The Fairy Tale

by Talia Haze

  “Tell not ye, commanded me be,” Nee Gus said simply. The scarred man huffed.

  “Commanded, were you? And what does she worry I’ll do to them? I only want the ring!”

  “Tell not ye, commanded me be.”

  The words sent the scarred man into a rage. “Do not say that!”

  Nee Gus jerked his arm away from the soldier that held him. “Then ask me, do not ye.”

  Angel was almost there. Nee Gus turned to return to his home, but the scarred man wasn’t done with him, and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. “Nee Gus. Why did she tell you that?”

  Nee Gus held up his hand. “Between you and they be it. Only tell not ye, commanded me be.”

  “But why!” The man raised his dagger in fury. We cried in horror as Nee Gus toppled to the ground. Connie covered her face and screamed. I collapsed next to her. He didn’t move. Why didn’t he move? My jaw hurt from clenching it so tightly. I gripped Connie’s shoulders as she cried. What happened? What did I see?

  It took five soldiers to pull Depash from the house. “Hali!” he demanded upon seeing us approach. “It is you they are after!”

  For Angel, that was more of an invitation than a warning, and she finally reached the scene. I stood in a haze and followed instinctively. I wanted to stay with Connie. I needed to be with my sister. The scarred man turned and stood in shock as my sister stalked before him.

  “Aira, hali!” Depash called. A soldier hit the back of his head with the hilt of his sword. Depash wasn’t harmed in the slightest, and with glowing green eyes, he turned back into the huge troll. The men cried out in surprise, the whole lot of them gathering in chaos. Depash threw the soldier onto the many others and went after another.

  I breathlessly collapsed by the fence post. When Depash turned, the soldiers went around Angel to get to him. Angel let the first two pass by unharmed, but quickly punished the third for ignoring her in such a way. The men hesitated; Angel was so young and stood so much smaller than they. When she spun her daggers in her hand and bent into stance, they lunged.

  I couldn’t reach her. I couldn’t move. Reason returned to me. What could I do against those men? I looked back to Nee Gus’ motionless form. Fear finally overtook me, and I clutched the post. But Angel? What would she do?

  I didn’t need to fear for her. The men were no match for my nik’dalo. Angel seemed nothing but a blur as she struck, ducked, kicked and dodged. She defeated several of the men, seemingly all at once. My hands grew raw and blistered as I gripped the post so tightly. Were all the Inzi warriors as talented as she? Saramine shrieked as she fought, but my sister stayed silent. Her face was cold, her eyes piercing and darting.

  “Enough!”

  The scarred man’s angry voice broke my thoughts. Hands went around my waist and I was pulled backwards, violently. Depash turned at my cry and roared. He tossed another soldier and lunged at the scarred man. Coolly, the scared man waved his hand at the ever-approaching Depash, and a bright, blue light engulfed the scene. With a cry, Depash flew back, a large, charred burn on his chest.

  “Depash!”

  Panic gripped my heart and my legs lost strength. My captor nearly lost hold of me. Depash! It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real. Depash! I pressed my hands against the sides of my head, as if blocking the noise would block the sight. Blink as I might, the scene wouldn’t change.

  Depash growled lightly before slowly changing back to his human form. My eyes met his sad ones…only briefly before Sean rushed to his side, blocking my view. My body trembled and shook, and vain hope welled in my heart as Sean cradled Depash’s head.

  Another soldier picked Sean up from under the arms and pulled him away from Depash. I cried out, but to no avail; the soldiers were not going to let us go.

  Depash still stared at me. For a moment, everything sounded muffled…the men muttering, the birds, my heart thudding in my chest. All that could be heard was Depash’s last, shallow breaths.

  He still stared at me.

  The scarred man suddenly reached for Angel. None of the other soldiers dared. Angel tensed as he pulled her by the shoulders close to him, but he was just gazing into her eyes. “It’s uncanny,” he said under his breath. “You look just like her. Beautiful…”

  Angel did not like being examined and twisted down, breaking free of his grasp. When she hit the ground, she spun around, kicking the back of his knees and making him fall. With daggers in hand, she collapsed on him, but her weapons suddenly flew out of her hands.

