Random Jordan's Blog, page 2

A Faerie in a Purple Dress: Chapter 11

Eleven

The Great Escape

A fireball smashed into the cage I jumped behind. It hardly seemed like these mages understood the meaning of capture; they were more interested in just murdering me outright flinging things like fireballs and lightning bolts. Hiding behind a cage with a dragon was only going to buy me some time though. I just had to hope it would be enough; even if I had yet to come up with a plan for escaping…

Zmeu was smiling and watching the show. Some of the other dragons were growling or worried. But none of them were trying to cast a spell or help me.

I couldn’t just use my wings and fly out. I didn’t trust them enough, and I didn’t know the way.

It was unlikely I could release the dragons either without passing out, or hoping I access my Midnight Magic.

Out of everything, I could only think of one option. I had a single stolen spell that I had used effectively twice, and it only needed a destination, not a pathway. It was called the falling star spell and I stole it from the Blue Faerie, so I might as well take advantage of it.

I gathered a swirl of energy around me while hiding behind the cage, watching the blue haired dragon-girl who was in the cage as I formed the bubble I would need to use for the spell. I chewed on my lip as I thought. I was already in trouble and I couldn’t release all the dragons, but there was nothing stopping me from taking this one with me, if she wanted to come.

I crooked my finger to signal to her to come near. She twisted and stepped closer to the edge of the cage on the side I hid. My spell was just forming the complete bubble of magic when I reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder. The bubble shot up my arm and engulfed the dragon-girl with me before the spell finished with a bright glow and then shot right past all the magicians who had been firing spells at me. I held tight to the dragon-girl as we floated in the bubble through structures until we emerged out of the cave and catacombs beneath the palace.

The falling star spell then swerved and jerked before finding a pathway through the palace leading straight to the room that was given me to use. At the point though, with the door closed and no window access, the spell gave up and dropped the dragon-girl and me onto the floor outside the door. It took me the furthest that it could. It was better than where I was before, but that meant I still had to hurry.

I pulled the dragon-girl up and yanked the door open, opening Ashe and Reynard would both be in here. Ashe had the letters scattered everywhere on the bed and desks, she sat among the piles and glanced up at me as I burst in breathing hard, despite not doing much running, but plenty of casting. “We have to get out of here.”

Her eyes went wide as she looked between me and then the girl I was holding by the hand. The naked girl. “Gnidori… don’t tell me you slept with the princess of the city or something?”

My mouth fell open, and Reynard started rolling in laughter from her spot on a chair away from all the letters.

“Ha. Ha.” I finally said as I yanked the dragon-girl in and slammed the door behind me. “Seriously, we don’t have much time. I need to get us somewhere else. Anywhere else.”

Ashe finally stood up from her spot, still holding one of the letters she had been reading. “Just calm down and explain, Gnidori.”

I took a deep breath. “I turned all the dragons being held under this castle into humans, then had a dragon explain my midnight magic to me, after they did the magicians down there tried to capture me. I’m guessing because of what I can do with Midnight Magic.”

Ashe’s face grew worried then. But her eyes shifted to the naked dragon-girl then back to me. “And the girl is one of those dragons?”

I started to shake my head but then said, “Yes. She’s the one I turned into a pumpkin.”

Ashe nodded then. “Okay,” then she glanced to Reynard. “Rey, find…” she glanced back to me. “What’s her name?”

I gave a look of surprise before turning my head to the dragon-girl. “What is your name?”

She opened her mouth and then frowned with a crinkle of her small nose. “Nai,” she finally said.

I glanced back to Ashe and she shrugged before turning to Reynard again. “Get Nai some clothes, Rey sweetie.”

Then she glanced back to me. “So, where to?”

I hadn’t gotten that far in my ideas. We couldn’t leave the city while it was under the bubble. Not without a key like the one that knight captain had used. That meant we needed a place to stay where we wouldn’t be spotted.

I swallowed. There was only one place that could work. And I hated the idea of it.

I glanced back up to Ashe. “We need to get to Gabbi.”

“You can’t be serious, Gnidori” Ashe scolded almost immediately.

“She’s the only person I know well enough in this city, and as much as I hate her and she hates me, she wouldn’t just throw me to the people of this city. She’s our best chance to lay low until we can find a way out of the city. Plus she knows this city better than we do.” I explained, and Ashe surrendered quickly, gathering up some of the letters from the bed and checking Reynard to make sure she was getting clothes for the dragon-girl.

We were ready to leave in minutes and as we stood at the doorway I realized there was one other thing we needed to do. I turned to Ashe and the two young girls with us. “I am going to have to cast an illusion over all of us or else we will be easily spotted. But I have a feeling as soon as I do they will be all over this room. So we need to move quickly after I do.”

Ashe nodded curtly, and the others followed so I whipped up the spell quickly, burning through even more of what little magic I was holding onto and the illusion settled over us. As soon as it was done I popped the door open and dashed into the hall.

I knew where Gabbi lived in the city after I met her during the parade, but that required getting through the palace and into the rich households around it. I glanced down the hall and waved the rest of the group forward. Then I hooked arms with Ashe and held Nai’s hand as we slowed our speed when we reached the exit from the palace. We laughed between each other, and nodded with a smile to the two women on guard before continuing on into the streets.

We started running again when we got down a side alley. It wasn’t long before I was rapping on the door that I really hoped was Gabbi’s, while Ashe stood in the alley a few feet behind me with Nai and Reynard.

There came a growl from the other side of the door and I stepped back from it.

“I told everyone to leave me alone!” I heard from the other side of the door, before it flung open to show a snarling Gabbi with her face contorted into more wolfish features. The wolf side faded almost immediately as surprise consumed Gabbi. “Gnidori? You have to be the last person I was expecting to see.”

“I bet that’s what you thought when I showed up at your little celebration parade.” I mused.

She rolled her eyes and leaned against the door frame. “What do you need?”

Well, straight to the point at least.

“I need a place to lay low while I figure out how to get out of this city. I’ve discovered a few secrets about this city that the master magician is not happy about. They are looking for us right now.” I explained, as quickly as possible and with my smile gone.

She let out a sigh and then stepped to the side of her door. I glanced back at Ashe and she ran up the steps with both of the girls and into the house. When I stepped forward she put her arm out to stop me. “You have to promise me you’ll help me with something if I do this.”

I gritted my teeth. I didn’t want to think of what it was Gabbi could possibly want that she couldn’t do or get herself.

I couldn’t just leave Ashe, Reynard and Nai to fend for themselves though. I had to protect them didn’t I? Anything Gabbi needed had to be less dangerous than being caught and tortured by Bryak. I had seen his methods first hand when he wanted something from someone.

“Fine.” I said through my gritted teeth.

A smirk crossed her lips as she waved me into her house. “Then enjoy, Gnidori. We can talk about it when things calm down.”

Great. That would be a conversation I was not at all looking forward to.

I just had to hope Gabbi wouldn’t betray me. She never had before, but with our past anything was possible.

After all, my gramma always told me to never trust a wolf.

A Faerie in a Purple Dress: Chapter 10

Ten

Dragon Tale

 

A roar shook the entire cave chamber for the sixteenth time. I was getting tired of it, and half considered dragging Ashe down here to speak to the dragons in their own language, if she even could. I didn’t like having to see the different dragons shocked by a surge of magic along the brimstone chain they were tied to, but that seemed to be Bryak’s method. He clearly had tried torturing the dragons for information in the past.

“It’s useless. They just won’t speak.” The magician said as he sat on a cave formation near one of the dragon cages. He was breathing hard due to the extensive use of magic he used for punishment when the dragons weren’t answering any questions.

“Maybe you’ll try my way now?” I asked him with hands on my hips as the echoes from the dragon roar faded. He lifted his head up to glance at me and just waved with pure exhaustion in his expression.

“Good.” I nodded back and stepped across the cave toward the dark blue dragon. I left Bryak to do all the questioning originally so I made sure to choose the dragon I had technically already met to start. As I closed in near the cage the dragon blinked its eyes a few times and followed me with its sight. I smiled to it.

“Evening, little one.” I said, and the dragon just laid its head back down.

This would have been better with Ashe. Even if she couldn’t speak to them with their language or her unique way, she tended to show more sympathy. I was just trying to not seem like a jerk.

“Do you remember me?” I asked and it lifted back onto its legs, pulling back its mouth before coughing out a ring of smoke. It was more than the magician had been able to get out of the dragons, well besides the roars.

I wondered if maybe their language was around the use of smoke. So I shrugged. It was worth a shot.

With a burst of magic I gathered some energy to my fingers and released a plume of smoke that shaped into the scenery of a winged person standing on top of a cage with something in the cage.

The dragon glared at me with one eye while leaning close to the edge of the cage, near me. Then it nodded.

A smile appeared on my face, and Bryak was standing up crossing the cave toward me, as I glanced to him.

“If I give you human speech, will you answer my questions?” I asked the dragon and it snorted before nodding again.

By that time, Bryak was next to me, whispering, “Can you even do that?”

I shrugged again. I honestly had no idea. The only other dragon I had met was capable of human speech on its own. But I was able to manipulate the dragon’s body before, so I should be able to do it again.

I held my palm out, facing toward the dragon and Bryak stepped away from me as the energy coiled around me and I hoped as much as possible that I would use the right magic to affect the dragon and succeed with the only way I could think to give a dragon human speech. It was a lot to hope for so the best I could do was ask the magic to change a dragon into a human and just go for it.

My hand was shaking by the time I released all the magical energy toward the midnight blue dragon. The shot of magic surrounded the dragon like a cloud and then in one giant dragon sneeze it flew in every direction except inside the dragon.

I lifted my hand up and wiped the snot from my cheek and blew a snot covered piece of hair out of my face. “Figures.”

Bryak was on me instantly. “That wasn’t the same magic from last time!”

It was like he was suddenly the magic police or something. Of course it wasn’t the same magic, if it had been it would have worked. I rolled my eyes. “Thanks Master Obvious.”

He glanced to me with shock. “So that’s why you’re trying to get information from the dragons? You don’t even know what magic you used to change that dragon, do you?”

I turned around to face him and gazed right into his dark blue eyes. “I know what it is called and that dragons are able to use it too. That’s it. That means dragons should know what it is. Now if you’ll excuse me I have a spell to try again.”

