Emane muttered something under his breath about “useless,” but Kiora’s eyes were already traveling back up the Aktoowa’s body. The green scales were met at the top of its tail by red feathers, switching back to scales around his stomach, and then feathers again around his head.
“I should have known the creature wouldn’t go far,” Drustan said, peering out from the bubble Kiora had put up. “Kiora smelled too good for it to leave the area completely.”
“Well that’s a compliment if I ever heard one,” Emane drawled sarcastically. His horse snorted its discontent as Kiora’s pawed at the ground.
One excited hop forward and the Aktoowa spread its wings, flying towards them with a screech.
“I thought you said bubbles were a good defense against the Aktoowa,” Kiora nearly shouted, leaning back as the bird closed the distance. She had come too far to end up as dinner.
“It is,” Drustan said. “But it’s going to assume we are still here somewhere.” He spoke calmly, but his eyes were fixed on the Aktoowa. “It may be impatient, but it’s not stupid.”
Not stupid. That was a dreadful shame.
Emane pulled a bow from his saddle, preparing to nock an arrow.
“No,” Drustan said. “We don’t want to leave evidence that we were here. Especially while we are waiting for Eleana to fix the illusion.”
Luckily the massive bird veered to the left, its wingtips passing just over the top of Kiora’s bubble and landing to the side of them. Kiora released a breath she had not known she was holding.
“It’s so big,” Kiora observed as the Aktoowa rumbled past them, sniffing this way and that. It was at least fifteen feet tall, and the claws of its three-toed feet sunk deep into the earth as it walked.
“Come on,” Drustan said, turning his horse. “We should probably get moving. It would be wise to put as much distance between it—” he jerked his head towards the predator, “and us as possible. The Aktoowa will have no trouble tracking you if you lose the ability to bubble within its range.”
Emane stared at the creature with disgust, putting his bow away. “If I never see another one of those things again it will be too soon!”
“You will see worse,” Drustan assured him. “Come.” He spurred his horse, forcing Emane and Kiora to follow or risk someone falling out of the bubble.
Emane shouted at Drustan over the pounding hoofs. “Thank you for the comforting words.”
Drustan’s long dark hair was flying over his shoulders. Kiora noticed that at some point he had shifted his ears; they were now long and pointy. It was the first Kiora had ever seen him, or any other Shifter, make that particular alteration.
“My pleasure, Your Highness,” Drustan yelled back, grinning widely. He threw his arms out to the side like a child pretending to fly. Tilting his head up he shouted, “It smells like home! I didn’t think I would ever see it again!”
Kiora couldn’t help laughing. She hadn’t seen Drustan in this good of mood since the enchantment had been lifted off the valley. Since then, he had walked with a spring in his step, acting like a much younger version of himself.
The horses thundered across the new landscape. It was somewhat familiar, and yet completely foreign at the same time. Miles of pine forests stretched out before them, carpeted with the same vegetation that grew in Meros. But new, unfamiliar threads crisscrossed the terrain, both magical and non. There were so many. She had no idea which ones were safe.
Kiora and Emane rode with their hoods up as Eleana had instructed; Drustan did not. She assumed it had something to do with those new pointy ears.
The horses had slowed to a walk and Kiora could feel an emptiness opening inside her as the magic drained. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold this bubble.”
Reining in his horse, Drustan looked around. “All right. Search for threads before you drop it.”
Kiora reached out to feel as many threads as she could. There was no sign of the Aktoowa, which was good. Beyond that, it felt like the first time she had trained on threads—strange and confusing. “There are so many.”
“Yes, fortunately most are harmless animals by the feel of them,” Drustan said.
Kiora scowled, scanning the forest. “I can feel that, but are the rest of the animals the size of the Aktoowa? How am I supposed to know which of them wants to eat me?”
“That’s what I am here for,” Drustan said, turning