A puff of warmth against my neck, and she was there, her face held against me in a tight hug. She was silent for a moment longer, then, quietly, “Thank you.”
“Of course.” I rubbed her back softly before pulling away. “I’ve gotta support my queen, right?”
She smiled, her perfect white teeth flashing in the light. “Let’s go eat with the others, then I will summon the children.”
We headed downstairs and joined the others at the table.
“I take it things went well?” Muu munched on a plate of some kind of fried vegetables as he spoke.
“Goddamn, man—manners!” James growled as he shoved the other man’s shoulder disgustedly.
“Yes, Muu, things went well. After dinner, we will summon the children to us. We will need nature for this, somewhere without too much iron.” Maebe sat and thought for a moment.
“Jay, is there a beach somewhere?” I waited politely as more food was brought to the table.
“There is, and it isn’t too far from the castle grounds.” He thought for a moment. “Though there are homes near the area where there could be iron.”
“We will figure out a way,” Yohsuke resolved as we tucked into our food.
“How do you plan to lure the children?” Balmur looked around quietly, as more and more people piled into the dining room of the inn.
“The Fae are adept at this, but there are some among us who are even more so,” Maebe explained. “I plan to call to them as I did Xiphyre, and have them entice the children to come and be well cared for.”
“None of them unwilling, I’m certain?” Jaken arched an eyebrow at her.
“The Seelie Fae do that, their lies as sweet as their fake beauty,” Maebe spat, then collected herself. “We offer the children love, power, and security.”
“In return, you get fertility,” I added, and the others looked up. “As well as children to spoil, and potential members of the court, do they change?”
“Into Fae?” Maebe smiled knowingly. “Yes, eventually. But this is only after centuries of your prime years. And usually only in minor ways. They might become minor Fae creatures, or be reborn as true Fae. The ones who are blooded as you were, Zeke, become something different based on the blood offered.”
“So, no one is getting kidnapped.” Jaken nodded his head and sighed in relief.
“You have seen me go to great lengths to protect the children of Sunrise, is it so out of the norm for me to want to ensure that these children are also cared for, Jaken?” Maebe looked a little hurt at his obvious relief. “Do you truly think me some sort of monster who would prey on them?”
The paladin looked stunned into silence, unable to speak, so Bokaj did, “I think it was more in keeping with his duties as a Paladin for Radiance and a father himself. Children are precious to all of us, and this is all outside of our realm of expertise. I think Radiance loves the kids and all but being a father could’ve been playing up a part of his relief.”
Maebe stared hard at both of them before speaking solemnly, “I, Maebe, ruler of the Unseelie Fae swear on behalf of my people and do hereby bind all Unseelie by my will and word, that not a hair on any of the children obtained from this city by my people will be harmed outside combat, training, and needed lessons by the Unseelie. If this should prove to have been a lie, I, Maebe, Queen of the Unseelie, and rightful ruler of my realm, offer my life as forfeit should it be so proven. Is this amenable to you, Sir Jaken, Paladin of Her Light?”
Jaken’s shocked face was enough for her at that moment, but he cleared his throat and stood before pacing over to stand in front of her. He knelt and took her hand in his before bowing his head.
“I, Jaken Warmecht, Paladin in service to the goddess Radiance and Knight of the Unseelie Fae swear by my power and name, that I meant you no harm by my questions. I accept your vow, only in that you had given it.” He raised his head, a serious glint in his hazel eyes. “I swear to you that I only had the best at heart Queen Maebe. Thank you for your trust in me. I hope you will never think that faith misplaced.”
Maebe lifted him, physically lifted him, to his feet and patted his arm. “You have learned well, Jaken. I am proud. Please, let us continue our meal as friends.”
“Thanks, Maebe.” He grinned his usual grin, and went back to his food, tucking into it with zeal.
The rest of the meal went without issue. The food was okay, not necessarily anything to write home about, but it was serviceable.
Once we were finished and dusk shone in the west, we set out to find the beach in our human disguises except for Muu. He figured that something like him would attract attention, and we needed that for now. Any children we found along the way, we stopped and spoke to briefly, telling them to find the youngest of them so that they could come with us and be taken somewhere safe. A few listened, some ran off to find others, and those who were alone followed us.
One little boy seemed completely smitten with Maebe, the queen carrying him as if he were a prince and the most precious thing in the world. A couple children ran around Muu, giggling and laughing as he teased them and swung his stubby tail with great effort after. They cried out in amusement at his expense.
Yohsuke grumpily handed out food to the little waifs who asked for something. His grumpy nature was really just a front, he wanted these kids to be happy almost as much as Maebe did. His own family at home being why. He liked kids. Said he hated them, called them shitty, but gods help anyone who hurt a kid in front of him.
The others and I brought up the fore guard, ensuring people were out of the way, while Jay and Jaken brought up the rear to make sure the kids didn’t get taken or abused on our way.
It took a little while longer than it had to get to the castle, but eventually, we made it to the beach. Just before true darkness.
The beach was long and thin, the water not even a hundred yards from the nearest homes. The water gently lapped at the shoreline as people went on about their lives. Some of them stopped to watch this large procession of children with strangers walking through, but as none of them were their kids, they left well enough alone.
