Fairyfly - 19. Eclipse

Loud banging woke Huck from his deep slumber. While Terryn and Khalgos had slept in rooms further down the hall, he got the one closest to the entrance. Groaning and rubbing his eyes, he reluctantly threw away the covers and got up from the bed. Though he did not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night, he knew the noise could only mean one thing.

As he peeked through the window, he could see two figures standing in front of the door, illuminated by moonlight.

“Oh, good! They’re here!” he mumbled, quickly unlocking the door to let them in. “Esthor! Pepin! I’m glad to see you again,” Huck said jovially, though in a quiet tone, not wanting to wake the other two. His young face was beaming, with a big smile and a gleam in his green eyes. It made him very happy that they managed to help Olivia and return home safely.

“It’s good to be back,” Pepin spoke, patting the young man on the shoulder.

“You can say that again,” Esthor agreed. “I don’t mind visiting Eelry, but not being flown by a bird while stuffed in a small leather pouch. No offense, Pepin,” he quickly added with a smile. Even though he and the old healer had started off on the wrong foot, Esthor appreciated how much Pepin had helped them. Without his aid, they wouldn’t have been able to overcome many of the problems they faced.

“None taken, my boy,” the old man replied softly.

As Huck led them through the living room and into the kitchen, Prince Terryn and master Khalgos came out of their respective bedroom and joined the group.

“Sorry for waking you up, we tried to be quiet,” Huck said.

“No need to apologize, young man,” Khalgos was quick to reassure him. “I am just happy and relieved to see you to have made it back. You were quick,” he added, greeting and hugging Esthor and Pepin.

Prince Terryn approached them and did the same, before sitting down at the table next to them.

“What about Liv and her brother? Will they be coming as well?” he asked with concern.

“Yes, we have managed to convince them to come. After what master told me about the king, I fear we might need her help,” Esthor confirmed. “Unfortunately, they cannot fly like we could, so they will be coming tomorrow. I summoned them the best horse I could.”

“Sweet!” Terryn exclaimed, suddenly blushing as he realized all eyes were on him. “I mean, that is good to hear. I’m glad all of you are safe now.”

Chuckling under his breath, Khalgos turned to Esthor. “So, do you have the dagger?”

“Yes,” Esthor nodded with a winning smile on his face. Reaching down, he pulled the blade that was tucked into his belt and placed it on the table.

Prince Terryn and Huck looked in awe, their eyes fixed on the minute bronze dagger as if it were the holy grail itself. The weapon looked so ordinary, yet it was to serve such an important purpose. For anyone who was a stranger to magic, it would be difficult to understand, but they realized it very well. Curious to see how the ritual would transpire, they sat and watched as Khalgos went about making all the preparations, all the while recounting all the details regarding the king’s proclamation to Esthor and Pepin.

Once everything was arranged, the old master took Esthor by the hand, leading him to the clearing in the middle of the spacious room. Having led him to the designated spot, Khalgos let go of his hand, allowing Esthor to kneel down on the wooden floor.

“Are you ready?” the master asked.

“Yes,” Esthor said as he slowly breathed in and out. Listening to his heartbeat, he realized the moment of truth had come. This was the time he would find out if the spell would work or not. He couldn’t deny the anxiety he felt at that moment. Still, he had to believe. It will work. He will restore his eyes, and then he will get Rulf back.

“Very well. We shall commence the ritual,” Khalgos said ceremoniously. “Lie down on your back,” he ordered and Esthor followed his instruction.

Walking in a circle around Esthor, Khalgos lit the seven enchanted red candles that he placed on the floor around the young sorcerer. As the seventh candle was lit, the master stopped.

“Et Sohr Vertes!” he exclaimed. All of a sudden, the flames around Esthor turned crimson red and he wailed in pain, feeling a crushing headache.

“Quick, give me the dagger!” Khalgos ordered. Terryn jumped right up, fetching the weapon and handing it to the old man. Kneeling down beside his student, Khalgos took his hand.

“I’ll need to draw some blood.”

“Alright,” Esthor moaned, still in agony. Even though he felt tremendous pain, he knew it was worth it if it helped him get his eyes back.

Khalgos carefully cut Esthor’s palm with the dagger, drawing blood that rapidly spread all over the blade, turning it deep red.

