"Faery Games" by Stephanie J. Walls

A man walked into the clearing, his footsteps making gentle noises on the dried
leaves. Dark hair shadowed dark eyes that stared from a strained pale face. He walked to the
man curled beneath a ratty blanket and stared. Black curls framed his almost cherubic face as he
slept, his dark lashes folded gently beneath his eyes. The pale light danced across his face in
shadows softened by the thick filter of green leaves above. He stirred in his sleep, his slender
fingers grasping a narrow flower stalk as he sighed.

The man standing above him looked down on him, his face void of emotion. It had
been almost 10 years. The man asleep had been barely more than a boy then. His face still wore
the boyish innocence of his youth, though his tattered attire told of his hardships in life. The man
standing above hardened his gaze. His face a mask of uncontrolled fury, he kicked the man
sharply in his ribs.

Halthrin jerked awake, his arms and legs flailing as he backed against the smooth
brown of the tree. Nothing stirred. He crouched beneath the tree, the haze of sleep still
clouding his eyes as though he had awoken to find himself caught in yet another dream. He
swallowed painfully and tried to speak. No words came out; just a harsh croak. He wet his lips.
"Berenthor."

Berenthor raised an eyebrow. "You remember then. Good. I won't have to explain
why I'm killing you." He stared at the man, his eyes blazing with disdain and hatred. "Stand up,"
he commanded.

The color drained from his face as Halthrin stumbled to his feet, his disheveled hair
bobbing about his head in his haste. "Berenthor," he pleaded. "I was only a boy. Please, you
have to understand." He held out his hands desperately. "Don't do this." The sun glinted off his
dark shining curls and reflected about his head in a pale halo of golden sunlight as he pressed his
back against the tree.

Berenthor reached beneath his coat and pulled out an ancient looking pistol. "My
great grandfathers," he commented idly as he slowly leveled the gun. Twinkling lights sparkled
along the barrel like shining bits of sunlight. His thumb cocked the hammer. It snapped into
place with a chilling metallic click. The trigger grew taut as his index finger caressed it. He
stood for a very long time, his cold eyes relishing the fear that grew across the other man's
face.

Nemariah ducked her head and pressed her arms closer to her sides. Her fragile
wings flapped painfully behind her as she strained to keep up with the others. It was a perfect
day for her first net ride! The sun was shining warmly on her skin, and a light summery breeze
sent the leaves dancing in shifting shades of green. Suddenly the burnished silver object flashed
into her sight. The other faeries landed nimbly along the cylinder, their vibrant colors flashing
golden in the sun. Nemariah was the last to land, her minuscule heart beating frantically as she
struggled to catch her breath. Celebros held out a strand of thickly wound spiders web.

"You know how to secure it?" he questioned. Nemariah nodded. She grabbed the
section of net and headed in the direction he pointed until it grew taut. The sunlight glinted off
the silver in a bright endless flash. With her eyes squinted against the light, she searched for a
tiny crack, to fit the edge of the net into. The sticky web stuck to her fingers and hands as she
struggled to shove it into the narrow crevice.

Celebros tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Smiling, he handed her a pair of soft
grass skin gloves. "It's your first time?" he asked. She nodded again. "Are you nervous?" His
golden eyes sparked animatedly as he helped pull the web.

"A little." Her fingers were trembling as stuffed the end of the spider web firmly into
the crack. Turning, she saw the other faeries gathering in a group at the far end of the net. Three
of the swiftest male faeries were gathering large clumps of spider net in their arms and heading to
the edge of the cylinder. This was the most dangerous part. If they didn't make it down around
the end of the cylinder in time, they would be crushed if it set off. No matter of skill was
involved in this stage of securing the net, only luck could keep them from getting killed.
Nemariah held her breath as they dropped lightly over the edge and disappeared from view.

"Come on," Celebros called over his shoulder as he drifted to the gathering of faeries.
The bright colors of their wings were waving gently in the sun sending dancing spots of color
across the polished metal. Nemariah followed Celebros across the dazzling surface, her feet
landing lightly on the hot silver as she walked.

