Blades of Grass

A New Beginning?

I follow her outside, and the blazing sun flashes painfully in my eyes. They take a moment to adapt, but when they finally do, I find myself on the edge of a forest overlooking a vast valley with a river cutting through it. The chirping of birds is incessant, and wildlife is thriving; this place is untouched by human hands.

I ask Aesar, "Where are we going again?"

"To my village. Have you already forgotten?"

"Oh no, the sun must have hit me too hard," I say with a grin.

Aesar rolls her eyes. "Through there. My village lies."

She points to a narrow dirt path. I nod and follow her. After some silent walking, we reach a watchtower with a young elf stationed on top. Aesar utters some elvish words, and the elf signals us past the tower.

We arrive at a cluster of wooden huts, elves moving about, children running between them, and the sharp sound of arrows hitting practice targets fills the air. In the center of the settlement stands a tall totem depicting deer and an ancient elf holding a large fruit. Its meaning eludes me.

Aesar stops and turns to face me. "We're about to enter the town hall. Behave in front of the elder, or you'll answer to me. Got it?"

I look at her, puzzled. "Aesar, I'm a prince. You think I'd act inappropriately?"

"I don't care if you're a prince. Just don't do anything stupid or disrespectful," she says firmly.

"I promise I won't."

We proceed past several tall guards who look as though they could snap me in half with a single motion. At the entrance of the grand wooden door, an elder elf, so old he seems on the brink of death, sits on a chair made of intertwined roots. Aesar bows and gives me a pointed look, signaling me to do the same. I bow, and the elder greets us with a welcoming gesture.

Aesar steps forward. "Great elder, I have brought the boy from my dreams..."

"I'm not a boy. I'm your age," I interrupt.

"Shut up," she snaps sternly. "It seems he's had the same dream about me. Shall we proceed with the plan?"

The elder strokes his long beard and nods.

I wait for him to continue, but he remains silent. Aesar nods, turns toward the exit, and heads out. I glance between her and the elder before following her outside.

"Aesar, what 'plan' were you talking about?" I ask.

"Don't worry about that. We need to get you ready for battle."

"A what?"

"Yes, you heard me right."

"You could have told me earlier."

"I needed the elder's approval first."

"Oh, so now you just spring this on me?"

"Yes, I can."

"Fantastic."

We head toward the source of arrow whistles and wood clattering. Aesar approaches a table stacked with training arrows—cheap but razor-sharp—and tells me to take some. I observe the young warriors practicing, one in particular standing out: an elf in a wolf pelt cape and black bandana hitting bullseye effortlessly, she is also quick on her feet, are all female warriors here this good? Impressed, I join Aesar.

"Show me what you've got," she says, pointing to a distant target.

I nock an arrow, draw the string back, and aim. Aesar adjusts my grip and demonstrates the proper stance. She releases her arrow with precision, hitting the bullseye.

"Your turn," she says.

I mimic her steps, aiming at the bullseye despite my lack of confidence. To my surprise, I manage to hit the edge of the target. Eager to inspect my shot, I forget about the other training around me. Aesar tries to stop me, but it's too late; I see an arrow speeding toward me.

The arrow strikes my cheekbone with a sickening thud, ricocheting down to my throat. I brace myself for the worst, the excruciating pain tearing through me, but I'm still alive.

"OH FUCK!" I gurgle, clutching my face, hoping to keep my flesh and bones in place. The pain slowly fades, and I find my face intact. When I open my eyes, I'm staring at branches.

"I never thought this was what heaven looked like," I say, but Aesar's frantic voice pulls me back to reality. I pat my face, heart racing, but find no wound. I look around and realize I'm perched on a tree branch. Almost losing my balance, I glance down to gauge the height. Aesar looks up at me in shock from below. Relieved to be okay, I climb down and stride toward her, convinced she must have saved me.

"A-Alvin? W-what was that?!" Aesar exclaims as she approaches, gripping my shoulder.

"What do you mean? I thought you saved me," I reply.

"I DIDN'T! You just appeared right before my eyes!"

'What?' The sensation of the arrow's impact sends shivers down my spine. I reach out to Qura, the godling, in my mind.

'Qura, was that your doing?'

After a moment's rumble in my mind, Qura responds.

'Nope, that was not me.'

'Then how did it happen?'

'In my lifetime, the only instances of magical abilities like yours occurred during the War Of The Eclipse, a conflict among extinct ancient races.'

'That doesn't explain much.'

'Just know that teleportation is an extinct ability.'

As I process this, Aesar watches my expression with growing confusion.

"Um, why didn't you tell me you could do that before?" she asks.

"Because I didn't know I could," I answer.

"WHAT!?"

"Yes, I'm just as surprised as you are."

I notice the other elves looking astonished and a bit suspicious. I step away, and Aesar follows.

"This talent should be used for our cause," she says, catching up.

"So now I'm a pet?"

"No, we'll make you an epic warrior," she replies.

I picture myself in elven armor, wielding a sword as the elves cheer me on in a dramatic scene.

"Fine, but what about my father and the kingdom? Aren't they searching for me?"

"Don't worry about that now. We need to train you to control your ability. Oh, I have an idea. Follow me."

"Just like that? To where? You're moving too fast!"

"To someone who can help," Aesar says, her gaze steady. "This is no coincidence, and I intend to see this prophecy through."

She grabs my arm and pulls me along. "Come on, let's go."