Chapter 26 – The Power of Magic

The blood of the witches covered the area, and splattered across all present. Raynor relished the contact of the warm blood. It yielded easily to his warm tongue, and tasted of victory. As his mate flew into the now crowded eyrie, Raynor nuzzled her in affection. She was as magnificent as he, maybe more so.
Her feathers were kept immaculately, and she was larger than him. She was fierce, and proud, and he loved her. Sylvina reflected that no one was past love. All beings who had breath were capable of love. She had also noticed that there was no such thing as good or evil. Just different viewpoints. A soldier in a war fights on either side deciding devoutly that they are right. But at the end of the day, they just believe what they are told to believe, and each thinks they are fighting for the right cause.
Fiona may not be doing the right thing. Her view to a kill was that she was doing what was morally right. But her morals were obviously different to those she killed; otherwise they would not deserve to be killed.
Sylvina just hoped that in time, Fiona would gain wisdom. She would be an apt pupil. However, Sylvina could not see their futures entwined. She knew that Fiona would be leaving, and meanwhile, she would need her guidance.
She watched Fiona reach for her weapon, as if it were slow motion. “Be careful. Be sure in your mind that you are doing what is right. Do not trust your heart, trust in your wisdom.”
Fiona listened to Sylvina’s voice in her mind. She listened very carefully and considered all that she had to say. Then, she ignored it, and took out her weapon. She charged it with magic and malevolence, throwing all she had emotionally into the cross bolt.
The air tingled with magic, sending electrifying shivers up Fiona’s spine. The sprites, noticing her plans, added their spells to the bow. Eölfran added spells of accuracy, speed and flight. Fiona felt his magic, and looked up at him.
His reassuring smile made her feel as if she was safe, and that everything was alright. Against her better judgement, Sylvina added her power into the bolt. Fiona was surprised at the finesse of Sylvina’s spells; never before had she encountered a sprite spell master.
Sylvina added poison and death. She layered on blackness and fire. She was the one who added the final kick.
Julian watched helplessly as Fiona prepared blindly for the attack. This all happened in seconds, before the eagles even knew what was happening. As far as they were concerned, they had fed their children, they were in love, and they had nothing to fear from the inferior beasts that buzzed around their lair.
Unnoticed by Fiona, Phoenix had slunk around to the other side of the eyrie, behind the eagles. He could smell the other human, and was determined to get Julian.
Julian was a liability, and Phoenix didn’t like leaving a job unfinished. He was supposed to be dead. He had told Fiona that Julian was dead.
That was necessary for a number of reasons. Firstly, he needed Fiona to do the dirty work of eliminating the eagles for him. They had always been in the way, and he didn’t like sharing his airspace with others. Secondly, he wanted her to be miserable. She had destroyed his body, and had taken away his magic. She needed a bit of misery and humility in her life.
Fiona and the sprites stood strong. “Hey, Raynor.” She called nonchalantly. He looked up at her, and that was to be his last movement. She pulled the trigger, sending the supercharged arrow through his head, covering his mate in blood.
“Unkh.” He said as he collapsed lifeless to the floor. He was no longer a part of this world, and his mate was distraught.
“Kacharrrr!” she screamed in anguish. “I am Eldena, and I shall be your downfall!”
This was swiftly followed by a second, manlier scream. Julian shouted out as he was torched by an insistent Phoenix. Fiona was torn, she needed to save her lover, but there happened to be a very large bird standing between them.
Eölfran sprang to the rescue, along with Sylvina. “Come and have a go then!” He shouted bravely, moving across to his left, followed more sedately by Sylvina. Fiona edged to the right, mentally thanking Eölfran. He had given her the opportunity to go and help Julian, and she wouldn’t forget that he had practically sacrificed himself for her.
Eldena took the bait. She growled and she moved to attack the two sprites. The red mist had descended on her, and she blindly flailed at them, swiping with her talons. She aimed to do as much damage to them as possible, but because she was angry, her accuracy was compromised.
The sprites easily dodged the random attacks from the berserked giant eagle. In this case, being small, lithe and speedy was much more effective than brute strength.
Whilst Eldena was preoccupied, Fiona crept around her to confront Phoenix, who didn’t deserve the luxury of a new name. He was still as crooked as he was before, perhaps even more so. This time he was conniving and cunning, and used Fiona’s power against her.
“Let him be! I’m the one who you have a problem with. Let’s settle this, once and for all!” She issued the challenge with venom, mentally throwing down the gauntlet. Phoenix moved towards her, spitting fire and brimstone.
