Superhero Adventures, UK Style

(Part 1 of the Faerie Realm Odyssey)

Despite the imminent threat rushing towards them, they still found themselves looking up at the massive trees towering over them. They immediately realised that the sunlight that shone through the colossal branches of the ancient oaks that surrounded them seemed ‘strange’, as though coming from two separate light sources. Beside them stood the serpentine form that ‘Akira’ had apparently morphed into only a short time before. Instinctively The Balance realised now that this was not and had never been their Akira but, trapped on an alien planet, all hostility was momentarily forgotten in the sudden need for joint survival; it was an ‘enemy of my enemy’ sort of thing. Og muttered something about “what is done is done” as they tried to figure out how best to survive the next couple of minutes.

Charging at them, crashing through the trees (and they did mean through – the creature appeared to be phasing insubstantial when it wanted to be) was the Kraken-like creature that the Akira Doppelgänger, Og? had been controlling in the vault and had accidentally banished here. They expected him to seize control of it again, yet it was obvious from his expression that was not currently an option.

The neutralisation spell inside the vault threshold had thankfully removed the venom coursing through Mace’s body but it had left her physically exhausted. The others mystical energy had been revitalised by merely being ‘here’ wherever that was, though Mary was reasonably sure she knew where they had materialised. They stepped back from the trees and into a nearby glade.

Surrounding their clearing were hundreds of colossal oak trees, reaching high into the sky. It was what was in that sky that confused them; there was a second Sun, small and in close geosynchronous orbit. It couldn’t be that big, possibly a couple of miles across at most, but it shone brightly and warm keeping this part of this world in a permanent state of Summer. The system’s actual Sun seemed smaller, less powerful and dimmer than the Sun they were familiar with, showing more of an orange colour. It was likely that away from the influence of the small orbiting Sun the world would be in a constant state of twilight even during the daylight hours and would be a lot colder than on their planet.

The second Sun immediately reminded Sam of the much smaller mystical globe that Akira had conjured at Claremont Academy, as a weapon against that student but this one had to be a lot bigger and far more powerful.

Turning their focus back to the creature swimming its way through the forest towards them, they had two choices, they could either stand their ground and face it or run away and they weren’t used to running away from trouble. Even Og admitted he never ran away though he admitted he couldn’t control it as it wasn’t listening to him anymore. Secretly Og felt it likely that the creature was targeting them primarily out of a desire to revenge its previous captivity at his hands.

Sam asked, “Could you do a reverse spell?” Og seemed confused, “What benefit would it do to turn you inside out?” Sam took a step back, “Preferably not.” Og continued, “I think we need to work together to fight it.”  Sam continued, “Even if we survive I doubt I’m going to get any sleep for the next couple of weeks because of having nightmares about it.”

As they stood in the clearing trying to figure out their next move, Mary suddenly had two very distinct thoughts; the first was an insight into a certain contradictory statement that Mr Hassan at the Library had said about Yig that she hoped just might equally apply to its daughter.

The second was about the nature of this place – whether it was due to the tales she’d heard as a child about the faerie realms or inspiration from the Sidhe bonded inside her she wasn’t sure – she remembered that another name for the faerie realm was the Dreaming and what happens in a dream when you wanted something? It was given form! She reached down into the plants and tree debris at her feet, and began to will something into existence. Seconds later, several large bongo-type drums began to appear at their feet formed out of the hubris of the forest.

They were crude and rough, but serviceable. “Where’d they come from?” Sam wondered and touched them. They were solid if rudimentary in design. Mary had somehow reformed the debris at their feet into these objects. “Not sure that a drumming workshop is the best use of our time just now,” shouted Sam. “Just try it” was the cryptic reply.

Mary told the others to make as much noise as they could, but whatever they did, they mustn’t synchronise with each other. It was her theory that what Mr Hassan had said about drums both attracting and repelling Yig might not actually be contradictory after all. A rhythmic beat might attract a snake’s attention, while a cacophony of noise, such as they were currently making, might repel it away. She just hoped the Umbral Kraken surging towards them phasing in and out, might equally be affected.

Their drumming continued, likely attracting the attention of anything else in the forest as their vibrations filled the air. Then they saw the effect on the hybrid shark-octopus as it hit the wall of sound and began to squirm away, staggered by the noise, which seemed to affect its equilibrium. They kept up the noise for a couple of more minutes before deciding to move – in the opposite direction – taking the drums with them.

As they began to march together along the forest floor, now empty of all sound as all of the forest creatures must have also been driven away by their racket, Mary stopped focusing on the drums, which immediately dissipated back into the ether. At least she now knew she could call them forth when wanted.

As they hurried through the forest Sam apologised several times for the other Balance members being here with him, wherever ‘here’ was, acutely aware that he’d acted instinctively to try and rescue what he had thought was still Akira and asked if any of them had any ideas how they could get back. Unfortunately none of them apparently did. if Og knew, he wasn’t admitting it.

