welcome back to another installment of Runaway Rose King. Did we loose anybody back there?
but seriously guys, if you're loosing interest in this story because of the long wait for the next update, then i dont blame ya one bit. im trying my best though
well enuff of that, how about reading? and maybe reviewing? (hint,hint) ;)
Damp, suffocating darkness. The dirt ceiling scraping against his back, bits falling into his face and hair. Complete helplessness and the inability to fully trust the moles to lead the way and the rising panic and claustrophobia becoming overwhelming. Everything Nod hated about the underground rolled into one unpleasant experience. The only thing keeping him from a complete panic attack was M.K. sitting in front of him. From her tense body and deep breaths, he could tell that she was also trying to hold it together and endure this trip. Perhaps she was also relying on his presence to keep calm. That brought some comfort to him, if they were both of each others lifeline.
When he had been in a near comatose while his friends were fleeing and in danger, all he saw was darkness and everything his ears had heard sounded like it was underwater. He had felt so frustrated and angry that he was weak and could not pull his own weight but the exhaustion won out. The events of the day and the fact that he had little to eat and drink was enough for his legs to feel like they were stuck in a mud pit and his head to spin. Despite the imminent danger, the unconsciousness was a relief.
Somewhere in that darkness, he heard Ariel's voice, small and uncertain. She called to him like she wasn't sure he would hear her. Nod only managed to groan in response and she had exploded in excited chatter in his head. Quickly, she relayed the instructions he had given to his friends, assuring him that their birds would also be led their. She wished him luck and told him to wake up.
It was not M.K.'s shaking or shouts but the sudden surge of strength that brought him back. It was amazing how the muscle ache receded to nothing and energy filled him like he hadn't exerted himself at all. Even the rose twitched and curled at the sudden power-up. Nod could not explain how it happened but he was grateful that it did.
Of course what seemed like a gift from heaven at the time was now something he wished he had refused, even if they did have no other choice. Nod tried to focus on breathing even as dirt fell into his mouth and the walls felt like they would crush him.
He did not know how long they were underground or how far they went, but when he caught the scent of fresh air and moss among the damp, musty smell of the soil, his heart leaped with joy and relief. He felt a hunger for the surface and the moles could not move fast enough for him. Nod cracked his eyes open and saw the glimmer of stars ahead, temporarily blocked by the moles ahead of them. At last, he and M.K. emerged from the tunnel, cool night air whisking away his fear. The moon gleamed above them, paining his eyes a bit as his sight adjusted.
Nod and M.K. wasted no time in hopping off the mole's back, his friends doing the same. Nod tried not to show how relieved he was to be on the surface, though he could not hide his smile as he shook off the dirt and mud from his hair. They were all caked in it from head to toe. The rose rustled on his skin, stirring as it sensed the open space and moonlight.
"Ugh, I do not want to do that again any time soon," M.K. Muttered as she tried her best to wipe the mud off her pants and top. Her face was streaked with dirt and her green eyes reflected the moonlight and shone in the dark.
Nod cracked a grin at her. "The mud really brings out your eyes though." She scowled and poked him in the ribs.
"Where are we?" Ross asked and that was when Nod took in his surroundings.
They stood at the base of towering pine tree. The foliage around it was cleared of sticks and plants and Nod quickly saw why. At the top of the pine tree, a tree that stood high above all the others, was a huge mass of sticks. The pile was so massive that Nod wondered why the branches holding it up didn't snap under the weight of it all.
"I think that's an eagle's nest," Jason said.
The forest dwellers, Nod included, went on edge. From birth, they learned to respect and fear birds of prey. It did not happen often but every now and then there would be a report of a bird and its rider snatched up by a falcon or merlin. Hawks and owl usually ignored them and were feared less since they kept the rodent population under control. Nod's father used to tell him stories of foolhardy riders attempting to tame and ride raptors, none of them ending well. It was enough to scare the little boy into promising his dad that he would never try it himself.
"Why here?" Thryn piped up. "And where is the Queen?"
"Don't worry. You'll see her soon enough."
The voice came from in front of them. Nod jumped, hand going for the sword that he no longer had, every hair on his neck standing on end. The others reacted similarly, scanning for danger. There was nothing there but the thick roots of the pine.
"Do not fear." The voice spoke again, the source coming from the tree. It was a deep voice like a male's, a little soothing but ancient and rumbling. Trees do not talk, Nod reminded himself. Yet that seemed to be the case here. Then again, stranger things have happened. "I am a friend," it said.
