Outside of the great cave, Alistair muttered angrily and kicked rock. A servant came up to him nervously, "My lord, what if they attack her in there. It's been a while since there was any sound."

"Those dwarves? Please, they have magical collars that prevents them from even raising their voice to us." Alistair retorted. He gestured to his own angrily, "If I could take off this dratted thing I would slit her throat myself."

The collar around his throat tightened and he fell to the earth gasping for breath. The servant paled and backed away. Alistair cursed again and waited for Cybelline.

The Land Inside the Ring

Cybelline stretched her limbs and took a deep breath in the nice, sunny world that was inside her ring. It was coming along nicely, the fog had retreated beyond the horizon. She knew it was still there, in her mind's eyes she could see that it lay there, waiting for her to uncover the rest of the realm. It was a strange feeling, knowing something without seeing it was there.

Gently, she wiped her forehead and shook off the exhaustion. She hadn't felt this tired since she'd stolen a tower.

"Did Ithos make some of the honey cherry bread? I wonder if he left some in the house." Cybelline spoke to herself as she took a step towards the house. Maybe there was some meat too. She walked a little faster, her stomach was growling.

"Lady!"

Cybelline paused mid-step. She turned around and saw the crowd of dwarves looking at her, there were expressions of awe, confusion, disbelief, and even a few of fear.

Cybelline smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, when I get hungry I get a little one-track minded. Do you guys want some food too?"

Oqir opened his mouth, he wanted to say that wasn't really the most important things right now. But he wasn't quite sure where to begin.

Cybelline mistook his silence for acquiescence, "Hang on, I'll be right back."

A wave of wind rippled through the air, and suddenly the dwarves felt a burst of warmth and fragrance waft towards them. On the hill not far from here the giant red flowers began to bloom.

A man with black hair and bright red eyes flapped his orange-red wings and flew toward the dwarves.

"What in the great gods..." Oqir's voice was constricted with emotion.

Cybelline paused from her road to the house and she waved to the fire fae who was flying towards the dwarves, "Good timing, can you help me keep them company? I'll go see if there's any snacks in the house."

"Arlain? Is that you?" Oqir looked at the tall fae that stood in front of him.

Kima looked at the fae and asked Oqir, "What kind of fae is he?"

"Fire Fae, they were said to be born from the flame flowers of volcanos. In a way, they are our brethren." Oqir explained, "We were said to be born from the veins of the volcano gods."

Kima nodded as the fae approached. His wings were nearly translucent in the sunlight, save the red markings on the edges.

Arlain smiled and bowed to Oqir who returned the greeting, "It seems that by the grace of the gods we meet again."

"What is this place? How are you here? I thought you and your people were dead." Oqir's voice shook with emotion.

Arlain's face paled a little, "It's a long story, we were betrayed by the ones whom we thought would keep us safe."

Oqir's smile was bitter, "Us too."

Arlain sighed, "I thought your people could have escaped, have gone with the hidden fae. It had been too late for us."

Kima blinked, she had never heard of the hidden fae. Oqir continued, "What is this place, old friend?"

Arlain looked out to the vast expanse of land, "I woke up only a few days ago. That strange girl had told me that my people and I are safe here, a land that resides in the ring on her finger." He looked at Oqir, "I thought I was dreaming, the world surely must have ended and my people dead. But she reassured us that we were very much alive. And not only that, our Lady had betrayed us. We have a new Lady now."

The look on Arlain's face was not one Oqir could explain, it looked...complicated.

Oqir coughed, "She must be powerful and wise, to become the new Lady so quickly, I should greet her."

Arlain shook his head, "She went off on a quest with her entire family."

Silence followed. Since when did Leaders of entire fae kingdoms just leave on quests. Hang on.

"With her family?" Oqir frowned, "Old friend, have you been asleep too long?"

Arlain's vein popped out a little as he chose to ignore the statement, "They are en route to Londaros now." He said with a little bit of relief. Those children were polite and sweet when need be, but it seemed as if they were natural-born trouble makers. He had to sleep with one eye open when they managed to set on fire a fire flower. A feat he hadn't know was possible, considering these flowers housed the fire fae.

