Thronegarden

by Andrew Dickerson

  “Whoever you are, come out and face me.”

  The Fairy King waited, poised to unleash a magical barrage against his unknown intruder and when no one appeared, he decided that perhaps someone had stumbled upon his lair by mistake. To make sure they did not linger he decided to sing a few verses of the poem that his loyal Sprites had created for him. This time the Fairy King’s voice was much higher as it was his natural pitch which he had always rather disliked.

  The Fairy King

  I am a legend, villain in all the greatest stories,

  A man of mysteries, leader of the fairies.

  The regent of ill repute, master of magic,

  Feared by all those who inhabit these parts,

  My contribution to pure evil is epic,

  The night is my domain, black as his despicable heart.

  For I am the Fairy King, the bells ring,

  For I am the Fairy King, the undying.

  I hold Death’s greatest power, time, in my hand,

  Age is no threat to the ability I command.

  Those who seek to defy me,

  Are like particles of sand in the wind,

  For they will soon come to see,

  They lost, it already happened.

  For I am the Fairy King, the all-knowing,

  For I am the Fairy King, cruel and upsetting.

  Who else could valiantly conquer Death,

  To face his fear until his last breath?

  It is I the magnificent despot,

  Tyrant to women and children,

  Wicked, callous, maniacal, I am the lot,

  I own everyone in every garden.

  For I am the Fairy King, the reason you lie under your bed crying,

  For I am the Fairy King, whose majesty there is no denying.

  This our proud Kingdom of Fable,

  Is saved by the man with no equal.

  If you have been living under a rock or at the bottom of a lake,

  Or meet a traveller who took a wrong turn,

  Be sure to advise them so they do not make a terrible mistake,

  For the name of their leader they must learn.

  For I am the Fairy King,

  For I am the Fairy King.

  After finishing his performance, which involved a series of disjointed dance moves, the Fairy King was satisfied that any possible intruder had been scared away. The effort from his revelry was already making the sorcerer tired, and he was pondering whether to take another nap when he heard strange noises coming from the surface. The Fairy King had settled into life in the Evergarden surprisingly easily; he was adored by his trusty Sprites and was treated like an emperor, even in exile. The magician’s greatest fear had been death. In the Evergarden he could not die and so a great weight had been lifted off his chest. The Fairy King’s pursuit of defeating death had given him a strange phobia of clocks, watches and even hourglasses. That meant even after he banished Death and stole his precious Timepiece, the sorcerer could barely force himself to touch the loathsome object. Thankfully, Death had provided him with a solution. Hiding the timepiece inside the wound created by his adversary’s scythe, the Fairy King could keep the item close without having to see or touch it. In truth, the sound of time had been the Fairy King’s greatest foible, so when time had stopped and the clock went silent, he had finally been able to sleep easily. Since being exiled to the Evergarden, the Fairy King had enjoyed a peaceful rest until today. Stalking his lair, he searched for any sign of an intruder when he heard a clamor from up above. Springing out of his hole, the Sprite leader dashed onto the surface to discover what all the commotion was about. Buttontail who had been hiding in the dark, terrified of being discovered and clinging on to the stolen timepiece, finally stopped shaking. Opening one eye, the frightened rabbit stared at his stolen treasure in awe. The timepiece had been crafted of metal from a fallen star and shone brighter than silver. Intricate patterns were embossed in the shell that reminded Buttons of those relics that adorned the library doors of Magicgarden. They seemed to glimmer in the moonlight like liquid. Opening the case, Buttons looked upon the timepiece’s face which was designed in a circular display with strange symbols along the edge.

  Perhaps only Death could read or understand these runes that Buttons was staring at. There were three delicate hands, all of varying lengths, and currently none of them were moving. Buttons did not believe they represented hours, minutes and seconds like a regular clock. This was anything but ordinary. Inside the timepiece was the Voice of Sereth which called to Death, and some believed the Voice of Genesis also although no one could penetrate the unbreakable outer shell to know for sure. The neck was grained sharply in contrast to the crown which was perfectly smooth, a warped bow offered a way to carry or hang the pocket watch. This timepiece had not only tolled the life and death of countless souls, it physically represented time in Fable. Uncurling his stiff body, he followed the Fairy King out of the tomb and went in search of his friends.

  The Fairy King was surprised to see his faithful Sprites running towards him as though they were afraid of the pursuing fog. His shock increased when he witnessed a group of strangers emerge from the shadows behind them. After being exiled in the Evergarden for so long with just his trusty Sprites, the Fairy King had grown complacent, believing himself to be the undisputed ruler of this isolated garden. This intrusion awoke a fire inside the monarch who strode forward purposefully to meet this new threat. Bullring and the other Sprites were fortified by rallying around their leader, following the sorcerer back into battle. Delridden who was leading the charge glimpsed the Fairy King up ahead, and knowing what this individual had stolen from him, he ran straight for the sorcerer. A band of Shades and Wintergarden villagers followed Delridden’s lead, closing the distance between their two armies rapidly. With one sweep of his hand, the Fairy King pushed Delridden and his attackers backwards, flinging them all to the ground. Seeing this, Bullring and his fellow Sprites cheered, seeing their enemy halted. Into the void stepped the Matriarch who looked upon her old peer with pity and disgust.

