Chapter 41: Chapter Forty-One: Nibble This

Akira stared at the Al-Mi’Raj. Wow, she had read about them devouring creatures much larger than them. But that was incredible. The Al-Mi’Raj hopped over to Akira and jumped into her arms.

Everyone was still staring at where the Basilisk had once stood. Now there was nothing left of it.

“That was so wicked!” Fin shouted, bringing everyone out of their stupor.

Akira giggled. She could not help it. She has an Al-Mi’Raj for a pet, and it just devoured a lizard Basilisk.

“I’m going to call him, Nibbles,” Akira said with a wide grin.

“Good Lord, why?” Davey asked, staring at Akira and the Al-Mi’Raj.

Akira’s grin widened. “Because he reminds me of Nibbler from Futurama.”

Wolfric and Malique burst into laughter.

Akira looked at them, her left eyebrow raised.

Wolfric placed his arm over Akira’s shoulders and kissed her temple. “Of all the names, you came up with that.”

Akira giggled. “Did you see him devour that Basilisk?”

“I did,” Wolfric said with a nod.

“Are you taking him with you to the other realms?” Davey asked.

Akira nodded. “I am. If he wants to go.”

Nibbles looked very content in Akira’s arms, and her Warriors grinned. Their Havent is special indeed.

~⚔~

Akira sighed as she set Nibbles down. They have been traveling for hours and still have not found the stupid portal.

“Where is the portal?” Wolfric asked, looking at Jules and Levi.

“It should be up that way,” Julianne said, pointing up toward a small mountain.

Akira groaned. “Should be?”

Julianne shrugged. “It’s different to see it from the ground than it is from the sky.”

“Maybe you should fly up there again,” Malique said, watching them.

Julianne nodded. “Yeah, we can check and make sure we didn’t get turned around.”

“Wait,” Levi whispered.

Everyone turned to the Fairy. He was watching the sky and shook his head.

“We can’t fly right now,” Levi said, looking back at everyone.

“Why not?” Wolfric asked, annoyed.

A loud screech came from above, and everyone froze.

“That’s why,” Leviasen said.

They looked up as Levi pointed up into the sky. A large bird was circling over them.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be lunch,” the Fairy said.

Wolfric grumbled.

Akira sighed as she watched the giant bird. Levi was right. That bird would eat the Fairies for lunch, including their mounts—especially Pentairious, Levi’s Dragonfly mount. A thought came to Akira, and she grinned.

Julianne noticed Akira’s grin and chuckled. The young Havent had something on her mind.

“Jules,” Akira said.

“Yes, Akira?”

“I would like to make my second wish.”

Julianne laughed. “What do you have on your mind?”

Akira looked at Jules. “I wish to see through the eyes of any bird, big and small.”

Jules grinned at Akira and nodded. “Wish granted.”

Akira cried out as a pain shot through her brain and out her eyes. She covered her eyes with her hands, and all three of her Warriors surrounded her. They cursed at the Fairy and held their Havent as she cried in pain.

“She asked for something that changes her, never said it would be painless,” Jules said with a frown.

“You could have warned her,” Wolfric growled.

Akira took in a deep breath once the pain subsided. “It’s okay,” she assured her Warriors.

“Are you okay?” Wolfric asked, looking into her amber eyes.

Akira nodded. “I am fine.”

“Ready to try out your new power?” Julianne asked, watching Akira with her Warriors.

Akira looked at Jules and nodded.

“Close your eyes,” Jules said as she moved closer to Akira.

Akira closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to relax herself.

“Now, reach out to any birds close by.”

Akira felt a bird not too far away. She could also feel the giant bird who wanted to eat them.

“Now connect yourself to…,” Jules stopped talking when Akira opened her eyes.

Her eyes were no longer the usual dull amber but a deep, bright gold.

“Oh. My. God,” Akira said as she took in a shocked breath. “This is amazing.”

