*POV* Lexus Franklin
It was unbearably hot as the sun rose high overhead, shifting my umbrella from hand to hand as I waited. Chewing the inside of my cheek nervously as the line from the portal grew shorter and shorter.
"I can do this!"
My nerves only tightened as I stepped up, the soldiers standing in front monitoring showed respect as I stepped past them and got to my knees, with a quick glance off my shoulder as my mind turned to Stefon I crawled forward.
I gasped in a breath as I fell into the darkness, when I opened my eyes again a big open space of nothing filled my vision.
A glow above my heart had my mind buzzing, turning into the darkness where I floated. I came face to face with a large white deer, his antlers reached a span of 5 feet or so.
His eyes blinked once as one of his antler's came down to touch me over my heart. My eyes drifted closed at the contact.
I awoke to the shouts of others and was hastily lifted off the ground. I looked at the faces of the 2 women who held me up between them. "Let's get you to camp." The one on my right said with a tight smile.
I didn't protect and took a deep breath of air, the temperature was no were near as hot as before and large trees surrounded us, shading us from the sun.
A couple minutes later we entered an encampment, it was all so different from anything I had ever seen.
"Bring her over here!"
My eyes landed on a young soldier I recognized, she held a clipboard in hand. A half smile crossed her lips as I was brought in front of her.
"General, It's nice to see you!" She checked off a box on her paper, before she took my arm and let me into the tent behind her.
It was large with a table set in the middle with simple wooden chairs surrounding it. "Take a seat. Their Queen will be arriving soon to hold an audience with us." I smiled and took my arm from her.
"Good work solder." She beamed before she left the tent. I took a seat, and waited. A map was laying rolled up on the table, grabbing it I glanced over the familiar landscapes, except their names were different and some other parts of the map were a bit different.
I didn't notice the young man enter until I heard his thoughts, I flinched, looking up.
"Wow, they are already getting comfortable. Just great. I hope this was a good idea." His thoughts continued to flow as we stared silently at one another.
His dark brown hair was messy, and his face was shadowed by fatigue. I stood. "I am Lexus Franklin, General of the." he cut me off.
"So you are Randall's?" I stepped closer to him, holding out my hand. "His Sister.'' He acknowledged my words before moving away from me, leaving me hanging and took a seat right beside the large one at the end of the table.
With a shrug I went back to my own chair. Trying to block his thoughts of uncertainty after a minute I spoke.
"Excuse me." He looked at me again, and I wondered who he was; he hadn't given his name.
"I was wondering if you would explain to me why you feel like this could be bad for your kingdom?"
He eyed me with a confused lift of his eye brows.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Well, I mean. You don't seem to be excited about this meeting, so I was wondering if you could explain your reason why?"
He looked at me like he had just lost his shield in battle and I had taken it. "Well, I guess I am worried your problems will become Coral's problem's and she already has plenty on her plate."
I realized with a pang that I was sitting across from my brother in law. His mood hadn't lighted any, but he was talking. He crossed his arms over his chest.
"I see, we are totally in your sister's det, if it wasn't for this plan we would have been destroyed." He chewed on my words, his mind trying to see away around whatever danger he was making up.
He finally straightened. "I am Clay Sparks, I am guessing you have met Coral already." I nodded.
He came to the same realization I had a moment ago and blinked at me.
His mind turned to Cassy and I realized with a frown that he was fond of her. "No in love." I smiled.
"What?" He asked, my face settled back to a boring half smile. "I was just thinking." He huffed just as the tent opened again and a slim teenager entered.
Her black hair was twisted into 2 buns atop her head and a large amount of knives covered her body. A line of them in the front and on her belt, down both legs.
She eyed me curiously, her mind coming up short to her many questions. I stood and offered my name in greeting, she seemed important.
"Oh," she said with a side glance at Clay. "It's very nice to meet you. I am Pip." In her mind she listed all the things she wasn't saying and I chuckled.
"Nice to meet you too." She took the seat closest to the door and frowned at Clay as I took my seat again.
She seemed conflicted, as too if she should bring up the death of a recent man who had been stabbed too Clay, or not. She finally decided against it and settled in playing with a knife.
I focused on worrying about Stefon and blocked out their wandering thoughts. The map in front of me held no more interest after a while and I glanced at Clay and Pip in turn. The tent was awfully silent.
When the tent flap was opened and General Rosell followed by my Mother and Father and General Reed entered.
I stood quickly and rushed to hug my mother, she patted my back before she pulled away and took in the tent.
"Child," she addressed Pip, "When is Coral arriving?" Pip stood with a slight frown. "She had a little hold up, but she should be arriving shortly."
My mother nodded and headed up to sit across from Clay who hadn't minded to greet anyone.
My father sat beside her and General Reed beside them.
I took my chair again and we waited in silence again. Until My father dared to ask Clay if he had a lighter.
Clay stood and matched from the tent. His mind was filled with pain and a scene that had me on the edge of my seat. Pip stood and walked over to light my fathers pipe.
"You know that's bad for you right," she said as she touched her flaming blade to his pipe, which was promptly inaugurated.
I couldn't help but laugh as my father huffed and shook his stinging fingers. "Sorry." Pip offered as she held back a laugh. "That wasn't intentional."
My father nodded in understanding. Pip took her seat again just as the tent flap opened again and a man entered to announce Coral's arrival.