“You look like a firework. You aren’t threatening. I beat you once, I’ll beat you again!” The taunt was lost on Phoenix, who had no idea what a firework even was. He understood the gist of it, and laughed at her stupidity.
“You can’t hurt me!” he pointed out gleefully. “I am a part of you. If you hurt me, you hurt yourself.”
“To me, you are not any part of me.” Fiona said bravely “No part of me could be as evil and immoral as you are. No part of me could even bear to hurt or attack Julian. If you are a part of me, I cast you out and renounce you.”
She meant it. Even though she knew it would hurt her, and even possibly kill her, she would not be able to rest easy until Wainkor’s spirit was laid to rest. She no longer even thought of him as Phoenix. Yes, he had risen from the ashes of his former self, but it was not in glory, it was in vain.
Julian was oblivious to this conversation. He could only see the vindication in Fiona’s eyes, and the flash of fear in the dragons. He knew that she was going to deliver him from evil, and that he was saved.
Whilst Phoenix / Wainkor’s attention was elsewhere, he took the opportunity to reunite himself with Fiona. A quick touch was enough to reassure her, and she let loose the spell she had been preparing.
It sparkled of thunder and lightning. It held within it all the hurt that he had caused her, the regret that she had about even being pulled into this mess.
It was black and purple, and smelled of revenge. And it consumed Phoenix without a second thought, not even leaving ashes behind. One minute he was there, the next he was gone. He just vanished out of existence. Fiona just about survived long enough to see the dragon disappear. She knew that she had seen the last of him this time. She was certain.
There would be no more evil thoughts implanted in her brain. There would be no more irritating red flash on the edge of her peripheral vision. There would be no more scarlet nastiness encroaching on her personal space.
Fiona was as first relieved, until it hit her. The intolerable pain that erupted into her skull. The blinding flash across her eyes and the electric shot that seemed to paralyse her limbs before it shut down her brain. Once more, she was plunged into the darkness. Alone.
Julian thrust a fist into the air, feeling exhilarated. He turned to Fiona, so that they could share the joy, only to see her collapsed on the floor. He gathered her in his arms, and leaned against the mountaintop, keeping as far away from Eldena as possible.
The female giant eagle was a fearsome sight, with her feathers puffed up so that she looked as intimidating as possible. She occasionally shrieked into the night, sending shivers of fear down Julian’s spine.
Eölfran just gritted his teeth and tried to send spell bolts towards her, trying to inhibit her movements. They had no effect, even when they were combined with Sylvina’s stronger magics. She was an unstoppable force, cheered on by her children Lawsey and Gernic.
They were cheerful and buoyant after their unexpected meal, and squawked in inexplicably high voices. They were tiny fluff balls, who looked as though they could do no harm, even if they tried.
Erica and Enid, if they were alive, could contest to the fact that they were a force to be reckoned with, and that they should not be discounted. Julian gave them a wide berth as well, setting Fiona down gently in a corner and retrieving her crossbow from her limp grip.
He felt as if he should at least try to guard her, and he fired a few unsure shots towards the large intimidating target that was threatening the small, flying creatures that appeared to be Fiona’s friends.
“She would make friends with anything.” He muttered as he reloaded the crossbow. His first shot had gone wide, as he was surprised by the surprising amount of firepower that the weapon had.
He was more careful with his second shot. The melee in front of him was a blinding flash of fur and sparkles. Occasionally he felt the familiar pull behind his navel that indicated the use of magic. He didn’t want to hurt the sprites, and hoped fervently that they would move out of the way of his arrows.
His second shot missed, but he got an encouraging look from Sylvina. He was helping, he was sure of it. He loaded an arrow and wound up the spring, making sure it was as taut as it could be. He felt confident now that he knew the sprites were sure of him.
This was his final arrow, and he couldn’t ask Fiona to magic him up any more, as she had lost all interest in the proceedings. He pressed it to his lips before bringing the arrow up to his eye.
He looked straight along the arrow, whispering a huntsman’s prayer for aim and accuracy. It was important that this one hit. It was important that Eldena was distracted at least for long enough so that the Sprites had a chance. They were so small, and the eagle was so big. It seemed impossible that they even had any chance of winning.
He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. In hindsight, it may have been a better idea for him to keep his eyes open, but nevertheless, he closed his eyes.
He opened them a moment later to the sound of pain. His arrow had found its way directly to the eagle, and it was wounded, though not mortally. It pinned her wing back, and blood oozed across her wing.
She turned in rage and directed her anger at Julian, who quite suddenly wished that he hadn’t been quite so brave after all. The sprites, now that they had a chance to retaliate, sent fire after the bird, and circled around until they were between Julian and Eldena.
