Chapter 7 – Pacts

“What’s happening?” Willam asked.

He stood in the grove peeking into the tree-line of the forest. Melia and Lain by his side. They each pointed at a creature lying on the ground. They hugged each other and whispered. “It’s injured Willam, please can you help it?”

The beast was taller than each of the twins, tail to snout. Its long furred matted by blood. It lay on its right side, its left eye glaring at Willam; an open wound ran around the socket. Moments before it had whimpered as he approached but now the creature did not appear to have the energy. Its front left paw had the remnants of a snare digging into it. The beast’s torso had been punctured twice in quick succession behind its left shoulder. Someone had tried to hunt the poor thing. Willam accepted that it was most likely dead.

He dropped to his knees by the beast, his rucksack open by his side. The twins hovered over his shoulder, Willam knew they didn’t know what to do. The Father Mother and Child he was barely self-taught in field aid as is. The beast possesses a dark bluey-black fur coat, the cleaner sections of its tail and hind legs almost refracted the star light in the sky.

“Okay, you are a beautiful terrifying creature. I, um… I’m going to do my best okay? It’s going to hurt, so please don’t bite me.” The left eye closed. Willam could barely see its misty breath in the cool night air, but it was breathing.

Fay-cursed bloodstone, okay okay this is happening. Where to start, look for the most loss of blood… By the Wild Mother you’ve lost a lot of blood.

“Lain or Melia one of you need to be on either end of this thing. I’ll need you to life it up while I bandage the stab wounds.” The twins hesitated. The fear evident in Melia’s eyes, while Lain looked uncomfortable leaving his sister. “If you want this thing to survive then move now!”

They took a second longer to hesitate before Lain moved to the beast’s snout. Melia accepted the cue and stood near its hind legs. Willam arranged his bandages, sutures, salves and leaves, a flask of water, a bottle of alcohol which he stored for Julia and finally gloves. It was makeshift at best, and with the pounding of his heart ringing in his ears Willam wasn’t sure if he remembered any of the healer’s almanac correctly. But he would be damned if he didn’t try.

He donned the gloves. Dashing water over the matted fur he tried to clean the wounds. The beast tensed, opening the wound near its eye as he cleaned the wounds. “Calm, stay still. Okay you two find where it’s shoulder and hip joints are.” Willam exchanged the water for the alcohol. It was one of the last remaining bottles of Willam and Jules old Carer, Damien. He’d been recruited by the Guild in Wesridge to run an actual distiller. Jules and Willam thought to have it when one of the two were Found, but this emergency suited it as well.

“This is going to sting. Lain don’t get bitten or I let the creature perish caring for you.” He spread the alcohol into the puncture wound and along the cut on its face. The beast whimpered but did not bite. Willam signalled for the twins to hold the beast down. He untied the snare on its front leg and cleaned that wound as well. Having cleaned the wound he noticed that it would need stitches or the poor creature would only lose more blood. Willam began to apply the sutures but found the beast’s hide was tougher than his needle. “Damn, what are you a Fay?” The hound opened its eye, it blinked once.

Okay, wow. Fay-cursed is right I’m trying to save a Fay hound. Don’t panic, no time to panic, we keep going.

“Lain, Melia get ready to lift, it won’t bite.” Willam watched the eye blink once again. Intelligent wolf, dog, beast creature; Willam was glad he still had the Fay Bestiary in his room. “Three, two, one… Lift.”

The twins struggled one either side of the creature. It lifted it unharmed right limbs and aided in standing itself up. Willam applied leaves over the wounds and wrapped it in bandage. He made sure to apply his numbing salve to the leaves; they should act to halt infections. That is, if the creature survives at all. Having dealt with the puncture wounds the twins helped lower the creature back to the ground. Willam bandaged its snout. He managed to leave its eye free to blink but had covered its ear.

“Thank you, you two.” Willam shucked off his gloves. “We’ve done all we can.” He moved over and gave Melia a hug. She was the worst affected by the injured animal.

“But, can’t we do more? It’s still dying look!” Melia cried. Lain stroked the beast luscious fur coat, his face solemn. The Fay-beast’s breathing was shallow, until only wisps of air escaped it. Willam could see the acceptance in Lain’s eyes. Lain came over and hugged Melia; they held her back from the beast together. The forest felt like it loomed over them, a gathering of ancient spirits condemning Willam; “he should do more, why can’t he do more,” they asked.

