Beyond The Iron Gate (The Faery Meadow Book 1)

by Lumtrexa

  I completely release my grasp from the tree.

  A small smile forms on my face as I happily land on a branch. Now I understand how I can get down! I can hop onto branches below me. I carefully repeat the pattern, lowering myself on a branch then carefully dropping to the one below. Finally, I arrive at the ground. The morning sun filters through the foliage from the trees above, as if its congratulating me on my silent victory. I then take off running, bursting through the trees in search of Lorcan. If I am being too noisy, it doesn't matter to me anyway. Lorcan was the one who went ahead!

  Finally, I spot a familiar figure wearing a cloak similar to mine. I take a moment to catch my breath.

  "Why didn't you wait for me?" I ask. A low, unfamiliar laugh echoes in the quiet woods. I freeze. The figure turns around slowly, facing me.

  His dark green hair confuses me, his eyes are a dull pitch black.

  "Who knew we'd find something out here, boys? Come on out!" He calls snapping his fingers. He pulls his hood down, revealing a nasty scar across his neck. Now that I have a better look, he can't be much older than me and Lorcan, probably even around the same age. Something about the man's voice seems off though, as if he's nervous.

  Following his command, his "henchmen", reveal themselves from the shadows. The henchmen seem older than the green haired man. One has pale long, greasy hair, he is extremely large, his meaty hands form fists. His eyes move rapidly from side to side landing on me. He stills his pace, standing by the green haired guy.

  "What do we have here boss? A were?" He asks with a confident grin. His pale lips cracked and bloody.

  The other man enters from behind them silently, standing on the other side of the green haired man. He doesn't look up from the ground. His hair is short and dark brown. One of his hands is missing, to be replaced by what looks like a mechanical weapon. He is slightly shorter than the paled haired man.

  "Well, lets get on with it then!" The green haired man cackles with a psychotic look in his eyes. Something tells me these guys aren't as tough as they're acting. They definitely aren't as intimidating as the fairy soldiers, that's for sure. I could probably even out run the men at his sides, but something tells me these are no ordinary people.

  Simultaneously, the three of them sprout wings affirming my conclusion.

  My back hits a tree, feeling trapped, I stand still watching them, analyzing them carefully.

  Their wings are small, a yellowish brown. They seem burnt and ripped up, as if they've been through a war. The fairy men, however, remain on the ground, as if they are contemplating what I will do.

  Subconsciously, I approach them in a trance. I start slowly walking toward the dangerous fairy men. They stand still, confused at my actions. To them, it must look like I'm surrendering.

  When I'm an arms length away from the "boss", I reach my hand out over his shoulder toward his wing. I might not get another chance like this, are their wings soft like Lorcan's? I feel childish doing this, but maybe they have some answers Lorcan isn't giving me.

  "No you idiot!" He screeches at me, slapping my arm away.

  "Boss I told you she was human." The paled hair man says quietly looking away from us.

  "Clort, you were right for once. Perhaps you are not as hollow minded as I thought." He sneers.

  "Human, you best be careful around folks like us, you see, fairies are naturally deadly to humans." He continues. The green haired man looks at me with new interest.

  "I don't think you'll hurt me." I say with courage I didn't know I have. I had a feeling they weren't that bad.

  "Don't you know?" he asks raising his voice in surprise. The three of them exchange worried looks. What is he talking about?

  He looks at me with worried eyes. Then he finally speaks up.

  "If you touch a fairy's wings you die." He explains.

  That can't be true. I touched Lorcan's wings.

  "That isn't true." I reply with a waver.

  "And you would know, wouldn't you? Human. You know it goes both ways. The fairy dies too if it's wings are touched by another fairy or human." He retorts.

  Suddenly, his eyes light up.

  "Unless..." He starts, then he bursts out laughing. The two fairies next to him start laughing too.

  "What's so funny?" I ask nervously.

  Suddenly, their laughter quickly dies out. Their eyes practically bulging out of their heads as they now look at me with terrified eyes like I've grown two heads. They stumble backwards several steps.

