Chapter 3

A Chapter by RedMistress

- Is she still alive?

- Yes sir, she survived.

A golden cup flew across the room and hit the stone wall, spilling its content on the way. The eco of the hit was deafening, but held nothing to the roar that came from the man that threw it. He roused from his chair and went straight for the messenger, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him in the air until his feet no longer touched the floor. The young boy let out a high pitched squeak and struggled to get away, but the grip was too firm.

- Let him go, Asher. He is just the messenger. It is not his fault that you are surrounded by incompetent beings.

The man called Asher squeezed tighter for a second then threw the boy after the former cup. With a thud, followed instantly by another short squeak, the messenger hit the wall and lost consciousness leaving behind a crimson trail on the cold stone as he slid to the floor.

- Keep this up and soon enough there will be no one left to follow you.

- The world has no shortage of greedy souls, Crane, they will always exist thus I will always have followers, Asher replied amused.

- True, but you already went through the worthy ones. Now all we have left is mindless idiots. She has been alive for well over two centuries, and dodging your capture for at least half that time, how do you expect these useless creatures to capture and kill her.

- Like I said, no shortage, Asher smiled wickedly.

There was a long moment of pause in which Crane carefully considered his words. Then suddenly the silence was broken by a surprised gasp.

- You have them on your side, don’t you? He asked

- Not all, not yet, but soon, his smile turned devious.

- Then have them- , Crane started.

- Already being taken care of, Asher cut him off.

- And the hunters?

- As planned.

- Good. Then should I get to work as well?

- Patience, Crane. Patience. All in good time, Asher reigned in the other man.

***

There was no doubt in his mind that the wild was always to be his home. There was nothing more beautiful than the bright green groves of the large eastern forest. Before the wars had started the size of this fresh scented splendor had been nearly immeasurable, and the living creatures that she harbored lived peacefully, sheltered from the soulless clutches of technology, greed and corruption. These days however, the trees seamed restless, in spite of the peace that supposedly roamed the world outside it. The population had changed and grown in numbers as far as outsiders were concerned, but the real trouble was that with all the destruction going around every time there were conflicts, the forest had difficulties housing such a growing number of souls when her own borders had been so mercilessly trimmed down. It was a miracle that there was so much left of her as it was. Still, not all changes were unwelcome and the added company of a few friends here and there was a pleasant outcome of this change.

Standing at the edge of the forest, Admon looked up to the sky, taking a deep breath, bathing in the sunlight that gently warmed his skin. It was about time he headed back, if he planned on getting to his lair before nightfall. Thinking with his eyes closed, he was startled into opening them by a sound similar to a scream coming from somewhere around him. He blamed it on a random bird flying nearby and closed his eyes again for a moment listening to the peaceful stillness that lingered even at the edges of his sanctuary.

The sound of footsteps running through the grass reached him a moment too late and he was knocked to the ground, on his back, with a combination of speed and strength. He opened his eyes to stare confused at the assaulting object. At first nothing registered from what he was seeing, but there was a movement and then another and then he was staring at two pairs of eyes, one green the other blue, adorning a set of identically looking faces. The two girls scrambled up and away from him in an instant and Admon could do nothing more than stare at them for the briefest moment. He noticed that while their faces were indeed identical, their looks were in a strong contrast. The girl that was currently peeking at him from behind her sister, had long blond curls tied in a ponytail, that stopped just a bit above the base of her spine, she was about a head shorter than him and looked terrified. Combined with her blue eyes she really looked like an angel depicted in the most beautiful works of art. Her sister on the other hand, had red hair and she wore it short. She was the same height as the other girl, but her posture and the spark in her vivid green eyes, only exuded defiance and challenge. Admon only had an extra second to decide his next move, when he noticed the knife in the redhead’s hand. He raised his hands up on each side of his head, in a sign of surrender.

- Hey, I don’t mean you any harm, he addressed them both.

- Makshela! The redhead spat at him.

- No, no I’m not lying. You bumped into me, remember?

She looked unsure of herself for a few seconds, then gripped the knife tighter and pointed it at him, defensively. She was about to say something, when a loud roar covered her first word. The blond girl screamed and ran to hide behind Admon this time, her sister unconsciously backing up towards him as well. He looked beyond her to see what was coming for them without moving an inch, certain that no being would be stupid enough to challenge him. Alas he had been wrong before and the proof of it now came in the form of a large grey wolf that advanced with great speed towards the small party, without showing any intent of stopping. He gave the creature enough time to make a last minute adjustment in its path, but when the animal just kept on coming Admon looked at the ground and murmured a few word in an ancient language. The vibrations under his feet started slowly, as if giving a fair warning that he meant business, then they intensified gradually preparing for a big ending. The wolf never saw it coming. As he leaped to grab the redhead, Admon grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the way. The ground split in two where the animal would have landed swallowing it whole, then closed back, without leaving any sign of ever moving.

