by D P Rowell
Before Ace pulled Trilo aside, he inspected the warehouse. It was a large, square building with steel ledges hanging over them; acting as a second floor. Chasers of the same uniform as the girl fae and male drake who rescued them ran back and forth in the warehouse. Many cleaned their colossal weapons. Some went about their simulation training with their chrome visors and faux weapons.
That’s nothing close to a real simulation room, Ace thought.
“Welcome home,” a voice said. Ace turned to the purple drake. He extended his hands to display the warehouse. “Well, temporary home anyway. Feel free to look around. You’re welcome to check out the city too. Just know it’s hard to get back in here if you’re not a chaser. So, I recommend at least one of you guys sticking around here to vouch for anyone else trying to get in. I mean . . . unless you have somewhere else to stay.”
Ace looked to the drake and shrugged. “We don’t have much to see until we know our friends are found.”
The drake smirked and nodded. “Very well.”
The girl fae from before stepped up. “They’ll be here before dark. I trust the team we have out there.”
Ace gave her a timid nod to suggest he only half believed her.
One male, adult fae, with a shiny bald head walked up behind her and grabbed her arm. She turned to him as he spoke. “We have our new weapons getting shipped here. Should arrive in a few hours by ship, but we have to pick it up at the port. Wanna join us?”
The female fae gave Ace a grin, then turned and went along with her male friend. Borundi, Ace, Cameron, Trilo, Easley, and Juneg huddled together.
“We ought to spend some of this time recruiting,” Cameron said.
“Shh!” went Trilo.
Cameron gave the fae a strange look. “Why are—”
Trilo’s face went red as he strained and gave a slashing motion with his hand. Everyone glanced at each other.
Ace chimed in. “Look, I kinda wanna check out the city. I just don’t want the chasers with us. Trilo, why don’t you and Cameron come along?” Ace looked to the other four standing beside them, “Why don’t you guys wait here for the others to show up? I’m not sure why our earpieces weren’t working after we fell off the train, but they should be up now. We can lend one of ours to you, and you guys can let us know whenever they show up.”
Everyone agreed. Trilo handed his earpiece to Borundi.
“I should come with you,” Juneg said as she stepped forward.
Ace, Cameron, and Trilo looked at each other. Trilo slowly silently shook his head no.
“I’m going if Juneg is,” Easley said.
Ace sighed and looked at Trilo strangely. Why was the scarred fae concerned with them coming along?
“We know city,” Juneg said. “Well, not extremely well, but we know it better than any of you.”
Ace noted the little girl’s face. It displayed no excitement. Rather, sadness and determination. Maybe she had secret motives behind wanting to come along. Motives she couldn’t audibly communicate in front of all these chasers. Perhaps she could give insight to Trilo’s worries?
“Look,” Ace said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for a bunch of us to be marching around this city right now. However, I would like the company of someone who knows the city.” He looked at Cameron. “Would you mind staying behind?”
“We’re supposed to stick together,” Cameron whispered. “What’s going on, Ace? I can see you’re worried about something.”
“We need to stick together in more ways than just proximity,” Ace whispered back. “I need you to trust me. There’s something I need to get to the bottom of.”
Cameron deflated himself with a sigh. “I don‘t like this. Be careful, Ace.”
“When Dad and Sebastian show up, let me know,” Ace whispered. Cameron nodded, and they quickly wrapped their arms around each other. Ace, Trilo, Easley and Juneg set out for Dorneg.
The jag and drake led Ace and Trilo along the alleyway and into the steel built, cloudy city. Ace took a whiff of the smoky dampness about the air and it seemed his energy slipped away. Something about the coolness and gray skies made him weary. He fought it; kept his mind focused on the mission. They were to recruit faes, but first, discover why Trilo didn’t trust them.
“Where are you taking us?” Ace whispered to Juneg and Easley. The jag and drake shushed them and proceeded steadily along the streets flooded by an abundance of faes. It frustrated him. Why couldn’t he take advantage of it and recruit them to the Israh? But whether or not Ace understood Trilo’s distrust of the faes of Dorneg, he did seem to feel peculiar about them here. Most faes here dressed more like other races of Yutara. Leather jackets, dark jeans, light jeans, casual shoes, collared shirts and t-shirts. Only a few faes here and there wore their typical silver and golden robes. All the faes had their tattoos, unlike the hunters in Gathara. But these faes had no glow; void of the peaceful allure the faes of Gathara had.
