《Rites and Rituals》


 1. A bad trip

    For Alex, it should have been a normal camping trip. He knew the place like the back of his hand. Even if he hadn¡¯t come since his dad died, this part of the wilderness was the stuff of his childhood.


    What could go wrong? He was only staying for a night anyway.


    As to why he was revisiting the place for the first time since his dad¡¯s passing? He¡¯d just been through a particularly bad breakup.


    So Alex packed his bags and left.


    Just as he¡¯d hoped, revisiting the memory soaked lakeside forest had been the catharsis his soul needed.


    The alcohol may have helped with that as well.


    It hadn¡¯t helped his bladder however so he went for a drunken hike through the woods, seeking a scenic spot to take a piss. A drunken ramble was easy enough to manage through the sparse woodland.


    The only problem was the mist. With an eerie suddenness, Alex realised he couldn¡¯t see two feet in front of him. Which was weird since he¡¯d never fog around the area in his 22 years of living here.


    He might of stopped to think about it, but alcohol didn¡¯t exactly help his observation skills.


    For now, he really had to piss. And so he carried on.


    It wasn¡¯t until he realised he¡¯d stepped into a perfect circle of mushrooms that the unease really set in. These weren¡¯t your garden variety mushroom either. Big and vibrant, every individual fungus looked uniquely poisonous.


    He couldn¡¯t quite place why, but the lone stump he shared the space with unnerved him. And yet he couldn¡¯t take his eyes of it. Walking up to the dead log, Alex had all forgotten his original reason for making the walk.


    As he approached the stump he realised the curved top held a liquid. Through his blurred vision the golden liquor looked extremely delicious.


    Naturally he cupped a handful to drink.


    As he sipped on what turned out to be an extremely delicious liquid, three things came to Alex¡¯s attention.


    The first being that he was suddenly sober. Not the drunk sober we imagined ourselves to be when we were definitely not, Alex was without a doubt stone cold sober. Not only was this a startling realisation, it helped him to his second point.


    ¡°What the fuck was I thinking?¡± He couldn¡¯t even imagine what would posses him to drink a questionable liquid out of a dead stump.


    This line of thought was quickly put on hold as he made his third discovery however.


    While the mushrooms were still there, the fog was gone. And with it he could see the sparse woodland hand turned into a dense forest. Not only that, the humid summer night¡¯s air now felt crisp.


    Most importantly, he was surrounded by what could only be called a swarm of little winged fairies all staring ravenously at him.


    Alex looked back to the mushroom circle, then down to the log, before resting his eyes on the golden liquid still cupped in his hands.


    Then he fell on his ass and swore. ¡°Fuck¡±


    The fairies erupted into laughter.


    ¡°Oh, is this the one?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like much¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a funny man though.¡±


    ¡°The funny man doesn¡¯t smell like a mage or a demon.¡±


    ¡°He looks like a normal human.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like the first one will last.¡±


    ¡°Oh, lucky us!¡±


    Alex wasn¡¯t listening. There was only so many revelations a brain could take before it refused to take any more. He¡¯d jumped well past that point. All that came to mind was that he wished he wasn¡¯t sober.


    ¡°Alright everyone, stop scaring the human. We must continue the Rites.¡±


    Hearing an authoritative tone amidst a sea of squeaks brought Alex back to reality. Looking up hopefully, he met eyes with a old man.


    A beautiful old man.


    Alex didn¡¯t complement lightly, especially to old men, but that was really the only way he could describe him.


    Wearing a pristine black suit that made him look more at home in a country club than a forest, the elderly gentleman exuded nobility. Piercing blue eyes drew contrast to the man¡¯s chiseled jawline, while snow white hair draped down over his long pointed ears...


    ¡°Ah.¡± Alex couldn¡¯t even bring himself to swear.


    Like a true gentleman, the elf ignored his slack jawed expression as he knelt down to offer a hand. Alex took it instinctively.


    Pulling him up with strength that seemed impossible for his lithe frame, the man offered him a kindly smile before speaking.


    ¡°Come, we can hardly leave the Queen in waiting.¡±


    He turned around without waiting for an answer. Alex found no better option, so he followed.


    While walking he noticed the swarm had turned silent. They kept up with the two, yet the fairies only offered an questionable smile when he looked up at them. None of their eyes moved off of him.


    The surrounding were picturesque at least. While it had been well into the night before, this strange place seemed to be experiencing dusk. A gentle purple glow was cast from the distant sun, spilling through the treetops. The light breeze that blew through the forest carried the smell of roasted nuts.


    Overall, it would have been an ideal place to piss if even dared to go. Or needed to.


    Only now do he realise that with his intoxication, the strange juice had even taken his need to relieve himself. In fact, his body felt better than it had back in high school. He was coursing with energy.


    Alex decided not to think over the implications of this. He had problems in front of him to deal with.


    Soon enough, he saw the path they took lead towards a stone castle that poked out from above the treetops. Previous events considered, Alex couldn¡¯t bring himself to be surprised.


    Eventually the forest trail led out into an open meadow.


    To what he saw next, Alex could manage some surprise.


