Herald of Shalia

by Tamryn Tamer

  “You look the same age to me,” Frost said as he glanced at them both. Sure, the redhead was a lot taller but her face was just as youthful. The redhead laughed and clapped her hands excitedly. “So, I guess I was right that elves don’t really age past twenty-five.”

  “That’s wrong,” Fayeth said politely. “We age but humans won’t necessarily notice outside of our first twenty years when the changes are most prominent.”

  “I guess I understand,” Frost sighed as he looked out at the sea of youthful faces. Even if they could see more wrinkles or a variance in color, he still didn’t quite understand how they could believe Lysandra looked anything but amazing. “But I still don’t really get it

  “Oh,” Lysandra smiled while squeezing his bicep. “You’ll be getting it Herald Frost. Plenty of it.”

  “Frost,” Renna’s voice turned surprisingly sweet. “I’m feeling a little tired. It’s been such a long and stressful day. Do you think you can help me up to my room?”

  “I can’t believe you!” Lysandra chuckled at the petite elf. “Already?”

  “So…tired…Frost,” Renna legs buckled forcing Frost to slip his arm from Lysandra’s grasp to catch Renna before she hit the ground. “See…so tired. Help me to bed?”

  “You sneaky little whore,” Lysandra grumbled.

  “Damn,” Frost laughed while helping Renna to her feet. “Cute, but it’s not going to work.”

  “What if I just ask you?” Renna quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his naked chest. She pressed her soft skin against his and immediately his mind went elsewhere. Several elves watched in awe as Renna rubbed up against him. “I’ve never cuddled with a man before, this is nice. It’s almost nighttime anyway. Join me for the evening? Please?”

  “Seriously?” Frost grimaced as he tried to resist the urge to carry the beautiful elf to her room.

  “Herald Frost,” a blue-haired elf he didn’t know grabbed his arm and pressed her chest against it. “I’m Lyra. If nobody’s offered yet, would you like to join me for dinner? It’d mean a lot.”

  “Frost,” Renna glared at the rival. “Lyra is a notorious whore and can’t be trusted. She’s slept with nearly every woman in the village.”

  “Including you?” Frost joked.

  “Yes,” Renna answered as she glared at Lyra. “Several times. She’s a filthy untrustworthy whore who cheats on all of her partners.”

  “I’ve never cheated,” Lyra said defensively. “I always break up cleanly before I move on.” Lyra looked up at Frost and licked his arm. “Herald Frost, they always take me back. Even Renna would take me back. Think of how talented I must be for them to always take me back.”

  “Well it’s not like there are a lot of options in the village!” Renna snapped.

  “God,” Ena grumbled. “Will you all just shut up! The way you’re fawning over him is ridiculous!”

  “Ena is right. Herald Frost is probably tired and this isn’t helping,” Fayeth smiled politely while pushing Lyra out of the way. “Come up to my room and rest. I have a bed we can share.”

  “Lysandra,” Frost stared hopelessly at the laughing priestess. He kind of thought she’d be mad but the beautiful snowy-haired elf seemed to be enjoying the scene. “What is happening?”

  “Sorry,” Lysandra stifled her laughter. “It’s just nice to see everybody so cheerful. They want to get to know you, some more than others. And right now, they’re all being a little competitive. It’s natural given how you’re behaving.”

  “How I’m behaving?” Frost looked around at the beaming elves. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re being too kind,” Lysandra said while wiping away a happy tear. “In case you’ve forgotten Herald Frost, there are no men in this village and we’re hated. Humans view us as cattle and even elves view us as cursed. Now, a handsome powerful herald arrives and expresses interest, what did you think was going to happen?”

  Frost looked up as the sky darkened. It was a pretty long first day in a new world and realistically he should eat dinner, get to bed, and prepare for whatever the Ziran’s send their way. And he still had so much to learn. He’d already used half of his ability points and had no idea how to earn more.

