Claws of Doom

by Peebles, Chrissy

  “I guess we’re good,” Aidan said.

  “For now,” Daniel replied. “Keep your eyes open. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of them.”

  The two boys snuck forward together, searching the forest for any signs of goblins or gnomes. Aidan sent Custos out ahead of them to utilize his sense of smell.

  “You’re right,” Aidan whispered. “There’re still quite a few hanging around, mostly goblins.”

  “Let’s get ’em,” Daniel answered.

  Aidan glanced over and smiled. “Absolutely.” In a flash, Aidan had transformed into a bear and charged into the woods after Custos. Daniel followed.

  Backing up to her post, Olivia glanced around to again check on her sister. She froze at what she saw. Lilly had fallen onto her side while what appeared to be at least a dozen fairies worked on Halem’s arm. He thrashed in pain as the fairies removed the bandage from his arm and inspected the wound. Olivia watched in wonder as each of the pixies removed a small vial from their belts and poured the contents over the open gash on Halem’s forearm. With a wisp of smoke, the slash gradually closed in on itself. The evidence of the poison also disappeared, the black veins withdrawing down his face and neck, slowly turning red before collapsing in on the rapidly shrinking cut on his arm. Within a minute, the only indication that he’d ever been injured was the bloody rag now draped across his leg. He flexed his hand as if to test its strength before standing and picking up his bow and arrow. He smiled at the fairies around him and choked when his brother wrapped him in a hug.

  “It’s the least we could do for him,” came a pleasant whisper in Olivia’s ear. Olivia started and whipped her head back to the left as she leaned right and away from whoever had snuck up on her.

  “The little girl will be fine as well. I apologize for alarming you. I can assure you that I mean you no harm.”

  Olivia blinked once, twice, trying to make sure she was seeing what she thought she saw. Although she didn’t NOT believe in fairies, she had never expected to actually see one. This one hovered in front of her, close enough to reach out and touch if she dared move.

  The fairy glanced over her shoulder at the trees behind her. “There are more coming our way,” she warned. “I will help you see them.” The sprite grabbed a handful of powder from one of her tiny pockets and flew toward her. Olivia gazed up at her as she sprinkled the dust down into her eyes. Although it didn’t hurt, Olivia rubbed them anyway out of habit. When she again opened her eyes, the forest had transformed. All of the colors had become so much sharper than she had ever experienced. What was most remarkable though was the aura she could see surrounding Halem and Lilly. Halem was surrounded in a beautiful purple haze while Lilly’s was more of a golden yellow.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” the fairy observed, watching her look around in awe. The small creature flittered down and hovered next to Olivia’s ear. “You may want to turn around now though.”

  Olivia spun and could now see the same type of cloud in the trees above, but this time is was a nasty reddish black.

  “Those are the goblins you see,” the pixie told her. “And there to your right you’ll see three disgusting little gnomes.”

  Glancing up at the sprite, Olivia looked where she pointed and saw the brownish aura that surrounded them.

  “You can see them because the leaves and branches don’t block the aura. Please do what you must to defend yourselves and our home. I must get back.”

  The others must have received the same treatment as the battle took a sudden and dramatic turn. The goblins and gnomes were no match for the clan once the fairies blessed them with their magic. With the last of their opponents scattering into the forest in all directions, Daniel returned to the others who were standing around Lilly, who was finally coming around and rubbing the back of her head.

  “Aidan and Custos should be here shortly,” Daniel announced as he walked up. “I passed Aidan headed back for his clothes just now.”

  Daniel walked up to Halem and grabbed his arm, rotating it this way and that. “What the—,” Daniel said. “Where is your injury? You’ve got blood on your shirt and I saw the poison making its way through your body. What happened?” He turned to the others, looking for answers.

  “He was injured. It sounded like it was pretty bad, too,” Lilly replied. Daniel looked at Olivia, confused.

  “The fairies fixed it. It was incredible. After Custos took down that gnome, I was going back to my post when I turned and saw a bunch of fairies surrounding Halem. I watched them as they took off the wrap and poured something on the cut. It smoked and then disappeared. The poison, too.”

