Magic Born: The Uprising (Wattys2016)

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Smaller You Shrink, The Bigger Your Problems Will Grow

                  

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Smaller You Shrink, The Bigger Your Problems Will Grow

Rayner bobbed of the back of Ares, Lilith's arms wrapped around from behind, gripped tight so she wouldn't fall of the bolting beast. As they entered the Dark Forest Rayner caught a glimpse of Egon and Mace, on the back of their steeds, racing towards the mountain, which loomed above the outpost.

Lilith's blazing hair flowed behind her, using the fingers of the wind to detangle her locks of orange. She inhaled a breath and held it longer than normal, trying to subside the animal roaring inside.

Her powers were destructive and wild, and although she had climbed a long way since being caged by Duzna, one wrong slip and she could tumble so far down the hill of progress it would be catastrophic.

Ares rushed through the thick woods, the trees zooming by like a green kaleidoscope. Rayner's eyes were glazed over with courage, but the stench of fear lingered deep in his pupils, and any second that dreaded emotion would flood his eyes.

"Fairies, they are like the stories portray, right?" Lilith questioned, concern braided its way through her voice as she noticed Rayner's expression.

"This stories about pixies floating down with glowing wings, blessing and bestowing love and kindness on everyone and everything?" Rayner countered her question back with another question.

"I guess..." Lilith's voice trailed, still waiting on an answer.

"Then no, not at all..." Rayner let the silence linger between him and Lilith, then began to speak again. "Now the stories of winged devils, destroying everything and everyone in their path? Those...Those stories are true..."

Lilith opened her mouth to reply, but a whoosh in the distance caught her attention. She reached to tap Rayner on the shoulder, but he had apparently heard the blood curdling sound, because he was bringing Ares to a stop.  

Rayner leapt off of his bear and immediately crouched on the ground. Lilith slid down the side of Ares's hip and dropped beside Rayner, waiting for an order.

Rayner dipped his hand inside Ares's saddle bag and pulled out a tiny vile of purple dust which was coated in a violet haze.

"And Ceridwen said I'd never need this..." Rayner shook the bottle and the contents sparked a sizzle of hot purple. "Ares, you can go. I'll whistle when we need you." The bear grunted and then disappeared through the thick army of trees.

"What's that...?" Lilith questioned, studying the miniature glass container Rayner held.

"Ceridwen I use to run errands for Mali, little missions if you will. And we would take souvenirs, thing to recognize and remember each mission. I took this from a while back, Ceridwen laughed when I did, saying I'd never have a use for fairy magic, but she was wrong." Rayner pulled the cork from the bottle and sprinkled half of the contents into his hand. "The only way for us to get a wing from a fairy queen, is to infiltrate the fairy hive, and to do that...we have to be fairies..."

Rayner lifted his hand and blew the purple dust onto Lilith's body. The bright violet smog incased her being and she began to shrink, from her back dark purple wings began to emerged from her shoulder blades, and she closed her eyes, as a stinging sensation tingled her whole body.

Lilith's eyes exploded open and she gasped, in front of her Rayner was the only normal thing around. She swiveled and inhaled her surroundings, the trees that were once the size of watch towers now loomed about like wooden mountains.

Below her feet she noticed the fallen leaves below her were now as large as merchant's ship. Lilith gazed forward and her breath caught in her throat. Rayner stood before her, he must have sprinkled the remaining powder on himself while Lilith's eyes were closed, wings hugging his body.