Angels and Elves- Act I

by William Collins

  “Um, no thanks.”

  The seelie’s smile didn’t falter, but Joelle saw something bubble up in the cake’s pink icing, before a spider burst out of it and scuttled away.

  “Very delicious,” the fae girl whispered excitedly before scurrying off to dance again.

  “Damn, that cake looked really good, too,” Jed grumbled.

  “Ooh who’s this one?” Another seelie girl scurried up to Bane, accompanied by a three more who danced to his other side.

  Joelle saw Bane tense and even place a hand on his dagger.

  “He’s very pretty,” said a dryad.

  “You’re almost one of us,” a nymph giggled at Bane coquettishly.

  As they crowded closer around him Bane let go of his knife and began clapping his hands together instead. At once, the faeries fell back, clutching their ears in pain.

  “Stop it.” Joelle hissed, grabbing Bane’s hand.

  He snatched his arm away from her, turning back to the fae, who recovered the moment Joelle stopped him clapping. “I’m nothing like any of you,” he snarled. “So leave me alone.”

  “Oooh, this one’s a mad little nymph,” the faeries giggled again.

  “Say that again,” Bane raised his hands, ready to clap once more.

  The seelie girls put their hands over their ears and ran away, giggling louder yet.

  “The summer court is the one side we know we can work with,” she told Bane. “You know clapping rings their ears, don’t antagonize them.”

  Bane ignored her, turning back to survey the summer court imperiously. “We are Venators,” he announced. “Fetch the one who rules this court, the Keeper Galadfrey.”

  A girl with a cloud of pink hair stepped forward. “Greetings Venators. I am…” the faerie hesitated “…hold is it nightfall yet?”

  “You are safe for a while more,” a nymph replied.

  The girl turned back to them. “Apologies, we dare not say our names at night, for fear the sidhe should hear them on the wind. I am Flowriss, herald of the Summer Court.”

  “That’s nice,” said Bane curtly. “Now, where’s get the Keeper, we desire to talk with him.”

  Flowriss shook her head. “Not until you prove yourselves trustworthy. To us you are strangers, somehow gained access to our abode. I see you bear the blood of nymph’s, speaker, but that does not mean you are not an agent of the sidhe.”

  “What!” Bane snapped. “We’ve come here to help, you glittery gits.”

  “Lower your tone,” cried another fae, stepping toward Bane. This one had long purple hair and wore armour that looked like green glass, and the sword at his waist appeared to be carved from amber.

  “I am Alaydrian of the purple rose, faerie knight of the Summer court.”

  “Purple rose?” Bane drawled. “How…flamboyant.”

  Alaydrian bristled. “The purple rose was the sigil of my grandfather’s grandfather, and his grandfather before him.”

  “Alright, we get the picture, you’re a noble knight, good for you.” Bane replied. He went to move past Alaydrian, but the knight barred his way.

  “We must know your purpose here,” Alaydrian proclaimed. “Not only may you be an agent of winter, you may also be aligned with the foul valorcs who’ve invaded our land. Surrender your weapons at once.”

  “Why?” Bane sneered, “so you can cut our throats whilst-”

  “Ignore my companion,” she stepped forward. “Bane jests. Of course we’ll surrender our weapons, we are your grateful guests.”

  “Uh, yeah, that’s right,” Jed added.

  Joelle watched the two faeries as she set her bow down on the ground, followed by Jed, Sabine and a very reluctant Bane.

  Alaydrian and Flowriss resembled supermodels, but models taking part in a bizarre photoshoot that demanded as much colour and flowers as possible. Braids of daisies threaded their way through Flowriss’s pink locks, whilst Alaydrian had a large purple rose pinned to his breastplate. Both wore necklaces and earrings made from flowers too.

  “How can we be sure of your intentions,” Alaydrian demanded.

  Joelle hesitated, and an uncomfortable silence grew as her and her companions failed to answer.

  “You see,” Alaydrian cried. “I told you we should have felled them the moment they entered.” The knight pulled his great sword free. “Now we shall sully our home with blood.”

  *

  Jed backed up in surprise. He hadn’t expected them to mess up the mission this bad, this soon.

