Nemesis and the Fairy of Pure Heart

by Ashley Du Toit

  “The werewolves changed, didn’t they?”

  Bella felt her jaw drop in astonishment.

  “How did you know?” she asked.

  Some of the other immortals pressed closer, and one of them said, “Oh, we like to watch. It’s always fun to see a newbie throw themselves through the opening, as if the werewolves were on their tails and all set to eat them.”

  He laughed, and the rest of the group joined in.

  Bella stood still for a full minute before she realised how ridiculous she must have looked. A giggle escaped, then grew until she found herself laughing so hard that the muscles in her stomach pulled and protested.

  The goblin frowned at her.

  “There now, Fairy, stop that before you make yourself sick.”

  Bella glanced at his face as she wiped the tears from hers.

  “Yes, I must have looked silly.” She smiled.

  The other immortals started to drift off, leaving Bella alone with the goblin. Slowly she looked around. Of all the things that she had imagined, this wasn’t it. Long tables, an assortment of immortals behind them, were covered in goods for sale. Bella’s eyes widened as she looked at some of the merchandise.

  The goblin turned his gaze to see what she was looking at. Kneeling down so that he appeared smaller, he said, “Let me guess, it’s your first time in the market. Come on, I’ll give you a tour.”

  Bella looked up at him and offered him a small smile. She felt oddly safe and comfortable with this goblin she thought, perhaps due to her experience with Pronkzie and Gariz. He put out his palm and she stepped daintily onto it.

  “What is your name?” she asked as he carried her towards the nearest table.

  “Kale,” he smiled. “My name is Kale. What is your name, sweet fairy?”

  “I’m Bella, the Fairy of Pure Heart.”

  Kale stopped walking, his eyebrows snapping together as he looked down at her. “Are you the fairy who helped my brothers get out of the Cave of Forgetfulness?”

  “Are your brothers Pronkzie and Gariz?” she asked delightedly.

  “Yes,” he smiled as he started walking again.

  They reached the first table. Kale lowered his hand until it was level with the table in case Bella wanted to step onto the table to explore its contents, but she seemed content to just look at the bottled concoctions from the safety of his hand.

  “Is that really belly button fluff?” she asked as she looked at the label on the bottle filled with what looked like grey-brown fairy floss. The witch behind the table turned to them.

  “It’s a treat, Fairy. Would you like to try some? It’s really delicious.”

  “Oh no, thanks,” said Bella. “Whose belly button fluff is it?”

  The witch raised her eyebrows.

  “Now surely you can’t be expecting me to give up all my secrets?” she asked, before turning away from them again to help someone on the other side.

  Bella whispered up towards Kale, “Do other immortals really eat the fluff that comes from belly buttons?”

  Kale laughed, “But of course, the witch is right—it’s very good.”

  Bella looked around some more, “Kale does that label say Earwax?” she asked. The witch turned around again and glared at them.

  “Either buy something or be gone!” she snapped, growing impatient with their browsing.

  Bella glanced over her shoulder at Kale. He shrugged his shoulders, lifted his hand again and started for the next table, which was covered with brightly coloured jewels and amulets.

  “The colours are beautiful,” Bella said.

  She sighed as she spotted a bright lime–green amulet edged in velvet black. It was shaped exactly like a dragonfly.

  “That one reminds me of someone I know,” she said, pointing the amulet out to Kale.

  They walked around, and every now and then one of them would comment as they passed tables laden with potions, mortal books, homemade clothes, dream–catchers, bowls, cauldrons, glassware, broomsticks, pets and exotic fresh flowers.

  Kale rounded the first row of tables and Bella saw another behind it. These tables were heavily laden with assortments of foods. Spicy scents mingled with sweet. Perfumes lingered in the air. Kale moved them over to a nearby table. An old lady sat on a small chair and called out: “Goblin toe–jam. Best in the market.”

  Bella wrinkled her nose. “That does not sound good.”

  Kale grinned. According to his brothers, they all owed this fairy a great deal. They might have never escaped from the Forgetful Cave without her.

  “Bella, I want to thank you for saving my brothers.”

  Bella glanced at him in surprise.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said, looking away.

  “Nevertheless, I owe you a debt. I will do everything I can to help you. So what is it that you want at the markets?” he asked as he moved past a basket laden with fresh scorpions.

  Bella grimaced as she saw them.

  “Actually, I’m looking for the Nuffins,” she said.

  “Why?” queried Kale as he reached a hand into his pocket, pulled out a coin and paid a lady who was walking past with a basket of curled, fried spiders. The lady took the coin and in exchange gave Kale one fat fried spider. Kale thanked the lady and turned to Bella.

  “Would you like a bite?”

  Bella scrunched up her nose as she eyed the shrivelled–up and greasy body. “Uh, no, thank you.” She returned to the conversation that was the more pressing. “I need to find something the Nuffins have. It doesn’t belong to them; I just need to retrieve it for the rightful owners.”

  Kale looked at her for a moment. “I know where they’re camping; I can take you there,” he offered.

  “Thank you, Kale.” Bella smiled at him, but turned her face away as he popped the spider into his mouth. She cringed as she heard him crunching away. Kale walked past more tables, and Bella gasped as she saw exquisitely crafted wooden chairs and artfully crafted table tops.