    Atop the sparse large trees and gentle rolling hills that filled the valley lay a horde a tiny fairy houses. Miniature cottages that one could only find in some hobbyist¡¯s bite sized English village recreation filled every nook and cranny he could see. In fact the only spaces left alone were the mushroom lined paths that all led to the towering castle at the far end of the valley.


    And to go with it all was a storm of fluttering little humanoids, all quietly smiling at their human guest. Alex inched closer to elf in front of him.


    Despite his fears, the fairy village came and went without mishap.


    Much to his fears their retinue was joined by nearly every fairy that inhabited the village.


    Alex could only ignore the million little eye he knew stared at the back of his head. Very slowly, they approached the open gates to the castle.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Upon entering the courtyard Alex finally found more elves to match his guide. They even wore similar suits, all looking as old and graceful as the next. All male. They also stood in two lines that led towards the open castle doors.


    Apparently they were expecting him.


    The castles interior was as perfect as the elves that inhabited it. Masterfully crafted stonework seemed to shine, yet the various weapons and paintings that lined the walls still drew the eye through their sheer beauty. He couldn¡¯t admire for long however,as his guide led him through the next set of doors.


    The throne room itself, like the rest of the castle, was a work of art. Yet Alex barely spared a glance to it¡¯s beauty. There was something much more worth his attention after all.


    Atop a gleaming silver throne, accompanied on either side by an obsidian black wolf, sat the queen. And Alex knew instantly she was the queen.


    If elderly male elves looked beautiful to the modern man, you could imagine how the queen would be indescribable. Alex felt the word goddess barely did her justice.


    Unlike her elven reagents, the Queen¡¯s hair was as black as the darkest night, with streaks of pale white like moonlight. Her features were artistry above anything he knew a human could achieve. If Alex had to place her age, he could only guess between 18 and 30, as her appearance seemed to transcend age.


    Which likely wasn¡¯t far from the truth, considering her race.


    Piercing eyes seemed to swim with the colours of nature as they stared into his soul. Her mouth formed a frown which any man would want to fix upon the mere sight.


    Her words however, quickly broke Alex from his stupor.


    ¡°So this is the first candidate? Doesn¡¯t seem he¡¯s destined to last long.¡±


    Before he could even ask her what she meant his guide spoke up.


    ¡°Yet the Rites must be fulfilled, your Highness. He has drunk from the Ichor. If his fate lies in failure, than that is what he he is to face.¡±


    ¡°Of course he will fail, Morys. I sense neither a hint of magic nor any ancient bloodline from him. He¡¯s a common human.¡±


    ¡°That may be, but we shall have to see it through anyway. Come your Highness, complete the first Rite.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Alex to decide he didn¡¯t like the sound of this.


    ¡°Well human? Introduce yourself.¡± The Queens eye moved back to him.


    ¡°Ah, the names Alex White, your Highness.¡± He figured a bit of politeness wouldn¡¯t do any harm considering the circumstances.


    ¡°Alex,¡± she seemed to spit the word out, ¡°you are in the presence of Queen Amatheia of the Unseelie court, lord of the winter throne.¡± She paused to let the title sink in.


    Alex found it hard to take her seriously after she said ¡®unseelie¡¯ with a serious face.


    ¡°Since you have partaken of the golden Ichor, the First Rite is complete. Approach, so I may bestow upon you the reward the Rite demands you receive.¡±


    Alex warily stepped towards the throne. The wolves on either side of Amatheia growled, sitting up. Still on their backside, each stood taller than the throne they lay against.


    And they weren¡¯t wolves, he realised but dogs.


    He decided to ignore them. Whatever these Rites were, they sounded like they were going to kill him sooner than some monster dogs.


    The Queen gestured for him to kneel in front of her. Having no better option, Alex did so.


    Once he was on her knee she stood up in front of him, cupping his head in her hands. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.


    Alex felt hot instantly. Really hot.


    He stifled a scream as he fell backwards. Where her lips touched his forehead burned as if he¡¯d been marked by a hot poker. It lasted for seconds before receding, yet Alex could still feel a hot current coursing from his forehead into his body.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know of the First Rite¡¯s gift.¡± Looking up at her, he realised she looked genuinely confused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you aren¡¯t aware of the Rites?¡± He could only shake his head, matching her confused expression with his own.


    She looked down at him, shocked.


    ¡°Why on earth did you drink the Ichor?¡±


    Alex¡¯s confusion turned to embarrassment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I was drunk, it just kind of happened.¡±


    ¡°Hah, here I thought you were bold human to attempt the Rites. Turns out you were just an unlucky fool.¡± Amatheia¡¯s shock quickly turned to amusement, a charming smirk forming on her face.


    ¡°Well foolish human, you have just received the Unseelie Queen¡¯s blessing. May it help you in your efforts to complete the next Rite,¡± she paused, before adding ¡°which I suppose I will have to explain to you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes your Highness,¡± Alex quickly replied.


    ¡°Before the winter solstice you shall grant me a branch of Yggdrasil, as the Rite of the Gift demands.¡± Seeing her stare at him expectantly, he guessed it was his turn to speak.


    ¡°And what happens if I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°That will be a breach of the Rites.¡± She explained promptly. Her smile seemed to grow wider.


