Chapter 2

“What an incredible landscape...” Magnus said, reigning in his horse to enjoy the amazing view. He had reached this plateau on his way through the hills and he felt he had to stop and marvel at nature’s wondrous display. Everything was so beautiful up here, the land, the trees, the river, the hills ... Even the colors were more radiant, somehow...

“Actually, I could make a stop here ... My butt is getting so damn sore from all the travel,” he said out loud, even though no one was there to hear it. He dismounted his horse and removed the saddle to let the horse rest, and then took out some food and stretched on the ground. It had been a while since he had a chance to speak with another human being, or even see some trace of civilization. Yet this part of the world had no human settlements ... as per the agreement, apparently. Magnus was deep in the Elven lands in search of an elven Seer, the one that would hopefully help him locate his sister. The road had taken him through Vistania and then east into Fluvia. From Fluvia, he kept going north, always north. He had passed the last human settlement two weeks ago and he knew he was somewhere in the land of Elves ... He suspected he was being watched in the last couple of days. Did it mean he was nearing an elven settlement? Magnus certainly hoped so. He had to hold on to this one chance of finding his sister.

After he finished eating and after taking some rest, Magnus got back into the saddle. It was early in the afternoon and he hoped to put some more miles behind him until he had to stop for the night. He rode, feeling his eyes wander all around, enjoying the look of seemingly untouched nature. He marveled at tall, big-leafed trees, the likes of which he had never seen before. There was something special about this land. The nature seemed so ... present and so vivid.

“Go no further, Human Mage!” a voice came from somewhere among the trees.

Magnus raised his eyes, trying to pierce through the trees and locate the owner of the voice. The voice sounded so melodic and well ... female.

“I wish you no harm!” Magnus said, stopping his horse and raising his hands in a placating manner.

“These are elven lands, human. I hope you have a good reason for trespassing!” the same melodic voice said.

“I am searching for an elven Seer ... Please, I need to see him.”

“What makes you think the Seer would receive a human?”

“Please, I need help ... I am searching for my sister. I am willing to pay whatever you require...”

There was complete silence for almost a full minute. Just when Magnus opened his mouth to ask for help once again, three forms came out of the trees, walking towards Magnus. Magnus watched them approach with silent awe. He dismounted and waited until they came close. Their steps were soundless. Magnus found himself speechless as he came face to face with an Elf for the first time in his life. Well, more like three of them, two females and a male.

The male was slightly taller than Magnus. His skin was light blue, his body slender and hairless, at least the parts he could see, with the exception of the head. His hair was of some blonde/light brown color and was falling around his shoulders in braids. He had visible muscles, yet even those were somehow ... slender. He was dressed in a plain sleeveless leather shirt, pants, and boots. He watched Magnus carefully, like a panther ready to pounce. Both females were of the same height as Magnus, their skin color somewhat lighter compared to the male. The one to Magnus’ left had green hair, braided as well. She wore similar clothes, yet her clothes had some ornaments and decorations, some subtle signs showing her clothing was more than just something to keep her warm. Magnus found her quite pretty, even if he couldn’t wrap his brain around their ageless faces that had no apparent wrinkles.

Yet, it was the face of the female in the middle that drew his attention the most. She had a lovely silver hair made into a single long braid that curved across her chest. On her beautiful face, Magnus saw a pair of purple lips, their shape making him think of the fact that he hadn’t had sex since he had left the capital of Fluvia, weeks ago. Her big eyes were of some peculiar blue and green hue and they were watching him with curiosity and wariness. She wore clothing similar to the other female, somewhat tighter in the chest and Magnus couldn’t help noticing the curves that were telling about moderate size, yet quite firm-looking breasts. He stopped himself from licking his lips, barely.

“My name is Lanaya, Human Mage,” the female in the middle said. Magnus recognized the melodic voice he had heard earlier. She was obviously the leader of the group.

“I am Magnus,” he said simply, his eyes still on the leader of the group, Lanaya.

“My name is Sela,” the green-haired Elf said.

“Voron,” the male Elf said solemnly.

Magnus nodded to both of them, returning his gaze to Lanaya.

“How did you know I was a mage?” Magnus asked finally. Lanaya raised her eyebrows.

