Chapter 3.
The scouts recalled the grisly scene of arcane spirits feasting on the corpses of the architects I had set out. I was horrified. This can only mean two things: one, a lich has discovered our location and is actually hunting us, or two, there is a disturbance in our forest. If this is the latter, then the disturbance could be a curse from a lingering soul slowly gathering power. Both of these options are the worst-case scenario. I quickly send the scouts to recover, and I call for Tantalo, Erical, Resella, and Scout Commander Giavon. I tell all of them about what I had just heard. They all share my concern and vow to look into the matter.
I ask each of them to be careful; the four then take their leave. There is nothing but fear in my heart. Rays then comes over to me; he places a hand on my shoulder, doing his best to alleviate my fears, but it’s no good. I had never known fear like this. It wasn’t just fear; it was an instinct deeply rooted and ingrained in my heart. Mother told stories of how my great-great-great-grandmother led the charge to bring down a powerful Lich Faerie. She died in that battle, and somehow I know the fear she felt. It’s as easy to remember as what I did yesterday.
I guess that is the curse of a Sovereign: to carry the emotions of our predecessors. I then get ready to go outside, but Rays stops me. He says I should stay in the palace. I sigh and agree, but it is important to have options in the future. I go to my room, and I write a message to the Gnome Formen. I want to make sure that if things go wrong, he is willing to provide us with assistance.
I then entrust this message to a Faerie Cavalier, and I send him on his way. I take a deep breath and return to my room, where I lay in bed and begin to pray. If you were wondering if we Faeries pray to a god, we do; we pray to the two forbearers of Faerie kind, Mother Titania and Father Oberon. There are others, but we shall focus on the highest of the Pantheon.
Titania is the Mother of all Faery kind; she birthed the first court and taught us of our innate magical powers, and Father Oberon taught us of order and the ways of the natural world. Countless moons ago, Mother and Father returned to the world of mist and left us to fend for ourselves. You would think we would be put into a wave of despair, but our ancestors stood up and ventured out into the world, confident in our future.
Eventually the First Faery Court was founded. It is known as the Court of the Amandum Blossom. That court is still thriving, so I hear, and the only reason why I know about it is because the First Sovereign was born of that court. Her name was Helon, and legend says she was born with a surplus of magical power due to a birth defect. She was shunned by her court and was considered a disappointment. That is until she met a faerie man who loved her for who she was. The two eloped and started the First Faerie Clan.
Helon had unimaginable power, so she crafted the first parasol, known as the Ever Dream Parasol. Helen was full of love and kindness. It is said that she had brought three thousand faeries into this world, half of them Sovereigns. Those Sovereigns would carry on her harmonious legacy, but sadly when Helon died, her children drifted apart, all of them. Grieving in their own way, some with anger, others with despair, and some went mad due to the realization of their own mortality, and as such, some Sovereigns went through the painful, agonizing process of becoming Lichs.
And this would lead to an all-consuming war between the Lich Faeries and the other Sovereigns. We would get help from other Fae Creatures, notably the Gnomes, our brothers, the Faery Purests, and the Human Quartet. It was the first alliance between humans and Fae, and it worked. We were able to slay all Lich Faeries and wipe them off the face of the earth.
But besides the Lich Faeries, there are the normal Liches; only they know how to stay hidden, and the fact that no one has seen an active Lich in centuries. So if this is a lich, then we need to be careful. If this is due to a Lingering Soul, then this can be resolved easily, but we need to know for sure. The worst-case scenario is that the Soul is on the northeastern side of the forest where the Basilisk Matriarch makes her nest. If this is true, then we’ll need her permission to cross over and deal with it, but I’m too important, dammit!!!!!!
I lay in my bed crying. I need to protect my clan, but I need to be safe. How can I keep them safe? Please, someone tell me, please.
I end up crying myself to sleep, only to be awoken by Rays. He helps me to fix my face and demeanor and leads me to the meeting room where I can get the reports from the knights. The four kneel before me, and they each give me a different report, but there is one recurring key detail in all of their reports: the fact that the Arcane Spirits are wandering the forest aimlessly without direction, and they seem to be stemming from the northern side of the forest, something I have feared.
I quickly stand up with newly enkindled resolve. I grab my parasol and I hold it tightly in my hand. “I am Esteria Prisma Lyrica, Sovereign of Arcus Stella. I am the holder of the Basilisk Arcus Accord. Arcane spirits have invaded my lands, and it is my duty to dispel them. Now, my knights, you will aid me in my mission, all of you, as my protectors.”
All four knights bowed their heads and said, “We will follow you, my Sovereign.” Rays was speechless. He knew at this point that he couldn’t stop me, so away I flew. My protectors and I flew to the border, and I held my Serpent’s Charm aloft, and soon the basilisk Matriarch came over, careful not to cross
I then spoke aloft, “Greetings, your grace. I have called you here to ask a question.”
