Through the Eyes of a Fae

Chapter 3

Flopping down in front of the campfire, Stella sighed as the warmth chased away the chill. Though spring was well underway, the North was cold and there were still drifts of melting snow. The sun was warm on their backs, but the night was still freezing. She pulled her cloak tighter around her, shivering. Cade, standing next to the fire, stirred the night's stew and laughed at her.

"You can take the princess from the castle but, you can't take the castle out of the princess, eh, Stella?" he smiled, not unkindly. They all knew Stella worked harder than everyone. She didn't want her royal blood to be held against her or to have anyone think less of her in the field because she was a princess. She just hated being cold. Stella huffed and glared at Cade until he handed over a portion of the stew. She then smiled gratefully, forgiving him. The others came forward, Royce returning from guard duty to be replaced by Cade, who carried Rickard's portion. Benjamín had just finished with the horses and sat down next to Stella, clapping her on the shoulder as he did so. Benjamín was a good man, and her brother's best friend, like their fathers before them. His ashy brown hair hung over his forehead and curled at his nape, gray eyes smiling down at Stella.

" Well Stella Bella, how goes the investigation?" Ugh. She hated it when people called her Stella Bella. It was a nickname she gained as a child from her mother, and it stuck, even though she was 21 now. A woman grown. She grumbled in half-hearted protest, before showing him her pieces of parchment.

"We believe that whatever we are looking for will be large. Possibly a monument of sorts. Made from a strong stone or crystal. It wouldn't be out of the question to think it could be a gem as well. My bet is obsidian. It's the strongest for channeling magic. Since its origins are inside volcanoes, it would handle the heat of such a magic well." Benjamín nodded as he looked over her notes, pointing here and there when he had questions about the symbols she drew. Royce settled in next to Ludis, looking over her notes as well.

" I would agree with obsidian. I don't really believe anything else could channel such a source of power. Even now, I feel it. So close, it radiates in my bones." Ludis sat across from them, rubbing her temples in a weak attempt to dispel the headache they had both developed from being so close to the heartbeat of the power. There was no way they would get any sleep tonight. Stella felt it too. Her bones felt stiff and achy, and her head throbbed. Concerned, Royce fetched some willow bark and began to boil a tea, hoping to ease their pain. After the tart smell of the willow bark filled the air, Benjamín poured out cups for each woman, who accepted with thanks. It did help some, and the heat of the liquid warmed them. Looking over at Benjamín, Stella noticed he had poured one for himself as well and was offering a cup to Royce, who declined. Benjamín was the one who had actually found this place, as he had a rare vision of it and confided it in Stella. Looking over the fire, she caught Royce's gaze, and he looked away quickly. Disgruntled, Stella turned back to Benjamín.

"Ben, when you told me of your vision-you only talked of the Grey men and the castle. Did you see anything else? Anything that might help us?" Stella spoke, thinking over what she knew of the castles' history.

"I-well, I did see something else but, I didn't think it mattered as much." Ben suddenly looked embarrassed, his cheeks tinged pink in the firelight. Stella was stunned. Ben was never embarrassed. He was always so calm and matter of fact. Though not nearly as boisterous and loud as Royce, he wasn't nearly as quiet as Rickard or Lyle. She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Ludis, picking up on the surprise Stella had felt, also waited, though with much more patience than Stella.

"In the vision, I saw the Men of the Grey. I followed them here, and inside the castle. The walls twisted. Down…deep in the ground. I heard…singing. I've never heard anything like it." Ben's face softened. It was so unusual-the look on his face, Stella felt she was looking at something... so personal. She averted her gaze, embarrassed as well.

"Deep in a cave, there was…a woman. She was frozen, mid-turn. Every hair, the turn of her gown. Eyes closed…her mouth…" Ben stopped, and his face now glowed redder than the embers of the fire. An awkward silence followed. Royce chuckled.

"Ben, dreaming of a woman isn't a bad thing, ya know." Royce winked at Stella, and her stomach felt like butterflies were caught in it. She frowned. Ludis finally spoke.

"Thanks for telling us, Ben. Who knows? Maybe there's some truth to that part of the vision as well. We will know in the morning. It does give me an idea of where to start looking." Ben looked at her, confused.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ludis' smile was sly, and Stella started smiling too.

"The basement!" They laughed and Stella poked Ben in the ribs.

"What if there is a beautiful lady down there, Ben? Then you could go home with a bride for your lands. Your bitter aunt will be thrilled." Ludis choked on her tea as it was Ben's turn to scowl. Royce's loud laugh echoed off the stone walls as Ben's blush grew.

