The Thorn In Me

Gone

I woke up at dusk, the air seemed to stand still. Carmella woke up next to me and rubbed her hazel eyes. "Charmaine, it's quiet." I looked around, and saw that Gerry was gone.

"Where'd he go?"  Carmella flew up to my shoulder and sat, as I stood. I looked to where Gerry had been sleeping, drag marks ran off into the distance. "He was taken. We will never find him now!" I exclaimed, pressing my back up against a tree. Carmella fluttered down to the soil, "I know where he is." She brushed aside the soil to reveal a barely noticeable silver pendant.

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"It's just right around this bend up here." Carmella floated out of view as she circled around a large tree.

I gasped at the view in front of me, "What is this place?" I whispered. Carmella smiled and floated towards it. It glowed with an aura, a massive golden tree stood in front of me. Little fluttering pixies flew everywhere, "What do you fandalglin sprites want with me?" I heard Gerry yell. Carmella and I crouched behind a bush as we spied on the actions around the tree. A large sprite with blue-green wings fluttered to the part of the tree where Gerry was tied, "We want you to get rid of your maiden." Her voice was motherly, yet it spewed out like venom. "Why would I murder our only hope? I ain't that stupid!" He screamed at her. "Dwarf, you are stupid. She will destroy these woods and kill us all. Is that what you want, hmm, Dwarf?" She spat back at him.

I stood, my back resting against a tree, hidden. "What are you doing, Charmaine? He's lost to us now, they'll never give him up!" Carmella tittered in my face. I reached for my pouch, searching for anything of use. Suddenly, a small golden flask appeared in my pouch. Bewildered, I read the inscription, 'Salias un stelias gliard.' "You are golden."

I drank from the bottle, yet there was nothing in it except a small scroll,

"Charmaine,

I have been sending scouts to watch your position, but recently non of my scouts have returned. Something is going on inside me, my magic is fading. I feel as though, and I hope, it's being replenished to you. Save the Kingdom, Luvia. Save us all.

                                                   Lillith, your fairy godmother.

I tucked the scroll into the gold bottle and closed my eyes. I could see him, standing above me.

"Charmaine, everyone is waiting." I stared up at him. "Who are you?" I grazed him up and down, "Where am I?" I could only see the wildflowers. "Rex, your love. And you are here in your world with me, you didn't honestly think you were strong enough to complete your quest?" He laugh above me, as I tried to sit up I found that I could not move. His laughing echoed into the darkness that slowly consumed my mind, body, and soul.

"Charmaine! What's happening to you?!" Carmellas voice was frantic. I examined myself in front of the tree. My fingers once dirty with mud and grime now glittered in a golden aura, my entire body seemed to glow with a light from the gods, I was golden.

I suddenly knew what I had to do, I ran out from behind the tree and into the sprites sight. Each and everyone of them bowed to me, "My Queen." They whispered from the thousands. The large aquamarine sprite with the motherly voice, coward down before me. Gerry's eyes were large like saucers, "You people, let my friend go." I spoke. All flew to Gerry until you couldn't see him through the swarm of creatures anymore. 

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"Well, he thought I was Shelik!" All the sprites laughed as I drank there gold mead and sang their whimsical songs. Carmella had reunited with her colony and explained that I was to be Queen, but to these small cuties, I was a God. Turns out Gerry and the motherly-voiced sprite (whose I found out was Sandra) had quite the connection, They stood by the pond talking and laughing. I slowly wondered if I could ever find someone that could make me laugh.

I trailed off in my thoughts, but when I came to I realized everything had quieted. Every sprite hid behind me as a large hulking black figure, strode towards the golden oak. With each step back I took, it seemed the faster his pace quickened. Gerry and Sandra remained by the pond, hiding in the shadows. "Charmaine." A deep voice growled. "Boo!" It yelled.

I reached my poisoned knife and slashed the figures shoulder. "Ow! Ugh! What was that for?" The figure exclaimed. "Adam!" I yelled suddenly the lamps lit up again, and the moon seemed to shine down on us. "Of course it's me! Were you expecting someone else?!" He hollered at me. "Hang on that knife is poisoned, you need to sit down." I told him as I grabbed a healing salve rom my pouch. I rubbed it gently on the slice and grabbed a leaf from the golden oak to protect it. " The cut was pretty deep, It will take a few days to heal completely. I'm sorry I sliced your shoulder, but what were you doing creeping up on an innocent good time in the middle of the night?" I accused him. All of the sprites had finally gone back to dancing and singing, no longer paying any mind to Adam and I.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" He held the crook of his arm out for me, I slid my hand into its reach. "Charmaine, I know you don't believe me when I tell you that we were childhood friends. You've been lied to almost your whole life, made to believe you were a simple orphan." He walked me to the opposite side of the pond and sat us beneath a large silver willow tree. Lightning bugs were glowing a strange scarlet color that reflected off of the water like something out of a dream. "I want you to trust me, Charmaine. I can't come with you on your quest but I'm always with you." His voice was comforting, but I could trust no one. Even Gerry had attempted to betray me, Carmella has been loyal thus far.

"Adam, I can do this. I know that I can.  I didn't even need a potion to turn into that golden goddess!" I expressed to him. "Really?" His eyebrows quirked in curiousity.

I slowly rose to my feet, a warm feeling burning through my heart. The gold started to glow from every part of my body until it slowly flickered and died. "Well, I can do it." I sighed. Adam pulled me down onto his lap, "Charmaine, you're always golden." His sky blue eyes twinkled into mine. Tension rising, he leaned his head closer to mine, fingers grazing my face. "Adam." I interrupted. "I cannot."

He arose softly, "I know." He swiftly ran into the woods, leaving my cheek burning with a passion for him to touch me once more.