Conclusions
"I am disappointed, Ammé," Queen Melca said shaking her head with noticeable displeasure.
Ammé had been stripped naked and was pulled tightly by the branches of trees controlled by Dryads. She felt her arms and legs pulled almost out of their sockets and knew that among the Fae very tight bondage was reserved for the most terrible of offenses. The tighter the bondage, the more terrible the offense.
"You had potential to be much more than a simple traitor," Queen Melca said. "You might have traveled with me to other worlds and helped me create a new world here. Your selfish concerns for your own fate were unfounded."
In the Fae Realm, Queen Melca was judge, jury and executioner. Ammé had been declared guilty of treason. She would have to be punished.
Ammé remained emotionless and speechless. She did not want to acknowledge Queen Melca in any way. They had taken everything from her, but they would not take her pride.
"Silence," Queen Melca observed. "I admire your pride. I dislike having to take it away from you, but you know that by the time we complete your punishment, you will have neither pride nor free will. One who does not use free will wisely is destined to lose it."
Ammé frowned, but refused to reply.
"I will begin your sentence," Queen Melca said coolly. "Had you begged for mercy and seen the folly of your ways, I could have made this process much quicker. But we will punish you slowly. Step by excruciating step, we will break your will forever."
The Dryads watched with attention most nodding in approval, others not so certain the punishment fit the crime, but all interested in watching the fall of one of Queen Melca's most trusted Fae.
Ammé and Melca were Nymphs and they were very ticklish by nature. There was no need to search for a special spot or touch in a specific manner. Melca simply stepped near Ammé small bare feet and she traced her fingernails up and down the soles leisurely.
Ammé began to laugh instantly much to her dismay. There was no resisting the tickling touch of her Queen. There would be no respite, there would be no mercy. When Queen Melca tired, another group of Dryads and Nymphs would take her place and the torture would continue.
She would not be allowed to climax from the tickling. The Dryads knew healing spells of all types and when she would approach a climax they would restore her stamina to full once more.
Melca attacked Ammé's feet tickling her between her shapely round toes and making her scream. The scream was music to Melca's ears. The punishment would last until Ammé's will was completely broken.
With a will like that of Ammé, the torture could last weeks.
Melca would enjoy every moment of it.
* * * * *
The tides came and went for Esmeralda during the aftermath of the battle against the Doom that Creeps.
Orion was no where to be found. He really had died apparently.
Esmeralda was relieved to learn that Danea had not died at the bottom of the Pit. The fall had injured her wings, but the heat of the bubbling lava was nothing for a Demon. It was a privilege for the Demons of higher status to bathe in the fiery molten depths.
The Doom that Creeps was carefully placed in a magical glass coffin so it would have no contact with life or magic, and a magical vault was prepared. The vault was among the items Peter had gathered during the levy and it was made by the Maker. It was meant to last and what was placed inside would be safe for all time.
Danea was declared Lady of Demonus on the field. Without Dashiel and his cadre there were no high ranking Demons to take the position. She had become popular among the Demons and there was no opposition to the decision.
She agreed to send the vault to the bottom of the Pit and from that moment on, the Demonus Realm would be responsible for guarding the Doom that Creeps.
Laurannis lost her father, Lord Roland, on the field. He died in battle and died nobly. He would have no regrets. By right, Laurannis took the title of Queen Laurannis.
Patrisa kept the Eye of Doom and promised to protect it with her life. She intended to reopen the Academy again and it was there that she would protect the Eye from falling into the wrong hands. Amber and Indigo volunteered to act as Keepers of the Academy and assured Patrisa (who hated pixies at one point) that it would be the “beginning of a beautiful relationship.”
Esmeralda watched this activity intently as she came and went from the pyramid where Khepri always awaited her. While there, Khepri listened intently to Esmeralda’s fascinating story. She even was distracted from her tickling as she took mental note of every single detail.
During what Esmeralda knew would be her penultimate visit to the pyramid, Khepri began to lay out an elaborate plan that could potentially have success in neutralizing Melca’s influence forever.
This time it was Esmeralda who listened intently and made mental notes of everything Khepri said. She felt a bit the part of the Tenderfoot listening to the wise and experienced master. She was fond of Khepri and decided there were probably worse fates than being tickled for all eternity by her.
When Esmeralda finally awoke from the tides she was surprised to find herself somewhere pleasant and calm and somewhat familiar.
"You're back," Danea said leaning over a bed from where she had been watching over Esmeralda's rest.
Esmeralda saw that her friend's ribs and wings were heavily bandaged and that her face was covered in mean cuts and bruises, but other than that it was still the stoic and proud Danea she had met the first day she arrived at the Academy.
"That's where we are!" Esmeralda exclaimed recognizing the rooms and the atmosphere of the Academy.
"The Scourge thought it would be a pleasant place for you to rest and be at peace," Danea said.
"Has there been any sign of Orion?" Esmeralda asked suddenly. A pang of pain stung at her heart and a brief sliver of hope existed that some good news had been heard.
"No," Danea said, her mood darkening. "There has been no sign of him."
Esmeralda frowned sadly.
"I'm sorry," Danea said her voice trembling. "I loved him once as a lover and I've always loved him as a friend. I share your pain."
The Demon Mistress placed her hand on Esmeralda’s shoulder comforting her.
Esmeralda dried her tears and stood up from the bed.
"Where is Patrisa?" she asked. "I have some information and I must give it to her. I do not know how much time I will have with the tides. This is quite probably my last time back."
Danea nodded. "They are all waiting in the Hall of Heroes. Let's go."
As they left the room, Danea paused.
"I was given this," she said unfastening her sword belt. "It belonged to Lord Dashiel and Orion used it to defeat the Doom that Creeps. Its name is Midnight and I feel Orion's spirit near when I touch the sword. It is mine because I am the highest ranking Demon now, but I wish you to have it."
Esmeralda touched the hilt and she also felt that some piece of Orion was still near by in some spiritual manner.
"You hold on to it," Esmeralda said caressing the hilt gently before returning it to Danea. "Where I am going there is no need for a sword."
Danea nodded respectfully in gratitude and strapped the sword to her waist once more.
They arrived at the Hall of Heroes and Esmeralda was shocked to see a statue of herself erected in Hall next to that of the Scourge and the Shade.
"What is this?" Esmeralda asked. "It can't have been that long since the battle. How did this statue get here?"
"The Hall of Heroes chooses its own heroes, Tenderfoot," Patrisa said approaching.
She was followed by all her friends. The pixies, Inidgo and Amber, the Centaur Princess Laurannis, the Giantess Loanna, the Elfling Lady Haydeen, Peter the Peddler, and the ruler of the Animus Lady Ela.
"Your statue was here when we arrived," Patrisa said smiling. It was a sad smile however. All of those present had sad smiles. All had lost very much. Laurannis had lost her father, King Roland. Peter the Peddler his tickle mate Bruhilda who also aided the Centaurs to bring the Spellcasters into battle.
So many lives lost and wasted.
And then there was Orion.
The all swarmed around her but after a few minutes they seemed to realize that what she really needed was some time and space.
They slowly retired until Esmeralda was left alone with Patrisa.
