Rheagn's Fairy Circle

Everything was dark, a blackened void consuming all. Only the sounds of dripping water and shallow breathing filled the space. Cold began to creep beneath, seeping into the clothes of the two prone figures on the marble tile. 

The female woke with a sharp gasp. The cold she’d felt clinging to her skin were indeed the clothes she wore, now soaked in the front from the sheet of water she’d been lying in. Her eyes struggled to adjust in the impenetrable darkness, with not much luck. In her continued blinking her eyes finally began to fully adjust to her night sight. She couldn’t glean much from her surroundings, the vestibule so vast she could only see the intricate lining of the space. Marble vines seemed to stretch throughout the entire room and down walls, acting as pillars around the space. When she scanned the vestibule for the source of the dripping sound – most likely the reason the floor was starting to rise into a shallow pool – another figure lay on the tile about ten arm lengths before her. 

She sprang up into a defensive posture within her first breath. Instinctively brought her hand to her hip within the second. And found nothing but half-soaked clothes sticking to her flesh. What had she been looking for? After all, she’d not consciously searched for anything at her hip, but then again, had any of this been conscious?

The male woke with a groan and labored breaths. He rolled onto his back and cried out in surprise when he realized he was now soaked with water, front and back. The female only waited with pristine stillness, focused in on his movements. He seemed to have as much trouble as she had with adjusting to the darkness, because she watched as he blindly peered around the space, blinking as she had to clear out the shadows. 

When his eyes locked on her, she knew his vision was back. He was as quick as she had been, spinning to face her on his knees, hand also flashing towards his hip. To find nothing, same as she had. His confusion was palpable and maybe that should’ve frightened the female, with neither of them truly knowing what was happening. But instead, she relaxed slightly, knowing they were on the same playing field. 

“Who the fuck are you?” His voice was sharp, cutting towards her like a blade. He stood to his full height as he asked, attempting dominance perhaps? 

The female only replied by standing to the entirety of her own height. Fine, he was taller, but not by much, a knuckle or two maybe. She lifted her chin up slightly, so she was observing him down her nose. He was a stocky build, rather large for his height. But she supposed he could say the same, herself being rather tall for her own muscular build. The male didn’t seem to enjoy her reply because he was striding towards her now, his eyes filled with cruelty. 

“I asked you a ques–” He was cut off by a loud ZAP! His body was flung to the farthest wall. He hit the ground hard. A whimper might’ve escaped him but the female couldn’t hear clearly over the crack and spark now filling the space. She focused her eyes on a shift in the air between them and saw it clearly now. A wall of lightning between them, almost entirely imperceptible until something or someone comes into physical contact. Its white strands danced and sparked along the vestibule, splitting the entirety of the space in half. Her side and his side.

The male got up quickly, though, shaking off the lightning wall’s blow with impressive steadiness. But even from her side of the room, she could see he was shaking ever-so slightly. The spark up of the lightning wall casted quite a bit of light through the space, giving the female a much better grasp on the vestibule’s layout. She and the male were standing on the highest point in the room, a marbled tile walkway from one end to the other. On either side of them were pools of water, so deep the water was black beneath the first layer. 

The female realized then, where the water was dripping from and why the walkway they stood on now had water which came up over their bare feet. The intricate vines she’d seen before had small offshoots every so often, which continually dripped water into the larger pools on either side of them. It might not have made much of a difference but it seemed there was an offshoot every leaf length. She estimated each pool had a couple handfuls of offshoots, leaving the sounds of constant dripping. 

Then a voice boomed over the space.

“Welcome, welcome! Hear yee!” The female searched for the owner of the voice but found nothing different about the space. It was still only herself and the male at the other end of the walkway, now slightly hunched and doing the same as her. Scanning for that over excited, manic voice. 

“You two honored folk have awoken in the great game of ‘The Castle’. Don’t be alarmed, I chose you both personally so there’s no need for any confusion. I know I have chosen correctly. Now, I’ll go over some ‘House Rules’ and give you both a short explanation on how this round will play and then off you will go!”

The voice didn’t wait for their replies, simply continuing on with the same tone.

“First, once you’ve completed a round, a door will open somewhere around the space. You must continue onto the next room. If you don’t, it’s not anyone’s fault if Death catches you. You see? That’s the entirety of the game! Don’t let Death catch you. And trust, he will try at least once in every round. Second, you could think of myself as the Gamemaster. Maker of the Castle and creator of the Game. I’ve put respect unto your souls by bringing you here clear of mind, so you must pay myself the same respect. By doing so you respect my rules, my game, and therefore the Castle itself. The Castle is quite special, you see. She’s sentient in her own way. Doing her harm would be essentially harming a living, breathing being such as yourself. If the Castle feels harm imposed upon herself, there’s nothing I can do, for the Castle will impose herself upon you. I think I’ve made myself quite clear on all of that. Oh, oh! Before I get carried away, please please, choose a name for yourself on the wall closest to you.” 

