Once the reluctant little troupe of Servitors departed down the path, the bear turned its head back to them. “Wait here. I will relay and return with an answer.” With that, he backed away slowly, until his eyes disappeared behind the foliage.
When he was gone, Aodhan inspected his immaculate nails and buffed them on his robe. It was an odd contrast to the thick forest environment, but there was not a stain or mote to indicate he’d even been there. His clothing and skin remained untouched.
Azure crossed her arms and frowned at him. “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”
The elf raised an eyebrow at her, face smooth. “What, specifically?”
Azure sniffed. “Where do I even start? Why were you so antagonistic? Why am I an irregularity? How certain are you of their response? Why are you so insistent I come along in the first place?”
“Being antagonistic is all they understand. Conflict of one or another kind is their life, however that they’ve drawn inward societally. You’re an irregularity because of who and what you are. I am not certain of their response, but I know they will respond in some way.”
“And my last question?!”
The elf shrugged with just his face. “I refuse to answer.”
Azure fumed and glared, though she neglected to respond. The elf regarded her back calmly. She finally huffed and looked away, shaking her head. “At least tell me how I should proceed next if I’m allowed in.”
“Are you willing to marry a prince?”
“What?! Of course not!”
“Then do reply that you are already betrothed. They can tell you aren’t ceremonially married, by the way. But betrothal is enough to stall certain attempted intrigues, shall we say. Not absolute, of course. If a prince falls in love, it might not be enough.”
Azure’s hands went to her hips, her prior glare deliberately doubled in intensity. “Just what in blazes have you gotten me into?!”
“Typical fae politics? Why would you expect anything less?”
Azure fumed. It had no effect whatsoever on the impassive elf. He just looked back at her calmly.
I will not be a damsel needing rescue! Whatever happens, I will resolve it myself. In her head, Deathsting growled his agreement with this outlook.
Momentarily, the bear returned — big gleaming eyes seen just beyond the foliage. “Come with me.” That was all as he appeared to turn back around.
Well! Step One is complete, I guess.
Aodhan followed behind immediately, leaving Azure to follow him.
The dense canopy quickly shifted back into the ‘spooky forest’ routine, only intensifying greatly. A bluish fog pervaded, obscuring even her supreme night vision. Tall, twisted trees without leaves dominated and leaned over a root-heavy dirt path. Moss and poison vines crawled over crumbling stone and deadwood. It got colder and colder.
Cute. Don’t like the cold, though.
She got a good look at the black bear leading them, something above two meters tall on four powerful legs. White runes wrapped around the massive beast in curling patterns over the body and two of its limbs. It was uncanny how soft and soundless his footfalls were, partly his way of walking and partly some supernatural effect, she was sure.
“He’d be a worthy foe to stab,” Deathsting offered, apparently having sized the bear up. “Dangerous though such an encounter would be.”
“I’m glad you’re not asking me to instigate such a thing. I’d rather not, all things considered.”
“You wish to conquer this quest with diplomacy, I know. Use flattery on fae. And seduction. One leads to the other.”
“That’s a whole new kind of danger.”
“You see as well as I do what we’re walking into. Conflict of some sort beckons. Prepare yourself.”
Azure took a deep breath and nodded as she eyed the ‘dead’ forest. No — not dead. Wintered. Despite how foreboding the environment was, life was evident. Darting movement, distant in the fog. Snail shells cracked under her boots; the echoes of frog and insect calls; the scent of mingled-together decay. Very alive indeed.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Not attuned to Death, either. It’s no spiritual graveyard. Mana is intensifying, but that’s to be expected of fae disconnected from deities. A hidden realm. So hidden, even the Goddess of Pneuma couldn’t discern what was here. She knew there was something, but not a whole sophisticated realm. Another ‘parasite’ the Dominion failed to remove. They’ve been chopping this forest down slowly and inexorably, though. And are these fae sticking their heads in the sand?
Quite suddenly, the path was over an enormous decline — a pit, in truth, like a well-gutted quarry of some glittering stone. But this quarry, though rocky, was covered and saturated with life. Willow-like trees with extensive roots were prominent, sprouting with dark green leaves. Cut out of the stone and interspersed with the trees were tall, narrow buildings like square or rectangular towers, all coming to angular points in the semblance of upthrust daggers.
In the center was a large, pillared, open hall of some kind, with its material a dark matrix of greens and blues in black, like some special, precious stone. Ringing the hall was a circle of the tallest trees speckled with blue flowers. Water cascaded out from the hall and continuously fell into deeper ravines.
