A Dream of Empire Ch. 018

"Better taste than me, then. Are you lost, boy? 'Cause we're lost too."

"We're lost?" Alanna incredulously repeated.

"Kind of," Talos chuckled. "Just following the sun, really. Well boy, do you want to travel with us?"

More whimpering from the wolf. Alanna actually found him kind of cute, for an apex predator anyway.

"You uh, want us to travel with you?" Talos asked, tilting his head.

Tanya sighed in exasperation. "Talos, why are you even-"

The wolf barked twice in reply, then panted as his tail wagged ever faster. Talos nodded to him. "Alright, fine. Sit there. Let me pack up the gear."

The wolf sat down.

"You cannot be serious," Tanya whined herself. "Talos, why in all the gods' names would you follow a wild animal?"

He shrugged as he returned to the packs. "He's not being aggressive, nor is he scared. In fact, I've never seen a wolf act this way. Call me intrigued."

"But-"

"Tanya; following a wolf wouldn't even breach the top ten strangest things I've done this year," Talos interrupted her, as if proud of the fact. She shook her head and sighed, decidedly remaining silent as the trio repacked their gear then remounted.

Talos clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and nodded to the wolf. "Alright boy. Show us the way."

-=-=-

Against Tanya's judgment did the trio then backtrack, following the gray wolf through forest and stream. The wolf ran with purpose, and the humans had to force their horses to gallop occasionally to keep up with him. It was only two hours later that the wolf stopped, just inside a small clearing deep within a forest of oaks, where a naked woman laid on her knees facing into the dirt.

Talos studied her as he dismounted and neared. She was young, of pale skin and willowy form, her blonde hair disheveled and scattered about. It was only when he trudged closer did he notice her pointed ears, confirming to him that she was no woman at all.

He knelt down beside her whilst the wolf whimpered and looked on. The sight of a lone elf appearing so vulnerable concerned Talos, partly due to the chance of an ambush, but also due to Mannfred's warnings last month of elven hostility. But, Talos wouldn't be able to flush out ambushing elves even if he wanted to, and so he looked to help her instead. He slapped her cheek to wake her, but she didn't budge.

The elf absolutely reeked of sex as well, a smell which only disturbed Talos further when he drew an inevitable conclusion; that it had been the wolf who had obediently led them to her, and there were no other souls in sight. He unclasped his black cloak and draped it over her for modesty, then rolled her to her side. He pressed two fingers against the elf's neck to confirm she hadn't passed.

"Still breathing," he confirmed to his companions. "She has some sort of paint on her cheeks... and uh, some sort of marking on her forehead. Looks like an eye. Ideas?"

Alanna and Tanya glanced at one another, sharing a shrug a moment later. "Nope," the enchantress answered.

"Well. She's in a pretty deep sleep," Talos groaned as he rose to his feet, "and she's, uh... she's seed inside her." He looked to Alanna.

"From...?" she timidly pointed to the wolf. Talos grimaced, clearing his throat.

"Don't see any other elves about," he muttered in disgust. Tanya tapped a finger against her chin as she studied the elf with a squint, then snapped her fingers two moments later.

"That's it! That's why the wolf is acting so strange! It's domination magic! A proto-school of Enchantment that was thought to be long, long forgotten. It was said to be developed to take command of animals, but could only be invoked if there was a strong bond between the user and her target." Tanya dismounted and stepped towards to the elf, kneeling down to rest a hand on her forehead. She shut her own eyes.

"But domination magic had one overriding flaw. If the user remained within their target for too long, they would find themselves stuck. And... and this one must have fallen asleep whilst they were bound. During the... well," she opened her eyes, glancing to her companions, "I hope I don't need to explain canine anatomy to you?"

Talos raised a hand. "No, please, I'm aware. Can you fix her?" Tanya rose to her feet, nodding.

"I believe so. Right now, our elf here is trapped within her bound animal; but, if we can remind her of who she is, I believe we can separate them once more. Talos, come over here?"

He did, pacing back to the elf. Tanya walked past him, brushing a hand against his chest as she made her way towards the wolf, who had so far remained silent whilst wagging his tail. "When I say now, kick her in the stomach. Our elf needs to be reminded of her physical form as well as the mental."

Talos crossed his arms. "Kick her? Are you sure?"

"Just do it, Talos; trust me. But only when I say so." Tanya knelt down in front of the wolf, and brought both hands to his head as she looked into his eyes. The wolf wagged his tail and whimpered.

"You are not a wolf. You are an elf. You... remember your family. You have an elven mother, and an elven father. Remember your friends, hopefully a couple of true elven friends who you laugh with, and who you spend time with. Remember your home, and remember all of the elves who live beside you. Remember who you are."

The wolf panted, but otherwise did nothing. Tanya continued. "You, um, eat fruits and vegetables. Perhaps you drink alcohol. You can ride horses, a-and perhaps you can sing. Perhaps you like poetry? You probably know how to wield a bow, and you certainly have two legs, and not four. You've..."

