If you've never walked between Realms before, it's a bizarre experience. It's like having the wind knocked out of you. It wasn't like when I came through the painting guided by Erebus, this was stepping through time. Made me feel like being part of the Star Trek crew at warp speed. Yes, I'm a nerd if you didn't know that. I even mumbled, "Beam me up Scottie" and Erebus gave me a weird look as if he wasn't sure what I was referencing. I couldn't contain my laughter at his startled face and my uncontrollable ability to really out myself as a total geek.
When we finally settled in the Realm of Fae, it was overwhelmed by just how spectacular it was. Lord of the Rings spectacular with its grazing fields and majestic mountains. The grass was greener than anything I'd ever seen, and the smell, oh the smell. It was like fresh cut roses, no, hint of lavender, maybe, I couldn't quiet put my finger on it. It was amazing and I couldn't stop inhaling. Though, Erebus did tell me it was time to go, though I barely heard him, I was fascinated by all that wondrous sights around me. Birds were singing, the sky was the brightest blue I'd seen, as if when the earth was first created, this is what this place looked like.
"Here Priestess, we go to the tower at the outer edge of the cliff face there, to the north" Erebus pointed out right in front of us. "It is a good 2 day journey, but I imagine we'll get there much quicker"
If I knew what he was talking about, I'd have pegged him to be the father of Darius. He grabbed my hand and took off with such speed; I barely was able to catch my breath. Everything blew by like fast little lines whirling in front of me. We went over the field and through the woods, and I might as well been singing "To Grandma's house we go".
We came to an abrupt halt. I leaned over with my hands on my knees and breathed in and out like I had run a marathon. "Are you alright Priestess?" Erebus asked.
I held up a finger as if to tell him to give me a minute, "Yeah…just…fine…out…of…breath" I managed to get out.
"Here, drink this" he took a small little purple bottle out of a sachel attached to his waist. He uncorked the top and handed me the refreshment. It was an explosion of taste in my mouth, "Blood!" I yelled.
"Shh, we must not give way to our being here Zoey. There is still much danger for us" he stated as he started to walk around in a circle and scout out the area around us. We had stopped at a small forest, much like the one that Aphrodite described. Trees as tall as the Sears Tower and shrubs and flowers I had never seen before. I plucked a flower from the ground and twisted it in my fingers, "No!" Erebus shouted.
I looked up at Erebus who was racing towards me, he grabbed my wrist and threw the flower out of my hand, "Hey!" I snapped, "I was only looking at it!"
"Look Priestess" he motioned for the flower that was now wilting on the ground and turning a very disgusting green color. A low and foul odor started to pass through the area. "We must leave"
"Can we just walk?" I asked still out of breath even though I had a new burst of energy from the bottle of blood that he gave me, which I ended up giving the bottle back to him.
"Yes, we can walk, but we must make haste." Erebus took my hand and we started a brisk walk. Now, a brisk walk with Erebus, or any Son of Erebus was more like a jog than a walk. I found myself having more trouble keeping up when 'walking' than running.
When we were free of the odor, gassy smell of that foul flower that I'm determined never to pick again we stopped once more. "See there, that cliff how it looks a bit strange?" Erebus asked.
"Yes, it's like there is something hanging off of it" I squinted trying to get used to seeing in the light again, as the sun didn't bother us here.
"That is where we are going. That is the High Court of the Fae. The Queen lives there."
"What is the Queen like?" I asked.
"Like her people, foul, ugly and mean creatures. These are not the fairies of your fairy tales from Earth. These are dangerous creatures Zoey" he warned.
"Why are they so mean? Were they always evil?" I asked, if they were made evil by something, then maybe we could do something about it.
"They are evil by nature. They generally leave other's alone that do not bother them, but one harmful thing to a tree, or a flower" he gave me a look that I understood and mouthed "oh shit", "They are ruthless, that is why we must keep on the move. We must find your human friend and leave here undiscovered."
"Well, we are creatures of the night, should we just wait until the sun goes down. At least we can move silently and not be seen"
"Very wise child. We shall do that indeed. Let's find a stream to freshen up and we will camp until nightfall"
Erebus stood and I took his hand once again. We walked for what seemed like just minutes, but we covered almost half the country it seemed until we found a small stream. I kneeled down and splashed the cool and refreshing water on my face. It smelled sweet. I cupped my hand and took a small bit into my mouth, it tasted as sweet as it smelled. When I looked down at the water I saw a small reflection of a small person. I turned around quickly but saw nothing.
"What is the matter Zoey?" Erebus asked as he splashed on water on his face as well.
I just shook my head, maybe I was just hallucinating. "Oh, nothing, I thought I saw something"
Erebus stood tall and looked around us, "What did you see?"
"It's nothing. Probably just my mind playing tricks on me"
"Tell me what you saw" he said in a very gentle voice and kneeled down to look at me in the face. "You can trust me Zoey"
"I thought I saw a little person…that's all. When I turned around it was nothing" I shrugged my shoulders.
"Then they know we are here then" He stood again and said wearily. "We must go"
"Why go where?" a deep and very seductive voice said from behind us. She was as tall as I was, which wasn't all that tall, considering that I stand at five foot six inches. She was probably a bit shorter. Her bones looked like metal poking out of her skin thin and pale skin and she was naked all for except what looked like steel squares over her breasts and her privates. She was creepy looking. "I see you have been enjoying my fresh spring, and also managed to kill one of my flowers, is that not so?" she asked. Her red hair was like flames that stretched out beyond her head.
