Double update! R&R, PM, and Enjoy!
Chapter 14
David woke up, and looked around. He was still in the infirmary, and he knew what he had to do. He sat up and stood, walking over to the exit. A Nursing-talent approached him, and David said, "I'm feeling alright now, and I'd like to leave, please." The Nursing-talent nodded, and David left. He noticed it was night time, an opportune moment to leave for the Shadow Cliffs. He quickly flew to the Tree and sneaked inside. He quietly opened the knot to his room and tiptoed inside. Once the knot was closed, he went to work, grabbing the bag with all of his supplies and the pixie dust orb. He touched the knot that opened to his travel clothes, and retrieved them. The clothes turned to dust and reformed around him once again, and he thought of anything he forgot. He turned to his bed, and noticed a writing utensil and a leaf pad. He sat down and began to write. Once finished, he set the pad down and flew up to the window that led outside the Tree. He quietly moved through the branches but froze suddenly when he heard a sharp "Whoo!" He turned and saw it was only an owl, and sighed with relief.
"Maybe you can help me. L'mani l'tranatsio (Li-mah-nee le-trahn-aht-see-oh). Can you take me to the Shadow Cliffs?"
"You must be joking," the owl said, "the cliffs are beyond-"
"Beyond the northern mountains, I know," David interrupted. "But I need to go there, I have to go there. If I don't, something bad could happen."
The owl looked at him skeptically, and asked, "Like what?"
"Ever hear of Shadow Magic?" The owl turned his head, completely towards David. "If I don't go there, it could come to Pixie Hollow and hurt a lot of people. It could kill a lot of people. Please, I am begging you. At least take me past the mountains, so I can go there myself."
The owl thought for a moment, then said, "Very well. Climb aboard." The owl spread his wings and knelt so David could climb on. Once he sat down, The owl took off immediately, flying through the branches and out of the Tree. David looked behind them and saw Pixie Hollow beneath them. He looked ahead and saw the northern mountains, a layer of clouds hiding their caps.
"I will take you past the base of the mountain on the far side, that is all!" The owl shouted back to David. "After that just head north until you reach the sea. From there, the Shadow Cliffs will be visible!"
David shouted back, "Thank you!" The owl climbed higher into the air, going past the clouds. David had to close his eyes while they were in the clouds, and when he opened them again he saw a clear and starry sky. It completely took his breath away, he had never seen anything like this before. He could see almost every star with perfect clarity. The moon was possibly the one that surprised him the most. It was very large at this height, whereas down on the ground it looked as if you could put it in your pocket. But up here, up here it looked like it was a nearby planet. David smiled before the owl dived down again, into the clouds, and shouted, "We're at the opposite side of the mountain. I'll drop you off at the nearest clearing." David, after getting past the clouds, saw what he meant. Past the opposite mountainside, there were plateaus and mesas above a foggy ground. Past that was a clear field of rocky terrain, black as obsidian. The owl flew down towards the clearing, but stopped for an unknown reason.
"What is it?" David asked, but the owl was staring at something. "I can't fly there."
"What do you mean? Is it the Shadow Magic?"
The owl nodded, and said, "I can feel its influence already. I fly any further, and we crash land. I'll have to land on the closest mesa I can get you to." The owl flew down and landed on a mesa about 50 feet from the clearing.
"Thank you for bringing me this far," David said.
"Heh, don't mention it," the owl replied. "I'll try to come back for you." David nodded and said goodbye to the owl, who flew off.
David turned towards the clearing, and began to walk to the edge of the mesa. He flew over to the other mesa, continuing to walk as he landed. He did this a few more times, until he reached the clearing. By this time, he felt weak. "This must be the influence of Shadow Magic the owl was talking about." He bent over, hands on his knees, and looked back up. It was a little foggy, and he stood again. "I need to keep going. Otherwise, I'll have traveled here just to give up." He began to run, thinking he should conserve his Pixie Dust just in case. He could smell many things: humid air, rotting wood, but most of all, sea water. He stopped occasionally to catch his breath, have something to eat or drink, or to check his surroundings. It seemed like hours had passed when he heard something. He listened closer, and heard the definite sound of ocean waves. He ran further ahead, where the fog had cleared up, and saw it in person for the first time. "The Shadow Cliffs. I'm finally here." He looked on at the scene before him. It was just like the vision in the golden room. Dark, jagged cliffs along a shoreline, with ocean waves pounding against the dark monolith. Lightning flashed in the sky, casting a menacing shadow with each flash. David could now definitely feel the power of the Shadow Magic, like a bag that covered his entire body, suffocating and crushing him at the same time. He proceeded anyway, this time flying. The Shadow Magic had not affected his Pixie Dust, apparently, and David flew as fast as he could towards the cliffs.