    ¡°And what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately for you, this is the Unseelie Court. Unlike my counterparts atop their golden thrones, we only have one use for humans in the winter court. You will be eaten.¡± Her smile did not change as she spoke, but what Alex thought of it certainly did.


    ¡°Um, what?¡±


    ¡°Eaten, consumed, devoured, however you wish to put it. It¡¯ll mostly be my subjects that share you amongst them, but i¡¯m told tradition demands I have a piece as well. I¡¯m also told tradition demands you be kept alive as long as possible while it happens.¡±


    Alex couldn¡¯t help but think but to the swarm of fairies. Their expectant eyes, eerie smiles, it all added up now. They were looking at their food.


    He found he could only reply with a nervous laugh, ¡°Ha, what the fuck.¡±


    The Queen amused expression quickly turned to one of disappointment


    ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s your reaction? No weeping, no accusing me of being the devil in disguise? I expected more of a uproar from a mortal man. I believe your kind is not fond of those that eat humans.¡±


    Alex found he was in a much better state to reply now.


    ¡°Hate to disappoint, your Highness, but i¡¯m a twenty first century guy. Religion ain¡¯t that big of a thing as it used to be. Besides, life¡¯s a pretty big shithole these days anyway, man eating fairies are just not as scary as they used to be.


    For the most part Alex was talking out of his ass. If he had to attribute it to anything, he¡¯d guess the sheer shock of the situation delayed the majority of the emotion he should be feeling.


    It wasn¡¯t complete bullshit though. His ex had called him a reckless, shortsighted idiot. And she was mostly right, he usually found himself worrying about problems when they were in front of him. And if he had listened correctly, nothing would happen till his deadline at the winter solstice. It was still summer right now, so that gave him half a year.


    And as an added bonus, his reaction seemed to score some points with the Queen in front of him.


    ¡°Well, there might just be a spark of hope for you yet. I suppose I should give you some help, so you might just have a chance at this Rite.¡± She leaned down to smack one of her dogs on the back.


    ¡°Victor, go help our little candidate in his quest. When he asks of you, take him to Helga. You remember her right?¡± She turned back to Alex, offering him a smile.


    ¡°As are the rules, neither me nor my people can offer you aid. However, I shall allow my Barghest shall accompany you. If you decide to struggle against your inevitable fate, ask him to bring you to Helga. If your lucky she may just give you a push in the right direction. Then again, she could just kill you.


    Alex was less than happy to see the cow sized dog wander up to him. Victor¡¯s glowing red eyes seemed to consider whether he should ignore his queens order and just eat the snack in front of it.


    To Alex¡¯s relief, the beast instead choose to sit beside him, briefly sniffing his clothes before lying to his right.


    Thinking it over, having the beast on his side was actually pretty comforting. If Yggdrasil was what he remembered, he didn¡¯t like his chances of finding a branch alone.


    ¡°Well, that should be all. I¡¯ll be seeing you in half a year I suppose. Let us hope you have a gift for me by then.¡± He interrupted her as she raised her hand to dismiss him.


    ¡°Wait, what happens if I complete these Rites.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t know that, would you? Should the Rites be complete, the wedding would naturally follow. Why else would one complete the Wedding Rites?¡±


    ¡°Wedding?¡± It was not the answer Alex expected. To be fair he didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    Maybe a legendary sword?


    ¡°Of course. Should the Rites be complete you would be crowned the King of the winter throne, my own husband.¡±


    Looking at her predatory smile, Alex still couldn¡¯t help but think it wasn¡¯t that bad of a reward.


    Even with the very real possibility of being eaten by a horde of ravenous winged midgets. Transcendent beauty had that effect on a man.


    ¡°Morys, see our candidate out,¡± she hesitated, before adding another word.


    ¡°Safely.¡±


    The journey back was just as, if not more, frightening than it had been coming in. The little bastards following him looked a lot more threatening.


    At least Alex knew he wasn¡¯t likely to die to these creatures for half a year.


    That didn¡¯t mean he could just ignore the hungry gazes however. Surprisingly, a couple even flew down to offer him some fruit.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend taking it.¡± The kindly elf, Morys, spoke up as he shooed the fairies away.


    ¡°Why?¡± He couldn¡¯t resist asking, knowing he wasn¡¯t going to like the answer.


    ¡°Outsiders who eat the produce of the land will find they themselves unable to leave it. Naturally, the Rites will remain incomplete if such were to occur.¡± Morys paused to look back at Alex, revealing the strange smile on his face.


    ¡°To be honest, I find it somewhat surprising her Majesty asked me to guide you back. It seems you may not be the only one who wishes for your success in these matters.¡±


    ¡°Well thanks I guess. You can tell her that, too.¡±


    Accompanied by Victor and Marys, Alex did feel a bit safer walking the forest trail. Finally they arrived at the mushroom circle he had wandered into before this whole mess started. He noticed the stump was now void of any Ichor.


    He guessed that meant the Rites were his to go at alone. At least while he still lived.


