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Neopia's Fill in the Blank News Source | 28th day of Running, Yr 26
The Neopian Times Week 128 > New Series > The Raven Faerie: Part One

The Raven Faerie: Part One

by shadyy15

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...

Previous Episodes

The Raven Faerie: Part Two

The Raven Faerie: Part Three

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