I didn’t even bother to look at him as I swung back around and faced the dragon. It had turned its head, probably just as curious as to why my spell failed as Bryak was.

It did remind me of something though. So I held out my hand behind me toward Bryak. “Hand me a piece of brimstone.”

“Oh right.” He fumbled for a bit, and then I felt something smooth with jagged edges fall into my palm. “It hasn’t been tempered yet, or set into anything for safer keeping.”

I pulled my hand back and glanced at the piece. It looked like a shard of brownish yellow glass; the edges even looked pretty sharp. I turned my hand back and held it out to Bryak. “Not this one. I want yours. For these dragons.”

“I can’t do that.” He said and I felt him take a stance where he was.

So I turned around to face him again. “Give me a piece of brimstone connected to the chains on these dragons.”

He trembled for a moment, and stumbled back away from me. His hand went into his jacket pocket and he pulled out a piccolo or flute or something. He was legitimately scared of what I was going to do to him, and from the musical instrument my guess was the power he possessed came from musical magic.

I took one step forward and he pulled the flute up to his lips. And that’s when Tiidu came running up and pressed a necklace into my hands. “Here, here. Take it.”

“Apprentice! How dare you disobey me!” Bryak yelled as he brought his flute back down.

I just shook my head and then nodded to Tiidu before turning around to face the dragon. I held onto the brimstone tight, and started to call a spell again. I focused on how I changed the dragon into a pumpkin earlier. Where that magic came from, and directed it toward the fragment I held. I then focused on the shape of the dragons, glancing to each one to create an image of them in my mind, followed by the image of humans. I glanced back over each of them the dragons and thought of a human form in place of their current one.

I was so focused I did know that there was yelling going on around me, but I couldn’t understand it, like it was so far away it didn’t matter. When I felt like I had a grasp on what I wanted the magic to do, I let the energy go through the shard of brimstone in the necklace I held. The glow of magic was so intense it shined through my fingers and in moments each of the chains around the dragons lit up with the same color of red.

This time I knew, even if I wasn’t able to access the midnight magic, I definitely was able to get the spell through with my magic since I was using the brimstone. The glow grew brighter as it spread up through the bodies of each of the dragons and then there wasn’t a single dragon in the room anymore.

I glanced to each of the cages to see golden chains wrapped around eleven different human beings with crackling purple eyes. I laughed and heard Bryak yell over me, “What have you done?!”

With a turn of my heel, I faced him and tossed the brimstone necklace at him. “What do you mean?”

He just let the necklace fall to the floor and skid along the cave while he ran to one of the closest dragon-humans. “You’ve made them all human!”

“You wanted information from them. This was the only way to make sure, and it took far less energy than you used to torture them.” I explained while stepping over to scoop the brimstone necklace back into my hands and set it into a hidden pocket on my dress, one of the improvements I had made to the dress. I stored the broken shard of brimstone there, as well.

“How long will it last?!” He yelled as he turned back to me.

I shrugged. “Could be until midnight tonight, but more likely it will be however long brimstone normally holds a spell charge.”

“That could be days!” He cried as he glanced back to the dragon-human with long black hair and a skinny male body.

I grinned back to him. “Well then I suggest you find some clothes for them.”

“You have no idea what you’ve done. The damage, the work we put into keeping them contained. Those chains are too big for them now!”

I just rolled my eyes and stepped up to the place where the dark blue dragon used to be. There stood a blue haired young girl instead, and she eyed me. “How do you like the new form?”

The little dragon-human girl opened her mouth, then closed it again. Then she frowned. She tried again and this time some gurgling and other noises came out of her. I frowned with her.

“I gave you the capacity for human speech but not the knowledge of how to use it. You should know enough of it though if you understood me.”

She tried again and little phrases and words came out of her. The first word she said was ‘this’.

At least it shut up Bryak as he stepped closer to the dragon girl trying to speak. “This is a shining moment. First contact between humans and dragons.”

I wish I could say the same but I had spoken to a dragon before, but I wasn’t about to squash his moment since this was the first time he wasn’t bugging me.

“Thank you.” The dragon-girl finally said as her chains jingled when she stepped closer to the cage. She was small enough that she could step through the bars on the cage if she wanted to, but the chains were still wrapped around her, with one linked at her waist, it was probably the only thing keeping her contained.

I smiled to her. “You should know not to say thank you to a faerie.”

The dragon-girl tilted her head. “Not faerie.”

I wish I could have agreed with her, but the wings on my back said otherwise.

I just moved on to the questions I wanted answered. “Can you tell me what magic I used on you to turn you into a pumpkin?”

The dragon-girl hissed and stepped back. “Midnight Magic.”

I came closer to the bars, and grabbed onto one of them. “So you do know. Can you tell me what you know about it?”

The girl shook her head, so her blue curls were tossing every direction. I let out a sigh. She probably just couldn’t speak the language well enough.

“She won’t be able to tell you much. I, however, may be able to assist you. I am more acquainted with a human form.” One of the dragons said, and I shifted my attention to a dragon only a few cages over. This one had the chains arranged in just a way that meant they could have had a male or female body, especially when the face was so androgynous and the bright red hair at a medium length.

I nodded to the dragon-girl and thanked her before turning and taking a few steps toward this other dragon.

“That is why I cast the spell on all of you. In case she couldn’t answer me.” I explained while stepping closer.

“Oh, I am sure she could tell you eventually. That one is young though, and this was likely the first time she had ever assumed a human form. But each of us saw the magic around her when she was brought down here. I have not seen the use of midnight magic in thousands of years.” The dragon-person was watching me carefully with strong eyes.

I grabbed onto the bars. “It’s that rare of a magic?”

The dragon lifted up their hand and picked at some of their human nails. “Well, I had been locked away or secluded for some time, but even so there are only a few dragons throughout time that have shown ability with it.”

“But I’m not a dragon.”

The dragon smiled. “Yes. That’s what makes it more interesting if you are truly the one to cast that spell. A human able to use it…”

“I’m not a human either.”

The dragon-human furrowed their eyebrows and gave me an inquisitive look. “You are a human.”

I pointed to the wings on my back. “Not exactly.”

The dragon laughed and it echoed off the cave walls. “Oh, you speak of your form. Yes, your form is that of a faerie, but you are human.”

“How do you know that?”

“Dragons are not deceived by form. You may take a hundred different forms but you will always be human to any of us, until you accept a different form as part of you.”

I grinned. That would be a handy ability in my line of work. No one would be able to hide from me again.

My grin faded though as I realized I had more questions about the magic. “Why do I have this magic then?”

“Why are you in the form of a faerie? Things happen and not everyone is quite sure why they do. I’m afraid you are thinking I am some all-powerful being with the answers you seek, but I am not, as much as I would like to say so.” The dragon explained and it made me frown again. They were right.

“You must know something about Midnight Magic though. More than I do?”

“Oh, I know much. But what does that information buy me?”

There always had to be something exchanged. I sighed and pulled away from the bars. My eyes lit up with thought though and I turned back to the dragon. “It bought you a different form for the time.”

“Ah.” The dragon-person laughed. “Clever human. I think the temporary change of form does warrant a story at least.”

“Many thousands of years ago, when the gods still clashed in the sky for supremacy the dragons and faeries were the only other beings in the world. At first we lived in peace with the faeries, for they kept to themselves. Staying underground or using portals and pockets to stay in other dimensions. It left us to rule the lands where we wished.”

“But eventually that did not keep. The faeries grew greedy and wars all across this world started to clash, even some gods sided with us while others sided with the faeries. Many dragons and faeries were slain over the war that spanned many centuries. Until one faerie used a reflection spell at the right time to send brimstone back upon many of my kind at once. Once the faeries knew, they gathered as much brimstone as they could and forged weapons to fight us. It was that day that had changed the tide of the war in favor of the faeries.”

I interrupted. “They didn’t know before that you had a weakness?”

“Just as each human has personal weaknesses, so do we. That was what they used before, but when they discovered something could be used against all of us, they jumped to it. We were being wiped out, and the only thing we could do was find a weakness to use against them. It took many tests, but eventually we found a natural alloy of the earth could be forged with our dragon fire and used as a weapon against them.”

The dragon-person lowered their head and let out a breath. “Unfortunately, it was far too late. We had been reduced to only two clans of dragons and the faeries had populated to uncontrollable degrees when we had discovered their weakness.”

I nodded. “Iron.”

“Yes. By that point the best we could do was defend what little we had left with the weakness we had forged. We made suits of armor and weapons and anything we could. It helped but we still lost dragons occasionally.”

The dragon before me looked like they were in so much pain that they had actually been there, recalling the events from their past. The dragon shook their head though and glanced to me with a soft smile. “We had given up hope, until in a final stand against the faeries, the youngest of one of the clans stepped over the body of their mother and called upon a spell with a scream of vengeance. In a single moment, all the faeries that had been swarming around the dragons, were dropping from the sky, without wings.”

“That day was the birth of the race known as the Sidhe. And when the spell was done, the dragon who had cast it told one of the Sidhe to run back to their faeries and tell them if they didn’t leave the dragons alone the next spell would be worse.”

I lowered my head. If the faeries back then were anything like the ones I knew, they wouldn’t have listened to something like that. The dragon must have noticed the expression on my face because they laughed.

“You know what happens next. The faeries ignored the warning and attacked again. The attack took some time to set up, which had given the dragon-hero enough time to learn to use this powerful magic. And at first sign of the attack, the dragon-hero stood out on a hill and unleashed another spell upon all the faeries there. In yet another moment over half the population of remaining faeries were left human. And yes, that was the birth of the human race.”

I would gasp, but chances are this really was just a story passed down through the dragon kind. I didn’t put much weight on the legends we had, including my own, so why would I for something like the birth of the human race?

I think the dragon expected more shock but I urged them to continue. “After that the faerie leaders agreed to meet with who remained of the dragons. They negotiated for a night and a day and it was agreed that the dragons would become the protectors of magic, enforcing laws that were made by all who were there that day. The faeries would become the protectors of the humans, watching over them and helping them as needed.”

“But that’s not the case anymore.” I frowned.

“No, it’s not. It was more recent that the faeries overthrew the dragons and assumed control of protecting magic and the humans. And they used the humans to do it. They convinced humans to hunt dragons, that we would hurt them otherwise. The faeries used the humans as weapons against us.”