He looked around the face of the cliffs and spotted a single cave. He flew towards it, feeling the Shadow Magic getting stronger, and landed in the mouth of the cave. He looked inside and saw a small light flickering, a fire. He moved deeper into the cave, moving as silently as possible, until he saw the source of the light. It was a small cooking fire, a metal pot hanging over it. On the far aide of the fire was a sparrow man, who had his head down. He wore clothes that resembled David's, but they were mixed colors of gold and black. David took a step forward and slipped on a wet rock. He almost fell, but made a ruckus trying to get back up. The sparrow man's head shot to the side, his right ear pointed at David.
"I know why you are here, Magic-talent," the sparrow man said, his voice similar to the hawk's but not as demented. "You're here to kill me, aren't you?"
David was silent for a moment, but silently said, "Yes."
"Well," the sparrow man said, waving his hand slowly in front of him, "take a seat." David did so, slowly. Once he fully sat down, the sparrow man leaned forward and dipped a ladle in the pot, and poured a clear liquid into two stone containers. He handed one to David and said, "Careful, its hot."
"What is it?" David asked, unsure what he had been served.
"Its purified sea water. The water has to be boiled to get rid of the salt, otherwise it won't taste good." The sparrow man sipped from his drink, as did David. The water tasted fine, just a little hot.
David set his cup down and said, "Sir, I must ask. If you know I am here to kill you, then why treat me as a friend instead of a foe?" The sparrow man sipped more of his drink and set it down as well. David noticed his eyes were covered by a black cloth, and rubbed it.
"It is true I treat you as a friend, even though you are going to kill me. I must confess something. I actually want to die."
David gave a curious look, and said, "Might I ask why that is?" The sparrow man chuckled for a moment.
"My time here is at an end. Simple as that. I have been watching you, Magic-talent. I may have lost my sight to the Shadows, but I can still see how much you've gone through. You have gained many allies, defeated a few enemies, gave your life or put it on the line for others. You truly are something." The sparrow man finished his drink, and refilled his cup.
"How did you, er, lose, uh..."
"My eyes?" the sparrow man finished. David nodded, and the sparrow man removed the cloth. David gasped at what he saw, he had no eyes, just empty sockets. The sparrow man replaced the cloth and continued, "The Shadows. The very essence of the dark power I once wielded. For a moment, I felt invincible. However, power comes at a price." David finished his as well, and the sparrow man refilled his cup as well.
"You were captured, by pirates, right?" The sparrow man nodded.
"That was when I first discovered the dark power. I had recently found out my talent, the Magic-talent, and flew far away from Pixie Hollow. Unfortunately, in my time of self-celebration, I was captured by pirates, who forced me to lead them to a magic mirror, which could grant any wish. After they wasted their first two wishes on riches and glory, I used my magic to crash the ship. The pirates died, and I took the opportunity to look through their belongings. One scroll I found, contained Shadow Magic. When Queen Amanda banished me here, the dark powers I had already accumulated began to consume me, until finally I lost my eyesight." David sipped his drink as he told the story, refilling his cup one or two times. "I must advise something to you," David nodded and the sparrow man continued. "Do not repeat my actions, or you will find yourself in a similar state." The sparrow man stood, as did David, and he said, "Come." He led David to the mouth of the cave, and said, "If you really want to kill me, I want to have one last fight. I want to see your true potential at its peak."
Dark energy accumulated behind the sparrow man, turning into two pairs of small, black hawk wings. David's wings revealed themselves as well, and the sparrow man jumped out of the cave, David following. "Let's make this an even fight, shall we? R'taw l'per (Ree-taw lee-pear). Sw'dor et m'gic (Swee-door et mah-zheek)." Both of the spells affected the two sparrow men, repelling any water that came near them and giving them each a sword. The sparrow man's was a broadsword, made of Shadow Magic. David's was a rapier, entirely made of Pixie Dust. They squared off in the air, the winds beginning to pick up, and dark storm clouds to rapidly form. The two charged at each other, causing a branched streak of lightning (multiple lightning bolts merging into one bolt) and an intense roar of thunder the moment they collided. They were both forced back, and they charged again. The sparrow man stabbed towards David, who parried and countered with a downwards slash. The sparrow man was fast, and he quickly recovered bringing his sword up to deflect the blow. They continued to attack, each impact from the swords causing a blast of thunder and even more lightning, and eventually pouring rains fell from the sky.