In a last ditch attempt to do some sort of damage, Julian threw the crossbow at Eldena. It had no effect, but now he really had done everything he could. Feeling a little bit helpless and defenceless, he picked up Fiona and cradled her in his arms.
It was like the final showdown. Julian with Fiona was stood behind the sprites, who were trying to look as menacing as it was possible to look for a small faerie like creature.
Stood opposite them was Eldena, with her children stood just behind her, squawking like inarticulate cheerleaders. Lawsey, the male chick, was slightly more insistent and was trying to muscle in on the fight. His mother held him back, not wanting him to get hurt. This was a primal instinct of motherly protection.


Chapter 27 – A Curse Upon Magic Users

Behind them, in the corner, Raynor was still alive, but barely. He interrupted the stand off with a feeble squawk. His mate dropped her offensive as soon as she heard his voice and rushed to his side, forgetting about the intruders.
Julian, Eölfran and Sylvina stood wordless as they watched the touching moment. It seemed as if the world had stopped turning so that they would have time to say goodbye. Eagles had only one life mate and they formed bonds that some would say were stronger than conventional human love.
These two had been a breeding pair for many years now; this was obvious from the extent of their eyrie, and for their fearless dedication to each other.
Raynor gasped out his last words. He was so weak that they were barely a croak, but none of them had to strain to hear them. It was a curse, one laid down on all magic users.
“Magicians, witches, warlocks, they are all the scum of the earth. They care for none but themselves, and seek to change this perfect world. It will be people like this that will cause the world to be destroyed. Why do people not realise that this world was designed perfectly, evenly and in balance.
“I die now; my body will rot and provide nutrients for the trees, and provide nesting grounds for my young. And they will find other eagles and breed to produce new young. And eventually they will die. The circle of life is completed.
“I accept this. But you people, with unnatural life spans, unnatural ways of living. You deplete the forest; you think you have the right to kill because you hold the power to kill.” He coughed, straining to get the last of his words out.
Eldena cradled his head in her uninjured wing. She clucked soothingly, all her attention focused on her dying mate. They connected through their gleaming black eyes. Tears ran unashamedly down Sylvina’s face, and the chicks were silent. Even they understood that this was something important, and that it meant a lot. Even when they were years older, they would remember this day.
Eldena would have cried if she was physically capable of doing so. Eagles are born without tear ducts, but this didn’t mean that she felt the pain any less keenly. Raynor clicked his beak, and started gasping.
“Remember this, those who would interrupt the circle of life. You will be your own downfall and the downfall of mankind unless you leave, and never return. I don’t care how you do it, whether you leave by your own magical means or by your deaths.
“For the earth to be saved, you must no longer exist here.” Here he looked up at his mate and crooned to her in their own language. “I love you. You must be strong, look after Lawsey and Gernic. One day you shall follow me, and fly into the sun.”
And with that, the king of the sky was dead. Raynor was still and lifeless, and his heart no longer beat within his breast. Eldena, knowing this, bent her head to his breast, and slowly lay him down on the floor of the eyrie.
She sent out an ululating cry into the air, and then turned on her captives. Her black beady eye glinted murderously in the sunlight. The clear blue sky was like the ominous depths of the oceans. “My mate is dead – because of you.” She took one step forward.
“I must raise my children alone – because of you” She stepped forwards again, and Julian took a step back. “How do you expect me to hunt or defend my home with my wing like this?” She lifted her wing which flapped uselessly by her side.
“Um… it can be healed” said Julian nervously. He really felt bad about what had happened. He believed that there had to be a non violent way out of this, and it involved embracing magic. Implementing it in daily life to benefit all.
“I guess that’s with magic then.” She almost spat the word, glaring at Julian for even daring to suggest such a stupid idea. “To even think that I would even contemplate such an idea! Especially after my mate…”
She faltered then, but rescued herself by producing a glare. Eölfran whispered to Sylvina “What’s the plan?” She shrugged, “Keep these two alive. Do as little killing as possible. And keep away from the m word?”
“What, magic?” Eölfran asked a little too loudly. He winced as soon as he heard himself, and he became Eldena’s next target.
The eagle puffed out her chest again and stretched out her uninjured wing. It stretched across the full width of the eyrie. It cast an immense shadow across all of them and sent shivers down their spine.
“Are you taunting me?” She regarded Eölfran with a wicked twitch of her head. “Do you not believe that I have the power to take you down, and to destroy you?”
Out of her feet, a shining, sharpened talon sprang forth. In the following silence, Eölfran could only hear the terrified thumping of three petrified hearts. There was the soft springing squeak of the organic material on the floor of the eyrie. It creaked dangerously as the eagle advanced towards them.