"Friends usually show themselves," Ross growled. "And I refuse to believe I'm talking to a tree. So come on out!" He pointed his dagger at the pine and looking ready to hack into the thick bark.
"My form may frighten you but if its your wish to see me, then very well."
There was vibration running through the pine's bark then something stepped out of trunk. Nod rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. It didn't actually walk through the bark like a normal doorway. It came from the tree itself, bark peeling away to fashion a body. The dark brown bark shifted until the body had assembled itself into all the right places, forming a creature. It stood on four thick wooden legs, claws on each foot, as big as Flitterbite. Moss covered its spiky back of pinecone shells. It spread its wings made of fresh green pine needles. A thick tail flicked from side to side, creaking like tree branches do under a strong wind. It had a horned head and where its eyes should have been, a soft green light glowed, seeming to emanate amusement.
Nod had only seen pictures of such a creature before, in story books like he had when he was a little kid. He remembered sitting with M.K. on a large rock next to a stream one time, soaking up the sun and enjoying his day off with her. She had her sketchbook and pencil and was trying to draw the creature, and no matter how many times Nod assured her of how good it was, she brushed him off and continued to fix and add details to it. Until it was just right, two hours later.
"You're a...a dragon?" M.K. stuttered, utterly mystified to be seeing a being that only existed in fairy tales.
The tree dragon rumbled deeply, his wood chest vibrating and creaking. It took a second for Nod to realize he was laughing. Yet the vibe he felt from this creature was not of hostility or malice but friendliness. His instincts weren't screaming at him to run, and despite himself, Nod felt relief. It had been awhile since they had come across someone-or something- not wanting to harm them.
"I am not really a dragon," he said, somehow able to speak without opening his mouth. "My preferred form is that of the mythological beast, since I find them truly fascinating. I am actually an earth spirit called a gnome."
"Wait, like the little men that live in hills? That kind of gnome?" Mason asked, brows raised in confusion.
The dragon chuckled. "Humans and other beings have an interesting way of depicting things they cannot see. I am not that kind of gnome but I am what gnomes are at their core. As an earth spirit, I can be invisible, or I can wear a skin like this one so that you may see me. I believe you've met one of my kind before; an air spirit called a Sylph."
"The wind bird," Nod replied. "Yeah we've met him. He didn't really stop for a chat...or to warn us that we were about to be eaten by a hungry cat."
"Ah, sylphs. Always in a rush," the tree dragon shook his head like this had happened often. "You must forgive Patamon. In his previous life, he was always troubled and never could make a decision."
"I take offense to that." A gust of air was the only warning they had and then the wind bird appeared, barely visible apart from the swirling columns of air that made up its shapeless wings, tail, and head. The air was churning a little faster around it than usual. Nod got the impression that the air spirit was irritated.
"Hush, you know its true," the dragon chided. "Its only appropriate that you're a sylph." He turned back to them. "Where are my manners? You may call me Wanikiy. Please follow me, I'm sure you have many questions and are tired and hungry. Your Queen wishes to see you."
Wanikiy must have spoken a silent command, for the bark of the pine peeled back like paper until a doorway led inside, revealing a set of stairs leading up. The tree dragon moved up the first steps, his wooden joints creaking and groaning, before he swung his head around to address the wind bird.
"Patamon, please guide the young ones' birds to the lower branches of the pine. And be discreet. We do not want to spook the poor things."
Patamon seemed disgruntled at the dismissal but he dipped his head with deference. "Yes, Wanikiy." The sylph dissipated with a gust of wind.
Without further explanation, Wanikiy lumbered up the stairs. The teenagers stood rooted to the spot for a moment, still trying to take it all in, until Nod and M.K. glanced at each other and silently agreed with their eyes. They followed the tree dragon, the others hesitantly echoing their steps.
It was dark all the way up, so they kept their hands against the walls for balance. The stairway curved against the inside of the pine. Nod led the way and tried to keep an even distance from the dragon's swishing tail. The last thing he wanted was to be whacked in the face and sent tumbling back down the stairs. They must have climbed up very far, as their thighs were aching by the time they reached their destination. The stairs opened up to a spacious room with vaulted ceilings, a chandelier of glowing lanterns hanging in the center to provide light.