"I will get you back to your world, Tenderfoot," Patrisa promised. "I don't care what needs to be done. I won't leave you to be cursed for all time."
"Without Orion, I don't know if I really care anymore, Patrisa," Esmeralda said. "I feel tired. Not much seems to matter anymore. I'm only glad that we succeeded in defeating the Doom that Creeps."
"We could not have done it without you," Patrisa said.
"Stop," Esmeralda said sadly. "You're trying to make me feel good, but I didn't have anything to do with it. I didn't don the magical armor, I didn't throw the magic lance, I didn't retrieve the Eye. I didn't battle the Doom that Creeps up front and I almost gave Melca what she needed to defeat us nonetheless. We were successful in spite of me, not because of me."
Patrisa was left speechless for a moment.
"What are you thinking, Tenderfoot?" she said angrily. "I'm of a mind of tickling you silly right here and now. You were there every step of the way. You kept us together, you kept us going when we thought it better to give up. All the leaders of the Realms, with perhaps the exception of Queen Melca look upon you favorably. None of this would have been possible without you."
Esmeralda smiled but it was a distant and somber smile.
"I have information you might or might not be able to use against Melca," Esmeralda said changing the subject. "She is as evil and as dangerous as Orion said and I do not believe she will stop her endless plotting until she succeeds in destroying the Realms."
"Who gave you this information?" Patrisa asked confused.
"A woman named Khepri," Esmeralda replied. "It’s a long story, but there is no time to tell it. It's enough to say that it is very ancient knowledge that binds the rulers of the realms. You might be able to use it against her."
Esmeralda requested a quill with ink and parchment and she began to write at a delirious pace.
The sheets were filled with verses and information and Patrisa was surprised to see her write so much and so fast.
"I have a proficient memory," Esmeralda said shrugging. "Great for college. I guess that's what made spell casting so easy for me."
"I see," Patrisa said impressed.
Esmeralda finally completed the last sheet and set the quill aside.
"I'll make her send you back," Patrisa promised.
"With this information you might," Esmeralda said handing over the sheets. "But she'll never willingly do it."
"I can be quite persuasive," Patrisa said. "You know that."
"I know," Esmeralda said sadly.
"I know you're thinking of Orion," Patrisa said. "He's not the kind of person who'd want you brooding the rest of your days. I think you know that."
Esmeralda nodded. "I know. But that knowledge doesn't take away the sting."
"Just keep it in mind," Patrisa said.
"I guess this is good bye," Esmeralda said opening her arms for an embrace. "I feel the tide coming in and I feel that this time will be the last. Thank you for training me and teaching me the ropes. I'll never forget you."
"We'll never forget you, Tenderfoot," Patrisa said hugging her close.
Esmeralda fell limp in Patrisa's arms and the Scourge realized that she was gone.
* * * * *
"Did you succeed giving your friends the information I gave you" Khepri asked Esmeralda back within the pyramid.
"Yes," she replied evenly as the Egyptian woman removed her robes and clothing, and stretched her out completely. She was naked, but she did not feel self conscious. She actually felt comfortable with the tickle torturer. "They will try and use it to defeat Melca once and for all…"
"You do not feel enthusiastic about it," Khepri said. "I would think you would feel happier about such a possibility. Vengeance can be a sweet treat."
"I lost some very dear friends," Esmeralda said trying not to cry. "I'd trade all the vengeance in the world to see them again."
"Ah," Khepri said understanding. "And a lover as well, I assume. I have been in your shoes; in the real world thousands of years ago. He was lost in battle. Some stupid senseless dispute; they usually are. You will not believe me, but time does heal. And here all we have is time."
Esmeralda nodded.
"You had your pause," Khepri said.
Esmeralda nodded again.
"Do your worst," Esmeralda said with resignation.
Khepri smiled. "I promise that I will drown your grief in laughter. You will think of nothing else but endless and continuous laughter."
Esmeralda nodded and welcomed the tickling.
As swift and skilled fingernails attacked her ribs she simply gave into the laughter like Madame Jordanna had taught her all those months ago at the Academy.
She felt strangely at peace.
* * * * *
Patrisa drove Peter the Peddler's wagon into the Fae Realm and made her way into the woods following trails that were not advised to be taken by anyone who was not of the Fae.
She wore the White Armor which had been repaired and cleaned. She looked regal and confident, and she felt the same.
She was stopped by Dryads who surrounded the wagon asked her business in the Fae Realm.
"Audience with Queen Melca" she said. “Tell her the Socurge is here. She’ll accept audience with me.”
The Dryads smiled as if the assumption was a most innocent one and sent out a messenger to inform their Queen.
To their shock and surprise, the Queen agreed to an audience and they were forced to let the Scourge through.
"You are a fool," Melca said in her Garden of Delights as Patrisa rode the wagon in. "You should have learned from your mistake the first time you defied me."
Melca had a Nymph stretched out and her Dryads, Nymphs and Pixies tickled her with terrible cruelty. Her screeching laughter appeared to be pleasing for the Fae Queen, but she lifted a hand indicating they should pause while she dealt with her guest.
“I’ve come to offer the terms of the Council of the Realms,” Patrisa stated evenly. “You are to return Esmeralda back to her world and then you are to abdicate as Queen of the Fae. If you do these two actions willingly, we will allow you to live.”
"I’ve never heard such pretentious talk in my long far spanning life,” she said in shock. “My Glamour will bind you to my will and this time there is no Orion to trick me into freeing you.”
Melca's glamour flared and she waited expectantly for the Tickle Scourge to sink to her knees and worship her.
She did not.
Patrisa stepped to the rear of the wagon and opened the back door. A Centaur princess and a Demon Mistress stepped out. Their White Armors has also been cleaned and repaired.
Melca's Galmour flared even stronger but it could not affect them.
“This armor was designed to protect the soul,” Patrisa explained touching her breastplate with her hand. “Your glamour is an assault on the soul, not on the mind. You will not manipulate us that way and we will see you do not manipulate anyone, in any manner, ever again.”
“Stop them," Melca commanded and the Dryads in unison instantly cast spells that made strong tree roots grow from the ground to stop them.
Patrisa and Danea drew their swords and they cut away at the roots. Patrisa's sword flared with light and Danea's erupted in shadows as they hacked away at the roots with ease. The roots retreated.
“I can take her,” Laurannis said holding up her Golden Lance. “I can skewer her like I skewered Jordanna. Just say the word.”
Melca fell back in horror at what was happening. She had always relied on her Glamour and she had rarely experienced a situation where she was not in dominating those in her presence.
Before Mecla could react, Patrisa was behind her and placed her neck in an iron collar which was closed with an ominous click.
"No more glamour," Patrisa said. "No more tricks."
"What will you do? Kill me?” Melca asked. “I am the Fae. If you should kill me you would kill all the Fae. Who are you, a mere Manling, to decide the fate of us all?"
“I come here not to kill you, but that you be judged for your crimes,” Patrisa said dragging Melca to her feet.
“There is no law existing in the Realms that I can be tried by. You waste your breathe and your time,” the Fae Queen said defiantly.
