New experiences

"Turilla, I got a job for you." She proposed popping into the room with a cheery smile. "You, my dear sister, will be getting the chance to go back and finish your exam. The elders agreed with me."

Turilla exhilarated, embraced her tightly but stopped abruptly when she noticed Umari face. It was then that she realized that her stay was ever so short-lived. She still knew nothing of her lineage (they kept getting interrupted all the time) and she still doesn't know much about her siblings.

"But still… why so suddenly?" She mustered.

"We have to act fast before this kingdom crumbles too. You are the best candidate for this mission. The rest of us have never shown our faces above unless necessary. People watch, Turilla. Whether you want them to or not. They know when something's amiss. It is also a risk for any of us to be exposed. Also while you're the only one who is of the right age, you are also the only one here who requires the exam. So what will it be, baby sis?"

"I…"

"She will come back to us, right? She won't be gone for good?" Umari chirped anxiously

Her eyes were on the verge of watering up and the palm that Turilla held, tightened with sweat. For the few hours that Turilla knew the girl, it was a surprise as she never showed her anxiety or worries. She's the kind of person that puts a front of confidence and vigor.

"Of course, of course, I will come back. I am yet to get to know more about you." Turilla replied, embracing her.

"Ya know, you can just go with her?" Haerim laughed. "No need to get so sentimental. You can literally use your powers to shape shift, dummy"

Umari turned a tomato red and buried her face in Turilla's warm arms.

"Alright, now that that's all settled, shall we proceed?" Haerim said leaving the room.

The two girls, followed her through a series of tunnels and the immediate pungent smell of oranges and all kinds of citrus fruits filled Turilla's nose. However, after a few more rights and lefts, the smell diluted with a mixture of others. This confused her nose, even more, making her feel pukish.

Umari's hand never left, Turilla's but the anxiousness had subsided. They reached a great big door with many lovely insignia decorated the edges and a lovely woman in armor and sword rested in the middle.

"Turilla, you're new here. Go ahead, try to open that door." Haerim said suddenly.

Confused, Turilla obeyed and tried to open it.

It was impossible to do so, with one hand. Putting her brute power into full throttle, she pushed with all her might. By the time the door creaked open ajar, Turilla was soaked in sweat, yet so soon as she left it the great big door closed hard with a loud bang.

Haerim Laughed loud and hard at the scene while Umari's mouth hung open, almost touching the floor, and her eyes almost bulging out of her sockets.

"I'm surprised you can even get that much. Goes to show, that you really did get mother's brute strength." She continued.

Using her powers, a thick wall of orange light glowed around her allowing Haerim to push open the door using only one of her hands, releasing a huge wave of lightly caramelized and almost nutty smell of coffee.

"Welcome to my humble adobe."

It was probably one of the largest rooms that Turilla has ever seen. Just like the smell, the same amount of mugs and cups littered infiltrated each inch of the floor and desks. Not a small bit of the floorboards was seen. Maps from around the world took up all the space. The walls had red thread attached everywhere from one end of the room to the other.

"Ha! Wonder what Owen and Alena would say if they saw this," Umari said, earning a death glare from her older sister.

As Turilla walked through the room she noticed another door. Haerim said that it was a library and put it off with that since they had to make up a plan for fast action. With one swoop of a hand, Hearim threw everything on the table to the floor and placed another map that was beautifully drawn.

"You are to take a train to the inland. It's much faster than a horse and you will reach there tomorrow. Probably one of the first to make it there but do not fret. Don't speak to anyone unless necessary and keep close to Umari." Hearim kept on reading several more instructions to be followed and read out the route to where the examination took place.

"Remember this isn't just for you to finish your exam but to also get us closer to the answer of why the litch is back. If you meet with him, I advise you to not be hasty. He… is very good at reading people's emotions."

Taking out a large bag from under the table and handed it to Turilla. The two walked through another door to the armory. Haerim gave her a pocket knife that looked like a miniature sword and an actual sword. Throwing in a crossbow which looked like a sideways bow and arrow, she told her to fill the bag with food from the kitchen.

