Chapter 7: The Forest Village

    "And that is how we have been surviving, through the ages.  Even though the city of New Skielie has been trying to expand their borders into our forest," Denarius finished. 

    "Okay, but this all still doesn't make any sense," said Cameron and Denarius cast him a peeved expresion. "I mean, why are we even here?  Don't Bea - you guys hate people, and eat us?"

    "No.  First of all, we are humans, and that would make us cannibals.  And second, the government tell you those lies to make you scared of us."

    "Then what happen to the people that disappear ?" Faye asked. 

    "They are taken somewhere, which I will not be telling you," Denarius said, his eyes narrowing.

    "Why not?"

    "Because it wouldn't be good for you.  And you guys are the guests, not the rulers."

    Faye and Cameron were silent for the rest of the journey.  Well, at least until Denarius had told them to stay by a tree so he could make sure they were going the right way.

    "How are you holding up?" Faye asked Cameron.

    "I still think it's a dream," he said. "Maybe I can wake up." He started to bang his head against the hard tree trunk and a loose branch fell onto his head.  Faye couldn't help but snicker as she bent to help the crumpled teen

up. 

    "Are you okay?" she asked as he rubbed his head.

    "It hurts . . . but at least I know I'm not dreaming, sadly."

    "Why do you think he wants us?"

    "Who?"

    "Denarius!"

    "Oh, um, no idea.  Maybe he says that to every human who comes by so they fall into his trap and they end up dying."

    "I don't know.  I think I trust him."

    "What?  You trust him?  Faye, you are like the most untrusting person I have ever met!  You just met him!"

    "Yeah, but he sounds sincere."

    Cameron scoffed. "Oh yeah, I bet you just like his beautiful emerald-green eyes and perfect wavy hair as black as a raven's feathers."

    Faye pushed Cameron, "No!  I just trust him!  Is there a problem?"

    Just then, Denarius came back towards them and said, "We are almost there.  Queen Thalia will be waiting for us."

    They started off again, Cameron shuffling grumpily in the back.  Faye walked next to Denarius who just stared ahead.

    "Hey," she said, "I am sorry for prying earlier."

    Denarius nodded and looked down at her.  "It isn't your fault.  You just went from a view of us as monsters to seeing we are just as human as you.  It would be confusing for me as well and I would try and figure out everything.  And I suppose I would feel angry because I felt so stupid."

    "Yeah . . . Hey!  I'm not stupid!"

    Denarius laughed, Faye smiled, and Cameron grumbled.  Denarius's laugh was quite unlike any laugh Faye had heard before.  It sounded like a song and matched the sparkling of his eyes.  For a moment, Faye was frozen, staring at him and his bright eyes.

    "You're funny, Faye," Denarius said.

    Faye blushed again and felt silly. "Wait." she said. "How'd you know my name was Faye?"

    "Well, I heard it while I was waiting in the tree.  He yelled it." Denarius motioned to Cameron who was staring at something in his hand. "Hey!"

    "What?" Cameron asked, looking up from the glowing screen of his phone.

    "You should have told me you had a device with you!" Denarius yelled, storming towards Cameron and grabbing the phone out of his hand. "No communicators with the city are allowed in here." Denarius lifted his arm and threw the phone so hard it hit a tree and broke into a million pieces.

    Cameron's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  Then he turned to Denarius, his face red with anger. "You just broke my phone!"

    "We can't have you calling Chasers to the village.  It is a precaution."

    "That was my birthday present!  The newest version!  Aghhh!"

    Faye joined them and said, "Cam, he has rules to follow."

    "Are you taking his side?  No, I know you are!  Just leave me alone!"

    "Absolutely not!" Denarius said, like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. "We can't leave you to run back to Skielie and tell on us!"

    "Well . . . you deserve to be told on!" Cameron snapped.

    "Cameron Quincy Simon!" Faye yelled, losing it. "It's a  phone, relax!"

    "No, it's not the phone!  That held all of my memories, all of my pictures.  But now they're all gone, thanks to superman here."

    Cameron gave them both an angry glare and Faye took a step back.  She barely saw Cameron angry, and she didn't like it.  

    "Now how about we find this silly village and get the heck out of here!" Cameron yelled. "Unless Faye would like to stay because she seems kind of obsessed with this place, or maybe it's someone in this place."

