by Tamryn Tamer
The elves were lined up at the well with large empty buckets. He watched as the women would simply hold their buckets near the edge of the well and water would flow into them. He smiled and started to wondered how hard it would be to get magically powered plumbing running everywhere.
“First house,” Ena said while knocking. “Stormi and Erissa live here.”
“Coming,” a sweet voice said excitedly. The door opened and an overdressed blonde elf opened up. She was wearing what almost appeared to be a wedding gown and possessed beautiful gold eyes that almost matched her hair. The eager elf curtsied. “Welcome Herald Frost. Ena.”
“This is Stormi,” Ena sighed.
“Wait,” Erissa rushed out of the bedroom nearly tripping over herself. Frost’s jaw dropped as the lingerie clad woman hurried to the door. She was wearing one thigh-high legging clipped to a sexy black bodysuit. Her large chest was practically popping out of her lacy garment as she fixed her azure hair. “I’m sorry, I was trying to think of what to wear.”
“Sorry,” Frost said while trying to politely look away. “I’m sure we can wait if you wanted to change.”
“Oh,” Erissa said while gesturing at her outfit. “No! This is what I decided to wear! It’s just I can’t find the other legging.”
“You decided to wear that?” Ena looked like she was about to strike the blue-haired elf. “You thought that was appropriate?”
“Sorry,” Stormi bowed apologetically. “I told her that she should try to look more elegant.”
“It’s fine,” Frost laughed to himself. “As long as you’re comfortable you can wear whatever you want.”
“In that case,” Erissa started to undress and Frost’s eyes immediately fixated on her large breasts. Lysandra had either massively underestimated the appeal of her villagers or overestimated his resolve. Either way, he was going to be in trouble if Erissa stripped naked.
“Don’t you dare,” Ena snarled threateningly at the blue-haired elf before turning to Frost, “And don’t encourage them!”
“Fine,” Erissa said huffily before turning to Frost. “Do you really find elves attractive?”
“Yeah,” Frost sighed while wondering how many elves were going to ask him that same question. He was starting to get a little bit worried about their self-worth which made him even more concerned about whether or not he was taking advantage of them. “Is that so strange?”
“Yes,” Erissa nodded. “But I think it’s a good kind of strange.”
“Oh!” Stormi said gesturing at their small dining table. There was a small stack of cold vegetables. “I put together snacks. Are you hungry?”
“Not re…” Frost paused as the elves looked at him hopefully. “I’d love some.”
Stormi and Erissa weren’t married or related, just roommates. Most of the elves in the village had similar living situations until they could get around to building more homes. Each of the houses were furnished with one large bed, a single loveseat, and a small dining set. As a result, most of the elves didn’t care much for personal space. Which he discovered when he was offered a spot on the loveseat and the elves crammed in next to him.
Although the furniture was small and sparse, Frost found himself impressed by the craftsmanship. Maybe it was just the fact he was used to seeing a lot of particle boards and veneer but everything was solid wood and build to last a lifetime. In his world the coffee table alone would go for a thousand dollars.
There wasn’t much room in the cozy house, but the room that was there was being used well and the environment put him at ease.
Frost spent twenty minutes with the two elves learning about their interests, likes, dislikes, and responsibilities in the village. Although a good portion of the discussion was spent with them interrogating him about his likes, dislikes, and what he was looking for in a mate.
It turned out that Stormi was the village baker and one day a week she spent an entire day baking so everybody could have bread. Other days she’d still bake but she made more specialized goods that she traded with the other elves.
Erissa was one of the village gatherers so she spent most of her time looking for fruit or other things of value. There was less stability in being a gatherer but it also allowed her to fight monsters which helped her gain ability points for her combat class.
“A lot of us younger elves are gatherers,” Erissa said. “Lysandra says we need to prioritize our combat abilities so we’ll level faster. Eventually I plan on learning medicine from Robin.”