Tanya trailed off, chuckling after a moment of silence. "That's it... of course. Something more personal. Elf. You are not a male. You do not have a penis. You've a vagina, like all females, and you sometimes pleasure it when you're alone."

Talos glanced towards the elf at his feet when she let out a gasp. "Now, Talos!" And then kicked her square between the ribs. The elf coughed and sputtered, panting for air, and Tanya lept to her feet. She extended a gloved hand to cast an iridescent, shimmering wall; a ward, separating elf from animal.

"Thane..." the elf cleared her throat, "thank you," she whispered, her lids fluttering open. Tanya released her ward once she'd heard the elf speak.

"And, fixed," Tanya proudly smiled.

"Well done," Talos smirked, offering a hand to the elf. "Fetch her some clothes, Tanya."

The elf rolled to her side and pointed to their right, murmuring, "over... there. My things." She then took Talos' hand and was lifted to her feet, and Talos averted his gaze just after. Tanya looked to the trees to their right and sauntered towards the elf's pack.

"Name's Talos," he said, nodding towards Alanna. "And that's Alanna, and Tanya's the sorceress who saved you. What's your name?"

"Sorana," she whispered. "Thank you all. I had hoped I was following the right humans."

"Mm. Probably the only humans around, in any case," Talos agreed with his gaze cast aside. "You from Tor Asuria?"

"Y-yes," she softly answered. "I was... well..."

"I... get it," Talos groaned. "No need to explain. We're traveling that way, if you're interested in tagging along with us. You can ride my horse."

"That is very kind of you Talos, but I am venturing in the opposite direction," Sorana quietly replied. "I very much appreciate your assistance, though."

Talos shrugged. "Very well."

They stood in silence for a minute as they awaited Tanya to return with the elf's things, and Alanna used the moment to try enchanting the wolf once again; she found the animal's mind pliable, and soon found success in her endeavor. She yelled out to Tanya when she returned with the elf's furred backpack.

"I can read the wolf now!" Alanna loudly informed her.

Tanya smirked. "Of course you can, Alanna. Sorana's bond with him was otherwise blocking your enchantments. I should have seen it earlier." She handed the pack to the elf, who thanked her once again.

"You are an enchanter?" Sorana softly asked as she opened her pack to retrieve her clothes. Alanna nodded, grinning.

"Yep!"

"Curious," Sorana murmured, rummaging through her pack. She unclasped the cloak that Talos had laid on her and handed it to him, thrusting it into his field of vision. He took it.

"Thanks. Well, guess we're done here," he explained to his companions as he wrapped it over his shoulders. "Better get back to it. Need anything else, Sorana? Food? Water?"

"No, thank you. I am alright," she murmured, still looking into her pack.

"You know, it's almost sunfall honey," Alanna then said. "Perhaps we'll camp here?"

Talos shook his head. "Nah. We can make a few miles yet." He then turned to Tanya and pecked her on the lips, smiling. "Your knowledge of everything and anything continues to astound me."

Tanya blushed, returning his grin. "Thanks, Talos. If you can imagine, my friends chided me when I signed up for the Archaic Magics course in College. If only they could see us now."

"Your friends were only jealous of your aptitude. Think nothing of their-"

Talos abruptly halted, hearing a faint whisper of metal-on-metal.

He unsheathed his sword on instinct, intercepting Sorana as she rushed towards them with blade in hand, her glare fixed on Alanna. He deftly cut through the elf's chest, and she fell to the ground.

"What the-" a stunned Tanya gasped.

Talos then reached for his crossbow with his free hand and fired it at the wolf, who was snarling and rushing towards Alanna as well. The bolt thumped into him, right between the eyes.

"What the hells, Talos?!" Tanya exclaimed as the wolf whimpered and died. Talos trudged towards the elf with bloodied blade and crossbow in hand, and kicked her knife away.

"Alanna, interrogate her," he gruffly commanded.

"But... but she's dying!" Alanna tearfully retorted, her voice brittle with confusion and fear. Talos' unsympathetic glare instantly finished their argument, and he turned towards the elf laying in a pool of her own blood.

"Why did you attack her?" he sternly asked. Alanna was forced to enter the elf to get her to comply, and suddenly felt every pain that she did. The enchantress gave her best not to cry out in agony, clenching her teeth shut.

"The enchanter cannot know..." the elf croaked out between sputters of breath. Talos pressed her further. "You cannot know... we are coming..."

An image suddenly flashed through Talos' mind; he saw a horde of elves dressed in greens and whites, marching through the forests and along the straightened shore to their left. Towards them.

"Why are you coming this way?" he asked of the elf writhing in pain.

"The goddess... has returned... she... came to us..." the elf coughed out as she clung to life. "The time of man... is over..."

Talos' heart dropped in his chest, the elf's words reminding him of a hypothesis he feared. "And your goddess's name, is it Casiama?"

"N... no... Kian'ra," the elf whispered as all turned to black.

"Who?"

