The Crystal in the Chasm

chapter 39

A full day had come and gone. A full day of Onyx and I sheltering in place, a makeshift shelter built from perfectly positioned branches of wood into a triangular shape helping us brave the elements. It had been raining consistently, the sky roaring to life with swirling clouds of grey. The occasional strike of lightning or boom of thunder was the only sound to keep us company. Onyx had informed me that we were located on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Faerie and the Dragon Hills. I couldn't help but keep my eyes peeled for any soaring dragons above but the effort was to no avail.

The war raged on, occasional reports delivered by Gracie the bird keeping us informed and Gracie's stomach full. We gathered berries from nearby bushes as payment for her long flights back and forth between us and Arthur. According to Arthur's letters, Death Bringer had been fighting in the thick of it for most of the day. He was holding the front line, dropping enemy soldiers like flies. It was difficult for me to keep still knowing he was risking his life while I was kicking pebbles around and nervously pacing in the middle of the woods beside a small stream, the view entirely peaceful and nothing like what he must have been seeing all this time. All of the blood and gore, the carnage of fallen pirates and faerie alike. Pirates were dwindling by the hour, the Kingdom of Faerie gaining on them. Captain Silver Tongue was nowhere to be found. Coward, Arthur had called him in one of the letters.

Davey Dark Skull was safely escorted to Arthur's shelter by Death Bringer in the middle of the night last night. It had likely taken hours of searching both the alive and dead, the task surely too heavy for even Death Bringer at a time like this. He had just lost his best-friend, his partner, his closest confidant. Merlin. I couldn't even bear to think of him for more than a few moments, each time my heart feeling too labored to even remember how to beat. It felt like the strings sewing my heart together were tearing at the seams every time I allowed reality to sink in. I would never hear his voice again. He would never smile again, never laugh again, never swim again. He was here one minute and the next... He just wasn't anymore. His corpse was rotting somewhere, likely still in the cave that I didn't dare venture back into for a very long time.

Onyx and I shared stories of our childhood, venting to one another about the trials and tribulations of having shitty parents. She told me of her father setting fire to her wings the night of Saturnia. I told her of the time my father forbade the servants from allowing me in the kitchen for two weeks after I disobeyed his order to never mouth off. How hollow hunger felt as it gnawed away at my empty stomach. I told her of the long nights locked away in the tower with nothing but rats for company and she told me of the time her father almost cut her wings clean off. He had stopped after sawing an inch of the way down.

On seldom occasion, one of us would dare bring up Merlin. It was always brief and resulted in scratchy voices and strained words, but every once in a while we would say something like, "Hey, do you remember that time when Sea Legs put on Death Bringer's mask and pretended to be alluring and mysterious the entire time it was on?" Sometimes it was nice. Other times, we would trail off with heavy swallows and fiddle with whatever was closest to us to give our hands something to do.

It was mid-afternoon, the sun high in the dark sky, when Gracie emerged on the horizon. She flapped her wings effortlessly through the pouring rain, her squawks loud and proud. Gracie swooped down to us, a note secured in her beak. I was the first to grab it from her mouth as she said, "Gracie is a pretty bird," with a low whistle. Onyx began feeding the parrot berries as I unfolded the damp paper. The ink was running on the page but the words were still intelligible.

Dear Onyx and Queen Helena,

A shocking revelation has been made to both kingdom's amongst the chaos. I have recieved word from a trusted source that the Prince of Faerie is alive after all. It seems he has been taken into custody by the King and Queen of Faerie. He is to be executed for treason in exactly three hours, likely only two once you receive this message. I must inform you that the dangers here have not subsided, though I am certain this warning will not stop you from doing what I know you will do. He is currently imprisoned in the Kingdom of Faerie. Grimm Hastings is not heavily guarded, as hands are short during these trying times. The King and Queen of Faerie are taking refuge within their castle walls. I trust you will do what you think is best. All of the luck to you,