    ¡°This is where we part ways, Mr White. To leave our kingdom simply place your hands on the stump. The method is quite easy to figure out.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do I do about Victor?¡± Alex gestured at the monstrous dog that kept at his heel. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve seen the world these days, but he¡¯s hardly a common breed.¡±


    Marys answered, ¡°To the common man, the Mist will give Victor the appearance of a smaller sort of dog. A doberman is the norm, I hear. If you wish to hide him from the not so common man, simply ask him. You¡¯ll find Victor is much more intelligent than his lesser cousins. Ah, and I strongly suggest you follow my Mistresses¡¯ advice in seeking Helga. I assure you, the chance in her killing you is much less than her Majesty made it sound.¡±


    Without waiting for Alex to voice his numerous questions, the elf turned back towards the forest trail.


    Seeing no other decent option, Alex helplessly approached the dead stump.


    He placed his hands on it. Immediately he felt a familiar pulse of warmth flowing through his veins. It seemed to wish to travel towards his hands.


    Ignoring the novelty of the experience, Alex gave it a mental push towards his hands and consequently the stump. Without hesitation it rushed out.


    The wood began to glow, proving to Alex the whole experience hadn¡¯t just been him hallucinating. And then he was back in familiar territory.


    The black beast remained at his heel.

 2. Ol’ Helga

    ¡®The lands of the so called ¡®Trooping Fae¡¯, those who live within secluded communities, are ruled and divided between two classes of royal Elves. Namely the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. As most who have explored the Fae lands would agree, a more relevant classification would be the Good and Evil courts, respectively. As unsophisticated as this may seem, I have found the royal Elves in question happily agree with this observation on the essence of their interactions with mankind.¡¯


    ¡®On the Nature of contemporary Fae¡¯ 1236 AD,


    Merlin, Archwizard, Archdruid, and Bard


    ***


    It turned out Marys was right.


    Alex realised this as he walked down the street with Victor still trailing behind him. Whatever this Mist thing was, it definitely did it¡¯s job. Sometimes people even stopped to pat the vicious looking beast.


    He saw that as people bent down to reach for something they saw well below Victor¡¯s real body, they seemed to pass through his muscled frame like it didn¡¯t exist. At least that was one less thing for Alex to worry about.


    The only issue was when a women asked what breed Victor was.


    ¡°Guess,¡± was all Alex could reply.


    ¡°He looks like my neighbour¡¯s beagle. He¡¯s definitely a cutie, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Alex could only nod with a serious face.


    So much for a Rottweiler.


    After last nights experience, Alex had packed his tent and headed straight home. Having foregone sleep, he stayed up all night googling various terms.


    The first of which was naturally fairies. And as it turned out, he really had been unlucky. Although he could find nothing on those supposed Rites he was performing, Alex did find information on these fairy courts.


    And that¡¯s where he saw a familiar term. Unseelie. The same word he¡¯d found funny in the Amatheia¡¯s speech revealed the type of fairies he was dealing with. And it was the bad ones. Which he figured made sense considering the fact they wanted to eat him.


    He¡¯d also googled Victor¡¯s species. Articles about the Barghest mainly told him things Alex already knew, that they were big and dangerous. More often than not sources also said they could shapeshift, and some said they were more of a ghost than a monster.


    He guessed that was what Marys meant when he said Victor could hide from the ¡®not so common man¡¯, which Alex could only assume meant the magical variety.


    He tried to test this ability but the beast just let out a strangely condescending growl after he asked it. This attested to Marys¡¯ point on the beast¡¯s intelligence, as apparently it could tell the situation didn¡¯t need it to.


    Since it was a Sunday and he didn¡¯t have work, Alex decided that he might as well seek out this Helga. He had a deadline after all.


    Which was why he was following the beast through the streets.


    That had been a mistake. Alex realised this during his third hour of following the dog. By this point they had walked well out of the city limits. Luckily his budget apartment was near the outskirts anyway.


    Eventually Victor leaped over a fence and towards the forest he had been camping at the night before.


    ¡®Of course.¡¯


    It was another hour before they reached their apparent destination. By this point Alex should have been exhausted, yet he had barely broken a sweat from the summer sun. He could only think back to the gifts he had supposedly received from the first Rite.


    Helga lived in a tree apparently. At least that¡¯s what Victor seemed to think as the beast continued barking at the normal seeming trunk it sat in front of.


    The only notable difference that made this tree unique amidst the forest was a childish carving of a house that was etched high up against the wood. Alex figured this was a fairly big difference considering his recent discovery of the supernatural.


    It took a couple minutes of watching the dog yap before he finally deciding to examine the tree. Yet before he could place his hand against the deep carving, a loud shout caused Alex to stumble backwards.


    ¡°Hang on, hang on Radolf. Or is that you, Victor?¡±


    The voice echoed ancient and raspy, like an elderly woman who spent the better part of her life smoking. It also appeared to come from the tree itself, despite Alex not seeing any obvious breach in its outer bark. He¡¯d assumed this Helga was a fairy or something similar since the tree wasn¡¯t that large.


    Victor obviously knew the voice. Hoping up to attention the Barghest¡¯s tail began to wag, which was a first for him to see.