    Denarius and Faye watched him kick a tree and sit down. "Maybe we should tie him to that tree and leave him for the squirrels to make fun of," Denarius suggested.

    Faye sighed. "No, he's just angry, he'll calm down once we get to the village, I'm sure."

    "Well, it's just through those trees," said Denarius. "Hey!  Quincy, we're going!"

    Cameron stared at Denarius like the was the dumbest person ever, but he got up and slunched toward them.  

    They made their way through the trees and found themselves facing a hug wall of trees.  Their branches formed a wall and the leaves covered it.  

    Denarius grabbed a branch and pulled himself up to the next. "Come on," he called down to them.

    Faye, who was still in her pink dress, hesitated, but then followed Denarius up, followed by Cameron.

    Denarius held out his hand and hoisted her up the rest of the way.  Then he climbed down the other side and she did as well.  But as Faye was halfway down, her hand slipped on one of the branches and she fell.  

    Luckily, Denarius was ready to catch her and she landed in his arms.  Faye felt her face turn redder than it ever had been.  Denarius just smiled and she smiled back.  Then she heard Cameron yell and heard a thump.

    Denarius set her down and she turned to see Cameron lying on the ground, frowning up at them. 

    "Are you okay?" Faye asked.

    Cameron just stared at her as he got up.  Then his eyes widened as he stared past Faye.

    "What?' she asked, turning.

    They were on a cliff overlooking a vast valley.  All along the edges were trees with houses in them.  Roads lined the sides and led down to the bottom where the biggest gathering of houses and tree houses were.  Torches ran along the road, lighting  up the valley as the sun set. 

    And in the center was a small lake that a river ran into.  Trees dotted the bottom as well, shading some of the houses from view.

    All around the valley, large mountains rose up, covering it from sight.  

    Faye and Cameron stared at the beautiful village, their words gone.

    "Well?" Denarius said.

    Faye looked at him and said, "It's so beautiful."

   He smiled approvingly and said, "Now, we are going to go meet the Queen."

                                Chapter 8: Queen Thalia

    Denarius led Faye and Cameron down one of the many stone paths leading down into the lit valley.  Faye just stared up and all around at the beauty around her.  The only thing she had seen for her whole life were buildings and roads, because no was allowed to go into the forest.

    As they descended further and further Faye realized that people were staring at them out of treehouse windows and their conversations stopped once they saw them coming down.

    They reached the village where there was a mix of animals and humans.  There were stores and stalls and it looked like an ancient civilization 

compared to New Skielie City. 

    Denarius led them through the bustling crowds and Faye stared ahead, not daring to make eye contact with any of the Beasts.  Never had she felt so vulnerable.

    She saw all of the houses and treehouses and thought that it was quite amazing how the Beasts were thriving.  Wait.  Her mind caught on that last world, thriving. 

    They were thriving.

    Thriving!

    If only the Mayor knew about all of these Beasts just waiting to attack us!  Not even all of the Chasers in New Skielie could stand up to these vast numbers of Beasts.

    Faye and Cameron exchanged glances, and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.

    Finally, Denarius led them out of the crowds and to a large building near the end of the village.  It was made of stones and flowers grew up all around it and there was a curtain of long grass covering the doorway.

    Denarius pulled apart the curtain and motioned for Cameron and Faye to enter.  He entered after them and Faye looked around.  The inside was beautifully crafted with intertwined wooden sticks and vines and more flowers.  In the center was a simple throne made of wood and covered with moss. 

    Another curtain of grass on one side of the room opened and a girl, who couldn't be much older than Faye, entered.  She wore a long purple dress 

decorated with golden swirls.  Her hair was an orangey red and had flowers in it.  Her cheekbones were very defined and her eyes glowed purple.

    Denarius bowed and Faye and Cameron followed. 

    "Queen Thalia, I have returned with the human girl, Faye, and her friend, Quincy," Denarius said as they rose again.

    Cameron stepped forward and said, "Actually, my name is Cameron.  Lovely to meet you, and I have a complaint to make against Denour-whatever."

    "Yes?" asked the queen.

    "He broke my phone and then didn't even apologize."

    Denarius rolled his eyes as Queen Thalia gave a smile, "I'm so sorry. But

Denarius was merely enforcing the rules for once we bring humans here."

