"You imbeciles!"
Faye's eyes popped open. The sun had barely rose, so she squinted at the scene that awoke her. Lyon stood in front of Kern and Roark, a plate in hand.
"I told you I wanted sausage!"
"Nobody brought sausage," Kern said. "We only have bacon."
"Demons to bacon!" Lyon snapped. "I ask one thing of you-"
"I'll eat the bacon, if you don't want it," Roark said.
Lyon picked a slice of bacon off his plate. "You want the bacon?" Roark nodded. Lyon threw it towards the fire. "Fetch!"
Roark crinkled his nose. "Now it's all dirty."
Faye's stomach rumbled, and she tried thinking up a plan that would end with her eating the dirt-covered slice.
Lyon looked at the trio, a smile growing across his face. "I suppose the animals can eat it." He picked up another slice, and threw it to Faye. Faye struggled in the ropes, and Lyon laughed. "Someone untie them."
The guard from the previous night picked at the rope tying them down, and freed them. Faye lurched for the bacon, and shoved it in her mouth. It was still warm, and would have been savory if not for the dirt taste. But she didn't care, and she lunged for the second one near the fire before a guard shoved her away.
Lyon laughed at her desperation, then walked over to Jyri, and held out the last slice. "Since you were once loyal to me, you can have a clean one."
Jyri took it, and handed it to Ran, who shoved the entire slice in his mouth, as though fearful Lyon would snatch it away.
Lyon looked at Jyri, eyebrow raised. "That was the last piece of bacon."
"I know."
"Do you also know that I'm not giving you any more handouts?"
"I don't like bacon."
Faye's mouth fell. Was Jyri really that picky, that he'd turn down his only opportunity for food that day? Ran looked unsurprised by the fact. Lyon stroked his chin, frowning. "You always were a strange one." He shoved his plate in Roark's hands. "Do you think you can put this plate away without messing up?"
Roark nodded with averted eyes. He walked away, Kern by his side.
Lyon rounded in on the trio. "You three can get in the carriage. Tar will be of help."
The guard from the previous night bowed at Lyon before rounding the three up, and ushered them into the carriage. As Tar slammed the door behind Ran, Faye tried opening the door on her side. It didn't budge.
"Don't bother," Jyri said. "It's locked from the inside."
"How are we going to get away?"
The front doors of the carriage opened, and in climbed Roark and Kern. Faye blinked. Roark and Kern?
"What are you-" Jyri began, but the two shushed him. Roark shoved Faye and Jyri's packs at them, and then handed Jyri two, small keys. "You're welcome."
Kern grabbed the reigns, and flicked them. The estins ran off. Faye could hear Lyon and the guards shouting. Jyri wasted no time in unlocking his cuffs, and Ran's.
"Why are you helping us?" Faye asked while Jyri worked on uncuffing her.
"Because King Lyon has no sense of appreciation for his employees," Roark said. "All he ever does is yell at us."
"He said my existence was an accident," Kern added. "I still haven't forgotten about that."
"And I worked hard to get that sausage-"
"Enough talk!" Jyri interrupted while peering out the back window. "They're getting on horses. We need to hurry!"
"It's okay," Roark said. "We're pros at horse racing."
Faye somehow doubted that.
It didn't take long for horses to surround the carriage. Lyon himself got close enough to the carriage to pound on the side, shouting obscenities. Guards pounded on the other sides. Anxiety rose in Faye's throat at the noise. What would Lyon do to them after all of this? Her only saving grace was being a "rare specimen."
"No worries." Roark procured a crossbow out of nowhere. "They're no match for this beauty."
Kern glanced over, frowning. "Where'd you get that?"
"Nicked it off Tar." Roark shoved his head out the window, and fired an arrow. "Rattails! I missed."
"You always miss." Kern reached for the crossbow. "Let me do it."
"No! You have to steer."
"You can steer." Kern shoved the reigns in Roark's hands, and snatched the crossbow. Roark dropped the reigns, and grabbed the weapon, tugging it away from Kern. The estins raced onwards while the two men continued fighting.
"STOP!" Jyri shouted, pointing at something, someone, in their line of path. A woman on an horse. Kern fumbled for the reigns, and tugged the estins to a stop. The guards and Lyon stopped too, and stared. Roark and Ran couldn't take their eyes away from the woman either. Faye leaned forward, squinting, then let out a gasp when she realized the woman was Nephele. A million thoughts spun through Faye's mind. What Nephele was doing there. Where she got the horse. How she even escaped in the first place. But none of the questions were answered, for Nephele flicked the reigns of her horse, and galloped away. The guards and Lyon abandoned the carriage for the nymph without hesitation.
"What's she doing here?" Jyri asked. His head must've been filled with the same thoughts as Faye's.
"Probably risking her neck to save ours," Faye said. "You should be more grateful to her."
