Fairyfly - 12. Ambushed

Someone gets ambushed. 

After leaving the bedroom where the king and queen slept unaware of their nightly visitor, Olivia moved through the adjacent room as quietly as a mouse, with the coveted object she came to steal safely tucked under her jacket. She felt excited for finally finding what she came for, but she knew very well her job was only half done. She still had to escape the castle undetected and deliver the queen’s crown to Lucius. In all the rush, she didn’t even have time to properly examine it. The giant ruby at its center was supposedly one of the most precious and expensive gems ever, so it was no wonder her employer wanted to get his filthy hands on it. Whether he wanted to keep it for himself or sell it to the highest bidder, she neither knew nor cared. All she cared about was handing him the crown over and having her little brother back with her.

As she slowly opened the door and went out into the hallway, a strong body suddenly knocked her down, catching her by surprise.

“Show yourself!” Prince Terryn hissed at her, trying his best to keep his hold on the invisible girl below him. It felt so weird grabbing onto something that was clearly there, but that you couldn’t see. He and Huck have been waiting in ambush for the last several minutes, and as soon as they saw the door open seemingly by itself, they knew they hit the jackpot.

Feeling she had no way out, Olivia reluctantly broke her stealth and shot Terryn an annoyed look. Even though the light of the torches on the wall was dim, the prince could see the threatening look in her eyes.

“Let me go!” she snapped, trying to break free and almost succeeding it, but Huck quickly knelt down and grabbed her as well. As soon as he saw her face, he let out a gasp.

“Liv?!” he whispered in shock.

“Huck? What… what are you doing here?” she stammered, as surprised as he was.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Terryn asked, his confusion reaching a whole new level. How could his servant possibly know this thief?

“Of course, we’re old buddies,” the Shade smirked, hoping the Prince wouldn’t feel the object hidden inside her jacket as he groped her.

“Yeah, before I came to work for you… I used to do some business on the side for a guy called Lucius,” Huck explained hesitantly.

“What kind of business?”

“Well… Pretty much what she’s still doing. Stealing, spying… A bit of this and that.”

Rather than being shocked or angry, Prince Terryn made a big grin, surprised at the revelation.

“Huck, I never knew you had such an interesting past!” he quipped, almost proud of his servant, drawing a chuckle out of him.

“When there’s no other work, you do what you have to if you want to survive,” Huck shrugged.

“Great, now that we’ve done with sharing life stories, can you let me go?” Olivia asked.

“Get up,” Terryn replied, and the three of them stood up, but the two men never took their hands of off her. “You think we can just let you walk? What will the king think when he finds out you’ve escaped right during my visit?”

“Terryn, you don’t understand. Look, I’ll explain everything, but let’s go hide somewhere first. Someone could catch us here.”

The trio went to Terryn’s room as quickly as possible. Once inside, Huck closed the door behind them and they finally let go of the girl. She sat on the bed, while the two men stood in front of her, blocking the path to the door. The prince didn’t know how much he could trust her and didn’t want to take any chances.

“So, what were you doing up there?”

“My employer, Lucius, ordered me to steal something from the castle…” she said slowly.

“What?” Huck asked, causing the girl to look up at him. They both worked for the slimy man and knew what he was capable of. The difference is, Huck managed to get out. Since he was now working for the King of Thorodan, he was well-protected from Lucius.

“The queen’s crown. He wants the ruby,” Olivia said, unbuttoning her black leather jacket and showing them the gold object.

Terryn gasped when he saw the crown – things were getting far too serious and he wasn’t sure he wanted to get involved. Maybe it would’ve been better if I was arranging a marriage with one of the king’s daughters rather than dealing with this, he thought.

“Are you insane? They’re going to notice it’s gone first thing tomorrow!” he stated the obvious, his voice filled with panic and concern.

“Of course they are! That’s why I need to go as soon as possible,” the Shade explained, turning to her old buddy once again. “Huck, he has my brother. If I don’t bring him the crown, he’s going to kill him. You know he doesn’t make empty threats,” she pleaded.

