Chapter Four: Lafula Nel Feliathel

The elven commune was full of gardens. Where there weren’t trees, buildings, or roads there were gardens overflowing with colorful flowers and plants. At many points throughout these various gardens were wooden benches, and it was on one of these seats I now sat along with the elven girl I had promised to see privately after my official greeting, Lafula.

The elf wanted to speak privately, so Erys decided to go and explore the commune, seeing what trouble he could get into, and Lafula brought me to one of the gardens nearby to be alone. It was truly a gorgeous place, and though I had never been one for flowers or plants, even I was captivated by this place and impressed by the dedication it must have taken. We truly were alone, the closest person I could see was a juvenile elf, which I could only identify by her conservative outfit, standing guard at the edge of the garden with a spear in hand. In order for her to hear us, we would need to shout.

“All right, how about we start things off on the right foot, then?” I turned to her and smiled, “Let’s get a proper introduction done.”

The platinum blonde elf blushed, and then started sliding off the bench and onto the ground in front of me.

“Oh,” I held out a hand to stop her, “that’s not quite what I meant. I mean like, exchanging names.”

She returned to her spot, “Oh, um, sorry felai. I am Lafula Nel Feliathel.”

“Nice to meet you, Lafula, my name is Alex… but you already knew that didn’t you?”

She looked away slightly and fidgeted with one of the large leaf-like strips of cloth that comprised her outfit. All the same, she nodded.

“I don’t think it would be too much to ask how you know. As far as I’m aware, the only people who knew my name were some of the priestesses in the Anvar temple. Everyone else has just called me some variation of the chosen one.”

She looked me in the eyes, her oceanic eyes piercing me like spears, “If I tell you, you will not believe me. Nobody ever has.” After saying this, she peered down into her lap.

I sighed, “Well, I came here to listen to your side of the story. Obviously, I can’t promise beforehand that I’ll believe what you tell me but I’m here to listen anyway. Why don’t we start with something else, then? Elenvell described you as being promiscuous and flagrant in your tendency to disrespect elven traditions. But that wasn’t all, there was something else she was desperately trying not to tell me.”

“They think my mother is a witch, and Elenvell would not tell you because she believed admitting it would look bad for the commune,” Lafula said. “My father raised me by himself, and anytime anyone has tried to figure out who the mother is, he never gives them an answer. So, they assume it must have been a witch because I am really good at domination magic.”

“And is that bad? Sorry I’m not exactly from around here, I don’t know what a witch is.” In truth I had an idea, but in this world it could be anything, so I listened with rapt attention.

“Witches are spellcasters who gained their powers by forming a pact with a demon, and demons are creatures born from Kaz’ara.” Now I understood the significance.

“Is your mother a witch?” I asked.

She looked at me sharply, those aqua eyes piercing me yet again, “No, she is not.”

“Then why does your father hide her?”

She continued staring for a moment, and it took me a second to recognize the expression she was giving me was. I only knew it because it was an expression I’d likely given many times in my past. She was searching me for my intent. She was used to being asked that in an accusatory manner.

“I,” she began but averted her gaze, “I cannot tell you what she really is. She is definitely not a witch, though. It has to be a secret because it is for her own safety, that is why my father will not tell the other elves, and why I will not either.” Suddenly, she slumped over slightly, “But I am not stupid, I know that only makes it sound more suspicious, and you are not going to believe me because of it.” I then noticed dark marks appearing on the leaf-like cloth in her lap. They were from tears.

“Whoa, hey now, I’m not convinced of anything yet,” I said, “it’s true that both you and Elenvell are guilty of withholding information from me, but I’m more inclined to trust you, frankly.”

This seemed to catch her by surprise, she looked up at me, once again trying to scan for my intent.

I sighed. I realized perhaps too late that what I was about to do was a little bit silly, but something told me it would help her open up a little. I decided to tell her everything about myself. I explained to her that I was from another world, and even included that I didn’t really feel worthy of my position as the chosen one on account of not being anything special in my own world.

She responded to this information with some degree of fascination, but ultimately took it in stride. I supposed I shouldn’t have been too surprised. The idea of a person coming from a whole different dimension probably wasn’t too world-shattering in a universe where magic was real.

“I’m telling you this because I saw the way the other elves treated you,” I continued, “I saw the way they whispered and murmured when you were out of earshot. I couldn’t understand what they were saying but I could hear their tones and the voice of Elenvell when she addressed you. I don’t have many talents, but I can be pretty observant. Back in my world we would have called that bullying. And I know what it looks like because I’ve been on the receiving end of it myself.”

This seemed to interest her, “Really?”

I nodded, “I wasn’t kidding when I said I wasn’t anyone special back in my world. That’s not to say I know exactly what you’re going through, because I probably don’t, but at the very least I can be a sympathetic ear. So, go ahead and take it from the top, what’s the deal here?”

