Nicon, Mim, Argyron, Medea, Gwydion. Riley repeated the same five names over and over as she trekked through the dense woods, following the clouds of purple smoke that billowed from the cloudy sky. Along the way, she cast a summoning spell to retrieve her bag from Emma's car, the splitting headache worth it for the bag's contents. If she was going to be trapped in this hellhole of a realm, she intended to be prepared for all kinds of encounters, both magical and nonmagical. She had not realized how much she took her home and its luxuries for granted, already missing her car and fast food restaurants. She found herself craving french fries though she doubted that she could find so much as a potato, with most of the land destroyed by the dark curse.
Hearing voices mostly filled with panic, up ahead, she stepped over an oddly shaped log, her bag slung over her shoulder, and entered an open stretch of land where several previous inhabitants of Storybrooke were gathered around an ornate gazebo. The curse had not only ripped them from the town but also returned them to their Enchanted Forest attire and in some cases like Archie's, their old appearance. She was hesitant to make herself known but thought it was best, without her magic, if she hid herself amongst a large group. Deep down, a small part of her just wanted some sense of familiarity in a strange place. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the gazebo where Mary Margaret and David were speaking with a young couple.
Ethan, who was waving around an actual sword with the glee of a five year old, was the first to spot her and he nearly tripped over his own feet as he ran in her direction. Her other friends, still getting used to their new clothes, followed his gaze and did the same, shouting her name. She crashed into the ground as Ethan toppled over her in a hug. Their shouts had gotten the attention of the others, who looked just as surprised to see her in the Enchanted Forest. Leaning against a tree, Hook immediately put down his flask, staring at her as if she was a ghost. Ethan helped her up from the ground, apologizing for his forceful hug.
"I knew you'd find a way around the curse. It was a lot faster than I thought but if anyone could do it, it's you."
"Ethan—"
"If you could make a portal here, then you could make one back to Storybrooke, right? I know Regina said that she can't see Henry again but there must be some kind of loophole," said Celeste, very eager to return to the land without magic.
"I didn't—"
She was interrupted by David, Mary Margaret, Regina, and Hook joining them, along with the young couple who looked bewildered by their reactions and her unique clothes.
"Riley, how are you here?" asked David, surprised.
"I—"
"It doesn't matter. Where are Emma and Henry? Are they far behind?"
David and Mary Margaret were not the only ones with hope shining in their eyes. Regina, hiding it behind her usual scowl, barely contained her desire to see Henry again, despite the price of her curse. Riley clasped her wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"They're not with me."
"What? You left them behind? I had a way to reunite with my son and you chose to come here alone? To what, gloat?" asked Regina, glaring.
"I didn't come here on purpose! I was banished!"
Among the group, the smiles were wiped from their faces, replaced with shocked expressions at her blunt admission. Mary Margaret led her to the gazebo, introducing her to the young couple, Phillip and Aurora, who were the leaders of a nearby kingdom. When Emma and Mary Margaret had fallen through the portal to the Enchanted Forest, Aurora was one of the people who helped them find a way back to Storybrooke.
"What do you mean by banished? Riley, what happened?"
"Nicon fucked me over."
Aurora was taken aback by her brash choice of words. "I don't understand. He was unconscious when you brought him over the town line."
"Well, he woke up a lot quicker than the others and I guess he was spying on me when you were giving all those teary goodbyes. One minute, I'm in Emma's car and the next, I woke up here and he was waiting for me. I'm being sent here as punishment."
"For not helping with your father?"
"He didn't really care about that. It's—our problems go further back than my father ripping off a few heads. It doesn't matter why. I'm stuck here without my magic until he thinks I learned my lesson."
"He took your magic?" asked Alec, surprised.
"Not exactly. This cuff is hexed. If I use it, I feel a lot of pain. I can handle little spells but trying to open another portal…well, don't feel like risking it yet. I thought about just cutting off my hand to get rid of the cuff but he's clever. He'd find a way to maintain the hex even if my hand isn't attached to my body. Trust me, this is the last place I want to be right now."
"I promise that you'll be safe here. Until you find a way back, you can stay with us. We're going to travel to Regina's castle. We just need to gather horses and other supplies," assured Mary Margaret with a smile.
Riley wished that some of that optimism could rub off on her. Being stuck in the Enchanted Forest caused her paranoia and anxiety to skyrocket, especially at the thought of being discovered by allies of her enemies. She sat on the steps of the gazebo for some privacy and reached into her bag, taking out a small knife. Digging the knife into her arm, she carved out her list of names.
"Those won't heal."
Hook sat beside her, his flask gripped tightly in his hand. "Oh, are you finally talking to me?"
