Day 267 (245th) and Faerie Realm

Day 267 (245th):
It was many hours past dawn when we awoke. The clever staff only left notes that we had slept past breakfast. As there was no note that we had missed lunch, we guessed it was not yet mid-day. Out on the balcony, free of the taint from the portal, I got to see the true beauty of Crialas. The snow on the streets, the clear almost cloudless sky, even the orderly nearly identical buildings were beautiful. The banners still flew announcing the pregnancy of the Queen with three future heirs. Set told me animals "furies and feathers" were returning nearly by the minute. Our three companions chased each other in the crisp air, to our and their delight. We were all so happy that the kingdom was as it should have been all along.
A knock brought us back inside. Talrik stooped through the doorway.
"I guess I am not the only sleepy head," he teased, "Who knew building like that was as exhausting as building it by hand?"
We laughed and told him about cleaning the cloister and how taxing that was. He had come to our room to say good-bye and bid us good travels. We hugged him and wished him well.
We watched him go as we stood back out on the balcony. We stayed until he was out of sight and some were complaining about being cold. We went back inside, leaving the balcony door open for our friends.
A timid knock got our attention. Orania entered.
"Ladies, as our resident experts on living items, I would like to get your opinions. My successor, Loris, is bonded with Song Weaver and the King with Narvicnal. Should someone bond with Catara?"
As one, we replied, "Not yet."
Orania was taken aback at first. Composing herself, she asked why not.
"She needs time to adjust to her new situation," Alice told her.
Orania looked skeptical. Her gaze traveled over all of us and our swords.
"Did they not bond as soon as they were formed?"
"That is true," Anna started, "but they knew before hand what they were becoming. Catara had no time to prepare and only found out at the ritual what she had in store for her. She needs some time to understand her new role."
"How much time shall we give her?" Orania pushed, need plain on her face.
We looked at each other, unsure how to answer her. We could understand why she was so desperate to know, considering how important these items were to Crialas. We were about to tell her we didn't know until I felt Fate's wind caress me.
"Orania," I began, "she will tell you. She, Song Weaver, and King Narvicnal can communicate now. They will tell Loris or Sarvicnal when she is ready."
Relief washed over her, making her visibly relax.
She was still thanking us when a staff member arrived. The maid said the Crowns requested us to join them for lunch. Orania left as we followed her to the Royal apartments. To our surprise, their doors were open and no guards were posted. The staff woman did not stop at the doors, but continued through without even a pause. There were other house staff milling around the apartment, moving furniture, changing drapes, and doing other tasks. Elenvarna was supervising it all. She lit up when she saw us.
"Ladies, greetings! I was so inspired with the way we all worked together at the gateway, I have made sweeping changes. No longer is there 'royal staff ' and 'house staff '. Also, visually, we are connecting this area to the rest of the castle so that we are all a part of one household. Crialas will be one kingdom again."
We were thrilled. Without that separation, hopefully, they distrust would be a sad chapter of the past. Sarvicnal was elsewhere, so it had the air of a "girls' luncheon".
Chobid entered, chatting with the Saplings as they joined us. Talk was easy, like life-long friends having lunch. Chobi offered to transport the Saplings back to spare them any more odd looks and stares. They took her up on her offer, both for speed and lack of hassle from the citizens.
We had finished lunch and were looking at the changes Elenvarna had done and was planning when a scream stopped everything. A young staff maid came running down the hall.
"A man, a human in the mirror! He... he spoke to me!"
Calmly, we asked her to show us. Fearfully, she walked us back to an extra bedroom that was, now, empty. A large mirror hung on one wall. With a shaking finger, she pointed at it. We walked over and saw only our own reflections. We turned to tell her nothing was there when she and others watching paled and pointed behind us. We turned and had to step back to recognize he face we saw.
"Mattis!" we exclaimed in unison.
He smiled before replying, "Sisters! Thank the gods! You do not know how many mirrors I have looked through to find you. Alice, your father, Lord Carmon, is gravely ill. You are needed at Thantos immediately. If there is anything you need me to do, just say it."
"Father? How? What is the illness?" Alice asked as tears rolled down her face.
