Chapter 3 Charging Into The Unknown

I had to blink twice to be sure of what I was seeing. Moose was the forest realm, I remembered Griffin telling me that the previous night. But nothing that Griffin had told me earlier even came close to what I was witnessing in that moment. The sun shone from three different directions in the sky in shades of golden, sepia and red, painting the entire landscape with an uncanny magical haze. There were trees so tall and lush that they seemed to be connected directly to the sun.

The rays of mellow sunlight filtered through the verdurous canopy, penetrating through the leaves and casting an unearthly green–gold luminescence over the ground. They were in varying shades of green: some were still budding, emerging a fresh, limey color into the summer, whilst the grown, flatly panned leaves brushed a lush emerald under the overhead sun. The soft crunch of them on the ground made me wistful. The view felt like a faded, shredded tapestry of autumn. As my eyes soaked in every little detail I thought back to the times when the crisp golden hues and the vibrant oranges that had blanketed the forest that grandmother used to take me for our long walks together. I still remember how we'd danced, pirouetted from the naked trees in a shower of colour, bringing a warmth to the biting chill that was beginning to settle in my life as I grew up. As a cold breeze made me turn my head I saw the branches flourish with blossoms of every colour imaginable. The earth below my feet was covered in golden dust. It felt like I was walking on solid gold! For a second, I thought I was transported to one of the pages of those magical tales that my grandmother used to tell me every night before bed. The stories that gave me the strength to live through the dark nights and wake up every morning with a glimmer of hope in my heart. I remember how I used to walk to my grandmother's room every morning to only find her already up and waiting for me, but one morning when I walked into her room she was nowhere to be found. I dashed out of the house looking all around, hoping to find her somewhere with a new story and a plate full of biscuits. But after that day I never found her, I never got to see her smiling face again. Mother told me that grandmother had to leave, whenever I asked why she never answered. And the day I visited her grave, I got all those answers in the most painful way possible, but I still got them.

I seemed to have a very creative imagination from a very young age. "Azura, the world is your oyster", I longingly remembered my grandmother telling me everytime she held me close.

"It is full of beautiful places and wonderful magical things just waiting to be discovered by you child!", she would say.

I would nod at her enthusiastically as she would go on to paint a picture of realms filled with unicorns and fey and centaurs less spoken of.

Did grandmother have any idea about the existence of these places? I thought. I always thought they were merely stories! A mere distraction which my grandmother would spin into words to transport me from the banality of my existence. But the past week has made me realise that they were not just stories. Only that they were all true!

"How do we find our way from here?" I heard Griffin ask Ivy, looking extremely worried about being pitched in an unfamiliar environment.

"And in all these years of my existence I was made to believe that fey were supposed to be omniscient!" Ivy retorted with a sly smile creeping on to her lips.

Griffin rolled his eyes at Ivy and looked at her impatiently waiting for her to answer his question.

"So much for breaking the ice, eh?", said Ivy. "We have to cross the Lazurus forest and pass through the El Tirado mountains." she continued. "We can fly from there to the river of Time and..." she paused, looking rather uncertain.

"And..?" Griffin pressed on. His impatience was rather visible on his face as his brows arched slightly looking imploringly at Ivy.

"And then hope for the Charons to let us pass through." Ivy replied

"Charons!" Griffin bellowed in a rather concerned voice. "Charons are guarding the river in Mosse! I thought Mosse did not have any shield of protection unlike the other realms!" Griffin continued.

"It doesn't!" Ivy said rather nonchalantly. "That is why we were able to get in here easily. But entering a realm is one thing and leaving it unscathed is something completely different."

Griffin looked increasingly concerned at this statement.

"What are Charons?" I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Charons are the creatures that were once believed to be members of the kingsguard of King Laiman," said Ivy.

"They were sent across realms by the King to protect the realms and forge harmony. They are particularly tough to deal with because...how do I put it?" Ivy said hesitantly.

