The quirkeist of quirks

A character for my book, meet Dronark Lor’Fen.

Character bio: Name: Dronark Lor'Fen Species: Dark Elf Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

Personality: Snarky, Sarcastic, Flirty, good natured, sneaky, polite

Caeweth and her sisters frolicked in a bed of white glow flowers.  White flower petals surrounded them, suspended in the air as if attached to invisible strands of spider silk.  All four children ran and laughed through the dark landscape.  Suddenly, the forest turned white, leaving the flowers as the only patch of color.  Everybody was caught off guard by the sudden change.

“What… what is going on?” Caeweth stammered.

Ingle turned around, shrugging and shaking her head.  Levin pawed at the blank ground, while Frasil buried her face in Caeweth’s stomach.

“Well I see you mastered the basics of dream sharing,” came a familiar voice.

“Castor?”

“You guessed correctly,” Castor appeared right in front of the young sisters, “I must say I’m impressed.  This kind of magic took me a while to master.”

“How can you tell?”  Caeweth cocked her head, staring at Castor quizzically.

“Your streams of consciousness have connected to one singular point, like strings being joined together at one central knot…” Castor explained, only to be met with four confused looks from the young sisters, “Er, all four of you are sharing the same dream right now, and as a result, I am too.”

“But how did you get into my, uh, our dream?”

“Dream walking,” Castor stated, “which is the next lesson I had planned for another night, but since you already know how to dream share with your sisters, let’s try a little dream walking.”

Caeweth looked at her dragon sisters, then back to Castor, “Can they come too?”

Ingle, Frasil, and Levin chirped excitedly, hoping for a new adventure in the realm of dreams.

“Not now,” Castor said sternly, hiding his heartbreak as the hopeful looks turned to disheartened frowns.

“Why not?” Caeweth pleaded, “They are really powerful, so…”

“Not powerful enough,” Castor said, “At least not now.  They were only born a fortnight ago.  They have yet to master their own powers, let alone something so unknown.”

Ingle growled in protest, smoke rising from her nostrils.

“Look little one,”  Castor said gently, kneeling down to the tiny whelpling’s level, “I can only teach you when you get bigger and stronger.  For now you must master your element.”

All let out a resigned sigh.

“Alright,” Caeweth said reluctantly, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

With that, the dragon whelps returned to their own dreams.

“Now,” said Castor, “Let’s begin shall we?”

Caeweth nodded excitedly as Castor opened a portal.  She peered through, gazing at a lovely, sunny, green field surrounded by trees.  Blue tinted mountains rose in the distance, closing the distance between earth and sky.  Her eyes grew wide with wonder, taking in the foreign colors, and strange brightness.  In the sky above, a young looking Arvak soared, blue scales glinting in the sunlight.  Caeweth tentatively stepped through the portal, holding tightly to Castor’s hand, which promptly vanished behind them.

“It’s hard to believe this is a dream,” Castor said quietly, “It feels so real, doesn’t it?”

“Does Arvak know about this?”  Caeweth said, still holding tight to her mentor’s hand, “Does she know we are here?”

“If dream walking is done correctly, than no she is not aware of our presence.”

“I wanna see more dreams,” Caeweth stated, emboldened by the majestic scene surrounding both of them, “What about Estelle’s dreams?  Or even Ragnar?  What about Ava?  What do they remember?  What are they thinking?”

Castor chuckled, “In due time.”

He opened another portal, looking through to see Estelle in the form of a seductive looking human female, completely nude, in the arms of an equally naked, and rather well endowed, mortal man.  Before Caeweth could look through the portal, he closed it.  His pale face turned a deep shade of red.

“Let’s not bother Estelle tonight,” He stated, “I will try another dream.”

He opened the next portal.  On they traveled from dream to dream, gazing at surreal landscapes, pointing out subtle intricacies, and looking at symbolism.  Caeweth proved to be quite the charming little chatterbox, with an insatiable curiosity to boot.  She even managed to open a portal, albeit with a little help from Castor.  The night flew by, and soon it was time to part.  Caeweth’s young mind needed to rest, and her magical abilities were reaching their limit.  Despite her exhaustion, she begged for Castor to stay and teach her more.

“Come on, Please?”  she pleaded.

“Another night,” Castor said, his voice stern, “I don’t want you to strain yourself.”

She huffed and begged for more lessons despite her exhaustion.  By the time she finished her whining, she was back in her own dreams.  Castor bid farewell with a little hug, and left.  Caeweth awoke, feeling groggy from her little adventure in the dream world.  Her sisters still slept peacefully next to her.  She hunkered down into the soft straw, listening to her sisters heavy snoring, and closed her eyes, hoping to get back to sleep quickly.

Meanwhile, Castor awoke in Ariadne’s beautifully furnished room.  A cat sized ogre spider snoozed happily at the foot of the bed, long spindly legs out stretched, nearly taking up a good quarter of the king sized bed, while a dainty, rat sized white lady spider sat on the window sill, weaving a small tapestry out of her own silk.  He felt relief wash over him, as Ariadne still slept soundly next to him.  He looked at the ogre spider, it’s eyes covered with a thin, chitinous shield, and stroked it’s soft, short, grey fur.  It’s long abdomen wiggled joyously in response.

Castor looked at the clock hanging on the wall.  It was almost time to prepare breakfast.  The white lady spider turned to look at him, greeting him with a small squeak as she skittered across the dark marble floor.  She gazed at Castor with her 8 tiny eyes, chittering happily as he scratched her head.

“Good to see you too Selene,” he whispered quietly.

He placed the spider on his shoulder, and headed down the hallway of the modestly sized castle to the kitchen.  The castle was already bustling with activity.  Maids, servants, clothiers, seamstresses, and weavers, everybody was getting ready for the daily routines under Ariadne’s rule.  They all rushed past Castor, without a hello, or even a smile.  Everything had to be perfect, for if even the tiniest flaw was discovered, all hell would break loose.

The large spiders scurried after their masters, while smaller spiders rode on their master’s shoulders.  Castor stopped to pet the head of a pony sized tarantula who’s fur was a lovely blue, which clacked it’s fangs as if to say ‘thank you’.  He reached the kitchen, where a 6 foot tall american possum was preparing breakfast.

