Fable, page 6
“One more thing before I loosen the bindings. Do you remember my name? I know you wouldn’t have been born yet, but what do the histories say about my name? Tell me this and I will set you free.”
Glinoxx looked very confused. Was this a trick question or was the necro-mage really having trouble remembering his own name?
The necro-mage could see this had confused the goblin, so he added, “I have been asleep for so long, and before that they always knew me as the dark necro-mage, so the cobwebs need clearing, if you will. Tell me this now.”
Glinoxx seemed to understand now and without hesitation he whispered, “Viltzin’un’dandaar.” He then repeated it a little louder, as the look on the mage’s face was that of confusion. “Your name is Viltzin’un’dandaar. Please, you will let me out now?” Glinoxx wriggled his hands. The necro-mage stared off into the distance, until eventually his attention was broken by the erratic movements of the desperate goblin.
“Yes, I gave my word, but know this: I will also keep my other word about your kin. Find your friends and come straight back to me.”
When the mage had finished untying Glinoxx, the goblin jumped up and ran for the door. But then he turned and re-entered the room. He quickly picked up his trinkets and headed straight back out. As he exited the room, he turned once again, smiled a little, and yelled back, “Yes, my master, we will return to you soon.”
Glinoxx took off down the maze of halls. The mage could hear his high-pitched laughing and screaming as he continued moving away until eventually they were nothing more than distant echoes of a crazy goblin’s joy at being free.
The necro-mage, feeling his strength growing, went to the room of records and magic where all the books of the histories of all the realms sat, along with all he would need for the dark magic research that would eventually assist with his plan to reanimate the dark lord.
As he entered the room of records, he fell to his knees and screamed in pain, his head on fire as the symbiotic forces were being pushed aside by the crowding of billions of voices. He was now attached to the hive again. A ship must be here harvesting, he thought. He could only listen to the hive, and could not commune with the Leader, as he had been declared a traitor and had been cut off. Why was he able to hear them, though? It must be because of the strong mind blend with the original mage. This could be a good thing, my way to get back, he thought.
He would know when they returned and eventually he could show the Leader how important this place was. By the sounds of the echoes in his mind, the Zeytars that were sent for harvesting had no idea about the magic here and how a DNA blend of these creatures could make a difference in the wars to come. “After the dark lord has risen, we could capture him, and I would be worshiped by the Leader and my peers and given redemption. Yes, once we have taken all the land, we will control all realms and all Zeytars can dwell here and on Earth,” he whispered to himself, as he smiled, before the signal was completely lost and he was left with his symbiotic host once again.
“Time to start the plan. When those dirty little goblins get back, we will go for a little walk into the dark forest to recruit for our first mission, a mission to gain new soldiers and find the lost books of Varzunnos.” He had received this knowledge from his earlier visitor and he now had his full plan ready to start the first stages.
“This realm is mine,” he whispered.
AN INSIDIOUS REPRISAL
THE COUNCIL HAD BEEN FULLY INFORMED of the incidents that had befallen Vylass and the folk in the Aurora Forest. Felvora’s detailed accounts, along with Darf and Grilif’s, were invaluable to the plans the council would now make to overcome this evil.
Felvora and the two little ones were sent back to their rooms while the queen and the council members deliberated and argued about how they were going to execute the plans. The first idea was to make sure that Xarkynan was still silent, the second was to take a small contingent of the queen’s Elvenfae warriors to find the gray sinisters, and the third was to send word to the keepers of the Tuatha treasures, the four elemental stones that held in each an element. These four stones gave the realms of Faelynn their protection and magic, and if there was movement from the dark places, then the security needed to be tightened. The only issue was that the four elemental stones were separated and only accessible by the queen and a select few, so she would have to leave the palace, with much resistance from the council, to alleviate any threat that might bring down their world.
“My queen, I sincerely insist that you do not go ahead with this. Without the king now, and with you leaving, Faelynn is under threat. We have already closed off all the human portals to the Earth realm, and we have guards on every single oak portal, mound, or ring. The only ones who can now enter the Earth are the enchanted ones, including yourself and Shaylee. If something were to happen to you, the risks to our realm would not only come from here but also from the humans we have kept away from for millennia.” The head of the high council, Faelondar, was wise. He was the adviser when the queen was busy visiting her people, from the little folk to the giants, in more peaceful times when there was no threat, although at the rate her people were disappearing, she would soon have no one to protect at all.
“It is unknown at this stage, Faelondar, what these creatures are after, and every attempt should be made to insure our people are safe. There has been nothing but whispers and rumors coming from the dark elm woods near Xarkynan for centuries, and besides, some turn out to be just a dark elf pretending to be the dark lord here and there. We have had peace, but I will not risk these entities finding out about our power. So I must go to Maelenflitt and make sure nothing has been disturbed.”
Tianna knew where every one of the treasure stones was located. One was in the palace, one was in Aurora with Villara, one was in Maelenflitt, and the last was hidden in plain sight in Xarkynan. The Tuatha Dé Danann placed them there at the very beginning of time and there they stayed, safe, with only a very few at a time knowing where they were, each king and queen along with the protectors of the treasures.
