Coral POV:

I ran. I ran and I ran until my legs could not hold me. Then for the first time in what seemed like forever, I flew. I spread my wings and flew as low as I could without attracting attention. Exhausted and terrified, I perched myself at the top of a tall pine tree. I needed the rest and to gather my thoughts. I knew I had to formulate a plan.

I was free, but not completely. I was a fugitive from the dark forces of magick. I needed to find Phoenix. I needed help and I needed to get the hell out of these never ending woods. There were too many spying eyes here.

But how? How am I supposed to find him? I don't even know where Phoenix is.

Huddled into a ball, I enclosed my black wings around me, their glossy silk feathers felt reassuring, and I softly wept myself into a dream state.

I dreamt of a warm, bright place. A place where I was surrounded by smiling faces. Voices were singing and it felt like my whole spirit was soaring, but then I heard a voice calling out my name.

I saw myself as a very young girl. Younger than I can even remember but I knew it was me. I was searching for someone, the owner of the voice. The voice grew quieter and quieter no matter which way I ran. 'Papa!' I shouted but there was no answer. I began to cry and the whole scene changed.

There was darkness everywhere. Not a drop of light was to be seen, not even a single star to watch over me. I had never felt so alone before. I was silent in my despair. Until, I saw a boy. His face so angelic, he was not much older than I. His deep brown eyes looked at me with so much warmth, so much pity. It was Cove as a young lad. He reached a hand out to brush away my tears, but again the scene changed.

I saw Phoenix pulling his hand back from my face, his fingertips were wet with my tears and his face was smattered in blood. I wanted to scream but was cut off by the blood curdling war cries all around us. We were on a battlefield. There was so much death, such loss. I looked back to Phoenix but he was no longer there. I looked around and realized I was alone again, abandoned to the darkness. I fell to my knees, at a loss for any way out of this nightmare, and I heard the voice again calling out to me. 'Coral? Coral, get up. Get up, Coral. Coral. You have to get up. Get up!'

I woke from my disturbed dream, adrenaline pumping through me. My heightened senses heard them. Ogres, in the woods. Quickly, I leapt onto another tree. It was far too risky to fly while they were so close. A few more trees and I knew this plan wasn't going to work for much longer. They were making up too much ground for me to stay ahead of them.

I closed my eyes and thought very hard about the time Cove took me to meet Phoenix in the forests of northern California. I remembered how small we were. How massive the trees looked, how easily one could hide under a leaf or a toadstool. I felt my whole body shimmer and shrink. I opened to see and sure enough I had done it.

I was the size of a Pixie. The wings were a dead give away though so I made use of some colorful leaves, fastening them to my back and effectively covering my ebony feathers. I flitted to the ground and pressed my face into the soggy earth at the base of the tree. Trying my best to blend in with the colorful foliage of the bushes as I waited.

My breathing heightened and my pulse was racing. I took deep, slow breaths and tried to calm myself. I thought of my dream. I thought about that voice and the bright sunlight of the human realm. The light in my dream was so much softer than the harsh rays of the human world, and yet it was just as bright as a summer's day.

My heart rate began to slow into a gentle thump in my chest. I heard the footsteps get louder. I heard them stop. One of the ogre's giant yellow toenails halted within mere inches of my hiding place and I thanked the powers that be that I was not pulverized into faerie dust.

They grunted to each other, I heard them sniffing around but ogres are notorious for their dull senses. I assume this is a major factor in why they don't seem to mind their foul smelling bodies. They're basically brutish oafs that go pillaging and terrorizing decent Fae folk until they get thrown into prison or captured by dark lords so they can do their dirty work, just as this was the case now. These poor, dumb fools were sent out to capture me for Lucius. I would pity them, but if it wasn't me it would be some other unfortunate soul. They really did make a sport of killing things.

Another moment and they turned deeper into the forest. An easterly wind sending my scent far from where I was headed. If the wind kept up they would be at the Portical in just a couple hours. An officer there would undoubtedly question them and then I would be a little bit freer. I knew others would come when word that those two buffoons failed spread, but this would say least but me some time. That's all I needed. A little more time.

Keeping the leaves tied to my back I tried to fly as best I could in my miniature state. The leaves felt heavy and I wasn't making as good time as I would have liked, but I was still making it.

I know I needed to get to the battlefield, but I didn't know exactly where that was. So I continued to fly to the north, following nothing but a feeling in my heart that said this was the way. This was my path.

The winds got stronger and the air became colder as I crossed into the mountains. A blizzard kicked up and I had to change back to my natural form in order to keep from freezing to death. I wandered in the frigid wasteland, not quite sure of anything anymore. I couldn't see the hand in front of my face and I closed my eyes most of the time while I walked, trying to shut out the burning snow.

Just as I was collapsing into the snow bank, accepting that this was how I would finally meet my end, I looked up and saw the warm glow of candlelight. A cabin sat just in the top of the ridge. With all my strength I forced myself up, I crawled on my hands and knees through the blistering snow. Thinking of all the people, the young and old, the humans and the Fae alike, I dragged myself towards the light. I thought of Cove and Phoenix. I thought about the horrors Lucius would unleash upon the realms and I screamed, the tears freezing upon my frostbitten cheeks.

I was halfway up the ridge now. I could see the front door and the candle lighting up the little plate glass window. I reached my hand out, my elbow buckling beneath my own weight. I collapsed face down into the snow. I was sure it would burn and freeze like the rest of me, but the pain was gone now. A warm feeling rushed over me and washed away all my pain. I felt tired, so tired. I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer and I felt the heavy blanket of sleep pulling me down.

No! I can't make it this far and lose now. I have to fight! I have to get help. Help!

HELP!

I don't know if I screamed or if I just thought it loudly, but that was my last thought before darkness took me once again. I vaguely remember being carried. Someone's arms wrapped around me as tenderly as wrapping up a present. It wasn't until later that I realized what a gift it was that she found me. For everyone's sake that she found me. From this moment on everything in my life started to become much clearer.

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Author's Notes:

Hello Dolly! Yes ma'am, I am alive and well. I hope you haven't been missing Coral and the gang too much. I'm sorry I couldn't write for months. We all know 2020 has been a doozy of a year for all of us in so many ways. But I do hope y'all enjoy this chapter. I hope this chapter brightens your day or at least fills up the void whether you're self quarantining for the holidays, or just avoiding people you don't want to socialize with. ;-) I wish everyone a Healthy and Bright new year ahead. May your season be joyous and may you be blessed with the many good things to come.
All My Love,
Elizabeth Door 💋 XOXO