Tristan kept walking and as he entered the lush, green meadows – spotting Midnight and Onyx grazing in the distance, he kept frowning. It's my Realm, he thought. It is my essence, and I know that each Elf takes up a certain amount of that essence. I need a way to visualize it to really see the impact.
He stopped and turned to the back entrance of the Queen's Wood. Calling over some fairy dragons to fetch his gear, he went up to the top boughs, to the writing desk up there, and sat down with parchment and paper. Let's try this. He began spinning his essence crucible in both directions, connecting to the Fey Realm. As he put pen to paper, he spoke, willing the world to his whims.
"Haluan nähdä valtakuntamme olemuksen kapasiteetin tällä edessäni olevalla paperilla." (I desire to see the capacity of our Realm's essence on this paper before me).
He felt the essence surging through him go down his arm and he let the power take hold of his limb, watching as the Realm that he was merged with responded by creating an easy to visualize version of the Fey Realm's current essence. We are only consuming ten percent of the Realm's ambient essence?
|___ | 100%
|___ | 95%
| ██ | 90%
| ██ | 85%
| ██ | 80%
| ██ | 75%
| ██ | 70%
| ██ | 65%
| ██ | 60%
| ██ | 55%
| ██ | 50%
| ██ | 45%
| ██ | 40%
| ██ | 35%
| ██ | 30%
| ██ | 25%
| ██ | 20%
| ██ | 15%
| ██ | 10%
| ██ | 5%
| ██ | 0%
Well, there's a lot of essence left over, he thought. The greed, that anger over coveting the Realm's power, began to fade as he realized how much there was available. "Matriarch! Top boughs!" he shouted.
She flew up a few moments later, still with a dour expression on her face. "Yes, Lord Tristan?"
He gestured to the paper, "I…I may have…" he cleared his throat. "I am sorry for snapping at you. Dragon essence crucibles seem to have a slight personality altering effect."
She raised an eyebrow, "Slight?"
"Okay, maybe it is more major than I anticipated," Tristan replied. "Regardless…Perhaps I was too harsh in my desire to keep other Elves out." He tapped the paper, "How much essence of the Realm does a single Winterbloom take up?"
"Well, if you are going on this chart, about half of a percent."
"And the other Elf types?"
"Less than a percent. Far less."
Tristan leaned back, "Give me some number idea."
She sighed, "I am not a fan of this level of rigor and numbers you wish to quantify items in such terms. A single Summerbalm Elf would be less than a tenth of a tenth of a percent..." She shut her eyes and rubbed her temples, "I'd say for one percent of the Fey Realm's essence capacity, you would have a thousand Summerbalm, five thousand Springthaw, or ten thousand Fallthorn."
Tristan did some quick numbers on the parchment, "I…I was far too concerned over this," he stated. "We know non-Elves do not take up the essence of the Realm, yes?"
"Correct. Though if new births occur here which is entirely possible given your plans for new residents to be screened and allowed to stay…that may change." She shook her head, "But nothing stronger than a Springthaw Elf."
Tristan glanced back at the paper, "I do not know how many Elves are in the Mortal Realm. But it cannot be more than…what, a few hundred thousand at the most?"
"No more than a hundred thousand of pure-blooded Elves," The Matriarch replied. "Half-breeds, however, there could be far, far more. And once they come here, they would experience the same as you did when you first arrived – your human heritage shoved aside in favor of the Elf heritage."
Tristan returned to the paper and did some math, "Even if we took in, say, a million Elves and Half-breed Elves…that would be only at most twenty percent of the Realm's essence."
She nodded, "That may be correct. I do not work well with numbers of anything using strict orders of operation."
"I was wrong, then," Tristan stated as he stood up. "We have enough that I don't need to be greedy – that is my fault, and I will endeavor to keep it in check. I ask your forgiveness." He turned to her and bowed slightly at the waist, "My apologies."
The Matriarch smiled ever-so-slightly. "I accept your apology, but it is your Realm. You do not need to apologize."
"I'm not going to be like my forebear," Tristan replied as he recalled what he had learned of Zeltana from his various conversations with Fey Realm residents. "I am going to be better than her." He stood up straight, "Please tell Dorothy that I will allow Elves – but they must go through the same screening process."
"Of course." The Matriarch turned to the edge of the platform but paused and glanced back at him. "As you unseal portions of the Realm, more ambient essence will be available. You are worried over nothing, Lord Tristan. You would need to produce many, many children to even make a dent in the Realm's essence capacity."
"Wait," Tristan said. The Matriarch looked back at him with curiosity. "I want to unseal the Springthaw Meadows. Can you send our militarized fairy dragons to join me over at the boulder?"
"Of course," she replied. She launched herself skyward and shifted into her full-sized fairy dragon form. She let out a roar and remained, flapping above him as fairy dragons began to fly up to the platform. "Why now?" she asked.
