Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 All the usual disclaimers apply, if you are too young to read adult related
literature or if it is illegal in your locality, stop right here.

   My Thanks to all of you who have offered suggestions and helped me sort
my addled ramblings into some semblance of order, and to those of you who
have encouraged me to continue the story.

   Thanks for reading Unworthy1 (c) Unworthy1 2004

   From Within Chapter 2

   It was almost a quarter to one in the morning and the house reverberated
with the sound of someone hammering on the front door.

   David Faye stomped down the stairs in a foul mood to see what the
commotion was all about.  He opened the door and was about to give the
person on the other side of it a piece of his mind when she pushed past
him.

   "Mum, what's going on?" he asked his mother's back as she started to
climb the stairs.

   "Where's Eric?  Is he in his room?  Have you seen him tonight?" She shot
the barrage of questions one after the other without waiting for a reply
from her son.

   David followed her up the stairs in a state of confusion and with a
growing sense of foreboding.

   "Mum, will you please just stand still and tell me what is going on!"

   "No time, I have to see Eric.  Now!"

   "He's in his room.  I think he got into a fight tonight but he didn't
want to talk about it, he just came straight up here.  What's going on Mum?
Do you realise what the time is?"

   "I will explain later.  I'm going in there now and no one, I repeat, NO
ONE is to come in there.  Do I make myself clear?" the frail old lady
demanded.

   "Now just a moment Mum, this is my house and he is my son and I think I
hav..."

   "David Faye, you will do as I say or there will be serious trouble.  Do
you understand?" she growled at him.

   "Yes Mum."

   "Good, now make yourself useful and put the kettle on.  I am too old to
be running around in the middle of the night without having a nice cup of
tea.  Once you have made it, knock on the door, leave it on the floor
outside, and go back to your room.  NOW please David, I am not getting any
younger here you know!"

   Even at only five feet tall, weighing barely seven stone and being
nearly eighty years old, Olive Faye was an impressively commanding
presence. It was almost impossible to defy her will once she decided on
something.

   As David retreated back down the stairs, his mother went into Eric's
room.

   If anyone had been watching her, they would have been shocked at her
reaction to the scene that lay before her.  She looked around the room,
taking in all of the sights and just let out a gentle chuckle.

   "Oh Eric, you are a one aren't you Young One" she said to her self.

   Eric did not respond.  He was lying on the floor with a gaping hole in
his chest, a 3 foot sword in his hand and was writhing in agony.

   "Why on Earth didn't you come and talk to me before you did this?  There
are easier ways you know." she said to Eric's prostrate form.

   Considering the fact that Eric had pierced his heart, there was
surprisingly little blood to be seen.  Even the sword didn't appear to have
any on it.

   There was a knock at the bedroom door and Olive went to retrieve her cup
of tea.  "This could take a while," she mused, "I might as well get
comfortable."

   As she sat sipping her hot, sweet mug of tea, she watched Eric intently.
She was very aware that what happened in the next couple of hours could
quite easily kill him and she had no intention of letting him die.

   Eric's thrashings slowly began to subside and it appeared he was going
to relax when suddenly every muscle in his body went into spasms.  The
black oily appearance of the blade was fading and was being replaced by a
bluish glow.  As the intensity of the glow increased, so did the area it
was encompassing.  It spread across Eric's chest like a slow flowing wave
and continued to expand until it covered his whole body.  Still stuck in a
state of rictus, Eric dropped the sword.  He was very frightened and in
great pain but there was nothing he could do.

   The sword slowly began to slide rise until it was above his body.  It
moved as if guided by an unseen hand until the point was resting on his
forehead and then began to carve a bizarre set of patterns into his skin.
It continued to slice and carve the symbols across his face, neck,
shoulders, chest, stomach and legs.  Once the entire front of his body was
covered, Eric's muscles gave a massive jerk and flipped him onto his chest.
With a clean canvas to work on, the sword repeated the process all over the
back of his legs, body and head.  When the sword gave the final cut, the
blue glow appeared to flow into all of open wounds.  With all of the
symbols glowing like neon he made a macabre but strangely beautiful sight.

   Olive sat and watched.  Totally transfixed by the sword's actions, she
was suddenly blinded when the light flashed to an incredible incandescent
brightness.

   By the time her vision returned to normal the glow was gone and Eric lay
there without a mark on him.  Even the original stab wound through the
heart and the cuts and bruises from his earlier beating had disappeared. 
Eric's body relaxed and he looked to be at peace.

   "Oh my." said Olive softly to herself.

   A light greyish smoke was starting to come from Eric's skin.  A new
reddish purple glow was beginning to become visible all over him and the
smoke became thicker.  To all intents and purposes it looked as thought
Eric was about to spontaneously combust.  As she watched, he seemed to be
shrinking in on himself.  First to go were his jowl-like cheeks and rolls
of fat under his chin.  These were replaced by semi-prominent cheek bones
and a rugged jaw line.  His upper body followed, all of his flabbiness
apparently being burned away to be replaced by firm, well defined muscle.
His large gut was swapped for a six pack, his penis thickened and
lengthened without becoming hard, fat thighs became powerfully muscled,
calves gained both muscle and definition.  The smoking and glowing began to
fade and eventually stopped.  The end result was enough to take the old
woman's breath away.

   "Oh my!" she said again.  This time however for totally different
reasons.

   Eric's body had undergone a total transformation.  Gone was the flabby,
podgy kid and in his place lay a close representation of a Greek god.  He
was muscled, defined and his skin had taken on the colour of burnished
copper.  Once more Eric seemed to relax, this time into a peaceful slumber.