  “You glarqing fool,” Bane growled, using air magic to summon his daggers back to him.

  “No!” Joelle tried to hold Madagant back, but Alaydrian closed in.

  “Wait,” Sabine cried out, a moment before weapons could clash. “Can’t some fae connect with people and see their near-futures, as well as what has not long past?”

  “Aye,” said Flowriss. “I can do such a thing.”

  “Well,” Sabine continued. “Not long ago we were attacked by valorcs, and we killed them. If you see that in our recent memories, won’t that prove we’re here to help?”

  Alaydrian scowled, but Flowriss nodded slowly. “Indeed, then it shall be done.”

  “Nice one, Sab.” Joelle flashed her a grin, after making sure Bane discarded his weapons again.

  Jed breathed a sigh of relief. He might find her highly irritating, but Sabine’s extensive research for the mission had saved their necks.

  To his surprise, Flowriss stepped toward him. He backed up, unsure if she meant him harm.

  “Uh…hi?”

  He’d barely been able to take his eyes of the seelie woman since she’d first spoke. All the seelie in the room were beautiful, but Flowriss in particular enthralled him.

  “Relax,” Flowriss said, placing her long fingers on Jed’s forehead and closing her eyes.

  “There are two ways to read your memories. I can insert my nails into your forehead, not very deep,” she giggled at his look of shock, “or our bond can be created through a kiss.”

  “A…uh, what now?”

  “A kiss,” she said simply. “It is but a small thing, but enough for our minds to temporarily meld.”

  “Well, as much as I enjoy people sticking their nails into my head, I think I’ll opt for the kiss. If I have too, I mean. And you don’t have too, either. I’d understand if you’d rather do the nail thing. Sorry, I’m babbling.”

  Her responding laugh was like a brush of wind across his skin. “But you want me too. You find me attractive.”

  “I…” Speech failed him, her directness throwing him off. “Uh, are you sure it has to be me?”

  “You don’t want to kiss me?” Her cherry blossom lips pouted.

  “Oh no, I mean yes. I do, but I usually don’t makeout with women I’ve just met.”

  “You humans always amuse me.” Flowriss chuckled again. “We fae are much more open in our desires.” She leaned in quicker than he’d expected, planting her lips against his own.

  Her mouth felt wonderful against, and for a moment Jed forgot about everything and everyone else as the beautiful faerie kissed him passionately.

  Now, Jed had kissed girls before, not quite as many as he’d have liked, but enough to know that human women didn’t have weirdly sticky lips. It was like a magical lip gloss coated her lips. Flowriss deepened the kiss, and memories flashed in Jed’s mind, first of he and his companions walking through the forest, then further back to their fight with the valorcs. As the flashes of memory went further back still, Flowriss broke the kiss off, stepping away from him with a lavish smile.

  Jed stood there awkwardly, having no idea what to do next, until Flowriss announced. “They speak the truth.”

  The fae all around them broke out into cheers. They rushed forward now to greet Jed and his fellow Realmers joyously, as if they were all dear friends.

  Not only did Jed find himself enthusiastically shaking hands with a dozen seelie, but other fae greeted him by stroking his arms or chest. He knew it
was a fae custom of friendship, which meant they’d been accepted.

  “Then we welcome you.” Alaydrian announced. “And we shall summon our Keeper.” He strode toward the end of the vast room and pulled on the vine tied to the wall. A jingle, which Jed strangely heard as if it was right beside his ear, reverberated through the room.

  Seconds later, the vines high in the wall writhed like a nest of vipers. The vines trailed away from the wall and formed a balcony whilst the wall behind them opened up into a hole.

  A new faerie stepped out of the wall. This one had short turquoise hair, which tapered upwards. Around the hair sat a glowing crown of plant stem adorned by a small white rose at the centre, between Galadfrey’s eyes.

  The Keeper resembled a nineteen-year-old man, but with an unearthly beauty that couldn’t be mistaken for human. Like the other seelie, he had the chiselled and immaculate face of a supermodel, though his pointed chin sported a goatee, the same grass-green as his high ponytail. He was the only faerie to have facial hair.

