16- Into the Den

Ping

Travelling to Thailand with an airplane excites me, but travelling to the Faerie Queen's den by riding on a giant eagle doesn't. It raises the rate of my heartbeat faster than the moment typical airplanes depart, let alone stating that we are already midway flying towards our destination.

The trees on land seems small and distant as I look down. They all look like the mega version of an oil painting, drawn by referring to pictures taken with a drone.

It looks both amazing and terrifying at the same time, leading me to suck in a cold breath before looking back to the front to focus on the fluffy white clouds.

"Relax, efret," says Jimin with a small giggle while he reaches for my right hand from behind. "It will be fun." In fact, his wiggling eyebrows fueled me with the urge to punch him in the face right now, if it isn't because we are flying on top of an eagle. "Jeoleul mideo juseyo (Trust me)."

A thin line forms between my pursed lips when I try my best to swallow back the bad words I'm going to snap at him next. Taking in another deep breath, I try to look around while thinking about beautiful past memories - the moment when my mother's hand touches mine during the departure. We were heading to Thailand as I've mentioned and I was tensed upon the rumble. The sensation was indeed warm, but it's nothing similar to the heat transmitted by the dream elf sitting behind me.

Since thinking about good past memories doesn't help at all, I avert my gaze towards the tiny pigeons flying next to the eagle. They seem to not fear of being hunted at all, but more likely to be following us along the way. "Those are the Queen's messengers," states Jimin as Wonho takes a slight turn to the right, breaking my stream of thoughts that flows towards misery.

"The Queen did sent us an invitation after breakfast, right?" It would be best if I ensure this trip is safe and that we are all invited to this royal yet dangerous place in some part of the jungle.

"Uh," answers Jimin firmly, gaining a sense of safety that stops me from worrying and shaking throughout the ride. "There is a public condemnation arranged by the Queen later. She requires the presence of all Faeries living in Fair Woods in order to let us witness her masterpiece. We are heading to the gate that leads us to the Queen right now."

I can't help but wonder - what masterpiece she wants us all to see?

Soon, the eagle is landing by the edge of a rocky cliff, sending the tree leaves flutter and fall alongside with its detaching feathers. Once its claws touch the ground, both of us hop down without wasting any time.

It takes only a few seconds for the animal to turn back to human form, showing Wonho's sturdy and well-built body. He is wearing all black - black sweater, black tight jeans and a pair of black boots. His auburn coloured hair wavers as the wind brushes pass. "There's the gate," he says, raising his chin to indicate the invisible thing under our feet. "We need to jump down."

Swallowing hard, I take a look down from the top of the cliff. For now, I can see not only green shielding the tree trunks, but yellow and orange and pink, though a small part of them is covered by clouds soft as cotton. Since the sun is entirely up, the morning fog and dew has faded away.

As I'm about to ask another question, an image of a beautiful lady flashes across my head. She has periwinkle eyes shining like unique diamonds, long and curly dark chocolate hair decorated by fallen blossom petals tied into garland. Gentle sunlight outlines her pretty jawline and the stern look she wears through a typical frown.

The image is brief and short, and this makes me think of Beomgyu, who hasn't been mind-talking with me ever since the moment when I was taken away by Jimin in secret.

"Beomgyu," I whisper before taking another concerned look at the invisible gate, where Wonho has indicated a while ago. "He's inside the Queen's den." All three of us are looking down at the same direction, witnessing those white pigeons diving towards the ward before vanishing into thin air. The phenomenon makes them look more like an imperfect yet peaceful tornado.

Exhaling with an unreadable look, Wonho states, "That makes it easier for us to explain to him later." Then, he backs away from the cliff in order to charge towards the open air. "Mark where I land." And there he jumps off the cliff with his hair floating due to inertia.

Clamping one hand onto my mouth, I can't stop praying for him to be okay until the eagle man disappears midair just like those pigeons.

A series of frightening thoughts cause me to squeeze Jimin's hand a little too forceful. "I-I'm scared," I admit with a pout as I've seen how far away Wonho was before entering through the gate. His figure was considered small. "Can we jump together?"

Jimin snorts before bursting out laughing. "Why not, Pinky?" Shaking his head upon my timidity, Jimin leads me to Wonho's initial position before jumping with a small walk. "I got you. Plus, the Queen wants to see you. She won't get you into any trouble." And with his grip on my hand tightens, he nods at me before both of us charge forward with me screaming out loud.

_____

The smell wafting in the air is different from that outside the ward. Sweet scent of nectar and honey linger around through puffs of fog and falling flower petals. Peach petals to be exact.

"Gwaenchanayo?" asks Jimin when I nearly forget about his presence beside me. His hand still clutching on mine.

My muscle flexes when I finally comes into sense and withdraw my hand away. My eyes focusing on the ground when we stand up together. "Nae gwaenchana (I'm okay)."