“I see you don’t know much about my people,” Lanaya said simply. Her eyes were occasionally shifting as if looking at his hair.

“You are still being generous in saying that, I am afraid,” Magnus said, giving her an apologetic smile. Her lips began stretching in response, but she stopped herself.

“Why do you seek the Seer? Do you realize you are in breach of the agreement we made long ago with human kingdoms?” Lanaya asked after a moment.

“I am quite desperate ... My sister has been taken by the slavers and I am grasping at straws, trying to find her...” Magnus said, some of his pain showing on his face. Lanaya stiffened at the mention of slavers. After a long moment of deliberation, she finally nodded and turned away.

“Follow us, Magnus...”

Magnus took his horse’s reins and followed them on foot, trying to keep pace with the three Elves who almost glided across the land. They walked for almost an hour before they reached what looked like a huge valley between two hills. Magnus followed them into the valley, his senses suddenly overwhelmed by the amazing sight.

“Gods ... and I thought the colors of the land I passed through were radiant. Yet here they seem ... alive,” Magnus thought, while his eyes moved on their own, trying to soak up the wonder of his surroundings. The valley was indeed very big and Magnus thought he saw a glimpse of the river in the distance. The valley wasn’t completely surrounded by the hills, so it still had plenty of sunlight.

“Welcome to our home, Magnus,” Lanaya said, smiling at the awe that was showing on his face.

“This place is so beautiful...” Magnus said, feeling like a little boy who was visiting the fair for the first time. They ventured into the valley and Magnus felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of colors and shapes. He saw trees with leaves and flowers in all possible colors, he heard sounds of life everywhere around him. It felt like nature hummed with life in this incredible place. He soon noticed the first elven buildings and immediately thought of a story he had heard in a tavern once, a story that mentioned Elves living on the trees. Magnus chuckled. Their houses and buildings were built on the ground, yet they somehow seemed to be ... integrated into nature itself. The buildings were beautifully crafted, almost all of them made of some kind of stone that had a faint bluish hue. As they walked through the elven settlement, Magnus lost the sense of time and space, still marveling at the things he was seeing everywhere around. The elven trio finally stopped in some kind of huge square, containing a large stone sculpture of a female.

“This must be some queen or maybe a goddess...” Magnus thought, gazing at the exquisite workmanship depicting a beautiful elven female, naked, save for the pubic area that was covered by leaves and flowers.

“Our Goddess,” Lanaya simply said. Magnus nodded, his gaze still on the sculpture.

“What is the name of your goddess?” Magnus asked.

“She has no other name. She is The Goddess. She is one with nature and the world itself,” Lanaya said with conviction.

“Oh...” Magnus said, thinking how that contradicted human beliefs who worshiped many gods and goddesses. He never really believed in gods, at least not in their infallibility and endless love toward mortal races ... Yet, he sensed his hosts would feel insulted if he voiced such an opinion, so he just nodded in agreement. Lost in his thoughts, Magnus barely noticed a male and a female approach the group. They spoke with Lanaya in their own language and Magnus witnessed for the first time the eleven-speech that rang with so much melody. He listened with interest, even though he couldn’t understand a single word.

“You need to go see the Great Mother,” Lanaya said, turning to Magnus. Magnus could see a hint of worry on her beautiful face.

“Great Mother ... Who is that? Is she the Seer?”

“No ... She is our leader ... The Seer is our spiritual leader ... something like a High Priest for you humans.”

“Oh, I see ... But I will be able to see the Seer after?”

“That is really not up to me...” Lanaya said, shrugging.

“All right...” Magnus said and followed Lanaya and the two newcomers towards a great building that stood just next to the big square. He saw Lanaya whisper something in Sela’s ear and then watched with curiosity as Sela ran off in an unknown direction. Magnus gazed at the great building in front of him. It was made of the same faintly blue stone, yet it was far more richly decorated. Coming closer, he saw the engravings in the stone, small ornaments, and even tiny statues of Elves carved in great detail. It was a true work of art. Entering the building itself, Magnus gazed at the walls, wondering at the level of craftsmanship it took to create such an imposing building. The stonework was polished and in great condition, yet Magnus was sure it was ancient.

