Avaleade: An Old Elf's Tale

Chapter Four

After the four finished their tale, our group fell silent. My mind was desperately trying to sort their story and make sense of it. Kay pulled me aside for a moment to speak privately and whispered to me in anger.

"We don't have time to baby sit these children, despite how attached you may be. Leave it to their guards. If I may speak my mind, Asaal, you must put the needs of your own people ahead of another kingdom's royal squabbling." Kay's words were harsh, and I noticed Katsukii listening in. A deep, taxed sigh escaped me.

Under any other circumstances, I would have agreed with my friend. Something odd nagged at me, however. Like silhouettes of memories, images danced through my mind. Iria and Kisara back to back in my throne room, Yukan covered in blood surrounded by echos of laughter, Katsukii shielding the twins from a dragon's flaming breath. They flittered by so quickly, that those three images were the only ones I could process. I cursed Masa-raal for breaking out of her prison so early and causing my meditation to be interrupted. Had I finished my meditation, these events to come would be clear and unequivocal.

"I cannot explain my reasoning, Kay, for my meditation had been broken far too soon for tangible, credible prophecy, but I feel deep within me that resolving our conflict coincides with resolving their conflict. Believe me, if I had any doubt, I would not risk our peoples' safety."

Kay sighed a thick, frustrated sigh. Her sharp-clawed fingers tapped the handle of her battle axe agitatedly, and she looked anywhere but me for the moment.

"You'd better be right." She finally spoke, and left me with that, marching onwards with the group. Deep dread saturated my core as I followed suit.

We had been walking for quite a long while, and I noticed that the twins' clothes were now completely dry. My thoughts wandered back to my people, and how I had left them alone to stand against Masa-raal. I wondered how many of my students perished in the fight, how many had set their weapons down in compliance, and how many would continue to stand against her while I was away. My chest ached with worry.

Another detail nibbled at the back of my mind. The young man who carelessly threw himself in front of Masa-raal to protect her. I tried to remember his face, to no avail, and wondered if it had been a friend of hers from before her imprisonment. I knew she had a small circle of faithful followers, one might call them friends, though that would have been a stretch. They supported Masa-raal's interest in the darker forms of magic as well.

The silence seemed to be making everyone else uncomfortable as well, and it was Iria who finally broke it. "Sorry about earlier," Iria had approached Kay, and seemed to need to make amends. She looked up to Kay with big, round, sparkling red eyes, her cheeks tinged ever-so-slightly with pink color. Kay seemed to have the same difficulty fighting against those adorable eyes as I did, which was her anger's undoing.

"No, I apologize, Your Highness," Kay deflated like my bubbles from before, "I was simply worried for everyone's safety."

"I understand," Iria perked up instantly, flashing a bright smile, "I promise, we'll figure everything out soon!" her cheerfulness was, for lack of a better word, intense.

Kisara, being the more silent of the two, smoothed her sister's unruly white hair affectionately.

Kay noticed Katsukii for the first time when he approached her, stepping directly into her way.

"Hello," he grinned, glad to have her attention. It was when the two were next to each other that I noticed the similarities. They both had bright orange hair, bright golden eyes, and a golden tint to their skins, though Kay was significantly more orange-tinted.

"You don't seem like a regular Fae," Kay looked him up and down, unimpressed by his flashy, heart-winning grin.

"I could say the same for you!" he had snickered, pointing to her ears.

~*~*~*~

"What's wrong with her ears?" Mier asked, his nose scrunched up adorably.

"You see, Kay was born a Fire Fae. One day, she and her brother were traveling through the Barrens, and they were attacked by an evil mage infected by the toxic spores polluting there. The mage cursed them, turning them into different animals.

She turned Kay into a fox and her brother Kopha into a raccoon. She tied each animal into a separate bag and sent them in different directions. I eventually came upon Kay, and helped her with half of her curse, but at this point of the story, I was still in search of a permanent cure, as well as her sibling."

"Oh, I see!" Salen nodded, seeming very philosophical for such a young child.

~*~*~*~

Fae are always happy to find others while in unfamiliar places, and Kay and Katsukii were no exception. They began swapping stories excitedly. While the Fae talked animatedly, Iria and Kisara spoke softly to one another. I remember being unable to overhear their conversation, though I could see their expressions were grave. Kisara dropped their conversation suddenly to interrupt the Faes' conversation-turned-argument.

"Leave her alone, you damn womanizer!" Kisara had turned her ferocious attention on her guard, who had one arm draped over Kay's shoulder and was invading my dearest friend's personal space. She yanked his arm off Kay in a protective manner.

"What's the matter, little princess? Afraid I've finally decided not to marry you like I promised?"

"No! That was over ten years ago! Will you let that go already?" Kisara sputtered and took a swing at her grinning guard violently. Iria giggled softly as she watched her sister smack the halfling around. I smiled to myself, glad that some things hadn't changed. Katsukii used to tease Kisara endlessly when they were little, and Kisara would often lose her temper. Come to think of it, sweet Kisara had only ever lost her temper if Katsukii were involved.

"Lady Iria," I turned my attention from the commotion to watch Yukan approach the young princess, "about earlier- "

'Thank you," the innocent girl stopped her guard from finishing his apology.

"But I- "

"Yukan, I never thought you would turn us over to Musso. I was almost worried, but I trusted you, and you helped us when we needed you the most. Thank you for that."

"Well... of course. I took an oath- "

"An oath- "The princess finished her guard's sentence with him. She seemed to have been expecting him to say that, and he didn't seem surprised by her forethought. The two smiled a knowing smile to each other, and I wondered to myself how long they had been this close. Since Iria was healed, perhaps?

I remember the walk was more refreshing than I had anticipated. The air was warm and fresh, and the wildlife was energetic. The sun was just coming up when we reached a marking post, signaling we were now on a family's property. A gold family emblem was fixed upon the tall stone pillar that resembled a sickle with golden magic tracing it. I knew immediately that the golden emblem meant we were walking onto the property of a farm that fed the Royals and Nobles in the castle.

Traveling up the path we passed rows upon rows of vegetables. One man was alone tending to the crops, and upon noticing us, he stood and stared for a moment, trying to discern weather or not what he was seeing was an illusion.

"Pa," Yukan called out, approaching the man, "Good morning!"