Chapter 3 – Faery 3
Sounds of battle reverberated through an autumn forest, a clash of steel and fang amidst the roars of beasts.
Twelve Fairy Knights and a single small redheaded fae fought against a large group of monsters. Swords rent the beasts' hide while claws and fangs bloodied the fae, but the monsters were losing despite their advantage in numbers.
Each fairy wielded a weapon of power, cleaving through the beasts' durable hide. Some of the blades released arcs of lightning, paralyzing every beast it struck and leaving it helpless on the forest floor. Others froze the blood in their veins with every hit. And others still simply cut through the beasts' scales as if they weren't even there, rendering them useless.
The beasts weren't the smartest, but they still possessed a survival instinct. After the first dozen died without bringing down even a single fairy, their fight-or-flight response told them it was time to leave. The problem was that their escape route was closed off.
The smallest of the fairies stood behind the others, with a sword in hand but not moving an inch, simply watching the battle. Yet, it was the most dangerous one. It conjured a multitude of weapons around itself and sniped every monster that tried to encircle the fairies or escape. But the most problematic was the fire. The golden-eyed fairy created a wall of searing flames so hot that no beast dared to brave them, sure they would perish. It started small and far behind the fairy lines, but as the fight progressed, it slowly spread until it encircled the battleground and trapped them inside.
The beasts roared in defiance. There could only be victory or death.
Shirou watched the scaled monsters fight, his brows furrowed in concentration and occasionally launching a spear or sword. The pack of monsters they managed to track fought fiercely, but after almost two years and dozens of encounters, their strategy was true and tested. With Shirou acting as artillery, shooting down any monster that exposed itself or tried to run away, and Knights as a vanguard, even a group like this, thirty strong, wasn't much of a concern. Coupled with his fire cutting off their escape, they didn't lose a fairy since the beginning of their hunt.
From the fifteen Fairy Knights that left Nibelung with him, three died. One on their very first battle, as the Knight foolishly charged ahead at a group of three Makras, underestimating the danger they posed—the following two, when they met their first large group of monsters. What Shirou thought would be a hunt for a single monster, maybe a few more, turned into a campaign where they killed hundreds of the things already and with no end in sight.
The Knights were thrilled. Shirou less so.
He Traced a couple more spears, firing them at a particularly large Makra; the cornered beasts were getting more ferocious. After the first couple of clashes, this became his main job during a battle, as the Knights' magic focused on strengthening their body and self-healing with little else.
While he could easily keep up with them in melee, his magecraft and control over fire were much more useful this way. The problem with his Tracing was that it was slow. It took him a second or two to create a simple weapon, longer if he wanted to Trace something more complex, and longer still if he didn't want his weapons to break easily or be a degraded version.
He was sure it wouldn't be a problem if his enemies were human. But fairies and these Makra were much stronger and, more importantly, faster. A single second was a difference between the beast standing thirty feet away and having its fangs close on his throat. It wasn't useless by any means. He could easily kill a score of monsters in a barrage of weapons since he didn't have to waste his power on suppressing Bihev's curse, and he often did so in the battle's opening phase. Still, it would take too much of his attention away from controlling his fires and keeping the beasts contained.
Fairy magic was different from magecraft. It didn't rely on carefully manipulating magical energy, casting intricate spells, or precise arcane formulas. While it utilized Fairy Patterns in a similar way to Magic Circuits, connecting the inside to the outside, the soul to the world, it was much more straightforward than what a magus did. Since fae were a type of Nature Spirits, they simply sacrificed some of their power and, for lack of a better term, 'convinced' the world to comply with their wish, much like an elemental did but on a far smaller scale. Together with their Fairy Eyes, they 'tricked' the world into bending to their will. The stronger the fairy, the weight of their existence, their mystery, the greater the effect.
It was both more limited than magecraft and not. It could create effects close to True Magic, but it relied heavily on the fairy's willpower and experience.
The truth was, Shirou wasn't that good at the fae side of his magic. Or rather, he wasn't good at combat magic. He almost exclusively used it in his forge, his fire in place of a furnace, and to imbue concepts and magical effects into his weapons. It granted his flames an unmatched heat, but he never had to do much more than shape and direct them, and even that was too slow to throw them like a fireball or a flamethrower. There simply never was any need to do so.
Shirou started to extinguish his flames and dismissed his weapons when the Knights cut down the last beast, taking care not to leave anything burning and risk the forest catching aflame.
