Shaking her head as if to clear it, she tried to return to the present. Evil or not, she needed her magic to leave this place.
Using her will, she sought out any abnormalities, weaknesses in the environment around her, for power signatures similar to what she had felt in Wrath’s cave, anything to indicate a potential breach between realms. She would have to hurry. She was definitely growing larger, the screaming humans merely clutching at her ankles now, and the trees and standing stones reaching only to her knees.
The stones.
The moment she let her magic pass over them, she knew that they were significant somehow. And now that she allowed herself to fully observe them, she realized they were not placed in any particular order. The standing stones she was familiar with were usually in circles, but these appeared to stand alone. And there was also their size. They were at least the same height as the trees, and Una had never seen any that large before.
Though to her perspective, they were becoming increasingly smaller. If these stones were the key to her escaping this place, then she had to act fast.
“UNA,” a calm but powerful voice shook the land, seemingly a part of the very vibrations of the earth itself. She froze. “UNA,” the voice came again. “DAUGHTER. I FEEL YOUR PRESENCE AT LAST.”
The words chilled her to the bone, and all feeling fled from her face. Slowly, painfully slowly, she turned with shaky limbs to face the source of the echoing voice.
She saw no figure of a man or any other being, but in the distance she saw something else, like a great storm swirling high above and raining down in great white torrents that were too bright to be rain. Snow maybe? A chill wind emanating from the phenomenon seemed to confirm it. This was a winter storm, and one so thick it almost appeared like a wall of precipitation.
“F-father?” she called out. She could not stop a faint longing from entering her voice. But still, it was overpowered by dread. The air grew colder, and frost showed in her breath.
“UNA,” came the voice again, and thunder struck in the distant storm, as though the cause of the sound. “CHILD, YOU HAVE COME TO ME.”
“No,” Una took a hasty step back, not even bothering to watch out for tiny screaming humans beneath her feet. “You are not my father, you were never my father.”
“MMM,” the voice appeared confused. “THERE IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU. YOU HAVE THE TOUCH OF FAERIE!”
The very earth shook beneath Una’s feet at the sound of her father’s voice, and she realized that she had grown so large that she almost couldn’t make out the people beneath. The trees and standing stones were mere pinpricks. Yet the storm in the distance remained as it was, an immovable wall of something.
Instinctively, she guessed what the storm was. Guyon had described a huge gate that guarded the entrance to the Otherworld, the real Otherworld. And in this Shadow Realm, where the elements took a form unique to the individual perceiving it, where Guyon had seen an iron gate, she saw an icy storm.
“COME TO ME DAUGHTER,” came the voice of Cernunnos from beyond the veil. “ONLY YOU CAN RELEASE ME.”
Una had grown large enough that now, like in her dreams, she stood upon the face of the British Isles. No longer could she see individual trees, but forests. And while the standing stones were far too small for her to see anymore, she knew where and what they were. They were her way out, breaches back to the Earthly realm.
Facing the storm, she planted her feet and shouted. “Then you will remain forever!” And with that, she raised a foot and brought it crashing down into the heart of Great Britain, crushing what she knew was a standing stone in the midst of the Forest of Arden. She fashioned her magic like a knife, as she had done to come here in the first place and used it to split open a tear between realms.
The voice of her father remained silent, but thunder cracked overhead as she disappeared into the breach.
The light faded into darkness as she passed into a more familiar realm. It was nighttime, and as her eyes adjusted, she could make out trees surrounding her, though the moon shone through a small clearing nearby. She nodded. If she was right, she was in the Forest of Arden, at the sight of a breach that must have burst open at one time or another.
She had traveled miles in what was probably less than a few hours, though she had no way of knowing how much time had passed in the real world. If the Shadow Realm wasn’t so...troublesome, it would be a perfect way to travel long distances. But given the voice she had heard, the last place she wanted to go was back to that place. Still, it was convenient that she had reemerged back in the Forest of Arden. There was someone here she wanted to see.
She began walking at a rushed pace towards one end of the clearing where it appeared there was a small path, probably created by wildlife in the region. But even as she moved, she realized she had neither the time nor patience to walk. She had better options at her disposal.
Breaking into a run, she pushed off from the ground, calling on her magic to propel her into the air as she had done when fleeing the monster, convincing the air around her that she belonged.
Her hair whipped behind her as she flew forward, quickly rising above the trees. She kept going, lifting her body up until the air grew chill around her. She paused to look down. Even in the darkness, the moon illuminated enough that she could see the edges of the forest. It almost looked small from up here, a notion that she would never have entertained from the ground. The forest took weeks to circumnavigate on foot. But from here she could fly from one end to the other in a matter of minutes.
Forget the Shadow Realm. This was the best and fastest way to travel.
She sped east, and spread her magic around her, probing. She didn’t know exactly where the Faerie Queen lived. In all likelihood the place was magically shielded so only those who were chosen by the Faerie Queen were able to enter. Well she would let magic fight magic.
She dropped lower to the trees, stretching out her senses to find any trace of magic nearby. Thick clusters of trees passed beneath her, one after another.