"Anything else I need to know about this family." Oqir asked softly, a family that contained a fire fae first blood lady and a dark fae of unknown power was not one he could overlook.

As Arlain was about to speak, the door to the house flung open, "They are as strange as they are mysterious. Especially that woman."

Cybelline was holding a piece of bread and some cheese, she gestured to the people below, "There's lot of food here, come on up! If we run out of anything, I can go steal...borrow some from the castle."

Oqir's mouth fell, as the delicious smell wafted down.

Arlain shrugged, "My friend, I have only been awake a few days, but I have learned, most importantly and above all, is that the woman in front of you is very food motivated."

------

All her life the elders told her of a place that the Folk and Fae called home, it was unparalleled in beauty and unrivaled in natural wonders. Kima bit gingerly into the soft bread and stared out at the world in front of her. If this was the fae paradise then she would gladly give everything she had to live here.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice asked beside her. Kima twisted her head, as far as her slave collar allowed, and winced. She had not heard anything before this woman arrived. She was a dwarf, sensitive to all sounds, how did this woman manage to do that?

Cybelline sat on the grass in the Land in the ring and watched the landscape in awe and slight perturbation. The land had grown once more. Now the hills had become mountains, snow capped in the distance. The fields of flowers had blossomed, adding a roar of red into the land.

"It feels like we belong here." Kima said quietly, "What a strange feeling...but good."

Cybelline smiled, "I'm glad you like it." She turned to Kima, "You and your people can stay as long as you like."

Kima paused, "You would really let us choose?"

Cybelline nodded, "Of course. I have no intention of forcing you to stay or go. You're free to do as you wish."

Kima said nothing, she had come here with a sense of uneasy, worried that this was just a trap for her people, "How can I trust you?"

"If I wanted to kill or enslave you again, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble." Cybelline smiled, "If you want to leave, It's really easy, I'll show you."

In the blink of an eye, they were outside again. Kima looked at the empty cavern that had been her dwelling since birth. she knew every cave and dead end by heart. It was a familiar misery that she never thought she would escape.

Cybelline walked deeper into the cave, "Is there anything you or your people need from here?"

"A few things perhaps, some clothes, things our elders may have left." Kima pointed to the now empty dwellings, she was just about to say that perhaps Cybelline could bring a few more people out to help move some things but in a blink, all of the dwellings disappeared into thin air.

She turned around and saw that Cybelline had her hand in the air.

"Did...you just magicked it all away?" Kima asked in awe.

Cybelline smiled, "It's much faster to bring everything. I'm sure your people will appreciate new homes and things, but we'll make do for tonight."

"There's night in that land?"

Cybelline nodded, "Think of it as a world I wear on my finger. It follows most of the natural law." She thought for a moment, "I think. I really haven't spent as much time in there as I would like."

Cybelline slung an arm around the other girl, "Let's go back."

SQUAWWKKK!

She looked around, in a giant cavern with jagged iron bars, the giant bird she had rode now looked at her with pitiful eyes. Cybelline got the feeling as if she had hurt its feelings. Sighing, Cybelline went to the great bird.

"I can take you. But you have to promise that you can't eat anyone. Unless I give you permission."

The bird squawked loudly and flapped its wings. Beside its cage were a hundred smaller cages filled with glowing blue lights.

They were like blue stars, glowing brightly in the dim caverns, their lights beautiful and ethereal. Cybelline sat down beside the cages, "You saw what I am, are you willing to trust me?"

A large blue pixie the size of Cybelline's palm flew to the edge of the cage, "Yes great and ancient one, we are."

Cybelline blinked, "I'm actually not that old. And it's just Cybelline." The pixie only bowed, "But your power is."

When Cybelline and Kima reappeared, they had a thousand blue pixies and a great bird in tow.

