Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  “No!” Talvi cried, leaping back and flourishing his blade with a snarl. “I will not be trapped in your twisted dream, mad half-blood! Follow me, if you dare. Dream or no, you will be crushed at the heart of my power!”

  And with that, Talvi turned and ran, Jess giving chase, grinning with exhilaration, every movement an effortless expression of inhuman strength and prowess, feeling like nothing so much as a fierce hunting cat chasing down her prey. Thoughts of love and heartache were, for the moment, blessedly forgotten.

  And so they raced, down vast twisted corridors of what had once been Talvi's palace, stretched and warped in this realm of true dreams. Jess was unfazed by the bizarre distortions of gravity and space, intuitively knowing to dance along the corridors of dream and fancy just as her erstwhile lover did, mirroring his steps perfectly, adroitly dodging odd fountains of crackling energies, twisted wells of warping gravity Jess spotted trapping a handful of unlucky sprites, the poor things having time for only the briefest of shrieks before being ruptured into broken pulpy caricatures of what they once were, crushed by pressures so terrible that all but the strongest demons would have been captured, had they slipped into its grasp.

  And on Jess chased Talvi, as the corridors seemed to bend into impossible bridges of starlight and shadow, stretching vast and wondrous against the brilliant midnight sky. Time and space began to warp in impossible directions, yet fueled with the essence of all she was and had ever been, Jess did naught but laugh with the sheer exhilaration of the hunt, even as she raced at a speed so terrible the very heavens before her changed their spectrum, fierce ultraviolet but a shade of brilliant blue to her inhuman gaze, even as she sensed the stars behind her turning sullen and dim as blood, her madly flickering lover never allowed out of her sight.

  “Jess, do you sense it?” her loyal familiar thought, ready as ever to spring from his perch upon her shoulder at need, their speeds far too terrible for sound to carry, and Jess nodded with a grim sense of satisfaction and despair both. Disconnected elements were finally beginning to snap into place. The sheer discord of Talvi's actions relative to the man she had loved, the being of laughter and beauty and brightest spring he had once been, was becoming terribly apparent. The taint had tried to hide itself within strands of faerie magic, but its dread mark had been revealed at last, here, in this dream among dreamers, Delving within the deepest dream of all.

  Jess tried and failed to hold back tears that tinkled away like diamonds, flashing brilliantly as they fell to the land of Faerie far below. Little balls of incandescent fire, so hot did they burn, blazing through the air at speeds unfathomable to all those who knew not the fierce pleasure and power of racing across the land of Dream.

  My poor Talvi. Jess allowed herself to think the words, to feel the piercing ache of regret twisting deep within her soul. Lost was the bittersweet dream of loving him for all her days.

  “Stay strong, my Jezabelle,” her familiar consoled silently, and Jess’s fierce grin let him know she would do exactly that, her broken heart replaced by a terrible burning hatred for the mysterious foe who had taken her Talvi and twisted his gift and his essence and all that he was, sufficient so as to disrupt the very cycle of this wondrous, beautiful realm; putting all at risk, putting all in peril. Her heart was the least of it.

  “Jess, ahead!" Her familiar's thoughts were fierce, exultant, a predator about to run down his chosen prey. Jess nodded as she too beheld the incredible sight of what could only be the castle of the Faerie Queen herself. Brilliant ivory white towers reaching for the heavens, pennons flapping gamely even here in the land of dreams, blown by winds of fantasy and heart's desire, Jess was sure. The massive edifice was as impressive a display of craftsmanship as Jess had ever seen, even here within the heart of Faerie, coming into perfect focus as their impossible bridge of starlight and dream dove right to the balcony before the grandest of windows in the heart of the center castle spire, the entire edifice seeming constructed out of starlight and wonder, shimmering as it did like a million pearls.

  And even as Jess's feet touched the diamond encrusted balcony of burnished gold, preparing to enter the massive castle of the Faerie Queen herself, she sensed a terrible presence warding the vast window before her as she stepped off the bridge of starlight and dream. “Who dares trespass? Who dares to cross my border uninvited? Who dares to tread upon the innermost sanctum of the great Queen of Faerie herself? Answer, or be abjured to the lowest realms of the Abyss, you who would dare to cross my borders!”

