The group rode on the back of a whale enjoying the leisurely cruise to Kyxichen. Eio flew high above and far below the whale cloud, ensuring they’re going in the right direction. Dungii, now larger than before, retained some sparsely placed fern feathers. He happily and almost gracefully flopped about, making friends with a group of dolphins. Kiliyi kept the party entertained with stories of her many adventures through Vlux. While interpreting a tale, Vlux laughs uncontrollably.

“Then what happened,” said Ang, caught in the gusto of uncontainable laughter, though he had yet to hear the punch line.

“Yes, I must know how the tale ends,” said Thramuny grinning, the laughter contagious.

“Well, turns out the only thing she discovered was ancient and powerful, smelling poop!”

They roared with laughter. “You’re very fecaltious Kiliyi” said Thramuny. Ang and Vlux exchange amused glances and start laughing all over again.

“Did I say something odd?” asked Thramuny.

“Well, you say a lot of odd things,” said Vlux. “It’s part of your charm.”

“I do? My apologies, I only learned your language from reading, the one book they gave me.”

“What book was that?” asked Vlux.

“I think it was called the dictionary. I really enjoy learning about different words,” said Thramuny.

“How did you get captured by the Koru?” asked Ang.

“You have no tact,” remarked Vlux.

“They could never capture me. I went willingly; it was the best, well, my only option at the time. I got separated from my home and was guided to your land.”

“You mean the whales carried you, that’s the same thing that happened to me,” said Ang.

“No, Eio guided me there. He didn’t know about the Koru and how they treat people like us, people with greater magic potential. At first they were kind. Offered me food and a satisfying place to sleep. I should have been more cautious. They deceived me into putting that bead into my hair, and then they stopped pretending to be nice. They started calling me Elf and forced me to use Eio to find more creatures with high magic potential.”

“And they desired us pixie’s above all others.”

“Yes, they did, they found a way to duplicate the magic sense of Eio. Once they confirmed that it worked, they left us to die. We were out there for a few days before you found us.”

“How did you get separated,” asked Ang.

“My tribe and a neighboring one were fighting. A territorial dispute happens from time to time. A strong attack tossed me out into The Great Barrier. The barrier then flung me out further. Eio, found me in the ocean and carried me to what he thought was the safest place.”

“What’s the Great Barrier,” asked Ang.

“Kyxichen, is surrounded by a wall of waterspouts and whirlpools, caused by the sea creatures surrounding it. We call it The Great Barrier, or you could call it the seawall.”

“It’s why Kyxichen is known to us as, The Land Behind the Sea,” said Vlux. “I know many of the Koru humans think it’s a myth that land even exists behind that sea wall. I’ve always wanted to go there. This is gonna be great. Hm, what’s that?”

“Who are you talking to,” asked Ang.

“The whale, he’s telling me this is about as close as they dare get to the Great Barrier.”

“This is good, you see that mist across the horizon, that is the Great Barrier.”

“It’s awesome,” exclaimed Vlux. “So how do we get passed it?”

“I don’t know one does not usually cross a barrier. I suppose you could fly over it, but that doesn’t appear to be an option for us,” said Thramuny.

“Hey Ang, can I see Home,” asked Vlux.

“Sure,” he hands her the tome, she placed it on the whale's back, jumped on and said.

“Let’s fly.” She started surfing through the air on the thick book. Ang and Thramuny looking on in jealous astonishment. After making a few loops around, she glided back. “I’ve got my way in,” Vlux said with a convincing smile.

“No fair, you’re the only one small enough to do that,” said Ang. Kiliyi jumped from his shoulder to Vlux’s head.

“Kiliyi is gonna ride with me. What are you two going to do?”

“I can propel myself through the air with short bursts of force, on my own I’m certain I can navigate the barrier, Eio will assist me. But Angdraoni, how will you get across?”

“Dungii and I can make it. I’ll stay safe in Dungii’s veil. I trained with Clo-Whu, so now I can use coloring with Hue. I got my ocarina, the whale song, a bunch of clay balls with runes on them. Yea, we’ll be fine.”

