Here we go again. Walking down a dirt path in the direction of something we are unsure of. My back already hurt, and my boots rubbed my ankle a little too much for comfort. The two were a lot calmer and relaxed than when we left the town. So much for staying alert. Kurky held his dagger, continuing to run the blade under his short stubby nails. Crane flips through the torn pages of a strange book. That book intrigues me; it never leaves his side. As we travel down the road, I examine it. The leather on the front was coated with dry rot and had parts missing from the spine. I make a mental note to ask about it later since I refuse to speak with him at the moment. The silence did erk me somewhat, but not enough to try and have a conversation with Crane.

My boots scoffed against the dirt, kicking up dust and debris. Rocks bounce off my boot with every step I make; my staff turned walking stick, hitting the side of my thigh. The silence at this point was getting annoying, and my hangover was mostly gone.

"So," I trail off, adjusting my braid, "how did a gnome and a human wizard decide to go adventure together?"

Kurky lets out a small laugh, placing his dagger back in its sheath. Crane pays no attention and continues to read the book in his hand.

"Well, we met on a ship headed from Venzor to Fallkirk ten months ago." He scratches his bald head, "Why Crane was on that ship? I have no idea. I, on the other hand, had just left my monastery about seven months before we had met, been over a year now."

"Your monastery?" I pry.

"Yes, you could say I didn't like traditions anymore. So, I chose to find my own path." Kurky looks off fondly, "Call me a monk with no religion." He stifles a laugh.

"I see," I gaze down to Kurky, his face falls, and peers down to the path, "You, Crane?"

Crane closes the book, placing it in the pocket of his robe, "What is it?"

"You weren't listening?" I cross my arms and cock a questioning brow.

"No, I was reading." He gestures at his book in his pocket.

A wispy giggle flutters through the air, causing me to slow my pace. "Did you hear that?" I question, looking off into the forest and the land surrounding us.

Kurky and Crane look at me with confusion. "No, what are you talking about?" Kurky questions me.

"I heard a laugh," I state.

"The humidity must be getting to your head." Crane brushes me off.

My stomach turned, and a weird feeling fell over me. I sped up and walked between the two men. I was scared, to say the least, but I refuse to admit it to them.

I know I heard something. Maybe it is just the heat? My voice rings in my mind.

Ten or fifteen minutes pass as we walk down the straight path. I didn't hear the giggle again, but that didn't change how on edge I felt. The breeze was calming, and the sweet aroma of honeysuckles danced with the current.

"What is that?" Kurky points to the side of the road. My eyes follow his finger and land on a bush.

"A bush?" Crane rolls his eyes.

"Look closer!" Kurky huffs in annoyance.

As we walk closer, the bush slowly sinks into the ground. A chest sits perfectly parallel to the road, too obvious to miss. That is entirely normal. I mentally roll my eyes.

Kurky and Crane approach the chest, inspecting it. Vines wrapped around the bottom and snaked up to the top, curling and gripping it securely. Aside from the vines, the chest was in excellent shape. It was composed of light-colored wood, and the hardware was in pristine condition. The latch is firmly fastened to the wood, with vines wrapping around the hole where a lock would be installed. This is bizarre, and the state of the chest is unsettling, to say the least. I kept my distance, keeping a careful eye on Kurky and Crane. My stomach churned with an unsettling feeling.

"I am not touching it," Crane refuses, "If you want to be stupid enough to do it, go ahead."

"It's just a chest, Crane," Kurky retorts, "What if it has treasure?"

Another chuckle sounds from behind me as the two banter back and forth. I swiftly turn around to find nothing. The laughing grows louder as it encircles me. I look around again and saw a little winged humanoid. Her hair was crimson, and she had gold wings the size of my palm. She appeared in front of my eyes, smiling warmly at me.

"Hello, there," She coos, another small giggle following her words. I take a step back, gazing at the little faerie in awe.

"You're so beautiful," She circles my head, playing with my wisps of hair, "Would you like to be friends?"

My body felt heavy, and my arms could only slump to my sides. I stare at her, watching every movement she made. My mouth feels dry, and my words were hung in my throat; my eyes couldn't leave her.

"We'll have so much fun, my dear!" She gleams with a strange look in her eyes.

As the noises of the grass in the air grow muted, the world around me feels sluggish. Except for her lovely words, everything around me fell silent. I no longer have that gut-wrenching feeling. My shoulders tighten up, and I can hardly breathe out of my lungs. She gently pulls me closer with her tiny fingers beneath my chin. The ringing in my ears is so loud that it seems like my head is about to explode. My feet are no longer feeling the earth as I am whisked from my position. Before going into the woods, the fairy dodges a tiny knife slashed in her way. In my thoughts, her maniacal laughter is shrieking. My lungs gasp for breath as the pressure within of me escapes. I feel someone's arms tightly gripping my waist before dropping me to the ground. I cough and hack; the air around me feels like coarse sandpaper scratching my windpipe.

"Fuck," Kurky curses, "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" I heave.

Crane leans down beside me. "That faerie was about to take you away. Kurky tried to kill her, she flew away, and I tried to tear you away from her trance."