The forest floor was littered with Makra corpses, their blood soaking into the ground, painting the fallen dry leaves red. The smell of mud and the metallic scent of blood lay thick in the air.
The Knights were taking care of their wounds and cleaning their weapons, laughing and joking among themselves. Thankfully, none were seriously injured.
Each carried one of his best weapons that he let them pick from his armory. Most choose a copy of Midjinior, the sword properties were quite useful against the beasts, and the Knights weren't stupid. Two picked other weapons. One had Sudealnach, the Lightning Touch, a sword that paralyzed its victims. The other Toldeigh, the Spear of Freezing. Maybe not the most inspired of names, and Dienu sure laughed at his naming sense then, but he liked them.
The only Fairy Knight holding a spear approached Shirou, leaning on his weapon.
"Quite a big group, eh, Avel?" He said with a wolfish grin, looking at the dead monsters.
"It was, Madadh. And so soon after the last one."
"Means we are getting close to wherever they come from. About the time, I say. It will be a pain to backtrack anyway."
Shirou nodded.
After two years of tracking and following the Makra, exterminating any pack they find, Shirou hoped they were getting closer to the source of the infestation. In the beginning, they sometimes went months between each battle, but now, they encountered them every week. Sometimes just a solitary straggler, but more often a whole pack of dozens. Two days ago, they fought a group of five, and now this.
Shirou looked at the surrounding forest. The woods started changing half a year ago the further they got from Nibelung.
Instead of the familiar green foliage of Nibelung, the trees were adorned in fall colors, with small leaves of yellow and orange to deep red. The trunks were much skinnier than back home too, the bark a pattern of striped lines of black and white. There wasn't much undergrowth, only an occasional fern or berry bush amidst the fallen leaves.
"We covered a long distance, that's for sure," Shirou admitted. "Are your Knights fine?"
"Eh, just some scrapes. But, Avel," he said, prodding one of the bodies with his spear, "Is it just me, or are these bastards getting bigger lately?"
Shirou frowned, examining the dead Makra closer. It was larger than the one he killed in Nibelung, yes, but it's not like they were all clones. Some were bigger, and some were smaller. But now that Madadh pointed it out, almost every monster they've just killed was larger than average. Some were nearly double the size of Shirou's first kill.
Now that Shirou noticed this, the woods suddenly seemed colder and ominous despite the bright sunlight, the wind biting instead of the usual pleasant cool.
"You're right, Madadh, they are, and I didn't like it. "
"You too, huh?" Madadh scratched at his canine ear, his smile slipping.
"Let's get going. The sooner we deal with the source, the better. Any leads?"
The large fairy inhaled deeply, head swiveling and scanning the forest. They had been heading in the same general direction since they left Nibelung, but it never hurt to check twice.
"No change. The scent is still the strongest from the east. But we are close. I can feel it."
"Good."
With a determined expression, Shirou set off, and the rest of the party followed after him.
Shirou ran through the evening woods. Colorful streaks of auroras were slowly taking shape in the night sky of Faerie, painting the autumn forest in blues and purples, but he didn't have time to admire the views.
From beyond a small hill, he could hear the roars of beasts and screams of fairies—the sounds of battle.
His magecraft was already building up. Immaterial outlines of various swords and spears were taking shape all around him as he prepared for the fight. With one last leap, he crested the hill, jumping high.
Far below him, in a valley filled with wooden cabins, dozens of fairies fought with Makra. More than a hundred monsters clashed with the fae, slaughtering and devouring them in a frenzy even when fairy magic lashed at their scales. The fae fought with wooden spears and shields, covering the retreat of the others, their flimsy weapons struggling to pierce the monsters' scales, even when enchanted with magic.
At the apex of his jump, Shirou took a moment to ensure no fairy would be accidentally hit before releasing every blade he traced. Dozens of projectiles impacted the scales, some piercing deep, but most only staggering the monsters from this distance.
"Madadh!" Shirou shouted, seeing one fairy, an Aelf, drag herself away, a hungry Makra after her.
"On it!" Madadh responded, a step behind Shirou.
The spear-wielding Fairy Knight crouched low on the hillside, his fur bristling with power, his yellow eyes narrowed. With a crack of the air, he leaped down, the force of his jump leaving behind a deep crater, kicking up mounds of dirt, and a shower of leaves fell from the trees as the entire hill shifted. He arrived at almost the exact same moment, striking the monster and transferring all his momentum into it, causing the beast to explode in a shower of frozen mincemeat.
