Wil had been excited to see a bit of fae magic that wasn’t an illusion being used against him, but ended up disappointed when it appeared to be as normal and natural as his own. Syl put his spindly hands on Wil’s chest and let out a low, rumbling sigh. Immediately Wil’s chest itched, quickly turning into the promised tickling sensation as his flesh knit together and his nerve endings went crazy.
“Stop stop stop,” Wil said, laughing and slapping Syl’s hand away. The faun pulled his hand back with a flourish, looking pleased with himself.
“Of course,” said the faun. He turned to Darlene. “Did you get hurt in any way?”
“You really asking or just looking for a reason to put your hands on me? I know stories of your kind.” Darlene crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t look upset, just amused. Her smile only grew when Syl held his hands up in surrender.
“Can I not have multiple reasons? I’m here to be helpful!” He let out a bleating laugh.
Everything in Wil told him not to trust Syl, but the faun made it difficult to dislike him. Everything he said and did seemed to be a performance to show just how friendly and trustworthy he was. It came off so naturally Wil wanted to believe it.
“And why have you chosen to be helpful to us? What do you get out of it?” Wil asked. Without really paying attention to it, he put his hands on his torn shirt and poured a bit of power into it. The sundered threads found where they’d parted and mended themselves in seconds.
Syl’s smile froze on his face. “That’s an excellent question! And we have plenty of time to talk about it on the road. You bought my services as a guide, and I intend to get you there safely. Shall we?” He motioned with long arms the direction they’d been going before detouring for the water.
“Fine,” said Darlene, slinging her pack around her shoulders. “But we expect real answers out of you.”
The three of them got moving, walking parallel to the stream. The land of Faerie was no less beautiful than it had been before, even after the attack and impromptu deal making Wil more suspicious. At least Darlene was on the same page as him, and probably trusted Syl even less than he did. With that in mind, Wil let himself relax just a little, though part of him kept scanning the area around them for any signs of homicidal cats.
“So, you ask what I get out of it?” Syl asked after a few moments of silent walking. He kept his strides short so they didn’t fall behind. It gave him the impression of going for a casual stroll while they had to try to keep up. “For starters, I get to keep my head. My presence here was ordered by King Martinus the Silenus.”
“And what does this king care about Wil?” Darlene asked. As the shortest of the three, she had to fight the most to keep pace.
Syl looked over his shoulder, then rotated his body so his strange goat legs walked backwards perfectly as he spoke, never missing a good spot to step. “I asked Wil’s intentions, and they mirror the King’s. Not all of Faerie is happy to see you, but the Woodlands Association sees opportunity. The chance to reconnect and make trade and communicate.”
“Who isn’t happy to see me?” asked Wil. “Actually, rephrase. Who is actively unhappy to see me?”
The faun made a face. “Well, Grimnar’s Ogre Federation actively wants to invade your land and take it back for themselves, torching every human settlement they encounter and sticking your people on spikes as a warning. They’re mostly ogres, trolls, and other big nasties who have more might than mind.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty unhappy,” said Darlene with a grimace. “What’re the odds of running into any of them on the road and getting into trouble?”
“With me around? Not likely at all.” Syl sounded confident. Together they all crossed a small bridge and continued on east. The ground sloped upward and the view of the massive tree in the background disappeared behind a hill. “You’re much safer with me than without. Even without adding my knowledge or good company to the mix!”
“Who else is unhappy I’m here?” Wil pressed, using his staff to help brace himself as they continued uphill.
“Mmm. Grimnar’s the big one,” said Syl, scratching at his pointy beard. “But I think Timothy Twist at least wants isolation and to not have to deal with you. He leads the Wee Folk, and they’re a mischievous sort but not especially dangerous. You’re more likely to get pranked than seriously harmed.”
Darlene nudged Wil. “We had a problem with nasty pranks before coming out here,” she said. “You’re saying it's because of this Timothy Twist and his people?”
“Could be,” Syl allowed. “Couldn’t say for sure. When the doorways began opening back up, a lot of different folks went out to explore and report back with what they found. See how the land’s changed under the charge of humans. Some of us were worried you’d leave it a barren wasteland of metal monstrosities, spewing smoke and destroying the land. Imagine our surprise when your home turns out to be a beautiful land of plenty, just like we left it.”
They went over the hill and Syl seemed to know well enough that they needed a break. Darlene wiped at her forehead while Wil grabbed water from his pack and took a drink, passing it over when he was finished. It gave him time to think and consider his question well.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Do you hate us? My people, I mean.”
Syl made a distressed goat sound. “Hate is such a strong word. I follow my king and dream of peace and cooperation. Perhaps when I know you better I’ll hate you, but for the moment? You’re okay.” He winked.
It was Darlene, as per usual, who kept Wil on track. “So Grimnar and Timothy Twist. Who else are we going to be dealing with when we get to Oakheart Spiral?” She even managed to not sound impatient.
They got moving once more. There was an actual road here made of stone, leading through the sea of green and heading towards another forest at the base of a foothill. The road wound back and forth seemingly without any sense of ease of travel or efficiency.
