by James Day
She reacted by dropping the sword and extending her hands. Mystic blue fire erupted from her hands into the beast as it was caught up in the flames. It rolled and tried to detach from the attack. It was wounded which made it angrier. It charged at her again. This time she let out another stream of fire that turned it skin black and burned away facial features. It rolled again and charged running on all fours, but much slower as it came for another strike. She lifted her hands and it was caught up in a rush of Mystic fire. The thing burned as it jumped at her.
Prince Grandur swung his broadsword and cut the head off in midair. The body crashed to the ground as the head rolled, coal dark eyes dead.
Noleann fell to her knees exhausted and wanted to cry but held it back. She had broken the promise too herself. She was not going to ever use the Mystic blood fire, but found she had no choice. It was inherent in her.
Faerie magic to destroy faerie magic, Prince Grandur thought. They grabbed the head and put it into a sack and ran to the castle. How many more of these things were out there?
They had to find the answers and fast.
One thing remained in the Prince’s mind.
They needed a talisman of faerie magic to defeat the new dawn of evil.
THREE
Two days later, an Elven Council was convened as the Mystic Dayven stood before Elves with King and Queen on their thrones. The Spellmaker Llyendrie and She-Elf Warrior Shydrie stood beside Dunnganon. All of the information concerning the troubles had to be studied in the Elven Chronicles and examined by the Spellmakers and brought to the Council. The Spellmaker Llyendrie then took to the floor and began speaking.
“Your Majesty’s, Elders of the Elven Council, Mystic’s, and She-Elf Warrior Shydrie, the texts have been read and there is something within them about these Fire Imps that the Mystic has spoken about. They are in faerie lore passed down over a thousand years ago. The story tells of a rift in the Fae Kingdom where it was divided. The good faeries and the bad faeries fought a war to destroy each other and Fire Imps were used. They came from a clan that wanted to take over the Fae Kingdom and used the Dark Fae to fight their war. The good clan locked the Dark Fae away in the mists never to be seen again. That is all we have come up with. We now understand that they have returned to do war with Humankind and Elvenkind. I do not understand the purpose of the killings that have affected Fallsridge and Elvengrove. But they are here and something or someone released them.”
“How do we destroy them?” Queen Ellandree asked as King Allergeron examined the two Mystics with disdain.
“We do not know, but I believe the archers need to be placed throughout the Kingdom.”
“I can have teams mobilized as soon as possible,” Shydrie said conviction. “Our people can wipe them out.”
“It will not be that easy,” the Mystic Dayven interrupted her.
“Tell me Mystic, why do you know about them?” King Allergeron said coldly and demanded an answer.
“The Fire Imps are roaming throughout the Six Providences. They have come out of the Fae Mounds and left them defenseless. This means that other Dark Faerie will come forth to plague the lands. They assault the Elven Kingdom first because of your Spellmakers. They will attempt to weaken your magic and your forests and lay waste to Elvengrove and then Fallsridge.”
Murmurs shook the room as the Elven Council erupted with the Elves fighting among themselves. She-Elf Shydrie then stepped forward and they became quiet.
“Council members, we must take what the Mystic says seriously. I trained him for the whole summer after the defeat of the Crimson Seekers.”
“What trickery is this?” King Allergeron refused to believe that the Elven Kingdom would be destroyed. “Our Spellmakers can defend the waters, our magic sustains life here. Not even the power of the Crimson Seekers stood against the Spellmakers. We defended the Kingdom of Shannon. What of King Grandur? What does he say?”
Just then a knock on the door was heard as a posted Elven Knight opened it and a messenger ran forth and handed Queen Ellandree a message. She read it for a moment and was in shock. She stood up.
“This is from Princess Grandur, Noleann Bounty Huntress. She states that Spellmaker Flint came to her as a shade and told of a dragon war that was coming. A faerie war.” She stood up and handed the message to the Mystic Dayven.
“The forests have spoken to us for weeks. The Spellmaker made himself part of the forest. He held the Hearthstone Sword and gave it to me.,” the Mystic told them.
