Village Chief

Summer quickly passed on, with the elapse of more than eleven months, the year had circled, the sweltering heat once again setting in.

'That's good enough for today; I've made progress, even in these last two weeks.' Flux, who had grown considerably since his arrival in this foreign world, inwardly thought. His Sense had become even clearer.

 He lay in his wooden crib, a bundle of wool draped over him while a coarse but warm black Carnis hide cushioned him. The shutter fluttered as a refreshing gust of wind blew through the room, rustling Flux's small patch of hair. His baby fat was still prominent but had thinned considerably, and his height was tall for his age.

"Flux, honey?" A familiar voice called out.

'Mom,' Flux thought inwardly.

He had learned much since his arrival in this world and had much to still learn. He had gained a simple grasp of these people's language, the Dark Elven language, and the Dark Elves as he had come to know them. It had been extremely difficult to learn at first, but it became much easier to understand once he'd grasped the foundation. The first word he uttered was Flux, in the human tongue, which both Angela and Nyzen thought strange—that a child estranged from human language could utter a word of it. However, they brushed it off as instinct and fittingly named him Flux, which, of course, was what he had originally intended.

Through eavesdropping and inquiry, he had learned the names of his parents, which he had become used to referring to in intimate ways. He learned of their names, of the forest they inhabited, and of the planet on which they lived: Illvaria, a world of swords, magic, wars, and vast, dangerous lands.

Flux babbled as Angela entered the room. Her warm and gentle smile accentuated her youthful beauty. She wore a faded green kirtle as her grey eyes creased. She picked up Flux as her long, silky black hair spilled over her shoulders. Her long, pointy ears twitched from the wind's breeze. She sat him down as he 'looked' at her, his blank face was calm and serene.

"Today is the day of The Hunt; your father will be busy and I have duties; would you play with Elvie?" Angela asked sweetly, her soft voice like a gentle melody, smooth and affectionate.

"Hunt?" Flux asked simply, his eyes closed as he cocked his head to the side and looked at Angela, his small, fatty body rippling as he moved.

"That's right, The Hunt. Your dad will be hunting the beasts of the forest with the rest of the village men, and we'll all eat as one in the feast hall." Angela smiled, explaining as she looked through a nearby shutter to a large building built between other, smaller shops and houses. "It's a yearly tradition amongst our people, you'll be taking part when you're older too. Hopefully," Angela sighed lightly at the end and caressed Flux's head. 'One day they should accept you...' she thought. 

"Okay...but can I play?" Flux asked, feigning disinterest in The Hunt festival. He was inwardly embarrassed; a baby's ignorance was hard to emulate, and he would often find himself doing embarrassing things such as this.

"Of course," Angela smiled, "shall we?" She reached for Flux's small hand and guided him on their walk. Slowly and awkwardly, Flux wattled from his room through the living room to outside, where he Sensed Elvie frolicking in the grass as she played about with a small stray cat-like creature. Seeing Angela, the creature lightly hissed before running away, disappearing from sight. 

"Hahh. Elvie, what'd I tell you about playing with that?" Angela asked, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"Not to. But-but I was so bored." Elvie rebuked. 

"No buts, what if that thing attacks and hurts you? Anyway, just take care of your brother; play with him a little; I have some things to do."

"Ok…" Elvie pouted, but then quickly smiled as she ran to Flux and gave him a big hug. Her rather large-for-a-female figure completely enraptured him. 

"Flux, can we play swords and fists, please, please, let's play!" Elvie nearly crushed Flux as she held him in a tight embrace while asking ecstatically.

Swords and fists, named by Flux, were simply the basic practice of swordplay and hand-to-hand combat. It was something that he had nearly regretted introducing to Elvie, as she would constantly beg him to play. It also didn't help that she was strong and tall for her age, a feature that Flux noticed on all Dark Elves, with every landed hit leaving a bruise on his fragile body for weeks to come.

"Fine, swords first." Though Flux put up a front, he inwardly enjoyed teaching Elvie. She had become like a sister to him. He had grown closer to her in the past year, closer than he had with Angela and Nyzen, and those two also began to make an impact on him. 'Don't forget why you're doing this; don't forget who you're doing it for.' A little voice reminded him, as scenes of his sister, Tracey, dead and festering flashed through his mind.

"Guard up, ready your stance." Flux's voice became sharp as he instructed Elvie. He grabbed two nearby long twigs and threw one to Elvie as he gestured to start. Elvie smiled, her figure dashing through the long grass as she quickly reached Flux. She slashed out, a horizontal cut meant to cleave his torso. "Too slow!" Flux exclaimed, his sense acting as his vision as he stepped back, allowing the twig to miss him by a hair's breadth. He didn't dare counter or take the attack; his infantile body was too weak.

"I've told you before, aim for the vitals: the throat, eyes, groin, and legs!" Flux reminded her, his voice a breathless yell as he dodged Elvie's unrelenting attacks. She charged forward, realizing Flux's lack of counters as she entered his guard and punched out.

