by AJ Ryder
Dorlyn raised an eyebrow and regarded Vylkur with clear skepticism. “What manner of dark elf actively tries to escape the very machinations for which their kin are so infamous?”
“There are more of us than you think,” Vylkur replied sagely. “Not all dark elves have the stomach or predisposition for such things. Those of us who don’t, escape and try to forge a new life upon the surface...or die trying.”
“Both your mentor and your lover abused you?” Dorlyn asked curiously.
Vylkur averted his eyes, and he seemed to shrink in upon himself. “She is one and the same...Morkessa. Deadly as she is beautiful, she does not care for the fact that I would rather use my magic to help rather than destroy. Every time I resisted her teachings...or her advances, she would punish me...badly.”
“You were an unwilling lover, then?” Dorlyn asked.
“Not at first,” Vylkur admitted. “As I mentioned before, Morkessa was...is quite the beauty. It was impossible for me to not be aroused by the sight of her, and I welcomed her attentions in the beginning. But then, the anger she felt towards me when my opinions began differing from hers, began to manifest itself in cruel, sadistic ways in the bedchamber…”
“And you allowed this?” Dorlyn asked incredulously. “I am aware that the females are dominant among your people, but are the men truly so cowed?”
“We are when we are the property of the female,” Vylkur answered softly. “I was given to her by my mother when I was but a boy of fourteen. My magic had begun manifesting, and so my mother gifted me to Morkessa as an apprentice. The moment I was passed over to Morkessa, I became her property to do with what she wished.” Vylkur sighed. “At first, she simply wanted an apprentice...someone to help her with menial magical tasks while learning at her side, but that changed once I grew into manhood.” He sighed. “I had no say in the matter.”
Dorlyn pursed his lips together as he processed what he had just been told. It all seemed very farfetched, but if it was in fact true, could he in good conscience rob so desperate-sounding a man of a second chance at life?
“I truly mean neither you nor your clan any harm, and I genuinely am sorry for stealing from you,” Vylkur continued earnestly. “I was simply trying to survive in these unfamiliar wilds that have proven almost as merciless as the unexplored corners of the Under Realm.”
Dorlyn needed to only see the worn and utterly bedraggled state of Vylkur, who was also clearly suffering from exposure, to know that he spoke the truth. Clearly an academic with no practical skills when it came to surviving in the wilds without domestic comforts, the dark elf had obviously been out of his element and was close to starving despite the fact that he had stolen from Dorlyn’s traps.
“For all my knowledge and magic, I know nothing about building a shelter when there is none to be found. I know nothing of hunting, fishing, or even of herbology pertaining to the plant life outside of the Under Realm,” Vylkur said while running a hand through his matted hair. “I’ve poisoned myself more than once by mistakenly consuming toxic berries, and there’s no doubt in my mind that I would have perished had I not known any healing magic.”
Whether by ineptitude, or by the hand of a less merciful elf on patrol, Vylkur would have surely met his end without intervention. That much was obvious.
So, Dorlyn intervened.
The wood elf sighed and momentarily hung his head. He gave it a small shake before raising his gaze back to Vylkur. “I will help you,” he said stiffly, hardly able to believe himself that he had offered to do so.
Surprise overcame Vylkur’s entire demeanor even as his peridot eyes glimmered with hope. “Really? You really mean it?”
Dorlyn sighed again and then nodded. “Yes, really. I hereby promise to guide you out of the woods and put you on the right path to Lehnos.”
Vylkur’s face erupted in a radiant smile, and his exquisite eyes filled with tears. “Oh, thank you, Dorlyn. Thank you!”
Even though it went against everything Dorlyn had been taught, he promised to help the hapless Vylkur find his way out of the woods. It would have been so much easier to simply turn his back and leave the dark elf to whatever outcome the forest had in store for him, but Dorlyn knew he would never forgive himself if he had done such a thing. Others among his kin would not have been so merciful regardless of the truth behind Vylkur’s words, but Dorlyn was compelled to help the dark elf that Fate had deemed worthy of being placed in his path for the second time.
Before that though, Dorlyn planned to nurse Vylkur back to some semblance of health by cooking him a proper meal out of the stolen rabbit, and thereby teaching Vylkur how to cook in the wild. After all, it would hardly do for Vylkur to finally escape the woods only to then die of starvation before he made it to Lehnos.
“Come,” Dorlyn said as he reached for the rabbit with one hand while pulling a dagger from his boot with the other. “First we eat. You look like you could use a decent meal,” he said while beginning to properly skin the hare. “Begin gathering stones for the cooking fire, and arrange them in a circle before placing twigs, small branches, and any dry leaves you can find in the middle.” He gave Vylkur a sidelong glance. “After we eat, I will take you to a pool in an isolated cave I know of. You’ll have a chance to clean yourself up.”
“Thank you, Dorlyn,” Vylkur said with obvious appreciation etched deeply into his face. “I swear on my life that I will find a way to repay your kindness one day.”
