Chapter 4 The True Face

I looked at Griffin and Ivy, and then back at the Charon. A part of me felt as if what I said was accepted and thus the way was shown to us. I took a deep breath and started walking towards the river. As I approached the bridge the winds grew louder and the water grew meaner. The waves started towering over us and lashing against the bridge, the graphite clouds came to sketch the world anew, to carve it with strong waters. The air around us grew chill and a sense of fear gripped my heart. I took a deep breath and started walking towards the other end.

Suddenly, the sky burst and it started raining heavily, I collapsed to my knees and it got harder and harder to see as the water lashed through my face, splashing and drenching me. I looked back but nothing was visible, all I could see was mist and pitch black. The water continued hitting the bridge violently making it difficult for me to maintain my balance.

"We have to keep going, Azura!" a voice echoed through the storm. I gasped for air as I struggled to pick myself back up. Suddenly a flash of light filled my eyes, blinding me and giving me a sense of strength all at once. I picked myself up and started walking again. As the rain grew heavier my determination grew stronger. As I jumped off the bridge I felt the rain growing lighter and then suddenly stopping all together, panting. I looked up and saw Griffin and Ivy's faces.

"Are you okay Azura?" asked Griffin, his face examining mine as I struggled to breathe.

"Yes I am just a little short of breath" I replied as I sucked in as much air as my lungs could carry.

"We are finally here!" smiled Ivy as her eyes filled with a sense of relief.

"Let's get you both dried off" Griffin mumbled as he raised both his palms to his face, curling them together he said something mystifying, I looked at his face with eyes full of confusion. He twisted his palm and pointed it towards me and Ivy. He gently blew on it, a warm swirl of wind engulfed me as it twirled around me leaving me with a sense of warmth and comfort.

"Woah!" I exclaimed as I raised my arms up to my shoulder and examined them.

"Thank you Griffin" smiled Ivy as her long teeth pointed out of her lips. Griffin quietly nodded.

"Now where to?" I questioned, As my eyes travelled across Griffin's face I could sense some discomfort on it.

"Griffin, are you okay?" I asked as I gently placed a palm on his shoulder.

"I am absolutely fine Azura don't worry" he replied as his gaze travelled far away, scanning the grounds around us. He then shrugged his shoulders and his majestic wings sprung out making the dust around us fly away. He flapped his wings making me and Ivy unsteady for a minute.

"Follow me" he said as he hovered a few inches above the ground. We nodded at him and he turned away.

"Coming here must not be easy for him" started Ivy as she offered me her hand.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I tried to contain my curiosity from my voice.

"This place rejected him, banished him and threw him out, uprooting him from his own home. When something as such happens, you leave the land hoping to never return. And the day your luck turns on you and brings you back, you nothing less than dread it" she finished as her eyes fixed on Griffin who was hovering in mid-air, lost in his own thoughts. I looked around, scanning the area around me. The land looked nothing but a sort of barrel to me. I could see very few trees surrounding the land. The sun shone above us, peeking its head from the blue sky which was full of clouds. Soft and clear with dashes of white coming and going, blending and parting. A never changing constant with a silent present. As Griffin leaped in and started flying away, Ivy and I quietly followed him.

"Where are we going?" I whispered to Ivy, unsure of whether to ask the same to Griffin.

"I am not very sure" said Ivy as she stroked her long hair.

"As far as I knew, the Dark Fey lived on mountains or canopies but since a new heir took the throne, things have changed around here" she added as her eyes frantically looked around as if looking for something.

"What are you looking for, may I ask?" I raised an eyebrow as my eyes followed her gaze.

"I am not looking for anything to be honest. More like I am trying to avoid something" she said as her eyes travelled back to Griffin who was flying now a few feet above us.

"What happened between you and Griffin? I mean what made you two fall apart?" I asked as I failed to contain my curiosity which got the better of me.

"I...I..." she hesitated as she was clearly taken aback by my question. She cleared her throat.

"Griffin and I we are...let's just say we are two similar creatures who are different at the same time" she started.

