Atlantis

Crystal Lake

Reaching out I touched its mind like I had with so many others during practice. It was warm and intelligent almost like a human. The language was only spoken between brothers but he was inviting me to join. I gladly accepted and I found myself opening my eyes on the back of the dragonsteed.
"Hi!" it was a small boys voice.
"Hello." I replied back. The words were not spoken but instead resonated inside me and felt.
"What is your name?"
"It is Emily what about yours?"
"I do not have one. My brother and I are relatively new to this world."
"How about you pick one then?" I said rubbing his neck.
"I'd rather have you name me seeing as you are my master."
"I will not be your master but I can be your friend."
"Really?" he sounded excited.
"Yes." I smiled.
"Wow my first friend and it's a female!"
I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Then how about the name Pluto?"
"Pluto? I like it. Pluto. Pluto."
I let him carry on in his excitement and then looked over at the other beast flying higher and a little further ahead than us. I wondered if he would let me talk to him as well since Pluto seemed open minded. "Brother isn't sociable. He tends to stick to himself but he is fearless in his actions."
"Seems like you really care for your brother, Pluto." I said in a voice just above a whisper.
"Don't you have any siblings Emily?"
"Amanda is the only one I can call family now." I watched Amanda as she took deep breaths in an attempt to relax. Our conversations continued on through the night and until the break of dawn when we settled down for the day in an abandoned farmhouse. Everybody was hungry so I sent Striker, my wolf demon, and his pack to get a kill. I went with them so the others wouldn't suspect anything but I ended up shooting the kill in the end. I drug the boar back to the rebuilt stone fireplace and took a hind corner for me and Amanda to eat. Amanda was bringing in firewood when she asked why we weren't cooking the whole thing. I told her the rest was for the beasts and she almost threw up.
Finally the food was ready for me and Amanda that is the rest had been eaten while the body was still warm. "Ham when was the last time you touched my lips?" Amanda said tearing a section off for herself.
"What a glutton." I said taking a piece for myself. She elbowed me in the arm and said,
"Yeah cause you're not one."
I rolled my eyes and bit into the meat. It was dripping fat so I was careful not to cover my clothes in it. It tasted like ham only sweeter like someone had glazed it in honey. When I finished I licked my fingers and gave the rest of my share to Pluto. "It would have tasted better if it were fresh."
"I'll take your word for it but what did you guys do with the bones?" I asked wondering if I had to dig a hole to bury the bones.
"My brother is finishing the last one now."
"You eat the bones?"
"Yeah we weren't designed to be wasteful. See we have grinding molars in the back." Pluto opened his maw and I saw terrifying canines and other teeth for shredding meat. Near the back though the teeth flattened slightly to look like mine only slightly sharper. His breath didn't smell like meat though instead it smelled like the toasted marshmallows made by a campfire.
"Impressive," I said smelling his breath one more time before his closed his mouth. "I want marshmallows now."
"What are marshmallows?" Pluto asked. I sent an image of a marshmallow to him along with the taste and smell. "I want one too!"
I laughed stroking his head. "Maybe, one day."
"I look forward to that day." Pluto said trotting off to his brother.
"How did you do that?" Amanda said from beside the stove.
"Do what?" I asked turning to her.
"You talked to it somehow. Tell me how you did it." She stood up and slung her arm around my shoulder. "Please."
"His name is Pluto."
"You named him!"
"Yeah they are just kids you know." I said slinking away from her. "Look before we uh talk about those two I think I should tell you something."
"Go ahead I am always open to listen." She sat down on an old rickety chair and I sat down on an old chest. I took a deep breath and then told her everything I was and could be. At the end she sat pale faced hands clenched on her legs. Amanda bit the corner of her lip telling me she was thinking deeply about what I had said.
"If you don't want the responsibility feel free to walk away. I don't want any pity from you." I stood to get more wood for the fire but she grabbed my arm. "What?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Um I ah!" Amanda let go of my arm just as quickly as she grabbed on.
"I'm just getting more wood for the fire. While I'm gone you should take a nap like those two." I pointed a thumb over at the two beasts curled up beside each other taking a nap in the shade of the trees. I smiled slightly then went to gather firewood.
"Sleeping when thinking isn't my forte." Amanda called sarcastically as I left.
I dropped the smile when I knew I could no longer be seen by my friend. I spread out my wings and took to the air looking for the closest town. When I found it I landed in cover then walked into town trying to memorize what I could. My powers of transportation only worked when I had been to the place before. Meaning after I was done here I could easily open a portal and go back to camp.
When I was leaving a glimmer caught my eye in the distance a body of water lay in between the sloping hills of the area. Follow the road to the next town and it would surely have to meet that body of water. I tried to recall seeing a body of water on the map Amanda had shown me but I drew a blank. Curious I grabbed onto the arm of a nearby creature. It looked like a cat but stood like a person. "Excuse me but what is the name of that lake down the road."
The cat gave a slight smile and took my hand in her paw like hand. "That's Crystal Lake. It's relatively new because it came from all the rain we have had through the past years. Some of the elders blame it on his grace. The fae controlled this land for years before his reign and stopped the flooding so the land could be farmed. Nowadays the main export here is what comes from the water. Crops are easy to grow. Now about payment.."
It was obviously a female creature but I didn't understand the part about paying. "What?"
"Information isn't free girl now pay up."
I felt irritated but then I thought about my past where I would sell information at high prices. "Don't have any money." I shrugged.
"Liar why would you come to Portland if you didn't have money?" the cat seemed upset.
"Next time you should make sure the person you try to sell to has money. Thanks and bye." I moved past her towards the lake. Then faster then the eye could blink I summoned Quicksilver to my hand. I slid my right foot and pressed the gun's barrel into the cats forehead. "Attempting to steal?" I clicked my tongue. "I'll take your hand for that." Man was I evil.
The cat swallowed slowly before backing away with fear in her eyes. I put the gun at my side continuing on my little journey to the lake. When I reached the slope leading down to the waters edge I had a choice of crossing a bridge of stone or walk along the docks till I hit open shore. The lake itself was like a ocean that had filled the Grand Canyon. Immense as it was in size I couldn't help but wonder what lurked beneath the glittering surface. It would soon be dusk and any boat on the water was slowly returning to dock.