Insight

by Tina Engel

  “But it wasn’t your fault and you have been doing all you can to help me. Surely that is enough to set things right?” I inquired, with some frustration in my voice.

  Albee replied, “Princess, until I forgive myself, it doesn’t matter how much good I do in the eyes of others. If I still feel undeserving, then I am. I will see you to the end, keeping you safe or die trying. That was my vow to you when you forgave me, and I will keep my vow.”

  I felt frustrated and a bit angry, but the anger was not towards Albee, though, the frustration was. These fey seemed to complicate their lives way more than humans did. I felt anger towards Varda, she was the one who could fix everything, change it all if she so chose, or the one, the great one who created her. Why would he let this go on?

  “What happened, why did you bring us all back here?” Albee asked.

  “Something is wrong, I saw Brett being pulled into the rock and Stephan, he knows we are here, they all do, but are letting us in. Why? I can’t feel Brett anymore, I can’t find him in my mind but I feel Stephan and another dark presence. I must find Douglas before it’s too late.” I stated strongly, even though I wasn’t feeling strong at the moment.

  “Princess, we will find Douglas and the rest, together. I feel Stephan also, and he is feeling sure of himself. That is a weakness we can draw upon.” Albee said, in a reassuring way.

  I smiled and thanked him for his positive attitude and suggested we go back to the tunnel entrance that Douglas and the others had entered. Even though it had crumbled shut, there must be a way in.

  The tunnel was dark and damp and I shivered just a bit as we entered. There was cold wind blowing towards us, creating an eerie sound all around. It was voices, whispers, sadness and dread, that the wind carried with it.

  As we walked, the air got heavier and warmer and the sounds became cries, shrieks and sometimes laughter; an unnatural laughter. At times I could feel something touching me, hands reaching out for help but I couldn’t see anything. I felt it though, the sadness, the emptiness that they all felt. I pitied them, the pain they felt was so great.

  We reached the area where the tunnels had split and the one that Douglas and the others had entered was open again. The dark one knew I was here, and wanted me to go that way.

  As we entered, not far ahead, the tunnel split again and I suddenly felt the living, just up ahead. But which tunnel was it coming from? I could feel the living bodies in distress and we heard it then, screams, real screams, loud voices, and chaos.

  A dark grey wisp came at us. I put my shield up and it struck and disintegrated before my eyes, only to appear again in front of us. It didn’t move, just hovered there. I knew it was the tree fey’s spirit, from Pineville. The sadness it felt, the need to help.

  “What can you do for us?” I asked, as Albee looked at me like I was crazy, talking to myself.

  I ignored Albee and continued, “My friends, they are in trouble?”

  I could smell it then, the smell of blood, and charred flesh. They were in trouble and I had to help. The spirit suddenly shot away, entered the tunnel to our right and disappeared. I told Albee that we had to follow it. That it would take us to the others. Albee, with a firm and confident look, headed into the tunnel and I followed, still keeping my shield around us both.

  The air was getting hotter as we went and I knew that I could handle it, but Albee wouldn’t be able to for long. I thought about my shield being thicker, more protection, and it worked. The air cooled somewhat in the shielded area that we were in.

  As we came around a bend in the tunnel, there in front of us were my friends, allies, fighting for their lives. The grey wisps were everywhere, but it wasn’t just the grey spirits. Other familiar creatures seemed to be all over Douglas, the wolves and trolls. They looked like the creatures that had been in the underground city of Bermuda, and they were piercing everyone with their long, sharp tails.

  I saw Lily then, coming from around Douglas, she was scratching the creatures off of him, still in her cat form hissing like a cat out for vengeance. How she got here was beyond me.

  One of the creatures jumped from the ceiling onto Lily’s back, just above her tail, but it wasn’t there long, for Lily, like an acrobat, did a flip in the air and grabbed the creature in her mouth and swallowed it as if it was a mouse. She then landed back on Douglas, as if she had never left, and continued to remove the venomous creatures from his body.

