A Land of Flowers and Fae

Traps

The air grew dry and warm the deeper they got into the Wilderlands. They climbed higher and higher, between peaks and cliffs, till eventually the land evened out into dusty tan earth. Quite unlike anything Elina had ever seen. The horizon was broken up by straight, spiky plants. Some were small and round. Others poked up towards the sky.

"They're cacti" Larkspur hummed. Elina was sitting a bit tensely on Pyrrah's back. Unaccustomed to riding on her own and feeling that difference very keenly.

"They're strange. But nice" Elina decided as they passed over a forest of the spiky plants.

"Eh, they're a bit spooky lookin in my opinion"

Elina chuckled "They're different. But there's nothing wrong with that"

Larkspur returned the short laugh. Seeming pleased that she pulled Elina from her dour silence.

They flew low and fast for what felt like hours on hours. Finally, the cacti grew larger and larger, till an enormous structure silhouetted itself against the horizon.

"Set down here" Anore instructed. He had proven himself to be the best guide, keeping them out of sight even as they flew. He had them set down behind a wide, short cactus just as a couple firebirds emerged from between clouds. They would have been spotted had they set down even a few moments later.

"From the looks if it they just got back. We caught up to them" Anore said with satisfaction. Admittedly he deserved to preen for his superior navigation.

"Oh pat yourself on the back why don't you" Caelus complained.

Elina crept up the edge of the cactus. Pyrrah, surprisingly stealthy for a creature her size, used the hooked claws on the middle joints of her wings to crawl along next to Elina. Larkspur was nearly invisible. Just a floating cloud ahead of them. Bibble was right behind Elina. His fur shivering with stress.

For the first time, Elina saw Lavan's domain.

She had to admit. She got what Larkspur meant when she called it scary looking. The structure was largely built of cacti. It was probably better described as a palace though. It was huge. Also, the grounds leading up to it were dotted with shorter, barrel like cacti and whispy trees. The odd spiky vines grew up the trees. Overall everything was covered in spikes, burrs, and thorns as far as the eye could see.

"He really should consider some flowers. Im sure there's some that grow in deserts right?" Elina muttered to herself. There was movement between the cacti on the ground. Fungi weaved between them in uneven patrols. In the sky, firebirds easily twice as large as Pyrrah circled.

Elina tapped her chin."The easiest way to sneak in would be to make a hole right? So first we need to get rid of their eye in the sky" she murmured to Larkspur.

She turned to Pyrrah. "Can you fly me up close to those firebirds? I think I can break the charm on them like I did with you. Once theyre free, I can free the fungi too"

"Me, Caelus and Anore can shroud the area in mist" Larkspur suggested, going solid on her belly next to Elina.

"That would work! Then I can break the charms on them more easily!" Elina nodded "Ok, I know I can break the charm on the firebirds so we'll start with them. Can you make a cloud around Pyrrah so they wont see us coming?"

Larkspur whirled in glee "That, we can do Ma'am"

..............

Elina waited at the base of the cactus as the sylphs started to churn up a storm. Larkspur and Caelus filling the sky with low hanging gray clouds while Anore churned out mist to cover the ground.