"Is he dead?"

    "No, he still draws breath."

    "He's out cold as a stone."

    "Might have to start digging his pit, poor sap's been out for days. I don't think he's waking up."

    "Don't be daft, Orndir. You are no healer. When or if he awakes, only time will tell."

    "What do you think he is, Ruineth?"

"Doesn't look like anything I've ever seen. Maybe he's some form of goblin—"

    My eyes fluttered open and an intensely bright light blinded me. Was I dead? Last thing I remember happening was falling unconscious right before a ton of vampires got to me. Then I died and went to heaven. Although I couldn't quite see yet, I could feel the softness of a cushion underneath me and a fluffy pillow under my head.

    When my eyes finally adjusted, it was revealed that I was in a bed. Staring up at a wooden ceiling. A slowly rotating fan guided cool air into my face, and the walls were adorned with spiritual and cultural art.

    Then my eyes fell upon the voices I was hearing earlier. Six eyes stared back at me, just as wide as mine. When I blinked, they blinked. I hovered my gaze over the three people beside my bed.

    "Umm. . .is this this heaven? Because if it is, I've been gypped." The three stared at me, unblinking. They all had hazel eyes, golden-brown skin, and curly mahogany colored hair. 

    "He can speak!" cried the one to the right. He had a younger face than the other two. The young one backed up, falling on his butt and scrambling away, his back to the wall. The other one stared at me, mouth agape.

    "You-you speak our tongue?" said the second person. He was taller than the first and looked older. They both had strange accents that I've never heard.

    "English? Yeah," I scratched my head and looked around, "Erm. . .am I dead?"

    "Nay, you were out for quite a long while. You had a staggeringly high fever that we didn't think would break, but alas it did. You're on the mend now." The third person said. This one was a girl. From the look of it she was shorter than the third boy, but the tone of her voice told me she was more mature. "Now," she continued, "I've been wondering it for a while, but what exactly are you? You don't look to be of the Orcneas, nor of our kind. So what say you."

    "What am I? What do you mean—"

    "I know you're a male, I checked when you were asleep, but that's as far as my knowledge goes—"

    "Wait, pause. What do you mean you checked? Don't tell me you. . . oh my lord." My face flushed to the roots of my hair. My stomach churned and my head swam. I let it fall to my pillow.

"Take care you don't get to worked up, else you may relapse."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on and where I am. Please, anyone. I promise I'll tell you anything you want to know." I groaned.

    "Hey, you think he's one of those—"

    "Hush, Meryl," said the girl. She turned back to me, "Alright, I'll share my knowledge with you, but in return you must also share yours with me."

    "It's a deal." I replied.

    "Ruineth! What if he's with the Orcne—"

    "What I'll be telling him won't put us in any danger nor will it be exposing any secrets the Orcneas can use against us, now hush." she turned to me again, "I am Ruineth Orrenbelle," she gestured to the two boys, "the little one is called Meryl, and the other is Orndir." They both waved nervously to me. "Now you go, what be your name?"

    "Eron Osiris,"

"Good to meet you, Eron Osiris."

"Just Eron is cool."

"As you wish. Now it's my turn again. I say we both share our races." Orndir and Meryl gave Ruineth worried glances, but said nothing.

"Our races, aren't you a human?"

"I've never seen a human before, but I've heard stories. No, these two and I are not humans."

My heart quickened with intrigue, "What are you then?"

She brushed back her curly amber hair and that's when I noticed her ears. They were sleek and pointed backwards, just like the man that I saw before I blacked out. Before Ruineth said anything, Orndir spoke up.

"We are the Dryas." he said.

"Dry ass? What. . ."

His face glowed bright red. "No! Dryas!  As in—"

"Woodland Elves, " Ruineth interrupted, "as stated by this book." The Bestiary lay open on her lap. A picture of a light-skinned humanoid with pointed ears and elfish features was drawn across the first page in incredible detail. On the other page was a variety of notes and classifications. When I pictured elves, I imagined Santa's helpers; short little people in stockings and pointy hats that talked in rhymes and high pitched voices. These three didn't at all match that description. Orndir looked taller than me and Meryl looked the same height. Their skin was sun tan; like that of a Native American. They had dark hair with taught curls and dawned hide tunics stitched together that looked hand-made. But unlike the other two, leather straps crisscrossed along Ruineth's long shirt and a hooded cloak rested on her shoulders. She looked like some kind of assassin, but her eyes weren't menacing. She didn't seem to have any visible weapons either.

