M'Linzi One-Shots

The Elves and the Displacer

      M'linzi panted as he looked over his shoulder, branches scratching at his arms and face as he ran through the branches of the trees, his height not aiding him in the fact that he had to run, farther, faster, he could hear the shouts behind him. His clan was dead, his clanmates captured. In his panic he did not act like a soldier instead, he acted like the child he still was deep inside. He was scared, and ran, his feet thudding heavily, his breaths rapid and heavy as he tried to desperately draw in enough breath to keep himself going. 

      That's when his feet slipped. His rocky feet sliding in the loose dirt as he fell down the hill, sliding for a few moments before he fell head over heels, crashing into the ground over and over again until he finally slowed, sitting up against a tree. He looked down at his leather armor, the chestplate barely hanging on by its straps, his pants shredded at the knees into crude shorts. He sighed leaning his head back against the trunk. His breathing slowed after a few minutes, as the yelling started to fade going away from M'linzi.

      He stood up after resting for a few minutes, and picked a random direction to walk in, any direction away from where he was seemed like the right one. He was sore from his fall, and walking hurt telling him that he injured his leg, but now was not the time to check. He had to keep moving before the patrol of Nalakavi soldiers found him and captured him, or worse killed him. He knew if his father were here M'linzi would be in so much trouble for running. Soldiers didnt run, they fell in battle or were captured and would fight to earn their freedom. 

     He nearly cried in relief when he heard the sounds of water finally reaching his ears, he could wash up, get a drink and have a somewhat safe place to rest for even a few moments as any noise he made would be muffled by the sounds. He ran with renewed vigor and after a few paces he pulled aside some brush to see a stream, across it he could see a house, its windows lit and M'linzi looked down at the water. He would just drink then move downriver so he wasn't outside someones house. He was so tired that he knew if he didn't drink before continuing he would be too tired to travel too far downriver and the people inside that house might be able to see him. 

     He walked forward, kneeling at the waters side and cupping his hands, using them as a bowl to scoop the water and drink it, relishing at the taste when he heard a small mewling noise near him, he looked down and saw a cat, it was jet black, except for its ears which where tipped in a purple M'linzi mentally compared to the night sky between dusk and night. He lowered his hands letting the water fall from them and he shook them, rubbing them on his armor trying to dry them as he knew some of the sabercats his Clan had hated water. He reached out a hand and lowered it so the cat could smell it, and it rubbed against his fingers, he couldn't see its body as it was positioned just so it was close to his legs, crouched behind them as if hiding behind a rock. 

      "Parath!" A voice called as M'Linzi realized the door to the house was open, and in the moment he was distracted he realized the cat vanished and he could faintly see the outline of it near the humanoid shape. It pet the cat with a hand and then it seemingly looked at M'Linzi. "Hello!" The voice called and M'Linzi froze. Should he run? Would they attack him? Would they turn him in to the  Nalakavi patrols? He realized the body had moved, she was closer to the river now and M'linzi could tell it was a female, her hair was blonde, tucked away behind pointed ears. Her green eyes stared into his blue ones. "Do you speak common?" She asked and M'linzi nodded. "Y-Yes ma'am." He said his voice cracking, it was one of the few times he ever spoke to someone non-Goliath and it was making his heart race a mile a minute, he was panicking internally.
     
      "Where are your parents young one?" She asked and M'linzi turned away not wanting to meet her gaze at the question. "The war?" She asked and M'Linzi looked at her, he wasn't sure why she knew Goliath business but she just smiled. "You can tell based on the noise." She explained almost as if reading his mind. "I'm Lyra, why don't you come in? My partner Reyla is making lunch, surely your hungry?" M'linzi nodded and waded through the stream in a few short strides. "Parath usually can tell if someones here with bad or good intentions, seeing as she didn't kill you I think your a good soul." M'linzi blinked and then realized the cat was in the window only this time, he could see its long sleek body, and the four tentacles on its back, each ended in a purple mouth looking thing with rows of teeth. Its belly was slightly swollen with what M'linzi assumed were kittens or at least one kit based on how small the swell was. He turned away trying not to stare as the cat looked up; M'linzi could feel it staring at him. He followed the elf inside seeing another elf, her dark skin a contrast to Lyra's he was actually kind of shocked, he was told all elves were light-skinned but obviously Reyla was a visible exception. 

    "You didn't tell us we were having company." The darker skinned elf said as Lyra sat at the table motioning for M'linzi to sit down, which he did across from her, watching as Reyla brought him a bowl of soup, before bringing one to Lyra setting it before her. Lyra leaned forward and pulled Reyla in for a small kiss on the cheek making both elves giggle. "Thanks for lunch." She said as M'linzi watched, unfazed by the display of affection. He turned his gaze to the stew picking up the bowl and just taking a drink from it, not caring to use the spoon that was within reach, he was hungry from running and it smelled amazing he couldn't wait to eat. After a few moments his bowl was empty and he was relishing at the flavors of the stew. "Someone's hungry." Reyla chuckled and M'linzi cringed internally at his lack of manners, he hadn't meant to come across as barbaric. 

