Chapter eleven

Bryony immediately ran towards Aven when he fell over. "Aven." She said as she fell on her knees next to him. What just happened? She rolled him onto his back and shook him, but he didn't move.

"Aven." She said again, shaking him harder. "Wake up, tell me what is going on here. What is wrong? Wake up Aven, please."

He didn't wake up.

Bryony groaned in frustration and then slapped his cheeks gently. "Aven wake up. I need to know what is going on here, now wake up right now or I will-"

She stopped as Aven suddenly started coughing. She leaned over him, moving strands of hair behind her ear, waiting for him to open his eyes. His eyes snapped opened and he quickly sat up, smacking his head on Bryony's. She hissed in pain and clutched her head as Aven's eyes landed on hers. "Ow, that hurt. Watch where you throw that head of yours."

Bryony rubbed her head as Aven just stared at her, not saying anything.

"What was all that about?" Bryony asked him. "You just turned into a freaking dragon, and then you just passed out out of nowhere. And then that thing earlier, what was that? What did it want? And why do you get weak at night? What's that all about? Huh? Please explain to me what in the world is going on here so I don't lose my freaking mind."

"Okay okay." Aven said. "Calm down, I'll explain everything. First, how's your head?" He reached a hand out to touch her head but she shook her head, wincing just a little as she did.

"It's fine." Bryony said.

"Did I hurt it too bad?" Aven asked but Bryony shook her head.

"No no, it's fine. It doesn't hurt that much, I have a thick skull. I'll be fine, it's-" she suddenly stopped realizing what he was doing. She pointed an accusing finger at him, "excuse you, you are changing the subject. Explain everything to me about... about that... stuff."

Aven nodded and took a deep breath. He slowly exhaled. "Where do you want me to start?"

"First tell me how you are a dragon. You're a dragon Aven, that doesn't just happen. Wait, if you're a dragon, does that mean you have a human form? So you are an animal technically and... ew!" Bryony said, and Aven gave her a confused look. "I can"t believe you're an animal, I've been talking to and calling an animal cute. Well I mean, some animals are cute, but a dragon? Oh my gosh, I'm-"

"I'm not an animal." Aven interrupted her. "I'm human with a dragon form. Not dragon with a human form."

"So you are human? You just have powers to turn into a dragon, and other stuff I'm assuming?"

Aven nodded. "They call us dragon born."

"Cool name." Bryony smiled. "I want powers. Man, and I thought I was special to be able to have parents as protectors of this world, but you definitely one upped me. Wait, what other powers do you have?" She gasped, "can you move stuff with your mind? Oh oh oh! Can you turn people into frogs? How about healing powers? Or shape shift? Wait no, that wouldn't make sense since you're a dragon born. But if you-"

"Slow down." Aven said. "No, I cannot move stuff with my mind and no I can't turn people into frogs or anything. But, I can heal other living things of their pain. I can make it go away, it does have a downside to it though. When I take pain away, I'm taking it away from them, but putting it in me."

"Wait, so you healed my back didn't you?" Bryony asked and Aven nodded. "Thank you, but don't you think that's not exactly the smartest thing? Won't you get weaker and weaker the more you take pain away from other living things?"

"I do, but I don't worry about that." Aven said.

"Well you should, what if it kills you?" Bryony asked.

Aven was silent for a moment, obviously thinking about that. He just shook his head and forced a smile for Bryony. "It won't kill me."

"Uh huh, you had to think about it for a moment, and you hesitated, so it can kill you. You should probably stop doing that if there is a chance it could kill you." Bryony told him.

"I'm not going to stop." Aven said.

Bryony shook her head. "You're stubborn. But you still need to tell me what that... that thing was earlier. Was that that shadow monster that took the fairies? Was it trying to take some other creatures here? Why was it chasing us? And why was such an evil creature, who could kill you in seconds, be scared of you? I don't understand anything that's going on, and I'm about to-"

"That was a Mthunzi, yes." Aven interrupted her. "It was alone, and they aren't usually alone so I don't know why it was here or what it was doing. They might have sent out a scout or something. Maybe it wanted you."

"Me?" Bryony exclaimed, running her hands in her long hair, completely freaked out now.

She didn't understand anything. Why did it want her? No, Aven was wrong. It probably was looking for other creatures and somehow ran into them and attacked on instinct. She was fine, she wasn't in danger.

"You're a human, you're an innocent here and have no idea what is going on. They prey on innocents when they learn one is here, that's why no humans are here. We keep Kaedwenian hidden from the other world to protect you humans from the dark creatures lurking here. If they somehow found a way out of this world and into yours, its the end for everyone living there." Aven said.

"Then why did you take me here?" Bryony exclaimed, scowling at him. "If it's dangerous for me, why am I here?"

"You're here because you're different from the other humans. Your parents were the protectors here, which means you're as special as they are. You're able to interact with the creatures and everything here." Aven told her.

"Ha! Right, okay. Everything here hates me, I can't interact with them. You got the wrong girl buddy." Bryony stood up. "I'm going home."

Aven stood up. "You're seriously leaving your parents here to die?"