Sylvina daringly darted forwards with her tiny yellow dagger, but this did little damage to the Eagle, who was full of wrath. “It’s now or never.” Murmured Julian to his companions. Eölfran gulped nervously and offered Julian a weapon, which he refused.
Julian wasn’t going to let go of her now. She had risked her life to come and save him, the least he could do now it to keep hold of her. They may not survive this ordeal; in fact it was very likely that they wouldn’t. He pressed his cool lips to her forehead, and looked adoringly down towards her.
The three of them were almost up against the wall now. They had nowhere to go, and they were trapped. The eaglets had resumed their relentless noise, and this only served to spur on their mother.
Julian stepped back, expecting to feel his heels grind against the cold granite of the mountaintop. Instead, he felt nothing. Clasping his partner to his hip, he waved behind him with one hand, expecting to meet resistance.
The stone that formed the mountain was just an illusion. It was almost perfect, and Eldena was the guardian. It was a kind of natural magic, which had been there for countless generations. It was this specific location that gave Raynor the status of king of the skies and ruler of all giant eagles.
He was the loyal guardian of this portal, and kept it safe from invaders. Doubtless, if the sprites had known of its existence, they would have tried to take command of it earlier.
The eagles didn’t know where the portal led to. They just knew that it was sacred. From time to time it spat out things and people. It was these people that first taught the eagles to speak, and gave them responsibility to protect the portal.
And it was from this portal that the first magic users came from. Years before, a sorcerer first opened the portal. He stepped through, and betrayed the eagles. It was him that had led to their mistrust of magic.
He had killed their ruler and taken their most sacred artefact, the statue of Scran. Had Julian known, he would have been able to return it to them, it lay in the scavenged remains of Heaton Hall, and at this precise moment, Geoff was trying to sell it to a roaming pedlar in Heaton village.
The portal was a swirling mass of energy, about 20m behind the fake granite wall. As soon as Julian was in the secret cavern, he turned in awe to watch it.
The sprites had followed him through. Sylvina gasped and bowed down to the giant circular swirl of colour. Eölfran just stood and gawped in awe, until he was prodded by Sylvina and told to “Show some respect.”
They were followed into the cavern by the still fuming Eldena. “This is our most sacred place.” She scowled. “Following the death of my mate, I am now the protector and guardian of this place.”
Julian was slowly being hypnotised by the massive portal in front of him. Eldena’s words were rhythmic and lulled him into a false sense of security. Soon, she knew that he would be under her control.
“The giant eagles have held this place in high regard for centuries. Sometimes, about once in a generation, and eagle is compelled to go through the portal. They are never seen again, no one knows where they go to.”
Julian nodded, half listening, half drawn in. Eölfran noticed that he wasn’t paying attention any more, and that he was mesmerised by the flashing colours. Not gently, he pinched Julian’s calf, and was rewarded by a sharp glare.
Eölfran grinned impishly. Julian would thank him later. Even if it hurt for now. He would need all his wits about him, Eldena was obviously planning something, and she wasn’t about to let them turn around and walk out of here freely.
“My mate, who has now flown into the sun and waits for me, gave you an ultimatum. You can either choose death, a fate that I am more than happy to carry out for you. Or you must leave. He never intended for you to use the portal, but I think that it is a more appropriate fate for you.
“It is the unknown that you fear.” She regarded Julian sharply. “You fear the unplanned future, you fear your dreams not being realised.”
He nodded his head. She spoke truly, and he was shaking as he even thought about walking into that mess. But then he looked down at Fiona. If they died, they would never have a chance together. And if they walked into the portal, they would at least have a chance of a life together.
They would be together. That much was certain. And that was good enough for the tall blonde man.


Chapter 28 – A Vision From the Past

Fiona floated alone in the blackness. Whereas before there was a vision, this time there was nothing. Not even a smell or a sound for her to go by. She was glowing softly and cast a dim light on her surroundings to no avail.
It was if she were in the middle of deepest space, but without even the stars to light the way. As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she was surrounded by pinpricks of light.
She was moving, without even realising it. The lights were moving slowly as she pushed forwards into the darkness. Even if she closed her eyes, the lights danced about in front of her.
Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, she could hear something else. She could hear voices in her darkness. She was barely aware of what was happening to her body, but she could hear the words around her. She could hear the thump thump of Julian’s heart.
She could hear the keening cry of the female eagle as she watched her mate die. But soon, these noises faded away, and a figure appeared in front of her.
It started off in the distance and was calling her name, in a familiar voice. “Fiona! Fiona!” It was urgent and compelling, and Fiona tried to will herself towards the voice. She knew that she had to meet this person, to be with them.
