Folk Lore (22 page)

Nermo strode, in his graceful pixie way, into the room and called out her name. Mortimer didn’t move. An echoing sound of footsteps swept up the hall through the doorway and the imminent danger became apparent.

“
Stand aside hazer,”
Nermo instructed.
“We have come for Nermina.”

“You will not be able to free her from the cage,” he advised them and stepped aside.

Mortimer’s glanced behind Nermo to discover Keelor and what appeared to be a human girl standing with worried frowns a few steps inside the door. The girl stepped forward and held out her hands for a moment until they began to glow then he watched
astonished as a beam shot out from each them. She tried several times to break through the beams to no avail. There appeared to be nothing from magic which could free Nermina.
Unless
...

“Stop,” he told the human.
“It will not work.”

Stepping forward, Mortimer braced himself for the pain. Without further thought he walking into the beams and enabled a small space for Nermina to pass through unharmed. The beams scolded his skin so he clamped his jaw against the pain.

“Hurry up, Nermina, before I have no skin left,” he told her through clenched teeth.

Suddenly realising what Mortimer was doing, she leaped through the opening like a diver into a pool to roll gracefully on the other side. Mortimer fell away from the beams and dropped to his knees.

The human stepped forward with her hands ablaze once more so he flinched away. Was she actually going to kill him after he freed Nermina? The glow appeared lighter, softer now. She knelt before him to run her hands over his body and Mortimer could feel his wounds been soothed and heeled. It was in this moment he realised she was the new human princess. He was confused by her other ability as he thought the humans could only heel. When Sera shot those beams at Nermina’s prison he assumed she was something else again. This was indeed the most powerful human he’d ever seen.

Nermina was at his side and her hand touched his face lightly.

“We have to go now!” Keelor informed them.

The sound of pounding feet grew closer and they all realised if they didn’t leave soon there would be no escape.

Nermina helped Mortimer to his feet before taking his hand. Nermo clucked in disgust and Sera hid a smile. It seemed the law was broken once more. How long before it would be proven obsolete and abolished? Sera hoped soon.

Keelor disappeared out the door followed swiftly by Nermo. Sera jolted back to the present and ran after them followed by Mortimer lovingly protecting Nermina.

They fortunately made it to the top of the stairs before they encountered the first of the vampires. Sera watched in awe as Keelor and Nermo fought against the savages.
Keelor with his staff, now a bow and arrow which he used to strike down vampires at a rapid pace.
Nermo almost appeared to be dancing as he kicked and punched his enemy using a refined kind of martial fighting. He was shooting sparkling dust beams from his hands through the vampires as they disappeared in a puff of dust.

“Some help, Sera,” Keelor urged.

Bringing forth her anxiety and adding annoyance she was able to shoot pulses of energy, knocking down and incapacitating each vampire in turn as she aimed her hands towards them. They worked their way down the stairs, taking down their enemy as they went.

With his head, Keelor directed Sera, Nermina, and Mortimer towards the door, while Sera knocked down vampires as she went. Keelor eventually came through the door last and they took off across the field.

Sera watched in amazement as Farina and Malena threw potions and Tiana fired magic from her wand. Athena and Angeles were fighting and biting with such swiftness they appeared as flashes of white. Keela projected multiple energy waves from her staff to knock down the enemy as they approached. Mimi made the forest come alive as branches weaved their way between their foes disabling them for the army to eliminate. Audrey and Andre were fighting and tearing at other hazers in animal form.

Upon seeing them approaching, the protectors urged their princesses back and allowed the army to deal with the remaining opposition as they retreated into the forest. The girls stood in a circle bound by hands and chanted the words which would send them back to the garden without opening the gate.

Once all had returned safely to the lands the gate would be opened for the folk warriors. As the last warrior swiftly passed through the gate, it promptly disappeared.

Nermina crouched beside Mortimer ensuring his wounds were completely healed while Anna and Sera aided the injured warriors.

When all were healed, the army disappeared through the forest towards their villages for refreshment and Kalar beckoned the circle forward.

“Princess Seraphina, your bravery and power have returned our Nermina and we are all grateful to you.” 

“You’re welcome,” she said quietly a little embarrassed by the attention.

“Our journey has only just begun. While Mecaldorf is in control of the banished folk and warlocks, we still must be completely on guard. I do not believe he will give away his plight in trying to obtain the book. We should reconvene in the morning to discuss our strategy in this regard. Finally I wish to know why a banished Mortimer has managed to return to our lands.”

27

Nermo’s Vision

Sera returned to her room after they’d all been politely dismissed so Nermina and Mortimer could explain his presence to the elders before they would meet to discuss what his fate would be. She changed out of her black fighting fatigues into one of her newly acquired dresses in her now vast wardrobe of mystic attire. Suddenly exhausted with a few hours to spare before dinner, she stretched out on her generous love seat to wait for Keelor. He’d told her he wanted to change and ‘attend to some matters’ and would meet her at her hut.

When there was a knock at the door moments later she was surprised he’d come to her so quickly.

“Come in.”

Instead of Keelor entering her rooms it was Nermo with a smug smile.
“My, what a seductive invitation that was, Seraphina.
It was almost as if you were waiting for someone again. Could I dare hope it was me?”

“You can hope whatever you like, Nermo.”

“I told you we would be together. I thought perhaps you were warming to the idea and given up any hope of the elfin risking banishment for you.”