"There is a law older than the Realms. An Ancient Law. And while you may not have broken any law directly by conspiring to destroy the Realms, you broke a law that mentions that possession of a body that is not your own is forbidden. This is a law that can force your abdication."
"That law is older than your world, Manling,” Melca said. “I know not who told you so, but it is not a thing for you to decide. The ruler of each Realm must agree that the law has been broken and deserving of punishment. You will see that you can't get the rulers together to agree on anything unless they are on the verge of destruction. They will not fret with me.”
Danea opened the door to the wagon and three rulers paraded out one by one.
They were Lady Ela of the Animus Realm, Lady Haydeen of the Elfling Realm and King Thornwall of the Giantus Realm.
“Three?” Melca said smiling. “Is that all?”
“I represent the Demonus Realm,” Danea said. Midnight was still shrouded in shadows and for some reason she could not send them back into the sword.
“And I the Centaur Realm,” Laurannis said.
Melca’s jaw dropped, but Patrisa did not allow her time to think.
“Who agrees that Queen Melca has abused her power in taking control of another body? Patrisa asked.
All the rulers raised their hands in acknowledgement.
“There is no injured party,” she said smugly. “The Ancient Law states in these cases that the injured party must be present. Orion died at the bottom of the Pit, I killed him myself. Ancient Law requires the injured party.”
“I’m here, Melca,” sounded Orion’s voice from Danea’s direction.
A shadow from behind Danea moved faintly, but it was noticeably the shadow of the Shadow Mage, Orion.
“I was trapped in the sword by the shadows that finally retreated to the darkness of Midnight after the final blow to the Doom that Creeps,” the shadow explained. “But here you have my shadow and soul. I am the injured party and I accuse you of wrong doing.”
"You have the votes of the other Realms and you have the injured party, but you lack one thing. You need a member of the Fae to denounce me as Queen and to offer to take my place. This must also be approved by the council of the rulers,” Queen Melca observed. “Whoever told you this must have mentioned that.
“I've ruled the Fae with an iron fist with no tolerance for sedition. No Pixie nor Dryad may harm me. All the Nymphs are bound to me in these matters. None will give you their vote.”
Patrisa looked to the rest of the rulers and frowned in disappointment.
“I say you all let me run her through,” Laurannis said aggressively. “We’ll put her head on a pike.”
“You waste your time,” Melca observed. “Slay me and you slay all the Fae. By Ancient Law, that is both regicide and genocide. Those are worse crimes than that which I have committed. Leave and I will be lenient."
Silence was heard in the garden.
It was deathly quiet until the restrained Nymph spoke.
"I, Ammé," she said with difficulty, "denouce Queen Melca as a tyrannical ruler, who's personal interest anteceded those of the Fae and the Realms. I call for her abdication.”
"I nominate Ammé to become the new ruler of the Fae," Danea said suddenly and unexpectedly.
"You can't do that!" Melca said.
"I second the motion," Laurannis said as she gazed at Melca with daggers in her eyes.
"All those in favor," Patrisa said, "raise your hand."
A deafening silence fell upon the room as the rulers of the Realms raised their hands.
"Thus ends the reign of Queen Melca. Long live Queen Ammé!" Patrisa cheered.
Instantly the Dryads released Ammé and they dressed her in fine transparent robes and they bowed reverently before her.
"She is not the Queen, you fools, it is a trick!" Melca insisted trying to pull free of her collar. “They are just words!”
"Only the Queen of the Fae can find a rift in the wall between the Realms and the world of Manlings,” Patrisa said. “We of the Council of the Realms request that you, Queen Ammé, open such a rift from Esmeralda and Orion and return their souls to the world.”
Ammé nodded and she cautiously opened her Third Eye.
"She cannot do it, she has no such power." Melca said before being gagged by Laurannis. She mumbled curses and profanities into her gag.
"I see it. A rift to their world. I see the Manling Esmeralda asleep. Place her alone before me and I will open a portal."
Peter the Peddler emerged from the wagon carrying her into the garden. She was twisting and laughing madly, but not in a tortuous manner. Peter with some difficulty carried her before Queen Ammé and placed her gently on the soft grass.
Esmeralda lay there for a moment when a flash was seen and a rift opened. It enveloped Esmeralda pulling her into the light and she disappeared seeming to melt away into nothingness.
A small object was left behind.
A Golden Scarab.
Patrisa picked it up. "That is odd. She was carrying Silk with her but that artifact passed through the rift.''
“This artifact is a world with in a world,” Ammé said observing the object. “It may not cross.”
“Now, find a rift for Orion,” Patrisa insisted.
Ammé nodded.
Orion's shadow approached.
“You won’t come home with us?” he asked Patrisa.
“This is my home. Yours, Jeremy, is on the other side of that rift.”
The shadow nodded.
“Fare well then, Patrisa. I will miss you,” he said sadly.
He turned to Danea who was weeping softly.
“I’ve always missed you, Danea,” he said quietly. “I haven’t always been the best person at your side, but I will never forget you and what I learned with you.”
His shadow touched her cheek as if to wipe away the tear, but he did not.
“It is nothing to be ashamed of,” he said gently. “Wear your tears with pride, Danea. They make you a better person.”
“Promise you will take care of Esmeralda,” Danea begged.
“I promise,” he said. “You know I always honor my promises.”
She nodded and smiled sadly.
The rest waved sorrowfully at his departure. They had all been his ticklees or ticklers at one time or another, but when it really mattered they were able to put their differences aside for the greater good of the Realms.
He stepped backwards into the rift and as the world melted away the last thing he saw were his friends.
The shadow disappeared through the rift and all became quiet again in the Garden of Delights.
Patrisa interrupted the silence.
“There is still business that must be attended to,” Patrisa said.
“I will slay Melca now,” Laurannis said holding her lance up. “She is no longer Queen.”
Melca’s eyes went wide with horror.
“First things first,” Patrisa said turning to Ammé.
“The Fae will not bring Orion, Esmeralda or any other Manling to the Realms,” Patrisa stated. “Do you understand? The Council agrees upon this. Do you, Queen Ammé?”
The Queen nodded in agreement.
“It shall be so,” she said. “However, I request that Melca be left to us. I will see that Melca is properly punished. The Fae will break her will and make her docile. It is a more fitting punishment than death.”
“I trust my lance more,” Laurannis said staring at the new Queen Ammé defiantly.
“I’ll solve this,” Patrisa said. “Danea, Laurannis, bring Melca here.”
Danea lifted Melca to her feet and dragged her over to where Laurannis and Queen Ammé stood.
“I have the most fitting punishment,” Patrisa said to the gagged Nymph as she was held firmly between Danea and Laurannis.
“There is a proverb among the Realms,” Patrisa said quietly mostly for Melca to hear.
“She that lives by the feather, perishes by the feather.”
No one understood until she pointed the Golden Scarab at Melca and pressed the ruby on its back.
* * * * *
Esmeralda awoke.
She could hear birds chirping outside her window and the first rays of a morning sun casting shadows around the room.
She was wearing the gym clothes and sneakers with which she had when she awoke in the Mushroom Wood.
Her body felt stiff and it ached.
She suddenly wondered if this wasn't a dream. She pinched herself in the arm and felt the pain.
