Sofia's gifts

Chapter 1.1: Courier's Call

Nabal squatted in the garden, pulling shamrocks and dandelions from between the rows of mint and dill that were beginning to grow tall behind his parents' cottage. His mother had angrily sent Nanak into the garden after catching him carving the alphabet into the doorposts with a knife. He was glad she did. Nabal had a hard time not doing things that came into his head, and work him focus himself on a concrete task. His father and four older brothers were out cutting wood that they would be able to use to pay the tax to Lord Felix.

Nabal sat for a moment and wiped the sweat from his brow, spreading a brown dirt stain across his forehead. As he looked up, he saw a fairy floating just a few feet from his face. He instantly jumped to his feet, excited. The fairy zipped backward in the air on its crystalline, buzzing wings. Nabal panicked for a moment, thinking that he scared it off. He slowly stretched out his hand palm side down toward it like he would a stray dog. The fairy slowly edged forward and dropped onto the back of his hand. The fairy was a man and was covered every inch in moss. Nabal was reaching his left hand slowly toward it to touch him, but was suddenly surprised by a voice.

"Are you Nabal?" The fairy asked in a surprisingly rough and gravely voice.

"Yes, how do you know me? Have you been watching me?" Nabal asked with fascination.

"Don't worry about that. You should come with me into the woods for a moment," The fairy said. Nabal couldn't discern any facial features through the mossy covering except for a pair of black, glittery eyes, but by the tone, he had to imagine that he was smiling.

"I don't know about that. I don't think Mom would like that at all." Nabal said hesitantly.

"I think she'd understand if you explained afterward that a fairy asked you to."

"No..." Nabal started, torn. "She says that fairies can't be trusted, and that they play tricks on people."

"But that's with adults."

Nabal cocked an eyebrow. "Why would that matter."

The fairy sat down on his hand, as if he had just realized that this would take longer than he thought. "Here kid, think about it rationally. It's more fun to pull tricks on adults, because they have schedules and expectations and egos. Children and adolescents regard most of what adults call 'tricks' as adventures."

Nabal was taken aback. "Can you fairy's read or something."

The fairy stood up and hovered a few hairbreadths above Nabal's hand, put his hands on his hips, and puffed out his chest. "Some of us can."

Nabal thought for a moment. "I guess a fairy that can read would be more mature than the one's Mom met when she was a child... Alright. I'll go."

"Alright! Keep up!" The fairy zipped off toward the tree line, and Nabal followed, keeping at a light jog to keep up with him. They entered the woods at what looked like an old footpath. The fairy kept up a pace that was just too fast for Nabal to see where they were going. Before he knew it, they entered an area where there were tall trimmed hedges just like walls. Some of them even had battlements. The fairy zipped through an archway in the hedge structure. Nabal hesitated for just a second before running in after the fairy. After all, he reasoned, it would be pointless to turn back now and get in the same amount of trouble for half an adventure. Thus justified in his mind, he focused on keeping close behind the fairy, an increasingly difficult task. The fairy seemed to be picking up speed, zipping around this corner and that, zooming through what Nabal came to realize was a hedge maze. As they slowed to a stop in the middle, Nabal groaned.

"So this was your trick, huh?" Nabal looked around, panting and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Leaving me lost in the middle of this maze?" He chuckled. "It's only a little bit inconvenient. I know that if I follow one wall, it'll lead me out."

The fairy zipped toward him, stopping just in front of his face. "This isn't 'the trick.' Look around and use your mind."

Nabal did as the fairy instructed. As he looked around, he realized that this was a reasonable destination. A fountain in the middle of the circle shot water high into the sky, which fell as misty rain into the marble basin below. In front of that was a marble lectern with a large book on it. Nabal got close and looked at the ornate book. The letters were an older looking script from the language of the archipelago to the west. Felklees, it was called. Next he walked to the fountain and took a small drink from the basin. Finally, he walked around to the other side of the fountain. There he saw a huge chessboard. The king and queen pieces were the size of his leg, and the pawns about half that. The fairy flitted up beside Nabal.

"Why don't you make a move?"

Nabal looked at the fairy suspiciously. "What's gonna happen if I do?"

The fairy just shrugged and darted over to the fountain where he began washing his wings. The fairy's lack of attention gave Nabal the confidence he needed that this was not a trick. He took hold of one of the white pawns and moved it two places forward. Suddenly the fairy looked up and flew over to where Nabal stood.

"Goodbye. Have a nice trip," It said in a singsong voice.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by that?" Nabal asked. Suddenly he felt dizzy, and black and purple spots danced before his eyes and filled the corners of his vision. He felt nauseous, and he was having trouble keeping the fairy in his line of vision.

"Come back here you little insect!" Nabal yelled. "I'll rip off your stupid wings!"

Suddenly, he fell onto his face, insensate.

In what seemed like a few seconds later, Nabal woke up in a clearing in the woods, the sun setting, and a woman's voice drifting eerily through the trees in song.

Day by day, the people toil
For money, or fame ,or roots to boil
Yet one by one they're eaten by soil
Death, he comes for all

The shepherd leaning tired on his staff
The farmer delivering a newborn calf
At their toil and effort, I heartily laugh.
Death, he comes for all