“It’s time,” he said, laying the weapon on Esthor’s face, where his eyes used to be.

“Can I… Can I choose a color? I’ve always wanted green eyes,” the young man asked, trying to be still.

“Esthor…” Khalgos rolled his eyes. “Be quiet now.”

“Oh, alright.”

Taking one more glance at the dark purple tome lying on the floor beside him, Khalgos read the final incantation. “Invort Palatio Ah’Reortis! Suprego Sempra!”

The violent headache Esthor had been feeling suddenly concentrated around his eyes, making him feel as if his head was about to burst. Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, all the blood from the dagger vanished, leaving only bronze in its place. The pain immediately subsided and Esthor breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, did it work?” Huck whispered, his eyes glued to the scene before him.

Removing the dagger from his face, Esthor got up and opened his eyelids. For the first time in weeks, he was looking at his master, sitting beside him, looking at him with a proud grin on his face.

“Can you see us?” Khalgos asked, looking at Esthor’s bright azure eyes, the same as they once were.

His former student merely nodded, tears streaming down his face.

“Yes! I can see all of you,” Esthor cried with joy, hugging his master. “Thank you so much!”

Suddenly, there were people all around him, as everyone approached to hug him and express their glee. Esthor found himself overwhelmed with all the support, barely managing to utter a few words. Now that he was finally able to see again, he felt as though he had been blind for years. Everything seemed new and exciting, no matter how small or insignificant it was.

“I’m so happy for you, my boy,” Khalgos smiled, wiping his own tears from his wet cheeks.

“We all are,” Terryn exclaimed. “This is amazing, it worked!”

“Yes, it did! I can hardly believe it!” Pepin smiled, looking at Esthor with amusement as the young man stood up and looked around, trying to absorb everything around him.

“Uh…”

Realizing what he was after, Khalgos grabbed Esthor by the forearm and led him to the hall.

“Come in, it’s over here.”

As they stood in front of a large mirror on the wall, Esthor smiled as he looked at his face. He looked the same as before, but something seemed different and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He knew he had changed a lot, and maybe that was why he saw himself in a different light now.

The five friends sat at the table, drinking ale and celebrating Esthor’s success. However, their merriment was soon interrupted as they heard scratching and knocking at one of the windows. Turning around to take a look, Khalgos quickly jumped as he saw his pet crow knocking with its beak against the glass.

As soon as he opened the window, the bird flew in and rested on his shoulder, cawing. While everyone else looked dumbfounded, the old master frowned, clearly distressed with the news the bird had told him.

“What’s the matter?” Esthor asked, fearing something bad had happened.

“It’s Rulf,” Khalgos said, looking his student directly in the eyes. “Zane and his men have captured him and Fendrel and took them to the castle.”

~~

Walking up with his head pounding, Rulf opened his eyes and moaned, trying to discern where he is. Still feeling disoriented, he tried to sit up and look around, but failed to recognize his surroundings. However, as soon as he noticed iron bars all around him, he remembered what had happened. He’d been captured and imprisoned.

“Had a good sleep?” a rough voice came from nearby. Turning around, Rulf frowned as he saw Fendrel in a cell next to his own.

“Go to hell,” Rulf muttered and turned back, grabbing the bars and shaking them, but there was no use in it. They wouldn’t give in.

“Yeah, good luck with that. Even I couldn’t break out, and believe me, I tried,” the diseased wolf said. He was shivering even though it wasn’t cold at all, not for a Lykos at least. The Fever was affecting him more and more each day.

With a sigh, Rulf let go and sat back down on the simple wooden bench that was the only piece of furniture in the cell. Through a small opening in the wall, he could see the sunlight coming in. It was already day, so he couldn’t shift. He was stuck in his human form.

Looking around, he observed the filthy dungeon they were trapped in. All the other cells were empty. Gods, Esthor was probably locked in here after he… Rulf was suddenly painfully aware of how much he missed the sorcerer. Is he alright now? Did he manage to restore his eyes? Will I ever see him again? The Lykos wondered as he looked down at his feet, feeling utterly miserable. If I don’t, he’ll never know that I forgive him, that I understand…

At least the real culprit is finally caught, he thought. I wonder what the king plans to do with him… and me.

