Chapter 2 The Journey

I pulled a chair out and sat down, I buried my face in my palms. It felt so weird, the entire last day was all together weird, no part of what happened or what I saw made any sense in my head. When I went to The Silver Lady, no part of me agreed to this arrangement. Maybe it happened because I didn't do what exactly she asked out of me. I was just too scared to move all the stones from Maria's grave.

People said that the stones were placed to stop the dead from rising, but why were so many of them needed to be placed on top of only her grave? Was she someone who the locals were so terrified of that they made sure she could never rise again? "It is the same night when The Dearg-Due rises from her grave '' echoed in my ears. Dearg-Due? Is she the Dearg-Due? But how can she be? It's just a folklore that parents told their children to warn them not to lurk at night, but again twenty four hours before I did not believe anything called a Dark Fey existed but here I was sitting in one's house. So if the folklore holds any truth, will she rise? I didn't move all the stones as commanded but I still moved some of them.

"Don't you want to sleep?" Griffin's soft voice asked.

"I am not very tired," I replied, turning my head to face him.

"Something tells me I interrupted your stream of thoughts" he said, leaning on the doorframe.

"Yeah, I was thinking....more like wondering...." I hesitated.

"You can say whatever is bothering you Azura" he said, his soft voice soothing my nerves.

"Is the Dearg-Due real?" I asked.

"That's oddly specific" he raised an eyebrow.

"Just please tell me" I said.

"Well I have heard about her but never seen her. Why?" he asked as he took a step towards me.

"The night I visited The Silver Lady was the night I found a book left to me by grandmother. It had stories she used to read to me when I was a little girl and it had a note that she wrote for me before she died. In that note she said that the stories were more than just cautionary tales, they were the concealed truth, a treasure that she was leaving for me. It was in this book I learnt about The Silver Lady and how to find her. The book said that when the desperate soul visits her is the night Twiki flies over the sky looking for her next meal and that is the night when the Dearg-Due will rise from her grave. And when The Silver Lady gave me the answers to my questions, she told me to look for a grave with the name Mairea and remove all the stones. Her grave did not have just one stone like the others, it had a dozen at least. Whoever lies beneath that grave must have done something to terrify the locals'' I finished.

"Did you remove all the stones?" he asked.

"No, not at all" I replied.

"Then you have nothing to worry about, right. Besides, why did The Silver Lady ask you to do such a thing?" he asked, scratching his chin.

"She told me to carry the biggest stone and place it in front of The Veil," I replied.

"Yeah but it doesn't work like that," he said.

"Then how does it work?" I asked.

"The Veil just gives you a glimpse of what can happen in the near future, the different possibilities, your actions and what changes can they cause to the people close to you. It just gives you answers and leaves you with the most important question, what do you want to do now? That's it" he replied.

"Then why did she send me there?" I questioned, baffled.

"Maybe to give you answers but nothing else she told you to do makes sense, and neither The Veil bringing you here does. If it was about faith and destiny why not take you to the realm of Lady Faith herself or anywhere else, why bring you here" he said.

"Can we do that? I mean go to Lady Faith's realm directly" I asked.

"We cannot, but you somehow did switch realms through The Veil, and ended up in a place which technically lies outside the tree" he said.

"The what?' I exclaimed.

"Okay so imagine, the universe is like a tree with huge branches and the realms it's different parts and branches of the tree. Lady Faith sits on top of it guiding and protecting the other realms, then there is the Flaun realm underneath it which is the most powerful realm of all and they have their own shield to protect them beside Lady Faith, the human realm lies in the very center of the tree it has multiple gateways that can take you to any of the surrounding realms, then to the east is the Dark Fey realm, to the west the Centaurs' realm and at the trunk is the Mosse realm. All of them are connected by a flowing river called The River Of Time. This place however exists at the very tip, of the longest root, of the tree with almost no connection to the other realms as the river doesn't flow here or anywhere near this place. Going to any other realm from here is near to impossible as the river only flows in one direction and you can only travel through the river" he said.

