Jhudora in the Time of Terask

     But Jhudora never expected a battalion of soldiers – faeries and Neopets alike, in lavender and pink armour and livery – waiting for her. At their helm was an earth faerie with wavy brown hair falling past her shoulders, some of it pulled back in a ponytail. Her hand was on the hilt of a cutlass thrust through her belt as though expecting a duel at any moment.

     She did not get a duel; instead, she got a rather disgruntled dark faerie coming out to meet her, amethyst eyes flashing dangerously.

     “I’m guessing you’re not here for one of my quests,” she remarked, a hand on her hip. Jhudora waved her other hand over the squad, which included a red Wocky who seemed more interested in seeing if his spear could stand upright by itself and who got cuffed soundly by his blue Skeith companion. “But was this really necessary, Arthal?”

     “Of course it is,” said Arthal crossly. “Faerieland is under attack, in case you haven’t noticed. Terask has marched out and is headed for Faerie City.”

     “Isn’t that why Fyora has you?” asked Jhudora. She raised her eyebrows when the red Wocky dropped his spear and scrambled to pick it up. “What does this have to do with me?”

     “You’re in cahoots with them, aren’t you?” a dark faerie with cropped hair cried from the ranks. “I bet it was your magic that – “

     “And why would I want to destroy Faerieland, Bellona?” Jhudora retorted, spreading her hands. “What would I gain from it? Why would I even want to join Terask’s hodgepodge of an army?”

     “If you’re not for us, you’re against us,” Bellona pressed.

     Arthal shook her head vigorously and gestured for Bellona to stop talking. Her subordinate gave Jhudora a dirty look but obeyed the earth faerie.

     “We need your help. We don’t know how Terask has grown into a giant Draik, or how he has amassed such a huge army, but they’re getting closer to Faerie Palace as we speak. Queen Fyora is in danger, and we need every able Faerielander to stand up and fight.”

     Jhudora let out a laugh. “So, when you’re not blaming me for what’s happening, you want me to play hero. Really, what kind of soldiers are you, asking civilians to do your dirty work? Fyora is a big girl, she can handle whatever comes knocking on her door.”

     “You don’t understand,” Arthal insisted. “This is different from anything any of us have ever faced! Faeries, Neopets, even petpets…Terask’s army is unlike any we’ve ever seen!”

     “Which means you shouldn’t be wasting your time – and mine,” said Jhudora. She gestured for the battalion to leave. “Instead of chatting with me, why don’t you go and take care of Terask? It’s what Fyora pays you to do, right?”

     Arthal stamped her foot. “For once in your life, Jhudora, do something for Faerieland besides offer quests for bored Neopets!”

     “I do more than just send Neopets on quests!” the dark faerie snapped. “I reward them for their hard work and grant them the power they could never find anywhere else.”

     “We need that power on our side,” Bellona chimed in.

     “Now you need my power, when Faerieland is at the mercy of an angry Draik and his friends.” Jhudora shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. “In case you forgot, it is my power and mine alone, to use as I please. And I say you don’t need it.” She turned away, leaving Arthal, Bellona and the other soldiers standing outside.

     “Jhudora – “

     Arthal placed a hand on Bellona’s shoulder. “She won’t help us, Bellona. But she’s right – come on, Faerieland needs us.”

     * * *

     Jhudora gazed out at Faerieland. On the outside, it seemed normal enough, but she knew that the inside was anything but. She knew that Fyora and her army had ultimately failed, and Terask now ruled the kingdom in the clouds, with his allies and monsters at his side. It was even said that the Faerie Queen was a prisoner in her own palace, with her supporters and the citizens of Faerieland dispersed, in hiding, or worse, captured.

     Normally this was none of her business. What was Faerieland to her, in the end? It wasn’t like the place had any sentimental value or any sort of value to her, unless there were Neopets who were willing to complete her quests. More often than not, it was a source of unwanted noise and trouble, and Jhudora, in a way, appreciated the solitude Terask had brought by sowing fear and ruling with an iron claw.

