Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Big sister

They left behind those fairies who were fighting against the corruption. The path led them in front of an area even darker, more sinister, an area that was surrounding the only point the road was attached to.

It was a small spring, from which the water seemed to flow without an apparent source, and that water contained the power to purify what it touched. But this purification didn't last long, for corruption, the strongly concentrated miasma that enveloped everything there, soon reclaimed the lost ground. It was an unending and relentless fight.

A single fairy presided over that connection, a fairy whose back was turned to them, and whose aura was more intense than any of the other fairies they had encountered.

"Big sister, I've brought her."

"Thank you Sílíníkxbgra," she replied, with a voice that seemed much younger than her body appeared.

Neither elf nor lynx could imagine the true age of a fairy with the appearance of an old woman and the voice of a little girl, but her presence was undoubtedly imposing. They didn't know exactly why, for they weren't yet able to feel either the speed with which the mana was circulating through her, or how it was enveloping and protecting her.

The princess of the cherries turned and walked away. She took the opportunity to continue nibbling the fruit she was holding in her small hands. It could seem that she was oblivious to the horror that was around her, to those desolate landscapes, though it was far from the truth. Simply, nothing would be fixed by not eating and not being able to enjoy her favorite food. So, there was no reason to not doing it, at least not for a fairy.

"We can contain corruption and prevent it from moving forward, at least for the moment, but even we can not predict the future. When this evil advances, it pollutes life, it corrupts life, and gains strength by doing so, it grows by corrupting. When we move forward, it takes a long time for life to arise again, to regain our strength. Therefore, we must do everything possible to contain it."

Goldmi stared at the fairy's back. She was wondering whether to stay there or move forward, whether to sit or stand. Quite unlike her sister, who had lain close to the old fairy, and was staring into the eyes that were reflecting the spring water.

"However, although it can advance quickly, it's doomed to failure. Even if it achieved its purpose of eliminating life, that evil would die of it own success. If it didn't have anything else to corrupt, if it wasn't able to continue advancing, it would be only able to disappear little by little from that moment on. Unlike life, which doesn't need evil to survive.

"Be that as it may, this is a future that we can't allow. We must defend life with all our strength, we can't allow it to disappear. For this, we must understand that the risk is real. We must eliminate the threat before it's too powerful, before it's too late."

The elf shivered. The corruption was grim and terrible to her, but she had no idea of the magnitude of its threat. The words of the elder sister of the fairies, whom some called queen, were making her glimpse how far it could reach, though everything still seemed too confusing, too incredible.

"You're special. You've come from another world, and you bring part of its strength. Furthermore, you're one of our few non-fairy sisters, and you have the power to oppose our enemies, as only fairies can. Although with different tools than ours, with different aptitudes than ours."

For the first time, she had turned to look at the elf. And now she was turning the other way, to look at the lynx.

"You're from this world. You're your sister's anchor, as well as you share her strength and destiny."

She looked forward again, at the source of life that she was guarding.

"If this source of life disappears, the damage will be even more profound. It'll take thousands of years for life to return to that place, if even we can expel evil. With it, life hasn't completely gone, it just needs to be left to sprout again."

The way she was speaking reminded Goldmi the Oracle, but somewhat clearer, somewhat less mysterious, though not much less. Although she couldn't quite discern the full meaning of those words, she had the feeling that she wasn't that far, that she would eventually reach it. What she did understand was that the threat couldn't be ignored.

"You can't reach to where we can, just as we can't reach to where you can," the fairy continued.

She stopped for a moment to breathe, if fairies breathe.

"Will you help us?"

The elf looked with her blue eyes into her sister's yellow eyes. The lynx looked with her yellow eyes at her sister's blue ones. Neither of them could give an answer to that question without counting on the other.

However, both their gaze and their bond only confirmed what they both already knew, since words between them weren't needed.

"We'll help all we can," the archer replied.

"We trusted that it was thus. You've already done it by saving the unicorns. By freeing trapped souls. By eradicating the enemies, the carriers of corruption. On behalf of the life of all lands, we thank you."

"Uh... We just..." the elf felt overwhelmed, while the feline was puffing out her chest.

"For now, you need to follow your own path. You aren't yet strong enough, and pieces are still missing in order to solve the puzzle of destiny. May our blessing go with you, the one that can only be given to a sister, the one you already had and now has been completed. See you soon. May the cycle of life be conducive to you."

Suddenly, both sisters felt pushed by a force that, however, didn't move them. Rather, it was the road that was moving, and everything around it. They felt dizzy as they watched the images of the lands they had seen on their arrival, faster and faster, until everything came to a sudden stop.

They were in a place that was familiar to them, the same place from which they had left to reach the fairies' home. A swamp filled with small and irritating insects. And others just as irritating, but larger.