Acadia Restoration

Chapter 25

 Teann was grey. It was an expanse of grey sand and fog. The sun could barely penetrate the mass of clouds that made the air thick. Teann was mostly uninhabited, there were no provinces, states, kingdoms, towns, cities etc. It was an endless nothingness. It was just Teann.

The winds ripped through the dunes. Cold sand drifted through the air.

"Well isn't this place," Luna began. "Pretty..."

"Is it pretty? I can't tell if she's being sarcastic," Leo whispered to Cristina. Cristina whispered back a description of the land. Serina overheard the question and silently opened the link between their minds. He thought a silent "thank you", then it closed. Turning back to Cristina, Leo cringed. "So sarcasm?"

"Yes," Cristina gave a small laugh as she took Leo's hand.

"Does anything live here?" Kelp asked.

"Oh yeah," Luna chuckled, grimly. "Wendigos," she gave a cruel grin.

"Wendigos!?" Norah questioned.

"I thought they lived in the mountain ranges of Nigon and Mirymas?" Lily chimed in.

"Yes, and isn't a coincidence they live in mountains along the borders of Teann?" Luna gave a minute for the question to resonate with the group. "Where do you think they originated from?" Luna asked the group. Everyone's expressions went slack. "Sure the mountain ones look a little different, they evolved, but the ones here," Luna went back to her grim taunting and didn't finish her sentence. Everyone looked around awkwardly, obviously scared.

"Guys relax, she's just trying to get a rise out of you," Kelp shot Luna a look. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just trying to keep them on their toes,". The group relaxed and began to walk. The group went rigid when a long low howl echoed across the dunes.

"Laiko, I don't suppose that was you?" Alex asked sheepishly. Laiko shook his head. A few more howls echoed closer and closer.

"We're fucked," Luna laughed to herself.

"We need to keep moving," Laiko said. Everyone nodded and they continued on.

Thankfully, everyone's luggage was light. Jade had enchanted their bags long ago. Now everyone had bags like Jade. They were small, but infinitely expandable.

If it were not for Laiko's watch, no one would have been able to tell how much time had passed. The light in Teann remained constant as the day dragged on.

"What are we looking for?" Serina asked.

"The Soul Stick," Laiko answered.

"Do we have any idea how to find that?" Alex asked.

"No." Norah answered. Her shoulders slumped. Right now, the group's only motivation was to get out of Teann.

The group walked at a slow, sluggish pace. The only thing that helped them speed up were the continuous howls of wendigos.

In reaction to one of the longer drawn out howls, Andromeda and Hoag froze. The two soomeras looked at each other and waited. Another howl echoed out against the crying winds. Andromeda and Hoag bolted after the sound.

The group watched in horror as the two soomeras took flight and disappeared into the distance.

"'Dromeda!" Jade called. "ANDROMEDA!" Jade yelled.

"Hoag! HOAG!" Alex repeated after his sister. Their only answers were more howls.

The group took off after the soomeras. They raced against sand and wind. Their only guide the light the soomeras emitted. However, that soon faded. The soomeras were much faster than the group.