They fell into a strangely comfortable silence. Vylkur watched Dorlyn’s every action carefully as he prepared the rabbit for roasting over the fire, and then wood elf took the time to explain everything he was doing for Vylkur’s benefit. Vylkur, for his part, listened intently and eagerly soaked up the knowledge being passed on to him. Dorlyn even talked of various plants found upon the surface as well as their uses, and Vylkur listened with rapt attention.
When the rabbit had finally finished cooking, the pair ate in a companionable silence. Dorlyn admittedly gave Vylkur the lion’s share of the hare, as the dark elf clearly needed the sustenance. While he did not want to interrupt his temporary charge’s meal, Dorlyn could not ignore his curiosity forever.
“What was it that finally broke your back?” Dorlyn asked after clearing his throat. “What was it that finally prompted you to leave the Under Realm in order to forge a new life in a world in which you know nothing about?”
Vylkur stopped chewing his latest mouthful, and the entirety of his lithe body tensed as he sat in silence. Finally, after several moments, he swallowed and kept his gaze fixed upon the fire. “As I said...over time, my mentor and I no longer saw eye to eye when it came to magic and its uses. At first, all she did was punish me and inflict her anger upon me. While I was by no means pleased about the sudden shift between us, I nevertheless held my ground and accepted it. After all, I knew in my heart that I was right. I firmly believed that healing magic should not be used to hurt people in the way that Morkessa and countless other sorcerers among my people used it.”
“What do you mean by that?” Dorlyn asked confusedly. “How does healing magic hurt others?”
Vylkur sighed. “Among the wizards of my people, we are taught to heal ourselves and other people by draining the life force of another,” he answered. His eyes still remained fixed upon the fire. “Say that I was mortally wounded, the only way for me to heal myself is to physically touch another living creature and suck their life force into my own body to repair the damage. The same rule would apply if I were healing another person, except I would be acting as the conduit channeling the life force from one into the other.” He shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “The person or creature being drained never survives the process.”
Dorlyn shook his head in disbelief. “How horrible.”
Vylkur nodded. “That’s exactly what I thought, and so I steadfastly refused to use magic to heal anyone when asked to do so. When Morkessa began lashing out at me, I also refused to use magic to heal myse
lf. In either case, I would use potions and poultices.” He took a deep breath then slowly exhaled a shaky breath. “But then came the day when Morkessa nearly killed me with the savagery of her enraged punishment.”
“And you never fought back?” Dorlyn asked. “Not even once?”
Though Vylkur smiled ruefully while giving a small shake of his head, he still kept his gaze fixed upon the fire. “I was her property to do with what she willed.” He sighed. “As I lay dying on the floor, I was certain Morkessa was going to end it...or, at the very worst, leave me to however many moments I had left.” He clenched a hand into a fist. “But Morkessa had seen fit to inflict the ultimate torment upon me. She ushered in a young boy who couldn’t have been more than ten years of age...a child, and as she brought him closer to me, I knew what she intended to do.” He blinked back the tears that formed in his eyes. “I pleaded with her not to do it, but she simply smiled and tutted me before telling me that I wouldn’t learn my lesson otherwise.”
Before Dorlyn could stop himself, he moved around the fire so he was now seated beside Vylkur. The dark elf simply looked to utterly pitiful, and was in desperate need of consolation and basic kindness. He lightly placed a hand upon the smaller man’s shoulder, and he almost regretted it when Vylkur tensed immediately as though he were expecting to be struck. Just as Dorlyn was about to pull away, Vylkur surprised him by turning towards him and clinging to him tightly.
“Are you…?” Dorlyn’s words died in his throat when he heard the unmistakable sound of a sob as Vylkur buried his face in his shoulder.
“I saw…” Vylkur’s breath hitched in his throat. “I saw the light leave his terrified eyes as his life force was transferred to me…”
Dorlyn shifted his body as his arms instinctively wrapped around Vylkur, and he held the distraught man close. He was only momentarily surprised by how natural it felt to offer the dark elf comfort, for in that moment, Vylkur was no longer Dorlyn’s sworn enemy. He was simply a man.
“You don’t have to talk about it anymore,” Dorlyn murmured while gently rubbing Vylkur’s back. “You’re away from all that now. You never have to endure it ever again.” He could not help but notice how perfectly Vylkur’s smaller body fit against his own. “You’re well on your way to starting a new life that belongs solely to you.”
“All because of you, Dorlyn,” Vylkur murmured. “Twice you have shown me mercy, and had it not been for that mercy, I would not have the new life of which you speak.” He raised his head so he could gaze up at Dorlyn with his tear-stained face. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you, Dorlyn, for giving me this chance. I will never forget all you have done for me...and I will never forget you.”
Dorlyn smiled. “Repay me by living a life different from that of your kin.” He gently brushed away Vylkur’s tears before he could stop himself. “You didn’t belong with them in their world of eternal darkness. You belong here on the surface...surrounded by light, and people of your choosing.”
Vylkur smiled. “Thank you,” he whispered.
They fell silent after that, and simply held each other’s gaze. Neither of them looked or pulled away from the other, and Dorlyn felt something stirring deep within himself. For all the grime that covered Vylkur’s entire person, nothing could hide the handsomeness that bordered on beauty. Already, Dorlyn could feel his body responding to the growing attraction he felt for the man seated so closely beside him, and while it intrigued him, it frightened him even more.
