Chapter 22: Slight Delay

Ash, the Phoenix, Liam, Taylor, and Isla flew over Petra, Littus, and Silvestria mounted on. Taylor sat at the start of Ash's neck with Isla behind him and Liam at the far end, holding Isla for assurance that he nor she would fall.

As they flew just past the Petran kingdom border between Petra and the abandoned kingdom of Littus, Liam dared to look down to see a near dusty wasteland of old buildings and broken monuments he'd only read about in books.

There was no sign of life anywhere. Plants that once flourished were wilted, reduced to fruitless branches. Not a soul could be seen..

-For the most part.

Liam could swear for less than a second that he could see slight movement from something down there. He just couldn't tell what it was. "What's that?" He pointed downward at what he'd seen for a moment.

"What's what?" Isla looked in the direction of Liam's pointed finger, but saw nothing.

"I– I don't know. I saw something. It could be nothing, but I think we should check it out, just in case."

"In case of what?"

"I don't know, I feel like we should. Like I said, it could be nothing, but I feel like we should really check it out. Hey, Taylor, can you direct Ash down there?" Liam requested, but as soon as he asked ash flew downward without Taylor's addition in opinion. "Oh! Okay." Liam exclaimed cheerfully.

Taylor shrugged, "Are you sure? We really do need to continue. It's only been a week, we have three more weeks of flying to go. Should we really stop now?" He turned his head to look at Liam.

Isla gestured to Ash, "Well, I'm not exactly sure, Ash is really changin' her mind about checkin' it out. She's flyin' and headin' for ground." She called out as the ground grew closer as each second passed. "Brace yourselves!" Isla then folded her hands and mumbled something that Liam barely recognized as a language.

Just then, Ash's flying graced them the heavy landing. Liam knew it wasn't Ash that made sure of that. He wasn't sure the landing would have been as smooth without whatever Isla had said.

Taylor exhaled exasperatedly, "Good thinking, Isla!" Then he mumbled something in a language much different from Isla's mumbling.

Liam raised a coal-black eyebrow at it.

Taylor settled Ash and let her rest as they began to walk. "I suppose we might as well, now. It seems Ash had the same feeling as you, Prince Liam. Lead the way, where did you see what startled you?"

Liam nodded, "Okay, then. I think it was this way."

Taylor met Liam's pace ahead of everyone, leaving Isla thinking to herself and studying their surroundings.

Liam turned to look at Taylor. "What was it that Isla said right before we nearly crashed? I know, we would've, but the moment she said what she said, the crash was gentler."

Taylor shrugged, "I don't know."

"You don't. Do you know what language it was in? I've never heard a language like that. Same with yours. What languages did you guys speak in?"

Taylor chuckled. "You're not exactly meant to understand it. They're languages only we as individuals know. Isla told you about the Source, right? Omniscient being, needing to understand it before earning the ability to use magic, that?"

"Yeah. She said, I'd eventually acquire the words in which to perform it." Liam nodded.

"Yep! She'd be right. What we said were in languages we don't always decipher. We call them our Sacred Languages. Sometimes some of our Sacred Languages contain pieces from other languages but we get them from the Source. We have a deep understanding and relationship with Him. So He grants us our own language in which to speak with Him. If you continue doing what you're doing, then in no time, I have no doubt that you'll get your own language in which only you can speak to and with Him."

Liam smiled, "Wow! That's awesome." He looked behind him to look at Isla for a moment, but found no one behind him or Taylor.

Liam looked around, "Where's Isla?" He asked in concern.

"She was just behind us, wasn't she?" Taylor questioned in reply.

Liam turned completely around and searched their surroundings heavily. "She was... Taylor, fan out! Any sight of her let me know." He ordered anxiously, but not quite rudely.

Taylor nodded once and did as requested.

Liam ran about, looking and searching restlessly for any sign of Isla's location. "ISLA! ISLA, WHERE ARE YOU?"

Taylor and Liam looked at each other in worry.

Liam continued to search endlessly and frantically for her. "Isla! Isla!"

