Ethria- the Pioneer

by Aaron Holloway

  I smiled “I was just wondering. When you were holding that shield up when we were jumped by those bandits, how did you lose mana so quickly? I’ve seen you chain cast spell after spell and not even get phased.”

  She buzzed her wings and hovered over directly in front of me. “Ah, yeah about that. Well, Fae like me, lesser Faie, have massive mana pools, but our mana regeneration is crap even compared to you humans mana regen. It's a racial trait, but there's a trade-off. We can borrow ambient mana from the area around us up to a certain point. My healing spells nearly ran me dry, a few of them were second-tier spells.”

  I nodded, new understanding dawning on me. “Oh, yeah I was going to ask you about that. I saw you draw in mana and I was curious as to how that worked. So if its a racial thing I don’t suppose I can learn it then?”

  “Well, some humans have learned the trick of it, but I don’t know how they do it. For me, it's like I feel the things around me, it feels like they willingly offer a little piece of their mana to me, and I just accept the gift. Others can do similar things but it's more like taking.”

  “How is your mana pool looking now?” I asked returning back to the original topic.

  “Well I haven’t spent much since, so It's about halfway full.” I nodded and after a few more cursory exchanges we both let the conversation die off. She pulled up her screen and began watching some movie I had never heard of on fast forward again.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt, but have you seen Mindhunters yet?” I asked.

  “No. What's that?” I had her pull up the trailer for it on the old fashioned youtube. She flew next to me and we watched it together at normal speed. She was excited by the idea of the movie but had never watched a horror film before. Mindhunters was a bit intense for a first introduction to the genre so I made some alternative suggestions.

  “You don’t think I can do it?” She asked indignantly.

  “No, it's just that horror movies are…”

  “Well, we're watching it.” She said interrupting me. We watched the whole movie and she seemed to enjoy it, until the ending.

  “Wait, so it was the British guy all along? That makes no sense! How did he even know where the Island was before all of this happened?” She said annoyed.

  “Yes it does, look, he was a member of the class before this one, so he knew where it was.”

  “No no no, he was booted before they even got to the island right? Or shortly after they got there right? Who remembers exactly how to get to a place they had never been to before, that is super secret and you can’t find on a map easily if they’ve only been there once. And it's in a foreign country! Nope, makes no sense.”

  “Yes it does, if he’s a serial killer.”

  “How does that make it better!”

  We discussed the movie, and the Hollywood industry in general for a while. I explained the Industrial Lights and Magic name and was able to show her how cartoons worked with several pieces of parchment that I cut up and put together. I drew a stick figure man who bounced a ball from one side of the parchment to the next while we watched Mindhunters. When I finally showed her the finished product after the movie she was both impressed and upset at how stupid and easy the idea was.

  “My people don’t have magic remember? To do cool things, we have to find ways to do them without…” To emphasize my point I sent a small set of mana sparks into the air in front of us.

  “Alright, alright. Point made, what should we watch next?” Ailsa asked excitedly. I was growing tired, but I wanted to keep a good thing going. “Have you seen the Lord of the Rings yet?”

  We watched the first extended edition of the movie late into the night.

  Chapter 6: The Elven Forest

  “Music exalts each joy, alleys each grief, expels diseases, softens every pain, subdues the rage of poison, and the plague” - John Armstrong

  Cutters Hollow Docks District. Frega, 27th, 2987 AoR

  The next morning we all gathered at the docks well before sunrise. While Riggil was negotiating the price of the ferry that would carry us to the other side of the river, I left and fetched the young prince. When I returned with the boy and a slightly annoyed looking sheriff and deputy, nearly everything was ready. Only partially feigning a stiff leg from the journey, I, and the Sheriff fell behind the prince and the deputy the law-man had charged with the boys care. “Thank you for coming again Sheriff,” I said as we walked the last stretch alone. “And thank you for agreeing to my offer.”

