by Shawn Keys
The forest elf was perched in the boughs of a thick elm tree set back from the path.
The same warning glared from her eyes. She mouthed words that he couldn’t read, not from this far away.
He couldn’t believe he could see her. Forest elves were invisible unless they wished to be in the forest. She was peeling back her inherent magic so that he could see her.
What in the Fury is going on? Ajax’s hackles were rising. He nudged Krizzilani, Jyliansa and Helleanna in turn. “All is well?” He made sure they could read his concern.
Helleanna nodded, puzzled at his disquiet. “Starting to sweat. If this path gets any steeper, I’m going to regret that lunch I ate.”
Despite his worry, her cute quip drew a smile out of him. His eyes stole back to the tree, but the forest elf wasn’t there. “Maybe it’s just the tension of getting near the gate. We’re about to step into the Wyld. I know that’s something elves prepare for over your lives, but the idea’s totally unnatural for humans.”
Krizzilani snuck a squeeze of his thigh. “Fortunately, you’re half-beast yourself. The creatures of the Wyld had better take note.”
Jyliansa noted, “He isn’t the only one out of element, you know. When we pass through the gateway, we’ll be going home. But Krizzilani was meant for the Dark Wyld. She’ll be separated from her nature. While we’ll need to fight off the strange energy of the place that will threaten to drive us mad, I have no idea how it will affect you.”
Helleanna whispered, “Or infect you.”
Krizzilani shivered in spite of herself. “Couldn’t have left that one unsaid, hmm?”
The maid smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
Ajax enjoyed the banter of his lovers, but he couldn’t shake the idea that someone was trying to warn him about something. Was he insane? Was this already the Wyld? Or did the bizarre nature of that other-place extend outward from the gateway? He muttered to them. “Cover for me. I need to be away from the group for a spell.”
Jyliansa measured their progress, staring up at the glowing star only they could see hovering in the sky. “We have only an hour or so and we’ll be upon the gate. Do not be long.”
“I won’t be.” He strode sideways, breaking past the line of knights.
One of them grunted at him, “Where are you off to, Errant?”
Ajax shrugged. “What, you want to hold my cock for me while I piss?” It was rude, but his nerves were on edge, and he hadn’t been addressed with any bold disrespect in weeks. He didn’t feel like dealing with it right then. Not when he was in his armor and feeling so much like his old self. Most of the knights around him were younger than he was. Back home, they’d be deferring to him and his place of favor with the sun elves.
Leaving behind the Fist, Ajax crunched into the bushes. Scanning left and right, he followed his instincts. Opening the distance from the path, he shadowed them as they moved up into the hills, not about to lose track of them.
She was there. Between one breath and the next, she appeared in front of him.
Up this close, the forest was even more evocative. She smoldered with energy, boiling over with so many emotions that she should have exploded from the chaos within. Her eyes absorbed him like he was a walking elder god, ready for worship. But there was fear too. And the slightly ragged breathing that came from a hard run. No, a panicked run. “It’s you.”
“Aye, lass. If you know me, then you know me. I’m not often mistaken for another. Ajax is my name, though I don’t know y…” His words faded. “Though, I do, don’t I? Who are you, lass? And how do I know you?”
Her aura radiated affection for him. “You pried me from the darkness. You gave me back my life.” She held up a beaten, iron-forged key.
Memory surged back to him. “You! The forest elf from the dungeons under Lyvarress’s keep!”
She replied with a sharp nod. “Safaunya is my name, and you must listen! I’ve come to these strange shores stowed away upon the great wooden beast of Vhalevaris.”
The name scratched at fragile memories. Then the truth ignited in his mind like a beacon. “Admiral Vhalevaris of Lyvarress’s fleet?”
Relief spread over her face as he understood. “When I heard them putting to sea to hunt you, I stashed myself aboard until we came within sight of the coast.” She hissed, revealing a burning line where an arrow had marked her. “They fired at me as I dove into the water and swam for shore. But they didn’t stop to chase a stowaway. They were intent on off-loading their hunters to the shore. They entered the forest a half-day’s ride to the west of the port-city.”
