The Trial

by James Hunt

  "I am called Kaneth." He said and leaned his snout in towards Kelria's face. The elf girl instinctively withdrew, and Kaneth paused.

  "I am Kelria," she replied sheepishly.

  "My people intrrroduce with a smell," Kaneth spoke soothing words. "thy scent is as unique as thy name. It is only polite, to allow thyself to be grrrreeted..." Kelria nodded and closed her eyes tightly. The creature leaned his snout in against the side of her face until his whiskers tickled her chin and she fought not to giggle and twitch. His canine nostrils took two deep whiffs from her neck. She could feel his hot breath on her neck as his maw opened to allow the smell to settle in his nose. But when that long coarse tongue came out and licked the length of her ear, she couldn't help but a let loose a squeal of erogenous excitement.

  "Thou hast have a fine smell, my dearrr." Kaneth whispered against her neck, "and thou dost taste... delightful. It is a pleassssure, to acquaint thee, Kelria of Lunar."

  Kelria was flushed and embarrassed, befuddled by what to do next. She stared deeply into his entrancing yellow eyes, not realizing the power they held over her. Kaneth turned away and padded over to Niyana to sit on his haunches next to her. The hypnotic spell broke when he averted his gaze, Kelria blinked a few times before touching her enamored ear as if testing what she had just experienced was real.

  "I am shaman to my people, I have the dreamsight." Kaneth explained. "It bewitches the unguarded mind." He waited patiently for Niyana to regain her composure from his embarrassing accusation. When she did open her eyes, she looked straight into Kaneth's. His head hung down ever so slightly and his eyes stared straight up into hers.

  "I'm not familiar with your people; I'm not sure how to be polite." She said at last.

  "Churr, churr..." Kaneth's head bobbed slightly as he chuckled. "We are called Furrel, and we are old." Kaneth turned away as if stung and sat across the fire from the two of them. "I will tell thee a storrry, as sleep comes to thee. I will keep watch."

  "The world is now ruled by the two great races – Zecair and Lunar." Kaneth settled down, and crossed his front limbs. His voice rang out clear and melodious in the night air. And his trailing growl as he spoke seemed to disappear. "Once all were one, but the Gods in the sky decided all should be different, and thus they were. Came did the Dragons, the Cutharins, the Megals, the Harpais, the Merfolk, the Titans, the Furrel, and many others lost to war and time." Kelria had prepared their bedroll and settled in under the blanket with a big yawn. Niyana kept a stern gaze upon their visitor; apparently she would keep watch as well.

  "The Lunarians and Zecarins took an immediately dislike to each other, and war became their favorite greeting. The Lunarians called to the dragons for help, and thus did the Zecarins slay them all out of jealousy. In return, the Zecarins called out to the Harpais for help, and so the Lunarians plucked them from the sky. As one race after another disappeared from their war, those that remained learned to stay neutral, and thus were forgotten."

  Niyana's head bobbed from her growing weariness and the tranquil, soothing melody of Kaneth's voice. She glanced once to sleeping Kelria and moved over to the girl to share her bedroll. Kelria barely protested as she rolled over to make room and fell right back asleep. As she slid in beside her, Niyana snaked an arm under the girl's head, and felt two hands take a hold of hers for comfort. Unable to resist it anymore, Niyana settled in and looked expectantly up at Kaneth.

  "Then came Man, who carved his own kingdom out of the wastelands left by the Zecarins and Lunarians." Kaneth continued. "So amazed were the other races with the impudence and tenacity with which this stubborn Man survived that they stepped back and watched. And so Man grew tall indeed. Tall enough and strong enough did he grow that he pushed the warring Brothers aside. Zecair and Lunar finally saw the loss they had caused, and drew lines for a truce. But gone are the Dragons and their magnificent wings, gone are the Mountain Giants and their great strides, gone are the talking trees and their ageless wisdom, gone forever. But Man paid a heavy price; the two great races wait patiently for his last days, and all breaths wait to see what will come thereafter."

  Kaneth opened his eyes to find Niyana still watching him thoughtfully.

