"Well, you see you were already hard enough to find!" The old man laughed.
"I assume there is a reason you wanted to meet outside," Pin asked.
"That is because you and Rania will be leaving soon after here because now you are doing something important," He explained.
"Let me know then so I can get it over with!" Pin yelled.
A large shadow above them had Pin in awe as they looked up to see a massive dragon circling overhead.
"This thing isn't real…," Pin whispered to himself.
The beast began to circle closer and closer to the three. The dragon's scales glistened brightly under the moonlight. They were black, blue, and green in color with red accents. Their wings were made of leathery material. The only part of them not covered by armor was its huge claws.
A rider could be seen on its back smiling down at the trio. It looked almost exactly like Pin except for its white horns curved up and outwards from its skull. It was very intimidating but in a good way. The rider jumped off its mount and came over to them.
"Her name is Oma and she will take you where you need to go!" He announced.
"Now will you explain where?" Pin growled.
"Pin, you are being taken to another existence with my daughter," He stated.
"Why would you do that?" Pin shouted.
"Ears are everywhere so unfortunately I can not tell you everything, but good luck on your journey," He laughed.
"You will be coming with me to Asileof of Usnar," She shouted.
The dragon growled as Oma pulled the wooden ladder down from the top and motioned for Pin to follow her. As he climbed down the steps he could hear the dragon growl. It was getting impatient to leave.
Rania snapped her fingers instantly at the top of the dragon's back as she helped pull Pin up once he got on the dragon's back and gripped the saddle tightly his legs were dangling underneath the beast as he looked down below. The sky darkened and thunder rumbled. It began to rain pouring down like bullets.
"Hold on tight," Rania ordered.
The beast flew as fast as he could through the downpour. Raindrops dripped down his back as Pin gripped the reigns and squeezed his eyes shut. Rania was riding next to them keeping an eye on the dragon behind them. They flew faster, passing between houses and buildings watching for the mountain that the village sat at the edge of. The clouds began to clear revealing a dark night sky inky black filled with stars. The rain stopped as they flew higher up to a mountain peak that seemed to stretch into infinity.
Tilting side to side sacred Pin felt nauseous but held on tightly nonetheless, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath calming down and focusing on breathing in and out. He didn't open his eyes until he felt the dragonfly slowly, stopping suddenly.
They landed on a small island in the middle of a lake. On the shore was a small building made of stone.
"Come, we must hurry," Rania called.
They jumped off the back of the dragon, making their way toward the door. A large mirror stood inside of it, reflecting the image of herself standing before her. She turned around to face her guest.
"Welcome to Asile of Usnar, Pin. And now for the introductions." She smiled shee walked towards the mirror.
Rania stood in front of the mirror first before sticking her hands out in front and touching them. She moved her arms forward and back as she spoke.
"My name is Rania I am the head of this family and also head witch," She announced.
The glass became liquid as Rania stepped through it disappearing into the other side.
Pin watched the reflection of his own body step through the mirror. It was like looking at a different time.
Everything was dark as he pushed through the mirror. His skin felt cold as the wind blew against him. Pin was standing atop a cliff staring down into the valley below. Below him was a sea of grass and wildflowers. He walked over to the cliff edge overlooking the ocean of wildflowers. He slowly reached his hand out to touch one.
"PIN! OVER HERE!" Rania shouted.
He ran over to Rania and stood beside her. Pin looked up and gazed out at the endless sea of flowers. In the distance was a small boat a fisherman stood at its bow steering it into the open water.
"Where are we?" He asked.
"I think Daddy told me it's called Urth?" She stated.
"Urth? It looks like my home…" He sighed.
He felt as though he went nowhere, but to a peaceful place, a place he never thought he'd see again. He felt lost and confused but happy to know that he was here. It seems like Rania noticed his confusion.
"Wait! How am I supposed to use magic with this shackle?!" Pin shouted.
Rania snapped her fingers causing him to notice the color bars going from red to green on the indents inside. He gawked at her menacingly, trying to hide his surprise.
Pin was happy to see such beautiful sights, but not happy that he had to spend more time with the insane witch He tried to calm himself down, but it didn't work. The sun was beginning to rise
it shone bright through the clouds and painted everything golden. The sky lit up the entire land with colors from every color imaginable.
'Mom, why is it that I have to be here?' Little Pin asked.
He stared down at the lifeless body on the floor covered with sheets that were his cousin's. His fingers still twitched slightly, but nothing more than that.
"You see...he lived for a very long time and I was given permission to allow you to absorb that life just in case you would be able to live as long as he did…" She whispered.
"Where did he get it from?" Little Pin questioned.
"We were told a giant allowed him to drink his blood," She replied.
Hearing those words made him get up silently, but his mother pulled him back as he tried to reach the door.
"You are going to accept the blood! Don't make things harder than they already are," His mom scolded. Little Pin sighed.
He struggled to break free as he was restrained by some sort of spell he had no clue about or how to dispel it.
"Don't resist little one. We all want to keep you safe," A new voice said from behind him.
They drew the blood from the corpse forcing him to take it without any resistance and forced him to drink it while sitting on his lap forcing him to watch through the mirror as he drowned in his cousin's blood he couldn't breathe or move as everyone watched and laughed at him for what he just had done the whole world disappeared around him as he saw red.
Pin breathed out coming back to reality with a start where he was able to see the crystal clear colors of the flowers around him.
"I am not eternal...I was cursed…" Pin explained.
"Eternal is still eternal no matter how long you lived, Pin," She smiled.
"Who is this person and why would they seek to be eternal anyways?" He asked.
She paused a moment as she realized what may have happened. She put her hands on his shoulders.
"This man isn't as kind-hearted as you Pin...this man may do horrible things if we do not stop him," She explained.
"Where do we even start?" He wondered.
They could hear the sounds of a machine in the distance as it whirred and clanked as it drove
a truck down a dirt path they heard screaming as they got closer. A junk heap car lay ahead
with the hood of a rusty old Ford crushed in a pile the driver sat slumped over dead as blood stained the ground beneath. Rania gasped in shock as Pin gasped as he quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve and leaned away from the window as far as he could as the smell of death hit him hard.
"No…Vance…" Rania whispered.
"The blood is recent so the person is nearby…" Pin muttered.
Pin held a stance prepared to fight at any second as Rania stood horrified as she became angry. Her whole body was slowly heating as she chanted a spell under her breath Her eyes began glowing brighter and brighter as steam came out from her nose.
"Rania please stop!" Pin begged.
"This person is going to wish they never fucked with my kindred!" Rania shouted.
She had forgotten she had not taken her broom with her as she began to steadily float as she gazed downward to where the car lay.
"They may have only sent that as a warning!" He yelled.
''We are going to the first town," Rania shouted.