Jewel chuckled. “Yeah, that was probably a bit more forceful than necessary, but who cares. Let’s go.” She said as she led the group out of the cell. They were almost at the stairs, when she saw an arm reach out from between the bars of the cell on her left. Frost tried to smack it away, but it was unnecessary because she had already used her telekinesis to fling the arm, along with its owner, back into the belly of the cell. She had taken a few steps away from the cell, when someone shouted at her to stop. She turned back and used the luzversep spell, which actually worked for her, much to her delight and Zekiel’s, and peered inside to see who was there.
What she saw was astonishing. It wasn’t just one individual, as she had previously thought, but about a dozen males. All but two of them were dressed in matching uniforms and Jewel could only assume belonged to a different guard than the Pixies as the uniforms didn’t look like Puck or Eldon’s had.
One of the males, that appeared to be in what once was probably a regal looking robe stepped forward. “Please, Sovereign. Please have mercy on us. We have been locked away in this Hell for more moons than I can yet keep track of. Please release us. We mean you no harm, and perhaps we can strike up an alliance of sorts, if that suits you.”
Jewel narrowed her eyes as she inspected the male’s appearance. He was pale, probably due to the lack of sunlight, and was covered in dirt. His long hair was a matte color of dirty blue and his eyes were a dull grey. But what caught Jewel’s attention even more was the fact that the male had pointed tips on his ears which peaked through the curtain of hair, and wings that were barely visible behind him. Barely visible, but visible, nonetheless.
“Well, I’ll be.” Ambrosia snorted. “I mean, come on, what are the chances of us finding a Fairy down here?” She shook her head.
“A Fairy?” Foster stated disbelievingly as he moved his way over to Jewel.
Jewel moved over a bit and heard Foster audibly gasp when he saw the Fairy behind the bars. “Rayon?” He said as he moved closer. “Why? How? I don’t understand.”
The Fairy mirrored Foster’s shocked expression. “How can this be? How are you here? Where have you been all this time?”
“It’s a long story, but why are you not still in Faeville? How is it you came to be here?” Foster asked.
“The Horde, my brother. The Horde has made an alliance with Shade Sterling, which we were unaware of until after Shade called a meeting of the four corners.”
“He did not.” Foster growled.
“He did. Demanded that we tell him where Iridessa is, and when we refused, I ended up being taken and was brought here along with one of the other members of the four corners.”
“What are the four corners?” Jewel interrupted, feeling a bit lost in the conversation.
“The four corners is an alliance, well maybe alliance is too strong a word. It is more of an agreement that no Elf, Fairy, Pixie, or Djinn will align themselves with those that would do any of the four corners harm. Jazere of the Djinn was able to get away, but the Monarch Pixie turned on us and accepted Shade’s deal before we knew what was happening. And here I am.”
“So, Iridessa……?” Foster started.
“She’s fine, brother. But I daresay that we will not be if you are caught out of your cell, so can you please let us out of here?” Rayon asked Jewel pointedly.
“Who else is in there with you?” Jewel asked. She had to make sure that when she let Rayon out, that she wasn’t going to end up letting someone out with him that shouldn’t be. “And was it you that tried to grab me?”
“No, Sovereign. It was not.” Rayon answered, turning back to the cell. “Well, come on then, Brutus. She probably won’t throw you against the wall again if you behave yourself.” He chuckled.
Brutus stepped forward tentatively, but before Jewel even had a chance to say anything, Foster growled and launched himself at the cell bars. “You!” He snapped, before turned his gaze and ire onto Rayon. “How can you sit in here and converse with the likes of that?” He demanded. “He is the bloody reason I was imprisoned for decades upon decades. He is the responsible party. He is the one that sneered and laughed as I tried fruitlessly to fight my way from the Horde. I thought I could trust him. I read his emotions and it seemed as though his intentions of law making were sincere, but he tricked me.” He glowered, his eyes dropping briefly in what appeared to be self-shame, until he narrowed his gaze back on Rayon. “If you can even tolerate that filth, then you are no brother of mine.” He finished, chest heaving, and staring daggers at the one Jewel could only assume was Brutus.