   His grandmother had witnessed similar transformations twice before in
her life and knew that he would remain like that for a little while if left
undisturbed, so she left his room and went down to the kitchen to replenish
her cup of tea and gather a few things she thought she might need.

   As she returned Eric's room once more, David, Eric's father was stood in
the hallway in front of his bedroom door.

   "Mum, you have been in there for nearly 3 hours.  What in the name of
all that is good is going on in there?"

   "I don't have time to explain now David, I will do so in the morning. 
Let's just say that Brianna seems to like your son" she replied with a
small smile.

   All of the colour drained from David's face.  "I won't have your
witchcraft hocus pocus here in my house, I want you too leave.  Right now."

   "Oh David, do shut up.  This is none of my doing.  What Brianna wants,
Brianna gets and there is not a mortal soul who can stop it.  I am going to
stay in there until it is over and try to help him understand what is going
on.  Once again, I must stress that no one is to come into that room
without my express permission.  Do I make my self clear?"

   "Yes mum." replied David and he went back into his room.

   Eric was still sleeping soundly when Olive returned.  As she admired his
naked form she felt a twinge that she had not heard from for many, many
years.  "Oh to be 50 again." she thought.

   Olive was starting to doze in her chair when Eric whimpered.

   "Quiet now Young One, just one more phase and it will all be over." She
said soothingly to him but with no effect.

   Eric's hands shot to his temples and the look of pain and terror on his
face was almost enough to break the old lady's heart.

   "Nearly there Eric, just a little longer and you will be able to sleep."

   Eric in the meantime was once again thrashing round on the floor,
clutching his head like he thought it would explode if he didn't hold onto
it.  His mouth was open and the cords in his throat stood out as if he were
silently screaming.  After a little over an hour, he once again suddenly
relaxed and let out a soft snore.

   Olive smiled to herself and began to lay out the things she had brought
up from the kitchen.

   When she heard Eric began to thrash around once more she spun in
surprise.  His body was rigid again but seemed to be undulating as if he
were on an inflatable lie-low on a gentle ocean swell.

   Olive could hear a buzzing sound.  "No, that's not right!" she thought.
"I can't actually hear it, but I can feel it.  What is going on?  This
should all be over!"

   The buzzing feeling increased in intensity, pounding her senses and
dropping her to her knees.  She cupped her hands over her ears but it had
no effect.  And then it was gone.  The silence was almost as unbearable as
the noise had been.  She looked at Eric to make sure he was ok.  He didn't
appear to be moving so she rushed to his side and reached down to check for
the pulse in his neck.  Suddenly her arm felt like it was held in a vice.
Eric had reached up and caught her wrist before she could touch him, the
look of anger in his eyes sending an icy chill of fear up her spine, but
even worse than that was the changed appearance of those eyes.  In all of
her years Olive had never seen eyes like these.  They were almost
completely black, but with a ring of blue around the edge, the same blue as
the stone in the sword's pommel.  It made his eyes look like a pair of
solar eclipses.

   "Nan, what are you doing here?" Eric asked as he released her wrist from
his grasp.  His features returned to a mask of calm and serenity.

   "I was told you would need me tonight, so I came." she replied whilst
trying to massage some feeling back into her wrist.

   "Who told you?  Wait, it was Brianna wasn't it?"

   "Yes." came her simple reply.

   Eric got up from the floor and for the first time realised he was naked.
He tried to cover himself and almost fell onto the bed in his haste to bend
and turn so his Nan would not see his nakedness.  As his hands touched his
cock he stopped and looked down.  A look of confusion and then wonder came
to his face as he noticed the size of it.  He also realised that he wasn't
actually embarrassed by being naked.

   "That's strange, my Nan's sat in my room starting at me, I am stark
bollock naked and it doesn't bother me." He stepped over to the mirror on
his wardrobe door and took a look at himself.  "Holy shit!  What the fuck
happened to me?" He glanced nervously towards his Nan, expecting to receive
a sharp rebuke for the outburst.

   "Oh, don't worry about me Eric.  You think that these eighty year old
ears have never heard someone swear before?" she chuckled and turned back
to her tasks at the desk.

   Eric looked in the mirror again.  He could hardly recognise himself.  He
had grown about three inches in height and was now 6' 2" tall.  His face
had lost all of the bloatedness that had plagued him before and his body
looked like it had been sculpted.  He experimentally flexed the muscles in
his chest and was amazed to see his pecs bounce up and down.  His shoulders
were wide, even, and well muscled, gone was the roundedness of before.  His
chest was now broad and powerful looking.  His stomach was flat and well
defined; he could make out the different muscle groups and count his abs.

   His cock really caught his attention.  It was fat and long and appeared
to be about twice the size it used to be.  "Bloody hell, it looks bigger
now than it did when I was hard before!" he thought to himself.

   His legs no longer had any fat on them either, just large, lean muscles.
He turned so he could see his back and it was the same story there.  Once
again, he gave a trial flex of his muscles.  His lats looked like stubby
wings when he tensed them and he could see the muscles rippling up and down
the length of his back.

   "Eric, put some shorts on or something and come and have a drink." Olive
said to him, snapping him out of his self absorbed inspection.

   Eric went to put on the jeans he had been wearing that day but saw that
they had been cut to ribbons, as had the rest of his clothes, so he got
another pair out of his dresser.  When he put them on they were too short
in the leg and the waist was far too big.

   "Looks like I am going to need some more clothes." he said with a smile.

   "We can worry about that in a little while." Olive said.  "First, you
need to sit and listen to me."

   "Drink up Eric, you have lost a lot of fluids.  You are probably hungry
as well so I have made you some sandwiches and there are a couple of
chocolate bars which should help you recover your strength.  We need to
talk, or at least I need to tell you some things.  Sit, eat, drink, and
listen.  Don't interrupt, you can ask your questions when I am finished."