"I'm still unsure that you're not a hallucination."
"Someone got drunk pretty quickly," she said, taking his flask.
"Hardly. When we said our goodbyes, I assumed it may be at least months before I saw you again…not less than an hour. Can't stay away from me, love?"
She stifled a laugh. "You wish. I know the cuts won't heal. They're a good reminder for me."
"Vengeance won't sate you. Perhaps for a short time but then, you'll still feel that emptiness. Believe me, I've been down that road before but I stopped myself before it was too late. I don't wish for you to go down that path yourself."
"Been there, sent a few postcards, and went back again. I'll handle my own soul, thanks. If you think that I'm letting that mangy idiot get away with this, you don't know me at all."
Preparing for a trip in the Enchanted Forest was not as simple as packing a suitcase and driving down the road with a few stops for food along the way. Riley was getting more and more irritated with each passing hour, waiting for them to gather all of the supplies. David, acting like a leader, sent the dwarves in various directions to spread the word for all the new arrivals to head towards Regina's castle. The curse had been dropping the townspeople in small groups all over the land. As she tied down supplies to one of the horses, Hook mentioned that he had a conversation with Regina about the curse. He was interested in the whereabouts of the Jolly Roger, hoping that it was somewhere in the Enchanted Forest.
"You're going to search for a ship that might still be back in Storybrooke? That's idiotic, even for you."
"If I didn't know any better, Renato, I would say that you don't want me to leave," he said with a cheeky grin.
She scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. It's just that if you're gone, I have no rum to deal with these people and you're the one of the only ones who doesn't make me want to shoot myself in the head."
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Who am I to crush your little delusional fantasies?"
"Sorry, am I uh interrupting?" said Neal, rubbing the back of his neck.
If anyone was more out of place in this land than her, it was Neal. He had purposely left the Enchanted Forest to escape magic and magic was what brought him back, unwillingly. Her fingers dug into the horse's side when he questioned if it was possible to bring Rumplestiltskin back to life. Though he knew bringing back the dead was against the laws of magic, he remembered a past conversation with Emma in Neverland, one in which she mentioned Riley's suggestion that the so-called laws were more like guidelines. He believed that Gold's old home, the castle he lived in, had a potential magical object or spell to revive him and in doing so, he could find a way back to Emma and Henry.
Riley dashed his hopes, explaining that resurrection spells were nearly impossible and filled with potential risks and even if he somehow made it back to the land without magic, Emma and Henry would not remember him. In her mind, she was thinking that if he wanted a more hopeful answer, he needed to discuss it with someone like Mary Margaret. She had no intention of ever reviving Gold, knowing that it was better for her if he remained dead. With a quick nod, he agreed that reviving his father was a silly idea.
The actual journey to Regina's castle was more agonizing than waiting to start the journey through the woods. Riley never found herself despising walking so much and if she had her magic, she would transport herself there to cut the journey short or at least cast a spell to get rid of the pain in her feet. Her friends were in much better spirits, just excited to have her in the Enchanted Forest despite the grim circumstances. The girls went on and on about having balls at the castle and wearing the prettiest dresses while the boys offered to teach her how to use a real sword instead of a toy one made of wood. None of them were concerned that she was in any danger, being without magic in a realm where it was easy for her enemies to find her. Ethan was confident that she would be safe in Regina's castle, which was fortified with all kinds of enchantments.
Along the way, their group grew in size with the addition of a few travelers: Robin Hood and his merry men. He had saved Regina and Mary Margaret from a strange winged creature while they were off on their own in the woods. Celeste heard a rumor that Regina had been planning to bury her heart, a drastic measure to deal with her grief over Henry. Upon discovering that Regina's castle was being protected by a barrier spell, they decided to stay in Robin Hood's camp until they figured out a better solution than Regina's: to simply kill the intruder. Tying one of the horses to a wooden post, she noticed that a few of the merry men were sneaking glances at her, their eyes obviously not on her face. They stopped their curious stares when Hook reached for his sword with a menacing glare.
Amelia giggled quietly. "I think they're just not used to skirts being that short. They weren't in Storybrooke like the rest of us."
"Let them enjoy the show. I don't care."
"If you take off your jacket, they might have heart attacks."
"Well, we do need some entertainment. All we've been doing is walking for hours."
"Not much else to do here. It's not like Storybrooke. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was back here. It'll take time to get used to no microwaves…no lattes..."
