A Fitting End

It took nearly all of Kassidy's mana and another forty minutes before she would let me get to my feet. Even then it hurt, and I was told to just ride on Vendaval's back; as Vale said it 'was pathetic to see a grown woman hobble about so much', and it would save them all some hassle if I let the wolf carry me. It was annoying but I was hurt too bad to argue. I had told the lot of them to go on ahead and get the staff, as surly that would make healing me easier in the long run. But Roran gave me a dirty look and said that it was a stupid idea if I ended up getting eaten because I was too hurt to protect myself while the others went ahead.

As it turned out, the lights we saw were, indeed, torches. They were evenly spaced in the earth and made a path for us to follow, deeper into the seemingly endless vine web.

"Shouldn't there be, I don't know, supports of some sort in here." Asked Kassidy in a hushed voice. She walked along next to Vendaval, looking pretty worn out. I'd say, between healing the others mid battle and healing me in the aftermath, she was tapped out, mana wise. "How is this not all falling in on us?"

"Magic most likely, isn't it?" I asked, hungry and tapped out as well.

"Most likely." Agreed Markus. He and Vale were in the lead, taking us from one torch to the next. Roran was in the back this time. He would be no good if there was an ambush, but we were all so beat that no matter who-was-where we would be in a bind.

"Hey, look up ahead. I think I see something." Vale gestured to the light up ahead of us.

I had just assumed that it was another torch, but now that I focused, I could see a different quality to the light. It was not flickering, and it was far less yellow than a fire light.

"Its coming from the ceiling." Said Roran. "A sky light."

I looked up and saw that he was correct: there was a hole in the vines far above our heads and it was filtering down to the earth. Every step that brought us closer made our destination clearer to me. The light wasn't just hitting the ground. There was something else there as well. A pedestal or table of some sort perhaps. It was up off the ground, whatever it was.

"I think it's safe to say that that is our destination." Said Vale. Given the fight he just had he seemed to be the one in the best condition. His cloths and armor were a mess but other than a few cuts and bruises he didn't seem to be all that hurt. "I assume the staff we seek will be there."

"About time." Groaned Markus. "Kassidy lets agree now that we will be much better prepared next time we take on a dungeon. We clearly underestimated this place..."

"Yeah." Replied the healer.

"It was more a lack of information." Said Vale. "Had it just been the usual monsters and the average bosses that are found here we should have been fine. It wouldn't have been easy, but we would have made it out alright. But I had no clue there was an entire spider's nest here with the mother of all spiders inside. I figured we would be fighting single or double monsters out in the sun light. Not swarms of spiders in near total darkness inside a giant web of vines." He smiled and looked at the other man. "But yes, more fore thought would not have been amiss either."

"Sometimes you talk like an old man." I said, more of a mumble really. My face was pressed into wolf fur so I couldn't see him, but I could feel Vale glaring at me and I smiled.

"Looks like a table or bench." Said Kassidy, drawing all eyes forward once more.

She was right. It appeared to be a low table of some dark, rich colored wood. We were about fifteen feet away when I slid off Vendaval's back, and stepped up to the others so we were all facing the table. And on that table was the prize that we had fought so hard for: the staff.

"Its so beautiful..." Breathed Kassidy, and she was right, it was beautiful. A wooden staff, or maybe a wand as it was only a little bigger than a cane, carved from some sort of pristine white wood. The head of the staff looked something like a tangle of roots with a pale, lavender stone, round and smooth as a river stone, embedded in it. If someone told me this was a fairy staff, I wouldn't have argued with them.

"Hello."

I would have laughed at the fact that the whole lot of us- massive men and tiny females, furry wolf, and little dragon newt- jumped about a foot at the unexpected voice that came out of no where. A quick glance around provided no clues to it source.

"Um, down here." Piped up the tiny voice like a little bell.

So down I looked. There was nothing I could see on the ground nor around the carved legs of the table, but as my eyes rose upward, I saw. It was a god damn fairy! An honest to goodness, tiny pink dress, fluttery dragonfly wings, fairy.

"Well, shit." I said, dumbfounded.

