The Summoners Journey

CHAPTER 3

THE RIDE THROUGH THE FOREST WAS FUN. ESPECIALLY SINCE EVERYONE RODE INSIDE EXEPT OTHELLO AND ME. WE RODE ON THE OUTSIDE WITH THE WIND BLOWING IN OUR HAIR. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES I DECIDED TO BREACH THE SUBJECT OF MY SUDDEN... FEELINGS FOR HIM. "SO, WHAT IS IT EXACTLY THAT EXISTS BETWEEN US?" HE LOOKED AT ME THROUGH THE CORNER OF HIS EYES. I LOVE YOU. I HAVE WATCHED YOU FROM AFAR SINCE YOU WERE BORN. I WASNT SURE WHAT IT WAS THAT MADE ME DO IT. I JUST KNEW YOU WERE SPECIAL AND TO WATCH. THEN THE GODS SENT ME A VISION OF YOU AND ME TOGETHER IN A WORLD WITHOUT EVIL MAGES. WITHOUT REALLY THINKING I PUT MY ARM AROUND HIM AND SIGHED CONTENTEDLY. "IS THAT WHY EVERY TIME I LOOK AT YOU I GET MESMERIZED, IT'S THE GODS WILL? FOR ONCE I HAVE SOMETHING TO THANK THE GODS FOR." HE SIGHED TOO. "LOOK AHEAD OF US. SEE THE HUTS? IT IS WERE ME AND MY FAMILY HAVE LIVED FOR THREE HUNDRED YEARS." I GASPED. "THREE HUNDRED?!" ARY I'M THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN YEARS OLD.I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND REPLIED, "GREAT AT LEAST MY MONKEY MAN"-IT GAVE ME A THRILL TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD-"IS ONLY THREE HUNDRED YEARS OLDER THAN ME," I LAUGHED. LOOKING DOUTFUL HE REPLIED, YOU REALLY DON'T CARE? I LOOKED HIM IN THE EYES. "NO, ACTUALLY I'M WORRIED THAT I'LL BE TOO YOUNG NOW." HE CHUCKLED SOFTLY. "YOUR PERFECT THE WAY YOU ARE. EVEN YOUR NAME, ARY, IS TOO PERFECT," AAARRRYYYY. HE PURRED IN MY HEAD. "YOUR BODY IS PERFECT, YOU ARE WISE BEYOND YOUR YEARS, AND THE POWER RADIATING FROM YOU DRAWS ME IN LIKE A MOTH TO A LIGHT." HE SAW MY PUZZLED EXPRESSION AND EXPLAINED. "YOU SEE EVERY PERSON EXERTS CERTAIN ENERGY WAVES AROUND THEM, A VIBE, IF YOU WILL, AND YOUR VIBE IS A DRUG TO ME. IT MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY IN WAY I'VE NEVER FELT BEFORE." I STARTED TO REPLY WHEN A MUSICAL WOMANS VOICE CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. "OTHELLO! YOU'VE ARRIVED. AND WITH YOUR BRIDE TOO." A DARK SKINNED ELF APPEARED IN FRONT OF THE BUGGY FORCING US TO STOP. "ROXY! WHAT ARE DOING HERE? GET OUT OF HERE NOW", OTHELLO SAID ALL OF THIS WITH A RISING FEAR IN HIS VOICE. "NOW, NOW OTHELLO. LETS HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH THE GIRL." SHE WALKED AROUND THE BUGGY. "I HERE THAT SUMMONERS ARE EXREMELY HARD TO CAPTURE. I SHALL ENJOY THIS HUNT!" WITH THAT SHE LUNGED AT ME. ROXY KNOCKED OTHELLO TO THE SIDE WITH A FIERCE SIDE KICK. SHE KNOCKED ME TO THE GROUND AND LANDED ON TOP OF ME. "HMM, THE SUMMONER ISNT VERY STRONG YET. MABEY SHE'S NOT WORTHY TOO COMPLETE HER JOURNEY." SUDDENTLY SHE WAS GONE AND A DEAFENING CRACK ERUPTED FROM NEARBY. I LOOKED AROUND TO SEE HER PRACTICALLY ENGRAVED IN A TREE TEN YARDS AWAY AND OTHELLO STANDING BETWEEN US. "YOU WILL LEAVE US ALONE ROXY", HE SAID TO HER. SHE BACKHANDED HIM SO FAST IT WASN'T EVEN FUNNY. THE CRACK WAS PIERCING. THEN SHE LOOKED AT ME. "YOU DIE HERE TONIGHT SUMMONER; THE MAGES COMMAND IT SO IT MUST BE DONE. AND TOO BAD, YOU ARE JUST SOOOO CUTE." ONE WORD POPPED INTO MY HEAD. NERO!!!!!! IT HAPPENED RIGHT AS SHE WAS PULLED OUT A FOREST GREEN RAPIER AND WAS READYING HERSELF TO LEAP. I GASPED IN PAIN AND A STREAK OF LIGHTNING CAME OUT OF THIN AIR, WENT RIGHT DOWN THE RAPIER, EXPLODED, AND PROPELED ROXY UP AND AWAY. OTHELLO WAS BESIDE ME IN A FLASH. "ARE YOU OKAY? HOW DID YOU DO THAT? SHEN WAS A CLASS FIFTEEN WARRIOR-ELF. LEVEL THIRTY IS THE HIGHEST. SHE SHOULD HAVE OBLITERATED YOU." HE WAS LOOKING AT ME LIKE I WAS A GOD. "WELL, I SORT OF CALLED OUT MY