Everyone held their ground, watching as the five Eternal Flame Fae Beasts prepared to attack, their movements measured, as if calculating their next move.
Melliandra scowled irritably. “Damn, why are there so many of them? Damn these Fae, damn it!”
“They might have had a better chance if they’d shown up with Morel earlier,” Elincia muttered bitterly.
“Lucky for us, they didn’t,” Broken replied.
“I thought Faebeasts were wild and relentless. Why aren’t they attacking yet?” Kingsley asked, still in his Bear form.
“Could they be holding us here on purpose?” Alora wondered aloud.
“What’s the plan, Broken?” Kingsley asked.
“Oh, we should definitely take them out as quickly as possible!” Melliandra insisted.
Broken paused, thinking it over. “I’ve noticed that since these attacks began, many of the Fae we’ve encountered have only recently transformed into Eternal Flame forms.”
Elincia glanced over at him. “Care to explain that in simpler terms?”
“I’ve memorized some of their names,” Broken explained. “According to what Elaine told me, only one Fae should be cursed to undergo the Eternal Flame transformation per month. But this time, it’s different-many Fae have been transformed in just one night.”
This was anything but normal. If what Elaine had said was true, only one Fae, besides herself, should have transformed into an Eternal Flame. Morel had already taken that slot. Yet Broken clearly remembered a few names among these Fae Beasts. Even now surrounding them-one of them was the Fae Knight who’d attacked him before. freewёbnoνel.com
Something highly unusual was happening, and it had to be connected to Elaine. This anomalous transformation event hadn’t occurred in hundreds of years, yet now it was all unfolding in a single night.
Was Morel responsible for this too?
Even if it was Morel’s doing, he was now dead, yet the chaos continued. Their biggest problem remained unresolved, and Broken knew they had to reach Elaine without delay.
“Oh, then this is truly a disaster,” Melliandra muttered.
“We don’t have much choice but to defeat them quickly, Broken,” Elincia said. “Do you have any other ideas?”
Broken nodded. “It’ll take time to kill all five of them, and running isn’t an option. If they catch one of us alone, it’ll be too dangerous.”
“Then let Melliandra, Kingsley, and me handle them,” Elincia suggested.
Ivana spoke up, “I think I should stay too.” She looked at Broken. “There are too many of them, and they’re strong. I’ll be more useful here, keeping them from overwhelming everyone.”
Broken glanced back at the Eternal Flame Fae Beasts surrounding them. “Fang and Morel have already broken free of Moonlight Land, and they were the most challenging of the group. Now with five more of these Fae Beasts…”
He took a deep breath. “I only hope Elaine is the sole one I’ll have to face inside Moonlight Land. So yes, Ivana, I think staying here is the right call. Let’s make it happen.”
Defeating five Eternal Flame Beasts would be a challenging and time-consuming task. With Kingsley holding the frontline alone, it was risky-he’d need Ivana’s support to balance the fight. Meanwhile, Melliandra and Elincia would have to focus on ranged attacks to assist from a safe distance.
Broken, however, could only bring one companion for his mission into the Moonlight Fae territory. He chose Princess Alora.
“Alright. Let’s go find Elaine and figure out what’s really going on with her.”
Melliandra huffed, “Just get out of here, you fool! You’re wasting my time!”
Broken gave her a small nod and, without another word, jumped onto Polly, Alora quickly following and settling behind him. Polly immediately launched into the air. The Fae Beasts attempted to pursue them, but Kingsley struck hard, throwing them off balance and keeping them at bay.
Polly’s wings glowed as they soared through the night, lighting up the sky, while the ancient trees below bathed in the moon’s warm glow. Alora leaned closer, and Broken could sense the tension in her posture.
“Are you anxious about something? Is it about the Fae?”
“Elaine is their leader, but as you’ve told me, she’s in an impossible situation. Her people have lost faith in her and turned against her,” Alora replied. “I think that’s the most dreadful fear any leader could face.”
“So… having good intentions doesn’t always earn you appreciation, right, Princess?”
“Yes, but a true leader can’t hold back simply out of fear of betrayal. That’s something every ruler must come to understand.”
“What would you do if the same thing happened to you? Have you ever thought about it?”
“I don’t have the answer to that… for now.”
“Do you think your situation is similar to Elaine’s, Princess?”
“Which part?”
“I’m not sure. But it seems like you both try to do the best for your people, despite whatever they might think of you.”
“So, are you saying that’s a bad thing?”
“I don’t know.” Broken paused, mulling it over. “I think everyone has a different way of leading, and I don’t know what the right answer is. Maybe if it happened to me, I’d take a different approach-but I can’t be sure it would end well either.”
If Broken were in Elaine’s position, he’d ensure everyone under his command was aligned with his vision. And if they weren’t, he’d make certain they posed no threat.
Is that authoritarian? He didn’t know, and he didn’t care.
Even a Crowned Princess, who should naturally inherit the throne, still faced challenges and contention. People were raised this way-greedy and power-hungry.
Polly darted swiftly through the air, her wings beating as they neared the cliff where the entrance to Moonlight Land lay hidden.
“We’ll be there soon. The only way into Moonlight Land is through their portal-I’ll guide you through it,” he assured her. “Jump off Polly, and we’ll enter their realm.”
“Sure, it’s not like I’m afraid of this or anything,” Alora replied with a smirk.
“We’re here,” Broken murmured, reaching for her wrist. “Now, it’s time, Princess,” he said, giving her the signal.
Polly flew lower and lower, and Broken quickly jumped off her back, pulling Alora with him. Alora instinctively wrapped her arms around him as they descended rapidly through the dark night, wind rushing past. In seconds, they had passed through the portal, entering Moonlight
Land.
The full moon illuminated their surroundings, but the sight that met them was eerie. All around, the once-vibrant trees were withered and bare, their trunks scorched and cracked, as
if ravaged by fire.
The ancient forest stretched before them, desolate and lifeless, more like a barren wasteland
than the vibrant realm it once was.
“Is this place really in such a condition?”
“No, it’s never looked like thi. It seems something catastrophic has happened here. We should
find out what.”
Polly reappeared beside them, and without a word, Broken and Alora climbed back onto her.
Polly set off swiftly through the forest.
“I think I know where we might find Elaine,” Broken said.
“Mr. Broken!” a voice called out, cutting sharply through the silence.
Polly stopped as Broken whipped his head around, scanning the area for the source of the
voice.
“Where did that voice come from?”
“What is it?” Alora asked, sensing his sudden focus.
“I can hear Cecilia’s voice!”