“I see,” Frost nodded. “Would you mind if I scanned you?”
“Not at all,” Erissa said anxiously. “But it’s a little bit embarrassing.”
“I won’t judge,” Frost said as he scanned the elf. She was only a level seven archer at the age of twenty-four. Fayeth was younger and higher level so he figured there must be ways to level more efficiently.
He started thinking that if killing monsters was how they gained levels then children would obviously remain low level until they were around fifteen or sixteen. Additionally, depending on how many monsters were in the area and how often they were hunting, they might only kill a single beast a week.
Frost wanted to spend more time thinking of a process to optimize experience and ability point gains but that would have to wait for another time.
“Thank you,” Frost nodded politely.
“Your welcome,” Erissa said nervously. “I know I’m a little bit behind everybody else. I’ll try to do better.”
“You’re doing fine,” Frost smiled. “And I’ll try to think of a way to help.”
“Time’s up,” Ena said coldly. “We have other homes to visit.”
“It was nice talking to you Herald Frost,” Stormi said while jumping to her feet. The polite elf curtseyed. “I hope you’ll come by again.”
“Yeah,” Erissa said enthusiastically. “You can visit whenever you want,” she winked at him. “Even in the middle of the night.”
“Let’s go,” Ena practically shoved Frost out the door and dragged him to the next house.
As he made his rounds, he found that many of the elves were in similar situations as Stormi and Erissa. They were under-leveled and lacked the necessary ability points to learn new abilities. Most of their education consisted of reading, writing, and basic math. He probably should have been thankful for that given how little there was in the village.
Even though everything had gone wonderfully in the previous homes, Ena looked nervous as they approached the fifth house. It didn’t take long to figure out why she was concerned.
“Frost!” Emmy wrapped her arms around his leg as soon as her parents opened the door. Her mothers stared at him completely panic stricken as the blue-eyed elf girl squeezed his leg. He glanced around and noticed several villagers watching anxiously as if something bad was about to happen.
“Hi Emmy,” Frost said while patting her head. “Are you having a good day?”
“Mmhm,” Emmy nodded. “Want to meet my moms? My blue mom is Marina and pink mom is Robin”
“Sure,” Frost laughed as Emma tugged on his pant leg while pointing to the blue and pink haired elf women. “Nice to meet you both.”
“I’m so sorry Herald Frost,” Marina said while trembling. “Please forgive her.”
“We’ll take whatever punishment you deem necessary in her place,” Robin volunteered. “Just please don’t…”
“I’m not punishing anybody,” Frost said as Ena glared at him. “Robin, Marina, it’s nice to meet you. And Emmy didn’t do anything wrong so there’s no need to punish her.”
“But,” Marine looked down at the smiling elf child. “Aren’t you upset that a demihuman child is treating you disrespectfully?”
“Disrespectfully?” Frost said while staring at Emmy. The elf child’s excitement was starting to fade as she looked around the room and realized something was wrong. “It’s just a hug. It’s fine.”
“You’re really not angry?” Robin looked like she was going
to cry. “And you’re not going to hurt her?”
“No,” Frost sighed. “I’m not going to hurt a child.”
“Hurt? Did I do something wrong?” Emmy said nervously as she picked up on her mothers’ reactions and tears started welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Frost smiled reassuringly while rubbing her head. “So, how’s Lucinda?”
“You remembered!” Emmy said while wiping away her tears. “Let me go get her.”
“Both of you stop that,” Frost growled under his breath as soon as Emmy was out of earshot. “I’m not going to punish anybody for hugging me. Got it?”
“Yes, Herald Frost,” Marina nodded bashfully. “We apologize.”
“We apologize,” Robin took a deep breath to compose herself. After a second Marina elbowed her. “Please come inside. We made snacks and refreshments for your visit Herald Frost.”
