Chapter five

Aven watched the girl, Bryony from what she told him, as she layed on the ground unconscious. Her brown hair was long and wavy, almost curly, and sprawled on the ground around her. Parts of it were up in two corn row braids on the left side next to her ear. Two light brown feathers were sticking out from the bottom of the braids. Her skin was a dark tan and her arms were above her head. her eyes were closed, she looked like she was sleeping peacefully. A necklace was around her neck and he barely made out what it was. It was a golden dragon holding half a heart with a piece of beautiful colorful gemstone for the heart, in the middle, and in its talons. The colors of the gemstone were a mix of pink, white, and gold. The colors mixed together so well, almost like someone had painted the colors on. Aven tilted his head to the side, staring at the necklace. It looked familiar. He shook his head, blinking, and taking his eyes off the necklace. The girl was wearing jeans and a coat. Her boots were covered in mud, but she just looked normal. How had she seen his wings? No normal human could see them, and he only used them to protect himself instead of having to turn to do that. They were so big they could wrap themselves around him to protect him from things without him having to turn into a monster.

Bryony groaned, hand going up to touch her forehead as she slowly sat up. "Ow." She looked around until her eyes landed on Aven, and that's when they widened and she immediately got up and took a step back.

"Where am I?" Bryony asked as she looked around. "Where did you take me? Where is the snow? It's hot." She quickly took her coat off and dropped it on the ground. She was wearing a colorful sweater under the coat and she rolled the sleeves up since it was so hot.

Aven noticed the girls eyes were a beautiful green color with just a tiny hint of gold specks, like emeralds. They were wide with fear and a little of curiosity as she looked all around her. Different color flowers were all around them, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, and other bugs flying around them. Birds chirped from the trees surrounding them, and the sky wasn't dark and cloudy anymore. The sky was blue and bright. Bryony turned to Aven with her mouth open in shock. "Where are we? It's beautiful. Wait, where are my family? What happened to them?"

They're fine. Aven thought even though he couldn't say it. He could, but it hurt to speak. A lot.

"Seriously, talk to me." Bryony said taking a step towards Aven but he took a step back. Why did he take her here? Oh yeah, he needed to clean her back and take care of that wound.

Aven spun his finger in a circle, telling her to spin around and she nodded and did as he said. She willingly did as he said, that was new. She should be scared like everyone else. He was a monster, everybody knew that. Why wasn't she scared of him?

Aven started lifting Bryony's shirt up and she gasped, turning around and slapping his hand as she took a step back. "Don't just lift a girls shirt up, that's rude."

How was that rude? He was trying to help her.

Bryony relaxed a little, giving him a small smile as she sighed. "You look so confused and innocent, it's cute. What did your parents teach you? Do you know anything about privacy?"

Privacy? Aven tilted his head to the side, not understanding anything she was saying. What did that mean? What did a lot of the stuff she was saying mean?

Bryony scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. "You have no clue what privacy is? Did your parents ever teach you anything? Privacy is when you give someone the space they need, not exactly like that but I don't know how to explain it. Nevermind don't listen to me, it's hard to explain, and trust me, I am probably the dumbest person to walk this earth."

Aven understood that. Nobody gave him space, he was always being hunted and tortured whenever someone caught him. They never gave him space, they were always in his face screaming at him and telling him how much of a monster he was and torturing him. He always got away, but that was his life. He was always on the run and hiding. That's all he knew.

Bryony cursed under her breath, bringing a hand up to her back, finally noticing the pain. "Owww, the heck? What did that stupid cat do to me?" She tried to see her back but she couldn't.

Aven took a step forward, signing 'let me help you' but the girl just stared at him in confusion. She folded her arms. "So you are mute?" Aven shook his head.

No. He thought. Not mute, just can't talk without it hurting. Can't eat without choking and coughing. Why can't you understand signs? It would make it a whole lot easier.

Bryony thought for a moment. "If you aren't mute, then why don't you talk? Tell me what is going on here."

Aven shook his head. I can't. He pointed to her back and made a slicing motion with his hands so she got what he meant. The mountain lion clawed her and he knew how to help.

"Oooh." Bryony said, finally realizing what he meant. "Yeah, the mountain lion got me good but I'll be alright. Luckily it's not too deep and bad."

Aven slapped his hand on his face, shaking his head. No, that's not what I'm talking about. Ugh, why do I have to be cursed with this disease? She can't understand me when I sign things to her. I need to talk. Great going strange girl, you're going to make me hurt myself.

Aven looked back up at Bryony, who was raising an eyebrow. "I'm trying to take care of your wound." Aven winced as he spoke and his voice was a little hoarse. He gently massaged his throat, trying to get rid of the pain as Bryony just stared at him.

Then she gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen. "You can talk!" She gushed, clapping her hands, "I was beginning to think I was stuck with a mute."

"Let me help you." Aven said again, trying not to wince this time.

"Oh! That's why you tried to lift my shirt, you were going to help. Oh, I am so sorry. I didn't know, you should have just said so. It's not hard to talk."

If only you knew. Aven thought.

Bryony winced a little when she moved. "You can help me? You don't have any first aid things or anything."

Aven lifted his hands up and she nodded, confused now. "Your hands?" She asked.

He pointed to her back and she took a deep breath. "Okay fine, I'll take my sweater off but I'm only lifting my under shirt up got that? I'm not being half naked in front of a boy, especially a stranger boy."

She lifted the sweater above her head and tied it around her waist as she moved her hair to one side and gently lifted her undershirt up, wincing as she did. She turned around so Aven could see her back and asked, "How bad is it?"