Faelondar couldn’t argue. Although he wanted to very much, he knew it would be useless. So, he went the other way, offering as many council guards and warriors as he could.
“Fine, my lady, I see we will agree to disagree. Then, I will set you up with our finest warriors along with your best palace guards to accompany you. However, Shaylee must stay. We cannot afford our last two leaders risking themselves for these creatures.”
The queen nodded, stood, and made her way to the main throne room. Her wings were loose, pointing down to the floor like they were tucked away, ready for riding. The Elvenfae royal guards very rarely chose their sprite form. It was dangerous to be so vulnerable, but at times it was necessary, as they couldn’t fly very well in full Elvenfae form with ceremonial armor on. So sometimes their wings would fold down, out of the way and out of sight, when they weren’t needed. The warriors and standard guards were different—they were strong and could fly in all conditions.
The queen was in a hurry; she had heard enough and was losing family members fast. This threat had to be stopped. Even one of the elemental treasure stones harbored enough power to amplify most threats, so she was fixated on this. It was her fight now.
Shaylee ran into the throne hall, quite upset. “Mother, this is not a good idea. Let me go. I am the best warrior here and I know what I am doing. Besides, I want a piece of them too.” Shaylee was excitable. She had not been apart from her mother often, and after hearing what they raised at the council, she was very concerned for her mother’s safety.
“You know you cannot, Shaylee. Now see Felvora away for her trip to the edges of Xarkynan. There she will commune with some dark sylphs to find out anything she can and bring that information back here. I need you here, Shay. Now go do what I ask of you.”
Reluctantly, Shaylee turned into a sprite and fluttered swiftly to Felvora’s room to say goodbye. As she entered the room, she turned back to full size and there to greet her was Felvora.
“Hey, Flora, before you go, can you put a spell on the throne hall with an illusion of me? I am going to dress in my warrior garb, along with my bow and sword, Howling Tooth, and follow Mother to Maelenflitt.”
Felvora looked at her friend for a moment, knowing it was a risky plan. But she knew she couldn’t talk her out of it. Shaylee and her mother were close and this was something she needed to do.
“OK, Shay, but if I get caught, it was your spell, OK? I’m already hated enough.”
Shaylee nodded and turned to change into a sprite again, but before doing so she whispered, “I will meet you back here before we both leave.”
Felvora nodded. She looked like she fit in with the royals now as she had changed herself. She was wearing a jade-colored dress with large sleeves and a low neckline, with the bottom flowing to the floor. The dryad was looking quite elegant.
Just then, Darf and Grilif dropped from the ceiling with food in their mouths.
“Ha, ha, you look ridiculous, Felvora,” Darf announced.
With the flick of Felvora’s finger they were both sucking up crumbs from the floor as slugs for the next five minutes.
Shaylee was back in a flash, turned to full form again. She had folded her wings to point to the floor and was dressed in heavy Celtic battle attire, with bow, quiver with arrows, and a scabbard with her beloved sword. She was definitely ready for battle, although she had to be discreet. Her sprite form was that of tree folk, and they all returned to nature when they were small, which gave her a perfect disguise. She would hide inside one of the guards’ satchels, and if she was caught, she would seem just like the others until it was too late to send her back.
Felvora gave her approval, and before Shaylee could turn to sprite form the dryad leaned into her, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and tied a small concoction of powder to her quiver.
“Here, this is a blend of some very strong powder for you for your journey; it is very powerful and used for healing, along with—”
Before Felvora could finish, Shaylee interrupted. “Thank you, my friend. I’m hoping I won’t need it, though, but thank you. Be safe yourself and when we both return, we have much to catch up on.” And as she finished talking, Shaylee turned back into a sprite and caught up with the warriors on horseback traveling with her mother as they started off on their journey. She hid inside an Elvenfae guard’s satchel like she said she would and waited there.
Meanwhile, Felvora returned the mischievous gnomes back to their original forms and then cast a holographic spell onto the throne before all the maidens, guards, and other staff arrived back in the room. After she’d finished, she found herself a horse from the stables and went about her journey to the edges of Xarkynan, while the rest of the warrior Elvenfae guards took position in their ranks to go searching for the sinisters.
All contingents were in place; however, the palace was now empty. There were no Aethelwynes ruling. If this got out, it could start unrest in the palace and eventually in Faelynn. Felvora’s hologram would only work for a brief time, and after that the council would have to select a temporary ruler in their stead, but they would find it hard to control the situation the longer they were away.
Night fell on the palace. Eventually the hologram dissipated and Faelondar was left standing in front of the throne, scratching his head, and hoping quietly to himself that they all return soon.
ON THE ROAD TO MAELENFLITT
The queen had been traveling very swiftly for two days; they would reach the outskirts of Aurora soon and enter the realm of the woodlands. The queen had only stopped for rests at night, getting back on the horses as soon as the sun started illuminating the trees. She had to check on the two far treasure stones. The one in Xarkynan was not accessible or protected by any guards.