Ajax’s blood froze. “Off-loaded? How many?”
She shrugged. “I had no chance to count. The whole time I was starving in the hold and dared not come out except to steal a few scraps where I could.” She raked her mind for a guess. “A hundred hunters, with more waiting by the shore and even more on the ship.”
Ajax gnashed his teeth. Damn that elfish swine of a king! Even as he cursed, he knew it could be worse. Far worse. The war galleon could hold a crew of five hundred and more, not to mention the room to hold two hundred soldiers is needed. Why so few?
The answer came to him easily enough. Cymarramathis. These are his lands. He would not allow an invasion. But he may allow Lyvarress to land some in the spirit of cooperation.
Fearing he already knew the answer, Ajax demanded, “When did you leave Cymarramathis’s shores? How long did it take you to cross?”
“Less than a score of days. I’m sorry. At times I didn’t see the sun for a cycle.”
“You’ve nothing to forgive, lass. You may have saved our lives. You’ve crossed half the world to do it, and there aren’t proper words to thank you.” He felt it in his gut. They had left the far shore a fortnight ago, probably on the same night he had walked into Cymarramathis’s court. “Did you see them use the magic of the wind?”
She was sure of that. “A gale was always blowing, driving us across the ocean faster than I have ever seen a ship sail. I heard the crew talking; a dozen wind mages were driven to exhaustion. Two almost to death.”
Not a trace of pity rose in his heart. “Who leads them? Did you hear a name?”
“A gendarme. Tall and powerful… well, tall for an elf. The admiral stayed at sea. The warrior came ashore.”
“Dassereen?”
Her smile fluttered briefly. “Yes!”
Ajax’s jaw clenched. He glared back toward the path and the procession even now drawing away from him. “May the Fury take them all as traitors.” His mind scrambled over what could be done. A hundred elfish hunters were out there with Dassereen at their head. His lovers and friends were trapped among the Fist of Cymarramathis, with a deadly gendarme of its own at its head. Not to mention the Prince, probably capable in his own deadly way. And the only thing that made sense is that they were not enemies; rather, they were cooperating.
He turned back to the beautiful forest elf. “This is much to ask. But can you fire a bow?”
“I didn’t come all this way to see you die, Ajax. The rumors back home said you used to be a knight. If so, then you know forest elves are born with bows in our hands. But I barely have this crude shirt on my back.”
Ajax had a plan. “Give me a few minutes. Linger behind us. I’ll see a bow and quiver dropped in the woods. Find it and be ready. You’ve saved us once, Safaunya. You’re already my goddess. Stay, and help me save my friends. Then I’ll owe you everything.” Perhaps too bold, but he crushed his arms around the frail elf. “There’ll be food and water with the weapons. Keep your strength. We’ll need it.”
She peered up at him. “I’ll be your spirit watching over you, Ajax. Don’t doubt my aim will be true.” She darted forward and crushed her lips to his.
The flash of passion was unexpected, but Ajax didn’t resist. He melted into her, his arms far more tender than before. Blended in a searing moment, their kiss lingered long past innocence.
Then, Safaunya shoved him gently away. “Go. Do as you
must.” Her already deep skin darkened with an embarrassed flush.
But the desire in Ajax’s eyes soothed away her shame. “We will meet again, though the fury stands in the way.” If he stayed longer, he might not leave. And right then, they couldn’t spare the time. He charged through the underbrush, not slowing until he was close enough to hear the horses neighing softly in the late afternoon shade. Falling back into a plodding step, Ajax tried to slow his breathing. Stepping from the woods, he passed a grave nod to the knights nearby.
They raked him over, deciding if anything about him was worth concern. Then, they ignored him over and their normal conversations returned.
Exhaling carefully, he wandered to the pack horse that was stomping behind the last knight on a short lead. With careful hands, he eased an unstrung bow and a small pack of arrows from the lashings. He made a show of testing it, weighing it for its worth.
One of the mud-knights snorted at him. “A bit small for you, don’t you think?”
