by Sarah Noffke
“He wasn’t the one who did this. Would he be out here if he was?” she asked.
“It was Phillip,” Frederick sputtered. “He set me up.”
“I do not care for human matters. Someone needs to pay for the forest,” the rogue dryad stated, her hand hovering over Frederick.
“I can help,” the young man stated, flinching as he did.
“What did you say?” the rogue dryad asked.
“I can help the queen to heal the forest. My father—our father—taught me how.”
“Richard taught you?” Azure asked in disbelief. Why hadn’t her father mentioned it? Not that there had been a real opportunity…
“Yes, but it was a secret. No one would have approved of such a thing, especially with the Consumer Party saying our job was to take, not restore. However, I can pull from the soil to heal the trees. I can pull from the sun. Father taught me how to utilize that kind of power, although most humans don’t know it is available to them,” Frederick said.
“No, they go after the accessible energy in plants and trees,” Azure said, nodding.
“This actually sounds more like witchcraft than human magic,” Gillian stated, musing on the idea.
“Aren’t we all the same at the end of day? Isn’t our magic the same force, however it comes to us?” Frederick asked, his eyes reminding Azure of Richard’s. They both had the same blond hair and build.
Azure nodded to her brother and turned her attention to the rogue dryad. “Will you please let him go? I could use his help to restore the forest.”
“Your agreement will start after you complete your end of the bargain, not before,” the rogue dryad argued, her eyes sharp with hostility.
“Then turn him into a statue and I’ll have him released when I do what I said I would. However, without his help I might not be successful. And if I’m not, we all lose. The forest doesn’t get restored, Phillip continues to pollute, and those in the statue garden remain petrified.” Azure’s soul stone shone blue, the glow intensifying from the great emotion overflowing from her.
The rogue dryad considered her for a long moment before taking a step back. “You have limited time. My sisters wait in the shadows. I’ll be with them, but if you’re unsuccessful, then your life as well, as this human’s, is in peril.”
The rogue dryad took another step backward and disappeared.
“Man, those gals are bit—”
“Shut it, Monet,” Azure said, cutting him off.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Azure extended a hand to Frederick. He eyed it, his gaze uncertain.
“She just saved your life. Don’t look at her like she’s an untrustworthy human,” Monet stated, shaking his head.
Frederick stood, not accepting Azure’s help. “I appreciate it. I really do. It’s just that I’ve been imprisoned by my uncle for…well, I don’t know how long.” Frederick swung his hand, indicating the small brick room where the door was still ajar.
Ever went forward and poked his head through the door. “The Duke kept you in here?”
Frederick nodded, wiping the dirt from his face.
“Did you oppose him on something?” Azure asked.
“Just about everything. And I don’t think he had any other options for dealing with me once I formally became Emperor. Unlike my father, I actually want to rule Terran,” Frederick said.
“That would be a problem for a power-hungry wannabe dictator.” Monet pulled a canteen from his robe and unscrewed the lid to take a drink, but then changed his mind. “Here. You’re probably thirsty.”
Frederick didn’t hesitate, reaching for the canteen and throwing it to his mouth. He spit out the liquid, almost choking on it. “That’s liquor!” he yelled.
“Bourbon, to be exact. It’s my traveling drink of choice lately,” Monet said, grabbing the canteen from Frederick and taking a long sip.
“You’ll have to excuse my reckless friend. The first thing he’d want if freed from a prison would be a stiff drink.” Azure handed Frederick her own canteen. “This is water. I promise.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking the bottle and pressing it to his mouth.
“You broke out of this jail?” Ever asked.
“He was released,” Gillian cut in.
“Damn, you’re a crafty little guy. How do you know that?” Monet asked, taking another long drink.
Gillian buttoned his bottom lip onto his top and said no more.
“It’s true. I was released. And Phillip left this note.” Frederick stared around, looking for the parchment. However, all he found was a small bit of ash. “The note—it’s gone.”