"Now your turn," she said, "I was looking through your peculiar book and there are things in here I've never imagined existed, but there are also some I'm very familiar with."

"Like the Orcneas?"

I misspoke and for a  moment I could see the fear ripple across the two boys faces, but Ruineth's eyes narrowed dangerously, but settled just as quick. I could tell she was smart and had good control of her emotions. "You know of the Orcneas?"

"Yeah, well, I think I saw what you're talking about. Earlier I ran into a goblin. It cut me with a knife, but I got away in one piece."

Ruineth stared hard at me for a long moment, contemplating what I'd said and how she'd respond. The other two gave her simultaneous worried glances, but she ignored them.

"That is correct. The Goblin you encountered was no doubt one of the Orcneas; the broad category of menace that skulks the land beyond our walls boundaries. You were lucky to make it out alive. Even against one of their lesser kind, their abnormal speed catches most off guard. You'd have to have pretty quick reflexes to be able to avoid it's killing blow to the throat." The way she said that last sentence sounded like she was implying something. What exactly was this crafty elf's angle?

I smiled calmly, "You don't have to worry, I'm not one of them. The little booger looking thing attacked me for no reason." My eyes instantly flicked toward my shoulder were I'd been cut. Thin gauze was bound around should shoulder and arm. The injury I suffered from the Ghoul was also dressed neatly, and the swelling in my shin had gone down.

"I was a human at first," I continued, "but now I have these." I gestured at my pointed canines.

"What are you called? You aren't a vampire, or you'd already be dead due to the sunlight" I shrugged. I had never been told what our species was called. Ruineth momentarily flipped through the Bestiary and closed it with a huff. "Your kind doesn't seem to be recorded in this tome. The writer, whoever that may be, hasn't completed their work. You had this book when we found you, have you read it."

"I've read some. Skimmed through others."

"Almost half the book is blank." she said, matter-of-factly. I had notice that a lot of the pages near the back had been blank, but I've never really thought much of it. "All the known denizen of the Orcneas are recorded in here along with common faeries that reside in this area." She looked up at me, a unsettling intrigue in her eyes. "Where you the one that wrote this?"

I shook my head.

"I didn't write it, my friend did. I don't know where she is right now, but she may come back for it."

"Who's your friend?" Ruineth asked.

I opened my mouth to tell her about Mikoto, but a lump formed in my throat at saying her name. The last thing she had said to me was that she'd kill me if she ever saw me again, and it had cut me deeper that the goblin's blade. If she came back I don't think she'd be to happy to see me.

At that moment a door to my left was pushed open and a man walked through. As he did, both Orndir and Meryl bowed their heads. Ruineth stayed seated. The man hovered his gaze on the three, then set it on me. He had tanned skin like the three elves I've seen so far, but he was taller and had a thickset build. His face was weathered like that of a farmer and dark braided hair tucked behind his ears. In comparison to the other three, he didn't look like a woodland elf, but the distinctive ears and sharp features told me otherwise. He was obviously much older than us.

When he stepped in, my eyes instantly went to the sword in it's scabbard on his hip. He noticed my discomfort and removed the shoulder belt that held it, placing it on the nightstand across from me.

"Be at ease, you're safe now." I immediately recognized his voice.

"Hey, you're that guy! When I was in the woods!" I squeezed my blankets anxiously. "I thought you guys were vampires, man."

"I meant no harm," he said, "but you drew what I thought was a weapon and I had to take the necessary actions to ensure my safety. I apologize if you felt threatened."

"Nah, you got a point." I admitted. "But how come you brought me here and patched me up?"

"After confirming that you were not a threat, it'd be indecent to leave a man to die. Although I must be honest with you; the main reason we brought you here was because we suspected you were an undiscovered resident of the Orcneas."

"If you thought I was one of the Orcneas, or whatever, why am I not in, like, a dungeon or something?"

"Although we suspected you to be an Orcneas, our elder; lady Orrenbelle, believes you have no affiliations with our enemy. We go along with whatever she believes is right." he said, smiling warmly, "Once you have fully healed, you'd be free to go, but the elder herself seeks audience with you." Orndir, Meryl and Ruineth jaws all simultaneously dropped. The elder must have been a very respected woman. Even though I haven't yet met the elder, I felt respected that she had saw me as innocent. I went to sit up fully, but my head swam and I rested back on the pillow.

"Whoa there. Our lady is a patient one. Take your time to fully recover. Our healer will check up on you periodically. You had a bad infection and a dangerous fever, but in time you'll feel as lively as our hunters! And no doubt these young ones will keep you company." He gestured to the three on my right. I thanked him for his hospitality and he took up his sword and exited through the door. "Oh, how rude of me." he said poking his head back through the threshold, "My name is Orodon, it's a pleasure."