There.
Ahead and slightly to the south, she felt it, an abnormality in the fabric of nature. There was a well of power there, not unlike what she had felt in the Bower of Bliss or the City of Pride, though admittedly this was less corrupted, less dark.
Adjusting course, she redoubled her speed until she caught sight of a narrow tower reaching up beyond the trees, atop a hill within the forest. That was it: Gloriana’s stronghold.
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The castle was tall and narrow, and she recognized it from the first time she had come, when she had been brought here by the Faerie Queen. Somehow it felt good to be returning under her own power, not Gloriana’s.
It was still dark, so she barely glimpsed the armored guards standing before the open gate before she landed just outside.
Startled out of their idleness, each of the knights immediately withdrew weapons and brandished them at Una. She merely regarded them. There were about a half-dozen, and each of them dressed in a strange, organic-looking armor she had seen the last time she was here.
“Hold,” yelled one in the foreground. “Get down on your knees.” He waved an ornate, almost ceremonial spear at her.
She didn’t have time for this.
Reaching out with magic, she grabbed each of them and convinced their armor to freeze up. Immediately the knights became motionless, and Una began striding directly past them and through the open gate.
She did not expect the resistance they gave. Though they gave off no sound except strained grunts as they pushed at her magical bonds, she actually felt resistance, something she rarely felt among ordinary mortals. The one who had spoken was even managing to move one arm by a few inches.
Una moved past in a hurry. Given their strength she would likely tire of using her magic after too long. She had already pushed herself in getting here.
Inside the gate was a small courtyard with yet more trees growing in and around the stone structures. If her memory wa
s correct, she had to cross it and go up a series of stairs to where she thought herself most likely to find the Faerie Queen, at a strange pool inside a church-like structure. Yes, she could see the outside of the building from here, above and off to the right. She would start there.
“Una,” came a tiny voice from one side, accompanied by the faint flutter of wings.
“Tom,” Una acknowledged without looking, knowing exactly to whom the voice belonged. Tom Thumb, clearly riding his sparrow.
“What are you doing, Una? It’s not safe for you here.”
“Believe me,” she replied in a dry tone. “It’s the safest place I’ve been in days.”
Tom moved forward on his sparrow so he was directly in front of her, distracting her just enough that she almost lost control of the guards behind her. She heard a clang from one of the knights, likely having just fallen. She wasted no time cementing her hold on them before fully meeting Tom’s gaze. “Don’t stand in my way, Tom. The Faerie Queen is going to answer my questions tonight or so help me, Duessa and the other Sins will be the least of her worries.”
“You don’t intend to hurt her, do you?”
“That depends on her answers.”
“Una, Gloriana has a difficult job. She must balance the needs not only of the forest, but of the people of the entire planet, present and future.”
Una waved a hand at the miniscule man and kept walking forward. Tom followed, alighting his sparrow from one tree to the next.
“You cannot stop what she has set into motion," he said, frantically. "She knows more than you can imagine."
"Then she will know the answers to my questions, and she will tell them to me," said Una with finality.
She ignored Tom's protests from then on, focusing exclusively on where she was going. She climbed the steps of a familiar tower, stopping part-way up to enter a court that led to the cathedral-like structure.
Her instinct had been right. There at the end of the hall, framed by columns on all sides, sat Gloriana, the Faerie Queen. She sat in a throne carved out of wood. No, the throne appeared to have simply grown into its shape, a living thing, suitable for a queen of nature. The woman did not rise to her feet in protest or give any indication that she was surprised by Una's visit. Instead, she merely glanced at her visitor, a look of forlorn sadness on her face.
Una had no time for this, she strode forward, instinctively reaching for her magic as she did so, directing it out and hurling it towards the Faerie Queen as one big blast. She would throw the pretentious manipulator against the wall, pin her to her faerie throne, and get the answers she needed if she had to pry them from Gloriana's mind.
Her magic dissipated the moment it came near enough to touch the Faerie Queen.
Gloriana raised one eyebrow. "Welcome, Una," she said with maddening arrogance. "I will admit, I am not thrilled to see you.”
"This has gone on long enough," Una spat. "You're going to tell me everything you know, about the Otherworld, about my father, and just what in hell is my role in all of this."
That touch of sadness graced Gloriana's face once again. And she sighed with a weariness Una had not expected.
"I'm sorry for all of this. We are entering a crucial time, and your role is too important to be ignored."
"So what is it?" Una thundered. "You claim I'm so important, and yet you tell me nothing. You've known who my father was all along, didn't you?"
"I…suspected," Gloriana said slowly. "But I did not know for sure until recently. The news Acrasia gave us, it was enough to confirm my suspicions. Although I admit even then we did not know for sure."
"I do," said Una, her voice shaking with a mixture of terror and rage. "I spoke to him, in the Shadow Realm."
“You entered the Shadow Realm?" Gloriana stood from her throne with such swiftness that it almost took Una by surprise. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? If you were to have fallen in the wrong hands…"
"I would what?" asked Una, raising one eyebrow. "What would happen exactly?"
