Broken Glass - Taekook

11

I wake up to the sound of birdsong, a slightly discordant melody that winds its way through the waking forest, starting the chattering arguments of various small rodents. I'm lying on my side, half off my sleeping mat, when I open my eyes. And there's the small figure of a person in front of me, just visible in the gentle glow of sunrise.

They're smaller than my little finger, but as my vision slowly clears, Their tiny shape comes into view. 

The small figure of a woman is sat cross-legged on the grass, partially hidden by the slowly waving fronds. Transparent, slightly golden wings stretch out behind her, equal in size to the height of her torso, resembling those of a dragonfly. She's clothed in an exquisite dress fashioned out of reeds and leaves, with a small white sword strapped into a braided leather belt at her waist. Her hands, left resting on her knees, are decorated with bright green rings, and she wears golden bracelets of wire that snake up her forearms to the elbow. Her skin is smooth, unblemished by age or scar, and a deep shade of mahogany. 

A diadem of twisting golden wire sits on her head, dipping into an arrow in the centre of her forehead, with a small green gem at the bottom of that. Her eyes are a welcoming shade of brown, and her hair falls in coal-black braids to the middle of her torso. She is barefoot, but golden anklets encircle the bottom halves of her lower legs, much like the bracelets on her arms. 

As I watch, fascinated, she inclines her head to me, and stands up, her wings fluttering slightly with the elegant movement. Her hands are lifted, to show open palms in an unmistakable gesture of peace and goodwill, and I sit up slowly, carefully, trying to show that I mean her no harm. 

I glance over at the rest of my party, realising that I'm the only one awake. Cautiously, I lean over to Taehyung, the person closest to me, and give him a gentle nudge. He wakes slowly, and frowns in groggy confusion at me, only to nod in understanding when I place one finger against my lips. 

The woman takes to the air, her wings a faint golden blur in the air behind her, and Taehyung's eyes widen at the sight of her, in a mixture of amazement and excitement. He murmurs something in a flowing language that I don't understand, twisting his hand over his heart in a gesture I've never seen before, bowing his head before her in a clear show of respect. 

She responds in a quiet, rich voice, appearing pleased, and he smiles, replying with something else. As they converse, I look between them, baffled, until Taehyung turns to me. "Jungkook, we have been honoured this morning," he explains. "Our visitor is the faerie Queen Arlayna. She has risked a lot to come here." 

"She's a Queen?" I repeat, shocked, and he chuckles, nodding. Around us, the rest of the group begin to wake up. 
"Not just any queen. Her Majesty is ruler of all faeries in Eithyr, and despite the negative influence of the current king of Eithyr, she still wields a large amount of power here. For the last century, she has presided over faerie matters in the kingdom from her base in the Yarolian Plains, in the far northwest of Eithyr," Taehyung explains carefully.

I nod in understanding, trying to ignore the fact that she doesn't look like she's lived over a hundred years. "How...how far has she come?" I ask.
"It would take us two months to go there," he explains haltingly, "if we ignore the massive ocean between here and there. She flew nonstop for three days, and was expecting to end up in Hazelpoint by midday today. But she must have sensed our presence here, and realised that we were here." 

I freeze. "Three days? How did she even-"
"She's a faery, Jungkook. She draws strength from the world around us, as well as nature. And she was determined to meet the Saviour, in person. I'm not sure of why." 

He pauses, as Namjoon shifts in his sleep. Taehyung says something to the faery queen, who simply inclines her head. He clearly takes this as permission, for he then hurries over to our three sleeping companions, shaking them awake quickly. They jolt upright, convinced of danger for a moment, until he announces something to all three of them.