  She paused in confusion, but it was long enough. The scarred man shoved her off balance, quickly jumping to his feet and grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back.

  “Where is the ring?” he demanded. Angel squirmed.

  “What ring?”

  “There is no reason to continue your farce. I know he sent it with you. Give it to me and continue to your family; I have no quarrel with you.”

  And I do not have any ring,” Angel retorted. “Open your eyes! Do you see any ring upon my hand?”

  “You shall not speak to me in such a manner, Angel.” The scarred man squeezed her arm tighter behind her back, making her cry out. I pulled towards her, but the soldier that held me was unyielding. “Be a good girl and do as you’re told. I have said my quarrels are not with you. I have no intention of harming you, but I will be obeyed!”

  “How do you know my name?”

  I relaxed. She had a plan. She didn’t struggle or fight. I had just seen her defeat twelve men with ease. She hadn’t been caught. I looked back to Depash, but the scarred man was annoyed.

  “Enough with this game!” he twisted Angel’s arm again. “Where is the ring?”

  “Do you think your ears deceive you? I just said we do not have any rings! What reason do I have to lie to you?”

  The scarred man scoffed. “Stubborn as your mother. I may not raise hand to you, Angel, but you have seen that I will also not shy away from violence. Speak! Or shall I punish your insolence by using your friends…?”

  My heart sank, but a high-pitched wail echoed in the air. Several more wails responded, and the sound shattered the sky. The tall grass swayed as several black objects encircled us, running in from all sides.

  “Imps!” called a soldier. We were released instantly as the men fled in all directions. In the center of the confusion was my little brown imp with the red dot by its ear. It howled into the sky and more and more imps responded, pouring into the field.

  The baby ran to me, quickly scaling me like a tree and making itself at home in my arms. I squeezed it. I cradled it. I pushed my face close to it, as if I would feel better the closer I got to it. I didn’t want to be there. I wanted everything to go away. I just wanted to go home.

  I opened my eyes when my sister finally screamed in anger. She was through playing games. In a burst of rage, she grabbed another set of daggers and attacked the scarred man with such force that he stumbled back. He was so unprepared for her onslaught that he couldn’t even defend himself. One dagger connected to his outstretched arm and the other his chest. He cried out in pain, but Angel was far from finished with him.

  After slashing his arms, she spun around, delivering a hard kick to his face that knocked him unconscious. She again aimed her daggers down, preparing to fall on him, but three of his soldiers intervened. It didn’t matter. Angel wouldn’t be defeated. Two were overpowered quickly and the third simply ran off. She had been in a war. Those men were not nearly as well trained as the royal army she defeated, and quickly, the scarred man’s troop thinned to three.

  Chapter Three

  A Simple Brown Nut

  Another large brigade of shiny-armored soldiers stormed over the hill.

  “Come on!” Sean urged. “You can’t fight them all!”

  Angel didn’t answer. The imps darted away as the new soldiers neared. Mine nuzzled me one last time before running after its friends. I reached for him as he distanced, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. My mind raced.
>
  Ryan stepped before my sister, holding his hands out. It seemed as if a veil had covered her eyes as she fought, and Ryan wasn’t sure if he’d be attacked. She paused when she saw him, releasing her breath. After only a moment, he grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder.

  “Gabby!”

  I cried out when someone grabbed my wrist and pulled. Oh, Depash! Why did they want to harm us? What did we do? I struggled against my captor. What would he do to me? I couldn’t fight like my sister! I cried out and pulled.

  “It’s okay, Gabby, it’s me!”

  Sean.

  “It’s just me.” He briefly released my hand to gently palm my face. I clutched his fingers tightly. “It’s just me. C’mon, Gabby, we’ve got to go!”

  Where? Where could we go? Would they chase us?

  We again ran across the field towards the woods. Connie hadn’t moved, and still sobbed loudly. Using his other hand, Sean picked her up and led her. Ryan had released my sister, who quickly scaled a large oak ahead of us to get a better view.

