Chapter 2
FINN
These weren't the lodgings I intended to spend my night in.
They are a far cry from the silk sheets and burning incense of Merigold's room. But they were the best a few rusted coppers tucked inside the back pocket of my trousers could afford.
The room is modest to say the least.
It is barely large enough to fit the meager mattress and small writing desk. A cracked window lets in balmy night air, making my shirt cling to my neck and shoulders.
One lone, pale candle illuminates my room. Jagged shadows cast along the tweed sack. Power thrums from inside the fabric, making me feel restless.
My fingers dig into the wooden surface of the desk. I've been staring at the bag for the last few hours, praying for this to contain the answers I’ve been hunting.
Does magic truly weep from between the rough fabric, or is it my imagination?
I had felt the bag's weight as I left the gambling den in search of accommodations.
I felt every eye upon me as I weaved through the crowd, solidifying my decision that whatever lurked inside was best revealed in private.
If I were to be disappointed, I didn't want anyone too close. Gods know how my beast would react.
I couldn't afford to be revealed with too many eyes watching.
My cowardice keeps my hands at my sides.
A meager bowl of stew and sour ale sits forgotten.
Laughs and shouts echo from the lively streets below.
No doubt my sailors are enjoying more pleasurable company.
If all goes as planned and I haven’t been swindled, I will be able to rejoin them before our two weeks are up.
Merigold was always partial to my looks. Perhaps she'll spare some of her time with me on credit. Once I'm rid of this curse, I vow to visit her regularly.
Part of me knows it won't be as simple as I'm making it out to be.
If this is truly what I’ve been searching, otherworldly horrors await me. Stories of fairy portals are not well known. It was Gree who taught me about them. He was the one who believed they had the answers I sought.
One would lead me to a land and beings rife with magic. Fairies themselves weren’t known to be friendly or helpful, but as information on them held as much credence as a child’s bedtime story, I retained a small amount of hope.
If the legends were to be believed, and I were to procure a fairy wish, they would be required to grant it.
Gods only know what those creatures will require for me to earn one.
I don't have a choice. I can't keep living like this. With the ability to save myself resting on the battered desk, I refuse to waste any more time.
This is all ridiculous. A grown man searching out fairy magic through a fairy portal to rid himself of a fairy's curse.
The idea alone would drive a normal person mad.
Perhaps I have gone mad. It wouldn't be shocking living with the unfortunate cards I've been dealt.
Glancing at the thin mattress, all manner of sweat and bodily fluids stain the thin blanket and unfortunate-looking pillows. I won't be sleeping there. I pray that I'll find usable riches on the other side of this portal to acquire a more suitable bed.
If I am fortunate enough to return.
Scrubbing my hand down my face, I drag the bag across the wood. Heaviness sags the fabric as it scrapes across the marred surface. The scent of metal coats the air. For the tenth time, I take stock of the weapons strapped to my hips and the sword along my back.
This adventure may be ridiculous, but I'm not foolish enough to do it without being properly armed.
Reckless hope rises within me again as I pull the bag apart.
Tipping it, nothing happens for a moment. I consider tracking Gree down and bashing him over the head for conning me, when the room begins to swirl.
Heavy fog seeps in from the window and blankets the floor. Pure starlight begins to fall from the bag. It covers the rotted floorboards in a shallow pool of glimmering light. Dazzling silver stars glitter up at me from the onyx pool they're floating in.
A chill soaks through my boots and spreads up my legs.
The fog teases me like a caress. Stars swirl in an enticing whirlpool. It lures me closer, more potent than a siren's song.
I shuffle forward. Starlight licks at my calves. Metal coats my tongue and burns my nose.
Well, at least I wasn't swindled by the man I consider my father. Small miracles in that discovery, but the rest is still uncertain. Revealing the portal was the easy part. The matter of entering it remains.
It's very likely I'll be ripped to shreds the moment I step through.
The flesh will tear from my bones, and my bloody husk will land in some hidden realm. No one will ever learn what became of the daring and ridiculously handsome treasure hunter Finn.
Merigold and all the other lovelies of the Silk Pillow will mourn the loss of my cock and tongue. My crew will disband, and the treasures of this world will be found by less worthy individuals. A tragedy.
One there's no time to dwell on. I have a curse to blight.
Reaching the center of the whirlpool, I stick my foot into it. It slips from this world. A breeze licks at my ankles. There’s no discernible bottom.
Inhaling deeply, I summon all the courage I possess. Everything will be fine.
There’s the chance I could find myself in a realm of curvaceous fairy females who want to admire me naked in exchange for a wish. Or perhaps I'll earn one by reaching things for them on tall branches. The depiction of them in Gree's books shows them as no larger than my palm.
Maybe they have some beast they need me to slay. I'm not one for spilling blood, but I'll do what I must to earn my wish.
Most likely I'll be jumping feet first into endless darkness and die. Only one way to find out.
Without giving myself a chance to hesitate, I launch forward. My stomach lurches as the portal swallows me. Starlight encases me like a coffin.
The black void swallows me whole. Air rushes around me, ripping at my hair and snagging at my clothes. It burns my chapped cheeks. I grip my weapons so as not to lose them to the roaring wind.
I fall and fall and fall.
My screams are swallowed up the faster I plummet. The scent of fresh grass and honey swirls around me. I twist and roll through the unending darkness. My feet flip over my head as I go around and around.
It feels like it takes years for my back to finally land with a harsh thud against something solid. Wetness soaks through my thin shirt and splatters along my pants. Blinking open my eyes, my breath catches.
Fresh grass and rose petals invade my lungs. Above me is glittering sunlight that filters between glossy tree leaves and shimmering branches.
I take stock of myself, wiggling my toes and fingers. The portal must've had the good sense to slow my descent, or I would’ve turned to mush instead of the grass I landed on.
Birds flutter through the trees above. Their white bodies glow as do the lightning bugs weaving between the undergrowth. Wildflowers in colors I've never seen before rest on either side of me. Their bulbs pulse with light. There are more colors in this one place than I've seen in all my travels.
The rich scent of soil rises to rival the sweet florals perfuming the air. The temperature is mild. A soft breeze tickles my cheeks.
Well, I'm not dead, and nothing has tried to kill me. I'd say this is shaping up better than I thought—
Something cold bites into my throat. Glancing down, I can make out the sharp edge of a silver blade. Without moving my neck, my eyes drift to the owner of the weapon. His long black hair is scraped back from his severe face.
Proud wings match the green scales of his armor. His eyes burn with intensity. Red colors the tips of his pointed ears.
He is much larger than my palm. I knew Gree's book couldn't be trusted.
The fairy spits something at me. The harsh consonants and high-pitched vowels are unlike any human language I’ve come across. He tries his command again. When I don't answer, his anger only rises.
"I have no idea what you’re saying, but the knife at my throat is loud and clear," I mumble
The blade digs deeper into my flesh as the fairy barks another harsh order. Seems I spoke too soon. Maybe I'll have better luck with the females.
If I live long enough to meet one, that is.