Gifts

Chapter Thirteen: Meeting the Aari

I walked for a few minutes in silence, the Fairy Queen trailing behind on her unicorn and the other fairies flying behind.

"Once we get through the portal, we will land on a beach," the Fairy Queen started to explain, "If we can get to the beach before the Aari, we can fight on land and prevent them from getting into the Stonewall Kingdom. If not, we will have to get on boats and fight in water, which makes everything considerably harder so I suggest we hurry up."

We walked at a faster pace now, and before we knew it we were at the portal. I knew Marcus was very nervous because he had been quiet for about 20 minutes.

I took a deep breath and walked through the portal. The same sensation of walking through jello came rushing back to me as I went through the portal. As soon as I got out, I noticed a large group of people walked across the beach. I immediately knew who they were. It was the Aari.

I heard laughter coming towards the group as we walked towards them. And then I saw her. Eska. She was tied to a wooden beam that was stuck in the sand. She was struggling to get untied, but had no luck.

As we advanced, I noticed more and more Aari. There were at least 300 hundred there and with a fairy army as back-up our chances didn't look too great.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was charging towards the Aari and Eska. I was using my powers like crazy and I took out a good amount of people before I got tired. The fairies were jabbing their  weapons at the Aari which didn't kill many of them, but it did slow the Aari down. I was trying to keep going, but using my powers made me so tired. Plus, it was very hard to run in the sand. I grabbed the dagger out of my backpack and fought off an oncoming opponent. It was skinny woman and she wasn't too hard to beat, although  she did cut my arm.

I looked behind me and about 50 of the Aari where laying on the ground either dead or unconscious. The fairies where good at distracting the Aari and knocking them unconscious. Some of the fairies had a small amount of powers they used to attack the Aari.

I told a few fairies to distract the Aari surrounding me so I could get to Eska. I was running as fast as I could, and I was waving my dagger everywhere. Somehow, I didn't get attacked by anyone and I made it safely to Eska.

"Eska!" I screamed joyously.

"Jaya!" She said, relieved to see me.

Then I was on the ground. Someone had attacked me from the side and had a sword to me neck.

"Hello Princess." A deep voice said. His voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't turn my head so I couldn't see who the speaker was.

The man pressed the sword harder into my neck. I winced and let out a cry of pain. I kicked the man as hard as I could in the knee and before he could pin me down again I leapt to my feet. My attacker was the leader of the Aari, the same man I had seen when the Seer showed me where Eska was.

He was charging at me with the sword but I ducked and plunged my dagger into his arm. There was about a three inch gash from where I had cut him but it seemed as he didn't feel it at all.

Before I knew it he had the sword pressed against my neck again.

"Any last words?" The leader said menacingly.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, begging for help from anybody.

Then I saw a boy about my age running towards us. Then I realized who it was. It was Al, the boy I had met in the hallway only a few days ago.

"Let her go!" He shouted.

"No! Stay out of this!" The leader said.

"I can't, father!" Al said.

Father?!!? Al was the son of the leader of the Aari?!

Then Al sprouted wings. Wings. I repeat wings. They were long and black, with tiny points at the end and along the sides. Al had just transformed into a dragon. AL WAS A FREAKING DRAGON.

His father shouted in anger as he also became a dragon. He was red, with strange black markings along his back. Al was about two times smaller than his father but he seemed as he could take him.

"Get Eska." Al grunted as he fought his father.

I ran towards Eska and quickly untied her. She immediately collapsed into my arms.

"Eska!" I was so relieved to see her and I hugged her so tightly.

"Jaya, I've missed you so much." She sobbed into my shoulder.

Then by some imaginary force I was brutally knocked to the ground. Did Eska just use her gift on me?

I looked up and saw Al's father standing in front of Eska, plunging his sword into her stomach.

"I saw him coming. It's been so long since I've used my gift for something great, I'm glad I got to use it in you." She said as she collapsed, lifeless.