Fan Fiction ❯ Wanderer Leilis ❯ Leilis Chapter#2: New allies ( Chapter 2 )

Early on the sixth morning since their meeting he woke to find her squatting next to him on her heels. "You want to wake the beurocrat this morning?" They had been taking turns waking the fool Ralden in the meanest and cruelest possible ways. She obviously had some unique ways already in mind if her turn was today but he wished to show off so he accepted the job.

Sneaking up carefully he pounced on the fool Ralden. He had a knife to his throat before the beurocrat could even react. However Ralden was not as slow coming awake as he thought Ralden would be and the beurocrat automatically reached for a concealed weapon before he realized it was not Leilis who held him at knifepoint. "Wisdom would dictate that you not finish that motion friend Ralden. Who knows what I might think you were up to then." Hopping off he went to help as much as he could one handed to break camp.

Leilis seemd to feel closer to him as days passed, and Zenthier found himself even more subject to his uncontrollable reactions then he had when he had first started to grow up so many centuries before. He was contemplating how glad he was for the extra length in his tunic when the palace of the northern king came into sight. "Nice architecture." Was all Leilis had to say. He felt relieved that her stable nature would not allow her to fall for the king on sight.

"Lady Leilis of Gregory House! The herald announced. She had been given an opportunity to bathe, for which everyone would likely be grateful. Long weks on the road meant sweaty smelly people at the end of the journey. She was no acception to this rule. Leilis strolled into the royal throne room with all the grace of the feathered lady who had taught her all that she had learned because she had been a bastard child of a small royal house in Europe someplace. She knew she had done it right when no snickers or commentary about her behavior rose above the clamour about her clothing.

She had changed back into her own garments with certain knowledge that she was nether going to marry the king nor allow him to treat her ill and confine her in skirts. That and she did not want to owe him anything. He looked at her and nodded. "This one actually does nt wish to wed us. How strange. Send it away somewhere. Perferably someplace where it can make a living more appropriate to it's kind." Her response was a brave one even for her. "I have a place to go and people to see I get there majesty. Good fortune favor you in finding a suitable bride." She was not going home then. Ralden looked at her as she turned from her graceful curtsey and walked out. He almost looked sorry for her. She took the elbow offered her by Zenthier and walked away from court.

Once she was down the hall she found that she was deeply relieved. It was almost as if she had been holding her breath. She had been thinking in the back of her mind that the king would throw her in the dungeon for not being attracted to him. Instead he had been a bit condiscending but nothing worse then the way she behaved towards Ralden.

As if she had summoned him by thought alone Ralden appeared. He was wearing a tunic and tight leggings stuffed into the tops of travel scuffed boots. He handed his ever present state robe to a paige. The paige pipped "It has been an honor to serve beside you Lord Ralden! Be happy in your journey." Ralden nodded in acceptance of the good wishes and walking up offered her his arm as well. "Will the lady accept another travelling companion?" She chuckled at the look Zenthier shot her. "He's not that bad Zen, and what would we do for fun in the mornings without him?"

Zenthier could think of a few things he would like to do in the mornings, but he doubted Leilis would approve. So he just accepted. From the looks of things Ralden was at least going to outfit the brave woman with some decent clothes. They got on her horse and Ralden mounted an old palfrey that had seen better days and they rode out into th countryside again. By day's end they had reached his estate.

"Nice digs Ralden. You're sure you want to leave?" Ralden nodded. "I have no choice. By repudating my office I have condemned myself as outcast. I must gather my things see you in some good travelling clothes, and set my heir up in charge. Then I must leave the northern lands for the rest of the King's reign." Leilis looked at him oddly. "Sure I like you and all Ralden, but giving all this up to travel in the company of a human circus child a Necromancer and an assassin might not be the best thing to do."

He laughed. "My son is fully capable of handling the affairs of my estate until I can return. And that way I can always send for some funds should we run into trouble." Speaking of him brought out a young looking elf that had Ralden's eyes in an unfamiliar face. Obviously they were his mother's features. It made for a very pretty boy. "You are going to be in charge for several centuries my lad. Think you are up to it?" Ralden teased. His son blushed pink for a moment, then nodded just like his father did sometimes.

