> Ortfeen

>

> Noun

>

> Translation: Fairy Grove / Fairy Garden

>

> Definition: Ortfeen refers to a sacred location of faeries colonies. They are born from the Cunabula Prædictas. An Ortfeen is typically situated adjacent to an Ormsaat, a node of ley line that nourishes and sustains the environment, ensuring the proliferation of Faeries and Sternmelos aka Star-Muschrooms which are vital for the fairies' existence and growth.

From the underbrush, a faerie emerged, visibly trembling from head to toe. In one hand, she clutched a rifle, the other pressed tightly over her mouth in shock. Claramae could hardly believe what she had done. She approached the group slowly. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her. Maggie lay on Orlo's lap, her small form bleeding profusely. The boy’s white shirt was drenched with red blood. He sat motionless, his expression one of utter shock. He didn't move or speak a single word, seemingly frozen.

"I was focused on the human... and then the other human and… and… but then there were centaurs, and it all happened so-so-so fast, and then she... she… she…" Claramae stammered, pointing to Maggie and struggling to piece together her thoughts coherently. "Orlo, hun, I... I didn't mean to..."

She approached Orlo, but as soon as her hand lightly touched his shoulder, he reacted with a sudden, forceful movement, pushing her away.

"We need to bury her... before she dies; she needs to go to the faeries’ garden ground," Orlo stated while carefully he picked up Maggie, who was unconscious yet still clinging to life, her heartbeat weak but discernible.

"Orlo." Godmama approached him, her demeanour not reflecting the usual kindness he was accustomed to but rather that of the matriarch of the Faewood Faeries. There was a stern firmness in her tone, a sense of authority that was rarely displayed. "She cannot be buried."

"What?"

"Not here," Godmama continued.

"What are you talking about? This is Maddie," Orlo protested.

"I have tolerated her presence because your parents saved her. But they went against our traditions. And I won't risk the well-being of my colony for a Red-One or any other kind," she stated firmly. The resolve in her voice made it clear that her decision was final, leaving no room for any debate.

"A Red-One? It's Maggie!" Orlo shouted. He turned his head, his gaze shifting from one faerie to another. The unspoken prejudices and judgments were now surfacing in the open. The realization dawned on him that this decision had likely been made from Maggie's very first day of her life.

With the same demeanour as Grandmama and cynicism that he didn’t know he had in him, he asked, "If I take earth from the garden’s ground, will it be infected? Will it be contaminated? Inpure? You know, since I’m a Blue-One.” and added, “Like you and Claramae.”

"What do you want to do, Orlo?" Claramae asked.

"What none of you is willing to do!" he said, holding the dying faerie in his arms. "And I need a pot now!" he demanded, his voice resonating with the authority of a Sternach, “I said now!” he shouted louder.

As he issued his command, Orlo's skin began to crackle with golden veins, glowing with sunlight. It was a vivid reminder to all present that he was the son of Yeso, inheriting not just his father's magical lineage but also his strength and stubbornness, as Godmama reminded him earlier.

Godmama nodded to one of the faeries, who quickly scurried away.

"Please, now, calm down, Orlo. There is no need for..."

"For what?" Orlo interrupted sharply, his voice challenging as he faced her, but not for long. Turning his attention to Claramae, he shouted, "Get me four mushrooms with their roots."

"But what..." Claramae started to question but quickly gave up, seeing the golden wrath crackling his skin.

"Less questions! More actions!" Orlo demanded, “Now!”

He then entered Godmama's house, carrying the unconscious body of Maddie. Gently, he laid her on the table. "I need a scalpel," he stated, looking around for the necessary tool.

"I don't..." Godmama started hesitantly, clearly unprepared for such a request.

Orlo interrupted her once more, almost yelling, "Then give me something that cuts!”

Godmama rummaged through one of her drawers and handed Orlo a small, curved knife. The blade was sharp and pointed, suitable for delicate work. Meanwhile, faint moans from Maggie broke the tense silence. Orlo gently caressed her hair away from her face, "Hey, Maggie," he whispered softly.

"Ollo, Orlo," Maggie responded weakly, her voice barely above a whisper, but still she chuckled because of her rhyme.

