Sylvia Talgan’s POV

The morning light seeped in through the curtains giving the room just enough light for him to be able to see. I waited patiently while he examined himself using my hand mirror. It’s been a very long three weeks. Excruciatingly long…

Night sweats, fevers, groans of pain… if I didn’t know better, I would have thought Voker was actually dying. It was just like the old healer said, he was barely conscious for more than a few hours at a time. Sometimes he would even go a whole day without breaking his fever.

I was just unbelievably happy that I didn’t need to help him relieve himself. If he wasn’t capable of at least that, I would have died from embarrassment a thousand times. But Voker was manageable, just like the healer said. Wiping the sweat from him was… enough for me.

And that wasn’t the only thing she was right about.

“Hair’s long. Need to cut it,” he said idly.

His voice was deeper and had a warm even tone to it now. He rolled his head around in his hand and then stood up. Just a month ago, he was barely to my chest yet now he was almost half a head taller than me. He stretched his long arms and grimaced slightly.

Voker has changed… a lot. The little Dark Elf boy was gone and in his place was what seemed like a new man. His long, raven black hair went to his shoulders, and his broad shoulders and back were marked with scars. After spending some time with Dark Elves in The Barrens, I couldn’t help but notice how different he looks compared to them.

His skin was much lighter, and his face was a completely different shape. Most Dark Elves had softer facial features that made them look more Human than Elf sometimes, although they all still possessed natural Elven beauty. They were also far bigger than a Wood or High Elf. And it seems Voker has inherited both sides of his blood almost equally.

Voker’s face was sharp and chiseled like a High Elf, while his body had grown immensely. However, despite being much bigger now, he was still skinny. It was almost like his body used every bit of fat and muscle to make him grow. The frame was there, but it was unfilled.

He sat down in a chair and summoned his blue cobalt sword from his ring, and was about to start chopping away at his hair when I blurted out. “Hey! What are you doing?”

He turned around with the most neutral face and raised a single eyebrow at me. “Cutting my hair?” he said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I just returned his blank stare. Seems his body grew faster than his brain. I let out a deep sigh. “No offense but I saw what your hair looked like last time you cut it. I’ll help you.”

“You know how to cut hair?”

“Better than you, that’s for certain,” I huffed.

He relented with a shrug and put his sword away. I took out my own dagger and a pair of scissors. I gently grabbed some of his silky black hair and the softness of it was unimaginable. If anything, his hair was prettier than mine…

Honestly, how is this even fair?

“How much do you want me to cut?”

“All of it.” His voice wavered slightly as he stared at the wall in front of him.

“Okay…”

Before I even touched his hair, a bowl of earth surrounded his neck. I assumed it was to catch all of his hair, so I set to work on cutting, but I was busy focusing on the way he spoke. He almost seemed sad about cutting his hair…

“Do you not want to cut your hair?” I asked.

Come to think of it? All the Dark Elves I saw had really long hair. Even the men’s hair was long, sometimes even going past their hips. Some had braids, and others just had them tied up but…

“It’s necessary. Long hair is associated with Dark Elves, something I can’t afford.”

“But if you could… you wouldn’t cut your hair, would you?”

“No, I wouldn't. I made a promise to my father, but I’m afraid it’s one I wasn’t able to keep,” he said under his breath.

“Really? That’s a shame…your hair is so pretty, too…”

Voker turned around and eyed me with his single swirling purple eye. It looked like a gem of the highest purity. “Pretty?” he questioned.

I felt the tips of my ears burn from the embarrassment. I had let my thoughts slip out and didn’t even realize it. Idiot.

I grabbed him by his neck and turned him forward by force. “Don’t turn around when I’m cutting your hair!”

“Okay… sorry,” he grumbled.

We spent the next few minutes in relative silence. Perhaps I had been a little too aggressive with that move… did I make him mad?

Voker shifted slightly and his shoulders relaxed. “You know my hair used to be even longer than yours,” Voker said fondly, like remembering a happy dream.

“Really? I can almost see it… well, on the old you anyways.”

“What do you mean the old me?” he asked, sounding genuinely interested.

“Well, you’ve changed so much and…”

I didn’t know what else to say.

“Is that so? I don’t think I’ve changed all that much. Well, besides physically, but that was long overdue. I’m still me, you know?”

“I know that! It’s just… different!” I yelled.

“Okay, okay… you don’t have to yell. You’re making my ears ring,” he complained while rubbing them.

Yeah, well… don’t state the obvious!

Voker took a deep breath, then shuffled in his chair a little. “Thanks, Sylvia.”

“What for? I didn’t—”

“But you did. You took care of me for weeks even though you didn’t have to. Judging by the weather, you should have left me behind and gone to Luminar on your own. But you stayed with me instead. Thank you,” he said earnestly.