Jules chuckled, “you can switch to different birds to get yourself closer to what you are looking for.”

Akira nodded. She could see so clearly as the falcon swooped down and picked up a field mouse. She felt out another bird, hopefully, one that was not preparing to eat. She found a hawk and zeroed in on it.

“There is a hawk that’s flying in the direction you pointed to. Oh, I can see the portal.” Akira shook her head, and her eyes cleared, returning to their normal amber.

“Are we going in the correct direction?” Wolfric asked, completely in awe of his Psychi.

Akira looked at Wolfric and smiled. “We are. It is at the top of that small mountain. It should take maybe two hours to get there.”

“Thank God,” a crewman grumbled.

Everyone was getting tired and grumpy.

“Hop on,” Wolfric said, leaning down so Akira could get on his back.

Akira grinned and jumped onto Wolfric’s back. “Come along, Nibbles,” Akira said, looking down at her new pet.

~⚔~

They made it to the portal in under two hours.

“See you on the other side,” Captain White said with a grin, then jumped through the portal.

Wolfric jumped through, Akira still on his back.

Akira hoped Nibbles would come with them, but she would not force him to leave his home.

Once Akira and Wolfric were on the other side, she jumped off his back and watched the portal. It was a lovely white portal with lavender sparks. She loved how the portals were different in each realm. When the last person landed on their side, Akira held her breath. When Nibbles came through, she laughed and picked up the rabbit.

“I guess you’re with me now, huh?”

Nibbles looked up at Akira, and she swore she saw a light in his eyes, but it was gone before she could think anything of it. She set him on the ground, then looked at everyone around her.

“We’ve been to this realm before,” Captain White said, looking around. “We should be able to find our way home from here.”

“I’m sorry about your ship,” Akira said with a frown.

Captain White nodded. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. We have lost more ships than I can count on one hand.”

Akira smiled and nodded, then turned to Quartermaster Davey Jonus. She seriously adores his name.

“So,” she said, then looked down at her feet and kicked a clump of dirt.

Davey pulled Akira into a hug and sighed. “Take care of yourself,” he said, then kissed her forehead.

Akira nodded. “You too.”

Davey nodded and backed away from her. “I will miss your stubborn ass.”

Akira chuckled, “I’m going to miss you too. I hope you get to go home soon to see your sister.”

Davey smiled. “I wish you safe travels and hope you find your Warriors.”

She nodded. “We think one may be in our home realm.”

Davey nodded. “Take care, Akira.”

“Take care, Davey.”

They waved to each other as he ran to catch up with his captain and crew.

“I have a feeling we will be seeing them again,” Wolfric said, placing his arm over her shoulders.

Akira nodded. “Me too.”

“Well, let’s get going,” Malique said.

“Shall I see through the eyes of a sparrow?” Akira asked with a wide grin.

The others chuckled.

“Go for it, my love,” Wolfric said, then kissed her gently on the lips.

Akira sighed into him, and when he lifted his head, her eyes were already golden. “I see a blue portal,” Akira said with excitement.

“Which way?” Jules asked with a huge smile.

“That way,” Akira said, her eyes turning back to normal.

Malique offered Akira his back, and they headed in the direction Akira had pointed, where she had seen the portal that would lead them to their home realm. It will be nice to be home after all this time.

~⚔~

“Home!” Akira shouted as she landed in her home realm.

“This is an odd place,” Jules said, looking around.

“It’s home,” Akira said with a sigh. “That’s all that matters to me.”

Darius looked at Wolfric and Malique. “I thought we’d live at my palace,” he said.

Wolfric smiled. “We might stay there at times, but you can’t take a girl out of her home without her becoming homesick.”

Darius nodded. He has his Psychi and his fellow Warriors to keep him from getting homesick. She may have her Warriors, but Wolfric is correct. You cannot take a girl away from her home. And he will always choose to please his Psychi.

“Where to now?” Jules asked, looking around.

