Dark Queen: The Cybelline Prophecies

Chapter 72

Kima blinked, she had never heard of the hidden fae. Oqir continued, "What is this place, old friend?"

Arlain looked out to the vast expanse of land, "I woke up only a few days ago. That strange girl had told me that my people and I are safe here, a land that resides in the ring on her finger."  He looked at Oqir, "I thought I was dreaming, the world surely must have ended and my people dead. But she reassured us that we were very much alive. And not only that, our Lady had betrayed us. We have a new Lady now."

The look on Arlain's face was not one Oqir could explain, it looked...complicated.

Oqir coughed, "She must be powerful and wise, to become the new Lady so quickly, I should greet her."

Arlain shook his head, "She went off on a quest with her entire family."

Silence followed. Since when did Leaders of entire fae kingdoms just leave on quests. Hang on.

"With her family?" Oqir frowned, "Old friend, have you been asleep too long?"

Arlain's vein popped out a little as he chose to ignore the statement, "They are en route to Londaros now." He said with a little bit of relief. Those children were polite and sweet when need be, but it seemed as if they were natural-born trouble makers. He had to sleep with one eye open when they managed to set on fire a fire flower. A feat he hadn't know was possible, considering these flowers housed the fire fae.

"Anything else I need to know about this family." Oqir asked softly, a family that contained a fire fae first blood lady and a dark fae of unknown power was not one he could overlook.

As Arlain was about to speak, the door to the house flung open, "They are as strange as they are mysterious. Especially that woman." 

Cybelline was holding a piece of bread and some cheese, she gestured to the people below, "There's lot of food here, come on up! If we run out of anything, I can go steal...borrow some from the castle."

Oqir's mouth fell, as the delicious smell wafted down. 

Arlain shrugged, "My friend, I have only been awake a few days, but I have learned, most importantly and above all, is that the woman in front of you is very food motivated."

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All her life the elders told her of a place that the Folk and Fae called home, it was unparalleled in beauty and unrivaled in natural wonders. Kima bit gingerly into the soft bread and stared out at the world in front of her. If this was the fae paradise then she would gladly give everything she had to live here.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice asked beside her. Kima twisted her head, as far as her slave collar allowed, and winced. She had not heard anything before this woman arrived. She was a dwarf, sensitive to all sounds, how did this woman manage to do that?

Cybelline sat on the grass in the Land in the ring and watched the landscape in awe and slight perturbation. The land had grown once more. Now the hills had become mountains, snow capped in the distance. The fields of flowers had blossomed, adding a roar of red into the land.

"It feels like we belong here." Kima said quietly, "What a strange feeling...but good." 

Cybelline smiled, "I'm glad you like it." She turned to Kima, "You and your people can stay as long as you like."

Kima paused, "You would really let us choose?"

Cybelline nodded, "Of course. I have no intention of forcing you to stay or go. You're free to do as you wish."

Kima said nothing, she had come here with a sense of uneasy, worried that this was just a trap for her people, "How can I trust you?"

"If I wanted to kill or enslave you again, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble." Cybelline smiled, "If you want to leave, It's really easy, I'll show you."