The Marauder Faeries-Dark Fay Chronicles Book 1

Chapter 6- Three Shadow Horses

Melody Landers

The horses arrived about 45 minutes later. Benji approached his Aunt and talked to her for about a minute. There was no time to waste right now. The three horses were dark and floating in the air, it looked like ghost horses that can be touched and they didn’t have legs, it had dark bat-like wings. It kind of looked transparent under the sun.

Wren began to take the things and load and secured them on the horses. I began to talk to myself a bit. If our plans fail it meant that; we would be in prison or have some kind of punishment from the Vampires.

I watched Auntie Millie as she left her nephew as she walked down a hill farther away. Ben began to put away the broken pieces of the wagon in the bag of Trash he made using his shadow power. I then closed my eyes. We have to leave soon.

When we were ready, all of us had chosen the horse we wanted to ride. Wren got a chubby horse that was strong and a bit slow. Ben got a horse that was a bit skinny and too fast. I picked the horse just right for me. The horse I’m riding was a purebred shadow horse.

Wren started singing weird songs I never heard before. Ben made some jokes about Wren’s annoying voice and laughed at his own jokes every time. All of us enjoyed the long trip. I’m the only one who stayed quiet and just smirked at them since both of them are entertaining.

Later, we arrived and stumbled upon a tree. It began to grow fruit. This was a fast-growing tree, we took some magical fruit and if we didn’t eat it for about 5 minutes, it will rot and inedible. I laughed when Ben ate the fruit and began making crazy faces.

Wren was lucky to be a fast eater, he ate in 3 bites of the fruit. The fruit’s size was the size of our hands. Each tasted different in each bite. First, we taste its sweetness, then it becomes spicy until it gets sour and bitter.

I was happy that Wren and Benji got full. We mounted our horses and traveled further. “Mel, how come you ignored me last month, up until we met again in your classroom’s hallway?” He then took out his tumbler and drank the contents, drinking it a bit fast.

“I actually got annoyed when you said my father is a leaver. That he only writes very few letters making me feel less loved.” I told him, I wanted to forget about ignoring him in the past. “I’m sorry if I always had pestered you in a hurtful way.”

He then placed back his empty tumbler and took out a map he had in his bag. A few hours had passed. The sun was setting already. The grass fields and meadow looked like a sea of flowers. Some pixies danced and twirled. “Everyone is now near the border.”

Benji then asked me to prepare the money. What we were going to pay were about 20 reckles and 5 masins. Wren was the only one who can’t contribute money. His savings were just enough for him to hire a babysitter for his sister.

“Wren, why don’t you tell us the poem you made for Melody?” Benji smiled with mischief. “Ben, don’t force him. He probably didn’t make one.” I then looked at the big brick-stoned wall with a gate in the center blocking our path to the Vampire territory.

I then commanded the shadow horse to stop. I took out our money and dismounted the horse. I looked for the Vampire soldier who was guarding the gate in front of me.

“Can we pass the border for 20 reckle coins?” He then said no, he told me he needed 25 reckles for us to pass. I went back to the shadow horse, gathering the exact amount needed to pass. I gave it to the guard who grinned like a hungry bat.

He opened the gates for us and we were shocked to see that the vampires were everywhere in their bustling city. I then looked around, the city was filled with lights, the dark night was filled with stars, the moon was shining in its light blueish yellow color.

All the vampires were enjoying their red drinks that I think were blood. The blood they drank came from animals. Some of the rich vampires drink witch blood, warlock blood, and rarely drink Faeries’ blood.

“Benji. Wren. We must find a place to stay and look for the castle dungeons.” I told them, the vampires were staring at us and stopped walking when we passed by them.

“Who are those strangers?” A young vampire boy asked his older companion. “Those are the Fay, I’m not sure if they are Dark fay or light fay.” His older companion told him. The large crowd of vampires was scary. Only a few Fay visited this territory.

I then focused on looking for tall buildings, hoping to get a view of the castle. Meanwhile, Wren’s horse looked exhausted. It stopped floating and dropped itself on the ground. Wren fell out of his horse.

“Shadow horses need to eat Wren, so does my horse and Melody’s,” Benji told us to look for an inn so he can look for horse stables. I and Wren walked together and saw an Inn called Bloody Hell inn.

We entered and the Vampires inside glanced at us and minded their own business. I and Wren didn’t talk to each other that much. We just lay down on the bed, wanting to talk but didn’t bother to say anything.

We stayed in the inn for about half an hour and waited for Benji. He came back after another minute. I then opened a window; the cold night breeze was chilling and comfy for us.

“Mel, I’m scared to let us fail our mission,” Wren told me in a soft and worried tone. “We won’t I promise,” I told him and Ben said goodnight, and all of us slept together on only one bed. It wasn’t the best experience to be beside two young male faeries since I’m a female Fay.