Emerald's Perspective
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A soft breeze fluttered past the bark into her Emerald green hair. Whistles of the wind strung a tune for her as she tended to her flowers, which bloomed even taller than she. A thought walked through her mind as she uprooted the weeds with a spell.
Flowers really do bloom brighter within Ethyal, don't they Aliwin?
The buzz of commotion could be heard outside her door.
"Come on Holly, knock already!" a bright tone rang out from beyond the thin door, before an expected knock came from the entrance of her abode.
"Coming." Emerald flew to the ground and gently opened the door, "Holly, Mary, what's the occasion?"
The striped fairy with flowery characteristics responded: "What's the occasion? Mary here was worried sick about you Emma!" the holly berry that adorned her hair jingled as she swung her hands in emphasis.
The dull red fairy with round wings softly spoke out, "You've been spending so much time at the Sorceress' domain we thought something happened to you."
"Oh, don't worry about me," Emma held their hands to exchange feelings, she felt worry and hesitance from what they've shared with her, "there has been a newcomer, so I've been busy. Not to mention Ruby and Saphie have been expelled so it's just me helping the Sorceress lately."
"The manalor right? Are you sure you're okay? Isn't he human? What if he's sent by that meanie Talisbane?" Holly was not convinced.
At the mention of the name Emma tightened her grip ever so slightly, the way that fairies were so nonchalant about tragedy and death was something she still struggled with.
"He's not trust me, he's a bit too dull to be sent by.... those people." Emma sent the feelings of the safety she felt across her emotional channels, "He's strange but he means no harm."
"You still shouldn't get too attached to him; the Fairy Queen will be expelling him soon." a jolt of shock crossed the shared channel at the words of Mary, "Emma.... you didn't know?"
"The Sorceress didn't tell you?" Holly questioned further.
"N-no.... I'm sorry you two, I need to talk with her." she broke off the channel and flew out.
"Have fun!" the two cried in unison as they watched her go.
The sights of the Tree of Sanctuary raced past her vision as she flew; the fairies have carved out the insides of the immense structure and made it their home. Hundreds of fairies could be seen across the flowery interior, decorating, laughing, or frolicking about, a paradise on the surface. Over her years at the heart of Ethyal she had fully immersed herself in the culture of the fairies and found it soothed her soul and made her forget her past, but just when she had nearly let them go, Lucas appeared.
As she burst through the doors of the Sorceress' laboratory, there stood Clarissa Velhiem, aside a strange device with glass lenses and wooden dials strewn about. She raised her eyes from her notes and gave Emerald a knowing look, "A flustered fairy has descended upon my study. Were you told?"
"Yes, but not by you. What is the meaning of this?" Emerald's wand sparkled in the air as she transformed. An emerald glow shone for a second before she was eye level to the Sorceress.
"Your Elven form, how long has it been Esmeralda?" Clarissa flipped to a page in her notes and started piecing together the glass lenses inside a tube.
"Madame Velhiem, I'd rather not be cross with you so please answer the question." Emerald's pointed ears rose as her tone did.
"The boy must depart as soon as he is able, for the Fairy Queen's lair is no such place for a human male; as you are aware, Esmeralda." plink, a glass disk dropped into place.
"But why didn't you tell me?"
"Because if I did," Clarissa stopped, glass disk between her fingers, "Your vengeance would take you with him."
"Isn't that my choice? Isn't that the promise the Fairy Queen gave me? That I would have the chance to do to those what they have done to me?"
Plink, click, the lenses are in place.
"The Fairy Queen hesitates to release what she has saved; you shall find she holds not your same desire for departure." Clarissa's fingers flip a page in her notes and brush against the wooden casing, "You shall not be in time to save what you have lost, nor are you capable enough to avenge those that have gone; I felt no need for you to leave, Esmeralda."
Clarissa's hands stopped, for a blade had been pointed at her throat.
"Don't." Emerald choked out, "Call me by that name."
Runes, carved into the building shone with bluish green light.
"...my apologies Emerald."
"Whether I leave or not should not be up to you." Emerald dropped her wand.
"It is as you say." Clarissa's hands moved once again, piecing together the wooden exterior, "However, the Fairy Queen has proclaimed her desire for Ruby and Cecily to join the young Lucas."
"Ruby? Why?"
"Fifty or so years in exile would be a preferred alternative from a hundred in prison. Fairy queen has no interest in abrogating the punishment but does favor the young Ruby." Clarissa's hands move deftly across the glass and wood assembly, "As with Cecily, it is unwise to keep a caged beast forever imprisoned. I desire for her to witness the wonders of the world and Lucas would make an opportune travelling companion for her."
Click, a piece of the casing slots into position.
"Should you embark upon your reprisal upon the House Talisbane, know that the wrath you would invoke would not fall upon just you."
"I... understand, but I must go. I was on the verge of forgetting; I can't stay here any longer. I will go alone if I have to."
As Emerald looked up, eyes of yellow and green peered back at her, eyes that have seen so much, eyes that fear to witness the folly of another avenger. No spell was cast, but Emerald could swear she was drowning, the cold depths of those eyes threatened to smash her resolve within the abyss that lay within them.
It took all she had to stare back, to show her that she could not be moved from her decision.
'Do you understand the idiocy of your choice?' it seemed to ask her.
'I do.', her eyes replied.
'Do you understand the recklessness behind it?'
'I do.'
'Do you understand the past cannot be changed no matter the steps you take now?'
'I do.' she was starting to run out of air.
'Do you understand that I do not wish to lose you?'
'!' this one caught her by surprise, and she nearly stopped herself, perhaps it was better to wait after all? But a stroke of destiny had a memory cross her mind.
Not one where her hometown burnt to the ground, not one where her kinsfolk was slain before her, and not one where her loved ones begged her to run.
Esmeralda had plenty of those experiences buried deep down, but the one that appeared in her mind's eye at this moment as a recent one.
"Ah, but something I wish I would have known is to 'choose what feels right'"
Words of advice spoken to an apprentice mage, words that she has not followed herself for the longest of times.
She stared back with the last of her determination.
'I do.'
The eyes staring back, gold and green, judged her answer... and let her go. She collapsed upon the wooden floor, gasping for air and coughing.
Clarissa said nothing and continued her assembly.
"W-will..." Emerald crawled back onto her feet, "will you be okay if all of us leave?"
"Saphire has been designated solely as my assistant for the coming years," she lifted the telescope like object and peered into it to test it out, "And the outlander has given me much to work on."
"I... I see... will he be alright? Lucas I mean." Emerald breathed heavily, "We shall be able to escort him safely out of Ethyal but I fear for what shall happen in his travels beyond."
"You seem to have forgotten the title the Fairy Queen has cursed Cecily with: The Abomination of Ethyal. She shall guarantee his life, at the very least."
"I understand." as Emerald turned to leave, she left behind one final inquiry, "what is that you're working on anyway?"
Clarissa replied as she peered through her makeshift telescope.
"A microscope."