  Galadfrey peered down at them curiously from his balcony of vines. “Oh, visitors have come to my court? How exciting indeed. Though I hope they aren’t as monstrous as the last visitors we encountered.”

  “No, my lord,” Flowriss replied. “They slew the valorcs on their way here. They offer aid.”

  “Excellent.”

  “We need to see the angels,” Bane ordered.

  “In time.” Galadfrey motioned with his hand and the balcony travelled to the ground lowering him down. “But first we must feast, there is much merriment and revelry to be had. Then, once your bellies are full. Then…maybe, you shall be granted an audience with the angels.”

  “What merriment is there to be had?” Bane snarled. “Your lands have been taken over by valorcs whilst you sit here like nothing’s happened. And why are you feasting? Your food won’t last forever. You’ll starve, if the valorcs don’t find your hiding place first.”

  “Silly Venator,” Galadfrey waved Bane’s comments away. “The winter court are the miserable and brooding folk. We of summer are always full of cheer and delight.”

  “So you’re going to bury your heads in the sand and hope this all blows over?” said Joelle.

  Jed noticed many of the fae around him looked up at their Keeper anxiously. It appeared not all of them showed his blasé attitude to their predicament.

  “Heavens no. We must simply wait until the angels have regained their strength. Then they will lead us to victory. They’ll have devised a way for us to survive. You’ll see.”

  “What’s wrong with the angels?” Jed asked.

  “Oh, they sustained minor injuries from the valorcs first attack, that’s all. I’ll have them restored to full health in no time.”

  “They are dying,” Flowriss said suddenly, ignoring Galadfrey’s warning look. “As the world of Mag-Mell weakens, so do they. The angels are connected to the world’s very core, even more than we.”

  “Well then,” Bane remarked. “The quicker you take us to your angels, the quicker we can help them and save this damn world.”

  “Indeed.” Galadfrey nodded sagely. “After supper it is then.” The Keeper sat down at the head of the wooden long table, laden with an assortment of strange food.

  “How do we know the food won’t be cursed?” Jed asked. “Not to be rude or anything.”

  The Keeper smiled. “No, you are wise to be careful.”

  Suddenly, Galadfrey’s palm was full of salt, which he flung over his shoulder. “There. Now any curses on the food shall be reflected back to me. You are quite safe.”

  “He’s right,” Joelle murmured. “It’s the faerie way. Now he’s thrown salt, we’re safe.”

  Bane cursed under his breath, glaring at the faeries as they herded the four of them over to the table.

  Jed knew Bane was right, but he couldn’t deny he was starving and yearned to tuck in. He sat before the table eagerly, surprised but pleased to find Flowriss take the seat to his other side. Who knew he was a magnet to beautiful fae girls?

  His anticipation for the feast was short-lived however, once he saw the food consisted of plants and insects. The plates of leaves, covered with crawling golden ants, seemed to be a favourite dish. Other cuisine were the plates of wriggling caterpillars that glowed green and the wine glasses full of pollen.

  Jed tentatively began eating some of the leaves which didn’t have various insects crawling all over them. Surprisingly, they were delicious. The pale green leaves speckled with brown tasted just like mint choclate chip and the orange leaves like toffee.

  He sneezed suddenly, but a passing faerie handed him a silk hankerchief on cue. Without thinking, he used it to wipe his nose.

  “Oh, Ushk,” he said, realising what he’d done even as his nose began itching so much it burned. “Wait, it won’t stop itching. God, damn it.”

  The seelie giggled and ran away with her hankerchief.

  “Here.” Flowriss smiled as she dabbed his nose with what looked like a pink daisy. The infernal itching went away at once.

  “Thank you,” Jed breathed a sigh of relief.

  As he ate, he noticed many of the fae gazing at him and his companions with wondrous curiosity. A trio of nymphs giggled behind their hands after pointing at him. Jed was thrilled to hear the word, ‘handsome’ and ‘adorable’ amongst their giggles. The happiness was dulled slightly as he saw a larger group of nymphs admiring Bane across the table. Bane ignored them and was the only one at the table not eating.

  “You seelie stare lot, don’t you?” Jed turned to Flowriss.