The heavy doors leading down to the dungeons suddenly unlocked and Rulf could hear footsteps approaching, echoing loudly throughout the chambers. He could see several tall figures slowly approaching the cells and once they finally came close enough, Rulf recognized them. King Norius and Zane stood in front, followed by two guards.

For a while, no one had said a thing. The only thing that interrupted the silence in the stuffy dungeon was the sound of their breathing. The king stood calmly, observing the prisoners with pure hatred. He finally had them: the beast that infected his daughter, and an unexpected bonus – another beast that dared to seduce her. If looks could kill, both Lykos would have been dead on the spot, but Norius didn’t wish for them to die quickly. He wanted them to suffer and die slowly, in pain. He wanted them to hurt as much as he hurt because of what happened to Arabella.

“Why?” he asked, his jaw trembling. His gaze was fixed on Fendrel. Although the wolf had been calm, with a smug look on his animal face, he suddenly got up and grabbed the iron bars that confined him, shaking them wildly.

“Why?! You don’t even know!” Fendrel growled.

“Know what?” the king asked, frightened by the wolf’s sudden outburst, but refusing to show it.

“Twenty years ago, your bloody father murdered my parents!” Fendrel yelled, rattling the bars. “Like they were animals! He killed them for sport!”

Looking away, king Norius stood unflinching. He wasn’t surprised by the wolf’s words. His father, the late King Brom, was known to be prejudiced against the Lykos, considering them barely more than beasts. He was largely responsible for how they were still treated to this day, forced to live in a separate settlement away from the capital city of Thenelle. On occasion, he would even shoot at them while hunting at night in the woods.

Therefore, Norius didn’t find it hard to believe Fendrel’s words. He could very well be telling the truth, the king realized, but that doesn’t change a thing. He was responsible for my daughter’s death. He and that cursed sorcerer!

“And you,” the king said, turning to Rulf. “You dared to seduce my daughter. How could you even think she would be with one of your kind!?”

“Bella loved me. She never wanted to marry Prince Terryn,” Rulf said quietly.

“She would’ve married whoever I told her to!” Norius yelled. “But now she can’t. Now, her corpse is lying in the crypt. She was only eighteen…” he added, his voice barely audible now.

“I’m sorry…” Rulf spoke from the heart.

“You’ll both be sorry when I’m finished with you! You’ll be-“

All of a sudden, a muffled voice broke through, ringing throughout the chambers, startling everyone.

“Norius!”

As the king, Zane and the guards all turned around toward the source of the sound, Rulf’s eyes went wide with shock. He would recognize that voice anytime. It was Esthor!

As the door leading to the dungeons opened again, one of the seven royal sorcerer’s appeared.

“Your Majesty, you should come right away.”

Without a moment of hesitation, King Norius rushed out, followed by Zane and the two guards. As he climbed up the stairs and went out into the hall, the king stopped in his tracks. There was a face in one of the windows, calling out his name. Even though it was covered with a hood, preventing him from seeing his eyes and nose, the king knew very well who it belonged to.

“Esthor,” he uttered, approaching the window with a desire to smash it into pieces. “What, are you too much of a coward to come here and face me in person?”

“Don’t make me laugh,” Esthor scoffed. “I am giving you your last chance. Release Rulf at once or I WILL come there. And when I do, I promise you’ll regret it.”

“I’ll be waiting. Come by nightfall or he dies,” Norius said, swinging his hammer and shattering the window.

~~

“Are you certain you don’t want me to come with you?” Khalgos asked as Esthor readied himself. He was concerned his former student was getting in too deep. He was aware of how talented Esthor was, but that didn’t prevent him from worrying about him, especially after everything that had happened recently.

“Yes. I need you to stay here and perform the ritual,” Esthor nodded, putting on his indigo blue cape. “That will be enough assistance.”

“What about us? Can we do anything to help?” Huck asked. Even though he and Prince Terryn did not know Esthor very well, they felt connected to him and wanted to help.

“No, you better stay here as well. I don’t want you getting hurt. If I have to make sure you’re safe as well, I would only get distracted, and I can’t afford that right now,” Esthor explained. “Besides, I already have help.”

“Alright, I understand,” Terryn nodded, although he did not look happy about that decision. Still, he knew he had no choice but to respect it.

