"So he got the airship done and sailed it over. You got your bag packed rig-"

"Yep", I chirped out, throwing my backpack over my shoulder.

"Thank you for packing up so easily", Jordan sighed.

"Your welcome Jordan", I smiled my normal smile. "You kinda scare me now since you got all cool".

"What?" He glanced back at me and then picked up his own bag from the ground.

We were under the airship as we spoke. The airship looked like something strait off of Treasure planet. (That was another one of the movies I always got to watch.) A wooden ship with what reminded me of windmills under the ship to keep it up. Jordan called them propellers. The sails were white to not scare anyone of another team off.

"Your joking, right?", Jordan asked, having my last comment scare him.

"Well sorta", I shrugged. "I'm not scared of you in a bad way, but it's just kinda cool how you've changed".

"I've changed", Jordan said, "like how".

"Well when you first got here you were a big pansy that couldn't brake down a door even if you wanted to. You were all like-", I pinned my pigtails up on my head with my hand, trying to make myself look like a boy"-Nobody move", I put my left hand out in front of me,"We can deal with peacefully-", I threw my hand back down to my side, "but now your all like, I'll kill you myself biotch".

Jordan laughed, seeming not to agree with my statement even though I thought I was completely right.

I stared up at the airship, "how we going to get up there", I asked.

"They will leave a ladder down-"

"Ugh", I groaned, "then we have to climb up!"

"Well Hope what do you want them to do", he asked.

"I don't know", I said limply, "they could like, teleport us"

"The Wizards have used enough magic on us", Jordan explained.

No Jordan, no they really haven't.

The rope ladder fell down beside my feet, making me jump a little.

Jordan grabbed my pink backpack from me. "Climb, Cmon lets go".

I started up the ladder and looked back down at Jordan when I was about one foot up. "What if I felt like just falling so we would both have to start all over again?"

"Don't try because I will not carry you bag up again"

"Hello everyone welcome to the magic pirate ride, do you have a ticket for two", Tom held out his hand at the Mianites.

Tucker pushed Tom out of the way, trying not to show his smile.

"It was funny cmon", Tom nudged Sonja in the shoulder. "Sonj it was funny. Tell him it was funny".

"I am honestly a tad scared that you are so happy. Your not planning on betraying us are you", Sonja said with a small smirk on her face, meaning she was joking.

Tom sighed leaned back on one of the sides of the ship. "No, no", he started picking at his teeth. "Sacrifices are way to much work".

"Is that what Dianite asks for now", Tucker said, oddly confident and friendly. "Full on sacrifices".

"It's a lot of work for no outcome, really"

"Isn't killing in general a lot of work for nothing?" Hope asked trying to put her bag in one of the cubby holes for our luggage.

"Hope look. Sometimes a person just needs a good arrow through the skull", Tom said.

"I don't know", Hope grunted still trying to put her bag on the top cubby. "If I should be taking advice from you".

Sonja laughed.

"Ouch", Tucker said with Sonja's laughing in the background. "That's gotta sting".

Tom made a face at Tucker and went over to check on Red.

Hope was still struggling with her bag.

I walked over to her while no one was arguing again yet.

"Hope, wha-", I stammered.

She gave me a strange look, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why can't you put it in the bottom?", I asked.

"I don't want it to get wet", she said, still trying to get her bag two feet above her head to the top of the cubbies.

Dear god not one of these things.

"Hope it's an air ship. We are not going in the sea!"

She glared back at me. "You don't know!"

"Yes I do we're going through a portal and-"

I stopped talking seeing that Hope was having none of it.

"Give me the bag", I ripped her backpack out of her hands and then looked back down. "Which one"

"The tippy top one", she pointed upwards, but I really couldn't tell which cubby she was talking about.

I put it on the top middle pleading that that's what she meant.

"Good?" I asked.

Hope nodded her head yes. Turning back to the ship.

Dear lady Ianite, this is going to be a long trip.