Shirou didn't have the time to watch more. He focused on his magecraft, Tracing as many weapons as he could and firing them just as fast, each blade injuring or distracting a beast. Behind him, a disk of golden-red flames took shape, protecting his back. This time, there was no point in containing the Makra, with so many lives at stake.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he rushed down with a copy of Midjinior in hand. The rest of the Knights charged alongside him.
When he finally reached the village, Shirou slashed at the nearest Makra, cutting off its paw and saving the life of a small Aelf.
"Run!" He yelled at the terrified child.
He couldn't see if the young fairy listened to him, busy dodging the injured monster. All around him, fairies fought with Makra, with magic, with swords, and with fangs and claws. The ground was littered with dead bodies, monsters and fae alike. This must've been an Aelf settlement, as most of the fairy corpses were theirs.
Shirou dodged another swipe before cleaving the monster's head in two.
The Knight's weapons easily pierced the monsters' hide, quickly dispatching any Makra they spotted. The defenders rallied around them and pressed the monsters, trying to drive them out of the village. With fae magic and Knight's weapons, they managed to clear the center of the settlement and form a line, cutting the beasts from pursuing the fleeing fairies. But some Makra still slipped through.
Shirou spotted a pair stalking an Aelf unnoticed and dashed forward.
He engaged one beast while holding off the other with his magecraft. A minute later, both monsters lay dead, to the relief of both Shirou and the Aelf.
The battle continued in this vein, with Shirou and the Fairy Knights slowly whittling down the monster numbers while the defending fairies could focus on evacuating the rest. He lost track of time in the rhythm, killing Makra and protecting the Aelfs. He got injured twice; an unnoticed swipe of claws left gouges in his arm and leg.
After an hour of fighting, even a fairy's stamina started to flag. Thankfully, there weren't many of the monsters left. But when the end seemed to be close, when less than twenty of the beasts remained, they did something Shirou had never seen before.
Every Makra froze as one before howling to the sky, a piercing wail reverberating through the night.
Every fairy present backed away, wary of the sudden change.
When the last echo faded, the sound of cracking trees replaced it. From the opposite hill they arrived from, a colossal Makra slowly prowled down, pushing aside and breaking the trees in its way. Its head was at least twenty feet off the ground and large as Shirou was tall. Its scales gleamed like silver, and a current of water floated around its body.
"Damn it, Madadh, they are getting bigger," Shirou said, resigned.
"No shit." The fairy responded, rolling his eyes with a savage smile, "Now this will be a proper fight."
Shirou could only sigh at the battle maniac.
He called on his power, reaching deeper, his reserves lower than ever. He Traced multiple weapons with freezing properties, copies of the Knight's spear, and others like it. The disk of fire floating behind Shirou closed over his shoulders, forming a cloak of flames. He didn't like the way that Makra could control water.
Madadh and Shirou nodded to each other, an unspoken message exchanged, borne of the many battles they fought together.
They charged the colossal Makra while the rest of the Knights took care of the smaller ones. Shirou fired two spears from a distance, but they didn't even break the monster's scales, only leaving a small frozen patch where they struck. Madadh charged ahead, dodging the swipe of a massive paw and jabbing his spear at the beast's side, doing better than Shirou and leaving a shallow cut.
The monster was faster than its size would suggest, each swipe and bite lightning fast. But its bulk worked against it. It couldn't dodge both fairies simultaneously, even with its control over water keeping them on their toes. A stream it controlled snapping around like a whip.
Shirou slashed at its hind leg, splitting the scales and drawing blood when the monster was busy attacking the Knight. He had to dodge right after when the Mokra kicked at him, the powerful blow turning the tree behind Shirou into shrapnel.
After a few minutes, the beast was littered with dozens of cuts, but none were life-threatening. Even when Shirou stabbed Midjinior down to the hilt, the beast's body was simply too big and healed too fast for it to bring it down.
Frustrated, Shirou created some distance and focused on his magecraft, leaving Madadh to deal with the Makra alone. They needed a decisive blow to break the stalemate, and Shirou had one last trick he could use.
He closed his eyes, drawing on his power, Tracing a golden-black lance that flickered with flames. A nameless weapon but one of his better works. He took a deep breath. In his mind's eye, what he believed to be a representation of his soul appeared—an outline of a sword surrounded by a golden nimbus.