Going through a long corridor, they finally found themselves in a very large room that seemed almost circular. At the edges of the room, there were guards, both male and female. In the middle of it stood a pedestal, and on top of the pedestal was a throne. Magnus watched with curiosity and wonder as a female Elf descended from the throne. Her steps were gracious and her moves fluid, yet somehow incredibly ... sensual. Magnus was very grateful that his focus and control over his cock were almost absolute. It would be quite embarrassing to get a boner while being in an audience with an elven ... queen? The ‘Queen’ was a beautiful female, as tall as Magnus and somewhat curvier than other females he had met. Her moves, her posture, and especially her red/blonde hair somehow reminded him of Fiona...

“Kneel, human!” her authoritative and melodic voice resonated through the room.

“Fiona, indeed ... and yet, maybe not,” Magnus thought, surprised by the sudden order. He wasn’t even sure how to respond to such a request...

“I said, kneel!!” She said, putting more force in her words. She was looking at Magnus with open contempt.

“I guess she really doesn’t like me...” Magnus thought, feeling his anger flare up. He needed their help if he was to find Lina, yet he was also feeling the urge to respond appropriately. He took a breath and inclined his head lightly.

“I am afraid this is all I can give you,” he said simply, his gaze never leaving the Queen’s face.

“Insolence! You come to my lands, polluting it with your vile presence, and you have the gall to be disrespectful?!” she said, moving closer. Anger was twisting her beautiful face, making her look ... feral.

“Kneeling isn’t a sign of respect; it is a sign of humiliation and subjugation. It is fine if it’s done willingly, in a prayer, although I am not really a religious type...” Magnus said, trying to keep his voice level. He reminded himself, he had to keep his calm, and he had to think of Lina.

“Kneel human, or you will be made to kneel!” she hissed. The aggression in her voice was quite evident, and Magnus felt his blood boiling inside of him. He noticed the tension in the elven guards and in the Elves who escorted him inside the palace.

“You are welcome to try,” Magnus said, forcing calm in his voice and showing cold determination. He wiggled his fingers in anticipation. His eyes were firmly on the Queen, yet in his peripheral sight, he saw that the guards had their hands on their swords. A second passed ... and another. The tension was almost palpable. A few among the guards shifted their feet lightly. The situation was on the verge of exploding.

“Aloan O’roi!”

The words rang through the room, cutting through the silent tension like a knife. Every head in the room turned towards the corridor. Sela rushed inside, her eyes darting everywhere and realizing what was about to happen. She addressed the Queen in the resonant Elvish tongue.

“The Seer has said that the human must stay among the Elves as a guest...” Magnus heard a hushed voice, recognizing it as Lanaya’s. She was translating for him. “The Seer has also said that she will see the human, but he has to be very patient. It may take many days.”

The Queen was obviously unhappy with the message. Anger was still evident on her face, yet she nodded to Sela. The Queen gestured with her hand and the guards relaxed their postures and moved their hands away from swords. She turned away from Magnus.

“Let’s go,” Lanaya said, and Magnus turned to follow her, his eyes still darting everywhere. It was hard not to notice all the tension that had accumulated in the throne room. Once outside, Magnus finally breathed out, realizing he was holding his breath the whole time.

“That was close,” Lanaya said, turning to Sela who had just joined them outside the palace. “Why don’t you find some accommodation for our guest? I must return to my post.”

“Of course,” Sela nodded in deference.

“I will see you around ... E’arin Siann!” Lanaya said, turning towards Magnus for just a second to show him a hint of a smile, and then she walked away, stepping lightly. Magnus followed her gracious body with curious eyes until he heard Sela clear her throat.

“Let’s find you some accommodations, Magnus,” she said, moving towards one of the nearby buildings. She led him through a winding corridor until they reached a medium-sized room that looked comfortably furnished. It had a large bed, a wardrobe, two chairs and a table. Magnus noticed that none of the furniture was made of wood. In fact, he hadn’t noticed a single object made of wood. There was no fireplace either.

“Well, the climate here seems to be quite warm, so I guess it is fine,” Magnus thought.

“Sela ... That name Lanaya called me by ... What does it mean?” Magnus asked suddenly. Sela was still in the room and somehow, she seemed reluctant to go.

