“Where have you been? We were worried sick about you!” Kiella said.
“Oh . . .” answered Shyrea, appearing oblivious that anything of concern had happened. “I knew you needed shelter, and I knew I wasn’t welcome there.”
“Well, you could have told us. You had us scared. We doubled back and looked for you. You come and go like a ghost. You need to let us know, you can’t just disappear like that,” stated Raveena, scolding her.
“I’m sorry. We Elken, it’s not our way. We just come and go as we wish. It’s not common for us to explain.”
“Well, you are part of a group now, Shyrea. You’re one of us. We’re a team now, so we need to communicate.” Raveena stated, though this time without any condescension in her voice.
“Okay. I’ll try” answered Shyrea.
They walked on. After a while, Raveena became curious. She turned to Shyrea.
“How did you know you weren’t welcome?”
“Oh. The Elken and the Tagi have been enemies since ancient times. I knew she was Tagi. I knew she wouldn’t want me there.”
“Yet, you felt okay leaving us there?” asked Kiella.
“Yes. I know about her. I know a lot about her. I’ve never met her, but I’ve watched from the woods. I know all of these woods, all of its people. I knew that she would treat humans well. I knew she’d like to have company too.” She thought for a moment, then grew serious. “I’ve wished I could keep her company myself sometimes. It’s been clear she needed her spirit lifted. But I knew that, in me, all she would see was an Elken, nothing more.”
“How did you know she wouldn’t cast spells on us? Turn us into frogs or something?” asked Raveena.
“Oh. I know she wouldn’t do that to a human. Not anymore. Didn’t you see her garden?”
Raveena and Kiella both nodded and understood. How did Shyrea know so much about a woman whom she’d never talked to? They had no idea, but they knew that Shyrea knew these woods like the back of her hand. And she certainly had a knack for coming and going unseen and unnoticed. Perhaps it wasn’t that far of a stretch to imagine that she could have gathered a lot of information about everyone in these woods.
They made good time through the woods for the rest of the day, despite the poor footing from the muddy forest floor from the rain. They found a perfect campsite and slept well, and arose early at the first light of day to continue. At their current pace, they would be through the Forbidden Forest very soon. Raveena was pleased with their progress. She had talked very little during the trip, as she was so focused on reaching her people as quickly as possible. But now, feeling more optimistic, even she was willing to make small talk as they went.
“Why do the Tagi and the Elken hate each other so much?” she asked Shyrea.
“Oh. Well, it goes back over a thousand years, I believe. Originally, my people and the Tagi shared a realm. I don’t know why, but they became bitter rivals. It may have been political. The Tagi make slaves of anyone they think they are stronger than. The Elken don’t believe in slavery. The Tagi look down upon, and take anyone as slaves who doesn’t have magic or who isn’t powerful enough to defend themselves against their spells. The Elken believe everyone should be free, whether they are magical or not. The Tagi couldn’t take Elken as slaves, and the Elken fought against them whenever they saw them try to take slaves. Eventually, there was a war. But, the Tagi outnumber the Elken by a great many, and the Elken hate war. The Elken took as many humans and non-magical beings with them as they could from the realm beyond, and they brought them here, to join the other humans who had settled here already. The Elken then warded off the Tagi for years and years. Eventually, the Tagi stopped coming to this realm at all. There haven’t been Tagi slavers here for hundreds of years, I don’t believe. And, for a long time, the Elken and the humans here lived in peace. But, then, of course, it changed.”
Just then, there was a noise in the woods ahead. Shyrea stopped walking, and then rushed into the woods behind them without saying a word. Kiella called to her, but she was already gone. Raveena and Kiella were shocked, especially after their discussion with her earlier. They looked around to see what was wrong, what could have spooked their companion. Suddenly, it became clear.
Three low wolves stepped out of the woods in front of them. Raveena knew of the lower wolves. They stood almost as tall as a man. She drew her sword and waited for them to lunge at her. She knew she would be lucky to kill one, if they all attacked at once. If there were three of them, and the wolves could see they didn’t have as big of an advantage, perhaps they would not attack boldly, but with Shyrea having abandoned them, Raveena knew that they had little chance. She thought quickly over the options. She considered telling Kiella to run for it, but she knew that then one wolf would follow Kiella and kill her for sure, and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to handle two wolves alone, let alone finish them off fast enough to save Kiella. But, if they stayed together, they would be overwhelmed for sure.
