Psycho tried to ignore what the brutal orc was doing and knelt next to the elf maiden on the ground. Jace finished his grisly work quickly and joined him. He wasn’t sure how the illusion would hold up under scrutiny.
Psycho was cradling Esther’s head in his lap, stroking her hair. “What is wrong with her?” he asked.
“Your people cast a protection spell on you before they left, correct?”
The elf’s eyes grew cold as he looked up at the orc. “How do you know that?”
“I have done my research,” Jace said, not lying. “I did not come here on a whim. I came here to set things right. But the spell, could this be how it protects her? It put her in a coma and froze her attackers?”
Psycho shook his head. “It hasn’t worked like that for me. No orc could ever get me close to death, but I have faced off against a dozen of them before, and the spell never did anything like this. But that’s not all. Her spells . . . they are different now. I’ve seen her cast an entanglement trap before, but it was always made from vines and thorns, not spider webs. And the acid . . .” he shuddered as he looked at the mutilated corpses around them. “She always preferred cold and lightning. She said they were nature’s weapons, not . . . this.”
“I killed several mages before I made it to the clearing,” Jace said, trying to stitch their lie together. “Perhaps she stole the spells from them when she was captured. You know, use the enemy’s magic against them. She didn’t mention anything when I rescued her.”
Psycho laid the woman back on the ground and stood to confront Jace. He was shorter, but not by as much as most. “Why would you do this? Why would you do any of this? You say it is for your god, but I cannot believe he smiled on your actions today, chaotic though he may be. You killed dozens of orcs to protect the life of an elf. You follow a god who lies, yet you demand I accept your word, and I have it on good authority that you are to be trusted. You are a shaman, but you wield a sword better than I do. I want to know how to revive my sister so I can ask her these questions, but I do not have the skill. Tell me what I want to know.”
Jace wondered if the elf would accept the full truth, but he doubted it and didn’t want to press his luck. “I cannot explain it to you in a way that you would understand,” Jace said, speaking as much truth as he could. He sheathed Etcher and pulled the life stone from his cloak, holding it out for the elf to take. “Restore the forest and bring back your people; I promise you will have your answers.”
Psycho didn’t budge. “Perhaps you didn’t hear me. I don’t have the skill. Using that stone is a task best suited for my sister. But this . . .” he motioned to Esther’s still form as he struggled for the right word, “female,” he settled with, “isn’t what I remember. She has death inside her, not life. You are giving me more problems, not answers.”
“That tree over there,” Jace said, pointing to a massive willow that grew at the entrance to the small glade where the portal had opened. Its drooping branches had once hung like a veil to close in the sacred area, but now they were burnt and torn. Still, the tree’s massive trunk remained, with four branches growing out from the center. In every account Jace had read online, this tree was what the druids and rangers had restored first. “Place this stone in the center of its branches and trust yourself.” He again offered the gem to the elf.
Psycho wanted answers and didn’t budge for a few moments. His aggressive nature urged him to force Jace to answer his questions, but he couldn’t bring himself to act hostilely toward this orc. Something in the back of his mind told him the shaman was right. He plucked the emerald sphere from the massive palm and strode toward the distant tree. Snowy finished her meal and joined Jace as he moved to stand near Esther and watch Psycho.
The ranger approached the willow tentatively, still anxious about using any abilities that did not involve a blade or a bow, but whatever else he might be, he was an elf, and this was his home. He reached up and placed the stone where the four branches created a small cradle. He didn’t know how to activate it but didn’t have to, as the change was immediate.
The willow sprang back to life as if in a time-lapse video of winter changing to spring. Its branches filled out with the deepest greens and lifted off the ground with inspired strength. Psycho felt the magic flow through the tree’s impressive root system under his feet and out to the rest of the glade. All the trees responded in kind, budding in full flower and growing back leaves and broken limbs. The ruts and holes in the ground smoothed over. Everywhere that a bloodstain had soaked into the grass, a patch of flowers grew. Even the dead bodies of the orcs began to melt away, and a shrub or berry patch sprouted in their place. The armor and weapons dissolved and returned deep into the ground to the rocks from which they were forged.
The process lasted several minutes, and Psycho stumbled about, his head on a swivel as he gazed about his home in awe. When it was finished, his eyes found Jace standing with an enormous smile that nearly split his face. Even Snowy, who preferred the cold, windswept peaks of her master’s stronghold, barked in appreciation.
Psycho walked back to the pair, his knees weak with elation but his eyes not leaving the source of his salvation. “I don’t know who you are,” he started, then looked down at Esther, “or who she is. But I’m beginning not to care. Thank you.”
“We aren’t finished yet,” Jace said, producing the teal gem from his cloak, this one oval in shape.
