The wand then imploded with a sound like a short burp, gone forever.
Telluria looked around her, she seemed to have been transported to another dimension. Hugely tall trees loomed in the distance, and she instincively knew she was looking at an elf forest. The other way lay a few thatched huts, obviously a human village.
I don't know anything about Elves...they'll know something is up. But I do remember humans. I think I'll go down to the village, Telluria thought. She was naked except for a filmy, almost see-through bodice, so she began to place one elegant bare foot in front of the other, walking with otherworldly grace toward the human enclave.
She also knew that she was a sorceress, but had no idea how to call upon her power. Oh, well, I'm sure it will come to me.
Once she had walked to within a few hundred feet of the human town, a vague sense of unease began to grow inside her. No, not really unease, more like low-level distaste combined with a feeling that she wasn't really supposed to do this. She shrugged and kept going.
The first human who saw her clutched at his chest, gasping. She began to say something to him, but he caught his breath, screamed, and ran off excitedly.
Odd... Telluria thought.
Soon he returned, with a crowd of other humans. The vague feeling of unease intensified. Telluria shook it off and said a warm "Hello," in her new, musical voice.
"H-Hello!" One of the humans responded.
Others welcomed her, also, but some looked confused or just downright hostile.
"What troubles you?" she asked a big woman who was grimacing and staring.
"Bah!" The woman spat. "You Elves hate us, right? We are scum, beneath your notice! Your kind say that to even set foot down here is like defiling yourselves! So what do you want trotting in here like some Queen?! What are you up to?"
Several other people hushed the woman, but there were also muted grunts of assent and agreement.
A man in a bright, ceremonial sash detached himself from the others and approached Telluria. He held out his hand. "I am Sanforth, the mayor."
Telluria reached out her own slender hand, but felt a sharp pang of distaste. She was very surprised at herself. She shook the man's hand and he started, shocked. "I-I only offered my hand as a courtesy! Elves do not touch Humans!!" More startled gasps came from the crowd. Even the big woman looked impressed.
"Are...are you certain she's an Elf?" Someone else asked.
"Here, touch my sword, it's cold iron!" a man yelled. He held out his blade. Tellurian touched it, and an odd, unpleasant feeling went through her, like fingernails on a chalkboard. "Ugh. I don't like that," she said.
The man laughed. "Aye, but you didn't scream or melt away, so I wager you're no demon. The Fey folk also have the iron weakness, though not to the same extent. Really, I haven't seen an Elf with that mild a reaction!"
Telluria wondered what to say to these people. Had she made a mistake coming here instead of the Elf forest? It seemed Elves and Humans didn't mingle in this world.
Go back - Go to the parent episode.
Sat Feb 15 14:23:01 2003