  I slowly turned around to look back to the field. The new recruits had stopped. Two of them picked up the unconscious scarred man, and the others carelessly dragged Nee Gus and Depash inside of the house. Some kicked at the dilapidated cottage, knocking boards out of place while others still held torches to it. Soon, the entire home was engulfed in flames.

  I looked away. I clutched my hands and breathed in deeply. I waited to awake. I had to be dreaming. What did I remember? Sleeping in Nee Gus’ large bed. I was still sleeping in his bed. I hadn’t dreamt in a while; it must’ve been a nightmare.

  I had to be having a nightmare.

  Connie wept loudly. Sean didn’t, but tears shone in his eyes as he gently rubbed Connie’s shoulders, trying to console her. Ryan seemed angry, but Angel and Saramine were stone-faced. I had never seen Saramine before look so grave. The two simply watched the flames with no expressions on their faces.

  Oh, fair maiden Gabriella! Why will you not wake? Wake! My palms were cold and moist against my cheeks. Why couldn’t I wake? Perhaps, I wasn’t sleeping. Perhaps we were still in the fairy route and everything was imaginary.

  The fairy route. If only we hadn’t come. If only Angel had just come home with us. If only we hadn’t tarried so long in the fortress of Rumpelstiltskin, or brought Depash with us or…

  He still stared at me.

  I buried my head in my hands and listened to the fire pop. I could feel Ryan’s hand on my back, but I didn’t look up. My lips quivered and my cheeks felt sore. My heart thudded so rapidly, yet no amount of breaths could still it.

  The soldiers did not pursue us. After setting the home ablaze, they gathered the scarred man and their dead, and turned back from where they came. I looked up when Angel and Saramine passed me to stand together to overlook the smoldering home. Saramine clasped Angel’s hand.

  “Iken-A, Depash.”

  “Iken-A,” Saramine repeated.

  Angel turned to face us. While her stern countenance wasn’t lost, her eyes were soft. “Abinés, our journey is not over,” she said, gently. “We still have a long way to go.”

  The fire popped in the silence.

  “Loss is always difficult,” she continued, gently touching Connie’s shoulder. “We will not forget. We may not forgive. But we must continue on.” Angel took another deep breath. “Friends, until we are safe, we must continue on.”

  Sean helped Connie and I to our feet. Ryan rubbed the back of his head and took a deep breath.

  “Let’s continue on, then,” he said, turning to my sister. She stared at him for a moment more before nodding and turning to lead us down the path.

  I wasn’t going to wake up. There was nothing to wake up from. I walked in a haze; a cloud of realized useless hope and the pain of the bitter reality. We had been so successful. We made it! We faced and conquered all of the fairy route’s riddles. We got to the other side. We proved ourselves. Angel once said that the difficulty of the fairy route was for preparation. It was made to prepare us for the danger that awaited in the land of Agyra, and we prevailed.

  But nothing could have prepared me for what happened.

  Connie stopped suddenly and wailed in anguish.

  “Connie...?”

  “Sean, it happened because of me!” she cried out, digging through her bag. “Lord, forgive me, this is all my fault…”

  “Connie!”

  She presented the door knocker that we found in the first fairy route. She handed the heavy brass ring to Sean before covering her face and wailing. Sean didn’t know what to say, and stared at it, perplexed.

  “This cannot be it,” he muttered. “It’s just an old door knocker!”

  “What else could it be?” Ryan answered. “Any fool can see we’re not wearing rings. Stony said to take it, but we never even used it in the fairy route…” Ryan stopped himself, and gently rubbed Connie’s arm. “It’s not your fault, none Goldilocks. You didn’t know…none of us knew. Even if we did, Nee Gus never had a chance. Depash would have fought anyway…”

  “That is the heart of an Inzi,” Angel agreed. “Those men meant harm. Do not let this burden you, Connie. The outcome would have been the same.”

  Connie nodded, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. Her face had become so blotchy and red that she looked younger than all of us. Angel gave her a weak smile before turning.

