It is told by the elders that the greatest battle in the history of the Continent – until this day – was the last confrontation between the race of the Ogres and the army of Fiandel, at the beginning of the formation of what may be the biggest Kingdom of our days. That battle practically extinguished the race of the Ogres and laid the foundations of what would be the era of Akia Issa Nkosi, the first ruler of Fiandel.

Felicia Nafest – Footnotes

*

A nymph and an elf are the only creatures inside the throne room. The elf listens to the nymph, obediently, following her personal rule of avoiding the fury of royalty at all costs.

-The future is made by the pieces that move in the present. – Says the nymph, slowly walking before the elf. Her bare feet move so naturally over the carpet that it looks like she floats above the floor. – And the reason I called you here is to make a offer. A way of moving such pieces. You have my permission to decline the offer, however, I believe the terms will be of your interest. Is that clear?

-Yes. – The answer is merely a protocol.

-Good. I believe that your kingdom already knows that my Council is undergoing changes due to the attitudes of two members. Am I right?

-Yes.

-It seems that the interest in our internal affairs remains active, doesn’t it?

-The relevance of the Great Forest has not diminished, Mother Nymph. The eyes of the continent are still looking at this place with the same attention. They always have.

-Of course, of course. – She goes up the stairs, sitting on her throne and taking a deep breath. – And it’s my job to make sure we stay that way. My offer is simple: Bring me the two fugitives, along with the goods they stole from me. Do that and I will give you and your companions safe passage through my territory until the Kingdom of Fiandel.

The proposal surprises Rinlia, who, for the first time, raises her head to look Nida in the eye. The Oracle smiles at the reaction.

-But… - The elf frowns. - Why? Where are the fugitives?

-They are close. I had a vision that will help you to find them, however, I am not sure how much my vision will help you. The fact is, the fugitives are in my kingdom and you will be able to find them.

-Why not use your own subjects for this? Why are you using foreigners?

-Oh, I can understand your confusion. And you are right. Usually, we do not entrust anything to foreigners for two reasons: The first is that we do not trust foreigners and the second is that we almost never have visitors here, in the Glade, mainly because no one dares to step nearby.

The elf does not interrupt, awaiting the answer to her question. The nymph continues.

-However, the second reason doesn’t apply to you, since you have entered my territory. I had a vision about you, walking in my forest, and I ordered Lancelot to track you down. That said, the first reason still remains, however, I trust my visions. More than anything else in the world. And the fact is that, through them, I saw that you successfully completed the endeavor. Therefore, there is no reason for me not to use you, right?

The commander thinks. The nymph’s gaze is calm, as if she already knew what would come next. Even though the elf is sure about her free will, she cannot shake it off the feeling that everything she does will be within what was predicted by those eyes.

-What if we find the fugitives, but we are not able to capture them?

-You want to know if you have permission to kill them. Well… That’s one more reason for me to let foreigners do the work. It is not good for a race in the forest to have the blood of Council members in their hands. Even if their actions are justified, the stigma of the act will stain someone and may affect future votes and decision-making. I cannot allow this in the Council, since it need to be as impartial as possible. If foreigners do the work, that problem cease to exist.

-And what are the creatures that we would chase?

-I will give these details after you give me your word that you will accept the mission.

For a moment, Rinlia processes the information that was given to her. The opportunity to make a deal with the Great Forest’s highest authority is too exceptional for her to simply reject.

-Your Majesty, I would like the opportunity to discuss this proposal with my companions. – Nida’s look encourages her to explain her request. – We went through many difficulties recently and several soldiers were killed or lost on our way here. I need to consult them before taking on another endeavor that could put their lives at risk.

The nymph waves from her throne with a gesture of the hand.

-Very well. I will wait for your response until nightfall. Then, we can talk about how you will proceed.

*

To spend a few hours inside a hole barely larger than your body is a complicated task. Doing this for days, with few supplies and no distractions, constantly alert because of the fear of being captured is an almost impossible task to do in a way that keeps the mind sane.

That is why the two fugitives stuck in a hole in the middle of the Great Forest find it difficult to keep their minds in place. Sweat drips from all of their pores and staying in the shelter becomes almost impossible. Despite the heat, their hands are shaking and they are not even able to formulate individual thoughts for more than two or three sentences.