The Faerie Queen sighed, defeated. She sat back on her throne and put one hand to her temple. "Your father, Cernunnos or Gwyn the son of Nudd, is a man as old as the gods. In a time long past, a time even before I arrived in this land, he was the leader of those we now call the Seven Deadly Sins. He took the throne of Annwyn from its predecessor by force and proclaimed himself the ultimate ruler of both realms."
Una found herself taking two steps forward, resting one hand along one of the vine-covered stone pillars. For once, she was just as entranced as George or Guyon would be in the presence of the Faerie Queen. Finally, she was getting some answers.
The Faerie Queen continued. "He was imprisoned, along with all who followed him. Trapped in the Otherworld for all eternity, or at least that's what we hoped. His legend grew among mortals, and it was through the actions of a few that the doors to and from Annwyn were once again opened."
"So why isn't he here?” Una couldn't help asking. "Why only Duessa and the other Sins?"
"There are greater spells placed upon him," said Gloriana, looking as though she was trying to find the right words to say. "The others were sent into this realm to prepare the way for his coming. But long before that, he planted his own seed, his true chance to escape."
Gloriana faced her then, her eyes sharp enough to bore holes in Una’s skull. "When your parents, your earthly parents, performed what they called the First Summoning, they formed a bridge between our world and the Other. It was not a bridge that Cernunnos could cross on his own, but somehow, through means I do not fully understand, he was able to impregnate your mother. You were the result."
Una pressed her lips together, the familiar panic rising in her throat, which she pushed down with as much mental fortitude as she could muster. She wanted to say that she didn't believe the Faerie Queen, but it fit with everything she knew. She was the daughter of a great and terrible being from the Otherworld. She knew it to be true.
"Why create me?” she asked, softly. "What is the point of my existence?" The question hung in the air. Not only did she question the reasons behind her father's actions, but she was questioning more than that. She needed to know her place in this world.
"I am sorry, Una," Gloriana stared at her with an almost motherly expression of deep regret for a child who had just discovered she was not what she seemed. "But your existence, I am sure of it, is the key that unlocks Cernunnos’s imprisonment. If he enters this realm, it will be you who allows it."
“No," said Una, her panic rising again to the surface. "You have to know I would never do that.”
"You may not have a choice in the matter," the Faerie Queen rose from her throne, an air of danger surrounding her. Una took one step back. "As the key to his imprisonment, you are, by extension, the most dangerous person on this planet."
She advanced further, and Una took several more steps back. She glanced back at the way she had come and only then noticed that the Queen's personal guard had entered the room to the sides. They were filing in slowly, surrounding her, their weapons unsheathed.
"I'm sorry, Una," the Faerie Queen repeated, and kept advancing. "But I cannot allow you to leave this place. If the enemy takes you, you will be no better off than your friends."
"What have you done to my friends?" Una gathered her magic around her, preparing to lash out at anyone who dared to strike.
"They are beyond my reach. They passed into shadow near the same castle where you rescued George. My sight left them soon after, and I feel they may have fallen into Duessa’s hands. My foes have already managed to turn some of my knights. I expect they will be next."
"We have to go help them."
"No," and Una saw for the first time a great power surround the Faerie Queen, more magic than she had ever seen in any living being, rivaling even the Sins, even herself.
"Get away from me!" she shouted. One of the knights sprang at her, one hand reaching for her tunic, the other bringing his sword to bear, pointing it
at her head.
Una threw everything she had at the knights around her. All of them went flying in every direction, and only Gloriana remained unfazed. In the next instant, Una shot towards the ceiling preparing a torrent of magic and sending it ahead of her. The stone crumbled, and the shield of magic protected her from its falling stones. She prepared to shoot out of the hole she had made and escape that place as fast as she could.
Suddenly, she choked as a power stronger than her own seized her on all sides. Pain lanced through her mind, as magic fought magic, and every muscle of her body seized as she struggled for dominance. Nearly at the stone roof, she faltered, and began to fall. She fought, but the Faerie Queen’s magic was too much for her to withstand.
"It must be this way, Una," said the Faerie Queen as Una thudded to the ground, the wind knocked out of her. Drawing closer Gloriana continued. "If there was another way, don't you believe that I would find it? The only way that I can stop the Angel of Death once and for all, is to take you out of the picture.”
Una’s breathing accelerated, and she strained harder, harder against the Faerie Queen's magical bonds.
"This isn't right," she forced through gritted teeth.
"It is better that one should perish, than an entire world fall. With the gods gone, I am all that is left to defend it."
Pain exploded in Una’s head as something new, something sharper entered her mind. She couldn't think, she could not defend herself. All she knew was that she was dying.
Something broke inside of her. She screamed, and with that scream she unleashed a torrent of power that extended far, far beyond herself.
The pressure against her mind lessened for the first time. Una blinked, her eyes blurred as she continued screaming, but she watched as the Faerie Queen was miraculously lifted off her feet and hurled backwards towards her wooden throne.
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