1 Night Angel The Dead Island

"They clamour and fight, they doubt and despair, they know no end to their wrangling.

Let your life come amongst them like a flame of light, my child, unflickering and pure, and delight them into silence."

The Child Angel. By; Rabindranath Tagore

1

*The Legend

Deep in the enchanted forest, on the edge of Elond. It was a full moon night in April when Lilly the Medela fairy was giving birth to her firstborn, only moments before midnight. Lilly was panting and sweating, waiting impatiently to meet her daughter and hold her in her arms. She knew it was a girl, something deep within her knew all along, and she trusted her senses. On the other side of the door, Pairo, Lilly's husband, was anxious, pacing in front of their room. Wings spread, fists clenched, and heart racing. He was both worried and excited. They waited for a long time to have this baby. Inside, Lilly gave birth to a baby girl. She threw her head back on her pillow, catching her breath, closing her eyes, and allowing Aldora to take care of her tiny newborn. Aldora, the wise fairy, held the baby carefully in her arms, looking at her with mixed emotions. She was worried, taken aback, and astonished, her gray eyes wide and her hands slightly shaking. There was something strange about this baby. Pairo lost his patience. It was taking so long he couldn't wait any longer. He burst into the room, then stood still, staring at the scene in front of him; he saw Aldora holding something so bright in her hands, something that made Aldora's gray hair glimmer and her wings sparkle. He took a step closer and found out that the glowing thing was his baby, wrapped in a blanket. Pairo was puzzled. Baby fairies do not glow or shine like this. Medela Fairies are magical creatures with wings and healing powers. Only an angel can glow like this. Her glow was soft and soothing, yet powerful. It could light the entire room. Pairo and Aldora exchanged anxious looks when Lilly's voice broke the silence. "Why is she different Aldora, what is wrong with my baby?" The moment Lilly had reopened her eyes and was ready to meet her daughter, she knew something was wrong, the look on her husband's face and the glow from the blanket between Aldora's arms indicated it, her heart skipped a beat waiting for an answer. Aldora was the keeper of the fairies' library and they called her the wise fairy. She always attended births to give her blessings. But even Aldora, with all her knowledge, didn't know the answer to Lilly's question, she suspected, but she was not sure. With careful hands, she handed the baby to Lilly. "I'm not sure. I have to consult this with the King and Queen, but don't worry my dear, I'm sure it's all going to be all right." And without a second glance at Pairo, she left the room and hurried to the royal palace. Pairo approached his wife. She looked tired and worried. Her black hair was disarranged, sweat formed small beads on her forehead, and her green eyes were fixed on her baby, while she held her with careful arms. He wanted to comfort and assure her. "She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," Pairo said while looking at his baby in Lilly's arms, and he was right, the baby was beautiful, she had emerald green eyes, an unusual color for a baby, silky black hair, so dark like a moonless night, her skin fair and flawless like all the fairies. She was so tiny. He took her from Lilly and held her in his strong arms, and his brown eyes studied her with love and pride. "I don't think glowing is a bad thing, angels glow and look at them, they are the most magnificent creatures in the world." Pairo added and gave his wife a half-smile, Lilly looked a bit relieved after hearing that, she rested her head on the satin pillow, then she said, "I'm sure Aldora will know the reason for the glow." She pushed away any negative thoughts and let herself admire the view of her husband and daughter.

