The Second Trial

"Goddammit!" Red cursed when she caught a glimpse that the pocket watch's casing had another bud starting to bloom.

Red couldn't believe the fucking shit they are into now.

It had to be tonight of all nights.

They were exhausted and injured!

Her magic depleted and had just started to recover.

They weren't prepared in any way whatsoever.

She was about to end her list of internal complaints when she heard her stomach rumbled. Alright, one last shit to add into the list.

She was fucking hungry!

"What could the second trial be." Pondered Ari. He wasn't prepared either and his clothes were only a light robe Archie had grabbed from Morgianna's chamber.

It wasn't even in his size.

He looked like a fish out of water with his clothing. It made him think twice if he would just have to be like Archie – topless. He could tie the robe around his waist and pretend to be an Irish lad from the early times. Might as well carry a bagpipe to complete the look.

Red clicked open the watch and saw that the hands glowed and pointed towards the open sea.

"What the actual fuck? Are we supposed to drown ourselves to death?" she complained.

"Don't worry future queen, Ari can help you with that." Archer assured her.

Red raised an eyebrow at Archer and he realized what he said actually sounded like Ari would help Red drown herself to death.

Woops.

That sentence went out wrongly structured.

"The question is, bruh, are you fine to move around now? Much more dive underwater." He diverted the topic.

"I couldn't express how much I am baffled with what I should feel right now. I am more concerned with this flimsy robe I'm wearing than the prospect of getting wet." He replied as he took inventory of his current predicament.

"Shit of all shits!" Red continued her rambling. "I want to punch the living daylights out of the idiot that decided the second trial should be tonight."

"You have no choice Red. We have to go and take part, or else…" Ari trailed off, contemplating the unfavorable circumstances.

The Faey Courts and Queen Tiana aren't as lenient as the rest of the faeys.

Ari had finally decided to turn the robe into a man skirt; it was so awkwardly tied around that Archer guffawed at his brother.

"You look like a baby with cloth diapers." Archer laughed so hard he almost rolled on the sandy beach.

"Then strip your pants off and let Ari wear it." Red punched him, still annoyed by the fact they had to go to another death trap when they just recently survived the vativaths. "You can't come with us anyway."

"Ow! Bestie slash frenemy, why punch me? I'm not the idiot who decides when trials commence." he said as he rubbed his arm. She glared at him and motioned to get going. "Fine, feisty dragon lady, wanna watch me strip? Now watch me strip."

Red was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she took a few seconds to realize Archer had actually started to strip his pants off in front of her. She yelped and quickly turned around with her eyes tightly shut, embarrassed and flushed from head to neck.

"You idiot!" Red muttered, crossing her arms in disbelief at his antics.

Archer only chuckled at how cute she reacted, he could imagine her face from behind, all red and pretty. He wasn't exactly naked as he had his boxers on but Red immediately thought otherwise.

'Such a dirty minded little dragon lady of sass.' he thought.

He took off his camo pants as well as his boots and threw it towards his brother, Ari catching it perfectly.

When Ari was done wearing the apparel that was swapped by the young faey, he threw the robe back to Archer and they exchange amused laughter at how they look.

Meanwhile, Red had been examining the hands of the pocket watch and whenever she would stray away from the ocean, the clock swerved and turned its hands back towards the open dark waters.

She groaned in frustration. It looked like they had no choice but to dive into the deep sea.

There was no escaping it.

Ari tapped on her shoulder and she gawked at the way he had worn Archer's clothes. He had no shirt on obviously, his hard chiseled warrior body evident with how his muscles was brandished.

Back when Red first met Ari at the rooftop on her night of awakening, he had a loose plunging V-neck linen shirt that showed a peek of all she is seeing now. What used to look like a tiny scar on his chest was actually a long slash that ran through his left shoulder.

Like Archer, he wasn't as ripped as other body-builders Red knew but he was tall and lean, and had just the right stand to woo girls all around.

And if his six-packs were food for the gods, it was definitely a thing to crave for.

Ari had to fold Archer's long pants which made his look cool and model-like with the matching boots. The younger faey on the other hand, looked like an ancient roman soldier with a flimsy skirt to cover his waist down.

Red resisted the temptation to stare at all the muscles and manly sinews that was flaunted right before her very eyes. This wasn't exactly the right time to be ogling beautiful abs-olutely hot men, half and almost naked.

She was about to head on to another dangerous – and most probably – life threatening quest!

"To the sea, my queen?" Ari bowed ceremoniously, offered his hand, and Red obliged to take it.

He led her closer to the crashing waves and the cold seawater entered her boots and splashed her thin legs. The evening summer winds combined with the uninviting waves made her shiver and hold on tightly to Ari's hand.

She hopes she won't get sick with the sudden change in environment.

One moment they were baking in a tree, the next they thing she knew they were about to get frozen at sea.

Can life be more complicated than this?

Her wish to escape her dull life back then at Floruchna had flashed back in her mind and her resolve quickly recovered. There was no turning back on this now.

She had no choice to be honest, but everything wasn't all bad.

She met Ari and he had shown her wonderful things she never imagined in all her lifetime actually existed.

Archer on the other hand, made her feel things that were both exciting and scary. Her emotions had been on a roller coaster ever since she met him.

Up and down, angry and sorry, happy and giddy.

He was stupid, at times handsomely brave and magical, then swiftly back to the smug he was.

Archer's eyes fixed on the two who inched slowly towards the open sea, Ari's wind magic slowly enveloping them. Sir Arthur meowed beside him and he picked the cat up, placing him round his back and shoulders. The cat's eyes were dilated and somewhat fixated into something that was afar.

Something ominous that made chills run down and back up through Archer's spine.

Just as he turned his head to look back at Ari and Red, they had already vanished into the sea, leaving behind only the sound of the waves and water bubbles bursting at the sheer contact of the sandy coastline.

He prayed to the great spirits that his brother and Red be kept safe.

There won't be another savior at sea to pull them so the shore when things go wrong this time around.

They were on their own.