Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Blake

 Julien was looking over the book that the Fae Queen Elathae gave Blake when she found him in the sage archives in Dragonbarrow. He had a look of awe in his face. Whatever was in that book was unlike anything either of them had seen before.

"I don't know how I'm able to read this," he said. "I thought the whole thing would be written in Fae."

"It probably was, originally," Blake guessed. "Elathae said that whoever looked at it could read it."

"So, if someone who only understands Common looks at it, they can read it?" said Julien.

"Pretty much," answered Blake.

"Who's Elathae again?"

"She's the Queen of that temple we found," said Blake.

"A Fae Queen?" asked Julien, then his eyes widened as he said, "You met a living Fae?"

"She's the one who gave me that book," said Blake. "And she preferred 'Nymph'."

"Blake, she's a Nymph Queen," Julien reminded.

"So?" said Blake. "We're Knights, not biologists."

"Right," agreed Julien.

Suddenly, Theon Bloodbane stomped behind Blake and said "The Queen wishes to have a word with you, Guardians. She seems upset, so let's not keep her waiting." Theon led Blake and Julien to the bottom of the pit in the center of Dragonbarrow. Queen Kara was giving Tessa a look of absolute rage, with her arms crossed, and Tessa was hanging her head, with guilt in her mind.

"What's going on?" asked Blake.

"Tell them," Kara snapped.

"Tell us what?" said Julien. Tessa turned to Blake and Julien and began to speak, almost under her breath.

"Louder!" Kara shouted.

"In the desert..." Tessa started. "I was able to feel that we were standing above that Fae fortress, but I said nothing."

"Tell them why," Kara ordered. Tessa seemed reluctant to say why she lied.

"Tell them!" Kara shouted.

"I used to be a member of the Silver Hawks!" Tessa screamed, covering her eyes.

"The who?" said Blake.

"Well, that explains a lot," added Julien. "The Silver Hawks are Epsilon assassins, the worst enemies there are to House Karvine. All they want is everyone with that last name dead. No one's seen them since the reign of King Bowman Karvine, though."

"How long ago was that?" asked Blake.

"Eight thousand years ago," said Theon, then he stepped up to Tessa, who had a look of dread on her face.

"Theon, please," she begged. Theon grabbed Tessa by the throat and lifted her into the air, and she began struggling to breathe. Blake could sense a feeling of rage from Theon, but even more from Kara.

"Kara," Tessa pleaded, as her face turned blue.

"Theon," said Julien. "Let her down, you're killing her."

"That's the idea," Theon snapped.

"Enough, she's trying to say something!" Julien shouted, and he managed to pry Theon's claws from Tessa's neck. She dropped into the sands, landing on her back, and taking a deep breath of air. Blake and Julien both rushed to her side and sat her upright, and she coughed out blood.

"Tessa, these Guardians are strangers to me, and I trust them more than you at the moment," said Kara. "What could you have to say to make me not have Theon burn you alive right here?"