The Outcasts

Chapter 3 Home

"This place is your home?" Sileena said with disbelief, gazing out at

the very unusual colour of the grass.

Dorren wasn't listening. He was looking around his home with

a feeling of being safe again. He knew, however, that not all of these

feelings were coming from him. When crossing the threshold into his

home a magical presence passed through him. This happened when

moving out onto the unusually light green grass. There was a magical

atmosphere that was placed all over the land of the Outcasts.

Those that had been enchanted, which was all the Outcasts, would get

a higher feeling of belonging and safety. It was to help them know

when they were close to their home. Dorren had once thought that

the unusual colour of the ground on which he stood would have been

enough, but apparently it was a side effect of the aura. For those who

were not enchanted with this magic would start to feel uncomfortable,

and feel the need to leave. This way any stragglers that dared to try and

enter the Outcasts' Land would decide it was not a good idea and get

out. This was not entirely a deterrent. Those who were determined to

enter would feel uncomfortable, but that was as far as it went. Anyone

willing enough go into Dorren's home would still be able to do so, and

a couple of explorers did get close. Luckily other measures were put

into place and the secret of the Outcasts remained secret. The aura was

the first defensive measure that had been placed.

"Why does it look like this?"

Sileena was probably feeling a great discomfort right now. But

she was taken against her will, and would happily leave even without

the help of the surrounding magic. Dorren didn't believe that the aura

would be enough to get her to run for it. She knew it was futile and

it turned out his theory that she wouldn't run was correct. He didn't

need to look at her to know she was glaring at him. But he didn't care.

To be fair to her, she was being a good hostage. Apart from the constant

talking, she was complying with every command given. It may

have been out of fear at first, but when Dorren briefly glanced at the

girl as she looked at him with annoyance he guessed that the fear was

severely lacking.

"Hey, I am talking to you."

What a strange girl, he thought. Why would she stop being scared

after little more than an hour with her kidnapper? Did she not think

he might beat her if she put a foot out of line? Or even worse? He had

said that she would not come to any harm if she obeyed, and apart from

the flapping of her mouth she had done just that. Whatever the reason,