Discovering Reality
by RikugouStandard Disclaimer: No part of this story may be reproduced anywhere else but here. The characters, plot, language, names and spells belong to the author. This is an original story people. All of the characters are MINE!
Notes: Thanks for some of the 'spells' Kit!
Chapter 5The sunlight passed through the thick screen of leaves. Throwing dapples of golden rays to the forest floor. Here and there, clumps of small shrubs grew, their fragrant flowers perfuming the air around them. The birds chirped and called to one another, their sweet cries filling the forest with song. A glimpse of the heavens through the forest showed clear cloudless blue skies.
One of the four Elves traveling through the forest took no notice of such a thing. His hair took on the image of fiery flames when sunlight touched it and turned his eyes into sparkling emerald gems even though they were slightly glassy with boredom. After a three straight days of riding, he was saddlesore with a headache the size of all the three moons in the sky put together and bored of seeing green all around him. He had always loved the forests but he was beginning to get annoyed of seeing nearly the same scenery over and over again.
Like his fencing teacher, Spartye, Cyris was a hard taskmaster. His head hurt in parts that he never knew could hurt and Brendon had taken part in training him for his Healing-Gifts. Spartye was still training him with the sword since it seemed that he had more tricks under his sleeve in his real form. Alexius continued their Mage-Gift lessons. He was thankful that he had good memory or else he would never remember all the things they told him. His subjects ranged from geography to religion to language.
It seemed that Alexius had an active language spell the entire time he was in the Human World. It enabled him to speak the Elven language to a human and for them to understand it. It was put up just in case he ran into anyone who did not speak English, which was the only human language he knew. He had forgotten since he was drugged to the teeth and was still slightly groggy when he had found Spartye. He had to mentally keep the spell active and since he was a little stoned from the tranquilizers given to him, it kept flickering on and off during the times he was lucid.
Alexius had permanently banished the spell after they landed in Feryngale, speaking English to save energy. Brendon, who was atrocious with languages, had had Syrval cast a language spell so the topic of the Elven tongue was never brought up.
Politely refusing Cyris' proposal to 'give' him the language, he decided to learn it the hard way. A unicorn's method of giving languages was essentially stuffing the dialect into your mind and incorporating it with the first steps of learning at the level of an infant. It included getting a horrible headache after the exchange so Myterinth did not want it. Maybe after his head didn't hurt as much, he would do it. Fortunately, he could revert to Mindspeech if he could not find a word to express his thoughts.
Thankfully for him, Mindspeech passed through all barriers of language. Besides, he was learning it much faster than he normally could after Cyris had showed him a way to use his gift to speed up the process of learning any tongue.
He looked at his newfound friends chatting around him. Spartye and Brendon rode in front while he was in the middle. Alexius took rear guard, riding next to him whenever he seemed to get bored. A day ago, the Warrior-Healer had pronounced him fully purged of the poison which had overtaken him on his second day in Feryngale. And thank Ashia for that. The antidote tasted like something from the bottom of a cesspool!
With no little amount of wonder, Myterinth thought back to what he was doing a week ago. He remembered walking to and from school with Jasen, complaining about how boring life was. How life could change so quickly! He frowned. That was the first time in several days since he thought about his friend or ex-friend as the case may be.
It was rather easy to deduce who had poisoned him. Brendon had explained to him how the poison worked. Supposedly, the toxin took several hours to take effect. Something in his system delayed it enough for him to get help. Human doctors had no way to cure something that included herbs that did not exist in their world. Myterinth had not eaten anything other than the oatmeal cookies. He had had lab that day so he did not have time to eat his lunch. He usually skipped breakfast in return for more sleep. The following day, he was in Feryngale and they had eaten nothing.
The thought of his former best friend hurt. He remembered playing together as children and promising to stick by each other through thick and thin when they were older. So many happy memories included Jasen in them.
"It is not like you to frown. What is troubling you, my prince?" Spartye asked over his shoulder.
"I was just thinking about my friends in the Human World," Myterinth said, fiddling with the reins. He lowered his head, letting his bangs shadow his eyes. He rolled his eyes under the cover of his hair when he realized that Spartye had once again addressed him as 'my prince.' He had long since given up on making the King's Own call him anything else.
:No friend betrays them for their own benefit,: Cyris said.
"I've known him for so long that the very idea of him poisoning me seems surreal," he stated, shaking his head.
"The idea of Chancellor Jespheras betraying the kingdom was just as ludicrous but the impossible happens," Alexius shrugged.
"Since you seem so interested in the residents of Feryngale, why don't we switch to brighter topics? You are the future heir. It is important for a ruler to know his subjects," Brendon said with a smile. "You can have our historian here tell you," he said, angling his head towards his younger brother. "He was apprenticed to a librarian as a child. That was before he came into his powers as got kicked off to a School of Magick. Besides, we are still rather far from reaching Empth."
Myterinth tentatively smiled back and nodded. Alexius cleared his throat and adopted the same scholarly tone he used while explaining the elements to him.
"There are quite a few different races, just like it is so in the Human World. The majority is the Elves. The people we address as our kin are called the Nymphs. They are guardian spirits of nature like we are. They are rather similar to us in appearance except they are a bit smaller in size although some of them are rather tall. Lynk, a future member in our entourage, is actually a Dryad, a type of forest Nymph just in case you did not know. It is not unusual to see a Life Bonded pair consisting of a Nymph and an Elf. Like the Elves, they only have one gender. A male can both bear and father a child. They worship the Goddess of the Light as well," the silver haired Warrior-Mage said.
"I think we should tell him a bit about our religions as well later on," Brendon suggested.
"How am I ever going to remember all this?" Myterinth groaned.
