Faerie Sisters (Chapter the Thirteenth of This Tale)

Xylia and Keita stood alone in a room. They had the group of kids eating in the other room, except the boy, Wispin, he was called. He was sleeping in Xylia's bed.1

"What were you doing?" Xylia asked, angrily. "I sensed nothing wrong with him!"2

Keita shook her head, "it is subtle, but strong. Do you not recognise him?"3

Xylia nodded, "yes, I recognise him, but I see no evil."4

"Remember, when we lived more east in these woods?  Do you remember the wizard, in the tower by our border?"  Keita asked. "Remember his questions?"5

Xylia nodded, slowly. "What does that have to do with anything?"6

"Remember, he asked for six ingredients, only two of which we could give him?  Nisti, Otyaka, Tirtani, Sifliff, Crolumn and Werkweed.  We gave him Crolumn and Tirtani, I recall, and sent him to Grelpine's for the rest.  Did you smell that boy? He smells of those six things.  That wizard created this boy, and you know Nisti. It has evil roots, that tree. Maybe the wizard didn't realize it but Wispin will someday have incredible power that could be the destruction of all."7

Xylia was silent.  Keita's stared at her, waiting for a reply.8

"If," she stated, "if you're sure it's him who he created, find a way to remove it.  Remember, we do not kill, for anything."9

Keita paused, "I'll try, if I can dig out the Nisti and keep him alive."10

Xylia nodded. "I'll not tell the others, and call me if you need my help at all."11

Keita nodded again and entered Xylia's room.12

Xylia went into her kitchen, the wooden walls smooth, traveling upwards.13

The three teens glanced up at her.14

"There's somebody knocking on the. .door. .out there." The boy said.15

And so Xylia could here. A persistant thumping on the trunk of her tree.16

She frowned and closed her eyes, pressing her hands against the smooth inside of the tree.  A picture through the tree entered her mind and she frowned.  The princess, Trivisch and some shape lingering in the shadows that she couldn't see.17

She opened her eyes and saw the teens watching her.18

"What is it?"  Quynh asked.19

"Wait here, don't move."  Xylia replied and stepped through the wall to the outside.20

Once outside, Xylia grabbed the wrist of Trivisch and changed her form to that of an evil faerie.21

Teeth sharp and bared, eyes dark and glowing, face long hair flying.22

Trivisch gasped and the shape in the background stiffened.23

"What are you doing here, Trivisch of Remglut?" She hissed.24

"I came to find the faerie sisters who are said to live in these woods."  Trivisch whimpered.25

"why?  You seek the sisters for some sort of reward? Or because of your mother?"  Xylia replied.26

"Indeed, because of my mother, but opposite reasoning of what you think.  I need to get away from her, not do her work."  Trivisch answered, her eyes flashing.27

"Who's your guide?" Xylia questioned, "maybe I will let you pass through."28

"That is Tiram, someone I met on the way, and would be lost if he had not agreed to take me to where the sisters are said to live."29

Xylia glanced at the shape, and beckoned it forward. "Come. Tiram from where?"30

Tiram stepped forward.  "I come from the North, from my own land."31

Xylia frowned.  Tiram was an Um'nic and Trivisch the daughter of his kingdom's enemy.  This didn't make sense.  But who was she to ruin other peoples plans?32

"Where are you heading?" She asked Tiram. 33

He glanced at the ground, "Doesn't matter. Not home."34

"Who is the other boy?  Or not a boy, but a horse in human form.  Who has the power to do that?"  Xylia asked, noticing another boy hiding behind Tiram.35

"My horse." Trivisch replied.  She twisted her arm in Xylia's grip, but could not pull free. "I faerie I met before Tiram did it, so he could get through the trees easier."36

"Seems like today is a day of company."  Xylia smiled and cahnged her form to the original.  "Come, Tiram, hold my left hand, Trivisch, my right.  Your 'horse', can hold your own."  37

They agreed and quickly grabbed the faerie's hands.38

Xylia frowned at Tiram's touch, but ignored it for the present and pulled them through the tree.39

Keita leaned over Wispin, searching his veins and organs for the area being most infected by the evil root.40

She found it in his stomach, and found that his heart was unaffected by it, wich was strange.  The heart was normally the weakest place in humans, and the stomach the strongest.  But, she reasoned, he wasn't human.41

She placed her hands over his stomach.  It moved up and down as he breathed.42

She would have to withdraw the evil, into herself where her magic should destroy it.  Destroying it in Wispin himself could kill him.43

Nisti was such a horrible thing.  Why would the wizard use it?  Although he had explained some of his plans, the nisti ingredient wasn't exactly clear to her.44

She closed her eyes and concentrated on drawing it out of Wispin.  45

It was stubborn and had strong roots in the muscles outside his stomach.  46

She pulled, and it loosened.  She twisted and the roots ripped out and the evil shocked through her body suddenly.47

Keita stumbled backwards.  It was so strong.  She could feel it try to take root in her blood, but her magic quickly began to attack the intruder and in no time, she could sense no presence.48

Wispin stirred and she peered at his face.  The pasty whiteness that had once occupied his face was gone and his lips were not longer blue.49

He blinked, and glanced around.  His eyes focused on her face and he paled. His eyes filled with fear.50

"No, I swear, I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone!" He scrambled around on the bed and finding a blanket, dove underneath it.51

Keita simply laughed and left the room, calling over her shoulder. "You can come out whenever you feel well enough."52

She hurried back into the kitchen and found yet three more strangers around the table.53

Xylia was standing against the wall, watching them eat.  She spotted Keita and hurried over.54

"Trivisch, Keita, and Tiram, an Um'nic.  Wandering the woods, together." Xylia said in their own tongue.55

Keita frowned, "who's the other boy?"56

"Trivisch's horse.  We need to find out what spell was used on him, so we can change him back without damaging him."  Xylia replied.  "Which means, we have to find the faerie who cast it."57

"I'll go."  Keita replied.  "What do we know?"58

"Nothing." Xylia answered with a shake of her head, "we have to ask.  She is a negotiator though, and wants to know about the boy."  She gestured with her head towards the other room."59

Keita shrugged. "All is well, he's scared to death of me though.  I'll go ask."60

She hurried over to Trivisch, knowing that time was(right now) very important.61

"Trivisch, who cast the spell? On your horse?" She demanded.62

Trivisch stared at her, then raised her chin and didn't answer.63

Keita frowned, "if you don't want me to kill the boy Wispin, you'll tell me." She said.64

The girl stared, shocked.65

Keita shrugged.66

"Razmingle.  Her name is Razmingle.  We left her seventy-two paces south and twenty-three west."  Trivisch answered. "Where's Wispin?"67

Keita didn't answer, just flung herself out of the tree.68