by Virlyce
Zollstock turned pale, and his horns stopped glowing. He glanced at Mina. She threw a thunderbolt at his face. He yelped.
Lindyss’ eyes glowed. The building collapsed.
***
“How long does this curse last?” Tafel asked and poked Yella’s belly with her feather.
Yella stuck her tongue out. “Not telling,” she said as she crossed her arms. Rella and Bella turned their heads away.
“Three months?” Tafel asked. “I’m going to have a headache.” She sighed.
“Serves you right!” Bella said while pouting. She turned to Yella. “Your curse is terrible. You made her a mind reader.”
Yella laughed. “Don’t worry,” she said. “She’s a princess right? Everyone’s probably spouting nonsense praise for things she doesn’t deserve. Just wait until she hears what they really think.” Yella nodded. “I bet she’ll break down and cry.”
“Oh. That’s evil,” Rella said while covering her mouth with her hand. She grinned. “I like it. Too bad I can’t redo my curse. I should’ve made something better.” She sighed.
Tafel tickled her with the feather.
“No more, no more. Please,” Rella said as she wriggled on the bananerry bush. “I’m sorry!”
“Yeah, it’s too bad you can only curse me once,” Tafel said as she moved the feather faster.
“You and your stupid curse!” Rella shouted at Yella with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Vur yawned and stretched. “I’m running out of mana,” he said to Tafel.
The fairies cheered. “Even freaks run out of mana, huh?” Bella asked.
Tafel rummaged through her sweater and pulled out a bottle with a blue liquid in it.
“Mana potion?” she asked and offered it to Vur. The fairies wailed.
Vur shook his head. “Tastes bad.”
“Yeah! It’s disgusting,” Bella said and clasped her hands together. “Don’t drink it.”
“Maybe we should trap them in a cage…,” Tafel muttered.
The fairies’ eyes grew wide. “You can’t do that!” Rella said as she tried to squirm away from the feather.
“We’re bad luck; you wouldn’t want us,” Bella said. Tears sprang to her eyes.
“Yeah,” Yella said and nodded. “We’ve met you twice now! That’s worse than getting struck by lightning seven times. Think of what’ll happen if you take us with you.”
Tafel frowned as her body shuddered. She stopped tickling Rella. “I’m sorry,” she said and shifted her eyes away from the fairies. She faced Vur. “You should let them go.”
Vur nodded and his eyes stopped glowing. The fairies raised their eyebrows and exchanged glances with each other. They shrugged and flew into the branches of a nearby tree.
“Why’d she let us go?” Bella asked as the trio huddled around, taking glances at Tafel and Vur. Rella shrugged.
“It was probably my curse,” Yella said and nodded. Bella nudged her off the branch. “Rude!” Yella said as she flitted back up. “Don’t be jealous you couldn’t think of a better one.”
“Ssshh,” Rella said and put her finger to her lips. “They’re talking.”
Tafel took a seat beside Vur and looped her arm around his. “Are demons evil?” she asked. She bit her lower lip. “Am I evil?”
Vur tilted his head. “You’re not a bad person.”
Tafel squeezed his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. She sniffled. “But demons imprisoned the fairy queen and took the fairies’ home away from them,” she said. “When I said ‘cage,’ they became so scared. I, I feel so bad for them.” Tafel’s eyes grew wet.
Vur frowned. Tafel shook her head. “They were terrified of me,” she said. “Their thoughts felt like mine after you left for a year. A lot worse than mine.” She buried her face into Vur’s shoulder, sobs escaping from her shaking body.
“Wow,” Rella said to Yella. “Your curse really does work.”
Bella nodded. “I almost feel bad for her. You made a little girl cry.”
“Don’t look at me like that!” Yella said as she glared at her two sisters. “You cursed her too!”
“Yeah, but our curses only annoy her.”
“Uh-huh, your curse is going to destroy her emotionally and mentally.”
Yella pouted. “Serves her right. You two seem to have forgotten she made us cry for two hours.”