  "Yeah what's so funny?" A familiar voice demands. I turn around stunned. How did he find me?

  "Y-you! Human you need to get away from that guy." The green haired man says pointing at Lorcan.

  I turn around towards Lorcan confused.

  "Come with us hurry!" The green haired fairy pleads.

  I shake my head no.

  The green haired fairy drops his jaw at me.

  "You'll regret that." The green haired man says under his breath. His two henchmen have already taken off into the skies.

  "Come with me, please, I can save you from him." He says his voice softer, as if he's trying to coax me away from Lorcan.

  I hear a guttural growl come from Lorcan. When did Lorcan step so close to me? A new warmth flushes right up against my back, I turn around to find his wings stretched to their full length, right behind me.

  "Well that explains it. " The green haired man says with disgust. He gives Lorcan a cold glare.

  "Get out of here, Aifric." Lorcan replies, his voice a deadly tone.

  Aifric turns his back to us and leaps into the air, flying off towards his two other acquaintances. What were they doing out here anyway? I mean, we haven't run into any fairies out here, except the palace fairies.

  "You know they were actually helping me. You're the one who left me out here." I say raising my voice. Then again, I don't entirely trust those fairy guys. However, it seems like they are willing to tell me more information than Lorcan is.

  "Come on." Lorcan says sharply.

  Once again, its as if someone flipped a switch and he's off in a bad mood again. Maybe I made him mad by getting myself left behind.

  I follow quickly after him and once again we are submerging ourselves deeper and deeper into the woods. It may just be me, but I feel as if the trees are closer together, I can barely see the sky. It's darker and quieter.

  __________________________________

  Lorcan has been silent, he seems tense.

  Something seems to be bothering him, I decide to speak up. I quicken my pace so I can stand next to him.

  "Lorcan, what's bothering you?" I ask gently.

  He stops in his tracks, looking down at me.

  To my shock, he grabs both of my shoulders.

  His face is void of emotion. His eyes are distant, as if he doesn't see me.

  In fact, it reminds me of that look he had after he killed the fairy guard back in the bar.

  Still in his trance, he leans his head down toward me.

  Chapter 15-Pixies?

  I watch him lean down to my eye level, his red eyes ablaze.

  "We're being watched." He whispers eerily into my ear. His breathe tickles my ear, I flinch. He leans back, standing at his full height again, he looks at me intently.

  "Who is watching us? Did you see them?" I ask in a rush. We're probably being followed by guards, yes that must be it. I look behind him, then I look behind me in panic.

  "No. This side of the forest...has more creatures. We best be alert, we're going to get trapped at one point or another. It is just a matter of time." He grumbles vaguely, looking over his shoulder.

  "I don't know if I can walk much longer in this high grass." I mutter under my breath. The grass and weeds are up to my hips, the woods are getting thicker on this side, I thought it seemed more quiet here, vacant. According to Lorcan though, I was wrong.

  "Are we in danger?" I ask quietly, glancing up at him while we start walking again.

  "Not necessarily.
" He replies tiredly. I decide to keep quiet for the time being.

  ____________________________________

  About thirty minutes has passed since Lorcan told me we are being watched. I can feel my empty stomach rumble.

  "If you have wings, can't you fly us there?" I ask curiously.

  "If you have legs, can't you run?" He retorts.

  Suddenly, Lorcan puts his arm out in front of me, halting my step forward.

  "They've got us." He grits.

  "Who? Where?" I say looking around.

  Lorcan pulls his hood up, I do the same. He indicates for me to get down below a bush in front of us. He quietly lowers down next to me.

  "For the past hour, they've been luring us into their hoard. Stay beside me and don't utter a word if you wish to live, human. Pixies are not as you've read in your human fairy tales." He says with a creepy smile. Does he enjoy scaring me?

  "What on earth are you talking about? Can't we run away?" I say a little too loudly.