Mary Margaret interrupted their conversation, looking slightly anxious. Wanting a minute alone with Riley, she sent Amelia to gather water from a nearby lake. Riley crossed her arms when Mary Margaret mentioned that she noticed the men's' stares and Robin had noticed as well, leading him to request that Riley change her clothes. He understood that attire was different in a place like Storybrooke but since his men had never ventured there, they were not accustomed to the, in his words, unique fashion. With a possible threat from the intruder inside Regina's castle, he wanted his men to be on full alert and prepared for any attacks. Mary Margaret agreed with him about the wardrobe change, explaining that it was for her own safety. Some in the Enchanted Forest had avoided the dark curse and if a less than reputable person spotted Riley in her current clothes, considered risqué in this land, it could put her in danger, particularly since she was unable to use her magic.
To help, Mary Margaret convinced Regina to conjure a chest full of clothes that were better suited for the Enchanted Forest. Not bothering to argue, Riley dug through a wooden chest hidden behind a line of trees. She scrunched her nose at her choices, or lack thereof, between over a dozen dresses, ranging from pale blue to shocking pink in color. It was bad enough that she had to change her clothes because a few men were too childish to simply keep their eyes above her chest but having to wear cutesy, frilly dresses made the situation even worse. Closing her eyes, she waved her wrist and immediately felt a sharp pain in her lower back. She bit her lip to hold back a groan and once the pain subsided, she looked down at her body. Her leather jacket, short skirt, and short-sleeved crop top were replaced with a black long-sleeved blouse that laced up in the front, a dark red leather vest, a leather belt cinched around her waist, black trousers, and knee-high boots. For a moment, a faint smile traced her lips.
Returning to the camp, she spotted a small group of mostly men at the edge of the woods with bows and arrows. Alec lowered his bow as she walked towards them in her new attire. Judging by their stares, she was better off in original clothes, her own friends having trouble keeping their eyes off her chest, which was pushed up by the vest.
"Riley, you look—"
"Shut up."
"I was going to say good. You fit right in."
"Yea? Well, you look like you want to try to fit your face between my tits. I can give you a lot of reasons why that's a bad idea."
"Heh, I'm not—we were just uh trying to figure out the best spot to get dinner. No Granny's here."
"Make yourself useful, girl. Get the fire ready for cooking," said Alaric dismissively, standing with Regina's other guards.
Ethan chuckled awkwardly. "He didn't mean—Riley, I think my dad was just saying that it's not like Storybrooke where you could throw hamburgers on a grill. It's a little harder to get food here and uh it's better if people who are more experienced do the hunting. It's nothing against you."
"Grow a spine, boy. You don't need to spare her feelings."
Riley snatched a bow and quiver from Charles. He was about to protest until he realized that fighting with a nine-headed hydra had a better outcome than arguing with her. Keeping his mouth shut, he settled for a halfhearted nod. She looked at Robin as he offered to show her how to use the bow properly.
"Sorry. Do I look like I need help?" she asked, feigning a polite tone.
"I meant no offense, my lady."
"I'm not a lady."
"Off to a bad start. Just abort and walk away before she chews off your head…in her case, that might be literal. Whatever you say will be wrong," whispered Alec.
Robin was not discouraged by her bluntness. "Apologies. I only thought you may need assistance with using that bow. I know you're not from this land and it must be strange for you to adjust to a new place."
"No. The big tree's right. Girls shouldn't be using bows. It's not proper. We should leave the hunting to the big, strong men. It would just waste our time if you had to teach me how to shoot."
Her friends were not easily fooled by her words, hearing the overly sweet tone in her voice and knowing that she would never side with Alaric. David just seemed relieved that she had not caused a fight. She watched as the men shot their arrows, catching five birds between them. The girls looked at her expectantly, sensing that she had a plan brewing in the back of her mind. Picking up three pebbles, she used the bow to shoot them into the woods and heard a series of three knocks as they struck a tree.
"Do you intend for us to eat tree bark for dinner, love?" joked Hook.
The sound of the pebbles had spooked a nearby flock into flying out from the trees. In quick succession, she shot multiple arrows and seconds later, the entire flock, a little over twenty crows, fell to the ground with arrows through their bellies, some sharing the same arrow. She placed the bow back in the quiver as the girls giggled at the men's' dumbfounded faces.
Hook turned towards her. "How did you—"
"Math's never been my strong suit but I do think twenty is bigger than five. Am I wrong?"
"Nope. Definitely a lot higher but don't forget. Hunting is for the big boys, not us little girls," said Celeste, smirking.
Riley shoved the quiver into Alaric's chest. "Go fetch my birds and get cooking, girl. I like them nice and burnt," she said, imitating his voice.
He snarled. "I do not take orders from—"
"Sorry, I don't speak tree or sexist pig. Did I even ask you to speak, girl? Unless you're going to hunt, shut up."
