Fantasy ~ FableWood ~

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr patted the horses and smiled at them.


" I think I will still fly on my own. " she said " My wings are restless. "


She then walked up to Lexi and hugged her, holding her close.


" I am not Mother Moon. " she told to her " But I would be honored if you would accept to be my sister. " she smiled and touched an area near her heart. Suddenly a soft, white glow appeared in her hand and handed over to her.


" Here. This is a bond I can offer. It is but a fragment of the blesing she can give, but this would still be a symbol. A symbol of care and bond between us. That is, should you accept it. "

 

[chamomile]

Lexi continued to watch the princess explain until she led a horse to her hand that was stroking its mane shortly after it messed her hair the way she liked it. Then, unsuspectingly, someone hugged her and the shadow confirmed that it was Nyr. 'Okay... What's with the unecessary human interaction here?' she thought, allowing herself to be embraced when Nyr spoke. She was given in what seems to be a blessing of some sort. Her hand, unintentionally shaking, accept the faint glowing "blessing" and held it in her hand where she pushed to the spot where her heart should be and looked up at Nyr, a sincere smile replaced her usual grin. "Thanks...sis" Lexi said, her hands still on her heart.

 

[Bea Delaine]

Elena had been following through the motions. Watching as everyone else picked out a weapon. Nyr managed to gain friendship with two of the other girls. Anya and leia chose attractive weapons.


She followed out to watch winged horses and be blessed by the presence of the princess once again. Feeling inspired, she pulled out her book and drew the horses and the princess, with written notes about their quest. The book was becoming her closest companions slowly. It reminded her of it's presence when she wanted or needed it by feeling almost warm in her hands.


Looking up from the pages, she voiced her thoughts.


"It seems like fun to me.. And less prohibiting for our flying guardians if us humans had our own ride."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr smiled and turned to Mira. She did not say a word but she sent a telepathic message to her.


" Well sister, what do you think? Are you excited about our quest ahead of us? "


The question was of rhetorical, her real intent was to discover if she had received the telepathic abilities as well from Mother Moon or not.

 

[amongfoxesandfaeries]

She jolted, spine straight. She was not used to other voices in her head.


"Yet another thing I'll have to get used to, sister?"


She sent her a pointed look.

 

[DawnAntalios]

" You can shut me out if you want to. " she smiled cheerfully " You will be surprised how much power you possess. "


She spread her wings in anticipation.


" You know, if you don't want to ride on those metal pegasi then I can carry you to the forest myself. I will fly on my own anyway, I just thought you might like to ride on something you know better. " she winked at her.

 

[amongfoxesandfaeries]

"Gladly....I just hate horses....no matter how beautiful they may be..."


She moved closer to her sister and smiled.


"I don't want to shut you out...."

 

[DawnAntalios]

She almost laughed as mischievous fire burned in her eyes.


" Are you sure? I can be really chatting If I want to. " she said. She then grasped her right hand with both of hers. " I am glad you are here with me. "

 

[amongfoxesandfaeries]

"Of course! I can be even chattier..."


She gave her own mischievous grin. When Nyr grasped her hand, she smiled sincerely.


"I'm glad to be here with you, sister."

 

[chamomile]

The light suddenly disappeared from Lexi's hands as she removed it from her heart. She grinned, looking at the horse or pegasi that had messed up her hair earlier. It was still bowing at her, the right height for mounting so with a heave, she did so. "Mind if I name ya? Or do you have a name of your own?" Lexi asked the creature which gave an undetermined whinny as its answer. "A yes then" she replied, giving much thought before finally able to come up with something appropriate. "How about... Ouro? Maybe Ro for short" she happily suggested and the horse gave a nice reaction, she thought it liked it but truth be told, she had no idea how to command this thing. She glanced and watched the two sisters rather weirdly as they made eye contact like they know what the other one is going to say, like twins. She sighed before hugging the horse, remembering the songs that she might play or even sing.