She was silent for a minute, but just as I was about to assume she wasn’t going to say anything, she finally spoke, “From the very minute my father brought me to the commune and began raising me, there were rumors and speculations about who I was and where I came from. As a child I was more or less blissfully ignorant of this, but once I became a juvenile everything changed. It was very clear I was different from the others. For one thing I am shorter than most elves, and for another my boobs are bigger than is typical. My ears are also angled slightly lower. It was clear to the other elves that whoever my mother was, she was not just an elf, if she even was one.

“There was something else that became very apparent when I reached juvenility, and that was,” she hesitated, blushing furiously, “that I have a much more active libido than normal. When it first became apparent, I was worried about it, so I confided in Elenvell who I considered a mentor at the time. She assured me that it was fine and perfectly normal. However, from that day forward was when the rumors about my promiscuity began.”

“So, she basically turned right around told everyone after you confided in her.”

“While I do not know for certain, and she has consistently denied it, I am not stupid,” Lafula repeated, turning a vicious stare back at the Variamne house. “It became worse when my magical talents developed, it was clear that I had a knack for domination magic, which is one of the schools of magic favored by witches. That is when the rumors about my mother truly grew out of control.”

“So, you have a reputation for promiscuity because Elenvell told everyone you have an overactive libido, and you have a reputation for being a witch’s daughter because you’re naturally good at domination magic?” I summarized.

She nodded, “But none of it is true. My mother is not a witch and I am not a slut. I have never even taken part in sexual activity.”

“I’m not surprised, I wouldn’t want to add fuel to that fire either.”

“Well, yes, but that is not strictly—” she cut herself off and blushed intensely, “a-anyway, I also avoided developing my domination magic. Instead I focused on destruction and protection. That was how I ended up in the house Feliathel when I reached one-hundred.”

I blinked, and it was only in that moment that it truly clicked for me that she was one-hundred years old. Elves were juveniles from the age of twenty to one-hundred.

She had stopped talking, and was looking at me, “Felai, are you okay?”

I turned to look at her, “Eighty years? This has been going on for eighty years?”

She looked down at her lap and nodded, “Yes.”

I put a hand to my forehead, barely even able to imagine what my high school years would have been like if they had lasted that long, or even half that long. I legitimately would have lost my mind.

Without really thinking, I grasped Lafula’s hands in mine.

She blinked and blushed furiously, “Felai?”

“I am sorry. I know that saying sorry doesn’t really help but that’s not what I’m apologizing for. I’m sorry for having the audacity to think I could even come close to relating to how you feel. You have spent far longer in this torment than I ever have, and even trying to imagine being in that state for that long is impossible for me. Lafula, I admire your willpower and your bravery for putting up with this for so long.”

Tears were welling up in her eyes, “No,” she said and shook her head, “this is not supposed to be how this is.”

It was my turn to blink, “What do you mean?”

“You do not understand, Alex, you are the one who has been giving me the strength to move forward! I would not have made it if not for you.”

“But we’ve never met,” I said, still confused.

She turned away, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I think it’s time you told me how you know me,” I said, as gently as I could.

She sniffled, and was quiet for a moment, but eventually began, “The first time I had the dream was when I was about twelve years old. I have been having it ever since. The dream is always the same, I am on a date with someone I’ve never seen before. He’s kind, he’s funny, and he gives me nothing but love. When I was a child we would just talk and play in the dream, but when I got older, we would flirt or… do other things. But I never felt anything less than overwhelming love no matter what we did.

“This dream is what is truly responsible for keeping me here. There was a point where I was standing on a stool with rope around my neck beneath a thick branch of a tree, and the only thing that kept me from kicking that stool was one thing my lover always said to me in that dream. When I am about to awaken, he would tell me to stay strong so that one day my dream could be made a reality.

“The man in my dream is you, felai. You look exactly like him, down to the very last detail.”

The pieces were falling together somewhat. The expression she had before she saw me in the great hall and the way it changed afterward. The way she tackled me and began kissing me, the desperation as she was being carried away. I was literally the man of her dreams come to life before her eyes. I was deeply confused, though, if she started having those dreams at twelve that meant she was dreaming about someone who looked like me and had my name about ten years before my grandparents were even born.

Lafula was looking at me expectantly with watery eyes that made their sea-like color sparkle. I had a good look at her then, soaking in her appearance. Her cute face, voluptuous curves, and amazing cleavage. But those eyes, they were the sort of thing I could get lost in if I wasn’t careful.

“I have to admit, I’m sort of at a loss for words,” I said, “I mean, this is sort of one-sided, you know? You’ve known me since before I was born, apparently, but I don’t really know about you. I can tell that you love me, is that safe to assume?”

She nodded, “More than anything.”