David shot a very pointed look at Alaric. "We're all hungry. There's no need for fighting. Let's be respectful towards each other."
The intimidating, burly guard was about to argue until he caught the look on Regina's face, similar to David's. Having his head firmly wedged up her ass at all times, he would never dare to upset her. He silently grabbed a basket on the ground to collect the crows. That night, dinner was quite different from their usual meals at Granny's. Instead of hamburgers and fries, they were eating berries, soup, and cooked crow. Her friends were not the only ones surprised by her talent in archery. She claimed to learn to use a bow through lessons during her childhood, pushed by her father to develop a wide range of skills. One person she never expected to connect with was Robin, who was impressed by her archery skills and intrigued by the land without magic.
Besides being the leader of the merry men, he cared for his son Roland, a young boy no older than four years old and could literally be the picture next to a definition of adorable in a dictionary. Riley rarely enjoyed spending any time with children but it was difficult to resist his cute little dimples. She spent most of dinner telling Robin about the differences between the two lands, from the clothing to the use of cars over carriages. Noting how easily she adapted to the Enchanted Forest led to a discussion of the covens in the land without magic.
He handed a bowl of berries to Roland. "I only knew of people crossing to other magical realms. Did these covens use a curse similar to the queen's?"
"They just used portals. Coven magic is different because they're born with their abilities, not learned through a book or given through a magical object."
"And you're descended from one of these covens. Have they never thought of returning to this land? As I recall from the stories my father told me, they ruled like kings and queens."
"Honestly, they're so arrogant that I think they like the other land better. It's easier to gain followers when they think magic is just stuff in stories. Besides, the council doesn't allow any of us to travel to magical realms without permission."
"David did mention that you were not here by choice. I suppose you upset them greatly."
"Doesn't take much to upset them. You could just break a tiny rule and they'll banish you to the Netherworld. All that power's gotten to their heads. It doesn't matter where they send me. It's just a small setback. I'm not going to apologize for what I did…it was just to—gain my freedom, in a way. Most of my life, I've had people making decisions for me and for once, I wanted to make my own."
"Nothing wrong with that."
She felt as though she had just fell asleep when she was being shaken awake by Ethan. Some of the merry men offered to bring them to a nearby pub that had been fixed up after the curse broke and stocked some of the best ale in the entire land. It was meant to be a secret trip since David and Mary Margaret would never approve of them drinking early in the morning, or likely not at all. The knights were under heavier scrutiny, with David wanting them to not be impaired in case they had a run in with the intruder or other dangerous people. Keeping their cloaks over their heads, they sneaked away from the camp and headed towards the pub. It was a quaint little spot that looked much cleaner than Riley expected and within a minute of sitting at a table, a middle-aged woman brought them a tray of ale.
"Now what if the prince knew that you were drinking instead of remembering how to properly use a sword?"
Hook joined the table, sitting on the other side of Amelia who immediately blushed and kept her eyes on her mug. The same woman brought over a mug of ale for him, flashing him a flirtatious smile.
"You never forget how to use a sword. It's just a few drinks. What are you now, his spy?" asked Charles.
"You shouldn't be in a pub like this."
"Why not? I don't see anything wrong with it."
"Much too clean and the women serving you are far too friendly. I noticed the one over there has been eyeing you for a good ten minutes, lad. Where are the men who took you here?"
"They left to talk to some other bandit friends."
"You truly believe that? I can tell you've hardly spent time in a pub then. I, on the other hand, have much experience."
"Why? Because you're like a thousand years old?" retorted Alec, earning a smack in the arm from Celeste.
"If you knew anything about pubs, lad, you'd know that most of their profit doesn't come from you drinking their ale."
Riley caught onto the hidden meaning behind his words. Being so early in the morning, she only began to observe the smallest things, like the women being overly friendly, as he said, with the other patrons and some leading men into rooms towards the back of the pub. The men who left those rooms would secretly slip pouches into their hands, along with the soft jingling of coins. Riley was distracted from the heated argument brewing between Hook and Alec, the former taunting his naïve nature and the latter accusing him of attempting to look good in front of David and Mary Margaret, by a man's low, melodic voice.
The once and future king said,
Who are you to send away my knights
The wise old man grinned with pride in his eyes
Can you not recognize an old friend?
He heard of the young king's troubles
And with a quick flick,
the bloodshed was at an end
The mug was cracking under her fingers, turned white from gripping the handle. She stepped away from the table, most of the pub's attention drawn to the argument between the boyish knight and leather clad pirate, and followed the voice to the furthest room. Opening the red oak door, she discovered two men laughing merrily and drinking ale. Both of them shared the same tattoo on their left wrists: a red dragon with its spiked tail wrapped around an ornate sword. The shorter of the two men, his curly, dark red hair matted to his forehead, was the one with the lovely singing voice. His friend was far less well-groomed, with his dark bushy beard that covered his lips stained with crumbs and his hands stained with dirt and dried blood.
