by Moshe Harel
We stood up but didn’t bother with the remains of sex that were evident on our bodies. As the elves approached, I could recognize some of my acquaintances, Ella among them. She also seemed to have recognized us, as she walked forward, letting the others drop back a few paces. “Sophie? Brian? You look different. What is it?”
It took me a moment to understand what she was referring to. We had not transformed and resized, like the previous times she’d seen us. We merely kept our human size and appearance, which meant that our ears were rounded and smaller and our proportions slightly different. I smiled at Ella. “We’re in our human form now. We just tried to come here without transforming. Evidently, it worked well.”
Ella looked at me all over. “You’re magnificent both as a fairy and as a woman, and Brian is delectable in both forms as well. I wonder why you bothered, though. You could transform and get big again in a blink of an eye.”
I didn’t want to talk about Kathy’s plans, not sure if she had told anybody else about them. “I thought it could turn useful at times, if possible. I still need to think of the implications, though.”
Ella smiled. “It may help you come and visit, once your child is born. When is it due?”
That was news to me. We stopped using contraceptive measures after our wedding, but I thought it would take a few months before it resulted in pregnancy. I also wondered how she knew, as I didn’t yet miss my period.
“Are you sure I’m pregnant?” My surprise was evident.
“Of course, dear. It’s very new, no more than a week or two, I guess, but your daughter already shows some signs of magic.”
It was lucky that Brian was hugging me, as I felt my legs were suddenly unable to keep me upright. “It normally takes about nine months,” I heard Brian say. “How could you feel her so soon, and know she’s magical?”
Ella shrugged. “I can’t explain it. Ask my parents, as I’m sure at least one of them will be able to tell you, next time you visit.”
I was finally regaining control of my body and my mind. “What are you doing here, so far from your village?”
“It’s not the only elf village on Avalon, you know. We’re going to visit some friends in another village, not far from here. You may join us if you like.”
I conjured some clothes in elfin fashion for me and for Brian. I didn’t mind being seen nude by these elves, who had already seen me many times, but I’d rather meet strangers in more dignified clothing.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the other village. It was a smaller one, with less elegant buildings, but it had the same feeling of serene beauty and wisdom about it. Ella introduced us to the local youngsters (those who were less than a century old). She didn’t mention our fairy or our human origins, making her audience quite puzzled. I felt that she was doing this on purpose as if to present her hosts with an interesting puzzle. Brian and I cooperated.
We only stayed for a short while. As we’ve not told anybody that we were leaving home, somebody was bound to miss us, if we stayed for too long, and we didn’t want to use the more complex and more exhausting portal to return to the time we left. After we stayed what seemed to be the minimum time for politeness, we excused ourselves and went away from the village. Once their talking became unintelligible noise again, Brian opened the portal and we stepped back to our room. We were still wearing those elfin clothes.
24 Visit
That weekend, we used a portal to reach Kathy’s home first. Her baby was a real darling. Although still so very young, he seemed to be very alert, following us with his eyes and clearly recognizing his mother and Lora, who had evidently spent most of her free time with him.
“Can we go already?” Kathy asked. I knew for sure that she had visited her mate several times since the baby was born, so she was more anxious about taking him to Avalon than about meeting others.
“Yes. I only need to give you a few instructions, as I’m not sure any of you knows what to do. I didn’t, until I tried it.” I then explained in as many details as I could, how to control one’s magic to not respond to the magic of Avalon and refrain from transforming. Both sisters seemed to understand it immediately.
Brian opened the portal, trying to set it close enough to the elf village to minimize our travel within Avalon. I passed first, keeping my human form. Kathy came next, holding her baby, who was looking with interest at everything and didn’t seem bothered at all. Lora came almost at the same time, and Brian came last, closing the portal behind him.
Kathy stayed very attentive to her baby. I was fascinated to see how this carefree young woman turned almost at once into a loving and caring mother. And yet, I also used some magic to monitor the baby and make sure he was alright.
It was only a short walk to the village, and her mate came running even before we reached it, evidently sensing Kathy and the baby. He immediately came at her side and watched his son, seeming to get prouder at finally seeing how his son was maintaining some attributes of the elfin appearance. He then turned to look at Kathy. “You seem different,” he said, checking her over more closely. “Your ears are round and smaller, your eyes are a bit smaller as well, but your tits seem to be larger.” His smile indicated that he liked her nevertheless.
“Prat!” she playfully hit his arm. He hugged her closer, watching the baby again. I don’t know how, but I felt as if he was forging a connection with the baby, becoming his father in more than the biological sense.
We soon became the center of a group of elves, mainly females. They led us to the center of the village, where an older elf seemed to be waiting for us. Kathy’s mate took the baby tenderly and quite a bit reluctantly, as if unsure of his ability to handle the delicate treasure, and knelt in front of the older elf. “Father, please bless my son and accept him as one of us.”