Jags and drakes piloted hovercrafts along the streets and shopped and fellowshipped, but they were few, and Ace saw no humans. His stomach gurgled in anger at him, but he had no money to satisfy it. Even if he did, Eveland credits would do him no good. Heorg and the Neutrals only accepted dealts for currency; save for fae crystals, which all the five nations accepted.
Juneg and Easley cut a few more corners until they came to a store in a hardly populated street. An arched, steel sign, with red neon lights read: Gundun Laybrahs. At first glance, Ace didn’t think much of it and turned his head. Then, he jerked his head back to the sign, realizing he had read something in fae! He rubbed his eyes as he glanced at the sign again. It had changed. It now read: Books of Old. He scratched his head. Did he imagine seeing fae language?
Trilo tapped Ace on his shoulder. “You okay?” the fae said.
Ace chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.” He turned back to the sign, still reading in the common tongue. “Just, uh . . . it’s nothing.”
Trilo shrugged as they stepped through two double doors. The store looked as ancient as the books. The wooden shelves and creaky hardwood floor rotted. Books with torn covers and spines covered all four walls of the building from the floor to the ceiling. Rows of shelves made up the rest of the square bookstore from the floor to the ceiling. At the end of the building stood a counter with a computer the same age of the books. No one stood behind the counter and an open, dark brown door led to another empty room behind.
Grandpa would’ve loved this place, Ace thought. Why were Juneg and Easley taking them here? They reached the light brown, wooden counter and Juneg, whose head barely stood over the height of the counter, reached over and rang a silver bell.
“Coming, coming,” said an old voice from behind the wall.
Ace might have wondered why the young jag rang the bell in this strange library, but a book had caught his attention. It sat on a shelf to his left, its title calling to him; for it read “The Emerson Stone and the Seven Realms.” He zoomed over to the book and picked it off the shelf. He brushed the cover with his hand, eyes lit with wonder. He glanced up as an old fae stepped in from behind the counter. Ace tucked the book in his arm and marched to meet him.
This fae wasn’t like the others in Dorneg. He had his glow about him. He was as ancient as the store. He walked on a cane, his back curved just past his neck, and his silver robes followed the curves in the bones of his spinep. The top of his head had no hair, but the rest of his hair, silver as ever, grew straight on the sides and back to the length of his waist, as well as his beard. Swirling tattoos followed the patterns on his wrinkled face. He looked over the counter with his purple eyes like Kareena’s and smiled wide when he saw Juneg.
“Oh my, oh my,” The fae said. His voice told of his age. “How long has it been?”
Juneg and Easley smiled. “Not that long,” Easley said.
“Of course” said the friendly old fae, “my memory must be slipping again.” The old fae gave Ace and Trilo a strange look. He looked to Juneg and Easley and signaled them for
ward with his index finger. The jag and drake came closer and the old man leaned over the counter to whisper, “Now, what have I told you about visitors?” He eyed the book in Ace’s arm and said, “You need a card to check out a book here, young sir.”
“Oh, it’s okay, sir,” Easley said.
“Yeah,” Juneg chimed in, “You can trust these two. In fact, we brought them here because we think they could use your help.”
The old fae’s eyes lit up, and he smiled again. Ace’s worries seemed to disappear around the old man, his smile and cheerfulness reminded him of an older, otherworldly Grandpa.
“Is that so?” the old fae said.
Juneg and Easley smiled and nodded.
The old fae smiled back. “Well, well. Any friend of these two is a friend of mine. Come, come. It’s very cold out. Could I interest you in some warm tea?”
