The Changeling's Challenge (Part 1)
by BLZBub
Changelings are most well-remembered for being the creatures that the
Fair Folk have traded for newborn humans. Sometimes these creatures are
their unwanted offspring, ugly in appearance and temper who are often
parasitic to their foster families. Sometimes it’s actually one of the
geriatric fae who have been placed in a position where they will receive
comfort and caring for their last few years. There are also times that
the changeling is actually an enchanted piece of wood with a glamor that
will eventually fade away.
What most
mortals are unware of is that the changelings who are the spoiled brats
and the disguised logs were ‘gifts’ of the Unseelie, the malcontent
faeries who have the most spite against mortals. The families who
receive changelings from the Seelie sometimes are never made aware of
the change. For the Seelie were the benevolent faeries who allow their
most ancient to be reborn as human babes and will leave their few
children who do not have the gift for magic and these changelings will
grow up to be normal humans, if of somewhat odd demeanor.
But
the term ‘changeling’ does not only apply to the substitutes left
behind, but also the children who are spirited away. Even though the
various races of fae were all but immortal, they could still die, most
often by the blades of their rivals. Their realm of Underhill was
separate from the mortal’s world, but it was still part of the earth and
fresh blood must be brought in to keep the magic strong or the realm
and all its inhabitants would fade into spirit.
The
realm of Underhill was all but timeless, the seasons changed only for
the inhabitants to enjoy the variation each season brought. The faerie
children who are not traded and the human children who are brought to
this realm are the only ones affected by the cycle of seasons. However,
only the young fae could age past childhood and into their eternal
primes. The human children could remain in their youth for a very long
time as long as they did not answer the Calling.
The
Calling was the only way for humans raised in Underhill to become
adults. Those who answer the calling will train vigorously to obtain one
of the several different classes for the faerie people. As they gained
more experience and got closer to mastering their skills, their bodies
will develop and acquire faerie traits until they completed their Trial
of Passage and become adult fae, almost inevitably some type of elf.
There
was no particular rush to answer the Calling. There were plenty of
changelings who have lived for over a century before answering the
Calling. There was one changeling boy who rebelled against the idea of
ever growing up and settled upon a timeless island with lesser fae and
mermaids that was also inhabited by Indians and pirates. But that is a
different story entirely.
This
story shall be focusing on one changeling who will be answering her
Calling. Adria was relatively quick to try and achieve elfhood, having
only been in Underhill for about two dozen seasons. There was no rule
about answering the Calling too soon or far, far later, though
changelings usually enjoyed their extended youths for quite a long time
before they consider moving up in faerie society.
But
Adria was somewhat different than most typical changelings. She was
exchanged much later than the majority of changelings. The fae would
have passed her over if she hadn’t been trying so hard to contact them
and have them take her away. Her life before coming to Underhill had not
been an easy one. She was the only one of her multiple siblings to
survive to her later childhood. The plagues that went through her
country were the cruel ones in which children who caught them usually
did not live and it could cripple the adults who did catch them. Her
mother’s mind had been made feeble by the plague and her father lost
almost all use of his left arm. Adria wasn’t certain why she hadn’t
caught the plague. Perhaps it was because she was more observant of
cleanliness than most peasants.
Even if her
family hadn’t been truncated, Adria lived in a time where those who were
different were met with suspicion, particularly if they seem to have
better fortune than those around them. Adria’s unlikely good health made
the uneducated villagers think that she might be using witchcraft.
Tales began popping up of Adria talking into apparently empty air and
seen lurking around the graveyard. Never mind that she was paying
respect to her dead siblings, once irrational fear found soil to grow
in, it was nigh impossible to get rid of. Eventually, Adria did started
supplicating to empty air, but instead dark powers like the ignorant
villagers suspected, she was calling for the Fair Folk to take her away
where she won’t be harmed. Fortunately, her pleas were heard before the
villagers could form into a mob.
Even though
Underhill was a land of peace and happiness (excepting the occasional
Unseelie attack), Adria could never completely at ease. The absolute
lack of power she had back in the mortal realm bothered her at the back
of her mind. She never wanted to be that completely defenseless again.
Of course, there were several classes which would give her plenty of
power to protect herself, but she had far bigger aspirations that most
changelings.