The great wizard was soon renowned
All the land knew his name
A master of his craft
With a heart of gold
Upon seeing her, the men lowered their mugs.
"When old Argus said he'd give us the best, I wasn't expecting someone as pretty as you. A girl like yourself shouldn't wasting away in this filthy hole," said the redheaded man with a lecherous grin.
"I couldn't help hearing you sing. Forgive me but I don't remember such a song. You must be far from home."
"Yes, on some business for our king. We're two of his greatest knights."
"I can tell by the mark on your arm. You get it as a reward for immense bravery in battle."
"Don't meet many girls in…your profession who know their history, especially of other lands."
"Enough talk. Take your clothes off and sit on my lap, pretty girl," his friend insisted, patting his knee.
"I hear the girls where you're from are some of the most beautiful in all the realms. Are they prettier than me?"
"I'll be a better judge of that when you take off your clothes. Don't be shy."
With a sweet smile, she began to untie the front of her blouse. The men's eyes were too busy following her fingers to see her other hand tucked into her back pocket. She walked towards the redheaded knights, asking him for help to untie the last string. Firmly gripping her waist, he used his teeth to tug on the string, his hand moving dangerously close to her backside.
"I never agreed with that song. It paints a far better picture of him than he deserves. I'm glad I ripped out the tongue of the fool who wrote it."
"You talk too much for a—you said you never heard that song before."
"If you ask me, he's nothing but a pathetic coward. I'm not surprised that two dunderheads who find pleasure in a shithole like this would sing of his praises. You think you're so great, don't you? Fearsome knights under his command. You think you're better than everyone else but that's a lie. You're just two pudgy little cowards who are only so confident when the fight's tipped to your advantage with his help. I bet you can't even use those swords. Can I tell you a secret? Nothing would please me more than to see his head on a spike but until then, I'll settle for yours."
By the time he reached for his sword, she had already taken out the dagger hidden in her pocket and used it to pin his hand to the table. He cried out in pain as she dug the dagger into his hand, drawing blood. The door swung open once more and Hook and Ethan entered the room, their eyes wide at the sight of Riley stabbing a pleading man and the enraged bearded man across from her, threatening to slice off her head.
"Love, what are you doing?"
"We're having a disagreement. I didn't like his singing and now his friend is pretending that he's going to cut off my head."
"I don't think he's pretending. I apologize for the trouble, mate. My uh sister had a few too many knocks to the head when she was a baby and it's made her a bit…you know," said Hook, tapping the side of his head.
"Don't apologize. See, it's so obvious that you're new to this whole thing, you poor excuse for a knight. You didn't realize that I'm not dressed like the usual women who entertain you in these places. Your friend reached for his sword when I was only an inch away from him, which was a terrible move. It's his fault, honestly. He was singing such a stupid song."
Hook cautiously stepped towards her, with his hand and hook raised. "I suggest you lower that sword. The boy's a very skilled knight himself and unless you'd like to fight with the renowned Captain Hook himself, then you'll leave this pub with your friend and get him help before he bleeds out. Move the dagger, Renato."
"Fine."
As the man moved around the table to aid his wounded friend, she lifted the dagger, the blade grazing the man's wrist. He gave Hook a thinly veiled threat about protecting 'his reckless sister' before she found herself in worse danger and left the room, muttering about batty women. She glanced down at the hook wrapped around her arm. Hook dragged her out of the room, a concerned Ethan following close behind, and ordered the rest of her friends to return to the camp. Ethan shook his head to silence Alec's protests. Leaving the pub, they were greeted by the sight of the two knights sprawled on the ground, blood seeping from their mouths and their eyes rolled to the back of their heads. Getting a very subtle nod from Hook, Ethan forced their friends down the path towards the camp, despite their confusion over the two dead bodies.
"What did you do, Renato?" he asked, not bothering to pretend that he was clueless about who killed the men.
"I guess I accidentally took out the dagger laced with poison. I get them so easily confused…between the dagger and the empty space beside it."
He pushed her against the door to the pub. "Don't tell me that you poisoned them because you despised their singing."
"I told you that I didn't like the song."
"You don't commit murder over a tune. Tell me the truth."
"I didn't like the song. Don't bother burying the bodies. It's better if they're found. Maybe they'll scare off that intruder in the castle."
"Or are you hoping their deaths will scare someone else. Perhaps whoever you happen to be hiding from?"
