We rammed into the stone pillar-like walls on the opposite side of the cave. I had propelled toward the man with so much force that we completely cleared the water which opened itself up in between the two sides of the underwater cavern.
Beneath my own growls and screams of anger I heard him below sounding just the same as he continuously made attempts to throw me off him.
“What is your problem, Bitch!?”
He pushed against my arms with great strength, but my fingers were dug deeply into his shoulders and the inertia of the moment merely thrust us from a place against the wall to another only a few feet away. My body smashed into the stone and then his crushed up against mine, my face was crammed up beside his neck. I felt his hands press in against the wall in order to force himself away but I kept my hands firm.
“Let go of me!” He screamed into my ear.
“Fine.” My voice had a nasty rumble to it.
I released my grip and the man toppled backward before making a quick flip and landing nicely on his feet. I coiled back on my calves and lunged toward him again, this time he blocked my kick. Instead I punched him in the face, forcing him back again into the pillar we had first hit.
“Holy Shit!” He stood from the broken indent in the stone and wiped the blood leaking from his mouth.
I gave a cynical smile at his angered expression and leapt lithely back over to Syren, who had still not moved since my attack.
“Sy, are you alright? …Syren?” I had taken her hand in my own while I watched her blank face. Her eyes moved to look behind me and in the reflection of her large pupil I saw the red haired man standing back on our side of the water.
I glanced at him once, his lip was already nearly healed and his face now held an understanding when I glared at him. I moved back to speak with Syren but before I got a word out she placed a finger against my lips. Her eyes appeared to be the normal golden color and she smiled slightly at my confused face.
“Thank you for trying to protect me Noir. But I can see I was mistaken.”
“Mistaken…?”
Syren moved away from me and over to the man I had just tried to…practically kill.
She placed her own hand in his, speaking to him in hushed tones, so quiet I couldn’t make out any of it. I furrowed my brow in utter confusion.
“Sy, who is this man? You were so afraid a second ago.”
The man frowned at me, but Syren faced me with a grin, different from any I had seen her wear before.
“Noir, this is Joryn. He has been my very close friend since childhood.”
I shook my head in refusal, “But that doesn’t explain why you were petrified at his appearance?”
“The last time I saw Joryn he was dead…or I was sure he was dead.”
“Then shouldn’t you be pleased to see him?”
“Generally, I would…but….” Syren and Joryn looked to each other. “…well, lately, back home, there have been unusual things happening on the battlefields. About four decades ago, Joryn and I were fighting as part of the palace guard to protect one of the smaller villages from an attack by some mountain dwelling dwarves. Things were going very well and once we had pushed the rebels back to the border we returned to our fallen comrades. It was there I found Joryn…and a few others.
“Suddenly two of my soldiers, dead according to the physician presiding there, got up! They retrieved their weapons and licked the blood off the blades, watching us like we were no one and as more returned I began to hear their murmurs of bewilderment. However, since I was a high ranking member of the guard, during a meeting of our senior staff I had been informed that something odd had been occurring among our dead, and that we were to destroy all deceased comrades immediately upon death or battles end.
“As I recalled this information nearly all members of the dead were again moving towards us, all except Joryn and his second in command, Tan. I ordered the squads to eradicate everyone that had arisen, some were uncertain but many obeyed. By the time we had burned all the bodies, as well as Tan’s, Joryn had not been accounted for.”
“So, you thought that this, he, was one of these…things?”
“Exactly, but that was only my first encounter with them, afterwards, we began receiving more intelligence about these creatures. Ones left alive after seemingly coming back to life during battles were found to be similar to who they once were, with the same memories and mannerisms, though they were more aggressive and prone to murder if angered. Some were immediately found to be strange, while others took time to notice the change. Apparently after some time their eyes or skin would change color to a pale white or yellow, although a few stronger ones were known to stay the same. Eventually they would leave the places they were brought to, several after leaving trails of dead family and friends.”
I sat down; I couldn’t believe what I was being told. That…after all this time, elves could be some blood thirsty creatures? Syren also settled before me, and in my lowered view I spotted Joryn sit as well.
“Noir, I understand how difficult this is to take in. But it’s now been 25 years since any of these creatures have been spotted or reported anywhere.”
“Did they ever figure out what caused all this?” I leaned a bit towards Syren in my curiosity.
“No, they didn’t, but the few who were kept frozen for study after the initial attacks were found to be somewhat altered…but no one outside the medical team, security chiefs, and the royals knew anything of it. …But in my experience, I found that elves who had been transformed did not bleed. Not a drop of blood at all. That was how I knew Joryn was not a creature.”
“I too, have come across some after I managed to escape the battle.” Joryn spoke with a strong but low voice. “I have only met two since they were said to be diminished. Both were strong, but I did find that none of them bleed. I removed the arms of the last one I encountered, it was…strange. The bone and muscle were there, but were anatomically wrong, the bones were blue and had black tinted nicks all along them and the muscle tissue was larger but completely brown in color.
“I examined the creature before I burnt it and there are no lungs or heart in the body, and the ribs were fewer and warped into one another. They were virtually no organs left in the body, just bone and an excess of muscle, a few veins were still there but when I touched them, immediately they fell to dust. Which I found in numerous places inside the body.”
“Did he have a brain at all?” I had been intensely watching him speak about these beings; I was curious what they were.
He looked over at me, as though he had forgotten I existed, which irritated me and I glared at him.
“I had no chance to look, I had spent too much time probing his body, and he would have come back again had I not set him on fire.”
“Hmm….” I leaned onto my hand. “Syren, did they ever name these beings? They don’t sound like elves too me, nor humans, or even hybrids. They aren’t like any of the creatures I have come across or red about.”
