by D P Rowell
Trilo shot up. “Fae Queen? I thought Breen was governed by the Elders.”
“It was until recently, child. See now, the elders have been deceived for a period of time now. Evil crept its way into the mind of the fae leaders, and the newly decreed Fae Queen has been working her way into power for some time now. Now, now, to explain the spell, you see, the northernmost parts of the Neutrals had remained preserved as they used to be, when Yutara was just Breen, until several decades ago, when your grandfather began the Indies.”
“You knew my grandfather?” Ace said.
The old man smiled. “Where do you think he got all of his literature on Earth?” He winked at Ace.
This book must be how Grandpa knew the story of Oliver!
The old man continued. “Now, now, as I was saying, the Fae Queen has the power she’s been working for and she’s cast a spell over this land. It didn’t used to be this gloom here, you know.
“Of course, some of that may be due to the immigrants from Heorg and Naraka over the years, as the land begins to adapt to its inhabitants. However, it’s been such a drastic change in such a short time and the faes themselves don’t even notice it because they’re so deceived. But here is what you should understand, Ace Halder. You see, Breen used to be a world of powerful colors. Gardens were scattered throughout this land and they gave life. These gardens represented the Light’s creation, and witches hate such a thing. As the council deceived the other three realms and brought them here, the gardens began to be torn down and replaced to fit the needs of its new inhabitants. But, because the faes migrated to the north, the northern parts of the Neutrals had remained preserved, as well as Breen, until recently. And now, enough faes have forgotten the elyr and the Light so the Fae Queen, the witch herself, can cast a spell on Breen and the north right under our very noses. It’s why we have to build a wall to protect us from the beasts in the Northwoods. But the beasts have grown to such sizes and so aggressive because of The Fae Queen’s Spell!” The old fae sighed angrily and gently slapped his hand to his arm rest. “The blasted faes keep thinking more physical things can protect them. They won’t open their eyes and see it’s the council that’s done this. It’s the Fae Queen!”
“Shywater!” Ace said, nearly leaping from his seat. He dismissed a good bit of Mr. Flare’s last ramblings as his mind remained focused on the gardens. “Is Shywater one of these gardens?”
The old man grew calm and half smiled. “Yes, it is indeed, child. We get the illusion that Shywater appears when elyrians need it to, but really, it’s not that Shywater appears, it’s that Emery opens our eyes. So, so, now, as I was saying, one of these gardens remains. The City of Dorneg has tried countless times to tear down this garden but have failed to do so. Why this is, I’m not entirely sure. I can only assume the Light still has a strong enough hold on Dorneg to preserve itself here somehow. However, the fae guards of Dorneg protect this garden and allow no one inside. Now, in this garden, you will find a spiritual connection. The Light is powerful there, and elyrians can reach Emery sometimes. I don’t know much about why you are here now, but I do know I am to direct you which way to go. If you can find this garden and get inside, you may be able to break through the block in you (because the world around you can pull you so far from the Light) and reach Emery for some answers.”
By now, all the adventurers had been leaning forward, eyes wide on the old fae. Ace coughed before he spoke. “H—How do I get there?”
“Follow the sunlight,” The old fae said. “Where the clouds break, and the Fae Queen has no power.”
“You mean, you can’t take us there?” Trilo said.
The old man shook his head, “No, no, no. I’m far too old. And, indeed, my time has come.”
Juneg and Easley shot to their feet. “What?”
“What do you mean, Mr. Flare?”
The old man smiled and signaled for each of them to come. Juneg and Easley stepped timidly toward the old fae. The fae touched each one of their faces and smiled. A drop spilled out of his eye and rolled along the wrinkles in his smile. “I’m so proud of you two. You have done a great service for the greater good by bringing the young Halder to me as Emery has desired.”
Ace couldn’t see Juneg’s or Easley’s face, but he heard their sniffles and saw a few tears drop from their chins and twinkle by the firelight before they hit the ground.
