Of Magic in Man

The Festival

Festivals among the Eladrin were not unlike the ones Ruddy knew back on Earth. There was plenty of alcohol, nearly naked people running around, loud music, and crazy stunts.

Naturally the elves were capable of far more exciting feats than barrel stands...like the one Lucien was performing now, probably to show off for a group of she-elves sitting and chattering on the knobbled edges of a great root.

"Dude, check this out!" Lucien called to Ruddy. "I got this idea from your game of eeny meeny miny moe!"

"Lucien!" Ruddy called, "This is a really, really, and I mean REALLY bad idea."

"Of course it is!" Came the cheerful reply, "It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't!"

There were many species of wild cat in the forests of Eladar. Some were quite similar to those on Homodar, like the saldir or shadow cat that resembled a black panther, the arenul, which resembled a mountain lion, or the domestic caryl. All of these shared one great similarity with each other, they were quite ordinary. 

Then you had the sykaryl; a small, apparently unassuming creature that mostly minded its own business, watching the goings on of the two-legged denizens of the forest with a strange cocktail of boredom, contempt, and keen interest that only a cat can pull off. 

If a sykaryl wanted to move from one place to another it simply got up and walked there, and few dared to get in its way. This was because sykaryl were lightning fast and had a penchant for targeting vulnerable regions such as eyes, ears, throat, and crotch when threatened. 

It was this black and blue spotted cutthroat creature of pure malice that was the subject of Lucien's stunt. For all Ruddy could tell, Lucien planned to grab the creature's paw and then run...at least, that's how Ruddy hoped it would go if it went down at all.

Turning to Elowyn who was ever by his side, he asked sardonically, "When you die do you just respawn like in a round of Overwatch?"

"What's Overwatch?" Elowyn sighed rolling her eyes.

"It's a...simulated battle game homodrin play. You can die as often as you want and come back to die again."

Elowyn's eye roll ended in a look that held all the answers Ruddy needed.

"Vylkythor aluneth seralir," he whispered, praying he got it right.

When Lucien grabbed the sykaryl's paw the creature only turned and hissed at him. The young elf quickly retreated to a safe distance, and the  she-elves he'd been trying to impress hooted and hollered praise...at Ruddy.

Turning to grin at Elowyn he chuckled, "I forgot how good y'all's hearing is."

"Ahh come on man!" Lucien said trotting up with a flagon of bark spirit in his hand. His words were a protest but he was grinning.

"Told yah he could do it," he elbowed Elowyn.

"I always believed he could," she replied disinterestedly.

"Wait that was all a test?" Ruddy asked incredulously.

They both nodded.

"And if it didn't work Lucien was just gonna what? Give up his kids and probably eyes as well, to prove to me I can do magic?"

Further protest died in Ruddy's throat when he saw the look Lucien was giving him.

"Our world is dying, Ruddy," Lucien replied gravely, "Dying, you understand? Our connection to the Aeloria is being severed. When the dark mage's forces make it here, it's all over for us. Only you can regain the ground we've lost, and turn the tide in this war...so yes. If it takes my life to make you ready..."

Ruddy stepped in and put his arms around the elf.

"What's this?" Lucien asked.

"It's called a hug," Ruddy replied.

"What is the purpose of this?"

"To show friendly affection, thanks, or closeness, I guess."

"It's nice...hug, hmm."

"I have to tell you something brother," Ruddy said without releasing him, "Knowing you makes me not want to wake up. I don't know how my imagination conjured friends like you and Elowyn, but I'm glad it did. I hope that when I wake from this coma, you'll still be around."

Ruddy stepped back.

Lucien was looking at him with disbelief. Ruddy was sure he'd gotten it right, but he also wondered why he'd said that to a figment of his own imagination. Wouldn't he already know? What was the point of explaining such things to himself? Was he going mad?

Tears started to form in Lucien's eyes, "You...you don't think we're real? The sacrifices we've made on the frontlines and here in this forest to give you time to become ready...and you don't even think we're real?"

Sadness turned to fury, "What the hell dude!"

For some reason the use of his own jargon cut through Ruddy like a knife. What if he was wrong...as he'd been so many times before? He shook his head, it couldn't be. Maybe it was becoming a nightmare.

Lucien seemed to read the story in his face. "You know what?" he said backing away and spreading his hands, "Forget it. Forget about us entirely. Go get drunk and and and swim in the hot springs, maybe 'bag' an elf or two. If you can't take this seriously, we don't need you."

With that he was gone, swallowed by a crowd of elves who, true to their good hearing, had heard everything. 

Ruddy wilted before their expressionless, accusing glares.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, afraid he might see the same in Elowyn's eyes, but there was only concern in her amber gaze.

"I knew you thought you were dreaming. It was a rather common reaction way back when...I didn't know you had it this bad. It's time you learned how you got here...and why you can't go back."

"Can't go back?" Ruddy was getting scared now. What had he gotten himself into?

Elowyn raised her hands, "Aeloria vylkythir alunor Valemdar."