The Basilisk let out a low growl as if saying, “Speak now, Faerie.” I think it was due to our Accord because even without the speaker, I felt like we were talking in a way.
“Your grace, I need to know: Do arcane spirits plague your domain? If so, I need your permission to cross your border and deal with the Lingering Soul creating them.” The Basilisk Matriarch let out a purr-like growl and turned to the North. The Serpent’s Charm let out a soft blue glow, meaning we had a temporary truce. My protectors and I then crossed over with no incident.
We began heading towards the North, and the further we went, the more vile Mana was produced. Vile Mana is corrupt in every way; it’s toxic to living beings, but Arcane Spirits love it. It empowers them in a way. Usually, souls filled with all kinds of regret can create it in droves, so if they aren’t purified, things can get difficult, but still we continued on. Soon we found it, a corpse of a human woman. She was pregnant, and obviously the child didn’t make it, so it was obvious the child’s soul wanted to live and never got the chance.
“You sweet child, I feel your pain. Everyone wants to live, and you never got that chance. I’m so sorry.” I slowly point my parasol towards the corps, and I begin to speak the incantation. Slowly, light begins to come off my body, the soul begins to shriek, and arcane spirits begin to appear. I sigh and try to hurry, but my Protects are quick to come to my aid. All I hear is them fighting the spirits, and from what I hear, they are doing well. Soon a spell circle begins to form under the soul. It starts to radiate with white light. The soul slowly begins to shift. I feel so bad for this child; all he wanted to do was live.
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So I decide to take a chance; I slightly change my intent, and things slowly start to feel right, but then I start to sense more spirits. They’re swarming. I was starting to get afraid this is taking too long, but if I try to hurry, I could make things worse. Then I hear it; it’s a scream from Tantalo. My heart starts to sink. I should be the one helping him; he needs me. A tear falls from my eye as I continue trying to block out his screams so I can complete this spell.
Then an explosion of white light comes from the soul, the corrupted mana slowly dissipating, and the spirits started to fade from this world. I then looked to the soul, and in its place is a Faery seed bulb. I can sense powerful magic coming from it. I gently cradle it in my arms, and I come over to my protectors, Tantalo and Erical, who are pretty banged up. I end up helping them back to the settlement.
Everyone is rushed to the healer’s circle, and I take the bulb to the Faery dome. I leave the bulb in the care of Maia, who shares my surprise. She says that this bulb could be a Sovereign. Hearing this fills me with a sense of relief and fear. In our culture, when there is another Sovereign born into a clan with an existing Sovereign, the existing one must mentor them until they are ready to come into their own. After that, the two Sovereigns will either fight for the right to rule the clan, or the newer Sovereign will go off to start her own clan.
But this could wait for later. The moment I leave the Faerie Dome, I am met with the leader of the Elders, Destai. He glares at me and says,
“Esteria Your choices have put this clan in serious danger. We, the Elders, have decided that your right to rule should be reconsidered for the time being. We, the Council of Elders, will rule the Clan in your stead. You can only focus on creating more Bulbs for the future of the Clan, but we also ask that you return to the Palace and stay there.
At that point, two guards loyal to the Council of Elders take me by the arms, and they escort me to the palace. They take me to my room and stand outside the door, blocking me inside. I try to leave out the balcony, but there are guards there as well.
I''m trapped. I start to hyperventilate. I lay in my bed like several times before. I curl into a fetal position, and I begin to weep.
For the next three weeks I am bound to the Palace, only being able to go to the Faerie Dome and back, and besides the one royal Bulb I brought into the world, no other Bulb has shown any signs of becoming a Sovereign, but according to Maia, this one seed Bulb seems to hold greater powers than I do, and that might be what the elders are hoping for; they would love nothing more than to throw me aside so that they could abuse their power and live the life of luxury.
I end up lying in bed as I stare at the ceiling. I hear Ray''s voice; he comes in and smiles, handing me a letter and quickly leaving. I assume the guards don’t want him around. I look at the letter, and it’s blank, but there is a faint scent of spider milk coming from the paper, which can only mean one thing: I wait until nightfall, and once I’m alone, I create a fairy flame and set the paper on fire. The letter is quickly enveloped in it, but it doesn’t burn completely.
The fire then reveals the hidden message, which is as follows:
“My Sovereign i write this letter to you on behalf of Clan the Elders have already set there plan into action they are throwing lavish parties in there tower using up all our resources the clan is steadily running out of food they are also forcing the maidens of the clan to service them and if that is not bad enough we suspect they now about the Sovereign resting in the Bulb at the Faery dome if this is true they may be planning your assassination know this Esteria we the people will not allow this to happen i have met with the people and we have a plan for your freedom there is a list of instructions on the other side of this letter please read them carefully this starts tomorrow at dawn”
I let out a sigh of relief; it was comforting knowing that I had the support of the people, but I can’t believe the elders would do this, but then again it’s not too far-fetched. The elders have always taken a backseat when it comes to the politics of the Clan, but for them to actively abuse their power and try to assassinate me, why would they even do this?