An empty sword, a hollow frame. What once shaped it, gave it form, was gone. In its place, his fae well of power resided. An ever-shifting cloud of miniature blades, each one he ever forged, so small that he wouldn't be able to tell if it wasn't his own power. They danced and swirled in mind-numbing patterns.
Shirou extended his metaphorical hand and touched the outline of a sword, connecting his fae magic and his magecraft for a brief moment.
He opened his blazing gold eyes, and the flowing markings of his Fairy Patterns glowed through his shirt.
"My body is made out of swords."
His words reverberated through the woods, carrying further than they should. The colossal Mokra head snapped to Shirou, but it was too late. His cloak of flames flowed from his shoulders and into the floating lance, infusing it with fae magic. Shirou fed it more and more until it shone like a second sun, illuminating the night.
He fired the weapon, panting with exhaustion. The giant Mokra tried to dodge, but it was in vain; the lance covered the distance in a slit second, burying itself deep into the monster's shoulder. A non-fatal blow, but it didn't matter. Once it found its mark, the weapon released all of its stored power, a conflagration of golden-red flames erupting from the wound, boiling away flesh and scale alike. The heat was so great that even here, Shirou had to shield his face, the surrounding forest immediately catching fire.
A small shadow leaped away from the monster, barely visible in the brilliant flames, landing next to him.
"Shit, Avel, could've warned me," Madadh huffed, patting out burning embers on his fur.
"Sorry."
They watched the wailing beast burn, rolling uselessly on the ground. When that didn't work, the best used its control over water to douse the fires, but even that didn't do much, the water evaporating too fast.
When Shirou thought the Makra was done for, it grabbed the lance with its maw, uncaring that it burned its mouth, and ripped it out of its shoulder.
Shirou and Madadh watched in silence as it stood on three shaky legs, one of its shoulders a smoldering wreck, most of the flesh gone, and the bone underneath blackened. The limb under it a useless lump. It glared with hatred at the two fairies and roared with pain and rage, creating a shockwave they had to brace against. Two streams of water gathered in front of the giant Makra.
"You wouldn't have another one of those, eh, Avel?" Madadh asked warily.
"As if! I'm spent."
Shirou had to quickly conjure a small pane of flames with the last dregs of his magical energy when two jets of water lashed at them. His makeshift shield barely managed to block the attack, vaporizing it, but the force of the blast still sent him flying away; an unfortunate tree broke as he crashed into it.
Shirou struggled to stand up, his limbs like lead as magical exhaustion hit him. Madadh helped him get up and run to the village. By now, the rest of the Knights had already killed the smaller Makras. Together with the remaining villagers, they watched the approaching colossal monster.
"Any good idea, Boss?" One of the Knights asked.
"Stupid question. As always, stab it till it dies." Madadh responded with a snort.
Judging from the smiles, the Knights, it was precisely what they would do anyway.
Shirou wasn't as enthusiastic. Sure, the beast was half dead already, but they were also exhausted. Both physically and magically. While he didn't doubt they could kill it, it wouldn't be without casualties.
But before the beast could attack, a whistling sound carried over the burning forest's crackle before a green arrow hit the beast, piercing the scales. Right after, another followed, then an entire salvo, peppering the beast's side. The Makra didn't react much besides a low growl, the wounds weren't deep enough to seriously harm it, but it did stop its approach and faced the new threat.
From the mouth of the valley, a small army of fairies arrived, armed with bows of grown wood. They stood in ranks; each row released an arrow, then stepped to the side, allowing the next row to get a clear shot. The limping Makra could slowly advance at them, ignoring the damage.
Behind them, a group of fairies watched the barrage. One particular fae stood out. A human-looking fairy with wings like a butterfly and dressed in royal attire, an intricate orange-grey robe, and a cloak of autumn leaves. A crown of thin branches with small golden leaves adorned his head.
"Well, that should be enough." The fairy said, an easy smile on his face.
The army stopped, parting to let the crowned fae pass. He lifted his arm, and every arrow stuck in the monster sprouted roots and branches, burrowing and binding its body. The Makra trashed and roared, overwhelmed with pain, but soon it fell, bound by the rapidly growing trees that used its flesh and blood as fuel. Not a minute later, a sizeable gnarled tree blooming with pale flowers was all that remained of the colossal monster.
Shirou and the rest of the fae in the village watched the spectacle in silence.
"Scary, right?" A familiar voice asked Shirou from the side.
A small blue fairy floated next to him, a mischievous grin showing off her sharp teeth.
