The Dark Fairy King
Chapter 38: The Dungeon

Chapter 38: The Dungeon

Now in the dungeon, we saw Richard—the Love Fairy who attacked us earlier in the woods. He no longer had the same rigor as when we interrogated him earlier at the palace. The poison had already taken effect. Two hours had passed, and it showed.

He lay on the floor—pale as a sheet, weak, and unmoving. His entire arm had gone purple. The Midnight Orchid’s poison had spread.

The wounds on his arms and legs from Juniper’s earlier attack still bled sluggishly. When his eyes met mine, he scowled. "Scoundrel King."

"Oh? Still so stubborn after all that?" I mused, mildly impressed.

He spat at me. I tilted my head and stepped aside, letting it hit the floor.

"Your aim for your spit is questionable for a Fairy that uses arrows," I mocked.

"If you came to kill me, kill me," Richard coughed weakly.

"No. I came here to watch." My voice had gone cold. I folded my arms. "Besides, you don’t have long before you turn into a pool of blood," I drawled.

Scarlette stepped out from behind me. She cut in before I could continue.

"What does your tattoo mean? And why did you say there were many of you?" Her voice was sharp. Direct.

Of course she’d get straight to the point. But Richard stayed silent.

I stepped forward once more and held up the Midnight Orchid.

"Remember this?" I grinned. "Want a second hit?"

"You’ve already poisoned me. So why bring this again?" he spat.

"Here’s what’s going to happen," I said, my grin growing. "I’m going to heal you. Then poison you. Then heal you again. Over and over... until you speak."

I brought the dark flower closer to his chest. The petals shimmered ominously.

"This is going to hurt again. Time to speed things up."

He flinched as I pointed the flower dangerously close to his face.

"I have not seen how it works on a Fairy’s eyeball," I taunted.

Richard winced, but Scarlette pulled my arm back.

"Ver... you’re still his king. Don’t go overboard," Scarlette warned.

Juniper whimpered from her shoulder, sensing the tension.

I sighed dramatically and turned to Scarlette. "Sure. Take all the fun out of it."

How does anyone get anything done by being nice? Seriously. These two.

Was I going overboard if I planned to send Richard to the brink of death and back, over and over again?

Perhaps I was getting a bit extreme.

I turned back.

"Alright, Richard... there are apparently two ways to do this. My way, or hers. No prizes for guessing which is more entertaining." I gave a dark smile.

"Okay!" he croaked, raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, I’ll speak!"

"No games," I said, bringing the orchid closer once more. Its dark leaves pulsed softly. Richard flinched again.

"Then speak."

"The tattoo... it’s a sign for Anti-Magic," he admitted.

"How many of you are there?" I asked slowly.

"I... I really don’t know." His eyes welled with tears as he weakly reached out, clutching my tunic. "Please... I’m telling the truth."

I hesitated for a beat. Then I kicked him aside—not hard, but enough to break contact.

"That’s not very cooperative of you, is it?" I said coldly.

"No... Please... I really don’t know!" His voice cracked.

Red mist began to fill the room—Scarlette’s power, of course.

"Ver..." Scarlette stepped forward, her voice calmer now. "He’s not lying. I can tell."

The mist swirled around her hand, slow and deliberate. It hovered like smoke with sentience.

"Sorry," she told him blankly. "I really don’t like doing this. And you are still withholding information. My way is faster. But his way is so much worse."

Her green eyes glowed faintly as the red mist twisted forward, entering Richard’s throat like a serpent of vapor. It coiled through him, wrapping around his voice like a tightening grip.

Richard began to shake.

"Tell us everything you know," she commanded.

He screamed as the red mists flowed into his nostrils.

"You... You’re both abominations!" he shrieked, struggling. "Your children will be harbingers of doom!"

And then—he froze.

I waved a hand in front of his face. No response.

"Did you just melt his brain?" I asked, half-joking, half-concerned. My tone was exasperated.

And she said my way is worse? How exactly? Richard now sat like a ragdoll forgotten beside a trash bin. How are we supposed to get answers now?

"Urgh, Ver..." Scarlette sighed. "Just give it a few seconds. It’s persuasion magic."

Richard looked at me once again. He twitched. His expression was blank, as if hypnotized, but he spoke—all of it.

"The broken wand... it represents the end of magic."

He paused, then continued.

