Cristali

I race out of Srok Khmer in quite an unconventional way. I am sprinting through the air above the city as the snowstorm I summoned previously begins to dissipate. The water vapor in the atmosphere freezes under my feet, and then melts again a few seconds after I break contact with it. This way, I am far above the city I'm fleeing and nobody can follow me. The icy trail in the sky drops snow everywhere it goes, and far below me humans are peering up into the sky to get a look at this strange occurrence. They aren't the only ones trying to see me, though. The alarm has been sounded, and a horde of guards pursue me from below as I weave above the metropolis. Arrows shriek through the air, the soldiers attempting to shoot me down in vain. The ice protects me from most assaults from below, and I run out of the city with barely a scratch on me. The map is in my hand, and I clench it as if it were my lifeline. And it is, this map is the only known way to the World Tree. Without this, I would be lost. Without this, the world would be lost.

After a few hours of fleeing, I begin to tire. My legs feel heavy, as if they were made of lead. My progress slows to a snail's pace, before stopping completely. This desert air is getting to me, it's far from the chill I'm used to. The constant rising and falling of the sand dunes and the hot, dry air make for a horrendous combination, especially if one thrives in the cold. The sun is high in the sky, and the air ripples with heat. As I hide in the shade of a dune, the hot sand scalding my skin, the heat slowly lessens. As day merges into night, my vision turns gray. Just before everything turns black, I see a figure at the top of my dune. Then the darkness claims me, leaving me with only a sliver of hope.

-

A shock of cold splashes over my face, making me jolt awake. I spit out a mouthful of icy water, sputtering as I sit up. I turn to look at where I am, and come face-to-face with one of the ugliest creatures I've ever seen. I jump back on the makeshift bed, and let out a shriek in horror. And then, to my surprise, the creature starts to laugh. The sound is deep and throaty, but also feminine at the same time. There's almost a musical quality to it. And it's just then when I realize who I'm dealing with. Kroshama, arguably the most deadly demon in history. And definitely the most formidable enemy I've ever faced. She is known all over for her fighting skills, but is equally as famous for her sharp wit. I wonder what she wants with me, because if she didn't want something she would have let me die.

She sits down on the bed (if that's what you would call it) next to me, her eyes gleaming greedily. She knows something about me, I can tell. And I'm afraid to find out what, because it could be my downfall. At this point, I'm just hoping she didn't find the map. I adjust myself on the bed, and feel a corner of the parchment dig into the skin of my back. It's still where I left it. She doesn't know, and that could save my life.

"So... Cristali, is it?" Kroshama scoots closer to me, staring into my eyes, as if she's trying to mesmerize me. "That is your name, isn't it?" I try and look down, but she reaches out a taloned hand, lifting my chin so I am staring at her again.

"Yes, that's my name. And I don't know what the hell you're trying to do here, but it seems like you're trying to seduce me. Let me just say, I'm not turned on. Your appearance is... Off-putting. Now, what do you want?" This response catches her off guard, and she lets some of her shock show through. But she recovers gracefully.

"Alright then. Let's cut to the chase. You're searching for the World Tree. And don't even try and deny it, I know it's true." So she knows about that, but not about the map.

"And how do you know this? I've told nobody." Better to let my surprise for this show through then to hint at the map.

"Honey, it isn't that hard. An Ice Archon breaks into the Cartographer's Guild to steal a map at the exact same time that everyone embarks on a quest to save the World Tree? And then said Archon flees the city in this direction, and you, an Ice Archon, just happen to turn up right near where you were expected to be? You're just lucky I found you instead of somebody else. Humans? They'd kill you on the spot. You should be groveling at my feet. But you have something I want, which is the only reason you're alive. You have that map. Don't deny that either. I know everything. And you're going to go after that World Tree. I was only able to send one demon Sent from my iPhone going to work for me too. Or else you're going to die." An ultimatum. There's no way I'm getting out of this one. Great. Just great.