"Do not fret overmuch, elfling. You have many years ahead of you to learn the ways of your people," Spartye said.
Alexius cleared his throat loudly. "Does the gracious King's Own and honored Warrior-Healer give me permission to continue?" he asked in an annoyed tone.
Spartye muttered something about the disrespect younglings showed their elders and motioned for him to continue. Brendon stuck his tongue childishly at his brother.
"Oh don't worry about him, amosí. He gets annoyed when one interrupts his long litanies," Brendon chuckled. Throwing a glare at his brother, he continued.
"Next in line are the Faeries. They are a rather mischievous bunch. Contrary to popular human belief, they are not six inches tall. However, they are short compared to other races. Most of them are lithe, willowy creatures with wings so thin that you would think they would not support their weight in flight. Most of them are rather pale with blonde hair although there are a few with black and auburn. Just not many. There are several Faery and Elf Life Bonded out there," Alexius said.
"Your great grandmother was a faery," Spartye said.
"Which explains my height," Myterinth grumbled under his breath.
"Just be thankful that you are enough Elf not to sprout wings when you reach 100 years of age, your majesty. Alian had quite a time explaining to Hyrule that he was not under an enchantment from a Black Mage," Spartye chuckled.
Alexius scowled at the green haired Elf and continued. "Faeries have two genders, what the humans would call female and male. Most of them have the Healing-Gift although a Seer pops up once and again," he shrugged.
"What kind of power do Seers have?" Myterinth asked curiously.
"They can tell the future. One of your father's advisors is a Seer. It's rather advantageous to know certain things about your government before it happens. Unfortunately, he could not see the betrayal of Jespheras. I am often surprised by the power the chancellor showed. This was not an exception," Alexius sighed. "Another interesting group are the gryphons."
"Gr-Gryphons?" Myterinth squeaked.
The Warrior-Mage chuckled heartily. "You name it, we've got them. This is the Elven World. Expect the unexpected. We have gryphons, dragons, fauns, sprites, unicorns, stormwings, centaurs and a couple of others that I cannot recall at the moment."
"How many different creatures are there?"
"Well over a hundred, my prince. Well over a hundred," Spartye chuckled.
"This world is so different from the Human World," Myterinth said, shaking his head ruefully.
"As I said before, you have many times the lifespan of the humans to become used to our peculiar ways, my liege," Spartye said.
"There's Vanlyn!" Brendon pointed at some point up ahead.
Myterinth strained to discern the village from the rest of the forest but even with his enhanced vision, he could not find it.
"I wonder if Lysren is still there," Spartye said. He looked back at the prince and smiled. "I do not believe that you have participated in a competition in a long while, my liege. This is a good place for you to test your limits."
"Hn. That's an understatement. Everyone in that village is either a warrior or Warrior-Mage," Alexius snorted.
At that statement, Myterinth perked up. He had been in full health since a day ago when the leather straps binding his legs to the saddle had been removed and was itching for a practice bout. He was used to fencing with his teacher every day and was full of pent up energy from not having his usual lesson.
"I have a feeling that Prince Myterinth will embrace his Warrior-Mage side more than his Warrior-Healer side," Brendon groaned, looking up at the sky.
"I am interested in the Healing-Gift," Myterinth protested. "But I haven't had a good fight in ages!" he added with a cheerful tone.
"Like teacher, like student," the Warrior-Healer sighed.
"I heard they have many archers there and often have contests," Spartye said, eyeing the bow strapped to his Life Bonded's back.
"Really?" Brendon asked.
"Bren has not been out of Mitemp in a while. Any news that arrives at that backward little village of his is decades out of date, centuries even," Alexius said, calmly ducking when a rock was thrown at his head. Where his brother obtained it, he had no idea.
As they were riding in, villagers began flooding the streets. A tall Elf with coal black hair and gold eyes walked confidently up to them.
"Haven't seen you around Spartye," he said. He ran an appraising eye over Brendon and Myterinth. "I see you your tastes have improved although I'm not sure I would pick one as pale as that," he said, looking at Alexius. The silver haired Elf growled under his breath but calmed down when he saw Myterinth give him a look.
"I believe that you are the Lysren that Spartye has been talking about. I was slightly curious by you," Brendon said, his tone slightly arrogant.
"Aa, the pleasure is all mine," Lysren said, grinning.
"All yours, I believe," Brendon said nonchalantly.
Spartye narrowed his eyes at the lust-filled look that Lysren gave his Life Bonded. "This is Brendon ê Koris Meren Syntet, my Bonded," he remarked.
Lysren recoiled immediately. Any self-appreciating Elf knew better than to challenge a Life Bond. If they wanted to live.
"Terrin ê Alian Syle Aildeus is my under my fencing tutelage. Alexius ê Koris Meren Syntet is his master," Spartye said.
"Rather young to have come into his powers," Lysren said, eyeing the red haired Elf.
Myterinth squirmed slightly in the saddle.
"We were wondering whether there are rooms at the inn," Alexius asked.
"The King's Own should not reside in such lowly quarters. Come and join me at my humble abode," Lysren said, bowing to them.
The red-haired Elf prince did not like the aura the black haired Elf exuded. There was something distinctly slimy about him. "I don't think we should intru-" Myterinth began.
"Oh no. None of you are intruding. I would be honored to have you as my guest," Lysren said, giving Myterinth a smile.
:It would be rude not to do so but I do not like this Elf,: Cyris said under shield.
"It would be a perfect opportunity for me to see if you have improved," Spartye said, agreeing to Lysren's proposition.
"Certainly," he remarked with a tight smile.