“What do you want?”

“I believe I have not enlightened you about my vision yet and I think now is the time.”  When she didn’t respond, he took as an encouragement to continue and sat down beside her.
“As we all witnessed in the castle, it appears our Nermina has a soft spot for Mortimer and I have foreseen the law will be changed in gratitude for his
...
service. This will open the door for all mixed folk to engage in a relationship. However none of this will occur until after we defeat Mecaldorf and his warlocks. I realise at the moment you do not harbour such feelings for me
...
however you will have no alternative in the end.”

“What are you talking about, Nermo? The law won’t change; it is far too dangerous to have mixed folk offspring, apparently.”

“On the contrary, certain mixed offspring could prove useful in maintaining peace in the lands. Imagine a human with the ability to fight as a pixie protecting the lands from evil. You see the majority of banished folk were evicted because they broke this law, were it to change
...”

“Even if this were to actually happen, Nermo, why would I be with you?”

“
As opposed to Keelor?”
He smiled.
“You see he will be in no position to undertake a relationship with you.”

“What? You’re talking in riddles.”

“I cannot reveal all of my vision to you because you will not believe it to be so or will do something foolish to change it.”

“You are contradicting yourself by saying it could change, perhaps it already has. A lot has happened since you were in that bubble.”

“Yes it has, however, everything I saw in my trance sleep has occurred thus far. I saw you would heal the hazer and we would save Nermina. This is why I was not overly concerned about her incarceration.”

“Have you had these ‘visions’ before?”

“No, I believe the spell Cornelius used went awry and allowed me to view the future.” She shrugged.
“You will see, my love. We will be together.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it you won’t,” Keelor informed him from the doorway.

“Ah, so he reveals his true feelings at last,” Nermo quipped.

“I am her protector only and it is my duty to prevent her from breaking the law.”

Nermo burst into fits of laughter.
“Oh the irony.
Y
ou will prevent her from breaking the law wit
h me while doing so yourself.”
He continued to laugh as he left.

“Why did you deny your true feelings, Keelor?”

“I do not trust him to keep our secret.”

“He seems very certain we have some destiny together. Why does he think it lies with him and not with you?”

“Only the ridiculous pixie could answer that question, Sera. Anyway, I do not wish to talk any longer about Nermo. I wanted to tell you how proud I was of you today.”

“Thanks, I was pretty impressed watching you fight today too.”

“Is that why you took so long to help us?”

“Yes, I was a little awestruck I suppose. I wanted to ask you about Nermina and Mortimer, what is happening there? He helped her today, why was he banished?”

“As usual lots of questions.”
 

Joining her on the seat he eased her up and pulled her close to kiss her until she became breathless.

“Why are you distracting me instead of answering my questions?”

“I would prefer to kiss you than talk about Nermina and Mortimer.”

“Please, Keelor.” 

He sighed and she wondered why it was such a difficult question to answer.

“I believe you are
not going to like my answer.”
She stared and waited.
“Mortimer was Audrey’s protector until he broke the law. He fell in love with Nermina. At the time they were good friends and spent a lot of time together. Nermina was enamoured with Nermo who did not reciprocate these feelings so Mortimer became a confidant as such. One afternoon he declared his love for her while in the gardens, which was overheard and reported to the elders. Mortimer was banished.”

“Who would do such a thing?”

“I would.”

“Yes but you didn’t, right?” He didn’t answer.
“Why?”

“It was just after Hallow had gone. I was bitter. My views on the law, as you know, have changed dramatically since then.”

Sera glared at him for what seemed to Keelor like endless moments and his heart gave a sudden lurch. What if she decided he
was no longer worthy of her? He immediately discovered he did not relish the idea of a life without Seraphina. Knowing he would need to prove to her how much he’d changed he made a decision, regardless of the consequences. Pleading his case, their case, at the convention the following morning would be the only way to prove
himself
to her.

“I’m sorry, Sera. I was a different man then.”

“I don’t think it’s me you should apologise to. What if Nermo decided he wanted to do this to us? What if they banished you?”

“It is for this reason I am sorry. I cannot imagine my life without you in it now.”

“Well you might have to. I’m not happy with you right now and I want you to leave. Someone who is so against love and cares more about a ridiculous law isn’t someone I particularly want to be with.”

“Sera please
I
...
lo” She cut him off.

“I do not want to hear it, Keelor!” 

Her annoyance surfaced and as it overwhelmed her she lost control of her power. The surge which pulsed out sent Keelor across the room to thrust and then hold him firmly against the wall. Although he said nothing Sera was aware of the pressure he would be enduring from the force. Her compassion eased the hold but only slightly.

“I don’t know if I can control my feelings right now. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Asking me to leave is hurting me,” he gasped.

She pushed down her annoyance and let him go.

“Please go, so I don’t hurt you. Come back later when I’ve calmed down.”

He nodded and left.

Sera became immediately deflated the moment he was gone. She knew she was in love with him, there was absolutely no denying her feelings nonetheless he’d proven on several occasions how he felt about breaking the law for love. Had he really changed or would he do the same again? Was she really better off with Nermo, as he predicted? The idea hurt her heart. Sera knew she would never
want to be with anyone but Keelor. How was it possible to feel so much for someone so quickly? She determined it was probably because she was now channelling her powers and it merely increased her emotions tenfold. Perhaps in time it would fade. The idea filled her with sadness and she missed Sam with abundance.