As if called to attention, the wall to the female’s right seemed to flash only slightly. The wall on the other side of the walkway flashed as well, catching the male’s attention. On their separate sides the two made their way to their own walls. The female had a hard time seeing anything inscribed upon the stone but as she got closer, she noticed a sort of undercurrent of light running beneath or perhaps, behind the wall. Like the lightning, the light seemed to dance beneath the stone; unlike the lightning, thousands upon thousands of words or rather ‘names’ as the voice had said were inscribed upon the wall. The names refracted in gold as the light danced beneath them, a name leaping forward to her eyes here or there.

Names like ‘Hope’ or ‘Tigir’ appeared to her first. Grova. Jurniper (Yearn – ipper). Some had these add-ons directly beneath the name, not all with the dividing dash. ‘Citali (Star)’ stuck out to her but nothing truly felt right. Until one appeared right in front of her seeming smaller than the others, as if disguising itself. 

‘Maelys (Malice)’.

A deep force within her seemed to set aflame when she read the name. Thought of herself with the name. The stronger the force grew, the warmer she began to feel, the more certain she was of the name for herself. At that very moment, the Gamemaster spoke out again.

“Once you’ve chosen your names, take your left thumbs into your mouth. Using your sharpest tooth, draw blood from that thumb. Once blood is drawn, wipe said thumb along the name you have chosen. This will confirm with the Castle your decision.”

The female did as the Gamemaster said, putting her left thumb upon her canine, pressing hard enough to draw blood. As she wiped her thumb upon the inscribed name, coating ‘Maelys (Malice)’ thick with her blood. The confirmation seemed to inflame the power deep in her chest, setting a fire in her very soul. Looking behind her, she watched as the male did the same, choosing a name to the bottom right of his wall.

“Iken and Maelys, it’s time for the play of the game!” The Grandmaster’s voice boomed through the vestibule with a kind of giddiness. The two pairs of eyes met from their separate sides of the walkway. Maelys took that moment to observe what she could of his appearance with the dark and the distance, the male no doubt doing the same. He still stood slightly hunched but his glowing eyes were a stark contrast to his bronzed skin. His white hair was shorn close to his scalp. He still stood slightly hunched but his stance did not take away from his broad, muscular build. No doubt he was noticing her own height, her own sinewy physique. They shared light colored eyes but her hair was in complete contrast to his, a curly mane of shadow. 

The Gamemaster continued on.

“Alright where was I? You know of Death, of the doors, the Castle and her temper.” There was a sort of humming sound echoing through the space. “Mmm… Oh, yes I shouldn’t forget to mention, you two are a team. One of many, in fact. If I told you how many, the game would be rather ruined, don’t you think? Nevertheless, you will be competing against each other in this round.”

Suddenly the walkway began to shake beneath their feet. Maelys crouched down for more stability while Iken remained standing, simply widening his stance. On either side of the walkway circular pedestals rose above the water line. Then dim light gleamed beneath the pedestals revealing a large hourglass under the water. 

“This round is quite simple actually. Inside each of these hourglasses is trapped a being such as you, chosen specially by me. Once the round begins, water from the top chamber will start to fill the bottom chamber. Death’s play will be to drown these souls. Your play will be to attempt to free these beings before Death finishes his play. Only one can be spared from Death. Whichever being you are able to save will join your team for future rounds. So choose wisely. I suppose you could team up on this round and agree to save one being together but I don’t believe any fun to be in that scenario. Which is why the wall you’ve already come acquainted with Iken, is necessary. If Iken chooses one being to save, the electrical shock will keep Maelys from aiding. And vice versa! Alright then, I think I’ve talked enough. Let us begin! I’m going to count down now. Death will begin his play when I hit zero. I suggest you two do the same. Ten!”

As the Gamemaster counted down, both Maelys and Iken took in the two hourglasses. 

Beneath the light on her left, the water seemed to stay consumed in shadow, hiding the being trapped in there from her sight. When she peered over to the pedestal on the right, a strange glow caught her eye. Brighter than the dimness in the hourglass, the strange light fought against the shadows in the depths, pulsing with intensity. When glancing over at Iken, he was doing the same, taking in their two options. 

“Seven! Six!” The Gamemaster continued his countdown but all Maelys could hear was the pounding in her head, throughout her entire body. The flame inside of her still roared, keeping her from crumbling under the circumstances. She knew the context of swimming, of a lot of things actually, but there was no memory or event to tie the context back. No memories of swimming or any idea if she’d swam before.

“Four!”

