Chapter 4

	Arsofina looked behind her. The human she had been escorting through the forest for the past few days trotted along after her. Thanks to all the footpaths leading to the outpost, the man’s pace had greatly increased. He was also beginning to look a bit less gaunt and haggard, and his waist and face were beginning to return to their full shape. Still, he was caked in muck and slime, and his clothes would not last much longer. And his wounds needed tending; more than the basic first aid you had been giving him. The path in front of her widened, and a tunnel through the brush could now easily be seen. Even the human could tell that they were close.

{Hey! This means we’re close right? This trail? Are we near some sort of ranger station or something?}

	His chattering meant nothing to her. It had become apparent that he spoke not a word of common, or any other language she had heard of. It was a strange language that alternated between nasally highs and throaty lows. Up and down, up and down. Perhaps his people spoke in a specific rhythm.

“People. Soon.”

	She pointed at herself and him and then gestured to the sun, and a lower into the sky. The human gave a broad grin, and even increased his pace a bit. Odd, his teeth appeared to be pristine. At a glance, they all appeared to be in perfect order, no jutting out or crossing over could be seen. Such a thing was common among incubi, but normal human teeth seldom came in so perfectly. Was taking him to Oreath safe? She paused as he caught up with her. His alien blue eyes stared up at her, full of anticipation. No. This man was no monster. Even if he did turn out to be dangerous, a village full of elves was more than a match for a human who couldn’t even survive in the forest.

Arsofina grinned down at the helpless human, and strode off down the widening trail.
~~~~~~~~~~
	Civilization! At long last, you could see signs of human occupation! After following the ranger lady for days through the forest, the deer trails had given way to well-trod dirt paths, and now an actual settlement!

	A great break in the forest sprawled before you. All around, trees had been cut to the stump to clear space and build the small fortress ahead. Like the forts of yore, tree trunks were lashed together to form a wall around some structures that peeked over the sharpened tips. Curiously, the trees inside the wall had not been cut down; instead, they had been turned into a network of treehouses. You could see ropes and bridges crisscrossing above the town, forming an elaborate skyway.

	And people! For the first time since your arrival in this maybe afterlife, you saw more than one person. Tiny figures moved about the walkways or along the walls as a crowd bustled around the main gate. As you drew near, you could see many carried sacks or handcarts laden with everything from animal hides to timber. Something was seriously wrong though.

	The closer you got to the main gate, more and more people stopped what they were doing to stare in your direction. Eyes fell upon you, and soon the busy front gate was silent and still. Inside, figures began to congregate to see what had brought their commerce to a halt. They were probably just worried about you, right? You looked to your guide. She seemed tense. You now noticed that her pace had slowed, and her hands were nervously fidgeting with her cloak. A guard atop the wall gave a shout and was soon joined by a dozen other figures. When you were about a hundred feet from the crowd at the gate, the captain, (they must be the captain right?) gave another shout, causing your escort to jump and halt.

	Oh god, what WAS this place? Now that you were close enough, you could see that everyone in the crowd was dressed in a similar manner as your guide. They all had those long ears as well. Was this some kind of elaborate, extended larping session? The gender ratio seemed to be a bit skewed as well. Way more women than men. And why the FUCK were they all so pretty?! (no homo)
~~~~~~~

“Arsofina, what in the name of the GODS is that?”

	Arsofina looked at the ground, unable to meet the cold gaze of the guard captain. Captain Stellora was understandably upset, but Arsofina was certain that she could be convinced.

“I, uh… found him near the Akarondi, near the bridge. He was… hurt and-“

“And you brought it HERE?” Stellora completed the thought for her.

Arsofina winced at the accusatory tone.

“He was going to die! And besides, there’s something different about him! He’s not like any human I’ve ever seen before! He-“

“SILENCE!” shouted Stellora. “Those filthy creatures carry the taint, and you STILL bring one straight to our home! Dispose of it at once!” commanded the captain.

“No!” shouted Arsofina. Stellora’s eyes widened at Arsofinas retort. The desperation in her voice surprised even herself. “He isn’t an incubus, I… I don’t even know if he’s human! But he’s harmless! Look, you can quarantine him, or inspect him or... whatever it is to assure yourselves, but he can’t even survive in the forest on his own!”

