Strange fairies may be, but stranger still are the shadows who come from beyond the veil, and those whose appearance may frighten most of all could, in truth, be the answer you seek.
There was an eeriness that could never be chased no matter how many lanterns or torches were strung up within the halls of Error’s Mountain kingdom, and yet it never chased away stray travellers or common visitors, for the chiselled walls and curved archways urged one to approach; to explore the unknown and see where the flickering lights came from. Shadows may dance upon the tall walls or within hidden corners, but instead of chasing you, they waved you to them.
Killer, to this day, could not deny the intrigue that filled him as he flew through corridors, into narrow chambers, through icy crevasses, and finally into the great mountain hall itself where the ceiling stretched too high to see and strange roots hung from various heights, all holding onto intricately crafted lanterns that housed nests for the winter fairies. From those lights of green, blue, red, purple, and pink flickered across the walls nearby, vanishing into the darkness of various chasms that led to different parts of the kingdom, all so plentiful Killer couldn’t possibly explore all of it in his lifetime.
“Have you ever been lost in here?” asked Killer, flying beside Cross as he glanced down, seeing but a faint, thin stream of light from far below; the lava river from which many fairies would use as a guiding light to the different mines. Killer repressed the shudder which threatened to break through him, recalling the story told about Horror and how many fairies must likely fear the same happening to them as they mine away in narrow shafts and low chambers.
“Not so much anymore,” said Cross, approaching the smithing alcove to the western end of the great hall. Clanks and hisses grew in volume the nearer they came, and he smiled but for a moment as he recalled all the projects he’d worked on there; the armour, swords, tiaras, and the likes he’d created. A winter fairy, even he as a hybrid, could not help but feel proud of their creations. “I stay away from darkened corridors and silent chambers. You’d be surprised by how many winter fairies have grown strange from staying in them for too long, or from getting lost…” said he, glancing up and catching sight of a darkened shadow amongst shadows emerging from a hidden alcove, empty sockets catching his eyelights. Shuddering, he cast his gaze away, slowing his flight before landing upon solid rock.
Another fairy, one which stole Killer’s attention completely, approached with lazy steps. Iridescent blood, partly congealed with but a few droplets dripping and trickling, glittered from a ghastly gash going from his collarbone and to the opposite hipbone. It made Killer openly gape in shock, though Cross was quick to click his mouth shut.
“Come to finally complete your forgotten tasks, Cross?” asked the fairy, not even acknowledging Killer in the slightest.
“Not yet, Geno,” said Cross, dragging a hand across his face. “We’ve come to check up on Error on behalf of Nightmare.” Geno’s face didn’t change, though his eyelights lit up with curiosity. “Have you seen him at any point throughout this winter?”
“No,” said Geno, seeming uninterested. “Our firstborn does as he pleases. It’s not for us to pry into what he does.”
“Perhaps not,” said Killer, cutting off Cross before he could speak. “But this winter has been unusually warm and irregular, and the beloved firstborn of autumn is highly concerned, so wouldn’t it be in your best interest to assure that your winter queen is safe and sound?”
Geno didn’t fall for the bait, face unchanging. “Error has lived for millennia and will be here long after we are gone,” said he, staring Killer down. “We may ponder and scheme all we like, but he may do as he pleases, and we are only required to soothe and support whenever he desires it. If he wishes to be alone, then who are we to argue with him?”
“Ugh,” Killer moaned, rolling his skull and shifting his weight. “Is your laid-back attitude the reason for why you haven’t tended to that death wound of yours?” he asked, earning a heated glare from Cross and a sharp hush.
Geno only smiled, and Killer felt a prickle at the back of his neck, prompting him to glance behind him to see a moving shadow disappear into a chasm, howling faces disappearing into the dark. Shuddering, he returned his gaze to Geno who still smiled at him, his own eyelights having clearly seen the shadow too, though they were knowledgeable and unafraid.
“Ignore him,” said Cross, sighing and pushing Killer onto the ledge of the alcove, readying himself to take flight once more. “I’m sorry for bothering you, Geno. I’ll let you continue with supervising the smithing progress.”