“I’m sorry Melia, it’s all I have.”

“Willam, you love the Fay, right? Is there nothing in stories, or your books or anything?” Lain asked on behalf of his sister. Willam pouted. The leaves rustled; a caw echoed in the night. The waning moon retreated behind the clouds. Willam let go of the twins and stood over the Fay-beast.

I don’t know. I don’t have an answer. I don’t have drugs from Asclepia. I’m not trained for the field like a Warden. Even the Carers are better trained for this. What am I meant to do, magick? Magick… oh Archon, there is no way this works.

Willam knelt by the hound’s head. He could hear faint breaths. The beautiful dark fur engulfed his hand as he stroked the unfortunate creature. Despite its weakened state all it would have to do is reach out and bite him; its elongated jaw would do the rest. But there was not rage or animosity in the creature. As Willam could feel natures judgement he could feel the sadness in the Fay-beast’s final breaths. It did not wish to die here.

“I, Willam Strange, mortal of this realm and reality; I swear to you a sliver of myself.

May you consume what is mine, and feel the vibrancy of my life.

May you know what it is to be me, to walk in my life as no stranger.

I gift to you my Aurae, as is my right as a man, as is my duty as a mortal.

I wish for you to live, nothing more, nothing less.

Take what is owed to fulfil my wish, as I know the Daomine-Fay are honourable.

Accept my gift to you, creature of the night;

And so, we work, we suffer, we thrive, together…”

“As one.”

The reply echoed in Willam mind. The voice was young and smooth. It was almost a growl but it was definitely acceptance of Willam’s gift.

Willam attempted to stand. He’d offered a Fay bargain, as advised by the Archon in his Testament to Surviving the Faywild to accept if one is injured in the Fay’s territory. Usually it would be offered in reverse by a Fay seeking to save a mortal so Willam had to improvise a few lines. Sadly, he did not notice any differences in the creature. That was until he stood up.

It was as if the night sky was all there was the expanse of space suffocating his vision. The moon emerged from behind the clouds yet Willam saw it in full. The stars glittered above him, blinding his eyes. He reached out to touch one but then they began to fall. Shooting stars falling in the distance, a full moon baring down on his meagre form. For a moment he swore he was glowing, a completely transparent aura surrounding him. As the stars fell, shooting across his vision some fell towards him. He cried out unready for the celestial impact. However, the star never touched him. Physically at least.

The shooting star passed through him and stole the translucent aura that surrounded him. The light was blinding. Willam attempted to watch what was occurring but it was as if he was looking at a kaleidoscope, refractions of iridescent colours clouding his mind. All he knew was it has impacted with the Fay-beast, then there was darkness.

Willam needed more tea.

Head in his hands, Willam closed his eyes. He leaned on the Librarium counter. His head was throbbing as it had been all day. He woke up this morning in a haze, feeling like he’d gone several rounds with an adventurer in a drinking contest the night prior. He had duty in the Librarium for most of this morning and late in the afternoon. He’d woken up so late he’d only been able to grab a flask full of tea from the dining hall, and was relying on the remnants of his cinnamon scrolls to give him sustenance until dinner. Georgy had been kind enough to bring him a sandwich at the Librarium for lunch; but Willam’s queasy stomach made it hard to scarf down. It was a shame because it was probably hand made by Irene herself. He regretted not having finished it now.

He puzzled out that last night he’d managed to save the Fay-beast. The twins came into the Librarium to rant and rave about how last night he started ranting and raving to himself. Yet, after Willam convulsed on the ground for a minute or so the Fay-beast managed to stand up and supposedly came over to comfort him. The twins thought he was a corpse until they noticed Willam was still breathing. Together the two of them managed to bring him to his room and put him in bed.

He had also been informed by the twins that the creature had glowed like the starry sky when it came over to comfort him. They had not seen the kaleidoscope of colours or a translucent glow around Willam, or even heard the pact he had offered the thing. To them it looked as if he knelt next to a dying beast, muttered a few words, stood up, fell over, had a seizure, the creature miraculously glowed and came back to like, and then the twins panicked over what may have been his corpse.

