30

Purpose.

Days pass uneventfully, but this gives the blood pack more time to train. Aldowin still pushes them every day, only now wolves have been added to the mix. In truth Slyfer had been talking to Grey King since they returned, about what wolves will be chosen. The two of them discussed it in depth, until Grey King had finally said. “Slyfer, you are part of my pack, so it will only be fitting that the Greys become the mounts for your units.”

Slyfer feels honoured, but shakes his head. His hand never stops rubbing the wolf as he talks. “I can’t have you as mounts, there are not many left and you need to concentrate on your training, in the old ways.” Grey King falls quiet, thinking for a second. “What you say is true, but if it is destined for us to leave this world, then it will be so. The greys have been in a slumber for too long. Yes we are the keepers of the old ways, but above all else we are warriors!”

Slyfer looks at the wolf, worry furrowing his brow. “Why don’t we, let them decide? If they wish to join or not is up to them, but there must always be at least one male and female safe from harm, to stay with your elder. Can we agree on that?” Grey King grunts. “I will speak to them and give the conditions you mentioned. The two that will stay behind will be the youngest.” Slyfer surprised wants to interrupt, but Grey king stops him. “I know what you are going to say two-leg, but there is no way I am staying behind, to remain safe while others go out to do battle.”

Slyfer looks at the wolf for a while. “Okay fine, but who will be your rider?” The wolf looks at Slyfer as if he is stupid. “Sometimes you are brilliant and then sometimes you are nothing but a naïve child. I will accept no other but you to ride on my back.” To this Slyfer only purses his lips until both of them start laughing.

As the training progresses Vanya who was practically mute, is now completely withdrawn. Slyfer and Aldowin noticed, but they leave it in order to gauge her reaction to what she is hearing about the people that she grew up around. At first they though she was a spy and intended to keep her around in order to feed the enemy false information, but that was ruled out after they discovered where she lived after having her followed.

“She must be a noble. Alric unwittingly captured her along with the “Couch” he stole.” Slyfer bites his lip as he thinks. “Master, do you remember how I told you about the humans that were looking for the “couch” and the strange object they gave me?” Aldowin nods. “Maybe we should give it to her and see if there is any reaction?” Aldowin rests his hand on his chin, thinking. “It may be risky to do it, but if we can learn something from it, why not?”

The next day, after digging through his things, he finds the strange object and once again wonders at the craftsmanship. The dragons in his mind instantly pipe up. “Careful, young one the humans are incredibly crafty creatures.” Slyfer nods, although he doesn’t know why since they can’t see him physically. He tucks the strange contraption away and heads towards the training grounds.

Vanya, like always since her crushing defeat from Aldowin, is training in sword play along with some other dark elves. The sword Slyfer had made. Is thin and sharp, it nearly does not have a blade and is mainly used for stabbing at your opponent. This kind of sword lacks defence since it would easily break, but she compensates for it by carrying a small shield. At first, Slyfer had thought the girl is crazy, but after seeing how she used the combination made him and all the rest change their minds. This brought on a new nickname for the silent girl.

Walking closer Slyfer uses the nickname. “Wasp! I need to speak with you for a moment.” Her nose wrinkles in displeasure at the nickname, but she doesn’t say anything. She walks over still breathing hard because of the exertion. Aldowin not far off and overlooking the training, also saunters closer. “Not long ago, after we found the “couch” a group of human warriors ran into our scouts.” Her eyes widen a little and her heart starts to race. “Don’t worry, we know you are not a spy, we also know you have been living in the couch.” Slyfer’s eyes harden and the blue eyes bore into her. “The flying monkey is mine; her name is Shcree by the way.”

She swallows and her eyes dart around looking for a place to escape. Slyfers laughs, but the smile does not reach his eyes. “Look at me human.” She looks at him, her eyes now focused and without fear. “What happens, happens but I will not go without a fight.” Slyfer smiles at her defiance. “We don’t want to hurt you. All we want is the truth, If you lie to me, I will know.” She lifts her chin. Clamping her mouth shut.

Slyfer steps forward, his eyes turning red. “Humans, always so defiant…. always so self-righteous as they pillage and kill. Destroy the land taking whatever they wish, in pursuit of their ambitions and greed. Not caring for the generations to come. All the while preaching and talking about how right they are in doing it. Tell me human, have you seen the slave camps? Do you know how your precious leader completely destroyed a race? How he nearly destroyed all of his own kind?