Stellora glared down at her. How dare this trapper instruct HER on what to allow into HER stead. This shall not stand.

“Guards. Arsofina has already succumb to the corruption. Kill her, and the mongrel as well.” Stellora commanded.

The other guards exchanged worried glances. A few nervously knocked their arrows, but none of them readied to fire.

“Captain Stellora, is that really wise? I do not believe that Arsofina has been corrupted… perhaps we can…” the guards protest was cut off by Stellora’s stare.

The captain strode over to the elf and grabbed her by the throat. The guard let out a yelp as the Stellora tightened her grip and brought their faces together.

“You listen and you listen well, you treacherous harlot. I have protected this hamlet for YEARS without incident. Oreath has been safe until now because guards have followed MY orders. I will not allow this town to fall because IDIOTS like you take pity on lesser creatures! If you don’t shoot that vermin THIS INSTANT, I’ll throw you off this wall and you can die with them. Understand?” Stellora released the elf, who fell to her knees gasping.

The rest of the guards readied their bows and took aim at the now shaking elf and very confused human standing in the main road.

{WAAAAIIIIIITTTTTT!!!}
~~~~~~~

	Oh fuck! Why were they yelling at your guide?! Why was that lady strangling that guard?! WHY WERE THEY POINTING BOWS AT YOU?! Moving in front of your pointy-eared escort, you throw out your hands in a protective gesture and scream.

“WAAAAIIIIIITTTTTT!!!”

The entire crowd grows even more silent. No one had been speaking before, but your cry was followed by an even greater more profound silence than before. All eyes were now on you, wide with surprise.

“Uhh… look, I don’t know what you’re saying, and I am TRULY SORRY if I did anything wrong, but there’s no need to shoot anyone! Especially not Arsofina, she didn’t do anything wrong! She helped me, but I got lost in the forest so if you really need to punish someone, punish me!”

You panted and waited as the town stared at you with wide eyes.

{What the FUCK did he just say?}

The silence was broken by a woman in the crowd. Could it be that your plea had been heard? Were they going to one by one put down their bows and accept you? Would the crowd speak out against this injustice and demand that you be allowed to live?

{I don’t know, I’ve never heard anything like that before…}

{Is it some sort of accent? Was that even common?}

{What an ugly language, what human region is that from?}

{Maybe he’s retarded…}

Yes! It was working! The seeds of dissent had been sewn! The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, eyeing you and whispering. You excitedly turn to your guide, who had buried her face in her hands. She must be grateful!
~~~~~~
"We are so dead.” thought Arsofina. The human’s outburst had surprised the village, but the general consensus still seemed to be ‘kill the human.’

“Arsofina, what did that thing just say?” asked Stellora.

“I don’t know! He doesn’t speak common! Just look at him! I’m telling you, he isn’t like other humans! And I am NOT tainted! He hasn’t even touched me!” pleaded Arsofina.

	She did have a point. Stellora had never seen a human quite so… pale. And blue eyes! That was unheard of. His clothes were in tatters, but it was clear to see that they were not garments native to this land. Pants that were obscenely loose and only hung down to the knee, and a shirt without buttons or seams that only had sleeves to the end of the biceps. What a weird looking critter. No matter, a human was a human. A shame Arsofina was beyond saving, she was a good huntress.

“There can be no exceptions.” stated Stellora. “Archers! On my mark!”

Stellora raised her hand.

“That is quite enough captain.”

The attention of the town shifted to the new voice.

“Lady Irin!” Stellora gave a bow to the newcomer.

	Lady Irin had been the leader of Oreath before even Stellora had taken her post. Her white priestly garments billowed around her accentuating her curvy body, secured by a belt with a large topaz buckle above her wide hips. Though she was getting along in her years, time had spared her its ravages, turning her not into a withered husk but a matronly elder. Her flawless pale skin shimmered in the afternoon light, accentuated by her lustrous platinum blond hair. Accompanying her were two honor guard, who kept watch over the small temple at the heart of the village.

