Sagehaven
By Emily M. Hanson
Author’s Note: My muse has been concentrating on original fiction lately. This is the sequel to Thunderspire in the Teracor series. All of the characters in this story are original. Please don’t borrow them without permission.
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Part 1
One by one, the adventurers stepped through the Sky Lord’s magic portal into the faerie realm. Trin’s eyes widened as she recognized her home. The fresh air felt crisper and cleaner here than anywhere she’d been. Her father’s garden stretched out in front of her. Brightly colored flowers carpeted the earth. A section of medicinal herbs contained common plants like silverheart and blackroot, and even rarer plants such as shadowblossom and ashthorn.
Tanith gaped in amazement at the beauty that surrounded them all. It felt good to be back on solid ground again. She was more confident. Even though this place was just as magical as the elemental plane of air, it was more solid somehow.
Fenrek’s jaw dropped as he stared. This place reminded him of a dream he’d had once, only it was real. Now that they were back, hopefully they could find a way to defeat the sorcerer-king Neteilu and the evil Zoru.
Kip had been to the faerie realm before. Each time he visited, he was reminded of what he had left behind. The splendor of it never ceased to astonish him. He hoped that the faeries would help them find Sagehaven and the spell that lay within it.
Aliya gasped. “This is incredible!”
”Aye,” Fenrek agreed. “It’s like a dream.”
“It’s beautiful,” Tanith said.
“This is my home,” Trin remarked. “I welcome you. I only hope that my father will be hospitable. He has never been warm to outsiders.”
Kip raised an eyebrow. “That is true, but I think he will hear us out.”
Trin nodded. “Then let’s go and talk to him.”
At the gate, they were stopped by guards. Trin immediately recognized one of them, for he was her younger brother, Talrion.
His eyes widened in surprise. “Trin! It is good to see you.”
She smiled. “And you as well, Talrion.”
He was tall and thin, but his lithe frame disguised the strength and stamina that he had gained over the years. He and the other guard were clad in blue doublets with silver trim, dark blue cloaks, black breeches and black leather boots. They both wore silver badges featuring the royal coat-of-arms. The badge’s field was blue with a silver border. It featured a bow and arrow on the bottom, a star on top representing magic, an eagle on the left with wings spread which represented foresight and quick wit, and a unicorn on the right which represented virtue and strength.
“Who are your companions?” he asked.
Talrion’s gaze immediately fell on the red-haired woman wielding a scimitar. He also took note of the dragon who appeared to be a human. Faeries had the ability to see dragons’ shadow forms. Surely there was a good reason for his presence. Dragons did not leave their realm lightly.
Next, his gaze fell on the young woman with long brown hair, wearing a black tunic and leggings. She looked innocuous enough, but he sensed her aura of magical power. Then Talrion noticed the short, dark-haired Melosean. Who was he and what was he doing with Trin? His eyes found their way back to the warrior woman. Gods, but she was beautiful!
“This is Tanith Makri, Kiperreth Goldenhair, Aliya Sunlaris, and Fenrek Ulufson,” she replied.
Talrion nodded, but he was having a hard time taking his eyes off of Tanith. Finally, he forced himself to look at his sister. “You may pass.”
“Thank you,” Trin answered.
As they entered the palace, they were greeted by a faerie with long dark hair and blue eyes. She wore an ivory gown and had her hair done in a complicated braid.
“Airlorellen, how good it is to see you again,” Trin said.
Somewhat stiffly, her sister nodded. “I am glad that you have returned safely.”
Her manner suggested that she wished otherwise. That did not surprise Trin, for she had always been at odds with her sister. Their personalities clashed. Aira was aloof and distant, while Trin needed companionship. She knew that her older sister viewed her as an unwanted annoyance, but there was not much she could do to convince her otherwise.
“This is my eldest sister, Airlorellen,” Trin said, and proceeded to introduce her friends.
“Ah. I trust that your stay will be enjoyable,” she said politely. “If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”
“Do I detect a bit of sibling rivalry?” Fenrek asked, once the other faerie was out of earshot.
Trin blushed. “I have never gotten along well with my sisters. Talrion is a breath of fresh air, compared to them. I have two other sisters as well, both younger than myself.”
Fenrek nodded. “I have an older brother myself. He’s a captain in the Melosean army. Haven’t seen him in years, but he writes letters to my ma. We didn’t get along that well, either. But it was he who taught me how to fight with a dagger.”
“Ah,” Trin replied.
There was an anteroom before the throne room, where several large, plush dark blue chairs and a couch were arranged so that guests could wait comfortably before they saw the faerie king. Of course, such guests were rare and always by invitation, since the faerie kingdom was well hidden by magic. Normally, one would have to speak to the Chamberlain before gaining access to the throne room. But the king’s immediate family needed no such permission.
