Mythics

Questions

Chapter 4

Kora had not been lying when she said the unicorns were faster than regular horses.

Over miles and miles of forests and hills they flew through the night; stopping for no one, almost as if the devil himself were chasing them.

They only slowed when the rays of first light began to pierce through the ever thinning leaves of the trees.

Bellamy groaned as he slipped off Ember's back, knees trembling and threatening to betray him by collapsing.

"Here." Kora pulled a bright, red apple out of a pocket inside her jacket. Bellamy snatched it from her hand, his growling stomach painfully reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the morning before.

Kora just stared at him while the sweet juices dribbled down his chin; neither of them speaking until he was finished with the apple.

"Thank you for that, all we were fed at the prison was bread, water and the occasional potato." Bellamy swallowed the last bite with pleasure then fed the core to Ember, who was grazing peacefully on the snippets of grass.

"Don't mention it." Kora sat down on the ground across from Bellamy. "Something has been bothering me since we escaped from the prison; why didn't we run into any guards?"

Bellamy shrugged and went back to playing with the hem of his shirt. Kora made a frustrated noise.

"You mean to tell me you don't find it suspicious that we didn't hear a single sound from anyone, including the other prisoners?"

"Honestly I'm still adjusting to being out in the open air. I don't think I'll ever go inside a building again after this." Bellamy chuckled a little; it was a deep rumble, a sound that only a dragon could make. "What I want to know is what you meant by 'the former city of Richmond'. What happened to it?"

Kora's expression immediately went from annoyed to solemn, if not sad. She stood up and walked over to her unicorn.

Bellamy did not get an answer until Kora was astride the gray creature's back.

"Bellamy, a lot has changed since you were taken." Kora seemed to be choking back tears when it occurred to Bellamy that this was the first time he could remember her saying his name.

"These are questions that I can't answer. We have to get to the safehouse." Kora gazed sadly down at Bellamy.

Is that pity I see in her eyes? Bellamy thought suspiciously. "you're expecting me to put an awful lot of trust in you, Kora."

"I know. But I need your trust just a little longer." Kora spoke softly before digging her heels into her unicorn.

Bellamy waited until they were almost out of sight before he climbed onto Ember's back to follow them.

What secrets are you keeping from me? Was his last thoughts on the matter all day until they galloped over a rise to reveal the beginning of the Smoky Mountains.

At the base of the mountains was a sleepy little village almost completely surrounded by trees that looked like they had been set on fire by the autumn weather.

"Welcome to the refuge, Dragon Boy." Kora smiled at his amazed face, the solemn moment that Kora had hours before had vanished.