––––––––
Drycus forced his Lenoi prisoner to his knees. “Lift the shield” he ordered the fairy to use his magic to counteract the invisible shield that surrounded the mountain in front of them.
As he stared at the group of small mountains before him, Drycus could feel the magic blocking him from continuing on his mission.
“My magic isn’t strong enough to lift the shield for more than a few seconds” the Lenoi male said through the blood that seeped into his mouth from the countless wounds that covered his head and face.
“You said that you were capable of lifting it. Now do it! A few seconds is all that I need” Drycus snarled and dug his sharp nails deep into the fairies shoulder.
The Lenoi nodded in defeat and closed his silvery-grey eyes. Drycus felt the removal of the shield the instant it was lifted. He pushed his prisoner toward one of his clan members and rushed into the hills of Menar. He ran so fast that he was nothing more than a blur as he tore through the mountain, slaughtering everyone he came into contact with.
The battle that ensued when he reached his destination was quick and brutal. The trolls and ogres were no match for his strength or speed. By the time he was finished with his rampage, he was covered in blood and there wasn’t a soul left alive.
He stood in the center of the pile of corpses and stared at the thick wooden door sealed into the side of the mountain. He knew that somewhere inside the mountain was the cave he was looking for. With a swift kick, the six inch thick door splintered in two, giving him the opening he needed.
Once inside the maze of caves, he encountered several more trolls and a lone ogre. They put up a great fight but in the end, they fell just like their brethren outside. Drycus easily disposed of them, nearly ripping their heads off when he slit their throats. Caught up in the heat of battle, he continued his assault on the corpses even after they had stopped moving.
A soft whimpering noise drew his attention to the small door to his left. The dim light from the candles that filled the cave cast his shadow on the door as he approached it. With his head lowered slightly and his breathing labored from fighting, he inhaled deeply. A satisfied grin pulled up the corners of his mouth. His prize was so close. All he had to do was take it. He landed a mighty punch to the center of the door that stood between him and his future.
A high pitched scream rang out in the tiny cavern as the door flew across the room and crashed into the wall, breaking loose several large chunks of hard – packed dirt that made up the inside of the mountain. Drycus’ gaze landed on the frightened young woman crouched in the corner farthest away from him.
Caught off guard by the white haired beauty staring back at him with terrified eyes, he was momentarily stunned and unable to move. Noise from outside the cave pulled him back to reality and forced him to react. More trolls were closing in on him, he could smell them getting closer.
Without hesitation, Drycus stomped over to the woman and grabbed her roughly by the arm and jerked her up from the floor. She screamed and fought briefly before he grabbed her face and forced her to look into his eyes. They had barely made eye contact when she instantly went limp in his arms. All fight had immediately left her body. She stared up at him with a vacant expression as he scooped her up in his arms.
Drycus looked surprised as he stared at the young Lenoi fairy. He had barely used any compulsion at all. And while that nifty little talent of his had worked well for him since escaping the castle cellar, it had never worked so quickly and effortlessly before. With no time to think about why the fairy was so easy to contain, he threw the young woman over his shoulder and made a hasty escape from the cave.
He darted passed several trolls as they threw their bodies at him in hopes of knocking him to the ground. But they were too slow. He was out of sight before they even made it back to their feet. He ran back the same way he came into the mountain.
He had barely made it back to where the Lenoi male was struggling to keep the shield lifted, before the fairy fell to the ground in exhaustion and the shield snapped back into place.
Looking down at the young fairy female in his arms, Drycus smiled. She was his key to freedom, she just didn’t know it yet.
*****
“Your Majesty, Drycus and his clan have been spotted to the east. I fear he is on his way here” Nolan said as he knelt down in front of the Queen.
Izola looked to her informant. Nolan was very young in the fairy world, at only a little over sixty years old, he was barely more than a child really even though he had the looks of a young man in his teens and was the leader of the Queens army. His strength and dedication had earned him the position.
“How much time do we have before he reaches the castle?” Izola asked.
She tried to think back to the last time she actually saw Drycus. Her heart ached when she thought back to the day she had been told that her husband had fallen prey to Drycus while out searching for a young Pixie who had gone missing. She had caught a glimpse of him at the edge of the woods not far from the castle, no doubt waiting to witness her breakdown at the news of her husband’s demise. But she denied him that, and retreated into the castle to mourn in private. It was thirty years ago, but it seemed like yesterday.
“We don’t have much time, perhaps just enough to get the archers ready.”
Izola stood up, her long white silk gown flowed behind her as she descended the steps of her throne to stand before Nolan. She rested her hand gently on the side of his face with the love of a mother. To her, each and every fairy in Shohala Falls was her child, no matter what species they were. And she loved them all just as she did her own biological child. “Go. Assemble the archers. But be careful, stay within the perimeter of the shield.”
“Yes, Your Majesty” Nolan said and bowed slightly before hurrying off to prepare for battle.
