Aëlífa (Ronarée)(part 5)

The story about the people of this Earth being faëries started far back in history – and it is understandable. Those who were brought to the 'faërie land' in the olden days were far rougher in manners and the slight, slim looks of the people from here were enough to convince anyone they must be a breed apart, something special and finer than them.

That magical quality extends to the planet, especially those parts of it untouched by sentient life. It tempted me in a thousand ways to concentrate on this world, rather than on the one I had come to examine – ours. The sensing of those from here scheming destruction of my grandfathers people was like a sickness that I feared was contaminating my own soul.

It was a surprise when my mother suddenly visited. She did not waste much time on niceties – of emotion, she has not exhibited any since first leaving our Earth; it is as if she is trying to make up for her heritage from her father, to prove she is more like the faëries than they are.

“You have been monitored and it is known what you are attempting. Return home before you are challenged to duel after duel. You cannot survive here.”

I grinned. “I have watched them exercise and I agree, though most of them be female, I am not fast enough to fight them. Why do you and grandmother not attempt to prevent the evil being planned? What they scheme, it is not the way of your people.”

“Our people are not evil; those living in your reality have been corrupted by those of that Earth – Ronarée, it is not your Earth, this one is, you are mostly of our descent and males like you would be greatly honoured if you choose to stay with us.”

“No mother, they have not been corrupted by their intended victims. They travelled there with plans that were evil and it is their own plans, with the power it brought them, that corrupted them, not the people of my Earth.”

“Are you challenging me to a duel?”

I laughed at her and instantly using the technique taught to me by Thomas, I returned home, to wife and child.

This time I was fully honest with Sylva and spoke to both of all I learned. Of the families that have lived and been born on this Earth for generations and how they extended their influence and power generation by generation. I named the eighteen families and their top layer of allies.

“They have been clever in ways not normal to their people. They created an extra layer of the Gifted, as they named them, and they have offered them positions of luxury and power in the new society they wish to create. Most of these allies are people who already wield some power, whether as heads of corporations or heads of State.”

Thomas nodded. “If you examine them more closely, I will not be surprised to learn that these so-called Gifted are also partly of faërie blood. Son, you and I can and will fight them, but how do we protect your wife and child?”

We considered many ideas. We even partly fantasised, discussing the possibility of taking Sylva to another reality, as close to this one as possible. Our problem is that neither of us know how to find any such reality.
Then Sylva contributed her idea and it lit a fire of anger in both Thomas and myself. She suggested, “What if we offer your mother and grandmother our child – after puberty? Surely they will not allow any harm to come to the child?”

Although I tried to show her the respect I owe her, she sensed how strongly we felt and did not insist, only asking, “What else then? We must remain and be a part of the team.”

Thomas shook his head. “No, both of us will then concentrate more of our powers on protecting you, rather than on attacking them. Such a strategy would not lead to victory.”

In the end, through lack of any other reasonable solution, I was forced to anger them both with my proposal. “Sylva, you shall stay with Thomas, while I cause whatever damage to them I can.”

Of course neither liked my idea and Thomas tried to convince me that though my idea is the only feasible one, it is he who must fight, while I concentrate on protecting my wife, child and myself. I allowed him to speak until he had spoken all the words he needed to say, and only then did I force my demand on both of them.

“Thomas, Father and Grandfather, ancestor and origin of our family, your powers and mine, they are not the same. Yours are of a defensive nature, mine are less so; I think I will be better at attack than you are. The battle cannot be fought in their world and you have no powers of an aggressive nature in this one.” I paused, considering, and then asked, “Those who are here, they are almost the only males still available to them? I suspect they have been returning to breed?”

Thomas looked startled. “It is the most likely solution to their problem. You are thinking of attacking them when they visit their people?”

“No. I m more interested in preventing them travelling to their own reality. How long would they last if they are blocked form ever returning? Could we then impose our own terms?”

As is his way, he remained silent and considered the idea as thoroughly as he could.

“The only flaw I can find is that neither of us, not even jointly, have the power to prevent them crossing.”

“I think I may have, I sensed a hint of the power while I was in their forests, alone and able to sense myself more clearly. Father, I shall not demand I do it until I know I can achieve a complete seal.”

We talked, we argued, until grandfather departed, promising to return the next morning. I waited until Sylva was busy cooking and then drove quickly to the home of Thomas.

“I ask that you undertake to care for my Sylva and our child should I not return. I know I do not need your word, but I ask it anyway.”

“You plan something dangerous?”

“I promise I will not even try it unless I am certain of success. Your word?”

“Of course.”

“Sylva, never consider allowing my mother or any other rights over our child. Father will always be protector of both of you, but trust no other.”

She did not smile, so her words had more of an effect on me than they should have. “Our child is and always will be a child of love. Such a child cannot be affected.” I hope she is right, should I be weaker than I think I am. It is not time now to argue, whatever she believes that strengthens her, it is needed.

I just wish my belief was as strong, for I will be departing with the secret knowledge of my certain failure to return. My trip shall not have a happy ending to it. It is why I need a few days on our own, so as to store as many memories of love in my heart as I can.

Previous posts of this story:

1:
https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur.grafo/my-aelifa-is-dead-a-dread-fairy-tale
2:
https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur.grafo/rodney-grandson-of-aelifa-and-torimai
3:
https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur.grafo/sylva-introduction-a-dread-faerie-tale-part-03
4:
https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur.grafo/sylva-labyrinth-of-my-soul-a-dread-faerie-tale-part-04a
5:
https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur.grafo/sylva-labyrinth-of-my-soul-a-dread-faerie-tale-part-04b

Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου

(Alexander Zenon Eustace)

^{Written: 8th July, 2018}

• posted on Steemit 8th July, 2018
  

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