by Gene Rager
Lela and Nathan found their way back to the campsite. They quietly packed up everything and left. Now they walked extra carefully, because whoever burned down Santrose might still be in the area. The once prosperous village of Santrose was still burning as they passed, the cursed woods kept the fire from spreading into Cravenwood. The smoke was soon to Nathan and Lela’s backs as they trudged on through the cursed forest.
Nathan’s heart was still weighed down with sadness. Lela trudged along listening intently for the sound of pursuers, or the hurried sounds of ambushers ready to spring the newest trap. In all her years Lela never thought she would see Santrose burn to the ground. Who would have done such a thing? It could have been the splintered, or the Dark Queen’s men, it could have been Ileana herself distraught with grief that she had lost the heart of Nathan to someone who didn’t even love him.
The last thought bothered Lela. Did she love him? She had felt her stomach clench in the moment before, when it looked like he would choose Ileana. The thought of falling for him gave her a strange feeling, it wasn’t fear, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Another thing that troubled her was all the things that the splintered had revealed about the elves. Could it be true that they had caused so much misery in such a short time trying to combat what the Dark Empire might do someday?
Could the elves be responsible for the creation of the Sevol and the splintered? Had the elves been manipulating the mages to defeat the Dark Queen? It seemed to unlikely, and yet a nagging feeling in her whispered, “But what if it is true?”
Nightfall found Lela and Nathan unaware of how late it had become. The rain reminded the two of how ill prepared the day had made them. The tent was put up in record time. The rain hammered the enchanted tent as the storm vented its fury on the makeshift shelter. Lightning illuminated the skyline as the wind howled through the trees. In the distance, thunder rang out its battle cry declaring a watery war on all those who dare travel during the storm’s rein!
Lela and Nathan sat across from each other looking into each other’s eyes. Lela’s palms became wet with perspiration as she felt Nathan’s eyes peering into her soul. He had said nothing ever since they had entered the tent, and now it seemed as if he were judging her in some unknown way. Lela refused to wipe the sweat from her hands in a vain attempt to look innocent in the mage’s eyes.
Nathan had actually stopped seeing Lela’s face as his thoughts deepened. Too much had happened within the past two days it all seemed to be getting jumbled together. First there was the run in with the Sevol, who tried to sell him off to the Dark Queen to save their own hides. Then, the splintered revealed more of the elves’ dirty secrets. Not to mention Lela trying to kill Ileana. Ileana dying in the fire that swept through Santrose. Ileana had wanted him for her lover, it was all so confusing! Now he sat staring at Lela trying to decide if he had made the right choice leaving with her instead of Ileana. There was just so much, and don’t forget the Dark Queen! What he wouldn’t give for the normal life he once had!
The storm howled and raged outside as the temperature inside the tent began to rise. It was becoming stifling hot inside. Nathan turned around and opened the flap of the tent, and stuck his head out in the rain. Cool air filled his lungs clearing his thoughts. Lela sat staring at the strange mage who now had his head stuck outside getting wet! Humans are such strange beings!
Lela slowly got to her hands and knees and crawled closer to Nathan. Nathan pulled his head back in and nearly fell over Lela.
“Why did you do that?” Lela asked.
“Do what?”
“Why did you stick your head outside the tent?”
“I was getting too hot. I needed to get some fresh air.”
Lela’s brow furrowed, he needed fresh air? Maybe she did too! Without a word Lela pushed her head through the tent flap. Rain soaked her hair as the storm poured water from the sky. The air was cooler outside and was refreshing! Lela pulled her head back inside the tent. Her hair was plastered to her head. Nathan began staring at the elven princess again, only now there was a different look in his eyes. Lela felt her stomach knot up again, what was this?
Nathan saw the golden hair frame Lela’s face, the blue eyes Lela had had seemed to turn three shades bluer since getting wet, why had he not noticed this earlier? Nathan traced the golden strands to her pointed ears; they were dainty with slight points at the top. For a brief moment his hands had a will of their own.
