If it wasn't for the connection I had to my Pegasus mount who was totally calm and excited, I would be clinging to her sides in complete fear right now. Who knew I was afraid of flying?

I was actually trembling and I held tighter to her reins than I should, but she didn't seem to mind and even understood since she could also feel my fear.

I felt love and comfort come from a different bond. I scowled though because I could also feel her humour in my situation. I decided to experiment and see if I could speak to her like Anon and I could.

It's not funny. I didn't know I was going to be afraid of flying. I grumbled at her down the bond hoping that she'll hear me. I heard a surprised gasp and felt her shock which told me that it did indeed work.

I was not expecting that. She replied.

Well I just thought, if Anon and I can do it with the little link that we have. You and I have to be able to do it because our bond is stronger. I explained.

I understand... I like this, knowing wherever we are I can still speak to you.

I smiled and relaxed at the knowledge that I might not be close physically to her sometimes, but I'll always have her in my heart and mind when I need her. I love that thought. Please keep speaking to me, you're taking my mind off of the fact that we're no longer on the ground.

I heard her giggle softly at me. I'm surprised that you're actually afraid of this. I know you love riding Ruddy around and I've seen you look out the windows while in the tree before and you were fine. What's the difference between this and when you jumped down from the cliff into the portal as well?

I guess there's not much and if I do somehow manage to fall, it's not like I'll die or something. But... I don't know, the knowledge that something is sturdy and unyielding beneath my feet while I'm looking out from the tree or even when I climbed up it was comforting. Right now though, there's nothing really stopping me from falling besides a horse. People fall off of horses too you know! And I jumped knowing I'll be safe on the other side because you said so! This is totally different from that! I think. I huffed out nervously, my eyes closed, my body hunched over and I had my face in my mare's mane hiding it from the blasting wind.

Beatrice giggled some more at me but I felt her trying to comfort me through our bond. It's okay zhilat, you're fine and you won't fall. These mares are accustomed to hold people and even do tricks while they're on.

I groaned at the thought of a sudden lurch then I'd open my eyes only to find myself upside-down. How anyone could be able to stand something like that is beyond me. Just the thought made my stomach curl in on itself. No no no no! I whined in fear and no matter the comfort I was getting from both my mare and my Mate, I was still tense and freaking out. Please just let this be over soon, very soon, like right now soon if possible, please, thank you. I don't mind walking the rest of the way. I'm fast, I can make it. I promise!

Hush zhilat, you're safe. Nothing's going to happen. Why don't you take a nap or something?

Are you crazy?! Sleep while I'm on this thing? At this height? No way! No way! My mind was suddenly wrapped in warmth, love, affection and protection. I allowed my mind to fall into Beatrice's and it made my body and mind relax. Fear no longer overwhelmed me and the thought of sleeping was no longer so terrifying.

I woke up to the warmth of Beatrice's mind leaving and a light jolt of my mare landing on the ground. I immediately sat up to find that we were in a clearing completely surrounded by trees. The sun had set and the moon was already halfway in the sky. I quickly slid from the saddle but my knees were weak from left over fear so I ended up falling to my knees with a deep sigh. The feel of solid land beneath me was more comforting than anything, even Beatrice. Okay, maybe not better than Beatrice, but it was close!

"Are you okay?" Beatrice asked kneeling beside me.

I fell into her, placing my face into the crook of her neck while I wrapped my arms around her tightly. "That was terrifying. I'd rather be surrounded by Orcs than do that again, seriously." I whispered to her.

"It's okay, zhilat, you're safely on the ground now." Beatrice reassured me while kissing my head and running her hands up and down my back.

"Are you two okay?" Georgia asked slightly worried.

"I don't want to do that again." I whined at her leaning back from Beatrice. "Can I run back when this is over, please?"

"Really? Who'd have thought the great Vaden was afraid of flying." Georgia laughed.

"It's not funny. I was freaking out up there! If it wasn't for Beatrice I would have made my mare land somewhere and walk the rest of the way even though I'd have no idea where I was going!" I told her seriously while standing up and helping Beatrice to stand too.

Georgia smiled sympathetically at me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine." I told her, forgiving her while I shivered from left over fear. I went back to my mare. "I'm sorry for being afraid, and if I made your travel uncomfortable." I apologised to her.

She replied by bumping me with her head to my chest and I felt her understanding and forgiveness. "Thank you." I smiled at her happy that I was forgiven.

"My ladies, if you'll follow me. The camp is this way." Orrick spoke up the pack from his mare now over his shoulders. I pulled off the packs from my mares saddle and was surprised by how heavy they were.

"What are in these?" I asked while shouldering them easily even if they were a bit heavy.

"Medical supplies, food, tents, weapons, and other needed necessities to resupply the front line quickly." Georgia answered.

