He was cold and detached now, a ghost of what he used to be. Though he was looking at her, it was like he didn’t even see her.
“I heard talk around the Fortress,” he said abruptly, “that you and Lok have been hanging out more.”
Whatever she’d expected him to say, it wasn’t this. Don’t tell me he’s jealous? She and Arantay were barely even a thing anymore. Due to him purposefully avoiding her since they’d returned to Veneseron, Brooke guessed he was no longer interested.
“We’re just friends,” she said, telling the truth. She wasn’t sure about Lok herself. He made her laugh, but also a tiny bit uneasy. She certainly didn’t have the intense attraction she’d had to Arantay after meeting him. Although neither could she deny there was something there with Lok, perhaps growing.
“Why would you care anyway?” Brooke continued. “I wouldn’t have thought who I hang out with matters to you?”
He hesitated, regret etched onto his face. “It’s not that. And I’ve already apologized to you for my mistakes with you.”
“Oh, don’t you dare give me that whole, it’s not you, it’s me schtick.”
“I wasn’t…I mean, that’s not why I needed to speak with you.”
“I get it, you don’t want to be with me, but you don’t want me to be with someone else either.”
He sighed. “I just wanted to warn you about Lok.”
“What about him? That he’s a ladies man who’ll use me and then dump me? You don’t want anything to do with me for weeks, and now you suddenly care about my feelings?”
“No. It’s what happened to Tyrell and the others.”
Brooke stopped short, her next words simply turning to a confused, “oh.”
“I know what I’m about to say sounds extreme, but something tells me Lok is lying about what happened.”
“Seriously? People died, Tay. How could you possibly accuse Lok of having something to do with it?”
“I’m not saying Lok is to blame for what happened to the fallen Venators. I believe it was Rakarn who killed them. But Lok’s story about what happened doesn’t add up. He’s hiding something.”
What was Tay on about? Lok couldn’t possibly be hiding anything about the attack. “I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. Lok’s been devastated since the ambush, particularly with Tyrell’s death.”
“I understand, it’s clear to see Lok has been affected. But I sense guilt within him too.”
“Yeah, he blames himself for what happened. It’s called survivor’s guilt syndrome, or something. Lok’s probably gone over in his mind ways he could’ve saved the others. It’s a common but illogical thing most humans go through when they’re grieving. I think you’re just reading Lok’s emotions wrong.”
“Because I’m not human?” Arantay murmured.
Brooke shrugged, not meaning to offend him, but not knowing the answer either. “I dunno, maybe.”
“I admit, I may be mistaken,” Arantay admitted. “It could just be a hunch. If you haven’t noticed anything strange or suspicious about Lok’s behaviour, perhaps it’s me.”
“I mean, he’s acted differently. But that’s normal, right?”
He didn’t reply, but stared off into the distance, thinking hard.
“Okay, let’s say Lok is hiding something, why did you tell me all this?” She asked.
“In truth, I don’t know what I suspected. Various theories. One of them was that the Rakarn spared Lok to send him back here, but only to serve them. There are ways of controlling people, dark ways. I’m sure Velkarath knows how to do such a thing.”
“You think he’s possessed or something?” She struggled to see what Tay was getting at. If Lok had been possessed, surely it would be noticeable.
“In a fashion, perhaps.” Arantay didn’t sound sure himself. “I know I’m probably not making much sense, but just be careful around him. Watch for anything unusual.”
“Um, I…okay,” she said slowly.
“I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s just a feeling I have, one that I can’t shake. Lok’s definitely lying about something.”
She stared at him, hard, thinking it through herself. “No, I think I understand you. But you’ve got the wrong end of the stick. You might’ve sensed Lok was lying because he’s ashamed. I know he feels really guilty, but maybe he did actually mess up, or was cowardly or something. It’s definitely not because he’s in league with the Rakarn,” she laughed hollowly.
Arantay remained stone-faced. “Just ask him what happened exactly. I’d like to see if his version of events fails to match up once again.”
