Tang Ri Shan
(You guys still with me? The next chapter will be out soon, I promise!)
Tinkerbell: Curse of the Duskmoth
(I do not own Tinkerbell or any of the Disney Fairies. Enjoy!)
Chapter 8
Vidia stirred, groaning. Her limbs felt heavy. She opened her eyes, but her vision was glazed and unfocused. Slowly, the world became clearer. It was dark, but Vidia could see lights above her that looked like stars. Had she been sleeping all day? She blinked, the lights looked strange, like waves instead of dots. Gritting her teeth, Vidia tried to sit up, and felt something cold against her hand. Looking down, she saw that her hand was resting in a glowing purple puddle. Vidia glanced around, she was back in the underground cave, surrounded by glowing purple moss.
"H-how did I get here?" Vidia asked aloud, glancing around.
"I brought you here" Vidia froze as an unseen voice replied.
"Who-who said that?" Vidia tried to get to her feet, but felt a wave of pain wash over her and she suddenly felt dizzy.
"Do not try to leave" The voice hissed from the shadows, the words seemed to float through the air. Vidia felt a chill snake up her back and her purple wings fluttered reflexively. "You are still injured from your time in the sun and should rest" Vidia tried to stand again, this time successfully. She rubbed her sore limbs as she glanced around. She froze. A pair of glowing purple eyes were staring back at her from near the ceiling of the cave.
"Who are you?" Vidia asked again, her own eyes widening. "Are you..." She paused and the eyes seemed to gleam. "Are you... the Duskmoth?"
There was a long pause, then the voice spoke one word, "Yes". As the same time, Vidia flinched as the eyes dove down towards her. She tried to run, to fly, but her body still felt heavy and she winced as pain shot through her limbs. She clenched her eyes shut as she felt something land in front of her. She curled herself into a ball and waited, but nothing happened. Everything was quiet, except for the sound of her breathing. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes a crack and peeked up. She felt her eyes open wide with surprise.
Standing in front of her was a humanoid creature that was at least three times her size. It's body was long and lanky and colored black with dark blue spots on its long arms and legs. Most of its skin was covered in short coarse fur, but the blue spots looked scaly. It's long, thin neck angled down as the creature knelt to get a better look at her. Vidia gazed up into a gaunt face that looked nearly skeletal. Most of it was scaly, but there was a ring of blue fur that framed its noseless face and pupil-less blue-purple eyes. A pair of long black antennae-like appendages, rimmed with purple, sprouted from behind the fur on its face and waved though the air of their own accord. The creature rustled its four large moth-like wings, black with luminous purple spots, and stared at her. Vidia stared back, transfixed. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words died before they reached her mouth.
"You don't need to be afraid, you know" Vidia jumped as another voice, deep and throaty, spoke from the shadows. The Duskmoth looked away and Vidia's eyes widened again as a sparrow-man emerged from behind a large root. This fairy was a sprite, like her, with glowing purple eyes and wings, but his skin was a deep brown, almost like mud and was veined with deep purple. But his sickly-colored skin could not hide is impressive features, a stone-like face with a strong chin and a friendly smile, short, short close-cropped hair, muscular arms, and big, beefy hands. He looked almost handsome and Vidia found herself starting to relax.
"Who are you?" She asked as the sparrow-man flew closer. He didn't seem afraid of the Duskmoth at all.
"And hello to you too" He replied, raising and eyebrow and crossing his hands. "I go to all the trouble to drag you back here after you got caught in the sun, nearly exhausting myself like you did, and the first thing you say to me is 'who are you?'"
Vidia suddenly felt embarrassed and averted her gaze. "Sorry" She muttered. "I'm just..." She glanced back up and saw a smile playing on the sparrow-man's face. Vidia flushed as she realized that he had been teasing her.
"Are you well?" The Duskmoth hissed, it sounded worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine" The sparrow-man replied, not taking his eyes of Vidia as he knelt down. "How about you?" He offered Vidia his hand, but Vidia just stared at him cautiously. The sparrow-man raised an eyebrow. "What?" He asked after a minute.
"What?" Vidia repeated, eyeing the man's hand with concern.
"Why do you keep looking at me like I'm going to attack you?" The sparrow-man asked.
"'Cause that what sprites do." Vidia countered, scooting backwards.
The sparrow-man looked confused. "Sprites?" He asked, cocking his head.
"Yeah, you know. Fairies that have been converted by that thing" Vidia spat out the last word, nodding her head towards the Duskmoth, who's eyes seemed to widen. "I was told that such fairies become mindless and attack other fairies."
The sparrow-man's eyes narrowed. "If that's the case, why aren't you attacking me?" He countered, backing up a step. Vidia opened her mouth to answer, but couldn't think of one. He was right, and he wasn't attacking her.
"See?" The sparrow-man smiled. "Don't believe everything you hear" Vidia felt a small smile creep over her face. "Of course, some of us are a tad easier to anger than others" The sparrow man gave the Duskmoth a hard look. Vidia marveled at how brave the sparrow man was, he was literally scolding the Duskmoth, who towered over them both. But the creature dipped its head and looked embarrassed at his words.
"My apologies" It hissed, turning to look at her, its antennae drooping.
"It's okay" Vidia replied, her fear fading as she slowly got to her feet. Turning back to the sparrow-man she said "I still don't know what you are."
The sparrow-man smiled. "Last time I looked, I was a fairy, like you."
"I've never seen a fairy that looks like that" Vidia gestured to his purple eyes and wings and his grayish skin.
He snorted and laughed "Oh ho, and I suppose you're an expert on what fairies look like Miss..."
"Vidia" Vidia said, looking him in the eye. "I'm a fast-flying fairy, one of the fastest in Pixie Hollow" She added proudly. "And you are?"
The sparrow-man paused. "I haven't been to Pixie Hollow in a long time. But while I lived there, I was called...Erikell"