A Touch of Fae (Kyan and Clarice)

[Libelle "Onyx" Ryoko - Council]

Clarice’s eyes hung on the Sapphires burning body, while she mourned the lost of her friend, the woman that raised her and saved her from Prospero. Yet the thing that plagued her mind the most was how her life could be ended just as quickly. How she was without her power so easily in that moment- watching the women's burning body- she swore to herself that she would never experience this kind of weakness ever again in her life. That she would find a way to become the most powerful being known to this realm. Her first step would be to insure she could gain immortality. Something she knew Prospero had yet to perfect in his massive amount of spell learning.

Being held captive by the mad Sorcerer had its upside, he didn’t take in account that she would remember a lot of what she read from his books. She remembered there was a section about Fae and how they seemed ageless yet Prospero himself could never get close enough to learn how they were so. Not wanting to be around her coven any longer than was necessary out of safety for them she packed up what would fit on the back of her horse, leaving a letter not starting anything more than she could no longer be part of the coven. It was better this way, for her to be alone. No one else was going to get hurt in her war against the mad Sorcerer.

So her Journey to Thistlemoon Forest began, she found herself at a crossroads not long after her journey began. She feared using magic would call upon Prospero when she wasn’t strong enough to take him. So she looked to the stars trying to recall what the book said about Thistlemoon. “The king keeps his domain hidden from the human world, under the watchful gaze of the mother tree.” she stared long at the stairs until she realized the answer was right in front of her. The stars off in the distance looked like a giant tree. With a soft click of her tongue she was off once more.

She couldn’t recall how many days had passed when she found herself there, sliding off her horse. She touched the the animals neck softly as she moved closer to the opening sure guards would be there the closer she got. She felt the veins wrap around her feet and arms, she didn’t fight the hold as she looked to the Fae who came into her view. The beauty was rather breathtaking if one would allow themselves to focus on just that. Before giving the guard a moment to speak she spoke.

“Please bring me to King Raventhorn.” she recalled the name from the passage she had read. “I would like to seek his advice and council. If he deems me unfit to help I will leave as peacefully as I came.” She spoke as she raised her hand the sleeves to her tattered gown sliding down to reveal the x mark buried deep in her wrist that were still healing. “My name is Clarice De Biville, I was held captive by a sorcerer named Prospero. A man I know your king refused to let pass into Thistlemoon.”

She kept her stance strong, trying not to show how weak she felt. She was never one to need to ask for help so this was a new concept for her. “I…” she suddenly was unsure of what to say, the Fae in front of her looked so unamused with her. She took a deep breath to calm the swell of anxiety that swirled in her. “I just have questions if your King would even be willing to meet me outside of your home.” She paused, grazing her teeth along her bottom lip in what she hoped would be a soothing manner, hoping to get some kind of response.

The stoic gaze gave her little hope she had no chance to burn, she wondered if her journey for eternal life would be her end. Yet she felt the death dealt by the Fae would come at a far greater kindness then what Prospero put her through. She would understand it, they would strike her because  they thought she was a threat. Prospero made her fall in love with him and then turned on her when she trusted him, his actions cut her deep to the point she was sure she could no longer feel those kinds of emotions ever again. Not that she wanted to feel any emotion at that point.

[Kyan Raventhorn - Council]

A Touch of Fae

"...Time to show them why I didn't have you killed the moment you stepped foot into the wood."

Kyan's slender, but strong arms slid through the water-like silky fabric of the floor length robes he wore that slightly brushed along in a trail behind him when he walked. It's deep ocean color brought out the tones of blue in his azure eyes. As was his usual, the king's chest was bare and he wore a matching pair of pants that loosely draped to the ends of his hips, drawing the eyes to the sculpted bone structure there. He was void of any footwear and decided to don a thinly crafted wooden circlet a shade lighter than the color of his dark brown hair with a delicate wrapped vine of small leaves around its shape which came to point at the center of his forehead. 

He was currently walking the halls of the Mapleshade, swirling the morning wine in his goblet. Those he passed stopped and bowed their heads, though he was not so much the type to acknowledge them all on a normal day and today wouldn't be different. Kyan was continuing on his mission to further move along in this plan to bring down his enemy as nothing else mattered more to him. He was not a patient fae and the council wanted results just as much as he, for there was still concern over the use of the mystic who dared to enter their kingdom. 