GUARDIAN ANGELS NAME AND HE STRUCK HER DOWN," I SHRUGGED. THERE WAS THAT LOOK OF AMAZEMENT AGAIN. I SIGHED, "LET'S GO BEFORE MY FAMILY WAKES UP." HE HELPED ME UP. "WE'RE ABOUT TEN MINUTES OUT FROM HOME." SO HE GOT BACK ONTO THE BUGGY WITH ME AND WE HEADED OFF WITH ME CLUTCHING TO HIM. TEN MINUTES LATER... "OTHELLO! YOUR HOME." A NICE NONEVIL LOOKING ELF WALKED UP TO THE BUGGY. SHE WAS STUNNING, AT ONLY ABOUT FIVE-THREE WITH SILKY SKIN AND LONG FLOWING BLACK HAIR AND DEEP BLUE EYES. "ARY THIS IS ONE OF MY SISTERS HALEY. WATCH OUT FOR HER, SHE'S THE REBEL OF THE FAMILY." HALEY BEAMED UP AT ME. "IT IS SO NICE TO HAVE SOME NEW COMPANY WITH US." OTHELLO SIGHED AND SAID, "HALEY WILL YOU TAKE ARY'S FAMILY TO THE GUEST HOUSES WHILE WE GO SEE LILY?" AGAIN HALEY BEAMED UP AT US. "SURE THING." WHILE WE GOT OFF, HALEY JUMPED UP AND TOOK THE REINS. OTHELLO GRIMACED AS SHE RODE AWAY. SHE IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME. STARTLED, I SENT BACK, WHY? SHE SEEMS NICE. HE JUST KEPT WALKING. HALEY DOSENT ALWAYS KEEP HER DIRTY THOUGHTS TO HERSELF. SHE KEPT PICTURING YOU AND ME TOGETHER AND IT'S ALREADY HARD ENOUGH TO RESTRAIN MYSELF. AGAIN STUNNED. "YOU KNOW I'D DO ANYTHING YOU WANTED ME TO." HE LAUGHED. WAIT TILL WE TALK WITH LILY, OKAY. "WHO IS LILY", I ASKED. SHE IS THE WISEST ELF IN EXISTENCE AT FIFTEEN HUNDRED YEARS OLD. SHE CAN NO LONGER TALK SO WE MUST COMMUNICATE WITH OUR MINDS. SHE IS THE ONE THE WOODS ARE NAMED AFTER. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO TAKE IT ALL IN. WHERE IS SHE? HE ANSWERED JUST AHEAD IN THE MAIN TENT. I SIGHED LETS GO. IN THE TENT I SAW AN ANCIENT LOOKING ELF SITTING ON A THRONE LIKE CHAIR. IT WAS STRANGE. SHE DIDN'T LOOK OVER FIFTY OR SO, BUT COMPARED TO THE OTHERS WHO DIDN'T LOOK OVER TWENTY, IT WAS A BIG CHANGE. HELLO ARY, I AM LILY. HOW ARE YOU? I SHUDDERED AT THE SOUND OF THE VOICE. NOT BECAUSE OF ANY 'SPECIAL' FEELINGS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE POWER FABRICATED FROM IT. DO NOT FEAR ARY. I HAVE GREAT POWER BUT I USE IT ONLY FOR GOOD. I TOOK A DEEP BREATH. I GUESS I KNEW THAT BUT I AM A NERVOUS WRECK TODAY. LILY SMILED AT ME. WELL ARY, NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE, YOU CAN RELAX UNTIL YOU LEAVE AGAIN. SPEAKING OF WHICH, HAVE YOU DECIDED WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU LEAVE? OTHELLO SHOOK HIS HEAD. NOW, YOU SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING. IF YOU WISH TO BE WITH OTHELLO, YOU NEED TO HAVE THE PURIFICA RITUAL DONE ON YOU. OTHELLO CAN DO IT. ALL IT TAKES IS TO MARK YOUR BODY WITH THE SEALS OF OUR ANCESTORS. IT WILL HELP WITH YOU TO CONTROL YOUR SUMMONS. AND YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED AN ELF. I LOOKED AT LILY. COULD I REALLY BECOME AN ELF? HOW SOON? MENTALLY, SHE LAUGHED. YOU COULD DO IT ANY TIME YOU WANT. OTHELLO YOU COULD DO IT TONIGHT. I LOOKED AT OTHELLO. WOULD YOU PLEASE? IF YOU CHANGE ME I'LL BE IMMORTAL LIKE YOU AND WE CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER. LOOKING PLEASED BY MY ANSWER, LILY SAID, YOU TWO ARE THE PERFECT TRAVEL PARTNERS. NOW GO, AND PERFORM THE CEREMONY. OTHELLO SIGHED AND TOOK MY HAND. SHE DOSEN'T KEEP HER THOUGHTS PRIVATE EITHER. I LAUGHED. WELL AT LEAST YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD BACK MUCH LONGER. HE LAUGHED NOW. HE SURPRISED ME BY PICKING ME UP AND RUNNING WITH ME. "YOU KNOW THAT AFTER THIS RITUAL WE WILL BE TECHNICALLY MARRIED?" I JUST STARED. "WE REALLY WILL BE TOGETHER THEN," I FINALLY SAID. "HERE WE ARE." HE SET ME DOWN INSIDE A HUGE CABIN THAT LOOKED MORE LIKE A MANSION. "NOW, LETS GET STARTED."