Thursday, June 25, 2009

a faerie tale II

Four miles above a warm gentle breeze softly caressed each blade of grass, which bowed slightly to its passing. The sun was at its peak in a cloudless sky, gifting its light and warmth to the world which soaked it in. A small pack of gray wolves lazed in the open ground, keeping mindful eyes on newly born pups that bounded around them, nipping at ears and pouncing on tails that happened to shift position.
But surrounding him was only darkness. The sun did not penetrate to these depths, no light had lit these caverns he walked in what seemed an eternity. He moved slowly but determinedly, the stiffness in his legs melting away as they began adjusting to supporting his weight once again.

He made no sound as his feet contacted the hard stone beneath him. This he did without even considering it, years of training made it instinctive. His kept his eyes closed as he walked, pushing his senses outward, feeling out not only the tunnel walls around him and the path before him, but every branch off, every cavern, the life force of every rare creature for nearly a mile in every direction. This was unnecessary for guidance purposes, he had long ago memorized each inch of this subterranean system.

His body leaned forward slightly, to compensate for the long upward slope that would bring him to the surface. The blood was flowing normally through his legs now, and his muscles had thrown off their long slumber and felt as new. Only a slight twinge in his right kneecap remained now as a reminder of nearly a decade of sitting cross-legged on the ground.

“We need you, will you come to us?” The words that had penetrated his mind and broke his meditation bounced around in his mind, seemingly echoing in its stillness. Of course he would. Of course he was. It was a sincere question with no demands. But a plea for aide from Eleison was a command to him. He owed them too much. He was guilty of far, far too much not to do all he could to make amends. And the Fae, they had never questioned him, never doubted the reality of the change within him. They had embraced him and his desire for reconciliation for his past, and helped him reach the point within himself that he was at now.

But why was it Elieson instead of Thaeron who reached out to him? The High King of the Fae promised he would call on him should he ever need anything. Thaeron… his first true friend. He had been sent to assassinate the King, he was there, prepared to strike. But doubt had already taken hold of his mind; the process of change had already begun. After all the slaughter, all of the death he had wrought, cold blooded murder was just not within him anymore. Thaeron recognized this immediately, embraced this killer as if they were brothers, and helped him in his quest for penance.

Why not Thaeron? What the hell was happening to those splendid beings? His heart beat quickened in concert with his step.

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