Celebros beckoned her forward. "This is where you'll ride." He gestured to a section
of web wrapped in grass leaves just on the end of the cylinder. "You hold on like this." With
one hand grasping the section of grass covered web, he demonstrated how to wrap the other arm
tightly around the grass. "See, like this."

"Where will you be?"

"I'll be right here, just to the right and behind you. Do you know when to let go?"
Nemariah shook her head. "Did anyone tell you what to do once you secured the web? Who did
you come with?"

In truth Nemariah had come alone. She hadn't had an invite from anyone. Realizing
this, Celebros rushed her forward to her position. "Alright," he said, hastily wrapping her arm
through the web. "There isn't much time so listen carefully." Nemariah nodded. "When it sets
off, you'll hear a noise so loud you'll think your head will burst, and then you'll feel a strong
pull. You fly up straight as hard as you can alright?" He jerked the webs tightly and told her
how to position her feet. "You're going to be pulled forward hard, do you hear? You just flap
your wings so you don't slap against it when you come down. Try to land as lightly as you can.
After that, all you have to do is hold on. You're in the easiest spot to ride. The farther back you
get, the more skill you need."

"Why's that?" Nemariah asked.

"Ask me later, ok? Now, when the others are pulled behind you, the nets going to be
tight, so it won't be flapping much. You won't hear anything over the wind, so I can't call to you
to let go. The people at the end will be the first to let go. They know when. The two at the end
go first. And then the next five, the next three, then me and Cybil, and then you. You're the last
to let go, because you're the farthest one up. When the net starts flapping around you, let go.
Not before. Never before or someone's going to get seriously hurt when you fly backward. And
when you let go, fly forward with all you might. Ok? Do you understand everything?"
Nemariah nodded mutely. "That's all you need to know then. I'm going to go back and get in
position. You can ask me questions from here, but be ready, alright?" Nemariah nodded
again.

Berenthor backed away slowly. "I'm going to give you a chance," he told Halthrin
keeping the gun leveled at his chest. He tossed another pistol to Halthrin. "After all," he
continued, "I could have just killed you in your sleep. But how would that gratify my revenge,
eh? I want to see the fear in your eyes when you realize your dying by my hand, and there's
nothing you can do." Halthrin stared at the gun at his feet. "Pick it up," Berenthor
commanded.

Halthrin reached shakily for the gun. "Berenthor, this is foolish. It was all a
misunderstanding back then. Lets not make the same mistake." The handle was cold as
Halthrin's fingers grasped it, lifting it hesitantly to his side.

"It was no mistake what you did," Berenthor spat, his face contorted with anger,
black eyes bulging with wrath. "Now, try to shoot me." Halthrin looked from the gun back to
Berenthor.

Nemariah's heart pounding as her sweating fingers grasped the grass covering. This
ride was turning out to be a little more that she'd bargained for. She wasn't sure if she was
ready. A part of her wanted to back out now, but if it set off and she wasn't clear of the net or the
other faeries... well, she didn't like to think. "Celebros...?"

Celebros answered from behind her. "One more thing," he called. "When you land,
its going to be scorching hot, so hot you'll think its burning your tiny faery feet off. Don't worry,
it takes a mighty hot fire to hurt you or I, so we'll be fine. Just to warn you. Don't be afraid ok?"
he added noting the stiffness of her back and shoulders. "It's a wonderful rush. You'll love
it."

"Alright," Nemariah said shakily. "Thanks." She flapped her wings in anticipation.
For a long time nothing happened. "Celebros," she called again. "How long does it usually
take?" She could have left and flown halfway home by now.

"Hard to tell," he answered. "Just be ready." Nemariah crouched, tense and ready in
the hot sunlight. She could hear the other faeries talking behind her, but her mind was so
concentrated that she couldn't make out the words. It seemed like an age passed, and another age
began until a multitude of tense ages were beyond count, and Nemariah knelt, like a runner, her
hands thickly grasping the net.