He nodded to the guards at the door to Clarice's room as indication to open it and so they did without giving notice of their entry. Bringing the cup to his lips, Kyan carelessly drank more of the wine which had his attention then while the two sentries came into the room and parted to each side. Gwainar then followed suit as he had been at Kyan's side throughout the early morning and immediately barged ahead. The centaur roughly grabbed at Clarice's arm and pulled her forward, effortlessly lifting her from the ground momentarily in the motion.

Still, the king was too focused on his drink. His eyes had closed and a smile spread across his lips while the light buzz swam about his head. There was nothing like fae wine. "Mmm," he hummed, gliding his tongue over his lips to savor the last bits of its fading presence before tossing the cup to one of the guards and nodding. "More."

Turning finally to look at Clarice, he saw the rough nature in which his most trusted guard was handling the mystic and tilted his head with an amused smile. "That's not necessary, Gwainar. The little raven will behave," he said in a sweetly dark tone before glancing from the glowering centaur back to Clarice. "Won't she?" It wasn't a question she was meant to answer. Of course she would. "The four elder fae you require are prepared to meet soon. The council will also be there to observe, two of which will be part of that four. Time to show them why I didn't have you killed the moment you stepped foot into the wood."

[Clarice De Biville - Council]

✧ A Touch of Fae ✧

Eventually Clarice found her way to the all to comfortable bed, something she had never really had even when she was among the coven. Everything was thrown together to work, not be made well or comfortable. She passed out as soon as her body landed on the bed, losing herself into the darkness of her dreams that never made much sense to her. This past dream came in flashes, of the library opening to them, the dust that swirled within, the book that shined brightly. She reached out towards the book to grab it only to have Kyan stopping her.

She sat up in the bed with a jerk of her body as the doors opened, the last thing she remembered was Kyan stopping her from grabbing the book. She opened her mouth to say something but the words couldn’t leave her mouth as she was yanked from where she was. She felt her head bobble for a moment but she didn’t fight it or scream knowing it would be pointless. She couldn’t help the wince from the pain that radiates up her shoulder and neck. Her eyes did look from the Centaur to the King, waiting for something to leave his lips.

She had to fight the roll of her eye that came when he just demanded more wine from the other fae that waited on him hand and foot. Once his eyes wandered over to her and took in what was happening and how she wasn’t fighting it. His tone expressed that she wasn’t meant to answer at that moment so she didn't. She would just want relief from the pain that felt like a fire burning up her shoulder at that moment. She felt her feet under her as she straightened the dress she was wearing.

“Your Majesty.” she said softly for a moment thinking of mentioning the dream but stopped short. “Lead the way.” she said instead as she took a step closer to follow behind him. She kept her space though hoping to not be yanked off her feet again. When they found themselves back at the base of the tree her eyes stared up to it for a long moment as she heard the other Fae making their way into the room. Once everyone was there she spoke to Kyan. “We are going to have to cut all of our hands open and form a circle. Then they will have to trust me enough to cast a spell with their blood.”

She mentioned this to only him because she knew if she said this aloud to them they would revolt against her demanding her head. If the King ordered them to, they would follow. “Kyan…I dreamed about the library last night. We opened it.” she said softly to him slowly so only he could hear. “There is a book in there though, that will draw me in, and I don’t know what it is. You stopped me in the dream.” She was giving him a chance to stop this if he felt it would be too dangerous, but she felt it was a warning to keep him on her side. She found it easier to talk to him here than in her room with the guards hating her even breathing.

[Kyan Raventhorn - Council]

a touch of fae

w/ clarice de biville

• "Should you start to fall, little raven, I will be sure to pull you back." •

Kyan half expected some resistance from the weary looking mystic who had stumbled into his kingdom, but there was none. Finally. Though he could see it itching on her tongue to protest against Gwainar's encouragement. Perhaps she was learning her place in the world. His world, anyway. The fact that she hadn't shown much gratitude by letting her live after shambling through the wood instead of immediately being shot down by a volley of arrows, burned alive, or both irked him, frankly. However, she was intriguing. Keeping her around seemed quite favorable far beyond their current quest to destroy Prospero in every sense of the meaning.

