Moondust: A Dark Faerytale

Chapter 6

Nothing made any sense! Lilium and the other faeries were all being taken to the Moondust chamber, everything had happened so fast that Lilium was still in the daze.  "Wait a minute!" Lilium cried out, "What IS going on? I don't understand, can somebody please explain this.."
"With pleasure," the oldest started, "Young Amaris here has been spreading it throughout the Hollow that there is something sinister taking place here. Of course, this is absolutely nonsense!" he spat at Amaris.
"But.. How did you know that Amaris was talking to me? How did I even get to Amaris' chamber, I passed out in my own chamber.." Lilium asked.
"Why do you need to ask so many questions?" he asked. A shiver went up Lilium's spine. She had said the same thing to Inanna, and now she was doing exactly the same.

When they got to the moondust chamber,  Lilium was practically dragged over to the dust stream. I'm not even hungry. Why do they want me to feed? Terrified, she drew power from the earth to perform a spell which would loosen their grip...and nothing. The Queen's magic was too powerful here. Amaris looked at Lilium, and managed to scream out, "Don't do it!" despite being under a stun spell. She was greeted with a kick in the face, and she moaned in pain. She shouldn't do it, something was wrong. "I.. I'm not hungry right now. I can't feed. Can I take some in a bag instead, and feed later? You say that I am starved but I do not feel hungry." It was a meek excuse, and Lilium had a horrible feeling that they might force her to feed anyway.
The males exchanged worried glances with each other, and one said, "...If you insist. But you must stay with us in case you faint again." Then the eldest smiled sadistically to the two nameless faeries who had been in Amaris' room. Without a warning, he grabbed them, and forced their faces in the moondust stream. "Stay with them, make sure that they get enough." He said to two of the other males. Amaris screamed in protest, "Stop it! What do you think you're doing, you'll drown them!" The eldest laughed, "Don't worry. Your fate will be worse than any of theirs." And with that, she was dragged out of the moondust chamber.

"What was that!?" protested Lilium. So much had just happened... One of the males accompanied her, the same one who had said it was ok for Lilium to just take the moondust in a bag. He escorted her out of the chamber. He didn't look as rough as the other two, his hair long and brown and his features soft. Lilium was hysterical, shocked, and most of all frustrated. She didn't even get to hear was Amaris was going to say, and maybe it would have explained these strange things to her. Now, her hope of finding out what was going on was completely lost. "Calm down." Spoke the male. His voice was smoother than the others, and he wasn't as intimidating. Lilium recognized him, from somewhere... "Calm down!? You're asking me to calm down after all that? No, no just shut up, I don't care!" Where was this anger coming from? This hatred?
"You have to calm down if you want to understand anything. You are becoming more aware of what is going on around you. And that is danger, for reasons that you couldn't possibly understand... You have a choice to make."
"A choice?" asked Lilium.
"Yes..." he lowered his voice. "Oh dear Goddess... Things here have gotten so bad. I knew it would happen eventually, it's what she said would happen. Her plans finally coming to effect. I need to keep quiet... If they hear me, I don't know what they'll do to me. I don't have much time, listen please." His voice was a desperate whisper, like he was determined to not be caught and help her at the same time.
"I'm listening." She said.
"If you stay here for much longer, you'll never escape. You have to get out, as soon as you can, before it's too late. Before the Queen orders... orders..." his voice was trembling, as if what he wanted to say was too horrible to be out in the open. He shook his head, "No. I can't say it. But just trust me,Warrior Lilium, please trust me. Gather what you can, and leave."
"Leave? But, I don't have a Moonstone, how would I possibly survive out there without one?"
His expression turned grim, "Moondust starvation is a better fate than what will happen to you here. And you might not be quite as reliant on moondust as you've been told..."
Lilium considered what he said for a few moments. It made sense, something horrible  was happening here and she needed to get out. But live without moondust in the forest? She had a bag of moondust. She could ration it, it would do her for a little while...
"I do trust you... Well, I'd accept any excuse to leave this place now, it's felt so awful the past few days."
He looked slightly relieved at her choice. "Go gather your stuff. I will help you get out, it's the least I can do after all I have done..."