Mary admitted she suspected that they had crossed over to “Fay country”, described how she’d formed the drums, and explained that anyone can form anything out of the malleable dream stuff this entire plane of existence was composed of, merely by applying enough will to create and then maintain it. Sam immediately tried to create a door and was rewarded with a small, rectangular object that resembled a door though obviously intended for a very small person. It didn’t open because he’d forgotten to include any hinges or a handle in his mental design…

Then they heard their first noise in the forest since their drumming, a buzzing sound coming from behind them. It was a flying bug-like creature with butterfly wings and long feathery antennae, approximately 4 inches in height obviously fleeing in panic from something. The sound of snarling hounds followed it, along with hunting horns and crashing in the brush some distance away.

As the alien creature got closer, its appearance appeared to transform, revealing a small, cute human-like figure still with butterfly wings and antennae and long misshapen legs ending in small curly feet.

The obviously frightened pixie flew by overtaking the group, its earlier, unearthly appearance now completely replaced as it got closer, appearing to have an even more human-like appearance than they’d originally thought.

Og focused his will and the original unearthly version momentarily reappeared only to be replaced again a second later by the cute little fairy-like appearance. Seems a glamour was being used on them or, was it that their very presence caused the glamour?

Sam asked hesitantly, “Do you speak English?” Then they ‘heard’ it, in their heads – apparently communicating by telepathy. **The Winter intrudes, the Winter intrudes and hunts us it does** as it immediately dodged behind Sam’s back.  Sam asked, “Do you know the way to the Summerlands?” **In Summer, but Winter intrudes** it replied as it cowered behind him.

A few seconds later, they again heard the baying of hounds, which got louder and louder as they apparently get closer. The little creature immediately fled but the little creature was no longer flying emptyhanded. It was carrying a familiar rectangular object that seconds before had been safely stored in Sam’s pouch; his Tablet was being stolen by a creature much smaller than it was.

Sam tried to grab at his stolen property but the little thief was nippy and fast, especially at squeezing through gaps that a large, winged Dragonkin couldn’t follow.  Sam shouted out “You can borrow that if you stay with us and act as a guide…” Sam tried to attract it back by creating a beautiful rose from the soil. Unfortunately, his effort almost immediately disintegrated into sparkly dust, which he offered anyway.

It ignored his pleas and ‘offering’ so he made another flying lunge to get his Tablet back as it spun away and headed deep into the forest. Thankfully, the Tablet still had a familiar scent about it, one completely alien to this unspoilt environment that Sam was sure he’d be able to follow.

At least it was heading in the same direction as they had selected. In the sky, the distant cooler Sun had begun to drop below the horizon as the smaller ‘Sun’, still in geosynchronous orbit, began to dim as though someone was turning down its thermostat.

The sound of snarling beasts continued to follow them as they continued to march through the forest.

Up ahead they saw two human-like creatures in a nearby glade apparently made of wood, Dryads they assumed, being attacked by parasitic creatures seemingly formed of animated brambles and mistletoe. At first, they assumed there were only two of each species but it soon became apparent that the Thorn Warriors were formed of more than one of the creatures intertwined, each trying to burrow their mistletoe stems deep into the Dryad’s bodies. Each time they succeeded, they were rewarded with a spurt of green sap and intense screams from their Dryad victims. They all appeared to be ignoring the intruders.

They agreed they had to help, with Sam asking which group they should aid. Both Og and Mary agreed that they had to stop the ‘thornies’ with Mary explaining that “anything that made other creatures scream in pain had to be bad.” Og merely suggested that “it would be easier to kill them all.” A suggestion the Balance members immediately rejected.

The decision made, they tried to rescue the wooden creatures, with Mace unleashing a barrage of baton rounds at the Thorn Warriors; knocking two of them away from their victims to reveal another two still attached to their victims and there were other thorn creatures moving out of the bushes.

Og picked up a fallen branch and focused. A second later, it had transformed into a Halberd, which came crashing down and severed one of the attackers leaving a stem dripping green sap still attached to the Dryads’ leg. The blow also resulted in a high-pitched scream from the injured thornie.

Banshee immediately ran forward, laid her hands on the bleeding stem sticking in the Dryad and turned herself and it insubstantial. Unfortunately, the stem was so deeply entrenched in the Dryads’ leg that it turned her insubstantial too and failed to remove the parasitic growth.

Sam unleashed a fear roar, which caused the remaining unattached thorn creatures to flee as Mace unleashed a tranq’ bolt at the other attached attacker causing it to become unconscious and drop to the ground, instinctively withdrawing its stalk from the Dryad as it did so and allowed Og to cleave it into kindling with his battle-axe-like pole weapon.

Sam’s roar had succeeded in driving away the surviving, conscious thorn creatures but left one Dryad with a dripping wound. Banshee turned resubstantial and physically pulled the dripping plant free from its leg. It immediately reached down, picked up some soil from the ground and slapped it on the wound whereupon the patch immediately turned to wood, plugging and healing the wound.

The two Dryads turned towards their rescuers and telepathically said, **Gratitude, gratitude, how may we repay the life debt bestowed? Rare for humans to cross physically once more into the Summerlands. Rare and valuable having a physical body.** the thoughts were echoed several times from somewhere nearby.

Seeing their confusion, it continued, **Not safe to stay in the forest when the darkness falls, the Wylde Hunt rides and no sentient is safe. Shelter offer in the home tree, come, come…**

Og dropped the Halberd which immediately turned back into a branch as they wondered whether to follow the Dryads.

