“Crap.” [Ava]

A few days has passed since Ava escaped from the elven nation, Faywood, and was now a free half-elf. The soldiers that acted as her escorts and wardens didn’t suspect a thing when she simulated her own kidnapping by using a Shadow Puppet and shook off their pursuit.

“Crap. Crap.” [Ava]

Now, Ava was cleaning her body in a lake that she found while groaning and staring at her hands.

“It’s just one thing after another.” [Ava]

Ever since the half-elf was attacked by that sudden and intense sense of pain, she couldn’t use her powers anymore. No matter how hard she tried, the whirling light and the shadowy cloud no longer appeared from her right and left hand respectively. The moment she attempted to manifest them, black rings formed around her wrists, neck and waist like ink staining a sheet of paper. From these weird marks, black lines would crawl out like snakes and wrap themselves around her skin.

There were two that went up her arms like a helix and to her neck. Two others slithered down her chest as they curved around her breasts and joined up the ring around her waist. Four more undulated down her back and avoided her shoulder blades. Lastly, on each leg, one line crawled down from her waist, to her inner thigh and coiled itself around her shin.

Her abilities from her elven blood had been sealed.

Given how her white dress became black around the wrists, neck and waist when it happened, she had guessed that it was the cause. Some sort of elven power was infused in her clothes and would activate if she tried to escape or got taken away. It may have been a security measure to prevent anyone from using her power, or to prevent her from rebelling.

Of course, Ava didn’t have any proof and lacked a lot of information. Besides, what she needed to worry about right now was that she was alone in the forest without her abilities to help her.

“I knew I should have stopped wearing those dresses. Real men wear pants.” [Ava]

Ava muttered to herself as she gazed up at the starry night sky. The full moon was shining softly in the sky, dimly illuminating her surroundings in silver light. Ava took a look around her as she stood waist deep in the cold lake. There wasn’t anything in sight but the dark trees of the forest as well as the horse she took, which was calmly eating some grass. Hanging on a branch not too far from the animal were her clothes which consisted of her dress, socks, shoes and underwear. There was also the horse’s saddle and a bag of supplies for travelling.

Ava looked at her hands once more, but this time, she wasn’t trying to summon her powers. She was only staring at her slender hands, at the hands of a girl.

They weren’t hers.

Her eyes unconsciously moved to her reflection on the surface of the lake. There was a beautiful and naked half-elf staring back at her with soft pale skin seemingly shining under the moonlight. Her dark brown and white eyes were the same color as always. Her long black hair was the same color as always.

But, it wasn’t her.

Ava dunked her head in the cold lake to change her thoughts before emerging while splashing water noisily.

It didn’t help much.

She moved her long hair covering her back over her right shoulder and washed it in the lake. As she scrubbed it with both hands, her eyes soon lost their focus and unwanted thoughts surfaced once again. Her hands slowed down and she was caressing her hair as if seeking a sense of comfort.

Her name was Ava, a half-elf. She was a girl born from an elf and a human. The unwanted daughter of Faywood’s Luceran clan.

“No…” [Ava]

A small whisper leaked from her lips.

She had lived most of her life locked up in a room until her powers from her elven blood awoken.

“No.” [Ava]

She had memories from many, many other lifetimes in countless other worlds, but there was no proof that they ever happened.

“No!” [Ava]

If there was no proof, then wouldn’t that mean that they were not real? Everything was just a dream. A figment of her imagination.

“No! I…!” [Ava]

She wasn’t originally human. She wasn’t actually a human male. She was a half-elf.

“Shut up! I know who I am! It’s not my body! This isn’t me! Not my body! Not me! Not my body!” [Ava]

The girl was now screaming to herself hysterically. Her horse lifted its head to stare at her, startled by her sudden outburst. But, she didn’t notice it. She was too focused on denying those haunting thoughts that surged forth like waves.

They were reasonable since it was hard to believe that a mere human could live for eight hundred thousand years after becoming something rivaling the gods. It was a tall tale. A lie.

“It’s not!! I didn’t forget!! I didn’t forget anything!! But I did forget. Did I forget? I didn’t forget!!” [Ava]

Maybe, she was dreaming. Everything that was happening now was all in her head.

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“This is real!! It’s real!! It’s, it’s getting blurry. It’s real!! It’s not real! It IS real!!!” [Ava]

Her memories were all illusions. She was actually dead and dreaming in the afterlife.

“Not dead! Not dead! Not dead not dead not dead not dead!!! I’m here! I’m right here!! The promise!! A FRAGMENT!!” [Ava]

If she wasn’t dead, then she was born a half-elf. Her name was Ava.

She wasn’t born a human. Her real name was not Ry-.

“MY NAME IS!!! MY REAL NAME IS!!! IT’S!!! ARRGGHHHH!!!” [Ava]

Ava dunked her head in the water once more and screamed her lungs out. Bubbles rose up to the surface form her mouth. Her voice, filled with distress, madness and pain, wasn’t heard by anyone.

After a dozen seconds, the half-elf’s upper body rose from the lake. She covered her face with both hands and took deep, shaky breaths.

“I know who I am…” [Ava]

A weak voice escaped her lips as she worked to calm down her heart.

Because of her mental state, she was slow to notice the presence of the individual that had shown up at the lake’s shore, behind her.

So, when she did realize that there was someone else besides her horse, she turned around and saw a human male who was staring at her with wide eyes and a stunned expression. A moment of silence passed between them.

Then, before she could react, the man ran away like an escaping rabbit.

“… Seriously?” [Ava]

The half-elf muttered as she forced her mind to switch gear and waded her way out of the lake. She knocked her head and slapped her cheek a few times. The shock of being seen by someone while she was mentally unstable also helped her pushed back those unwanted thoughts.

