Cloaked in a world of magic and intrigue, follow the journey of a young boy, Inuwa, who must find his place in a world where fairies, forest glades, and political power struggles collide. As a fairy hunter, Inuwa must navigate his loyalty to the pre...
"Ow." Inuwa says as Kayden jabs him with a needle.
"Sorry. This isn't exactly my area of expertise." Kayden apologizes.
Aodh had given Inuwa a pardon on his own authority, permitting him to be the first human in history to be allowed to see the fairy tree up close and live. It was clear that the other fairies whole heartedly disagreed with Aodh's decisions but dared not challenge his authority...or rather they dared not challenge his power. Aodh seemed like the type to rarely flex his might but when he did, everyone submitted out of respect. Kayden agreed to sew Inuwa up and make sure nobody chanced at taking his life while Aodh and Solas talked. Inuwa knew this had to be weird for Solas. To suddenly find out that a family friend has actually been your half brother this entire time.
"You're all set." Kayden finally says, allowing Inuwa to move freely. Inuwa was too sore to properly get his shirt back on so he decided to go without it for now. Inuwa would normally be nervous about walking around in public half dressed but he noticed that a lot of the fairies didn't wear a lot of extra clothing and seemed to remove it whenever and wherever it suited them in front of whoever. It seemed like Solas's penchant for avoiding nearly all clothes and stripping on a whim wasn't as bizarre as Inuwa thought. Perhaps the fairies had no shame or earthly desire when it came to nudity and Solas was just a little bit less prone to wearing anything other than shorts.
Kayden gestures for Inuwa to follow him out into the hollow. The hunter grabs his things and complies.
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Solas's home was beautiful. Houses were carved directly into the inside of the tree and bridges and walkways decorated every inch of the hollow. Inuwa almost wondered why Solas would ever want to be away from here. Everything here was so interconnected and the people all seemed to close to one another. How could they not be after being cornered in this tree for hundreds of years? Regardless, Inuwa felt envious of how utopian it all seemed. Maybe this was why queen Mab was so obsessed with taking it all.
"So..." Kayden began. "Aodh says that you're free to roam and join in the festivities but...I doubt that anyone here will give you the time of day." Kayden scratches his head awkwardly. "Nature knows my mother and father are livid with me for even speaking with you."
"Sorry." Inuwa laments.
Kayden waves it off casually. "I've always been a trouble maker."
"Well then...thank you...for saving my life earlier."
Kayden locks eyes with Inuwa, a stern glint in his eyes. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for Solas." The older boy leans against the wooden railing of the walkway upon which they stood, looking out to the distance. "Solas isn't much more than a neighbor to me but we look out for our own here. He cares about you more than he's ever cared about anyone and if you died..." kayden doesn't bother finishing his sentence. Inuwa got the point.
"Where do I go from here?" Inuwa questions.
"That's up to you." Kayden answers. "Your situation is unique and no advice I give you will actually help."