  “It has been a long time, pupil,” the Matriarch introduced.

  The Fairy King snarled at her old name for him. He was a king and would accept being called nothing less.

  “It has been a long time since I needed your guidance.” The Fairy King drew himself to his full height (which was about five and a half feet) and gathered his dark green robes around him.

  “Where did I go wrong?” the Matriarch asked.

  “You accepted being ordinary,” the Fairy King accused. “I outgrew the need for you long ago.”

  The Matriarch shook her head sadly to see how twisted her student had grown.

  “Your obsession with Death has caused greater damage than you could ever know. It is time to take back what you stole.”

  The Fairy King was impatient with talking so he released a bolt of magical energy at the Matriarch who was only just able to fend it off.

  “You’ve grown weak,” the Fairy King chided, seeing his opponent’s concern.

  Indeed, the Matriarch realised her own frailty; far away from the Magicgarden, her reserves of magical energy were low and somehow her adversary still maintained his powers.

  “It does not have to end like this,” the Matriarch negotiated.

  “I agree,” the Fairy King accepted. “If you all vow to serve me as your king I will end this conflict.”

  “We came for the timepiece, to undo your mistake, and none of us will ever recognise you as our king,” the Matriarch replied.

  The Fairy King shrugged before releasing another crackle of energy from his hands that brought the Matriarch down to her knees.

  “You will kneel before me,” the Fairy King screamed maniacally.

  From out of nowhere, the Peritwinkle placed his mammoth bulk between the two sorcerers; his long hair and thick skin seemed unaffected by the Fairy King’s magic and allowed the liberators to recover. Infuriated that his onslaught had been stopped prematurely, the Fai
ry King ordered his army to attack the Peritwinkle, and without hesitation the Sprites charged as a group against the giant beast. With his army engaged in combat with the Peritwinkle, it left the Fairy King alone and vulnerable. Delridden, sensing his opportunity, rushed forward with his sword in hand to face the man who had stolen his love and family from him.

  “I will kill you,” he roared.

  The Fairy King was not intimidated. He had eliminated the threat of death long ago and his magical powers were unmatched. He easily avoided Delridden’s blade before sending a pulse of energy into the soldier’s chest and hurling his body through the air like a projectile. Delridden landed heavily at Bakka’s feet. The great smith checked on his friend and although the warrior was unconscious, he could still feel a pulse.

  “You cannot defeat me,” the Fairy King reasoned.

  “Oh yes, we can!”

  Buttontail emerged before the Fairy King, holding the stolen timepiece aloft. In shock, the sorcerer checked his chest and when he found it empty his eyes burned red with anger.

  “No one steals from me,” the Fairy King raged.

  Buttons dodged the barrage of magical strikes launched at him as he ran full pelt across the battlefield, zigzagging as he went. Frustratingly for the Fairy King, he was unable to stop the fleeing rabbit, and he could only watch as Buttontail delivered the timepiece to Bakka. The great smith accepted the gift with reverence before studying the object closely.

  “What’s wrong?” Buttons questioned.

  “This is not my timepiece,” Bakka revealed. “It is a fake.”

  The battle stopped as everyone turned to witness the drama that was unfolding. The Fairy King walked towards the enemy without fear for his personal safety.

  “What do you mean it is a fake?” he demanded.

  “This is not the timepiece I created for Death,” Bakka repeated.

  “That is impossible,” the Fairy King declared. “You are trying to trick me.”

  “I will admit it looks exactly like the original, a feat likely achieved with magic; however, this timepiece is a fake.”

  “Then where is the original?” Buttons asked.

  The Fairy King, whose ire was building exponentially, felt a powerful surge of magic tingling through his fingers.

  “Prove that it is a fake,” he demanded, barely containing his flow of magical power that would decimate the area.

  Bakka could not explain to someone who did not know his craft how he could tell the timepiece in his hand was a fake. There was something alien about the weight and feel that was almost impossible to explain. Knowing that the Fairy King would not accept opinions from someone he already distrusted, the great smith did the only thing he could think of to convince his opponent that the item was indeed a trick.

  “Here,” Bakka threw the timepiece.

  The Fairy King drained the power from his hands before catching the watch. It looked and felt the same as always to him though he understood Bakka’s explanation.

  “You would not have given this up so easily if it really was Death’s timepiece,” the sorcerer comprehended.

  “We have come all this way for nothing,” Delridden commented.

  As a deafening silence descended upon both sides, a small, lyrical voice broke the malaise.

  “Buttons!”

  The rabbit’s ears perked up as he heard a familiar voice call his name.

  “Buttons, you came back.”

  Damselfly squeezed through the crowd to reach her best friend. The rabbit tapped his foot in excitement, and the two embraced in a tearful reunion.

  “I’m sorry I left,” Buttontail apologised.

  “I’m sorry for what Luyna said to you,” Damselfly reciprocated.