"Eron." I said. We shook hands and he made his exit. "Who was that guy?" I asked after he had left.

"He's the chief of the guardians," Orndir replied, "his duty is to defend our village from the Orcneas and the constant hostility from neighboring provinces. When I'm old enough, I plan on joining their ranks!"

"I want to join the hunters," Meryl piped in, "they venture out into the Deadwood and bring back food and supplies for the village. My father is a hunter, and everyday he tells me all the exciting and deadly creatures he's encountered!"

"Those are nothing more than tall tales. The duty of a guardian is much more dangerous. Have the hunters ever captured a powrie alive? Or a boggart?"

"Hunter's slay powries all the time!"

While the two argued, I turned to Ruineth.

"What about you?" I asked.

She crossed her arms and leaned back. "My only desire is to eradicate the Orcneas for good. I have no doubt that when I become a woman I will be able to join the guardians or hunters with ease, but I cannot bear to wait that long."

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking."

"Come the next waning moon and I'll be sixteen years of age. A dryas female becomes a woman when they first begin to feel 'Moon Pains'. This is the beginning of what is known as a 'Moon Cycle' and at this time the village elder will bring her to the Ancient Ash to be blessed by the goddess of battle into womanhood."

I had a pretty good idea what she meant by "Moon Pains" and "Moon Cycles", so I didn't want to go into too much detail. There was another thing I had been wondering.

"Speaking of the village elder, is she related to you? That Orodon dude called her Lady Orrenbelle, and your last name is Orrenbelle."

She shook her head, "Everyone born here carries the name Orrenbelle; the title of our village." Ruineth took a glance outside a glassless window. A cool breeze blew through it and into our room. "I should probably take my leave. Kurri must be hungry at this hour." She stood up and held the Bestiary at arms length. "If it is alright with you, may I take this book back with me to read more?"

"Knock yourself out," I said, "just don't let your dog eat it or whatever." She smiled, bowed her head, and exited. Orndir and Meryl momentarily stopped their argument and looked around the room.

"Your girl dipped while you guys were busy debating."

"We should probably catch up with her, she may go overboard with that book of yours." Meryl shook his head in agreement and they followed her out.

"We'll send the healer up to bring you food and drink." He shouted from down the hall.

Five minutes later a woman entered my room. She had the same skin and hair as the all the elves. She was pretty, with a tender smile and kind eyes. She placed a tray on the nightstand beside me and brought a stool up to my side and sat down on it. She smelled strongly of mint leaves. A steaming bowl of what seemed like soup sat atop the tray she placed on her lap. She dipped a wooden spoon into the bowl and blew on it softly. I blushed like a school girl. Was she planning on feeding me herself? My suspicions were proved correct when she held the spoon out towards my mouth.

"Eat up," she hummed, "You'll feel right as rain in no time."

"Erm. . .you don't have to feed me I can—"

"Nonsense!" she cried. "The sick must rest their weary heads, whether they be dryas or the like. Now, allow me to give you the proper care."

  There was nothing I could do to change her mind, but then I thought, why would I? What could be better than getting bed fed by a pretty girl? She held the spoon to my lips and I slurped the soup from the spoon. As soon as it hit my tongue, memories of getting fed soup while in bed sick flooded back into my brain. Suddenly I wasn't in a forest village, being fed by an elf. I was home, my brother and sisters lined up behind my. . . mother. Her face was shrouded in shadows, go figure, but the worried faces of my siblings were easily visible. The same children that I'd seen in my dream almost three weeks ago. My mother brought the spoon back to the bowl and blew on the steaming liquid. She smelled strongly of mint leaves. . .

I was back in the real world, and feeling insanely tired to boot. I stared groggily at the woman who was feeding me.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It's a herbal broth of ginger roots and elder flowers." she explained. A spicy aftertaste lingered in my mouth and nostrils. "It will help regulating your temperature and help you to sleep." I only half heard her, as my senses were dulling from drowsiness.

She put a hand on my forehead.

"Sleep, child. Rest will speed the healing process. If you need aught, just whistle and my arrival will be swift."

"Thank you. . .uh. . ." Her lips moved, but I was already asleep before I could hear what her name was.

