he paid them little mind as he focused on doing his part in the summoning.
“Very good. Now hold hands and do not let go until the summoning is complete. Focus on your love for one another and hold those feelings in your heart.”
Mage Landi closed his eyes and began chanting softly. He spoke in a language like nothing Alexander had ever heard before. It was intricate and soft with gentle and lilting intonations. The mage repeated a complicated verse seven times over, one right after the next. When he stopped speaking, Alexander could almost hear the words of the verse in his head. Mage Landi waited silently for the count of three breaths before speaking a word of power. The small ring of powder surrounding the fairy dust burst into flame and melted. As the contents of the silver saucer combined, the flame grew higher, burning brightly with iridescent colors for several minutes. Alexander held Isabel’s hand and focused on his love for her as he watched the flames dance.
Abruptly the flames died, and a scintillating ball of pure white light spun into existence. It floated gently down and quite suddenly transformed into a fairy. Standing on the little silver saucer was a perfectly proportioned, three-inch-tall woman with dragonfly wings. She glowed faintly with soft white light that undulated with just a hint of color.
Her aura was clear and strong and encompassed all the colors of the rainbow. She was beautiful and stood proudly, as if she were ten feet tall. She looked all around for just a moment before she spun into a little ball of scintillating light again. She was so bright that Alexander couldn’t look directly at her; she was so beautiful that he tried to anyway.
From the spinning orb of light, Alexander heard a clear, lilting voice with perfect pronunciation and just a slight accent that reminded him of what he always thought royalty should sound like.
“Darkness is near,” she said.
Mage Landi nodded to Alexander.
“The darkness is our enemy but you are safe from it here,” he said.
“Love is also near,” she said. “Your blood is sweet with it.” She stopped spinning and floated a foot over the little silver saucer, wings beating in a blur as she looked toward the scourgling. “The darkness is at bay. It does not approach.”
“The darkness cannot pass the chasm. You’re safe here,” Alexander said.
The fairy looked back to Alexander. “Why does the King of the small people call upon the fairy folk?”
Alexander was perplexed. Before he fully thought it through, he blurted his question.
“How are we small people when you’re only three inches tall?”
“You are small in time, not in stature,” she answered without affront.
“You mean you live longer than we do?” Alexander asked.
“Yes. Time is of no consequence to us, but this cannot be the reason for your summoning.”
Alexander felt a little foolish. He had far more important matters to discuss, and he was indulging his curiosity.
“I’m in need of your help. There’s an item of great power trapped in the aether. I need to retrieve it before another does or the world will fall into darkness.”
She spun back into a ball of scintillating light and floated another foot higher into the air.
“I cannot help you. I will not. The risk is too great and you are not ready.”
“Without your help, many will die.”
Alexander felt a shiver of fear race through him. He realized that this was yet another battlefield and he had no idea what the rules were.
“Those many will die anyway.” She stopped spinning and gently floated down to eye level again. “Death is the natural end of the small people.”
“That’s why we need your help so desperately,” Isabel said. “We’re doomed to die, and for that we love life all the more. There is one who would bring death to many before their time. Please help us stop him.”
“I felt him wake,” the fairy said. “Darkness follows him with hunger.”
“If he retrieves the
“Very good. Now hold hands and do not let go until the summoning is complete. Focus on your love for one another and hold those feelings in your heart.”
Mage Landi closed his eyes and began chanting softly. He spoke in a language like nothing Alexander had ever heard before. It was intricate and soft with gentle and lilting intonations. The mage repeated a complicated verse seven times over, one right after the next. When he stopped speaking, Alexander could almost hear the words of the verse in his head. Mage Landi waited silently for the count of three breaths before speaking a word of power. The small ring of powder surrounding the fairy dust burst into flame and melted. As the contents of the silver saucer combined, the flame grew higher, burning brightly with iridescent colors for several minutes. Alexander held Isabel’s hand and focused on his love for her as he watched the flames dance.
Abruptly the flames died, and a scintillating ball of pure white light spun into existence. It floated gently down and quite suddenly transformed into a fairy. Standing on the little silver saucer was a perfectly proportioned, three-inch-tall woman with dragonfly wings. She glowed faintly with soft white light that undulated with just a hint of color.
Her aura was clear and strong and encompassed all the colors of the rainbow. She was beautiful and stood proudly, as if she were ten feet tall. She looked all around for just a moment before she spun into a little ball of scintillating light again. She was so bright that Alexander couldn’t look directly at her; she was so beautiful that he tried to anyway.
From the spinning orb of light, Alexander heard a clear, lilting voice with perfect pronunciation and just a slight accent that reminded him of what he always thought royalty should sound like.
“Darkness is near,” she said.
Mage Landi nodded to Alexander.
“The darkness is our enemy but you are safe from it here,” he said.
“Love is also near,” she said. “Your blood is sweet with it.” She stopped spinning and floated a foot over the little silver saucer, wings beating in a blur as she looked toward the scourgling. “The darkness is at bay. It does not approach.”
“The darkness cannot pass the chasm. You’re safe here,” Alexander said.
The fairy looked back to Alexander. “Why does the King of the small people call upon the fairy folk?”
Alexander was perplexed. Before he fully thought it through, he blurted his question.
“How are we small people when you’re only three inches tall?”
“You are small in time, not in stature,” she answered without affront.
“You mean you live longer than we do?” Alexander asked.
“Yes. Time is of no consequence to us, but this cannot be the reason for your summoning.”
Alexander felt a little foolish. He had far more important matters to discuss, and he was indulging his curiosity.
“I’m in need of your help. There’s an item of great power trapped in the aether. I need to retrieve it before another does or the world will fall into darkness.”
She spun back into a ball of scintillating light and floated another foot higher into the air.
“I cannot help you. I will not. The risk is too great and you are not ready.”
“Without your help, many will die.”
Alexander felt a shiver of fear race through him. He realized that this was yet another battlefield and he had no idea what the rules were.
“Those many will die anyway.” She stopped spinning and gently floated down to eye level again. “Death is the natural end of the small people.”
“That’s why we need your help so desperately,” Isabel said. “We’re doomed to die, and for that we love life all the more. There is one who would bring death to many before their time. Please help us stop him.”
“I felt him wake,” the fairy said. “Darkness follows him with hunger.”
“If he retrieves the
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