I scrambled back to my feet, adrenaline surging. This wasn’t some weird LARP. This was real. And I could die a horrible death.

Another burst of energy emerged from the man’s hand. The woman and I both leapt away from its trajectory. It struck a tree, splinters bursting into the air.

Whatever they were, there was something off about their vibe, or their aura. It felt dark, as if he were engaging with something evil. Their glances were cold, and made him think of serial killers or war criminals.

The woman, quick and graceful, rolled to her feet, pulling an arrow from her quiver. "Get behind me!" she barked, notching the arrow and drawing back the string. She shot directly at one of the… wizards?

But the hooded man lifted a hand, and the arrow bounced off the air itself.

To my shock, she took a quick step back, unsheathed, and placed her blade against my neck. I gasped and swallowed, lifting both arms.

What was wrong with her?

“One more step and I’ll chop off his head,” she hissed.

And the wizards stepped forward, expressionless.

“I’m serious!” she shouted, while I felt steel dangerously close to my Adam’s apple.

“We don’t know what this freak is supposed to be,” said one of them. “All we know is I’m gonna drink rebel blood tonight, after, of course, enjoying you as a cauldron.”

Cauldron? Whatever that meant, it sounded disgusting.

“Hey, what’s that sick game supposed to be?" I hissed, addressing both parties.

My words meant nothing to them, because that very second, three sorcerers raised their glowing hands and hurled their magic at us. One of them went for her head. She ducked, barrel rolling forward and swinging her blade from below. The wizard was fast, dodging the sword’s edge, then thrusting his magic energy again.

“Girl, careful, he’s right behind you!” I shouted, just as another wizard was casting a spell. She turned ever so slightly, sinking her blade into the man’s belly, cutting right into his flesh.

Apparently, they couldn’t attack and raise those magic shields at the same time.

And… she had just gutted the man in front of my face.

Well, I was supposedly trained to deal with the unexpected. I took a gulp of air and stood back.

Meanwhile, the other guy fixed his cold eyes on me, his bad-guy robe fluttering softly and a creepy smile on his face, a few of his teeth stained black with bacteria and plaque, another two missing. They really didn’t have dental care in this place.

I could see nothing but pure, unbridled hatred in those eyes. The man lifted his hand, revealing that creepy spiral tattoo, and a ball of energy formed in his palm.

And he hurled it at my face.

“Oh, shit,” I hissed.

I didn’t have much of a social life, but most of my free time had been spent training, and instinct kicked in. I leaned my entire body to the side, narrowly missing the blast of light.

I went in for a takedown, arms below his knee caps, pulling the man to the ground.

I got on side control, chest to chest, knees against his hips, but magic sprang to life in the sorcerer’s hands. Those hands were dangerous, so I planted my knee right on his forearm, slid my hands under both sides of his collar and pulled them together for a choke.

The sorcerer stuck out his tongue, as his blood flow stopped. He went to sleep in an instant.

But then, the problem with using jiu-jitsu in a street fight hit me—literally. A sharp pain struck my ribs and sent me flying to the opposite side.

“You do know how to fight!” the girl shouted, leaning on her blade. It was stained red and dripping. I barely contained my shock when I saw the severed head of one of them. I breathed in to keep calm and give it no more thought.

And the went to get the head of the one I’d downed. I barely had time to flinch.

Anyway, I faced away from the grisly scene and cleared my throat. There was one more to go.

They weren’t that tough. The problem was their magic. Although I felt like my ribs had been hit by a truck. Those were energy blasts, I thought, like pure kinetic energy slamming into my body.

I grunted. Luckily, my ribs weren’t broken, but that would leave a nasty bruise.

The last sorcerer raised his hands, fingers crackling with energy as the air around him shimmered. His lips moved silently, and a faint glow began to pulse, growing into a ball of purple light that leapt toward me. I dodged one, and then another, while zig-zagging closer to the man. He didn’t look fit at all. Were these just office nerds, or rather, scribes, who had casually learned to throw magic?

Although... I didn’t realize I was so fast myself.