"You know, sometimes I don't do things because of some complex motive. I just do it. Maybe it was a way for me to channel my anger towards Nicon."
"That's a lie."
"What, are you worried about my poor, little soul?"
She slipped out of his grip and bent down beside the redheaded knight. Picking up a thick branch, she used a lighter from her bag to set the tip on fire and lowered the log over both bodies.
"What the bloody hell are you doing now?"
"Making sure they stay dead."
"You've truly lost your mind."
"Considering where they came from, I'm not taking the risk. You want to have a repeat of what happened to you at Dead Man's Peak?"
"And where exactly are they from?"
"Somewhere you never want to go."
"How fittingly cryptic of you. Do you ever speak plainly?"
"I just like driving you mad."
Returning to the camp, they were met with David's judgmental glare. Ethan stuttered out an apology, blaming his inability to keep a secret. He had told David about the events at the pub, including Riley's encounter with the two knights and the same men ending up dead. When David quietly accused her of killing the men, not wanting the others to overhear and stir them into a panic, Hook defended her, claiming that he found that the rim of their mugs had been coated with poison, likely by another patron or the pub owner himself. Hook's excuse was not enough to assuage David's suspicions. He warned Riley that if she was involved in another strange incident, she would be left to fend for herself in the Enchanted Forest.
David kept a close eye on her as they scouted the perimeter of the castle for any sign of weakness in the barrier spell. After stopping Roland from stepping into a disguised animal trap, she proceeded to keep him beside her to prevent him from accidentally losing a foot due to his childish curiosity. He tugged on her sleeve, pointing up at the sky. The sun was now shrouded by ominous, dark clouds and every so often, there was a crackle of bright purple lightning. Soon enough, the others were more concerned with the odd weather than how to break through the spell. Celeste wondered if it was a spell cast by the intruder to spook them away from the castle.
Riley squinted her eyes to get a better look at the lightning and noticed tiny ripples between the clouds each time there was a lightning strike. Along with another lightning strike, small, round objects began to fall out of the sky. Regina cast a spell to shield them from the flying projectiles. When the lightning stopped, the objects stopped falling simultaneously and once Regina's spell was lifted, Riley picked up something from the ground: a blue mushroom.
"These only grow in one place…Wonderland. How could they be here?" asked Belle, curiously inspecting another mushroom.
Jokingly, Alec suggested that the intruder inside Regina's castle thought they had a fear of mushrooms. Connecting the dots in her head, Riley arrived at a much more grim conclusion.
"Whenever that lightning strikes, it's creating a portal in the sky. It's a spell gone very wrong…even worse, it's dark magic gone wrong. The son of a bitch somehow got enough magic to cast it."
"You know who did this?" asked Mary Margaret, watching another lightning strike followed by a bike crashing into the ground.
"I'm like 99% sure it's Porter and his bipolar little wife. Remember how my idiot brother offered to take my magic for them? I guess they settled for somewhere…well, someone else. Judging by how badly this is screwed up, I'd say it's a coven leader. He wouldn't go after a council member. I can find out more," she said, writing on a piece of enchanted parchment from her bag.
The piece of parchment vanished into thin air. "Is this Porter another wizard?" asked Robin.
"Worse. A weakened god without the talent to back up his arrogance. Porter's just what he goes by to blend into the land without magic. A lot of them do that."
"How is this spell supposed to work? You said he cast it wrong," said Hook as the lightning became more frequent.
"It's supposed to create a portal straight to Olympus so brother and brother can duke it out and then Porter will be banished again for his own stupidity in thinking that he could beat him. He's always been impatient. I'd have to know the exact spell to figure out where he went wrong but from what I can see, it opened up more than one portal. This storm must be happening in every realm."
Riley resisted the urge to smack Neal upside the head when his first thought was that a portal could lead them straight back to Storybrooke. He was more preoccupied with reuniting with Emma and Henry than the portals potentially causing irreparable damage. She shot down his hopes, noting that it would be impossible to pinpoint the exact portal to the land without magic and even if he managed that, it could randomly change direction and drop him off in another land. Her main concern was not leaving the Enchanted Forest but what potentially would find its way there through one of the portals. Hook was curious how Porter, who spent years preparing this plan, managed to make such a mistake.
"Maybe it wasn't a mistake."
"You said he cast it wrong."
"Maybe he did that on purpose. He's a power-hungry bastard. I bet he thought that once he defeated his brother, he'd move onto taking out the rest of the realms. He's the least of my worries. There's no telling what's coming through those portals."
"If magic created it, magic can close it."
She scoffed at Regina's simplistic approach. "This isn't casting your little curse. Someone like you can't handle the kind of spell needed to close the portals."