  Daniel glanced around at the others. “Well a little more of that stuff would be welcome about now,” Daniel muttered as he pulled at his own bandage. “The only thing we got was some stuff to help us see the gnomes and goblins better. I’d rather have gotten my arm healed,” he grumbled.

  Aidan came trotting up the path and joined his friends, out of breath but excited. Custos lumbered after him and sat down at his side.

  “What happened to his arm?” Aidan asked, watching as Halem stood and rotated his hand back and forth. “He was cut right?”

  “The fairies healed him,” Olivia explained.

  “Ah, that makes sense. We saw them too. They came and sprinkled some powder in our eyes that showed us their aura, not that it did me much good when I was in a bat form. You guys get it too?” he asked.

  Atreyu and Olivia nodded.

  “What did you do with them anyway?” Olivia asked. “The goblins you grabbed when you were a bat?”

  Aidan laughed. “Other than the three that took Lilly, none of them ever saw me coming. Not one of them. I just swooped down and grabbed them and then dropped them in the river,” Aidan replied. “I figure they’ll be well downstream by the time they can swim their way to the bank, if they even make it to the bank. They can be someone else’s problem for…”

  Aidan trailed off. A ring of twinkling lights was slowly descending from above. The circle encompassed the entire group of children as they stood together under one of the trees that had been attacked by the gnomes. The children shot nervous and curious glances back and forth at one another as the ring lowered to roughly shoulder height before stopping. One of the shimmering lights moved forward, steadily, toward the children who huddled closer together, unsure of what to make of the display. Lilly, oblivious to what was happening around them, sensed the change in mood and reached out for her sister. Finding her arm, she pulled her close.

  “What’s going on?” she whispered in her sister’s ear.

  “I’m not sure,” Olivia whispered back. “The fairies are coming out. There are a lot of them. It’s incredible.”

  One lone fairy glided up to where Daniel stood, his mouth agape at the beautiful creature hovering before him. Her gowns where pure white and made of such fine material that the light from her twinkling wings reflected on its surface. She put her tiny hands together and bowed her head. “Queen Iris would like to thank you for the deed you have done here today. As such, she invites you to join us this evening for a meal and presentations.”

  Daniel looked back at the others, unsure of how to reply. Everyone looked back at him, awaiting his reply.

  “We would be honored,” he finally answered.

  The shimmering lights of the ring grew brighter and the fairies sang with delight. The band of pixies began to rotate around them. It moved not only in a circle, but up and down as well. The children stared in awe at the demonstration before them, and Olivia did her best to express to Lilly what she was seeing. The halo began flickering with other colors from the visible spectrum. A glitter of red, a sparkle of blue. The display grew more grand with each passing moment, the song of the sprites growing louder in their ears until the children’s eyes began to droop. Their limbs grew tired, and they leaned against one another for support before slowly dropping to the ground. The lights went out as their eyes closed, and they fell into a deep and peaceful
sleep.

  Chapter 24

  A Fairy Party

  Olivia was the first to wake. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to get them to focus. It took a moment for them to cooperate. She sat up, rubbing at her eyes, and tried again. This time she was successful, and she watched as the sun fell behind the White Mountains bringing nightfall quickly to the lands below. When she looked around, there were glowing lights everywhere. The trees themselves seemed to glow in the growing darkness. A faint music filled the evening air, a very relaxing and peaceful tune. She rose to her knees before looking down and noticing her clothes had been changed. The old blouse and pants she’d been wearing previously had been removed, and she was now dressed in a beautiful silky top that buttoned down the front and matched the dark green trim of a silver wrap on which she’d been sleeping. She also wore an exquisite pair of emerald slacks with matching shoes. As she stood admiring her clothes, it also finally dawned on her that she wasn’t standing on the forest floor, but a wonderfully downy surface. Glancing down around her, she saw what appeared to be a giant pillow on the ground beneath her. Surrounding her were the other children in identical clothes and sleeping peacefully on their own cushy beds.