“Hum, well...” she said, after a couple of seconds. There was a hint of mischief in her smile. “It means ‘Small Cock’ ... but it is possible she was joking, of course...”

“What?!” Magnus exclaimed, incredulous. “Why would she call me that?! She has never seen my cock! And my cock isn’t small! Actually, it is...” Magnus blurted out, barely stopping himself in time. He was about to boast about his cock size like a horny adolescent.

“Well...” Sela started, licking her lips. “I am willing to help you refute such rumors ... but I would need to see if it’s true or not...”

Magnus eyed her suspiciously. Was she pulling his leg? There was mischief in her eyes, yet Magnus was sure she was aroused as well.

“Well, it’s been weeks since I had sex ... Why am I even debating this?!” Magnus thought, laughing inwardly.

“All right then,” he said, moving towards Sela “ ... but I am not going to undress alone,” he said, putting his hands on her hips and coming close enough to feel her ragged breath on his face. He moved his face forward until his lips were touching hers, and then he felt Sela respond with a ferocious kiss.

“Gods ... I am actually kissing an Elf...” Magnus thought as his and Sela’s tongues wrestled, their lips glued to each other. Magnus savored the taste, so different, yet somehow it was still a taste of a woman. He ran his hands along her waist and then reached to unclasp her shirt. Sela pushed him towards the bed, removing her shirt and pulling at his. Magnus watched for a long moment, taking in the lovely blue skin and small, firm breasts set in a slender and graceful body.

“Wow...” he mouthed, prompting a satisfied smile from Sela. She ran her hands along the hairs on his chest, pulling on them lightly.

“Now, let’s see what we have here...” she said, pushing him on the bed. She took off his pants and boots and almost ripped off his smallclothes. Magnus chuckled at her aggression, yet his cock was clearly loving it.

“Hmm...” she said, watching his cock in semi-erection. She took it in her warm hand and squeezed lightly, prompting a moan of approval from Magnus. She watched his cock harden, her face betraying obvious arousal.

“I need a closer look...” Sela said, squeezing his cock and playing with his balls. She moved her head forward, coming close to Magnus’ twitching cock. Magnus felt her warm breath on his cockhead as she came within an inch of his rock-hard spear. He tensed in anticipation of her next move. Sela extended her purple tongue, giving his glans the lightest of touches.

“Uggghh!” Magnus grunted, barely feeling the contact, his body tensing to the limit. He realized he was holding his breath, yet he was unable to release it ... Sela gave him a feral smile and assaulted his cock aggressively, engulfing it in her warm mouth.

“Oh, gods!” he exclaimed, finally remembering to breathe.

“Goddess!” Sela said with a smile and went back to her aggressive blowjob. She bobbed her head up and down, sucking with her lips and even biting his cock lightly. Magnus shuddered under her assault, feeling his arousal overwhelm him.

“I never even dreamed an Elf would be sucking my cock ... Ohhh!” Magnus thought, moaning when Sela took his cock in her throat and started humming in her melodic voice. The sensation on his cock, the feeling of being squeezed tight in her throat...

“Oh, Beatrice!!” Magnus exclaimed, prompting Sela to raise her eyebrows. She continued her sucking and Magnus started working his hips, feeling his orgasm approach. He was almost there, almost...

Sela squeezed his cock hard and popped it out of her mouth. Magnus groaned in frustration. It seemed elven females were no different from human ones ... They all loved keeping him on edge.

“Who is Beatrice?”

“Eh, what?” Magnus said in a raspy voice. His mind was still reeling from being pulled from the brink of orgasm.

“You called out for Beatrice ... Who is she?”

“She is a goddess, of course...”

“A goddess? What kind of goddess?” she asked with genuine curiosity. She was idly stroking his cock and caressing his balls.

“The best of them all ... She favors you a lot, I know that for a fact...”

“She does? Mmm ... You have to tell me about her sometime,” she said, still playing with his cock.

“I sure will...” Magnus said, looking hopefully at his cock. She smiled in response, placing one more sensual kiss on his glans.

“This cock doesn’t get to come yet...” she said playfully and started removing her pants. Magnus watched entranced, setting his eyes on an elven pussy for the first time. Her pussy was hairless, and her labia were in a slightly darker shade of blue. She climbed on top of him and slowly engulfed his cock with her moist pussy.

