The Golden Arrow 18+ (-Hideki-)

[Rumpleteaser]

 

Name: Ascot Phillipe Laurent de Mercier

Age: 27

Sexuality: Homoflexible, seke

Height: 5'8"

Weight/build: Light to medium or ectomorph

 

Personality: Ascot is a well-rounded man with a companionable personality. He is active, knows how to hold command and respects those below him in station. He may not be as bold or as muscular as his peers but he is fair and has a sense of moral obligation towards his people. He keeps his sexual vices hidden and only really indulges in them when away from Mercier.

 

Biography: Ascot is the first born child of Lord Phillipe Thomas Laurent of the province of Mercier and Lady Minerva Elise Wittle of the province of Chevrolet. It was an arranged marriage at an early age, meant to secure trade between the two provinces. They have a warm, comfortable life together but there is no romantic or erotic love between them. They have coitus purely for the sake of reproducing. So far they have had four children - Ascot, Demeter, Elise and Gabriel coming in as the youngest. They do not wish to divide their lands and they have the traditional "heir and a spare" so there is no longer any need for them to share a bed together. They most they really see one another is at the table for firstmeal and lastmeal.

 

Ascot spent his infancy with his mother, learning tales of great deeds, creatures of the forest and even darker creatures that lurked around graveyards. As a child he loved hearing about the old gods and the old ways but as he grew, the world held less and less wonder to him. His teaching master scorned fireside tales and had him set to ruling the province. The Lord of Mercier's sons both learned everything they needed to know about ruling the province. They grew up together, complemented one another and challenged one another. If Ascot did not prove worthy of being a lord, the Lord of Mercier would wait a few more years for Gabriel to mature into the role. They were both worked hard but there was time to play too. They were allowed to play along with the servants' children, for socialisation and charm were also integral for a lord to know.

 

As the two boys grew, it became obvious that Gabriel was the more attractive of the pair. He had an eye for beauty, music and art where Ascot became the better swordsman, axeman and archer. He would never be muscular but with enough training he could hold his own with a short sword or bastard sword. By the age of sixteen, Ascot was already being sent out on missions to watch, learn and participate if needed. Many of the knights grumbled at first because they had to both fight and protect the lord's son. Ascot was always kept at the back to be used as an archer. He never ended up needing protection though, for it turned out he could handle himself.

 

With Ascot's old man still very much alive and kicking, Ascot has not yet been made Lord of Mercier. Instead, he is sent out as an ambassador and continues to follow the knights on their missions. He is encouraged to take an active part in the governing of Mercier so that when the old lord dies, it will be an easy transition. He has also been encouraged many times to find a suitable wife so he can secure an heir. He's not interested though. He says he is not ready to give up his freedom for a woman but in fact he is not attracted to them. He can be charming to them and speaks well at parties but all of his sexual exploits have been with men. So far he's been discreet enough not to be caught.

 

 

It was a beautiful autumn day and everywhere leaves drifted about in a flurry. Ascot shook Lord Descartes' hand and bid him farewell. The younger man smiled and wrapped an arm around the neck of his horse, Chestnut, waiting for the chance to get on.

 

'Are you sure you must leave so soon?' the man asked. 'I haven't introduced you to my youngest daughter yet. Come, she is very beautiful and has the mind of an angel.'

 

Ascot laughed softly and held up his hand in protest.

 

'I am very sorry but I must be getting home. The day is wearing on. Perhaps next time, my lord?' he offered.

 

'I'll hold you to that, if she isn't taken already,' Descartes said.

 

'Thank you. Give the young lady my apologies,' he said, then thought of something. 'The Winter Ball will be held in the Emperor's castle in a few months. Will she be there?'

 

'She will if you will.'

 

'I will be there with my father and Elise. No doubt they will become good friends,' Ascot replied.

 

'No doubt,' the man said with a laugh. 'All right, I won't keep you any longer. I can see you are itching to go.'

 

'Thank you, my lord. You know how mother hates it when I'm away by myself. Honestly, she thinks I'm going to be whisked away by the faeries.'

 

'Yes, why didn't you bring anyone with you?' he asked.

 

'In all honesty, I wanted to see the Dansk Forest and no knight would be foolish enough to bring the heir past it,' Ascot answered honestly.

 

'You're mother's right. You are going to be whisked away by the faeries!'

 

Ascot laughed. He held out his hand again and Lord Descartes shook it.

 

'Make sure you are out of sight of the forest before nightfall and don't stray off the path. I can't tell you what to do but I do wish you'd reconsider,' Descartes said with a heavy sigh. 'The inanity of youth.'

 

'All right, all right. I'll be careful,' Ascot said, holding his hands up in protest.

 

'Be on your way, don't dally and thank you for the cherry liqueur,' the lord said.

 

The two dignitaries parted and Ascot was on his way. Ascot took one look back at Lord Descartes' manor and sighed. What a relief! He was sure he'd have to spend the afternoon with the young lady instead of taking the long way around the mysterious Dansk Forest. Once he was past the main gates, he swung himself up on his horse and flicked her into a trot. It wasn't the most comfortable gait but Ascot wanted to be on his way. With any luck, he would be at the forest before noon tomorrow and have enough time to investigate before leaving an hour before sunset. That would give him enough time to be out of the forest's shadow before making camp.

[-Hideki-]

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Leif

Gender: Male

Height: 1,75m

Age: 25 years

Hair colour: blue

Eye colour: blue

Race: Elf

Clan: Abaraxas Clan

Speciality: Magic

Sexual orientation: homosexual

Biography:

The Abraxas clan is one of the old clans that had once been one of the nobles in the elfish realm back in times the humans had long forgotten but that lived on in the memories of every single elf. They liked to remind themselves about their great achievements and society before the human race had taken over the domination on the planet and forced other creatures to hide from them. Now the clan is doomed to live a nomadic life, wandering through the deep forests and pitch their camp on many different places because they can’t stay at one place too long since if they did the humans were to discover them.

 

Leif was born to the blacksmith and a hunter of the clan and due to that no one had thought that he would be born with magical abilities but it turned out that he had been the one of his generation who held those powers at an early age. His parents were both frightened and filled with pride when they figured that out because this meant that he would once become the next guardian of the clan and be the student of the recent guardian until he would take her place.

He has one younger sister without any special talents who often feels ignored by their parents because they are more focussed on their son who has been born with that gift.

 

But while his parents were happy about their son being the one who was granted such a privilege the old guardian was concerned and worried about Leif being the one destiny had chosen to become their next guardian and many of the clan’s people shared her concerns because a guardian had to be humble, wise, compassionate and live for the clan and the elven people and not only posses great talent and gain knowledge as he did but he possessed none of the other character traits. He was arrogant, proud, had a temper, was too restless and was too full of himself and not self-reflective in the eyes of the elderly lady who was their guardian. So she had denied him to teach him the secrets of their clan and their people because she told him that he wasn’t ready yet, pointing at his flaws but Leif had none of it not recognising anything she said to him just questioning his mentors judgement and decisions, getting impatient and angry about her until he made a reckless mistake.

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He could hear every little sound that came from outside the huge tent of the old guardian and while the birds were chirping Leif was certain that there had been a cold breeze brushing over his neck. The young elf walked over to a huge silver chest that was decorated with ornaments and sapphires and had an incredibly old and mystic aura surrounding it. It was only a chest but it was exuding a form of grandeur and respect and it even made old and wise folks getting humble before it. Squatting down next to it he let his long and thin fingers brush over the ornaments, feeling the cold metal on his skin. His intensely blue eyes narrowed concentrated while he was examining it and leaned over it what led the wavy strands of light blue hair that reminded of the summer sky to fall into his ghostly pale face.

 

For a moment he didn’t do anything, he almost seemed frozen at his place taken aback by the majesty of that old chest that contained so much more than one could imagine. There was a spark of guilt arising in him and his face looked tense now. ‘This old hag asked for it! I am old enough and I am good enough, I am the next guardian and it would be her responsibility to inaugurate me and teach me and when she doesn’t do her duty because she has lost her ability to make accurate judgements I have to grant me access to the knowledge that I, the next guardian, deserve.’ He thought trying to convince himself on his mind that what he was doing was the right thing, that there was nothing wrong with it. That he had no other choice then breaking the clans rules because the old guardian was not doing her duties correctly anymore and apparently wasn’t able to make accurate judgements anymore if she couldn’t see that he was more than ready and more than deserving and that he was none of those things she claimed, that he would certainly already be a better guardian than she had ever been. ‘And if you think I can’t open it old lady, you’re wrong. You shouldn’t have underestimated me. Do your meeting, you all do your meeting and in the meantime I will follow my destiny.’ He motivated himself further and then actually did it.

