Chapter Ten

“Uh, Elvin. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or not, but my leg is broken and I can’t climb up,” Ellie said nervously as they reached the horses. Elvin laughed.

“Don’t worry. She’s very gentle. Anya,” he addressed the horse, “Would you please lower yourself so that I can place Ellie on your back? Her leg is broken, and she can’t walk very well,” he explained. The horse shook out its mane and lowered itself slowly onto the ground. Elvin stooped down a bit and carefully placed Ellie side-saddled on Anya’s back. Elvin stepped back and Anya rose gently, trying her best not to jostle Ellie. Ellie’s awe overcame her anxiety, and she marveled at the creature beneath her.

“Okay, that was pretty incredible. I’ve never seen a horse to that before!” Anya gently stomped a leg and shook her mane with a soft snort.

“Our horses are incredible,” Elvin said lovingly. He began rubbing Anya’s snout and Anya leaned into his touch. “Anya really likes you. She’s a very gentle creature, but she normally doesn’t take to anyone other than me or Avery. You should feel very lucky.” Ellie smiled broadly and caressed Anya’s back. The horse neighed softly, and Elvin smiled. Avery finally joined them, and for a moment, the trio was silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Elvin, where exactly am I?” Ellie asked suddenly. Elvin stopped rubbing the horse and stepped back so that he could properly see Ellie. He glanced at Avery, who nodded.

“You were told the truth earlier. When the master told you that you were in the mythical realm. You were brought here from the human realm.” Ellie was silent for a moment while his words sunk in.

“Prove it.” It was Elvin’s turn to be shocked. He had expected a variety of reactions, but not this one.

“You want me… to prove that you’re in the mythical realm?” he asked slowly. Ellie nodded and Avery laughed. Ellie shot him a dirty look and he stopped abruptly. Elvin hesitated. “I’m not so sure I should…”

“Oh, it’s fine. I’ll show her,” Avery announced. He stepped back from the pair and removed his helmet, allowing his long, shining silver hair to fall freely down his back. He slid his black coat off, revealing the thin white shirt beneath. Ellie watched, confused, as he quickly pulled his shirt off, displaying his toned torso.

“Uh, what the hell are you doing?”

“I’m going to show you my wings, obviously,” he said as if he were explaining something to a child.

“Wings. Right. Because this is the ‘mythical realm’ that I’ve been dragged to,” she said, rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time that night. Avery gave an exaggerated sigh and pulled his hair off his back and onto his chest. He turned around, showing Ellie his smooth, flawless back. “I don’t see any wings,” she said mockingly.

“Be patient,” Elvin chuckled. Ellie huffed and crossed her arms. Patience was clearly not her strong suit. Especially when she was in pain.

Avery turned back toward Ellie, staring intently into her eyes. She squirmed beneath his intense stare, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away. He gave her a half smile before his eyes began to glow, the violet hue becoming brighter in the dim lantern light around them. There was a sudden flash of warm light, and Ellie was shocked to see a pair of large, dazzling wings coming out of his back.

“What. The. Fuck.” She stared, her mouth hanging open. Avery walked closer, allowing her to study them up close.

His wings were absolutely beautiful. They were larger than he was, sprouting majestically behind him like a butterfly’s wings. The main color was a shimmering silver, three shades lighter than his hair. Violet outlined the edges and carved intricate designs throughout. Sparkling rainbow shards glistened here and there, casting an ethereal glow around them. Ellie reached out and gently touched them, feeling how soft and silky there were beneath her fingertips. Avery involuntarily shivered at her touch, and Ellie withdrew her hand quickly.

“I’m ready to go home now,” she said quietly. Avery exchanged a worried glance with Elvin. His eyes glowed again, and his wings disappeared in another flash of light. He picked his shirt up off of the ground, but he didn’t put it on.

“Get her to the castle. She’s going into shock,” he whispered to Elvin. Elvin nodded his head and grabbed the horses’ reigns. He clicked his tongue and began leading Anya through the forest around them. Several guardsmen surrounded them, their hands on the swords at their sides.

Avery had decided to stay back, hoping that she would come out of her shock quicker if he wasn’t there. Ellie was silent throughout the entire trek, lost in her thoughts. Elvin remained quiet as well, giving her the time she needed to process what she had witnessed. He knew fairies were only mythical creatures to the humans nowadays, so what she had seen must have come as quite a shock. Guilt grew steadily in his heart as her silence continued. He genuinely liked her and did not want to cause her any discomfort.

“Elvin,” Ellie said suddenly, breaking the overwhelming silence.

“Yes?” he asked, trying to hide his enthusiasm. She was silent for another moment before continuing.