“We need to find the ocean,” Wolfric said.

“How close are we to the water?” Leviasen asked.

“No clue,” Wolfric mumbled.

“We don’t even know what state we’re in,” Akira said.

“State?” Julianne asked, confused.

Akira smiled. “Don’t you have states in your realm?”

“We have cities,” Levi answered.

Akira linked her arm in Julianne’s and started walking down the path that hopefully led out of the woods.

“Trees,” Malique grumbled. “More fucking trees.”

Wolfric and Darius chuckled as they followed Akira and Jules down the path. Nibbles hopped along beside Akira as she told Jules about her home. By the time they got to the end of the trail, which linked with a small parking area at the bottom of a mountain, Akira had told her friend everything she knew about her home-world.

“Should we hitch a ride?” Malique asked as he watched a car drive by.

Akira looked at her Vampire Warrior and smiled. “Do you honestly think someone would stop and give you three a lift?” she asked.

Malique looked at himself, then his fellow Warriors, and chuckled. She was right. He would not give himself a ride, let alone his fellow Warriors, who each looked like they could lift a car and toss it up onto the mountain top.

“Point taken,” Wolfric grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

Akira smiled and leaned into her Wolfie. “I love that you’re so big and scary,” she whispered.

Wolfric grinned down at his Psychi.

“How about the ladies get someone to stop,” Leviasen suggested.

Wolfric and the other Warriors glared at the Fairy.

“Good idea,” Akira said with a sexy grin. “I think Jules and I could attract….”

She did not get to finish what she was saying because Wolfric claimed her mouth to shut her up.

“We have walked for days now—I think we can walk more,” Malique said, agitation in his voice.

None of Akira’s Warriors wanted to think of their Havent using her body or anything else to attract a man to stop and offer them a ride. Even if they are going to be at her side.

“Let’s go,” Wolfric said as he lifted Akira onto his back.

“You guys suck,” Akira said with annoyance.

“We can run faster than a car anyways,” Malique said, smirking.

Akira smiled at her Vampire.

“And we are off,” Darius said, then he was gone.

“Wait! Nibbles!” Akira shouted, smacking Wolfric on the shoulder before he could take off after Darius.

Wolfric grumbled as he waited for Akira to get the Al-Mi’Raj to jump up with her on his back. Once both passengers were settled on his back, he took off after Darius, Malique close behind him.

The Trolls rolled into balls and followed the Warriors.

Julianne and Leviasen popped into their Fairy forms and jumped onto Levi’s Dragonfly. They followed the Warriors from the sky. Akira’s home-world was beautiful, and the view from the sky was amazing.

~⚔~

They traveled for hours before they finally found a small town in the middle of nowhere.

“I’m hungry,” Akira said once her feet were on the ground.

She held Nibbles in her arms and looked around at the small town—still, no water.

“Look, a grocery store,” Malique said, pointing to a store not far from where they had stopped.

“Great,” Akira said, her stomach growling at the thought of food.

“There’s a Diner over there,” Wolfric said, pointing in the opposite direction.

“Can we do both?” Akira asked, looking up at her Wolfie.

Wolfric groaned as he looked at Akira’s pouting face. He can never say no to that face.

“Sure,” he said.

Wolfric was completely and utterly hopeless when it came to his Psychi.

Jules and Levi popped to their human form in front of them and asked what was going on.

“We’re going to eat at a real Diner,” Akira said, her mouth practically watering at the thought.

“Oh, can’t wait to try that out,” Julianne said, grinning.

“You’re going to love it,” Akira said.

She took Jules by the arm and headed in the direction of the Diner.

Wolfric sighed and pointed at their Psychi.

“You stay with her,” he ordered Darius.

Darius nodded, and Wolfric and Malique headed to the grocery store while the others walked to the Diner.

Wolfric hoped nothing happened while they were grabbing drinks and snacks at the grocery store.