"And what if I don't do what you ask? There's no way you'll know. And I could just go off and do whatever. If you hadn't noticed, your plan isn't foolproof.""Oh, that's right. You didn't know. Well, there's now a spell on you. Basically, until you get to the World Tree, you have to do my bidding. I'll be checking in on you from time to time, giving you instructions. Here's this." She hands me a bronze disc that I immediately recognize can be used for scrying. "This disc is your lifeline. If it's more than twenty feet away from you at any time, it'll start to scream. If you're more than a hundred feet away, it starts to glow. If you get any farther away than that it'll come to you, like a magnet. If you follow my directions, though... Let's just say you'll be able to withstand wounds many times worse than you could before. It will also be used for communications, so be prepared for that. I will always have an eye on you, and if at some point you try to disobey me, the spell I put on you will make sure you meet a nasty end. If you reach the Tree successfully, at that point I will come find you. And then, we can end the world together." She cackles, her laugh much harsher than before. A single though resonates through my head as she gloats.

Well, this complicates things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neri Pavlon

EATEN BY ANGRY WOMBAT

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Brigitte

The feeling of guards' gauntlets in Brigitte's arms infuriated her more than she could say. Their silly metal suits would do nothing against her fire, but she couldn't conjure it, not how they had bound her. How they were holding her, she was no more powerful than any frail human girl. Brigitte was powerless, and she hated it more than anything.

"Get your hands off of me," Brigitte spat at the two guards next to her. There was no need for them to jostle her, shove her down the hallway to the throne room. She was already powerless.

"We have no sympathy for you," one of the guards replied, his voice echoing hollowly inside his mask. She still had yet to see the men's faces.

"Murderer," the other hissed.

Brigitte didn't respond, at least not verbally. Looking straight ahead, she only stood up taller. Although she was upset about the repercussions of her actions, she didn't regret killing in the slightest. She didn't have the time nor the energy to allow herself to feel sorry about things she couldn't change. Both her time and her energy were commodities in previous supply, and these pathetic humans were wasting them.

As they neared the end of the hallway, one of the guards stepped behind Brigitte, rudely grasping onto both of her arms, while the other stepped forward to open the door to the throne room.

Brigitte had always marveled at the waste of humans, but she'd never seen anything like the throne room before her. How much did they have to honor a man who would be dead in twenty years? Simply the rug beneath her feet had to have cost a fortune. The dozen guards standing along the walls were another testament to the man's worth. He wasn't just worth tons of gold, he was worth at least twelve human lives.

Human lives had never been that valuable to Brigitte, though.

"You are brought before High King Joseph the Just on charges of murder," a squire standing beside the king - who she assumed was Joseph - read.

"Murder is a most heinous crime," the High King began, practically yelling from his throne. It was just as unnecessary as the intricacy of the crown upon his head. Nobody else in the room spoke a word, and his voice echoed through the chamber anyway. He could have been whispering and been heard all the same. "A kingdom as peaceful as mine has not has anything on this scale since before even my father came to the throne - and now, three deaths in one day. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Brigitte examined the man's face carefully. Although paying any sort of respect to the pompous man left a bad taste in her mouth, she knew it was necessary. He wasn't so much upset that the murders had happened at that they had happened during his reign. Carefully, she cleared her throat, and looked up at the king.

"Are you familiar with the story of my birth?" Brigitte said.

After a moment of thought, the king shook his head. Already he was beckoning for a servant to bring him some water, obviously he wasn't used to trials lasting even this long. Brigitte was prepared to outlast this man though.

"Long before your time," Brigitte began. "There was a great war raging throughout the land. It was started over something as silly as a border dispute between two neighboring kingdoms, but it grew larger and larger, until soldiers were dying by the thousands in battlefields, and innocent people were dying in equal number during sieges.

She looked around at the men standing guard along the wall, but they didn't seem to be paying any attention to her story. It was no matter, if they had fought in the battle she was born from, they would have died within minutes.