They went to another part of the armory that carried the attire. Opening a cupboard she took out two black cloaks with hoods on them and handed them to Umari. Wishing her two siblings good luck, she saw them out of their hideout.

"You can take Ibby, she's at the stables hidden behind the clumps of pine trees, tap her twice and give her an apple. Just so she knows that you aren't a threat. After which, ride northwest, following the river, you will reach the station, head to the east gate where you will dismount Ibby, again tap her twice and give her an apple. Good luck on your journey."

It was refreshing for Turilla to be out of the ground which was quite suffocating. She was down there a few hours but it was already midnight. Umari turned herself into an adorable little goldcrest and rested on her sister's shoulder while she did the sacred ritual to mount Ibby.

It took a few hours for them to reach the train station and it was a few hours away from sunrise. Turilla gaveIbby an apple and the large, majestic creature made its way through the wood by itself.

The girl had never been on a train by herself before so the little Goldcrest on her shoulder chirped tiny whispers telling her how things were to be done. Such as requesting a ticket and when on the train giving it to the ticket collector for them to punctured.

It was enjoyable until the train decided to move. The rickety, rust of the wheels made a slow painful start with lots of creaking. It was all a new experience. The fun and excitement of the past hours drained Turilla. Seconds late the girl was knocked out and sleep took over. As it continued to run the ride became smooth giving Turilla a peaceful slumber.

The open window brought in earthly smells of trees and rain. The river sloshed beneath the bridge they rode over and peaceful sounds of birds and other tiny woodland creatures filled the emptiness of the cabin room the two sisters were in.

Turilla was woken up by a sudden shriek from her sister. Jumping from her seat she looked over her shoulder, Umari was gone. The brightness of the woodlands from out of the windows was now darkness. She called out to her sister who replied with more muffled screams, however, the sound was close to her. She touched the window pane for her hand to sink through.

Leaping from her seat, Turilla called out to her sister once more but she was replied with dead silence. Fear overtook her, Turilla's fingers ran cold and her heart started racing quick as if it was about to leap out of her chest. Blinking the tears away from her eyes, she tried walking around but it was as if her feet were stuck firmly onto the floorboards with gum.

"Help! Someone, anyone! Help!" She screamed allowing hot tears to run down her cheeks. "Someone… please help me…"

At that moment the door swung open and a tall man with long flowy hair walked in towards her. He had black skin, not the tan kind like Turilla's or Haerim's skin but pitch black like charcoals.

"So this is the person said to hurt me." He said closing in the space between them. "Ha! You make a fool out of me." he laughed at her.

As he closed in Turilla realized that the man had no scent to him. His copper eyes gleamed like glitter as he took a long and hard look at her.

"Wh- who are you?" she trembled.

"Oh, little girl you will know soon." He smiled disappearing into the floor.

Turilla felt her body shaking vigorously and choked when she woke up again to Umari's face.

"Turilla! Are you ok?" Umari kept screaming.

By the time Turilla came to her senses, there were many people in the cabin and a woman carrying a large bag with a very worried look sat next to her, she looked like a doctor. Her head throbbed like she was banging it on a wall.

"It seems she was unconscious for a while." She said "No matter, give her some water and stay with her. She'll be fine." She continued leaving as she chased the people out of the room.

"What-what happened?" she said blinking hard. "Wait- WHERE IS HE? He went through the floors. I… he… what was I saying, again?"

"Breath… breath with me.. Ok?" tears ran down Umari's rosy cheeks. "One… in… and out"

Following along with her, Turilla asked her what had happened. Apparently, Turilla suddenly woke up but was still asleep, her eyes opened wide and shun bright gold. Turilla kept screaming for her sister but with no movement of her mouth. Umari screamed back but it didn't seem like Turilla could hear her.

"There was a man," Turilla said while slowly sipping her water and basking in the morning sun.

"What kind?" Umari now had become very clingy because of the fear her sister would be in danger. She came out of her disguise.

"I don't know… I can't remember"

'Who was he and how did he know me?' questions filled her mind. What is waiting for her at the end of this train?