Kima gasped, it was hard to get used to, the sudden change of scenery. She tugged uncomfortably at the slave collar, it had rattled and tightened every-time she traveled between the Ring and the outside world.

Cybelline looked at her, "Do you want help with that?" She pointed to the slave collar.

Kima's face paled and she shook her head, "You can't do anything. It is hopeless." She pointed to Oqir, "If one dwarf tried to remove the collar, those of kin would die with them. If they don't have kin, the pain is increased tenfold."

"It is no use." Arlain and and Oqir walked up the hill. Oqir touched his own, "This was forged by the greatest of magics. By the First Fae themselves." Arlain looked pained, "It was used once to keep criminals in control. A magic devised by Titania herself."

Cybelline looked at the collars that the Dwarves wore, "So much for justice."

"We all wear it. Even the Pixies." Oqir said quietly,.

"What happens to the collars when you die?" Cybelline wanted to know.

Oqir looked puzzled, "They fall off, the magic dies with us."

"Interesting." Cybelline examined the collar and its series of etchings. It was a complicated design, with no locking mechanism. There was a faint clicking sound, and every so often the different etchings would move. Cybelline motioned for Kima to sit down, "What are these etchings?"

"Symbols of spells. The light mage society strengthens them every year with light magic so that they are forever in moving, unpredictable patterns."

"Like a combination lock that sets a new combo every few minutes." Cybelline said softly, "Running on light magic."

Cybelline knew that if she brute forced this, the locks would tighten and kill the wearer. But if she approached it from a lock breaking standpoint...

"I figured it out." Cybelline looked up, "Who wants to volunteer as tribute?"

They all looked at her, Cybelline coughed, "Sorry, I got really excited, that's probably not as reassuring as it sounds. I can take the collar off."

Oqir stepped forward to volunteer, but Kima was quicker, she stepped in front of him, "Let me." Oqir looked at Cybelline, "Dark Fae, how sure are you, because if you can't, the price is not something we could ever pay."

SQUAWK! The bird flapped its wings and everyone turned to it. The giant bird dipped its head. Cybelline frowned, on its neck, the great beast also wore a jeweled collar of similar design.

"I think he wants me to test my magic on him." Cybelline said after a moment.

"No! You mustn't!" Oqir said quickly, "We will simply live with the slave collars. We have for many, many years."

The bird bowed its head again, in its coal black eyes, Cybelline saw pleading.

Cybelline smiled at Oqir, "But how can I cover my tracks if I don't take those damn things off of you?"

She walked to the great bird, "I'm going to do my best, rest assured. The thought of being haunted by a ghost chicken if I fail...gives me a strong incentive to do well."

The bird only squawked. Cybelline jumped and landed on its back. Once in a comfortable position, Cybelline pressed a finger to the collar.

"But what spell is she using? Why is she not speaking the words?" Arlain wondered. Magic was the same amongst all creatures, it was created with spells and symbols. Why did the strange girl not follow their laws?

Cybelline dove into the etching of each symbol and watched in her minds eye as they moved, at first they zoom in random directions. She listened to the sounds they made as they moved, the thousands of symbols gliding past each other as they passed their carvings sliding against each other. Every so often, she heard a tiny, immutable click.

There, the first of the hidden symbols in the locking mechanism. The rest of the symbols were written in random purpose, except seven symbols that the rest sought to hid.

With her minds eye locked onto the symbols, her fingers flew as she quickly pressed each symbol on the great birds iron collar.

Click. Click. Click. Seven clicks followed and the great iron collar fell to the earth with a dull thud.

The world seemed to mute itself as the magical fae and folk fell into disbelief in what they saw. Impossible. The dark fae had broken the greatest magical restraint in the world without even breaking into a sweat.

Cybelline smiled as she watched the lightening dance on her fingers, the tiny white stone on the bracelet catching the light of the sparks. Light magic was hers, it flowed within her as did fire, no longer an uncontrollable force.

She jumped down from the bird's neck and came to Oqir. Before she could open her mouth, Oqir shook his head, "It seems that the world is changing. I am no longer the right dwarf to lead us and make this decision." He patted Kima's shoulder, "Kima, it is time you take over as leader."