  Rose was kneeling down, holding a troll in a protective embrace. It seemed that nothing was bothering Rose. It looked like she was singing to the troll as she held tight, but lovingly.

  When a wolf, being severely wounded by these creatures, fell just a few feet from me, I extended my shield to bring him in.

  Albee was horrified by what I did, because there were still those beetle-like creatures attached to the wolf. I bent down quickly before Albee could stop me and placing my hand, with the ring, on the wolf’s back, the creatures vanished in a puff of smoke.

  I looked up at Albee with surprise and saw that he was just as shocked. I didn’t know why I did what I did, but now I knew that the ring was a good thing to have down here.

  I extended my shield to the others, one at a time, and as I touched them, the creatures’ disappeared. When I was done, the shield was filling the small cavern that we were in.

  I went to Douglas as he leaned up against the wall, blood oozing from his temple and welts on his face and neck and I assumed other places, where the creatures stung him. As I put my hand up to heal his wounds, he smiled wearily and said, “She was wrong. She is never wrong, but he was ready for us and somehow was able to break through the shield you had put around us earlier.”

  I said nothing, I knew he was talking about Varda but I didn’t want to think about her at the moment. Douglas stood upright then, and I knew that he was healed, this ring was a blessed gift.

  I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and looking over to the opening of the tunnel where we had come in, was the tree fey spirit. Douglas looked in the same direction and asked what I was seeing.

  “It’s the spirit of the tree fey from Pineville. He is here in Hades, and helped us to get to you.”

  Don’t trust it, Princess Emilee, they are not to be trusted.” Douglas said with venom in his voice.

  I had never heard Douglas talk with such hatred in his voice before. This place was affecting all of us in a negative way, and I had to get everyone out to safety.

  I knew that Varda, my grandmother, was wrong. I had to do this on my own. My friends couldn’t help me down here. The evil and hatred, sadness and remorse, was too strong and it was causing the living to feel this.

  I left Douglas’s side and went to my allies, one by one, to try and heal them, but some of them had damage too severe. We had lost four wolves and three trolls and if we didn’t get the rest out, they wouldn’t survive either.

  I barked out orders then, telling the ones who could walk to help the others and I went over to Rose, who still sat with the one troll held lovingly in her arms. I bent down and knew right away the troll was dead and I saw then that it was Tilly. I felt the tears in my eyes, and placing my hands on her, I tried desperately to bring her back.

  Rose placed a hand on mine then, and said softly, “Princess, let her be, let her go. It’s her time.”

  I looked up into Rose’s sweet face as tears filled my eyes and blurred my surroundings. Rose was crying too and as she reached up and brushed some tears from my cheek, I knew what Rose was.

  Rose stood then, as did I and we all carried the dead and wounded out as I kept my shield up, double thickness, around us. The tree fey’s spirit led, as we followed. I trusted that he would lead us to safety even though Douglas was skeptical.

  We reached the opening to the world outside and as I approached the spirit that helped, I saw him then, as he was in life. He bowed to me, thanked me for trusting him, and turned back into the dark grey wisp and disappeared into the wall.

  I touched the r
ainbow doorway cover and it opened to let us out. As we left, one by one, some alive and injured, and some dead, the opening made a quivery sound, as each passed through it.

  When one of the wolves carrying another tried to pass, the doorway wouldn’t let them pass. I approached and told the wolf carrying the other, to put him down and go through. He wanted to argue, but Douglas put a hand on his shoulder and nodded, for him to obey. He did and was able to walk through.

  I looked down at the wolf that had died and a grey wisp came out of his body. I felt pain and despair as it hovered over its body for a moment, then came to me, hovering just in front of my face. I knew it was waiting for me to drop my shield. I did so and could feel its fear as it disappeared into the wall.

  The sadness in the tunnel was agonizing, everyone was heartbroken over the death of their friend and the fact that he had to stay here in Hades, what could he have done that was so horrible?

