(((I hope everyone is enjoying the Feast of Beltaine until Thursday. Ah, Beltaine, the festival of fire. There are 10 tracks on the soundtrack I created to write this story to which means there will be 10 more chapters. Read on, my friends!))))
Chapter 29
Aradia snarled as she raised her arm in readiness to strike the prince. She didn't intend to do any mortal harm to him, she simply wished to catch him off guard enough to apply the orb to Titania. Once the girl was under Oberon's control, she would be able to destroy the elf without weaponry whatsoever. Human strength, when unleashed without any intrinsic limitations could tear apart a solid stone. An elf, whether they had fulfilled their purpose or not, could not be reborn after having been killed by a mortal. She flew forward at the prince and swiped harshly at him with the back of her arm. Nuada raised the spear and shouted as he thrust the sharp spear's end towards her chest, catching the edge of her arm with the blade. Aradia screamed and landed several feet away, clutching her arm. The elf smiled triumphantly as the faerie looked down sadly at the wound. Titania gasped and felt her nerves fizzling with anxiety as Nuada moved slowly towards the faerie, trying to keep a safe distance while sizing up how best to next attack her.
"Fiddlesticks! You cut me!" the wicked sprite hissed as she pulled her arm to her mouth. The girl and the elf watched in horror as Aradia slowly licked her arm clean of the golden blood and purred happily. Nuada winced in disgust and lifted the spear once more. Aradia chuckled. "I wonder how your blood will taste."
Nuada grasped the spear in both hands and lunged the silver tip at her, aiming to pierce her heart. Aradia leapt to the side and smiled. She extended the dark fingernails on one of her dark hands as claws and swiped at the prince's face. Nuada felt a sharp sting as four long, thin marks were left on his cheek. He growled and hit the side of Aradia's face with the hilt. She grunted and stumbled backwards a pace as Nuada twirled the spear around gracefully, holding it behind him and holding a hand out towards her menacingly. Aradia steadied herself, holding the bloodied claws in front of her face as a smile crossed her lips. Nuada narrowed his eyes and watched as the faerie brought the hand to her mouth and softly licked the tip of each nail, snarling.
"Pity," she sighed. "Weak and far too bitter."
"You sampled blood, irrelevant to a warrior by comparison to the heart," the elf countered. He swept the spear into both hands once more and began slicing into the air as he hurried towards her. Aradia shrieked happily and allowed herself to fall to the ground as the elf raced to her. His focus was on her position and there was enough of it to distract from her plan. She pushed herself forward, sliding along the grass under the prince and snapping back to standing immediately behind him. As he turned, the back of Aradia's hand slammed into his jaw with unusual force. He reeled for a moment, growling.
"Pathetic, it must be the influence of trolls," Aradia said shaking her head. She turned to Titania and smiled. "It's a shame, really. This will be far easier than I thought." The faerie raised the dark orb and scowled at the human girl. Titania froze and stared in awe at the onyx crystal. "Now, I can do what should have been done millennia ago." Nuada stood and gripped the spear more tightly. "The line of men of the Bethmoora ends once and for all with a little girl and a handsome prince." She lowered her hand, allowing the orb to float in mid-air as she turned and smirked at the elf. "Well, with a little girl anyway."
As Nuada readied to drive the end of the blade into Aradia's chest, he suddenly noticed the strange glow forming in Titania's eyes. She was enchanted by the orb. He frowned. What did Oberon want with her? Suddenly, the end of a dark grey blade appeared through Aradia's midsection. A spray of gold blood hit the prince as the blade was withdrawn. Aradia looked down at the enormous wound and wailed. With her cry, the orb quivered and shrank into nothing. Nuada knew too well that it had probably not disappeared, but had instead been transported back to Oberon to give an account of why Aradia had failed.
She sank to her knees slowly, revealing a creature standing beside her that was nearly as tall as Titania, with spindly limbs and pale green skin. His face could have been considered as human as Nuada's, but the horns on his head and his beady red eyes made him appear far more monstrous. His clothing was of well-aged leather, but was in similar style to the prince's as well, though not nearly as well constructed or magnificent. The creature did have substantial jewelry and natural oddments dangling from his neck, ears, wrists, and horns. He turned and smiled at Nuada as the prince's eyes narrowed with familiarity. He dashed back to standing a few feet in front of Titania as the creature began walking slowly towards them, dropping the long, wicked, stone blade he had used to impale the faerie.