Dorlyn cleared his throat. “We really should—” his words were cut off when Vylkur suddenly leaned in and kissed him full on the lips. Dorlyn’s eyes widened in surprise, and before he could do anything, the kiss was over as soon as it began.
“Forgive me,” Vylkur said sheepishly while averting his gaze and tucking a lock of hair behind his ear as he began shifting away from Dorlyn. He had not been able to stop himself from tasting Dorlyn’s lips. In their brief time together, the wood elf had been kinder to him than anyone else in Vylkur’s entire existence; but more than that, Dorlyn awoke feelings within Vylkur that he never before experienced. He had felt attraction and arousal for other men in the past, but never like this. “I shouldn’t have done that, but I simply—”
Dorlyn’s kiss cut him off.
This time, it was Vylkur’s eyes that widened in surprise, but it was fleeting. Within moments, his eyes fluttered closed, and his arms tentatively slid up to wrap around Dorlyn’s neck. Vylkur’s heart beat wildly, and a palpable ache formed deep within his belly when the wood elf slowly wrapped his arms around him.
It was no secret among Dorlyn’s people that he enjoyed the company of both men and women. Since the day he reached sexual maturity, he had found beauty and arousal equally in both sexes, and while he had enjoyed his lovers when he had taken them, he had never felt the need to choose a single one of them as his mate.
The kiss was hesitant at first; for, despite the clear and evident attraction Dorlyn and Vylkur felt for one another, what they were doing was so completely taboo. Regardless of how utterly right and natural it felt, it went against everything the two of them had been taught to believe about the other’s race. Though passion lingered just below the surface, neither Dorlyn nor Vylkur were brave enough to let it boil over.
Not that it mattered.
Their quiet and confusing moment was soon interrupted when a party of dark elves emerged from the trees. Dorlyn and Vylkur hurriedly drew apart, and the wood elf hurriedly jumped to his feet while drawing his bow and notching an arrow to the string in one smooth motion. Even so, Dorlyn could see that he was hopelessly outnumbered, and in the moments that followed, he was afraid that Vylkur and his story had all been an elaborate ruse.
“Morkessa’s been looking for you, Vylkur,” said the lone, female dark elf who was clearly the party’s leader. “She has been simply beside herself since your sudden departure.”
“I’ll bet she has,” Vylkur replied tersely as he slowly rose to his feet. “Why, whatever is she to do without her favorite whipping boy?”
“Know your place, whelp,” the dark elf snapped. “Come with us now, and I won’t tell your mistress about your...indiscretion after we kill him,” she added while flicking her gaze over to Dorlyn. She motioned with one finger, and the other dark elves in the party immediately trained their crossbows upon the wood elf.
“You will not harm him,” Vylkur said darkly while putting himself between Dorlyn and the others. “And I will not be going back with you...not now, not ever.” The air began to crackle with magic.
“Kill them both!” the female shrieked. “Quickly!”
Before a single bolt could be loosed, however, Vylkur cast a spell that engulfed the hunting party in pillars of flame. Their agonized shrieks filled the air along with the smell of burning flesh, and one by one, they fell to the ground as dead, charred husks.
Dorlyn slowly lowered his bow and cast his gaze around in disbelief. “You killed them...all of them.”
“It was them or us,” Vylkur replied simply while tucking a lock of hair behind his pointed ear and regarding Dorlyn cautiously. He visibly relaxed when Dorlyn slipped his arrow back into his quiver.
“I’m pleased that you chose us,” Dorlyn remarked with a small chuckle that he hoped masked what he was truly feeling. Not only had Vylkur killed his fellow dark elves, but he had sought to protect Dorlyn from them. Dorlyn had required no further proof that Vylkur was in fact cut from a different cloth than his kin, and the urge to kiss him was nearly overwhelming.
Vylkur smiled then. “As am I.”
Dorlyn held Vylkur’s gaze for a few moments more before clearing his throat and kicking dirt over the fire. “Come, we should leave this place immediately.” He looked skyward at the sound of thunder. “A storm will be upon us soon. I know where we can find shelter and remain undetected until the storm passes.”
Vylkur nodded. “Lead on.”
Dorlyn spoke not another word as he quickly led Vylkur deeper into the woods
. He quickened his pace as the rolling thunder grew in both volume and frequency, for he knew time was of the essence. Just as the first raindrops began to fall, Dorlyn reached his intended desolation in the form of an isolated cave that very few of his people knew about. Dorlyn had used it as a refuge many times when he had been caught in a storm or heavy snowfall, and he pushed aside the heavy growth of ivy and vines now in order to grant Vylkur and himself access to the dark cavern within.
“I don’t think I will ever grow to like the rain,” Vylkur muttered while rubbing his arms in order to warm himself.
“I will build a fire once we are deeper in,” Dorlyn assured as he led the way. “There should be a ready supply of dry wood, and there is a pool in which you can wash yourself.”