Elf Maiden - Closed for RedDeeDee

[nick_slaughter]

“Come on over, it’ll be fun. Besides, what else are you going to do, everyone else went for holidays”

It was Matt and he was right, the town was deserted, as well as stifled with humid heat. There was nothing else to do.

“K, I’ll come. What should I bring over?”, but he hung up already

What do you bring over to RPG party? Who knows, well apart from people who go to such parties? I gathered that some soda’s and beers can’t be all wrong and I walked over to Matt’s place. I buzzed the door, and he answered, going back to the living room immediately as he saw me.

“Hey, we started already, Pepsi, great… You know where the fridge is?” He took the bottle and hurried back to his seat at the table, joining in the conversation as if he never left the table. I put the stuff in the fridge and walked over to the dining room to see what they were doing.

It seemed heated. It took me a while to realize that they were arguing as their characters, not as themselves, but the line seemed very fine. I came to realize that whenever things got heated it always seemed to involve some female character, one guy in particular seemed to think it lifted his authority in their marauding party for some reason. Naturally, as things go with humans, the rest of the guys enjoyed making fun of him when the dice failed him or some other obstacle came in the way. When I joined in at one such occasion, he was so furious he practically spat out at me. While funny, it also seemed weird that he was so provoked and I decided to leave them be for a while. I took the beer out of the fridge and went outside to Matt’s backyard

It sure changed, and seemed to have grown more trees somehow, though I wasn’t sure how it could be possible. I stepped outside and tripped, dropping my beer. Annoyed I looked back but the guys were arguing again and I wanted a breath of fresh air so I walked a bit.

The hedges and the bushes and the trees seemed so much wilder than they used to, though I haven’t been to Matt’s a while. It felt greener too. Not sure how to explain it, just a vibe I got. I went to go back, but suddenly I couldn’t find the house anymore. I couldn’t be out there that long, that was weird. Dusk falling so soon was weirder still. I kept walking back and repeating the worrying mantra of how this doesn’t seem right I exited the forest to see a open grassy clearing which looked like place where Matt’s house was, except there was no house, just a surprised looking woman, blinking at me as I showed up.

“What is this? Who are you, how did you get to Matt’s place”

 

[RedDeeDee]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c8/69/54/c8695463a86f5a1403ebb23e91f3ed52.jpg

So far it had been a great day for Valindra, and she expected it to get better. The weather was splendid, making it an auspicious start for the equinox celebration. Since Valindra was her clan's mage, she had left the celebration early to head toward the clearing, a place set aside in the forest for her to make observations from both the night sky and the day.

Still in her holiday dress, Valindra had just entered the clearing, releasing small moths enchanted to help her track the sun's movements, when she was startled by the appearance of a human male. Not that humans were unknown to Valindra, but hers was an isolated village, not easy to find in the forest, and her village had had no human visitors for at least half a year.

The human male was in odd garb, and spoke a strange language she had never heard. Not that Valindra was the most well traveled elf maiden in the forest, but she was conversant in the trading language the humans used, and could recognize some of the more common human languages. Nut what the human was speaking didn't sound like anything she had ever heard.

Absentmindedly brushing a lock of hair off the point of her ear (and thus revealing one of her pointed ears to the human in front of her), she decided to try to speak to him in the human trading tongue: "Kwiss? Kwumod ohuc venst?"

 

[nick_slaughter]

"Kwiss?"

"What was that? I mean, what did you say?"

I meant to ask more but then a swarm of luminescent crickets flew out and set themselves up in a weird and elaborate formation, seemingly without order from where I was. I kept looking at them and then at her thoroughly perplexed at what was happening.

"What are those?"

I could keep showering her with questions to no end because, frankly, this was so weird but more than that, one weird thing was replaced by the other, weirder thing, that I had no time to think them over or search for meaning. Not that anything I saw resembled anything I saw in my entire life up to then.

My eyes kept flicking to her and I couldn't focus at anything correctly but she then seemed to tuck her hair behind her ear and I saw something there that made me squint at her.

"Hey, what happened to your ear?" I asked, moving my arm up to point at the pointy top

 

[RedDeeDee]

The human male was acting and sounding more bewildered by the minute, first gesturing at the moths from Valindra's lantern and then at their surroundings. Finally he gestured at her ear, asking another question in his unintelligible speech. With a gesture, Valindra had all the moths return to the lantern before trying to communicate with the human.

