“Ready!” Brevyn declared as he ran into the corridor in only a pair of swimming trunks. “You two have to stay here,” he said to the nurials who had followed him.
The animals whined.
“Sorry, but we're going flying,” Brevyn said gently. “We'll see you later today. Go explore the castle.”
Dexter yipped at Deidre, and they went scampering off, their numerous legs creating a riot of thuds. The rest of us went downstairs together, stopping to say hi to members of the court along the way. The boys had been trained to be proper princes so they didn't fidget or whine about the delay but smiled and greeted the courtiers patiently.
We finally made it out of the castle and into the Fire Kingdom. To our left, the Pixie Village was still full of life despite it being late Fall. Soon, they'd be packing up for their yearly stint indoors but for now, they enjoyed their little village along with Blossom, the sentient flower I'd brought with me from Alfheim. She bobbed a greeting to me as if she could sense my attention on her. Further to the left and out from the castle lurked the aforementioned pool-hole with piles of dirt and stone beside it. I had made Arach put a fence around it so no animals or children would fall in. To our right were the kitchen gardens and the Weeping Woods with a playground for the children between them. Even further right, the world went misty as the heat from the Fire Kingdom met the cool breezes of the Air Kingdom.
Arach and I took the boys behind a boulder to get undressed and shift into our dragon forms. Brevyn had copied Arach's dragon and had yet to give it up so he was able to shift even though he isn't a full-blooded dragon-sidhe. Arach's crimson dragon lowered his head to nudge the miniature version of himself proudly as we strode out from behind the rocks; two reds, a rare emerald, and my gold. I carried a bag with our clothing in it, clutched within my talons.
With delighted shrieks, we launched into the Fey sky, the crisp cut of Autumn glancing off our scales. Fire Fey can turn up their internal temperature to keep warm if they need to. Well, all of us except for the Pixies, which is why they move into the castle during the winter. The point is; we were perfectly comfortable while we flew through the frigid gray clouds and across our kingdom.
Below us, a patchwork of land spread out like a quilt. Farms and woods and open plains were all sewn together with the glowing fissures of the Fire Kingdom—the great crevices that dove all the way down to the magma rivers that ran thousands of feet below us. Heat steamed up from the cracks, bright and billowy in the cool air. Around them, plant life thrived, hanging over the edges to dangle in the steam.
Fire Faeries came streaming out of their homes when they heard our roars and waved up at us delightedly. My boys screeched and swung low to greet our people. We liked to take them out flying several times a month for this reason alone; to let the faeries of our kingdom see their princes. The twins' birth had been a miracle for all of us, and the Fire Fey deserved to be a part of my boys' lives. Sometimes, we'd even land and spend some time with our faeries but today, Arach and I needed to be with our children alone. So, we kept flying, heading for the far border of our kingdom.
Awhile later, we landed on the banks of the Tine—the massive lake that serves as the elemental boundary between Fire and Darkness. Each Kingdom in Faerie is bordered by the other elements to maintain a balance. Fire is placed between Air and Earth so it needed water to form a final barrier, thus the Tine. But then Darkness had been made into a kingdom and a race of Fey. There was nowhere left to put the newest kingdom but out. So, Faerie and I formed a ring of land around the circular Faerie Realm. Adding the Kingdom of Darkness had changed the edge of our kingdom a bit.
The Tine is the same but the marshlands that once edged it had dried out. Soft, algae-green grass replaced the moss that used to ring the hot springs and spread out across the once-wet land. The hunched trees had straightened and darkened into slick, ebony versions, their tiny leaves rustling in the breeze of our landing. With the bubbling springs and the nearby Tine, the air still held a hint of humidity but not as much as it used to. The plants that flourished there weren't waxy anymore either but bore vibrant red flowers and orange berries. Darkness tempering Water and Fire.
The boys shifted as soon as they landed then hurried into their swimming trunks. Arach and I got into our swimsuits as well but weren't fast enough for the children. They went running for the largest hot spring and cannonballed in. Arach and I chuckled as we joined them more sedately.
I settled against the sloping, slick side of the hot spring with Arach. He stretched his arm along the rim behind my head, and I leaned into the curve of his neck. The casual comfort of a married couple in love. Heat seeped into my muscles and bubbles massaged my skin, adding to that comfort to lull me further into relaxation. I sighed and nuzzled closer to my husband. The sounds of our boys playing made me smile, and I watched them through half-lidded eyes. I could stay there all day, just soaking in the heat of the springs and the joy of being with my family.
Pleased with yourself,