“But why didn’t the dragon-hero stop it?”

“That dragon perished as one of the first dragons to try and teach humans magic. They succeeded but died because the humans were afraid of magic and killed them. It wasn’t until the faeries had assumed protectors of both humans and magic when another dragon emerged with that magic. And they were not at all a hero.” The dragon explained while glancing back up to me with sadness in their eyes.

“And that magic. It was Midnight Magic?”

“Yes. A magic able to change a loss into a victory. A magic that held so much power it could create entirely new races and change the world.” The dragon was staring off in the distance at that point.

I frowned though. “That doesn’t make sense though. Any time I use it, whatever I used it on reverts back to what it was when midnight comes.”

The dragon-person laughed and the chains around them shook. “I said this magic changes the world. In a dying breath, the first dragon to have the magic cursed the magic so that its power could never be used in the way they had used it permanently. The magic always ends, before the next day. So that it can never create new races, never save a race that should have perished.”

I nodded. “So that’s where its name came from.”

The dragon smiled at me, then glanced down and the smile faded. “Midnight Magic has incredible power. But with the curse it became unstable. You have problems using it when you want to, don’t you?”

“Yes. It comes and goes, and that means I never know whether the spell I cast will end at midnight or not.”

The dragon’s grin returned and the chains rattled as it stepped closer to the edge of the cage, peering through the bars. “I can teach you how to return the magic to normal.”

It was a tempting thought. The kind of power I’d have would be incredible. But I didn’t need it. I wasn’t fighting a war, I didn’t want to change things. I looked up at the dragon and shook my head. “I don’t need it.”

The grin on the androgynous person grew darker. “You will, soon.” The dragon then nodded to signal behind me.

I turned quick and found a lightning bolt flying past me, inches from my face. The fingers of Bryak were shaking and smoke fumed from them. He pulled his fingers back and then yelled so his voice echoed through the halls. “Arrest the Faerie!”

Well, looked like I was going to have to escort myself out of this cave after all.

I glanced back to the dragon-person and they just smiled and said softly, like she hadn’t just had a spell flung at her. “I’m Zmeu by the way. If you reconsider, I imagine I will be here.”

I half considered breaking the chains of all the dragons in here. It was probably my better escape plan, but I didn’t have the magical power to break all those chains quickly. I already had two mages and the head magician staring me down while forming spells.

I had to get out of here now. Or I had a feeling I would find myself staring at this cave through cage bars just like the dragons in here.

Faeries be damned. I was screwed.

A Faerie in a Purple Dress: Chapter 9

Nine

Power of Dragons

 

“The news of what you did is the talk of the city; even more than the arrival of the Gabbi and the others.” Ashe explained after she stepped through the door that had led into the living quarters I was given in the Palace. She had her own room, but only because they wouldn’t listen to us when I said we were married. Considering they kept calling Darling a princess, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

“Are you really surprised though? These people have been dealing with dragons for who knows how long and they just saw a new faerie godmother use magic on one.” I said while stretching as I stood up from the bed.

“I guess that explains all these then.” Ashe said as she pulled a giant cloth bag out from behind her back.

I eyed her. “And what are those?”

“Letters. These are all letters that were sent to, and I’m quoting the addresses, ‘The new Faerie’.” Ashe was grinning as she held the bag out toward me.

I pulled my hands away. “I don’t want them. I don’t have time to handle every little problem these people have.”

Ashe threw the bag of letters into my chest and I caught them just to keep them from spilling everywhere.

I groaned. “Ashe…”

She crashed onto the bed, looking away from me. “I have a hundred other things to do, including helping with this dragon thing, which there should be someone coming any minute for that. I just can’t devote the time to read through all of these.”

She still wasn’t looking at me. I shook my head. “I’ll help the people. But I need your help. Can you go through the letters?

She turned her head back to me and her eyes lit up. “You’re serious?”

I nodded. “I can take care of some of them. Not all. So pick out the ones that need the most help. I trust your judgment on that. You were a faerie godmother’s charge so you should know the kind of people that need my help.”

She grinned and stood back up, rushing to me and giving me a kiss. As she pulled away from the kiss she grabbed the bag of letters from me. “I’ll have it done soon.”

I laughed. “Great. Cause I needed more work so soon.”

Ashe hit me lightly and then set the letters on the bed. “What about Fett Darling though?”

I shook my head. “I can’t do anything to help him yet. Even if I could find where he is, I can’t change him until this Faerie Truth curse is gone from me at the very least.”

She frowned, but didn’t say anything and turned to the bag of letters, pulling it open by the cord. She stared down at the letters inside for a moment, then glanced back up to me with a softer but forced smile. “We’re really going to help the people here?”

I blew out a breath and ran a hand through my hair. “We’ll do what we can. But I have to know more about the situation of this city before I can do anything. What if they don’t really need help? All those letters could just be mundane things like a new cooking pot or a donkey. This city doesn’t exactly look like it is in need, Ashe.”

Ashe smiled at that though. “You told me once that the people who look the least like they are in need, are often the ones who need help the most.”

I laughed. “That does sound like a stupid thing I would say.”

She pouted. “It wasn’t stupid.”

“Maybe.” I shook my head and turned to glance at the door as I heard a knock. I stepped backward toward the door, still facing Ashe and asked, “Where’s Reynard anyway?”

“He’s playing with some of the kids in the courtyard.” Ashe explained and I realized I had forgotten to tell her that Reynard wanted us to use girl words and pronouns instead.

I paused with my hand on the door knob and opened my mouth to say something when another few knocks came. “Ashe, we need to talk about Reynard at some point. She wants us to think of her as our daughter.” I pressed, “As a girl.”

Ashe looked up at me with surprise and instead of facing her then I turned to open the door and stepped outside before the person knocking could step in.

My wife didn’t say anything as I closed the door and stood almost nose to nose with the same apprentice who had done the spell to clean us up when we came into the city. “Ah Mrs Red Faerie. I was told to escort you to the subbasement. Are you ready?”

I nodded and pulled on the skirt hem of my newly magicked purple dress. “Please, lead the way… uh… I didn’t get your name?”

“Oh my, you are right. I’m so used to everyone calling me apprentice that I didn’t think about it. My name is Tiidu.” He paused as he glanced to me. “Did you have a name or was it just the Red Faerie?”

I wish I could have told him my name, but I chose to keep up this faerie ruse. The way he asked it suggested there was something more to his question though. “Did the Faerie Truth tell you her name?”

He hesitated. “Ye-Yes. But I’m not sure I should tell you. I’ve been told Faeries can do horrible things when they have a name.”

I laughed. “Then why did you tell me yours?”

He frowned but it was like he was deep in thought. “I guess I shouldn’t have told you.”

I waved it off. “You have no need to be worried. I can’t do much with names. Only a few faeries even can. But be careful next time.”

“Well then, she goes by Holda.” He explained so simply. If he had the secrets of the universe they wouldn’t have been secrets for long.

I smiled as we kept walking. “You’ll excuse me if I still don’t give you mine. Holda happens to be one of those faeries that can do much with a name.”

He grabbed my wrist. “She can?”

I pulled him off me. “From what I’ve seen of her, she can do a lot with just a title. I can’t imagine what she could do with a name.”

The worry exploded across his face and he fell silent the rest of the way into the bowels of the palace.

The amount of twists and turns I was led through left me thinking there was no way I could get back out without someone leading me. Eventually the passages even became cave wall rather than stone. And then the caves bled into a massive chamber. We stopped at the top of the steps carved into the cave floor.

The chamber sparkled with gemstones in at least six different colors, not including a lot of iridescent white. And despite that, the gemstones were not the incredible sight, but the creatures that lay with labored breathing in iron cages all throughout the cave chamber.

“How do they stay in the cages?” I asked, breaking the silence between us.

It wasn’t Tiidu that responded. Instead it was his master, from the bottom of the steps. “That would be the chains we are using. Just as Iron can bind a faerie, so does brimstone contain dragons.”

I scrunched up my nose while glancing to the dozen or so dragons locked in cages and attached to massive chains of golden color. They were all various sizes and colors, and even looks; some were more serpent-like and a few were even feathery, one even lacked wings.

Eventually my attention shifted to Bryak as I took the last few steps to the bottom. “But brimstone comes from dragons. That makes no sense.”

Bryak laughed. “So you do have some knowledge about dragons; even if it is the common and wrong knowledge. They can produce it, much like a faerie could produce an iron weapon with their magic. Not every dragon is capable of it though.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Then where is the brimstone from?”

“Ah,” he said raising a finger, “That is the harder question to answer. Some of it comes from the dragons we have now. Others we drew from mining in here, and more comes from some of Korrigan’s dwarven connections as they mine it.”

“It’s a mineral?”

“The crystallization of Lava, to be precise; a primordial thing by nature and interactive with magic to a degree we have yet to figure out. It can hold a magical charge far longer than any material I’ve seen.”

I shook my head, glancing to the dragons. “That means you can use strong containment spells on it and they last until you replenish your energy?”

He looked surprised as he followed my sight to the dark blue dragon I had turned into a pumpkin the other night. “You catch on faster than the other faerie had.”

“I ask questions sooner.” I explained, to just keep my mouth and him occupied while I thought of the consequences of this. The use of Brimstone might explain the giant barrier protecting the city of Nantes too.

“Dragons are resistant to magic though. How is it containing them?” I asked as I continued a few of my thoughts.

He turned back to me and smiled. “I would have said the same thing until you pulled your little transmogrification stunt. We aren’t sure yet, but the brimstone we believe is bypassing their defenses for magic.”

Midnight Magic! I was an idiot.

Brimstone does come from dragons. And if it comes from them, they don’t have proper defenses against it. It’s why my rare magic worked on that dragon, and it’s why the brimstone lets various spells affect the dragons. They had so many dragons locked up down here because they were using the dragon’s powers against them.

I shook my head as it dawned on me and turned to look back at Bryak. “What containment spells are you using?”

He grinned. “I see you are ready for some work then.”

“No, I’m wondering if you project the spell from a distance. The same spell to shut down innate magical talent projected to any brimstone in the region?” I continued asking. If such a thing was possible, which at this point I wasn’t forgoing anything, then it could have explained what happen to Ashe’s talents with animals.