  "Not the history lesson I was taught," She whispered quietly so as not to disturb sleeping Kelria. Kaneth tilted his head quizzically to one side as he regarded her. We were all one race once... came Kreth's voice in her memories. She rubbed the image from her mind, like dust in her eye. "Besides, I have seen enough humans to know they are as prolific as ever."

  "Compared..." Kaneth began. "To when?" he answered after a dramatic pause to let his point sink in. "Thou thinks the same was not said of the other races now long gone? When too few are left, races try to mingle and share. Half-breeds born, are neither of their parents." Kaneth's ears suddenly perked up and his head lifted to listen. Niyana heard it too – footsteps on the other side of the river. With an abrupt puff of his breath, Kaneth blew out the faint embers and bounded back up the tree to the exposed roots to look over the edge. Niyana quietly reached for her swords and pulled them close. She kept perfectly still and listened. And when Kaneth finally descended the tree, Niyana could hear no other sounds but the forest around them. Whatever, or whoever it was had moved on.

  "Two Hekarim scouts have taken opposite dirrrections following the river," he said. "They do not like water..." he froze in speech and movement when he saw Niyana clutching her weapons. The uncomfortable silence made her look to her blades and respectfully place them back next to the pack. Kaneth then padded a few steps closer until his snout was inches from her face. He smelled like juniper to Niyana, which was not nearly as beastly as she expected. His muzzle turned to her side and she heard the short inhale of air near her ear as he breathed in her scent. And just like what happened to Kelria she felt his coarse tongue expertly caress the ridge of her ear all the way to the tip. Suddenly her skin grew very cold and a brisk, tingling shiver of excited nerves ran over her whole body. It was an amazingly sensual sensation. Something took over her at that moment and she pressed her cheek to his cheek, slid her face up to his ear and bit it lightly.

  "It is a pleasure, to acquaint thee, Kaneth of the Furrel." She breathed hotly into his ear. A low grumbling sound came from the beast as he withdrew and turned around to lie down beside her.

  "It is mine, as well, Niyana of Lunar."

  "How did you know my name?" she asked politely. But deep down she fear she would suddenly need her blades.

  "I foresaw thine arrival in the dreamscape." Kaneth whispered softly. "The sweet smell wafting up on the wind this night could only come from thou. It is an unnatural aroma. There is something that vexes thy mind and body. And thy friend spoke it earlier."

  "I don't understand, what is the dreamscape? I haven't heard of this magic."

  "It is where dreamers go." Kaneth whispered. "We can wander, we can visit thy dreams, and take many forms." Niyana grew silent as she thought on this. "What else did you see about me?"

  "churr, churr, churr..." Kaneth chortled lightly. "A polite shaman does not share thus. It is... unsacred."

  "Mmhmm." Niyana tried to keep the sneaking suspicion growing in her gut from coming out. The events of the last few days, along with her own struggles with self and sanity made this revelation of dream walkers a bit too convenient. "Have you visited my dreams?"

  "It is how I knew thee would come," Kaneth explained. "I know of this monastery thou dost seek. Thy mind seeks answers, yess, but thou should rest. Answers will still be here in the morning."

  "What of you?"

  "We are nocturnal." Kaneth raised his snout and sniffed the air. Whatever caught his attention, he did not concern himself with. "I understand thine reluctance. Should I allow harm to come to thee, thy people would blame the Furrel, and assume we have sided with thy enemy. I will give my life, before I endanger my people." His answer changed her unsettled suspicion into shameful guilt. Whether it was true or not, he believed in his view of history. There was a
real danger of appearing to aide one side in their delicate truce; the only race tolerated by both sides was Mankind because they struck blows to both sides. The more Niyana thought about it, she realized that none of the other races had formal relationships with Lunar. She had never wondered why until now.

  For all her suspicions, this creature, this Furrel, had not made any threatening postures towards her. Niyana had to remember she was no longer in Zecair, and mistrust was not a constantly needed shield here. Enemies here were more obvious; if Kaneth had wanted to kill them, he had plenty of opportunity while she was bathing, or when the Hekarim scouts came to the river.