***
Alexius gawked slightly at the extravagance of the house. He had never seen another structure, outside of the Palace of Seraph, that was so big or opulent. How could anyone waste so much land for one person? Lysren clearly did not have a Life Bonded as he was scoping out his brother and the prince out. He growled mentally at the thought. Myterinth was his intended and he was not about to forsake him for some arrogant Warrior-Mage.
The gates opened and they rode up the path leading towards the mansion. He noticed that the prince displayed no expression, in fact, his face was getting blanker with each passing moment.
:Is something the matter?: he Sent to Myterinth. Mental conversation would only strengthen their Bond so Alexius used it when he could. Besides, no one could detect a conversation between Life Bonded, no matter how powerful they were if the discussion was not meant to be heard.
:I have a bad feeling about this,: the prince replied.
:You have Spartye and Brendon to protect you,: he said.
:How 'bout you?: Myterinth asked, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.
:I am always there to protect you, chibi,: Alexius said, giving him the mental equivalent of a grin.
:Don't call me that!: Myterinth protested, sending an image of him sticking his tongue out. Alexius had discovered that the red haired Elf had taken a crash course in Japanese from a friend. From the mental rapport that he shared with him, Alexius had found a word that he was taken with. Besides, it was amusing to see the prince annoyed. He was the only one who could wring that kind of reaction from him. Moreover, it seemed to suit him. The definition of 'chibi' was kid or short person.
Satisfied that the green-eyed future Warrior-Mage Healer was out of his peculiar mood, Alexius continued taking observations from his surroundings. Lysren certainly did not hold back on luxuries from the two fountains just beyond the front gates. A well kept garden surrounded the mansion.
The house itself supported at least twenty rooms, enormous by Elven standards. Only those who lived in the Palace could call it small, the building boasting well over a hundred different rooms.
"Welcome to my humble abode, honored guests," Lysren said. "My servants shall see to it that you are given rooms and that your mounts are taken care of."
All of them got off the unicorns at the same time, a rather impressive feat and not coincidental by any stretch of imagination. Unicorns had a natural bond with each of their herd and that bond extended to their riders as well.
They took off the saddles and bridles before the servant could lead the unicorns away. He saw Myterinth watching with rapt attention as the four mystical creatures reverted to their two legged form.
Cyris walked to the forefront where Spartye and Brendon were standing. "I believe that we can take care of ourselves," he said. :I will see you tomorrow morning. If you will give us the riding gear, we can get ourselves ready to ride. There is a herd close by and Lesth has relatives he has not seen in a while. We should be welcome to reside in their territory,: he said, a private message strictly for their group.
:It is not every day that the king stallion of Enthersa leaves his herd so we shall be very welcome,: Lesth chuckled into their minds. Alexius felt Cyris give him a small mental slap before all four of them disappeared with the riding equipment. Another mysterious power of the unicorns.
"Does Narsis have weird creatures pop in and out of the capital?" Lysren asked.
Brendon shrugs and shifts his pack to a more comfortable position on his shoulder.
"Shall we have the match now in your salle or shall we wait until later? We do not plan on staying long because I have business to tend to elsewhere," Spartye said.
"Of course. Will it be a private match or will your charge be watching?" he asked as they walked deeper towards the training room.
"Does your younger brother still live with you?" Spartye asked. :And is he still as arrogant as you?: Alexius heard him send to Brendon. The Healer was hard pressed not to laugh.
"Myrast is still here. Why?" he asked suspiciously.
"I would like for my charge to try his skills against him. I am not exactly sure whether or not he has progressed to my expectations. You are obviously too experienced to go against him but your brother is around the same age as Terrin," he said.
Alexius was faintly amused at how Lysren was drinking up the praise. From the mock battles he saw Myterinth in, the prince was very talented with a sword. He, a rather good swordsman himself, was very amazed by the Elf prince's skills. With the almost obsessively modest attitude, he was a perfect person to recommend for knighthood. Of course, there was nothing like that in the Elven World but the demeanor was also a very important aspect of a good ruler.
"He wants to compete with me?" came a voice. Another black haired Elf appeared. He bore a very close resemblance to Lysren. He had the appearance of a human eighteen-year-old male.
"I would be honored to match steel with you," Myterinth said, adopting the same slightly meek tone Spartye did. Like the older brother, he drank up the compliments.
The silver haired Warrior-Mage mentally snickered.
"I would think so. Myrast the Great was my title within the battlefield," he boasted.
"Then your skill must be distinguished indeed," the prince remarked. He looked around the room. "Where are the practice swords?"
"We fight with our own swords. What do you think that thing strapped to your waist is?" Myrast snorted.
Myterinth blinked.
:We never fight with practice swords. From what I can tell, Myrast has long since been through that stage of fighting with blunted weapons,: Alexius informed him.
:But isn't that dangerous?: he asked.
:Elves can heal rather quickly. The pain you get from the wounds is basically a reminder of your inability to block the attack. It has been this way ever since the beginning of Elven history,: he answered.
Spartye drew his sword and threw the scabbard aside. "All of you should stay in the observation room," he said, pointing to the mirrors at the side.
"I'm staying," Myrast stated in a tone of his exaggerated worthiness.
Brendon, Myterinth and Alexius immediately walked through the door and stood in front of the one sided window.
Faster than the human eye could see, two bodies were in motion.
***
Spartye calmly parried a strike aimed at his side and responded with one of his own.
"Have you done much training these past two decades?" he asked.
"I was promoted to Captain of the Seraphians," Lysren boasted.
"It is a befitting title," Spartye said. Of course you probably bribed and cheated your way up but we are not discussing that at the moment, he thought to himself, careful to keep it under heavy shields.