A pleased grin crept its way over his lips as Clarice simply went along and so he swept out of the room just as he'd entered. Nearing the base of the tree, Kyan could see the others were beginning to gather. He noted the four council members who were masters of their elements. If it were up to him, the rest of these old fools wouldn't be present for the spell, but he had to prove to them that Clarice would be the tool to help them be rid of their greatest enemy once and for all. He knew they doubted it and him which caused an angry stirring to begin in his stomach. Thankfully, the guard who had been at Clarice's door had presented him with more wine, clearly out of breath from hurrying to fulfill the task he'd been given before. The king took the goblet and nodded his head to dismiss the nearly wheezing fae.

His eyes cut to the side as the little raven approached, lowering the long gulp he was taking of the drink. Her specific instructions needed to cast the spell did not surprise him. Though, Kyan knew she was right in that having the instruction come from him would likely make the elders easily compliant. "Fine," he simply stated, but could see there was more on her mind that she wished to share. Clarice's voice lowered while she confided in him of this dream that seemed to be rattling her. 

Kyan's lips drew thin at this before he clucked his tongue. "You mean my foretelling was actually correct?" he replied in mocked shock before a slight shaking of his head. He drew the wine to his lips to drink a healthy amount more before continuing. "As I said before savior,"  he started, revisiting what he'd called her just the night before when he first warned her of her good intentions. "People who want to meddle in trying to make things better, find that it is a fruitless effort and instead become the villain. It is an impossible task. You cannot fix the world. Trust me, as a king, you cannot please everyone with your decisions and I was there when creatures far greater in power than you tried, but instead, scorched the Earth and fell into utter darkness. "   

He thrust the now empty cup to the nearest guard and pulled a shortsword from the fae's sheath that sat on her hip. His brightened blue eyes appreciated the craftsmanship of the metal before looking to Clarice, stepping into her personal space with his face only inches from hers, and the blade precariously near her neck as he brushed her dark hair behind her shoulder. The king remained quiet for a passing moment as his gaze held hers. "Should you start to fall, little raven, I will be sure to pull you back." Kyan assumed she would understand his meaning in regard to her words of worry over this book. He remained holding her eyes then for another brief note so Clarice would understand he completely meant every word. Spinning the blade in his hand, he then offered the hilt for her to take. "Shall we?" A wicked smirk then appeared as he turned his back and stepped away from her to address the council. "Now is the time, but first, I will need a little bit of blood from a few of you..."

[Clarice De Biville - Council]

✧ A Touch of Fae ✧

This was the closest that Clarice had been to knowing that death could happen at any moment since being in her past captor. She knew being clear with her instructions with him would lead him to allow the others to follow. Yet she felt a sense of adventure and answers to come to a head in her skin. Every sense of hers buzzing even more so now with the ominous dream that she had. It felt like she was at the apex of a fate changing moment. Savior was a term she never expected anyone to call her less yet the king of the thistlemoon. Even if he meant it as an insult she found a small quirk of a smile touching the edges of her lips. Trying yet not to let him see it.

Yet his words were true even though a hopeless dreamer knew this, it was as if his foretelling was telling a future they yet to know. How she would be the villain in almost everyone’s story, how the mortal realm would make her sick and she would have to isolate herself. This was the moment that was to set her future in motion little did she know. “Your words are true.” she said in a gentle tone as she heard stories herself of such beings of power. “Yet we both know even if it brings hate. Ending him is one of the most important things. Or I would never have risked my own life in the end.” Killing Prospero would not bring utter darkness, it would stop it.

As Kyan came close to her once again she took in a breath, he really did have an ethereal beauty about him. That would make anyone fall in love with him, if they stared too long. As he placed the blade making it graze against her skin she felt the shiver that wished to run through her body only cursing her body for doing such things. She didn’t break her gaze from his though. Determined to show she was a strong willed individual. The meaning there, meant so many things, so many ways to take it. “All I can ask for.” Was her reply as she knew he meant every word of it. In whatever way he felt fit in the moment he chose to do so.