Just then, as Raveena prepared to make what she knew would be a final stand, a chance to do as much damage as possible to the wolves before succumbing with no chance to win, one of the wolves went crazy. The wolf on the right attacked the pack leader with no warning. He landed a fatal wound before the alpha even had a chance to react, severing his jugular vein with a sudden lunge and bite to the neck. The alpha fell immediately. The third wolf, seeing what his brother had done to its own kind, fought back against the wolf who had killed their leader. Both wolves fought ferociously. The mutinous wolf was losing, but it would not give up. Finally, the third wolf, realizing that this fight was not worth the damage that he was taking, gave up and fled into the forest. The wounded, crazed wolf gave chase, still obsessed with turning on its own kind.
After a long moment had passed, and the wolves had not returned, Kiella and Raveena began to realize that they were not going to be killed. They began to breathe again. Raveena could not understand what had transpired. Why would a wolf pick that moment to turn on the alpha? Had it been looking for an opening for some time, and couldn’t resist? It didn’t make sense, though. She’d never seen or heard of anything like it. They had been easy prey, no wolf would squander the opportunity for such an easy meal. Finally, when she was certain that the wolves were not returning, she turned back to look for Shyrea. Just then, Shyrea came rushing back up to them.
“Why did you leave us?” yelled Raveena bitterly. “If there had been three of us, if we’d stayed together, perhaps we could have stood our ground and they might have held off their attack. Once you abandoned us, we had no chance. It was only by sheer luck that one of the wolves went mad. Without that, Kiella and I would both be dead!” Raveena was irate. “I see why you Elken hate war: you are cowards.”
Shyrea didn’t respond. She just fussed with the sleeves of her cloak. Kiella looked closely. She could see that blood was soaking through them. She could see that Shyrea’s wrists, hands, and forearms were cut again. She grabbed her by the hands and tried to examine them. Shyrea pulled them away quickly.
“It was you. The wolf. You did that, didn’t you?” asked Kiella.
Shyrea made no response. She wouldn’t look up, keeping her cloak covering as much of her face as she could. Raveena looked more closely, and could see that Shyrea’s face was scratched as well. She didn’t understand any of it. Blood poured down from thin scratches on Shyrea’s beautiful face, and more soaked through the arms of her cloak. The wounds were not large enough to have been from wolves: they were thin, like they were from a person’s nails. Raveena didn’t understand. Had Shyrea scratched herself? What did Kiella mean? None of it made any sense, and Shyrea remained mute. As Raveena stared at her, trying to make sense of it all, Shyrea finally looked up and stared her in the eyes. Her beautiful green and gold eyes sparkled, but it was anger that they burned with. Raveena backed off. There was nothing to do, for now, but to keep moving. They would reach the edge of the woods soon.
To Be Continued in
; Episode 5:
A Happy Trio
The Dawn of the Raven
Episode 5:
A Happy Trio
As they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Raveena and Kiella both felt a great wave of relief. Shyrea, on the other hand, felt herself become quite tense. She had never strayed from the forest she had always called home. In addition, she knew that if she were to be discovered as an exile by the humans she could be sentenced to death for crossing the line. She knew all too well what humans did to her kind in that scenario. She would be hunted down, forced to protect herself at all costs. She also knew that there would be factors which would make it difficult for her to assimilate and hide the fact that she was an Elken. All of this caused her to pause and rethink her decision, especially in light of the treatment she had received from the rest of her party along the way. So far, she did not feel appreciated. Though she still believed in the cause, and though she had longed for this sort of an adventure for her entire life, she was definitely having second thoughts.
Once they were safely out of the woods in a beautiful, peaceful clearing, Kiella looked around at her companions. She saw the concern on Shyrea’s face, and again she looked down at the beauty’s hands and wrists, seeing how they were ravaged and torn. She thought again about what had happened.
