Fiore and Jack breathe out matching sighs of utter relief as they pull up to Yakima - four and a half hours after leaving the I-84 rest stop, so there's still plenty of daylight, thankfully - and Jack mutters "Thank gods, we made it…"

Fiore adds "Without anything else happening."

Jack mock-cheerfully cheers, saying "It's a miracle!"

Both trade glances, then burst into semi-hysterical giggles for a minute - the past day and a half, give or take a few hours, has been an absolute nightmare for Jack and he can't imagine what state Fiore's in after two months of Antonino eagerly bringing up her impending birthday. He'd be more worried by far if they weren't both at their wit's end by now, between vampires, homicidal Witches, Fiore having learned she was kidnapped for some grand master plan by Dakkar and two homicidal magical twins, and everything else that's been going on besides.

He called his mom up and left her a voicemail about three hours ago saying he's alive and alright, has a good lead for tracking down his father, and he loves her. She didn't pick up, which probably means she's at work - he didn't even think about calling her until now, what with everything that's going on, but he can't focus on the guilt right now. Thankfully, the excitement of having a solid destination was a good distraction.

Once they park the car and get out, Jack glances around and says "Everything looks pretty normal…" It looks...like a regular human town, honestly.

Fiore looks around as well, then frowns and says "There's something here…but it's faint. Like the wind carried it from somewhere else."

Jack frowns, asking "Somewhere else? Like the trunk, you mean?"

Fiore shakes her head, saying "No, that's sealed off unless I activate it. This…it's coming from further away. Closer to the forest, probably."

Jack runs a hand through his hair, and mutters "This is the closest city to the Park, though…" He doesn't have any ideas about where else they'd be - he's not a compulsive reader like Taylor is, the most he 'knows' of Elves is binge-watching Lord of the Rings! And those three movies weren't particularly focused on the Elves shown in them in particular past a few specific scenes he can barely remember.

"Closest…that the humans know of, of course! Elves don't generally interact with humanity!" Fiore promptly facepalms before pinching the bridge of her nose.

Jack glances around, then asks "Ok, so…they probably live in the forest itself. But they'd want to keep track of who comes and goes from the forest, right?" He'd want to know who's in his home to, it's the same principle as getting security cameras or video recorder for the doorbell.

Fiore nods, then says "What's the closest settlement to the forest? Anything, a town, a small shack, something."

Jack quickly googles it, then says "A small town called Ashford, just six miles from the start of the park. The population is tiny…barely four-hundred people."

Fiore grins, then says "If that's not them, I'll change my hair to brown for the day. C'mon. You drive, I'll keep my senses open for anything."

They quickly get directions to Ashford, and drive over with the windows down - and, from Fiore's increasingly-excited expression, they're on the right track.

----------------------------------------

As soon as they get into the small town, Jack immediately tenses up at the feeling of eyes on them both even as Fiore lets out a breath like she's just been winded. He glances over for a split second before going back to the road, asking "You alright?"

Fiore nods, putting a hand to her head, and says "Yeah, just…wasn't expecting it to be this strong. We're definitely in the right area."

"Like 'this is Elf-city' in the right area, or 'we're getting extremely close' this is the right area?" At the moment, either option is viable.

From what Fiore knows, Elves are immortal so long as they aren't killed - they can't die of old age, but can be injured, poisoned, diseased, etc. So, it makes as much sense as anything else the past few days has that they'd want to live somewhere humans couldn't find them and question why a group of people is so long-lived.

Fiore closes her eyes a moment to concentrate, then says "A bit of both…I think the main part of it all is coming from the forest itself…but this town isn't barren of magic either." No, there's some kind of spell in the area - she can't identify it, as she isn't trained in magic like they are, but she can absolutely tell it's there. If she had to take a guess off the top of her head...something to let the Elves know if anything non-human enters the town.

Like...them, for instance.

Jack parks the car in the Ashford County Park car park, and they get out and look around. Fiore sways on her feet for a moment, putting a hand to her head again, and quietly says "It just surged. They know we're here…but whether they want to reveal themselves is another matter." The Elves might just think they're harmless or passing through, might decide to ignore them altogether. And, after everything they've been through to get here, that's not an answer either of them are willing to accept.

Jack hums, then asks "So…how do we get them to do so?" If these Elves know literally anything about his father, then he's not going to leave without seeing at least one set of pointed ears.

Fiore shrugs, saying "Honestly, I haven't got a clue. Wander around the forest, hope we pique their interest?" She suddenly gets a gleam in her eye, and says "I've got an idea for that, just now. Let's get into the forest, I'll see if I can get their attention a little more than we already have."

----------------------------------------

They end up walking the six miles to the forest, getting some very strange looks from the locals - elves, most likely, but still - and they get about thirty minutes in before Fiore says "Here, this should be far enough."

Jack looks around at the forest they're in, and says "Alright…cause, I'm completely lost. What do you have in mind?"