     "Its alright. You ran quite a ways, usually Goliaths dont come past the Spruce line I imagine something scared you terribly to bring you this far down the mountain. "Yeah, was running from a patrol." M'linzi explained. "A patrol? You don't seem as tall as an adult Goliath, you were patrolling?" M'linzi thought a moment and answered slowly. "I was apart of the Kings Guard, we lost a war, I got chased and found my way here." He answered trying to give vague answers. "And how old are you?" Lyra asked noticing what her partner said, that he wasn't an adult, or at least a really short adult. "I'm 60 seasons." He answered after a moment, and their confused looks he quickly did the math and re-answered. "16 years." He didnt realize not everyone counted life by seasons survived. "Quite young to be in the army." Reyla said and M'linzi shrugged. "Old enough to fight." He said and Lyra shook her head. "No one's saying you can't fight, but in some species 16 is not an adult, not a warrior, still a child." She explained trying to use words that M'linzi would understand, picking up on the cues that he was militaristic, and needed terms that matched that. 

      The three ate in silence after the discussion, M'linzi not wanting to talk anymore, as they finished Lyra showed M'linzi to his room while Reyla handled the dishes, where Parath was waiting for them, sitting on M'linzi's pillow, meowing. "I think Parath likes you." Lyra said as M'linzi stepped forward reaching out to the cat who rubbed against his hand and he actually petted it, the cat not shying from him. He sat on the bed and the cat curled up on his lap purring softly as he continued petting it. "I'll give you time to rest." Lyra said leaving the room. 

      It had been three days since Lyra let M'linzi rest in the spare room, he had helped around the house, earning his stay, he even helped bring meat into the house, shooting deer with a bow crafted by Lyra's wood-magic. Lyra being a forest elf didn't eat the deer  but allowed Reyla, M'linzi  and Parath to enjoy the kill. Reyla, M'linzi learned was from a nomadic tribe, and knew a few spells of different elemental natures, unlike the forest elves she was raised more along M'linzi's lifestyle the men went into soldier services once they started showing magical ability, being taught offensive spells, and how to weild a sword, while the females stayed home learning healing, hearth, cleaning, and more homecare spells from the mother. Parath was being followed around by a smaller version of herself, a kitten M'linzi had taken to calling Kivuli, in his tongue it meant Shadow, as it was like a shadow following its mother around. 

     It had been almost a month now, the small makeshift family were sitting at the table enjoying a meal as they heard pounding at the door. "I'll get it." Reyla said before M'linzi even had a chance to open his mouth. M'linzi was hidden from view by a small half-wall that Lyra added since he moved in, so he could see the door without being seen by guests. He leaned slightly forward, seeing the telltale skin of Goliaths made his heart sink. "We heard word that a Goliath lived here, we ask that you give up this Goliath as he is a dangerous individual, he abandoned his clan, and must be punished according to Goliath law." A voice boomed from the doorway and Lyra held her arm out pushing M'linzi back into his seat. "I assure you sirs, none but I and my wife live here." Reyla said and a grunt of anger came from the visitors. "Are you-" "I am quite sure its just me and my wife here, a Goliath could not fit in this house." Reyla pressed trying to get them to go away, as her anger rose the plants in the window boxes grew, vines stretching into the house, some even loosely wrapping around the visitors legs. "Fine. We will be on our way sorry to bother you missus." One grunted out as Reyla closed the door waiting until she knew it was safe before rushing over to Layla and M'linzi.

     "I need to go." M'linzi said after a few tense, silent moments. "By the Dragons! Are you crazy, they want you as a prisoner!" Lyra said looking at M'linzi. "I know but staying here is dangerous. I can only hide for so long, your words were true. I can only stay here maybe at most a year before I am too tall to fit in the door. I need to move along so they can't track me." He heard a mewling noise by his ankles seeing Parath and Kivuli staring at him as if they knew he was planning on leaving. Kivuli pressed against M'linzi and Parath stepped back as if knowing the kitten had to go with the Goliath. "Take Kivuli, displacers have powerful abilities, they can aide you as you travel." Lyra said and M'linzi looked at Parath who nodded to M'linzi as she strode off, saying in her own way that him taking her kit was fine to her. 

     "Then I'll rest for now and I'll leave at first light." M'linzi said as he stood up, hugging the elves that had become basically his new parents since he lost his own during the war. They had helped him when he was broken and shattered, a shell of his former self, the war taking everything from him. However being with them brought him back somewhat, he was closer to what he was before his father made him join the army, he was kindhearted and gentle, slow to anger and not one to hold a grudge. However he didn't know what the future held, as he spent his last day with his makeshift family, hoping against hope that his future wasn't as dark as his past.