“It shouldn’t have been his to keep,” King Allergeron spoke.
“But he did,” Mystic Dayven boomed. “The dragons of old will rise from the Dark Fae to destroy the lands. This is the proof. We have not encountered dragons since the Zandu War since Mystic Pelt rode away.”
“Yes,” Dunnganon interrupted. “I was there, and he flew off with them. He used the power of Dragonspeak to command and control them.”
“Then they must be destroyed,” King Allergeron commanded. “Hunted down and destroyed.”
“No,” Dunnganon said defying him. “He made a promise to them. The Mystic’s made a promise. Freedom if they destroyed part of Zandu’s armies and the dragons kept their word.”
“Once again the Mystics bring danger and discontent to the Six Providences and right to the doorstep of our Elven Kingdom. How many wars do we have to fight because of the Mystics?”
Dayven whirled around and pointed his finger as Dunnganon stepped back. “The Mystic’s did not bring on the Zandu War. One Mystic did and it does not matter whether he was man, elf, gnome, dwarf, or any other kind of creature. The war happened and we won. Dunnganon is living proof that these dragons will not attack us. It is the Dark Fae Dragons that will rise and the only thing to stop them is the Hearthstone Sword. Someone has had the power to encroach the World of Faerie and let them out. We do not know who or what force is behind this new evil that is running rampant. But other Dark Fae will come, and they will be more powerful than the Fire Imps. They will begin burning and destroying the Six Providences. They will poison all of the waters with their magic and elemental creatures will come out.”
“And how do you know this?” Queen Ellandree tried to calm the King as she spoke softly.
“The Book of Power revealed some of Fae World to me. Not much has been written the archives of Shannon. The Mystics do not really know what befalls, but a Faerie War will involve unspeakable horror. We can only defend against so much. If they rise with an army, they will destroy the Six Providences and the Kingdom of Shannon. They will come to Fallsridge and Elvengrove and tear it asunder. It leaves us up to try to contact the World of Faerie and speak with clans that would defend against such a dark army. There are only a few creatures bound to this land and one of them is the Silverthread, a faerie that is half Fae and half human. She may be able to tell us how to enter the Fae Kingdom.”
“And what do you propose of the Hearthstone Sword? The Promise has been returned and restored to the mother.” King Allergeron said as he turned to the Spellmaker Llyendrie.
“We must have a small party and go to Fire Rock Crater and try to retrieve the Hearthstone Sword,” he looked at the She-Elf Warrior and the Mystics.
“And what do you say Mystic Dayven?” Queen Ellandree said as she looked at him. “Isn’t the Staff of Power enough to stop the army? Why must we take the Hearthstone Sword once again to wage war?”
“It will be a war against faerie. Faerie magic to combat faerie magic. We need every weapon at our disposal should the dragons crest the valley’s and use their Fae Fire magic to lay waste to our lands.”
“What of this Mystic of the Dragons you spoke of?” King Allergeron said quietly holding the Queens hand.
“We do not know where they went. We believe it was to the Northlands, but the dragons have not been seen in three centuries. It is possible that the Mystic is dead? We do not know. I can only tell you that there is one more thing that can stop the Faerie War.”
“And what is
that?” King Allergeron answered him as the Council of Elves paid close attention.
“The Faeriestones.”
An eruption in the room ensued once more as the Elves argued amongst themselves. Each arguing about the power and destruction they could cause if brought into the wrong hands.”
“Silence!” Queen Ellandree commanded as the room fell quiet. “The Faeriestones are lost,” she said. “They were hidden before the earlier King of the Elves. Each Faeriestone was taken and hidden with Elven Magic. They will not be found and there are traps that secure them. I wouldn’t even know where to look.”
“I think I might have an idea,” Spellmaker Llyendrie said as he walked across the marble floors in front of the Council of Elves then turned to the King and Queen. “Let me do more research and I shall try to locate them. Maybe there is some hidden map of them that we have not found in the Elven Chronicles.”