Brooke faltered. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of interrogating Lok.
“Hey, I didn’t say I believe you. Only that it’s possible Lok could be telling a little white lie. Besides, being the lone survivor must’ve been traumatic. I’m not going to add to it.”
“Please,” Arantay implored. “To put my mind at ease.”
She sighed heavily, hesitating, “…maybe. I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you,” he inclined his head before departing through the fields, striding toward the forest in the distance.
She watched Arantay go, at a loss for words.
*
“Oh, hell no.” Joelle exploded out her chair, almost knocking Jed out of his.
“Holy Rueda,” he muttered, knocking into Sabine accidentally.
“Watch it, oaf.”
“Please, I didn’t touch you on purpose,” he replied.
“I’m not going on a mission with him.” Joelle pointed violently at Bane. “He’s almost killed me in training several times, just for a laugh. He’d be the death of me out there in the real worlds.”
Bane looked equally unimpressed at the sight of Joelle. “Really, Elorian? I told you instructors last time that I’ve had enough of babysitting rookies on my assignments.”
“Hey, I’m no rookie,” he replied, “well, not that much. And Joelle’s been here as long as you.”
Bane grimaced. “Mace is likely only here because the Masters felt pity for her family. She’s as useless as the rest of you.”
“That’s quite enough, Mr Madagant,” Elorian intervened before Joelle could reply. “Now, are you ready to hear about the assignment you’ve all been selected for?”
Jed nodded along with the others, although only he and Sabine looked enthusiastic about it. Everyone returned to their chairs, although Bane and Joelle made sure to sit as far away as possible from one another.
“This mission revolves around the faeries. As you know, I myself am half fae,” Elorian said proudly. “I could tell you quite a tale about my adventures in the fae realms, but as time is of the essence, I’ll not divulge them now.”
“Wow,” Bane muttered. “Elorian refusing to tell a story about himself, this must be serious.”
Sabine giggled and Jed couldn’t help but smile too.
“Ahem,” Elorian cleared his throat, pretending not to hear. “As I was saying. The world of Mag-Mell is home to all fae kind, but the realm is currently in chaos; even its weather has gone haywire.”
“Ah, so you want us to help with flooding,” he said, although his joke fell flat.
“Oh, I saw this on the news,” Sabine said excitedly. “A valorc army invaded and both faerie courts have gone into hiding.”
Elorian nodded grimly.
“Aren’t valorcs those real scary and powerful monsters,” Jed said, “the winged dudes that resemble both orcs and valkyries, right?”
“Valorcs are also one of the main races who serve Akirandon, idiot.” Bane sighed.
“Well excuse me for not remembering every little thing,” he shot back.
“Don’t worry, Jed.” Joelle glared. “Bane’s just being an ass. As is tradition.”
“Actually, Bane’s right,” Sabine interjected. “And valorcs working for the demon queen is quite an important detail. You should’ve known that Jed.”
Jed resisted the urge to stick h
is tongue out at her. That would be immature, and he definitely wouldn’t do that.
“Huh,” Bane mused, “at least one of my companions isn’t going to be completely useless.”
Joelle snorted. “Just because she gave you an indirect compliment, you must be starved of affection.”
“Venators,” said Elorian. “Working together is a vital skill for all Realmers. Your lives will be in each other’s hands, forget petty squabbles.”
“Sorry, sir,” Sabine said at once. “I just assumed Jed would know the basics of our many enemies. I know he’s very inexperienced in missions, but still.”
He blew a raspberry at her. Yep, good one, that’s not immature at all.
“Moving on,” Elorian said loudly. “Yes, we believe Velkarath has deployed a tribe of Valorcs to interfere on Mag-Mell. Queen Akirandon has gained control of many realms already, and she will soon control Mag-Mell, if we cannot stop her Valorcs in time. Worse, the leader of the Valorcs, is a general in Velkarath’s army and one of Akirandon’s most valued servants.
“So, what’s the assignment exactly?” Bane crossed his arms.