Taking the hilt she moved with him slightly behind him as he requested the council give their blood. The back and forth went until eventually the king's word was rule and she was there cutting each of their hands collecting each of their blood into a stone bowl that she had requested. Sending each leader with a bleeding hand off to their directions, North water, East Earth, South Fire, West Air. Then moved with Kyan towards the door. Placing the bowl on the ground she took his hand and cut it knowing it would cut hers open as well. Watching their blood drip into the bowl before she retrieved it once again.

“When I take your hand to start casting I need you to instruct the leaders to start producing their elements. The spell will draw in the elements as part of it.” She dipped her finger in the blood and swirled it around mixing the different blood together before drawing on the trunk of the tree. She drew the symbols and took a step back examining it for a moment before looking back to Kyan she took his wounded hand in her wounded hand and held it. As she started to chant in Latin “Virtute elementorum quatuor, mediocris regis, auguratricis, bibliothecae tempore perdito ianuam aperi. alienationem ad regnum sicut ultra nostrum aspectum aperimus.” the more words she spoke, the more glowing started to come from the tree trunk. As the elders were instructed to cast their element the elements would pull in the air and swirl together in front of the door.

Watching the ball of elemental magic press into the tree turn and there formed a door. A gasp left her, as she felt the smile touch her lips. “We did it.” She didn’t dare take a step towards the door though, fearing that the other fae around would stop her. Yet the itch to get inside gnawed at her brain. She needed to see what Prospero was so hell bent on killing a whole Fae species for.

[Kyan Raventhorn - Council]

a touch of fae

w/ clarice de biville

• They had given enough. •

The king watched every single movement his little captor took. Even when he requested that the other elemental masters begin using their abilities to feed the spell, Kyan did not let his gaze wander elsewhere. There was no chance that he would give should this all be for some other nefarious plot against him and his kingdom as much as he wanted to believe the woman before him was truly on the same path of vengeance as he. As protector of his people, he could never let his guard down when there was so much to be lost. They had given enough.

The drawn blood whorls along the tree made his chest tighten slightly. A sliver of worry began to tickle at the back of his mind, but the Mapleshade seemed to accept the magic that was stirring in the space. A magic that Kyan had not felt before. He'd been around for centuries and the power of the fae, granted by Gaia, was the very blood that ran through him, but mixed with the spellwork from Clarice had changed the way it slid across his warming skin. The air in the room seemed to be charged in a manner that was foreign yet curiously rousing. 

A door of light began to shift in the bark. Unlike the pathways that led to the other dormant fae kingdoms which had darkened since the fall of their kind at the hands of humans, this pathway went from the Mapleshade to a singular wooden door with intricate golden flourish markings and what looked like no knob or pull to be let in. Another mystery for certain. His eyes widened slightly from it all as she breathed her confirmation of their success. There seemed to be a hint of uncertainty in her words as if they might not have succeeded. "So we did."

"My king." Gwainar's deep voice seemed to rumble through him. A warning in his tone with just those two words. He knew his trusted centaur well enough to know the weight he was conveying behind the simple caution. 

Kyan didn't take his eyes away from the door. "Stay," was all he replied. Not as some command as if Gwainar were a trained beast or a pet, but more that his general needed to trust him in his decision to follow through this. Kyan couldn't stop now. If he did and sent Clarice to her death, he would always wonder if he could've done something more to protect his people or possibly stop Prospero from some unseen attack that had yet to come as the years passed since his last failed attempt which had cost the lives of far too many of his kin. Even better, Kyan would certainly like to find the sorcerer and rip his throat out. If this hidden place of knowledge was the key to that, so be it, dangers or not.

His gaze lifted to meet the centaur's onyx eyes. "Guard the door. Send more sentries to the borders. Without my presence here, we are vulnerable to attack should Prospero know I am removed from the kingdom." A hesitant pause, by the general bowed his head shortly and turned to give the orders. Kyan angled to Clarice, a playful smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. His head inclined forward towards the gateway slightly in invitation. "After you."

Stepping through, the air instantly felt different here. This new small and dim chamber was like a void and disconnected from any structure as a room would normally be. An unassuming dagger also lay on the floor as if in offering. "More blood to give, I'm guessing." Kyan glanced back once to see the council members staring through to them with gaping expressions before turning back to the task. A step closer and a message began to slowly sizzle across the wood of the door as if burning into its frame, light bursting behind every letter that appeared. 

