Chapter 16: The Hornet's Nest

"You there! Yusha!" The two of us didn't have to wait long before a particularly rough looking Pixie approached us with a surprising amount of gruffness to her voice. Her hair had been dyed red and trimmed into a Mohawk which, admittedly, looked really cool. She was a little bigger and bulkier than her subordinates, with scars of unknown origins on her face and arms.

"Hello, Tiff." Yusha greeted rather bluntly. If the stony expressions on both girl's faces were any indication, they weren't on good terms with one another. "Never thought I'd see your face here again, after what happened last time." Yusha's face went pale as she hovered higher in the air until she was looking the Pixie right in the face. "I assume You're here to escort us to her majesty….the Queen?"

Tiff didn't seem to like the change in her tone and hovered a little higher over her rival with a threatening glare. I could see where things were going and decided to intervene by clearing my throat. "If you don't mind ma'am," I enquired politely, "could we see her now before the hour grows late?" Tiff spun around and folded up her arms. "Humph! Very well young warrior!"

I found it strange being called a warrior. I wasn't wearing any armour, nor did I carry a sword (I do have a knife but everyone should have one of those!) I should've known better and asked Yusha for answers before walking through that door. I guess I was just….sick of all the drama that went on today. I wanted to relax a little, simple as that.

The great hall, was horrible. The drapes, the carpet, the walls and even the ceiling was pink! Little red and white rose petals floated in the air just a few feet above our headd. Two massive tables sat on either end of the hall, stretching all the way down to the other end where the queen was waiting for us. They were absolutely stacked with lollies and sweets (just looking at them gave me a toothache!) There were no windows. Instead, a massive ball of light shone right above the throne like a star. Lighting the entire room up to a ridiculous brightness that hurt my eye. But what concerned me the most, were the Imps.

Like Pixies, Imps originated from the demon realms. But these little creatures are very closely related to Succubus (like Gamila,) and it's because of this, they are known to be a lot more….aggressive. Their basically miniature versions of the Succubus we all know and love. Little horns on their heads, bat wings and of course, the pointy tails at the end. They were all dressed in purple ribbons held together with buttons, barely covering their tiny bodies (not sure why they bother dressing like that) and they all coloured and styled their hair differently, likely to give themselves some degree of individuality.

There were hundreds of them! Outnumbering the Fairies and Imps amongst them, ten to one. Some were eating the sugary sweets on the tables until they were vomiting into little containers to make room for more. Others, were chasing one another in the air. They didn't seem to be as fast and agile as their Pixie companions, but they appeared to work well together as a team when playing their game of tag (which is how they catch their prey.)

No sooner did we take our first steps into the hall, everyone turned their attention to us and took flight. They hovered over us as we made our way to the other end of the room, whispering rather loudly amongst one another. "The fuck is Yusha doing back here?" "Looks like she's here to cause trouble." "Who's the one-eyed kid?" "Wonder if he's Yusha's bodyguard….a little young though." "He looks really scary!" " Hehe, I bet he's only got a little one in his pants!" This wasn't the welcome I was expecting. Sure, seeing a few Imps here and there wouldn't have been that much of a surprise. But why so many of them? This is the Fairy Kingdom….Isn't it?

The little monsters didn't stop their childish gossiping until we were standing right in front of the queen. A Titania. For those who are not familiar with them, I'll give you a short description. Imagine a Fairy, but human sized. Oh! And they have very, very, very, big boobs. They're not much smarter than the rest of their kind. But They are known to be rather gentle and caring towards others, which is probably why the Fairies chose them to be their leaders (or is it because of their massive boobs?)

This one , seemed to be particularly fond of the colour pink. Her frilly dress was pink. Her wings were pink. Her eyes were pink. Even the flowers in her hair were pink! Her hair wasn't pink though (thank goodness for that,) it was blond and curly. She had a very gentle smile on her face, and the horrible light shining above gave her an unearthly glow.

