The old nurse looked so excited by this turn of events Cyrus was afraid she would have a heart attack. “Aya, honey, you’ve returned!”

The little elf growled at the nurse. “There is no Aya, I ate her! I am Oga, the most ferocious, ugliest, meanest…”

“Just wait right there, little one,” the nurse said as she headed for the door. “I’m going to let the royal guards know that you’ve returned…Oh this is truly, truly a miracle!”

Oga headed straight for the window. “Quick my fellow orcs, we have to get out of here before they come and put me on trial for my orc crimes and…”

“Oga, are you really a princess?” Cyrus asked, disarming the little girl with his honest question.

For the first time, the little elf no longer had that look of bravado on her face. She looked to Cyrus like she was faced with a question she didn’t wish to answer. Her eyes dilated in fear and she bit her lip. Before she could answer, two elves wearing light blue, water droplet-shaped helmets and matching blue armor entered. Like the guard at the front gate, their midriffs were showing too. They bowed when they saw Oga, flustering her greatly. “Your highness,” one said. “It is great to see you unscathed. Please, come with us. Your father is worried sick…”

Oga, like any child faced with something unpleasant, started carrying on. “I don’t wanna…” she said with a raspy whine.

This was the first time Cyrus ever heard Oga whine. She was very headstrong and confident for her age, something that combined with fighting abilities made her a very terrifying ten-year-old. But here she was whimpering like a baby.

“Aya Tintel, it is imperative that we take you to your father. You are the sacred water bearer…”

Oga looked towards Cyrus and his friends. Cyrus saw the look of uncertainty on her face and he felt compelled to speak. “Oga, we’ll come with you. We have to meet with the king anyway.”

“That’s right, princey poo,” Archibald said. “How thoughtful of you. We must ask that ol’ elf king to help us up that ridge.”

Oga looked in Cyrus’ eyes before turning aside. “Ok…” she said softly.

After gathering their belongings and helping Van out of bed, the guards lead Cyrus and his friends across the Silver Water village to a palace that made his eyes widen. Built into the side of a mountain was an enormous temple entrance where giant statues of mystical elves stood. Cyrus and his friends were dwarfed by the size of their big toes and each one possessed a giant staff and a veneer that looked as stern and serious as an elf could be. They were the ancestors of the mighty protectors of the nation’s water Cyrus learned from the guards, and now, Cyrus knew that Oga was part of their lineage.

Crystalline water fell from their staffs and filled fountains that connected to waterways that flowed from from inside the palace. From there, the water flowed underneath a giant stone bridge where a river ran underneath. That river, as Cyrus later learned, connected to other rivers throughout the land. Learning about the elven land was fascinating for the young prince who had never gone beyond his castle. In fact, this castle made his castle look like a tiny counting house.

The two guards stomped their staffs in front of a door the color of lapis lazuli. With a slow roar, it slid aside revealing a long carpeted hallway. When Cyrus stepped inside, he felt like he was underwater, and sure enough, he looked to his left and right and saw giant glass walls of the purest blue water. Everything from the vases and pedestals to the carpets to the ceiling chandeliers were a lovely shade of aquamarine. As the guards made their way to the end of the hallway, another elf stood with her arms crossed.

She was elegant and tall, reaching six feet. She made everyone marvel at her stature. Her eyes matched the color of the water, a refined and pure blue. Her hair was short and brown with brilliant silver streaks much like Oga’s but it was much more kept. Her nose was long but shaped with a beautiful arch while her skin was a crimson umber that shone plainly without any tattoos. A purple and dark blue royal robe draped her skin, but she still flashed the trademark Aqaun midriff. Her eyes froze over when she saw Oga and the people who accompanied her.

Cyrus watched as Antonio’s brown eyes flashed and his eyebrows wiggled mischievously. A sparkling white grin came over his face as he approached the elven vixen. “Hello there beautiful. Mi nombre es Antonio Corazon, y tu?”

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The elf without even a single flinch, walked passed him with her long nose pointed skyward, leaving Antonio to hang his arms limp. “Ouch, it is permanent winter in her eyes.”

“Wow,” Van said, her voice high and sardonic. “And you didn’t even betray her yet, Antonio.”

Antonio puffed out his chest in anger. “Vanessa, one day you’ll have to let that go,” he growled.”

“Pitiful humans,” the elven woman said with a voice that could freeze the water behind the glass. “Your bickering is almost as pathetic as your advances.”

The beautiful but ice-cold elf walked over to Oga who shuddered in her presence. “Se-Severa,” the little elf rasped.

Without warning, the woman took her hand and backhanded the young elf across the face. Oga’s eyes watered as Sevara spoke. “Dad is ready to have a conniption over you. Do you want to lose him like mom?”

“I….I…” Oga sobbed. “I was kidnapped…”

“Right…” Severa responded with a cold glare and a dismissive eye roll. “Well, let’s tell dad that the prodigal elf has returned.”