"It was ages ago, at this moment it even seems longer than that. We both were very close. I learnt a lot from him to be honest, when I came to the outcast realm I was lost and then is when Griffin took me under his wing. Quite literally" she chuckled at the memory.

"I followed him around like a shadow learning as much as I could from him. And one day, something seemed to change in him. Something evil..." she added, her eyes darkening.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I pressed as I placed a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it.

"His eyes, they change colour...I don't know how, but they never did that before...not before that day" she paused as her expression changed. Her face dropped and her eyes fixed to the ground. I knew I shouldn't press any further, but the curiosity inside was raging, demanding for answers.

"Tell me Ivy, please" I said as I pressed her shoulder firmly.

"I don't know what to tell you, Azura. I just remember walking into his house that day and seeing someone who was totally different. His face was twisted and his eyes were blood red, full with rage. I tried comforting, I tried asking him what went wrong but he just...he just lashed out.." she said as she looked away. I draped my arms round her, pulling her into a long, tight hug. She rubbed my arm as she weakly smiled.

"Hey are you two okay?" Griffin asked as he leaped forward and stood in front of us.

"Yeah I was just asking Ivy where we have to go" I replied as I stretched my lips into a smile.

"We don't have to go a long way. Just wish we don't run into anyone" he said as he looked over his shoulder, his hazel brown eyes turning grey.

"What do you mean?" I asked but Griffin did not answer, he barely even heard me as he flapped his wings and rose a few feet above us. Ivy and I shared a look before quietly following him. As we kept walking forward I noticed the grass turning greener and the trees turning taller. What once seemed like an empty barren ground had turned into a land full of small bushes, shrubs and tall trees. The once brown and dusty land disappeared into tall green grass and the empty edges were replaced by huge mountains. The mountains rose up to the sky, hiding the sun behind them. Soon we stopped in front of what seemed like a huge cave entrance, Griffin landed in front of us, shielding us with his wings. As soon as we neared the entrance a huge figure blocked our path. He was as tall as the mountains itself, with his giant wings spread out wide. His long horns twisting and piercing out from the either side of his head. His long fingers wrapped around a cane as big as the mighty oak tree itself.

"What do you seek?" he asked as he crossed his arms and pressed them on his chest.

"We seek passage Eldar" Griffin said as he pushed past us.

"YOU!" the creature huffed as he bent down to bring his face close to Griffin's.

"You are not welcome here!" he huffed as his hot breath bellowed on our skin.

"This is beyond you and me, Eldar. Let us pass!" he demanded as he howerd over the ground.

"The answer remains the same! If you still wish to fight, I accept your challenge!" the creature said as he swung his cane high into the air, a sudden spark of green and yellow ignited from it's tip. In the fit of adrenaline pumping in my veins I stepped in front of Griffin.

"We seek no fight the almighty warrior" I said as I knelt down. He swung his cane again and pressed it close to his body, I looked at his face and stood up.

"Oh mighty warrior we seek nothing but passage. All we wish is to see the Lady Faith and hope to get an audience with her" I said as I looked straight into the creature's eyes.

"No one is welcome here and especially not him!" he bellowed as he pointed his cane at Griffin. Ivy and my eyes froze on his face, waiting for him to explain but his eyes remained fixed on the ground.

"We apologize for coming here unannounced oh mighty warrior, we wouldn't have dared set foot in your land if it wasn't a matter of the realms' fate" I said as I stretched my arms and bowed my head.

"Huh the realms fate you say! What could a human do to save the almighty realms itself? We don't wish for your help or protection even if you could provide any. We have our protector" he bellowed his tone almost mocking.

"Oh the mighty warrior I am no one and hold no power to stand as a shield between the realms and the enemy that is to come. I am a mere messenger who carries the warning to the ruler and the guardian of the realms Lady Faith. We have been sent by Lady Syfyn herself to travel across the lands and tell the protector about the rise of evil, called the Silver Lady" I finished. The grin from the creature's face completely wiped off and was replaced by the expression of pure worry and fear. His wide eyes were stretched open and his lips moved in murmurs as he struggled to form sentences.