I looked at her in shock. "Is all that in these packs?"

"No, each pack has all that inside it. Those packs are special, they can fit a whole person inside it if needed, they're that big inside." Georgia smirked at me while shouldering her packs.

I looked at the packs I was holding in shocked amazement. "No way." I breathed in awe.

"Better believe it, because it's true." Beatrice giggled at me while shouldering her packs.

"Wow, magic is amazing." I stated while I followed behind the other three. Behind us the Pegasus all ran off heading back to the capital.

My mood dropped considerably when I started to feel death and sickness in the air while we walked. It became worse at the sight of the camp we walked into. Fairies walked around half alive, their glow so dim I could barely see it anymore. Tents were half made. Men and women lay around with bandages that were already bled through, some no longer had wings or were missing one. Moans of pain could be heard from inside half-made tents. Rotting fruit lay around with maggots and flies all around them. It was depressing and disgusting. It made me even more angry at this damn war than I already was.

Georgia quickly rushed in and went to the closest fairies already working her healing magic and giving out potions. Muttering went up in the camp about our arrival, which got more and more fairies out of their tents.

"Vaden, Beatrice can you please set up one of the tents and gather all the critically injured." Georgia rushed out as she hurried around.

Orrick helped us set the massive tent up and soon it was quickly filled with the injured, which was basically the whole of the camp. Beatrice helped Georgia care for the injured while Orrick and I gave out food and water. The camp was quickly coming back to life with chatter, but the underline of melancholy and loss was still pungent to me.

"The scouts are back!" One fairy shouted out while rushing into the tent. She was soon followed by three others who looked incredibly tired. There were two men and a woman. The two men were obviously twins with their similar features but had different shades of orange hair, eyes and wings. The woman had short pink hair, hot pink eyes and wings. They were dressed in dirt and blood splattered armour that looked highly uncomfortable.

"Princess!" One of the twins with darker orange hair exclaimed at the sight of Georgia.

"Tora! Honey!" Georgia exclaimed and quickly pulled the twins that were twice her size into a tight hug. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Sit down and let me look." The boys smiled brightly as Georgia fussed at them. They did as told and sat down while taking off their armour. "You too Candy." She snapped at the pink haired fairy who was trying to sneak away.

Candy sighed and rolled her eyes but still went over to the boys and sat down too. "What are you doing here Georgia?" She asked while getting rid of her armour too.

"To help obviously." Georgia rolled her eyes.

"I gathered that but why? You were in the mortal realm with your Mate. Not to mention you shouldn't be here either way. It's too dangerous. What if something happens here and you get injured or worst case die? Who'll take over after your father if you die here?" Candy asked unimpressed with Georgia's presence.

"I'll be fine, I'm not the weak little princess you guys use to know. Plus, I have Vaden who'll protect me." Georgia sighed. I looked up from helping a fairy with no arms drink some water at my name to find that the four of them were looking at me.

"What?" I asked curiously though I was listening to their conversation anyway.

"Vaden, these are my childhood friends." Georgia smiled softly before motioning with a hand to the darker orange haired twin, then the lighter haired twin and then Candy. "This is Tora, Honey and Candy."

"A pleasure to meet you, my name's Vaden." I smiled pleasantly at them.

"What are you?" Honey asked curiously looking me over with his light orange, near yellow, eyes.

I brightened my eyes and showed him my fangs. "I'm a Nightwalker. Lady Aviva's."

Candy glared at me for some reason while the twins 'ooh'd in awe, which confused me. "You're really pretty and I couldn't tell that you were one of those." Tora complimented me charmingly.

I smiled back grateful for the comment. "Thank you."

"Vaden, do you have more water?" Beatrice asked coming out of practically nowhere.

I looked up at her with a smile. "Yeah, here." I gave her the bucket full of water that was beside me.

She suddenly bent down and kissed me in front everyone, which took me off guard. "Thank you zhilat." She smiled at me before leaving like it was nothing. I stared after her in surprise. Why did she do that? Not that I mind, that's for sure.

Georgia giggled. "Vaden's Mated to Beatrice, Aviva's sister. So don't even think of trying anything Tora."

Oh. I chuckled to myself when I finally felt the little spike of jealousy coming from Beatrice when I was complimented. How cute.

"Damn it." I heard him grumble, I smiled at him so that he wouldn't feel too bad.

"But what are two Nightwalker's doing here?" Candy asked.

"Lady Aviva received askance of help from the king and sent me, Beatrice and a witch named Ashwini who stayed in the capital, to come and help." I answered her.

"And what are two Nightwalkers and a witch meant to do that over a thousand fairies haven't been able to?" She snapped at me becoming angry for some reason. I don't think this fairy likes Nightwalkers very much.