The fae king began to read as the message flowed over the entrance. "Never ahead, ever behind. I fly without wings and marvel the mind. I can be known with plot and measure. This gift I give, a misused treasure. Nigh unstoppable, yet easy to waste. Mortality is the cruelest taste." Kyan clucked his tongue as an irritated wave rippled through him. Even closer within the space now, he could still discern there was no way through the door by any normal means. It seemed what the obvious next step was. "A riddle to solve to find your precious books, little raven. Did you see this coming?" His eyes narrowed to the mystic beside him then. He was never one for these sort of games, but of course, Kyan was never known for his patience. 

[Clarice De Biville - Council]

✧ A Touch of Fae ✧

Her unwavering gaze stuck to the door as she waited impatiently to move towards it. The death of Prospero itched the back of her brain realizing she was mere steps from an answer. Would she truly find freedom from the person who made her feel finite and worthless. Though it held no obvious way to open the door, magic never had obvious solutions. A chill trailed along her spine as Gwainar warning thundered through the quiet of the room. All the Fae who offered their blood in that moment, she wondered if they held the same amount of awe in their system as she did.

Clarice's eyes held the hunger of salivation to open the door, her gaze never moved from it. Even as Kyan gave her the okay to move, she was there crossing the room in a steady pace not wanting to catch a weapon to her back with the incorrect assumption she planned to escape. The closer they got towards the door it sparked alive. As the message found itself etched into it, the scent of burnt oakwood swirling in the small swirls of smoke. A gentle groan slipped past her lips as she stared at the words. “A Riddle to solve? Was blood not enough?” Her heated gaze turned towards Kyan for a moment. “No I didn’t see this coming but there is also much not known about this Library. As it's ever shifting. It may have many riddles, or puzzles, or other things to keep itself protected and the knowledge it holds.”

Yet her mind played the words over in her head as she stared at the door with the shinged words in front of her. She felt her memory digging up the answer, A slow smile crept across her lips as the word left her lips it tasted victorious. “Time.'' Once it was spoken there was a sizzle that ran down the middle of the doorway, as the doors opened themselves slowly, there was a small puff of dust that came from the doorway followed with the smell of time. Confirming that no one had been there in a boundless amount of time. The next path was laid out in front of them with the opened doorway. A staircase that seemed to spiral upwards. “Now the question is how many more tests do we have to get through to get to the library?” it was a rhetorical question, after all neither of them had answers.

Not wishing to test the Fae Kings patience as he stuck her as someone with very little, she took the step into the doorway to where the staircase was. She reached a hand out slowly, testing for magical barriers. When she was sure there was nothing in their way at the current location she took the first few steps of the stairs, before settling into a steady pace upwards. She didn’t bother asking if Kyan was going to follow. She understood her role in all of this. He would follow behind letting her take the brunt of any damage that might take place.

Even though the staircase started out dark the further she climbed the brighter it seemed to become. Till she reached a landing where the next door waited. Scanning her eyes over the door there was once again no handle. Moving closer towards the door, instead of fire spelling out the riddle this time, vines moved and bloomed into the next riddle. “I inhabit every person, plant, and beast. The loss of me is a tragedy. The wealthy would pay any price for more of me. Yet kings treat me as cheap and expendable. What am I?” As her mind wandered for the answer she found herself glancing over towards Kyan as the words left her mouth.

“What does a king treat as cheap and expendable?” She let her gaze flutter over towards Kyan trying to fight a smirk that played on her lips since the question seemed to involve a royal answer.

[Kyan Raventhorn - Council]

a touch of fae

w/ clarice de biville

• No turning back now. •

As Clarice spoke the answer to the riddle, the door instantly shifted. The sudden light bursting down its center illuminated the room before splitting along its new seam and opening. "Dramatic," he murmured with annoyance. His power shifted around in his blood, preparing for whatever it could be that might come through the door, but all that appeared was another unassuming space with an unassuming staircase that ascended far into the distance above. The king ground his teeth. They could be here for an eternity playing this game before ever reaching the actual library itself. 