Psycho nodded and swung his bow off his shoulder. He removed his gem from the weapon before securing it on his back again. Neither said a word but marched toward the willow. In response to a motion of his hand, Snowy obeyed Jace and stayed by Esther. The orc and elf struggled to get through the tree’s branches as if fighting through several heavy beaded curtains, but a magical sight greeted them on the other side. Reds, greens, blues, purples, and yellows surrounded them as wildflowers ringed the clearing. The thick tangle of vines and branches at the back stood as a woven tapestry of vibrant green, forming a giant circle fifteen feet high between the two sculpted tree trunks.
Jace and Psycho each moved to one and didn’t hesitate to place their stones in the center depressions. They stood back to watch as a single point of light appeared in the center of the living circle and then quickly swirled about, creating a whirlwind of bluish-green energy that soon filled the space before them. It snapped to its final size, and ripples bounced about inside until it calmed into a still pool of light that slowly faded into a mirror.
Only when Jace realized he didn’t see himself or Psycho did he understand that they weren’t looking at a reflection of their clearing and the willow tree behind them but at an exact copy on the other side of the portal. Jace hurried to the edge to stay out of view of any elf that might appear while Psycho stood transfixed, wondering if he should try to enter. He knew he was a quarter-orc. And he had always feared his people had left him behind on purpose. If he tried to pass through this doorway to the elven homeland and failed, his worst fears would be realized. He waited a few more moments, and motion within the image prevented him from trying.
The branches of the distant willow rustled, and soon an elf emerged. Jace watched from an angle, hoping he wouldn’t be seen, and sucked in a breath of surprise. He appreciated how good Esther’s illusion of Mur Calumis had been. No wonder Psycho had fallen for it. The siblings’ eyes met through the magical doorway, and only Psycho’s suddenly weak knees prevented him from jumping through the portal toward her. She saved him the trouble, running forward and passing through the shimmering veil as if it wasn’t there. He picked her up, and they embraced each other in a copy of what Esther and Psycho had done earlier, only to Jace, it looked more genuine.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“I knew you would find a way,” she said, her feet alighting back on the ground. “But how? You only have the one stone?”
A shimmer went through the large elf, and it looked like he had just woken from a long dream, a deep smile creasing his face. He nodded over toward the large orc standing out of the way. Mur Calumis turned and saw the imposing figure for the first time. A look of terror filled her eyes.
Psycho laughed long and hard, a foreign sound to his sister. “Don’t be afraid, Mur. I owe everything to Jace Thorne, though, if I remember correctly, he does owe me his cloak.”
The orc smiled back as he realized all the old memories had returned now that his quest was complete.
“But he can’t be here,” Mur said. “You should have had to kill all the . . .” but her voice trailed off as the perceptive female noticed that Jace was different from the orcs that had invaded their forest. His skin was grayer, and he wore different clothes. Diamond Etcher hanging on his hip certainly didn’t look like any weapon an orc would carry. Then her eyes went to the portal’s edge and the stump with the glowing elf stone that stood next to Jace. Had this orc helped load the keys?
“He killed most of them,” Psycho said. “He and . . .” his face shifted to one of concern, “. . .Esther.” He turned swiftly to his sister. “Mur, we need your help. Come.” He tugged at her arm toward the willow. She was still staring at the massive orc but couldn’t resist the pull of her much stronger brother. Jace followed at a distance.
Psycho led Mur Calumis through the tree, and they found Snowy standing guard over Esther on the other side. “A winter wolf?” she cried. “Here, in our forest? How?”
“Her name is Snowy,” Psycho said. “She helped with the orcs too. I couldn’t have done it without Jace and Snowy, but Esther . . .”
The wolf stepped aside to reveal the woman lying still on the grass. This time the elf maiden did stop short and pull herself from her brother’s grasp. The orc and the wolf were one thing, but now she stared at a perfect image of herself lying unconscious on the ground. “Nal, what is going on here? I cast a spell to be alerted as soon as you reopened the portal. No one else thought you could do it, so they didn’t bother, but eventually, the others will come to see where I’ve gone. They will have all the same questions I do, but they won’t be as patient.”
“It is a long story,” he said, “but first, I need you to help her.”
“You mean me. She is me, right? Did you need to summon a copy of me to get a second stone?”
Psycho shook his head. “I promise I will explain everything. Please, heal her. She is a friend of mine. Or,” he paused and looked back at Jace standing at a respectable distance, “I think she soon will be.”
The female was done asking questions and decided to do what her brother wanted. Snowy moved further away, recognizing who this elf was and trusting her not to hurt Esther. Mur Calumis knelt beside the woman and began to summon her magic. She sensed and dispelled the illusion before casting the more powerful revival magic. The woman on the ground grew in size, and her hair and skin tone reverted to their typical hues. Esther was full of mana and health, so the elf didn’t really know what was wrong, but as she finished the spell, the woman opened her eyes.
