“Lashu. Lashu! Wake up Lashu!” The queen’s garbled voice entered my ear like a railroad spike. Numbed sensation, the world shaking, shuddering.

“Interesting … the smoke hasn’t ever caused anyone harm before. What happened? How did you word the spell? Did you add anything to the smoke powder?” A new voice. Raspier than the queen’s, and not as panicked.

“No, I grabbed the vial on the way in. It’s labeled. I tapped it twice into my palm and … I followed the ritual perfectly. I am sure of it.” The queen’s voice sounded like a child being scolded.

“If you did the ritual correctly and are sure of it … you used the correct powder … then there are no other options. They are a Lashu. We have not… ever, to my memory, had an occurrence where a real Lashu was present. This powder was created for visions and possibilities. It was modified given the prophecies of “Arboreal Wracking” to work on Lashu, but we never had a test case before. They will need rest to recover, My Queen. I am able to care for them if you wish to hold council.” The raspy elder’s voice coiled in my ear, my eyes struggling to focus.

“Yes. Yes, that would be wise. Not many remember your tenure and service, though I do. I appreciate your coming at such a quick summons.” The queen’s voice paused. “I must speak with the Triumvirate soon. They must not know that it is a Lashu for truth. It would be best if you were away with your patient as quickly as possible. I will make personally sure that your usual is doubled. Thank you once again, my old friend.”

A bony but strong hand clamped onto and gripped my head, pouring a cloying smoke over my face. The numb sensation of touch dimmed and went black as sound reverberated in my ears like a mineshaft. “I will care for them. A word of advice, La’ganthe. They are Lashu. It may be a babe now, but it will define us forever. Ponder your coming decisions for they will impact all of us in time.” A numb sensation covered me entirely as my awareness finally slipped.

Light. Dim light, but light just the same. A deep gasp of air as I sat up, sweating and covered in thick blankets. “Drat! Blasted thi—ahem. Nice of you to wake. Can you stand, little Elf?” A tall, thin giant of a being, eight feet or more at the stooped shoulder, stood from a too-small chair. Reaching an unnatural arm toward a dresser across the room, grasping a cup that barely fit in three fingers, which ended in claws. Water sloshed over the sides as it kept its unblinking gaze fixed on mine. Dozens of thin strands of hair swayed on the creature’s head as it settled the cup in my palm, filling my cupped hands with the sensation of dryness, a few grains of dust rubbing and falling off the edge of the unused vessel.

“I am … J. Thank you for the water.” I took a sip and immediately spat the little in my mouth out. I shuddered. It wasn’t water. It tasted like soot and badly burned coffee mixed in a cold clay mug moments ago.

“Oh, don’t be like that. Yes, it’s horrid, but it will bring the strength back to you. I can promise you that. Drink two mouthfuls for me or I will be forced to do it for you, and that always makes a mess. I wouldn’t go through the trouble of keeping your heart warm to only poison you once you wake up ... Drink.” I felt some force applying itself to the back of my neck, but nothing was behind me. “DRINK.” I felt the force once more. Unable to resist it with my flagging strength, I rolled the cup back and threw back two mouthfuls like a shot, downing the bitter, gritty liquid each time. The creature took the bowl from my hands as I felt painful heat spread from my chest out to my fingers and toes.

“My name is Taal’diche. I am an alchemist, and I have been keeping you safe from the eyes of the city, and safe from the pain in your heart. Though the second was harder than I anticipated. You are young to have gone through such pain and loss.” The unblinking gaze of Taal’diche stayed on me.

What happened to me. I … I was talking with the queen in the garden. Then we were in the palace or whatever. Then the nightmare. Was there smoke? “Were you the one who came after my horrific nightmare … trip … thingy? I recognize your voice. You sound the same as that person but the queen talked to you weird. Wait. Hang on. Priorities. What did you give me just now?” I was having a hard time staying on track. My mind was trying to play catch up and wake up at the same time while recovering from what I believe was a really bad trip.

“You must stand. Exercise will do your heart good. Come and run with me and I will tell you what has happened in the past two days since your prophecy was told.” She stepped one too-long leg outside the door to the hut. Her hips stayed low to the floor of the hut as she pulled her other leg up beneath her. At her full height she must have stood almost twelve feet tall. She only looked like she weighed a hundred and fifty pounds or less. Her bones were shrink-wrapped with skin and veins. Her head extended two feet off her shoulders on a neck that swooped from side to side as she talked. “Come, little Elf. We shall get your legs under you at a gallop, if we must.”

