Chapter Twelve: Abducted by what?

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[Nicole]

Chapter Twelve:
Abducted by what

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I awoke to a terrible gut feeling. It's not the first time, but this time was different. A little voice is telling me to find Cleo. it was intense enough I didn't even let them fix my hair. When I found her struggling with the servants, she was exhausted and sleep deprived. It became clear that it wasn't my imagination. Also, I didn't hesitate in which direction I needed to go to find her…

Yay, that annoying brat is somehow connected to me. I'd bet she's the reason I feel so tired today.

As her tantrum increased in intensity, I felt compelled to get involved. Luckily, she fell asleep before that became necessary. Once she was asleep, the lingering dread and mountain of emotions I'd been struggling to suppress subsided…
I'm no genius or fantasy nerd, but it seems I'll need to revise my plans. If her emotions can affect me in this manner, what's to say it stops with emotions?

A collective gasp sprung out among the servants. As the whispers started,

“Have you ever seen that one cry?”

“No… never”

“The evil twin is crying as if, it's got to be an act.”

“Perhaps she got something in her eye.”

“She's only got 2 emotional states: peaceful or violent.”

“No, her lips were quivering when she barged in… Maybe something happened?”

“Nicole…” a voice I recognized as the brats nanny called out. What's wrong, little one? she said in a motherly voice. Which is all I needed to break out of my dazed state, and rush out of the room.

Am I truly disliked? I mean, I don't mess with those who leave me alone. Yet with their whispers, it seems as if they see me as a heartless monster.

I was lost in thought as the servants dragged me around getting me ready to leave. when they loaded us into the carriage. I conversed with the boys just long enough to make it clear I wasn't interested in talking.

But I didn't even notice how or when Cleo ended up laying her head on me. At first, I was annoyed, but after she sat up. The emotions welled up again.

They seemed to disappear as I realized she'd taken my hand. For the first time, I enjoyed our interaction. But how can she smile and laugh so brightly with this morning's send off? To think all those servants held such thoughts. Yet it's as if Cleo ignores my past actions, unaffected by it all.

She I'd different from anyone I've ever met. I worry she's a little too easy-going. Then again she did show a bit of violence recently.

I'm unsure if she is comforting me or the other way around at this point. Regardless of mental age, it seems being tiny changes how you react. safety in numbers is the best way I can describe this current dynamic.

Either way it doesn't change that when we were faced with what we thought was the end we latched on to each other while screaming.

Our convoy seems bewildered by the flying beasts. They more or less cowered in fear as the massive winged creatures flew towards us. I'd expect them to smoosh us underfoot or perhaps snatch us up and swallow us whole.

But as it made contact, we were slung into the far corner as the frame of the carriage crackled like twigs under the stress. It took a while to realize we were in the claws of the beast, staring out the window. I realized I was terrified of falling from this height. The trees below seem tiny from up here.

We had to collectively work together to stop the idiot. Nolan from attacking the creature that's holding us. He had begun to summon lightning. Never considering we would die if dropped from this height.

Truly terrifying, the forest turned to mountains covered in snow and then into a barren desert covered in the charred remains of trees. After that were the bottomless canyon's large splits in the ground that ran from horizon to horizon, too deep for light to touch the bottom and several miles wide.

“T-those are the forbidden lands,” Cleo whimpered over the wind.

Call me an idiot. I'm apparently the only one who didn't actually learn geology before entering the academy… I said, hoping someone would feel in the details.

“It's certain death,” all three of them said, almost like they'd been brainwashed to give that very response.

Yeah, it was a rather creepy response to get. Eventually, the field of canyons came to an end. Beyond was a land seemingly untouchable by man. Beasts of all kinds littered the landscape below.

“Certain Death… I think I understand now,” I muttered. As we approached the mountains, the already cold air seemed to intensify. As the dragon dove towards the mountain range below. As it slowed, it dropped the carriage onto the ledge. With us inside, it tumbled until it split in half, dumping us in the snow.

It was a while before the world stopped spinning. When it did, I watched the dragons disappear over the peak of the mountain. Abandoning us on the harsh, frozen mountainside. We were lucky that the boys already had a year head start on magic training. As we fled down the mountain, we had to constantly stop to warm up.

Though I'd begun to have doubts, we'll make it out of the snow. Aeric flames started as a mix of yellow and blue. But now it's a flickering red, and Nolans are not faring any better. The lower the sun gets, the more the wind seems to pick up. making it harder to summon fire.

I'm not sure if it was a good or bad thing But we soon found ourselves surrounded by dwarfs… who seemed very enraged by our presence.

In trying to warm ourselves, we'd pretty much depleted our energy. So catching us wasn't even a challenge. It was warm in their caves. It seems they have a whole colony here beyond the reach of man. Well, until we showed up, that is. Our appearance apparently is enough for them to send for their counsel's opinion on the matter.

Barllard the guard, seems certain the punishment is an obvious one. It appears Were destined to be executed…

I hope you enjoyed!
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[End of Chapter]

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