  Buttons hung his head at the terrible memory, though the princess raised his chin so they were eye to eye.

  “It isn’t true, Buttons. Luyna may have intended for you to hold me back but that could not be farther from the truth. I could never have gotten this far without you.”

  “Yes, you could because you’re very brave, unlike me,” Buttons doubted.

  “How can you say that when you went into the wood with me to hunt down a Peritwinkle, faced your nightmares in the Dreamgarden and saved me from a member of The Clay Legion. Even now you risked everything to come here and went alone to the Fairy King’s lair and stole the timepiece from him.”

  “It was a fake,” Buttons stated.

  “It does not matter to me,” Damselfly responded.

  “You risked everything for me and I think you are the bravest little rabbit that ever lived.”

  As the two friends shared their tender moment, it gave everyone else perspective on their current situation and a sliver of hope.

  “Perhaps if we work together, we can find a way out of the Evergarden,” the Matriarch suggested.

  “The sooner you leave the better,” the Fairy King concluded before retreating with his army.

  “Can you get us out of here, Bakka?” Damselfly queried.

  “I have no idea,” the great smith replied.

  After the departure of the Fairy King and his Sprites, they created a circle to discuss what would happen next. Damselfly sat holding Buttontail while leaning against Delridden; the trio were fast becoming inseparable.

  “Does anyone have any idea how the timepiece could have been switched?” the Matriarch posed.

  “I believe the Fairy King did not know it was a fake,” Bakka stated holding the timepiece which had been left discarded on the ground.

  “Then who has the original?” Gregorian questioned.

  “It cannot be Death because he sent me looking for it,” Damselfly added.

  The group pondered this riddle until Buttons made a poignant statement.

  “The Fairy King was sentenced to the Evergarden in a trial like ours, perhaps it was switched then.”

  “It would make sense, however it does not tell us who took it,” the Matriarch pointed out.

  “What we should really ask ourselves is not who took the timepiece, but who benefits from time being lost,” Phoebus reasoned.

  “If we have ruled out the Fairy King then I suppose the other person who has benefited most would be Luyna,” Gregorian theorized.

  “That’s right, she practically rules Thronegarden now,” the Matriarch agreed.

  “We’ve all heard the stories relating to the Children of the Moon,” Delridden hinted.

  “Isn’t one of them supposed to be good and the other bad?” Damselfly queried.

  “I always thought Orion was the mean one.”

  “Stories are not always correct, though they often have a basis in fact,” the Matriarch offered.

  “So if Luyna really did steal the original timepiece, why not restart time?” Bakka asked.

  “We will have to ask her, though first we must find a way out of here,” the Matriarch advised.

  “Bakka, you created the Evergarden, how do we get out of here?” Gregorian questioned.

  The great smith considered this deeply, having thought of little else since Damselfly had asked him the same question back in the Lavagarden.

  “I made the Evergarden to be a perfect prison with no way of escape; it is not linked to any of the other gardens and so we cannot travel via a gate. Until recently I believed it was impossible to travel between gardens without using a Garden Gate; however, Damselfly mentioned that Sprites had returned to the Wintergarden, and the Matriarch suggested moonlight might be powerful enough to blast a hole between gardens.”

  “Blakast had an artefact that could hold magical energy. Maybe instead of magic he was collecting moonlight to secretly travel between gardens,” Damselfly considered.

  “Perhaps we could ask him,” Delridden proposed.

  “I’m not sure we would get much sense out of him,” Damselfly warned.

  Bakka looked at the fake timepiece in his hand, carefully looking for inspiration.

  “Perhaps we could use this timepiece to create an artefa
ct similar to the one Blakast stole, yet there is no moonlight in the Evergarden to capture,” the great smith pondered.

  “I hate to admit it but the Fairy King’s magic is stronger than mine,” the Matriarch confessed. “I am too far away from the Magicgarden to draw on my magical reserves, although this does not seem to affect the Fairy King as much.”

  “Still, we do not have moonlight,” Bakka reminded.

  “Maybe we should create the artefact first and worry about getting the moonlight afterwards,” Damselfly encouraged.

  “Without tools or a forge, I will need magic to turn this timepiece into an artefact that can store energy,” Bakka explained.

  “That means we need the Fairy King’s help,” the Matriarch pronounced.

  The small group looked at each other for fresh inspiration until every other avenue had been exhausted, and yet no one could come up with a better plan.

  They would have to ask the Fairy King for his help.

  The Fairy King had returned to his tomb along with his faithful Sprites who licked their wounds outside, yet the sorcerer found he could not sleep or rest after discovering that he had been tricked. the Fairy King had believed he was the master of his own fate, that he had stolen time and defeated Death singlehandedly. Even being exiled to the Evergarden was an acceptable sacrifice as long as he remained in charge and free from death. Now it seemed someone else had played him, making the Fairy King believe in his victory while really, he had suffered a humiliating defeat.

  The biggest concern for the fallen regent was that he did not control time. Whoever had stolen the timepiece could choose to restart it at any point, and what would happen to the Fairy King then?