There was an awkward moment in which neither of them moved. The redhead looked at the ground stuck between relief and shock, while the blond was clinging to his arm, her face buried there as she trembled, refusing to look up.

- So…, he started.

The girls jumped as if only just then remembering that he was even present. The knife came back into view but simply kept close to the thigh, just in case. No other move was made. A little bit annoyed at the situation and that he was wasting time Admon removed the blonde’s fingers from around his arm and gently pushed her away.

- Who are you? He asked, trying his best to keep his voice even.

Nothing. He gave them a few more seconds to answer, but when they both just started at him, he couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes. With the level of his aggravation rising, Admon thought it best to walk away, and turned to leave.

- Wait, the blond whispered.

- Ida! The other admonished.

- Do you want to stay here and wait for the next one to come after us?

- No, but we can’t_

- Yes we can!

The blonde’s " Ida’s " determined tone and expression cut off all other protest. She turned to Admon and gave a bright smile, though he doubted it was entirely genuine.

- I apologize for our rudeness, she started.

- Ida, the redhead whined.

Ida ignored her sister and took a cautious step towards Admon, trying her best to seem more confident then he guessed she was.

- I am Idalia and this is my sister Fayette, she pointed out to the redhead then stopped, obviously expecting Admon to introduce himself.

- Well good for you, he answered then turned around again to walk away.

- I told you, Fayette spoke loud enough for him to hear.

Admon tried to ignore them and kept walking. He reached the tree line, and with the heat of the sun no longer lingered on his skin, he felt a shiver running through his body. He kept shoving down the urge to look back and forced another step between the trees, then another, chanting inside his mind ‘not my problem, not my problem’ hopefully until his brain got the message.

- Admon, he told Ida with aggravation sipping his words.

The girl looked triumphant back at her sister when he came back out of the woods, then turned a smile towards him.

- It is truly a pleasure to meet you Mr. Admon.

- Drop the mister. Admon, will do. I know I’m older, but you don’t really have to throw it in my face.

- I apologize. I did not mean anything by it. I was merely trying to be polite.

- So what’s your story? What did you steal and from whom?

- How dare you imply that we are thieves? Fayette asked obviously appalled at the idea.

- Well, I don’t really know you and you were being hunted by a Raive. You don’t look like rapists, killers, kidnapers or overly aggressive. In fact you look like a stiff wind could blow you away any second now, so my best guess is you stole something.

- What is a Raive? Idalia asked before Fayette could throw a, most likely, stingy remark.

- That thing that was chasing you, he answered like it was obvious.

- It was a wolf, she said confused.

Admon opened his mouth to answer, but then thought better of it. He had to make a decision, and make it fast before the sun went down. One last look at the girls told him his decision was as good as made, so without further delay, he gestured towards the trees.

- Come on. This way, he said turning around to head back into the forest.

- Are you mad? Fayette asked from behind him, what makes you think we would follow you anywhere, especially into the woods?

- Well if you want to stay here, in the open, where anyone or anything can see you, by all means stay. However, if you feel like getting through the night in one piece you might want to come this way.

Without waiting for an answer he turned around and disappeared between the trees. Idalia looked at her sister flashing a grin then closely followed, leaving Fayette to decide whether she wanted to do the same. With a sigh the redhead went after her sister.

They walked for a long time in silence, Admon setting a fast pace and never taking any breaks. The sisters struggled to keep up, and by the time Idalia tripped on the root of an old tree, she was panting heavily and Fayette was beyond annoyed. Admon mumbled something neither of them could decipher and came to examine Ida’s leg. The blond gave a low hiss when he touched her ankle, but nothing more.

- Can you stand on it? He asked now examining an opened wound on her knee.

- I could try.

- Well let’s see.

He helped Ida get up, placing an arm around her waist, keeping most of her weight off her injured leg. With slow movements, she gradually lowered herself on it, to test out how bad it was, until she gave a faint cry and leaned back against Admon.

- That would be a no then, he said flatly.

- Well what do you expect? You’ve been marching through the woods like a maniac, without so much as a glance behind you to see if we can keep up, Fayette yelled at him.

