Chereads / A fae's tale / Chapter 17 - Unveiling the Hidden Haven

Chapter 17 - Unveiling the Hidden Haven

We all landed in a forest and hiding behind

some trees, I looked around to check everyone,

making sure they were all there.

Riya and Zed were hiding behind one tree

while Maya was still sitting on Flavia, and it seemed

as if she didn't mind Maya. Her bond with Flavia

was astonishing, it made me kind of jealous.

I felt like I had a duty to protect Maya. I felt

as if she was my own blood, as if she was my little

sister.

We all began our walk through the thick

forest, and followed Flavia with every turn she

made. It's shocking how dragons can sense their

own blood not through their nose out through their

eyes. They can see a scent trail, something visible

only to their eyes.

"What's wrong girl?" Maya questions, we all

lift our gaze towards Flavia and then move from

behind her to see.

There it was… In the heart of the vast

wilderness, it stood… A magnificent mountain, its

presence an imposing force on the landscape. This

mountain, known to Fae's as " Mount Scales,"

seemed as if it had been sculpted by the very

hands of God itself. I had heard about this

mountain in a meeting my father had been in a

couple months ago, he was planning to visit scales

with a couple hundred soldiers but I guess the plan

was never put into action.

I always wondered why he needed so many

Fae to go with him, but now it was beginning to hit

me, he wanted to ransack the Dragon smuggling

business. We all narrowed our eyes as Maya

pointed to a cave on Scales.

Hidden from the world above lay the secret

sanctuary known only as the Havenhallow , a name

whispered with reverence among those who had

ventured within. This cave was not just an ordinary

chamber; it was a realm of wonders and mysteries

and apparently… dragons.

The entrance to the Havenhollow was an

enigmatic portal, a dark maw set into the side of a

steep, rocky mountain. Overgrown vines and

ancient mosses framed the entrance, shrouding it

in an aura of ancient secrecy.

"Let's go then, what are we waiting for?"

Zed Raises his voice while getting on top of Flavia.

His energy and enthusiasm gave everyone

a boost of courage and we all began to climb on

Flavia's back, including Ben.

Upon landing almost a mile away from

Havenhollow, Flavia nodded her head as if she was

agreeing to something Maya had said.

"She wants us to be as quiet as possible so

we don't get caught." we all nod before she

continues, "there are red Fae stationed on every

corner… fae's… meaning they have a strong vision

and can sense movement from miles away."

"Don't worry we'll be as quiet as a mouse." Riya

ensured Flavia and Maya, as we began to walk.

Making sure not to take hard steps on the ground.

I turn back to see Maya and Flavia not moving,

"Riya turns and says, "it's for the best Flavia night

out with her large body and loud flapping wings."

She had a point we decided to continue without

them and it was a little more than a narrow wall of

rock that seemed to slice through the sky. It's as if

nature herself has drawn a thin line along the steep

incline, daring us to tread upon it. This vertiginous

path stretches out before us, meandering along the

ridge with sheer drops on either side. The narrow

path, no wider than my boot, stretched out before

us, seeming to defy gravity as it clung to the

mountainside. When I looked down it felt as if the

world dropped away into a dizzying abyss, a sea of

deep valleys. All I kept thinking about was if I felt

my wing wasn't fully healed.

I could die…

Before we knew it we were standing on high

ground, in front of the cave. I let out a sigh of relief

before bringing my hands to my knees, swinging

my head down and gasping for air.

The air at the threshold held a cool, earthy

scent, and a faint, melodious hum, like a lullaby

sung by unseen voices, beckoned those who dared

to venture inside. Stepping beyond the entrance,

one was enveloped in a world of shadows and

echoes. The cave's passage, worn smooth by the

passage of time, wound its way deeper into the

earth. The walls glistened with moist mineral

deposits, their surfaces reflecting the soft glow of

torchlight in a shimmering dance of colors.

"Hey!!" we hear a voice before entering,

"Run or Fight?" Ben lifts his hands above his head

and pulls out two large knives.

Three red Fae charged at us at the speed of

lightning but they seemed to forget that we were

Fae too.

A fight unfolded with a flurry of motion and

intensity, a clash of wills and a test of skill that left

no room for hesitation, I relied on speed and

precision, darting in and out of the fray with

calculated strikes. my fists and feet found their

marks with unerring accuracy, leaving bruises and

welts in their wake. With one wing tied behind my

back in a bandage I managed to drop the guard

within seconds, thanking Fate, who trained me well

enough to be able to overcome a situation like this.

Ben used brute strength to dominate one of

them. Each of his blows carried the weight of a

sledgehammer, and they pushed forward

relentlessly, determined to overpower the red fae, "

I Didn't even get to use my knives." he let out in a

sigh.

With one red left and charging towards Riya

fast he struck her without any hesitation and sent

her flying off the edge, "Riya!" Ben and I scream in

unison.

We see her come back, levitating. Her

wings now open and her eyes shining lilac bright.

She squinted her eyebrows in anger, wiping off

blood from her cheek.

"Now it's my turn."

Ben grabbed Zed and pulled him to the

ground before grabbing and shoving me down too.

A large beam of purple light shone bright

almost blinding that I had to cover my eyes and

soon after the sound of a hard wack….

We rose up carefully to see the red Fae

knocked out and Riya standing on top of him with

her fists clenched.

"I'm too scared to ask." I let out a whisper

towards Ben, "just don't piss her off… ever." he

leans in, eyes glued on Riya.

"Let's go!" she shouts, sounding more like

an order. She walks over her and continues with us

following behind.

As we ventured further, there were

wondrous formations carved by millennia of water

and mineral interaction. Stalactites hung like

elegant chandeliers from the ceiling, dripping slow

tears of liquid stone that echoed with a haunting

resonance. Stalagmites, like frozen sentinels,

guarded the cave's floor, their pointed fingers

reaching up toward their counterparts above. The

walls themselves bore intricate patterns, as if the

very rock whispered tales of ages past in a

language understood only by the most attentive.

Deep within the cave, a hidden chamber

awaited, its ceiling adorned with bioluminescent

fungI that cast an eerie, ethereal glow. We found a

tranquil pool of crystal-clear water, a mirror to the

stars above. It was said that the cave's whispers

were the murmurs of ancient spirits, and those who

listened closely might glimpse fleeting shadows and

hear ethereal voices in the stillness of the

underground chamber. But to us it seemed to just

be the sound of a dragon huffing or trying to break

out.

As we entered behind the waterflow, we saw it…

A massive body covered in blue scales, its

head adorned with sharp, curved frills, which varied

in number, piercing, intelligent eyes, with vertical

slit pupils like a cat's, set deep within their skull. It

had a formidable set of teeth, and long, sharp

fangs. Wings resembling those of bats or birds but

spread from one corner of the cave to the other.

having a leathery texture and its long, sinuous tails

that can be used as a weapon. It was tipped with a

bony club spike, but it was tied up with multiple

chains and upon closer inspection I could see

wounds as if the chains were too tight and pulling

on her. We stared for a long time, quietly, before it

saw us and began to huff in anger.

"Look out!" Riya yells towards Ben who

zoomed out of the way before the dragon smashed

its tail hard where he was standing.