Standing to her left was a man. He looked a little old, with his dark hair beginning to grey, and a few wrinkles on his face. He didn't seem to be wearing any armour, but a sword with rubies decorating its hilt hung menacingly on his belt. Like the queen, he had a gentle smile. But his posture showed strength and nobility. It's likely this man has watched over the Titania for many years, and would fight to the very end to keep her safe (not entirely sure what he would have to fight though.)

Seated to her right was another Titania. Only this one looked to be a little….different. She had straight, jet black hair, with lots of makeup on her face. She looked a little younger than the queen. The princess, perhaps? She resembled the old knight to some extent. Wouldn't surprise me if the two of them conceived her some time ago, considering the fact male Fairies never existed even before the coming of the Demon Lord. Her clothing was much more Goth Lolita like (which I'm kinda into.) What I didn't like, was the contempt, cynical expression on her face. Looking at the two of them, I found it hard seeing any family resemblance.

The old knight was the first to speak. "You stand in the presence of Ceana The Beautiful, fourth of her name, Queen of Vila." The Queen gave a small nod (which I assumed was a lazy form of curtsey.) The old man gave Yusha a nervous glance before continuing. "State your name, visitors." Yusha hovered in front of me and decided to answer for the both of us (not that I really minded or anything.) "I…I am Yusha! And this is…." I leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Bain Kolf-Skot! The one-eyed warrior!"

I didn't say that last bit. That was all her (why is everyone calling me a warrior today?) Ceana held a hand over her mouth and giggled rather unprofessionally. "It's wonderful to see you again Yusha," The Queen greeted in a motherly voice. "and I welcome you also, Bain Kolf-Skot." The knight turned his attention to our escort. "Tiff, thank you. You may leave." The Pixie banged a fist over her chest dramatically before taking her leave.

I never really liked having people talk down to me. Nor have I ever enjoyed being treated like some brain-dead toddler. I know she didn't mean anything by it, but the smile I gave her was a very painful one. "I am very happy to make your acquaintance, your majesty." "No need for formalities sweetie," She cooed affectionately, "Just call me Mother."

My eye twitched violently. Fortunately, no one noticed thanks to Yusha clearing her throat (thankyou Yusha!) "I apologize my queen, but we are not here for friendly chit chat." (you tell em girl!) The Queen's eyes opened wide with shock. "Oh my goodness! Is everything ok my dear?" (just explain the situation to her so we can get the hell out of here!) Yusha took a deep breath. "I am here for your castle, your city, and your throne!" (Yeah! Wait, WHAT!?)

Everyone was dead silent for a very, long, time. The Imps (unfortunately) were the first to recover, bursting into wild fits of laughter. "Is she serious!?" "No! No way! This has to be a joke!" "Who the fuck does she think she is!?" Ceana tried to bring calm to the hysterical swarm as best she could, but it wasn't until her daughter raised a hand did they all fall silent. "Thank you, Daniela." The young Titania simply nodded. But I noticed her eyes were beginning to gleam with….anticipation? " Please Yusha," The woman pleaded (was she crying?) "why would you say something so horrible?" Yusha decided to answer that question with a speech. A fuckin good one at that.

"I remember a time, when I had so much love and respect for you. A time when I felt happy and safe. A time, when I called this place my home. But no more. No more can I sit idly by and watch you bring this city to ruin."

My jaw almost hit the floor as I listened to Yusha speak. I already knew she was a little different to the rest of her kin. But this took the cake!

"Yes, peace and prosperity shines over Vila. That light provides us warmth, happiness, and protection from the dangers of the outside world. But it has also made us blind to another threat. One that lurks within. One that will bring an end to our culture, our beliefs, our very way of life. You know what I speak of. They are all around us."

I didn't need to be a genius to know what she was talking about. I glanced up to the Imps above. From the looks of their baffled expressions, they were yet to realize what she was talking about (which might be a good thing.) I then turned my attention to the people in front of us to see how they were taking the news.