 

Leif concentrated before he laid his hand onto the huge blue sapphire that the chest had at the same place normal chests had a lock. His blue eyes were fixated on the chest and the sapphire started to shine before the whole chest seemed to be wrapped in a blue stream of energy. After the stream had passed by the chest opened and it was like looking into another dimension, another time when he looked down into the chest that seemed to have no confined room. It was showing him a path, a path to the capital of the old realm, the ruins still must be hidden somewhere if not on the island itself then somewhere on the planet they still were. His thin fingers clung onto the edge of the chest and he leaned so far over it that it looked as if he wanted to crawl into it. He could see history before his eyes, he could see magical warriors and spells he had never even dreamt of, powerful spells and his mind got hooked on what he saw. He couldn’t hear the birds chirping outside the tent anymore and the question as to whether it was justified that he had broken the guardian’s rules or not was completely irrelevant in this moment. If he had known any of this .... if all the others would know any of this. To know and see this shouldn’t be a privilege of the guardian alone.

 

When the pictures stopped moving and their glorious past, the elfish realm that had seemed so close, as if he could have touched it with his hands vanished the chest turned into what it was, a chest, even though it was much larger and roomier than it looked like. There were relics of the past, books, scrolls and other objects lying in there. Without further or ado his hand closed around an ancient, giant book and he took it out of the chest. Leif looked at it in awe as the fingers of his other hand gently ran over the old leather cover before he carefully opened the book and began to read it.

 

A shudder ran through him when he heard an old voice behind himself saying his name with utter disappointment and coldness in it. Just how long had he stared into the chest and read in the book? He stood up and turned around to face the guardian of the clan, the book still in his hand. She looked at him as if he had just stabbed someone in the back. “This time you have gone too far Leif!” her old and lofty voice sounded as she was approaching him. Behind her he could see some of the clan’s people and his parents who had been searching for him because he had not appeared at the meeting. “Too far? I have just taken what is my right as the next guardian.” He defended himself and she shook her head with the long white hair that was hanging down onto the ground. “No. You weren’t ready. You are not ready. You have to work on yourself.” She scolded him but in a calm tone. Leif’s hand clenched into a fist and the other one around the book it was holding. “You keep telling me this but you know it’s untrue. I am a great magician and none of what you claim about me is true! Maybe you are the one who isn’t fit to be the guardian anymore because you have lost your reason and the ability to judge accurately. It is my birthright to know this and you have kept it from me.” He argued and his parents as well as some other people that stood in the entrance of the tent flinched and cringed at the way he spoke to the old lady. But on the guardian’s face there was only a sad smile appearing. “And again you have proven me right. With all of what you have done now, you have shown me that I was right about you all along.”

 

The male’s eyes narrowed and he felt anger rising within him. “What I have done!?” he repeated. “You have put me off all those years. It was my right to learn about this. And if you asked me we should all learn about this and see that we shouldn’t have to live in tents in the forest and wander around, hiding ourselves from the humans. We should find the path back to the greatness of our ancestors.” He spoke and there was passion mixing with the anger. The old lady in the white fur coat lowered her head and sighed. When she looked up to him again, her colourless eyes looked at him with disappointment and pity at the same time and her pointed, sharp ears went down a little. “This is yet another thing I feared would happen if you were to know and again I was right.” She told him and he clenched his teeth. “What? That someone finally shows some ambition for our people!” he got back to her sharply.

Gently the old guardian took the book out of his hands. “You leave me no choice Leif. Until you have changed and grown inside, until you possess the characteristics that are necessary it be a responsible and reasonable guardian, I won’t be your mentor anymore and you won’t be my student. You will go with the hunters and be one of them from now on. Leave!” she spoke. “You can’t do that! You don’t stand above destiny. I am the heir to this position! I am the one born with magical abilities in my generation. You don’t get to determine what I am.” He raged and she smiled mildly. “I never claimed to be capable of any of that. I just said I won’t teach you anymore until I deem you worthy.” She said and then ignored him and put the book back into the chest and closed it again.

Leif wanted to scream at her but he was grabbed by the shoulder by his father and when he looked into his parents faces he could only see disappointment written all over them as well.

 

Armed with a bow and dozens of arrows he was strolling through the woods with a group of hunters. They all were excited to have him there as he had magic abilities and they asked him a lot about his lectures with the old guardian but Leif didn’t want to talk to them. He was still angry and he didn’t want to be there in the first place. He was not a hunter, he had never wanted to be one and he felt completely unchallenged. Being bored his mind went off to different places, he was thinking about what he had seen after opening the chest, he was thinking about the past and the future of the elven people and while he was in his thoughts he got off of the way and lost his group what he didn’t realise until he stepped onto something and before he could react or knew what happened he was hanging on a tree inside of a cage.

 

There was a storm of rage within in him, both about the trap and that he had let himself be caught in it. He didn’t know how something this stupid could have happened to him and he blamed it on the old guardian. Leif tried to free himself with magic but the cage didn’t break or open what frustrated him so much that he violently tried to destroy it through physical measures and he hurt his own body more than he damaged the cage. After he had been rampaging in the cage he let himself sink onto the ground and let his legs hang through the bars. Why did it neutralise his magic? Were those human hunters some of those few who actually believed in mystic creatures and hunted them as trophies or to sell them as slaves? Or did they want to expose their existence? While he was questioning how this was possible he tried something else and attempted to open the lock with a piece of wire but it didn’t seem to work well either and he felt how this caused a crack in his pride and giant ego.

[Rumpleteaser]

After several hours of sitting in the cage, there was whistling through the trees as the men surrounded their trap, crossbows and bows drawn. They approached the cage with caution. It was iron, known to disable or even burn fairies, and there was a ward cast over it to disable magic but they were still cautious. The leader of the group moved into view of the cage and approached it, aiming straight for the creature's chest. It was unlikely he'd be able to hit the elf through the bars but he wanted to prove that he was a threat.

 

'A lonely fae wonder'n through the woods,' the man called. He sounded northern, far from his homelands. 'Didn' ye maa e'er tell yer not te go wonder'n off alone? Or 'haps ye're nought alone...'

 

'Any sign of the others?!' the man shouted at his team.

 

'No sign! Whatever was here, they're long gone!' called the tracker, a heavy-set man with a short, greying beard.

 

'How long have ye bin sittin' in tha' cage, little blue eyes?' the leader asked. 'Can ye spik*?'

 

The man finally lowered his crossbow and leaned over the cage, looking intently at his prize. He was evaluating, gauging the condition the elf was in, his age and how much he was worth. The man smiled. A pretty face like that framed with exotic blue locks was bound to fetch a high price. The man was tempted to reach in and stroke that unnaturally coloured hair but knew better than to trust an elf. It might bite or attack and he didn't want to have to retaliate. He wanted the creature in good condition.

 

'There's men who'll pay an 'andsome fee to 'ave ye in their bed or crouchin' by their side as they entertain guests. Or mayhaps ye'll get a sorcerer or medicine man wantin' te study ye. I ain't give two fucks what 'appens te ye, so long as I get my fee,' the lean fellow said. He unhooked his crossbow bolt and poked it in the cage at the creature. 'What ye think 'bout they, hey?'

 

'All right, men! Get the cuffs!' he called, standing back and straightening up. He'd seen all he wanted to. He would let his men take over from here.

 

'Wait!' called the tracker. 'I hear something!'

 

It was true. There was a shift in the bushes. An arrow shot out from the forest, followed by another. There was a scream as one man was shot just below where the neck connected with the left shoulder. The men took their positions behind the trees and scanned the area. More shots fired as they retreated. Another man was shot through the back near the spine. That left three, including the leader, and Ascot only had so many arrows in his quiver.

 

'Set that creature free and you will leave with your life!' Ascot shouted.

 

'We captured 'im fair n' square! Ooo are ye te deny us our quarry?' the leader shouted.

 

'Ascot Phillipe Laurent de Mercier, heir to the lordship of Mercier... and his men! Lay down your arms!'