She was not asleep. Could it all have been a dream? A simple figment of her imagination? She did not know what to think.
She stood up and decided to shower. The cold shower helped her wake up a bit more but it didn't help to clear the cobwebs in her head.
Maybe it was all a dream, she thought as she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked back to the couch to sit down once more.
As she returned she stepped on something hard with sharp edges. She yelped and jumped back and saw that it was a small metal piece of jewelry. She picked it up and studied it and she realized that it was Silk.
It didn't move and it was smaller than Esmeralda remembered, but it was definitely a replica of the mechanical spider who had aided her during her time in the Realms.
She dressed and had some breakfast before rushing to classes that day. She missed her first class and during the rest of the classes she could not help but feel distracted and detached.
She spoke to the people she knew and although she was relieved to have all her friends back, it somehow just didn't seem all that real to her.
She walked back to the dorm and she saw a couple of guys tickling a classmate that she knew to tears.
Her attention was instantly captured. One was holding her and the other one was doing the tickling. The tickling wasn't done properly and he was only getting her to laugh because she was pathetically ticklish.
Amateurs, Esmeralda thought instinctively. She instantly thought of half a dozen ways to do it better.
She remembered again that she wasn't a spellcaster or a tickle warrior anymore, but regardless, she was certain she could do better.
She went back to the dorm feeling sad and depressed.
The days and weeks went by. She kept Silk on a chain and wore the jewelry proudly around her neck. She took to running again and tried her best to readjust to her world.
For the most part she succeeded and she thought less and less about the Realms.
With some exceptions however.
Tickling or even the mention of tickling would catch her attention. She actually found a sadistic side to her nature and promptly took to tickling all her friends and occasionally getting tickled back in the process. The laughter did her good.
It was during the alone time that she would sometimes brood on what had happened. It was then, when shadows flooded the room that she thought of Orion.
She'd study the shadows and pretend he was still there watching her. She knew it wasn't so however, and it panged her heart to have to recognize that fact.
Fall came and by then she had accepted that it was probably all some elaborate dream brought on by a stale piece of rather bad pizza.
The spider? It was probably left there by someone and she incorporated it into her dream after having seen it.
She did not stop wearing it. Even when she went out for brisk morning and afternoon runs.
It was one such afternoon when she realized that whatever had happened really had nothing to do with her world now and she was better off studying and getting her life back in order.
She thought these words as she ran around the track. And there she saw something that made her thoughts and her running stop abruptly.
It was Orion.
He was wearing blue jeans and a windbreaker instead of his usual black robes, but it was him.
She did not move.
He came to her.
"It took me a while to find you. I thought it would be easier with a not so common name as Esmeralda," he said with a smile. "Even the Internet can't keep up with the speed and accuracy of a good Nymph oracle."
Esmeralda stared blankly at him.
"You do remember, don't you?" he said seemly starting to think he had found the wrong Esmeralda. "You know, Jeremy, AKA Orion?"
She remained speechless.
“Maybe this isn’t a good time,” he said stepping back disappointed. “I can drop by later if you want.”
She then suddenly rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him in a powerful embrace.
She did not say anything. The thought that raced though her head was one and all consuming.
It was real, it was real!
She was grateful.
* * * * *
Melca awoke inside a Pyramid.
She immediately removed the gag and looked at her surroundings looking for the one person she dreaded most to meet.
“What a precious treat!” Khepri said entering the pyramid. “I though I was wrong to have helped Esmeralda and that in doing so I had lost my fifth. But look how fate repays me… with you.”
“Stay back!” Melca warned. “I’m still very powerful.”
Khepri looked down on her like a little child. “It is nice that you think so,” she said as she moved her hands and suspended Melca in the air with an invisible force. Melca struggled, but her small lithe body could not resist the force that held her body in place.
Khepri removed Melca’s transparent slippers and closed her eyes as she sniffed over the sweet smelling bare feet as if she were savoring a delicious roast. The feet were perfect in size and shape and were inviting to be tickled.
Who could possibly resist such a sight? Khepri thought.
“Any last words, Melca?” Khepri asked before tickling her nemesis. “Once I start I will not stop for all eternity. That I promise.”
Melca opened her mouth to say something and as she did she felt Khepri’s expert fingers on her feet.
“I didn’t think so,” Khepri said enjoying the thrashing feet and the sweet desperate laughter that erupted from Melca´s mouth.
“Here’s to Eternity,” Khepri said taking Melca’s toes firmly into her mouth and nibbling on them.
Melca screamed.
* * * * *
"I was trapped in the sword," Jeremy explained as they got a cup of coffee in a nearby coffee shop and sat down together. "I could see all, but I couldn't get out until Danea used Midnight when they brought you to the Fae to return you to this world."
"What happened to Melca?" Esmeralda asked very interested in what he had to say.
"She was relieved of her position as Queen," he said. “The information you gave Patrisa really made the difference. I’m sure Melca will get what she deserves.”
"I'm glad that's over," Esmeralda said.
"The Council of the Realms forbade the Fae from crossing Manlings, so it is unlikely we will ever return,” he said. “So we’re here for good.”
"And now?” Esmeralda asked anxiously. “What do we do now? I mean, us?"
Jeremy smiled. "I suggest we start at the beginning.
"Hi, I’m Jeremy," he said holding out his hand for her to shake.
"And I am Esmeralda," she said taking his hand graciously and shaking it warmly.
"Pleased to meet you, Esmeralda," Jeremy said without releasing her hand. “I'm Sagittarian, my favorite color is now green,” he said smiling looking into her green eyes, “and last, but certainly not least… I am a tickler."
He poked her gently in the ribs with calculated precision hitting her sweet spot and he made her laugh and pull her arms against her sides.
"There's no such thing as a fairy tale ending, Esmeralda. There are ups and downs like in anything. But I know deep down inside that we're going to be all right," he said smiling and pulling her close.
Esmeralda could not help but to agree.
* * * * *
Ammé watched the reunion with only limited interest. She watched them talking and playing in the cafeteria until someone else caught her interest only a few tables away.
It was a red haired girl who had fallen asleep at a table surrounded by books and documents. She was probably preparing for an exam and she had dozed off.
"I wonder what she's dreaming about," Ammé said curiously.
"The Council said no Manlings," a voice said in her head in a nagging know-it-all tone of voice. She knew the tone well because she used it all the time when she assisted Melca. It was her own assisting Nymph who was watching through her Third Eye.
"There have always been Manlings," Ammé said matter-of-factly understanding now why Melca lost her patience frequently with underlings. "Until recently, few really knew that the Fae had the power to cross them. Who’s to say I crossed her anyway?”
“I’d advise against it,” the Nymph said evenly.
“Well, you are not Queen of the Fae,” Ammé observed plainly. “It’s just one Manling. It will be fun to watch her stumble through the Realms. It keeps us Nymphs busy and adds excitement to this life of confinement to the Garden of Delights.”
“That is true,” the Nymph acknowledged.
“Besides,” Ammé said preparing to open a rift. “What is the world without a Tenderfoot?"
“A dull place, indeed,” the Nymph admitted.
