Me?

  Ye wish to know who am I?

  Does this matter so?

  Do ye children care more of I

  the one to tell ye tales,

  more than the tales themselves?

  Does it matter then,

  if the man before ye was a liar?

  A thief?

  If his tales could tickle your ears,

  or parts I am not allowed to mention until ye gain more years?

  If those words could deceive you into believing his great lie,

  does he still matter?

  Hmm?

  He does?

  What if a she?

  Deflecting? Aye, ye may be right, Lon-lon.

  Then, how about a tale of the teller?

  Why, me, Dianna.

  Of course I would know such a beautiful ladies name.

  Yes, Relin, I know yours too.

  Aye, and you Freya.

  Mayhaps we should move on,

  before those greater than us both decide to end this?

  Aye, your parents.

  Scarier to those aged than those young, I tell you that!

  To the tale!

  There once was a prince.

  Fair as any lady, and strong as any beast!

  Beautiful! Intelligent! A warrior of warriors!

  A knight in shining armor!

  That prince was not me.

  His story is that of the generic I’m sure most of ye know.

  I? I was but a boy. A boy born to a mother.

  She loved, and she cared.

  She was unique,

  aye, very much so.

  Those uniqueness's caused me to also be unique.

  To choose not the life luxury,

  nay, I chose the life of a soldier.

  Don’t ye tell me what is generic! Listen, then judge.

  I shall wait for your reviews.

  No, Janu, a wink is not inappropriate.

  Greater than others, I knew this.

  Faster. Smarter, oh was I smarter!

  Did I mention cuter? Is it not obvious?

  Alas, most of what I believed, in the end, proved to be false.

  I was still cuter, but not so smart, nor great.

  One day, I thought to fly away from my problems.

  Instead, I got a mouth full of dirt, and a stomach full of sickness.

  Then a gnome came and saved me.

  A mean, angry gnome that liked to fight.

  And fight we did! The little bastard.

  Oh, pardon me, the little bugger.

  That gnome saved my life. Taught me the truth.

  Boring? Well if ye knew it all, bored ye wouldn’t be.

  However, no, I shall not tell ye more. The eye rolls and yawns have won the day.

  All ye need to know is I am the one to tell ye stories.

  If not good enough ye may leave.

  Sit yerself down, Kenric!

  Thank you.

  Okay, if I tell ye all of myself later, would that suffice?

  Yes? Good!

  Now, would ye like to hear of monsters? Demons?

  … Or how to sneak out of yer rooms after hours without getting caught?

  ~An ‘Attempted’ Campfire Tale VI

  ~Feldyn Goldchord, the Endless Bard

  * * *

  Iiyni had been the first one awake and active. Earlier even than Jeff. He was walking down the hall barefoot, drinking medicated coffee and enjoying his cold feet, when Iiyni walked over and began speaking to him. He had not expected the spontaneous appearance; breaking his mug by sending it flying into a wall, flailing his arms, and opening his mouth in a silent shriek of startled terror. Which, of course, the imp found hysterical.

  Afterwords, Jeff tried to get the imp to go away, but she refused, demanding he get over his drama, and that it was important for her to know the workings of the complex. None of the others (even Feldyn, whom after his dream had quickly fallen back asleep) didn’t leave their rooms for quite a few more hours, leaving Iiyni to focus on Jeff the entire time. Which the man ended up not minding. Her blunt no-nonsense approach to topics, he found refreshing.

  Once John finally made it to the world of the waking, he found Iiyni and Jeff discussing security measures for the property, the later even cracking horribly cringe worthy dad jokes, which had the imp in stitches. John quickly left them to their obnoxiousness.

  Trixie woke about the same time as John. Unlike the old man, she chose to hang around her new dad and the little demon. Trixie felt like she got to know Iiyni pretty good. Iiyni was weird and kinda gross, but pretty, and really nice. Trix liked her.

  One by one, the others eventually made their into the land of the living, and they were starving. Ally thought she was going to die she was so hungry. The bizarre kitchen area (that was also a lab, and Stryker’s current bedroom), was where the bulk of the food was assumed to be. There was a tiny pantry off of it, with an extra fridge and big chest freezer. While trying to figure out how to make a good breakfast from cans of random shit and freezer-burnt meat, Trix showed up. Didn’t take her long to tell Ally about a ‘food room’ she found while exploring. Curious, Ally let Trix lead her there.

  This complex was very disorienting. It, at first, seemed the halls were uniform, the individual rooms being what varied in shape and size. When Trixie led her into a room, then through another door that led to a section of smaller hallways, did Ally really start to grasp the pure insanity -and size- of this place. An insanity she was grateful for when they reached the food room.

  It was HUGE! The 'food room' was the size as a mini mart, with a walk in freezer and fridge! This Jeff guy had gone from being a nut job in her book, to totally fucking awesome.

  Ally, pushing a small shopping cart (one of two) through the pantry isles, looked up when Feldyn walked over to her alongside Trixie. Trix had left to let Ally do her thing, and ran into Feldyn while he was looking for the two missing girls. The bard was dumbstruck. When he regained his composure, Feldyn informed the teen he was gathering everyone together because of something important to tell them.

  She made him carry the groceries.

  * * *

  Everyone was now gathered in the odd room that was a mix of a lab, hospital, and kitchen, making idle conversation, while Ally was cooking. To say the mood was a mess would be an understatement. Hunger, at least or the moment, was keeping any big arguments about their next actions on hold.

  “This is important!” Feldyn complained to the teen who seemed intent on making a small feast. “Then start!” she replied, frying bacon and sausage. Iiyni actually drooled from the smell once the meat started to cook.

  “It is about Pazely!” Those words from Feldyn silenced the room. Even Stryker, uncharacteristically melancholy trying to ignore everyone, turned his head to look at Feldyn. “Then speak!” Ally replied with finality, not taking her eyes from the food. Loud pops from the grease could be heard. Feldyn sighed. “As ye wish,” he consented, irritated the girl would not give her undivided attention. Though he understand. Cooking was likely something she needed to do.