  Beyond the shimmering ward, Jess could see Talvi shaking his head with a cold smirk before turning his back and proceeding toward the heart of the great tower.

  “Jess, you need to focus carefully now,” her familiar counseled. “Remember, this land is as much in your dreams as it is a part of Faerie, so it is contested, and thus very much in play.”

  Jess took a deep steadying breath, knowing intuitively that this was so, struggling to feel resonating within her that primal connection between her soul, psyche, and this odd realm of dream. With a gasp and shudder she sunk to her knees, her familiar immediately leaping off her shoulder to gaze upon her directly. “Jess, what’s wrong?”

  Trembling, Jess could do naught but shake her head, overwhelmed, flooded by the inconceivable power suddenly roaring through her. It was as if she was connected to everything. Every vast mountain underneath the brilliant night sky, every field of grass and grove of trees blowing gently in the evening winds. She sensed and felt connected to it all, albeit in a dreamlike sense, yet underneath it all, she felt an unexpected resonance with a realm far more vast, terrible, and real than this beautiful realm of fantasy and wonder that she had trapped herself and Talvi within.

  Without saying a word, she solemnly reached her hand to touch the shimmering ward, holding fiercely to a sense of all she was.

  “I am Jessica de Calenbry, Paladin of Turnsby. For the sake of this land placed in dire peril, I claim Dominion over this realm of dream, and I would beg for entrance to the castle of the Faerie Queen. Not for conquest, but to provide succor. For serpents lay within the heart of your bosom, poisoning your realm with foulest magics and deadly whispers of forbidden rites that would end the turning of the seasons, and spell doom for your land.”

  And much to her surprise, the ward was no more, even as words thunderous and terrible pummeled into her with the chilling force of a midwinter gale, as if the seasons themselves roared their fury into her heart, sending her crashing to her armored knees. “Enter, Supplicant, you who would choose the Path of the Paladin, for the realm entire has need of your Sacrifice.”

  Twilight hissed even as a shaken Jessica collapsed to the ground. “What games are being played here?”

  Jess shook her head softly, knowing no better than her familiar, though a terrible feeling of foreboding began to consume her. It took all her resolve to enter the magnificent spire, pristine in it beauty, ivory white dome inlaid with gold arching high above, the ceiling a magnificent panorama of hills, forests, and valleys, faeries merry in dance and play depicted with such inhuman craftsmanship that all the figures looked as true to life as could be, ready to jump out of the wondrous mural to dance, frolic, and sing, even now. The floor was of gold-inlaid marble that seemed to stretch endlessly in a chamber vast and grand, and of all the wonders within, all the mysteries revealed, what riveted her stare was her nemesis, the man who had stolen her heart before shattering it beyond repair.

  48

  Talvi. Hot gaze locked upon her, silver-blue blade held at the ready, hundreds of faerie nobles with their all too human consorts most fair standing back in perfect attendance; witnesses, perhaps, to the struggle about to unfold. Yet it was the figure to her lover’s side that caused Jess to clench her hilt in blackest fury, his knowing smirk affirming to Jess her darkest fears.

  The dark strands of abyssal power she could now sense so very faintly warping Talvi were somehow connected to the awful corona of foulness his companion radiated like the most rot
ten of stenches; comprised of sickness, filth, and decay. His soul, like those of all the Fallen, deliberately twisted into utter discord, so frightened they were of Destiny's call, electing instead to fall from Heaven's grace so as to be able to gloat and live on for eternity, reveling in forbidden lore, supping upon an endless supply of vulnerable souls. One time angels whose philosophical speculations had taken the darkest of turns, and so very many had joined their corrupted cause. Ancient knowledge Jess had no memory of ever learning but knew with all her heart to be true.

  And the stench of this twisted demon's soul was so foul and unexpected within this realm of grace and beauty that Jess actually sickened, fighting with fierce intensity not to lose herself to her suddenly roiling gut, such a weakness surely shaming General Eloquin, who had trained her and all Squires to gaze upon the horrors of war with dispassionate eyes, to never to shirk from the battle to come.

