The Roselands

Chapter 7

I eventually caught up to her and she was sitting on a rock at the top, making a daisy chain with Ginger who had also beat me up the hill. I stood at almost six foot two and so I had a lot of weight to carry. I knelt down and took deep breaths, trying to recover from the climb. "That wasn't fun."

Sprite laughed and completed the daisy chain, holding it up for Ginger to view. "Yes it was. It was fun watching you mess up so much. Now perk up. This is a land of happiness."

I stood and she ran over, flinging the daisy chain around my neck and ruffling my black hair. I gave it an apprehensive glance, not sure of whether to take it off or leave it there. I reached to take it off and she laughed. "No! Don't take it off! It's cute. Like you."

She dashed off down a mossy trail, her bare feet flying as she led the way into the trees. I followed quickly, keeping the daisy chain only because she'd called me cute. We eventually ended up at a heavily forested area, where Ginger was dashing around tying to catch the tiny colorful fireflies. That's when one of them suddenly lit up and chased Ginger across the forest floor a few feet. Sprite smiled and gestured to the glowing lights. "Those are the Picklets. They live along the rim of the valley and warn us of any dangers, which never happen since people don't bother us."

She went to run off, but I caught her hand. "Wait. Just stop for a moment. We can't leave here?"

She shook her head. "No, but why would you want to?"

I sat down on a stump and sighed longingly, not knowing what had become of my mother or father. "I want to say a proper goodbye to my mom and dad. If hybrids have to live here then I'd like it if I could say just one last goodbye."

For the first time since I'd seen her, Sprite frowned. She knelt down beside me and took my hand, letting me feel the very unnatural warmth coming from it. She gave me a supportive squeeze and shrugged. "I know it's hard, but we have no choice. I don't miss my mother. My father was a Faery and he seduced my mother severaltimes. She ended up having me, but she didn't want me. She only wanted my father and his sexual ways. She gave me up to officials and they brought me here. I'm happy here now. Now please cheer up. I don't like it when people are upset."

I sighed and nodded, standing up and following her down another trail. It led to a staircase carved in the steep wall of the valley, leading down to a large balcony. She led me down there and the balcony led into a huge cavern, illuminated by the hole and torches along the back wall. In a huge thrown sat a gigantic man, decorated with green scales and spikes. Two spiral horns grew from his head and thick smoke seeped from his nostrils. His eyes were slitted and colored ominously red, but nothing got my attention like his wings. The two humongous bat like wings were drooped over and looked terribly useless, but if he were to swing one just right, it could kill me easily. He only wore a pair of leather pants which hid anything personal. Despite his terrifying look, he smiled gently and sat up, accepting Sprite into a hug. He let her go and then looked at me. "This must be the Zytrey hybrid."

His voice was like that of an old warrior, deep, but hoarse with age. I nodded, but didn't know if I should bow or nod or present him with an offering. He looked like some type of leader, but I had no idea what to do. "Yes sir."

The huge man got up and, as he did, a large lizard tail plopped on the ground behind him. It slid along the rock, making scraping sounds against the rock. As he approached, I resisted the urge to back away. He had to stand at least nine feet tall if not more. He studied me closely and then turned me around, prodding my shoulders with long sharp claws. "Strange. You don't have any signs. No signs of being a hybrid that is."

So that's what my parents had been talking about. "So I'm a hybrid that doesn't look like a hybrid."

The old Dragon man nodded. "Yes, but I assure you you'll be happy here. I'm Leer. The only known Drago hybrid."

Dragos were large Dragon like men who usually raped women and then killed them, not wanting to have a hybrid child. Apparently Leer's mother escaped or something. Before I could ask him anything, he snapped his clawed fingers at Sprite. "Sprite. Take him off to find a cave. He needs a place to settle in."

Sprite nodded and got up, gesturing for me to follow. My mind was begging me to stay and ask Leer questions, but my heart screamed at me to follow the beautiful Faery. My heart won out and I jogged after her, eager to spend more time with her. As she walked along the stone pathway which led around the massive bowled out valley, I stared at her, making a note of every detail. She was incredibly slim and very small, almost like my mother. Her legs were long and slender, but as my gaze neared her feet, I noticed something else. "Sprite? What's that on your ankle?"

She glanced back and then down. "What? There's nothing there."

I walked closer and made her stop, kneeling down and taking her ankle in my hand. It felt so delicate between my fingers, like I could snap the bone with ease. Around the top of her ankle was a scar that followed a straight line around part of the ankle. When I rubbed my hand over it, it was very prominent against the skin of the rest of her foot. "This scar?"

She put her foot back down and her eyes got a faraway look before she gestured me along the path a little farther. We came to a small cave which was densely decorated with flowers and beaded strings. Ginger dashed by us and curled up in a sort of tiny dog bed, her tail flopping over her head. Sprite went over and poured two cups of what looked like tea and brought them over. We sat on the couch to the side which was very low to the ground and smelled of lavender. This must've been her cave.

She sighed and pointed at her scar. "Before I came here, my mother used to use my Faery adopted looks to her own personal gain. She chained me in my room and let strangers pay her to..."

She paused and tears pooled in her eyelashes. I knew what she meant so I nodded and gestured that she didn't have to say. She bit her lips and sniffed. "That's why I don't miss her. She tortured me. I'm glad she turned me over."