"Towards the end of the war, the two instigators met in battle once more, at the same meadow that was in dispute. The meadow was rather small, it still it, just large enough for a peasant to build a farm on. Instead of a farm though, a small village had been built on it. A mill was built on the stream that ran through it, and houses filled up whatever space there was. There were walls, but only enough to keep out thieves who came in the night. It wasn't meant to hold up against an army, but the army didn't care."

A rage was growing in Brigitte's voice, a cold, quiet sort of rage. She felt it every time she told the story, every time just a little stronger than the last. Hopelessness began to smother the flames that made up her hair, the lights in her eyes.

"The land was not theirs to build on, and they should have left the moment that the war had begun. But instead the women and children had stayed, they had nowhere else to go. So the soldiers burned the village to the ground, and slaughtered everyone who lived there. Fire burned for days, long after the soldiers had left, slowly eating away at the houses, at the mill, at the people who lived there.

Brigitte's eyes were hollow when she finished telling her story, and she was bald. Even if she wanted to, she would be too weak to conjure the flame. But that was the point, wasn't that? To show them that she was vulnerable.

"The very first thing I remember is seeing the flames, smelling the corpses burning, and hearing the cries of a little girl," the memory was as painful to Brigitte as being stabbed. She preferred being handled by the guards to telling her story, but it had to be done. "Her mother tried to hide her in their cellar, but the cellar had collapsed, and a beam had fallen on top of her. Her mother had saved her, but only for a few days. By the time I got to her, her clothes had caught fire, and her legs were scorched."

Out of the corners of her eye, Brigitte saw the guards beginning to weaken with sympathy, although the king kept a mask of sternness of his face. She continued. "She gave her her rag doll, and with her dying breath she told me its name."

Silence hung heavy in the air for a few moments, before the king broke the silence. "What was the doll's name?"

"Brigitte."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eira Ottoline

"Okay, wakey-wakey everyone, time to go!" I shouted over the group. Some people grumbled, like the Gola, other people just nodded and got up, like the Angel, and then there was Cestil.... he just yawned, rolled over, an continued to sleep.

If he wasn't so attractive, I probably would have killed him by now. Curse his beauty for being almost as irresistible as mine!

"Hey! Cestil, get up!" I shook his shoulder. "We need to get going if we want to make it to the next city on time."

He shook his head, eyes still closed. "We don't have an actual time limit, you just made that up."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, exactly, I did make it up, because without order of some sort we'd never make it anywhere!"

"Well then un make it up and get your butt back in this sleeping bag." Cestil reached out blindly for me.

"So are we, like, going or not? This weather is going to do horrible things to my hair," Seraphina butted in.

I sighed and gave up. "Fine, whatever, we'll stay here another day." I sat down on the ground in a huff. I hated having my rule undermined. "But one of you is collecting the food. Marlow, you can do it." Maybe if I was lucky he'd get himself eaten by something out in the woods.

"Um... Marlow's not here..." Greta noted, glancing around the group.

"What?" I shrieked. I stood up again and counted the number of heads in our group. The Gola was right, we were short one. How dare he wander off and make me look like an incompetent leader?

"Cestil, you know your demon-partner," unfortunately. "Where could he have gone? We need to find him before he does something idiotic and gets himself killed."

"Shhhhhh......" Cestil breathed, absentmindedly patting my face. "Shut up and sleep." I narrowed my eyes.

"You know, I'd happily do it. I'll let him stay lost, let him be killed by humans. It doesn't bother me one bit."

No one said anything. Greta watched me warily, Seraphina tried to brush her hair while grumbling about humidity. Cestil snored.

"Yep, whatever. Remember you guys chose this," I said as I burrowed in next to Cestil. "Whatever." I said again.

~*~

"Eira! Where's Marlow?" Cestil's voice was angry.

"Hm?" I muttered, and looked around. I was half asleep still. How long had I napped?

"Where is Marlow?" Cestil repeated, glaring down at me?

"Like I know," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes and standing up.

"Did you kill him?" Cestil prodded. I gaped.

"Are you hearing yourself? I mean, yeah if given the opportunity I would totally tear him apart and enjoy every second of it, but I asked you when I woke up if you knew where he was! I was expecting us to go looking for him, you only wanted to sleep!"