  The twisted creature by Talvi's side seemed to exult in a shaken Jess stumbling to her knees, smirking at her discomfort. He and Talvi were the only ones wearing armor of exotic construction, made of a material unlike any she had seen before, shimmering iridescently in the golden light of the chamber.

  The Fallen's mocking laughter sending shivers down Jess’s spine, his voice the screech of nails on slate, the wheeze of a dying man. “Glasscine armaments, forged and bound by the most sagacious runesmiths of this land. Tell me, Jezabelle, do you like our attire? So different from that worn by those whose circles you normally run in, no?”

  “I would have your name, foul one.” Jess spat out the words, already sick with loathing for this creature. Twilight gave her a curious stare, then nodded once, instantly understanding. She already knew who he must be, but that was a card best kept close to her chest, lest it reveal the entirety of her play. For all that she seethed with hatred for this being's gloating laughter, she felt a fierce sense of exhilaration upon seeing the vast, silver framed, shimmering pool of brilliance she fathomed could only be the Mirror of Truth.

  "Oh, names. What power there is to be found in a name, after all. Isn't that right, my dear Jezabelle? Or perhaps we are known as Jessica de Calenbry, this time around?" The creature smiled wickedly. "For the sake of convenience, you may call me Soren." For all that he possessed the inhuman beauty of any fae with his pristine features, icy gray eyes, and snow white hair, it appeared upon him but a porcelain mask. A brittle facade ready to burst at any moment, unleashing something hideously foul and unspeakably corrupt, a vile potency no faerie vessel could hope to contain for long. Even now, Jess sensed the mask he wore subtly cracking under the horrific strain.

  “Don’t look so surprised, child. It was no great feat to learn all your dark little secrets, particularly when you start challenging and slaying favored princes of the Netherrealms.” He turned his mocking stare to Twilight, whose fierce, sapphire gaze gave even the gloating Soren pause, checking himself before he stepped away.

  "Your favored adviser did you ill service if he sought a low profile for you during that little foray. Why, to the entire council you disrupted, the taste of your power was unmistakable! Divine and mortal fused into one unholy pact of destruction, just waiting for the right catalyst to ignite in a cacophony of fury that would send the Heavens themselves crashing down to the lowest Netherhells! And for that, my dear, many of us would be willing to sacrifice each and every plane of existence you destroyed in doing so!” Soren's discordant laughter rang out then, pristine works of art crumbling to dust at the unholy sound of his voice, even as a thousand priceless windows of finest glass shattered as one. “And those fangs, my dear Jezabelle. The way you drained your foe to a bleating husk before crushing him to dust! You would have done your mother proud.”

  He smirked then. “We have plans for you, you know. You would make such a fine partner for my dear, dear Talvi here. Two delicious founts of power, ready to erupt in unison and forge a whole new realm, one decidedly more tasteful than this pathetic faerie tale of fluff and fantasy.” Soren gave a strangely theatrical sigh. “It will be good to see it wiped off the map of existence.”

  Talvi turned to Soren, his gaze cold. “You know I don’t like it when you speak in Tongues, Soren. It leaves my loyal subjects… uncomfortable. Speak plain and true, so all may hear and witness the rightness of our cause, to break the chains of mortality once and for all!”

  Soren immediately cloaked himself in humble obeisance, bowing low to Talvi. "Of course, my lord. I sought only to give our dear Jezabelle one final chance to align with us, so we may free you both from the cursed chains of mortality that doom each of you to endless death!"

  Jess shivered then, realizing only in hindsight that she had been speaking to Soren in a tongue very different from the one Talvi used. A language she had understood perfectly. It was then she noted the carefully concealed grimaces upon the scores of faerie lords present, their human doll-like counterparts perfectly expressionless as always. Yet silent tears caressed the cheeks of those perfect girls, all too mortal blood staining their dresses from eardrums ruptured by sounds their souls had been spared since they had once been the playthings of mad demons cavorting in hideous Hells, long ago.

  It was then Talvi raised his gaze to meet Jess’s own and in that moment Jess lurched, shaken to her core, fighting back bitter tears. For gone was the raging, tormented creature she had chased across unfathomable distances atop a bridge of dreams and myth, but rather her beloved Talvi once more, his gaze imploring, utterly free of Malice, the love he felt for her as plain as day. It broke Jess’s heart to see, and terrified her to wonder if he even remembered the words he had spoken to her but a short while before, or if for him, it was no more real than a fragment of dream.