They rode with haste, reaching the forest of Toozookus. Within a few short days they would reach the outer forest of Maelenflitt so they had plenty of work still ahead. Shaylee had found a nice little spot, although she felt bad that the others were doing all the work to reach the locations. She would wait until they reached the first outpost and then she would reveal herself. But something was about to change— not only her plans but also all those of the queen and the guards.
When they arrived, the sun had an hour to set before it became completely dark. The queen took two of her most trusted guards, Stexinzar and Feelik, to the forest entrance.
Enchanted by willows and large oaks, this place was a very mystical part of Maelenflitt. The sylphs took care of the forest, getting their magic from the thick willows. But it was more than that. The first of the treasure stones was somewhere here, giving the land a deep power boost, being so close. The willows seemed to be charged by its power and the flow-on effect trickled down to each of the enchanted creatures that dwelled in the area, none of which were any the wiser that the priceless artifact sat somewhere nearby.
The queen climbed from her horse, then the two guards did as well. As they approached the large willow at the entrance to the forest, several creatures started manifesting around the queen, curious why she was there. Before the guardian of the treasure stone appeared, the willow tree started shedding its white fluffy pollen as if it were fall, and the leaves began floating down even though it was not fall and there was no breeze.
Tianna knew who it was as the pollen slowly came together forming the shape of a woman. As the particles connected even more, taking their place was a beautiful woman. Her dress was pure white and flowing, and her hair was also pure white like snow, as was her face. Her legs were hidden as if she were in a cloud, but she could walk normally, moving slowly toward Tianna. White and blue sylphs were dancing around her head, singing in harmony.
As she moved another step closer, she spoke, “My queen, Tianna, oh how wonderful it is to see you again. I know why you have come.” The woman’s voice echoed as she talked, as if there were several of her talking all in sequence.
“It is so wonderful to see you too, my old friend. Please tell me the treasure is safe,” Tianna whispered.
The sylphs who had turned into a woman with no name, for she was made of the forest and was as old as the land itself, spoke once more, “Yes, the treasure is safe, but I am afraid you are not. You must leave this place before the evil returns. They do not know about our treasure. They only want our little ones to control for their beasts. Now, you must not stay.”
As she said her final words she started breaking apart into millions of white follicles, returning without a breeze to the branches they once sat on. As the light of the day was now completely gone, the illuminated willow started dimming to match all the other trees in the area.
The queen was satisfied, although disturbed by the last thing the messenger said.
“Come, we don’t have a lot of time. We will rest and continue in the morning.”
The guards nodded, led the queen to the camp, and rested from another long, weary day.
Hours later, there was a rumble through the trees, a huge shrill and a glowing light. One warrior woke up several others and he wandered over to the edge of the forest. As the first guard turned to his companions to indicate nothing was there, he was struck over the head with an almighty force. Along with the blunt blow came a loud growl. It was a Sasquatch.
It was obviously recruiting, but there were no gray sinisters with it and it had no sprites attached. It came closer to the rest of the guards. In response, they shot it with several arrows, piercing its enormous face and heart. The beast let out a high-pitched cry as it ran into the forest and disappeared into more glowing lights, leaving nothing more than a few drops of blood on the ground.
The queen and the other warriors were awake now. There was no discussion at all as every one of them packed up the camp and horses, and fled from the area.
Shaylee had planned to come out but had fallen asleep. She was more than awake now but couldn’t get out of the satchel until the guard stopped.
A scream came from the rear of the group of riders. When they turned around they saw several gnomes, sprites, sylphs, even trees running toward them, screaming nonsensically.
The queen ordered everyone to stop and wait. As she did so, a tremendous noise came from above as the moon and stars were blocked from view before three light beams descended from the sky and disappeared soon afterward. There in front of them all were the gray sinister creatures that the other troupe were tasked to find. These creatures were everywhere, although the one out in front looked sicklier than the other five that were standing near him, thought the queen.
Ugly destructive goblins from the dark pits, she thought. As she was gaining her composure and gearing up to give orders to attack, she was struck from behind by one of their gigantic beasts. Tianna was out for a moment, and as the commotion continued, Shaylee surfaced from the satchel. Just as she was about to transform to full size, she was stunned by one of the gray goblins. Pulling her closer with one of its strange toys, he raised her above the head of another beast along with several other sprites that had been caught previously.
Shaylee fought and fought as much as she could, but to no avail. She eventually succumbed to the dark magic the creatures had over her and the rest of her people, and was now under the complete control of the beast underneath them.
Tianna had no idea that Shaylee had been captured. In fact, none of them saw it. The guards were doing everything they could to eliminate the threat, but it was no use. One by one they were hypnotically forced to change into sprites, stunned, then placed with one of the many beasts that were standing around.
Tianna stood up. She noticed one sprite had a tiara like Shaylee’s, and when the realization sank in, she screamed out her name over and over, “Shaylee! They have taken my Shaylee! Help, guards, they have her.”
The guards were also in strife as they tried to battle the gray goblins, but the closer they got, the quicker they were being transformed and added to the collection. The dark magical symbiosis that the sinisters had over the Fae was like nothing Tianna had ever seen before. They were unstoppable. Quick, controlling, and pure evil.