"We have no idea. We have been trying to treat and identify this since the first sign of illness a month ago. Each success was countered by new symptoms or a change for the worst. Now, he is watched all day and night."
"Alice," I turned her to let her really see me, "I am going to talk to Aloriana. Get as much information from Mattis as you can."
Leaving them, I raced back to the closest Faerie door, the fireplace in the Royals' dining room, Set hot on my heels. We slammed into the fireplace.
"Aloriana! Faerie Queen! Hear me, please!"
The fireplace disappeared behind the silver doorway. A male face I didn't know popped through.
"May I...oh, Kayla, its you. What's wrong?"
"Please, I have to talk with Aloriana. Lord Carmon is very ill. We have to get to Thantos immediately."
"Come with me, Princess. Aloriana is elsewhere. She will meet us shortly. Answers will be found."
He ushered us through the doorway and into the Faerie Realm. The Hall of Doors appeared endless in both directions. This male stood slightly taller than me, but his age was a mystery.
"Follow me, Princess, the Queen is this way."
Set and I followed him down the Hall, turned left, and entered a sitting room. Aloriana stood as we entered.
"Kayla, what is it?"
I told her everything I knew. We walked over to a mirror. She waved her hand and Mattis appeared as he had at the palace. We heard him tell my sisters Lord Carmon's downward spiral to his current state. When she had heard enough, she dismissed the image.
"I am certain of the cause of his decline. Even if you got there this second, no medicine can help. I doubt even Sarah could heal him now. You need to get there when the illness is young. Gather your sisters. Bring them here. We will get to Lord Carmon when it will do him good, not when it is too late."
The male Faerie took us back to the door leading to Crialas. I asked to return as soon as Mattis was finished talking. Set and I ran through, into the dining room, and back to my sisters. Alice's pain was shining brightly. My sisters were trying their best to console her, but her pain was too great. As soon as she saw me, she charged and nearly slammed into me.
"He's going to die! We can't let him die!"
"Alice, sister, be calm. Gather your things. We're leaving. Aloriana is getting us there faster than anything else. Your father will not die!"
Some of what I said got through her pain. Taking her in hand, we and several staff members rushed to our rooms. Quickly, we gathered our clothes and items. Within an hour, we were ready to go. We told the Crowns to keep the horses and any gifts in our names. They bid us good-bye and good luck. The doorway was open. Some were leery to enter, but did since it was the quickest way.
We stayed in the Hall until the last was through and the door shut. My sisters looked up and down the Hall at the endless doors.
"Which one? Which one goes to Thantos?" Alice asked, nearly begging.
"Be calm, Sword Sister," the same male faerie said to her, "The Queen has something to give you before you go to Thantos. Follow me, please."
We went with him to the sitting room. Aloriana was standing there with another female faerie. Alice threw herself at Aloriana's feet.
"Please, I beg you! Take us to save my father!"
"Calm, Alice," Aloriana said as she helped Alice stand, "we have determined what his illness is and its cure. Idona is working on the potion that will cure him. When you first see him cough up blood, give it to him then. Before will not prevent it and after is too late."
"But," Alice began, "he's been coughing up blood for weeks. Its too late," she sank to a couch, helpless and hopeless.
Idona left to finish the potion.
"No, it isn't," I said as I sat beside Alice," We are going back to when the illness first struck, about a month ago, and we will make sure he stays healthy. Remember, in my vision, he doesn't die until after you are married and pregnant with your first children. We will not be too late."
"Wait," Lisa interrupted, "are you saying we are going back in time to prevent this illness from ravaging Lord Carmon?"
"Yes, plus, hopefully, find the source of it and keep others from getting sick as well," I told her as Alice thought over my previous statements.
Alice had stopped crying and joined the rest of our sisters in giving me strange looks. This time, I was baffled. They knew Aloriana could and had gone back in time. They knew I had been here for "days" yet returned the day after I left. What was confusing them now?
"Are you saying we let an entire kingdom suffer for the sake of one man, no offense Alice," Lisa barked.
"Crialas will not suffer. The gate will still be repaired. We will still do our part," I told them.
"If we are in Thantos a month ago, then we can't be in Crialas now," Anna flatly stated.