 

'Shit!' someone cursed.

 

'Silence!' the northman demanded. 'You're not in Mercier, Ascot! You have no power in these woods!'

 

'And you have no right to capture and sell free men, no matter what their race!' Ascot shouted back.

 

It seemed they were at a stand still. Neither would leave without their requests met. Ascot was going to have to do something if he was to get out of this predicament uninjured. He muttered, pretending to talk to his people, as he decided what to do next.

 

'I challenge you to a duel, mano a mano! The winner claims their rights over the elf!'

 

'I thought ye said I ain't got no right o'er a free man! What makes ye think ye do?'

 

Ascot sighed. 'I have no intention to keep him. If I win, he goes free!'

 

There was muttering from the forest as the northman's troupe discussed what they should do. To Ascot's relief, the shaggy northman left the safety of the forest with a fauchard. Having only once seen this type of weapon, the prince stared at it from his vantage point in the forest. He took a deep breath to steady himself and strode into the small clearing holding his short sword and hurlbat. There wasn't much room to move so the fauchard would be at a disadvantage. Ascot raised his blade and got into a defensive position. He wanted to get to know the man's style a bit better before committing to an offensive stance.

 

'Ready?' the northman asked.

 

'Ready,' Ascot replied.

 

The two circled at first, neither wanting to make the first move. Surprisingly, it was Ascot who attacked first. The blades clashed and the fight was underway. Steel sang as it struck steel over and over again. Despite not knowing much about the northman's weapon, it was clean Ascot was the better trained fighter. Whatever disadvantage Ascot had was short-lived. His shortsword didn't have the reach the fauchard had but he was able to get underneath the two-handed weapon with his sword then swipe at the man with the sharp axe. He struck again and against at the man's chest until it lodged deep into the flesh. The man grunted and pull back.

 

'Yield. The elf is not worth your life!' Ascot demanded.

 

'Men! Defend me!' the northman shouted in his thick accent, pulling back.

 

Ascot swore in a very uncouth fashion. It would have made his mother blush. Now he had to fight the two others alone. He backed off as bit as he watched the men approach. He wasn't too fatigued yet but these men were fresh to the fight. He had to work harder to keep up with both of them at once. Luckily these men weren't disciplined and didn't very well know how to fight as a unit. Unlike Ascot, they hadn't spent their lives training and hunting with the provincial soldiers. It was a workout but eventually the battle turned and Ascot was able to drive them back. Just when he thought he was close to winning, the leader of the group raised his crossbow and fired. Ascot took a bolt to the chest and grunted. He couldn't stop now, however, he had to defeat these men not only for the elf but for his own life. Only Descartes knew where he was and would no doubt assume he was elftaken if he did not return to Mercier. The provincial heir kept going until he manged to knock one man back. He managed to get behind the man and walk him backwards to the edge of the clearing. He held the sword to the man's throat and hooked his hurlbat into his belt. He pressed the sword in deep enough to cause a gash that would no doubt leave a scar. Blood ran down the man's neck.

 

'Give me the keys or I slit his throat!' Ascot shouted, panting a little.

 

The northman came forward, crossbow raised. He was breathing heavily and leaning towards his injured sighed.

 

'Ye've disarmed n' injured all m' men. If I give ye the keys, d' ye promise to leave us be?' the northman asked.

 

'You have my word,' Ascot said.

 

Once Ascot had the keys, he kept the blade up against the man's neck and walked him over to the cage. He glnaced at the man in the cage but didn't let go of his hostage.

 

'You are to back off. When you leave the clearing, I will let your man go,' Ascot announced.

 

The men obeyed and Ascot released the man. He was well aware that they could wait in ambush or go and take his horse but there was nothing he could do about that right now. He listened to them leave then exhaled heavily. He put a hand to his bleeding chest then snapped the crossbow bolt. He couldn't pull it out here so he'd have to get home soon so it could be tended.

 

'Well, mister elf, you've caused me a lot of trouble,' he said with a sigh. 'I always thought elves were clever creatures who could get out of any trap. How did they catch you unawares?'

 

The bright-blonde man smiled as he looked at the elf. He sucked in his lip. Under different circumstanced he would have loved to get to know the man better... intimately even.

 

'I don't suppose you know healing magic, do you?' he asked. He laughed, then winced hard at the pain in his chest. 'Forgive me, where are my manners? I am Ascot Phillipe Laurent de Mercier. Who might you be?'

 

*Can you speak?

[-Hideki-]

After hours of sitting locked in that cage the boiling rage and anger caused by his hurt pride was gone. Nor did he attempt to free himself anymore. He wasn’t a hunter or a craftsman, he was a magician, an incredibly skilful one but his magic didn’t work in the cage and his physical strength wasn’t near enough to break the bars. Leif also couldn’t tell just how many hours he had been already trapped in there. Time seemed to stretch endlessly and at the same time blur. It was an odd experience, something he had never experiences before and frankly hated, hence he could have easily renounced that experience.

 

Suddenly there was something to hear in the bushes but he didn’t look anymore. He had given up the hope that the hunters would be coming back to find him long ago since every time he had turned his head in anticipation when he had heard a noise it had been some bloody rabbit or fox or bird and he certainly wouldn’t move and lose his bearable position in the cage again for some stupid rabbit. When the ‘something’ came closer though he could hear whistling and his muscles got tense since none of their hunters whistled like that. This had to be humans and humans never meant anything good.

 

It didn’t take long and he could see the humans approaching the cage he was caught in one of whom pointed a crossbow at his chest. It made him raise his head high as he watched them getting closer. That guy wouldn’t shoot. If he had wanted to kill him he would have used other traps, not this stupid cage. Next thing he knew was being surrounded by the human hunters one of whom started to speak to him. Leif didn’t move, he just looked down on them with a disgusted face and a screwed up nose, saying nothing at all. Not even when he was asked whether he could speak. Of course he could, he could speak in many more tongues than that subject was probably capable of but he wouldn’t waste a word at those humans. They weren’t worthy of his words and his voice.

 

When that guy lowered the crossbow and leaned over towards the cage the elf had to restrain himself from spitting into those eyes that were examining him as if he was some piece of meat he had just shot and he hated that. Though he didn’t make a noise or moved he observed the men closely and he listened intently. What he heard didn’t surprise or shock him, it just proved him right about what loathsome, despiteful beings the human race was. Money was what they were after apparently wanting to sell him as a sex slave or a specimen for their medicine men. His expression didn’t change, he didn’t move, still didn’t say a thing. But inside of him his pride was roaring, telling himself that he’d rather die than lying with a human who thought he could buy him like a whore. There generally were two outcomes, he’d kill whoever tried to buy him or lay a hand onto his body or die trying.

 

The human hunters then wanted to handcuff him it seemed and that was when he was straightening his back, smelling an opportunity, maybe the only opportunity to flee and get away. If those humans made one mistake he could pulverise them and be gone. If he failed and they accidentally killed him, well, he would at least not been sold for prostitution. Before any of the men could get to his cage and handcuff him there was something to hear and before he could see anyone or gasp what was going on one man after the other was shot by arrows. His facial expression now lit up and showed curiosity. At first he had thought that their elven hunters had returned and found him after all but when he saw the arrows that had struck the humans down he knew this was not the case. Those arrows, they definitely were human made and the elven hunters didn’t shoot with human made arrows.

 

It confused him that a human was shooting at other humans in this situation but maybe he wanted Leif for himself to get all of the fee or something like that. This certainly was how humans thoughts, as they were naturally greedy. When the man showed his face he obviously didn’t belong to those hunters. He was much better dressed, he looked cleaner and there was even something in the way he moved and walked that was different. It was a man with slender bones, light blond hair and blue eyes. For a human he was not even bad looking. He wondered what this man wanted him for, whether he wanted him as a trophy or to sell him as well. When he heard him speak though he couldn’t believe what the other said and for a moment he thought he had something in his ears so that he hadn’t heard correctly. The human wanted the men to set him free, he called Leif a free man? Humans usually didn’t grant them the status of men. Nor did they view them as free. Did he have ulterior motives? Did he try to fool those hunters?

