The Sorceress Knight: The Three Feathers

Chapter VIII Unknown Territory

I lay awake here on the floor trying to understand all of what's happening. More questions than answers come to mind. Why me? These girls can do some amazing things. What happened the other night, how did I end up in her room? Who is this Rose I'm supposed to meet with and why? I think to myself as I'm laying awake in between Plague and Babe with Robin next to Babe and closest to the door. Sapphire and Zoey are still outside talking to each other.

I can hear them chatting a bit. I've been trying not to ease drop but I feel so lost I can't help but listen in.

"How long till you can relax Sapphire?" Zoey asks. "I'm sure it won't be long after sunrise. This would've been much harder if their tech was any higher than medievalish." Sapphire answers. Medievalish what does that mean? I think to myself. "He seems pretty nice, how is Plague handling him?" Zoey asks. "She doesn't seem to have a problem with him. It's been awhile since she's been able to tolerate having a guy around." Sapphire replies. "Since Red?" Zoey asks. "Yeah, being the main male in our life when the incident happened, we stopped trusting men at all for the most part, but Plague was affected even worse." Sapphire answers.

Who is Red and, Plague has issues with guys? A man should never hurt a women . I think to myself and look over at Plague who's sleeping peacefully curled up in her blankets. "How's Rose doing when you three left Zoey?" Sapphire asks Zoey, "Good, she was still in the middle of succession still, so I guess ok. It's hard to tell sometimes." Zoey replies as I think to myself. What does succession mean, there is so much I don't know. I feel lost.

On the pillow Plague is resting her head on, sits a stuffed rabbit which turns it's head toward me and grins at me, then whacks me in the forehead with the silver metallic object attached to its arm. Then everything goes black...

"Wake up Darian!" Plague yells as she shakes me back to reality. I open my eyes and it's already light out. "Finally you wake up." Plague says as she stands up. I sit up looking around everyone else is awake and dressed standing around. "Have I been asleep that long?" I ask as I rub my head where I was struck earlier.

I then notice another girl standing amongst them. A dark haired girl with yellow eyes and arm less glasses wearing a long black coat. I get to my feet and adjust myself. "Darian, this is Gem she is another one of our friends." Plague says as Gem walks toward me. "Hello Darian, it's a pleasure to meet you." Gem says as she smiles at me. Hello Gem, it's a pleasure to meet you as well." I say as I take her hand and kiss it.

"Ah I see a gentleman, that's cool, don't see those to often where I'm from." Gem says very politely. "Where are you from?" I ask not sure if I would understand the answer. "Central City." Gem answers nonchalantly. I was right I think to myself.
"I've never heard of that place. I say in response. "Not around here that's for sure." she says.

Plague walks up to me and hands me some bread with some meat and cheese in the middle. "Here, you need to eat so we can head out." Plague says as she all but forces me to eat. "This is good, thank you." I say after finishing. "It's time for us to go." Babe says everybody starts grabbing their things.

"Where are we headed?" I ask as we step outside. "Four Falls for now then further north." Sapphire says with a smile as she puts her sunglasses down on her face. "Oh okay." I reply. We begin to travel north west through the farms and fields towards Four Falls the kingdom at our northern border. It's a small military outpost / mining kingdom that sits at the corner where the four great kingdoms meet.

Sapphire walks a bit ahead of everybody while Zoey walks behind. The rest of us settle in the middle. Gem is reading a book as she's walking. Robin is looking at all the plants as we pass by. Babe seems to be keeping to herself, walking closer to Sapphire. Plague is walking next to me almost dragging that stuffed rabbit. My head still hurts a bit. I think to myself

"She was supposed to be named Flora." Plague says out of the blue. "Who was?" I ask, "Robin, our mom was going to name her but she named her Robin and her twin sister Flora." She says slowly sounding more sad as she talks. "She has a twin that's fantastic but, why do you sound so sad?" I ask as I look over at Robin who is busy still staring at the foliage.

"Because she's gone..." Plague replies as a deep emotional pain could be seen come across her face. Then anger rises from within her as her hair changes to blonde to deep red in a matter of moments. "I'm sorry for your loss..." I try to say but, Plague cuts me off. "She wasn't lost she was taken from us!" She exclaims as if even the world itself could feel her anger and pain.

The others gather around us. "Calm down Plague, it's ok.... Robin says as Plague interrupts her too. "HOW THE HELL IS IT OK?! FLORA, OUR MOM?! ALL THOSE PEOPLE....?! Plague shouts angrily as everything around us begins to vibrate.
Sapphire grabs Plague and hugs her tightly "We know, we're mad too and one day we will deal with him but, for now let's do what we can here for now ok?" Sapphire asks as she holds Plague close to her.

Robin and Babe hug Plague too and hold on to each other. Slowly the vibration stops and Plague's hair begins to lighten.
They let go slowly looking at one another. Sapphire smiles at Plague. "You have to learn to control your temper Plague." Sapphire says to her still smiling at Plague. "I know I know it's just, I never had a problem since that day, and ever since then the littlest things set me off." Plague says has she continues to walk dragging her bunny behind her. "What is that metal thing that's strapped to that rabbit's hand?" I ask Sapphire as Plague walks ahead. "A .357 Magnum." Sapphire says as we continue walking. "A what?" I ask confused. "A gun, basically think of an arrow and bow miniaturized and far more deadly." Gem says as we walk further. "That thing hurts to get hit with." I say as I rub the bump on my head. Everybody starts laughing. Plague turns around and sticks her tongue out at me and her rabbit waves it's gun at me. I rub my head thinking oh boy sounds like this will be a fun. Sapphire yawns and starts walking kind of slower then before. "Sapphire are you ok?" I asks has the rest of the group comes to a stop. Plague steps in front of Sapphire and puts her hand up to Sapphires chest then Sapphire comes to a stop. "Huh? What's going on?" Sapphire asks as she looks around kind of in a daze.

"You were sleep walking again." Plague says as she pats Sapphire on the arm. "Sorry sis I guess I'm just tired." Sapphire says as she stretches. "Well if we need to stop so you can rest I'm sure we can." I say feeling bad that its my fault in the first place. "Your sweet Darian but we have to get you to Lady Rose as soon as possible. She's counting on us to do this we can't let her down." Sapphire states a she starts trying to walk some more. "We won't let her down sis we will get there soon just don't push yourself. Robin says "Yeah sis we can take a breather no big deal." Plague and Babe say in unison then look at each other and smile. "No reason to push yourself Sapphire we can take a break. Gem says as walks up to Sapphire. "There's a clearing just up ahead we can setup camp there." Zoey adds "I appreciate the concern but we have to keep moving to much is riding on us to do this. Sapphire says I. Response the takes a step forward. "Well if your that determined to do this for me and for Lady Rose. Let me carry you." I say hoping she will accept so she can rest her feet and we can keep going if its that dire we get to Lady Rose.