3 Days Later (Present Day.)

(Circe’s P.O.V)

I was running, flying desperately through the forest to where I knew they would be. Branches lashed at my arms and legs but I frantically pushed them aside as I forced my legs to move just that little bit faster. Gasping for breath I felt sobs choking up my throat, tears forming in my eyes as the horrible feeling of dread in my stomach grew until it weighed me down and I stumbled to the mossy forest floor.

My chest heaved as I forced myself up, ignoring the call that I heard behind me. He should have told me. He should have said something. I gritted my teeth and the tears that fell were of sadness, anger and betrayal. They all should have said something. They knew, all this time.

The forest was thinning now and I began running upwards. I knew where it would happen, his eyes had been filled with remorse as he had divulged the information. I could see that the sun was close to setting on the final day of the festival and I willed for it to slow down, knowing that I would be too late. There would be nothing I could do …

I banished the thought from my mind and kept running. It was getting hard now though and I was slowing down. The thought that I might fail because of my own physical weakness angered me so much that I forced myself to pick up the pace. I had to get there. I just had to.

*

Earlier that Morning

(Circe’s P.O.V)

It was the final day of festival and I had seen none of it. I felt as though I was on some kind of ridiculous high whenever I was with him which was a lot. I had been studiously ignoring everyone’s questions as to where I had been and managed to avoid them most of the day by creeping out of my room early in the morning to find him. We had then run off out of castle, via a secret back door that we had discovered, (disadvantage of living in a tree, there were countless exits,) and disappeared off to while away the day under the cover of the forest.

Neither of us paused for a moment to think it odd that there were no guards outside of his room. Nor did we try to figure out what we were going to do next. I had been deprived of him for so long that there was no time for worry although these were the most dangerous times that we had ever spent together.

“Let’s run away,” I had suggested one afternoon as we lay on the mossy forest floor, as bare as the earth beneath us. My hair was tousled and my cheeks flushed after he had made love to me thoroughly and at that moment I truly felt as though nothing would stand between us again.

His finger traced the skin of my breast and I shivered in his warm embrace. “We can’t my Love. I couldn’t leave my brother behind. I-“

He paused as though he was going to add something else but then shook his head.

“What is it?” I pressed, leaning over to capture his lips with mine in the sweetest of kisses. “Tell me.”

He groaned and cupped my face, pulling me back into the kiss, deepening it. “It is nothing Darling, nothing for you to worry about.”

“But I-“

He had silenced me then with his lips and his hands and not unwillingly I had been pulled back under into the heat of his passionate love and all thoughts were gone from my mind and were replaced with the way he smelt oh so heavenly and the contrasting roughness of his skin against mine.

*

A knock on my door had pulled me from my day dream and it was with a sinking feeling that I realised I had not been able to get away as fast as usual and my suspicions were confirmed as Zalas stormed into the room without hesitation, his face thunderous, the door slamming shut behind him.

He didn’t speak for a moment and we glowered at each other, I had risen from my bed and my arms were folded across my chest. I knew what he was going to say and he could bloody well just spit it out himself. I was not confessing to anything. Finally he opened his mouth and words hissed from between his lips as though he was spitting venom.

“You will not be going to see him today.”

My eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

I had barely finished speaking when he cut me off with a roar of fury. “Don’t play dumb with me Princess! I know exactly where you have been sneaking off to, even if everyone else is too blind to see it. You are being extremely selfish and immature, have you even thought about the consequences of your actions? The impact that this will have on your reputation if others were to find out?”

I scowled at him. “I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask to be this person, where was the part where I got to decide what I wanted?!”

“You made that decision when you accepted the vow of a Royal!”

“But what if I don’t want that anymore?” I cried desperately. “What if I never wanted that in the first place?”

“Then you should have said something!”

