The nymphryn’s body tumbled through the void, bathed in waves of light that shifted from amber to indigo, then to shades that had no name. It clawed at the air, but there was nothing solid to catch. There was no sense of up or down, no gravity to anchor it. Time unraveled in the descent. Seconds stretched into eons, and eons collapsed into heartbeats.


    Images flickered — glimpses of distant worlds, of constellations spinning in spirals and in other, impossible shapes, fragments of landscapes that seemed to belong to no world it had ever known. A vast ocean of light. A forest where the trees bled silver. A city that floated on the back of a massive creature, its glowing eyes fixed on the stars above.


    And then, as suddenly as it began, the storm spit the nymphryn out. The light folded in on itself, and the nymphryn fell through.


    Then, with a suddenness that left no time for protest, it reached ground.


    The impact was softer than expected—not a crash, but a yielding, as though the ground itself decided to spare the nymphryn the indignity of a hard landing. It was sprawled face up across a bed of golden leaves, their crisp edges curling delicately around its fur. Above, the sky burned with the hues of eternal autumn—a wash of fiery orange, dusky crimson, and deep gold. The air was cool but carried the scent of spices—cinnamon, clove, and something faintly sweet, like overripe pears.


    The nymphryn blinked, its luminous eyes adjusting to the new world. The forest around it was a riot of color, trees towering with gnarled trunks and leaves that glowed faintly as though lit from within. Golden vines twisted around the branches, dripping with clusters of jewel-toned berries. It smelled the leaves under its head, a sweet musty smell, and saw the leaves still on the trees high above him, a kaleidoscope in fiery hues. Everything shimmered with an otherworldly vitality.


    It wasn’t alone.


    “Well, this is unexpected,” a smooth, amused voice drawled from somewhere above.


    The nymphryn’s ears twitched, and it leapt to its feet, tail bristling.


    Perched on a low-hanging branch was a figure that could only be described as fae. His hair was a deep ebony cut short with a faint curl at the edge that suggested that, left untamed, it might grow wild. His skin was tan in color but vaguely luminescent with the glow of moonlight caught on still waters.


    His broad shoulders tapered into a lean waist, and he wore a fitted midnight blue coat with a silver clasp at the color – a crescent moon cradling a single star. His trousers were made of supple leather and his boots were tall and polished, bearing the faint scuffs of someone who traveled far. Around his neck hung a polished onyx pendant encased in a frame of celestial silver.


    His high cheekbones cast faint shadows on his angular face, leading to a strong jawline. His eyes—a piercing silver that seemed to hold the reflections of the night sky —were currently alight with curiosity.


    Currently he lounged against the trunk with practiced ease, wearing an amused expression.


    “Usually, visitors arrive through the front gate,” he continued, gesturing vaguely to the horizon. “Or, you know, with a letter of introduction. Falling through the sky is… dramatic, I’ll give you that.”


    The nymphryn flicked its tail, watching him warily.


    “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” the fae said, hopping lightly to the ground. His boots crunched against the leaves, and the faintest trace of a smirk tugged at his lips. “If I’d wanted to eat you, I’d have done it before you woke up.”Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The nymphryn relaxed, marginally. It had dealt with tricksters before—creatures who spoke in riddles and wove truth with lies—but this one seemed more curious than malicious.


    “Do you speak, or are you one of those strong silent types?” he asked, tilting his head.


    The nymphryn said nothing.


    “Ah, silence it is. I’ll do the talking, then. Welcome to the Autumn Court, by the way. Home of perpetual harvests, mildly passive-aggressive hospitality, and the occasional murder plot. I’m Kael, the Prince of the Court of Stars. And you are?”


    The nymphryn flicked its tail, still silent.


    Kael chuckled. “Mysterious, aren’t you? All right, keep your mysteries. But eventually you owe me an explanation. You don’t just drop into the heart of the Fae lands without raising a few eyebrows.”


    The sun, low in the sky, cast a golden glow over the forest, catching the fire leaves and setting the entire landscape ablaze with light. The trees stretched on for miles, their trunks dark and twisted, their roots tangling in the rich earth as if they had been there since the dawn of time.


    As they walked, the fire leaves overhead rustled softly in the breeze, their glow brightening and dimming with each gust of wind. The air was warm but not stifling, and it carried with it the scent of autumn—crisp and clean, with undertones of cinnamon, apple, and a faint trace of wood smoke that lingered in the back of Kaelen’s throat. It was a scent that spoke of homecomings, of hearth fires, and the turning of the seasons.


    The further they ventured into the Autumn Court, the more alive the world seemed to become. The trees grew taller, their leaves brighter, and the air felt thicker with magic. It was as though the very essence of autumn had been distilled into this one place, where the world was forever caught in the golden hour of the season.


    The nymphryn’s gaze drifted upward, watching as the fire leaves swayed gently above them, their edges glowing with a soft, flickering light. Each leaf seemed to burn from within, not with heat, but with a gentle warmth that cast the entire forest in a golden glow. The branches above formed a canopy of flame and light, casting intricate patterns of shadow and brilliance across the ground.


    Flitting among the branches were small, delicate creatures—tiny dragons, their scales gleaming in shades of crimson, amber, and gold. Their wings were translucent, catching the light from the fire leaves and casting it in brilliant patterns across the forest floor. These little dragons darted between the trees, their bodies a blur of autumn colors, their movements graceful and quick as they danced through the air.


    The nymphryn’s iridescent form blended with the magic of the forest, its body casting tiny rainbows in the air as it moved. It observed the fire dragons dance in the air, calling to one another in crystal voices.


    They continued on, accompanied by the warmth in the air, the scent of fallen leaves, the soft rustle of branches in the breeze. The landscape opened up before them in a riot of color. The trees were massive, their branches arching high above like the vaulted ceiling of a grand cathedral. Their leaves blazed with every shade of red, orange, and gold imaginable, creating the illusion of a forest on fire.


    Each leaf seemed to burn with its own inner flame, glowing with a warmth that shimmered and shifted in the breeze. As the wind blew, the leaves danced, sending ripples of light cascading through the trees like the flicker of a thousand candles. The ground beneath their feet was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves, but even those retained their vivid colors, refusing to fade or decay. The earth smelled rich and loamy, mixed with the heady scent of wood smoke and the sweetness of ripened fruit.


    Suddenly, the peaceful scene was disrupted by a deep groan that echoed through the trees. The ground beneath them trembled, and the light in the leaves dimmed, as though a shadow had passed over the sun. The nymphryn’s ears flattened, and it crouched low, scanning the forest.


    Kael’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of sharp alertness. “Ah. That’s new.”


    The trembling grew stronger, and the air thickened with magic—dense and oppressive, laced with a bitterness that soured the sweet scents of the forest. Somewhere in the distance, a low growl rumbled, deep and resonant, like the warning of a slumbering giant stirring.


    “That’s not good.” Kael said. “Not good at all.” The nymphryn looked at him, its expression that of an unimpressed cat. Fae, like humans, always felt the need to state the obvious.


    He glanced at the nymphryn, his grey eyes narrowing. “Listen, I don’t know who you are or why you’re here, but unless you fancy becoming an appetizer for whatever just woke up, I suggest we move. Quickly.”