Behind them in the twilight light, they could see the outline of a human-like figure with stag horns on its head surrounded by baying wolf-like creatures standing about a thousand yards away on the top of the hill. “Cernunnos of the Wylde Hunt” assumed Sam. The hounds started running towards them as the Dryads headed towards a nearby tree bowed over to form an opening between the trunk and the bent over branches. The Dryads immediately rushed through the gap and vanished from view.

The four of them followed the two Dryads through the gap and found themselves emerge inside a curved wooden, escher-like hall that seemed to go on for eternity filled with dozens of chambers and apparently hundreds of Dryads all eating and walking about; on the floor, walls and even on the ceiling. Tables filled with thousands of platters of exotic fruit and vegetables were on offer.

Of the hundreds of Dryads they could see, they all seemed to be duplicates of about ten different individuals. It took a while to realise that the hall must be outside of time as well as space and what they were seeing were time duplicates, the past, present and future images of the same small number of Dryads, all clearly female.

There was one other Dryad, one unduplicated anywhere else in the chamber, a gnarled, Elder who approached and telepathically said, **Benevolence offered to our ‘cousins’, it is rare to see mortals in the physical, walking the forest path. Feel free to eat and drink here without obligation or payment.**

It directed them towards one of the tables, ‘told’ them to eat their fill and ‘stated’ that they were welcome to stay as long as they wanted. Og elected to not eat, given he was only able to stomach a carnivorous diet anyway and Mary also chose to go without, still hesitant to take anything from the Fay even if it was ‘without obligation’.

Sam and Mace did partake but after only a bite or two of the wonderful tasty food, which immediately satisfied their hunger, they stopped eating despite (or perhaps because of) their desire to continue consuming the food. They elected to move to a quieter area of the chamber to rest. They considered sleeping but in this time-jinxed chamber, they worried that if they fell asleep would they ever know how long they had slept for? Tales of sleeping for centuries went through their minds especially in the home of creatures with no concept of time.

Speaking to the Elder again, Sam inquired, “Thank you kind Elder for your hospitality. We wondered if you knew how we might return to the physical, mundane world we came from?”

She replied, **When the Sun rises tomorrow, you should make your way to Skyfall and there seek out one of the High Sidhe. They are the only Fae that might have knowledge of pathways between the worlds and how to cross back into the mortal realm. It is very rare now for mortals to physically visit their demesne by crossing into the Summerlands.**

Sam said, “It’s very dangerous here as well.” The elder dismissed this saying that this was the only land she had ever known and was unchanging. **This is our home tree, our roots are here. We were raised from a seedling here and know of no other existence. **

Sam enquired further, “Is there anywhere within the home tree where we might be able to watch the Sun rise?” The elder responded, **You can look through the light holes which let illumination into the home tree but given that the Sun shines from whatever cycle it opens on rather than the now I cannot see what benefit it would be to mortals. Time does not travel in a linear way here.**

Sam, taken back by the knowledge, wondered if he could manipulate time here in the same way they could form objects out of the dream stuff. He tried but nothing obvious happened. As there was no way to measure what if anything he’d achieved if anything, he gave up.

They stayed huddled together; waiting for what they hoped would be the following morning. It was clear that the Dryads were concerned about something and wandered around, staring at them and ‘whispering’ throughout the night.

They elected to leave the tree at a time when they assumed the natural Sun should be starting to rise only to be stopped by the Elder who explained that their stay had been without price or obligation but it was extremely rare for mortals to enter this realm physically in recent centuries. Most mortals now only visited in their dreams or through undergoing an out of body experience and as a result, her race was dying. She begged them to give her some of their blood. She explained that **Life fluid required or we will die, fertiliser give to save our species… We beg of you in kindness give. A little only need we, for the next generation.**

Og immediately refused and Sam admitted he would be willing but as it was so hard to cut through his scales he thought best not to risk it. In the end, guarded by Sam, both Mace and Mary donated a gourd of their blood each. As each drop dripped into the dish, the Dryads got more and more excited.

When they had finished, and before Mary was able to heal their wounds, the Dryads swarmed over and grabbed the gourds, dripping their blood into nearby troughs filled with soil.  Within seconds, plants began to grow from the soaked soil until each had a coconut-sized seed and colourful blooms on display. This was their next generation now fertilised with their blood.

The Dryads wished them safe journey and directed them to continue travelling towards the rising Sun where they should come across a means of transport that may be able to transport them to the nearest Fae settlement, a place known only as Skyfall. They should find some means of travelling from there to the Court of the High Queen. Og asked how they would recognise the ‘transport’, to which the Elder replied, **It has wings.**

As they stepped out of the entrance to the Dryads home tree, they could see the primary Sun dawn and the second orbiting ‘Sun’ get brighter once more after what they had hoped had been a single night spent within the home tree.