"Alright now". Tucker had finally dragged the rope ladder up. "Are we ready".

The portal had continually went around the green, purple, and brown since yesterday.

"Ay", Red spoke.

Oh god he was drunk.

"Erm Red", Tucker asked, like he had just read my thoughts, "Are you okay to drive?"

"I be done driving before", he answered, making even Tom scared about the flight.

"Great", Tom trailed off walking to the back.

Tucker glared back a Tom. Not that he could stop Tom from being rude.

Tucker tipped his hat, giving Red the cue that we were all ready.

The ship lurched start and rammed into the portal, almost like he slammed down on the gas of this thing.

Everything was pitch black, I couldn't see anything, but there was a constant gurgling sound in my ears, like I was stuck under a pool.

I could faintly see the outline of the deck. I followed my footing along the nails in the flooring, trying to find a way to my bag.

I knocked into Hope, who had her white moar on.

"Hope", I said.

She grabbed my arm. Seeming more worried than ever.

"You can't see anything too, can you?" I asked.

She nodded her head no squinting her eyes.

I heard a dragging sound of metal from my right and got my knives out of my holster.

The light from Hope's moar shined on the blade, making the metal more noticeable.

"Who's there!" I demanded.

I heard Hope's bowstring go back.

"I have keen hearing", I threatened, "I could wipe you off your feet if I really wanted too!"

Then I heard a muffled laugh, from my right.

Found you.

I threw my knife to the sound with triggered a whiny 'ow' from the counter part.

Water splashed up on my face suddenly and all the lights turned back on.

"Hey!" I shook my head trying to get the water out of my hair and eyes.

Tom stood infront of me with a bucket in his hand, trying to stop his uncontrollable laughter.

I saw behind me that Hope was drenched from boot to pigtail aswell.

Hope shook her hands dry, glaring at the laughing Tom.

"What was that for!" I yelled. Making Sparkles and Tucker less laughs and more fear.

Tom was just oblivious to incoming death.

"You guys would have been blind if we didn't flush your eyes out with water", Sparkles shrugged, a lot more scared then Tom.

"Why just us!" Hope screamed, wringing out her hair.

"I don't know", Tom set his back to us loosely, "maybe it has to do with the menstruation cycle".

Stupid bastard.

I picked up the bucket that Tom had dropped. I glanced back at Hope seeing that she had the same idea as me.

I threw the bucket, having it hit Tom right between his shoulder blades. He fell on the floor swearing.

"Alright, alright", Tucker said, "everyone calm-"

Tom stood up, "Bloody hell!"

"Down", Tucker finished, glaring over at Tom.

"Now that you all be calmed down", Red stood at the edge of the ship, "Welcome to Athoria".

I finally calmed down enough to take in a deep breath and actually look at Athoria.

The pictures the Wag had shown us were more realistic than I thought. The sky was almost at a permanent twilight. The trees looked like autumn with auburn oranges, reds, and yellows. A few old buildings with lavender siding and crescent windows could be seen by the ship.

Hope jumped off the ship first landing on one of the grey stone paths.

"I'm not being killed yet", she said, almost if she had been expecting more. "Which is good for us I guess".

"You sound disappointed", Sparkles said, jumping down as well.

"I don't know", Hope shrugged, "I just was hopin' I would get to see some cool sorta thing".

I grabbed my holster, jumping down next. The wind made me even more cold.

"Bloody fuck", Tom said, letting Tucker jump before him, "it's fucking windy".

"Your bringing your wallet", Tucker called up to Tom, who was making his way on land.

"Yep", he clicked his tongue, "Don't want to loose it".

"Why did you bring your wallet anyway", I asked. "not as if your going to be able to flaunt it to anyone here anyway".

"I have over a million fucking cense in that thing". Tom was talking about the old currency that we don't even use now anyway. "I'm not leaving it at Mianite for the Modsteps and Nade to rip apart piece by piece".