  “Unlike the sidhe, we love humans,” Flowriss purred. “You so amuse us. Magic entertains us most of all, so put the two together and you can hardly blame our excitement. Oh, we’ve made merry under our hill because we’ve had too, but deep down, the whole court is horrified by the valorcs invading our land. The slaughter they first caused…it’s unspeakable. We here are just the ones lucky enough to surive. But now you’ve come to save us.”

  “Don’t big us up too much.” He laughed weakly. “We’re not miracle workers.”

  “Yes, but you can fight the valorcs,” Flowriss insisted. “You can destroy them with your spells and magical weapons.”

  “It’s easier said than done, and it’ll take more than just the four of us.”

  “Oh yes, indeed. We of summer shall fight with you, but we cannot count on the sidhe.”

  Jed’s heart sank. “Are you sure? This is their land too?”

  “They are cowards,” Flowriss’s small nose wrinkled in distaste. “Winter was the first to flee when the valorcs came.”

  Whilst they’d been eating, a dull golden glow had suffused the edges of the room, shimmering as it hit the ceiling high above.

  “Ah, tonight’s entertainment is about to begin,” said Galadfrey.

  Jed followed Galadfrey’s gaze and saw Alaydrian hauling a human man into the centre of the room. The man appeared completely unremarkable, a regular civilian, apart from the look of sheer terror on his face.

  A Labrador loped in after the man, barking at Alaydrian to release his master.

  “Look here my summer children,” Galadfrey cried. “Another intruder from Earth dares to trespass on our sacred realm.”

  “No!” The man whimpered. “Please sir. I didn’t invade, I chased my dog into a cave on his walk, but when I left the cave again the coast outside had changed into this weird forest. I didn’t mean to travel here, I swear.”

  “What say you, my court?” Galadfrey stared down the great table. “Do we find this interloper guilty or not? Shall we set him free, to return to his world with the knowlwdge of our existence, or must he face punishment for his severe crimes?”

  “Guilty. Guilty. Guilty,” the summer court chorused. Jed winced as Flowriss joined the chant beside him.

  “What’s going on here?” Joelle stood, trying to shout above the cacophony. “Seelie fae can wipe short-term memories from humans who see them. Just do it and let thi
s man go.”

  “What punishment?” Sabine added. “The guy came here by mistake.”

  Bane’s expression was the opposite of the girl’s panic, he appeared morbidly amused by the whole thing.

  “Hey.” Jed stood up too, shouting to Galadfrey. “Venators have spells to alter memories too. If you can’t do it, we can. There’s no need to punish the dude.”

  “No, Jed,” Flowriss laid a hand on his arm. “It is the faerie way.”

  Alaydrian kicked the man’s leg from under him then, forcing him to his knees. The faerie knight then unsheathed his amber sword, preparing to strike.

  “Screw the faerie way,” Joelle snarled, leaping atop the table and running toward Alaydrian.

  Before she there, however, Alaydrian’s sword had already sang through the air, cleaving the poor man’s head clean off.

  “Oh glarq!” Jed swore in shock, tripping over his chair legs as he stumbled away from the fae all around him.

  “You monsters!” Joelle ripped an arrow free, her bow already in her other hand.

  Suddenly the fae broke out into raucous laughter, rippling out from Galadfrey and spreading through the rest of the court.

  The pink haze ar the edges of the room faded and as Jed blinked he saw Alaydrian wasn’t holding up a severed head, but a broken pumpkin, the seed strings dangling down.

  The barking Labrador was now a cluster of pixies standing atop each other, their stick-like limbs waving as they hooted gleefully.

  But then the dull glow faded and the head Alaydrian held aloft was actually a punctured pumpkin, it’s insides dangling down like intentines. There was no hint of the thief at all.

  “Uh, what the hell was that?” Jed gazed around the hill, double-checking the there wasn’t a headless body lying anywhere.

  “It was another test,” Galadrey announced. “To see how you Venators would react to the shared illusion.”

  “You promised we’d come to no harm?” Sabine cried.

  “And you did not,” Galadrey said.

  “We are not like the sidhe,” said Flowriss. “We do not kill humans for mild insults, only if they seek to harm us first.”