   As Eric drank his water and began to attack his food, Olive began to
speak.

   "This is going to sound more like a fairy tale than fact but it is all
true to the best of my knowledge.  When the world was young, before Man
came along it was inhabited by other beings called the Fey.  There were
many types of Fey but the most common of them were the Elven and Fairie
peoples.  Although they had much in common, there were distinct differences
between them.  The main and most important difference being their magics.

   Elves gained their power from the natural world.  They were able to tap
into the earths own powers, to use the forces of nature, the wind, the
rain, thunder and lightning.  The ability to commune with animals, hear the
stories the trees had to tell, and read the land like it was an open book
was theirs.

   Faeries on the other hand had an innate magical ability.  They were
created from raw magic and it was passed down to all of their offspring
through the ages.  Their magic was no more powerful, just different from
that of the Elves.  Fairies could control people, create things from
nothing; even alter reality to suit them.

   For Millennia, the Elven and Fairie peoples co-existed peacefully. 
There were even joinings, like marriages between some of them.  This was
generally frowned upon but it did happen.  Over the course of time the
offspring from these joinings began to gain the magics of both peoples and
become more powerful than any before them.  As the two societies began to
integrate it was only natural that one of these exceptionally powerful
children of both races should emerge as a leader.

   The one they chose was a young girl.  She was just, fair, benevolent,
and seemed to have an instinctive knack for ruling her people.  Under her
leadership and guidance, both peoples became more prosperous and many of
the old prejudices disappeared."

   "You are talking about Brianna, aren't you?" asked Eric.

   Olive looked surprised but nodded.

   "How can that be?  If she was alive all that time ago, she..."

   "Eric, I told you not to interrupt.  I will get to that so just listen.
There were some amongst both of the races who did not like the 'dilution
and pollution' of their peoples and cultures; they began to sow the seeds
of division and unrest.  The leader of this small but rapidly growing band
was a Fairie by the name of N'Sahlah.  Now, if N'Sahlah had just wanted a
return to the old ways, he could have banded together with Bathlan, his
counterpart from the Elven peoples and they could have worked together to
bring about a return of the old ways.  Fortunately, he was so blinded by
prejudice that he spent half of his time trying to achieve his own goals
and the other half trying to prevent the Elves from attaining theirs.  To
start with he used propaganda and misinformation to prey on the fears and
prejudices of others but this quickly progressed to more direct and more
violent acts.  It wasn't long before there was a definite rift between
Brianna's people.

   As soon as she realised what was happening she summoned Bathlan and
N'Sahlah to her court.  Try as she might, she could not get either of them
to listen to reason.  Within a year a terrible civil war broke out.  Many
from both sides were killed, and huge areas of land were made uninhabitable
by the use of destructive magics.

   Brianna realised that if she sent an army of her own into the fray, at
best she would escalate the war and at worst both the other sides would
turn on her.  This was something she was not prepared to do so she called
for a Tournament.  A royal Tournament which would decide the outcome of the
war.  The overall winner of the Tournament would become her Paladin, the
Queen's Champion if you will, and would have total control of all martial
affairs for all of the peoples.

   The Tournament was arranged quickly as Brianna wanted to put a stop to
the senseless loss of life that was currently taking place.  The battle
between the two sides stopped almost immediately as people rushed home to
their families and friends and began to prepare for the Tournament.  It was
decided that there would be three competing teams, each of which would
field twenty combatants.  Bathlan and N'Sahlah both picked their best
warriors to compete, and Brianna put out a call for all who would come to
her aid.  In the end, she had a team of warriors that consisted of eight
Elves, seven Fairies and five of the mixed race.

   Brianna set the rules of the Tournament.  There were to be nine events
over two days and nights.  Each warrior would compete in all nine events
and their scores would be tallied at the end.

   Six of the nine events were to be like a traditional medieval
tournament. The Sword, The Bow, The Lance, Distance Running, Swimming, and
The Spear, each designed to test a warrior's skill and endurance.

   However, the last three would test their use of magic.  Illusion,
Metamorphosis and Creation, and finally a battle.

   The evening before the Tournament, a lone warrior rode into the Queen's
Court yard on a huge chestnut stallion.  He was young, of mixed race, was
large by both Elven and Fairie standards, and looked as if he knew how to
use his weight to his advantage.  He carried a broadsword, bullwhip, and a
plethora of knives and daggers.  He begged an audience with Brianna and
implored her to allow him to compete on her behalf even though she had
already chosen her twenty champions.

   "I cannot allow this, would you have me disappoint one of my faithful
chosen by replacing them now?" she asked of him.

   "My queen, you misunderstand me, I do not wish to replace one of your
warriors, I wish to replace all of them.  I alone will fight for you and I
alone will win for you." There was no arrogance in his tone just a self
assured conviction that what he was saying was the truth.

   There was a hushed whisper that went round the Queen's Court.

   "That is a bold statement Young One.  I do not wish to appear ungrateful
but the lives of many depend on the outcome of this competition.  I cannot
and will not place that particular burden of responsibility on any one
man's shoulders.  Even shoulders as wide as yours." she said with a smile.

   "My Queen, you need me.  You just do not realise it yet.  Will you allow
me to challenge for this right?" he asked.

   Brianna was becoming a little annoyed by this cocksure young man but she
was also intrigued as to his abilities.

   "Very well" she said "If you can beat five of my personal guard, now,
unarmed in hand to hand combat I will allow you to challenge one of the
twenty for his place on the team.  Should you fail, by way of penance you
shall muck out and clean the royal stables.  Is this acceptable to you?"