“Not sure.” He tested the bow a little, flexing it in a way that risked damaging it. With a hidden step, he put his weight on a hidden branch. A crack filled the air. “Oh, damn.”
The knight rolled his eyes. “The delicate hands of a bear! Fah! It’s ruined for sure.”
Ajax shrugged. “Not like we’re expecting battle. Doubt we’ll be needing the spares.” He tossed the ‘broken’ bow nonchalantly into the woods.
“A waste is a waste.” The mud-knight walked off in disgust.
As he turned, Ajax kicked the quiver away as well. No one was paying attention to him any longer. He didn’t risk food and water immediately. That would be easy enough in the coming few minutes. The weapons had been the hard part.
His deception complete, Ajax drifted toward his lovers. He dropped his voice. It was a risky move; elves could hear even whispers from a distance. But the horses were masking him, and he spoke so lowly that it was barely audible. “We’ve been betrayed.”
He had their instant attention. Fierce yet curious glances were traded all around.
He appreciated how they asked no questions. They gave only trust. Maybe they were waiting for this betrayal as much as he had been. He gave them the details he could. “Lyvarress’s pet gendarme crossed the ocean on the backs of wind worker magic. They’ve come ashore with a hundred hunters or more, though I don’t know if they be elf or man or other.”
“Did you see them?” Jyliansa dared to whisper.
Ajax shook his head. “I was warned. I’ll explain later, but a forest elf told me. If you see one flitting about, don’t kill her. She’s on our side. The timing allows for only one real possibility. They knew exactly where to come. They’ve been summoned by this snake of a King, Cymarramathis. Whatever deal they’ve struck, it will not include leaving us alive.”
Resolve formed on their faces, along with bleak realization about how unlikely it was they could survive the danger surrounding them.
Helleanna whispered, “What can we do?”
“Only one chance. We need to reach the minotaurs alive. They were created to stop conflict at the foot of the gate. We need to wait for our chance, then do what we can to set the two forces upon each other. When push comes to shove, they’ll both want Quala to themselves. I can feel it. And I intend to use their greed against them.”
Krizzilani smirked. “You should have been one of my kind.”
Ajax snorted. “If there is darkness in my veins, it was placed there by dealing with the venom of these serpents in the grass. Can you vanish? I would feel far better with you lurking in the dark beyond this ring of steel. Find Safaunya and talk. Be ready for what will come.”
The dark elf gave him a sly nod, then looked around for a moment. Selecting her target, she bounced over to a nearby moon elf squire loping along with easy strides. Krizzilani fell into step next to him. Ajax recognized him as well; he was a common face on the upper tiers of the Cymarramathis’s castle, one of the King’s most trusted moon elfish warriors. Undoubtedly, he has seen the dark elf in her wickedly see-through gown over the last few days.
Krizzilani matched his steps until he realized what she was doing. Then, she caught his eyes and flashed him a sensual smile accented by a light wink.
Irresistible, despite what she was. The moon elf’s face lost all of its gravity, and he smiled.
Krizzilani’s lips twisted from smile to snarl in the span of a finger-snap. Subtlety evaporated, and she spat into his face. Her ugly dagger crafted of black steel jutted up under his chin. If he tried to speak, he would spear himself on the tip. “How dare you say such things to me! Touch me with those fingers and I will sever them off and feed them to you!” Her boot snapped forward and ploughed into his balls, aiming for his throat.
Her dagger whipped away, and she left him to collapse amidst the gales of laughter from the other moon elfish warriors. Jeers rose, and they started to kick the collapsed squire as they walked past, telling him he deserved what he got for messing with the night’s flesh.
Stalking away in believable anger, Krizzilani stormed off into the woods.
She didn’t come back.
Jyliansa whistled. “I think she’s been wanting to do that for a while.”
Helleanna was glaring daggers at the Prince’s back. “Too bad it wasn’t a sun elf.”
Ajax laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “His time’s coming. Hold it together, and if anything happens, get to Callistia. She’s the only one of us who doesn’t know what these two-faced bastards have done. Keep her safe, whatever else you do.”