The hardwood floors were blanketed by white and brown rugs of sewn together down feathers. The fluffy feathers must have come from the eagle's nest above for they were bigger than a normal song bird's. A large knothole led out to a thick pine branch, a spectacular view of the land surrounding them on all sides. A dining table was to one side and the other had a sofa and two armchairs surrounding a coffee table. Sitting on the sofa, sipping cups of tea, was a flower woman and a chatty young flower girl.
Whatever conversation the two were having ended at the sight of them. Ariel's eyes widened in surprise before her face broke out in a huge grin. She was barely able to put down the tea cup without dropping it on the spot (her mother helped lower it safely to the table) and then she rushed to them, embracing the two closest (which happened to be Nod and M.K.) in a crushing bear hug.
"Ohmygoshyou'reokayIcan'tbelievethatyou'rehere-"
"Easy Ariel!" Nod choked out, wincing at the young girl's surprising strength. "We still need our spines."
"Sorry!" she gasped, letting them go and still grinning from ear to ear. There was such happiness in her eyes that all of them (even stoic Thryn and grumpy Ross) smiled back.
Ariel hugged each one of them with the same crushing enthusiasm. Fara greeted them as well, more reserved than her daughter but clearly joyful that they were with them again.
"I'm glad to see that you are all healthy," she said. She took Nod's arm in her gentle hands, examining the rose. "How is it? Not giving you trouble I hope?"
Oh, sure. It's having a dandy time sucking out all my energy and causing the Boggans to put a price on my head. No trouble at all! "I'm managing," he replied. "Though the sooner it gets off, the better."
"That is something we should discuss," Wanikiy said. "But of course, only after you have some refreshments. The strength that we lend you is only temporary and you'll soon collapse if you don't eat."
"So that explains how I was able to run all that way without fainting. I'm guessing you sent the moles to get us out of there?"
The tree dragon merely nodded his head before turning away toward the dining table. A gust of wind swept in through the knothole. Nod realized it was another sylph carrying plates of food and a pitcher of water with perfect balance, not spilling a drop. It set the plates on the table before sweeping out just as quickly as it had come in.
Wanikiy settled at the end of the large table, curling his tail around his feet and gesturing to the food."Please, eat first. Then we shall answer your questions."
The teenagers ate like average teenagers; with gusto and at a fast, relentless pace. Nuts and fruits were snatched from the platters. Loaves of bread and sliced squirrel meat disappeared down throats. Vegetable and root soups were slurped up nosily, no one bothering with manners except Fara, who just shook her head and smiled. She was too used to bad table etiquette thanks to her daughter.
Before giving the water pitcher to Nod, everyone poured themselves a mug and then let him have it for the rest of the meal. Nod downed five full glasses without pausing for a breath before he even touched any food. Whenever a plate became barren of even crumbs, a sylph swept in and replaced it with one topped to the brim with a new batch. For a brief moment, Nod wondered where all this food was coming from. Did the spirits have cooks or did they cook it themselves? Then a new plate of seed cakes and honey brittle was brought in and he forgot all about it.
An hour later, they were all sitting back from the table and lounging in the comfy chairs, content with full stomachs. Nod's thirst had finally been sated and he felt much better. The rose was a little more lively and it squirmed, shifting its position constantly like an excited child.
This drew the attention of Jason, who had had an interesting, abnormal day but still possessed the ability to find some things strange, even if the rose's activity was small compared to everything that happened earlier. "How can you sit there and not feel irked by that living thing on your arm?" he asked the other boy.
Nod shrugged. "It's been attached to me for..." he quickly counted on his fingers. "Seven days now. Trust me; I'm still irked."
Jason was curious on how the young man had managed to get such a flower attached to him. No one had thought to fill him in on that. He opened his mouth to ask but Wanikiy cleared his throat and the boy remembered why they were here. He made a mental note to ask later.
"You have many questions," Wanikiy began gravely. "Please, what is your first?"
The young warriors exchanged blank looks. They all had millions of questions but none of them were sure what to ask first and who should ask it. Finally, Thryn faced the Queen.
"What happened to you before the Boggans attacked?" she asked. Everyone leaned forward with anticipation, ready and eager to hear her answer.
Ariel became grim, a guilty look in her eyes. She kept her gaze on the table, not looking at them. Fara placed a gentle hand on her back. "Go on, sweetheart. It wasn't your fault and they won't blame you."