“What did it say?” Azure asked.
“It said that he’d built a golf course and I would have to pay the sacrifice to the rogue dryads,” Frederick replied, still trying to locate the note.
“Oh, well, then he wouldn’t want that sticking around as evidence. It must have been charmed to burn once read,” Ever stated.
“What’s a golf course?” Monet asked, draining the rest of his canteen and then peering with one eye into it, remorse on his face.
“We should probably back up a bit and have a formal introduction,” Azure said, extending a hand to her brother. “I’m Queen Azure of Virgo. I mean you no harm, if you truly want to help us. I’m here to help the rogue dryads apprehend Phillip and any other humans who refuse to preserve the Dark forest from here on out.”
Frederick’s eyes flicked between Azure’s outstretched hand and her blue eyes. Finally he took the hand and shook it lightly. “I’m Frederick, Emperor of Terran, and yes, I have every intention of honoring my promise. My father—I mean, our father—privately taught me sustainable magic practices, ones that were discouraged by the Consumer Party.”
“But why? What is Phillip’s greedy deal?” Azure asked.
“He’s impatient. Taking only a little bit of magic, as we do when drawing from the elements, won’t produce shiny buildings and make broken televisions come to life. He wants an empire that’s like Earth, and he thinks that the forest should be mowed down so he can build that.” Frederick shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. “He’s more out of control than ever before. There’s no reasoning with him, and many in Terran follow his rule. They want to consume without discretion. They want what they want, without concern for what it does to Oriceran.”
“When the rogue dryads make their decree, they’ll be punished if they go against it,” Azure said.
“They’ll be statues then, won’t they?” Frederick asked.
“Yes, that was the deal we made. And we will be taking down the wards on the border wall to allow the rogue dryads into Terran.”
A sober look crossed Frederick’s face. “This sounds like war.”
“It’s overdue.” Azure gripped the staff tighter in her fingers. “Now we have to get to work. It's time for us to heal the forest.” The group stared at the blackened trees and ash-filled soil. The devastation stretched for as far as they could see, and circled the Land of Terran, and in other places the Dark Forest had been damaged by humans, Elves, or some other magical species. All were guilty of hurting the forest, and their damage had to be fixed.
“Join hands,” Azure said, taking a step forward and holding the staff vertical.
At Azure’s back, the four men joined hands.
“Elfie, you’ve got sweaty palms,” Monet remarked.
“Focus,” Azure ordered. “I’ll need to draw from your energy for this to work.” She lifted the staff high in the air and began chanting, growing breathless almost at once.
“Omnibus partibus silvae opacae, juncturam suam. Stratum operi sicut moles deterrere potuerint quin cum magica nos de potestate virgam, elementa in utraque potentia unum. Hoc remedio eget justo in saltu singula pandit. Permanet sanitas usque cicatricem amet nostris.”
Azure’s eyes rolled back in her head as a bold wind swept across the plains, scattering dirt into their faces. The orb on the staff glowed bright purple and white
smoke spun like a tornado in the center. Her hand shook as she held the staff over her head and sweat poured down her brow, but she continued to chant, repeating her words.
Black clouds swept in, hovering close to the ground. The land in front of them took on an ominous greenish tone. Something knocked on the inside of Azure’s chest. Monet began chanting in unison with her, lacing his own magic into the words. The power of the other three men flowed straight into the staff, imbuing it with almost more energy than it could hold.
Thinking her arm would break from the weight of the staff, Azure brought it down with a sharp movement and stabbed it into the ground. “Permanet sanitas usque cicatricem amet nostris,” she yelled to the forest.
Lightning splintered the sky overhead, and the ground under their feet shook. Cracked. Azure stumbled back several feet, ramming hard into Monet, who tried to catch her but tumbled backward, losing his balance.
