The Goblin and the Empire

by JD Cole

  Kelli stared at him for a few heartbeats, then looked at her guards again. “Bring them,” she repeated, then joined Oren in his stride toward the ethergate into Windham. Kelli walked sideways, keeping her hands on Derek’s head and shoulder.

  Dufangen jogged up to Kelli’s side. “My Queen? You’re bringing more humans into the realm? This is not wise-”

  “Until I find out why people are shooting at Derek and what that thing is inside him,” Kelli answered, “they’re my prisoners.” When the humans began protesting at her words, she looked at them, allowing her magic to well up as bright, white light in her eyes. That sufficiently cowed them into submission, and they allowed themselves to be herded through the gate. Then Kelli saw the laptop that was playing video from the forest battles. She pointed to it and lifted her chin to the guard. “Terris, bring that, too.”

  “Yes, my Queen,” he answered, retrieving the computer. She saw he handled it cautiously, probably believing the three-dimensional hologram was some kind of powerful human magic.

  The Sprite Queen failed to notice that there had been five soldiers present. A long-legged woman stood atop the catwalk, looking down and watching as the entire company disappeared into the ethergate. The woman closed her eyes, focusing on the Hood. Her mind’s eye saw and heard everything that happened around him in that… weirdly colorful castle? What the bloody hell?

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Samantha Vox plugged the wireless receiver for her phone into her ear as she pulled the van onto the highway. She held the phone up as she drove, speed-dialing and waiting for the encryption to enable. “Line is secure,” a digital voice said moments later.

  “This is Flashback, echo-echo-three-papa,” she told the biometric scanner on the other end. “Voice print confirmed,” came another digital reply, and an operator clicked on. “It was a metahuman ambush,” she told him. “Boss and the others are MIA. Yes, I’m tracking them. No, sat support won’t help, don’t bother jumping through those hoops. Just trust me. I’m heading back now, I need my kit assembled right away. All right. I’ll explain in person, I will be there within twenty. No, I didn’t want to leave the vehicle there, I’m bringing it back. All right. Out.” She clicked the phone off.

  “Bollocks,” she whispered. Her pheromones were all over the Hood; she’d worn a short-sleeve shirt for just that purpose. Part of her metahuman nature denied her the ability to sweat moisture like other humans. Instead, a unique pheromone was secreted from her pores at a constant rate, like an undetectable gas. When she made physical contact with someone or something, the pheromones clung to whatever her skin touched.

  What made these pheromones amazing was that they were tied to Samantha’s consciousness. Through them, she could see, hear, and smell everything about the area they permeated. And wherever there was a strong enough concentration of her pheromones, she could teleport there. But she was not about to jump into the middle of whatever alien world her teammates had been taken to. Instead, she used the drive back to base to watch, and listen.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  “Queen Kelli!” Trennh protested. “What have you done?”

  “I don’t know!” Kelli replied. “Just… find someplace to confine these people. Separate rooms, if you can. Please?”

  “All right,” her cousin agreed, “but this has many of us worried.”

  “They were trying to…” Kelli took a deep breath. “I don’t know what’s going on. But until I find out, they are not to be left unguarded.”

  “I can assure you that will not happen,” Trennh told her, then checked his tone. “Forgive me, that was disrespectful.”

  “It’s okay.” Kelli rubbed her forehead and sucked in a deep breath. “I made a huge mess, didn’t I? Everything just happened so fast, I-”

  “We will sort it out,” Trennh promised.

  “How are my parents?”

  “They are fine. They and the others were bit anxious, what with the way you left them all, but Aunt Brevha and Sorvir are keeping them entertained. Your family is quite pleasant, and it was nice to see Kim again.” He smiled.

  Kelli closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. “Well, that’s something, I guess. I didn’t even get to see Orion when we were there.” Kelli sighed. There were stables in the castle’s lower levels, which she had not been able to visit yet; she’d find a place for her best friend here. “Would you please see to the prisoners, and then let my folks know I’m fine, I just need to make sure Derek’s okay before I see them.”