Lela sat paralyzed by the mage’s gaze, and then she saw it, a slight thought of something. Whatever the thought it brought a very quick smile to Nathan’s lips, this worried Lela even more.
Nathan crawled over to the wide eyed elf, and drew himself into a sitting position directly in front of her. Before he realized what he was doing he kissed Lela, his hands moved on their own. Lela began long throaty moans while they kissed as Nathan began rubbing her ears!
The knot in Lela’s stomach sank lower, and the rubbing was driving her mad with excitement! She felt his tongue flick her lips. She opened her mouth and returned the tongue flick. Nathan’s mouth opened and drew her tongue in. Her ears were so sensitive and the kiss was starting to break through all the barriers she had put up so long ago. Their kiss finally broke and both stared at each other confused and trying to decide what to do next! Nathan began to say something when Lela tackled him!
She wanted to kiss him again! She wanted his hands to caress her again! Her mouth found his, she pushed her tongue into his mouth again trying to get back to the place they had just been! His hands ran down her back touching her slowly, working down to her butt. Lela was getting excited by all the touching and suddenly needed more! It all became too much for her to keep her head! She needed to feel him all over her, and she needed it now!
The kiss broke again; they both started gasping for air.
“We can’t do this Nathan.” Lela said the flush in her cheeks returning to normal.
“Why…why not?” Nathan stammered.
“It is wrong; you want to leave my world to a place I cannot follow. It would be ridiculous for me to fall in love with you no matter how good you make me feel.” Lela said with tears threatening.
The rest of the night was spent listening to the rain pommel the tent roof. The feelings that the two felt for each other hung in the air, but neither dared to start the dance again. Morning found both of them cranky and tired.
“We need to get to the castle today. You will find your way home and I will find a way to be at peace with it.” Lela stated flatly.
The castle felt like home, though the princess had never called it that. Her misguided attempt to save Santrose had caused her to cut off all the ties she could to her royal heritage. The floors shined in the sunlight as they always did, but for Lela something felt a miss. She no longer was entranced by the small wonders of nature; she seemed preoccupied and unable to enjoy anything. She sent word to Ezra that she needed to desperately talk to her, and was waiting in her room for her friend to finish her studies. The knock came quietly, and Lela recognized Ezra’s small fist as it landed on her door.
“Come in Ezra!” She called as cheerily as she could.
Ezra was dressed in robes that burned of the morning sun, proof of her ranking in the priestess’s clan. Ezra’s face split into a grin as she took in the princess, but she stopped half way across to embrace her childhood friend, and a frown replaced her gentle grin.
“What has happened Lela?” Concern slid over Ezra as she tried to find the wound that now plagued the princess.
“I have been having feelings for the new mage, and I don’t know what to make of them!” Lela exclaimed. “It is as if the world has been drained of life. I no longer see the colors of nature, or the splendor of life, it is only grey now. What has he done to me to change me so much?”
Ezra looked at her friend; she studied her as if deducing a new strain of plague. After a few minutes of scrutiny, which felt like a lifetime to Lela, Ezra began to smile again.
“You silly thing you had me worried, but I see what is wrong with you.”
“What, what horrible plague have I contracted?” Lela begged.
“You have fallen in love with the mage silly, but why are you so distraught?”
Lela told Ezra of all the discoveries they had made about Nathan, and the choice he made between her and the demon archer. Every detail poured from Lela’s lips like fine wine into crystal goblets. Finally she was done, empty of all the fiendish thoughts that circled and bit her in her mind. Lela watched Ezra as she took in all the details, and with a puzzled look she asked the first question that popped into her mind.
“Do you love him Lela? Truly, do you love him? You allowed him to touch your ears while kissing you, so you have feelings for him, but do you truly love him?”
“I don’t know Ezra, and it is driving me insane!” Lela cried.
Lela began shaking, her hands tightening and releasing, tears began to flow again. She had no control over herself! Lela began sniffling; this only caused her to become frustrated.
