Hidden Worlds .. Karuna for Melakka

[Melakka]

The girl was running .. and running hard! Not running for her life exactly (or was she?) but desperately trying to get away from the group of boys who she'd managed to enrage without really trying to! They seemed to think she should respect them just because they were bigger, older and bragged about stealing stuff. She'd misdirected the leader and picked his pocket of his wallet but unfortunately was seen and she'd been running ever since. She couldn't hear them any more, she'd probably lost them in the fog .. but for now at least she'd lost herself too. She stopped running and doubled over to catch her breath before walking back to where she had passed a large brick wall so she could lean for a bit, maybe find a road name and get back home. She couldn't find the wall .. odd! She couldn't find any buildings at all? Her Nikes were walking on a grassy path! Where in south London was she, nowhere near a park, surely?


Thoroughly confused and for the first time in her life lost in the city of her birth, 14 year old Belle Chastain tried to retrace her steps through the ever thickening swirl of fog ..

[Karuna]

Queen Cyra could feel a disturbance in the air, the magic seeming to shiver as though something had ripped a hole in it. It wasn't unncommon for such a thing to happen if it was really needed. If the person it appeared to had a good spirit but that was few and far between. Heading toward the disturbance Cyra stretched her shimmering, translucent wings out behind her, ready to take flight if necessary.



Surely it wasn't someone messing with things that they didn't understand?
she thought as she slowly walked forward.



She paid close note to the fog. It was obvious that this was the barrier between the worlds opening for someone deemed worthy of it so she went to search for the intruder. After all, this was Cyra's kingdom and she had to make sure that there was no danger intruding upon it.


Plus she was curious about who or what this person could be.

[Melakka]

Belle stumbled on the uneven path she was now treading unable to see more than a few feet in front of her but her curiosity piqued as much as her fear with the oddity of it all. She stood still for a moment to tug down her black leather jacket and wipe the moisture from her blue skinny jeans before finding her peripheral vision was picking up a faint light ahead and to her left. Turning in that direction she could no longer see it .. but it was there if she inclined her head slightly off centre. Warily she approached and gradually the general outlines of a figure could be made out ..
“What the …?” she breathed “that cannot be real .. this is NOT happening!”
Belle dropped into a defensive posture and kept backing slowly away as the apparition continued to come closer. A beautiful woman with an aura of light apparently emanating from behind was slowly approaching .. and she had .. wings!
“Um .. I think I made a wrong turn, ma'am .. I didn't mean to trespass!”

[Karuna]

"Trespass? little one, you are okay. There is nothing to be afraid of, although I do wonder how you found yourself here...Not many can. as for trespassing, no one owns this land...it is merely forest." Cyra said after seeing that her intruder was a mere child, and a frightened one at that.



why had the magic brought a child all the way out here into the middle of nowhere. she wondered as she stretched her wings slightly before folding them back to where they usually was folded against her back.



"Are you okay?" she asked gingerly.

[Melakka]

Belle was anything but okay! She'd heard about 'fantastic trips' from the druggies she'd spoken with on the wastelands down Shoreditch way .. but she hadn't taken anything .. ever .. so that couldn't be the explanation.
“Uh .. err .. I'm f-fine, ma'am, thanks all the same.“
The more weird the situation felt the more Belle wanted to cut and run but she felt transfixed by the open-faced assessing the older woman was subjecting her to.
“I'm not so little either .. I'm nearly 5 feet tall!” she belatedly added full of indignation “.. and I can look after myself too!”
This was pure bravado on Belle's part, but she didn't easily trust adults at the best of times .. and this was possibly the worst of times!
“W-who are you .. and why am I here .. er .. ma'am? Please?”

[Karuna]

Chuckling the queen just nodded.



"I am sure you can little one, as for who I am, I am Cyra, queen of the faeries. As for why you are here, I have no idea why the magic brought you here since usually it only opens portals to those who need it. Now that I have introduced myself, what should I call you?" She questioned before adding in hopes to make the girl relax a bit:



"Don't be so frightened...I'm not going to hurt you. I felt your presence in the forest and was curious as to who or what had been sent here."

[Melakka]

The woman seemed so warm and friendly some of the girl's fear fell away as she did as she was told for once in her life and became a bit less frightened.
“Cyra? That's a sweet sounding name! I'm Belle .. Belle Chastain. Wait, did you say you're the Queen of the Faeries?”
Belle snickered to herself before taking stock. She was no longer in London, the woman was distinctly odd .. but magic? Really? Well, she thought, she could certainly use some to improve her life.
“No-one sent me here! I just arrived, I guess. I was running away from trouble ..” (not for the first time either) .. “and the next thing I was in the fog .. and then I saw you! To be honest I thought I was in bigger trouble than ever when I saw you .. Cyra!”

[Karuna]

Cyra arched a brow at the snicker but just ignored it, stretching her wings at their full length once again before adding.



"I suppose seeing someone such as myself would probably frighten someone." She said, motioning to a wing as if in emphasis before she relaxed once again.



"Well Belle, since you are here I may as wells show you a bit of my world...Just try to keep out of trouble...I do not trouble myself with what happens in the human world but I won't tolerate it here." her voice held a bit of warning, although it wasn't threatening and more akin to that of a parent or teacher lightly scolding a small child.



She was curious at what a kid of this age could get into to have to run, however she also knew humans and that sometimes they seemed to draw trouble to them. But this was a child, still in formative years and obviously sweet underneath whatever persona she had adopted in her world.

[Melakka]

Belle didn't have ability to process all that had been happening .. she was bewildered and more than a little confused and unbelieving .. but could only react to what her senses were telling her .. and the sights, sounds and smells certainly told her she was truly in a forest talking to a slightly glowing woman .. with the most gorgeous wings imaginable!
“I don't look for trouble, Cyra I promise you .. it just seems to find me! It's what comes with living in an institution I suppose, you have to keep on your toes all the time just to try to avoid one gang and like as not fall foul of another.”
Since the queen had said she was interested in her life in London Belle ceased her explanation and for the first time moved towards the regal-looking woman.
“Will you really show me round, Cyra? I'd like that!”
She beamed up at the shining face and took hold of her hand .. she couldn't remember a time when anyone had taken so much trouble to be pleasant to her like this.

[Karuna]

institution?

Cyra really didn't like the sound of that.

"Of course. Just be careful, these roots here tend to be a bit tricky and this fog does nothing to help with that." She said, gently squeezing the girl's hand. She lead her through the forest and finally out of the fog although the closer that they drew toward the palace the more colorful everything became with plants and flowers.



"This is the glowing forest. You'll see why at night." She said with a slight smile as she glanced down at the girl "You mentioned an institution...do you not have parents?" she asked gingerly, a wing lightly brushing the girl as though she was trying to physically soften the blow that the question may have proverbially caused.