Feelied: Anthology

By Jeffrey Arrington

Feelied: an Anthology of Fairy-tales is a collection of ten stories ranging from 100 to 11,000 words covering many time frames and characters within the same world of fairies, pixies, and imps. Ever wonder the difference between fairies, pixies, and imps? Wonder no more! as these tales of war, romance, and corruption will surely sate your curiosity.

Includes ten stories:

Feelied: 11,500

The Butterfly and the Bee: 1,00

The Tax Collector: 2,600

Jasper Island: 3,500

The Offender: 500

The Agent: 3,600

Voice of The Shogun: 1,000 words

The Tale of Thorg: 700

The World-leech: 7,500

The Painted Forest: 3,200

Total word-count: 35,300

All word counts are approximate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312759534

Book preview

Feelied: Anthology

Feelied: Anthology

Foreword

I would like to thank you, the reader, for your interest in these stories.

I intend on writing more stories and adding the to this volume in the future.

I would like to say that all of these stories have meaning, multiple layers of meaning for those who want to dig that deep. I want to, and try to, reward those who are inquisitive enough to think down through meanings between the lines; but, at the same time, I wish my stories to be enjoyable in their own right, as stories, so I have tried to design all my stories in such a way that it can be read and enjoyd without digging deep, but also rewarding to those that do.

Thank you for your purchase and enjoy!

Feelied: Fairies and Pixies

Chapter 1; Fly the Golden-Banner

There are fairies and there are pixies. a woman said to her daughter

We are fairies, pale and beautiful. Pixies are blue, and mean. We don't like pixies. an opinion which would be reinforced countless times from that day on.

Why are they blue the daughter asked

I don't know, but that's not all... they have black hair -that they cut!

The little girl jumped in terror, cutting one's hair was never done willingly in fairy culture.

They pierce themselves too. Oh how painful! the little girl gasped as the mother put her hand above her forehead in mock-suffering. Having had her fun, the mother giggled aloud to relieve her daughter’s tension.

And this, my dear daughter is the Great Branch. she said as they walked out from the stairwell,

through a mighty, tall arch that was hewn thousands of years ago, and onto the ancient, carved walkway.

The carvings on the floor are pretty. the girl said to her mother in a squeaky little voice.

They are the runes of old. This pathway actually tells a story she said smiling That is why it is called the 'Erzyweg' which, in the old-tongue means 'story way' the mother told this to her child in

the loving way a story teller would relate a fond tale to a young listener who had never heard it before.

Wow the young girl said in admiration How old do you think it is? the girl asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Older than you. *humph* even older than me the fairy woman told her daughter.

That is old! the little girl said with a wild look on her face.

Ha-ha, older than you know. said the mother affectionately.

Then, as they entered the grand plaza, a young girl cried out;

Look! Up there! she was waving her arm and pointing her finger at a dark blue entity flying through the air.

Pixie! someone in the crowd yelled.

It was, as sure as day, a pixie carrying two torches and a cauldron on his back. He landed head first into one of the two great hollowed-out standing-twigs that went straight up from the great branch and that the great branch was famous for.

Moments later; the twig went up in flames and before long a second pixie had flown into the other one of the hollowed out twigs and it caught fire also.

They saw one fairy jump out from a window, for only a brief moment they expected him to glide safely down to the ground; only, he couldn't because his wing were on fire.

The crowd looked on in horror as they saw him fall helplessly to his death, and heard his agonizing

cry that was painful and pitiful to listen to, for it was hard to believe that people could produce a wailing in that loud a decibel, and in a pitch so high.

A few fairies managed to escape the burning twigs unhurt but many more were burned alive; or,

crushed to death when the smoldering structures fell over, as the interior was mostly ashes; the wood remaining at the base was not enough to support the weight of the twigs and, a short time apart, the once iconic twigs broke and fell over onto bystanders and smaller structures. All of Fayreich was in panic.

Everyone who could be in attendance was there in the Hallowed Hall, which was a massive hollow

in the center of the tree and a type of enormous antechamber, it was easily the equivalent of ten buildings high and had a stair case that was at least 2 buildings high and stretched the width of the hall, which led to the council chamber in which the High Council of the Queen met.

The room was dimly lit and the crowd was nervous and anxious to hear the Queen's redress of the attack...

Queen Orla addressed the crowd;

"Citizens of Fayreich, I have met with my advisers, and have been briefed on the facts of the situation as it stands.

