“He’s dead,” Mina answered solemnly. She released Captain Plaith from her hold.
“Then I fear the worst.” He put away his weapon.
“There has to be someone else.”
“The strongest Fae have gone to the palace to see if they can restore the magic to our lands. Others are looking for ways to cross over to your world, since ours is doomed.”
“Then we will go to the Fae palace,” Mina said.
“Good luck. It’s become quite the battleground. I’d stay very far away from there.”
“Look, I didn’t have to come back. I’m not even sure why I did, but if I’m not giving up on your world, then you better not either. Do you understand? That’s an order.”
Captain Plaith swallowed nervously, and a small smile crept onto his face. “Yes ma’am.” He stood taller and gave her a bow before walking to the willows and pulling the branches aside so she could pass through.
On the other side, she met Nix and Ever. They nodded silently, as if they had overheard everything.
Captain Plaith pulled out a small flute and played a simple melody. A few minutes later, three centaurs came over the hills in a cloud of dust, all of them heavily armed. The dark-coated one had a long sword, a palomino female wore a long bow, and the tallest—with the whitest of coats—carried an axe.
“Thank you for coming Adrith, Basal, and Prase,” Captain Plaith addressed them in order. “I think one has come who is able to save us. Can we count on your herd to escort us?”
The white centaur, Adrith, held up his axe and reared in challenge. “We do not fear battle. Your company will be safe with us.”
“Then we must hurry,” Captain Plaith answered. He gestured for Mina to mount Prase, the closest centaur, but Adrith stepped forward.
“I’ll guard this one.” He offered her his hand.
Mina placed her hand in his palm as he kneeled and helped her onto his back. Ever and Nix climbed upon Basal and Prase, while Captain Plaith readied his own Fae steed.
Adrith took off at a canter through what was left of the swamps. Mina’s hair whipped around her face, and she tried to not let the darkness that was hopelessness envelope her. She had to have faith, even in the most difficult trials.
“I may not have been able to save you, but I will try to save your home,” Mina whispered in promise to the air. Not a single tear fell from her eye. She doubted she had any left to shed.
When they came to the expansive bridge, Adrith pulled up short. The lake was still there, but barely. The palace was in full view, since the veil of magic that hid it was gone. Even from this distance, they could see a large group of Fae gathered on the other side of the bridge.
Basal sniffed the air and stomped his hooves in displeasure. “Reeks of gnome. Lots of them.”
Prase shook her head in distaste, her white and brown hair flowing. “They’re just thieves and scavengers. Coming to steal what’s not rightfully theirs.”
“Let them,” Mina answered. “Things don’t matter if we can’t keep the world from dying.”
“The girl is right,” Adrith spoke. “We must restore the conduit of power.”
“And does anyone know how to do that?” Ever asked.
“I do,” Ferah spoke up. The elf walked up to them, her red hair falling in dirty clumps past her shoulders, her face streaked with tears. She turned to Mina, her shoulders slumped. “This is all my fault. This is what I saw, this is what was foretold. The death of our world. It’s why I tried to kill the prince all those years ago. Now I’ve failed twice over.”
Mina glared at Ferah but felt a twinge of sympathy. “Yes, this is your fault, but you don’t carry the blame alone. That is too much a burden for any one of us. Now that you’re here, you can prove yourself. Help us save the Fae world.”
Ferah cupped her hands over her face and brushed fresh tears away. She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Then she turned and looked at Mina with a gleam of determination. “If only I had seen it then. I would never have stood in your way.”
A great rumbling began, and the centaurs shuffled in place as the ground quaked and shifted. In the middle of the lake, a fissure opened, and water rushed into the rift. The great stone bridge before them began to crumble, small stones falling into the remaining water.
“We must hurry.” Ferah ran across the bridge before the earthquake finished.
Adrith yelled for Mina to hold on as the centaurs took off running toward the bridge. If they didn’t hurry, they wouldn’t make it across.