 

Plenty of questions were running through his mind when he heard them making a deal for a duel. And even though the blond man said he would let him go if he won he didn’t trust that. Why would a human risk his life to set him free? To set free what they had banned deep into the forest? Whose realms they had destroyed ? Whose world they had set on fire? It didn’t make any sense to him. The duel would have soon been won by the blond human in the - for a human - nice clothing but the other human cheated, breaking the rules of the duel asking the remaining men to interfere. Leif watched with breathless attention his eyes following the blond man’s every move. He wanted him to win even though he didn’t trust his intentions, there was a chance that if he won this would have a better outcome for him then it would have did the other humans win.

 

There were critical moments but in the end the blond defeated them and they ran off, although he couldn’t understand why the man had shown mercy to those hunters. Leif shifted in his cage so that he could see the human better and he saw the bolt sticking in his chest, the fabric of his clothing soaked from blood. The elf’s blue eyes were staring at the wound then wandering up into the man’s face, curious to see what he would do with him now. Would he really free him?

 

This time the man’s voice spoke to him and there were plenty of things that Leif didn’t like about what he said. First thing was being called Mister Elf, second thing was questioning his intelligence and reminding him that he had run into this stupid trap completely mindless and unaware. It was a sting into his hurt ego and pride again and it made him frown and look away from the man, shifting a little, showing him half of his back now. But although he had turned away from him he could hear him sucking on his lower lip making him glance over to him again and he saw that the man was looking at him.

 

At the next question the blond male asked Leif had to stay disciplined to not yell at him when he said he didn’t think that he was capable of doing simple healing magic. He stayed calm though, the man had at least seemingly saved him and just now he didn’t know if he’d actually keep his word and if he did he’d owe him his gratitude although he didn’t like owing anything to a human. “Of course I do. I am the chosen one of my generation, the next guarding of my clan.” Leif’s low and sonorous voice sounded, pride swinging with every word he said. “That I am in this situation is solely that stupid old hags fault, she’s getting senile.” He couldn’t help but to rant as he was more furious about the old guardian now than he had been before he had been caught in that trap. “Small wounds like these are easily healed; it doesn’t take long or much energy either! I could already do that when I was three years old. But I obviously can’t heal you as long as I am still sitting in that cage.” He pointed out.

 

When the man introduced himself to the elf he raised an eyebrow in question. “That is a pretty long name. Do all of you humans have such long names?” he asked since it really was ridiculously long. “And do they always say Ascot Phillipe Laurent de Mercier to you when they call you?” the elf wanted to know. Then he sighed, stroking a strand of his light-blue waves out of his pale face. “My name is Leif. Leif of the Abraxas Clan.” He decided that the man to this point had shown himself worthy of knowing his name, although he was a human.

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Ascot chuckled and clutched his bleeding chest when the elf turned his back to him. He was pissy, wasn't he? The human couldn't possibly understand why the man seemed offended. Surely it was a relief to be out of the hands of those hunters?!

 

'Forgive me. I don't know what I've done wrong. I'm not going to sell you on like those men,' he said, inclining his head slightly. He leaned on the cage a little more and took a deep breath. While he wasn't going to complain about it, he was in pain.

 

'In that case, you know more magic than I do. Please, I would be ever so grateful if you would use your magic on me,' he said in as restrained and polite a voice as he could manage. He had a puzzled expression on his face as the man started to rant about some old hag. Were hags and elves in league with one another? What had the hag done to get this elf in trouble?

 

'Well, I only get called by my full name when I am in trouble. My friends and family call me Ascot and I get called Mercier when I'm acting as ambassador overseas. Most humans only have one or two names but most humans aren't the heir to an entire province,' he explained. Really, he needed to get introductions out of the way so he could get himself healed... if not, on his way home where he could be tended.

 

'Lief of the Abrazas Clan, it is an honour to meet you,' the young blonde said, bowing slightly in respect to the elf. 'I'm going to let you out now. Would you be so kind as to heal me?'

 

Juggling the keys in one hand, Ascot turned and unlocked the cage. He opened the front of the cage out wide and walked far across the clearing to show he was no threat. He then sat down with his back against a tree and just watched the elf with curiosity. He wanted to know more about the beautiful creature but he wasn't going to keep him imprisoned against his will.

 

'If you would be so kind, I would be interested in speaking with you more,' Ascot said as he sat there against the tree. His eyes were appreciative and he very much wanted to see what the elf looked like when he wasn't huddled in a cage. While he was not a pervert, he did admire the male form. He would not object to seeing more of the man's body but given his attitude, he highly doubted he would ever get the chance. He'd once heard elves made good lovers. They were wild, passionate and unrestrained in their desires. Was it true or was it simply drunken men talking about their own desires?

 

'I have never met an elf before and you hold my curiosity,' he said, then took a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably. You needn't fear, you have my word that I will not tell anyone of what we have discussed.'

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OOC: Sorry it's so short. I'm trying to think of ways to bulk it up without it just being fluff.

[-Hideki-]

‘The heir to an entire province huh?’ Leif thought when he learned that the man was a noble human with a lot of power and as the elf mused his face became a lot darker than before. This was a human leader, one of those responsible for holding his people small and forcing them to live in the forest like some nomads if they didn’t want to be enslaved or serve them in the cities.

 

Both Leif and him were much too young to have any ties to the fall of the elven realm long ago but he hadn’t had to see what the guardian had wanted to keep from him to know that this man, a human leader, could only be an enemy to his people and to him. Then again he had said ‘heir’ what basically meant that his father now was the leader and he’d become the next one. Maybe it would be useful and beneficial later on for him to speak to this man some more, to figure out who this Ascot de Mercier was who’d once inherit the province and his facial expression got more neutral again as he watched him with a raised eyebrow.

 

It was when the blond human bowed before him after he had introduced himself too that led Leif to widen his eyes in surprise and to lay his head to the side a little and examine the other closely. He had never seen nor heard of a human bowing his head before one of them as a sign of respect. He had seen elves forced onto their knees in front of humans but this, this was something unheard of. This man, to Leif he seemed peculiar, his actions made no sense if one considered the elves knowledge and view about how and what the humans were and he could feel curiosity arising within himself although he’d never admit it.

 

His clear blue eyes were laying on the man when he was opening the cage he was captured in before he saw him stepping back from it walking over to a tree sitting down under it. To Leif it was clear that those wounds were worse than this man made it seem to him. It was clear to sense and to see from how his energy behaved and yet he didn’t demand to be healed in return for saving him. Saving him! Gosh, he, Leif, the chosen one, the next guardian saved by a human. How embarrassing. He’d take this story with him to his grave! No one in the Clan would ever hear it!

 

Had it been incredibly easy to march into the trap and get caught it was considerably more difficult to get out of this small cage and he had to bend and sprain his body quite a lot leave it behind. As he finally sat his foot onto the forest ground again and straighten his body it was like he was unfolding before the blond male’s eyes and Leif had to stretch his slender, elegant body as the fabric of his clothing was falling in place again.

 

The elf could feel the human’s eyes on his body, he was clearly looking at him as though to study him and his features but he wasn’t sure why and with what thoughts and intentions in mind he was looked at. Leif met the man’s eyes with his gaze unyieldingly and it was blue staring in blue, just that Ascot’s eyes weren’t quite as pale and significantly rounder and larger than his own. He really wasn’t bad looking for a human was he?

 

Shaking his head internally because this was the second time this thought had come up on his mind now he moved and walked towards the wounded man with his head held high, ready to heal him although he had never thought he’d ever get into a situation where he’d heal one of them. But this one had saved him, he had let him out of the cage and he seemed genuine about not wanting him any harm, plus considering his status he could be useful later on.

 

The man expressed that he’d like to speak to him more and then, soon after, told him how he had never met an elf and that he sparked the other’s curiosity. Leif was standing right in front of the blond by now, looking down to him, his eyes narrowing, turning into small slits as he heard that. “I don’t exist to entertain your curiosity, human!” he hissed, screwing up his nose, throwing the fabric of his robes back as he squatted down in front of the man who promised him to not tell anything of what they might discuss.

 

As if he’d tell him anything compromising. As if he’d trust him. Then again, although his motivation might be more calculated and strategic Leif wanted to speak to him more as well. “Alright.” He agreed. “We can talk as I heal you. You can ask your questions, Ascot de Mercier, and I will then decide whether I’ll answer you or not.” The blue haired elf stated and then he reached out his hand.