“Quite a tricky one, I’m afraid,” said Elorian. “The summer and winter faerie courts have always been in conflict. It’s not war as such, but a constant division, with frequent skirmishes on either side. It will be your job to get them to forge an alliance.”
“No, pressure then,” Joelle sighed, “we just need to make two groups of people magically forget the hatred they’ve harboured for each other for millennia.”
“Yes, but if they do not unite together, their whole world will be destroyed,” Elorian pointed out. “So it should be easier than normal.”
“Couldn’t you do it, sir?” Jed asked. “I mean if you’re as well-known and respected, surely you could speak to the leaders of the two courts and get them to work together?”
“I certainly would,” Elorian drew himself up, “if I wasn’t exiled from Mag-Mell.”
“Exiled? You?” Sabine exclaimed.
“Yes, well. Once King Oberon passed and Puck left Mag-Mell forever, I was… caught in the crossfire let’s just say.” Elorian changed subjects quickly. “Whether you can or can’t unite the fae, your main goal must be to drive the Valorcs out. If we Realmers had the manpower to spare, we could send in a small army to destroy them all, but as we don’t we’re hoping a small force like you can find a way. If not, we’ll figure out another way. There’ll be much more information in your mission briefs. You’ll have tonight to read them before departing tomorrow morning. You’ll be in constant contact with Veneseron if things go south.”
“So I’m guessing the first thing we do is find where the summer court is hiding, since they’ll be more helpful than winter court,” Joelle asked.
“Yes, just get the lay of the land, our details are scarce, but I’m sure the fae will fill you in,” said Elorian.
“Umm, maybe it’s a stupid question and I didn’t catch it in training, but what’s the difference between fairy and faerie?” he asked.
Sabine looked at him in yes-that-is-a-stupid-question way, but he tried to ignore her.
“Fae encompass a range of creatures,” said Elorian. “The fairies you’ve seen around Veneseron are just a part of the wider fae. Sprites and gremlins also come under the fae collective, as do pixies and nymphs, which is where you come in Bane.’
Bane looked up sharply. “I am not a faerie,” he growled.
Jed met Joelle’s eyes and neither could suppress their laughter.
“Okay, okay,” Padrake held his hands out. “What I meant was, as someone who…er, has fae lineage, you’ll be able to see through the faerie glamours where others will not.”
“I thought Venators, and anyone with magic, already have the second sight, which lets us see through glamours?” Jed asked.
“Rueda, don’t you know anything?” Sabine huffed.
“I wasn’t asking you, ushk-face.”
“Less of the profanity, Jagger,” Padrake said curtly. “Realmers indeed possess the second sight which enables you to see the faeries at all. However, fae have their own type of illusion magic that can confuse even us. Bane here, will be able to see through their tricks.”
“So I’m vital to this mission,” said Bane. “Which means you need me. So, I formally request Mace’s removal. You can get rid of her boyfriend too. Sabine and I can do this mission alone.”
“Boyfriend!” Joelle cried, before looking back at Jed who just grinned at her. “Besides, I bet you’re not the only half-fae Venator here. Master, you should replace Bane for his clear unwillingness to cooperate on this assignment.”
“I’ll remind you, Elorian,” Bane said smoothly. “My father is speaker for the Republic. One word from me and not only will my companions be changed for ones more adept, but you may even be frowned upon for raising my father’s ire.”
“Oh, I hardly think Lord Madagant will be concerned about something as trivial as which trainees go on what assignment.” Elorian replied brightly.
Joelle grinned. “Even the Masters know your father doesn’t listen to any of your tantrums.”
“At least my father is one of the most important Realmers in all the worlds,” Bane spat, “not some retired pig who spends his days guzzling food until one day he-“
Bane cut off and staggered back as Joelle lunged at him. Jed hastily grabbed her first and held her at bay.
“Quiet, the both of you,” Elorian demanded, his usual merriment diminished. “You know the score. You’re both free to reject this mission, but in doing so your record will be affected. You may even be demoted a training rank if we Masters believe it necessary.”
