Jack and Dutchy had both turned away upon seeing how little clothing the girl was wearing and their faces were the same shade of red as Spot's who was sputtering uncharacteristically. "Uh... lady ya seem ta be very nice an' all but..." A kiss silenced him momentarily. "Okay, ya can stop that now and-" His face paled suddenly and he yelped, for a reason I didn't want to know and ran behind me for cover. "Get 'er away from me!"
The girl's large eyes filled with tears for a split second until she saw me and then turned a shade of dark red. She let out a loud screech and just as she was about to attack me I pushed Spot away from me and dodged behind Xavier. "What is that?!"
He blinked nervously. "I uh... I believe it is a... a... nymph of some sort."
"Xavier!" Clover hissed from behind a bush as Spot ran faster than I had seen anyone run before, screaming for help. "Xavier, you are a wizard. Can't you help him?"
Xavier's eyes widened slightly. "Help him? Oh no... have you seen that woman? She's dangerous! Anyway, I think they look very nice together and I have no desire of her setting her sights on me."
"Men are such cowards." Clover said grumpily, rolling her eyes. "I guess I'll just have to handle this myself." She whispered and stepped in-between Spot and the winged girl. "Stop right now, by order of the Princess Alethea Star-" Before she could finish the nymph pushed her out of the way and continued chasing Spot.
Lauralin sent Xavier an icy glare. "This has gone entirely too far. Do something."
He drew a deep breath and nodded. "I'll try." He closed his eyes and concentrated for a few seconds before muttering a few words. A split second later the nymph disappeared completely.
I blinked in surprise. "Where'd she go?"
He shrugged and mounted his horse. "Not far, I'm sure. We should leave before she finds her way back."
We mounted our horses without argument and set off for the castle again. I frowned a little and looked to my left, realizing Spot was riding so close our legs were brushing. "What're you doing?" I asked.
His eyes stopped darting around cautiously for a minute as he answered me. "Sorry... but... well..."
I laughed a little. "Fearless Spot Conlon screaming for help... if the guys could only see you now."
He regained his composure and glared at me a little. "Yeah, well I'm sure I 'ave stuff I could tell about you too."
I looked away and sighed a little, starting to get bored with the scenery. "So, do people just ride for days on end like dis all the time in dis place?"
Lauralin nodded. "Yes, how else are we supposed to get from place to place?"
I shrugged. "I dunno, but how do ya keep from fallin' asleep?"
Xavier smiled and produced a strange looking stringed instrument of some sort. "Music!" He plucked away at the strings clumsily and started singing.
I covered my ears and grimaced, finally stopping him after two or three verses. "Okay, enough! I get it, magic doesn't necessarily mean talent. I'm sorry I asked."
He frowned a little. "Fine. I'd like to see any of you do better though."
A beautiful voice drifted on the wind and we all looked over at Lauralin as she finished singing the last verse of the song Xavier had started. "The men i' the forest they once asked me, How many strawberries grow i' the salt sea? I answered them back wi' a tear i' my e'e, How many ships sail i' the forest?"
All of the guys were looking at her like love sick school boys, but despite her obvious talent I couldn't help but frown. "What was that song? It made absolutely no sense." I said condescendingly.
"Jealous?" Spot asked, trying to get on my nerves.
"No." I said shortly. "The song didn't make any sense."
Lauralin smiled kindly. " 'The False Bride.' You have to listen to the first verses to understand the last." She paused and sang the first two verses. "Oh, I loved a lass, and I loved her sae well, I hated all others who spake of her ill: But now she's rewarded me well for my love, For she's gone and she's married another. When I saw my love to the church go, With bridemen and bridemaidens she made a fine show: And I followed on wi' a heart full o' woe, To see my love wed to another."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Nope, still doesn't make any sense."
Clover sighed. "I think it makes perfect sense." She muttered sadly.
"Well, no one eva' claimed you were normal." I snapped peevishly.
Spot looked at me doubtfully. "Somethin' wrong, Flic?"
I scowled. "No, and don't call me that."
He shrugged and threw his hands up. "Fine, just tryin' ta be civil."
Lauralin sighed and nodded at a nearby mountain. "We should be entering dragon territory soon."
"Kalana's territory." Xavier added. "Maybe she could find a way to fly us to the castle, it would certainly be faster."