Is he trying to speak an elven dialect, she wondered to herself. Perhaps that's why he's gesturing toward my ears. Still, that doesn't sound like any elven dialect I've ever heard, Valindra answered herself.

Deciding that perhaps he was trying to speak to her in elven, Valindra answered him in the light, musical language that humans referred to as Common Elf.

"Huma, amina anedel. Nala thren wena minadel?"

 

[nick_slaughter]

They all zoomed back in so fast I took a step back... Well that is putting it politely, I jumped, barely remaining upright when the little things zoomed back to the lantern. As great first impressions go, this was decidedly underwhelming.

"Huma?"

Human? Why I am human, of course, aren't we all, what kind of language is it anyway? I still feel silly for doing it but I then tapped my chest with my palm and repeated - "Huma?" It was more of a question rather than anything else. Then I wanted to know who she was but had no idea how to do it, so after careful thought i raised my eyebrows inquisitively, shaking my head in bewilderment and extending my arm, palm up

"Aaand you would be.... ?"

A great testament of human intelligence if there ever was one it occurs to me

 

[RedDeeDee]

Valindra's felt a sense of relief when the human pointed to himself, and then said Huma, the elven word for an affirmative response. That meant he could speak elven, right?

Valindra discarded that theory when the human raised his arm and asked another question in his unknown language. She sighed, rubbing the point of her left ear absentmindedly.

"Mankoy litul ayassen amin?" she asked, walking a few steps away and then gesturing for the human to follow her.

 

[nick_slaughter]

Finally! Some understanding!

Man, do I need that beer! As soon as I find Matt's place I'm getting one, I'm going home and I'm not going out of the house for a month! How did I get lost, it's madness.

Cool, she must know where Matt's place is, thanks goodness, she's going to lead me there now. Excellent! Capital! She's pretty too, must be some eastern European chick, I seem to remember hearing that language she speaks somewhere, I mean it would only be proper on my part to help her integrate into society you know... Some good will come out of this after all.

 

[RedDeeDee]

Well, he's at least cooperative, even if I can't understand a word he's saying, Valindra thought, as she led this strange human male down a trail in the forest. The trees quickly got taller and older, and the trail slowly started rising. At the same time, whimsical musical could be heard playing somewhere ahead, drums and flute and strings all mixing together in festive delight. Deciding to take one last look at the celebration before she took this human back to her study, Valindra led the human to a spot that overlooked the center of her village.

From the overlook, one could see dozens of elves dancing and celebrating in a small clearing of the trees. In one corner, four elves were playing the instruments that were producing the festive music, while maybe two dozen elves were making intricate dance patterns in time with the melody. To the side, an older elf was doing minor pyrotechnic magic to the amusement of a dozen elf children gathered around him. And all around, there were elves dressed in their brightest clothes, laughing, drinking, eating and sharing conversations.

Just beyond the elves could be seen their village. Except the village wasn't on the ground, but set on the limbs of the large oaks that surrounded the clearing. They were simple structures, but still artistic, with cottages made of wood and leaves and designed to complement the beauty of the trees in which they were nestled.

Valindra smiled dreamily down at the celebration, humming along with the music, when she shook her head, remembering her duty. She gestured for the human to follow her as she began circling around the clearance below.

 

[nick_slaughter]

We drifted along the path further into the forest. I kept looking around as nothing seemed quite familiar, every corner a bit off than usual. How did everything green turn greener and everything brown... well browner?

"Hey isn't the town the other way?" I asked her but didn't really get the answer. She just waved on as we were passing a fork in the road... I guess she knows where we're going.

We walked on further into the woods. It took a while but it was somehow pleasant. I walked behind her and noticed how weird her outfit was. Gown-ish dresses are not an often sight out here in the woods. Not an often sight anywhere outside a place you get served cocktails even. It fit her well, so that was something to look at too. She moved great too, she had this naturally long and swift and elegant stride that I only was comfortable with following because I tend to walk everywhere.