Outside of the awkward introduction Frost actually liked Emmy’s moms. Both of them obviously doted on the girl but Marina seemed to be the authority figure while Robin let her get away with everything. It was an odd dynamic given the fact that Marina was half Robin’s age and far lower level.
Robin used to be a wandering physician and came across Emmy and Marina when their village was stricken with plague. With Robin’s help the two women survived the plague. Afterward, she continued to care for them when nobody else would.
“And Robin took me as a wife and adopted Emmy,” Marina blushed. “Emmy’s really my cousin’s daughter but we raise her as my own.”
“Are you concerned about sharing a village with plague survivors,” Robin asked while staring at the untouched food. “It’s fine if you do. I’d just like to know so we can accommodate you by keeping our distance.”
“No need,” Frost said as Emmy bounced on his knee. He grabbed some of the fruit and ate it despite being completely stuffed. “You two and Emmy can stop by whenever you want.”
“No, they can’t,” Ena turned to Marina and Robin, “Frost and the high priestess are,” Ena glanced at Emmy while wondering how to phrase her statement, “rather indiscreet with their intimacy. You should announce yourself well before you visit.”
“Oh,” Marina blushed. “I see.”
“Thank you for the warning Ena,” Robin stifled a giggle.
“Time’s up,” Ena said while nodding at Frost. “Let’s go.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Frost said while following Ena out.
Frost continued working through the village as household after household welcomed him. He was met with varying degrees of anxiety as well as romantic interest. One of the married couples even proposed that he could enjoy them both if he wished.
“Right there,” Aila squealed from inside of her home as they passed. “Goddess yes! You’re the best! I love you Lith!”
“It’s two already,” Ena sighed while pulling out a piece of parchment. “Okay, we’re still on schedule.”
Frost smiled as he passed their house. He’d met the two elves earlier and learned that as children they worked for a cruel bastard and barely managed to escape with their lives.
The entire situation infuriated him. If you want to train children as thieves, fine. Hell, it’s a rough world out there and there are worse things to be than thieves. But the bastard they worked for recruited demihumans specifically because nobody would give a damn what happened to them.
“Try not to look so annoyed. You won’t have to keep pretending much longer,” Ena said snidely.
“Pretending?” Frost looked at the irritated cleric.
“They might not notice it but I do,” Ena said. “The mild signs of anger and disgust you show while listening to them. It’s obvious you can’t stand being around us.”
“This again?” Frost said while thinking back on how she’d misinterpreted his other comments. She seemed intent on believing the worst of him and it was admittedly infuriating. “You don’t know what you’re talking about you…” He stopped himself before he said something he couldn’t take back. Frost wanted to tell her off but the truth was Ena’s hatred and distrust was completely reasonable. “Never mind.”
“If you have something to say, say it,” Ena said angrily as several anxious elves looked on.
“You wouldn’t get it,” Frost sighed while glancing at the onlookers. “And you’re not wrong. Maybe it’s a human trait. I’m filled with hate, frustration, and most of all wrath. I’m doing my best to hide it but I guess I can’t. Yeah, I’m angry and disgusted by all of the horrible things that have happened to you all. The worst part is there’s nothing I can do about it and it makes me furious.”
Frost looked down and laughed contemptuously at himself. The things he’d do if he met any of the men the elves told him about would make those men look like saints in comparison. His capacity for evil, he knew how infinite it was. Ena was completely right about him.
“What?” Ena looked like she was struggling to process what he’d said..
“I’m saying that you’re right,” Frost reiterated as elves looked on. “I’m all the bad things you think I am. Satisfied?”
“Ena!” Renna interrupted while rushing toward them. The emerald-eyed elf was completely covered in filth as she leaped at Ena trying to hug her. Ena deftly dodged and created some distance between herself and the manure-covered elf. “When are you going to visit Rania and Sumina? I haven’t gotten to see Frost all day!”
“The animal shelter is last,” Ena said irritably. “That way I can take a bath right after.”