  “The Nuffins are just through that entrance there,” he said, pointing to where they were camping.

  Bella smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you.”

  “Do you need help?”

  Bella closed her eyes for a moment.

  “I still don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said softly, as if speaking to herself.

  “What exactly do you need to find?” Kale asked, bringing his hand closer to his face so that he could see her more clearly.

  “A special pot that belongs to the Leprechauns. It seems the Nuffins stole it from them, and they would like it back. I have to stand before it, chant a spell they have given me, and it will return to the Leprechauns.”

  “Why have they asked you to get it?” he asked.

  “I need to get a sliver of their rainbow, and this is the exchange that they wanted.”

  “Why do you need a sliver?”

  Bella sighed and began to explain, “I became friends with a mortal. He followed me into the immortal realms and Nemesis took him from me. I have to gather a list of tokens to take to Nemesis in the hope that he will give me a wish and send my prince home.”

  “Not asking much, are you?” said Kale seriously.

  Bella remained silent for a moment. “Have you by any chance seen the pot that I mentioned?”

  “Is that the pot that fills up with gold whenever one of them sticks their hands into it?”

  Bella blanched as she realised what he’d said.

  “They’re using it?” she squeaked.

  “Of course, they’re on a spending spree.”

  “Oh, Nurch is not going to like that. I just have to get it back before they do too much damage. Do you have any ideas?”

  Kale put his hand on his head and rubbed i
t around as if in deep thought. Then his face lit up and he gave a great grin.

  “What you need is the element of surprise,” he said, “so they won’t see you coming. Do you have any invisibility dust?” he asked.

  Bella thought for a moment, taking into consideration everything that she’d already removed from her bag. She mentally counted things off, then shook her head side to side.

  “No, none of that, unfortunately.”

  “Tell you what, Fairy. Since you helped my brothers from the kindness in your heart, I’ll get you some invisibility dust.”

  He took them towards the rear of the markets, to a small table tucked into a corner. A troll was picking something Bella didn’t want to know about from his pointy teeth, and eyed them suspiciously as they approached. Kale stuck his other hand into his pocket and pulled out some coins, which he held toward the troll. Kale spoke a tongue that Bella recognised from her studies, but his rough voice and fast speech left her behind after the first few words.

  The troll gestured angrily towards Bella, and shook his head. Kale responded with a threatening growl and another string of words. The troll reluctantly turned to one side of the table and took a small, musty green (or was it mildewed?) pouch, which he handed to Kale in exchange for the coins.

  Kale moved quickly away from the troll’s table to a clear area. He set Bella down gently, then used both hand to untie the drawstring and open the pouch. He pulled out specks of golden dust and dropped them in her hair. Bella sneezed.

  “Bless you, Fairy,” he said, laughing, and lifted her into his palm once again.

  “Thank you, Kale,” she said. “So tell me, do you have a plan then?”

  “Yes. Once we reach them, I’ll lower you to the ground. No one will be able to see you, so you can find your pot and chant your spell. And, just to be sure, I’ll distract them. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Kale walked out into the cool night air, Bella really still on his palm.

  “Am I invisible yet?” she asked.

  Kale looked down. “Yes.”

  “Won’t you look funny holding your hand out like this then? They will properly wonder what’s wrong with you.”

  Kale stopped walking, pondering her words.

  “I’ll put you on my shoulder for a moment, then when I get closer to them, I’ll put you down.”

  He walked for a few moments more, then asked, “What are you going to do after you retrieve your pot?”

  “I’ll make my way out of the markets and back to the leprechauns,” she said softly.

  “It has been nice meeting you, Fairy. I’ll tell my brothers about our meeting when I get home,” he said, straightening his arm to allow her to move up to his shoulder.

  “In all the excitement, I forgot to ask how they are.”

  “They’re fine. They came home from the caves and realised that they’d been missing for some time. We had been very worried about them, so we were all grateful that they were rescued by you, Fairy.”

  “Please don’t thank me. I really didn’t do anything special.”

  “It’s a beautiful night,” Bella murmured close to his ear as she looked at the stars sparkling brightly from their perches.

  Kale giggled.

  “Don’t breathe in my ear, Fairy, it tickles.”

  “Now you remind me of your brothers,” Bella said with a smile.

  Kale did not answer, as he had drawn near to the Nuffins’ camp fire. Bella’s eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. In the blackened shadows of the night, in one corner of the Immortal Market’s borders, was a gathering of the strangest group of immortals that Bella had ever seen.

  Sitting around a blazing fire were witches, goblins, satyrs, centaurs, pixies, trolls, and many more, all talking with great animation. Nuffins lazed around in between the other immortals. Bella looked at the Nuffins scattered in between the other immortals.

  “They’re so cute,” she whispered to Kale.

  He rolled his eyes at her but didn’t say anything.

