CHAPTER FIVE: THE PRINCE OF ELVES

CHAPTER FIVE

THE PRINCE OF ELVES

“YOU need to wake up, Eina…” a voice uttered.

It was the same voice I kept on hearing. And as if his voice was my alarm, I woke up. I felt my abdomen twitch in pain once again and when I looked at it, it was properly dressed already.

Then flashes of events came back to my mind. I was attacked by wolves but a man stood in front me and killed all of them. I scanned the whole place where I was. I was in a not well lit room with only a lamp served as light. My gaze turned to a man on the corner sitting on a sofa. He might have sensed I was awake as he stood and walked towards me. Because of the little light, I could not tell who he was when he spoke.

“You are awake, my lady,” said he.

His voice was deep and sharp but it was not the same voice that kept on calling me. Then I remembered the man who fought the wolves and carried me on his horse.

“Are you that man?” I asked.

“Yes, my lady,” he paused as he lowered his pipe, grabbed the chair and sat in front of me.

The little light gave me little justice to describe his face but clearly, he was really that man.

“But I repeat, I am no Man.”

That bolted me for a moment but I recovered fast. I managed to ask without blinking and staring down from his gaze.

“What are you then?”

“I am a Wizard.”

That left me stunned for I do not know exactly how many seconds I was a statue. He broke the silence with the same question I asked him.

“What are you, young lady?”

I answered with full honesty without realizing I might have endangered my life at that moment.

“I am a Human.”

“Indeed,” he simply uttered, then a long silence took over.

Finally, I managed to talk.

“Where are we?”

“We are in the town of Tenethra, my lady,” he answered.

He brought me to the place I wanted to go. Another silence took over before I managed to talk once again.

“Thank you for your help a while back and for curing my wound.”

Actually, I felt my wound was not really cured but the dressing was only changed to prevent further bleeding.

“I did not cure your wound, my lady.”

I stopped his statement.

“It’s Altheina, or you can just call me Eina,” I said.

I really hated the formality.

“Lady Altheina,” he emphasized the word ‘Lady’. “Your wound is beyond my medicine. I need to take you to someone who can cure it but we have to just wait.”

“Aresdor…if I am not mistaken...”

“Yes, it’s Aresdor, my lady,” again he uttered with the formality. “It is Aresdor, the Foolish Wizard.”

“Foolish?” I asked innocently.

“Because I loved to fool around,” he simply answered with grins on his lips and his three folded forehead justified his 50’s.

“How can I trust you then?” I asked sarcastically but I didn’t really mean to be sarcastic; I just waited for his answer.

He looked upward and thought for a while when he finally left a heavy sigh.

“Because I had just saved your life.”

“From wolves yes, but not entirely my life,” I commented and he seemed to be taken aback by my gesture. “I’m sorry.”

“Its fine, my lady, I was a little bit surprised,” he said with a flicker of interest in his eyes.

“Why were you surprised?” I asked out of curiosity but to which I should not have asked already.

“Surprised of what, my lady?” he asked playfully with his grins. “Surprised of how you talked to me, or surprised to see a human after over a thousand years they became extinct?”

“Wait!” I exclaimed.

I gradually comprehended his last words until I finally grasped it.

“Human became extinct in a thousand year?”

He simply nodded but something told me behind that playful grin, he was curious about something else about me aside from the fact I am a human.

“Why?”

“Man once became the mightiest and bravest creatures of this world but after the birth of the dark lord, they became the maddest of all seeking only for power. They were blinded by power and darkness shadowed their kind hearts. They were banished from the world after the defeat of the dark lord ending the Great Battle,” Aresdor explained but I was not able to quite grasp the whole meaning of it at that time.

“The dark lord? The great battle?” I whispered in confusion.

“Man was not seen for over a thousand year until I saw you in the old fortress attacked by an Orc and tried to escape with nowhere to go,” said he.

“Where did Man go?” I asked silently which I should have not asked.

“That is the question I am supposed to ask you, my lady.”

He caught my gaze with his playful eyes and lips.

“Where did your kin go after the great battle?”

That was when it hit me, the whole scenario of the lives of humans in Eafros. Humans suddenly banished and were not seen in a thousand year and suddenly, a human stepped out after all those years. That was what Aresdor wanted to know. He wanted to know where I came from and why I came out suddenly when humans were believed to be extinct already.

“You are the very first human I have seen after the great battle when rumors started to spread that all humans died of unexplained disease and starvation and no one of their kin survived,” he commented as I remained silent.

Long silence passed by. If I had told him the truth that time, he might have killed me immediately. I tried to make up a story but there was nothing I thought of. Gladly, I have a wound that serves as my alibi.

I screamed as I grasped my abdomen. I looked pained which was, I was really in pain that time. I tried to exaggerate and Aresdor bought it.

“Are you alright my lady?” he asked, concern was written all over his face.

