A Fairy's Tale - Part 3

Cera and Raz sat comfortably around a small, warm campfire.  For the first time since their flight from the pop instance, they rested under the open sky, and yet felt completely safe.  Wrapped around them, Vivian’s tail created a barrier between them, and the outside world.  The Naga had wrapped herself so she was on the inside of her own tail, enjoying the conversation between herself, her friend, and their unlikely guest.  She had listened intently to the recount of Cera’s tale and how she had gotten to where they were now, as well as old battle stories from the mercenary.

Raz was still trying to get over the sheer size of the Naga girl.  That, and the fact that she had a blatant disregard for the earth standards of decency.  She wore not a scrap of clothing, and it took every once of self control he had to keep from staring.  Still, it had been several hours, and somehow, he seemed to be getting used to the fact that his protector for the night was a giant, naked hybrid between a human and a snake.

Cera and Raz sat across the fire from one another, and though the mercenary seemed to be fixed on the fire, Vivian didn’t miss the glances the fairy stole at him.  The Naga knew what exactly it meant for one to save another’s life to a fairy, but from the way the girl kept biting her lip, she highly doubted that Raz was aware of it.  With a knowing smile, the Naga pulled herself up till she was lying atop her own tail, and lay her head down on her hands.

“Good night you two.

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Morning came bright and early, rousing the fairy from her first comfortable night’s sleep in what she felt had been forever.  She stretched long and lavishly, till her arms bumped into her backrest of Vivian’s tale.

“Good morning Cera,” came Vivian’s smooth voice.  Her body slid smoothly around, giving the Naga a better view of the little fairy.

“Good morning to you, Viv,” the platinum-haired girl replied cheerily, finally wiping the last of the sleep from her eyes.  A quick glance about their ‘campsite’ brought another question to mind.  “Where’s Raz this morning?”

“Up here,” a familiar voice called out.  Cera looked up to see Raz perched atop Vivian’s coils, where he seemed to have been having a conversation with the Naga.

With an intricate gentleness, Vivian picked up the delicate fairy, and deposited her next to the mercenary on her tail, propping herself back up on her elbows, facing the two.

“Raz here tells me you’re just trying to get home.”

Cera nodded.

“I think I might be able to help you with that.  I’ve been getting tired of just lying around here, and there’s a few of the fairies I would like to see.  It’s been a long time since any of your clan came out this far to visit.

Immediately, the little fairy was a tangle of words.  “Oh, you really don’t have to I mean we came this far pretty safely and I’m sure we can make it the rest of the way sure it will be slow going with my wings still not quite working but I am sure we can manage so you really don’t need to bother going out of your way just to…”

“Cera,” Vivian’s smooth voice repeated for the fourth time, finally breaking the girl from her ramble.  As if she realized how fast her mouth had just been running, Cera’s mouth clapped shut with a snap, and a deep blush adorned her cheeks.

“It’s ok hun,” Vivian continued, smiling at the reaction she had gotten.  “I’ve been feeling the need to get out and stretch these scales for a while, and it has gotten kind of lonely around here.  I don’t mind.”

Raz, unlike the fairy, was more than prepared to accept the help.  He knew he needed to still be cautious around the Naga, but just her size alone attested to the speed increase that they could expect from her assistance.  With a grace that belied how little time he had actually spent in Felarya, the mercenary slid down Vivian’s scales, and to the ‘camp’ that had been set up within her coils.  The fire was smothered, and the few belongings that Raz had removed from his pockets to sleep were quickly replaced.  With a fast series of metallic clacks, the mercenary gave his weapon its morning checks.  Cera all but ignored the high speed morning routine, but it amazed Vivian.  She knew that humans were an organized bunch, and were capable of feats that no other race their size had ever been able to, but to see the machine like clockwork of a human soldier, it no longer confounded her why their race was as hardy as they were, or as proud as they were.  Against anything else their size, they must be hell on earth to have to fight, especially if they could all work like this one.

Raz finished his checks, shouldered his weapon, and rose to his feet.  His hand blurred around his body as he double-checked his pockets, ensuring that his supplies were still in their places, his ammo hadn’t been knocked out, and every button and zipper was still securely in place.  Last thing on his agenda was the razor sharp knife that was removed from its sleeve, checked, and replaced with a deft stroke.  The militant mercenary Cera had first met had truly revealed himself for the first time in front of the Naga.