For the next three days I stayed in bed, occasionally getting up to relieve myself and stretch my legs. Ruineth, Orndir and Meryl stopped by everyday to see how I was doing, mostly of Ruineth's volition. She seemed to be the leader of their trio and they respected her, and it wasn't hard to see why. She was very interested in the Bestiary. She seemed to have a strange fascination with monsters and the like; and she was serious about it. When I mentioned to her that I had encountered a Ghoul in person, she wanted me to explain to her in detail how I slew it. I told her everything, but left out the part about how I used my own blood to bind it. I told her about the vampires and Xias Redblaed, and once I built up the nerve, I told her about Mikoto too.

On the last day of chilling in that bed, my healer returned to check up on me and confirmed that my wounds had healed and the infection has passed. Thankfully no permanent scars were left behind from the two injuries. I put some weight on my leg and it felt as good as new. Not more than a second later Orndir and Meryl came to see how I had healed. To my surprise, Ruineth wasn't with them. The healer bowed her head and wished me good fortune and I returned her bow and thanked her. Once she had left, I turned to the two and smiled.

"I look like a new man, am I right?"

"How do you feel?" They both asked in unison.

"Like a million bucks. That nurse lady really knows what she's doing."

Meryl nodded. "Gwyneth is her name. She's the best healer any of the four villages have seen."

"Tell him about the time she was sent up north." Orndir insisted.

"Aye, about fourteen years ago, before I was born, the elder of our neighbors a day's trek up north, in the village of Nora, was mortally wounded in a skirmish by the Orcneas. We'd been in hostilities with them, and some believed this was a positive turn of events. But we were all shocked when our Lady Orrenbelle met with the young Gwyneth. At this time she was no more than four heads high and still an apprentice healer, but our elder had seen her gifts and entrusted her in healing Lady Nora.

"No one knew exactly what Lady Orrenbelle had planned, but when all was done and Gwyneth returned, she had brought word that a truce had been established and they were in our debt. They turned out to be potent allies in fending of the Orcneas and hostile territories. 

"Dang, she really has a legacy here," I praised, "Hey, speaking of your elder, I've been hearing a lot about her. What's she like."

He gazed off as if reminiscing about old memories.

"She's the fairest and most valiant of the dryas. She's kind yet when it comes to battle, she's as fierce as a mountain storm. Some even believe she is a descendant of the goddess of battle herself. Our enemies see her as a demon; a force to be reckoned with to say the least.

"Really? They afraid of the elderly or something?"

Orndir burst into laughter. "No, no, no. You see, she's called our elder, but that's only a title. She's a beautiful young dryas. And she's not  the descendent of the goddess of battle. That's absurd."

"I'm assuming you haven't seen her do battle. The way she slays her foes is nothing but god-like."

Orndir made a weird sign with his hands and sneered. "Watch what comes spilling out of that mouth of yours! I don't want to be caught in the blast when the gods smite you with lightning!"

"Typical of you to get all worked up over nothing." He retorted. They began to argue back and forth. I laughed. These two could argue over anything, but I knew they were great friends. They reminded me of her. No, I couldn't worry about her right now. I had to focus on my own situations for once. If she wanted to see me again that was up to her, right now, my first priority is getting some clothes. I was still in the clothes I had first fell unconscious with, and I stank like a pig farm.

"I'd love to get you fitted, but it's imminent that you see to the elder before going anywhere else. Don't worry," Meryl reassured after I asked, "Our Lady isn't caught up on trivialities like that. You'll soon see when you meet her. It's truly a great honor."  I was led through a twisting hallway of bark, and when we reached the end, we emerged into the open. When I was still on the mend, I occasionally gazed out the window, only to see the tops of trees far below. Now I realized why. Before me was a vast, wooded village, sprinkled with huts and homes.

All built on the edge of a cliff. That's what I had been seeing from the window earlier. I was looking over the edge of the cliff, that's why I had seen the tops of trees. Now that I was level with them I could see that homes had been built straight into the massive trunks. It was breathtaking; something I would have never believed could exist was right before my eyes. But there was one thing that unsettled me. Despite everything that had been built, the entire village was a ghost town. Not one elf; save for Orndir and Meryl, was seen. It was disturbingly silent as well. A chill ran down the length of my spine and I turned to Meryl.

"Is everyone dead or something?"

He shook his head. "Not everyone has warmed up to the idea of a foreign creature roaming about their village, and they're even more worried for their elder." He shook his head grimly, "You best be on your guard, I trust you well enough and I'm sure Lady Orrenbelle will too, but I can't speak for everyone else."

"Thanks for the heads up." I said as we continued through the village, walking down a trail made of cobblestones. We passed in between treehouses and wooden huts as we went by and I could swear I saw movement in one of the windows. Were we being watched? I suddenly felt nervous. Would Orrenbelle act the same way?

