Grimm Fantasies: Cinder Princess

Awoken

   Ashley was left dazed and confused, staring at the age old tree. Her heart was racing, her hands were sweaty and her skin was flush. Her clothes were in tatters.

   But her mind was empty.

   How did she get there?

   Ashley glanced around and frowned thoughtfully. The sun had long ago set, leaving the forest aglow by the soft moonlight and the occasional firefly. The tree in front of her stood tall, reaching up towards the sky and fanning out seeming to merge with the other trees around it. The leaf canopy created a thick green curtain that hid the inky black sky above. Ashley as she stood up on shaky legs and looked around.

   Had she come out here to get away from her step-sisters?

   Ashley frowned; deeply concerned about the time she was clearly missing. She stood there and bit her lip as she hugged herself for warmth. The early brisk summer night chilled her as she stood there quietly staring up at the large tree she'd never seen before. It was huge she was sure she'd been in every part of the small woodlands, but here stood a very large landmark she'd never seen before.

   Finally Ashley turned in the direction she thinks home is and starts out, trudging through the trees and trying to keep her pace even and straight, but with little to go one Ashley wasn't even sure she was walking in a circle.

   She figured as long as she didn't-

   She walked up to the large tree again and let out a slow, irritated sigh. She was walking in circles. She had no idea where she was or how she got there, everything was a blank for her and without any way to see the sky she'd be walking in circles until she starves to death.

   Then Ashley remembered something Mara had said, that a massive oak sat at the center of the woods. Ashley looked over to the sleeping giant as an idea formed in her head. If she could climb to the top maybe she could find a way out of the woods and head home.

   Her body froze at the thought of going back, she didn't want to, her entire being told her to run and never turn back.

   If not back home, then where?

Aden

   Night fell quickly here, faster than Aden remembered. It had been some time since he'd entered the Mortal Realm for anything and wasn't used to the way time flowed. Everything constantly shifting and settling only to move once more moments later; it was strange to Aden.

   Aden had lost track of the Jynx, it seemed he was able to mask his presence well making him invisible even to Aden's trained senses. He's not sure how much time had passed but it felt like he'd been here forever but was sure it wasn't long at all at the same time.

   Time annoyed Aden. How any fairy came here regularly let alone decided to live here permanently was beyond Aden's understanding. Aden hated how everything was completely restless around him as he stood completely still by the portal and pondering his next move.

   The sun was once again setting, sinking below the horizon and casting long ominous shadows. He was so spaced out he almost missed the sudden thrum of old magic, powerful magic. It was like dropping a rock into still water it washed over everything in waves.

   It was dark.

   Aden's hair on the back of his neck and arms stood on end, drawing his attention away from his thoughts to the area around him. The portal reacted to this old magic and practically started to hum with anticipation, like it had been waiting and soon its waiting would be over. Aden backed up from the portal, whatever was causing this old magic was getting close.

   He had to make himself scarce or risk being caught by whatever it was. He'd momentarily thought about entering the portal but his promise to his Queen kept him out. He couldn't return until the Jynx was dead. Instead Aden took cover and waited it out, he dared not go too far, his curiosity got the better of him.

   Soon the fledgling came crashing through and coming to a clumsy stop right in front of the portal. After a moment of silence a sob broke it, the sound came from utter defeat it came from a person who had given up. Aden stared in shock at the sobbing form on the forest floor. Blood and welts covered the Changelings body as torn cloths barely hung on to the shaking form.

   Aden was almost tempted to go and comfort him to heal his wounds when he remember the magic in the air, it still hummed with the dark energy and it rooted him to his hiding spot. The changeling was on his own; at least until whatever was radiating such power was gone.

   The sobs died away as the last rays of the sun vanished, that's when the atmosphere changed. The world seemed to shrug off a glamour as suddenly everything was so much clearer, with sharp edges and harshly vibrant colors. The sounds were amplified too; suddenly it felt like Aden could hear everything even the sigh of the world.

   Aden didn't like this, he needed to go; curiosity be damned.

   But no.

   Aden found he couldn't move his limbs; his body didn't react to any of his commands. He stood frozen as the Changeling lifted his head to stare up at the portal. Suddenly a woman materialized from the tree. She didn't come through the portal, no, she came out of the tree.

   The woman was strikingly beautiful, Aden found himself mesmerized by her beauty. Her body was the source of the thrumming magic, the rippling in the Flow was created by her. Not many creatures could create such a disturbance in the Flow. This woman was powerful, even more so then his Queen, or any Queen he'd ever met before.

   In Aden's eyes, this woman had no rival.

   The powerful being of immense beauty knelt down in front of the changeling and grasped her face delicately. "Hello Ashley." The woman greets the Changeling like an old friend. "My poor child, what have they done to you?" She cooed out soothingly as her hand left her face to touch the marred skin. The Changeling made no move to back away or lean in; he simply stared up at the woman in awe.

   Suddenly in a blink of an eye the Changeling's injuries were gone. One moment they were there, bleeding and red with agitation and then the next moment it was as if they never existed.

   "My poor child," The woman tisked sadly; "I've taken very good care of their child and in exchange this is how they treat mine?" The woman shook her head and let out a slow sigh. The release of her breath seemed to have been the cause of the sudden whoosh of air that rushed through the woods.

   "I..." The Changeling spoke up as tears escaped his eyes once more. "I'm so scared." The woman suddenly snatched the Changeling up into a tight hug and cooed softly to him.

   "Oh child, shh...It's alright. I'm here now; your cries for help have woken me." After a few moments of the Changeling continued sobs and the woman simply comforting him the woman finally moved again; pulling away from the Changeling but not letting him go she offered a light smile. "Sleep now child, you've a long journey ahead to wake my brother."

   Aden could only imagine what kind of person this woman's brother was. As soon as that thought crossed his mind and the Changeling's head went limp the woman's black soulless eyes snapped over to him.

   "You need to sleep as well, traitor's child; you've got a long journey as well."

   Before Aden could fight or speak up against her everything went black.