The royal blue skirt fell a little past her knees, but it didn't come anywhere near her new, tall leather boots. All in all it was a very pretty dress that complemented her very well. 

   "Thanks."

   "Alright, lets go. Meet me back at the clearing, but make sure you tell Kade to use the tunnels, got it?" Sonera instructed.

   "Use the tunnels. Got it. Alright, see you soon! May Eleyos be with you." 

   "And you, my friend." 

The two parted ways.

.:+:.

Cevlon - Just outside the Council Palace:

   "Oh! Where's that page?!" 

   "Broncus, you know we're not suppose to drink while we're on duty."

The two Palace Guards were getting a little bit drowsy in the hot, afternoon sun.

The older of the two stood from his perch under the akven tree and stretched.

   "Well it's either that, or I fall asleep." He sighed loudly and gazed up at the rich blue sky.

   "You know Lermin, we sure done good. I mean it's not that I'm unhappy with my lot in life! I've got grand-tots, my darlin' wife to come home too, and a nice job. But sometimes I wish there was a bit more excitement-"

   "Sir! Look!" Lermin pointed to a red cape that was walking down the street. 

   "Bite me leg, and call me gaffer a dog! He's gotten out!" Broncus shouted. "After him!" 

The two grabbed their weapons and gave chase. 

Ellie watched them run after Sonera's trick and smiled slightly.

   "Zwen." She whispered. Silver-blue magic spilled out from her finger tips and formed about her. She wouldn't know if the spell worked, but she had faith in Eleyos to keep her safe.

After taking a moment to gather her courage, she then stepped out into plain sigh and walked right through the front doors of the Council Palace.

.:+:.

Cevlon - Palace dungeons:

Kade looked out the bars of his cell as he heard talking.

He saw the two guards talking to a young girl. Her face was obscured by the guards, but he thought he recognized her voice. Though he couldn't figure out where from.

   The guards bowed and walked out of the dungeons completely.

Kade sat up from the hammock as the girl came closer.

   "Lady Katherine?" He asked, completely taken aback. She glanced his way as she produced a large ring of keys.

   "Do I really look like her?" 

Something was off about her, but he wasn't sure what.

The door swung open and she gestured for him to come out.

   "We must hurry before we get caught. Here." She handed him a dark green cape, which he slipped on hastily.

   "My lady, why are you doing this?" He asked as he followed her out of the dark dungeons he wasn't sad to leave behind.

   "First off, I love being called a lady and all, but I'm not Lady Katherine." The girl explained.

Kade cast a confused look at her.

   "I don't understand." He admitted.

The girl sighed as she pulled him out of sight of a squad of guards.

   "I'll explain latter. Oh! By the way, Sonera says to take the tunnels." 

That statment threw Kade off. He wasn't sure how Lady Katherine knew Sonera. Or why Sonera would tell her about the tunnels. They were a secret only entrusted to Elite Warriors. 

How could she tell royalty, and break that secret?

However, another thought arose in his mind.

   "But I thought Mentis was working on getting me out." He recalled.

She hesitated before turning to him.

   "I do not know of this. But can we please get to those tunnels? Soon?" She glanced around the crystal hall, and spotted a shadow coming their way.

Kade knew something was off, and he figured by the way they were sneaking around, they were going to get in huge trouble should they be caught.

Still confused and with questions still teaming, he took her hand and led her through the winding maze of hallways that made up the Council Palace. 

The two ran on, dodging guards and trying to stay out of their radar along with any of the house keeping maids.

He finally found the statue he was looking for. It was a statue of one of the greatest kings, Cevlon had ever seen. 

   "Who is he?" 

Kade looked at Lady Katherine in utter shock.

   "Surely you paid attention to that history lesson!" 

She looked at him with cluelessness in her eyes, that made him stop dead in his tracks.

Does she really not know...? He wondered. No. Impossible. He decided.

Walking over to the majestic man, he looked down at the golden plaque and pointed.

The soft tip-tap of her boots sounded deafeningly loud in the silence.