“Esthor…” the master spoke, frowning. “Be careful and please, think before you act. I know how you feel about the king, but hatred is never a good motivator. It only leads to even more animosity and creates an endless cycle of revenge.”

Standing in front of Khalgos in silence, Esthor contemplated his words. He knew the master was right, but his mind was focused on one thing only – making sure Rulf was safe. Nothing else mattered.

“I understand,” he nodded at last.

With final words of warning and encouragement, the small party saw Esthor out the door. As he mounted his pale horse, the sorcerer conjured up a large hourglass, turned it around and handed it to his master. Dark grey sand inside it slowly started dripping, as Terryn and Huck observed it questioningly, wondering what the purpose of that was.

“When the sand runs out, start the ritual,” Esthor instructed Khalgos.

“Very well,” the master nodded as the young man turned to leave. “Good luck.”

~~

As he rapidly approached the royal castle, Esthor could feel his heart beating like a massive drum. Even though he knew he should be afraid, there was no room for fear inside him. What he needed to do was focus all of his courage, strength and resolve into freeing Rulf from the clutches of that mad king. If he so much as laid a finger on Rulf, I will kill him, he decided. There will be no mercy.

Seeing the castle before him, the sorcerer pulled the dark hood over his head, just enough to hide the upper half of his face from view. Slowing down, Esthor could discern several figures standing in the courtyard in front of the main gate. The king was there, surrounded by his men. Of course, the coward. Seven robed figures stood in a circle around them – the royal sorcerers. Behind the king, two cages were placed, each holding a Lykos – Rulf and Fendrel.

Esthor’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Rulf standing there, locked behind bars. It seemed as though he was looking straight at him.

“He’s alright,” Esthor mumbled to himself, slowly riding his horse toward the group.

Once he was about thirty feet away, King Norius turned to one of the sorcerers. “Now.”

Simultaneously, all seven of them raised their wands, creating a circle of protection around them, a light orange barrier that shone brightly, preventing any magic from entering the protected zone.

Finally stopping his horse, Esthor dismounted.

“Have you come to surrender?” King Norius asked in a commanding tone, in a futile attempt to assert dominance.

“No,” Esthor replied, removing his hood and revealing his face to the shock of everyone in front of him. “I came to get Rulf.”

Fendrel was the only one who seemed indifferent. To him, it didn’t matter if the sorcerer lived or died. Still, he keenly observed the situation, hoping that an opportunity would present itself for him.

“You… You can…” Norius muttered.

“See? Of course. Or did you really think your pet here could stop me?” Esthor said, glancing at Zane with a smirk. As he suspected, the king had to employ the sorcerers to help him. Without them, he would be powerless. Not that they can stop me, Esthor thought.

The commander said nothing, merely grinding his teeth and looking at the sorcerer with contempt.

In his cage, Rulf’s eyes were glued to the sorcerer. He could not believe it, Esthor’s eyes were back! He looked more beautiful than Rulf had ever seen him. All he wanted at that moment was to break free and run to him, but it was impossible. For the moment, he could do nothing but hope that Esthor would not get hurt. That was what mattered the most.

“No matter. You stand no chance here. You shall surrender or die together with your wolf,” the king proclaimed.

Glancing up at the sky, Esthor could see it was getting darker even though it was mid-day. It meant only one thing – Khalgos was finishing his ritual right on time.

“I hope you’re ready,” Esthor said as his lips stretched into a smile.

“Don’t worry, we are,” Zane spoke for the first time.

“Oh, I wasn’t talking to you,” the sorcerer replied sweetly, enjoying seeing Zane so confused.

Just moments later, the day suddenly turned into night as the sun was devoured fully, turning into a black circle.

“What the hell?” one of the royal sorcerer’s asked in wonder, looking up at the sky, which looked utterly unnatural. Black clouds gathered, looming over them, blocking all the light.

“Fire!” the king shouted in panic. “Kill him!”

“Nooo!” Rulf shouted, rattling his cage and looking at Esthor in desperation.

At once, all seven sorcerers pointed their wands toward Esthor. Deadly orange projectiles burst from them, rapidly flying toward the sorcerer. Just as they were about to connect, he yelled “Now!” and vanished on the spot, the magic projectiles passing through before vanishing completely.

Before he knew what was happening, one of the royal sorcerers felt cold steel slashing his throat. He immediately fell to the ground, bleeding out to death.