“That’s exactly the idea. We use entangled magic. It is one piece of brimstone held by the caster so they can project the spell to all other pieces in the area.” He seemed a bit confused by my understanding of it so fast. “I must say you understand this far better than some of my apprentices who have been working for me for years.”

I gave him a shrug. “I just know the basics of magic better. I’m guessing this brimstone amplifies magical power as well, so all your apprentices have a piece?”

“Yes, of course. We wouldn’t be able to do the things we do in this city if we didn’t give them a piece to use. Are you asking me if you would like a piece?” He seemed at an emotional state somewhere between utter confusion and total excitement. My guess was he wanted to see what kind of power I could produce if I had one of those brimstone pieces. What I could do to the dragons.

I shook my head. If I was right, then Ashe had a piece of brimstone that wasn’t helping her anyway. At the same time though dragon magic could clearly make the stuff, which would suggest I could make some. But they would just run out at midnight, turning to dust. And that wasn’t even getting to the idea of how I could make it.

I focused my attention back on him and nodded. “Actually I think a piece would suit me. But I want a piece that isn’t attuned to the rest of your brimstone network.”

“Oh, of course. I apologize but I wouldn’t want to give you one connected to our network anyway. One wrong spell introduced could cause a wide scale disaster for the whole city. I just can’t trust you like that yet.”

I laughed. Trust. It seemed lately I was learning the value of trust again.

“Right. So then what must I help you with?”

“Well, of course I’d like a little information on your magic, since I shared some of mine.”

That’s when I eyed him. He wanted the information on my midnight magic. I doubt he cared at all about the regular magic I used. The hard part was that I knew very little about the midnight magic. But I did know where I could find out more.

My eyes turned to the dragons arrayed all around us. “I’m afraid we will have to ask them if you want information on my magic.”

He turned to look at the dragons and blanched. “You can’t be serious?”

I lifted my hands up over my head and cracked the fingers together. My smile grew. “Oh, I am, Bryak. I am.”

A Faerie in a Purple Dress: Chapter 8

Eight

The Midnight Magic

 

Ever since the Blue Faerie stole my cloak I hadn’t been nearly as attached to wearing it. I had gone so long without it that I realized it was okay to leave it behind when it wasn’t warranted. And in this case, with the bright red wings sticking out of my back, it made it difficult to properly even wear my cloak and hood.

“Where did you even find that?” Ileana asked as she glanced over at my lilac halter dress with a longer skirt in the back than the front. It wasn’t perfect, but when I couldn’t use magic to shore it up or just change my clothes, it had to do.

“This was just one of many in the closet of my room. They had something for every size it seemed. It doesn’t fit perfectly, but it will do.” I shrugged and Ashe leaned over and kissed me again.

“I love it.” She concluded and peeled from me before stepping through the doorway into the high tower office that Bryak had. I followed after her with Reynard behind me and then Ileana.

“Master Bryak. I’ve brought the Red Faerie and her companions. We had a few things we wanted to talk to you about.” Ileana started as soon as I was through the door.

The room of the tower wasn’t anything special. There were some measuring devices off in corners and books piled all along the sides and even to the point of overflowing off a nearby table. Otherwise there was a bit of dust and a giant window out-looking to one of the courtyards.

“Oh? Sorry, sorry. I’ve been so busy I didn’t realize a faerie came into town.” The only man in the room said as he rubbed at some of the stubble on his chin while turning around. He adjusted the spectacles on his face and looked over me. “What is it that I can do for you Miss Faerie?”

“Mrs. And at the very least I’d like to discuss the option of being able to use magic while within the city limits, especially if I am to assist the city.” I explained in the politest way I could. I really could have just demanded that I’m allowed to use my spells, but again it was all about politics.

I hate being a faerie.

The man rubbed at his stubble some more as if he was thinking. “A married faerie? Interesting. I hadn’t realized faeries even married.” Then he turned away and waved his hand as if excusing us from his presence. “But I’m afraid I can’t authorize anyone, even a godmother, for magic at the moment.”

This Bryak was going to annoy me rather quickly. “And why not?”

He let out a deep breath like I was a child he had to deal with now, but didn’t even turn back. “The dragon hunters are making their way back into town today. That means I have to devote my energy and resources toward what they return with, and not keeping an eye on yet another magic user.”

“If you authorize me, you wouldn’t have to keep an eye on me. I can also help you with the dragon.” I locked my jaw, just as I realized I was burying myself deeper into other people’s problems.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up slightly then grabbed at some book near him and opened it up. “I don’t have time for this. You can’t help with a dragon and I’m not authorizing you.”

I balled up a hand into a fist and opened my mouth to say something when I felt Ashe’s hand on my shoulder. I glanced back to her and she shook her head. I let my hand fall free and Ashe stepped in front of me.

“Sir, I think it is in your best interest to authorize her. You don’t want to deal with trouble and you would just waste resources keeping track of her and restraining her every time she uses magic, and she will. If her life is threatened, or the lives of people she cares about, then she will not hesitate to use a spell. If she has to help someone with magic, she will do it. She’s dealt with many societies afraid of magic, and your banning of magic does not stop her. She is trying to work with you, but you won’t have it.”

I always knew Ashe was a lot better at talking to people than I ever was. Fey, she could talk to animals better than I could talk to people. Most people just annoyed me, or frustrated me.

The magician finally looked up from his book and turned around. He took a closer look at Ashe, even lifting his glasses up, as if he could see better without them. “Well, maybe you are right.”

He then glanced back to me. “You can help with dragons, can you?”

I nodded. “I’ve dealt with them before.”

There was genuine surprise etched upon his face. “A faerie who’s dealt with dragons and lived? Now that is an interesting thought.”

It was my turn to be surprised. “What does being a faerie have to do with anything when it comes to dragons?”

He removed his glasses and pulled out a cloth to wipe them. “They are immortal enemies of course. Faeries took over the jobs dragons had originally, with protecting magic. Dragons have been left with outcast jobs, which include terrorizing cities that have become too peaceful.”

“Like this city. The reason you have dragon hunters?” I asked.

“Just one of the reasons.” He concluded while sliding his glasses back on. He then turned back around and started digging through one of the piles of books on a nearby desk. “I know it is here somewhere…”

He pushed some more books over, and a few even clattered to the ground, but he paid no attention to that. Instead he pulled up a little cloth badge. “Ah, here we go.”

The magician walked over and held out his hand with the square patch. The patch looked like it could have been sewn onto clothing and bore the same crest as the carpet in the Emperor’s chamber.

“Hold onto this and that is proof that you are approved for magic within the city.” He explained as I took the patch from his palm. I felt it between my fingers and it seemed like some hard scale rather than actual cloth.

“Thank you.” Ashe said. She was definitely the one to say that more. I had dealt with faeries for too long to ever say thank you to someone.

“Now, if that is all, I would like to get back to some of my research before I am swamped thanks to the dragon hunters.” The magician concluded as he looked us each over.

I took a deep breath. “Actually we came for something else as well. There is a curse laid upon us, by another faerie. Normally I would take care of it but a faerie isn’t allowed to interfere with another faerie’s curse.”

He frowned, before stepping around Ashe and me, then walking a circle to investigate. “Yes, there is definitely magic around each of you. But I’m afraid the Faerie Truth has done this magic and I am not allowed to tamper with any magic she has caused, unless it threatens the people of this city.”

He headed back toward his desk and took a seat in one of his chairs before letting out a heavy cough. When he was finished he explained, “It was an agreement I made with her.”

Ashe stepped forward to say something, but the man held up his hand to stop her. “I can’t remove the spell, but I can assist you with figuring out what it is so that you might be able to get someone else to remove it.”

“Yes, that would help!” Ileana exclaimed quickly.

“But in return I want the Faerie to help me with something in the dungeons.” Bryak smiled as he glanced directly to me.

I nodded. “I want to know details before I promise anything.”

“Of course. I’ll have someone come get you in the morn—“

A loud cheering erupted from what had to be the courtyard with the large window wide open. It drowned out anything Bryak could have said. But I understood the gist of it. Everyone became interested in what was going on outside.

Bryak laughed as some of the cheering died out. “It seems the hunters have returned. I’m surprised there aren’t fireworks too.”

Reynard ran to the window and glanced out while standing on her tip-toes. She grinned and pointed. “There are so many people out there!”

Ashe stepped closer to the window to look out over Reynard’s head. She didn’t have the same reaction as the fox though. “Gnidori, I think you need to take a look at this.”

She turned to glance back at me and her face was grim. She even swallowed hard as she backed away from the window and grabbed Reynard to pull her aside as well. I raised my eyebrows and crossed the distance to the window next to the magician.

At first all I saw was thousands of people on the edges of the street while a group of people paraded in the middle. They were mostly on horses or some animal as a mount and they had a cart with a cage and a small dragon locked into the cage. It was thrashing about, but not able to break free.

I glanced back to Ashe but she leaned over and pointed down to the front of the parading group. My eyes followed her finger and I saw a small group of three. There was a winged person with a long tube, maybe a rifle slung on her back, and wild red hair. She wasn’t a faerie, but maybe something close? The only other noticeable thing was a bottle hanging from her belt.

The second was definitely a dwarf, and he clearly wasn’t the kind that spent all day mining. In fact the fiery sword that he held in one hand suggested he was purely about fighting. That would explain why there was only one of him. Mining dwarves always had to be in groups of seven, but a mercenary dwarf could be just by themselves.

The last was what Ashe had been pointing to though.

Her hair and skin was dark, and unlike the others she carried no visible weapon. It wasn’t the looks that mattered as much, though I did recognize them. Instead it was the clearly defined aura of magic around her. An aura that provided the person with a ward, specifically against my magic.

The third person was Gabbi, or the Big Bad Wolf as more people knew her. Ashe must have recognized her because she looked the same as when she had the time Gabbi had kidnapped my wife.

“What is she doing here?” I practically hissed, turning to Ashe, even though she knew as little as I did.

She just shrugged, and instead my attention shifted to Bryak. “Master Bryak, who are the dragon hunters?”

He poked his head up from the book he had started to read again. “Oh, well there are four main ones, but only three should be coming back today. They take new recruits occasionally. But if I remember correctly, there is the pixie named Layla, a dwarf who also started the security force here, Korrigan. And then a shapeshifter who goes by Gabbi. The fourth, who shouldn’t be here is—“

“Bonny? Captain Bonny?” I interrupted.