  The bend in the road was just ahead. Angel didn’t even pause as she walked off the road and into the tall grass of the forest.

  Would the outcome have been the same? What if we gave them what they wanted? We couldn’t have saved Nee Gus. But would we have saved Depash? Angel seemed so sure we wouldn’t have. The Inzi would have fought until he had prevailed, or was killed…

  I gasped unconsciously. Until he was killed.

  Angel’s head suddenly perked up and her hands fanned at her sides. Before I could ask, she quickly returned her regular manner, trying to appear indifferent.

  What did she hear? Surely the scarred man’s men didn’t catch up to us so quickly. Still, he wouldn’t have come through the woods off the road. No, she would have attacked him if he had. The heart of an Inzi, right? We walked in silence.

  I breathed in slowly, taking in the cool air of the forest. Each breath stilled my heart just a little. I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I wouldn’t think about it. I would imagine. I would avoid. I would do anything but think about it.

  I closed my eyes briefly. The fair maiden Gabriella…the fair maiden. What would she do? The fair maiden. Why would no story come? The fair maiden…

  I stumbled and quickly opened my eyes. A face, hiding in the trees! I blinked and it was gone. Angel appeared to be at ease, but her hands stayed close to her daggers. Even Saramine looked anxious. Another face, to my left. I turned. Nothing.

  What now? Would this new enemy harm us as ruthlessly as the first? I unconsciously gripped Ryan’s hand. For once, he didn’t shake me, or make any remark. I wished my imp would return. I just needed a comfort. Sean was preoccupied with leading Connie, whose crying had finally calmed.

  One of the faces became careless and I could finally focus on it. The face disappeared into the brush, but not fast enough. Was it green? Surely, I didn’t imagine that.

  “Ryan, I think I saw an elf,” I whispered. I was quiet, but Angel heard me and spun around at my words. She quickly unlatched her quiver, making it thump noisily to the ground.

  “Lesan bekane,” she quickly ordered Saramine. Saramine dropped her quiver as well, and her daggers.

  Angel pulled her daggers from their sheaths and held them high above her head, but did not drop them. At this display, several elves came out of hiding and surrounded us. The ones closest to us were armed with bows, while the few in the back watched carefully. They were green! Most had autumn-colored eyes, although some had spring colors like violet or pink.

  I gripped Ryan’s hand, and slowly examined the faces. They pointed arrows at us, but they seem
ed just as curious as I. I have always heard that elves were a peaceful people. I hoped it was true.

  “Why are you here? What do you seek?”

  Out of the darkness of the undergrowth, a very tall and fat elf strode toward us. He wore a black cloak with a gold-lined caplet over his clothes, a leaf-shaped amulet around his neck, and a small golden crown around a brown turban. He must have been king.

  Angel replaced her knives and strode to face him, not so much as glancing at the many arrow tips pointed at her. “We are simply travelers. Let us pass.”

  The elf king leaned forward, examining Angel’s face. “Travelers indeed,” he replied, after a pause. “I am no fool. Do you think I do not know that you are pursued? I will not have my forest getting caught in the conflict of any battle between yours and that other man. The power will tear my land apart.”

  Power?

  He was right…did not that scarred man toss Angel’s daggers without touching them? Did he not kill Depash using a bright light? I had been so distraught that I didn’t even notice how odd that was.

  Angel didn’t answer, only put her hands on her hips. The king huffed. “There is where you shall go.” He pointed to our right, towards a pitch-black undergrowth. “That road will lead you to Thenowe.”

  Ryan spun to Sean. How did he know…?

  “The day is already late,” Angel simply responded. “I will not waste my time taking a three-day detour, nor will I risk sleeping on the road."

  “The path that is fine for the father is not good enough for the daughter? Bring them.” The king elf nodded towards the others. My heart sank, but Angel looked so indifferent. “We will learn more about her impertinence in Lavenora.”

  I turned and I ran. I didn’t know where. I didn’t know why. He wasn’t threatening, and Angel seemed so calm. Still. All reason had left me. All I could think of is we couldn’t be stopped again. We couldn’t trust anyone but each other.