The Darkest Faerie Rises: Part Three

      "Council, I come before you again not as your subject, but as your current and future ruler. I will take you on either one at a time or all at once, whichever you prefer, but I am ready to defeat you all. Last time I was told that I had to defeat you to take my rightful place as the darkest faerie. I am ready to defeat you all, and I could do it with little effort. Do you want to take me for my word or will I have to prove it to you?"

      "And so you are, master Drakar," said the oldest and wises council members in unison. The older council member motioned for the others to stand up and to bow as she walked from her seat and placed her symbol of leadership around Drakar's neck, a pendent that she held dear.

      "Master Drakar, I hope that with this symbol, it is solidifying our relationship and your power over us all."

      "Oh, it is a symbol of my power over all of you, but we have no relationship. I suggest that, to keep me from throwing you in the royal dungeon for your feelings of mutiny before I was ready to take you all on at once, you serve me faithfully, for that is the only chance you have to regain my trust, and patience."

      Drakar started addressing the fastest council member, "You are to find every dark faerie old enough to be of use to me. I suggest you find them quickly because the more powerful I grow, the less time I want to take in my quest for complete control over Faerieland."

      "Of course, master," said the faerie bowing low and zooming off to hunt for dark faeries.

      A day later, Drakar held a meeting with all of the most powerful dark faeries.

      "You all know why you have been summoned here. You are here because you are talented, and what we are doing is no small task, but it can be accomplished. To take over Faerieland is our goal, and we may finally pursue it."

      After Jhudora was turned into a child, she snickered at Drakar's folly. Oh, Drakar had turned her physically into a young child, but not mentally. She walked to Fyora's castle in a few hours and was encountered by some less than friendly guards.

      "I must speak to the Queen, the darkest faerie is about to try to take over Faerieland, and I think I know how to defeat her, but I am not powerful enough. Fyora is."

      "And who do you think you are, little miss?" asked one of the guards kindly, but gruffly as well.

      "Although you probably will not believe me, I am Jhudora. That little brat Drakar turned me into a child to try to keep me out of her way in her quest for Faerieland. I know her plans, she revealed them to me before she turned me into a child. Please, it is for the sake of everyone that I ask to see Fyora."

      "We will see what we can do," said the obviously kinder guard, "but do not count on it."

      "I have to count on it. If for nobody but myself, I have to count on it."

      As the guard walked towards Fyora's chambers, he wondered if he should just dismiss this as a child's rambling, but his gut told him that he should pay attention to this young child. She seemed so… wise and full of knowledge. This was unusual, so he did his job and requested the presence of Queen Fyora due to a pending request of a young dark faerie.

      "What is it?"

      "There is a young dark faerie here claiming to be Jhudora, and she also claims that she knows of a plan where someone she called the darkest faerie would try to overtake our fair home."

      "I suppose it is just the senseless ramblings of a child, but as a Queen I must take this warning very seriously. Bring her in."

      "Yes, your majesty," said the guard as he bowed and left Queen Fyora's presence.

      "You are lucky she is in a good mood. She will see you now."

      "Thank you, now I suggest you make sure that your troops are ready for an attack, because as we speak she is bringing the dark faeries together."

      "I will wait for Queen Fyora's order."

      "Do not be foolish," said Jhudora as she hurried down the long corridor to the Queen's welcoming room.

      "You say you are Jhudora. I may be overly skeptical at times, but I want to know why I should believe you."

      "Because I am telling the truth. There is a legend among dark faeries, that any dark faerie who's skin and clothes turn purple when presented to the council is the darkest faerie. My previous student, Drakar, was that faerie. In just a matter of years she became as strong as me. At first she completely rejected the idea of being a dark faerie, but it grew on her, almost too well. Right before she left, to take over the dark faerie council, no doubt, she turned me into a child. I once taught her to make sure that her blessings blessed her. Now I almost wish I had not. She made a mistake, though; she made me a child only physically. Mentally I am older than her. You must help me; I think I know how to defeat her."

      "I believe you only because I have heard that legend, I heard that she was born, and I heard that you taught her. How is it that you think we can defeat her, if she really is the darkest faerie of them all?"

      "I do not know. The legend started saying if we won or lost the battle, but the legend died then. I think it is because she lost the battle. We just have to figure out how."

      "Fine, but why are you helping me, Jhudora?"

      "Because I know Drakar's character. Dark faeries may be mean, but we have hearts. Drakar's is not a very big one. Anyone who annoys her even in the most minimal way would be in fear of torture or imprisonment. She threatened me with it and that is why I come to help you. She was an ungrateful little brat, and now she will pay for trying to cross me!"

      "Jhudora!" Fyora exclaimed crossly, "calm yourself, we can not settle this matter with anger. That is what has you here and your pupil trying to take over my land."

      "You are right, Fyora; I am sorry. Now, if she took over the council, they would have given her…" Jhudora looked up with shock and pleasure, "They would have given her the medallion!"

      "The what?" asked Fyora quizzically.

      "The medallion is the one weakness of the council. Whoever wears it is subject to both anybody stronger than them AND a red and gold medallion of any shape. But the medallion must be made only out of both pure rubies and pure gold. Do you have any?"

      "I think so, let me check. GUARDS!"

      Two guards came running at her call, ready to do anything their queen asked.

      "It is most important that you help both me and Jhudora in the royal treasury. We must find a medallion made of only pure gold and pure rubies. The future of Faerieland is in that medallion. I am sure I have one, but we must find it."

      The guards and Fyora searched all night, but could not find anything. Finally, in sorrow, Fyora started fiddling with the necklace she was wearing when she realized that her necklace had a pure gold and pure ruby medallion. It broke her heart when she knew what she had to do, but she knew that she had no choice. She started crying as she thought about the day of her coronation when she was given the medallion, and now she knew why it was given to her.

      "Jhudora, if we do find this medallion in time, what will it do to Drakar?"

      "It will set her in stone, though I can not remember for how long. Hundreds of years I believe."

      "Good."

      "How is that good?"

      "I have a plan."

      "Any questions? You all know what you are to do. Remember, getting the guards out of the way is important, but ignore the common people. They are not worth our time, we need to make sure that we can get into the palace. It is Fyora we are after!"

To be continued...