Sleep in an actual bed was the most heavenly thing that Leilis had felt in days. Just down the hall she could hear Ralden and Zenthier planning to meet tomorrow with Xercolna in the Haunted lands. Even though she had felt almost shattered at not being able to go home again she had known at that moment that fate had done a nice switcheroo on her once again. Taking away one family and givning her a brand new one. She listened to the calm voices of her travelling companions and drifted away into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning she woke up to find a maid paitiently awaiting her. "Madam I have packed all the things of master Gilgorm's that would even fit you. They are there. Lord Ralden and Lord Gilgorm are waiting for you to join them at breakfast." Leilis notices that the woman made no mention of her killer companion. She nodded and jumped up out of bed ready to face another day in this odd world. A quick sprint down the hall located the exotic scent of her assassin. She bounced through the door without knocking, and got to look at a bare chested Zen for her trouble.

He was not looking at her so she wolf whistled at him to get his attention. "I was well aware of your presence Leilis. Did you get a suffcient eyefull?" He teased. She chuckled and forgot for the minute that she would never see her adopted family again. A new family was forming around her once more. It was time to be brave Leilis instead of the scared little girl Leilis she had indulged in being late last night. "Time for breakfast you exhibitionist! Get a move on!" She had a highborn protector now so she felt comfortable dropping back into old circus speech just like she had always done.

She trooped down the stairs with Zen in tow, feeling like this morning was full of good portents. The smell of fresh apple pastries and hot sausages made up her stomach's mind about the day for her. She took a plate and heaped it high from the sideboard where all the food sat. Then she joined Ralden at the table. His son sat opposite her and when she realized he was staring at her she could not help but smile. "Now I know that you have never seen a human before but staring at breakfast is uncalled for." She chastised softly. He blushed that frilly pink hue again then went back to looking at his food as if it were the thing that interested him most in the room, not his father's new travelling companion.

When she walked out the front door carrying a heavy bag of clothes and other supplies she saw something that totally startled her. Anashi stod waiting with a brand new saddle and gleaming tack. These things shone no less brightly then the horse herself did. Anashi looked te years younger then she actually was. " I guess everyone was in need of a good night's sleep." She secured her bags to the pack beast's harness, then climbed up on Anashi's back. She could feel the barely contained power of the mare's flexing muscles.

Once they were out on the road again she walked up beside Ralden and looked at him sideways. "Whats up with this Ralden? Anashi is almost thirty years old. For a horse that is the same as being ninety as a person. She should have about one tenth this amount of energy." Ralden gestured for Zen to join them. "Shall you tell her Zenthier or shall I?" Zen just shook his head. "My brother is best at these things. He will explain it and she will get it, where as if we tried to tell her what is going on we would muddle it untill it could never be straightened out." Ralden nodded in agreement and they made haste towards the Haunted lands.

The edge of what was the `Haunted lands', and what was normal ground was very obvious. It looked like the ground itself was a rotted mire, the sound of hooves on that ground was not a clop clop clop but instead a squishy sucking noise that felt tainted just as did the rest of the land. "This is the reason why we do not have capital punishment in this land Leilis. These lands were once where criminals and any who were flasley accused were prosecuted, tortured and executed in many cruel and vicious ways. The violent death of beings such as us curses the spot where we die. Thousands died here. This land will never be clean again. When it was seen that the curses of the dead were tainting everything and spreading beyond the places where they held exicutions all capital punishment was outlawed in a desperate bid to contain the spread of the filthy energies responsible."

Ralden told the story of each place a they pased by. The gallows where bodies swung that should have rotted centuries ago, the deep pool where enemies of the crown were drowned in acid, the stakes where those who practiced dark magicks were burned alive. Each place was so very filled with evil and malice that it nearly choked her. Then Leilis looked up at the top of a nearby knoll. Sharply outlined against the weak looking sun as it set was Xercolna. He was mounted on a huge black beast that only hinted at being a stallion. She knew it wasn't and so did Anashi,and all the other's horses. The beasts were not afraid of the one on the hill though. They snifed then trotted triple time up the hill to meet this new member of their group.