It had been an eventful evening to say the least.

The Fay-beast was now recovering in a natural hollow near the lake. Willam could not care for all the wildlife it may be scaring off, it was safe and that was that. Willam did not know if he should have saved the thing, considering someone had gone to a heap of effort trying to kill it; but it seemed friendly enough. Willam now knew of two Fay entities that resided by that lake. Wasn’t he just the luckiest.

He sighed.

The Librarium was empty besides for Willam. He had arranged the stacks, registered the returned tomes, helped a labourer and a Carer find tomes for masonry and gardening respectively (the gardening tome would have been a good idea before he killed his cactus) and since then was on his lonesome. Most people assigned Librarium duty worked with a partner, but considering Willam’s knowledge and seniority with the role he found himself working alone more often than not. Usually he felt a bout of sadness sitting in the musty Librarium on his lonesome. Today, however, he revelled in the peace and quiet. His headache was battering away at his skull, but it had improved since this morning.

The doorbell jingled as Julia walked in. Her hair was down covering her face, her eyes dull.

“Hullo Jules.” Willam said.

“Hullo.” She walked over. Instead of jumping on the counter for a chat, as was her usual company in the Librarium, she walked around the counter and sat on the spare chair. Her movements were laconic. Willam’s headache was harmonised by the thump of his heartbeat.

“You okay, Jules?”

She waved a hand at him. Neither confirming nor denying the question.

“I’ll be okay. Just had a chat with Headmis’ is all.”

“Oh, I see.” Willam fiddled with a stack of returned books, rearranging them in reverse alphabetical order.

“Yeah, it is what it is. How are you? The twins said you got up to something right devilish last night.” A small spark flickered in her eyes as she said the word devilish. Willam was in awe of her ability to profit from mischief.

“Yeah, I’m kind of suffering for it now. I saved a dog-wolf-fay-thing last night from what I gathered.” Willam rubbed his neck.

“Bwaha, come off it. No way! Really?”

“Yeah, it had been injured by a snare and I’d managed to bandage it up with my emergency kit.”

“Wow, that rucksack of yours was actually useful. Huh, I’m impressed.”

“Thanks Jules. It was a lucky thing, and I wasted most of Damien’s bottle of booze.”

“Don’t worry about that, if you save a dog-wolf-Fay-thing than it was more than worth it in the end.” Willam smiled.

“Yes, yes it is. I’ll show you where to meet him some time. You always wanted a pet, didn’t you?”

Julia smiled at him. “I can’t wait to meet your new friend. But for now, it’s dinner time. We also have an assembly after.”

“An assembly so soon?” Willam was puzzled. Julia nodded, the sparks fading once again.

“Yeah… come on. I want to snag a table with you and the twins.”

“Sure thing, Jules.”

In that moment Willam felt something inside himself. The musty smell of tomes and parchment fell away. The fire in Julia’s hair had greyed. There was something wrong but Willam did not know what it was or how to fix it. So, he was silent. He packed away the Librarium and let Julia drag him by the hand to the dining hall.

He forced a smile. His heartbeat increased, the thumping of his head subsiding in favour of panicked thoughts.

He wasn’t ready.

With all due respect, the Federates were unwilling to cross the Castorian border because of this old crone? What game is the Archon playing at?

Liana sat legs crossed in the Headmistress’s office. The Headmistress sat at her desk rifling through documentation. Oris was standing behind her, poking at a crocheted echidna on a shelf. Liana would never understand that man she decided. She accepted that he had riled her up enough over the past few weeks, it was time to let go; embrace calm diplomacy.

“Hmm, and this signature here?” The Headmistress pointed at the documentation. Liana remained neutral despite wanting to laugh.

“Her Majesty the Queen.”

“I see.” The headmistress peered through her eye-piece. They jingled on a chain around her neck. Liana was growing bored of listening to the jingle as the Headmistress read; they had sat in the office for at least an hour now.

For all that Oris poked and prodded at that which was not his, he had remained silent for the entire encounter. The Headmistress and him held an uneasy truce of silence, which Liana took to be mutual respect.

Still, this was the woman who went to a negotiation riding a Fay-beast, escorted by one of the Arch-Fay themselves?