  Sheriff Samuel Bardigan, kept pace with me purely to be polite. “Yes, well. After you explained things, in the middle of the night” he pointed out accusingly “what else could I do?” I nodded sagely as we walked. “You know, yesterday I thought you simple when we had that exchange in front of the gates.”

  Ouch , I thought. But then again I did make an ass out of myself, and nearly killed Riggil without realizing it, so fair enough. I nodded, encouraging him to go on.

  “But after last night” He paused in thought as we arrived with the rest of the group. “Well, let's just see how today goes, shall we?” He said smiling sardonically. I nodded again and turned to Tim.

  “Tim,” I said and the boy turned to face me. “Are you ready?” the boy nodded gravely, with far more gravitas then the situation warranted. It's good he’s taking it seriously, I guess.

  Tol’geth, the mountain of muscle and intimidation, standing directly behind Tim as if threatening the world to try something that would piss him off, even a little, was both heartening to me and worrisome. Hope he goes along with this if it goes sideways. We talked about it, but you never know with some people.

  Alright, where is the old lady? I thought looking around. Oh, I think that's her. The only woman to have apples this far outside of season in the entire city if I understood correctly. The old woman was just barely starting to set up her apple cart along the edge of the docks district for the morning breakfast rush that was soon to start.

  “That's the merchant, yes?” I asked the sheriff pointing towards the woman, he nodded. “Could your deputy go and fetch her? I don’t think she would take it very lightly if a random wizard walked up and asked her to follow him into the darkness of the early morning. Particularly one that looks more like a bandit than a wizard.”

  He smiled and motioned for the deputy to fetch the woman. “You never know what you will get with the elderly. She might find it flattering.” The sheriff said grinning slightly at me. Tol’geth snorted, which woke Ailsa, who had been sleeping on top of his head using his large ponytail as a blanket.

  “What's up?” She asked blurrily, “Is it time yet?”

  “Almost, we’ll be leaving soon.” I hope. I looked around the small dock district, the only ones up, as it was still before sunrise proper, the food merchants jockeying for a good spot along the road. It was I hoped, private enough for high elven sensibilities.

  “What is this all about?” The woman said grumpily as the deputy helped steady her with an offered arm like a proper gentleman. “Is that boy,” She pointed an accusing finger at Tim. “Ready to apologize to me for stealing my livelihood?”

  I looked at the Sheriff who said “I believe so. What say you young elf?” His voice was stern, yet not unkind.

  All of our attention went to Tim, and he stepped forward. I couldn’t tell if he was pushed along by Tol’geth or if he went willingly, but in either case, he stood directly in front of the woman and bowed. “I, in ignorance, have wronged you, fair merchant. I acknowledge this, and offer my sympathy and request your…” He paused for a moment as if looking for the right word in Torish. “…forgiveness.”

  It sounds like he rehearsed it. I thought about it for a moment and realized he probably did. I looked at the Sheriff, who looked at the woman, whose grumpy old face glared at the still bowing boy.

  After a few awkward seconds, the old woman reached out her hand and patted him on the head. “Eh, its alright sonie, just pay for it first next time, aye?”

  Tim s
tood, face and ears beat red with embarrassment and clear for the world to see as his long hair was up in a ponytail similar in fashion to Tol’geth’s. For a moment I thought he was going to blow it.

  “Thank you.” He took the elderly woman's hand and kissed it. “You’re grace in this matter is commendable.” It was the elder merchants turn to blush, and she did face going furiously crimson.

  She took that as a romantic gesture, not just a courtly one. Crap boy, you walk from one fire, straight into an oven.

  “Oh well, I now regret making such a fuss of it at all! Such a nice boy like you. Young, and healthy. My names Agness, you’re welcome at my stall anytime!” I stepped up and put a hand on both of their shoulders to stop any more awkward moments that might turn into something far more inappropriate than anyone would have wanted had they had the full picture of what was happening.

