Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  Jess took a shuddering breath and another step back, only to find to her alarm that Rulia appeared to be gone.

  “Rulia!” Jess cried out in sudden alarm. Instantly, her heart started to pound. A cold shiver of panic twisted through her. “Rulia!”

  “Jess, get a hold of yourself!” her familiar snapped.

  Jess forced herself to calm, ignoring for the moment her pounding heart. "She must have somehow fallen in. Now I have to go in, whether it's a trap or no!"

  “Jess.”

  One word, filled with concern, exasperation, and acceptance. Jess understood all her beloved cat was saying with that utterance, nodding her head gratefully.

  “It's okay, Twilight. I can feel the connection again. It can’t hide from me, even if it tries. It is the wood, after all; an element to which I have always had the strongest of connections.”

  Twilight nodded. “By ancient pact, since the Moonlit Garden first saw the light of day, my queen.”

  But Jess was no longer focusing on Twilight's words. Gazing at sights far off and strange, she slowly raised her hand towards the oddly glowing etching, Jess and Twilight appearing no more than flickers of silvery light themselves. An afterimage, and then gone. And all was dark and quiet once more, nothing odd about the dusty tome upon the book stand, bound shut as it had never been opened, room utterly undisturbed save for the oddly unhinged door, the contents within looking much as they had when the chamber had first been sealed shut, decades ago.

  36

  "Rulia!" Jess's voice was ragged even as she fell to her hands and knees, shaking with nausea and vertigo, puking out the last traces of whatever she had eaten, endless hours ago. Her head still spun as if she had just survived being spat out of a whirlwind of inconceivable force and power, blinking away afterimages of silvery light, her soul having bent and twisted in directions she knew it was not meant to go.

  Jess spent a few minutes hunched over, breathing deeply, until the world finally stopped spinning; her awful queasiness passing at last. She took a deep breath, feeling near instantly refreshed by the crisp forest breeze, chuckling ruefully at having been caught so off guard, never having expected to ever fall prey to illness again, so infused she was with the power she had claimed from her foes in realms of darkest nightmare.

  For but half a second she was overcome with the anxious certainty that somehow her priceless mithril artifacts had been lost, spinning free in the void between the realms. Yet a quick patting of her body showed that both she and her armaments were fully intact, and seemingly none the worse for wear. Jess blinked as her priceless artifacts suddenly came into crisp focus, her eyes at last clear of nauseous tears, breathing a shuddering sigh of relief.

  "Never have we suffered such a difficult transition, my mistress. Not even venturing to the deepest, most hideous layers of Shadow have we ever felt anything save the sweet rush of power that is our dark right. This realm, however, is twisted in odd ways I can scarce comprehend." Her familiar glared angrily at the entirety of the massive wood all about them, for all that the blossom-laden air held scents pristine and wondrous, unlike anything Jess had ever smelled before.

  The gentle golden shafts of light dappling overhead from the rich canopy of leaves made the path between the majestic trees look almost cathedral-like. Jess gazed in openmouthed wonder at the incredible beauty of it all, despite how unsettled she felt.

  "I'm here, Jess!" Gentle laughter as Rulia made her way toward them, face lit with a smile captivated by wonder, warming Jess's heart to see. She held Rulia close, consoled to feel her lover's warm touch, even as Rulia chuckled and complained that Jess was squeezing too tight.

  “By the gods your strong, Jess! You're making my hardened leathers creek, gods forbid you bend the bronze plates!”

  “I had been so afraid, so afraid I had lost you!” Jess sobbed.

  Rulia, visor raised, placed her warm gentle lips against Jess’s own, mischievous green eyes seeming to peer into Jess’s heart, delighting in what she saw. “Fear not, lover,” she said after the warm, gentle kiss. “I was but feet away, lost in the splendor of it all, waiting for you to get your bearings. In truth I wanted to rush to your side, but old lessons made me hesitate, for sometimes the sick lash out at help unasked for, and you, my love, are frightfully strong!” Rulia chuckled warmly, giving Jess a tender squeeze of her own. “Tell me, have you ever seen a place of such beauty?” She spread her arms wide, as if seeking to take in the majesty and splendor of the ancient forest and its rich blossoms entire.