“Sorry, I need to lie. I do not want to answer your question now,” my mind said.

I was no good at lying when I was in my real world but during those times, I needed to beat Jennifer Lawrence for being the best actress.

“Not totally fine. But I can manage. A little bit more rest I suppose,” I commented.

“Better idea, my lady. We just have to wait more.”

Aresdor gave up on my acting and helped me lie down.

“Are they still far away?”

“In a few hours, my lady,” he answered.

He got a cup of tea and helped me drink. I almost spitted it out because of its bitterness but Aresdor insisted I drink it all.

“Who are we going to wait for?” I asked.

“Those who will help me bring you to a safer place,” he answered as he stood and descended to the window.

“Where? And why?” I asked but he left out a sigh and walked past me and stopped in front of the door.

“Answers will be given later, my lady. You just have to wait a little longer. I will just be down to check on things and when they get here, we can go. Just get more sleep my lady, you are safe here,” he said instead before going out of the room.

I heard him utter words outside until his footsteps totally disappeared. And I was alone once again.

I took another nap but it only lasted for a few hours. The pain was growing but I managed to tolerate it. I could not feel the presence of Aresdor yet.

“He must still be down.”

I managed to stand with a little bit of pain and I heard my grumbling stomach. I never had any decent food since I arrived in that world. I walked towards the window but all I saw was darkness. There was little light from each house, thanks to a single lamp in front of each house. But the whole place was submerged into darkness. However, I heard cheering downstairs from sobers whom I only knew were not humans but creatures I did not believe to exist.

“First Orcs, then second, a Wizard, now loud cheering of I guess, Dwarves. What’s next? Elves?” I said and asked at the same time when I heard a harsh noise that opened the door of my room.

Seconds next, I was lying on the bed, a man or I did not exactly know what creature he was until he revealed himself, leaned his body against me, his one hand grabbed tightly my neck and choked me and his other hand held a sword, its sharp blade towards my throat.

I fought hard but my abdomen began to experience severe, intense pain. I tried to talk but his hand was stronger than mine. I almost passed out when I looked into his eyes. His light blue eyes were filled with anguish and anger as he met my light green eyes.

“Who are you?” he asked in a deep, baritone voice.

“Please….” I tried to utter. “Let…go…”

I stuttered and tried to fight but his hand was strong and his body was heavy to push.

“Let… go…”

I felt my death by his hand. He actually does not need to use his sword to cut my throat. Just by his strong hand, he could have killed me already. I closed my eyes in preparation for my death when I heard a voice.

“Let go of her, my lord,” the voice pleaded.

I gradually opened my eyes and even if my vision was too blurry, I knew the voice belonged to Aresdor.

“Why should I let go of her? She’s a she-Man!” the man shouted back to Aresdor but Aresdor tried to stay calm.

“Yes, she is indeed a she-Man,” Aresdor said in a softer voice while the man’s eyes remained furious as he stared back at me. “But she is not the she-Man you think of. She is the reason why you are here, my lord.”

With those words of Aresdor, the man’s hand gradually loosened his grip but he did not totally let go of me as he spoke again.

“It can’t be.”

“Yes it can, my lord. Please, let go of her and answers will be heard,” Aresdor pleaded.

With that, the man totally pulled his hand off my neck as Aresdor came to my aid.

“Are you alright, my lady?” asked he.

“Nothing is…alright!” I answered him with anger because of what the man did.

I coughed because of the choke but my wound hurt.

“Thank you for saving me again, if you can even call this a saving.”

I looked into my attacker. Because of the little light, I could not describe his face. I sensed another being standing at the door guarding it but my body weakened.

“I’m sorry. It was just a misunderstanding,” Aresdor apologized in a low voice.

“Is this the man we’re waiting to help you transfer me to a safer place?!” my voice lowered but my anger was there. “He could have killed me now.”

“Do not call me a Man!” he exclaimed disgustingly. “I am nobler compared to your kin!”

His last statement disgusted me heavily, if only I could kick him in the ass.

“Then what are you?!” I exclaimed.

“He’s an Elf, my lady,” Aresdor answered instead.

He might have sensed that both of us would keep on shouting with each other. “They are both Elf (he pointed to the other one who kept exchanging looks at me and the one who attacked me).”

“Great. More unbelievable creatures,” I thought.

Then I shouted in pain. I clutched my abdomen as I tried to control the pain but it was severe already.

“We need to take him to your father, lord Eowan,” Aresdor uttered to my attacker whom he called Eowan.

“What happened to her?” he asked.

His anguish face suddenly shifted to a delicate concern. His emotion was different from before.

“She was stabbed by the blade of death. No one except your father can cure it,” Aresdor answered as Eowan leaned towards me and inspected my wound.

He touched it and it made me scream again.

“We need to apply this first to lessen her pain.”

