Rona
I places my hand on my chin as I stared through the window. "We've been flying for hours now."
The horses neighed loudly as if they were complaining about the distance too.
Technically, they were the ones doing most of the work.
The Progenitor finally opened his eyes, his red orbs landed on me. "We're here."
I poked my head through the window, my hair whipping behind me. If Madelaine we're here, she would freak.
"There's nothing but sky for miles." I readjusted in my seat, crossing my hands.
Then I felt it, a sudden chill trickling at the back of my neck, something passed through me. No, Rather, I passed through something.
A Forcefield?
"It's a cloaking mechanism." The Progenitor replied, "To keep intruders out."
I felt the carriage lurch forward and this time I reclined in my seat to avoid a repeat of what happened last time.
The horse's hooves clacked against the stone path.
"We're finally here." I sighed in relief, my back felt stiff from sitting in one position for too long.
He came down first, and offered his hand to help me down.
If only they had designed this carriage to be a little bit lower.
The air felt different as soon as I stepped foot on the ground.
My mouth was agape as I stared in awe. I wasn't expecting much, especially after seeing the Progenitor's palace.
I thought nothing could surprise me again in this realm.
But just... Wow.
The sky stretched for miles on end, dusted with pink and lit with stars that twinkled and shimmered in a secret dance nobody else knew.
Carriages flew above us, past the waterfall that stretched into the clouds.
I could feel his piercing gaze on my skin as I stared in awe. "This is place is amazing."
"The city of dusk, where the light never goes out." He murmured, loud enough for me to catch. "A place where night never comes."
"Do you come here often?" I asked, tilting my head to meet his eyes.
"No." He guided me along the stone path that twinkled with fairy lights, the trees swayed on each side.
"Why not?" I asked, trailing a few steps behind him, "It looks like a wonderful place to be."
He hummed in response as I trudged behind him.
I saw a dot of white peeking through the shrubs. I squinted my eyes as I saw a pair of antlers poking out.
"Is that a deer?" I pointed in its direction.
The deer-like animal raised his head as of sensing my presence. It stated directly at me without moving.
Its sleek silver fur called to me and I inched closer towards it.
'It looks so beautiful.' I whispered to myself, as I reached out my hand, 'I want to touch its fur.'
It came closer, there was a black spot on its forehead which only added to its appeal.
I stretched my hand past the fairy lights, its fur only inches away. Suddenly it bared its teeth at me.
Numerous jagged canine came into view, my eyes widened and my hand shot back to my side as soon as I smelled the metallic odour of blood.
I stumbled backwards, crashing into a wall.
"Careful little human." I felt his hot breath against my neck. "Things in this realm are not always what they seem."
I felt an intimidating aura exuding his body in waves. The deer dashed away in milliseconds as soon as it sensed him.
He grabbed my hand, pulling me along harshly. "Don't go around touching everything you see."
I stumbled behind him. I couldn't believe what just happened.
"That was a deer! A deer." I exclaimed, tugging my hand from his grip. "Since when did deers have canine the size of a lion."
Deers don't even have canines!
His grip only tightened even further. "That's why you should stay five feet. We're not even there yet and you've already broken the first rule."
"I don't know! I just felt the urge to touch its fur." I whispered, clenching my fists. "It was just so beautiful."
"That's how it kills you." His words made my blood run cold. "Species here not only eat flesh. They devour souls."
He glanced at me for a moment, his eyes lit with an unnaturally glow.
"That's what the fairy lights are for. To keep them at bay."
I nodded, making a mental note.
Never go past the fairy light or I'd lose my chance to regain everything I've ever worked for.
The amount of fairy lights slowly dwindled as we came to a large clearing at the end of the path.
There was a circular stone slab in the middle.
I could make out the markings and engravings on it as we came closer.
They were eerily familiar but foreign at the same time, like a memory I couldn't quite recall.
He guided me to the centre and I felt the slab thrumming with energy.
"Why is this shaking?" I asked, grabbing onto his draperies. "Stones don't do that."
His fingers elongated, and he dug it into his palms.
I grabbed his arm, my pulse racing in fear.
"What are you doing!"
His blood slid down his palm onto the ground and his wound closed like it never existed in the first place.
"Just watch." He whispered in my ears, placing his hand on the small of my back.