Tristan walked to the back of the top boughs and looked out over the Springthaw Meadows. He could still see Onyx and Midnight, now running across the green, purple, and yellow grassland. The large boulder with the seal was in the center of the swirling ocean of stalks. "We will need some mounts," he said. "The Wild Realm is a big place given what Bertram said. I think it's time we got ourselves some Unicorns to ride."
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He squatted down, spinning his crucible and feeling the cool, refreshing energy surge into his legs. "I will glide on these mighty wings!" he jumped up and the spectral draconic wings manifested as he glided toward the stone in the distance. He practiced swooping to gain some speed and then evening out to travel farther in his glide, and he touched down a few feet before the massive boulder.
The fairy dragons with their scythe-hands flew above him, and The Matriarch flapped above it all. "We are ready whenever you are," she said with confidence.
Clambering up the object, Tristan placed his hand on the symbol scrawled atop. He spun and reverse-spun his crucible, pouring the Realm's energy through him and into the seal. It glowed a deep, vibrant purple, and he also poured essence into his weapon and armor, activating Scales of Our Foe, Armor of Ice, Near Miss, Lucky Instinct, Elemental Imbuement with a focus on fire, and Dragon's Doom.
The seal filled up, and the rock cracked down the center. Tristan had to jump to the side and slide down the huge boulder as the grasslands expanded; the ground shaking under his feet as he squatted down to keep himself put in place. The sounds of whinnying filled the air, along with the thundering of hooves. The grasses grew up to waist height, and Tristan could see the majestic, huge, destrier-sized white horses with glimmering sparkles trailing their manes and tails – racing across the vast plains that now spread even further.
The Queen's Wood had receded – or maybe Tristan had been moved further away, he was not sure. But he spotted Onyx and Midnight – two black dots amongst the sea of white and rainbows – as they joined the herd. They were almost welcomed, it seemed, and Tristan just took in the sight of hundreds of Unicorns racing across the landscape. Their horns glimmered a deep, pearlescent black; but their manes were an utter mess. No one has groomed them, he thought.
The Matriarch let out a roar, and the thundering of hoofbeats ceased. "Fellow creatures of the Fey Realm! You have a new ruler! Come to me and meet your new Lord!"
Tristan saw the herd wheel and began racing toward him. The Matriarch landed right behind him and furled her wings around him – a protective enclosure from all except the front. The thundering hooves grew louder, and louder, and for a brief moment Tristan thought of putting up an Ice Wall to protect himself – but the herd came to a slow and a single Unicorn emerged from the mass. Its fur along its torso was striated with colored streaks of barely-visible, glimmering pinks and yellows.
"A Winterbloom?" the masculine voice asked. A deep, rumbling bass.
The Matriarch spoke, "This is Lord Tristan Winterbloom. Ruler of the Fey Realm and your rightful lord."
The unicorn let out a whinny that sounded like a laugh. "A male Winterbloom?"
Tristan stopped pushing essence into his arms and armor, sheathing his blade as he did so. "Yes, that's right," he said with as much authority as he could muster. "Do you have a problem with that?" he asked.
The Unicorn leader walked a small circle around Tristan – much like Thallia had done upon their first encounter. But this was not a near-sensual display of examination – this was more like being examined by his grandfather while holding a specific stance with his sword. "Hmph. You carry yourself well."
Tristan smiled, "Onyx, Midnight, come here."
Both black horses approached him, but the Unicorn looked back at them and stamped the ground with his hoof a few times, and they stopped. "Lord Winterbloom," the Unicorn began. "I see you have put saddles on these proud lesser cousins. A disgrace!"
There were whinnies and neighs, and nods of approval from the other Unicorns as several spoke in Elvish, their voices overlapping.
Tristan just sighed, "Ask them. I don't know how you talk to horses – but it seems that you can. So ask them how I treat them."
The horses, in a rather odd sight to Tristan's eyes, began…conversing with the unicorn. In little whinnies, neighs, and lip-flaps making that "pftt" noise. Eventually, the unicorn looked back to Tristan. "I concede that you treated them well, but you still put saddles on them." That word was filled with venom.
"I apologize, then, if it was such a grievous offence. But in the Mortal Realm, it is common practice."
Onyx neighed, seemingly in confirmation.
The Unicorn rolled his eyes and walked until he was right in front of Tristan. If he had dipped his head down, the horn would have pierced Tristan's forehead. "I will only respect one who can demonstrate he is worthy of ruling over my species."
"What's your name?" Tristan asked.
The Matriarch cut in and replied, "This one is not the same as the leader when this part of the Realm was sealed. He must a descendant."
The Unicorn stomped several times, "I am called Prosh, in this tongue. My lineage traces back to the first Unicorn, and his blood flows through my veins."
Tristan crossed his arms, "What do I need to do to prove myself worthy?"
The Unicorn smirked – as much as a horse could smirk, but the tone of voice left no room for doubt that he was smug. "You have to hold on. Thirty seconds. If I buck you off, you cede your claim over the Unicorn species, and we will reside here of our own volition."