“And what would I have said exactly?” I screamed at him. “You tell me what I should have said and I will go and say it right now, but I can see it in your face that there is nothing, NOTHING that I could have said that would have changed my fate.” I paused for a moment, so frustrated that he couldn’t see. “These are the few days that I have in-between, the few days where I have no duties to uphold. I know that it cannot last forever and that is why I will spend them as I wish, with whoever I want!”

At my subtle conformation that what he was accusing me of was true, his anger boiled over as his face contorted with rage. A wind whipped out from his body but for once my anger matched his and he was met with resistance. Snarling I lashed out at him, the sharp blow of air catching him off guard and knocking him backwards.

His white eyes widened as he looked at me. “You dare?”

“Yes I dare!” I half screamed with frustration. “When will you realise that I stand on the same level to you? I answer to nobody!!” My final word was emphasised with a deafening blow of air that knocked his head back against the wall.

We were both panting as we stared at each other. Then I spoke.

“Just leave me alone. This isn’t any of your business.”

His face hardened to stone. “Fine,” His eyes were so cold and his words painfully sharp, “but don’t coming running me to me when you get hurt, because unlike you I know exactly how this will end.”

“I have never run to you for anything.” I snapped back.

He wrenched the door open and stalked from the room, his hair whipping out from behind him and his hands curled into fists. I watched him go, my anger leaving with him and I suddenly felt sick as I thought of his parting words. Did he know something that I didn’t?

A terrible sense of foreboding rose in my stomach and I lurched out of the room, forcing myself into a run as I navigated my way to his room. There were no guards stationed outside but that was normal. I slowed as I reached the door, my heart thudding faster as I saw it stood ajar. Gently I pushed it open the rest of the way and my suspicions were confirmed as I was met with an empty room. More than empty, it was tidy. Neat, clean, as though no one had ever been there to begin with.

A hand rose to my mouth in horror but I shook my head, forcing back tears. I had to think clearly. What was going on? Why now? It was the end of the festival, did that have any significance?

Wait, slow down, I thought to myself. Maybe he had just gone down to breakfast?

I hurried downstairs to the dining hall but was met with a large, empty room. Damn Zalas! Why did he always have to be right? And now there was no sign of him and he knew exactly what he had done to me! Ambrose and the others were missing too I noticed and that was odd as this was the normal breakfast time for everyone.

I was beginning to panic properly now as I ran out of the castle and called for Anthemin. The Dragon was in my mind instantly and I watched him appear out of his hold and fly down towards me, worry in his thoughts.

Vanima, what is it?

I can’t find anyone, I rushed out. I paused for a moment before deciding that the situation was more urgent than withholding the truth. I can’t find Obsidian. I am worried something has happened to him. I think Zalas might know something but I am not sure, have you heard anything?

It was a moment before I realised that the young dragon looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Anthemin, I said slowly. What do you know?

I am sorry Vanima, but you have to trust me that this is all going to plan. This is what is meant to happen, what was supposed to happen all along. His thoughts were edgy, he was keeping something from me, I could feel it.

I don’t understand, what do you mean?

He shook his head. I cannot say, Unabonan has forbidden me to tell you until it is over.

I was shocked, he had never had to keep anything from me before and I could feel now in his mind that he hated doing it. I felt a sudden anger towards Unabonan and his stupid brother. How dare they command my Dragon to hold information from his bonded partner, it was almost cruel to expect such a thing due to how closely we were intertwined. My sympathy rose for Anthemin and I hugged him tightly.

It’s okay, I understand.

He whined softly. I am sorry, I should have told you sooner, I should have realised this would happen.

You knew earlier? Why didn’t you tell me?

Because she insisted that you would interfere and that she had everything under control. I thought that she was right, I did not want you to get involved, I was only concerned for your safety.

I can understand that. But can you tell me who she is??

Anthemin cringed as the binding order rattled in his mind, stopping his thoughts in their tracks.

I growled in frustration. “Okay.” I said out loud. “If you can’t tell me, maybe we can find someone who can?”