  "Maybe you should see what we're dealing with here, human." He says. He pulls through some of the leaves in the bush we hide behind, I lean my head in, giving him an uneasy glance before setting my eyes on what waits ahead.

  My face pales at the disfigured creatures walking around what looks to be a huge pit. There is no doubt they live down there. Above the pit, the trees are canopied in ropes with the so called pixies crawling all over. I can just see inside the gigantic pit, a pile of rusty swords sits in the center while they open and close cages.

  There must be at least fifty pixies here. How did I not hear them?

  Lorcan was definitely right, they look nothing like I thought they would be. Their faces are relatively the same, to me they look more like trolls. Their faces narrow, with pointy noses and beady eyes. Most of them have no hair on their greasy looking heads. I can barely hear their raspy voices as they march about their creepy home. I shudder at the thought of them stalking us.

  I scoot back, taking a deep breath I wait for Lorcan to tell me his plan.

  "You are going to have to do exactly what I say for us to get out of here." he says quietly.

  I'm not given time for any more questions because he quickly jumps to his feet, yanking my arm.

  He takes of running, pulling me along with him straight towards the pixie pit!

  "What are you doing?!" I screech.

  Then I remember what he told me. I try to keep up with him, stumbling down the hill toward the pit.

  Lorcan gives me a grim look before we hop into the pit.

  Quickly he shuffles me into his arms, letting his wings expand. We float quickly to the ground. Then, Lorcan drops me to the ground, I land with a thud on the dirt.

  Immediately, the pixies stop what they’re doing and eye us suspiciously.

  "I've come for a trade." Lorcan declares to the mass of pixies encircling us.

  "Ah, our guests have arrived." A deep voice says from above us.

  The figure jumps down, revealing a very large pixie with just one arm. I take it he is the one in charge of this disgusting place. I have identified the cages down here as prisons, creatures of all sorts are locked up, their hands prying through the bars desperately.

  Lorcan kicks me in the back gently.

  "Get up slave." He sneers. What!?

  I quickly look over my shoulder at him in panic. He pushes me roughly forward, towards the pixies.

  "Ah, a fine slave fit for a fine king." the ‘pixie king’ murmurs. There is no way this is happening.

  Is this part of Lorcan's plan or is this why he really brought me with him in the first place?

  I have to trust him.

  "Tell me, what is this slave's name." The pixie king commands. The pixies start to make room for the pixie king to walk. When he reaches me, he walks around me as if evaluating my worthiness to be his slave.

  "I know not, it is a mere human. Such a pain to drag the ugly excuse of a being with me all the way here." Lorcan says with a very believable laugh.

  Hearing him talk about me like that, even if he's lying, makes me self conscious. I play with the dirt at my feet, I probably do look gross with my hair all crazy from hiking around the woods. Not to mention the dirt in my finger nails. I sigh inwardly, waiting patiently for this to be over.

  "Something tells me your special." The pixie king mutters casually. I refuse to look at him, so I stare at the floor.

  A cold finger touches my forehead and I force myself not to jump away. The pixie king takes his good old time dragging his dirty gross finger down my forehead. I feel my legs start to shake in terror at this pixie's touch. I force myself not to gag. The pixie king's stench is enough to make me vomit. He smells of dead animal and rotten eggs.

  How long is he going to stand here with his finger on my face?

  The pixie king looks up and over my shoulder, probably at Lorcan. Finally, he removes his finger off my forehead and steps away from me.

  "Well I don't have all day, name your price." Lorcan demands angrily.

  "I believe I am king here, not you. I tend to just take what I like. Why else would I have sent my troops out to watch over you?" The pixie king says with a smile watching me.

  "Then again, I'm not so dumb as to tick you off, Lorcan. In exchange for the slave girl, I will grant you one of my highest trained were-trackers." The fairy king concludes.

  "Deal." Lorcan says quickly.

  The king quickly snatches me and I cry out. I remind myself over and over this is all part of Lorcan's plan.

  I take a last glance back at Lorcan, he's quietly watching the pixie king drag me away.