- You should, if you want to survive.

- I don’t know if you have noticed, Mr. Tall-and-grumpy, but we are shorter then you are, which implies, shorter legs, thus difficulty keeping up!

Admon set Idalia down on the trunk of a fallen old tree and turned to Fayette, not even trying to hide his impatience.

- Listen carefully little girl…

- I am NOT a little girl! Fayette snapped and took a step closer.

- Well you sure as hell look like one!

- Looks can be deceiving, she retorted angrily.

- Yet you definitely act the part!

- Urgh, are you generally a jerk or is it just me you have a problem with?

- I-I… Admon sighed and looked down, closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose for a second before he opened them and looked straight into her eyes. It’s just you apparently. I’m generally a very calm and polite person.

- Great! Just my luck! Maybe I should just go back the way I came and take my chances with the next wolf that shows up. Or who know maybe with my good fortune, they’ll send a Mountain Troll or a Reaper, she said throwing her hands in the air.

- Now let’s all just calm down…

- I am calm!!!

When Admon and Idalia gave her identical looks of doubt, she huffed, rolled her eyes and gave them both her back. The laughter that came out of Admon was the last reaction she had expected of him, but it made her turn around. He was already helping Idalia up.

- Come on, we’re not that far away from my house. I’ll carry Idalia and slow down so you can keep up, he told Fay while still smiling.

***

The sun was already setting when they reached their destination, though Fay would never have called it a house. It was more of a whole with a door in the side of the mountain that was surrounded by the forest. Still it was getting chilly outside, the wind had picked up and she could hear all sorts of weird noises coming from all around them, so arguing about the hospitality of the man’s living place was out of the question.

Admon gently set Ida on what looked like a stool made of rock and went to unlock the large and heavy looking oak door. It took him only a few seconds to do so, then went inside and a moment later a light revealed two windows, one on each side of the door, which Fay had not noticed before. Admon came back out and headed straight for Idalia to pick her back up.

- Go on in, he addressed Fayette as he helped her sister inside.

Two steps in through the door, Fay stopped, her mouth hanging open. Somehow she had expected a bunk bed stashed in a corner or a mattress in the dirt with some ragged cloths as sheets and a cauldron simmering over a whole in the ground that held fire on the opposite side. Instead the place was amazing. It wasn’t that it was opulent in any way, but it was different than what she expected and it looked really cozy. The room was large, a table that held six chairs on one side, and a couch with a set of armchairs nearby, that faced a beautifully carved fireplace made of stone. The mantelpiece held a few small, shiny and colorful decorations, but some pictures as well.

- Could you get out of the way, came Admon’s voice from behind her.

Barely regarding him, Fay stepped aside and started heading for the pictures. She stroked the edges of a chair on her way then let her hand feel the fabric of the couch as she walked closer. When the floor creaked under her foot she was startled and just then noticed that it was made of hardwood with intricate patterns all over. A few fluffy carpets littered the floor looking like small islands just ready to be explored or inviting enough to sit on and enjoy their softness. Her attention was drawn at the edge of the room where the wooden floor seemed to have stopped before it could reach the wall and made room for the colorful display of flowers that were growing from the ground underneath surrounding the place. It explained why the air in here smelled so lovely and why it felt so clear. Interesting, Fay thought to herself. She looked to the opposite side of the room where Admon had placed Idalia on a chair in the open kitchen and rested her leg on another. He was telling her something in a very soft voice and she just nodded and smiled. Fay struggled with the feeling of jealousy for a moment, before she pushed it away convincing herself that Idalia was just being polite. Her sister had never been outspoken. In fact Ida was usually so shy and introverted that Fay did most of the talking for both of them. And now this stranger came along and she was all smiles, giggles and sudden determination.

Giving a low huff Fay turned to the fireplace and started looking at the pictures there. All the people in them were obviously strangers to her, but Admon was in some of them and every time he was either smiling or downright laughing. When she got to the last picture though, she couldn’t help but pick it up. It was obviously very old and the six people in it shared some of their features, so she assumed they were family, but not one of them seemed to want to be in there. The two older men and the woman sat in chairs, their backs as straight as wooden boards all looking serious, dressed in formal attire, theirs ties perfectly made and the woman in a short sleeved, light colored dress. If she was reading their body language correctly, they would have liked nothing better than to sneer at each other. Behind them were two boys and a young girl all three sitting just as straight as the adults, the boys wearing white shirts with shorts sleeves and the girl wearing a black long sleeved dress, however their expressions varied with each child. The tallest, and Fay assumed oldest one, that looked suspiciously similar to Admon, tried to look like the definition of indifference and coolness. Tried, but ultimately failed. His eyes betrayed him and he looked angry instead. The second boy was obviously younger, and while he was trying to be serious, Fay got the impression that he had just set fire to the curtains or at least was planning to break a vase somewhere in his near future. He had a look so full of mischief that it made her smile. The last of the children, the young girl, was the most disconcerting. She was facing forward and stared at the camera, but seemed to be looking through it. Fay could only hope that the girl was observing something in the back of the room, but by the emptiness she saw in her eyes that was only wishful thinking. There was something about this girl that sent a chill down her spine.

