The War of Odds (14 page)

The most beautiful woman she had ever seen now stood on the path. Her hair fell to the ground in golden waves and her swirling rainbow eyes studied the creatures in front of her critically. She glowed like a candle flame and her dress was studded with moon- beam flashes of light so bright it hurt the eyes.

“Do not look at her, you stupid girl!” Muriel whispered frantically and Sara dropped her gaze in fear.

Hestia was silent for a moment as she took stock of the little army at her feet, and then she sighed.
They are not much, but they will have to do,
she decided.

“Please arise, my friends. I have much to show you and very little time.” Hestia pulled a small, round globe out of the folds of her dress.

Chapter 15

“Please, follow me,” she said, and walked into the green gloom. Muriel and her little army followed. Sara saw many animals and fae creatures turn and join the procession. There were huge antlered stags, and sylphs, small rabbits and Grigs, foxes, fauns, and many more.

After a few minutes, they came to a clearing that glittered in the amber light of diffused sunlight. A narrow river dissected the grassy dell and a number of beautiful green women sat on large boulders in the water and watched their approach. Nate eyed the creatures nervously, and Muriel drawled, “These are my sisters, young man… water nymphs. They are very old and wise, unlike Nixies,” she paused, adding, “as you might have known had you paid more attention to your lessons.”

Nate blushed, but Pollo, who rode on Tandie’s back, piped, “He knows better now, Auntie, and will not let himself be enchanted again.”

Muriel nodded, remaining silent. Nate was a fine young man who had surpassed Fang’s expectations, and, even now, seemed willing to sacrifice himself in order to keep his companions safe. “Forgive my harsh tongue, young man. It has given me more than my fair share of trouble over the years,” she murmured.

Nate smiled his forgiveness, and then came to a halt as Hestia walked up to a stone oven and placed the little globe inside the glowing embers. Turning around to face her audience, she said, “Please make yourselves, comfortable. This will take a few moments.”

The people, animals and faeries sat down and waited, as Hestia made herself comfortable on a throne made of an old tree trunk. The wood was dark with age and gleamed like satin in the sunlight. The queen addressed them, her voice ringing like a bell.

“Normally, I do not concern myself with the fate of fae or mankind. My job is, and always has been, the care of forests, both here and in the land of men. I have been known, in the past, to care for the hearth and homes of human women, but they have turned away from my ministrations now, and seek my council no more.”

She looked down and tears started to flow from her beautiful kaleidoscope eyes. “I enjoyed my duties, and the women I served, but those were simpler times.” Her tears dried, and her eyes narrowed with anger. “Now, mankind has forsaken me in his quest for knowledge. Worse, he has forsaken the mother and destroys the very planet that grants him life!” The queen’s voice had risen with anger, and her last words rang out in a shout.

“Mankind levels our forests and digs deep holes in the ground. They use terrible poisons to manipulate their crops, never realizing the toll their potions take on the soil. They burn the land and pollute the air!” She paused, gazing at those who listened and stirred uneasily.

“I confess that I have been angry,” she continued, softly. “I have looked for a way to stop the humans from annihilating our world, but to no avail. So…” she gulped, “I attended the meeting in Timaron’s court, and voted to declare war on human beings.”

Sara and her friends gasped, and William whispered, “Bummer…”

Hestia saw the effect her words had on the people and creatures who heard them, and she smiled with sadness. “I regret that now, of course. I was filled with jealousy, and rage. I thought that, somehow, the Fae could teach humans a lesson they would not soon forget, and that our teachings might be remembered once again.”

She shook her head, and her long golden tresses shimmered in the sunlight. “I was wrong, and worse- I was shortsighted.
 
In my haste, I forgot that the Seelie and the Unseelie would be at risk as well as human beings. Now I wish to make amends.”

The queen reached into the glowing embers and pulled the little stone globe out of the flames. Sara’s eyes bulged with shock, but William whispered, “It’s cool, Sara. I’ve seen her do this before.”

Hestia held the glowing stone ball up in the air and then fell back on her throne with a sigh. The globe stayed suspended in mid-air and then it lit up like a light bulb… the brightest light bulb ever created.

The teens covered their eyes against the glare, although most of the others kept their sight low, as if they had been through this drill before and knew what to expect. After a moment, or two, the brilliance subsided somewhat, and Sara peered through her fingers to see that the globe had fallen back in to Hestia’s hands. In its place was a sort of transparent screen. Images played across it like the large viewing screen at a drive-in theater. Sara dropped her hands, stared, and started to quiver with fear.

“I have tried to determine the safest route for you, but the powers of darkness are running rampant now, and seek to obscure my vision. There are three paths you can take to reach the Unseelie court… this is the one, I think, you should follow.”

The pictures blended one into the other like some demented all-night horror show extravaganza. Sara saw a lake of fire and the long pointed tail of some sort of beast as it plunged into the deep. She saw long pupa hanging by silken threads, in a shadowed corner of a dusty cavern.

She saw herself and her companions as they crept through a tunnel, and watched as long, grasping fingers of darkness seized them and carried them away. She watched as large, hairy creatures with deep-set eyes and long pointed teeth jumped into their midst, brandishing heavy clubs and pointed wooden spears.

“This is the good path?” Nate breathed, and Hestia snapped, “Would you care for the alternative, human?” He shook his head, but it was too late. With a snap of Hestia’s fingers the terrible pictures changed into something so horrid, so evil, Sara knew that, however long she lived, she would never forget the images that seemed to burn themselves into her brain.