Lysren and himself had gone to the same school of magick. They were in the same class and year group but his gift had always been a bit stronger. In swordfighting, he was just a bit faster and smarter. Throughout the years, Spartye had always been second and had been content to stay there. However, he possessed more popularity than the other Elf ever did because of his arrogant behavior and tendency to rub his ability into people's faces.
During his fiftieth year at the school, a special royal procession came into the town nearby. Since he was a senior student, the job of bodyguard was given to him and Lysren, the two best students at the institution. There, he had met Hyrule, the twenty-five year old heir to the throne. He remembered there being an assassination attempt on the boy. Lysren was several feet away, charming a group of faeries. He was standing right next to the young Elf and was able to knock him out of the dagger's path.
On Hyrule's hundredth birthday, his father was killed and he was crowned king of Feryngale. Immediately, he was picked as King's Own over Lysren, who believed himself to be the better suited for the role.
Unlike his egotistical year mate, Spartye had been honing his skills to a fine edge. He had been fighting the world's champions ever since he had been elected as King's Own. He had no wish to have the life of his king and best friend hanging over his head.
He was no longer the green Elf he was then. He was an experienced mage and swordsman, of which both had earned him the title as the 'Mage of Swords'. Lysren had spent his days fighting against those weaker than he was. Spartye was no longer second to the other. He had more tricks than any Elf he had ever encountered in his life. He did not have to play shadow to Lysren's skills.
"I hope you do not intend on using that sword for anything more than show," he mumbled. The mentioned weapon itself was a rather gaudy object with more jewels than style and obviously new. His own was old and worn but it suited his purpose. He fell onto his back as if he had tripped over his own feet. Spartye saw Lysren shake his head, thinking that he was still the clumsy Elf he had been hundreds of years ago. He rolled away from the sword that was about to lay itself on his neck and moved his body into a low crouch.
As he thought, Lysren had to hunch a bit in order for him to reach where he was before and was therefore unbalanced. He swept his legs from under him. Spartye laid his sword lightly on the Elf's neck. Golden eyes blinked in surprise from the floor of the salle.
***
How was he to match that speed? Myterinth thought worriedly. The sound of metal on metal rang through the room as the two very experienced swordfighters tried to get an opening through each other's defenses.
He nearly jumped a foot in the air when a hand landed on his shoulder. The Elf saw Alexius frown. "What's wrong? You're much too tense," he said.
"Lârshì o ëituis. This is his first time fighting as an Elf and he is afraid that he will not be able to match the skill of someone older than he," Brendon said, rolling his eyes.
"Who are you calling lârshì o ëituis? I am not an Empath the last time I checked," he growled back at his brother.
Myterinth just blinked in confusion at the unfamiliar term. "What does lârshì o ëituis mean?"
:Slow of mind,: Brendon informed him before Alexius could shut him up. He snickered while his younger sibling glared at him.
The door to the observation room opened and Spartye walked in looking none the worse for wear. Other than the fact that he was slightly sweaty, he looked exactly the same as when he started the fight.
"Myrast is ready, milord," Spartye said. He smiled with assurance when he saw the tense set of his shoulders. "I would not have put you against him if I did not think you were ready for it. Ashia Êlõstri màgÿin. May Ashia Shine upon you."
"Good luck," Brendon said.
"You don't need luck when you have skill, eh? We'll be rooting for you all the way, Teri!" Alexius said, winking rakishly at him with a wolfish smile.
He squirmed a bit from the attention he was not used to getting. He unsheathed his sword and handed the scabbard to Alexius. "Hold it for good luck?" he said, running off before the silver haired Elf could react.
The black haired Elf was waiting for him with impatience in his stance. "Now that I think of it, you're rather young to be fighting experienced soldiers," he said with a raised eyebrow. The red head mentally gritted his teeth. He had the appearance of an Elf roughly around a hundred years old. Spartye had told him that Myrast was only a little over a hundred. The Elf was not that much older than him if one went by physical appearance. Letting the gibe go, he settled in a relaxed fighting stance.
"Master Spartye has told me very often that I am a natural," Myterinth shrugged.
"What do you think about making this fight a bit more exciting?" Myrast said, eyes glittering with an unknown light.
"How so?" he asked warily.
"If I win, I get to have my way with that pretty toy you brought with you," he smirked.
Myterinth nearly choked. He could not possibly mean that he bet the body of someone he had known for less that two weeks!
"I-It does not quite seem fair to Alexius," he reasoned.
"He is yours, no?"
"I do n-not know him very well," he stuttered, fighting the blush that was threatening to break over his face.
"Well, then, how about I have my way with you since you seem so reluctant to bet on your friend's body," Myrast shrugged.
"What happens if I win?"
The arrogant Elf burst out in laughter. "That," he said, lunging at him with his sword, "is an impossibility."
The Elf prince gritted his teeth when shocks of pain traveled up his arm from the hard strokes. This was not a practice fight at all! This was a fight to the death and Myrast was determined to be the victor. Myterinth ducked at a swipe across his neck and blocked the overhead strike.
They exchanged blow after blow, neither seeming to win ground nor lose it. An hour later, both of them were still at it. The red head was slightly surprised that he was not short of breath. No matter how many days had passed since he had arrived at Feryngale, he was amazed by the stamina that Elves possessed.
Clearing his mind of everything but his persistence to succeed, Myterinth blocked the swing that could have cut him in half. Inspiration struck him when he finally noticed the hilt of his sword. The face of a dragon was cut into the metal with two quillons curving away from the grip that stood for the horns. He recalled Spartye teaching him a move that took him days to master and plenty of sweat that enabled him to either snap his opponent's sword out of his hand or break his blade.