"So if this place is so isolated, why bring me here?" I asked.

"My question exactly! This place has no shields to protect itself, so being isolated is all it has as a defence mechanism. But now we have to figure a way to get you from here to the very center" he said.

"Can we even do that? Because you, yourself said that it's impossible" I replied.

"And that's why we are going to Syfyn. She is capable of doing the impossible. We just have to convince her to do it,that's it. Which feels like a task in itself but that's our only shot" he said.

"Get some sleep we need to leave soon" he added before he turned and left. I sighed and walked into my room. I sat on the edge of the bed thinking what could happen, and what might happen if I was never able to go back home. Will the creatures living here kill me? Well Ivy did not very much like my presence, if she can hate me this much so can the others. I rested my head against the back support of the bed and closed my eyes. I saw the back of my grandmother facing me, her sweet voice humming her favorite song.

"Grandmother let me help you!" I giggled as I ran towards her.

"Oh my sweet dear Azura!" she said as she lifted me in her arms and spun me around, I laughed.

"What are we making grandmother?" I asked.

"We are baking your favourite bread my child" she replied, setting me down on the kitchen counter.

"Here, knead this" she said, sliding a large bowl in front of me. I dunked down my arms into it and started squashing and mixing.

"Yes my love you are doing great. I know you will be my second in command and then my successor one day" she said, kissing my cheek.

"Hey wake up" I felt someone's hand on my shoulder shaking me awake, I opened my eyes and through the cracking light of sun falling in the room I saw Griffin's face inches from mine, his light blue eyes shimmering and full of hope, his lips curled up in a soft smile and his hair neatly pulled back.

"Do we have to leave?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Yeah, go get changed. Ivy must be waiting for us and she is not the one to wait" he said,standing up. He suddenly felt so tall, so muscular and well built.

"Are you okay?" he asked, caching my eyes on him.

"Yeah I am..I am okay" I said, looking away. Blood rushing into my cheeks.

"I'm waiting for you outside" he smiled before he left. I quickly jumped from the bed, I washed and changed. Griffin left a pair of clothes for me on the bed; another one of his sister's. I brushed my fingers against the soft fabric, a sudden wave of sadness washed over picturing how it happened. I quickly shook the thought away as I got dressed.I then rushed out to the living room. Griffin shrugged his shoulders and his majestic wings sprung out making me lose my balance. He smiled and offered me his hand, I took it and he pulled me closer. Wrapping his arms tightly around my waist he flapped his wings and we flew up high into the air. The day dawned crisp and clear. The sun poured through the curtain of white clouds,it felt as if it was trying to bring with it a new ray of hope. The tint of orange gave a mist pearly glow to the sky. I could hear the faint chirping of the birds coming from a distance, the trees dancing with every blow of the wind, this place was truly magical. Soon we reached Ivy's library, as we descended towards the ground I saw a faint outline of her figure standing by the gate.

"I thought none of you would show up," she said.

"How can we not?" Griffin asked as he put me down on my feet.

"Because a Dark Fey is the last thing Syfyn would want to see" she snarled.

"Where is Syfyn anyway Ivy because as far as I know, no one has seen her for centuries" he said.

"How do you Feies even claim to be smart is beyond me" she chuckled.

"Syfyn lives right where the Mosse realm ends and the roots start" she added.

"And how are you planning to take us?" he asked.

"By the river of course. Did you forget there is no other way to travel, Griffin?" she said, her tone mocking.

"The river doesn't flow here Ivy," Griffin snapped.

"Oh but it does," she smiled.

"As you see it is called the River Of Time for a reason. If it doesn't flow here then this place would have no concept of time or dusk and dawn. But as we both know it is not true, the time moves differently here, but yes it's not frozen. Which means we have to travel up to the river and sail to Syfyn to get our answers" she added.

"And how are we planning to do that?" Griffin asked.