Darkness swallowed the space around them and the male huffed with his displeasure. He brushed his fingers together with a snap and a small flame danced just above his hand. The light beat back some of the dark shadows, letting it forge just in front of the mystic so they could better traverse their new path onward. As soon as Clarice took her first few steps on the staircase, the door they had just come through vanished into dust, the wall closing up in finality. No turning back now. Dramatic indeed. 

The climb was uneventful. Kyan wasn't so sure if he was pleased about it. Walking into the unknown was something he wasn't exactly fond of, but now he was just itching with a bit of uneasy excitement that was keeping him on edge. Around and around they went along the spiral staircase, ornate and forged in a dark metal he couldn't place. The flame guided them forward until another light caused it to become obsolete as its glow flooded down the stairs once they had finally reached the top. The king rolled his eyes and blew out the flame. "Oh good, another door."

Greenery awakened and stretched along the door, slithering across its wood. Vines, leaves, and flowers swooped and dipped to create words much like the first riddle they'd had to solve. Kyan sucked his teeth with half a mind to call back his flame and see the damage it could do against the barrier keeping them from continuing onward. He knew it would be pointless though. The fae could feel the magic emanating from it, and as Clarice read the words allowed, he lifted his palm just to feel if he could connect with the plant life which would be as easy as breathing normally.  

Kyan's darkened cerulean gaze did not move from the door as he responded to her question. "Most of the courtiers who visit my bed? Useless sorceri that stumble into my forest?" A corner of his lips lifted. Whispers of disconnected voices answered back to him as he reached out to the beautiful flora, but it felt distant and muffled. His brows lowered in confusion. He couldn't reach them like he could in their home realm and that was rather jarring, though he did not show it on his face.

"I have no idea," he added a moment later with obvious irritation, cutting his gaze to Clarice at last and dropping his hand. The whispers instantly vanished. His head cocked to the side as he smiled widely at her, his long hair dipping. "Why don't you enlighten me, little raven."

[Clarice De Biville - Council]

✧ A Touch of Fae ✧

Clarice found herself both amused and exasperated by him—the self-proclaimed king of dramatics—whose irritation with past magic users seemed almost theatrical in itself. Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she asked, "Are you always this irritated when things aren't simply handed to you on a golden plate?" Her eyes wandered to the seemingly endless staircase that stretched before them, each step echoing with his intense annoyance. Doubt began to weave itself into her thoughts, making her question whether they were truly on the right path. The entire scenario felt like a carefully laid trap, designed specifically for her.

Yet, if it was indeed a trap, Clarice took a peculiar comfort in knowing she had done everything within her power to rid the world of a great evil. Together, they plunged into the enveloping darkness, ascending the staircase step by step, losing count as they climbed higher. Her mind drifted to a cherished memory—a tranquil spot by a lakeside where she often fished. The profound silence there, which might unsettle others, was her sanctuary. Left to her own devices, she would have lingered, allowing the serene stillness to envelop her until she was blissfully numb to everything else.

Another door, another riddle—each a reminder of how royals frittered away their time. She deliberately avoided his smug smile, muttering under her breath, "So, sex?" The vines constricted in response, yet nothing else happened. "Is that truly how you see me? Useless?" The word cut through her like a sharp blade, her body tensing at the unfamiliar insult. She had been labeled many things in her life—bitch, whore, witch—but never useless. It struck a deep chord within her, resonating uncomfortably.

To her, life was a precious commodity, something a king might covet yet treat as disposable. Her thoughts twisted into a dance of tragedy, recalling a friend who truly understood the dangers she faced, contrasting starkly against Kyan's casual threats to her existence. "Of course, you wouldn't understand, being immortal," she remarked, her voice edged with bitterness. Reaching out to the flowers, she whispered "Life," and watched as the vines responded, the blooms swelling with vibrant color and vitality. The door groaned open, revealing a field with yet another enigmatic door standing solitary in the center.

"Well, this is ominous," Clarice muttered, casting a wary gaze over the scene. With a playful glint in her eye, she extended her hand toward him, fingers wiggling in a teasing invitation. "Care to hold hands and frolic across to the door, hoping it leads to the library?" she challenged, her voice a mix of mockery and genuine curiosity, inviting him to join her in the unknown journey ahead.