The climb continued, and the day wore on. Ajax fought against the feeling of safety that threatened to dull his edge. Traveling in such powerful company was akin to a lion strolling over the savannah. With such naked, arrogant power at their beck and call, who would think to attack them?
His eyes wandered into the surrounding wood.
Standing at the edge of the trees was an elf.
She is stunning, was his first thought. A forest elf to be sure. She had a deep crimson hair unique to their kind, as vibrant as a forest flower and equally complex in its texture. Her skin was bronzed from long hours spent in the sun, with a rich chestnut undertone that would blend against trees effortlessly. Built for running, she was lean and petite, her breasts swelling her simple tunic to mark her a woman, but not even enough to fill Ajax’s palms.
Her eyes blazed at him. Screaming at him, Ajax realized. What in the fury?
Then, she was gone.
He blinked. Shaking his head, he looked again. Still not there.
What in the fury?
They spurred up the hills, but Ajax was now on alert. It wasn’t the fact that a forest elf was hovering around them. Forest elves were reclusive by nature, rarely assembling in numbers any larger than might fill a small hamlet. They always lingered on the outskirts of sun elf civilizations, serving while still remaining partially free.
It was her expression. A warning? Beyond a doubt. But had it been a threat? Was she trying to tell them to turn back?
No, that warning had been for me. Personal. Aimed at me. She had patiently waited until I noticed her, making sure none of the others did.
Worse yet, he had the itching sensation that he had seen those eyes before; that she wasn’t a total stranger. But that made even less sense.
He was lost in thought, dredging his mind for answers. Giving his head another shake, he looked up to measure the time of day. Nahallanal had promised they would arrive at the maze before sunset.
The forest elf was perched in the boughs of a thick elm tree set back from the path.
The same warning glared from her eyes. She mouthed words that he couldn’t read, not from this far away.
He couldn’t believe he could see her. Forest elves were invisible unless they wished to be in the forest. She was peeling back her inherent magic so that he could see her.
What in the Fury is going on? Ajax’s hackles were rising. He nudged Krizzilani, Jyliansa and Helleanna in turn.
“All is well?” He made sure they could read his concern.
Helleanna nodded, puzzled at his disquiet. “Starting to sweat. If this path gets any steeper, I’m going to regret that lunch I ate.”
Despite his worry, her cute quip drew a smile out of him. His eyes stole back to the tree, but the forest elf wasn’t there. “Maybe it’s just the tension of getting near the gate. We’re about to step into the Wyld. I know that’s something elves prepare for over your lives, but the idea’s totally unnatural for humans.”
Krizzilani snuck a squeeze of his thigh. “Fortunately, you’re half-beast yourself. The creatures of the Wyld had better take note.”
Jyliansa noted, “He isn’t the only one out of element, you know. When we pass through the gateway, we’ll be going home. But Krizzilani was meant for the Dark Wyld. She’ll be separated from her nature. While we’ll need to fight off the strange energy of the place that will threaten to drive us mad, I have no idea how it will affect you.”
Helleanna whispered, “Or infect you.”
Krizzilani shivered in spite of herself. “Couldn’t have left that one unsaid, hmm?”
The maid smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
Ajax enjoyed the banter of his lovers, but he couldn’t shake the idea that someone was trying to warn him about something. Was he insane? Was this already the Wyld? Or did the bizarre nature of that other-place extend outward from the gateway? He muttered to them. “Cover for me. I need to be away from the group for a spell.”
Jyliansa measured their progress, staring up at the glowing star only they could see hovering in the sky. “We have only an hour or so and we’ll be upon the gate. Do not be long.”
“I won’t be.” He strode sideways, breaking past the line of knights.
One of them grunted at him, “Where are you off to, Errant?”
Ajax shrugged. “What, you want to hold my cock for me while I piss?” It was rude, but his nerves were on edge, and he hadn’t been addressed with any bold disrespect in weeks. He didn’t feel like dealing with it right then. Not when he was in his armor and feeling so much like his old self. Most of the knights around him were younger than he was. Back home, they’d be deferring to him and his place of favor with the sun elves.