Chapter the Twenty-Seventh “M-Mother?” Iraella whispered, unable to yell from the large, uncomfortable lump that was rising in her throat. Silera didn’t seem to notice her daughter, for she was running, screaming, right at Efazah, who had risen from her chair, looking furious. Iraella ran with the band of who she now realized were fairies and humans alike, charging, relieved with the closeness of her friends and family. “WHERE DID THAT BEAST GO?” Iraella heard Silera scream furiously. And, before she knew what was happening, claw-like hands grasped her throat, and were pulling her back, away from the group. Iraella sputtered, struggling, her hands reaching for the hands that gripped her windpipe, compressing it……. “Iraella!” cried Baeddan, and all sound was lost. Iraella couldn’t breathe……Her vision was blurring……Death was drifting towards her……Then, the hand loosened, but still held her. Her chest came up in great heaves, but she was alive. “Come to me, Baeddan of Niaequei,” said Efazah. “Don’t go!” Silera said desperately, but Iraella heard footsteps coming. She wanted to cry out, to run to him, to push him away, but all that came out was a small squeak. Iraella felt Efazah shift over and grasp Baeddan. However, Baeddan didn’t choke, so she figured it must have only been his wrist. “Here, I have the King and Queen of Elmanaha. They were all I needed. All of you will leave, and be shown mercy. If you stay, I can guarantee that you will die,” croaked the Empress, her voice suddenly full of exhilaration. “We won’t leave!” yelled Silera shrilly. There were echoes of others saying the same, and Iraella felt a rush of affection for all of them. But they had to. “L-leave!” choked Iraella. She felt gazes upon her, and Efazah tightened her grip. Iraella squeaked. She heard furious footsteps and battle cries, and Efazah yelling for reinforcements. The Empress’s hand tightened for a moment, then was forced away from her throat by helpful, strong hands. Iraella fell to the ground, gasping and spluttering, and opened her eyes. The Zerhze had come, and they were shooting lights everywhere. She didn’t know what they did, but one was shooting straight for Barden. She leapt up with agility she didn’t think she had, and shoved him out of the way. When he got back up, she was surprised to see that he was grinning. “This is fantastic,” he said, and he took off, dagger in hand. Iraella looked after him in confusion, then realized that she should be helping her side now. Helping them get away. She darted to Baeddan, who had also been released from Efazah, and had just stabbed a Zerhze. “H-How can you see?” Iraella said. He turned around, beaming. “I can’t. I’ll tell you later!” he said brightly. She observed that he had a large slit across his face. He ran off, grasping her wrist as he did so. “Take this, you’ll need it,” he said, pulling a dagger out of his pocket. “No, you all need to leave!” “Noooo, I’m staying. We’re staying.” “Baeddan, be reasonable.” “I’ve gotta go,” he ran away to assist Nasia as she shot arrows at various Zerhze. Iraella just barely dodged several deadly looking jets of red light, and stabbed a Zerhze in the hand along the way, and found Silera. “Iraella! Thank goodness you’re alright!” Silera said tearfully as a dead Zerhze fell to the ground. Iraella jumped away from the thing in disgust, but smiled and said, “Get everyone and go.” Silera’s watery smile was wiped off her face and she suddenly looked deadly serious. “Okay, but you must come with us.” Iraella shook her head as she dragged Silera away from an approaching Zerhze. “No, I have to figure out some things first.” Before her mother could contradict her, Iraella ran off and told everyone she could find that it was time to leave. She couldn’t find Mabon, but trusted everyone to get him and everybody else away safely. Baeddan and Barden followed her instruction with protest, but grudgingly followed. Most of the Zerhze were slain when Iraella’s reinforcements crowded towards the door. Iraella was horrified when she watched many fairies—including Nasia—weeping and dragging dead bodies of others and flying out the door. She saw Baeddan and Barden gravely carrying another body, and Iraella wasn’t sure who, but it wasn’t a fairy. This made her uneasy. When Iraella stood in the middle of the room, Efazah seemed to notice her. She smiled horribly with both of her faces. “Call them off, Guepplem,” said Efazah, her faces shining with greed. Guepplem, looking surly, did as he was told, and Efazah stood several feet away from Iraella. She heard the door closed, and the crying stopped. She breathed a breath of relief. They were out. “I see the valiant little queen decided to stay,” Efazah croaked. Iraella nodded coldly. “I see you only seek to ask me something. What?” “I am not a queen, and Baeddan is not a king.” Efazah raised her four eyebrows. “Really. Well, that isn’t a question anyway, so shall I just dispose of you so I will be able to enter Elmanaha?” Iraella hesitated. “How do you know?” she asked hesitantly. “Your parents are Eamon and Silera of Niaequei, correct?” Iraella nodded. “Do you know why you have always looked very different from your parents?” Reluctantly, Iraella shook her head truthfully. She had never looked anything like them. “That is because they aren’t your parents.” “What are you talking about?” Iraella snapped angrily. That couldn’t be right……No, never……. Efazah smiled slightly with her bottom mouth. “The