    Without warning, a glowing crack appeared beneath the carving. It stretched vertically downwards before ripping open sideways. It was then he realised the crack wasn¡¯t in the bark but rather the air in front of the tree, as shown when the crack stretched well past the boundaries of the tree trunk.


    The contents behind the open crack was masked by a murky veil of dark green. It almost look like the crack revealed the surface of a swamp, yet no water poured out.


    Something else walked out instead.


    With the bulging body of an obese person and the blue tinted skin of a drowned corpse, this two meter tall creature was easily the most intimidating supernatural he had witnessed. It even topped the Barghest with its terror inducing body.Stolen novel; please report.


    The face of this ¡®woman¡¯ was mainly human, save the bulging red eyes, hooked nose and abnormally long mouth that was held in a wide smile.


    ¡°Ah, little Victor has come to pay a visit to Ol¡¯ Helga.¡± She spoke to the Barghest while throwing a raw meat chunk that had been retrieved from a makeshift leather satchel that sat against her stained cloth tunic.


    ¡°Oh, and you¡¯ve even brought me a guest!¡± She grinned wildly at Alex before something caught her nose. After a dramatic sniff, her smile began to show off pointed shark-like teeth. He noticed they were stained with black splotches.


    ¡°Helga knows what the smell means. No wonder little Victor brings you here, manling. Suppose that lass Theia sent you here for a little help from Helga? Can¡¯t imagine why the elf would want that, you look awfully tasty.¡± She licked her lips as if to prove she meant it. A purple tongue slapped against her bloated lips.


    ¡°Come then manling, Helga will see how she can help the Queen¡¯s new toy,¡± saying so, the hulking woman turned back towards the murky veil and stepped back through. Victor bounded after her.


    Alex couldn¡¯t help but breath in deeply. He¡¯d come this far, so it would be stupid to ignore his best chance at completing these Rites. He followed after Helga.


    Stepping through the portal revealed an entirely different forest. The air felt much more humid, and tall but scarce trees had been replaced by an overgrowth of jungle.


    Helga¡¯s easily spotted form was walking towards a large wooden cabin that sat atop a wooden platform about a meter high. Alex quickly followed after as she and Victor climbed the wooden steps leading up to the cabin.


    Upon climbing up to the platform, a quick head turn revealed the portal that took him here had vanished. Coming this far, he could only enter the cabin.


    The interior of the hut was about what Alex expected for someone of Helga¡¯s appearance. Basically, it was type of abode you¡¯d expect from a witch.


    The large room that made up the majority of the building was a chaotic mess of shelves, baskets, tables. The shelves and baskets were filled with yellowed scrolls and parchments, body parts, colourful powders and other unidentifiable curios, while the drying racks held a assortment of plants and stretched leathers. Against the walls were worktables holding a collection of primitive looking tools, some Alex couldn¡¯t even guess the use of.


    Right in the centre of the room lay a small soot-laden brickwork platform, marked with arcane runes that combined to form a circle. Atop the runes sat a large metal cauldron decorated with it¡¯s own set of mystical symbols.


    Helga stood in front of a shelf, grabbing the aged documents at random to scan through. She just as quickly threw them back on the shelf, a telling scowl showing that they were not what she was looking for. Victor had wandered to a corner that only contained a small pile of bones, sitting on top of it while happily picking a femur to gnaw.


    Alex decided the best use of time was not to explore the cabin, but instead stay right where he was. It seemed like a better idea than peeking through things he didn¡¯t understand and risk provoking the wrath of Helga.


    Eventually she looked up with a dark scroll in hand. ¡°This is the one. Let¡¯s see what we can do with you, manling.¡± She paused to read the text she had found. As time passed, Alex noticed a grin appear on the witch¡¯s face once again.


    ¡°Hah, so that¡¯s why the lass sent the manling to me. Looks like the little Queen will owe old Helga a favour soon enough.¡± Her face snapped up to Alex with an unnerving speed.


    ¡°You, boy, tell me your name. Helga will need to know what to call her little apprentice.¡± Her smile didn¡¯t look the slightest bit comforting, instead giving him the impression of a hungry predator viewing a piece of meat.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Alex. And why are you calling me your apprentice?¡±


    Despite how terrifying Helga looked, Alex tried to not get caught up in her momentum. The thought of being this thing¡¯s apprentice was hardly enticing after her comment on eating him.


    ¡°So the lass did not tell her toy? Curious. She gives manling Alex such aid yet keeps him in the dark? A tricky little fairy Queen to be sure.¡± Helga eyed him thoughtfully.


    Her words also made Alex think. Why had Amatheia even helped him if she was supposedly a malevolent fae queen, one of the Unseelie. Then again, if Helga didn¡¯t know the reason, he wasn¡¯t likely to find out anytime soon anyway. Like she put it, he was in the dark for this situation.


    Noticing his confusion, Helga spoke up.


    ¡°Ah, if manling Alex is to be Helga¡¯s apprentice, Helga should teach the little manling these things, shouldn¡¯t she? Very well, let Helga teach her apprentice. Although you used to be a normal manling, two boons were gained by the first Rite, were they not?¡±


    If it was things he¡¯d gained, Alex could only think of the changes he felt when he¡¯d drunk that Ichor, the ¡®blessing¡¯ the Queen has given him, and Victor. He hardly owned Victor, so these boons should be the other two.


