"An invisible door? That's ingenious!" exclaimed Princess Saraya.
"Shh, not too loud. The guard will hear you. But now you can stay and spy on the Queen as you wish, taking up residence in her castle, since that is your resolve."
"I have been captured and am useless against the Queen's forces on the field. But Zophina will regret taking this 'elfling' as her new pet. Now your army will have the same information as her's does."
"Hmm..." mumbled Karwyn to herself. This does have its merits. Zophina can find me fairly easily when I'm in her castle, since I am a force of Light. But Princess Saraya is supposed to be here, so her presents won't set off any alarms.
"Alright," said Karwyn aloud. She threw some fairy dust at the wall of the cell leading into the depths of the fortress. "You have an entrance and an exit." She then enchanted a pebble on the cell floor. "And here, use this to comunicate with youe beloved. He will hear you as he hears his heart beat."
Karwyn flew up to the cell window and saw the glow over Grunlund. Suddenly, she heard a screem from inside the castle that shook its very foundation. "Well, maybe we won't have to fight anymore afterall," she said to the princess. "My first curse may have failed, but it doesn't sound like she's immune to the second I placed on her."
"Don't be too hopeful. Zophina is full of many tricks," cautioned the princess. "She has fooled enough members of my family to their doom for me to trust her quick and easy demise by some trap."
"YOu know, for royalty, you are pretty wise. But don't worry, the hex I laid on her was the most powerful one an individual fairy can lay. Once you hear that scream, she shouls simply cease to exist."
"Still, I think I will take a stroll through the castle just to make certain. Don't reveal yourself yet."
"Alright. I'll head off to the Queen's encampment to see what kinds of mischeif I can spread there. But when you're done snooping, report to me so I can recollect the stone."
"Agreed," said Saraya. She withdrew a grey ring from a pouch on her belt and slid it on her finger. She immediately disappeared from view.
Karwyn saw the door she made to the castle open and shut, then she flew off.
Lady Sillice was the leader of the Dark Queens magical forces. Next to the Queen, she was by far the most powerful mage in the army. As such, Zophina generally only appointed extremely important tasks to Sillice. She was intrigued that her task was simply to find any enchantments placed on the Stone of Genia.
"So the stone might be trapped. Why not just wihs away any pixie enchantment on it without inhibiting its wish-granting power?"
"The Queen is wary of pixie magic, I believe. A hex she dealt with moments before almost killed her, I believe."
Sillice scoffed. The Queen had magics powerful enough to ward off some irritant pixie's spells. Something else was afoot. She knew it. However, she was also smart enough to not press the issue, as her meddling might be noticed.
"Very well, Lord Erick. I will have my apprentice help me when he arrives from his spoil-hunt." Sillice bowed as Erick turned and left on his hunt for the pixie.
"Hmmm..." mused Sillice to herself. "Let's see what the rebel pixies have in store for Her Magesty."
Sillice took the stone and placed it over a candle flame in a holder. She then took a dry quill from her desk as well as some blank parchment. She then lit the quill on fire with the candle and whispered some words to the quill. The quill was eengulfed in flames but was not consumed. Acting as if the stone was a bottle of ink, the quill floated to the stone, tapped it, and then traveled to the book and began writing down the details of the enchantments laid on it.
About an hour passed before the spell was finished. Sillice saw two enchantments. One which allowed for the casting of whiches, and the other waspure gibberish. Sillice frowned. The pixie magic was rather complex. She would have to wait for her apprentice to return so they could attempt to divine the spell. Although the Queen could get away with tempting the pixie magic, shew dared not try anything so rash with such a powerful spell.
Jolania hovered infront of a magic communication mirror she had enchanted in her command tent. It was her first spell, and to her surprise, she seemed to be quite good at casting spells with her supply of pixie dust. Alfer her ordination, she quickly setup shifts for pixie dust harvesting. It was created using the pollen of flowers and some mold.
Jolania also commanded that walls be constructed using their magic and whatever stones the 'big folk' could obtain. Over the course of the evening, Grunlund was just as well garrisoned as Sanado. At the moment, Jolania was negotiating with King Melchoir for more knights to garrison the fortress. Negotiations were not going well, as the king considered Sir Jon a deserter by changing his commission.
"My liege, it could not be helped. Grunlund and Sanado would be crushed if I had not taken up this alliance."
"I fail to see your reasoning, as Grunlund still stands without the help of your army," reasoned the king. "The honorable thing to do would have been to return to the Palace of the Stars and collect more of the reserve soilders under your command. Not go and vow loyalty to another nation."
"The forces of the Dark Queen meerly sprung all of the traps we set for her invasion. They will attack at daybreak and, army of pixies or no, the larger numbers and more equally ballanced army of the Queen will take the day. If I did not take this vow, it would not matter if I collected more knights. We would all either be enslaved or dead within a fortnight."
King Melchoir sighed and looked to his wife, sleeping in her bed. "I know you are correct, my friend. But I must look after this city first. What if you lose? What would halt an escape if I did not have what remaining reserves I have left to save what I can?" pressed the king. "I truely do wish to help you in this, especially since you are engaged to my daughter. But my hands are tied. I cannot corner my people in this city."
Jolania looked down. "I see your reasoning, Highness. Thank you for your consideration."
"I am sorry, General. I can provide you with supplies, but that is all I have in plenty at the moment."
"Your help is appreciated, Sire."
The image of King Melchoir faded from the mirror. Jolania turned and saw King Mikalon standing in the doorway.
"Well, so much for fresh ground troops and riders," said the king. "Don't worry, we will win this with you at the helm."
"I know, but we will have to bucle down. Even with the extra hundred thousand pixies, we are outnumbered ten to one. I don't like the odds."
Thinking a moment, the king looked up. "There is one last resource we could use to help win the war. Follow me."
Jolania, intrigued by the king's sudden reaction, flew swiftly after him.