  “It will be done, Majesty.” Trennh bowed and took a dozen guards with him, following Kelli’s instruction. The humans seemed well-disciplined, keeping quiet and following what they were told to do. The sprites were not being hostile toward them; just firm.

  Kelli turned to Dufangen and Oren, who was still carrying Derek. “Where should we take him?” Kelli asked her Counselor.

  “His former guest room will be fine,” Dufangen replied, and Kelli nodded to Oren. “Follow us,” she told the guard.

  As they walked upstairs, Kelli regarded her ruined pants. “I’ve destroyed more clothes in the past month than my whole life on a ranch before this,” she complained.

  “There is no shortage of garments here,” Dufangen noted.

  “I guess not. But can you tell me what’s going on with Derek now? What was that thing? You called it undeen or something?”

  “It is an elemental guardian. Undine is a consciousness created by the sprites long ago to guard a weapon called Veylsa.”

  “So what is it doing inside Derek? And how do we get it out?”

  Dufangen thought about that for a moment. “It had to be during your Lifishi’un trial. When Derek destroyed the sword you know as Excalibur, all of us viewing the dream felt a tremor of magic power. Before now, I had not been able to discern what caused it. That must be when she escaped. Is it possible he freed her?” the mystic asked herself. “It cannot be, but…”

  “Freed her?”

  Dufangen went on to explain Undine’s history, in an abbreviated manner.

  “So my Lifishi’un trial,” Kelli said, “all that stuff with King Uther really happened?”

  “Not exactly,” Dufangen answered. “He never had a daughter named Beatrix. We inserted you as Beatrix into that world. Likewise, Rahdin and Erahdin never existed, and neither did Celina.”

  “And the Wozzoren?” Kelli asked. Derek had taken to calling himself that during the trial, unconsciously naming himself for a starship from a sci-fi comic book.

  Dufangen wore a cross expression on her face. “If such a man had ever existed, it would have taken a Dragon to contain him.”

  “And Undine, she was… what? A Birthright experiment?”

  “Yes. It took nine forgings for the sprites to learn enough to create the Birthright. The result was nine elemental weapons.”

  “So where are they?”

  “Veylsa, as you saw, is in Derek’s possession. We have five others locked away here in Windham. The other three have been lost for thousands of years.”

  They arrived at the room Derek had used during his last visit to the Faery Realm, and Oren carefully laid him on the bed after Kelli pulled the covers away. The sprite guard bowed, and Kelli gripped his shoulder briefly. “Thank you, Oren. Would you mind standing watch outside his room?”

  “Certainly, my Queen. I will guard him with my life.”

  “Hopefully that won’t be necessary, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

  Kelli sat beside Derek, wishing she knew more about his hi-tech armor so she could free him of it for comfort’s sake. She tried tugging at his mask, but it was firmly set in place. Failing in that, she closed her eyes, and used her magic to sense his condition. He was lost in a deep sleep, and her magic told her he was exhausted beyond words. Expelling Undine had sapped every bit of his strength. Kelli found that she could feel the elemental, as well. Undine seemed to be resting comfortably inside Derek, intermingled with his life force, watching Kelli with mild curiosity.

&nbs
p; “Highness,” Dufangen said, standing beside the bed, “you should not exert yourself like that.”

  “I’m just making sure he’s okay.”

  “I have already done that.”

  “I don’t care, I need to see to it myself!” Kelli snapped. She immediately regretted it. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re worried about your friend. It is understandable. But trust in your aides, my Queen. This is what we are here for.”

  “What does this mean for him? This binding stuff with Undine? You made it sound really bad, that he has to be ‘declared’ and all that, like he’s contraband or something.”

  “Veylsa belongs to the sprite kingdom. The weapon was never intended for use in anything but dire circumstances. However, Undine was always a difficult personality to work with. She suffers an addiction to being magically bound, and unfortunately she can use her magic in any way she wishes. These flaws were rectified in the weapons forged after Veylsa.

