Fairyfly - 2. Enter the Sorcerer

Woken up by rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains, Esthor dreamily mumbled and tossed in bed, moving his bangs from his enchanting bright azure eyes. Even after just waking up, with a messy mop of blond hair, he looked good enough to eat. His slightly tanned skin gave a magical glow to his handsome face and slim body.

Esthor was usually an early riser, often getting up at the crack of dawn to practice sorcery on the flat roof of the tall stone house he lived in. Situated on a hill at the very edge of the kingdom's capital, his home was in a perfect spot – surrounded by great cypress trees and away from prying eyes, but also close enough should he need any ingredients from the town for his magical recipes.

This morning, however, Esthor overslept, likely due to all of the fun and exhausting 'activities' from last night. In fact, his partner is those activities was right next to him, awakening as he felt the man beside him move.

"Uh, what time is it?" Jonah said, barely opening his eyes. He turned on the side toward Esthor, removing the thin white sheet covering them and rubbing his warm hand across the sorcerer's lean chest and stomach.

"Too late," Esthor replied, looking at his lover.

Jonah was certainly attractive - a handsome, black-haired blacksmith with rugged looks to die for – and the sexual chemistry between them was something else. But morning has come, which meant it was time for him to get dressed and leave.

"Must be close to noon," the young sorcerer said, getting up and gathering his clothes from the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," the blacksmith chuckled. "You just want to get rid of me as quickly as possible. What - got another lover coming?"

"You know me," Esthor rolled his eyes, buttoning his icy blue shirt and pulling a slightly darker vest over it. His light gray pants were just a bit too tight, which he was perfectly aware of.

"I've got a whole line of suitors just lined up at the door," he continued.

"I knew it," the blacksmith replied in his deep gravelly voice. "I knew I wasn't the only..."

A loud knock on the door below interrupted him. Surprised at having visitors this time of day, Esthor moved to the window and looked below to see half a dozen royal guards standing at his door. They were led by their commander Zane, a rough man whose face looked as if it was roughly carved from stone in a haste. Very agile and strong, and always ruthlessly efficient, Zane had been the commander of the king's guards for nearly a decade. Once again, he knocked on the door, threatening to break it with the force of his fist.

"Sorcerer Esthor, we come on behalf of His Majesty, King Norius of Alduin! The king requests your audience at once!" he spoke in a loud, commanding voice.

"The king? What does he want with you?" Jonah asked, turning to look at Esthor, who had the same confused look on his face.

"No idea. I hope it's not to train his sorcerers again. Last time, one of them asked me when I would teach them to fly a broom," Esthor said flatly. "Lucky for him, he was cute."

Jonah chuckled and followed Esthor downstairs. While he went to the kitchen to grab a bite or two, the sorcerer opened the door to his home. He remained standing at the entrance, not letting the visitors in.

"Good morning, gentlemen," he said in an official tone, observing the group of guards in front of him. His right hand was firmly gripping his scepter - a short and simple dark gray staff with an icy blue crystal on top of it. "How may I help you?"

"You may help us by following us to the king's castle," Zane replied impatiently, firmly eyeing the young sorcerer. "The king orders you to come immediately."

The commander never hid his contempt toward mages of all kinds, especially young ones. He believed men should be in the army, protecting the king and his kingdom, not playing with magic. While he was indeed brave and never hesitated to get into action, his attitude towards those who practiced magic gave him a poor reputation among them.

"I see. What is so urgent that he wishes to see me?" Esthor asked.

"What does it matter? If the king wants you, you'll go with us. Or else," Zane said threateningly, unsheathing his sword.

Esthor's scepter glowed for a moment and the commander's sword suddenly became scorching hot, forcing him to jump in surprise and drop it on the ground. Zane cursed loudly, shaking his burnt hand.

"Very well," Esthor said with a smirk on his face. "Let me just grab my cape and I'll come right out."

Once inside, Esthor put on his dark blue cape, the same color as his vest, and found Jonah leaving out the back door.