I heard another person hop down onto the stone path behind us.

"Alrighty, men and ladies", Red walked up by us unfurling a map. "The temple is right up there".

Red pointed to a mountain that was almost so rich and green that it made my eyes want to bleed. Some parts of the mountain clipped off allowing trees to grow in the flat area. A staircase spiraled around the mountain covered in green moss, lavender, and what looked like brown fungi. On top of the mountain was a temple so huge that I couldn't even see the roof that it was hidden the clouds. The only thing audible to see from the ground was a metal gate that glimmered silver from the parts that weren't rusted over.

"Holy shit", I gasped, not being able to watch my language.

"Why", Red said adjusting his maps, "let's get up there before the monsters get to bad".

"Monsters", Hope inquired. "What type of Monsters?"

"Ah like ghost almost, pitch black skin, blue glowing center, surprised you can see through the damned things".

"Like wriders", Tom asked.

"Aw man a wrider", Tucker let out, "Haven't seen one of those in awhile".

"Wriders", Red laughed, "That's what you foreigners calls them".

"Not the most creative name", Tucker shrugged, "But yeah, I hated those stupid suckers".

"Jordan", Hope looked back at Sparkles, "Have you ever even seen a wrider?"

Sparkles adjusted his glasses, "Um, no but I know what there hearts look like".

"Well good", Hope said grabbing an arrow, prematurely ready for a fight. A smirk fell on her face, something that made me feel almost homely. "Cuz that's what you aim for".

We passed lots of those old thin houses. They almost reminded me of lofts, being so thin and tall.

We never got to go inside, but it was almost like all of the space of the buildings was taken to make room for the outside architecture of carves in white stained stone and purple siding.

"Wow what's that", Tom asked, stopping us all on the path.

There the path got wider and turned into a red stone brick that went around what looked like a big gazebo. The white brick foundation was almost as all as one floor so we weren't getting up there if we wanted too. The roof had the same royal purple roofing that everything at Ianaria had.

"Oddly placed, don't you think", Sparkles asked.

It was a lot different then anything else here, he was right on that.

"Let's go guys, we don't want to waste time", Sonja said calmly, trying to move us all along.

We went over a bridge covered with some sorta vine plant over a pond that circled around the mountain.

The bridge squeaked and moved under our feet making everyone give each other nervous glances.

The ponds water was clear and looked as clean as possible, but bugs swarmed around lily pads and frogs jumped out of the water almost invisibly. Nothing about the pond felt clean.

"Everything smells funky", Hope inquired, saying what we were all thinking, putting her arms out at her sides to keep balance and a little more peace at mind.

"Just", Sonja breathed in. Her ashen complexion made me think that she was the one who needed the helpful words more. "Don't look down or think about the smell", She gasped out, gulping down whatever secret fear of heights or water she had.

She never tells me anything.

Noting why I was scared, my mind started to wander. We had felt with a lot scarier things than a disgusting pond that didn't look too disgusting. Since I had stepped foot on this place it had been frightening and eerie.

The bridge went from a rickety wooden one to a stone one that was worn out with time.

Everybody's posture loosened not having to go over the water anymore.

"Here we are", The pirate spoke up, double checking his map just incase.

The stairs looked like they had once had a stone roof over the parts that weren't covered by the mountain themselves, but nature had taken control and the once beautiful stairs were now broken and covered with mushrooms and moss.

We were all silently going up the stairs, trying to catch our breath from climbing up at least 54 flights. The climbing plus the groggy and rotten smell coming from the plants and water, made everything worse.

Red stopped us all suddenly and sniffed the air like a dog, sorta creeping me out.

He stopped abruptly and grabbed out his map. "Yep, we can't go this way".

Everyone sighed and groaned, slouching there shoulder. Hope flopped on the floor moaning something under her breath.

"Why not", Sparkles asked, not even trying to grab Hope.