The voice was male. She could tell that much, but everything else was unclear. She was frustrated, because she was powerless and could not control her own actions.
Painstakingly slowly, the figure grew closer and closer. The small fuzzy edges became sharper and sharper. Fiona thought she knew who it was.
“But it couldn’t be…” she said aloud in disbelief. The figure looked identical to Jamie. Her dear Jamie. The one who she was sure that she was going to marry when she was older. The one who had promised his heart to her and her alone.
She felt guilty about his death, and guiltier still when she remembered Julian. Jamie was supposed to be her one true love. She had never expected to meet him face to face again. And here she was, after falling in love once more. She felt as if her heart was about to rip in two.
As the figure came closer, she was left in no doubt that it was him. She could once more see his smiling face. She could see his shining blue eyes and randomly spiked dark hair. “Fiona.” He said, finally.
The two of them embraced, and it was just as passionate as it always was. She rested her head on his comforting and welcoming chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she felt a kiss on her forehead at the same time.
She could only assume that it was the relief of meeting him once more. He murmured sweet nothings into her ear, in his deep, soothing voice. She smiled, and she felt safe, despite the fact that she knew her friends were in dire peril. Nothing mattered now that they were back together, even though she could still feel the pull that Julian had on her heart strings.
She looked up at Jamie, drinking him in. He had finely carved cheekbones and soft sensuous pale lips. He had the softest of goatee’s that graced his chin, and made him look as if he were an Italian model.
Jamie was dressed exactly as she remembered last seeing him; cold and dead in his coffin. He had much more colour in his cheeks than he did then though, and Fiona could feel the warmth of the blood running through his veins.
He wore smart clothes. His suit was tailored and fitted him well, accentuating his slim figure. He wore an open collared white shirt, that opened just enough for Fiona to see his chiselled chest. He even smelled the same as she remembered, that comforting and sexual smell of his cologne still managed to drive her wild.
He was the first one to break the embrace. She would have been happy to stay there forever, cradled in his arms. He held her by the shoulders and looked down into her eyes. “My death is not your fault. I can feel and see that you think you are guilty. Stop blaming yourself. It was my time.”
“But if I hadn’t called my dad… If he hadn’t answered the phone and had paid more attention to the phone…” She protested feebly, but was soon put to rights by her boyfriend.
“No buts” he said firmly. “It wasn’t your fault. It was my time to leave that world. You needed to meet your soul mate.”
“But you are my soul mate.” She said surprised. But as soon as she heard those words, she knew it was a lie. The fact that she could lie there in Jamie’s arms and still be thinking of Julian gave her the right answer.
“Julian” she said simply. “Julian is my soul mate.”
Jamie just nodded, and with a final kiss, more of friendship and finality than of passion, he left her, drifting away as serenely as he arrived.
Fiona tried to go back, tried to find a way to connect herself back together again. She tried to go back, she tried calling her body like a dog might be called by its owner. All of this was to no avail.
Frustrated, she sent dancing pattern’s across the wall, expressing herself as best she could, trying to jolt herself back into reality.
The splashes of colour swirled together in front of her, forming a portal that mirrored the one that Julian was facing in the cavern.
And then, as one, they both stepped forwards, not knowing where they were going, not sure of what was going to happen. Just hoping that they would end up together.
If the experience with Jamie had taught her anything, it was that true love must prevail. True love had lead to Jamie’s death, and she understood that now. It was a great relief to her and a great weight from her shoulders now that she knew that Jamie’s death wasn’t her fault.
It was destiny, and now she had to go and face hers.


Chapter 29 – The Portal of Judgement

Julian stepped into the maelstrom, his feet unsteady on the invisible floor beneath him. As he did so, the unconscious body in his arms began to stir.
Fiona opened her eyes to look up at Julian. Their eyes met and sparks flew. Their lips met and crushed together, in pure relief. They knew that they were both alive, and together.
Julian set Fiona gently down onto her feet and they held hands tightly. Just that slight physical touch sent chills up and down their arms.
“Why did you come back?” he asked Fiona.
“Because I love you. Because I don’t care about whatever you did with Holly anymore.”
Julian looked confused. “Holly?” he asked. “Nothing has ever happened between me and her. She’s like a little sister. She’s too young for me. And I’m far too much in love with you.” His amber eyes twinkled and Fiona could see that he was telling the truth.
“But I thought…” Fiona was lost for words. “I saw you in the garden. You were holding her like you hold me. You kissed her on the cheek. I could see that look in your eyes…”
“She was hurting inside.” He explained. “She was alone and homeless. She needed to feel that she mattered to someone. And she’s my friend.”
