Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 47

Ashanaya

Kel was sharing my impatience, she was bouncing up and down behind York asking 'are we there yet?' repeatedly. We'd been walking for hours, which I wish I was exaggerating, but I wasn't, when we left it was dawn, and it was staring to get dark now. Dark enough that as we began to walk over a hill, fires in the distance lit up the area so completely that I felt almost blinded.

"Is that-"

"It is." York interupted me. Staring at the mountain with camps lining all around the bottom. At the northern side of the mountain there was a small hole at the base of the mountain. No one seemed to be in the camps at the bottom but there did seem to be a lot of people in the cave.

"Valerie is in that cave, probably with at least 20 Ashen with her." He added and turned around to face the rest of us. "This is it. I suggest we stay here and figure out what we're gonna do cause storming the cave might not be a good idea."

"Is there another entrance to the cave?" Marhara asked.

"Or does it at least make some kind blindspot?" I added.

He shook his head. "Not that I can recall." He was weirdly serious like he got sometimes. "If we could get something burning, even a little, in front of that cave it could cover then entrance in smoke, we could catch them by surprise. That's assuming no one's in the tents around the mountain."

"I'm pretty quiet. I could throw a stick from the fire over there." Kel chimed in. "Problem would be if they hear the stick fall."

"Use nymphan magic, there's a way to make yourself invisible so you could set it down lightly. Though you'd have to be quick cause it's very brief." I said.

"I don't like using magic, it feels wrong." She wrapped her arms around herself like she was protecting herself from something.

"Just this once and you'll be okay." He walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I promise."

She nodded. "Okay. No worries, yeah?" She smiled.

"While she does that I'll quickly scout the camps around to make sure there aren't any Ashen in the tents." He nodded. "All of you will stay here, if something goes wrong I'll mess with a fire around me and tell you I need help. If everythings fine then I'll come back and shroud the front of the cave with smoke, once you see the smoke forming, meet me at the left side of the entrance of the cave, then we can go in and attack." He explained. "That's the best I can come up with for a plan, Once we're inside it's probably just going to be a massacre. I hope everyone's ready because this is happening soon."

The look on his face told me he didn't think he was ready and he was holding back some feelings that he didn't want to say out loud. He was taking very slow breaths as to calm himself down or to keep himself from having a panic attack.

Cullen opened his hand a slowly a bright purple spear appeared in his hand. Marhara took his sword out, Valen did the same but his swords were glowing red. I pulled my bow from my back, and had it ready at my side.

"Okay." He nodded at us. "Kel come here."

She walked up him, he put his hand over her forehead and closed his eyes. "Herevath, Ganahass." Both him and Kel completely disappeared.

"I've seen you do that before, but you didn't say anything last time." Valen said.

"It was a silent prayer last time." Valen called from the empty space in front of us. "I need it to cover both of us this time, and I need it to last longer."

"What'd those words mean?" I asked, my curiousity getting the best of me.

"Sheild me, Ganahass." He said. "Now, Kel, go." I heard very light, but running footsteps run off, slightly slower footsteps following behind.

"When did he do that before?" I looked over to Valen.

"When I was trying to train him in combat. Probably why I started liking him, he beat me in a fight." He smiled at the direction that the footsteps had went.

I saw as dust rose at each grouping of tents as York stopped at each making sure no one was there. Soon he disappeared behind the other side of the mountain. I watched intently waiting for a fire to roar, but it never did.

I saw Kel's footprints go down to the first grouping of tents, she grabbed a stick from the fire that wasn't really a fire anymore. She ran around to the northern side of the cave, then slowed down and carefully placed the stick around the middle of the opening. She then very quickly went to the right side of the entrance. I saw York join her and then both of them became visible again. York stared at the stick, whispering under his breath.

"Come on." I looked to the others. "It's time."

We all began running down the hill to meet with York by the cave, and just as we got about 15 feet from him then front of the cave exploded in smoke. I heard screams and a lot of running around, and as I did everything set in that this was really about to happen.