“It all appears in order Grand Vizier.” The Headmistress lowered her eye piece. She had not wasted the hour Liana had allocated to her meeting. Liana regretted mentioning the time they had when they first greeted the old crone. There was a sharpness in her eyes that brooked no nonsense but her own.

Liana nodded. “What are the names of the candidates chosen for our needs than, Headmistress.” Liana regretted not asking for her name, in all the stories of the Crone of Castoria none of them spoke of her name. In some they even sad she sold it to the Fay, a preposterous assumption to Liana. There was more information to be had here.

The Headmistress searched her drawers before removing four pieces of parchment. Each one possessed the official seal of the Archonage on the top corner. She worked in powerful circles this woman. On each page was a spell matrix. Each page held the Aurae of the candidate chosen by this crone for their needs. As Grand Vizier she would have preferred to personally chose and interrogate each candidate herself, but Liana knew this woman would not scam them. If anything, she may have a better eye than most, with how Oris was treating her.

“For the esteemed Hierarch, leader of Mysteries in Faith. I have selected a young boy who possesses traits and skills sets I believe you shall recognise in immediacy and in time.” The Headmistress passed Oris a piece of parchment. He broke the Archonage seal with his Aurae and scanned the document. Oris held many faces and appearances, but never had Liana seen such unadulterated glee in the man’s eyes. It was terrifying.

“Lain Hoenheim, a twin. From these metrics alone, my my my…” Oris paused in thought. With a flourish he bowed to the Headmistress. She nodded, and turned to Liana.

“From what I have been informed you require a certain type of individual. Here, but you should know that if she meets your expectations and more, I would advise giving her a broad paddock to play in.” The crone glared at Liana. “Otherwise you may find yourself at her mercy in time.”

“High praise for a woman I have never met.” Liana accepted the second document. She tried to break the seal without using her Aurae, but the Archonage seal would not budge. Holding back a sigh she flared her Aurae and read the document.

Liana Isuran, Grand Vizier of the Crown’s Council and Court, grinned like a manic demon.

She nodded to the headmistress. “We thank you, truly. It may come in a few years that I am in your debt.”

“Pfft.” The Headmistress held the last two documents. “I assumed the Royal couple would want to be here for these two.”

“Unfortunately, the Princess has taken quite ill and I have been given her authority to receive your candidates. It was in the documentation.”

“That it was, that it was.” The Headmistress hesitated. Instead of letting Liana break the seal she did it herself, with her thumb. Liana could not even see an Aurae as she did so.

“These candidates are for the title of Princess, as based on the cycle and my personal observations, and her prospective Warden, as I have noted from observations and history with her. For Warden I have selected Austin, he holds no last name nor ties to anyone beyond the orphanage. He is of sound mind and body, and possesses an Aurae bred from a deep Castorian Heritage; I suspect he will thrive as a Warden if he desires it.” Liana waited for the headmistress to go on, as Oris peered over her shoulder.

“Now, for the Royal couple…” She paused once again. Was it sentimentality, regret, there was something in the pauses. It would stick in the Grand Viziers mind in the weeks to come. “Her name is Julia Peerdove. She possesses a spirit of fire with a heart of gold. Her Aurae is of a strength I’ve only seen thrice before. You both understand the cycle as do I. Yet, if I hear of an untimely passing. If there is word that Castoria’s flame is diminished once again by corruption of any sort.” The head mistress rose from her seat. Her height was diminutive, her age clear in her wrinkles and flesh.

She was a titan for a moment. A woman with a scythe twice her size and a host of spirits accompanying her. She was something ethereal. But only for a moment, and then it was gone.

Erased from both the Hierarch and Grand Viziers mind.

She was seated behind her desk. She was tired and worn.

“She will return those who aid her sevenfold, but I fear those who cross her path. I’m sure she will be a wonderful daughter and even better Royal.”

Accepting the final piece of documentation Liana rose from her seat. “Thank you for your time, Headmistress.” She bowed. Oris followed her lead.

“It was my duty, nothing more or less. Now come.” She rose from her desk and made her way to the door, cane in hand. “They’ll be passed to your care at tonight’s assembly. Come, you may join me at the high table.”

With no flourish or flair, the Headmistress walked out the door. The Grand Vizier and Hierarch followed.