Something's Wrong With the Different Realms

Three: Happy Birthday

Horizon Drottisylvro

"Happy birthday Hori!!!" Allaira chirped happily, one hand carrying my favorite drink while the other had a mysterious box clutched in it.

I took the drink greedily, downing most of it in one gulp. It was a pure berry drink mixed in with some flowers native to the Flower Fields. It was a vibrant reddish-violet shade with speaking swirls of silver in the middle where the flowers had been mixed in.

"Now for your gift!" Allaira bounded up and down, unable to contain it. "I'm certain that you'll love it!"

I rolled my eyes with a grin on my face as Allaira hunched her shoulders together and clutched her hands giddily. "If you say so, Lair," I muttered back.

I opened the box with a glint in my eyes, my hands were greedy but it was alright as it was my birthday after all. My eyes feasted upon the most magnificent shard of glass to come into existence. It glistened, the surface of the glass carved in such intricate ways to let it refract light and let all of the colors to ever come into existence live within the surface. Heck, I could even make out a glint or two of infrared and ultraviolet light bouncing around with the visible light in the shard. It was perfect for capturing light and it would certainly aid me with the arduous task that was drawing photons from surrounding lights and pasting them on my special, smooth paper.

I wrapped my arms around Allaira who knew me too well; it was a thoughtful gesture. "Thank you so much!" I exclaimed.

"Of course!" Allaira beamed. "Wanna take a stroll through Zenobia and go to the edge of the Forest?"

I nodded, it'd be nice to clear that head of mine, especially with the daunting task that was coming up. "That'd be a marvelous idea."

Allurie chose that moment to peek her blonde head out. "I'll come with," she chimed.

I nodded. "Of course."

The Forest was always so serene and beautiful, even during the roughest of days. Today, glancing up from where I am flying, I take in everything. The sky was so open and vast, so blue it could swallow you up. The trees were so lush and green, buzzing with life, buzzing with the noise of the various creatures who had made their homes there. To say that the Forest was beautiful would be an understatement, but there wasn't another verb in my vocabulary that I thought fitted the descriptions of the Forest. I'd probably have to invent a new word.

It was fortunate that Allaira's dwelling was situated at the edge of Zenobia near the Forest. Mine was in the central hub of the town or what humans like to call "downtown" as I'd learned from my studies from the past year. The studies that would prepare me for the hair-raising journey that I was to take in just a few days. I didn't want to think about that

Allaira, being the attentive best friend that she was, noticed my change in mood and asked: "are you doing alright? You're probably thinking about the journey, aren't you?"

I bobbed my head up and down, her suspicions were exactly correct. "Yeah, I was. I know that it was imminent and imperative but I still can't stop thinking about it. Thinking about if there was a way this whole spectacle could've been avoided. Thinking about why it had to be us that was chosen. Thinking about that pain that we felt. Maybe Allurie was lying and the pain was just caused by the Sheen. Who knows?"

Allaira floated closer to me to comfort my racing thoughts. As I was a winged-elf, an Endrolies elf, I had a pair of veiny, elongated golden wings that sprouted from my back. Allaira was a half-elf. Her father was the full-elf. But she was a Dhidsidj elf so she didn't have wings. Though we both shared the elven staple feature of pointed ears and skin, the shade of the dirt and tree trunks. The other half of Allaira was a witch, a Hillyrien witch. Her mother was a full witch. This allowed her to be able to cast spells and granted her polyglot abilities. As a Hillyrien witch, she used the energy of surrounding natural elements to cast her spells. Since we were in the Forest there was an abundance of natural elements. That allowed Allaira to "float" alongside me. Allurie too. She was floating behind us.

"So..." Allurie started. "I could sense that this thing has been taking up your mind lately."

"Yes," Allaira and I said in unison.

Allurie nodded then broke her spelling and leveled herself to the ground. Allaira and I followed suit. I had a feeling that Allurie was going to review some information with us to ensure that our journey would be as safe and successful as possible. It was something she did often at random times. She would pull us to a private quarter and then start firing off questions. Allurie was probably nervous as well.

"Let's start with an easy one... what's the Sheen?" Allurie asked.

"It's some sort of portal that allows creatures access to other realms, or 'planets' as humans like to call them. The Sheen is hidden in the depths of the Beyonds past the Flat and Flower-Fields. It is hidden so well that few creatures know about it, know how it works and have ever visited it. It is what will bring us to Earth," I answered.

"Good. That might've been too easy. On a regular basis, how does the Sheen work?"

Allaira answered this time, brushing a strand of light caramel brown hair behind her pointed ears. "It has something to do with moon cycles. The colours of the Sheen only appear when there is at least one full moon or one new moon. There are four different realms that one could venture to Faellie, the Place, Earth, and Thryntuioane. One new moon is required to travel to Faellie. One full moon for the Place. Two full moons for Earth and two new moons for Thryntuioane."

"However?"

"However," Allaira continued, "Cassie can make some alterations. Or so you were told. On the day that we are to depart there is only a full moon. Without those alterations, we would probably end up in the Place. And if we wait for the next time there will be two full moons, it would take a while. That's why Cassie wanted us to go that day."

"Good, good," Allurie nodded, satisfied. "Just make sure that when you go, you're careful about the pain, okay?"

"We will," Allaira assured.

"Now... since today is your birthday, care to tell me what your birthday would be on Earth using the Earthen calendar?" Allurie turned to me.

"Today I'm turning 15 and by Earthen measures of age, I'd still be 15. Though they weirdly refer to annums as "years." Anyway, my birthday according to the Shallngsean calendar is the 65th day of spring which means it'll fall on March 6th. So today it's March 6th on Earth," I replied after pausing to think for a moment.

"Good, and Allaira?"

"I was born on the 51st day of summer according to the Shallngsean calendar which means my birthday according to the Earthen calendar is on May 25th. Which means I'll probably have to celebrate my 16th annum on Earth."

"Alright. Good. Now let's practice some of your English skills. You'll need them if you are to survive on Earth."