A/N: Late once again, but here is the chapter! I'm so excited to share this, the plot is progressing and finally, some things are revealed ... I hope you'll enjoy it!

The amazing art is as always by Redworld96, she made the cover and also a character design for Gonf taking inspiration from one of the Giants who were shown in the anime! You can find it here. Please, go check her art, it's wonderful!

Thanks to Trig for being a great beta reader and to everyone who left kudos and comments, I appreciate them so much!

Chapter VI: Following the call

The world around King had vanished in a blurred mass, his gaze still on his raised hand, his eyes seeing nothing. It didn't matter how hard he tried, how carefully he gathered every single drop of magic he still owned, his Spear didn't show up. He had lost it, he realized, his breath becoming rapid and hectic, he had lost the ability to call it, to use it, to feel it. It had happened only once before – he shivered at the memory of how useless he had felt, not even being able to defend the persons he loved – and because of that, Oslo had died. But at that time, he had been under the effect of the Commandment of Reticence, his magic had been sealed. This … this felt different, like his magic was constantly drained, even though he was using only the minimum needed to float, without having the chance to reform as it should have been. It was senseless. Inexplicable. Terrifying.

It was Gonf's annoyed voice that dragged him back to reality, after moments that felt like hours. "If you don't have anything else to say, Fairy," the Giant jeered, his lips forming something that looked like a crooked smile when King turned towards him, "I'm going to talk with the Giant Queen."

King blinked, his mind still unfocused, realizing what the Giant had said only when he moved away, passing by him like he was nothing more than an insignificant fly. Rage ignited in his chest and disrupted his breath, making his mind work again – it shouldn't have felt so good , like breathing in again for the first time after a long apnoea, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Rage, at least, was better than fear. He turned his head towards Gonf, eyes narrowing; he was painfully aware he was in no condition to fight a Giant warrior, but he wouldn't have let him bother Diane, he wouldn't have let him win. In the blink of an eye, he was again in Gonf's way, gritting his teeth as he tried to hide his shortness of breath – Goddesses, he had flown just a few yards! "You won't disturb her," he hissed, glaring at the other man, "I won't let you do it."

This time the spark of mockery was clear in the Giant's dark eyes. "How do you think you'll stop me, Fairy?" His smile was larger this time, exposing his teeth, and that sight, even more of the derisive tone, was enough to make King snap.

His reaction was not as fast as King hoped it to be, but when the stone hit the left side of Gonf's head he can't stop a satisfied sigh – his heart raced and he was panting, his head pounding for the excessive use of magic, but he made it. The rock fell on the ground, rolling a few feet from the Giant; it wasn't big, not enough to really hurt him, but King was aware he couldn't have lifted a heavier one. He didn't have enough magic to do that. Gonf was still for a second, his head slightly turned from the blow. He lifted his hand to reach his temple, wiping away the blood, drawing a trail of dark red on his olive skin. His eyes found King, his pupils constricted to pinpoints, his nostrils flared; the Fairy King looked back, making an effort to keep his arms at his side as he waited for the Giant to react. Part of him hoped that he would have simply let it go and pulled back, but even though he had lost his ability to read hearts, he knew this wouldn't have happened. And deep inside, he couldn't help but yearn for the occasion to put that arrogant idiot at his place.

When the Giant finally spoke, his voice was low, shaking for anger. "You shouldn't have done this, Fairy," he snarled, clenching his jaw. "But maybe after I finish with you, the Giant Queen will finally realize exactly what kind of travesty she got herself into."

King didn't waste time replying, enjoying the feeling of burning rage spreading in his chest. A quick wave of his hand and another rock lifted from the ground, but this time, the Giant was ready. The stone went to pieces when it hit his side, his flesh had already turned into lustreless metal. Gonf grinned as he bent down to reach the ground with the palm of his hand, keeping his eyes on King. The Fairy gasped, mindlessly shifting aside just a split second before a large pillar of rock raised from the ground, passing through the air exactly where he had been just prior. It was a luck he had spent so long training with Diane and he had been able to anticipate his move. If he hadn't … King's eyes darted to Gonf, meeting his hard stare. The Giant narrowed his eyes, and once again, the Fairy moved away just in time to avoid another pillar, its surface almost brushing against his legs. As he kept flying as fast as he could – he wasn't going to give the Giant the chance to guess his next location, that was sure – King gritted his teeth, focusing on his magic. His heart raced when he realized how fast it was draining; he had to finish this, and quickly. Maybe if he was able to knock him out … This time, a long branch was what lifted in the hair and hit Gonf on the back of his head. The Giant grunted, his head pushed forward, but he didn't look away from King. The Fairy hissed in frustration, glancing at the ground when the earth trembled and something new raised from it – not as large as the other pillars, this looked more like a spike, its tip pointy and sharp, the metallic surface shining under the sunlight. He pulled back just in time, lungs aching and head spinning as he stopped to catch his breath. That was a mistake. He noticed something move in his peripheral vision – another one of those metal spikes, he realized as he slightly turned his head. It was too fast, he had to –