The old man brought them both in for a tight embrace. “I have waited a long time for this moment, and now, my purpose is fulfilled. Each one of us play a huge role in the fate of Yutara, and we have just accomplished a great milestone. It’s time for me to pass into the Light now.”
“But—” Juneg said, unable to control her sobbing, “But you can’t leave us, we need you. You’re the only one who’s ever cared about us. You’re the closest thing to a father we have.”
“You have new guides now. You have a family around you now,” Mr. Flare said. Their embrace grew tighter, and then the old fae pulled away and faced them one last time. He gently placed a hand on their shoulders. “Besides, I will always be with you.”
“Will we ever see you again?” Easley said as he wiped his nose.
The old man winked. “I guarantee it.”
Then, a pale light started at the tip of the old man’s fingers on each hand and Juneg and Easley stepped back. The flame atop the old fae’s hands grew bright and powerful. The old man leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. The white fire grew to his arms. Two more flames appeared at his toes and began to swallow his legs. The fire slowly wrapped around the old man’s body, reaching his neck, jaw, and wrapped around his head. Time seemed to slow a moment. Ace stood up and stepped closer. The last thing uncovered by the Light was the old fae’s smile. Ace always thought there were two types of old men, the grumpy and the joyful; and joyful old men had different kinds of smiles. Ace knew this because of the kinds of smiles Grandpa used to have. The smile of seeing all their family gathered around them, so joyful to see they won’t die without leaving a legacy behind. There’s also the smile of hidden pain, when everyone else can sense the dread in the room, but the old man smiles still, assuring everyone else joy is a choice, even amid chaos. Lastly, there’s the smile of wisdom, after they’ve just shared the answer to a young one’s problem, they smile, knowing they played a part in the life of another. But here, Ace saw a fourth type of smile he hadn’t before. It saddened him, for he’d never had the chance to see such a smile from his own Grandpa; but assured himself Grandpa had it anyway. It was the smile of an old man, knowing his time had come. Satisfied with the use of his time in Yutara. It rendered him still and tranquil. Soon, the white fire swallowed the rest of the old fae, leaving not but a crackling fire and a vacant chair in front of them. During which, one thought persistently played in his head.
I’d like to smile like that one day.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The Sun and the Dome
Easley and Juneg cried together for a short time. Gentle tears covered their faces as they calmly mourned the loss of the old man. Ace and Trilo stood silently behind them for a moment until they felt compelled to comfort the young ones. They placed a hand on their backs. Juneg and Easley smiled and wiped their noses.
“He was right, you know,” Trilo said.
“About what?” Easley said.
“You do have a family now.”
They grieved in company. Somehow, Ace had a hard time feeling sad. Something about the old fae’s passing gave him a sense of closure, peace, and comfort. He hadn’t known the fae as well as the jag and drake. As much as he empathized with them, a sense of urgency forced out his patience.
“Mr. Flare did what he was put on Yutara to do,” Ace said. “Let’s not let his loss be in vain. We need to find this garden and get in.”
Trilo, Juneg, and Easley agreed as they slowly gathered themselves. Soon, ready to take on the next step in the journey, they moved from the hidden space into the office, the bookstore, and finally, back outside
.
“I saw the sunlight when we first arrived in Dorneg,” Ace said. “I think I remember which way it came.”
Ace took the lead as they strolled through the city. Trilo, at one point during their travel, stepped up to him and spoke softly.
“Are you sure your dad and Sebastian are gonna be safe? What about that witch, fae girl at the chaser’s headquarters? What if they plan on capturing them or hurting them?”
Ace said, “We’re all in danger here. I never trusted them, and especially after what we just learned, I’m also worried about Cameron being there too. But there’s not much we can do about it right now. Without the elyr, I’m basically powerless against the council. We need to get my elyr back. Cameron is a great hunter, and I trust Borundi is too. We’re just going to have to trust them right now. With the hold the council has on this city, it’s only a matter of time before they figure out who we are and come after us. We have to move now.”
“But what about your dad and Sebastian?”
Ace looked at Trilo with sad eyes. “I have no idea what’s going to happen.”