“Let’s move,” he almost growled, turning towards the direction Cera had given him for her village.  With an amused chuckle, Vivian reached down, and scooped the mercenary up off the ground, and perched him up on her shoulder, and it didn’t take long for him to realize why.  Vivian covered the ground at a tremendous speed.  He had expected her to be quick, just for her size, but even still, he was impressed.  The two day trip he had been expecting while walking took them a little less than four hours, and before they knew it, smoke trails from the Fairy’s fires could be seen.

“You two take it from here,” Vivian’s soft voice hummed.  “I need to find something to eat before I join you, and it seems that you have enough explaining to do by bringing Raz into your village in the first place.”

Cera nodded, and stepped into Vivian’s hand, Raz just behind her.  They were left on the ground about half a mile from the gates of her city, and though the sentries would know there was a Naga about, it was still too far for them to react.  That left her and Raz to get closer, and with her broken wings, and Raz’s lack of a magical signature, they had literally walked right to the entrance to the city before they were noticed.

“Halt!” a voice boomed.  Both stopped in their tracks, and watched the nine foot tall Fairy Guard that approached them, haste in his step.  His armor gleamed silver, protecting his body while still leaving gaps as to not hinder his mobility.  His wings were blood red, permanently dyed, and identifying him as one of the city guards.  Upon his head, the silver helmet sat low, the design covering his forehead and cheekbones, while leaving him with a clear field of vision.  His hand rested upon the intricately designed hilt of his sword, and his glare showed that he was none to pleased to see two unannounced guests at his gates.

“Declare yourself!” He barked, his voice pushing Cera into a cower behind Raz’s shoulder.  She was just a commoner by her city’s standards, and had no pull over the guards.  Most the time, when someone of her rank within the city even spoke with a guard, it was because they were being brought in by the law for one thing or another.

Raz, however, didn’t even bat an eye at the bark.  “My name is Sergeant Major Joshua Gilliam, of the U.M.C., call sign Raz.  Now if you would be so polite as to state your own.”

The words stopped the guard in his tracks.  This human was a bold one, even by human standards.  With a nod, he obliged the request.  “I am Galfin, city guard of the Eastern Fairies.  Now either state your business, or remove yourself from these gates, or I shall have to remove you by force.”

“My Lord Galfin!”

The golden eyes of the guard turned towards the girl, who had knelt herself before him, her body bowed subserviently.

“Do not remove this human from our city, for it is on my behalf that he has come here.  He has endured that which would uphold the pride of one of our own, and he has lent his compassion to one who is not even of his race.”

The guard’s jaw slackened as he saw the bandaged wings of the girl that bowed before him.  Only a human knew the art of such medicines, and the only human she spoke of was…

“My Lord Guard,” she continued.  “If he is to be removed from this city, then I am as well.  He has saved my own life from certain death, and through it, has bound my life to his own.

The last phrase came after the infinite second of a pause.

“I am his chattel.”

The guard sighed, and released his grip on his sword.  Seeing the action, the mercenary’s thumb unhooked from the sling of the rifle he carried, and dropped back to his side.  As if the girl was no longer worth talking to, the guard’s gaze came up, and met Raz eye to eye.

“Her name,” He asked, his tone polite rather than the harsh bark it had first been.

“Cera,” he answered, calming his own voice.  “She says that the medical attention of your own people pales the healing capabilities of my own, she wished to be returned here for their care and the city’s protection.”

The guard nodded.  “I will show you to the medical hovel, but I have my duty to attend to, and cannot remove myself to be a guide.  Ask there for the Empress, and they will show you the way.  You will be treated as a guest for your stay, but do not take advantage of such an offer.”

Raz nodded as he followed the guard, disturbed by Cera’s behavior, and the fact that she walked behind him now, slightly off to his left, and exactly two paces behind.  Her head remained bowed, and her eyes followed the dirt directly next to where he walked.  His head spun, but he refused to open his mouth at this point.  Confusion could be taken as weakness, and he couldn’t afford to show any of that before these people, at least not yet.

Galfin stopped before a white-painted building, and pulled aside the skin that hung in the doorway.  Raz nodded appreciatively, and reached back for Cera, grasping her hand, and pulling her up alongside of himself.  Carefully, as to not disturb her still tender wings, he held the skin to the side for her, and led her through, and into the building.