I had to hit a full sprint to keep up with her lengthy strides. I’m not sure she even COULD sprint. Ha, she’d be a blur of legs for six feet if she ever tried sprinting. She’d also break a bone considering that’s all she is.

“Two days? Was there a medical reason to keep me under? Or was I unable to wake up. I would appreciate any information you can give me.” Keeping calm, keeping cool. don’t antagonize the slenderman-meets-gollum person … besides, I’m sure the queen didn’t try to kill you with poisonous smoke only to fail and leave you with a monster. This is just … a friend of the queen doing her a favor after she made a mistake. It’s all gonna be okay … ‘cause that isn’t ridiculous. Although, I do know I just cannot outrun this lady, especially not when I’m in this disgusting swampy place. Trees over there. If I can make it to trees, I can probably make it from there.

“The queen attempted to perform the Lashu ritual on you. To test if you are one of the prophesied who would bring either prosperity or wrack and ruin. She meant you no harm. She is just an adequate spell caster using ingredients that were pulled from another spell meant to foretell what a child would be like for expecting Elven parents. Similar enough, it was theorized it would work well enough on a Lashu, who were prophesied to be ‘Like a babe unto you. Without strength of limb but containing a mind of steel.’ Or at least, that was the translation I had heard when I was commissioned to make the mixture. As for what I gave you just now, it was powdered herb of ring-rot mixed thrice with the … the … it doesn’t translate into Elvish well … ‘heart of the ruinous chimeric.’ That’s not quite it, anyway it’s the dregs of a used-up power source from a metal machine in the human city nearby. Quite expensive, really, so you can thank the queen for covering that price for you. Oh, and I add milk and Sweetgrass to counteract the bitterness of the tincture. I’ve tried mixing it without the milk and Sweetgrass, and let me tell you … it was an awful experience. I spent hours heaving that up in the bushes.” The lengthy creature finished with a wry grin.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Right. New medicines, new terms. Do you know what ‘chemical’ means? Or ‘molecular’? I’m not judging. Where I’m from, I am trained in survival medical procedures and I’m curious of the differences before we part ways.” Testing the waters. If she freaks out over me leaving, that either means she genuinely cares about my well-being after having strong heart medicine given to me in a hand mixture… or she doesn’t want her meal to leave. I guess I should just be glad she didn’t drain blood or use leeches for every situation or whatever else. I doubt they’d know when or why to use them, yet.

“Indeed new medicines, new to you it would seem. However we, the people of my empire, have been using these medicines for thousands of years. Even the seemingly sophisticated Elves didn’t know them until only five or six centuries ago when my people taught them.” She slowed her gait to a fast walk, which meant I could slow to a fast jog. “I cannot keep the pace you can in the forest, though that is not true elsewhere.”

She paused to think on something. “I enjoy your company, Lashu. You do not seem to judge me like so many Elves do for not being their idea of ‘pretty.’” She raised her hand up to scratch at her chin, deciding on something. “I offer you this ‘Tuning Rock.’ It will allow you to talk to the one who holds its attuned sibling, me in this case. You need only rub it on your palm thrice and then speak at it. I do not offer this lightly, but you are Lashu and I am curious. And you treat me with… respect? Caution? Fear? I do not know Elven emotions very well under the best of circumstances and you are a Lashu so … Do you accept this gift?” She extended three fingers holding a rock that just fit within my clenched fist.

Is there any harm in accepting a pet rock? She could have killed me already so I don’t see the harm … I reached out a hand, accepting the stone from her. Is there going to be some grandiose friendship thing by accepting?

She straightened up, staring blankly for a few seconds, then took off like a startled bird, changing direction from before. “Come quickly, Lashu. The queen is ready for us.”

Just shy of the city, Taal’diche stopped, one long leg bent at the knee and stopping her in a single step. “This is as far as I go. I only come to the city under great need, and you will fare better with the Elves without me tainting their perception of you. You may garner sympathy or trust because you look like them, regardless of what you looked like before. I have faith in you, Lashu. Do not judge them too harshly. They are young as a species, just as you are to this world. Use the stone if you have need of me, or if you just wish to talk later.” A slight dip of her head and she turned, her tall thin form folding into a thin line of shadow before vanishing entirely.

This time when I stepped through the gates of the Elven city, the guards greeted me with wary glances. No questions this time, eh? I thought with a little smirk. I walked uncontested up to the palace. A trio of guards were following me at a distance but stayed outside as I entered the building. I went to the same room the queen had tried the ritual on me. This time it was more comfortably lit, and with less smoke. The moderately sized room had a rather large table with room for nine to be seated comfortably. There were chairs for the Triumvirate, the queen, and one for me.

