“And how do you feel aboutit?” inquired Tanya.
“Damn you!” Jenneva shouted.“You want to know how I feel about it? I feel like I want to cast aTree Mine into the throat of the next person who mentions it andperhaps I will.”
Jenneva galloped off to join Alex atthe front of the procession. No sooner had Jenneva left than Arikpulled up alongside Tanya. “I don’t know any magic, Tanya,” Arikpointed out, “but the next time you press them on this, you hadbetter be prepared for a practice session which you will neverforget.”
Tanya watched, stunned, as Arik droppedback alongside Fredrik. Fredrik’s face told Tanya that he had heardthe conversation, as well, and his feelings were the same asArik’s. For the rest of the journey back to the fairy village,Tanya was fairly well isolated by the others. She was not excludedfrom conversations, but her actions had created a certain distancebetween herself and the other Rangers.
As the Rangers prepared to make campthe day before reaching the fairy village, Midge flew up to Alex’sshoulder.
“The village is not far fromhere,” Midge stated. “I think we should continue ontonight.”
“Returning the Crown of Lightis important to your people,” Alex protested. “We should arrive inthe daytime so everyone can see it.”
“It is important enough thateveryone will forgo sleep to see it,” Midge pushed. “We shouldarrive there in a few hours and you must entrust the Crown of Lightto Arik. He must be the one to present it to Queen Mita. He is theBringer. It is to the Bringer that the Sapphire of the Fairies willbe presented.”
Alex looked to Jenneva for her commentsand she nodded. “Very well,” Alex agreed. “We shall ride ontonight. Take the Crown of Light to Arik and ask him to guard itwell.”
Midge delivered the Crown of Light andexplained to Arik what he must do with it. Several hours later, theRangers rode into the fairy village. Midge must have flown on aheadbecause the entire village was awake and fairy lights lined theapproach from the edge of the orchard to the Father Tree. Arikdismounted in front of the Father Tree and approached the platformwhere Queen Mita and Prince Midge waited. Queen Mita’s blue bodywas adorned with a blue robe with a silver lining. Arik bowed andheld out his hand with the Crown of Light resting on his palm.Prince Midge gently lifted the Crown of Light and the entire fairyvillage erupted into a solemn song, the words of which were unknownto the Rangers.
Prince Midge gently approached QueenMita and placed the Crown of Light gently on her head. The songended and every fairy in the village dropped to their knees andbowed to the Queen. The Queen stepped to the edge of the platformand recited the Fairy Prophecy:
Your blood will flow til none isleft
While darkness around you descends
On Holy Sapphire all you have
Fate of the Fairies do depend.
The Crown of Light the Fairies’Life
Without it all are doomed to die
The Holy Sapphire just a patch
Redemption only just a lie.
The Bringer knows not what he does
But fate has chosen only he
Who bears the mark upon his chest
The Winged Serpent death doth flee.
From darkest night the Bringercomes
Restores the precious Crown ofLight
The Holy Sapphire shall he own
Fairy fealty his due and right.
The Queen raised her hand and thefairies rose from their kneeling position. Prince Midge entered theQueen’s chambers and came out holding the large Sapphire of theFairies. The Sapphire was very large for a fairy to carry, butMidge showed no sign of distress in carrying it. He brought it toQueen Mita and she accepted it from her son.
Holding the large Sapphire in her tinyhands, she stood while Arik approached the platform. Arik stretchedout his hand and the Queen placed the Sapphire of the Fairies inhis palm.
“Arik Clava,” the Queendeclared regally, “you are the Bringer of the Crown of Light. Intoyour hands, we trust the Sapphire of the Fairies. Into your hands,we trust the Queen of the Fairies. Into your hands, we trust thevery existence of the Fairy People. From this day forward, theFairy People exist for your service. I, Queen Mita, and mysuccessors, exist for your service.”
The Queen dropped to her knees andbowed to Arik, the Bringer, and the whole fairy village fell to itsknees and repeated the pledge. Prince Midge had not told this lastpart to Arik because it was forbidden to speak of the FairyProphecy to outsiders without leave of the Queen. Arik blusheddeeply, but refused to let it spoil the fairy ritual.
“Queen Mita,” he statedsolemnly, “I accept your pledge of fealty. Rise.” Turning to facethe villagers he continued, “Fairy People, I accept your pledge offealty. Rise.”
Feeling foolish, Arik pretended he wasone of the kings he often dreamed about and tried to actaccordingly. He stepped back from the platform and retrieved theSword of Heavens from its sheath. He held its point in the dirt andlaid the Sapphire of the Fairies in the spot that was made for it.The Sapphire snapped into place firmly and sparkled brilliantly.The Sword started to vibrate and Arik held it with both hands.Forcing against his considerable strength, the Sword swung upward.His attempts to hold it level with the ground were futile and theSword kept moving upward until Arik’s hands were stretched over hishead and the Sword was pointing straight up.
A brilliant streak of lightning eruptedfrom the tip of the Sword and arced high into the sky, piercing theDarkness created by the Dark One. In a blinding flash, thelightning exploded into the Darkness and created a hole. Like awave upon the ocean, the Darkness rolled outward in a circlerevealing a black sky encrusted with thousands of stars and stillit continued rolling until there was no sign of the Darkness atall. Hanging in the eastern sky was a large ball of pale light andArik heard someone mention the word “Moon.” Arik stood transfixedstaring at a night sky, which he never imagined he would live tosee.