In front of them, and to their surprise, materialising out of the dust Akira appeared in the breaking light. He had no idea how he had arrived there but he was convinced that this was all just a dream as the last thing he remembered was falling asleep in the vault of St. Catherine’s Library. They did notice that he occasionally got hazy in the light as though he wasn’t completely there. It was clear that his mind was present and using the dreaming to form a presence for himself. He claimed, “you guys have been missing a long time.” Sam asked, “How long? Days, weeks, months?” Akira seemed confused. “I think weeks – look this is just a dream, it has to be. You all vanished, disappeared, believed dead.”

Og smiled, “What you see is just an astral body” and waved his hand through Akira’s chest which momentarily wavered then returned to normal. “You obviously missed your ‘teammates’ so much that you followed them here. I’m surprised you survived though.” Akira spluttered, “I’m surprised I survived after what you did to me. You’re lucky I’m not there physically but apparently I am there in some form; so this is real then?” Og responded, “No this is just a dream. Go back to sleep and forget this place.”

Akira ignored him and continued, “Look you guys have got to find your way back; you’ve got to get out of here.” Mary muttered, “We’re trying.” Akira continued, “If there is anything I can do to help when I awake?” Sam just requested that he “stay with us for as long as you safely can.” He agreed to try but admitted he might be pulled back at any time.

They set off with Akira continually arguing with Og as they travelled through the colourful and now noisy forest. Sometime later, they came across an old-fashioned letter, written on white parchment. It was addressed to the ‘humans’ and sealed with wax, lying on the path in front of them. Sam picked it up, looked at the seal which showed a stylised pattern with nine curves emulating out from a stylised fox’s head. He opened it and to his utter purpose discovered inside that it was addressed to Akira, Sam, Mary and Mace. There was no mention of Og. It was an invitation by someone or something calling itself the Ermine to a gathering three hours hence in a clearing up ahead. Directions were provided and they were told if they get lost to ask any fox or weasel they passed for aid. It had beautiful calligraphy. How often did they get invited to a fairy party after all. It didn’t take them far out of their way so they elected to go.

By midday, they had found themselves entering a grove filled with bonfires and talking animals as well as other animalistic Fae, all apparently discussing the possibility that the season might be changing.

Weasels and foxes in particular were gathering around them; many appeared to stand upright on their rear legs. They parted to reveal a tall, white furred fox-like creature with several tails standing at the centre of the Gathering. This exotic creature was apparently the Ermine. “If I know my mythological cultures, that is a Kitsune; a fox with nine tails and that’s bad news. They’re tricksters,” whispered Sam, recognising the mythical creature standing before them.

She gestured and Og found himself instantly banished to the edge of the gathering, unable to re-enter the hollow. Whatever the Ermine had to say, it was not for his ears.

She then walked forward on her rear legs. Like the other Fae, she communicated telepathically. She thanked the party for attending and explained they needed to find a way to visit the Seelie Court and plead their case personally before the Seelie King and Queen if they wanted to physically return to the mortal realm. To do that they would first need to visit Skyfall. She believed that they were in the Faerie realm for a purpose, that there was a reason why all four of them were here and was willing to provide them with a guide to direct them to the city and mentioned that there was a contest, a ‘Duello Arcane’, which could help them achieve their purpose. She went on to explain that if they should ever need further aid, to write a message on a piece of parchment she would give them (free of any obligation or debt) and give it to a fox or weasel they might see. They would seek her out and deliver the note.

Their guide would be a white furred, majestic weasel called Mèirleach Urramach (this translated as “The Honourable Thief” she explained) who will guide them to a skyship The Aerie, heading today for the Goblin Market in Skyfall.Sam, asked “were you expecting any payment for your assistance and hospitality?” The Ermine replied, **Repayment will be by solving the problem that awaits you at Skyfall.** Sam replied, “We will try our best.” As they were leaving the gathering he checked to see if he could track his Tablet only to find it was still heading in the same direction as them but travelling a lot faster than they. Could the pixie also be heading towards Skyfall? To the Goblin Market the Kitsune had mentioned? Mèirleach took them to the top of a nearby hill where a floating wooden schooner was moored. Og reattached himself to the party, trying to be as invisible as he could. The Aerie had a single tent-like ‘cabin’ at the rear of the craft, no sails but did have two bat-like wings attached to the side of the craft like oars that could be flapped to power the craft through the air. The captain was a human female apparently present only in her dreams. This was Captain Faire. She was middle-aged, short dark hair with baggy balloon trousers. She was smoking from a large bong-pipe and had what appeared to be a ghostly parrot on her shoulder. Her crew were two faceless males obviously constructed from the dreaming. The five of them walked across the gangplank and were introduced by Mèirleach. Apparently passage had already been agreed as she owed ‘the Honorable Thief’ a few favours. The ship unlashed its wings and immediately began to sail through the sky heading towards the city of Skyfall and the nearest Goblin Market.

They sailed through the sky towards what appeared to be a series of gigantic bubbles on the horizon. Mace remained worried throughout the journey at how much the Captain was imbibing of what had to hallucinogenic drugs from her pipe. Sam noted that perhaps that might even be beneficial under these current circumstances in maintaining her and her ship’s presence in the Dreaming.

