EDRYS

Edrys was a draconian from the hellcniht race. She was one of the strongest entities and could easily overpower anyone and was very proud of that fact.

Therefore, when she was promoted to one of the hellcniht Queen's advisors she was absolutely thrilled. However, the Queen's health declined and their realm suffered as a result. There was no cure nor an heir.

The advisors came together to come up with a plan.

"We must do something. Have the healers come up with something yet?" Ceol, a Nāga, demanded anxiously. The three advisors looked depressed.

"They're flabbergasted. They've barely seen this sickness before and had no way to counter it," Edrys responded dejectedly. The others remained silent.

"Those damn fairies. If only we can go beyond the Veil and into other realms we may be able to—" Morcar, a werewolf, broke off tearfully.

"Why not? Why can't we go into another realm?" the last advisor, a Centaur and the smartest, Eadhun, demanded. The others glanced at him doubtfully. "Well, we're prevented by the Veil," Edrys answered wearily.

"Not quite," he grinned triumphantly. The others looked confused by his remark. "Follow me," he motioned with a hairy hand. They followed behind him outside and behind the giant black castle. 

The Black Fortress remained the stronghold that protected the demon world from any who tried to harm them and thus was built on the edge of the Veil.

"What are we searching for?" Edrys inquired curiously as she peered around. The other agreed.

"Over here," Eadhun trotted eagerly to an overgrown bush. They watched as he pushed the branches around and stood on one side, smiling.

At first there was no reaction but then Morcar let out a yelp. "That! There's a tear. There's a small tear on the Veil! Did you do that?"

Indeed, there was a tiny gap on the barrier created by the Fae. Edrys gaped at the sight before her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The centaur shook his head.

"It was already here when I discovered it. It may be due to age or may be something else; I'm uncertain. But whatever it is, it's a good thing, right?" he grinned proudly.

"But, it's so small. Not even a goblin can fit through it," Ceol said in disappointment. 'True,' Edrys reasoned.

"Not so. It may take time, but we can widen the gap to allow one of us to go through and provide a cure for our Queen," Eadhun disagreed. They brightened up at the thought. At that time Morcar stated something that didn't occur to Edrys.

"Not just that, but we can completely erase it." he spoke excitedly. Edrys' heart thumped in her chest. Freedom. He meant the hellcniht could finally become free!

But Eadhun held up his hand. "I thought of that, but that won't be possible yet. If we tried disintegrating it without certain preparations, it would take us centuries."

"Then what? Are we supposed to do nothing when freedom is staring at our faces?" Morcar demanded furiously.

"I didn't say that. I said we must prepare. It will take a few years to widen the gap enough to enable one of us to discover a cure for the Queen. 

I will have the healers write down the symptoms. At that point while the person is in that realm, they will also find a way to completely erase the Veil," he explained rationally.

The advisors were silent, but the air had changed from depressing to excitement. "I will do it. I'm the smallest. I will go," Edrys volunteered eagerly. The others turned to her. "She's right. And she's very cunning. I also think she's the best one for the job," Ceol modestly admitted.

"I concur," Morcar furthermore said. 

"Then it's unanimous. Edrys will be tasked to save our realm." Eadhun peered intently at her. "You cannot fail. We will be counting on you."

She lifted her chin. "I won't fail. You needn't worry about that." 

"Those fairies are bound to interfere. Consequently, we'll send as many reinforcements as we can to assist you. I will research what is required to eliminate this blasted barrier," the centaur continued, "for the present, keep an eye on the Queen."

"You needn't tell us that." After that conversation they dispersed. For four years they worked intensively. The centaur explored all means on how to destroy the Veil, and the other advisors on how to prolong their Queen's life.

Ultimately, they came together once again to the gap. Thanks to the efforts of magic and their soldiers, the gap had widened. Edrys wore plain clothing for the trip.

Eadhun gave her a notebook. "This is everything you require. Make sure to stay out of sight and do not draw any unnecessary attention. We cannot lose you nor let the fairies comprehend what is happening."

"Everything will work out, you'll see," Edrys assured him. They all stood by as Edrys squeezed herself through the tear. She barely managed to fit but after some wriggling she fell through. 

Glancing around she identified an unusual path going straight. Not wanting to waste time, she ran to a giant stone door that had two gargoyle statues on each side.

She pushed them open with all her strength and gasped. On the other side was a city with brilliant lights everywhere. The sounds were deafening, but what drew her eyes were the colours. They flashed so intensely yet they were vivid. 

She stood frozen for a few minutes before shaking herself. "I can't stand around like this," she murmured. She flipped through the notebook and nodded. A plan started formulating in her head and she smiled slyly.

*

"Those damn fairies!" Edrys yelled in fury as she kicked a table. Her blue scales slowly turned red as her blood literally boiled. The weaker hellcniht scattered in fear before her anger.

Her selkie had been killed before it could approach the human detective. She wanted to evaluate his skills, but she had no idea he was protected by the Sith. 

"Does this mean the Sith want to use him too? Or is he on their side?" she muttered contemplatively. It would be nice if someone like him could help them. A detective would find their last key much quicker, especially an Otherworld Investigator.

But if he sided with the fairies, then he was dangerous and had to be eliminated. Edrys waved her hand and a goblin scuttled nervously forward.

"Call one of the shadowmen. I want them to look into someone. No confrontation. I just want them to gather information." The goblin bowed and scampered away. Edrys glanced around annoyed and snapped, "What are you doing? Taking a break? Get back to work!"

The poor subordinates shuffled back to their work stations. 'Why is everyone around me so useless?' she thought insultingly.