 

[Hel]

Until this point Anya had been mostly quite, she thought it was best to keep her skepticism to herself, but when she heard that they would be flying on brass horses she looked worried, not because she was afraid of heights, or falling- she was a pilot after all- but because she really didn't get along with horses all that well.


"Do we each get our own?" She asked, her voice much more confident than before now that she felt she had a relatively decent assessment and understanding of the situation. "I'm not really used to flying with living crafts- err- horses." The last part she said awkwardly. 'Has this world ever even heard of planes?' She wondered quietly to herself.

 

[SilverFlight]

"It looks like we do get our own." Leia said, swinging up onto the back of the horse she had been patting. "But if you're not that great with the idea, you can ride with me." She offered the girl her hand.


Ward Stepped away from the group so he would have room to change back into his gryphon form. He was glad these horses were made of brass, they didn't spook when they saw him.


"Take the last horse with you," Princess Briar said. "For the prince." Ward nodded, his fierce eagle eyes set with determination.


Princess Briar looked at the girls with new hope playing on her expression.


"The Forest of Reflection is filled with a powerful magic. You must believe in yourself, or you risk being mislead by the visions the mirrors show you. But I know you will succeed. Good will always triumph over evil."


Ward shook his mended flight feathers and inspected them carefully. "Are we ready then?" He asked.


Leia nodded, gripping the mane of her horse tightly.


Ward made sure everyone was ready to depart and then..


"Lets go!"


He took off down a stretch of open lawn and the horse followed, unfurling their wings. Their metal hooves thudded rhythmically on the turf. Faster and faster he ran and with a mighty leap they were airborne. Leia's horse and the one intended for the prince fell into a V formation behind the gryphon.


Leia had been terrified when the horse started into a gallop, but she stayed on, she had no idea how, but her seat was comfortable and soon she started to enjoy the wind in her hair and the pace of the animal's canter. When they leapt skyward she held on for dear life. As the ground fell away a new terror gripped her.


"Oh God! Maybe this wasn't a good idea!" Caught up in the moment she thought that maybe, just maybe if magic was real it would help her with her fear of heights...nope.


She shut her eyes tight and tried to calm her breathing, all the while keeping a death grip on the horse's mane.


Ward looped back, winging above the party to make sure all were ok.


They sailed out over the ravine, the water far below rushed along its way and the trees rustled slightly in the wind. It was a beautiful evening.


"The place we're after is to the West," Ward explained. "Long trek on the ground but by wing, it will take us until the sun touches the horizon."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr transformed into her raven form and turned her large feathered head towards Mira, lowering it.


" Shall we, sister? " she asked her as she was ready to depart with the others the moment she was ready.

 

[Bea Delaine]

Elena joined the flight silently, mounting and taking off without fear, only underlying glee.when she took off, she sat straight up, thighs and calves crenching a bit for balance around the animals torso. Hands barely holding on but absently intertwined in the wispy main. She watched the Castle leave them, and the ravines water rushing with colors that were the opposite of merky and unrealistic to her world.


If there was anything that she has loved or come to love, its high places. Mainly because she wasnt afraid of falling. Seeing a freaked out Leia, Elena decided it would be a good opportunity to be helpful and possibly befriend someone. Remembering what the princess said about controlling the ride, she sped forward, dipping down in a strong glide, and turning over to see the other girl.


"Hey.. are you feeling alright?" She asked in a quiet voice. She came upon a better way of thinking of it.


"Its beautiful up here, right? Sort of like we are riding along a thin glass floor."

 

[Hel]

Anya shook her head no at the offer to ride with Leia. "No, I'm fine I've just... I don't usually ride horses." She climbed up on one that hadn't yet been claimed and patted his side. "Here we go, buddy, promise not to throw me off?" The horse's head bobbed a little, and she figured he didn't actually understand her, but she took it as an answer anyway.