She hummed too. It was barely perceptible at first and I only noticed that she was doing it when I caught myself doing it when we hit an overlook and we saw... Well I don't really know what we saw. It was a crowded mayhem of people having fun. I blinked on and really looked everywhere because I couldn't focus on anything in particular as it was a churning mass of people having a party. I say mass but I couldn't really pinpoint if there was dozens or thousands of people there. "I guess we're really not in Kansas anymore" I said, more to myself. Weird feeling. They had a setting behind them, too. Stage props that looked like a whole village of treehouses.

'Hey, are you some kind of Circus act?" I tried to ask, but she waved on and hurried on. I almost had to run to catch up.

 

[RedDeeDee]

Valindra smiled politely, not sure what the human was trying to ask, but trying to convey through her facial expression and gestures that there was nothing to worry about. Of course, she had no idea what the situation was with this strangely garbed human who spoke an unknown language, but she was sure that the answer was discoverable.

Fairly soon they came to her own cottage, set on the edge of her village. There was a set of narrow stairs winding around the tree trunk, with her cottage set about forty feet above the ground. Smiling at the human, she gesture for him to follow her as she ascended the stairs.

 

[nick_slaughter]

She smiled so mysteriously and seductively that, while she didn't really answer the question, Nick was sure that everything would be just fine, even if they weren't a circus troupe. They seemed to know how to enjoy themselves... Perhaps they even had beer!

On close inspection that Ewok looking dwelling high in the trees wasn't a stage set. Actual houses on actual trees. Go figure. Nick always wanted to live ina place like this so he followed the Woman eagerly. Only slightly hampered by the footwear - Nick was wearing converse sneakers and a pretty plain looking t-shirt and cargo pants - well cargo shorts, millions of pockets but their length reached only his knees, which kind of limited their practical usefulness as they climbed on the platform some 80 feet off the ground [or so it seemed to him].

"Always so breezy here?" Nick asked, panting as he finally made it there

 

[RedDeeDee]

Valindra just smiled at the human male, not having any idea what he was trying to say. Instead, she opened the door to her cottage and ushered the human male in.

Valindra was rather proud of her home. The main room was circular, two stories tall and covered with shelves. Books lined the wall, with strange curios and bottles containing odd colored potions or rare mummified insects scattered her and there. Valindra gestured the human to take a seat in one of the chairs while she disappeared through an inner door to fetch refreshments.

 

[nick_slaughter]

Nick felt like he was stepping into a home of some woman from a Frank Zappa song. A collection of seemingly every newt in Idaho - or whatever this place was - he fully expected to learn that she had a snake for a pet, along with a plethora of amulets hung all over the place (and one particularly pretty around her neck). Well Nick was born to have adventure, so he stepped right on in, past the some fuming pot that looked like a mortar part of a pestle and mortar combo. It smelled strongly of some refreshing herb. Something that looked like castanets hanged above it.

Nick barely noticed that she was gone, there were so many little and fascinating little things in there. Further, even though there seemed to be enough stuff there to fill a semi-truck everything seemed to be in the precise sport for it, even if that spot meant that some multi-tomed encyclopaedia was balanced precariously on a jar of locusts suspended in some thick liquid, seemingly frozen in mid-flight. Nick heard a step behind him and turn to see his host with some bowls (or were they jars?) in he hands. Her customary silence made him seem foolish to keep asking questions so he just stood there, hand in hand and behind his back, looking at the woman, smiling, nodding as if to thank her for inviting him.

 

[RedDeeDee]

Valindra smiled at the human male, watching him as he took in her library. She gestured for him to take a seat as she set down the tray she had in her hands. The bowls were filled with various exotic fruit that had just come into season in the forest. She then took a cup of chilled spiced wine and offered it to the human male before she turned her back on him and went searching for a particular item.

She didn't actually want to find this item, having only used it once before, but she didn't see as if she had any choice. A scholar from the palace would take two weeks to get here, and she suspected they would not be able to recognize this human's speech either. True, they would probably have access to a more traditional translation spell, but was it fair to the human male to make him remain here, unable to communicate with anybody, for a fortnight?

Valindra finally spotted what she was looking for, an odd shaped vial filled with a bright blue liquid on a rarely used higher shelf. Valindra rolled a ladder to that section, then quickly ascended and grabbed the bottle. She rejoined the human and gave him an apologetic look before opening the bottle.

