Crowns and Guns.

Goodwill (part 1)

Katie pulls on the handle of the worn cabinet. Instead of opening, the old rotten door falls to the ground, and the large, mismatched assortment of bottles behind the door is revealed. "See, we don't need need to worry, we will have enough to drink."

I cross my arms. "Is there something that isn't booze? Like water?"

"I dunno. We mainly stored booze here. There might be some fruit juice."

I rummage through the assortment of bottles and find a metal can. According to the print on the can, it contains carbonated water and sugar. I guess, given our circumstances, this is all I could ask for.

I look around in the abandoned cabin. Even tho half of the roof is missing, and all of the furniture has been destroyed ages ago, staying here certainly beats sleeping in the forest.

The corpses of the elves we left the last time seem to have been removed. I figure the other elves came back for them. They do eat their own after all, they tend to eat any form of sentient meat they can come across.

Katie sits down next to the fire pit. "Should I light a fire?"

I look at my hands, the tips of my fingers are a deep blue from the cold. Katie's lips and hands are equally as blue. Even wearing our jackets, we are just not dressed for the cold. I can't even feel my toes anymore, after walking through the cold forest for hours. I shrug. "If the elves spot us, we know what to do. I think that options beats freezing to death. So I would light it."

Katie picks up two of the orange glowing stones from the fire pit and lightly taps them together. They start to glow brighter, and she tosses them back into the pit. Soon the two stones, and the others in the fire pit, catch fire. They sparkle and pop, and embers fly off. I can immediately feel the heat of the magic flames on my skin.

I sit next to the fire, drinking from my can of soda. Katie comes to sit next to me, and leans her head against my shoulder.

"How is your stomach?" She asks.

I open my jacket and take a look at the large bloodstain on my dress. I feel through the fabric and notice my scar has healed again.

I smile at Katie. "It is fully healed."

She tilts back her head. "Let me guess. The same healing magic as earlier?"

I grab her hand and press her fingers against the scars on my lower arm. "Can you feel that?"

Katie pulls her hand back "Yes, It is like there are little rocks under your skin. Little electric rocks."

I laugh. "They are magic gems. The same magic gems that used to be in the royal crown of the elves."

Katie's jaw falls open, and she stares at me with wide eyes.

"Is that where the gems went?"

"Exactly."

"So, are you the Elven queen?"

I laugh. "Of course not."

Katie shrugs. "I thought whoever was wearing the crown was automatically the monarch."

I shake my head. "That is not how it works, Katie. And besides, I am not wearing it. In a way, I am the crown. So whoever is wearing me, is the crown."

Katie looks at me and wrinkles her nose. "Ew."

I punch Katie in the arm. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure."

Suddenly, I heard a loud knock on the door.

I stand up and look outside through the giant hole in the top of the door. I jump back when I notice an elf is standing there. I look for my gun and realise it is still on the kitchen counter. Three meters away from me. No way I can reach it in time.