king and queen of Elmanaha are taken away from their magical parents at birth, and given to mortals. The mortals don’t know this, so I guarantee that Silera and Eamon of Niaequei have no idea…..” Efazah paused, and Iraella tried to gather her senses. No, no of course it’s not true! Impossible. She had been with Eamon and Silera for as long as she could remember…..But if she was taken as a babe……Iraella shook her head furiously, as if to fling away the ridiculous thoughts. “Are you done yet?” Efazah said in a bored croak. Iraella nodded. “Er…Go on,” she said hoarsely. “Well, you are supposed to be told on the dawn of your sixteenth birthday. Neither you nor the king are old enough yet. But no matter, the king is nothing to me now. I only need to dispose of one to be able to enter and rule the kingdom. I have already discovered how to break through the elves’ magic. I will rule. Any final statements, Queen Iraella?” said Efazah, her faces excited and alight. “No, wait! Who are my real parents?” Iraella blurted out, raising her arms over her head as if that could shield her. “Somewhere far away. I don’t know their names. They might even be dead……” said the Empress impatiently. “So the rulers don’t run in families?” “No, parents have to go to the elves and volunteer their unborn children. I don’t need to go into detail with this, do I? You are about to die, no one else will know,” Efazah said, her croak dangerously soft this time. Iraella could see she was getting angry. She saw her arm twitch compulsively. “Okay. I am done,” said Iraella. This couldn’t be happening. Efazah smirked. “You would have made a lovely queen.” She raised her fist. Iraella observed that it glowed red. And she shot a beam of blood red light right at Iraella’s heart. Just as she went to jump away, the light grazed Iraella’s arm, and it was pain beyond pain. It was beyond what she felt in the visions, it was beyond anything she had ever imagined. She screamed. She didn’t know what she was saying, but she was saying something. She was thinking “Let me die, let me die!” but she knew she wasn’t saying that. Something was flowing from the graze on her arm. It was pure white, shining, illuminating Efazah’s horrified faces. Its presence was comforting. The shape was beautiful, and up close, Iraella saw it was a person. Tears still streamed slightly down her cheeks, but the protector smiled. She placed a calming hand on Iraella’s upper arm, where the graze was, and Iraella studied her face. She had a strong jaw, and thick waves of hair that reminded Iraella much of her own……Iraella gasped. This was her mother. Her mother lifted her head and smiled sweetly. Her father emerged from the graze now. He had Iraella’s large eyes and big smile. Iraella reached out to try and touch them, but her hand went through. They smiled kindly again and disappeared. Her graze had turned to a dull ache. Iraella stood, her legs trembling slightly. She grabbed the dagger from her pocket, but kept it hidden from sight. “I will not die,” said Iraella in a threatening voice. Efazah’s face had turned from shock to fury. “How—but—I broke--” she stuttered angrily. “No, you didn’t.” Iraella didn’t know where the certainty was coming from. Iraella walked over to Efazah fearlessly. “There will be no more terror from you. Your Zerhze will be slain. Everything will be peaceful once more,” said Iraella in a voice that didn’t sound like her own. Efazah looked surprised for a moment, then she burst into laughter. Croaky, deafening laughter. “You think--” laughter. “You can--” more laughter. “Defeat me?” Iraella stayed cool and calm. “Yes,” she said clearly. Efazah stopped laughing. “There’s something behind your back. Show it to me,” she commanded. And, with a quick flash of silver, Iraella plunged the dagger into Efazah’s gut. She hated to do it—in fact, it horrified her—but she knew somehow that it must be done. The scream was drawn out and horrible. Iraella took out the dagger and jumped back. The Empress’s four eyes closed. She her arm twitched. Then, the Empress moved no more.
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Comments
ACCKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ACCKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hurry, hurry, post, post! So, if Iraella and Baeddan are King and Queen of Elmanaha, do they get married? What about Mabon? And what was the body they dragged away??? (It better not be Mabon's.)
"I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth. Then I ask myself the same question." - Harun Yahya
Sarah: Thanks! Bridget:
Sarah: Thanks!
Bridget: *Sighs. Why do you ask questions I cannot answer? Ask me if aliens are going to come and eat all of our fruit pies!! (BTW, the answer is yes. Lol ;-)
"You were not meant to fit into a shallow box built by someone else." -J. Raymond
Erin, Erin, Erin, ERIN!!!!
Erin, Erin, Erin, ERIN!!!! How can you do this to me? How? How?!? You'd better supply me with answers soon missy!
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"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it." -- Herman Melville
I like torturing people :-D.
I like torturing people :-D. LOL, just kidding!
"You were not meant to fit into a shallow box built by someone else." -J. Raymond
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Oh my, my, my!
Post more QUICK!!!!! I'm going through withdrawl!!!
Aside from that, marvelous chapter!!!
"Sometimes even to live is courage."
-Seneca