   "No My Queen.  If I should beat your five guards, I wish to challenge
all twenty for their place on the team.  If I win against your five and
then your twenty, I ask that I be allowed to be the sole combatant for you.
Should I lose, I will submit to any and all punishments you hand out."

   "Even death?" Brianna asked arching her eyebrow

   "If that is what you require of me then I will gladly give my life to
you My Queen."

   "Very well, you may attempt the first part of the challenge.  I will
allow this if for no other reason than to have my stables cleaned.  Captain
Hogarth, please have five of your men take this man into custody without
using their weapons."

   The captain chose his five biggest guards, took their swords, daggers
and pikes from them, and set them loose on the young man still on one knee
before his Queen.

   It was over before it began.  He moved with such incredible speed that
the first four were unconscious before the fifth was even in range, and
then he too was quickly dispatched.  The young man returned to one knee in
front of Brianna before the last guard had hit the floor.

   The assembled crowd gasped at the speed and ferocity of his attack.  No
one had believed for a moment that he would be capable of taking five of
the Queen's guards down single handedly and yet here he was, supplicating
himself before the Queen without having even broken a sweat as the bodies
of her guards lay around him.

   "Stand up and tell me your name Young One." said Brianna with just a
hint of awe in her voice

   "Erith, My Queen.  My name is Erith."

   "Well Erith, it seems that your claims were not just idle boasts. 
However, there is still the matter of these other 20 individuals that you
must best.  Each of them has their strengths and you must accept a
challenge from each member of the team in the discipline of their choosing.
Should you best them all, I will consider your request.  My champions
please come forward one at a time and challenge this young man to a contest
in your preferred discipline."

   The first came forward.  "I challenge you to a fight with the sword."
she said to him as she stepped up and drew her weapon.

   "Wait." said Erith, holding up his hand to show that he was still
unarmed.  "Are there any others amongst you who will wish to challenge me
to the sword?"

   Seven others put their hands forward.

   "With your permission My Queen, I would like to get these challenges out
to the way as quickly as possible.  It has been a long hard ride for me to
get here in time and I am a little tired.  If I am to perform at my best I
will need to find a bed for the night soon.  With your permission I will
fight the eight of them together."

   "Are you sure you want to die so young?" she asked of him.  When he
didn't reply she simply shrugged and said "It's your passing." Brianna
waived her hand for the fight to begin.

   Erith stood alone surrounded by eight of the Queen's best swordsmen. 
Each had been trained since they were old enough to pick up a stick and
practice yet he stood with his sword still in its scabbard and his arms
folded.

   As the first attack came he just ducked and weaved out of the way, spun
on his heel, captured his attackers hands in his own and allowed her
momentum to carry her past him.  He pulled back on her wrists and she did a
back flip, letting go of her sword.  Erith caught it and threw it in the
air.  It embedded itself in one of the roof beams almost forty feet above
his head.  He turned to face his next attack.  This time three of them had
decided to rush him.  He ducked under a double handed over the head chop
that was designed to split him from skull to scrotum, then stepped inside
his attackers arms so his sword was now behind him and delivered a vicious
head butt to the bridge of the nose.  His attacker crumpled to the floor,
as Erith caught his sword and without looking tossed it up into the eaves
of the roof next to the other one.

   He dropped to one knee and swept the legs out from under the next
attacker, again grabbing the wrist holding the sword and used it to parry a
blow from his other attacker.  The speed and force of his strike caused his
attackers sword to fly out of his hand and the wrist he was holding to
break.  He caught the sword that was in the air and took the other from the
now limp had of the man on the floor.  He threw them both together and they
joined the other two in the roof beam.

   The other five attackers came as one.  Erith moved with such speed that
their swords found only empty space where he should have been.  One by one
they succumbed to his attacks and defences until all eight swords were
imbedded in the roof beam high above them.

   "Erith, that was very impressive.  Tell me though, why did you not draw
your own sword?" asked Brianna as the others were moving back and dragging
those that were still out cold.

   "My Queen, you said that I had to fight unarmed, hand to hand." he
replied.

   "That was only for the first challenge!  When you are challenged to the
sword you are allowed to use your sword.  My apologies Young One, my
unclear instructions could have cost you your life."

   "It is yours to spend as you wish My Queen." he said to her.

   "Alright, who will offer another challenge?" Brianna asked of her
champions.

   "I will," replied one "Erith, I challenge you to the bow."

   "I accept.  Are there any others who would challenge me to the bow?"

   Two more stepped forward.

   A target was placed at the end of the hall approximately sixty yards
away.

   "Three arrows each, nearest the centre wins."

   "Erith, you do not appear to have a bow." Brianna said to him.

   "I do not believe I will need one My Queen." he replied.

   "If you are sure.  Begin the challenge."

   The first archer stepped up to the mark.  He was Elven and was widely
accepted to be the best archer anyone could remember.  He pulled an arrow
from his quiver and notched it on the string.  Sighting down the arrow he
drew the bow and released and then fired the other two arrows in such quick
succession his movements were a blur.

   None of his arrows hit the target.  As he released his first, Erith had
run the length of the hall and was standing in front of the target.  He
caught all three arrows before they hit.  He was back beside the archer
before he realised that none of his arrows had struck the target.

   He held the first of the arrows he had retrieved by the flight and with
a flick of his wrist sent it the sixty yards down the range with such force
that it passed completely through the target and embedded its self in the
ancient oak doors behind.  It left a hole smack dead centre of the target.
He repeated the exercise with the second arrow which also passed through
the centre, just clipping the outer edge of the hole he had just made. 
With the third arrow, he pulled his arm back and threw the arrow as hard as
he could.  There was a loud, sharp crack as it left his hand, it travelled
too fast for anyone to see where it went but it passed straight through the
hole in the center of the bull and straight through the nine inch thick oak
doors.  The gathered crowd gasped in amazement and the captain of the guard
went to see where it had ended up.  He returned a couple of minutes later
with what was left of the arrow.