Azure paused and audibly gasped at the sight of it all. “It’s beautiful.”
We’ve seen its like before. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. She wasn’t sure it was hers.
Aodhan raised an eyebrow at her. He did one of his facial shrugs. “It’s… alright.”
The bear paused and looked back at Azure. “Thank you. I helped build it. I remember that much. Little more. No one else does. Except when I tell them, but most don’t listen.”
“I’ll listen,” Azure replied as her eyes flickered between him and the sight of the place. Definite déjà vu. Has the Mirror Demon been here?
The bear might’ve been studying her. Finally, he turned back around. “Regardless, let us continue.”
They proceeded down and down a winding path leading to the grand hall Azure assumed was the central court of the fae. They inevitably walked between the dagger-like buildings. They loomed ominously over root-overgrown rough streets of vastly deteriorated cobblestone. It felt more like walking through ancient ruins than a city. All she caught of the denizens were eyes shadowed from windows here and there, peeking out shyly. It was eerily quiet.
Not exactly showing the ‘fierce warrior’ aspects here. An underclass, I imagine.
No sooner than she thought it, they came to the gate before the pathway to the hall, and here four guards stood, clad in impressive black armor that completely covered them, as well as full helms with horns branching up, and red cloaks. The armor was highly angular and ornate, almost certainly magical and ancient. It wasn’t metal — she wasn’t sure what the material was. But when they moved aside wordlessly, their movements also made no noise, and her keen senses and familiarity noted they moved like the armor was their second skin. It was assuredly light despite how thick it seemed.
The tall, wooden gates that barred the narrow way weren’t connected to a wall — what protected the hall beyond was the rather natural moat of a cavern pit all the way around but for the narrow bridge. The gates simply opened inward as the bear approached and they passed right through. Azure turned briefly on the other side, to see them close behind them. Four guards were standing on the inside, too.
No good escape routes.
She happened to look down over the narrow path they walked. The pitfall might as well be to hell — she couldn’t see the bottom, just fog.
Considering I’m in a spirit realm, I kinda wonder where it leads. A thought that amused her.
The path went slightly upward with regular steps, all of it tall stonework with an abyss on either side. Finally, it came to a pillared hall surrounded by trees clinging for life on the edges, roots dug into stone. They were all flowering with fruit, in what appeared to be a purplish fig. Smatterings of small, gray-speckled birds flew around in them.
They passed more armored guards as they came under the roof of the hall and walked beyond the pillars. It was not an orderly place, but the beauty of the outside was amplified within. Water bubbled up from springs in multiple places, each made into a different fountain structure. Most water fell down steps like a gentle fall, and drops were evident even inside. All but small pockets and the central pathway were covered in flowing water one way or another. Life was everywhere — moss, flowers, weeds, vines, all jutting through cracks or growing over irregular rocky angles. Beautiful chaos.
At the far end was the most upraised portion, and a twisting tree rose from this, its branching hitting the ceiling and fanning out wide. The leaves drooped and were heavy with white flowers. At the base of it, still positioned high on a large platform, was a throne made of curling roots interwoven with vines that flowered every color of the rainbow. Seated on it were two figures, one female, one male. Behind them on the platform were a gaggle of other courtly-looking fae.
Azure was practically struck dumb by the prevalent appearance of most of them, including the two rulers, presumed the king and queen. Pale, bluish skin, dark hair, delicate ram horns, pointed ears, and many with purple eyes, including the queen. They also had snaking tails. The king and queen also had feathered wings, gray and white with stark black tips and frames.
All eyes were on her — on Azure. The figures on the throne stared down in fascination. The queen even leaned forward with a pair of glasses on a rod, which she placed on her nose to see better. She was a fair, elfin beauty, small and delicate of features, dressed in a flowing, glittering, diaphanous gown of prevalent white, but slashed in many colors. She wore sparse jewelry with a thorny, black crown of vines with many flowers. While observing, she held her silence.
The king peered at her with squinting eyes, as if at a puzzle. He wore elaborate, colorful robes with wide sleeves, and his crown was of black, twisted wood wrapped with gold cord and inset with a single ruby. His eyes were rich, vibrant amber, and his skin was grayer than most. In studying Azure, he suddenly laughed — a rich, musical sound. “Not one of those overseas abominations at all! Why, some lost cousin has come to us! And voluptuous at that. Look how she flaunts her humanistic shape!”
The queen frowned and dropped her hand with the glasses. “Hmmph. That makes her abomination plenty, I say.” Her voice was the pinnacle of prim and prissy.