The flower girl took a deep breath and with surprising steadiness, began her tale. "Yesterday in the afternoon, I wasn't feeling well. I woke up fine but around lunch time I began to get a headache. At first it was nothing but it got increasingly worse until I was dizzy. Mum told me to go lie down for awhile." At this, she glanced to her mother as if asking permission to go on. Fara nodded encouragingly and Ariel continued. "When I fell asleep, I heard Tara's voice in my head, even though I couldn't see her. She sounded weak and very faraway but she told me that no matter what happened, everything would be alright. I didn't know what she meant at the time but I woke up and my headache was gone. And waiting for me were two sylphs."
At her pause, everyone looked at Wanikiy for an explanation. The tree dragon nodded in confirmation. "I sent them there to help Ariel and her mother escape. Tara herself requested it."
"Tara is dead and has been for a year," Ross argued. "And I don't see how that justifies kidnapping our Queen. She could have helped us tremendously with driving back the invaders!"
If Wanikiy was ruffled by Ross's outburst, he didn't show it. "I understand that you feel that way. Ariel possess great power that perhaps could have saved your home. As for talking to the dead, you must remember that underneath this skin, I'm nothing more than a ghost. I can converse easily with any being in the afterlife."
"Believe me, I was just as mad as you are Ross," Ariel interjected. "I feel like a coward for not staying to fight. I mean, that's my job right?" Her voice shook a little. Fara gently squeezed her shoulder. "But for some reason, Tara thought I was in great danger, that there was something that I couldn't fight off. When the sylphs explained this, I didn't believe them at first but I remembered my dream and realized that it couldn't be a coincident that Tara spoke to me right before the sylphs arrived."
"We agreed to go with them," Fara stepped in. Ariel looked at her mother gratefully for finishing their story. "As they expressed that there was no time to notify anyone, I left a note in our room explaining the situation and warning Ronin to heighten security." She noticed that the teenagers all had confused expressions and frowned. "Did you not see it?"
"We had no reports of any kind of note," Lex replied, perplexed as them all. "Once we realized you were missing, we searched the whole of Moonhaven."
"If you did leave a letter, we would have seen it," Nod added. "It's not like Ronin to miss something so obvious."
"Maybe the sylphs' wind power swept it under a table by accident?" M.K. suggested, though the possible explanation sounded weak and Nod could tell that she didn't believe it herself.
Before any of them could ponder it further, Wanikiy interrupted with his creaky voice. "It does not matter now. To conclude, my sylphs used spiritual transport to get the Queen and her mother here safely and quickly."
Mason whistled."Spiritual transport? Now that sounds interesting."
"It was so cool!" Ariel chirped. "The sylphs surrounded us with their wind and then it was like we disappeared into the earth itself! I could feel the whole forest around me like I was really in it, all the plants and animals and stuff! Everything was moving so fast and it only took us a few minutes to end up here at the eagles' nest!"
At this, Fara turned a little greener than usual for a flower woman. "Yes it was an experience I won't soon forget...or repeat."
Wanikiy chuckled. "As Ariel described, sylphs can take living passengers with them through a different plane to travel faster. It's all rather complicated to explain in detail."
At that moment, a wind sylph swept in through the door leading out to the branch. Somehow, Nod could tell it was the one called Patamon (strange names these spirits have). He noticed that the sylphs that served them food barely made a sound as they moved, only slight whispering breaths of air letting you know they were there. Their winds were calm, like a lazy breeze in summer. Patamon's sounded like the wind when it churned up right before a thunderstorm.
"All the birds have arrived safely," the sylph reported. "They're just outside and I have the servant sylphs feeding and watering them."
"Thank you," the tree dragon replied. He swung his head back to them. "It's is getting late and you should all get some sleep. Patamon can escort you to the rooms we have for you."
They all mumbled their gratitude, relieved to be able to spend the night on mattresses and without a watch roster. However, Nod wasn't quite ready to go to sleep just yet.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to check on the birds first. They had a rough day."
Wanikiy merely nodded. "Do as you please. When you are ready, just follow the stairs until you get to the next landing. That is where you'll find the bedrooms."
"I'll come with you," M.K. said. The others followed Patamon along with Ariel and Fara. Wanikiy's body began to hum and his spirit slipped out of it's wooden skin and into the tree itself.
The boy and the girl stepped outside onto the thick branch, finding the birds roosting and preening. They all seemed quite pleased with the safe surroundings and the bowls of water and seeds set before them. Nod and M.K. went to each one and unbuckled their tack, since the sylphs couldn't do that themselves. They stowed the saddles and bridles inside away from the elements, even though the night sky was clear and speckled with stars.