"Very...very well then. I can point you to the castle of King Igor but I can still not allow this traitor to pass" he said as his eyes stopped at Griffin's face.

"The all mighty warrior, he is our guide in the dark and our only light in the stormy sea. If he doesn't enter alongside us we will be as lost as the leaf carried away by the wind. I bow down and call out to your reason, we have no time to spare" I said as once again I stretched my arms and knelt down. I raised my eyes and saw a sense of conflict rising in the creature's eyes as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. He looked at me before giving out a long huff and moving away. I got up to my feet and walked towards the entrance, the creature's eyes were glued to Griffin's face. There was a sense of terror and shame in Griffin's eyes as they almost turned white. We walked into the dark dingy cave, it felt small and cramped, barely big enough to fit me let alone majestic creatures like Griffin himself. Soon the dark cleared and we found ourselves standing in the middle of numerous tunnels that looked as if they were made out of hay and straws. The sunlight falling on our faces through the cracks, making it lively and terrifying at the same time. I turned to Griffin whose face was still as pale as a ghost. Ivy placed a hand on his shoulder as she tried to snap him out of his thoughts.

"Where to, Griffin?" she started but Griffin did not respond, it seemed as if he was in a state of trance, his body was with us but his mind... his mind wandered into another realm.

"Griffin?" Ivy pressed as she gently shook his shoulder. Griffin blinked and the colour in his eyes finally returned.

"Lead the way" Ivy said as she extended her arm, gesturing for him to walk forward. Griffin slightly nodded. He walked past me and looked in the tunnel right below his feet, he took a deep breath. He turned and said, "Try not to break a bone." He crossed his arm over his chest and tossed his head back, swinging his body he let it fall into the tunnel, Ivy and I looked at each other unsure of what to make out of everything.

"Well we did ask him to lead the way so" she said as she took a step forward and jumped into the tunnel leaving me alone. I took a long deep breath before I squinted my eyes, braced myself and jumped after Ivy. I barely opened my eyes and saw the tunnel growing brighter and brighter with every passing second. I stretched my neck and saw Ivy in front of me, with her arms stretched as if she was flying, I smiled to myself. Within seconds I came down tumbling to the ground. I ran my fingers through my hair, pushing the open and untidy strands behind my ear. I got up and dusted myself. As I looked up I saw Griffin kneeling on the ground with his majestic wings folded back in submission. The room was filled with creatures that looked exactly like him, they all sat in their chairs, exchanging looks but none of them dared to say a word. I walked towards Griffin and saw a man sitting in front of us. His chair was higher as compared to another in the room. His long white hair dangled over his face, his skin was as white as the first dew of snow itself, and his white cape hung from his chair, swinging from his chair. His white wings stretched out behind and a crown of diamonds shining on top of his head. Griffin looked at us and me and Ivy fell to our knees at once.

"You have some nerves coming back here!" the Dark Fey bellowed as he stood up from his chair, Griffin pulled his shoulders back but did not dare to look up.

"My Lord we just..." Ivy started but paused as soon as the creature's eyes met hers.

"You will not speak in my court you filthy creature!" he yelled as his voice echoed like a thunderstorm.

"I told you, you will be beheaded the moment you step in here!" the creature started as he took a step away from his chair.

"I showed you mercy and told you to run as far as your feeble wings would carry you or else they will hang behind my throne!" he added his deep husky voice filling the voids in the cave.

"My Lord, my choice did not bring me here..." Griffin muttered.

"No it did not, Fey your death did!" he shouted.

"My Lord we just..." I stood and said but before I could complete a bright ebay of green and red hit me, making me fly off my feet and I fell a few meters away.

"You don't speak in my court until you are spoken to!" the creature yelled as he pulled his arms back.

"Azura!" I heard Ivy's voice calling to me as I pushed myself up. I clenched my chest where the light hit me but I felt nothing. I examined myself but couldn't see a single scratch. So I jumped up to my feet.

"We did not come here seeking war my Lord!" I announced as I walked closer to Griffin and Ivy. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, a soft murmur filled the room. I stopped, just a few meters from the creature.