“You should trade with me,” Renna said. “You don’t even like Frost. Let me show him around while you help Rania and Sumina. Come on.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Frost said while stepping away from the filthy elf. “At least not until you’ve had a long bath.”
“Huh?” Renna looked at herself. “Oh! Right! I can’t go into people’s houses like this. Come on Ena! Want to trade? I’ll go wash up and we can trade!”
“No,” Ena answered sternly. “We’re already running behind schedule. Maybe if you apologize to the high priestess she’ll let you spend time with him tomorrow.”
“I’m not apologizing to that corpse,” Renna said defiantly. “I’d rather take the punishment than apologize! I’ll see you when you get to the shelter!”
“Right,” Ena stood next to him and shot him an angry glance before turning toward the next house on the list. “It’s not only a human trait. It makes me angry too.”
“Huh?” Frost responded as Ena walked past him.
“Let’s get to the next house,” Ena said authoritatively. “We’re behind schedule.”
Frost and Ena managed to avoid discussing their previous conversation for the rest of the day as he visited the remaining homes as well as the animal shelter. As sunset arrived, he’d met all fifty-seven elves in the village and although he didn’t remember all of their names, he knew it wouldn’t be long before he did.
“Frost!” Fayeth said while rushing toward him from the forest. “Humans are coming!”
“Humans?” Ena growled while gripping her cudgel. “How many?
“Three,” Fayeth said apprehensively. “All of them are much higher level than me.”
“Everybody get inside!” Ena gestured at the elves still wandering around the village. “Hurry!”
The elves rushed inside as Frost walked to the small wooden gate at the village entrance. He wanted to tell them to remain calm but he figured he shouldn’t get in Ena’s way. The elves obviously had a system in place so it was better not to mess with it.
“What are you going to do?” Fayeth asked as she gripped her bow. The blonde elf swatted her ponytail out of the way and stared at the tree line.
“That depends on them,” Frost said while taking several deep breaths. He’d been in stressful meetings before but never one where people’s lives depend on him. It was a different type of pressure. “We’ll see.”
“We fight,” Ena said while pulling out her cudgel.
“Both of you put your weapons away now,” Frost said to Ena and Fayeth. “I mean it.”
“Do it,” Lysandra said. The two immediately obeyed. “Do you have a plan?”
“Good to see you back on your feet commander,” Frost said as the tall old knight approached the front gate on horseback. “I guess on your feet isn’t exactly accurate.”
“Herald,” the older officer glared at the elves beside him. “I’m Commander William Grey of the Ziran Army and I’ve come to deliver a message.”
“How did you get stuck on messenger duty?” Frost chuckled. “Don’t tell me they’re blaming you for what happened.”
“I volunteered,” Commander Grey answered. “Needless to say, you left an impression.”
“Yeah,” Frost chuckled while activating scan on the commander’s guards. One of them was level forty-one and the other was forty. Both of them were holy knights and were attempting to scan Frost. He was fine with that but then they started glancing at the elves. “Commander, it’s fine if they scan me but if they keep scanning my friends, I’ll tear off their heads and shove them up their assholes.”
“Hold,” the commander held out his hands as the knights prepared to draw their weapons. “If you boys were going to get anything from him, you would have already got it. Deactivating your scans now doesn’t effect anything but drawing your weapons does.”
“Thank you,” Frost said. “So, what happened to that officer that sucker punched you?”
“That’s a military matter Herald,” the commander answered. “I’m only here to deliver a message.”
“Frost,” Frost said. “You can call me Frost. Or Herald Frost if you’re worried about formality.”
“Herald Frost,” the commander glared at him suspiciously. “Your audience is requested at the consulate in Zira where you can…”
“No,” Frost interrupted. “As soon as I leave this village for the consulate, you’ll send in soldiers to kill everybody and burn it to the ground. Not to mention you’ll probably wait until I’m somewhere out in the open and attempt to kill me.”