I was so worried that for the rest of the night I could barely sleep. I was worried for my safety, like at any given moment an assassin could come in and try to take my life. I didn’t sleep at all. When dawn came, I heard what sounded like a club striking metal. It came from the balcony. I came over and opened the door and saw Faery dressed in purple and pink fishnet clothing. He had black hair that gave off a neon purple sheen, and he wore a mask covering his face. He looked to me and said,
“Come, hurry.”
Then the door burst open, and in came two guards loyal to the Council of Elders. They came towards me, but then they were stopped by two servants who were doing their best to stop them. I was so touched. Then I turned to the Faery in fishnet clothing. He created a fog of dark mist that engulfed the balcony, and soon we escaped under the cover of night. Soon I found myself in a small house on the edge of the settlement, and there waiting for me was Rays, along with an elderly Faerie in fishnet clothing. He created a fog of dark mist that engulfed the balcony, and soon we escaped.
Under the cover of night, soon I found myself in a small house on the edge of the settlement, and there waiting for me was Rays along with an elderly Faery couple that seemed familiar to me.
Rays hugged me and said
Rays: “Esteria, thank goodness we succeeded. Praise the Mother and the Father.”
Esteria: “Rays, it’s so good to see you, but what are we to do now?”
Rays: “We are working on that, your Radiance. Until then, these two will be sheltering you. They are more than willing to secure your safety.”
I looked to the couple, and soon I remembered them.
Esteria: “Nanny Layai Uncle Coba? Is that really you?
Layai: “It’s so good to see you, my sweet Flower. It’s been so long.”
Coba: “When we heard what the elders were doing, you better believe we jumped at the chance to help you, and luckily the rest of the Clan agreed the entire Senate has gone mad and needs to be taken down.”
I smiled and hugged them. Both of these two were like a second pair of parents to me. They helped raise me whenever Mother was busy. Coba was my mother’s personal bodyguard, and Layai was my mother’s adviser. They treated me like I was their daughter, and they were so kind to me. When they retired, they were offered a seat on the senate, but they turned it down—a wise decision if you asked me.
A voice then spoke up and said
????: “Ahem, I hate to break the mood of this touching moment, but there is the matter of payment for my service.
Rays turned to the Masked Faerie and said
Rays: “Yes, of course I will handle this. We are prepared to offer you any reward you could possibly desire.”
Sai: “The name is Sai, and all I ask for is a month''s supply of provisions so I may continue my travels.”
Rays: “Is that all? I thought all rogue faeries required a king''s ransom.”
Sai: “That’s not always true. I’m happy to help my fellow faeries in need; plus, this seems to be a dire situation for you all. I don’t want to make the situation any worse.”
Nanny Layai then handed Sai a bag full of supplies. He then made his way out of the house. I then stopped Sai by grabbing his wrist and saying,
Esteria: “Wait, can I please see your face? I wish to know the face of my hero.”
Sai turned around to face me and nodded his head. He then removed his mask, revealing his icy blue eyes and black sclera. These were the eyes of all rogue faeries. The reason why a Faeries eyes change to this haunting appearance is because a faery must commit the worst sin of all, the sin of murdering their most treasured companion. Upon committing the deed, their eyes change, and they stop aging, and they gain the ability to use shadow and curse magic.
I looked into those ghostly eyes, admiring them. Sai then put his mask back on and said
Sai, “For my kind, our masks serve a vital role of protecting our identities; when Faeries see our true face, they cower in fear and flee, but you are the first to show general intrigue and compassion, Sovereign Esteria. I shall always remember your name.”
Sai then left, and I suddenly felt so exhausted I soon began to fall to the floor, only to be caught by Uncle Coba, who carried me to my room. He tucked me in, and soon I was sleeping soundly. I would soon wake up to breakfast in bed; it was my favorite treat: spider cider with strawberry cakes with blueberry syrup. Nanny Layai smiled and began to pick out my clothing as I ate.
Layai: My dear, for the time being we can’t let you leave the house; the Senate’s guards are frantically searching for you, so I hope you understand.
Esteria: “I completely understand Nanny; for the time being, I’ll help with the house chores. It’s about time I learned how to keep house.”
Nanny Layai smiled and began teaching me how to cook, clean, and sew. I was incredibly bad at cooking; everything I made somehow wound up turning yellow in color, but it was still a nice experience. Uncle Coba kept me informed about the goings-on with the Senate; they were furious about my escape. They began to spin a tale of how I had gone insane and was actively trying to hurt my people. Fortunately, they all failed to convince them; the Senate really underestimated the bonds I had formed with the people.
Soon there would be a revolution in my clan; the Senate will be brought down, and things will change for the better.