"Humph!" Said the miniature girl. She was only about eight inches tall with honey gold hair and pale skin. Her eyes were that of a bug however, rainbowed and bulbus. It was creepy and cute at the same time. "I can't say that has ever been the first response I have ever heard before." She said sounding pouty and a little upset. "How rude!"

"Er, um... sorry about that." Hedged Markus, lowering his massive bulk so that he could get close to eye level with the fairy on the table. "My friend here is a demon and, from what I have seen of her so far, is not huge on tact."

"Hey!" I snapped.

"Sorry." Said Vale, giving me his signature withering stare. "We meant no offense. I am Vale, who are you?"

"Humph." Said the fairy once again. "I am Luetta of the Fairy Fields, at your service!"

"What fields??" I asked. I didn't think I said that rudely yet the looks everyone shot me said other wise.

"That girl really does get hangry..." whispered Markus making Kassidy laugh.

"I do not get hangry! I just asked a question." I gritted out. "Do you see a field, I sure as hell don't."

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Markus and Kassidy laughed while the rest of them looked at us like we had a few screws loose. God forbid a girl ask a question around here anymore. I mean, it was a perfectly legitimate question in my opinion.

"These-"Said Luetta, hovering up to about elbow height and spreading her arms wide, indicating the darkness all around us. "-are the Fairy Fields. Or, at least they were once upon a time. I couldn't even tell you how long ago it was now, that the spiders came and slowly the vines grew and grew. They kept going till the light was cut off and all the flowers and grass died. The spiders multiplied and their queen just got bigger and bigger." A sad look on her face, Luetta floated back down, sitting on the staff, and watching us. "At first many adventurers came. Every ten years brought a new crop of them, and many came here to see the fields. But the fields were gone and all that met them were the hoards of spiders..."

"Didn't any try and take out the queen?" Asked Kassidy, hands clasped together.

"Oh yes. At first it was just a few, but soon, maybe about thirty years later, there were many. But none prevailed, and each death fed the spiders, and their territory grew. Over the years the spider grew to be an S ranked beast and the adventurers stopped coming. It was all I could do to keep this small circle of light alive here in the center of the web. I was beginning to lose hope that any could kill that monster and free the fields."

"The fields still appear to be entangled." Stated Roran rather obviously.

"Yes... This is the Summer Sleeper Staff." Luetta told us, patting the white wood. "It is a very powerful healing tool. With it a person could heal the fields."

"Heal the fields?" Asked Markus, as confused as me. I didn't ask, however. Clearly, I would just get more flack if I tried.

"Yes, these vines are not natural after all. They are a curse magic, a disease upon the land that chokes and kills all that it touches. This staff, wielded by the right person, can cure this land and return it too how it once was. But not just anyone can take hold of the Summer Sleeper for it is a divine tool, set upon this world by the gods themselves."

"Is it truly?" Asked Roran, actually sounding awed, staring at the staff with even greater interest.

"And only specific people can use divine tools?" Asked Markus.

"Certain people, yes. But not necessarily specific. Only those with the title of 'One Blessed by the Gods' can touch it. And only a hero, kind and true, can even hope to use it."

"That is awfully specific..." I couldn't help but say.

The fairy glared but Markus chuckled. "Yes, that is pretty true I suppose."

"Basically, it means you have no chance!" Snapped Luetta, jumping back into the air and waving a tiny fist in my face.

"Oh? You think so, do you?" I growled back.

"Yes, I do, you stinking, bad mouthed demon!"

It wasn't so much the fairy's ire that made me reach out for the wooden staff. I sort of expected that and even found it a little funny. No, it was Roran's laughter that made me mad enough to throw caution to the wind and snatch the piece of wood off the table. That man had pressed my every nerve ending and I just wanted to wipe the smarmy look off his moderately okay looking face.

"Sin, no!" Shouted Kassidy, face pale and lurching forward, most likely hoping to stop me from bursting into flame or something.

But my hand closed around the surprisingly warm wood with no ill effects, and I raised it up and settled it on a shoulder without being struck by lightning. I glared at the priest and the dumbfounded fairy. "What do you have to say now? Nothing? "

"How?" asked Luetta, floating in front of my eyes.