"Thanks for the fun, see ya when I see ya," the blacksmith smirked.

"Yeah, it's been a pleasure," Esthor returned the smirk and went outside to join the king's guards.

"Let's go then," he said, pointing with his scepter.

In a matter of seconds, all of the men were on their horses, marching toward the castle. It wasn't long before one of the royal servants entered the throne room to inform the king of their arrival.

As the grand door to the castle opened, all of the heads turned to see young Esthor entering, followed by Zane and six guards. Everyone present - servants, guards, even members of the royal family - felt compelled to stop and stare at the enchanting sorcerer as he walked by. Finally, as they reached the throne room, Zane opened the door and entered first.

"Your Majesty, Esthor is here," he announced.

"Good," the king exclaimed, getting up from his throne and hurrying to the door. "Let us go at once."

As he came out of his chambers, he found Esthor in the hallway, explaining to one of the guards why he wouldn't turn his young son into a chicken for a few hours just to teach him a lesson.

"I think that's something you and your wife need to teach him, maybe without the use of magic," Esthor concluded just as the king approached him.

"Your Majesty," he said politely, making a light bow in front of King Norius.

"Esthor, thank you for coming on such short notice," the distressed king said. He meant to sound imposing and stern, but thoughts of his ill daughter overwhelmed him. "Follow me," he added, striding toward the chamber where Arabella was being kept under observation.

"Can you explain to me why you’ve summoned me?" the sorcerer asked, walking by the king.

"I am... desperate," the king finally said. "I need your help and the matter is urgent. Come and take a look."

Two guards opened the tall black door at the end of the hallway, letting the king and the sorcerer in. Inside the well-lit chamber were several doctors, tending to the princess. The walls were covered with floor-to-ceiling shelves, stacked with medical books, instruments, bottles and potions.

The largest bed in one of the corners of the room was occupied by a ghastly looking girl in a white nightgown. Only when he approached her close did Esthor realize he was looking at the princess. She was a far cry from the sweet, pretty girl she used to be just a few days ago. Shocked at the sight, Esthor turned to the king and lowered his head.

"I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," the king replied quietly. "Four nights ago, she was bitten by a Lykos. Which one, we don't know yet, but Pepin believes it was one… infected with the Fever."

As the king spoke, Esthor approached the girl, whose arms and legs were tied to the bed as a precaution – cases like these were extremely rare, so no one knew what to expect from her. Inspecting her neck and face, the sorcerer noticed that her skin had a gruesome pale hue, her once copper-colored hair was now graying, while her once enchanting eyes now looked lifeless. The wounds on her neck were smaller, but still very noticeable.

"We’ve tried everything. I brought the best healers, but no one has any medicine or cure that could help her. Please, there has to be a magic way to heal her," the king said, more of an order than a question. “Some spell, magic potion…”

"I cannot make any promises, but I can assure you I will try anything I can think of," Esthor replied.

He knew the chances of saving the girl were slim to none, but he couldn't just say that and crush all of the king's hopes. Seeing his proud and strong king transform into a helpless man filled him with pity and sorrow.

"Had I known what the matter was, I would have brought my books with me," Esthor said, glancing at Zane, who was standing near the door. "Now I have to go back to get them. I will return as soon as possible."

"Please, just hurry," the king urged him. "And rest assured, if you manage to save her, I will pay you whatever you want."

Zane frowned and looked away.

"Of course, but that is the least of my concerns right now," Esthor said and headed for the door. "I'll be back in an hour at most."

~~

Sitting on the wooden floor of his small house, Fendrel was waiting for the sun to set. The door was barricaded and the curtains drawn - he didn't want anyone visiting, and he certainly couldn't go out in broad daylight. If anyone saw him, his secret would be out.

All of the Lykos lived in a settlement near the forest, away from ordinary humans, but Fendrel's house was at the very edge of the woods, in the most distant area. In the last few weeks, he came to appreciate that since it allowed him to isolate himself from others and sneak out undetected.