Erebus tried to usher me behind him but I pressed forward, standing in front of this creepy looking fairy with spiked wings that actually looked too small for her boney frame. Behind her was like an army of small little skeleton like fairies, teeth bared and ready to fight. They growled like little creatures in those horror shows. "I'm sorry. We meant no disrespect" I bowed my head. "It was arrogance that I picked the flower, I thought it was beautiful, and we are tired from our very long journey and wished only to refresh at this spring so we may regain some strength."
I looked up at the woman and we studied me with a curious eye, "Where do you come from? As this is the Fairy Realm, all those who live here are Fairy. You are not of Fairy"
"I am from the Earthly Realm, ma'am." I bowed again, thinking this is a custom that should be done in front of this, what seemed like a very powerful woman.
"I am Erebus, I dwell in the Divine Realm with my Lover, Nyx, the personification of Night. This is her fledgling and High Priestess, Zoey" Erebus did not bow, he stood mountainous over the woman who's eyes went wide with what looked like surprise.
"A lord from the Divine Realm in Fairy? It can not be" she smiled. "You shall come and feast with us then. If you both are so chosen by Nyx, then you must be special guests in my home. I am Queen Allure, High Queen of Fairy."
She clapped her hands and all the other small fairies started to surround us, "Do not be frightened, they won't hurt you….yet" she said as she turned to walk away from us. It seemed the small fairy people were pushing us to follow her, and we did. We followed her all the way to her palace, the palace on the cliffs.
It didn't take us long to get there. Actually, it seemed much closer than I thought it was. We were treated pretty well for being so forewarned by Nyx and by Erebus and Anastasia. Yes, they were creepy looking people, but maybe they were just misunderstood. Could there be good, giving people below the surface of their grotesque exterior?
We sat down at a very long crystal table. It shown in all colors imaginable and it had me mesmerized. Small waiters flew to our seats and gave us utensils which were made of glass and brought out a first course of some special soup. I dipped my spoon in the soup, which was a steaming broth of what smelled like chicken and vegetables. My mouth watered with the smell, "Your Majesty" I started.
"You may call me Allure" she interrupted and until that moment, I noticed she had no soup in front of her. She sat back in her high backed golden chair with narrow eyes and her hands clasped together in front of her.
"Allure, what kind of soup is this? It smells marvelous." I turned to Erebus who was also not eating the soup.
"It is…" she paused, "Chicken and vegetables, please, enjoy"
I looked back at Erebus who had narrowed his eyes back at the Fairy Queen. "What do you mean by this trickery Queen of the Fae?" he asked. "I know and you know this is not a soup, but a potion"
Allure twisted her hand and raised her eye brows, "Whatever do you mean?" she said in a very "yes I'm so very evil and I'm so tricking you" type voice.
Erebus smacked the bowl out from in front of me and as it spilled onto the table I saw it melt right through the crystal. I gasped. "You were going to kill me!"
"My dear, I have no use for human" she smiled. "And I can not kill a god"
I felt the gooseflesh take over my arms, legs, all over. No use for a Human. Did they in fact have Heath then? Or was my worst fear realized?
"What do you know of a boy that was mistakenly brought to your realm here?" Erebus demanded.
"Boy, what boy?" she looked startled, but I wasn't buying it. "I have seen no boy in my palace or roaming my fields"
I felt my spirit tumble in my stomach and I spoke up, "You're lying. Where is he?!" I screamed and leaned over the table while I smacked my hands on top of it. "So help me Nyx, I will bring you and all your kind crumbling down if I do not tell me where he is!"
Allure just laughed, "If you really think you can, as you say 'bring me and all my kind crumbling down' I'd love to see you try." The ending of her statement she bared her teeth. They were sharp and jagged, perfect for tearing meat and they were stained red. I felt a horrible feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. I still did not know for sure that Heath was dead, but I keep getting the feeling he was going to be soon.
"Where is he?!" I screamed again, this time raising my hands over my head and silently calling Air to me as it blew around me and Erebus in a terrifying tornado.
"Maybe I was wrong about you" she pointed to me with her slimy, long and boney fingers whose nails needed a serious manicure as Aphrodite would put it.
I narrowed my eyes at her, "And what the hell does that mean?" Erebus rushed to me and tried to calm me, saying how it was rash to be so hostile.
I turned to him, "No, she tried to kill me" I pointed towards Allure who was sitting back in her chair eyeing me like candy.
"My dear" Allure said as she got up front her seat and gentle flew to my side, "Now that I know you're simply not human, I have no need to kill a being that is so entwined with the elements. You would be of most use here" she smiled her creepy, toothy smile that made me cringe.
"I do not want to be of use. I want to get my friend and leave. I have no quarrel with you or your people. I wish I retrieve what is mine and leave" I started.
Allure turned her head to the side, "And what do you think is yours to take?"
Just as she said that a woman, much taller than any of the other fairies I had seen, at least that was until I saw she was wearing platform boots that came up to mid-thigh. She wore a purple latex miniskirt with a bustier top. Her hair was cut short into a cropped look and it was fire engine read. Her wings were transparent except for the purple lightning bolts that patterned all over. Her face was cruel and snarled up. She carried a chain with a dagger at the end around her wrist. "Queen" she said. Her voice was high but raspy, as if she smoked a whole pack of cigarettes before coming in. "You called."
"Yes, our guests would like to see the prisoner quarters. They are searching for someone in particular. Let them have him if they find him" she instructed. "Now" the Queen turned back to us "You may have your filthy human if you find him, but you can only have him, no one else. Anyone else down there that does not belong to you, you may not have"
"You have more than one human down there?" I asked surprised that any Human could have come all this way and no one know about it.
"That is for me to know" the Queen snapped. "Now go, before I change my mind"