***

Aldora closed the small wooden door to Pairo and Lilly's house and hurried along the forest. With a worried look in her gray eyes, she knew the baby was not any ordinary fairy, but it can't be, it's just a legend. She followed the stone path that crossed the forest all the way to the royal palace. Aldora was so absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't notice how the enchanted forest looked different tonight. The full moon was so big and bright, with a silver and blue aura around it. The river was sparkling as if a thousand stars were scattered on the surface, will-O'-wisps were dancing above the water. The mermaids were out enjoying the full moon beams, splashing each other, and singing with enchanting voices. The grass thick and soft, colorful squirrels and rabbits chasing each other playfully, the gigantic trees covered with moss seemed to whisper through the soft wind. Every creature in the enchanted forest felt something different in the air that night. Despite all the magic this place contained, they felt something extra, something glamorous happened that night, something powerful and good, something made all the Medela fairies come out to watch the sky and enjoy tonight's tender breeze. Even the green and orange monkeys were hyperactive, jumping between the huge branches. The black elephants were strolling between the trees, ignoring the noisy monkeys above them. The enchanted forest's famous butterflies were circling around the roses, their bright colors gleaming as they crossed under the moon's silver beams. Even the miniature dragons were out of their caves, walking around the forest. They were a lovely sight, with their small legs and spiked tails; they ran around Aldora wanting to play; they were such playful creatures, unlike the regular dragons, which lived far in the forest, away from Elond. Aldora wasn't in the mood to play with the dragons. She kept walking fast toward the castle with wide, hurried strides and a clouded mind. Her gown fluttered around her figure, and the tail of her gown skimmed the grass softly and rapidly. Aldora reached the castle, panting and anxious. She said to the guard with a firm tone, "I must see the king and queen now, it's urgent." The guard bowed respectfully and went inside the castle. People usually came to the King and Queen of the Seelie Court seeking their help and asking to be healed. A few moments later, he came back and said to Aldora "The king and queen are waiting for you in the throne room." She hurried inside, straight to the throne room. The castle was glorious; the walls were made of gold, silk curtains covering ceiling-length glass windows. A glass ceiling showed the sky above. The stars were twinkling around the full moon. The stars in Myron always twinkled brighter than any other place. The floors were covered with moss, and tiny white roses blossomed here and there between the soft moss. The throne room did not differ from the rest of the castle except for the crystal throne. Pixies were flying around it. The floors were transparent, and underneath them was a lake full of beautiful colored fish swimming under the entire room. The water was so clear you could see the bottom of the lake, white sand, and green weeds that seemed to dance along with the movement of the fish. The two thrones stood out at the end of the room, glorious and beautiful, on a crystal step, higher than the rest of the room. The moonbeams made the thrones glow. A crystal table was set on one side of the room. A glass dome was above the throne, showing millions of stars. Queen Elianor was on the throne wearing a long blue silk dress that matched the color of her eyes, with glittering silver stars on the long tail that was spread under her feet. Her golden hair on one side of her slim body all the way till her waist, her blue eyes twinkling, "Is everything all right, Aldora?" she asked with a worried voice, which was uncommon for the lovely queen of the Seelie Court. "I'm sorry to disturb my lady at such a late hour, but something very strange happened." Aldora said with a hesitant tone. King Randall was standing near the window. Aldora didn't notice he was there. He was wearing his golden cape above a blue suit that matched the color of the queen's dress. His blond hair was covered with a crystal crown. He spoke to Aldora. "What do you mean by strange?" The king knotted his arms behind his back, waiting for an answer. Aldora stood quietly for a moment, trying to figure the right thing to say. Then she said, "Lilly Star gave birth to a glowing baby girl." The king and queen exchanged a look. "What do you mean by a glowing baby?" asked the king, who looked puzzled. His hands fell free to his side, and he took a step forward. His golden eyes were now fixed on Aldora. "Her skin glows, my lord. Like the angels. A bright, clear light surrounds her. It comes from within her." She paused before adding, "You know the legend, my lord. That's why I came to you first." King Randall was deeply absorbed in his thoughts. His golden eyes focused elsewhere now. It was a while before the king spoke again. "You are the only one who would know best if this is the real legend or not." "I have to get back to the enchanted books, my lord. Before I can confirm anything." Aldora said politely. "Very well then. And I want you to bring me what you'll find as soon as you find it." The king's tone was authoritative and firm, devoid of his usual gentleness. "Of course, my lord, excuse me." The king waved his hand, allowing her to leave. She bowed to the queen and left, heading to her library in the old tower. King Randall was rarely worried. The fairy world was a peaceful place. Medela Fairies keep to themselves. Queen Elianor never saw her husband like this. "Randall, do you think this child is dangerous?" "If I remember correctly, she is not. She is just very different from us. She is intended to do things beyond our powers." "What are you talking about beyond our powers?" "You know the legend, my dear. Every single creature in the enchanted world knows it." The king sounded tired. "You mean the light princess? But it can't be. It's only an old tale." The queen tried to dismiss her husband's concerns. "But all the tales are true," said King Randall with a firm voice, stopping the queen from discussing the matter any longer. He was worried about the unknown. Of the unlimited powers, the legend spoke of and what these powers might bring upon his kingdom. Medela Fairies only interact with other magical creatures to heal them. They only offer this much help. They were never involved in anything happening outside their forest. All the wars between angels and demons. The ultimate struggle between the werewolves and the vampires. Even the world of witches and wizards and warlocks. They never cared who they are healing as long as he didn't commit any crime. But this baby being born means they will have to deal with all of this and be involved in everything.