After several hours of flying, they found themselves approaching a series of floating islands tethered to a nearby mountain range on the ground. This closest island, the one attached by a rope bridge was itself bound by the roots of a gigantic ectoplasmic plant to the several other connected sky islands each with several monstrous branches larger than the biggest trees on Earth growing through them, fed by the roots. Each island was a separate community or served a separate function with each surrounded by its own atmospheric bubble filled with clouds. The lowest island held the market and was home to the unaffiliated Fae while the highest was the court of a noble of the Seelie Court. This was Skyfall.

Captain Faire, allowed them to disembark at the lowest island and they wandered through a packed Casbah-like market much bigger than it should be as though it were like the home tree. The island was packed with thousands of stalls each advertising the unusual and unique. The majority of stalls were run by small green-skinned goblins. What was of most interest was that not every creature bothered with a glamour in the presence of mortals or dreamers – and they discovered that dwarves were naturally mole-like creatures with long, sensitive snouts that became a long beard below a flat nose when they became glamoured. Enchanted signs, which translated themselves before their eyes, reminded everyone that they had to conform to and obey fully the ‘market rules’ but failed to say what these rules were. Presumably, if you had to ask what they were, you shouldn’t be there anyway. There were stalls filled with the unusual, the exotic and the seemingly mundane though they were reminded by Mèirleach to take nothing here on face value.

Food and gigantic seeds lay beside bottles containing minuscule glowing faeries and even captive pixies. Larger creatures slumbered in chains beside the stalls, watched by hulking trolls. An enormous spider-like creature weaved clothes whilst next door a stall sold containers of magical liquids. It was then, on a stall selling books written in long-dead languages and discarded and broken ephemera that Sam smelled a familiar scent, his Tablet displayed for sale. A sly Goblin elder sat beside the stall shouting for all to come forward and view her ‘treasures’…

Sam approached, “Good afternoon kind sir” he failed to notice the snort from the elderly goblin female in front of him or heard the guffaw from Mace at his failing to recognise the stall keepers sex.

**It can be anytime you want provided you buy; we don’t keep track of time in Skyfall. Is there anything I can interest you in?** He pointed at his Tablet, “I would like to purchase that or retrieve it if I can as it was once my property before a Pixie stole it.” **You can purchase it certainly but you cannot retrieve what you failed to keep as yours unless you steal it. Mine now, purchase must. This represents part of my life now and life debt has a price and requires payment. What you willing to offer for it?**

Sam hesitated, “Perhaps I can offer a clone of a human person” looking at Og who immediately vanished into the crowd. “Then again maybe I can’t. What do you want for this? After all I have other tablets once I get home.” Again, the elderly goblin explained that it was up to him to make a suitable offer, as only he knew its value to him. **What you see is what you get.**

Sam offered a dragon scale and pointed to one of his own. The goblin snarled, **You have a dragon?** it ‘asked’ excitedly. When she realised Sam meant one of his own scales it snarled, **Not dragon, merely kin… That’s false pretences and here would cost you much.**

Akira butted in to offer a dagger only for the goblin to reach down and create one out of the soil. **Hope you are offering more than a weapon formed of the dreaming? Now if you had dagger of mortal iron, poison to all Fae, then sale might be possible..?**

Akira offered to transform some of Sam’s cable tie bindings into gold but was reminded that they would change back as soon as he stopped touching them. He also suggested that he could use his theurgical-kinesis to ‘retrieve’ the Tablet covertly, but was warned by his teammates that could be construed as breaking the market rules and punished accordingly.

Sam suggested coming back later and the stallholder explained he was there often though not always and the stall might be staffed by its nephew, uncle, niece or aunt but not to buy from her, as she would want more that he would want to pay. **She would want at least a heart for it, preferably a mortal one.** looking at the fact that the market was so much larger than should be physically possible on such a small sky island, space and time like at the home tree seemed to be folded in on himself. Would he ever be able to find this particular stall again?

Mèirleach pointed out a nearby island where some sort of competition was apparently being held he then warned them that a Daughter of Summer held sway over this region and as far as he was aware most humans were here in dream or astrally, which makes them extremely rare since they were here in physical form.

Many of the stall holders had began to realise that they really were present in reality and had started to try to touch and poke them (with the exception of Akira who they ignored once they realised he wasn’t materially ‘there’) muttering about how rare it was for mortals to wander into the Faerie realm anymore.

Then they heard something they didn’t expect; one of the stallholders said that they were the second lot of ‘fleshies’ to arrive at the market in recent cycles.

Eventually, after several more minutes of bickering and bargaining with the stallholder, which included offering to sell it for a price of five minutes of Sam’s life from a point of her choosing in exchange for the device, Mace agreed to offer one of her original bladed arrowheads, which it excitedly agreed to, insisting on wrapping it immediately in a velvet-like material without touching it. He examined it carefully before putting it away safely and handing her the Tablet.

Mace then handed it to Sam while Mèirleach warned them to keep a close eye on it once they left the Market, as the pixie was likely still around.

Sam immediately switched it on and quickly typed out a message on it addressed to the Support team with details of what happened so that if they ever succeeded in getting back to Earth the message would send immediately. The others reminded him that whilst they were here there would be no signal but he elected to queue the message up in readiness and switched it off to preserve the batteries.