"Girls, I think you misunderstand. You will be in Crialas and Thantos at the same time. Neither place will be denied your presence," Aloriana explained.
Silent stares were their response. They were having a bit of a hard time understanding. Callie shook her head and sat beside me.
"You are both saying that we will be in two places at once. One set of us in Crialas, doing everything we just did, and the second group in Thantos?" she slowly asked.
"Yes," I told her simply, to prevent more confusion.
Three thuds and a chirp turned our attention to the rest. Anna, Sarah, and Alice were sprawled on the floor, fainted. Gretta stood in shock while Lisa looked angry. Faeries rushed in and moved our unconscious sisters to soft couches. One helped Gretta, who walked stiffly, to a chair and got her to sit. Lisa stared at Callie, Aloriana, and I very harshly, her temper barely under control. So angry was she that words failed her. Bo flew over to perch by Dawn who was standing vigilant over Alice. Lisa began pacing, trying to work down her anger.
Through clenched teeth, she asked, "Are you insane? Do you realize how crazy this sounds?"
"Yes, I do," I calmly answered, "but it is the only way to save him and, possibly, many more."
"What if someone sees us in both places? How do we explain that?" Callie asked, very worried.
"Crialas and Thantos are a sea apart. Besides Leo, we have not met or seen anyone from both places. Who else will know?" I asked.
"You sisters' worries are not unfounded. I cannot say that no one will see you in both. However, what you went through in Crialas is already in your past. You have already dealt with all of that. If it will help, I can watch over both places to make sure nothing goes awry."
Lisa, Gretta,and Callie thought over her words. Anna, Alice, and Sarah were still out. Bo, Dawn, and Set didn't seem to understand the problem.
"Sisters," I started, "let us let our sisters recover before we do anything. They need to be a part of this, especially Alice."
They felt that was a good idea. Now that they weren't focused upon the problems of time travel, they began to notice their surroundings. Aloriana took us around, showing them my future home. When we reached the terrace looking towards the Immortal Realm, they stopped in their tracks. Silently, they stared at the mist-shrouded mountains. As we stood there, Anna, Alice, and Sarah, along with Dawn and Bo, arrived behind an escort. They, too, stood silently, staring at the Immortal Realm. It took a few moments to pull them away to continue through the palace. Set became a perch for many birds as we walked. Fortunately, he had no bare, scaleless areas for claws to catch on and hurt him. Dawn and Bo flew with the other winged animals darting in and around the indoor forest. We went outside to a garden that, anywhere else, would have been impossible to maintain. Huge trees shaded massive bushes in full flower. Roses of impossible sizes bloomed beside holly, lilac, and dozens of other impressive foliage. Row after row after huge row of flowers at the peak of perfection went on in every direction. Flowers that would never be anywhere near each other grew side-by-side to gigantic proportions. Other Faeries were tending these mammoth plants. Many were collecting pollen and seeds, stuffing tubes and pouches with them. On many of them, I saw, "Selvis Replant" printed upon the sides. A few had "Crialas Project", "Raval Expansion", "Thantos Expansion", plus other places I did not know nor had ever heard of before. Insects hummed among this bounty, vibrating the air around the garden. These, too, were collected into boxes and canisters. They are also labeled with names of places I both did and did not know. All of these containers were handed off and taken away.
We walked among all of this activity to a large, shallow pond. Set barked and charged at, and into, it with a big splash. The Faeries around it got soaked, but did not get angry. The water seemed to slide off of them and they were quickly dried and back to work. Set crawled along the bottom, his wings, spine, and tail parting the water above him. Fish, unafraid of anything, did not move nor swim away from him, which allowed him to toss them in the air and watch them splash and swim off like nothing happened. Bo joined him, swimming, splashing, and terrorizing the fish. We left them to their play as we continued our tour.
Beyond the garden were corrals housing baby animals of many types: unicorns, lions with wings and human-like faces, some lion-looking creatures with dragon scales and wings, griffins, hippogriffs, and ponies with feathery wings, plus many other types. Faeries tended these like small, energetic children. Aloriana explained that they were all orphans who needed care until they were old enough to be on their own. Set and Bo, still dripping a bit, tried to get the ones with wings to fly with them. Their caretakers said that they were still too young to fly or that they had been wounded and unable to fly right now. Sadly, our companions followed us away from the babies to see what else lay in store.
