Talestria just looked at me, “As if we would do that.” Teltar looked up and just glanced at me with a brow raised.
Jerak started to laugh, “Looks like someone won.” I didn’t know what he meant but Talestria spit in her hand and wiped my cheek. I guessed she must have left a mark or something there. Jerak just laughed, but Talestria stared at him which instantly caused him to turn serious.
“Blakey Poo… I am going to get some sleep. I will see you in the morning” Talestria beamed. She leaned over and we gave each other a quick peck and she started up the stairs.
The guys sat in silence until she made it nearly to the top. Jerak shook his head and chuckled, “Blakey Poo, huh?” I was too happy to even care, but Jerak kept laughing, “Oooo, Blakey Poo!” and made a mocking gesture, hugging himself and making a kissy face. A small bolt of lightning came down from upstairs and nailed Jerak hard enough to cause him to fall forward. Jerak coughed and spoke quietly, “Ow…” The rest of us looked up and saw Talestria gazing at me. She just flashed me a smile and continued toward her room.
Bolam and Teltar helped Jerak up. He was fine-just a little shocked. “Jerak, please don’t provoke her” Bolam pleaded.
Jerak coughed and then shrugged, “I didn’t provoke her. I only made fun of Blake…” Teltar grunted, “I think provoking him in front of her means the same to her.” Jerak glanced at me and then back upstairs, “Oh, man-did that smart!” I laughed once I knew Jerak was fine.
Bolam scratched his head, “I could live an elf’s life and never expect such a turn of events. I can’t believe we are actually here. I can’t even believe that you two…” I just smiled and shrugged. I could hardly believe it myself.
Jerak raised an eyebrow, “So you do have your way with women. Is she going to give us the armor?”
I stared back at him, “Huh? You think I am charming her to get the armor?”
Jerak shrugged, “If you are, you are doing a great job.”
I shook my head, “No… I really do like her…” Just then I saw a shadow move upstairs. She was eavesdropping. I would hate to see what would happen if I really was using her. The thought actually sickened me.
We each retired to our own rooms for the night. Before going to bed I soaked my old clothes in the bath water and hung them over the edge of the tub to dry. I thought I might as well clean them at least somewhat. Still feeling the emotional high, I couldn’t really fall asleep. I just laid in bed daydreaming about Talestria and thinking sickeningly happy thoughts. Eventually I fell asleep.
I woke up feeling great, not only because I had slept in such a nice bed but also because of a certain gal that I planned to share my day with. I put on my robe and met up with the rest of the guys. We made our way to the dining room. Talestria was there and there were two chairs at each side waiting for us. I sat across from her and saw her beaming. The two of us just stared at each other, totally oblivious to the rest of the world.
Jerak did most of the talking. He talked about our adventures and how I was visited by the Dragon Spirit. Talestria listened but stared at me the whole time. I was pretty much doing the same. I think Teltar excused himself after his meal because he was annoyed by our lovestruck behavior. Bolam finally spoke, “Um… is it alright if I see the armor?”
Talestria was in a bit of a trance but then turned, “Huh? Oh sure sure! It should be in the room across from the library.”
Bolam became quite interested, “You have a library?”
Talestria nodded, “Uh-huh! I have all sorts of magical books in there.”
Bolam stood up and sounded overly excited, “Really?! Is it alright if I take a look… please?”
Talestria never moved her eyes away from me, “Yeah, sure… just don’t make a mess.” I had never seen Bolam run so fast!
Jerak was the third wheel now. He finished the last of his meal, “Blake, we should do some heavy sparring today! We don’t want to get rusty.”
Talestria lifted her head, “Oh, I want to watch!”
Jerak grinned, “I have been training him. He has great potential.”
Talestria smiled at Jerak and then back at me, “Why don’t you two go train in the courtyard…” She looked over toward the hallway, “I will watch from my room. First, I should make sure your large friend doesn’t mess with my books.”