Trilo returned the long face and hung his head.
“Trilo,” Ace said, “these past few days have given me a bit of hope. After all we’ve been—” Ace shook his head no. “After all I’ve been screwing up, somehow, we’re still on the right path. Once I get my elyr back, things will turn around. We just have to keep on marching forward.”
Trilo gave Ace a weak attempt at a grin. “How do you think Gathara is doing right now? Think Kareena and Tharuach have made any progress recruiting faes and growing the Israh?”
A rock dropped in Ace’s chest. He remembered his last words to Kareena. Throwing the video disc and ruining his chances at staying in contact with her. Did she hate him now?
She should, Ace thought, I was a jerk.
“Ace?” Trilo said.
Ace jerked his head to the fae. “Oh, I don’t know . . . I guess we’ll have to find out once we figure this . . . There it is.”
Everyone huddled together around Ace as he pointed to the sky. The gray clouds parted in a perfect halo, revealing a rich purple sky and beams of white sunlight. When their eyes followed the light downward, the buildings over Dorneg's skyline blocked their view from seeing where the light shone.
“I know where that is!” Juneg said.
“Shh!” Trilo said. “Everyone, keep walking.” They listened to him and tilted their heads down and moved forward quietly. The citizens of Dorneg, mostly faes, walked about them with curious eyes. Any of them could be a witch and now was not the time to attract attention. “Juneg,” Trilo said, keeping his eyes straight ahead, “lead the way.”
The jag girl inconspicuously moved to the front of the line and stepped along the damp sidewalk. They dispersed along the sidewalk so as to not appear to be directly following one another. The jag and drake impressed Ace. Their body language spoke of a well-trained hunter and they were only rookies. Untrained rookies. Juneg led them through a few small streets where faes and other citizens went about their lives calmly and quietly. They turned a corner to find the sunlight beaming over a black dome surrounded by a black fence topped with barbed wire, taking up the entire block. The dome reached about fifty feet in the air and fae guards walked around the fence with slick, silver and golden swords and spears. Dressed in jumpsuits and bullet proof vests of gold and silver. Redwoods surrounded the dome and spread to the city’s outer wall hundreds of yards behind it.
Juneg found an alley across the street and led them in, checking to make sure no one watched them. The alley led to a flat green landscape behind a couple towering buildings. Redwoods and shrubbs swallowed a cluster of rolling hills further in the distance. They hid in the woods and peered through the trees to guarded dome on the other side of the street.
“Okay, now how do we get in?” Trilo said.
Easley slumped his posture as he stared at the dome. “No idea. We had no idea that was some kind of mystical garden.”
“Yeah,” Juneg said, “we always wondered what dome was for.”
“Okay, well now we know,” Trilo said, “but how do we get in?”
Ace gave Trilo a funny look. “Wait a second, you’re a fae.”
Trilo scoffed at the boy. “Nothing gets by you, does it?”
“No,” Ace said, “I mean, you look like one of the guards.”
Trilo disagreed with a jittery wag of his head. “My tattoos are gone. Outside of Gathara, any fae would think I’m a psycho because of that.”
Ace gave a frustrated grunt. He ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re right. Didn’t think of that.”
“It’s okay guys, just think,” Easley said. “We can find a way to get in.”
Something laughed behind them. The laughter sounded like the scratching of bark on the trees. Everyone jerked their heads all around them to hear the laugh. Ace went cold. Had someone been following them? Were they found out? Was it a witch?
“Well, I’ll be . . .” Said a voice nearby. They pulled out their AMHBs and aimed at every corner surrounding them. “Woah! Hey, calm down!”
“Show yourself!” Ace said.
“I’m right here! Sheesh! Don’t you see my hands in the air?”
Ace turned slowly, keepings his eyes on the redwoods. Nothing appeared. His hands shook. He fought to keep a steady aim to no avail. Then, something caught his eye. He jerked his AMHB and aimed at the top of a small hill behind them. Barely visible under the gloom of Dorneg, two shiny branches extended from the trunk of a redwood. Ace squinted. Two, shiny white spheres sat on the tree’s trunk. Ace stepped forward slowly, then let down his weapon. They were eyes!