“Hello Aaron,” Castor said loudly to be heard against the din of clanging pots and pans.

“Ah, hello Castor,” He turned around, a bit frazzled, “Does the Queen want her breakfast already?  I am almost finished with the eggs, but the porridge needs a little bit more time to settle.”

“I assure you she’s in a heavy sleep,”  Castor replied, “She drank herself silly last night, so she’s going to be in bed for quite a while.  Take your time.”

Aaron scooped up a boiled egg, placing it neatly in a holder.

“So, rumor has it a fledgeling star has been found alive outside the child garden?”  He said, turning back to the stove where sausages sizzled in a pan, “I don’t quite see how it was possible, but at least it’s a bit of good news.  That’s been quite rare now-a-days.”

“I agree,” Castor said, leaning on the counter, “News about random disappearances has reached far and wide, and nobody knows what to do.  It is as if fae of all kinds just vanished into thin air.”

“Can we speak of the young fae now?”  Aaron said with a shudder, “What kind of powers does it have?”

“Well it’s a she, and from what I’ve heard, light magic,” Castor replied.

“Oh goodness,” Aaron whipped around to face Castor, “A girl?  Oh my, Ariadne won’t like the sound of that… Did you bring her?  You know how jealous she would get.”

“I didn’t bring her.  She was already in the care of a female Mega Brown Bat, and a protective one at that,” Castor said flatly, “I didn’t want to get my head ripped off.  Besides, she looked happy.”

“And then?”

“What?”

“Come on Castor, I know you.”

Castor shifted uncomfortably.

“Out with it Castor.”

“Ok, but you need to promise not to tell ANYBODY.”

***

Ariadne stirred awake, her head throbbed, and her mouth felt terribly dry.  She looked behind her to Castor’s side of the bed.  There was nothing but ruffled, empty sheets.  She tried to sit up, but the dizzying pain made her plop back on to her favorite silk pillow.  The ogre spider shifted, still sleeping at the foot of the bed.  She nudged it with her foot, earning an irritated click from the spider’s fangs.

“Orinar,” She said quietly.

Still nothing.

“Orinar,” she said, nudging him harder.

The spider let out a quiet hiss as if to say, “More time please.”

“Orinar, you lazy arachnid,” She growled giving him a rather forceful kick, “Get up.  I need you to get Castor.”

At this, the ogre spider’s chitin eyelids shot open, revealing black, abyssal eyes.  The cat sized spider leaped to the floor, hissing back at his mistress as if to say, Get him yourself you lazy slattern!

“Don’t you back talk me, you useless insect.”

Orinar raised a spindly leg to it’s ‘forehead’, Oh your words wound me so.

“Enough of the sarcasm, you little wretch,” Ariadne spat, “Go get Castor!  He needs to fulfill his promise.”

Orinar left the room, chittering angrily and slamming the door on his way out, causing Ariadne to wince in pain.  He scuttled down the corridor to the kitchen, where he heard Castor’s voice drifting out.

“So that little Night Fae, her name is Caeweth.”

Orinar scuttled in, greeting Castor with a clicking sound as if to say, What were you talking about?

Castor, Selene, and Aaron all looked at Orinar with a mix of confusion and nervousness.

Orinar let out a gust of air, similar to a sigh, You can let me know, I won’t tell that lazy little slattern, His spidery language seemed to say.

“Alright, but we must all swear that this conversation never happened,” Castor said, “Promise me that you won’t tell anybody, not even your closest confidant.”

“Promise,” Said Aaron.

Orinar and Selene both chittered in agreement.  Orinar closed the door, blocking any potential evesdroppers.

“Alright,” Castor began, “So the little fae’s name is Caeweth.  I agreed to teach her everything about being a night fae.  Last night, I taught her dream walking.”

“That’s risky business, my friend,” Aaron said, finally setting the final plates on the breakfast tray.

“That is why this must remain a secret between us.  For all everyone else is concerned, the little night fae lives elsewhere, and is fully independent, agreed?” Castor said.

“Agreed,” Aaron said, adding the final garnishes to the luxurious breakfast spread out on the tray.

Both spiders chirped in agreement.

“Good,” Castor said, grabbing the tray, “Now if you will all excuse me.”

As soon as Castor entered the door way, Ariadne’s angry voice greeted him.

“Where were you?” she hissed.

“Getting your breakfast, my lady,” Castor said.

“Hmph,” Ariadne reached for a buttery piece of toast, “Well, was your little excursion yesterday worth it?”

“I found the location of the wayward fae, my queen,” He replied, “They are actually, perfectly fine.  Living with an adopted family.”

“I knew it was a waste of time,” Ariadne grumbled, her cheeks stuffed with toast and scrambled eggs, “You still owe me that promise.”

“I will fulfill my promise once you feel better,” Castor said, “After you get some rest, and rid yourself of that hangover.”

Caeweth awoke to the sound of her sister Ingle babbling.  Bright golden eyes staring directly into hers.  Caeweth groaned, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“What’s the matter little sister,” Caeweth whispered, “Can’t sleep?”

“S-s-sis,” Ingle stammered clumsily.

Ingle proceeded to nuzzle little Caeweth, sniffing at one particular spot on her chest, curiosity leading her to poke at it with her sharp claw.

“Ow, Hey!” Caeweth loudly whispered, “That… actually hurt.”

Caeweth looked down to see a section of skin on her chest, no bigger than her palm, was glowing blue.  The lump was hard, like a stone, and sat firmly against her sternum.

Before long her other two sisters awoke, babbling curiously.  Caeweth grabbed a blanket, trying to keep the glow a secret as she quietly snuck to the natural spring, Ingle, Frasil, and Levin in tow.  The glow became brighter and a dull pain began to throb in her chest.  With a bright flash of blue light, the object emerged, much to the amazement of her dragon sisters.  It was a stone, a round, smooth, dark blue colored stone embedded in her chest.

Taloned feet clicked on the cave floor behind the children.

“Vell I’ll be,” Estelle’s voice echoed in the cave chamber, “I never thought I vould ever see an emergence, let alone von so spectacular.”

