Dream Land: The Fox's Game

The Fox's Way Home

Jewel

  The lights looked different, Jewel couldn’t quite explain it. They were off. Tilting her head back and spinning in a circle she watched the lights. Had they moved? Was that even possible? They didn’t look like they were falling; the note was still stuck in her mind. Jewel sighed and looked down to the Aconitum plant she’d been tending too. Such a dangerous thing to have around in her garden, maybe she’d move it to the green house. No one was allowed in there but herself and the trusted few with keys of their own.

  The sweet scent of her garden surrounded her while the light breeze swept around her lifting the scent of her garden up and carrying it away. Turning her gaze to the Sky Palace and beyond that the valley district, she hoped Gemini would be alright. She couldn’t find a boat to take her to the Valley District since the storms there had been particularly angry tonight.

  Jewel turned her back and stood up just as the breeze stopped dead. Jewel looked up two flyer were frozen in the sky her plants had stopped swaying and that slight tug in her stomach told her all she needed to know. Someone had stopped time. From the looks of it this person had a large radius to their ability, Jewel’s first thought was. Jewel shrugged it off and headed down the winding stairs leaving her garden to find the Walker responsible.

  Only a few of the inhabitants were still moving around. Time Walkers couldn’t freeze other Time Walkers; it was because of the simple fact each Time Walker had what was called Timing. If Time Walkers didn’t have it they’d be paused by their own power.

  “Jewel, is this you?” A tall slender girl hurried over to her. Jewel thinks maybe her name was Unicorn, or Mermaid but she wasn’t sure, Centaur? Jewel was pretty sure Centaur was a man. Didn’t he work in the Stables? Jewel realized she’d been spacing out.

  “No.” She said simply glancing over towards the Valley District again. Even across an ocean it could still be seen over the calm waters and the fog that hung over the waters under the Sky Palace she could still see it. Nobody had ventured farther than a few miles out in the forbidden lands but everyone is pretty sure this world is flat, though it had no edges. Her mentor once said it was like a flat sphere, whatever that means. It was faint but with a keen eye and learned habit it was a quick find. “Well whoever is doing it is keeping us here.”

  “I know.” Jewel replied looking back over to Mermaid, or Unicorn Jewel still wasn’t sure. Centaur was most likely off the table. Where was he by the way? Jewel shook her head, spacing out once again Tsk, tsk. Jewel had been refusing her meds; maybe she should start them again.

  “The lights look weird.” Jewel commented glancing up at the sky. Unicorn or Mermaid looked up. “I guess what’s that got to do with the frozen time?” Jewel shrugged and turned her gaze once again to the Valley district, the waves were always calm. “Maybe nothing, maybe everything,” Jewel shrugged again. The person she was talking to rolled her eyes.

  “Way to be cryptic Selkie.” Obviously she knew who Jewel was. Giving a gracious bow Jewel smiled at her, “Thank you.”

~~~~

Gemini

  It was dark, the light Gemini cast around made even mundane things look eerie and threatening. She could feel Willow’s heat against her back and her breath against her cheek. Shaking off the comforting feeling Gemini tossed around a few light orbs lighting up the grand foray. A large and glorious chandelier hung over head covered in dust and old spider webs. Everything else was in no better condition. Two grand curved stair cases looked like they were both on the verge of collapse. The double doors beneath them were open leading into eerie darkness.