Beyond the Roselands

Chapter 9

   Emera gasped, but I smiled happily. It'd been forever since I'd seen my little Picklet. "Scarlet!"

   The tiny little pixie floated up to me and danced around my head and wings, giggling happily. I neared her and I gasped. She had the round stomach of a pregnant girl. "You're pregnant?"

   Her glow was insanely bright and she seemed to be bursting with joy. "Yes! Me and Vern married a few months ago. We conceived shortly after. I am in my fifth month right now."

   Emera came close and studied the little Picklet. "What is she?"

   "She's a Picklet. A small little pixie that lives outside of the Roselands."

   Emera smiled. "She's adorable."

   Scarlet buzzed around my head and landed on my shoulder, kneeling down and patting my neck. "You were upset. So I will stay with you awhile until you get settled."

   I smiled and touched her tiny wings with a finger tip before she retreated into my quiver. "Thanks. You always help."

   Emera smiled and followed close behind me as I flew back in the direction of home. Suddenly I felt extremely fatigued. My wings kept lagging and I felt myself losing altitude very slowly. Scarlet got close to my ear and touched it. "You must rest. You've gone nearly two days without any sleep. You must rest somewhere."

   "I need to get somewhere where people from that village won't find me."

   She nodded and patted my temple. "Find a high tree."

   I gazed around and spotted a large tree that could easily hold me and my wings safely. It was high enough and surrounded by leafy foliage that no one could spot me without a superbly trained eye. I lighted on it gently and suddenly collapsed in a large mess of tangled branches. My wings ached, my wound was probably still bleeding, and my mind was racing to the point of a massive migraine. I moaned in pain and rolled onto my stomach so my wound wouldn't hurt as much. Suddenly I felt a tiny touch near the wound. I glanced down past my wing and saw the red glow. "Scarlet?"

   She didn't look up from where she was crouching near the arrow wound. "Do not disturb me. Sleep."

   I shook my head and tried to get up. "No. I can't rest now. Sprite…Sprite's waiting for me."

   Scarlet rushed up to my face and lighted on the bridge of my nose, putting her hands on my eyelids. As soon as she shut them I couldn't open them again. I collapsed on the branches again and my mind drifted into the realm of dreams. I found myself laying on grass. I didn't open my eyes, but stroked the ground I was laying on. It was soft and almost fabric like. I touched the dirt below it which seemed to be like one massive pillow. Everything was comfortable. The air was perfectly cool and I felt no excessive heat or cold. Everything was so perfect I decided to open my eyes. I wished I hadn't. The grass was purple. The sky was shattered. There was no sun. Light and darkness seemed to merge. I was in the land Emera had described to me.

   Was it a dream? Or did Avery snatch me up and bring me here? I looked around and saw no one around me. Above me was a gigantic weeping willow tree. The bark was totally black and the leaves looked shriveled and grey. The whole thing looked dead. "Enjoying the scenery?"

   I gasped and whirled around. A Faery stood behind me. Not Avery. And not one of the seven who seemed to be leading this whole thing. This Faery was shorter. Still tall, but shorter than Avery. He had pale white hair and his ears had smoother points. Like Sprite's. His eyes were sparkling blue and pierced my soul like a spear. "Who are you?"

   He smiled a wide grin and shrugged. "I could ask you the same thing."

   "Well you're not gonna get an answer out of me until you tell me who you are."

   He smiled that huge grin again. "I'm Damond. And don't worry. I'm not like Avery or any of the Universal Seven. I'm a hybrid."

   I studied him closer. "Really? Then what're you doing here? I thought hybrid magic was limited."

   He laughed loudly and shook his head, crossing his arms and leaning against the tree. "Well, no. Just its harder to tap into. I managed to tap into mine when I met up with real Faerys."

   "Well that's good and all, but why are you talking to me of all people?"

   "Because you're asleep dumbass. This is a dream world. This is what you're dreaming and this happens to be where I've come."

   Obviously my look of total confusion told him what I was thinking. He sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose. "Damn. Is this really how normal people are? Completely ignorant of how the universe works?"

   "Pretty much."

   He sighed and then gestured at the ground. "Then have a seat. I'm gonna educate you."

   "Why?"

   "Because I hate following orders and my orders were to avoid you and not tell you anything. So I'm gonna make friends with you and tell you everything. I don't like this whole revolution plan anyway. I'm happy here."

   I sat down beside him and situated my wings. "Alright then. Go ahead. Tell me."

   He thew me a cocky smile. "I'm not just gonna tell you. I'm gonna show you."