Page 27 of Shadows of Air and Earth (Remnant Archives)
M y foot slid precariously onto the swaying curve of the delicate branch as I emerged from the tree canopy out into Faerie’s night sky.
A soft breeze kissed across my face in welcome and the stars brightened at my upturned gaze.
The glow of the three moons joined and I sighed happily, every part of my tired body calming at my return to the dark.
My soul hummed its pleasure while somewhere below, hidden deep in the jungle, behind a cascade of shadow, air and earth, the elementals were also finding what called to their own—the love that beat within their chests for each other.
Extending my hand out to the shadows draping over the trees, I pulled them from their peaceful slumber, their smokey presence flickering and swirling in tribute to the moons.
Perhaps it was nostalgia, the memory of my mother and her shadows, that made me impulsively play with the darkness like I had once done with a light heart and no weight on my shoulders.
With ease my hands weaved them up into the stars, honoring the night and its ability to allow reflection until a new day started.
And when dawn finally dissolved the shadows, a new rebirth would begin.
A bright and golden promise that glowed like Faerie’s sun, delivering new precious opportunities if only one was brave enough to take it.
Painting them across the sky, the shadows darted, connecting a series of stars that glittered under my concentrated gaze.
I smirked when the constellation I had been searching for was finally traced by the darkness, a grouping of stars to the south that hovered above Lacail.
Spilling into the night sky, the shadows filled the outline, revealing a great phoenix, spreading its reborn wings over the lands.
I smirked at the irony, fate was such a clever bitch, even while revealing its hand of foreboding guidance, it was still reassuring.
For we walked the correct path—daunting as it was.
Floating across my admiring gaze, a low smoldering wisp of green and gold pulled my attention back to the canopy and the world below.
“Well hello,” I whispered, reaching out with an open palm to the curious wisp and smiled when it settled peacefully onto my hand.
“Aren’t you a unique little thing,” I added, pulling it closer to my face to study its coloring.
It was rare to find wisps in multi-hues.
The green and gold glow of its soft flame was surely a mark of the divine and a sign of renewal.
But what it meant for it to choose me tonight and its future purpose were beyond my understanding.
A fluttering of wings and a soft chirp drew my attention to a chickadee hopping along the waving branches and fluttering leaves.
A black beady eye turned towards me almost in chastisement, as if being up here put me at great risk.
It was worth it, the need to find my heading and a reprieve from the jungle heat trapped below outweighed any fear I had of falling.
Sighing, I gave the nosy bird my own look of admonishment.
“And you could not be more obvious,” I pointed out, before returning my focus to the slumbering wisp still curled in my hand.
Smiling softly, I tickled it gently with my fingertips until the wisp stirred, releasing it back into the star-studded sky.
Green and gold. The thought ruminated inside my mind, as if it were the answer to the riddle that was my life.
Another chirp.
Scowling, my gaze zeroed in on the chickadee once again. “Yes, yes, I know. Time to go.” My gaze softened on the tiny creature as I added, “You need not worry so much.”
The bird warbled back, and I swore it was the equivalent of a bird snorting, I was sure of it. Tipping its feathered ass in my direction, it launched into the night, disappearing into the stars without so much as a trilling goodbye.
"Is she talking to herself again?" I heard Xi whisper incredulously beneath me.
I grinned, filing away the fact that Xi would never be the greatest choice for a scout. While her earth power gave her the ability to be stealthy, her demeanor rarely was. She faced everything head on—strong and unyielding.
A trait I enjoyed immensely.
"I'm pretty sure she can hear you Xi," Riley muttered.
I snorted quietly. I could hear him too, neither one of them would make good scouts.
How they stayed undetected in the City of Light was a goddess damn miracle if this was their way of being inconspicuous.
Cool air blew my hair across my face, a nudge to move on.
Inhaling deeply, I leaned back with my arms spread wide, gravity taking me head over heels as I flipped silently through the air.
The shadows immediately there to cradle me through the zig zag of trees and dense greenery—a free fall of trust, my heart pounding excitedly with the rush of it all.
Landing with not even a whisper of a sound, my eyes opened, glowing in the dark jungle at the unaware backs of the elemental fae still staring up into the canopy. Rising slowly, I held back my laughter when their loud whispers continued.
"I don't care if she can hear us, what is she doing up there anyway? Does she not know where we are? Isn’t she supposed to be this all powerful fae? Imagine, the strongest of us not having any sense of direction," Xi drawled.
Riley tilted his head, studying the jungle above. "The general of Faerie must have her reasons for moonlighting above the trees, terrella."
Unable to hold back anymore, I answered sweetly, stifling the laughter aching to be released.
"That she does indeed." Jumping with alarm, they turned sheepishly to me.
Giving Xi a pointed look, my shadows trailed forward, indicating the path we needed to take.
"Lacail is but a few hours walk from here, in case you doubted my navigation skills, earth elemental.
