What Lurks Behind The Trees

Final step

The other side of the castle, behind the snowy mountains, was a small city, its roofs snow covered and its people all dark-skinned and tall. The road to Melran city was cold and long, the wind blew snowflakes in their faces and even though it looked beautiful, it was slowing them down slightly. The quiet sound of the wind, the clear sky after a snowy night, it was all so heavenly. The landscape was breathtaking, Gregor had never seen so much snow in his life, it was peaceful and serene like the world wanted to renew itself, to open a new page when the snow melted. Gregor wondered if it was always winter in Aigronyth.

"We only have a few humans in Aigronyth, your brother is one of them, I've known him for a while," Seefe broke the silence.

"What's he like?"

"He's very brave, the strongest human fighter I know, not that I know many," she giggled.

"Do you mind if I ask what you are?" Alan asked her.

She sat on Nefarious' horse so that she was facing them, the horse's tail swinging in front of her and she grinned "I'm a Malif, a species that lives near the sea in the city of Navari," she tilted her neck and showed them her gills, the slits behind her ears. "I serve the queen because I was found by a river when I was a baby, her guards found me and she decided to look after me," she smiled from ear to ear.

"I'm sorry to hear that,"

"I love the queen! She is my favourite person in the world! If I hadn't been abandoned she would have never found me!"

Vince looked at her weirdly.

"Then do you mind telling us what they are?" Gregor said with a lowered voice, pointing at Nefarious.

"Oh! They're Grolgots, a species larger than many, they have all have rich brown skin and white eyes, they are stronger than humans in every way and they skilled mountain climbers, that's how the crystal castle was built!"

Gregor lifted his eyebrows in amazement.

"Oh, and their bodies are adapted to the cold, that's why you don't see them wearing many layers like you, in contrary, they hate the warm weather,"

"So there is more than one species in Aigronyth?" Gil asked.

"Yes, you've met two!" she clapped excitedly.

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"Cedric, everything you know is a lie." Dyron sighed "That day, I ran away before they could kill me, I ran with my family to a small village,"

"B-but I thought you all caught a disease," Cedric said, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"That's what they wanted the public to believe, Cedric, I need you to help me find my family, and my son...he left the kingdom,"

"What?! D-Dyron why?"

"My son may be in danger, he may be dead for all I know, but if he is alive I need to find a way to communicate with him, the king can't know a thing,"

"I'll do my best,"

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"Here we are!" Seefe jumped off the horse "Melran city!" the village people looked at her strangely and their eyes widened when they saw Nefarious, possibly wondering what a Queen's guard was doing in their city.

The city of Melran was built atop quiet and serene hills, a tall tower was at the top of the hill, houses and taverns scattered around it, their roofs covered in thick snow.

They walked through the city, receiving odd looks from the people, they were human after all. Gregor was starting to feel nervous, his hands were shaking, not from the cold, but from anticipation, his stomach was aching and his eyes were focused on the tower they were headed towards. He wondered if his brother knew of his arrival, he wondered if his brother would recognise him and the queen's words kept replaying in his mind, what if he doesn't even care that he came?

Once they reached the base of the tower, Nefarious looked back "Your brother is here."

They walked into the tower building and walked up the spiral stairs where a door was waiting at the top. Gregor swallowed nervously, he fixed his now short hair and adjusted his clothes.

"You may go in first." Nefarious said.

Gregor looked back at his friends and they all nodded at him, Aden clapped him on the back "You made it," 

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Aaaah! finally! 

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