"I joined a faction called the Anti-Magic Mages. They promised to destroy anything that challenges the balance of the magical world."

I burst into laughter. I couldn’t help it.

"Anti-Magic Mages? Are you serious? Don’t mages need magic to be called mages?"

Stupid irony. This is who we were up against?

Scarlette glared. "Don’t interrupt."

Richard continued, his voice hollow. "They’re humans who borrow magic from ancient artifacts to destroy magical threats. They believe in true balance. Imagine a world with no vampires, dark elves, or werewolves. No abominations. Just peace."

I rolled my eyes. "Aren’t you a magical being yourself?" I asked, irritated.

"Yes, but all species are welcome to join our cause. For the greater good," he replied blankly.

"What happens to you after the mages succeed in eliminating all these so-called threats or harbingers of doom?" I scoffed and smacked him lightly on the head. "Is there even a single brain cell in the space between your ears? Seriously?"

"Veravos... stop smacking him. Let him talk. Can we just keep to asking questions?" Scarlette snapped.

I sighed, but he didn’t react at all to the smack.

"But the mages," Richard went on, still in his catatonic state, "say they’ll eliminate all threats with their combined powers. It’s all for the continued existence of our people."

"And what happens after these harbingers are gone? Aren’t you next? A Love Fairy will cease to exist without magic," I replied, disbelief heavy in my voice. "They are called Anti-Magic Mages for crying out loud. And you are a being of magic."

"We are the natural order. We have a duty to prevent abominations," he intoned like a chant. "The ways of the higher calling are impossible for the blind to see."

"It’s you who’s blind, you idiot!" I snapped, nearly smacking him again—until Scarlette grabbed my hand firmly.

"Ask questions only," she warned, clipped, her eyes flashing irritation.

I turned away, reluctantly. Scarlette was clearly done entertaining my dramatics.

"How many of you are there?" Scarlette asked calmly.

"We’ve already infiltrated the United Fairy Kingdom and many others, purging abominations from within," he said. "There are over a hundred of us now—fairies, humans, witches, and more."

He paused.

"Each bears the broken wand tattoo on our right wrist to remind us of our cause. Once we finish, we will cease to exist. Martyrs for peace and balance."

"And you really believe Veravos and I are going to have a child who is the harbinger in the prophecy?" Scarlette asked.

I turned to her. "Don’t believe a word," I warned.

"But this magic I’m using—it’s truth. His truth," she murmured.

"I don’t know. It could come from any Dark Fairy and Love Fairy pairing," Richard replied.

"How many have you gone after?" I pressed.

"There were two others before you," he said. "I used Love Magic to tear them apart."

"Did you kill any?" I asked. "Innocent Dark and Love Fairies?"

"Yes. We killed two couples, but it’s because they still chose to remain together," he tried to justify.

Scarlette and I looked at each other, horrified.

"They were not disappearances," he explained. "They were warned to separate but refused to listen. They were removed from the world. They were not innocent. Their love was wrong. So they became a small sacrifice for the greater good, for the greater society."

Anger boiled from within me. These extremists knew no bounds. Illogical murder.

"Who is next on the list?" I demanded.

"We do not keep a list. We are watchers of the people," he replied, stoic. "We will eliminate anything that will cause an imbalance."

"Who is your leader?" Scarlette demanded.

Suddenly, the tattoo on his hand began glowing blue and the spell started cracking.

"No! Don’t make me say his name!" Richard begged, suddenly conscious again, panic cracking his voice as Scarlette’s spell began to fracture.

And just like that—the purple veins in his arms vanished. Colour flowed back into his skin. The Midnight Orchid’s poison... gone.

I stared. What kind of magic could undo a poison like that?

Scarlette’s magic surged harder in response. The red mists bloomed outward, thickening, almost suffocating the room.

"Please... Don’t force me..." He begged, kowtowing profusely.

"Say it!" she bellowed.

The tattoo on his wrist pulsed wildly—its blue glow dimming under the force of her magic.

"Nathaniel," he blurted out.

Then everything erupted.

The tattoo exploded into a brilliant flare of light, blinding blue.

When it faded, only red dust remained.

Scarlette, Juniper, and the guards froze in shock.

For a second, I saw him—not a zealot, but a dying man clinging to belief. Then I remembered the two couples he had killed. I hardened again.

I glared at the dust, frustrated that I couldn’t get any more answers.

Bye, Richard. You picked the wrong side.