They looked at the various stalls filled with objects bewitched with minor spells and incantations as Mèirleach guided them towards the stairs carved out of the gigantic roots that led to the other tethered sky islands. While they pushed their way through the crowds Akira asked if they should be shopping for a real fairy to put on the top of their tree and Sam wondered what had happened to the other ‘fleshies’. Mèirleach pointed out that at least one of them was apparently here now, attending the contest and to ignore the stares as they were only the second lot of physically present mortals to walk Skyfall in the last century.

“What type of contest is it?” asked Akira. **It’s a Duello Arcane, a mystical battle between sorcerers for the title of Summer Knight to the Seelie Court of Queen Titania.

The previous knight, a mortal called Thomas Rhymer has vanished whilst physically visiting the Dreaming and is believed killed. The rumour is that he was killed by the Unseelie Court. The Fae of the Seelie Court are looking to recruit a new Summer Knight and is considering going to war against Queen Maub over the ‘insult’. The Summer Knight is expected to led the attack and revenge the affront. The duel is to decide which mortal should be the new Summer Knight.**

They remembered the Ermine’s words that a ‘Duello Arcane’ would help them and asked to visit the contest. Mèirleach was happy to oblige and led them up the stairwell between the islands to a massive arena set around a circular enclosure. Inside the enclosure a mystical battle was going on between about ten ‘mortals’, watched over by half the population of skyfall apparently.

An ethereal and glowing female, almost human in appearance, though too blue and inhuman looking to be a Tolkienistic Elf, sat on a throne in judgement. Mystical signs that translated themselves into whatever language the audience understood flew high above the competitors heads announcing the champions name and titles. As far as they could tell Fae were not allowed to participate, it had to be a mortal though most were apparently only there in astral form.

**The Summer Knight is granted the ability to physically cross at will between the mortal and Faerie realms, but the title comes with obligations. This is merely one of four elimination contests before the local champions head to the Seelie Court to battle before her Majesty for the honour to be her knight until their death.** explained Mèirleach.

**This contest may have been going on for cycles, held between Solar Noon and Dusk. As long as at least two contestants remain conscious or in the ring, the match continues. The aim is to deal with all of the other competitors in the ring before another contestant elects to enter. The contest ends when only one is left standing in the ring but be aware the chosen winner will not necessarily be the last person still standing though that was the most usual result of such duels. The Chosen of the Daughter of Summer is then advanced to  the next  fight in front of Sidhe Royalty.

Some elect to enter early and try to score an early win, others hold back so they could enter fresh when those already fighting were already weary from combat.**

Sam joked that they had the perfect entrant, Og. Akira asked if they really wanted him to have access to the power of the Summer Knight and he joked he wouldn’t mind if it kept him here… Mèirleach muttered, **That’s not what the honour imparts. It provides the holder with the power to cross the hedgelands between the realms.**

Akira wondered if achieving the title might be their way home. **Only someone (or something) mortal, not Fae, can participate.** Mèirleach explained before pushing forward to get a better view of the mystical combat.

The Balance members discussed whether Akira could participate in astral form – he pointed out that the majority of human contestants present were only present in astral form anyway. Then they discussed whether winning the contest would allow Akira to join them in physical form which it might do but perhaps more importantly it could provide the power for the rest of them to get back home.

They discussed tactics with Sam suggesting they tag team but that would likely incur the wrath of the Daughter of Summer so instead they decided it would be best if all entered and then allowed themselves to be safely eliminated until only one remained; hopefully quickly enough that no other competitor would have time to enter.

They looked at the existing competitors – they consisted of an Asian female in armour; her name was apparently Saiin Shikishi Nyōgo according to what was ‘written’ in the bubble hovering above her. She was dressed like an Onna-Bugeisha, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility last seen in the 19^th century.

She was currently in combat against a native of South America. His face painted to resemble a skull, this was apparently a shaman called Yolotli.

A man with short dark hair, dressed in military uniform possibly African with green glowing eyes and energy flowing from his hands apparently calling himself Isaac of the Glowing Hands faced a European, Tyburn Sylvestri in all his sartorial elegance. Another man, apparently a Tuareg nomad called Kalam ibn al-Hawari circled a familiar figure, the only non-human in the ring and a presence that Akira and Mary recognised instantly – a dream intruder that had attacked them previously, Jarth of the Unspoken.

There were two more present that they recognised. The first was a full-figured Afro-Caribbean woman they remembered from their adventure in Israel with her aged and wrinkled face with greying, cornrow-braided hair. Madame O’Tando was trying to protect a familiar looking child they’d also seen previously; when the Octoberkynde had attacked a prison convoy in Yorikshire. His legend floating above his head proclaimed him to be Tristan LaStrange. Seemingly scared, he also seemed powerful and kept unleashing sniping blasts of mystical energy at all of the others when they weren’t watching him. Akira and Mary couldn’t help feel as though there was another psychic presence overlaying the boy that somehow reminded them of a mystically-inscribed floating skull.

With the possible exception of Jarth who was ‘unreadable’, none of the others appeared to be physically present.

There was another physical mortal present in the audience though. Wearing iron or steel, all of the Fae were giving her a wide berth. It was another face they recognised, a female warrior in ornate armour and armed with twin swords on her back that they had met in the future, Madrigal of Terminus. She seems intent upon observing the challenge.