“Shyrea, thank you so much. I know you are the one who saved us. I don’t know how, but I know it was you. Thank you so much, and thank you for coming with us. I know that you are taking great risks by doing this.”
Shyrea raised her downcast eyes and looked at Kiella. She appreciated what she said greatly. It helped. Raveena, now that she was out of unfamiliar territory and the adrenaline from the confrontation with the wolves had past, could focus now and think more clearly. She spoke too.
“I don’t understand what Kiella means. You stopped the wolves? If this is true, I am so sorry for what I said. And I too appreciate that you have chosen to come with us. I’m sorry I have not been a better companion.”
Shyrea felt much better now. She smiled at them both. Then spoke.
“Would you like to see how I did it?”
Kiella’s eyes widened.
“Yes, please!”
Shyrea looked unsure, but she continued.
“You know, each Elken has a power. A special gift?”
“Yes” said Kiella, trying to hide how excited she was that she might finally learn what Shyrea’s was.
“Well, mine, it is . . . well, I call it . . . transference.”
“Transference? What does that mean?” asked Raveena.
“I can transfer myself, my spirit I guess, with any living being. Swapping, that is also what I call it. I can swap, transfer my spirit, into any animal, bug, person, any sentient creature of any kind.”
Kiella and Raveena were both shocked. Raveena was the first to break the silence.
“So, the wolf that attacked the others. That was you?” questioned Raveena.
“And the bear, that was you?” asked Kiella.
“Yes. And the hawk who watched over you, Kiella.”
“Wait, Cressa?” asked Kiella.
“Oh. Yes. Sorry. I had to keep an eye on you. I thought the old woman was harmless, but just in case . . .”
There was a long silence as Raveena and Kiella tried to process this. Finally, Raveena spoke.
“Your wrists and hands: why are they wounded?”
“Oh” said Shyrea. She looked down at them, trying to cover them up as usual. “It goes both ways. Whatever creature I swap with, for as long as my spirit inhabits their body, theirs inhabits mine. As a child, I would do this with little thought. A beetle who suddenly finds itself in a human body can react in strange ways. So can a bird. Anything, anyone suddenly transferred into another body may act unpredictably. Therefore, I learned to cover my eyes with my hood, and bind my hands and feet whenever possible before I swap. Usually, the creature is too shocked to figure out how to untie themselves, or to even understand what has happened, before I return. It is best this way. But, many fight hard to untie themselves, and sometimes, like with the wolves and the bear, I don’t have time to make sure I tie myself properly. And so, often, I end up with these sorts of wounds.”
Raveena and Kiella were floored. They had never heard of anything like this. They were both amazed. Raveena suddenly became excited.
“May I try? Will you swap with me?” her face showed her enthusiasm.
“Are you sure? Even if you are expecting it, it can be quite shocking and disorienting” warned the Elken beauty.
“Yes, I’m sure. I will be fine.”
Shyrea stood in front of her, looking her in the eyes. They were only a few feet apart.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Instantly, Raveena felt as if she were falling down a deep well. No, not falling. It was as if she were being pulled. As if there were a rope tied to her ankle and she was being yanked through a long tunnel at lightning speed and then pulled out through the other side. Then, suddenly, she felt herself come to a crushing stop. She opened her eyes, and for a moment she thought she was staring in a mirror. She was looking right at herself. Only, she moved, and her reflection didn’t move with her. Instead, her reflection just gave her a grave look as it stared back. It wasn’t her reflection at all. It was her body, but it was Shyrea in her body, peering back at her. Raveena looked down and saw the Elken’s cloak around her body. She saw brown hair with golden highlights and braids hanging down on her chest. She giggled to herself, and looked back up at Shyrea in her body, who was now smiling back at her. Then, suddenly, she felt the same sensation as before. She was yanked back through the tunnel at incredible speed, and then came to a crashing halt and opened her eyes to find herself back in her own body.
“Wow!” was all Raveena could muster, before sitting down to rest and recover from the wild ride.