The End?
"I am disappointed, Ammé," Queen Melca said shaking her head with noticeable displeasure.
Ammé had been stripped naked and was pulled tightly by the branches of trees controlled by Dryads. She felt her arms and legs pulled almost out of their sockets and knew that among the Fae very tight bondage was reserved for the most terrible of offenses. The tighter the bondage, the more terrible the offense.
"You had potential to be much more than a simple traitor," Queen Melca said. "You might have traveled with me to other worlds and helped me create a new world here. Your selfish concerns for your own fate were unfounded."
In the Fae Realm, Queen Melca was judge, jury and executioner. Ammé had been declared guilty of treason. She would have to be punished.
Ammé remained emotionless and speechless. She did not want to acknowledge Queen Melca in any way. They had taken everything from her, but they would not take her pride.
"Silence," Queen Melca observed. "I admire your pride. I dislike having to take it away from you, but you know that by the time we complete your punishment, you will have neither pride nor free will. One who does not use free will wisely is destined to lose it."
Ammé frowned, but refused to reply.
"I will begin your sentence," Queen Melca said coolly. "Had you begged for mercy and seen the folly of your ways, I could have made this process much quicker. But we will punish you slowly. Step by excruciating step, we will break your will forever."
The Dryads watched with attention most nodding in approval, others not so certain the punishment fit the crime, but all interested in watching the fall of one of Queen Melca's most trusted Fae.
Ammé and Melca were Nymphs and they were very ticklish by nature. There was no need to search for a special spot or touch in a specific manner. Melca simply stepped near Ammé small bare feet and she traced her fingernails up and down the soles leisurely.
Ammé began to laugh instantly much to her dismay. There was no resisting the tickling touch of her Queen. There would be no respite, there would be no mercy. When Queen Melca tired, another group of Dryads and Nymphs would take her place and the torture would continue.
She would not be allowed to climax from the tickling. The Dryads knew healing spells of all types and when she would approach a climax they would restore her stamina to full once more.
Melca attacked Ammé's feet tickling her between her shapely round toes and making her scream. The scream was music to Melca's ears. The punishment would last until Ammé's will was completely broken.
With a will like that of Ammé, the torture could last weeks.
Melca would enjoy every moment of it.
* * * * *
The tides came and went for Esmeralda during the aftermath of the battle against the Doom that Creeps.
Orion was no where to be found. He really had died apparently.
Esmeralda was relieved to learn that Danea had not died at the bottom of the Pit. The fall had injured her wings, but the heat of the bubbling lava was nothing for a Demon. It was a privilege for the Demons of higher status to bathe in the fiery molten depths.
The Doom that Creeps was carefully placed in a magical glass coffin so it would have no contact with life or magic, and a magical vault was prepared. The vault was among the items Peter had gathered during the levy and it was made by the Maker. It was meant to last and what was placed inside would be safe for all time.
Danea was declared Lady of Demonus on the field. Without Dashiel and his cadre there were no high ranking Demons to take the position. She had become popular among the Demons and there was no opposition to the decision.
She agreed to send the vault to the bottom of the Pit and from that moment on, the Demonus Realm would be responsible for guarding the Doom that Creeps.
Laurannis lost her father, Lord Roland, on the field. He died in battle and died nobly. He would have no regrets. By right, Laurannis took the title of Queen Laurannis.
Patrisa kept the Eye of Doom and promised to protect it with her life. She intended to reopen the Academy again and it was there that she would protect the Eye from falling into the wrong hands. Amber and Indigo volunteered to act as Keepers of the Academy and assured Patrisa (who hated pixies at one point) that it would be the “beginning of a beautiful relationship.”
Esmeralda watched this activity intently as she came and went from the pyramid where Khepri always awaited her. While there, Khepri listened intently to Esmeralda’s fascinating story. She even was distracted from her tickling as she took mental note of every single detail.
During what Esmeralda knew would be her penultimate visit to the pyramid, Khepri began to lay out an elaborate plan that could potentially have success in neutralizing Melca’s influence forever.
This time it was Esmeralda who listened intently and made mental notes of everything Khepri said. She felt a bit the part of the Tenderfoot listening to the wise and experienced master. She was fond of Khepri and decided there were probably worse fates than being tickled for all eternity by her.
When Esmeralda finally awoke from the tides she was surprised to find herself somewhere pleasant and calm and somewhat familiar.
"You're back," Danea said leaning over a bed from where she had been watching over Esmeralda's rest.
Esmeralda saw that her friend's ribs and wings were heavily bandaged and that her face was covered in mean cuts and bruises, but other than that it was still the stoic and proud Danea she had met the first day she arrived at the Academy.
"That's where we are!" Esmeralda exclaimed recognizing the rooms and the atmosphere of the Academy.
"The Scourge thought it would be a pleasant place for you to rest and be at peace," Danea said.
"Has there been any sign of Orion?" Esmeralda asked suddenly. A pang of pain stung at her heart and a brief sliver of hope existed that some good news had been heard.
"No," Danea said, her mood darkening. "There has been no sign of him."
Esmeralda frowned sadly.
"I'm sorry," Danea said her voice trembling. "I loved him once as a lover and I've always loved him as a friend. I share your pain."
The Demon Mistress placed her hand on Esmeralda’s shoulder comforting her.
Esmeralda dried her tears and stood up from the bed.
"Where is Patrisa?" she asked. "I have some information and I must give it to her. I do not know how much time I will have with the tides. This is quite probably my last time back."
Danea nodded. "They are all waiting in the Hall of Heroes. Let's go."
As they left the room, Danea paused.
"I was given this," she said unfastening her sword belt. "It belonged to Lord Dashiel and Orion used it to defeat the Doom that Creeps. Its name is Midnight and I feel Orion's spirit near when I touch the sword. It is mine because I am the highest ranking Demon now, but I wish you to have it."
Esmeralda touched the hilt and she also felt that some piece of Orion was still near by in some spiritual manner.
"You hold on to it," Esmeralda said caressing the hilt gently before returning it to Danea. "Where I am going there is no need for a sword."
Danea nodded respectfully in gratitude and strapped the sword to her waist once more.
They arrived at the Hall of Heroes and Esmeralda was shocked to see a statue of herself erected in Hall next to that of the Scourge and the Shade.
"What is this?" Esmeralda asked. "It can't have been that long since the battle. How did this statue get here?"
"The Hall of Heroes chooses its own heroes, Tenderfoot," Patrisa said approaching.
She was followed by all her friends. The pixies, Inidgo and Amber, the Centaur Princess Laurannis, the Giantess Loanna, the Elfling Lady Haydeen, Peter the Peddler, and the ruler of the Animus Lady Ela.
"Your statue was here when we arrived," Patrisa said smiling. It was a sad smile however. All of those present had sad smiles. All had lost very much. Laurannis had lost her father, King Roland. Peter the Peddler his tickle mate Bruhilda who also aided the Centaurs to bring the Spellcasters into battle.
So many lives lost and wasted.
And then there was Orion.
The all swarmed around her but after a few minutes they seemed to realize that what she really needed was some time and space.
They slowly retired until Esmeralda was left alone with Patrisa.
