The Kingdom of Orenda

Chapter 9: Warcester

"Are you two ok?' Lidya asked as Axle and Eryd got off Izarra.

"We've been better." Axle shrugged, "how are you all?"

"We had to deal with the active side of the woods." Cerise said while fastening her cloak back on.

"We gonna need to stop by a river for you two to get that mud off." Acer said when he noticed the dirt covering their legs.

"We know, that passive side makes you all sad and you sink into the mud." Axle said.

"The active side isn't any better- it makes a fog that mimics the voices of people you know and uses them to taunt you till you can't move." Lidya told him as she pet Izarra, who had shrunk back to the size of an average dog.

"We really should have gone around, I'm sorry, I didn't know it would do something like that." Acer apologized to Eryd and Axle.

"You didn't know, it's not your fault." Eryd said to him.

"Yeah, but we need to get back on the way to Glassop." Axle said.

"You two sure you're ok?" Cerise asked each of them.

"Fairly certain." Axle shrugged with a laugh.

"Then let's get back on the path." Acer opened the map back up and they started back on the way to Glassop.

The group walked for a while till they came across a thin river, in which Axle, Eryd, and Izarra were able to wash the mud off of their legs and feet, or paws in Izarra's case.

They were able to find the road that the drawn path told them to go down, and started their way towards the town the drawn path led into. They were fairly quiet as they walked, save for when Lidya took out some of the food in her bag and started eating.

"Hey Axle, what time is it?" Acer asked, Axle thought for a moment.

"About 11:15." was the answer.

"Oh that's why I'm hungry." Lidya chuckled as she finished the apple and took a sip of water.

"Maybe it be a good idea to take a second to rest and eat, at least for those of us who can eat." Cerise suggested.

"Sure, how about that little field of wildflowers over there?" Acer rolled up the map and pointed to a clearing full of many different colorful flowers. They all went over and sat down. Lidya gave Izarra, Cerise and Eryd some food from her bag as Acer and Axle simply sat down and waited for them all to finish eating.

"What flowers are these?" Lidya asked, picking up a bright yellow flower that was beside her, it was one had never seen before. It was a big flower, very bright yellow and in the shape of a star, the filaments were white and stuck out over the petals, curling downwards.

Lidya thought it was very pretty.

"That is a stellar bloom. They're used to make perfumes or yellow dyes sometimes but mostly just look and smell nice." Axle informed her. Lidya sniffed the flower. It smelt great, however, barely two seconds after smelling it Lidya felt an itching in her nose and immediately sneezed.

"Gesundheit." Acer said.

"Thanks, I'm not too sure what-" Lidya sneezed again, then again, and again.

"And Gesundheit times 3, maybe you should put that flower down." Axle said.

"I don't know why I'm sneezing so-" another sneeze interrupted her. She dropped the flower and scratched her nose.

"Why is my nose itchy? And my eyes are watering? What's happening?" It was true, Lidya's nose and eyes had become red and puffy in that short time, her nose was itchy and water was running from her eyes.