PART TWO

Chapter 4

"I know of a possible way to undo that which has been done but it is going to require something great and I am not sure if anyone is ready and willing to risk something so important to save us all….." the thin, graying faerie who had just arrived looked grim and yet there was a air of hope he had brought with him. "I found a spell that can break even the most insidious of magics. The cause of what is happening is the anger and bitterness that Orion felt towards vampires. And so ironically only one of those beings has the ability to stop this."

All eyes turned to the lone vamp in the room and then back to the face of the new arrival. "Eron, are you certain about this? What has to be done? You look less than happy as you stand before us."

"I can safely say that all assembled here has no ill will towards this one here. For he has no only protected our friends here but he has proven trustworthy and fiercely loyal to those he cared about, that he loves. That are on the brink of being destroyed by this vile magic. What we have to do is channel all this sickness, to focus it on something else, someone else, who has the capability to heal fast and who can survive this process. It is our only hope and there is a chance it could fail and if it does….it will not only seal the fates of us faeries and Faery, but…"

"It could kill Eric. " Sookie said as she looked to her right where he sat, looking stoic but determined. "That really is our only chance to save us all…everything?"

"I am afraid so. I have studied a long time and came up with this and only this. There is nothing like this that has happened before, no precedent….he is one of the two most powerful beings walking around in your realm, you yourself Sookie being closely behind…"

"Then let me help. Let me do whatever is needed to help so not everything falls onto him. I am already sick, what have I to lose?" she said, fire in her eyes. "I am not letting him risk his life without me at least trying to help too."

Eron looked moved by her words but shook his head. "Only one can do this and as much as we appreciate your offering, it has to be him and only him. Though there is kindness in him, goodness and love, he is death. And as such, the perfect vessel to take in the death that plagues this realm and its people. What will happen is that once I cast the magic, he will become like a magnet, essentially drawing all the sickness from us and the realm. His rapid healing power and his own brand of magic will hopefully kill that which is drawn into him. Hopefully fast enough that it doesn't overwhelm his body. Strong as he may be, this is some dangerous magic that will happen and I want to be honest that there is a great risk." Eron said as the other healers nodded, looking at the most knowledgeable healer in the realm with reverence. There was a silence as everyone took in what had been said.

She said nothing but took him by the hand and vanished them somewhere more private, their suite in the palace they lived in when visiting Faery. "You Don't have to go along with this. There has to be another way, there has to be….." she said, her voice crackling, knowing deep down that there was no other option and time was running out. The ugly veins that marred her skin were becoming more prevalent and she felt the life slipping away from her being every second that passed.

"I am going through with this, I will not sit back and watch you….any of you…die because of some dead psycho, bitter faerie. It will be fine, it always is, no matter what challenge we have faced…." he looked down at her and pulled her close.

"This time feels different, this is…..this is different." she replied. "No matter how evolved our powers have become over the past months, there are vulnerabilities and this…..this magic could overtake even you." she said.

"But if I don't do this, then what? You wish me to live with the regret of not trying as I mourn for you, for Aurora…Blaze…all of this?" he retorted, a edge to his voice. "I am going through with this and I won't pass on any chance that we may have to end this."

She was touched by his bravery, it always meant a great deal to her and knowing the danger he was willingly about to put himself in…she said nothing as they stood hand in hand for a few moments before she tried to magic them back to the meeting room. But she found herself unable to, appearing in the room for a moment before her magic flickered off. Her light was all but useless and so they had to walk back to the room, she looking despondent, and he looking as if he was likely talking his final walk ever.

Chapter 5

It was evident that time was not on their side, judging by the increasingly sickly pallor that was appearing on the flesh of the faeries, their fair skin paling by the moment. And there came a noise from outside and as they all rushed over to the window overlooking the vast city, they saw a couple faeries drop to their knees, their skin withering before they dissolved, becoming little more than piles of silvery ash before the stunned eyes of those in the palace.