"You are very skilled, Magic-talent." The sparrow man said while their blades were interlocked. "Before one of us dies, I want to know, what is your name?"
"My name is David."
Their blades let go of each other, and the sparrow man chuckled slightly, "Funny. My name is also David." David panted and stared with bewilderment at the same time. The sparrow man shot forward, bringing his sword in for a left slash, David doing the same. They clashed one last time, causing a mighty roar of thunder and the largest lightning branch. Both of them turned to each other, panting slightly. The sparrow man smiled, and chuckled for a moment.
But he wasn't the victor.
"At last, finally free from this curse. Thank you, David." David smiled as he saw the sparrow man's clothes lose its dark color, as if it was liquid being washed away, and his wings begin to disappear. Once they were gone, the sparrow man said, "Take care," before dropping lifelessly into the sea below. David dissipated his sword, and maintained the repel water spell around him. He flew down to the rocky clearing, and heard rumbling behind him. He turned to see the Shadow Cliffs were falling apart, large boulders crashing into the sea.
David continued down the clearing, and heard wings flapping. He looked up to see the owl coming towards him, and waved his arm in the air to get his attention. The owl touched down and said, "You did it. I thought it would be impossible, but you did it."
David gave a small smile, and asked, "Mind taking me back?" The owl nodded and kneeled so David could get on. "Also, two more things. First, I would appreciate it if you dropped me off at the edge of Pixie Hollow, near the Autumn Woods, and second, I would like to take a rest while in the air."
The owl nodded and said, "But of course." The owl stood and took off, moving above the clouds again. David noticed it was now sunrise, and drifted off to sleep.
When David woke up, he found himself at the edge of the Autumn Woods, the owl sitting beside him. "Good morning," the owl said.
David stood and said, "Thank you, I appreciate your kindness." The owl nodded again, and flew away. David sighed and began to walk down the path that led to the Pixie Dust Tree. None of the fairies seemed to be awake, so David was able to get through the Autumn Woods without trouble. Once he left the woods, he looked on at the sight of the Pixie Dust Tree. He smiled and continued his journey to the Tree. He could hear many voices shouting, but couldn't make them out at first. Eventually, he could hear several voices shouting, "David!" and noticed there were several fairies flying frantically around the Tree and into the Seasons of Spring and Summer.
David continued to walk until he heard, "David?!" He looked up and saw Tinker Bell about ten feet away. Tink flew straight at David, and embraced him, saying, "David! Oh, I'm so glad you're safe. We thought we lost you." The others flew towards them, and David returned the embrace as well. He could hear Tink sniffling and felt her tears dropping onto his clothes, and he began to cry as well.
"I'm sorry," David apologized. "I'm so sorry, I had to." Tinker bell let go and Queen Clarion approached them.
"David, when I saw your note," she pulled out the leaf pad with his message, "The next path leads to the Shadow Cliffs," written on it, "I almost thought you had gone there to find Shadow Magic."
"No, Queen Clarion," David said, "Shadow Magic is gone, forever. The sparrow man actually wished to die, but we fought first. I was the victor, and he can now pass on peacefully."
Queen Clarion nodded in understanding, and said, "At least for now, we can rest in peace."
Queen Clarion began to leave, but David said, "Wait, I forgot to mention something." Queen Clarion turned to him, and he continued, "The sparrow man, his name was also David." Queen Clarion nodded her head, and said, "That is most curious." She turned again, and left. David smiled and turned back to Tink, and hugged her again. When he let go, he felt a little weak.
He faltered for a moment, but Tinker Bell caught him, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm just tired, that's all." Tink helped him up, and he said, "I just need to sleep." David walked for a moment, then flew to the Tree. Tinker Bell sighed, then turned to her friends.
"Come on guys, let's get some rest too."
Meh, the ending was a bit off I think, but the battle was pretty awesome. If you're wondering how David knows sword combat, he spent weeks in a library...do the math. Anyways, R&R, PM, and *looks at laptop clock* Happy 4th of July!