Out-Worlders

Alkoni was happy to be inside the fort again. So many eyes watching him. Wanting to see the face under that hood. The man who turned the tide. I'm no hero. They better stop getting any ideas.

Those Elders were about to get an earful. They stopped at the stables. The stable took their horses. He patted Starfeet and followed Nhoni. The others carried the unconscious Harnesser away. "So are we going to meet the Elders or am I getting a bath first?"

"Which do you want?" She asked patiently. His anger must have died down by the time he loosened some tension from his shoulders. Better do it now.

She seemed to know his choice. "Very well. Bathing can wait." She handed him a scarf. "Wipe your face with it."

"Do you always have these things on you?" He said, voice muffled by the scarf around his face. She shrugged. Then narrowed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Those eye bags?" She said, touching her own eyes. Alkoni felt them. Oh, my eyes must have been glowing then.

"They come whenever you Harness on that scale?"

"Sometimes."

At one point she stopped to ask another Harnesser where the Elders were.

Shortly, they were at an open room. It was filled with bearded men and gray haired women. Nothing was more dangerous to the sanity of young folks than a room full of old meats.

He sighed as he entered. "What you did out there was stupid and rash!" Silver diseased Elder said. Wait, this is not going how the way I expected. They were supposed to get an earful not me.

"Don't shout old man. You'll sore your throat." Nhoni's face swelled with suppressed laughter.

"Besides, what in death's domain did I just fight out there?" There, get shouted at.

"What are you talking about?" Elder Oben asked. "We showed you pictures of what to expect." They stared at him as if he had lost his wits.

"So you think a couple of half baked paintings is enough to convince a man who spent his entire life in the east that he would be fighting out world monsters? You must be dumber than you think," their faces tightened. Maybe he went too far.

"I thought you understood? Isn't that why you insisted on fighting light armored," a soft melodious voice said from a corner in the room. Beredith was here.

"Well to be fair, I did say I've never fought heavily armored before. Still, the Elders didn't tell me enough to actually believe this crap. Monsters, suppressers? Where did they even come from? Who created them? Why are they waging war? I was never told any of this." That gave them pause.

An Elderwoman with gray hair in a bun and hazel eyes stepped forward, "I believe you deserve to know that much. You did capture one of the enemy." Oh, he forgot to ask them why humans were fighting alongside them. She caught the question in his eyes.

"We believe the one who leads them was brought here three millennial back," she fore-stalled him with an upraised finger, "during an attempt to find a way to face the lesser gods. The Elders who did that ritual never came back. We believed it must have gone into hiding ever since it was brought here. Secretly, helping lesser beings to cross to our world. Amassing an army. They call him Ian."

Alkoni cocked a skeptical eyebrow, "Wait how do you know so much if the Elders died?"

The Elderwoman exchanged looks with the other Elders as if seeking permission, "During the first attack on Stratshire ten years ago, we ordered a strike team of among our most powerful Harnessers to scout and bring info on this new threat. At first they brought reports but overtime we stopped hearing from them. We believed them dead until three years ago, during the battle at Fort Hailstorm. Survivors claimed to see men and women among them. Several accounts described these men too accurately that it couldn't be imagination. Our scouts had gone to the other side. " Alkoni felt his eyes widened at her last words. Powerful men and women siding with monsters. For what?

The Elderwoman continued, "Adler Vor Augen, Iwan Wu, Stark Ackin, Evbar Dan, Diemon and so many others. During the course of ten years, men have vanished only to be seen again fighting for the other side. One remarkable report claimed to have spotted the missing Eisfalle son. Kristal."

Nhoni's face went sour at that, "You don't for sure if it's him. Eisfalle's are not the only snow haired folks out there." She said bitterly.

"But you all are remarked by it. He was described to his cold and calm features and mannerism," Nhoni hissed. Alkoni thought she was going to smash the Elder's head on the table. Beredith was there in a second, hand on her friends shoulder. Nhoni stormed out of the room.

Alkoni stared at her back, "Who is this Kristal to her?" I don't think I've seen her lose her cool before.

"I believe that is hers to tell." The Elderman Oben said curtly. Beredith gave them a hard eyed look, "You've resurrected enough sour memories for one day."