Rain pelted Azure in the face. Wind swept past her ears with a deafening high-pitched whistle. She turned her head to the side, seeing the men’s bodies lying flat on the forest floor beside her. Her eyes fluttered and then fell shut, sleep taking her against her strongest desires.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Something slapped Azure’s face, and she opened one eye to find Monet crouched over her.
“Oh good, you’re not dead,” Monet remarked, slouching next to her. Rain still pelted them, although it was slowing to more of a mist.
“Did you slap me?” Azure asked, pushing up to a sitting position. Her hand cupped her cheek, which stung.
“Yeah. How else was I supposed to wake you up?” Monet asked, twisting around. “Do you want to slap Ever, or shall I?’
Behind Monet lay Ever, Gillian, and Frederick. “They passed out too?” Azure asked.
“We all did,” Monet said, rubbing his head. “And damn that spell gave me a hangover.”
Azure stared at the darkened land. It was either a blur of blacks and grays, or her eyes were momentarily broken. “Have you considered that it’s a real hangover from that bourbon you slammed?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If you’ll notice, I’m actually awake while these others are napping,” Monet said, bending over Ever and nudging him with his foot.
The Light Elf stirred, pushing Monet’s foot away. He rolled over on his side and pushed up, bewilderment covering his face as he stared around. He wiped the dirt off his face and shook his head.
“Head hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?” Monet asked, peering down at him.
“To say the very least,” Ever said, taking the hand Monet offered him.
“What about the other two? Are they going to be okay?” Azure asked.
Ever leaned down and touched his hand to Gillian’s pulse, and then did the same to Frederick. “They should be fine. Maybe just expended more energy than they had. I think we all did.”
“The question is, was it worth it?” Monet asked, staring at the forest around them. It hadn’t changed, from the looks of it, but the dark and the rain hid much.
Azure’s hand paused a few inches from the staff, which still glowed brightly. Finally she closed her fingers around the shaft and lifted it high into the air. A sharp thundering sound echoed overhead. The ground shook, again almost throwing her backward. Monet caught her, and they both stayed standing. They shielded their faces from a bright light that shot across the sky, bathing them in a warm glow. A deafening hum spread through the forest. It carried on for a long moment, making all three keep their heads down and covered. As quickly as it had started, the sound ended. The light dimmed. The ground stopped vibrating.
No one uncovered their head until the sound of beating wings filled the air. Afraid they were about to be attacked by a harpy, Azure tore her gaze up. But what she found wasn’t something that filled her with dread—quite the opposite. Stretching out in all directions was the fertile soil of an ancient forest. Luscious green ferns and plants of a hundred varieties were scattered around the trunks of large trees. The canopy was full of leaves. Birds hopped amid branches, and squirrels dived from tree to tree.
The dense forest had returned, a quiet expanse.
“Fucking awesome!” Monet shouted, throwing his fist in the air.
“We did it,” Azure said in disbelief, her voice hushed.
“You did do it,” a voice said in the distance. Ever and Monet pressed close to the queen, their stance protective.
Vines slipped out from behind a tree and then the figure attached to them materialized. A moment prior, Payne Springs had been camouflaged as a part of the forest. Now the dryad stood in her leaf-strewn dress, her slanted eyes studying the three.
“Is the forest healed throughout?” Azure asked.
“As far as I can tell. What you’ve done and sacrificed for this is enough,” the rogue dryad said. “I’ll honor my end of the deal. Currently my sisters are freeing those in the statue garden. We hope that it is never so full again with wrongdoers to the forest.”
Ever’s back stiffened and his jaw clenched. However, he kept his focus on Payne Springs.
“Thank you. And Terran? You’ll enter the land with me?” Azure asked.
“Yes, and we will offer the humans redemption, but we won’t be lenient to those who refuse to change or to give back that which belongs to the forest. From now on they must not abuse the forest, or they will pay—no second chances.” Payne Springs lifted her head, her vine hair waving in the wind.