Before he could do anything, a thick earthen wall emerged from the ground, shielding his vision. He heard the spike hitting it with a scrape, halted by the hard surface of rock; then, the whole wall bended back on itself, joining the ground again and taking what was left of Gonf's attack with it. King's eyes remained forward, his body still in the air as he let out a sigh of relief – that was close, but he turned around as soon as he realizes what had happened, his heart skipping a beat. How could have missed out his wife? Diane stood there, a short distance from them, arms crossed across her chest and her eyes narrowed in an expression of fury. Behind her, distant enough not to be involved, King met the curious stares of the small group of Giants she was teaching; they had probably followed her when she had gotten closer – oh Gods, King swallowed, how long she had been watching at them? He barely registered Gonf quickly standing up, his eyes were fixed on Diane – he couldn't look away. He opened his mouth, but her name didn't make in time to leave his lips before she snapped, her eyes darting from the Fairy to the Giant. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I," King breathed, but he found himself unable to continue, speechless under the weight of her violet stare.

Oh Gods, how could he explain it ? She just caught him fighting against one of her Clan, and for something that, he realized, she would have found silly. Before he could find the right words to explain to her what had happened, Gonf took a step towards her, crossing his arms. "I was coming to talk with you, Giant Queen," he said, his voice firm and confident, loud enough to resonate in the clearing – he wanted the other Giants to hear as well. "I needed to discuss some issues about our clans, but your … your lover threatened me and tried to stop me."

King inhaled sharply, turning towards the male Giant as he growled, "This is not – I didn't threaten you! Diane," he looked again at his wife, who was staring at them, her expression unreadable, "I didn't mean to start a fight but … you were busy! And he – he wanted to interrupt you! I simply told him to wait!"

"He attacked me!" Gonf hissed, raising his hand to move his hair from his forehead, showing the thin cut he had gotten when the first rock had hit him. "Giant Queen, you can't allow someone from another Clan to treat you people like this, you have to – "

"What I will do," Diane cut him off, glaring at him, "is discuss this accident with my husband, and then decide what to do. Now, you can leave us. I will talk with you later."

"You can't – "

"I can. Or did you want to inform me about an immediate danger for our Clans?" She added, raising a brow.

Gonf blinked, caught off guard, "No, but you – "

"Then it can wait," Diane's voice was calm but firm, her eyes hard on the Giant. Gonf closed his mouth, and again that spark of anger and hatred emerged in his eyes, making King want to hit him, to make him bow his head and fall on his knees, until he would have never dared to look at Diane like that again – never . Then the man nodded, pressing his lips together with too much strength that the skin turned pale; he moved away, ignoring the other Giants who were still observing the scene, silent. Diane's eyes followed him just for a second before pointing on King, and he swallowed noticing that her gaze was hard as before. "Now," she said, "we have to talk."

King slowly floated after Diane, following her between the trees, relieved when they finally found themselves alone and nervous at the same time, his heart frantically banging against his ribcage. Her noticeably stiffen body, the too loud sound that her feet made when she took a step, the fact that she hadn't turned away to look at him, not yet … everything told him that she was furious. It was … new. She had been angry him, before – Gods, they had fought just a few days before! – but this time, it felt worse. King breathed in, fiddling with his fingers as he tried desperately to clear his mind and decide how he would have explained to her what had happened with Gonf. The weight of his actions had hit him as soon as his rage had faded – it was obvious that attacking the Giant like that, in his condition, had been foolish. Although it was humiliating, he had to admit at least to himself that he wouldn't have won that fight, not likely. And yet he couldn't take himself to regret it – he deserved it, the damned Giant. He mumbled, shaking his head - no, he didn't regret attacking him. He regretted not having been able to defeat him immediately, not having struck faster, harder, maybe using something sharper than a rock, or ... He didn't notice that Diane had stopped until she turned towards him, arms crossed across her chest; he blinked, raising his head to meet her glowering eyes, just a few feet from him. Gulping, he backed up, joining his hands behind his back and managed to mutter something that vaguely sounded like her name. She didn't let him the chance to articulate much more.

