Siegfried shifted his eyes towards the fire once more and his shoulders drooped.
"The arrow found its mark, and one of the faeries fell to the ground. Tinny shrieks erupted among the other faeries, and I distinctly heard them cry, 'our king! Our King Blik has fallen.' From behind our hiding spot in the bushes, I saw the tiny king pinned to the ground by the arrow. The bright light of his body slowly faded until darkness surrounded him. Abelard laughed at the scene while immediate remorse consumed me. The faeries found us and chased us out of the forest. I have not forgotten their vengeful cries nor the sheer horror on King Blik's face as he died in the grass. I killed their king."
"But as you said, Siegfried, you were young and foolish," Lucius said, attempting to console him. "This happened over sixty years ago; surely the faeries will not remember this crime?"
"You are wrong, brother. They do remember, and they know I have come. Faeries hold deep grudges against those who have wronged them, and they have every right to do so in this case."
Lucius swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair. "How can you be certain they know you are here or that you were the elf who killed Blik?"
Siegfried smiled briefly, an expression that caused Lucius' nape to prickle uncomfortably.
"Why do you think the forest is so quiet, Lucius?" Siegfried asked. "They're watching our every move and keeping the other creatures at bay. When the night comes, they will come for me."
"Then we must get out of here, Siegfried. I will not allow you to be taken by some meddlesome faeries."
"No, Lucius. I am prepared to die to pay for my crime. Please do not interfere with the judgment to come. You must go on to the Grey Swamps alone and find the mithras then meet up with the others."
"This is madness. I am not leaving you here—"
"The fish is cooked," Siegfried said abruptly.
"What?"
"Let us eat now and we will speak of this later," Siegfried said, extending the frying pan with the sizzling salmon to Lucius.
Lucius squinted his eyes and snatched the fish from the pan. "You are impossible."
They both ate in silence while the sky above the clearing slowly grew darker. Lucius occasionally scanned the perimeter of the clearing, searching for any lights or signs of faeries moving in the forest. When Siegfried finished eating, he played a melancholy tune on his telyn and watched the wood burning in the fire. Lucius could not sit idly while his brother resigned himself to whatever punishment might come from the faeries. He stood up and gathered more wood for the fire, including the dead log he'd been sitting on. The gloomy notes of the telyn continued as he strapped on his quiver and grabbed his bow. Lucius stood with his back to the boulder in the clearing and held the bow next to his hip with an arrow nocked. He watched the woods around him, preparing for any attack from faeries or other creatures.
A full moon shone in the night sky above the clearing, providing ample light in the darkness. Siegfried stopped playing his telyn and tried to convince Lucius to leave for the Grey Swamps. He refused, remaining fixed to his post beside the boulder. With a heavy sigh, Siegfried laid down on the grass and closed his eyes. The fire slowly burned until it became a smoldering heap of ash. Lucius leaned his back against the boulder and relaxed his grip on the bow. His arms and legs felt numb from holding the same position for so long, but he remained planted to his spot, focusing on the trees around the clearing. For hours he saw only the branches swaying softly and their subtle shadows on the tree trunks. No lights or sounds from the fabled faeries. In the stillness and darkness, his eyes grew weary and his posture slacked. Several times he jerked himself awake after dosing off for a few seconds. Eventually, his head drooped to his chest and he let sleep overtake him.
SEVENTEEN
Siegfried's Trial
Lucius woke with a start and gripped his bow tight. Darkness surrounded him in the clearing; the moonlight became obscured by clouds. He wasn't certain how long he had slept, but his neck and back felt stiff from leaning against the boulder. A few quick stretches helped the stiffness in his muscles and reduced his drowsiness, but he wondered how much longer he could stay awake and alert. He immediately remembered the bywydur. The vial was likely in Siegfried's pack. He walked towards the smoldering campfire to retrieve it and gasped. Siegfried was gone. Lucius quickly turned in every direction, searching for any sign of his brother in the clearing and nearby woods. Nothing in sight except the swaying tree branches. His heart pounded incessantly as questions flooded his mind.
Where is he? Did the faeries capture him? Is he still alive?