Elderman Sagie made to comfort Beredith, "Fort Hailstorm holds sour memories for us all, child." His tone was a bit placating. Alkoni did not think the silver cursed man capable of it.

Beredith left the room. "I guess we are done here then, " Alkoni said quickly and followed on Beredith heels.

"Berry," he called.

She stopped, "You were amazing out there.

You turned the tide. You have my thanks."

He smiled at her, "You all did most of the work. It was a collective effort." He brushed stray curls from her face. "You look tired."

"So do you," she held his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'd like to have dinner with you tonight. If you are up for it," there was a certain glint in those gray gemstones.

"Sure. But I'll need to know where. This place is still foreign to me."

She moved closer to him, "Oh don't you worry about that. I'll come get you," she ran a finger along his face. So soft. He nodded slowly.

*********

Beredith waited patiently for Alkoni. She had on a yellow dress, slashed with white at the hem and bodice. Richly embroidered at the hem and sleeves. Fine enough for a ball. The door opened slightly. Alkoni peeked in before entering the private diner she'd rented in one of the refined inns in Hanning.

He wore a black coat with silver embroideries.

"The coat looks good on you," she said as he took a seat opposite her. He smiled at her, "Thank you. Your dress … it's beautiful. You are beautiful. I mean you always are. I…"

She laughed softly at him. "Thank you."

He chuckled, "I should find a new word for you. I'm sure you must be tired of hearing that one."

"Oh, and you would know? Does compliments on your voice get tiresome? It's definitely not your only charm." He wore an amused look, tilted his head, "I've never heard you comment on it before. Is it as they say?"

She replied with a sly smile. "Speaking of that, how's Nhoni doing?"

She rested her hands on the table, "I met her earlier. She was with Zkel. Hopefully he'll keep her out of trouble."

Alkoni poured wine from the porcelain on the table into their wine glasses. "There's more going on there, isn't it?"

"Sure," Beredith said curtly, "They'll never admit it openly but they both care about each other deeply."

She met his eyes as she accepted the glass. "Do you have anyone like that? Someone you care for very deeply?" She waited impatiently for him to answer.

He sipped his wine, "Not in that manner. But yes I do care about someone, very much. We haven't seen for sometime now."

"You must miss them." He opened his mouth when the door opened, maids brought in the evening meals. They ate silently for a while.

"So tell me about your time with … the Ashmen." There. Let's see what he comes up with.

He chewed before speaking, "For starters, we don't go about half naked all the time. You're expected to be able to crawl on your belly and catch rabbits in the woods."

She blinked at that, "Woods?"

He gave an amusing look, "Not everywhere in Ashlan is a desert. Though I believe it's hotter there than anywhere else. But winter there should be something close to Meerlin's"

"I don't doubt that," she said dryly.

"No. No. I mean it. They do have snowy winters and in some years frozen lakes." She felt her eyes widen. Snow

"You don't … have that in Eden, correct?"

She sighed resignedly, "No we do not. Just cold evenings and mornings. With a lots of mists. I've always wanted to see a real winter. Like the ones in Meerlin. Especially snow." She admitted.

He grinned. "I'll admit though. It could be tough sometimes with the Ashmen. At the beginning at least. I had a hard time keeping up. Eventually I didn't have to crawl."

"Oh, so you got better then?"

He shook his head, "I harnessed traps instead. I still crawled sometimes, just for the fun of it."

He pushed his plate aside. "So tell me how's it like growing up in a house of prestige such as yours. It still surprises me to see the way Harnessers are respected here."

"Well, I can tell you it's not as easy and sweet as the stories say," she began. "You have to meet family expectations, court standards. You have to learn ethics and polish your self in court arts. A lot is expected from all the children generally. We should be expected to know trade routes, cultural values of our people and neighbouring lands, that sort of thing." He listened intently. She liked that.

"I'll admit the luxury, respect and influence ares privilege which I enjoy. Simply saying it has it's perks."

"Hmm… can't say the same for those of us born with nothing to our names."

She rose from her chair and whispered in his ear, "I find your voice among other things very… attractive." His eyes brightened like stars in a moonless night.