Through the Eyes of a Fae
chapter 11

Ludis and Stella met in the middle of the village and sat on the edge of an old fountain that had seen better days. Stella spoke first.

“The water is clean. Not only that, but there also seem to have been rivets developed into the land, the rainwater is running towards the field at a gentle slope. She created a natural irrigation system.” Stella was blown. Never could she have imagined such a display of magic. The plants were all natural, no touch of magic to them, and were ripe and ready for harvesting. The water was clean and pure, ready to drink or water animals and crops. Stella had sent her magic deep into the ground, looking for anything malicious, and had come up empty. Ludis nodded and leaned forward on her knees.

" It is crazy. The irrigation system is gentle enough to spread the water to the fields without becoming a flooding hazard in heavy rain, and all the trees are strong and healthy, as if unbothered for ages. No magic left in any of it. It is like… Nothing ever happened here.” Ludis had that look on her face, the academic one.

“No matter how powerful she is, she had to have knowledge of crops and plants to know where and how to place the rivets in the land. The geographical layout when the rain comes and goes. It is like she knows this land. One can only obtain so much from a map. If she has even had access to one.” Ludis stood, stretching as she did so. Stella did the same, leaning forward to touch her toes.

“She could be very adept at plant magic. It is our closest to an elemental mage. I just cannot wrap my head around a real-life Fae. There’s just no way.” Stella shook her head, still in disbelief.

“How else, though, Stella? Think, it all makes sense. A Man of the Grey traps the last Fae, and only the elite use her as a conduit to drain magic from the earth. How else would the enemy have sustained such power? If we had not been able to push through to that castle, we would never have found her. And the last mage of the Grey, you saw him just as I did. He died instead of leaving those castle grounds. He was desperate to not lose his source.” Ludis spoke quickly, starting to walk through the crowd, back to camp. Stella followed. The villagers were abuzz, all gossiping about this change in fortune. She heard the talk, and they all believed the mighty Head Mage Ludis was responsible for this, who else could be so powerful? Stella smiled. The crowds always thought Ludis was some powerful, evasive man, no one ever knew Ludis when they faced her. Ludis, however, was not aware of her surroundings, her head bowed, she was still deep in thought. Stella was not sure what to think. All she could do was focus on the obvious. Kora was not one of the Men of the Grey. Silly since she is a woman, but when a mage goes to that dark place, their gender seems to disappear. Women and men alike just became unisex. It was also clear that they were Kora’s enemy. As if she could forgive them for enchanting her. While they shared a common nemesis, it was still unclear if they would be allies. She hoped so. In the few days on the road, she had come to like Kora. She spoke softly, but was very insightful, intelligent, and funny. She had made them all laugh on multiple occasions. Not only that, but she kept her word when given, and had a kind heart.

" I wonder if she is awake.” Ludis changed direction, now heading for the back of camp, as they walked, they saw Malik. Obviously, he had the same idea as them.

“Well, how does everything look?” Malik was all business, a king looking out for his people. Ludis reported what they had learned and their personal observations. Malik nodded, agreeing.

“Whoever she was, she was more than just a noble woman. I’ve never seen a dainty hand who knows enough about agriculture to create something like this.” Malik’s frown deepened. Stella saw his face, and knew he was conflicted. From his standpoint, she could see why. This woman was dangerous. If she chose to turn against them, she could undo her work just as quickly or cause even more damage. And there is also the possibility that someone else could enslave her again- and then turn her magic against them as well. It truly would be easier to kill her. They could not, though. She just saved an entire village and has given neither of them any reason to doubt her goodwill. Her previous circumstances proved she was not malicious but also an enemy victim. The conflict of having her as an ally was also matched with the anxiety of her becoming the enemy or a weapon for the enemy. Not to include that once the Court figured out what she could do, there would be no end to those who wished to curry her favor for their lands. They would be rich indeed. Stella wanted to treat her as a person. She was her own being with wishes and goals. As they approached the tent, Royce was sitting at the base of a nearby tree whittling at some wood, and Ben blocked their path to Kora’s tent. Malik stood toe to toe with him, and the tension increased tenfold.

" I will not let you hurt her. She has done nothing wrong, in fact, she saved hundreds today from a slow and painful death.” Ben’s chin stuck out, and Malik sighed.

" I have no intention of hurting someone who is innocent. But we must talk to her, Ben, and understand what this means.” Malik waved around to indicate the village and fields.

“We need to know more and if she can be trusted. In the wrong hands, she could become an instrument for destruction all over again. Or if she has any ill will for our people, we could suffer a worse fate. We must know if we can trust her.” As Malik finished his sentence, the tent flap opened, and Kora emerged. She looked sad.

“All I have ever been a tool. I do not want to be used anymore. I wanted to be free, but seeing this village, I know that will never be possible. It was my power that caused all of this. Even though it was stolen, the power and responsibility to protect it was mine, and because of my mistake, 1500 years of destruction followed. I was overcome, and I had to heal this land. I never meant to reveal so much. You want to know if I can be trusted, but I can say the same for you. Now that you know my secret, what is there to prevent you from trying to use me the same way?” Kora stood a little taller, looking at Malik with fierce determination.

" I will not be a tool, to be used when and where someone or something sees fit. I am still a person. I refuse to be imprisoned again. I mean no harm to anyone here. Furthermore, I owe a great debt to you all for taking me in and rescuing me from that hell.” A shudder ran over her. But her eyes remained level as she regarded Malik.

" So then, Kora, what is your intent?” Malik’s voice was emotionless, waiting to see what Kora would decide.

" I want to do what I did here today. I wish to reverse the damage the Men of the Grey caused with my magic. I would like to help and atone for my past mistakes. If you allow me, I will help Deirdre. Under my own terms.” Kora waited. Everyone waited in silence to see what the king would decide. Ever calculating, they watched as his mind turned.

" You realize that while what you offer is great, the danger to us is also high. If the Men of the Grey are still out there, they will want their source back.” Malik was blunt. ” They will stop at nothing. They will kill anyone and destroy everything.” He wanted to be sure she understood what she offered, as much as what she was asking him to risk. Her gaze grew cold, her eyes now hardened emeralds.

" Let them try.” She hissed. ” They will know the full fury of the Fae if they ever cross my path again.”