And that was explanation enough. To reassure her that she was the only one for him, he kissed her thoroughly. First, lightly on the lips, then on her eyelids, and down her cheek. Then back to her lips, slowly seeking with his tongue.
She responded eagerly, but then Eölfran rudely interrupted with a loud wolf whistle. Fiona giggled as she saw her friend emerge into the head spinning portal. He was accompanied by Sylvina.
“It’s good to see you on your feet.” She said, looking at her pupil fondly. “I guess I haven’t really taught you anything.” She smiled. “But then again, I guess I never needed to. Love will light the way.”
Julian looked at Eölfran. “I thought you wouldn’t follow us through. You could have escaped, gone back. You are fast enough to escape Eldena.”
“I felt like an adventure.” He grinned. “And I needed someone to keep an eye on me.”
“Not to mention the fact that Eldena threatened to follow us home and destroy the rest of the sprites in order to eliminate all traces of magic from the forest.” Added Sylvina wryly.
“Yeah, there was that bit too. My father would never forgive me if I caused the entire destruction of our race.” He looked a little bit guilty, but he didn’t regret a moment of it.
The four of them stepped out, walking in a random direction. Any way except backwards. They didn’t know where they were going, or why.
Eventually, they came across a courtroom. The judge towered over them, and exuded an ethereal glow. The jury was on his right hand side, and they were all solemn. There were all different kinds of species, some that they had never seen before.
Fiona gulped, and stepped forwards into the clearing. Immediately, it seemed as though the confusing dizziness had gone away. Instead, there only remained the central fear of the courtroom.
She felt instantly nervous and guilty, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.
A big booming voice rang out across the room. It commanded attention and instilled fear into all those who heard it. It was the supernatural voice of a judge, one who knew what was right, and what was true and fair.
“Welcome to the courtroom. Here we will weigh and measure you heart, and find if you may pass. It is your choice, truly, but destiny will be fulfilled.”
“I am Fiona Naisbitt.” She intended to speak out confidently, but her voice sounded shaky and feeble in comparison to the Judge’s. “I belong in Sheffield, in 2008. I somehow ended up in Julian’s time.” She held up their linked hands. “Destiny brought us together, and love will make sure that we are together for eternity.”
“And you, Julian.” The judge turned his attention to the man at her side. “Do you love her?”
“Yes.” That was all he needed to say. The conviction in his voice rang true across the room and the judge was satisfied.
“You two may pass through together. Choose any door. One leads to an opportunity, the other leads to a certainty. Either way, destiny will be fulfilled.” This was an ominous warning. They looked at each other, and held a hurried whispered conference.
“It’s your choice.” Said Julian. “Wherever you lead, I shall follow. As long as I am with you, it doesn’t matter.”
“But I don’t know which door to choose.” Fiona said uncertainly.
“Then don’t be sure.” Said Julian unexpectedly. “We’ve both been running on impulse for the last few days, and I haven’t regretted a minute of it. It doesn’t matter what happens. As long as we are together, we will make it work.”
She nodded, feeling a bit happier. The two of them moved across to the opposite side of the jury, and watched hand in hand as the Sprites were weighed and measured. Fiona hoped that they would not be found wanting.
“Your species should never have met.” Admitted the judge with a heavy heart. “I cannot permit you to share the same future as these two. You two cannot choose the same path as Fiona and Julian.”
Eölfran stepped forwards. “I am the prince of sprites. I have left my home in the forest in order to protect my people. If I returned to the forest, they would face certain death fro the giant eagles, protectors of the portal.
“We are a magical people, and the eagles fear magic. I cannot turn back; I refuse to condemn my people to death because of our nature, and because of the prejudice against what we are.
“This is my mentor and teacher, Sylvina. She has taught me my morals, my magic, and I respect her greatly. She was also Fiona’s tutor, but her duties are now fulfilled, she has love to show her the way now.
“I only ask that you show us mercy, and let us pass unheeded somewhere where we are protected.” This was a long speech for Eölfran and Fiona was impressed. He never usually flashed his royalty about, but it was important here. It was a part of who he was, and it was in his heart of hearts.
His duty to his people came first, and he was a selfless person. Sylvina simply stood behind him, letting him speak in deference to his rank. The judge turned his attention to her, focusing her in his even stare. “What of you Sylvina? What do you want?”
She matched his stare evenly. Level headedly, she raised her chin and spoke out proudly. “I trust my sire. I just want you to grant us asylum, in order to protect our people. More than anything, I want to go home, but to do so appears to be impossible, unless you can deliver us straight from this place back to the citadel.”