Like a beacon of light, Myrast came at him at the perfect angle. His mind took on the sense of calm that came over him when he used a move that would most likely set him as the victor. Myterinth's sword went up to counter and at the last moment, moved his body to the side, unbalancing the dark haired Elf. Twisting his sword savagely in the other direction, the quillons caught the hilt and one of Myrast's fingers.
Pain loosened his hold on the sword and it went flying out of his hands. Myterinth serenely laid the flat of the blade against his neck, silently asking if he would risk running after his sword.
Someone clapped in the direction of the observation room but he dare not remove his eyes from his adversary.
"You are truly the student of King's Own Warrior-Mage Spartye," Lysren said.
Myterinth removed his sword and calmly bowed before him. "It was merely beginner's luck that I managed to knock his sword away. It is very clear that Master Myrast is a very talented swordsman."
"Hmm, very clear," he noted, shooting the aforementioned Elf that he was going to have a talk with him later.
Alexius ran up to him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Well done," he complimented while adding a mental, :chibi: after it. Myterinth glared briefly at him. Brendon gave him a grin while Spartye smiled proudly at his side.
"It is getting rather late. Should any of you want anything to eat, ring the bell in your rooms and my servants shall be at your service. Runsin shall show you to your rooms," Lysren stated.
A tall blue haired Elf in formal dress walked up to them and directed Myterinth and his protectors up a spiraling staircase. Runsin brought the Elf prince and his entourage down numerous hallways before stopping before a door.
Turning, he said, "This is the west wing. My master has told the servants that all of you are not to be disturbed unless called for. You may do as you please. There are five bedrooms. Pick the one that you favor. I bid you a good evening, honored guests." Bowing deeply, he strode away.
A shiver ran down his spine when the servant went away. "Was it just me or did that guy give you a bad feeling?" Alexius asked.
"Not just you. I could not feel a single emotion coming from him," Brendon said. "That is virtually impossible. I should at least feel a faint presence but there was nothing," he added, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering. Spartye embraced him from behind and the teal haired Elf smiled gratefully up at him.
Brightening at the image of the Bonded pair, he chirped, "Well, we heard the Elf, shall we pick our rooms?"
"I suggest that you room with Lord Terrin," Spartye stated.
"I'm sure I can survive the night," Myterinth said, rolling his eyes.
"But--"
"Lysren is trustworthy, no? Stop worrying amosí!" Brendon softly chided, although he did not feel as confident as his words.
"Very well. But Alexius must room next to him," the green-haired Elf sighed.
"Yes sir!" the prince answered cheekily. He then skipped off to inspect the rooms.
Spartye turned to him. "Make sure that he does not get himself into any trouble. I knew him since he was a child and that child is blessed by Mischief. Curious as a cat and known to get into trouble," he said.
"Of course! What kind of teacher would I be if I did not watch over my own student?" he winked, following Myterinth.
***
Myterinth sank gratefully into the feather bed and curled up under the warm covers. I wonder what the palace is like, he thought. His thoughts began to turn dark as he began to wonder how he could possibly lead a kingdom he had no idea about.
I cannot possibly lead a group of people I don't understand. If I was born in Feryngale, there would have been no problem. I should be around a hundred rather than sixteen, he mentally sighed.
:Stop worrying your pretty little head off chibi. With Sparye and myself at your side, how can you possibly be lead astray?: Alexius' said telepathically.
:But--:
:Do you want me to go in there to shake it into your head? Relax and enjoy your first healthy day in an Elven home.:
:Thanks, Alexius,: he sighed.
:What for?:
:For helping me adjust,: Myterinth said shyly.
:No problem,: Alexius replied. :Good night, chibi.:
Yawning in the bedroom and along the line of MindSpeech, he muttered a drowsy, :G'night: and let himself descend into Sleep's warm arms.
***
Dark arms reached for him and he darted away in fear. He was surrounded at all sides with no way out. A deafening roar sounded in the distance and a pair of large green eyes in a reptilian face stared at him, partially shrouded in shadow. Somehow, he knew that whatever it was, they were on his side. Myterinth reached out for them, silently begging for their assistance.
A wing similar in make to bats appeared in the wan light of the night as the ground trembled from the mysterious creature. Golden red flames drew an arc of light across the heavens. A comforting warmth came from the inferno and Myterinth gleefully basked in its heat, wishing to retain some of it in his own spirit.
The spectral arms retreated with a hiss but a large shape detached itself from the amassed bodies. Cold blue eyes glowed menacingly, capturing his own green orbs. As if moving around in quicksand, his body jerked itself forward. His throat clenched in terror and a scream lodged in the lump at his throat. Trying to stop his movements proved to be futile and a waste of energy.
Those eyes were drawing him in, claws of ice forcefully pushing his mind to the back and forming a persona entirely different from his own.
Breathing became a problem as he struggled out of its evil grasp. He held onto the image of a pair of laughing silver blue eyes framed by locks of silver gilded threads, gaining strength in the fact that his protector would miss him terribly if he surrendered to whatever was holding him.
A burst of green tinted energy came from a place deep within himself, burning the things that held him captive but more came at him. For a moment, it seemed as if he was getting the upper hand but the enemy surged up with renewed vigor. Myterinth fell back a step and then another, losing terrible ground. The phantasms grew closer until he could feel their fetid breaths brushing his face.
***
With a silent scream, Myterinth sat ramrod straight in his bed. His breathing was erratic and a cold sweat covered his body. He raked his hand shakily through his bangs and pushed the covers off, feeling stifled by the thick blankets. Looking at the clock on the night table, he saw that it was only one in the morning. His tongue felt like the bottom of a cess pit and as dry as the Sahara Desert. With that in mind, he swung his legs off the bed, shivering when his bare feet encountered the slightly cold air. Let it be said that Elves did not have warm sunny perfect weather day and night.
