Always Choose Dare

Chapter 2 - A Dark Stain

“Six bodies here,” I practically growl into my radio before kneeling down to inspect the bodies of deceased fae.

Each one was riddled with slices in their delicate flesh. Surveying the bodies, I found that the wounds had distinctive black edges, giving them a burned appearance from afar; but up close, one could make out the staining on the skin. Dark magic, an evisceration spell to be exact, killed each one. And this magic, dark magic, was not of the fae realm.

“Sir, we’ve found more in Harmony Village,” my second in command informs me, his voice laced with concern.

Yesterday, we were summoned into the fae realm with claims that they were under attack by foreign forces, and that they were not sure that they could defend themselves. Of course, they would not have been able to defend themselves! Dark magic was not something they knew much about, leaving them ill-equipped to fight against it. The fact that they were practically defenseless makes this situation all the more enraging for me.

I am a Balance Keeper. To be more precise, I am the alpha of Balance Keepers. It is our purpose to ensure the balance of light and dark between and within realms. Over the past few millennia, we’ve dealt with only small grievances, all within the realm itself. Each realm chooses what they teach their residents about the other realms. The fae knew of the Balance Keepers and of other realms, but their knowledge of the specifics of each magical being may have been lacking, making them more vulnerable to attack.

“Alpha, should we press on into the capital?” I hear an agent ask.

“Yes,” I reply. “Just be sure to be vigilant. I would not put it past whoever has done this to set up ambushes for us!”

I use my palm reader to scan the bodies before me and save the images before making my way toward my team. Quickly, I begin my trek through the woodlands, avoiding the distraction of the exotic nature surrounding me. In better circumstances, I would look more closely at the differences of this realm from my own. The leaves here vary in every color of the rainbow and every shade in between. Likewise, the ground has a covering of furry grass-like blades, also in a variety of colors and shades. The seeds on the longer blades, in the centers of their flowers, and on the fruits and flowers of the trees sparkle as though coated with glitter. Trunks of the trees are a pale lavender-grey with white streaks. The contrast of this world to the darkness that it has now witnessed is not lost to me. My soul grieves it, causing rage to bubble just below the surface of my calm demeanor.

“Alpha, it appears to be the work of dark sorcerers. But for them to get to the fae realm, they’d have had to have traveled through the four middle realms. How could they do so? And how did the gods not sense it?”

My beta, Marek, asks the question that is on everyone’s minds. His voice is low, implying the question is rhetorical. He knows full well that none of us have an answer for this quandary yet.

I look at my team, each one wearing their tactical gear looking like the indomitable agents they are; yet each one is looking at the ground with somber expressions. As much as I want to snap them into shape, I realize that there is really no way to make this situation any less disturbing than it truly is. We were each trained to be strong, to defend those who need us; but to possess that kind of strength, we must also wield compassion and mourn with those who have lost so much. It is only right that we feel the injustice before us.

“I understand that this is the worst we’ve seen in all our careers, and what we are about to walk into is probably even worse. Mourn these people in your hearts, but keep your minds clear and focused. If any fae have survived, they will need our help, and we cannot permit for our minds to be compromised,” I state as composedly as possible.

We all march forward sullenly, taking in the surrounding scenery. The buildings here are all made of rounded walls, not a single one having a flat surface or edge to it. The white of the buildings is iridescent, each made of mother-of-pearl. Large windows grace each building, allowing natural light to flood through them. Around each window, twisting branch-like supports adorn the building like the inner sections of a conch shell. As we approach the capital city, we find the bodies of fae men and women scattered carelessly along the ground. In contrast to the ethereal beauty of the architecture and nature of the realm, each body is littered with the black markings of their cause of death. The closer we come to the castle at the city’s center, the fewer bodies we find. My crew and I ascend the stairs, keeping a watchful eye on the grounds around the entryway. I reach for the door handle, but my hand passes through it as though it were made of air.

“They’ve enchanted the castle,” I quietly relay to my team. My gut tells me this is how they protected themselves. It also tells me that we need to be more vigilant. If they failed to reach the fae within, then the dark sorcerers may still be lurking.

As I am about to turn to my team, I hear a voice call out to me from within the castle, “Balance Keeper! Please forgive me! It was the only way I could ensure survivors!” The king’s voice relays his sorrow and guilt.

Guilt for what?

I look at the faces of my group, each showing concern. “Be attentive! I have a feeling we’ve been set up!” My voice comes out as a growling whisper just loud enough for those with me to hear. “Fan out! We need to search the grounds!”