“I can’t say with honesty that I feel the same way. From my perspective you’re a stranger. But, before you let that get you down, that’s not to say I’m not willing to get to know you with love being the end-goal. I’m not exactly sure what the future is gonna hold for me, but I’d be happy to have you there helping me figure it out.”

Lafula smiled for the first time since I had met her, “Oh, felai, you do not need to worry. I understand, I will just be happy to be near you. Anything you want from me; I will do it. I would even be happy to be your **** if that is your desire. Even if the real you had nothing to do with the dreams I received, in my heart it was you who has given me strength to keep going. I want to repay that kindness however I can.”

“That’s fine by me, but you don’t need to be a ****. Just be my friend for now.” I smiled at her and she returned the gesture, giving me a warm and happy smile in return. She then immediately pounced on me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

“Thank you, felai, thank you so much.”

I was going to reply and tell her everything was going to work out, but I saw something out of the corner of my eye that distracted me. It was a blur of movement but after turning my head to look I could see nothing. I thought it must have just been my imagination, so I ignored it for now.

Lafula eventually released me, and kept smiling, tears in her eyes still but clearly tears of happiness. The truth was, I could easily see myself falling for this girl, no matter what I said.

“You know, maybe I could help clear your name,” I offered, sitting back in the bench.

Lafula was quiet for a moment, “I do not know if it would be worth it. I held out hope that when I finally became an adult things would change for the better. Once I had a place in society, I could contribute something that would make everyone realize I was valuable.”

“I’m guessing that didn’t work out.”

She frowned, “What did they tell you about the fog?”

I blinked, this seemed like a non sequitur, but I tried to remember what Velanthe told me, “Uh, that it’s like an alarm system for the guardians. They can tell when something enters it. I think Velanthe said your house made it, Feliathel, right?”

Lafula lowered her head, “It was me. I had the idea for it. When I initially went around to the other members of the house, they would not have anything to do with it, simply because I was the one in charge. So, I worked on the ritual alone for months until it was done. When I unveiled it, as soon as the house figured out that it worked, they took all the credit. When asked about my contributions, they claimed I had done negligible work, and of course everyone believed them.”

After dropping this bomb, she looked at me, “So while I appreciate the offer of clearing my name, I do not think it will happen. Even when I do something to help, they will refuse to acknowledge it and pretend instead that I am a slut and a layabout.”

I opened my mouth to console her, but I saw the movement again. It was like a black… thing that appeared in my peripheral for just a moment.

“Did you see that?” I asked looking around, less convinced that it was my imagination now.

“See what?” Lafula asked, looking around with me.

Before I could respond, something appeared in front of me. There was only a split second for my eyes to register it, a pitch-black silhouette of a roughly feminine shape with long, tendril-like hair. A pair of glowing white eyes was the only detail I could see. Then it lunged forward… and kissed me.

This was no ordinary kiss and was by no means a pleasant one. As it was going on, I felt incredible pain in the very core of my being, as though the very life were being sucked out from me. But I was powerless to resist it, I could only twitch in place. The feeling was not dissimilar to the feeling of having sleep paralysis, just with intense agony sprinkled in for good measure.

I could vaguely hear Lafula saying something, screaming maybe? I couldn’t quite hear it; all I could hear was a voice in my head like a serpent’s venom coursing through my brain. It moved through me like an infection, causing a fever in my brain and making my spine tingle with pins and needles.

Delicious, the voice, which might have been seductive if it wasn’t oozing with poison, said, do not struggle, morsel, it will be over soon. It only hurts because you struggle. Give yourself to me…

I refused, not verbally but physically, fighting against its paralytic hold. As the tongue of the creature **** its way between my lips, each lick brought only a split-second of pleasure before a sharp-stinging pain that numbed me. Though I continued to thrash as hard as I could against this thing’s supernatural hold, I could feel my consciousness slipping away like a greased rope through frictionless fingers. My eyes were beginning to fall closed. I was beginning to think this was the end for me.

Thinking back on what I’d managed to do in this world so far, it wasn’t too bad. I had far more sexual exploits than I had ever experienced in my previous life. I even had a whole village of sexy elves kiss my cock rapidly in sequence. Who else could say they’d done anything even close to that before? Porn stars maybe? Certainly not with elves, real honest-to-god elves. I probably alone held that honor.

I didn’t really want to die, though. I would have liked to have gotten to know Lafula better. It would really suck to die right after hearing her confess her love for me. My **** would be awful on her. She just discovered that the man of her dreams was real and in her world, and then immediately he gets taken away by this weird… black lady… thing. What the hell even was this? A wraith? A ghost? Some sort of demon?

Just as that thought was about to be my last, my vision erupted in a bright light. I could hear someone shouting something, and a loud hissing noise coming from the creature, but both sounded like there was an ocean between me and them.

The pain was gone, but I was fading. Coincidentally, the last thing I saw before losing consciousness completely was Lafula’s eyes.

Eyes that sparkled like ocean water.