“I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“No, you’re not dreaming,” he said with a heavy sigh. It seemed that she was still trying to wrap her head around what she had seen.

“All of this – all of you, fairies – are real…?”

“Yes. We’re all fairies and we are real.” She nodded her head slowly, her brow wrinkled as she thought.

“I can understand that fairies – you – are real,” she said slowly. “I’m just… I don’t understand where I am. You said I was in the ‘mythical realm.’ Does that mean that I’m not on earth – my earth, at least?” She finally looked at Elvin, staring at him with a mixture of confusion and wonder. He smiled gently at her.

“Yes… and no.” Ellie only looked more confused, so Elvin continued. "There is a lot of history between the humans and the fairies – between all magical creatures, really – and it would take quite some time to explain. I think it would be better to tell you everything once we have reached the castle and you have had a chance to be seen by a doctor and get some food into you.”

Ellie blushed. Her stomach growled loudly at the mention of food, and she realized just how hungry she had become. She was starving before she arrived. She felt absolutely ravenous now. Elvin chuckled, deepening Ellie’s blush.

“Do not be ashamed. You’ve been through quite a lot. Your body has been working overtime to keep you going. You need plenty of food, sleep, and a good doctor when we return.”

“Do you promise to tell me everything when we get to the castle?”

“Of course. After you have eaten, been seen by a doctor, and gotten some rest,” Elvin said sternly.

“How about after I eat and have been seen by the doctor? I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t understand where I am and why,” she argued. He was quiet for a moment, thinking over her proposition. Finally, he nodded.

“Alright. But you must eat more than just a few bites and take any medication the doctor has prescribed before I’ll tell you anything,” he amended.

“Agreed!” Ellie said happily. She beamed at Elvin, and he returned her smile, happy to see a genuine reaction from his new friend.

“Also, since we’re going to be taking care of you for a bit, could you tell me what your name is?” Ellie laughed, a tinkling sound that gave some warmth to dark, cold forest around them.

“I hadn’t even realized you didn’t know my name!” She laughed again and this time, everyone joined in, chuckling and chortling. When she had finally regained some of her composure, she smiled brightly at Elvin. “My name is Ellie. Ellie Cyrene.”

“Ellie… Cyrene?” he asked, surprised.

“Yes…” Ellie said slowly. “Is there something wrong with my name?”

“No, no!” Elvin said quickly. “Do you know the meaning of your name?” he asked.

“No. I just know that my mother named me after my mother and my grandmother. My full name is Ellie Asteriea Cyrene. Ellie for my grandmother and Asteriea for my great-grandmother.” Elvin shook his head in disbelief. “Wait, do you know what my name means?” she asked curiously.

“Indeed, I do. Ellie has Greek origins and means ‘beautiful fairy woman.’ Asteriea also has Greek origins and means ‘one who is like a star.’ Finally, Cyrene is – you guessed it – also of Greek origins. The name means ‘sovereign queen.’ So essentially, your names put together would suggest that you are a beautiful fairy queen that is as bright as a star. I just find it interesting that you are here, in the mythical realm, with a name like Ellie Asteriea Cyrene. It’s almost like it was planned!” Elvin laughed and Ellie bit her lip. It did seem like too much of a coincidence.

“How do you know what my names mean?” Elvin just shrugged his shoulders.

“When you’ve been around as long as we have, you pick some stuff up. We used to live amongst the humans, after all.”

“Okay, look. You can’t keep dropping bombshells like that and expect me to wait until we get to the castle for an explanation!” One of the guards burst into infectious laughter, and the others quickly joined him.

“Alright, alright. No more ‘bombshells’ until after we’re in the castle and you’ve had a chance to eat,” he conceded.

The rest of the journey passed in comfortable silence from Ellie and her companions. She gazed around in wonder at the forest as they passed through. The sun had started to rise ahead of them, and she could see bits of gold, orange, and pink through the canopy overhead. Light filtered through the treetops, chasing the shadows away. The night creatures were going to sleep while the day creatures were just beginning to wake. Chipmunks and squirrels scurried about the soft dirt beneath them. Birds were chirping and singing beautiful tunes from large, sturdy oak trees. Ellie heard the soft gurgle a nearby stream and realized that they were following it to the castle. Flowers of all sorts dotted the ground, growing underfoot and at the base of trees beside chunks of bright green moss. Mushrooms sprouted here and there, some she could recognize and some that she doubted any human had ever seen before.

Despite how she had arrived here, Ellie found herself falling in love with everything. The plants, the animals -- even Elvin was growing on her. She smiled in spite of herself and immediately bit her lip. Don't fall in love, Ellie. You'll just get hurt again. It's not worth it. She blinked away her tears and closed her eyes. No. She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.