[Kyan Raventhorn - Council]

a touch of fae

w/ clarice de biville

• "Finally, some fun." •

Kyan could see the emotion on the mystic's face at his response. How intriguing. He didn't correct her on what she assumed was sex when he answered. No, sex was never useless if done right. Sex was one of the greatest highs one could reach. That moment of ecstasy when you fractured to nothingness and had to put yourself back together again from dust. No, sex was certainly not useless. 

People, however. That was what he meant. He had no patience for useless people. He couldn't abide by those who wasted his time. Seeing how the word cut through Clarice made his head tilt as if he could see right through her. Oh, he'd hit a nerve. How delicious. "Calm yourself. I have a wicked tongue. In more ways than one," he mused, flashing his teeth in a grin as his gaze wandered along her delicate collarbone and across her shoulders. 

"Once I deem you useless, pet, you'll know. Don't assume because I'm immortal that I don't appreciate its gift. In fact, it is why I don't care to have useless people at my side. I could be doing far more pleasurable things with my gifted time with someone who is useful." Kyan lifted the dagger they were presented in the first room, spinning it across his palm before gripping the hilt. His fingertip grazed the sharp point of the blade. "Need I remind, I can die by any weapon same as you."

In fact, fae were the embodiment of life. They endured through a time of creation when the world was close to being pulled apart by the gods. Felt every nuance of every emotion as was their way. Gaia handed them the magic to keep the very earth itself growing and healing. Fae were naturally built to love the sacred gift of life. They were the means and extension to keep the world alive when its other inhabitants were bent on ravaging it. 

Kyan felt no need to prove himself or his kin to her, though watching the plant life come alive at the mention of the riddle's answer only proved the point further. He watched the beautiful flora bend to the magic of this pocket realm, wishing he could feel them as he did with the plant life in their home one. His blood sang to do so. 

Clarice's voice brought him back from his thoughts and he finally noted the scene put out before them. A field far different from the vibrant blossoms that had adorned the door they'd just opened. The tall stalks were dry and rigid, surely to be easily broken when they passed through it to get to the door at its center. Ominous indeed. The king's eyes dropped to her playful fingers before he rolled them, passing through the archway first while mumbling over his shoulder. "At least there are no stairs."

As expected, the reeds snapped as they walked through them, the air around gray and foggy. Kyan kept his head on a swivel as the visibility lowered the farther they proceeded. There were no walls to be seen in this room, if it even was one, and his hand tightened on the knife. The unnatural quiet prickled along his skin. It felt like they were being watched, yet no one could be seen through the suffocating mist. 

Just as its predecessors, the deep ebony wood on the door crackled alive. The words of the next riddle began to appear through fire, the charring smell tickling his nose. As Kyan approached, he could see the thickly twisted thorny black roots across the door as if suffocating the structure underneath. The fae hummed his usual nonchalance and began reading the words aloud, somehow knowing this was the last. "It comes for all, an inescapable fate. Most won't know the predestined date. Some may meet the signs of doom. The shadow reaching, strangling looms. Penance drips from sinner's lips, with prayers to appease the hold it grips. Far too late, this soul to save. Now marching to their open grave. Soul and body forced to rend. Your time has come; It is the end."

Kyan's eyes darkened as the riddle's solution seemed quite simple. He didn't appreciate the way it made his senses heighten. The scene played around them felt rather fitting for this door. Yes, he instantly knew the answer this time and had a feeling he wouldn't like what happened next. "Death."

The vines that covered the door burned before shriveling into dust, floating away as ashes into the gray of the air around them. However, the door remained closed. Instead, a stone bowl appeared as if requesting an offering. Fine. More blood it was. Kyan drew the weapon across his palm and watched the crimson drip into the surface of the dark basin. It continued to fill, but nothing changed besides the lightheadedness that started to pull at his vision. A dark brow rose. Death was the answer to this door. Did that mean...

His hues met the little raven's and a corner of his mouth ticked up. "Well, you're certainly not killing me and I won't be killing you as I imagine I'll need you to actually find and read this book." The king winked at her and pressed the flat end of the dagger across his tongue, swiping his blood in a single pass. "Perhaps we could find a way back to Thistle. I could drag one of the prisoners from the mines and-"

A deafening roar broke his thoughts off as it rattled across the field. The king's head angled at the noise which clanged through his bones, peering into the haze. Several heartbeats of tense silence passed before he spoke again. "Seems we've awoken the guard dog." The unmistakable vibrations of thundering footfalls slowly broke through the stalks in their direction. An unhinged smile appeared on his lips, fire dancing in his eyes. "Finally, some fun."

