Note: This story takes place in the past (of Meridell). Before Illusen
and Jhudora had introduced themselves to Neopia!
The wind was breezing true Pennathradiel's long black
hair. She leaned forward, out of the window of her secret tower in Meridell
and turned her face towards the sun, setting behind the medieval city. Soon
her time would come. As the sun goes to sleep, the moon takes her place in the
dark sky, to illuminate the hearts of the good ones, lost in darkness.
Already the process has started, the sun has
nearly disappeared behind the hills, and the moon begins her short climb to
the top. Pennathradiel went back inside and blew the candles out, which were
illuminating the large chamber. On a wooden chair lay a big black piece of cloth.
She picked up the cloth and draped it around her body. Only her pale, nearly
white, face was to be seen, in which lie deep blue eyes, of the palest colour
ever. She descended her spiral case, every step more gracious than the previous
one, to push the large wooden door. Once out of her tower she breathed in the
sane air of the night. So fresh, and yet so dangerous to those who do not beware.
For it is her task to watch over those who were not careful and prevent the
Dark Faeries and other creatures to put spells over Meridell, as she is the
only good Dark Faerie in Neopia. She is one of the most powerful Dark Faeries,
but solitude is the price to pay for that gift. For she is hated by all Dark
Faeries, and mistrusted by the Good ones. Therefore, she keeps her existence
very secret, few know she exists.
These sad thoughts were haunting her mind when
a chilling scream alarmed her. She lifted her head to hear better, but no second
scream came to her ears. Pennathradiel stood still for a while, her eyes closed,
hearing every mere sound in the Meridell Forest. Then a twig snapped. She turned
her head and started running between the many trees of the forest. The moon
shone her pale light on Pennathradiel's black cloak, illuminating the young
Faerie, protecting her. When she arrived to an open space, which the trees surrounded
in a circle, she froze and waited.
She could hear breathing, close to her. She peered
around, looking behind and in trees, and suddenly she saw it, a green-coloured
Kyrii looking at her with big frightened eyes. She approached him carefully,
but the poor thing started running away from her, letting out yelps of mere
fright. Until the moment she backed him against a tree, he had continued running.
He huddled against it and started crying; she saw a nasty wound on his knee.
That must have been the cause of the first scream she heard. Pennathradiel approached
her hand of the wound and the Kyrii started screaming again, she placed her
hand on it. Surprised, the Kyrii looked at the hand and waited for the evil
thing to happen to him. The hand started glowing of a pale light; Pennathradiel
closed her eyes and breathed heavily. When she removed her hand the wound was
gone. She came closer to the Kyrii, and wanted to give him a soothing kiss,
like one does with little children, but he pulled back, still being frightened.
A tear rolled down Pennathradiel's cheek as she stood up. She gave one last
look at the ungrateful creature and disappeared in the shadows.
Still shocked by what had just happened, the
Kyrii bit his lip and looked up. She had disappeared.
"Wait!" he yelled. "Who are you? I wish to thank
you, please!" He sighed and sat back down. Remorse was gnawing its way into
his mind. Once again he looked at the spot where his scratch had been.
"Do you really wish to see me again?" said a
soft voice.
Nefkemenion stood up and nodded, assuming that
she could see him in this darkness. But only silence answered his nodding. Did
he imagine the soft and sweet voice?
"I didn't think so," said the voice in a sob.
"No wait, I do. You speak so softly. I wasn't
sure... who are you, fair lady?"
She stepped into the light of the moon. "They
call me The Raven Faerie."
"Why?" he asked her.
She laughed. "Because I am always dressed in
black, I guess. Black is... my colour." He nodded a little. "May I now know
who you are, sir?"
"My name is Nefkemenion, knight apprentice of
Meridell." At the word 'knight' Pennathradiel's eyebrow raised a little. "Err...
I was attacked from behind and I didn't have my sword with me."
"Why does a knight walk around without his sword,
at night that is?" said the bright Faerie.
"My master took it away, he says I'm dangerous
when I carry a sword..." He blushed and looked at his cream-coloured shirt,
he spotted a stain on it, blushed even more and tried to rub it off.
"I see. And what were you doing in the forest?
Shouldn't an apprentice knight get enough sleep?"
"I guess he should. But he is very curious,
and he was told today that the forest was very dangerous. Of course, he had
to find out for himself..."
"...which he did," added the Raven Faerie.
"How... ah yes, I was attacked... I fought bravely
and they screamed as they fled. That must've alarmed you."
"You know, lying is not a very good start to
introduce yourself to me," she said with a smile on the lips.
"All right! I got scared of my own shadow, started
running, tripped over a tree root, and then I got the scratch! But I am a knight
apprentice!"
"Good, honesty is a good virtue. But I advise
you not to wander in these forests at night."
"Oh I will never do it again, not alone that
is. Err... now that I have been honest, how may I call you? The Raven Faerie?"
"I prefer you call me by my name, if you have
to call me anything. My name is Pennathradiel."
"That is a very pretty name. But what sort of
Faerie are you?" asked Nefkemenion, realising he could still be threatened by
this black-coloured appearance.
"I am, in fact, a good Dark Faerie..." she said
hesitatingly.
"A Dark Faerie!" he yelled, jumping back against
the tree.
"No! I am a good Faerie. I protect Meridell
by night! I protect those, like you, who get attacked. Real Dark Faeries wander
around these woods, just waiting to do some evil magic! Maybe I shouldn't bother
for you ungrateful subjects!" She turned and started running back to her tower,
Tears gushing down her cheeks. Why did she always believe that others would
be nice to her? They always get scared and end up hurting her. She already saw
her tower when something pulled her back. Her dark cloak had got stuck on a
tree branch. "Let go!" she yelled to the tree. But it ignored her command and
kept on tugging. She saw Nefkemenion coming closer. "Be gone!" she yelled at
both the tree and the Kyrii.