Lucius stood motionless, unable to decide on a course of action. He didn't know where to look for Siegfried, trees stretched for miles all around—his brother could be anywhere. Lucius dropped his bow and grabbed Siegfried's abandoned pack on the ground. Inside the pack, he found the vial of bywydur and quickly removed the stopper to add a drop of the elixir in his canteen. He placed the vial back in the pack and grabbed one of the extra jerkins Siegfried had purchased in Sylvania. Lucius tore off strips of the jerkin and wrapped them around a thick piece of wood nearby. After strapping on his sword and lighting the torch with the remaining embers of the campfire, Lucius searched the clearing for any visible tracks. His tracking skills were quite modest in comparison to Siegfried's. Frustration easily mounted when he couldn't find any noticeable imprints in the grass near Siegfried's resting spot. He nearly quit looking until he noticed a faint sparkle on the ground next to the boulder. With the torch held low, Lucius discovered a thin layer of glittery powder sprinkled all around the grass below the boulder. Faerie dust. The sparkling dust formed a trail that led from the boulder into the forest. Lucius held the torch low enough to illuminate the faerie trail, following it into the Burning Woods.
He walked in the forest for over a mile along the erratic path the faeries created. As he traversed the woods, several faerie dust trails converged onto the main path. The more he walked, the more he saw converging trails. Lucius was convinced the trails all connected onto a central route used by the faeries to travel in the forest. He swallowed hard and continued onward, hoping the main path would lead him straight to Siegfried and the faeries' dwelling. The mysterious magic used by the faeries to keep the forest quiet was no longer in effect. Lucius heard hooting owls, chirping crickets, and an unknown creature bellowing softly in the distance. He instinctively clutched the hilt of his sword whenever something rustled in the underbrush, but he ignored the sounds and kept moving.
When he crossed over a fallen tree along the path, he caught a spectacular sight. Thousands of multicolored specks shone brightly in the darkness a few yards ahead of him. He slowed his pace and unsheathed his sword. The torchlight would likely reveal his position to the faeries, but they probably already knew he was coming and he didn't care to hide. The brilliant glow of the faeries intensified as he drew closer. They all seemed to be gathered in a large clearing where they huddled around a large mass, but their intense light obscured the object. Several of the tiny beings flitted around rapidly like hummingbirds as he approached the clearing with his torch and sword held high. When he entered the clearing, the faeries flew around him quickly like a cloud of gnats. Lucius swung his sword and torch at them, but did not land any hits on the faeries. They giggled at his failed attempts and eventually withdrew to perch on the trees encircling the clearing. Lucius scowled at the flying devils, whose glowing bodies illuminated the faerie dust covering every inch of their woodland home.
"Lucius!" Siegfried called out from his left.
Lucius quickly turned and saw his brother standing beside a cluster of tall mushrooms—presumably, the large mass the faeries gathered around earlier. A faerie sat atop the tallest mushroom on what looked to be a wooden throne. A handful of faeries hovered near the mushrooms and next to Siegfried, who stood on a tree stump with his hands tied. He clenched his jaw and glowered when Lucius approached.
"What are you doing here? I told you to leave me!"
"A pl
easure to see you too, brother," Lucius replied.
"Stop right there, ground-treader," a faerie brandishing a sword yelled. He flew in front of Lucius' face and pointed his tiny blade at the bridge of his nose. Ten other faeries holding swords and wearing breastplates surrounded his head.
"Let my brother go, you pest!" Lucius remained still, locking eyes with the faerie directly in front of him.
"You will be silent in King Klik's court, ground-treader," the faerie replied.
"At ease, Brom," the faerie sitting on the throne commanded. "Tell your guardians to stand down."
Brom frowned, but followed orders and sheathed his sword. The other faeries followed suit and flew back to the glittering mushrooms.
Klik studied Lucius with his glowing silver eyes. "So, you are a kinsman to this murderous elf? You appear human to me."
"He is my adoptive brother. He is no murderer and I demand that you release him!"
"Demand?" Klik chuckled softly and quickly frowned. "You have intruded my court and trespassed into the faeries' forest realm, ground-treader. I will make demands, not you."