Caeweth gulped and turned around, fully expecting to be in trouble.

“Don’t vorry, you are not in trouble,” Estelle cooed, “Now let me see.”

Estelle closely inspected the round stone.

“What is it?” Caeweth asked nervously.

“Your heart stone.  All night fae possess one, and it looks like yours is a blue moonstone.  See how it flashes?”

Caeweth looked at her reflection in the calm waters of the spring.  It did indeed flash brighter shades of blue when she moved.  Her sisters cooed in amazement.  Caeweth felt a surge of excitement.

“Does that mean I will get my powers soon?”

“Sveety, I don’t really know… Maybe?” Estelle answered, “All ze Night fae I have met are so secretive about their childhood, it is hard for me to say.”

“So these other Night Fae, what are they like?” Caeweth asked as Estelle ushered her and her sisters back to the nest, “Do they all have moonstones as their heart stones?”

“Zey are quiet folk,” Estelle answered, “I have not spoken to very many.  Now back to sleep, growing children need their rest.”

Caeweth’s mind was buzzing with thoughts about what just happened.  It was all so sudden, that ‘emergence’ Estelle mentioned.  What did it mean?  What is a heart stone?  How many other Night Fae are there?

She tossed and turned for what seemed like forever, until her eyes felt heavy, and the veil of sleep descended once again.

Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the Forest of Eternal Night, a disturbingly handsome Night Fae gazed deeply into a crystal ball.  His midnight hair hung in a blue colored braid over his shoulder.  He wore an ornate blue and gold spider silk tunic with a deep V neck, revealing his shining green moonstone, and blue silk breeches.

“Whither art thou?” He muttered, orange eyes intensely gazing into the crystals smooth surface, “Emergling fairy…”

He tried to locate where the epicenter of the magic surge was.  He sat in a small room lined to the brim with books.  He waved his pale hand over the clear crystal’s surface.  He muttered to himself, deep in thought, flicking his translucent, lacy, white wings.

“Darling,” came a sweet sultry voice from the doorway, causing him to lose focus, “Castor, you’ve been at this for hours, Surely you can take a break and have a little fun.”

“Ariadne please,” Castor replied, “This is important.”

“What’s so important that you spend all day locked in a musty old room without little me?”  Ariadne pouted, flicking her sunset colored hair.

She wore an especially revealing pink silk dress that emphasized her ample chest, while the peach moonstone on her sternum glimmered pleasingly in the candle light.

“A Night Fae emergence was felt outside the Child Garden,” He replied flatly, “We need to find them before anything else does.  Their chances of survival sink lower every minute they remain outside our village walls.”

“Well they survived this long, they can wait a little longer.   Why don’t you take a little break with me?” she purred, her voice dripping with desire as she flicked her pink and yellow wings.

“With all due respects, my Queen, this emergling fae might not survive another hour, we really should…” his voice trailed off as Ariadne’s lips met with his.

Oh how he loved Ariadne’s sweet kisses, so soft and warm.  Yet, he often felt torn between serving his beautiful queen’s desires, and his loyalty to his own kind.  He adored her, he truly did, but her self centered demands became overwhelmingly oppressive, and all of her requests for lovemaking became too much for him to bear.  Not one night fae in the village, or even the kingdom, seemed happy at all with her constant demands.

“Well now,” Ariadne purred, “How do you feel?”

The crystal ball glowed brightly, revealing a second, weaker surge of power.

Thank the All Mother, He thought to himself.

“My lady,” Castor said quietly, “I really must find this night fae…”

The disappointment in Ariadne’s deep blue eyes was palpable.

“We will make love once I return, I promise.” He said before shapeshifting into a small, fluffy Scops owl before flying out the window.

“You better keep that promise!” She shouted angrily, stomping her fine pink slippers on the floor before crossing her arms and pouting, “What could be more important than serving your queen?!”

“Serving my people, keeping them safe…”  He muttered under his breath.

He flew through the forest, happy to take some time for himself.  He barely had a moment alone with her constant need for attention.  He sighed, happy to be free… at least for the moment.  He soared past patches of brightly glowing flowers, giant translucent glowing mushrooms, and patches of pale yellow glow moss.  Before long, he arrived at the mouth of a cave. located at the end of shallow ravine.  Glowing white flowers hung down from their vines along the sides of the cave entrance.  He perched on a nearby branch, well hidden from anybody exiting the cave.  He did not have to wait long before a 6 foot tall brown bat walked out, furiously rubbing her eyes with her spindly clawed hands, a small night fae child trailing close behind her.

“Vell zat vas… interesting,”  Estelle said, “Ve really need to verk on your magic.  Zat spell nearly blinded everyvon in ze cave.”

“I said I was sorry,” Caeweth said, rubbing her own eyes, “I didn’t think those orbs of light would explode like that.”

“Do not be sorry my little Caeveth,” Estelle reassured her, “I remember my first shape shift did not go vell at all.”

“What happened?”

“Sink of a lump of pitch black slime vith a mouth full of jagged sharp teeth… and too many eyes.”

“Oh…”

“Vas not a pretty sight, I assure you.”

Caeweth laughed merrily, a sound Castor had not heard years, at least not from anybody besides Ariadne.  He peeked around the tree trunk as three little whelping dragons bounded out of the cave.  Frasil happy tackled little Caeweth to the ground, causing Caeweth to yelp in surprise.  The two tumbled around, roughhousing and wrestling playfully under Estelle’s watchful gaze.  They all looked… happy… genuinely happy.

He felt torn: Yes the forest was dangerous for a small Night Fae child, but she looked completely happy and healthy, playing around with the whelping dragons.  It was clear she was well taken care of by someone, and would be devastated if she was ripped from their caring arms.

On the other hand, the village would provide better protection against the beasts that prowled the forest floor.  He could also find a mentor to help with her emerging magic.  Controlling magic was often difficult for young Night Fae, and she could get a proper education.  He sighed, unsure of how to proceed.  He unknowingly clacked his beak in frustration, drawing Estelle’s attention.  