"Oh I have that figured out already. So if you will, shall we stop this chit chat and start our journey? We have a long way to go" she said, gesturing towards the left. Me and Griffin nodded at each other and started walking. Soon Ivy took the lead, guiding our way. We walked south of the city passing dozens of creatures standing and happily talking, it all felt surreal. Soon we came to the edge of a forest, it seemed deadly quiet. A mist of black clouds floated above the forest engulfing it in darkness. I looked at Griffin and he gestured for me to follow him, I nodded.

Dark tree trunks were casting huge shadows. Their branches felt like overhanging limbs across the path. Clumps of bushes crunched beneath our feet as we walked. As we continued in, we could barely see the path ahead, folded in black trails like a snake slithering through the undergrowth. The shining shone through a lattice of leaves and as I looked up I could see the once clear blue sky changing into patchy canvas of black with glimpses of shimmering stars through the tree barks. A strong gust of wind passed through me slipping through leaves that lay on the ground. The sudden sound of coyote calling, followed by the howling of the wolves made me jump. I looked over my shoulder all I could see was endless darkness and nothingness, I gulped. Suddenly I heard padded footsteps, I looked around, my breath growing cold. In the distance I spotted a huge pair of emerald green eyes glowing and I screamed.

"Azura! Are you okay?" Griffin came running towards me, wrapping his arms around me.

"I...I saw something there" I replied, pointing my trembling fingers. But there was nothing, whatever I saw disappeared into thin air.

"Ivy how far is it?" Griffin asked.

"Well the forest is almost over" she replied, pointing towards a small ray of light. Griffin looked at me, his eyes full of concern.

"I'm okay" I whispered. He nodded, pulling back. I started walking. Ivy looked back and saw Griffin's wings extended in a protective shield around me, I smiled. We worked our way along the narrow trail, leaves sliding across my bare skin like wet tongues. We pushed past a few leaves and finally made it into the light, we found ourselves standing on the edge of a dry, barren land. As soon as the warm rays of sun kissed my cheeks a sudden sense of comfort enveloped me.

"So what is next?" Griffin asked, retracking his wings.

"Well now as far as I know there is supposed to be a swamp that will lead us to the dock" she said looking around.

"But I don't see any," she added, resting her hands on her hips.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Griffin asked.

"You are questioning me? Classic!" she rolled her eyes.

"No one is questioning you Ivy," I said.

"Oh the little human has a mouth now" she hissed between her teeth. Before I could respond she started walking away, we quietly followed her. Suddenly the ground beneath our feet started shaking violently and we all sunk in.

"What's happening?" I yelled.

"It's turning into a swamp," Ivy responded. Soon huge rocks emerged from one end, tall trees shot up into the air like arrows, an earthy smell filled my nostrils. I tried to move around but as much as I moved that much the ground swallowed me.

"Azura don't move!" Griffin yelled. A blood curdling scream filled my ear, I groaned in pain. I turned my head back and saw tall, dark figures charging towards.

"Oh no!" Ivy exclaimed.

"What are those?" I asked.

"The undead," Griffin muttered. As they got close I could see their faces clearly. I could see their skin was grey and their mouth twisted. Their unhinging jaws were frozen, they had empty sockets where there are supposed to be eyes and their arms pushed back. I could see some of their bones sticking out. One of them launched at me, I covered my face waiting for the worst. Suddenly I heard a screeching scream. I looked up and saw the creature thrown away. I looked over at Griffin, his wings were stretched with a splash of blood on them. Soon more charged at us, I found both Ivy and Griffin rushing towards me, soon they stood in front of me.