    He nodded to her question.


    ¡°The little Queen sent you to Helga because of these boons. The first of which, the Ichor, opened a Source in you, manling Alex. This is very rare for your kind, and is why so many mages seek the Rites of an unwed fae ruler. The second boon was the little Queen¡¯s blessing. This blessing grants you the talents of the royal fae, and thus the appreciation of their lesser ilk.¡±


    The explanation hadn¡¯t really helped Alex at all, which Helga quickly picked up on.


    ¡°A shame, manlings have so little knowledge since that Druid summoned his Mist. Not to worry, little Alex, for Helga is your teacher. She will explain so that a manling can understand.¡± She gave him a toothy smile, which did the opposite of reassuring him.


    Still, it almost seemed that Helga was enjoying the idea of being a teacher to Alex.


    Which was hardly a bad thing. Just an incredibly weird coincidence.


    She continued her explanation while maintaining her predatory smile.


    ¡°For Helga to teach her apprentice, the talents of a normal manling, even a mage, would not be enough. You however have a Source within to draw from as fuel for magics. This, you share in common with all other magical beings, like Helga. Along with this, you have the talents of royal fae, which includes an affinity with the magics of nature. As a Bog Hag, Helga has a mastery of the same magics. Luckily for you, Helga is an ancient Bog Hag who has long become a witch, having great knowledge of her magics in the same sense that sourceless manling mages have. So Alex, do you understand why the little Queen sent you to old Helga for tutelage?¡±


    ¡°Yea, I think I get it. So your going to teach me magic right? How long will this take, because I have to complete this second Rite before the winter solstice? Plus I kind of have a job in the real world.¡±


    As much as the prospect of learning magic excited Alex, he was on a pretty limited timeframe.


    ¡°Yes, the Rites would demand haste as part of the test, wouldn¡¯t they? This will be a test of Helga¡¯s ability to teach, and her apprentice¡¯s ability to learn, certainly. As for your manling trade, although your knowledge and reputation over it will fade over time, you will gain much more worthwhile abilities to face the coming challenges. You would be foolish to put it above your preparation for Rites.


    Although Alex could question her awareness of the modern job market, Helga did have a point. He couldn¡¯t afford to keep his job with the Rites looming over him.


    Knowing he had to was one thing, but Alex was couldn¡¯t help but be hesitant on giving up the normal life he had spent 22 years building. It was his identity as a human.


    Yet it would have to be another sacrifice he would make so wouldn¡¯t end up dead and eaten.


    ¡°Your right, teacher. I¡¯ll try my best to learn from you. But I¡¯d still like a day to sort things out back home. It¡¯ll be a problem if I just disappear without telling anyone.¡±


    Although he was worried about making a request considering her weirdly amiable attitude, Alex noticed her smile lift when he called her teacher. And she replied just liked he hoped.


    ¡°Very well apprentice. Sort your manling matters by the morrow, so Helga can start her teachings. You have a lot to learn and very little time for it. Victor, go along with little Alex so he can find his way back.¡±

 3. A priest walks into a bar

    ¡®The term ¡®mage¡¯, an often used title, refers to all those who have knowledge in the mystic arts. Although across the many human cultures there exists a variety of specific classifications based on such knowledge, all mages share the commonality that is a Foci. From witches to shamans, wizards to druids, mages across the world all use these tools to bring manifest to their magic. This foci exists as a physical Source for the otherwise mundane human to draw from. While the nature of a foci can range greatly, in this modern age either gemstones or specific parts extracted from magical entities are the most common to find within the various supernatural communities, usually embed atop a staff or wand.


    The exception to this commonality, the sorcerer, has no need for a foci. This is naturally due to the internal Source the have come to posses through a small range of means.


    ¡®An Introductory course to Modern Magic¡¯


    Julian Restel, Archwizard and headmaster of the Delestrain Royal Acadamy of the Mystic Arts.


    *****


    After another three hour walk, Alex came home to an unpleasant surprise. His apartment had been broken into. After the day he just had, Alex decided to go to sleep and worry about tomorrow. Victor was as good a guard dog as anything, so safety want much of a worry to him.


    He called the police in the morning. Apparently the lock hadn¡¯t been broken, so they told him a professional lock picker must have done it. It was a cheap apartment after all, so it was hardly secure.


    Alex thought otherwise. The timing was too coincidental. Nothing had been taken either. Someone had been looking for something, and they had obviously searched just about everything in the apartment.


    At least it gave him a good excuse for the landlord when he told him he was moving out. It was a fixed term contract, but Alex wasn¡¯t made to pay after he told him he could sell most of his things. The man didn¡¯t even charge him for a cleaner when he told him he could keep the scooter he used to get around.


    Alex then packed his limited possessions in a single suitcase. Everything that didn¡¯t fit he had left to the landlord. Since he was leaving his normal life behind, he could hardly do anything with it anyway.