He pulled on his stockings and boots, prepared to look for the kitchen for a midnight snack as well. Although he was not hungry, he was in a mood for a sandwich. Since it was so late, it would be better to let the servants get their sleep. He mentally checked the minds of his protectors, sending his thoughts towards Alexius. When he received no response, he let out a sigh of relief. The silver haired Elf deserved some relaxation for once, dealing with his ineptitude in certain delicate tasks would be taxing on anyone.
Next, he checked Spartye and Brendon's room. He tentatively brushed the minds of the occupants and immediately recoiled in consternation. His face flamed and silently promised that he would work harder during morning drills. A moan reached his sensitive ears and he rapidly scrambled out into the hallway, not wishing to be accused of a voyeur. Myterinth glanced down the dark corridor and let his eyes adjust for a moment.
The red head briskly walked down the hall he had seen Runsin walk down just the previous night. After several uneventful turns and bumps in the night, he was resigned to the fact that he was lost in the large house. A shaft of dim light caught his attention and he followed it to its origin. Inside, he heard Lysren talking.
Elven prince or no, I can still get lost, he thought sullenly. Myterinth prepared to knock on the door but another voice in the room caught his attention.
***
"You have the prince in your custody?"
"Yes, but I am not sure who is who."
"You have sent me mental pictures of all four Elves and I conclude that the one with red hair is the one. He has the looks of the fae and Elf in him."
"What do you propose I do, My Lord Jespheras?"
"Keep them there until I arrive. If I used magick to teleport myself in, all of them but that idiotic Warrior-Healer would know I was there. I shall be at Vanlyn within the day. Make sure that the green eyed one does not escape. Do so and you shall be handsomely rewarded, Lysren."
"You shall name me as Overlord over a forth of Feryngale."
"Provided that you succeed," Jespheras said.
"Of course, milord. I shall not fail."
***
Myterinth leaned heavily against the wall, appalled at what he had just heard. Lysren was consorting with the enemy? He had to tell the others before it was too late. Backing away from the door slowly, he ran on silent feet to his rooms. His mind scanned for anyone who would find him as he darted from dark shadow to dark shadow. Finally reaching the guestrooms, he closed the door softly and threw open the door to Alexius' room.
:Alexius!: he cried out softly.
The figure on the bed stirred languorously and turned on its side to snuggled deeper into the blankets.
:Alexius!!: he said louder.
A hazy silver-blue eye appeared within the mountain of quilts before disappearing. :Too early to get up. The sky isn't even gray!:
:It's Lysren! I overheard him talking to Jespheras!: Myterinth said anxiously.
The slender figure exploded from the comforter in nothing but a pair of green silk boxers. The Elf prince blushed furiously and turned around abruptly. He heard Alexius curse colorfully and scramble for his clothes. "Sorry, you surprised me," he said, tone unrepentant. However, in MindSpeech he said, :Keep the tightest shields you can. I have a hunch that these walls do not only have ears.:
Myterinth heard him call his brother and Spartye before sitting on the edge of the large mattress. A few moments later, the Healer and Mage walked in together.
"It is rather late to be contacting us," the Warrior-Mage intoned, his usually immaculate hair slightly ruffled. :Are you positive that Lysren is a traitor?: he asked Myterinth.
"I wanted your advice on something," Alexius said.
:I am one hundred percent sure,: the prince replied, showing the memory to his teacher.
"On what, may I ask?" Brendon queried. :We must leave quickly.:
"Do you think I should take Terrin as my mate?" the silver haired Elf said. :I contacted Cyris and Syrval.
'Terrin' stuttered, "W-What?"
"Don't you think he's a little young for you?" Brendon questioned.
"His attitude seems much older than many at his age," Alexius stated.
:I will get our packs. We should be able to leave through the balcony,: Spartye said. "I suggest you wait until after he receives his title as Warrior-Mage, youngling," he commented aloud. He turned and walked out of the room.
"I don't think he really approves," the Healer said in a worried tone.
"I only asked for his guidance. It does not mean that I will follow," Alexius said.
:I have the packs. Cyris just contact me. He is just outside of the balcony. They will soften our fall when we jump.:
"I am not sure I should go against Spartye's wishes," Myterinth said softly, having gotten over the surprise of the cover story Alexius was using.
"He is obviously coming back to fetch his Bonded," Alexius gestured to the door.
Spartye came in carrying three packs. A lightly glowing orb followed him in. :The mimic orb should be able to confuse them until we get a goodly distance away,: he told them.
"I need to get some air," Myterinth said, nearly running out to the balcony. He threw open the doors and ran to the edge, finding vaguely glowing white shapes below him.
:Jump,: came Cyris' order.
The red head looked over his should at Alexius. The Elf nodded. Calmly stepping onto the railing, Myterinth launched himself into the air with closed eyes. He felt gentle winds diminishing the speed of his fall and landed quietly on his feet. The others came after him.
:We must make haste. Lysren most assuredly put security around the entire house. The unicorns can teleport us some distance away but not enough,: Spartye said.
:From this moment on, silence is of the utmost importance,: Alexius said grimly.
***
They traveled well into the night and most of the morning before Spartye deemed it far enough to rest. This time, there were enough sleeping bags for everyone but sleep seemed very far off for the young prince.
Myterinth curled up in a tight ball, willing the chills that ran through his body to stop. He had just seen how even the most trusted people could turn on you when you thought you were safe. How was he to know that his fencing teacher and the others could be trusted when he was not even sure of himself? Greed was a driving force in any world for disloyalty to even the longest of acquaintances.