The creatures enclosed in that small hole are opposite images of each other: Leaning against a wall, with his chin resting on his chest, is the large figure of a werewolf covered in hunting clothes. His face has several scars and his back is deformed, his arms are long enough to reach below his knees and his ears are long and pointy. Despite the scars in his face and the malformation of his limbs, he has an aura of invincibility, as if any attack would be incapable of hurting his body.

On the other hand, the creature in front of him is fragile. Despite the agility and speed shown during the escape into the forest, in a glance no one would consider the possibility of that figure having any physical power. She is a nymph, has a round face and her skin has a caramel color. Her straight brown hair is like a curtain that covers her shoulders and her voluminous lips seems to always keep secrets.

Two opposing figures, who desire to leave the shelter immediately and continue their escape. With some luck, no one would see them and that suffering would be near the end. It was enough for them to gain some advantage over the hunt groups.

However, they are strong enough to resist temptation. All that it takes is one look to the necklace or the ring, placed on the floor in front of them.

-Tonight, brother. – She says, in a soft voice. In a way, she is also trying to convince herself.

The werewolf closes his eyes and clenches his fists, trying to imagine the moment when they would be free from their pursuers.

-Freedom. – He grumbles. His voice is hoarse, forcing its way through the vocal cords.

-True freedom. – She answers. – Not the feeling of freedom, tied by the fate seen by “her”. – The last word has a bitter intonation. – True freedom.

He nods and they return to silence, waiting for the night, when they would go ahead with the plan.

*

-We decided to accept the proposal.

- I see that it was not necessary to wait until nightfall. – Nida looks to Rinlia from the top of her throne, without signs of surprise in her eyes. Once again, they are alone.

-No. – The elf agrees. – If our mission is to be a search party, we agreed that it would be better to start preparations as soon as possible.

The nymph sitting on the throne looks ahead, as if staring something above the elf’s head for a few seconds. Rinlia remains silent, waiting until the nymph speaks again.

-Your mission is to capture two Council members, who fled recently. They ran away with two of my personal jewels. These items are crucial to the success of your mission. Bring them to me.

-I believe it was clear that there is no problem if the battle becomes… Intense?

-Yes. You can kill them, but bring me their bodies. I need to be sure that there will be no problems after your departure. However, you cannot kill them before you find the jewels. Ann, the dryad who brought you here, will give you paintings of the jewels, so that you will be able to identify them.

-And the members of the Council… Who are they?

The nymph sighs. It is the first time that something besides tranquility and wisdom appears in her angelic features. Rinlia recognizes, in her eyes, the feeling of concern.

-The members you will track to me are the Henco brothers.

The elf’s eyes widen and her posture stiffens.

-Sorry, I don’t know if I understood correctly. The Second Oracle…?

-Yes. – The nymph agrees. – Her and her brother. Two kids, who believe they are doing what is right. That is why it breaks my heart to have to resource to such brutal response. But they crossed the line and stole two magic items that belong to me. I believe that their appearance is known to Fiandel, am I right?

-Yes, they… They are very famous.

The elf cannot stop the feeling of nervousness. The cursed werewolf and the nymph who was considered Nida’s successor. The Henco brothers, famous as emblematic figures of the recent history of the Great Forest.

-You can ask anything before starting your mission. We have the approximate location where supposedly they were last seen as well as where the search groups found them last time. We also have the routes that are constantly watched and I can provide you with a map of the routes of that region. Nothing detailed, of course, because I don’t want to give you all the secrets about our security, however, it will be enough to assist you. Battle equipment and supplies will also be provided in whatever quantities you see fit. And, of course, there is the vision that made me call you here.

-Yes, the vision. – The elf shakes her head, trying to regain her composure. – Please proceed.

-It was a simple vision, about the near future, of just a few days. In that vision, you returned to me with two leather bags. In one of them, you showed me the jewels that were stolen from me. I didn’t have time to see what was in the other bag.

There is no sound that reaches the throne room. Just two creatures, alone, planning the future.

-Were one of my companions injured in any way? Did we indicate anything that suggested where we went?

-In my vision, I only saw a conversation between us about the conclusion of the mission, without mentions of details about the execution. You looked tired, however, I couldn’t say if any of you had serious injuries, since you may have hidden it or we may have talked about that in another section of the conversation that wasn’t in my vision.

-I see. Are there any details about the fugitives’ abilities that you can tell me?