“Nooo, Keiron!” another sorcerer screamed as he saw his mate get killed. As he ran toward him, he was met with the same fate – an invisible dagger stabbed him in the heart, killing him instantly.

Unnoticed by anyone, the tiny fairyfly flew over to Rulf’s cage. The wolf immediately noticed it and smiled. Shifting back into his human form, Esthor promptly cast a protective aura around Rulf. His number one priority was to protect the Lykos.

“Run!” he shouted, as all eyes were on him.

Wasting no time, Olivia fled the scene before any of the sorcerers could reveal her. If that happened, she would be an easy target.

For now, her part was done.

“Attack!” Zane shouted, ordering the guards who seemed hesitant to approach the imposing sorcerer.

With a quick swipe of his scepter, Esthor blew Rulf’s cage open. The Lykos immediately shifted into a wolf and lunged toward one of the guards, knocking him down.

Unlike them, the five remaining sorcerers wasted no time. Enraged by the death of two of their mates, they started flinging a barrage of spells at Esthor. As he waved his scepter to deflect the projectiles, one of them hit Fendrel’s cage, releasing the frenzied wolf.

With a roar, Fendrel rushed toward King Norius, intent on infecting him with his poisonous bite. As he raised his hammer, ready to fight the wolf, the king found himself pushed aside and knocked to the ground.

“Noooo!” Zane shouted as he pushed the king and pointed his sword toward the wolf, stabbing him in the chest. Mortally wounded, Fendrel fell down on top of the guard commander, pinning him to the ground.

“Enough!” Esthor exclaimed, raising his scepter. As its crystals started glowing, the five sorcerers in front of him turned to ice before they could fire another round of spells. Turning around, Esthor saw Rulf in his wolf form, knocking out one of the guards. The rest had already ran off, desperate to save their lives.

“Are you alright?” Esthor asked, rushing to Rulf, not caring about anything or anyone else.

The Lykos shifted back into his human form, breathing heavily.

“I am, and you?”

“Yes,” Esthor nodded, smiling at the man.

“What about them?” Rulf said, pointing behind Esthor.

Getting up from the ground, King Norius looked at them with a combination of hatred and fear burning in his eyes. He wanted to kill the cursed sorcerer, make him suffer, but he could not. Not without magic. He was now powerless, left at Esthor’s mercy.

It wasn’t until he heard a noise nearby that he looked away, noticing Fendrel and Zane lying in a pool of blood.

With all of his strength, the guard commander pushed the wolf’s limp body from on top of him, but it was too late. Fendrel’s fangs were already deep in his neck, the disease circulating through his body. He was infected.

Coughing up blood, Fendrel looked up and saw the large wound in his chest, his entire upper body covered in blood. His head fell back down to the ground as he drew his very last breath.

“He’s gone,” Rulf whispered, taking Esthor’s hand and squeezing it.

“Am I… am I going to turn… become like him?” Zane uttered between coughs, glancing at Fendrel's corpse next to him. Raising his left hand, he pressed his fingers against his neck, feeling the bite wound, all bloody and swollen.

“Yes,” Esthor replied, standing above him. Despite everything, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. It was true that they were never able to see eye to eye, but did Zane truly deserve this cruel fate? Perhaps he did, but who am I to say, Esthor thought.

“How… how long do I have?” the commander asked, looking at Esthor.

King Norius stood by silently, observing his most loyal warrior with great sadness.

“It’s difficult to say. Your body is strong… Weeks, maybe several months,” Esthor replied sadly. He did not gloat, as much as he thought he would when this moment came.

“No… I won’t die like this,” Zane shook his head. “Please… grant me a swift death.”

“I already did this once,” Esthor shook his head as he looked at the king. “And look where it got me.”

“I understand now. Please,” the commander pleaded, coughing and trembling on the ground.

“As you wish,” Esthor nodded, raising his scepter. “You won’t feel a thing.”

As Zane closed his eyes, the sorcerer began his incantation and the tip of the scepter turned an eerie shade of white. The commander’s body slightly lifted off the ground and started twitching. As Esthor finished his spell, Zane’s body fell back down on the ground, lifeless and cold.

We're nearly there! Thank you everyone for reading, see ya soon in the last chapter!