Chapter 5

I open my eyes to the sun rays and find lily resting on my thigh, the scene is ecstatic but also what follows this is a horrifying realization, now those elves have made me responsible for lily; I lift her head and place it on the bag beside me, she faintly breaks from her sleep so I keep my hand on her head and she resumes sleeping with her eyes closed. Its time to get out of the tent, we rested not far from a lake so I start walking towards it.

“The fire’s out” I realized the fire went out in the night and realized the importance of finding a safe shelter or keeping an eye in the night for now I was also responsible for the wife I had. I spot the lake and run towards it, I rolled up my trousers and entered the lake after freshening up I noticed a bunny on the other side. It had red eyes. It ears had long flakes of flesh, there were not teeth visible but it had a white coloured horn. As I was analysing the bunny it suddenly hissed at me, its hairs were standing like a cat’s, I picked up pebbles from lake in my left hand and threw one from my right hand, the bunny had jumped fast to the right side, then in a zig-zag pattern ran towards me, panicked I threw all the pebbles towards the creature, while many missed I had successfully blown the bunny’s head off, but it didn’t dropped anything instead there was blood spewed all over the border of lake, spilling into the lake. I started walking towards the bunny picked it up and made my way back to the tent.

I saw lily teary-eyed from behind a tree so I ran towards her “did something happened” despite tears she wasn’t crying out loud. I wondered what happened when she answered “you are still here” she wiped her tears and showed a faint smile.

“I only went to get cleaned up, you should too”

“yes” she answered cheerfully or she was only trying to sound cheerful.

Tears really don’t suit her face. Lily started to make way towards a tree and started praying, guess these was how elves started their day. As I was looking at my now elf wife slash partner a sudden gust of warm wind went over her and then she was sparkling

“I am ready to move”

“Are you going to clean yourself”

Confused she replies “I already did, oh! I used purification magic”

She quickly realized my inept knowledge of magic and told me.

“You are very proficient with magic, huh!”

Suddenly she bowed down and said “not really, my knowledge is poultry compared to the tribe”

“No need to put yourself down like that, poultry or not it will be very useful in our journey to daph” I reassured her, as a princess who was only put down by her clan, I needed her to open up more to me. Then, I realized her change of clothes which was not very visible at night, the same brown poncho but with brown gloves connected to steel gauntlets, shoes with sleeves coming to her knees I guess as they went inside the poncho, I cannot determine their true length. The ear covering bandana stayed on; must be to cover her elf heritage.

“I can cook that if you want” she said while pointing to the bunny. I was at ease because my companion knew how to cook which made this journey much easier. I handed her the headless bunny and after taking it from me she turned and bent down, she took out a knife from her knee which incidentally confirmed the length of the socks which were above the knee. I thank the great gods for my wife’s plump thigs. I made my way to the tent and started to pack it up back in the bag as I was clearing the camp site, lily called out to me for she was done with roasting the bunny. The bunny meat was nothing special just salted and roasted so I didn’t complain and ate silently. But I was curious how did she manage to salt the meat so I inquired her “did you bring salt with you”

“No, I didn’t” she replied.

But I saw the remnant of dried tears on her face running down and realized she must have been crying all this time. It was my job to make sure she was well-kept so I questioned her

“Do you hate leaving the tribe now?”

“No, they wanted this and I had no problem with this but I understand I am being a burden to you”

“Stop, I won’t lie, this was not the outcome I was hoping for when I hunted for, but nor do I blame or berate you for this. All of this I not your fault and I wont ever held it against you so please stop with that thinking.” I had to console her, from how violet spoke about her it was clear she wasn’t a very loved princess.

“Thank-you sir”

“Call me arc”

“ARC”

“Now tell me, why they married you off like that or why they hated you”

“My father was the former chief and my mother was the chief of dark elves, they married for the peace treaty to work out but my father cheated on her with a light elf, who was also violet’s mother”

“So, lady violet is a” I was surprised by her sentence but she cut me off

“2nd princess of the light elf tribe, after this affair came to light my mother took me and was leaving the light elf tribe, but before leaving she heavily fought with father and though the fight was only verbal my father sought his sword and killed her……………………… Before me.”

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Whoa!!! That was hardcore. The former chief just killed his wife like that. Reminiscing such traumatic memory must be really hard for lily, I placed my hand over her shoulder and then she resumed with the backstory of the light elf tribe.

“This news when reached my mother’s tribe the dark elves attacked the light elf village, the war was intense but the light elf tribe came on top, they killed every last of the dark elves in the roan forest. The elf laws did not allow them to kill the chief’s daughter so I was kept alive. Violet wanted to become the princess so they were trying to find loops in the written law to get rid of me, like surrendering me to the goblin horde”

“whatttttt!!!, but then why did they save you”

“After arc came in the picture, they must have thought to marry me off to you who didn’t knew their situation rather than carrying the shame of not being able to protect their princess. Now I am no longer their responsibility and violet can be a light elf princess of a light elf tribe.”

So, these roan forest light elves were big time racists. Lily started tearing down again so I kept my other hand on her shoulder and told her “Forget what happened or at least try to, you will be a free person once in the city”

“Huh!!”