Azure struggled to pay attention to their words. Their appearance! What does this mean? Was the Mirror Demon from here?
Thanks for reading!
Next Chapter (Patreon Link)...
See ya later, alligator...
Backers go here! Huzzah! Thank you! is a link to the claim thread for those who want a spot.
Elias Blade, holding eternally the tarot of The Fool!
Helva, holding eternally the tarot of The Hierophant!
Gostsamo, holding eternally the tarot of Death (+ Binky)!
DuB, holding eternally the tarot of The Moon!
Guessed, holding eternally the tarot of The Magician!
Some BS Deity, holding eternally the tarot of The Hermit!
Silxornas, holding eternally the tarot of The Wheel of Fortune!
Max, holding eternally the tarot of The Devil!
IrateRapScallion, holding eternally the tarot of Justice!
Quarter, holding eternally the tarot of The Hanged Man!
Flight, holding eternally the tarot of The Star!
Tempest42, holding eternally the tarot of The High Priestess!
Venerable Ro, holding eternally the tarot of The Emperor!
Koza0, holding eternally the tarot of The World!
Forgotten Name, holding eternally the tarot of The Sun!
Cothand, holding eternally the tarot of The Tower!
T3iain, holding eternally the tarot of Judgement!
Paul, holding eternally the tarot of The Chariot!
Thorlab, holding eternally the tarot of The Empress!
Renn, holding eternally the tarot of The Lovers!
Xeo, holding eternally the tarot of Temperance!
ObsidianShiv, holding eternally the tarot of the Seven of Swords!
7CatRunes, holding eternally the tarot of the Queen of Swords!
Nick, holding eternally the tarot of the Four of Pentacles!
Hikari, holding eternally the tarot of Strength!
Wiggles1, holding eternally the tarot of the Eight of Ships Pentacles!
Nanominatour, holding eternally the tarot of the Ace of Wands!
Kusoneko, holding eternally the tarot of the Queen of Cups!
Revolgod, holding eternally the tarot of the King of Swords!
Martin, holding eternally the tarot of the Ace of Cups!
Tejing, holding eternally the tarot of the King of Cups!
Renimus, holding eternally the tarot of the Eight of Swords!
Grevias, holding eternally the tarot of the Ace of Pentacles!
LobskiTheMagicLobster, holding eternally the tarot of the Ace of Swords!
3X!3X, holding eternally the tarot of the King of Pentacles!
Manlor, holding eternally the tarot of the Knight of Pentacles!
Mage_Kikyou, holding eternally the tarot of the Queen of Pentacles!
Captain Nuclear, holding eternally the tarot of the King of Wands!
This_bored_guy, holding eternally the tarot of the Five of Cups!
TeeCee67, holding eternally the tarot of the Six of Cups!
Ronny, holding eternally the tarot of the Six of Swords!
ArcH, holding eternally the tarot of the Two of Wands!
Ambicatus, holding eternally the tarot of the Three of Wands!
TheOneGunslinger, holding eternally the tarot of the Three of Swords!
Captain_Sulsear, holding eternally the tarot of the Three of Cups!
Dtape467, holding eternally the tarot of the Knight of Cups!
Rosy Bramble, holding eternally the tarot of the Nine of Swords!
TheDxve, holding eternally the tarot of the Seven of Cups!
Riley, holding eternally the tarot of the Page of Wands!
Volpol, holding eternally the tarot of the Ten of Swords!
Thernn, holding eternally the tarot of the Queen of Wands!
Spark, holding eternally the tarot of the Eight of Wands!
ZelTheUnbroken, holding eternally the tarot of the Knight of Swords!
Arrogantfitz, holding eternally the tarot of the Five of Wands!
Lazifur, holding eternally the tarot of the Knight of Wands!
GrimmRozen, holding eternally the tarot of the Five of Swords!
Rainer, holding eternally the tarot of the Six of Wands!
Kaylee, holding eternally the tarot of the Two of Pentacles!
SlipJay, holding eternally the tarot of the Four of Swords!
Talisman, holding eternally the tarot of the Four of Cups!
Ant Mac, holding eternally the tarot of the Page of Pentacles!
Taublatt, holding eternally the tarot of the Nine of Pentacles!
Shattered, holding eternally the tarot of the Ten of Wands!
IsacIW, holding eternally the tarot of the Two of Swords!
Claire Rylander, holding eternally the tarot of the Seven of Wands!
Zimmy, holding eternally the tarot of the Nine of Cups!
Sarai, holding eternally the tarot of the Seven of Pentacles!