Which was why they were in this damned mess in the first place.
As they came, they gathered around in the cold. I frowned, looking for any nearby trees, and finding one, I took my axe out and made for it. I felled the palm in three strokes with Magus Bane, casting Regrowth on it immediately after so that Mother Nature wouldn’t strike me down. It was for a good cause.
Bokaj and I cut pieces of the tree, and I dried it out with shadow magic, eating the moisture inside easily. We made three bonfires so that the poorly clothed children would be warm as Maebe prepared.
“Zeke, I will now teach you how to Call a Fae creature.” She brought up a dome of shadows while Muu, Bokaj, and Balmur entertained the children. “I will give you one of my most trusted creatures, as he has been with me since I was but a child.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked, concern taking over. “He’s your oldest partner, he belongs with you.”
“Because a king in truth would have brought his own subjects to call,” Maebe spoke softly, but I could tell it was her trying to soften the blow to my pride. “And I give him to you because I trust him. There may be other Fae who wish you to know their true names and others who will hate you for who you are. He will not care, because he is loyal.”
Fair enough. “What do I do?”
“Focus your mind on bringing him to you and speak his name. There will be a mana draw, and it may be steep the first time you do so. Once he learns to trust you, it will cost less and less as you summon him.” She held up a hand, and her tone shifted to one of warning. “But beware, if you summon him carelessly, he can choose to harm you. Or make the price to summon him so high that it will hurt you to do so. Be cautious. Be honest. But most importantly, be cautious.”
“You said cautious twice, my love.”
She whipped her head back to me from where she had turned to look at the childre
n. “Because it is important!”
“What’s the name you want me to use?” I asked with a patient sigh.
“He is called…Milnolian.” A cold shiver run through me, as she said the name and knew I would likely never forget it. “Summon him, and I will summon my own.”
A shadowy partition separated us as she issued her order.
I cleared my mind and focused on summoning the creature whose name was “Milnolian.”
A mana headache occurred almost instantly, my nose bleeding as some of my health fled my body. My mana reserves and my ring, Mage’s Well, were both completely drained, and my health had gone down by two hundred points.
“Fuck me,” I groaned as I stumbled.
“Who are you to perform the Calling?” A formless, ownerless voice whispered harshly in front of me. “Why do I sense my queen?”
“I am Zekiel Erebos, and Queen Maebe has entrusted your true name to me.” I collected myself, wishing I had some mana to cast any healing spell on myself on that moment. “I am King of the Unseelie Fae. I called you for a reason; we need your help.”
The sound of a deep breath in, as if it were trying to find a scent, reached my ears before the voice returned, “I cannot smell the lie. Well, my King, why have you summoned me, and how may I be of assistance to you?”
“Maebe needs our help to round up the homeless children of this city in hopes that they will choose to go to the Fae realm for a better life, until such a time as they wish to return here and serve their kingdom.” Finally, my mana reserves had a splash of mana in them, and I cast Regrowth on myself. “Or they decide that they’re better off in the Fae realm.”
“Ah, children.” The voice chuckled; the whispering deepened as it spoke. “Yes, she has always had a weakness for the little ones.”
“You imply that she is weak?” I growled.
“You imply that you can threaten me, King?” I tumbled back. “If it will aid her, then I will assist you.”
“Thank you,” I muttered, glad that was over.
Shimmering golden eyes opened in front of me, slits in the center of them, and a tiger of black and gray stalked from inky depths toward me.
My adrenaline spiked as the whiskers twitched. “Do you find this shape I take…frightening?”
Remembering that Maebe had said to be honest and that the creature had already said it couldn’t smell the lie, I opted for the truth, and deflection.
“You may want to take a form that children would find either fascinating or comforting.” I wrangled my quickly beating heart into submission with some breathing exercises. “Also, what can I call you?”
He cocked his head to the side, his gait thrown a little, and his whiskers twitched again. “Cleverly done. The Queen calls me ‘servant,’ but what you would call me, I do not know. I do not know you. I do not trust you.”
“That’s fine.” I shrugged, and he halted, eyeing me curiously. “Look, I can gain your trust as I have Maebe’s. I’ve never meant her any harm, and she was the one who asked me to be her king. I didn’t ask for any of this, just her love. By choice. She chose to give you to me because you were loyal, and you wouldn’t care who I was. If I have to earn your trust, so be it.”
The skin of his nose crinkled as he took a deep breath. Blink. Once, twice and a third time before exhaling.
“No lies,” I spoke before he could.
“Call me Servant,” the creature stated finally, shadows melting from it until it was a medium-sized dog that looked like a husky. “It’s alright, Majesty. I won’t eat your chosen king, though I do find the iron in the area taxing.”
I frowned, and the partition fell; Maebe stood with more than a dozen creatures of varying friendly shapes and sizes standing behind her, shadows and ice wreathing her hands.
“Glad to hear, Servant.” Maebe nodded curtly to the creature, and he did a flawless bow as a dog. I was a little jealous.
Several of those creatures behind the queen circled me, their eyes glowed different shades. Some red, green, blue, and brown while others were a milky white. They all looked to be creatures of shadow or ice.