"This is not possible!" he howled as he paced towards me. "No ordinary human can take the force of my power and remain standing!" He scanned my face searching for answers. Suddenly his eyes widened and he whispered, "You are not just any human are you?" I looked at him, my eyes completely blank. He took a step back.

"Speak now Fey!" he demanded as he turned towards Griffin.

"We came here seeking a passage my Lord" he said as he finally raised his head to meet King Igor's eyes.

"You seek passage you say? You betray your kind and then you hope to pass this realm alive?" King Igor asked as his lips turned up into a mocking grin. Griffin's face fell once again. King Igor's eyes travelled across the room before he started pacing around the room.

"You and your sister threatened our entire existence. She goes out there, longing for a human, and what she called true love of a man, the love we failed to give. She lost her sense, her wings and then her life, she was the strongest amongst us and she fell. I thought you would have had some sense left in you, I expected you would at least show her the reality, but all you did was encourage her. Her blood is on your hands too, as much as it is on that human's. I gave you mercy because I thought moaning her loss for as long as you lived would be a greater punishment than the sweet relief of death. But here you are, not even a few decades later, standing in front of me with a human!" he stopped suddenly, his eyes piercing through mine. Griffin clenched his fist.

"My Lord we do not seek or believe to dwell in the past. We just seek to walk to the Flaun realm. My Lord, we just request you to show us the way. We don't hope for your blessing, just your assistance" I said as I pushed my shoulders back.

"What makes you think you will receive anything from me, human?" Lord Igor hissed, his eyes glowing with rage.

"Because a war is coming, my Lord. It's inevitable, none of us can stop it. All we can do is try to save the ones we love" I said as a sense of realization washed over me. The entire room broke into loud chatters.

"It is true!" one of the Fey yelled as his voice filled with panic.

"She is coming! We all will be meeting our doom!" another called out. King Igor raised his palm and the entire room fell silent again.

"I don't believe what you say, human!" he declared as his eyes turned blood red and his white skin turned orange.

"I have no reason to lie, my Lord" I quietly uttered as I extended my arm showing him my wrist. He gasped and took a few steps back. His eyes widened and his breathing became fast.

"It's true! It...it's happening. She is rising" he remarked as he tried to maintain his balance. I rushed over to him and gently wrapped my fingers around his arms as I tried to steady him. His eyes landed on my face, it seemed as if his eyes were searching for something in my face.

"I will show you the way!" he announced as he collected himself.

"Rise Fey!" he added, turning towards Griffin. Griffin jumped up to his feet followed by Ivy. Lord Igor looked over his shoulder and nodded at Griffin before he started walking away.

"Come on" Griffin whispered as he gestured toward Lord Igor. We all walked behind him as he led us through a long tunnel and out of the cave. As we stood on the edge of the cliff my eyes roamed on the beautiful landscape that lay in front of me. The ocean was skyline-silver. It lay in the middle of a quiet valley with mountains so high that they kissed the sky and the sun. The sky was as clear as a window. It was peaceful, utterly still and quiet. A mob of flies rose into the air and as they rose up into the sky their tiny wings fell behind what seemed like dust of gold and silver. I had a 'zap' moment as it was so beautiful and breathtaking. We walked down the cliff and the itching grass brushed against my bare skin. A sap of sweet smell hung in the air as we walked closer to the ocean.

"That's your way to the Flaun realm" King Igor said as he stopped on the edge of the ocean.

"Are we to sail across this?" I asked as my eyes travelled across the vast ocean.

"Cross?" King Igor laughed, his voice feeling more sweet rather than rough and husky.

"You humans never fail to amaze me" he added as he brushed his long hair away from his face.

"So what are we supposed to do exactly?" Ivy asked as confusion swept across her face.

"Well you walk in it of course!" King Igor stated.

"Walk into an ocean?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow. I was trying not to offend him but his remark left me baffled.

"Yes!" King Igor exclaimed as he turned and started walking away. I looked over at Griffin who was extremely quiet.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I stepped closer to him.