"We're gonna knock on their door and see who answers. Brace yourself." Fiore makes a bright ball of light between her hands, then slams it into the ground where it immediately spreads out into the earth so fast he barely sees it happen.

Fiore grins after a moment of anticipation, and says "That got their attention alright." Now, they have to see who shows up.

A strong breeze suddenly blows past them, buffeting the two of them from all sides like a small tornado, and Jack yells "I think it worked a little too well! This isn't like Sagami, is it?!" He can feel what Fiore was talking about now, a sensation like air and water with an electric current in it running across his skin - not the scales, he apparently can't feel much of anything through them, but he can feel it on every exposed inch of human skin on his body.

Fiore quickly grabs onto his arm so they don't get separated, yelling back "Doesn't feel like her! We should be safe!"

"Should?!"

When the unnatural wind suddenly dies all at once, they're surrounded by about twenty long-haired people with extremely-pointed ears and all manner of weapons - from long, sharp-looking swords to spears to arrows aimed straight at them.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

An elf man in leather armor with a tan and dark hair to his shoulders asks "What business could a human and an outsider Fae have in our forest? Much less getting our attention in such a way?"

Fiore says "It was the only way either of us could think of to get your attention, bar shooting a beam of light straight into the sky for the humans to see as well."

He crosses his arms, and condescendingly says "And yet, you've brought one here. You'll be brought before our Rulers to explain yourself."

One of the elves with a spear reaches for Fiore, and Jack quickly says "Whatever you do, don't-"

He grabs Fiore by the wrist before Jack can stop him or Fiore can move away, and the reaction is instantaneous - his eyes immediately dilate to their full width, his slightly-tanned skin flushes a bright red, and he lunges for her with a near-animalistic sound ripping from his throat at once. Fiore shrieks, rips her hand out of his, and quickly ducks under his outstretched arm and knocks his feet out from under him in what's undoubtedly a very practiced move - thankfully, four of the other Elves quickly restrain him, holding him up against a tree before he can recover whiel the rest back away from Fiore warily.

The dark-haired elf levels his sword at them again, as Fiore's made a strategic retreat to behind Jack's arm to avoid anyone else trying to grab her - not surprising, considering the detail that the one elf that did is still struggling against the tree he's pinned to, has a tent in his pants that indicates a very big and possibly painful erection, and is partially-incoherent - and warily asks "What Witchcraft was that? What have you done to Alfric? The Forest Wardens train for years to fortify their minds against all manner of magics, even if not all of us can actively use magic itself. Yet, somehow," he points his sword directly at Fiore's face, even as she glares at him from over Jack's arm, "you have just managed to weave some witchcraft into his mind at a single touch."

Fiore glares daggers at him, and says "I'm not a Witch, I'll have you know! And what just happened is what I generally refer to as my curse! Almost nobody can touch me without that happening!" This is why she can't ever let her guard down around people! She's gotten soft in that regard after just a few days in Jack's company - this is what she gets for having a conscience and apologizing to him, apparently.

The elf - Alfric, as he's apparently called - suddenly lunges forward before a female elf with rich Chestnut-colored hair falling down her back in sleek waves comes forward with a glowing hand. She presses it to his head, saying "Rest now, Curadh. Awaken when you're returned to us."

Alfric slumps over, unconscious in an instant. Two other Elves pick him up, one gripping him by the ankles while the other puts his arms under his armpits, and they quickly disappear into the forest. The woman turns her attention towards Fiore and Jack, and quickly walks over to the dark-haired Elf that seems to be the leader…and related to her, if the resemblance between them is anything to go by. "Fan do lámh, Aeson. Ní leor ach miotail, a Dheartháir, chun í a ruaigeadh."

Jack glances between the two Elves, whisper-asking "Do you have any idea what they're saying?"

Fiore shakes her head, and whispers "Not a clue. Must be in Elvish."

The dark-haired elf never takes his gaze off them as he asks "Cad air ansin, a Dheirfiúr? Tá sé de dhualgas orm ár ndaoine a chosaint ó bhagairtí ón taobh amuigh, Rania."

She shakes her head after a moment, saying "Ní mhothaím draíocht ar bith uaidh. Cumhacht, tá, ach ní draíochta."

After a moment, the elf woman says "I've never known Fae to consort with demons, yet you reek of black magic."

Jack shifts so he's a little more in between Fiore and the elves, and says "That's the thing about having a run-in with a homicidal pack of demon-crows that turns into a woman who looks like she's already dead. The stench gets everywhere. Especially when they try to cast a spell on you." 'What is it with people saying someone stinks? First those Werewolves, now this group?! Does anyone have any concept of manners?!'

All the remaining Elves trade glances, and the elf with the sword - Aeson, perhaps? - asks "What do you mean?"

Fiore snaps "He means the Witch that we fought tried to wipe my memories and seal my powers - for a second time, as she so graciously revealed in a scare tactic. Except she didn't count on Jack - she's dead, we're alive and intact, and that's all."