My face started burning from his kind words. Voker doesn’t usually praise me. He does thank me a lot but never unnecessarily. When he’s being so earnest like this, it’s hard to look him in the eyes. Thankfully, he didn’t turn around.

“Yeah, of course. You would have done the same for me, right?” I asked curiously.

Would Voker have stayed behind for me? To take care of me for almost a month?

“Of course. I made a promise, didn’t I? Besides, I haven’t heard your answer to my offer yet.”

His offer…

“I haven’t decided! Barely even thought about it!” I blurted out.

“No need to rush things. We have plenty of time. Speaking of time… what month is it?”

“Ah… about that… Voker,” I said seriously.

“Yes?”

“If the dates are right… we were in the dungeon for over a year,” I said.

“I see… that explains the weather. It’s far too cold to be summer or fall. But if I was going off my food supplies, it should have been mid-summer. I wonder if teleporting us out messed up the timing somehow? Guess it doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.”

I blinked slowly at his words. Voker doesn’t talk all that much, but when he does, he sometimes says the weirdest things… occasionally, he will say words that I just don’t understand. But if he is really from some backwater village, then how does he know so much? I know his grandpa was a good teacher but…ugh.

“So… what are we going to do then?” I asked, trying to dispel the silence.

Voker turned around and eyed me suspiciously. “We? You want to stay with me? After everything that has happened?”

“Are you really going to make me say it?!”

“Ah? What? Why are you turning red? Did I make you mad?”

Idiot!

“Did you think after everything we went through, I was just going to leave the second we got back to the surface?!”

“Umm, I don’t know… that’s… why I’m asking?” he said nervously.

“You really are stupid. You know that?” I snorted.

“Sure?” he squeaked.

“You said it yourself… it feels good having somebody you can trust. Being able to close my eyes at night knowing you are there. Well, I don’t think I can trust anyone else like that.” I said sheepishly. “And of course, you know who I am so I can’t let you go running around telling people!” I yelled.

This idiot…when he said he didn’t care about me being Talgan’s granddaughter that night, it made me so happy. Once I heard about how the world saw grandpa I thought nobody would ever accept me. Yet Voker doubled down and said it didn’t change a thing… he still saw me as Sylvia and only I could change that fact… honestly…

A small smile crept upon his face. Was this the first time I’ve seen him smile?

“I’m glad to hear that we feel the same then. And I would never do that to you, just like I hope you would never do that to me.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t do that… you would probably kill me…”

Voker turned back around and chuckled to himself. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Huh?! Wait! Is he—

“That was a joke… by the way,” he said defeated.

“You aren’t funny at all!” I hissed while pinching his neck.

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He flinched and gently rubbed his neck.“Oww…so I’ve been told…” he said with a sigh. “Anyways, what are we going to do? Has the first snow fallen yet?”

“No, but it’s going to happen anytime now. If we hurry we might be able to get through the pass.”

“So the odds are pretty low then? What are we going to do if we can’t take the pass? Is there another way?”

“Unless you want to go into another dungeon. The Iron Citadel is a dungeon that has multiple entrances and exits. You can find a path to the other side of the mountains using it,” I said.

Voker’s shoulders tensed and I could see the lines of his jaw clench.“I… going into another dungeon ever again is far too soon for me.”

“Agreed. I figured if worse comes to worst we can just stay in Nactus for the winter, then head out as soon as the snow melts.”

“Seems that may be the only option. My shins and knees feel like they are burning and my lower back is killing me. And I’m starving… but moving forward is more important. We can head out today,” he suggested.

“Sounds like a plan. And I’m finished,” I said while taking a few steps back.

Voker brought the hand mirror back up and started checking my work. I might not be that good at cutting people’s hair, but anything was better than whatever butchery he committed last time. If anything I must say that… he looks very… uh… good.

Voker stood up and looked over at me. “Looks nice. Far better than I would have done.”

He tilted his head to the side after looking me up and down. I felt a tinge of embarrassment from his intense gaze. Everything about him was always so intense and he was always serious… at times like this, would it kill him to relax?

“Speaking of food, you are looking more pale than usual. You haven’t drank any of my blood, have you?”

“I haven’t… I didn’t want to hurt you while you were well… growing and stuff,” I squeaked.

Stupid voice! Why am I nervous…

Voker didn’t smile, but his eyes softened somewhat. “Then I can wait to eat. Seems I have another reason to be thankful.”

He sat back onto the bed and beckoned for me to come over to him. I obliged and crawled onto the bed and positioned myself behind him. I took my mask off and stored it so it wouldn’t get in the way. I moved to sink my fangs into him, but I hesitated. His body was warm despite the cold room, and he smelled of sweat.

We’ve done this… I can’t even imagine how many times… so why does this feel so different? Why is my heart pounding in my chest? Ah, screw it! I bit into the side of his neck and his body went rigid for a second.