Estelle’s ears twitched.  She sniffed the air, there was somebody, or something beyond her sight.  It didn’t smell of decay and dirt like a grave dog would, or of rancid blood like a skin walker, or of icy winds like a wendigo.  She heard the clacking again.  She followed the direction of the noise to find an owl.

“Who are you?” She snarled, spooking castor, “Vy are you here?”

Castor gulped.  Although shapeshifting mega bats were generally peaceful, they were very protective of their family units.

“A-Apologies ma’am,” Castor stammered, “I was just…”

“Leaving,” Estelle hissed, baring her sharp teeth.

“N-no,” Castor gulped, “Not until I know this little night fae is safe.”

“She is, now leave.”

“Estelle?” Caeweth surprised both Estelle and Castor, “What are you doing?”

“Adult talk my little sveety,” Estelle cooed, “Now go back to your sisters.”

“They are already here.”

The three little dragon whelps had followed Caeweth, peeking over her shoulder.  Caeweth looked at the fluffy scops owl.  Something looked vaguely familiar.  There was a slight green glow from beneath his feathers, barely noticeable to anybody else.  She approached Castor, at the behest of Estelle, and parted the feathers on the bird’s chest.  Castor recoiled, nearly falling off the low branch.

“A moonstone?”  Caeweth asked, “Estelle, I thought you said only night fae had them.”

“Vat are you?” Estelle growled, “Vy are you so interested in Caeveth?”

Castor tried to fly away, only to be hit with a cloud of smoke belched by Ingle, forcing him to land.  He sputtered and coughed, reverting to his Night Fae form.

“You are a Night Fae!” Caeweth exclaimed, “Just like me!”

“Clearly,” Estelle grumbled, pinning Castor to the ground with her clawed hand, “Vat is the meaning of this?  Vy are you here?”

“I told you before,” Castor replied, “I was here to check on the little Night Fae… Caeweth was it?  I just needed to know she was safe!”

“You ver here to take my little Caeveth away, vern’t you?”

“No!” Castor exclaimed, “I saw how happy she was, I believe she belongs here…”

“Vat…”

“I said she belongs here…”

Estelle removed her hand from Castor’s chest, much to his relief.

“You better not be lying,” Estelle snarled.

“No,” Castor said, “I won’t take her away, I swear.”

Castor got up to his feet, dusting himself off.  He looked at Caeweth, who was hiding behind Estelle’s leg.  An idea had formed in his mind:  With Caeweth’s magic emerging, she would have quite a bit of trouble learning to control it without proper instruction.  He could teach her about her own abilities, and let her stay with her little family.  It would be difficult splitting his duties even further, but this little Night Fae needed his help.

“How about this?” He said to Estelle, “I could teach little Caeweth about Night Fae magic, and she can stay here.  How about that?”

Estelle looked from Castor to Caeweth, and back again.  She thought about what she had said to Caeweth earlier, about not knowing how Night Fae magic worked.  She snorted in frustration, while watching the little dragons try to play with this stranger.

“Maybe it could work?” Caeweth said, breaking the silence, “I want to learn more about my own kind, and he said I don’t have to leave.”

“Alvight,” Estelle relented, “I agree.”

“Then it is settled,” Castor nodded before kneeling down before little Caeweth, “I will teach you all you need to know about your own kind, and your special powers.  My name is Castor.”

He patted little Caeweth’s head, “I will see you soon.”

Castor shifted to his owl form quickly, and flew off into the stygian darkness.  He mulled over his idea several times… What if Ariadne found out?  What if his lessons failed?  What if Caeweth advanced too quickly?  He landed in the same room from before, morphed back to his Night Fae self, and closed the window.  He winced as he heard Ariadne’s unstable footsteps approaching the door.

“What took you so looong,” she drunkenly whined as she slammed the door open, “I got sooooo lonely without you.”

Ariadne smelled of alcohol, and appeared visibly inebriated.

“It wasn’t that long,” Castor sighed, “Come, you must be exhausted.”

“I’m not tired,” she slurred, “You still owe *hic* me that promise.”

Castor escorted his drunken queen to her lavishly decorated bed chambers, where she clumsily stumbled and subsequently tripped, landing face first into her own plush bed.  She had passed out as soon as her face landed in the spider silk blankets, snoring loudly.

Caeweth, Ingle, Frasil, and Levin grew even closer over the next few days.  Playing together, eating together, even sleeping in the same nest.  One day… or night?  It was hard to tell in the Forest of Eternal Night, Caeweth noticed her back was itching.  It was something even the straw in the nest couldn’t scratch.  She took to rubbing her back on the cave walls, and even that could’t scratch the itch.  Estelle noticed the odd behavior.

“Vat is vong little von?” Estelle cooed.

“My back is itchy.  It feels like something wants to come out, but can’t.”  Caeweth explained.

“Turn around,”  Estelle said, “Let me look.”

Amidst the red scratch marks left between her shoulders, glowing marks had appeared on her back.  They looked as if small wings were sprouting in small lumps just underneath her skin.

“Oh little von!” Estelle cheered, “Your vings are coming in!”

“But what does that mean for the itching?”

“I have somesink that vill bring comfort,” Estelle rummaged around a stash of small multicolored jars, “Here!  Zis should verk.”

She spread a floral scented mixture across Caeweth’s back.  It felt soothingly cool.  It did not take long for the small jar to run out, and the itching became even worse.  The itching sensation started to feel like a bad sunburn the more Caeweth rubbed and scratched.  The emerging lumps became ever bigger, making in even more uncomfortable for her to lie on her back as they grew.  

After about three more days of sporadic discomforted crying, pain, and itching, the wings emerged from their fairly large, blister like cysts, still covered in clear fluid.  The pain was mostly gone, yet the wings were still in a delicate state.  Like a newly emerged butterfly, Caeweth had to sit still for hours, allowing blood to fill out her new wings.  She felt dizzy as the circulation of her body had changed to accommodate her new extremities.

Caeweth whined in boredom, not being able to play with her baby sisters felt like a punishment.  With Estelle and Ragnar off on separate hunting trips, the cave chamber felt even more empty and dull.  Even Frasil was not pleased.  She paced by Caeweth’s nest, cooing and chirping.

“Sorry Frasil, Estelle says I gotta stay put till my wings fill out.”

