Richard Tuttle - Sapphire of the Fairies

“Very well,” Tanya accepted asshe placed Queen Mita on the small balcony. “I have heard storiesof your dealings with the Great Mage and he is said to havebelieved you an honorable and trustworthy people. I will chance mylife on his words.”

“You know the Great Mage?”Queen Mita questioned.

“No,” replied Tanya, “but myuncle knows of his stories including the one where he restored thisorchard and had Prince Midge accompany him to imprisonAlutar.”

“So that is how you knew myson’s name,” reflected the Queen. “Why have your people come intoour orchard?”

“We were captured beforecoming to your orchard,” Tanya corrected, “but we would have comehere anyway. My friends and I seek to end the Dark One’s rule andour journey requires us to speak with you about the HolySapphire.”

“What does the Holy Sapphirehave to do with ending the Darkness?” queried the Queen.

At that point a shout rang out fromsomewhere in the orchard that was quickly followed by more shouts.Tanya swung around and saw hundreds of fairies emerging from allover the orchard. As she turned back to grab the Queen, she sawQueen Mita holding her hand up to the gathering fairies.

“Hold,” the Queen shouted.“This human is my guest and will not be harmed. All of you go backto sleep, but send Midge here.”

The fairies reluctantly turned anddisappeared. In an amazingly short time, Prince Midge landed on theplatform. “As you can see,” Queen Mita stated, “the Mage told thetruth. You may trust the word of the fairies. Son, this is themissing human and I have guaranteed her safety with yourlife.”

Prince Midge just nodded and stood onthe platform next to his mother. “You were talking about the HolySapphire,” reminded the Queen.

“Yes,” began Tanya whileshaking her head. “The Prophecy states that the Dark One will bekilled by the Sword of Heavens which we possess. Before the Swordmay be used, the seven gems in its hilt must be restored. Your HolySapphire is one of those gems.”

A green fairy suddenly landed on theplatform, startling Tanya. He quickly whispered something inMidge’s ear and they both flew off. Dismissing the interruption,the Queen sat down.

“The fairies’ very existenceis dependent on the Holy Sapphire,” the Queen explained as PrinceMidge returned. “We cannot just turn it over to you even if we hada desire to do so.”

“The Sword of Heavens gave usa vision before it led us here,” Tanya explained. “The visionshowed the Sapphire and a blue fairy reciting a verse. That versesaid that the Sapphire was a lie. Surely you know the verse thatwas spoken by the fairy in the vision.”

“I know the verse very well,”confided the Queen. “This is the verse you speak of:”

Your blood will flow ‘til none isleft

While darkness around you descends

On Holy Sapphire all you have

Fate of the Fairies do depend.

The Crown of Light the Fairies’Life

Without it all are doomed to die

The Holy Sapphire just a patch

Redemption only just a lie.”

Prince Midge stared off into the forestas he said:

The Bringer knows not what he does

But fate has chosen only he

Who bears the mark upon his chest

The Winged Serpent death doth flee.

Queen Mita snapped her head to glare ather son, but the Prince returned her glare withdetermination.

“He is here,” Prince Midgeproclaimed. “He is one of the humans which we captured today. Thatis what brought Pixy to the platform moments ago.”

“Wake him and bring him here,”snapped the Queen.

“What is happening?” Tanyaasked. “What is this about a Bringer?”

“You have heard only thebeginning of the Fairy Prophecy,” Queen Mita explained. “The restdeals with someone known to us as the Bringer. We have alwaysassumed that the Bringer would be a fairy, but my son believes thatone of your companions is meant to fulfill the Prophecy. We shallsee soon enough. You have asked for my peoples’ restraint. I nowask the same pledge from you. I am having one of your companionsbrought here in an awakened state. You will ensure that fairies donot come to harm through his actions.”

“I shall,” Tanya agreed as shewatched Arik annoyingly march towards the tree.

“What is going on?” hedemanded of Tanya. “Why have they freed us and not theothers?”

“Arik, please restrain yourtemper,” Tanya suggested. “I want to know the answers to that andmany other questions. Queen Mita has agreed to talk with us inpeace and I have promised our cooperation and their safety. Let ushear what the Queen wants with you.”

“So, your name is Arik,”greeted Queen Mita. “This is my son, Prince Midge. Arik, would youkindly bare your chest?”

Arik look stunned and turned to look atTanya, who was obviously confused about where the Queen wasleading. “I would prefer not to, Your Highness,” Arik finallydeclared.

Tanya was shocked at Arik’s answer tothe Queen, but Queen Mita merely smiled. “If you have any chancewhatsoever of even seeing the Holy Sapphire, you will have tocomply. I am told that you bear a strange mark on your chest and asthe Queen of the Fairies, I must make decisions based on what Isee. I assure you that I am not asking to embarrassyou.”

Tanya nodded and Arik opened his shirtas little as he could and turned so that Tanya could not see butthe Queen could. The Queen’s eyes grew wide and she startedshaking.

“Son,” she ordered, “free theprisoners and invite them here. I will offer them my apologies whenthey arrive, but yours may be needed at the time they are released.They are to be treated as guests, but I fear they may take offenseat the way they have been treated already.”

After Midge had left to free theRangers, the Queen returned her attention to Arik. “I am sorry if Ihave embarrassed you, Arik,” she apologized. “You are a specialperson to the fairy people and a very honored guest. If you wishnot to be embarrassed by this in front of your people, you haveonly to request it and I will make sure it is not mentioned. As forTanya’s lips, that is your own problem.”

“What does it all mean?” Arikasked. “It is only a rash which I picked up in Tagaret.”

“It is not a rash, Arik,” theQueen assured him. “It is the mark of the Bringer. You have beenchosen to return the Crown of Light to the fairy people. Who choseyou or how you were chosen is unknown to me and does not matter.The Prophecy foretells of your arrival and the task that awaitsyou. If you want the Holy Sapphire, you will have to return theCrown of Light to the fairy people.”

“Where do I find this Crown ofLight?” Arik asked.

“I have absolutely no idea,”confessed the Queen. “It has been lost for ages and if any fairyknew where it existed, we would already have it in our possession.It is the very symbol of the Fairy Monarchy.”

Garth, Kalina, Fredrik, Niki, and Tediwere brought to the Father Tree in the apple orchard to meet QueenMita of the fairies. Tanya smiled openly at their arrival, but Arikseemed distant and lost in thought. Queen Mita stood regally on theplatform and welcomed the humans.

“Greeting to you all andwelcome to the land of the fairies,” she intoned. “You have mydeepest apologies for the treatment given to you upon your arrival.While I did not order your capture, I did know about it afterwardsand consented to your imprisonment. For that I can only offerapologies that are insufficient to compensate you. You are now freeand are welcome as my guests. We will extend every courtesy to youduring your time with us. I am Queen Mita, Queen of the Fairies,and this is my son, Prince Midge.”

Kalina stood with a tight grimace onher lips. Fredrik and Tedi looked around as if to determine whetheror not they were in some kind of dream. Niki peered at the smallQueen as if examining her wardrobe. Garth stepped forward andbowed.