   "'To the greatest king this part of the world has ever known. May we one day find your heir.'"

Kade nodded as she read aloud.

   "The legendary heir that nobody can find. He's probably dead though. And if he isn't...then I'll kill him myself." Kade declared in the quiet hall, and to the stone statue fore none to hear but Lady Katherine.

   "Why?" She asked quietly. Kade busied himself with pressing certain letters in the sentences on the plaque.

   "Because it's his fault that Cevlon got stuck with the stupid Council. So it's his fault all of the Palace Guards have special treatment and can get away with pretty much anything. So, in away, it's his fault that I got captured and it's also his fault I'm having to sneak out and probably become a wanted fugitive. And it'll definitely be his fault if I can't become anything but a Eleyos-cursed bounty hunter!" 

The letters he had been pushing, suddenly began to glow subtly and a doorway appeared at the base of the statue.

Kade suddenly realized that his behavior to Lady Katherine was uncalled for, but she did ask why. So he only gave her an honest answer. Though...he supposed he had been a little strong. But now he had no idea how to apoligize for that.

So he didn't.

   "Come my lady." He said. His voice still rough, but quieter now.

She nodded.

   "Yes. And lets be quick about it. We haven't got all night. And I do believe this spell is beginning to wear off." She said.

Kade glanced at her and noticed that her hair was starting to shrink, and it went from raven black, to brown, to dirty blond, to blond, and then finally to light red. 

Her cheek bones became less defined and she looked much younger. 

   "Elowen?" He asked in shock.

   "Hello Kade. I told you I wasn't Lady Katherine. Now hurry! Please." 

Once Kade saw who it really was, things started to fall into place, and he understood why Sonera had told Elowen about the tunnels.

   "Alright come on then!" Kade took the lead and they dove into teh dark tunnel with no light at all.

   "Hold onto my jacket. Fires are not allowed down here, so I'll need both my hands. And I haven't got the time to come searching for you if you get lost." Kade whispered.

Elowen nodded, but realized he could neither see, or hear her head nod. 

   "Okay. I'll be right behind you." She said aloud. He grunted an agreement and she clutched to his leather jacket.

In this fashion, he led her through the dark tunnels. They took so many twists and turns that Elowen had all but lost track. She marveled at how Kade could keep a mental map of theses tunnels, along with how he kept his sense of direction!

Eleyos had really blessed him.

And she made a mental note to thank him for that latter.

After a good long while, and after the countless times of Ellie hearing something scurrying and screaming at the top of her lungs, Kade finally spoke up over a gradual noise that had been getting louder the farther they went.

   "Brace yourself!" He called.

Ellie immediately gasped. The last time she had heard those words she had been - 

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

She should have known what was coming while the two of them catapulted through the sky, but she didn't. By any means!

When Gravis caught them, she still felt a little bit shaky, but not too bad. However, when she suddenly realized what the source of the noise was, fear washed through her. 

They were now in middle of what seemed like a tiny battle.

Palace Guards on battle clothed yertos were swarming on a single target. Flaming arrows were flying everywhere, and once Elowen and Kade had been spotted, arrows fell on them as well. 

Ellie screamed and held tighter to Kade as Gravis suddenly dived strait down like an arrow.

When they got beyond the archers range, they turned to see the battle above.

The moment when Kade saw a flash of orange, he knew immediately who it was they were after. 

   "Sonera!" He cried, kneeing his own yerto to fly upward. he reached back to unsheath his sword, careful though to avoid any serious injuries to Elowen.

Gravis flew above the battle ground, and they found themselves looking down at the archers that had hung back while the sword fighters went on ahead to engage their enemy.

   "Get to Sonera." Ellie said loud enough to be heard over the ruckus going on. "If I get my staff I can take out the archers."

Kade's blood boiled, as did his temper.

   "No!" He spoke sharply. "Magic is evil and should be avoided or eliminated at all costs!" 

Ellie was shocked by his words, and her grip on him lessoned. But she didn't dare speak another word.