Frasil seemed to understand, plopping down beside the nest as moral support.  Ava the jumping spider sat on the edge, weaving her silk into a soft cloth, and occasionally dabbing it on the Caeweth’s wings to help them dry faster.

Her new wings were a pale green color, like that of a luna moth.  They were crumpled when they emerged, yet were starting to smooth out.  There were 4 wings in total, two on each side.

Caeweth groaned in boredom, “How much longer is this gonna take?”

Arvak, who had been mostly ignoring Caeweth’s bored whining up till this point, replied with, “They will take as long as they need to.”

“But why does this take so looooong?”

“It would have been a longer process had you been a caterpillar, dear.”  Arvak replied in a motherly tone, “They spend months wrapped up in cocoons just sitting in one place till their bodies develop, and even then, it takes hours for their wings to fill out.”

“They must get so bored.”

Arvak merely shrugged her shoulders, “I have never spoken to a butterfly, or moth for that matter, so I do not know.”

Caeweth sighed, she looked over at Ingle and Levin, who were lazily wrestling next to Arvak.  Frasil had fallen asleep only seconds ago.  Arvak ushered Levin and Ingle over to the nest.

“I have an idea,” Arvak cooed soothingly, “Why don’t you take a nap?”

“I’m not tired”

Arvak tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Then how about I tell you the story of how Ragnar and I first met?”

Caeweth perked up, “A story?”

“Yes.  It was a long time ago, I believe directly after the last ice age as humanity started building cities, making it easier for me to avoid them, at least for the moment.  Back when Faeries were revered in one way or another.”

“How old were you?”

“About one century, no bigger than a horse.”

“What’s a horse?”

“I’ll have Estelle show you when she gets back.”

“Is it big?”

“For a dragon, no, but for a fairy, yes.  Now let me continue.  I was patrolling my territory when I caught scent of an intruder.  Oh I followed him for days, always one step behind him.  I followed him through thickets, rivers, and forests, until one day he slipped up.  I spotted him feasting on a fresh kill, a thin, yet muscular, and rather handsome red dragon.”

Arvak chuckled.

“He looked at me with fiery yellow eyes, muttering only a single word: ‘Leave’.

I was taken aback by the sheer audacity, how dare he trespass on my territory, kill my prey, and tell me to leave?

‘You speak to me as if I committed wrongs,’ I growled at him, ‘While you sit there feasting on my prey, in my territory.’

’Tis my land now, whelp,’ he told me, ‘Find another patch.’

It was then I noticed open wounds on his scaled hide, clearly made by a weapon, not by tooth nor claw.

‘Mortals?’ I said.

‘It matters not, leave before I rend you to pieces.’

Injured opponent or not, I was prepared to defend my land.

‘Then fight me,’ I said, ‘Prove you are worthy, or leave now and spare yourself more pain and humiliation.’

‘As you wish, whelp.’”

“And you fought?”

“Indeed, although I was smaller then, I was still quite strong and agile.  You do need to understand, magic is not as powerful in the mortal realm as it is here, so my ice attacks were considerably weaker.  As for Ragnar, the mortal’s weapons had done their damage, leaving him weak.  We fought till sunrise the next day, and he conceded defeat.

‘You fight well whelp,’ he told me, ‘I am impressed.  Mayhap's you would consider being my mate?’

I was taken aback by his request.  I did not know how to properly answer.

‘Leave now,’ I simply growled back.

‘Fine,’ he said, ‘but I will return.’

I thought that was the end, that he would be gone.  However, a dragon always keeps to their word.  He returned several times, bearing gifts, performing mating dances, it all seemed so ridiculous to me at the time.  Each day he appeared, I would humor his little fantasy before chasing him off.  Then one day, he didn’t appear.  I admit my heart became slightly tinged with worry.  The next day was the same, Ragnar didn’t come.  I thought he would have given up.  I admit it had gotten a little lonely without his awkward antics.  It was that third day I saw him again, but this time something was off.  His wings had become broken, tattered, and bloody, and he bore a wretched iron collar on his neck.  This was clearly the work of mortals.  He just lay there, barely breathing.

‘Ragnar…’

I looked him up and down as he opened his eye slightly.  He chuckled weakly as he told me everything he had been through.”

“What happened”

“I was getting there.  He made the mistake of wandering too close to a mortal settlement.  Now mortals, while mostly harmless and fearful creatures creatures, have a tendency to fight like ants.  They gather together to overwhelm their quarry, and try to tame the beasts outside of their walls.  They shot him with arrows to subdue him, while clapping that iron collar on his neck in a feeble attempt capture him.  Whatever their plans were had been foiled when he melted the chains with his fire breath, and used his remaining strength to run all the way to my land.

‘I didn’t think you’d come find me,’ he told me.

‘My heart grew lonely,’ I said, ‘Rest now, you are safe here.’

It took several days for him to regain his strength.  We grew ever closer as a mated pair.  As it turns out, having him around made my life easier.  We stayed in that territory for a long time, until the humans came too close, and we left for the Fae world, ending up here, where we raised several clutches of eggs.”

“Are all mortals bad?”

“I would be lying if I said yes.”

“So there are nice mortals too?”

“Yes, but I would try to steer clear of all mortals, no matter how nice they appear.”

“Ve have returned!”  Estelle’s voice echoed through the cave chamber, “Roast partridge for my little baby, somesink different zan fruit for a growing Caeveth.”

Ragnar just rolled his yellow eyes, unceremoniously plopping two large deer on the floor.

Estelle inspected Caeweth’s new wings.  The story had worked to entertain her enough, and her wings were now fully extended, yet still small in size.

“I trust zer vasn’t any problems, Arvak?”  Estelle chirped.

“She doesn’t complain as much as Ragnar,”  Arvak replied, “The cave was almost too quiet.”

“Hey!” Ragnar growled.

“Now zen, vonce zese vings have grown out fully, ve can begin flying lessons.”  Estelle announced.

“How can you teach me when your wings are different from mine?”  Caeweth questioned.

“Vell,” Estelle said, “I vasn’t able to tell you before, but I can shape shift.  Zat means I can become vatever I vant.”