“No! No, no, no. You have it all wrong, brother.” Rayon began.
“It’s okay, Ray. Let me explain it before your brother there has his head pop off his shoulders like a snookerberry.” Brutus said, holding a hand up and coming right over to the bars, facing Foster without a hint of fear or unease. “I am not who you think I am. Take a closer look at me and tell me that I’m wrong.”
Jewel saw that Foster was a little unsure at that point, taking a small step from the bars and just glaring at Brutus, who looked completely nonplussed. Jewel looked at Brutus too. He was quite a large man, towering over Rayon, who was not short by any means, and he looked like a wall of pure muscle. His white hair was dirty, but fell in waves, and his ears did not just have pointed tips, but were also slanted and about twice the size of Jewel’s. His eyes looked like crystals, an olive flecked golden color, and his skin was a golden color even with the lack of sunlight that Brutus had probably had in a while, which led Jewel to believe that it probably had been a rich chocolate brown before being captured.
Foster stared at Brutus for a few minutes, before stating, “You aren’t him.” He frowned, his lips thinning, but his shoulders visibly relaxing. “How is it that you look so much like him?”
“Because who you are thinking of is my cousin. The dirty, lying piece of filth.” Brutus curled his lip. “I am Brutus, true leader of the Elven race, and my cousin, Fox is the one that betrayed you and set me up to be captured and brought here. Unbeknownst to me, he accepted the alliance with Shade at the meeting of the four corners and I was captured along with some of my loyal guard and Rayon before being brought here. All the while Fox rules over my constituents. I cannot wait to have the opportunity to face him again. He will pay dearly for what he’s done. I will make sure of it.”
“Only if I don’t get to him first, because he’s been working with the Horde for far longer than he has been aligned with Shade and trust me when I say that he will answer for the crimes he committed against me.” Foster vowed, a gleam in his eye that was both alarming and alluring. Much like a predator that can reel in its prey.
“Well, none of that is going to happen if we don’t get out of here.” A voice from the back of the cell shrieked. “We need to leave before the guards come back.”
“Who is that?” Jewel asked Rayon and Brutus.
“It’s a Pixie thief. He’s the only one in here that probably should be, but I wouldn’t wish this punishment on anyone.” Rayon answered.
“What did he steal?” Jewel pressed.
“I stole a rare flower from the Monarch’s gardens, but it was only because I wanted to get my wife something nice for our anniversary and I could afford nothing that could match her beauty.” The Pixie replied as he walked closer to the bars.
The Pixie was short in comparison to Rayon and Brutus, but he had a confidence about him that didn’t make him seem small.
“You mean to tell me that you have been stuck in here because you took a flower?” Jewel questioned, her brows knitting together.
“That is correct.” The Pixie said simply. “It was the Monarch’s flower, so I was charged as a thief, beaten, and marked.” He said, pointing to the several scars lining his face.
“Fine. You can come to, but if any of you try anything funny, I won’t hesitate to knock you on your butts.” Jewel warned.
“Wait, Gem.” Frost said, placing his hand gingerly on Jewel’s arm
, causing her face to heat and Galadriel’s to drop into a frown. “Strike a deal with them first. You can get the Pixie dust, a strand of Elf hair, and a possible alliance.”
“Huh. Snowball’s right.” Rain said with a smirk. “That was actually pretty smart, there.”
“It has been known to happen, Princess.” Frost retorted jovially, which was so out of place that it was funny since they were all still in the dungeon area, run by a race of magical creatures that wanted to hand them over to their enemies.
“Here.” Sage said as he handed Jewel two empty vials.
Jewel nodded her thanks and turned back towards the cell. “I need something from each of you, but I will be letting you out regardless so it’s not a ‘if you don’t do this you won’t be seeing the light of day anytime soon’ type of deal.”
“Go on.” Brutus prompted.
“Shade used this horrible weapon on my Dad and if we don’t get the ingredients for a very specific potion, he won’t survive. And I can get two of the ingredients if two of you agree to help.” Jewel explained.
