Chapter 8: Her Final Deception

“Hey buddy!” Neinol says to Arden, who’s sitting on a bench looking down at his hands, with two other fairy hunters standing behind him. “Can we sit here with ya?”

Arden ignores Neinol and continues to stare at his hands, stuck in his thoughts.

Neinol smirks. “Well, you didn’t say no.” Neinol and the two other fairy hunters proceed to sit beside Arden.

“Do you guys know why they’re just keeping Elai locked up?” One of the fairy hunters asked. “Couldn’t we have just executed her in the courtroom.”

Neinol sighs. “That’d be one heck of a boring way to make a species go extinct. I proposed to the king for him to invite the whole capital to her execution. And guess what?” Neinol leans into the other fairy hunters. “The king says that her wings will be cut, and that they’re gonna throw her off a really tall execution stand so that once she falls, we’ll all go in and torture her with our fairy exterminating weapons.”

“Wow multiple at once? That’s gotta be painful!”

Neinol laughs. “It will, especially for a fairy. But hey, those fairies get what they deserve.”

Hearing their laughter causes Arden to feel queasy.

…

When Arden went to sleep that night, he’d see the execution stand from below. And once she falls down, all the fairy hunters would run in and slice her from limb to limb.

Arden awakens and runs to the toilet, puking out all his disgust. Too many emotions were consuming Arden. Guilt: For snitching her out. Fear: Of what will happen to his sister. Disgust: With himself, and all the other fairies that are thrilled to slaughter her. And hopelessness: That there’s nothing he can do about it.

…

The next morning, Elai stood cuffed to the wall. “I’m sorry friend.” She looks at Adalaine stuck inside a cage on the floor. “I hope the butterflies are visible enough through the bars to help her find you.”

“Adalaine doesn’t care what happens to her… Adalaine is worried about Elai… Will you be okay?” Adalaine says in a concerned tone.

Elai shakes her head. “I don’t think so this time. My wings have been cut, and their weapons were made to extinguish my soul. The only hope I have left is for my theory from all those years ago to actually work, and if so, then quickly.”

“Hnngh…”

Elai laughs. “Are you crying for me now? Even after how I’ve treated you all these years?”

“Adalaine is just… I'm going to miss Elai so much… Hick… Thank you for being Adalaine’s friend all this time…” Adaline's sniffles that could only be heard by Elai consumed the room.

“And you mine…” Elai says right before two guards come and grab her, and tie her in a rope. While being taken away, Elai looks back at Adalaine. “May you someday be free…”

Elai was taken up a long walk of stairs to a 150 feet high execution stand in a heavy rain storm, where King Tenic and Susanna awaited her. Elai looked down from the side, and could barely see anything past the thick raindrops, but she knew a bunch of blood thirsty fairy hunters awaited her below.

“People of Luis!” King Tenic shouts. “I am sorry that after all these years you guys remained in fear! But, I am here to announce that the final fairy has been captured!” People from all over Sina cheer after hearing the news. “Now, it is time to bring this flightless fairy to extinction!”

Susanna grabs Elai, and drags her to the end.

“Hold on a second!” Someone shouts. Elai, Susanna, and King Tenic look behind them to see Arden. “Hold on.” Arden walks closer to them. “I found her. So I get to execute her.”

Susanna smiles. “That’s right! Our great fairy hunter should do the honors of eliminating the final fairy.”

Susanna looks at King Tenic and he nods. “Very well.” He turns to the audience. “Now then! Watch as Arden, the great fairy hunter, eliminates the Fairy of Deception!”

Arden took a sword from a guard that carried Elai up. And as he approached Elai closer, she could see the sadness in his eyes. “Fly far away and find your way home.” Arden whispers. Elai flinches and sees a smile on Arden’s face. “Fly high, you precious butterfly.” Arden then stabs Elai in the chest, but Elai soon notices that it wasn’t his sword. Arden’s sword that took away fairies souls.

But, Susanna soon notices the sword and pushes Arden out of the way. “You little cheat!” Susanna pulls the sword out of Elai’s chest. And only for a moment, Arden could see dark blue eyes, with what seems to be a red shooting star, circling counterclockwise inside them on Elai, as she coughs out blood. But, her face soon became blurry again and Susanna lifted Elai above the mob.

“No!” Arden yells. And as Susanna drops Elai, Arden grabs a rope attached to the executioner meant for hanging, and jumps after Elai.

Arden reaches out to Elai and captures her, holding Elai by the waist. The rope stops moving and they are only 30 feet above the fairy hunters.

“Let me go, Arden.” Elai says while slowly losing her life.

“I can’t.” Arden responds. “Not until your soul leaves your body.” Arden hangs on tight as the mob constantly screams below while throwing their weapons.

“Cut the rope!” King Tenic orders Susanna.

“But what about Arden?!” Susanna questions.

“Who cares about Arden?! Let him die with her! We won’t be needing his ability anymore!”

Susanna flinches in fear, and slowly grabs the rope. But, she holds her knife to it with hesitation.

As the rain slowly makes Arden lose grip, he begins to feel a small tug at the rope. “I think they’re cutting it.” Arden says.

“You know, Arden…” Elai struggles to say as she is quickly losing blood. “I couldn’t be more grateful that it was you who found me… If it was anyone else… I probably wouldn’t- I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to live…”

Arden slips a bit on the rope. “What are you saying right now?”

“I think… If your ability is from that man, then surely…” Elai’s eyes begin to slowly lose color.

“Just a little longer!” Arden shouts. “I can’t let them take your soul!”

“If only… You could see me just once… Before I die…”

Then, Arden flinches as he looks at Elai. “Your eyes…” Arden can see Elai’s face again. As Elai notices, her red shooting star that circles inside her blue eyes, starts to move.

Elai makes a slight sad smile. “Thank goodness… I can save you at least…” Elai puts her hand on Arden’s cheek. “Let go and hang tight.”

And as if controlled by a spell, Arden lets go of Elai. He quickly tries to grab her again, but she dodges his hand as his other hand refuses to let go of the rope. “Elai!”

Elai closes her eyes and falls into the angry mob, where Arden could see an even clearer vision of his dream. Her limbs being shredded apart, and every fairy hunter piercing their swords into her.

Her soul was gone.

Susanna smiles and pulls up the rope. And while Arden stood hanging onto that rope, he could no longer hear anything, but the rain. And he could no longer see the mob, and Elai’s destroyed carcass through the heavy rain. He rested there, with no thoughts… no emotions… nothing…