The Chained Watcher

Heroes?

Help. My lack of naming skill is biting me. Save me. I haven't thought of a name for our new demon queen either. Mercy, please.

~~~

This is still on the main plane.

So the humans apparently had the impression that they were using the fae's land as a base to launch expeditions from. When a spy relayed that particular bit of intel, the stoic queen burst out laughing, before realizing they weren't joking. What kind of monster did they think she was, to believe that she would defile the home of the fae like that?

No, that was not why she had rousted the nobles of the empire from this particular region of the continent with such fervor. The land of the fae was not for soldiers and fighters to use, but rather a place for children to grow and marvel at the magnificence of the world around them. She still remembered the moment she had gotten the report of the living forest sounding so familiar.

Normally she remained in a central area to command her forces, but if this was what it sounded like, she just had to go see. She had rushed over to the forest, listening to the boughs creak and the leaves rustle. Apparently the humans called this a cursed forest, but that couldn't be true. The fae did not build cruel things, preferring to create beautiful constructs to spark the light of wonder in the eyes of the hopeless.

The forest had welcomed her, and she found a path manifesting before her as the plants bent their branches out of her way. Following their invitation, she passed through a shimmering curtain hanging over the depths of the forest. The moment she did, it was as if the blind had suddenly been given eyes to see. Towering above her was the World Tree, though she hadn't gotten to see it in its completed glory during her time with the fae.

Wandering aimlessly down the streets, she let her memories overwhelm her while looking at all the little things she remembered. This bench had the pretty azaleas next to it, that pastry shop had the best cream puffs, here was where that one fae had handed her an apple made of gold, then laughed at her confusion when it was actually edible.

In this meandering manner, she slowly made her way to the central fountain, appreciating the tailored architecture the whole way. Any stray thoughts were blown away the moment her eyes fell on the book sitting in the middle of the square. Rushing over, she opened it with a feather-light touch, afraid that anything firmer would harm the old book.

The words were unreadable. They were all written in the language of the fae, which she hadn't been able to learn in her short time here. Flipping through the pages rapidly, her eyes flicked over more and more of the foreign words, until stopping when the end had been reached. At the very end of the book lay a single sentence she could understand. She read it out loud.

"May The World Never Forget Our Names."

This book... Did it contain the names of the fae who were here? Clutching it tightly, she made the decision to get a team of noncombatants to work on translating the entire thing. The fae left behind a written record of their presence so the world would never forget them, and nothing on this earth could make her deny them this. 

Looking up at the World Tree, she promised to the empty air. "For as long as I live, none shall forget the existence of the fae, nor shall they defile this place. This is not a fortress for fighting, but instead a home for children and those who have tired of the endless cruelty of the world outside."

The wind brushed past as she made this promise, carrying it throughout the entire hidden land as the leaves rustled in reply. A single budding flower drifted down the air currents to settle on top of the fountain in front of her, blossoming to reveal a miniature form of the flowers of the great Tree high above.