He turned his head to look back toward me. “Yes. You know her?”

I ground my teeth. “You could say that.”

“Ah, well. She’s busy with a shipment.”

“Good. Then I won’t have to worry about her.” I said, as I stepped up onto the window sill.

“Gnidori!” Ashe yelled. But I was already jumping out the window. I smiled back toward her before I let my wings flap and I picked up through the air. I was a little stiff, since it had been some time since I had used wings to fly, but other than a few stumbles I was able to drag myself to land right in front of the three members of the dragon hunters.

My smile was gone by then as I stared directly at Gabbi. I pointed at her and the crowd around us rose their thunderous applause and excitement. You could practically feel how happy people were to see the dragon hunters. Maybe this was a mistake to do this in front of so many people.

I pulled my finger back and raised both my hands. “Everyone congratulate the Dragon Hunters for their achievement!”

The roars of applause grew even louder to the point where I wasn’t even sure if everyone heard the entirety of what I said. Gabbi was staring at me with wide eyes first, then a smirk.

“A faerie again, Gnidori?” She said as everyone stopped marching forward.

“I haven’t quite learned my lesson, Gabbi. A dragon hunter, though? Where did you learn to fight dragons?”

Her smirk grew more wolfish. “I have you to thank for that.”

Gabbi had pretty much everything except her still being alive to thank me for. “Shapeshifting can’t be enough to handle those.”

Gabbi laughed. “It helps, but I’m talking about the ward.”

I raised an eyebrow with confusion. “That only works for my magic, and only for two spells.”

Gabbi raised a finger and waggled it. “It wards against your type of magic and only until you specifically cast two spells on me.”

“My type of magic?” I didn’t understand. It only worked for my magic, it can’t help her fight dragons.

Then my face lightened with understanding. The dragon I met, and even Kit the mirror spirit had mentioned that I reeked of dragon magic. I had always assumed it was the spell placed on me that threw me forward in time. But there was something the dragon said about midnight magic. That it was a rare magic only his people could use. But sometimes I used it, or at least I’m guessing that’s what it was. Sometimes my spells ran out at midnight, it seemed appropriate to call that kind of magic, midnight magic. Right?

“I use dragon magic…” I whispered out loud.

“Now you are getting it.” Gabbi grinned.

I stepped closer to her and jabbed a finger against her chest. “How could you possibly know that, when I didn’t?”

“I think you know who told me.” She said as her grin faded.

Captain Anne Bonny. I will kill her someday. After she played me as a puppet on a string, I could give her nothing less.

I think it was time to take care of that ward.

I pulled my finger back and then summoned some magical energy as I curled my fingers toward my palm and then spread them out wide while pushing my hand into Gabbi’s chest.

The moment my hand came toward her though, the overgrown pixie next to her dropped down and made a sweeping kick to knock me to the floor. I dropped to the ground and cringed in pain. When I opened my eyes wide again I was staring at the end of a barrel that looked like just a long hollow metal stick, with a trigger at the end the pixie held.

“You were always the kind of person to just jump in without thinking. You are in front of a crowd that loves us, and I have two people with me who you know nothing about. You are lucky Korrigan didn’t use his sword or you wouldn’t be around anymore.” Gabbi explained as she leaned over me while the pixie still held me down.

I ground my teeth.

“Now, do you want to die right now. Or would you like to put on a show for the people. Do whatever you faeries would do for heroes?”

I sighed. “Fine.”

Faerie Flipping Politics.

The pixie pulled her metal tube away from my face and lowered a hand down for me to take. I only took it because of how quiet the crowd had gotten. I had to keep up this Faerie ruse at least more than a day.

“Under normal circumstances a faerie would bless you for your success.” I explained after wiping off the back of my dress.

“That’s not going to happen.” Gabbi said as she crossed her arms.

“Exactly my thoughts. But I do have an idea.” I said while taking back to the skies with my wings.

If I really did have dragon magic then it would actually work against dragons. Dragons were immune or resistant to most others, but they could be affected by the magic of their own race. That meant if I could call on it, I could manipulate the dragon in the cage.

I floated above the cage and smiled out to the audience around us. Then I looked down at the dragon. It had dark blue scales and seemed small enough to be a baby maybe, at least compared to the only other dragon I’ve seen. I pulled my hands up above my head, while still floating and gathered magic around it to the point that anyone could see the sparkles and energy.

I just hoped it was the right magic. I kept repeating to myself, ‘Midnight Magic. Midnight Magic,’ but I had no idea if it would work. But I just thought of the times I had accidentally used it. The carriage I made from a pumpkin for Ashe came to mind.

Then I threw my hands downward at the dragon, through the bars of the cage and released the full capacity of the energy straight to the dragon. It lit the creature with a glow of bright crimson and then there wasn’t a dragon there anymore. Where it had stood, there was a bright blue pumpkin.

Gasps rolled through the crowd as I landed on top of the cage and glanced back toward Gabbi with a grin. “Shouldn’t give you trouble anymore. Just get it where it needs to be before midnight.”

Then I took a bow and waved to people in the crowd and suddenly they exploded into cheers and excitement. I could practically feel the energy flowing off them.

I’d like to see the Faerie Truth do that.

Ha.

Writing for Someone Else Against Writing For Yourself

There’s a phrase often uttered among the writing community that goes something like: Write what you want to read. It’s essentially telling authors that if there is a book that you want to read then you should be writing it. The problem is, there are a lot of things people want to read, and there is even more people out there who start-up a book and never get very far with it. This is because writing what you want to read isn’t always the most effective strategy. There’s an even better one, and it appeals to an author’s sense of empathy with other people.

Write what someone you know wants to read.

You can only give yourself so much strength. Many authors will continually explain that someone else or multiple people helped push them to make the book the way they did, or to just carry them through times of frustration with the creation of the book. It happens, and more often than not you need the strength of others to pull through a book. As much as authors may not be as social creatures as other people, they do tend to be rather empathetic and with that comes a talent for creating things other people enjoy.

Of course, you shouldn’t be mistaken. The things you write should still be things you want to read too, because you need to be a fan of your own series before you can properly give your book the right attention. But when you write a novel, think of other people around you, what are the things they want to read in a book, and why.

All it takes is writing a book for one person for it to be successful, because not everyone is going to like what you do, but if you make a book one person likes, it will spread to others guaranteed.

Writing for others brings about some bonuses though. They provide you with drive and direction and hope, as well as inspiration. You’re motivation to get the book done because you want them to be able to read it, and that kind of drive can be more motivating than any pep talk you give yourself as you sit in front of a blank sheet of white.

It’s these types of things that make writing truly enjoyable. If no one else can enjoy the book then what’s the point?

So next time you decide to write a book, think of someone and share with someone about what you want to do, and see if its something they want to read. Provide your beta readers with content as soon as possible to see if its interesting. Because if you are writing for them, you can’t go wrong. There’s a reason famous writers like Neil Gaiman and Jim Butcher have their wives read their books first, because if their wives enjoy it, then they know other people will as well.

So… who are you writing for?

One Month Check-up on Three Month Challenge

Although this is posting about one month and one week into my three-month challenge, I’ve written it back only a day or two after the one month mark. I wasn’t going to do this check-up but in light of changes in my life I think it is necessary.

Last night, as I was laying in bed, trying to get to sleep, I thought of why I was having such a hard time suddenly keeping to my schedule now that I’ve settled into the new house. The move itself was fine, and nothing went wrong and I was able to write during that period. I’m now up to almost 60k in writing for the novel, which is behind schedule but still on course to actually get this novel done in time.

But the week since my move has been filled with very little writing. Maybe a thousand words over the course of the entire week. And I just could not figure out why that was the case, sure I had moved, and things had changed around but I could still keep to what I had been doing before. Until I realized something rather important.

I couldn’t keep to the same schedule because I was no longer just scheduling MY time. With my move to my new place, I also moved in with my girlfriend. And while we’ve been dating and known each other for some time, there is also an entirely new dynamic to deal with when it comes to having another person part of your daily life. I imagine it’s a bit like if I had a kid, except with less whining, and chaos.

Introducing a new person into my life, meant that each day I have to set a different schedule and keep to it, based on what schedule my partner is handling. The more we learn and develop our ability to communicate I imagine this will turn into at least a week or two ahead of schedule, but otherwise, I haven’t been able to keep to my schedule because I have to account for her in my life, her in my time. I can’t come home at 10pm anymore and make dinner for myself, because that’s bed time for her, and I’ve learned long ago that you should always go to bed at the same time as the people you are sleeping in a bed with.

At the same time, I can’t sleep til 8am either, but I can’t get my normal activities done at 6am since she is getting ready for work at that time. It seems like little things, but they add up fast. And one mess up in the schedule makes a lot of it inert. This requires an adjustment for me, and a change with the schedule to account for someone new in my life. But I can’t set something strict in this case, I have to be flexible or I lose time with her and with myself.

So my schedule will be more like:

Wake up each day when my partner does, because she always gets up earlier than my body wants to.

Take care of my bathroom needs after my partner has gotten ready for work, on the days she has work.

During the time she is getting ready for work, eat breakfast, make bed, and check up on social media, and write blog posts or freelance work posts or read.

If she is leaving for work, after she leaves get ready with a shower and other bathroom needs.

If she isn’t leaving for work, get ready, but don’t shower unless stinky as all hell.

If she left for work, leave after getting ready and go to the nearby wifi area to start on writing the book.

If she didn’t leave for work, stay home and check up on what she is going to do for the day or what she wants to do. Decide from there when the best time to write will be in a three-hour block period.

Go to bed when my partner does, because she does it earlier than I would.

Together with all of this in mind for my schedule, I’ve also informed my partner about what it is I need to get done with this schedule in mind. That each day I need to have around 3 hours where I can sit and write at the very minimum. I think this will help create areas where I can work better from then on and it has created an environment where we are forcing ourselves to have time away from each other, because I have to write.

So onward to get this novel finished!

 

A Faerie in a Purple Dress: Chapter 7

Seven

Magic Identity

 

The knock that rattled upon my door, made me hope that Ashe had finally found my chamber. She had whispered to me before we were separated while being led to our rooms that she would come find me. She might have run into problems along the way, however.

