by M. L. Brooks
“So why wouldn’t they play with you?” Adair asked.
“They don’t like outsiders with mixed blood,” he said.
“Wait, so you’re part Fae then?” asked Adair.
“Yeah. Human grandmother, Stone Fae grandfather,” he elaborated.
“I would have thought that would give you a connection this place” said Adair.
Marty gave her a disapproving sidelong glance as he took another drink from his cup.
“Most of them see me as an abomination. I’ve never really fit in anywhere. I only got by on the surface because my enchantments were the best in the realm” he said.
“Wow. That must be hard,” said Adair, staring down at her cards.
Marty tipped his glass to Adair, took another drink, and then slammed down a card. They went back and forth playing cards until Marty put down his hand. He had a perfect run of six cards. Adair had a couple matches but two of her cards didn’t fit in. Marty snickered, and his face lit up. They started flipping over the cards in their stable. Adair was able to finish her matches. They added up their points. The game ended in a tie.
“Looks like we need to go another round,” he said.
He put all the cards back into the deck and slid it over to Adair. She clumsily shuffled the cards and then dealt them out another hand. Her hand was looking better this time. They started playing the cards back and forth.
“What made you decide to come here?” asked Adair.
“My daughter passed away. I was sent word of it just a few days ago. The thing is though that Fae don’t die. Something happens to their spirits after and they can be reborn. She may only be part Fae, but I’m hoping the queen can pull her spirit back. They just won’t see me without our hearthstone,” he replied.
“What happened to your hearthstone?” asked Adair, not even sure what a hearthstone was.
“You know, you’ve been asking a lot of questions,” shot back Marty.
“I just spent most of my life living in Guardia. Now that I’m actually out seeing the world, I feel like I was clueless to how everything works. I wasn’t ready to be a leader and I’m paying the price for it,” said Adair.
“A sword master must develop their own understanding and philosophy to reconcile the tragedies they face. War is a heavy burden. I’m a blacksmith and I still struggle to make sense of what I do. My daughter was probably killed by a weapon that someone like me crafted. How can I look at my forge knowing that?” Marty asked rhetorically.
“I don’t know. I recently lost a close friend of mine. She didn’t deserve what happened to her. I can’t say what I’m after is right but I need a weapon that will let me avenge her,” said Adair.
“How long did you know your friend?” asked Marty.
“Not long. She just… Had such a good heart. Not a bad bone in her body,” said Adair.
“Sounds like my girl,” Marty muttered into his drink.
“What was her name?” asked Adair.
“Shea,” he replied.
Adair was floored by his response. She quickly dug through her bag, tears welling up in her eyes as she realized who she was playing cards with. She pulled out Shea’s amulet and slid it over to Marty. She kept her head down, unable to look up at him. He took the amulet and clutched it against his heart.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“How did you get this?” he asked.
“She gave it to me after The Sword Theater…” she began but couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
“Look, I don’t blame you. It sounds like we both failed her. I… I have to go,” he said, taking the amulet and rushing out of the tavern.
Adair put her cards down on the table and followed after him. When she managed to catch up with Marty, he was back at the top of the city talking with the keeper of the gate again. The gatekeeper looked up at Adair as she stopped by Marty.
“This is really most unusual. Is she with you?” he asked.
“She is,” said Marty.
“Fine. I’ll check in with her majesty and see what she wants to do,” said the gatekeeper, looking down his nose at them. He turned around and went off through a smaller door to the side of the main entrance. Adair and Marty stood there, waiting.
Adair wanted so badly to reach out and comfort him. To apologize a million times but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. He stood there with his back turned to her. He was caught up in the same contemplative silence as she was. His only emotions were focused on speaking with the queen and trying to get his daughter back. Almost thirty minutes went by before the gatekeeper returned.
“Alright. You can come in over here,” he said, ushering them through the side door.
When they entered the main chamber, it was a long and open hall with statues of different heroes of the Stone Fae. At the end of the hall was a wall with a giant gold spider statue that was designed to look like it was emerging from the wall. Its size was menacing and awe inspiring. As they walked further down the hall, the temperature of the room grew warmer and they could hear clanking and hissing.
They went around the spider wall and on the other side was a gigantic smithy. Five or six Fae were running around at various points in their crafting. Directing them was a giant spider with the upper body resembling a Stone Fae. She had bright red eyes, and her upper body was decorated in elaborate gold necklaces. Her hands were covered in rings and gems of many different sizes and colors. She lifted a bejeweled hand and beckoned Marty and Adair in.
“You bear one of my hearthstones. Out of respect for its legacy I will speak to you,” she said, her voice deep and regal.
Marty gulped, not having expected this to be their queen.
“My daughter was killed, but she is part Fae so I thought her soul must have returned to you. I’m here to beg you to give her a body again. I’ll do anything,” the queen looked him over and then walked up to him. She ran her hand along his muscular arm.
“You’re a weapon smith, of no small skill. The hearthstone has returned you to me, just as all Stone Fae return to me in the end. Your daughter’s body was slain, that much you already know. But her spirit is not ready to return. You will not be reunited with her in this life,” said the queen.
