A Court of Sun and Stars

I was born powerful, more powerful than most High Lord's heirs, so naturally Hybern saw me as a threat, and wanted me. For fifty years the King of Hybern has sliced me up and rifled through my body, searching for my source of power, and I assume a way to steal it. For fifty years I've been shackled with blue stone, magic-dulling shackles that nullify my powers. For fifty years I have been starved in a cell, rotting in my own filth. Until the day the Cauldron decided to work on my side.

It was his fault, he should have known better, should have known that the Cauldron would not contain me, but unleash me. That bastard King of Hybern finally got sick of dissecting me day after day, trying to find the source of my power. Got sick of slicing me up over and over again, many times to the point that even my immortal Fae body could not heal properly, leaving much of my abdomen covered in light scars from Hybern's wicked, curved blades. He made the mistake of deciding that his latest experiment would be to drop me into the Cauldron and see if I survived. Little did he know, I would come out as pure energy, pure raw magic. I could not be contained.

I writhed in their strong, steady arms, trying with all my might to escape the Hybern soldier's deadly grip as they dragged me toward that wicked looking Cauldron. I could physically feel the magic radiating off of it as we neared it. The soldiers threw me to the ground, right at the foot of the Cauldron. I scrambled to get to my feet, standing on unsteady legs to look up at the King of Hybern who sat on his crumbling throne on the dias in front of me. He sat with a cool, amused look on his face, like this was all a joke to him. I felt bile rising in my throat as I realized this is the day I will finally die. Some part of me was relieved, relieved that I would never have to endure their sharp steel dragged along my body any longer, have to feel the ache of hunger after they forgot to feed me for another week, have to feel the blue stone shackles nullify my powers, my being. So I focused all my energy on staying standing, and staring down the King.

"I have grown bored of you, Isla. Clearly we will not be able to find your source of power, so I have decided to throw you to the Cauldron and see what it will do with you," he drawled out casually, like I was not about to meet my end. I fought another wave of nausea that hit me, refusing to spill my stomach right now. I needed to be strong, or at least pretend to be.

"Then get on with it, coward," I managed to spit out, my voice raspy with unending screams and agonizing thirst. A flash of anger filled his eyes, and he waved a lazy hand signalling his soldiers to throw me in.

I tried not to let the fear show on my face as they gripped my arms hard enough to bruise, and walked me toward the Cauldron where it sat on the dais. I held my head high, swallowing my terror as I looked down into the cruel thing. I did not have time to spit on the King one last time before I was dunked into the Cauldron and the world around me melted.

I ran through the warm, bright lands, faster and faster with every leap of my legs. The sky above me was a brilliant blue, not a cloud in sight. The grass beneath my feet was bright green, and looked unnaturally soft and billowy. I tried not to drink in the scenery around me, the towering willows, beds of wildflowers, and trickling streams, instead I focused on running faster, and not looking back.

I did not know how long I had been running for. I had no food to stop and eat, or water to drink. My stomach burned with the ache of hunger, and my throat was so dried up I was not sure if I could even speak at this point. I had no time to sleep, I had to keep running. I did not look back, for fear I would see the King of Hybern and his soldiers following me. So I kept running through this land of eternal Spring, until I could return to my home. Though I was not sure if they would take me back, now that I was remade. I didn't know where I belong anymore.

As I kept running, my breath ragged and lungs burning, I watched as the last of the sun dipped behind the hills. I needed to stop, my body was starting to wear out. I slowed to a jog as I looked around for a hollow of a tree, a cave, anything to offer even a bit of protection as I rested my body. Through the dense woods, I spotted a clearing, with a small, cramped cave entrance in the middle of it. My heart leapt with hope, if it was deep enough, it would be the perfect place to rest, if only for a couple hours. I walked slowly and cautiously toward the opening. I could feel the fear throbbing throughout my body, and the distant singe of energy coursing through my veins. I knew that when they dropped me into that Cauldron, I took some of it back out with me, how much of it I had yet to find out. Clearly it was a decent chunk if I was able to escape the hands of Hybern after all this time.

I cleared my thoughts of Hybern, of that damned Cauldron as I entered the entrance. One of my slim hands dragged along the slimey rock wall, to both guide me and keep me standing. My Fae vision barely helped me see through the cave, like the darkness in here was thicker. The air around me was freezing, and it was unnaturally silent as I continued through the tunnel, my faint footsteps and ragged breath were the only sounds that filled my ears. An uneasy feeling slowly built in my core, like I was being led to something more than a cave. I tried to ignore it, my exhaustion beating out my fear. I continued down the seemingly never-ending tunnel until a crack in the wall revealed pale light shining through, illuminating the rocky walls across from it. The bundle of nerves in my core tightened, light meant that this cave was already inhabited. I was deep enough into the cave, exhaustion so bone deep that I did not care at this point. I needed food, and water, and days of sleep.

I took a step through the crack, barely big enough for my thin form to slip through. The jagged edges of the rock scraped my arms as I went, but I barely noticed. My eyes took time to adjust to the light filling the area I now stood in. I was in the middle of a long hallway, floors of polished marble, walls still the jagged mountain rock. It was almost like some was living in the mountain. I hesitantly followed the hallway, using my Fae senses to detect any sudden threats. As I rounded a corner and I ran right into a solid figure. I took a step back in horror at the creature that stood in front of me. It was a mass of sunken, wrinkled gray skin, bat like wings and ears, and a mouthful of sharp, rotting teeth. My eyes instantly started to water at the stench coming from the creature, I took a step back mind filling with the horror of creatures I encountered in Hybern.

"Looks like a new treat came to play," the creature snarled, eyeing me up. It sniffed once, twice, eyes widening slightly, like it could smell my power. I felt my muscles tense, body starting to seize up as I started to relieve the horrors of Hybern. I could not, would not be taken again. The leathery creature lunged for me and I tried to run, but ended up winnowing to the other end of the hallway. The monster let out a growl of frustration and winnowed right in front of me.

"Nice try," it said playfully. I gagged at it's stench, fear overwhelming my entire body. I could feel it coursing through me, no, no that was power coursing through me. In a split second I decided to try to pull at that power thrumming through me, focusing it on the demon that was about to lunge at me. In an instant I was sprayed with a red mist, crying out at the shock of it. What did I just do? I looked down at my hands, as if in answer to what just happened, but they were just my normal hands only now they were shaking and covered in blood.

I half ran down the hall, trying to escape the bloodshed I just witnessed. How I killed that creature I did not know, but I did know that if I did not find a place to rest soon I was going to collapse. As I stalked down the halls I did not encounter any more horrible monsters like the one I just faced, in fact I did not see anyone else at all. I pushed my worries aside as I reached large doors, with many creatures and Fae carved into the dark wood. I did not give myself time to think about what was through the doors as I used all my might to swing them open. I was not prepared for what awaited me inside.