Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 4

Ashanaya

Valen, Cullen, Marhara, and The Shaman followed me back into the tent where we kept the body of the twisted elf.

"How could you give up being the matriarch like that?" Valen asked.

"And just give it to my wife?" Marhara added.

"Because she'll be a fine matriarch, I have other priorities keeping me from what my duties would be if I was matriarch, it's unfair to the Evenura to stay the matriarch being conscious of that." I explained, I sounded uninterested in the topic. "Cullen?"

"Yes?" He replied.

"What did you learn from the indoctrinary?" I crossed my arms and leaned against the back wall, looking at him expectantly.

"Well, these 'twisted elves' call themselves 'the Ashen' for reasons I didn't really see. The woman you're looking for, her name is Valerie Hailvem, but you should know she's not the leader, the master she brought up, he's looking for you, but for whatever I can't tell. He just wants you." Cullen tried to remember. It didn't seem hard for him.

"He wants me?" I asked.

"Yeah. He's interested in me and Valen, but he seems to think we're expendable. You're who he wants." Cullen replied. "Valerie also seems to spend a lot of time in a forest behind the city of Hope."

"A human city?" Valen raised an eyebrow. "We can't go there. I have no problem with humans but a lot of them have a problem with us."

"As long as I'm there you'll be okay, they'll think you're just representatives of your clan." Cullen seemed to regret this as soon as he said it. "That is.. If you want me to come. I understand if you don't, I'm no good in combat."

"That isn't true." The Shaman's quiet voice broke into the room. "Overseer, you said that this elf used two daggers?"

I nodded.

"Well then, you should now have the knowledge to efficiently use two daggers due to the indoctrinary." The Shaman told Cullen.

"Perhaps we should make sure that's true before we leave." I said.

Cullen pulled the harness with the daggers off of the Ashen's back. He straps it on himself. He looks slightly juvenile with weapons strapped onto his cloth clothing.

"Shaman, do we have any salvaged human armour?" I asked.

"If you check where we store the armour, you may find some chainmail."

"Thank you." Valen, Cullen and I left the tent, heading for the armour, Marhara broke off, probably to speak to Ceylorn.

I brought Cullen and Valen out to where Valen and I had been practicing with my bow earlier that day.

"Maybe we should wait till morning, it's getting kind of dark." Cullen said.

"I'd rather not waste the time. I want to pursue this garven, Valerie as soon as I can." I crossed my arms waiting for Valen to place the dummy.

"So does that mean you do want me to come?" Cullen's eyes lit up.

"If you know how to work those daggers then yes. But otherwise, I'd rather not put you in danger for no reason. At least this way you could protect yourself." I sounded a little more cold than I would've wanted to.

"Oh."

Valen stood up the dummy a few feet in front of Cullen. Valen walked back over to me.

"Valen?" I looked over at him.

"Yeah?"

"You wanted me to remind you to thank him for saving me." I smiled at him, knowing he'd hate this.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll do it after seeing how he does with those daggers."

"Well just don't forget to do it."

"I would never." He put his hand on his chest and acted offended. I shoved him to the side playfully.

We looked back to Cullen at the right time cause as we did, he swung around the dummy swiftfully and with one quick slice, took it's head off, then spun back around, stepping back a few feet and throwing a dagger, which pierced through the dummy's hand, then finally, sprinting back forward, forcing the dagger through the stomach area of the dummy. It brought up some bad feelings but I pushed them back as best I could.

"Not great." Valen laughed. "But good enough. And, hey."

Cullen looked over at him questioningly.

"Thank you, for taking the indoctrinary from 'Naya." Valen was trying to sound cool, but I could practically feel him cringing.

"I- um, no problem." Cullen smiled, confused with a look that said 'I didn't do it for you.'

I cleared my throat. I sounded like a child but oh well. "Well, this was quite the experience. We should get back to camp now."

Both Valen and Cullen nodded, Cullen put his daggers back into his harness and then he grabbed the dummy (or what was left of it) and followed Valen and I back to the camp.