"They are shrewd creatures", said Griffin lookin sullen. "They never help you without having an ulterior motive. And even when they do decide to extend their help, they do so in the most ambiguous way possible."

"But if they are members of the Kingsguard of King Liaman wouldn't they be glad to extend their help to us in a fight against The Silver Lady? We are trying to prevent a war against the realms after all!" I said.

"It is not that simple, Azura", replied Griffin.

"Charons are fierce warriors and very intelligent creatures. But what they possess in strength, they lack in loyalty and honor." Griffin continued.

"We need only worry about the Charons when we get there", said Ivy. "And if we get there", she muttered under her breath however with no intention to remain unheard.

"We must reach the end of El Tirado before the third sun sets, otherwise we would never be able to cross it." said Griffin, anxiety clear in his voice .

"The mountains are rumored to be filled with reserves of undiscovered treasures and by the night the foulest creatures lurk in its depths in the hope to be able to find themselves a fortune", Ivy curtly replied sensing the question in my mind.

We walked towards the Lazurus forest. The expanse of trees ahead of us seemed never ending. Or probably I thought so. The canopies provided a slight glimpse into the overcast weather which turned the shades of greenery even darker. Unnecessary criss-crossed pathways with crickets chirped in broad daylight - it was truly a sight to behold. As we walked in further, I occasionally saw insects that weren't quite what I have seen in my entire life. Somewhere rather large with a dozen legs, huge antennas and big black bulging eyes. As we got deeper, the trees were getting denser. As we advanced, it was becoming impossible for even a single beam of sunlight to penetrate through them. Griffin shrugged his shoulders and his wings emerged once again making me unsteady on my feet for a second. He trailed off hovering in the sky, just a few feet above us navigating the pathway ahead.

Ivy walked behind me keeping a close watch on any unwelcome creatures lurking in the dark, ready to attack. I looked behind and tried to study her face in the dim light. Her paper thin skin was as pale as snow. Her arms were bruised and showed long scars on either side of her wrist.

"Ivy", I said, slowing down my pace to catch up with her.

"Yes?" replied Ivy distractedly.

"Why were you banished to live along with the outcasts?" I said.

"I wasn't." she said. "I chose to live here."

I looked at her with a surprised and confused look on my face.

"When the bloodwrath attacked me that night, the Queensguard of Lady Faith were somehow alerted." Ivy said.

"I later learnt that the bloodwraths were allowed to remain on the human realm only on the condition that they would never cause any harm to any resident of that realm. But when they attacked me and tried to kill me, they broke their promise to Lady Faith and as a consequence of their actions, they were sent to the Eternal Fall to be punished for all eternity." she continued.

"The Eternal what?" I asked, looking even more confused than when Ivy had started to tell me her story.

"The Eternal Fall. It is sort of a prison where wrong-doers are captured and punished for eternity, their guilt being the primal source of tourture. But as bloothwraths are soulless creatures with no such thing, their tourture is more physical and some are even destroyed in the process" Ivy said.

"No one knows what happens to the people with souls who end up there. They are just as good as dead. Only that they are not actually dead. They are tortured, instead" Ivy said, letting out a sharp sigh.

I reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"After I survived the attack, I was asked if I wanted to stay in the realm with the other bloodwraths or return to the human realm" Ivy continued.

"I did not think I belonged to either of the two places anymore. I was neither fully a human and I wasn't a real bloodwrath, either. I felt torn between two places knowing somehow that I could not belong in either of them. That is when I decided that I would be more at peace living in the realm of the outcasts. I was, after all, a misfit!"

I could see Ivy wipe off a tear from the corner of her eyes. In that moment, I felt miserable for her. I knew what it felt like to be stuck in a place and not belong! Hell, I had felt like that all my life!

I threw my hands around Ivy and embraced her into a hug. She looked amused at the gesture but gave into it anyway.

"You are not a misfit, Ivy" I replied, with a hoarse voice. I was struggling to fight back tears myself and I found a big lump forming in my throat.