It was amazing how well he was coping considering that he was thrown in a world he had no more idea about than the powerful Mage-Gift and telepathic abilities he possessed. Now he was heading to the capital of a kingdom he was the heir of with a group of people with powers beyond his wildest imaginations.
His quiet teacher was a Warrior-Mage who had a major alignment with Fire and Earth. Aside from being an expert swordsman, he was also the King's Own. With the rank also came his power to overrule the rulers if he so chose.
Brendon was a Warrior-Healer. He was an extraordinary bowman and Healer. From the Syntet Clan, who was renowned for their powerful Mages and Healers, he was also a long distance MindSpeaker. He was able to outSpeak the distance of many MindSpeakers. He was also an Empath. Thankfully, the gift was not strong enough for it to interfere with his Healing but it was powerful enough that he had to build mental shields when he slept.
Then there was Cyris and the other unicorns. They were part of the entourage escorting him to the capital of Feryngale, Narsis. All of them were able to go back and forth between their two legged forms and four legged forms. Cyris was the king stallion of Enthersa, the most powerful MindSpeaker in the herd. As well as being powerful in the psychic department, they were also Water and Earth Mages with one of them being a Wind Mage. All unicorns had a major alignment with those elements and those elements only.
Last but never least was Alexius, brother to Brendon and unofficial brother-in-law of Spartye. (Supposedly the pair would have to go through an elaborate ceremony to make the Bond stronger. Whatever that meant.) Alexius was a Five-Element Warrior-Mage and a rather powerful one at that. His father had given him the role as his teacher in the strange new world he was in, not that he was regretting it. He was also an Elf of much knowledge and little strife. In every topic he had asked about, Alexius seemed to know a bit about each subject.
He was brought out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder. "Why aren't you asleep?" the sleepy voice murmured.
Myterinth turned to see a disheveled silver head peering at him. He suppressed his urge to laugh. Alexius was also very conscientious about his appearance. There was not a single day he had been in Feryngale that he had not seen the Elf spending an hour or two in front of the mirror each morning, which was probably why he woke so early.
"I'm too tired to sleep," he said quietly, then bit his lip when he realized how silly he sounded.
Alexius smiled at him in understanding. "Happens to me too sometimes," he said. "Why don't we go for an impromptu walk? The fresh air could do us some good," the Elf added as he pushed the covers off and gracefully went to his feet. Unlike the last time Myterinth caught him asleep, the silver haired Warrior-Mage had on a loose pair of pants tied at the waist and a white shirt unbuttoned to the middle of his chest.
Sighing, he followed him out of the tent. The moonlight made the silver gilded hair shimmer in the dark, making Alexius look evanescent and even more supernatural than the beings he had met. A long silence stretched between them before his teacher finally said something. "What is bothering you?"
"I--nothing. Nothing is bothering me," Myterinth lied.
The silver-blue eyed Elf narrowed his eyes at him. :What is bothering you?: he asked again, this time in MindSpeech.
:I told you nothing is bothering me!: he exploded. His eyes widened and he rubbed his face wearily with one hand. "You tricked me," the prince accused.
"You have forgot your most basic lessons, your highness. When speaking Mind to Mind, it is nearly impossible to lie, especially to an experienced MindSpeaker," Alexius said coldly. His face shifted to a more genial expression when he saw the smaller Elf wince.
The prince kept his head bowed, long bangs overshadowing his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely.
"It is not your fault," Alexius sighed. "I keep forgetting that you are not as aware of your gifts as some of my previous students," he ran his fingers through his hair. "I did not mean to snap at you. Your shields are not as strong as usual and you have a nasty habit of projecting. It has been making me testy. Brendon always keeps his shields up and now that Spartye is tied to him, he does so as well. I do not do so out of safety. At least one of us has to be aware of his surroundings."
Myterinth looked up warily at him from beneath his hair. "Are you planning on telling me what has been making you so reckless with your shielding or do I have to take extreme measures to pry it out of you?" he asked, hands on his hips.
Sighing, the prince shoved his bangs away from his face, unwilling to meet Alexius' frank silver-blue eyes. "I don't think I can do what all of you think I can accomplish."
"Is that all?"
"No. All of you possess some kind of hatred or disdain for the kingdom of Shiriden. They have never done anything against me so I do not possess the same feelings for them," Myterinth answered. "How can all of you expect me to save Feryngale from something I do not understand and have no idea about?"
"Aa, so that's it," he said, relieved. "I thought that it was something much worse than lack of information."
"What can be worse?"
"Your refusal to go to the Palace of Seraph, that's what. Well, find a log and sit for a bit. We're going to be talking for a long time," Alexius told him.
***
Alexius began with the founding of Feryngale, four millennia ago from the current year. Lord Terrin of Seraph, your fifteen times great grandfather, was a powerful Warrior-MageHealer, the first of his kind. He was an explorer and had found a place that called to him. Finally settling down after two hundred years of wandering, word of his home spread through unknown means. That knowledge has already been lost to us in time. Lord Terrin was a known by many people, as well as loved by those who met him so it was no surprise when a town was founded. The people named it Feryngale, which means 'Home of the Heart' in the old language for it was the place that made their beloved MageHealer feel like he belonged.
The town of Feryngale grew rapidly and Lord Terrin reluctantly assumed the role of king when the people asked him to. And so, he became King Terrin of Feryngale. Several decades into his rule, he helped a group of refugees from the kingdom of Shiriden. By the by, one of the expatriates was the Bonded of your fifteen times great grandfather. Yes, yes, you do have some weak ties towards the enemy kingdom.