"Oh," I cough out, "I knew that laughter was real."

Kurky looks to Crane, "The chest."

Crane turns to look, "Of course," He stands up from my side, brushing his robe off, "The chest was just a mirage to keep our attention somewhere else," Crane shakes his head, "Damn faeries."

My head throbs violently in my skull, and blood drips from my nose down to the dirt below. Unwanted tears fall down my face. What is the deal with creatures wanting to kidnap me?

"I thought elves couldn't be charmed like that?" Kurky states aloud, allowing me to lean on him for support.

Crane throws a handkerchief from inside his robe down to the ground where I sit. I grab it and place it gently under my nose to stop the bleeding. "Elves, yes." Crane begins, "Meli is a half-elf, so they can still be charmed to some degree." He gazes down at me.

"Ugh," I breathe out, "I am just tired now." My head pounds and my stomach feels so nauseous; I could vomit any second.

"We have to push a bit further, and then we can set up camp." Crane says, "Do you think you can handle that?"

I scoff, "Yes, I'm not a child."

"See? You're already feeling better." Crane starts walking in the opposite direction, leaving Kurky and me on the ground.

I hate him. I hold his handkerchief to my nose, notes of his smell wavering under the scent of my blood.

Kurky walks beside me, making sure I don't fall over from my lightheadedness. My headache fades with time, and my nose stops bleeding. We walk for some time before stopping at a clearing that was off the side of the road. It is more of a meadow, with tall grass up to our calves. A stone fire pit was built in the center of the small field, with enormous logs of dead trees lying beside it. The stone surrounding the firepit looked old, fractured, and like it hasn't been used in years. Weeds sprouted in the center of the rocks, curving into every crack and crevice of it. The trees provide shade from whatever light the dark sky may emit, making it an ideal sleeping spot.

Kurky breaks off branches and gathers dried leaves, bringing them to the center of the pit. I help build a small teepee of the limbs, scattering the leaves at the base. I gaze up to see Crane flipping through his book, like always.

"Are you gonna help?" I ask him, creating a small ball of fire in my palm.

"You two seem to be handling it just fine." He states, never taking his eyes from the pages.

I breathe out a long-drawn-out sigh, "What is so important in that book, anyhow?"

"How is that any of your business?" Crane asks, his posture never faltering.

"It's just a question, Crane," I state, eyeing him, "You're so secretive."

"And you're too naive and open about everything." He closes his book.

I open my mouth, but Kurky's voice interrupts me. "Can we please just get camp set up and go to sleep?" He huffs, "You two can bicker tomorrow." Kurky rolls out his bag, fluffing it.

I turn my attention back to the fire pit, flicking the ball of fire into it. It erupts in flames, sending smoke into the air. The fire will hopefully keep any bugs away or scare away any animals.

"So, who is keeping watch?" Kurky asks Crane and me, "It ain't gonna be me, cause I am exhausted." He points to his chest, flopping onto the ground stubbornly.

"Don't you think we're all exhausted, Kurky?" I question him, annoyance seeping through my words.

"I never said you two weren't." He says.

He's so stubborn and a bit lazy.

"The best choice is, of course, Meli." Crane takes off his velvety robe, laying it on the ground beside him.

My eyes graze over his body. I had never seen Crane without his robe before, and for a thirty-year-old wizard, his muscles were prominent. Cranes shoulders were broad, and his chest stretched his khaki shirt. His arms bulged out from his shirt sleeves, and veins popped out from under his forearm. My face grew warm. Of course, I would blush at that; who wouldn't? Crane's lips twitch with a wicked grin, his gaze analyzing my reaction. My eyes snap away from the imagery in front of me, and I recall Crane's words.

"Why me?!" I exclaim, looking at the fire pit in front of me, avoiding Crane's eyes.

"Because you're a half-elf." He begins, "Half-elves and elves only need about four hours of sleep."

"Well, yeah," I stutter, gazing back to him, "That doesn't mean I'm not tired."

"Then that settles it; wake one of us up after eight hours." He adjusts his shirt, sitting back on the log.

I groan, "You're the most frustrating man I have ever met." I state under my breath, earning me a small chuckle from Crane.

◈ ◈ ◈

Days turn into weeks. Two weeks to be exact. I feel disgusting, and I wouldn't say I liked the sound of crickets ringing in my ears anymore. Crane says we should be reaching the capital of the Unseelie soon, but he also said that two days ago. Thankfully we hadn't encountered any trouble, just some smaller monsters who scurried away.

The sightseeing, on the other hand, had improved. The thick woodland to our right had given way to a breathtaking sight of mountains. The ridged rocks kiss the sky, and the stones glimmer, refracting light. The tops were white, but they reflected pink and blue colors. Crushed jewels appeared to blanket the surface, gleaming brilliantly into the twilight sky. I've never seen such beauty in all my travels.

I never know exactly what time of day it is or how many days exactly had passed. It's a bit frustrating to some degree, but I suppose there isn't anything I can do about it.

Kurky watches the passing scenery, his eyes following it closely. As dull as always, Crane hugs himself in his robe, paying no attention to Kurky or me.