Estelle demonstrated her ability, turning into a practically nude, shapely, seductive young looking woman with ample breasts and wide hips.  Startled, Arvak tried her best to cover Caeweth’s innocent young eyes.

“Maybe something with more… covering?”  Arvak requested.

“Ugh, Vine.”

Estelle morphed into a harpy this time, with feathers covering her slender feminine torso.

“Zer, happy now Arvak?”  Estelle Placed her clawed hands on her hips in annoyance.

“Can you turn into a horse?” Caeweth chirped excitedly.

“Alvight,”  Estelle changed again.

“Horses are so pretty!” Caeweth cheered, running over to Estelle.

“Vat brought zis on?” Estelle questioned Arvak.

“I told her the story of how I met Ragnar,”  Arvak explained, “I mentioned that I was no bigger than a horse, and she wanted to see it.”

“Arvak, are you sure zat story is appropriate for children?”

“Are you sure turning into a naked temptress is appropriate for children?”

“Touché…”  Estelle reverted into her bat form, “Vell, at least she knows vat some mortals look like.”

“Some mortals,”  Ragnar said, pausing from his meal, “Other mortals offended my eyes.”

“Vell just be glad it vasn’t somesing profanely offensive to your delicate senses.”

“Like Vlad Dracula?” Ragnar chided.

“Ve don’t talk about him,” Estelle hissed.

“Still sore about him aren’t we?”

“And to sink I ever considered courtship vith him,”  Estelle huffed as she started to dinner for both herself and Caeweth, “Zat could have been a disaster.”

“Can you tell me what happened Estelle?” Caeweth asked.

Estelle paused, carefully considering the request.

“Ven you are older.”

Caeweth awoke to something large sniffing, huffing, and nudging her.  Cold breath caressed her cheek.  She opened her eyes to discover a large blue dragon’s snout carefully inspecting her for any injuries, sickness, or deceitful magic.  The dragon poked and prodded so much, Caeweth couldn’t help but scream loudly, startling everybody within the cavern.

“Vat is it?  Vat happened?” Estelle squawked, fluttering down from the cave ceiling in a panic, “Vat did you do?!”

The jumping spider crawled onto the nest edge, chittering angrily.

“Calm your egg tooth bat,” Arvak replied cooly, “I wasn’t going to hurt her.”

“Vell!” Estelle huffed with angry indignation as she scooped the frightened child into her arms, wrapping her wings around Caeweth, “Couldn’t you at least have vaited till she voke up?”

“Risking my eggs in the process?  Not a chance!”  Arvak bellowed.

While the adults argued, a cracking sound caught Caeweth’s attention.  She heard a chirping, no, more of a small grunting noise coming from across the chamber.  Caeweth tried to get Estelle’s attention by pulling her fur… No response.  She poked the membrane of Estelle’s wing.

“Vat is it love,”  Estelle asked.

“I hear a strange sound over there.”  Caeweth stated softly, pointing in the direction of the egg nest.

“The eggs!” Exclaimed Arvak, rushing over to the nest, “They are hatching so early!”

Ragnar, who had been ignoring the screaming match, dashed over to his precious nest.  The first egg cracked, revealing a red beak, followed by small horn structures.  This baby looked exactly like Ragnar, but with complete wings.  The small red dragon easily hatched out of her egg, resting as the egg shell lay in shards behind her.  Her claws were small and needle like, and she curled up like a puppy on the soft straw.  The next egg hatched, revealing electric yellow scales, and glowing white fleshy stripes intermittently dispersed across her back.  She joined her sister, eyes closed, exhausted from the effort.  The last one struggled, whimpering and scratching.  Arvak carefully punctured the hardened egg shell with her claw, allowing the baby inside to start emerging.  The little infant struggled quite a bit, but made it out.  Her scales reflected an icy blue, just like her mother.  All three dragon whelps cuddled together, slowly opening their eyes.  The red dragon had eyes of burning gold, the yellow dragon had shockingly white eyes, and the blue dragon had eyes of icy grey.

“Zey are beautiful,”  Commented Estelle, laying her wing claws on the edge of nest for balance, “Look Caeveth.”

Caeweth saw them, cuddled up like newborn pups on the straw.  The blue dragon looked at her, a small smile gathered at the corners of it’s mouth, before unsteadily wobbling over to small fae child.  Caeweth put her small hand on the dragon’s head, stroking the baby dragon’s smooth scales.  The small dragon cooed, then sneezed.  Her icy breath coating the straw in front near Caeweth.

“Vell, ve know who she takes affder,”  teased Estelle.

“She’s cute,” Caeweth said quietly as the dragon whelp licked the back of her hand.

“I sink you just made a friend.”  Estelle patted Caeweth’s head.

“Alright, enough,” Arvak hissed, “Let me tend to my brood.”

Caeweth felt hunger pangs ripple through her stomach.  She had not eaten anything since Estelle found her.

“Estelle?”

“Vat is it little von?”

“Do you have any food?”

“Let me get something.” Estelle put Caeweth down on the straw nest before rushing out of the cave.

Estelle sniffed around, fruit would be the easiest thing for her to eat without lengthy preparation.  She flew up into the canopy, squinting her yellow eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight.  It was nearly impossible to know day from night in the forest.  She scouted out some large sun fruits for Caeweth, as they were easiest to locate during the day with their crimson rinds contrasting against the verdant sea of leaves.  Sun fruits were aptly named for their affinity for growing in bright sunlight.  She grabbed one, sniffing to check it’s ripeness.  It was perfect.  She scurried down, back to the forest floor.  Estelle nearly panicked when she found Caeweth was not in the nest.  She glanced around worriedly, until she noticed a flash of white glowing petals near the dragon nest.

“What will you name them?” echoed the little girls voice.

“I haven’t thought of any names yet.”  Arvak said, nuzzling the dragon whelps, “But we do have three elements here.”

“How about Ingle for the red one?”

“Hmm,”  Arvak pondered, lifting a claw to her scaled lips in a thoughtful way, “Strong name… means fire… alright, Ingle it is.”

“You can’t just decide on names so quickly Arvak!”  Ragnar protested

“Hush Ragnar, Ingle is a good name.”

