Corpse Bride

Earth

"S'pose you gots questions, Crrresssa," Antonio said, shifting into a stereotypical imp accent. Cressa walked through the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest and arching her brow at him. "A few, yes," she said. She nodded her head towards one of her high-backed chairs and pointed down, signaling Antonio to sit. "Starting with, are you okay? Do you need any slates or bandages?" she asked. Her voice was gentle and motherly as she walked over to where he perched in the chair. Lifting his arm above his head, taking stock of the damage. "Yusmmiss crrreesssaa," he responded, rolling his eyes and resting his head on the knuckles of his other hand. Better to let her check him over than to listen to her ask over and over again. She also had the oddest way of making him feel comfortable around her. It had always been like that since the day Cedric brought him to her. She stretched his wings out one by one, massaging the joints. "Do you ever wonder why you do certain things?," he asked her, relaxing into himself more. He had a sneaky feeling he knew the answer; she was still pretty young this time around.

Skye

Cedric leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I had to restrain you," he said, his voice low and serious. "You were acting strange, dangerous even. I couldn't let you hurt yourself or anyone else." Lxie stared at him, her mouth agape. "I don't remember anything," she said, confusion etched on her face. "What did I do?" Cedric hesitated, his gaze flickering away from hers. "You kept trying to go toward whatever is killing the wildlife and water supply," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "You were raving about something, I couldn't make sense of it. You even attempted to hurt me, Lxie," a small smile played at Cedric's lips. She shook her head, as if trying to clear her thoughts. "I don't understand," she said, her voice trembling. "I would never do that. I would never hurt you, Cedric." "I know," he said, picking up the long stick next to the fire and poking at it. Lexie stared at the fire and slowly sipped at her soup. Silence filled the camp. The sound of nature a backdrop ambiance that contrasted with the severity of the danger they were in.

Earth

Cressa finished examining Antonio's wings and sat back, her eyes lingering on him for a beat longer. "Yes, Antonio. I often wonder why I do certain things," she replied, her expression pensive. Being a witch comes with its own burden... "Seems like an awfully big burden, miss," he said, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "But I s'pose it's better than being human," he added with a chuckle. Cressa smiled wryly, shaking her head. "I'm not sure about that, Antonio. Sometimes I envy their simplicity." She stood up, smoothing out her dress. "But we're not here to ponder the human condition, are we? You're injured, and I need to tend to the Twins. Why don't we continue the conversation in the hospital room," Cressa pointed behind her. Antonio stood up slowly, wincing as he stretched his wings. "Sure thing, miss," he said, following her into the hospital room. As they walked, Cressa could feel a sense of unease growing within her. She had a feeling that something big was coming, something that would rock the foundations of their world. She glanced back at Antonio, who was still limping slightly. "Antonio," she said slowly. "I need you to keep your ears open. Any whispers, any rumors, any hushed conversations you hear out on the streets, I need to know about them." Antonio nodded, a serious expression on his face. "I understand, miss," he said. "I'll keep my ears to the ground. S'pose now would be a better time than any to inform you on why Cedric sent me here, yes?" Cressa nodded, feeling slightly better. She looked at Antonio through the sides of her eyes. She knew she could trust Antonio to keep her informed, but a message from Cedric was definitely trouble. The hospital room's candles flickered as the curtain whisked open. Cressa immediately got to work tending to the Twins' injuries, examining bandages. As she worked, Antonio sifted through the room, examining each shelf. His thoughts audible thanks to Antowonette's gift.

Skye

Lxie set her bowl down and stood up, her eyes still filled with confusion and disbelief. "I feel dizzy, like I'm not completely awake. Almost lucid," Lexie said, looking at Cedric over the fire. Cedric nodded, his gaze intense as he watched her. "It's the effect of the magic," he said gravely. "It's spreading from the river, being soaked into the roots of the plants. The animals have all moved up the mountain or out of the woods completely. I'm assuming there will be other patches like the one we ran into scattered throughout these woods." Lxie's eyes widened in horror. "This is bad. Really bad," she said, her voice trembling. "What are we going to do?" Cedric stood up, his expression determined. "We're going to find the source and stop it," he said firmly. "But we need to be careful. The magic, if it is in fact just magic, is powerful. We are going to continue on to the court." Lxie nodded, her own resolve hardening. "You suspect the fair folk have something to do with this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper and scratchy. Cedric's face hardened, his eyes cold. "I wouldn't put it past them," he said, his voice low. "They have always been obsessed with power and control in some form or fashion. It wouldn't surprise me if they were behind this. Though I'd be severely disappointed if they broke the treaty of protection." Lxie took a deep breath, her mind racing. "What do we do?" she asked, her voice still barely audible. Cedric turned to her, his eyes softening. "We stick together," he said, his voice gentle. "We stay alert and we stay alive. We will figure this out and hopefully put a stop to all of this, Lxie.

Earth

Antonio's thoughts kept bouncing back and forth between concern for Cedric, the mission he was given, and if the jar of green leafy stuff in his hands was edible. Cressa tried to hide her amusement, though she was ready to hear what the little imp had to say. "Antonio," Cressa said, her voice firm but calm, catching his attention. "What did Cedric want you to tell me?" Antonio looked up, his eyes darting around the room. "He found something strange on Skye," he said, his voice low. "He calls for aid." Cressa's eyes widened in alarm, nodding slowly, her thoughts beginning to race. Something was definitely wrong in both realms apparently. If Cedric was needing help, she would send it. She turned to Antonio. "Gather Thane and Willow," she said, her demeanor changing from caregiver to authoritative. "Antonio nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, Miss," he said, disappearing into the shadows of the hospital room. Cressa stood there for a moment, breathing. Alec still had not returned from the excursion she sent him on and it worried her tremendously. She had known that what was to come was going to be difficult and dangerous, but her heart ached for her feathered friend.

Worried the story stopped? Don’t be, we are preparing the next piece as we speak… so to speak. It should be before your eyes in a couple of weeks. I hope you’ve enjoyed the story so far.