Severa opened the door with a wave of her hands and walked into the throne room, leaving everyone else behind.

“Cyrus mi amigo,” Antonio whispered to Cyrus. “Word of advice with the ladies. Be sure to spot the loco fast and get out while you can. That elven babe is certified Grade A loco.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Cyrus responded.

As everyone entered the throne room, Cyrus marveled at how giant waterfalls fell from the left and the right of the sapphire adorned throne. An older but still majestic elf sat perched in his throne. His hair was a silver blond and flowed off his head like white wine. He wore the regal purple and aquamarine colors of the palace, but much to Cyrus’ relief, his stomach was covered. “Aya,” he said as he rose to his feet. “Is that really you?”

Oga was silent but Cyrus saw her eyes look very weary when she saw him.

“Oh thank the great creator,” the elf king said with an outpouring of emotion. “My heart was consumed with so much grief. I couldn’t think of anything but you, my sweet daughter. Whatever curse has befallen our woods, I couldn’t even send my men out to search for you.”

The elf king raised his robed hands. “Come to me, my daughter.”

Oga, overcome by her skittishness slowly eased her way over to her father, followed by Sevara. Cyrus spoke quietly to Van. “Why do you think she’s so afraid of her father? He seems like a nice guy.”

”Don’t know,” Van responded. “But I never had a decent dad to start with.”

After the father looked at his child, inspecting her to see if she was harmed in any way, turned to Cyrus and his friends and spoke in a commanding voice. “Guards, excellent job, capturing the scoundrels who kidnapped my darling Aya. Take them to the dungeon!”

The guards drew their magical staffs and Cyrus felt his whole body tense up. “So…much…for…him…being…nice.”

“How…are…they…doing…this…?” Van asked Archibald.

“Seems…knighty…their…staffs…control…water…and…it’s…controlling…the…water…in…our…bodies…”

Van grimaced. “That…seems…a…bit…overpowered…don’t…you…think?”

The guards were about to haul Cyrus and his friends off until Cyrus looked at Oga and saw the look of vulnerability on her face turn to resolve. “Wait…” She shouted. “Stop. There were no kidnappers! I wrote the note myself with forger magic…”

”Because of course she did,” Sevara said, rolling her eyes again.

“Hold it men,” the elf king shouted. “Release the prisoners…”

Everyone dropped to the ground, gasping for the breaths that had been stolen from them. “Is that really true?” the king asked. “But why would you do that, Aya? We love you here.”

“Because…” the young elf started. Cyrus could see her face was full of pain and uncertainty. “I don’t want to be queen.”

Oga quickly ran from the throne and into the doors behind it.

“My deepest apologies for my daughter,” the elf king said. “I love her more than life itself, but I understand she is mischievous too. I now see that it was you five who rescued her.”

“Exactly, great kingy king,” Archibald said. “We played her little games and she came right with us. We are honorary orcs in her tribe.”

“I see,” the king responded. “I’m not sure where the orc business came from. She’s never met one and the only place she’s heard about them is from books, but one day she started acting like that.”

“Perhaps a trip to the royal psychiatrist is in order?” Antonio said with a laugh.

“No medicine for us,” the king responded laughing too. “We elves believe in all natural holistic therapy.”

“I’d love to discuss medicinal practices all day, your elfiness,” Archibald said. “But we have come to request passage up Hynnest Ridge by the big river. Is there any way you could help us to the top of it?”

“Of course,” the king said. “And for rescuing my daughter, I will grant you that privilege. Come tomorrow my men will set out with you and you’ll reach the top in no time.”

“Oh thank you great kingy king,” Archibald said with a humble bow.

“Just for tonight, you are allowed in the royal quarters to rest,” the king responded. “Consider this and breakfast tomorrow as my gift to you outsiders for your good deed.”

Everyone bowed and thanked the elf king, but Cyrus couldn’t help but wonder about a phrase the guards said when they begged Oga to come with them.

“Oh great elf king,” Cyrus asked. “Can you please tell me what the sacred water bearer is?”

“Normally, that is insider knowledge,” the king said. “But…I am feeling generous today so I will let you know. The sacred water bearer is the queen of Silver Waters. Females in the royal family have a special power that no other Aquarian has…They grant the gift of purity to the sacred spring which connects to every river throughout the land.”

“Oh so it’s Oga who purifies this land’s water?” Van asked.

“Aya…” the king corrected her. “And yes, she was born with the ancient markings of the water bearer much like my wife. Only certain females in the royal family are born with them, my other daughter, Severa was born without them.”

For a brief second, Cyrus saw a look of remorse and regret in Severa’s eyes but it quickly vanished.

“I understand,” Cyrus said. “Just…why would Og…I mean Aya be so upset about becoming the water bearer? It sounds like an honorable duty.”

The king shook his head. “I don’t understand either. It’s no great sacrifice. All it requires is a piece of your soul. But I digress, I must retire to my quarters and rest. Thank you once again for everything you’ve done for us, heroes. Have a good night.”