With her hands clasped in front of her, Izola bowed her head of white hair. Her four hundred years of life were finally starting to show on her face. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth were deeper than they’d been a century ago, giving her the appearance of a human woman in her sixties.
The task of keeping Drycus and his clan trapped in Shohala Falls and away from the human world where he would be free to kill as many people as he wished, was slowly draining the life from her. As the only Lenoi whose magic was strong enough to keep the shield in place, dividing the two worlds, Izola had spent almost half of her life upholding it. The constant use of so much magic had caused her to age faster than she would have normally.
Most Lenoi lived to be well over a thousand years before they looked as old as Izola. Along with the increase in her aging process, the strength of her magic had also decreased over the last couple of decades. Fortunately, no one knew about that, and she prayed that no one ever would.
Izola’s brow furrowed as she tried to think of a reason for Drycus to be coming toward her castle. He hadn’t set foot within range of the protective shield since the day he escaped from his cell.
“Your Majesty, pardon my intrusion” a young Pixie woman said as she approached Izola from behind. “Nolan asked me to let you know that the archers are in place. And all the women and children have been safely led into the tunnels.”
“Thank you, Alyse” Izola acknowledged her with a forced smile. “You should go with the others into the tunnels. I need you to keep an eye an Adora for me. If Drycus finds a way through the shield and breaks through our defenses, I don’t want you here.”
The bright – green eyed beauty looked up at Izola. “Shouldn’t you come with me, Your Majesty?”
Izola turned away and peered out the third floor window of the castle, to the beautiful green land that stretched out in front of her. “No. I will stay here...where I belong. And help fight.”
Alyse was quiet for several seconds before she bowed her head in respect. “Then I will stay too.” She walked across the room and removed one of the many sets of bow and arrows from the wall. Over the years she had trained with the Lenoi warriors and was quite skilled at fighting. Some would say that her small size made her more dangerous because she was able to move more quickly.
Izola faced Alyse and smiled. The young pixie was her most trusted friend. And one of the few people who knew the secret the Queen carried around in her heart. A secret she prayed no one would ever find out about. “I had a feeling that you would” Izola said and rested her hand on Alyse’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
The loud trumpeting from the battle horn on the roof of the castle drowned out any response Alyse may have had.
Izola returned to the window. Fear settled in her chest when she saw Drycus and several of his clan standing outside the castle gates. Over the years, the shield that once stretched for miles beyond the gates had receded and no longer reached the gates at all. It was a sign of how weak her powers had become.
The dark, evil smile on Drycus’ face sent shivers down her spine. He looked exactly the same as he did the day she imprisoned him. She quickly composed herself and stood straight, the air of royalty washed over her as she glared at him.
Drycus threw his head back and laughed out loud, his voice thundered through the land. “Ever the royal, aren’t you, Izola? Even in the face of defeat you hold your head high” he sighed. “I wonder if you would still be so confident if you knew the reason that I’m here.”
“I know why you’re here. You want to overthrow my rule and gain access to the shield blocking you from entering the human world” Izola said. “But that isn’t going to happen. Not now. Not ever.”
Drycus gave her a dark look then reached his hand out and touched the steel gate in front of him. The pain that shot through his body made him jerk his hand back. He looked up at the castle window to see a satisfied smirk on Izola’s face. Her shields may have weakened but the magic used by her predecessors to build the gate was still strong.
Drycus forced a grim smile to his face. “Of course you would be thinking about your precious humans. But that’s not why I’m here...not entirely, anyway” he said, and glanced up at the archers on the roof of the castle, mentally taking count of how many there were. The wooden arrows he saw brought a snarl to his lips. He knew they too were infused with magic. The memory of his muscles locking up and being unable to move on his own came to mind, causing a low growl to escape his lungs. He dropped his gaze back to Izola. “I’m here to let your people know what a liar you are.”
“How dare you speak to our Queen in such a manner, you fiend!” Nolan shouted from his post by the archers.
Drycus spared a glance in his direction and smiled. “Such high respect for your Queen. Too bad she doesn’t have the same for you” he said and met Izola’s eyes once more.
“I have the utmost respect for everyone in my kingdom, except for you” the disgust in Izola’s voice was undeniable.
“Really?” Drycus replied with satisfaction that she had allowed herself to fall into his trap to expose her lie. “If you respect them so much, why haven’t you told your people about your daughter?”
Izola was baffled by his question. Confusion crumpled her face. “There is nothing to tell about my daughter that everyone doesn’t already know. Adora is the princess. She lives here in the castle. And one day she will take my place as Queen and inherit the never ending battle we have with you. What else is there to know?”
“I’m not talking about Adora. I’m speaking of Celeste, your firstborn. The daughter you claimed was dead” Drycus said in a dark voice as an evil grin pulled up the corners of his mouth. “I know all about your little secret.”
