(Zuri's P.O.V.) -A couple hours later, at dawn-
I smiled as I watched the sunrise approach through the trees, showing up slightly over a hill, and I heard yawns and groans behind me. I chuckled softly as I looked back, glad to have completed one of the night watch shifts, seeing Jason hogging his blanket as Dale tried to steal it back, with Chip smirking widely with a snowball in his hands, and nearby in another spot, is Haku yawning widely, jostling Morph up who has clearly taken a shine to Haku.
I sighed softly, feeling that little missing spot as I have been used to Emma waking me up first as I am co-leader of the group. I know she chose me to take the lead long ago on the fact if anything happens to her, I have to look after the group then. We are all feeling off without Emma and Silver, and speaking of Silver, he would be shocked at the sight of Jim now...
I looked over to see Jim looking disgruntled as he tried to wrestle the sling back on his cast. It ain't the best job for Haku to have done, but it was damn close. I see Eilonwy comforting him as she helped fix the sling on the cast of crude bandages and sticks. She was so horrified to see such a break of his arm that one of the orcs inflicted on him, the very same one that cut the bridge which caused Emma and Silver to fall into the fast river.
I heard laughter from the boys as Jason screamed out in shock, and I saw smirks adorning Logan and Jasmine as they stroked the fire, blinking out the sleep dust of their eyes, and I glanced to see Pippa kissing Adam as they woke up. I am so glad to see two beloved friends happy and in love as it feels right to be here. Sure, I miss my family sometimes, but I think they'd consider me to be dead as I have been here for at least four months if that, and besides, the jeep crashed yet didn't appear here.
The way it was going out of control, it was bound to leak gasoline and burn upon the crash. Everybody's families including mine probably think we perished in the fire hence no trace...And besides, Enchantia is way better with its environment and time era. Yes, there's a war on the horizon, but it is more of a invasion war closely than being a cold war of sorts. Oh, sure, there's battles here and there, but we have free time between battles and such. Definitely much better than the Middle East which was a nightmare.
I heard a gasp, and I blinked out of my thoughts, looking over to see Pippa looking down at her red amulet which is glowing, and I heard a laugh, looking over to see Logan fingering his purple amulet which is glowing as well. Suddenly, Mushu and Esmeralda appeared out from the duo's tattoos, with Esmeralda in her human form. Mushu grinned at Esmeralda, "Who do you think it's gonna be?".
Esmeralda chuckled softly, "You know Space prefers to have a friend that's both flexible yet big at heart. I bet it's Sulley.". Mushu nodded in agreement, "I can see that. Emma's in for a surprise.". Jasmine blinked in slight confusion, clearing her throat, "What's going on?".
Logan grinned softly, "Emma's having her trials. From the sound of it, she's neither in the mental test or the spiritual test, yeah?", glancing at Esmeralda who smirked softly, "She's on the cusp of finishing up her second trial, and soon, the spiritual test will be next, along with Space. She's gonna be a powerful dragon, that's for sure.".
Mushu laughed, "By powerful, she means Emma's dragon form is gonna be far bigger than either of you, if she passes successfully, of course.". Pippa smiled widely, "That's awesome! Is she close by?".
Esmeralda winced lightly, "Not quite. If she was close by, Reality and Power would have told you. The glowing and the appearance of us, it's happening because there's more magic in the air. Honestly, you couldn't make it to her location within a day of walking.". Adam blinked softly, "Is that why Pippa's amulet didn't glow back in Arendelle when Logan had his turn?".
Mushu nodded, "Yep. Each region in Enchantia has varying ranges of magic. Narnia has the most magic, next to Andalasia here.". Haku whistled lowly, "That actually explains a lot.". Jason blinked softly, "So, now what?".
Esmeralda smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, United Talons will be all together soon. You just have to be patient for the time being, but for now, you must keep going to Snow White's old kingdom. I have heard whispers through Space while he's testing Emma, and I have found out that the kingdom has been possessed by Madame Medusa.". I widened my eyes in shock when I heard that name, and I traded looks with the rest of the gang, having watched the Rescuers movie one day long ago.
I took a deep breath, and looked at everybody including our current friends. Jim, Eilonwy, Chip, and Dale looks quite confused through they're seeming to realize that something important is happening. I exhaled sharply, "You heard her, United Talons. We'll have a quick breakfast, and then resume our journey for a kingdom is in peril. We'll be seeing Emma sooner or later. Let's make her proud!".
Murmurs and nods of agreement rang around, and I smiled a bit warmly as they went to do the morning chores as Mushu and Esmeralda vanished back into their tattoo spots, and I murmured softly as I thought out loud about Emma. "Good luck with everything, Emma. We will see you again.".