"What were you thinking?" She snapped, leaning towards him, her nostrils flaring, "You are in no condition to challenge anyone, let alone a Giant warrior! Why did you even approach Gonf of all people? You know how he is – that he would have fought back!"

"He was going to join you!" King finally argued, putting his arms on his side as he clenched his fits, ignoring the sudden stings on his palms. "I didn't mean to attack him, I've just … I've just tried to stop him! But he wouldn't listen, and I couldn't let him disturb you."

"Of course he wouldn't listen!" Diane glared at him, furrowing her brows, "He never listens to anyone! And you know that I'm perfectly able to deal with him! Goddesses, you should have simply let it go ."

"I know you can," he held her gaze, nails digging further in the soft skin of his hands, "but I couldn't let him bother you! It was the first time in days that you took a moment for yourself, and you – you looked happy." He loosened his grip, looking away. "I didn't want anything to ruin this to you."

After a moment of silence, he heard Diane letting out a sigh. "Harlequin," she quietly said, taking a step towards him, her gaze softened when King turned his head to look at her. "It was sweet of you, but you don't have to worry about me, not now. You have to think about yourself first – and you can't challenge a Giant in this condition, especially not one like Gonf." She pressed her lips in a line, a look of anguish and fear in her eyes, "Goddesses, what were you doing? What if I didn't interrupt you in time? What if he had hit you, hurt you – or even killed you!"

In a moment King was next to her, a hand on her cheek, desperately trying to comfort her, to make her feel that nothing had happened, that everything was fine. "I'm sorry, Diane, I'm so sorry," he murmured, as he brushed her skin, "You are right, I should have known." He really should have had, he thought, feeling a twinge in his stomach; it had been rushed, attacking Gonf like that, he could have got himself killed. But at that time, it had felt like the only way. "I didn't think clearly, I was so angry," he quietly explained, clenching his jaw when Gonf's smug expression returned to his mind. "The way he spoke to me … he would have never dared to do so before!"

"And I'll make sure that he won't, never again." Diane raised a hand to cup him in her palm, her gaze reassuring but a spark of irritation in her voice. "Not after I'll talk to him! I don't care who started it, he can't attack you that way. If one of those spikes had hit you, he could have killed you! I can't let this slide."

"What will you do?" King tilted his head as he leaned his back against her fingers.

Diane sighed, "I don't know, there are not many ways I can punish him. I don't want to fight him, but if he keeps like that, I won't have any other choices that show him again who's in charge." She pursed her lips, playing with her hair, "I could find a way to keep him busy, some pointless task that will keep him away from the others."

"You won't make him stop like that." King shook his head, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows, "He despises me and my Clan, and being defeated by you won't change his mind. I should have taken care of him when I had the chance."

Diane raised a brow as she looked at him suspiciously. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She asked, a note of irritation again in her voice.

King shrugged, holding her stare. "I told you before, we can't allow people like him around us. A moment of fragility and they will stab us in the back. Do you understand that I can't let him stay in the Forest after what happened?"

"You want to drive him out?" Diane widened her eyes, then she leaned towards him, hands on her hips, a flush creeping on her cheeks as she her jaw tightened. "You can't send my people away like that!" She shouted, "And even though he should have listened to you, you attacked him! We have at least try to solve this in another way."

"I can send him away," he growled, "I'm the king of this Forest, Diane, and he tried to kill me! I can't let him behave like that, and it's my duty to keep the Fairy Clan safe. I can't allow people like him here."

She glared at him, her eyes narrow. "The Fairy Clan is safe! You know my people won't harm them, most of them are happy to be here! And I can handle the others."

"You can't always look after them. Fairies are not resistant as Giants, if one of them decides to attack them for whatever reason, there will be victims before one of us can even think about reacting." The only thought made him sick. He had seen his people dying from the hands of a monster way to big and strong for them, and he wouldn't have let this happening again. "I don't want to take the risk."

