by Flavia Bujor
“You only left while we were riding,” said Amber. “It’s not such a big deal.”
“I don’t mean that. I’ll be leaving soon. For good.”
“But–” interrupted Jade.
“Let me finish. Listen to me, both of you. Thaar is not an ordinary city. Some say that it’s haunted by evil. Thaar belongs to the past, and reflects it. Thaar has been called the City of Origins and is the only city that has remained intact for thousands of years, as if it were outside time. This city has never truly been a part of Fairytale and, strangely, even though it lies beneath the magnetic field, Thaar is not protected by it. For a long time the Council of Twelve has been able to reach it through telepathy. That’s one of the reasons why this city is so dangerous. There aren’t many people living there, and some of them are hungry for power and have betrayed Fairytale by helping the Council of Twelve control the minds of all the inhabitants of Thaar.
“Some citizens did manage to resist, with difficulty, but the dark force of the Council of Twelve has invaded the city and now holds it in its power. From there, the evil could spread throughout the whole of Fairytale. The members of the Council of Twelve or even the Knights of the Order can now materialise in the city using teleportation, thanks to a complex spell that has been cast only a dozen or so times throughout history. It’s highly unlikely, however, that they will use this spell. It’s almost certain what their plan is: using their minions in Thaar, they will break into the minds of others and enslave or destroy them. And they will succeed in this. Everyone in Thaar has finally stopped resisting. We don’t know exactly what’s going on there at the moment but, luckily, one of the inhabitants managed to escape. Messengers have been sent throughout Fairytale.”
“How will everyone fight back?” asked Amber, shivering.
“Regiments of volunteers will encircle the city. If the Council of Twelve tries to take over more of the inhabitants, the soldiers will put up a fight — mentally. In any case, our army will attempt to get into the minds of the inhabitants, to help them, which is almost impossible given the strength of the Council of Twelve. We will also try to enter the city to fight, to push back the mental attack.”
“Wait a minute,” said Jade. “Why are you saying ‘we’?”
“I’ve just joined the army,” announced Adrien in a voice charged with emotion. “I leave tomorrow.”
“You’re risking your life?” cried Jade.
“I want to be useful, not to hide shamefully waiting to see what happens,” replied the young man. “They need volunteers. My life or another’s, what does it matter?”
“But you’ll come back, won’t you?” asked Amber.
“Perhaps,” said Adrien evasively. “When it’s all over. But perhaps not. At least I will have died fighting.”
“Adrien, don’t be so melodramatic,” cried Jade. “You make it sound as if it’s the end of the world!”
The young man gave a faint, strained smile, and said, “I haven’t finished. Whatever you do, don’t ask me any questions. Believe me, I’m serious when I say that… I shouldn’t say anything, but…”
“Oh, just get on with it,” snapped Jade.
“You must go and see Oonagh. Now, without delay. We’re running out of time.”
“What about Opal?” asked Amber.
“Lloghin has given me a potion that will bring her round for a few brief moments so that I can say goodbye to her. Then she will fall back into her coma. You’ll have to arrange for her to be transported with you. She’ll be all right without me.”
“But how will we find our way?” asked Amber indignantly, and somewhat fearfully.
“You’ll manage. It’s crucial. Now, leave me alone with Opal for a few moments. Then you must leave. Owen will give you the magic horses you rode earlier.”
The girls went out into the corridor and closed the door behind them.
“Everybody wants to get rid of us!” fumed Jade. “We’re always being chased away!”
Amber said nothing, but Jade was right, and she too had had enough.
In the bedroom, Adrien was gazing longingly at Opal. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. From the pocket of his tunic he took out a beautifully carved flask containing what looked like a bubbling blue liquid. As he opened it, a heavy smell of blood, rotting flesh and death filled the air. Wincing with disgust, the young man held the repulsive mixture close to Opal’s nose. When she opened her lips, Adrien poured the miraculous draught into the girl’s mouth, and she swallowed it obediently. Slowly, she came around: her nostrils flared, then her lips curved in a smile and she said faintly, her eyes still closed, “I’ve had such a lovely sleep…” She yawned and opened her eyes.