  “Thank you, good lady.” I said as I looked desperately at the deputy, who only after a few more awkward seconds realized I was nodding at him to take her, held out his arm for the old crone. She took it and walked, with a decided pep in her step I noticed, back to her stall escorted by the bemused deputy.

  “Good enough?” I asked the Sheriff once she was gone far enough away not to hear our discussion. “Can I take this boy back to his father?”

  The Sheriff looked at our party and nodded. “But I have one request.” He said as he reached into a satchel and produced a letter with two seals imprinted on the sealing wax. One that matched his own symbol, a simple scale with manacles on one side, and a feather on the other, and the second with a tree standing tall with two stumps on each side next to it.

  “The mayor and I wrote this a couple of days ago. Can you please see it delivered to the elven elder council?”

  “Sheriff Brodigan has offered you the quest ‘Delivery Boy 1.’ He asks that you deliver a letter written by him and the mayor to the elven Elder Council. Reward 10xp, reputation increase with both the elves of Lo’sar and the men of Cutters Hollow. Accept Yes / No.”

  “Sure thing,” I said and handed the letter to Ailsa who made it disappear into whatever extra-dimensional pocket she had access too. “We can do that, it's no hair off my chest.” I motioned for everyone to begin boarding the ferry, as the Sheriff looked at me oddly. Apparently the saying didn’t translate very well. Dang idioms!

  “And thank you for making this so easy,” I said to Tim as he walked past. “You would not have liked what happened had you screwed that up,” I said smiling. He gave me a quizzical look as I turned and walked with him onto the large, flat boat made of tied together tree trunks. Or maybe it was one of the massive trees cut up into several pieces, whatever the case it was more than large enough for several wagons. “Tell me, Tim, have you ever heard of the human custom of ‘spanking’?”

  -----

  Tim had, of course, been appalled at the idea of possibly being publicly punished by Tol’geth, his technical legal guardian, in the town square. Circle. Whatever it was called in Cutters Hallow. A public spanking was the alternative course of action that the Sheriff suggested when I visited him late last night and explained that the young elves equivalent age was around that of a ten-year-old. It had been the alternative punishment set out in charter for juveniles caught stealing, fighting, breaking things, causing mischief, who refused to apologize once caught. Essentially it was either a public spanking or a public apology. A bit harsh, but that was frontier justice for you.

  When I had explained the situation to Tol’geth early that morning before we set out for the ferry and the dock district, he had grumbled, but agreed. It was obvious that he was highly uncomfortable with the situation. When I finished explaining it to the boy on the boat ride over, Tol’geth laughed and kept laughing until we reached the small dock on the opposite river bank.

  We disembarked, all save Riggil who wasn’t the adventuring sort and wanted to return home to spend his new earned fortune. Cheapskate I thought, but then smiled sadly. I am going to miss him. We all waved at him as the ferry withdrew back to the dock district.

  When we collectively turned around, Tol’geth in the front at the end of the wooden dock, four elves appeared as if out of nowhere from the forest's edge. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, where did you all come from!” I shouted surprised. I startle easily, didn’t I tell you that already?

  Everyone there, including two of the elves pointing strung and knocked, but not drawn, bows at us smiled, snickered, or laughed. Apparently, the sight of a person almost falling into water and having to be saved by his fairy friend whom he also almost dragged into the water with him, before finally being saved from the teetering edge by the largest and scariest human being ever, was comical. Or something.

  After things calmed down a bit, and Tol’geth returned to the front of the group, one of the elven rangers, at least I suspected that’s what they were, spoke up. “Are you alright human?” She asked pointing her bow at me.

  “Uh, yeah I am. Thanks for asking. I would be a lot better if you put those weapons away though.” That earned another round of light laughter from the elven rangers, and from Ailsa who landed on my shoulder after the whole “nearly pulled you into the water” fiasco.

  The one who had spoken lowered her bow but didn’t put it away. “Tol’geth, correct?” The same elf asked. The large man only nodded. “You were charged with rounding up several wayward children?” Again another nodd. “Have you collected all of them?” He gestured to the three who were standing together in between Tol’geth, and myself who was at the rear of the group. “That didn’t take you long.” She said slightly impressed.