I swallowed hard, convulsively and continued, "My grandmother used to tell me that we make our own selves and mold our own destinies. And you Ivy, have made yourself to be the best of both- human and bloodwrath."

Ivy's eyes brimmed with tears at this unexpected compliment. If eyes were really windows to a person's soul, I thought I could see it in Ivy's eyes that she had longed for years for someone to validate her existence. She ached for someone to tell her that she belonged somewhere, with someone and that she wasn't lost after all.

"Ivy, may I ask you one other thing?" I said, with a tinge of hesitation in my voice.

Ivy nodded faintly, encouraging me to go on.

"Er, why is Griffin living with the outcasts? He seems to be the most perfect of the fey that exist." I said.

"No one knows for sure." Ivy replied.

"He does not like to talk about it much. I assumed it had something to do with the death of his sister but he has never confirmed the same" she continued.

I simply nodded, failing to put my thoughts into any words.

Merely seconds later, Griffin appeared before us, his majestic wings spread out like an eagle, breaking us out of our reverie.

He looked rather flustered and he spoke with urgency in his voice.

"We have to turn back and leave, right this instant!" Griffin said.

"What?" Ivy and I both bellowed at the same time.

"We are halfway through the forest, Griffin! Have you lost your mind?" Ivy retorted, looking vexed.

And then before anybody could utter another word or even protest any further. We heard it.

The deafening scream of what sounded like a gazillion woods being chipped in the chipper at the same time. The wind around us suddenly turned icy cold. I froze in my spot daring not to move even my eyelids. Our breaths rose in mists before us. Before any of us could even react a tree around us fell with a loud thud!

"Chimera!" Griffin only managed to say that one word before all of us broke into a frantic run.

I had heard about Chimeras in the stories told to me by my grandmother. They were fearsome fire breathing monsters with a lion's body and head. It had a goat's head attached to it's back and a tail that ended in a snake's head. Each creature was at least six feet tall. Chimera's breath sparked fire but their presence was indicated by mist and cold winds. This juxtaposition about their existence had always fascinated me but at the present moment my thoughts were filled with terror and panic and I just couldn't bring myself to be amused with anything!

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I shot a look back at Griffin who was running towards me with his wings spread out protectively around us like a shield. I marvelled at his bravery, to be able to put himself in the harms' way without even giving it a second thought. He was willing to take down the fire breathing beast himself just to protect an old nemesis and a stranger whom he had known for a couple of days...or a week maybe! I had forgotten what kindness looked like until I had met Griffin. But now, I was reminded of it yet again and my heart was full with admiration and love and respect for Griffin.

I do not know why I did what I did but before anyone could even realize it, I jolted to a sudden halt. It was so sudden that Griffin collided into me to be able to break his run.

"What do you think you are doing?" bellowed Griffin.

At this commotion Ivy shot back a look and ran back towards us to understand what the whole delay was about.

"We cannot just run away! Running is not gonna help us or solve anything!" I said with resoluteness that I did not know that I possessed.

"We need to reach the El whatever mountain before the third sun sets, remember!" I continued when Griffin and Ivy both looked at me horror struck.

"We have to make our way through the Chimeras. There is no other way." I said.

"Azura! Do you even know what Chimeras are capable of doing?" Ivy said in a panic stricken tone.

"If we are planning to go through the whole herd of them then I dare say that I would be better off without having to find out about it now." I replied in a clipped tone.

"Azura, we will have to find another way," said Griffin.

"We cannot beat the Chimeras! We are clearly outnumbered!" he continued.

"I know," I replied.

"We cannot beat them. Hence, we'll reason with them" I added.

Both Ivy and Griffin were gaping at me with their mouths hung open, surely thinking that I had gone absolutely nutters to have come up with such a ridiculous idea.

I strode forward without waiting for either of them to reply. I did not know what made me feel so confident in my skin that I felt resolute enough to reason with a herd of fire-breathing creatures.