  Niyana made up her mind to trust him, and promptly settled in to sleep. Kelria's warmth was an alluring comfort as she wrapped her arm around her friend and snuggled in close. Kelria smelled of pine and river water and those smells were another welcoming comfort to Niyana. She felt finally home at last...

  Kreth stood tall on top of the grassy meadow. The wind blew his open black vest wide against his bare, chiseled chest. Thick white clouds passed by overhead and he seemed content to watch them float by. His hands rested on his hips with his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of the tanned leather leggings he wore. Niyana walked up behind him. As she approached the wind picked up and blew her hair about her face.

  "Thank you," She said to his back. "I've come to say goodbye. I never got the chance to thank you formally. I know I thanked you while we were together, but I feel it wasn't enough. I don't know why you did it, or what plans you had, but I wanted to say thank you, and goodbye." Kreth didn't respond. He couldn't. He wasn't real. This was in her dream. A soft harp played in the distance; Niyana caught a glimpse of Gayne sitting in the shade of a maple tree playing a small lap harp. He wore the same summer silk shirt and fwasir skirt outfit he had in previous dreams. When she turned back, Kreth was gone. She was alone again on the hillside.

  "Therrre is a price, to thine choiccce," Came a familiar bestial voice. Niyana turned around and found a savage tribal man wearing the skin of a red wolf like a cloak. His dark brown body was bare, and he walked with a gnarled oak staff that dangled tied feathers from the top. He approached with a grunt at climbing the hill, and glanced around the peaceful area. "This will not last." He growled, and set his deep yellow eyes on hers.

  "You shouldn't be here." She started to argue but found her lucidity disappearing the longer he looked at her. "Mm...what choice?"

  "He saved thy life." The man said. "Choose to deny the demon within, and it will kill thee. The price must be paid." He said no more, and left the hill and the meadow. A gentle touch turned her from the confusion of his presence, and she found Gayne welcoming her with open arms. Niyana settled her head in against his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso.

  "Hold me," she whispered onto his silk covered chest. "For now..."

  Daybreak brought with it an overcast sky. The Lunarian girls found themselves alone by the river. Their guest had disappeared in the evening. Kelria sat up and started to dress, but Niyana stared up at the grey sky. She didn't want to bother her queen's wandering thoughts, but when she had finished dressing all that was left to pack was the bedroll and blanket which Niyana occupied.

  "Your grace?" She asked demurely. "The day requires your presence." Kelria said in a formal tone.

  "Mhmm." Niyana replied with a singular arched eyebrow and a smirk of mirth. "Ask it to reschedule, I'll be out falconing." In a flash she was up and dressed before Kelria could tie up the bedroll and stuff it and the blanket into their pack. "I have a good feeling about today. Our troubles should ease some."

  Clothed and packed, they removed the last signs of their presence and continued their northward trek. Niyana finally revealed the previous day's discovery to the girl.

  "What I know of the Leaf Knights is that they are only used in force, and do not run scout patrols. Their abilities are the envy of all, and are never revealed without cause." Kelria commented as Niyana set the pace for their hike through the woods. She didn't reply to the girl's statement, but just gave her a knowing smile. Niyana had been a Leaf Knight. They patrolled and they scouted – they were just never caught at it.

  The rest of the day came and went as one grey, overcast hour under the pines turned into another. The sun was hard to locate at times, as patches of dark clouds mingled with the rest. A cold wind picked up in the early evening and foretold of the storm that would soon be upon

  them.

  "Shall we find shelter?" Kelria said. Niyana's abrupt hand signal for silence ended the question. The wind picked up again, there was a smell on it she didn't recognize, but Niyana did.

  With slow, calm gestures Niyana pointed to a dense patch of ferns under a fallen trunk. Kelria didn't need any more coaching and she quickly ducked under it and hid as best she could. She kept Niyana in sight. Her queen slowly drew her swords from her sides and crept silently forward. Whatever it was, it was at ground level; Niyana's attention was at the trees and brush. She watched Niyana's slow catlike stalking with trepidation as she expected something to jump out at any time.

