Knights of Altador: the Darkest Faerie's Wrath - Part Five

I jumped up with a start. I was on the open plains of the Darkest Faerie, but the war was gone. Everyone was gone. I stood up. I could hear the battle raging, but it sounded quiet and far away. I looked up at the cliff above me. I couldn't see anything on it. An arrow flew a couple of feet from the cliff, then plummeted towards the ground. I looked up, and began to climb. After a few agonizing minutes, I reached the top. In front of me were what looked like ruins of the black palace. Far behind them, was the Darkest Faerie's lair. I stepped through the tall jagged stone. It reminded me of a burnt forest.

     I could hear the battle raging, this time a little closer. I still couldn't tell which way it was coming from. It was like it was all around me, just not very close. Something told me I should do something that I didn't want to do. It doesn't mean anything if something like that happens, but I did it anyway. I did something very foolish. I walked toward the Darkest Faerie's black lair. It took me hours, but I finally reached it. I ignored the sounds of the battle, and couldn't tell whether it was closer or farther. I stepped up to the twisting building, and looked up. I turned around to see if I was being followed, and my blood went cold with what I saw.

      * * *

     Jake wiped his sword clean. He sat by the edge of an Altadorian war camp. They had won the battle, but a scout from their group had spotted another wave of Darkest Faerie followers coming. There were about fifty Altadorian warriors in the camp, tired from the war. Bo, Isabel, and Sam ran up to him.

     "There you are!" Isabel exclaimed. "Where's Aaron?" He looked around.

     "I don't know. You didn't find him yet?"

     "No," she said, exasperated. "Where could he be?" They didn't know it, but I was atop a cliff, with a clear view of the war camp. I was miles from the edge, though. I was by the Darkest Faerie's lair, staring into the hideous face of the Darkest Faerie herself. It was awful. Her skin was deathly white. It was almost as white as her teeth, which were jagged and different lengths. Her eyes were normal, but where there should have been blue, brown, or green, it was a deep maroon. I wouldn't guess that red is a natural eye color. She had jet black hair that tumbled down her shoulders. She wore a long blue dress and from her back sprouted two red and lavender-rimmed bat-like wings.

     As you may have guessed, this was not a pretty sight. Her blood-red eyes narrowed, and she seized me by the throat.

     "How dare you disssturb my sssanctuary?" she hissed, pronouncing her Ss like a angry snake. Her voice was like some dark liquid, pouring and gliding into a bowl. I knew then that she would kill me without hesitation. I drew my sword and she released my neck. Big mistake, lady. I swung my sword at her neck. Instead of the bloody mess I had hoped to avoid, her head snapped back, but the blade did not pierce her pale skin.

      She cackled. Her laugh was agonizing, and I wanted to drop my sword and cover my ears.

     "You think you are strong. I can only be killed by the sword of Altador." I wished that king Altador had given me his sword. Then the Darkest Faerie would be dead, and the war won. Out of the bush leapt, to my great surprise, Bo, Isabel, Jake, and Sam, all holding their weapons. She laughed again, and held out her hand. An iron spear materialized in it instantly. Isabel swung her morning star, but it wrapped around the Darkest Faerie's spear as she blocked it. She simply held out her hand to block a swing from Jake's broadsword. She stopped the blows of Sam's battle axes by simply holding up her arms.

     Bo's small sword bent as he tried to stab the back of her neck. She laughed, and extended a fist. Bo tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain. With a flick of her wrist she sent a long scratch down Isabel's face. She fell slowly.

     "Isabel!" I yelled. She looked as if she didn't hear me. She just stared into the distance. Suddenly, her expression changed. She looked furious. She stood up and held her head high. To my horror, she reached for her morning star and swung it in circles around her head. She let out a yell of pain and fury and struck the Darkest Faerie in the stomach with all her might.

     "Knights of Altador!" We all came to see where the voice was coming from. Jasmine rushed forward, carrying a large bundle. She looked terrified as she passed the Darkest Faerie, and handed me the bundle.

     "It's from his highness, King Altador." I took it and tore off the silk wrapping. Underneath was the sword that was held by King Altador's statue in the Hall of Heroes. It was the sword of Altador. I felt it in my hand for a moment, then glanced at the now terrified Darkest Faerie. She grasped her spear tightly, which morphed like liquid into a long, dark sword. She spun it in her hand for a moment, then launched herself at me. I brought my sword up to meet hers. Purple and gold sparks flew from the two swords as they clashed. I saw Isabel in a tree behind the Darkest Faerie, holding her bow.

     She had strung an arrow, decorated green, orange, and red, that seemed to be carved out of solid gold. She pulled it back, aimed, and released the arrow. It flashed through the air, and faded into gold mist as it hit the Darkest Faerie. Even so, she let out a cry of agony and clutched her back. I took advantage of the moment, and raised my sword above her head. I concentrated all of my strength into bringing the sword of Altador down on her unprotected head. There was an enormous flash of blinding gold and purple light, then it became white. In the white light, I saw blue mist, and in that, an image of faerie city. Isabel stepped forward.

     "Come on!" It was finally time to get back home. Bo, Isabel, Jake, and Sam surrounded me, ready to get back home. Suddenly, the blue mist and the image of faerie city shattered, as if it were made of glass and the Darkest Faerie stepped through the light.

     "You will not leave alive!!" she bellowed. She began to glow gold. She raised her sword above her head, but the glow was getting stronger. She screamed, and disappeared in a deafening explosion of gold light. We ran from it, and as the light rushed past us, we could run faster. We darted to the ledge and looked over. More bursts of light revealed black armor, being tossed to the ground. Altador had won the war.

     * * *

     We were led by the maid through the halls of the castle of Altador, and she took us to a door I had never seen before. She nodded and hurried off. We opened the door slowly. Altadorians cheered as we entered. Many were playing instruments, or eating food that decorated three tables. The ten remaining founders of Altador were there too. Sasha the dancer was dancing away, and so were Fauna and her petpets. King Altador walked up to me.

     "We have a portal for you and your friends to get back home. I will come with you too." I thought for a moment.

     "Why?" I asked, puzzled. He sighed, and it dawned on me.

     "Are you... " He smiled.

     "I am your father. I will be returning home with you." I tried to imagine how happy my mother would be to see me bring home her long-lost husband. I smiled.

     "You may have a lot of explaining to do."

     He smiled too, and said, "Let's go." I quickly told Sam, Bo, Jake and Isabel what had happened, and we left for the portal. Once there, King Altador, my father, stepped into the blue mist without hesitation. Isabel and I stepped in after him, and she slipped her hand into mine as we slowly faded away into a flash of white light.

     I opened my eyes, and Faerie City melted into my view. In front of me stood my father, dressed in normal, non-Altadorian clothing. He seemed happy to be a normal person, eating gummy Korbat tails, and living in Neopia Central.

      We went back to living in Neopia central, and my mother and Altador, my father, were reunited. My mother was the only one who knew about our adventures in Altador. Sam, Bo, Jake, Isabel and I were friends for as long as I knew, and we never forgot our grand adventure in Altador.

The End

Author's Note: I would like to thank all of my teachers for teaching me my writing skills, and my friends for supporting me.