There was another familiar face in the audience that Mary recognised from both her reading of Jeeves past – this being the woman who had cursed him with demons – and from her photo when they had been trying to identify ‘R’ – Lady Jennifer Caedmon-Davis was present in astral form.

Mary remembered something else from her reading of Jeeves that the woman was apparently an Unseelie Emissary of the Winter Court representing Queen Maub’s interests. Was that why she was present at this contest?

That’s when they saw Og enter the ring as a new contestant. Seemed as long as there were more than a single competitor still conscious in the ring, new contestants could join.

Meanwhile Tyburn and the ‘worm’ as they thought of Jarth had teamed up to take out Kalam with mystical blasts knocking him unconscious. As soon as he hit the ground, he began to fade.

Seeing them in the crowd, Madame O’Tando headed towards them whilst keeping her shield up and explained that she was willing to ‘retire’ from the contest if they were willing to field a champion as she was worried about the motives of several of the current contestants.

She was only there because she felt there was a need for someone honourable to represent the Master Mage in this contest. She again reminded them of the rules that once in the circle they had to remain until either dusk or only a single combatant remained. Apparently, this had been going on for days without a clear winner.

Isaac of the Burning Hands was suddenly taken out by the boy, who seemed to ‘multiply’ himself into a dozen copies that then proceeded to swarm over him and drag him out of the ring before collapsing back into a single, shy figure looking lost. As Isaac landed outside the ring, he dissipated.

Sam flew in to the ring first and immediately went to attack the centipede-like Jarth. Og however used the opportunity to unleash the Chant of Chaos to try and drive the others present, including Sam, into insanity and at the same time manifested a ectoplasmic dwarf, the now familiar Gog.

The chant caused Sam to feel nauseous but still able to respond. He continued his rush towards Jarth, grabbed him and tried to toss him out of the ring. Unfortunately, it was physically present and stronger than expected as well as wiggly. Before he could respond further, it gestured and muttered a spell, which caused a familiar monstrosity to begin manifesting – Jarth had used a portal to bring the Umbral Kraken from the forest!

It seemed to be much smaller, compacted down somehow though still physically present and was obviously being controlled by the ‘worm’. The Kraken grabbed at Sam’s arm with its jaws but failed to pull him off the ground as Sam kept up a flurry of punches at its eyes.

Madam O’Tando who still hadn’t stepped out of the arena, was surprised by a sudden mystical blast which knocked her unconscious causing her astral presence to disappear. Meanwhile the Japanese warrior, Saiin was turning herself into a swarm of fist-sized cockroaches.

Banshee looked once more at the woman in black standing in the audience then stepped into the ring with Akira and Mace. As they did so they saw the cockroaches being swallowed horde-whole by two gigantic manifested hands forming from the ground which then dragged them down and ‘suffocated’ them, causing all traces to vanish.

Mace rushed towards and unleashed her grav-gauntlet on the dwarf Gog’s head smashing it down but failed to knock him to the ground though its face was badly bruised by the attack.

Akira attacked Og with a powerful mystic blast which immediately knocked him unconscious to the ground. This also dissipated the dwarf summon who instantly vanished back into dust.

Banshee immediately turned insubstantial and unleashed a wail of the Banshee at all the occupants hitting and effecting all of the participants except for Akira and Sam who were immune.

It succeeded in knocking the Kraken unconscious and breaking the transport spell, sending its body back to the forest, left the Shaman Yolotli unconscious, left Jarth and Mace both staggered and bounced off an invisible barrier that apparently surrounded the arena itself.

That left Tyburn, the worm and the young boy as contestants facing the rest of them. The boy Tristan appears to cower and ask for protection, only to unleash a shower of shadow blades that severed Tyburn’s legs. That type of spell should be way beyond such a young child’s abilities and again they got a psychic echo of a grinning skull, the same floating skull that had been a member of the Oktoberkynde. Had it somehow possessed the child and was now controlling his astral form?

Tyburn collapsed to the ground, his legs detached from his body but still conscious and still in the ring. Sam, no longer wrestling with the Kraken turned and rushed towards the crippled Tyburn, grabbed him and threw him out of the arena. Sam immediately grabbed the severed limbs and tossed them after his torso with a shout of “and take your legs with you.” He muttered, “there was no need for contestants to be untidy” as he readied himself for the next attack.

Thankfully, there weren’t that many more mortals present in the crowd to replenish the contestants other than the curse Lady and the Terminus warrior. If they could ‘thin the herd’ to one quickly then they stood a chance of ending this contest now.

Akira found a burning mystical web heading towards him from Jarth, he instantly formed a rebound casting to ‘return to sender’. The blazing web hit the spell and immediately followed its trajectory back at Jarth who was caught by surprise as it wrapped around it.

Mace managed to stagger to her feet and unleashed a series of baton bolts. The first bolt she sent against Jarth, which just missed its target. The second bolt she sent against the boy also missed but a third bolt hit him, knocking him unconscious. As his body vanished, they again ‘saw’ the afterimage of a skull snarling at them.