“Very well,” this Council is finished for now. Show the Mystics to their quarters and we shall speak tomorrow,” Queen Ellandree ordered.
Just before dusk, a crow was sent from the towers of Fallsridge. It was a message for Prince and Princess of Shannon. It simply said that help would be sent in a matter of days. There were no specifics as to what kind of help, who would assist or how many. It mentioned that the Boy-Mystic Dunnganon was accompanying Mystic Dayen and they were in the Elven Kingdom. Queen Ellandree and King Allergeron had not decided what to do about the impending issue at hand. Elven Warriors had been posted by the dozens with a full battalion of Elven Archers to watch over Elven Kingdom. Elvengrove Forest was well protected as the army was put on watch. They were to destroy all Fire Imps. None were to be left alive. The King and Queen settled down for a night’s rest after they had eaten. It been a long day and King Allergeron was very apologetic about his behavior. Queen Ellandree had told him he needed to apologize to the Mystics. They did not cause this issue. No one knew what had happened or how the Fire Imps had been freed. Did it come from within their realm or was there a new force of evil in Shannon? As for the Hearthstone Sword that was another matter that would be dealt with. Originally, the Elves were the keepers of the sword before the Kings of Humankind took control of it. But the Mystic Dayven had returned to Fire Rock Crater and restored the Promise which gave harmony to the Six Providences. The Faeriestones were a different matter and the King and Queen had stopped discussing them altogether. They would need more information from Spellmaker Llyendrie who was studying all night searching for the answers. She-Elf Shydrie had been ordered to protect the Spellmaker at all costs. They did not want anything infiltrating the towers and killing him. The Dark Faerie could come and kill when the time was necessary, and the King and Queen did not know how much time they had left. Guards were posted at every turn of Fallsridge to protect those inside.
Just along the edge of Elvengrove dozens of red Silverthreads flew out of the dark mounds. They sped through the forest toward the castle of Fallsridge. No one noticed them because they looked like little red fireflies to the average eye, but they served a purpose and would serve their masters will. The Elven Warriors had hardly swatted them away like little bugs. They meandered through the forests and glistened in the dark. The Elven Archers stood their grounds as the creatures made their way by, unnoticed by all. It took an hour, but they reached outskirts of Fallsridge. Where they began separating and looking to penetrate the fortress and fly by the Elven Sentries.
Spellmaker Llyendrie worked through the evening and was brought a meal by an elven servant. He read over the Elven Chronicles and found some information he was looking for. He took notes and got up and stretched his legs. The candles and torches lit the room with a fiery glow. It was a cool night for some reason, not the hot sweltering heat usually found in the summertime. The scrolls were scattered all along the table with maps of the Kingdom of Shannon and the Six Providences. There were places he had never even seen, other maps of a world unknown to him. He ate the beef stew with vegetables and drank the ale. It made him feel warm. He got up again and paced the room, his own patience was wearing thin. He only found hints to the Faeriestones. Then there was the other matter, the dragons. He had a possible idea where they might be but felt conflicted inside. He knew if he told the King and Queen the information, they may dispatch a party of Elven Hunters and Elven Knights to destroy the dragons. He was not sure if the location was even correct. It was in the western unexplored Northlands where they might be found. He rubbed his eyes and face and shook his head then he heard a click. It was Shydrie. The She-Elf Warrior had entered the room quietly without him noticing. Almost stealth like and there was no telling how long she had been watching him. He buried his head in the scrolls with one eye watching her. She made him feel good. The kiss they had shared warmed his heart and he loved seeing her. Green emerald eyes peered down as she bent over looking at the papers, maps, and scrolls.
“So, you have found something,” she said peering over him momentarily then moved directly behind him.
He sat in the chair almost annoyed. She was spying on his work and he did not like it.
“I thought I may have found the location of the Faeriestones, but I was wrong. I do not recognize any of these markings at all. I have been researching for a few days and keep coming up empty handed. I do not know what to report to the King or Queen.”