Huck simply nodded and turned to Terryn.

“Master, I believe her. Lucius is capable of that and much more. We have to let her go.”

“But… What about the king?”

“Look, we didn’t steal the crown and even if he searches us, he won’t find it. Besides, he doesn’t have to know we helped her escape. As far as we’re concerned, we never even saw her.”

Even before Huck’s explanation, the Prince knew that was the right thing to do. Still, he hesitated – not out of loyalty to King Norius, but out of fear. That sorcerer lost his eyes – who knows what the king would do to us if he found out, Terryn wondered.

Finally, he sat down on the bed next to Olivia and looked at her worried face.

“Alright,” he spoke quietly. “Go. You can take one of our horses, they’re at the stables just left of the castle. I’m sure you’ll recognize my father’s carriage.”

A wave of relief swept over the girl and she hugged the prince, her lips drawing into a smile. A few tears even welled in her eyes, but she hoped the prince wouldn’t notice them. After she composed herself, she let him go and looked at him with appreciation, noticing the concern in his brown eyes.

“Thank you so much. Both of you,” she spoke, looking at Terryn and then Huck.

"You're going to get me into so much trouble," the prince said, pointing at his servant. "You're not good for me," he smiled.

"Or maybe I'm just what you needed," Huck replied with a grin.

Getting up from the bed, Olivia put the crown back into her inside pocket and buttoned up her jacket tightly. Taking out the bronze dagger she stole from the king, she looked at her reflection on the blade’s surface and vanished.

The door opened, and Terryn heard the girl speak once more.

“My sweet prince… Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” she spoke and closed the door behind her.

~~

"How much more to the cave?" Esthor asked, walking alongside his favorite Lykos.

He enjoyed spending time with Rulf even though he could feel the other man was awfully quiet and pensive that night. He noticed that Rulf was not chatty as his usual self and wondered what was going on inside that brain of his. Whatever he was thinking, he wasn’t telling Esthor anything.

“Hey, you alright?” the sorcerer asked, stroking Rulf’s arm.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine,” the Lykos replied.

“Rulf, you know I like you a lot, don’t you? And I don’t mean just because of how much you’ve helped me.”

“I know that,” Rulf said, putting an arm around Esthor’s waist. “And I think you know the feeling is mutual, right?”

“I do,” Esthor smiled. “I don’t even know how to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something,” the Lykos chuckled, wanting to keep the atmosphere light. “Oh, look, we’re here. The cave is just over there.”

The Luminous Cave was a wonder of nature located at the edge of the Howling Forest, not far from Khalgos’ home. It was discovered centuries ago, but it wasn’t until the last several decades that people started visiting it more often, after the superstitions around it had dispersed.

Behind a long and winding corridor, the cave boasted a large hall that was filled with white crystals, some of which rose tens of feet into the air. These massive crystalline structures illuminated the cave with their magical glow, giving the cave its name. Even though they had no value like gemstones or gold, the crystals were often used by sorcerers and other magic users due to their ability to conduct magic forces.

Still, people used to fear the cave, believing the crystals to be haunted or evil, which is why the place was mostly left abandoned until recently. Now that these beliefs were no longer prevalent, travelers would often visit the cave to see this wonder with their own eyes and take some crystals, either for themselves or for sale.

Esthor had already visited the place once when he crafted his first scepter, so he was no stranger to the cave, unlike Rulf.

“Alright, let’s shift so I can see where we’re going. I’ll lead and you follow, ok?” the sorcerer suggested, as they stood at the entrance to the cave.

“Fine by me,” Rulf replied, shifting into his wolf form.

After a minute or so, Esthor followed suit and once he was in his fairyfly form, he flew inside, with the wolf right behind him. In his wolf form, Rulf’s eyesight was extra sharp, allowing him to detect even the slightest movements. Therefore, he had no trouble keeping up with the tiny insect flying in front of him.