Anashi whickered softly then went right up and nuzzled this strange equine beast as if she had known him all her life. The creature ingnored the command by his rider toproceed until each of the other equines had given him a greeting. Then with the impression that he was being kind in the doing he started moving in the indicated direction.

Three day of travel had passed when they came out of the other side of the Haunted lands. Leilis had finally been able to put her cross away. So much evil had made the religious icon glow like a star for those three days. Xercolna actually found it difficult to look at her while it shone so, which made her tease him that he might be just a tad corrupted by his work. "Maybe just a little?" She mocked, holding her finger and thumb an small distance apart. He had looked at her like a fly he was about to squash and said something so nasty that it had no trouble transending the language barrier to make it obvious that it was a swear word.

"I love you too dear." She had replied with another chuckle and had gone up to ride with Ralden. Xercolna's mount was still acting like he knew better then Xercolna did. Which in the case of her new friends brother she had a feling might be true. He had obviously summoned it from some other plain before he had developed the powers needed to control the stallion. She mocked him about this whenever she felt that it was time to switch from telling him politely that he needed to do something about his stink.

Zen just smiled when she did this. He knew that the human had to take one of two options. Keeping constantly upbeat by picking on his brother or being a weeping bag of snot because she could never go home again. He explained this to Xercolna after he had a large argument with Leilis about the restoration of prime physical health cantrips that could be used when something was brought across to the ageless lands.

"Dear brother just because you wish to have the novelty of fucking the human does not mean that I have to put up with her venomous tongue!" he had hissed. Then something else had hissed as well. A seventeen foot long Hooded Serasso Viper reared up out of the grass and struck at Xercolna's mount. Before it could connect a white blur streaked by him and Anashi was stomping the creature's head flat. Xercolna's beast had stopped in it's tracks.

With one strong buck it threw Xercolna through the air. Zenthier was sure for a second that his brother was going to impact the ground and break his neck. Ralden rode up as fast as he could and actually caught his sibling in mid air. Then with a firm grip on his brother's wide belt he settled him on his own two feet on the ground beside the grey gelding he rode. That was the end of anyone calling Ralden a fool, himself especially.

The dangerous mount's tack dissolved instantly after he had bucked his rider. Then he changed. Limbs shortened and fore-hooves split into fingers while the others changed into a pair of shining black boots. Before them stood the `King of Eternity' out of old pagan Romainy legends. "Let me guess Xercolna. You bought him off of an old hedge witch who couldn't "handle" him anymore at her age. Am I correct?" Leilis asked with a great amount of scorn. It was obvious that she found the imprisioning of such a powerful spirit in his animal shape most unjust. Zenthier could not help but agree with her in that. "Yea Xercolna, explain why the King of Eternity was serving as your legs?" Ralden added.

"What has passed between myself and my old enemy was beyond this one's knowing. I hold himresponsible for none of his acts against my person so nether should any of you." The King spoke. "If you say so highness." Leilis agreed instantly. She saw the looks of shock on the faces of the others. "What? When I meet up with someone who has real power I repect them just as I should! I am not an idiot unlike some Void Sorcerers I could name!" She hissed this last at a very frustrated Xercolna, whose control finally snapped.

He rushed her with the intent to murder gleaming in his deadly eyes. Leilis stepped aside to dodge his rush and grabbed him with both hands. Using the Necromancer's own momentum she flipped him onto his back. Then she stepped back and contemplated her handywork. Xercolna grunted in pain and jumped to his feet. He turned and looked at her as if contemplating a second rush.

"Don't be a fool brother. She is well trained, and the results would be the same. You use minions because you are not strong you are smart instead. That ws the trade off for choosing to study to be a Void Sorcerer, and you know it!" Zen told his sibling. She smiled siftly, but with malice of intent shining forth from that grin even Xercolna in his fury was not so stupid. He bowed and said something in his native tongue then started walking in the direction they had been going.

"Hmm, not an idiot then, just very young." She said. The King was standing next to her still as if waiting for something. "Yes very young. He is still very much a learner dispite the fact that his age among your people would make him older then Methusalah the ancient one himself. So it would seem that I am doomed to be held here by the vestiges of that evil one's magic until I rot or he figures out how to free me. If he would even bother."