  “Please follow me,” whispered a sweet angelic voice in her ear.

  Olivia followed the fairy, careful to avoid waking the others. When she’d successfully navigated the obstacle course of sleeping bodies, she found the pixie waiting for her. The pixie was female in appearance, though Olivia couldn’t say for sure as she’d never seen one until today, with long wavy brunette hair, bright blue eyes, and an outfit identical to Olivia’s, minus the wrap.

  “I’m sorry about the sleeping charm we cast on you. We just thought it best to make sure you were all rested, cleaned, and healed for tonight’s events. You being asleep made that easier for us. Do you feel better?”

  “I feel…remarkable.” Olivia was surprised, actually, by how fantastic she felt. No aches and pains in her muscles, no stress about what may happen tomorrow, and like she’d just woken from a full night’s uninterrupted sleep.

  “I’m glad to hear you say that,” the fairy commented. “Now, if you’d please come this way, Queen Iris would like to extend her thanks.”

  Olivia shuffled along behind the fairy as it floated gently down the trail and between two large elms. Olivia had to duck a little to avoid the low hanging branches as she wound through the dense brush. In front of her, the trees and bushes opened up into an enormous glade, punctuated in the center by the largest oak tree she’d ever laid eyes on. She didn’t think it would have been possible. The silvery light was even brighter here, each leaf of the tree seemingly glowing with its own internal luminescence. She followed the golden twinkling of the pixie’s wings to the center of the clearing and base of the oak.

  “If you please,” the pixie requested, indicating a small cushion resting on the ground.

  Olivia sat cross-legged and waited as her fairy guide rose up into the cover above. Olivia stared after her, trying to follow the path of her flight. She quickly gave up trying to track the glitter of her wings among the radiant leaves and branches. Soon enough however, Olivia heard a change in the tune that had surrounded her since she’d woken. The song grew louder, more powerful. Every bit of foliage seemed to pulse with the beat. Fairies appeared from out of the woods surrounding the clearing, pausing at the perimeter and hovering in the cool air. An air of expectation filled the night. A collective sigh arose from the fairies, causing Olivia to look back up into the tree above her.

  Drifting down from the tree came a parade of pixies. An ornamental guard of some sort led the procession as it glided toward her. She could see the miniature arms carried by the sentries as they took their places before her. Behind them came, Olivia guessed, their queen, dressed in a long flowing emerald gown with silver trim. Her blonde hair floated around her face as if she were underwater. Olivia straightened her clothes and smoothed her own hair self-consciously. The music dropped to a barely audible level.

  “I am Queen Iris,” the fairy confirmed. “I would like to thank you for your part in defending our settlement. It has taken us quite some time to rebuild and organize after our last home was destroyed by the goblins. You and your friends provided protection in a time when our defenses were still weak. For that, you are to be honored. You and yours are hereby granted the titles of Fairy Guardians.” A soft cheer arose from the tree line as Queen Iris floated forward, landing gently on Olivia’s right knee. “As you can see, we have replaced your clothing with a gauchlian, something a bit more suitable for your new rank. It is made of fairy silk. It will keep you warmer than normal clothes, it will never tear, it need never be washed, and it will identify you to any other pixie community you may encounter. You shall always be welcomed and cared for wherever fairies reside. We also gave you a manta, a cloak to help keep you warm on the coldest of nights.” Another cheer went up. Queen Iris raised her hands in a request for silence. “Additionally, for your bravery, I would like you to accept this gift.”

  Queen Iris flitted away with a quick flutter of her wings, extending her left arm out to her side and guiding two male fairies down to where Olivia sat. Between them they held a square leather sack. It was a little larger than her water container, yet still smaller than her pack. They dropped the gift gently onto her lap and disappeared back up into the tree above. Olivia lifted the pouch and examined it, turning it back and forth in her hands. It seemed to be fresh leather, showing no signs of wear or aging, and was decorated in an intricate pattern that gave the impression that ivy was crawling across its surface. Two strong drawstrings secured the top.

