Nentarli [COMPLETE]

~ Thirty-four ~

I was disoriented and blinded, the white light still blazed brightly. I had no idea where I was and I couldn't hear a single sound, not even my own heartbeat. I tried to feel around and that's when I became aware of something touching me. No, not something, someone and I remembered that I had been holding Emy's hand on one side and Blaike's on the other.

As I looked to where I expected them to be, they appeared in the same positions they had been before the light. Emy and I were laid horizontal, apparently floating while Blaike was stood above me. The longer I looked, the more things came into focus. Kaleb and Kayle appeared in the same positions they had been before and then the scenery around us.

We seemed to be in a forest but it was like none I had ever seen before, everything in sight was the wrong colour. The trees, the grass, the vines hanging here and there or winding up the trees, even the sky and ground were not the colour they were meant to be. I wondered if we had been transported into some kind of dream.

It looked and felt magical, like I could feel magic coursing through my body again but not that I could use it. Suddenly, the others woke up from their daze, just as I had, confused and shocked at what had just occurred. All except Emy, she was as still as ever, I could see the blue and purple canopy overhead reflected in her wide eyes.

"W-where are we? What just happened?!" Kayle asked and his eyes focused in on everything around us. "Wait, woah, have we been taken somewhere?"

He looked like he was about to walk off to look around, "Stop!" I shouted and he spun on his heel, looking alarmed. "Do not break your hold with Emy's hand, I don't know why but just don't let go. Any of you, I think we have to stay like this."

They all looked at me in confusion and Kayle opened his mouth but it was not his voice that spoke.

"You should listen, this is one very smart young woman."

I blinked in shock at the female voice that I thought, for a split second, had actually come out of Kayle's mouth. Until the tall, blue grass to our right parted in the middle and a small woman walked out. She looked ancient, her skin was almost as white as the bark on the trees and just as rough looking. Her hair was silvery white and tied back, but her eyes were the most startling thing about her. They were pure white orbs, a little too big for her face and when I looked into them I could feel the power she held within.

I felt like I should kneel or something and suddenly she began to laugh.

"There is no need for that but you can sit up if you like, however do not break the bond between you. You were correct, it would not be good for any of you at this moment in time."

I arched a brow at her reading my thoughts but I attempted to sit up. It was easy since I was floating and I became aware that I didn't feel any pain. I looked down at my leg and it was still there, still covered in the wrap and in one piece.

"How? How is any of this possible?"

The woman smiled and gestured around, "This is what you might call, another plane of existence. Or a different reality, it is up to you."

"How did we get here?" Blaike asked and I was suddenly very aware of his hand in mine.

My heart sped a little and I tried not to let it show but from the look on the strange woman's face, she knew already.

"That is a little too complicated to explain in the limited time we have. Let us call it magic and leave it at that."

I peered around at the guys and furrowed my brow at our shared confusion, none of us had a clue what was going on.