"I..I..yes I am" he said as he weakly smiled. A part of me wanted to believe what he said but I decided not to press on.

"So shall we?" Ivy asked as she extended her arm towards me. I took her hand and looked at Griffin. He shrugged his shoulders, retracking his wings as he laced his fingers with mine. The three of us stepped into the water, I felt a weird tingle running down my spine. As we continued I could feel a weird feeling rise in the pit of my stomach. So we immersed ourselves completely into the water, I shut my eyes as it got harder to breath and the water pinched my eyes. Soon I felt Griffin and Ivy's hand untangling from mine which made me open my eyes. I found myself standing on a grey floor right in front of what seemed like a ruined, abandoned castle.

"We are here" Ivy smiled as she started walking away, followed by Griffin. A sense of belonging and warmth washed over me as I walked towards the castle. As we reached near the castle two statues of what looked like a winged creature sprang up to life.

"What do you seek, fellow passers?" one of them asked as it stepped forward.

"We wish to see King Lamious" Griffin replied as he shrugged his shoulders and his wings materialized behind him.

"You are not granted entry. Return at once" the statute said as he swung his spear forward.

"We don't wish to fight but if you deny us entry we will accept your advances" Griffins' voice echoed as he extended both his arms and a spark of red and green rose from them.

"Flaun! Typical of them! They never extend their help but are always ready to fight for no apparent reason" Ivy commented as she rolled her eyes.

"We seek nothing but the audience of King Lamious!" I said as I took a step forward. The statute examined my face as if it was trying to read through me. I started to grow weary of this exercise. All these creatures searched my face with a familiar sense of recognition. What was it that they saw? What intrigued them about me? I thought.

"Your Destiny has finally arrived" one of them said as both fell to their knees with a loud thud.

"What do you mean?" I bellowed with irritation clearly reflecting in my voice. The Chimeras, the Charon and King Igor had all previously done the same. I rummaged over the events of the day over and over again but gave up failing to make any sense out of it.

As the Flauns gave us the way, a gigantic door swung open behind them. Ivy Griffin and I looked at each other with utter shock and confusion. I knew that both of them were pondering upon the same question as I was.

"Should we go in?" Ivy whispered as her eyes closely scanned the statues who seemed to have frozen in their spot.

"I..am not sure" I said as my eyes refused to leave the statues.

"We move forward and if they rise again we fight '' Griffin announced as he started walking towards the door, Ivy followed close behind. But stood there, nailed to my place, my face still looking at the statues which had their heads hanging low and their bodies hunched in a solemn bow.

"Azura, come on!" Ivy called out. I gave a last look before I walked in. As soon as I stepped inside I felt as if something had changed inside me. It felt as if the place was calling back to me. Or the beauty of it anyways. The skyline shone with three suns and what looked like a moon shining in the blue sky painting it in gold and ivory at the same time. The street was filled with people chatting and walking around. I could see tall trees with beautiful flowers on either side of the road. Amongst all the realms that I had seen so far, this one definitely took my breath away. A loud sound made us all look away. We saw a large army of creatures marching towards us in what looked like armours. The crowd split up, giving them a clear path towards us.

"The passers have been summoned by King Lamious" the Flaun at the very end announced.

"You three shall come with us at once!" he added as he turned away. Soon the army gathered around us in what seemed like a fort. Ivy and I exchanged nervous looks. We were marched to a palace that was at the very center of this city. As we entered through the gates the beauty that surrounded the place caught me by surprise. It had a huge lawn with a fountain in the middle. It looked like a lady with a huge jar in her hand pouring water into the flowers that surrounded the fountain. As we walked past her she sprang to life and bowed. As we approached the palace I raised my head and looked up, trying to take all of it at once. It seemed nothing less than a gigantic life-like creature. It's huge peaks rose up into the sky and it glimmered under the sunlight. It seemed as if it was made of ice..?

We were led down a long hallway filled with majestic statues and paintings and each of them bowed as we walked past them.

"Well the Flaun seems much more hostile and welcoming then the creatures of any other realm" Ivy joked as she looked over her shoulder. Suddenly she paused and turned her face towards me.

