Fairyfly II - 4. Taken

Being a massive fortress that stood for centuries, it was no wonder the royal castle of Alduin had many entrances – both well known and hidden ones, that only a few selected people new about. Some of them had been used by servants in the past centuries to move about the castle more easily without getting in the way of the nobility. Late King Archibald, who ruled for less than a decade in the early sixth century, was notorius for not wanting to see any servants in his presence. During his reviled reign, all of the staff knew to do their cleaning, cooking and other duties as quickly as possible and only use the ‘secret’ passageways so the king would not have to suffer their presence and encounter them in the hallways.

Queen Loreena had no such qualms. She had spent the entire morning in the company of Esthor, commander Gilda and another guard named Wilona, overseeing as they placed magic wards on all the entrances and hidden doors around the castle. Whoever helped Norius escape had managed to break into the castle once, and they had to be sure it would not happen again.

As per the sorcerer’s instructions, Gilda and Wilona buried several snow-white crystals into the ground, leaving only their tips uncovered. Meanwhile, Esthor stared at a small door ahead of him with a look of complete concentration, muttering an incantation.

“There,” he said out loud once he was finished. “This should put a protective ward on this entrance if anyone tries to use force or magic to break in.”

“What about shifters? Falk said he was attacked by something that can breathe fire,” Gilda asked.

“That will not help them. Fire cannot damage these wards,” Esthor explained. “And the crystals are there in case anyone tries to come through the ground again,” he added, glancing over at Queen Loreena.

“What happens if they try doing so?” the queen asked, curiously observing.

“It won’t kill them, but it will make them wish they never tried in the first place,” Esthor replied, a certain degree of satisfaction evident in his voice. Even with his magical skills, he knew it was practically impossible to create a magical ward that would prevent intruders from entering, and at the same time allow the countless castle inhabitants and workers to pass by unobstructed. He would simply do his best, and the rest would be up to Gilda and her guards.

“That’s this side covered, then. Shall we move on over there now,” Gilda gestured with her hand, already moving toward the back of the castle without waiting for a response.

“Lead the way,” the sorcerer replied, following the commander along with the queen and the other guard until they disappeared around the corner.

An old guard leaned against the stone fence, observing everything from his position near the main gate, when he noticed Quinn walk by.

“Can you believe that?” the man commented. Quinn could tell by the disgruntled look on his face that he was not happy about something.

“What’s the matter?”

“Queen Loreena and Gilda, out there playing with some shiny stones,” the old man said, nodding in the direction of the castle. “What, are we not enough to protect her? All of a sudden she needs magic?”

“Wait, what did they do?” Quinn asked, his voice suddenly getting more urgent. “What magic?”

“Damned if I know. I just saw them out there with that sorcerer, burying some crystals... Over there, near the door behind the west tower.”

“Ridiculous, if you ask me,” Quinn agreed, studying the other man. Perhaps gaining allies would not be as difficult as he had thought. “She might as well be saying that we’re not capable of doing our job, right?”

“Bloody right! If an army attacked, we’d be the ones going to battle, not some fancy mage.”

Leaving the old guard to his ramblings, Quinn strode over to the west tower, looking for the old stone door. As he inspected the scene, he noticed where the ground had been dug up and several crystals buried. Frowning, he crouched down to look closer. If the meddlesome sorcerer was intent on shielding all entrances with magic, it would make his job much more difficult.

Deciding that some sabotage would be necessary, Quinn unsheathed one of his trusty blades and dug into the ground to take the crystal out. No sooner had he done that, than a powerful electric shock jolted him. Screaming, he dropped the dagger as if it were on fire and fell down to the ground, his body shaking in pain.

“Fuck! Are you alright, mate?!” the old guard rushed over, surprisingly agile for his age. He took Quinn by the hands and helped him sit up. “Why’d you have to go and mess around with that thing? Did I not warn you about the magic they did?”

“I... yeah, you did,” the younger man replied, panting with exertion. He struggled to catch his breath, feeling as if he had just been struck by a bolt of lightning. “I was just... I was curious. I’ve never seen any magic up close.”

“Well, are you happy now?” the guard asked sarcastically. “You bloody young fool... Come on, I’ll help you up. Nothing broken?”

“No, I don’t think so. I’m just... shaken up,” Quinn said as he got up. For a moment, he thought about reaching down to take his dagger out of the ground, but then thought better of it. He did not want to risk another shock like that.

Whatever magic Esthor was doing, Quinn had no hopes of nullifying it. He would just have to play it smart and bring the sorcerer in line in some other way.

~~

Work in the carpentry shop never seemed to be done. Whenever Rulf or Kennard - the shop owner - would finish one piece of furniture, there was always the next order waiting to be worked on. Neither of them complained, though. The work was steady and paid well enough to make a living. Most importantly, it was something the Lykos enjoyed doing quite a bit. Ever since he was a little boy, he would play with whatever materials he could find around the small Lykos settlement - pieces of wood, metal or wire, haphazardly combining them into toys and whatever else struck his fancy.

His parents, who now lived in a nearby town, would always tell the story of when he made his very own ‘magic sword’ from wood and rope when he was ten. All of the other kids in the neighborhood wanted to play with it to the point that fights would break out over it. Annoyed over everyone hogging his own creation, Rulf ended up snatching it away from the other kids and running away with it. On the way home, he tripped and fell, causing the sword to fall apart. The next day, he spent the entire morning in the shed behind his house, making a new and improved sword, determined not to show it to anyone else. It only took him a few days to realize that a new toy was no fun if he had no one to play with. In the end, after some convincing from his father, the boy ended up making a wooden sword for each of his friends.