He grabbed an almost empty bottle, which he could barely hold with his paws, and took another swig of the liquor. It helped him deal with the condition better, or at least helped him numb the pain and temporarily forget about it.

How long had he been hiding out like this? It felt like weeks. Looking at the calendar on the wall and trying to discern the numbers in the semi-dark, he realized it's been exactly ten days. Ten days since he saw the sunlight, except for brief glimpses of it through the window.

When he realized the sun had finally set, he opened the curtains, letting the moonlight in. After removing the chair that he'd used to block the door and unlocking it, Fendrel finally left his home and went outside, losing himself in the nearby forest. This was his time to be free, roam around and most importantly, feed.

It wasn't long before he ran into another of his kind. A slightly smaller Lykos was walking in his direction. Recognizing him as Rulf, Fendrel growled and stopped, waiting for the other man to approach him.

"Good night for talking a walk, eh?"

"Fendrel, hey," Rulf said hesitantly upon seeing the other Lykos. "Yeah, it is. How've you been?"

"The sky is clear, be careful not to be seen under the moonlight. You know, if you're going to the castle," Fendrel replied, ignoring the question.

"So what if I am?" Rulf shot back angrily. "She’s getting married tomorrow and I must see her one last time."

"Why?" the bigger Lykos spat out, grabbing Rulf by the arm. "Why do you bother when you know it can't work out between a human and a Lykos? Especially a princess!"

"I have to see her!" Rulf freed himself from Fendrel's grasp and stepped away. "I'm sorry you don't understand that."

With just a scoff, Fendrel turned and walked away, leaving Rulf to continue on his way. As soon as he left the woods, Rulf shifted back into his human form. As a Lykos, he looked very much like any of his kind, but as a human, Rulf was a handsome young man with wavy auburn hair and deep brown eyes.

Still annoyed by the brief encounter in the forest, he didn't even notice running into Bess, one of his best friends since childhood. She was a kind, if a bit overprotective soul, very mature for her years.

"Hey, slow down," she called out, raising a hand to get her good friend's attention. "Why are you so worked up?"

"Bess, sorry... I didn't see you," Rulf apologized. "It's nothing... Just Fendrel and his usual nagging."

"Him again?" Bess said with concern in her voice.

"Yes. I'm worried about him."

Bess looked him in the eyes and bit her lip, hesitating whether to say what was on her mind or to keep quiet. Finally, she decided to confide in her friend.

"I'm scared for him... And of him," she whispered.

"Scared? Why?" Rulf asked, frowning.

"There's something wrong... When was the last time you saw him during the day?"

Rulf was quiet, trying to remember.

"And when was the last time you saw him in his human form?"

"You don't think..." Rulf stared at his friend. He knew what she meant, but he refused to say it out loud.

"What other explanation is there? I don't think he can shift back anymore."

The realization hit Rulf like a bolt of lightning. Even though lately they had fallen out - ever since Rulf confessed to his feelings for Princess Arabella - Fendrel and he used to be like brothers.

He didn't want to believe it, but he knew it made sense. Trying to recall his recent encounters with the older Lykos, he realized all of them were in the dark where he couldn’t have a good look at him. The man could have been ill for days and Rulf wouldn't have noticed it.

Saddened and distraught over the revelation, Rulf kept going toward the castle, keeping a steady pace. He would think about Fendrel tomorrow, but for now - he had to see his Bella one last time.

Crouching by a bush deep in the forest, the older Lykos was feasting on a juicy rabbit he had just caught and killed, his sharp teeth tearing into the flesh, ripping pieces of it and chewing vigorously. His powerful wolf jaws and chin were smeared with the rabbit's blood. Since he couldn't get out among his people and buy food anymore, this was the only way he had to feed himself.

Once he finished his meal and little was left of the rabbit, a satisfied glow appeared in Fendrel's reddish wolf eyes.

"It's just a matter of days before she turns," he thought. "And then I'll finally have my revenge."

Thank you everyone for reading!
And thanks to @AusGlitterati for taking on this great burden of beta reading!