As the horses charged for take off, Anya leaned down over her horse, and glanced down to check her engine gauges.'Of course there aren't any.' She thought to herself. As the horses hooves left the ground she leaned back some, and grinned widely, enjoying the wind through her long, tangled hair. "This is AWSOME!" She said, loud enough for her companions to hear. "Flying is my favorite!"


After a few minutes, the daredevil in Anya begged her to try something that her more logical side fought against. 'Why not try and see if this magic is real? If I really do fall, surely the.. griffon... will catch me? Or maybe the giant raven... Wow, I can't believe these are thoughts that actually make sense to me.' She thought to herself, as she moved her weight to her hands and shifted her legs up under her. On shaky legs, she rose, standing on the back of the horse. Feeling as though she was flying her self on her own, she threw her arms out triumphantly, and let out an excited cry: "Yeah!"


Meanwhile, below, Alexander looked up and noticed the flying horses and their load. 'That's odd, I wonder what is happening? Should I check it out? They have a Raven with them, so surely they wouldn't strike down a dragon.' He abandoned his unicorn hunt, and turned running to transform and follow them from a distance, to watch as he always did.

 

[amongfoxesandfaeries]

She nodded at her sister, climbing upon her as before. Mira made sure everything was tucked away, being protective of her satchel.


"Let's go, my dear sister."

 

[SilverFlight]

Ward winged back, swooping under the party and looping up and over to regard Elena from upside-down. He tilted his head in a very avian manner, regarding her out of one golden eye.


"Its wonderful to have you here." He said pleasantly, then righted himself to fly beside her. "Its been a long while since...I have been in such good company." Ward's expression changed during the pause, letting slip a bit of chagrin before it was gone.


They regarded Leia together, clinging onto the neck of the horse for all she was worth.


Leia listened to the other girl, a feeling of gratitude washing over her. From the start she hadn't made friends very easily. Her parents didn't socialize much, and so as a child, neither did she.


"I wish I wasn't afraid of heights!" She did want to see the view. Slowly she opened her eyes in the direction of Elena's voice and smiled at her weakly. But the long drop below drew her attention before long and she could feel the vertigo setting in.


"I think I'll be fine once we get back to the ground!" She added closing her eyes again.


They flew for a long while, Leia willing her horse to fly as straight as it could. During that time Leia tried to get her mind off of the height.


"Hey Elena, so, where do you come from?" She asked. She was still trying to riddle out how they were chosen. Maybe if she knew more about the girls she was traveling with it might become clear. That and it was really nice to actually have people that wanted to talk with her. It was a good feeling.


"We are almost there," he remarked over one shoulder, suddenly he noticed something trailing them. Dropping a height to fly back he soared over to meet the new face. A dragon. At first he thought it might have been Rose, who had disappeared somewhere in the city, but this dragon was blue, and bigger. A drake then, and he had come from the direction of Branbern.


"Hello!" he called, turning nimbly in the sky to fly beside the dragon. "My name is Ward. I'm afraid we're going to the Forest of Reflection, not a great place at the moment, but you are welcome to fly with us as far as you like."

 

[DawnAntalios]

As soon as Mira climbed on her back Nyr pushed herself off from the ground, rushing towards the others. Her mighty wings ate miles away with each flap so it was easy for them to catch up with them and once they did she decided to slow on her tempo and fly closely to the group in their formation.


Even though it was dark she was able to see everything perfectly thanks to the blessing of Mother Moon and her nocturnal vision. Being night time she was rejuvenated and more powerful than usually so she pressed on happily but carefully, not wanting her sister to fall off. The events of the past day still lived vividly in her mind and she smiled as she recollected all of them. In a single day so many things have happened - good and bad - but she was glad that she was there ti witness all of them. Now that they were headed towards the mystical forest she was even more curious: she feared not deception and illusion, she only got more curious from them.

