Feathers Adrift

Chapter 11: The Journey

A few years later...

~Rayla~

"Tiadrin, are you ready?" Lain asked

"As I'll ever be." Tiadrin replied with a smile. Rayla realised after the awkward time skip that her parents were now married.

Runaan peeked at them from behind. "Lain, can I have a word with you?"

"Of course. What do you need?" her father replied.

"How did you...tell Tiadrin?" Runaan asked quietly.

"I didn't really. She already knew so I just told her." Lain said.

"Who are you telling anyway?" Tiadrin asked.

"Ethari."

"If it's Ethari, you don't need to worry. Just do what your heart thinks it's best." Tiadrin said.

Runaan gave them a nod and a wave. From their, they climbed onto Bird Rayla's back and set off.

~Tiadrin~

"Oh Rayla. How do you never get tired of us." Tiadrin said with a sigh. Lain chuckled. "She's family, you know. You never get tired of family."

"Good point." sha said back. "I just hope Crescent Moon is still standing. After that, I'm going back to the Moon Nexus for a visit."

"I hope too. You know, our family may still be alive." Lain said.

"Possibly."

Flying on Rayla's back was quite the ride and the loving bird was nothing but swift and quick. They arrived at the outskirts on the lake by sunrise.

"We have to sneak in. It seems like it is still under human control." Lain hissed.

Tiadrin nodded. It felt like the old times, when they were on assassin missions.

Quietly, they leapt off a tree and snuck in. Then a familiar set of faces looked back at them.

"Colla? Lindon? Ole?" Tiadrin said.

"Janus, Dawa?" Lain exclaimed. His siblings were alive!

Janus turned around. "Who are you?" he asked. Tiadrin and Lain stepped back with shock.

"We're Tiadrin and Lain, remember us? You're my family!" Lain said.

"How can we remember you if we haven't met you at all?" Colla sneered.

They were taken back at the thought. They all didn't remember them?

"Wait a minute. Where's Livianna?" asked Tiadrin.

"Livianna? You speak of our leader?" An elderly woman asked. Lain and Tiadrin looked at each other. Tiadrin nodded. "We come here to speak with Livianna."

"Come with us." Ole said, gesturing his hand.

They followed him down a new pathway to an awfully large house.

"You may speak with her inside." Ole said. He walked out of the house, leaving Lain and Tiadrin inside. The doors creaked closed. Turning around, they saw a face they wanted to see for so long. She seemed to look up too.

"What in the name of Avizandum are you doing here?" Livia said.

"Livia, what's happened to the village? They don't recognise us? How did you manage to take leadership?" Lain started questioning.

Livia gave a long sigh. "They've been brainwashed. Completely forgotten the ones they most love, I'm afraid. Another thing, I am not the elder. That is what they have been told. The elder is the mage that captured the village. I am forced to put an illusion spell on her to make her appear and sound like me. This is so that the village elves listen to her. You are lucky. This is one of few hours she isn't on this desk."

"Oh my." Tiadrin said. "So, they think that? Why don't you just tell them?"

"They won't believe me, trust me, I've tried." Livia said. "Besides, they believe their elder is me, and having me say it's not just doesn't make sense in general."

Lain sighed. "They won't believe us either. Unless we expose her..."