Titania and Nuada watched in amazement as the opulent creature continued approaching. He appeared to have been fashioned of hard stone, moss, bone (not his own) and flesh. He smiled towards Nuada and bowed his head for a moment in reverence.
"My prince," the creature said with a smile flashing pointed opal teeth. "I am glad I arrived when I did, though it was not nearly the display I had expected to come upon. You seem distracted, off your timing."
"Timing is essential to goblins, skill to elves," Nuada replied with clear anger in his voice. "I remember that well, Jareth."
Titania gasped as the creature laughed. "So you do remember your father's dealings in these lands. I had hoped you wouldn't easily forget." Jareth smiled and gestured one hand to Nuada kindly. "I have also heard of your dealings with my own people across the sea, your mercy and kindness towards them. We all but disappeared from the emearald lands and the rest in the darker regions have had a time escaping Oberon's servitude. That you let so many of my kind into your service without cruelty was most admirable. It touched my heart."
"That must have hurt," Nuada quipped back. Jareth sighed and shook his head.
"I assure you, your highness, that I do not intend to serve Oberon. No goblin would readily serve someone so poorly coordinated alone," the goblin lord replied. "Surely you do not think us without pride."
"Why have you come, Jareth?" the elf asked firmly, not lowering the spear.
"I came to stop Aradia, of course, and warn you that Oberon waits at the entrance of the Faerie Court and has many servants waiting at the entrance to the ring," Jareth replied with a bow. As he lifted his head to look the prince in the eyes, a solemn glare crossed his features. "He plans to awaken the deathless few."
"Impossible!" Nuada laughed with spite. Jareth frowned at him, lifting one brow to emphasize the lack of jesting. "The only way to wield the iron cauldron's power is with the aid of a demon and it must be awakened by a forest child, an heir to the . . ." Nuada trailed off and turned to look behind him at Titania. The girl frowned and took a step backwards. "Bethmoora was your family's surname once, that is why you were drawn to the forest," he whispered. "Wasn't it?"
"Mom's family, her mother's last name," Titania replied softly as several thoughts and realizations began to flood her mind. She shook her head as Nuada closed his eyes and grunted in frustration. She lifted her hands defensively. "But that doesn't mean that I'm anything special."
"On the contrary," Jareth interjected as he moved forward. Nuada glared at the goblin as he reached for the girl. "That is the other reason I came."
"Stay your hand from her, Jareth, or die," Nuada hissed. The goblin froze and slowly faced the elf with a smirk. "Do not touch her."
"Come, now; you can't expect to best me? Oberon will release the last portion of my people from his service if I retrieve her and then we will be free to follow you. Besides, the demon prince is nowhere to be found," Jareth replied. "He went missing years ago."
"Anung un Rama is not within Oberon's grasp, but he does know of him and where he is," Nuada said sadly. He frowned. "It was why the gnome king chose memory glass. Why were my senses so marred that day!?"
"Perhaps it was simply being so unused to combat after reawakening," Jareth offered. He turned his gaze towards Titania and gave her a wicked grin. "Then again, you did have a lovely distraction." Jareth suddenly felt the point of Nuada's spear at the base of his neck. He sighed. "Is it really worth being so wounded before journeying towards the entrance, your highness, to defend this little girl?"
"I would ask you the same question, Jareth, but my wish is not for you to go on to the entrance. Leave this place and gather the rest of the free goblins left in Europe. We will rally forces quickly against Oberon and then I will enter the court. We must make haste," the prince said firmly. Jareth smiled in amusement and turned, allowing the point of the spear to touch his neck. "Now go."
"You should not give me orders, yet, Nuada," Jareth said with a wry smile. Nuada glared at him hatefully, realizing the severity of the situation that he now found both himself and Titania in. "You may have removed the king, but you do not yet . . ."
