赤裸裸的滑稽故事

The bright swirling blue light of the way gate was almost blinding as Ashleigh approached it slowly.

'Remember, you can't step inside,' Lily whispered.

"I know," Ashleigh said aloud.

She took a deep breath and extended her arm. As her fingertips touched the light, she already felt a pull.

'Hold yourself back!' Lily called. 'The portal is looking to do its job. It wants to pull you through and send you to Winter. Just hold tight and put your hand in a little further.'

Ashleigh adjusted her weight and stretched her arm until her entire hand slipped into the light.

A surge of energy flowed through her and then pulled back out, absorbing itself back into the portal.

Ashleigh took a step back as the blue light began to change. She looked up at the portal, the blue swirls seemed to push and pull on themselves for several seconds, and then a calm passed over them, and the light turned golden.

'Ashleigh?' Lily whispered.

Ashleigh furrowed her brow.

'I thought you were in the portal…' Ashleigh replied, looking at her hand.

'I am,' Lily said. 'Our connection isn't lost just because I'm in here… how else could I tell you what to do next?'

'Good point,' Ashleigh smiled.

"Are we ready?" Fiona asked.

Ashleigh looked back at Fiona and then at the portal.

'Are we ready?' Ashleigh asked.

'Send them through,' Lily replied brightly.

"Let's go!" Ashleigh called back to Fiona.

Fiona nodded and passed along the order. The first of the Summer caravan moved to the portal. She looked up at the golden light and then back at Ashleigh for reassurance.

Ashleigh smiled and nodded.

Fiona took a deep breath and stepped inside the portal.

She wasn't sure what she had expected, but she was surprised when all she saw was a golden tunnel with a road. Then, after taking a moment to just take it all in, two soldiers stepped inside.

"Luna Ashleigh said we need to just follow the road," one of them said.

Fiona nodded.

"Let's get out of the way, so we don't get run over," Fiona said. "We will wait until there is a sizable group inside, and then we will begin the journey."

The others nodded in agreement and stepped aside to allow the civilians plenty of room to enter.

Ten minutes later, they began the journey to Winter.

Ashleigh listened to Lily's instructions outside the portal and relayed them to the civilians entering. They were moving groups of ten at a time, allowing them to enter and move out of the way before sending another group. It would take longer, but it was the safest way to make sure that Lily could continue to protect them all.

But in the distance, Ashleigh could hear the battle raging and found it challenging to focus as she worried about Caleb.

***

"Argh!!" Landon snarled as the root caused a deep cut in his arm. "Damn weed!"

He ran forward, avoiding the second attempt to pierce him. Then, reaching the base of the treant, he hacked away at the root, severing it from the body.

Along with one of the other Crag wolves, they took down the second treant with minor injuries to themselves.

"I see you finally got yours down," Caleb called to Landon as he finished off one of the bats.

Landon grinned.

"You had more help," he said.

"You told me to take two of them." Caleb shrugged.

Landon walked over to Caleb, looking down at the sword.

"That's the help I meant," he said, pointing at the sword.

Caleb held up the sword and looked it over. It was the obsidian blade that Sofia had given him before he returned to Summer. It was beautiful, and Landon was right. It made this fight much easier.

He hadn't noticed much difference as they fought the wolves and hybrids. It was still a great blade but no better than that synthetic obsidian used in the weapons he could summon.

But when the fae had arrived, he saw a difference. The blade moved through them with ease. The effort and strain he put into severing a root were far less with this blade than with any other weapon he had used.

"You could have asked Sofia for one before we left," Caleb smiled.

Landon shook his head.

"She sent us a shipment," he replied, pointing out one or two of his men that used obsidian blades. "Some of our wolves took them and like them. I tried it, but I don't like it."

"Why?" Caleb asked.

Landon smiled.

"Makes it too easy."

"You were definitely trained by Jonas," Caleb sighed as he shook his head.

Landon laughed.

A growl took away the ease of their conversation as they both turned their attention to the approaching hoard of the fae.

The first line had been simple. A few bats and two treant. But now, there was no end in sight. Treants, bats, frogs, and other creatures were far less identifiable.

Caleb clenched his jaw and swallowed.

"None of my team have mates or family beyond ourselves," Landon said quietly as they prepared themselves to fight.

Caleb looked at him with confusion.

"We volunteered knowing our chances," he continued. "And knowing we would leave no one missing us."

Caleb understood now.

"There is no shame in allowing us this burden alone."

Caleb readied his sword and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Landon.

"I am Alpha of Summer, and my people are not safe yet," he said. "This burden is my honor and duty."

Landon grinned and nodded as the enemy approached them with speed.

***

There were still at least one hundred wolves left to enter the portal. Below, Ashleigh could hear that more of the fae had made it inside the gates. The roar of their screeches and howls echoed through the trees.

Not knowing what was happening on the battlefield threatened to drive her mad.

"Luna Fiona! Come in! Come in!" the voice of the scout called from the radio.

Ashleigh hurried over and picked it up.

"This is Luna Ashleigh," she replied. "Fiona has already crossed into the gate."

"Luna Ashleigh! They're coming!" the scout shouted excitedly.

"We know," Ashleigh replied. "The fae has already breached Summer. We received your report. You were supposed to head north and find a place to hide. You need to hurry. We don't know if they will be searching the cliff sides."

"No, you don't understand," the scout smiled as he moved between the trees, looking down the mountainside at the pass below.

He hadn't gone far after Luna Fiona had instructed him to leave. After seeing the number of fae attacking his home, he just couldn't get himself to go without knowing that the people had managed to escape into the portal.

But now he was glad he had stayed.

"They're back, Luna Ashleigh," he said, smiling into the radio. "They've returned home."

He let out a joyful laugh as he gazed down below at the small army running with speed to the gates of Summer, an army of wolves. Red Wolves. Summer Wolves.