     But apparently, there was such a thing as too much solitude.

     She rested her elbow on her windowsill and frowned before glancing out toward the entrance to her cloud. Neither questers nor nosy soldiers were to be found, and the silence, which had been welcome at first, had become tedious to a maddening point.

     Her solitude, however, was soon broken when she saw a shadow Shoyru flying toward her cloud with a package in his hands, pursued by two air faeries hurling blasts of concentrated wind at him. He soared high to evade them, but a shimmering jet of steam struck his wing, causing him to corkscrew. Though he managed to right himself and continue his flight, his pursuers remained relentless.

     “I’m just on a quest for Jhudora!” the Shoyru cried, glancing over his shoulder before diving straight toward Jhudora’s demesne. “I’m not a spy for the Resistance!”

     “You lie!” one of the air faeries shrieked, her white-blond hair trailing behind her in waves.

     He held up the package. “No, I’m not! Please – this is fragile!”

     “That’s enough of that!”

     Jhudora emerged from her cloud, wand upraised, and created a noxious green mist that enveloped both air faeries, causing a lot of coughing and watery eyes.

     “I thought we had a deal!” she shouted. “His Royal Largeness would leave me and my business alone! Why are you attacking my quester?”

     While Jhudora flicked her wand and swept her arm, which caused the green mist to hurl the faeries aside and into the nearest abandoned shop, the Shoyru immediately shot into her cloud like an arrow from a bow and tumbled onto the lavender floor, clutching onto his box tightly.

     “Don’t scuff my floor, I just polished that.” She watched the Shoyru stagger onto his feet, breathing hard. “Do you have Kauvara’s Potion, Louran?”

     “Yes!” Louran thrust the box toward her so abruptly that she took a step back, which caused him to step back in embarrassment and trepidation. To settle the matter, Jhudora snatched the box from him even though just moments ago, Louran had been screaming that it contained something fragile. She opened the box and saw the corked bottle nestled in packaging material and filled with a light blue brew and tiny floating stars.

     The Shoyru hurriedly took out a pocket watch and flipped it open. His face fell. “Oh no. Oh no, I’m five minutes late!” He clasped his hands together, not minding that his watch dangled from its chain. “I’m so sorry, Jhudora! Please, the corrupted air faeries thought I was a spy and tried to shoot me down from the sky, and I had to hide from them after I bought the potion from – “

     Jhudora held up a hand, and he stopped babbling. She sighed as she set the box aside on a table and pinched the bridge of her nose with slender fingers.

     “Louran,” she said, “you have successfully completed my quest.”

     “I-I did?” he asked. “Really? But…”

     “Yes, come back tomorrow for your next quest,” the dark faerie snapped. “And not a word of this to anyone. As far as I’m concerned, you were just in time.”

     At first, Louran stared at her. Then he broke into a wide, relieved smile and said profusely, “Thank you, Jhudora, thank you so much! I promise I’ll be on time for real for your next quest, and thank you for saving me – “

     “I didn’t save you,” Jhudora interrupted as she pointed to the entrance through which Louran had landed into her cloud. Thankfully, the air faeries were nowhere to be seen this time. “Come back tomorrow. Don’t make me say it again.”

     * * *

     Tomorrow came, and tomorrow came again and again, but there was no sign of Louran. Or anyone else, aside from the faeries who flew past her cloud in battle or pursuit, and the Neopets who fought on foot around her domain, many of whom were careful not to get too close, whether they were with the Resistance or with Terask. Jhudora glowered as she stared at her empty cauldron, and the Kauvara’s Potion which now sat atop one of her shelves. She had hoped the quiet would allow her to work, but it had now become too quiet with no questers showing up at her proverbial door. The silence seemed to press against her on all sides, hemming her in with no chance of escape.

     She stood up and gazed out at Faerieland. Terask had placed many of his soldiers, identifiable by the black armour emblazoned with Draik wings, all over the clouds, along every path, and in every town and village. More faeries flew overhead, on constant aerial patrol and divebombing anyone who was not of their number. Soldiers also accosted fearful, unarmed Faerielanders whose only crime was to be caught wandering outside.

