Honour/Honor

Chapter four

Things started to seem strangely familiar to Nicholas. He recognised the forest of Vale and broke into a spring towards the smoke tower. Then he came across the Racers, the outlaw outpost he had once admired. The chimney bellowed out the rusty smoke, and a cackling arose from inside.

Nicholas raced into the outpost, and came face to face with James.

"Nicholas?" He questioned, fear flooding his eyes. He was tied to a pillar nearest the entrance. Other outlaws lay scattered throughout the outpost.

"Shhh," Nicholas whispered, "What's going on?"

"Something's happened. Raggar crushed all those crystals and precious stones everyone brought her. She's been turning it into so kind of spell, knocked all of the others unconscious, but it didn't work on me because I'm not 18. She's unleashing all the magic, today, all of it. I think she's going to try to take over Vale, all of it, Inner Vale and the outer woods!"

Nicholas gave James a reassuring smile, and then slipped off towards the back of the outpost. He slid behind a pillar and watched Raggar's every move, then he noticed someone else in the room. A young fairy girl sat in the corner crying, fear shone in her eyes. Nicholas knew he had to stop Raggar, so when no other ideas entered his head, he spoke.

"Hello Raggar," He greeted. Raggar spun around, but did not see the origin of the voice.

"Show yourself, Nicholas." She hissed.

Then she spotted an edge of a coat slipping behind a pillar. She leaped at it and, grabbing the coat, yanked it. Nothing moved, and soon Raggar realized that she had been tricked! The coat wasn't on Nicholas; it was snagged onto the wooden pillar.

Although he had minimal experience with magic, Nicholas took a vial near him and broke it over Raggar's head. She screeched as she evaporated, leaving a very disturbed Nicholas behind. When she disappeared, so did the pillar of smoke, and everything in the room was back to its normal stated, bandits awake, and James chatting with his father. The potions were all back in their proper hiding places, the only thing off was that Raggar wasn't around selling potion or beers. Nicholas stood there long seconds, staring at where Raggar had once stood. The young fairy girl looked up at him, and giggled at his shocked state.

'Whaaa?" Nicholas stared.

"It's a undoing potion," The girl explained, talking slowly to Nicholas like he was a clueless child.

"Anyone outside of the room that the spell was cast in will forget anything that happened in the past hour and begin acting the way they normally would,. Even though time itself does not go back, everything here and out there will g back to the way it should be, except not for those who witnessed the potion be released.

"I still don't understand," Nicholas rubbed his temples.

"Don't have to. By the way, I'm Miranda" The girl chimed happily, causing Nicholas to chuckle.

"I'm Nicolas, let's get you home, Miranda" He suggested. Soon he was given funny looks from the rest of the outlaws, and he imagined how different he looked now with his un-shaved stubble, long hair, and torn old clothes, following a skipping fairy.

Part way through the woods he stopped short. They were entering the field where he first saw a fairy. Miranda grabbed his had and tugged, but he stayed glued to the spot, debating turning and running.

"Come, oof, on!" Miranda pulled his hand.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Nicholas spoke, his mouth dry. Then he turned to run, but he couldn't move. He peeked over at Miranda who was smirking while holding a spell on him. Once again putting on an innocent smile she asked him to accompany her back. Nicholas finally agreed. He hoped that maybe he looked different enough since last time he met with the angry fairies.

So he followed Miranda, who danced as she skipped; fairies, odd creatures. When they reached the fairies' domain, one look from the leader and he knew his theft had not been forgotten. But then the leader's eyes drifted to Miranda, still holding Nicholas' hand, and his eyes lit up. Miranda let go and raced to give the leader a bear hug.

"My daughter..." He whispered lovingly, "You're alright."

"Yes," she said, her eyes sparkling, "Nicholas saved me!"

The whole camp turned to curiously stare at Nicholas, making him feel very uncomfortable.

"We need to talk, the leader hissed as he bumped past Nicholas towards his hut. Nicholas followed, as well as a few other fairies who watched him suspiciously. None had forgotten what he'd done.

When they entered the tent, all the fairies took a seat, except there was not enough for him, leaving him standing awkwardly in the middle of a ring of fairies who glared daggers at him.

"You saved my daughter?" The leader questioned.

"Um, yeah," Nicholas answered, still awkward under the fairies oppressing stares.

"Why?" The leader asked again.

"Because it was the right thing to do," Nicholas answered boldly. The fairies didn't look like any of them believed him.

"Truly?" The leader asked.

"Truly." Nicholas responded. The fairies still looked sceptical. Then a shout arose, and, fairies and Nicholas alike, scrambled out of the tent. What Nicholas saw was a whole pack of griffons walking through the camp like they owned it. Fairies stared at them in awe. By the time Nicholas spotted Honour, she was already halfway to him.

Honour tackled Nicholas to the ground, and he wrapped his arms around her neck as she licked his chin, her smooth beak rubbing his cheek. Nicholas finally stood to find all the fairies staring at him.

"What?" He asked but before anyone could give an answer he was riding Honour off into the sun set, with the rest of the pack following. Miranda waved bye as Nicholas disappeared into the horizon...

The End.