I made my way towards the terrifying sounds locating my way through the voices of the Chimeras which seemed to have filled the air. My ears hurt but I did not stop or even turn to look back, but I knew that Ivy and Griffin were both following me closely.

I landed them in this trouble! I thought to myself. I cannot let them sacrifice themselves for me. I simply wasn't worth all this chaos!

As soon as I reached my destination, the courage that I seemed to have gathered on my way here, left my body. My legs seemed to have turned into jelly and my body seemed exhausted just with the effort required to remain standing.

I stood face to face with the herd of Chimeras. There were around ten of them looking fiercely in my direction, waiting to pounce at me that very instant. I don't know why but against my better judgement I knelt and bowed before the herd. The act was to show submission perchance but the Chimera did not seem convinced. The leader of the herd walked straight towards me and looked straight into my eyes imploringly. Then suddenly his expressions changed. Rage seemed to have been swept away from his face and a sense of understanding swept across.

He backed away, very slowly like he was tiptoeing his way out. He let out a loud grunt looking towards his herd and they all seemed to consider him for a while and then...then they left!

By the time Ivy and Griffin reached the clearing the Chimeras were long gone and they just found me kneeling on the ground panting frantically.

"What happened?" Ivy asked.

"Are you hurt?" said Griffin, kneeling down to my side looking at me with concerned eyes.

"I am fine," I replied reassuringly.

"Where did the Chimeras go?" asked Griffin.

"I don't know," I said, sounding rather naive.

"I knelt before the herd and this one Chimera came forward and looked at me, straight into my eyes and then..then they all went away!" I continued, still struggling to catch my breath.

"Went away?" Ivy spat with an amused look.

"Just like that?" I looked at both of them and a look of utter disbelief had enveloped both their faces.

"I don't understand it either" I humbly replied, folding my arms over my lap. Griffin lent me his hand and helped me back on my feet.

"We should get going" he said.

"You were very brave, Azura!" he whispered, with a slight smile crossing across his lips. His eyes turned hazel brown, twinkling as he looked at me and I felt comforted and happy. I smiled back at him. We walked for another hour or so before my legs gave in. I collapsed on the ground, exhausted from the events of the day and my stomach gave a rumble. Griffin looked in my direction and smiled knowingly.

"Let's rest here for some time. Meanwhile I will go and fetch Azura some berries" said Griffin. I nodded approvingly. I leaned against a tree and sat down. My knees were bruised and my feet ached. I was used to working round the clock even while I was home because I was compelled to practically fend for myself and my parents. But this was different. Venturing into the unknown now did not seem like a giddy adventure like grandmother used to tell me about. It felt terrifying and exhausting! I swallowed convulsively and realized that my throat was parched.

"Ivy, can I please get some water to drink?" I asked.

"Lady Faith be merciful!" she cursed under her breath.

"I totally forgot that you would need to drink water! I have been stuck in this state for so long that now I barely remember the human urges of thirst and hunger" she added and I chuckled.

"I have never seen Griffin eat or drink anything" I said resting my head on the trunk of the tree.

"Do you people not eat anything?" I asked as a puzzled expression crossed my face.

"Err. Yes, I do. It is mostly the troubled or lost spirits" Ivy said.

"Griffin smells flowers to satiate his hunger. That is his way of eating, I assume. To be completely honest I don't know either how the Dark Fey lives" she continued. I looked bewildered. Smelling flowers would quench hunger? How odd! But I couldn't be surprised after all, what here was normal anyways?

Griffin returned moments later, with his arms full of berries, nuts and some fruits I did not recognize. Ivy had a short word with him and left to find me some water and herself some troubled spirits. Griffin knelt against me and picked out a berry from the ones he had lain down. He brought it close to his nose and smelt it. I was observing him very intently as he did that and then I snorted. I could not control myself any longer and broke down into a fit of laughter. Griffin just looked at me with a dazed expression in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asked politely.