"I will get you back to your world, Tenderfoot," Patrisa promised. "I don't care what needs to be done. I won't leave you to be cursed for all time."
"Without Orion, I don't know if I really care anymore, Patrisa," Esmeralda said. "I feel tired. Not much seems to matter anymore. I'm only glad that we succeeded in defeating the Doom that Creeps."
"We could not have done it without you," Patrisa said.
"Stop," Esmeralda said sadly. "You're trying to make me feel good, but I didn't have anything to do with it. I didn't don the magical armor, I didn't throw the magic lance, I didn't retrieve the Eye. I didn't battle the Doom that Creeps up front and I almost gave Melca what she needed to defeat us nonetheless. We were successful in spite of me, not because of me."
Patrisa was left speechless for a moment.
"What are you thinking, Tenderfoot?" she said angrily. "I'm of a mind of tickling you silly right here and now. You were there every step of the way. You kept us together, you kept us going when we thought it better to give up. All the leaders of the Realms, with perhaps the exception of Queen Melca look upon you favorably. None of this would have been possible without you."
Esmeralda smiled but it was a distant and somber smile.
"I have information you might or might not be able to use against Melca," Esmeralda said changing the subject. "She is as evil and as dangerous as Orion said and I do not believe she will stop her endless plotting until she succeeds in destroying the Realms."
"Who gave you this information?" Patrisa asked confused.
"A woman named Khepri," Esmeralda replied. "It’s a long story, but there is no time to tell it. It's enough to say that it is very ancient knowledge that binds the rulers of the realms. You might be able to use it against her."
Esmeralda requested a quill with ink and parchment and she began to write at a delirious pace.
The sheets were filled with verses and information and Patrisa was surprised to see her write so much and so fast.
"I have a proficient memory," Esmeralda said shrugging. "Great for college. I guess that's what made spell casting so easy for me."
"I see," Patrisa said impressed.
Esmeralda finally completed the last sheet and set the quill aside.
"I'll make her send you back," Patrisa promised.
"With this information you might," Esmeralda said handing over the sheets. "But she'll never willingly do it."
"I can be quite persuasive," Patrisa said. "You know that."
"I know," Esmeralda said sadly.
"I know you're thinking of Orion," Patrisa said. "He's not the kind of person who'd want you brooding the rest of your days. I think you know that."
Esmeralda nodded. "I know. But that knowledge doesn't take away the sting."
"Just keep it in mind," Patrisa said.
"I guess this is good bye," Esmeralda said opening her arms for an embrace. "I feel the tide coming in and I feel that this time will be the last. Thank you for training me and teaching me the ropes. I'll never forget you."
"We'll never forget you, Tenderfoot," Patrisa said hugging her close.
Esmeralda fell limp in Patrisa's arms and the Scourge realized that she was gone.
* * * * *
"Did you succeed giving your friends the information I gave you" Khepri asked Esmeralda back within the pyramid.
"Yes," she replied evenly as the Egyptian woman removed her robes and clothing, and stretched her out completely. She was naked, but she did not feel self conscious. She actually felt comfortable with the tickle torturer. "They will try and use it to defeat Melca once and for all…"
"You do not feel enthusiastic about it," Khepri said. "I would think you would feel happier about such a possibility. Vengeance can be a sweet treat."
"I lost some very dear friends," Esmeralda said trying not to cry. "I'd trade all the vengeance in the world to see them again."
"Ah," Khepri said understanding. "And a lover as well, I assume. I have been in your shoes; in the real world thousands of years ago. He was lost in battle. Some stupid senseless dispute; they usually are. You will not believe me, but time does heal. And here all we have is time."
Esmeralda nodded.
"You had your pause," Khepri said.
Esmeralda nodded again.
"Do your worst," Esmeralda said with resignation.
Khepri smiled. "I promise that I will drown your grief in laughter. You will think of nothing else but endless and continuous laughter."
Esmeralda nodded and welcomed the tickling.
As swift and skilled fingernails attacked her ribs she simply gave into the laughter like Madame Jordanna had taught her all those months ago at the Academy.
She felt strangely at peace.
* * * * *
Patrisa drove Peter the Peddler's wagon into the Fae Realm and made her way into the woods following trails that were not advised to be taken by anyone who was not of the Fae.
She wore the White Armor which had been repaired and cleaned. She looked regal and confident, and she felt the same.
She was stopped by Dryads who surrounded the wagon asked her business in the Fae Realm.
"Audience with Queen Melca" she said. “Tell her the Socurge is here. She’ll accept audience with me.”
The Dryads smiled as if the assumption was a most innocent one and sent out a messenger to inform their Queen.
To their shock and surprise, the Queen agreed to an audience and they were forced to let the Scourge through.
"You are a fool," Melca said in her Garden of Delights as Patrisa rode the wagon in. "You should have learned from your mistake the first time you defied me."
Melca had a Nymph stretched out and her Dryads, Nymphs and Pixies tickled her with terrible cruelty. Her screeching laughter appeared to be pleasing for the Fae Queen, but she lifted a hand indicating they should pause while she dealt with her guest.
“I’ve come to offer the terms of the Council of the Realms,” Patrisa stated evenly. “You are to return Esmeralda back to her world and then you are to abdicate as Queen of the Fae. If you do these two actions willingly, we will allow you to live.”
"I’ve never heard such pretentious talk in my long far spanning life,” she said in shock. “My Glamour will bind you to my will and this time there is no Orion to trick me into freeing you.”
Melca's glamour flared and she waited expectantly for the Tickle Scourge to sink to her knees and worship her.
She did not.
Patrisa stepped to the rear of the wagon and opened the back door. A Centaur princess and a Demon Mistress stepped out. Their White Armors has also been cleaned and repaired.
Melca's Galmour flared even stronger but it could not affect them.
“This armor was designed to protect the soul,” Patrisa explained touching her breastplate with her hand. “Your glamour is an assault on the soul, not on the mind. You will not manipulate us that way and we will see you do not manipulate anyone, in any manner, ever again.”
“Stop them," Melca commanded and the Dryads in unison instantly cast spells that made strong tree roots grow from the ground to stop them.
Patrisa and Danea drew their swords and they cut away at the roots. Patrisa's sword flared with light and Danea's erupted in shadows as they hacked away at the roots with ease. The roots retreated.
“I can take her,” Laurannis said holding up her Golden Lance. “I can skewer her like I skewered Jordanna. Just say the word.”
Melca fell back in horror at what was happening. She had always relied on her Glamour and she had rarely experienced a situation where she was not in dominating those in her presence.
Before Mecla could react, Patrisa was behind her and placed her neck in an iron collar which was closed with an ominous click.
"No more glamour," Patrisa said. "No more tricks."
"What will you do? Kill me?” Melca asked. “I am the Fae. If you should kill me you would kill all the Fae. Who are you, a mere Manling, to decide the fate of us all?"
“I come here not to kill you, but that you be judged for your crimes,” Patrisa said dragging Melca to her feet.
“There is no law existing in the Realms that I can be tried by. You waste your breathe and your time,” the Fae Queen said defiantly.
