Chapter Five: The Old Kingdom
Godric's POV
"Diedre, this is Godric," I begin over the phone. "Eric has just been presented with a piece of Empyrodite."
"Tell him I said congratulations," Diedre responds.
"It is luminescing," I tell her.
"You are certain?" Diedre is now willing to listen to my explanation of how the Empyrodite came to be in our possession. When I finish explaining about Theo, there is a brief silence and finally, "Given your Impervious Immortality and desire to be a neutral party among supernaturals, are you willing to investigate the state of Elfyria?"
The thought had crossed my mind that this request could come, but I hesitate at the opportunity. While I am excited to find out what has become of the land of fairies, time moves at a much different speed. I cannot enter Elfyria without my Bonded or risk the brutal experience we endured when Camilla was rendered catatonic over twenty years ago.
"I will need to speak to my Bonded," I reply. "Jason and Pam are the only ones of the bloodline that are not Bonded, and both are far too inexperienced with Elfyria to be able to compile any useful information. If my Bonded is willing to go with me, we shall investigate."
"We appreciate your position, Godric. Let me know when you are to depart, if at all," Diedre does not put up resistance, knowing full well why I am moving forward cautiously. "Once you have confirmed whether you are scouting out the Old Kingdom, let me know so I can inform the council or assign another scout."
"I will discuss the matter with my Bonded immediately," I assure. "Have a pleasant evening, Diedre."
"You as well, Godric."
As I end the call, I can feel Camilla approaching me swiftly from the sitting room. "Hey," she waves, a frown on her beautiful face, "what's going on? The Northman pad isn't usually so active this late at night."
"Mi Milla," I take her hands, "would you be willing to cross into another realm with me?"
"I'll have to check my schedule," she offers slowly. "Unless you're talking about a spiritual state of being, in which case, that's just a bed away."
I cannot help but laugh at her joke. "I am talking about an actual realm where the magics of the universe used to flow into this one."
"Oooh, that sounds awesome," Camilla nods. "When do we go?"
"Time is strange there," I begin to explain. "An hour in Elfyria used to be a full day in this realm. I am unsure if that remains true with the damage to the lands' magic, however."
"We have a three day weekend. We can leave right after school on Friday," she tells me.
"That should give me enough time to tell you about Elfyria and what it is we are looking to uncover during this mission," I nod agreeably.
"Mission! Yes! I feel like we haven't done anything remotely dangerous in forever!" Camilla crows happily and I shake my head, having to remember that my Bonded has always been the adventurous type.
Being a witch diverted some of that venturesome energy, devoting so much time to learning her craft. Unfortunately, like Sookie, Camilla is not subject to oppressive sleep patterns, and only needs a single night's sleep a week to maintain optimal clarity. Therefore, her commitments to all of her studies were taken to with a relish that I've never seen the likes of before. In twenty short years, she is one of the more capable witches I have ever met.
Taking out my phone once again, I merely send a text to Diedre stating I will be leaving for Elfyria on Friday. When the most ancient creature on the planet replies with a 'thumbs up' emoji, I snort on a laugh. What an age this is.
Friday afternoon comes swiftly, and I am picking Camilla up from school, waving to Stackhouse and Sookie as they walk to his truck to return home. The pair wave back to me as I exit the car and open the door for Camilla. She gives me one of her playful winks and settles into her seat.
With our bags already sitting in the backseat, I point the car to the airport and begin our journey. It is only a few hours to Bossier, and then the time spent renting a vehicle to take us to Bon Temps. With the Empyrodite, finding the gate should be relatively easy as Eric knew it was somewhere in the graveyard below the hill of the Stackhouses' home.
"Dear," Camilla looks at me teasingly, "do you think we have time to do it in the farmhouse before we go to Elfyria? The thought of the look on Eric's face when he finds out is just too funny to pass up."
Shaking my head, I have to hide a laugh. Despite that Camilla can feel my mirth, we do not have any time to waste. Once we enter the Old Kingdom, time may accelerate in the mortal realm, making our scouting expedition that much more hurried.
"Fine, maybe once we get back," Camilla teases as we drive through the lively main street of Bon Temps. The small town has grown in the past few decades, the grander homes updated and lovely, and the smaller ones previously held together with hopes and dreams replaced or repaired.
As we pull up to the farmhouse, I park the car in the garage that Eric had added on around the time he first began renovating the property. Grabbing our gear from the trunk, I take Camilla's hand and we begin our trek down the hill to the graveyard.
The headstones are all well maintained. Some of them at least. Otherwise, the graveyard is very overgrown, save the few areas that people have shown up to maintain themselves. I can see that the Stackhouse headstones are all intact and well kept. It would not surprise me if Eric spends the money to have a keeper touch them up every so often. He may even hire a local to do so to provide extra income for a young resident.