     Jhudora frowned. She had left Terask alone, just as he left her alone. But this was costing her. She could not remember the last time she had gone this long without anyone showing up on her proverbial doorstep for the next quest.

     Finally, she moved away from the bleak view and focused on her shelves before walking her fingers across the spines of the books and stopping at one particularly dusty tome.

     Jhudora pulled it down and began flipping the pages, coughing at the clouds of dust they created. After a moment of quietly scanning the ancient book, she took the Kauvara’s Potion and tipped all of it into her cauldron.

     * * *

     ”Fyora has not been kind to you either,” a dark faerie with shoulder-length hair said, a hand on her hip and her smug smile reminding Jhudora too much of, well, herself. “Lord Terask will give you his word that you will be placed within his inner council if you join us – and help him take the throne.”

     Jhudora stared at the other faerie.

     “So, the rumours are true. He wants to be king.”

     “Have you ever dreamed of becoming queen yourself, Jhudora?”

     “Not really.” Jhudora shrugged. “Sure, you’d be in charge, but I’m not stupid to think that’s all there is, Kiela. I’d be queen of Faerieland but I’d never get a moment’s rest. Sounds like you’re the one who wants to be queen. Planning to rule quietly behind your new Draik overlord, or do you really believe Faerieland is better off ruled by some Neopian?”

     Kiela frowned. “The Wingshadows believe that Lord Terask will rule with the iron claw Faerieland has so desperately needed to rein in all those undisciplined faeries and Neopians.”

     “Because of some prophecy your clan foretold?”

     “The prophecy is true. You know the Wingshadows possess the Sight. Everything we foretell comes true.”

     “Oh, really? No catch at all? Don’t most prophecies have a catch?”

     “Will you join us?” Kiela pressed, extending a hand forcefully. “That’s all I wanted to know.” But Jhudora merely stared at the proffered hand as though it were something woebegone and pitiful. She did not need to say anything as Kiela finally withdrew it, her frown deepening.

     “Then, you’re siding with Fyora?”

     Jhudora shook her head smugly. “For a clan leader, you’re so simpleminded. I never said that. I have another deal for ‘Lord’ Terask, Kiela. I will remain neutral and see what becomes of his schemes, and in return, he’ll leave me alone to give out quests as always. Heh, if he’d like to do some quests for me, then I will reward him like any other.”

     “If you won’t fight,” said Kiela, “then at least, will you agree to supply Lord Terask with Wands of the Dark Faerie for their cause?”

     At first, Jhudora said nothing, but the silence between them, like a taut bowstring, said plenty.

     “You Wingshadows have rules governing the Sight,” she answered icily. “I don’t just give out Wands of the Dark Faerie to anyone I please, either. His Royal Draikness will have to work hard like everyone else if he wants even one.”

     * * *

     “Terask’s faeries still have the Nimbus Pass blocked. We need a new route to Faerie Palace,” said Arthal, raising a hand in a snappy salute. “I’ll send Bellona and some of our scouts to find one.”

     “I heard you loud and clear, ma’am,” Bellona chimed in.

     “Good.” Aethia looked around; faeries and Neopets alike were either on patrol, sparring with their weapons, or preparing batches of healing and destructive potions. A spiral staircase wound all the way up to the second floor, where a Pteri was flying down slowly with a bandaged wing. A Nimmo lounged on the ledge of a window, gazing outside with a spear in his hand. The Battle Faerie sighed and rubbed her temples, brushing away a stray lock of her purple hair.

     A ripple of movement within Arthal’s squadron made Aethia focus on them again.

     “Ah, s-sorry,” mumbled a red Wocky who had been trying to make his spear stand by itself on the floor. It had smacked against an earth faerie who was rubbing her head.

     “Watch it with that thing!” she complained. “Tsk, is this how Fyora trains her soldiers nowadays?”

