Elf World Shadows Rising Read online

  Quickly attaching her rope, she tossed it down to the others. Moss rapidly climbed up after her. It was surprising the amount of strength that Dwarves had, those entire ultra dense slow twitch muscle fibers crammed into to a five foot, two hundred pound frame.

  Soon everyone was up on the wall and they walked into the dead city. Nothing grew, and everything but the buildings themselves had been taken long ago.

  They came to the central palace and climbed to the top, up long ramps, no stairs back then? Myst had studied Elven history in college, but didn't recall when they had invented stairs, or maybe it was a Star Elf cultural thing?

  The set of rooms, what Myst supposed belonged to the Pasha or Sultan, or what ever the lord called himself, was grand and completely empty. A large half circular room and grand balcony seemed the place to set up camp, and soon a small fire was burning in the central fire pit. Moss had found a chute in a servant’s pantry, that seemed to hold an unlimited supply of charcoal for the fire. At least they would be warm tonight, and perhaps a fire would keep them safe.

  Moss, after getting a now roaring fire going, went out to the balcony to join Myst. The view, Myst was admiring was spectacular, the golden city cast before them and the deep desert mountain valley now just starting to turn deep red as the sun dipped toward late afternoon.

  "I see you got the fire going," Myst stated in a slightly sarcastic tone.

  "Aye, it'll be cold tonight. Even you Elves might be thankful for the warmth of the fire."

  "Hell, I like a good fire any night. Last year, in the Wildlands south of Yagon, I froze the whole autumn and winter."

  "I thought ya didn't feel the discomfort of the cold or heat, now laddie? What about that playing naked in the snow, you Elves like so much?"

  "Where did you get a silly idea like that? After years together, have you ever seen me playing in the snow, let alone without any clothes? For me the Earth Magic just makes things more tolerable at the minor weather extremes. Anything below fifty degrees, and I start to feel mighty cool if I'm running around naked!"

  "It's going to get well below freezing tonight I think, Myst. But then its winter, so it's about time I guess. We'll just keep the fire up high, keep you and more importantly me, warm. Maybe get a late start in the morning."

  "Sure, sounds fine to me, we only have another day or two of the Waste”.

  Moss spit over the balcony, “Thank the Creator, it’s evil taking a Dwarf into the desert… I will be happy to see the end of it.”

  “I'm going to look around this level a bit Moss . I don't want anyone leaving the level. We don't know what's hidden in this city. Say, where are the girls? Kayla needs to be within a hundred yards of me or the anti-scrying charm on my belt won’t keep an enemy mage from finding her…"

  The two gnomes were sitting next to the fire, getting ready to start cooking dinner; their main duty when setting up camp.

  "I'll help the gnomes start dinner, if you want to go looking for them," Moss gave him a knowing look and wink. Slapping Myst on the back he headed off to the warm fire.

  ~

  Kayla and Zara had wandered off to look around at the beautiful old mosaic walls. They depicted how the valley and city had looked before the cataclysm; green fields and soft woodlands, waterfalls and clear blue lakes. Kayla felt sad at the loss of so much beauty, and all of the lives that had disappeared in the casting of just one spell.

  "Where's the dust, Kayla asked?"

  "The old magic keeps on working, cleaning and polishing even after ten millennia. The old empire had some really powerful mages back then, and not nearly as many slaves to keep things clean as we do now."

  They found a small hidden ramp that led down, and down they followed it. Around a turn or two, it then opened into a small strange sunken chamber, open on the far side to a spectacular view of the city.

  Walking around the sunken area to look out at the city, Kayla asked,

  "What is this room for, do you think?"

  Zara was looking at a small brass globe set in the wall by the stairs. After a minute, she sent a small probe of Air Magic into the ball.

  "Your hand is glowing blue, Zara, what are you doing? Lets not set off some trap, ok."

  A click echoed through the room, and then a flood of warm water welled up from the bottom of what was now obviously a large bathing pool.

  Zara was already undressing as Kayla had stood watching the tub fill; when the steaming water had filled the tub, it then shut itself off.