“Ishvi!” Ace said. He turned behind him. “Everyone, let down your weapons.”
“I don’t see anyone,” Said Trilo, “Who are you talking to, Ace?”
Easley leaned in Juneg’s ear, attempting to whisper, but Ace heard every word. “Has our human friend gone mad?”
“No, of course not!” Ace said. He turned his attention back to the hill. “Come down Ishvi!”
The tree goblin smiled and hopped from the tree. He slid down the hill on the leaves until he met them at the bottom. Trilo, Easley, and Juneg all jumped and pulled their weapons once again.
“Ah!”
“Woah!”
“Eek!”
Ace kneeled to Ishvi’s level and gave the tree goblin a hug. “Guys, it’s fine. Ishvi is a friend of mine.”
“Is that—does that thing?—it’s a tree—is that tree talking?” Easley had nearly lost his marbles.
Ace chuckled and signaled for everyone to lower their weapons. Everyone listened and lowered slowly. Trilo and Juneg’s face couldn't decide between curiosity or concern, and Easley look like he’d just seen a ghost.
“Alright,” Trilo said, “Dorneg is officially the weirdest place I’ve ever been to. Giant bugs, creepy old magic men, and now talking trees.”
“I’m an ingling, little boy,” Ishvi said.
Ace turned the goblin to face him. “Ishvi, what are you doing here? Is King Vinan here too?”
Ishvi’s bug eyes grew smaller as his smile grew wide. “It’s good to see you, Ace. This is a very pleasant surprise. No, King Vinan is not here. I am here, because the King said he felt a stirring within the Light. He wanted me to come check on Breen and the North and report back to him. I find it quite unfortunate; a witch has taken the Land of Faes, but quite timely that I should find you here, in the North.” Ishvi’s eyes grew wider and elated.
Ace tilted his head. “How can he sense a stirring now if the times aren’t matched up? I thought when you traveled from the sixth realm to Yutara, you return to the very moment you left.”
Ishvi replied, “I can’t pretend to fully comprehend the way the Light works. But the elyr is what binds all things together. Time is a peculiar thing and works strangely for the realms. As for returning to the very moment you left, that's only true for fae elyrians when they enter the sixth realm and retu
rn to their own realm. When traveling between realms, the Light often sends us to the moment we’re needed the most. I can see why he sent me here. How long has it been since you left the Tree Kingdom, Ace?”
Ace scratched his head. “Uh—months I think.”
Ishvi's skin crackled as his mouth slanted into a half grin. “It’s only been a minute for me. King Vinan felt a stirring just after you left the Tree Kingdom.”
Trilo threw his hands in the air. “What in the world is going on here?”
Ace ignored the fae, nodded at Ishvi and scooted closer. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ishvi. I have some bad news. I—well—I kinda lost my elyr.”
Ishvi tilted his head at the boy with question and a hint of anger. Juneg, Easley, and Trilo all sat down and listened as Ace and the goblin conversed.
Ace hung his head. “I know, I’m sorry.” He lifted his head again. “But, the Light has still been guiding me. He’s led me to so many new places and things to discover, and now here, with you! Please, you’re an elyrian . . . how do I get my light back?”
The tree goblin’s face went sour. He stepped back and sat down on the damp grass. “This is unfortunate . . .” Ishvi shook his head and folded his arms. “And strange. I immediately felt a sense of growth in the Light once I stepped from the trees. I thought the Light had progressed. But the very Elyrian set to fulfill the prophecy has lost his elyr?” The tree goblin shook his head. “I cannot give you back your light. This is an answer you must find on your own.”
Ace suppressed a wave of anger rising inside him. This was the same thing Kareena had said. He’d better start paying attention. “Well, if you can’t give me back my elyr, why are you here?”
Ishvi looked at Ace, then around the woods. “Better question. What are you four doing in the middle of the woods in a city under the spell of the witch in Breen?”