Or, Tristan thought, I crush this insolence now. He spun and reverse spun his crucible, as he channeled the essence of the Realm through himself and became one with it. "Stand still," he ordered.
The Unicorn before him, the proud, arrogant Prosh, froze in place. But his mouth still moved. "What is this?"
"I rule this Realm," Tristan replied as he walked to Prosh's side, reached up and made sure he got a good grip of hair along mane near the skin so that he wouldn't be hurting the beast, and leaped up, swinging a leg over. "Thirty seconds? We start now."
"This is not fair! I cannot move!"
Tristan sat there, knowing it was his turn to be smug. "I am the Last Lord of the Fey Realm. The last Winterbloom in existence. You will do what I tell you. And you are going to stay put for the next twenty-five seconds."
The Matriarch chuckled a bit as the other Unicorns looked on with mild amusement, "You should not have challenged Lord Tristan like that," she said.
Prosh let out a neigh of frustration, "Why can I not move?!"
"The Realm is mine," Tristan replied. "Everything in the Realm is mine." He felt that greed rising up in his chest, but he knew the truth of the situation. He was the ruler, and this was just one of his subjects. One who would obey the hierarchy and obey his commands. "I count fifteen more seconds."
Prosh continued to protest, but the time elapsed, and Tristan dismounted before taking his place in front of The Matriarch. "And there we go," Tristan said with a smile. "I win. You may move now."
Prosh lowered his head and began stamping at the ground, as if intent on charging the short distance to impale Tristan. "Arrogant! Stupid Winterbloom! I have ruled this herd for dozens of years!"
Tristan looked at Onyx and Midnight. I wonder…I can control things in the Realm. I can make new species eventually once The Matriarch tells me how…but what if I can alter creatures in here? He raised a hand to the two and pushed the essence of the Realm to them, whispering his command. "Muodostasi tulee ympärilläsi olevien olentojen muoto, ja liityt valtakuntaan pysyvänä asukkaana." (Your forms will become that of the creatures around you, and you will join with the Realm as a permanent resident).
The change was immediate. Both Onyx and Midnight shimmered with silvery light as their manes became more majestic, their tails growing ever-so-slightly, and their black fur taking on a luster and shimmering strands of purple and pink. Prominent, contrasting, white horns sprouted from their heads.
Midnight spoke, her voice bright and cheery. "Oh! That tickled! We can talk!" she sounded astonished and looked over at Onyx, "And you have a horn!"
Onyx replied, a deep, deep rumbling bass. "You too, love." He looked over to Tristan, "Lord Tristan, I assume this is your doing?"
"Ye-" Tristan began to reply.
But Prosh cut him off, raising his head and stamping his front hoof in fury. "You dare make Unicorns without my permission?!"
Tristan felt that anger in his chest, bubbling up from within, and he looked at the Unicorn with the most rage-filled stare he could muster. "This is my Realm. I will do what I want with it. You have shown me nothing but insolence. The Matriarch showed respect before I proved my worth. Thallia respects me. Dorni respects me. I cannot have a Unicorn on the Fey Court who disrespects me." He turned to The Matriarch, "What do you suggest?"
"Have the other Unicorns vote for a leader," She replied.
Tristan turned back to the herd and raised his voice despite Prosh's protestations. "You heard The Matriarch! I, Tristan Winterbloom, your rightful lord, order you to vote for one to represent your species in the Fey Court."
Prosh was seemingly sucked back into the herd as the other Unicorns clustered around him and all but pushed him back into the press of bodies. Onyx walked over and dipped his head, "Thank you, Lord Tristan, for taking us with you. Your father's stables were decent, but this place is far, far nicer."
Midnight nodded her head in assent, "And we are expecting child. This Realm will be great for our foal to grow up."
That made Tristan feel some lightness that overshadowed the anger from before. "That is good to hear. I would have asked you both to join myself and my brother in the Wild Realm for some traveling – but I do not want to risk either of your health given that news."
Onyx shook his head, "It would be my honor to carry you on your journeys. Midnight will be perfectly fine here with our new herd."
The various Unicorns quieted down, and one walked forth. Speaking with a slightly higher, still masculine voice. "I am Prish. The second born of our last Herd Leader. I would be pleased to represent the Unicorn species at the Fey Court."
"Excellent," Tristan replied as he eyed Prosh in the back, seething and staring daggers at him. "Make sure you keep your brother in check."
"I will ensure it," Prish replied.
Tristan looked back to The Matriarch, "Mind managing things and getting them integrated and introduced to everyone else?"
"It would be my pleasure," she replied. "Come, Prish. Let's speak."
Tristan looked at Onyx, "We'll be heading out in the hour. Please ask for another two Unicorns who wish to travel and carry my brother and his spouse."
"I will do so, Lord Tristan." Onyx dipped his head.
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.