It was clear that this city, even up to the emperor, did not respect that she was my wife. Any other couple of man and woman would have received a single chamber, especially when they had a child to show for it.

It frustrated me, but not nearly as much as the breaking of laws of magic that occurred within this city. First there was the barrier that shouldn’t exist. Then there was the spell that poured out more magical energy than was put in. All of which should not have been possible. Clearly, whoever this Bryak was, he must have considerable power if he learned to amplify magic to such a degree that this city possessed.

I pulled the door free to find Reynard jumping at my legs and Ashe smiling with her purple cloak to hide the Dryad features she didn’t think were her own. I smiled back and leaned in to kiss her. She pulled back and side-stepped me, entering the room instead.

I frowned and closed the door behind her. “What’s wrong?”

She turned back to me with a frown. “I can’t speak to the animals around here.”

I stopped myself from taking a seat on my nearby bed. “What? Why?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. There is just nothing there. I tried with some birds at my window, and then a few mice on the way over here.”

I took the seat and glanced around for any animals in here. “Honestly I’m surprised there are even animals past that barrier, especially birds.”

Ashe looked like she was in shock. “You think… maybe they aren’t real?”

“Hmm…” I thought about the idea that animals in this place weren’t real. It was a possibility. But then what would they be? “Did they seem mechanical or different?”

Ashe plopped down into a seat next to me on the bed. “No, I don’t think so anyway. No gears or whirring or anything like that. And they acted like normal mice and birds.”

I laughed. “Whatever that is supposed to mean.”

She pushed at me. “Come on. I don’t understand it. Could they be enchanted to ignore me or something?”

I shook my head. “It seems unlikely. We didn’t even know we were coming here, how could anyone else?”

Ashe let out a deep breath, and glanced toward Reynard whom was playing with the knob to the desk that was in my room. “I guess that’s true. But it is just such an unusual thing to happen. It worries me.”

I laid my hand on her knee and rubbed it. “There are a lot of things that worry me about this place. But we can figure that one out too. It could just be some kind of suppression of innate magical talents in people while within the city.”

She glanced to me with surprise. “But why would they do that?”

“Why would they have a barrier around the entire city, or clean people of magical things coming in?”

Then it dawned on me that the magical cleaning might have done it. It seemed unlikely, but the cleaning could have also left something that suppressed magical talents that people didn’t have control over. Ashe could choose to talk to animals, but it was still something innate with her. She grew up just being able to do it. So I could understand her worry about not having it suddenly, but she had been in situations without animals around.

I reached over and wrapped an arm around her waist from the back. “We can figure it out together. I want to stay here longer to figure out what is going on, if that’s okay?”

She leaned against me, pressing her head under my chin. “I guess it is okay. But I’d rather leave here as soon as possible.”

“I know. But we won’t be able to just take Darling and Ileana right now. Not after they just got back into town. So we might have to stay here no matter what. And I just have to know what is going on. The dragon hunter thing, and the barrier, and the weird thing with magic. The last time I encountered magic being this weird was at the Faerie Academy.”

“Weird? How?”

“The academy was set up at a font of magic. It’s an area in the world that magic pours out of. It caused strange things like someone casting an ignition spell and creating a fireball that consumed the whole cafeteria. Just magic acted unpredictably in certain parts of the academy. So they had rules like, you couldn’t do certain spells in specific areas, and some people’s natural talents had to be turned off completely.”

Ashe pulled back from me. “That sounds like here.”

“Yes, but I, like every person to go through the faerie academy not only knows where all the current fonts of magic are, but we know how to sense if we are in one that didn’t exist before. It’s like this pressure always tight against you. I feel nothing close to that here. If anything it feels more like there are voids of magic here.”

Ashe squirmed in her position, as Reynard came over to sit on her lap. Reynard looked to me and asked earnestly. “So what if it is the opposite?”

I looked down at Reynard. “The opposite?”

“Yeah, if a place pouring magic out exists. Why can’t a place that sucks up all the magic exist?” Reynard asked me. And I honestly had no idea.

“It was never discussed, but the Faerie Academy was all about making sure people only knew the information that Faeries wanted them to know. It could exist. But then if that was true, the amount of magical energy that would be needed for the barrier should be considerably more than I thought before, which makes it even more impossible.”

I threw myself back on the bed, spreading my body out. Reynard climbed over Ashe with a few grunts and complaints to lay down partly on me. Ashe smiled and laid down next to us.

I let out a sigh. “I just don’t know.”

“It sounds like a lot of the answers lie with this Bryak.” Ashe interjected.

“Maybe.” I yawned.

“Then we won’t be able to learn more til tomorrow.”

I nodded in agreement and yawned again.

Before I knew it I was stirring awake after a sharp pain. I looked down at my arm to find Reynard latched onto it with his mouth. I held his nose and he let go of me before settling back in the bed next to Ashe.

So I took the chance to get up out of bed and glance around. From the window, it suggested it was just breaking dawn, but it wasn’t always easy to tell since the world had a blue tint to it from the barrier.

A bird landed at the window on the outside though and I was reminded of the conversation from last night. The bird didn’t look off or different. It was bright blue itself, but there were birds like that.

My eyes shifted back to Ashe on the bed. Of course I believe her, she seemed so worried. I just didn’t have an explanation, and that frustrated me even more.

I didn’t get the chance to think about anything else though as I jumped when Reynard popped up from the bed and rubbed at his eyes sleepily.

“Go back to bed, Rey.” I told him, but he yawned and leaned forward to stretch like a cat. It was something he used to do as a fox, but watching him do it as a little girl was odd.

He then bounced from the bed and shook his head. “I’m not tired!”

“Then keep it down so Ashe can sleep.” I whispered back.

“Okay.” He said even quieter than me.

I watched Reynard look around for a bit, then go back to the desk to play with using his hands to open things. He must have been fascinated at the idea of having hands. Seeing him play with his hands and the desk reminded me that I had something to talk to the little fox about.

“Rey, you want to go for a walk then?”

He jumped up and glanced toward me. “Yeah!”

He certainly still had the excitement for walks from when he was in his fox form. “Okay, come on.”

I stepped to the door and popped it open for him, before following after into the hallway. After I closed the door he came zooming back to me to entangle a hand with mine. It made me smile, another thing he couldn’t experience before this.

“Do you know anything about being a Kitsune?” I started, glancing down three different hallways in front of us.

“Not really. Just some of what Kit told me. Something about tails and that I would get stronger and more powerful.”

“Powerful in what way?”

“I think magically.”

“I had a feeling. But if you stayed in this form then it doesn’t explain Ashe not having her ability.” I frowned as we followed down the right-most path, since it had the most windows.

“She does have her ability though.” Reynard said while he started swinging my arm with his. “I turned back to a fox so she could test and it worked. She just couldn’t do it with those birds.”

I pondered at that. It had to be the animals that were the problem then. That at least made sense with this entire city being under a magical barrier anyway. So I focused on Reynard instead. “You can turn back then?”

“Yeah! I can turn into a bunch of things. After I went back to a fox, I tried some other forms to cheer up Ashy!”

I laughed. “Did any of them work?”

Reynard lowered his head. “No. But she smiled for a moment when I turned into a gnome.”

I smiled as well at the thought of it. But I had to stay on task. “But you went back to this human form?”

Reynard looked down at himself. “Well, yeah. I like this form.”

I scrunched up my face and turned to face Reynard while stopping both of us. “Okay. But you do know that people might call you a girl then right?”

Reynard shrugged. “So what? That’s not a bad thing.”

I smiled and turned back to start walking again. “Okay. That’s true. Then I need to ask you something else, Rey.”

He glanced up to me with big, wet eyes.

“Do you want Ashe and I to call you a girl and use girl words like she and daughter?”

His eyes turned to the floor and he made a humming sound like he was in thought. Finally he turned to look back up at me. “I think so. I like being a girl. And hearing you say daughter makes me happy.”

I nodded. “Okay. I can’t promise I’ll get it perfect right away but I’ll try my hardest to remember that and I’ll let Ashe know. Sound good?”

Reynard nodded and perked up with a bright smile. “Thanks, Mom.”

I laughed and squeezed her hand. “You’re welcome, daughter.”

I can’t say I’d ever be having that conversation, especially with someone who is a fox. But then again the last time I had a conversation like this with someone I cared about it was way more confusing and a lot to absorb. I imagine that conversation helped with this one though. I guess I did have something to thank Gabbi for.

We walked around a bit more in silence, and then Reynard explained to me all the things she wanted to do with her new hands, like learning to sew a dress from Ashe and learning to fight from me. She was just so excited about everything that it was a bit invigorating.

By the time we got back to the room, she wasn’t quite as hyper and I was more wide awake. Lucky too, since when we stepped through the door, it wasn’t just Ashe that greeted us.

“Good, you’re back too. We can go to Bryak’s right now then.” Ileana said with paws on her hip.

“Where’s Darling?” I asked as Reynard ran off to hug Ashe.

“Not coming. He’s practically locked away. They wouldn’t even let me see him.”

“Alright. We’ll figure out something. For now, I need to change then we can go.”

“Change?” Ashe asked with surprise.

“Yeah, If I’m going to play the part of a Faerie, I might as well dress like it for now.” I smiled to Ashe, and she was shocked.

I winked. “What? I’m doing what you wanted.”

Ashe blushed and stumbled on her words. “W-what I wanted?”

I laughed and leaned over to kiss her. “Wearing a dress again.”

Her face lightened with understanding and she smiled as she leaned in to the kiss.

“I can do the other stuff you wanted, later.” I laughed and dodged out of the way from her hitting me as her face grew red again with embarrassment.

I couldn’t resist.

Words to Replace I Love You

From the infamous words of ‘as you wish’ to the various forms we personally create between people as some form of an inside joke; words, phrases and entire paragraphs have often replaced ‘I love you’. And why shouldn’t they? After all, those three simple words have been stuffed with so much power and meaning that they paradoxically have often lost all meaning to the average person.