“What do you require?” Rayon asked, his dull grey eyes narrowing.
“I need one of these vials to be filled with Pixie dust, and the other to have strands of hair from an Elf.” Jewel said as she waved her hand and magically opened the cell door, successfully surprising everyone in her group and in the cell. Yes, she could have used freedom as leverage to get what she wanted, but she never wanted to be like Shade or Gertrude, scaring people into helping her. To rule by fear would never gain anyone’s respect, and she wanted to build bridges between the magical communities, not cause more division. Guess the prophecy’s talk of her bringing peace and unity, along with all the discussions Winter had been having with Jewel about what it meant to be a true leader were starting to make a bigger impact on her line of thinking than she could have imagined, because opening the doors was either the smartest thing she had ever done or the stupidest.
“Why would you release us without getting an answer back first?” Brutus inquired, stepping closer to Jewel.
“Because it has to be your choice. That’s what true freedom is. It’s the ability to make choices, and I’ve given you a chance to make yours. But please be quick, because we have to get out of here.” Jewel said with urgency.
Brutus and the Pixie, whose name Jewel still didn’t know, both reached out and took one of the vials that Jewel had in her hand. Brutus plucked out a couple of hairs and placed them in the vial, but instead of giving it back to Jewel right away, he then passed it to one of the uniformed Elves standing to his right. Jewel watched in awe as each of the uniformed Elves also plucked a couple of their hairs and placed them into the vial. One by one they did this until the last Elf had finished and handed the vial back to Brutus.
Brutus placed the stopper back on the vial and handed it to Jewel, who said her thanks to not only him, but to all the Elves who had helped her move one step closer to saving her Dad.
“Oh, wow.” Ambrosia muttered as she peered into the cell, her nose wrinkling and a frown lining her face.
“What is it?” Sage asked in concern.
“It’s like walking past an accident, you don’t want to look, but you can’t seem to look away.” Ambrosia said vaguely.
Jewel looked to see what Ambrosia was referring to and saw that the Pixie was clawing at his head to get the Pixie dust. But unfortunately, most of it was flying right off his head and onto the ground, missing the vial.
Turning to Sage, Jewel asked, “Do you have anything bigger than the vial?”
Sage rummaged through his bag and pulled out an empty jar. “Perfect. Thanks.” Jewel said as she quickly walked into the cell and straight to the Pixie. “Here. This might be easier. And thank you for your help.”
The Pixie’s eyes rounded and the expression on his face took on a puzzled look, but he nodded and went back to clawing, aiming his head towards the jar until it was half full of Pixie dust. The jar sparkled and twinkled like the night sky and Jewel found herself both mesmerized and repulsed, completely understanding what Ambrosia had said just minutes earlier.
Sage made sure to pack both the vial and the jar carefully in his bag, and Jewel began to lead the way, stopping briefly to unlock the door leading to the where the Pixie guards had placed everyone’s weapons. Each member of her group and Rayon, Brutus, the Pixie, and the uniformed Elves grabbed weapons as well- fully prepared to fight if need be.
“Okay, the goal is to get out of here and away from the Villa and from the town so I can open up a portal and get us all out of here.” Jewel said.
“I cannot go with you. I appreciate your help in freeing me, but I cannot leave without my wife.” The Pixie replied.
“Understood, but you know you can’t simply resume your life here. They’ll throw you back in the cell if you don’t leave.” Jewel pointed out.
The Pixie shook his head. “I still cannot leave without my wife. I understand if you cannot wait.” He said resignedly.
Jewel pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She knew they had already used a ridiculous amount of time and that the guards would be coming down in the very near future to make their rounds, but she couldn’t just leave the Pixie man to his fate. After all, what he had done, he had done for love which was romantic.
Jewel looked over at Galadriel. “Could you teleport the Pixie to his home, and teleport back here with both him and his wife. I know you’ve never seen their house, but do you think you could do it?”