The cave corridors would’ve been dark and difficult to navigate, but thanks to the animals’ good night vision and the occasional crystal sticking out of the walls and illuminating the path, the pair made their way to the grand hall without much trouble. As they entered the large dome, Rulf stopped in his tracks and shifted back, admiring the view in front of him.

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” he exclaimed with awe, looking around wide-eyed.

He’d heard stories of this place, but he never imagined it to be this amazing. Crystals in all shades of white, some even pale blue and pink covered almost every surface of the cave. Their enchanting glow was unnatural, almost scary.

Still in his fairyfly form, Esthor flew around seeking the best crystal for the tip of his new scepter. Meanwhile, Rulf just walked around and admired the beautiful view. After several minutes of inspecting the cave, Esthor flew back to the Lykos and buzzed in front of his face.

“Have you found the right one?” Rulf asked, to which the fairyfly buzzed again in confirmation and went a bit further, floating around an icy-blue crystal stuck in a wall, surrounded by several others.

“That one, really?” Rulf sighed, noticing how high it was. It would be impossible for him to get it. “You sure you don’t want one of these within my reach?”

The fairyfly flew back to him and shifted back.

“Don’t worry, I can lift you. Unless you’re afraid of heights?” Esthor teased.

“Me? Never! Come on, do your best,” Rulf challenged him.

As easy as picking up a spoon, Esthor waved his hand around and Rulf was floating in the air.

“Wow, easy!” he called out, suddenly dizzy as he lost the solid ground beneath his feet.

“Heh, did you change your mind?” the sorcerer teased, effortlessly holding Rulf still in the air.

“Yeah, right,” the Lykos replied.

“Come on, guide me since I can’t see now.”

“Oh, sure. Ok, move me just a bit higher and to the right,” Rulf said and immediately felt his body moving in that direction until he was facing the crystal Esthor wanted. “Ok, stop right here.”

Pulling out a pocket knife, Rulf carefully dislodged the crystal from the wall and held it in his hand as if it was the most precious thing in the universe.

“Got it!”

“Great! Ready to go down?”

“Whenever you are!”

In just a few moments, Rulf’s feet were back on the ground, which he appreciated so much. Wolves were land animals and he had no desire to fly again, as exciting as that little flying excursion was. After placing the large crystal in his backpack, along with the maple branch they picked up earlier, the two men shifted again and headed out of the cave and back to Khalgos’ home.

The walk – or in Esthor’s case, flight – back to his master’s house seemed longer than ever. The sorcerer was anxious and excited about any news regarding his book and the possibility to get his eyes back. Rulf could sense Esthor’s nervousness, so he tried to encourage him along the way even though he knew the sorcerer couldn’t reply in his animal form.

Khalgos’ pet crow cawed twice, announcing the arrival of the two men. Merely seconds later, a knock on the door was heard and the old sorcerer was quick to open it, letting Esthor and Rulf in.

“Boys, you’re back. Did you get everything?”

“Yes, we did,” Esthor replied and Rulf took off his backpack, opened it and handed Khalgos the crystal and the maple branch.

“Good, I have everything else here, so you can make a new scepter as soon as tomorrow.”

“Great! Did you… uh, did you get the book?” Esthor asked hesitantly, fearing the answer would be negative. That old tome was his last hope and if it failed him, he didn’t know what he’d do.

“Yes, we were just browsing through it,” the master replied.

“We?”

“Yes. Pepin is here, he brought the book,” Khalgos explained, noticing Esthor’s expression immediately changing at the mention of the healer.

“Um, hello, Esthor. How are you?” Pepin asked politely, guilt once again eating him from the inside.

“I’m good,” the young man responded curtly. He hadn’t forgotten how the old healer stood by quietly and watched as Zane gouged his eyes out. Just like everyone else in that castle, he was a coward who didn’t dare stand up to the king.

Khalgos motioned to Rulf to follow him to the other room, leaving the other two men to talk in private.

“Look, Esthor, I am so sorry for what happened…”

“Oh, you mean me getting blinded and thrown into the dungeon to die?”