"But... how'd she get away, and out of those cuffs anyway?" Jyri wondered.
"Some help." Kern flicked the reigns, and the estins continued forward, but at a steady pace.
"Help?"
"From a couple of guards who do not want to see a nymph passed around like a common wench," Roark said.
"It was mostly me helping her," Kern said. "Seeing as I'm the only one around here unaffected."
"Wait a minute..." Jyri seemed to have realized something. "Back when King Lyon wanted to find a way to capture nymphs, he tried making you do it, since you're only interested in men."
Kern nodded. "That's right."
"And you were affected. But you're not now?"
"I never was," Kern smiled. "I only pretended to be. I... didn't want them to capture a nymph. I knew what they'd do to one, and it's disgusting."
"It's a despicable act," Roark added. "I don't know why those women guards agree to catching them."
"Knowing King Lyon, he probably threatened them," Jyri muttered.
"Wait..." Faye turned to look at Jyri. "Nymphs don't affect you. Why didn't Lyon send you to capture one?"
"He didn't think I wouldn't be. It's not like I go around announcing my lack of interest in matters of the flesh."
Ran let out a snort. Jyri shot him a look. "Sorry," Ran said. "The way you said that was funny."
Jyri shook his head. "How much farther until we're safe?" he asked.
"Not much longer," Kern said. "We're headed back towards Wizard's Point."
"What about Nephele?" Faye asked.
"She'll be okay," Kern said. "Now that she's uncuffed, she'll be able to use her defensive magic."
"She mentioned going back to Dorendi, so we can see her once she gets away from them," Roark added.
"They'll all expect us to go back to Wizard's Point," Jyri said. "We need her there immediately so we can leave."
"So you really found a way to the parallel universe?" Roark asked.
Faye nodded. "We just need nymph blood."
"She'll be there in no time," Jyri said, though sounded doubtful. "She has to be."
Traveling back to Wizard's Point turned out being quicker than expected. Faye figured it was because there were only four of them, instead of a large group of guards. Night fell before they arrived, but they continued on in the dark, fueled by fear of capture. At one point, they abandoned the carriage and just rode the two estins.
"How are we going to get past border control?" Jyri asked as they drew closer to the mountain. "Without having to back track all the way to the underground tunnel?"
"Don't worry about that," Kern said. "You are, after all, traveling with two royal guards."
Faye found herself worrying regardless of Kern's words. But was pleasantly surprised when they arrived at the border, and were free to pass after inspecting Roark's and Kern's badges.
"Well, we're here now," Jyri said. "What are you going to do?"
Kern shrugged. "Start a new life here. We'll never be allowed back in Vustaria after word spreads out."
"If it hasn't already," Roark said. He smiled. "You know, I've always dreamed of being a baker."
"A valid dream," Kern said, clasping a hand on Roark's shoulder. "I've always had an interest in music. I could perform shows in your bakery to attract customers."
"That's a great idea!" Roark beamed and took Kern's hand in his. "We should be off then. Good luck to you two."
"It's been quite the journey," Jyri said. "Take care."
Next to Faye, one of the estins made a gurgling sound. She wasn't sure what to do about them. They would make traveling faster, but having estins made hiding more difficult. Plus she wasn't sure if taking them into another universe would be a good idea. Also, Roark and Kern did rescue them. "You can take the estins," Faye said. "For payment of saving us."
Jyri frowned at her, as though he disagreed, but Roark and Kern accepted the offer. They climbed back on the estins, waved a farewell, then rode off into the sunset.
"Cute couple," Faye said. "Now what are we going to do? Lyon is probably on his way back here. And I can't exactly go into town."
"We still need nymph blood." Jyri pressed his palm into his forehead, swearing under his breath.
"You need what now?"
Faye, Jyri, and Ran turned around to see Nephele walking up behind them. Where her horse went, Faye couldn't begin to guess.
Jyri let out a sigh of relief. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you," he said to her.
Nephele smiled. "Glad to see you're not waving your knife at me for a change."
Jyri looked down at his knees, mumbling an apology. Next to him, Ran had shapeshifted into a lynx.
"Happy as we are to see you," Faye said, "we're all in a bit of a rush. Can we try a second attempt?"
Nephele bit her lip. "Hopefully. I've delayed them long enough. I was able to outrun them, and make it look like I was going in the opposite direction, but you three are more important. I think they dropped the chase to go after you. They could be here any second. I think it's too risky."
"It sounds like it," Faye agreed. "But maybe if we hurry... We can beat them there. Or at least lose them in the tunnels."
"Yes," Jyri agreed. "Let's hurry. I think I can remember the way."
"I sure can," Nepehele said. ""Come on!"
The group raced through the tunnel in silence until the reached the faint glow. Faye spotted the shape of a door up ahead, near two lit torches on either side. "It's here!"
