Part Six: Irtyla

Irtyla had been a relatively peaceful area of late, when compared to the dwellings of the other races.  Elves had been preparing at a frantic rate for battle, and the dwarves had already engaged in a small skirmish outside the Spotted Hills.  Centaurs were being a bit secretive about what they were doing, but nobody doubted that it was something big.
Fairies were always prepared, so there wasn't much left to do, and war hadn't come to their dwelling yet.  The first word that would come to your mind when you saw Irtyla was 'empty'.  At first glance you could see nothing in the valleys were Irtyla was located.  If you were an enemy, that was likely all you would ever see.  If not, however, things would fade in from thin air, it seemed.  Wings would appear from almost everywhere, in every color.  Colorful garments and graceful bodies would be attached soon after, and if the fairies thought you were trustworthy enough, you would see their dwellings.
A fairy dwelling is something quite unlike anything else.  They live in trees, and their houses are something like branch igloos, with magical floors.  Magic built into the very structure of your home is a strange thing, and causes some very strange illusions.  Depending on what mood you're in, the floor will change color and texture, and if you're feeling depressed and not-quite-real, (as some fairies do from time to time) sometimes it will even let you fall through.  You're liable to break bones this way, so you have to be careful about being in that particular mood.
But the floor can be very useful in other ways.  If a fairy drops a dish, as even the most competent fairies are capable of, the floor will pillow it, and it won't break.  It doesn't need sweeping or vacuuming.  It's really a very nice way to live.
In any case, it was into this setting that Sedera flew, fairly out of breath, and quite flushed, which in her case was more of a black color (fairies, with few exceptions, blush the same color as the veining on their wings).
Sedera collapsed on the ground, her knees bent under her.  She had never been able to fly as easily as the other fairies.  It took the breath out of her, and she felt sick for hours afterwards.
The child fairies clamored around her, wanting to know what was wrong.  She begged them to back off, and sent one, Ortipo, for his older brother.  Ortipo came back a minute later with Tyron.  Tyron was Sedera's special friend.  "Tyron!" she gasped out.  "I need you to go to the Cheif."  Tyron helped her sit up against a tree.  "What's wrong?" he asked.
"The Cheif guessed right.  Glishnik is behind this.  He worked his tree-turning magic again, and against a human too!"  Tyron's face fell and darkened.  "We can't leave him alone.  And what's a human doing out of the Tesha, anyway?"
"First of all, Tyron, it's a girl.  And second, I don't think this one came from the Tesha.  I'll tell you that story when you have time.  And third, I'm not going to leave her alone.  I'm going back in a minute."
Tyron looked at her in disbelief.  Then his face twisted a bit, like it always did when he was confused.  "Why are you even flying?  Glishnik usually appears on the island, doesn't he?  So wouldn't you be swimming?"
"I don't think the water is safe to swim in right now.  You should have seen it after Glishnik left."
"Well, in any case, you can't fly back.  It'll kill you.  You know what happens when  you fly."
"I don't really have a choice, do I?  Listen, I don't want anyone to know about this until the Cheif has been told.  And I can't possibly fly all the way to his home.  There's no other way.  Now will you please just do as I ask?"
Tyron hesitated.
"I'll be fine, Tyron.  Just go find the Cheif."
He straightened.  "Fine.  But be careful.  If you get hurt, I'll kill you."
"That kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?" Sedera said, grinning.
Tyron laughed.  "Alright then, I should be back in a day or so.  And you better be okay."
"I'll be fine."  Tyron flew towards the mountains.  When he was just a speck, Sedera turned around, sighed, and pushed off.  She was already tired, and she hoped she could make it back to the island.