“Welcome, Lashu. We apologize for any difficulties we may have caused.” The queen addressed me from the center seat.

We? My eyes narrowed slightly, one eyebrow raised as I looked at her. You were the one using smoke and magic on me without permission … They’re just unknown heads of state. You seem to have boundary issues.

I did my best to lock down my emotions. Now is the time for cold negotiations. They want to manipulate me into their machinations, I just want privacy and to keep exploring and trying new things. It’s what Eleanor would have wanted … I took a deep breath, pushing the feelings that bubbled up with that thought. Later. For now … Cold. I can be cold.

I walked up to the empty chair. I pulled the cool, polished wood. It glistened like an oil spill. Several bipedal tree and foliage creatures stood perfectly still in recesses of the room. Either statues or servants—and from what I saw of the Elves so far, I was guessing servants. I wonder if they’re sentient, or just animated to move by magic or something …

I stepped around to the front of the chair. “A moment, Lashu.” I froze. One of the Triumvirate raised his hands together in a steeple. “You are new to our world and do not know our customs, so we do not see these acts as insults. We will speak words in plainness and with surety due to our differences. If offense comes for us, let it be by choice and not in folly. “We offer you a seat at our table, Lashu. In the holding of such a valuable position, and with the exchange of boons, resources, knowledge, and raw magical potentiation, we come to the same table, in the same chairs.”

The one who spoke stood up, and the others followed suit. With deliberate intention, he turned to face the Elf to his left. He announced, “I offer you my chair, that all may know we sit as equals.” He grabbed the sides of his chair and slid it to his left, offering it to the next Elf. That Elf accepted the chair with a small bow, then repeated the phrase with reverence before handing off theirs to the queen. She continued the ritual with the Triumvirate member to her left, who then turned and repeated the ritual to me.

Aw, crap. Don’t mess up the ritual. You’ve been given literally the most time and chances possible to learn this. Stiffly I said, “I offer you my chair, that we may know we sit as equals.” I held out my chair to the Triumvirate, who was standing very still, their mouth in a hard line. Did I— I felt my face heat up. fuuuuu … Slow down, Jess. The details are important with these sticks. Now what exactly did they say?

I scrunched up my face and bowed my head slightly toward the Elf as a small apology. I reset the chair position, making sure not to remove my hands from the back of the chair. I didn’t take my hand off the chess piece, so I should be good … right? I took a deep breath. I then looked back to the Elf, trying to mimic the reverence of the previous motions in everything from my posture, to my facial expression, to my tone. I said slowly, “I offer you my chair, that all may know we sit as equals.” I then slid the chair over like the others had done. The Triumvirate member’s expression had softened slightly—although their mouth was still slightly pinched—and he extended his hands to gracefully accept the chair. Now that everyone had been offered a chair as equals, he sat down. The one next to him sat down, then the queen, then the one that had offered me my chair. Which was good that I had waited to hear what he was going to say, because I had almost sat down first. This is them speaking plainly and with less ritually bits? Gross. At least everyone else didn’t seem to hold the slip-up against me. Or they had really good poker faces.

“We open a dialogue with what is being hailed as a new species, that of the Lashu. It is assumed that you cannot speak for the species as a whole. Is this assumption correct?”

“It is.” I felt no need for fancy words if I didn’t need them. Fewer words should mean less that they misinterpret or throw back in my face later … I hoped.

The Triumvirate to the left of the original speaker tapped his fingers on the table as he said, “Understood. We, the Triumvirate speak for the political side of the Elves of La’Ganthia. Would you, … J, wish to enter into a contract with us?”

I kept my face as composed as I could given the fluster moments ago. “Define the benefits, requirements, any other details, facets, or expectations to this agreement for both parties, please.”

The queen brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen across her face. “We will need to discuss the exact terms, which you will be a part of. Your agreement here is to begin discussions of the contract. This is to establish that you are a free agent, and we are about to enter discussions on the contract, should you choose to, and that you understand this is a deal specifically with the La’Ganthia Elves only. We do not speak on the behalf of yourself or other members of this world. In this city, it is considered the height of rudeness not to offer this option before contract negotiation, though very few refuse, as either party is free to revoke, cancel, leave, or refuse later for any reason as part of the contract.” She smoothed her hands on the tabletop.

I let a small smile through. “I accept your offer. We can deal. I agree to talk about the details.” They may be politicians, but they don’t seem corrupt or evil … yet.