"No..no!" I replied feeling guilty almost immediately for having laughed at him.

"It is just very odd to see you smell the berries rather than eat it. We humans are not used to it, to say the least" I said, still laughing. A smile crept across his face and he went back to sniffing the berries.

It was only after I ate that I realised how hungry I was actually feeling. I gulped down all of the berries and fruits in under ten minutes. Then washed them down with a gallon of water that Ivy had returned with. I felt shreds of energy returning back to me after this sumptuous meal. I looked at Ivy and Griffin and they both looked exhausted.

"Maybe we should rest our eyes for half an hour, so" I said.

"No, we must not stop here for long," said Griffin.

"I can carry you if you want to rest your eyes" he added. I looked mutinously at him. He seemed resolute and therefore against my better judgement I did not argue with him any further.

We took off shortly and within the hour we reached the much fabled El Tirado mountains. The second sun was beginning to set in the north painting the sky with an orange hue. It felt as if the sunset blossomed upon the clouds as sweet wild clover bloomed, with a flourish of romantic hand it covered the sky in red and gold. As I turned back I could see that the sun had turned green leaves into its golden yellow making them look nothing less than pieces of gold and ivory. The mountains rose high and mighty before us looking like unparalleled guardians of the realm. The orange hue from the sun bounced off on the peaks of the mountains and made them look orange. I had to squint my eyes to see the top of the mountains but they seemed enormous before my tiny self. They seemed gigantic enough to engulf the entire landscape around them. The warm wind had picked up speed and it ruffled soothingly against my skin as we made our way forward.

We walked past many intrigued looking people who were all charmed by the magnificence and beauty of the mountains. They were mesmerised not only by its outward appearance but also by the mysteries that it held within.

"Is there really a treasure hidden somewhere in these mountains?" I asked curiously.

"Even If there is, no one has been successful in locating it for at least three centuries now" Ivy replied.

"It is fabled that King Laimon was bestowed this treasure by his father King Silvius. But King Laimon never bothered for riches. His aspirations were beyond wealth and gold. King Silvius was appalled at the rejection but he loved his son dearly nevertheless. He left the treasure here in Mosse for his son or heirs to take in times of need. It is said that one who approaches the treasure with need shall find his remedy but the one who approaches it with greed shall perish" I said.

"It is only a story! I don't understand why people take fables so seriously" said Griffin, looking rather angrily.

Just stories. I had thought that fey and centaurs and bloodwrath and trolls were just stories too. Before stepping here no part of me knew that things like undead and flaun even existed. I thought.

"We shall reach the river in another half an hour or so" said Ivy. I nodded and walked along.

The third sun had now set and our paths were now only illuminated with the faint gleam of moonlight. Everything around me seemed to be covered with a silver blanket. The moonlight flooded the path that lay ahead of us and the forest that we left behind, with a million stars. Moreover, the cool air, the soothing beams, kissing each and every object of us and each and every object present around us. On nights like these one usually feels an inexplicable sense of thrill, joy and a sense of calmness but at this moment none of us felt that. Grandmother used to say that when you walk out at nights like these one, you can have the freedom of mind, thoughts and ideas that could free one's soul but today all I felt was worry and anxiousness.

We could hear the rustling of the river even before we saw it. The water, or whatever the "river" was made up of, time as I was told, looked like strands of silver silk lapping against each other, under the moonlight. I peeked into the river with amazement and instead of seeing my own reflection back I saw a glimpse of people moving underneath. It was like watching a flickering television.

"Griffin, what kind of creatures live inside this lake?" I asked. Griffin smiled.

"Well Azura, we all live in this very river. It is a river of time after all. What you see down there are people from different realms moving along their own respective strands of time" he said. I didn't know what to make of what he said. The three of us stood before the river for a long, long time before anyone spoke.

"Now what?" I asked once the silence became almost unbearable.

"Now we call on the Charons" replied Ivy looking concerned and determined at the same time.

