Silverwood

Emergency gathering.

The griffin flew us up. Up above the cloud. I see a vast castle mounted on the cloud. Griffin entered the castle's periphery and landed us safely at a spot. 

"What is this place?"

"This is the army headquarter of the fairies." Arun replies.

Wow, headquarter? It is more like a king's place. Huge golden front gate. Big a beautiful yard. With fountains. Lots of security. They have pointy towers, too. And they say this is not a castle. I mean, not a king's palace. 

Oh, that snake lady opens the front door. She is indeed a servant of fairies. Beautiful interior. Lavishing staircase. Gorgeous carpets. Gold embedded furniture. We are climbing up. I hear echoes. Echo of someone yelling. Now a bunch of people yelling together. 

"What's going on?"

"I think they start the discussion," Arun says.

"What discussion?"

"Representative of different states came for a discussion here."

I don't get it. About what? Is it about me? Are they planning to kill me, or trade me, or.... huff can't even imagine. With my confused yet startled mind, I continue moving up. The noise rose. 

"A human?"

"Human!"

Crowds humming sound came. It is indeed about me. The pitch of the voice doesn't sound pleasant at all.

"Is it okay to get in?" 

"Trust me."

Trust you? An elf who never knew that he was not at all cursed. The elf, who was the victim of bullies because of that curse only. The elf whose grandfather traded a human to a witch. Trust him! Great. Oh god, save me.

"Your army took everything from us."

"Your army attacked countlessly at the island."

"Yes...yes." Echoed.

"What was the result? Our men sacrificed for nothing."

"You fairies stay behind, leading our men in front to sacrifice. Is this how you are protecting us."

"Tell us. " Echoed.

The atmosphere seems tense. I will act as a catalyst. I don't want to make the situation worse. 

"Come!"

I am shivering. I have never regretted being a human. Now I do. What if there will be trolls? They wanted to eat me. But maybe I can meet Gyan. 

The hall was buzzing when we opened the door. It changed to pin-drop silence when I enter. 

A soft humming sound comes. Definitely, they are whispering among themselves about me. I gulp and walked straight. Following Arun, I get close to the chief of the fairy army. 

Arun bowed and asked me to do so. I followed him.

"Once again, a human has entered our world. Once again we are in a threat."

"When the terror will be over."

"These humans should be punished for their crime."

"Yes yes.. punish her ... punish her."

Punishment? For what?"

"Calm down!" The chief orders.

"Once again, a human is here. The history will repeat."

"We have nothing. We have nothing to lose." One from the assembly sobs.

I see hate in their eyes. What is my fault? I never wished to get here. Neither do I know how and why am I here. A moment ago I was depressed for unable to go back. Then cherished the world I am in now. The people of this world stifle me with their glances. 

"As I was mentioning. This is that human. And she is our key to freedom." Chief says.

I am going to be a sacrifice in the name of their freedom. Keep that in writing.

"How?"

"Are you going to give her to them?"

"She is not the key to freedom, she is the key to trouble."

"We should get rid of it. Or else the dark days will come."

"Those days... still gives me chills."

"We will exactly do as the head of Wizard suggested." The chief says.

They will get rid of me?

"But in a different way." 

He brought a twist.

"In the castle, there is a summoner. That summoner opens the portal to both the world. We will get that, send her to her world, and destroy the summoner. This will end the cycle forever."

Chief is wise enough. His discussion is fair to me.

"You have failed enormous times. What is the guarantee that you will succeed this time."

That goblin has a point too.

"That time was different, but this time is special. Because we have him."

Why is the chief pointing at Arun?

"An elf?"

"What is the spacial about a powerless creature?"

"Traitor. Why an elf is here?"

"He is not an ordinary elf."

I look at him, asking what the chief meant by raising my eyebrows. Arun answered by raising his shoulders. He has no idea about what the chief is talking about.

I guess he will say Arun found his magic and he can join the force, too. 

"He is the descendant of the one who betrayed us."

Damn! This is not the thing to announce proudly. 

The rage of the crowd boils up.

"Let me finish, listen to me."

What is there to listen to now?

"As he is the descendant he is the one who can break the spell." 

What? I look at Arun, and he has no idea, too. Everyone was dumbfounded. 

"He can crash us in." They burst out of joy.

"What spell?" I whispered.

"I don't know. I am new in the sorcery." Arun whispered back.

"His grandfather"

"Wo.."

"Vidya, you scared me," I say.

"Sorry for that."

"You were saying?" Arun asks.

"Your grandfather has created a protective shield over the island and the castle. Though elves were not allowed to participate in the battle force, you mustn't know about it."

"No one could break it?" He asks.

"No one yet. The Chief sees hope in you."

"But I can't."

"You can you only need to..."

"No way, we will never trust to a traitor's blood." One yells loudly.

He interrupted our conversation. But after we are distracted from our conversation, I found the discussion took a violent side.

On Chief's demand, Arun presented a sample of his ability. The only spell he has mastered. Lightning. The lightning he was shooting at the wicked witches. It amazed the audience. 