Camilla squeezes my hand nervously as we walk amongst the headstones. The glowing stone in my hand is flickering, perhaps trying to guide me to the gate. A small inkling of fear enters our Bond and I look at Camilla with a bit of surprise.
"Are you afraid of graveyards, my love?" I ask curiously, surprised to discover this about her after so many years.
"Listen, I have seen enough zombie movies to know how this goes," Camilla replies. "And the thought of Sookie's gran grabbing at my ankles and hauling me down is terrifying."
"I doubt there are any necromancers nearby with that level of power. If there were, I am certain you would lay them out flat," I assure her with a smile. "Do you think this flickering could be an indicator of the gate?" On the few instances I went to Elfyria, I never entered by this gate. In fact, its existence was a complete surprise to me.
Camilla frowns at my distraction and takes the Empyrodite from my hand. I watch as her brow furrows with concentration. Her arm sways slightly and she nods, "Hmm, it's like an energy calling to another source."
"Are you able to follow it?" I ask hopefully.
"Yes," she squeezes my hand for reassurance and I give it a firm reply. Camilla begins leading me through the graveyard, her eyes shut as she concentrates, and I am left to keep her from stumbling into headstones. One of the headstones reads Edmond-
A burst of energy knocks Camilla and I both to the ground as the gate to the old kingdom bursts open in a whirl of energy and fog that has manifested from the energy source. I rise quickly and help my Bonded to her feet.
"Good work, my love," I kiss her hand reflexively. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's get in there." She puts the Empyrodite in her pocket, pulls out her phone and starts a stopwatch.
"What are you doing?" I ask curiously.
"An experiment," she shrugs.
I smile, tug her hand and lead us into the gates of Elfyria.
Camilla's POV
Wow, what a dump, I think as Godric pulls me from the graveyard into a gray, still land. If I didn't know better, I would have thought we hadn't left at all. When I heard we would be going to the realm of the fairies I expected more rainbows and glitter. Instead, the grass is dull and lifeless. The sky is overcast and dreary. All the landscape appears stoney and… Just dead.
"Are you sure this place has any magic left?" I ask, the only energy I'm sensing is coming from the Empyrodite in my pocket.
Godric nods slowly, "The key would not have started glowing if there was no magic left in Elfyria."
I look around a moment before remembering my stopwatch. Looking at my phone, the numbers are running so fast I can't read them. The time has become 88:88RM and the date reads 88/88/8888.
"Well, I have no clue how much time is passing," I joke, but I also feel a little stressed.
"The phone cannot receive a signal to determine the time or date," Godric tells me. He pulls out a pocket watch and shows me, "This does not rely on a signal, but see it still moves at a normal speed? We will use this watch to note two hours, then return to the human realm. If your phone can tell us how much time has passed upon returning, we will be able to deduce if the fae realm still moves at a decelerated time."
"I guess analogue still has its uses," I try to joke again, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. I push some dried ivy out of the way of a nearby arch and scream louder than I thought I had in me. There's a man standing there with a spear of some sorts. He's frozen in the action of throwing the spear-
No. It's a statue of a man throwing a spear?
"Are you alright?" Godric asks me worriedly.
"What a place for a statue! Good thing I'm immortal or that would've stopped my heart," I catch my breath.
"That is not a statue," Godric tells me. "That is a fairy trapped in stone."
"What?" I ask in surprise.
"Look," he points at the ground and I see a sprite toppled to the ground, its wings casted in stone, but not formed in a shape that could stand in any pleasing to the eye way. "They were trying to escape to the human realm. Even the creatures that cannot survive Ironside were attempting to flee Elfyria."
"Ironside?" I frown.
"It is what the weaker creatures of Elfyria call the human realm. There is no naturally obtainable iron in Elfyria. All but one creature from Elfyria have some degree of sensitivity to iron. Goblins are the only creatures completely immune. The less hearty creatures cannot stand it at all. They would be dead within ten feet of exposed iron."
"So, something happened here. Something that petrified everyone and made even the weaker creatures risk death over sticking around," I assess.
"So it would seem," Godric nods. "The best place to start would be the Sage Forest. It is where the gateway to the Void of Time and Space stands. If there are any creatures remaining, it would be the Cervine Clan. If we want answers, they may be the only ones left to give any."
"How far of a walk is that?" I ask.
"We will fly, not walk," he tells me and I feel myself jolt with excitement. Pretending to be normal humans means I don't get to go on night flights with my man very often! I'm stoked as he wraps his arms around me and we take off into the sky. Too bad the scenery here is so blah. I'd kill to get to have a flight over some lush gardens or even a pretty cityscape.
Soon the two of us are zipping through the sky. I can see Godric is looking for landmarks so we can return to the gate we arrived at, and then after what feels like an eternity of flying, we arrive at a forest that's so dark it looks like it's been scorched.