"My parents are already dead!" Bryony shouted, immediately regretting it as Aven took a step back and away from her. She took a deep, shaky, breath before sighing and wiping some tears away that randomly starting falling down her face. "My parents have been dead since I was a little girl, they aren't here. That image we saw of them was probably another stupid magic trick, like the ones Elon pulled on me. I want to go hone, I miss my family. Please take me home, I can't stay here anymore."

Bryony was crying again, and Aven watched her in confusion. She laughed a little through her sobs at his face and wiped the tears away, but more kept coming. "What? Never seen someone cry before?"

Aven shook his head. "I don't know why your eyes are leaking." He was so confused, and Bryony tilted her head and just stared at him.

He seriously didn't know anything about crying? That poor thing. It helps a lot to cry it all out, you always feel much better. Had he seriously never cried before? Or seen anyone cry? Then again, there was no other person here that he could see cry. Surely he had seen his family cry... right? Wait, how long has he been alone?

"Aven, how long have you been alone?" Bryony asked him, wiping the last bit of tears away. She had stopped crying now.

Aven didn't answer her at first. He just stood there in silence for a few moments before he spoke up. "That question wasn't on the list of things I was going to explain to you. The next thing I was supposed to explain was why my energy left me at night. Do you want me to take you home? Because I will if you want me to. Or do you want to stay and hear what I have to say about all this?"

Bryony thought for a moment. She did want to understand what was going on, and learn about everything. But she wanted to go back to her family, she missed them and she knew they would be worried. All this? The forest, the creatures, everything. This was all fake. Some kind of magic trick or something, because none of that stuff existed. But then again, some stuff did touch her, and you can't touch illusions. Something was definitely up with this place, was it all a show? Was it fake? She didn't know.

"I want to go home." Bryony finally said, clutching her mothers necklace.

Aven nodded. "Okay."

Bryony followed him as he started leading her back to where they first had been. Bryony put her hands in her pocket, but felt something in them, so she pulled it out. She stared at the folded piece of paper in her hands in confusion. How did that get in her pocket? She didn't remember when or why she put it in her pocket. Wait...

The paper Elon gave her.

"Not now, read it when you most need it." She heard his voice in her head.

Maybe this was the time to read it? It didn't matter anyway, she was going to read it. Bryony unfolded the piece of paper and started reading it.

Dear my beautiful Bryony,

I know you're probably confused right now, and you're probably scared, but please don't give up. I know you probably pushed everything we taught you away and forgot about it, but I need you to remember. Remember the magic. Don't keep pushing the memories away, and don't keep pretending everything isn't real. I'm sorry we had to leave you, we didn't want to, but we knew it was coming. That's why we taught you everything we knew. They're coming to take us tonight and that is why I'm writing this to you. You're strong Bryony, don't give up. Remember it all. Don't keep it locked away deep in your memories. Kaedwenian is depending on you. Your father and I are depending on you. Dorian already got to the dragons (the other protectors) he killed them all Bryony. He's coming for your father and I, he wants to destroy Kaedwenian and bring darkness upon it. He wants to rule the world, and that is why I'm writing this. He doesn't know you're here, he doesn't know we had a daughter so you're safe for now. I'm counting on you my little fairy. I know this is a lot to take in, but I know you can do this. Elon will be there for you when you need him, his father worked with us, and he knows everything. We have told him to get you when the time was right and if you're reading this, then he already found you and told you everything. You'll have someone to help you get through all this, so you won't be alone. It's up to you two to save everyone. I know you can do it, it's why we taught you everything. It's your destiny to save everyone and everything of Kaedwenian. It'll all come back to you, and when it does, you'll know exactly what to do. I love you my darling. I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch you grow up into a beautiful young woman.

~Lots of love, your mother

Bryony had to reread the letter at least three times, but she still didn't understand it. Her mother knew she and her father were going to be taken? Why didn't they just leave to another country with Bryony? Why did they stay and willingly let themselves get taken? Bryony didn't understand any of this. All this stuff was real? No, it couldn't be real. Nothing made sense to her. How was an almost seventeen year old girl supposed to deal with all this? She was a kid. She didn't know what to do. And that someone who was supposed to help her... was that Aven? Did her parents know him? It had to be him, he was the only one there with her right now. Her parents really were counting on her weren't they? She needed to learn everything.

"Aven wait." Bryony said, stopping. Aven stopped and turned around to look at her. Bryony held up the letter from her mother. "I'm staying, but you need to tell me everything."

"I don't know everything, I'm just as hopeless as you. I didn't know your parents. I didn't know anything. The fairies told me all they knew, and that wasn't really a lot. I don't understand why they want two kids to deal with all this stuff." Aven said.

"Aven, everyone's counting on us." Bryony said, almost pleading now. "My parents are counting on us. We can't let them down. We can't let anyone or anything down."

"I wasn't going to let them down, I was going to get them even if you left. You were the one who was going to leave and abandoned them, not me." Aven said.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry." Bryony said and he nodded his head.

"So you're staying and helping me win this?"

Bryony nodded. "I'm staying to kick some butts."