"Azura run!" Ivy commanded as she launched herself at one of the creatures, she ripped his heart out with her bare hands before she jumped on another. I turned and started walking away with as much strength as I had but it was no use. With every step I took the ground swallowed me making it harder to take another step forward. Suddenly I heard a scream. I turned back and saw one of the creatures running towards me. I frantically looked around and saw a rock lying a few meters away. I ran towards it. Grabbing it, I pulled as hard as I could but it wouldn't budge. The scream kept getting closer and closer, with one final pull it finally came loose. I swung it with all my might, the creature's head separated from his body, flying a few feet away and leaving his lifeless body at my feet. Panting, I threw the rock away. A sudden beam of light caught my attention, I followed it with my eyes. I saw something shining from under the bark from a tree at the other end. I blinked, feeling intoxicated by the light,I walked towards it, everything around me fading away. Walking didn't feel so hard as it did moments ago, I bent down and reached my hand out. My hand landed on a small wooden box, I pulled it out and opened it. It had a long horn with intricate carvings and small pieces of gold. I pulled it out, dropping the box on the ground. I felt a sudden flow of energy coursing through my veins, I looked up and saw another creature launching at me, I charged at him and buried the horn deep into his chest, within seconds he crumbled into ashes. Griffin and Ivy looked at me shocked. I saw a creature charging at Ivy, I threw the horn at him, it pierced through his head turning him into nothing but a mere pile of ash. Soon all three of us made it out of the swamp.

"Where did you find this?" Ivy asked, pointing to the horn in my hand.

"In the swamp it felt like it was calling to me" I said.

"Ugh...that's...weird" she arched an eyebrow.

"Why?" I asked.

"That's the Granz" she whispered.

"The what?" I asked.

"That was made of the teeth of the first Fenrir" she said.

"That's a tooth?!" I exclaimed.

"Lady Faith herself made it. But the question is, why is it here and more importantly, out of all of us why did it call out to you?" she flinched.

"How am I supposed to know?" I asked.

"Doesn't matter who it did or didn't call to, the important thing is we got out" Griffin said.

"So where is the dock?" he asked.

"Given that things here are not what it seems, my guess is it could be anywhere" she replied. A rustle in the bushes made all our heads turn. A huge figure emerged, I squinted my eyes and it felt like a pile of rocks was walking towards us.

"Krom! It's so good to finally see you" Ivy said, smiling as she waved.

"Did you think even for a while I won't come?" he asked.

"When I didn't see you as soon as I walked out of that filthy forest, I had my doubts," she smiled.

"I got a little caught up," he said.

"Who are these people?" he added.

"Ugh that's Griffin and that's...a human" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Azura, my name is Azura" I weakly smiled.

"I have never seen a human before! Are they all so tiny?" he asked, bending down.

"Not really, I'm just a little short" I smiled, pulling back my shoulders and Krom laughed.

"If you both are done talking can we go?" Ivy asked.

"Absolutely," Krom replied, turning and walking away. We all followed him.

"So Krom what are you supposed to be?" I asked, jogging up to him.

"I'm a stone troll. I am the lesser known variety" he replied.

"Well before I got here I only knew about centaurs and elves. So to me everyone is the lesser known variety" I said.

"Feels nice to finally not be excluded," he said.

"So Krom what is the deal with Ivy why she hates humans?" I whispered.

"She has her bone to pick with humans. Believe it or not she was once human" he said.

"So she is not a bloodwrath?" I asked.

"What?" he laughed, snorting.

"You cannot just become a bloodwrath. They are the creatures summoned by someone. And trust me if she was one, she would be howling like a banshee and we all would be running away. She was attacked but a bloodwrath, it's cloak brushed against her and usually that would kill a human but she somehow survived. I think she is somewhat between a human and undead" he added.

"Then why does she call herself a bloodwrath?" I questioned.

"I think it's a reminder for her. But don't worry about her once you get to know her you'll see that she is not that bad" he replied.

"I have my doubts about it," I said, glancing over my shoulder. Soon Krom led us to the edge of a dock where a boat awaited us.

"This will take you to Syfyn, climb aboard" he said, gesturing towards the boat.

"Thank you Krom," I smiled.

"Azura!" he called out.

"Be safe there. Ivy is not a bloodwrath but you might find one there" he whispered.

"I will be sure to be careful" I said before I climbed in. The boat took off and the air grew chilly, I could see my breath freezing and my bones shivering.

"Seems like you're not a big fan of the cold," Griffin said.

"Not really" I said, rubbing my arms. Griffin smiled, shrugging his shoulders he draped his wings around me, pulling me close.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much better, thank you" I smiled.