"You said I only needed the 'One Blessed by the Gods' title, right? Well, what can I say, the gods seem to like me. Or at least one of them anyway. Can't say I have had the opportunity to ask the opinions of any others. Here-"I said shoving the staff toward Kassidy. "I may be blessed by the gods, but I can most assuredly say that I am not 'kind and true'. So, the next part is up to you miss hero."

"Oh um, yes..." Her hands wrapped around the staff.

"Besides, it is -in no way- my style. I am fairly sure that no self-respecting demon would be prancing around fairy fields with a magical staff called Summer Sleeper. I'd be a laughingstock at the next Demon convention for sure."

"Sin, I didn't realize you had the same title as us." Breathed a shocked Markus, looking like he was still mid attempt to grab me.

I looked at him, confused. "How did you think I got into the cathedral the day we met?" I asked.

"I guess I never thought about it..."

I shrugged. The less they asked the better I suppose so I didn't mind them believing what ever they wanted.

"Exactly how is it a demon gained this title?" Said Roran. His tone was too even. It felt like he had been wanting, or rather waiting, to ask it for a while. But that made no sense either. It is possible that he suspected I had this title, but if he did then why not mention it to the heroes.

"What makes you think I am required to tell you that? Seems like a private religious matter to me. Besides, why shouldn't I have it any less than any other race mister priest? Are demons not also governed and watched over by the gods?"

Roran's eyes darkened. He was not happy with my answer but what could he do about it? After all, I had valid points, and it really was none of his business.

"You are correct of course." Said the fairy, Luetta. "And I apologize for suggesting that it was impossible."

"No problem." I spoke. "Anyway, should you not be getting with the healing here Kassidy? I must admit that I would very much prefer a fairy field to a creepy vine spider cave."

"Yes." Said Kassidy. "You are right. What is it I need to do Luetta? How do I heal the Field?"

The fairy made a happy ringing noise that I took to be laughter and flew in a loop. "It is easy, so long as you have the ability! Just wave the staff above your head in a circle and cry 'Dispel'! that should do it."

She looked like she wanted to say "that's embarrassing" but she refrained. Apparently, Kassidy had better control over her mouth than me. I totally would have blurted something out. Looking worried and not completely sure of herself, Kassidy lifted the white staff above her hear, and made a wide arcing circle with it.

"Dispel!" She shouted. It was like the spell echoed around this empty space, the word on repeat. And at first it seemed like nothing was going to happen as we all stood their holding our breath in the echoes. Kassidy even started to turn beat red, Markus rubbing the back of his neck in sympathy.

Just as it looked as if Vale was going to say something to comfort the hero there was a resounding cracking, creaking noise. Then the ground shook, causing both Kassidy and I to scream. I latched on to Vendaval for support as a single thought raced through my mind: The vines are coming down!

"We have to get out of here!" Screamed Kassidy, hands over her head, anticipating the huge vines suspended over our heads to come crashing down upon us at any second.

"There is no way we can get out of here in time!" Shouted Markus, using his big body to shelter Kassidy and Roran. Vale stood next to him, swords out probably out of habit as I rather doubted, they would help if a million tons of vines fell in on us.

"Wait, look!" I shouted, pointing up.

Instead of there being massive chunks of plant life falling upon us, it looked as if the ceiling was dissolving. The hole that the light was entering from seemed to be getting bigger, letting in more light. And by that light I could see that the vines were breaking into particles, like green snowflakes of sun light, blowing away on the wind. And the process was speeding up as we watched. Speeding up to the point that it was suddenly done in an instant and where we stood on a barren land, staring up into the blue sky.

Tears fell from my eyes. If anyone asked, I would have insisted that it was because the sudden sunlight hurt my eyes. But the truth was that there was just this overwhelming feeling inside of me. A feeling of warmth and freedom. It was like a hug or maybe caste kiss upon the brow. It was a goodbye and a thank-you. It was sad and lonely yet the feel of a familiar friend. Too many things that I did not know, and it all swelled up inside and the only way to let it out was through my tear ducts.

I brushed at my eyes and looked at the liquid clinging to my fingers. When I looked up from them it was only to meet Vale's own stormy eyes. He too seemed to be sheading tears. I couldn't explain why but it felt like a profound moment. It was a second in time that would stay with me till the day I died. The day the sun shone on the Fairy Fields of Elswell Forest.