"Today, we'll make you a flower, okay?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, really, but..." Orlo hesitated, his eyes dodging hers for a moment.

"It's going to hurt? Isn’t it?"

He nodded, "It might... it will. But it's okay... soon you won't feel anything."

As Orlo and Maggie prepared for the next steps, one of the faeries hurried in with a pot full of dirt as requested. Soon after, Claramae entered, carrying four fresh mushrooms. Guessing Orlo's plan, she didn't ask any questions, neither did she dare; she simply began planting the mushrooms in the pot, arranging them neatly in a square.

Claramae then extended a dry slice of mushroom towards Orlo. "The humans say it's like having a lucid dream. It might help her with the pain," she suggested gently.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Orlo nodded, appreciating the thought behind the gesture. He turned to Maggie, offering her the slice. "Maggie, I want you to swallow this so you can have a nice dream, okay?"

"Okay."

"And then you tell me all about it, and we'll go visit it together. What do you think?"

"Will I be a flower?" Maggie asked.

"The prettiest," Orlo assured her with a gentle smile.

"I mean, a real flower with green blood?"

"The prettiest," Orlo repeated with a small, forced smile.

He gently placed the dry slice of mushroom into Maggie's mouth, ensuring she swallowed it carefully. Then, with delicate movements, he carefully pulled her shirt up just enough to expose her belly. He quickly assessed the wound – the bullet had entered from behind, likely impacting near her kidney region. This observation brought a small relief to Orlo; Maggie's Saatgut appeared to be intact.

As he focused intently on Maggie's abdomen, his vision shifted, overlaying the real world with a stream of detailed, glowing yellow words, sentences and schematics providing instructions. They scrolled before his eyes, providing all the knowledge he needed.

The instructions began with preparation: identifying the exact incision site, precisely four fingers below Maggie's navel. This point was crucial.

Next, the incision technique was highlighted: a shallow, careful cut to avoid any unnecessary harm to the internal structures. The aim was clear – minimal invasion, maximum precision. Orlo kept reading and reread as fast as he could several times until he was ready.

"Okay, Maggie, here comes nothing," Orlo said, trying to keep his voice steady and reassuring. He was about to embark on a procedure he had never done before. He knew what he was about to attempt – it was a risk, but one he was willing to take for Maggie's sake. It needed to work.

Orlo leaned over and measured four fingers below Maggie's belly button. He knew he couldn't cut too deeply; he needed to investigate layer by layer to locate where her seed was lodged. The uncertainty of the seed's size added to the complexity of the task. With this in mind, Orlo began to carefully navigate through the layers of skin, then fat and muscle with the small, curved knife.

As he delicately made his way through each layer, he was acutely aware of Maggie's condition. He paused when he noticed that Maggie's moans, a faint indicator of her consciousness and pain, had stopped. This sudden silence was alarming, yet it could also mean that the mushroom had taken effect, easing her into a painless, dream-like state.

Orlo focused back as he continued his careful search for Maggie's saatgut. The task was fraught with uncertainty, but he proceeded with the utmost care, driven by the hope of saving her and fulfilling her wish to transform into a flower. The atmosphere in the room was tense, with everyone present holding their breath, silently beseeching for a successful outcome.

Under the mushroom's influence, Maggie began to mumble in her dream-like state. Her words were soft and distant as if she were conversing with someone in a dream.

"No, no, you can't go outside. We need to wait here. Eura, please be a nice girl. Your papa will be mad..." Maggie's voice trailed off, her expression gentle as though she were addressing a child in her dream. “Come inside, Eura, come on, Eura…”

She then chuckled softly, a sound that was both heartbreaking and endearing in the tense silence of the room. "Don't eat it all. Eura! Oh well... I'll go bake another apple pie, and we don’t say anything to your dad," she continued.

Then, almost as an echo of Godmama's earlier words, she added, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

As Maggie slipped back into unconsciousness, Orlo made a delicate incision through what looked like a uterus, a discovery that took him by surprise.

Faeries, known for their unique biological traits, did not reproduce in a manner similar to humans. This led Orlo to speculate that this might be a specialized sac for their Saatgut, and for moments, he wondered if other creatures would have this organ.