“Ohh!” Magnus moaned, surprised by the tightness. Sela leaned forward and found Magnus’s lips, while she slowly rode his cock, her hips moving up and down in a rhythmic manner. Magnus kissed her with vigor, tasting her lips again until she decided to move away, smiling teasingly. Magnus growled, sitting up and pushing her on her back, never breaking their coupling. He was going to take some control. He leaned in, kissing her lips, his hips pumping in and out steadily. He moved down her neck, kissing and biting sensually and eliciting a passionate moan from her lips.

“Damn ... even their moans are so melodic...” Magnus thought, kissing down her neck and moving towards her breasts. He licked the lovely purple nipples and caressed her small, firm breasts, enjoying the amazing texture of her skin. He bit on her nipple for a moment, prompting another strong moan, and then twirled his tongue, playing with her tasty tits. He moved back up, muffling her moans with his lips and starting to pump into her with more intensity. He felt her legs tighten around his back and he responded by pushing into her with force. Their tongues wrestled in the heat of passion as his hips kept thrusting into her, and soon he felt her body clench and shudder, her hips moving to meet his own.

“AAOOWW, GODDESS!” she screamed in his mouth, her body trembling in a strong orgasm, while he kept pumping and kissing her wildly, keeping himself on the edge. Finally, feeling her body relax, he let go, and after just a few strong thrusts he felt his balls explode. He pulled his cock out of her pussy, spurting his seed all over her belly and legs.

“ANNGGH!” he moaned in ecstasy as he kept coming and spurting. And there was so much of it. Sela watched her seed-covered belly with awe. Finally done, Magnus rolled off Sela and lay down on the bed, breathing hard.

“Huh, that was amazing ... I’ve just had sex with an Elf!” Magnus exclaimed, prompting their laughter.

“It was my first time with a human, as well ... and yes, it was amazing, E’arin Siann,” she said, biting her lip.

“Oh, come on ... You can’t be serious about calling me that? Small cock? What kind of monsters do your males have between their legs...?” Magnus asked, exasperated. Sela laughed wholeheartedly at his annoyance.

“I am only joking, Magnus. In fact, your cock is bigger than any elven cock I had the chance to ride. Why do you think we have such tight pussies?” she asked him, barely containing her laughter. He had lit up at her claim that his cock was bigger. Male obsession with the size of their cocks was so endearing.

“I will make sure to refute Lanaya’s claim,” she said, fighting to keep her face straight. Magnus eyed her with suspicion and she barely held herself from laughing again.

“Good ... I should probably try to learn some of your language though ... Those words you said when you rushed into throne room ... what do they mean?”

“Aloan O’roi?”

“Yes, those ones.”

“Oh, it just means ‘Great Mother’. That is how we address our Queen.”

“I see...” Magnus said, thoughtfully. “Why does she hate me so much?” he asked, finally.

“It’s not you personally who she hates ... It’s humans in general,” she said, her face becoming serious.

“That is why Lanaya sent you to the Seer, isn’t it? She was hoping The Seer would intervene...”

“Yes...”

“Did the Seer really say those words?”

“What?! I would never ever lie about Seer’s words! It is blasphemy and sacrilege!” she exclaimed, clearly shocked by the idea.

“All right, all right! So, The Seer is some kind of a spiritual leader?”

“Great Mother is our leader, and The Seer guides our souls along the path that our Goddess sets before us ... The Seer rarely involves herself with anything concerning our daily life, yet when she does, even Great Mother follows.”

“I see ... But why does your Queen hate humans so much?”

“It is ... complicated. And it is not my story to tell,” Sela said, rising from the bed and picking up her clothes.

“This was very nice, Magnus. There is hope for you humans yet,” she said, winking at him. She left the room, leaving Magnus to his thoughts.

Magnus woke up, stretching his body lazily. He took a moment to remember where he was. Peeking through the window, he absorbed the same amazing colors and the feeling of life that had made such an impression on him yesterday. The morning sun was just coming up and he couldn’t help taking big breaths of fresh air, rich with scents of life. Turning away reluctantly, he splashed his face with cold water, suddenly feeling very energetic. He was where he was supposed to be, and all he needed to do now was wait for the Seer to receive him.

