Dear Rival

by Robin White

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Book Details

  Dear Rival

  About the Author

  Dear Rival

  Robin White

  Valtiel cannot stand humans. Humans are crude, blunt, unnecessarily violent, and they smell bad. As a frost elf, he has better things to do with his time than suffer one of them. But if it will get his friends to leave him alone about making nice with their allies, he'll at least talk to one.

  That doesn't meant he has to like the human—even if Kero is beautiful, and smells good, and doesn't really act the way Valtiel expects. One conversation, and then Valtiel can go back to ignoring him.

  Book Details

  Dear Rival

  By Robin White

  Published by Less Than Three Press LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.

  Edited by Samantha M. Derr

  Cover designed by Megan Derr

  This book is a work of fiction and as such all characters and situations are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is coincidental.

  First Editon September 2012

  Copyright © 2012 by Robin White

  Printed in the United States of America

  ISBN 9781620040218

  Dear Rival

  "Come on, Valtiel, he's not that bad. We could at least try to talk with him."

  "I have told you a thousand times already: I won't. He's no better than a human." Valtiel huffed in annoyance while Etoille wheedled at him. He wasn't sure why they continued to discuss this matter, and he was tired of the conversation.

  "I doubt he is a human, Valtiel. Have you ever noticed his smell?"

  "Of course not. Why would I?"

  "If you had bothered, you would know he smells entirely different from a mere human."

  "Oh really?" Valtiel asked flatly, irritation clear in his voice—he was simply annoyed that Etoille insisted on wasting his time, surely. "And how does he smell?"

  Etoille snickered and shook his head, icy blue eyes sparkling mischievously as he pointedly looked towards the human in question, Kero. Valtiel took a deep breath, briefly allowing Etoille to see his annoyance, before glancing at Kero as well.

  Kero's eyes were closed and he held himself up with a single hand, perfectly balanced with his legs spread out slightly and his other hand held behind his back and yet, despite the heat, he wasn't sweating. Valtiel was unsettled to realize he had allowed his eyes to stray over Kero's body, taking in the defined muscles straining under the thin shirt he wore. Eventually, Valtiel had to silently concede that Etoille was right: Kero wasn't human, even if he looked like one.

  When thinking about Dragon Knights, he usually imagined bull-like men with little more intelligence than an ox. Appearances deceived, as he knew by now. Instead of trading intelligence for muscles, the Dragon Knights had trained both, becoming the most dangerous sort of 'humans' known to the elves. And once he had gotten to know these unusual men, Valtiel's initial impressions about them had been shattered.

  Valtiel was aware that Dragon Knights were stronger than the average man, who weren't marked by the years they had seen. Only after having lived for several centuries would they eventually bow beneath the burden of time. With the fire of the dragons inside of them, they survived several centuries—if a fight didn't claim their lives first. At a glance, there seemed to be be very little to differ them from mere humans, but whenever he was close to them, Valtiel could see the almost enourmous differences. Kero was merely the best example of the average Dragon Knight.

  Kero's features weren't the rough, unrefined ones of a human, but something much softer, almost like an elf's. The deep bronze tone of his skin appeared to be natural, rather than a tan, as it never seemed to change beneath long hours in the sun. His long, snow white hair was common among the Dragon Knights, and his body didn't reveal exactly how strong Kero was. Valtiel had observed him enough that, in retrospect, he could see everything Kero did suggested he was far from plainly human.

  In Valtiel's eyes, humans were nothing more than animals, with their direct behavior and ugly faces. They destroyed everything in the course of time, began senseless wars, and thought of themselves as the rulers of the world, even when there were more powerful nations constantly threatening them. Valtiel never had understood their willful blindness, but that wasn't his concern just then.

  Kero had noticed them but hadn't said anything. Instead, an almost wicked smirk had come to his face, unfaltering even as he shifted from one arm to the other. Etoille gave Valtiel a meaningful look, his amusement clearly visible. There would be no escaping his friend's interference, that much was clear. Releasing a deep, measured breath, Valtiel followed Etoille.