    As for the money? He didn¡¯t need it. When his dad died, he¡¯d inherited everything his old man had owned, and it was a lot. His dad had even sold the house they shared his whole life and put the money in an account to he¡¯d left him


    Alex hadn¡¯t touched it till this day. Back then he rented a place with his own savings and got small times jobs to make a livelihood. It was probably where his life started to go downhill, living aimlessly from pay check to pay check.


    That didn¡¯t matter. He had no desire to live off the inheritance of the only family he¡¯d ever known. He couldn¡¯t stomach the thought of it, even if he knew it wouldn¡¯t have been what his dad wanted. To use it to make something of himself.


    Now Alex figured if any situation called for it, this was probably it. The overwhelming chance of being brutally murdered and eaten was something he felt justified it.


    Although he hardly needed money where he was going, the account would definitely be needed in future. Alex doubted this branch of Yggdrasil was something he¡¯d find in his hometown after all, so it was nice to know he could actually cover his travel expenses. Plus he just gave away his scooter, so taxi fares would be needed.


    With his worldly possessions taken care of, the hardest part was ahead of him. To disappear and not have the police send a manhunt after him, he¡¯d have to tell the few people in his life that cared that they he¡¯d be gone for a while.


    The first call was to his job. After saying he was quitting, Alex¡¯s manager instantly started screaming about giving notice and bad referrals, so he quietly hung up.


    Lucky for him, Helga hadn¡¯t asked to see his CV.


    Then Alex called the few friends he still kept up with. Round after round of questions could only be answered with the all powerful words, ¡°Yea, i¡¯m going to travel around. Find myself and all that shit, you know?¡±


    It worked well enough.


    He also gave his ex a call. Alex just told her that he was leaving town and that he had moved out of his apartment. He didn¡¯t want the risk of her trying to pay him a visit. Even if they had broken up badly, he hardly wanted her dead.


    Which was a very real possibility, if he was right about the type of people that had been searching into his place.


    With everything sorted, he went to his local bar. It might of been the middle of the day, and a Monday, but a few of his friends even met him there.


    He hadn¡¯t kept in touch with many people since his dad died, so he was close to the ones he did. Close enough for them to come day drinking with him at least.


    After a few hours of drinking, Alex told them his flight was soon. After a final round on him, they all left.


    Someone had been waiting for that.


    While he was paying his tab at the counter, a hand patted his back. Not exactly sober, Alex casually turned around expecting someone had come back to say goodbye.


    An unfamiliar face greeted him with a smile. The man a buzz cut, and a large scar stretched across most of his left cheek. He was big as well, looking over two meters tall.


    The strange part however, were the man¡¯s clothes. He wore a priest¡¯s robes, complete with a tiny cross-stuck Jesus hanging down from his neck. It definitely did not suit him.


    Or the bar they were in.


    ¡°Come and have a drink with me, Alex. My shout.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Neither Alex or his dad had been particularly religious, so there was no priest in the city that should know his name. Plus, what kind of a priest drank during the day?


    Victor had been waiting outside the bar, and it was a public place, so Alex figured he¡¯d be fine if the man just wanted to talk.


    The priest didn¡¯t wait for his reply, turning to the barkeeper instead.


    ¡°Brian, the usual for me and Alex here. Put it on my tab.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Father Jenkins.¡± Brian didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the man.


    Apparently he came here often. Alex was getting less and less sure about this priest.


    Still, if it was a talk the man wanted, Alex could hear him out. It may even do him some good, as long as the man didn¡¯t just accuse him of colluding with demons.


    Alex sat at the bar with Father Jenkins as the barkeep filled two glasses with the bitter on tap.


    ¡°So, what kind of priest drinks at a bar on a Monday afternoon?¡± Alex asked, genuinely curious.


    ¡°A special one, as i¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed. I don¡¯t exactly spend my days in any church, so most just think i¡¯m some excommunicated old drunk. The robes still keep most people respectful, anyway.¡±


    Alex looked at the bulky man sitting beside him. He wasn¡¯t so sure it was the robes that did that.


    ¡°What did you want to talk about, Father Jenkins?¡±


    The priest didn¡¯t answer. Instead he waited for his glass, immediately emptying a decent part of it.


    And then he gave the barkeep a meaningful look. Brian was also apparently used to this, as he nodded and walked to the other side of the bar.


    Out of earshot.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made some waves in the local communities Alex, what with you walking around in broad daylight with that familiar of yours. I even got a fair warning from it before coming in here.¡±


    That probably explained the ransacking of his apartment. Victor was a big deal apparently.


    The man continued. ¡°As a particularly special variety of priest, it¡¯s my job to keep tabs on the local mystic communities. Now, you can imagine my surprise when a man like you with no notable background suddenly has Barghest at his beck and call.¡±


    Although Victor wasn¡¯t exactly at his beck and call, Alex wasn¡¯t about to correct the man.


    ¡°Well Father, what does your job require you to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, no, I only need to take action when certain rules are broken. For now, i¡¯m here to do exactly what you would expect of a priest. I¡¯m here to listen and offer advice. You see, out of the whole country, this city is particularly special. To most in the know that is only because of the unusually high amount of spirits and creatures of the Fae which inhabit these lands. As a man of God however, i¡¯m a little more informed. And to my knowledge, there¡¯s only one place that has a creature like a Barghest.¡±


    Alex didn¡¯t like what he was hearing. If the priest knew about the Court, there was a decent chance he knew about the Rites. Even with his little awareness about the situation, Alex knew that was something the supernatural community would have a lot of interest in.