He brought out a little cup. It smelled bitter. He applied the cream into my abdomen cautiously but it stings. I tried not to scream again. Then he applied the dressings. The cream felt warm and soothing as it eased my pain a little bit.

“She will not last long,” Aresdor commented.

I looked into Aresdor’s eyes and asked what he meant but he gazed down. I felt the crystal sweats all over my face because of my screaming. I became delirium once again, my mind dragging me into sleep. Aresdor covered me with the cloak I borrowed from Oli Klimpin and before I could even react, Eowan carried me already.

“We need to go,” said he.

Because of weakness, I did not protest and comfortably rested my head on his broad chest. He has a very masculine scent with the scent of my favorite flowers, Roses and Tulips, covering him. As we went down, I heard no more cheering and the whole place became dead silent.

Eowan rode me on his horse then seconds, next he mounted the horse.

He said, “I’ll ride with her.”

The horse rode fast with us in the front and Aresdor and the other Elf in our back. I opened my eyes and saw total darkness surrounding the forest.

“Where are we going?” I managed to ask Eowan with my little voice.

“To the house of my father, to Flevion,” he answered in a softer and gentler voice.

The Elf that attacked me a few minutes back filled with anguish and furiousness disappeared in a blink. He became suddenly concerned and heartwarming.

“There must be a reason,” I thought.

“Just close your eyes and relax.”

He held my head and rested it on his chest. Next thing he did was to hold my hand and embrace it to his masculine body.

“Just sit comfortably.”

I tightened my embrace into his masculine body and rested comfortably on his broad chest. I really loved his scent and just by merely with it, I could say he was a very beautiful Elf.

“Seriously Eina, you adore an Elf,” my mind playfully thought.

I do not know what he looked like because of the darkness but I knew he was a gorgeous Elf. Though the horse rode fast, I fell into deep a sleep. Suddenly a voice called my name but it was not the same voice I have been hearing since.

“Altheina… You came back…” the voice uttered.

It was a rusty, harsh, sharp, deep voice, deeper and sharper than Aresdor’s voice and darker than the other voice. I woke up and light blinded me. It was morning already.

Eowan must have felt I woke up as he gazed down at me. That was when I saw the most beautiful, enchanting and bewitching creature I have ever seen in my entire life. The light rays of the sun gave no justice to his porcelain skin. Even if he was wearing his hood, you could only tell his skin was of a royalty. Because of my fascination, I met his eyes that bolted my heart a little bit.

“Indeed. You are fascinated with a creature you have never believed to exist,” my mind uttered once again.

My great grandmother was right about how enchanting an Elf is. I clearly saw his light blue eyes without any negative emotion but I was confused by the emotion of his stare. It was not clear. Because of the staring we had, he pulled away and looked ahead of the direction we were traveling. His eyes meant something, more of a passionate stare rather than a concerned stare towards my condition.

“Now you are being delusional…”

Yes, I was being delusional indeed. I just looked down when my abdomen began to twitch again with pain. I screamed because of the pain.

“Are you alright, my lady?” Eowan asked while exchanging looks on me and on the road.

The surrounding became rocky as if we were outside the forest already. It was harder to maneuver the horse on that slope.

“No, definitely not,” I answered.

I screamed once again. Eowan commanded the horse to run fast.

“Lady Altheina?” Aresdor called at the back when they caught us.

“We need to speed up Aresdor. Can you manage?” Eowan asked without turning back.

“I can. Her safety is more important,” Aresdor answered back.

“You go ahead, my lord,” the other Elf called to Eowan. “We have unexpected company.”

Eowan looked back as I did and we saw packs of wolves following us.

“Can you handle it, Ashmir?” Eowan asked.

The other Elf Eowan called as Ashmir took off his bow and arrow and readied to shoot.

“I can handle it, my lord. Bring the lady to lord Elmarone immediately,” Ashmir answered.

“I’ll stay behind and help lord Ashmir. Be safe,” Aresdor said as he took out his sword and stabbed the wolf that attacked us.

Eowan nodded and commanded the horse to run fast again. The running became unsteady and in every jump of the horse, the more pain I felt. I hold to Eowan’s body tightly but it did not do great. I screamed in pain again.

“We’ll be there. Just hang on, my lady,” said he.

His soft voice was comforting but the pain increased. I became delirious and flashes of light came to my vision. It was like an illusion taking my vision with illumination. Then I saw figures of dead bodies in the air. They were calling out my name. Second thing I knew, I was screaming hard.

Wolves gathered around us but they were taken down by Aresdor and Ashmir who were still on our back not too far away. Eowan increased the speed until all of them became out of sight. Then another series of light captivated my vision. The second time, it showed a shadow of a man standing on a serpent’s head calling out my name. I left out another scream that almost took my lungs out.

Eowan comforted me with his gentle hand. “Everything will be fine now. You will be okay, Altheina.”

The way he called my name gave me comfort when another blast of light trapped my vision before it became pitch black.