"Step back" she cautioned and immediately went into a meditative trance. She closed her eyes and kept muttering intelligible words under her breath. Griffin looked equally confused as I did. We both waited by her side, waiting for what was to come next.

And then suddenly gigantic waves started forming in the river. The waves rose and rose and rose till they looked as tall as a building. Ivy was still in a state of trance, ignorant to these new lethal developments. I tried to tug her backwards but she remained transfixed.

"Griffin, help me pull Ivy back!" I screamed frantically as the waves continued to surge higher. Griffin tried with all his might but Ivy did not move, not even one inch. It felt like someone had fixed her to her spot with some sort of glue or spell, I wasn't really sure. Horror filled my eyes as I saw the waves had started descending. The waves were now descending not back into the river but straight on to us.

This cannot be good. I thought to myself. This was the river of time! I knew that when the waves touched us, it would not be just a splash of water.

"Griffin what happens if the.." I asked imploringly with my voice almost breaking off.

"No one can know for sure" Griffin said, cutting me off. He then flung himself between Ivy and the river, shrugged off his shoulders and flapped his wings around us ready to shield the waves away from us. I gasped. I closed my eyes and waited for the worst to happen. Perhaps I will be left stranded in a hollow space where time stands still or perhaps I will be left juggling between realms!I took a deep breath and waited. I waited and waited but nothing seemed to have happened. Then I heard Ivy calling out my name. I peered through half open eyes fearing for the worst to have happened. I saw that the waves had frozen above us and Ivy was smiling at me reassuringly. Griffin looked uncertain but took his position by my side nevertheless. Then the waves parted and emerged a shadow. Just like the one we had seen at the meadow when we went to meet Lady Syfyn. The outlines of the shadow looked blurred but the face looked sufficiently material. It appeared to be as tall as the waves itself. His hood pulled over his face revealing nothing but his longer silver hair. He had his bonely fingers wrapped around a long cane that dug deep into the ground.

"What do you seek here, human?" the Charon spoke in a low voice but its voice seemed to echo throughout the space.

"I...I..." I looked imploringly at Griffin, unsure of how to answer that question.

"Speak now or forever hold your silence!" the Charon said with a stern voice.

"I wish to meet Lady Faith" I finally replied.

"You wish to meet Lady Faith?" Charon asked. A mocking smile covered the outline of his lips.

"It is quintessential for me to see Lady Faith!" I replied a little bit more sternly then I intended to.

"No" replied the Charon disinterestedly and turned to retreat.

"Please! It is about the Silver Lady!" I shouted back.This seemed to have caught the creature's attention and he turned back to face me.

"What about her?" he enquired in a clipped voice.

"Look at her hand!" Ivy urgently said coming forward to lift my hand.

The Charon merely glanced at it before saying, "If you think that your foolhardiness will be absolved by Lady Faith, you are mistaken human. Losing your soul to Silver Lady was your own doing. Now live with your folly or die trying!"

"I am not trying to save myself" I blurted out immediately.

"It is about Mairea, the Dearg-Due. She has risen from her grave!" I quickly added.

The Charon surprisingly dismissed this piece of information which I thought was key to our quest. He rather looked at me with imploring eyes. And then with a stern voice he asked, "How did you travel from the human realm?"

I was taken aback by the futility of the question. How was it relevant to how I had found myself here? I was here now and that is all what mattered. And I was telling him about the malafide motives of the Silver Lady, wasn't I? Did that not assume greater importance over my accidental modes of travel? I thought.

I drew a sharp breath.

"I touched the Veil of Faith and Destiny. It got me here" I finally said.

"That is not possible!" The Charon spit out with a clear look of bewilderment on his face.

My temper started coursing through my veins. Weren't Charons supposed to be intelligent creatures? I thought. I had in fact been transported here through the Veil of Faith and Destiny which meant that it was indeed possible! We just did not know how. The Charon continued studying me as if merely looking at my face would give him all the answers.