“Yes…”

The healer stood up from the chair and thought about moving closer to take Esthor’s hand, but hesitated and sat back down.

“I should’ve said something.”

“Yes, you should’ve. You knew there was no cure. If it hadn’t been for me, Arabella would now be a full-fledged Lykos with the Fever.”

“You’re right, you’re right. Again, I’m so sorry. I’m trying to make up for it. It was I who immediately told Khalgos what happened, and I went to the castle tonight and brought your book.”

“Thank you for that,” Esthor managed to say, though still angry at the old man.

“Do you think you can forgive my foolishness?”

The healer looked up at Esthor, who seemed deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.

“If I get my eyes back, you will be forgiven. Is there anything in the book about that?”

“As a matter of fact, there is. Khalgos will explain everything to you,” Pepin replied, calling out the old sorcerer, who quickly returned to the room, followed by Rulf.

“I see no one’s been turned into a frog, that’s good,” the master mused, looking at both men.

“Not yet, anyway,” Esthor raised an eyebrow. “Master, is there anything in the book about getting my eyes back?” he asked, while Rulf came to stand next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Yes, there is, but it might prove to be a bit… complicated.”

“Complicated, how?” the blond man asked.

“Well, one of things we need will be… hard to get,” Khalgos stated vaguely, not wanting to say too much in front of Rulf.

Sensing the awkwardness, the Lykos sighed and removed his hand from Esthor’s shoulder.

“I better go,” he muttered, turning to leave. “That way you three can talk without fear I’ll hear something I’m not supposed to.”

“Rulf, it’s not like that,” Esthor pleaded. “Please, wait.”

Going after him, Esthor caught up with the Lykos as he left the house. Closing the door behind him, Esthor stood outside, trying to find Rulf with his hands.

“I’m here,” the Lykos said, taking Esthor by the hands.

“Rulf, I’m sorry. Master is just paranoid…”

“Only the master? I don’t seem to recall you ever telling me what happened.”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry. I will tell you everything, it’s just that… I don’t want you to think badly of me,” Esthor dropped his head. He was glad he couldn’t see because he felt he wouldn’t be able to look Rulf in the eyes at that moment.

“I promise I won’t. But that doesn’t matter now. The most important thing is for you to get your eyes back. So, go inside and listen to what the two of them have to say. I have some business to do back home and I’ll see you again when I’m done.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ve been postponing this for a while and I need to deal with it already,” Rulf said, still worked up about all of the secrets they’ve been keeping.

“Ok. Can I…” Esthor asked as he raised a hand and tenderly caressed Rulf’s cheek.

The Lykos leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to the sorcerer’s lips. With a sigh, he pulled back and shifted.

“Go inside. I’ll see you soon,” he growled and ran off into the woods.

Rushing through the bushes and trees, Rulf thought about everything that happened in the last few weeks. He just wanted all of it to be over so he and Esthor could be together in peace. More than anything, he wanted the lovely blond to get his eyes back, but how did he lose them in the first place? What secret was he hiding? Rulf would just have to wait until Esthor decided to tell him.

For now, he had to find Fendrel and confront him so he could at least put that part of his life behind him.

Finally arriving to the Lykos settlement, Rulf sneaked over to Fendrel’s house near the edge of the forest and noticed a broken window. Still in his wolf form, he walked over to the front door and knocked, but no reply came. Deciding he didn’t want to wait until the morning, he tried the lock and to his surprise, the door was unlocked. As he let himself in, he took in the scene before him – the room was a mess, cabinets and drawers opened, furniture thrown around and broken all over the floor.

“What the hell happened here?” he muttered, when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

“Stay where you are!” a male voice called out.

As Rulf turned around, he saw three royal guards surrounding him, pointing their swords at him. One of them stood at the door, the other in front of the broken window, and the third one between them. There was no escape.

Yaaasss cliffhangers, we love them!
Thanks to everyone who reads Fairyfly, and thanks to @AusGlitterati for always helping me make the story better!