“Milady, I was just about to dispose of this filth. Arsofina has succumb to the taint, and now seeks to bring that bag of blight into our home!” said Stellora.

“My, my, he must be quite the opponent to call the entire garrison.” mused Irin.

“He may not APPEAR to be a threat, but the curse is insidious and there can be no risks taken!” said Stellora.

“Mmm… but did I not hear our dear Arsofina claim that he was untouched by the taint?” said Irin.

“She can no longer speak for herself! She is TURNED milady. Her mind is gone, she now is a slave to her carnal desires.” said Stellora.

“Is that so.” Irin said. Moving through the clump of guards she approached the edge of the edge of the wall. “Arsofina, my dear, are you a ‘slave to your carnal desires?’” asked Irin.

“No, milady.” Arsofina called back.

“Ara, it seems you were all worked up for nothing captain. Our huntress seems to be quite lucid.” said Irin with a hint of a smug grin.

“Milady they are DANGEROUS. I understand that you do not wish to kill them, but they cannot be allowed into Oreath!” hissed Stellora.

“Oh? Are we all out of spare beds? I could have sworn that there were-“

“Milady I cannot allow this to stand. I REFUSE to allow that VERMIN even a step closer to the gate!” said Stellora.

Lady Irin’s demeanor immediately darkened. Her gentle half lidded eyes and motherly smile were replaced with a tight-lipped glare.
“You forget your place, Stellora. You are captain by MY appointing, and while I am the one you are serving you will do what I say, when I say. That human down there is no threat, and Arosfina is of sound mind. We will permit them entry into Oreath, but under strict watch. If you cannot obey my wishes, I will find someone who can.” said Lady Irin in a cold and commanding tone.

“Y-yes milady. Forgive me, I did not mean to speak out of turn.” Stellora’s head drooped in shame.

Lady Irin approached the dejected captain and placed her hands on her shoulders.

“Raise your head, captain Stellora. Such a pitiful posture is unbecoming of a woman such as yourself.” The warm smile crept back onto Irin’s face. “I have watched over Oreath for decades, and I would sooner die than see it fall. Your unyielding vigilance is a boon unto us all, but your zeal must not be misguided. See how he moved to protect Arsofina from harm? Surely he has a good heart. The priestesses will inspect the human, and if it is not as Arsofina has claimed, then we will dispose of him. If he truly is free of the curse, we will allow him a brief time to recuperate and send him on his way.” said Irin.

Stellora raised her head and smiled at her superior. “As you command milady.”

Lady Irin turned to shout over the wall again. “Arsofina, my dear, we have much to discuss.”

~~~~~~~~~
	Madari stared down at the path before her. This trail was frequented too often to be a mere game trail, or even a hunter’s regular rout. Such traffic was only seen around settlements. Things just got complicated.

“Do you think they have reached a village yet chief?” said Yamazi.

“Without a doubt.” replied Madari.

The troop of amazons crouched silently around their leader. Night had fallen not long ago and the jungle was alive with the calls of insects.

“Then what are we to do?! We will never catch him at this point!” whined Yamazi.

Madari stood and let out a long sigh. “No, elves are no friends of humans. Our scouts will go forth and confirm that the man is in the village, and if so, asses the settlement. We will demand him from the elves, and if they will not cede him, we will take him by force.”

	Around her the other amazons shifted in excitement. Such battles were uncommon, but raiding an elven settlement meant more loot than they could carry. No men, but the goods plundered from such a raid meant the overall quality of life in the village would skyrocket. It was common knowledge that luxury items helped break men faster. They seemed to adjust better to being property when they had some amenities. Thus the common amazon sentiment: ‘always plan for a happy man.’

	Madari was not as eager to test the mettle of the elves. If the human was holed up in anything more than a small outpost, it may be more than the troop could handle. They were fine warriors, but elves were a far greater threat than humans. Their numbers alone may be enough to wipe out the raiding party.

Madari shook her head. All this speculation was pointless without more information.

“Scouts, forwards. The rest of us will make camp here and await your return. Take no longer than two days.” commanded the chieftess.

A few amazons gave a nod and split off into the forest. The remaining women began to make camp, chatting and bantering about what loot they would take.
~~~~~~
	You were going to live! Just when you had accepted your fate, the lady with the huge titties swooped in to save the day! Huzzah!
Your guide also seemed thankful. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped around you. You looked up at the row of archers, and tentatively took a few steps after her.

