FOURTH BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘈 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘈 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦.
Xanthiene Vivenca, a fairy with a bounty for her soul, is caught between...
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Turns out, they weren't safe at the border. Far from safe.
"Now you have done it," Nyxis cursed as he ran alongside her. He raised an eyebrow at how Xanthy carried June on her back. "They are the Unities. They can cross any borders!"
"Now you tell me that, genius!" Xanthy yelled. She adjusted her grip on June's waist. Her soles thumped against the forest's moist but compact soil in squelching thuds. "What do we do?"
"Beats me!" Nyxis threw his hands up. "You tell me what to do since you are always going ahead, barreling to whatever front you find yourself in!"
"Now this is my fault?!" Xanthy ducked as a flaming branch almost hit her in the head. The branch hit a tree with a bright pink trunk and snuffed out as it rolled on the forest floor. "You could have at least told me these red-skinned devils can cross borders!"
"Halt in the name of the Imperial Highness!" a soldier bellowed behind them.
Xanthy snorted. As if she's ever going to.
Nyxis had his hand stuffed into his trusty satchel, no doubt looking for some magic herbs that might get them out of this mess. "Hurry," Xanthy breathed as her side began stinging. Her breathing turned into pained wheezes.
Nyxis freed his hand from his satchel, yelping as he swerved to avoid running into a sienna trunk. Shouts and clangs of weapons echoed behind them. All kinds of animals howled, cawed, and shrieked from the canopies and even the forest floor. The humid air had turned fresh and cold but despite that, sweat still soaked Xanthy's back and made waterfalls at the side of her face. Where were they headed?
Spells rained on them like a barrage of arrows. Xanthy twisted her upper body and returned some of her own. The first line of soldiers fell back as one of her spells made the soil beneath their feet explode. Stun spells and sleep spells joined the mix not long after. Still, the Unities never seem to run out.
Should she tap into the Virtakios?
Without muttering a word, Nyxis turned and flicked his hand towards the red coats. They were thrown backwards with such force as if a giant arm swept past their ranks. Nyxis scoffed and turned to run. Xanthy smiled. At least they both haven't lost their touch.
Then, pain bloomed in Xanthy's leg. What the...
She fell forward as her grip on June loosened. From somewhere beyond her, Nyxis cried her name. Her chest heaved against the stinging pain shooting from her muscles like a bowstring hitting raw skin. How dare they hurt her!
Heat tore off Xanthy's form in a huge blast. Haze burned her vision to shreds but her ears registered screams of terror. Panic. Then, it was quiet. Xanthy collapsed into the ground as her senses slowly returned. After a while, she gritted her teeth against the nausea gripping her temples and picked herself up.
Blood pooled from her wounded leg where a dagger hilt protruded. Whoever threw this had some magic up their sleeves to have it sink this deep. Xanthy cursed as she sent her magic into the wound, willing it to close. Come on. Heal.