Leilis looked stricken at this revelation. Even Xercolna stopped and turned around. He narrowed his eyes then shook his heazd sadly. "He's right, as much as it saddens me I have not the power to release him. I doubt that any yet alive does have such power. Only a god might be able to free him." Then he sat down and rested his face in his hands.Ralden went to him and got off his horse. Sitting down next to the young sorcerer, the elder elf put one arm around him and whispered things meant to be comforting into his ears. Ralden's horse even began to nose Xercolna's chest, desensitized to the scent of any magic after so very long in Ralden's service no doubt.

Leilis watched the unfolding tabelau as she stood next to the king. Ideas for freeing him circulated through her head. She did not know any of the local gods at all. She could not call out to them anyway because she belonged to another of their number and they would most likely choose to ignore her rather then help. She belonged to another...that was it!

Turning to the king who's hands seemed free, she smiled brightly. "An idea has occured to you then little Romainy?" the King said with a smirk on his own features. "You have any issues with the god of the Christians and Jews?" She asked politely. If he had ever caused any trouble and had yet to ask to be forgiven she doubted YHWH would help. He shook his head though. "Last we spoke he was still a good friend."

He confirmed in one second's worth of speech what had been rumored among her father's people since their wanderings around the world began. The Eternal King was a god in his own right. "Whoever spun this spell I sure hope they are dead. If they aren't and the backlash doesn't kill them they will come after us and cause no end of trouble." Xercolna supplied helpfully.

"Mine enemy has fallen. My curse made her volnerable to the ravages of time even here in the shining lands." The elves all shuddered at the King's pronouncement. "Here goes oh Eternal King." Leilis said and she extended the symbol of her faith to the ancient god. "Lord! Hear me, your lost child out in the wilderness! Grant my prayer and free your comrade!" She prayed. The Eternal King reached out and touched the cross on its chain about her neck. And a flash of power blinded everyone.

Leilis had her eyes closed but she felt the firm, warm hand descend on her shoulder. She knew that had he been touching bare skin of her arm she would have felt the scars where he had once been nailed to the cross. "Be free old friend." He commanded and she felt the energies around the King shatter.

Leilis woke up for the second time that month feeling like she had stuck her finger in a light socket. Her head throbbed worse then the only time she had ever gotten drunk. "Not fair I was being good!" She muttered and closed her eyes against the bright light of day. "Indeed but power is hard on mortals anyway." The voice of the Eternal King said in her ear. She opened her eyes and realized she was on Anashi's back, being held there by the newly freed King.

She opened her eyes and saw that Xercolna and Zenthier wer sharing Zen's horse, while Ralden rode next to them and they quietly talked of this and that, and the other things. "How far down the road are we highness?' She inquired. "About twenty leagues give or take a hoof." He replied. His arms were still tight around her middle, and she was grateful for it, as she had not yet recovered from the second shock to her system . Anashi looked back at her over her smooth white shoulder and whickered softly. "Yeah I'm gonna be fine dear." She reasured the beast who went back to clippity clopping along, soon catching up to the others.

"Um, forgive my forwardness Rex, but are you going with us on our journey?" she asked as they pulled abreast of her companions. "For a time child." He agreed. "Kay then, thats good. The more the merrier they always say." Leilis muttered then she leaned back into his arms and fell asleep again.

Xercolna looked across the form of Ralden to the strange man holding the human in his arms. He was still having a difficult time with the idea that he had been riding on the back of a god. The human was asleep again. Before his brother could grow worried over the female's well being he asked on Zen's behalf. "Is she going to be alrigth then oh Eternal King?"

The king turned his magama like eyes to the necromancer and nodded his head. "Yes indeed. It is as I told her. Our power, when expended as YHWH's son did, is very straining on the minor energies around it. The lot of you where born to be immortal unless someone else killed you. She was not and her energies were like a candle in a windstorm, nearly blown out before the winds quieted."

"She could have died?" Xercolna inquired with an arched brow. He felt his brother stiffen, and it dawned on him that his younger sibling wanted more then to just rut with the human. "Yes, for one such as her that was a highly likely possibility. She knew it but accepted the risk anyway, for which I am very grateful. This is why I stay." The King added.