“Monster,” Rella said. “She’s just a kid.”
“Heartless,” Bella said and nodded while crossing her arms.
Yella sighed and lowered her head. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll go apologize.” She flew down from the tree and hovered in front of Tafel’s face. She reached forward and flicked Tafel’s forehead. “Stop moping. It’s not your fault the demons took our home and trapped our mother. I definitely don’t blame you or anything.”
Tafel blinked her eyes and furrowed her brow.
“What?” Yella asked. “If you really feel bad, then go and free our mother.”
“It’s just … really weird. Your mouth opens, but the wrong words come out and they’re out of sync.”
Yella puffed her chest out. “Of course,” she said. “I’m good at cursing.”
Tafel smiled and wiped her tears with her sleeves. She placed her hand on top of Vur’s.
“Want to make a trip to Niffle?”
***
“Imprisoning your allies. Is this really the approach you want to take?” Zollstock asked. He was locked in a cell with blue shackles binding his arms and legs. Black markings encircled his neck. There was a bed in the corner, and a tray of food left untouched on the floor. Mina was sitting in the cell opposite of Zollstock, eating her food, her hands and legs unfettered.
“Orders are orders,” a voice said. “Personally, I don’t care what happens to you two, but the Corrupted One told me to watch over you until she woke up.” Juliana was sitting at the entrance to the corridor of cells with her legs crossed and a book in her lap. Her green, leaf-like skin was paler than the last time Vur saw her. Her hair was made up of thorny brown vines with hints of green offshoots.
“And why does a dryad follow the orders of the undead?” Zollstock asked. “Aren’t your people diametrically opposed to them?
“That’s none of your business,” Juliana said and turned to the next page.
“So there’s no chance to convince you to let us go, huh?”
Juliana ignored him.
Zollstock sighed. “Mina,” he said, frowning at his wife.
She also ignored him and bit into her sandwich.
“You know there’s no turning back from what you’ve done,” Zollstock said. “Free us and I can overlook this incident. What would your family think if they found out you assaulted the demon lord?” He smiled.
Mina paused for a moment before continuing to eat her food.
“Hmm, no reaction, huh?” Zollstock said. “Ah, I wonder what Dustin would think.” He shook his head and sighed. Mina glared at Zollstock, and her horns glowed with a faint red light.
“That’s right,” he said. “Do your worst.”
Mina raised her hand. Electricity crackled and buzzed through her cell. Juliana raised an eyebrow and turned her attention away from her book. A burnt sandwich flew between the cells and hit Zollstock’s face. It slid off, leaving a streak of ash. Zollstock glared at Mina who snorted and turned away.
“Why doesn’t she need to be bound?” Zollstock asked Juliana.
“She behaved,” Juliana said and shrugged.
“You call that behav—”
“Curse: silence,” Juliana said and pointed a finger at Zollstock. A second ring of black runes encircled his neck. “You’re too noisy. It’s no wonder why you woke her up.” She clicked her tongue before resuming where she left off in her book.
Three hours later, Lindyss walked down the stairs and nodded at Juliana. The dryad nodded back and left the cellar. Lindyss pulled the chair that Juliana was sitting on to the space in front of Mina’s and Zollstoc
k’s cells. Her expression didn’t change when she saw Zollstock’s ash covered face; instead, she turned around to face Mina.
“Explain.”
“I threw a sandwich at him,” Mina said.
“You destroyed one of my buildings by throwing a sandwich at him?” Lindyss asked and blinked.
Mina frowned. “I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing,” she said. “And you were the one who destroyed your own building.”
“No, I would never do something like that,” Lindyss said. “I do expect to be compensated for the repair costs.” She waved her hand at Zollstock, dispelling the curse on his neck. “I invited you inside my kingdom to discuss peace. I let your men bathe, gave them food, and sheltered them. You repaid me by casting destructive magic inside closed quarters and destroyed my favorite dining room. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“She started it,” Zollstock said.