"There is a law older than the Realms. An Ancient Law. And while you may not have broken any law directly by conspiring to destroy the Realms, you broke a law that mentions that possession of a body that is not your own is forbidden. This is a law that can force your abdication."
"That law is older than your world, Manling,” Melca said. “I know not who told you so, but it is not a thing for you to decide. The ruler of each Realm must agree that the law has been broken and deserving of punishment. You will see that you can't get the rulers together to agree on anything unless they are on the verge of destruction. They will not fret with me.”
Danea opened the door to the wagon and three rulers paraded out one by one.
They were Lady Ela of the Animus Realm, Lady Haydeen of the Elfling Realm and King Thornwall of the Giantus Realm.
“Three?” Melca said smiling. “Is that all?”
“I represent the Demonus Realm,” Danea said. Midnight was still shrouded in shadows and for some reason she could not send them back into the sword.
“And I the Centaur Realm,” Laurannis said.
Melca’s jaw dropped, but Patrisa did not allow her time to think.
“Who agrees that Queen Melca has abused her power in taking control of another body? Patrisa asked.
All the rulers raised their hands in acknowledgement.
“There is no injured party,” she said smugly. “The Ancient Law states in these cases that the injured party must be present. Orion died at the bottom of the Pit, I killed him myself. Ancient Law requires the injured party.”
“I’m here, Melca,” sounded Orion’s voice from Danea’s direction.
A shadow from behind Danea moved faintly, but it was noticeably the shadow of the Shadow Mage, Orion.
“I was trapped in the sword by the shadows that finally retreated to the darkness of Midnight after the final blow to the Doom that Creeps,” the shadow explained. “But here you have my shadow and soul. I am the injured party and I accuse you of wrong doing.”
"You have the votes of the other Realms and you have the injured party, but you lack one thing. You need a member of the Fae to denounce me as Queen and to offer to take my place. This must also be approved by the council of the rulers,” Queen Melca observed. “Whoever told you this must have mentioned that.
“I've ruled the Fae with an iron fist with no tolerance for sedition. No Pixie nor Dryad may harm me. All the Nymphs are bound to me in these matters. None will give you their vote.”
Patrisa looked to the rest of the rulers and frowned in disappointment.
“I say you all let me run her through,” Laurannis said aggressively. “We’ll put her head on a pike.”
“You waste your time,” Melca observed. “Slay me and you slay all the Fae. By Ancient Law, that is both regicide and genocide. Those are worse crimes than that which I have committed. Leave and I will be lenient."
Silence was heard in the garden.
It was deathly quiet until the restrained Nymph spoke.
"I, Ammé," she said with difficulty, "denouce Queen Melca as a tyrannical ruler, who's personal interest anteceded those of the Fae and the Realms. I call for her abdication.”
"I nominate Ammé to become the new ruler of the Fae," Danea said suddenly and unexpectedly.
"You can't do that!" Melca said.
"I second the motion," Laurannis said as she gazed at Melca with daggers in her eyes.
"All those in favor," Patrisa said, "raise your hand."
A deafening silence fell upon the room as the rulers of the Realms raised their hands.
"Thus ends the reign of Queen Melca. Long live Queen Ammé!" Patrisa cheered.
Instantly the Dryads released Ammé and they dressed her in fine transparent robes and they bowed reverently before her.
"She is not the Queen, you fools, it is a trick!" Melca insisted trying to pull free of her collar. “They are just words!”
"Only the Queen of the Fae can find a rift in the wall between the Realms and the world of Manlings,” Patrisa said. “We of the Council of the Realms request that you, Queen Ammé, open such a rift from Esmeralda and Orion and return their souls to the world.”
Ammé nodded and she cautiously opened her Third Eye.
"She cannot do it, she has no such power." Melca said before being gagged by Laurannis. She mumbled curses and profanities into her gag.
"I see it. A rift to their world. I see the Manling Esmeralda asleep. Place her alone before me and I will open a portal."
Peter the Peddler emerged from the wagon carrying her into the garden. She was twisting and laughing madly, but not in a tortuous manner. Peter with some difficulty carried her before Queen Ammé and placed her gently on the soft grass.
Esmeralda lay there for a moment when a flash was seen and a rift opened. It enveloped Esmeralda pulling her into the light and she disappeared seeming to melt away into nothingness.
A small object was left behind.
A Golden Scarab.
Patrisa picked it up. "That is odd. She was carrying Silk with her but that artifact passed through the rift.''
“This artifact is a world with in a world,” Ammé said observing the object. “It may not cross.”
“Now, find a rift for Orion,” Patrisa insisted.
Ammé nodded.
Orion's shadow approached.
“You won’t come home with us?” he asked Patrisa.
“This is my home. Yours, Jeremy, is on the other side of that rift.”
The shadow nodded.
“Fare well then, Patrisa. I will miss you,” he said sadly.
He turned to Danea who was weeping softly.
“I’ve always missed you, Danea,” he said quietly. “I haven’t always been the best person at your side, but I will never forget you and what I learned with you.”
His shadow touched her cheek as if to wipe away the tear, but he did not.
“It is nothing to be ashamed of,” he said gently. “Wear your tears with pride, Danea. They make you a better person.”
“Promise you will take care of Esmeralda,” Danea begged.
“I promise,” he said. “You know I always honor my promises.”
She nodded and smiled sadly.
The rest waved sorrowfully at his departure. They had all been his ticklees or ticklers at one time or another, but when it really mattered they were able to put their differences aside for the greater good of the Realms.
He stepped backwards into the rift and as the world melted away the last thing he saw were his friends.
The shadow disappeared through the rift and all became quiet again in the Garden of Delights.
Patrisa interrupted the silence.
“There is still business that must be attended to,” Patrisa said.
“I will slay Melca now,” Laurannis said holding her lance up. “She is no longer Queen.”
Melca’s eyes went wide with horror.
“First things first,” Patrisa said turning to Ammé.
“The Fae will not bring Orion, Esmeralda or any other Manling to the Realms,” Patrisa stated. “Do you understand? The Council agrees upon this. Do you, Queen Ammé?”
The Queen nodded in agreement.
“It shall be so,” she said. “However, I request that Melca be left to us. I will see that Melca is properly punished. The Fae will break her will and make her docile. It is a more fitting punishment than death.”
“I trust my lance more,” Laurannis said staring at the new Queen Ammé defiantly.
“I’ll solve this,” Patrisa said. “Danea, Laurannis, bring Melca here.”
Danea lifted Melca to her feet and dragged her over to where Laurannis and Queen Ammé stood.
“I have the most fitting punishment,” Patrisa said to the gagged Nymph as she was held firmly between Danea and Laurannis.
“There is a proverb among the Realms,” Patrisa said quietly mostly for Melca to hear.
“She that lives by the feather, perishes by the feather.”
No one understood until she pointed the Golden Scarab at Melca and pressed the ruby on its back.
* * * * *
Esmeralda awoke.
She could hear birds chirping outside her window and the first rays of a morning sun casting shadows around the room.
She was wearing the gym clothes and sneakers with which she had when she awoke in the Mushroom Wood.
Her body felt stiff and it ached.
She suddenly wondered if this wasn't a dream. She pinched herself in the arm and felt the pain.
