Capítulo 459: A Boy
"Gela wants to stop Taran as much as we do, maybe more. He did not want to change into this; and I cannot in good conscience let him remain as he is without at least trying to turn him back to normal." Aurora looked with conviction at the faces of those around her.
"Agreed." Zan did not hesitate. Helping humanity was his calling. Even though Gela had morphed into a beast, he was still human at heart.
"I would be honored to have your assistance, Your Majesty, but I fear I am too far beneath you to warrant your notice." The behemoth stood and bowed deeply. His head brushed against the lowest branch.
The white needles shivered and rustled against their neighbors. Then the effect spread like ripples in the pond through each of the trees around them until the entire forest swayed.
The soft eire whispering filled the air as the canopy above them swirled and swayed in a ghastly dance. The group looked up, transfixed up on the phenomenon until it ceased.
Coming from her trance, Aurora giggled. "You are not beneath anyone's notice, Gela. Not even the forest!" She dipped her head, "It is decided then."
"Can you lead us back to Taran?" Nurlan asked, a plan already forming in his mind.
"I think so but…" the Abominable hesitated, unsure how to continue.
"I think I see the problem. After the display we saw of Gela's power, is it really safe for you to travel with him, Your Majesty?" The doctor broke in.
The physician had been brave enough to risk his own life to help the assistant, but Phileas wasn't sure if he could handle Aurora being injured again.
"What do you think, Snowman? Will you be able to keep your head?" Brinn looked at Gela. He seemed like the best—albeit only—source of info about the predictability of his own behavior.
"That's the thing. Without Foxie here, I have trouble keeping control. My emotions take over and I black out." Gela's answer was concerning.
What would they have to do if he lost control and attacked them? Nothing good.
Alvar spoke in the ancient tongue to the little kitsune. It chirped and tightened its grip around the creature's neck.
"What was that? Did it answer you?" Aurora asked the elven prince.
Smiling, Alvar shrugged. "Sort of? I told her to leave now if she didn't want to go on an adventure into the human world with her new friend. She couldn't answer me in ancient tongue, but I think her choice is clear enough."
"It is good enough for me. Are you alright with bringing her along?" The Empress asked the Abominable.
"I hate to bring Foxie from her home, but if she is willing, I will be happy for her company." Gela held out his paw and the kitsune licked it.
A cool sensation penetrated through Gela's fur and comforted him. He smiled at the little creature, his sharp white teeth shining even in the dim light. Then he frowned.
"Having Foxie is no guarantee that things will be alright. The harpies can attest to that. If I should go wild, please stop me however you can. I will not be responsible for any more death or destruction." Gela swallowed hard but it was clear he meant his words.
While it was not a happy thought, the cohort knew it was a necessary conversation. Morbid as it may have been, there was a distinct possibility that they would have to take down Gela to keep him from killing someone else.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Zan responded with a flash of his silver eyes. In the end, their goals were the same, and it would be terrible to let Taran win by ending Gela's life.
"We will do our best to help," Aurora agreed.
Gela was still tense, shifting his weight from side to side. His head made another brush against the branches, causing the trees to gossip about them again. The assistant gave a nervous laugh and dropped to all fours. "Thank you for your help. If it is all the same to you, I think walking like a bear will make things less complicated. Other than Dania, you are the first people to look on me and treat me like a human in months..."
"How you walk won't change that! I've seen Alvar walk in a handstand, and I didn't stop treating him like my husband." Brinn winked at the elven prince, and his golden ears tinged with pink.
"Indeed she didn't, " he agreed. Alvar moved toward his wife
Reyan's stomach suddenly grumbled. "Can this old man get a bite to eat before I lose my appetite watching the love birds flirt?"
The others realized that in their sudden descent from the barrier and the ensuing fight, they had not eaten in quite some time. Additionally, the day was quickly fading. The magical extended day did not apply outside the barrier and the dense tree cover made the night come much more quickly.
Feeling a shift in the daylight, Aurora shivered. "I think we should find somewhere safe to spend the night before we eat. If those creatures chased Gela over the barrier, then they could still be around. We should search before getting any more comfortable."
Under Gela's direction, the group moved away from where Taran's soldiers had found him and deeper into the forest. They came upon a spot where an underground spring leapt from the earth and used the water as a barrier for a side of their small camp.
The magical creatures searched, using their wind magic or portalling in search of danger. After a time they confirmed that, at least for now, no lizards or demented wolves were nearby. Despite a heated debate, a small fire was constructed, but shielded as much as possible from prying eyes of the forest-dwellers.
Aurora welcomed the lightly cooked vegetables that they had brought with them. The centaurs had given them quite the bounty when they departed which would have fed them for quite some time. Unfortunately the cohort had not been able to bring most of it over the barrier with them. As a result, this was the last of their food store.
While she ate, the Empress thought about all the things Gela had told them. One thing stuck out in her mind.
"You said that Dania needed a lot of water and you mentioned a lake. Can you describe where exactly you were?"
It seemed the former assistant had also been lost in his thoughts, for his jumped slightly at her words. "The lake? It is quite a distance from here, but you can see that white wall on the other side of its banks. The shore is very stony and when we were first there, many of the men claimed to see seals in the water and women walking in the night. Only for the first couple of nights though. I think they were just lonely."
Aurora nodded, her suspicions quickly being confirmed. "Nurlan?"
The burly soldier had clearly been listening. "It sounds like they chased Phoca and the others from their home. One more reason I want to ring Taran's neck when I see him."
Nurlan balled his fists. When it came to women he cared about, he was exceptionally protective. Taran had hurt Aurora, tried to hurt Mairwen and now had caused the lovely selkie and her people to flee. Sir Taran was a good as dead in his mind.
"We will make sure Phoca and the others get back their lake, but at least we know where to go. It shouldn't take more than a week or two on foot if we don't portal." Aurora was already making the calculations in her head.
She wasn't great at keeping maps in her mind, but the Empress was pretty sure her times were accurate.
"Not portal!" Reyan was offended.
"I saw how it hurt you to portal Gela like you did. Do you deny it?" Aurora narrowed her gaze at the fairy.
Reyan clinched his jaw. He thought he had been able to hide his reaction. "It was just a little discomfort," he admitted.
"Do you want to go through that discomfort over and over?" Aurora paused as she watched Reyan shake his head. "Beyond that, We need to save your magic for when we really need it." Aurora shrugged.
They were now outside the barrier as well, and Aurora was not keen on letting an unexpected passerby know their strength. Especially since anyone up this far north was very likely tied to Sir Taran.
"Brinn, Alvar..."
"We know," Brinn's skin dulled from gold to a more human color. Alvar, likewise, dimmed his radiance and made his ears look more rounded. Without being asked, Reyan pulled in his wings.
Aurora nodded. "We look more unassuming his way. Well, minus Gela, but there is nothing to be done about that. At first light, we will begin our trek toward the lake. Perhaps we can find a way to contact Ithel from there."
" I know it is not my place," Gela said. "But I have one slight detour I would like to request in our journey."
The others looked at him, confused.
"It won't be out of our way. You see, in my frantic running I found someone else who needed help, but I couldn't do it alone. However, all of us, together, should be able to free him." Gela's eyes shone with hope.
"Free who?" the Empress asked.
Gela paused. "I don't know who he was, but the boy certainly needed help."
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