Folks Of Fury (#1; Tales Of Elysia [COMPLETED])

twenty-four.

Things would've been different if they had all listened to me. If they had taken my words as serious as they would one of their own and not someone they mistook as their enemy.
The senseless massacre and mayhem their ignorance had wrought, would've been averted.
It would have been easier to use the ley lines again to take us away from Agnate lands.
But I'd found that allowing my body and mind access to that ancient power was a hazard to my mental state.
It was an exhilarating force that was beyond the bounds of nature, a power too infinite for just any one person to wield that it became disease on the mind.
So I summoned Tromos and Apelpi instead and with a geas, turned one of my ravens into a horse which I rode atop into the Moors.
If Liothan figured out where I was taking him, he didn't reveal anything. The ride to the boundaries of Faery seemed further than usual with the fiendish killer bound in front of me.
"You know what I don't understand? Why disguise yourself as Lionel, Ezra's friend for years... how did you even manage to hoodwink so many of the Agnate and for so long?"
He snorted with disdainful pride. "I am a prince of Faery; such spells are child's play compared to my full abilities. And my quest for the salvation of Faery was a longterm plan, it required dedicated years of fostered trust."
I guessed that was understandable. I wouldn't expect such cunning from anyone but a Fey.
"Is the dream to save Faery, only what you hoped to gain by the Rites?" I asked.
I felt him stiffen at my question. "If there is, do share my own maniacal plots."
I rolled my eyes. Even as a Fey, he had the sardonic demeanor of a human. "Oh I think there is. One doesn't just go about killing people just for the sake of reinstating an era of pride and whatever for his people. Something turned you against your mother, was it wanting the crown too much?"
"She's not my mother!" His ire made my contrary guess evident. What had Queen Mab done to her son to have made him this spiteful murderer?
"I am a prince who kills not for the crown but for my people."
"You realize I'm taking you to your execution. Might as well spill your secrets, to assuage my curious mind of course."
Liothan snorted but was quiet and I didn't bother pressing him for answers. He would be giving every detail at his trial before the Fey Court anyway.
I pulled horse-turned Tromos to a stop as I heard the neighing sounds of horses galloping towards us.
I watched the riders come in a haze of their individual auras, glimmering with a fierceness that diminished every other in their path.
There were four of them and when they were close enough to not be dizzied by their aura, I realized who they were.
Ezra had told me of the four Knights who had come and unleashed the witch plague the day I was whipped.
He had described them as something out of the horrors of apocalypse. They took the deadly and invulnerable ambience of the Four Horsemen.
I only saw them as the heads of the Fey Queen's guards. They were always spotted at her side, eager to cut down any adversity against their lady.
"I see you have succeeded in your task, Furyflame." The red Knight rasped, looking garish as his maroon lips bared into a feral smile.
"Just as you thought I wouldn't, right?" I retorted, moving my hand to where Angurvadal was sheathed.
Could I take these four legendary warriors if they decided to attack and take Liothan from me?
"There's no need for that, halfbreed." The green Knight remarked with a cutting glance at my sword. "I doubt Angurvadal would be yours after, if you dared."
I gritted my teeth, leaching my power a little to send out embers of my flames outward. "You want to bet on that?"
"We are only here to escort you and the prisoner to Queen Mab's court for his trial." Aristyl cautioned a look at his brothers and he reared his steed aside as did the others.
I narrowed a look at them as Liothan spoke. "Still the quickest to resolving issues with the blade, "
"As you are always the witless culprit to a crime." Aristyl bit back and turned his horse forward, he glanced at me.
"Ride close, Furyflame. The path is a lot riskier from when last you entered Faery."
I arched a brow. It hadn't been even a month since Ezra and I came here. But then I shouldn't be surprised.
Faery was as unpredictable as her natives.
I had to spur my own horse faster to keep up with the four Knights who I guessed had to pull back their own horses to let me catch up.
Rolls of emerald green hills passed us, rivers slushing as black as pitch where mermaids swam and sang.
I wondered how Liothan was feeling being back home after decades away. Maybe nostalgia or perhaps fear of what punishment his mother would give for his crimes.
I had to admit I wanted to see Queen Mab's infamous justice being served, even if it was to her own son.
As we rode on, passing castles and woods filled with iridescent will-o-wisps, I pondered if she would even have the heart to punish him.
One could never be sure with the Fey.
Horses wound their way up the next valley, their riders solemn and quiet as they held banners.
My eyes caught on the shock of the swarming crowds of the Fey court.
I could not stop myself from staring at the rich and strange patterns of the clothes and armour, the shining locks, and the faces, so beautiful and terrifying.
Though nothing so terrifying as the castle that spiked up from the ground like a jutting bone citadel.
Spires and turrents cracked down, moon pale stones of the ruined structure littered the glades surrounding it.
"Amaranth." Every child of both Agnate and Faery knew the tales told of Amaranth, the vast fortress that Mab had raised in the early years of her reign to serve as frontier post in the war that had granted her the crown.