"Great, from Zombie movies to Cabin in the Woods vibes," I joke, clutching my Bonded's hand. "I don't suppose we could just fly to the gate, right?"
Godric shakes his head, "If the Cervine Clan is still around, there is a protective force from above."
"You've been here before?" I ask.
"During the vampire/fae wars," he tells me. "Even during the destruction of battle, Elfyria was far more beautiful than this. I only know the way to the Void because I saved a young princess. She showed me the way so that the Cervine could protect her until a knight could take her back to the castle."
"You saved the enemy's child?" I'm not even a little surprised.
"She was so young," Godric shrugged. "As I took her into the forest, she told me she was being transported to a safe place when the convoy was attacked. She'd been in the ditches for several days trying to make it to the Cervine."
"I thought fairy blood is supposed to be irresistible to you? How did you not bite her?" I ask curiously, anything to distract from how nervous this forest makes me.
"Irresistible? Everything is resistible, mi Milla. We are not animals. If you knew your favorite food was poisoned, you could resist eating it, yes?" Okay, I gotta give him that one. "The fae do have advantages, especially in great numbers. They have tremendous magical powers, and it is always better if we do not spill their blood to avoid distraction. Lots of neck breaking," he explains.
"ANNOUNCE YOURSELF!"
I jump at the sudden bark from deeper in the forest.
"I am Godric of Gaul," my husband calls out. "I am here with my Bonded to discover what has devastated this land."
"COME FORTH, GODRIC AND MATE!" The speaker calls out to us, admitting us passage.
With the permission given, Godric scoops me into his arms and dashes through the forest until we come face to face with what I am to understand is a Cervine. It has a long, brown, narrow face and giant doe eyes. Its head is covered with a fawn colored hair and fuzzy nubs for antlers. Its body is like a Centaur, only a deer instead of a horse.
"I am Godric and this is Camilla," Godric introduces us once more now that we are all face to face. "Am I in the presence of the Cervine Clan that protects the Void of Time and Space?"
"Ney," the Cervine shakes its head. "you are in the presence of the last Cervine to survive the Great Catastrophe. My sisters chose me to carry on our duties until the petrification can be dispelled. Do you come here to break this curse?"
"We would love to help," I tell the Cervine truthfully, "but I can't begin to know how without first knowing why it happened at all."
The Cervine stands proudly before us, its spear held firmly at its side. "It was nearly four years ago now that the Catastrophe struck. The kingdom had been divided between the Fae, many fairies were seeking asylum Ironside, weakening the realm's magic with their absence, contaminating it with their returns.
"Eventually the King became intent on closing the gate to Elfyria permanently. Doing such a thing is no simple task and usually requires inter-dimensional energy. He used a Djinn, and the creature cursed the land instead. As you know, when making demands from a Djinn, your request must be phrased very carefully. It seems the King did not heed this understanding. The results were that none would ever move through Elfyria again.
"My sisters protected me so I could guard the Gate to the Void of Time and Space while they remain petrified. Shortly after the catastrophe, Endymion arrived and took the Djinn. Then, not too long ago, he came through again with an energy source that he promised would return to break the Djinn's spell. He said, when three of a kind are seated at the throne of Elfyria, Empyrium will shine once more and magic will flow through the realms like an endless river." I feel a flair of concern in the Bond, but decide to ask about it later.
"Three of a kind," I mumble thoughtfully. "Did he really have to speak in riddles when your entire world is at stake? And four years? That's all it's been for you?"
"I promise that four years in these conditions feel like a century," the Cervine responds and I have the good graces to grimace apologetically.
"I'm sorry, but it's been nearly eighty years in our realm since the kingdom fell. Finding out how that math works out was surprising," I confess.
The Cervine nods at me in understanding, "Are you human?" it asks.
"I'm a witch and Bonded to a vampire, and even that is a really simplified explanation," I tell it.
The Cervine nods again, "Then in your realm, you would not have been alive when all of this occurred. You are a brave creature to wander into Elfyria like this."
"It's easy to be brave when you have a vampire watching your back," I tell it. "So, if we break the spell, will everyone reanimate like nothing happened?"
The Cervine shakes its head, "The stone is weak. Many statues have already crumbled. Many of my sisters have turned to dust in the past four years. I cannot say for sure how many will be able to rise from the rubble, but the longer we wait, the fewer will be recovered."
"Too bad we can't just call Endymion and ask him what the heck he wants from us," I mumble thoughtfully. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
Godric looks at the pocket watch and nods. Our time is nearly up for the first excursion, but I'm not so sure a second one will be needed anytime soon since we've already uncovered what the heck happened all those years ago and probably need time to puzzle out Endymion's riddle.
"Oh, wait," I stop before I let Godric pick me up. "what's your name?"