Out of the bottle popped a three inch high imp, who immediately gave Valindra a crude compliment on the amount of cleavage she was displaying in her dress, as well as the shapeliness of her posterior. Then the imp asked if a certain part of her anatomy had "dried up" from lack of use. Valindra's cheeks were a bright red, and she was extremely grateful the human male couldn't understand any of this exchange. Valindra made a gesture with her hand, causing an electric shock to run through the imp's body. She instructed the imp that her virginity was not a subject for a discussion and that, as he was bound to her service, he was to act as a truthful translator between her and this human. The imp shrugged, then stared at the human male, before asking in a Bronx accent, "So douche bag, what the fuck's your story?"

 

[nick_slaughter]

Nick took the seat and made comfortable. which was surprisingly easy to do in this cozy place. The woman set a tray and it seemed only polite to dive in. Nick picked up something purple-ish could could have been both a peach and a pear but tasted like none of those. Can't say it tasted like anything, the taste isn't something you ever came across. It was unusual in a good way.

Then she climbed down with a bottle in her hands and talked to it. It talked back with some fizzying and popping and finally some weird puppet fluttered angrily out. Nick watched with stupefied amazement, drool oozing from his open mouth to his chin, which woke him up. 'What is in this fruit?' he thought to himself when the puppet spoke.

"Wait, what?" Was Nick's initial reaction. After some pretty distasteful back and forth Nick finally gathered what the little thing wanted and got an inkling why he wanted. Well inkling... He more hoped that the obnoxious foul-mouthed fellow could translate it to the woman who brought him over.

"I'm Nick. I was at my friends' Matt's place. Went for a stroll down his backyard, ended up here. Who the fuck are you?"

Nick would later apologize for his brusque. insult laden response, but in all truth, that little guy is happy to still be outside that cramped bottle for the insolent bratty stuff he managed to let past his lips.

 

[RedDeeDee]

"You fucking kiss your mother with that mouth, jerkoff?" the imp shot back at Nick. "Me, I'm a translator imp, and ain't no fucking way I'm telling you my real name. That's how I got in this fucking mess in the first place. Sugar tits over there is named Valindra, but don't get your hopes up. Those legs ain't come uncrossed for nobody, not since she sprouted those love puppies seventy years ago. She's the local hocus pocus for the hayseeds around here. Let me convey her with the loving details of our dialogue. Oh, and by the way, shit-for brains, in case you haven't figured it out, you ain't in Kansas no more."

Valindra could see the human male becoming agitated as he talked to the imp in his strange speech. Valindra held out her hands in an apologetic gesture, hoping the human male understood that the imp's obnoxious mannerisms and speech was not a reflection of her.

The imp then told Valindra Nick's story, then volunteered the fact that Nick came from a different plane of existence. One that had a place called Las Vegas, a place the imp seemed to be especially fond of. When the imp began listing a litany of vices available at this Las Vegas, Valindra quickly cut him off, her cheeks glowing a bright red. She instructed the imp to ask Nick if he knew the spell that brought him to her world, The imp tried to argue, saying that this Las Vegas world didn't use real magic, but Valindra insisted that he ask.

"Okay, fuckbrains," the imp began, as he turned his attention to Nick, "the elf lady wants to know if you know the spell that brought you to her woods. I told her that most of the numbnuts in your world don't know a magic spell from a hole in the ground, but she's got to ask. She's a real check the boxes and cross the t's kind of elf girl. And if you've ever been to Vegas, I wouldn't tell her," the imp said, snickering. "She's one of those pure as the driven snow types, and might have gotten her panties twisted when I told her a few things that happen in Vegas. Guess I should have let them stay in Vegas," the imp said with a snort. "I wouldn't mention Tijuana either, if I were you. And you could do me a solid by getting her to let me go. First thing I'm going to do is head over to your world. Talking to you has got me all fucking nostalgic about that place."

 

[nick_slaughter]

Nick was no means a stranger to foul language, and while he could be as colorful as the worst of them he kind of pitied the sort of people that mistake it for power or street-smarts. Sign of weakness, that's what it always was. The thought reassured Nick and set him of to thinking how he would probably infuriate the little fellow by refusing to take the bait rather than chomping at it.

"No, I don't know the spell and haven't been to Vegas. Did you check yourself after being there though? I wouldn't be surprised if the stuff you can catch there crosses universes." He let that sink in, but then felt stupid for trying to bait him, Nick was sure that Vegas was full of nice people.

