A Clash Of Light And Thunder (War Of The Forgotten Lovers Book 1)

A Spark Of Motivation

"Go in. The High Shveera awaits for you, " Nessa instructed.

"Don't try anything smart, human," Estel grunted a warning. Her eyes tore into Aria as she leaned against the aged wooden fence.

An angry twitch threatened to appear on the corner of Aria's mouth at the insulting tone. She wanted to walk over and stick her sandals in Estel's face, but Aria was still determined to play nice. So she said a simple, "thank you."

Aria turned and, with a deep breath, pushed the curtain of leafed branches out of the way, opening the front door. Her feet froze at the entrance. On top of the center table was a motionless, naked body. Only a small towel covered the male elf's nether region. But what made Aria pause was the deep and dripping cuts that embellished every inch of his skin. Blood dripped from every slash, painting the tabletop red. The sight made the blood in Aria's vein run freezing cold. He looked young, barely a man. Too young to experience such pain.

"You are late. I do not appreciate tardiness," the High Shveera faced Aria. Her unfocused white eyes trailing the space around her.

"The sun only rose 2 turns of an hourglasses ago," Aria answered.

"And those are two valuable hours we shall never get back. I expect you to be here first thing at sunrise. You have much to learn."

Aria meant to answer, but the body on the table convulsed. Blood poured out from the male's mouth, splattering all over his face. The High Shveera quickly rushed to a nearby shelf, shooing Aria out of the way.

"Can I help?" Aria asked. She felt like she was in the way, just standing around doing nothing.

The High Shveera paused her motion before turning towards the shelf once again. Her hands grabbed bottle after bottle. Long and thin fingers slid rapidly over the glass, feeling their texture. When she found the one she was searching for, the High Shveera turned and walked to the head of the table. Two of her fingers invaded the soldier's bloodied mouth and forced it open.

"Hold him down," the High Shveera ordered.

Aria froze at the command but soon moved to the table. Her hands hesitated over the still body, questioning if she possessed the strength to do so. Regardless, Aria planted her arms on his and pressed them down. Her torso leaned over the motionless body, allowing the weight to constrain him down.

The High Shveera tilted the vile over his lips. A red, thick liquid flowed from the bottle and filled his throat. The elf began to choke, rejecting the intrusion. But, the High Shveera firmly held her thin fingers over his mouth, sealing it shut. His body trashed against Aria. Blood seeped from his wounds and into her clothes. Aria's hands held onto the table, anchoring herself down. Eventually, his muscles relaxed beneath Aria, and his thrashing ceased. Slowly, afraid that he would start moving once again, Aria retreated.

The elder elf also removed her hands from his mouth and grabbed a paste from her right. She placed it on the table by his head and opened it. Two fingers dug inside, scooped the content, and held it up for Aria to see. It was black and thick. Petals of many colors could be seen crushed into it. It almost shined like a night sky.

"This is a healing mixture, not as good as the pixies make them, but it has extreme healing abilities."

"Why do you need a healing cream? I thought you had magic."

"Magic can do wondrous things, but it has its limits. As such, there is only so much that my magic can heal. Now, when it falls short, nature can amplify it. This concoction has been infused with lilies of the valley and star wallflower. It enhances the healing magic I pour into the concoction."