  “Friends, old and new, I have news, confessions and truths ye need to hear,” he confessed to the group, who replied with blank stares. “Do ye remember what I told you? Of being a link? My dreams?”

  “Sort of,” Reba answered a bit sheepishly. Obviously not the answer the bard wanted to hear. “Feldyn, you can’t expect us to remember everything,” Caleb condescended to the scowling half-elf. “We only heard it once.”

  “Can you remember my story?” John interjected as Feldyn was about to snap at the boy. “Our-” John corrected, nodding towards Reba, “story? All of it?” Feldyn’s expression softened. “I… am not sure. I like to..i believe that I do,” Feldyn answered in truth. He saw the old mans point. Once again, he was fueling his fear with anger.

  “Some of us weren’t even there for these tales of epic fuckery, so hey, don’t be casting no shade our way,” Iiyni -obnoxiously- chimed in, looking the group over, hoping for a nod or two. Trixie smiled at her. Iiyni resisted the impulse to ask the girl to come cuddle with her. She missed her sisters. Not to mention Trixie was so cuuuuute!

  Feldyn watched Iiyni turn red, and looking at the brunette, before averting her gaze awkwardly. This was going to be harder than last time...

  “One of my gifts, as a link, is that I have dreams. Dreams which are prophetic in nature, showing events, people, things yet come to pass. Last night, I had the first of such dreams I have had in some time. And it was different than any previous. Instead of just flashes of images, sounds and feelings; I was Darlothz. I saw and felt as he, after leaving here and arriving back on Aethra.”

  “Pazely and Bryan?” Caleb asked. “Are they okay? Are they alive?”

  “Bryan was not there, or at least I did not see him.”

  “You did not see him?” Jeff asked in a reproachful tone. “Aye! This is not one of your television shows. A memory is not some photographic recollection of an event! It is an experience engraved on us, recalled and remembered in many different ways. My focuses and thoughts were the Necromancer's, not my own. He had more pressing matters on his mind; matters that concern Pazely. Which is why I said this had to do with her.”

  Expecting Jeff to voice complaint, Feldyn remained silent longer than he had meant. “Was that it?” Ally asked sarcastically from the kitchen. She was done with the bacon and sausage, now getting the gravy going, biscuits about to come out of the oven.

  “Pazely is a shard,” Feldyn exhaled, resignation in his voice. “She is also not human, she is a Fae'il pixie.”

  “What? A pixie?” Reba interrupted, looking intense. Feldyn nodded. “Aye. Her power was terrifying. She took on Darlothz and Goldiez at once, and bare handed mind you. It was... impressive.”

  “Who are Darlothz and Goldiez?” Trixie asked. "Main bad guys,” Gigi told her. Trix frowned. She had kinda heard about Aethra and the Dragonheart, but she wasn’t told about specific bad guys. It’s so much cooler in a story when the bad guys have names and details. The Dragonheart being Caleb was kind of boring. Of course no one told her about the interesting stuff.

  “What else happened in this dream?” John inquired, leaning forward in the chair he sat in next to Jeff. “Darlothz was surprised that Pazely was a shard,” continued, “Nay, he was afraid. Ultimately banishing her somewhere. A... forced teleport, that can work on magical beings like fae.”

  “But Pazely is human,” Caleb interrupted. “I have known her, like, my entire life!”

  “Pazely’s dad kept asking about his pixie,” Reba said, taking their eyes. She had summarized the confrontation with Mister Nakajima, but with so much going on, who knows what any of them remembered. “Demanding, really. He was insane about it. Just kept insisting I tell him where his pixie was. Even when I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about. He never clarified. I… guess he meant Pazely.”

  Everyone was quiet for a moment. “What’s a… Fae'il pixie?” Trixie asked, then added, “or even just a pixie?”

  Feldyn took a drink of his coffee, and frowned, wishing it was stronger. He was surprised when Jeff tossed him something. Catching it, he looked at the bottle. Whiskey. This caustically temperamental man was better at reading things than the elf gave him credit for. As well as concealment. Where in the bloody hell did he pull a pint of whiskey from?

  “A pixie is a fae,” Feldyn began, unscrewing the glass bottle, and pouring some into his mug. “Fairy folk, you might call them. Indeed fitting, for pixies are related closely to fairies.” He tossed the pint back to Jeff without waiting to confirm the man was ready to catch it. He wasn’t. “A fairy is a tiny humanoid, only a few inches tall, with wings like a butterfly. They very wildly in appearance, like any human, elf, or butterfly.

  As a race, they are peaceful. Once hermits, hiding from society, mostly out of fear. Now, they use fae magics to make themselves larger, to scale to the rest of us. They have a natural affinity with illusion and healing. Aside from that, they differ little from anyone else.”

  Feldyn wasn’t sure what else to say. He had never been one to lean towards the side of racism. People were people. Cat ears, butterfly wings, tails, sharing their bodies with plants, black, green, or brown skin, elf, gnome, human or other- people were people.

  “Pixies, unlike their cousins, tend to be little shites. I have yet to meet a pixie that did not favor pranks and roguish antics, clinging to their defiant individuality. Appearance-wise, they vary about as much as faeries, though unlike fairies, they have wings like a dragonfly, and can have bright hair and eye colors. Neon, I believe is the word. Fae’il pixies, on the other hand, are... have long been held as evil in legend, since they appear, eh, well, Asian.

  "Upon Aethra, what you think of as Asian, is quite rare. Several types of demons-” he absentmindedly motioned at Iiyni, “look Asian. Meaning, on my world, any race to look like them would be treated as if demonic blood ran through their veins. If there is a common racism on Aethra it would be against the Azyan.

  "You see, the word asian is considered a rather… lazy way to pronounce Azyan. It falls short of a slur, but still considered unpolite. There is, of course, much more to be told about the Azyan, and Fae'il, however I do not feel this the right time, nor I the best to speak on the topic."