"Azura, are you okay?" she asked with concern filled in her voice.

"Yeah I am completely fine, why?" I asked as I tried to read her face.

"Your eyes...they..." she paused as she pointed towards my face. I stopped and looked at her trying to understand what she meant. But before I could make sense of anything, a huge door swung open in front of us and we were led into a magnificent room which was entirely empty except two chairs placed right in its centre. Two Flauns were seated on each one of those chairs.

The Flaun sitting on the higher chair oozed regalcy. I needed no introduction to know that this was King Lamious. He was dressed in crimson red robes and held a slong slender caine in his hand. I instantly recognized the symbol of Flauns engraved on the head of the caine. Grandmother would describe this symbol, made of two spears and a rose, as a symbol of peace and harmony. Kind Lamious looked sombre and his lips were curled into the slightest of the smile.

He looked directly at me and nodded. It gave me an impression as if he was somehow expecting me to come here. His eyes looked understanding and filled with kindness and compassion.

"Your Grace, your command has been fulfilled" one of the Flaun said as he kneeled down. Following his cue Ivy and Griffin fell to their knees too, but I stood there, looking at both their faces.

"Azura!" Ivy whispered as she pulled on the hem of my cape. I was instantly snapped back to reality and I too dropped to my knees, a second later.

"I acknowledge your service General. Rise to your feet and leave at once" King Lamious commanded and the General jumped to his feet at once, bowing as he left the room.

"Rise my fellow passers" he added as he stood from his chair. The three of us stood back up.

"I have been waiting for you" he said as he placed both his palms on my shoulder.

"Your Grace we..." I started but was immediately interrupted by King Lamious.

"I know why you are here child" he smiled as his eyes simmered under the light.

"I requested my people to show your companions their rooms. All of you have been travelling for a long time and you should rest your eyes for a while" King Lamious added as he gently squeezed my shoulder.

"It's very kind of you, Your Grace but we need to see Lady Faith," Griffin insisted as he took a step forward. King Lamious' smile wavered for a moment but he soon regained his composure back.

"Very well then if you wish to make haste and see Lady Faith at once, I shall not jeep you here. You all are after all harbingers of our destiny. Follow me" he said as he turned on his heel and started walking away. I bowed to the lady sitting on the other chair and rushed back to join King Lamious. I walked next to him being closely followed by Griffin and Ivy.

"Why does everyone keep talking in such metaphors, Ivy? I can't make any heads or tails of the situation that is going on around us!" I said with a rush of annoyance.

"I don't understand much here, either," replied Ivy. "But I believe that it is in our best interest to not question the judgement of King Lamious, if we do wish to keep our heads and tails intact!"

We walked down a long hallway which was covered in red fabric draping from the walls. Everything was carved in gold in ivory and it sparkled as we walked past it. I looked up at King Lamious's face and even though I had seen him for the first time in my life, it looked oddly familiar.

"You have something you want to ask, child?" he said without even catching my gaze.

"No, Your Grace" I replied hesitantly as I quickly looked away. He smiled.

We entered a room that looked like some sort of a miniature cave. It had tall trees shooting up from the ground like arrows and at the end of it was a waterfall that seemed to have no beginning nor an end. I looked up trying to wrap my head around what my eyes were witnessing.

"Don't bother my child. This is the river of time no one can understand it" King Lamious laughed.

I had a sense of foreboding as if he could read my mind!

"Shall we?" he asked as he took a step forward and extended his hand towards me. I nodded and placed my hand in his. We walked together through the waterfall and within seconds I found myself standing at the end of a huge room with a throne right in the center. I looked around and my heart skipped a beat. It felt as if I was standing in the middle of a room which was filled with gold and beautiful paints and sculptures.

"Shall we see Lady Faith now?" King Lamious asked as he gestured towards the throne. I threw a glance at my shoulder and saw Ivy and Griffin who were as awestricken as myself. I turned to King Lamious and nodded, he smiled and started walking towards the throne, I closely followed him.