   "How far did it go Captain?" Asked Brianna

   "Majesty, it passed through a water trough and still managed to embed
itself in the inner wall.  It was too deep for me to retrieve the head!"

   "Very impressive Young One.  Are there any other archers amongst you who
think you can better this feat?" she asked the remaining members of her
chosen team.

   None came forward.

   "Well, that is more than half of the challenges answered.  Who is next?"

   "I am Majesty." said the oldest member of the twenty.  "Erith, you have
shown me that there is very little likelihood of me, or any other for that
matter besting you with any weapon.  How is your magic Young One?" Somehow
he managed to take the friendly term the Queen used for him and make it
sound derisive.

   "We shall see, Old One" he replied with a smile.  "Is it safe to assume
that you are the most proficient at magic and that is why you are
challenging me first?"

   "That would be a safe assumption, yes." None of the others argued.

   "Then would the remainder of you be prepared to cede your challenges if
I win this one?" Erith asked the remainder of the assembled twenty.

   There were some muted grumbles but eventually the remainder gave their
assent.

   "Let the challenge begin." called Brianna.

   The old Fairie mage looked Erith up and down.  "Lets try to be at least
civilised about this Young One.  We shall follow the same rules and codes
as are laid down for the Tournament.  Three stages.  The first to be
Illusion, then Metamorphosis and Creation, followed a battle.  I request
that the battle be non lethal.  If one of us were to die, the Queen will
have to rely on a mage of slightly lesser skills for the Tournament.  Are
we agreed on the rules?"

   "As you wish." replied Erith with a nod of his head.

   "For the illusion we shall each cast once in turn.  One illusion and the
Queen shall judge the winner.  If you have no objections, I shall go
first."

   The elder mage began to whisper his words of power and move his hands in
a complicated pattern until a ball of swirling light appeared in front of
him.  The ball expanded until it was about 4 feet across and the swirling
lights began to coalesce into the beginnings of an image.  As the assembled
crowd watched, the image became clearer.  It was a woodland clearing, in
all of its detail.  The sound of a hunting horn could be heard in the
distance and a hare ran across the pictured clearing, closely pursued by a
pack of hounds.  These were then followed by three people on horseback. 
The detail was amazing and all could see that the riders were Brianna,
Erith and the mage himself.  He let the scene play a while longer and then
with a flick of his wrist it was gone.

   "Well, that has certainly set a standard that will be difficult to
follow.  Do you wish to cede victory now Erith?" asked the Queen.

   "Thank you My Queen but no.  I wish to continue."

   Erith closed his eyes and began to concentrate.  There were no words of
power, no hand movements, but suddenly everyone in the room was sitting on
a soft cloud looking down at the castle.  A woman shrieked and there were a
few yells of surprise but everyone quickly recovered their composure and
began to admire the effect.  After a few minutes, Erith altered the
illusion so that the assembled audience felt that they were slowly being
lowered back to the ground.  They passed through the roof of the castle and
ended up back in their seats.  Erith opened his eyes and the assembled
crowd gave him a resounding burst of applause.

   Brianna was as impressed with the performance as the rest of the crowd.
"The first challenge is awarded to Erith." she said.

   "But Majesty that was no illusion," protested the old mage, "he is
cheating!"

   "My Queen.  Everyone knows that you cannot sit on a cloud.  If it is
impossible, then it must be an illusion." Erith stated.

   "He is of course correct.  My judgement stands.  Next challenge please."
said Brianna.

   The old mage immediately turned himself into a cobra.  Erith became a
mongoose.  The mage became an eagle.  Erith turned himself into a puma. 
The mage turned himself into a lion.  Erith became a bear.  The mage became
a centaur.  Erith turned himself into a gryphon.  The mage turned himself
into a dragon.  Erith became a small bush of dragons bane.  The mage became
fire.  Erith became the ocean and engulfed the flames.

   The old mage picked himself up spluttering and coughing and dripping
wet. Erith stood and watched him impassively.

   "The second challenge is awarded to Erith." said Brianna.  "As Erith has
beaten you 2 out of three times, you have already lost.  Are you sure you
wish to continue?"

   "Yes Majesty.  I may yet surprise the Young One." the old mage replied.

   "Are you willing to continue Erith?  You have already won and there is
no need for you to prove yourself further." she said.

   "My Queen, with your permission I would like to continue."

   "As you wish.  Begin the final challenge." she called.

   The old mage was fast.  He sent a bolt of electricity straight at Erith.

   Brianna screamed at him to stop immediately.  This was designed to be a
lethal blow and all assembled knew it.  Erith gave an almost imperceptible
wave of his hand and it dissipated before it reached him.  He muttered one
word and the old mage was encased in crystal, unable to move or speak and
therefore unable to continue.  Erith left him like that for a moment until
he could sense the old man's panic at being unable to breathe and then made
the crystal explode.  Each of the shards became butterflies that had
Brianna's royal crest on their wings, easily visible as they flapped around
the room for a few minutes before popping out of existence with a burst of
brightly coloured sparks.

   "The third and final challenge is awarded to Erith." Brianna said with a
smile.  "Erith, you have fought with courage, dignity and ingenuity.  I
will allow you to fight alone in the Tournament if that is your wish.  It
is however not mine."

   Erith was about to say something but the Queen held up her hand.