“So, you say,” she smoothly purred grasping both of his shoulders as her touch warmed his heart. He liked when they held hands, embraced, and kissed, but something was wrong. “You’ve found something, but you’re unwilling to tell the King and Queen,” she said without blinking.
He stood up defensively, “I don’t know what you’re saying.” He moved away from her to end of the table. She followed behind grabbing the hilt of her sword.
“You don’t have to be defensive. I understand,” she exclaimed grabbing his hand and turning him around. She peered into his blue eyes and examined his reddish-blonde beard. “Llyendrie, I have been She-Elf Warrior for a number of years. I have taught many Elven Warriors and I can tell when someone is not telling the truth. I can tell when someone is trying to conceal something. I read people and that is one of my many skills. You do not have to fear me. I have not been sent here to spy on you. I have been sent here to guard you from any danger that may arise. But I need to know what you know. If something were to happen, I would have to report it to the King and Queen. Do you understand?”
“Nothing is going to happen to me Shydrie. I am a Spellmaker and more capable of defending myself with my arts than you are aware of. I may not be a great warrior or command an army, but I am head of the Spellmakers. Magic is my gift. We need to trust each other. Yes, I’ll admit to you that I have found something, but it has no real bearing on the Kingdom at this time.”
“Then when is it the right time?” She questioned him peering into his serious eyes as she held his roughened hands.
“When the time is appropriate and not any sooner,” he spun around making a move twisting her arm behind her back. “You see I haven’t forgotten,” he gloated for a moment.
Then she made her move and flipped him over and across the room. He landed on his back and she pounced at him like a wild cat with a knife ready to slash his throat. But he invoked a spell and green fire exploded forth forming a shield in front as she bounced off his aura and he rolled onto her forcing the hand with the knife down. Green fire lanced into her hand and she felt a shock that gripped her fingers, but she refused to let go of the knife.
“Don’t be stubborn,” he said, “I can increase the pain.”
“You foolish Spellmaker,” she smiled forcing herself up, then she spun her legs around his neck and squeezed. He tilted over choking and he released a flash of light which blinded her momentarily. Then he leaned forward picked her up by the legs and slammed her down on the floor. She hit it so hard, she lost her breath. She choked and gasped for air as he got on his knees and went to help her. That is when her knife went to his throat. “Never, ever let your guard down
Llyendrie. Not in any fight. A friend could become a foe. You fought well. You used every trick that I taught you and some of your own. You failed in the end, but it was a good fight.”
A guard rushed in to see her on the floor as he went for the hilt of his sword. The She-Elf Warrior rose and commanded that he leave the room and stand guard outside. They both stood up and she put the knife back on her belt.
“Llyendrie, promise one thing,” she brought him back over to the table as he poured her a glass of ale. They clinked glasses and drank. When they finished the shot, her face became profoundly serious. “Promise me one thing,” she repeated.
“What?” he found her response a little disturbing.
“Faerie magic can do many things, even turn someone evil. Am I right?”
“Yes, I suppose so,” he said with conviction.
“If I were ever to turn against you then you must kill me.”
The words shocked him and stood there dumbfounded at first, then it sank in, and he began shaking his head. No.
“I don’t know if I can,” he whispered.
“You must, if a time ever came and I changed and went against you or the good of the Elven Kingdom, then you must kill me.”
“No, I would use my Spellmaker ability to stop you, restrain you and save you. But if it ever came to that and you became something of pure evil, then I would have no choice.”
“Good,” she said as she kissed him on the forehead.
He turned around caressed her back and pulled her into him, she did not stop the embrace. They kissed passionately for a moment. Everything disappeared for a second, it was only the two of them in love. And nothing would break that bond that was becoming stronger and stronger. Each knew it was wrong, but they let down their guards and gave to each other a kind of friendship and love. They stopped kissing as she rubbed his beard and he touched her cheek gently.
“I love you,” he said with a stern conviction. “I have never felt this way before.”