"So what? I should just send Gonf away with the ones who think like him? Living alone, letting people use their bodies as weapons to survive? They'll be dead in a few years!" Diane shook her head, the skin of her knuckles paling as she clenched her fists, "I'm responsible for the Giants as you are for the Fairies, and I won't let them return to that kind of life. Not even if you ask me."

"You wouldn't have to send them away, Diane," he softly answered, looking at her with sympathy, "I wouldn't want you to feel responsible for what will happen to them. I would."

She gaped at him, her eyes wide and shocked. "You really think that you can make things better sending them away at my place?"

"If it helps to make you feel better about it – "

"It won't!" She blurted out, her expression hardening, "You know what will happen to them if you sent them away, and you would do it anyway? You would sentence them to death!"

"I'll do what I have to do to protect my people," he answered, voice calm but firm; he frowned – why didn't she see that? He didn't want to fight her, he was just trying to do what was right, and keeping uncontrollable Giants around his Fairies was definitely not right.

Something that looked like horror crossed her face, her features paling, but she didn't look away, her eyes hard with determination. "Do you even listen to what you are saying? It's insane, I won't let you do such a thing! Goddesses," she took a deep breath, passing a hand on her face, "this is not you, Harlequin! You would never do something like that! You have acted differently for weeks, can't you see it? Whatever it's happening to you, it's changing you."

"This," he hissed, backing up but not looking away, "has nothing to do with my – my problem. I'm just speaking the truth, it's not my fault if you can't see it!"

Diane opened her mouth, then she closed it, shaking her head. "You know what? I don't care if you want to wait, we are calling Merlin now! We need to solve this."

"We are not calling Merlin," King yelled. He furiously slapped his wings as he gritted his teeth, "You are a fool if you think I'll let her enter the holiest place of my kingdom!"

She clenched her jaw, eyes blazing with hurt and anger, but she seemed to hold back as she hissed, "You are the one who asked for her help! You know it's our best option!"

"That was before I realized I was so weak that I couldn't even defeat a stupid Giant." King snorted, mouth set in a hard line as he shook his head. "I can't allow anyone to get near to the Sacred Tree, not if I can't defend it."

"So what you will do?" Diane exploded, raising her hands to the sky, "You will just let this – this sickness consuming you until … we don't even know what will happen to you! You can't ignore this!"

"I am not ignoring the problem! I want to fix this more than anyone else, and you know that! I'm just …" He shrugged, shifting in the air, "I'm just waiting for a better moment."

"And what if it doesn't come?" She stopped to catch her breath, her voice coming out lower when she spoke again, "What if it just gets worse?"

"Then I'll find another solution!" He hurried to reassure her, "You have to trust me."

Diane studied him for a moment, her mouth pressed so tightly that her lips paled. "I do want to trust you, Harlequin, but it's clear that you are not thinking straight. You need help."

"I – I can do this," he defended, "I will check the Sacred Tree again and I will find a way to solve whatever is happening and – "

She snorted, "You weren't able to do anything before, why this tie should be different? Why can't you just accept Merlin's help?"

"Because," he snapped, "I don't trust her! I won't let her enter the Fairy Realm!"

"I thought you trusted your friends!" Diane growled, shaking her head, "You have to let us help you!"

"You can't force me to let her in!"

Diane fell silent, holding his stare, eyes still glowing for rage. "I thought," she shot, "that you'd learn not to do everything on your own. What's next, you'll take my memories away again so that you won't have to bother with me?"

King hold his breath and blinked, left wordless for a moment, his blood running cold. It felt like she had just slapped him on the face. "That – that was different! You know I would never do such a thing!"

She looked away, biting her lip. King gasped as he noticed the way her eyes glistened. "After what you said, I'm not sure I know anymore," she whispered, finally.

He stared at her, eyes wide; when his lungs started to hurt he finally breathed in, but it didn't smoothen him, his ribcage feeling heavy and stiff. How could she think that? He swallowed, his head started spinning again. How could she think that he would have done such a thing to her again? After everything they had passed? It hurt, it hurt as he had never thought it would have. And all of this, he realized with horror, all of this was his doing. "I," he finally muttered as he pulled back, almost stumbling in the air "I need a moment."

He made in time to see Diane raising her eyes, a hint of regret in her violet irises, but he didn't want to her the chance to talk again – to stop him. He turned away, flying between the branches as fast as he could, not even knowing where to go.

She didn't come after him.