Cestil's eyes widened. "Damn, I did say that didn't I? Eira, new note, never listen to me when I'm asleep!" He quickly grabbed his weapon and started off through the trees.

"What are you doing?" I shouted.

"Finding Marlow!"

Ugh.

~*~

"Explain yourself," the overweight human king glared down at me from his throne. There was a guard on either side of me and both Cestil and Marlow were nowhere to be found. Neither was the rest of my group.

In my child form I pouted up at the king. "I told you, I was looking for my toys and I got lost. May I please go, your highness?"

The king shook his head. "There's something off about you. I already caught two demons today," Cestil and Marlow! "I'm nearly positive that you're lying about being human."

"I don't like to lie," I said, shaking my head. More like I couldn't lie.

"You're not human are you?" He asked.

"Will you kill me like you dod the demons, sir?" I whimpered. The guards on either side of me shifter. They at least believed I was a child, they were uncomfortable with the way their king was treating me.

The king shook his head. "The demons are alive for now, locked up in the dungeon below us. They'll be executed at sunset, you'd better wise up before you join them."

I smiled to myself. Good, my property was still unharmed, and in an easily accessible area. "Please may I go?" I asked again.

"I still don't trust you. Therefore I think it wise you spend a night in the dungeons." The King said.

At this, both guards stepped forward. "My king," one of them said, "why are you being so cruel to this child?"

"I-it's okay," I sniffled to the guards, "I'm an orphan anyway. I sleep in the woods... sleeping in the dungeons is better than sleeping on the ground." There was no lie there.

"There, you see?" The king noted. "Lock her up!"

I hummed a happy little tune as the guards escorted me down to the dungeon area. Sure enough, Cestil and Marlow were there.

"Hey," one of the guards banged his sword on the bars. "Quit making-out, this is supposed to be a punishment!"

Cestil and Marlow pulled apart and Cestil smiled. "We're bored and in the same cell, what were you expecting to happen?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. He was mine. Did he forget that I owned him?

Cestil and Marlow caught sight of me and their eyes widened. "Ei--" Cestil began to speak to me, but I shook my head sharply.

"What did you say, demon?" A guard asked.

Cestil smirked at me before turning to the guard, "I said 'I... am really happy you had the decency to lock me up with someone this hot.'" Jerk. He was trying to make me jealous.

"Filthy demon," one of the guards muttered. "We can't put the kid in there with them."

"We'll put her in the better cell," the other guard said.

I stuck my tongue out at Cestil behind the guards' back as one of them pulled out a key ring.

Cestil rolled his eyes at me and grabbed Marlow around the waist. The two leaned against the wall, watching to see what I was planning.

As soon as the guard put the key in the lock, I snapped the other one's neck. He dropped without a scream, but the loud thump was enough to catch the other guard's attention.

He looked between me and his dead friend, his eyes wide and horrified. "You-you..."

I shifted into my older form and winked, "Sorry dear, no hard feelings, you're even pretty hot..."

Cestil snorted.

"But like I said, I need my toys back, and you foolishly locked them up." I moved toward him slowly. He drew his sword.

"Stay back, Fairy!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Well, now you've done it," I sighed.

Now, that guard did have time to scream, and it was wonderful.

~*~

"You are a sick little lady," Marlow noted as the three of us made our way back to the camp. Something like approval sounded in his voice.

I curtseyed. "You're welcome. Just try not to get yourself captured again, alright?"

Marlow saluted me mockingly. "I was gathering food for when everyone woke up, actually."

"Whatever the reason, don't do it again." I snarled. "I don't like it when my things vanish."

Marlow chuckled. "So I'm yours now?"

I smirked at him, "Oh sweetie, everything is mine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Selyse Bellanessa Ivory

Selyse could feel herself dying of boredom- so naturally, the solution was to kill someone else. When this answer to her utter lack of interest in her surroundings occurred to her, she sat down on a nearby bench to scan the area for a victim.

