Amulet of Quietus
Disclaimer: Hehehe, if I could laugh manically, I might. I don't own it….what a shame!
Setting: South America (duh!) and a little in Ireland
Chapter 3: Three Sisters of Doom
It only took five hours for Artemis to set out on his plan. Butler had prepared the plane, bought the tank, gathered supplies, and even brought Mulch a gift.
"It's called duck tape, dwarf, and don't think I'll hesitate to use it if you give me lip, understand?" Mulch had a response for him, but decided to keep his mouth shut. That tape looked like a nasty bugger to pull off. Just thinking about it made his whiskers bristle.
Artemis was checking the gauges and machinery in the cockpit, making sure everything was in proper order, and that he had sufficient fuel for the trip. He didn't want to get stuck in a swamp in the middle of nowhere, especially with Mulch on board. Gods knew he could talk for hours on end…
"So, Arty…How are you planning on finding this sprite again? Just nab them at random till you get the right one? Or will you scare them into telling you which one your after with your superior intellect?" Artemis, sighing, turned to him..
"I plan on watching them until I know which one is the child, and then taking them."
"But, how are you going to know that they're the child of the Guardian? I mean, where's the info (that I obviously missed) that states the characteristics of a fairy? Is there something remarkable about her that will stand out? She doesn't have a third arm does she, cause that might gross me out…"
Artemis almost smiled. Almost. Dwarves were rare species, that was for sure. He reached around his neck and pulled of his necklace, the one with the fairy book encrypted onto it.
"Remember this? I have the whole fairy rule book here. On the page mentioning the Guarding there's another poem. I don't remember much but this. 'And though her eyes and skin match color, her mind is above all the others. This child alone ventures out, to the dry, the forbidden, all about.' It's not much to run off of, but I believe it means she'll be a land-loving water sprite."
"'Land-loving water sprite'? Are you insane? No water sprite would ever venture onto land. It's preposterous!" The boy smiled, his fangs showing maliciously.
"Exactly. What better way to notice a specific creature then by singling out its preferences? One day of surveillance, and we might have a fairy in our grasp."
Mulch looked dumbstruck. They were actually doing this, he couldn't believe it. Kidnapping a water sprite? And him helping? This could earn him a couple hundred more years in jail…He shrugged. The adventure alone would be worth it.
Butler walked into the plan carry a small bag and a zip up package. He was wearing total black, even black socks, and it didn't exactly make him look like a ballerina. Artemis too was dressed in black, but Mulch had chosen a different color. He sported a lime green t-shirt and plaid green and brown pants.
"I'm afraid I missed the memo saying there was a funeral. Mind if I borrow some clothes?" Butler threw him a smaller version of his own black getup, and then reached around the chair nearest him and grabbed some shoes.
"Bathrooms in the back. I suggest you wait until we take off to go, though."
Mulch scoffed. "I'll be fine. Not like a little incline can throw me off balance. We dwarves have amazing senses of balance, you know." He closed the door and silence returned.
A few moments later, Artemis started the jet engine and started his ascension. A small thump and string of curses could be heard from the back, but both humans ignored it. After all, dwarves do anger easily.
The setting sun glared angrily across the pools of water in front of her. It turned them dark red, almost like blood. Soon, they would be a cold black, like the sky without its moon was.
Anya's anger was topped only by her curiosity. Why didn't the elders tell her? Or anyone for that matter. She intended to lay down for them just how much troublethey had caused. For as long as she could remember, everyone had said her mother was an insubordinate witch. A water sprite not taking care of her own offspring was a rare condition, one of which no one liked to deal with.
But they had dealt with it, and fairly well. Anya was only treated with a mild disrespect, but she supposed it could be worse. She could be dead.
Up ahead she saw dim lights, which indicated the outskirts of her village. As she trudged up to the huts, she was overcome by the weirdest feeling. Like someone was…watching her. She stopped momentarily, checking left and right, but saw nothing and continued on at a renewed pace.
The small elders hut stood before her. It was a ramshackle old place, all decrepit and lopsided. She was surprised it hadn't fallen yet. Anya straightened her back, pushed back her long blonde hair, and stepped into the hut.
What she saw surprised her, to say the least. In all factuality, she did a double take to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
There were fire spirits in the elders hut. Not only that, but they looked calm. Almost unthreatening. Yeah, right, unthreatening. That was a laugh.
"Anya, how good of you to join us. The fire sprites were just asking when you'd be back. Honestly, I didn't think it'd be this soon." The person who spoke was Nirvelli, a beautiful elder who was still middle aged. She motioned a spot on the floor for Anya, who reluctantly took it.
"Might I ask why fire sprites are on the waters of our home?" Anya asked innocently. She didn't want to seem rude, seeing as the fire sprites could burn her and all.
"Anya-" One of the elders began, but was cut short by the hand of a fire spirit.
"Anya, is it? You know why we are here child?" She shook her head. " Does the Amulet of Quietus mean anything to you?" Anya looked about, the elders starring at her. Their eyes pleaded for her to answer no.
"Yes. It's an item of ruin that can only be used by a worthy person. I found this out recently on my own, with no thanks to certain people." Her chin held high, Anya turned from her fellow water sprite, hoping to shame them.
"Quite right, child. Seeing as you just discovered this, you probably don't know what role we play in this."