It had happened again. King shut his eyes closed and ran his hands through his hair as he flew, rapidly tracing a series of circles in the air. He had hurt Diane, again . He stopped abruptly, letting out a cry of rage and frustration that had the only effect of scaring some near birds – he heard the rustle of leaves when they made their way through the fronds to leave. It didn't make him feel any better. Why did it feel like he couldn't control himself anymore? Of course talking like that about her Clan would have upset her, and he should have been able to hold back, it didn't matter he had told the truth. Those Giants where dangerous – they all were dangerous, and he really shouldn't have had allowed them all in his Forest without thinking about the consequences. Why couldn't Diane see that he had no choice, that he couldn't let others in – not only those Giants, the humans too, and Merlin and all the ones who could have been a threat for his people.

King raised his hands to cover his face as he tried to slow his heavy breath. His head felt dizzy, blank and packed at the same time, his thoughts twisting and tangling. It was madness. He knew that wasn't true. He had learned better than to judge people only by their Clans – he had met them all, he had friends in each of them, friends he trusted. Merlin included. So why did it suddenly feel so difficult to remember that? He couldn't be like this. He had to let Merlin help him, no matter how uncomfortable the idea made him feel, and he had to push back those foolish thoughts. They were just lies driven by fear, and he couldn't let them influence him, he couldn't.

Yet ...

Fairy blood stains his hands as he lifts the wingless body, its lifeless eyes fixed into the sky, and it's humans' doing – he saw them hurting his friends, ripping their wings, blinded by their insane greed.

Yet. The last trees of the Forest stand around him, black and dry; the fire took every drop of life from them, and he almost doesn't recognize the place where he grew up. He doesn't know, not yet, but later he'll learn that a Demon did that, for no reason at all if not its bloodlust.

Yet. He is hiding between the leaves, holding his breath, his hands grabbed onto a branch so tight that it starts to hurt. His body is frozen in terror, and he can only watch one of the two Giants lifting his friend. She screams, writhing, but she looks so tiny and fragile in his large hand, the dagger she holds just a pin when she tries to stab the enormous thumb. "She is one of the nasty ones, right?" The Giant asks, observing the fragile Fairy and not minding at all her fighting.

The other shrugs as he glares at the tiny creature, "Just look at her, you can see the difference. And by the way they attacked us, it's definitely them."

"Good," the other male nods, his eyes never leaving his prisoner. "It won't be a problem, then."

She shouts louder when he starts squeezing, her face reddening; she lets the dagger fall and just screams and screams until –

No . King inhaled sharply and blinked, hands still covering his face. That, whatever it was, had never happened, he was sure it hadn't. Or … or maybe it had, but not to him. Whoever had watched that Giant crashing a Fairy in his hand, it wasn't him – he had never even seen a Giant before meeting Diane! But then, why he had those ... those images, those memories in his head? He gritted his teeth as he rubbed his temples, his head starting to pound and ache. Diane was right. Something was wrong with him, with his mind, in the last few weeks, he had known that, but still, he didn't understand what –

His eyes widened as he froze, memories flowing into his mind – almost as they had always been there, at his fingertips, as he just didn't want to reach out and grab them. The tree. It had been the tree. He was almost surprised by the absolute certainty that went with that realization, but he couldn't doubt it. He didn't know what that thing had done to him when he had touched its wood, but it had to be – it was – the reason he felt so strange lately, the source of the thoughts and the dreams that tormented him. It was what had drained and still was draining his magic. Rage burned in King's lungs and he straightened his spine, head turning Southwards, towards that dead land where he had found the tree. It couldn't be true, but it was like he could feel it, a mass of dark, twisted wood and ill leaves, lurking in the darkness under the ground and calling him without a voice. The tree had done that to him, it was the reason for everything he had done. But now, now that he knew, it was over. King clenched his fists as he used all his energy to hurtle through the air, ignoring the reasonable part of his mind that was telling him to look for help, not to go alone in that place again. He had already tried, to ask for help, and every time he hadn't been able even to remember what he wanted to say – now that he knew, he could see that clearly. Now that he held his memories tight between his fingers, he wouldn't have taken the risk to lose them again. No, he would have done this on his own. By nightfall, he would have put an end to that folly. Whatever it took.

