Lost Child

When the people of Sakuramori said the child was taken by a crystal fairy, Tim didn’t know what to expect.

Deep inside the pink lush forests of the cherry blossom woods were crystal caves. It was a common enough landform in the area, so common it would be difficult for the locals to check every one for a single lost child. But they did so. The parents of the child so desperate they had still been aimlessly looking around the forest by the time Tim had arrived. The young man had been pacing around the woods when he found them taking a break in one of the cherry blossoms.

One of the villagers acting as Tim’s guide called over the couple.

“How’s the search?”

“No luck.” A man the same age as Tim, he assumed it was the child’s father, was close to tears. The woman with him looked stern, though her damp cheeks wasn’t something Tim didn’t fail to notice. The couple didn’t look too well off. It was already a wonder how they afforded to classify the job as high as it did. But Tim wasn’t here to ask questions not concerning their missing son.

“You’re the mage they sent?” The mother stepped closer to him. “I hope the ride here was not too unpleasant.”

“I’m Tim, from Silver Wolf.” Tim nodded. “I didn’t come here by train. Our guildhall was closer to this village than the station in Era.”

They didn’t look like they understood. On cue, Wolf materialized beside Tim and the three stepped back in surprise. “Traveling via Wolf was faster.”

“The mythical astral wolves from the alps…” The mother stroked Wolf’s blue flamelike ethereal fur. “I had read about them.”

“But I did take some rest before heading here, I apologize for that.” Tim explained. “My previous job was protecting the village south of the mountains.”

“Bandits?”

“A large mountain lion. It left them short out of livestock and I had to take care of the creature, it didn’t go down without a fight.” Tim’s back stung again from the thought alone.

“Oh my, and you captured it before coming here? You’re very capable!” The father smiled his way. “We appreciate you coming.”

Capture, right.

Tim stopped himself from reacting, this couple was passionate but not yet jaded. Tim’s guide, however, winced in his place. He must’ve been the local hunter, his outfit portrayed him as such. He would know what fate Tim gave to the creature.

“We have looked everywhere, but our son’s nowhere to be found.” The mother was gripping a piece of comb.

“That wouldn’t happen to be from your son, would it?”

“We’re not a wealthy family, Sir Mage, as you may already have observed. But this was one of the few gifts we had given to him.” They clasped each other’s hand, holding the item tight.

“Perfect.” Tim nodded at his companion, Wolf stepped closer and sniffed the comb.

They looked at him, confused. “Wolf has a good nose.”

Not long after sniffing the comb Wolf stepped away from them and looked up at the sky and howled.

The forest was littered with a whole ecology of creatures both magical and mundane, Wolf was temporarily threatening the forest’s current food chain with its piercing howl. Something the forest responded in kind when unseen creatures far and wide would be heard rustling away from where they stood. It was an effective method of keeping unnecessary trouble coming their way. If Tim had to guess, Wolf learned to do such a thing to prevent something like the owl ambush in the spooky forest from happening again. But it didn’t mean Tim was immune to the howl, it surprised him just as much as the others.

“That was terrifying.” The hunter muttered. “A little warning next time would be good…”

“That makes two of us.” Tim flicked Wolf’s ear. The creature huffed in its usual indignant way; Tim shook his head.

They walked beside each other as the three villagers followed suit. Wolf was leading them around the forest they already knew so well, but the astral guardian wolf’s senses was a step above any hunter’s instincts. They were led into another one of the local crystal caves, but the crystals protruding around it looked richer than the ones they passed a while ago.

“We’re going to a dangerous route, Sir Mage.” The hunter said. “These caves we’re about to enter are inhabited. We don’t really go in without any reason, Faeries like their privacy.”

“Wolf, you think the scent leads inside? No chance the kid might have just taken a rest for a while and taken off again?” His companion didn’t even budge, its eyes were locked to whatever was inside the cave.

Tim let out a breath and turned to face his clients. “Wolf’s nose hasn’t failed me in what little time we spent together. I’m going in.”

“But-”

“Stay here. If they see locals swarming inside like they own the place, you might get trouble coming your way.” Tim adjusted his suit’s tie, his sheath’s belt and walked inside with Wolf.

The crystal cave lived up to its name. Literal pillars of crystals would protrude from the ground towards the cave’s upper walls. The pillars were the size of tree trunks and Tim figured they were infinitely more durable than them. There were gaps big enough for people to go through, however, so Tim and Wolf scaled over the horizontally, sometimes, vertically protruding pillars like some natural jungle gym.

But Tim’s advance was halted because of a creature which was floating in front of his way. In the years he had lived in his life, he had not seen such a creature. While it was made, or looked like it was made, entirely of rocks and crystals it had two crystal orbs slightly resembling eyes. And when it blinked, Tim was unmoving.

“What the heck is this thing?” Tim muttered. “Uhh, Wolf?”