"So are you happy, you might get to go back home soon" he said.

"Honestly, I am not very eager to go back" I pressed my lips.

"Why?" he asked.

"My family...it's not the best," I said.

"They might seem tough but I am sure they love you" he replied.

"Believe me they don't" I snarled. A sudden gust of wind blew through me, knocking me back.

"Are you okay?" Griffin asked.

"I...it felt as if something walked past me" I replied, trying to catch my breath. Suddenly a white mist started gathering in front of me, and a figure of a woman materialized in front of me, floating in mid-air. I looked over at Griffin but his eyes were fixed on the outline of the woman. For some reason her eyes looked sad, as if she was moaning about a great loss. Her eyes travelled from Griffin's eyes to mine, I tilted my head. Suddenly the grief in her eyes was replaced by rage, she charged at me passing through me and disappeared into the darkness.

"What just happened?" I asked, struggling to steady myself.

"The ghosts," Griffin snarled.

"Why did she do that?" I asked.

"No one knows why ghosts do what they do," Ivy said.

"Why are they here?" I asked, getting back up on my feet.

"They have no place they can call home.So they roam between realms" Ivy answered.

"Try not to bother them," she added, walking away.

"Me bothering them?" I squeaked, my eyes widening.

"Can they hurt me?" I asked.

"Physically they can't. And don't worry you're safe with me" Griffin replied, smiling.

"We are here!" Ivy yelled as the boat came to a stop, the three of us climbed down.

"Charming!" Ivy commented. I looked around and all I could feel was cold and distant. It was covered with tall walls carved in back, tiny flakes fell from the sky. As we walked further the feeling of fear grew more prominent in me. I could feel the hair on my skin standing up and my heart beating fast. As I looked up a tiny flake fell on my cheek, I whipped it off but rather than melting it, left a blacktrail behind.

"Is this..?" I gasped.

"Ash, yes" Ivy replied as she continued forward. Suddenly I saw a big shadow being cast in front of me, I looked up and the creature screeched.

"Run!" Griffin yelled. The three of us ran and hid behind a wall. Griffin peaked his head out and quickly pulled back.

"Jormungandrs!" he said.

"Of course Syfyn is using the most dangerous creatures that are out there!" he added.

"So what should we do?" Ivy asked. Griffin and I both gave her a blank look.

"Come on Griffin there are the creatures of The Dark Fey Realm. You must know how to deal with them" she added.

"The only way is to not look at them and run as fast as your legs would carry you" Griffin answered and Ivy laughed.

"Oh you're serious? Come on! There must be another way" she said.

"No there is not," he said.

"Fine!" Ivy groaned as she sprinted out and started running, we followed behind closely. As we ran I could hear the screams of the creatures flying over us. One of them leaped forward and it's hoved wing brushed against my arms, slashing my flesh and leaving a long cut.

"Ugh!" I moaned in pain as I fell to my knees.

"Azura!" Griffin called as he ran towards me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, examining my wound. Another creature leaped forward, scheerching. Griffin rose up to his feet, his wings emerging behind him. He joined both his palms together as he twisted them a crackling ball of green light emerged, he opened his palms and the light charged at the creature throwing meters away.

"Woah" I said as I watched in awe. Suddenly all the creatures launched themselves towards Griffin. He spread both his arms wide and yellowish blue lights cracked in both his palms. I looked up and it seemed that it started raining yellowish blue light and as it touched the creatures they vanished, he clenched his fist and pulled and as suddenly it started it all got over.

"You could have done that before," Ivy said, dusting herself.

"I did not want to," he said, helping me up.

"It's not very nice to come into someone's home, uninvited and harm their pets" a voice said. We looked up and saw a lady floating in mid-air, her long hair flying behind her, her long black cape falling down. She descended down towards us.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked.

"We just requested an audience with you Lady Syfyn" Ivy said, bowing down.

"If you wanted that you should have known that Fey is not welcomed here" she said, eying Griffin. She turned away, ready to leave.