-Talk to Ann, she will give you the information we have, however, I don’t know if they will be of help, since they trained together, without supervision. The information we have is probably generic. – She sighed. – If that’s all, I’ll see you soon, after the mission is complete.

The elf waves and turns towards the doors. Halfway there, however, she hears the sound of the nymph’s voice, in a last farewell:

-Child, don’t make the mistake of taking my trust in the future as some kind of trust in you. This mission was given to you because I saw your return with my jewelry. So, don’t do anything that might lessen my desire to guide you safely out of my territory.

*

Yvanna’s delicate hand removes the curtain from one of the bedrooms in the small hut where the four foreigners are hosted.

After Rinlia separated all the items and gave the necessary orders before the mission started, she gave them five hours to rest before gathering all the items and starting a full day of intense searches. It was the elf’s way of giving them a short rest while taking the opportunity to pursue their goal in a moment where the first rays of sunlight would allow them to move through the unknown terrain.

However, the period designated for a rest is not immediately used for this purpose. Rinlia, who gave the direct order, decided to organize last minute tasks and to check the equipment in advance. Arthur headed out of the cabin, in a ritual he had repeated several times during the day, marveling at his own ability to walk.

Yvanna goes to one of the cabin’s rooms, getting into the place where is the last member of the small party.

-What does this mean…?

Thiago’s voice is wavering, as if his mind is forcing his lips to say the words. The approach of the vampire simultaneously intimidates and provokes him, as if she was a fisherman and he was a fish, struggling after feeling that the bait caught him by the mouth.

-Do you want me to go away?

Thiago feels that this would be a fair question if they were just two ordinary creatures in a room. However, the creature standing in front of his bed is no ordinary creature.

For him, Yvanna stands out even among the vampires, traditionally known for their beautiful features and attractive silhouettes. Everything about her confuses and, at the same time, seduces him: The red curls, the brown and attentive eyes, the pale skin and those lips that are constantly in a half smile. Everything in her has an irresistible magnetism.

-I can’t do this. – He grumbles, standing up and taking a step away from her. However, she is standing between him and the door. With just a step, she narrows the distance between them.

-Can’t or won’t?

-Why are you doing this? Why did you choose me? – He struggles to resist her scent, that smell of night flowers which he can only smell when the two of them are alone.

-Do you need a reason? I want to be distracted and you are available.

-But you are not. What will happen to me if someone find out what we’re doing?

The look on her face changes. Joviality is replaced by curiosity.

-Where are you going with this?

-You are not available. – He looks away, feeling as if he won’t be able to resist to her if he keeps looking at her brown eyes. – You are promised to the Crown Prince.

-Are you afraid? – She gets closer, placing her hand on the soldier’s chest. He feels the region warming up. – Or just jealous?

He is not able to answer. The vampire grabs his shirt and pushes him, slowly.

-Did I told you how the prince and I got engaged? – She returns to the jovial expression, pushing his chest and making the soldier sit on the bed. – One day, Barsen and I risked our necks and saved his life in an almost impossible situation. He knew that and, for this, he decided we should be rewarded. The prince said he knew what present he would give me, but he didn’t know what to give to Barsen. Therefore, the ogre was allowed to make a wish. Barsen asked for a piece of land where he could set up a small village. That day, he got what he always dreamed of: Peace, tranquility and stability for his people. Me? Do you know what I got? A proposal that I couldn’t refuse. A proposal which, although no one forced me to accept, would turn into something terrible if I refused it.

-Do you not want to get married to him?

She sits on him, wrapping her legs around the soldier’s waist and bringing her face close to his.

-I want to marry him. Remember what I said to you when we were on Vivre? I want to be like a wolf in the center of the pack.

-If that is true, what are we doing here? – He finds it more and more difficult to maintain his concentration.

-This has nothing to do with that. Marriage is a tool. This is a distraction. I told you that history so you can understand why I am acting like this in relation to my marriage. Besides, after I get married, this doesn’t necessarily have to keep happening. Look at me. – He obeys. She brings her lips close to his, looking him in the eye. – I owe nothing to the prince, nor he to me. We have our own interests and, as long as I am not married, there is no responsibility on your shoulders.

She touches his lips with hers, smiling and touching his neck with her hands before starting to kiss him in that same region.

The brown curls and the smell of night flowers. The intoxicating sensation of her touch.

-Why me?

A smile and a kiss.

-Because, right now, it’s you that I want. And that’s all that matters.

*

*