A silence began. It seemed like the whole world had gone silent. The faeries stopped
chattering. The silence was interrupted by a low mechanical growl. Little noises sounded as
parts clicked into place, sending a soft vibration down the cylinder beneath their feet. "This is
it," Celebros whispered. Nemariah could sense the faeries anticipation as if the net in her hands
connected her to each of them. One last dull vibrating click.

A sound like booming thunder cracked into the silence. Nemariah winced and went
to cover her ears. Before she had time to will the muscles to do her bidding, she was being
jerked forward. "Up! Up!" she heard Celebros yell faintly behind her. Her wings burned as she
strained against the net pulling her forward. She saw the metal ball fly in front of her and she
tried to gently lower herself down. She smacked against the scorching metal clumsily, her legs
flailing behind her uncontrollably. She pulled her knees beneath her as she crouched on the
smooth metal. The wind had already cooled its surface and rushed by her in a roar of noise. It
swept her hair back straight from her head and sent it dancing against her silken wings.

"It's wonderful!" she yelled to the rush of wind. The trees and leaves flashed by her
in an endless blur of color that dazzled her. Her eyes watered against the force of the wind and
she turned her head. Now she saw why only the most skilled could ride at the end. The two
faeries at the end were beating their wings furiously behind them as the struggled not to collide
as the were buffeted to and fro by the wind. Celebros flew behind her, his face crazed with joy
and excitement as his legs waved jerkily behind.

She turned forward again, the wind whipping her wings like they were trying to fly on
her own. "This is brilliant!" She was rocketing forward straight and swift. "It's powerful!" She
had never been able to find a flying creature that matched the greatness of this metal ball.
"Exhilarating!" The rushing wind, her flowing hair, being carried forward so quickly with the
net flapping helplessly beside her. Flapping.

Panicked, Nemariah turned and looked behind her. The other faeries had already let
go. She could see Celebros' tiny figure fading quickly out of sight. "Fly forward," her mind
registered. Her wings flapped pointlessly behind her as she struggle to get some sort of start
before she let go. Her fingers felt stiff and cramped as she struggled to untangle them from the
net. With a last burst of effort, she yanked her hands from the web.

She halted abruptly. The roar of the wind died as the ball shot out of her view. Her
hair floated back gently around her shoulders as her wings flapped tiredly behind her. It was all
over so quickly. In the absence of the roaring wind, every noise was unnaturally clear and strong.
She drifted upwards lazily, observing the large shape in front of her. The ball had been headed
directly for it. Her eyes traveled upward and she gasped.

She had never seen anything like it. She had not even been certain they existed. But
here, right in front of her was a human. His face resembled theirs, although it was monstrously
huge. The eyes were wide, deep blue and full of fear. His body shuddered slightly as the ball
struck him in the chest with a dull thud. A dark pool of blood spread across his roughly made
shirt.

Nemariah let her eyes travel back to the face of the huge man. She saw his eyes, like
giant pools in his face. Saw the look of surprise hinted around his gaping mouth, and the
blinking dumbstruck eyes. She could hear the monstrous heart beat, pounding at first, until it
dulled to a sluggish thump in the mans chest. Heard the soft sigh of breath escaping his mouth.
The surprise in his eyes faded, replaced by a cold unblinking stare as he sank to the ground. She
could see the spirit leave from his eyes as they faded. She could feel the cold emptiness that
filled him.

She wasn't sure whether the tears wetting her face were from the rushing, burning
wind, or from her heart. The flowed warm and salty down her pale velvet cheeks, tracing the
curve of her chin until they fell, like a newborn raindrop, to the ground below. She heard the far
away voices of the other faeries, and turning, saw them making their way toward her. She
turned. The muscles in her back and wings ached as she flew desperately into the dark confines
of the forest. The shadowed leaves cooled and comforted her as she waited for their voices to
fade. Did they know? Did they even know to what end their fun and games were leading? How
would it be?