Though it was decrepit and mostly covered by curtains of wild rose stalks, briars and part of the forest, it was a powerful landmark of Fey history and held the Queen's court.
The path ended at a net of roots and crumbling stones that formed steps, the crowds of gentry and lesser Fey demarcated by the presence of the Knights.
I climbed down from Tromos, tugging Liothan down and holding onto his chains. I released the spell to turn Tromos back to raven form and was pleased when he and his brother perched on my shoulders.
I followed the Knights as they climbed to a door embedded within a wall of saplings.
My heart quickened as the large door swung open, seemingly of its own accord, and revealed a hall of stone so white they glowed like the moon.
Hundreds of branches melded in and around to form the honeycombed ceiling. Below, six chairs were arrayed along each wall, facing the grand hall crowded by Fey.
In them reposed twelve indomitable Fey princes and princesses.
Fierce and handsome they were, with smooth faces unmarked by age and keen jeweled eyes that gleamed with vapid excitement.
They leaned forward, gripping the arms of their chairs, and stared at us as we drew closer, with anticipation and anger.
I only hoped the latter wasn't for me.
Unlike the spectators around us who formed the court, they had swords belted at their waists- hilts studded with beryls and sapphires- and circlets that adorned their brows.
And at the head of the assembly stood a white pavilion that sheltered a throne of black stone. A garish thing, in this backdrop of white, to look at because it looked like a pile of ashened bones put together to make it.
Queen Mab sat upon it. She was as beautiful as an autumn sunset, vain and imperious, with two dark eyebrows slanted like upraised wings, and blue green hair bound under a diamond diadem.
Her flowing gown was the deep crimson of blood. Round her hips hung a girdle of braided gold and poised at the foot of her throne was Wylla her tiger familiar.
Despite her imposing countenance, the Queen seemed fragile, as if she concealed a great pain, on placing her cruel eyes past her Knights and unto me and the prisoner I brought.
By her left hand, she held the curved staff with a shard of black adamant making it a spear. I shuddered as I felt the tidal waves of magic rippling from it.
The Columnar. The staff that binds all Wyldwuds to the Queen.
Yet as I was sickened by its power, I couldn't look away from it. The bony rings that made the rod a spine from a great beast, the etched runes that spoke of forgotten eons.
There was something familiar in it.
Aristyl knelt on the moss-covered ground and bowed first, then his brothers. But I didn't copy them, my knees didn't deep in homage to this lady who has all but made things difficult for.
She might as well be as bad as the St. Ours, putting me through all this when she could've easily given me a place in her realm.
The court tittered in my defiance and lack of respect for her.
And even Liothan was unmoved, glowering hotly at the Fey Queen, his mother. Wylla growled, baring sharp fangs and claws.
Mab stood and descended from the throne, the train of blood red gown trailing behind her.
  She walked past her Knights and stopped before me.
"As you requested, the murderer and mastermind behind the ritualistic murders. The killer of twenty Agnate people including five Fey."
I tugged the chains and threw Liothan forward. "You have done well, Furyflame. I for one, had doubts if you had the fortitude to fool your lover and succeed. But here you are."
I flinched at the mention of Ezra. I had to get this over with and go to him. Who knew what the Elders were doing to him for helping me.
"Here I am." I handed the chains over to Aristyl and turned to meet her scrutinous gaze, so tight and heated that I would have taken a step back in dread.
But I held my ground and said. "Now for my reward."
Queen Mab grinned with a dark relish, clicking her tongue as she mounted the dais back to her throne.
"You wish to become part of my court, as a Knight of my guard, yes I did promise you that. Very well."
But I protested before the deed was done. "Actually, Your Majesty I no longer wish to be a Knight of Faery. That would mean me swearing myself to you, I cannot do that. I will not."
Gasps and murmurs resounded through the hall, even the Knights shared a look and stared at me wide eyed. I guess it wasn't everyday someone refused such a gift.
"Isn't this what you have wanted since you were nothing but a whelp? Why refuse a gift that could change your life?"
I replied Aristyl's words, I took steps forward. "Because my life has already been changed. Yes I've wanted to be part of a community since I was old enough to want anything. I was always the odd one out all through my life, I despised it. I hated the loneliness and the darkness it was brought was a torture on its own. I don't know if I'm going to regret this but I know I cannot keep living like this. A witch but not a witch, a Fey but not a Fey."
"Then be a Fey. Accept the legacy of your father and serve at my side."
I smiled with the words that tumbled out of my mouth. "I'll never serve anyone's wishes but my own. I have Ezra now. He is everything that I wanted and still desire. My place is with him."
My explanation seemed to have angered Queen Mab more than my refusal. Her blue feathered hair swirled and billowed in an unseen breeze, her eyes vicious in her anger.
My hand went instinctively to Angurvadal ready to defend myself should she order my death or strike me herself.