"My dear Lady Faith" he said as he stopped and bowed slightly.

"My Lady Faith" I remarked as I fell to my knees.

"Rise my dear Azura!" she said and her voice flet soft and soothing. Almost too familiar. I stood up and looked at her. Her face was covered in a long thick veil. I could hardly make anything out.

"It feels so good to finally stand in front of you Lady Faith. We have travelled wide and far and it feels nothing less of a miracle to be able to stand here" I said as a sudden memory of everything that had happened flooded my mind. I softly smiled.

"Oh my dear it feels nothing less than delightful to see you again" she said as she stood up from her throne and walked towards me. I looked at her with my face blank and my eyes full of confusion. Her words made no sense to me, none whatsoever.

"I am so sorry for what you had to go through, my child" she added as she stopped in front of me and placed a hand on my shoulder. Her touch felt soothing and calming at the same time. I looked at her, squinting my eyes to look through her veil. She gently stroked my face as she tugged a few loose strands of my hair behind my ear.

The gesture seemed achingly familiar.

"I have missed you my dear" she said as she pushed her veil back revealing her face.

I tumbled back on my hands. I blinked at her, not sure of what to say. My mind was completely blank. All my thoughts seemed to have left me. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest with no indication to provide me any respite or a sense of understanding. Was all this real? Was I dreaming?

"Grandmother?" I muttered as my eyes widened and I tried to understand what was happening. She smiled and her eyes twinkled.

"You can call me that" she replied as her smile widened.

"Grandmother how..what..?" I struggled to find words.

"I know dear you must have a lot of questions and I hope King Lamious will answer the one I might fail to" she said as her eyes travelled to King Lamious.

"Grandmother I don't..I don't understand" I finally managed to mutter.

"You see my dear. I have walked the realms looking for my successor. Someone who can be second in command. But as the centuries went by and I couldn't find someone worthy enough, I gave up on my quest. Then a few decades ago I discovered that after facing defeat in the battle the Silver Lady did not go to the realm for the outcast but rather disguised herself in the human realm. I knew I had to find her, but I also knew well that I couldn't walk among mortals as myself so I took the form of an old lady and knocked on your door. Although I failed in my quest to locate her, I did manage to find something far more precious" she said as she placed her fingers under my chin.

Then she started again,"I found you my child. My loving, kind Azura. As time passed I knew I could not be around you forever, no matter how badly I wanted to. I knew soon I would have to leave you, so before I left I gave you the biggest treasure I could.." she paused and smiled.

"The story book you read to me!" I said with a dazed voice.

"Yes, my smart little girl. I knew, one way or the other, that you would succeed in bringing down The Silver Lady. You would finish what I started. And you didn't disappoint me child, just likebyou never did when you were just a young girl. And now I am happy you are here, where you belong.." she added.

"You are finally home Azura. You are Lady Destiny, the second in command and my soon to be successor!" she finished as she laced her fingers into mine. I looked at her, dumbfounded, at a complete loss of words. I looked over my shoulder where Griffin and Ivy stood with their jaws hanging wide open. I looked back at Grandmother.

"Grandmother I don't..I don't understand" I stammered as my brain struggled to process all the information that was just dumped on me.

"Don't worry my child" she smiled as she wrapped her arms around me.

"So you're telling me you never realised that you are Lady Destiny?" King Lamious asked, jokingly as he draped his arms around my neck.

"How else do you think that you were able to travel through the Veil of Faith and Destiny, Azura?" King Lamious enquired.

"It is the Veil forged for Lady Faith and Lady Destiny!" he continued.

"I knew that the Silver Lady would try to awaken the Dearg-Due." Lady Faith started while reaching for my hand. "I knew I could not draw her out unless she wanted to face me. I did not want her to take advantage of an innocent soul to do her bidding. That is why I left the task to you, Azura," she said.

I kept looking from one face to another trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle in front of me.

"Fear not, Lady Destiny. For you are home!" said King Lamious.

Both of them looked at me, smiling as they both took my hand and closed their eyes. Suddenly a swirl of golden light sparked around me, engulfing me completely.