Dark Queen: The Cybelline Prophecies

Chapter 36

Ceric and Berin rushed through the house with pouches no larger than their hands. Cybelline realized that they too had magicked satchels that were much bigger on the inside. They tore through the rooms and grabbed their clothes, stuffing the impossible lot into the pouch.

Isthan ran after his brothers, but the five year old had trouble reaching everything he needed. Cybelline took the pouch and began packing for him. Isthan, despite his age, was determined to help. He grabbed a shirt to hand to Cybelline and paused, his face pale.

"Isthan?" Cybelline asked gently, Isthan swallowed hard, "I wanta pack for Ryion and Miri. Can we?" Cybelline patted his head, "of course, we're packing for everyone." Isthan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and continued to pack.

The horse Cybelline had brought home was a fresh and well rested, she had bought and changed many horses on the road. She tied the boys onto the horse and told them to hold on.

"What about you?" Ceric asked, Cybelline smiled, "It'll be much easier if I run." The brothers looked at each other and decided to hold their tongues.

The footprints were easy to follow, it looked as if an entire army had past. Cybelline frowned but said nothing.

They traveled for three days until they arrived at the foot of the true mountains. Unlike the mountains to the capital, these were the mountains that lead back to the forests where Cybelline was first found. They were called the Devil's Maw, their sharp, jagged teeth resembling the demonic jaws of hell.

Cybelline looked around, the wreckage here resembled the destruction of the village. Hundred year old trees lay strewn like fallen soldiers, anything that could have been green was not the sickly orange brown color that betrayed their imminent death. Cybelline studied the destruction carefully, on the opposite side, the trail continued. But it looked as if the number of men had decreased greatly.

There was no way to continue on horseback. Cybelline looked around and then back at the boys, "I have to go into the mountains."

Berin nodded, "We're coming with you."

"It won't be safe."

Ceric smiled, "We'll be alright." Cybelline looked at them, the two brothers, Ceric and Berin were nine. Isthan looked to be about five. Yet she knew that these children were not what they seemed.

Ceric untied himself and jumped off the horse easily, Berin and Isthan followed suit. She looked at them, "Care to explain?"

The boys looked at each other, Cybelline continued, "There are many mysteries surrounding this family. You are, of course, entitled to your own secrets, but I'd like to know what I'm getting into."

Berin grabbed his brother's hand, "We should trust her. Maybe they're not all bad. I mean, look at Myrai."

Cybelline waited as Ceric made up his mind.

"Long ago, when we were too little to remember, Ithos and Myrai rescued us when everyone else died." Ceric said after a moment, "They saved our lives."

"Who are you? Why did you need saving" Cybelline asked. Berin looked at Ceric and they seemed to come to a decision.

"Halflings. Our ancestors married into the fae and the folk." Berin explained, "A long time ago there was many of us, but once magic began to disappear and when there was not enough fae and folk left, our human brethren began to hunt us down. Ithos is also like us."

"But Myrai is human." The boys nodded, "Ithos and Myrai have been around much longer than we have. Jinon is even older. They have shielded us front centuries of human hunters."