The last time it had taken him less than an hour to reach the border, and he hadn't even tried to be fast, enjoying his flight and the sight of morning sun shining on the leaves and petals. He didn't know how long it took this time, he was too focused on not letting the exhaustion take over him and drag him to the ground, but when he finally emerged from the edge of the Forest, the sun was low on the horizon, spreading its warm orange light on the foliage of the trees and the dark soil. As soon as he left the last flourishing plants behind him, King landed, his knees almost buckling under his weight; he stumbled, out of breath, but managed to keep his balance. Hands on his kneecaps and his back bent, he raised his head just enough to cast his gaze over the wasteland that opened in front of him. It hadn't changed a bit since a few weeks before, of course, the same dry, too dark land extending in the distance, the skeletal trees casting long, tangled shadows by the light of the dying sun. They seemed to reach out for him, like emaciated fingers wanting to grab him and never let him go, dragging him in the recondite depths of that gods-forsaken place. King breathed in and slowly raised, his head still heavy from exhaustion. Now that he was there, he could feel the presence of the tree even stronger, somewhere in the distance, right in front of him. And once again, it was calling him. This time, though, it wasn't the desperate call of help what had so much anguished him a few weeks before; this time, it was a chant without voice, alluring and hypnotising, inviting him to continue. Come , it seemed to whisper in the cooling air of the falling night, come. King snorted before finally stepping forward, slowly venturing into the dying wood. If the tree wanted him to come, he would have come. He almost stopped walking when the thought that following the will of that thing, after everything it had done to him, was the last thing he should have done. He should have gone back, asking for someone's help – Diane, Gerheade, Merlin ... anyone, but he couldn't go there alone, not again. Then, a stabbing pain crossed his head, making him shut his eyes and groan, his hand reaching for his forehead. When he opened his eyes again, he stared straight ahead, exactly where he knew the tree was waiting for him. He gritted his teeth, eyes glowing with determination as he stepped forward, again and again, advancing between the trees. The time for games was over, he wouldn't have left that thing playing with him any longer.

He didn't remember exactly where the entry of the cave had been, and the slow falling of the darkness made it difficult to see to his tired eyes, and yet he proceeded with confidence, never stopping to look around. He knew where the tree was. It kept pulling him, luring him, its call echoing strong and clear, not in his ears but his mind. Come , it murmured, driving him right to the breach that he had made in the ground, Come . King stopped right before the cover of leaves that he had left above the crack, the dark material almost invisible to his gaze; he would have missed it if he hadn't known it was there. No one had visited that place since him, apparently. King let out a sigh of relief and bent down to grab the soft fabric – at least, he wouldn't have had to worry about other people being affected by his same illness. Pitch black stared back at him when he lifted it, and once again the awareness that he shouldn't have been there, not alone, took over him. He swallowed, but he couldn't look away from the hole in the ground, nor, he realized, he could move away. There was no choice for him, not anymore, he would have faced the tree and he would have done it now. Clenching his jaw, rage rapidly replacing doubt, he advanced and let himself fall into the darkness.

As soon as he was in the cave, he was blind. The weak light coming in through the crack was only enough to illuminate part of the ceiling and the long vines that hang from it – where they so long the last time he had been there? He didn't remember. There were no walls in sight, no floor, making him feel like he was lost in an infinity of blackness. King clenched his hands as he thought about how stupidly easily had been to use Chastiefol the time before; now, the only thing he could do was sinking in the darkness, slowly descending towards the ground, or where he supposed the ground was. He could still feel the tree, though, right in front of him, hiding in the pitch black of its lair. It felt like it was observing him with hundreds of eyes, patiently waiting for him to get closer, the low whisper of its call echoing around him. Yet, he kept seeing nothing, his eyes unable to get accustomed to the dark. It didn't matter, he thought as his feet finally touched the soft ground; he didn't need to see the tree to – to do what he had to. He hesitated just a second, realizing that he didn't really know what to do with the tree now that he was there, but he dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. He would have done what was necessary to stop whatever it was doing to him, even destroying it – and he was ready to use all the magic he had left to make sure he succeeded. Carefully at first, then faster, impatiently, he advanced into the darkness, his feet stumbling over the roots. Suddenly, he found himself hissing in the dark, gaze fixed where the tree waited, "What are you?"

It didn't answer, of course, yet maybe it heard him because the call became stronger, more alluring. Come , it chanted, a soft caress to his mind, Come, my king .

King almost fell on the ground as his foot tipped, but he recovered the balance and kept going, this time yelling out, anger twisting his voice, "What are you? What do you want from me?"