"Blue?!"
"Sup, Red."
"How? What are you doing here?"
"Saving your ass, that's what." Dienu poked him in the chest, one arm on her hip. "Why didn't you wait for me, Red? Do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard of your latest idiocy? Going off to hunt monsters? With some wannabe knights as your only backup? Honestly, are you trying to make Mommy Dienu sick with worry? Because that is how you do it!"
The Knights watched the small blue fairy fume, amused.
"Uh, sorry, Blue. You weren't there, and it wasn't something I could just let lie for a few years for you to return. Besides, the Knights aren't that bad."
"Feh! Just some scrappy battle maniacs." Dienu waved off the Knights dismissively before gesturing at the approaching fae army. "Now, this is what I call a proper backup. If only someone didn't drag their feet, we would be here much sooner." She said, glaring daggers at the crowned fairy.
While his oldest friend was ranting at Shirou, the small army entered the village proper, immediately starting to help any injured fairy and putting down fires, directed by a fae with moth wings and antennae; the Knights joined the effort. What Shirou presumed was their leader, the fae with the crown, approached Shirou and Dienu,
"Now, now, Dienu, we got here perfectly on time. Please don't slander my good name."
"Ha! What 'good name', Oberon?"
"… truly, you are the most ungrateful of friends, Dienu." The fairy said, a wounded look on his face.
"Whatever, someone has to tell you the truth from time to time. Red, this is Oberon, King of the Autumn Court. Oberon, this is Red, a fairy that is too kind for his own good."
Shirou cringed at Dienu's introduction. As much as he loved his friend, she could be a pain in the ass, introducing him to someone as important as a Fairy King so flippantly.
"Greetings, King Oberon. I'm Avel, a smith from Nibelung. I hope Dienu didn't spread too many bad things about me."
"Not at all. In fact, she mostly had good things to say. Besides, your fame precedes you, Master Avel." Oberon said, his gentle smile back on.
"Really?"
"Indeed. There are very few smiths of your caliber in all of Faery. With your sudden rise to prominence over a few short centuries, the name of Avel, the Fairy of Fire and Iron, is quite well known among certain circles."
Shirou rubbed at the back of his head, embarrassed. He knew he was at least somewhat known in Faery, the Knights arrived in Nibelung because of that, after all, but he didn't think someone like a Fairy King knew about him.
"Stop it, Oberon, or his head will get too big." Dienu butted in, "Don't you have more important things to discuss besides?" She said, pointing at the corpses of Makras scattered across the village.
Oberon's army and the Fairy Knights were throwing them at a single pile. Any fairy that survived the initial attack was already tended to. If something didn't kill them outright, fairies heal up pretty fast. Shirou's cuts and bruises were gone already, without a mark showing where he was injured in the first place.
"Terrible business, these Makra," Oberon said, his smile slipping a little.
"Ah, thank you for your help, King Oberon. We would be in trouble if you didn't help us." Shirou said, realizing he didn't thank him yet.
"It's fine. If I let my subjects suffer and die without reprisal, I would be a poor king, wouldn't I? And I should be the one thanking you, Master Avel. With you taking care of one side, I could focus all my attention on stopping the monster's on my side. As a matter of fact, this group is one of the last ones in Faery. The only thing left is to close the portal itself."
Shirou was glad to hear that.
"Now that we finally met, I would like to join forces, Master Avel. I'm sure there will be more of these gargantuan Makra. We would have a much easier time with you and your Fairy Knights companions."
"Of course." Shirou agreed immediately. He was prepared to assault the portal alone if he had to in the first place, but if there were more Makra like the giant one, he would definitely need some help. "Can we ask the other Kings for help?"
Oberon sighed. "Unfortunately, they won't move until the monsters cross into their territory. They don't care about what happens outside their domains. Mab would just laugh at me and send a blizzard my way if I asked."
Shirou didn't like that, but it wasn't surprising. From the rumors he heard, the Fairy Monarchs weren't known for their benevolence. Especially Mab, the Queen of the Winter Court.
When the bodies were piled up and set aflame, Madadh and the fairy with moth antennae – Blanca, she introduced herself – joined them.
They spent the rest of the night planning for the upcoming battle. They knew what to expect to an extent. A horde of Makra with a small number of the giant monsters. The final strategy wasn't that different from what they did up to now. Shirou and Oberon would provide support and contain the beasts while the Knights and Oberon's army engaged them.
