Taking advantage of their relatively easy success, she had eagerly taken Daemon's hand and Kai's, following the demon into the tear and out onto a steep cliff face. Moving automatically further from the edge, she pulled Kai with her and the group stepped back, looking down in confusion.
"Where are we?" Kai called, his words stolen by the strong wind and he looked down towards the ground so very, very, very far away.
She decided she wasn't going to look down again after gauging their height and instead locked her eyes on a cloud that was lazily moving along in the distance, doing her best not to imagine the impact.
The situation was reminding her very strongly of the waterfall and she was very aware that she was no longer immortal. Or was she? She didn't know and she wasn't keen to find out.
Kai gripped her hand like a vice and she clung to him in return, doing her utmost to keep calm and focused as Daemon led the way along the ledge, evidently not hearing the question or otherwise choosing to ignore it.
The path was only just wide enough for them to move single file and she was crushing both hands in her grip as her tension mounted. The path wasn't in great condition and it was making her exceptionally anxious.
It wasn't long however before they came across a large split in the side of the mountain and Daemon pulled them into it, finding steps had been carved into the natural stone. They looked both steep and very slippery, but they were simply glad to be rid of the wind and narrow path.
"Sometimes I think you are doing this just to see how far you can push us before we finally break," she accused the demon, who flashed a grin at her.
"The Surale are reclusive creatures. They set up a home up atop this mountain and don't come down unless there is no other choice. Given how hard they are to find any other time, I figured we should go for the source.
"Why didn't we just step through into here then?" Jaia demanded.
"I wasn't sure if the passage was still intact. It's safer not to try and tear realities into a rockslide," he said sarcastically, his irritation fading as he saw her terror at the mental image, their bodies being pummelled as they caused the rockslide to move and then throwing them out into oblivion.
He gave her a gentle tug and she swallowed as they headed up the passage, stepping carefully, but even then, they were struggling on the slick, mossy steps.
Etani found herself staring down at the steps and was fascinated by what looked like hoof prints and she was left wondering if the Surale were sheep or goat herders.
They crested the passage and stepped out onto a large, weirdly green plateau that gave them all sudden pause as warm air washed over them.
The plateau was bigger than three Ayathians combined and it was a lush green, interjected with large clusters of boulders.
It took her a moment to realise that the boulders had been carved into little huts, and the clusters were small villages.
There were no trees, no cities or anything that would make the area look inhabited at first glance, just an empty plateau with little fluffy creatures grazing on the grass.
Squinting, she tried to figure out what the creatures were but they seemed to be sheep, the only problem was they weren't all white. Some were green, some were blue and one was a spectacular rainbow colour that she was certain wasn't healthy for the sheep.
They looked up at them as the group started down the gentle slope into the lush valley, eyes wide and staring around in wonder.
It was not a natural state, leading her to think these Surale were magical creatures who had changed the weather to make it warm and sunny, with the low clouds adding enough moisture that the grass could grow thick.
As they approached one of the clusters of boulders, one of the sheep came trotting over, almost prancing before he stopped and to her utter surprise, he straightened.
He was definitely a sheep, but he had the face of a man and while he looked stern, there is no way he could be considered anything but sweet.
His features were soft and fuzzy, almost warm with a round face and his skin was covered in a soft white fur.
Another sheep approached, much smaller and his face was a deep black though they both had thick white wool.
"Greetings," Daemon said and droopy ears flicked in his direction.
They looked curious more than anything, interested by the strangers and the second sheep man was chewing slowly on a mouthful of grass, the slow roll of his jaw weirdly hypnotic. He was in no hurry to eat, or talk to them.
"What brings you to our lands, strangers?" the first Surale asked in a deep voice.
A black wooled sheep approached and when he stood, they found he had a thick black beard that was filled with blades of grass and dirt.
"We have come to ask for your assistance in a delicate matter," Daemon said and glanced to her.
