The Prodigies: The Return of Equinox

Chapter Forty-One: Ordered: The First Leg

The designated Prodigies for this mission were Voleria, Seilan, Winter and Celesta. Ironically, Celesta requested to make the trip by wagon instead of just warping over to her destination with everybody else. She said she had her reasons why, but the group wasn't buying whatever reason she could come up with. They really didn't care too much in the first place though. It was some time off of training.

Winter rode in a corner farthest from everybody else, not that they weren't real close anyways. Seilan ended up being the one to drive the wagon, but he didn't mind. Voleria sat closest to the back exit of the wagon, ready to jump out at any moment if the need would arise. Celesta, on the other hand, was lying down across the wagon and playing with her hair or whatever else her hands could find as they roamed the floor of the wagon.

"What was the meaning of that attack back in the Capitol, Voleria?" Celesta spoke with a tinge of annoyance.

"To send a message," buzzed the bugs. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be, I'm quite dangerous."

"I don't care, but that wasn't the only message. You should also be afraid of me."

"Why would that be?"

"I can stop you from casting your spells like last time."

"Last time was a fluke, and I don't get beat by anything twice if I get beat at all." She spoke with a thick confidence in her voice. Voleria didn't care to respond anymore. It grew tired of human conversation. It was much more fun to find something to hunt. Back to looking out the back of the wagon.

"Celesta?" Seilan called to the wagon.

"Yes?"

"I never got the chance to learn more about my kind. Could you teach me some?"

"Will you give me a massage later?"

"What?"

"What do you mean, what? That's not an answer. I asked you a yes or no question. So, yes or no?"

"Uh, sure?" Seilan didn't know she would be like this at all. If he had he might have requested to go on a different assignment. 'What a bitch' he thought.

"Watch how loud you think around me peasant, but don't worry for this once. Plenty think that of me." Seilan grew red in the face, though no one could see it. He was driving the wagon.

"Were y-"

"Yes, but only because you were thinking so loud. I couldn't help it. It was almost like someone talking directly into your ear, can't just not hear it." Seilan didn't respond. He might have had the patience of a saint back in the caves, but this was different.

"You talk too much. All of you." spoke Winter. Her voice came out monotone, and bit cold. If it where a color is would be the frost that forms on cold steel.

"You don't even think. I've tried hearing what you think but it's silent." Her first sentence came out as bark, if a bark could be done in a way to convey a high birth. The rest was kept in her graceful queen tone that she had been talking in since they left on their little journey.

"Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean I don't think."

"Oh yeah, what do you think about then?"

"I think that you all talk too much." This annoyed Celesta to no end. Her normally pale skin started to redden. After a moment she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Dwə" A large tree that was some distance behind them shattered with a force that none had seen before. The explosion was deafening, and nearby trees bent and strained to stay standing. Thousands upon thousands of pieces of that poor tree scattered everywhere.

"What was that!" cried Seilan.

"Annoyances. You can blame Winter for that." Winter gave her an acknowledging glance and turned away to peer out the front of the wagon. Celesta wasn't used to this. She didn't like how different they treated her compared to Nano. Even though she knew Nano didn't like her all that much, he tolerated her and treated her with great respect. Even if the respect was similar to a tamer and their dangerous animal that could lash out at any moment.

"Magic doesn't scare me, if you're wondering."

"Why's that?"

"Find out."

"Zhyet'dwə" The same spell she tried to inflict on Tora a long time ago back at the hall. A small cutting spell. She'd try for the back of the hand this time. After a second she couldn't see any cut forming. She then looked at her own hands to find that there was a small thin cut on the back of her left hand. This one was quite fresh. Celesta couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened. Did Winter know magic as well? Could she reflect it similar to how Tora did it?

"That was strange." buzzed Voleria.

"What?" asked Celesta.

"I feel a weird presence nearby. My scouts seem to sense this thing that isn't supposed to exist, or something along those words."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a few hundred meters in every direction. Like, were inside of it. I don't like this."

"Wait, inside?"

"Yes, and that we are being watched. I had wondered why we couldn't find food. Seems as though we are being played with."

At that moment Seilan had stopped the wagon.

"Guys, this tree appeared out of nowhere."

"Stop saying things that don't make any sense! Are you all going stupid?" yelled Celesta. She pushed Voleria to the side as she hopped out and looked towards the front of the wagon. There was indeed a tree in front of them. A giant tree. A tree so massive that Seilan should have spotted it and asked about it long before now. Celesta looked behind the wagon and the road they were on had disappeared and the scenery along with it. Only a thick forest remained in view. Eyes, glowing eyes appeared out of the shadows of the forest. Shadows that were much darker than they should have been.

"There's a door in the tree." Seilan pointed out

"Yes?" asked Voleria.

"Should we enter it?" asked Seilan

"I think that would be wise." answered Winter.

"I think the same. Ir." A large shield had formed around the wagon and horses. The shield was a cloudy white, with layers that had pronounced gaps in between them. In these gaps were pillars that were evenly spaced and patterned to have no weak point. The layers themselves even rotated slightly with each one going in a different direction. "We'll be safe, for now."

"Any idea what is happening? Celesta?"

"A far off one."