"Fille," it responds.
"Thanks, Fille," I smile. "We'll do our best to find out how to help everyone."
"Safe journey, Godric of Gaul and Mate."
Godric lifts me into his arms and we are speeding through the forest. As we do, a small boulder catches my attention. "Godric, stop," I tell him urgently. We slide to a halt, and I walk over to the boulder cautiously. There are two long shapes of gravel, partially covering the boulder. When I pick the stone up for inspection, I see that it is not a boulder, but a petrified bundle of blankets with a gentle little face staring up at me. Looking down at the crumbled stones I realize they are the remnants of this small creatures parents. Did they do something to protect it? Shield it from the elements so it would not crumble first? Even frozen in stone, this little one's parents did everything they could to give it a chance. In their place, I'll see what I can do for it now.
Godric's POV
"My love, what are you doing?" I ask, watching my Bonded inspecting a lump of stone.
"Godric, it's a baby," she whispers and I feel a protective surge course through the Bond. Camilla's inability to have children by any means has left her feeling empty these past years. Watching Sookie bring Leif and Alexis into the world had given her some relief for her yearning, but as they have grown up and that hollow place in her heart has begun to grip her spirits once more.
Coming over to look at the petrified creature I nod, "Yes, it is a daemon youngling," I tell her.
"Her parents have already crumbled," she tells me worriedly. "She might not have much time left in these conditions."
"Camilla-"
"Please, Godric? I can put her in stasis until we figure out what Endymion meant about "three of a kind", or maybe I can infuse her with enough of my magic-"
"Camilla," I stop her, "you may bring the youngling back with us, but please try to not get your hopes up."
Camilla beams up at me and I can't help the pang of regret I feel. The youngling is a mere distraction. I already am quite confident I know who Endymion wants seated at the throne of Elfyria. I was there the day he explained how our Sookie got her passive gifts. The energy he carried past Fille was the blessings he gave Sookie. It was her that he intended to return to Elfyria and sit on its throne. Just as it was several other versions of her that made the blessing possible.
"I won't get my hopes up!" Camilla promises me. "Please don't worry, I won't get my hopes up!"
"Alright, my love. Hold the youngling tight so I can get us all back to our own realm."
The return back to Ohio is warmly welcomed as we arrive the day before the long weekend ends. Sookie is excited to spend their Monday off school together, and I smile as she dotes on my Bonded. My Child's Bonded is well aware of Camilla's sorrow about not having a child of her own, and she coos and awes at the stone youngling my Bonded presents.
"What would you name her?" Sookie asks my Camilla. "If you're able to un-petrify her?"
Camilla looks thoughtful a moment, "I don't know. Maybe if I knew what sort of personality she had it would be easier."
"Are we sure it's a girl?" Sookie asks curiously.
"Maybe," Camilla confesses. "When I first picked her up, I was certain she was a girl by how sweet and delicate her face is. I'd hate to get attached to a name and it not suit her though…"
"We could just call her baby girl for now?" Sookie tentatively suggests. "And then, once she's awake, maybe a name will come to you."
Camilla nods happily, and I gesture for my Child to follow me into his office while my Bonded is distracted. I relay the information we were given by Fille, and I can tell by Eric's expression that he is as certain as I am that Sookie is meant to sit at the throne of Empyrium.
"She has no active power," Eric is shaking his head in disbelief. "She is a school teacher! She has no training in government! What sort of plan is Endymion hatching?"
"Perhaps that is the point of creating such a large, gifted family," I suggest. "If Leif is truly meant to Bond with Diedre… That is a four thousand year old vampire, Eric. Between her, you and I, that will be seven thousand years of experience, including that of government. And if Quigley is meant for Alexis, then there is another thousand years."
Eric is shaking his head once more, "She has not even lived one lifetime yet. It is too soon-"
"I agree with you," I assure him. "So let us begin preparing her now. I timed our journey. Elfyria is still an hour to our day. For those in Elfyria, it has only been an hour since Camilla and I departed. We know what is needed, what is expected, so we should prepare for that."
"You are right, of course," Eric agrees slowly. "Still, being consort to the Queen of Elfyria is no small undertaking."
"I have no doubt," I smile comfortingly. "Should we tell Sookie now?"
Eric sighs, "Yes, but I must temper her expectations. I fear she will start running for Empyrium the second she realizes her responsibilities."
"I hate to say it," I begin slowly, "but this would be an ideal year for our family to exit the school. Leif and Alexis will be graduating shortly, and after… the incident with Alexis, I have very little doubt anyone would question the three of them not renewing their contracts."
"Yes, that is true," Eric considers a moment. "Perhaps we should gather the family together and have this conversation all at once."
"That sounds like the best plan."
"I will call Pamela home."
TBC
A/N: Please remember to review!
-Andi