As he finished his sentence we saw a dragon circling around the sky. After a while it landed near us, causing a miniature sand storm. When the air cleared I got a better look at the large creature and started to feel rather edgy. Kalana was certainly a beautiful creature, with green scales that had purple undertones to them, and fiery eyes, but she was also fierce looking and I had no doubt she could swallow me in one gulp. "Wizard, have you found the princess?" The dragon finally asked.
Xavier nodded and gulped nervously. "Y-yes, Kalana. She is... well, you can see for yourself." He said, motioning to Clover.
A cloud of smoke puffed out of the dragon's nostrils as she snorted after looking at Clover. "Foolish boy, that isn't the princess."
Clover lifted her chin defiantly. "I am who he says, Kalana. I doubt I could have lasted very long as a unicorn in a world that had been rid of unicorns for five hundred years, so I chose to stay in this form."
Kalana seemed to be surprised and drew back slightly. "Alethea? Oh dear... your parents won't like this."
"I know." Clover said slowly. "Do you think there is any way you could fly my friends and I to the castle?"
"I can't carry all of you, but if you wish I could call some of the pegasi to help." She replied evenly.
Clover nodded. "Please do. I can't possibly leave the others here."
"I shall return, princess." Kalana said respectfully and flew up into the sky. We waited patiently until she returned with five pegasi. "I have brought all the pegasi I could find, I'm afraid I will have to carry two of you." She seemed to notice the obvious discomfort of us earthlings at the prospect of riding a dragon and nodded to Xavier. "Do you mind?"
"Uh... no, not at all." He stammered, lying through his teeth.
I smiled a little as I mounted my pegasus. "So, how long will it take to get to the castle now?"
"We should get there by tonight." Kalana said shortly.
"These things can't travel dat much faster dan da horses." Spot said doubtingly, then yelped as his pegasus took off like a blur.
I laughed at him and the rest of us followed. Flying did save time, and that along with the magic of the pegasi helped us reach the castle by nightfall. Clover and Kalana thanked the winged horses and we made our way into the castle. It really was very beautiful. It almost looked like it was made of silver by the way that it glimmered in the moonlight, and the gardens outside were lush and green with flowers of all kinds and colors. I smiled as I smelt the sweet aroma of honey suckle drifting on the air. Even Xavier seemed to be struck dumb by the atmosphere created by the castle, but Clover was walking soberly along the path into the main gates. I looked around in wonder as we entered and I saw the elaborate decorations throughout the halls and then in the great hall where a crowd of people and animals of all kinds was gathered. At the front of the large room stood two unicorns. We approached meekly, humbled by their grace and beauty.
"Wizard, where is our daughter?" An angry voice seemed to boom, though I could only hear it in my thoughts.
Xavier cringed and quickly explained the situation with Clover, the possibility that we might have been followed, and added that in human form she would be less likely to be harmed. As he finished I once again heard a voice in my thoughts, this time more soft and feminine. "Alethea is in the palace, will you now turn her back?" Even though the Queen had said the sentence in the form of a question, the tone in her voice made it clear it was a command.
Clover looked at Xavier pleadingly, but he nodded in the Queen's direction and gazed at her apologetically before muttering a few strange words. I watched in amazement as my fair-haired friend turned into a beautiful white unicorn. The horse-like creature pawed at the ground as a small crystalline tear ran down it's face. I blinked back my own tears and looked back to the front as the King gave out another order. "Now, Wizard, you must seek out Telperion and defeat him."
Xavier swallowed nervously. "Your majesty, how do you expect me to battle a wizard whose powers so far surpass my own?"
"Any way you can. I'm sure if you team up with other magic users you could easily cast the oblivion spell." The voice said gruffly.
"But, the oblivion spell is dangerous, and it takes far too much magic. If something went wrong, lives could be lost." Xavier said, his voice quivering a little.
The King snorted in annoyance. "It does not matter as long as Telperion is destroyed."
"The ends don't justify the means." I said sharply, before I could stop myself.
All eyed turned to me and I shrank back a little. Xavier smiled a little and turned back to the King. "She is right. I will just have to defeat Telperion my own way."
"Very well, but remember that our fate lies in Telperion's hands if he is not defeated." The deep voice replied, sounding somewhat cynical.
A girl with shiny teal hair that fell about her shoulders in soft waves stepped
forward. "On behalf of the fairy kingdom, I present you with the sword of knowledge." She
said softly, with a slight lisp, and handed him a gold and silver sword. "If you would like, I
will accompany you on your quest."