The first voyage
I had been training with Eryl for about two months now and had now learnt to master my new skills. I didn't want to linger in fear of being caught by the scavengers. We had agreed to leave in the morning. I was glad to hear Athena would join us on our quest.
She said, "Whether it be me fighting by your side or sacrificing myself, my queen I will keep you safe."
Eryl volunteered to stay behind to protect the elemental heart and all of those who wish to visit it for sanctuary. We grabbed a leather bag Athena had given us and put as much food in there as we could carry. We weren't worried about water as Hydra discovered that if she is close to us she can fill our blood with water to keep us alive.
I woke everyone up very early in the morning and we grabbed all of our stuff and headed back into the wilderness. Just as we left though I was a complete idiot and tripped over a raised tree root. My ankle was in a lot of pain so Athena grabbed me a cane and we continued our slow walk.
After about an hour I stopped and said: "Does anyone have any idea where we are actually going cause I'm literally just wandering around?"
Everyone was blank-faced until strike said "I sense electricity and by the feel of thing we are heading towards somewhere with a lot of it. A city perhaps."
Ash said, "Well a city could help us blend in and we could get a hotel as we do still have Flint's mums wedding ring and it has a large diamond in it?"
"And Void you could dye your hair so as to not stand out as much."
I don't know if we should go I mean it could be very risky and what if someone recognises us if someone is killed the blame is put on me.
Shelly blurts out "NO we can't go people will find us"
Then everyone began shouting at me. Some wanting us to go others wanting us to keep to the woods. I could barely make out anything. Then my breaths became wheezy I felt a huge strain on my chest. My heart was racing. My eyes darting around. I fell onto a log still struggling to breathe. Athena silenced everyone. I was still heaving trying to catch my breath.
Athena began demanding things. Kings weed fairy mushrooms and silence. I was still trying to breathe and now I was beginning to feel faint. Athena burned the king's weed and pulled out the core of the mushroom stalks and stuffed the burning weed in. she whispered an incantation into the plant. She then pressed it into my mouth and instantly my breathing began to ease. I was still very faint and when I tried to stand up I fell back down feeling weak in the knees.
Athena said, "The remedy will help your breathing but will give your lower body temporary paralysis it will fade but we best make camp for the night. It may be a while."
While Strike helped me into a comfier position Everyone was bustling around creating us a small camp for the night. Hydra made us some very nice looking raised beds. She looked very proud then Ash sneezed and burnt on of them to the ground.
Hydra pointed to it and said "You can have that one"
Ash looked a bit disappointed but still kept her joyful mood. Athena grabbed some of the food and placed it over the fire to warm up a bit as it was a bitterly cold night. I lay on the bed of leaves contemplating the prophecy. What did it mean? What if it was literal? An actual dead road.
I rose the next morning and Nate was sat by a rotting tree-hugging it. It was regrowing its branches and the termites were flowing out in rivers. Leaves were sprouting and fruit was appearing. He then let go and stood up. Using my cane as I was still a bit wobbly I went to stand by his side.
He said "It's my job to protect life. This tree was destroyed by an angry bear. It did not need to die. It deserved another chance."
"Does that mean you could revive humans?!"
"I can but I choose not to. There are too many of us so to restore life to one will take life from another. I should not be the one to decide who dies and who lives."
"I get it. Me now being the Mystic Queen just imagine all of the responsibilities. And to know every Mystic currently lives. That it is my job to protect them.No matter the cost." I sighed. I just made the hardest decision of my life.
We watched the sunrise then everyone rose from their slumbers and we were on the move. I decided to send Hydra ahead to scout the town as if there were people wanting to kill us there she is the best to counter-attack; she can fly so that's a bonus. I made surer the group travelled silently and on their guard so if necessary we could defend ourselves against an attack. Shelly stayed in the middle of the group because she had no powers. Hydra came flying back to me.
She was out of breath and said " No scavengers but it is a gang-controlled city. They tried to kill me with a machine gun thinking I was a bird or something.
"I guess we are heading down to the city then."