Chapter 14:

“First lesson, Willow,” Chelsea said. “This here is a Portal.” She held up the small black device that Chris had used in the alley when she first saw them what felt like ages ago. “Its powers are limited and only Ganashes and UpperWorlders can use it, don’t ask us why though. For some reason, if any other creature tries to go through it, they get blown to pieces. Unlike contrary beliefs, it does not take you to wherever your thoughts lie. Yes, it does have to do with your thoughts, though. The person using it must first think of where they want to go, then turn it on and throw it. It will open up and take you where the person who opened it was thinking. It’s very simple, there are no gimmicks or bewares attached, except for don’t land on your head.”

                She threw it on the ground and it opened up in the same circle that had opened in the alley and at her house. Wind came out of it, tossing her hair back almost painfully and almost knocking her off her balance.

                Chelsea jumped into, then Chris, then Alicia. Michael gestured for Willow to go and she jumped through it as well.

                The wind as she went through did not enable her to open her eyes and all she could feel was the wind, it felt like it was punching her repeatedly. The trip only lasted a few seconds, though, she was literally thrown from the portal to the hard ground in seconds. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was in a forest. The forest was green and lively, with light streaming through the leaves giving it a magical feel. The forest was covered in moss, and rocks, and grass. There were rustlings here and there, which Willow guessed was just the small animals that lived in these parts. She wondered if there were squirrels here.

                "Okay, let's get going." Chelsea said, starting to walk forward. Everybody followed her without question.

                "Is there anything in this forest I should worry about?" Willow had to ask, looking around curiously at the plants and surroundings. With the birds chirping in the background, it was hard to imagine monsters lurking behind the thick shrubs.

                "Yes." Michael replied. "There are these huge monsters that no blade can cut through. Everybody who encounters them die-"

                "Oh, Michael." Chris interrupted her. "You're terrifying her."

                "No, it’s alright," Willow replied. “As Jasper always said, I just have to run faster than the rest of you. And if that fails I can always just trip Michael so he falls behind.” She smiled at Michael, faking evilness.

                They all started laughing, "Great plan, Willow. Let’s all gang up against Michael!" Alicia said between laughs.

                "It's nice to know I'm safe around you." Michael said to Willow amusingly.

                Willow pulled her tongue out at him and then went back to her original question, "No, but seriously, is there anything I should be worried about?"

                "No-" Chelsea started but Michael interrupted.

                "Well, if you're scared of squirrels you'll probably be terrified of Hads. There like a squirrel and duck mixed together."

                "How terrifying! Do they run slow or will I have to trip you again?" She teased, grinning at Michael who smiled back. She wondered how she had gotten so at ease with these people.

* * * * * * *

                A few minutes later, Chelsea indicated for them all to be quiet. Willow guessed they were near the Mountain Lyre and in that moment intensely wished she had read that page in the book about the UnderWorld about these creatures. She could hear booming laughs and crunches and what sounded like a fire.

                "They're having dinner," Michael whispered to Willow. She looked over at him, he was right next to her, close enough that she could see the specks of light green in his emerald eyes.

                "What do they eat?" Willow asked, whispering as well, trying to distract herself from his face.

                "Mostly meats." He replied, looking away from her.

                Willow looked away as well and caught Alicia watching them. She was looking at Michael with an odd expression like she confused and amazed at the same time. Willow mildly wondered why, but shook her head before getting ideas. 

                Chelsea dropped down on her hands and knees and everybody followed, Willow right behind Alicia and still next to Michael. They crawled through the bushes, some branches snagging her skin and gear and getting tangled with her hair. The rocks and dirt digging into her knees and palms, but she continued without pausing, though. They stopped at the edge of the bush, very close to the creatures causing Willow a slight discomfort.

                There were six of them Mountain Lyres. They looked just as frightening as they had in the picture in the book 'The UnderWorld'. With thick, lumpy yellow skin, and four black eyes that looked like black pits. Their two sets of arms were probably as long as four people on top of each other. They were all seated around a large, glowing fire.

                Slowly roasting over the flames was what looked like a full horse or maybe something even bigger. It was gutted, Willow could tell all that much by the organs laying around the fire, making her want to puke.

                "Probably stole it from the nearby village." Michael whispered, Willow not entirely sure who he was talking to. 

                The Lyres were singing terrible, off-tune songs, but what surprised Willow of their singing was that they were singing in English! How did these idiots learn English? She thought to herself.

                Alicia seemed to have read her mind and answered her unspoken question, "Most people speak English here," she whispered. "And if they don't speak English as a first language, but they usually have it as a second language."

                “Oh, that’s weird.” Willow whispered, though no one responded to her comment. She was about to ask them what they were going to do now but Chris interrupted her.

                "What's wrong, Chelsea?" He asked worriedly looking at her. Chelsea's eyes were wide with horror and she was pointing at a pen behind the Lyres.

                All of their eyes seemed to automatically go to the pen; it seemed to be the pen where they kept their food because there were horses and other animals. But there was a lot worse, in one of the pens, all tied up and beaten and bloody were a pile of what looked like human beings.

                Michael was in immediate attention. He got up slightly from his crouch, and looked at Chelsea, "I'll go see if they're alive."

                Chelsea nodded and Michael got up and quietly slipped into the shadows. Willow felt coldness where his warmth had been.

                "Are they not supposed to have human beings?" Willow asked, feeling terrible about herself for asking such a question, but unable to help herself.

                "No." Alicia replied sternly, looking at Willow with a look of what-a-stupid-question.

                “Are we going to get them?” Willow asked, this question much more understandable than the last one.

                "We may not be cops, but we have something for saving lives that are in danger." Alicia replied, leaning forward a little and squinting her eyes to see if she could spot Michael.

                Willow immediately saw Michael's blonde head at the pen, he was checking pulses. After a few minutes he turned to them and nodded, probably indicating they were alive.

                “Let’s go get them," Chris whispered.

                Willow, who had barely had any training, couldn't help but agree.