  "Wow!"

  Zara had disappeared under the water, running her fingers through her hair, getting all of the day’s dust from her chocolate colored locks. Her bronze skin seemed to be turning slightly pink, as she leaned back and enjoyed the feeling of the hot water seeping into her bones.

  Kayla started to take off her boots, still in awe of the magically appearing hot water, she unlaced her halter and shrugged it off her shoulders. “That was impressive…” She unlaced the front of her leather pants and worked them down to her ankles, and stepped out of them.

  “Come in Kayla, it feels wonderful, so warm…”

  Folding her clothes next to her boots, Kayla slowly inched her right toes into the water. Stepping down to the first step and then the second and then she let herself sink under the water.

  “Oh, it feels so good… warm and clean. What could be better,” Kayla splashed water over herself.

  Kayla swam over to Zara, who was lying back on the steps, with her head resting on the edge of the pool, her eyes closed and a big smile on her face.

  "This is heaven."

  Zara opened her eyes and reach out a hand to pull Kayla next to her. Zara's strong fingers began to loosen the knots in Kayla's shoulders and back.

  "No, but this is even better, hum. You feel so tense just lie back and let my fingers make you feel like you were in heaven." Zara worked the kinks out of Kayla's shoulders and upper back, and now were working oh so softly on the others girl’s breast.

  "Hum, that’s nice," Kayla murmured as Zara kneaded her breast.

  "Well, if this isn't a sight to see," Myst had entered the room a few seconds ago and was more than slightly enjoying the view, and not the view out the window.

  "How come your pants are still on?" Zara asked him as she now kneaded Kayla's nipples even harder.

  Kayla let off a low moan as her nipples were played. Myst did not need any further invitation; quickly his clothing came off, and he was in the water.

  “Oh, oh, this is warm. Wow, do those two look good together, but hell they look good apart, too... Love the contrast of golden blonde next to chocolate brunette, which highlight each other’s good looks.”

  Myst slid up in front of the two girls, his hands felt the wet skin of one of their thighs as a shapely small foot reached out and fondled him. The look in both the sapphire blue and emerald green eyes staring at him was of raw sensual desire. He leaned in and kissed Kayla; her lips parted and her tongue found its way into his mouth. A hand wound into his hair and pulled his head to the side and Zara locked onto him in an even more passionate kiss. Myst pulled back and looked at the pair of gorgeous Elf lasses and smiled at his good fortune. Zara leaned into Kayla and the two kissed as Myst watched. Seconds later they broke apart, eyes burning with lust; together they pounced on top of Myst, and drove him under the hot water...

  Later,… much later, Myst climbed out of the bathing pool, his legs now somewhat wobbly.

  “Myst, would you mind going up and getting our backpacks, we could do with a change of clothing," Zara asked sweetly. She always seemed to be in a good mood, after wearing Myst out.

  Myst trudged up the stairs got the packs; let Moss know what was going on, and headed back down the stairs. By now he had recovered, well mostly recovered, from his near drowning by the two Elf girls.

  They had heard Myst coming back down the stairs, a sign of how tired Myst was; normally he made little or no noise, and they had gotten out of the wonderfully hot water. Zara's eyes start
ed to glow with magic, and the water on her body seemed to flow off her skin to the floor. Turning to Kayla, she repeated the process.

  Kayla felt the strange sensation of invisible hands wiping the water from her body; it was strange, but not unpleasant.

  "Who needs towels, when we got you around Zara?"

  Myst tossed the packs on the floor and leaned against the wall to watch them dress. Both girls picked out skin tight leather pants, halters to match, light grey for Kayla and a darker grey for Zarra, and short fur capes made from some soft gray furry animal, perhaps Ermine; “did they come in gray”?

  They slipped into and laced up soft gray boots, to finished off their outfits. Myst was not certain how, they had a change of clothes, Zarra must have added it to their packs back at her hideout in Cozon. Myst would have to wash his out after dinner, the smell was starting to be noticeable to him.