    Only one person could complete the Rites, and he didn¡¯t doubt there would be little stopping those types of people from trying to take his place.


    The father saw his expression, giving him a knowing chuckle.


    ¡°The situation¡¯s not as bad as your imagining Alex. As rare as the opportunity is to become the only Fae king in North America is, it¡¯s hardly becoming of a priest to take power from anything but the Lord himself. And I doubt the existence of the Court is known to the locals. It¡¯s in their nature that those places keep to themselves. Rather, i¡¯m much more invested in your survival.¡±


    Out of all the things this Priest could say to him, that wasn¡¯t one he¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Why? Shouldn¡¯t a Priest be against this? Not that i¡¯m ungrateful for any help you can offer, but isn¡¯t this whole situation pretty much me dealing with demons. It¡¯s hard to imagine the church ignores things like this.¡±


    The Father shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°Opinions in the church can differ greatly. Certainly, most might even outright kill you and any others that tried to grasp this power. My brethren and I however are of the opinion that the church¡¯s role in the modern world is to maintain balance, and a man who finds power thrust upon him is more likely to keep this balance than a man who actively seeks it.¡±


    The paused to give him an examining glance.


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t overestimate the aid I say i¡¯m offering, the most I can do is give advice. I made the decision to keep this matter hidden, and part of that means i¡¯m unable to act personally. For now, all I can say is to be careful. Not many in this city can match your Barghest, but that doesn¡¯t stop them from being curious about you. You¡¯ve found out as much yourself, haven¡¯t you? I doubt they found anything meaningful, which means they may try and test you personally. You¡¯d best go into hiding for now.¡±


    He confirmed Alex¡¯s suspicions on who exactly ransacked his place. And apparently they wouldn¡¯t be so indirect next time.


    Apparently that was the only advice the Priest had to offer at the moment, but he gave Alex his number. Alex thanked him and finished his last drink.


    After leaving the bar Alex called a taxi. He took the Father¡¯s warning seriously, so he figured the sooner he got back to Helga the safer he would be.


    Victor could fit in the taxi as well. Like when people stopped to pat him, his body seemed unrestricted by the cars frame, leaving his upper torso sticking out the roof as he sat on the seat.


    After picking up his suitcase, they took the taxi straight to the forest. After getting out Alex followed Victor, who led him to the tree.


    Unfortunately they didn¡¯t make it that far.


    As soon as Alex could see the familiar house carving in the distance, Victor suddenly stopped. Alex tensed up. He could see the beast could smell something, it¡¯s head scanning the empty forest before stopping in a certain direction.


    Without warning his bear sized body shot forward, pouncing on an empty space.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± was all he could hear before a large fire exploded against the beast. Three people appeared from nowhere the Victor¡¯s sailed through the fire. He landed against the one who held a ruby laden staff towards him, smashing the man¡¯s body against the ground.


    The other two assailants pointed there own staffs towards Victor as he continued to tear the man underneath him apart. From one, a string a glowing bolts shot out, while the other swung it upwards dramatically as vines ripped out of the ground to rap around Victor.


    Alex could only watch helplessly as the magic hit Victor. His realised his worry was unfounded as the glowing bolts passed straight through the Barghest, who then proceeded to completely ignore the vines around him as he lunged towards the mage who shot the bolts.


    That was a far as Alex could watch before he felt something scorch his back, sending him tumbling to the ground as electricity coursed through him.


    It didn¡¯t last for long and Alex bolted straight for the tree. He turned his head to see another mage behind him, arcs of blue lighting coursing around her staff which pointed at his back.


    Alex did the only thing he could do.


    ¡°Helga! Your apprentice is having a little trouble here.¡±


    Still running towards the tree he felt another blast of lightning hit him, sending him tumbling forward.


    He turned helplessly to watch as the mage raised her staff into the air. The visible lighting seemed to gather in the gem atop it, turning it aglow.


    She swung it down as a powerful bolt arced towards him.


    Even as fast as lightning was, it never made it to it¡¯s target.


    Before his eyes a green mist manifested instantly. It was so thick Alex could no longer see the mage behind it. He heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Get up little Alex, a few bolts will hardly kill you after drinking the Ichor.¡±


    He did so, turning to see Helga¡¯s putrid blue body in front of the tree.


    This time he was happy to see her.


    She waved her hand lightly as the green mist disappeared as fast as it manifested. Behind it Victor could be seen lying atop the lightning mages body, her wooden staff between his jaws.


    ¡°Some stupid mage thinks they can send their little apprentices to act like this outside Helga¡¯s home?¡± She spat a black glob against the ground in disgust.


    She turned back to Alex. ¡°Come inside Alex, Victor will grab the foci for you. Helga knows how much manlings like to loot their enemies.¡±


    She stepped through the portal behind her. Alex followed without hesitation