When I closed the distance, I pivoted on my feet and planted a Muay Thai low kick into the wizard’s thigh. It sank deep into his flesh, he lost balance and fell to the ground, his head recoiling, a huff escaping from his mouth.

Then, I followed up with a single shin kick to the head.

It knocked the sense out of his brain.

I stood back in combat position, the pain on my torso swiftly returning before I saw the woman lifting her blade in front of me. She swung it against the ground, severing the sorcerer’s head.

***

“What happened?” I asked through gritted teeth.

The woman walked toward me. I… didn’t know whether to stare or look away at the carnage at her feet. Three literal severed heads. And she walked about as if nothing remarkable had happened.

I took in her beautiful figure, noticing blood stains on her silk robe. And it definitely wasn’t her own. She leaned her sword on her shoulder and looked at me.

“You need elven medicine, or it’s gonna get nasty,” she replied.

“Elven? Wait, there are elves here? What’s going on? Who were those people we just fought, and—”

I paused.

The way she looked at me had changed drastically. And it wasn’t just that she wasn’t trying to kill me.

“You’re actually a skilled warrior,” she said, prying closer, eyes open wide. She reached for my arm and clenched my biceps. “Well muscled, aren’t you? What’s your weapon of choice?”

I blinked in surprise. She had a tendency to avoid my questions.

“How about I ask the questions for once? Where am I?” I asked.

She leaned back for an instant, taking the time to fix her hair.

“Well, the forest of Mira,” she explained. “Border between the Verdant Court, protectors of life, and the human kingdom of Alabenia. And now, with borders, too, with Hath Aman’s proxies.”

“I have no idea what you just said.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Well, then you answer my questions, fighter. What’s your weapon of choice?”

“Me? I don’t use weapons. I’m a wrestler.”

“An assassin, then? The way you choked that man. That’s something an assassin would do. And if what you say about the portal is true… You might be what the elves have talkies about.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s start from the beginning. Who are you, and what’s happening here?”

She stood tall and took a step closer, her ponytail flapping graciously. My god she was beautiful. She cleared her throat and spoke as if she were trying to make an impression. Or if she were a badass anime character.

Her hand rested on the pommel of her sword and she stood back. The only thing missing were the cherry blossoms.

“I will give you my name,” she leaned her head down. “For you are worthy to receive it. Stranger, I will be forever grateful for your valiant heart. I am Alynna Raxaloi, daughter of Chief Kahran, Khan of the Tyrpani. Far from home, I gather allies to rise against the reign of the Cursed One, Hath-Aman. That’s why I’ve come to the land of the elves, where I am now under the employment of Commander Zyra.”

“Wait, so this is elf territory? And they’re from the land of... Kablai Khan or whoever?”

“Yes. And we fight Hath Aman. Our allies oppose him. But we’re on the borders, and the enemy is making incursions. You should come with me. I’ll take you to them. Not as a prisoner, but as an ally, I promise.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Seemed like I was going with her either way. I still didn’t know what to think. Elves? Like Lord of the Rings Elves? I cleared my throat and gave her a serious look. “So, do these elves do magic?”

“High magic.”

“Well, that’s perfect! I think I got here through some kind of magic. Maybe they can help me get back home. What do you think?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. What you described. I mean, the portal you mentioned, sounds like something their goddess would do.”

“Goddess?”

She hesitated, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“When you saved me, I felt... First of all, I apologize for how I behaved at first. I should’ve known better. But for a moment, I thought—”

“You thought what? That I was one of the bad guys? Well, I didn’t like that you had a sword to my neck. But I get it.”

“You protected me nonetheless! However, I…”

I hated when people left things unfinished like that.

Frustration boiled inside me. I had a flight to catch, damn it.

But how was I supposed to explain that I’d been delayed because I had to choke out a wizard?

“Before we go any further, I should at least know your name,” she said.

“Oh, right. Sorry, I was rude. I’m Cap…” Yeah, maybe the title wasn’t important now. “Connor. Connor McKinney,” I replied, extending my hand.

“May your blade strike true,” she said with a nod. “Or, fist. Choke? Now let’s get you to the elves.”