"Well, Ashwini has eyes on the Orcs camp and the gate they entered from gathering intel on who their leaders are, what their numbers are and who is keeping up that shield. While Beatrice and I are faster and stronger than you fairies so we can take down the dark mana orcs quicker so that you guys can kill the other ones." I answered smoothly unaffected by her obvious dislike.

"Really? You think you can defeat those orcs better than us who've been fighting them for over a month already?" Candy growled while standing up trying to intimidate me with her towering over me.

I stood up too with a slight smirk, which just irked her more much to my pleasure. "I never said that. I said we can defeat them faster and more efficiently because of our speed and strength. You have knowledge on your side while we only have brawn. But, that doesn't mean what you're saying isn't true either."

Her hands suddenly grabbed my collar threateningly. "Are you calling me weaker than you?" She asked seething with hate.

"You try to threaten me when you don't even realise that if I wanted you dead, you already would be right now." I told her calmly with my rhoa az pressed into her torso tilted at the right angle that would penetrate her heart if I wanted it to.

She looked down at my knife with wide eyes before growling and pushing me back away from her. I smirked lightly at her as I sheathed my blade before crossing my arms over my chest. "You won't last a minute out there when the orcs come." She spat at me trying to save face.

I grinned at the challenge. "I'm ready if you are."

"Vaden, stop." Beatrice ordered me scoldingly.

"I didn't do anything." I shrugged at her smiling because I was having fun riling up the pretty pink fairy. Beatrice gave me a look knowing exactly what I was feeling.

"Orcs! Orcs at the border!" Someone screamed making every able body quickly get ready for a fight.

"Looks like you can prove yourself now bloodsucker." Candy sneered at me as she stormed past me bumping my shoulder with hers.

I smirked after her but I have to admit, anxiety is starting to fill me knowing that this is going to be the first time I'm going to fight against something non-human.

"Please be safe. I'm going to stay here and help Georgia." Beatrice told me grabbing hold of my hand.

I smiled at her reassuringly as I pulled her to me. "I'll be fine. Because of you and Galen I know how to protect myself and others." I told her confidently. "I love you, zhilat."

"I love you too." She breathed before our lips met. "Be safe."

"Of course." I nodded my head before pulling away from her and running out of the tent and followed Candy's scent to the border. I smelt something beyond foul along with the feel of dark mana. I stopped beside the angry looking fairy looking down over a small ridge to a river where around twenty orcs were on their way across it.

"When was the last time they attacked?" I asked her quietly.

"They can only attack when the tide of the river is down because they can't swim." She replied seeming to put away her hate towards my kind.

"Is there anything important down river?" I asked curiously.

She shook her head. "No, besides for a waterfall that nothing can survive a fall from because of the rocks below."

I grinned at that. "Then I have a plan, and I just might be able to prove myself to you if you let me do it."

"Oh? Depends what it is." She replied looking at me seriously though I felt her curiosity.

"Just watch and see. Don't follow me." I smirked at her before jumping down the ridge to stand on the other side of the river where the orcs were starting to cross.

They were ugly beasts with green-grey skin with bulging muscles and dirty black or brown hair in braids down their backs. They all had tusks, some smaller than others, coming out of their bottom jaws. They stared at me with murky green or brown eyes almost looking curious.

I waved at them and grinned cockily. This got them to start moving. I felt dark mana coming from three of the orcs that stayed on their side of the river. I felt them gathering it and watch in horror at the sight of the grass and trees near them started dying and shrivelling up, their mana being drained and turned evil.

I breathed in and concentrated on the mana behind the dark mana orcs. "Jesh zhani. (ice spear)" I whispered. They formed easily and with a mere thought impaled the orcs through the back of their heads. Most of the orcs were already in the river and had nearly crossed when the three dark mana users fell to the ground. So I felt the mana in the water of the river and with a flick of my wrist a large amount of water built up before rushing along the bed washing the orcs in the river away downstream.

I heard their roars as I ran after them making sure that they all were washed over the waterfall Candy told me about. I stopped at the edge of the magnificent fall and watched as the giant creatures were wiped out as they fell to the rocks below. One after another I felt their mana cease to exist. Making sure one last time that they were all dead I went back to the group of fairies at the riverside.

They stared at me in shock as I walked over to them easily. "So... did I prove myself?" I asked Candy with a smirk.

"How did you do that?" She asked breathily shock making her slightly pale.

I shrugged. "I can control pure mana. It heads to my wishes and I can use it without needing to use spells or some kind of object."

"No way! That's impossible!" Honey exclaimed from beside her.

I created an ice butterfly on a raised palm before allowing it to move like it was alive. It fluttered around us as I looked at them easily. "Obviously not. So as I was saying before. Yes, two Nightwalkers and a witch is enough reinforcements to change the outcome of this war."

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