Her eyes went back and forth, between her two options. The light beneath the right pedestal began to pulse, in preparation or in calling, there was no way to know. Maelys readied herself and from the corner of her eye, she saw Iken doing the same. He seemed to be weighing his options the same as she had done. She supposed it was good to have someone with a similar mindset on her team, but what of this round? Competing against each other rather than working together. How many more of these rounds would occur?

“Two! One!”

The fire within her burned hard and fast. Just as she had chosen her name, she let the flame churning inside make her decision.

“Zero!”

Maelys dove to her right, emerging herself into the cold water without a second thought.

Her eyes stung as she opened them, peering through the water. The top chamber of the hourglass was so vast, she still couldn’t see the bottom chamber, only that strange, pulsing light. As if subconsciously, her legs began to kick and her arms began a motion of pushing away the water before her. Within a moment, she was moving through the water with ease. As she made her way closer to the light, the pulsating stopped and the light began to withdraw. Maelys swam towards those receding light tendrils with fervor, practically frantic to stay near the light.

When Maelys came upon the bottom chamber, the light had withdrawn entirely back to the owner of that light. There, alone and soaked beneath the waterfall from the top chamber, sat an angel. Her white feathered wings created a sort of roof from the water, but her long white hair was drenched from the water that had gotten through. Beneath those wings, the angel appeared in shock. Her soft brown eyes were wide with terror, trying to take in the sight before her. 

Maelys’s hand went to her hip, again finding nothing but her clothing. How was the angel expected to get out? Reaching out, her hand found it was only glass between them. Her chest was burning as if that inner flame was trying to consume her. Using all the strength she had, Maelys steadied her feet on the cold pool tile and drove her fist into the glass, over and over. The angel only backed away from the glass, pressing herself to the other end of the chamber. 

Maelys only pursued the glass. Everything within her was on fire. That very flame was the reason she’d jumped in for the angel, the reason she’d chosen the name she had. Perhaps she should allow it to be the reason this angel survives. So instead of attempting to smother that flame within, she allowed the flame to ignite.

Suddenly, green flames licked up along her arm, collected down and around her fist. Unknowingly, Maelys resumed her pursuit on the glass. But with one last blow, the green flame began to consume the glass, eating it away like acid. Water quickly rushed in to flood the bottom chamber but it didn’t matter because within moments, a large enough hole had been eaten away in the glass for Maelys to reach in with her other arm – the one not covered in acid flame – and pull the angel out. Once they were both out in the open water, the angel seemed to know how to swim well enough on her own that Maelys released her hold of her and they swam to the surface, towards the pedestal above.

They emerged with gasps, Maelys gulping for air as she pulled herself onto the pedestal. She aided the angel up onto the pedestal with her, both of them weak from all the exertion. When Maelys surveyed the other pedestal to see if Iken had resurfaced, she saw him doing the same, aiding his ally onto the opposite pedestal. The being he’d saved was entirely like a shadow taken form, with a sheet of black hair and eyes like pits. He had horns with which curled menacingly, the points like snakes rearing up. Confusion struck them both but not long before the Gamemaster’s voice trilled among them.

“Hehe! Death is not done yet, my contestants! Only three may cross through the door. I enjoy seeing which of you do so.”

With a click and whoosh a doorway appeared on the ceiling above them. Then with unnatural speed, the water rose. The four were submerged in a blink, looking up at the door which would be their salvation. Maelys and the angel sprung off the pedestal and began to swim, Iken and his shadow being no doubt doing the same. 

That’s when the darkness began to chase them. Different from Iken’s shadow being. More like how the Gamemaster had described. Death making his play. The malevalent hands reached for them, the impenetrable dark surging forward. Maelys only swam faster, letting that flame burn hotter. She was the first to reach the door pulling herself through with ease. When she turned to help others through, all she saw was the angel’s strange light. It shone so bright she had to cover her eyes. Iken was next through the door, his shadow being not far behind. 

Maelys let out a cry, realizing what this meant. The angel had let the others go, let them go through the door while she would fend off Death by herself. This entire round had been about choosing an ally for oneself, deciding who would be better for their team. And it was obvious to Maelys then, who would be the better asset. 

Again without thinking, Maelys dove in after the angel. When she came upon her, the angel had her eyes closed. Ready for Death. Not if she could help it. Maelys wrapped her arms around the angel, tugging her away from Death’s grasp. The angel thrashed for a moment before realizing what she was doing, how close the door was now. The angel began to swim with her and they surfaced through the door together, both Iken and his shadow being helping them through. Death’s dark hands still rose towards them but the door clicked and whooshed just as fast as it had opened. 

Four stood around the door. Not three as the Gamemaster had said. As if their collective thoughts had called to him, his voice rang over with much derision in his next words.

“No no no, the Castle will not be happy about this.”

To Be Continued…