“Take care of yourself, Cross,” said Geno, keeping the hybrid stuck to the spot with a stare alone. “And don’t feel discouraged. You’re doing well with this task you’ve been appointed. Keep at it and you may receive the answers you seek.” And nodding to release him, Geno turned, silken wings shimmering beneath the torchlight, so uncannily like Error’s that it made Cross pause for but a second before leaving.
“I always thought Nightmare’s underground kingdom was the most magical and unnerving place I’d ever seen, but this place takes every honour imaginable,” said Killer, catching spying eyelights peeking out from hanging lanterns and shadowed chasms and passages.
“Winter fairies are born of a different making than other fairies, Killer,” said Cross, approaching a darkened lantern which hung by its lonesome, further down where few others hang on elder roots, all far away from each other. “We may be similar to autumn fairies when it comes to a certain distinctness and strangeness, but we are first and foremost knights and warriors, and to be fearless in the face of a mighty troll or the vicious big folk, we must be conditioned to handle that which is abnormal and terrifying,” said he, landing upon the platform before the lanterns crooked door.
“None here seem that warriorlike, though,” said Killer, following Cross into the lantern, the interior cast in darkness before purple crystals lit up at their presence, casting the space in a magical glow. It was sparse, one corner dedicated to nesting with its fullness of wool and fur, with the rest of the space decorated with but a few hanging weapons and sitting baskets of dried fruits and meat.
Cross chuckled, and Killer glanced at him, seeing him smile.
“Not all winter fairies are similar to the ones you see patrolling the borders, Killer,” said Cross, taking a breath and releasing it, shoulders relaxing. “Some are born with great might and presence to stand up and fight beneath the sky, others are born with perseverance and patience to do nothing but smith their whole lives.” Trailing clawed gauntlets across an ancient sword, one much too delicate for Cross’s strength, but well cherished with memories Killer couldn’t even begin to imagine attached to it. “But some are born with the winter’s deathly touch and silence, and they struggle in the shadows, keeping away that which tries to creep its way from beyond the veil and into our territory.”
“The veil?” asked Killer, remembering the riddles Lumin often spewed that made his skull swim. “Why would anything wish to come from there? Isn’t there some untold harmony between us and it? I mean, we’re fairies; some of the strangest things existing in the world, right?”
“In our world, yes,” said Cross, looking at him—nay, behind him. “But there are stranger things that have found their way into our home, and we need knights and warriors that can protect us from them, or else we may face the chance of living a fearful life forevermore.” Approaching, he summoned his sword, his face hardening. “And I may not be one of them, but I am not a coward,” he hissed, taking Killer by the shoulder and pulling him back, turning him around as he did so. “So, tell me, why are you in my nest?”
And standing beyond the threshold of Cross’s ancestral lantern home, a shadow loomed, tall and slender with wings decorated with howling faces, screaming their woes from beyond the veil. A hand with phalanges much too long reached out, turning upwards in either greeting or peace. Empty sockets stared back at them, much alike Killer’s, yet all too different.
“Our firstborn…” said the shadow, voice an ethereal echo that both awed and unnerved Killer’s soul. “His soul darkens; grows colder by each day passing.”
“Our firstborn?” asked Cross, voice harsh and mistrusting. “My firstborn, perhaps. Not yours.”
“Mine, too,” said the shadow, partly hidden face smiling sadly. “Half of me, as he is half of you.”
“Cut the crap!” said Cross, shouting and glaring heatedly. “What do you want? You do not belong here, so how dare you—”
“Lower your sword, Cross,” came the voice of Geno, and he stepped out from behind the shadow, a beacon of white light in contrast to the dark by his side. “It’s unnecessary.”
“G—Geno?” Cross stammered and stared; shocked.
“Nightmare save us,” said Killer, flopping down upon his bottom, smile crooked and confused and delighted all at the same time. There’s been too much excitement, too much happening, yet he felt ready to tackle it all despite the weakness of his knees, if only to have one hell of a story to tell Nightmare later.
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Music: Rune Realms – Midnight Snowdrifts