“That’s fair. We hope it won’t come to that,” Azure said.
Payne Springs turned to face the border to the Land of Terran. Around her, more rogue dryads materialized. “We are ready, Queen Azure. Please take down the wards, and we shall enter the Land by your side.”
Azure held the staff up a few inches, but Ever placed a soft hand on her shoulder. “No. If you use your magic and the magic in the staff, you’ll be depleted. You might need that magic later, or you could use it to heal the Virgoans, like Seraphina said.”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Azure asked.
“Let me do it,” Ever said.
Azure regarded him for a long moment. He hadn’t rushed off to the statue garden as she’d expected. He was staying with her, helping her. Finally she nodded. “It’s going to take a considerable force to take down the wards for the rogue dryads to enter.”
“Yes, especially because those wards were created specifically to keep them out.” Ever nodded. “Don’t worry.”
“The entrance is around this bend, Queen. We should go there now and be ready to enter in case your friend can’t keep their wards down long,” Payne Springs said.
Azure gave Ever a measured stare before turning her attention to Gillian and Frederick, who were still on the ground. “You’ll be okay?” she asked her brother.
“Yes, I’ll be fine. I’ll be here when you’re done,” he said.
She gave him one last look before turning for the entrance to the Land of Terran.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Azure marched around the perimeter of the brick wall of the Land of Terran, holding her staff in front of her. The object strangely felt as comfortable as her wand, although tying her hair up with the staff was going to be a bit more difficult. She’d have to take a hair-growth potion. The hem of her blue robes caught on the fresh plants that now grew on the path—it was hard to believe that moments ago the ground had been barren, scorched from overuse. But never again!
Azure held her chin high as they rounded the bend where the guard station stood at the front gates. A uniformed guard sat in the small enclosed building, his head down. Azure lifted the staff and set her intention. The gates marked with “LoT” flew back, catching the attention of the guard. He dropped his magazine as he stood, his eyes growing wide as he stared at the sight before him. A witch queen holding a glowing staff, flanked by a wizard and a dozen rogue dryads, was a sobering sight.
The guard fumbled with a walkie talkie on his belt, finally pulling it off and holding it up to his mouth.
>
Monet flicked his wand at the guard, and the walkie talkie flew through the open window and smashed against the wall, breaking into bits.
“You’re going to have to pick that up, or it will be considered littering,” Azure cautioned Monet in an undertone.
“I’ll get it on my way out,” he commented.
The guard nearly fell out of the small building, shaking his head adamantly.
“You can’t go in there,” he said, his face screwed up in a rush of anger.
“Of course I can. I’m the Queen of Virgo,” Azure stated confidently.
“Well, they aren’t allowed in.” He lifted a shaking hand and pointed at the rogue dryads.
“They weren’t allowed, but things have changed,” Azure stated, and strode forward. She paused on the threshold of the gates. “Are you ready?” she asked Monet.
“Hell, yes! And I’ve got to take a piss, so let me know when you see a suitable place,” he said with a wink.
“Yes, that will be my first priority,” Azure said, staring down the long manicured road that stretched before them. She cast a brief look at the rogue dryads. Payne Springs face radiated an intense focus. A wind passed over the dryads, bringing the smell of fresh cut grass and rustling pine needles.
The queen of the rogue dryads stepped up next to Azure. “There is no going back once we enter. Are you ready for what could happen?”
“The humans will be cooperative,” Azure assured her.
“Humans, like all beings, are flawed and think only of themselves. Don’t be disappointed when they choose their own selfish gains over preservation,” Payne Springs said.
“Your optimism blows me away, tree-lady,” Monet said, crossing his legs uncomfortably. “Can we get this over with? Gotta piss, remember.”
Azure shook her head and took a step forward onto the even concrete. Beside her strode Payne Springs. Ever had done it—he’d taken down the wards. He was probably passed out now, snoozing off the magic overload with Frederick and Gillian.