“This kitsune is the King?” One of them asked excitedly, and my skin burst into goosebumps as I looked at the shadowy figure. “This is the first time this has ever happened! And don’t expect that disguise to fool everyone, child. Us old ones can spot a kitsune in human form easily.”
I growled, tired of all the showing and speculation. The creature seemed more excited by my irritation. I called all of the shadows that I could to me, the swirling mass of my anger igniting as I added flame aspected mana into it.
“None of you had better give the Queen any trouble.” I tried to come off as more menacing than my dwindling mana made me feel.
“Oh, you are adorable, new King.” One of the larger creatures, a bird the size of a small child chuckled. “Queen Maebe, you may tell him my true name. I find him interesting.”
Maebe snorted, I shot her a look, and she motioned to my hand knowingly. I allowed my magic to die down, and the creatures turned their attention to Maebe.
“Go and find all of the children in the city who are not wanted and tell them that they are welcome in the Fae realm. Bring them to me, and I will speak to them.” Maebe raised her voice so that they would all hear the seriousness in her tone. “You will be kind, approachable, and honest. Protect the children, and do not fail me. Go!”
All of the creatures moved except one, and I sighed, “Her orders are my own, Servant—go.”
He nodded once and bolted off into the night.
“You did well,” Maebe assured me, taking my hand and pulled me into her. “He will learn to trust you, as you hadn’t lied to him.”
“What would he have done if I had lied to him?”
She turned her head and smiled at me. “He would have eaten you.”
“I thought you had said that being cautious was the most important thing?!” I threw my other hand up as she giggled.
“It was—be cautious not to lie to him.” She kissed my cheek and pulled the mushroom out of her inventory, sitting it on the ground. “Better that the thinning between the realms begins sooner, rather than later.”
We waited for more than four hours as the Fae creatures ventured into the city to collect as many children as they could, and came back to the beach to deposit them before going back in.
After the fourth hour, two cloaked figures and Jay came to where we were and waited with us for another hour. Queen Chareen and her daughter were both tired, but they would be here to see the children off.
Finally, after the fifth hour of waiting, the Fae creatures returned, bowing their heads. “It is done, Majesties,” Servant reported.
“Thank you all for your help.” Maebe nodded her head once. “If you would wait, you can return to the Fae realm with the children. I must speak to them before I open the tear.”
The Fae creatures fanned out among the children, nuzzling the ones who were sleeping near the still-burning bonfires awake. Some of them looked frightened. Others hungry and tired.
“Good night, all of you,” Queen Maebe called to them all. I could hear the Fae throughout the large crowd repeating her greeting. “I am Queen Maebe, ruler of the Unseelie Fae, creatures like the ones who brought you here to me this evening. I have an offer I would like to make all of you—come and be loved among my people.”
One of the older girls in the crowd began to sob, one of the younger boys near her began to try and calm her.
“Servant,” Maebe whispered. The creature bolted forward and listened. “Find out what happened to her. Herd her to the side if needed so that I may speak to her.”
I nodded, and he was off. The boy went with the girl and followed the Fae off to the side.
“By that, I mean that you will be well fed, cared for, taught, trained and given all that can be given in the name purely of our adoration,” Maebe called, and again the Fae echoed. “There is nothing to fear. None of the Unseelie will harm you.
We will teach you, coach you, and help you learn to defend yourself. We will help you, however we can, but I do have but one caveat.”
The children listened silently, their full attention on her, but I could tell some of the more jaded among them—the elders—appeared to have been expecting this tidbit of information.
“Should you choose to return here, you will be given station, power, and pay, by order of the crown for any service you can give to the country,” she called and left it at that. The crowd of children whispered among themselves, the noise growing to a dull roar.
Finally, Chareen and Villeroa stepped forth and cast back their hoods. The crowd gasped, and they all knelt there in the sand.
“Children of Zephyth!” Chareen called out, raising her hands. “Know that Queen Maebe speaks the truth. We are not abandoning you! You are not unwanted! Our hearts break, and we weep that we cannot care for you properly, as you deserve! Should you choose to return, you will be given all that this country can give to you in your service.”
Villeroa called out, “Zygnal!” The water behind her crashed, and the elemental surged out of the water.
“Today, my daughter came into power that all of you have a chance to earn with the Fae,” Chareen explained. “Those of you who return here may do so with the promise of stature, power, and surety! We need your help. We need you, now more than ever, and Queen Maebe offers you a chance to become something greater than your current lives.”
“Beggin’ yer forgiveness, Highness,” One of the small girls near the front looked horrified, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her at that moment. “Never mind.”
“No, little one,” Maebe encouraged. “Please, speak your mind. Go on.”
She seemed scared, so I slowly made my way forward, where I knelt next to her and whispered softly, “No one will hurt you, child. I swear it by Mother Nature. Ask what you like.”
“Can I ask you?” She looked near tears, so I nodded. “What if we don’t wanna come back?”
I patted her head gently, and she sniffed, “She wants to know what would happen if they choose not to return.”
Into the Darkness: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Axe Druid Book 4) Page 28