Avaleade: An Old Elf's Tale

Chapter Five

     "Yukan, my boy!" the man quickly closed the gap between him and his son, clasping him in a strong hug. Yukan seemed to whisper something to his father, and then he turned to motion us onwards.

     "This way Your Majesties," the man led the way, and we followed him further up the path to a large farmhouse. Yukan's father opened the double doors leading inwards and called out, "My love, we've company!"

     He moved out of our way and allowed us entry into his home. It was a quaint space that most Human Commoners would find more than comfortable. We gathered in the large common room and waited for a woman to come down the stairs excitedly. Yukan was the first to greet her, and she froze in place as soon as she laid eyes upon him.

     "By the Three!" she flung herself at her son at a speed even Kay would find challenging, and grasped his face between her hands, "You look just like yer pa! Don't fright yer ma like that! Look at ya! You've grown so much! Welcome home! Oh, how I've missed y- "

     "Ma," Yukan chuckled, prying his delirious mother away for a moment. "I'm afraid I haven't come home on a leisure trip," he motioned to the princesses and myself, and his mother looked over slowly.

     "Well goodness me! Hello again, Lady Kisara, Lady Iria, and Katsukii you scoundrel!" the woman marched across the room to snatch up Katsukii's ear, scaring him into dropping the wicker basket he was fiddling with. She turned a bright smile towards Kay and myself, though her hands made quick work of squeezing the Fae Knight's head. "I see you've brought some friends today!"

     "It's my pleasure to be here and see you both again, Marlo and Saline." Kisara motioned to us and began introductions, "Today I've brought, by oddly peculiar coincidence, the queen of the Kingdom of Lilressen, Her Majesty Asaal and her personal guard, Kay." Saline's jaw dropped, and she gazed upon Kay and myself.

     "Your Majesty, forgive my crudeness!" she bowed low, and her husband followed suit.

     "You may rise, Honorable Saline and Marlo. We are merely guests in your home this day, so worry not on titles or pleasantries." I bowed my head back at them as they rose from their position, to show my mutual respect.

     "Be careful what you wish for, your Ladyship," Kisara warned with a grin upon her lips.

     "If yer sure, 'n welcome to yer new home away from home, Lady Asaal," Marlo, Yukan's father patted my back heartily, "You an' yer friend here are welcome to drop in whenever if you need an escape from yer hectic royalty life." he held his large hand out for me to shake, and I did so with grace, "The princesses here drop in every full Wandering Moon er so to get away."

     "Thank you for such a gracious offer, and likewise I extend to you my personal invitation to any and every celebration that my kingdom may hold within your lifetime." I smiled warmly at the welcoming couple, though worry knotted tightly in the pit of my stomach. When would my kingdom be able to hold such lavish festivities again?

     "Well gosh!" Saline cupped her face in her hands and smiled in a quirky way.

     "Katsukii, would you please start leading everyone to the old barn in the back of the property. I need to have a quick chat with my parents." Yukan seemed apologetic, as Katsukii shrugged.

     "Sure, take all the time you need, Yukan. It's not like we're short on time and in serious danger or anything. Grab a snack for me while you're at it." Katsukii's sarcasm was much harsher than any in our party had expected, and the Fae Knight ushered us quickly through the kitchen and out the back door.

     Katsukii lead us past a large barn, the sounds and smells of cows and pigs permeating the area. Kay, whose nose was more sensitive than mine, held her sleeve to her face while her fox ears twitched with irritation. To the right of the path we walked were rows of wheat and root vegetables, and to our left was a fenced in field where farm animals walked freely and grazed.

     Farm workers were scattered around the expansive lands, tending to the fields and herding or feeding the animals. Not a soul noticed our odd group however. It was quite unsettling, to be wholly honest. I have travelled all across Avaleade, and not once had I not drawn attention to myself where ever I went.

     The sun had made it high into the sky when we reached an old, rotting building. For a once-operating barn, it was quite small. Two large doors hung limply from broken hinges, and as Katsukii lead us inside, the light filtering through the broken wooden roof which showed the rest of the barn to be in the same decrepit shape. The second story of the barn, being only a narrow walkway leading around the building's interior, creaked ominously.

     "This old barn has seen better days," Kisara muttered as she searched for something near the left-hand wall. We watched as she pulled a rope which snapped and fell as an old folding staircase rattled and landed with a thud beside her.

     "Ladies first," Katsukii spoke with gusto, guiding Iria towards the staircase.

     "Oh no you don't!" Kisara growled and took her guard by the arm, pushing him up the creaking steps first.

     Upon closer inspection, the steps did not seem too unsafe, so I followed them up with ease at mind. Iria, I noticed, did not seem at ease in the slightest as she gingerly progressed upwards.

     "How far do you think your pursuers are?" Kay looked down over the rotting railing and frowned at the dirty barn beneath us.

     "It takes roughly a quarter of the day to take a horse from the capital city to this farm, and less than half of that time if they use the teleportation gate at the base of the mountain. I noticed your handiwork on that gate however, so my best guess is that they will be here by midday." Kisara stood with her arms folded across her chest, keeping a wary eye pointed out a crack in the wall. She seemed to be watching the field we'd come from for movement.

     "I doubt this is the best hiding place, then." Kay grunted. She leaned against the railing, but it fell apart beneath her. Had she not been a Fae and cursed with the reflexes from being a fox for many years of her life, she would surely have fallen.

     "This will do for now," Iria smiled sweetly. "Katsukii, where do you want us to sit?"

     The half Fae looked around slowly and seemed to eventually settle on a heap of old hay. "Here, this corner should work."

     After what felt like only a moment for me, Yukan joined us. He squeezed through the doors with a basket in hand and bound up the stairs. He kneeled down and pulled up the staircase after himself, securing it with the remnants of the broken rope.

     "What's in the basket?" Katsukii asked.

     "Ma made us lunch, and here," Yukan tossed something at Katsukii, which he narrowly missed catching before it made contact with his forehead, "Ma said to quit being a brat."

     Iria giggled from her perch atop a messy pile of hay, and Yukan smiled fondly. Katsukii grumbled as he turned his baked snack over in his hand, which was wrapped delicately in paper, presumably by Saline.

     "Yeah, well, whatever. Let's open that box now before they find us." The halfling blushed down to his snack and turned towards Kisara. "I'm sure Her Majesty and company are trustworthy."

     "Thank you for saying so, Dearest Katsukii, though are you certain that this barn is the most suitable location for such a... divine power to be tinkered on?"

     "Well," Kisara retrieved the box once again from her cleavage and turned it around in her hand thoughtfully. "the sooner we open it and see what's inside, the sooner we can use its contents for the Three's mission, and it might help us get away incase we're discovered here."

     "Yes, but how do we open it?" Iria asked, reaching for the box.

     As Kisara moved to hand the box over, and both sisters were touching it simultaneously, blinding light, and the complete absence thereof, erupted outwards, filling the entire barn.