Shade felt naked under the dozens of eyes that were scanning her like a tourist. She stumbled behind Jack, who seemed oblivious of the commotion around them. That is, until a large troll stood in front of them, blocking the path.
“Out of the way Renny, I must see Ilarial immediately. I have some strange news about Vange. I brought someone who needs to see her.” The Troll narrowed his eyes behind Jack, boring his glowing, yellow spheres into Shade. She felt herself shrinking under that glare; he was monstrous and one of the scariest things she had ever laid her eyes upon.
“Can’t do that Jack, no strangers allowed without prior approval, you know that. We have to be sure she is not a spy; the forest is crawling with them. They could only be so lucky to have you waltz one right into the center of our residence. I have to tie her up now.” The troll pushed past Jack and reached for her. His large hands were hideous and reminded her of moldy green cheese. They looked burly, and if he got a hold of her she didn’t know how she would break free, even if she tried.
“Jack?” She stepped back as he came closer. “I’m not a spy! Don’t touch me! Jack?” She peered around for him as the troll’s fingers grabbed her arm and squeezed, digging hard into her flesh. The next second, the Troll was on the floor staring at the ceiling, blinking in disbelief and surprised. Jack had his sword to the troll’s throat and his foot pressed down onto the massive chest.
“I told you Renny, we must see the oracle Ilarial. I vouch for this girl. She is no spy. Now stay out of my way or the next time this blade will find your throat all the way through.”
He pushed off and looked at Shade. She trembled as she let out a breath, which she had stifled in her chest. He motioned her to follow him. She nodded and stepped past the troll, who glared at her with his burning yellow eyes. She turned away, scurrying over to Jack as he continued walking down another corridor that was off the main room. She didn’t let her gaze deviate from the room until it was out of sight. Shivering, she hugged her arms around herself even though the room wasn’t cold; the chilling feeling that overwhelmed her sprouted from fear.
“I apologize for the security around here; we’ve had a lot of break-ins and Queen Zinara is not pleased. You must understand if I even suspected you of being a spy, you would not be standing here with me at all.”
Shade gulped. She was feeling most unwelcomed.
“Ah, here we are!” Jack stopped at the end of the hall and tapped on a wooden door. It had deep carvings that curved and twisted throughout the ancient wood, smoothed over by time and use.
“Come.” A female’s voice commanded. Shade hoped she would be friendlier than the bunch they had already encountered.
Jack heaved the door open and let Shade go in before him and closed it behind them softly. She studied the room; it glittered in the dim candlelight illuminating from the center of a round wooden, table that was near the floor. There were also several large pillows tossed about the room that were probably used for seating.
From behind the table, a platinum-haired woman stared at her. She smiled and lifted her arms, motioning them to sit near her. Her gown flowed around her like liquid ice, white and sheer. Her hair glistened in the light, her eyes were like grey pearls shinning. The oracle’s eyes brought out the smoothness of her face. Her lips were dark pink and nothing about her seemed old. She almost looked like an angel without wings. Shade tried not to stare, hoping she hadn’t been rude.
She settled on a large blue pillow, which was soft and comfy.
She noticed several objects on the table before them; stones of different colors and markings were scattered on the wood. There were also some small animal bones, bleached white and spread across, mingling with the stones. Whatever these were, Shade had no idea what they were for.
“Please, take my hand.” Ilarial brought her slender pale hand towards Shade, her long white robe flowing from the thin white arm.
She took the hand, finding it soft and surprisingly warm. “Um, hello, I’m Shade, Jack brought me here because I…”
“I know who you are and why you are here, Shade. I have been waiting for you a long time. I was hoping that you might run into someone like Jack a little sooner, but this will do. I am Ilarial, Lady Oracle of the tribe Guildrin.” She smiled. Shade felt warm and suddenly very calm. The woman was full of magic and it irradiated around the room like a warm fire on an icy night.
“I know you are confused. I have known of your existence for some time. You say you can hear what you call voices in your head from time to time?” The oracle asked kindly.