 

For a moment he hesitated, looking into the man’s face with the huge eyes, before he touched him, his long, thin fingers brushing over the wound on Ascots slim chest. White, clear energy was then starting to surround his hand that turned red as Leif was sucking out the centre of infection until the energy’s colour didn’t get darker and deeper anymore and he was cutting it off, making a throwing away motion to the right before he was laying his hand onto the other man’s chest another time, green energy surrounding his it this time, as he was constantly looking into the man’s eyes.

 

 

 

 

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[[it’s alright, I still had enough I could work with =) I was incredibly surprised that you replied to this at all now to begin with since I had already thought of this RP as dead considering there hadn’t been a reply since about half a year or so.]]

[Rumpleteaser]

The blonde watched as the elf crept out of the cage and across the clearing. The man seemed so distrustful but Ascot couldn't understand why. More than that, he seemed cautious or calculating his actions. Ascot was no mind reader so he had to go off body language, which told him this man was very proud yet easily wounded.

 

“I don’t exist to entertain your curiosity, human!”

 

Ascot chuckled in amusement then gripped his injury tight. He let out a small groan and regretted his lapse of mind. The heir settled back again and let his hands rest at his sides, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. This elf was jumpy and could possibly beat Ascot's arse five ways to the underrealm if he wanted to.

 

'I meant no harm. I am curious about you. Surely you have experienced curiosity before?' Ascot said, not entirely sure how to defuse the situation. Perhaps this uppity elf could not be defused. 'It is often a dangerous desire that has gotten me in trouble on many occasions, such as now. I allowed my curiosity to take me into a forest knowing full-well I might be whisked away by the pixies. Although, if it allowed me to save the life and liberty of another person, I am glad I did.'

 

As the elf reached out, Ascot could not help bit nibble his lip. The man was so beautiful, the likes of which Ascot had never seen. The young man had to clench his fingers and remember his place, lest he horrify the man and scare him away from healing him.

 

'Do the gods exist? Have they faded with neglect? Can we bring them back? Can elves really communicate with them?' Ascot asked. That seemed like the first obvious question. His mind then started to run away with all the questions he'd asked his mother as a child and later his tutors, though they had scorned his curiosity. 'Do pixies exist? What about pixie realms? Do hags and elves get along? How did you come across a hag, the one who sent you to this trap?'

 

'Are there many elves left? I heard they once roamed the plains as well as the forests and the mountains. Why did they leave? My mother told me of an evil elven overlord who was overthrown by the other races. How did he fall? Were you there? Does he still live?' Ascot continued. He didn't really have any direction to his questions. It was simply whatever came to his mind. Ascot took a deep breath and decided he had better to something better with his questions than acting like a nosey child. 'If humans offered peace to the elves, would the elves accept it? Would your people come out of hiding if they had our word that they were safe to do so? How do elves view humans? Is it just elves or are their other races we'd need to negotiate with? Who is your leader? Could you pass on a massage to them for me?'

 

'I want to see you again, if you would be so kind. Would you be willing to meet with me, Lief, Chosen of the Abraxas Clan?' Ascot asked, his voice a little softer than the eager curiosity he'd exhibited before. He looked down from Lief's eyes to the glowing magic at his chest. He reached out but stopped at the last moment in case magic was not something he was allowed to touch.

 

'Why don't humans have magic? There are people who say they can use magic but for the most part it's a hoax,' Ascot asked finally. That seemed about the amount of time he had to ask his questions. If he had more time, he might have had something more intelligent to ask.

 

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OOC: Yeah. -.-' I tried to keep everyone in the loop but I hadn't been roleplaying for ages. I didn't intend to be gone so long but things kept coming up. Sorry for making you feel I wasn't interested. I love this rp! Thank you for continu9ing it with me. ^.^

[-Hideki-]

Being laughed at didn’t sit well with Leif and he crossed his arms in front of his chest laying his head back into his neck looking down onto the other while Ascot amused himself about him and he couldn’t help but to feel as though it was a just punishment from the gods when the human was pressing his hand against his injury in pain from laughing. Hearing the man speak an eyebrow shot up while he learned how the blond male was one to follow his whims, his curiosity without much thought of the consequences with the odd addition that he deemed all risks and consequences worth it if he was able to free someone else or save a life.

 

The first thought that popped up on his mind was that humans only cared about the freedom of their own kind but it didn’t quite add up with this one because the nobleman had cared to fight for the elf. “Do you deem it wise and a good quality for someone who’ll once be a leader to follow his curiosity and whims without paying mind to the risks and consequences, without taking those into the equation? A good leader has responsibilities.” The man stated ignoring the hypocrisy in his words since he, the one who was to become the next guardian of his Clan had even gotten into this situation because he had opened that box not merely out of curiosity but out of a deep feeling of entitlement too. Fortunately, the human did not know this.

 

Once his hand was touching the human he could see the guy being a little tense, biting his lower lip and in the next moment a storm of questions was unfolding over the blue haired elf. Leif had to focus on both the healing and those questions to remember what the man even asked of him. “We don’t talk to the human god and the human god doesn’t speak to us.” The elf said. The humans believed something entirely different from them. To the elf the human’s believes had never made much sense. Then again their own gods had never spoken to him either! The old guardian had said that they communicated with them through signs and nature, that the gods were in everything that surrounded them but Leif had never really been able to hear or see them. The elven wizard was aware and understood the energies of nature but no god had ever shown his face to him.

 

The follow up questions were on easier subjects and they actually made him snort. “I am friends with a pixie.” He just said and it wasn’t a lie. As a young boy he had managed to make friends with a pixie on his Clan’s journeies through the forests. She was a vivid but prickly creature, a fierce but tiny diva and maybe that was what she had in common with Leif and that was what made them get along so well.

 

His face darkened considerably though at the mentioning of the ‘hag’ meaning the Clans elderly guardian and Leif screwed up his nose. “The hag is an elf.” He just told the man who had taken what he had said about his mentor quite literally. “She’s senile.” He added and he felt how he was getting mad thinking about the old lady. It was her fault. All of this was her fault. Had she not send him with the hunters he had not been caught in the trap, would have not been humiliated like that and would not owe a human, this human, who was quite the communicative one.

 

A flame of fury and outrage ran through him as the man continued to talk though and he had to pull his hands away from the man to not hurt him by having his magic affected by his rage. “Your mother is a liar.” He hissed, screwing up his nose looking into the eyes of the man sharply. “There was never an evil elven overlord.” He barked. “It was the human’s greed, their arrogance and entitlement, their corruption and hunger for power that led to the attack on the elven realm. But despite the realm falling you humans never accomplished what you aimed for. The great hero, my ancestor, protected what they wanted to steal with his life and you didn’t manage to eliminate the evlen people, we are still there.” He said with pride and hate filling his voice.

 

It was when the other took a breather and wanted to know whether the elves would accept an offer of peace from the humans that Leif sighed and calmed himself down to be able to continue healing the man who had still saved him. He listened to the questions that followed that one and it were questions he could not answer. “What worth does the word of a human hold?” he asked. “It wasn’t ever worth anything in the past. And true elves will always prefer living in the forest to being enslaved in your cities, to being treated less favourable, like dirt. The city elves are traitors, mostly.” He spoke and his voice held something incredibly serious within it.

 

That tone went lighter again when Leif said:”There is not one elven leader. There is no realm anymore. Each Clan has their own guardian.” He told him and that guardian for his Clan would be him one day, if that old hag finally accepted that he was more than ready to fill her footsteps. He certainly was powerful enough and he didn’t understand why the woman didn’t see this.

 

Surprise, maybe even bewilderment was shown on his face when the flood of questions took a complete turn from general questions to Leif, to the both of them and it took him off guard. Ascot wanted to see him again. Why did the human want to meet him another time? Did he want something more than being healed as payback for having saved him? What ulterior motivation was behind this? Maybe another meeting could be beneficial but there also could be a hook to this. “Why?” he wanted to know. “Why do you want to see me another time?”

 

Leif noticed Ascot’s eyes travelling down to where his hand was touching his chest to heal him and it didn’t slip his attention how the other was making a motion as to touch the green energy that was surrounding his hand. And Leif couldn’t help himself but to chuckle, his lips tugging into a grin as he watched the other man. “You didn’t lie about being hopelessly curious huh!” he stated slightly amused and much to his horror he found that human man rather cute and endearing in that moment.