If there’s any place that takes this to the extreme though it is authors and screenwriters. And it’s entirely possible that the Princess Bride had started it all with those simple words ‘as you wish’. We see it still in John Green’s novel A Fault in Our Stars, in the form of a couple saying ‘always’ to each other repeatedly and eventually ‘okay’. It’s just a common theme because we hear I love you too often these days. You’ve known someone for a week and you are already saying I love you just because one of you said it, rather than because you actually feel it. So in a world where the I love you white noise is so strong of course we turn to the words that can replace it but actually mean something particular to you.

It may not always be romantic love, it could be a phrase you say to your dad or sister that means you love them, but neither of you want to actually say the words I love you because there is just so much social weight in them. And this does work, as a personal phrase to replace I love you. You can use anything as long as it has meaning between the two or more people who are sharing it.

But interestingly, you can’t have a phrase become the new ‘I love you’ world-wide or in your society. As soon as a phrase like ‘As you Wish’ is used, it’s thought of as a joke, or more specifically thought as a cliche that is used by people who aren’t actually feeling an overwhelming emotion of love toward that person. It’s possible this is happening because I love you has become so muddied in our time that it is a cliche itself.

Of course I love you isn’t a cliche for everyone these days, usually only the jaded and cynic people among us, in fact it’s usually thought of as a requirement of being a cynic. For many people still they just see I love you as having too much power. Some people won’t say it because they don’t think they feel it, others won’t say it because they don’t want to admit the emotion behind the phrase, and even more won’t say it because they think it is too cliche or used too often by people who don’t actually feel the emotion of love.

And there are just as many people who don’t say the phrase are there are that say it for the wrong reasons. You see I love yous thrown out as a response to someone else saying I love you, even if you don’t mean it. You see I love yous used as emotional coercion on people to get them to do things you want, most often sex. You even see I love yous said by people who think they are in love when really all they are feeling is enjoyment, which is not the same thing, though the two should come together.

We can really only blame ourselves for all these problems with I love you. But with so many different interactions around just the phrase I love you, we can also show such a depth or lack of depth to a character based on how they use the phrase, or how they handle love in their life. So take advantage of that. Everyone expresses love differently, and everyone does experience love, but differently, so even with your villains, how do they express love, and what can you learn from that?

Book Review: Iron and Velvet

Disclaimer: As with all my reviews there is the possibility of spoilers, though I work my hardest to avoid them when I can, I feel a true review of a book cannot be done without talking about what happens in the book. 

 

Insert Lesbian Sex Joke Here

Another book review was a long time coming and I felt it was appropriate to start back up with a series with a lesbian protagonist. As a bonus this series also happens to be an urban fantasy series that takes place in London and involves a number of mythological direction from British faerie stories. The series in whole is called Kate Kane (No relation to Batwoman), Paranormal Investigator. The first book in the series is a decent introduction to the world and the main character who is a private detective.

Of course my first reaction to even seeing these books was that the name Kate Kane made me think of Batwoman. And then when I saw the hat in their picture I thought of Renee Montoya, Batwoman’s girlfriend in her first stand alone comics. And strangely enough, other than the name this Kate Kane is very reminiscent of Renee Montoya in terms of personality. And that’s where I need to start too, because with every first person narrative book, the narrator voice is incredible important for the story.

Unlike with Harry Dresden, who’s often an unreliable narrator, we get everything up front and raw with Kate Kane. You could say because of her personality everything is very direct and to the point. Also unlike Harry, she actually cusses regularly which fits the character’s personality well. She’s crass for sure, and a cynic in many cases. You can tell she just looks at the world with a very jaded view despite being thrown into a world of magic.

There is no doubt in my mind that she could have been related to my own main character Gnidori, from Beyond Ever After. They share many traits, including being faerie-types. If I had written my faerie tale book as an urban fantasy then it likely would have been something like this Kate Kane series.

As for the rest of the characters there are a number of gay, and lesbian characters throughout it, many of them are in high positions of power which is definitely different. My only problem was it seemed like everyone in the story had been Kate Kane’s ex at one point. And the ones who weren’t her ex were trying to sleep with her. It gave it a very… harem trope kind of vibe. At the same time I think a lot of lesbians in big cities can relate because you always seem to run in the same circles and come across exes all the time. On top of the number of diverse characters you also get many characters that are based on myths in Europe. Even the main character herself is from the faerie realm of the wild hunt.

Next we lead into the plot, which starts with Kate Kane being brought in to investigate a murder that is rather sensitive. A werewolf was murdered on the land of vampires and of course it could result in some huge war if it isn’t solved soon, regardless of who did it. Kate Kane gets caught in the middle of all of it, and even puts herself in the middle of it in some cases. Along the way she interacts with Nimue the witch queen, Julian the motherfucking vampire prince, and Tara the werewolf alpha. There’s a number of other characters, but these three end up being the most crucial to Kate, with one as an ex and two wanting to get in her pants. It doesn’t help that Julian is also the person who hired her for the job.

The plot isn’t too difficult to follow, and it manages to tie up nicely at the end with more lead ins to the faerie realms and what faeries are. Other than a few issues around conveniency, the plot was well put together, and had a lot of interesting twists and turns. Occasionally it seemed like Kate Kane was just doing something for the sake of needing to do something, but I’m not sure whether to acclimate that to the writer not knowing how to continue the story, or the character just needing to do something.

Overall the book was a solid one, and the romance and sex parts of the book weren’t too ridiculous. I’ve already even read the second one in the series and it continues to go pretty well, so I can definitely recommend these books to people who aren’t put off by a crude attitude. As for my imps, all but one of them enjoyed the books, and of course the one who held out was the one that is a stickler for details. Still it’s a solid book, and worth the time and it was nice to see such a thing come out of a bigger publisher too, even if it wasn’t a woman writer who wrote it.

Four Little Imps for Diversity, well done characters, developed story, and creativity.

A Faerie in a Purple Dress: Chapter 6

Six

 

The City of Nantes

 

The last thing I expected to see, when we crossed the bridge and closed in on the city that had been in the distance, was a giant blue barrier that shimmered and vibrated with magic.

The barrier wasn’t possible, really. It was glowing with more magic than even the oldest and greatest faeries possessed.

Still the knight captain we were following, who her subordinates called Captain Aki, pulled out a small metal object, maybe silver. She pressed the toy against the vibrating shield and it parted for her, like a tear in the world if the world was tinted blue. It made an eye shape that was tipped on its side and spread out to grow wide enough for people to pass through.

She then stepped to the side and a group of soldiers flooded in the newly formed gate. After they were through she glanced to me with a grimace and nodded her head to direct us through as well.

I scooped up Reynard and held him in my arms as Ashe went through, followed by the two of us.

After we were through, Captain Aki stepped in and pulled the object away. It sealed up the hole with a pop in the air, like we had all been at too high of altitudes and our ears were adjusting.

I set Reynard back down and rubbed at my ear.

The knight captain was giving me a look of suspicion, before pushing past me. “Come,” she said.

I wasn’t one to say no when a girl asked that. Well, in most cases.

“We’ve been instructed to take you to the showers.” She explained after we started walking through the city streets.

“Why?” I replied quickly. “Do we smell that bad?”

The captain glanced back with a look that was not at all amused. It was more like she was ready to murder me. “You stink of wild animal musk. But it’s not for the smell. It will wash away any magic around you.”

Faerie Fudge…

They’d find we were all under illusions if that was true.

I glanced to Ashe and she had wide eyes of worry, and I gave her the same look back.

“I wouldn’t worry or try to escape. We already know you cast an illusion. And once you are in this barrier, there is no getting out unless we want you to.”

Well, this would make things difficult. If they already knew about the illusions, they must not know what we looked like before them. They would have just arrested all of us except Darling, if that had been the case.

“How about I save us the trip?” I asked, while gathering some power so I could just put a different illusion over us.

The captain scowled back toward me. “I wish I could, but I can’t be sure you won’t just cast another illusion instead of removing it. Plus there could be other spells on you, and this is protocol.”

She turned to us and waved her hand toward a stone chamber with steps leading down into it. It was like we were already being led to a dungeon. Maybe they did know Darling was with us.

I wanted to make a no-peeping joke but the captain seemed so straight-laced it was amazing she hadn’t keeled over from a case of the seriousnesses.

We all hesitated though and the captain glared at us. “You don’t have to undress and you won’t get wet.”

“Sounds like a total party then.” I mused and she pushed me. I stumbled down the steps and into a stone room with drains on the floor and tiny holes all over the ceiling.

Someone stood on the far side of the entrance, with a robe made of maybe green silk.

“Oh, please do come in. I am one of Bryak’s apprentices and I will be conducting your cleaning.” The cloaked figure explained. “Don’t be afraid, it is a normal process for anyone entering the city.”

Sure enough, after everyone had descended into the room, including all of Captain Aki’s soldiers, the apprentice slid a wand out of his robe and tapped it against the stone wall. He really did mean everyone had to do this.

With the couple taps and some trickling of magic from his wand, energy started to pour from the ceiling to drench all of us except the apprentice. Again, it was far more magical energy than there should have been from what the apprentice had put in. It was like watching one of those illusionists who used no magic to do impossible things.

I frowned as my illusion slid off me like it had been mud. In fact I even felt my hold on the magic I had gathered slip away from me as well. I then looked around to see all my illusions were gone, but Reynard was still in his pig-tailed girl form. Otherwise, we looked like the most unusual bunch since apparently the Faerie Truth’s spell was not affected.

A few more taps were made against the wall and the rain of magic stopped pouring.

“Well…” the apprentice began, smiling over us. “I never quite expected to see another faerie grace us with her presence. And with a Dryad and Chimera as well.”

The dryad must have been Ashe, since Ileana was definitely the Chimera and Darling looked the most human of all of us, well except Reynard who looked like a perfect and adorable little girl.

“Welcome to the City of Nantes, Miss Faerie.” The apprentice beamed an old smile to me. He was certainly a man that had grown of age with little worries. A lucky man.

“Mrs…” I wanted to start arguing over the use of miss when I considered myself married, but then I realized I didn’t agree with the use of faerie either, even though that was what I looked like. I just settled for, “I’m married.”

The apprentice brightened up. “Oh! We did not have that in our records. I will record that for later details. But first I must start with the rule that would concern you. If you wish to use magic while in the city, you will have to request it from my Master, Bryak. He keeps tabs on all magic used while within the barrier. If he does not give you clearance please avoid the use of magic, or we will have to arrest you.”