Nuada shouted angrily and thrust the hilt of the spear into Jareth's chest so cruelly that even Titania cried and leapt back. Jareth fell to the ground, coughing and struggling to stand. The elf quickly held the spear's point firmly to the goblin's neck and stood with one foot firmly over his chest. Jareth growled and looked up at the elf in disappointment. He spoke angrily in the Gaelic tongue of the court, now displaying his rightful born power more fully. "I have given you a task, Jareth," he said. "If you are loyal you will obey immediately, but if you are defiant," here the elf pressed the spear's edge into the goblin's neck so firmly that a trickle of blood began to stream over its silver edging, "I will have no choice but to destroy you."
"I am not entirely your servant yet, prince," Jareth rasped in reply, also speaking the tongue of old. Nuada continued to cut a small wound in the creature's neck. Jareth growled. "Oberon has strength, Silverlance. Do you remember what he did to your father's realm?"
"Do you remember my oath at my father's negotiation with man?" Nuada spat back.
Jareth grinned and chuckled. "What does your desire to break the truce with and destroy humanity have to do with a battle against the dark faeries?"
"I vowed to undo the foolishness of my father, Jareth. He should not have banished Oberon or allowed him to return and he certainly should not have suffered such freedoms to be given to selfish mortals," Nuada said as he leaned forward. "I am willing to do what none others of my kind, of our kind, are willing to accomplish. I have no fear of Oberon." Jareth froze, staring up at the prince with sudden apprehension. "Now, do you plan to serve me?"
"Yes," Jareth said glancing to his side in slight anxiety. "But you are not king yet."
"I will not be king," the prince replied as he lifted the tip of the spear and moved it along the goblin's flesh traveling up his jaw-line to his cheek. "And your loyalty must begin at once." Nuada growled and swiftly used the tip of his spear to cut a set of two small lines on each of the goblin lord's cheeks right beside his nose, leaving four tiny marks signifying an ancient rank and service. Jareth stared at the prince in shock as Nuada withdrew the spear and stepped back. "Rise. You serve me, and me alone." Jareth nodded slowly, continuing to stare at the prince in something that was becoming admiration. Nuada had left the continent as a whimpering little boy who had lost his mother. Jareth had heard of the elf's rise to a powerful warrior, but he had not truly believed that the whelp could have become as ruthless as he was accused of being. "Gather the free creatures of your kind and wait for us at the entrance by the Stonehenge."
"Yes, sire," Jareth said slowly and with a tone of surprise. "How long will you be away? Where will you go?"
"Back to the Troll Market, there is need of recruiting," the prince replied. He glanced towards Titania and frowned. "And I must leave a friend in the care of my people. I will return within a fort-night."
"Nuada, you cannot . . ."
"I believe you have your orders," Nuada interrupted as he turned back to the goblin sternly. "You are captain of my armies, now. Go and do not fail; it would be most unpleasant to face me crowned and scorned." Jareth nodded and stood, quickly fleeing the scene after a brief bow. Nuada watched the goblin disappear into the darkened night. He frowned. It was time to be a warrior once again. He would have to put aside love for the time being, at least until Titania was safe with the last few elves. Titania . . . He turned back to her, breathing heavily. He reached out one hand towards her, noticing her uneasy stance. She stared back in slight fear, clasping her hands in front of her and frowning. "Come, Titania, we must go now."
"To the Faerie Ring?" she asked softly. He shook his head and walked to her. Titania instinctively took a step backwards as he firmly grasped her hand and turned away, leading them back away from the hill. "Wait, where are we going?!"
"Across the sea," he replied as he glanced back up at the sky. "You are not safe here and I am in need of greater numbers in my forces." Titania shivered at the prince's words. Things were going back to the dark portrayal of a savage world she had briefly been exposed to when the prince had first met her. She wanted to ask more questions, but the display between the goblin and the elf had made her wary of him once more. He pulled her hand firmly and stopped, bringing her in front of him. The two stared at one another for a moment in silence, the girl's eyes filled with surface fear and tension while the elf's were filled with fear hidden behind anger and concern. He reached out and softly moved a strand of her dark hair away from her face. "I will not enter the court while you are in danger."
"Am I really that significant?" she stammered.
He smiled and leaned forward, softly kissing her forehead before turning back to their path into the forest. They would need to take Puck with them and Titania would need to be better equipped to travel. It would mean a short detour, but they could manage it if both were swift. He gazed into her eyes thinking about her question with renewed sincerity. "Yes," the elf replied softly. He glanced behind him with a slight grin. It was wonderful to have this small extension in asking her to accompany him and perhaps she would be freed from her mortal coil by the end of all of this. Still, it would not be right to let her die just to ensure rebirth. He had to protect her, that did feel right. At least if he was going to be in danger, it was for a good cause. "And not at all what you seem on the surface."