  “For a human.” Said another, this time male voice from the group of four green hooded figures. The female doffed her hood and revealed a stunningly beautiful angular face with long brown hair that had streaks of silver and blond intermixed in braids in seemingly random places.

  “Oh shove it Ste’rill. He’s also new to the region. You know that.” the woman said defending Tol’geth. “And he’s a sworn man of the Ambassador. You better be more respectful.”

  “I was just playing Li’anin.” Said the second voice as he removed his hood. The others swiftly followed, and I found that all of them, even the guy who has just spoken were drop-dead gorgeous if I were being objective about it. I have to admit, I felt more than a little inadequate compared to these stunning specimens.

  “The little human is staring.” Said the other female in the group who had not spoken yet as she glared daggers at me. All their eyes turned towards me and I could feel myself blushing involuntarily.

  I’m not afraid of being the center of attention mind you, I’ve given speeches in high school and college in front of hundreds of people before. Introducing guests, topics, presenting research papers, in competitions, all of that. But this was, far more intimate. With women, and men, that made me feel about as big as a mouse just by their sheer beauty. I took a deep breath and steadied myself.

  “Sorry, I've just never met fully grown elves before. Its a novel experience for me.” I smiled as genuinely as I could, and after a couple of seconds, their attention shifted back towards Tol’geth.

  The large man explained what happened in as few words as he possibly could. I swear it was like a game he played for the fun of it. When he was eventually asked why I was there he said “He helped me deal with the town's other humans. He needs to speak to a council member.”

  No context to why, no extemporaneous information, just why he cares, and why I am here . I sighed fearing they would send me back over the ferry.

  “Good enough,” Li’anin said. “Follow us, there are more than just us four with us, so do not stray or we will know of it.” She was saying this more for my benefit than anyone else's. Well maybe as a threat to the children as well, but that didn’t help my ego at all.

  ----

  The large mass that was Tol’geth the Veridian swayed in front of me as we walked. The man seemed to have an easy time of it in the forest, a much easier time of it then
I did at least. It seemed like every other footfall I snapped a twig, or brought my foot down hard enough on a stone for the sound to echo through the trees.

  Each time this happened it elicited a glare from the elves I could see, and sometimes one from my large barbarian friend. As we moved, the elves seemed to disappear in and among the trees, reappearing in brief glimpses, even those standing in plain sight of me seemed to blend into the background save for when they gave me dirty looks for disturbing the silence of the forest.

  Eventually, after my third or fifth time falling flat on my face into a thorn bush, I cast around and looked for a walking stick. I found one covered in moss and dead vines that was about the right size, about two feet higher than my hip from ground up. It took me a few seconds of struggling with the thing, but I was able to pull it out of the undergrowth. Tol’geth was kind enough to wait for me as I struggled to pull the thing free. I used it to steady myself and to push back the branches and bushes as I went. It helped, a lot.

  I noticed as we went that the uniformity of the trees that I had seen from outside stayed true as we moved through them, though the undergrowth was wild and untamed, making our, well, to be honest, my, travel exceedingly difficult.

  About an hour later, or at least what I thought was about an hour later, the trees grew thicker and obscured the sun enough that telling time became almost as difficult as getting through the blasted brush. The plants, vines, and bushes that made up the undergrowth seemed to grow around everything, and the elves moved through as it as if it were open air.

  Eventually, we broke through into large canopied clearings, I could see on the far side of the clearing that it connected to another, and a set of stones began there in a path about fifteen feet away. The elves all gathered together, with Tol’geth at the rear of the group, followed closely by me. After about fifteen more minutes of walking on the much easier stone path, I grew bored and began to hum Let Her Go a song from an old sitcom I had never seen. My mother seemed to love the song when I was growing up though, so I was very familiar with it.