"I would think that without your magic, you'd show a little more respect, especially to someone who could easily turn you into a bug."
David led them back to Robin's camp to wait out the spell. Three days had passed and the storm remained, the portals, growing in size, becoming visible despite the dark clouds. In the days that passed, the enchanted parchment returned to her with a reply from Circe, who was her eyes and ears in the land without magic. As Riley expected, Porter was behind the portal problem, thanks to murdering the leader of the New Orleans coven. The leader's death had gone unnoticed since the council was focused on apprehending her father, who continued his relentless murder spree.
Porter remained in his club, seemingly biding his time but Riley had a feeling that he sent scouts out through the portals to find a direct path to his home. Circe suggested for Riley to use a portal to leave the Enchanted Forest but Riley was unwilling to take the chance that the portal could send her to the very place that she had been avoiding for years. Beneath her indifferent attitude, she was mentally preparing herself for the worst, having no way of knowing what or who may fall through those portals.
Riley waited for the men to return from their hunting. After humiliating them with her superior skill, Alec essentially banned her to protect his precious ego, though he claimed that she should be more focused on figuring out how to reverse Porter's spell. Roland placed a piece of cloth in the palm of her hand.
"Is this another rock for my collection?"
He shook his head. "It fell from the sky when you were sleeping."
Her heart raced as she glanced at the insignia on the cloth: a red-eyed shadow. He pointed towards a nearby clearing and told her that the cloth was wrapped around a dagger wedged into a tree.
"How long ago did you find this?"
Celeste heard the urgency in her voice. "What's wrong?"
Riley hurried over to David, Mary Margaret, and Regina, who were discussing a possible way into the castle through underground tunnels. "We need to leave the camp now. Somewhere higher up…like a mountain."
"Riley, why would we leave? Robin assured us that we're safe here," said Mary Margaret.
"Remember how I said that something dangerous could come through those portals? Well, it did and it's watching us."
"What's watching us?" asked Ruby, overhearing the conversation.
David advised the rest of the group to remain calm, insisting that Riley was being a little paranoid. He was unconcerned about the cloth, or the insignia imprinted on both sides, though she was unsurprised by his indifference since she doubted he ever read a history book.
"David, I know you hate me."
"Hate is a strong word."
"Whatever our differences, I am not being paranoid. Roland found this cloth wrapped around a dagger in a tree. It's a sign."
"Of what?"
"That we need to get the hell out of here before—"
A spiky metal ball rolled into the center of the camp. Emitting a soft hissing sound, the ball opened, releasing dark smoke. Riley attempted to cover her mouth and nose with her sleeve but it was useless, the smoke knocking her unconscious.
She awoke what seemed like hours later, dizzy and shackled to a wooden post. Regina's frustrated snarls tipped her off that the shackles were similar to the ones used by Marcus in Neverland, inhibiting any magic. They were no longer in Robin's camp but inside a putrid, makeshift tent. Ethan lifted his head from her shoulder, taking in their new surroundings.
"W—where are we? Last thing I remember, we were hunting and something punctured my neck. It felt like a dart."
"Shadow riders."
Riley looked at Celeste, surprised. "I heard about them from my grandmother when I was a little girl. They're from Camelot. It's a long way from here so they must've used a portal."
"I'm not in the mood for ghost stories," said Regina, attempting to loosen her shackles.
Hook, who was tied to a post with Neal, Belle, and Alec, shook his head. "It's no ghost story, your majesty. I've never met them myself but I heard plenty of stories about them as a boy. They are the most dangerous sellswords in all the realms, fighting for those with the most money in their pocket. I've heard stories of them skinning people alive as a warning to the lands they travel to…perhaps that is why we are tied up. We will be their latest message."
"Well, now I'm even more terrified. Riley, you always have a plan. How are we getting out of this before I get the skin ripped from my hand?"
She leaned her head back on the wooden post. "Do nothing."
"Heh, that's not—seriously, is that it? That's not a plan. That's not even—I could've come up with that one."
"Just shut up and do nothing."
"Not helping. David, your turn."
While David struggled to come up with a way out of the tent, beginning with removing their shackles, she questioned Celeste about her knowledge on the shadow riders. Celeste explained that her grandparents had traveled from Camelot to the Enchanted Forest and her grandmother would tell her bedtime stories about the mysterious realm, even teaching her some of its languages. Three men entered the tent, all dressed in the same intricate armor as the men from the pub. The man in the middle, standing over seven feet tall with arms the size of tree trunks and his armor all black, was the most daunting and appeared to be the leader. He began to speak in a strange language. Riley nudged Celeste's leg with her foot while nodding towards the man. Celeste struggled to speak the same language though judging by their expressions, they understood her basic meaning.