“You won’t bring her back?” asked Marty, growing agitated again.
“I can’t bring her back. Her power has surpassed the pull of life and death, bringing her back is beyond what I can do for you,” stated the queen.
“You have to be able to bring her back! You said it yourself that all Stone Fae return to you in the end. You must bring her back, you must at least try!” he begged.
“After the soul of a Fae moves on, it cannot be brought back before it is ready to return. However, if you wish to remain here then I promise I will do what I can for you,” said the queen.
“Do what you can for me? If you can’t bring her back then what can you do for me?” exclaimed Marty.
“Your spirits are forever bonded through the blood you share as family. One day, your human body will release your Fae spirit and then I will be able to reunite you with her” explained the queen.
“If our spirits are bonded I could just kill myself and be rid of this suffering” he argued.
“To be awake is to suffer. Don’t push my generosity. If you thought death was your way out you would have done it by now. Your daughter has work in the realm of the sleeping, but your work is here. Stay, and build for me. Our craftsmen are working on projects you couldn’t even imagine on the surface. This is my final offer,” extended the queen.
“I don’t know that this was the resolution I wanted, but I think you’re right. Something inside me was pulling me back here. I have one request though. I would like to craft a sword for my friend here, and I would like room and board for her until it’s done,” requested Marty.
“I will allow it. Take these coins, they will cover any expenses you may have. Meet us back here tomorrow,” said the queen as she picked up a few flat rings of met
al and handed them to Adair.
Adair took the rings and bowed before the queen.
“You may leave now,” she said, waving Adair away.
Adair left the forge and headed back out to the top of the city stairs. She started looking around to see if she could find some kind of hospital or healer. Eventually she stopped and asked for directions. The Fae she asked looked at her funny and pointed her toward a shrine on the tier below them. Adair went down and found a statue of the Goddess Aurora.
To the right of the statue was a narrow room. Adair entered and the room was lined with cots that were separated by sheets. Two Fae women in elaborate robes walked around and tended to patients. One of them was a man who had his pant leg rolled up, and a green bite wound was oozing with infection and blood. One of the women turned to Adair.
“What do you require?” she asked.
“I’m looking for my friends. Two men. One of them had a barb in his wing,” said Adair.
The woman nodded and took her to the back where Alfein was laying on his stomach and Emin was sitting in a chair. A third woman was in the back sticking a transparent patch over Alfein’s wing.
“Your wing will heal itself in a few hours. The hard part was just making sure that none of the urticating bristles stayed in the wound,” said the healer.
“Good news guys. He agreed to make me a sword! We just have to wait around until tomorrow,” said Adair cheerfully.
“Where should we stay the night?” asked Emin.
“Well I don’t know if our money is any good down here,” said Alfein as he sat up.
“When I met the queen, she gave me these,” said Adair as she pulled out the coins of the Stone Fae.
“The queen’s blessing is upon you then. I’ll take one coin and then I’ll give you a piece of advice before you go. Don’t flash your money around here. Resources aren’t always bountiful in the underground and not everyone would treat an outsider with honor,” said the healer, as she extended her palm out to accept payment from Adair. Adair nodded and handed the healer a coin. The healer gave Alfein’s wing a final wiggle to make sure the patch was secure and then she walked away.
“Dinner’s on me?” shrugged Adair.
CHAPTER 16
Adair tossed and turned all night, trying to get comfortable. They had found what looked like a reputable inn and were taken to a large room with four stone beds in it. The stone was well polished and softer than regular stone, but she had still spent the night trying to sleep on a slab of rock. She had a small round pillow that she kept wedged under head and neck for support.
The room itself was decorated with grand pieces of artwork and was well furnished with end tables, candles, a bookshelf filled with books, a vanity, and chairs. They had a private toilet just down the hall from their room. Their room almost perfectly captured the austere attitude and decadent tastes of the Stone Fae.
Deciding that she had enough of pretending to sleep, Adair hopped out of bed and put her clothes back on. Seeing her getting up, Emin sat up and stretched his arms. Alfein was out cold, snoring with face squished against the stone. Adair came over and shook Alfein’s shoulder. He snorted awake and wiped up the drool off his face.
“We should probably grab something to eat,” said Emin.
“The food here is awful,” said Alfein.
“He’s right though. If we don’t eat now, we might not have the chance later,” said Adair.
The three of them walked down into the kitchen of the inn. There were several bowls of snacks set out for the guests. One contained roasted spider legs, another had cooked mushrooms, and a third had purple potatoes. To the side there were an assortment of sauces, plates, cutlery, cups, and a couple pitchers of a bitter ale that the locals enjoyed. Adair was not accustomed to eating spider legs so she chose to grab a potato to nibble on as they left the inn. Emin took a spider leg and Alfein tried a couple mushrooms.
After their light snack, Adair and her party went out and headed up to the forge. When they got to the gate, the gatekeeper rushed over and urged them get inside.
“We have important business here,” said Adair, flashing the queen’s ring.
The gatekeeper looked flustered and quickly guided them through the side door.