Nod slipped off Flitterbite's bridle and gave him a scratch on the neck. The blue jay cooed with pleasure, his eyes half-closed as he enjoyed Nod's touch.
"Airsnap seems to have recovered well," M.K. commented from where she stood next to the swallow. Indeed, the slim bird looked more alive and perky, a great contrast from when he was at the end of his strength earlier.
"They must have given him an energy boost to get him here," Nod replied, moving his fingers through Flit's head feathers. "Good that they did. I don't know how I would have handled it if we had to... leave him behind."
He couldn't keep the pain out of his voice. It was only yesterday that Cricket sacrificed his life for both of them. With everything that had happened today, it almost felt like a lifetime ago but the grief was still very fresh. M.K. glided over to him soundlessly, slipping her slim arms around his waist and hugging him. Her touch sent shivers down his spine and he relaxed into her.
"You know you can talk to me about anything," she murmured, looking up into his eyes, the moonlight catching her emerald gaze and making them sparkle. He twisted in her grasp to face her, his own arms wrapping around her to hold her close. Flit huffed jealously and turned away, now that Nod's hands had found something new to stroke.
They hadn't let the distance kill their friendship. Starting from when M.K. had returned to her original size, they had video chatted everyday and when that wasn't enough, Nod met her at the front door and the forest was theirs to roam together. With time spent alone, they knew each others dreams and thoughts, could read the others moods and know what was troubling the other.
But this surpassed it all, for now he could actually hold and touch her, could breathe in her scent that reminded him of ginger and sage. He never wanted her to go back to her old life if it meant she could be with him like this forever. Yet that wasn't for him to decide.
A thought crossed his mind and Nod smiled like a wolf. "You know what's been long over due?"
Her right eyebrow raised at the question, suspicious of his grin. "What?"
"This." Without waiting any longer, he leaned in and kissed her. She immediately kissed him back and leaned against him. Nod drank in her taste and her soft lips, savoring it all like it was a rare treasure. His calloused hands roamed up her back and she moaned with pleasure, twisting her hands in his hair.
Nod was happy to keep kissing her until, that is, Flitterbite decided enough was enough and bumped him with a massive wing. They both yelped in surprise as Nod lost his balance and fell over, landing on M.K. He took the brunt of the fall on his hands to avoid crushing her.
"Flit!" Nod scolded indignantly, getting to his feet and helping M.K. to hers. "What's the matter with you?!"
The blue jay just looked at him with something akin to boredom like he was trying to say, you guys were making out and it was getting gross to watch.
M.K. started laughing and holding her sides. "Dear God, looks like your bird has jealousy issues! First Mub and now Flit!"
"Well it can't be helped! You're too beautiful for them to not give it a shot."
"Please, it's your fault, you need to make it more obvious that I'm your girlfriend."
"Now if I started doing that, you'd find more reasons to punch my shoulder."
She conceded defeat. "True, I would."
They fell into an easy silence, one that spoke volumes of their relationship. Even living in different worlds, they were way past that awkward first stage. Nod's fears of any sort of gap between them was dashed away.
"Come on, it's getting late," she said, taking his hand to lead him inside. Nod followed her and bid Flitterbite good night. There was a lot more hope inside him than when he woke up this morning. The long, stressful day had ended.
But tomorrow was still a mystery.
ugh i could have wrote this ending better but any longer and i would have had to chop the chapter in half and then it would have felt boring and weak. anyway this chapter has taken first place for the longest in this story and i think they are only going to get longer. thats what i like best in fanfics, the long, juicy, action packed chapters. granted this was more like a filler but it was the point where some questions needed to be answered.
so if you're curious about the elemental spirits, here's some background information.
FACTS: the elementals came from the work of Paracelsus, an alchemist in the 16th century. they are mythic beings of the four elements. Gnomes (earth), sylphs (air), undines (water), and salamanders (fire).
My Headcannons: this i made up for the story. the elementals can only materialize from their respective elements, or else they remain invisible. They can choose their form and change it if they wish. Although gnomes are depicted as little men and undines as beautiful women by human history, i figured that the concept of them was they were spirits and i used that leverage to make it that they can pick and choose their bodies and skins. as long as they stay connected to their element, they can remain visible. this means that sylphs have the most freedom to explore the world and salamanders are the rarest to see.
well thats all for now, so until next time, FIAF out
PS: if you guys see mistakes like missing words, bad grammar, misspellings, or whatever else please let me know so i can fix them as soon as possible. something is going on with my editing tool.