“What are you?” Lindyss asked. “A child?”
Zollstock frowned.
“He’s a freak,” Mina said and wrinkled her nose.
“Explain,” Lindyss said.
“You don’t get to be the demon lord by being stupid and nice,” Mina said. “He acts like an idiot, but he’s ruthless and coldblooded. He’ll sacrifice anything for strength.”
“But why bring your domestic disputes to my kingdom?” Lindyss asked.
“You’re the only person left who can help,” Mina said and lowered her eyes. “I admit I came here to take Tafel back, but you can take much better care of her than I ever could.”
“You could’ve let her come with us a long time ago,” Lindyss said and raised an eyebrow. “What changed?”
Mina smiled and turned her head away. “I saw her with Vur the other day and I realized it then. Do you know how many years it’s been since I’ve seen her look so happy?”
Lindyss snorted. “That’s really not my problem.”
Mina’s chest tightened.
“But I’ll take care of her,” Lindyss said and folded her hands, “if only for Vur.”
“Thank you,” Mina whispered and wiped her face with her blanket.
“As for you,” Lindyss said to Zollstock. “Pay up.” She stuck her hand out and motioned towards herself.
“You already stripped our entire army of its equipment,” Zollstock said, his face cramping. “Isn’t that enough?”
“No, no,” Lindyss said and smiled. “That was just compensation for using our baths. You still have to pay for your army’s room and board. And of course the cost of repairing damaged buildings.”
Zollstock groaned.
22
“Presenting His Royal Highness, Randel the Second,” a man wearing a suit said as he lowered his head and lifted one arm into the air. He was standing on a stage in front of an audience composed of children and teenagers who were dressed in pristine clothes. The boys wore bow ties and the girls wore dresses. They stood in rows and columns, each child the same distance away from the others.
Thumps were heard as the king walked onto the stage from an entrance hidden behind the curtain. The children lowered their heads while kneeling and saluted with their right hands across their chests.
“We greet His Majesty.”
Randel nodded. “You may rise,” he said. The children stood up, a few fidgeting. Rudolph was standing in the back corner. Randel cleared his throat. “You’re all here today as the promising hopes for our future, the students at our most prestigious school with the noblest of backgrounds. Today, I’m offering you a chance to become even greater: Prestige, power, benefits. Everyone wants them.”
The king swept his gaze across the room of children. “As some of you may already know, we have officially signed a peace treaty with the demons and undead.” A few children frowned and others clenched their fists. “I understand many of you have lost parents, siblings, friends,” the king said as he stared into the eyes of the children, “to the demons during our conflicts.
“This treaty does not mean we’re disregarding their lives or disgracing our ancestors and their sacrifices, but rather, we’re biding our time. Wars can’t be won with pure offense. There are times when you need to pull back to cut your losses or rebuild your strength.
“As part of the peace treaty, the demons have offered to open their mana source to us. Of course, not everyone can go to the mana source. They’re allowing us to send three parties of six for the time being. Not only that, but as part of our treaty, we will be establishing a school in Flusia that will be attended by both humans and demons alike. Those of you who’d like to grow stronger at their mana source will be required to attend this new school. After a year of attendance, the top seventeen students will be selected as candidates.
“Times are changing, and those who are able to understand demons will definitely be more valuable in the royal court than those who can’t,” the king said. “Discuss this with your parents. You have two weeks to let your principal know your decision.” The king walked off the stage, and the children started to murmur. They split into groups and discussed amongst themselves.
Michelle and four other teens, two boys and two girls, approached Rudolph. The boys wore similar white clothes and black pants: one had red hair and the other had black hair. The girls wore dresses of different colors.
“I’m guessing the eighteenth spot is reserved for you?” Michelle asked Rudolph. Rudolph nodded. His skin was tan, and he had a scar that cut diagonally across his eyebrow. His hands were calloused, and he was taller than Michelle by a few inches. Michelle opened her mouth.