{Arsofina, could you have him wait there? I want the priests to inspect him first.}

It was the titty elf again. You didn’t know why they all looked like Legolas, but it was clear that they were going for the ‘elf’ look. You had to admit, as strange as it was, most of them were rockin’ it.

Your guide turned to you and held out her hand in a ‘stop’ symbol.

{Anon, stay.}

You had become familiar enough with her speech patterns to know that this was the ‘wait’ command. You stopped walking and watched as your escort began to chat with the woman in white. Apparently something you did was funny, because your abrupt halt caused some of the “elves” around you to snicker.

{At least he’s trained}

{Ha! Look at that! Arsofina went and found herself a hunting dog!}

	You look around at the crowd which had begun to surround you and chatter excitedly. For the first time since you arrived in this alien land, you felt self-conscious about your appearance. You were covered in dirt, sap, and vomit. Your clothes were in tatters. You hadn’t seen your reflection in perhaps a week, but you knew your hair was a mess of knots and twigs. The antithesis of the neatly dressed and impeccably groomed men and women around you.

{Uwahh, why is he so pale?}

{Maybe he’s an albino?}

{What region are those clothes from? I’ve never seen anything like it before…}

{Hey! Human can you really not speak common?}

{What’s with those eyes?}

{Arsofina is right, he doesn’t look like an incubus to me…}

You looked down at the dirt, feeling a bit ashamed.

{Alright, alright, clear the way. This is now a matter for the temple.}

The crowd of elves parted for a procession of women dressed in similarly to the woman who had stopped your execution.

{Come with me human.}

Oh shit. She was talking to you. What should you do? What does she want? All you can do is stare at her and tilt your head to the side.
The elf looked at you expectantly, and gave a frustrated sigh.

{Arsofina, how do you get him to move?}

Arsofina turns from her conversation with what you assume to be the town mayor.

{Anon, come.} Arsofina says.

	Ah ha! You know what that meant. You walk forwards and follow the small band of women. Maybe their doctors? It was clear that you were to follow them. As you pass your friend, you look back, and briefly make eye contact, before the crowd obstructs your view.
The town was larger than you had expected, by virtue of the fact that it sprawled up just as much as it did out. The wall was in the shape of an oval, with the central plaza you were in serving as some sort of market. All round you were stalls and shops with their goods on display, most abandoned as their proprietors and customers were now busy watching you. Above the ground level was construction such as you had never seen before. Giant branches and roots sprawled up and around each other, forming a network of roads and houses. You could see that there were even structures made by warping branches together to form knots in some of the larger trees. How did they do that? Some of these structures looked like they defied gravity. Were these people… real elves…? Was this really... not earth?

	Ahead of you, at the back of the wall farthest from the front gate, a gargantuan tree with a small entrance loomed over you. The tree itself was not as tall as the others, but it was at least fifty feet thick in diameter. Maybe more. The branches sprawled out in a circle, much farther than other trees you had seen here. Some of the longer branches were ten feet thick. There were several holes in the trunk, and you could see the gentle light of fire emanating from the door and what you supposed were windows. A large relief was carved above the door, showing a motherly woman with outstretched arms. Madonna. Was this a Christian church?

	You stared at the carving as you passed through the door. Inside was a cavernous chamber, lit with candles. Rows of chairs faced towards a central alter, a basin of stone with a similar relief of the woman above the door. You approached the alter out of curiosity. The basin was full of water. Holy water?

	Your speculation was cut short as the doors slammed shut behind you. Much to your chagrin, you noticed that they were now being guarded by some of the archers who had almost shot you. The woman who had lead the procession gave you a disdainful glare.

{Now human, we see what kind of corruption you harbor.}

You didn’t like where this was going.