The female elf sidesteps Jack and waves a glowing hand around Fiore even as the red-head jerks away out of sheer habit, then says "She has no contract, no connection to anything. It would appear they're being truthful. Tá sí ionfhabhtaithe le draíocht dhubh, a dheartháir, ach is cosúil nach bhfuil aon cheangail aici le haon rud go háirithe. Mura dtagann an diabhal a raibh conradh aige leis an Cailleach a throid siad ar a son, ba cheart go bhfanfadh sé díomhaoin."

Jack asks "So…can you all put those down? Or at least point them somewhere else?"

The woman hums and nods her head…then waves a hand at them once more, and Fiore collapses as soon as a blue-ish mist-like energy hits them both.

"Fiore!" Jack immediately scoops her up before she can hit the ground, uncaring about the detail that the sweatshirt he's in explodes at the extreme movement and is only covering his chest because Fiore's body has it pinned there, but none of the Elves are moving to stop him. Eventually, the one with the sword - Jack's just going to call him Aeson until he gets a name, he decides - dumbfoundedly says "You're not human."

Jack glares at all of them, shifting slightly when he feels the muscles in his back move with the wings underneath them, and says "No, duh. Neither of us ever said I was, you just assumed as much. What the hell did you just do to Fiore?!" More than that, will it wear off, and if not how can he undo it?

The woman hums again, taking a step backwards and putting her hands up placatingly, then says "Forgive me, it was a sleeping spell. You were supposed to fall asleep like your companion here, and awaken in Asathaes, our city."

Aeson frowns, then asks "Did you…get bigger all of a sudden? Or is it just me?" Because...he swears this boy got bigger somehow or other as he bent to catch his red-headed companion before she could hit the ground.

Another of the elves breathes out "Briars agus dealga, a dhroim…" A few of the elves walk over, and have similar reactions.

Aeson - if that's actually his name - raises an eyebrow and asks "Cad é sin? An bhfuil rud éigin mícheart?"

The woman - Rania, maybe? - walks over, then gasps and says "Réaltaí agus Elementals, tá sé ina Dragon!" That's...not good, not good at all. She just incapacitated his traveling companion - at the very least - without warning or permission, after another of them lost control of himself and tried to attack her...and he's a dragon.

Dragons are notorious for protecting what's theirs. Which means they need to tread extremely carefully, because she doesn't want to be the one that invites the wrath of a dragon - even if he's still young - onto Asathaes.

Jack locks his gaze onto Aeson, sure his expression says just how done with this whole fiasco he is - he's half-naked in the middle of the forest, Fiore's unconscious, his back aches once more thanks to his wings shifting, and his arms are completely covered by scales from what he can see. Probably his torso, to, if how he can't feel anything bar something hard all over his chest and back is anything to go by.

He's completely done with today, and it's not even time for dinner yet.

Aeson's expression, gratifyingly enough, turns to shock and a bit of horror at his sister's proclamation - Jack may not understand most of that, but he definitely understood the word 'dragon' just fine. And he may not know anything about dragons, despite being one, but he knows facial expressions perfectly well. And that look says he's scared now - while Jack wouldn't normally be glad someone's scared of him, he's outnumbered and unarmed, his arms are full of an unconscious Fiore none of the others can touch, and one of them has magic. He's not complaining that now they're wary about doing anything else.

Aeson swallows, then gives a small bow and says "I am Aeson, and this is my sister Rania, along with a squadron of the Forest Wardens of Asathaes. Forgive our rash actions, my sister sensed your companion's energy and thought we were under attack."

Jack rolls his eyes, and says "We were knocking on your proverbial door. It was literally the only thing we could think of to get your guys' attention." If they wanted to attack the Elves, they wouldn't have gotten their attention in the most obvious way possible!

Rania nods, saying "Ah, yes, that is…understandable. What brings you to our hidden city?"

Aeson shifts like he wants to start walking, but Jack stays firmly in place and says "We're looking for my father. Who, in case this isn't obvious, is also a Dragon."

There's several phrases that sound suspiciously like swearing to Jack, even if he can't understand a word they're actually saying, and Aeson swallows once more before saying "Of course. I'll take you to our Rulers. King Gaelin Fenlar and Queen Tanelia Fenlar. They can tell you more about your father...if he's who I think he is." He can't mean the dragon on the mountain...can he?

Jack nods, takes a step towards Aeson…and then promptly hisses in pain as his wings decide that's their cue to start moving as well - just like Fiore doesn't know what powers she does and doesn't have beyond those she's unlocked, much less how to use them, he doesn't have a clue how to control his wings or keep them from moving inside his back.

And, Gods, one thing that would be absolutely wonderful right now would be some kind of genetic knowledge or instinct for how to do as much, because he doesn't fancy bleeding out from his back and leaving Fiore alone with a bunch of Elves that can't touch her.