Shirou watched the battle unfold. Fairy Knights and Oberon's warriors charged the monsters clustered around a spherical tear in space while archers rained arrows on the enemy. So far, it was as they expected. Close to five hundred Makra crowded around the portal, some trying to cross it, but the five colossal beasts blocked their way. The portal was barely large enough to allow the giant monsters to pass through.
Shirou spread his flames, slowly encircling the battlefield, but concentrated more on Tracing, firing his weapons every now and then, but keeping one sword floating above his head, channeling more power into it.
When they arrived, most of the Makras were milling close to the portal, and it didn't look like that was changing anytime soon. Shirou wasn't sure if the beasts knew their only chance at survival was to break the fairy army as a single group instead of trying to flee in every direction and being hunted down or if it was just luck, but he was glad anyway.
Next to him, Oberon stood in silence. Outwardly, it looked as If he didn't do anything, but in Shirou's Fairy Eyes, he could see waves of power radiating from the Fairy King, pulses that traveled through the earth as far as he could see. Across the battlefield, roots erupted from the ground, impaling and tripping the Makras, and every time a beast got too close to a tree, a branch would lash at it. But his most significant contribution to the battle was holding back three of the colossal Makras. Thick roots wrestled with the beasts, restraining their movements. Each time one of the roots got destroyed, another one replaced it.
The remaining two giants were kept in check by Madadh and, surprisingly, Dienu. The small fairy's control over water allowed her to subvert Makra's powers. Together with her nimble flying, she easily kept up with the monster, keeping it occupied.
Of course, they had support from the rest of the army. Various magicks filled the air in a dazzling show of colors and sounds, from simple elemental blasts to more esoteric effects. Flower petals and fairy dust swirled in the wind, blinding and confusing the monsters. Some of the Makra turned on each other, trapped in illusions or driven mad with rage.
The first colossal Makra died after fifteen minutes. Madadh's spear pierced its eye and froze its brain when it was restrained in thick bands of deep blue ice.
The second, when Shirou launched the sword he was feeding power since the battle started. The lightning-infused blade streaked through the sky in a jagged line. When it struck the Makra Dienu was fighting, it released all its stored energy. The ensuing thunderclap was so powerful that every fairy and Makra in the vicinity got bowled over. The colossal monster itself turned into a charred pile of meat and scales.
A shiver went through Shirou's spine when the three remaining colossal Makras howled into the sky after he made his kill. Fairies and beasts closest to them fell to the ground, covering their ears. His unease deepened when something answered their call from beyond the portal.
A single paw exited the hole in space, barely squeezing through. The single limb was larger than the entire giant Makra body.
But before it could rip the portal larger, two massive roots coiled around the scaled paw, squeezing and pushing it back when Oberon released one of the three he kept back the entire battle. The monster beyond growled and roared, but it couldn't match a Fairy King with just one arm, and after a few minutes of struggle, it retreated, much to Shirou's relief.
The third and fourth colossal Makra fell when Oberon dealt with the intruder and focused wholly on them. Soon, the beasts breathed their last, strangled to death.
The last one got whittled down by the army while Shirou and Oberon were busy containing the remaining beasts.
When the fourth colossal Makra died, many of the monsters turned tail and ran for the portal, the fairies were all too happy to see them leave, but many also tried to flee into the woods. Shirou was suddenly busy sniping any Makra that got too close to escaping. Some even braved his flames, emerging on the other side horribly burned but still able to run. Thankfully Oberon could finish those off. His range and perception were better than Shirou's.
Soon, the last Makra died, a single defiant roar echoing on the now-silent battlefield.
"It's over." Shirou smiled wanly as he surveyed the corpse-filled forest.
"Not quite." Oberon rebuked, "There's still the portal to close."
"Can you close it?"
"Yes, if whatever was there doesn't interfere." With that reply, he walked towards the tear in space.
Shirou followed after him. They passed hundreds of corpses, so many that the ground turned into bloody mud, the stench of blood and viscera hung heavily in the air. There weren't that many dead fairies, but still too many in Shirou's opinion. Yet, he wasn't sure what they could have done better. The battle went as well as they could hope for, from the start till the end.
Halfway to the portal, Dienu found him and sat on his shoulder without a word. The usually loud fairy was in a subdued mood. Some of Oberon's followers walked up to their king, exchanged a few words, and left. In the distance, Shirou could see the Fairy Knights; thankfully, they all made it through the combat.