The old fae reached under his counter and hit something. Ace and Trilo turned around to notice the lights for his sign outside cut off and the glass windows turn dark black. The old fae then led them behind the counter to the open door which took them to a tiny office with a small bookshelf on the left wall. The old fae stepped to the bookshelf and searched through the books a moment. After finding what he was looking for, he pulled one book from the shelf and a clicking noise followed. The bookshelf turned and opened halfway to reveal a secret passage.
Ace and Trilo tilted their heads in amazement. How did Juneg and Easley know about this place? Weren’t they stray kids in Naraka? What was this fae doing with a book about the Emerson Stone? The old man chuckled and led the four of them to the secret passage, then closed the bookshelf. The tiny secret room consisted of a small bunk bed to the left, a crackling fireplace in front, a small kitchen to the right, and a tiny little door for what Ace assumed to be a bathroom. In front of the fireplace sat two leather chairs and a round glass table atop a circular rug of red and tan patterns.
The old fae displayed the room before them. “City of Dorneg doesn’t allow business owners to live in their place of business. Juneg, Easley, I’m trusting your friends here now. I could get in a lot of trouble if they rat me out.”
Juneg and Easley chuckled. “You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Flare.”
Ace’s head popped up, and he rushed to the old man. “Flare? Are you related to Tharuach and Kareena Flare?”
The old fae smiled and nodded. “He’s my grandson. She’s my great granddaughter.”
Ace stared wordlessly at the old fae in shock.
The fae laughed and patted his shoulders. “Why don’t you sit down, child? I feel we will have a lot more in common than you might imagine.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The Spell Over Dorneg
Trilo grabbed Ace by his arm. “I don’t know if we should trust this old man, Ace,” he said, eyes glaring at the elderly fae.
“Why not?” Ace said.
“Because,” Trilo said, “some of the faes here are witches.”
Ace jerked his head to the old fae, who stood composed, an heir of gentless about him. “How do you know this, Trilo?” Ace said.
“Because, I’m a hunter,” Trilo said. “Whenever Easley and I were rescued by the chasers in the forest, I knew that fae girl was a witch the moment I saw her! She was grappling for power over her drake friend. Then, as they talked about their fellow chasers and how they operate, I could smell sorcery. The faes here aren’t like the faes in Gathara, Ace.”
“You’re quite right,” The old fae said, eyes full of innocence. “There’s been a stirring of deception in the Land of Faes, and its begun to bleed into the rest of Yutara. Starting with Dorneg, the city closest to Breen. You would have not noticed any of this in Gathara, the only city remaining which stands against witchcraft and sorcery. It should suit you well to know that I am not one of these faes in Dorneg. I stand with the Light.”
“Then, you’re an elyrian?” Ace asked. “Like Every other fae?” Ace hadn't thought of it until then, but what if this old fae could this old fae grant Ace his elyr back?
The old fae nodded. “Though my time is coming near, I’m afraid I cannot offer you what you seek.”
Ace’s mood sank. Trilo let go of Ace’s arm and tilted his head with curiosity. “How do we know you’re not deceiving us?” Trilo said.
The old fae smiled and snapped his finger. A tiny, pale flame came to the tip of his finger and rolled down to his palm. He held the elyr before the four adventurers. Ace let his mind drift away. It had been so long since he’d felt the peace of the elyr and it nearly brought him to tears. The flame captured him so the world around him seemed to slip into darkness. The fae caused the flame to vanish and offered them a seat by the fire while he made some tea. They gathered on the floor.
“Ace,” said the old fae from the tiny kitchen, “sit in the chair, will you? I have plenty to discuss with you.”
Ace obeyed him and sat in the dark red chair. His body sank into its cozy surface and the fire warmed the left side of his face. Moments later the old fae arrived with several cups of tea on a tray and each of the adventurers grabbed their cup.
“Juneg, Easley,” Ace said, “how did you meet this man? I thought you two were strays in Naraka.”
Juneg looked at Ace with sad eyes. “Well, we were. But we been hearing rumors of Dorneg and thought it sounded like cool city. New chance. We planned on escaping from Inan’s clutches, but he heard about our plan to travel to Doreng. We thought he was going to hurt us, but instead, he told us we could go to Dorneg and stay, but if we wanted Easley to get better, we’d come back, and come back with something in hand.” Juneg’s eyes trailed downward in shame.