Kade flew down on the archers like a Nigvorian's axe fall. 

Swift and deadly.

Three archers fell before they knew what hit them. The other two aimed at him in a flash.

Elowen was scared that he would get injured, but before she could even think of the appropriate spell, the arrows had been released from their strings with a light twang. 

Ellie cringed, waiting for the pain that was sure to come.

Only...it didn't.

Kade saw the archers load their bows, and in his peripheral vision, he saw the arrows fly at them.

Quickly, he swung his sword in small circles, cutting the arrows several times, rendering them useless as they fell harmlessly to the clouds below.

He used his right knee to guide Gravis closer. Using the full length of his arm and with the extension of his long broadsword, he used a single horizontal cut to break the long bows in half. Leaving the archers stunned, and harmless.

Sonera swooped in next to the purple yerto.

   "Elowen!" She shouted. The small girl turned her ashen face towards her.

Sonera lifted up the white staff before tossing it to her.

Ellie caught it and thanked the silver haired girl with her eyes.

   "Kade! We need to get out of here before reinforcements come!" Sonera shouted.

He glanced her way and gave a brief nod. The two yertos dove down into clear sky, trying to out fly the Palace Guards.

   “Elowen, can you buy us some time with your magic?” Sonera asked.

   “No!” Kade shouted. “We don’t need her magic!” 

Ellie had been watching Cevlon and suddenly punched Kade in the gut.

   “I understand your fear towards magic, but now is not the time to prove that you can take on an entire army. Whichis exactly what’s coming for us right now! So get this bird going and leave the rest to me!” Ellie didn’t have time to be kind and gentle. Not with thirty or forty men coming after them.

Sonera and Kade exchanged fiery glances, but soon enough they angled their rainbow colored birds down to the crust of Falion.

   Elowen turned around on Gravis’s back so she was now backwards.

All they needed was something to give them a little time.

She closed her eyes and devoted a sliver of energy to the spell.

   “Gastro.”

Suddenly a large cloud bank appeared in front of the guards, but behind Kade and Sonera’s yertos, giving them cover for their escape.

   “Hurry! The spell will only last as long as my energy does.” She ordered.

Kade wasn’t sure what that all meant but he didn’t need any encouragement to urge the big bird to go faster.

   “How are we going to land?” 

Okay, so she hadn’t thought of that part.

.:+:.

Falion - Illumination Forest:

The band of bounty hunters had had a terrible past few days.

Now athey all had been in rough spots before, but that was on a planet they knew. They knew all the forests, and rivers on Cevlon by heart. They knew every street, back alley and sewage drains, not only where to find them, but which ones to use in what form of crisis, which ones were the best escape route to take. 

They use to consider themselves the best!

But they were not prepared for the alien-ness of the forest they found themselves trapped in.

They were lucky enough to find a cave that wasn’t any sort of den to some strange animal. But that was after a night of trying to keep the odd sounds and nocturnal animals from getting them. They found that fire was the best thing to keep everything away.

So when they set up camp in the cave, they’ve had it going day and night.

Dreyden was trying to change in the back of the cave, eat breakfast, while trying to study the map of Falion all at the same time.

He had no clue where they were. 

As far as he could tell there were three forests on Falion.

The Illumination Forest, Zipora forest and one that had no name.

It would be just our luck to end up  in that one! He thought grimly. The Arriescent Ruins are all the way on the other side of the map!

   “Hey Drey!” 

Dreyden’s eyes were torn away from the map to see Merek walk over. 

   “Find our position?” Merek gestured to the map.

Drey shook his head as he finished fixing his belt, and shoved the last piece of bread in his mouth.

   “No. It’s impossible to tell which forest we’re in! Let alone tell you how to get to the Ruins!” He vented.

Merek felt for him. In their earlier years, he had been in similar positions on several occasions!

He did not envy his dear friend, but this time he had a solution.

   “I think I know someone who will be able to help.” He said. Shifting his thumbs that were hooked on his belt.