But just as I begin to consider how to deal with the oncoming situation that might become awkward because of me, two unfamiliar voices are audible and they sound near. "We've awaited your arrival." Resultantly, both Jimin and I avert our gazes toward two individuals with hair red as burning fire, with what crosses their cheeks and noses are blue, green and brown freckles. Their eye colours are nearly white, yet there are hints of yellow hidden beneath. The only difference that makes it easy to distinguish them is their hair style.

"And you must be the efret." The braided one reconfirms with her eyes blinking so slow that I can see her eyelashes flutter like butterfly wings. Her tone neutral but clear as fresh water.

"Yes I am," I answer with a nod.

"This way, please." The pony-tailed one leads with an elegant gesture with her delicate right hand, where multiple bracelets made with tiny yellow and white and light blue flowers encircle around the wrist.

Tipping my toes while walking, I look around this paradise on land, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wonho. "He's at the arena already." As if he could read my mind, Jimin's whisper startles me a little. "You're too obvious." There he goes by answering my second question in mind which haven't even made a reveal yet.

Jimin's action leaves me speechless until my mouth is opened with nothing spoken. Before awkward silence invade our space, I quickly shut my mouth and clear my throat to hide my true expression by looking around the tiny flowers. Once in a while, there will be small pixies peeking from behind the rocks or mushrooms, reminding me about Beomgyu's house and bringing my memory back to the moment when he kissed me in the kitchen.

He was trying to calm me down from getting entirely mad, yet a part of him was taking my life away bit by bit. My own essence was drained like my phone's battery, but I couldn't even notice the oddness back then. My mind was such a mess and that I failed to think rationally.

And then there's Beomgyu, looking guilty. Maybe that was just Faerie nature, or maybe his Faerie side was triggered by my outburst for his own protection and that side of him loved consuming essence from a weaker prey, which was me as I'd exposed my vulnerability in front of him. Maybe he did not mean it. Maybe he would have explained to me further if it wasn't Jimin who picked up a fight with a straight-forward point emphasized through his gritted teeth.

"We're here," says the pony-tailed fairy while she succeeds in breaking through my reverie and bringing me back to reality. "You two may have a seat. Once the condemnation ends, the Queen would want to see you both alongside with the eagle." Her hands clutch each other as if she is speaking in a formal place.

"Alright, thank you for guiding us," Jimin thanks them with a bow before the two fairies leave us with their poker faces still plastered on, though the back of their lips quirk sometimes to form a weird and unexplainable expression. "They can only smile to the Queen," says Jimin before ushering me towards the empty seats. "Wonho is there, kaja (come on)."

Once we are seated at the lowest row, I let my eyes rake around this place while Jimin and Wonho are busy chatting about the person who's going to get punished by the Queen soon. The arena is a large round space that can hold more than 10,000 Faeries who attend to watch the public condemnation. Most of the seats are taken by Faeries of different kinds - dwarfs, elves like Jimin, typical fairies like the two that led us in just now and lastly, an extraordinary presence.

The Queen.

She is seated opposite to us with her body shining like a star among the crowd. The two red-headed fairy has already reached her side as I can see one of them is combing her hair. The Queen seems to be talking to somebody sitting on her right side. A familiar presence.

My protector, Beomgyu.

It takes only a few seconds before our gazes meet, which thereby interrupts their conversation. Soon, I can feel the Queen's curious gaze on me until I lower my head in nervousness. Because unlike Beomgyu's, her stare holds so much control and power to the fact that no one would dare to disobey any of her orders or demands.

I can't tell how many times I've heaved in a great lungful of air just to cool myself. Letting out carbon dioxide through my quivering mouth, I allow the lump travels down hard along my throat in order to prepare myself for the worst to happen later.

A large part of me is saying that the meeting will go in an unexpectedly horrifying way which I won't wish to bump into. Yet, the remaining part of me feels grateful for not being the only one summoned.

ɪғ ᴀɴʏ ʏᴏᴜ ɪs ᴄᴜʀɪᴏᴜs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ғᴏᴇɢ ʜéɴ ᴍᴇᴀɴs, ɪᴛ ɪs ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ "ᴘᴏᴏʀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ" ɪɴ ᴇʟᴠɪsʜ (ɪɴ sɪɴᴅᴀʀɪɴ, ɪғ ᴍʏ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀʏ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴛʀɪᴄᴋs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ).

ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ sᴏʀʀʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ. ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ's ʙʟᴏᴄᴋ ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴛᴏ sʜᴏᴏ ɪᴛ ᴀᴡᴀʏ.

ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴡʜᴏ sᴛɪʟʟ sᴛᴀʏs, ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏʀ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇs ᴀ ᴛᴇɴᴛᴀʟɪᴢɪɴɢ ᴍᴇᴀʟ 💕❤

ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴠᴏᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ 😀😀