Taylor approached him with a faded frown, "Prince Liam, I found her. She's in an abandoned fabric shop. I'm not sure why, but nonetheless she's there."

Liam let out a sigh of relief. He ran directly towards her. She looked as if she were creeping around, looking for something suspicious. Liam reached her and put his hand on Isla's shoulder, startling her. "Isla!" He exclaimed.

Isla nearly jumped in response. "Liam, what are you-"

Liam cut her off turning in a facing position, and hugging her tightly. "Isla! You scared by us! Why didn't you at least let us know where you were going? We would've gone with you."

"Liam, that's why. Look, I'm fine. I just.. I thought I heard somethin' then I thought I saw somethin' so I decided to check it out." Isla put her hand atop Liam's hand that sat on her shoulder, her cheeks heating.

"Isl-"

"-If I told you and you two came with me, it would've completely scared whoever or whatever it was. If it was just me, then it would've heard you and Taylor and assumed nothin' was out of order. Also I'd be quiet enough to not be seen or heard. Sorry for scarin' you." It was Liam's turn to be interrupted.

"Just let us know next time, okay?"

"Alright." Isla's ears twitched. "Shh. There's somethin' still here." She signed, rather than spoke aloud.

Taylor and Liam joined her on a side of a wall. But the sound was long gone.

Isla's back slumped. "Well, it was here. It must've heard us and scurried before bein' found."

Both boys gave her apologetic looks.

"It's fine." She eased their consciences and let them back to the middle of the abandoned streets.

Liam walked behind Isla this time, and kept his thoughts to himself. He wondered just how he really did feel about her. Knowing how it felt when he used to see Palace guards flirting with her, how it felt to know how horribly she'd been treated most of her life, not to mention knowing just how much he knew and cared about her, it was almost eye opening.

To see her upset hurt him, and knowing whatever could happen to her, scared him more than he'd ever been.

Thinking so heavily on these facts and feelings led him to a startling conclusion. He didn't like her. He wasn't fond of her. He didn't admire her.

He adored her. He would sacrifice almost everything for her. He loved her. That's why the thought of marrying her was one of his happiest dreams, the sight of her sincerely smiling face were his greatest thoughts, and knowing she could really see herself through his adoring eyes, was the most amazing feeling.

He would never feel different about her. He loved her, mistakes and flaws and everything else.

"What are you thinkin' about?" Isla's lovely voice pulled him away from his realization.

"Oh! Uh.. Nothing, just.. Stuff."

"That's not nothin', you know."

Liam cleared his throat, "Right! Uh, I meant, not much." He slipped his hand in hers.

Feeling slightly startled and flustered, Isla's cheeks burned at the feeling of his hand in hers, as she side-glanced at him.

Taylor looked at them with a smile, Brooklynn was right, they did have it bad for one another. He curiously wondered who they were trying to fool. They clearly loved each other. Everyone knew they were already betrothed. There would've been no shame in admitting it all, even if at this very moment.

As they continued to walk, whispers echoed, but much unlike the whispers in the dungeons of Sahra. These whispers were everywhere, as if surrounding them, bottling them into a small targeted triangle.

Isla pulled out her blades, and readied to fight whatever it was. Taylor stretched for a moment and prepared himself for battle. Liam just prayed really hard they would survive, and maybe he could use some sort of magic to help defend.

"Get behind me!" Isla ordered.

"But Isl-" Liam tried to protest.

"-Now, Liam!" Isla shouted and Liam did as instructed.

Slowly but surely, elves of tar black and wisps flowing from them, Scaths emerged all around them surrounding them at every exit.

Isla studied their surroundings and looked at Liam and Taylor, sharing a look with them, an idea coming to both of them.

In a split second, Isla threw a small compact blade behind them and yelled, "Come on! Run!"

The boys didn't argue even for a second.

The thrown blade hit a Scath right behind them and they all ran in that direction.

Barely escaping the closing in circle of Scaths the three ran as their lives depended on it. They ran about around houses and shops to scramble the Scaths enough to lose their trail. Taylor looked back and the three of them were suddenly pulled by something into a old village house.