“After escaping, I lose my powers because of a stupid dress. Now I get seen by some random guy who somehow found me in this huge forest while I was bathing and having a fit. It’s like the thing with that dragon kid all over again.” [Ava]

She grumbled to herself as she ran towards her clothes while naked and dripping wet. The night air was cold and biting her skin, but she was used to enduring such a level of discomfort. More importantly, she was seen. The man was human and didn’t appear to be a pursuer, but she couldn’t ignore the possibility. Furthermore, half-elves were rare. If he spread the word that he met one near the elves’ forest, Faywood could realize that it was her and send out a search party. To avoid being found, she needed to leave as quickly as possible.

Ava put on her underwear, which consisted of a white bra and panties that had a simple design. Next, she slipped on the one-piece dress that had become black and white. It was a dress, it was probably cursed and it was a dress. But, it was also the only clothing she had to cover her modesty.

“Real men wear pants… And briefs. Stop looking at me, horse. I can tell you’re mocking me.” [Ava]

While talking to the horse that stopped eating and stared at her after neighing, she finished dressing herself and picked up her gear. The horse snorted and had a “Are we going already? I wanna sleep.” look in its eyes, apparently unsatisfied that it didn’t have more time to rest.

“*Sniff sniff* Urgh. Horse, you went and took a dump while I was bathing? Man that’s a huge crap.” [Ava]

Ava ignored the stinky lump on the ground and put on the animal’s saddle before jumping on its back. The two then headed into the dark forest. As they left the clearing, Ava couldn’t help but sneeze because she was still wet. The horse snorted again as if saying “You should have dried yourself properly.”

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“Hello?” [Dreck]

When Dreck finally calmed down enough to think clearly, he returned to the lake where he saw the half-elf bathing. However, she was already gone.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” [Dreck]

No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find her. It was as if she was a ghost that appeared before him for only a moment.

“My name is Dreck. Is anyone there?” [Dreck]

The young man kept looking around for the girl of breathtaking beauty without giving up. Finally, he noticed the pile of dung on the ground when he nearly stepped on it.

“This is animal feces… Then…” [Dreck]

Examining the area more closely, he saw traces of an animal that had walked by. Patches of grass was stepped on and several branches were broken by a large body. From the marks left, he judged that it was a horse. It might have belonged to the half-elf and she might have left on it. In that case, if he tracked the horse down, then he would find her. Such an animal couldn’t run at full speed in the forest, so he could catch up if he moved fast enough.

When these thoughts crossed Dreck’s mind, his body acted on his own. Even though he was supposed to go back to where his knights were camping, he ventured into the forest to chase after a girl he just met.

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“Achoo!” [Ava]

Ava sneezed loudly and rubbed her nose with one hand while holding the reins in the other. Her clothes were damp and her wet hair clung to her face. The horse she rode on snorted again and shook its head as if saying “I told you to dry yourself properly. This is what happens when you don’t listen.”

Although she didn’t understand what it was saying, she guessed from the emotions contained in its actions and talked to it.

“Shut up, horse. Can’t you see I’m freezing here?” [Ava]

The half-elf was off the mark, but also very close.

“You’re lucky you’re covered in hair. Otherwise you’d be sneezing too. It’s weird. I saw elves with beards, so I thought we grew body hair. But, I don’t have any. There’s no face hair, no armpit hair, not even hair down there. Is that how female elves are like? I’m a half though. What do you think, horse?” [Ava]

Ava asked her animal companion while moving a lock of wet hair out of her face. However, her attention was immediately stolen by a familiar, uneasy feeling that attacked her. The instincts that she honed in countless battlefields were warning her of danger.

Something was wrong.

Ava looked around her, but could see nothing except dark trees. However, her search came to an abrupt end as her head snapped to her right. But, her reaction was too slow. An arrow whistled through the air and pierced the neck of her horse.

“*NEIIIIGHH!!!*” [Horse]

The horse neighed loudly in pain and lifted its front legs. It stomped the ground and rampaged around, causing Ava to fall off its back. The wounded animal managed to gallop a few feet forward before it powerlessly fell down on its side. Its body was rapidly losing strength as well as blood.

“You guys saw that?! I mean did you guys see that!?” [???]

“You missed its head, but not bad.” [???]

“Well, it’s dark here.” [???]

“So long as he didn’t hit the girl.” [???]

Seven men came out from behind the trees while merrily talking to each other. Ava had gotten back on her feet and carefully observed them.

“I bet she smells nice.” [Man]

“Anyone would compare to your ugly mug that hasn’t bathed in forever.” [Man]

“I bet she smells nice there too.” [Man]

They were wearing dirty clothes with two of them having leather armor. Their age ranged from early thirties to mid-forties. Except for the youngest that had stubbles on his chin, everyone had grown a splendidly wild beard. They were rugged men that had dark brown, blonde or black hair, toned bodies and lecherous eyes.

“Oi! Look at her ears! She’s an elf!” [Man]

“She just said she’s half-elf, genius. Her kind’s rare. Worth a lot.” [Man]

“And very beautiful too… I, I can’t help but drool. It’s been ages since I last saw a woman.” [Man]

“Did you hear the part where she said she’s hairless? I can’t wait to see if it’s true.” [Man]

All sorts of vulgar comments were being exchanged.

“Well boys? Told ya we’d captured one of those long-eared beauties if we waited around here long enough.” [Man]

“Honestly, I thought you had lost it when you suggested something so suicidal.” [Man]

“Shut it! You’re going last!” [Man]

“What?!” [Man]

Six hung a sword at their waist while one person also had a round shield. Ava gazed at the youngest who was in his thirties and was carrying a bow as well as a knife before glancing at her horse that was breathing its last.