When they reached the portal, Shirou stood to the side as Oberon examined the tear in space. After a while, when nothing changed, he gave an order, and his army dragged the colossal Makra carcasses closer, arranging them in a circle around the portal. When they were done, every fairy retreated a fair distance, leaving their king alone.
He then raised his hand, blanketing the area with his power. The land responded to its king, and torrents of mana surged from below the five dead Makra. Above Oberon's outstretched palm, five points of red light appeared before shooting into each corpse.
From where the lights landed, small saplings grew, quickly gaining size, the roots of the newly-born plants engulfing the bodies, feasting on their flesh and the blood-soaked mud underneath. The trees spiraled around each other as they grew, closing around the portal until it disappeared behind the trunks, sealed away. When the twisted tree finally matured, its crown towered over the surrounding forest, hundreds of feet above the forest floor, supported by a colossal trunk of angled wood.
"And that's it. An end to an unpleasant story," Oberon said, looking up at the tree. When he rejoined the spectating fae, he turned to Shirou. "Thank you, Master Avel. With your help, we managed to avoid many casualties. You aren't my subjects, yet the fairies of Nibelung risked their lives to end a threat to my lands. For that, I owe you a favor."
"No, I –" Dienu's hand covered Shirou's mouth halfword, the blue fairy still riding on his shoulders.
"Shut up, Red. Take the reward for once." She chided. "Oberon, this guy wants to visit the human world. Any ideas?" She asked in Shirou's place before he could protest.
"Hmm, there are several Gateways in my territory, but Master Avel, there are easier ways if that truly is your wish. A strong enough fae can force open a passage, and after today's battle, I'm sure you carry enough power already."
"That's possible?" Shirou asked, surprised.
"Indeed. It's not easy and requires a place of power and meaning, but, well, I would think a grand hawthorn tree that grew over a tear in space would certainly suffice." He said, looking at the massive spiraling tree.
Shirou ignored whatever else the fae said, his thoughts consumed by the possibility of reaching the human world.
He approached the tree, his heartbeat picking up. Up close, he could see the remains of the Makra that fed the plant, their scales poking through the roots, like patterned rocks. If he didn't watch it happen, he would've never guessed what they were.
He changed his Perspective, looking at the world through his Fairy Eyes.
Not much changed, the tree was still the same, but the air seemed stretched thin. The tear in space was gone beneath the wood, the open wound in reality closed, but it would be a long time before it healed completely.
He focused on reaching the human world and leaned on the skein of reality itself, the weight of his existence rippling it like a stone thrown into a still lake. He didn't use his magical energy or direct the mana in the air but simply pressed with his mystery, the concept of his very being.
And reality bent under his will.
The roots shifted with a groan of wood when space folded on itself in the center of the tree, a small opening taking form, not larger than Shirou's fist but quickly growing. Soon, the roots parted, forming a passage to the newly created Gateway hidden in the darkness.
A way back.
"So, you going in or what?" Dienu asked, startling him. He forgot she was still perched on his shoulders.
Shirou looked back at the Knights and Oberon's army. They were busy cleaning the battleground, piling up Makra corpses, and tending to the wounded, the few that still needed it. Madadh and his Knights stood apart, engrossed in a discussion. When the werewolf-like fairy noticed him looking, he weaved with a satisfied smile before turning back to his Knights.
"They will be fine. They are not that bad, I guess." Dienu admitted reluctantly.
"I know."
Shirou wasn't worried about them. Madadh alone could deal with almost any threat they could stumble on in Faery.
Then, he met Oberon's eyes, the Fairy King somehow noticing his gaze.
"Don't mind me, Master Avel." Oberon's words reached Shirou's ears despite the distance. "Know that you will be a welcomed guest in the Autumn Court if you happen to visit."
Shirou nodded at him and turned to the portal, his stomach twisting in knots.
"Are you coming with me, Blue?" He asked his friend when she didn't leave his back as he walked to the Gateway.
"Yep, someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid the moment you cross over."
Shirou laughed. He couldn't argue. From her perspective, he often involved himself in troublesome matters the moment she left him alone.
They entered the dark passage, a Gateway to the human world, sounds of Faery disappearing behind them.
They emerged on a small hill with a single tree surrounded by large rocks, a solitary sentinel gnarled with age.
Shirou stood still, looking up at the overcast sky. He breathed in deeply, drinking in the world with every sense. The leaden clouds, angry with suppressed rain. The cold caress of the wind that ruffled his fiery hair and clothes. The thin mana. The smell of grass and smoke.