I put on my armor while we walked to the courtyard. Jerak searched franticly for decent sparring equipment and ended up climbing the large tree for some. I did a few stretches and looked up toward the balcony. Talestria walked out, leaned over and waved. I waved back and felt something bounce off of my helmet; Jerak had tossed me a straight branch. “These should do…” Jerak said cheerfully as he hopped down from the tree.
Even though I had someone cheering for me from the balcony, I still lost. “You’re getting there,” Jerak said cheerfully.
“Blakey Poo! You can beat him!” Talestria cheered.
Jerak laughed, “Yes, come and get me, Blakey Poo!” I glared at Jerak from under my helmet and fully expected Talestria to shoot a bolt of lightning at him but she refrained. She either didn’t hear him or expected me to take care of it myself. I looked up and Talestria gave me a smile which actually boosted my confidence. I tightened my grip on my sparring stick, “Alright, it’s on!”
I took several deep breaths and stared down at Jerak who wore a smirk on his face. I thought about the ways I had tried fighting him before. He was faster and in much better shape than I was. I doubted I could even match his strength. I took the time to consider any weakness and even watch how he stepped to see where he might strike, but still he managed to beat me. His stances and movements seemed almost random and whenever I tried to anticipate him, I ended up getting smacked by his stick. Then an idea came to me… I wondered…
It might have been just a stupid theory but maybe after all that time fighting him I kept losing because I spent more time trying to read his movements than actually attacking him. There was some doubt in the back of my mind but it was worth a shot. I took a deep breath and charged at him. He stepped to the side and I could see his buckler moving in to hit my stick. I pulled the stick away and swung. He parried with his stick. I gritted my teeth and pressed toward him with both arms holding tightly to my stick. He leaned back attempting to slide my weapon off balance but I made sure it stayed on him. Jerak took a step back and grasped his stick with both hands to keep up with the contest of strength.
Jerak looked a little surprised but at the same time excited as we kept each other at bay. He tried to move to the side but I just mimicked his moves and pressed on. I clenched my teeth and let out a war cry as I somehow shoved Jerak back. He staggered with a look of shock on his face; I thrust my stick towards him and felt it hit him right in the center of his torso.
Talestria clapped, “Yay!”
Jerak rubbed his stomach like it hurt, but he laughed, “Aw, man! It looks like you might be catching up to me now!” I laughed a little while catching my breath. It felt good to finally get him for once. Jerak looked at his stick, “Well, these are shot. I’ll need to go find some new ones.” I looked at mine and it was cracked as well. I took off my helmet, “I am going to take a little break.” I looked up at Talestria walked inside.
Talestria gave me a hug and then a peck on the cheek. I put my arms around her and smiled. Bolam came down the stairs holding a large piece of armor. Talestria looked up, “Oh, you did find it!” The armor was of the same flawless material that the boots and helmet were made from. The piece covered the chest and torso of the body with no apparent gaps. On each shoulder was a large pauldron that held a row of three curved spikes that looked like a dragon’s claw. Below the torso were several thick rows of metal that overlapped each other to protect the sides and front of the lower body. That part alone was about a foot long. Bolam walked over and held it in front of me. Talestria smiled, “Take it, it’s yours.”
I stared at the armor and felt a bit excited. I reached for it and looked into Talestria’s eye
s, “Wait a minute.” I walked down the hall where my room was and found my pack. I dug through my belongings. I felt guilty for accepting the armor without giving her something in return. I finally found my old shorts and dug around in the pockets.
“What is this?” Talestria asked when I handed her my wallet.
I smiled, “This is my wallet. I had it when I came into this world.
She pulled open the Velcro, “Oh, I think I ripped it!”
I laughed, “No, it’scalled Velcro. It is supposed to do that.”
Talestria looked impressed and closed it just to open it again. She seemed truly amused as she kept playing with it, “That is neat.” She finally opened it up and looked inside. There were only a few dollars in there which she took out and inspected, “Why do you have weird drawings of men’s faces?”