“I should go back with my dad,” Rudolph said and brushed past her.
Michelle bit her lip but didn’t say anything as he left. The girl with blonde hair turned to her. “Aren’t you supposed to be childhood friends with him?” she asked. “You didn’t even introduce us and he already left.”
The black-haired boy laughed. “Seems like he doesn’t like you. You break his heart?”
Michelle shrugged. “He’s probably really busy,” she said. “Doing prince stuff.”
The boy snorted. “Right,” he said and nodded. “Prince stuff.”
The girls giggled. “Are you guys planning on going to the new school?” the blonde-haired girl asked.
The other girl, who had black hair, shook her head. “No way,” she said. “I’m just going to find a rich and handsome guy.” She turned towards Michelle. “The prince was pretty cute.”
“Hey, rich and handsome guy right here,” the black-haired boy said as he pointed towards his face with both hands.
The girl rolled her eyes. “Which part of that is handsome?”
The blonde-haired girl turned to Michelle. “What about you?” she asked and smiled. “Pope’s daughter and all that, you should convert some demons right?”
“Hmm. I don’t know,” Michelle said. “I do want to get away from home though. Ugh.”
The red-haired boy snickered. “I would too with a father like yours,” he said. “How many prayers do you say a day? Ten? Twenty?”
Michelle sighed and shook her head. “Too many,” she said. “It’s like he wants me to get possessed by a sacred spirit.”
“Yeah, right,” the boy said and rolled his eyes, “like anyone’d want to possess you. They’d be too freaked out by your … preferences.” Michelle glared at him. He smiled and patted her on the shoulder while winking. “Don’t worry, it’s our secret.”
Michelle knocked his hand off her shoulder. “You disgust me,” she said and walked away.
“C’mon, Roy,” the blonde-haired girl said. “You shouldn’t tease her like that.”
Roy shrugged. “Whatever.” He grinned at Michelle’s back as she mingled with another group of people.
***
“We’re going with them?” Bella tilted her head and asked Yella. “Why would we do that?”
“They’re going to free our queen,” Yella said as she tugged on Bella’s and Rella’s arms.
“Why wo
uld they do that?” Rella asked. “I certainly wouldn’t help her save anybody.”
The trio arrived in front of Tafel and Vur. Yella sat on Vur’s head while Bella and Rella clung onto Tafel’s horns.
“You’re really going to save our queen?” Bella asked as she leaned over Tafel’s forehead to look her in the eyes.
“I said I would, so I will,” Tafel said. “And if I can’t, then Vur can do it. Vur can do anything.”
“Maybe you’re not too bad of a person,” Bella said. “I still hate you though.”
Tafel smiled. “You’re welcome,” she said. “And no, I don’t want anything out of it. I just feel bad.”
“Stop reading my mind.” Bella pouted. “It’s annoying.”
“That’s not my fault, now is it?” Tafel said. “And I still have to sneeze, but I can’t and it’s really annoying me.”
Bella shrugged. “The queen can dispel our curses,” she said. “The faster you save her, the sooner it’ll go away.”
Tafel turned to Vur. “How long would it take us to get to back?”
Vur tilted his head, and Yella yelped as she slid off. “About three weeks,” he said.
“Hey, I’m not that slow,” Tafel said and pouted. “You’re just too fast.”
Vur shrugged. “Same thing. Ready to go?”
Tafel nodded, and the party of five set off.
“How old are you?” Vur asked the fairies after they had been traveling for a while.
“You can’t just ask a woman for her age,” Bella said and gasped. “That’s just rude.”
Vur blinked at Bella. “So how old are you?”
“Can I smack him?” Bella asked Tafel. “I’m going to smack him.”
Tafel’s eyebrows knit together. “I’m a little curious too.”
“I’m twenty-eight,” Bella said and puffed her chest out. “Don’t I look good for my age?”
“Wow,” Tafel said. “You’re older than Auntie.”