It looked like Tim wasn’t the only one enamored by a creature native to this place. Wolf was sitting on one of the horizontal pillars across Tim’s and was looking at (and Tim made sure he wasn’t asleep) a white crystal fox. The crystal around its body was in different shades of color. Wolf turned at Tim’s way when he called and his companion carried the fox by its scruff and walked towards Tim. It let the fox down beside the floating rock. Tim noticed there were others slowly coming their way, mostly the floating rock looking ones.

“You do not look like troublemakers,” A voice suddenly echoed in Tim’s head. “But you are trespassers nonetheless.”

Tim didn’t need to turn his head; he saw a floating pink crystal chandelier creature coming their way. Wolf huffed its way, but the creature didn’t look like it was hostile.

“Despite your rude attitude, I welcome you to my humble abode.” Its upper white covered part, looking at it now Tim realized it looked like a person wearing a gown. But it looked more like a rock humanoid than an actual human. “I am a Crystal Fae.”

If this was the reason the kid disappeared, Tim was not going to let the opportunity pass by. “I won’t beat around the bush, are you keeping a kid around here?”

It didn’t reply, but the slight way it hovered slowly back was already telling. Wolf also didn’t fail to notice, slowly eyeing the Fae.

“If you are here to take the boy back, I am afraid I cannot grant you such a wish. Please tell his parents I have no desire for him to be harmed.” The Fae hovered gracefully. “In fact, I have taken him as my charge.”

Tim didn’t expect this specific situation. But he had already guessed it was a kidnapping case. But the Fae was civil with him, despite him and Wolf barging in her turf. It wouldn’t hurt to take things slowly; the kid wasn’t dead after all.

Time was on Tim’s side.

As with anything that was written in myths and legends, there’s little input from the actual creatures they were writing about when it comes to what happened to their daily lives. Past the tales of valor and romance, it seemed like the Fae spend little time in actually doing things other than taking care of the creatures inside its cave. The Fae floated along its cave, Tim and Wolf trailing behind, while it caresses each and every gemstone fox and stalactites (it was they were called, apparently) it comes across till they reached the cave’s deepest parts.

There laid a single crystal chamber, inside was a lone boy in suspended animation. There was nothing impressive about the boy that suggested why he was taken by the Fae. The boy had raven hair and while he had his eyes closed, everything else about him looked normal. There’d better be a good reason why the Fae had taken this kid.

With a wave of its appendage, the Fae summoned crystals which resembled furniture. The crystal table and chairs were ornately designed, one of the chairs were significantly lower than the others too. Wolf took notice and took its seat. Tim followed suit and waited for the Fae to take its own seat before it gestured to the pair.

“How can I convince you to let me keep this boy…” It wasn’t going to beat around the bush then, Tim appreciated its bluntness. “I apologize, but I failed to ask for your name.”

“It’s Tim.” The young man waved it off. “And you can’t really convince me. But you can tell me why…”

“The Faeries in these woods have not taken aggression with the villages being founded around us, Tim. We appreciate the new company; some even had traded on occasion. The villages, in turn, give assurance to us in keeping ill intended groups from needlessly cutting our resources down.”

“I have heard of mining operations coming around here some time ago. A very long time ago.”

“And it has caused some of the more aggressive of our kin great distress.” The single pink gem in its forehead glowed a dark pink, it looked like the crystal glowed with its mood. “Mages have intervened on behalf on both sides before, as well. It led to a great deal of prodding your capital’s politicians before they had given the decree to keep the forest as a nature reserve, or so I was told.”

Tim nodded. It wasn’t something he was keen on reading about, but Dr. Arthur Schwartz’s records weren’t something to be scoffed at. And Tim spent a lot of time with nothing but the researcher’s library and laboratory.

“As you can see, most of the Fae does not harbor any misgivings to the past. I most definitely do not.”

“And this led to your reason why you took the kid?”

“Took him in.” It corrected Tim. “It was not out of ill intent.”

“If his parents knew he was taken by a Fae, they’d take it as nothing but.”

It stopped, its crystal dimming. “I see…”

That wasn’t the response Tim expected. The Fae floated away from the table and went towards the child. It looked at the boy, even caressing the crystal. “I thought I could help him and promptly return him to his parents. I had heard of people still roaming around the forest, was that them?”

“Them and the whole village were trying to find the kid.” Tim nodded. “I was hired to help.”

“Is this true?” The Fae said, Tim didn’t know who it was talking to but didn’t seem like that last question was directed at him. “I see. You failed to tell me you were one of the protectors of an ancient Ley Line, Tim.”

“Ley Lines?”

“Madame Asena has told me as such,” The Fae floated back with them. “You are a member of Silver Wolf. The mage’s guild who, along with the guardian wolves, guard a Ley Line in the Phoenix Mountains.”

Tim quirked his brow, but a more important tidbit caught his attention. “Wait, who’s Asena?”