  The Nuffins wore blue shirts with rolled necks and dusty red pants. They had brown elfin shoes, which ended in a point at the end, but no socks. On their heads they wore half-acorn shells as hats, their hair tumbling messily around their shoulders. Their long ears flopped down, twining with their hair. On its back, each had two feather-light wings facing up, and two smaller replicas facing down. The Nuffins had small hands with long graceful fingers; wide, expressive eyes, and a broad mouth made for smiling.

  But the most intriguing thing about them was their noses, she thought, as she studied the Nuffin nearest to her. Its nose looked like a small button sewn onto its face; it curled around and around in a perfect spiral. Their mischievous air and playful manner could easily be misunderstood, Bella thought. I can understand why they have a reputation for being naughty.

  She studied the campsite near her for a sign of the pot, while the immortals talked about the different realms and their activities, some reminiscing about the old times. Moving her gaze past the blazing fire that spread its warmth among them, Bella saw it. Hidden away, almost completely covered by a rough woollen sack, but a portion of it catching and reflecting the golden radiance from the fire’s embrace.

  Bella whispered to Kale: “The pot is just beyond the fire.”

  Kale nodded his head and moved closer. The group around the fire saw him, and called out greetings and invitations to join them. Bella held her breath as he answered their greetings, and lowered himself down beside them, leaning his body weight back on one arm. He moved his other hand up to his shoulder, making as if to scratch an itch. Bella grabbed hold of his outstretched finger, and held on with all her strength as Kale lowered it to the floor.

  Bella looked carefully around her; once more she wondered how the land fairies made their way around, from here on the floor it would be far too easy to be stepped on.

  Quickly she began to weave her way between the immortals, ensuring that she didn’t get too close. Making her way over to the fire, she carefully withdrew the parchment that Nurch had given her, unrolled it and looked at the words written on it. Memorising them, she put the parchment away and headed for the pot, only to discover as she skirted the fire that a Nuffin was taking a nap on the other side.

  Giving a mental groan, she carefully inched forward, thankful for the laughter and chatter that would disguise any noises she might make. Bella put her hand on the pot and slowly began to wriggle it towards her.

  The Nuffin snuffled in his sleep. Bella froze. When he made no movement, she gave another firm tug. The pot inched forward again. The Nuffin stirred and one eye popped open.

  Bella held her breath, forgetting for the moment that he couldn’t see her.

  The Nuffin groaned and rolled over, away from the sack. Bella decided not to push her luck by tugging the pot completely free, instead she chose to recite the words she’d memorised.

  Leprechauns luck,

  Become unstuck,

  Return to whence you came.

  The Nuffin groaned as if she was disturbing him with her whispers.

  Bella froze again. The Nuffin quietened his move–ments and lay still. In the quietest of whispers, she uttered the last words:

  Back to the Hollow, there you shall stay,

  Let nothing detain or stand in your way.

  As she uttered the last words, two things happened at once. The pot shimmered brightly for a moment and promptly disappeared, and the Nuffin abruptly sat up, his eyes wide open and staring at the exact spot where Bella crouched down, as if he could really see her. When she felt the stir from the immortals behind her and heard their whispers, she realised that Kale’s invisibility dust had worn off.

  The Nuffin she had disturbed stood up, pointed at her and yelled at the top of his
voice: “THE FAIRY STOLE OUR PRETTY POT.”

  Bella shook her head in denial she tried to explain above the rising voices that she was not a thief. Nobody heard her. She shivered as the immortals and Nuffin’s gathered closer, pressing her in, surrounding her.

  Kale reached his hand down and picked her up, holding her within his palm as before, except this time his fingers were securely wrapped around her. In a deep voice he scolded them, “Could a tiny fairy like this pick up a big pot and drag it away without any of us seeing it?”

  The crowd hushed and he could see they were starting to listen to him.

  “If she had taken it, would she come back here? I don’t think so.”

  He shook his head at them.

  Some of the others began to nod their heads in agreement, but the now very much awake Nuffin jumped up and down.

  “I saw her, I saw her,” he shouted.

  Another Nuffin came forward.

  “Simmer down Sammy, tell me what you saw,” he demanded.

  Sammy lowered his head.

  “Well, I didn’t exactly see her, BUT … I did hear her saying something under her breath,” he finished off.

  The Nuffin looked at Sammy for a long time and then he turned his gaze to Bella.

  “It doesn’t look like this fairy could drag a twig, never mind a pot,” he said staring at her. “If you would be so kind, Fairy, please tell us what you were doing. Why does Sammy think you stole our pot?”

  All of the immortals were now staring at Bella. Still held within Kale’s big hand, she said, “I didn’t steal the pot, Mr Nuffin, but I did chant a returning spell that took it back to its rightful owners.”

  “So you did take it from us,” he demanded.

  “Oh no, Mr Nuffin, the pot was stolen from the leprechauns, and I was just returning it to them.”

  “We needed that pot, Fairy,” he said sternly, shaking his finger at her.

  The Nuffins gathered together in a circle, whispering loudly to each other.

  Bella looked at Kale, who whispered, “Sorry the dust wore off, Bella.”

  She smiled, “That’s alright, Kale. If you don’t mind putting me down, I think I’ll slip away while they’re busy arguing. I’m not sure what they’re planning but it doesn’t sound pleasant, and I don’t have a lot of time now.”