"Excuse his ignorance, your Majesty. He is unlearned in the customs or culture of faeries," Siegfried said.
"Be silent!" Klik said with lips pulled back, baring miniature fluorescent teeth. "Was it not enough that you murdered my father? Must you also display your arrogance in my presence, Silverhart?"
Siegfried's shoulders hunched slightly and he stared at the ground. His deferential demeanor surprised Lucius. The confident, stubborn elf he knew was nowhere to be seen.
"You don't seem to understand the reason your brother is standing before me, ground-treader," Klik said.
"I am aware of my brother's crime," Lucius said. "He made a mistake long ago when he killed your father, Blik. He was foolish in his youth, like many tend to be, and he is genuinely remorseful for his deed. Please have mercy on Siegfried, your Majesty. If you knew him as I do, you would know this crime was not borne of hate or ill will, but of folly and ignorance."
"Folly and ignorance?" Klik said, pursing his lips. "Yes, I suppose folly plays a significant role in the killing of innocent life. Ignorance must also be prevalent in one's mind when the consequences of murder are wholly ignored—when a royal family and kingdom is torn apart by the death of their king."
"Your Majesty, I did not mean—"
"Silence, ground-treader!" Klik lifted a finger at him. "Siegfried Silverhart has been judged here tonight. He is guilty, and he will die for his crime."
Siegfried remained silent, his gaze concentrated on the sparkling faerie dust littered on the ground.
"As for you, outlander," Klik said, glaring at Lucius. "I have no quarrel with you, despite your insolence. Leave now and my guardians will not cut you to ribbons."
Lucius suppressed a laugh, unconvinced the faerie warriors could do much damage. "I will not leave without my brother, your Highness—even if I must fight you all to free him."
He lifted his sword in a defensive stance prompting Brom and his guardians to unsheathe their blades. King Klik gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Brom eagerly awaited the king's command to attack, but it never came.
"Wait, your Majesty! Please wait a moment!" a yellow faerie shouted and descended from the multitudes perched on the trees. The male faerie flew toward Klik's throne, close enough where Lucius could discern the small creature's appearance. The faerie did not wear armor like Brom or the other guardians, but only a simple tunic made of hemp and leaves sewn together. His hair glowed an intense yellow, which matched the color of his eyes and near-translucent skin.
"What do you want, Syl?" Klik said, tapping his fingers on the throne's armrest.
"Your Majesty, as your chief royal advisor, I must protest against any course of action that might create needless bloodshed," Syl replied.
Klik rolled his eyes. "And what alternate course of action would you advise?"
"Well, my lord, it is evident that this outlander wishes to free his kinsman—"
"Obviously!" Klik roared.
"Erm, yes," Syl said, clearing his throat. "Might I advise that we exonerate the criminal, Siegfried Silverhart, in exchange for a favor from the ground-treader?"
Klik stood up from his throne and crossed his arms. "And what favor could possibly atone for my father's murder?"
"The loss of King Blik was grievous, your Highness," Syl said, flapping his wings quicker than before. "But as you know, our kingdom is in great peril ever since we lost our fiercest warrior—the golem, Tok. The banshees are taking more of our precious woodland, and many faerie-folk have died battling the Screech Sisters and their kind these past six years."
"I am well aware of the troubles posed by those wretched banshees, Syl. What is your point?"
"My point, your Excellency, is that we must retrieve our golem champion—who defended us against those shrieking wretches," Syl said. He spread his arms wide, motioning to the thousands of faeries in the trees. "The will of your people is to see Tok restored to life and freed from the banshees' control."
"Free Tok!" One of the faeries in the crowd yelled, inciting a chant that reverberated throughout the clearing.
Klik listened to his subjects' chants with bemused annoyance then raised his hands to silence them. The faeries did not hesitate to obey the motion, and Lucius noticed Syl's wings flapping quicker again—anxious to hear Klik's reaction no doubt.
"I know our kingdom has suffered greatly these last few years," Klik said, pacing slowly on the mushroom's surface. "Tok's absence has created an irreplaceable hole in our defenses, and I do wish for his return. So it is with severe reluctance that I will acquiesce to an accord with you, ground-treader."