"Lady Syfyn please! We really need your help, but seeing what we have done, we only request you to listen to us" I pleaded, taking a step towards her. She turned, her eyes scanning me.

"Why should I be your audience?" she asked.

"Because only you have the power to break this" I said, extending my arm. At the sight of the mark her eyes widened.

"The Silver Lady!" she mumbled.

"You have my attention," she said.

"My lady it..." Ivy stopped when Lady Syfyn raised her palm.

"I want to hear it from her," she said, looking in my direction. I slightly bowed.

"My lady, I come from the human realm. I had an encounter with The Silver Lady when I visited her, hoping to get her help. I knocked seven times and was granted entry. The Silver Lady pointed me to The Veil Of Faith And Destiny promising that it would grant my wish. She told me to remove all the stones from Mairea's grave and carry the biggest stone to The Veil and in exchange she marked me. The Veil sent me here and now all I want is to just go back home" I said.

"Oh child, she deceived you as she deceives every soul that visits her. The Veil never grants wishes, never did and never can. All it can do is warn you about the consequences of your actions and the possibilities the future holds for you. You don't need to place anything in front of The Veil to give you answers. She never intended to help you and neither did she ever anticipate for you to get here, it was nothing but sheer luck I presume. And the only reason she asked you to remove the stones was so she could once again reunite with Mairea. Tell me child, did you remove the stones?" she asked.

"Some, not all" I replied, her eyes were full of skepticism.

"If she has Mairea then she has declared a war, if not then sooner or later she will find Mairea and declare a war" she said. I looked at her, my eyes blank. She started to fly away but then suddenly stopped.

"Veera! Before she was known as The Silver Lady, her name was Veera. She was the most powerful witch of her age. And as she got older, her ambitions grew. I wanted to learn witchcraft so it would help me survive losing my wings. She, on the other hand, wanted to be the best so one day she could overthrow Lady Faith and become the ruler of the realms. Her quest cost her everything,she was banished from the Mosse, she lost her family,and she could have lost her life too if she did not decide to run and hide. For a very long time all of us thought she was dead, but who knew she would rise one day. The most wicked of all, trying and failing every time she thought of coming back. The last time I saw her she called the Lady Faith for a war. She walked off as the cursed and hideous creature she is now" she finished.

"You must go to Lady Faith to warn her. Tell her I sent you and that this time I will be standing with her against The Silver Lady" she added.

"My Lady, my apologies, but we just want to know a way to send Azura home" Griffin said, bowing down.

"Do as you please then. But I must warn you, going back might not be in Azura's best interest. The Silver Lady marked her and her soul too, belongs to her. If she goes back before defeating The Silver Lady, she will be compelled to do the Silver Lady's bidding and will most certainly lose her life and of others in that process" she replied.

"But if she stays with us she will still be risking her life," Griffin said.

"No creature can harm her, she has my blessing" she said before turning and flew away.

"Now what?" Ivy asked.

"We go see Lady Faith," Griffin said.

"What? Have you lost your mind?" Ivy spitted angrily. "No one just walks in to see Lady Faith! We don't even know where to find her!"

Griffin looked thoughtful, muttering something under his breath. "Azura can't surely stay here for long. We have to find a way to reach Lady Faith. There's nothing else to do!" Griffin replied.

"How do we do that?" I asked.

"There should be some direct way to go to Lady Faith right?" I continued blabbering uncontrollably trying to be of some help.

"Only Lady Syfyn could have told us but...'' suddenly Ivy paused as a huge figure walked towards us. As soon as he reached closer he kneeled.

"What is he doing?" Ivy whispered.

"A part of me says he's here to help" I smiled. The figure rose to his feet and started walking away. All three of us exchanged glances.

"I think we should follow him" I said as I started walking behind the figure.

"How are you so sure Azura?" Griffin aske.

"Honestly, I'm not, I just have faith" I smiled. The figure led us to the dock and helped us board the ship, once settled he turned and walked away.

"I told you we should have faith" I said and Griffin smiled. Soon we were surrounded by apparitions and huge clouds of mist. The figure that attacked me before appeared again, I took a step towards it.