   "Young One, the reason it is not my wish is that the fate of all of our
peoples rests on the abilities of one man.  I have no doubt that you are
capable of winning the Tournament but if something were to happen to you,
and you were the only person I entered, I would lose and the bloodshed
would begin again in fairly short order.  I would like to request that you
join my team and take the place of the man whose wrist you broke in the
sword challenge.  In addition to this I will name you my Protector
irrespective of whether you win the title of Paladin.  You will be my
personal guard, confidant, general and companion.  Would this be acceptable
to you?"

   Erith was shocked beyond words.  All he could say was, "Yes, My Queen."

   Olive stopped talking and told Eric she was going to get another cup of
tea for them both.  Eric was in a daze.  "How can this be true?  How come
no one else knows this story?" He thought to himself.

   He looked at his empty plate and realised he was still hungry so he
followed Olive down to the kitchen to find something else to eat.

   "Nan, how can you expect me to believe this story?  You are asking me to
believe in Fairies, Elves, and magic."

   "Eric, take a look at yourself and tell me you still don't believe in
magic." she replied.

   Eric thought about it and decided that she was probably right.  Nothing
short of magic could have done what had been done to him that night.

   "Ok, so what happened next?" he asked.

   "Oh the inevitable really.  Erith led the team to a resounding victory
and he was the overall Tournament champion.  He destroyed every opponent
that came up against him.  As he had done in the Queen's Court the night
before, he used non-lethal methods whenever he could.  There were a couple
of warriors that he was forced to kill but it was not something he really
wanted to do.

   Bathlan was good to his word and disbanded his forces immediately.  He
decided that fighting to get his views heard was not the smartest thing to
do so he became a scholar.  For the remainder of his very long life he
taught the old ways of his people and became an authority on customs and
traditions of all of the Fey.

   N'Sahlah was another matter all together.  Although his forces were also
disbanded and many of his soldiers were integrated into the Queen's army,
he himself and a few other diehards refused recognize the Queen's decision.
They rode the land attempting to spread hatred and discontent, all the
while trying to gain more followers with a view to starting another war in
the future.  Fortunately they only had very limited success with their
recruitment and another war was not forthcoming, but he was a constant
thorn in Brianna's side.

   About 160 years after the Tournament, N'Sahlah decided that attack would
be his best option.  He planned to kill Brianna and seize the thrown.  He
would banish or kill all of mixed race and would make the Faerie the
governing council.

   N'Sahlah requested an audience with Brianna under a symbol of truce and
was allowed to come to the castle.  He had deliberately timed it to ensure
that Erith would be away from court so he would have a better chance of
success.  What he was unaware of was that for the past 38 years Erith had
had a spy in his ranks who reported the subterfuge back to him the moment
he heard it.

   When N'Sahlah arrived at court he wasted no time in his attempt on the
Queen's life.  Almost as soon as he was stood before her he spoke some
words of power and Brianna was engulfed in flames.  N'Sahlah began to smile
in satisfaction until he realised that something was terribly wrong. 
Instead of writhing in agony, she sat looking dispassionately at him, a sad
smile on her face.  Erith, who had concealed himself up in the public
gallery, had seen what was about to happen and had placed a shield around
his Queen.  He drew a slim, medium bladed knife from his belt and hurled it
at N'Sahlah's back.  Passing through his belt and severing his spinal cord,
N'Sahlah was paralysed from the waist down.  He dropped to the floor
screaming, his magic forgotten.

   Erith jumped the thirty feet down to the throne room floor from the
gallery and landed next to the screaming, would be assassin.  "My Queen,
what would you have me do with him?" he asked, his voice grave and
trembling with barely contained anger.

   "Nothing Erith, he has proven himself to be a common criminal, and will
be gaoled for high treason, his magic extinguished just as any other would
be.  I will not let his infamy alter the way he is treated.  Would you
please be so kind as to remove your dagger from his person?"

   Erith did as he was asked, giving the blade a slight twist in the
process to maximise the damage already done.  He was not usually a spiteful
person but he considered anyone who would attempt to harm the woman who had
become the centre of his universe, his whole reason for living, totally
unworthy of life.

   Brianna noticed this and was slightly shocked.  She had not expected
Erith to take this so personally, but she did not rebuke him publicly. 
That could wait until they were alone.

   "N'Sahlah, before I have Erith extinguish your magic, I will allow you
one last use of it.  If you wish you may heal yourself.  Understand this
though.  I do not do this for your benefit but for that of my guards and
gaolers.  A cripple with a life sentence will mean a lot of additional work
for them and I will not have them punished through no fault of their own.
You have one hour to complete your magic, once that hour is up, you will
become a non-magical entity."

   N'Sahlah looked at her with pure hatred in his eyes but did not reply.
He began to chant his words of power and move his hands.  Erith realised
that this was not a healing spell and started to form his defences around
the whole of the court but N'Sahlah just disappeared leaving only a small
blood stain on the floor where he had been laying.

   The Queen dismissed the court and summoned her council to one of her
private chambers.  As they arrived there was a lot of excited chattering.
She called them to order.

   "Is he gone?" she asked those assembled.

   None of them could give her a definite answer.  Some speculated that he
had transported himself to a distant land as they could no longer detect
his presence; some stated he had committed suicide rather than allow
himself to be imprisoned.  After an hour of arguments, they were no nearer
an answer.  Brianna asked the assembled councillors to spend another day
scrying and searching for any sign of him and to report back to her at the
next days meeting.  She then dismissed them.

   "Erith, please stay behind," she said as the others began to file out of
the door.  Once they were alone and the door had been closed she walked to
him.

   "Erith, I need to ask you to do something that will go against every
oath you have sworn and every instinct you have.  I want you to use the
same spell on me that N'Sahlah tried to use today.  You are not to hold
back, you are to attack as if you mean to kill me."