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Manning walked swiftly back to Welf's office to give a report of the disturbance from Abe and Nuala's room. The she-elf's carrying on had indeed spread throughout the entire facility quite early on and Manning had been told by his partner to report back to him about the problem as soon as it was resolved. Manning had been so encumbered with threats of removal and the disappointments of recent failures that he hadn't the presence of mind or fortitude to say no to someone that should have been an equal. Welf, of course, was not in his office. An operative told him to check with the third floor medical lab. Manning almost felt it would be worth the verbal, and possible paper, scalding that would ensue for him to not report to the man. He shuddered, going over hundreds of horrible things he might walk in on Welf doing to the captive creatures that the bureau housed. The doors to the lab hissed open, revealing Welf standing and glancing over a few papers on a clip board with smug satisfaction.
"Agent Welf," Manning said as he breathed deeply. Welf turned and raised a brow expectantly. "The princess was having a . . . a . . . a night terror or something like it. The link she has had with her twin is still an issue for her."
"Her twin," Welf said looking back at the papers. "Yes, I remember the report filed about the Blackwood's Auction incident and the elf that was behind it. That was her twin, wasn't it?"
"Yes, sir," Manning replied. He breathed deeply and rubbed his shoulder. "But he has yet to have been located and doesn't seem to be causing any further trouble for the moment."
"Current trouble isn't necessarily all that we deal with, Agent Manning," Welf replied with a smile. "He was extremely violent and held a genocidal belief about destroying all humans."
"It had to do with some extremist environmentalist views, sir," Manning added as a strange groaning and loud roaring began to come from the walls behind them. Manning frowned and glanced at the walls, recognizing the sound somewhat. "He believed it was the only way to preserve the planet or something like that."
"Fascinating," Welf muttered as he flipped through the papers mindlessly. It was apparent to Manning that the papers were there to simply be something to take eye contact away from his partner. "Thank you for the update, Agent Manning. Please inform me should the elf need any psychiatric assistance. We wouldn't want any other violent beings wandering around the facility."
"Yes, sir," Manning replied, still glancing anxiously at the walls as the sounds of suffering grew louder. "Uh, sir, is there something going on that I should be aware of?"
"Oh that? I'm just making sure that the troll you retrieved has comparable tolerance to extreme temperatures should we be in need of relocating him," Welf replied with a casual wave. Manning shook his head and hurried to the door. "Oh, and, Dr. Manning," he continued. Manning froze, but did not turn as the cruel operative gave another order. "Inform me should the prince's location become a topic of conversation, all details if you please."
Manning nodded and left the room, popping three more tablets into his mouth and leaning against the hall facing. This was not going to get better any time soon. Part of him actually wanted Jenna Finkelstein to return immediately and be a more pronounced opposition to Welf. At least then the heat would be on something else.
Welf smirked at the sounds still emitting from the room where Wink was being kept. The room had been equipped with the ability to sustain a great deal of heat and cold to keep creatures that required either one. Welf was currently toying with the idea of sending the creature on to the facility in Siberia that he had been forced to endure. In fact, a greater and crueler portion of him wanted the entire main facility relocated to the wasteland. There were paranormal creatures there, of course, but of a far more sinister nature. A female medical assistant suddenly approached him with an envelope of documents. He turned and held out one hand to accept them.
"Anything truly interesting to tell me before I read this?" he asked with a grin. She breathed deeply, a look of uncertainty in her eyes.
"The elf has similar formed elements to our own and a little less plasma, but the anomaly that really surprised us were what we found in the leukocytes when we activated the humoral immunity mechanism." She tapped the edge of the documents and looked up at him. "What we thought to initially be macrophages primed for fighting infection were actually strange cells formed to combat free-radicals."
"Free radicals?" he asked in amusement. "But wouldn't that mean that . . .?"
"Yes, sir," she continued. Welf looked into the operative's eyes with great excitement. "She almost has an immunity to aging."
"Perfect," Welf laughed softly. He opened the envelope and withdrew the results of the blood analysis. "The fountain of youth."
