The Forgotten Kingdoms (Featured in the #W.S Awards)

Windswept Tor

"We're here!" Eric says as he jumps out of the drivers seat and runs around to the trunk, motioning for me to pop it for him. Grumbling, I do as he wants, making a silly face when I finally get out if the car.
"What's in your bag-" I start asking, but then he cuts me off, "C'mon Mae, we've got no time to loose!" He's evading my question! I'm about to say something about it, but as soon as Eric grabs my hand all of those thoughts fly out the window.
"Where are we going?" I demand, annoyed that he hasn't told me anything except '7 acres beach'. "If you want to go to the beach, your going the wrong direction.. It's that way" I gesture to the opposite side of the parking lot.
"I know where I'm going Mae, there will be a clearing nearby, but far enough from the parking lot that no one will se us." He smiles at me, and tilts his head slightly to the side. "Trust me Mae, I've got everything figured out!" Then he bounds off into the forest, nearly dislocating my shoulder because he's still holding onto my hand. Sprinting to keep pace with him, I wonder how in the world he can run so fast with such a giant bag on his back.
We run for around 5 minutes through lush green forest, with the trees reaching high above our heads, their branches spread like arms at the very top.
At long last, Eric finally slows down in the center of a medium size clearing, and starts unzipping the bag. I peer over his shoulder, wondering what in the world is in his backpack, but he tilts it away from me, so that I can't see inside.
"Eric! I thought that you said no more secrets?" I say as I sit down in the damp earth, a telltale sign that it has rained in the last two or three days. Just as I sit, a thought pops into my head... What if he doesn't trust me? Is that why he's not telling me? "Eric," I begin hesitantly, not really sure how to say this without potentially offending him.
Hell with this! I think, I'll just be blunt, 'cause I'm no good with subtlety. "Why do you not trust me?" Then I wince slightly... Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
Eric stops moving.
Crap... Now I've really done it.. Now he's mad, how the hell do I backtrack? All of this and more runs through my head as Eric slowly turns around to face me.
"Mae, must you know everything about me? Can't I have some things that are private?" Oops... This really wasn't a good idea on my part. "It's force of habit that I keep things hidden from you Mae... I'm sorry" I stare at Eric in shock... I was convinced that he was going to get mad at me... He must be in a good mood today.
"Sorry" I manage to say quietly, then, changing the subject I ask "So... Can you teach me the basics if how to use a dagger?"
Eric smiles, a real, big smile "Sure."

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It's almost midnight when Eric motioned for me to stop. Learning a new weapon is -as I said before- very hard work, I had been going at drills for an hour by now, and I've got to say that I'm very relived for a rest.
If you've never been in a forest when it's completely dark -absolutely pitch black, where there are no street lamps, and no light pollution- then you really should try it, because it's absolutely magical.
"Mae! Come on! The portal is going to open up soon!" Eric says from across the clearing, motioning with his hand for me to go over to him. "I want to tell you a few things before we go through!" Just as I turn to walk towards him, I hear a branch break in the shadows of the forest. Surprised-and more than a little scared- I back towards Eric, hoping that it's just a random animal.
"Eric," My voice trembles like a leaf in the wind, "what do you think that was?" Oh gosh... I hope that it's not something from my mother- my realm, because if it was, then it would probably have a vested interest in seeing me dead. Be-
Crack! This time the sound comes from behind me. Oh my go-
"You two don't really seem to be camping, now do you?" Says a voice that I thought that I'd never hear again. My stomach feels like it's filled with lead as I turn around slowly, only to see Katty slowly step out from the shadows. "Why did you lie to me Mae? Or should I call you High Queen Maeve? Which one would you prefer?" Oh my god... She knows that I've lied to her, but how? How in the world could she know?
"Katty... I'm sorry for l-lying to y-you... I just didn't want any harm to come of you!" I stutter, at a loss for actual meaningful words, beside me, Eric shifts uneasily, muttering almost silently under his breath.
"Aww... You didn't mean to hurt my feeling" Katty says in a mock baby voice."How sweet!" She hisses, her face now contorted in an expression of hate. "Sadly for you," she continues evilly, sounding anything but, "I want harm to come of you... That's why he sent me to this infernal world to gain your trust, and to be your friend... Only to kill you when you turn sixteen!" Katty finishes... And surprisingly, I don't feel hurt, I just feel.. Numb.
"Who are you? And who is your master?" I hear Eric shouting at the girl who used to be my friend. Even though I know that he's standing right next to me, it sounds like I'm hearing Eric's voice from the end of a long echoey tunnel.
I guess that I must have been staring at the ground in shock for a while, because when I look up and concentrate in Katty, it looks like she's... Morphing? Into a.. Fox?
"Oh my god.. Eric, what's happening?" I look up at him, on he verge o panicking,
"Well," he says gently, "Katty works for the man that killed your mother." Eric says finally, his jaw clenching in disgust as he continues, "She's a shape shifter. Her second form is a fox/human hybrid." He looks at me concernedly.
"No! It can't be true.. I've known her my whole life... She'd never lie to me!" It can't be true! Can it?
"Ha!" Katty laughs, but it comes out more like a high pitched cackle that hurts my ears. "Look at her Eric! She can't save your kingdom! She's just a cowering, pathetic child!" Katty says scornfully, all the wile advancing on us, forcing us to back up so that we can keep out of range of those deadly claws that have grown where her fingers should be.
"Y-you believe her... Don't you Eric?" She's right.. I'm not worthy of anything, definitely not a kingdom.
"Of course not Mae! She's just trying to fill your head with doubt. Don't believe a word she says!" Eric says with conviction.
"O-okay... How many minutes till midnight?" I ask, desperate to avoid a confrontation with Katty... Because I don't think that I'll be able to hurt her, if it comes to that.
"Two minutes Mae.. Hold on!"
Katty must have heard, because she lunged forward, towards me, not giving me time to think, it's instinct and a bunch of dumb luck that has my rapier out of its sheath in time to parry her oncoming claws.
Katty bounces back in surprise... I guess that she was expecting an easy kill in me. Actually, to be honest, I was sort of expecting the same thing.
Runs at me, snarling, and I do my best to parry her strokes, but she continues to slowly gain ground.
Thump! It's almost like a root reaches out and grabs my foot, because suddenly, out of nowhere, I'm falling.
I land in the ground with a thud that paralyses me for a split second.
I hear Eric's yell as Katty jumps on me in a second, but just as she begins the downward killing stroke with her claws, there is a flash of white light, and she vanishes- along with everything else.

-----

Flash!
Suddenly I'm lying in a bed of heather, on top of a windy hill. Thankfully I got transported before I got gored by Katty's claws.
Eric pulls himself up, offering me a hand, smiling the biggest smile I've seen from him my whole life and says, "Welcome to Taerillya, Maeve.... Welcome home."

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-Mera