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He chuckled deeply as his other hand grabbed her face, fingers digging through her helmet and into her cheeks as he forced her face up to look at him. The dented metal pressed against her skin sharply, and the strength in just his fingers alone, frankly, terrified her. She caught a glint of his silver eyes through his hood. He was so close that she could almost make out the features of his face. His warm breath brushed over her face as he leaned in closer, as if he wished to impart a secret.
“It’s simple,” he growled softly. “I have no peace of my own. And you, little Fairy, will be the first prisoner of war I make good use of when I’m done.”
The strength of his single hand was impossible to escape from. As he raised his sword, ready to swing, the muscles in his arms rippled in the moonlight. She knew her smaller build would not survive this despite her wit and skill.
A sharp cry suddenly cut through the air as the ground shook. They both looked to the side to find the Orcs released from their bounds and stampeding toward them, weapons raised high as they kicked up dust.
Travus had no choice but to flee along with his men, but not before looking back at Aria, who the Fairies and Orcs huddled around, to lift her off the ground.
“Your intrusion will be expected next time,” he growled as his Elven soldiers gathered around him with their weapons raised. “I dare you to interrupt me again.”
***
“This makes no sense,” sighed the Fairy Guardian, pacing slowly over the iridescent waters of the Enchanted Pond, leaving soft ripples of pink with each delicate step she took. “We all signed a treaty. Why would anyone want to break it so suddenly? What could he hope to gain?”
Aria watched her mother from the bank of the pond, then looked up at the floating spherical dwellings, woven of supple vines with delicate blossoms. From there, the Fairy Guardian’s ladies-in-waiting peered down anxiously, their own transparent wings fluttering ready to fly them down to provide assistance.
Aria’s mother, the Fairy Guardian exhaled defeatedly and looked up at her ladies in waiting. “Inform the Elder Council about what we just found out. There needs to be a meeting.” She turned back to the Orcs. “No one leaves the border unless we can confirm it’s absolutely safe out there.”
“The Faes won’t be pleased,” Aria spoke up carefully.
Her mother almost sneered. “The Faes lost their right to have any say in the matter. Being practitioners of dark magic, I’m sure they’ll find their own workarounds regardless.”
It always stung Aria to hear her mother talk like that. Both viewed dark magic in very different ways. To the Fairy Guardian, practicing it was blasphemy to the pure nature of magic bestowed upon them by the Enchanted Forest. To Aria, it was simply experimental to reach beyond the bounds of what the Fairies already knew even if it wasn't always safe.
After all, Humans took risks with magic too, or Fairies and other beings would have never existed.
The Fairy Guardian dismissed everyone from her court, and Aria made a quick escape to the darker and quieter parts of the Enchanted Forest.
Dense with overgrown roots and gnarly branches, she often had a difficult time navigating seamlessly. The deeper she went in, the more the branches and roots intertwined to become walls, and she knew she would approach the Fae communal dwelling soon enough.
With careful eyes, she was able to locate the shadowed doorway which opened up to a warmly lit curved hall. Faes flitted about with their darkened wings, walking in and out of the many doorways. All of them recognized Aria, having become friendly with them over the years. She was the only Fairy to have tried.
She made her way through the dwelling and found the laboratory to find Hector, her first ever Fae friend, hunched over some amulets with a paintbrush dripping with something that looked suspiciously like blood.
“Good day, Hector,” she said cheerily. “Do you have anything new for me today?”
“Not for another week,” he said seriously with a stern glance her way. “I’m not sure if the dark magic has completely washed out of your system yet.”
“It’s been a few days since the last hex I used.”
Hector shook his head as his shadowy wings fluttered nervously. “Won’t risk it. You didn’t get sick that time which means your body’s adapting to it. I can’t afford being on the receiving end of your mother’s wrath should she find out.”
With a disgruntled huff, Aria flew over to his desk to perch on the edge of it with pleading eyes. “Then just give me an amulet instead. That’s just indirect dark magic, right?”
“True, but I need more time,” he admitted. “You asked for a tall order, and I can’t deliver unless the quality’s optimal.”
“It’s just a healing amulet.”
“Necromancy,” Hector hissed. “What you asked for is necromancy, Aria. That’sserious. I can’t get it wrong.”
She begins to wonder if she might really be going too far with her requests, but she also knew that she always wanted to be prepared for any possible circumstance. Being a Sentinel was dangerous work, and she would do whatever it took to protect the Enchanted Forest.
“Some Elves ambushed an Orc village,” she said to diffuse the situation. “Mother’s strengthening the barriers tomorrow night.”
“That will be inconvenient,” he groaned without breaking focus off his work. “I must send word for my deliveries to come in before then.”
“You’re welcome.”
