Mystia, Jenna [web based ebook reader txt] 📗

long there were few left, and the poor things were forced to escape to here. They were the first in…inha…inhabitants.”

“But I’m guessing there were more.”

“Oh, yes. After them were the centaurs and us griffins. We were thought of as freaks, ‘weirdos’. They ran us out of their villages and attacked when saw us. They were scared.” She ruffled her feathers crossly. “We had find refuge on Mystia with dragons. The dragons welcomed us, unlike the humans.” She snorted, looking fierce. “Then the unicorns had to go, of course. Humans killed for the healing power of horns, which the idiots did no realize only worked when the unicorn is alive and control it.” Her English worsened as she became angrier. She paused for a second, regaining her composure, and then continued. “Elves were the next. They were great artists; musicians; writers—but humans did no understand them. They were before their time. Just look at poor Van Gogh, perhaps the most misunderstood of the all, and now his works sell for millions. They could no make a living, the only thing humans accepted them for is their speed. If they no want to run for money they were forced to move here to start over. Over time everyone had to move. The werewolves were the only unfortunate to find Crahalla instead of Mystia.”

“What’s Crahalla?”

“Athianase’s island.”

Dawn let that sink in. She wondered how many elves humans had rejected without knowing it. “So they blame me for all of that?”

“You are one of them, are you not?”

* * *

Amethyst showed Dawn to the room she would be staying in. “This, we have prepared as well as we can to suit human,” she said, opening the door. It looked alright to Dawn. There was a comfortable-looking bed, a dresser with open drawers full of clothes, even a desk. There were colorful flowers painted on the walls.

“Thank you. I like it.”

“I am glad. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Dawn began to rifle through the drawers. They appeared to be stocked for both a boy and a girl, which made sense considering no one knew which one the first person Amethyst saw would be. She picked a soft nightgown—that was what she was pretty sure it was—put it on, and went to bed. It took awhile for her to drift off, as she had a lot to think about. There was still the gnawing fact that Diana, Kaely, Aubri, and Kaely had no idea where she was. They were still back there…possibly in the company of the werewolf.

The next morning Dawn awoke to Khara struggling to say “Good morning.”

She yawned. “G’morning,” she answered.

“We go,” Khara said, motioning for Dawn to go with her. Dawn got up and followed her to the makeshift elevator. Once again Khara pulled the rope up and they made their way shakily down. When they got to the bottom Cobalt, Amethyst, Ben, Rylan, Chloe, and Chloe’s cub were waiting. The two elves were the only ones using chairs, as the griffins were tall enough not to need them and the leopards were sitting on the ground in front of dishes set on stools next to the table. “Have a seat,” Cobalt said. Dawn took the seat between Rylan and Amethyst. Rylan moved away slightly; Dawn tried to ignore it but immediately wished she’d chosen to sit somewhere else.

“This is everyone,” said Cobalt. “Khara?”

She nodded, hurried away, and returned a minute later with two trays of steaming food. Two other centaurs followed behind her, one carrying large dishes, the other, glasses.

For a few seconds after the food was set in front of them no one moved. Dawn picked up her fork and prepared to dig into what appeared to be bread stuffed with leafy vegetables when she realized that maybe there was a reason no one else had taken a bite. She looked around the table. Everyone was watching Cobalt, who gracefully dipped his head into his bowl and lapped up a sip of his water. After that they all began to eat. Dawn wasn’t sure she very much liked the vegetable bread. It must be an acquired taste, she decided, and didn’t dismiss the dish entirely. After all, she didn’t like pizza the first time she tried it but now it was her favorite.

“Dawn,” said Amethyst, startling her, “have you decided whether or not you want to actually fit?”

“Whether I want to…what? I’m sorry.”

“Fit.”

“Fight,” Cobalt clarified.

“Oh.” Dawn hoped she wasn’t paling, but it felt like she was. “Um…” Hadn’t it been clear the day before that she only wanted to be on the council—at the very most? “I don’t…”

“Of course not,” Rylan cut in, throwing his napkin down on his plate.

Dawn looked over at him, puzzled. What’s wrong with him?

“I do not believe your name is Dawn,” Cobalt growled. Rylan shut up for the time being. “I would like to hear her answer, if you don’t mind.”

Now she was fairly certain she’d blanched. “I don’t…I don’t think I really…want to.” She didn’t dare look at Rylan, but she could still hear him.

“She is human, after all,” he said. “Why would she want to help us?”

“That is enough, Rylan,” Cobalt said, his words punctured by a small snort.

“Well, when the rest of us are out there standing up for ourselves, enjoy being back here all alone.” By his tone, it seemed Ben shared the views of his brother. Dawn waited for Cobalt to reprimand him. He didn’t.

“That is true.” Cobalt nodded. “You will be by yourself in staying behind.”