  Myst followed the two up the stairs, watching the way their backsides bounced in a most fetching way, up each set of stairs. Of course all that bouncing wasn't for his benefit. “Don’t they ever get tired?”

  “By The Creator, I need to get my mind back to business. This place has a evil reputation, and it can't be all tall tales.”

  They arrived back at the fire, just as the evening meal was ready for them.

  "Impeccable timing, Myst, the food is done."

  "I'm starving," Kayla hurried over to get a plate full of steaming rabbit stew. Zara had shot a brace of desert rabbits earlier that morning, and now they would help stretch their quickly disappearing food supply.

  Myst had been quite impressed by Zara's ability with the crossbow. He was just slightly above average with the damn things, but he thought she was truly gifted, making nearly impossible shots at small moving prey.

  Soon things settled down, as they rolled up in their sleeping blankets. The Gnomes had both gone down to the pool and bathed and did their laundry, and Myst had just come back up from washing his clothes and Zara used a burst of Air Magic to dry them so he would not have to stand there naked all night.

  The first watch belonged to Myst, he sent his Earth Magic sense out, but all the stone made the results uncertain. He sat next to the fire enjoying the warmth of the fire on his back.

  Kayla walked over at sat by him, leaning into his shoulder and watching the fire as the rest of the party slept.

  Myst, pulled something from around his neck and held it in his hand, “I want you to have this now Kayla, it’s a magical charm that makes the wearer untraceable by magical means.”

  Kayla took the small charm, it was light colored gold, a fine circle with a oak tree and rising sun inside the circle, it was attached to a strong yet fine black silk cord. “It’s lovely Myst, is that not your family crest?”

  “Hum, yes it is, using that motif helped disguise its magical nature, looking like just a family ornament. It also resists being detected as being magical. I have another similar one on my sword belt, that one works over a larger area to block magical observation, they work best together, but just in case you wander off again…”

  Kayla slipped it over her head and tucked it into the leather halter top. “People will see it and wonder about the nature of our relationship, me wearing your crest…”

  “Always keep them guessing,” Myst shrugged. “Besides, I think we have passed beyond just dating into a more formal relationship…”

  Kayla sat up smiling and looked him in the eyes.

  “Kayla, I have fallen in love with you.”

  “That’s good Myst, because I fell in love with you some time ago.”

  She kissed him passionately and then snuggled down under his arm as they watched the fire.

  ~

  It was near the end of his watch, Kayla had fallen asleep against him and he carried her back to her sleeping mat. Now he was pacing away from the fire to stay awake huddled into his long coat.

  “Not that I'm cold or anything, but perhaps the next mission I get, will be some place warm and tropical. This bloody dry cold desert air bites harder than the snow topped moors of the Wildlands, I swear! Perhaps, that was last winter and my memory of the discomfort has just dimmed. And if the colds getting to me, I wonder how much Moss and the Gnomes are suffering from this dam chill?”

  Zara took over the watch after a few hours, and Myst settled down to get some much needed sleep.

  ~

  "Ware the camp!" shouted Moss.

  Myst leaped up, his sword drawn and ready before he was.

  "We've got visitors, and I don't think they be live ones."

  Three sets of green glowing eyes seemed to appear in the darkness from the entrance to the room.

  The eyes glided from the darkness into the moonlight, and they could see that Moss had been right; these were undead. They looked at first glance to be simple skeletons, but they still had some of the flesh and sinew attached to their frames, giving them more substance and power.

  They were Skeletal Warriors or perhaps even Skeletal Knights, a much more dangerous type of undead, but just three of them should not be too much of a problem for the party to handle.

  That’s when Myst noticed five or six or maybe more sets of evil green eyes behind the first three. Now, things would get interesting.

  Moss threw a bucket load of charcoal that he had soaked in alcohol, into the fire, and the flames shot up to the ceiling. Undead have an aversion to fire.

  "Moss, go left," Myst ordered. Looking right, he saw that Zara had drawn her thin tulwar, which glowed with the sheen of Fire Magic.

  "Zara, stay right and keep them from getting behind us."