She began turning back. God, that was one glorious ass. I looked up. Please, Connor, don’t get into trouble this time. “

I stood up, and a sharp jolt of pain tore through my side.

“And you definitely need someone to heal that wound.”

“That’d be nice,” I growled through clenched teeth.

We continued through the forest, pushing on despite the growing discomfort in my ribs. I tried to ignore the pain like I’d done countless times before —I was an underslept 35 year old who rolled in Jiu Jitsu and sparred muay thai, I… had pains every morning— but this injury felt different, deeper. The climb up the steep hill didn’t help either. As we ascended, I noticed how ancient the landscape seemed, as if it hadn’t been touched by time.

“Here,” Alynna said, stopping to sit and rest. “I have something that I hold very dearly, and I’d like to share it with you.”

She pulled a small bag from her pouch, held tight with tiny ropes. She unwrapped it carefully to reveal a thick slab of cheese.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, unsheathing a leaf-shaped knife from her belt and slicing a piece with delicate precision.

“Cheese? I love cheese!” I exclaimed as she handed me a perfect triangle-shaped slice. I just hoped it wouldn't give me food poisoning, as it had been my recent experience in the Southern Hemisphere. My stomach wasn’t exactly iron-coated.

“It’s made by the elves, but it’s in the style of my people,” she said, smiling proudly.

Elven made? I trusted if I hadn’t gotten sick drinking bhang in Calcultta, elven cheese wouldn’t kill me.

I bit into it. It was firm, salty, and had a goaty flavor. This was no simple cow cheese.

“Goat cheese?”

And then, she stuffed the other half of the slab into her mouth.

“Not a goat,” she said with a grin, cheese crumbs on her lips and teeth. “It’s from a steppe rihansun. It’s a deer from where I’m from. They’re gorgeous like you won’t believe. My people even ride them!”

I chewed quickly, my stomach growling. Now that’d be interesting to see, humans riding deer.

“Nice,” I said, swallowing.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have something to drink, would you?” I said, wiping my lips with a finger.

She sighed. “Back home, I never left my yurt without a wineskin of kumis. Unfortunately we’re in elven lands. They haven’t gotten around to milking horses yet. Can you believe it? They’re grossed out! It’s the secret of my power.”

I chuckled.

I’d tried kumis before, in Astana, Kazakhstan. It was gross, but the locals loved it. Now this was interesting. I was in front of a real nomadic steppe herder and soon, I’d be meeting actual elves.

“But I’ve got boring old water. Here, take a sip.”

I drank like a man who’d wandered the Sahara for a week. It was a struggle not to finish it.

We hiked for a few hours, the terrain grew steeper, until finally, I saw the elven village, with tall, elegant structures perched high in the foliage, built into the forest without harming a single tree. We stepped through a narrow stone road and entered the village.

“Wow, who might you be?” A soft, melodic voice interrupted my awe. It sounded like she was really pleased to see me.

I turned to find a literal elf sitting cross-legged on the ground, as if she were doing yoga. She had golden, wavy hair that reached down to her hips, and wore a tight-fitting green dress with a golden belt around her waist. She quickly adjusted her position, shifting her bare legs to the side, cocking her beautiful face to get a better look at me.

And the way she looked at me, man, I could tell bedroom eyes when I saw them.

Did I mention that blondes were my weakness.

I stepped forward.

“I’m Connor. Pleased to meet you. What’s your name?”

“Wow, asking names so casually,” she mused, leaping gracefully to her feet. Her dress was shorter than I’d expected. My God, those were legs to die for, perfectly tanned, thick as hell, with a hint of her quads forming over her knee. And there was something in her eyes. Mischief? Curiosity? “But I’m elated to meet you, connor. I’m Lariel” She reached out, lightly touching the fabric of my shirt. “What’s this? You’re not Alabenian, I’m sure. Where are you from?”

“Lariel,” Alynna interrupted, her tone more serious now. “I really need to speak to the commander. I’ve got to report something.”

