The Realm Protectors

Chapter 54 - Faris

"That should be everyone," Mom says, looking around at the forest. The Otherworld side of the Stelluna gateway sits in the middle of a clearing in the Amazon rainforest, surprisingly close to a nearby village. Mom told me the villagers usually don't stray this far into the forest, but it's a good idea to move them anyway. The villagers weren't pleased when we told them they needed to go to the next town over for the day, but when Mom and the other Elemental Guard offered them some money, they moved quickly.

"Thanks for arriving so quickly, Mom," I say, turning to give her a hug. She seems surprised, but hugs back tightly. Something about it feels like home, and it makes me get a little choked up.

"I'll always be here for you, honey," Mom replies, rubbing my back. I nod and pull away, allowing her to hold me at arm's length. She frowns worriedly at my armor as if she doesn't like the thought of the fight I'm about to walk into, but she doesn't comment. Mom just steels herself and lets me go.

"Lyra will be here any minute," I tell her. She hums in response, nodding.

"Be safe," Mom tells me. I hear the tunnel rip open behind me. "Be smart." The wind kicks up, the tunnel Lyra opened sucking at the air.

"We must go," Lyra calls, her voice quieter because of the wind. "Travel between realms is too dangerous to leave tunnels open for too long." I nod at her and give my mom one last hug. I jog back towards Lyra, and we step through the tunnel together. The tunnel tosses us around like debris in a tornado, making my stomach churn awfully. Bile rises up my throat and I gag as the tunnel spits us out on the edge of Civitastella. I barely see the ground through the spots dancing in my vision before my stomach contracts and all its contents burn up my throat. Lyra looks away as I vomit, trying to find our friends.

"They have amassed a decent army," She hums in thought over my body-wracking dry heaves. Lyra waits while my body calms down, heaves turning into coughs before she turns to me again. She wrinkles her nose at the pile of vomit and starts to walk toward the crowd of people. The shaking subsides enough for me to push myself to stand and follow her.

Lyra was right: Enya, Nile, and Ciana managed to gather what looks like thousands of people from every country, military uniforms spanning across the entire rainbow. Purple-clad Stellune soldiers surround the gateway at attention, with Leve soldiers surrounding them in their sunshine yellow armor. Fajran soldiers dressed in red-orange are the next rings, creating a shield of light and heat to attack the darkness. Soldiers from Mork, Dunia, Tijd, Vesi, and Aria surround that inner shell, each in their respective colors.

Lyra spots someone in the crowd and dives into the throng of people. I call after her but she doesn't hear. I huff and do my best to follow her, pushing through the crowd of soldiers. One of them recognizes the sigil on my armor, and the rest move out of the way. They bow their heads as I pass in a salute. I straighten my shoulders, trying my best to appear like a leader and not like a kid that just vomited a few minutes ago.

"Faris!" Someone shouts. I squint through the bodies to see a girl in yellow running at me, and then Ciana is in my arms. I'm shocked for a second before I wrap my arms around her frame. She squeezes tighter around my chest, nestling her face into the crook of my neck. It's surprisingly intimate for her. My heart flutters and I feel myself flush. The soldiers around us look away for privacy.

"Hi, Ci," A laugh bubbles up my throat.

She pulls back, hands still flat against my shoulder blades. "I was worried something was going to happen and you were gonna be stuck in the Otherworld." Genuine worry flashes in her eyes, and I begin to wonder if Ciana really does like me as much as I like her.

"I'm here," I assure her. "I'm okay. A little shaken up, but okay."

She smiles softly, her ability seeming to make everything about her glow. Enya calls her name and she turns toward the voice, the suns around her eyes glowing gold. She pulls her hands away as Enya, Nile, and the rest of our friends emerge from the crowd.