Esther cried out in shock as she stared back into a face she knew well. She scampered backward, reaching for her weapons, but they weren’t on her hips. She saw the sword and shield on the ground and calmed down as she realized what was happening. The elf was slowly figuring it out too, seeing that the clothes this black-haired woman was wearing hadn’t changed, and the sword and shield on the ground looked nearly identical to her own equipment back in her magical homeland.
“This woman pretended to be me,” she said, facing her brother. “She tricked you into thinking I was still on this side of the portal. She tricked you into trusting that orc.”
Psycho nodded and locked eyes with Esther. “Yes, she did. And it was rather convincing. However, my real sister doesn’t grab my butt when we hug.”
Esther blushed and shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
“You know they tricked you,” Mur Calumis interrupted, “and you still trust them?”
Psycho walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “I gave them permission to do it. It is a long story.”
“Tell me,” she insisted.
He did.
----------------------------------------
It took a while, but soon Psycho’s sister understood everything, and she was laughing along with the others as Esther tried to explain her awkward attempts at sisterly affection. Mur Calumis accepted that Jace was not really an orc but was a human from another dimension and was only in this realm to help fight the evils that existed. That is what had brought him to this forest. His mission was to destroy orcs and other vile creatures that spoiled the land. That, and he needed Psycho’s help.
A few other elves had entered the realm through the portal. They gave Psycho hesitant looks and wouldn’t even address the orc. The archer had retrieved the life stone from the willow and returned it to Jace. It was no longer needed as the elves could do any further restoration. Jace and Esther had swapped necklaces. She changed into her usual black dress, and Jace thought about transforming himself into a human for the rest of their stay in the grove, but he chose against it. If the elves used all their hostile looks on him, they wouldn’t have any left for Psycho.
By now, everyone understood that most of the elves rejected Nal Saikol because of his heritage and that Mur Calumis had been forced to abandon her brother. This was Psycho’s home, but he would never feel welcome. His sister knew he wouldn’t stay and insisted he come back and visit as often as possible. She would love to hear tales of his adventures alongside Esther and Jace.
The siblings hugged once more and were about to leave, but Psycho looked back toward the willow and the portal beyond. “What is it?” his sister asked.
The archer hoisted his bow. “The stone I used to open the portal powers my bow. Without it, the weapon isn’t nearly as useful.”
“They won’t let you take it,” Mur Calumis said, something the large elf already knew. “They need both to open and close the portal. Some might decide not to return to this realm. But, . . . here.” She went into her inventory and produced a third elf stone. “Take mine.”
Psycho looked at Jace with confusion. “There are three of them now?”
Jace shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t write the module. Just shut up and take it before it gets deleted.”
The female elf didn’t understand what they were saying, but Psycho didn’t elaborate as he took the gem from her hand and inserted it into his bow. The weapon came to life as the mana pulsed through it. The siblings hugged again and parted with a kiss on the cheek.
As Jace and Psycho started toward the module’s exit, Jace began to make out strange shapes on the other side of the curtain. “Are those . . .”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Psycho said. “A couple of minutes after my sister came through the portal, the requests started pouring in. Officially, this is my stronghold now. I can give access to anyone I want. There are about one hundred players out there begging to come in.”
Jace laughed. “I bet there are.” He saw that the travel node was on the glade’s side of the curtain, and they wouldn’t have to cross the barrier into the crowd to access it. As they got closer, the blurry images coalesced into the recognizable shapes of men, dwarves, elves, and halflings. It was a hostile zone, but Non-PVP, so they couldn’t hurt each other. Their voices only came through the barrier as muffled pleas, and Jace ignored them. He turned to Psycho. “What about your protection spell?”
“I think it is gone,” he said. “The elves left some of their magic behind to bind with me, but now that they’re back, I think it will stay with them. I’m on my own. Though, if I die, I think I will respawn here, and the module will not reset.”
“Unless you bond with another stronghold,” Jace countered. The elf nodded. “Then let’s get started on that.” Jace started turning to the travel node, but Psycho stopped him.
“I think you are forgetting one essential thing,” the elf said.
“Oh, right, I almost forgot.” Jace took his cloak off and handed it to the archer. He went into his inventory and gave the elf the Strength ring he had been entrusted with and over 100 arrows. After Psycho put the cloak on, it more closely resembled the black duster the human bard had worn. With it, the elf looked like a vengeful wild-west gunslinger, which wasn’t too far from the truth.
“That’s great,” Psycho said, “but it isn’t what I meant.”
Jace paused, trying to figure out this riddle. {Come on,} Gracie chided him. {This one is easy.}
The orc slapped himself on the forehead. “Sorry, I’m an idiot. Would you like to join my party?”
Psycho laughed. “I think you’ve earned it.”
[Nal Saikol Gladekin has joined your party.]
Jace turned back to the travel node, saluted the hoard of jealous players, and navigated back to his stronghold.