Shanna
had lived in Underhill longer than Adria. She wasn’t quite sure when
she was exchanged, but considering how overcrowded her human home was,
she doubted she was missed. Besides, Underhill was a far more
fascinating place and offered a better future than she could have had
back in her own land. Shanna enjoyed the freedom of the changelings in
Underhill, playing with her fellow humans as well as the friendlier of
the Fair Folk. She and Adria had become close friends and both would
agree that they’d go to their Callings at the same time. Little did
Shanna know that her friend was going to embark on a much different path
than hers.
The morning before the two
changelings set out of their journeys to become true members of the fae,
they met for one last breakfast. “So, you’re planning on doing the
Calling of the Mage, are you?” asked Adria.
“Yes,
we’re living in a magical realm, who wouldn’t want to know how to use
magic?” asked Shanna, “I mean, practicing with a bow is fun, but using
actual magic would be so amazing. I can’t wait to start learning about
it. But enough about me, what’s your big quest that you’ve been keeping
so secret about?”
Adria grinned widely and said, “I’m going to do the Calling of the Lord.”
Shanna choked a bit on her breakfast before asking, “Are you kidding?”
“No, I’m very certain. I’ve made up my mind as soon as I heard about it,” said Adria.
“Even
after they told you what could happen to you?” asked Shanna. It was
true that there was some danger involved with the various Callings as
all of them required that the changelings had to fight an Unseelie of
some type. But asides from that obstacle, the rest of the Calling
shouldn’t be too perilous.
However, the
Calling of the Lord was different from the others. The changelings who
manage to complete it will become lords and ladies in the aristocracy of
the Seelie. While it was not forbidden, it was not encouraged. The
exact details of the Calling were kept a secret from the changelings,
but there was one fact that was known to everyone: those who undertook
the Calling of the Lord and failed were never seen again and were never
spoken of.
“The greatest prize comes at the
greatest risk, right?” asked Adria, “Don’t tell me that studying magic
won’t have possible disasters.”
“I guess so, but are you sure it’s worth it?” asked Shanna.
“I’m
not afraid of taking the chance,” said Adria, “If I back out and do a
different Calling, I’ll have to live with the knowledge that I didn’t
try to go as high as I could for the rest of my life. And you know how
long that will be.”
“I just don’t want to never see you again,” said Shanna.
“I
won’t disappear. The next time we meet, you’ll be a sorceress and I’ll
be a lady,” said Adria, “The best of luck to you with your journey.”
“And the best of wishes with yours,” said Shanna.
The
first part of the Calling was the one that was hardest to measure. For
the changelings had to go wander in the wilds of Underhill until they
could find an Unseelie to vanquish. That could take quite a long time
for even in the faerie realm, faeries were not easy to find if they did
not wish to be found. For some changelings, the only sign that they have
started their Calling and weren’t simply travelling through the wilds
was the change in their bodies. By setting out on their journey, they
have renounced their days of childhood and time was beginning to catch
up with them. That didn’t mean they all started aging at once. As they
continued to hone their skills, their bodies grew to keep pace with it.
Adria
had kept herself in top condition with her play fights and training
with the bow and sword. She practiced regularly with both weapons and
her body was showing signs of growing to match. She had gotten at least a
head taller and her baby fat was starting to thin out. To her
satisfaction, her ears were forming a point, showing that she was
changing from human child to elven woman.
Adria
was not daunted by the unknown peril of her path because what she would
have at the end will be worth it all. She didn’t want to be a lady just
because she still had some of the peasant’s envy for the nobility. The
lords and ladies of Underhill still interacted with the more common
folk, but they had power unlike them. They could match the knights,
rangers, and mages in battle strength and they were given the liberty to
journey to distant parts of Underhill with little need for the
protection of others. Adria wanted that power not for its own sake, but
so that she would never be defenseless again and she would able to right
the wrongs that the evil denizens of this realm made.
Some
changelings stumbled across Unseelie foes by mere luck, some of those
before they’ve had enough time to practice and were easier prey for the
dark fae. But some changelings were drawn to certain areas after they’ve
honed their skills enough. They would get a feeling of certainty when
they would reach that place and knew that eventually they will meet
their enemy there. Adria was drawn towards a riverside that seemed pure
and clean. The Unseelie may take some time to appear, but that was fine
with Adria. This riverside was a perfect place to set up a camp and she
could keep honing herself as she waited for her opponent to arrive.
Follow ups: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Follow ups: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Another story with great potential I hope you don't harm by changing the girl on the picture every time she appears.
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