The Jem

~21~

As they rode for another couple of days to reach 'The Realm of Wonders', Deeja yearned for a taste of good fresh meat, but their now-all-to-familiar diet only consisted of; apples, berries, stray walnuts that were occasionally found laying around on the moist grass and rarely a fish or two.

Her stomach grumbled on a daily basis from the lack of her usual delicacies but the thing that twisted her gut the most, was the expression that was painted upon Crimsons olive face. And her once beautiful brunette hair was now dirty with mud and grease and her eyes didn't twinkle with hope as they did before. Also all of Crimson's recklessness turned into disbelief and worst of all, the humor she had usually upheld was nothing more than a mere whisper that floated around in between the sap-filled oak trees.

Deeja opened her mouth to say something but realized there was nothing to say, this journey either worked out or it didn't. She turned to see Hunters face as sympathetic as hers. It was almost like looking in a mirror.

But in a way, she knew it hurt him more to see Crimson like that. Deeja couldn't take anymore of the bitter silence so she ran ahead. As she was running, the sun beamed through the canopy of leaves and it brightened her short golden-red fur.

She kept running in and out of humongous trees that she could have sworn, stared at her with happiness almost like they cherished and praised hers, Hunter's and Crimson's arrival.

Deeja tried a smile but her face was a plastered with a frown that had framed around her mouth. But the frames broke instantly as she stared at the view up ahead. Finally they had gotten to the 1st realm. Suddenly the birds' chirping resumed with delight. Finally!

She heard the two horses approaching and knew that Crimson and Hunter could see the realm in front as well. Crimson opened her pendant and placed the Jem in her flat palm. She took a deep breath than stared at it.

It began to glow a bright luminous purple. Crimson smiled but The Jem arose from her hand and danced around her. She frowned again, "It's only detecting me. Why hadn't I thought about that before I'm so st-

She was cut off as the Jem began floating and heading towards all the cities and countries that lie in the distance. "It's leading the way!" Deeja cheered her bubbly tone returning to its usually, sly state.

"Then let's follow it." Hunter gestured.

~

The horses sprinted, their hooves cluttering on the gravel beneath. Crimson's heart was once again filling with hope as they raced through the realm, following a little piece of shining stone that got brighter and brighter as it went further and further.

Deeja was faster than the horses as she zoomed after the Jem. Cecil told Crimson it was helpful but she did not realize it was this helpful. Even though everything was now going great again, she couldn't help but feel like this was to easy.

What if the element holder didn't want to come fight a war. What if they didn't want anything to do with all that powerful magic or what if...what if they wanted to use it for their own benefit that could lead to much more bad things.

Crimson didn't let those thoughts go any deeper. She cleared her mind and focused on the Jem. After a few hours they had reached a small, sand filled village. The Jem paused. "I guess we have to do the rest and then it will circle the person when we find them." Hunter said as he grabbed the Jem and handed it to Crimson.

"Yeah lets go find our selves an element wielder!" Deeja purred. Her green eyes glistened with a menacing hunger.

~

"Get over here you theif!" Village guards chased Darya as she jumped from one sandy roof to another. Her long, ombré turquoise braid bounced on her back as she sprinted faster. She was now back on the streets that were crowded with people who were going about in their daily lives but cleared way for her as she bolted through. Their whispers and shrieks told her a lot about these people but she couldn't care less at the moment.

Darya grasped the stolen bracelet harder.

Just then she reached a dead end in a quiet alley, the guards rounded up on her. "Put your hands where we can see em." A guard ordered.

"As you wish." She grinned as she raised her hands and flooded the entire alley with water. The guards were flying away and she laughed.

"I guess we found her." She heard a sweet female voice say then she saw its owner. There were three people who were now coming closer to her. A guy with sliver-white hair and blue eyes was on a cream-white horse as was the girl with light brown hair and kind red eyes but instead her horse was jet black and he trotted confidently towards Darya. Then there was a girl with honey-golden skin, green eyes and cat-like ears.

"Who are you?" Darya asked boldly.

"We are here to ask you for your help." The girl on the horse said, her voice still soft and calm.