  Had he been one of Mephisto’s spies too? I wondered.

  Douglas then picked up the wolf’s body and placed it over to the side. Another wolf was quite agitated by this, wanting to take him with us, but Douglas explained that his friend, a member of his pack and family, would not be permitted to leave.

  Douglas put his arm up towards the opening and asked everyone to continue on, and no one else was left behind. I was the last to leave, Lily just in front of me, and as she turned to look at me, she turned back into her fey self and there were tears streaking her face.

  Lily had a welt on her cheek and as I approached her and reached up to touch it, to heal it, she put her hand up and stopped me, and said, “No Princess, leave it, the pain reminds me of what I just saw. I will heal on my own, just let it be.” And she turned and walked through the opening and up the stairs.

  When I entered the world of the living, the sun was behind dark grey clouds and the wind was howling. It would rain soon and everyone had to get back to the ship.

  As I looked around, at all the fey together again, they were sharing their stories as to what had happened to each of them, their friends, and family and pack members. The tears and aguish was overwhelming, but when I looked over and saw Tobias with Rose and Douglas, my heart broke.

  Tobias was kneeling, Tilly in his arms. I could hear the sobs coming from him over the commotion and anguish from the others. I wanted to go to him, to console him, but I knew that there was nothing I could do or say to bring her back. I also knew that he would say it was meant to be, that they were here to help me save us all.

  I was angry then, angrier than I had ever been. I looked to Douglas and he knew what I was thinking, what I was about to do. I had to go back in alone, find Brett and his sword, rescue Shinar and defeat Mephisto, after dealing with Stephan. Oh, yes, I was going to deal with Stephan.

  Albee came up beside me and putting his arm around my shoulder, bent down and whispered in my ear, “I am coming too. I can help with Stephan.” I was still looking at Douglas as Albee said this, and Douglas, from afar, nodded a yes. He knew what Albee had just said, and insisted that Albee come.

  I stood there, silently, as I watched Rose go from one fey who had lost their life, to another, and as she bent down to each, she touched them and whispered something into their ears. As she did this, suddenly, wisps came out of their bodies. They were different colors, each one an individual spirit.

  When she had gone to them all, all the colors joined together and created a rainbow and then drifted up into the sky. The greyness parted for a moment to allow them to enter and then closed again, leaving us in a grey, cold place.

  I knew then, that Rose was among the dead. Rose had died on the ship. She was a spirit and was here to help those who would not make it. Help them to cross over to Nirvana. Oh, she was here to help me too, I knew, but Varda brought her back to do this job.

  Was it always meant to be this way? Was this Rose’s destiny. Was Rose really dead? I wondered.

  I knew that none of these fey were really gone. They had left their physical bodies, but now were in Nirvana, the final place that every life wants to go. But why was Rose still here? I could see her and touch her, she was solid, but different.

  What had Varda done to Rose? Did the venom that sped up my change, have anything to do with Rose? Varda would answer these questions when I saw her again, my grandmother or not, I would demand answers.

  I went over to Tobias. I couldn’t leave without talking to him, but what could I say? As I approached and knelt down next to him, Tobias looked up, and as our eyes met, there wasn’t sadness in his eyes, but pride.

  I realized that he was full of pride towards Tilly, for she gave her physical life to help me save our home, and the lives of every creature out there. Oh, he was feeling the loss, and soon would feel loneliness, but he knew that they would be together someday. He could also visit her now and then in Nirvana, since all fey could go there from time to time, for a rest.

  Tobias took my hands in his and said in an uplifting voice, “She did what she had to, Princess Emilee. We all did. Tilly is watching over us all now and if she can, she will still help. Look for her color, purple. You saw it, did you not?”

  I nodded my head as if to say yes. I had seen a purple wisp, a spirit, leaving Tilly’s body as Rose had touched her.

  “Just know, Princess, when you see the color purple, she is there with you.” Tobias continued.