   Erith looked at her in shock, an expression of total dismay on his face

   "My Queen, I cannot.  I would sooner turn my magic on myself than
attempt to harm you."

   "Erith, this is not open to discussion.  I COMMAND YOU TO DO AS YOU ARE
TOLD!" she shouted at him.  Never had he heard her raise her voice to him
and he was galvanised into action.

   He raised his hand and sent forth the flames that had been used earlier.
His heart breaking at the thought of hurting Brianna, he hung his head,
unable to watch the consequences of his actions.

   "Erith, look at me," Brianna said.  There was no pain or anger in her
voice, only sympathy, love, and understanding.

   Erith raised his head to look at the destruction and pain he was
causing. He almost lost control of the spell when he saw what was
happening. Brianna still stood as she had been and the fire was not
touching her.  Brianna raised her own hand and Erith was immobilised within
an invisible force.  He had to use every ounce of his power to break
through it.

   "You can stop now Erith, you have seen what I needed you to see."

   Erith immediately stopped his casting and stared at his Queen.

   "How, what, why...  How?" he asked, unable to form a cohesive sentence.
His mind was completely blank.

   "Erith, when did you forget that I have magics of my own?  How do you
think I came to be Queen of not one but all the magical races?  I am Queen
of the Fey Erith.  Did you honestly believe that I would be that easy to
harm?  In all of the years that we have known one another, this never
occurred to you once did it?" she asked, the surprise in her voice evident.


   "No My Queen.  From the first day I arrived at your court I swore to
protect you from all comers and all magics, you never even hinted that I
would not need to do so.  It gladdens my heart to see that you are not as
defenceless as I foolishly thought you were.  My Queen, if you had
understood how much pain and anguish you cause me when you send me from
your side, knowing that I will not be there to protect you, you would have
told me a hundred years ago."

   "Oh Erith, I am so sorry.  We must have both been blind to not realise
such important things about one another." Brianna said with a hitch in her
voice and tears in her eyes.  "My Paladin, I have never meant to hurt you.
You are my closest friend, confidant and companion."

   "My Queen, you have been more to me than you could ever have known.  I
love you, always have and always will." Erith said to her.

   "I know Erith, you have been a faithful and loyal companion."

   "No My Queen.  Brianna, you misunderstand me.  I LOVE you.  Were you not
Queen and ruler of our people, I would have made you the ruler of my heart
long ago."

   Never in all of their years together had Erith called her Brianna.  It
was always My Queen.  She had tried for the first 10 years or so to get him
to change his ways and drop some of the formality but he always insisted
that it was only right and proper.

   She was shocked to the core and thrilled beyond measure.  For almost as
long as she had known him, she had dreamt of him telling her this very
thing.  She had fallen in love with him the second he first walked into her
throne room.  His compassion, sensitivity, strength, loyalty and unswerving
devotion to her had only increased her feelings for him.  Even though she
was Queen of the Fey, when it came to Erith she was like a small girl.  She
had tried to test the waters a few times in the past to see if the feelings
were reciprocated but he had always used formality as a shield and kept her
at bay.  To finally hear him say the words made her heart soar.

   "Erith," she said in a breathy whisper as she stepped closer to him, "I
have longed to hear those words from you from the first moment I saw you. I
have been in love with you ever since that day.  Why do you think I kept
turning all of my suitors away?  I could never have loved another the way I
love you."

   With that, she pressed herself against him and kissed him.  Time was
frozen, the world stopped spinning on its axis, and a passion that had been
burning within them for more than a century was unleashed.  As their bodies
began to join so did their minds and finally their magics.  It was like a
shockwave with them at the epicentre, spreading through the castle, across
the land and encompassing the globe.  As the wave returned to them it began
to feed upon itself then surged out around the world again, even more
powerful than before.  Everywhere it went people felt love and compassion
for all others.  Those with mutual yearnings were brought together, those
already in love had a sexual desire lit in their bellies the like of which
they had never felt.  The Fey were going to undergo a small population
explosion in about 9 months.

   Erith and Brianna broke their kiss.  They stared into each other's eyes
and saw their souls laid bare.  This was a love that would transcend time
and space, overcoming all adversity and trials to endure forever.

   Brianna and Erith were married on the longest day of the year, what we
now call the summer solstice.  They ruled the Fey together for thousands of
years and it was a time of great peace and prosperity.  At the advent of
man, the Fey decided to move from our plane of existence to an adjacent one
and allow man to come of age.  Every few thousand years or so, sometimes
more frequently in times of trouble and great unrest, they will contact a
human and guide them to smooth things over."

   Olive shook her head slightly, and seemed to come back into herself as
she took a sip of the now quite cold tea.

   "I was contacted by Brianna when I was just sixteen years old.  Once
every few years she will speak to me and offer advice and guidance which as
helped me to enjoy a full and happy life.  When your Mum was pregnant with
you, Brianna came to me again and asked me to speak with your mother alone.
Through me, she told your mum of some of the things that would happen in
your life, she persuaded her to allow me to perform a ritual at your birth
and every year on your birthday for the first three years.  It was Brianna
who named you and it has been Brianna who has spoken to you from the first.
I think she was having a bit of a joke when she named you though"

   "What do you mean?" asked Eric.

   "Eric Lee Faye.  E-L-F, Elf, as in Elven.  I think she wanted to remind
you of your heritage."

   "How is this my heritage?  I am not descended from her and Erith." Eric
stated with the certainty that only a 14 year old boy can.

   "Eric, you are Brianna and Erith's first and only child.  His spirit was
put into your body as you were growing in the womb.  You are the rightful
heir to the throne of the Fey."