The group ran up to the door.
"Quick, we need to make the mixture," Jyri said, panting.
They all sat to rest. After catching her breath, Faye pulled a small bowl out from the pack, setting it on the ground. Jyri poured a bit of water from his canteen into it. Faye pulled out the purple lotus petals, and put them in the bowl.
"Perfect." Jyri looked up at Faye. "Now we need the changeling tears."
Faye tried thinking of something, anything, that might make her cry. She tried to force them out. But failed.
Jyri looked to Faye. "We need you to cry."
"I can't cry on command."
"Sure you can. Think of something sad."
"Like what?"
"Your life before I came along." Jyri smiled.
"That's mean," Nephele said. But Faye thought of her previous life. Truth be told, it had been a sad one.
Jyri ignored Nephele. "Come on, midden wench." He shoved her against the rocky wall. "Cry!"
Faye winced at her body making contact with hard rock. But she had experienced far worse pain, and had been called much worse names. "That won't work."
"She can cry from laughter," Nephele suggested. "Do you know any jokes?"
Jyri tapped his chin, then a grin spread across his face. "I know how to make you laugh."
Faye rolled her eyes. "How? You're the least funniest person I've met."
Without warning, Jyri reached his hand out, and tickled her side.
She didn't laugh. Instead, she looked him in the eye. "If you ever try to tickle me again, it will be the last thing you do."
Jyri's face fell. "You're not ticklish?" He ran his hand through his hair. "Great. I'm out of ideas."
Ran bopped his head against Faye's arm, and sunk his teeth into it. Faye shrieked in pain, and tried pulling her arm away, but he bit down harder. Tears filled her eyes.
Jyri gestured to Nephele. "The bowl, quick."
Nephele shoved the bowl under her chin, and Ran released his hold. Faye bent her face down, and let tears fall into the bowl.
Jyri stroked Ran's head "That was genius!"
Ran purred at the compliment. Faye wiped the rest of her tears away while her arm throbbed. "That hurt!" She inspected the wound. Somehow it wasn't bleeding, but there were two puncture marks.
"You won't be the only one hurting," Nephele said. Her eyes fell on Jyri's knife, still gripped in his hand. "I suppose you'll be needing my blood next?"
Jyri reluctantly reached for Nephele's hand, and turned it upwards. He hovered his knife over her palm, but paused.
"Is something wrong?" Nephele asked.
Jyri let her go. "I can't..."
"What do you mean, you can't?" Faye asked. "You used to slice people open all the time."
"That's the problem," Jyri muttered. "I don't want to harm anyone ever again."
Nephele held out her hand. "I can do it myself, if you need me to."
Jyri handed over the knife, though looked a little nervous at giving her a potential weapon, despite earning his trust. Nephele made a cut in her arm, and scraped some blood into the bowl. Jyri picked up an oblong-shaped rock, and ground the mixture into a purple liquid.
Jyri inspected the mixture, nodding. "Only one thing to do. Dump it in the hole."
Nephele complied, and poured the liquid down. And then...
A loud whoosh filled the air, and the door melted into a large, purple mass.
Jyri grinned. "It worked! Odis, it worked!"
Ransu yowled in approval, and Nephele looked astounded. "Amazing. So you just, walk in?"
Jyri nodded. "This is great. But..."
"But what?" Faye asked.
Jyri frowned at the mass. "It just occurred to me... I'm not sure what will happen when we go in. It's very possible that we might die."
"Wonderful," Faye said.
"But if we stay here, there's also a good chance of us dying, after being tortured first," Jyri continued on in his matter-of-fact voice.
"Both of those options are so appealing," Faye said sarcastically.
"Well unless you think of a third option, I suggest we all jump in." Jyri turned to Nephele. "What about you?"
Nephele looked surprised to have been asked. "Well, I know I'm safe in Dorendi, and I'd rather not risk death. So I think I'm going to head out." She smiled. "I'm just glad that mystery is solved. It's bugged me for years."
Jyri nodded.
Faye frowned. "So no one has ever done this before? Even though there's instructions and everything. Who even put it here?"
Jyri shrugged. "Ancient wizards of old? Probably from the Forgotten War thousands of years ago. When Vustaria and Dorendi split. Wizards probably blocked this off. They must have found use for it, so it makes me think... Wherever this portal takes us, there must be a way to get back here."
"This way!" a voice echoed through the tunnels. The group shared horrified looks. But it was Ran who took charge. He transformed into a human, grabbed Faye in one hand, Jyri in the other, and jumped in. At the corner of her eye, Faye saw Nephele sprint deeper into the tunnels. She hoped she knew another way out.
A jolt struck her insides, and a pressure in her chest formed, making it hard to breath. Almost like she was being squeezed through some sort of tube. Then everything went black.
ns 15.158.61.23da2