Voker let out a weird sound then. “What are yo—you…” he said with a shaky voice.

I didn’t end up drinking all that much but I felt a pang of fear as I looked up at Voker. His breathing was short and fast but it wasn’t strained and his entire face was flushed a bright pink. The tips of his ears were the same bright pink color and he was staring at me with his two different colored eyes while trying to mouth out words only to make barely audible gasps.

What kind of face is he making right now? What’s with him? He looks confused? Uncertain? Something else… I’ve never seen him look at me like this before.

Suddenly Voker shot up from the bed. “I’m going for a walk!” he proclaimed in an uneven voice.

“Wai—” my voice faltered.

Voker was already up and, with swift movements, had donned his old cloak, which barely fit him anymore. Which he didn’t seem the least bit bothered. His mask hadn’t even finished changing him yet. I watched as his black hair changed to an ashen gray and his tan skin washout to a creamy white. He slammed the door on his way out… he didn’t even have shoes on…

What… what have I done?

—

Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV

Two hundred and twenty-two…Two hundred and twenty-three…Two hundred and twenty-four…Two hundred and twenty-five

I collapsed onto the hard cold dirt of the empty orchard and sucked in the fresh winter breath. My chest ached and pulsed with blood from all these pushups. Despite puberty smacking me like a railgun, my body was still weak and hurting. And judging by the pain in my joints I still had some growing to do. I’ve heard of late bloomers but this was something completely different.

Did my body know it was in danger so it was holding off the process for as long as possible? Is that even a possibility? Or did coming into contact with that dungeon core do something to me? Puberty was long overdue for me but… more importantly… what the hell is wrong with me?

Never in any of my combined twenty-eight years of life have I ever felt like this before. Or is it twenty-nine years? My birthday is coming up soon again. Argh!

My heart feels like it’s about to burst out from my neck, my hands are sweating profusely, and my mind is hazy as all hell. And it’s not helping that this won’t stop either.

I was feeling fine until Sylvia drank from my neck. She has done it hundreds of times and I’ve never once had this kind of reaction. At that moment… I felt… I’m not even sure.

Whatever this feeling is, it feels great but I’m sort of afraid of it. At that moment… if I didn’t snap myself out of whatever daze I was in? What… what would I have done? What did I want to do…

And is this me? Surely this all can’t be put onto Sylvia… I’m so uncertain.

Uncertain enough that my clouded mind didn’t register the footsteps of two people approaching me. I kicked myself off the ground and took my gladius out from my ring to face the two people. They weren’t bothering to hide their presence and their footsteps were heavy as they trudged through the dead orchid.

The man turned around a grouping of barren shrubbery and stopped dead in his tracks. With wide eyes, the man tried speaking but his friend ended up running into his back only for him to stare at me in surprise.

“Voker? Is… is that you, kid?”

“Mr. Nick and Mr. Adrian…” I muttered.

Standing side by side now were the two members of The Stars. An adventurer group that was friends with Dem and co. I had even gone on a small adventure with the three men to terminate some vegetable monsters on a farm last year. Nick was wearing his usual leather armor with his two long daggers strapped to his chest while Adrian stood tall wearing purple and gold robes, his scimitar on his hip.

Adrian was a native of The Dunes, a desert region on the western side of Amoth. It appears he has gotten a few tattoos in the last year, as his right arm was now covered in black markings.

“I heard you died in a dungeon… is that really you, kid?” Nick asked with trepidation.

“Unless another High Elf found his mask at the bottom of a dungeon and put it on…” Adrian mused while crossing his arms across his chest.

“Does that mean Dem and everyone survived?” I asked quickly.

“Yeah, they all made it out beside you and the other masked girl… hey… did they?”

I could already tell what Nick was alluding to. “No, they had nothing to do with our downfall. There was nothing any of them could have done to save us,” I reassured him.

“Ah, that’s good… just wanted to be sure,” Nick said, relief spreading across his face. “But what happened to you? It’s only been a year and—”

Adrian had nudged Nick on the shoulder and when our eyes met he quickly averted them. Adria mumbled something so quietly I couldn’t even hear it and then Nick looked over at me. His eyes went wide and the two of them spun around with their backs to me.

“What!? What is wrong with you kid! Sheath your swords please!” Nick screeched.

Adrian chuckled nervously. “I always thought that it was just a joke when people said Elves like doing it in nature…”

My face started burning from the absolutely tremendous amount of embarrassment that washed over me. I was sort of happy to see them but now I just wanted to crawl into a hole and bury myself and hoped nobody finds my body.

“I— I’m sorry! This has never happened before! I don’t know what to do! I…” I stammered out nervously.

“What do you mean this has never happened before!” Nick yelled in frustration.

“Don’t you have somebody to talk to? A father? Brother? Uncle? Anyone?” Adrian suggested with an awkward laugh.