  “Okay,” Frost said while staring at the elves. “There aren’t that many of you so I’m going to try to spend some time with you. That does not mean I’m going to be sleeping with all of you. It’s not that I don’t want to…”

  “You’re doing it again,” Lysandra chided. “You just indicated you wanted to sleep with all of them.”

  “I don’t even know how to respond to that,” Frost sighed. It was obvious that he wanted to sleep with all of them but he also didn’t want to risk getting killed in his sleep. “Anyway, for now I’m going to be staying with Lysandra. I need to learn more about this world, the politics, the geography, and all of that. I need to prioritize that before…”

  “You don’t like us?” Lyra pouted. “You can just say it.”

  “It’s not that,” Frost chuckled as he looked at the sea of bright hair and pointy ears. “I mean, you’re all so beautiful…”

  “You’re doing it again,” Lysandra interrupted while tugging his arm.

  “Dammit!” Frost said as the elves giggled. “I can’t help it! You don’t get how hard this is!”

  “Everybody!” Lysandra held her hand up to the crowd. “Herald Frost wishes to get to know this world better before he makes any decisions. As of right now he sees you all as viable candidates for mates but will not be deciding today. Understood?”

  “All viable?” Frost tilted his head.

  “Aren’t they?” Lysandra glanced at the group of women. “Are there some that aren’t viable?”

  “I guess I should probably clarify what mates means,” Frost chuckled nervously. “Are we talking marriage or…”

  “Marriage?” several of the elves repeated excitedly.

  “Frost,” Lysandra laughed and shook her head. “We were just talking about sharing beds, why’d you have to bring up marriage.”

  “I mean, I didn’t know!” Frost glanced at the group of women. “I mean, is it just me or does this feel really wrong? I feel like I’m taking advantage of the situation. You all could have any man you wanted…”

  “Does that mean we can have you?” an elf asked enthusiastically.

  “You really need to stop saying things like that,” Lysandra continued to laugh as the women’s faces all lit up. The white-haired elf was laughing so hard she was crying. “You’re just making them want you more.”

  “And you,” Frost stared at Lysandra. “Where do you fit into all of this.”

  “I’m the high priestess,” Lysandra said. “Obviously I’ll be attending to any and all of your needs.”

  Some mild grumbling and huffing occurred in the audience as all of the elves scowled at Lysandra. Frost wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to do but he knew that Lysandra was a safe bet until he learned more about the world.

  “Ladies,” Lysandra glared at the crowd. “The herald already said he wanted to learn more about the world before choosing a mate. I imagine that women who don’t respect that won’t be selected.”

  Frost had never seen a crowd disperse so quickly in his life.

  “That was awfully manipulative of you,” Frost grinned.

  “They would have hung around all night,” Lysandra smiled. “Now, let’s eat and go to bed. It’s been a long day and I imagine tomorrow will be longer.”

  “Sounds good,” Frost nodded as the elves went back to unpacking their wagons while others celebrated. He kind of wanted to watch them a little longer. The nervous air from when he entered the village had vanished and everything felt like so much fun.

  CHAPTER 7

  Frost woke up to Lysandra on top of him insisting that she needed to care for his needs so he could remain focused throughout the day. He certainly wasn’t going to argue with her offer and she probably had a point given the wa
y the elves acted around him. But there was no denying by the look in her eyes as she rode him that it was just as much for her benefit as it was for his.

  He knew that if he wasn’t careful, he was going to really fall head over heels for her and every other woman in the village.

  It wasn’t as if he’d never had women interested in him but the elves were on an entirely different level. Not only where they all unreasonably attractive but they were literally throwing themselves at him. The only thing holding him back was a little voice in the back of his head telling him he was taking advantage of them.

  “If you have difficulty focusing anytime today don’t be afraid to say so,” Lysandra said while sliding a pair of white lacy panties over her gorgeous ass. “I’ll be more than happy to help.”

  “Same goes to you,” Frost laughed while wrapping his arms around Lysandra’s waist from behind. He leaned down and kissed her neck before moving up to the tip of her ear. “As many breaks as you want.”