  Tobias then let go of my hands, I stood, and he picked up Tilly as Douglas ordered everyone to gather the dead and wounded, and head back to the doorway that would send them back to the ship. Weylyn offered to carry Tilly, but Tobias kindly declined the offer. He wanted her close, for as long as possible.

  Rose approached Douglas and as he bent down, Rose whispered something in his ear. When he stood back up, Douglas nodded in agreement of something, and Rose came over to me and Albee.

  “I’m coming too, Princess, and don’t even think about stopping me. You both need me, you and Shinar. Nothing can harm me, as you already know, so let’s get this over with. Brett can’t take much more and I really would like to see you heal him, instead of me sending him to Nirvana.” Rose said, in a matter of fact manner, and headed back towards the Chapel.

  I turned and watched the rest of the fey, looking deflated, head down the hill to the place where the sphere, the gateway back to the ship was. Why did Varda think that sending an army into Hades, to find our way into Gehenna, was going to work? I should have been thinking more clearly and questioned this. But with Brett on my mind, he was all I was thinking about.

  As they disappeared from view, I turned to see Albee standing at the opening of the chapel, waiting for me. I headed in that direction as it started to rain. The sky lit up with lightning strikes, and thunder boomed loudly.

  We entered the chapel and I saw Rose standing at what was once the altar. There, just above where a wall used to be, but was now crumbled, was a tapestry. It was translucent, like a vision from the past, but I could see it and was confused by the sight of Poseidon standing guard in front of a cave opening.

  I stood next to Rose and she told the story, as if knowing what I was about to ask. “It was Poseidon who helped banish Mephisto to the realm of Gehenna, in Hades. The humans back then thought Poseidon a great god for saving them from the devil. You see, Mephisto was already causing havoc in the humans’ realm. So they built this chapel over the doorway to Hades.

  “There is a cave down the hill that you can only get to by water, which is also an entrance into Hades. Poseidon guarded that entrance, stopping any from leaving, which is what this picture shows.

  “I believe Princess, that is the way we should go, through the underwater opening. He isn’t expecting you to enter that way with Albee and I. He expects you to go in the same way that we did before. Your anger is great and he believes you are irrational, and will behave foolishly. This was all planed, she knew this was the only way for you to enter and succeed.”

  I understood then. Varda knew that we would be ambushed, that many w
ould die, just so I would be able to trick Mephisto long enough to enter without his knowledge. The few will die, so that many will live. I still was angry and saddened, but I understood.

  It was Albee who spoke next, “Princess Emilee, you must go to the cave in the water and enter from there. Rose and I will enter this way and follow the only tunnel that will be open. He will feel our presence and assume we are all together.”

  Rose nodded as she looked at me.

  I however, started to object when I saw Brett suddenly. He was leaning against something, but I couldn’t make out what it was at first. It was many shades of green with multi colored sparkles, shimmering as a dim light struck it. As I looked around I realized that it was a dragon, Shinar, Brett and Shinar were together.

  The vision ended and I found myself kneeling. These visions seemed to take me by surprise, it would be nice if I could have some warning. I started to stand but Albee came down on his knees too and took my hand.

  “Princess Emilee”, Albee said, “I see him. Look.”

  Suddenly, another vision, Stephan was in the room, the prison that Brett had been in. He was furious, ranting about a traitor. He was saying something about melting him down to lava, permanently. Stephan looked in my direction then and smiled an evil grin and said, “Princess, you are almost mine. They can play tricks on me all they want but in the end, he will win. He has from the first day of his existence.”

  The vision ended and I knew that arguing about Rose and Albee’s plan was not going to work. I had to go alone and they had to be the bait, so to speak, to keep Stephan and Mephisto thinking that I was falling into their trap.

  I stood, hugged them both, gave Rose my diamond necklace and cameo, hoping that these two items which gave me power, would keep Stephan and Mephisto thinking that I was with them. Rose started to object but I reassured her that with my shield, weapon and ring, I was still completely protected.