  “Derek is in the same situation Arthur Pendragon faced. Since the binding seems to have been forced upon him, as long as your friend remains at least neutral to the sprites, they will allow him his freedom. Through Veylsa, he will gain access to Undine’s power, but if we ever determine he is misusing it, he will be imprisoned with her in the Ythsimerin.”

  Kelli absorbed that for a moment, then: “But, what about side effects or anything like that? Physically, or mentally, whatever?”

  Dufangen pondered her vast knowledge on the matter. “He broke the bond… he expelled an elemental guardian from his spirit, something that should have been impossible for him to do. Your young friend has willpower never before seen in this world. Still, I think it would be difficult for him to do that again. Even now Undine will be fastening herself ever more tightly to his spirit. For whatever reason, he spurned everything she offered — and she is an accomplished seductress. As for ill effects, well, you have just witnessed how she can get out of hand.

  “To say Undine is a jealous creature is a radical understatement. She has laid claim to Derek whether he wishes the union or not, and as you’ve seen, she will not let go of him without loud and violent protest. Derek gains much from the binding, not the least of which is a powerful, zealous bodyguard. But if he continues to reject her, she may try to suborn him. It is hard to say, this is the first time I have ever heard of anyone rejecting ownership of her. Many faeries in Undine’s presence would fight to the death for control of Veylsa.”

  “She sounds like a parasite.”

  Dufangen shook her head. “Think of her more like a lost, lonely child. Without a master, she is frightened and desperate. But when she finds someone to bind herself to, she becomes obsessive in seeking their approval. Naturally, you can see the danger of her bonding with another Uther Pendragon. Time will tell if Derek, well… anyway-”

  “Derek will never be like Uther,” the Queen stated emphatically, stroking his head. “I know him. He’s a hero. Speaking of Uther, why wasn’t he just imprisoned with the sword, if Derek’s in danger of the same?”

  “Uther’s wars had nothing to do with us, and we did not want to reveal ourselves to the humans. King Eorn –your predecessor— directed a team of wizards to aid Uther’s enemies from behind the scenes, but that was the extent of the kingdom’s involvement. We intended to silently capture Undine when her master died, and truthfully, none of us expected him to live as long as he did.”

  “I see. So what happens now?”

  “I will gather the mystic council, and we will alert the sprites to this new development. I must warn you, Highness, bringing those humans here could damage your standing among the families.”

  “Yeah. Is there any way I can set this right?”

  “You will need to address representatives from each family. Let them air their concerns to you. How you handle them is of utmost importance. I will coach you on the procedures and environment of holding court, but first I will give you some time with your family. I humbly ask you to not tarry long with them today. I would advise you to think long and hard about your actions, and how to justify them. I will come to you later this evening so that we can devise a speech for you.”

  Kelli swallowed at the prospect of having to address any kind of assembly. “Okay. Thank you, Dufangen. I really am grateful for everything you do.”

  The mystic bowed. “I serve the Faery Realm by ensuring you receive wise counsel, Queen Kelli. Your successes and failures affect us all.”

  Before leaving to visit her parents, Kelli leaned down to kiss Derek’s forehead, but his itchy hood tweaked her nose so that she sneezed on him instead. She looked over at Dufangen. “Don’t tell him I just did that.”

  « CHAPTER 11 »

  Strenovia

  Kelli sighed as she stripped off her ruined clothing, replacing it all with a plain pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and black sneakers. These were, in fact, the most precious clothes she owned. Bennett had woven them for her magically at the end of their brief honeymoon. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Once dressed, she quickly left her room, allowing herself to be escorted by a new pair of guards as she tied her long hair in a loose tail behind her. The guards led her to the garden balcony where her parents, aunt, and cousin were enjoying the beauty of the Realm. Erica and Kim were here, too, she finally remembered after seeing them. She remembered also that she still had the elf situation to deal with, and Matari. She shook her head, clearing out the frustration of dealing with a million issues at once so that she could focus on just this one thing.