"Clever!" Flux commended her as he sidestepped, grabbed her arm, pulled her forward, and jabbed into her chest with his shoulder. "But not good enough."

Pain exploded in Flux's shoulder as Elvie was pushed back a foot. 

'This body is too weak.' Shaking his head, Flux looked to Elvie and said, "That's one point for me."

"No fair, how're you so good?" Elvie was once again ready in seconds, a cough escaping her from the light blow as she balled her fists and smiled. "Fists now!" She exclaimed, running towards Flux. Reaching him, she threw a jab at his face as Flux observed wryly. He sidestepped, letting Elvie's momentum rule her as she stumbled forward. Kicking at her waist. Yet, his smile disappeared when she dropped down, rolling onto her side. She was within arms range as she grabbed Flux's leg and tugged.

Tuff!

Flux fell with a thud, his legs pulled from under him.

"It looks like that footwork training has paid off." Flux praised as he gestured for a time-out and caught his breath. Elvie pranced about, happy with her victory.

'This body, these eyes, my mobility... I need to get stronger. ' Flux thought inwardly.

His current body was a huge burden; it left him unable to do anything, and the slow tick of time while waiting for his body to mature was driving him crazy. Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do. Only in a few years would his body be capable of absorbing energy. Additionally, his knowledge only extended to Holy Energy, and he couldn't be sure of the nature of the other energies that he observed. 

Though his thoughts were a mess, Flux threw them to the back of his mind and resumed the 'playing' as the two 'sparred', with Elvie laughing and jumping for joy every time she got a point on him. Flux watched and laughed at her childish innocence, letting her get a hit on him now and then.

…

"Huff, huff, huff!" Flux fought for breath, gripping his knees and coughing as he straightened himself to see Angela leaning against the doorframe of the house. Her eyes flashed with nervousness, and even through short breaths, Flux could tell something was wrong.

"Mom?" He asked, confused at the worry in her eyes.

"Flux, we need to talk. Come over here, baby." Angela beckoned, her voice shaky and her palms sweaty. Flux didn't inquire as he slowly made his way towards her. Picking him up, Angela beckoned for Elvie, "You too; this is important." Elvie followed as the three made their way through the house and into the living room, where Flux 'saw' a man sitting.

He was tall, dark-skinned, and scarred, with a big slash going from eye to chin. The man appeared to be middle-aged, with evident creases marking his face as long, messy black hair spilled over it. His face turned grim when he saw Flux, his one good eye weary and cautious.

"This is the boy?" He asked, his voice gritting and sharp.

"Ye-yes, Village Chief Meical." Angela confirmed. Her eyes were avoiding his and her voice was timid. For a reason, Flux could not recognise, Meical's tone with Angela angered him.

"You did not tell me the boy was this old; did you find him this way? How long have you had him?"

"A-a year…" Angela muttered softly.

"A year?! And you did not inform me, your village chief?" Meical exclaimed, his voice an octave louder and tinged with anger, yet he still sat, his face unnaturally calm for his tone.

"Yes, a year. Me and Nyzen have raised and cherished this boy alongside Elvie for a year." Angela retorted, her voice now defensive yet quiet. She squeezed Flux's hand, gazing at him for but a second. 'She's scared and nervous; this man is worried about me and the trouble I might cause.' Flux's thoughts trailed off to some of the things he had learned about Dark Elves, specifically their dislike for the human race. Flux suddenly became tense, a violent intent emitting from him.

Meical's eye widened, "Can he speak our tongue?" He asked Angela, noticing Flux's gaze.

Meical trailed off, his gaze fixed on Flux as he asked, "Has the boy caused any trouble, done anything... unfavourable? You know I don't particularly mind humans, but the same cannot be said for the people of this town. You also know King Linthell would be displeased if he found a human in of his territory, do you not?" Meical peppered Angela with questions, still holding his gaze on Flux, his eyes seemingly seeing through him.

"I know that I've wronged you by keeping this from you for so long; however, I promise you this, Village Chief Meical: Flux is truly kind-hearted. He's not done any harm Chief...He is not like most humans. He has already become so close with us, and I think that the king would be understanding; that's if he ever even came to the town."

Meical's eyes narrowed at that comment, yet he continued: "Fine, so be it. We will see soon if this child is as good as you say, but I will not be responsible for quelling the people's anger; I shall only make sure they don't harm you or the child."

"Thank you, Village Chief." Angela sighed with relief as she gave a light bow to the chief. Meical gave a nod as he waved her off. "It's merely my job. I do hope that this child can be accepted by the rest of the people; however, only time will tell."

Suddenly, Flux's head snapped to the door. 'Who is it?!' He sensed an incredibly fast figure bolting towards the house. He braced himself as a Dark Elf abruptly smashed through the door.

"Village Chief! Orcs, Orcs are attacking the village!"