Page 164 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

I pulled her behind me. “Seems like we have to share that secret with all of them.”

We were inside what looked like a massive stony cave. Sharp stalactites of salt and earth hung from its ceiling and its walls were made up of hundreds of hive-like dents where more beasts nestled.

The cave was bright so there was a source of light coming from somewhere. “There,” I said, pointing behind a large bulldozer of rock erected in the middle of the hollow space. Small rays of light peeked from behind it. “Our exit.”

I linked my hand with hers and began slowly walking toward our escape. Every white pair of eyes tracked our movements with intensive attention.

“Come beasty, beasty,” Snow cooed nervously. “We taste terrible.”

“I beg to differ.” She tasted what one thought heavens tasted like.

She stumbled a little and turned to glare at me.

Just as we were about to reach the exit, a large feathery body dropped before us. Not long after, one by one, the beast descended from their caves and rounded us from all sides.

Claws and teeth the size of an arm and covered in ashy grey feathers—nothing I could recognise. The second protection of the Arx Triad.

“We are still inside the veil, right?”

I nodded, lifting my sword up. “Can’t feel any magic.”

Snow swung her sword, bolts of electricity circling around it. “Why can I?” Two black lines creeped from under her clothing towards her neck and then to her forehead.

“Snow,” I warned, panicking, seeing as her seal was quickly opening.

“If I am quick about it, we can get out of here in time before it cracks open.”

I began to object, but she suddenly let go of me, sheathing her sword and raising her palms in ahead toward our exit. Thick strands of lighting exploded from her, the room filling with blinding light and shrieks of what seemed like pain. One after the other, the feathery bodies dropped to the ground, scorched. The rest of the creatures rose higher in the air to avoid Snow’s lightning and the path ahead of us cleared—long enough for us to run through to the bright exit.

We crossed the threshold, meeting a blinding light. It was as bright as it had been in Solarya, perhaps even more so. Pollen and the smell of wood circled around us as we turned to see a thick willow forest grow in front of us. It was not a Crafter's veil. I touched the leaves and the ground, everything looked as real as real could get. Trees whooshed at the light warm breeze, and the air was filled with the sound of woodpeckers and songbirds. Too tired to question our surroundings, we dropped to the ground for rest. First the veil and the monsters, my whole body ached. Couldn't imagine how it was for her.

“Pretty amazing, aren’t I? For a monster, I mean,” she teased, panting, the black tattoos doubling and tripling across her skin. “Why…why could I use magic?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“And what is your guess?”

“That the veil probably couldn’t suppress all of your magic and that is why your seal was opening quicker.”

“Ah.”

“Ah?”

She shrugged. “Was hoping for something more mystical somehow.”

I lifted a hand in the air and a phantom tendril of shadows twirled from my palm. I could use magic now, too. “It is feeding from my mana.” And there was the cost.

She stared at my creation. “Why?”

“I can’t feel the flow of the spiritual ever since we crossed the cave, but in here I can feel my magic.”

“You are my first ever visitors,” a light voice called from behind as both Snow and I shot up, our weapons at ready.

“For the love of bloody heavens,” Snow groaned. “What is that?”

A little girl giggled from where she sat on top of a rock, swinging her bare feet playfully from under her light rose coloured gossamer gown while the breeze lifted her beige straight long hair around. This is where normal ended. She had a branch jutting out of her forehead like a horn. My senses rose to alarm somehow despite her fragile appearance.

Instinctively, I moved to cover Snow and the girl let out a light laugh. “From what I saw, she does not need your protection,” she said, pointing behind us as the cave exit we once came through warped into the air and disappeared. “Monsters of our sort never need it anyway. It is you who might need the protection.”