"You play a role in this?" Astonishing things happened to people who were told things, She thought bitterly.
"We guard the worthy one. Our people read the flames, and the fires tell us whom is of great value.Thethree children have-"
"Wait, what do you men three children? I thought there was only one, the Worthy one…?" The fire nymph smiled. Patience radiated out of it, but anger too.
"I suppose I could tell you the story, though you should already be familiar with." She glared at the water sprites, whom turned away. "Long ago, three items of power were wrought to help in the great wars. They were made for the daughters of King Frond. Each of these daughters specialized in some art of great power, and their item only increased their power.
The Silent Reaper, youngest of the three, was only good at taking lives. She was renowned across battle fields for destroying vast amounts of the enemy force. Her necklace, the Amulet of Quietus, enabled her to kill those people without lifting a finger.
The middle child, Betraying Angle, dealt out love to every creature. She was though to be the weakest, but she had a bad side too. The Angel could cause people who had turned their back on love to feel the pain of other emotions, like envy and fear. She wielded the bracelet.
Oldest and wisest child, White Bringer, held power over the light of sanity and the depths of craziness. She was wised, and could bring people to insanity longbefore she ever touched her ring
Together, these young women make the Three Sisters of Doom. They have to power to kill anybody, or heal them, but that's up to them. Every hundred years or so, these sisters are reincarnated into new bodies, in hopes they will one day bring a lasting peace to the people of this world.
I don't know the names of the other sister's items, because our people were only entrusted with the Amulet's knowledge. Now, our Seers have told us the identity of the Worthy one, but I'm afraid they also saw a vision.
A young human boy and his two companions are coming this way, seeking the Amulet and its holder. We must break our own laws to ensure it is not found. Anya, I must ask that what I tell you remains knowledge to only your ears, and that you will never part with this, for it could mean death of innocent people."
"Wait, your going to tell me who the Worthy one is? But, my mother said I should never know!"
"Your mother ?" One nymph questioned, only to be silenced by a friends hand.
"Your mother didn't expect this to happen, dear, and I must ask that you trust me.
Will you keep the knowledge secret?" Anya hesitated, and the nodded slowly.
The woman leaned forward and whispered the name in her ear.
"Deidra Nevin, of the United States." Anya nodded, and the sprite continued.
"She lives in the west, in a desert, and is training in killing arts. Find her, and protect her from these men, for they will use her power."
"How long may I remain here?"
"Another day or two, but you must hurry after that. Time is of the essence." With that the fire sprite turned, bowed to the elders, and took their leave. As soon as the last flash of their robes had vanished, silence consumed the room.
Anya turned to the others, a glare flowing from one to the next.
"I'm disgusted by each and every one of you. To keep such knowledge to yourself! What evil this could have wrought must not have bothered you much. I guess you thought ignorance was better than knowing. Well I, for one, prefer to know what I'm up againest, rather than to jump at it blindly.
Tomorrow, after my guard duty, I will be leaving. This wretched village can burn for all I care."
She turned and stormed out, leaving them all with blank looks of horror.
Artemis sat back against the tree, watching through binoculars as the water women bellow started out their day. A small group of children were lead of in the opposite direction, most likely to be watched by the adults accompanying them. To the right of that group was a slightly larger and older group. They head of to the west with baskets. Food, it seemed, had to be collected daily.
In this group, of the three guards it had, only two walked in the water. Artemis motioned to Butler, though it was hardly necessary. The manservant had long ago recognized this girl.
The boy stealthily gathered his equipment and followed the sprites. They had taken cover in the trees some distance away from the village, and had staked out all night. It seemed there were visitors the night before, and Mulch had identified them as fire fairies. A rare sighting that was, and even more so in a water spirits village.
A few minutes later, the fairies had stopped and settled in. They appeared to be gathering underwater plants, like moss and weeds. The two guards in water were walking around them, searching for intruders.
But the girl who had not stepped into the water yet sat by a tree, seemingly asleep. One of the guards called to her, asking her to come into the water, but the girl dismissed the request with a hand wave. She sat basking in the sun, this girl of maybe fourteen. He'd have to ask Mulch how elfin years worked.
Artemis looked at her closely. Blonde shoulder length hair, a blue dress that seemed to barely cover her, and several bracelets of what looked to be grass. Great figure too.
Artemis turned to Butler.
"That's our sprite. Tomorrow, we go and 'invite' her home."
Author's Note:
Ok, that was fun. Little confusing most likely, but hey, ask me questions, I'll answer. Little thing I thougt I'd point out: if I ever do finish this, I believe there will be a sequel, or even a series. Obviously, the three sisters will be involved. What could Artemis possibly want from them? Why, nothing short of ruling the world. He really is a bad little man. Disgruntled midget troll, more like it. (Inside joke)
Do me a favor? REVIEW! If you hate it and think I should stop writing, tell me. Maybe I'm astonishing, just unbelieveable...tell me! Maybe I'm just too insane and are scaring all the nice reviewers away... I'll be nice, I promise! I can't improve unless I'm told what's wrong people, that's the way it works.
Oh, and what is a beta? I have no clue, honestly... Is there a place where I can read about all these little short hand words that everyone but I seem to know? Help me, please. I must understand!
Finelley