We came to a halt outside a long house type structure. It sat atop a large flight of stone stairs so that it loomed over intimidatingly. To my surprise, there were no guards stationed outside, despite it being the 'post-Rift' equivalent of the white house. I swallowed hard. What would I find upon entering. Meryl patted me on the back and Orndir squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, both sharing the same nervous look as me.

"Well, this is the grand decider."

"Don't mess it up."

"And bow as soon as you enter."

Their advice only furthered my anxiety.

"Oi, random question, but where'd you guys put my gun and lighter?"

They blinked like I had spoken a different language. "Gun?  What is a lighter?" I waved the question away. It just popped into my head due to the nervousness I felt, but whatever. I began up the stone steps, my heart quickening with each stride. By the time I reached the top and place my hands on the double doors of the long house, beads of sweat had coated my brow. Damn, when was the last time I showered? I couldn't stand in front of someone with such a regal status and smell of old hotdog water—

 Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I pushed inward and the doors groaned as wood slid against wood. A bright orange light seeped through the crack in the door threshold. I took one look behind me and nodded. First impressions where the best impressions.

It was dark within the long house, the only light being that of a blazing hearth all the way at the far end. I long fur carpet spread from wall to wall. On the right side of the long house, sat a mahogany throne adorned with the ivory white antlers of a moose. On the left side wall was a plethora of lethal weapons ranging from swords and blades to bows and maces. 

  A lone woman sat on the fur rug facing the hearth, one arm resting on her knee and the other nurturing the flames. When the wooden doors closed and the sound of wood against wood boomed, I half expected her to turn around, but she didn't seem to acknowledge my presence. Silence settled over the long house once again and the only sound heard was the soft crackle of the hearth. I had no doubt this woman was the elder; Lady Orrenbelle. The fact that she was alone was enough to intimidate me. She said nothing and it only made the atmosphere more awkward for me. It felt rude to use my voice and break the silence and it also felt rude to stand there and not do anything, so I let my sheer impulsiveness guide me. I took a step, one foot over the other, until I reached where she sat. Once I reached her I sat down beside her, to embarrassed to look at her face in fear that our eyes would meet and I'd blush like an idiot. So I did what she did and stared into the dancing tongues. I had remembered when Mikoto had told me that in time I'd be able to gain control over either, specifically fire. I tried to will the flames to rise higher, but I wasn't the Last Airbender, so nothing happened.

Orrenbelle didn't say anything for a long time and I was beginning to think maybe I was suppose to address her first, and then I mentally slapped myself in my face because I forgot to bow as soon as I entered. And no doubt my musty scent must have been hell for her—

"You believe that first impressions are the best. If that is your beliefs, than you have succeeded to impress." Now that she spoke, I looked at her for the first time. Orndir hadn't been lying. She was undeniably beautiful, but not in the way you'd think. She didn't have a delicate beauty, like a flower. She had a wild, ferocious elegance, like that of a lioness in her prime. Her hair was a frosted silver that curled down her back and shoulders like a beastly mantle. It definitely stood out in comparison to the other woodland elves. She had hazel eyes that were both kind and dangerous at the same time. Sitting beside her was like sitting inside a lions pen.

I swallowed hard, trying to think of something to say.

"How is your health?" She asked before I said anything else.

"I-I'm fine now, ma'am! Thanks to your healer."

She smiled, and my worries momentarily melted away. She was like two sides of the same coin; one side was that of a fierce predator, and the other was that of a kind woman. The firelight against her face highlighted her prominent features and dark eyebrows that contrasted with her hair.

"That's good. I knew my intuition hadn't been wrong. You've shown noticeable bravery. Most I summon are too craven to join me by the hearth." Her praise felt good and I thanked her.

"Oh, uh, I forgot to bow and stuff when I came in."

She laughed. "Don't worry yourself with trivialities like that. Your decision to preserve the silence intrigues me. Pray tell, what was it that made you make such a decision?"

"I just thought it'd be rude to interrupt whatever you were doing."

"Hmm, a good an answer as any." She tossed the long stick she was using to kindle the fire into the hearth and turned around to face me directly. "What is your name?" I felt like I'd been asked that a lot lately, but I answered anyway.

"Eron Osiris, ma'am."

she nodded. "As I thought. Well, Eron, if I am to refer to you by your first name, it's only fair that I allow you to do the same." She rested one arm on her knee and grinned viciously.

"I am Hestia Orrenbelle. Tis' a pleasure to meet thee."