"He is out of the curse. He has magic. He is here to help us."

Isn't the chief made the things up? He is lying, or Arun lied to him.

"What is he saying? I told him there was no curse at all."

Okay, so the Chief is lying. But why?

"She has not much time. We have to attack tomorrow only."

This created chaos. They were about to approach war in just a day of preparation. 

"This is impossible."

"Unbelievable."

"Our army got defeated much time but that bade it more stronger."

After a buzz, they agree. 

***

Arun is practicing magic in the yard. I am watching him sitting nearby.

"You can open the gate?" I ask.

"Which gate?" With a panting voice, he asks.

"Spell of the island."

"Chief said so."

"Like we opened the pyramid's gate?"

"Maybe."

"Arun, are you mad at me?"

"Mad? For what?"

"I am a human."

"It must be hard for you. I mean teleported to another world. No matter, you didn't trust me. Yes, I was mad before because I felt you hid your truth because of my family's history. Then I realized my history came afterward. Your trust has been shaken up way earlier. I should have noticed that before. Now you don't have much time."

"You think we will win tomorrow?"

"Win or lose, I know you will return to your home safely."

"Hm" The home where no one wants me.

"Why are you sad? You don't want to leave?"

"No, I mean. I liked this place and the people from here. I will miss you."

"For a token of memory, you should take something. What about this potion? Magic will work there or not?"

"I don't know."

"She is taking me as a token," Vidya says.

"Wuff"

"And Plum?" He asks. His gaze is fixed on me. 

"Will you take care of him after I am gone?"

He softly nodded and get back to practice. Is he sad? 

"Dear lady,"

One Yeti comes with some armor.

"Chief has sent these armors for you. He says your safety is our priority."

He has a really heavy voice. 

"Thank you. "

"Are you really a human?" He comes to me and scratched my arm with his pointed nails.

"Aaahhh!"

Blood comes out. I am screaming in pain, but the one present there is watching me in astonishment.

"What? You have never seen blood before or what?" I shouted. That made Arun flip the book.

"Here is the healing spell."

"Put this w**d paste." The Yeti applied that paste to my wound. 

My wound magically disappeared. The guards hit the yeti for his misbehavior and dragged him.

"What are you doing?"

 "Chief's order is to keep you safe, and he tried to harm you."

"But he healed me soon."

"Doesn't matter."

They take him. I couldn't do anything.

"Devi, this is the rule here. The one who disobeys will get punishment." Vidya says.

"But this is not fair."

"Why are you concerned? You are leaving this place, anyway."

"Hm"

Yeah, why should I think of it. 

"Vidya? You were astonished by seeing my blood. Is there any problem with that?"

"Yes. In this world, we have a different blood color. It is quite transparent and has a pink tint in it. Pink, not as vibrant red as yours."

"Oh,"

In movies too it is shown that the creature of the different planet has different color blood. But never shown any transparent blood. Either blue or green. I am curious to see their blood but no. I don't want to get punished. 

"Wow!"

Arun is getting better. 

"That was outstanding." I praised him.

He winks at me. That made me smile.

"Are you blushing?" Vidya ask.

The smile on my face fades away.

"No"

"You were."

"It's the sun. Your sun is so bright. It will give me a sunburn." Nice excuse to avoid her.

With that excuse, I rush inside the castle. I feel Arun stopped to watch me. 

I am in my room and watching him practicing from the window. 

"You like him?" A voice startled me.

"What?"

"Oh, you. I thought it is Vidya." I say to the snake lady.

"Hm, your owl?"

"Yes. I forgot to ask. How's Anu?"

"She is fine. She is always talking about you."

"You will go back to your home, right. Can I join you? I want to meet her and say a proper goodby to her."

She is hesitating. 

"You know what? It is okay. I will meet her tomorrow before the war. Not a big deal."

She lowers her head.

"What happened?"

She shook her head.

"Tell me what happened?"

With a sobbing voice, she replied.

"She is ill. Because of the attack and her lack of nutrition. She is sick."

"She is in bed, not moved at all. We beg the chief for the crystals. But he refused to help us. He says they need more and more crystals for the battle. Our children are dying and we could not do anything."

She began to cry in my arms. I am trying to comfort her. I want to help her but I have submitted all my bracelets to the chief. I have nothing now. Even the gem that was given by Gyan has fallen into the lava. 

Wait! I am wearing ruby earrings. 

"Hey listen. Take these." I take out my earrings and hand them over to her.

"I can't take this."

"Why not."

"This is yours. And I am not working for you."

"It... think it as a token of love. As I am going back so a small token."

She stops crying, but I saw not much change in her face.

"Thank you so much. This will help Anu and Shushree."

"What happens to her?"

"She was caught by the fairies for illegal sorcery. They punished her. Thankfully your news came and they left without her. We had thought we could never see her again."

"This is not good. This is definitely not good."

"You can not do anything, Devi. I am glad that you think about us. That is enough for me."

Someone call her. She hides the earring in her dress and gets out of the room.