The deliberate and fatal attacks carried out on our land were more than acts of terror.

They were acts of war. This will require unity and cooperation from the entire realm to resolve. Our freedom and even our way of life is under attack from a foreign enemy; but rest assured these monsters who are responsible who have no regard for sentient life will not be able to hide in the shadows forever.

We will not allow our enemies victory. They have surely attacked us out of jealousy for our

prosperity. My fellow fairies, this threat to our security will be overcome and we will prevail. So

'fly, fly high that Golden Banner, for as long as that majestic banner yet waves in the open air, we are

free, and hope is there.' "

The Queen made use of the anthem of the kingdom to inspire the citizens to loyalty, and patriotic duty. The Queen's speech moved the crowd profoundly. Moved the crowd… to war.

Chapter 2; On War

The smell of war was in the air; many citizens -who were, before, a peace loving people- enlisted in the royal army; and were fitted with gilded cuirass' and battle skirts with a type of armored loin-

cloth.

And a type of laced combat-boot was fastened to their feet, which were not yet callused; instead they were accustomed to the tender feel of grass, and the soft soles of sandals.

Gauntlets, bearing the diamond shaped insignia of Fayreich, which had five flat sides and fanned at

the forearms then tapered back to a sharp point that extended a little passed the elbows were strapped to their arms.

A golden scarf was draped around their necks for gold was the color of Fayreich.

All the recruits were given a banded aegis, which is a shield baring the mark of the Queen, and the mark of Fayreich.

And virgin blades; pointed, double edged, about three spans long, were belted to their waists.

In the living-room of a soldier named Foster, who had long served in the royal infantry and had

earned a position of command, there sat his family beside the soldier in silence, not being able to

conjure any words of comfort. Truth be told; none of them were optimistic about the war that would soon wet the land in the blood of fairies and of pixies.

Kill as many of those degenerates as you can. said the soldier's younger brother, in place of

comforting thoughts, He reinforced the basic, somewhat barbaric, ugly and plain nature of war; to kill.

What? the young man asked defensively because everyone in the room was casting ugly looks at him.

That is why you are going. he said authoritatively.

But the soldier said I am leaving my home, yea, I am going to war in a foreign land, I am going there, so that war does not come here. and they sat in silence until he left to join the march.

When he joined the march he was in a place of leadership. A new recruit talked to Foster

So we are to do battle with the pixies, I cannot wait to spill their blood!

Foster then asked the young man;

What is your name private?

Oren, sir.

Foster rebuked him "I can tell that you are a green-blood Oren. Do not be anxious for war. What a

terrible thing war is, what a terrible thing indeed, it is a cruel thing; to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness that has been granted us in this world; to fill our

hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful

world!"

Oren responded "War is a terrible thing, but it is not the most terrible of things. The sorry state when

we have nothing to fight for is far worse."

And Foster's lieutenant, Elvey, told the recruit "There is truth in your words. People like that will only achieve freedom if it is provided for them by people far better than themselves. But only a fool loves war, and the pursuit of war. Yea, It is well that war is so terrible; otherwise we should grow too fond

of it."

And Oren grew much wiser that day.

Foster and his hundred men broke off from the rest of the Royal-army to set up an outpost in the north part of the land of pixies.

But before they could reach the site at which they were to set up their camp, they came under ambush from the pixies.

Twenty fairies were pierced by the short throwing-spears of the pixies right off.

But the rest of the fairies got their shields up in time to protect themselves and each other from the barrage of spears.

Seeing that their spears would not pierce the shields of the fairies, the pixies rushed forward with their scimitars in one hand and their beautiful red and black, wooden shields, inlayed with copper, in the other.

The scimitars of the pixies cut through the tendons and ligaments of the arms and legs of the fairies, and their sharp points pierced their necks.

But the equally sharp points of the double edged swords of the fairies thrust through the wicker armor of the pixies.

Even though there were only thirty-some pixies, they fought without fear against 101 fairy soldiers.

And because of this, they were able to wipe out twice their number in fairies before they themselves fell in battle.

At the close of the fighting the bravest of all the pixies stood alone in front of Foster, and the fairies

Said;

Look! One remains unhurt, but has no armor.

He was distinguished from among the pixies by his massive stature and particularly dark skin.

He challenged Foster saying;

"I am covered in blood not my own. Fight me now to avenge your kin, alone, lest the Divines think you a

coward."

And Foster asked him; "What is your name? And why do you wear