***

Back in the tower, Aldora had most of the enchanted books scattered around the huge wooden table in the middle of the room. The library was stacked from floor to ceiling with books, all kinds of books, row upon row. Big and small books, mostly worn out. Some were in leather binding, while others had wooden covers with locks. Books in different languages, some only contained symbols, while others only held empty pages. The room was lit by a witch light. One wall had a huge fireplace. Another wall wasn't exactly a wall, it was a tree trunk, an enormous trunk. This had been the oldest tree not just in the enchanted forest, but in all of Myron. That tree had been here for over a thousand years. The fairies built the tower around it to honor it. The windows in the room weren't so big like the ones in the castle, but small, with no curtains. The floors were made of dark wood and had no carpets. Aldora was moving fast between the shelves and the table, bringing more books, going through them fast. It took her most of the night until she came across an ancient book, large with green binding and golden writing. "Ahh, finally. The book of ancient legends." Aldora said with a relieved tone.

***

King Randall sent for Lilly and Pairo to come to the castle the next morning. Lilly's heart sank when the guard delivered them the message. She couldn't stop worrying about her baby, and she didn't sleep at all last night. She could see that Pairo was worried too, and he failed in hiding his fears from her. They were silent on the way to the castle. They crossed a ring of fairies dancing and singing, their long dresses and capes flying behind them with the wind. Fairy music was divine and to humans, it could drive them insane, drag them from a deep sleep and make them drown themselves in the ocean just to reach the source of it. When the dancing group saw Lilly and Pairo, they exchanged anxious looks. Some leaned in and gossiped in low murmurs in each other's ear. Lilly, luckily, didn't hear what they said. She hugged her wrapped baby tighter to her chest, trying to hide her from those curious eyes, Pairo noticed too and got irritated. Of course, everyone knew about his daughter by now. There were no secrets in this forest. When they entered the throne room, King Randall, Queen Elianor, and Aldora were all bending over something on the crystal table. The room looked spectacular in the daylight, sunshine reflected on the water beneath the room, the crystal throne casting colorful patches of light on the walls, fresh flowers were in every corner, Pixies flying around the flowers, making soft buzzing sounds with their tiny wings.

The king looked immediately with studying golden eyes at Lilly and the baby. He knew then what Aldora meant by 'glowing baby,' it was as if she was made of witch light, or she was a witch light stone herself. The light emitted from within her, not just an aura around her. The king said nothing. It made Lilly even more nervous. Something in his eyes was intimidating. The queen, on the other hand, was calm as usual in a satin light-pink dress. She approached Lilly, the dress tail sweeping on the glass floor behind her. "Congratulation on your baby." she said in a cheerful voice. Pairo bowed and said, "Thank you, my lady." Lilly couldn't say anything at all. Her heartbeats were thundering in her ears at this point. The queen touched the baby's cheek and said, "She is such a beautiful girl." She was studying the baby's features with interest. Only then, Lilly managed to say "Thank you, my lady." "You must be wondering why I have requested your presence," the king said in a cold tone, maybe even bitter. Then he gestured them to approach the table. Laying on it was a book. The same book that Aldora was so relieved to find the night before. "Aldora, do you mind explaining why this baby is different from us." The king continued in the same tone without taking his eyes off the baby. Aldora smiled at Lilly. She could tell how nervous she was. She pushed the book closer to where Lilly and Pairo stood. The pages were yellowish and worn out. "This is the great book of legends, and there is something in it about that special baby of yours. Here look," she said with as much enthusiasm as if someone had found a cure for cancer. Without waiting for Lilly and Pairo to say anything, she went on. "The legend says:

'Princess of light,

Born on a full moon night.

Damned creatures fear her sight,

With powers blessed by the angels,

All must praise angel of the night."

Aldora was looking at the words with joy. She finished and examined Lilly's and Pairo's faces, trying to figure out how they felt.