I laughed, “That is actually money from my home world.” I took one out and held it up to the light, “See they even did this so people can’t copy it.” I showed her the hidden water mark face and her mouth opened in wonder, “That is amazing! Are you sure you don’t have magic in your world?”
There wasn’t much else in the wallet other than a few old receipts that I should have thrown out and few notes, phone numbers and info that I needed when I went job hunting. She took out the cards from the tiny sleeve in the front. She stared at my bank card and giggled at the tiny hologram picture, “That is pretty. What material is this made of?”
I smiled, “These are made out of plastic, a common material in my world but I guess it might valuable here.”
She smiled and looked surprised when she saw my picture on my driver’s license, “That is your face!”
“Yeah, there is a machine that can take images of people and things…” I explained.
Bolam shook his head and peeked over, “What might be simple things in your world are rare treasures in ours… but I imagine we take for granted would be prized in your world.” Talestria just stared at my picture and I was glad it was actually a decent picture of me. Most photographs I’d had taken were not flattering.
I laughed, “I guess so! I haven’t seen plastic here. I suppose it might be the most valuable material in this world since all that might exist is in that little wallet.”
Bolam laughed, “Yeah, you might be right!”
“Blake…” Talestria quietly spoke. Her eyes wear tearing up. “No one has ever given me…” she said before she wrapped her arms around me.
I held her close and just smiled, “I wish I could give you more.” Talestria’s voice was muffled as she hid her face in my shoulder, “I am so happy to have you…”
I bit my lower lip, “I am happy too.” She lifted her head and stared at me. I stared back as she put her hands next to my face. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against hers. My eyes opened wide as she practically attacked me in a shockingly passionate response.
I found myself in a daze on the floor with a dumb smile on my face. She slowly stood up with a grin and a victorious look in her eyes. I leaned my head back and saw Teltar, Jerak, and Bolam standing by the stairs, their jaws dropped. Talestria extended her hand and helped me back up. She held my hands and just giggled. I took several deep breaths and I didn’t think I could stop smiling even if I wanted to. Jerak started to clap. I must have been official: I had a girlfriend!
Chapter 10
The rest of the day was a blur. I was on an emotional high and hardly paid attention to the world around me. It started to rain pretty hard so we stayed for a couple more days. Bolam was happy to read all the old books. He claimed the main magic school would kill to get a hold of some these books. Talestria was a little paranoid that he might cause even the slightest damage but she was a bit distracted. Teltar didn’t say much but appeared happy to have comfortable place to sleep and not worry about his next meal. Jerak was the only one who was bored and demanded that we train some more.
Jerak ventured off into the rain for an hour and, with a few tools he made some real sparring sticks. They were much more durable and a little heavier than what we had been using, but at the time it was much too wet outside to use them. Talestria allowed us to spar in the main room after we moved some of the more delicate furniture down the hall. I felt so guilty for staying here and eating her food without contributing. I offered to help out with the cleaning and other chores. Her golems were very efficient with the upkeep but I still helped whenever I could. Talestria tried to refuse my help but readily accepted any work offered by the other guys.
Bolam and Talestria came downstairs, debating about something to do with some magic It was a bit over my head so I continued to focus on fighting with Jerak. I actually won from time to tim., Granted he still beat me most of the time but even winning occasionally made me feel better. “Oh, Blake! We figured out where the rest of the armor can be found!”
Talestria sighed, “I was the one that figured it out.”
Bolam lowered his head, “Er, she found where the last two pieces lie.” She nodded in agreement and then picked her nose.
Talestria had odd habits. I guessed it had a lot to do with the fact that she lived so isolated for most of her life. She visited the dark elf city to get food and other supplies only once a month because even most of the dark elves feared her. They held deep respect for her as one of the noble family and her father was a hero during the ancient war. However, since her father was responsible for killing one of the Silthrym, Ayjestus’ sister, her bloodline had been cursed. I was unsure whether Ayjestus herself cast the cursed or maybe it was her sister’s dying spell. Talestria was the last member of her family and had been living alone for longer than she would ever tell me.