The Fae did not respond. An awkward silence crept up between the three. Tim furrowed his brow. There were only three of them here… three…

Tim looked at his companion and it, or rather, she huffed in her usual way. “Oh…”

“You were not joking?”

“How was I supposed to know Wolf’s name?” Tim sighed in resignation. “I don’t know telepathy.”

“I see.” The Fae hummed. “She doesn’t resent you; it seems. She mentioned you were slightly thickheaded about things.”

“Am I now?” Tim quirked his brow at his companion. “I don’t remember being the one jumping the gun on most fights we find ourselves when on a job.”

“We are digressing, however.” The Fae hummed as it gestured for their attention. “The boy’s parents are waiting for him, the sooner you can explain to them my reason the better we can resolve this misunderstanding.”

Tim nodded. “Right, sorry.”

“I have a simple reason for my actions, Tim. The boy is cursed.” The Fae said. “I have observed a malignant grasp of a jealous deity over the boy’s spirit.”

Tim’s heart sank and his head felt light as the Fae spoke. He stood up and slowly backed away. When he looked back to the chamber, he noticed the child had the inklike blotches forcibly taken off his skin, like it was washed away. “No…”

Wolf caught Tim, shielding the young man from falling down as the spirit wolf stood behind him. The Fae hovered closer to Tim, holding out its soft appendage as it caressed Tim’s cheek. “You are familiar with this curse, aren’t you?”

Tim looked at the Fae, his eyes were in a daze. “Why does it all go back to this? I tried helping.”

“I succeeded once. That’s enough… right?” Tim sat down the cave’s stone ground, looking at Wolf.

The young man looked down and slowly looked at the chamber. “Please tell me you’re trying to purify that kid.”

“I am.”

Tim shot up his head and stared at the Fae. “You can take the curse out!?”

“That is why I took him under my care.”

Tim shook his head. “Will it be gone permanently?”

“Yes.”

“Wolf. Get the parents, I need to talk to them.”

It took not more than a few minutes when Tim saw the three walking behind Wolf, when they found their son inside the crystal chamber their reaction was what Tim had anticipated.

““What have you done to our son!?””

Tim didn’t speak, letting them vent the Fae’s way. The Fae was patient with them too, having already been told by Tim what to expect. When the two noticed them not reacting in the slightest, they took a step back.

“…and you, Sir Mage!?” The mother was already hoarse when she turned her anger at Tim’s way. “Did this creature also gotten a hold of you!?”

Tim looked at them, his face frowning. “Has your son exhibited symptoms where there’s some inklike shadow physically swirling around his body?”

They froze.

“It seems like they are aware.”

“How do- no, what does this have to do with anything!?” The father took a step forward, trying to shield his spouse.

“Is it done?”

“Yes.”

“Do it.”

The Fae slowly flipped the crystal horizontally as it opened, slowly steam came out of the chamber as the boy slowly coughed. The parents didn’t understand a thing that’s happened, but they went to their son without hesitation. That was when Tim had finally understood the reason why the child and Talia’s curse had not manifested as much: they had people around them. It was the sappiest thing Tim had seen, but it worked!

The boy woke up. “Dad? Mom?”

“It’s okay, honey. We’re here.”

“But Miss Fae… where-”

“I am here.” The Fae gestured.

“Was I cured? I…”

“Not yet, but with a few more purification rituals, we can…”

“We are not letting you do anything else to our son, you monster!”

“Mom!” The boy’s scream echoed throughout the cave. “Miss Fae is helping me!”

The hunter was keeping to himself the entire time, but Tim noticed him holding his gun at the ready. “You’re not making any sense, kid.”

“The black thing around me… it was getting worse. But Miss Fae told me she could do it! She could take the curse away entirely!”

“It will take a month to do so.” The Fae supplied. “Which is why I had taken special care making this camber, it suspends his body’s functions and preserves his years. That way he will not miss a second of his childhood.”

Tim looked at how the parents were fiercely keeping the child in their arms. They knew about the curse but never glorified it, never took pains to worship it like some deity. All they wanted was their son to be treated normally as he could.

“I… let’s go home.” The father muttered. His spouse looked like she was in agreement. “I don’t trust you. Any of you.”
Tim took his mistrusting gaze head on, looked the man straight in the eye.

“Dad…”

The hunter guarded them, aiming his gun over Tim as they slowly back away to the cave’s entrance. Tim knew pressuring them in the Fae’s territory was a bad idea. He’ll have to talk to them later about it. The Fae was patient enough.

“Monster…” Tim spoke to soon, the Fae’s crystal dimmed as it parroted what the mother said.

“Don’t let it get to you.” Tim patted where he think the Fae’s head should be. “They didn’t know how to react. Their son was all they thought about.”

“I see.”

“But about your purification ritual, I know someone who needs your help-” Before Tim could say anything else, his iLac started to ring. There was a prerecorded vox message being sent his way. Wolf looked his way.

“We’re going.” Tim muttered. “The hunters we met a while ago, something happened to them.”

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