The Arrival
With his arm wrapped around her waist, Feregreth relaxed as he listened to Fraya’s calm breath. They both gazed into the tranquil waterfall outside the cave for a while before the captain spoke in a low and gentle tone of voice. “We should get back to the camp soon.”
She grabbed hold of his hand and nuzzled up against him without saying anything. Her loving smile as she turned towards him was undoubtedly the sweetest thing he had ever seen. Eventually, she nodded in agreement and stated that he was right as she grabbed his shirt from on top of her clothes. As she moved it away, the necklace she had received from Vulner fell out of her jacket pocket. Looking at it as it was lying on the ground, she spoke in a saddened tone. “It belonged to my mother. I lost it during the trials, but Vulner found it somehow.”
“I see. Why aren’t you wearing it?”
“I used to all the time, but now that she is gone … I don’t know. The first moment I wore it was for my initiation.”
“Your initiation?”
Laying over on her back, she smiled as she began telling him about something called the Ascension. It was a series of activities going on for a total of ten years, where initiates would have to overcome various challenges. As the captain questioned what the purpose of this was, she glanced over at him and giggled. “It’s the path of a Temple Ranger. You can’t be accepted into the order if you fail any of these trials. I wasn’t really allowed to be part of it, but I secretly signed the contract. And, once initiated, you can’t back out under any circumstances. Not even my grandfather, who was furious, could pull those strings.”
“Why wouldn’t they allow you to partake in this in the first place?”
“Because of the danger that it entails. Some of these trials are brutal. The Ascension is bound by the spirit of Malagan the Celestial. He’s a white stag that guards this world and the road to the Euphoric Meadows. He’s not my spirit animal though, mine is Ashira, the Ethereal. She is a fierce tiger but, loving of all living things.”
The captain was finding it amusing, but also sweet how engaged and enthusiastic she was about this.
In the spur of the moment, cloaked archers snuck into the cave from underneath the waterfall. Their aim was locked at the captain’s head as they formulated an offensive position around them.
Feregreth and Fraya didn’t have a chance to react before the cave was filled with opposing soldiers. Covering her chest with his jacket, she got up on her feet with an annoyed expression as she shouted. “Stand down!”
The exquisite style and unique patterns caught Feregreth’s eye as they resembled the ones Fraya had. As the raspy voice of an elderly man came from behind the rangers, she received a surprised look on her face as he spoke. “What have you done…?”
“Ni’rosh?”
The unit moved to the side as an elf in an engraved white robe with his white beard resting on his upper body stepped forward. With a wrinkled expression of anger and disappointment, the old one continued. “Have you learned nothing from your sister’s aberration? Everything I taught you, everything your parents taught you. You’ve rejected the spirits of nature!”
Feregreth looked at the man standing before her and was about to state what was on his mind when three archers moved up to him with their arrows an inch from his neck.
Ni’rosh had his sight locked at the captain as he pointed his finger at him while almost yelling. “One word from you, and you’ll lose what’s left of your short life!”
With a quick and firm signal from the elder, two female rangers began dressing Fraya before grabbing her by the arms. Glancing over at the tears going down her cheeks, Ni’rosh listened as she addressed him.
“You lied to me! You lied to all of us!”
“About what?”
“The vanghouls! They hate us because of you, not because of what we are. And you’re the reason our people are at war!”
“Absurd. You do not know what you’re talking about, young one. The vanghouls are an abomination to the very existence of life itself. It’s our duty as the covenant to eradicate abnormalities from this world and the next. They are the very essence of hate, creatures who have no redeeming qualities.”
Giving the command to take her away, the rangers dragged her out as she screamed at Ni’rosh to not do anything to Feregreth.
Seemingly furious, the captain stared into the eyes of the old man coming up to him. As he was sitting on his knees with the shirt resting on his lap, he paid attention to what this man had to say.
“You know you can’t be with her. It will never be accepted by our culture. My very own blood has brought shame to our legacy, I will not allow history to repeat itself. So, tell me right now that you will never go look for her again.”
“I can’t do that, and if you’re going threaten my life for that, you may as well order your lackeys to kill me right now.”
The annoyed and deep stare between the two men was tense, but after a short while Ni’rosh backed off as he began to ponder. Moving his long hair back, he stated confidently. “You may not care about your own life, but you do about hers. Let me make this crystal clear, you will not pursue her or even speak about us to anyone. The moment you do, you will cause harm to her life. You will be held responsible. I will not take your life as our kind is not at war with your people…yet. But make no mistake, that can easily be remedied.”
“What has made you this way? You’re willing to harm your own, and for what, traditions?”
“I will do what is necessary to ensure balance and to protect my people. I suggest you go and do the same. Your king has arrived. So, once the day is gone, the vanghouls will be too.”
“The King is here?”
With no more words to share, Ni’rosh walked away with his unit following suit.
Watching them vanish behind the waterfall, Feregreth lowered his head in frustration and anguish. With the shirt in his hands, he tightened his fist as he got back up. He had to go back to camp and continue his solemn duty, but what he felt about the elven elder and the events that had just transpired was eating away at him. As he was clothing himself, the glimpse of a shiny object caught his attention. It was Fraya’s necklace. Gently picking it up, he painfully stared at it before eventually putting it into his pocket. With a deep sigh, he began his journey back to the Stormhold encampment.