"See those flowers", Red pointed to a bright pink and blue bush that didn't seem out of the ordinary.

"Yes", I answered, pleading that he would hurry up and we could finally go to the temple.

"If the fragrance gets any stronger from them, we could die", Red informed us about the horrifying news.

"Oh", Hope said, lifting her head up from the ground.

Red shoved the map back in his pocket, getting it all crinkled up because he didn't even try to fold it.

"We have to go around, you guys take one breath real full of the flowers pollen yous all die", He turned and smiled at us, even though we were in no mood to smile. "We need yous all heros you know".

Hope muffled something into the ground that I couldn't here.

"Huh", I asked, nudging her head with my foot.

She lifted her head again. "Why don't we just hold our breath to the other end?"

"What no", Sparkles started off, "Hope that's a stupid id-"

"Actually I'd never thought of that's", Red said, looking over at the flowers, "Well my, that actually might work".

Sparkles scolding expression went shocked, "Are you serious right now-"

"Did seem a little stupid to go all around!" Hope shouted loud enough into the ground so we could hear her.

"What?!", Sparkles held out his hand in protest, "No we can't, no one has tested this and-"

"I'll test it!", Hope shouted, springing up like a pop tart fresh out of the toaster.

Sparkles slid his head against the stairwell for a short time then made this noise that sounded like the middle of a scream and a groan before he got back to Hope with an answer, "Fine Hope. Let's go-"

"I'll go", Sonja got up from her leaning position. I think the smell was starting to make her feel sick. "I need to get out of here".

Sparkles, like the rest of us, was to scared to argue with Sonja and let her go with.

"I'll go and make yous feel better about yours little ladies", Redbeard said, standing in front of the girls.

I'm surprised no one got offended by that comment.

"Alright Hope", Sonja grabbed Hope's little hand.

Hope smirked lifting out her leg right at the line, like she was getting ready for a race. "I got this!"

"One", Sonja sighed out her last breath before running, "two", both of the girls held there breath and ran for it.

"Good luck", I shouted more for the fact that Red was stuck with the girls.

The girls were out of sight since they had ran up a curve in the stairwell and the pollen was as thick as fog as it was.

It was enough time for me to worry before Sonja screamed down that they had made it safely.

I glared at Tom who was walking beside me to stand at the line. "I'm not holding your hand".

"Pfft", Tom said, stretching his arm out. "I know".

Sparkles slid by us, shrugging, holding his breath, and then running into the pollen.

Both of us seemed surprised by the sudden bravery and lack of care from him.

Tom shook his head, and then pushed me to the side, jumping into the pollen smog after Sparkles.

I held my breath and ran in after Tom, seeing the joke that he was starting to play.

I was more jogging then running, sorta afraid that I would trip on something and take a breath. Not that walking slow would help with the fact that I couldn't see shit.

I saw what I thought was Tom at the time, and started to run over. My lungs were starting to hurt so I was trying to make my way through as fast as possible.

I knocked into Tom and he held his mouth shut backing up and giving me room to try not to blunder up the plan an kill ourselves.

He backed up father until I saw Sparkles behind Tom, making his way to other side of the fog like we should of been.

I threw my hands out, NO WAIT!

Tom knocked back into Sparkles, knocking him right over the edge of the stairwell.

He screamed, opening his mouth before Tom could reach him.

I ran over and help Tom by grabbing his other foot before he fell out of his grasp.

"God damnit Tom!", He yelled back at us. His voice sounded like it almost cracked. "Now we're never going to save Ianite", his voice literally two octaves higher. Like he was sucking in helium from a balloon. "and it's all your-"

Sparkles held his mouth closed now realizing what we were both shocked about.

"My voice", he screamed in such a high pitched voice that I wanted to rip off my ears.

Sparkles started to slip from our grasp.

Tom ran quickly to the stairwell knocking himself onto the ground and making him gasp along with.

These idiots.

"Aw fuck", Tom let out with an already changed voice.