  Feldyn expected to be bombarded with questions. He was not, and returned to the pertinent topic. “The dream of... being Darlothz, ended shortly after the banishment. It then turned into the usual flashes of people and places. Things. Most I did not recognize... ” The more he had thought about it, the more he doubted what he had seen. “I can not be sure, as the images are brief, and the memory fades. Unless the images repeat in multiple times..." Feldyn looked at Reba, "I saw a young woman, riding on the back of a griffon, who greatly resembled you." He now looked at the floor. “Another... may have been Gigi; eyes red, with fangs like a vampire.”

  “COOL!” Gigi said loudly. Iiyni, sitting next to her, snorted, but otherwise remained silent. At least everyone was focused. And quiet. Even Ally, as she dished up loaded plates (bacon, sausage links, fried eggs, toast, hashbrowns, biscuits and gravy...).

  “The rest of this tale is mine own,” Feldyn announced, ignoring the atmosphere, and confusing his audience. “There is much ye do not know. Truths... The story of my life, I would have ye know it."

  The general sensation Feldyn was getting from the room was that they didn’t give a shit. He was aware a good deal of that perception was likely due to his own fear. His past was something he fought and struggled to get away from. Some of those present had worse sins in their past than he. Though we all feel guilt in our own ways. One man's pride, is another man's shame.

  “My name is Feldyn Goldchord, and I am the first born of Elestelle Tychira Celeste, the last true Queen of Reveira. Making me… the crown prince.”

  His heart was slamming. Hands were shaking. No one said anything. Why?! What were they thinking? “So?” the imp asked, interrupting his inner panic. “Not trying to be a bitch, but you seem freaked out about the royalty thing. Could be wrong I guess, but if you are, then, why? I’m a princess for fucks sake. Shit, I technically," she air quoted 'technically' "could have been a queen. Didn’t want it. And a couple days ago we were all fighting my butt naked aunt in the middle of the road. She’s royalty too, ya know. The whole ‘Vampire Queen’ thing ain’t just some corny title in a shitty T.V. series. She really is the Queen of the Vampires. And old. Like, ancient A F old.

  "Maybe all the rest of the bullshit, mixed into an urban fantasy type of setting, threw off your perception of reality. Made me want to gag, if we are being honest." She held up a hand and shook her head in a way to say that wasn't her point. "Wake the fuck up and chill! You’re a prince. Awesome. Cool beans. Move on.”

  Iiyni knew she hadn’t done all that great with the pep talk, and now everyone was looking at her; where so sat, legs spread open to the the entire room. Quickly snapping them shut, she hoped she wasn't blushing, and took the plate a smirking Ally handed her. She was wearing underwear! Nothing see! Still, the modesty thing was new to her, as was embarrassment.

  Needed to let them know she was done talking, so they would quit looking at her, Iiyni casually took a bite of a piece of bacon. The flavor made her moan loudly.

  Ally and Trixie giggled at the imp. "Fuck you all. I mean, bacon. Jeez!" Iiyni was laughing (definitely not giggling!) as she spoke. Her face felt super warm. Dammit, I’m totally blushing this time!

  Watching the demon experience bacon for the first time, as she blushed embarrassed, with Gigi poking at her, trying to unsettle her more - made Feldyn realize something. Iiyni was currently enjoying the true freedom and happiness only a follower of Christ could know. Because of choices he had made.

  Granted, the true credit to leading the demon to Christ was due to Caleb. Yet, if Feldyn had not fled to to Earth, had chosen all that he had to be here now... Maybe... he was not the failure he believed himself to be.

  Iiyni saw Feldyn staring at her, smiling wistfully. "Look all you want, but I ain't showing you my vag," she informed him. Mental siiiiiiiiigh. The demons mouth again ruined the moment. Still, Feldyn felt... happy. This wolf in sheep's clothing, was she destined to be with them? Had fate chosen her as their ally? Or was this simple happenstance? "Thank you, Iiyni," he said, to some puzzlement. "Hey, no prob. I'll deny ya any time you need." She held up a piece of bacon, "Salut!" John rolled his eyes.

  With a blessedly -demonic- renewed vigor, Feldyn sat up tall in his chair. He would own this, his tale! And they would listen! Feldyn was a bard! The Endless Bard!

  “My mother was beautiful," he resumed speaking, after washing down a bite of buttered toast. "Truth be told, her beauty is what secured her place as queen. She had a sister; older, smarter, and wiser than her. My mother, kind, foolish and… promiscuous, was not one fit to rule a kingdom.

  "A war before I was born almost tore Reveira apart. After one of the Calamities, my grandfather chose to allow in refugees of all races and peoples. You see, we were a kingdom of almost entirely elves. Open to the world, yes, but not citizenship. The years following his decision, as those people gradually became part of the kingdom, they continued to be denied the rights of true citizens. Though treated well, they had no legal say. None. They bought, sold, worked, purchased land, and were by all accounts equal to any Reveiran; yet they were not. And that had been one of the key points Yalph Mareb used to incite a civil war.

  "He fear mongered, spreading doubt with his truth laced lies, and caused an uprising within the refugees. It spilled into neighboring nations, even managing to drag in the Society of Wings.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  "The Society of Wings are the elite of the elites within the Ruling Nations. Meaning: they have a lot of money. Their headquarters at the time was high within the clouds. And despite being made of people from across all of Aethra, they are predominantly high elves and humans.

  "They don't involve in politics and war, as it would be a political nightmare. Instead, they sell knowledge. Making them, in many ways, mercenaries of information. Terkin, one of Antioch's generals, hails from the Wings. That is a a whole other tale... But I will tell you that the Wings today are a shadow of their former glory. Not that the inglorious bastards didn't deserve what befell them.”

  “I want to hear about the bad guy!” Gigi whined non intrusively. “Another time, aye? This is a selfish tale, little one. It is about me, not our enemies,” Feldyn smiled to the pouting beauty. Indeed, Gigi was beautiful. The goofy miss-proportioned child from days ago, was now stunning as her older cousin. Gigi's large bright-emerald eyes twinkled with an evil that made him grin. Her fluffy, wispy blonde hair was unbound like the rest of the girls, though its barely shoulder length allowed it to be wild and poofy.