“Well Adair, you should just be our ambassador everywhere we go,” laughed Alfein.
“The forge is just up ahead here,” said Adair, ignoring his joke.
Around the spider wall was the Spider Queen still directing the smiths in the forge. She turned to Adair and her companions and smiled. She skittered toward them. Alfein readied a hand on his sword. When the queen saw his hand, her demeanor shifted. Adair noticed what Alfein was doing and she quickly turned toward him.
“No, no! She’s their queen. She won’t hurt us,” Adair said.
Alfein blushed and realized he was the only one acting hostile. “I’m terribly sorry,” he apologized.
“Little flies always work themselves into a dither in the presence of greatness,” she said, tossing her silvery hair to the side and letting out an ugly laugh.
“Is Marty here?” asked Adair.
“Why yes. He’s just resting at the moment. He worked all through the night on your sword. I assigned him a team of specialty craftsmen and I’m quite pleased myself with what he produced,” said the queen as she walked over to an organized work bench with a single sword wrapped in gold silk.
The queen delicately unwrapped the sword and revealed it to them. The sword was short and slender. Its blade was translucent, sharpened on one side, and dull on the other. It extended up into a fine point. Crafted into the hilt was the jewel from Shea’s amulet. The overall design was clean and sleek. The queen lifted the sword into the air, the moonstone reacting to the movement and giving the sword an ethereal glow. She flipped it around and handed it handle first to Adair.
Adair took the sword and she felt a surge of energy flow into her body. She lifted the sword and gave it a couple of light practice swings. The sword felt weightless and moved through the air with ease. Adair did not consider a sword like this to be suitable for battle.
“This sword is too light. I needed a weapon for war, not something that’s just pretty to look at,” said Adair.
“The sword is made from a composite crystal that is centuries ahead of any weaponry you’ll find on the surface. It’s more durable than steel. The real beauty of this blade is in the enchantment. Marty saw you fit to continue carrying his hearthstone which we used to power the blade. When you wield it, you need to understand that it is your intentions that will set how great the sword is. If you want to block then it will block, if you want to cut through any material then it will cut through any material. The only thing that could stop a sword like that would be your own weakness, or a stronger enchantment. If I had to declare any weapon in this room as unsuited for war, it would be you,” said the queen as she waved her hand at Adair.
“I didn’t mean to offend,” said Adair, staring at her new weapon.
“I’m not offended. Let me clarify for you. I am Queen Niligoth, Night Mother of the Stone Fae. My sole pride is in the skill of my artisans. I take care of them, and they dedicate themselves solely to their craft. I’ve arranged for one of our master hunters to spar with you so that you can see your sword in action,” declared Queen Niligoth.
“Follow me,” she said as she walked out into the main hall.
Sitting on the ground with his war hammer across his lap was Gildan. Adair, Emin, and Alfein followed Niligoth out. When he saw them, he stood up and dusted himself off.
“Ah! Looks like you got what you came for,” said Gildan to Adair.
“I take it you have met already. Gildan, give her a few good knocks and then send them on their way. Don’t break anything,” ordered Niligoth as she turned around and went back to her own business in the forge.
Gildan crouched into a battle stance with his war hammer in hand. Adair readied her new sword.
“Let’s go!” shouted Gilda
n as he ran toward her.
He swung his hammer around at her. Adair panicked and swung her sword around to clash into his hammer. Her sword clanked into his hammer, her wrist and arm feeling the weight of his strike. She stumbled to the side. He spun around, this time striking with the pole end of his hammer. It hit Adair in the arm and knocked her into the ground. She dropped her sword.
Gildan took a few steps back.
“You’re not going to overpower me. You need to be light on your feet, fast, and you need to strike with certainty. Don’t try to block. Watch my movements and try to dodge,” he said.
Adair grabbed her sword and got back to her feet. This time she copied one of the postures Rose had taught her. When Gildan swung his hammer at her, she slid back and then sprung at him with her sword. Gildan quickly loosened a dagger from his waist and swung it up to deflect her lunge.
“Much better. Who taught you that?” asked Gildan.
“My master, she’s the one who sent me here,” said Rose.
“Ah. Rose has an apprentice. If you’re going to survive in her company you’re going to need to learn to use your sword. That’s not just a sword. It’s a manifestation of your will. Next time you strike at something, focus your will on what you actually want your sword to do. You’re not just slapping metal, slice through it,” instructed Gildan as he picked his hammer up and jumped back.
He lifted his hammer into the air and chanted a few words. He swung his hammer down into the ground. The rock shifted and released a boulder that floated a few feet in the air. Gildan swung his hammer around again, tapping the rock and sending it flying at Adair. Adair centered herself and imagined her sword slicing through the rock as if it were nothing. She swung, the sword almost guiding itself, and cut the rock into two pieces that fell on either side of her.
She leapt at Gildan, striking at him with her sword. He swung up his hammer and in a burst of energy they were both bounced a few feet from each other. Adair didn’t feel any recoil from hitting his hammer the way she had when their weapons first crossed. It was as if her sword had thrown the energy back at him.