Shade nodded, she was in awe of Ilarial. She could not shake the weirdness of the room’s atmosphere. Was she under a spell? Being in Ilarial’s presence was like being drugged or sedated, it filled her with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Ilarial smiled deeply, her eyes crinkled, exposing some age to this woman, but it was impossible to tell just how old she was. Her long hair draped around her shoulders and down her back like a thick rippled curtain, shining in the dim candlelight.
“The voices in your head, they are spirit guides, your ancestors trying to help you on your way. It’s difficult to tune into them because you are not trained, but they mean only to help you. You must not fear them, but let them fill you with their power and knowledge. They have led you to find us. You must know now that you are not all human. You are one of us, part faery and part human. This is why you can sense magic around you and it’s called you here.”
Shade concentrated on Ilarial’s words. What the heck?
Impossible. Shade shook her head.
“What? No. My parents aren’t faeries! What do you mean by that? That would mean my father or mother is a faery, right? That makes no sense. My mother is not magical. She is a modern soccer mom with 4 kids to feed and a single mom at that! My father is dead, he died two years ago, and there is no way he was a faery!”
Shade was growing agitated, her father a faery? No it couldn’t be because he had been so normal. She could still remember his calm voice reading to her at night before bed and the wrinkles that hugged his eyes and his smile. Faeries aren’t parents; they don’t die in car accidents like her father had. It was making sense to her, not at all.
“I know this may sound impossible. I knew that it would be difficult for you to accept. You are the oldest in your family, right?” Shade nodded. “Your mother was with a faery once; he charmed her into loving him instantly. She had no choice really. That’s how she became pregnant with you. Of course, this faery enchanted (the one you call father) almost as soon as he knew there would be a child, to make sure you would be taken care of in ways he could not provide. So your adoptive father fell in love with your mother, married her right away and then you were born. Both were none the wiser.” Ilarial paused, watching Shade’s reaction. She was careful in not enhancing the details.
“My dad was not my real father? How would you even know that? Who was this ‘faery’ then? Did he tell you himself? What if you’re lying?” Shade stood up suddenly looking down at Ilarial, her heart beating hard within her chest. Her breath caught in her throat, causing it to feel tight and it soon burned.
“Shade, please, sit down, you must listen to her, she knows more than you think.” Jack was suddenly standing behind her, taking hold of her shoulders and pressing softly down.
She took a breath, eyeing Ilarial with suspicion. She sighed, deciding it would be better to sit down and listen to whatever was thrown her way. Slowly, she sank down into the sea of pillows.
Ilarial was calm and still as a lake. She was not stirred up so easily but smiled again. The same warm feeling flooded over Shade once more. Calm, it said, so calm.
“I must tell you, faeries cannot lie. Unless of course you are not a full faery like yourself. We can enchant, stretch the truth or work a way around it, but never a straight out lie. I do hope you believe me. I mean no harm to you my child. I only wish to find truth for you.” She nodded and looked down onto the table before them. She picked up only the s
tones and warmed them in her hands. She then dropped them on the table and watched them roll to their places.
“These stones are quite powerful; they are mined from the heart of the earth, deep within crevices never seen by man. They are called seeing stones and the runes on them foretell futures or sing of the past. I see a great journey you must undertake, a misshapen love with a broken heart, confusion…” She pointed to each stone, first a blue stone, then a pink red one, and then blackened quartz. The last three were turquoise, purple, and yellow and they were wedged in a group together. She paused before them, turning her head slightly, as if waiting for them to speak. “Ah, yes, a most special task has fallen to you where your true self shall be revealed.”
Shade stared at Ilarial. Nothing made sense to her, absolutely nothing. The stones glistened and vibrated on the table, almost glowing. Shade felt power radiating from them like a nauseating heat that was making her slightly dizzy. “What does that all mean?”