  The surroundings of the fortress were dominated by soft hills, giving the illusion of a little paradise on Earth. The mountain ranges along the horizon reminded him of the cold harbored behind them and of the harsh winters yet to come for them. A river flowed by in the distance, the soft rush of water not quite reaching their ears. Short grass covered the ground, mixed with many bare spot where the feet of countless Dragon Knights had stomped on the ground over and over again in the heat of their practices.

  A few trees had managed to grow on the hills, despite the constant influence of heat and cold alike. Kero kept away from them, as if he were afraid to ignite them with his body heat. On the other hand, he just could have despised the cold washing over him the moment he stepped out of the sun—they didn't know if Kero was immune to the extreme shifts in temperature or not. Valtiel had experienced it a few times before. Whenever he moved from the sun into the shadows, it was as if summer was replaced by winter.

  Still entirely at his ease, Kero nodded at them, stretching his free arm with a relieved sigh. Etoille chuckled as Kero used one hand to push himself to his feet with ease, and then liftted his arms in a slow stretch that only served to draw attention to his toned physique.

  Valtiel ignored Etoille's indecent behavior. They were supposed to be dignified, yet Etoille was acting impossibly, giggling like a child. Despite his irritation, Valtiel couldn't help but notice Kero's smell—something spicy and slightly sweet, with a hint of fire. It simply added to his ire.

  "What a surprise to see you two here," Kero greeted. "I thought the elves were on guard duty today. Have I misheard?"

  "You must have misunderstood, Kero. The night elves are on duty today, not the frost elves."

  Valtiel was incensed that Etoille would speak to Kero so casually. They may have been allies, but they were not comrades. How dare Etoille continue to disregard their culture and lower himself so simply to interact with Kero. He was a human. Allie or not—Dragon Knight or not—he was below the elves' notice. Valtiel was sorely tempted to hit Etoille, but he didn't want to betray his aggravation. With a low hiss, Valtiel turned away from Kero, admonishing Etoille in their native tongue before turning sharply and departing.

  "Is everything alright?" Kero gave Etoille a questioning look, but he merely received a dismissive gesture as answer. As curious as Kero was, he decided it was better not to press the matter too much. "Then I won't ask. I would still like to know why you came here in the first place."

  "I wanted to convince Valtiel that you aren't as human as he believes you are."

  "Why would he care whether or not I was human?"

  Etoille hesitated, as if not sure how to explain it. He seemed to have settled on the most tactful explanation he could, when he answered, "I wanted to convince Valtiel to speak with you. As we are allies, I am quite sure we would benefit from knowing more about each other."

  Kero was both puzzled and amused by this a
nswer, but did not broach the subject further. Before long, he and Etoille were sitting under a tree. Etoille had been right: Kero's origins were human, but he was no longer a mere human. Kero explained the ritual he had endured to become a dragon knight, and with that, something more than a human. The ritual itself was very difficult; it was painful and resulted in the loss of any memory about his former human life. In return, once the human soul had fused with a shard of a dragon's spirit, they began to develop powers beyond human understanding.

  "I am fascinated by our differences," Kero explained, holding his arm next to Etoille's. "We seem to be exact opposites, but we have become close allies despite it. Despite our disagreements, I feel that dragon knights and frost elves complement each other. "

  Etoille indicated his agreement. With his pale skin, cold blue eyes, ashen white hair and slim build, typical coloring for a frost elf, he did seem to be Kero's complement.

  Without his permission, as Kero looked upon their arms, still held side-by-side, his thoughts trailed off to rather … unusual realms: how would it look to find himself tangled up with Valtiel, skin to skin? Though Valtiel claimed refuse to speak with the dragon knights, especially Kero, due to their close relation with humans, Kero wondered if there was more to the animosity than Valtiel's just pride.