But she sighed. "Then leave. You may enter Faery and live amongst us but only as a guest and never too close to Amaranth."
I didn't move, my eyes going to the chained prisoner and meeting his uncertain face.
Aristyl stepped up to me and said through gritted teeth. Guess he too was pissed.
"Leave. Fey trials are only to be witnessed by the Fey court, not a guest of the crown."
I nodded and in a bright flare of flame I shifted into a raven and flew with Tromos and Apelpi out of Amaranth.
Leaving Faery, I approached the cabin house only to be met with rising columns of smoke and the heat of flames.
I didn't land but soared in the air above and watched Ezra's home, my home go up in a blaze of fire. I could taste witchcraft in the flames.
This was the work of the Agnate. Even from ten feet above the trees, I saw the gathered individuals and amongst them the Elders.
They came looking for me here. But how had they found the cabin?
It didn't matter as I needed to find Ezra. So I shook off the urge to interceded and put out the flames and flew on ahead towards Legion House.
I could feel him in the three storied mansion, see him with my acute bird sight pacing yo and down his room.
I remained in bird form, perched on a tree, because Eleazar had placed Hounds to patrol the compound in watch for me.
I chuckled to myself at the situation. Ezra could very well be the princess in the tower and it would have pissed him off greatly.
I watched and noticed the rounds each Hound patrol made across the large expanse of Khan property. The people who drove in and entered the house, left and remained on the premises.
I had my eye out for Chris or Micah or the girls. Maybe they could help me get me to Ezra. But the security was air tight.
After a hour of no luck, I left my ravens to still keep watch while I flew to Toby's house. I'd been to the Vincente house only twice because their Toby and Eloise's parents weren't comfortable with them being friends with me.
And I wouldn't expect them to let me through the door now that I was enemy number one of the Agnate.
But at least theirs wasn't as heavily opposed as Legion House. And Eloise always left her windows open for me.
I flew into my best friend's bedroom and finally returned to my form just as Chris stepped out of the adjoining bathroom stark naked.
"Holy mother of the Saints!" I hastily turned about, putting my hands over my eyes.
"What the fuck!" Chris exclaimed and I heard movements as he probably grabbed something to put on.
"Senoy, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Please tell me Toby knows you're not in here, prancing about jiggling your dickly in his sister's room?"
Chris snorted and nudged me. I dropped my hand and looked at him shrug on a shirt. "Why are you here?"
I looked at him funny. "I can't come to my best friend's place anymore just because you two are sleeping together?"
"I don't mean here, here. The Elders are searching everywhere for you. There's an order to kill you on sight."
Well I was expecting that. "What the hell did you do with Lionel? Did you kill him?"
I shook my head. "I took him to the Fey Queen."
"What?!" I gave him a shushing look, before he roused any Shifter in the house as I dropped at the side of the bed.
"Look I'll explain everything but right now I have no where to go. The cabin is being burned to the ground as we speak and I need to see Ezra."
Chris sat beside me. "You can't see him. His father's got him on lockdown, after what he did helping you escape with Lionel. It was all he could to stop the Elders from killing his son."
"Fuck." I ran a hand through my hair and sighed deeply. "I'm getting him out of there. I don't care if I fight through the Elders and a hundred Hounds."
Chris smirked and patted my shoulder, before he got to his feet.
"Ezra said you were a badass fighter. I would like to see that, let me go get the others. Meet us by the bridge in an hour."
I was skeptical to leave or to trust him in being discreet enough to bring our friends together especially with the price on my head.
But I could trust in his loyalty to Ezra at least.
He left and a fee minutes later, the Vincente twins rushed into the room. We stared at each other before we rushed forward into an embrace.
"Holy shit, Senoy. When Chris said you were up here, I said you couldn't be this stupid to come here."
"Katerina was just here, asking us questions about you, where you would go? Who your friends are." Toby confided.
"Well I have no where to go thanks to them burning the cabin to the ground."
Eloise gasped. "So you weren't at the cabin then?"
I shook my head. "Look I know what I did at the trial was as mad and wicked as all the Fey stories you were raised up in. But I had to, it wasn't fair that those bunch of judgmental pricks would convict him with as much spite for what he is than what he did."
Toby folded his arms and watched me. "So you took him to face judgment in Faery. That sounds reasonable. But are you sure they wouldn't let him go?"
"They won't. Liothan killed his own kind, not in combat or leave of the Queen, in cold blood. It's a crime punishable by death."
"But he's a prince. Surely his mother..."
"Mab herself will carry out the execution or risk her throne. No one has to worry about that lying psychopath anymore, trust me."
I caught their appreciative nods. "So what happened after?"
"Ezra is facing charges for helping you escape. He's kept in his father's custody till the Elders convene." Eloise said.
"No, I'm getting him out of there. Tonight."
"It's clearly a trap to bait you into coming for him. Eleazar won't let anything happen to his son, they just want you."
I looked at them both and uttered. "Then they'll get me."