 

[Bea Delaine]

What Ward said to Elena left the girl mildly confused. Not exactly what he said.. even though she was sure being around another fantastical being would be easier than babysitting a kid who fell to his world cluelessly and without power... at first. Instead, she was more curious about how he said it. Eyeing him and giving a small smile, her attention was returned to Leia.


She looked happy, but also like she was going to be sick. When she mentioned her fear of heights, Elena understood more thoroughly.


"Oh... alright.. when we start descending, I'll try to help you out than."


Keeping in the others company for a moment, Elena contemplated how to properly talk about where she was from.


"Um... i was born in Southern France. We, i moved out after a couple years because my mother was American and my dad sort of.. um, I lived in Naples Florida until I was eight, Savannah Georgia until I was 12, and the last place I lived was San Diego. Im an illustrator and writer by the way."


Elena took a deep breath as if it took effort to say such a distanced and carefully constructed summery. Looking back up to the other she inquired,


"What about you..?"

 

[chamomile]

'How peaceful and breezy this is' Lexi mused, enjoying her flight with Ouro, following the group as they lead. The dangerous Forest of Reflections, eh? Terrifying things that it could show you? But what is Lexi afraid of? She shouldn't be scared.


'Fun eh Ouro?' she asked the creature who gave something like a nod. Her fingers clutched themselves as she remembered where she come from. "Eu vou te axudar a mamá. Eu prometer nai. Nós imos ser felices de novo... como estabamos antes" Lexi whispered softly and her words travel through the blowing winds.


Her powers... What's Lexi's powers? Maybe it has something to do with her eyes? Her hair? Her personality? Or maybe her motivation? But how can that be applied? She'll find out soon enough through the toughness of the Scottish with the Luck of the Irish.

 

[amongfoxesandfaeries]

"Do you know where we are going, sister? I only know it is a forest."


She asked, hoping to get an answer. She still held onto Nyr as gently, but tightly.


The rush of wind made her hair fly back, a small smile on her face.


She loved flying.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr hesitated if she should reveal what she knew about the forest but ultimately she decided that if anybody then her sister deserved the truth.


" In my exile I have been to the Forest of Reflection multiple times. " she thought " It is a place one can easily be trapped in, but as I was already in despair its effects were greatly diminished. While you can not brand the woods as a evil place the foolhardy travelers can easily succumb to its magic. "


She paused a bit before she continued.


" Mirages, illusions and mind games: all these are part of the whimsical forest's powers. One can easily be fooled and lured in by sweet visions only to wander the woods until the end of their lives. Others are driven insane from the horrifying delusions they experience there. Then again others become something... else. "

 

[amongfoxesandfaeries]

"It sounds like a horrible place, but I hope we can find the prince, and free the forest of the darkness within. Thank you for telling me, sister."


She pressed a gentle kiss on the feathers in front of her. She truly cared about her sister, and hated the fact that she had been in exile...


"What do you mean 'exile', Nyr?"

 

[DawnAntalios]

She sighed.


" Dread Ravens are feared with a reason. Most of them are malevolent, destructive creatures who seek to bring misfortune and chaos upon the unsuspecting. Just like my 'family'. I, however, did not wish to follow this path and thus my own parents turned against me: they clipped my wings, pecked my body until I bled from various point and when the last drop of my power left me they left me on a distant mountaintop to die. "


She shivered at the dark memories.


" That was when Mother Moon found me... and become my true family. Healing my wounds and nursing back the little hatchilng to life she had shown me compassion and love. She taught me that my ways were not the wrong ones but rather the benevolent ones. "

 

[amongfoxesandfaeries]

"I'm starting to care more for our Mother, now. I do not hate your former parents, but I do not like them."


She ran her fingers through the feathers and sighed. "I thank her for finding you, for healing you, for without her, I would not have such a benevolent sister." She looked at the full moon and full of hope, she prayed to the goddess, she also hoped Nyr could not hear what she said.


"Mother Moon, I am not sure how to say this, but please, warm my sister's heart, let her forget the horrible things she went through. Even if it is only for a small amount of time."