  Jess sighed happily. "Save my gardens at the height of spring, rarely has my nose been enticed by such delightful fragrances as caress our senses even now. It is a wondrous and beautiful wood, my dear Rulia, and I will admit I have never seen trees arch so endlessly high, yet blossom so readily and well."

  Rulia grinned, gently reaching out her hand for Jess’s touch. “Come, my Jessica. Let us explore the mystery of this beautiful realm, together.”

  Jess smiled and nodded in turn. “Agreed. Come, Twilight. There is no reason to look so out of sorts! 'Tis a beautiful wood, and though not my own, I can tell it bears me no malice. Come, let us proceed.”

  Twilight, however, would not be soothed. “I don’t like it, my mistress. It feels… alien to me. I have no sense of my place in it.”

  Jess smiled, gently placing her out of sorts cat upon her shoulder. "It's okay, my beloved companion. We will figure it out. We always do."

  Jess found herself humming, feeling curiously content simply to be walking upon the path before them, enjoying the rich foliage of the beautiful woodland soaring above. She smiled warmly, feeling utterly at home. She loved the way shafts of sunlight piercing the canopy contrasted with the green tinted shade, the crisp autumn leaves upon which they walked, so different from the emerald leaves rustling all around, sparkling with a fiery brilliance when the sun broke through the dense foliage overhead. Occasionally Jess caught sight of squirrels and other woodland creatures; chirping, gathering nuts, gazing at them with oddly human eyes.

  Jess blinked then, taken aback. Somehow, walking those woods awoke odd flashes of memory. She imagined the cries and laughter of children playing in woods very similar to the primeval forest she strode through even now, all of them engaging in ancient rituals, sacred games, songs of sorrow and solace predating even the bard's earliest records, Jess was sure.

  Children who had been victims of horror and grief beyond comprehension, endless ages ago. Lost from all they had once known, yet at last freed of all care and worry, ready to begin life anew.

  Jess shivered, eyes growing distant, imagining herself as one of those children. She wondered if perhaps, in some long forgotten time, she had shared in those games, embraced the songs and rituals of those lost children, free of all that she had once been, waiting for innocence and peace to reclaim her once more.

  "Mistress?" Twilight peered carefully at Jess. "Are you all right?"

  Jess gazed thoughtfully at the wondrous forest before her. “I feel… I feel as if I have been to these woods before. Or a place much like it. Full of children. Like me. Or like I was, I think.” She shook her head. “Odd reflections, hauntingly beautiful daydreams, sweet and melancholy both.”

  “Ah,” Twilight nodded solemnly. “I think I understand.” He gently butted her cheek. “Old memories, my beloved. Fear not. For you are still in the Spring of your life, and many seasons await before you need heed their call. Only when the last leaves of autumn begin to fall will you know that it is time to take that last and first walk through the woodland path of your soul. And I shall, as always, be there to guide your way.”

  Jess sighed. “Somehow, I know this. I am not even sure exactly what you mean, but I do, as well.” Does that not sound odd?”

  “Yes, very,” Rulia commented dryly. “Your cat is giving cryptic comments about being around to guide you into the afterlife, and you seem to be seeing more about this wood, beautiful as it is, than I do.” She gave Jess a curious look. “Do y
ou truly believe our lives are controlled by destiny? Have you never thought of using your abilities as a Delver to fight against death itself?”

  Jess shrugged, giving her lover's hand a thoughtful squeeze. "When it is my time, it is my time. I have always accepted that. And I know as well that there is a terrible price to be paid by the land, if anyone uses dark magics to try to cheat death altogether. I have slain wizards that have tried such," Jess declared with sudden fierceness. "For such power-mad fools are invariably aligned with forces both infernal and corrupt, one such vile wizard nearly sending all of Turnsby Estates slipping into Shadow."