"Don't mention that old bat. If I get one more letter telling me it's my duty as a lord to marry and fill my father's castle with children, I will jump into the sea. I swear it." Ben's aunt was indeed a pain, and had been hounding Benjamín to marry and settle as a lord from the day his father drew his last breath. Ben was indeed one of the wealthiest lords in Deidre. His aunt's greediness knew no bounds, and as soon as she was able, she began trying to marry Ben to the highest bidder. Since he was a man, he was not bound the same way as a woman, but that didn't stop his Aunt Beatrice from working in the shadows. Trying constantly to make alliances with other nobles behind his back, parading noble women in front of him. Beatrice would love nothing more than a wife of Ben's that she controlled.

Suddenly, the air seemed thick, and both Stella and Ludis grabbed their heads, crying out in pain. Ben stood up, looking for the source of their pain, sword in hand. They heard the others running towards them, alerted by the women's cries.

"What happened?!" Royce grabbed Stella. Picking her up from the ground gently, he started wiping the streaming tears from her face. His voice was panicked. Cade and Ben were both supporting Ludis, who was whimpering as she held her head.

"The beating, can you not hear it?" Stella's ears were ringing. It was as if a drum beat inside her skull. The throbbing heartbeat of power they sensed surged. Ben turned, and he could see a faint light from the castle depths. Then he heard it, so soft and beautiful. The singing from his vision. Cold sweat dripped down his back, and he started for the castle, pulled by the sound.

"Ben NO! STOP!" Stella staggered forward, Royce supporting her.

"What are you mad? Ben, stop!" Royce called out, holding Stella back. Ludis lurched forward, running after Ben now.

"We must follow him! His vision! Something is pulling him in!" Stella looked up at Royce, who was watching them, concern in his eyes. He cursed, and then picked Stella up. She protested, but he was already running after them- Cade, Rickard and Lyle right behind them.

Ben was enthralled. The singing was like nothing he had ever heard before. Sweet, yet so sad. It touched his soul. He moved deeper into the castle, grazing his hand along the wet moss covered walls. Water dripped from the ceiling. The glow steadily grew stronger with the singing. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he whirled, the tip of his sword pointed at Royce's throat. Royce didn't even flinch, and held a finger to his lips. How did someone so big move so silently? Ben cursed softly, seeing Ludis, Stella and the others. The women still held their heads, weeping softly. Lyle supported Ludis now, while Royce still had his arm around Stella's waist. They continued down the stairs. The pathway curved around and around. It felt like they were spiraling to the earth's core. Maybe they were? The air grew steadily warmer, with the light glowing brighter. Now they could all hear the singing. And the beat of a heart. The path widened, and they stepped into a wet cave. It was humid now. Trees and plants grew everywhere, covered in thick dust. Like nothing had been touched here in millennia. The veins of every plant glowed under the dust. In the room's center, stood the woman. The woman from Ben's vision. He stared. She was indeed the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. As Ben stepped closer, under the layers of dust, he could see it was a statue. The most realistic statue he had ever seen. Stella mumbled, but her voice echoed off the walls through the singing.

"Obsidian." They had found the power source. The singing stopped as Ben stepped up to the base of the statue. Her long hair was carved in a turn, just like his vision, the folds of her dress around her legs. Eyes closed, her hand extended. Ben slowly walked up the steps to the statue, as Royce hissed a warning.

"Mate, back up - we don't know anything about that statue!"

"I know her. My heart. It knows her." Ben was spellbound, now looking down at the woman's face. Ben couldn't help it, of its own accord, his hand reached out and grasped hers. The statue woman screamed, and the room exploded in a dark green light. Everyone was blinded. From where Ben grasped her hand, her skin started to turn from Black obsidian to warm, pale human flesh. It raced up her arms, lined in the dark emerald green light. It moved over her body. The parts of her hair gently fell and Ben could see that it was a beautiful deep brown. The light continued to move, her dress settled and she stepped forward. The last part was her face. Those eyes opened. It was like looking into the deepest green forest, swirls of brown and gold and never-ending green. Her knees buckled and Ben caught her. She looked up at him and her voice, so soft and beautiful to him, moved over his skin like silk. She sounded panicked.

"Where am I? What year is it?!'' The pain had stopped in Ludis and Stella's heads. Ludis stepped forward and leaned over the woman, concern etched on her face as she placed a small hand on the woman's forehead.

"You are in the ruins of Attrition Castle, on the border of Deidre and the Old Empire. The year is 1013 AOE, the month of Jonquil. Spring." The woman's face crumbled and she screamed. All of them felt her pain. It echoed off the walls and kept on even after she stopped, and then the room filled with her sobs.