Her hands smoothed out her dress and her eyes looked around her. Most of those she saw hurried along the road with children in hand. That would never do.

Selyse sighed. She brought a lock of hair forward to hang in front of her shoulder. Where were all the good human toys today? Too old, too young, too ugly, too in love. Honestly, where were the fun ones? Had another Fae beat her to them?

A good looking human rounded a corner and came to a halt in front of a window. Selyse straightened and leaned closer. She was across the street, but from this distance she could clearly see the woman's well-made figure. Normally Selyse preferred manipulating men, but she could take a change. The woman was better than the man one bench over with snot showing in his nose.

Selyse lifted herself up from the bench. She paused for a moment and allowed her dress to straighten itself out. It was more important than ever that every detail about her appearance was perfect; in her experience, human women, though not always, generally tended to notice more details.

She strolled across the street. With the puddles that riddled across the stone road, Selyse thought it should have been an official miracle that she made the walk without a drop of water touching her dress or body.

Selyse's finger tapped lightly on the woman's shoulder. "Excuse me. Do you have a moment?"

"Hello," the woman said. Her voice sounded older than Selyse had judged from her appearance, but that was no matter. Better than the snot man. "What is it, girl?"

Selyse made her voice as sweet and youthful as possible for her. "Could I sing you a song?"

"If you wish, girl." The odd wording of the woman's answer didn't faze Selyse. After all, she was just a human. Humans were odd and stupid by nature.

"It would make so very happy," Selyse said, honesty ringing in her tone for the first time in the conversation. She opened her mouth to sing her Siren song, but the woman spoke again.

"But first," the woman conjured a bottle of liquid out of a box of wares. "Would you care to buy one of my champagne glasses?"

Selyse could use a good drink. "Of course. What would you like for payment?"

"Your song will be payment enough."

Another odd answer, that. Selyse popped off the lid and took a long gulp. The champagne had a peculiar flavor to it. It burned her throat in a manner that wasn't entirely unpleasant, but wasn't pleasant either.

She opened her mouth. It always made her body feel better to sing a Siren song, no matter what pains ailed her. But when she tried to unleash her Siren song into the air, to convince this human woman and any humans around to kill themselves before her eyes....

No sound left her lips.

Selyse gasped. What was going on? She tried to force the notes out, but her throat gagged on the attempt. Her hands flew to her neck. Selyse heaved into a coughing fit. When it faded, she tried to speak, but fell into another spasm of coughs and gags.

The woman's head turned and Selyse saw her face for the first time. Selyse's eyes widened. She would have gasped once more, if she had the air to do so.

No. No, no, no....

"I know who you are, Selyse Ivory, and what you are here to accomplish," the Duchess of the city said. "I came to test your character, and I've found it woefully below my expectations."

The Duchess of the city. Selyse wracked her brain for what she knew about her, but all she could recall was something she'd heard someone say about her in passing at Srok Khmer. The Duchess was adept at wielding various poisons.

Her hands tightened around her throat. If she didn't try to make a sound, she could breathe. She must be quite a sight to the spectators, but appearance couldn't be a priority right now, when no sentence or song would escape her lips.

The Duchess shook her head. "I had higher expectations, I'm afraid."

Selyse couldn't be mute. Her whole life, her everything depended on her sweet words and sweeter songs.

Please, she mouthed to the woman. She didn't try to put sound to the word. She knew it was futile now. Have mercy.

The Duchess sniffed. "Mercy? Like the mercy you would have on any poor souls that listened to your song? I will not have my city terrorized by the likes of you."

Tears filled Selyse's eyes. She tried to imagine a contented life without her voice and failed. She blinked back the humiliating tears. If nothing else, she could maintain some dignity in the loss of everything that was Selyse.

Please, she mouthed again.

"The silence is irreversible for one moon's turn. After that...it depends on you." The Duchess spun on her heels and turned away, the footsteps clicking against the cobblestone streets.

For the first time in her long life, Selyse Bellanessa Ivory sobbed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ambrosine Evensong

PLAYED CHICKEN WITH ERUPTING VOLCANO