  He pulled himself out of his thoughts to glance to the side before stretching out in the grass, completely at ease. Kero's shirt slipped up, exposing his skin to the cool air and the warm sun. He was aware of Etoille's gaze raking over his toned abdomen and sculpted chest, could see in Etoille's the desire to reach out to touch, perhaps test the firmness of skin. But he couldn't help wishing for it to be another's eyes that gazed upon him so, for it to be another's hand that caressed him. Kero pushed the thought away with a sigh. One day, perhaps, he would find out what that hand felt like pressed against him. There was no point dwelling on it until then.

  *~*~*

  A little away from the trees, in a sandy hollow close to the fortress, Valtiel was sparring with another frost elf. He was attempting to calm down with the fight, to forget about the anger pent up inside of him. Avalon, also a close friend of Etoille, couldn't quite ignore the hissed curses from Valtiel's side, though.

  Unlike the dragon knights, who all seemed to bear some scars, many of them huge scars that crossed their entire bodies, marking their bronze skin with cold, white streaks, elves preferred their skin unblemished and smooth. It was another reason they looked down on humans: scars riddling their skin was proof they had been foolish in battle. At least, in the eyes of evles.

  Valtiel found himself reluctantly forgiving the dragon knights their penchant for scars, however.

  With his thoughts straying toward Kero, he was not properly focusing on the fight with Avalon, and after knocking him to the ground once again, Avalon broke away, shaking his head. "You are distracted. It doesn't make sense to continue to practice."

  Valtiel huffed but didn't argue, sitting up and averting his gaze. He knew Avalon was right and that annoyed him. Etoille's stupid meddling was to blame for it, of that he was sure. And Kero, somehow this was also Kero's fault.

  Sitting down next to Valtiel, Avalon gave him a long look. "Tell me what's bothering you.?"

  Valtiel grumbled low, not wanting to discuss the matter. He knew Avalon, however, and Valtiel was sure he would be as persistent as Etoille, so he eventually gave in to Avalon's silent, unwavering stare. "It's Etoille. He wants me to befriend Kero."

  Avalon chuckled quietly at that, nudging Valtiel lightly. "They are our allies," he pointed out.

  Valtiel hissed in exasperation, shooting Avalon a warning look. Avalon merely laughed. "It's not funny. You know I don't like the dragon knights."

  Avalon shook his head, amused. "That's an understatement. Be honest, you hate them."

  Turning his head away, Valtiel did not bother to contradict Avalon. Of course he despised the dragon knights. Whether they were allies or not, they were too human to be considered equals. Valtiel could feel his conviction waver as his thoughts drifted to Kero, but he shoved them away before they could take full hold in his mind.

  Avalon left him to his thoughts, which Valtiel appreciated. He needed to calm down before he could join the other elves once more, else everyone would bother him with the same questions over and over again. It was no secret that the tension between him and Kero was especially prominent. He didn't know why, but something about Kero made his control slip, and that was something Valtiel despised even more than the fact that Kero was human.

  At any given time or place, Valtiel could be counted on to be composed and cool, every inch a respectable elf and warrior. But when Valtiel had met Kero, something had changed. He couldn't tell what it was, but for some reason, he couldn't master his emotions as he had before, particularly his temper, and that meant something. Frost elves were known to be cold and distant towards strangers and allies alike. Allowing Kero to aggravate him proved that even frost elves could find a reason to explode at times.

  What was most interesting about the situation was that Kero didn't appear inclined to abuse this knowledge. Anyone else would have made some use of this weakness. Valtiel was glad for Kero’s continued restraint, though he couldn’t be sure that it wasn't just an act. For all Valtiel knew, Kero was merely waiting for the right opportunity to expose him in the most embarrassing manner possible.

  Groaning, Valtiel shook his head. He was being ridiculous, worrying about something that might not ever happen. Kero might have been an unbearable moron, but that didn't mean that he was a danger.

