Chapter 5: Fairy King
The Fairy King!" Kendra exclaimed, as Bracken ushered into the room and closed the door. It had been on a previous trip to Wyrmroost that Kendra had found out that long ago the astrids had severed the Fairy King and that the Fairy Queen had blamed them for his downfall. It wasn't until Kendra had killed the demon King Gorgrog with the sword Vasilis that Bracken and the Fairy Queen had rescued the King, by cutting away the chain that linked him to Gorgrog.
The two of them walked across the room and stopped by the cot that was really the only thing in the room.
"This was where I was a few minutes." Bracken explained. "I was told…" he was interrupted by a one word sentence.
"Light."
Everyone stopped moving and listened. Even the guarding astrid was listening. The voice came again.
"Light." A one word sentence.
"Light"
"Light."
"Light."
The three words came rapidly and without warning. Then a surprise. The fairy King laying on the bad started reaching slowly out toward Kendra. His lips moved slightly, "Light." he whispered.
The Fairy King himself looked much like a regular human, with similar features as Bracken. The main difference that his skin was an eerie grey color with portions being almost black. His eyes appeared slightly sunken into his head, and what little hair remained on him was stark white. He almost looks dead Kendra thought to herself.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the fairy King. "This is the most raction we've seen from him in since he was rescued from Gorgrog." whispered one of the astrids that stood by the door.
That was when Kendra noticed that it was the Fairy Queen who was sitting on the edge of the cot.
"Hello, Kendra." she said with no expression. She gave Bracken a questioning look before returning her eyes to the cot.
"Has this been happening all day?" Bracken asked to everyone in the room.
The person standing on the other side of the cot answered first. "About an hour ago he starting mumbling that word. That's all he's said. Light. Nothing more."
"Have you done anything to him today?" Bracken questioned.
"Nothing. I had come in to try the same purification treatments we've been doing for a few weeks. But since he started with the whipsering, I decided not to do anything."
The words "purification treatments" jumped out at Kendra. 'Purification' was not a word that she had heard used very often. Except in the case of unicorns. When, the Knights of the Dawn needed a unicorn horn to enter Wyrmroost last winter, Kendra had learned that unicorn horns had the ability to purify things. Bracken had mentioned something similar when he had tried to heal Warren after he was clawed by a Harpy. So this person is a unicorn Kendra thought. He looked human, unlike any of the fairies she had seen yet. And from what she had seen with Bracken and the Fairy Queen, who Kendra has learned was also a unicorn, the magical horses had the ability to turn into a human.
"Any ideas as to the reason he's decided to start speaking now?" Bracken asked. again.
"I can't say for sure but my bets would be that something stimulated him enough to awaken his mind from its previous condition. " He looked at Kendra as he finished the sentence. Both Bracken and the Fairy Queen caught the action. Kendra, on the other hand, was a split second too slow. The unicorn had already glanced looked away when by the time Kendra had looked up.
"Are you suggesting that Kendra awakened him?" the Fairy Queen asked the unicorn. Her tone suggested that, although possible, it seemed quite unlikely to her. Bracken gave the unicorn a similar puzzled look.
"I'm not saying for sure, but ..."
The Fairy Queen cut him off. She turned towards Bracken, "How long ago did you bring her here?" her tone was minorly accusing.
"An hour ago maybe an hour a half." he responded.
She just looked at him for a few second then turned her attention back to the cot.
From what Kendra could tell, based on the way that conversation had just gone, one of two things was possible; either she was not supposed to be here at all, or Bracken had done something to keep her presence in the realm unknown to his mother. The second option seemed impossible, considering the Fairy Queen ruled over the realm. Kendra couldn't figure out how exactly Bracken would have managed to do that. That made the first option more likely, but none the better. Going against the Fairy Queen's orders was probably not in her better interests.
"Continue..." the Fairy Queen ordered the unicorn.
"I'm not completely sure if she is the cause for this reaction but, considering the way she's glowing at the moment, and the fact that he seems to want light, it wouldn't surprise me at all. "
The theory made sense to Kendra. Except that the unicorn referenced her being glowing. Many people had told her that she seemed to emit light. Fairies. Unicorns. Even Patton Burgess had. But she had never been able to see the light they were talking about. Apparently it was becoming important again.
"So what are you suggesting?" Bracken asked
"Welllllll..." The unicorn began, "considering his apparent interests in her, I would say, let's see what her powers will do to him under direct contact. "
Kendra wasn't completely certain what her meant by that, but the Fairy Queen and Bracken apparently did; because they immediately objected.
"We can't let her do that. We don't have any idea what will happen to her under that kind of power." Bracken said seconds after they unicorn finished his suggestion. It was not addressed to anyone in particular but it seemed add if our was meant for the Fairy Queen.
"The demonic spells that were placed on him could completely corrupt her. I would never allow that to happen. Not to mention that her powers are nothing compared to mine. Or Bracken's for that matter. He hasn't reacted to or touch, so why would he react to hers. " The Fairy Queen said at the same time. "Bracken, please ..."
The still unnamed unicorn interrupted her, "Your Highness, I believe that the fact that the King has never had any contact with her may be why she has spawned this reaction in him. He spent time with you and Bracken before he was captured and grew accustomed to the energy and light you have and emit. But, as with all creatures, Kendra's light is different. It's more powerful than that of most of the creatures here. And her being here ..." he gestured at the room, "is further augmenting her powers as the..." it was Bracken's turn to cut someone off.
"The point is," the unicorn continued, "she may be able to awaken parts of his mind up to healing. She could help heal him. At this point we've hit a dead end. We unicorns can't think of anything left to try, but she might be able to help us. Her light might purge the spells from him entirely. Who knows?"