The judge considered this, clasping and unclasping his hands. He stood up and turned to the jury. “It is risky what she asks, but it is possible. I cannot guarantee their safe passage, but I can do it. The other option is for me to send them to a safe planet, where they will be accepted. To the home planet of sprites. They will be amongst their own and safe from prejudice.
“To send them home, risking their possible death, send up a red globe into the air. To send them to their planet of origin safely, send up a blue globe into the air.”
The jury spent a moment deliberating. Then the first globe rose into the air, it was blue, and Sylvina’s heart sank. Eölfran watched, not betraying his emotions at all. He would accept his fate, whatever it may be.
The second, third and fourth globes rose into the air and promptly turned red. There were fifteen members of the jury, carefully designed to ensure that a verdict was always reached.
Eventually, there was only one member of the jury left to vote, and it was a sprite. She was larger than most sprites, and was pure silver. She shone like moonlight reflected on a lake, and she was the most beautiful thing that Eölfran had ever seen.
He was instantly in love with her, and couldn’t take his eyes from her. She looked like a goddess, and she could see the devotion in his eyes. “Eölfran.” She said. “Tell me what is in your heart.”
“I love you.” He said, which made her giggle. “What?” he asked, confused by her reaction.
“I meant, where do you want to be? Where does your heart tell you to go?” She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes, which did nothing to help his predicament.
“I want to… I want to be with you.” He said, which wasn’t really an answer at all. But it was the truth. He was well and truly infatuated.
Sylvina was a little more observant and learned. She whispered to Eölfran, “She is a goddess. She is anywhere and everywhere, and looks over all sprites. And between you and me, you don’t have a chance with her.”
Eölfran’s face dropped as he heard this news, and he blushed bright red. He had never expected her to be immortal, all powerful or divine. The goddess smiled as she saw his reaction.
“Your mentor is right. I am Sylvie, the goddess from whom she gained her name. I am the first sprite, created at the start of universe from the centre of a star. I will be with you when you have need of me, wherever you are.” Sylvie flew down next to Eölfran and took his hand. She then kissed him on the cheek and spoke lightly in silvery tones.
“Where do you wish to go?”
“Home.” He said, as if her were in a daze. And it was the truth. The goddess hadn’t bewitched him, but he did want to go home. He could feel that it was his destiny to rule his people one day, as the sole heir to the citadel.
“Then let it be so.” From her slender fingertips, a globe rose into the air and shone red. Behind Fiona a door opened for them which looked out into the forest.
“I wish you well and good luck.” Said the judge, gesturing towards the door. Fiona let go of Julian’s hand and ran towards her friends, holding them both tight in a warm embrace.
“I’ll miss you.” She said, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened. “You will be magnificent, Eölfran, and Sylvina, you are truly wise.”
The two sprites returned the embrace. They flew towards the door, saying goodbye to Julian as they left. The two of them took a deep breath and crossed the threshold, promptly vanishing.
All Fiona and Julian could do was hope.


Chapter 30 – The Choice of a Lifetime

Then it was just the two of them left standing small and insignificant in the court of the gods. With a final nod to the divine guidance they had received, Fiona stretched a hand out in front of her. It brushed up against the unlikely looking brass doorknob in front of them.
It was one in the centre of three. She had no idea where it led to; she had deliberately ignored the writing on the plaques of each of the doors. It was a totally random choice, and she just followed her heart. Julian was right behind her, every step of the way. And she opened the door, slowly twisting the cold door handle.
She felt the touch of his hand as they went through the door. She felt the warmth and love inside her, and she felt truly happy. As she stepped through that door frame, she left behind the ghost of Jamie that had haunted her for years, and had torn her world apart.
Julian blindly followed his lover, trusting in her decision. He followed her because she had saved his life, put herself in danger time and time again for him, and she was his guardian angel.
The doorway was shadowed and dark. It held mysteries that were beyond the concepts that either of them could understand. But within moments, it was dark. It wasn’t the kind of dark that either of them was used to. It was a soul stripping fearful dark. It was one that had a lack of all types of sensory stimulation. And it scared both of them beyond belief.


Chapter 31 – Back to the Daily Grind

Fiona woke up, and she was looking at a very familiar ceiling. It was the same ceiling that she had woken up to for the majority of her life. She knew it intimately.
She was in her own bed, in her own bedroom. She reached a hand across to her left hand side, expecting to find Julian there. But it was vacant. She was alone in her room.
It had felt so real, like the experiences had actually happened to her. She remembered it all vividly, and her muscles still ached from the arduous trek up to the eyrie, and from the final showdown.
