Chapter Nine: Mason

“Where did she come from?” a small voice said. To Candace, it sounded like the voice was from a dream, far, distant. Her head was spinning. The ground underneath her felt like bricks.
“I don’t know,” another voice answered. “She wasn’t here a moment ago!”
Candace could hear many people talking and murmuring. All she could see was black.
“Who is she?”
“Is she real?”
“Look at her hair!”
“Can I touch her?”
“Is she alive?”
Then gasps from every voice.
“She's waking up!”
Candace struggled to open her eyes. She felt a small finger brush her arm.
“Honey, don’t poke her!” a motherly voice scolded.
“But ith thee awive?” a tiny voice lisped.
“Yes, dear. Now stand back!” the woman answered.
Candace opened her eyes. All she saw at first was a blur. As her eyes focused, she saw that she was lying on a street in a quaint little town. Many faces were staring down at her, for there was a crowd of people all around. They were all dressed in clothed similar to medieval peasant clothes. When her eyes opened the people hurriedly backed away. Candace slowly got up. She felt rather dizzy.
“Where am I?” she mumbled. As she walked towards the crowd, they all stepped aside, so she could pass through. Though blinded by the sunlight, Candace was able to observe the town. There were little thatched-roofed huts with wooden doors opened up to the red cobblestone streets. The street was crowded with people. They all had black hair and pale skin. Every one of them was staring up at Candace.
“Please,” she pleaded. “Will someone tell me where I am?” No one answered.
Candace sighed and began walking down the street. It curved and she saw a fountain. Standing around the fountain was yet another crowd of people. Out of all the dark heads of hair, one stood out in bright contrast.
“Rainbow!” Candace ran for the crowd and pushed her way through the people, towards Rainbow’s red hair.
Rainbow heard a familiar voice calling her name, and turned. Candace then saw with whom Rainbow was speaking with and came to an abrupt halt.
Sapphire turned to Candace. Their eyes met. Candace gasped. Sapphire’s small, red lips curved into a smile.
“Welcome Candace.”
Rainbow looked from Candace to Sapphire, then back to Candace again, with a puzzled look on her face.
“You… you know each other?” she asked.
Candace looked at Rainbow. “She… I…,” she stammered. Sapphire and Rainbow were staring at her, as well as the multitude of people gathered around. “I’ll explain later,” she sighed.
Smiling, Sapphire turned to the crowd. “It’s alright. You may all go,” she announced. “Cuio vae. No galu govad gen.”
Candace looked at Rainbow. “What’d she say?” she whispered, nudging Rainbow’s arm.
“It’s elvish,” she whispered back. Rainbow was a Lord of the Rings fan. I don’t know how in the world they would know that language. What she said means, ‘Farewell, may blessings go with you.’”
The crowd remained, as if unsure whether to leave or not. Sapphire watched them.
“It’s alright, go!” she insisted.
Slowly, one by one, they all walked away. Finally, one remained. He was a boy who looked to be fifteen, with shaggy hair and bright, turquoise eyes. As he turned to leave, Sapphire called out to him.
“Wait.”
He stopped, and turned back to them, an inquisitive look on his face. The girls saw that he was dressed in a dark brown tunic with leather pants and a dark blue belt. Hung over his right shoulder and resting on his left hip, was a leather pouch His dagger, on his right hip, was very detailed. The silver hilt was a dragon with a bright blue eye, and the flames coming out of its mouth made up the blade.
The boy slowly walked up to them. Sapphire smiled at him.
“This is my brother, Mason,” she said to Rainbow and Candace.
The girls looked at her, then at him. Rainbow stepped forward. She smiled. “Hi, Mason.” Holding out her hand, she introduced herself. “I’m Rainbow, Rainy for short.”
He shook her hand. She noticed he was wearing a strange ring. It was a silver dragon wound into a circle, with its head touching its tail. There were no ornaments on it, except for the dragon’s eye, which was a sparkling blue sapphire.
“Hello, Rainy,” he replied in a slightly deep voice.
After Candace introduced herself, Sapphire walked up to Mason and put her soft, pale hand on his shoulder.
“Mason, will you show these girls around while you become better acquainted?” she inquired.
“Um, sure,” he agreed. Sapphire smiled at him. “Thank you.” In a lower voice, she said, “Don’t forget to take them to Pethochos.” She turned to the girls. “We shall meet again later,” said she, in her strange, mysterious voice. Candace glanced at Rainbow, and then looked at Sapphire.
“Uh… okay,” she replied. Before she was hardly done speaking these words, Sapphire was gone. An awkward silence followed.
“Wow, she’s fast,” Rainbow quietly said, in a vain attempt to start a conversation. It didn’t work. Another awkward silence. Rainy’s eyes met Candy’s. Rainbow slowly lifted her hands to make the upside-down awkward turtle sign. Candace struggled to keep a straight face, and then they both burst out laughing. Mason just stared at them with a baffled expression on his face, which made them laugh even harder.
Mason cleared his throat. “So… do you want me to show you around or not?” He asked the girls as they recovered from their giggles.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Candace gasped, and started to follow Mason, who had walked away. They walked in silence for a while, which gave Rainbow a chance to think.
“How did Candy get here? The same way, I guess. Who pushed her? Probably Trey. I bet he and Danish are worrying about us. My family is probably worried, too.”


Candace had a few thoughts of her own.
“I wonder if Trey and Dana came. And if they did, where are they?!” Then she had a disturbing thought. “What if we can never get back?”