The Heirs of Dark and Light

Chapter 5

I managed to stop screaming after about 2 minutes of being in the air. I learned quickly that if I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my head into Eli's shoulder it helped it seem less scary.

I could jump high thanks to my air powers but I never went THIS high.

A breathy chuckle warmed my ear

"For such a fearless warrior who could definitely take on 3 Illyrian males with a wounded leg you certainly scream like a baby,"

I snapped my head up at that

I gave him an incredulous look to which he smiled.

"Look around you star,"

"Star?" I asked.

He looked to what he had been pointing at, avoiding my questioning gaze "your eyes have centres of gold in them, they remind me of stars,"

I smiled and said teasingly "are these the famous pickup lines I was promised?"

"Only if it's working," he smirked

"Oh they most definitely are, I'm swooning,"

He finally looked back at me, smile lighting up his eyes.
"Well then, that was definitely one of my famous pickup lines."

He started to fly us down.

As we descended I did what he said. I looked around and gasped. It was beautiful. I finally understood why dad said he felt free when he was in his animal form. Being able to fly like this. It was breathtaking.  I almost wished I had my own pair of wings so I could see views like this whenever I wanted.

We slowly landed on a path cleared of snow that lead up to a tiny wooden cabin. He placed me down and the sudden weight on my bad leg had it buckling.
"Come on," he picked me up again and started to carry me into the cabin.

"Look I know I screamed like a baby but you don't need to treat me like one,"

"I wouldn't want to further damage my chief pick-up line tester now would I."

The door to the cabin swung open and I let it's warmth blanket around me. I didn't realise how cold I had been. How cold I still was. Elias set me down on top of a wooden table.
"Im just going to get the medic supplies I will be back in a second." And he walked up the staircase. I stood up and limped around. I started opening up the kitchen cupboards. I was still starving. The cupboards were bare apart from gods damned soup.

A pointed cough sounded from behind me.
"See now you just have me thinking falling on me like that was all just an elaborate plan to get me to pick you up!" He said acting shocked.

"Don't flatter yourself lover boy, I'm hungry and that conquers all,"

"Don't worry star, I will fix you up something to eat but first I'm going to patch you up and your going to answer my long list of questions,"

"Ask away,"

He got into his knees and started to undo the makeshift bandage on my leg as I sat in the table.

"I know you told me not to read your mind but , before that, I checked that you weren't a threat to my home. And although I found out you could definitely kick my ass you aren't a threat in that way. I also saw a place in your memories that looks like a land I've never seen before. Where is it?"

He looked up at me through his eyelashes.

"That, was Terresan. My home."

He looked puzzled. "Terresan?"

He got up, opened a drawer and pulled out a map.

He put two hands on my waist and lifted me off the table like I weighed nothing and then placed me on a chair.

"Again with the babying?" I gave him a pointed looks

"I know. I know but just look," he had spread out the map before him. It covered the whole table. I got up from my chair and looked leaned over it. Nothing about it was familiar. I had seen hundreds of maps in my studies but I'd never seen one like this. All the names and the countries were foreign to my world.

"Is this a joke?" I asked staring over my shoulder at him.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied without meeting my eyes.

"Where am I?" I asked more myself than him.

"Night court, Prythian. The Illyrian mountains. Where's Terresan?"

"Erilea, there is nowhere in any of the maps at home that mention anyplace like Prythian," I responded.

A sicky feeling grabbed hold of my stomach

'Wait the flash, the feeling like I was falling, my mom. She had fallen through worlds. Was it possible it happened to me too?' I thought

"Your mom fell through worlds?"

"Long story?"

I nodded

"Stop reading my mind!"

He looked sheepish "you practically shouted it at me! Wait so you are telling me you think you fell through worlds and you've ended up here?"

"I think that's what I'm telling you, It was those gods damned scaled monster thingys,"

"The things that cut you up real good?"

"Yes,"

"In guessing you killed them?" He stated

A smile retuned to my face "One with a knife through the skull the others head clean off,"

He returned the same smile "So very violent. I knew I liked you star."

He rolled back up the map and I sat back down on the table.

He kneeled back down, returning his attention back to my leg.

"Tomorrow I need to you to take me to their bodies, if I can identify them or even their species it will help identify how you got here, but for tonight we are going to rest,"

"Your going to help me get back home?" I asked him.

"Well we have already established that I love helping a beautiful maiden in distress, so I could hardly turn you down"

He tied the new bandage around my leg into a neat bow.

"All done, now you won't go dripping blood around the place. I'm gonna fix us both something up to eat but you my friend need a bath."

I looked down at myself. I was covered in blood and dirt. Dried blood was caked into my silver hair.

I winced

"Up the stairs first room on the right. I think there should be some clothes up there that will fit you."

"Thanks," I paused and he looked at me. We stared at eachother for a while and then I turned and limped up the stairs to go and bathe.