Fay jumped when a hand came into view and grabbed the picture placing it back on the mantelpiece.

- Is that your family? She asked Admon, her voice barely above a whisper.

- Yes, it was.

- Was? What happened to them? She looked up to study him.

- They all died…one way or another, Admon answered grimly.

Fay noted the hesitation in the last part and wondered what he meant by those words, but she decided it was too rude and way too soon to start grilling the man about his past.

- Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.

He gave her a funny look and seemed like he was about to say something more on the matter, but then reconsidered and ushered her towards the kitchen.

- Are you hungry, or would you simply like to clean up and get some rest? He asked Fay.

- I’m starving, said Idalia before her sister had a chance to even process his question.

Admon smiled at Ida and invited Fay to have a sit. With that he started making dinner. Fay watched him move between the island they currently were sitting at and the counters with an ease that said he had done so thousands of times. And she didn’t doubt he had. Between her and Idalia, they could barely boil water let alone make something edible. Their mother insisted that it was beneath them to cook for themselves. Of course Ethelinda’s rules of etiquette would have had them killed the moment they were attacked, but every survival skill always seemed to be classified as “an unladylike behavior” thus was never on the official curriculum. She frowned at the thought of their family and wondered for the hundredth time if they were alright. Fay felt guilty at the thought of them, but their father had instructed them to run and so she had taken Ida without a second thought and did as told. The more she tried to push the thought away, the more her mind focused on it. The commotion had started while they were asleep and while Fayette was the first one to awake, it was Idalia that sensed them coming. It was her sister’s whimpers that had ripped her from the arms of her peaceful dreams and thrown her at the feet of the brutal reality. The screams followed shortly and whatever survival instinct had not been drilled out of her took over. She’d jumped out of bed rushed to wake Idalia and get dressed, then dragged her sister along through a sea of panicked servants into their father’s quarters. Their brothers and sisters were already there and it hadn’t taken their father long to show up, lightly panting and followed closely by six guards. The guards had been summoned to take a child each and run, except the two of them who would be sharing one. The mere thought of that memory made her blood boil.

- Are you all right?

Fay flinched and stared up at Admon blinking for a moment. She noticed his eyes shifting to her hands every so often and when she followed his gaze she realized her fingers were squeezing the edge of the island so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Fayette forced herself to relax and smiled at their host.

- Is there some place I could clean up? She asked instead of answering.

- Of course! Forgive my rudeness. I’ll be right back, he turned to address Idalia at the last part.

He led Fay to the back of the room, where the wall was angled in such a way that it hid the entry to a dark hole in the wall behind it, a little taller than Admon. She hesitated for a moment, thinking it looked scary, but he touched something on the left side and lights flooded what seemed to be a long hallway holding a few doors on each side. Fay let out a gasp of surprise before she could stop it.

- Something tells me you hadn’t expected this, he said smiling at her brightly and without another word moved to one of the doors on the right.

As the door opened and another light came on, her jaw dropped, any other sounds of astonishment refusing to leave her throat. The room itself was merely a large cave with a high ceiling, but as Fay moved in she stared at the sink carved in the wall that had taken the shape of an oyster, then gapped at the bathtub, a few feet away, that was spacious enough to fit five people and still have room to dance in it. It had a roundish shape, fitted into the ground and had three steps to the bottom making it look more like a pool then a tub. On the opposite wall there was a large window, angled upwards so that the stars could be seen through it now that night was upon them. The wall itself was covered in musk and flowers Fay had never seen before, flowers that smelled divine, she realized as she inhaled deeply. Right under the window was a large mahogany cabinet that seemed to fit right into the décor. Still, the most shocking aspect of the room remained the waterfalls. Above the sink the wall had a water fairy in relief, wings spread to the side, scale details on her small body and her hands brought together in front of her which made it look like water was pouring right out of them into the sink. In comparison, the bathtub had more than one waterfall, and each of the three had a magnificent creature assigned to it that seemed to be coming straight out of the wall. The one farthest away from her Fay recognized as being a Kelpie. She had seen a picture of the creature in one of the ancient books that had survived the Menhitian Era. In her eyes it looked gracious, though a little menacing, but she attributed that to knowing the creature as being a demon and the water pouring from its mouth like it was screaming it out. The one in the middle was a lovely mermaid. She had a warm smile on her face, her long hair falling over one of her shoulders and she was carrying a pitcher through which water flowed. The last of the creatures was a fish. The name escaped the girl at the moment, but she knew she had seen it in a book as well. It had a long nose, water coming out through the whole on the top of its head and its long slick body was angled downward like it was about to dive into the pool. As far as she could remember that species was believed to be extinct for centuries now.