Drey regarded him doubtfully.

   “How do you ‘know’ someone? There’s no one here but us!” 

Merek gave him an all-knowing look. Drey hated it when he did that.

   “I beg to differ. I just met a lass -” 

   “Ugh!” Drey moaned as if he’d just been given a death sentence.

   “Please tell me you’re not flirting with Ysmay again. Terryn hates it when you do that!”

   “No, no, no, no. Ysmay’s like a sister to me, anything else would just be immensely disturbing.” Merek assured him. Drey scoffed, but Merek decided to ignore that.

   “No, I mean a different girl. There’s two of them actually, but the second one ran off as soon as I started talking to her -”

   “Yeah, I would too.” 

Merek glared at Drey, who chuckled slightly.

   “But this other girl says she knows you.”

Dreyden’s brow furled by this news.

   “Knows me from where?” 

   “Cevlon she says. Something about roof tops. Why didn’t you tell me you had a lass already?” 

Drey could tell that Merek was withholding information, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what it was.

   “You know I don’t.” He growled. “So stop jokin’ about it.” 

Merek shrugged and tossed Drey his freshly cleaned tunic. (Thanks to Ysmay.)

   “You’ll find your woman sooner or latter. I’m sure of it.” 

Drey rolled his eyes as he pulled on his shirt.

   “Kids younger then me are getting married already. I’m seriously beginning to doubt that I’ll ever find the right lass to pursue.” 

   “They’re only a year younger!” Merek could tell by his expression that Drey could care less if they were five years younger!

   “Oh don’t worry about it, now just get out there!” Merek shoved his friend towards the mouth of the cave.

Outside, the sun was leaking through all the multicolored leaves of the bizarre trees.

Ysmay and Terryn were sitting around the fire, talking quietly while watching something across the camp.

Drey turned and noticed a white clad figure.

Her back was turned to him. She was kneeling down, but when she heard him approach she rose to her feet and looked at him over her shoulder.

He could only see a sliver of her face and all he could make out was one of her green eyes. 

No. He gapped. That’s impossible!

She turned around fully, but he still couldn’t see her face because of the deep cowl.

She reached up and flung the hood away and gasps ran through the camp, coming from every mouth, except Dreyden’s. 

Now, that’s not to say he wasn’t shocked. Oh no! He was shocked, just shocked into speechlessness. 

   “Too bad we can’t see the stars from here.” Elowen said with a sweet smile that sent his head spinning.

   “Ellie?” He finally managed.

She nodded and gave a curtsy.

   “I’m honored that you remember me.” 

   “Whoa, hang on a second!” Merek came up and put a hand on Drey’s shoulder. 

   “You two,” He gestured to them, connecting them with an invisable string. “Are on nick name terms?! What in Eleyos’ name did you two do all night?!”

Drey sighed and almost chuckled at Ellie’s expression. It looked like someone had just slapped her in the face and then called her pretty.

Ellie wasn’t sure how to respond to that, and Ysmay caught on.

She rose from her perch next to Terryn and moved past Merek, slapping the back of his head as she went.

   “Oh honestly! Merek cant you see you’re making her uncomfortable? For a twenty-five year old you act like a child!” 

Ysmay walked over to Elowen and put an arm around her in a protective way.

   “Don’t do it again.” She warned.

Merek sobered up a little bit, and nodded.

   “Come on, Terryn doesn’t bite.” She said reassuringly as she led Ellie over to the camp fire.

   “So, let me make introductions.” Ysmay pointed to Terryn, who smiled and waved.

   “That’s Terryn -”

   “The baby of the band.” Merek chimed in, coming over and bracing his foot on a log opposite of Elowen and Ysmay. 

   “He maybe the youngest, but he’s leathal when it comes to fighting.” Ysmay said. 

   “And that’s Merek. He may act like he’s a teenager, but don’t let him fool ya. He’s also the leader of our little group. Then of course you already know Dreydon.” Ysmay gave Ellie a kind smile, Terryn chuckled to himself, and Merek winked at her.