She continued to fire, this time against her partners (as agreed) – missing both Akira and Sam. Akira responded by trying to banish Jarth back to its own reality. Trapped in the web, which it was trying to dispel, Jarth was caught in a will-against-will duel as well and failed. Whether it was the web burning him or the strength of Akira’s banishment spell, it couldn’t resist. With a scream, it vanished from the arena.

Banshee realised that as a unique merge of both Sidhe and human, were she to win, the result was likely to be contested. Instead, she resubstantialised herself, grabbed the injured Mace, turned both of them insubstantial and flew towards the edge of the ring so it looked as though she intended to throw her out of the contest then made it look as though Mace had elected to take Banshee with her. In a tumble, both flew out of the ring and the contest.

That only left Sam and Akira. Sam was unsure what his physical attacks could potentially do to Akira’s astral form but still elected to unleash a powerful fiery blast at Akira.  He had to fight the impulse to wink at Akira while he did so; the Daughter of Summer and hundreds of others in the audience were carefully watching them after all.

Akira threw himself away from the blast, rolling across the ground. He’d actually expected a fear roar not a blast after all. He immediately responded by using his theurgical-kinesis to grab Sam and throw him out of the arena. Sam felt himself lifted and sent flying across the ground and out of the ring.

As the audience started to cheer and shout, the Sidhe Princess left her throne and entered the Arena. Close up she stood as tall as Sam, though very slim and willowy. Akira had to fight the urge to find out what this beauty really looked like without her faerie glamour.

In the audience, the armoured female stood up and smiled before leaving with all the surrounding Fae giving her a wide berth as she passed.

The Princess examined Akira for a minute that felt like several hours then spoke in a voice that despite being unenhanced was heard by all. **I am not sure this contest was as fair as I would have liked. Given the presence on the field of one who was at least in part Fae and several other contestants who entered with you almost as part of a team, I have had to consider my judgement carefully.

In the end, I felt it was a fair contest and I have decided to award you the prize regardless. I hereby announce you our chosen contestant and advance you to the Grand Duel despite the ‘unusual tactics’ that hinted at a conspiracy to win. It is my judgement as a Daughter of Summer that you have the values needed to enter the challenge for the sword and mantle of the Summer Knight. You will need to make passage to the Summer Court in a few cycles.**

She raised an ornate, brown crystal-bladed sword, which had materialised in her hand only a second before. As soon as it touched Akira’s outstretched hands it shrunk down to the size of a pendant on a golden chain. She picked up what was now a sword pendant and attached it round his neck.

**As a sign of your achievement, I award you the Topaz Blade, one of the seven keys of power as a sign that you have been found worthy to enter the Contest of Champions. Wear it with honour and prove worthy of its grace and majesty. If you succeed in becoming the Knight of Summer you will be awarded one of the other blades and expected to go forth and revenge the insult to the summer court of the murder most foul of the previous Summer Knight.**

To the cheers and applause of the crowd, Akira left the arena. There were a lot of comments that perhaps this hadn’t been a completely fair fight but they accepted that the next contest before the Court of the Sidhe Queen would have to be as he would be facing the other three chosen champions. Of course, as this was the first of the four contests, some of those who were defeated here might elect to make their way to the other three contests and participate in those duels.

Mèirleach approached him to congratulate him and ask him what powers it imparted to its wearer as he understood it gave **mastery to those worthy over the air, sky and direction.** The comment was almost lost however in all the cheering and congratulations. Mèirleach continued, ** Without access to a second blade from the seven keys of power which form the symbols of the Master Mage you cannot traverse the paths back to the mortal realm. You may even need to find a third blade.**

As they were leaving the arena sky island they saw three women approaching them out of the mist – each has an aspect of a spider about her; one had the legs and lower body of a spider, the next had sickle blade-like limbs and the last had the multiple eyes of an arachnid.

These were obviously creatures of some importance given the deference and respect everyone else showed them. They approached the team and stopped in front of them as the crowd scurried away. Mèirleach bowed low. **Mistress Clotho, Lady Atropos, honorable Lachesis. You do my patrons great honour. How may they serve your greatness?**

Akira whispered that this had to be the three Fates of legend; Clotho who spins the “thread” of human fate, Atropos who cuts the thread (thus determining the individual’s moment of death) and  Lachesis who dispenses it.

Lachesis gestured and Og disappeared and the rest of the crowd froze, unmoving.

Lachesis instantly and telepathically warned the team that they needed to rescue the mortal hero Forté and to do that they needed to get back to their own realm.

She then told them the following prophesy:

**Between the worlds a dangerous malignancy has spread,
to suffering, pain and external expansion they are wed.

On a planet built from stolen existence, surrounding a blazing star,
a people, cruel and battle-weary, gather to continue their fight afar.

Reivers all and warriors made, they seek their own eternal survival,
at the cost of universal destruction of any and all, they would consider rival.

Most undead, all uncaring, all are hostile to every other form of sentient life,
to the rest of creation they bring the curse of death, destruction and eternal strife.

To the Dreaming this malevolence comes, its hate arises,
it’s unstoppable hunger, our very existence it prizes.

Your task, to stop this entropic progress dead,
else this fate will, to your realm next head.**

As dusk fell once more, Akira began to fade and vanished only to resubstantualise beside them once more the next morning.

To be continued.