When he grew up and became more aware of the difficult position of the Lykos in the society, Rulf developed a real concern that he would not be able to find work. Fortunately, even though the local carpenter was not a shifter, he had no issue with hiring Rulf once he saw the young man’s skill and work ethic.

“I’ll be off now, got to get that new wood shipment from old Huxley. He promised me a lower rate, and I’ll be damned if I miss that chance,” Kennard said as he emerged from the back room, taking off his gloves and placing them on a shelf. Even though in his late fifties, the man was as strong as an ox. “Hold down the fort, will ya?”

“Sure thing, boss,” Rulf replied, waving the man off before continuing his work on a set of stools he was making.

It was a few minutes later that a man and a young boy who must have been his son arrived at the workshop, looking at the various items displayed in front of it. The man proceeded to enter, but hesitated at the door upon seeing that Rulf was alone inside.

“Good day, can I help you?” the Lykos greeted the potential customer, looking up from the stool he was working on.

“I don’t think so,” the man muttered, his face twisting into a scowl. “I’ll come back when the owner is here.”

The sound of footsteps rapidly approaching caused both men to turn around, as the little boy ran over, holding a small wooden toy catapult in his hands.

“Daddy, daddy, can we buy this?!” his high-pitched voice broke the awkward silence.

The father observed the toy with disgust, as if it was cursed. “Put that down and let’s go, son,” he ordered. “We don’t do business with the Lykos.”

“Don’t bother returning then,” Rulf said. Years ago, he would have been hurt by such a comment, but now, he was well aware of his worth and tried his best not to let ignorant and hateful people get to him. “Kennard doesn’t suffer fools any more than I do.”

The man promptly stormed off with his son, almost knocking over the lithe young woman that passed him by, glaring at him.

“What is his problem?” she asked as she entered the workshop, noticing her friend working inside.

“Bess, I didn’t expect you today,” Rulf smiled in surprise, happy to see the woman. “Come, sit.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” she walked over and planted herself on a nearby chair. “Who was that guy?”

“Just some nitwit who thinks he’s above buying stuff from a Lykos.”

“Well I would’ve liked to have given him a piece of my mind then! How rude…” Bess shook her head, looking out the door. “Does that happen often?”

“Not as much as it used to,” Rulf replied, focused on carving the legs of the stool he was making. “Ever since the whole Norius ordeal from last year, we’ve had more customers. They’ve heard about Esthor’s and my role in everything, so many of them come out of curiosity and end up purchasing something. And you know, there’s a few rotten apples in every basket. That’s just life.”

“Speaking of which, how are things? I can’t stop thinking about what you told me,” the woman frowned in concern. “Are you any closer to finding out where Norius is?”

“Ehh, no, not really,” the Lykos sighed. “I know it will sound selfish, but… I wish the queen would handle it on her own. She has all those guards at her disposal, why does she need to involve Esthor again?”

“You’re just concerned, that’s not selfish. That’s understandable.”

“Well, tell that to Esthor. He doesn’t even want to hear about quitting. I can’t even talk to him about it because he always gets angry and cuts me off. I just… I don’t want him to get hurt again.”

“Oh, darling, Esthor can handle himself,” Bess got up, putting a hand around her friend’s shoulders.

“I know that, but after everything we’ve already been through… I don’t want any more trouble. We’ve had enough of it for a lifetime.”

“I know… For what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s anything that can stop you and Esthor when you’re united. Certainly not that old fart we used to call king.”

“Heh, I hope you’re right,” the Lykos replied, trying to find comfort in his friend’s words. Esthor was stronger than any other person he knew. Still, no matter how skilled a sorcerer his lover was, Rulf would never stop being concerned for him.

The rest of the day was uneventful to say the least. After Bess left and Kennard returned with a new load of wood, it was finally time for Rulf to finish up for the day. With the sun getting lower, there was not enough light to continue working anyway.

Having put away his tools and cleaned his workplace, Rulf decided to go straight home. He was ‘hungry like a wolf’ - a joke he had gotten tired of hearing from his boss over the years - but he also couldn’t wait to see Esthor and hear all about his day.

He kept walking, keeping a steady pace, his mind occupied with thoughts of delicious food he wanted to eat when he got home. A roasted chicken and some potatoes would do just fine, especially if he didn’t have to prepare it. As decent a cook as he was, having Esthor conjure up food in a matter of seconds was far too convenient. So convenient in fact, that he was starting to worry he would put on too much weight. Would Esthor still find him attractive then?

Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn’t notice the large, brown horse that stood in front of a small wooden cart by the dirt road. Suddenly, Rulf heard a voice from behind.

“Excuse me, friend, do you have a moment?”

The young Lykos had barely managed to turn around when he saw a hooded figure right behind him. The next thing he knew, he had a damp cloth pressed against his nose and mouth. Before he even had time to react, he could feel his eyes closing and his mind getting hazy. The substance worked quickly, and the very next second, Rulf was lying unconscious on the ground.

“Damn, you’re heavy,” Quinn grumbled, struggling to lift the Lykos and put him in the cart. Once he finally succeeded, he covered the sleeping man with several blankets to hide him from view.

The first phase of his job done, the guard quickly mounted his horse and slowly disappeared down the road, the wooden cart trailing behind.