“Opal!” cried Adrien, his voice thick with emotion.
The girl’s vision was still blurred and it was a moment or two before she was completely conscious. Then her pale, almost transparent eyes brightened and she breathed softly, “Adrien! You’re here… What happened?”
The young man felt tears come to his eyes but he held them back as he reflected sadly that he was seeing Opal for perhaps the last time.
“I love you,” he confessed shakily. “I will always be thinking of you, until I see you again. I will be near you whenever you think of me.”
He could not continue. Her huge eyes fixed on Adrien, Opal seemed overjoyed and miserable at the same time. Sitting up, she flung herself into the young man’s arms and whispered, “Don’t leave me, don’t go, stay with me — it’s dangerous, you’re risking your life… And I love you.”
She tried to say something else, but all at once the light in her eyes died and she fell back senseless against the pillow.
Adrien never understood how Opal had known that he was going off to fight, but what mattered most to him was the knowledge that she returned his feelings. Now, with love as his shield, he could leave fearlessly to confront the Council of Twelve.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Good vs. Evil
AMBER AND JADE made their way in silence on horseback towards the snow-capped mountains. They rode past houses, some modest, some imposing, and fields of crops that lined the road. There were only a few labourers, who were singing and laughing merrily instead of cultivating the land. They seemed human, but their long hair looked like spun silver.
Jade was supporting Opal as she rode, and was wondering where she would sleep that night and what insane adventure she was getting herself into.
“Don’t laugh,” she burst out, “but I get the feeling everybody in the world knows what we’re supposed to do — except us! They know more about us than we do! Amber, you know what I’ve been thinking?”
“No,” replied Amber absently.
“If the Council of Twelve is against everyone who knows about Fairytale, it’s because it’s frightened of them.”
“Yes, that seems logical,” said Amber.
“Listen, imagine if everyone knew about Fairytale — there would be rebellions all over the place! Everyone would want to come here. Now, think about it: no one rises up against the Council of Twelve, because no one is brave enough, but it’d also be totally useless — there are Knights of the Order everywhere. But, do you know, I bet the main reason no one’s doing anything is that most people don’t even realise what’s going on! You see?”
“Yes,” agreed Amber. “The people are deprived of their liberty, their dreams, their ambition … From the moment they’re born, they’re given a future with no surprises. My parents were peasants, so I was destined to be one too and I had no choice in the matter. The Council of Twelve robs people of their freedom under the pretext of giving them a stable society, but no one realises this. They follow the rules without a second thought because they’re used to them from birth.”
“Before I left home I definitely only saw the world the way I’d been taught to see it. What about you, did you figure this out a long time ago?” asked Jade.
“I always knew it. I grew up freely, on my own, and I took refuge in reading forbidd
en books and learning about life through them. Look at the world under the Council of Twelve: the sick and weak are considered feeble, useless, and contemptible. People never notice those more unfortunate than themselves — except to make fun of them,” Amber replied.
“It’s true, people do only what they’re ordered to do, they never question anything, they don’t give a thought to friendship, affection…”Jade mused. “Anyway, what I was saying, was that if the Council of Twelve has something against us, it’s because it’s frightened of us, as unlikely as that may seem. Ever since our birth, it’s had plenty of time to destroy us, to send Knights of the Order to hunt us down. So if the Council of Twelve is afraid of us now, it must have a very good reason, but I just can’t figure out what it could be.”
The two girls were soon lost in their own thoughts.
It was early afternoon and they had not eaten at the manor, so they decided to stop. Before their departure, Owen had given them enough supplies for their entire journey.
Jade and Amber sat down in the cool shade of an oak, and gently laid Opal down beside them. Their companion was still unconscious, but Lloghin had managed to staunch the flow of blood from her wound and it was now healing.