  Although they looked nothing alike, it was obvious Gigi and Ally were related. Where Gigi had a look you must only assume she would grow into; a look of feisty, girl next door perfection; Ally was perfection. In fact, Feldyn could not say he had ever seen a human that could compare to Ally in looks. She was youthful, slender, petite in build - she would have fit in perfectly with the elves of Reveira.

  “Weird,” Gigi said to him, befuddling his thoughts. The way the child shuffled, crossed her legs, and tried to try to cover up more with her large t-shirt, made him suddenly feel ashamed. For… nothing? Still, he quickly moved on from his thoughts.

  “The conflict eventually led to the death of my grandfather and his sons. All believed Reveira lost, none thought my grandmother capable of rule. She was meek, never outspoken, a quiet female standing behind the men.

  "It is said that as soon as my grandmother got word of her husbands death, she ran from her chambers, though the palace, commanding the guards to rally, and did not slow until reaching the balcony of voice. Which is, uh, an enchanted balcony that allows all that can see it to hear the speaker clearly. It is a common thing. Not balconies of voice, but the use of such enchantments to speak to a crowd.

  "From there, she pronounced all refugees that so desired, were now citizens. Something my grandfather, in truth, all those in power, had feared. She continued without pause, naming specific families, declaring they were from then on nobility; before appointing several other refugees (men and woman) as advisers to the court, and other such high roles. She even stripped the titles of several of her husbands advisers, military leaders, and more, ordering them them to be cast out, or imprisoned.

  "Those listening were stunned. Many thought her mad. Then, a high ranking official of her husband’s, quite the snake and deceiver, confronted her upon the balcony of voice, which is forbidden. My grandmother activated one of the other traits of our balcony of voice - the ability to also see the speaker. It looks like... a projection in the sky. A grand movie screen, of sorts. She demanded he listen to his queen, which he mocked and pulled a blade. To the astonishment of everyone watching, the queen pulled one of her own and removed the traitors head from his shoulder. Bloody head held high, she repeated her previous decrees, word for word.

  "One of the three guards upon the balcony, all of whom had done nothing to defend her, was first to cry 'long live the queen!' and bend knee. The cry soon echoed across the kingdom, and the tide of the war quickly changed, but not for the reason you might think. Men whom listen to the words of a someone like Yalph Mareb can not easily renounce their hatred. What had happened, was the queens words reached the hearts of the silent. The citizens and victims not part of the war. And when they answered the call of their queen, the quiet and meek minority turned out to be the majority. The rebels were destroyed in mere days.

  “Once things had settled, grandmother decided for good or ill, the country would from then on be a matriarchy. Taking a new husband, she had four children. Two girls and two boys. The females being oldest and youngest. My mother was the youngest. The law was amended after their birth, to state the heir would not be chosen by birth order, but by the queen. Females always prioritized; males a last resort, and temporary. A choice she delayed until her daughters were in their teens. My mother, obviously, was chosen over her elder sister. Which, as history -and fiction- tells us, causes conflict.

  "As a youth, my mother had a history of being a trouble maker, rebel and party girl. Not very royal. Though she was loved by the people. Adored, would be a better word. She was the sweetheart of Reveira, bridging the divide between commoner and royalty with ease. My aunt has the charisma of a wombat, though she was a proper lady. And a right proper bitch.

  “When time came for the throne to change occupants, the younger sister did not disappoint. Her approval rating was higher than my grandmothers. Even with her… oddities. You see, she was…” Feldyn wasn’t sure how to word it. Not to mention… he… hadn’t put a lot of thought into explaining certain truths, “unique in her views of romance and... sexuality.

  “High societies tend to regard beauty as one would a talent or skill. Reveira held it to an even higher standard, with beauty on the same level as monetary wealth. And elves having no common diseases to pass sexually, and the ability to control things like pregnancy, there was little stigma to sexual relations beyond the legal and religious. As in any society, legality and morality, were decided by the ruler or ruling party. Democracy is just an illusion, after all,” Feldyn shrugged. The audience appearing to mostly nod in agreement. “That said, my mother believed there was nothing wrong with making plural marriages legal. All parties had to consent, and there was a limit to children. Few other stipulations.

  “Races unable to control conception, were regulated through varying procedures. Unlike what I have read of your country, the moral problems associated with reproductive control did not happen in mine. Contraceptive law was not viewed as a morality issue, but common sense. Though abortions were unheard of, so I can not comment on such things. To my knowledge, we did not even have a law for it.

  “These new laws, the queen, of course, used to her full advantage. She took three husbands. Two elves, and a human. This, many believe, was the beginning of the end. Multiple husbands rose enough eyebrows, one being human, even more. It also did not help that she took one of her brothers as a lover; a half brother, and bastard of her father’s."

  Feldyn took a moment to eat his egg placed on a piece of toast. He ate it quickly, washing it down with more coffee. Ally truly held culinary talent. The girl had room to improve, but her passion and potential was undeniable.

  “I was born first, to her human husband. Dresden Goldchord. A huntsman, who reached great heights through his sporting goods company. He was not just a name, he was the real thing. His outdoorsman skills will forever go down in history. He was also a great man, and I am proud to call him my father, and to bare his name.

  “After I was born, my upbringing was left to women. It was my father whom demanded, and fought, for male influence. Word was he had even gotten into some risky arguments with the queen. My... two other fathers sided with my blood father on how to raise a male child.

  "As strange as it may sound to ye, I view my mother's other two husbands also as fathers. They were her husbands, and both played tremendous roles in my life. They loved me, spent time with me... They... were very much fathers to me. I am sorry if this is odd to ye. Without living as I from childhood, I fear many of my upbringings may well seem insane. And they rightly are. Yet, I love and cherish those memories."