She was not asleep. Could it all have been a dream? A simple figment of her imagination? She did not know what to think.
She stood up and decided to shower. The cold shower helped her wake up a bit more but it didn't help to clear the cobwebs in her head.
Maybe it was all a dream, she thought as she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked back to the couch to sit down once more.
As she returned she stepped on something hard with sharp edges. She yelped and jumped back and saw that it was a small metal piece of jewelry. She picked it up and studied it and she realized that it was Silk.
It didn't move and it was smaller than Esmeralda remembered, but it was definitely a replica of the mechanical spider who had aided her during her time in the Realms.
She dressed and had some breakfast before rushing to classes that day. She missed her first class and during the rest of the classes she could not help but feel distracted and detached.
She spoke to the people she knew and although she was relieved to have all her friends back, it somehow just didn't seem all that real to her.
She walked back to the dorm and she saw a couple of guys tickling a classmate that she knew to tears.
Her attention was instantly captured. One was holding her and the other one was doing the tickling. The tickling wasn't done properly and he was only getting her to laugh because she was pathetically ticklish.
Amateurs, Esmeralda thought instinctively. She instantly thought of half a dozen ways to do it better.
She remembered again that she wasn't a spellcaster or a tickle warrior anymore, but regardless, she was certain she could do better.
She went back to the dorm feeling sad and depressed.
The days and weeks went by. She kept Silk on a chain and wore the jewelry proudly around her neck. She took to running again and tried her best to readjust to her world.
For the most part she succeeded and she thought less and less about the Realms.
With some exceptions however.
Tickling or even the mention of tickling would catch her attention. She actually found a sadistic side to her nature and promptly took to tickling all her friends and occasionally getting tickled back in the process. The laughter did her good.
It was during the alone time that she would sometimes brood on what had happened. It was then, when shadows flooded the room that she thought of Orion.
She'd study the shadows and pretend he was still there watching her. She knew it wasn't so however, and it panged her heart to have to recognize that fact.
Fall came and by then she had accepted that it was probably all some elaborate dream brought on by a stale piece of rather bad pizza.
The spider? It was probably left there by someone and she incorporated it into her dream after having seen it.
She did not stop wearing it. Even when she went out for brisk morning and afternoon runs.
It was one such afternoon when she realized that whatever had happened really had nothing to do with her world now and she was better off studying and getting her life back in order.
She thought these words as she ran around the track. And there she saw something that made her thoughts and her running stop abruptly.
It was Orion.
He was wearing blue jeans and a windbreaker instead of his usual black robes, but it was him.
She did not move.
He came to her.
"It took me a while to find you. I thought it would be easier with a not so common name as Esmeralda," he said with a smile. "Even the Internet can't keep up with the speed and accuracy of a good Nymph oracle."
Esmeralda stared blankly at him.
"You do remember, don't you?" he said seemly starting to think he had found the wrong Esmeralda. "You know, Jeremy, AKA Orion?"
She remained speechless.
“Maybe this isn’t a good time,” he said stepping back disappointed. “I can drop by later if you want.”
She then suddenly rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him in a powerful embrace.
She did not say anything. The thought that raced though her head was one and all consuming.
It was real, it was real!
She was grateful.
* * * * *
Melca awoke inside a Pyramid.
She immediately removed the gag and looked at her surroundings looking for the one person she dreaded most to meet.
“What a precious treat!” Khepri said entering the pyramid. “I though I was wrong to have helped Esmeralda and that in doing so I had lost my fifth. But look how fate repays me… with you.”
“Stay back!” Melca warned. “I’m still very powerful.”
Khepri looked down on her like a little child. “It is nice that you think so,” she said as she moved her hands and suspended Melca in the air with an invisible force. Melca struggled, but her small lithe body could not resist the force that held her body in place.
Khepri removed Melca’s transparent slippers and closed her eyes as she sniffed over the sweet smelling bare feet as if she were savoring a delicious roast. The feet were perfect in size and shape and were inviting to be tickled.
Who could possibly resist such a sight? Khepri thought.
“Any last words, Melca?” Khepri asked before tickling her nemesis. “Once I start I will not stop for all eternity. That I promise.”
Melca opened her mouth to say something and as she did she felt Khepri’s expert fingers on her feet.
“I didn’t think so,” Khepri said enjoying the thrashing feet and the sweet desperate laughter that erupted from Melca´s mouth.
“Here’s to Eternity,” Khepri said taking Melca’s toes firmly into her mouth and nibbling on them.
Melca screamed.
* * * * *
"I was trapped in the sword," Jeremy explained as they got a cup of coffee in a nearby coffee shop and sat down together. "I could see all, but I couldn't get out until Danea used Midnight when they brought you to the Fae to return you to this world."
"What happened to Melca?" Esmeralda asked very interested in what he had to say.
"She was relieved of her position as Queen," he said. “The information you gave Patrisa really made the difference. I’m sure Melca will get what she deserves.”
"I'm glad that's over," Esmeralda said.
"The Council of the Realms forbade the Fae from crossing Manlings, so it is unlikely we will ever return,” he said. “So we’re here for good.”
"And now?” Esmeralda asked anxiously. “What do we do now? I mean, us?"
Jeremy smiled. "I suggest we start at the beginning.
"Hi, I’m Jeremy," he said holding out his hand for her to shake.
"And I am Esmeralda," she said taking his hand graciously and shaking it warmly.
"Pleased to meet you, Esmeralda," Jeremy said without releasing her hand. “I'm Sagittarian, my favorite color is now green,” he said smiling looking into her green eyes, “and last, but certainly not least… I am a tickler."
He poked her gently in the ribs with calculated precision hitting her sweet spot and he made her laugh and pull her arms against her sides.
"There's no such thing as a fairy tale ending, Esmeralda. There are ups and downs like in anything. But I know deep down inside that we're going to be all right," he said smiling and pulling her close.
Esmeralda could not help but to agree.
* * * * *
Ammé watched the reunion with only limited interest. She watched them talking and playing in the cafeteria until someone else caught her interest only a few tables away.
It was a red haired girl who had fallen asleep at a table surrounded by books and documents. She was probably preparing for an exam and she had dozed off.
"I wonder what she's dreaming about," Ammé said curiously.
"The Council said no Manlings," a voice said in her head in a nagging know-it-all tone of voice. She knew the tone well because she used it all the time when she assisted Melca. It was her own assisting Nymph who was watching through her Third Eye.
"There have always been Manlings," Ammé said matter-of-factly understanding now why Melca lost her patience frequently with underlings. "Until recently, few really knew that the Fae had the power to cross them. Who’s to say I crossed her anyway?”
“I’d advise against it,” the Nymph said evenly.
“Well, you are not Queen of the Fae,” Ammé observed plainly. “It’s just one Manling. It will be fun to watch her stumble through the Realms. It keeps us Nymphs busy and adds excitement to this life of confinement to the Garden of Delights.”
“That is true,” the Nymph acknowledged.
“Besides,” Ammé said preparing to open a rift. “What is the world without a Tenderfoot?"
“A dull place, indeed,” the Nymph admitted.
The End?
...