“Look at me Ezra! No one has had this much control over me, not even Zorn! Why does Nathan?”
Ezra looked at her friend, pity filled her eyes. She had to tell her friend what she saw. Lela could never see things the way she could. At an early age Ezra could see auras, what she saw now was Lela’s love chakra was flooding the rest of her chakras. This imbalance was putting her at odds with herself, and only because she was denying her heart’s desire.
“You love this human very much Lela. You denied him the pleasure you two nearly had in the tent, and this is your body punishing you for not giving in to what your heart wants.”
“A boy, my heart desires a boy? Ezra I…”
“Not a boy, I have seen him roaming the halls. He is a man now through experience in all your adventures. He grew to love you, he chose you when another offered herself to him. Even though he learned all these bad things about you and the elves along the way he still wants you. If that is not love, I do not know what is!” Ezra spoke with the certainty of the ages, and she was never wrong about Lela when she spoke.
Lela crumpled to the floor, Nathan loved her and she loved him, but he wanted to leave. How was she to survive this loss?
“Why are you wasting time trying to figure out how to ruin your feeling Lela? You have found what people search their entire life for and have never found. Somehow you found it twice! Go to him, tell him you are sorry for pushing him away. Tell him that you will help him find a way home. Enjoy the time you two have together instead of mourning the time you won’t have together!”
Lela dried her tears, Ezra was right of course. Lela stood up and hugged her friend.
“Thank you Ezra, you always know what to say when I need you.”
“Of course silly, that is why we are friends.” Both women giggled.
How did the second chance with the scythe mirror go?”
With a frown Ezra answered, “It swiped at me again. Kata said I had to start four levels down from the top.”
“You are only in your seventh month! That is quite an accomplishment!” Lela exclaimed.
“Thanks, but I was really hoping to master that stupid scythe mirror at six months. Now it looks like another six months has been tacked on because of my mistake. So what are you going to do about Nathan, Lela?”
“I will go straight to Nathan and enjoy every moment we have together!” Lela said reaching for the doorknob. That was when the first boulder hit the castle wall.
“We are under attack! Battle stations!” The lookout cried.
The Dark Queen’s army had arrived at the elven castle. Catapults flung heavy rocks into the forest castle walls which shook violently. The boulders seemed to do little to no damage, which is when the archers lined up. With a single swipe of a sword the air filled with arrows, Nathan’s stomach knotted it was his dream, the one where he would die.
Nathan held up his hands as words he had never read or spoke slipped from his lips. The arrows slowed and hung in the air. Through the darkness Nathan saw the lone archer on a black steed. The mage slayer was then knocked and Nathan could feel the arrow’s magic lock in on his heart. The arrow flew from the bow like silent death parting the still hanging arrows in the air. Nathan screamed “Take cover!”
Mordock smiled, his broken black teeth gleamed in the moon light. The mage would die as all of the others had, saving someone else. The Dark Queen would take the elven castle and rid all of Orlon of the pointy eared freaks once and for all!
Nathan was scared, he had seen this dream so many times he could barely believe he would not wake up in the morning at home this time. Then an idea sprang into his head, maybe he didn’t have to die after all. Mustering up all his courage he had time to say the only spell that came to mind. “Ragnin!”
The arrows burst into flame, for a brief second the air was on fire. The heat whooshed, but the Mage slayer slid through the arrows determined to hit its target, but the fletching had caught fire, and the shaft quickly followed, as the fiery remains of the feared arrow headed down its path, it began to spin end over end the shaft had completely burned up and only the arrowhead was falling down.
“Noooo…” Lela screamed as she tackled Nathan. The arrow head slammed into the door where he had been standing sticking firmly into the wood. Across the battlefield Mordock screamed in agony, he burst into flames, the horse bucked the rider who now landed on the ground still. The orcs looked at the leader that had led them into countless battles, the armor was charred and only a silent screaming corpse looked back at the army. The army of darkness panicked at the loss of their leader and fled into the woods.