Slyfer’s hand goes toward her throat. “Have you ever wondered, do you even care what your people have done, what they destroyed?” People start to turn toward the two forming a crowd. Vanya wants to move, but she is locked in place. The red eyes go right into her soul making her body and limbs useless, his words are like lashes from a whip beating at her already shaky beliefs in her people. “Slave camps? Destroying a race? What is he talking about?”

Slyfer’s hand reaches her neck and he can already imagine it getting crushed in his palm. The dark voices scream for it, they want it…. All other voices fade except for those. Aldowin sees the trouble before it even happens. He pushes Slyfer away while shouting at him. “Get control of yourself!” Slyfer steps back and looks at his hand that was crushing the life out of Vanya just a second ago. Vanya looks at him fear in her eyes, as she leans toward Aldowin while her hand rubs at her neck that is already becoming red.

She finally gets a few words out. “I may not know everything about my people, but at least I know myself. In you there is nothing but evil.” Slyfer looks at her, then his hand. She is surprised at the brief sadness that flashes across his face, but it quickly disappears, turning back into the mask he shows everyone. He walks closer once again. “I am what I am not because I chose to be like this. I have made peace with that and I fight it every day. Its time we have a little chat in private.”

Without waiting for a reply, Slyfer turns around and starts walking towards the tent. Aldowin follows with Vanya in front of him. She does not need to look back to know Aldowin is waiting for her to try something.

They reach a huge and luxurious tent and Slyfer sits down, as he does lights flicker over to him as they sing and fill the tent with brilliance. Vanya looks at the small creatures astounded. “Fairiies, they are fairies!” She says it aloud, which wasn’t her intention. Slyfer looks at them and smiles. A green one, stops and lands on his shoulder and the two obviously have a conversation. Vanya had seen the fairies before, but only briefly when they were searching for something, but it was not this close nor did she have the confidence in herself that she has now.

Vinx stops in front of Slyfer. “So Trisha and Fira are not enough, now you bring another girl?” Slyfer nearly falls off his chair. “It’s not like that; this one is going to be questioned.” She looks at him suspiciously. “I promise I still need to figure out this whole relationship business, that’s why I have been avoiding Fira. Her father keeping her away seems to help for the moment.” Vinx finally turns around. She looks Vanya up and down. “I agree this one’s sizes are way too small for your taste.” Slyfer looks at her confused as he takes a sip of water. “I mean her breasts are too small.”

Slyfer nearly spits out the water, as he doubles over and starts to cough and his cheeks go red. “I didn’t really notice.” Vinx flits over to him laughing. “Typical man never knows what he really wants and needs a woman to tell him.” Slyfer wipes away water that spilled down his chin while trying to regain his composure. “Enough, I am supposed to look serious and now you have me looking like an idiot.” Vinx sits down in the crook of his neck, rather chuffed with herself.

Aldowin has one eyebrow raised at them, as if to ask; “Are you done now?” Slyfer nods and clears his throat; his eyes can’t help but drift to her bust. “They are a bit on the small side…” “So umm, where were we?” Aldowin sits down and looks at her. “First of, you are not in any danger, we already determined long ago that you are not a spy. Secondly, what is your purpose and why were you sent to the city?” She fiddles with her hand for a while and then looks at them defiantly.

“You say I am not in danger, but I was nearly strangled to death, just now by this…. this beast.” Slyfer sighs. “What is it with women and calling me a beast, is it written on my forehead? Listen I have a bit of….. a temper problem and I am working on that. If it will make you feel better, I will leave?” Slyfer stands up intending to do as he said, but her words stop him.

Her chest puffed out in pride she says. “I am Lady Vanya Ironheart, daughter of Lord Peter Ironheart. I was on my way to meet with my fiancé who is attending the academy in Atlantia.” Slyfer and Aldowin look at each other. “What is the name of your fiancé?” She looks at them while thinking. “None of your damn business!” But she answers anyway. “His name is James, James Bo-.” Slyfer interrupts her, his face a little excited and questioning at the same time. “Do you by any chance know Alexo?”

The name lets warning bells ring in her ears. She met the man only once and once was enough. It was at a ball, he appeared out of nowhere like a ghost behind her. The memory of it sends goose bumps up her spine. The stories she had heard about the man only made it worse. “I have heard about him, but I don’t know him personally.” Slyfer disappears and reappears with a piece of paper in his hand. “Do you recognize this handwriting?”