"And the reason she called you Rex was because?" Ralden asked. Xercolna took that moment to stare at the older elf. If he was honest with himself he would admit that he found the platinum eyed fellow attractive. `Remeber he has not got one wit of interest in you though boy. He'd be horrified if he ever learned that a deepman wanted to `do that' with him.' The negatve voice spoke in his mind. It sounded much like his old teacher of knife forms. He just shook his head slightly and awaited the God's answer.

"Rex is an old Latin word for king that is sometimes used as a use name by humans. It is not a bad alias. I believe I will go by Rex when we are in non companion company." He said. Then he picked up the pace with a slight click of his tongue to Anashi and went around the bend in the road ahead, disappearing into the trees. "I will ride with Ralden, if he will permit me, so that you can keep an eye on your human." Xercolna offered. Ralden held out on hand to the necromancer and assisted him in taking a seat behind him on his horse. His brother took off at a canter to catch his precious human before the god could do anything untoward.

`Good job kid, and good luck. You are going to need it.' That negative voice chuckled in his head, then was gone. Once the echoes of his doubtful master had faded he tightened his grip around the waist of his surface dwelling elf. Leaning in he whispered several naughty suggestions in Raldens left ear then ran his tongue around the catiledge eager for his first tasteof the brave lord.

"Sounds like a lovely idea pet, but not till we reach civilization I think. I want my privacy when I claim you!" Ralden spoke with utter calm but his excitement was unmistakable to Xercolna's questing hands.

Leilis shot up fully awake and screeched. "My Eyes! My Eyes Will Never Be Clean Again!" Rex laughed aloud and Zen stared at her strangely. "Be not concerned child of the dark depths. She is merely awakening to her powers. The gifts that are now rousing from their slumbers have lain dormant in her since before her birth into life. The closeness to her god has made the bud of magic in her soul begin to bloom. She will now be a seeress, among many other of her gifts." Rex explained.

Leilis was still rubbing her eyes trying desperately to forget the image of Xercolna sucking on Ralden's neck while the elf tried not to fall out of his saddle in bliss. "Will I always see that kinda crap?" Rex looked down at the human in his arms and smiled. "Nay child, you will most often see whatever power sparks the interest of your subconcious. At present you are attuned to the energies of your companions so picking up what goes on a few leagues back with those two is not surprising. After all both have quite the magical power in them to draw your attention." Leilis nodded and turned to face forward, pondering what other gifts were going to awaken and startle the hell out of her in embarassing ways as their journey progressed.

"Leilis." Zen called to her, she turned her head in his direction. `yes Zen what is it?" She asked. She rubbed her temples trying to drive an incroaching headache away, but it wasn't playing fair. "It is my brother's intent to return home to the greater depths once we have seen you secured someplace safe in the southern kingdom. However much what you saw might change that intent I do not know. But whatever the outcome I want you to know that you are welcome in the home of our clan at any time you should wish to visit."

Leilis smiled at him, her voice though soft was all business however. "I appriciate the thought Zen but that is nether here or there. I have a feeling that pleasant times in the house Dier Vair are far from us as the moon at this minute. Since I am supposedly an awakening Seeress I am going to go with that instinct."

"A wise decision young one." Came an unfamiliar voice. A man dressed in forest greens with an arrow knocked in his bow was standing in the middle of the road. Zen came to their rescue, but not by killing the would be highway man as she had thought he might. Instead he greeted thefellow as an old acquaintance! "Hail, and greetings my comrade of old." The fae man lowered his bow and smiled. "Long has it been since I thought I might run across you Zenthier! Well Met!" Then he turned to them and bowed. "Friends of Zenthier are always welcome in my woods. I am Kayir Ir-Va Lord of the Dryad folk. Please forgive my earlier rudeness."

Soon after as they followed Kayir along the forest path, Xercolna and Ralden caught up to them along with their escort of Dryad warriors. "You make so many friends my brother, one has to wonder when you ever sleep." Xercolna mocked. Zen glared and Kayir caught on to what was going on. "It would seem that the brother I heard so much of wished a little more privacy with his Elf Lord. You have my appologies Necromancer." He teased the slightly flushed Xercolna.