“What about Levin for the yellow one?”

“Lightning… So be it.  Levin it is.”

“Arvak…” Ragnar tried to protest again, only to be met with his mate’s steely gaze and bared teeth.

“What will we name the last one?”

“Frasil.”  Caeweth chirped.

“Freeze,” Arvak muttered, “Frasil is good.  We have Ingle, Levin, and Frasil.  Good names for my strong children.”

Ragnar snarled, only to be met with Arvak’s tail slamming into his cheek, knocking him slightly off balance.

“Fine,” Ragnar huffed defeatedly.

“I’m back!”  Estelle trilled happily, presenting the sun fruit to Caeweth, “Here little von, eat up.”

Caeweth gladly bit into the sweet fruit.  It tasted delicious, heavenly sweet yet slightly tart.  It felt so much better eating something solid than living on only flower nectar and pollen.

“Is it good?”

Caeweth nodded happily, finishing the last few bites of the fruit.

“I vill have to teach you how to hunt and forage, but for now zis vill have to do for now,”  Estelle patted little Caeweth’s head, “Vagnar, don’t you have any weapons in zat hoard of yours?”

“Estelle,” Arvak said, “Do not give the child weapons.  I do not want her or my whelps to get hurt.”

Ragnar chuckled at her statement.

“Vat am I supposed to do?  Keep her in zis cave forever?”

“At least wait till her magic reveals itself,”  Arvak reasoned, “She has only just emerged into this accursed forest.”

The jumping spider skittered up to Caeweth’s shoulder, rubbing it’s body against her cheek affectionately.

“Ava protected me against scavengers, does that count,”  Caeweth piped up, pointing to her spider familiar.

“Uh… darlink,” Estelle stammered, “A spider isn't a veapon.  Vat she did was impressive yes, but she is not a veapon.”

“That little thing killed scavengers?” Ragnar scoffed incredulously as he pointed to Ava, who was still perched on Caeweth’s shoulder.

“Saw it vith mine own eyes,” Estelle explained, “zer faces ver covered in silk vith fang marks on zem.  Eizer zey suffocated, or died from poison.  I did not have time to check before a grave dog approached.”

“Impressive yes, but a spider can only protect her so much,”  Arvak said, “Caeweth must stay in here with my whelps till her magic builds up enough to learn basic spells.  Need I remind you that she is only a few days old?”

Estelle crinkled her nose, lifting her lips and baring her knife like teeth in protest.

“Take my advice,” Arvak said, brushing off the aggressive display, “Fae do not grow as fast as haflings, so there will be plenty of time to teach her.  A little advice from one mother to another.”

Estelle lowered her lips, nodding her head in reluctant agreement.  Arvak had a point, all of her halfling children grew up as quickly, as they had taken after their mortal fathers.  Estelle knew not the fate of all of her children, but she was still thankful they had survived long enough to start families of their own.

“Besides,” Arvak continued, “She won’t be lonely or bored, my children will keep her company.  We will raise them together as sisters, how does that sound?”

Estelle nodded, “Yes, zat sound fair.”

“Another mouth to feed,” Grumbled Ragnar.

The moon shown down on lush green leaves as a large shadow swooped down over a sea of trees. A shrill screech filled the air, scaring up massive amounts of birds and insects from the branches. Yellow eyes searched the resulting panicked swarm, honing in on a particularly plump partridge. Gigantic leathery wings beat as the large bat creature snagged the partridge with furry spindly arms, sinking it’s large claws onto it’s prey, killing the bird almost instantaneously.

With her prey in her claws, the bat creature landed on a sturdy branch, plucking feathers off her catch. It was an old habit picked up from her time living amongst mortal humans, before the rise of Vlad the Impaler, and subsequent fear of vampires took hold. She huffed, brushing scratching her ear with her wing claw, as her hands were busied with plucking the last feathers off, and disposing of them into the pitch black forest below.

Aside from her spindly arms she looked just like a giant version of a big brown bat, standing 6 foot from head to talon, and a wingspan of 10 feet. She gazed up at the stars, admiring their tiny flickering lights. She chittered in excitement as a meteor shower began to light up the sky above. She continued eating, discarding bones and inedible gizzards into the leaves below. Small scavenging creatures leaped through the branches below, squabbling over the scraps. They looked like pale, twisted, hairless monkeys with needle sharp teeth. They squawked and chattered, bickering amongst themselves. One was brave enough to sniff at the giant bat’s three taloned feet. She shifted away in disgust, kicking the vile scavenger away. The creature hissed, and jumped down to a lower branch.

The bat finished her nightly meal, and started grooming herself like a rat would. A flash of light caught her large yellow eyes. A meteor passed right past the tree line, and into the forest below. The she-bat sniffed at the air, and then skittered down the tree. The forest was impossibly dark, at least for mortal standards. It was like descending into the deepest part of the ocean, where no light could ever reach. The she bat maneuvered down, using only the sturdiest branches.

She sniffed the air, trying to pick up any strange scent left by the falling star. She followed a scent, that of heated stones. She looked around, nothing was out of the ordinary. Only the bioluminescent flowers that littered the forest floor dimly pulsed with faint light. The she bat huffed, nothing was there, her curiosity lead to disappointment. She scuttled back to her cave.

“Was your hunt successful Estelle?” Echoed a deep yet powerful female voice.

“She smells of blood and bone, arvak.” Came a deep male voice.

“You could say zat...” Estelle the she bat replied, flying up to a large stalactite and clinging to it, “Vat about you?”

Arvak, a large ice dragon looked up, her scales glittering pale blue, “Boar meat, again.”

“Still better zan nosink.” Estelle replied. Ragnar, a red scaled fire dragon, just grumbled in response. Food was more important now that Arvak was heavy with eggs. Most of Ragnar’s kills went to feed his lifelong mate.

“If only prey was as plentiful here as it was on earth before humans came to be,’ he griped.

“You could vedy vell move,” Estelle squawked.

Ragnar blew sparks out his nostrils, “It is not that easy bat,” he shouted, “The humans destroyed my wings!”

