After Stellarlune

Chapter Thirteen

When they got to Marintrylla, Sophie wasn't surprised to see the Neverseen still standing there, pacing around and cursing. Ruy was screaming at everyone for not doing their part, and Sophie wanted to smile smugly at all the chaos they had made.

But she couldn't smile when she remembered they had to find a way to get around the Neverseen. 

Or maybe not.

Edaline can you try conjuring it here? Sophie transmitted.

I did, Edaline said back. But it didn't seem to work. We're going to have to get inside the gate.

Good thing you guys have me, Biana reminded them.

No slip ups, Sophie told Biana.

I got it, Biana assured her.

Sophie hoped she did. 

But she didn't need to worry. Because as they inched closer and closer to the gate, the Neverseen stayed just as frantic, and just as unaware that part of the group they were trying to attack was right in front of them. 

And then, after what seemed like ages, they finally reached the gate, and stepped inside to Marintrylla.

Edaline snapped her fingers and...

The stone appeared, right in Sophie's grasp.

She stared at it, wondering if it could really be the key to defeating the Neverseen. If she would really be able to be normal.

"Let me trap it in the void," Edaline whispered. She waved her hands, rearranging the web of strings that she used for conjuring, and whispered "gremlins are nasty little creatures." And then the stone disappeared into the void.

"Let's get out of here," Biana said. 

"Here's what we're going to do," Edaline ordered. "We're going to run through the gate, and levitate as high as we can. Then we can drop, and Sophie will teleport us, and we'll be home just in time to get Elysian the stone. Biana do you think you can keep us invisible that whole time?" 

"I think so," Biana said. "Let's go."

And so Sophie ran as fast as she could, until she was dragging Biana and Edaline behind her. And when they got to the gate, she levitated up, as high as she could go.

"Uh Sophie?" Biana yelled. "I'm going to lose my control, they're going to see us in a minute."

"It's okay," Sophie told her. "You can stop now."

Sophie could hear angry shouts as the Neverseen saw them reappear, but it was too late. They plummeted to the ground, and slipped into the void.

They arrived back at Havenfield just in time to hear Elysian's powerful voice booming, "you don't have the stone? How can this be!" And just in time to see the last rays of the sun disappearing. 

"Wait!" Sophie screamed. "We have it! Hurry!"

"Gremlins are nasty little creatures," Edaline said. The stone dropped into her hand, and she handed it to Sophie. Sophie could see Elysian standing in the pastures, and she channeled energy into her legs, and ran as fast as she could to get the stone to her.

"You have made it right on time!" Elysian exclaimed, nodding approvingly as she took the stone from Sophie's hand. She marveled the small rock for a moment, before she tucked it into a pocket Sophie couldn't see.

Sophie took a sigh of relief, and she saw her friends do the same.

They had made it.

That whole day of risks, and searching had all been worth it.