She reads the note, and then reads it again. “So what they said is true, if Alexo is behind this then I am in even deeper trouble.” I don’t recognise the hand writing, but I will tell you this. Alexo is a trusted man in the kingdom. A high ranking Templar that won his position by destroying and killing his opposition. He has no remorse or love for magic. He even brags about, how he tortures creatures with magic. The smell of blood always hangs around him like fog.”

A part of Slyfer is disgusted another part can’t help but think. “Finally, something worth killing!” He shakes his head to get rid of it. Slyfer sticks his hand in his pocket and takes out the strange contraption. “Do you know what this is?” Vanya looks it over her eyes growing fearful and surprised at the same time. “We call them hunter seekers.” She swallows and leans away from it, as if it will bite. “The inquisition uses them to hunt humans that have magical abilities. How did you come to have one?”

Slyfer looks at it disgusted and intrigued. “Some humans gave it to us, they were looking for your “couch”. We denied having it of course.” Slyfer sits down. “Don’t be afraid, tell us what you know.” His pleading blue eyes softens her heart a little and thinking that it won’t hurt her people she starts to explain. “Right now there are two factions among the humans. One is the Templars, they discriminate and ostracize anything to do with magic. The other side is The Order of Vangar. Once before the war they served as an intermediary between magicians and non-magic people. They too have become outcasts, but are too powerful to simply be destroyed.”

She looks at the two for any reaction, but seeing none she continues. “They work in the shadows to keep gifted people away from the Templars’ grasp, but it has become a losing battle.” As she says it she looks at her hands. Slyfer and Aldowin both speak at the same time. “Is there any way you can help us make contact with these people?” She looks at them surprised, followed by comprehension. “They won’t help your cause.”

Slyfer snorts. “What is it you think our cause is?” She looks at him in disdain. “I heard you speaking the other day, I know you want war! I am not a fool.” Slyfer looks at her. “I want war, because I am forced to. Can you honestly say your people do not have plans for this land? That they do not want to take what is not theirs?” Slyfer looks at her. “You preach peace even while your own people are being hunted for being different. What I want is a land free of this.”

This time, she snorts at him. “You are naïve, every war is fought about something and each side thinks they are right. Do you think the Templars think they are villains, that they are evil. No in their eyes they believe they are right just like you think you are right. It’s a vicious circle that simply repeats itself.” She looks at him disdainful with a smirk on her face believing she has won. “Who decides who is right or wrong, who decides when all that is left is a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood?”

Slyfer stands up, to her surprise he is smiling at her with red eyes. “You ask the wrong questions. It’s not who decides who is right, but I tell you what little human. Ask me that question again when it is me standing on that mountain of corpses and doing a perfect back stroke in the sea of blood!” Slyfer turns and is about to walk away, then he stops. “Who is right, is not decided, it is won!”

Slyfer heads outside to try and cool his head. “Who does she think she is, questioning my motives. She need only look outside to see what’s wrong in her world.” A old dragon voice fills his mind. “If that is your belief then why do you feel the need to defend it?” Slyfer paces up and down thinking, but he can’t come up with a retort. “Your resolve is weak and if it is weak, you will fall. If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything. So far you have felt forced into this by us. That is your problem, you do not see what is right in front of you, you do not believe in what we tell you.”

“I… I just feel so lost sometimes, like I have no control.” All the dragons laugh at him. “Control, what is control? Look at, the trees, the leaves, the grass. Do they have control? Look at the people around you, each driven by their own desires in some way. Do they have control? Can a bug control when a frog eats it. You are naïve, so naïve. No one has control.”

Slyfer grips his hands in anger at their mocking. “I have control, I control when I eat, I control if I want to squash the bug or not. I choose if I want to walk left or walk right. I have control.” The dragons go quiet Slyfer can almost see them snickering at him. “Tell us then, oh great and powerful master that is in control. You eat because you are hungry, is your hunger under your control? Why did you squash the bug, was that under his control, did it want to get squashed, were you the bug what would you have done? If you are walking and a wagon is on your left, you have to walk to the right, Is that in your control? Was it your choice to move, or were you forced to.”

Slyfer goes quiet his thoughts swirling around in his mind like a tornado. “What is purpose then, why are we doing this?” The dragons sigh. “The question is not, why are we doing this, what you need to ask yourself is why am I doing this. What is your purpose young one, what is your choice?” Slyfer frowns. “You just said I don’t have control, why should I make a choice? If there is no control what is the point.”