And the familiar sound of clashing steel.
Below the hill, a small group of warriors engaged in battle. Ten men, garbed in leather armor and armed with simple swords, fought against a smaller group of five backed against an overturned carriage. Like a warped reflection of the recent battle in Faery. Three bodies already lay motionless in the grass.
"Ah, so that's how it is," Shirou said softly. He was back in the human world, but not back in his time.
He watched the humans, fascinated. To his Fairy Eyes, each one shined like a miniature star. Not with light but with purpose and conviction. Especially the defenders. Their souls screamed out at the world with defiance and determination.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Even when they fell, their soul blazed to the very end, fighting till their last breath. Five became four, taking down one of the attackers with him in a suicidal charge. Then three, a man, a woman, and a child. The man died defending the woman, taking a strike meant for her. Then the woman charged the attackers with a scream of rage, surprising them, even managing to fatally injure one before they skewered her from every side.
Then only one was left. A girl younger than Shirou's body of twelve, and armed with a spear much too large for her. Despite her odds, her soul never wavered, her will unbroken in the face of death. She stood there, radiant like the sun, even when blades closed on her.
"Not going to do anything for once?" Dienu asked blandly, her voice snapping Shirou out of his daze.
"Shit!"
He hastily Traced several weapons and jumped in front of the last defender. From the attackers' perspective, he must've appeared out of thin air, deflecting their strikes in a shower of sparks, his traced weapons disappearing before they even noticed them.
He stood in front of the girl facing the warriors. When they saw him properly – a boy with long elfin ears, red hair as vivid as the sunset, and slitted golden eyes shining like the moon – they retreated a few steps in a hurry, eyes wide with shock. Despite Shirou's frail appearance and simple brown shirt and pants, they didn't dare attack him.
They exchanged glances before one of the warriors opened his mouth, voice nervous.
"Ah, we have no quarrel with the fair folk, my lord."
Shirou smiled, playing it up a bit.
"And yet, you bare cold iron against me. Do you want a bout, perhaps?"
They hurriedly sheathed their swords, some even throwing their weapons away as if they suddenly burned their hands.
"No! Of course not. We just … uh, weren't aware you were here, my lord. We just want the girl, that's all, we meant no offense."
Shirou looked back at the young girl. She clutched her spear close, hands shaking, and back pressed against the overturned carriage. Her red eyes brimmed with unshed tears, but she didn't look away, prepared to fight at a moment's notice.
Shirou turned back. "The child? Why? You killed her protectors, warriors like yourself. That I can understand. Applaud your victory even." Shirou wasn't lying. Even when a small part of his mind whispered that they were murderers, he couldn't bring himself to hate them. They were warriors, and so were the defenders. They risked their lives in that fight and won. But he couldn't let them kill a child, not even when she wielded a weapon against them. "But why the little one?"
"You see, my lord, she is … important. We have orders to, um, apprehend her."
"Important, you say." Shirou Traced eight weapons, the blades pointing at each warrior. He was done with talking. Their 'apprehend' clearly meant 'kill.' He didn't want to actually kill them, but he was sure they wouldn't attack him, so a show of force should be enough to scare them away. "More than your lives?"
Some of them looked ready to bolt at the sight of his weapons alone, but when the leader didn't move, they stayed.
"… my lord?" The leader asked, eyes uncertain and sweat dripping down his face.
"I am Avel, the Fairy of Fire and Iron, and she is under my protection for now. Leave or pick up your weapons and face me." Shirou declared, his weapons lighting up with various effects.
They didn't face him. The moment his blades started flickering with flames and crackling with lightning, they ran away as fast as their legs could carry them.
Shirou sighed and dismissed his magecraft.
Behind him, the girl's legs buckled under her, her weapon falling to the side. She sat on the blood-stained grass, her empty eyes staring at the surrounding corpses, tears streaming down her face. Her face was expressionless, numb with grief. When she noticed Shirou looming over her, she looked up, silent.
Those eyes pierced Shirou's heart worse than any weapon he could forge.
He should've been faster. He wasn't prepared for this; he had changed too much. Even now, the girl shined, entrancing him. Faded and radiating sorrow, but just as beautiful as before.
It hurt.
"Hello. What's your name?" He asked with a smile, the words feeling lame.
"… Scathach," The tiny voice said.
"I'm Avel. Don't worry. I will protect you." He promised himself.