"I'm listening," Lucius said. He glanced at Siegfried, who now looked on with renewed interest in his fate.
"Just as a faerie's inner light burns, so does my hatred for Siegfried Silverhart. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to bring forth his demise." Klik's nostrils flared, and he sneered when he glanced at the elf. "Be that as it may, the prosperity of my kinsfolk and kingdom must come before my vengeance. I will allow your brother to be released if you retrieve Tok from those screeching specters in the South Passage. What say you, ground-treader?"
"I do not know the way to the South Passage. And how will I retrieve this golem of yours? Surely, you don't expect me to carry him back here?"
"Tok must be revived with the Bezalel sigil, which you can write on his head," Syl said with a wide grin. He turned to his king, who grimaced at his advisor. The yellow faerie slumped his shoulders and hovered lower in the air.
"The South Passage is not far from here, but do not worry about finding it. Syl will guide you there," Klik said.
Syl's eyes widened, turning to Lucius with terror visible on his luminous face. Klik crossed his arms and waited for any protests from his advisor, but Syl merely nodded his head in resignation.
"What assurance do I have that you will let Siegfried go free once I have completed this task?" Lucius asked.
"You have my word as a sovereign ruler. Unlike your vile kinsman, I am no criminal and worthy of your trust," Klik replied, jutting his chin. "Now, do we have an accord or shall I execute this filth you call a brother?"
Lucius clenched the hilt of his sword. He grew tired of the king's arrogance and self-importance. Part of him longed to plunge his sword into Klik's minuscule chest and rid Azuleah of the ruler forever, but his Father would never condone such an act, and neither would Siegfried. The faeries also proved to be quicker than his fastest strokes with the sword. Freeing Siegfried and escaping Klik's forces would likely be a futile attempt. He bit his lower lip and exhaled slowly—he had no choice. Going to the Southern Passage and retrieving the golem is the only way to restore his brother's freedom.
"We have an accord," Lucius said, sheathing his sword.
"Excellent," Klik said, smirking. "I hope you realize that if you die on this errand, ground-treader, our accord is nullified and your bro
ther's life is forfeited."
"I'm sure you won't be disappointed once I return alive with your golem, your Highness."
Klik's eyes disappeared beneath a harsh squint, but Lucius ignored him and turned to Syl.
"Shall we go?" Lucius asked.
"Oh my, no! Not in the middle of the night," Syl said, flapping his wings faster than ever. "Banshees are more powerful in the darkness. Let us wait until morning to set out and face them."
"Fine. May I speak to my brother?" Lucius asked turning to Klik, whose scowl persisted.
"Yes, you may speak with the condemned."
Lucius walked up to the Siegfried, who held a stony expression on his face.
"You should have left these woods, Lucius. You are risking your life on a fool's errand! Your focus should be on the Requiem Sword, not on my life," Siegfried said.
"I'm not going to leave you here to die, Siegfried. We need each other to finish what Father entrusted us to do. You may have given up on your life, but I haven't."
Lucius stuck his torch in the ground and hopped onto the stump, surprising Siegfried with a tight embrace. As Lucius loosened his grip on his brother, he deftly placed a hand in his brother's belt pouch.
"What are you—"
"Diaphanousphere," Lucius whispered, retrieving the translucent object and tucking it into his belt.
"Brom, take the prisoner away now. I tire of seeing him," Klik commanded.
Brom bowed and flew toward Lucius with his entourage. He watched as the faeries drew their swords and motioned for Siegfried to follow Brom into the Burning Woods. Siegfried complied without question. When they reached the tree line, Siegfried glanced at Lucius and mouthed, "be careful", before disappearing into the darkness of the forest.
Lucius felt a sudden loneliness for the first time since leaving Evingrad. He let out a long breath and bent down to pull his torch from the ground. Klik watched him from his mushroom throne, saying nothing, but conveying contempt through his icy stare. Lucius ignored the monarch and called out to Syl. The yellow faerie flew over to him, but abruptly stopped a few feet away from his face.
The Blade Heir (Book 1) Page 16