"Azura what are you doing?!" Griffin asked.

"I think her grief is something that made her do what she did before" I said, extending my arm. The figure hovered in the air for a moment and then disappeared.

"So we will not be going directly to Lady Faith by this boat I'm assuming" I said.

"No we have to go through different realms,first we go to the Mosse realm, then we will have to go around because Lady Syfyn said very clearly you shouldn't return to human realm before The Silver Lady falls so we can go through either the Dark Fey realm or the Centaurs' realm. Then getting into the Flaun realm will be difficult as they don't like visitors and then it's the direct gateway to Lady Faith's realm. It is pretty simple, you see" Griffin said with a wry lopsided smile forming on his face.

"Surely sounds exhausting" I smiled.

"Now it is what it is" he said.

"Although if you could go to the human realm, you could try to go through The Veil again but it wouldn't work for Ivy and me" he added.

"Trust me I wouldn't want to go anywhere without Ivy and you" I said.

"You both won't be able to survive without me" Ivy said.

"I was eavesdropping and I won't apologize as it was intentional" she winked.

"You don't need to apologize for anything Ivy, you have been nothing but a great help" I said.

"I heard you were asking Krom about me" she whispered.

"And that's why you were eavesdropping" I joked. She giggled.

"No. I just wanted to know why you are so interested to know?" she asked.

"I just wanted to understand why you hate humans," I answered.

"As Krom told you I used to be human the same as you, and I died because of a bloodwrath and the night it happened I was with people I called friends. The moment they saw the bloodwrath they ran, leaving me there to die. When I rose the next day I wasn't myself." Ivy looked away clearly looking overwhelmed with the conversation.

I did not want to press on but curiosity got the better of me. "How did you come to encounter a bloodwrath?" I asked, squeezing Ivy's arm gently.

Ivy sighed and began narrating once again."I lived in a small village near Wiltshire. In our village there was this old dilapidated mansion which everyone thought to have been haunted. We were forbidden to go anywhere near it. But one day my friends and I happened to find ourselves in its vicinity. Being the hot headed teenagers that we were, we thought that lurking inside the building would be nothing short of an adventure for us. There were six of us who decided to go inside. The moment I stepped inside the mansion I got weird foreboding. I wanted to turn back and run away that very moment but curiosity got the better of me. The place was in complete ruins. Old furniture littered the place and the wind rustled with a slight chill. We found a broken flight of stairs and saw a faint gleam of light visible at the end of the archway. We lurked around the corner and the moment we peeked inside, I froze with horror. I thought I was in the middle of my worst nightmare. I saw three demonic looking creatures gaping at me from the ceiling. They were the bloodwraths. My legs seemed frozen for a second but my state of shock was broken by my friends' screams. I bolted out of the doorway that very second. But in my state of panic I forgot about the stairs and I tripped. I cried for help but none of my friends came back to help me. I lay there panicking and in pain until...." Ivy broke down into a sob.

I knew what would have happened then. The bloodwraths, I knew from the stories, were merciless creatures. They took pleasure in pain and satisfaction in misery. The mere thought of Ivy in that frenzied state gave me goosebumps.

I wrapped her in my arms and tried to comfort her. After sometime Ivy regained her composure and began, "I am sorry Azura. You are not like all those humans I have detested for so long. You are something else."

I looked at her with dazed expressions, waiting for her to explain herself further. But Ivy chose to hold her silence and went back to longingly looking at the river on her side.

"I am something else", I thought longingly thinking about my grandmother who would always say the very same thing to me before tucking me into bed every night.

Suddenly the boat jerked and came to a sudden stop.

"We are here! We have reached the Mosse realm!" Griffin announced, breaking me out of my reverie. I jumped off the boat,my mind still in a daze.

I was still pondering upon Ivy's words to make sense of anything going around me.

"How can I be something else when I am barely even comfortable being my own self?" I thought to myself.

I felt exhausted and excited and confused and nervous all at the same time. All I knew for sure now was that nothing could surprise me any longer. That was all I knew for now.