Oh dear. She thought. And she began to wonder what they thought she and Drey did that night.

Then again, I don’t want to know. She decided.

Ysmay continued talking.

    “He’s the second in command and practically Merek’s little brother. And then there’s me. I’m Ysmay, and I’m the glue that holds this band of misfits together. If it weren’t for me, all they’d be doing is brawling and drinking!”

That immediately brought up protests from the three boys.

   “Oi!” Ysmay shouted over the loud noise. “You know it’s true so why deny it?! Just suck it up and act your age! That’s exactly what you’d be doing if I wasn’t there to tell you when enough’s enough.” 

Ellie smiled as they all grew quiet.

   “So anyways, that’s us.” Ysmay said with a kind smile. But then a cloud of darkness covered her face. And she asked the two questions that was on everyone’s minds. “But how’d you get down here, and I don’t mean to be rude or anything but, aren’t you suppose to be on Eleyos’ side of the world?” 

Ellie smiled as everyone seemed to hold their breath with anticipation.

   “Well, as to the first, I hitched a ride, and sense you are from Cevlon you should know them pretty well.” 

On queue, Kade and Sonera walked out from near-by trees.

   “I didn’t want to scare you any more then I had to, so they stayed out of sight.” Elowen could sense tension in the camp, and went to work trying to defuse it.

   “They’re here because they want to help me. Not arrest you.” 

There was a moment of silence as everyone shifted uneasily.

   “And what are you doing here?’ Terryn spoke up.

   “Same reason Drey led you all here. I guess you could blame me for him bringing you here. He was doing me a favor.” 

   “By...going to Falion?” Merek asked. Ellie nodded. “Why?!” 

She took a deep breath and glanced up at DRey who stood to her right a little ways. He nodded, encouraging her to tell her story. 

And she did, and it took most of the morning.

Elowen was the main storyteller, with Drey, Sonera, and Kade jumping in every now and then. 

When they finished their story, the camp was as quiet as a graveyard.

   “So...you’re one of those Magi people?”  Merek broke the silence finally.

Elowen nodded. “Yes.” 

   “And you can do all that...” He made circles with his fingers.

Ellie looked at him with raised eyebrows, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

   “That...” 

   “That?” 

He got flustered and his cheeks started to become pink.

   “Oh! you know! that hocus-pocus stuff!” 

She laughed.

   “Well that is what a Magi does.” She said.

   “Can we see something?” Terryn asked, suddenly brightening up.

Ellie hesitated. She had been taught that magic was not a toy to impress friends with.

   “No.” 

It wasn’t Elowen that had said it. It was Sonera. 

She stepped forward. Though she hated it when the spot light was on her, her concern for her friend’s well-being  over threw any fear she had of all the eyes suddenly starring at her.

   “Elowen’s life energy has yet to fully charge up, so to speak, and a spell takes energy away from it’s caster. So, as of the moment, it’s probably best that she save her energy for a more....demanding situtation.” 

Silence.

There was complete silence.

Everyone just starred at the poor girl.

Merek, was the first to break it, of course.

   “What are you? Her mum?” 

That brought out chuckles from the lads, but the two other girls noticed how Sonera seemed to shrink into the back ground. Ysmay slapped Merek’s head again, and gave him a hard look. He sobered up pretty quickly and Ellie marveled at how he let her boss him around like that even though he must be twice her age.

   “It’s true.” She spoke up. “Just a little while ago, I did a cover spell. It’s one of the most easiest spells a Magi learns, and yet I felt dizzy afterwards. So just to prove I am a Magi, seems pretty pointless to me.” 

They all nodded and all the free lancers formed a circle and began talking amongst themselves.

The three outsiders stood together and watched as their fate was decided.

It was a pretty quick decision to take in Elowen because of Dreyden. Merek could immediately see where their relationship could go, and by all means he wanted that to happen.

Drey needed someone in his life that could be there for him all the time. And that didn’t work for the other bounty hunters.