We each put a little more distance between us as we begin a stealthy search around the castle. As we pass bodies on the ground, we double check to make sure each life has truly ended. Our hearts are heavy, yet we focus our minds on protecting ourselves and the surviving fae. As we continue our scan of the grounds, I catch a glint of light near the tree line and motion for everyone to stop and focus their attention on the direction from which I had seen the flash. A few of the crew continue to survey the surrounding area to avoid an ambush.

As soon as we mobilize again, I hear a voice in my head, speaking to me directly. “Alpha, Alpha, Alpha. What am I going to do with you? Hot on my heels, but not quite in time to save them all, are you?”

I take a deep breath and look around slowly. I reply, “Seems you know who I am, yet I don’t know you. Why don’t you come out and introduce yourself, Wizard?”

A cloak billows from behind a tree before its tall owner steps out into view. Black tendrils of hair frame his face like oil surrounding a pearl. His pale skin makes his nearly black, violet eyes appear as though they are bottomless pits ready to devour anything willing to look at them. While stern, his expression holds a hint of amusement, as though he finds some sick pleasure in what he has done. He glances at my crew without a worry before stepping up to face me.

“I am Sid, lead sorcerer and king of our realm. You are Daire, son of Ronan, Prince over the Third Realm, and Alpha of the Balance Keepers. My research is thorough, Alpha, and my power immeasurable,” he proclaims, a sickening smile spreading across his face.

One thing he doesn’t seem short on is confidence!

“What brings you to this realm, Sid?” I ask as calmly as possible while taking mental note that Farin was the King of the first realm as far as we knew.

“Well, with power as grand as mine, it really shouldn’t be confined in such a small space as one realm, especially when other realms have so much available to help it grow,” he replies. He raises his hand and creates small flames on his fingertips. As he moves each finger, the flames appear to dance with each other.

“You are aware that leaving your realm goes against the accords, are you not? And with your actions here, taking the lives of innocents, we must take you in for trial,” I state firmly as I begin taking a few steps toward the sorcerer.

“Your resolve is admirable, Alpha. Maybe if we had met years ago, you could have been an ally for me. Oh well! Here we find ourselves with opposing agendas,” he says as though he were telling a joke. I half expect him to start laughing!

I continue my cautious steps in his direction. The magic within me is not strong enough to battle a sorcerer, but one small bite from a werewolf will incapacitate a sorcerer for hours, certainly long enough to cuff him and bring him to the council for judgment. As I edge closer, more sorcerers step from behind trees, each squaring themselves with my warriors.

“Ah, ah, ah, Alpha. You don’t seriously think you will get a nip on me, do you?” He says in a sing-song voice, waving his index finger back and forth.

I tap my palm reader, sending all the information I’ve gathered to our headquarters in our realm, just in case this doesn’t end well for me. Then I reply, “Who said anything about a bite? We’re just chatting, aren’t we?”

“Choosing your words carefully, not wanting to lie, but not quite wholly honest. I wonder…would you happen to be the type of prince who would reject his fated mate?”

My anger flares. Why would he ask such a thing? Before I can give it much thought, I see one of my newer warriors beginning to shake in an attempt to maintain his composure and not shift into his Lycan form. The sorcerers see this as well, and rather than seeing this as a sign that he is trying to remain peaceful, they take it as a sign of hostility. They lift their hands, throwing flames toward my team. I turn to look back at Sid only to find him with his hands raised, palms facing me, mid-spell.

“...ad inanis!” He finishes in an almost shout.

Without time to react, I am tackled by my Beta; but he is too late! He and I never hit the ground - not because we are saved, but because there is no ground. We hurdle through nothing, unable to see anything, but feeling the grating of our flesh as if it is being rubbed by sandpaper. The feeling of constant falling and rolling nauseates my stomach. I close my eyes to think, praying to the Moon Goddess to illuminate her plan for me.

It is then that I remember my mother’s words. “If ever you need to find your way home, grip this pendant and think strongly about the love in your life.” Keeping one arm around Marek, I use my hand to grip the pendant on the necklace my mother had gifted me as a young boy. The metal is inexplicably warm to my hand as I recall memories of times I have experienced love. Image after image of my parents, my family, and my friends come racing through my mind as my heart swells with love.

But before I can focus on more memories, my body slams into something hard enough that I slip out of consciousness.