He nodded despondently, hanging his head low. Trying to be optimistic I gave him another cuddle. It really wasn’t his fault, he was only a young Dragon and his will power was not yet as strong as it would be as he grew. We have time, I repeated to myself over and over. It is only early morning, there has to be time.

I looked around desperately hoping that an idea would suddenly spring into my mind. Suddenly I saw a glimpse of white from between green of the trees and like last night it caught my attention. This time though I was not going to be distracted and beckoning to Anthemin we set off after the glimmer, following it off the main road and into the thickening forest.

*

We had been walking now for a long time and I was beginning to give up hope. The sun had reached its peak in the sky and I felt as though we had gotten no-where. Every now and then though, we would see that flash of white ahead and I would force the both of us to press on, desperate in my search for answers.

Finally I had had enough and just as I was deciding that I would fly ahead to try and catch up with our mysterious leader, we stumbled into a clearing. The small but perfect circle was filled with flowers and in the very centre grew a ring of mushrooms. The sun shone straight down, lighting the magical sight in a golden glow and I shielded my eyes against the glare, certain for a moment that I saw tiny golden orbs hovering above the mushrooms but I blinked and they disappeared.

Wandering over I dropped to my knees on the very edge of the circle, gazing around in amazement. “It’s a faerie circle.” I whispered, a soft breeze tousling my hair and lifting the hairs on the back of my neck.

Anthemin had slithered on his belly towards me and was completely entranced. He let out a small burble, his head stretching out until his nose hovered millimetres away from one of the toadstools. His eyes were flitting around as though he was watching a movement but I couldn’t ask what it was for at that moment the feeling that I was being watched came over me and I looked up to catch the deep brown eyes of none other than Erizha.

We considered each other for a moment and I smiled, holding out my hand. He shook his glorious mane, his horn shining in the sun and trotted over to us. He took care to walk around the outside of the faerie ring I noticed and his awareness startled me a little as I realised again just how unique he was.

He stopped in front of me and snuffled at my hand in greeting. I felt guilty again that I had not brought him a treat of any kind but then I wondered if that would be demeaning, as though I was trying to win over his affection with food. He gave a soft whinny and the spark in his eye somehow told me that he would not mind a bit of bribery in the slightest.

He pranced to the side then, his white coat gleaming and realization struck me.

“You lead us here?”

Anthemin raised his head in surprise. Could it be that he knows something?

I reached out my hand to pet Erizha’s silky snout. “Do you know where I can find Obsidian boy? Is that why you brought me here?”

The Unicorn pranced again, stomping his shaggy hooves against the ground before dipping his head until the tip of his horn touched the very centre of the faerie ring. I stared in shock as his brown eyes shifted to blue and he began to glow with radiance that I had not been aware of before. The circle remained unchanged however and the little mushrooms stayed an ordinary brown, nestled between the green grass blades.

Erizha snorted softly and swung his head around swiftly. I gasped for fear of getting my eye skewered but his horn landed perfectly in the center of my forehead. It was cool and hard, I could feel it leaving a little dint in my skin, but all of this became irrelevant for I watched in wonder as the world grew a little bit brighter than it had been before. Everything seemed more vibrant, the green of the forest surrounding me had so much more depth to it than I had ever realized. It was a subtle shift but I could definitely tell the difference. It reminded me a lot actually of how the world looked through Anthemin’s eyes and his thoughts gave me conformation that this was indeed the case.

Look back at the ring now Vanima and you shall see what your eyes missed before.

Excitedly I did as he asked, disappointed when I saw nothing out of the usual. The circle was definitely more entrancing than before though and I leaned forward to get a better look. Each little mushroom was beautiful; each had their own individual design. 