“I’m pretty sure, or at least I can get to the outskirts of town, and glamour the two of us until we find his wife.” Galadriel shrugged.
“Go then, but please do it quickly. We don’t have much time before the guards show back up……or worse.” Jewel warned.
Galadriel’s lips thinned and he nodded in understanding. Grabbing the Pixie’s hand, he gave no warning before teleporting out.
Jewel grabbed Slayer and secured it around her waist.
“So, what is it that you need from me, Sovereign?” Rayon asked, cocking his head to the side.
Jewel straightened the belt holding Slayer. “An alliance.” She answered simply. “And not just with you, but with the Elves as well.”
Rayon didn’t even hesitate. “You have my allegiance, Sovereign. And I think I can speak for Iridessa as well when I say that you have her support.”
“And you will also have your alliance with the Elves.” Brutus vowed. “We will stand with you against any foe and once I regain my rightful place upon the throne, you will have the might of the entire Elven community on your side.”
“Thank you both. It means a lot to have the support.” Jewel said, before Ambrosia hissed and shut the door quickly, but silently.
“They’re here. The guards are here.” Ambrosia said, pulling out a knife.
“How many?” Frost asked.
“Based on the footsteps, I would say two or three.” Ambrosia answered, placing her ear against the door.
“Let us handle them, then.” Lyric offered.
“Oh, yeah. Time for some fun.” Dream grinned.
“Are you two sure?” Jewel asked, concerned about their safety.
“Absolutely, Draconis.” Lyric smirked.
“Without a doubt.” Dream added.
“Then I’m coming too.” Sage said, taking his bag off and handing it to a very agitated looking Ambrosia. Sage merely shrugged. “Can’t let them have all the fun, Hon.” With a chaste kiss upon the Vampiress’ reddened cheeks, Sage made his way to the door. “You two ready?” He asked a very excited Lyric and Dream.
“Born ready.” Lyric said.
“So ready.” Dream stated.
Without waiting a moment longer, Sage whipped the door open and the three ran out. Jewel and the others stood in the doorframe, not wanting to get in their way but not wanting to miss the action either.
Jewel shouldn’t have been worried about her three friends, and before long she found herself smiling and giggling a
t the show Lyric, Dream, and Sage were putting on. The guards had never stood a chance. Sage was using his spellcasting ability to spin one of the guards around until their face turned a literal shade of green, and then he dropped them from midair to the floor where he proceeded to make their body do the most awkward movements, sort of like a marionette does with a puppet. Dream had put the second guard in a trance, hypnotizing him with her humming. This poor guard had gone into the cell, closed the door, and was swaying to the sound of Dream’s voice with a goofy expression plastered on his face. And then there was Lyric, who was using her power of persuasion to make the third guard believe he was being attacked by creatures trying to eat his face. He kept slapping himself until his skin was an angry red and he was shrieking in a high-pitched tone that was in complete opposition to his large form.
Jewel felt the air shift and heard a pop. Turning around, she saw that Galadriel was back alongside the Pixie man and who Jewel could only assume was his wife. Turning back to Sage, Lyric, and Dream, she said, “Okay, you three. We’ve got to go. Trickster’s back, and I don’t want to open a portal here. It’ll just cause too much attention and we run the risk of someone trying to hop through it with us and becoming an uninvited guest.”
Lyric frowned. “Ah, come on- this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
“It is pretty fun.” Sage grinned, getting a playful swat from Ambrosia in return.
“You heard Girlie. Finish it up.” Ambrosia said sternly.
“Fine.” Lyric pouted, before having her guard literally knock himself senseless.
Dream used her voice to make the guard in the cell fall asleep, and Sage used his spell casting to knock the guard into the cell bars hard enough to knock him unconsciousness.
The three gave each other high fives and filed back into the weapon’s room.
“Good. Now, let’s go.” Jewel nodded. “Everyone needs to grab onto someone’s hand. I’m going to teleport us to the forest.”
“Try and teleport us to the outskirts, Gem.” Frost suggested. “Less chance of someone hitting a tree.”
The Council Page 19
