Elves of Wood and Storm (Book one of The Guardians series)

Deafening Throbs

When Lucas returned to his home he felt like wriggling in excitment, his mind burned with images of death and destruction. On his chest the Heart seemed to purr, warmth pulsing through the torn skin Lucas knew the mark was content for the moment. Sighing happily he threw his coat on a small rack and settled onto the ground. Then a new thought struck him, he hadn't eaten in 48 hours. As this realization sunk in Lucas's stomach growled and he felt weak.

Istrali sunk from the ceiling, where it had been sulking since Lucas went down the tunnel, and danced through the air. He watched it as it flew away towards his low table, there Lucas saw a small rice cake. He pushed himself up and wandered over to it, smiling gratefully Lucas ate the small patty. Surprisingly strength flooded instantly through him Lucas knew that it was magic that had made the cake. Istrali sunk down and touched the tips of Lucas's fingers, understanding flooded through him.

The light was frustrated with him, thought him reckless. Tired of him skipping meals to kill some insignificant elves, chasing down tunnels where magic could not go. Guilt creeped up on the elf, it seemed like Istrali cared for him more than he thought, mentally he promised to do better. This seemed to satisfy the sentience and Lucas turned to search out prey, the animal kind.

Silently Istrali watched him go.
~~~
The hunt was easy, the thaw drew many animals out. Lucas ignored many pheasents, searching instead for something larger. And he found it in under an hour, a young buck was chewing on new greens oblivious to everything around him. Lucas slid around tall brush making no sound, ahead of him the cervine animal paused in its feed looking around uneasily. Lucas froze, watching the gentle eyed creature as it slowly returned to its activities. He drew an arrow and nocked it, aiming for the deer's neck. There was a pause, then he released. The buck stumbled sideways bleating, but its life was soon ended by Lucas's blade.

A thin rope circled the back hooves of the animal moments after its death, it was pulled from the ground by Lucas until it hung several feet in the air. The rope, tied over a branch, was tested by the elf to ensure it would hold the weight then he started to clean the animal. He buried the inedible pieces and cut the deer down wiping spare blood off. Grunting the elf hoisted the animal over his shoulders and started home.
~~~
It took some time, but eventually Lucas managed to shove the animal through the tunnel. Next time, he decided, he would take his bag and make it easier to transport his kill. Inside he butchered the animal, most of the blood had already fallen onto the forest floor but some still dripped as meat was severed from bone. Lucas could almost hear Istrali sighing as it passed over the floor over and over again burning the blood from the stone. He hung strips of meat on a tall rack, hanging them so they could dry or smoke depending on what he did with them. But Istrali took the decision from him, it zipped along the rack scorching the meat and cooking it.

Lucas ignored the lights actions, adding new strips as it cooked the old ones, until the deer was nothing but skin and bones. The bones he disposed of, but the hide he decided to use to create a new cloak. His old one was probably in some lock up courtesy of X, or even destroyed, courtesy of ignorance. He started to scrape the hide, removing excess hair, but once again Istrali saved him time. Oozing across the surface of the hide hair was burned off and the skin itself began to tan.

The horrible smell pervaded the room and Lucas retreated swiftly, allowing the bluish white light to completely envelope the hide. To distract himself Lucas pulled the cooked meat from tacks on the rack, checking to make sure it had cured properly despite the swift cooking time. Amazingly not only did it seem perfectly dried, but the smell included various spices all appetizing. Experimentally he took a bite of a small piece and saliva instantly gushed. The well seasoned jerky was much better than anything he could have made by hand.

He quickly finished the piece and regretfully placed the rest on a dry shelf, ensuring that it would last as long as possible. When he finished Lucas returned to the hide to discover what Istrali had done to it, but the light had not retreated from the hide so Lucas selected an ancient spell book from his shelf and began to read.

Behind his chair Istrali began to pulse, lights flashing wildly a sound began to echo around the cave. Soon the throbs were deafening, echoing around the cave. Lucas closed his ears to the wild throbbing and focused on his reading material. Ignoring the strange processes begining.
*~*~*~*
X paced around his small home fuming at the situation. Megan never listened, she didn't understand what the Academy was like, what the Guardians were like. Temper flaring X punched the wall, denting the wood and splitting the skin on his knuckles. Barely noticing the pain X turned and punched a shelf, knocking loose several small jars of preserves. The sweet fruit hit the ground splattering across the slatted floor. X ignored the mess pacing the small confines of his room.

Lucas was the one who caused all his problems, if he hadn't flipped, killed Robin. X's throat closed as he thought of his young daughter, how she had been cut and dropped as if she was some animal by Lucas. Heart rate increasing X's nostrils flared as he exhaled forcefully. He needed to calm down, so he tried to slow his breathing, reach a semi-meditative state, but all his efforts failed.

At last he decided he would try to help out in the village, then at least he would be able to do some good. Decision made X practically fled the home and headed towards the center of the village where most of the refugees were waiting. Images of the boy, Kyler, fueled his desire to help. And slowly his mind focused on the task ahead, rather than his ruiner.