Blood-tied Lies

~Chapter 5~

The door came down with a large crash as five guards entered the cell. I looked down at my body, relieved to see that it had disappeared as I had intended. The guards had a hard time adjusting to the dim light which my eyes were now accustomed to, bumping into one another and stumbling over the uneven floor. While they found their footing, I gradually slipped out of the cell unnoticed when I heard them pick up the chains that I had previously melted the cuffs off of.

"She's gone!" one of the guard's said, his voice was scratchy and hoarse.

My instinct was to press myself to the wall again and hold my breath but they seemed too distracted by my disappearance to notice me so I invisibly slinked away, slowly and quietly up the stairs.

The stairs were loud against anything that hit it so traveling quickly was not an option. Every step brought me closer to the top but it was taking forever. I didn't know what time it was or if I would get home in time before my mother got worried.

I slowly made my way up the stairs when I heard the incoming sound of loud feet on the stone stairs. I stood plastered to the wall as a guard ran past me only to stop, turn around, and walk right back up to where I stood. His amber eyes stared into mine and for a second, I couldn't breath. He just shook his head and kept going. When he was far enough away, I let out a huge breath. Silently, I listened for any more footsteps. Nothing. I continued a little quicker up the stairs, still careful to make minimal sound.

The rest of the long and tiring jog up the cold stairs was smooth and I finally caught a blinding glimpse of light. It made my eyes water and I could see weird greenish blotches in the dark which slowly faded as I steered clear of the light. Still invisible, I crept past the guards who were, and I put this in the nicest way, sleeping on the job.

As a teenager who'd lived in the forest her entire life, it was practically my job to mess with them. In my best guard impersonation voice, I said, "What are you doing, sleeping on the job! I'm gonna have you two removed from your posts immediately! Such disrespect to the High Kingdom!" I yelled using a voice change spell. I watched the two guards jump up, quite disoriented and alert. Their backs arched a little too much and their salutes a bit too stiff. I struggled to hold in my laughter as a left the castle.

I was rounding another corner of the castle when I almost walked into a group of soldiers coming from the city. With the spell still over me, I jumped out of the way, the sound of me feet making their heads turn. Great, just great, the harder I try to keep attention away from me. I stayed completely still as they turned back to the road, calling each other crazy or delusional.

I knew there was a forest around the north-western side of the castle as I had found an old map in a book at home. The castle was ridiculously enormous, its four massive towers reaching astonishing heights and dwarfing everything below them. The towers connected by fairly low, thin walls made of brown stone and tall, stained-glass windows decorated the beautifully crafted structure within. Walking the length of one wall took forever.

Finally, I could make out the edge of the forest as I rounded yet another corner. I would hate to be on guard duty here, it almost makes me feel bad about my previous prank. Hopping up into the first tree, I got a better look at the castle. The courtyard was bustling with activity, soldiers and servants scurrying about. From high up in the tree, they looked like ants but with clothes or shining armor.

I had enough of watching people so I released my invisibility spell and began jumping around from branch to branch, deeper into the woods. I had grown up running through the trees and playing with dragons. Scaling trees and hopping quickly over branches and off of trunks was like second nature to me. Hopping higher into the canopy, my head occasionally stuck out from the thick umbrella of leaves. Flying overhead, Ananta had spotted me and was making a quick descent, ready to pick me up and fly home.

Well it's about time. Ananta's voice was angry in my head. I thought you were being taken to execution. Ananta curled her tail around me and grabbed my shoulders, lifting me into the air.

My apologies, metal chains take a while to melt and being invisible was never originally part of the plan! I mentally yelled at her though I knew what was coming.

Ananta let go of me and I fell from the clouds. Head first like an eagle dive, I held out my arms, angling my hands which made me spin. I knew Ananta would catch me as my mother would kill her if she didn't so just before I hit the trees, her scaly tail grabbed me again.

Dang it! I thought you'd freak out again! Ananta yelled in my head with disappointment.

I know you're gonna catch me. My mother would kill you if you didn't. You don't want to end up in a series of potions, now do you?

No! Ananta yelled, catching fire out of sheer panic. My clothes were fire proof as Ananta often spit out bits of fire so we really just looked like a flying blob on fire. Above the clouds, we were out of sight, the sun still visible telling me I still had time to make it home before five o'clock.

The fire surrounding Ananta finally burned out as we neared out forest home just at the border of the Spring Valley and the Flaming Forest. Ananta set me down to grab the things my mother had sent me to purchase. It was still in the hollowed tree I had left them in. I signaled to Ananta and I was up in the air in seconds. The smell of mushroom and fire-root stew filled my nose. I could just taste the sweet and spicy liquid in my mouth, making me salivate. I knew Ananta smelled it as she took off quickly toward my house almost running into a few birds who chirped very rude things as us. Turning my head around, I gave them a look of apology as I didn't speak bird. It's too complicated and one mischirp and you'll have them greatly offended and pecking your head off. Making a sloppy and abrupt descend from the sky, Ananta almost ran me into the chimney which I had to call on a wind spell to hit her wings, making us ascend a few feet.

Ananta, how long ago did you pass your flying exams? I asked her.

Graduated from the academy four years ago, why do you ask?

I think you need to go back, you almost ran me into the chimney!

Gees, sorry, but in my defense, the smell of food was involved. Ananta made a more delicate landing as I was carrying food, which to her, means more than anything else in the world, well, besides me. I just shrugged it off and followed the eager dragon inside.