“She doesn’t care,” Rylan muttered. “She would like us to all disappear.”

And how would you know?

“She is weak, anyway. She does not look like she could even lift sword,” Ben added with a nasty smile.

“I would like for you both to leave. Now,” Cobalt commanded, his eyes narrowed down into points.

“I hope you have fun sitting in a boring council, little human,” Rylan said over his shoulder as they exited the room. Cobalt growled loudly enough to send a shiver scuttling down Dawn’s back.

“If that is your final decision,” Cobalt said when the door swung shut again, “I respect it.”

But Dawn wasn’t so sure she did. She knew Ben and Rylan’s rude remarks weren’t the worst of what she would have to endure. The memory of the brown dragon was still fresh in her mind. When no one else spoke even though they were all finished eating—or drinking, in the griffin’s case—she opened her mouth. I’m gonna regret this so much. “Say I didn’t want to—to fight.” Everyone’s eyes (except the cub’s, because by then he was fast asleep against Chloe’s side) locked unwaveringly on her. “Do you really think I could?”

“Everyone can, Dawn,” said Chloe. Dawn was sure she was smiling. “You just need training. I think you could be good.”

“Oh, thanks.” Dawn stared down at her plate for awhile and then said, “Um…I think I could, you know, try.”

Amethyst brightened visibly. “Does that mean you changed your minds?”

Again, Dawn was sure she would regret her reply later. “Yeah. I think so.”

“That’s great, hon. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.” Chloe began to lick the top of her cub’s scruffy head.

“Why don’t you go get changed into day clothes,” said Amethyst, “and when you get back we’ll discuss your training.”

Khara escorted her back to her bedroom. Dawn secretly wanted to try pulling the rope on the elevator but didn’t say anything. “I dress you,” the centaur said when they got there, going to the dresser and opening the drawers of clothes. For a moment Dawn thought Khara ad flubbed her English and meant just pick out her outfit, but then realized she meant what she had said. She started to object but then realized that this was what they did here. What she really wanted to know was if wearing dresses like this one was what they did here. The dark brown one Khara had slipped over her head and was now tying in the back came down past her knees and felt like it was made of velvet, and a lot of it. Dawn felt ten pounds heavier. Lastly she slid Dawn’s feet into a pair of ballet flats. “We go back now,” she said, and led the way back to the makeshift elevator.

“I think we should get you to the greatest warrior on the island—Shenovela,” Amethyst said when they returned. “She is one who trained me. If she and Athianase ever met in battle, the beast would meet his match. It is a pity that she has decided never to fight again, but I do not blame her.”

“But if she could beat him, then why won’t—”

“Shenovela lost her dearest friend in battle,” Amethyst answered briskly. “He was carried off and never seen again.”

“Oh.” Dawn felt a pang go through her. That must be horrible, she thought, saddened. If that happened to one of my friends, I don’t even know what I’d do. She had another thought. Is that what they thought happened to me? That worried her. There could be an entire search party out for her—and they wouldn’t find her. She swallowed hard and forced herself to concentrate.

“Come,” said Amethyst, “It is time we go.”

“Wait, right now? I’m supposed to train into a dress and flats?”

“Do not worry. Is not a problem—the elves and dryads do all the time. So if you are ready…” She lowered the wing closest to Dawn and lowered herself.

Dawn climbed onto her back. “Okay, I guess I’m ready,” she said. Khara opened the main doors for them and as soon as Amethyst’s paws touched the grass outside, she charged forward.

“We’re not allowed to fly over this island,” she said. “Cobalt says it gives our location away. We will have to run for awhile.” She grunted. “Athianase already knows where we are, so I don’t see the point,” she added to herself.

Dawn felt like she was on a galloping horse. She had been on one before, and she hadn’t enjoyed it. It had been her first ride. “Whoa!” she cried out instinctively. Amethyst didn’t answer, but Dawn thought she felt her back tense. “Sorry,” she said. “It just came out.”

“I forgive.”

“I was just wondering, why weren’t you and Cobalt eating?”

“We cannot eat that crabagi. We went out for a hunt earlier this morning.”

“Did you catch a lot?”

“It was enough.”

Dawn sat back and lifted her arms from where they were holding Amethyst’s neck so tightly that her knuckles cramped. I hope Amethyst can hold me on her back when we’re on the ground, because I do not want to fall off at this speed, she thought. At the moment she couldn’t tell if Amethyst’s feathers were wrapped around her feet, and she wasn’t about to look down.

She thought back to her ride on the horse. Amethyst’s back was a more comfortable shape than a horse’s, and Dawn was glad for that. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the village was now far behind. They were now nearing a tall, craggy mountain range. She thought she saw a layer of snow at the top, but it was hard to tell for the mist. The light changed almost immediately in the shadow of the great