Aven didn't say anything. Her undershirt had slice marks and was stained red with her blood. Too bad it was white, that must have sucked. There were four long and deep slice lines on her back, oozing blood and Aven almost winced just looking at it. Almost. He took a step towards her and put his hand on her back, feeling her tense and and hiss in pain as he closed his eyes. There was a bright flash and then when he opened his eyes, the slices were gone.

"What did you just do?" Bryony asked as Aven bent over, sucking in a deep breath. "It doesn't hurt anymore. I don't feel anything. Is it still there?"

Aven always hated taking the pain for people and creatures that were hurt, but if that meant they would be okay and saved then he did. He was getting weaker and weaker everytime he took pain, but that didn't stop him. He was a monster anyway, he was eventually going to come across the one who murdered all the rest of his kind and he would die.

"Hellooo." The girl was snapping her fingers in his face, making him jump back from her. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, I just want to know what you did. And where we are."

"Kaedwenian." Aven said quietly, just loud enough for Bryony to hear. He didn't want to keep hurting himself by talking.

"What?" Bryony asked, but he shook his head.

"Come." He said quietly again and turned and started walking. Bryony just stood in the middle of the meadow watching him leave. She didn't know what to do, but Aven knew she would run and catch up to him because she would be alone if she didn't. He knew she was curious to why she was here and where here was, so she would follow him. Aven heard the girl running to catch up with him. "Wait." She came to a stop next to him and started walking in step with him. "So are you going to tell me what is going on here? Or no?"

Aven shook his head. Not yet. Wait.

Bryony groaned. "So you are not going to tell me what is going on, but you were the one who brought me to this place. Why can't you tell me what in the world is go-" she suddenly stopped as a couple fairies flew over to Aven. One with long beautiful wavy black hair smiled at Aven, kissing his cheek and giggling when he gave her a small smile. Her dress was dark blue. The other was smaller than the first with short black hair and beautiful brown skin. She was wearing a yellow dandelion dress.

"Hello." The yellow fairy said, her voice really high. "Where have you been?"

Aven pointed at Bryony who just stood there in shock, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. The blue fairy flittered over to Bryony, hovering in front of her and making a curious face. "What's with her face?" She asked. The yellow fairy smiled at Bryony. "You're adorable."

Aven jumped as Bryony suddenly squealed so loud making the fairies fly off behind Aven, covering their ears and scolding her for being so loud. "Oh my gosh! They're fairies! Actual fairies oh my gosh. Who are you?"

The fairies pointed an accusing finger at Bryony and scolded her before they flew away and Bryony immediately stopped smiling and her eyes widened. "Wait, don't go, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!" The fairies didn't come back. Aven watched as Bryony looked at the floor. She looked upset. Aven saw a Zyx floating towards her. They were different colored fuzzy glowing balls, but they were alive and very shy. Bryony looked up as the Zyx lightly brushed against her cheek and she gasped, eyes widening in awe as she stared at it. More came into view and floated towards her and she reached her hand out to touch one, but it floated up and out of reach and then went back down as her attention went to a different one. She tried touching a few but they always floated out of reach so she couldn't. Aven watched in curiosity as they floated towards her. They don't like new people coming here, he didn't know why they were here with the new girl.

"What are these? They're beautiful!" Bryony said and reached out to touch a pretty purple one, but it floated out of reach and instead of going back down, it floated towards Aven. He reached a hand out and it landed on him. As soon as that one landed on him, the others floated away from Bryony to land on Aven. Bryony watched in awe and wonder as they all landed on him, glowing even more when they did. She reached out to touch a blue one but it floated out of reach again, and then landed back on Aven when she yanked her hand back.

"Why don't they like me?" Bryony asked and looked at Aven.

He shrugged, even though he knew the answer. He just didn't want to talk right now. Zyx were very friendly creatures, but they were extremely shy and didn't like most things touching them. They knew Aven because he had been taking care of Kaedwenian since he could remember. He took care of all the creatures that lived there and tried not to let the darkness take over, but it got harder as the days went by, but he stayed with the creatures and made sure they were safe and protected, so everything knew him and was comfortable around him.

Bryony looked around her, and at everything surrounding them. The trees, plants, animals and creatures. The forest was very green and well alive for now, if Aven stopped taking care of it, it would die. He wouldn't stop taking care of it, he needed to save it and bring back the magic. Bryony watched as a huge red bird flew past, screeching as it did. She looked back at Aven. "What is this place? This can't be real, I must be dreaming. These stuff don't exist. Fairies don't exist, and I don't even know what those are," she pointed at the Zyx, "tell me what is going on here."

"Elon." Aven said quietly, trying not to speak so loudly, but he still winced in pain.

"Elon? You mean that weird guy that just snuck in my room and scared the crap out of me?" Bryony asked, bringing her finger up to her chin to think for a moment. "He did tell me about bringing back the magic and saving some kind of another world. He was obviously on drugs and was crazy," she laughed to herself, "I mean, he told me it was my job to find this Aden person and help them. He said that my parents were some kind of guardian of some kind of world? He said I needed to find them and help them save the world or something. I don't know"

"Aven." Aven said quietly, not liking how she said his name wrong.

"Oh, Aven, right sorry. I forget names a lot, especially ones I have never heard before." Bryony apologized. "Do you happen to know where this Aven might be?"

Aven looked at her skeptically. "I'm Aven."

Bryony's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she just stared at him, but then she smiled. "Hi!"

Aven blinked, taken aback at her sudden change of mood. Why was she acting like that? What was wrong with her? One moment she was demanding what was going on and the next she was smiling and was happy. Aven didn't understand her at all. She was confusing.

"So." Bryony said. "Now that I found you, or should I say, you found me, what do we do?"