because I am capable of doing it. You are the same type of person as I am. Do you yearn to have minstrels write songs about your achievements or do you kill people to live another day?”
“I guess I did not understand you as well as I thought,” admitted Tanya. “I have no great desire for fame, but I would not get angry with those who look up to me. You not only got angry with us, you sounded like you would like to take Alex’s face and rub it in the midden. Surely, that must have been part of an act.”
“Perhaps,” Alex sighed, “I am just not as thrilled with some of the decisions in my life as others are. Others get to hear stories about my great deeds. I get to view everything about my life, the bad as well as the good. You could not understand.”
“You mentioned something about giving your child to the Black Devils,” Tanya probed. “You do not appear to be the type of person who would give anything to the Black Devils except the point of your sword.”
Alex glared at the young woman and moved off towards the front of the procession. “You still push him too hard,” Jenneva advised. “A man will carry his own burdens whether or not you approve. I suggest that is one area which you should not mention again.”
“Well, it was your child, too,” pushed Tanya. “Do you really expect me to believe that you both gave up your child?”
Jenneva sighed and shook her head sadly. “We were busy trying to save the world when the Black Devils attacked our home,” Jenneva related sadly. “They killed a young girl who’s only crime was that she was in my house. They took our baby and Alex will never forgive himself for not being home at the time. You must not mention it to him again.”
“And how do you feel about it?” inquired Tanya.
“Damn you!” Jenneva shouted. “You want to know how I feel about it? I feel like I want to cast a Tree Mine into the throat of the next person who mentions it and perhaps I will.”
Jenneva galloped off to join Alex at the front of the procession. No sooner had Jenneva left than Arik pulled up alongside Tanya. “I don’t know any magic, Tanya,” Arik pointed out, “but the next time you press them on this, you had better be prepared for a practice session which you will never forget.”
Tanya watched, stunned, as Arik dropped back alongside Fredrik. Fredrik’s face told Tanya that he had heard the conversation, as well, and his feelings were the same as Arik’s. For the rest of the journey back to the fairy village, Tanya was fairly well isolated by the others. She was not excluded from conversations, but her actions had created a certain distance between herself and the other Rangers.
As the Rangers prepared to make camp the day before reaching the fairy village, Midge flew up to Alex’s shoulder.
“The village is not far from here,” Midge stated. “I think we should continue on tonight.”
“Returning the Crown of Light is important to your people,” Alex protested. “We should arrive in the daytime so everyone can see it.”
“It is important enough that everyone will forgo sleep to see it,” Midge pushed. “We should arrive there in a few hours and you must entrust the Crown of Light to Arik. He must be the one to present it to Queen Mita. He is the Bringer. It is to the Bringer that the Sapphire of the Fairies will be presented.”
Alex looked to Jenneva for her comments and she nodded. “Very well,” Alex agreed. “We shall ride on tonight. Take the Crown of Light to Arik and ask him to guard it well.”
Midge delivered the Crown of Light and explained to Arik what he must do with it. Several hours later, the Rangers rode into the fairy village. Midge must have flown on ahead because the entire village was awake and fairy lights lined the approach from the edge of the orchard to the Father Tree. Arik dismounted in front of the Father Tree and approached the platform where Queen Mita and Prince Midge waited. Queen Mita’s blue body was adorned with a blue robe with a silver lining. Arik bowed and held out his hand with the Crown of Light resting on his palm. Prince Midge gently lifted the Crown of Light and the entire fairy village erupted into a solemn song, the words of which were unknown to the Rangers.
Prince Midge gently approached Queen Mita and placed the Crown of Light gently on her head. The song ended and every fairy in the village dropped to their knees and bowed to the Queen. The Queen stepped to the edge of the platform and recited the Fairy Prophecy: Your blood will flow til none is left While darkness around you descends On Holy Sapphire all you have Fate of the Fairies do depend. The Crown of Light the Fairies’ Life Without it all are doomed to die The Holy Sapphire just a patch Redemption only just a lie. The Bringer knows not what he does But fate has chosen only he Who bears the mark upon his chest The Winged Serpent death doth flee. From darkest night the Bringer comes Restores the precious Crown of Light The Holy Sapphire shall he own Fairy fealty his due and right.
The Queen raised her hand and the fairies rose from their kneeling position. Prince Midge entered the Queen’s chambers and came out holding the large Sapphire of the Fairies. The Sapphire was very large for a fairy to carry, but Midge showed no sign of distress in carrying it. He brought it to Queen Mita and she accepted it from her son.
Holding the large Sapphire in her tiny hands, she stood while Arik approached the platform. Arik stretched out his hand and the Queen placed the Sapphire of the Fairies in his palm.
“Arik Clava,” the Queen declared regally, “you are the Bringer of the Crown of Light. Into your hands, we trust the Sapphire of the Fairies. Into your hands, we trust the Queen of the Fairies. Into your hands, we trust the very existence of the Fairy People. From this day forward, the Fairy People exist for your service. I, Queen Mita, and my successors, exist for your service.”
The Queen dropped to her knees and bowed to Arik, the Bringer, and the whole fairy village fell to its knees and repeated the pledge. Prince Midge had not told this last part to Arik because it was forbidden to speak of the Fairy Prophecy to outsiders without leave of the Queen. Arik blushed deeply, but refused to let it spoil the fairy ritual.
“Queen Mita,” he stated solemnly, “I accept your pledge of fealty. Rise.” Turning to face the villagers he continued, “Fairy People, I accept your pledge of fealty. Rise.”
Feeling foolish, Arik pretended he was one of the kings he often dreamed about and tried to act accordingly. He stepped back from the platform and retrieved the Sword of Heavens from its sheath. He held its point in the dirt and laid the Sapphire of the Fairies in the spot that was made for it. The Sapphire snapped into place firmly and sparkled brilliantly. The Sword started to vibrate and Arik held it with both hands. Forcing against his considerable strength, the Sword swung upward. His attempts to hold it level with the ground were futile and the Sword kept moving upward until Arik’s hands were stretched over his head and the Sword was pointing straight up.
A brilliant streak of lightning erupted from the tip of the Sword and arced high into the sky, piercing the Darkness created by the Dark One. In a blinding flash, the lightning exploded into the Darkness and created a hole. Like a wave upon the ocean, the Darkness rolled outward in a circle revealing a black sky encrusted with thousands of stars and still it continued rolling until there was no sign of the Darkness at all. Hanging in the eastern sky was a large ball of pale light and Arik heard someone mention the word “Moon.” Arik stood transfixed staring at a night sky, which he never imagined he would live to see.
