Otto had never trekked through the Fae Wood before . . . at least not so far in. Except for a few more truffle pigs that dashed past, he found it odd that no enemy had attacked them since they had entered the canopy of trees.
He suspected that before the Forgotten King’s death, the Wood was a much more dangerous place. (Now the Heroes just needed to clear the evil in the rest of Crystalia.) He also recalled that he was in the company of five elite Rangers, two princesses of prophecy, and, although tied at the wrists and being tugged along, one Riftling Warrior. Even the most brain-dead monster would have to lack the most basic survival instincts to dare attack them.
He glanced over his shoulder to see Nier—the tall, redheaded fifth member of Tytha’s team—yank on the rope tied to Aelyph’s bonds, and noticed he wasn’t the only one staring at the Riftling. Princess Sapphire looked more than a little upset over the way the Riftling was being treated by the Rangers.
Her reaction didn’t make sense to Otto; Riftlings were a conniving and hateful race that would sell their own spawn if it meant achieving power.
“You know, the Flicker Fire Grove used to be just a retreat for weary travelers. Now it’s probably the biggest settlement in the Fae Wood, even though the Grove has mushrooms that produce spores that can create fires in the hollowed trees.” Princess Emerald sounded fascinated by the elven culture. “One could even call it the elven capital, not that they would use such a word for it.”
“Capital?” Otto asked, snapping out of his reverie.
Princess Emerald giggled. “I thought you would find that fascinating, Shiny, considering you seem to love that word.”
She doesn’t have to tease me about it.
Otto inclined his head as he gazed around the forest. “I daresay that I like many words that express how I’m feeling. However, I try to limit them to how I feel and not to label other people.”
“You common folk take your names and titles much more seriously than us elves,” Tytha spoke up, traces of amusement in her voice.
Otto smirked, watching as a large, glowing ladybug climbed down a tree trunk. “This coming from people who call themselves the Glimmerdusk Rangers? And why do you keep calling us . . .”
He trailed off as the ladybug’s shell lifted to show not just glittering wings, but the slender body of something that looked to be human.
Otto pointed. “I-I say . . . w-what is that?”
Bloom and Gloom both laughed boisterously as Nier raised her hand to her lips and started tittering. Tytha shook her head and Princess Emerald rolled her eyes, but Cree just stared stonily ahead.
“Honestly, you really are a babe in the Wood out here, aren’t you Otto?” Princess Emerald said.
“What?”
Tytha shot the twins a look until they stopped laughing before turning back to Otto. “I guess I can’t really blame you. It’s one of the Fae.”
“Capit—” Otto stopped and shook his head. “My word, a Fae! I’ve read about them, but this is my first time actually seeing one.”
“The Fae take many forms. Sometimes they take the form of insects or plants.” Princess Emerald laughed. “You’ve probably seen a few Wisps in the forest and didn’t notice them.”
Frightened by their loud voices, the ladybug fluttered its wings and took off through the trees.
“On the bright side, at least it didn’t take the form of a piece of fruit. The Fae don’t look kindly on those that try to eat them, and you don’t want to be on their bad side.” Bloom patted Otto on one shoulder.
Gloom patted him on the other shoulder, still holding the long, cloth-wrapped object over his shoulder. “There’s still time, brother, there’s still time.”
Otto started to realize that his lack of experience in this place was going to be more dangerous than he had thought. It reminded him of what Princess Sapphire had mentioned of the Rifting Warrior being captured close to the Deeproot Tree. If Aelyph had been doing anything he could to escape those from the Nether, then wandering into a place he shouldn’t go would make sense, even if it was considered sacred.
“Your prisoner, Aelyph Maleroth, have you heard that name before?” Otto asked.
The joy drained from Tytha’s face. “Aelyph, no, but Maleroth . . . Maleroth was the name of a Riftling general from years ago that suddenly vanished and was never heard from again. Whether he is the same Maleroth or someone just using his name . . . well, we’ll find out when he’s in the Flicker Cells.”
“What exactly are the Flicker Cells?” Otto asked.
Tytha grinned at him. “You’ll see; we’re almost there.”
They eventually came out of the trees onto a cobbled path. They had been traveling all day, the shadow of the Deeproot Tree getting farther away. The more distance they put between the Riftling and the Tree, the more aware of himself the Riftling seemed to become. If there was any time to be observant of their surroundings, it was now.
The Rangers led them toward a thick wall of massive trees. Otto wondered how they could grow so close together, until seeing that many of them were actually dead and hollowed out to make tunnels. They entered into the tunnels, their footsteps echoing in the dry walls until they finally exited into a wide, urbanized clearing.
There were many wooden houses, mostly up in the trees, linked by bridges and lit by the mushroom spores Princess Emerald had mentioned. A dense, elvish community covered the area, and for all its foliage, Otto didn’t think he had ever seen a forest look more like a town before.
“Welcome to the Flicker Fire Grove. You should be well protected during your stay here.” Tytha gestured to Cree. “Take them to where they will be staying while we escort our prisoner to his cell.”
Cree nodded sharply and waved for them to follow her. Nier pulled on the rope and Aelyph trudged behind the Rangers in the other direction. Otto strode through the town, moving past sproutlings, elven warriors, and worker elves as the party followed Cree into the crowd.
Princess Emerald walked up beside Otto. “The Flicker Fire Grove is a bit different from your average elven settlement. It’s a hub for magical exploration, a center of archaeology and antiquities, and a staging ground for Heroes from all across Crystalia.”