“It’s quite alright,” The old fae said, sipping his tea as he sat down in the chair opposite of Ace. “I hold no judgement toward you two. You know that, Juneg. The Light has a way of turning bad things into good things.”
Juneg nodded shamefully. Easley patted her back and looked up to Ace. “See, after Inan caught us, he rattled some strange thing in drake tongue. We thought he’d gone nuts. After that, I lost control of myself. I couldn’t talk, move, or even think on my own. It was like I was a prisoner in someone else’s body, and I didn’t know what was happening.”
“Yeah,” Juneg said as she wiped her eyes and held her head up, “I saw something wrong with Easley, too. He started acting very strange, and I got really scared. So, Inan told us if we wanted Easley to get better, we have come back with book. One of Mr. Flare’s books. When we got here, Mr. Flare caught us and told us remedy for Easley would be found not in book, but Naraka. We fled there, having no idea what look for until we came across you, Ace. And I was shock when you pulled witch from him. I mean . . . I always knew witches were real deep down, but I never thought I see one face-face, much less take hold of my friend.”
The old fae leaned over and tapped the book in Ace’s lap and said, “This is the book the red parcel wanted. He didn’t want to come here himself, of course, knowing I’m an elyrian. All parcels are cowards, just like the warlocks that run them. All of them fear the Light, so they get others to do their work for them.”
Ace rubbed his fingers along the surface of the large, leather book; so large it nearly covered his legs. Ace looked back up at the fae. “What is this book?”
The fae leaned over with a shine in his eye. “The history of the seven realms. You see, not all faes have lived in Breen their entire lives, some of them are just sneaky is all, and those who didn’t give in to the council’s hold on Yutara, those of us who have stood with the Light through all these years, we knew hope would be coming soon, and each Halder had us believe in such hope. We’ve been watching you Halders for some time, recording everything we saw. For generations, in fact.” The old fae tapped his finger on the book cover. “It’s all in there.”
“Woah,” Ace said, “you mean all my ancestors, even Oliver, are written about in this book?”
The old fae smiled and nodded. “Yes, yes. You see, child, this book can only be found here,
because no copies were legally made. All places in Yutara outlaw literature teaching the Emerson Stone is real. Plenty of stories are sold of the Emerson Stone being fictional, however. But this book is different. It’s the last piece of evidence of the stone’s existence through Yutara’s ages, all the way back to the Origin Age. Rumors have trickled down to the peoples of Yutara that such a book exists, but until the spell over Dorneg, I’d done a decent job of staying under the radar, only letting certain people I trust read it.”
“Wow,” Ace said, gazing at the book like a priceless treasure. “So, why did Inan want it?”
“To destroy it, of course,” Mr. Flare said.
Ace nodded. He rubbed his hand over the surface of the book with amazement. After a moment passed, he turned to the old fae. “Mr. Flare, how did you know we’d be in Naraka and I could free Easley from the witch?”
“I didn’t,” the old man said, “Emery did. And Emery knew these two would lead you here, to me, and ultimately, to the garden.”
“What garden?” Ace said.
“The only garden left in Yutara,” the old fae said. “You know quite well now that Yutara used to belong entirely to faes. Once, Breen was more than just a country, but an entire realm. The land we live in is very spiritual; oh yes, very spiritual indeed.” The old man’s hand shook as he brought the steaming cup to his lips and sipped it quietly. Ace hadn’t touched his. “Now, now, yes. You see, the council’s hold on Yutara leads us to believe everything we see here is purely physical, but it’s so much more than that. Much of how we perceive this realm is false. The very nature of Breen—or Yutara, rather—is so powerfully influenced by the nature of its inhabitants. It’s why certain places have now taken on countenances they used to not have. Eveland is much like Earth, because humans have taken it. Oola is much like the realm of drakes, and Heorg, like the realm of jags, which no longer exist.”
“So, I did see fae language on the sign!” Ace said.
The old fae nodded. “Yes, you probably did. But that’s not because of what I’ve just spoken. This is because of the spell the Fae Queen has on Breen and the north.”