"M—my friends don't understand. Can you…do you speak this language?"
"Yes. The name's Bronn and I am leader of the shadows. In our tongue, I go by another name but its meaning would be lost on you. You speak our tongue, girl?" he said, speaking with a very heavy accent.
"S—sort of…I um—well, my uh my grandmother t—taught me some of it. B—both of my grandparents w—were from…where you're from and…yep, I uh remember a few things."
"They escaped the wench's curse? How fortunate for them."
Riley's fingers dug into her shackles. "The rest of us did not get that chance. This is the first land we've traveled to in a very long time. Never had the pleasure of visiting before. Afraid my lieutenants don't appreciate me speaking a foreign language. Since you understand me, you can be the translator."
Celeste had little choice in the matter, having to quickly translate his words and he showed no intention of slowing down for her. She explained that he and his men were going to take all of their supplies from Robin's camp for themselves and offered a trade: in exchange for useful information, they would gain their freedom. The shadow riders were known for using their captives as slaves, caring little for their royal status in their lands. In their eyes, kings and queens were the same as peasants, nothing more than servants. When he questioned if anyone in their group possessed magic, she pointed towards Regina and Riley.
"Screw this. Celeste, tell him that it's not our problem that he came to a land that he doesn't know. If he doesn't want to get his ass kicked, he should just let us go."
"I—I'm not telling him that."
Bronn spoke once more to his companions, briefly nodding at Riley. The three men chuckled quietly.
"He uh—he said you've got a big mouth."
"I'm sure that's what he said."
He held up Riley's bag, one of the possessions taken from the camp.
"I told him that you can't use magic right now because of that cuff. He says that if you help him translate a spell in one of your books, he'll be more lenient with you because…b—because he's uh really generous," she said, awkwardly avoiding Riley's gaze.
Riley was not fooled by his so-called generosity, catching his eyes on her chest. "I'm not doing anything for him."
"Riley, if it saves us from dying, suck it up and help him with a spell," hissed Alec as Celeste argued back and forth with the three men.
"None of us are going to be your little slaves. If you let us go, I'll give you something better than a bunch of idiots who can't even hunt and have the combined intelligence of a box of rocks."
"He says a little bi—a little girl has nothing that he wants and to stop wasting his time with your talking," said Celeste.
"I'll give you Excalibur."
The arguing ceased, the tent filling up with a stunned silence. Bronn raised his hand to stop Celeste from translating, already understanding Riley's words. He lifted her up by the front of her blouse, towering over her with his dark eyes piercing her own.
"Your life is at stake and you play games?"
"It's not a game. It's in the Enchanted Forest. The former Dark One stole it years ago when you were all cursed but he lost it shortly before the dark curse ripped apart this land. I know where it's hidden."
"And how do I know you're not telling a lie?"
"I've got no magic and you could probably crush my head like a grape with your bare hands. Why would I lie? Come on, don't tell me you're not interested in finding it. With that sword, you'd be unstoppable. Let's make a deal. I get you to that sword and you let us go."
Taking a minute to consider her offer, he smirked. "I'll have my men prepare the horses. We ride within the hour."
He had his companions unlock their shackles then left the tent. "Riley, have you lost your mind?! You can't lie to someone like him. I'll admit you sounded convincing but—when he finds out you lied, he'll…I don't think he'll just settle for a little temper tantrum," said Ethan.
"Who said I was lying?"
"Of course you were lying. Excalibur's a myth. Even people who believe it exists say that it hasn't been seen for centuries. How could you know where it is?"
"Just do. Like I said, the plan is for you to shut up and do nothing. I'll handle it."
Her friends worried that her plan to lead the shadow riders to Excalibur, which they still believed to be a very convincing lie, would lead to her death. David and Mary Margaret were just as concerned, though they had very few options to consider with the risk of becoming slaves to the violent sellswords. When the horses were ready for the journey, Bronn forced her to share his horse, sitting her in front of him. She scrunched her nose in disgust at something hard pressed into her lower back. Hook chose to ride a horse directly beside them.
"Know this, girl. If I discover you're being dishonest, I'll drag you behind the nearest tree by your hair and only the dirt will muffle your cries."
She subtly shook her head as Hook gripped the hilt of his sword, his nostrils flaring.
"Then I bet you hope I'm lying. You wish you were lucky enough to get that chance," she replied, refusing to let any threats get under her skin.
"You think I need luck to rip off those clothes?"
"Well, from experience, the last person who tried that was left screaming in his room as he bled to death with the little worm between his legs torn from his body."
"A fiery one, I see."
Following her directions, they traveled down a past heading in the east...