The two girls unpacked their supplies and hungrily attacked the fresh bread, dried meat and creamy cheese, leaving aside the unfamiliar and less appetising food.
“You know, Jade,” said Amber, “I’m not sorry I came here, after all. What kind of a future did I have? I didn’t really have one at all. I was about to leave childhood behind and see what lay ahead of me: nothing.”
“Ye-es,” conceded Jade, “but it wasn’t the same for me. Only a few days ago I would have proclaimed to the world that I was the daughter of the Duke of Divulyon, I would have told you all about my sumptuous palace, and unlike you, I believed that my future would bring me everything: fame, fortune, whatever my heart desired. Now I feel a little guilty that I didn’t know enough to look beyond appearances.”
Jade stopped talking and felt her cheeks flush. She would never have imagined that one day she would talk to someone about her feelings! And yet, the Duke of Divulyon had assured her that Opal and Amber would be her enemies, which had turned out to be true in the case of Opal, but false in Amber’s. Why had he said that? Jade had the unpleasant impression that she had changed since leaving the palace. And Amber was coming dangerously close to being her first friend — a word that had always seemed mysterious to Jade, and yet attractive, too.
No, it wasn’t possible! She, Jade, the daughter of the Duke of Divulyon, thinking such things! It was so strange — and she’d only left home a few days ago! She would have sworn that years had passed, perhaps because she sensed that her past was over and done with.
“I’ve got an idea,” said Amber out of the blue. “Why don’t we see if we can revive Opal with our Stones?”
“All right, let’s try.”
Amber took the black velvet purse from Opal’s pocket and folded the girl’s fingers around the Stone. Then she got out her own amber Stone and squeezed it hard, while Jade did the same with hers. They waited a moment, and then Amber squeezed even harder. The two girls felt that the Stones were trying to reach Opal through their energy, but it was no use: since she was unconscious, it was impossible to reach her the way they had before.
Disappointed, they soon set out on their journey again. Amber took Opal this time, apologising mentally to her horse for this extra weight. She was sure that her mount understood, even though he didn’t answer her.
“I’d really like to give you a name,” Amber murmured telepathically, “even though Owen claims you wouldn’t like that.”
The horse instantly became agitated, and Amber felt a mild discomfort; she guessed that her mount was using telepathy to dissuade her from opposing his wishes.
“Fine, all right, don’t get upset! I won’t give you a name. But I wasn’t aware that you could communicate feelings and sensations to me. It’s astounding!”
The horse stopped. Amber realised that she had annoyed him and wounded his pride.
“I’m sorry! It’s just that I’m not used to Fairytale. Many things here are so different from where I come from.”
Satisfied with her explanation, the horse walked on.
The girls rode for a long time without knowing whether they were on the right path. They were heading towards the mountains, but were still so far from Oonagh.
Twilight veiled Fairytale in shadows, and then night fell. The travellers weren’t tired, but they decided to stop because the countryside seemed more threatening in the dark and the girls were afraid of getting lost or being attacked by an unknown enemy. Adrien had advised them against seeking anyone’s hospitality, fearing they might encounter some danger. The girls knew that their enemies could be everywhere. Before, they had felt safe in Fairytale, but now, in the darkness, they didn’t know what to think. They sat down under a tree by the side of the road and ate their supper. Then they stretched out on the prickly grass, laying Opal down beside them.
“I’ve been thinking,” said Amber.
“Me too.”
“The inhabitants of Fairytale believe: they believe in the impossible. They’re free. Not necessarily happy, as Owen said, but free to choose their lives. I don’t think that war can exist here, in such a peaceful country. In the rest of the world, ruled by the Council of Twelve, people don’t believe any more, they don’t dream any more. They don’t know whether they’re happy or unhappy. They don’t even want to know. There isn’t any war out there, either — but there are many things that are forbidden—”
“You’re mistaken,” cut in Jade. “There’s evil here, too, Owen said so. There must have been wars and violence. You can’t always live in peace. And over there, on the Outside, war has existed for a long time and still does today. The Council of Twelve fights against freedom, and happiness. It won’t ever conquer them completely. Wherever there is evil, there must also be goodness. So there is war. There, and here.”