  Feldyn had been doing what he could to not feel judged. He knew those before him would have their opinions, yet ultimately would not judge too harshly. This knowledge did nothing for his anxiety. Especially with knowing what was left to tell.

  “Half-human half-elf's age to puberty the same as a human. Their aging process finally begins to slow in their teens, and all but halts in early adulthood. A human on Aethra may begin to turn gray, as early as their late twenties. A half elven human? Aye, I should look as I do now until I am one hundred. Then proceed to age at a fairly human rate. The lifespan, if I am correct, for a half-elf is one hundred and sixty years of age. We often die appearing the human age of... seventy? I am not good on the average age appearances between races, let alone worlds.”

  Ally raised a hand (Reba had been screaming on the inside to not do the same. Bless you Ally!). Feldyn smiled, and motioned to her. He knew what she was going to ask as much as Reba did. “Sorry if this is some kinda elf taboo, but... how old are you?” Feldyn kept his smile. He honestly was not sure what they expected when it came to his age. Though he doubted the truth would have been their guesstimate.

  “Since coming to Earth, I admittedly lost track of the date. Though if I am correct, I should currently be twenty-eight.” Well, that disrupted things. It appeared all the kids (and Reba) believed he was older. Jeff, John and Stryker expressed nothing in voice but John looked, albeit briefly, disappointed.

  Once the chaos of chatter subsided, Feldyn moved on to the more shameful parts of his childhood.

  "My early years I was never allowed to leave the palace. When I was six, my mother got pregnant. Twins. Rumors flew surrounding the father. It was widely believed they were her brother’s children, making them children of incest. Which, I assure you, is dangerous for elves as it is humans, and forbidden even in Reveira.” Feldyn was doing all he could to not lie, but getting into the sex laws of his mother’s queendom, was far too risky a topic. “She never publicly announced the father, simply stating it was no ones business. Though to her immediate family and friend, the truth was known. The babies were indeed of my uncle.

  "And I am grateful for her foolish choice. Without it, I would not have my sisters. Tressa and Trella. Identical twins. One could not ask for better siblings.” Feldyn did not notice the tears that fell from his eyes. The rest of the room did.

  “We were not supposed to be raised together; male and females of royal blood were raised drastically different. I was never one to listen to rules, which I am sure comes as no surprise. All I cared about were my new sisters. Eventually my mother gave up trying to keep us apart, and allowed me be with them when I was not busy with my schooling. I adored them. Wanted to protect them. I was their big brother.

  “As time went, we got close. Too close...” Feldyn went silent for several moments, looking to the left. Towards the door that led to the hallway. “Trella and I… got curious. We… were infatuated with each other. And being children, hid it not so well. It took little time for us to be caught. Let me just say those in the palace were not amused.

  “After, all was done to keep us apart. I grew depressed. My sisters, especially Trella, were all I thought about.” He was afraid of allowing for a pause. Giving them time to think. Afraid to let himself think. This was only the beginning. If he allowed them to judge him into cowardice now... “My mother was not against our show of affection, no, she encouraged it. But at our age, discretion was something we- I lacked, and a risk not worth allowing.

  "Trella was far more mature than I was. Elves age differently. Physically it is about the same as a humans until roughly tween years, where visible aging slows considerably, and all but halts at a young teenage appearance. Elven minds, however, reach maturity much faster than humans. Not that that excused our actions, I just wanted to make clear this was far different than what you may imagining."

  There was a powerful killing intent coming from John. Glancing at him, the man appeared as quietly contemplative as the others, aura of murder notwithstanding. Curious.

  "Mother, carefree as she was, finally began to concern herself with rumors. Rumors of the debauchery of her rule. It was true she had crossed lines, but there was no debauchery. No orgies, or drug fueled sessions of sin. Her own laws had been broken, yes, though not to the extreme rumors would have you believe.

  "Still, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, keeping me from my sisters was decided to be in all of our best interest. When Trella and I swore we understood our actions to be wrong, they allowed us to be around each other again. I was so happy! It was not just Trella they had kept me from, but Tressa as well.

  "I had no romantic interest in Tressa, but I still loved her very much. Identical in appearances perhaps, and aye, she did act quite similar to Trella, yet they were very much not the same person. Trella was sly, manipulative; excelling at making the adults believe her the proper lady, tricking them into giving her all she wanted. A devil in the guise of an angel. Tressa, that same twinkle in her eye was innocent. Kind. Never would she lie or cause someone harm.” His voice almost broke speaking of Tressa. What he did to her… Focus! He had to continue until he got to that truth. Then, if needed, he would let it crush him.

  “A year passed. More or less." Feldyn needed to be more careful in his statements. His biggest lies tended to be stating fact, when in reality his "facts" were nothing more than whatever sounded like it fit. For instance, if he were to tale a tell of a war, and hadn't the foggiest the number of soldiers involved, he would state hundreds, or hundreds of thousands, or millions, depending on the scale he wished to convey, and his own -often slim- knowledge of the events he was describing. One could argue those were not lies, but educated guesses. Feldyn knew better. He spoke as a storyteller, and further, as a master of lies. This was a practice he needed to end. A web to sunder.

  "I constantly skipped out on my teachers, more focused on getting in trouble with Trella. Aye, I had grown obsessed. And came to see that in time. Our world was so sheltered, things like age, children, morality, it was lost on one such as myself." But not on one such as Trella, he mused. "You did what you wanted, when you wanted, as long as it felt good and hurt no one. Making an uptight teacher or two look about to blow steam like a kettle, that was all in good fun.

  "When Trella and I got caught once again, only, uh, being… more intimate than before, it was her- their father, that decided to lock me away in the top of the Tower. Simply named, it was where they kept troubled servants who's actions were not worthy of the dungeon. The Tower had many rooms, and many vacancies. The top always vacant, as it was conditioned for royalty. Though it was what it was: containment. A containment I decided to escape.

