The Lost King

Chapter Four

We rose at dawn. I didn't really sleep, I more crossed in and out of a drowsy state. Vivid and horrifying dreams crossed my path every time I almost fell asleep, anyway.

Large, fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the sky, sometimes blocking out the bright sunlight. We followed the sun as a compass, headed north. The grassy field seemed to spread until the horizon, where to the west tiny dots signaled trees and maybe a forest. Sometimes we would pass a stray bit of stone, which I could've sworn was a bit of debris from hundreds of years ago.

I didn't converse with the two ahead of me, more focusing on my surroundings. The grass was thin-bladed, and sometimes was taller than I. I grew more and more bothered by the size of my body. Apparently, according to a puddle that I passed, I had fawn spots and instead of antlers I had spikes. I used to have a majestic crown of prongs, which were now barely poking from my head. My wings also had the soft downy feathers of a baby bird.

What are you going to do once you reach civilization? Nobody knows who you are except for the ones who want you dead.

What could I do? I could start a life as a peasant, sure, but I had a deal to meet. And revenge to seek. I could pray, but a temple would be better for me to contact the Beings. I spoke up.

"Did you...um...happen to see a temple on your way here?" I realized how high pitched my voice was. Setty turned around and stared at me for what seemed like an eternity, until,

"We passed a building with big pillars before. It didn't look safe." She said. I was mildly surprised at this, thinking it would have broken along with the rest of my kingdom. judging by which way we were headed, it would be the temple of Krona, the time Being. I sighed.

Well, at least one is standing...

"I must stop there. I need answers," I said tentatively. Setty looked at me with an exasperated expression. "Last stop? Please?"

"Fine. But you get ten minutes. That's it." She said and kept walking. Her tail lashed and she muttered darkly to Birch. The centaur nodded. They picked up the pace, but I struggled to keep up with my frail legs. Soon we reached a lake, and in the center was a large stone building. It was in shambles, but I could clearly see the altar and stone bowl still semi-intact. The structure was gray, cracked, and covered in vines. The bottom was corroded white because of the water lapping at time edges. Arching windows marred the face, and the roof that used to be a dome was completely caved in.

"How are you gonna get there?" Setty asked rudely. I kept my composure and spread my wings. "Oh no...seriously?"

I backed up in the grass and ran. Sprinted, even. As soon as I reached the shore I beat down my wings as hard and fast as I could, gaining a foot of air. I kept up the routine. Beat down, move forward. Beat down, move forward.

"Don't drown! We need you alive! And I am not coming to rescue you!" I ignored the dragon. My hooves skimmed the water, creating ripples and soaking my fur. A few body lengths away...I'm almost there! I finally landed in the water about five feet away from the temple. I swam for my life, and no doubt I looked like a dying bird. I could hear Birch snickering behind me.

Finally, I managed to get a hoof on the temple floor, and then another. The water was extremely cold, and I barely had the strength to pull myself up. The stone was warm in the sunlight, so I decided to catch my breath and regain some strength.

A sweet smelling breeze and an aura of complete content surrounded the temple. It was safe here. Calm, cool, safe. I entered the building, looking around. Large chunks of stone turned into piles, and I could tell the remaining ceiling was unstable. The smell of dust and metal greeted my nose, and eerie silence blocked off the rustle of grass from the outside. Tension filled the air as the clip-clops of my hooves connecting with the ground echoed incredibly loud. The temple was waiting for me.

The silver basin was in the middle, completely unharmed. A very dark purple liquid was inside it, as still as can be. I knew how it worked.

The moment the tip of my snout touched the water I could feel I was in a different place than the temple.