She saw a beautiful chamber, filled with gold plate, silver flatware and crystal glasses. She watched as tiny faeries and tall, regal elves dined, danced… kissed, and then she held her breath as wide double doors flew open and a hoard of dark and hideous creatures spilled through the opening like seawater over a levee. She watched as the creatures of darkness bit, tore, and slashed their way through tender flesh. She moaned as the silver and the gold turned red with spilled blood.

Nate turned away as another picture glimmered in mid-air. Hobgoblins and trolls were torturing a battalion of Seelie elves. Rondel and his sister wept as goblins knives and the trolls clubs pounded, prodded, pinched, cut, and finally finished their brethren.

Pollo wailed in fear as another image took form. Yellow Blurkers held the bodies of sprite’s and pixies alike, while hinkey-punks rubbed their webbed hands together in maniacal glee, and pulled the wings off their prey. Both of these malicious faeries were known to trick and torment human beings, but to see them torturing fellow faeries was an abomination no one there could bear.

Finally, the gruesome display grew dim and vanished. Every creature in attendance rocked back and forth in dismay and fear. Sara wiped her eyes and stared up at Hestia, who seemed exhausted now, and filled with sorrow.

“These are only a few of the things that haunt the halls of Timaron’s court. Trust me when I say that the path I would have you follow is, for now, the safest,” she sighed. “I am sorry this has happened, and I mourn my part in it. I hope, though, that I can undo some of the hurt by sending you on the path of least resistance.”

“Which path do we take, my lady?” Muriel’s voice trembled with anxiety. She had seen Faeries fight before in her long life, but this spectacle of total annihilation was unheard of. This was not of the faery realm, but of a deeper place; where rivers were made of molten lava, and lost souls howled in perpetual woe and agony… the kingdom that priests and mad men referred to as Hell, or Hades.

Hestia sat up and coaxed the fat, brown toad into her hands. Lifting it up onto her lap, she stroked its horny head, and smiled. The toad grinned as well, and its brilliant green eyes glowed in the glade’s golden light.

“I shall send my friend, Martin with you. Martin was once a man, you see. He was an awful man who abused his wife and beat his children. A powerful witch took pity on the man’s family and turned him into the creature you see now.”

Hestia ran one long finger over the toads head while it swelled and bubbled with pleasure. “Martin has been with me for many longs years now, and has repented his actions as a man. He has been tested many times and has never failed me… at least, not yet.”

The toad blinked one emerald eye, as its tongue shot out for another flying insect. The queen of the hearth grinned and lifted Martin down to the ground. “He shall take you the right way.” Hestia glared, severely. “Remember, the path to Timaron’s court forks thrice. Make no mistake, the forces of darkness know you are coming and they will try to stop you.”

The queen’s body seemed to shrink in on itself, and Sara shook her head in confusion as Hestia’s dress grew dim, and her golden hair turned red. Suddenly, the devilishly handsome young man with the motley clothes and the horned hat sat sideways on the throne. He smirked, ruby red lips lifting to reveal sharp, pointy teeth.

“If, for some reason, Martin decides to misbehave…” the man picked up a pinecone and pitched it in the toad’s direction, “go to the entrance closest to the Blackthorn bush. Once there, eat the sloes, and your eyes will find the right passage.”

The man’s voice had grown fainter, and so did his body. With those last words, he disappeared entirely. Martin took a mighty leap and landed on Tandy’s back. His deep, croaking voice said, “As my lady says, time grows short. We must be on our way.”

Chapter 16

They walked for a mile, or so, until Muriel called out, “Martin, stop!” The toad hopped once more, and then turned around to gaze up into the nymph’s face.

“Witch, we must make haste if we are to reach the entrance to the Unseelie court by nightfall.” Martin croaked, irritably.

Muriel shook her head. “We need to rest, toad. Look at these human children…they’re exhausted!”

Martin shifted his gaze and studied the three teenagers. The boy seemed stout enough, but the two girls looked dazed and weary to the bone. Martin knew that magical creatures derived their strength and energy from the land, trees and air of Faery, but the humans were not tied to magic or able to assimilate the power that fae took for granted.

Nodding once, the toad closed its eyes and hummed. Its fat, warty body vibrated for a few moments and then its green eyes opened and Martin said, “The queen has granted us a night here in her woods. There will be no open flames but eldritch light is allowed.” He hesitated, adding, “Hestia wishes us to be gone by first light.”

Chloe wanted to weep with relief. She didn’t know how far they had traveled, but it must be twenty, even thirty miles since they first left Sylvan’s village at dawn. Her legs ached, and the blisters on her feet were forming blisters. Peat and Pollo scrambled down off Tandy’s back, and started two eldritch fires in a small clearing by the path.

Muriel walked into the woods to say hello to a couple of her cousins, and the dwarves pulled cold meat, cheese and tubers out of their packs. They circulated the encampment with food and water, while the humans sank to the ground in fatigue.

After a while, everyone sat by the warm light of the sprite’s magical flames. It was full dusk now, and Sara nodded sleepily, listening to the murmured conversations. Chloe napped with her head in Rowena’s lap, and the cats eyes glimmered in the twilight.

She heard Nate say, “Pollo, no offense meant, but why are you here? It seems like you have some…um, issues with mobility.” Opening her eyes, Sara watched as the little sprite smiled, and stroked Hissaphat’s fur.