“As far as I know, they had been called Tewoeklons.”
“That’s an odd name…is it elvish?”
“I do not believe so; I think it was a combination reached by some of the elder scholars…a mixture of several languages. The closest meaning I know of was Hollow Murders.”
“I know I don’t know these creatures, but isn’t that rather prejudiced? Have you found that all these mutated beings are killers?”
“Of course they are!” Joryn shouted at me, his orange eyes flared like fire.
“I simply mean that…” I stopped speaking and looked to the stone walls. “Syren, the ship is taking up anchor, they’re about to leave.”
“Yes, I know.”
Syren placed her hands on Joryn’s. “I am very glad I was able to see you again, after all this time.” They stood together.
I followed, though somewhat less graceful.
“I assume you need this cavern, I will stay up on the ship tonight.” She released her hands from Joryn.
“Sy, are you sure? You said the smell is hard on you.”
“Yes, I’ll stay up with Menya.” She flashed me a small smile.
“Ship?” Joryn looked confused. I simply narrowed my eyes at his voice, I know I had no place to judge, but this man bugged me.
“Yes, Menya and I have been working with Noir’s village for the last few years. We assist in raids and hunts.”
“Menya? You mean Men, from the archery squad? The giddy pink eyed girl?”
“Yes, she’s been working with me for almost 20 years now; around the time when we came to the human’s village.”
“Ah yes, the hybrid.” They both turned to look at me, though he clearly did not hold any kind feelings towards me.
“Well, pardon me for not being perfect.” My anger flared up again.
“So why are you with this hybrid anyway?”
I moved to stand next to Syren and crossed my arms in defiance at his clear dislike of me and my ancestry. As well as his endlessly irritating propensity to speak as though I weren’t even here. Syren then placed an arm across my shoulders.
“Joryn, this is Noir. Daughter of Captain Jonathin Schar and Sena of Toryl.”
“Sena? This is the only child of Sena of Toryl?”
Syren nodded.
“Toryl? What is that?” I looked to Syren but she did not turn to face me, she seemed to be ignoring my question.
“Noir, I hear Kayne looking for you. You should go and eat with your father and friend.”
“But, what about you?”
“I’ll be fine; I would like some time to catch up with my friend before I return to the ship.” She set both hands on my shoulders. “Inform Men that I’ll be a little late.”
I looked over at Joryn briefly, “Alright. I’ll see you later.”
I walked backwards to the water and jumped in, all the while I watched Joryn. He continued to annoy me, even without saying anything.
The waters were much colder than before and certainly darker as well. Thankfully, at least the swim to the surface was much quicker than to the trove.
I wonder what those Tewoeklon are really like. My thoughts seemed to unwittingly wander back to the images I crafted when Syren talked of the creatures once plaguing the elves. I pushed the idea away though as I came closer to the darkened shadow casted by the Snyaria.
Once I breeched the water’s exterior and I quickly climbed up through our cabin’s window. I hated being in wet clothes, my hair and skin would take a little longer to dry outside the cave as well. Menya wasn’t in the room and the door was still locked.
I quickly pulled myself out of my damp clothes and unwrapped the bandages I still wore. My wounds were looking quite well, though I had never been much of a physician. I put on my other set of clothing, a looser and slightly more formal outfit but my only other set.
I decided to let my hair down, especially as it was nearly dry, and anyway my father had always liked my hair down. I ran a brush through my hair before stepping out of the cabin, too the laughing voices of the men preparing for dinner below deck.
“Hello.” Kayne spoke suddenly at my side.
“Kayne.” I nodded with a smile. “How have things been today?”
He chuckled at my nonchalance. “Things have been fine, noisy though. We should be at the city tomorrow at dawn. Everyone has been getting somewhat anxious.”
“So then…tomorrow we go in.”
“Yes. Will you be alright?”
“Of course, I’ll be fine.” I grinned up at him, but when I lowered my head I felt the nervous flutters of the realization that I would be back where my mother never left.
“Noir.” Kayne placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from continuing along my path. “Are you sure you’re ready? You don’t have to go; I can speak with your father.”
“No, no.” I shook my head and lightly placed my hands against his chest. “I’ll be fine; I want to help provide for our home. It’s my duty to help.” I continued to stare down at our feet; the memories of the other night when I broke down and Kayne and I shared a long embrace came to mind as my fingers twitched against his chest. A hot blush came to my face.
I swallowed deeply and tried to ignore the feeling.
“Kayne…you’ll stay with me right?” I looked up at him and his face was shocked; a slight pinkish tint glowed on his cheeks.
“Uh…wwhat do you mean?”
“When we reach the town, you’ll not leave me, you’ll stay by my side?”
He sighed. “Yes, I’ll stay with you.”
“Thank you Kayne!” I wrapped my arms around his torso, my face pushed against his warm chest.
I quickly regained my senses, released my grip, and hurriedly walked away from Kayne with a silly, half embarrassed look on my face.
Once I reached my father’s cabin, I took a moment to breathe as I leaned against the doors; I tried my best to push away the strange emotions dancing around inside me.
I took hold of the large wooden handle and pulled it open.
My father was sitting quietly on his bed.
“Father?”
“Ah, Noir. Are you ready to eat?” He stood up slowly and walked over to the threshold, where I was waiting.
“Yes…I am.” I looked at my father’s face; he seemed pale and his eyes distant. “Are you alright?” I reached my hand out to his cheek, he felt cold.
“I’m just fine, darling. No need to worry.” He placed a hand on my head.
“…Father…?” As he stepped past the door his hand began to slip from my head and his body toppled forwards.
I caught him as best as I could. “Father? Father..?? Come on, wake up!” I shook him slightly but he remained unresponsive. “KAYNE!”