 

The elf had just finished healing the man and was taking away his hand when the heir to Mercier asked yet another question, wanting to know why his people didn’t seem to harbour magical powers. “I don’t know why your race is not blessed with strong magic. But it is a gift that is relatively seldom to begin with. Hence, maybe there are humans who possess magical powers just that those won’t reveal them to you.” He guessed and it was just that, a guess, a theory.

 

“You should be as good as new now.” Leif told the other man when he was standing again, peering into the humans eyes.

 

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[[Glad you like it, so do I. I think our RP has a lot of potential to become a really intriguing story.]]

[Rumpleteaser]

'You sound like my mother,' Ascot accused. He sighed deeply but slowly as not to disrupt his ribs. He knew he was going to get more than one lecture when he got home but he knew he'd earned it. 'Of course, you would be right. I may not be a lord yet but I have to think of my people's future. What if I was captured by elves or killed? Who would take my place? People think to have a position of power is to have freedom but a pauper has more freedom than a prince... not that I'm complaining. My life belongs to Mercier. They deserve better than someone who goes running off into forests alone.'

 

'So there is a human god?' Ascot said in surprise. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Lief with fascination writ across his face. 'What do elves believe in? Do you believe in the pantheon or do you have more of an underlying natural force? Can you commune with the elven gods?'

 

Ascot's lip twitched into a smile as Lief snorted. He was starting to like all of Lief's facial expressions. Part of him wondered what he'd look like when he was angry and whether he'd still be as charming when he lashed out. Part of Ascot wanted to see that but a little voice in his head told him it was unwise and incredibly dangerous.

 

'What are pixies like? Are they really as tall as your hand? Can they change size? Are they magical?' Ascot asked. 'What other creatures live in the forest?'

 

'Oh. I see,' Ascot said, but he didn't really understand. He just felt it was best to drop the subject. He didn't know who the hag was but obviously she had done something to Lief.

 

At Lief's next reaction, Ascot tensed up completely and stared at the man in shock. He looked down at Lief's hands and ran his tongue along his lower lip. On one hand, he wanted to placate the elf and on the other, he wanted to defend his mother.

 

'My mother is not a liar. She tells the stories that were passed down from her parents, who passed it down from theirs. She wasn't there. She didn't change history. Most people don't believe in elves any more, let alone know what happened to them!' he said back. While he didn't raise his voice, he was defensive. Ascot let out a sigh and nodded in acknowledgement. 'Very well, if my mother's story does not mesh with yours, perhaps you could tell me what did happen. I understand human greed, there are some terrible people out there, but I do not believe humans are capable of all-out genocide. It doesn't sit right. There may be wicked people out there but there are also good people who would stand up against such iniquity.'

 

The heir of Mercier thought about the elf's next question but didn't have to think too long before something appropriate came to mind.

 

'I suppose it depends on the human. Your people should investigate who to trust and who not to. I am trustworthy and my father is trustworthy but there are others in power who are not. If I were an elf, I would choose my allies carefully and after much scrutiny,' he said. After that he gave Lief a pitying look. 'There are no more city elves. There haven't been for generations past. They either died out or interbred. Very few still believe in your kind or the old ways.'

 

'A guardian? What does the guardian do?' he asked. 'Are they some sort of divine conduit? What is a realm? Is it like a kingdom or do your people travel between planes?'

 

“Why?” he wanted to know. “Why do you want to see me another time?”

 

The blonde shifted awkwardly and bit down on his lip. He couldn't simply say "I like you". It wasn't even entirely true, yet. It wasn't as if he considered Lief a friend or even had any sexual attraction to him. Yes, there was a mild attraction and he wouldn't say no to bedding the other man but so far the thought of sex had not crossed his mind.

 

'I don't have an answer to that. All I can say is that my intentions are innocent. I would ask you to meet me again because I would like to meet you again. I feel this is more than a chance meeting and I'd like to see where it could lead,' Ascot said, then raised his arms in a sort of defeat. 'Humans still have a few crusty tomes about elves - very few - but they are mostly frowned upon as being written by superstitious people of an uncivilised era. Whenever I asked about elves, my tutors told me our ancestors made up these old world stories to describe phenomena they did not understand. Now I see an elf, living and breathing in the flesh, and I know all my tutors told me was wrong. If you are telling the truth, even my mother's stories of elves are a farce. If you were me, wouldn't you want to get to the truth?'

 

'It is a character flaw, I'm afraid,' Ascot said in an amused tone. He was happy to have got a laugh out of the elf. There was a warmth to Ascot's expression as he looked at the elf healing him and he couldn't help but uncover a goofy smile. 'You know, you have a beautiful laugh... Would it do any damage if I touched it?'

 

'How strong is your magic?' the human asked. He'd only seen a little so far and to be fair, he had found Lief trapped in an iron cage. He was sure he could be excused in wondering whether Lief was powerful or not. 'Are there others in your clan who possess magic? How common is it amongst elves? I'd always imagined that magic was so common amongst your folk that it is as normal as swordsmanship is for humans.'

 

Ascot pushed himself up and stood before Lief, considering him quietly. He wanted to stay and talk with the elf more but he knew he had to get back before dark. He ran his hand through his short, blonde hair then held it out for Lief to shake.

 

'Thank you for healing me. I look forward to seeing you again someday,' he said politely. 'It truly was an honour to meet you. I wish you luck in all your endeavors.'

 

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Agreed! It has the potential of becoming an epic of novel proportions! I look forward to seeing their relationship blossom too.

[-Hideki-]

Leif was struck by the surprise and the fascinated glow on the human male’s face after he had given his answer to the question the other man had had about their gods and whether they spoke to them. For a moment the elf stared at the knight fascinated by his inquisitive mind that seemed so hungry to understand the world around him. This was not how he had pictured the humans to be. To him humans didn’t care much about anything other than themselves and their own ways and were brutes with closed minds. And maybe the majority was like that but this man was challenging the picture of his kind that the guardian to be had made himself from them.

 

“The humans claim their god is real. Whether he is you shall know. He doesn’t speak to us.” The blue haired elf said before he went on to explain what the elves believed in without getting lost in detail. “Our gods are one with and tied to nature. There is something divine within what surrounds us.” He told the other but it was the last question that got to him. Ascot wanted to know if he had ever communicated with the elven gods. And he had not. They had never shown themselves or spoken to him. But he’d certainly not admit this in front of that human. He wouldn’t admit that he had failed to hear their gods voices, that he even doubted their existence sometimes. “They speak to us through signs and nature.” He answered, eluding the question like a human politician would with what the guardian had told him.

 

He was almost thankful for the change of topics from the vexatious subject of their gods which only reminded him of what he had never accomplished and how the old guardian had attested him a lack of spirituality to the pixies. The elf liked the pixies. Not just his friend but in general. They were witty, sassy and elegant little creatures with a lofty culture. “Not every pixie is as tall as the other. Some may fit into your palm and others might be as tall as your foot. They are individuals, human! Not only humans are differing individuals.” He told him sharply then got more casual, a bright smile tugging on his lips. “Yes, they are magical.” He said although he knew that they weren’t great wizards and witches. Their magic differed from the gift of magic he was blessed with. Nonetheless, if anyone was magical than the pixies in his opinion.

 

The atmosphere had changed rather quickly as history was brought up and after the remark the human man had made that had caused a fire of rage burn inside of the elf whose body had gotten so tense that he had to stop healing the other in that moment. Shock was written over the human man’s face and the seriousness was a completely different expression than what he had seen from him the whole time. Not even as he had fought off that scum had he looked like that. Leif’s face got even darker though and he crunched his teeth as his hands formed fists when the man claimed that his mother was not a liar. The tension gradually lessened though when he listened further to what the other had to say. “Then the human who first told the story was a liar and the other’s morons for not having questioned him and passed on a lie.” He hissed his blue eyes looking into Ascot’s sharply.

 

What followed made him frown and he grimaced but then a cynic, unhappy laugh followed. Humans were incapable of genocide he said. There were some wicked people but all the more good ones he said. One side of Leif’s lips were torn in a grin, a grin as joyless as his laugh had been. “You’re na?ve Ascot de Mercier. It almost got something adorable to it that you really believe your kind wasn’t capable of such atrocities.” He told him and there was no personal malice against the man in his words in that moment. “What does it matter if the good outnumber the wicked but most of the good aren’t doing anything against the evil? Tell me!” the blue haired elf prompted the other. “I have seen it. The past. History. Fragments conserved for eternity.” He let him know but what he didn’t let him know was that he had not been supposed to see the scenes within that chest. That he had not been allowed to open it and to see the war between the humans and the elves unfold before his eyes because the guardian didn’t deem him capable of correctly dealing with and drawing the right conclusions from it. That the old lady found him too flawed in character.