  "I was not the best student, which I am sure comes as no surprise; often ignoring my studies. Faking my understanding was a simple task. Schooling was just far too boring in a one on one setting to care. I did find magic interesting, even if I lacked the patience for it. That small interest was enough to make magic the go-to for how I would escape.

  "Sweet talking one of my teachers into telling me of flight spells, I thought I then knew all I had needed to know. The next eve, I went to the balcony with a feather from a pillow, and cast a spell, more of a cantrip really, to make me light as that feather! I am quite the quick learner if I chose to be. I am also even quicker the fool.

  “Aye, my arse nailed the cast, making it too general; the first gust of wind blowing me clean off the balcony, spinning and tumbling into the sky! I drifted quite far from the palace, luckily close enough to the ground when the spell wore off the serious injury was a broken arm.

  “It was my first time outside of the castle grounds. Always a fool, not too concerned with me arm, more amazed at where I was; eventually wandering into a small village, starving and injured, I stole some meat. Even with just one good arm, the theft had proven simple. Cooking it, not so much. I understood the concept of cooking food, but had no practical knowledge of how. Twas was no small miracle I managed to start a fire. By that time however, the meat had been sitting for some time. Convinced I was dying, I attempted to cook the meat, and forced myself to eat it.

  "The resulting food poisoning, well, I probably would have died if the residence of the house I collapsed near had not taken me in. A gnome. Gruff. Spoke with a heavy accent. He lived in the most dilapidated house I had ever seen. Only one bedroom, single story… He gave me his bed to recover in. Even using alchemy to heal my broken arm. And then, a couple days later I decided to leave.

  “And he beat me senseless. I was a bit small for my age, though still taller than a gnome. Violence against me I had never experienced. When I cried, he beat me more. I finally submitted to his demand; that I stay and work off the debt for the supplies I had used.

  “The next month with that grumpy bastard proved to be, at that point, the best month of my life. He worked me harder than I knew was possible. Forced me to cook, tend to animals, plants. He was not as hateful as I had first believed, just not one to coddle a bratty prince. I came to love that man as family. His name is Bisibil. Whom most, myself included, simply refer to as Professor.”

  Gigi and Caleb’s eyes were overflowing with question. Feldyn couldn't pretend to not notice anymore. He groaned before explaining what he assumed they were dying to ask. “Gnomes are much like your own high fantasy. They are small, three, four feet about, facial features a bit more exaggerate than a humans, large ears, generally curly hair, if not balding, as so many of the males tend to in their middle years. Personalities vary as much as anyone. Though many a gnome tend to favor academics. Where I have met gnome warriors that could take an orc in melee combat, I do admit, it is rare. And quite the sight to behold!”

  Gigi and the Dragonheart looked satisfied. Feldyn had guessed right. Might as well do it again.

  “Orcs are also like ones familiar with your fantasy would assume. Taller and bulkier than your average human, some have tusks, skin color ranges in greens and browns, to near black. Although, unlike much of your fiction, orcs are much a part of society. Never were they a 'monster' race, as here.”

  Feldyn held up a hand before anyone could comment, “please, save more of your questions for after.” To that, Jeff crossed both his legs and arms, appearing to pout. Which almost made Feldyn want to break his own rule. Jeff never had questions, let alone pouted about not getting to ask them. He would have to be sure to find out later what had the man so curious!

  “Now, the Professor, unbeknownst to me, knew exactly who I was. He also knew my father. Whom instructed him to 'teach' me what it was like to live a life of work and labor. To knock the foolish brat from my skull, and teach me some sense and humility. And that he did! Oh the battles we had those weeks! I lost every time! Hah! Ye would not think one could have fond memories of getting their skull cracked by a large stick! I tell ye, it bring floods of joy to me even now!” He laughed loud and joyously, not caring of the strange looks he was receiving.

  Iiyni grinned though. She could appreciate that shit. So could Reba, though she didn't express it outwardly. She didn't want John to know how important those early days of training were to her. Especially since he carries a guilt of believing he was too hard on her. It was an ace that was still effective to this day, no reason to toss it now.

  "The Professor finally told me the truth. I was furious, feeling betrayed. My father would be sending guards to retrieve me the next day. I had half a mind to flee that very night! But he spoke sense to me. Saying that, at his recommendation, father had agreed to begin my combat training immediately. And, if I took my academic studies seriously, I was to be sent to the Essefix Pria de Academia! It is a private, high ranking school only for those of substantial means. I had begged to go many times, but my mother refused. Oh how I had longed for the chance at a real life, outside the palace walls!

  “I did not resist when the guards came. I bowed to my mother in court. I acted the proper prince. All, aside from my father, were stunned. Even Trella could not distract me from this new path in life. For the first time I had something to look forward to! Something to work towards that I wanted and was not simply my duty And when the day came to go to Essefix Pria, it was the best day of my life!

  “Which swiftly led to some of the worst. As ye very well know, school is hell. Teachers care not for your success. The students bullied and harassed. The administration had little time for anything or anyone unless it meant money. And money was the only reason I was allowed to stay; returning home on break, then back to school. I hated it there. Loathed it. And yet was too stubborn to give up, not to mention sacrifice the only semblance of freedom I had.

  "At seventeen, I was expelled. Got into a fight, which was not unusual for me, being the target of many a students’ hatred. Only this fight I... took too far. Defending a female’s honor, from an ass of noble. True trash, deserving the beating as much as any I've known. Olbin Klechrain." Feldyn grit his teeth when saying the name. "Unfortunately, not only were his parents board members, I had beat him near to death. Aye, it felt good. Too good. And it scared those who witnessed. Admittedly, it scared me a little as well.

  "That night, I also had my first prophetic dream. I woke shouting, terrified. Scared the shit out of the prats I shared a room with. Never had I experienced anything so..." Feldyn took a deep breath and stretched his arms. "Needless to say, none believed me. A few nights later I had another dream. This time, one of the images showed the school in flames. Hah, now that was a mistake to warn the faculty about! It took them less than a day to have me 'dismissed with prejudice' due to 'assault of students' and 'threats of violence and destruction of property',” Feldyn was noticeably quite irritated at the memory of it all.