He looked grim for a moment but then his smile brightened again. “I doubt you will have any trouble obtaining approval from him though, Godmother. Now I just need to confirm your identity. You are the Faerie Godmother known as the Red Faerie? Is this correct?”

I shouldn’t have been shocked, but I really was. They should not have had anything that would give them my faerie identity. And I started to wonder what else that magical shower had done besides remove my illusions. But if that was the information they were going with, it was better to just follow along than reveal even more information about myself. Besides, Faerie Godmothers were given more freedoms and leniency in cities usually.

“Yes. You have quite the information at your disposal. Other than the lack of my marriage.”

The apprentice’s grin grew wider. “Thank you, and it is an honor to have another Godmother in the city. And to think that Godmothers do marry! I will be praised for that information. Would you allow me to know the man who is your spouse, for purposes of recording?”

I shook my head. “No man. The dryad next to me is my spouse. And the young one is our child.”

The man looked horrified for a moment then muttered something to himself that I caught as, “I’ll just leave that off.”

I pressed on though, “If you will allow me the honor, I would like to know something in return. I was not aware that the City of Nantes had a Godmother assigned to it.”

“Oh yes, Faerie Truth has been very pleasant to us. She is one of the reasons this city is such a shining beacon of prosperity.”

“And magic,” I added.

“Yes, of course, that too.” He nodded.

He then turned to the others to confirm identities. I shouldn’t have been surprised that they had records of Ashe as Cinderella, and allow Ashe stressed that we were married as well he seemed adamant to leave that information off. Ileana was apparently known as the princess of Zmeu. I was unsure if that was a legend and whether that was a place nearby or some creature that held her.

The apprentice had to record information for Reynard though, and he gave the man his name then Ashe’s last name. I wanted to praise the fox for that, that way he didn’t have to reveal any other information about the name I usually used.

After that though, the apprentice skipped over Darling completely, and moved on to checking off the others quickly, just to make sure they were still the same guard troop that had left.

I wanted to say that was a blessing, but if they knew one of my identities and even Ashe’s then they must know who Darling is.

That meant the arrest would come soon. And I had to have a plan for it.

Finally the apprentice glanced over all of us. “I was informed that you are to be led into the welcoming hall at the Palace. His Majesty is desperate to see his little princess.”

And there it was. I had to act now or we would be captured and locked away in cells forever.

I glanced around waiting for the cuffs and gathered up some energy again, ready to strike, but instead I saw the military troupe around us bowing or lowering their heads toward us.

“Thank you for returning her, Red Faerie.” Captain Aki even said with a curt and low bow.

I just lifted an arm up to brush the back of my head and smile awkwardly while letting the magic deplete again. “Uh… sure…”

It seemed like they weren’t jumping to conclusions quite yet. And as long as they didn’t uncover the rest of my identity, or that I wasn’t exactly friends with the Faerie Truth, we might be okay.

“Please, follow me. I will lead you to the hall.” The apprentice informed us, while the troops filed away back into the street.

The apprentice went further into the stone halls that led beyond the cleaning room. I glanced at the others and shrugged before following after.

“Don’t be worried about the Knights of Korrigan. They have been trained to be rather cold to any strangers, and you cannot get much stranger than a faerie, dryad and Chimera.”

I just nodded and followed along, glancing to Ashe who didn’t seem as worried anymore, but kept a hand linked with Reynard as if she were ready to bolt at any moment.

I leaned over to Darling and whispered, “Do we need to run?”

Darling shook his head. “Even if we did, we wouldn’t make it out of the barrier. I can put up with my family once more if it means we will be safe.”

I was starting to wonder if maybe this would be a crueler punishment than what the prince would face if I brought him to those that had a bounty on him.

“We might even be able to have Bryak help us with changing back. He is a powerful magician and he helped Fett and I originally with our escape.” Ileana added as quiet as she could.

“Alright. We’ll go to Bryak after this. I’d like to be able to use my magic anyway, without worrying about more people trying to lock me up or kill me.” I explained and everyone nodded before we focused on following along the darkened stone halls. If it hadn’t been for the torches lighting along the way this place would be impossible to navigate, despite not running into too many turns since we started.

I almost slammed into the apprentice from behind though, when he stopped suddenly. He turned to the side, and pressed against the wall we stopped at. The wall swung up and away to allow light to come pouring in from wherever we were going.

He then waved his hand in front of him. “Please, after you.”

I looked at him skeptically, but pressed forward first, followed by everyone else. I felt Reynard cling a hand to my red cloak, as we passed into the room. The Apprentice didn’t follow us, and instead I turned to glance back when I heard the wall close back down.

After the sound of the wall settling back in to where it was, the room fell eerily silent. So I took a look around the room, stepping softly in case there were traps set up.

The room had massive stained-glass windows like mosaics on the wall directly in front of us, and pillars holding up the expanse of such a large room. Chairs lined the walls to the left and right, and if it hadn’t been for the rug in the center of the room, I would have thought this to be some kind of ballroom.

The rug was the most interesting thing. The pattern was a tower standing tall, with a lake and hedge maze around it. At the top of the tower stood someone that could have been anyone, holding what looked to be a chalice or cup in one hand and a sword or some pointy weapon like a spear in the other.

The rug suggested there was an origin to it, and that maybe it was connected with a legend, but it wasn’t a tale that I knew. It likely meant I was much further than I had previously been. Thinking about it, it actually made sense that we ended up here now though, since the Faerie Truth had connections with this city. She had likely used the enchanted forest just outside the city and that’s why the faerie circle brought us here.

“Admiring the decorations, Miss Red Faerie?”

I turned around to see a man approaching us from the side entrance, near a section of taller and more extravagant chairs. His face was rather unusual. His features suggested that his origins were similar to the others we had already seen in the city, with slanted eyes and light but not too light skin. His beard was something to be admired for anyone who cared for such a thing, it stretched to a length below his belly button.

The most unusual thing of all was his eyes. One eye and side of his face looked like he was laughing, while the other side was set deep in a frown and had a fresh trail of tears.

“Your rug, yes. It is not a legend I am familiar with.” I explained.

“Ah yes. I heard you come from a distant land. That is the castle of Kerglas, and it is the man at the top who saved this city many years ago and raised it up to be what it is today.” The unusual man explained.

“But please excuse me. I must hug my little princess.” He continued, before crossing the floor with his flowing purple cape rather quickly and wrestling Darling into a hug.

Darling tried to push away as he was squeezed but couldn’t get away until the man finally let go and stepped back. “I have missed you, my darling.”

Darling just looked down and nodded softly. “Hello, Father.”

The father turned back toward me. “Thank you so much for bringing my little girl back. We had been deathly afraid ever since she left a month ago.”

My eyebrow rose at that, and even Darling and Ileana looked to each other with confusion. I had been tracking them for over a month, there was no way it had only been a month of time since then. I had to wonder if the Faerie Circle took us more than just to a distant land, but a time gone past as well.

“You are welcome, sir. However I must declare that those two are under my custody for now. They are being taught a lesson, and until they learn I cannot leave them be.” I explained to the person I had to assume was the emperor.

The emperor looked confused. “But I have a fairy godmother that handles such things for her already. Is that not enough?”

I shook my head. “I’m afraid that the Faerie Truth has been handling things all wrong. So I assumed that duty for the time being. The reason I have returned with them to this city.”

“Oh! Then yes, you may stay here as long as you wish. We can always use another Godmother to help the citizens. I will have a place made up for you and your companions as soon as possible.” The emperor agreed and waved toward one of the guards that had come in with him and stationed at the door he had used. The purple-clad guard ran off.

“Now may I inquire further about the magical qualities of this city? They are rather unusual.” I continued, and the emperor beamed a grin, likely taking it as a compliment.

“I am glad to see another Godmother taken to the magical beauty of the city. But I am afraid I know very little of the inner workings. You will have to discuss anything you wish to know with my magician adviser Bryak. He has been working on the barrier that protects this city for many lifetimes.”

I nodded. “I was planning to visit him already, if I plan to stay in this city any length of time, having the use of my magic legally is rather crucial.”

The emperor strode toward a seat, beckoning Darling after him. “I am sure he will give you freedom on that account. A Godmother’s magic is always welcome in the city.”

“Thank you.” I bowed. I went to leave but the emperor cleared his throat.

“Please. Stay. I have much to catch up on with my daughter and I want to make sure she is truthful in where she has been.”

“Of course.” I nodded again and felt ridiculous for falling back into my speech pattern that I had used as a Faerie. It was all politics when it came to things like this.

I stepped over by Ashe and Reynard, but didn’t bother to take a seat.

The emperor continued. “Of all the days for you to arrive, you had to return on one of the busiest. The dragon hunters are returning today and as you can imagine I have much work to do. But you must tell me where you have been, my darling?”

I stepped forward to interrupt before Darling could say anything. “I’m sorry sir. But dragon hunters? Does that perhaps have anything to do with the dragon roars I heard coming from this city?”

“Ah, so you can recognize the roar of a dragon. You must have encountered them before. But yes, you would be correct. This city has been plagued of dragons in the past and now we keep them at bay between our hunters and the barrier. But we do keep some of them locked away for purposes of research. Again, you will have to discuss that with Bryak. He handles those matters, as they are of magic.”

“Thank you. I would prefer meeting with this magician now, if warranted. I’m sure we can have this conversation again soon. Perhaps it would be better conversation for dinner?”

The emperor considered this for a moment. “You are rather wise, Godmother. I believe dinner is far more excellent for such a conversation. But not tonight, for I must retire soon. I will have my guard escort your companions to their chambers, and one will come for you when Bryak is ready to see you. It may not be til the morning, so please do not be afraid to get some sleep.”

I bowed again. “Thank you kindly, Emperor. I’m sure my wife and I will enjoy the stay.”

He seemed to overlook that I was pressing I wanted a room with Ashe and Reynard, but I wasn’t going to stress it again when a guard approached and lowered her head.

“Please, rest, and we will discuss tomorrow. I shall lead the princesses to their chambers. And thank you for returning both of them. We may have two weddings to come soon.” The emperor nodded to the guards and they reached out to turn Ashe and I around.

Before I turned around, I saw the look on Darling’s face that read something akin to panic.

There was more going on in this city than just a father not respecting a son’s wishes though.