Bow woke up with a start as he heard loud voices, He tried quickly to focus his eyes taking a few moments to realise he wasn't in danger at all. They were inside what looked like a small village, the noise he heard was someone yelling about freshly baked bread, he breathed a sigh of relief he scanned the crowd looking for Thad and found him handing over a large basket of fish to someone and they shook his hand before he turned around and made his way back to Bow,
"Good you're awake", Thad said as he climbed up behind Bow.
"Where are we?",
"This is Darksmoke, lucky for you and your friends, the safest place in Eternia right now". Thad gently patted Erska and rode slowly through the nosy village, surrounded by the sounds of a blacksmith hammering and the raised voices of people trying to sell their wares. As they rode further down they passed what looked like a makeshift schoolyard and children fought with sticks.
"By the Ghost of Grayskull!". One child said proudly.
"No! You didn't say that right! Now it's my turn". Another child said mockingly.
Bow tried to turn around to see the children but they had already run away.
The crowd started to thin out as they left the shops behind, "So mind telling me how you ended up crashing your ship?".
Bow rubbed his neck as he sat up a little straighter, as Erska slowed up and stopped in front of a small shack.
"Our ship was on autopilot seems we were heading towards a big city when we got hit by something"
"That big city was Eternos". Thad went over and knocked hard on the shack door,
"I don't understand why they would attack us", Bow said as he slid off Erska, slighting unsteady on his feet from both his head spinning and the wet snow under his feet.
Thad came back and carefully cradled Adora and carried her back to the shack. "Well let's just say they're not a fan of outsiders, especially when they ride in on a ship as old as yours...Madame Spritina! Open the door!"
Bow cradles Glimmer the same way and stands beside Thad, "How did you know the ship was old"
"We haven't seen a ship like that around here for a few centuries".
They both look towards the door as they hear frantic noises coming from inside, the door swings open and they are greeted by a young tiny woman with purple skin, white hair, and a large green leaf for a hat.
"Oh My! Come in, Come in", she quickly ushers them inside. Madame Spritina points at the two beds at the other end of the room. Thad puts Adora down on the bed and Bow does the same with Glimmer. Madame Spritina grabs a large bowl of bluish water and a white rag, she pushes Thad out of the way to get closer to Adora
"Oh poor Mara", as she rings out the white rag and gently lays it across Adora's forehead.
Thad frowns at Madame Spritina and then looks at Bow, "I thought your friend's name was Adora?"
Bow watches as Madame Spritina rings out another rag and places it on Glimmer's head, "It is Adora...Wait...Why did she say, Mara?".
Spritina waves them away, "Mara, Adora, Adora, Mara. Same thing. Enough talk, Everyone out!". Spritina moves her hand and the men are promptly turned around and levitated outside, they are left standing there awkwardly as the door slams behind them.
Thad clears his throat awkwardly, "I guess we leave her alone until your friends wake up".
* * *Adora's eyes fluttered awake, she slowly sits up and realised she is surrounded by trees, it takes a moment for her to realise that she is back in the whispering woods but she can't see to shake the uneasy feeling the forest has, as she stands up she sees her sword tangled in some vines as she approaches she realises it isn't her sword at all. This sword has the same holographic blade, a large golden cross guard that forms one piece into a pommel with a blue runestone at the center, she puts her hand out to touch the sword and hears a frightening bird shriek.
Adora spins around to find the source of the noise and the scenery has suddenly changed to the crimson waste, she looks up shielding her eyes from the blistering sun as she looks off into the distance she sees a silhouette holding the sword she had just seen in the forest.
"Wait!". She calls out as she chases after them. The closer Adora gets to the silhouette the more fierce the winds become, she feels the roughness of the sand scratching against her skin. The sword's runestone shines through and as Adora puts her hand out to touch it she is caught in the quicksand, she tries to grab onto the sword but it looms over her as she sinks further down.
"ADORA!". She heard Catra's faint voice.
"CATRA!". Adora sits up and immediately grabs her side, she looks around and doesn't recognise anything, she then sees Glimmer and a tiny woman that reminds Adora of Madame Razz staring at her.
Glimmer ran over excitedly, "You're finally awake!"
"What happened? Where is Bow?". Adora said, slightly confused.
Adora slightly confused, "What happened? Where's Bow?"
"We were lucky someone found us when the ship crashed, Bow is fine, I am fine we were just waiting for you to wake up"
"How long was I out for?"
"It's already been a week, but Madame Spritina here was taking good care of you", Glimmer said carefully.
Adora looks at Madame Spritina who smiled kindly at her, "Poor Mara, very sick, so very sick"
Adora raises an eyebrow, "Did you just call me Mara?".
Madame Spritina laughs weirdly, "Mara, Adora, haha silly me", she quickly turns around and begins fussing over something else on her desk. Adora frowns at Glimmer who just nods, "Oh I know, Ending up in Eternia doesn't feel like an accident anymore".
Outside Madame Spritina shack a large stunningly dark feathered harpy leaning against a tree with her arms folded, people walked past completely oblivious to her presence. She tapped her talons against her arms as another harpy materialised on the other side of the tree, this one a strikingly bright white.
"Kwyn my dear sister you need to be careful with your medalling",
"Absolutely not Kale, After what Lighthope had done, it is high time we give things a little push in the proper direction"
Kale shrugs as they take an apple off a nearby stall and take a bite, "Then let us hope your medalling is just enough".