  “Refusing to let my spirits be crushed, I decided to study with my old teachers at the palace. I made the mistake of believing they cared for me, and also shared with them my dreams. For I had had several more, after returning home. They... believed me mad. Their teachings beginning to… lack in enthusiasm. So my father had the Professor brought in as my new, and only, teacher. Which set off a chain of events no one had expected. When I told the Professor of my dreams, he believed me. In fact, he insisted on me retelling them to him, over and over, remembering every little detail I could. And one day decided to tell me of the Esseff.

  “I had, of course, heard of them. Fanatics and terrorists. The name close to the name of the academy I had attended, so many a slur against the school had to do with the similarity. Of course, the rumors were not true; the Professor made sure I learned the actual truth. He was intent in this, because what I had described to him from my dreams made him believed I may well be a Link. The first one ever discovered. You see, what none knew aside from my father, was the professor was a high ranking member of the Esseff.

  “Time passed, and my teaching became more focused on combat, Christianity, Earth, the Esseff Codex... It all sounded like nonsense. Though the fact I was supposed destined to find a mythical hero, well, that part kept me interested, pure shite or not. So I played along; until one day the Professor didn’t show for our class. Nor did he the next day, and all refused to speak of the matter with me.

  Came to find out, we had been spied on by an agent of my aunt, who outed him as Esseff. My father had to help him escape, and he -my father- was caught in the process and arrested. Which led me to one of the more foolish things I have ever done.

  “You see, the Esseff were quite literally labeled as a terrorist organization by the Ruling Kingdoms. Meaning, when they got word of my fathers actions, his fate was no longer one for my mother to decide, if she chose to remain an allied. Furious about the entire situation, I took it upon myself to make an official announcement: that I was a Link; which cold be proven, and would legitimize the Esseff."

  Jeff ran out of the room so suddenly Feldyn wasn’t sure what had happened. Then he noticed a flashing red light on the wall.

  All jumped up, Iiyni and John hurrying out of the room. Stryker somberly turned his head, facing away from the light and exit,. Feldyn wasn't sure what was happening. Last time the lights -accompanied by a klaxon- were flashing, it was due to the second barrier around Castle Rock.

  Trixie knew what it meant and, concern on her face, explained, “That light is a warning. It means someone is here.”

  * * *

  Feeding had taken longer than preferable. Not willing to risk going after the Order directly, X’al’antra was forced to watch and wait, picking off those she could. Three mercs and two colors later, the vampire queen now sat on the edge of a cliff, deep in the woods.

  X'al'antra wasn't totally sure what was had happened, but it appeared Matias was dead, and the un-orderly Order, began to self destruct at his passing. Idiots.

  Then there was the Coven. As hard as it was for her to accept, Shuzariel was dead. Not that X'al'antra cared much. Not on a personal level, anyway. The fact of it all, was that dumb bitch had been her longest most trusted ally. Now the witch was roasting in the Fires. Sucks to be her.

  No doubt Titer was struggling to keep the Coven cohesive. Their assault on the Order was foolish, and pointless. Titer probably saw it as genius. She was a buffoon. Like the witches of old, she craved destruction; corrupting as much of God’s good work as possible, fuck the cost.

  Titer was very powerful, and one of the few witches on Earth to receive the Blessing of Lilith. She had significant influence within the Coven, which is why Shuzariel had chose to raising her high in status as possible.

  Suzie had been able to see the bigger picture. She loved to corrupt as much as the next witch, but also understood the need for cunning. The damage that could be caused in the long run when done right, opposed to the here and now immediate gratification that most witches desired. Titer was near sighted and couldn't give a crap about more than the here and now. She also hated X'al'antra. Not that Titer was much of a threat, true witch or not. To humans perhaps, but not to the Vampire Queen. And if she got too out of hand, Lilith would deal with her. Not something Xal wanted to be around for.

  Belly temporarily sated (it astounded even her the amount she could drink without being full) and her injuries -mostly- mended, X'al'antra began heading back to her mansion. It was still possible to salvage this disaster; she would regroup what of her children remained, go over Larry’s research, and keep what was of value. Same with his creations. Then, she would leave. Her time in Castle Rock was over. And once she found a new place to settle, she would contact her sister.

  Yuna would surely love to hear her cunt of a daughter found a way to accept Christ. Mind boggling as that was, there were prophecies involved that could effect things in ways, Xal would be a fool to stick her mind on ‘impossible’. She wasn't worried about Yuna causing problems.

  With Rarami in captivity, Yuna would not take any risks of angering the possible captor. Surely if the succubus had figured out it was X'al'antra she would have confronted her by now. Xal would reveal the truth to her once Rarami was contained securely enough that even Yuna could not risk the assault. And then X’al’antra would have her right where she wanted her. Yuna might be a demon, but she would never sacrifice one of her children.

  It was still night when X'al'antra reached her mansion.

  That had been raised to the ground.

  “How?!” she asked aloud in honest shock, gaping at the destruction. Who could have done this?! Even that super cunt Iiyni’jeari’eea couldn't have destroyed things this cleanly! The landscape was intact, the buildings were gone. Not a wall standing. Her priorities kicked in. “No!” she moved fast to the entrance of Larry’s lab. X'al'antra knew before entering that Rarami would be gone. Nor was she surprised to find Larry's documents missing. Every single bit of data he had kept about the barrier, homunculi, the Philosophers Stone, what he had learned from the half-elf, all if it - gone.

  Surprising herself by not throwing a fit (immature or not, temper tantrums were quite cathartic when done properly), the youthful vampire walked back into the darkness of night from the destroyed lab. Her rage, her anger, would be her strength. X'al'antra had played the teenage brat too long. She was a queen! One of the first to walk the Earth! Self control would be the guiding hand to pinpoint the accuracy of her revenge.