“You’re on point with the questions, aren’t you?” Syl chuckled. “You’ll have a representative of the Woodlands Association, as I have mentioned. You’ll meet up with Grimnar and Timothy Twist for sure, and the two others who make up the council. One is Princess Arabella, who is likely to be there on behalf of her mother, the queen of the Fair Folk.
“Arabella’s not too bad, if you don’t mind them as spoiled as they are beautiful. Her mother wants peace more than my,” Syl made a sound and coughed. “Apologies. More than my king does. You can expect to treat well with her, just flatter her a lot and make her feel special. And finally, the king of the skies, the dragon Skalet, leader of the Hearthless.”
“Hearthless?” Darlene asked. “What does that mean?”
“Unaligned fae,” answered Syl. “Those without any loyalty to any of the four kingdoms of our little slice of Faerie. They can be the wildest of predators or the loneliest of souls, big or small, they handle it all on their own. Maybe a bit of help from their families but more often than not, even that’s off the table. You won’t need to worry about them none.”
“Would a wampus cat fall under the Hearthless?” Darlene demanded. “We were attacked by one just before meeting you. Funny timing, that.”
“A wampus cat? Oh yes, that’d be Hearthless. And good on you for surviving, that’s no easy feat!” Syl didn’t sound concerned or bothered, just impressed. “If I’d been just a few minutes faster, I assure you I would’ve helped out. But perhaps that would’ve been suspicious too, eh?”
The trees grew impossibly thick then, not unlike that first bit of woods they found themselves in. Their guide didn’t blink and led them forward, seemingly in a good mood in spite of the topic and their obvious mistrust. Wil found his resolve wavering.
“Probably, but we would’ve been too grateful to question it for a while,” said Wil. “Either way, I’m grateful for the healing and a way to Oakheart Spiral. What else can you tell us about the four kingdoms of fae?”
The faun tapped his chin thoughtfully, ducking his head to avoid a thick branch as they made their way in deeper. The light trickling through the tight treetop was dim and patchy. Wil conjured a ball of light right as Syl answered, “I’m not sure what would be most helpful to you, wizard. You have a great deal of problems to address and it is not for me to tell you where to start.
“However…You can consider the Woodlands Association and the Fair Folk to be tentative allies. Focus on keeping them happy with you and you should be protected from Grimnar’s hate and Skalet’s apathy.”
Wil perked up. He’d heard the name before but it hadn’t registered until now. “Skalet? Like Skalet Peak?”
Syl shrugged. “Possibly? I don’t know your area all too well, I’m afraid. Skalet is the king of the Hearthless. A fierce dragon, mostly unconcerned with the problems of smaller creatures. You can probably ignore him for the most part. He won’t vote one way or the other. I have a question of my own, for you two.”
“What is it?” Darlene asked.
“What does your town have to offer us?” Syl’s voice remained pleasant, friendly, and welcoming, but Wil knew how sharp the question was. “We’ve got an entire world, four kingdoms here, but your Harper Valley is small and a part of a bigger nation we were once at war with. What do you bring to the negotiations?”
“Um.” Wil looked at Darlene for help, but she was just as surprised as he was. “What kind of things are you looking for?”
Syl shot him a sharp look. “Come now, wizard, I can’t give you an answer to my own question. You must have something.”
Wil took his time thinking, and neither the faun nor Darlene tried to rush him after that. Even after the fight with the mayor it was easy to forget Wil was representing the entire town and had to think bigger than just the lost people. Thinking of his town and what it had to offer was hardly an unpleasant experience.
“We are fairly small in the grand scheme of things,” Wil started a few minutes later, “but we’re also right between three major cities, right near the center of the continent. The railroad is there and we’re protected in the mountains.”
“Aye, all of those are good things,” said Syl with a playful lilt in his voice, “but what do you have to offer us?”
“Food, music, and good drinks,” he said, a smile coming to his face. “A different culture and different people. Oddities, novelties, a new place to be for a little while. Harper Valley’s not perfect, but we could be good neighbors, and we could share what we’ve got. A little foothold into our world while you get to keep the rest of the country at arm’s length.
“You said your people and the fair folk want the same things we do. And that’s what I want. For there to be peace and prosperity for everyone, and to laugh at our differences and how they used to make us behave. Some of us worse than others. If nothing else, I know our buddy Bram would give up his right arm to try whatever beers and wines you have.”
“Ahh,” sighed Syl, “Alcohol. A good enough reason for anyone to crave free trade.”
“Bram was taken from us,” Darlene said louder. “By your people. Lured into one of those mushroom circles.”
Both of them turned to Darlene, who smiled in the face of the killed mood.
“Not my call,” said Syl, leading them out through the forest and to the other side, which looked to be in the middle of autumn. “Ah, I think I found us a shortcut. If we cut through the patch of spring we can skip the summer lands and cut out two, maybe three days to Oakheart Spiral!”
“Huh, great. A shortcut through spring.” He looked to Darlene, who stared him down. She smiled, and in some ways it was reassuring. Mostly though, it seemed to be a reminder. Stay focused, don’t forget why they were there, and don’t be too trusting.
Who knew how many times he’d need that reminder?