The call continued exactly like before, but something changed in the air, and King felt it whisper in his mind, feeble like the wind whistling, I'm power, and I'm freedom. I'm vengeance, for the ones who were unfairly slaughtered. And I need you, king of the Fairies.

"Why?" King asked the darkness, "Why me? What do you want?"

No answer came for him this time. King gritted his teeth as he started to climb on bigger, thicker roots. Even though he still couldn't see, he knew he was getting closer, the tree was just right in front of him, almost at his fingertips. He hated not being able to look at it, but there was nothing he could do about it, his scarce magic useless before the lack of light. A tree beneath the ground ... King slightly shook his head. He should have understood immediately that it wasn't something he could face carelessly. Gods, he shouldn't have touched it in the first place! And he shouldn't be there again, trying to reach it, to touch it once again. But he couldn't avoid it. He wanted – he needed to touch it again, to ... to destroy it. It had to be that.

King stopped to catch his breath, leaning on the wood of the roots, then raised, facing the pitch black in front of him. The tree was there, he felt it, as he still felt his call, stronger than ever. He just had to reach out for it. Yet, King hesitated, his hand raising but stopping at midair. A tree under the earth, he thought again, and then he blinked as something raised to the surface of his mind. It wasn't a surprise he hadn't thought about it before, it was so old, almost a ghost in memory – he hadn't been the Fairy King very long, at the time, Helbram was still alive and his best friend and everything had seemed so clear and easy. But now ... now he remembered about the tree under the earth. Gerheade had told him about it, more than once, though she had never liked to talk about it. She used to say that there was no need to speak of something so long ended and forgotten, but that he was the king of Fairies and that it was his right and duty to know and to learn about the past of his Clan. What did she use to say? King squeezed his eyes, his arm raising a little more.

Come , the tree whispered again, Closer, and he couldn't stop his hand to wander in the darkness, his fingers extending to find the wood. His mind was focused on Gerheade though, on the way the sunlight shined on her hair as she sat on the branch of a tree, hands on her lap, an afternoon of many centuries ago. He was sitting in front of her, between the leaves, and Helbram was there too, cross-legged next to him, as well as a bunch of other young fairies that wanted to hear the story. He remembered the way Gerheade had looked at him – her eye filled with seriousness and a sort of sadness, before softly beginning, "Once, before the war against the Demon, even before the Fairies had a king, there were two trees."

When his hand stopped, King could almost feel the coldness of the bark under his fingertips, the air around his skin almost electric from the magic impregnating it. The tree was there, waiting for him to finally place his hand on it – and even though he knew that he shouldn't have had, he couldn't take his hand away. Could it really be it? The one his counselor had told him was burned to the ground? "The Sacred Tree," he remembered Gerheade explaining them, her arm rising as she waved at the enormous plant above them, "the one that gives us life. And," she continued, after a pause, "the other tree. The one that lived under the earth. The one that gave birth to the others ." She had never called them anything else than the others , and yet it was obvious that even though she didn't want to say it, they were Fairies. "The other tree was as powerful and huge as the Sacred Tree, and at the same time, it was completely different. It was ... it was wrong. Corrupted." She shrugged, her eye wandering on the leafy branches spreading around her. "Someone even called it cursed . And the others, into whose veins coursed its contaminated magic, were as wrong as it was. That's why," her determined gaze found King again, brow slightly furrowed, "we had to destroy them."

Eyes wide in the darkness, King stood still for a long moment, an inch from something that should have been died long before. Then it called him again, a soft yet commanding There whiffling in his head. He couldn't stop it. Like a fly succumbing the desire to sink into the flame, King moved his hand, the palm pressing against the wood. The call ceased and silence suddenly fell on the cave. King inhaled sharply, the rough surface of the trunk making him realize what he had done, but no other thought made it in time to form in his mind as the pain started. It spread from his hand, coursing through his veins, feeling like his own blood had turned into flames. In a moment his whole body was burning and the only thing he could do was to cry out, his screams turning into twisted echoes against the walls of the cave. King had never felt anything like this before – he had known pain, he was wounded and burned so many times that he lost count. But this hurt, it hurt so much, like every single cell of his body was stretching, contracting, tearing his whole being apart. He tried desperately to pull his hand away, but he couldn't, his flesh connected to the bark as it had become part of the tree. Falling on his knees, King closed his eyes shut, and kept yelling until his throat was sore and his voice was gone, until he stopped fighting and collapsed against the trunk.

The fire didn't stop consuming him.