Ehrizha pawed the ground impatiently and a hand flew to my mouth to smother my scream. A tiny little face had peeked out from around the edge of the mushroom but at my sudden movement it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

I looked up at Ehrizha who was staring patiently at the spot where the face had appeared. I watched with baited breath as, ever so slowly, the tiny face reappeared, followed by the rest of the small person as they stepped out from behind their mushroom.

I could barely contain my excitement but I tried to stay as still as possible so that I wouldn’t frighten the faerie away again. The delicate creature had an ambiguous form, but from the long hair and the gentle features I guessed that it was female. She had to be no bigger than my thumb and she was surrounded in a beautiful golden light that seemed to emanate from her skin. She peeped out at me coyly from behind her tresses and I gasped as a set of wings unfolded from her back, dropping down to the grass like a jeweled train.

More faces were appearing now, too many for me to take them all in but the differences between male and female became quite apparent. Directly in front of me a male had appeared, his brown hair cropped short and his tiny pointed ears smaller than a tooth pick. He stood slightly in front of the female, only a little bit taller than her and his minuscule face was wary.

I could see now how normal eyesight would miss quite easily these small waif-like beings or simple mistake them, like I had for a trick of the light.

“I am so pleased to meet you, I am Circe Deuaich, Princess of the Water Kingdom, ” I whispered quietly, scared that if I spoke too loudly I would blow them away. “I have a friend, I think he is in trouble and I was hoping that you could help me.”

The female lifted a hand so tiny that I could barely see it and whispered something to the male. His face frowned for a moment and then smoothed. His opened his tiny mouth and words pooled forth, his voice wispy and bell-like. I had to strain to hear him and even then it was almost impossible.

“Greetings Princess, I am Guron, Prince of the Fae. We have heard of your story and the plight of Obsidian Bones. It is our belief that the people of the Earth Kingdom brought their banishment upon themselves, no one person was to blame.” His tiny chest heaved a sigh. “However, since the banishment we have distanced ourselves and now we stand alone. We will not get involved in Elven affairs, I am sorry but there is nothing we can do to help you.”

My heart dropped instantly. “But please,” I insisted, “If you knew where they are, couldn’t you just tell me?”

The Prince shook his head. “Even if we knew their location, you would arrive too late, Elven rituals happen at sun-down, you would not have enough time.” He began to retreat away from me, ushering the female further back behind him. Her tiny face peeped over his shoulder and her eyes were filled with sorrow.

“It is time for you to go!” The Prince called. “We rarely show ourselves to outsiders, Erizha called in a favour and we were obliged to answer, but we cannot help you, you need to leave.”

“Please wait,” I cried out, reaching out towards them but suddenly it was as though my hand was moving through thick sand and I gasped, withdrawing it instantly and curling my fingers.

Looking back towards them I saw the Prince standing with his arms out stretched towards me. His form began to waver as though he was disappearing into the air. His parting words were faint, a whisper on the wind.

“It would be wise to do as I say.”

With that they disappeared and the vision that I had been given withdrew from my eyes leaving the world dark and bleak. Everywhere I looked the colours seemed to be washed out and old. The sun had disappeared from the clearing and I shivered, suddenly cold.

Anthemin reached out to touch his head to my side. Everything will be okay Vanima.

A fat tear rolled out from my eyes and tricked down my cheek, dropping in my lap. Erizha’s soft nose pushed into my hair and he snorted softly, the warm air tickling my skin. I reached up a hand and stroked the side of his face dejectedly.

“It’s okay boy, you tried.”

I sighed and got to my feet, wiping away my tears. Turning to the little circle of mushrooms I bowed low. “Thank-you Prince Guron for your time, I understand that this banishment has been difficult for everyone. I hope that one day you and your kind will re-join us. Until then, it was a pleasure.”

I didn’t expect an answer so I was not disappointed when nothing happened. Instead I looked up at the sky. The sun suggested that it was heading towards later afternoon; I had spent longer in the clearing than I had thought and if Guron was correct then I didn’t have much time.