Nathan sat up laughing, he was alive! Lela began echoing his laughter. The two laughed together and began to stand. Lela began her talk to tell Nathan she loved him.
“Nathan I…” Lela stopped cold and had a strange look on her face.
“Lela, I am okay! What’s wrong?”
Lela only pointed to Nathan’s shoulder, it was bleeding. The arrow had grazed him. Nathan smiled and was about to tell her he was fine when the poison took effect. Nathan’s world began to spin, and then everything went dark.
Chapter 33
The darkness lightened into shadows, light bled through the darkness to illuminate a lone woman. She was tall with flame red hair. Her skin was pale and highlighted by the black leather she wore. She turned her green eyes towards Nathan and smiled a crooked smile. She turned showing Nathan the v cut that parted the black leather all the way down to her hips. The white skin of her perfect breasts seemed to want to burst out of the tight dress that she wore. The white of her front shown in sharp contrast to the darkness that enveloped the rest of her body, a sharp studded collar snuggly held its place around her neck.
“Hello Nathan, I am Tirana the Dark Queen.” She purred.
Nathan could only stare as she floated over towards him effortlessly. “You destroyed my favorite magical trinket, that wasn’t very nice.” She pouted with blood red lips.
“You were trying to kill me.” He stammered.
“And you are going to try to kill me, so we are even. You survived the first attempt, but the archer wasn’t so lucky, he is dead now. The arrowhead only grazed you, and after its flight through all that fire its poison was weakened enough for us to have this little chat, but not enough to kill you. Nathan I can tell you want to touch me.” She smiled.
“I am sorry if I stared and made you uncomfortable.” Nathan said as he tried to look anywhere but at her breasts.
“I am used to being lusted after.” She countered, seeing him trying to look away from her breasts she inhaled deeply causing them to move bringing his attention back to where she wanted it.
Nathan’s mouth went dry, his palms sweated, and he began to get hard. A wicked smile played across Tirana’s face. She was had him right where she wanted him. She moved closer to Nathan, her breasts threatened to spill from their leathery prison. In a sensual voice she
nearly whispered. “You can touch me anywhere you want to, and we can see where it goes from there.”
She was every teenaged boy’s fantasy, sex turned to flesh and blood. Beauty clad in leather, a wicked smile that promised forbidden pleasure and pain in such a way that he would no longer be able to tell the difference between the two. All he had to do was touch her to begin this descent into maddening pleasure. It was a black hole that not only would swallow him whole, but would make him beg for it to.
Nathan began to reach out to touch this sexual goddess when he noticed her smile. The smile caused him to hesitate, it spoke volumes as to what hells she planned for him, and he was willingly walking into her trap. The hesitation caused Tirana’s smile to vanish.
“What’s wrong, am I not beautiful enough to deserve your caress?”
Nathan stammered, “You are so beautiful all I want to do is caress you.”
“Then why do you not? Is it that forest tramp, is she the one you desire?” She nearly screeched.
“I…” Nathan wasn’t use to this, a woman that looked like this accusing him of not wanting to touch her. It was crazy.
“I know what to do.” The Dark Queen said in a seductive tone. With a hand motion a black cloud arose around her when the smoke cleared a taller version of Lela stood before Nathan, except her hair was red and her breasts where still large. “Does this form please you? I can look like anyone you want me to. Nathan, we could be lovers. I know why the princess reacts the way she does when you touch her ears. Well there is no place you can touch me that is off limits Nathan.
Chills ran down his spine, his body betrayed him. He felt the rush of lust hit him. At this moment he wanted this redheaded version of Lela. She wouldn’t push him away. She would do things to him that would make him weep with tears of ecstasy. Then he thought of Lela, he loved her. She was going to tell him something before he went into this dream. Nathan was hesitating again and Tirana’s eyes grew wide as she misread Nathan’s reaction.