[Clarice De Biville - Council]

✧ A Touch of Fae ✧

“Ah, the king of dramatics has his moments of clarity,” Clarice remarked, her tone teasing but laced with sincerity. “But I must say, your definition of ‘useful’ seems rather… flexible. I can assure you, I’m more than just a pretty face or a source of entertainment—even if I am just as flexible.” She stepped closer, narrowing her eyes playfully, challenging him with her gaze. “And that wicked tongue of yours isn’t the only one in the room.” She caught him tracing his eyes along her collarbone, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Careful, Kyan; that look may lead me to believe you find me useful for reasons beyond my magic.” Her voice curled around the words, low and seductive.

The term "pet" made her grimace, and a whirlwind of thoughts flashed through her mind—threats of being collared would earn him losing a part of him to make it her trophy—but she managed to roll her eyes instead, dismissing the idea. The tension crackled between them like the air before a storm, a mix of intrigue and apprehension swirling in her chest as she watched him spin the dagger in his palm.

“You may be able to die by any weapon,” she pointed out, a mischievous glint in her eye, “but the effort required to do so is far greater than what it would take against me.” She paused, her voice turning more serious. “One day, though, immortality will be a gift to all who wish it.” Her gaze drifted past him to the drained field, a sense of foreboding settling over her.

Clarice watched Kyan roll his eyes at her playful offer to frolic across the tall stalks, and she couldn’t help but smile. “I can agree with that one,” she muttered, glancing back toward the stairs they had ascended. As she stepped through the archway, a sense of finality washed over her—the path behind them was gone, leaving only the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

She moved closer, listening intently as he read the riddle aloud. Her stomach churned as she took in the sight of the thorny black roots suffocating the door. Something felt deeply wrong, an instinct gnawing at her that she couldn’t quite place. When Kyan spoke the answer—“Death”—a frown settled on her lips, and she instinctively stepped back as the vines wrapped around the door before igniting into flames, leaving her feeling uneasy.

As the door remained stubbornly closed, a pit formed in her stomach. Panic whispered that this was a trap, and she had dragged a vengeful man into it with her. Yet, when she saw Kyan so willingly offer his blood to the stone bowl, her gaze narrowed skeptically. “A bit reckless there, don’t you think? We have no idea what giving it your blood could do.” She sighed, stepping back to scan the desolate landscape for any clues they might be missing.

Locking eyes with him, she took in the smirk on his lips. “Good to know we’re on the same page when it comes to staying alive,” she remarked, though the unspoken tension lingered. She had no doubt that if it came down to it, he would use that blade against her in a heartbeat, should it suit his needs. Before she could voice her thoughts about their lack of an escape route, a deafening roar echoed through the air.

Her blood ran cold, and she glanced at him, noting the thrill in his eyes. “Just a reminder: if you die, I die too. I’d really prefer to stay alive.” The realization hit her like a cold wave—perhaps the point of this door was to face the guard dog directly. She raised her hands, testing her magic, but only saw sparks fizzling out. “Shit, shit!” she muttered, quickly ripping back the skirt of her clothing to reveal the blade strapped to her thigh. She glanced at him, a mixture of defiance and determination in her gaze. “What? I know not to rely solely on magic, especially when I’ve been held against my will for so long,” she quipped, a gentle smirk gracing her lips. “And since your centaur guard slid this on me before we met with the elders, I assume it was your idea? Just in case? Or have I made your guard sweet on me?” The memory of the quick hands strapping the dagger to her thigh lingered, but she said nothing, knowing it might be her best protection against whatever lay ahead.

With the thundering footsteps growing closer, Clarice pressed her back against Kyan’s, the echoing sound disorienting. As the shadow of an enormous beast crept into view, her heart raced. This was no ordinary creature; it was a grotesque amalgamation of various animals. “What in the hell…” she murmured under her breath, utterly captivated and horrified by the sight before them.