A large hippogriff came sliding to a harsh stop in front of Landon. Its horse-like tail wagged like a giant puppy. The beast stood eight feet tall. Its razor-sharp beak nudged Landon.
He fell backward on his butt. "Gus! Why did you have to do that? I must hurry! The Prince is going to be here soon!" Landon laughed and brushed the grass off his pants. "You silly thing!"
Gus cooed at him and bound around him before laying down and rolling onto its back. Landon chuckled and scratched his exposed tummy.
His front feet were eagle talons. His wings folded tight against his back. "Stay here, I will be back."
The hippogriff sat up and cocked its head to the side.
Landon turned and saw Windraven, "coming with me to pick berries?"
"Of course. You know you are not allowed out of my sight. Ever." Windraven gave a cheesy full-tooth grin.
Landon laughed, "alright. Let us go then."
They did not stop until they reached the Mother Tree. Landon smiled as he observed the guylas. They were in their prime. The huge leaves hung almost with dignity.
Landon placed the buckets on the ground. Reverently, he knelt before the Mother Guyla. She was larger than the rest of the trees. It was this entity that gave all the others life.
Windraven followed suit, placing his bucket next to the young boy's.
A vine wrapped itself around every limb and the trunk of the tree.
"My dearest Lumina, I am grateful for the offering of your berries for our consumption. Please allow me to take three buckets of your fruit. It is by order of the Prince."
In response to his words, the wind rustled the leaves. Vines shot out of the ground at the base of every tree.
With unnatural speed the vines produced flowers that died into fruit. It was Landon's favorite part of gathering berries.
The display of magic from the Mother Tree was always the most awe-inspiring event for him.
He and Windraven picked up their buckets and walked from vine to vine. One at a time, the vines released their berries into their buckets.
One of the berries hit the edge of Windraven's bucket and bounced out. It fell to the dirt and shriveled with a hiss.
Windraven gave a growl, and Landon smiled up at him, knowing that the berries can never be gathered from off the ground.
Landon reassured his friend that it would be alright that one berry lost out of many was an acceptable loss.
It did not take long before they had collected more than enough berries that were needed. The sun was just peaking over the horizon.
"We have what we need Windraven, let's go back to mother." When they returned, Relana was just about ready.
Landon helped her wash and prep the berries, Windraven watched. Together, Landon and Relana finished the pies.
A twenty-eight-year-old man came down the stairs. His long sandy blonde hair had black streaks through it. His thick black eyebrows intensified his expression of just waking up.
He ran his fingers through his locks. His intense emerald gaze fell upon his mother. "What in Nexus is everyone doing? It is already past noon. Why was I not woken?" He descended the stairs and entered the kitchen.
A taller man with long black hair followed him down the steps without a sound.
He wore a black and gold tunic. A dark tattoo decorated his face. The marking was a tree, its roots at his chin. The trunk wrapped around his eye and the leaves across his forehead.
His gaze fell upon Landon and a sly smirk crossed his face.
Windraven scowled at him. "Because no one likes you?"
The second man snapped his attention to Windraven. "No need to be salty, old friend."
"Angelo," he chuckled. "You are not my friend. I tolerate you because I must."
The first man glared at Windraven. "I still do not even understand your purpose here. Like, why do you even have to be here?"
Windraven crossed his arms. "I am here because I must be. It is as simple as that." His squeaky voice echoed with pride.
Angelo chuckled. "Windraven you really must do something about that horrible sound that comes out of your mouth. It is enough to shatter glass."
Windraven just glared at Angelo, "Mind your tongue or I may have to send you to the Underworld!"
Angelo just laughed.
Landon stood in front of Windraven. His gaze locked on Angelo. "He is here because he is my friend, and that is reason enough to be here." Landon replied with a snarky grin.
Angelo let a respectful smile come across his face. "Of course, my grace, I meant no disrespect." His eyes sparkled with a cosmic challenge locked on Windraven.
Relana just shook her head. "Redkin and Angelo, take these scraps to the pigs, please."
A smirk came over Redkin's face, "of course, Mother." He and Angelo stepped outside with the pig slop in hand.
Relana turned her attention to Landon. "Everything is changing today. I must go to the Northern Springs."
"But Mother! That is dangerous. The Nucklavee haunt that area. It is common knowledge that the dark one controls them."
"Do not worry yourself with such rumors. Go now and get yourself cleaned up. I am sure the prince will be here soon. It has taken all day to get those blasted pies done!" She gave him a stern look.
Landon sighed in defeat and headed up the stairs.
Windraven gave Relana a warning growl before he followed Landon up the stairs.
Redkin and Angelo came back in. "Mother, why are you allowing the Prince to take Landon? You know as well as I do, that he should not be bound to him."
Angelo crossed his arms. He opened his mouth to speak but instantly shut up when his eyes met Relana's.
"Redkin, I have no control over it. Trust me, I have tried to remove the ring. But it bears the magic of Valdos and Apocalipitica's eldritch magic. We are going to have to see this through," Relana crossed her arms.
"What is more frustrating is Windraven. Why in Nexus's name does he have to stay with us? He has been here for, what, twelve years now?!" Redkin gave a defeated sigh.
"That is another thing Redkin, that do not I have control over. Unfortunately, the power to make him leave is possessed by only Renaldo," Relana eyed her son.
"Redkin, that is true, even Q…"
"Angelo. Enough." Relana cut him off.
"Umm," he cleared his throat. "Relana has not power enough to make Windraven do anything at all," Angelo smirked.
"I know it has thrown a wrench into everything, but we do not have many options right now. Do you know if The Order is any closer to finding the hellfire?" Relana asked.
"No, they are not. They thought I would know which is strange because why would I have that information?" Redkin stated with confusion.
Relana only gave him a soft smile. "I do not know why they would think that, either," she turned away to hide the smirk her smile transformed into.
Redkin hid his face in his hands and took a deep breath. He did not see his Mother's smirk.
"Here," Relana turned back around, "put some of these pies outside to cool, will you? I do not have enough room in this kitchen for all of them."
He studied his Mother for a moment before he responded to her. "Of course, Mother," he placed the pies on a table just outside the door.
Redkin came back into the kitchen. He raised a brow, "why would the Prince need so many pies?"
"It is not my place to question the Prince." Relana scowled, "today is already stressful enough. I do not need any more sass from you, boy."
"But Mother—ugh, never mind."
A noise from outside caught Relana's attention. It sounded like pigs. Pigs eating her pies!