-About the same time-
A day's journey from the United Talons, Snow White's kingdom stood up high on a wide hill, but it isn't gorgeous on the inside as it is on the outside. Somewhere deep, way below the throne room, with a tad of black magic that Medusa borrowed from Cruella, having reworked the construction slightly, there is several cage cells in a row of twos through the dark hallway from Grimhilde's old lair.
While Cruella kidnapped wild/semi-tame animals and shapeshifters, Medusa decided to go for mystical animals and elves. In one of them is Barley and Ian's father, Wilden Lightfoot. Ragged and thin, he fought to keep alive for his wife and sons. He is afraid for his sons much like his wife, having seen Medusa's crocodiles go after them. He only hopes that his sons found help because he quite heard Medusa's temper yesterday as she ranted in the old lair, her crocodiles having been discovered to be dead.
"Do you think they're safe wherever they are, Wilden?", spoke his beloved wife's voice, and Wilden glanced over across the hallway, straight from him, standing in her own cell is Laurel Lightfoot, looking quite anxious. Wilden smiled softly, "Our boys have a remarkable streak of getting out from sticky situations. After all, I couldn't forget the honey tree incident.".
Laurel laughed warmly, "That was quite a day. Barley thought that if branches of a honey tree gets chopped down, there's honey inside the bark. And oh, Ian, he got soaked throughout by all that honey from that bee nest!". Wilden chuckled lightly, "We had to give them multiple baths!". A giggling-purr answered him, and Ian looked over to the left side of his wife's cell, in another cell, is a young kitsune.
Having three tails, this young kitsune whose name is Slightly, he has a pelt of bright orange-red fur with a cream white underbelly with a light blonde tuft on each tail, and bright amber eyes. He had been taken by the crocodiles about a month ago, and he misses his father, Finnick who's a grown kitsune. Slightly's mother was a red fox, and her name was Lily. (Tod's actual mother from Fox and the Hound) She passed away when he was only a little kit. Finnick saved Nick Wilde once long ago, becoming secret friends over the years, and Nick became Slightly's godfather.
Across from Slightly, in another cell that's on the right side of Wilden's cell is a young jackalope. Having tan-golden antlers, this young jackalope whose name is Nibs, he has a pelt of cream-brown fur with a pale tan underbelly with a dark blonde tuft on his head, and dark brown eyes. He had been taken by the same crocodiles about a week later after Slightly. He doesn't have parents, but he does have a big brother, whose name is Bud. (The Jackalope from the Pixar short, 'Boundin') And Nibs's missing him greatly.
Slightly and Nibs are only part of the Lost Boys down here, having been the first ones. Turns out that Medusa figured to see that kidnapping young mystical male creatures are far easier than kidnapping humans, and so, the weeks after Nibs was bought here, the other cells filled up with four other boys; Cubby, The Twins, and Toodles.
On the left side of Wilden's cell, in another cell is Cubby, the platypus/otter hybrid. He has dark brown fur with golden-orange webbed feet, a teal horizontal stripe from the head to the edge of the tail. The tail is pale tan, and Cubby's eyes are amber brown, and his beak is black. He has been taken from his gay parents, Emmett the otter, and Perry the platypus.
On the right side of Laurel's cell, in another cell is one of the Twins, Azeban. Azeban is a young raccoon, but oh, not the normal kind. He and his brother, Puba actually has dark greenish-blue fur with black masks and rings.
The only difference to tell them apart is their eyes. Azeban has golden-brown eyes. As for Puba who's residing in his own cell on the right side of Nibs' cell, Puba has brownish cream eyes. The Twins has been taken from their parents, Bering (Leader of the raccoons in Brother Bear 2) and Prisma who is Rocket Raccoon's ancestor.
And then across the hallway from Puba's cell, on the left side of Slightly's cell, in the last cell, is Toodles the young badger-owl daemon. He has mostly the body of a badger on the front with wings, tail and talons on the back. His badger fur is dark gray with cream markings, eyes a brilliant blue with freckles on the muzzle, and his owl feathers are ash brown with black speckles, and talons a dark gold with black claws on all fours.
And so, Wilden and Laurel became the latest prisoners due to Medusa's wish for some elves to be taken. Oh, Mushroomton was left alone mostly with most of the food forced to be eaten by the crocodiles until the last week where chaos and horror came to the town, with the crocodiles taking turns killing most elves, saving the weak and young to kidnap and bring to the dungeons.
Wilden knew there are a few other villages far north containing other elves, but he realizes that he and his family would be the very last elves of Mushroomton, sadly. He prays that the rumors inquiring upon this fabled United Talons are at least true. He and the others would be happy for a miracle.