  “I wish I could take you up on that,” Lysandra moaned while playfully pushing him away. “But there’s too much to do today. Besides, Mira stayed up all night sewing you that outfit so you could be walk around town. How would she feel if you spent the entire day naked instead?”

  “Right,” Frost sighed while grabbing the clothes laid out for him. He’d need to thank Mira at some point. Apparently, the tall slender redhead was the village’s seamstress. “So, how many villagers are there exactly?”

  “Fifty-seven if you include the children,” Lysandra answered while slipping into her robe. “Don’t worry. Ena will introduce you to everybody.”

  “Ena?” Frost asked while getting dressed. The outfit itself looked surprisingly nice for something they’d crafted in a day. There were black cloth pants that tucked into black leather boots and a white tunic style shirt with short sleeves. While it wasn’t fancy, the fit and craftsmanship were amazing. “You aren’t going to show me around?”

  “I can’t,” Lysandra sighed. “I’m behind on my responsibilities.”

  “I see,” Frost nodded. Spending the entire day with him must have been the reason she was behind on her work. “But Ena? Renna would probably…”

  “Renna can’t,” Lysandra interrupted. “She’s going to be busy for a while.”

  “Is it because she compared you to a desert?” Frost laughed as Lysandra scowled at him. He smirked playfully. “You know I don’t see it.”

  “I know,” Lysandra said huffily as she glanced at herself in the mirror. “Are you sure my age doesn’t bother you?”

  “Absolutely not,” Frost answered. “Does mine bother you?”

  “Of course not,” Lysandra turned and gave him a peck on the cheek. “But back on topic, Ena will be your escort today since she’s my apprentice. She’s also the least likely to try to sleep with you and most likely to keep you on task.”

  “Really?” Frost grinned mischievously. “I guess it’s probably for the best. I’ll see you tonight?”

  “I hope so,” Lysandra smirked while offering a playful curtsy. “Herald Frost.”

  “High Priestess,” Frost grabbed her ass and pulled her toward him as he leaned down to kiss her. He loved that her lips always tasted like fresh fruit. “Tonight.”

  “Tonight,” Lysandra giggled as he left the room.

  Frost sighed disappointedly as he went looking for Ena. While he was eager to meet all of the elves of the village, he wished he had a different guide. Although that was really the least of his concerns.

  He couldn’t help but wonder what to do about the Zirans. In most situations it’d make sense to attempt diplomacy, but this was just as much a religious dispute as it was political. The commander had said that the villagers being elves was secondary to them being followers of Shalia. If the Ziran’s hated followers of Shalia enough, they might just burn down the forest with them in it.

  He tried not to worry too much about it. He did everything he could to avoid escalating the conflict when they engaged him in the forest in hopes of establishing some trust between them. Although, he was also concerned that identifying himself as a herald was a mistake.

  Frost knew he needed to learn more combat abilities and select a class. He’d already mastered some of the necessary requirements for the combat classes and taken them to level ten. Since it seemed he could transition to specialized classes later he’d start by picking one that was versatile like soldier or fighter.

  “Herald Frost!” Mira said excitedly as Frost arrived on the ground floor of the temple. About half of the elves in the village were in the temple waiting for Frost to come downstairs. “Do you like the outfit?”

  “Yeah,” Frost said as the elves stared at him. He’d hoped that their excitement would die down after a good night’s sleep but apparently it was wishful thinking. “I was planning on stopping by to thank you but it seems you beat me to it.”

  “To thank me?” Mira blushed. “Really? Should I go back home and wait for you? What would you like me to wear?”

  “Not like that,” Frost chuckled as the other elves stared daggers at the tall slender redhead. “Like Lysandra said the other night, I’m going to try really hard to control myself.”

  “I notice you used the word try,” a blue-haired elf teased as several other elves laughed.

