The Wing Thief – Chapter 2
After hours of heated debate, the faeries finally came to a conclusion of sorts. They would send out a group for reconnaissance to see if they even could find a wizard that would be willing to help them. They would travel to the nearest city of Alifen, which was full of magic-wielding beings as well as normal folk. Many heightened towers of marble and stone soared high into the sky, in this city magic flourished.
The group of faeries was small and capable of flying to great heights. They weaved their way through the city, through various windows in many different buildings and towers unnoticed, searching for the domain of a wizard. Finally, they reached a small room in one of the winding stone towers, there were countless shelves of various ingredients in glass bottles. Tools of magic, like wands, obsidian daggers, and bundles of plants. Endless books and tomes radiated with magic energy.
“This has to be a wizard!” Exclaimed one of the fairies with mint green flowing hair and copper eyes.
“Hello, friends” echoed a female voice.
The fairies were all startled, glancing around for the source of the voice. They heard a light chuckle as a woman with cascading dark hair came into view.
“I was just practicing an invisibility spell!” She chuckled again “What are you guys doing in here?” She inquired lightheartedly as if faeries showing up unannounced was nothing new to her.
“We were searching for a wizard.” One of the faeries with night-sky-colored hair responded, flicking his wings to stay just above the woman.
“Why do you need a wizard?” Inquired the woman as she turned to fiddle with her open book, most likely the one she was using for the invisibility spell.
“Well…” The mint-haired faerie spoke up first. “It’s a bit of a long story, we can just get out of your hair.” The faeries all turned to fly out of the window they came through.
“I’m a witch!” The woman said excitedly “I am very fascinated with faeries, frankly I’m excited you popped into my window!” She clap her hands together and grinned at the faeries. “Perhaps I could be of assistance?”
The faeries all glanced at each other wordlessly speaking. The mint-haired faerie spoke up again. “You see, there is a thief that has been stealing our wings. The thief knows where we reside, and is capable of getting past our magic defenses, and rips the wings right off of us!” The mint-haired faerie crossed her arms and huffed in frustration.
The woman’s face morphed into a look of concern. “That’s horrible. How would they know where you are? It’s very difficult to find faeries!”
“That’s the tricky part, we believe the thief was once a faerie and a wizard turned them into a human, long ago, therefore they have the long life of a faerie, have the capabilities to track us, and are able to withstand our magical fortifications.”
“That is very tricky indeed, and quite interesting.” The woman said now deep in thought, long fingers twisting her dark locks absentmindedly.
“Do you think you could help us turn them back into a faerie?” Inquired the smallest faerie with a squeaky voice.
“I certainly think I could!” Exclaimed the woman. “I have studied faeries for years, like I said I find your kind quite fascinating, and so beautiful.” She flashed them a warm smile. “I have a tome here somewhere that spoke of this legend, and how it could be done!” The woman started sifting through her books, tossing some safely out of the way onto a plush velvet window nook.
The faeries glanced at each other again, understanding without words what they needed to ask. “What form of payment would you require for your services?” Inquired the faerie with the midnight hair.
The woman glanced up from her searching “Payment? Hmm. Would you visit me sometime? I would love to have faerie friends!” She beamed at them, her violet eyes crinkled with pure joy.
The faeries collectively let out a sigh of relief, it was not often a big human was so kind to them. “I would love to!” The smallest faerie squeaked and flew around the woman’s head twisting into her hair.
The woman giggled and her face lit up with happiness. “My name is Asgurn! OH, I found it, here we go!” She hefted a dusty tome and set it on her wooden table, then flipped to the required page.
“Here!” She pointed to a spell that could transform a faerie into a human, it was detailed out with what was required. She scratched her head in thought as all of the faeries gathered around the page.
“This doesn’t explain how to change them back though, does it?” Inquired the mint-haired faerie.
“I have an idea, we can utilize reversal magic with the spell, I think then it would work like a charm!” She winked at fairies.
“Now, how do we find this thief?”
…
Many of the faeries waited in hiding up in the trees. Asgurn using her invisibility spell was hiding down in the brush outside of the faerie runes so as to not trigger their painful effects. Asgurn had met with the faeries, including the Head Faerie, and was briefed on where the defenses were, the plan, and what the thief looked like as far as what the faeries had seen. Asgurn was kind, adored the faeries, and all of the faeries had taken a liking to her.
They had been in this position for the last three days as well, waiting for the thief to return. They were all ready for action the moment the thief showed themself. The traps were set, and one brave faerie took on the role to be bait. The faerie with lavender hair and plush lips lay peacefully on a flower, her body stretched across the petals and her wings flapping gently with the breeze, the beautiful colors catching the suns light.
A twig cracked.
Every faerie in waiting and Asgurn tensed, and shortly the thief shrouded in dark clothing appeared. The thief was silently approaching the faerie on the flower, she played her role exquisitely pretending not to notice as the thief got closer. Suddenly, roots sprang up from the ground and entangled the thief, pulling tighter so that the thief could not move. Asgurn appeared from the brush waving off her invisibility spell and quickly reciting the spell’s words. Her dark hair whipped around her face, her violet eyes glowing with power.
The thief turned their head towards the witch but made no sounds as if they were accepting their fate.
Six faeries gathered above the thief, flying in circles and sprinkling magic down upon them. Asgurn continued with the spell, and soon a bright shimmering magic enveloped the thief. As it grew brighter the witch nodded at the faeries above the thief to back off so they would not be harmed, and she drew closer chanting louder. With a bright flash and fizzling sounds the magic dispersed and only glimmers remained, as those faded away a small faerie was in the place the thief once was.
The small faerie had crimson hair and deep brown eyes. Asgurn drew nearer and knelt beside the now faerie once more.
“Hello, little thief.” She smirked at the faerie, and the faerie returned her gaze. Those brown eyes began to well up into tears. Soon the faerie was sobbing, its fire wings drooping. Asgurn scooped up the faerie in her delicate hands and carried the wailing faerie to the rest of the stunned faeries gathered.
“Isalyn?” The Head Faerie flew through the crowd and knelt next to the crimson faerie.
“Father?” She asked between ragged breaths and tears streaming down her face.
“I knew you loved that human… I had a theory it could have been you, but why Isalyn? Why would do this?”
“I… I don’t know. It has been so long, so long I have been alone and my love long lost. I didn’t know what to do, and I had to survive.”
The Head Faerie gathered Isalyn in his arms. “Well, you are home now, my dear. But, your misdeeds cannot go on unpunished. We have decided ahead of time if this plan worked what must be done.”
Isalyn looked up into her father’s eyes with deep sadness and yearning. “Do what must be done.”
…
Squeaky, well that was her nickname now, had gone with Asgurn to stay for a while, to help her learn, to be a dear friend, plus she did not want to see when the faeries ripped off Isalyn’s wings. It would be painful, dreadfully painful because it wouldn’t be one quick pull by a giant human, but an agonizingly slow tear done by many faeries. But, they would grow back. Probably.
…
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