And then, he saw it. Nestled within, there was a fragile, butterfly-like creature with moth wings curled up protectively on itself. It was an astonishing sight, one that momentarily took Orlo's breath away.

With utmost care, he cupped his hand inside Maggie and gently extracted the seed. There was no worry about it flying away; it was evident that the tiny creature lacked the strength to do so.

"Please, you need to rest," Orlo whispered gently to the tiny being, urging it to start its transformation. "I need to turn her into a flower."

The butterfly barely moved at first, its actions almost imperceptible. But after a moment, its legs began to stroke against each other, initiating the process of cocoon formation. Within a few seconds, it was clear that it was successfully building a shell around itself. And when it finished, Orlo smiled.

Maggie's seed had the shape of a heart, but did it work?

Orlo gazed intently at Maggie's heart-shaped seed in his hand, then shifted his eyes to the pot holding the four star mushrooms, which were not glowing. This was it, a crucial moment that would reveal whether he had saved his friend or inadvertently sealed her fate-killed her.

Those gathered around him held their breath in anticipation as he gently touched the edges of the pot. He inhaled deeply, steadying his nerves, and carefully dug a hole in the centre of the pot, ensuring it was sufficiently large to accommodate the delicate seed. With the utmost care, he nestled the seed into the earth, softly covering it with the soil, completing a ritual that held Maggie's life and his hope.

He stared at the mushrooms, searching for any sign of change, a dim light, or a faded glow, but there was none. Doubts crept into his mind, gnawing at his confidence. Why had he believed he could save her? What made him think he was any different from any other kid?

As these thoughts swirled through his mind, tears began to trickle down his cheeks. Outside, a sudden downpour started, its rhythmic sound almost soothing but painful. The rain washed over the grass, cleansing it of the red stains but leaving the dead bodies.

"Well..." Orlo murmured, pushing a stool forward and sitting down, a look of defeat etched across his face. "She's gone." Tears streamed down his cheeks as he wept. Claramae, moved by his sorrow, gently placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a silent gesture of comfort.

He buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed by grief. Meanwhile, the other faeries gathered around, their eyes fixed on the pot. Uncertainty lingered in the air; none of them knew exactly what to expect, yet deep down, they all clung to a sliver of hope for the best outcome.

Orlo was lost in his tears, and as they fell, the rain outside seemed to intensify as if echoing his grief. However, suddenly, a soft, surprised voice uttered, "Oh."

Then another voice followed, "Oh," and soon more joined in, each expressing a growing sense of wonder.

Driven by curiosity amidst his sorrow, Orlo raised his tear-stained eyes towards the pot. To his astonishment, he saw the mushrooms illuminated, glowing like stars in the night sky.

"Orlo, it worked," Claramae exclaimed.

"It worked?"

"Yes, it worked. You saved Maggie."

A small smile, fragile but genuine, began to form on Orlo's lips as he whispered, "She'll be a flower..."

Claramae embraced him, and all around, the fairies began to offer their congratulations. However, for Orlo, the triumph was tinged with a sense of sorrow. He couldn't forget how they had been willing to let Maggie die simply because she was different. She was sick, and that fact remained heavy in his heart.

Gently, Orlo freed himself from Claramae’s embrace and said firmly, "Send a letter to your friend. I've decided to accept their offer to live in Ostesh."

"Well, we have time. This is good news!" Claramae replied, still caught up in the moment of celebration.

"As soon as possible," Orlo insisted. "I want to leave with Maggie." With a resolute fashion, he picked up the pot, cradling Maggie's new form and headed to his room.

Watching the door close behind him, Grandmama let out a sigh, a look of regret shadowing her features. "He will never forgive us," she murmured, "I just hope he doesn't return just to die like his father."

While Godmama spoke, her eye peeked out the windows. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still black.

> "Your Master is destined to be nothing less than extraordinary. You'll love him, and you'll do anything to keep him safe. He'll author so many books and none under his real name. He will teach and guide others, but above all, he will love the way that only one born of the sun could love." —Fiorna to the Dreamer before the Long Night.