“Alright, Eio is high above us surveying the terrain. There is a mountain with pink sand on top; it’s very distinct. We can gather there once we are past the barrier.”

“Ang get Dungii’s attention,” said Vlux.

Ang blew a shrill note on his Ocarina, and Dungii came bounding over. Once they briefed him on the details, Ang and Thramuny got on his back. Vlux and Kiliyi sat on top of the mushroom, Eio flew nearby. The whales gently guided them down, just in front of a towering waterspout, and swirling whirlpool. A thick haze covered the area. Sunlight reflected off it creating rainbow bridges between each spout. Ang’s heart jolted, he honestly had no idea how he would get through this.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Everyone prepared,” said Vlux. “See you at the pink peak.” Vlux with Kiliyi on her head flew off into the barrier. She weaved between the waterspouts, riding on Home.

“Good luck, and be careful,” said Thramuny. She climbed to the top of the mushroom, and moving her hands under her braids, flicked her hair back forming a cape behind her. She pointed her palms, down and behind, jumped from the mushroom, and created a burst of force from her palms that propelled her forward into a waterspout. Ang watched as she gracefully spiraled up the spout. Then at the top propelled herself to the next one. This inspired him.

“We’re falling behind Dungii, swim for that water tornado.”

“Murp.”

Dungii swam to the nearest waterspout, they spiraled up chaotically. Thramuny made the assent look easy. Ang gripped the mushroom. Holding on for life as the spout forcibly ejected them. Ang grabbed his axe and flashing many shades of yellow, the blade summoned a burst of wind to propel them forward into the next spout. It violently jostled and flung them out the side. Ang, disoriented tried to use the axe to propel them forward, but accidently pointed his axe up, forcing them down toward a whirlpool. Luckily, Vlux came down and using her markings, stopped their fall and flung them high up, above the barrier. Dungii flailed about in the sky until Ang played his ocarina to create a stable cushion of air beneath them. Vlux flew next to them, while they slowly descended.

“Good thing I was there to catch you,” laughed Vlux.

“It’s not funny. You can use my book to fly.”

“About that, this Ardin only has so much Imdrina, so I will have to land soon. You see, the pink peak over there, that’s where we’re headed, you sure you’re gonna make it? I won’t be able to assist you again.”

“Yeah, I think with my ocarina and my axe I can maintain this altitude until we get to land.”

“Good, see you there.” Before Vlux could race ahead, a large fish with jagged teeth, and fins like wings, flew from a nearby spout and nearly bit her. “Flaming phoenixes! What was that a shark? They can fly around here.”

“Vlux watch out, more are coming!” Below them, several flying sharks lunged from the waterspouts. Vlux shot up through the air. Ang used his Axe to do the same, but a large shark collided against Dungii’s barrier. They fell out of the sky. More sharks raining down on them. Ang used the ocarina to stabilize Dungii, then switched to the axe to launch them back up. More sharks leaped from the water, but lightning shot them out of the sky before they could make contact. Eio appeared flying just above them. “Eio, thanks.”

Eio escorted Dungii and Ang shooting down any sharks that jumped out. Ang used his axe and ocarina to create wind and stabilize it. Progress was going smoothly until a colossal tentacle reached out of the ocean. It narrowly missed, but a crashing wall of water doused them. Dungii going down screamed, but the scream resonated like a song. It carried them up into the sky. The paddle tentacle rose from the sea, with many more sharks. Before the tentacle smashed them, Thramuny came out of a nearby sprout and slashed it with her hair. Injured it fell back into the sea. She launched herself high into the sky and danced on the wind created by Dungii’s song until she landed on top of the mushroom.

“Are you doing well, Ang, Dungii?”

“Dungii can use song magic now, we're doing great.”

“Good, let me scare this beast off. You’re almost at the mountain, keep going.”