She seemed to have drawn quite a lot of attention and she couldn't help but notice that there were no women in the valley. The fact made her slightly nervous and she had positioned herself deliberately between Kai and Jaia.
She didn't think they would hurt her, but she was reminded of the tactics of the dryads and their seduction of men in order to procreate.
Something sniffed at her ankle and she leapt away, squeaking. Kai was laughing at her, a tiny little lamb had been sniffing around her ankle.
She had almost leapt into Jaia's arms, staring down at the little creature. He was one of the few young Surale in the field and he had pranced back in shock.
Glancing at Jaia, who was containing his smirk, she glared at him before she sank into a crouch and inched closer to the little creature, extending her hand to him and when he sniffed her fingers, she smiled and he butted his head into her hand.
Dropping onto her backside, she scooped him up into her arms and in a low voice, she started their story.
She tried to keep it short, but the more the Surale moved around them, the more she went into detail. She had to stress upon them their situation.
The little lamb had fallen asleep in her arms, his little ears twitching occasionally as he dreamt.
When she had finished her story, she looked up to the group of Surale and they looked terrified, watching her and the men around her.
"Why did you bring this to us?" the eldest, bearded Surale demanded.
"She needs your magic," Kai said and the old Surale scoffed.
"Surale magic cannot save this world,"
"No, but it is needed in order to return my magic," she said gently and felt his eyes boring into her side.
"You're a deluded witch," he said angrily, meeting her eyes as she looked up at him.
"Are you so stubborn that you would see this entire world die rather than allow me a shred of magic?" she was genuinely curious and his nostrils flared.
"Be gone from our land and take your monsters with you. You are not welcome here."
She sighed and stood, offering the lamb to a man with blue wool and he accepted the little creature, his eyes wide and round face pale.
"I'm afraid I cannot accept that. I had no desire to harm you or your people, however I will not take a 'no' answer," she picked a little fibre of wool off her vest and the wind whooshed it away.
Their eyes had followed it and she took advantage of the distraction, closing the distance to the old man.
Curling her fingers around his throat, she pressed her foot down on his backwards knee and he went down.
Following him down, she smiled at his yell of fear and all eyes found her as he knelt before her.
The others in her group had moved instinctively to encircle her, protecting her back in case of retaliation.
"You have one of two choices, old man. Either you give me magic, or I kill you. Your cowardice will not be my downfall and I will not see this world ended just because of one old fool."
He glared up at her, jaw set and eyes narrowed.
"We will never give in to a witch. Kill me if you need, but we will not give in to fear," he said and she sighed, stepping around him and sliding her arm around his neck, her hand going to his jaw and she paused, giving the others a moment.
As expected, several called out and she looked up. Fear was a good motivator for them.
The man holding the lamb had stepped forward and Versalis had held out his hand to stop the approach, but the man was looking at her, not the vampire.
"I will give it, just don't kill him," he called and the lamb had bleated awake, eyes wide and confused.
"Shut your mouth and do as you are told," the old man barked and she tilted her head, her eyes on the blue sheep.
"You will give me what I need?" she asked and he nodded.
Content with that, she let go of the old man and shoved him down, sweeping to the blue man and his eyes were huge in his fear.
"I won't hurt you if you give me what I need. I don't intend to let this world fall," she said gently, her eyes going to the lamb and then back up to him.
He nodded once and set the lamb down before he approached her and she noticed he only had three fingers. They were rough and hard as he touched her cheek and then bowed his head down to hers.
His lips were incredibly soft and furry, tickling hers as she accepted the kiss and his magic.
She had expected a change, yet nothing happened when she took in his magic, only a gentle softness settling into her mind and she found her tension melting into a calm that soothed her very soul.
As he parted from her, he smiled and nuzzled her cheek, his eyes soft and content.
It was an odd moment for her as she searched through herself for some change, but there was nothing and she was unconcerned about that fact.
Stepping back from him, she gave him a quizzical smile before arms went around her waist and she was drawn back.