The Canadian wilderness stretched endlessly in every direction, its snow-covered expanse broken only by the dark silhouettes of towering pines. The cold was merciless, a biting wind that seeped through layers of clothing and charmed warmth alike. Rose walked behind Glaistig Uaine, their footsteps muffled by the snow.
"So this is Canada," Rose muttered, pulling her cloak tighter. Her breath came out in visible puffs. "I was expecting more… civilization."
"This is the north," Glaistig replied, her voice serene. "It is untamed, raw, and unforgiving—a place the world has left behind. A fitting sanctuary after our escape."
Rose raised an eyebrow. "Sanctuary? We're not exactly blending in."
Glaistig's faint smile sent a shiver through Rose that had nothing to do with the cold. "The world is aware now. The story of our freedom has begun to unfold, and we are its authors. Sanctuary is fleeting."
---
The hours of walking through the wilderness blurred together as the landscape shifted from dense forest to rolling plains. The snowstorm eased, revealing a winding road ahead. The sky above remained a pale gray, heavy with the promise of more snowfall.
Rose cast a glance at Glaistig. "Why Brockton Bay?"
"It is a nexus," Glaistig answered without hesitation. "A city where the strands of fate intertwine. Heroes and villains wage their petty wars, unaware they are but actors in a greater play. Powers converge there, and so too shall destiny."
"Destiny," Rose said with a dry laugh. "Great. I've had enough of prophecies and 'greater purposes.'"
"You misunderstand," Glaistig said, tilting her head as if listening to a distant melody. "It is not your destiny that calls. It is the world's. The city is the fulcrum upon which this world will turn."
Rose frowned. "You're sure about that?"
The Fairy Queen smiled again, enigmatic as always. "As sure as the sun will rise, little sorceress."
---
As they approached the road, the distant hum of engines broke the silence. Glaistig paused, her expression sharpening.
"We are being watched," she murmured.
Rose's grip tightened on her wand. "Watched by who?"
"Dragon," Glaistig replied, her tone calm but firm. "The one who guards this world's borders with her steel and fire."
The first drone appeared over the horizon, sleek and white with rotors that cut through the cold air. Its blue lights scanned the ground below as it hovered above the road. More drones followed, their numbers growing with each passing moment.
The largest drone descended toward them, its speakers crackling to life.
"Fairy Queen," a measured, feminine voice said. "This is Dragon. Stand down and surrender. You have no path forward."
Rose glanced at Glaistig. "I'm guessing surrender isn't part of your plan?"
Glaistig's smile widened. "No, it is not."
---
The first drone swooped closer, its turret locking onto Glaistig. She raised just a hand, summoning a spectral knight clad in ethereal armor. The knight leaped into the air, its glowing sword slicing cleanly through the drone. The machine exploded in a fiery burst, its remains scattering across the snow.
The other drones reacted immediately, their weapons firing non-lethal projectiles at blinding speed. Rose instinctively raised her wand. "Protego!"
A shimmering barrier materialized around her, deflecting the incoming fire. Beside her, Glaistig called forth another spirit—a spectral archer who loosed arrows of glowing green energy. Each arrow struck true, bringing down a drone with precise efficiency.
"They just keep coming!" Rose shouted, firing a Reductor Curse at one of the larger drones. Her spell hit its mark, sending the machine spiraling to the ground in a plume of smoke.
Dragon's voice echoed again, calm yet commanding. "This is your final warning. Reinforcements are en route."
Glaistig's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Reinforcements will find only ruins."
She raised her hands, summoning a massive, winged spirit with glowing eyes and razor-sharp claws. The creature roared, its cry echoing across the plains before it launched into the air. It tore through three drones in quick succession, its claws rending steel like paper.
A final drone attempted to flee, its rotors spinning at maximum speed. Rose leveled her wand. "Confringo!"
The curse struck the drone, engulfing it in an explosion of fire and shrapnel. The debris fell to the snowy ground, hissing as it melted the frost.
Unbeknownst to either of them, a car sat further down the road, its lone occupant filming the entire battle. The man's phone trembled in his hands as he captured every spell, every spirit, and every explosion. With a quick tap, he uploaded the video to social media, his awe-stricken commentary barely audible over the roar of the wind.
---
The wreckage of the drones littered the road, smoke rising into the cold air. Rose lowered her wand, her breathing heavy.
"Well," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "That was a thing."
Glaistig turned to her, her expression serene. "They underestimated us. A mistake they will not make again."
Rose sighed. "Fantastic. Just what I needed—more people trying to kill me."
"Fear not, little sorceress," Glaistig said, her tone light. "We are the queens of this story. Let them come."
---
As they left the road behind, the video of their fight began to spread across the globe. News outlets picked it up within hours, the headlines blaring: "Fairy Queen Escapes Birdcage – Dragon's Drones Destroyed in Canada."
The footage was analyzed, dissected, and debated endlessly. Who was the young woman with her? How had the Fairy Queen broken free? And what did this mean for the world?
---
By the time they reached Brockton Bay, the city was shrouded in fog after a recent rainfall, its damp streets glistening under flickering streetlights. The salty tang of the ocean hung in the air, mingling with the smell of oil and decay.
Rose pulled her cloak tighter, her exhaustion weighing on her. "So, this is it? The city that's supposed to be so important?"
Glaistig nodded. "It is a crucible. A place where power converges, where the stage is set for the great and terrible to rise."
Rose cast a wary glance at the shadowed streets. "Right. Let's hope we're not the ones who set everything on fire."
Glaistig's enigmatic smile was her only reply as they stepped into the city, their presence an unspoken herald of the chaos to come.