Sorry it's a little late. I really wanted to finish drawing Stheno before releasing the new chapter. But now it's our! So... Enjoy?

"I am going to kill that unmuzzled beetle-headed serpent!" Talyn shouted, pacing around furiously. She waved her wand again, chanting the same incantation she has been for the past hour. The sparks flew for a second, but then died down. "Curse that foul ill-breaded measle!" The pixies have given up on trying to calm her down. She had been at this for the past hour, not a single spell working because of the enchantment block Stheno put in place. She cursed her differently each time.

"Talyn…" Terrence tried, but she just continued to pace and appeared to not have heard him. "Talyn I think it would be best to-" she ignored him. He zipped over to her and stopped right in front of her face. "Talyn! You need sleep! You can't keep going on like this, it clearly isn't working!"

She grit her teeth, "I'm fine." She hissed. Emile joined Terrence.

"Terrence is right, you need sleep to be able to get him back and you are obviously not fine."

"Yes I am. I can't sleep, I don't need it. We need to get Roman back." The pixies weren't having it.

"No. We can't get him back if you don't sleep!"  Terrence crossed his arms. "Even if we try to rescue him, it won't work with you exhausted!"

"I'm fine. I can't sleep, I won't sleep."

"You have to rest! You are exhausted and drained from the journey! He can wait long enough for you to get better and-"

"I'M NOT LOSING ANOTHER FRIEND TO THAT FREAK!" Talyn shrunk to her knees, sobbing. "I-I already lo-o-ost Nocte, now that I fin-finally have Ro-Roman back, I'm l-oos-oosing him to the same mon-monster. I can't l-let that happen again." She gasped out in between tears. The pixies looked to each other and came to a decision.

"We'll get him back. Don't worry." Emile started as Terrence flew behind her head and put a hand on her ear. "But you need rest first." Her eyes flew open, but it was too late. She felt her body betraying her as her head dropped to the ground. The last thing she heard was a painful ringing in the back of her head. A yellow orb flew out of her chest as her eyes slipped closed.

"Roman, you...freaking…genius…" the pixies looked at each other, confused. 

After much discussion, they had moved blankets over her and lifted her head so a pillow could be slid under it. They couldn't move her, but working together, they could try to make her comfortable. Terrence had volunteered to take first watch. Emile bent down to kiss him.

"Take care, twinkle toes." With that, Emile flew off to sleep next to Talyn. Terrence had given up on figuring out Emile's weird nicknames. He had tried to explain that they're from characters on flat surfaces. That specific one is to a young boy with an arrow on his head from a blind girl. Terrence never understood these odd references. Emile has an extra power that pixies don't normally have. The power of seership or visions into the future. He doesn't get them often, but he can control what he sees, and he usually prefers to see these strange things he calls 'cartoons'.

They took turns during the night, and well into morning. It was almost noon when Talyn had started to stir. The pixies were talking on a rock right next to the fire pit when they heard the yell, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" They sighed and turned back to their fuming friend.

"How do you, how do?" Emile tried, but Talyn wasn't having it. She ignored him and waved her wand, causing their luggage to disappear and food to form. 

"We need to get going right away, so eat up." She gave them one last glare before getting food and water to Roman's steed. Once Hercules was ready, she waved the food away but made sure to save a sandwich for herself. She quickly ate and saddled the stallion.

"What is your plan?" Terrence asked as he and Emile sat on Talyn's shoulders. She didn't look at them as she swiftly replied.

"Get Roman." The pixies shared a glance.

"Uh huh. And uh… how are you planning on finding him?" She sighed, obviously annoyed.

"When I was younger, I made magical bells that lead us to each other. He rang his belly right before I went to sleep and now there is a ball of light that only I can see that is leading us to him."

While the pixies questioned her sanity, they rode off in the direction of the light that only Talyn could see. She swore to herself that she would never lose another friend. She will get Roman back, she just hoped they weren't too late.

The booming voice returned as time sped up again. Things were hard to say the least. With Stheno holding Roman, we had even less time to bargain with The Dragon Witch. Even so, that wasn't our main concern anymore. I will not be showing you Roman's time with The Dragon Witch for Roman's sake. Please be kind enough to remember this when the spell ends.

When the voice faded again, the group had stopped at a cave entrance with a distant light at the end. Talyn got off Hercules, and tied him to a nearby tree, outside of the cave. The pixies were still in shock that the bell actually worked as they hovered next to the sorceress. They crowded next to the entrance, fear over taking them.

"I'm going in," Talyn stated and started moving for the entrance, when a certain pixie flew right up to her face.

"You will do no such thing! We need a plan!" Emile argued, arms out stretched. Talyn rolled her eyes in response and lifted her hands up in surrender.

"Then what do you suggest we do? I have taken her before, I can do it again." Terrence sighed.

"Okay, so you go inside… then what? You attack, she turns Roman or one of us into stone, you defeat her then lose another friend?" Talyn paused. Terrence did have a strong argument. What was she going to do if Roman was turned to stone? The whole quest would be for nothing. "Please, we have already lost so many. I have already lost my sister to that monster. I don't want to lose anyone else." Sparkling pink tears leaked down his cheeks. Emile flew over to him and wrapped Terrence in his light pink arms, supporting his weight.

Talyn stared at the ground, ashamed. Of course, she thought, she forgot about just how much these pixies have lost to this same monster, and here she was still mourning the loss of a cat. How selfish could she be? Terrence had lost his sister and best friend. He was barely saved by Emile who had lost his parents and siblings. They were generals or soldiers in the Royal's army. They were surprised when he didn't want to be a soldier as well, but they supported him regardless. He did train with his siblings and parents when growing up though. That's one of the reasons Talyn was so excited to have him and his fighting experience. He also taught Terrence basic self defense. Pixies have harmless magic, but when properly trained, let's say they will do more than a paper cut. If Stheno and her sisters didn't have such powerful magic, the pixie army would have easily won.

"I'm sorry." Talyn glanced up at the pixies, who were also staring off into the distance, as if remembering all the pain these monsters had caused for them. They looked back at her. Terrence tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

"It's okay. It's in the past now, but we can't forget it. We don't want the same thing to happen now. Please. Please don't rush into things. Please don't make us lose anyone else." Talyn nodded and Terrence let out a sigh of relief. "We have to keep a calm and level head while we think of a-" 

Terrence was cut off by a horrendous scream that made all of them freeze. Fear gripped Talyn's heart. "ROMAN!"

1409 Words!
They're decreasing in size! I might actually catch up more with my writing to publishing ratio thingy... That made no sense... It's okay, who needs stinkin math terms anyway! Hope you are all having a great day! Bye sister, brothers, and non binary others!

💖 Maybay4