"Please listen to me, I'm sorry. But we are
all scared of Dark Faeries, only the words send chills down our spines. Please,
I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Ah, I am so sorry."
She stopped pulling on her cloak and stared
at him. Tears still rolling down her chalk-coloured cheeks. The tree let go,
but she did not run. Eventually she said: "I don't believe you, now please be
gone!"
"I only speak the truth, fair Faerie. And I
would leave and head towards my home, if I could find it in this darkness."
He spoke the truth. He had already been lost where she found him, now in the
vicinity of her secret tower he was bound to be lost.
"It's dangerous outside. I give you shelter
for the rest of the night, but at the break of dawn you must be gone!" He nodded
gratefully and followed her to the tower. Standing in front of it, he followed
the grey stones until he saw the top of the roof. He silently gasped and stood
there in full awe. How could he have never seen this? Not even from the towers
of Meridell Castle? The door was already starting to fall back; he quickly jammed
his foot between it and opened it. The long spiral case seemed endless; he just
kept following the back of Pennathradiel's cloak. The cloaked figure opened
another wooden door. Nefkemenion entered the room and stood there in total darkness.
Pennathradiel lit the candles and disappeared behind a curtain. Nefkemenion
went a little further in the room and contemplated the pretty furniture and
the nice tapestries. His eyes were still getting used to the darkness, when
he heard a growl coming from a corner behind him. He turned and screamed. Pennathradiel
still wearing her cloak ran into the room.
"Faith! Down, let him go!" she yelled furiously.
Nefkemenion opened his eyes and saw a big black
Gelert's shiny white teeth above his head. Pennathradiel grabbed Faith's collar
and pulled him back. "I'm really sorry she said, I forgot all about Faith. He's
really nice, but he's sort of my protector in my weaker moments." She helped
him up and sat him on a nearby chair. Faith had retreated onto the big bed and
was still slightly growling at the intruder.
"Are you all right?" she asked, since Nefkemenion
had done absolutely nothing for the past five minutes. He just blinked with
his eyes, she understood this as a frightened yes and felt relieved.
She finally unwrapped herself from the cloak.
Nefkemenion gazed at her with amazed eyes. She had long thick black her falling
down to her waist ad she was wearing a black dress. It looked black at first
but when you focused on, you could see millions of colours in that beautiful
dress. She smiled at him. "Are we feeling better now"
"I'm sorry, Faith just really scared me." He
quickly looked at the Gelert, who hadn't spoken a word yet. "But I'm feeling
quite fine now, thank you."
"Good, you can come and sit at the table now,
I'll get us some refreshments!" She again disappeared behind the curtain.
Faith leapt of the bed and jumped on the chair
that Nefkemenion was about to take. "That's my chair. See!" He pointed at the
cushion supporting his back. Nefkemenion leaned in, and between the beautiful
landscapes he saw 'Faith' in golden letters. Nefkemenion ignored Faith's triumphant
look and went on to the next chair, which he looked at carefully. When he was
perfectly sure to see no-ones name on it, he sat down. Pennathradiel came back
with a silver platter, filled with cakes and cookies. She gave wooden cups to
both Neopets and poured some water in it. For her she had a silver cup, encrusted
with strange pearls.
"The cup was given to me by Fyora, for the noble
work I do. And she also gave me this." She pointed at a sword and it's sheet,
lying on the table, also encrusted with the same pearls. Nefkemenion stared
at the sword with greedy eyes.
Faith noticed the look and said, "I'm watching
you, Kyrii! You're not to be trusted."
"Faith be quiet, Nefkemenion is our guest
for the rest of the night, then he shall be on his way and we will never see
him again."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that!" murmured Faith
under his breath.
They talked all night. Pennathradiel told Nefkemenion
that, as most Dark Faeries, she was weaker during daytime. Pennathradiel never
even left the tower when the sun shone. Nefkemenion told about his training,
which wasn't going so well. Faith just growled and showed his total and utter
disgust by sighing at everything Nefkemenion said.
Then the inevitable came: the sunrise. The new
friends had to part, forever. Pennathradiel didn't cry, though. She believed
she could praise herself lucky she had been able to talk to someone for a few
hours, someone other than Faith. But the sunlight was piercing true the clouds,
chasing away Pennathradiel's Watcher, the moon. It was time for her to sleep
now, during the day she had very little power and stayed confined to her tower.
"You must leave now, Nefkemenion. You cannot
afford to let others see you come out of the woods. Questions may be asked and,
despite your will, answers may be given..." She paused. "I want you to have
this. It is a lucky charm, it will enlighten your path when it is dark." She
took off the amulet she was wearing and put it around Nefkemenion's neck. It
was moon shaped, and was slightly glowing. "It will glow intensely at night,
when all is Dark, when I wander around these grounds." She smiled at him. That
was his queue, he looked true the window one last time to be sure what direction
he had to walk in. He bowed for her, shot a nasty look at Faith and left. The
door shut, Pennathradiel could not believe he had really gone. She sank on a
chair and hid her face in her hands. Faith came sitting next to her, putting
one paw on her lap.
"It's for the best. I didn't trust him one bit.
Somehow I believe that if he had stayed you would have regretted it. I still
wonder now if we won't regret it later. Mark my words!" said Faith.
To be continued...
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