The elder elf didn’t speak at first. He moved his hand over the baby, almost touching, but not quite, pausing a bit over the head and over the heart, and looking as if he was quite worried until he finished the scan. He then smiled, his relief evident. “Son, your son is healthy and strong and his magic is even stronger than yours was at his age. He is welcome among us. He will be blessed later, after your mother sees him as well.”
The young elf stood up, relieved as well, and hugged the baby to his heart, before giving him back to his mother. Kathy took him thankfully and cuddled into her mate’s hug, as we all followed to the tallest and most decorated house in the village.
Ella came to my side a moment later. “Your friend seems to make history as well. Is that contagious?” She sounded amused.
I smiled. “Kathy has never been a regular fairy. She joined the pixies for a while, and only later decided to act more responsibly. She’s also extremely attractive, both in her human form and as a fairy. I can understand how he fell in love with her.”
“Are you sure that’s love and not just lust?”
I gave it a thought. “I’m sure that the initial attraction was mainly physical, but Kathy speaks highly of him, and he seems to care for her like a real-life partner.”
She frowned. “Their different life spans may cause real trouble, then.”
This made me think some more. “Not necessarily. She’s a very powerful fairy, and her imagination may be even wilder than mine. She may be able to find a way.”
Ella smiled. “I hope so. I wouldn’t like my brother to lose his mate too early.”
“Your brother?” For some unknown reason, I had never thought that she might have siblings.
She smiled at my surprise. “Elf couples usually have more than one offspring, although their children may be a few decades apart, age-wise. My family is one of the largest, as I have two brothers and one sister.” She pointed at another young elf maiden nearby and a slightly older male, just before we all entered her parents’ house.
While its exterior looked very elegant, it was not much different than most other houses. Once inside, I could not hide my fascination. It was more elegant than anything I had seen
before, including some of the royal palaces I had only seen in pictures. It was richly decorated with carvings, tapestries, paintings and objects of art, all arranged in good taste, and still maintaining a warm and welcoming feeling.
Checking all the magnificent decorations, I almost failed to notice that eventually, only our small group was left. Kathy and her mate were leading, Brian and I, along with Ella were walking behind them, and Lora was talking animatedly with the other young elf—Ella’s brother. A much younger elf maiden—Ella’s sister—was walking last. I saw a large double door in front of us, that opened as we approached.
I wasn’t ready for what was waiting for us on the other side of the door. It was a great hall, much larger than could normally fit inside that house. A red carpet was lining the passage from the door to what looked like a throne. The rest of the floor seemed to be some kind of stone artwork, that I couldn’t really pay attention to at that moment. A multitude of elves of all ages seemed to loosely fill the hall.
As we approached the throne, I saw the older elf I had seen earlier, only he was now wearing more elegant clothing, and a beautiful she-elf was sitting at his side, her face showing kindness and ageless wisdom. As we came closer, I noticed that Lora and the other young elves moved aside, joining the audience in the hall. Ella stayed at my side. We were only a few paces from the throne, when Kathy’s mate stopped and bowed his head momentarily, before speaking.
“My queen and my king, my parents, I’m proud to present my mate to you, along with my firstborn son. Please bless our union and its fruit.” He lowered his head again.
The queen left her throne and came closer. She first put her hands on her son’s and on Kathy’s heads. She seemed satisfied with what she found, probably checking them magically. She then put her hands above the baby and moved them along his tiny form, a small smile appearing on her face. “You two are already blessed, being the first couple to finally reunite the fairies and the elves. Your son will have the magical powers of both species, and he can evidently live out of Avalon and suffer no ill. He’s going to become a blessing for both species, and his children will help make Avalon a better place.”
She then frowned a bit. “For that to happen, my son, you should join him and his mother. Once you do that, I’m not sure you’ll be able to return for quite a while, but your future is with your son and the other children you two may have.”
She fell pensive for a moment and then turned around and returned to her throne, before declaring, “Let it be known that the Crown Prince Ediolandi is to join his fairy wife and live as a human along with her and his son in the place known as Earth. If ever he manages to return, his position is safe, and his son is recognized as the next in line. So have we proclaimed!”
Edi bowed his head again and moved aside, so now we were in the front, facing the king and the queen. Ella bowed her head once, and we did the same, and she then spoke. “Mother, father, I wish to present to you my very good friends, the fairies Sophie and Brian. I feel like their destiny and ours are intertwined, just like that of the child her friend bore to my brother, only in a different way.”
Both the king and the queen came forward. The queen put her hands on our heads and nodded approvingly. The king did the same and then smiled. “Princess, please escort the guests to our sitting room, where we can talk in private after we have a short conversation with your brother and his family.”
Ella bowed her head and smiled happily. She grabbed our hands and the crowd seemed to part in front of her, as she led us to a side door, and then through some corridors until we ended in a very ornate and very comfortable room, where we were supposed to wait.
An elf maiden, carrying a pitcher of some golden drink and some cups came into the room, put her cargo on the table, and left us alone. “That’s just apple juice,” Ella told us. “You may safely drink it.” She poured some into three cups and drank a bit. I did the same, finding it much tastier than any apple drink I had tasted before.