Slyfer feels the dragons start to get angry, but he doesn’t care. He wants to shout at them; “I am a child!” He doesn’t his pride stops him, but he still feels defeated and lost. “What is it you want from me?” The dragons sigh. “It is not what we want, but what do you want Slyfer? We may have given you an ultimatum, but since then it has been your actions, your choices that brought you here. You are the one that made connections with the people, not us.”

Slyfer feels it dawn on him like the light at the end of the tunnel. He feels like he has been ravelling in an oppressive darkness ever since he left the floating mountains. What he thought was wrong, he is not controlled by the dragons, his choices are still his own…. Sure he still made that promise, but how he fulfils it is up to him. Unlike he thought the darkness in him are not just the dragons that have lost their minds in grief and sorrow, but almost completely something else as well.

He stops in his tracks, as a smile starting to form on his lips. “What is purpose? Who cares!” He balls his hands into fists, as excitement wells up inside him. “What is destiny? Fuck destiny!” He turns and starts walking feeling a sudden urge to celebrate. “My purpose and destiny, will follow once I discover who I want to be, what I want to do and where I want to go.” Vinx can’t help but notice his change in mood as he starts to hum the only song he knows. She starts to pulse along with the humming.

Slyfer stops, then asks; “Vinx, where does one get alcohol in this place?”

Unaware of Slyfer’s epiphany Aldowin is still having a serious conversation with Vanya. “Are you sure there is no way, you can get us into contact with the order?” She bites her lip thinking for a second. She closes her eyes and decides to bet everything. “My father is a part of the order. He mainly joined in order to protect me since they discovered I have magic. But….” Aldowin looks at her worried face and cant help but feel like he wants to protect her.

He p[laces his hand on hers. “But what, don’t be afraid, I doubt the Templars can reach you here.” She sighs and gathers her courage and lifts her gaze to meet his. “I don’t know how we can get in contact with him.” Aldowin sits back. “Don’t worry, I am sure there will be a way. Just like I am sure the order will have people in the capital, after all it does have the largest magic academy in our world.” What he says gives her a little hope and she manages a smile, but a thought of her position makes the smile fade.

“So what now, what will become of me, what my people taught us about the dark elves were all lies.” She slumps her shoulders. “If they can lie about an entire race what else are they lying about? What do I believe in?” Aldowin sits forward. “You are a smart young woman, I won’t tell you what to believe in, or what you should do, but I will tell you this. Follow your own heart, discover the world in your own way, question what you are taught and then question the answers behind that. Nothing in this world is permanent…. Everything has an end and everything changes, even truths.”

She sits up and starts to process, what she heard. Aldowin stands up smiling. “You don’t have to believe in what my student and I are trying to achieve, our beliefs do not require you to. Instead focus on what you want to stand for, what you want to believe in. It may be flawed or wrong to other people, but if it can make your life just a little bit more worth living isn’t it worth it?” She nods and also stands up.

Aldowin walks with her to the exit. “You are free to do what you want, stay, leave its your choice… Oh and you can stop coloring your hair, it doesn’t suite you in the first place.” She starts to walk toward the couch in a daze.

Not long after that Slyfer returns with a barrel of sweet smelling Alcohol. It will be his first time really drinking and the thought of it has him a little excited, he has always wondered at the dark elves as they stumbled and complained about having drank too much, but yet when he sees them again, they are drinking again. He puts the barrel down and grabs a cup pouring himself some. He smells it first…. It’s not too pungent, but he can’t decide if he likes it or not.

He takes a swig and a feeling of warmth follows as the liquid flows through his body…. Then it disappears. Slyfer takes another swig and another. He quickly finishes the cup and refills it going through the same process until finally, seven cups later….. Slyfer sits with his back against the bed his arms on his knees holding the cup out in front of him.

“This isn’t working, why am I not getting drunk?” Vinx flies out of the cup and gives a great hic up. She half flies half falls towards Slyfer. Her cheeks are red and flushed, as she lands on Slyfer’s knee, nearly falling off. “Maybe it is because of your healing ability?” Slyfer sighs frustrated. “It seems to work perfectly on you though.” Vinx sits down and starts to hum two other fairies fly out of the cup and they hum as well.

There lights start thrum and Slyfer starts to feel dizzy as he looks at them. Other fairies join and they from a circle laughing as they float in the air swaying to and fro. Slyfer gets hypnotized and soon the world turns into a blur. He stands up and takes a big gulp from the cup, laughing as he spins with the fairies flying around him.

