High up in the air, seven humanoid figures were flying at speeds impossible for any bird or other natural creature to ever reach.

It had taken Tiaren roughly a week to teach the five former humans from Earth how to use the fairy’s wind spell to fly at impossible speeds. Beings this was a bloodline spell for the fairies, it was really more a mystery how they had not learned it already. They’d just had bad teachers before is all it amounted to, and she was quick to remedy the problem.

Of course, it certainly helped that they already knew just enough to get themselves airborne with the spell. Normal fairies could fly with just the force of their flapping wings, but a great fairy weighed way too much to fly that way. Wind magic was the only way they even got off the ground at all. The only issue is that they hadn’t been using the spell to it’s full potential. An issue she was quick to remedy.

She and Terrie did not have time to teach them any more than that, though. The very moment they were capable of flying at super-sonic speeds while avoiding a sonic boom effect, they gathered the group together and immediately took off on their westward flight.

Terrie, who was flying out in front, suddenly threw up a hand signal. Upon seeing that, everyone slowed to a stop and hovered together. The newcomers were not able to guard their mental speech yet, so it was agreed that all communication should be verbal until they had time to teach them properly.

”There’s a river up ahead.” Terri said. “We gotta raise our altitude until we get over it. Gonna go into the frost zone for a while.”

Even though he’d mentioned a river, the rest of the group could see nothing but more rolling hills. Terri had been almost constantly using a light refracting spell to enhance his vision, re-casting it the moment it ran out of power in order to keep it in effect. This was the main reason he had been flying point. Due to this spell, his vision was the best, and he could make judgement calls like these.

“Whey do we gotta fly up higher just because of a river? We’re already flying anyway. What’s the problem?”

Contrary to expectation, it was Evan, the young man of the group, who was asking the complaint sounding question rather than Cristie who was known for this sort of thing. The young lady had actually been rather quiet since she had gotten free of their bindings, and everyone else was largely going along with things as they go as well. There was a silent mutual understanding that they were all completely out of their depths right now, and it was these two newcomers who knew what was going on. As such, as people who knew nothing and had the world against them, they couldn’t afford to put up a stink with them around.

It was only Evan who seemed relatively unchanged and about as vocal as he had been before.

“Rivers mean towns, and towns have changelings.” Terri said. “That big fire dragon that popped out of the ground did us a favor. The fey court probably thinks you lot are dead right now. If they suddenly sense five or seven magic sources flying through the human regions though, those spies of the queen will report straight to her and then who knows what we all will be accused of.”

“We don’t need to be caught up in any more of that dragon lady’s games.” Terri continued. “The best bet is if you lot stay dead in the eyes of the world till we get out of where the fairies have influence. We’ve gotta leave no trace though for that to work. We can’t risk any report at all getting back to the queen that might allow her to trace us. She’s got a pretty serious intelligence network out here, and those changelings really know what they’re doing. They don’t mess around.”

“He’s probably right, kid.” David, one of the adult men of the group of 5, said. “We can ask more questions once we’re out of here. For now, we just gotta get out. It’ll be alright. We can take a little ice on our wings. It’s not like we actually use them anyway when we’re flying with this wind magic.”

As this discussion was going on, one of the other members of the group approached Tiaren. This was Veronica. The woman who Tia had saved at the last minute from the explosive release of that dragon thing during the rescue operation.

“Is… is there something wrong?” She asked.

Tiaren had been staring at a spot down on the ground the entire time everyone else had been talking, and she definitely had an expression that was a little off.

“I can feel Asaren.” She said. “She’s down there… and, she’s talking to… THAT again.”

“Umm…” Veronica responded and cast a somewhat helpless gaze around the rest of the group.

“Asaren’s her sister.” Terri supplied. “She’s sort of got a special bond. She’s able to sense her from just about anywhere in the world most likely. We’re not really sure on what the limits of it are.”

“Oh…” The woman said.

“SHE had a sister?” Cristie suddenly spoke up. “Umm… so… what’s that mean for us? You wanna see her now?”

However, she was met with silence once again.

“Ahem.” Jamie, the other guy in the group, cleared his throat. “That’s probably a pretty rude question to ask in this situation.” He said.

“What?! I’m not trying to be mean here or anything! I mean, I would want to see my sister if she was around! Wouldn’t you? I’m trying to be nice here!” The girl protested.

Now, she was met with some rather hard looks from everyone else.

“Terri just told us, didn’t he? We can’t risk anyone at all finding us.” Jamie continued to explain. “In a situation like this, it would have been better to say nothing about that.”

“It wouldn’t matter even if we weren’t on the run.” Terri commented, and then sighed. “Never mind. I didn’t say anything. Anyway, things are complicated between those girls. It’s something better left alone. We’d best get going.”

***

{I am going to tell you this. The human mages are servants of a traitor to the gods and to the fey. They will not be accepted in the lands of the Hidan.}

Nandin stared down the nervous looking city official serving as the representative to the local lord. He was originally set to speak with the noble himself, but he refused to come out and meet him. Meanwhile, Nandin had refused to enter within the city. So, they were now speaking through a messenger.

{I… I understand that.} The man stammered as he squirmed under the Hidan man’s harsh gaze. {We… his majesty merely wished to inform you. We did not invite them in here, but we could not refuse them. We do not wish to be between the mages and the Hidan, or look as though we were supporting their presence here.}

Nandin stood in silence for several seconds as he merely gazed back at the cowering man. The weak city official absolutely withered and cringed back under that harsh gaze. Meanwhile, the Hidan man’s face grew increasingly contemptuous as he took in the behaviors of this weak man.

{Hmph!} Nandin scoffed. {Very well then. We will not declare war on this weak city simply for cowering and allowing the tratorous human mages to enter this place where you dwell as they rape you of the promising talents among you. If you can work up the back bone, tell them that if they step one foot off the river outside of a city, they will be judged by those who truly honor the fey.}

{Now, is that all you had to say?} Nandin stared down the sniveling man like he was some kind of animal droppings he had just stepped in.

{Err… yes… ah!}

Almost before the man had finished talking, the grizzled Hidan warrior had turned and was already walking away. He did not know what to do as the man seemed extremely agitated. It was a known thing that the Hidan had a problem with the marshland mages. However, the poor city official had not been prepared for the level of pure irritation he’d seen in this man.

Nandin continued to stalk his way back to the small temporary camp the rest had set up. The others could also tell he was upset.

[Send word back to the matriarchs.] He growled. [The mages of Neruu have entered this town. If Levin and Rolwen are not back by the appointed time, we will have to go on the attack.]

He stalked off in a random direction. [I had never thought we’d gotten so far west that they would interfere. But this is exactly why I disliked this idea from Asaren.] He grumbled and growled as the rest of the members of the escort party directed helpless glances at one another, trying to figure out who was going to carry out these orders from the old veteran.