The dark elves at first kept their distance because of her cursed bloodline fearing they might be linked with the curse. Over the years many forgot the curse but still feared her. I knew the dark elves had been outcasts among the elven races. Being feared even among the dark elves gave her a bad reputation. Her skills in magic would make even Falstrid jealous. It made sense since she had a vast library of magic and many years to learn.
Talestria and I relaxed in the library after dinner that night. Bolam was at the other end of the room, content reading through a big old tome. He paid no attention to us. “So how come you don’t travel around?” I asked while playing with her hair.
She leaned over to make sure Bolam wasn’t messing with her books, “I would love to travel but just being a dark elf is risky enough. Plus, someone in Halatross always has her eyes on me.”
I raised a brow, “Who?”
Talestria dug into her nose with her finger, “That Silthrym. She thinks I am a threa,t and if I even get near Halatross…” She stuck her finger out, flicked it in the air and sighed, “She always knows and I end up being confronted by her people and forced to return back here.” I put my arm around her and kissed her on her forehead, I felt so bad for her… now if I could only get her to stop picking her nose…
As the night progressed and Talestria decided to close the library down, she and I walked toward her study. “Blake…” she said quietly.
I turned, “Yes?”
She smiled, “I know you will be leaving soon and I am running low on food.”
I nodded, “I know and I am sorry for leaving and sorry for taking advantage of your hospitality.”
She leaned over and pulled out a small object, “I want you to take this.” She held the object over my hands and gently placed it in my palm.
I stared at it, “What is it?”
She smiled, “It is a contact stone. It will allow us to talk during your travels.”
I stared at the strange stone. It appeared to be made of hardened clay. Several strange runes were engraved on it. She took out another identical stone, “They are both enchanted. If you wish to use it, just hold it up and speak to it.” I nodded, “Oh, so it is like a phone.”
Talestria tilted her head and I could see one of her ears tilt up in the same way, “A what
?”
I laughed, “Oh, it is a device in my world where we can speak to others from great distances.”
She giggled, “You will have to explain to me about all of those crazy devices.”
I smiled, “I look forward to it.”
“It shouldn’t rain in the area for a few days starting tomorrow,” Talestria informed me as she took a few steps away.
I walked right up to her, “I hate to leave so soon.”
Talestria lowered her head and smiled at me, “Don’t worry, we can still talk to each other.” She held up her contact stone and grinned, “Just use your foon.”
I laughed, “You mean phone.”
She giggled, “I know, I was just playing with you.” Talestria could be so cute.
The rest of the night was peaceful. Talestria and I spent some time together before going our separate ways for the night. It still seemed crazy to have a girlfriend now, especially one like her. The guys were all ready for our departure the next morning. Teltar and Jerak had all of our packs ready and waiting in the hall. Bolam put his hand by his eye to adjust the fake glasses he forgot he was not wearing anymore, “I really do hope she will let me read more… I guess after all of this is done.”
I expelled a long drawn out sigh and nodded, “I hope we can get this all done soon, as well.”
Jerak slapped me on the back, “Aw, are you going to miss your girlie?”
Teltar shook his head, “Jerak, don’t provoke Talestria. She could be listening.”
Jerak looked a scared and leaned over toward the stairs to check whether she was there. I just laughed.
Morning arrived a bit painfully. For the first time in my life I had a girlfriend but now had to leave her. Everyone was waiting for me outside in the courtyard. It felt much too early but the sooner we left the sooner we’d get to Halatross. Talestria helped me put on the armor and, I must say, I looked pretty cool. She held my helmet and gave me a warm smile, “You be careful, alright?”
I put my arms around her shoulders, “I will do what I can. Don’t worry.”
Dragon Hero Page 21