  “Mom, dad!” she yelled, breaking into a run with her arms spread wide. Her parents laughed and stood, catching her in their own arms. Tom kissed the top of Kelli’s head while Vanessa nudged her daughter’s cheek with her nose.

  “Is everything all right?” Tom asked.

  “Yeah,” Kelli answered. “Things got a little hectic, but Derek’s fine. Everything’s going to be okay. So, you guys all met, huh?” Sorvir and Brevha were both standing, now. They had to know by now about the human prisoners Kelli had taken, but thankfully they did not mention it.

  “They are amazing,” Vanessa claimed. “They’ve been very kind and accommodating.”

  Tom agreed. “They were telling us a little bit about how all this is possible, how our family… I guess I’m part sprite, too, huh?”

  “Crazy, isn’t it?” Kelli smiled.

  “But where do humans fit into it all?” Vanessa asked. “How come there aren’t any faeries in our world?”

  “It’s like I told you before. There was a ship called Sen’giza…” Kelli said. “It’s got to do with a war between faeries and humans. It’s complicated.”

  “I think we’ve got time,” Tom assured her.

  Kelli didn’t know how to really explain all that she’d learned, but she began with Sen’giza. “It was a starship. A large, very advanced ship from another galaxy.”

  “This is about the alien that kidnapped you?” her father asked.

  Kelli shook her head and motioned for patience with her hands. “We’re not —humans are not— from Earth. This planet was the faerie’s home. Humans were a slave species owned by Chek’than. And yes, it was a Chek’than that kidnapped me. Anyway, Sen’giza crashed here over ten thousand years ago, with tens of thousands of refugee humans who were fleeing the Chek’than. That’s basically how all of this got started.”

  “Kelli, that…” Vanessa shook her head, as did Erica. “That sounds preposterous. How do you know any of that is true? That would mean we’re space aliens!”

  “No,” Kelli shrugged, “our ancestors were aliens. Humans have been here so long, Earth is our home now. But I was inside Sen’giza. So was Derek. The alien was using it as his hideout. We never figured out what the grand plan was, but his primary reason for kidnapping me was to steal my magic. I don’t know everything about them, but the aliens are like these psychic clouds, they don’t have bodies but apparently they can mold and shape metal, and even take over other people’s bodies
.”

  “Psychic clouds?” Tom shook his head. “That’s… crazy, ridiculous!”

  Kelli lifted her hand, palm upturned. “More crazy than this?” An orb of light appeared in her hand, and Kelli began to bounce it like a balloon on her finger tips. Everyone watched in wonder as the orb split into five pieces, and Kelli hurled them at a pitcher of water on a table across the room. The light disappeared into the pitcher, and the water within sprang up and raced back toward Kelli, like a rope she was pulling to herself.

  “Wow, that’s cool,” Kim said.

  “Your skill is developing impressively,” Brevha noted with approval.

  Kelli smiled, collecting the water into a blob that floated playfully between her hands. “I know it’s still hard for you to believe,” Kelli said to her parents. “Sometimes it still feels like a dream to me, too. But here it is. There are space aliens in the universe, and some of them apparently are not very nice. All of our fairy tale stories are real, too, and we’re connected to them. I’m really glad they turned out to be...” she glanced at Brevha. “Well, wonderful.”

  “You were able to fight him off, though?” Erica asked. “The alien?”

  “Not really. It was a group effort, and if it hadn’t been for my friends and all the faeries and others who helped me, especially Derek.” She gave a concerned look in the direction of where the Hood was recuperating. She shook her head and looked at Erica and Kim. “Devon and Ben, too, of course. What with them being all-powerful Dragons, and everything. There was another guy who actually saved the day at the very end, Richard, but I don’t know much about him. But anyway, it’s all over. For now.”

  “And what of you, Mr. Ingram?” Brevha asked. “You and your wife, I am most curious to learn of your family, the raising of the Queen, and of course any tales of your ancestors before you who may have been sensitive to the magic in your bloodline?”