Slyfer falls over hitting a cupboard with a crash! It breaks, spilling out its contents Slyfer sits up groggily and looks around, the fairies also shot off in all directions and are sprawled out everywhere. Slyfer starts crawling toward the bed his head spinning. He reaches it after what seems like forever. The furs that serve as blankets, feels especially soft and he rubs them a few times. He manages to get his upper body on the bed and tries to lift his leg onto it, but nearly falls backwards. He tries again a few times, but each attempt is worse than the one before turning the scene into a strange site.

Slyfer gives up and not caring falls asleep with his knees on the floor.

The next morning Aldowin is greeted with this. He looks at the room and takes a step back as a strong smell of alcohol assaults him! “Sky mother, how much did he drink?” He looks over at the empty barrel and turns pale. He shakes his head and takes out a stout staff and walks forward grinning as he does! Slyfer, his face planted on the furs and drooling is completely oblivious, as his master stands behind him. Setting himself up, like a golfer about to swing. He aims carefully and pulls back his arms….. “Stop it!” Slyfer’s voice lets the master nearly jump out of his skin and he looks like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar!

Slyfer sits up wiping at the drool. His hair is in disarray and plastered against the one side of his face. His eyes squint at the light coming from the entrance. “What happened last night?” Aldowin walks around taking in the sorry state. “So what brought on this bout of stupidity?” Slyfer rolls around picking up a fairy as he does and places her carefully on a pillow next to another one. “I felt like celebrating, but the stupid idea was not drinking, it was drinking with fairies.” He calls for the servant to get a bath ready his face distorting with pain that the call elicits from his pounding head. Aldowin sits down on a chair eating an apple. His know it all smile makes Slyfer want to throw him with something, but he doesn’t, it would take too much effort.

The servant soon arrives and she also stops at the strong smell of alcohol. Slyfer by now has gathered all the fairies on the pillow so no-one will step on them. Without even waiting for the servant to leave he starts to strip, which sends her scurrying out after nearly falling or her face over the broken cupboard.

Slyfer climbs in the bath and places a wash cloth on his face as he lays back. Aldowin turns to him. “You need to hurry.” Takes another bite from his apple. Slyfer sits up and the wash cloth falls off with a plop. “Why is that master?” Aldowin smiles. “The Blood pack is going to get its first mission we are going to be briefed as soon as your done.”

Slyfer hearing this starts to bubble with excitement. Aldowin seeing his face holds up his hand. “I don’t know the details, the sooner you finish, the sooner we can find out.”

Ten minutes later the two set off towards the war tent. Both are dressed in their new ceremonial attire, which makes them stand out amongst the others milling about. It consists of black pants and boots. With a jacket that has fur lined into the jacket around their necks. On their backs is the Blood pack insignia with their rank clearly displayed on their shoulders. They soon reach the tent and enter.

The tent only has one large round table strewn across it are all kinds of maps and letters with information brought by scouts. The elves around the table stop talking as they see Aldowin and Slyfer enter and wait for them to reach the table. The King nods at the two in greeting, not caring about decorum.

He starts to talk as soon as the two sit down. “Our scouts have found a small town not far to the East. This in itself is not a problem, however the town has been occupied by a small army.” Slyfer frowns still failing to see why this is a problem. The King looks at the others and then continues. “The army has a flag with a black dragon clearly on display. We sent messengers requesting to buy food from the town, but they were caught and burned alive.” Slyfer stands up anger clearly on his face. “I warned you these people cannot be reasoned with.” Old Sun puts his hand on Slyfer’s shoulder to calm him. Slyfer is shocked at how gaunt and powerless the old man looks.

He sits down. Aldowin is the first to speak. “What has happened?” Before the King can speak Old Sun replies. “Its Jade, Jade has been captured along with a few of her scouts.” Slyfer’s face goes pale. He balls his fists and everyone takes a deep stifled breath, as his shear killing intent makes them want to run for the exit! The table cracks seemingly by its own accord. The crack starts in front of Slyfer and runs in a jagged line towards the King. The King feels enough pressure from Slyer’s gaze to make him want to squirm. Slyfer talks and his voice filled is with authority that makes the King pale, he asks only one thing.

“Where?!”

Sorry guys I was sick for a bit with a cough that made me sound like Smeagle...... yeah wasnt very nice.

Anyway remember how I promised loads of action not so long ago......