"It's happening faster than I feared…." Olivia said to Eron as he took a quick look at Sookie, who hadn't been able to use her magic to bring herself and Eric back to the meeting room. "She's fading fast….though I think those who have descended from royal blood, as she has, will take somewhat longer to….." Eron didn't want to continue. Instead, he muttered a incantation and released a blast of light that moved like a ripple, fading off through the walls and out through the countryside. "I cast a counter spell…it will at least hopefully slow down things so hopefully no others perish but I fear I may have only bought a hour at most. We need to prepare this spell. Now." he rushed off and returned a few minutes later with some supplies. Candles, crystals, powders and a ceremonial knife with a golden blade and a platinum handled studded with sapphires. Waving a hand, he made the table and chairs zoom to one side of the room allowing for a clear space in which to work. Chains appeared from the ceiling and floor and the scent alone told them all it was only the best.

"Why…..he won't harm anyone? You know he can control himself…look at him now, he isn't exactly chomping down on any of you, is he?" Sookie said as she looked at the silver manacles.

"But we need to take any precautions, I haven't seen this magic, nor know much about it. This has not been done in many lifetimes and I fear the pain of the silver may distract him from the other pain he will likely experience. And I will channel magic through the silver to help him heal as I well know that silver does hamper it. I have thought things through, don't worry….."

Aurora and Blaze were barely able to stand, wanting badly to comfort Sookie who was across the room from them, she herself starting to struggle staying on her feet. "I don't think we have even a hour…." Aurora said as she tried summoning her own magic. Barely a flicker. Same with Blaze. "I feel like hot death…." she muttered, closing her eyes before stumbling to her hands and knees, falling to her side on the floor along with almost all the others in the room. There was a stunned gasp as Olivia herself expired before their eyes. Eron, though pained at seeing a friend perish so quickly, knew he had to keep focus. "We haven't a moment to lose….I need you to be secured in the chains, if you please." he addressed Eric and after having the Viking strip off everything from the waist up, he was secured by the manacles on the floor and from the ceiling. But as much pain as she knew he was in thanks to the silver, Sookie watched as the healer sent a thread of his magic into the chains, which would keep him from being able to break free but wouldn't impede his healing from the silver. She had been at his side the whole time and now, as she saw him about to do something never before attempted, she said a prayer, falling to her knees briefly before standing up again, though it was a struggle.

"I wouldn't do this for anyone but those I care about…..I don't know what's going to happen but if it saves you….it will be worth it." he said, though the burning pain.

"If we make it through this…." she started, shaking her head. "When we make it through this, I am going to make certain that no one here forgets it was a vamp hat saved our people….." she started tearing up, her skin feeling cooler by the moment. Eron gently pulled her away from saying her possible goodbyes, he himself looking ill.

"I hate to end this but I must start while I have the chance." he explained. Restrained while standing, the Viking watched helplessly as he saw the last of the group, save for Eron, fall onto the ground, seemingly out cold and yet not extinguished as Olivia had been. Calling her name out of desperation, he instead found himself face to face with the last healer standing. "I mean no harm to befall you and should thins go to plan…you will forever be in our debt….." Eron had set the candles in a circle around the Viking and set a rough cut crystal in differing colors beside it. Sprinkling powders that smelled like flowers on them, the flames too became multicolored, a light rising from the flames and attaching to the tip of the knife. For the final part of the spell, Eron took the knife and made a shallow cut across the abs of the Viking. The knife dripping with blood, he made a zig zag motion and from the powder and crystals, a glow mingled with the blood, creating a web that appeared in mid air, connecting all those within the palace and outside of the palace as well.

"Everyone is going to be connected…using the crystals grown here in Faery, it will connect the realm with those involved in this terrible illness." Eron explained as he kept his focus on the final part, taking the knife once more, alight with a glow from the web that he created from the blood and ingredients, he put the glowing tip of the knife into the wound that was slowly healing. And thus, he had connected the Viking to the faeries and Faery itself. He made certain the web was strong and though he was about to fall into unconsciousness with the others, Eron knew that he had to have dome this correctly, for none of the others had been obliterated into dust. And yet, he felt like death and the last thing he saw before everything went black was the visible aspects of their illnesses-marks he himself was all too familiar with-starting to dissipate, the thin strings of light coming from their bodies, attached to him. It was then and there that the foul magic was being leeched from the faeries and brought straight into himself. What would happen next was anyone's guess. Though right now, at this moment, not a single soul in the realm was conscious to be able to guess.

TO BE CONTINUED