“You must be right,” replied Amber admiringly. “Good and evil, the eternal battle…”
They both laughed.
“On the Outside,” continued Amber, “most people hardly ever think about others. They forget to look around them, they forget about people’s feelings. And they don’t even realise it! Who would rebel, out there? Who would dare to be different from everyone else? And who would show these others how to change?”
“That’s why it’s up to Fairytale to help the Outside,” concluded Jade. “Here, everyone understands what goes on out there, and they can help them. And we certainly haven’t the right to pretend that none of this is happening.”
Carried away by her speech, Jade was about to say something else when a faint voice interrupted her, startling both girls.
“Where are we?”
Opal was awake.
“I don’t feel well,” she said weakly.
Amber crouched down beside her, reassuring her. “We’re in Fairytale,” she explained. “You were hurt, but it isn’t serious.”
With a stifled cry, Opal touched her wound, which was still painful in spite of Lloghin’s expert care.
“Let’s get out our Stones,” suggested Jade.
Opal and Amber promptly obeyed and, as they all concentrated, they felt a pleasant warmth. For an instant they thought of nothing: they felt relaxed, and their problems melted away. Then the communication slowly faded, and a wave of tiredness enveloped Jade and Amber, as though they had given part of their strength to Opal.
“Thank you. I feel better,” sighed Opal. “My wound hardly hurts at all any more. But I need to rest a little before we set out again. And by the way — where are we going?”
“To see Oonagh, of course,” replied Jade tartly.
“But we’re in no hurry,” added Amber. “Tonight, we’ll sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll tell you everything.”
And the three girls closed their eyes, forgetting all their troubles.
CHAPTER SEVENTE
EN
The Ghibdul’s Prisoners
ELFOHRYS AND THE Nameless One had stopped for the night in a small clearing. There had been no further incidents along the way after the mental attack from the Ghibduls. At one point Elfohrys had become disoriented, but after an hour the two travellers had managed to set out in the right direction again.
Before they lay down to sleep, the young hovalyn had asked how long it would take them to get out of the forest.
“Alas,” Elfohrys had replied, “it’s not up to me. If we don’t run into any more obstacles, perhaps we’ll be out of the forest in two days, but it could also take weeks.”
After eating and chatting for a little while, they had lain down to sleep. The Nameless One, who’d had almost no rest the night before, had fallen into a deep slumber, unaware that the Ghibduls had been studying him all day long. When they were sure he was asleep, they insidiously entered his mind and numbed it for several hours. They did the same to Elfohrys, so that now even the end of the world would not have disturbed the two companions.
Satisfied, the Ghibdul wise men rubbed their clawlike hands together. Cackling loudly, they sent a dozen warriors to fetch the sleeping travellers back to the Ghibdul lair.
These magic beings could fly for short distances at low altitudes of less than three metres from the ground, and now they swept through the forest searching for their prey. When they found them, they tied them up roughly with strong vines and sneered at their victims. How could such pathetic creatures ever have seemed like a threat to them?
Two Ghibdul warriors grabbed the travellers as if they were nothing more than packages, and the creatures flew merrily back to their city.
The room seemed to spin around him. Where was he? What was happening? The young hovalyn had no idea. He tried to remember recent events but his mind was still in a fog. He forced himself to keep his eyes open. He did not remember losing consciousness. Then he realised that his wrists and legs were bound and that he was tied to a sort of chair covered with a greenish moss like lichen. Still drowsy, he did not even try to free himself. He was in a strange room with dirty white walls, along with Elfohrys, who was unconscious and also tied with the same dark vines.