  Jess shivered in sudden memory, taking a deep, centering breath, letting the gentle peace of the woodland calm her heart, piercingly sharp memories of deadly struggles fading once more to the gentle remembrances of dream. “And even those mages and sages who seek less dangerous ways to defer death’s gaze, even if only for a modest handful of years, well, I’ve never hungered for such powers. The way I see it? Life is to be relished and savored to the utmost. Embracing it as a grand adventure. And when our hearts connect with our soulmates, and we settle down to form a family of our own, then they become our focus, and we savor their triumphs and victories. And gently the seasons will claim us, even as we fondly see our grandchildren exhilarate in life, cared for by our children as we cared for them, and when the years weigh too heavily upon our spirits, that is when our bodies quiet, allowing our souls to break free and dance among the stars like angels, until it is time for our souls to embrace life once again, a fresh new blossom growing in the great forest of life.”

  Rulia whistled. "A very Druidic philosophy, my dear Jess. Sounds like you keep faith with the old ways. You don't believe we go to Heaven, once we pass on?"

  Twilight snorted. "The old religions are closer to the dark truths of our existence than most people want to accept, in this age."

  Jess shrugged. “I don’t claim to have any real grasp of theology, old beliefs or new. To be honest, Rulia, I was never what you would call a scholarly student.”

  Twilight smirked. “To say the least.”

  "In any event!" Jess hurried on, "I am only speaking from my heart. I'm just saying what feels right to me. Perhaps other people have other destinies, but somehow, I feel a deep connection with the forest. Who knows? Perhaps I was a tree in a past life."

  Rulia laughed at that.

  “No, but you almost were in this one, as your family manor that now looks like a massive living shrubbery will attest,” her familiar commented dryly.

  Jess huffed. “It was just a super vivid dream. Besides, Father likes the endless supply of walnuts and chestnuts, and those apples are absolutely divine. And there is nothing wrong with the family manor!”

  Twilight shrugged. “As long as you don’t mind your manor being absolutely covered in green leafy foliage, it’s the perfect manor.”

  Rulia blinked. "Your family home looks like a giant blossoming tree?"

  Jess shook her head emphatically. “No! It still looks like a manor. Sort of. Just a very leafy one. And even if the walls have all sprouted new branches, the fruit is as sweet as any you will ever pick! Quite tasty. Ask anyone.”

  Rulia whistled. “How, by Justice, did such a thing come about?”

  Jess looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Well, you see, Mother and I were having serious disagreements about finishing school and how incredibly stupid dresses were, and... well, one thing sort of led to another. Oh, look! We are coming to a clearing ahead," Jess noted with some relief.

  Rulia flashed her partner a teasing smile. “Sometime later I will want all the details.”

  Jess pretended not to hear. And soon she did not have to pretend, her friend's teasing attempts to draw her out transformed into breathless awe as their path through the woods opened at last into a grand clearing vibrant with color, a wondrous panorama of brilliantly blossoming flowers all swaying gently in the breeze. Jess spotted hybrids of such color and size that she had never seen the like; brilliant daisies of pink and crimson as grand as any flower to grace her family garden, multihued roses giving off the essence of anise and apple brandy distilled into the most sensual of fragrances.

  The pair of girls were open-mouthed with wonder. Deep below their hilly peak, they noted areas of forest interspersed with grand valleys, beholding sights of great waterfalls sparkling like diamonds, deep pools of pristine water, even ivory white castles in the far off distance, their banners dancing in the breeze. Jess just shook her head, amazed that she was able to pick out so many fine details of the incredible view before them.

  It was as if they had stepped into a Regio of high adventure and wonder, the kind of hidden world of magic and mystery that every girl and boy felt a secret yearning to explore for themselves, listening to those first wondrous tales told before the evening fire. And how many trips into Shadow had transported Jess instead to realms of horror and nightmare?

  Jess shuddered. In the end, she had reveled in that darkness, summoning the manic fury that was the Squire's strength, finding hideous, potent sustenance as she drank deep of the blackened souls that ever opposed her. Yet in her heart of hearts, she was no different from any other girl secretly wishing to explore visions of her wildest dreams, exhilarating in the most glorious and beautiful of stories.

  And Jess felt a terrible, desperate hope. For the panorama before them appeared as distant from those twisted realms of horror and nightmare where she had first come into her own as a Delver as it was possible to be.