"The Veil can be only used by Lady Faith to travel across her realms." The Charon said, his voice course and deep.

"It is not possible for any human to do so. Unless...!" the Charon froze with a look of shock on his face. He stared right into my eyes and then took a few steps backwards.

"Very well" the Charon said.

I looked at Griffin and Ivy who too, seemed to be looking at each other with dazed eyes.

"I will let you cross the river and guide you to the Dark Fey realm, if you give me the correct answer to my question" the Charon said in an even tone. He looked at the three of us and a sly grin swept across his face. I frowned. I remembered Griffin's words. A Charon never extends their help without having an ulterior motive. Why was he letting us go? I thought to myself.

"What if we are unable to answer your question?" Griffin said and the Charon chuckled.

"We?" he said with a mocking tone.

"There is no "we" in answering my question, fey. I will only ask my question to this human and if she answers correctly, all of you shall be granted the passage. If she fails...", the Charon beamed, unable to contain his glee at our imminent failure.

"If she fails, you all shall be doomed to remain stuck here, between realms forever" he said. I gasped. My entire body seemed to have been paralyzed by shock. I looked at Griffin and Ivy with uncertainty gleaming in my eyes. Ivy slightly squeezed my arm and Griffin nodded at me looking reassuringly. My lips twitched. Words seemed to have abandoned my throat so I simply nodded.

"Very good then!" beamed the Charon.

"I would only repeat myself twice so listen closely and be careful. You can only answer once and it shall decide your fate" the Charon added. I nodded in agreement.

"He is the one who lurks at dawn. His sound is so quiet, he can even fool the strongest minds. He carries his collection wherever he goes so to add in it his rewards that he reapes. His call so chilling it could freeze your bones. Whenever and wherever he walks he brings with him the news of loss and great misfortune. Tell me human, who do you say the creature, the bearer of nothing but sadness shall I be speaking of?" the Charon said, his lips twisted up in a slight grin. I blinked at him, lost of words, my eyes as blank as his face. I turned and looked at Griffin and Ivy, both of their eyes said nothing. I turned back to the Charon.

"Your time is limited human, use it wisely if you don't wish to be stuck between realms" he said.

"Umm okay he..he brings misfortune what could it be?" I asked myself as I turned away.

"Think Azura. Think!" I said, squinting my eyes.

"It could be anything! A lot of creatures bring misfortune!" Ivy exclaimed as she stroked her chin.

"Does this creature lurk in the human realm?" Griffin asked, his face confused.

"He didn't say that and I am not very sure we can ask him" I replied looking over my shoulder, I could see the look of satisfaction on the Charon's face. I sat down on the ground, burying my face in my hand. I skimmed through my memories trying to find a creature that grandmother told me about when I was young, but there were so many that she used to tell me stories about. And then it suddenly dawned on me.

"He carries his collection of bones on his tender back. He walks the plain at dusk and dawn whistling his chilling tune. Luring you in your sleep. And if he goes undetected till the time the first ray of sun shines he will bring you great misfortune and the death of your loved ones." I looked up,uncertain but determined. I quickly jumped up to my feet.

"I know who you talk of!" I said as I walked towards the Charon.

"If you do tell me human, who is the one I talked of?" he asked, his hollow eyes glowing and his lips pricked up in a grin. I swallowed.

"El Silbon!" I shouted. Within seconds the grin from his face disappeared, he fell to his knees. I glanced back at Griffin and Ivy, they looked as confused as me.

"Human you have answered what no creature could answer for centuries!" he said, his head hanging low.

"And because you gave me what I needed, I shall fulfil my word" he added as he stood back up. He raised his cane high up into the sky, a swirl of blue and green light charged out from it. He then turned towards the river pointing his cane, suddenly a long rope bridge emerged from under the water and halted with a loud thud making us all lose our balance.

"I show you the path that would take you into the Dark Fey realm" he said as he stretched both his arms out.