She was looking a little dreadful after I said that

“ARC, I took an oath of faithful wife I would like to carry it out if it isn’t a big deal to you. I don’t have anyone outside the tribe, I don’t know anything about the world so please.”

“But lily, you would be wasting your life standing beside me”

“Inconsequential, humans live not more than 80-100 years, while elves age for thousands and I am only 21 I will live a full life after you die but for the initial years, I would like to keep this oath”

That statement made me really happy, so I won’t be alone in this world.

With my wife in hand, I decide to continue towards the daph town. We left the dense forest to find ourselves on open grasslands. The greenery was unbelievable, the vast open land had different kinds of animals, there were those horned red eyes horned bunnies, bucks with shrubs growing on their backs, different coloured birds and air I breathed had never been fresher. Unlike the forest laid with tall tress where I was constantly watching out for animals, here there was a sense of relief. I continued my march with lily on the road and exchanged some information.

“Lily, do you not know anyone outside the tribe”

“No, I know no humans or elves outside the village” she replied

“Would we run into some elves in daph”

“Elves remain away for humans, but there could be one or two, beast kin actually mingle more with humans than elves”

Whoa! Beast kin like cat ears and stuff, of course if there were elves there would be beast men.

“Did your tribe told you nothing about the world outside?”

Flustered she bowed down and said “I was only told to steer clear of dragonkin”

“I have never come across a dragonkin, what’s their deal?” I questioned

“that’s no surprise since most of them live in draconia a very small country. They are left to their vices because other than goblins only dragonkin can mate and reproduce with any species, they are known to kidnap large number of humans, beastkins and even elves for mating and populating.”

HUH!!! Wait I had ‘dragon summon’ show on my status would I be persecuted for this. As I was contemplating how to hide that status, I heard some voices and just beyond the uphill road, after walking across saw a party fighting off monsters.

“Lily hide”

Hearing my command lily quickly bent down in the tall shrubs. I decide to approach cautiously as they had a cart it would really help in my journey plus; I couldn’t let a lady walk to the city on foot could I. As I made my approach towards the party, I was interrupted by a dog similar to the ones with those goblins, as soon as it leaped at me, I took out my sword a plunged it straight into its gut, an arrow came down piercing through its back and then a rugged voice called out to me.

“Are you okay?”

It was an old guy who came over and he helped me get up

“Thanks for your help”

“don’t bother”

He turned away and starting making his way towards the party. I needed the cart so I decided to ask him about letting me hitch a ride.

“Hey, my companion is really tired, can you help us reach daph”

He turned and had a warm smile on his face, his face was covered with beard and I think he is kind of an exhibitionist with that naked torso and short cloth covering up to his knee.

“For a price”

I turned up 15 goblins emeralds I picked up and handed them over.

“Bring your friend up we are leaving in the cart”

I went back to lily and helped her up, I put her arm around my shoulder and ask her to act exhausted. I brought her to the cart. She had already covered her face and removed her hood. The barbarian came before me raised his hand and demanded “I will need to see the identity card of you both, even if this is an unofficial request, I cannot take suspicious people in”

We both handed our blue cards to him. He checked me after which lily removed her face covering cloth. The blue card doesn’t mention race only region, name and age but was proof of residence in tyranica. It also mentions any state accused crime so when you don’t have it you are a free citizen. After his verification we were joined by his companions, an archer Doyle, a shorts word wielder Boyle; his twin brother. The barbarian leader of this small party was called beret. I helped lily onto the cart she sat next to me and we started the journey to daph comfortably since I was sitting on a cart. The cart was being pulled by bucks that had leaves on their backs but they were more muscular than the ones in the wild. Beret sat next to me and finally decided to start small talk. Luckily lily had already drifted to sleep, I guess trapped in the tribe she never walked so much.

So, what brings you to daph.”

“I was visiting my ruined village and have now decided to go to daph”

“Roan right man that was long ago”

“Yes. Thank you for this”

“don’t mention you paid Afterall” he said while smiling

I too started feeling sleepy but decided to endure as last time I felt asleep I got married I didn’t want to get robbed by an old smiling exhibitionist. As the day neared its end, we had finally reached the city gates. It was a big gate with wall continuing endlessly and right along the line of entrance was my stop.

“Well arc you should go from here, waiting for us is useless, all carts are only allowed entry after contents are verified, but do visit kraken utensils, it’s my shop”

Lily and me got down from the cart, bowed to beret and made our way to the gates. Throughout the journey Doyle and Boyle did not say a word, not that I cared. We made our way in the city after both our blue cards were verified and approved by the city guards. They were pretty sympathetic to the roan village survivor and also recommended an inn called ‘pleasant mist’. I made my way there by asking various people, as I reached there, I asked for a double bed room with food delivered in already as it was getting pretty late. And now lily and me prepared to sleep together. WAIT!!! Together of course we were married no we are married! Suddenly all my sleep disappeared as I started to prepare my mind for my husbandly duties, but wait do I have to or not. My mind was racing in all directions seeing lily sitting on the bed maybe waiting for me?