  A rustle in the bush made her skin crawl as Niyana froze mid-strep. A black boar poked its head out and sniffed the air in their direction. Its long tusked snout snuffled the ground for a bit before it ambled forward. It was over a dozen feet away, and seemed more interested in what it smelled on the ground than the Lunarian elf standing in plain sight with one foot in the air. Niyana jumped at it and the beast bolted.

  "Keep going! I'll find you!" Niyana shouted as she gave chase. The two disappeared around a giant redwood before Kelria could protest.

  "By myself?!" She shouted, but no response came. Fear hit her suddenly along with the realization she was alone in the wilds with no means to defend herself. Her protector had gone off on a sudden urge to hunt and left her behind.

  "Young lady, we need to have a talk about responsibility when you get back." Kelria huffed and stood up. She searched for the closest suitable fallen branch and fashioned a crude walking stick light enough to swing with one hand. Niyana and the boar were gone, and rather than try to find them she heeded her queen's command and continued in the direction they had been traveling. If there were Lunarians out here, they would find her before she found them.

  The small boar gave Niyana a good workout. It was swift and cunning enough to know what she couldn't follow it through. Despite being led over and around things, Niyana never lost it. It wasn't until it finally stopped running and turned to face her that she closed the sizable gap between them. The boar charged her the moment she came into view. Her reflexes had never worked so fast in her life, the blade came up, and the boar's head was sent soaring into the air before she knew what happened.

  Niyana sat on her haunches dumfounded, and panting. A spray of blood slowly slid down her cheek, and suddenly she was checking her face for cuts. She didn't even feel it hit her. The smell of the boar's blood on her cheek flooded her nose, and she couldn't stop breathing it in with each panting breath. It was intoxicating in a way, and she licked the fingers that had wiped the smear, to savor its taste.

  She suddenly wanted more. She got to her feet and approached the carcass. A rustle in the bush besides her distracted her for a moment and a red blur darted out to snatch the kill away from her.

  Kaneth stopped and turned around; the headless boar body clutched in his maw. He growled a warning at Niyana. The Lunarian princess replied with her blade held high.

  "That is my kill." She growled and dropped her hips low and arched her back forward. Kaneth dropped it to the ground and put two front paws on either side of it.

  "I saw it firrrst..." He snarled, and barred his teeth in a vicious, animalistic roar. Niyana twisted her lip up in a sneer to reply. But when he stood up on his hind legs, and adopted a more humanoid pose with his arms forward, barring their claws, it went away. Kaneth stood a good two feet taller than her. His arms were long and gangly, but finely muscled and had incredible reach as weapons. Niyana slowly pull
ed her other blade from its sheath.

  "Thou are a stranger herrre," Kaneth growled as he started to circle the Lunarian. "My kindness, ye return with thievery." He snarled. The murderous look in Niyana's face was all he received in reply.

  He thrust his head forward and roared at her. Niyana body reacted again and her small swords flashed forward towards his neck. But they sliced through the air and missed just as something painful raked across her exposed flank shredding cloth and skin alike. She hissed and staggered backwards as the beast paused and circled her.

  "Treacherrry!" Kaneth yelled and swung a powerful arm at her head. Despite the pain she ducked, and thrust a blade towards his armpit. The strike missed at the last minute and another terrible slash of claws lit up her backside with bright hot lights of pain. Niyana fell forward and whimpered.

  "Ye cannot be in two places at onccce." Kaneth warned as he paced on all fours. "Contain the demon from killing, and ye cannot. Kill, and ye cannot contain it... Eltharrina."

  "Call me, 'My QUEEN!" she screamed and lunged at the beast with her blades forward. Niyana's face had become a horrible contortion of violence and rage. It was what gave Kaneth pause more than her vicious attack. The Furrel's reflexes were faster by far, and he leapt to the side before those metal fangs could scissor off his head. But the damage had been done, and the monster inside her had been unleashed. They came at him again, and again – slashing, stabbing, and missing his jugular by inches. Each strike grew closer to the mark. He returned each attack in kind, scoring fresh claw marks and scratches all over Niyana. His aim was more varied and precise. It wasn't the meaty parts he aimed for, but the tendons and muscles that controlled movement. It was a true testament to the berserker rage that had taken over this Lunarian girl that painfully debilitating wounds were having no effect.