  “That’s because he’s a lowlife,” Ena said judgmentally. “Or did you all forget we found him naked in the forest? Or that he’s perfectly content being branded as an elf-fucker.”

  “I’m sure that’s supposed to be an insult but it really has no effect on me,” Frost shrugged as Ena glared at him. “Anyway, I thought you were going to show me around and introduce me to everybody. If half the town is here that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”

  “I only have off in the morning,” a green-haired elf said. “I was worried that you might not make it to me before I had to go out gathering.”

  “Same here,” an elf with astonishingly gold eyes said. “I have to hunt monsters with Fayeth so I won’t be back until later. Sorry, did we mess everything up? We didn’t know what order you were visiting people.”

  “Sorry,” Mira said bashfully. “I just really wanted to see you before I started work.”

  “Okay everybody,” Ena said sternly while composing herself. “I’ve allocated ten minutes for each person today so I promise every one of you will get at least ten minutes with Herald Frost before I allow him to finish out the day. I’ve also organized my schedule based on the times people are normally available so there won’t be any issues.”

  “Um,” one of the elves raised their hand. “You know we’re not available from…”

  “Yes Lith,” Ena snapped angrily. “Everybody in the village knows you and Aila’s sex schedule. And while we’re on the subject let me remind you both again, there are children in this village. Please do us all a favor and scream into a pillow.”

  “But I don’t like the pillow…” Lith mumbled while crossing her arms.

  “What about…” another elf started to speak.

  “Yes Floria,” Ena growled. “I’m aware. I’m aware of all of your schedules!”

  The room fell silent as Ena’s icy glare instantly quieted them. Several of the elves snuck out silently before Ena could further chastise them while others pretended to have remembered something before rushing out. Ena looked around the room one last time as the remaining elves to filed out and once they were alone, she let out an exhausted sigh.

  “Alright imposter Frost,” Ena said while glaring at him. “You have until I finish explaining the ground rules to eat breakfast. Then we’re leaving. So, you better hurry up because we don’t have time for lunch today.”

  “Seriously?” Frost said while looking at the picked over table of food.

  “You have nobody to blame but yourself,” Ena smirked contemptuously. “You’re the one that chose time with the high priestess over breakfast.”

  “I stand proudly by that decision,” Frost said while grabb
ing a bowl and filling it with some of everything as Ena explained the rules.

  Just like the previous day, he wasn’t allowed to use scan since others might consider it invasive. The only exception to the rule was if he asked permission first and the other person agreed.

  The other rules mostly revolved around dozens of things he wouldn’t do anyway like insult them or make them feel inferior. In fact, a vast majority of the rules could have been covered by telling him to be nice.

  But as Ena’s rules became more and more specific, Frost started to get depressed. The fact Ena had rules for various specific situations meant that humans had done those things to the elves. Admittedly, it killed him a little to think about them getting mistreated.

  “And finally,” Ena took a softer tone. “Elf children are children. They will sometimes be loud, annoying, rude, and impulsive. Please don’t beat them publicly for interrupting you, annoying you, or otherwise acting like children. If you insist on punishing them for it, please take them to a private…”

  “I’m going to stop you right there,” Frost pushed away his food as he suddenly lost his appetite. “I’m not going to beat a child for acting like a child.”

  “I hope that’s the truth,” Ena said in a tone that suggested she didn’t believe him. “But in the event you do, please don’t make an example of them publicly.”

  “Fine,” Frost nodded somberly. “Are we ready?”

  “Yes,” Ena said while heading for the door. “Come on.”

  Frost followed Ena around the cozy village. Each of the small cabins were identically designed and basically the size of small apartments. That meant they had a kitchen adjacent to the living room, a small counter, and a single bedroom and bath. Despite the small size, at least two elves lived in each of the small houses, sometimes three or four.

  While the village was quiet and obviously lacking in amenities, he still found himself falling in love with it. The entire area was lush with vegetation and the central garden was amazingly colorful. And because of the large number of flowers throughout the village, the entire area smelled like a flower shop.