Ysmay and Terryn caught on and agreed readily. So deciding about her was easy, but it was the otehr two they couldn’t agree about.

   “I don’t mind Sonera so much -” Merek started off, but Terryn caught on to him quickly. 

   “Does that have anything to do with the fact that she’s female and pretty?”

Merek glarred at the boy.

   “I do have a brain you know. And she’s less likely to undermine my authority!” He pointed out. Drey nodded in agreement.

   “Ellie is pretty submissive, and has most people wrapped around her finger because of her personality. So it’s most likely for Sonera to follow Ellie, then to go against you.” 

Merek and Terryn just looked at him funny.

   “Uh-huh,” Terryn said. “and you got all that in just one night?” 

Drey reached over and slapped him.

   “Boys stop.” Ysmay cut in just as Terryn was making for a come-back.

   “Dreyden’s right. Sonera’s not the problem. It’s that darn Lieutenant Kade.” She went on. “He’s a lieutenant., he will be anything but submissive. And I get the feeling that he’s only here because he got dragged in.” 

Murmured agreements made it clear everyone was thinking along the same lines.

Someone behind them cleared his throat, gaining their attention. 

It was Kade.

   “Okay, here’s the thing,” He stated in a very ‘this is the way it’s going to be’ sort of tone. “I’m here because she’s here,” He pointed to Sonera, who hadn’t moved from her spot next to Elowen.

   “And I’m not going back till she does. And she’s not leaving unless that witch does. And I have a feeling you are planning on letting her stay. So in short, we’re all staying. Understand?” 

Merek shot everyone a glanced that said, ‘see what I mean?!’ 

Ysmay touched Drey’s arm to remind him not to do anything rash. And Terryn didn’t say a word. He was the newest recruit to the gang and didn’t quiet have a voice of his own yet.

Merek sighed.

   “Fine! But I’m in charge, got it buddy?!”

Kade glanced his way, but didn’t say anything.

.:+:.

When all the arraignments had been dealt with, Elowen followed Drey and Merek into the cave and to the map. They explained their little predicament. 

She laughed when they told her they couldn’t figure out where they were. 

   “That’s because you don’t use your eyes.” She stated. Another giggle escaped her as she was faced with their baffled looks.

   “Come, I’ll show you what I mean.” She led them back outside and looked up at the sky.

The sun was beginning to set, and twilight had fallen. She smiled.

Walking over to the camp fire, she muttered a spell and it diminished to ashes.

Terryn cried out in alarm as he fell backwards off his log.

   “Shh...” Ellie whispered and she turned to the forest. 

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Drey wasn’t sure what was going on, and for some reason everyone glanced at him like he had some sort of explanation for Ellie’s behavior!

Drey took a step towards the strange girl when it happened.

There was a sudden noise. Faint, but definitely there. At first, it sounded like thousands of voices, all giggling like a child, but they were everywhere! And never in the same place twice!

Merek and Kade respond similar. Pulling out their swords and walking around in hopelessly dizzy circles. 

   “Put your weapons away.” Ellie said in a gentle tone. “You are in no danger here.” 

She then turned again. 

The voices slowly started to form a melody. It started out slow, full of compassion and excitement, but gradually it began to quicken.

And as the song filled the forest, the trees, and plants themselves began to come alive.

Ysmay gasped softly as the astonishing spectacle went on around her. Not quiet sure what to think about it all, her hand, involuntary, reached for Terryn’s arm as she stepped closer to him. (In any other circumstances, she’d be extremely embarrassed.)

The trees went from the vivid green to a rainbow of colors. Some glowed blue, others yellow. The flowers and plants did the same. All changing color from what now seemed a very dull color, to vibrant pinks and purples. 

No flower (or tree for that matter) was exactly the same. They were all different in some way. 

Ellie turned to the rest of the group. 

   “So, have you figured out where you are now?” 

Drey’s mouth was still gapping open, but a smile appeared.

   “The Illumination Forest.”