  "Enjoy that tracker, raised him myself!" The pixie king hollers back to Lorcan.

  I follow quickly after the pixie king as we weave through several narrow tunnels. I try to keep track of the turns we make, but it is like a maze down here. Suddenly, I'm shoved into a tiny cage where I have to crawl on my knees to fit in. The door screeches to a close and is firmly locked behind me. I watch through the bars as the disgusting pixie king places the key inside his shirt.

  "I will see you tomorrow." he whispers. I glance up at the top of the pit, the sky is barely visible from down here. There are a few torches along the walls, but it might as well always be night down here from the depth we're at. The cages next to me are empty. I try to bend the bars of the cage, but I stand no chance.

  I watch as the pixie king walks away. Who knows how long it will take until Lorcan finds me all the way back here.

  _________________________________________

  A good two hours has passed, still no sign of Lorcan, just the occasional murmur of pixies talking down the tunnel.

  My head is bent at an awkward angle, my entire body is starting to get cramped up and I have no room at all to stretch. The exhaustion from today is starting to weigh in on me, I try to keep my eyes open. The last thing I need to do is fall asleep down here.

  I pull my cloak's hood as far over my head as possible and hug my legs.

  An ear piercing scream in agony rips through the air, making me hit my head on the top of my cage. What was that? Is Lorcan fighting them? There's too many of them!

  Then the noises of battle follows, steel hitting steel, more shouts and the thudding of footsteps rushing around.

  All of the sudden, the noises stop.

  My blood runs cold as Lorcan's familiar psychotic laugh rings through the air breaking the silence.

  The sounds of battle continue.

  The walls, to my amazement, start to slightly shake as if something or someone is hitting against the walls of the pit. A torch on the wall to the right of me falls on the floor, diffusing itself. Now the side of the tunnel to the right of me is completely black.

  "Evacuate the pit!" A pixie screams from down the tunnel.

  The ceiling of the tunnel rumbles, a few pieces of dirt from it fall to the floor.

  I need to get out of this cage and I need to get out now.

  Chapter 16-Cold

  Inhalin
g sharply, I try to pry the bars open with all the strength I can muster. First, I attempt to bend them, clenching them as hard as I can. Giving up, I start kicking the old rusty bars of my cage. I heave one last kick with my right foot at the center bar.

  I small smile creeps onto my face as I see the welding of the top of the bar crack. I aim my foot at the weak point, kicking over and over. I can escape on my own.

  Finally, the top of the bar gives out and snaps off the hinge of the cage. I give a little triumph grunt and turn my body sideways, squeezing through the narrow space.

  When I reach the dirt floor I jump up in victory. Now I just have to find Lorcan. There's no way I'm going down the right side of the tunnel, even though its the way I came its pitch black and for all I know there could be a pixie in there waiting for me to walk by.

  Without a second thought, I jog down the left side of the tunnel, my shadow mirroring me along the dirty walls. I follow the sounds of the screaming and muffled cries of pixies. At last, I reach the end of the tunnel, to my luck, I am back at the other side of the pit.

  I cover my mouth in disgust when I see what lays before me. Pixies, blood and death.

  The scattered remains of their torn bodies are all over the walls of the huge pit. Their blood paints the dirt walls in a bloody mess. The scene is too gory for my mind to take in. Not a sound comes from the mutilated bodies around me, no doubt they are all dead.

  Did Lorcan really need to kill them all? What am I thinking? They were trying to kill him in the first place! However, the way their bodies are torn up makes it obvious their deaths weren't...peaceful to say the least. What happened in here? Did Lorcan really kill them all on his own? Where is he anyway?

  I gulp taking a step back from the bloody scene. I have to find Lorcan, who knows what state he's in now.

  "P-p-please mercy." A weak voice wheezes to the left of me. My eyes widen at the desperation in the voice. Is someone still alive?

  I follow the voice, it seems they're in another passage way. I quietly follow the sound of it, finding a shaded tunnel.