Chapter 15- The Village
So, it's been a while and I've watching The Suite Life on Deck lately, listening to Teen Idle by Marina and the Diamonds and obsessing over my first semester grades because I want a new phone. There's my excuse.
And plus I wasn't exactly sure what to do for this chapter and I let it sit for a while.
Oh, feel free to tell me who you think is about to come.
R&R.
Max
"Hey! Who's there?" a voice boomed. Everyone woke up, alert. I instinctively shifted into a defensive stance but I forgot I was still tangled in Fang. I jumped away from him.
A flickering light grew closer and closer to where we were. I held my breath and I felt the group bristle nervously.
"You there!" a tall muscled man wearing only a pair of gray trousers appeared. He had blue paintings that resembled mine on his arms and cheeks, but not on his forehead. He held a spear threateningly at us, a strand of blond hair flopping over his pale gray-blue eyes. He had toned muscles. There was a hardness about him that made him look shifter, definitely someone who worked all his life. And the way he dressed and held himself was also native to the Felhor Caverns. Maybe… It seemed like it.
I hold up my hands, and lift my bangs from my eyes, "We're shifters as well."
His eyes widen at my markings and then in confusion at Fang and Iggy, "Your Grace," he bows low, "But- are they your prisoners, Your Excellency?"
I smirk, "Yes, and you would be…?"
"Dylan of the Graywing clan, Your Grace," he answers, "Will you do me the honor of escorting you to our village?"
I smile at them and then at Dylan, "Thanks. Food would be good."
"Your Grace," he implores as we walk, "What brings you to the Felhor Caverns?"
"We were looking for survivors," I explain. I gesture towards Gazzy, "My friend comes from the Canopy Hills by Cardinal West. He explained how Felhor Caverns would be the ideal place for survivors near Cardinal West to hide. It seemed the ideal place to start looking. But we needed to look for the Cardinal West himself first. Can you tell me if Cardinal Ceferino came here?"
"No, Your Grace," Dylan says in surprise, "No one has come here since the four newcomers who arrived during the Queen's purge."
"Could I see them? Maybe they have information."
"Yes, Your Grace."
I roll my eyes, "Okay, that's enough. The rest of them call me Max. You can too."
"Of course, Your- Max."
I smile. We're going to get along.
Fang
Who does this Dylan guy think he is? Max hardly said one word to me since he showed up. Of course, he thinks we're Max's prisoners. That was also uncalled for.
I take a deep breath to calm myself. It's nothing, he's just a shifter. They all like Max. She's the last Cardinal left. Most likely anyways.
Iggy pounced on my left shoulder, laughing, "What's up with you huffing and puffing, Fang? Jealous of the bat boy?"
"Jealous of what?" I scowl.
"The attention he's getting from Max," he shoves me. I growl and shove him back.
"Why should I care?"
"Who knows, but you do care," he smiles.
"Since when did you become a girl?" I joke.
"I could ask you the same question," his lip quirks up. He jumps up and whoops, "Hey bat boy! Are we there yet?"
Max and Dylan turn around. Dylan wears a scowl and Max grins as if proud. I swear I heard Dylan mutter, "Are your prisoners always this liberal?"
"Come on, let's have a little fun with our tour guide, huh?" Iggy pulls me and Gazzy away from the group.
"Hey! Fang! Iggy! Gazzy! Where are you going?" Angel called. Valencia shakes her head and keeps Angel on track.
"What are you thinking?" I say is a hushed whisper to Iggy.
"You'll see."
Max
Graywing Village was amazing. Their houses were built into the stone, hanging off the rock like natural formations. It was lit by natural bioluminescent rocks. Dylan's bare feet were a quiet pitter patter. Fang, however, even with his heavy human boots was completely silent. Strange.
"Wow, Max, look!" Angel shouts.
"Whoop, don't talk too loud," Dylan smiles, naturally taking care of her, "You might cause a cave in."
"Whoops," Angel giggles, her hands covering her smile.
"Wow," I whisper.
In the center of the village was a giant formation, it glowed and warmed! It surprised me. Bats weren't supposed to like light. Right? I jumped into a bat form and then regretted it. Through bat eyes, the light blinded. I fell to the ground in human form, rubbing my eyes.
"Max, you're a pretty new Cardinal aren't you?" Dylan comments.
"How did you know?" I asked, still a little stunned.
"If you knew all your forms perfectly, you'd know that we can only be bats out of the village. In here, the light helps support our 'human' form."
"Oh," was all I could say. Was I really that naïve?
"Come on, I'll take you to our chief," Dylan said, pulling us along.
"Wait, Max!" Angel called, "Fang and them are-"
Realization dawned on me, "Where did they go? When did they disappear?"
"A while back, I was going to tell you but then we got here…"
BOOM!
My attention was dragged back to the village. A cloud of smoke erupted one of the houses and three figures sprinted out.
I turned into a hawk again and flew towards them, diving down in a flurry of feathers.
"Woah!" Iggy shouted as I landed in front of them, dissolving into my human form.
"Yes, woah," I raise my eyes to glare at them, "What was that?"
"Um, um," Iggy worked to swallow, "Um, it was Gazzy's idea."
"What? No! It was Fang's idea," Gazzy pushes Fang towards me.
I tap my foot and he matches my glare with his unfathomable stare.
"As exciting as your little staring contest is, we should really be going so…" Iggy and Gazzy try to sneak past me and I grab their collars.
"You guys are in so much trouble."