“What report?” another voice chimed in, this time from a brunette elf with a bow slung over her shoulder and two red marks over her forehead. She wore a leather armor that seemed more like a corset, with chainmail underneath. And man, she looked strict as hell. And hot. Why was every woman I met in this place a 10 out of ten?

“Commander Zyra,” Alynna said, falling to one knee. “I need to report on the day’s events. We encountered three mages, all of them were taken down and their bodies thrown in the river. I buried the heads, in case you need proof.”

“No need for heads,” Zyra said with a hint of disgust in her voice. Then, she eyed me warily. “And this man. Is he your prisoner?”

“He’s a captain in his world,” Alynna offered. “He might have come through with Aria’s power.”

“Oh.” Zyra’s eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed again. “Are you sure he’s not a spy sent by Hath-Aman? No weapons? I read no magical power with Aria’s system.”

“System?” I asked.

Zyra didn’t answer me. She didn’t seem convinced either, but she motioned to the others.

“Alright,” she hissed, looking at me from head to toe. “Let’s bring him to Mother.”

“Amazing!” Lariel said. “You come right through Aria’s portal toward us! That’s really a-ma-zing! Don’t you think, Zyra that he…?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions so quickly, Leriel,” Zyra admonished her, stretching a gloved hand in front of her face.”

Leriel shook her head. “Do you know what this could mean Zyra? Prophecies! They’re real. Aria’s about to help us.”

Zyra nodded curtly, cocking her head sharply to urge us forward.

They escorted me through the settlement. Alynna filled Zyra in on everything that had happened. Zyra pressed me for details about being a captain, and I did my best to explain the concept of planes. Her skepticism was clear, but what I was saying seemed so outlandish that she couldn’t help but believe me.

The village was stunning. And I was surrounded by elves! My stomach twisted into knots. Was I really about to meet some kind of elven queen or high priestess? Had I lost my mind? Maybe I was in a hospital somewhere, high on ketamine or some opioid, hallucinating all of this.

If so, this ketamine trip didn’t seem like it was ending anytime soon.

But I couldn’t help noticing the cautious glances from the inhabitants. They seemed suspicious, their gazes following me as we made our way toward the largest structure in the center of the village.

Two towering elves in heavy plate armor guarded the entrance, their ears poking out from beneath their helmets, as tall as NBA players.

“A prisoner?” one of them asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not exactly,” Zyra replied curtly. “But we need to see her immediately.”

“I’m sorry commander,” answered the elf, eyeing me casually. People just stared at me here. “She’s not taking visitors today.”

“Why not?” Zyra demanded. “This is urgent! Tell Mother that this is a life-or-death situation.”

“It’s her meditations,” the guard responded.

Just then, a soft voice echoed from inside.

It was eerie and feminine, but carrying the wisdom of age. More than that, the serenity of someone who’d lived hundreds of lifetimes.

“Let him in.”

The soldiers exchanged glances before making way for us. Leriel inched me forward, a bright smile on her face.

The smell of incense—although with an alien hint, different from anything I’d ever smelled—was unmistakable, like the aromas that could be experienced in Buddhist temples in Asia, but with an earthy twist.

And there she was, their so-called, Mother, sitting cross-legged on a mat, a green banner with a sundial behind her. She was breathtaking, with long, straight blonde hair that cascaded down, covering most of her body. And, by the way, she was wearing nothing under that… hair. Her face showed no signs of age, but her eyes, those eyes were old.

Zyra, Alynna, and Lariel immediately dropped to their knees. I followed suit.

“Mother,” Zyra said, pressing her forehead to the ground. “I’ve brought this human, who claims to have been transported through…”

“He’s found his way, splendid,” the Mother interrupted, her voice serene. “Bring him forward. The goddess wishes to speak with him.”

Lariel slapped my butt. I walked forward and knelt right in front of the woman.

She extended her hand toward me, golden-jeweled necklaces tinkling softly as she did.

“Take my hand,” a voice whispered inside my head. It was, female, alright, but not Mother’s serene voice. It was more high pitched and girly. “Do not be afraid.”

As soon as my skin touched hers, my soul shot into the sky.