The Other Side

Chapter 5

Running. Running, running. It was so fun to be as fast as she was, to leap from branch to branch like wind. She was careful not to catch her antlers or long tail on any of the limbs. The cool, damp air on her skin felt so good. After her fight with father, being outside of the palace was exactly what she needed. Father had told her no contact with brother, but she just wanted brother to know the good thing that she did. She had always wanted to know him too. And now she could, but father still wouldn't let her. It all seemed so unfair. She could so easily rescue brother from those nasty humans, show him how amazing it was over here, but father said no. And father's word was law. How unfair! Her cheeks puffed out in annoyance and she crouched on a large branch, crossing her arms and wrapping her tail around the rough bark.

"Ahhrrrg!" She called out. Small winged Demons scattered from the heavy tree cover at her loud outburst. She let herself be angry for just a while longer, the feathers on her neck and chest sticking up slightly with emotion. She heard heavy footsteps and turned to see a large six-legged Demon, its antlers pushing away smaller branches in its path. They made eye contact and it bowed to her. She nodded back curtly, trying her best not to let her anger seep out into this interaction. It wasn't very royal of her to let her emotions get in the way of her job as a princess. She watched as the large Demon passed by, its rough scaly skin ripping the leaves it came in contact with.

She smoothed her feathers down and sat back against a thick tree branch, reaching around for her small leather bag. She pulled a glass bottle out, drinking the sweet liquid inside. It was her mother's secret recipe for huckleberry wine. The warm feeling and the familiar taste helped calm her nerves as well. She held her empty hand up, letting her fire magic flow from her fingertips, playing with it, forming shapes and letting it weave in between her fingers. She began to let her mind wander.

"Amaria, what a pleasant surprise," a sickly-sweet voice broke into her daydreaming.

She turned to see the rocky figure of Countess Drani, always her least favorite on her parents' court. She was such a kiss-ass, but when she was the most powerful person in the room she would talk down each and every decision her mother or father made.

"Countess, how unexpected!" She replied with feigned pleasantry. "I was just out on a walk through the forest, what brings you here?"

"Your mother asked me to check near The Barrier for any Drumari scouts. It seems as though there was one that actually managed to get through to the other side about a week ago." She chuckled. "Of course, it was killed by those terrible humans."

She nodded. "Yes, I heard about that," She lied. She didn't want the countess knowing anything about her plans with brother. Drani would ruin everything if she did. "I didn't even realize how close I was to The Barrier." Another lie. She had hoped to see if brother had dropped anything that she might be able to pick up and use to get a better connection to him.

Drani ran a hand up and down her rocky arm. "It's beginning to get a little cold out, so I think I'm going to hurry and finish my duties. It was so nice to see you. Loved our little chat." She gave Amaria a little wave and jumped off into the forest, luckily, in the opposite direction Amaria was headed.

Amaria let out another sigh once Drani was fully gone into the wilderness. Dealing with that woman was always a handful. She stood, packing her wine back into her bag, and continued on her way to The Barrier.

The trek didn't take very long, her keen eyes able to see the blue-ish golden sheen stretching for miles into the sky long before she reached it. She sniffed, the misty air- it was thankfully not raining- carrying the scents of hundreds of small creatures from both sides of The Barrier. She picked up on the scent of old, familiar blood, and followed it. She couldn't get past The Barrier, but she knew that if she followed to where brother had been when the other Demon first made contact, she might find something of his that he dropped. Then, she could use a stick or something to get it on her side of The Barrier.