“It means that you have come here in a time of war within our kind. Our Queen demands a force to be assembled. Now as we speak, we must prepare to take a great journey that has not been traveled in a thousand years by our tribe to retrieve the Santiran magic. It is a pool of water; this water holds the powers of the origins of earth. All elements and creatures were born of this spring. It holds life and death. It can be used to summon the powers of earth, it helps the balance between good and evil in our land, and evil will wither against it.
‘It is said only the one that belongs to both man and faery can hold this liquid and return it to the great city of Aturine here in Guildrin; where the queen resides. Only then will we be safe from the Lonares attacks and vicious battles.” She paused, studying Shade’s face. “The stones tell me that someone must be you, Shade.”
Shade tried to close her mouth, as if the words would taste bad if they reached her lips. Why was she so special? She was just a senior, in high school, she wasn’t even sure if she was going to college. She was also quite unsure of what to eat for lunch most days. Why would she be so useful? “No way, no, um, sorry but you got the wrong girl or something. This is nuts. I gotta go, it’s getting late.” She nervously chuckled, shaking her head. She turned to Jack as she stood up. He was silent and looking just a bit glum.
“Has the Queen called assembly yet?” He asked Ilarial.
“She is as we sit here, right now. We must go now and listen. This will be legendary to hear the assemblage of the task force. Shade, we must take you there now,” the oracle said.
Ilarial stood, and her movement was light and airy, almost as if she were floating. She waved to Shade, as Jack opened the wooden door to the hallway once more. Shade was in too much shock to object; she followed them both down the tunnels, returning to the main room, were Renny had attempted to arrest her. She stood wide-eyed at the scene; it had swelled up with more people or faeries, or whatever the heck everyone was down here. Ilarial pushed through the crowd, or rather it seemed to part just for her, until they reached a great platform. Here stood several guards and another woman in a great, long, red velvet gown. A tall crystal tiara flashing with diamonds and blood red rubies rose from her long dark black hair. She watched them as they approached the raised platform, passing her eyes from Ilarial to Shade. Gleaming green irises bore into her like fire burning in pale skin. This woman was not to be messed with, the air of command and power swirled around her like a cloud. Shade’s suddenly felt quite tiny.
Most Seelie queens were fair-haired, but Zinara had been born with the dark hair of an Unseelie queen. Nonetheless, she had won her crown and had paid dearly of flesh and blood for it. Shade listened to Ilarial’s small history lessons as she watched the room turn to give the queen its full attention.
“Your majesty,” Ilarial bowed to the queen deeply and kissed her hand. “I must present to you Shade, a halfling who has joined us today. I have read the stones and she is the one I have been telling you about. She has finally returned to us; she is the one that I have foreseen for this journey, you assembled here today and the magic of Faerie brings her to us.”
The queen listened intently. Her eyes adverted from both of them to view the crowd. She seemed to be thinking about something faraway. Nothing anyone seemed to think strange. Shade felt sick. She was homesick already. The pressure of all the things she was being told bore down on her. She felt as if she were sinking into the depths of a deep dark well. Her chest ached and she felt like someone or something was holding her down with heavy rocks. She watched the crowd and wanted to fade into it. She wanted to run down the tunnels and out of the forest, as fast as she could.
“A pleasure to finally meet you, Shade,” the queen said as she turned her gaze back to her and offered her hand.
Unsure of what to do, she copied Ilarial’s gestures and kissed the queen’s hand. She noted Ilarial’s approval and returned her gaze to the amazing queen as she let her go. The queen then turned back to the crowd and the room fell silent.
“Dear ones, I find it difficult to address you today. The evil that surrounds us has threatened our peaceful lives, many times, as of late. My heart breaks with the death that reeks onto our precious earth. I am forced to ask of you the most dangerous of requests. We must obtain the magic of the Santiran fountains once more. Our ancestors used this when the earth was once out of balance and evil lurked around every corner. We have attempted to fight the Lonare’s, but have failed to hold them back with terrible losses. I fear our only savior and chance against the vast Unseelie armies is this magic; but we must now take a perilous journey to get it.”
