Kingdom of Fantasy: The Prince From the Dark

Chapter 15 - Aftermath

The Fairy King Regal was standing on the balcony, and his eyes were tightly focused on the bright blue sky. He watched the puffed silver and white clouds slowly crawl their way across his view, gradually taking one form, following another. The morning's wind flew into Regal and his surroundings; the breeze was brushing against his bright hair and wings. He then looked down onto his pastel blue arms, staring into the scrapes and lacerations he earned from a quarrel with a furious Fallen Prince. His wrists and forearms were etched with dark lines, even though the blood has already dried up and the wounds have been washed, which left deep scars. He took a gentle sigh as he lifted his head into the azure light of day. The gentle breeze flew into the Fairy King's white hair, making each strand look like it was tossing and turning like the clouds. He then noticed an object emerging from the sky. At first, Regal assumed it was a bluebird, then assumed it was either a crow or a falcon as the object grew larger. After a moment, the 'bird' revealed itself to have spiraled horns, and its cerulean wings had gold undersides. If the creature was not a bird, it was likely to be a dragon. Also, it seemed to be flying toward the castle as if it had a purpose. Later, Regal noticed a middle-aged man sitting on the back of the indigo beast. The rider was wearing a robe as white as the surrounding clouds, and his hair had a pale silver tint. In addition, Regal noticed someone else on the dragon. The rider seemed to be carrying a figure who seemed to be seriously injured. The figure appeared as a woman with a bright orange scaly dress, with shiny mahogany hair and a gold crown. She was laying down in front of the rider in white, and Regal observed that the upper portion of one of her arms was wrapped in cloth. The location of her torso closest to her ribs was also wrapped by coils of cloth. The dragon with the two figures was heading towards Regal at a fast pace.

"Mel! Is that you!?" the Fairy King called while waving both of his arms to attempt to capture the rider's attention.

The blue dragon stretched its paws as it was descending from the air. Regal was expecting that the creature would set foot on the balcony, but it dove deeper and perched on the ground of the Crystal Castle's front courtyard because the balcony the King was standing on barely had the space needed for the dragon to roost. As the dragon put all four of its feet onto the ground, Regal stretched his white wings and swooped down towards the entrance of the castle, ready to assist the rider if he needed anything. The dragon put its head down, allowing the rider to climb down the creature and reach the floor while carrying the damaged woman with his arms. Regal then decided to walk closer to the figures and offer any form of assistance.

"Hey there Mel, here, let me help you with that." Regal offered, raising his arms and using his hands to gently grab Cackle while letting her lean towards him.

"Jee! Thank you very much for helping me carry her." Mel gratefully replied, feeling less of Cackle's weight dragging him down. He lifted his head from the ground to look into Regal's eyes. "This is very important... She needs your help. I'll explain more once we find a spot for her to lay down."

Regal and the White Wizard carefully lifted the injured woman and slowly treaded towards the entrance of the Crystal Castle. As they passed the large decorative doors, they walked into the main room. It was large and the walls were as white as marble. There were other Fairies in the main room, and they fluttered their wings and moved towards Regal.

"Guys!" Regal kindly requested the surrounding Fairies. "She's seriously injured. Would you please kindly provide something for her to lay down?"

They agreed. Two male Fairies in gold and white armour flew towards one room, while two female Fairies in a white and pink dress moved towards another room. The two men returned carrying an empty wooden barrel in each of their arms and gently placed them on the ground. They flew back into the room where they found the barrels. The women returned. The Fairy in a white silky dress held blankets of white silk and sand-colored felt, while the Fairy in a pink flowery dress carried a blanket that seemed to be composed of thick wool. The men returned a second time, carrying two more barrels, and then placing them next to the other barrels in a neat order. After a final return of the Fairies carrying the barrels, there were a total of six wooden containers arranged into two rows of three. The women then neatly laid the blankets on top of the barrels, which made the final construct appear like a bed. After the bed was built, the Fairies flew away to mind their own businesses, which allowed Mel and Regal to gently lay Cackle onto the blankets. The red-haired Witch's back was placed onto the layers of cloth, while the front of her body was facing the ceiling. A sting of shock ran down Regal's mind as he looked into the cloth coiled around the Witch's chest, noticing a dark stain on the center of her chest.

"What in the name of our great ancestors is that!?" Regal gasped, raising a hand in front of his mouth. He observed Cackle some more, making more mental observations. "She barely breathes, and she's all pale, as if all the blood was drained out of her body!"

"There's more to that." Mel answered. He removed the cloth from her body. After each layer was untied from Cackle, Mel slowly revealed the concealed wound. As the last piece of cloth was slowly removed from the Witch's body, Regal gasped in horror at what he witnessed.

"What the hell happened here!?" Regal exclaimed, "Did your brother do that?"

"By the look of it," Mel answered, followed by a deep sigh, "Yes... Very likely."

Regal and Mel closely studied and investigated any observations that were in the wound that was received by the red-haired Witch. There was a fist-sized cavity located on the center of her chest. Beneath her scaly orange dress and loincloth undergarments, there seemed to be torn skin, fractured ribs, and severed veins that were still leaking small droplets of fresh red fluid. Behind Cackle's cracked ribs was a frail twitching orb of flesh that produced a dim red glow. It was nearly as large as a pear, and it softly fluttered. Regal took another look at the Witch's mangled flesh, but this time, the King reached out his hand and moved it towards her failing Soul. The Fairy King's fingertips could feel the warmth radiating from her insides as he was close to touching it. After a few seconds, the Fairy King retracted his hand as he stepped closer to the White Wizard.

"Cackle's Soul is still warm, and it does not seem to be that damaged." Regal quietly spoke to Mel, "There is a chance that she may live if I help her recover."

"Is that so?" Mel asked with a sliver of hope in his voice.

"However, the process will take a very long time in order for her to fully recover."

"How long do you think it would take?"

"A little more than a year."

Regal gave out a sigh before finishing his last sentence. He then used one of his hands to search the pockets on his robe, only to find out that they were empty. The King became more aware that he was looking for something, but it was not felt, as if it did not exist.

"Sir, is anything wrong?" Mel asked after observing Regal.

"The Earth-Shifter Charm!" Regal exclaimed, "It's missing!"

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so. The only thing I remember was that the last time I had it, your brother snatched it from me. I must have forgotten about it since."

"What about we send someone there. If things get worse, maybe I will have to look for it."

"Actually, I have a favor for you. My Kingdom has a colony located in the Desert of Eyes and Ears called the City of the Sun. It is still in development, so it is highly vulnerable to any attacks that Avalon or the Apes might strike next."

"And what about Cackle?" Mel asked, looking back at the paralyzed Witch resting on the barrels.

"I'll take care of her, I promise." Regal answered.

"I got it." Mel replied once more. He lifted the bags he was carrying and held on to them with one hand before equipping them onto his back. With the cloth sacks strapped onto him, the Wizard could feel the weight pulling him down, but not by a lot. He then dragged himself to the exit of the Crystal Castle, but before he could walk out and meet the blue dragon in the courtyard, he turned to look back at Regal and raised one of his hands to wave a farewell.