Chapter 5

The morning dawned and there was still no word from Chistery. Elphaba decided she was leaving at once to find out what had happened to her friends and who could be possibly casting spells on the King of the Vinkus. Fiyero wanted to go with her but she refused. Someone had to be here in case the Queen or Chistery returned. He quickly noted that Lieutenant Ash was more than capable and had Mindy tell the Lieutenant they were going. Fiyero strapped his trusty rifle to his back and the discussion was over. The two mounted her broom and they were off flying toward the Vinkus.

"Do you think it's a coincidence that the magic is emanating from the Vinkus and that my father had a spell cast on him?" Fiyero asked, clutching tightly to Elphaba. He hated flying on that broom.

"I don't believe in coincidences. Besides, being able to cast a spell from any further away would mean whoever cast it is more powerful than myself. I don't mean to sound boastful but I highly doubt that someone exists," she told him.

"Point," he agreed. The rest of the trip was spent scouting for the Queen and the Flying Monkeys. When they arrived at the border, Elphaba halted in mid-air. She scanned around and recast the spell she had cast back in the Emerald City.

"We're close. I'm concerned that we haven't found your mother or Chistery yet," she told him,

"You did enchant her horses. Maybe she's back at the Palace," Fiyero suggested. Elphaba shook her head. She highly doubted it. Something or someone must have interrupted them because even with the enchanted horses they would have had to slow when they came upon the King and his horse. She was about to zoom off in the direction of the source of magic when she got the feeling they were being watched.

"Scan the tree-line," she told Fiyero. He could see the hair on the back of her neck was raised and he swung the rifle off his shoulder. Holding it in his lap, he scanned with her. They saw nothing but Elphaba couldn't shake the feeling so she decided that their best bet was to go into the trees. They could easily lose what was watching them in there and it would offer them protection.

She made the move and that's when they heard something follow them. Fiyero turned his head and caught a glimpse of what was chasing them. His confusion was evident in his voice,

"It's Chistery!" The Flying Monkey had his teeth and claws bared; his eyes were pitch black, which was something he hadn't expected to see. Elphaba put the broom into a nose dive and Fiyero grabbed on tight. They were heading toward the ground at an incredible rate of speed and the Prince was thinking that Elphaba couldn't control the descent but he found out that he was wrong. At the last second, Elphaba pulled up enough to stop them from crashing into the ground and they zoomed along the ground for a little before coming to a halt. Fiyero leaned over and emptied the contents of his stomach.

Chistery had a hard time making the adjustment and he turned but not in enough time before he crashed into the ground. Elphaba dismounted and Fiyero moved right behind her, his rifle cocked. They two cautiously approached the downed Monkey and quickly assessed that he was unconscious. Elphaba hit him with her broom and he sat up albeit in pain.

"Chistery, why were you following us? What happened to the Queen?" Elphaba demanded answers. The Flying Monkey's head was spinning and he rolled to the side and did just as Fiyero had done moments before, emptying the contents of his stomach.

"Better?" Elphaba asked. He blinked a few times before saying,

"Miss Elphaba?" Noting his confusion, she looked at his eyes more carefully.

"His eyes are back to normal," Fiyero said and she turned to him.

"His eyes were completely black when he was charging at us," he explained.

"Powerful magic exists in these parts. Black magic. I suggest we get a move on before it finds us as I am most certain it found your parents," Elphaba told them.

To Be Continued…