  "By the gods, Jess." Rulia's voice was little more than an awe-filled whisper. "By all the gods, it's like something out of our dreams."

  Jess nodded solemnly. "And, lest my eyes deceive me, I do believe I see a train of knights heading our way. Lances raised, pristine white stallions at a show trot, pennants snapping in the wind. Heaven's grace, Rulia, they are all wearing full suits of overlapping plate. A king's ransom! We lost the secrets to forging steel like that, centuries ago."

  And as one the procession of knights, four in all, along with a number of elegantly dressed and deferential servitors, stopped a respectful hundred yards from the young adventurers, right before what appeared to be a fork in the road. One path held a silvery sheen, leading towards those pristine white castles that Jess had seen off in the distance, grand palaces filled with beauty and wonders so glorious that a bard would shake with envy for not being able to capture them with his own living eyes. Jess was strangely certain of this, as if she could sense the truth of it, just gazing at the fork before her. The other path appeared dimmer, lacking any sheen at all, curving gently away alongside the vast forest, and little was visible in that direction save for the gentle rain covering all in mist, further down that road. Where Jess stood, it was a perfectly beautiful spring day, as pristine as one could possibly hope for.

  With the sun shining brilliantly upon them, the four young knights took off their helms as one, their steel shimmering with a brightness that almost matched Jess's own mithril armaments, and with friendly smiles they waved towards the adventurers, beckoning them forward. Servitors quickly set up an impromptu camp, a grand pavilion springing up almost by magic, so quickly was it placed, other retainers quickly setting up a great table, covering it with any number of fine comestibles. Jess caught sight of roast pheasant, tureens of exquisitely aromatic soups, even a fully roasted pig, complete with apple in mouth. The sight was almost magical, and the scents caused her belly to knot with hunger. Earlier nausea long since passed, Jess realized of a sudden that she was ravenous.

  But what most captivated her were the pristine countenances of the four knights even then approaching.

  Features fine and perfectly symmetrical, their lips were luscious affairs, hinting at sybaritic delights with their mischievous, playful smiles. Aquiline noses gave them an aristocratic air, cheekbones perfectly proportioned under locks of hair either dark as the midnight sky or shimmering like burnished gold. Their eyes were brilliant, irises seeming to sparkle in the midday
sun in hues of icy sapphire, lush emerald, or burnished gold.

  No mortal had ever looked so fair, Jess thought, the exotic origins of their beauty further evidenced by graceful ears all ending in gently tapering points.

  As one they bowed deeply before a bemused Jess and Rulia, at which point the most regal looking of their number, he of ebony locks and sapphire blue eyes, addressed them with the most welcoming of smiles.

  "Hail, worthy travelers! Queens of bravery and beauty both, from lands far distant. We salute you, and bid you welcome to our feast."

  At that Rulia gave a gasp, looking suddenly pale, stepping back. Hand on hilt, she glared at the four fae knights before them.

  Jess gazed at her sister-in-arms with some concern, even as she too noted the quiet stare of the four helmetless knights, watching them both with the intensity of birds of prey, yet making no move to draw their own sheathed weapons. Slowly, Rulia eased her stance, fist removed from hilt, gaze troubled still.

  “Rulia, what’s wrong?” Jess queried, even as the knights silently gazed upon them.

  “How do they know?”

  “Know what, that foreign Delvers from lands beyond their ken would happen to be here, at this appointed place and time?”

  Rulia nodded. “How could they possibly know, lest this is a trap of some sort?”

  Jess looked thoughtful, contemplative, gazing quietly at the perfectly still knights before them, their only movement the locks of their silky fine hair blowing gently in the breeze.

  “I think that is perhaps just the nature of this place,” Jess began slowly, going over her sense of it carefully. “We have seen its beauty, evidenced by its virgin woodlands, majestic valleys, pristine castles with pennants snapping even now in the wind, to say nothing of these beautiful knights before us. I think we are seeing a place of idealized form, here. And should anything shake the fabric of this place, such as you and I, imperfect creatures prey to varying passions and impulses that we are, well, perhaps these knights serve as guardians of a sort, able to sense the nature of any disturbance, and respond accordingly.”