Daniela, who just earlier looked very bored and uninterested in what was going on, was now on the edge of her seat, her eyes filled with hunger and excitement. The old man was no longer standing tall and proud as he was just moments ago. He was now looking at the ground with a downcast expression on his face. This made him look very old, and very tired. For a royal guard to show weakness during such a situation would have been considered utterly disgraceful in the eyes of their ruler. But the Queen wasn't taking the news well herself.

The Titania, soaked in her own tears, rose from her chair and got down onto her knees right in front of us (eyes off her cleavage Bain,) her hands clasped together as though she were praying. "Please Yusha," She pleaded pitifully. "Tell me what this darkness is you speak of."

I was just about ready to fall on my face. It's bad enough the Queen chose to unprofessionally get down on her knees and beg. But to be unable to understand the situation at hand made it very clear to me that this woman was not the sharpest stick in the bunch (and that's saying something.)

"I'm talking about the creatures spawned from the demon realm, your majesty." Yusha answered patiently. It would seem as though everyone in the room was quite familiar with their leader's lack of intelligence. The fact everyone here was (up until now) ok with her being their ruler, shows that the kingdom has never had to deal with anything serious regarding public safety or corruption before.

"When the Imps and Pixies first visited this great city, I welcomed them warmly like everyone else. But then things began to change, and not for the better. Fun, innocent games like Hide and Chase were soon replaced with activities where we would play with our bodies and make our minds go to mush with ecstasy. Fun games. But they come at a price."

"Don't pretend you didn't love it ya stuck up pansy!" Shouted one of the Imps. The Imps once again burst into laughter, only to be silenced by Daniela. The whole thing was beginning to make me uncomfortable. I'm not talking about the fact Yusha was discussing sex with a Queen right in front of me. What worried me, was the amount of control the young Titania seemed to have over the Imps. Imps are not known for their obedience or loyalty towards others. Only monsters with lots of demonic energy should be able to have that much control over them. It just didn't make any sense to me. Yusha waited patiently for the laughter to cease before continuing.

"These new games have made us lazy and meek. So few of us now venture outside our homes to nurture the trees and plants in the forests that we once treasured for so many years. Countless sick and injured animals have died because we were not there to save them. Many of us don't even attend our seasonal festivals anymore! Those festivals are our way of showing our love and appreciation to Arbor, and all her creations!"

I flinched when I heard the word "festival." It's hasn't even been a day since that rather unpleasant night (and I'd rather avoid attending any more of those in the future if I can help it.) Despite that, I did understand what she was saying. In the unclaimed realm, Fairies are called 'the keepers of the forests'. It's their job to protect and preserve life, which is something they have always cherished. But it would seem these new games are changing that.

It was then the old man suddenly stepped forward. "And why do you believe our Queen is not capable of finding a solution to this problem herself, Yusha?" He didn't look angry or threatening in any way. But the firmness in his voice was enough to make Yusha gulp. "I….I do not believe Ceana has the heart, or resolve to do what has to be done." Yusha answered rather meekly. "She is far too soft and….and…." She took a deep breath, and then shouted, "And I am not leaving until we settle this with a duel!"

The knight looked to his Queen (who finally got back onto her feet) and asked, "what would you have me do, Ceana?" The Titania closed her eyes as she sat back down onto her throne. It was clear she wanted to avoid conflict. I didn't really know how these duels were played out in the Fairy Kingdom, but she seemed to finally understand the danger she was in.

Finally, she answered, "If this will please you Yusha, I will accept your challenge for my crown." Yusha gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you, your majesty." "However," she continued, "should you lose….you will be forbidden to enter Vila. Forever." A fair deal in my opinion. And Yusha seemed to feel the same way. "Ok. I accept your conditions."

"Fidelis, you will be my champion." The old warrior gave a nod, and walked a few metres forward until he was in the centre of the hall (I guess the duel is right here, right now.) "Bain, take your position in front of Fidelis." Ceana instructed. It took me a moment to realize what she just said. "….Huh?" "Ummm….Bain?" Yusha whispered, "I've chosen you to be my champion."