 

After that it wasn’t really convincing that the man testified that he and his father would be trustworthy allies to the elves and that they just had to choose their allies carefully. What he heard about the city elves, that there apparently weren’t any left didn’t shock him, he seemed surprisingly indifferent about them. “Isn’t that shocking.” He said sarcastically, without any compassion at all. “That’s what you get from living amongst the humans, to not stick to your own people. From disregarding the warnings! For…” he screwed up his nose. “Mingling with them.” The eleven wizard spoke in a disgusted tone of voice, his eyes narrowing. But it was as though he was mostly speaking to himself than to Ascot to begin with.

 

The question about the guardian was a lighter subject. “The guardian is the highest magician and the head of the clan. They too are guiding the clan in cultural, political and spiritual questions. They are considered to be wise and knowledgeable.” He explained while he thought ‘And sometimes they get senile and don’t understand when it’s time to make space for their heirs.’ But he refrained from saying that. This old hag would see soon enough. See soon enough that she couldn’t keep him away from this position for much longer and as the guardian he’d reach out to the other clans and he’d united the elves once more and then their time would come.

 

It surprised him though that the man had no understanding of what a realm was. “The elven realm had been a great, advanced civilisation and empire. Greater and more glorious than your messily pathetic little human cities!” he stated with his chest swelling with pride and he knew that if the guardian had seen him she’d have shaken her head with the long white hair in desperation and frustration about him again.

 

At first it seemed as though his question as to why he wanted to meet him again made the blond male uncomfortable,nervous and as if he didn’t even know why he had suggested that himself. However when he got the explanation he was listening intently and there were parts of it that he could understand. Especially the question the other man ended with. Yes! Yes, he’d definitely want to know the truth. He had always wanted to know the truth, not only had he wanted to know he had felt entitled to know it. And thus he had broken the rules to get closer to it. That impulse of the other, to want to get closer to the truth that lay hidden he could relate to perfectly but he didn’t say a thing, he just chewed on his lips continuing to heal the guy who had saved his life.

 

When Ascot admitted that his extreme curiosity might be a character flaw of his Leif was flinging him another smile and it didn’t die as he was met with that warm expression on the blond male’s face that he found he liked the more he looked at it. What in and of itself was ridiculous. To like a human’s face. To find it appealing. What would happen next? If those thoughts could occur on his mind than nothing was too absurd apparently! And as if he had known it, it got more ridiculous when the other articulated that he found his laugh to be beautiful what only made him laugh all over again. The question whether to touch the magic would do any damage was a welcome distraction though and he shook his head. “No. It’s a healing energy. It’s not going to harm you.” He explained. This wasn’t to say that the other man should reach out for any source of magic there was because healing magic was merely one field there was.

 

He was surprised to hear him ask how strong his magic was. “Strong.” He answered clearly and confidently. Leif was a powerful wizard; he had been born with a strong gift of magic and hence had become the chosen one of his clan. Surely the other had found him in a pathetic state but the most powerful magic wouldn’t help if trapped in a cage that absorbed it and was built to make any wizard’s magic ineffective. What had seemed like a random iron cage had actually been a powerful object, dwarven made. Though he had no idea how that common human scum had gotten their hands on such a cage.

 

When he had finished healing the man and they stood before each other he was offered a hand and Leif took it with a strong grip, shaking the human’s hand, nodding as he told him that it had been an honour to meet him. “Good luck Ascot de Mercier.” He wished him before he turned around and strutted away into the undergrowth, turning around when he already wasn’t to see anymore. Leif reached out his hand and a golden arrow formed itself and shoot out of his index finger, making its way through the bushes and trees as though it was navigated until it rushed past Ascot’s face and buried it’s head into the tree behind the man, shining brightly and magically, waiting for the human to take it.

 

 

 

It took a while for Leif to orient himself and figure out where he had to head to get back to his clan. He had strolled off quite some distance and there was no way he’d catch up with the hunters or even find them again at this point nor was he willing to. He’d return and when he returned, he’d make damn sure to make a scene. This old hag would not get away with that, certainly not. Everything about this was her fault. The humiliation of having been trapped in a cage like the humans did with animals and to have a human save his life, none of this would have happened to him had that bloody old bat not send him out with the hunters because she neglected her duty as his mentor.

 

He was keeping his eyes on the ground this time and was walking more carefully when suddenly a chestnut was hitting him between the eyes and he was frowning in pain turning around into the direction it had come from. “There you are!” a high-pitched voice sounded. “I have been worried sick about you when I came to visit you and they told me you’d gone out with the hunters and haven’t returned. How could you do this to me Leif!” the voice scolded and the elf looked at a small creature flying at the height of his head. The pixie had long, straight blond hair, blue butterfly wings, dark orbs and a fancy ruby dress and she stemmed her hands into her hips. “Arabella! What are you doing out here?” he wanted to know from her and she got offended that he even asked. “Searching for you of course! Since hours! My wings are about to fall off.” She reprimanded him pulling on his ear whilst shouting into it before she let herself fall onto his shoulder, sighing deeply and dramatically, her thin, tiny legs tangling down against his collar bones.

 

“It’s all that old hag’s fault.” The blue haired man started to tell his pixie friend what had happened, about the box, complaining about how she had treated him and Arabella was on his agreeing to what he had to say. “She can’t treat you like that. Nahaaaa, I’m gonna tell her. She won’t be doing this a second time. This woman is unbelievable, unbelievable. We’re not putting up with her attitude no more.” The blond fairy found. “She nearly killed you! No one is treating my Leif this way.” She stated in a vigorous tone of voice absolutely determined to take on the old elven lady, taking her down and it made Leif smile.

 

Arabella was his best friend. Well, she was more or less his only true friend. The blue haired elf wasn’t exactly popular with his own kind and his clan. They found him arrogant, hot headed, disliked his attitude and some even found him outright obnoxious. There had been a man from another clan Leif had had a crush on and he had seen for a while but that man had thrown him away like a broken sword telling him that he was exhausting and had to work on his attitude. The same had happened with his second crush, a guy from his clan, he too had dumped him and after that Leif had only gotten more stubborn and stopped caring about the people around him even more because they all seemed to not be exactly fond of him anyway and he had decided to hold his head even higher when they were whispering behind his back and making fun of him because his only friend seemed to be a pixie.

 

 

 

Arabella:

 

 

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[[so do I ]]

[Rumpleteaser]

As Lief stared, Ascot stared back eagerly until his pale face flushed bright red. He raised his arm and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He didn't exactly know why Lief was staring at him but Ascot could admit it was probably just as bad as him staring at the elf. Ascot opened his mouth to say something to distract Lief but the elf spoke up first.

 

'I wouldn't know,' Ascot replied with a light shrug. It wasn't as if he'd experienced divinity beyond what anyone saw in the temples each week. 'We may worship one main god but we are taught there is an entire pantheon of gods who rule over every aspect of life. The further we travel, the more gods we come across to add to our pantheon. I'm sure some of them are made up by humans though. I can't imagine there being that many gods and goddesses. Our god mostly speaks through natural born oracles and holy people. I mean, the gods can speak to anyone but they're only interested in certain people.'

 

'Oh. I always thought they'd be about the same size like how humans of one cultural group are all roughly the same size,' he mused aloud. That led him to yet another question. 'Are there different types of elves? Are they different colours with different languages and cultures? What type of elf are you?'

 

Ascot's eyebrows raised in shock at the anger coursing through his current companion. He didn't answer Lief's comment at first, simply considered what he had been told. It was a long time ago but he was sure it would have taken more than one liar to change all of written history. It would have had to have been an entire conspiracy! Entire kingdoms would have had to have been involved in the lie. The elves hadn't been just one tribe or village. As Lief said, they'd had an entire realm. He could understand humanity rising up to overthrow an evil elven overlord. That was good and just. To think they'd done it out of greed and desire for some hidden thing was just far fetched! Common soldiers and whoever else was involved wouldn't just follow their leaders for treasure.