  Heading to the destroyed mansion, Xal flung aside rubble like it was made of foam, and found the door that led to her personal chambers, deep in the ground; where her children were hiding.

  “My Queen!” Leslie cried reverentially, falling to a knee, thinking better, and prostrating face down on the ground. “Shelly, you’re back!” Kendra shouted in joy, rushing to her, arms open in a big embrace. Xal backhanded her violently into the wall, Kendra tumbled to the floor, unable to lift herself back up. The bitch had retained her stupidity after being turned. It was rare, but occasionally the less favorable or more unique traits of the host body copied themselves onto the virus. “My queen!” Ethan (Leslie and Kendra's older brother) also spoke, from farther in, kneeling. Three? Three of them? Was that all that were left? The three youngest ones?!

  “What happened here!” Xal didn’t ask, she commanded the teenage male, stalking towards him. “The girl, Sarah. Once you all left, and the barrier-shield was erected, she used magic and alchemy against us. The power was too great, my queen! There was nothing that could be done! We had just finished nailing that old hag to the cross when we came under assault by a- a pink tiger! We had to flee, there was no other choice!” X'al'antra was not happy. Her snarl expressed her displeasure quite clearly. “He tells the truth!” Leslie pleaded, still face down on the floor. “She, Sarah, threw waves of energy that cut down everything it touched! Ethan saved us! That power, she destroyed the others like they were made of mud!”

  Leslie had mistaken her queen’s reaction to be disbelief of Ethan's words. In a way, it was. But not because she believed him a liar. If they could manage a lie while under her direct command to speak, they would not have needed to cower like weaklings. “Did she say anything!” Xal again commanded. “No, my queen, nothing.”

  “Tell me," Xal continued, voice calm, "her waves of energy, were they the color of gold, and sparkled like glitter?” The male looked startled at the specificity. “Y-yes, my queen. The energy waves were golden, and they appeared to sparkle... like glitter.”

  That fucking bitch. X'al'antra understood now. Or at least partially understood. She was a fool to believe her done with meddling. This was bad. Xal needed to regroup, rebuild and re-plan faster than expected. “We are leaving,” she announced. “B-b-ut the sun will be rising soon!” Leslie pointed out, finally sitting up. “If you are such fools to burn, than so be it! Get. Up.” They (even the stunned stupid(er) Kendra), rose to their feet unwillingly. Kendra looking like she had been yanked up by an invisible force, staggering to not fall back down.

  X'al'antra was starving again. She felt like eating a small town… so she would. But not all at once. They would find an out of the way community near the edge of the shit they had caused here. It would be assumed related to the other missing and dead. Then they would move on. Find a place even better than here, and rebuild. X'al'antra would make new children. Many. She would make them strong. Vampires powerful enough to put the fear of Hell into all who crossed her. Then, when all the pieces were in place…

  Caleb would be hers.

  Maybe... she would take Ally as well. No longer playing the role of human, and with all the other shit that had gone wrong, X’al’antra found she held no more hatred of the teen. Had barely even noticed her earlier, amidst the others. Aside from that twinge of jealousy. Maybe, though… there was a hint of desire in it.

  Smiling, X’al’antra thought of the possibility of female toys. Something, in all her years, she had never, well, toyed with. Looking at the two teenage girls she had recently turned, the queen gave a very human sigh, and shake of the head. He was already effecting her. Prophecy was moving faster than she would have expected, even with the royal fuck up. Not that it mattered. With it awake and spreading, Caleb would not be green when she got him. There were other branches; some too easy to be true. Regardless, she knew one thing for sure: soon he would belong to her.

  And she would be free.

  * * *

  Everyone (besides Stryker, of course) stood in Jeff’s command center, staring at the bank of monitors. It was just large enough to fit them all, and still give them room to move. Most of the monitors were off or displayed static. One of them showed an SUV with tinted windows, slowing heading down the driveway to the cabin.

  “Not running out to meet them at gunpoint?” John grumbled. “Nah, we decided that wasn't the best approach,” Iiyni answered for the man in glasses, that hadn't turned from the monitors and appeared to be needlessly typing on one of the many keyboards. “Whoever it is, they put themselves in a bottleneck. I’ll just kill the fuckers if needed,” Iiyni shrugged. No one argued. She had a point.

  “Who do you think it could be?” Trixie asked, as the vehicle left one monitor, and appeared on another. None of them had a good answer. “Could it be miss Terra?” Ally winced at the slender brunette's question. “I doubt it, Trix,” Caleb told her. “She doesn't even know this place is here.”

  “Which begs the question; who does?” Reba asked rhetorically. “No one that would be driving,” John muttered. For indeed, the only other that knew of this place was Masque. An SUV, not really his style.

  As they watched, tension building, the vehicle finally got to the empty area in front of the cabin, and stopped. Taking a moment, it drove over and parked near their truck. And the passengers side door opened. A man they didn’t recognize got out. He was in military fatigues. “Wonderful,” Feldyn chimed. They all were feeling similar. Somehow, it appeared mercenaries had found this place. Were they deserters hoping for sanctuary? Maybe here to deliver a message? Or an ultimatum? Still, why would they-

  Another now stood behind the mercenary.

  The shouts of celebration irritated the hell out of Jeff.

  “YES!” John cried and laughed pumping his fist. Gigi sprinted from the room. Ally shrieked in joy, and gave Feldyn a hug and kiss on the cheek, as he was beset with joy himself, not even knowing his own laughter was matched with tears. They all, rushed from the room following Gigi, leaving only Jeff, Trixie, Lance (who was contented to be held in Trixie's arms for the moment), and Iiyni, behind in the command center.

  Trix was happy, but didn't want to seem weird by being too happy, so she had let the others rush off before calmly following.

  Iiyni was impressed. Really impressed. She could hardly believe this fucker had survived. She was looking forward to getting to know him.

  Jeff was just irritated by all the emotion. Especially his own. Why did he care? He hardly knew the... man on the monitor. And if he truly was a vampire, was there no other way to hide his skin than looking like a ninja?