A sense of hopelessness overwhelmed me again and I wished that he could hear me. I was deeply troubled by Gurons use of the word ‘ritual.’ It didn’t sound very good at all.

“You will never find him you know.”

I let out a yelp of surprise and whirled around just in time to see Aranel step out of the clearing, her pretty face as always, marred with anger.

“You will be too late and even if you did know, I wouldn’t let you pass.”

I scowled at her. “Have you been following me?!”

She sneered. “You are so pathetic. So useless and naïve, it was ridiculous of your Mother to ever think you had what it takes to be a Princess, let alone run an entire Kingdom. You didn’t even know that your own friends were keeping things from you.” Her words were like slashing knives and I was left defenseless.

She didn’t stop though, oh no. She was determined to make sure there was nothing left. “You aren’t a true Dragon Rider otherwise your bond would be able to override Unabonan’s order, no matter what.” Her smile was pitying and spiked with a dash of poison. “Maybe you just don’t want it enough Princess.”

“Shut up!” I snarled at her. Beside me Erizha stomped his hooves in agitation and I could feel Anthemin’s spines tingling as he let out a guttural snarl. “What is your issue?! Why are you doing this? What have we ever done to you?”

Her eyes flashed with undisguised fury. “What have you done? You have protected and loved the scum of a man that has stood in the way of my and Nelonimi’s justice! It was her egg that was stolen all of those years ago by Zeus Gold. It was her Dragon child that was tortured. She had to feel the pain through the link that they shared and burn in the knowledge that there was nothing she could do!” Her words were spat out of her mouth as though she couldn’t wait to get them out.

“But that wasn’t Obsidian’s fault. Why should he be blamed?” I pleaded.

“Because there is no one else to blame,” She said coldly. “And someone has to be held accountable for the consequences that occurred afterwards.” She smiled cruelly. “Of course Obsidian agreed to his fate a long time ago. Did he not tell you? Oh that’s a shame; I guess that he didn’t think you were important enough to know.”

I felt my eyes glaze over as her words sunk in. “What do you mean? He didn’t steal that egg, I know he didn’t.”

Her voice was nonchalant. “Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t in any case, it certainly helped to erase any doubt that his life should be spared. And that pendant of yours … well,” My head jerked up to catch the maliciousness in her eyes. “It was fun to play with, that’s for sure.”

“It was you,” I whispered in horror. “You stole the Dragon egg. You framed him.”

Aranel grinned and now it felt as though I was finally focusing in on her as all of the pieces came together. Her head tilted to the side as she watched me process with glee and it was then that I realised she looked slightly deranged.

“You won’t ever be able to prove that though will you?” She whispered her voice floating across the clearing to curl around me like a suffocating wind. “You’ll never prove it. Soon you will have nothing and just like we have, you will also have to live with the knowledge that there was nothing, nothing you could do to save him.”

Her words turned my stomach and I felt suddenly sick. I opened my mouth back I didn’t know what to say. My eyes searched the clearing for a way to get past her; I knew she would be true to her word. She would not let me leave.

She cackled with glee as she noticed the realization on my face, reveling in the fact that she had been the one to tell me this. Something behind her caught my eye, a flash of blue that had Erihza stomping his hooves again and swinging his horned head from side to side.

“Anyway,” Aranel was saying, “You need to come with me now. I will make sure you stay put until it is over. And don’t try to get away from me,” She grinned. “I can take both you and your Dragon on myself if I have to.”

She sauntered towards me and Erizha pawed the ground, stopping her in her tracks. She scowled and went to walk forwards again but the Unicorn brandished his horn, the thin, deadly spiral glinting in the weak sunlight.

She snarled at him, he was an unexpected obstacle and just the distraction that the person hovering in the treeline had been waiting for. In a flurry of blue Ambrose swooped out into the open, his water form fluid and surreal. Before Aranel had even realised he was there his touch had her feet frozen to the ground and her hands in watery cuffs behind her back. To my dismay she broke the bonds in an instant as she blew against the ground with such force that it shattered the ice holding her. Her hands were free in a movement so skilled that I couldn’t even comprehend.