"Back to the point. I don't know the spell or know anyone who knows any spells for that matter. Does she know the spell? You've been there, can't you tell her? I kinda like it here, and it was nice to visit, but I should be heading back..." The thought reminded Nick of Matt, which gave him pause...

"Hmm, hey, listen... i have some friends who like to play around and play these role-playing games where they cast spells and fight with swords and stuff like that. It's all make believe, but could they do it by accident?" The imp was enjoying a particularly nasty barb aimed at Nick and his babbling so he listened to it carefully and added "Well, can't you translate it?"

 

[RedDeeDee]

The imp laughed at Nick's suggestion that he get himself medically checked. "I don't worry about catching diseases, bub, I spread'em."

After Nick gave his theory on how he got here, the imp shrugged. "There's two kinds of people in the universes, dick breath, when it comes to magic. Those who use magic, like sweet melons here," the imp said, gesturing toward Valindra, "And those of us who are magic. I couldn't tell you how I do shit anymore than you could tell me everything that happens when you take a shit. It just happens. But I'll ask."

For once, the imp set aside his usual unending profanities as he tried to explain the concept of role playing games to Valindra. Valindra didn't believe the imp at first, as it seemed unbelievable that people would want to imitate someone like her. She enjoyed her life, of course, but the concept of people living in a universe without magic or other races besides humans was mind boggling. And the idea that some of these humans spent a portion of their time pretending to be someone like her...it was inconceivable!

It took about ten minutes for the imp to explain the concept of RPG to Valindra, but once the imp convinced her that you "just couldn't make shit like this up," he then broached Nick's theory about the accidental evocation of a spell. Valindra's brow furrowed, but she shook her head. This was something she would have to send word to the King's mages about, because it exceeded her knowledge. She told the imp as much, who turned to Nick.

"You're shit out of luck, shithead. Elf lady here might have a body made for porn, but in the magic department, she's strictly small potatoes. Well, she's got nice sized potatoes, but you know what I mean. Anyway, she'll send word to the high muckety mucks while she researches the question herself, but don't get your hopes up. These are forest elves you're in the middle of, so they'll actually see what's in front of them. The ones running things from the castle are high elves. Those guys have to look at the stars for two hours just to decide if they should scratch their ass or not. So if I were you, I'd get comfy, cuz you're going to be here for awhile."

 

[nick_slaughter]

"What do you mean you can't go back, what did you do, stumble over there? How are you any different than me then, answer me that shitmouth!"

Nick liked calm. Being in the state of it, being surrounded by the people in similar state and all that. It imitated bliss and that was a very good place to be in Nick's opinion. But everyonce in a while he lost it and usually it had to do with incomprehensible beings with bad language who brought bad news.

"So what am I supposed to do? Wait here on my ass?" he looked over at Valindra, trying to pronounce her name the way the imp said it to him "Vahleendruh," he rattled off perhaps too fast "... Surely, if we track back, back to place i stumbled out to here, maybe you can see something? Sense something, i'dunno, eh?" Catching at straws surely, Nick realized already as he was speaking.

 

[RedDeeDee]

"Oh, I can get to your world any time I want to, asshhole," the imp laughed. "But that's because I'm me. You're you, which means you're shit out of luck until someone figures out how to do it."

Vilandra could tell the imp had finally gone too far, getting the human male so agitated that the human was appealing directly to her. She didn't know what the human was saying, but he was clearly very agitated, and the imp seemed to be taking more than a little delight in stoking the human's consternation.

With a wave of her hand, Vilandra dismissed the imp, sending him back to his bottle. She then took both the human's hands into her own, looking directly into his eyes. In as reassuring tone as she could, she told him, "Nick, ami leska. Ami vesta. Ami sinta sutan tasana, ami leska."

