CURSE OF THE EVER REALMS

Chapter 5: Christabel's Lament

Plonking itself down harshly like an unstable new born fowl, setting its weak legs onto the soiled ground, was the moving castle as it makes a wheezing noise. Tired and in need of well deserved rest, Eman pats the inside of the once walking vessel, congratulating the vehicle on its epic journey. It opens it's many eyes all  around its walls and they act as windows letting in an abundance of light.

Moving the makeshift curtains made from old clothes possibly found on his many travels Eman looks out. Asking the other two adventurers to join him. Both of them take a seat on the bare slats made into benches by a large round wooden table which has carvings embedded deep into the oak, surprisingly it was comfortable sitting there. As the splintering slats edged its claws into their thighs still they sat regardless as it was the most comfortable they had been since they got to the new realm.

Sam takes her turn to gaze across a luscious meadow of the most vivid green colour she had ever witnessed. Pressing her nose against the glass of the protected eye of the moving home, she is transported in her minds eye to the outside. Seeing herself running through the blades, covered in the scent of pollen from the opening flowers. Dancing under the sunrise that is waking up from it's slumber and rising over the rolling hills. As she notices petals unfolding like minature cupped hands of the smallest child, it reveals a sparkle that illuminates the fields. Taken back Sam is fixated and the others hear her little voice of amazement as she looks on.

Right there and then as the sparkles fill the crisp and solitary morning wind, Sam sees something that takes her back to all the childhood stories her mum used to read to her. Sight of fluttering fairy wings as they grace the air with their potent dust that falls over the open mouths of the children of the meadow, these stunning flowers, now raising up toward the fairy dust as they feast on it they glow rainbow colours and they move as if there's silent music. Sam has had her breath taken away.

"What is going on with that Eman? Why is it so beautiful? I am so speechless" Sam still with her face against the window asks.

"You just witnessed something that hasn't happened for many years. I was aware it was happening soon just didn't know when. We are all so very lucky. It is a mating ritual between the fairies and the flowers. You see in this realm, every hundred years, the Fae will come to this mating ground to set themselves into one of the many flowers and during their hibernation they will create new fairy dust and this once spread through the meadow, nature will birth new fairies."

Sam flabbergasted makes a noise that queues a response of laughter from Marc and Eman. She can barely contain her excitement and moves her feet happily while she sits. Marc sees the old Sam in his grasp again as she sits silent but smiling out the window. He can almost imagine her growing wings herself as she joins the fairy world.

"How amazing. Could we go outside?" Sam excitedly says with an innocent but mischievous grin on her face from cheek to cheek.

"We can yes of course, just let me get my robe and we will be on our way." Eman taps the golden wall of the living house and within seconds a hand made of stone reaches out and hands him his crimson coloured cloak.

"Right, lets get a move on then, much to see today!" Marc and Sam are handed a little herb that when they open their clenched fists, unveils a moving leaf that is beating with a colour.

"Eat up, you will need to blend in with the locals. You can't just walk around willy nilly in these areas you know." Eman raises their hands to their mouths, swallowing the glowing foliage suddenly their veins glow the colour of the leaf.

"Woohoo you are both powering up this is perfect!"

Marc feels completely out of control and as he lifts off his seat scrambles around, the air around him becomes like a magnectic field as objects levitate around him as he floats like he's an astronaut in space. Looking through a misty barrier of blue colour, hes almost blinded by the cyan. Yet by honing his sight he can look at objects and see through and into them, feeling their emotions, knowing their thoughts. Right now he can sense Sam's fear and smell the pain that she's been through for years, it captivates him but worries him.

"What the hell did you do to us!?" Sam's heart race increases and she can feel her body temperature heat up. Her hair once short,thin and straight with the most bland colour you could imagine, starts to grow really long and thick with a wild hue of firey red as her skin turns a moon light colour. Running to a mirror far end of the house, she pats her face, pulling it around a little, her skin is the most pale shes ever seen. Yet it is beautiful. Eyes are slightly tilted, over sized slightly alienated and completely white. Tracing her finger tips across her ears she cries out loudly so it echoes.

"My ears! Their pointed!! I'm a bloody elf!!! What have you done?  Damn it Eman how will we go back to normal?" Standing there fists tightly shut, nails digging into her flesh on sweating skin, looking like steam may come out her ears, she shouts.

"I don't know, I could become used to this." Marc disagrees with Sam's upset.

"You cannot see my eyes, but they are rolling at that comment right now." Sam holds her hips in a display of anger at Marc.

"Never fear thats just a concoction i called Christabel's Lament, but my magic always wears off. I am not a dark magic user, i do not create or practice curses. I am a light working wizard so i make all my magic wear off after time. We only have a couple of hours, so lets go."

Leaving out through the back door that whittled down to the size of a door mouse, it becomes increasingly clear that there's something off about the corridor. Looking out into the abyss like vast space between the elongated corridor and the living space of the house, there is a metallic darkness that surrounds them.

Looking forwards, infront of them is the gateway out into the new village of Christabel and it is there that they understand they are not dreaming. Feeling the rush of wind power through their hair from the swirling aura of the gateway, it hits all their eyes like an intense pain that shocks the body but you feel so ready to experience the new feelings that you ignore it somehow.

"Are you ready you two?" Marc and Sam nod in anticipation, feeling their stomachs turn like going over bumps on a road.

"After three we all jump together. Link hands now." Doing as Eman says they interlock fingers and jump straight in.

Crazy colours whirl around them, throwing them through the aura field and out into the great big feilds where the fairies had recently dropped their dazzling dust. Some of it still lingered in the air as it spiralled down onto their faces. Sam wonders if a new identity isn't all that bad after all.

Clicking his fingers Eman laughs with a tiny smirk. Sam sees danger in his beady eyes. Before they know it another wind rush sends them descending through the dark coffee coloured soil and out through a tumbling portal that makes a rumbling like a steam train on metal. Landing on their feet they are all surprised by hearing a bustling crowd.

Where in the hell are they now?