Kima opened her mouth to argue, but Oqir said, "This is a new era, you have more than proven yourself. It is your choice for what to do next. Kima, whatever you decide, we follow you." Oqir told her quietly, "You are our hope."

Kima took a moment and then touched her collar. She turned to address her people, "Since we knew life, this is all we've known. This is not life and we are not living, we are merely surviving. No more. Today, our fate will change. Today will be the first day by which we can lift our heads proudly once more as our ancestors did. Today we will be free."

Kima came forward, lifted her neck to reveal the slave collar once more, "As the new leader of the Dwarves I ask for your assistance to free us. All of us."

Cybelline pressed a finger to the collar, it was much easier this time, now that she knew what she was looking for. With her other hand, a thousand white dots of power shot from her finger tips. And each flew to the collars on the dwarves and pixies.

CLANK. CLACK. CLACK. The collars broke apart once they felt the touch of light magic. Kima felt air on her neck, a place that had never known anything but metal. She turned her head and saw that the dwarves all taking their first breath without the bite of metal. Today, they were finally free.

Kima smiled, the relief palatable on her face. She had made the right choice.

CLANK. In that moment, the locks fell off the tiny pixies as the bars lost their magic. In a great river of blue, they streamed out of the cages, finally freed from their iron captivity for the first time in in thousands of years.

They danced in joy as their magic surged, unfettered once more. Gently, they landed on the great bird, their sparkling blue magic dusting the great bird as its feathers turned a watery blue.

The bird cried in joy, affected by the magic of the pixies as it too called on its own magic. In that moment, the air seemed to turn frigid as the magic turned potent. Soon the bird seemed to be covered in frost. A gust of wind rushed from the great bird, knocking nearly everyone over. The giant bird was encased in ice, from its mouth sprouted blue flames.

"He's trying to break the spell!" Oqir said in sudden alarm. Arlain was the only one closest to him to hear.

"What spell. Who is that, Oqir?" Kima asked quietly. The bird had been with them since she could remember. And though it was a violent, vicious beast, Oqir seemed to protect him with his life. Now, she realized that the beast was more important that Oqir had lead on.

"That bird is a fae." Oqir took a deep breath, "He is Leonmithas, the last and greatest fae lord warrior. He has been under a great enchantment." He looked at Cybelline, who stood a little bit in the distance, wondering if he should ask for help from her.

Cybelline looked at the rapidly spreading ice field emanating from the great bird, it was threatening the summer crops that Mirai had planted, "This will not do." She began to walk towards the giant icicle of a bird with a frown.

"She is going to rescue him, right?" Oqir asked, worried.

Arlain looked at the close proximity to the crops by which Leonmithas had chosen to break the spells, "To be honest old friend, Leonmithas is really an unfortunate fellow. That blockhead."

"What do you mean by that?" Arlain asked.

"Like I said, that woman is very protective of her family and very food motivated. If the ice doesn't reach the corn that her mother had planted, then he may have a good chance of turning into fae again."

"And if it does?"Kima asked, suddenly a little worried. The fae general was a legend in history.

"Well." Arlain said after a moment's silence, "He may be the first decorated fae general in history to become roast chicken."

---------

Holy Carp - 72! Okay, first, thank you for everyone who had been waiting patiently. This story is long and I made everyone wait forever for this chapter. Really, really sorry. I was traveling for work for a long time. Also hit the ground running upon returning home, which meant I could not write as much as I wanted to. So, again, thank you for reading and patiently waiting. I really appreciate you all.

Writing is an activity that I love dearly, and I find escaping into a world that I create is something that I've enjoyed since young. I will have more time to do this over break, as I look forward to some quality time of doing nothing except writing. I know you have all been waiting for more, and I hope I did not disappoint you. Dark Queen is far from finished and if you've been reading for this long, I'm really touched. Thank you for being so wonderful.

Sincerely,

A slightly exhausted, but entirely fulfilled author.