  “It’s beautiful,” Olivia gasped, still studying the elaborate design on the leather. She couldn’t quite make them out, but there also appeared to be words woven into the stems that wound their way to and fro across both sides. Opening it and inspecting the interior, Olivia discovered the same designs adorned the inside as well.

  “It is an endurtaka,” the tiny queen explained. “Anything you put inside it will replicate. One loaf of bread becomes two. One water pouch, the same. I’m certain that you will find it useful in the journey ahead of you.”

  Olivia’s eyes just about popped out of her head. “Really?” she stammered. “Anything I put in here? May I try it out?” she asked excitedly while bouncing up and down on her cushion.

  Queen Iris smiled. “Of course, dear.”

  Olivia searched the ground around her, opting for a nearby leaf to test her exciting gift. She examined it first, checking it for identifying marks before placing it gently in the pouch and pulling the strings to close it. She looked up at Queen Iris.

  “Go ahead, it happens as soon as you pull the strings to close it.”

  Olivia opened the pouch and peered inside. A smirk crept across her lips as she reached inside and pulled out two identical leaves. She inspected them both and, sure enough, one was an exact replica of the other. Her eyes twinkled with excitement when she glanced back up at the queen.

  “A small token of our gratitude.”

  As the others woke, the process was repeated until all six had received the same gift. They all sat together on their cushions, excitedly chatting back and forth, putting various objects into their pouches before pulling out two, laughing, and showing them off to the others.

  A fine meal was then served consisting of a variety of vegetation served in plain wooden bowls.

  “Forgive us the dinnerware. We are unaccustomed to having humans as guests. We have done our best to make your dining a pleasant experience. Please excuse us if the experience does not live up to your standards,” Queen Iris apologized.

  “No need for apologies,” Daniel replied. “The food is delicious. And we would be extraordinarily ungrateful if we were to complain about the type of dishes on which you served our meal. Besides, it is we who should be thanking you for all you’ve done for us,” he said lifting his healed arm. “You did as much, or more, to help us as we did to help you.”<
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  “And the food is delicious too,” Halem added, shoving another forkful of greens into his mouth.

  The queen smiled at the repetition. “Well then, I’m glad to hear you are enjoying yourselves. Please let the servers know if you desire another serving. We have more than enough.” Queen Iris flitted away, drifting upward into the cover of the canopy overhead.

  The children chatted amongst themselves, retelling the story of the battle with the gnomes and goblins, filling each other in on the details of the fight the others might have missed. Daniel and Aidan did most of the talking as the other four had stuck together through most of the engagement. Aidan had spent most of his time plucking the goblins from their perches high in the trees and dropping them in Styx River. Daniel, on the other hand, had focused his attention on the wandering gnomes, only catching the occasional goblin that had fallen to the forest floor, like the one Olivia had fought.

  They laughed and drank, then laughed some more. The clan stuffed themselves with greens, mushrooms, roots, nuts, and berries. When dessert was finally served, they all drank deeply the sweet nectar served to them in silver goblets. The group settled into their seats, finishing off the last of the juice and thanking the pixies that removed the empty cups.

  “That was exquisite,” Olivia whispered to Daniel who was now gazing up into the glow of the leaves overhead.

  Daniel nodded. “And I don’t feel nervous about what I just ate,” he joked. Seeing Olivia’s confusion, he explained. “When Shon handed me my plate in Alustria, he told me to eat and that it would be best if I didn’t ask what it was.”

  Olivia stuck out her tongue in distaste.

  “I’m sure it was fine,” Daniel went on, “but still, I was relieved when the fairies brought out fruits and vegetables instead of some unidentifiable meat.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t tell me,” Olivia groaned. “I don’t think I could have eaten the food back in Alustria, if I’d heard that.”

  Daniel smiled at Olivia and then turned his attention back to the tree. His eyes wandered back and forth, drifting lazily among the lights flickering above. The music eventually died down, but the fairies didn’t leave. The glow grew more intense as the children whispered among themselves, speculating as to what would happen next.