 

'I'm not immediately dismissing what you're saying. I believe you believe what you are saying is true,' Ascot began. 'But you are one person - a stranger to me no less. This is the first I've heard of what you're saying with no proof behind it. One person's word just doesn't weigh up against all of known history. I've studied our history like any good heir should. We've done a lot of good and a lot of bad but I genuinely don't believe we have it in us to murder an entire race of elves. I'm sorry, Lief. I need more to go off.'

 

'Since you ask, I will answer,' Ascot said before taking a deep breath. He didn't want to anger Lief any firther but he didn't entirely agree with what he said either. 'The wicked can only take over when no good people stand up for what's right. It has happened countless times in our history when a tyrant has oppressed their people but eventually people rise up. I believe there would be enough good humans out there to stand up against the slaughter of your kin. If you want me to turn my back on everything I've been taught, you're going to have to show me.'

 

The blonde winced at how sour Lief sounded after that.

 

'I'm sorry. I wasn't there. I honestly don't know what happened to them. I doubt there were many elves left and they just bred out... but that really would be naive of me,' he said with a sad little sigh. It seemed Lief's hatred of humans ran deeper than he'd realised. There was no arguing against it. He doubted he could prove any merit to humans in Lief's eyes after the way he'd made that "mingling" comment. Were humans really that vile? 'Do all elves hate humans as much as you do?'

 

'So the guardian is leader or they advise the leaders,' Ascot commented. It was hard for him to imagine a society without any form of leadership, even if it was a council of the people rather than an inherited or earned position.

 

'I would have loved to see you realm,' Ascot said, though his admiration was subdued by the loathsome tone Lief had taken towards humans earlier. Even the way he commented on human cities was derogatory. Lief was the first elf he'd ever seen and it was... disappointing that the man was so poisoned by hatred of Ascot's own people.

 

It was nice to see Lief smile, despite how much he hated humans, and Ascot smiled back. He reahced out and ran his fingers through the healthy, green glow then looked back up at Lief with an expression of excitement on his face. He dipped his fingers in again and burst into laughter. It tickled in a way that was hard to explain. It felt... nice... wholesome. Ascot laughed again, seemingly out of pure enjoyment, before clearing his throat and settling himself down. Gosh! He probably looked like a fool for acting like that! He hoped it didn't ruin Lief's impression of him. Ascot shifted uncomfortably then sat up properly in a more appropriate posture for a man of his status.

 

Ascot nodded when Lief said his magic was strong but didn't press the issue. Instead of picking up on confidence, he felt he had come across a limit of what he was allowed to know. He wasn't going to push, though that in itself was difficult. Withholding information from someone only made them want to know more. It made it mysterious, secret and curious. In Ascot's privileged life, there were few few questions that had been left unanswered. It was hard for him not to be indulged.

 

As Lief left, Ascot just stood there looking fascinated. His gaze wandered over that confident body and he found himself wondering what elves looked like without their clothes off. Were they really hairless? Did they have a similar amount of muscles to humans or were they smaller but denser? Lief moved with such grace, like a beautiful, deadly dancer. Suddenly, Ascot longed to not just see Lief again but to spar with him or perhaps dance with him. He wanted to see and feel that grace in action. He wanted their bodies to come together and...

 

Ascot darted to the side as something shot towards him. He didn't expect Lief to shoot him after going to all the trouble of healing him but the arrow was still taken as a surprise attack. The heir took a deep breath and sighed deeply. He couldn't be more relieved to see what he thought he saw sticking into the trunk of the tree behind him. He plucked it out with both hands and was about to run his fingers over it before he realised how bloody they were. He didn't want to sully what would become his most precious possession! He held the thing in his mouth as he wiped his hands on his already spoiled shirt until they were mostly dry and clean. He then held the thing in one hand while running one finger down it. Ascot smiled. This arrow meant he could potentially see Lief again!

 

 

 

Unlike Lief, who wanted to cause a scene, Ascot de Mercier thought it best to make a less alarming approach. He kept his cloak around him to cover the bloodstains on his clothes and didn't get off his horse until he'd reached the stables. While outsiders might think it was odd for someone of his status not to immediately hand his horse over to someone else, Ascot was rather fond of his horse and always made sure she was well taken care of before reporting to his father and his advisors. He wasn't one of those incredibly empathic people who had a bond with their animals but he still had a healthy respect for the fact she'd carried him for most of the day.

 

'De Mercier!' cried the stable boy, Douglas.

 

'Shhh! I need you to take care of Chestnut for me,' he said in a hushed tone.

 

The stable boy raised his eyebrow but nodded.

 

'Sir! You're injured! Do you need me to get-'

 

'No! No no no! Just take care of my horse. I'm not injured at all,' Ascot insisted in a hushed voice, holding out his arms to try to get the teen to keep his voice down. 'Actually, I need you to do a favour for me. Can you send for my mother and tell her I'm here. I need to speak with her before I approach Lord Mercier. I'll take care of Chestnut. You just go.'

 

 

 

'How dare you summon me with a stable boy?!' came the outraged voice of his mother. 'You brother and sisters would never think of doing such a thing!'

 

'Yes, yes. I'm sorry, Mother. Please forgive me. I had nobody else,' Ascot insisted, bowing his head to the matron of Mercier.

 

'And what's so secret that you couldn't come to my rooms after you'd seen your father. There are protocols for a reason!'

 

'I know, I know. Please, I have something to show you,' he said soothingly, reaching out with both hands as if trying to approach a spooked horse.

 

'AAAIIIEEEEEEEE!' his mother shrieked. She had her hand out and was pointing to the hole and blood covering his fine shirt.

 

Ascot rushed forward and covered his mother's mouth. He held her hand and brought it up to his lips so he could kiss each finger.

 

'Mother, please. I'm fine. I swear! This blood is hours old and I've been healed since then. Take a few deep breaths and allow me to explain. You're going to love this!' her son insisted.

 

Lady Mercier took a few deep breaths then bodily shoved her son from her. Now that she knew he was no longer injured, she was outraged he'd laid his dirty hands on her. She hadn't even washed his hands after they'd been covered in blood.

 

'Go on, boy. This had better be a tale of epic proportions or so help me I will take the wooden spoon to your arse!'

 

'Mother, I'm a bit too old for that!' he said with a laugh.

 

'No son is too old for their mother to spank them!'

 

'Ha ha. Yes, but no. May I continue?'

 

'You may,' the woman said with her eyebrow raised.

 

Ascot looked at his mother, held out his hands and slowly drew the arrow from the safety of his sleeve as if it were a magic trick. She gasped and rushed forward to grab her son by the wrists, staring at the golden arrow with wide eyes.

 

'You... you...' the woman started, before hitting him over the head over and over as she continued to speak. 'You went into the forest! Didn't you! Here I thought you were meeting with Lord Descartes and instead you were planning to go into the Dansk Forest the whole time. OOOOH! I'm going to make sure your father never lets you out on your own again!'

 

'Ah! No! Mother! Please!' Ascot cried as he started laughing. This wasn't going as well as he'd hoped. He kept backing away and holding up his arms until his back was pressed against the door to a horse stall. 'Yes, I went to the forest but it was probably the only chance I would ever get. Besides, if I hadn't gone into the forest I never would have been able to save an elf's life. If you stop hitting me, I will tell you the story! Ah! That hurt!'

 

After a final huff, the Lady Mercier stepped back and let her oldest son speak. She straightened herself up and eyed off her son as if she expected him to lie about every single detail if she didn't burn her will into him through the look in her eyes. It was incredibly daunting but he was so used to it that it no longer worked on him... for the most part. He ended up telling his story with incredible detail from the moment he entered the forest until the moment he left. His eyes lit up while he spoke of Lief, which ended in another round of being hit when he made a comment about how beautiful the male elf was. Very few people knew Ascot's sexuality so he insisted that his thoughts were pure and he was simply admiring the man objectively. His mother didn't believe him until he insisted he was attracted to women and would one day take one to his marriage bed and produce lots of grandchildren for his mother. It was something he was secretly dreading.

 

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Okay, I've actually run out of steam. I was going to do him getting cleaned up, seeing his father then the time skip in this post but I'm beat. Up to you whether you post after this or whether you wait for me to post the skip tomorrow or Tuesday. It'll be five years in the future.