"We should be entering the capital soon," Crane states again.

"You've said that a lot," I roll my eyes.

Crane clears his throat, turning to peer through me, "Well, I'm letting you know again."

I chuckle to myself; my attention turned back to walking.

Arches materialize in front of us, just like they did in the last town. These arches, on the other hand, stood about 10 feet higher than the preceding ones. Our trail leads out to an extended road as we get closer. People go in opposite directions, squeezing by the other person by a hair's edge.

"Even the outside of the capital is busier than the last town," Kurky breathes out, standing closely behind me to avoid getting swept away in the crowd.

"You're right about that," I gaze back and down to Kurky, gripping the belt around my waist.

"Just keep your heads down," Crane hushes back to us.

In comparison to the town of Theya Omen, the gates are strongly guarded. Soldiers with towering stature stood stiff and proud. They were tall and slender, but they exuded an air of elegance. Their armor was encrusted with various vines and whirling patterns. They keep their swords buried in the ground, reluctant to look anyone in the eyes. Elven citizens walk past them as if they were statues, and I would as well, given the aura they emit. I twirl my braid between my fingers; anxiousness boils within me.

I wouldn't be so nervous if Crane hadn't said keep our heads down. It makes me feel like if they see us, they'll kill us. I let out a shaky sigh, ignoring the twisting feeling knowing I am just slightly overreacting.

I look to the left and right of me, soaking in the scenery. It went on for miles and miles, with no end in sight. We walk past the guards, and two of them keep a close eye on us. Crane strides confidently, his nose pointing to the sky. Kurky and I, on the other hand, are huddled together in a state of weariness. I keep a careful eye on one of the guards as he scans us and talks softly to the guard next to him. His attention immediately turned to meet my gaze; my eyes snap to Cranes back.

"Uh," I stammer, trudging behind Crane, Kurky tailing my heels, "I don't have a good feeling about this, Crane."

"What do you mean?" Crane gazes back at me. We walked far enough, the guards were no longer in view, but I still felt weird about the whispering.

I quicken my pace to lean in closely to Crane, "The guards were whispering as soon as we walked by them," I state, "Don't you think that is a little offputting?" He strokes the hair on his chin, glancing behind me.

"I didn't," He motions for us to keep walking, "That is strange they would start whispering about random travelers."

"My thoughts exactly," I say.

"It could be because our races aren't seen here as much." Kurky pipes in with a hushed voice.

"Good point, Kurky." I flick my grayish-brown braid behind my back, "But they did it so quietly and with a weird expression."

His eyes peer into mine, his pupils scanning me for something, "How did you even notice all that?" He questions me, turning to Kurky, "Did you?"

"I did when Meli pointed it out." He says with a thought.

"Either way, keep walking. We'll find a tavern and get settled for the night." Crane lets out a sigh, "Tomorrow, we'll go speak with the Queen if we can." Crane adjusts his robe with annoyance before someone loudly clears their throat.

"Good day, weary travelers." A petite elvish man bows firmly to us. His sand-colored hair was long and reached down his back, and his two strands were braided out of his face. His clothing consisted of satin and silky materials with teal hues. The buttons were so shiny; they had to have been hand polished. He holds out a letter to the three of us in an open palm.

"Queen Lyra would like to speak with you," He says, a warm smile spread across his face.

"Speak with us?" Kurky asks, baffled, crossing his arms over his chest.

I shoot Crane a worried look, but his eyes were calm and void of expression. Crane takes the letter from the young elf's hand, popping the seal on the rolled paper. He scans it before rolling it shut. People rush around us, paying no mind to the fiasco in front of them.

"What is this about?" I ask aloud, a strange feeling bubbles in my stomach.

The elf leans up from his bow, adjusting his clothing, "As it states on the paper, Queen Lyra would like to speak with you, young travelers." He smiles again, "Oh, and she also said she would like to host your stay while you are in the Unseelie." He beams.

"Host our stay?" I cocked an eyebrow. I feel very unsure about this; why would she want to speak with us and don't know who we are?

"Yes."

"I don't see why not!" Kurky grins, "When are we going?"

"Now, of course," The elf moves from Kurkys grip, wiping his shoulder gently.

"We were going to request to speak with her tomorrow, saves us the trouble." Crane states, stepping forward, "Lead the way then."

"Marvelous!" He clasps his fingers together, turning on his heels, "Follow me, then!"

He happily trudges in front of us, not turning to see if we were following. Kurky motions us to follow, but I couldn't shake my feelings away.

"We aren't going to question this anymore?" I say through gritted teeth in Cranes direction.

He rolls his eyes, turning his head to me. He leans in close, a little too close, actually. His breath was cool across my face, and his eyes tear into me with annoyance.

"The letter has the signature of the Queen and her wax seal, but if the bastard is lying, we kill him. Simple." Crane whispers, "And I'll have a new plaything!" His tone mocks mine, his teeth tense under his jaw. He yanks his head forward, following behind the messager. I huff, annoyed at how gullible and hypocritical they can be.

Wait.

"What do you mean by plaything, Crane?" I rush with a jog after him, but he ignores me, closing his eyes gently, tailing Kurky.