She paused and sighed, seemingly upset by what she was saying. “Unfortunately, I cannot go myself because being near the fountain would prove fatal for me. The magic of the Santiran Fountains can only be bequeathed unto a halfling, one of both worlds, human and faery. We have finally found her, thankfully, on this night of all nights. I am most pleased to introduce our most precious treasure, Shade.” Her hand outstretched toward Shade and the crowd cheered thunderously.
Shade was sweating with anxiety, how much longer could she stand here? She felt lightheaded and the room was shrinking in her vision.
“She will take this journey, for it is her destiny. I must request though, an entourage to help her get there safely. I must ask for volunteers for this most dangerous task. Can anyone selflessly swear loyalty to her? Can anyone be such a guide and guard for our precious jewel?”
Silence seemed to engulf the room. Whispers echoed in the great room, as everyone shuffled and shifted about. The excitement was electric and it reminded her of Jack’s unglamoured figure. Speaking of Jack, where did he go? Shade thought to herself.
“I’ll go, I found her, and she is my responsibility.” Jack bowed to the queen and then stepped back. The queen nodded and smiled at him and approval was evident in her eyes.
Another man, tall and muscular stepped from behind Jack, his long brown hair tied back loosely with some loose wisps framing his face. He wore form fitting armor and leather, with a sword strapped to his back. He seemed younger than Jack but older than Shade. He also bowed before the Queen. “Your Majesty, Soap, at your service. It would be my duty to serve you. I swear loyalty to this young lady and take on the dangers of her quest as my own.” He stepped back and received the same approving look and a nod from the queen.
Another figure stood out in the crowd lifting his arm into the air. “Your majesty, Ewan here, I will also swear my loyalty and take on this perilous journey for you, my queen. I have experience traveling to the Santiran land. I hope I can be of use.” He also bowed.
Another and another and another stepped out from the crowd. The band of noblemen, were named: Than, a specialist in the oriental knife throwing arts, a lady warrior named Sary and another man named Stephen. The queen approved all these volunteers swiftly.
“Now, only magic can fight magic. I also need one brave volunteer who is practiced in sorcery to join the others. Is there anyone of such skill that would acce
pt such a feat?” The room was once again quiet. Shade was definitely feeling lightheaded now. Her stomach lurched and soon the room began to spin, Ilarial stepped over to her and smiled, placing her hand on Shade’s arm, she seemed to sense she needed some aide and steadied her with one hand; her other hand retrieved a small stone from her gown.
“Shade, suck on this stone, it will make you feel better.” She reached over and placed it into Shade’s mouth. It tasted sweet as honey. The spinning ceased and her stomach calmed and felt better, instantly. . Wow.
“I, Braelynn, will take this task at hand,” the voice echoed across the crowd. A woman stepped forward, shoving the throng of people around her to part. She wore a light brown dress and had honey colored hair, it was draped about her shoulders. She also had freckles sprayed across her nose and cheeks. Her bright hazel eyes glowed with fire and ice.
“Dear Braelynn, yes please, I would be honored if you would accompany Shade on this quest. I just heard you have become a great sorceress from apprentice. I am pleased that you have passed your trials with exceptional grace.” She nodded in approval and turned to face Ilarial and Shade. “Dearest Shade, I am indebted to you now. Please, get some rest and some food, you will need it, tomorrow the quest begins.” She then bowed and turned to leave, moving to the right and leaving the great room to walk down a corridor, without any further instructions for Shade.
Now what? Shade felt panic rise in her throat. How could she get out of this? What would her mother say? Her mother, she must be so worried. She turned and stared at Ilarial and Jack, both softly discussing something to each other. It all felt so surreal.
Ilarial reached over and took Shade’s hands. They felt comforting to her. She motioned her to follow. “I know this is very overwhelming for you. I cannot make you feel more at ease, but I do hope that I can answer any questions you have. But first, of course, let’s eat, it is late and tomorrow’s journey will be long and tedious. We should join your entourage and get to know them, they will be vital to your safety.”