Another tentacle rose from the other side. Thramuny danced into the wind and propelled herself toward it. She twirled and slashed at the tentacle forcing it to retreat beneath the water. Dungii’s magic thrusts them up and forward. Looking down Ang saw the pink peak below.

“Dungii, stop your spell, the mountain is below us.”

“Murp Murp.”

“You don’t know how, let me try then.”

Ang tried to use the axe to make them stop. The bursts of wind only adding to Dungii’s spell, hastening their ascent. He desperately played his ocarina but it too only added propulsion. In a panic he grabbed the last thing that might have the power to stop them, the whale song. Blowing it caused a bubble to form around them cutting off their air propulsion. They fell out of the sky. Ang gripped the mushroom, closed his eyes, and braced for impact. Their landing surprisingly soft, he opened his eyes to see tall, thick trees surrounding them, huge wild flowers, and vibrant colors. Drawing a water rune Ang popped the bubble.

“We way overshot the intended meeting place.”

“Murp murp.”

“It’s alright Dungii, now we know you can use your voice to channel wind, you just need some practice. Let’s make our way back. I’m sure everyone will be waiting for us.” Dungii started running back the way they came. The trees had thick trunks, short branches, and large expansive leaves. The flowers came in a variety of shapes and sizes ranging from glamourous bouquets to intricate single petals. Some had thorns and carnivorous jaws, they crept along the ground and floated in the breeze. Even the rocks had a color and character all their own. Everything about this place was vehemently alive. Abruptly Dungii halted and started backing up.

“What’s wrong, Dungii?”

He looked up and saw them coming. They moved like the wind and the leaves, their sound blending with the environment. Long, thin, and reptilian, they slithered through the thick canopy, across the trunks and along the ground. Surrounded, Dungii had no choice but to turn and run. The legion of monstrous reptiles chasing them. They jumped onto Dungii, who tried to swat them off with his tail. Their long fangs pierced his veil. Ang chopped at their fangs with his axe, causing the assailants to flee. Dungii zoomed through the forest putting distance between himself and the reptiles. Ang climbed to the top of the mushroom and brandished his axe, giving it a broad swing. Sending a powerful gust of wind, strong enough to throw off several of the monstrous reptiles, but more came to close the gap. Then in front, they heard a loud ruckus. Ang crawled back under the veil as giant muscular, leaping, simians landed all around. They roared and grabbed the reptiles, beating them against trees and tearing them apart. The reptiles swarmed the simians and sunk their long fangs into their thick muscles. A battle, primal and brutal ensued, with Ang and Dungii caught in the middle. Dungii made a break, for the surest way out. Once Ang thought they had made it far enough, he climbed back on top of the mushroom in time to see the fiery storm birds descend on the simians and reptiles.

“This place is crazy. Let’s take shelter over there.”

They took refuge in a shallow cave on the side of a boulder.

“Now we’re way far off track. I don’t suppose you remember which way we came from do you?”

“Murp murp.”

“Well, let’s just take a breather here, then we can figure things out.”

After taking a minute to recuperate, they started cautiously trekking through the exotic forest. Dungii stopped, his antennae erect.

“What is it? Something else coming our way?”

“Murp.”

“Did you find the others?”

“Murp.”

“Then what?”

“Murp murp, murp murp.”

“Are you pointing your antenna at me, you found me? Wait, you found an Imdrina signature like mine. You found mom!”

“Murp!”

“Well, we have to follow it, this is the whole reason we came here. I’m sure mom will have a map of this place. We can find the others after we find her.”

“Murp.”

Dungii followed the scent. Ang growing increasingly anxious by the second. He was so close, his mother couldn’t be more than a few kilometers away, and most likely the rest of his family. Through the trees they came into a clearing, stone ruins and crumbling towers dotted the terrain. In the center of the overgrown ruins stood a majestic blossoming tree. Even amongst the colorful and exotic flora, this tree stood out as unique. Dungii ambled into the clearing. As they approached the tree, Ang heard a voice in his head. It asked one thing.

“Lysyntri?”