Fan Fiction ❯ Skyhawke ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Thanx again to Bufflie for reviewing :). This story's gonna be written more slowly, I don't have as much time as I'd like :(.

I haven't done this in a while, but constructive criticism is appreciated, praise is more than welcome, and flames will be used to roast plagiarists… slowly.

Ch 4-

Morgan hated hills. They were currently scaling one to see if they could glimpse the lake from its crown. Thankfully, Rilla softened the trek with a song.

She walks over hill, over dune, over plain;

Heedless of anger, of joy, and of pain.

Violet her hair, violet her eyes,

Mistress of Truth, and Discerner of Lies.

Hide what you will, hide what you may;

Time sees us all, by dark night or bright day.

They walked in time to the somber tune Rilla sang as she strummed a lute. Morgan had learned that Rilla was an aspiring bard. She wrote songs and stories documenting the adventures of Fierna, a valerisa. The valerisos were young men and women who traveled the realm looking for fame and glory according to some; others said they were looking for trouble. In any case, few ever found it.

"That's a beautiful song. Who's it about?" Sachi asked from Morgan's shoulder.

Rilla smiled softly, "Have you ever heard of Chronia, Guardian of Time?"

Sachi's bright purple eyes widened, "Of course! Who else has violet eyes and hair? Have you met Chronia before?"

Rilla hesitated, "We've… run into her a couple of times…" Fierna snorted.

Maarkiss looked at the two curiously, "Is there something you're not saying?"

Fierna was spared the need to reply when Sachi called out, "Look! I can see Lake Amir!"

Morgan squinted ahead and sure enough; she could see part of a blue line in between the hills on the horizon. Fierna surveyed the landscape ahead of them, "Maybe another two days at best." She pointed out a town sheltered in a valley, "We'll stop there."

Morgan leaned against an oak tree, "So what happens when we reach the lake?"

Rilla considered, "I suppose we'll go our separate ways." But the glint in her pale eyes suggested she knew more than she was saying.

"Hehe!" a light voice giggled.

Morgan looked at Sachi, "What's funny?"

Sachi blinked, "…That wasn't me…"

"It was me!" The voice exclaimed. Morgan turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin as a small figure flitted into her face.

The pixie was a little bit taller than Sachi with short forest green hair and startlingly vivid blue eyes. Whereas Sachi wore rose petals, he appeared to be clad in oak leaves. His wings were translucent jade green veined in silver.

Sachi's tiny face contorted into a scowl, "Leaf eater!"

The other pixie scowled back, "Phantom wings!"

Sachi flitted up to him, purple eyes and transparent wings flashing.

"Do you two know each other?" Rilla interjected.

"All I know is she's a petal-pixie!"

"Leaf wing!"

"What's your name?" Morgan cut in.

"Roki of Pikette." He replied. Sachi muttered something under her breath, and they exchanged a few more insults.

Fierna rolled her eyes, "Why can't you two stop bickering?"

Sachi snorted, "Rosebush pixies and Oaktree pixies have never gotten along."

"...Why?" Maarkiss wondered.

Sachi and Roki spluttered, "Well…"

"Because…"

"Um…"

"Your gripping tale of horror and bloodshed brings me to tears." Maarkiss quipped.

"It's always been that way." Roki protested defensively.

"And it's not like to change, sapsucker."

"Thorny-bottom!"

"Knock it off!" Fierna snapped. The two fell into a sullen silence.

"What are you doing bothering travelers?" Rilla asked, gazing into the heights of the oak.

Roki flushed, "I wasn't bothering travelers, I just kinda wanted to hitch a ride to the Council." He blurted out.

Sachi frowned, "I'm not traveling with an Oaktree pixie."

Roki scowled, "We don't really have a choice." Morgan pondered the strangeness of that statement.

Sachi suddenly threw her hands in the air, "Fine! But don't come near me!" She crawled into Morgan's knapsack and yanked the top down.

"Wasn't planning on it!" Roki landed on Rilla's shoulder and glared at the knapsack.

A sudden gust of wind swept up the hill and nearly carried them with it down the other side. As it was, the oak tree creaked alarmingly; Roki was blown into the tree, and everyone else quickly grabbed hold of the nearest object.

"Yeow!" Maarkiss gingerly detached Morgan from the fur on his forearm. "How would you like it if I grabbed a handful of your hair…"

Morgan was too busy watching Fierna shoot a questioning look to Rilla, who shook her head in response.

"We'll need to find shelter." Rilla said, looking at the dark thunderclouds sweeping across the sky.

"There's a cave not far from here." Morgan strained her ears to hear Roki over the oncoming storm. Fierna plucked Roki from the low branch he was clinging to. "Point the way!"

With Roki giving directions, the travelers made their way to a cave in a hill. No sooner did they stumble into the cave, than the clouds opened up and rain drenched the land. Lightning cracked menacingly overhead and fierce winds ripped leaves from the nearby shrubbery.

Morgan gaped at the sudden storm; there was no way that could be natural. As a matter of fact, it reminded her of the storms made by…

"Weather mages." Fierna said decisively, as she surveyed the storm with her amber eyes. Rilla nodded in agreement.

"How can you tell?" Maarkiss inquired.

Again the hesitation, "It was too sudden." Rilla said after a slight pause that Morgan would have missed if she hadn't have been listening for it.

Maarkiss seemed to accept the answer, but Morgan could tell he was suspicious, and maybe Fierna could too, because she suddenly changed the subject

"Looks like we're stuck for the time being, why don't we have some lunch?"

<*~.~*>

Within a sphere of calm air, two figures watched the storm around them. Zara perched precariously on the limb of a tree. Her silken black hair hung limply in the still air. The cut was severe, shorter in the back and angling down to her chin. Her skin was flawless, so flawless that it gave her face an artificial mask-like quality. Long black lashes framed her cool silver eyes. She was clad in a form fitting black tunic with midnight blue pants. Her cloak was a pristine white, and her knee high black boots shone. Her thin mouth frowned slightly as she watched the traveler scuttle into the cave and she swore silently under her breath.

"Well?"

She looked down at her companion. Marleese wore a similar ensemble, but her tunic was sky blue, her pants white, and her boots and cloak were silvery gray. Chestnut curls tumbled down her back and luminous turquoise eyes looked up expectantly.

"They've taken shelter in a cave." Zara replied. With a gesture and a muttered word, she descended slowly from the branch. Marleese leaned against the tree casually. "I can cave them in."

Zara nodded in agreement. Marleese raised a hand and pointed to the hill with the cave in it. With a sweeping gesture and a murmured word, there was a brief moment of stillness, and a bright flash filled the stormy sky and lightning arced down toward the cave and struck the protruding stone with enough force to dislodge the rubble and send it tumbling over the cave entrance.

Zara watched the destruction indifferently, "Should we wait to see if they come out?"

"They won't." Marleese replied as she lowered her hand, "But there's no harm in seeing an assignment to its end." Zara seemed to be expecting this answer and the two of them settled in to wait for their enemies to emerge, if they ever did.