Content Type: Family Friendly
Elvish Games
A Short Story by
James McCree
“Come on, Ellie. You’re so slow.” A young elf whispered.
“I can’t help it, I’m scared.” Ellie, the smallest elf child at the back of the group whispered. “You know we’re not supposed to be out this far, Vii.”
Vii, the elf child currently leading the small group, just laughed. “Of course not, that’s what makes it fun! This is an adventure, you know!”
The group of young ‘adventurers’ had managed to sneak away from their village and into the Forest’s Depths, a deep part of the forest they called home that was forbidden to all but grown-up elves. Their parents and the Elders all said it was dangerous, but it was an obvious lie to keep Vii and the other children from exploring, he felt.
Vii was the eldest which meant that he was obviously the leader of his friend group. Ellie was the second youngest, but was by far the most timid. She was often the one to question the plans and schemes Vii came up with.
“I don’t know, Vii. I think Ellie might be right this time.” Liah spoke up from just in front of Ellie. Though she was the youngest, Liah was often the most levelheaded of the group. She may have been willing to entertain Vii’s more rambunctious ideas from time to time, but she almost always put her foot down if she thought one of those plans might actually be dangerous. And from her nervous glances around them, she was clearly regretting not doing so this time.
“Oh, come on!” Vii exclaimed, halting their march. “How are we supposed to have fun and prove the adults wrong if we chicken out now!? We’re plenty old enough to be out here! We’ve even been learning plenty of magik by Elder Lucette! We’ll be just fine!”
“We barely know how to make different colored light orbs and we only just started with force spells.” Verril Pointed out from beside his twin sister, Lirrev. The two were getting increasingly nervous the farther they got from the village. “We haven’t even started learning healing magik or invisibility yet, so how is any of that going to be useful out here?”
Vii’s frustrated yell could likely be heard all the way back home. “Ok, fine! Go home if you want! I’ll finish up this adventure on my own and get all the credit for proving everyone back home wrong!”
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A loud snap echoed on the sudden wind through the forest, along with a shrill scream from within the group. Four pairs of unimpressed eyes turned towards their fearless leader who blushed hotly in embarrassment. As he began stammering a denial at having screamed high and long, he only just noticed the stares turn from apathetic to fearfully bewildered.
The boy turned to see the forest growing dark, as if the shadows were being stretched towards them like a blanket. It was certainly unnatural, if the midday sun boring through the canopy was any indication. The whispers began as the shadow reached them, promising a slow end full of suffering. And the longer their terrified gazes lingered on the shadows did they shift and swell, growing and condensing into a vaguely defined shape of an enormous, cloaked figure. If the cloak of shadows was dark, then gaps peeking inside were the complete absence of light. Nothing could be seen within.
The children huddled in fear, unable to move let alone flee. Ellie’s legs gave out beneath her and she fell to her knees, Liah falling next to her and wrapping Ellie with her small arms. The others were frozen stock still in fright, looking ready to faint at the specter’s first move.
A rattling breath left the figure as its cloak shifted, almost like it was moving to get a closer look at its prey. “Children of the village, is it?” The children didn’t actually hear anything from the figure. It spoke, not with words, but in their minds. “A fine treat for my blackened soul, but it will not do to not work for my meal. No, we shall make a game. If you can make it back to your village’s boundaries before I catch you, you may yet keep your young, delicious souls.”
The little elves barely had the presence of mind to understand the spirits offer, they barely even heard it. Understanding the children’s stillness, the gap on the figures right side where its arm would be moved. A mere second later the ground shook and soil scattered and though it had slammed a massive hand into the ground in between them. “Flee, my prey! Run and make my meal all the sweeter!”
Almost as one the young elves screamed in pure terror and bolted in the other direction, Liah and Ellie only a split second slower by having to leap to their feet. The sound of the spirits cruel laughter followed them as they ran, adrenaline fueling their small bodies all the way back home.
oOooOo
As the children ran the figure’s form melted away and the light returned to the small clearing. The cruel laughter then died down into amused chuckling.
“You don’t think that was too much?”
A larger, adult elf wearing scout armor stepped out of the trees as a second elf appeared from the retreating shadows. The first looked torn between amusement and concern, clearly that they went too far.
“They’ll be fine.” The second elf said, still chuckling. “They need to understand that the forest isn’t as safe as they clearly think it is. Vii especially. My boy’s too confident for his own good, almost arrogant.”
“Now wherever could he have gotten that from, I wonder?” The first scout commented dryly.
The other merely laughed at the jab. “That may be true, I suppose I may have been a bit too confident around him myself.”
The first scoffed. “A bit he says. Very well, let’s get back to work. Then you get to explain to their parents why those kids will be having nightmares tonight.”
The second winced slightly as his partner turned back to the forest. “Yeah, didn’t think that far ahead.” He muttered and ran to catch up. "That'll be fun."