Ambrose was not to be deterred however and I took this as the only chance I would get to run. I turned towards Anthemin but he was shaking his head miserably, his ears pinned back flat against his skull.

He is in my head, I am so sorry but I can’t, the pain. His voice was gasping and I felt it through the mind link, it crippled me for a moment and I stumbled but then Anthemin was blocking me from his head and gasping, I stumbled to my feet.

Aranel managed to throw off Ambrose for a moment and she lurched towards me but Erizha came in-between us and caught her with the side of his head. She screamed, caught unaware as he flung her across the meadow where she hit the ground hard and struggled to get back up, her white arms shaking. She looked up at me through tangled hair and her eyes promised a fate worse than death.

Ambrose hurried to me, grabbing me by my elbows. “Circe I never wanted this to happen, you have to understand, I tried to talk to your Mother but she insisted that it wasn’t her decision.”

The words that I had been about to thank him with slipped away and betrayal found its way iinto my eyes as I realised.

“You knew?” I whispered in horror.

His voice was desperate. “Please Circe, you have to understand.”

I shook him off, backing away from him slowly, tears forming in my eyes. “How could you not tell me?” I managed to choke out. “You knew all this time and you didn’t tell me?” My voice was getting shrill now and my hands were shaking. “Tell me! Tell me where he is!”

Ambrose shook his head, his eyes full of shame. “Circe you will be too late-“

“No!” I screamed, the tears were over flowing now and I pointed accusingly at him. “I will not be too late, tell me where he is!”

Ambrose swallowed, “They have taken him to the ritual site, at the top of Oroden Anar,” He pointed and I followed his finger to stare at what would be my biggest obstacle with dread.

“Oroden Anar one of the most dangerous mountains in the Elven Kingdom. You will never make it.” Aranel spat from across the clearing. She had wobbled to her feet and wiped a drop of blood away from the corner of her mouth. Erizha stomped his hooves, his head down and ready to charge. She eyed him with unease.

Ambrose glared at her. “She is right though Circe, although the ritual sight is only half way up I have been there many times, it is far too dangerous to rush the climb. You will never make it.” He took in my expression and caved. “I will show you,” He relented, “but please Circe, be rational-”

“Show me,” I ground out.

Ambrose crouched down on the ground and extended a hand. A steady stream of water poured from his finger tips and floated above the grass in a pool. On the reflective surface a vision appeared, a rocky outcrop, high above the land, jutting out from the mountain like a platform. Runes were carved into the stone floor, decorating a perfect circle that had been drawn in the middle. A stone pillar stood in the centre and chills ran down my spine as I realised what it was for.

He reached for my hand but I pulled away from him. “Don’t think you can stop me.” I said, looking at both of them. “No-one tells me what to do ever again.”

Before they had time to react I took off running, leaving Anthemin and Erizha behind me. I could see that the Unicorn had charged forward to fend off Aranel as she leapt towards me, nails raking nothing but thin air. Anthemin managed to gather himself enough to block Ambrose but I could tell that he would not follow although his face was torn.

“Circe!” His cry was one of shame and I squeezed my eyes closed as I plunged into the forest, using the wind to push me faster. I was torn between saving myself for the climb and getting there as fast as possible.

I heard Ambrose cry out again from behind me and a choked sob burst up out of my throat, mixing in with my gasping breaths of fear. Why was it that when I needed to run as fast as I could I felt as though I was moving through sand? Everything was a blur as I pushed through the forest, the ground tearing at my bare feet. High above me the sun burst through a cloud in the sky.

Time was ticking and my desperation grew as doubt crept in, my heart beating faster as though to emphasize that it lived for only one other and I knew that if he was taken from me for good then I would cease to exist at all.

*