The Island With No Parallel

Crows

Kailu's father led them riding into the burning village. They charged as fast as the horses would take them. They rode on two horses. Kailu and her father rode up ahead, and Manuel and Yunara followed them on another. Manuel guided the horse and Yunara gripped his waist, not exactly the position she wanted to be in, but it would have to do.

Kailu's father took them around the town down a beaten path that only someone that lived there for a long time would have noticed. It took them around the town without going down the main street, where the majority of the soldiers and Dark Ones were coming from. Finally he led them to the back of a building and dismounted with help from his daughter. He knocked on the door, and shouted, "Henry, it's me, Marus!"

Moments later, the door was opened, by the same bartender that helped them earlier. Yunara realized this was the same bar as before. She hadn't recognized it from behind. "Marus," his eyes immediately went to the wound in his side. "Are you alright? Come in."

They were welcomed inside what seemed to be a backroom to the bar that Yunara realized was being used as a hiding place. From the front, this room wasn't very visible at all. Inside were a lot of other people hiding, with all with fearful looks on their faces. Yunara bit back tears to see young children hugging onto their mothers with tearstained cheeks.

The bartender, Henry said, "You can hide here with us." he growled. "This is insanity! King Stretton is attacking his own citizens!"

"No," Marus corrected him. "Stretton is no king of mine, nor of Ecencia, for that matter. And he never will be."

The men in the room shouted in agreeance.

"I say we fight!" Marus shouted. "This girl here has figured out a trick. The crows are the key. They control the Dark Ones. If we kill the birds, the army will cease. Now I might have trouble with such a task with my wounds and being a Naiad. But you men have wings. Arm yourselves, and let's take our village back!"

The room went up in cheers. Even the children had light flicker in their eyes for a moment. It made Yunara proud of these people, and restored a hope in her for Ecencia that she didn't realize had been missing from her heart since she saw the King and Queen dead in their bed. It didn't matter who sat on the throne. The hearts of the people would never bow to Lord Stretton as King. It didn't matter how many monsters he summoned. Nothing would change that.

###

Manuel and Yunara charged on their horse down the major street of Revett. Kailu rode by their side. Her dad was left at the bar with the women of the town to help him recover. Dark Ones noticed them, and soldiers of the King did as well. They shouted commands to others, and soon there was a mix of soldiers and Dark Ones coming for them.

Fairy men flew above them with knives and swords, chasing down crows. One of the fairies cut one down, and five monsters disappeared in smoke.

Manuel charged the horse through the smoke, using it as a cover.

"They're catching on!" a soldier shouted. "Take down the fairies, they're killing the crows!"

Soldiers started taking flight as well. The citizens were forced into hand to hand combat with the soldiers up in the air. But it was giving Yunara, Manuel, and Kailu just the distraction they needed.

More monsters were going up in smoke. The army was dissipating, but slowly. The soldiers had taken to the air, and it was slowing progress drastically.

A Dark One on a horse had taken interest in them. It was charging after them, and picking up speed.

"We're being followed!" Kailu shouted.

Yunara's mind raced, and she remembered another item the Ancient Ones gave her. Turning around to face it, she felt around through her bag. Then she found what she was looking for. Her fingers reached for the loose powder in the little sac, and she waited.

"Manuel, let him get close," she instructed.

"Are you mad?"

"Just do it."

Manuel was dubious, but he slowed up the horse. The Dark One was almost on them. The creature pulled back his sword to come swinging at them with a heavy blow. His black horse was riding beside them. As the Dark One moved to swing his arm, Yunara threw the powder in his face, the powder landing and exploding on impact, sending the monster and it's horse flying, hot air blasting back at Yunara and Manuel. She jerked as the horse bucked and charged, but under Manuel's control, it came back to obedience and took them where they needed to go.

They reached the parallel point. All of them dismounted the horse, and without saying another word, they escaped to Earth.

--
So this chapter is a lot shorter than the others, but don't worry, I'm making up for it in the next one.

Some contention between Manuel and Yunara coming up, so stay tuned ;)

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