   "But you said that they didn't live in this reality any more.  How can I
inherit a throne that is not even on this planet?  How can I rule a people
who have this kind of magic?  I don't know anything about ruling or even
being royalty.  I wouldn't even know what to call Brianna and Erith.  Is it
Mum and Dad, King and Queen, Highnesses, Majesties?  What do I have to do?
I am just a kid.  I haven't even left school yet and you are telling me
that I am the heir to the throne of a people I have never seen and a land I
can never get too!"

   "Eric, calm down.  You are not expected to take over the throne until
you come of age.  By my reckoning that will not be for another few
millennia yet."

   "What!  I will be dust within two hundred years, how can I take over the
throne if I am dead?"

   "Eric, I know you listened to the story I told you but you appear to
have actually heard very little of it.  You are FEY, and Fey live for a
very, very long time.  Therefore YOU will live for a very, very long time.
Brianna and Erith are probably well over forty thousand years old.  They do
not age in the place they are in but even when they lived here on Earth it
was common for the Fey to live for three or four thousand years.  If you
were to see Brianna or Erith now, they would appear to be in their early
thirties.  Why don't you just ask Brianna to explain it to you?"

   "She doesn't talk to me anymore," Eric replied sadly.

   "Oh, sorry Eric, I forgot.  I have a couple of items here for you." She
reached into her bag and pulled out a delicate silver ring and a heavy
looking gold torque, kind of a bracelet that was designed to be worn on the
upper arm above the bicep.  She placed them on the table between them and
put her hand on top of Eric's when he went to reach for them.

   "Before you take them, make sure you want Brianna back in your life. 
The ring is hers and the torque is Erith's.  If you are to accept them, you
must accept both.  That means that you will have both Brianna and Erith
with you at all times.  Do you understand?"

   "Yes I do.  I want Brianna back.  I miss her so much it hurts."

   "Ok then.  Put on the ring.  The torque can wait until you have made
your peace with Brianna

   Eric slipped the ring on his little finger.  It glowed for a couple of
seconds and then disappeared, seemingly melting into his skin.

   "I must be dreaming," he thought.

   "You are not.  This is real.  This is the true you."

   "Brianna, you're back!  I am so sorry about..."

   "I understand," She interrupted him, "my departure was a necessary part
of your transformation.  I am sorry for causing you pain but it was
unavoidable.  You would never have used the sword as you did if you thought
I were still with you."

   "Are you staying this time?"

   "That is up to you Young One," she replied.

   "I would like you to if that's ok?"

   "Before you commit to this, you need to understand.  If you accept me
back, you will never be rid of me again.  I will know your every thought
and deed, I will whisper suggestions to your subconscious, I will judge
you, and if necessary I will take total control of you.  Is this what you
desire?"

   "Yes.  Come back to me Brianna, I was a fool to ever force you to
leave."

   Eric felt a tiny shift in his consciousness and for the first time in
days he felt complete.

   "Eric, I must ask a favour from you.  Will you also put on the torque?
If you do, Erith will be here with you as well.  He is the greatest advisor
anyone could ask for and he will be of great help to you in the coming
years."

   "If that is what you require of me My Queen, then that is what you shall
have." Eric replied, paraphrasing what Erith had said to her the day they
met.

   He heard Brianna laugh in his mind and again it lifted his spirit.

   Eric took the torque from the table and put it on his arm.  Once again
the jewellery glowed and then melted into his skin.  This time however he
felt power course through him.  He felt more alive, more powerful and more
aware than ever before.  It took his breath away.

   "Thank you Eric.  Long have a waited to talk with you," said the
unfamiliar voice in his mind.

   "Erith I assume?" replied Eric.

   "The one and only.  We have much to discuss and there is much knowledge
I must impart to you.  Most of what you need to know, you know already. 
The crystal in the pommel of the sword you made is from my own sword.  I am
sorry for the pain it caused giving you my knowledge but it was the only
way.  The buzzing sound you heard that surprised even Olive was the
transference.  If you will allow me, I will now give you access to that
knowledge."

   Eric gave his permission and his brain exploded.  Lifetimes of combat
and magic knowledge poured from the locked portion of his mind and
threatened to make him black out again.  Almost as suddenly, the pain
stopped.  His mind felt full to overflowing.

   "That feeling will pass Eric, once your mind has adjusted and made sense
of the information it has just been given.  This may take a bit of time
though, there is quite a lot for your mind to file away.  I will leave you
in peace for a while to allow you to get used to the feeling, but before I
do, could you please fetch your sword."

   Eric went upstairs and retrieved the sword.  Once back downstairs he
laid it on the table in front of him.  Eric looked at it and realised that
the blade had changed colour.  The oily blackness that had been on the
blade when his blood had touched it was now replaced by a beautiful
iridescent blue.  The crystal in the pommel had changed from blue to red.

   "The crystal changed colour because it took your human life force and
replaced it with your Fey one.  That crystal is a serious vulnerability. 
If it were to get broken, you would be seriously weakened for some months
so I would like you to send it to Brianna and I.  We will keep it safe for
you, out of harms way.  We will replace it with another stone.  You will
know the purpose of the other stone when the time comes."

   Eric placed his hand over the blood red crystal and said one word under
his breath.  It winked out of existence and he felt a little dizzy.  He
said another word and a blue crystal took its place.

   His Grandmother looked at him with wide eyes, but said nothing.

   "Nan, I would like you to meet my sister, Yeneya," he said pointing to
the crystal, "she has yet to choose a vessel and may not do so for many
years but here is her essence, her spirit and soul.  Can you feel her Nan?
Can you feel her kindness and love for us?"

   "Yes I can," she replied in wonder.  "I didn't even know Brianna and
Erith had another child."

   Eric laughed.  "Neither did they!"

   To be continued.