A distance from the palace, several caves came into view. Closer inspection revealed they were mine entrances. More Faeries worked these, bringing out cart after cart of magnificent gems. Gretta had to cover her ears as they sang so loudly to her. These, we were told, very rarely left the Faerie Realm or the Immortal Realm. These only went to the Mortal Realm for legendary swords or other mighty objects. They would overwhelm anything less, even if cut to a sliver. Circling back to the palace, we saw a vast sea of calm, crystal water. The waves moved so gently that it barely moved the mirror-like surface.
Back inside, Aloriana asked if we were hungry. Given both the news of Lord Carmon and the tour, we were famished. She took us to a marvelous dining room that was both grand and cozy. The food placed before us was unlike any my sisters had ever seen. Timidly, they tested the items before digging in like starving farm hands. Set had a massive bowl placed before him as he sat beside me at the table. Dawn and Bo had special places and meals just for them. As we ate, Idona entered and said the potion was complete. She laid a decanter on the table with pale pink liquid sloshing inside it. Alice wanted to snatch it and race to her father, but restrained herself and continued eating. Her eyes kept flicking back to it, as if someone might take it and deny her the chance to save her father. Aloriana, ever perceptive, had the bag it was to be carried in given directly to Alice when it arrived. She passed the decanter down so Alice could place it inside.
"Our studies have shown that this illness is not natural. When you return to Thantos, be wary of new people in your father's household. This illness is actually a poison and a curse combined. That is why it changed when they tried to treat him. Just as Vangar was constantly observed, whomever did this must stay near Lord Carmon to keep it going. That potion is both a cure and protection against the curse. Of course, if you can stop the person, that will prevent the illness at the source. However, I doubt her or she would be so obvious."
We agreed. As we ate, we discussed how soon to head out. Alice, of course, wanted to go now. Reminding her that we were choosing the time of our return cooled her impatience. We, eventually, decided to rest and gather our strength to prepare for dealing with this threat.
After eating, we went to the room I stayed at while recuperating. They were impressed. Set, having grown quite a bit since then, wondered why the bed had shrunk. I had to remind him how long it had been since we were last here.
We went to the sitting room when we were ready to go to Thantos. Our gear, the decanter in its carrier, and some of the containers from the garden were waiting on us. The male Faerie took us back to the Hall of Doors. We arrived at four doors bearing the name "Thantos". They were also marked with "Castle", "Market", "Forest", and "Shrine". The male Faerie asked where we would like to arrive.
"We want to look like we traveled normally, so the castle and market will not do," Alice stated.
"Very well," he said, "The Forest entry is to the south and five miles out of town. The Shrine is southeast and seven miles to town. Which do you prefer?"
"What kind of Shrine is it?" Sarah asked timidly.
He placed a hand on the door, closed his eyes, and concentrated. For a few moments, we were all silent. He pulled away.
"It was dedicated to the gods of travel and commerce. It is unused now. It could be the safest place to appear without drawing attention."
We thought a while, then agreed that an unused shrine would cover our appearing "out of nowhere". Then, we discussed time of day. Night would give us time to acclimate to Thantos' weather. Morning would get us to the castle before nightfall. We finally decided to arrive in late evening to let us sleep at the shrine and get use to the early winter weather. We agreed that a week after Lord Carmon had received Alice's message of our delay was the right time. Once everything was agreed upon, we asked the door to deliver us to the shrine late in the evening one week after the message had been received. The door opened and we stepped through, saying good-bye to the helpful male Faerie.

The Shrine was cold and dark. We managed to find some torches which Set lit easily. The interior state spoke volumes as to how long it had been unused. We arranged our mats and got a fire going to warm the chilly building. By the light of torches, we checked the door and found it simply barred and easy to open. We looked outside. It was odd not seeing snow on the ground. We could see the tops of flags flying from the castle roofs. Alice wept silently and watched the light fade from the sky over the castle and town. We pulled her back to join the rest of us for a light dinner.
During this night, we discussed the implications of what we had just done. We dowsed the torches but left the cooking fire burning as we settled in to sleep.