The voice of the judge still rang in her ears, and she could not, would not, believe that it was a dream. But if it was real, then Julian should be there, next to her.
She looked at her alarm clock next to her bed and saw that it was 7.30 AM on Friday morning. She needed to get ready and go to work. But on the plus side, she was going to see her best friends tomorrow, and that was more exciting than anything that had happened to her recently.
She swung her legs around and got out of bed, enjoying the feel of the carpet beneath her feet. She shivered as she felt the cold air on her skin after the warmth of her duvet. She grinned as she remembered the wind chilling her bones on the moors, and Julian warming her in his powerful arms. It had felt so real.
Yawning, she ran her fingers through her hair, and found a twig there. This was most perplexing to her; the only time she had been near any sort of tree recently was in her dream.
Because it had to have been a dream. Things like that are impossible. She definitely wasn’t magic, there was no such thing as sprites, and it was definitely impossible to go back in time.
She dismissed it as pure forgetfulness, and got ready for work. She pulled her long white nightdress over her head, and enjoyed the soothing warmth of her shower. She emerged from the cubicle, feeling much more awake, and much less fanciful.
Of course it was a dream, she scoffed. You were just being hopeful. People like Julian don’t exist. Perfect men are only a figment of the imagination.
She pulled on her work clothes, a smart skirt and jacket, matched with a simple blouse. She was running late, so she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, not bothering to style and preen as she usually would. She applied the necessary mascara, and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment.
She looked different somehow. More at peace, with a healthy, happy glow. Something had changed within her, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She tilted her head to one side, and her reflection stared back at her. She finally broke her gaze, and rushed downstairs, grabbing an apple and her handbag before making her way out of the house.
She opened the door to a perfect day. It was balmy, but the skies were clear, and the sun was shining. She locked the door and skipped down the garden path to the street. A man driving past in the car gave her a strange look, and she immediately stopped, feeling foolish.
Nevertheless, a smile remained on her face as she walked down to the bus stop, with a definite spring in her step. She had been depressed for so long, but things were looking up and she was just glad to be alive.
Her mood was infectious. The bus driver smiled as she showed him her bus pass. It was nice to see someone in such a good mood. She put her music on as the bus trundled into the town centre. She hummed along, dancing with her fingers as she looked out of the window.
She didn’t care what anyone else thought of her. If they wanted to be miserable, let them be, she thought. The bus journey seemed to pass a lot quicker than it usually did, and it wasn’t long before she reached her stop.
She jumped off the bus, clicking her heels in the air. She stomped in the puddles from yesterday’s rain, not caring that the splashes jumped up her legs. She walked to her office, walking around the revolving doors twice, just because she could.
She waltzed up to her desk and sat down, spinning on her office chair before finally settling down at her computer. She tapped in her username and password and tapped her fingernails on the desk as she waited for it to load.
She heard someone walk through the front door, but didn’t bother looking up. It wasn’t anything unusual. “Fiona?” asked a voice hopefully.
She looked up into a familiar pair of amber eyes. Julian was stood there, in an immaculate suit, looking down at her. He held a bunch of flowers in his hand, and her heart immediately melted.
She got up from her chair and walked slowly around the desk. “I thought you were a dream. I thought you were just made up inside my head.”
“I’m real. I’m here and I’m real. It all happened. And at the end of it all, I’m here, with you.” He put the flowers down on the desk and stroked her face tenderly.
Fiona disbelievingly felt his touch, and knew that it was reality. She had lived her dream, and her perfect man was standing there in front of her, against all odds.
She pulled him towards her, and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. He picked her up around her waist and lifted her up, placing her on the desk.
She buried her hands in his hair, revelling in the soft silky texture. They kissed deeply, pausing only to come up for air. She knew him so well, and he was just happy that he had found her again.
He pulled apart from her, and ducked down onto one knee, holding her hand.
She gasped, not expecting this of him at all. He pulled a box from his pocket. It fitted neatly in the palm of his hand. It was coloured a deep red velvet, and it could only contain one thing. He opened it up, and asked her, tenderly, “Will you marry me Fiona? You are the only one I could ever love, my soul mate and my guardian angel.”
She smiled as tears of happiness rolled down her face. “Yes, of course I will. I couldn’t ever think of marrying anyone else apart from you. You are the only one I have ever dreamed of, the only one I could ever want.”
The ring was made of white gold, and had a gleaming diamond set into it. It fitted perfectly onto Fiona’s slender finger, and she pulled her new fiancé into a hug, admiring the new addition to her hand over his shoulder.
“I love you.” She whispered into his ear as he picked her up and took her out of the office. Today was not a day to be wasted on work. Today was the first day of the rest of their lives.