A few minutes later, we were joined by our hosts, so it seemed—the king and the queen of elves—if I understood that correctly. “My daughter has been telling me about some amazing things that you two have done, things that no fairy before you ever did,” the queen said.
I wasn’t sure we deserved the compliment. “We just tried to do what my grandmother taught us, namely, that we only need to imagine something and instruct our magic to make it happen. My imagination is probably wilder than most.”
She chuckled. “I like some modesty in young ones, but you really needn’t be that modest. I believe your grandmother is also quite a formidable fairy herself. Fairlady Edith is well known as a very powerful and strong-minded fairy. It looks like Junior Sophie is going to be a more formidable fairy. Actually, I’m not even sure if ‘fairy’ is the right word any longer. You’re not in your fairy form now, none of you, as I can see.”
I blushed at the praise but answered truthfully. “We found a way to come to Avalon and still maintain our human form. I thought it was important when coming with a baby.”
“And you evidently taught the others as well. That’s something no fairy has ever done, as far as I know.”
I shrugged. “Well, it’s all due to Kathy getting pregnant . . .”
“And that was something else you can take credit for. You are the first fairy to ever try assuming our size, eventually proving that we are not as different as we all tended to believe. You also taught Kathy, and that eventually resulted in her pregnancy. Now, as the child is fertile, this also means that we are actually the same species, not two different ones, as was the common belief.”
“How can you be sure that the child will be fertile? Isn’t it too early to tell?”
She stopped to think of her answer. “You may not know this, and most elves don’t know either, but magic and fertility go hand-in-hand for magical beings. Had the baby been infertile, he couldn’t have magic, and certainly not as much as he has, just like your daughter is sure to be fertile, judging by the magic she already has, even before being born.”
It was still too vague for me to really understand. “How can you even sense the magic in an embryo or even a fairy who hadn’t reached adulthood yet? I tried checking my siblings, and I’m still unsure about them.”
The queen seemed delighted to explain, and I was eager to learn. A few minutes later, I was finally able to understand it enough to check my belly by myself, finding that I was really pregnant with a very magical girl, although she would probably show no magic until she approached sixteen, just as it had happened with me.
While I had this interesting conversation with the queen, Brian had a discussion with the king. Kathy and her mate joined us soon, I checked her baby, as I’d just learned and found it really powerful magically, although the baby in my womb seemed to already be almost as powerful. Ella stayed at my side the whole time, paying close attention to whatever I said or did.
25 Ella
Time passed quickly. Before we knew it, it was lunchtime. We were all served a nice meal. I already knew that elf meals were delicious, but this one surpassed all the other meals I tasted there. Lora and the other prince joined us for lunch, and Kathy had to breastfeed her baby and then change his diapers. I thought that magic could be used to eliminate that, just vanishing all the excretions from the diaper, renewing it indefinitely, but it was not the time to check my idea.
Still, as the baby fell asleep, we were becoming aware of how long we had been there. The queen also thought it was time for us to go back, and for her son to join his mate.
“How can he do it without risk?” I asked. “I wouldn’t like him to come with us and then be unable to return, or worse.”
The queen smiled understandingly. “It’s not living on Earth that’s dangerous to us, it’s trying to transform when passing. Using your method, he needn’t worry about that. He’ll only need to make his face and ears look more human, and that only involves a simple illusion charm, well within his powers.”
; It looked like the queen had already given serious consideration to most aspects of her son’s departure. I hoped she hadn’t missed anything important.
The king approached us, as we were ready to leave. “You already know that I have no influence outside of elfin areas. Please help my son. He’ll need to learn a lot of things. Most may be irrelevant to his life here, but some may prove handy when the time comes for him to take his rightful position.”
I nodded solemnly. He put his hand on my shoulder in a blessing gesture, and I felt as if he was giving me some more powers. I wasn’t sure if it was real, though. He stepped back and smiled at me reassuringly.
Brian had already opened the portal and Lora had stepped through. Brian motioned for me to go next, and Kathy followed me, holding her baby. Her mate took another look at his parents, who nodded reassuringly and then stepped through. I kept monitoring his heartbeat and his magic, finding no change. He looked back once again. His parents urged him to go farther from the portal, and he did so reluctantly. Brian then passed and closed the portal behind him.
We were now standing back in Kathy’s room. Lora took the baby immediately and put him in his bed, covering him lovingly. She looked at him some more, caressing his tiny hands, and then left the room.
Kathy and her mate seemed unsure of what to do next. Although I was the youngest person in the room (well, excluding the baby) I felt like I had no choice but to start things moving, as the king had clearly expected me to do. “Why don’t you start by making your mate comfortable in your room? I’m sure he’d like to know how to turn the lights on and off, how to use your computer or to watch television. Then you should both get properly dressed, (and I suppose you may need to conjure or adapt some clothes for him,) and introduce him to your parents. I suggest you then buy him some more clothes so that he can feel comfortable in all environments and then start to introduce him to your normal life.”