He spread his once glorious leathery wings, now nothing more than heavily torn, hole filled connective tissue. He had lost his ability to fly when mortal humans discovered weapons. “I cannot fly at all!”

Estelle held her comment. She just huffed, buried her head in her wing and fell asleep. The next few nights brought more of the same, but she decided to catch a few fat birds for Arvak to dine on while the eggs developed. Arvak laid her eggs a few days later. The eggs were healthy despite their small size. While the eggs incubated in Arvak’s care, Estelle hunted for herself.

While hunting, she noticed an oddly soothing floral smell. She followed the floral scent, finding an enormous white lily. Estelle sniffed around, something seemed different, aside from a new bioluminescent flower suddenly appearing in a place she knew so well. Estelle heard something, akin to a puppy’s whimper. She twitched her ear in the direction of the sound. She slowly turned her head, out of the corner of her yellow eyes, she saw motion.

“Is alright,” Estelle crooned, “I von’t hurt you.”

A small child emerged from the bush.  She looked to be about 7 years of age. Her long hair was a dark blue, with small pinpricks of light, reflecting the night sky itself. The child wore a simple dress made of the same flower petals as the lily. It glowed white, making her exposed skin look ghostly pale. Her eyes glowed a vivid green, as her cat like pupils widened in silent panic at the sight of Estelle.

A tarantula sized jumping spider sat on her shoulder like a bird, reared in a defensive posture, fangs bared.  It’s white fur bristling.  Orange spots on the sides of it’s abdomen gleamed in the pale light from the flower, and 6 U shapes spots decorated it’s back. It was incredibly fluffy for an arachnid familiar, with large shining eyes facing forward, and 6 more smaller ones spread around the sides of it’s head. The spider had an incredibly cute features despite taking a protective stance.  Estelle looked around, the bodies of several scavengers littered the area. Surely they caught a whiff of the new flower, hoping for a fresh meal. There were fang marks on each one’s hairless body, as well as sticky spider silk covering their grotesque, twisted faces. The little girl had numerous scratches on her legs, and dirt covering her feet.

“Don’t worry little von,” Estelle crooned, “I vill not hurt you.”

There was no response aside from trembling from the girl, yet the spider had eased up, putting it’s forelegs down. The spider still eyed Estelle suspiciously, chittering quietly into the child’s ear.

“Zat is a little better,” Estelle said soothingly, carefully walking closer before brushing the child’s tangled blue hair to the side with her clawed hand, “Vat is your name child?”

The girl gulped, “c-c-caeweth…”

A deep growl sounded, Estelle’s fur stood up, this creature sounded large.

“Ve must go,” Estelle whispered, picking up the girl and spider in her spindly, fur covered arms as a giant skeletal dog like creature with saliva covered fangs and bloody elongated claws trode onto the light of the giant lily.

The grave dog completely lacked eyes, sniffing about the flower with it’s exposed bony nostril holes. The flesh on the top of it’s muzzle had long been stripped away, leaving only exposed bone. The animal hungered, salivating and gnashing it’s teeth, trying to chew on a petal, and poke it’s nose in the flowers center. Estelle took advantage of the creatures distracted senses, and fled with young Caeweth back to the safety of the cave.

“Damn grave dogs,” Estelle said under her breath.

“What was that thing?” Caeweth whimpered as she clutched Estelle’s soft, thick, brown fur.

“A grave dog,” Estelle said a bit louder, “Humans thought a dog would guide them to ze land of the dead, so zey buried them in grave yards. Unintentionally creating a twisted beast vitch dines on all types ov fae.”

Caeweth clutched Estelle’s fur tighter, making Estelle wince slightly.  The trip back to the cave went simply enough, as the scavengers and grave dogs were busy squabbling over meat scraps near the lily.  Within the cave, Ragnar lifted his head, smelling an odd scent

“What have you brought this time, Estelle?” He growled, spewing sparks out of his nostrils.

Estelle lifted her wings, revealing little Caeweth, “I found her in the nick of time, any later and she voud haff become grave dog prey.”

Ragnar growled, “You do realize that is a Night Fae?  If they find out, they could very well kill all of us without a second thought!”

“Vagnar,” Estelle said calmly, “She is but a child, born outside ze kindergarten, she vould surely haff died out in those voods.  Vat vood Arvak say, hm?”

Ragnar huffed.  Estelle had a point, Arvak’s motherly instincts would overturn any argument he had the audacity to come up with.

“Fine.” He growled, “But if any harm comes to my eggs, she will be left to the mercy of the forest.”

“Sounds fair,” Estelle nodded.

Caeweth had buried her face in Estelle’s fur, frightened by the loud confrontation.  Estelle’s fur was so unreasonably soft, silky, and comforting, she was practically embedded in the cloud like softness.

“You haff nosink to fear little von.”  Estelle cooed, moving deeper into the cave.

The sound of water echoed throughout the chamber.

“Where are we?” Caeweth asked tentatively.

“Zer is a spring here,” Estelle cooed, “a place to vash up.”

Caeweth dipped her toes into the clear water.  The water was comfortably warm despite the underground temperature.  She giggled as the water relaxed her sore muscles.  Before she knew it, a silver comb was passed through her tangled hair, preening out all the knots that had accumulated over the past few hours.  Caeweth washed off all of the dirt and sweat she gathered, and soon was wrapped in a warm blanket, placed on a soft, yet rudimentary, nest of straw.

“Do you feel better?” Estelle cooed softly, stroking Caeweth’s still wet hair, “never you mind Vagnar, he’s just grumpy.”

Ragnar huffed at the comment, laying down on the smooth stone floor of the cave.  His tail twitched back and forth uneasily, red scales glinting in the soft light of the glow moss lining the crevices in the walls.  He shook his horse like head, nearly hitting his ram like horns into the wall.

“Arvak better come back soon,” he muttered to himself.

The realm of the fairy’s, a world alien to mortals, filled with beings of legends and folklore. It is a land only a hairs breadth away from earth, yet completely unreachable. It is a word of strange and seemingly inconsistent rules, governed by magic and its unpredictable nature. Fairies of all types reside in this world, each specializing in different magic, ranging from the most basic elemental magic, to shape shifting, and even traveling between worlds.