" Holding out my hand, the shadows returned, dropping a sack into my outstretched palm.
"Yes, you read my mind, my luvs, some food would do us all good, especially the elementals, I do believe they have worked up an appetite now that their other hunger has been sated. "
A bright red blush bloomed over Xi’s half covered face, but Riley only delivered a dazzling grin. “Food sounds fucking amazing,” he cried, surging forward. Quickly, I swiped a piece of dragon fruit from the sack before the air elemental ripped it from my hands without so much as a thank you.
My brows rose high at his desperate rummaging resulting in a low gratuitous moan around a mouthful of food, not even registering what it was he ate.
Glancing at Xi, her nose wrinkled abhorrence. Riley Dragoon currently lacked any manners of a respectable fae, and while she may have found it disgusting, I was highly amused.
Patting his stomach against a clean black leather shirt with matching pants, he spoke through a mouthful of masticated jerky, “Thank you for the set of clothing.” His eyes sparkled, “We look like a proper unit now, that is, if you still had your vest, General. Which reminds me,” tossing the disregarded leather cord that once bound us in my direction, he smirked when I caught it with dragon fruit still in hand, “I made one for each of us.” Waving his free arm, still guarding the sack of food like a dragon, he indicated the black leather bracelet tied around his wrist.
Dropping my head down, I swallowed hard, hiding my emotional gratitude of his extended acceptance and friendship within the dark cloud of my hair.
Slipping the bracelet on my wrist and cinching it tight, I cleared my throat, looking back up to see more food shoving grotesquely into his mouth. “Thank you, Ri.”
Grunting, he rammed a whole slice of bread into his mouth, answering while chewing. “You’re welcome Rem.”
Nodding, I cracked open the dragon fruit, careful to avoid staining my new adornment, its sticky juices flowing over my fingers.
Biting into the soft flesh of the fruit, the mild sweetness welcoming on my tongue, I glanced up at the elementals, smiling comically at the sight of them.
Xi was hovering around Riley, her arms waving around in chastisement as the air elemental danced away from her, sputtering his excuses of relentless hunger for his poor etiquette with wide eyes.
I snorted, thoughtfully chewing. Whether my shadows chose black on purpose or not, the color looked good on them—like distinguished soldiers of a legion of darkness.
No, not a legion. Forces. Shadow Forces .
Yes, I did like the sound of that. Swallowing, the gnawing of my stomach that I had been ignoring the whole day finally eased as I moved past the ravenous air elemental and his irate partner, hopeful that we would reach Lacail by morning.
As much as I preferred the night, I enjoyed facing my enemies in the light so they could see their upcoming demise—a treat I was savoring for three select fae I knew would be waiting for us.
Whirling around me, they sensed my vengeful mood, and draped curling tendrils over my body.
Sighing into their cool caress, a hand with the same leather bracelet as mine, suddenly gripped my arm, spinning me back around to meet the solemn expression of Xi.
My shock and frustration quickly dissipated into worry as I met her gaze. "What is it? Are you okay?"
Releasing me quickly as if burned, she sighed, "I wanted to say thank you.” Chancing a look back at Riley, he glanced up from the bag of food to look at us confusedly.
Xi shook her head, growling, “ We both wanted to say thank you, for saving us.
I am unsure what we did to deserve it but we owe you a life debt. Both of us. One we vow to honor."
Recovering quickly, Riley stood straighter. "Yeah," he said through a mouthful of jerky, "fank ye."
I looked between them, a surprising disappointment pooling like a sickness deep in my gut. I never wanted a life debt vow to tie them to me, I wanted a choice, a choice of friendship, as much of a friendship a lonely, abandoned shadow fae could ever wish for.
"Of course, but no need to thank me. I am not that kind of monster, Xi Chin. I don't allow innocent fae to die just because they have personality and passion. Before I was a general, I was just a shadow fae too."
Riley snorted, swallowing his food and finding his proper etiquette once more. "Sorry to break it to you Rem, but you have never been just a shadow fae. We know the stories. Xi has been telling them nightly to anyone who would listen."
I looked between them. Riley's expression full of humor while Xi studied me more closely, a wrinkle forming on the uncovered side of her face.
Giving her my best courtly smile and burying down my irritating sadness, I tossed the unfinished dragon fruit to the shadows.
I was no longer hungry. "Shall we continue?
I do believe we have proven to this jungle that they better not fuck with us anymore.
The last of our stretch should go smoothly. "
I turned my back on them as I walked away, my practiced smile falling with each passing step while my fingers spun the leather around my wrist. It was just a bracelet. I should have known it meant nothing.
"No comment on her tone this time?" Riley asked dryly, obnoxious chewing joining their following footsteps.
I awaited Xi's reply but there was none. Just her assessing gaze boring into my back, only enhancing the terrible pit of heaviness in my stomach.