Chapter 18: If All Are Not Free, There Is No Victory

Since the power and energy that is here, and the power and energy that is there, no matter how great the distance, are the same power and energy, that makes all places connected and accessible by magic. Magic, of course, being the ability to plug into that power and energy.

Kyle is sucked into the vortex and is sliding through a winding tunnel that seems to be made of magical ice, with a myriad of colors that puts the most beautiful rainbow to shame.

At which speed the journey seems to be going through the wormhole and with all the twists and turns, one would think there would be pain and fear, but it does not exist in this portal leading to who knows where.

Kyle is just beginning to enjoy the ride when the portal ends abruptly and unceremoniously dumps him on his rear. Kyle stands up, looks around him, and the first thing he notices is that the storm is gone. Then he notices he is standing in a shimmering meadow surrounded by small mountains on three sides, and an ocean on the northern side. The lush green grasslands are full of flowers, and there is a grove of trees off in the distance. Not seeing anyone about, Kyle figures that will be the best place to start.

Now at this point, most people might be concerned or at the very least wondering what is happening, but Kyle has long ago learned not to fight his destiny.

When Kyle reaches the grove of trees he thinks he hears a person crying off in the distance. However, it turns out that the voice is not off in the distance, but belongs to a tiny fairy who is sitting on a limb just above his head.

"What is wrong, little one?" Kyle asks in his most gentle voice.

The adorable little fairy sucks in a quick breath, because she is startled that Kyle had been able to sneak up on her without her knowing it. But these days, with her little heart broken and her mind worrying about her people, she often is lost in her misery.

She stares down at this human man with her eyes wide, wondering if she should trust him. Fairies are of the magical community, and she can see a strong aura of light pulsating around the stranger. She lets out a sad sigh and jumps off the branch. Kyle cups his hands and makes to catch her, but she floats down on exquisite little shimmering wings that are see-through. She lands gently in Kyle's cupped hands and looks up at him with sad eyes. They are the most beautiful blue eyes Kyle has ever seen. Her eyes go along perfectly with her long glistening platinum blonde hair.

Kyle has known many fairies in his kingdom, and like the ones he has the honor to know back home and even call several true friends, this one is not shy in the least. She wears a cute knee length pink chiffon dress that is completely transparent. She has an exquisite petite body that is identical to any fit human woman's, just tiny in size.

"What is your name, sir?"

"My name is Kyle. What is your name, little one?"

"My name is Cadence."

"Well, Cadence, why are you so sad, precious one?"

Cadence takes a deep shuddering breath, rests her arm on Kyle's palm and thumb of his right hand, and then rests her pretty head on her arm and then crosses her legs at her ankles while resting up against Kyle's hand. "My people are fighting with each other. It is almost a full-blown civil war. All because of a new movement of fairies who think that everybody should be given everything. Why can they not understand that the more you do for a fairy, the weaker they become? We are losing our self-reliance, but at long last the minority strong are standing up for themselves and us, and blood has been shed." Cadence takes in another shuddering breath, plops right down in the center of Kyle's cupped hands, crosses her legs and starts crying.

"Maybe I can help."

"Do you really think you can?" she looks up hopeful.

"It can't hurt to try, and I am a Centurion Wizard from the land of Parrethia. All my fairy friends back home are magical creatures, so I must assume you are, too. Maybe because we are both magical creatures they will listen to me." Kyle smiles and raises his eyebrows, hoping to calm her.

Cadence ceases her crying, gathers herself together, stands up with a strong look of determination on her pretty face and says, "Wonderful! How wonderful it is that you are a wizard. You know, I was just praying to the Heavenly Gods for some help, and here you are."

Kyle smiles knowingly and whispers, "Yes, here I am. By the way, where am I exactly?"

"You are on the northern side of the great Desert of Origin, in my homeland of Owen," says Cadence proudly with a heart-melting smile. "Those are the Pristine Mountains, and you find yourself in the Evergreen Meadow. This grove of trees is our home and we call it Fairyland."

"I am all the way on the other side of Owen!" Kyle lets out his own sigh.

"I do not know. Why, where were you?"

"I was just about to reach the Rye Mountains."

"The Rye Mountains, they are a long ways away. Why would you want to go there? There are some very bad people there. Mean dark sorcerers who sometimes try to hurt fairies when they can catch us." Cadence is looking at Kyle with a scrunched up face, waiting for an answer while tapping her foot and crossing her arms.

"My friends and I are actually going to fight those bad people and bring peace and hope back to the Kingdom of Owen."

Cadence looks shocked and disbelieving at first, until finally she just shakes her head and says, "You must really be a powerful wizard then. You help us first, and then you go get the bad guys."

"Yes, dear one. I hope so, dear one."

Kyle and Cadence walk deeper into the grove of trees where she says her people live. Well actually, Cadence spends her time flying or sitting on Kyle's shoulder. Kyle quickly learns that Cadence is a talker, because as she sits on his shoulder and talks into his ear she tells him stories of her people, her meadow, and of the many troubles that have come to her land ... incessantly.

As they are walking along, Kyle begins to hear what he thinks is a swarm of bees just up ahead. When flashes of light start blinking in and out of the trees Cadence shouts, "My people are fighting again!" and she flies off to intercede. Kyle does his best to keep up, but that is one very fast fairy.