“That doesn’t mean I am going to sit around all day ... I could catch up with my practice ... or maybe help around,” Magnus thought, getting out of the large building where he had slept and then found a quiet spot for his sword practice. He took off his shirt and started his sword dance, putting power in his moves and swings.

“One ... two ... three ... four!” Magnus exclaimed, finishing his powerful swipe after a couple of faints.

“Pfh! You humans have such a sloppy technique...” a familiar voice said. Magnus turned to see Lanaya smirking at him from several feet away. He never heard her approach. Elves were light-footed, and elven scouts like Lanaya were probably in a class of their own.

“Sloppy eh? I assume you can do better?” Magnus said, his voice containing a hint of challenge. Lanaya watched him for a moment and then walked away. Magnus was already wondering if he had offended her, but then she came back, carrying a couple of wooden swords. She handed one to Magnus. The wooden sword was approximately as long as his own sword.

“This is the first wooden object I have seen since I came here...” Magnus said, turning the sword in his hand.

“And these are the only ones you will see. Trees are sacred to us, and we make these for practice, yet we only ever use the fallen branches to make them, but not before we said our prayers to the Goddess,” Lanaya explained. “Wooden swords are the best for practice and can’t be replaced with metal or stone, for the obvious reasons.”

Magnus nodded. He made a few swings with the sword, testing it. It was made of thick wood and it had decent weight. The intention was obviously to simulate a large sword like his.

“Now, let’s see how sloppy you really are,” Lanaya said, wielding two short swords. They were somewhat shorter and thinner than human short swords, barely longer than daggers. She came at him, quick as a panther, and even though Magnus managed to deflect the first two hits, she managed to get inside his guard and stab at his belly. Magnus stood surprised for a moment, but then quickly fell back into guard.

“Again!” Magnus said and went into attack this time. He went into a series of powerful swings, but Lanaya kept evading until she found a moment of his imbalance and got inside his guard again, this time swiping at his legs just when Magnus managed to dodge a stab to his chest. He scowled in frustration.

“She is so fast ... and my weapon is slow and clumsy, but there must be a way...” Magnus thought when he got defeated for the umpteenth time. His body was quite bruised after taking so many hits from Lanaya, yet he wasn’t giving up. Lanaya watched him with amusement as he went into guard ... again. They sparred for the better part of an hour, and Magnus felt he was doing a little bit better, yet every duel inevitably ended in his defeat. He was about to assume guard again, but Lanaya waved her hand.

“Enough for today ... but I must say I admire your spirit, E’arin Siann,” she said, smiling at him.

“Why are you saying that I have a small-,” Magnus started with a hint of annoyance but then stopped himself. There was no mischief on Lanaya’s face. He eyed her for a moment.

“That name you called me, what does it mean?” he said, watching her lovely eyes.

“E’arin Siann? It means Raven Hair,” Lanaya said simply.

“Raven Hair?! Why that little ... Why Raven Hair?” he asked, even though the answer seemed obvious.

“Because I find your hair so fascinating...” Lanaya said, and reached out for Magnus’ dark wavy hair, but then stayed her hand and retracted it quickly as if embarrassed. “As you probably noticed, we Elves got light hair without exception ... Many colors, but all in light shades. So I really like...” Lanaya said after a long moment and then held back again. An awkward moment passed and then Magnus broke the silence.

“Well, thank you for the lesson. You gave me plenty to think about today,” he said, smiling. Lanaya returned the smile and then nodded and walked away. Magnus watched her walk away and saw her turn her head for a moment as if to see if Magnus was still looking at her. He picked up his own sword and sheathed it, realizing his lips were still stretched into a smile.

“And here I thought I was so good with the sword...” Magnus said, sighing and rubbing his bruises. He could have healed them right away but he had already decided against it. He wanted a painful reminder of his failure in swordplay. The problem was that his mind would heal them on its own as soon as he stopped being focused on preventing it. His strong talent in healing would make sure of it.

He went back into the building where his room was and found a kitchen of a sort where he helped himself with food which he found delicious. They obviously didn’t eat much meat, yet the vegetables, the fruit, the bread, the eggs, and everything else tasted really good. He wondered how they grew all that stuff.