"But at the same time, those spells could completely destroy her. They have already turned two of out best healers." the Fairy Queen said, "So there's no reason to believe that Kendra's will be able to do anything at all. Its far too dangerous." she paused, looking at the unicorn. "Bracken, please escort Kendra out of here."
Bracken nodded his agreement, "Come on Kendra. There are still some other things I have to show you." he said, turning towards the door.
"Ummmm ... okay." she replied beginning to follow him.
Kendra was right behind Bracken when she finally made her decision. During the whole conversation between Bracken, the Fairy Queen, and the unicorn, nobody but Kendra noticed that the Fairy King was still desperately trying to reach her and mumbling the single word, "Light.". She didn't quite see how exactly the poor king could be dangerous, and at that moment she didn't necessarily care. All she knew was that something about her was causing the Fairy King to reawaken. If she could help him someway she knew that she should.
Bracken opened the door and held it open for her, "Bracken...I don't mind trying to help the Fairy King. Its obvious that its something about me that affecting me, and I think the other unicorn is right. I might be able to help him. Whats the worst that could happen?"
He just looked at her for a moment before speaking, "The spells that were placed upon him by Gorgrog are so powerful that not even my mother can break them. Those spells have destroyed two of our best unicorns. No one has any idea what could happen to you. Its far to dangerous. Neither me or my mother would ever allow you do such a thing."
Kendra thought it over for a second, the spells on him had "destroyed" two unicorns already, what made her think she could do anything about it. But there still was the fact that she might be the only way to save him at all. But what if those spells were too powerful for her? If they destroyed unicorns, ones that had been trained, what would they do to her? She sighed, even though it went against her better judgement she walked out of the room.
And not a few seconds later, the door opened again, and the Fairy Queen walked out. "Kendra, can you come back in here a moment?" she asked. She sounded completely calm, but for some reason, Kendra got the impression that she wasn't.
"Sure." She walked back into the room with Bracken.
"The second that you exited the room, he began thrashing around." the unicorn said.
"Oooookaaayyy" Kendra said not quite understanding why she had been called back into the room.
"Kendra," the Fairy Queen looked over at her, "our healers have run out of options, and Frieze here, thinks that you might be able to help him. I don't personally think its a good idea considering the strength of the spells on him, but I will leave the decision to you." she said. "We don't know what will happen should the spells prove too much for you. But in the end, if you want to try, I will let you."
Kendra stood there for a moment. Just a minute ago she had told Bracken that she would willingly help the Fairy King. But knowing that the Fairy Queen was unsure what would happen should she fail, she was slightly less confident. Still, she wanted to at least try to help.
"I'll go ahead and at least try." she finally said, reaching out for the Fairy King.
Before she got there, Bracken grabbed her arm, "No." he said calmly "You will not try until we have no other options at all. The spells on him are far too dangerous for you to come into contact with." He then looked up at the Fairy Queen, "How can you give her the option to do this? Those spells have destroyed some of out best healers. They could do the same to her."
The Fairy Queen sighed, "Frieze said we have no more options. He has no idea what left to try. If this works, he may be able to heal him completely."
"And if it doesn't work, Kendra could be ..." he didn't finish his sentence.
His mother sighed a second time, "I don't like the idea either. But it could be the only way. If she was here, I would use Briar as a test, but she's not. Kendra might be able to save him now."
Bracken just looked at her. "Fine." he conceded. Everyone could tell he was not at all happy about the decision.
The unicorn, Frieze, turned to Kendra. "If you're ready go ahead and grab his hand. Nothing more. If you start to fell overwhelmed, let go." he instructed.
She nodded and reached out for the Fairy King. The decrepit fairy was still muttering "Light" every few seconds. At least until, Kendra finally came into contact with his hand.
The second she did, everything changed. His skin went from the horrible gray black color to a standard human color. He completely changed into a normal human being. Except for one thing. His voice.
When the king spoke, his voice sounded just as his had before she had touched him. Hoarse and raspy. The very sound of it made Kendra want to let go and stop the sound. But she couldn't, her hand seemed glued to that of the Fairy Kind.
"A terrible demon resides here, he will destroy everything here. You must flee. If you remain, you will be destroyed" the king rasped. A vision of a massive black wall seared its way into Kendra's mind.
"There is no demon left in here. We are but days away from completely renovating this place." the Fairy Queen said. "There is nothing to worry about."
"This demon is something no one can withstand. He can not be moved, and his prison is here. Your power can not withstand his. He will destroy everything here. You must flee."
And that when Bracken yanked Kendra's hand away from the king's. Kendra stumbled backwards a few steps bsefore Bracken caught her.
He gave her a concerned look, "Kendra, are you okay?"
She nodded slightly and stood back up. The encounter had completely sapped her energy. She was tired, slightly dizzy, and had a minor headache, but beyond that she felt okay.
"Your skin turned white and you started to shaking like the rest of the unicorns who have touched him. That's when I severed the connection. I was afraid you would end up the same way as the others."
Kendra just nodded, still trying to shake the image of the black wall from her mind. "What did he do?"
"He told us to flee because some horrible demon remains here." The Fairy Queen said. "But I don't think the warning is anything to worry about. I would know if some powerful demon was hiding my realm."
And then the door opened.
An astrid entered. "Your Highness. We have hit a snag in the plans." it said to the Fairy Queen.
"What type of snag?" the queen asked cautiously.
"A wall of dark rock that we can't change. We tried and it killed four fairies and a unicorn."
That stunned the Fairy Queen. "What has the power to do that?"
But Kendra already knew. The wall of rock could only be one thing. The same wall she had seen in the vision from the Fairy King. And since it killed four fairies and a unicorn, it was most certainly dangerous to everyone.