Page 27 of Midnight Kingdom

“You were always a good king to me, liege.”

I shake my head, as my old friend notices Noni and holds his arm out to her. She walks over to him. It’s strange to see the gargoyle pick the little brownie up with such gentleness. He regards her with something akin to affection and friendship.

I walk with them through a secret passage in the cave and come to an outlook above a large valley.

I shake my head and inhale deeply. “You weren’t supposed to die.”

“We all set out on this journey knowing death was a possibility,” he says and his tone is flat. “The outcome is unfortunate, but I wouldn’t change what happened. I died so that others could live. I see it as a fair trade,” Thoradin huffs. “After the balance is restored, I’ll cross over into the afterlife. All the spirits here will, unless we choose to stay, I suppose.”

“Do you want to go to the afterlife?”

“I do,” he nods as he turns to face me. “But only if you let me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You need to release me, liege, and everyone else you lost.” He grows quiet for a few seconds and only the wind whistling through the trees speaks to us. Then he faces me once more and speaks again. “You must let go of the past and the mistakes you made. The war isn’t over, my liege. It never was.”

“We have a real chance now,” I start but Thoradin shakes his head.

“Variant is not the real threat.”

I eye him with interest. “What do you mean?”

“Someone else pulls Variant’s strings.”

“Who?” I ask.

Thoradin shrugs. “I don’t know, liege. I see truth in bits and pieces here. It comes on one wind and is stolen by another.”

After a few more minutes with my old friend, Noni and I make our way back through the cave. We stroll slowly towards the portal and Thoradin stops us right before we cross the threshold.

“One last thing…” he starts as I turn to face him. “Death is never the end,” he promises. “Baron and I are proof of that.”

***

FLUMPH

The Veil

“Wake up! Wake up, Mr. Flumph!”

That fuckin’ brownie squeakin’ in my damn ear again. She do this every mornin’, but it extra annoyin’ this time. I shove her ass off me an’ giver my tough face, lookin’ all mean-like. She don’t understand. She never do. It make me mad, but Noni always givin’ me them sad eyes. But I ain’t gonna be walked all over again. Nope, not when I a badass with my fuckin’ crossbow.

“Mr. Flumph, Noni going to the Unseelie Kingdom.”

“What the hell you talkin’ about? Why?”

“Cause Noni not hear anything for a long time. Master say if the Unseelie quiet, that no good and Unseelie must be checked on. But Noni not allowed to go by herself. She want Mr. Flumph to go with her.” She wiggle herself off my bed an’ I wanna throws a pillow at her for wakin’ me up. I jump down an’ slip my fuzzy little toes into my new boots.

Least the necromancer know how to treat us sprites. I been misstreated since I started helpin’ these fuckin’ giants. It nice to finally gets some damn respect ‘round here. Noni follow me down the hallto the kitchens, wheres all the good shit is. I take out them sweetrolls while she hobbles her ass right up to me. That smile, real creepy-like. “No! I ain’t goin’.”

I goin’.

Next thing I fuckin’ know, I’m halfways across this stupid forest an’ on my way to the portal that take us right to the Unseelie Kingdom. Right where I don’t wanna be. “Can’t believe I let you talks me into this stupid shit!”

“Come on, Mr. Flumph. It an adventure. Noni love adventures.”

“You ain’t the one flyin’ with a brownie on yer fuckin’ back!”

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