  Valtiel eventually stood, brushing off his pants. It was time he headed in for dinner, as the sun would be setting soon.

  While he was on his way back to the fortress the frost elves and dragon knights inhabited, his thoughts once more drifted. How had it come to the point that his fellow frost elves had chosen to make allies, not with another elf tribe, but instead with the dragon knights, with humans? There had been many other possible alliances, but out of all of them, they’d chosen to cohabitate with those who were their complete opposites in both beliefs and traditions. Kero was the incarnation of everything Valtiel regarded as barbaric, uncivilized, and unworthy. He relied overmuch on strength and stamina, using powers made for destruction, and had an unseemly appetite for the carnal pleasures in life.

  Valtiel snorted as he remembered how they had met the first time. They’d challenged one another to a fight, Kero relying on his brute strength and Valtiel on his own remarkable agility. Surprisingly, the fight had ended with a draw. Valtiel was still convinced he should have won, but he was at a loss as to why that had not come to pass.

  When Valtiel was being honest with himself, however, he had to admit that without the support of those they had always considered lesser beings, the frost elves would not have survived this long. When the shadows began their assaults on the borders of Ythrasia, the frost elves had been more focused on defending their position and attempting to avoid being overrun by the strange, otherworldly creatures.

  With the help of the Dragon Knights, they had managed not only to keep their position, but to push the lines of the shadow creatures back and reclaim lost ground. Valtiel didn't want to consider what would have happened without the support, but he knew they would have eventually fallen.

  Sighing deeply, Valtiel stopped to lean against the warm walls of the fortress. He wanted to hate Kero and all of the dragon knights, but he couldn't find it in himself to do that any longer. His opinion seemed to have suffered from the long influence of the dragon knights fighting alongside them.

  Dinner passed uneventfully, and afterward, Valtiel decided to relax in the hot springs. Beneath the fortress, a natural cavern with several pools provided this luxury. Frost elves and dragon knights alike took the time in the spring as an opportunity to relax sore muscles and discuss more idle topics than defending the walls or battling shadow creatures.

  Valtiel chose one of the smaller pools a bit away from the crowd and s
ank into the relatively cool water. He needed to relax again, or else risk going crazy dwelling overmuch about how the hell to assess his feelings regarding Kero. To him, nothing Kero did made sense, at least, not in Valtiel's eyes. Were their differences so great as to prevent any kind of understanding?

  He relaxed for a time, only opening his eyes at the sound of several others entering the cavern. Glancing to the side, he saw a group of dragon knights, Kero amongst them, sit down at a large hot spring nearer Valtiel than he liked. Narrowing his eyes, he felt the urge to leave, but hesitated, not wanting to retreat before Kero twice in one day. His curiosity about what the dragon knights would talk about won over the urge to leave, which was why he simply leaned back and focused on the small group.

  Kero released a sigh of relief as he stretched his legs into the warm water. "This day has been strange, I tell you. The shadows attacked at mid-day, which has never happened before. They seemed much weaker than usual and were driven back more easily than usual; either they are desperate, or they want to fool us into thinking they are."

  The knights around him muttered in agreement, then one of the younger ones spoke up. "But it could be they really are desperate, couldn't it? We should strike while they are still recovering!"

  Instead of agreeing, as Valtiel would have assumed, the dragon knights began laughing about that suggestion. Valtiel was surprised, used to thinking of the dragon knights as impulsive and rash, likely to rush into important decisions. Confused, Valtiel continued listening as the young dragon knight, a barely scarred youth named Dyvn, went on talking, determined to convince the older knights.

  "If we don't, we'll regret the missed opportunity!"

  "Really now, Dyvn. Why do you think we should risk rushing forward with naught more than the hope they won't be able to counter our assault? I'll not participate in such madness."

  "Oh, come on, Kero, I thought you'd understand me! Aren't you tired of waiting, too?"