Now, where was I? Oh, I remember. At that time, Shiriden was merely a barbaric society that shunned outsiders, not the powerful empire it has now. Apparently, the ruler of the kingdom was using blood-magick to increase his power. This is probably the reason why there are no powerful mages today. His name was Lituthryis of Shiaran.
What? Oh, the reason behind the long and hard to pronounce name? Most have absolutely no idea but from what I know of the culture of Shiriden, the people are rather fond of lengthy and nearly unpronounceable names.
Oh yes, Lituthryis was a ruthless Mage. Yes, Mage, not Warrior-Mage, but mage. These days, every Mage and Healer in Feryngale is taught some type of self-defense in order to prevent a debacle like the Great Massacre from happening again.
What is the Great Massacre you ask? That was what historians call the twenty-mile long list of names of the Elves and other supernatural beings that Lituthryis murdered in an attempt to make himself a god. The results of his spell are not known to any Elf alive in this day. Some say that he accomplished and made himself the Dark Goddess, Shiara. Others say he failed and was banished to the never-ending depths of darkness.
How all this ties in with the skirmishes between the kingdoms of Feryngale and Shiriden is simple. Many wanted the power of the gods themselves and had allied themselves with the evil mage. When they found out that Lituthryis had left them with nothing, they decided to follow in his footsteps. They found that most of the powerful Mages and Healers had either been A; all been killed or B; disappeared to the next closest kingdom, Feryngale.
And you probably guessed what they did next. Yup, invaded Feryngale. The number of people in the domain was small compared to the amount of Shiridenian soldiers that went over the border. However, there were powerful mages like Terrin living in the monarchy so they were able to turn the tides. By this time, there was already a new generation of Elves that have never seen powerful magick, not like those in the kingdom of Feryngale. To them, it was a day to day occurrence.
With simple illusion spells and a little help from some dependable Elementals, the people were able to defeat Shiriden. Of course, that was never the last of them. Brief spats have occurred throughout the history of Feryngale but none as bad as the war we are in now.
Does that answer all of your questions? We are fighting to keep our Mages and Healers safe, even though there are many Warrior-Mages and Healers that will go into battle to protect themselves. However, they would rather die a glorious battle than at the hands of any Shiridenian soldier that would torture them for weeks, even months and years before killing them slowly. I, myself, had seen an Elf being abused like that. He committed suicide a day after he was able to be found by his fellow soldiers.
Even though much time has passed since then, they remain as ruthless as ever, favoring the conditioning of their bodies rather than mind, body and spirit like the people of Feryngale do. So you see, if we lose this war, we lose everything.
***
"I didn't know they were so ruthless," Myterinth said, head bowed.
"You probably won't believe it until you actually see it. I do not doubt that you will miss the sight of a Shiridenian. They are rather unique compared to other species. You have not seen many so it will be easier for you to identify them. They are all rather dark skinned and most, if not all have light colored hair. They are smaller than a full-grown Elf and their ears resemble a human's more rather than the points that we have. They are slightly pointed but more round than anything," Alexius shrugged. "You will eventually catch sight of one. I have a feeling it will be rather soon."
Myterinth looked up at the dark sky, observing the moon for a bit. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. He had forgotten to grab a robe before getting out of the sub-space tent.
"I am such an idiot. You are not quite used to the cold temperatures of the night in the Elven World as I am," he said as he took off his own robe. He draped it around his shoulders. "It is getting rather late so we had better return to our beds. Come along now."
Slowly, they walked back the short distance to the tent in companionable silence. When both of them stepped through, Myterinth made a motion to take the robe off. Alexius shook his head. "Keep it for now. It is cold. Return it to me some other time."
Smiling in thanks, he returned to his sleeping bag. He peered at the silver haired Elf once more beneath his lashes before succumbing to sleep with his mentor's warm robe wrapped around him.
***
Tired from their previous night's flight, Spartye allowed the group to sleep in longer than normal. It was nearly afternoon when all of them absolutely had to get up. Once more on the road, they set off to the next city to meet up with Lynk and Dianis, a long since Lifebonded pair that were asked by the kings to protect the prince. As well as being exceptional warriors, they also knew every city, town and village in Feryngale as well as Shiriden, a very important skill if they wanted to avoid the places that Jespheras had already taken over.
Alexius was, as usual, at his side, chattering away on some topic or another. It was amazing that even though Alexius looked old enough to be in his freshman year of college, he acted with the enthusiasm of a six-year-old who got candy from his mother. A bit disconcerting at first but he had gotten used to it during the half month he had been in the Elven World. Myterinth was still surprised that he could be unnerved by anything that was thrown at him.
"Once we reach Empth, Cyris and the other unicorns will have to leave us. Quick as they are, I doubt they can dance out of the way of a icklus thirsting for blood or a levin bolt thrown by an Adept level mage," Alexius said.
"Are we going to walk all the way to Narsis then?" he asked.
"Oh no. A couple of Lynk's gryphon friends offered to carry us over. Actually, they jumped at the chance to meet the future king," the Warrior-Mage replied, rolling his eyes sarcastically.
Myterinth laughed at Alexius' face. The silver haired Elf stuck his tongue out immaturely. He snickered harder. Then, everything was blown to pieces.
An angry buzz like a drove of bees tittered angrily at the back of his mind just as Cyris reared. Thank goodness he had kept a death grip on the cantle or else he would have surely fallen. An ostensibly endless amount of men rained down from the trees in an attempt to ambush them. Luckily, they merely made impact against the physical shield Spartye had managed to hastily throw up.
It seemed that their luck had finally run out.
Chapter 6