Joelle stopped struggling against him to nod respectfully at Elorian. “I understand sir, sorry.”
‘You can’t do that,’ Bane said, drawing himself up, ‘if you dare demote me a rank, my father will-’
‘will be very disappointed with you, no doubt,’ said Elorian.
Bane paused, anger fading into frustration.
Besides,” said Elorian, his usual manner returned, “Joelle’s pet imp will come in handy too. Veneseron can portal you to the world, but the entrance to the faeries themselves is hidden, even from us. But your imp should be able to sniff out the secret door.”
“Oh, really?” Joelle hesitated. “Imps-a-lot has never left Veneseron before. He won’t be in danger will he?”
“I shouldn’t think so.”
“Another small thing,’ said Jed, feeling really stupid now. “I know there’s two types of fae, winter and summer, but what’s the difference?”
“It’s real simple,” Bane snapped. “Summer fae are seelie, the good guys. Winter fae are sidhe, and pretty evil. Although if you ask me all fae are trickster scum.”
“Not very eloquent, but correct,” said Elorian. “But this mission is vital, even Earth has been affected.”
“How come?” Joelle asked.
Jed was relieved not to be the only one asking questions for once.
“As you know, the faeries possess their own unique gateways between worlds, but theirs only links their realm to Earth, which is why your Earth is full of fae, living amongst humans in secret.”
No, he didn’t know any of that, but Jed kept quiet as Padrake continued.
“As all the fae are in hiding on Mag-Mell now, Earth’s weather has suffered as a consequence. If this problem is not remedied, we fear Earth will be plunged into the long rains.”
“What’s that mean?” Jed scratched his head.
“Without a faerie presence on Earth, the balance is broken there too,” said Padrake. “Weather is often attuned to the fae. During the winter, the sidhe are the stronger side, but the seelie are stronger in the summer. Without both courts, severe flooding will fill your home world. So much so, that your cities could soon be submerged.”
“Holy ushk. How long until that happens?”
“Months maybe,” said Elorian. “But in the week since the fae disappeared, torrent
ial rain has already hit every one of Earth’s countries.”
“Whoa, no pressure then.” Joelle gave him a grin.
“Here,” Elorian picked up the four mission briefs on the desk and handed them one each.
Jed started flicking through, seeing page after page of information. “But there’s loads to read,” he grumbled. “My other files weren’t this big.”
“That’s likely because your other missions weren’t as important,” Sabine replied. “My briefs have always been this size. I guess the instructors just trust me more.”
“Yeah, now I think about it,” said Jed, “these files are the perfect size to whack you round the head with.”
“Simply reading the briefs is all that is necessary,” said Elorian curtly. “Now, off you go and prepare. Meet me in the portal chamber midday tomorrow.”
*
Evan still wasn’t used to the dream realm, but he felt reassured at having Brooke with him.
In today’s training, they had to explore the Fortress in pairs.
Brooke and Elijah had simultaneous dreamwielding training a castle away, the aim of today’s lesson was for them to meet up with a Venator from the other class. He’d found Brooke after only a few minutes.
He and Brooke had already stood by Emi and Elijah as they explored, and now it was their turn.
After several weeks of lessons Evan’s unease had significantly lessened. He hadn’t even seen a spectre since his very first time entering the dream realm.
“Look, another one.” Brooke laughed, pointing at the Creature-Study chamber they passed. Through the window in the door, Evan saw the sleeping Venator, open-mouthed and snoring. Since the desks around him were empty, the rest of the class were wide awake.
“I guess his class isn’t studying a very interesting creature.” Evan grinned back at her.
“We should probably head back now, to wake up in their respective chambers,” Brooke said.
The aim was for everyone to meet in the Banquet chamber once they’d found their pair.
“Mistress Clandyne will be pleased I managed to find you. I haven’t been too good at Dreamwielding so far.”
Angels and Elves- Act I Page 20