One hundred years ago... (more or less.)
"Up the airy mountain, down the rushing glen... we dare not go hunting, for fear of little men," hummed Abagail.
"Heh, an apt description of the forest, if I ever heard one," chuckled Charles Madison. The two shared a little knowing glance. They had joined together in this expedition of one of the deepest and unknown forests. Both were experts in their field. Charles Madison was of course, an expert archaeologist and natural explorer. Abagail had an insight though he could not match. A knowledge of this land that surpassed any he had ever met.
it was as if she knew where all those ruins were. He wasn't sure exactly, but it was certainly becoming more likely with the way she walked, and glanced. As if she was seeing roads that had long been over grown by shrub and trees. He was observant of her nature, but had yet to mention it. His instincts were telling him something that the mind dismissed as impossible.
"How did you know an ancient city lay here?" He asked in the end.
"I have... always suspected," she said softly, smoothing her long blond hair. "Their culture held the worship of circles and the sun. So, a temple should be about.. that way," she pointed into the dense foliage, seemingly deducted by tools left behind.
Onward they trekked, through miles of forest.. until, at last they came upon a curious structure. It appeared to be made of... metal? Surly not... Charles tentatively took a step to it, and knocked. " it is metal," he realised. "But that's impossible.." The structure had to be over a hundred meters tall. Such a knowledge was not known until late in human history. They were only know understanding how to wield metal like this...
"Iron," nodded Abagail. ".. do you believe in magic, Charles?" She asked suddenly.
"Not especially, no," he chuckled. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh... just curious. If you could have any spell, any.. power, what would it be?"
Charles thought about it. "To be honest, I just want to make the discovery of a life time and to share it with everyone back home."
Abagail for some reason, smiled. "I think I see an entrance to the temple..." she gestured to a small opening.
Charles nodded and cautiously started to write notes on everything. "These runes... seem Nordic- no wait.. roan... African? What?" He looked perplexed. He was seeing Egyptian Hieroglyphs, greek writings... and even a mention of Plato upon one of these metalic slabs. practically every possible major civilisation had a message here, written on iron sheets. He was starting to wonder if he would find one in English... and was surprised that indeed, there was one. " Beware the Witch, Abagail" he looked at it bemused. Was this some kind of joke?
Suddenly, the door behind him shut. "Abagail!" He shouted as he was descended into darkness with a metallic slam.
" sacrifices have to be made, to earn what resides here, my love," she whispered knowing he could not hear her. "I will claim it... then decide what to do with you." Though in truth once she had the stone, Charles usefulness would be at an end. she stood on another platform through a similar entrance. There was the sound of a click, as a counterweight- that being Charles, prevented a trap from going off. She walked onward, into a second chamber.
This was a stranger place. A podium, all made in circles like some grand theatre. Various stones that stood as if they were watching this one central plinth, with painted eyes of lead paint, gazing unblinking. At the center of all this was a glowing light. Glowing with magic. True magic... such that the world had never seen.
"The Gateway to the Fairydom..." she said marvelling at the glowing portal. A hole in reality to the world of dreams, and nightmares. Though in truth, a deathtrap- not just for humans that might try to cross into their world, but now for any fey that would dare enter here once humans understood their weakness. For this temple was built to contain them... and the stone, took their magic and power as they died of starvation. For Eons it sapped the energy from their world...
And there on the anvil...
there it was.
Her Prize...
But it was not unguarded. There was indeed one fairy, noble and strong who had waited and watched the portal... and was now about to defend the Queen, for all she had done.
Dewdrop quietly wondered on what to do. There was simply no way she could accept the fact she was forbidden contact from her parents... not while she could watch them, tearing themselves apart. She had excused herself from Cornelius, as a plan quietly formed.
she would write a letter, and sneak it under her mothers bed. She took out a pencil, that was at least three times her size. She carefully manoeuvred it onto a piece of paper, trying to get the letters exactly right.
*Dear family,
I know things must be difficult
and I know you are really really
missing me. I need to tell you that
all is just fine. I am just with a
few friends and hoping to come back
and see you all soon. Try not to worry
I love you all a lot. If you could just
remember that I will come back somehow.
Your son.
PS, Don't tell anyone. Will try to write more.*
Dewdrop sighed a little looking at her work trying not to get tearful again. It was.. awkwardly written, and her handwriting might be off. But it was all there. Everything as she needed. Hopefully with this, her parents would be able to cope with things. She had to undertake the journey to her mother's room. She carefully folded the paper, once, twice.. three.. four times. It was still so big! She didn't have the strength to fold it again. But she had to make it smaller. It felt like it weighed a ton. She carefully dragged it behind her, as she jumped onto the carpet using the books as a makeshift staircase.
"Hi Dewdrop!" smiled Alice as she flew to her.
"I take it our- your mom and dad are not home?" she asked.
"Nope!" Alice giggled. "They are looking for Adam. We go play more now? Oh- what happened to your pretty dress? That look so silly."
Dew bit her lip. "Can you take me to your parents room... I just need to do something there."
"No. Put pretty dress on first!" Alice demanded.
With a wave of her wand, dewdrop obliged. Once again she was dressed in the pink dress, standing there... awkwardly.
"Yay! Make me have pretty dress too!"
"Maybe when you bring me back here? Dewdrop tried to negotiate, knowing it was a touch futile.
"Pretty dress pretty dress!" The little girl demanded. "An' I want it pink like yours. Exactly the same."
Dewdrop sighed. "Why couldn't you have just had the dress in the first place," she whispered as she waved her wand- and felt guilty at such a dark thought. She certainly didn't want her sister to have disappeared as she had... Her sister's clothes changed into a matching pair just like her own. The girl flew in circles, looking every bit as much a fairy- a flying one, much to Dewdrop's jealousy.
Eventually the girl took dewdrop and placed the paper under her mother's pillow. She was then taken back to the bookshelf. Finally, something had gone right! She sat down on the shelf, and with a wave of her hand got rid of the fairy dress around her. ".. starting to figure out this wand," she said to herself. Changing her own clothes at least seemed a simple magic. Even if it made her hair go a little.. weird at times, with the way it styled itself to match what she was trying to wear.
Cornelius was flying over now. "Hello my Dewdrop, I bring some interesting news. We can expect a Mission..."
"So...a task then?" groaned Dewdrop.
"Not at all. A mission from the Queen is very important. Tasks help yourself and standing, but a Mission is for the good of us all."
A parchment appeared before them, glowing with regal letters of the Queen of the Fey...
"So... what does it say?" Asked Dewdrop.
"It seems someone has got hold of a 'universal remote,'. One 'Biff', he said. "We are to observe what he does with it, and take any actions as necessary to protect other students."
"A... universal remote? You mean the thing that controls televisions and whatevers?" Asked Dewdrop.
" I mean he has something charged with fairy magic, that can control 'everything', and anyone and has apparently been using it quite irresponsibly. We are to watch, observe and note down what he does."
"Then stop him?" Dewdrop demanded. She knew Biff! She could only imagine the horrors he would inflict with such a device.
"That is not on our mission... we'll get stronger fairies if need be. For now we just watch, and report."
Dewdrop wasn't sure she could just sit and watch, depending on what Biff was doing... she held her wand out. "Alright.. well, fly us over."
"You... should get dressed. On a mission we-"
"What's wrong with my clothes! I'm wearing this and that's that." Dewdrop spoke defiantly.
"Well, I... suppose. I will take us to this... Biff."
" I also want to hear more of what happened with my grandmother."
