Beast Tamer

XXI

Fauna laughed as walked over to Nico and poked his leg. "We don't look alike."

Nico knelt down. "We're half-siblings. We have the same dad but different mums."

Rachel pulled an 'ohhh' expression before walking back over to her toys and started chopping off the Barbie's limbs too.

Fauna looked around. Robert and Elizabeth had struggled but-

She knelt down and touched the golden powder littering the floor. "Nico, what's this?"

Shuffling of footsteps over the carpet. He crouched down besides her. "Sleeping Dust. Knocks people out."

She nodded slowly and looked over her shoulder at Rachel. "We can't just leave her."

"But we can't take her with us."

"Why not?"

"She's too young, she'll just get hurt."

Fauna sighed. "Fine, I'll try to make a stupid portal or whatever."

She stood up and walked to the garden, panting. She'd gotten fitter, of course, but smoke inhalation was really staring to take effect.

She leaned against the beautiful tree she'd come through before and dragged her hand across the rough bark of the trunk.

She splayed her hand and closed her eyes. She thought about the treehouse but she couldn't really remember it properly.

Not because of amnesia or anything but because her memory is apparently terrible.

Either way the bark began to warp under her hands. The bark sharpened and she carefully scraped her finger across it, drawing blood.

The blood dripped down the tree and the bark rippled before showing an image of Velaris.

"Come on."

"I'll be safe there?" Rachel asked, sounding sceptical and suspicious.

"Promise," Nico answered.

"What are you getting out of this?"

"...what?"

"Mummy said that nobody does anything for free these days."

"Nothing... I want nothing."

"Okay!" Rachel smiled and slipped towards me, she glanced at the bark. It rippled again and the image disappeared. "Woah!"

"I know right!" I said. "Just... wait a second."

Nico grabbed a small pocket knife and handed it to Rachel. "If you can't do it then I can do it for you. It will just be like a paper cut."

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. "Okay, can you do it?"

Nico nodded and walked towards Rachel. He grabbed the knife and carefully pressed it against Rachel's thumb.

She cringed and clenched her eyes closed. Nico carefully created the smallest cut possible and squeezed her finger, bringing out a drop of blood.

Fauna took Rachel's hand as it began to tremble. "It's okay," she said as soothingly as possible even though life was not okay for this little girl.

Rachel nodded, her bottom lip quivering as she did so. Fauna gently pressed Rachel's fingertip against the bark of the tree.

The blood slid down the rough bark, leaving a red trail behind it. The colour slowly began to lighten and finally disappeared all together.

Fauna smiled. "Watch."

She stepped right through the tree and looked up at her treehouse above. She peeked her head back through. "Your turn."

She extended her hand and Rachel paused, before taking it. Fauna pulled Rachel through. "Welcome to Velaris and, wait a second - BRODY!"

Brody came running form one of the trees. "Fauna!" He let out a breath of relief. "Dammit, Fauna, I thought you were hurt or something."

"Nope. Anyway, this is Rachel - Rachel Brody, Brody Rachel - and I was hoping you could get her set up here."

Brody blinked and she laughed, Brody shook his head and laughed along. "Yeah, sure, I'll tell Mat. Come on Rachel."

Brody stretched out his hand. The little girl hesitated before looked at Fauna leading the older girl to laugh. "Yeah, I trust him and you can too."

Rachel stared at Brody's hand before placing her tiny hand inside his. "Your hand is massive."

Brody laughed as he led her away. "It is, isn't it."

Rachel nodded.

Fauna rolled her eyes, laughing, before stepping back through the...

I really need a name for this... Fragment? 'Cause its like a Fragment of reality that's just, sort of, weird.

Fauna decided she'd call them Fragments from now on, if she could actually remember the name. Probably not.

She stepped out and Nico was pacing on the other side.

He saw her and immediately tackled her in a hug. "Nothing bad happened."

Fauna laughed. "Yeah, Brody's got Rachel."

He nodded. Sage barking happily, weaving in and out between Fauna's legs.

Nico pulled away and shook his head. "I found this in the house, between your stuff."

He handed her a piece of paper.

Her eyes scanned the page. "That's right at the bottom of the country."

She sat down and crossed her legs. Orion flopped down on her legs and panted.

Nico sighed. "You're thinking of a plan, you're of a plan."

She smirked at Nico. "Maybe yes maybe no, Either way, we better get moving.