    Cameron sighed and walked back to Faye, his hands in his pockets.

    "Well," said Thalia. "I am Queen Thalia, but just call me Thalia.  Now, I'm sure you are both wondering why you are here?"

    Faye and Cameron nodded and Thalia smiled knowingly. "I will show you in a minute, but first I must have a word with my captain."

    Faye was wondering who Thalia's captain was once Denarius walked forward and they walked out of the room together.  

    Faye turned and saw Cameron running past her to the curtain leading out of the building.

    "Where are you gong?" she asked.

    "Come on Faye, we can leave now and run back to New Skielie," he 

said, like it was the most obvious thing ever.

    "What? No! Why would we go?"

    Cameron stopped and said slowly, "Are you saying you want to stay here?  This place is full of Beasts!"

    "Humans," Faye corrected.

    "Whatever!  Do you really think they aren't going to do something terrible to us?"

    "No, I trust them."

    "No, you trust Denarius.  Maybe there's a reason Queen Thalia always sends him to get the humans, so they are amazed by him and decide not to leave."

    "Cameron, I understand how you feel.  But maybe we can stay and see

why they brought us here."

    "I'm sure they won't tell us the whole truth anyway," Cameron said sulkily. "Maybe we can escape at night and find out what they have tried to hide.  I bet you it's the remains of eaten humans."

    "Cameron, you have watched way too many horror movies."

    "Well, it prepares me for the worst, so I don't end up dead, or eaten."

    "Just, please stop.  Let's figure out what they want and maybe it won't be whatever your imagining in that nonsensical head of yours."

    "Yep, we will see."

    With perfect timing, Queen Thalia and Denarius entered back into the room.  Faye hoped they hadn't been listening to her and Cameron's conversation.  But Queen Thalia just smiled at them and said, "Follow me."

    Cameron and Faye followed her through the grass curtain and down a long winding staircase.  

    They were now underground, the walls cold and dirty.

    Cameron walked beside Faye and whispered, "Looks a little scary, right Faye?"

    She shut him up with a stern glare and he started humming the words to the Pledge of Anoteros.  Faye wondered what Denarius or Thalia would think about the pledge.

    Wiping that thought from her mind Faye walked forward and asked Thalia, "I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you a little young for a queen?"

    Thalia's face grew sad and she answered, "My mother and father used to run this valley.  But they were caught by Chasers and killed.  Then I was

made queen.  I would have failed if Denarius hadn't been there to help me.  He is only a year older than me, but he is very wise because his father taught him all he knows."

    Thalia looked over her shoulder at Denarius who was walking in the back.  They eyes met and they both smiled brightly.  Faye felt a little pang of jealousy, wondering how long Thalia and Denarius had been friends.          Thalia answered that as well by saying, "Me and Denarius have known each other since I was four.  And we were both orphaned around the same time.  He's been my captain ever since I became queen."

    Faye smiled but she was secretly disappointed. 

    "Ah, here we are," said Thalia, turning into a doorway.  They entered a circular room lighted by torches.  In the center was a pedestal covered in

vines.  Lying on it was a metal box covered in silver.  It was the first thing in the forest Faye had seen that was clean and shiny.

    Thalia walked toward it and picked it up.  She pulled a necklace off her neck and Faye saw there was a small key attached to it.  Thalia twisted a key into the box and it clicked, opening slowly.

    She pulled out a glowing purple gemstone and Cameron and Faye stared at it, mezmorized. 

    "This," started Thalia, "is the Gemstone of Nature.  It is what keeps us hidden and safe from the Chasers.  It is also what tells us who and who aren't like us.  And that is why you are here, Faye,"

    Faye's eyes widened.  She knew what Thalia was going to say next.

    "You are here because you are one of us."

                                    Chapter 9: The Waterfalls

    Faye almost fainted.

    Instead she sat down and tried to make sense of what she had just heard.  How could she be a Beast?  Her father wasn't one, as far as she knew.  

    "I know it must be a lot," Queen Thalia said, bending down. "But, if you are wondering how you are one, I can ask the gem to show me where you got it from."

    Faye just nodded, she was still too shocked.

    Thalia stood again and held the gem up to her forehead.  It glowed again