That, and the promise that they would have a visitor's hut to themselves ended Xercolna's miffed mood. Leilis recognized the skill of a subtle diplomat in Kayir's swift averting of disaster, and riding up next to him she complimented him on it. Rex was strangely silent. "I thank you for your kind words. Through long experience with Zenthier I have learned that it is best to give a deepman what he wants and not pick bones about the matter. That was what the Necromancer wished to have and I could provide it withoput taking from what my people needed, so I gave him his wish." Leilis nodded. "Where I come from we would say that it is no skin off your nose to help him out. I wish you hadn't though. Unless I am next door to dead they are going to be annoying to listen to." She replied.

"Lady I will make sure that you and your escorts are across camp from those two. I myself will mostlikely be sleeping outside so as to grant them their privacy." Kayir was grinning and she couldn't help but smile back. She knew that being halfway to Tim Buck Two would not help much unless someone else had a higher power spike, which wasn't likely unless she would end up eavespropping on some other couple doing the same. She was not going to tell Kayir that though. This was another thing that like Rex's godhood was going to stay in the group. She wasn't going to enjoy what would have been a reasonably pleasant visit with this friend of Zen's very much that was for sure. Leilis could understand now why it was always said among the people that being a seer was a curse not a gift.

Just to kill time and amuse her bored mind she began throwing her voice as Hyper Jack the clown had tought her to. She freaked Kayir out with that skill. He nearly fell over when she mocked the voices of some of the King's guards. Zenthier recognized their voices and looked back at her with a mild speculation on his features that would have been wonder on anyone elses. "That is a mighty interesting talent Lady. Can you mimic anyone?" She wiggled her eyebrows and gestured that he should watch. Then she threw her voice cleverly at Ralden. Making it sound like the voice of his soon to be consort.

"How long do you think before you can fuck me Ralden?"She mocked perfectly. Ralden's head swiveled around so fast and his glare was deadly. "It was not me I swear!" Xercolna promised! They had been to far ahead, right behind on of the warrior guides, to hear her earlier displays. If it was not you then a skilled mimic is at work. Whom I wonder would be interested in playing such a prank on us?" he querried as if he hadn't the slightest idea. Then he turned around and used that icy glare on her. Xercolna was not far behind in his own angry reaction.

"Human Bitch!" he exclaimed then he made a punching gesture at her. The wind knocked out of her by the magically thrown abuse didn't slow Leilis's response. "God's spank you for a horndog Xercolna it was a joke!" She snarled and then she made a very similar gesture. Zenthier had seen his brother distance fight when he contained his temper long enough to remember. He was well trained in this aspect of magic and was very dangerous. However the moment he saw Xercolna's reaction to the counterstrike he ceased worrying over Leilis's well being.

The woman was impressive, Rex had to admit it. She had learned in one demonstration a skill that had taken the deepman necromancer a century to master, and she used it creatively as well. She didn't just punch. She wound up a kick or two, and even flicked hard with her finger tips soundly thumping the senstive tips of Xercona's ears. A few more shots and he pulled out a surprisingly clean hankerchief and waved the little white square around. "Victory to the Lady Leilis." Their host said. He to was staring in awe as she got down off her horse and walked towards the Necromancer.

"Xercolna this can not continue. We must put aside our spats in order to face the greater threat of a hostile world. Devided we will fall, together we just might conquer. Shall we put aside our foolishness now?" Xercolna seemed to shake off the effects of the thurough wipping he had recieved, then he stared at the hand offered him by the human. For a moment Rex thought that the Necromancer would spit in her face. His estimation of the boy's growing wisdom went up quite a bit when Xercolna accepted her hand.

"By any chance is their someplace in your settlement where Xercolna could bathe?" She asked benignly. Xecolna growled and she smiled. "Last one I swear Xer." She said. Her shortening of his name as she did with his brother's was apparently the only thing that kept him from a parting shot at her backside as she scurried back to mount Anashi. Rex knew for certain that she was just as eager to have that bath as she was to see Xercolna in it. He admitted to himself that he too would like to feel some warm water on his tired body. Urging Anashi to go faster he scooped Leilis off the ground and joined their companions in entering the fortress in the wood.