Trin recognized the two guards at the entrance, Lt. Brenand and Lt. Tirbran. Both had reached five centuries – middle-aged, for their kind. Faeries were long-lived, but not immortal. Both guards were tall and muscular. The first guard had reddish-brown hair and the second’s hair was nearly black. They were dressed in identical attire to the guards at the front gate.
“Princess Trinlarian!” Lt. Brenand exclaimed as a grin spread across his face. “If I had known you were coming, I would’ve told your father before now.”
She smiled. “It’s quite all right. We arrived here by magical means. Is my father available?”
“Yes. If you can wait a few moments, I’ll let him know you’re here.” The guard stepped into the throne room.
Trin nodded. She tried not to let her nervousness show. How would her father receive her companions? He was not known for being welcoming to outsiders, nor was he known for involving himself with outside affairs.
If Neteilu succeeded in conquering the world, or if the evil snake god Zoru’s plans for plunging their world into chaos and darkness succeeded, the faeries were as doomed as anyone else. Trin only hoped that her father would help her and her companions in their quest to find the ruins of the ancient library called Sagehaven. If not, all was lost.
The guard stepped back outside after a few moments. “King Aidan will see you now.”
“Thank you,” Trin said.
The throne room was majestic. Its fresco ceiling was painted a deep sapphire hue with glittering silver stars. A magical enchantment had been placed upon it so the stars resembled the current configurations of the sky at all times. The walls were decorated with colorful tapestries featuring dragons, unicorns, other fantastic creatures, and depictions of ancient battles.
Only one tapestry stood out. It was a grove of willow trees at night. Colorful birds flitted in and out of the trees. This one, Trin knew, led to a secret exit from the throne room. Like most royal children, she had done a lot of exploring around the castle as a child. The tunnel led to a forest just beyond the palace.
“Welcome, daughter,” King Aidan said. “I am happy to see you. I trust you have a good reason for bringing outsiders to our realm?”
“I do, father.” She introduced her friends. “We have just come from the Sky Lord’s realm. The sorcerer-king, Neteilu, banished us there. Father, he wishes to be emperor. We cannot let him conquer the world. It will surely mean doom for us. He will not be content to let us exist here peacefully.”
He nodded. “Tell me what you have learned.”
Trin relayed the past events in detail. She told him of the Wanderers and the loss of their leader. Then she described Aliya’s part in the prophecy. In addition, she told her father that the evil snake god, Zoru, was present in the world again, and that he must be stopped at all costs.
“All right,” King Aidan replied. “How do you plan to stop Zoru and Neteilu both?”
“Within the ancient ruins of Sagehaven, there is a spell to imprison Zoru in the sun once again. Neteilu can only be stopped by someone with greater magic than him. It would take the greatest of our wizards, but I am certain that it can be done, Majesty.”
“Indeed,” her father answered after a few moments of contemplation. “I know where Sagehaven is, and I will give you all the supplies you need to get there. But I am unwilling to sacrifice our wizards to stop this Neteilu.”
Trin gaped. “Father, Neteilu is nearly as dangerous as Zoru! We cannot allow him to achieve his goal.”
“I agree. It is far wiser for us to remain hidden than to send out the wizards and hope they get lucky. If everything that you and my Seers have told me is true, we dare not risk it. The existence of our people depends on secrecy. We cannot let Neteilu discover our home and destroy it.”
Trin’s jaw dropped. She could not believe that her father was turning her down. Her cheeks turned crimson. Indignant, the faerie princess mustered up the words to say what she felt, but she didn’t get the chance. Kip spoke before she could.
“Perhaps. But I submit that if you were as brave as you are wise, Neteilu would not stand a chance. Death may well be the end result, but an honorable death is never looked down upon. However, risking death is better than letting a dishonorable opponent win.”
Trin stared at her friend in astonishment. No one else would have gotten away with that. Neither she nor her siblings could have said such a thing without being reprimanded. Nobody other than a dragon would have dared to insult her father in such a manner.
King Aidan’s jaw dropped in shock, but he realized that the dragon was right. “You think I am taking the coward’s way out?”
“I would not have been so audacious as to call it that,” Kip replied. “But I do not believe that you are taking the most prudent action.”
The king sighed. “You may be right. I will consider your words. In the meantime, you will stay in guest rooms while my servants gather supplies for your journey.”
“You are most generous,” the dragon said, bowing. “I apologize for my earlier remark, as it was not meant to insult.”
The king nodded. “I accept your apology.”
Embarrassed about her reaction, Trin kept her head down as she followed her companions out. She had not meant to get so flustered, but somehow, she had. Trin expected her father to agree with her logic because he usually did. It was rare when he did not, and he usually had a good reason for it. But this was cowardice, and it wasn’t something she had expected from him.
Why did he fear a human sorcerer so much? Perhaps because that sorcerer could very well destroy her people, along with the rest of the world? It was for that very reason that they needed to fight him, even to their last breath. As Kip had pointed out, Neteilu was a dishonorable opponent, and letting him win without a fight would be shameful.
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To be continued.