  "My Jezabelle, you are here!" He smiled then, his manner as tender as a warm summer breeze. "I am so sorry we fought, more sorry than I can say. Please, my love. I know we have had our misunderstandings, but can't we both agree that our lives are equally sacred? Neither of us should have to succumb to vile Death when there is a chance for life, no? Life everlasting, and forever in each other's arms?"

  Talvi sighed. "It is true, my heart, my plan has risks. It is bold. It would redefine the nature of everything as we know it. But is not true courage being willing and able to risk everything for a dream? An ideal? A passion?" His gaze pierced her heart. "Is not boldness a virtue? Is not any hardship worthwhile, in the pursuit of a perfect love everlasting? An endless garden of joy, happiness, and splendor? To walk amongst magnificent and beautiful forests and fields, all of our own creation, hand in hand. To know we had the courage to rail against the fates themselves, the conviction to wrest our destiny from their vicious claws, and emerge victorious! Is not such a triumph worth any amount of sacrifice?”

  Tears ran freely from Talvi's gentle eyes as he smiled at her so tenderly. "Truly my love, I miss you more than words can ever convey. The fury I felt was but frustration that your heart would cleave you apart from me, when I ache to have you by my side." He sighed. "In a moment of hot frustration I said things of cruel cutting anger, and now I grieve for what I said. After all, I, child of mortal and divine, am the greatest of fools to have mocked my love. For in truth, my dear Jess, you are a being no different from me. And together, our mixed heritage shall give us the strength and power to overcome all obstacles. United as one." With that he raised his arm, imploringly, beseechingly, pleading for the woman he adored to come to his side.

  Jess’s heart broke. She knew what she had to do. Tears streaming down her cheeks, visor lifted, she slowly walked toward her love.

  “Jess, what in all the hells are you doing?!?” Twilight hissed in sudden alarm, even as Soren’s cruel sneer wormed into a smile, he nodding in dark satisfaction.

  Jess did naught but gently stroke her familiar's fur, catching his gaze for but a moment, her cat far larger than she remembered, like a great panther loping by her side, ebony coat shimmering with the final glimmers of dying stars in a universe alien to her own. But no matter. They were approachi
ng the Mirror of Truth, after all, for all that it showed nothing but a mad Kaleidoscope of rainbow hues.

  Jess bowed her head as she slowly crossed the vast chamber, approaching her lover. “Very well, my love, I will come to you.”

  Talvi's smile was one of relief and triumph. Yet unlike his viciously grinning accomplice, he did not gloat, but simply gazed upon Jess, his eyes burning with passion and hunger for her. "By the gods, Jezabelle. Even these last painful nights without you by my side, I have missed you more than words could say."

  Smiling, Jess nodded, for all that it seemed to her but a single endless night, her heart aching in terrible sympathy for the being of such fierce power she slowly approached, the man she yearned to embrace, consume, and be consumed by in turn. Primal hungers and aching passions she fiercely banked, knowing she would in all likelihood never know such love again.

  “I have run enough, I think,” Jess confided. “And to be quite honest, I too look at death with some small measure of horror, whatever else I may feel.”

  “Jess!” Graceful enough to say it silently, Jess nevertheless felt her familiar’s growing alarm. She stroked his head gently, reassuring him with her love, soothed in turn by his low, powerful rumble of a purr.

  Jess turned her sapphire gaze to a gloating Soren, favoring him with a jaded nod, her voice dripping with arrogance, abyssal words rolling off her tongue as if the sweet, idealistic Jess of but moments before was itself a facade she wore, much like Soren's own. "I see you have found a way to combine the arts of two realms. Impressive, to say the least. It has been lifetimes since I found a lover so able to sate my hungers so... satisfactorily.” She flashed a surprised Soren a jaded smile. His own was darkly bemused. “And I confess to finding the taste of power not soon forgotten to be quite... sweet. So, Soren, what would be our play for Talvi and I shearing ourselves of the shackles of mortality and forging a world of our own making? And equally importantly, what prevents the queen of this realm, who has so bound my prize to his terminal fate, from stopping us even now?”