Lilly's mouth was slightly open. She looked down at the book. The writing was neat, with a golden glow. Other writings were there too, but in a language she didn't understand, and there were angelic symbols. In the middle of the page, there was a picture of an angel. A female angel actually, with waist-length hair and huge wings, a sword in each hand, and under her feet, there was something that looked like ashes, but what caught her attention the most was that her body was gleaming like her baby's body. Aldora went on, "I think your daughter is the one the legend spoke of. All the signs fit, the full moon and the light. She is the princess of the light. This glow is power, angelic powers. Those powers will be beyond any fairy powers or magic. This will enable her to fight dark creatures, Downworlders, and outlaws. She is just like a warrior angel, and she is considered royal. All enchanted creatures must respect and assist her in her mission. That mission is sacred and divine." Lilly finally spoke, interrupting Aldora. "What do you mean fight Downworlders? Are you talking about demons?" It seemed that that was the only thing Lilly had heard. Aldora said matter-of-factly. "Demons, dark warlocks, dark wizards and vampires who bite humans and…." A shiver went down Lilly's spine. Her eyes were wide with horror and her voice came out as a shriek, cutting Aldora off. "We don't fight demons, she is just a baby." Pairo put his arm around Lilly's shoulder, trying to comfort her. She had gotten so pale and he wasn't very comfortable, either. He was about to say something when the king said in a firm tone. "She will not fight them now," He looked so annoyed. "We can't deny or hide who she is. I am bound by the law to declare her birth to the enchanted council. The angels have the right to claim her." The king was so firm it made Lilly shiver. One phrase was flashing in her brain: "claim her." She wanted to scream at the king, but instead she held her baby tight against her chest. Both Aldora and the queen looked at Lilly with sympathy. King Randall was always a tolerant man, willing to talk to his people, humble and noble, but he was so different today. He was cold, uncaring about the star family's feelings, worried and irritated. The king spoke again. "Now that Aldora has explained everything, you may go. I will send you a message to attend the council meeting." He waved his hand, dismissing them without looking at them. He went back to stare at the book, knotting his hands behind his back. His crown was uncharacteristically askew and his shoulders were tensed like he was carrying the weight of the world on them. Pairo was puzzled. He hadn't seen his king like this before. He turned around, leading his wife out, putting his arm around her shoulder. Lilly felt like she was sinking into the ground. Her knees could no longer carry her. If it wasn't for Pairo supporting her, she would have fallen. Aldora asked to be excused too. She looked at the king, who gave her a dismissing wave. She grabbed the book and hurried outside the throne room. The queen was quiet during all this. She didn't understand her husband's behavior. She moved closer to him. "Why were you so harsh with Lilly and Pairo? It's so unlike you, Randall." He paused before he spoke. "They have no idea about the threat that child poses to our kingdom." "What threat? I don't think she is…" The king cut her off sharply. His voice was loud and angry. "Don't you understand? Not a creature in the Downworld won't know about her birth. They know she is dangerous to them. They will want her dead before she is a threat to them. What if they decide to attack our forest to get her? Do you think we have a chance against them?" He took a deep breath before he added, "I wish I could just hide her and pretend she was never born, to protect you and all of our people, but you know how I'm bound by the law." Only then the king realized that he was shouting. His wife took a few steps back from him with a horrified expression on her face and one hand covering her mouth. The king suddenly felt so tired and remembered that he had had no sleep last night. He moved slowly to the throne. The sun was casting golden rays on his crown, making the green gems glimmer. He threw himself down with a thud and put his face between his hands. His shoulders were still hunched. He looked defeated and older than he really was. He spoke again in a low voice, close to a whisper. His voice was muffled, his face was still between his hands. "It's a huge responsibility cast on my back. I don't even know if I'm up to it. If I'm qualified enough to do my duty towards the angels, towards my kingdom," His voice went even lower, the queen had to strain her ears to hear him. "And toward her." The queen moved slowly toward her husband and put her hand on his shoulder gently. He tensed but didn't look up. "You are a great king. You always have been. I'm sure you will do the right thing." The queen's voice was so tender. The king looked up at her; her golden hair was shimmering around her face and all the way down her back. Her eyes so blue like the ocean on a sunny day and she was smiling at him. He took her hand in his and smiled back at her.