     Aethia, Arthal and Bellona stopped and stared at her.

     “Bellona, do you know her?” Arthal asked. The dark faerie shook her head. “Hmph. As I thought. Show yourself, imposter!” Arthal drew her cutlass and traced an elaborate design in the air. A flurry of fresh leaves burst from it, covering the earth faerie, whose brown hair began to change into purple with a streak of green, and whose lilac and pink tabard and shining chainmail became an entirely different set of clothes.

     “Jhudora!” Bellona exclaimed, a bow and arrow wreathed in amethyst flames appearing in her hands. “What are you doing here? And how did you – “

     “Stand down, soldier,” said Aethia, extending an arm in front of Bellona, whose bow and arrow faded away. “I’ll handle this. Jhudora, what is the meaning of this? Sneaking into the Northern Watchtower…are you a spy for Terask?”

     “Why does everyone think I’m with Terask?” Jhudora cried, throwing up her hands. “I’m not! Go ahead, throw your worst truth spell at me if you won’t believe me!”

     “Then what are you doing here?” Arthal pointed to Jhudora. “I thought you would have nothing to do with this war. Nothing to do with anything or anyone, except yourself.”

     “Well, I thought so, too.”

     Aethia folded her arms across her chest. “Does that mean you’re – “

     Jhudora raised a hand. “Don’t say it, Aethia. I’m not here to fight for Her Royal Pinkness, either. I gave my word that I would not fight Terask. But…I never said anything about this.” She reached into one of her dress sleeves and pulled out a small vial of glowing purple liquid.

     “And what is that?”

     “Terask’s invasion turned out to be terrible for business,” said Jhudora. “His minions started attacking my questers, and they all became too scared to visit me. Anyway, this is a little healing potion I made. It’s more than one of Marina’s pick-me-ups; it’s so potent that all you need is this much for a tired, wounded soldier to get back up on their feet again. Or claws. Or fins. Or whatever.”

     Bellona frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but this time, both Arthal and Aethia glared at her.

     “How do we know this isn’t a trick?” Arthal asked.

     “Why don’t you find out?” Jhudora held out the vial toward the earth faerie. “You’re the next best thing to a faerie with truth spells.”

     Arthal furrowed her brows but took the vial and held it in her fingers as though it were made of poison. She spoke several words, and the tiny bottle was suddenly enveloped in a bunch of green leaves, the same elaborate design from her revelation of Jhudora chasing lines through them. The leaves glowed and hummed and Arthal continued reciting her spell, causing a few Neopets nearby to cover their ears. Finally, the leaves peeled away and disappeared into thin air, leaving the vial and the purple potion unscathed and unchanged. At first, Arthal was speechless, and it was Aethia who voiced the earth faerie’s thoughts.

     “It’s real.”

     “I told you it’s real!” Jhudora exploded, stomping her foot and startling the bandaged Pteri that was walking past. “What, you really thought I was going to curse everyone in this blasted tower? I told you, I have a business to protect!”

     Aethia took the vial from Arthal and a slow smile spread across the Battle Faerie’s face. “Well, I’m impressed. This will be a big help for the Resistance. Although, we’ll need more than this one bottle…”

     Jhudora grinned. “The recipe for Jhudora’s Lifeforce Potion is a secret, but I am more than willing to supply the Resistance with as much as it needs.”

     “Is there a catch?” Bellona blurted out.

     “Of course, we will do everything in our power to keep you safe,” said Aethia automatically. “Our scouts will be watching over your cloud, we’ll find ways to bring your potion to every branch of the Resistance…”

     “Thank you, but that wasn’t the catch I was thinking of.”

     “I knew it!” the other dark faerie said.

     Arthal sighed and said tiredly, “What’s the catch, then?”

     “Simple,” said Jhudora, her grin becoming wider and prouder, as though she were a Kadoatie that had trapped a Miamouse. “Now that I’m helping the Resistance…assuming she escapes Faerie Palace and that giant twisted Draik, Fyora will owe me. Big time.”