Kiella and Shyrea both laughed, and Raveena began to laugh again too. Kiella rushed over and asked for a turn, and Shyrea obliged. After they were through, all three sat around happily, giggling and finally relaxing, and enjoying each other’s company. Shyrea finally felt like they were happy she was there.
After a short while, Raveena looked to the edge of the clearing and saw that there was a slow flowing stream. The water looked so inviting, and a bath sounded so wonderful, that she felt the irresistible urge to go in. She asked the others if they would mind if they paused long enough for her to do so, and they both agreed that baths were long overdue and sounded fantastic. They went to the stream’s edge, and Raveena wasted no time undressing. She couldn’t wait to get in. Her clothes were off within seconds, and the Typhorian beauty set into the water. The stream was calm enough and shallow enough that it was perfect for a bath. The beauty dunked herself under, and arose refreshed and happy. Kiella marveled at how her bountiful breasts lifted and fell as the beauty played in the water. After a few moments, Raveena chose to explore a bit. She wandered down the stream, just around the corner, and soon a tree blocked her from view. Kiella was sad to not be able to see her anymore, but it gave her the perfect excuse to get to her own bath.
Kiella began undressing. As she did so, she took notice of Shyrea. The beautiful Elken was standing just between her and the stream. She stood and removed her cloak, then her belt, then her dress. Kiella’s jaw dropped. The Elken’s body was far more beautiful than Kiella ever could have guessed beneath the cloak. Her breasts were not as large as Raveena’s, but their shape was perfection, and they seemed to be exactly the right size to compliment the rest of her gorgeous form. Kiella marveled as the Elken beauty leaned over the stream and splashed water onto her face. As Shyrea leaned forward, Kiella could see the lips of her beautiful pussy between her legs. Kiella felt her own pussy’s lips begin to flush. As the gorgeous Elken leaned further forward, her lovely asshole became visible, too. Kiella was entranced. Without her even being aware of it, Kiella’s hand found its way to her own pussy. It found the spot, and began to rub.
She was fully naked now too. Suddenly, as she gently rubbed her clit and stared at Shyrea’s gorgeous holes, she became aware that the Elken was now staring back at her. Incredibly embarrassed, Kiella immediately stopped her hand and tried to act like she had not been staring or pleasuring herself. Instead of showing anger, however, Shyrea smiled. She smiled warmly, a wide, happy grin, and she leaned over slightly more, and positioned her body to give Kiella the best possible view of her gorgeous holes Kiella felt a little light headed. She looked into Shyrea’s eyes for a sign that she shouldn’t continue, but there was nothing there but the welcoming grin. Kiella’s hand began to rub again, and Shyrea’s eyes fixed onto it and her smile grew even larger. The Elken reached down and began to pleasure herself too, still giving Kiella the perfect view.
Suddenly, Shyrea turned and sat up, as close as she could, just in front of Kiella.
“Don’t I get to see you, too?” the beauty asked. She motioned towards Kiella’s pussy, which she was still obstructing with her hand.
Kiella took a deep breath, and then removed her hand. Shyrea’s eyes grew wide and happy. Kiella became more confident, and now spread her legs wide to give her a better view. The Elken put her hand on Kiella’s thigh. Kiella shivered. She then leaned forward, and kissed Kiella. As she kissed her, her hand slowly slipped down between Kiella’s legs. She took over rubbing Kiella’s clit for her. Kiella gasped.
“May I taste?” asked the Elken beauty.
Kiella nodded. Shyrea first kissed the inside of Kiella’s thighs. Soon, she was kissing the lips of Kiella’s pussy. Next, she felt her kiss her clit. Her body rose against her will, pushing her clit against Shyrea’s lips. Shyrea kissed it more, and then began to lick. First, slowly, in circles, then a little faster, then faster still. Then, up and down over it, licking harder and faster as she went. Soon, Kiella could not help it. She was gasping and moaning with delight. This was different than anything Kiella had ever experienced. She had never had sex with someone who wanted to give her pleasure. In the past, sex had always been about someone else deriving pleasure at her expense. This was a whole new world. She loved it. As she was cumming, she became loud enough to attract Raveena back, who came to investigate.
The Dawn of the Raven Omnibus 1: Episodes 1-5 Page 10