  She nodded, acknowledging his orders. She stayed just a half step off the battle line, slightly at an oblique, to prevent a flanking attack.

  Myst took a comfortable two handed grip on his Sun Sword, taking up the defensive, 'Wolf at Bay' fighting stance. The three undead in the front seemed to slow their approach, at the sight of the Elf preparing to fight in the stance of a Sword Master, this prey had not run screaming in fear as they had expected.

  Myst exploded from his defensive stance, into a sudden attack. In a low line attack, he cut down at the waist of the Skeletal Warrior. The undead parried too slowly with his ancient short sword. Myst changed attacks in mid strike, now sweeping his sword out to an outside stroke, slicing up over the Skeletal Warrior's sword and cutting clean through what had once been his neck. The green light in it's eye sockets dimmed and went out, now truly dead.

  Myst changed his target instantly, to the Skeletal Warrior on his right. Cutting across in a high line attack, forcing his opponent’s sword out and away from the attack, and then a quick lunge in 'Striking Tiger', that stabbed through the skull of the Skeletal Warrior, right between its rapidly fading glowing eyes.

  Moss had known that Myst would attack. He almost always did when outnumbered. And it was not really a foolish thing for a Sword Master, and Myst was the best Moss had known, it caught the enemy off balance, and offense sometimes was the best defense, keeping the fight on his timetable, and not theirs.

  And Moss had not been idle. As Myst went after the center Skeletal Warrior, Moss had attacked in an overwhelming series of ax cuts that quickly beat through the undead's defenses, and then through it’s head, with this low level of undead he did not need the Fire Magic power of his ax, but it was nice to have if something else showed up, like a vampire or, a litch, or a reaver...

  “Da way to take care of undead is to take their heads, or burn them of course!”

  Now they were down to five Skeletal Warriors, no four Skeletal Warriors, and a Skeletal Knight. The undead in the center was a Knight. It's eyes glowed with greater evil intensity, and it's body was more intact. This one would be a problem. Most of the skeletal undead were slower and less reactive than they had been in life. Not so the Skeletal Knights; if anything, death, or rather undeath, gave them greater speed and tremendous power.

  Myst closed with the Skeletal Knight. It was armed with two short swords, and used them in
a blinding whirlwind of steel, to slash at Myst's defenses. Myst beat back the Knight’s opening attack, and responded with a diagonal downward cut forcing the Skeletal Knight to the inside. Myst’s blade seemed to leap into a horizontal cut that severed the undead's right arm. The thing felt no pain for it had already died once, many millennia ago.

  Myst parried a series of attacks while waiting for another opening. He could see Zarra off to the side, pulling her sizzling blade from the eye socket of a skeleton. He could not see Moss from this angle but the sound of old bones splintering under an ax told all Myst needed to know.

  The Skeletal Knight, hacked hard at Myst head, and Myst was forced to drop into the deep 'Crouching Dragon' stance to avoid losing his scalp. The undead's sword passed without harm and Myst exploded in a mighty two handed reverse cut, that cleaved through the undead sinews of the thing’s neck, and onto the floor it's head fell with the sickening sound of an overripe gourd. The undead knight’s body remained upright for a moment than collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

  "Myst duck," Kayla shouted!

  Two Skeletal Warriors were closing in on each side of their fallen leader; swords poised to cut Myst down.

  Myst fell to the floor, and rolled away from the vile things, expecting to feel the cut of a rust sword into his back at any moment.

  "Fuuzzzt, fuuzzzt, fuuzzzt,...fuuzzzt ," angry red bolts of light streaked over Myst head, sizzling the very air.

  Looking back at the Skeletal Warriors, only their bodies from the chest down were visible, the rest had been neatly burned away.

  Moss and Zara had not been idle during Myst fight. They had both dealt with their undead opponents, and were hurrying to help Myst when Kayla had filled the room with glowing fire bolts.

  "Well, that was fun," quipped Zara, "nice way to wake up in the morning."

  "I prefer a more courteous wake up call, personally," Kayla responded, “preferably with coffee…."