"Kian... ra..."

Talos looked to Tanya for clarification. "Ki-Kianra, the elven goddess o-of the wind a-and the sky," she stuttered. "She was thought to be the-"

The elf's bloodshot eyes suddenly sprang to life. She screamed at the mention of her goddess by a worthless human, and she demanded that Alanna scream in unison with her.

"Kian'ra! The fated ender of man! Oppose her and perish to her will! Man will be forgotten, and elvendom restored! End me human, before I end yooours! Ahhh-"

Talos plunged his sword through the elf's neck, then twisted it for good measure as Alanna fell to the ground, clutching her own. She panted for air as her heart thumped through her chest, but a sudden wash of life came over her as the elf's memories flashed away. She was alive. She was still... alive.

"Alanna," Talos muttered, removing his blooded steel from the elf. "Did you see that too?"

"Yes," she exhaled through her shallow breaths. "There's... there's an army coming. Thousands of elves marching west. Talos... she was scouting for them..."

"Mm. They're by the shore. Why does this Kianra sound so familiar?"

Tanya stuttered, "sh-she was the founder of Casiama's house, T-Talos. The house of Tor Valliya."

"And Cass always spoke of her with great reverence..." Alanna croaked out, feeling a sudden need to heave.

Talos groaned, "and we found Dawnbringer in Kianra's tomb. Yeah. Alright." He fell to the ground as he succumbed to thought, sitting next to the lifeless corpse of the elf. He brought his hands to his face, and remained silent for a minute as he let himself catch his breath.

Tanya knelt beside him, placing a hand on his back. "Talos?" she whispered. He knew what he had to do.

"We're going the right way," Talos murmured as he lifted his gaze. "Only now there's another army. An army that Kianra... Cass might be leading. Probably leading." He rubbed his eyes. "I need you two to go back to Eastwatch and find Alfred, and tell him what we've seen," he ordered as he found his way to his feet. He then helped Alanna's to hers, then made his way towards his horse.

"You're... riding towards them? Alone? Are you mad?" Tanya retorted. Talos turned about to meet her gaze, taking a deep breath.

"Towards Cass. Someone needs to talk some sense into her before it's too late," he muttered.

"But we don't know that it's Cass," Alanna moaned.

"Yeah, we do. There's too many coincidences otherwise; the prophecy, the sword, the elves, the tower, Cass? Far too many coincidences, too many to disbelieve any longer."

"You'll need my help, Talos. You can't send me away now," Tanya wobbly declared. Talos turned his glare.

"Sorry, Tanya. I can't have you with me if I want to talk to her. Your presence will only inflame her. Besides, I'm not looking for a fight; this isn't some Orcish band we're talking about here. No man can stand against an army of elves unless he has an army of his own, and Alfred's already got one not two week's away. He'll need more banners, though. Tell him that."

"But, I could port you to safety..."

"They'll have mages as well, Tanya, likely dozens of them, and if you think elven armies don't march with a ward over their columns, then..." he sighed. "Look, I want you to keep Alanna safe for me instead. Can you do that?" he asked, turning back to his horse to ensure his saddlebags were secure.

"I can. And I will, if that's what you're asking of me. But I still think you're wrong," she replied.

"Noted. My gut says otherwise."

"Honey... please don't meet them alone," Alanna murmured, stepping towards him.

Talos turned to her with his hand on the saddle, stopping her in her tracks. "You already know I have to. Stay safe for me, Alanna, and I'll promise to do the same."

Alanna bit her lip, eventually finding the will to agree with him as they gazed through one another. "Okay. I will, and you better."

"I will. Go, you've no time to waste," Talos asked of her again as he mounted his horse.

"Talos of Evora!" Tanya tearfully exclaimed with clenched fists. "You're being a fool! At least listen to my reasoning before you ride off so hastily! Or am I not your sorceress?!"

He sighed. "You are. What is it, Tanya?"

She shook her head and groaned. "You really think elves will allow you near their goddess?! After what we've just seen from a mere scout?!" she exclaimed, waving a hand towards Sorana. "No. Talos, you need to come back with us. You need to see reason, and not listen to your damned gut for once. Don't fly into the maw of the beast unwarranted."

Talos smirked. "That's kind of the thing about goddesses, huh? It doesn't really matter what the elves'll think, so long as she thinks otherwise. But how could I ever live with myself, if I could've saved Cass with a conversation but only stood idly by instead? Come on. You know me better than that. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure the Oracle wouldn't have sent me here to die so simply."

"That's not how reason works, Talos. Gods!"

Alanna quickly made her way to Tanya and clutched her arm. "He's right, Tanya. He'll... be fine. You'll be fine, right Talos? You promise?"

"I promise. This isn't a suicide mission. I love you, Alanna."

"And I love you," Alanna smiled through her tears. "And you've never been wrong before, so I'm not about to lose my faith in you nor your boundless luck. I'm sorry. Come on, Tanya," she said with a tug of her arm. "We've a kingdom to save."