Fay could only gap at their beauty and even with the Kelpie there, she could still feel a sense of piece in the room. In fact now that she thought about it, she felt far more relaxed now than when she’d gotten in. The girl frowned for a moment thinking it odd, but the thought quickly vanished, and her attention went back to the water. It looked so inviting. Fay walked slowly to the edge of the tub and sat down. She would love to stay here forever listening to the light sound of the waterfalls, breathing in the delicate fragrance of the flowers and watching the night sky without a care in the world. Fay stretched a hand and touched the water lightly with her fingertips, and giggled when she found it pleasantly warm. She slapped a hand over her mouth as soon as the sound was out her eyes widening. She never giggled.

- It’s the flowers, Admon said from behind her.

Fay jumped at the sound of his voice. She had completely forgotten he was here with her. She shook her head, trying desperately to clear the fog in there.

- What do you mean? She managed to whisper.

- They have a calming effect, that’s why they are here. To help you enjoy your bath.

- I’ve never seen such flowers before, Fay looked at them her eyes feeling droopy.

- That’s because you can’t find them anywhere but in here. One of my…kin created them. You’re tired and it’s the first time you’ve encountered them, so they affect you more, but you’ll get used to it.

The girl nodded and smiled, as if she’d gotten the best answer in the world. Then frowned again and looked around her.

- How did you find this place?

- I didn’t. I made it.

She regarded him for a long moment as if assessing his answer, but Admon really doubted there were any thoughts in her head right now. Finally, with an obvious effort on her part Fay managed to speak again.

- How? Was all that came out.

- It helps when you have the power of the earth at your fingertips, he smiled.

- That’s how you made the ground split and swallow the wolf earlier.

- Yes.

She hadn’t said it as a question but Admon answered anyway.

- So are you a forest fairy?

- Forest fairies don’t have that kind of power. I am an earth elemental.

Her head snapped around so suddenly, she lost her balance and if Admon hadn’t reached out and grabbed her arm she would have fallen in the water. He hadn’t meant to say that. Actually, he hadn’t meant to say a lot of things, but none the less he had. What was it about these two little creatures that had him going against his nature?

- I thought they were all dead? Her voice sounded confused.

Admon shrugged and went to the large cabinet underneath the window. He was careful not to look at her as he got some towels out and handed them over. He had to get out of here.

- Just because we don’t like to advertise our existence doesn’t mean we are dead. I reckon there are a bunch of us left, we just like our privacy.

Why on earth would you tell her there are others? He admonished himself. Time to make my exit. He went straight for the door without a second to lose.

- I’ll bring your sister in a moment so keep your clothes on.

With that he was gone. Fay stared at the door for a few seconds, but was distracted by the moving shapes the water made on the walls, so she went back to admiring her surroundings.

***

At the edge of the forest where four creatures argued, things weren’t so calm, the tension between then clear in every inch of their bodies.

- How could you lose them!? One growled.

Two of the others flinched at his tone and the third cowered at the words falling to his knees.

- You said they would be alone, but there was someone with them that helped them, the kneeling man whimpered.

- I saw Ty get swallowed by the very ground he was supposed to land on, the third man in the group intervened.

- What?! The first bit out.

- It would seem we’ve been misinformed, the last of the group, a woman, spoke calmly.

- We have to report this immediately. The gods only know how they will react, but it would be wiser not to keep it hidden, the first man stated anger with a hint of panic seeping through his voice.

- Are you volunteering to go tell them? The woman asked.

There was a tense moment of silence in which they all tried to imagine what would happen. Then as one three straight figures turned to the kneeling one. The sound of wings followed shortly after as the chosen messenger left.

- So what now?

- Now we wait, the woman answered.

prev chapter