 

[nick_slaughter]

With pure venom in his look Nick followed the imp to its bottle, long he main remain there. He rubbed his face with one hand, trying to rub away the nervousness and despair. Then he felt the presence as Vilandra approached him. She came where he was sitting and took his hands. Man those are nice hands she had. And eyes... Nick lost himself in those eyes, didn't really pay attention to what she was saying, he knew he wouldn't understand it anyway, but boy did it feel good. Not just sound, which, Nick had to admit sounded pretty great in that airy language she used. he felt relieved and relaxed and wondered for a moment if it was a magic. Didn't matter, even if it was, it was meant to calm him [what else could it be?] and that was all it mattered

So Nick moved his hands together and placed hers between his "Thank you" he said, staring back sincerely in those beautiful eyes of hers

 

[RedDeeDee]

Still smiling, Vilandra clasped one of Nick's hands in hers, telling him, "Tul yassun ami." She led him out through a door onto one of the cottage's balconies. While the pair had been inside, the sun had set and the first few stars of the night could be seen above. The elf village was lighting up, with a scattering of colored lights appearing here and there. Then suddenly, straight above, there was an loud popping sound, with a multicolored spray of lights appearing immediately afterwards. Other pyrotechnic displays soon followed. Some were merely fantastical, while others displayed scenes of sailing ships or dragons or galloping herds of horses.

Vilandra squeezed Nick's hand with hers, while with her free hand she tapped her chest and told him proudly, "Ami karn tenim rende."

 

[nick_slaughter]

It was a sweet moment. Sweeter than most in Nick's uneventful life up to that point. Vilandra saved him from embarrassing himself by looking down at her cleavage, intrigued by what the imp was harping about when she led him outside. You forget how little of the sky and stars you can see with all the light pollution. This place looked like a light show with nearly all the stars in the galaxy present and ... well not really accounted for, there were too many for anything like that.

Then everything exploded. It was indescribable so it's best left at that. Trying to be smart or lyrical about it can never do that display justice. Imagine something beautiful and outrageously funny and multiply it by 10 and you'd be starting getting close.

Nick looked up, exhaling an impressed "wow" as she took his hands again and spoke something sweet. It seemed to Nick that she said that she was running this joint, or at least the fun part up in the sky. It also occurred to him that 'Ami' meant I'm so he tried to talk balk and he tapped his chest with his finger and said "Ami..." then just blinked confused at Vilandra's gorgeous face and couldn't think of anything else to add. How could he even? So he just turned to watch the show, not even realizing that he put his arm around Valindra's waist.

 

[RedDeeDee]

Valindra could almost feel the tension coming off of Nick as the peace settled into his soul. It made her relax for a moment, forgetting for a moment all the problems that she had to deal with, all arising from allowing a human male, and one from another world no less, to stay in her village. Well, technically she would need to talk about it with the village elders tomorrow, but them agreeing with her was almost a foregone conclusion. She would insist Nick represented no danger, and all that needed to be done was to have word of Nick to be sent to the King and his mages, and they in turn would send someone to investigate Nick in a fortnight or so.

But that was for tomorrow. For tonight, Valindra was going to just let herself relax and enjoy the evening. When Nick turned to her and repeated the word for "I'm", pointing to himself, she smiled at him and nodded. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to teach him how to speak her language, she thought. And she could not wait to hear the stories of his world. Except that Las Vegas. Any stories from that place needed to remain in that place.

Valindra was startled when she felt Nick's arm slide around her waist. She was about to pull away when something inside her decided not to, Being in his embrace felt warm...comforting. So instead she decided not to worry about it, but to let herself relax into it. With that decision made, Valindra snuggled into Nick's side as she watched the rest of the fireworks display with him.

 

[nick_slaughter]

It felt nice to be so cozy with her. She was tall and graceful in the way she talked and moved and everything she did seemed like it flowed out of her, effortless. It seemed curious to Nick so he studied it and found that he found it harder and harder to look away. To say that she look otherworldly would be painfully obvious but there isn't really any other way to describe her. She was easy to look at and Nick enjoyed the opportunity to experience her peculiar looks in close range. He was daydreaming about something along those lines as he was looking at the way her eyebrow curved and how her cheeks seemed to make small dimply sort of surfaces when she smiled that were very pleasing to the eye when she turned and saw him stare, which made him blush. Thankfully something was going on in the valley where the people danced so he laughed and pointed to some flamboyant fellow with an exhibitionist streak light a light-show in front of him and started dancing with some impossibly hilarious moves to the music of some piper for amusement of children around him who all did a version of his outrageous dance. everyone was laughing with joy, so Nick laughed too, pulling Valindra closer to himself as they looked on from their vantage point.