Izola’s face went blank, all color instantly vanished from her already pale skin. With her eyes wide, she glared at Drycus in disbelief. It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t know. Not after everything she’d done to protect her secret. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Fear prevented her from speaking.
“He’s lying. He doesn’t know anything” Alyse whispered to comfort Izola. “Only a few of us know about what happened and no one has spoken a word, I swear to you.”
Izola looked to her friend with a pained expression. “I believe you.”
“Well what do you have to say for yourself, Your Majesty?” Drycus sneered the title.
Izola let out a deep breath and forced herself to appear calm even though inside she was an emotional mess. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I only have one daughter and she is behind the walls of this castle, safe from monsters like you.”
Drycus motioned for his clan members behind him to step aside. Behind them stood a Lenoi male with his hands bound in front of him. His body had been beaten so badly that he could barely stand on his own feet. Blood covered his face, hiding his features. But Izola still recognized him. It was Daegon, one of the few people who did indeed know her secret.
Drycus grabbed Deagon by the arm and pushed him toward the gate. He fell to his knees with his head hung low, unable to meet the gaze of the Queen he had betrayed to save his own life.
“It’s a shame that even now, you still lie to those who trust you” Drycus yelled. “But since you claim to have no daughter named Celeste, who you’ve kept hidden with those filthy trolls for almost a century, then I’m sure that you wouldn’t care to know that she will soon be mine.”
A loud gasp escaped Izola’s lungs. She stumbled back from the window, her body shook violently. With terrified eyes, she looked to Alyse. Before she could say anything, Alyse spoke. “Don’t worry, my Queen, I’ll go. I’ll get to her before Drycus does and I will bring her home.”
Unable to speak through the lump in her throat, Izola nodded as her eyes began to water. Alyse quickly ran out of the room. She made her way to the archer’s post and grabbed Nolan to go with her on her quest. Izola closed her eyes and prayed that it wasn’t too late.
“What? Are you no longer in the mood to chat, Izola?” Drycus said in a teasing tone as he chuckled to himself.
She approached the window once more. Her hands shook as she rested them on the windows ledge. She took a deep breath to calm herself before raising her head with the confidence of a Queen. “You will never touch her” she said, her voice strong, determined.
A sinister look filled Drycus’ face as he said the words he knew would break her spirit, “I already have.”
Those three little words shattered Izola’s heart. “No!” she screamed and lunged forward, nearly falling out of the window. The tortured look on her face was exactly what Drycus had been hoping to see.
Finally getting the reaction he’d wanted, he smiled, revealing his fangs. Then he slowly paced the length of the gate as he continued to speak, “she’s a beautiful woman, your daughter. I don’t know why you’ve kept her hidden all these years. Perhaps you’re jealous of her beauty now that yours is gone. I don’t know or care. But I must admit I’ve never met one of your kind that I’ve felt attracted to...until now.”
He glared at Izola, who looked anything but queenly. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears and stress lines creased her face. His enjoyment of the moment increased tenfold when he saw in her eyes that she understood exactly what he meant by his last statement. “I’ve grown weary of this place. And I’m tired of feasting on the scraps I catch from time to time. If you want your daughter back...drop the shield. Release me from this hell. You don’t want me here anymore than I want to be here.”
Izola slumped forward against the window ledge and closed her eyes as tears slipped through her lashes. She thought back to the day she gave birth to Celeste over a hundred years ago.
It had been foretold by a seer when she was born that she would be responsible for changing the fate of the Lenoi. And not knowing what power she would possess or how she would change the world, whether for the better or worse, Izola made a heartbreaking decision. She faked her child’s death and sent her away to be hidden and protected with the ogres and trolls.
Now she couldn’t help but regret that decision. Year after year, she had secretly visited her daughter, each time she hoped that Celeste had finally developed whatever power she was to be gifted with. But she never showed any signs of magical ability at all. She was an anomaly in the fairy world, the only one who didn’t have some sort of gift or magic.
After realizing her daughter’s inabilities decades ago, Izola had wanted to bring her daughter home, but the seer, Meglana, had been insistent that it would be a mistake. So instead of embracing and claiming her daughter, Izola kept her hidden from the world. And now she was going to lose her forever because she couldn’t do the one thing she needed to in order to save her. Millions of humans would be slaughtered if she did.
Izola opened her eyes. The depth of her heartache was clear on her face. The devastation boiling inside her made her words weak and cracked as she spoke. “No. I will not drop the shield.” She had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before her body began to tremble with the sobs building in her chest.
Drycus narrowed his eyes at her. “You will sacrifice your daughter to save the humans?”
Izola stood straight and brushed the tears from her cheek with the back of her hand as determination forced back her pain. “No. I’m going to save my daughter and the humans by killing you.” Before Drycus could respond, she yelled “archers!”
Within seconds, hundreds of arrows sliced through the air toward Drycus and his clan.