“No! I don’t… I don’t have anyone…”

Nick turned his head around slightly and looked at me with a mix of pity and second-hand embarrassment. “Seriously?”

“Yes!” I yelled back.

Nick looked up into the clear blue sky and sighed deeply. “Ah, shit…”

Nick turned on his heels and walked over to me. He never once broke eye contact and refused to look at me anywhere other than my masked face. He set a hand on my shoulder and nodded more to himself than to me.

With a small grin, Nick said, “Okay… then let me teach you some things I wish somebody taught me when I was your age. Learn from someone else's mistakes, ya know?”

“You are really gonna… uh… help him?” Adrian choked out.

Nick snapped around and pointed a finger at Adrian’s face. “Not like that!” he hissed in frustration. “Just gonna teach him some things so he doesn’t make the same mistakes somebody I know did, that’s all!”

Adrian sighed and turned around, his face red. “I guess… you’re right. Alright, sure.”

“Now then, I beg you… please cover yourself, kid.” Nick pleaded.

“I’m so sorry.”

—

“So, you understand things now? This is the type of stuff you have to handle as a man now… on your own… in a more private place. Got it?” Nick chided while patting me on the back.

“Ah, yes, I understand sir,” I said.

“Don’t start calling me sir. It’s weird.”

“Okay, sorry.”

I hadn’t been sure what this reaction from my body was, but with Nick and Adrian’s explanation, I now understood, and my embarrassment was insurmountable. I’ve never lusted over anyone before let alone had such a strong inclination to do such things. I didn’t even know that’s what it felt like until Nick explained it to me. I knew about it but experiencing it was a completely different thing. I now understand why they hindered those parts of our brains.

Augmented super-soldiers with a sex drive would have been a huge problem…

“You know? You are pretty strong-willed, kid,” Adrian mused while nodding his head at me.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I agree. Not sure what happened to you to make you like this, but most men would have succumbed to their temptation. Especially with a cute Elf hanging around,” Nick said earnestly.

“I… I suppose…”

If I hadn’t reined myself in, would I have attacked Sylvia? I would never want to do that in a million lifetimes… I would never forgive myself.

Nick had a far-off look in his eyes as he addressed me. “Let me leave you with a bit more advice, kid. Don’t succumb to your temptations. It’s hard… it really is. You get some drink in you… do some things… and you will never live it down.” Nick chuckled to himself, but the man looked defeated. “You make those mistakes, and you have to live with it your entire life… I couldn’t imagine living with those kinds of mistakes for hundreds of years…” he muttered.

Nick was looking at me with a dead-serious expression. “So learn from those who came before you, alright? Heed my warnings and all that?”

“Yeah, I will.”

“I’m serious, I really am,” Nick said, almost threatening me.

“I know you are, Nick.”

“And one more thing, it’s just as important as not giving in.”

“And what’s that?” I asked.

“Not ignoring those desires. It’s one thing to act on them but ignoring them is just as bad, you know? You’re a man, so there’s nothing wrong with admiring someone that catches your eye. You see that beautiful girl at the tavern. Go talk to her. If you’re interested, you're interested, right? Nothing wrong with that. Just don’t give into that stupid urge in the back of your head… don’t do something that would make your mother disappointed in you.”

“Exactly. If you don’t have any desires, are you even a man? Ignoring them will just turn you into an empty shell of a person. Everybody has to have something they desire, or they aren’t even alive. Find a balance,” Adrian added. “And if those urges ever get to be too much, there are plenty of women of the night who would be more than happy to assist a young man such as yourself.”

A balance… don’t give in but don’t ignore your desires… women of… the night?

Just when I thought I couldn’t get more embarrassed. “I—I… I will keep that in mind,” I squeaked.

The man gave me a small smile and a nod. Then Adrian chuckled. “That’s a good one, Nick. Don’t do something that would disappoint your mother. I like that… did you come up with that on your own?”

“Shut it…” Nick griped.

“I understand,” I said to both of them. “I have a lot to think about, but I will take your words to heart. I feel much better, thank you both very much.”

“Don’t mention it, kid, and stop being so formal with me...” Nick stood up from the dirt floor and dusted himself off with a wave he said, “Good job on surviving that nightmare and coming back even stronger. I’ll see you around, Voker.”

“I look forward to our next meeting, Voker. Take care of yourself… in more ways than one,” Adrian said with a short bow and chuckle.

My face flushed with embarrassment yet again. I feel attacked on every level. There isn’t a manual for this kind of torture…

Bastards…

The two of them walked off through the orchids and left me to my own thoughts. I had much to think about. But I was thankful for what these two men taught me.

I also had a whole new set of problems to deal with. Things can not continue like this…

I’ll die from the embarrassment or grief… Is it too much to say I would rather go back into a dungeon than face Sylvia right now?