Otto’s gaze drifted over the settlement. “It’s quite the place.”
He gawked at the many houses in the trees. There were shops and stands for equipment, as well as the hustle and bustle of any normal village. The place had a smoky scent to it, but he couldn’t see what was causing the smell. He frowned as his gaze came to a circle of large mushrooms they were passing. He leaned in close to one of them.
Like a sudden sneeze, the mushrooms let out a gust of spores that burst into flame as soon as they made contact with the air. Otto jumped back in surprise, checking to make sure he hadn’t caught fire himself.
“I say!” He checked his surroundings to make sure there weren’t any more mushrooms around him.
Princess Emerald giggled. “Wow, Shiny, even the sproutlings know not to go near the smother mushrooms,” she chided. “If it weren’t for the recovery salves and lacquers created from the opal lilies in the Blackroot Grotto, a lot of journeymen would have been burnt to death from them.”
Otto frowned. “Why in Crystalia would the elves create a city in such a dangerous place? Aren’t they afraid some of the huts will catch on fire?”
“On the contrary, the elves that created those huts have synthesized a fireproof lacquer that stops them from burning. Some have even built their houses around the smaller smother circles so that the flames can warm their homes.”
Otto recalled what Tytha had said about how they planned to get answers from Aelyph. “They said they were going to put the Riftling in a Flicker Cell . . . What exactly is that?”
The smile faded from Princess Emerald’s face and she hesitated. Princess Sapphire spoke up, her voice angry.
“It’s a torture chamber that uses the heat of the smother mushrooms to make the floor and walls of the cell unbearably hot. They believe that once a prisoner can stand no more, they will answer any question the elves ask of them.”
“That’s barbaric!” Otto cried. “I thought the elves were a carefree and loving people! Why would they create such a thing?”
Princess Emerald shook her head. “Just like people, there are different types of elves living in the Fae Wood. The ones that live closest to the Deeproot Tree are generally more friendly and carefree, but we are a good three days’ travel from there. This is a hub for explorers, and here the Rangers have less patience for the enemies attempting to take their land. That being said . . .” She looked up in thought. “It was odd that they would act so hostile toward Sapphire.”
Otto turned back while Cree led them silently.
Even so, the Flicker Cells sound like a horrible way to interrogate someone that is more than willing to give up any information they have. He gritted his teeth and stared down. My word, what am I saying? He’s a Riftling; his kind would set their enemies afire just to watch them burn!
Night was falling by the time they reached their accommodations. Cree led them to a massive plant that Otto would have called a tree from its size but for the fact that it looked more like a giant flax bush, each frond a bridge leading to its own door. It looked like the elven equivalent of the Paladin’s barracks back in Crystalia Castle.
“Is this also where the Rangers stay?”
Cree asked, “How did you know?”
Otto grinned and shrugged. “Just a guess.”
“Well, you three will be sleeping in those two rooms at the bottom.” Cree pointed to two of the front fronds leading from the base of the flax bush. “Get comfortable and we’ll see you in the morning.”
Princess Emerald raised an eyebrow. “We have to share a room?”
Cree’s voice was flat as she said, “Apologies; we have soldiers returning from the Nether Rifts coast and we need all of the rooms we can get. I’m sure you don’t mind bunking with your sister.”
Princess Emerald sighed. “I guess.”
Before they could enter their rooms, Princess Sapphire asked, “When is Aelyph going to be interrogated in the Flicker Cell?”
The smallest flicker of apprehension crossed the Ranger’s face. “Tomorrow, I believe.”
Princess Sapphire nodded. Otto frowned at the question, not sure why she had asked, but then crossed the bridge-like frond leading to his own room. He opened the hanging leaf-door and went inside. The room was small, with a green protrusion coming out from the wall that he assumed was a desk, and a hammock woven from the flax.
Rather cozy, if I do say so myself.
Otto walked into the room and began taking off his armor. Plate armor took a while to remove, but he went about the process methodically. When he finally managed to get it all off and was about to drop his trousers, the leaf-door opened and Princess Sapphire strode in.
“Otto, we need to—”
“Knock before entering! My word, you almost caught me with my pants around my ankles!”
Princess Sapphire smiled, amused, and continued what she was saying. “Pardon the intrusion, Sir Paladin, but we need to talk.”
Otto nodded and stood. “Very well. Please do, Princess.”
She strode in and leaned against the desk. “You vowed to my father to protect me on this journey, did you not?”
“Both you and your sister, yes.”
Princess Sapphire’s lips thinned. “And this includes following me and assisting me in whatever I do, correct?”
Otto’s brow furrowed. “Well, it will really depend on what you’re doing.” His eyes narrowed. “Why? What are you planning?”
“Oh, nothing too serious. I just need to know you will keep your vow and be on my side if I do something reckless.”
His mouth dropped. More like when you do something reckless. He decided not to say anything.
Princess Sapphire went to leave but stopped before going through the leaf-door. “My father always told me that the Paladins were formidable warriors of great renown and a force to be reckoned with. I can’t wait to see one in action for myself.”
She winked at him and walked out into the twilight.
If we’re lucky, you won’t have to see what I can do until we reach the Midnight Tower.
If Otto had his way, he would have them sneak into the Tower, roll the Midnight Queen up in a mattress, and carry her back to the Castle on their shoulders, all the while praying to the Goddess that the Midnight Queen didn’t turn them into frogs.