Chapter 21 #2
We head out from camp, the day is misty and thankfully we don’t have to head up the mountain, but we do have to slog down into the sloshy bog, heading deeper into the forest.
Knowledge of the way to the Lady of the Lake is passed down, like the way a recipe is passed down; the most secret ingredients told only to a select few.
Corrik and Alrik, being part of the royal family have been gifted with this knowledge and can only show the convoluted route to other members of the royal family.
This means Corrik, Alrik, Diekin and I must carry on past this point alone.
“We will set up camp here, and look forward to you joining us as Elf, Tristan,” Jagar says, keeping the expected, respectful distance he didn’t need to maintain when we traveled less formally.
I appreciate his words in the way I might appreciate them from my father.
Jagar is a less hostile version of him and I can’t help feeling surrounded by his care for me in the same way I do Father’s.
We move on foot, leaving our horses with our entourage.
After an hour of trudging through the rough forest, hacking our way through the ungroomed path, clearly not traveled by anyone or anything and we come up against the side of the mountain. Once we’re there, we stare up at the sheer size of Mount Drakora. “Right, we carry on this way,” Alrik says.
It’s exhausting moving through the brush, at least for me, trying to keep up with three Elves, but I refuse to complain. When I start to trail behind, Corrik slows for me, only some, not wanting to insult me, but I’m frustrated. That will be an upside of becoming Elf, keeping up.
“Triiissssstan … Trissstan, go!” a voice says, one that’s achingly familiar, only I can’t quite place it.
“Cor, do you hear that?” I say to him below the sounds of us hacking our way through. The brush is thick here, we all have swords out, cutting a path where there isn’t one.
“Hear what, love?”
“I heard my name. I think it happened last night as well, but I thought I was hearing things.”
He stops and takes up a defensive stance as he uses his other senses to scan the area. “I’m sorry, I don’t hear anything.” He’s concerned though. “C’mon. Let’s make you an Elf. Not much we can do about strange voices for the moment anyway.”
There are a lot of twists and turns and I know I’m only able to continue on the right path because I’m with them; a human would simply be lost within the dark landscape. I’ve already seen the boney remains of a few who did manage to make it in here.
While I’m hesitant, I can feel the pride peeling off Corrik.
I watch his wavy blond hair, the brightest thing in this place.
I don’t hear the voice again; I focus on hacking the brush.
Finally, the path opens to a vast lake. It’s a brilliant pastel blue, which is a stark contrast to the darkness that surrounds it.
In the center is a pillar. “The pillar of Varys,” I say.
“That’s right.” Corrik smiles moving over to the lake.
Alrik watches over me carefully and I’m reminded of his obligatory responsibility toward me.
“How do we summon her?” I ask. There is nothing in the books about this. It must be taught, just like learning the directions to get here.
Corrik smiles and starts removing his clothes. “Undress, my love.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve been shy about nakedness, but for some reason now, I flush with embarrassment even though Corrik’s undressing too, with no shame whatsoever.
Wanting to get this over with, I do so quickly, leaving only the necklace the king gave me around my neck.
It’s a magical amulet that says he’s sanctioned this.
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with it.
There’s also the cuff from Strobavik. I’ve been good about keeping it on.
Mostly good. There was that time I removed it during practice because despite Strobavik’s assurance it would be fine, I was worried it wouldn’t be.
I lost it for an hour. When I found it, my relief was short-lived.
Somehow, he knew as soon as he saw me—that was not a pleasant spanking.
But this is going to involve water and I’m to take it off to bathe. That’s mostly for cleanliness reasons but what will this water do to it?
“I’ll hang onto your cuff for you, Tristan,” Alrik says.
That’s not suspicious at all. But it’s not like a can refuse him in front of all these Elves. Corrik could say something, but it’s a pick your battles situation. Corrik nods for me to do it. I remove it and toss it to him.
Alrik and Diekin perch on either side of the lake, for protection. We are fairly safe since we are permitted in this area by the creatures who live here, but no place is without some danger.
Corrik wades into the water, without acclimatizing himself to the cool temperature—Elves—but I’m not so ready to dive in after him even though I would like to cover up.
Partly because I know how cold that water’s going to be, but also because this feels even more intimate than sex.
“Come, my darling,” he says beckoning me.
The sun shines into this place, but it’s minimal, shining only on the water where Corrik is.
His golden hair is that much more golden with the white streaks popping, making him look like a good spirit.
He’s also starkers, and there are few things in this world more miraculous than Corrik’s naked body.
He’s strong and powerful and I’m drawn to him.
Some days I still can’t believe he’s mine.
Other days I want to knock him off a bridge.
I dip my toe in the lake; it’s cold, it’s freezing, and I wonder if I’ll die of frostbite before I become an Elf.
Corrik doesn’t seem to be struggling, a creature made for this kind of cold, but I shiver, even with my long hair to surround me.
He pulls me into his arms when I get close and his body heat helps, but let me tell you, I’m looking forward to this being over. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Corrik nods, keeping me securely to him with one arm, he holds the other out and lets it hover over the water, just touching the surface.
He releases energy as ‘magic’ I know he draws from the world, murmuring some words in Elvish.
White light spreads across the water and thankfully, the water heats up enough to take the bone-numbing edge off.
The light gets so bright, I can no longer see Diekin or Alrik.
But I can see something gliding to the surface from where the pillar disappears into the water.
As it gets closer, I see that it’s a naked Elven woman with long red hair and she’s glowing as brightly as the water.
She towers over both me and Corrik, by at least a few feet.
Her eyes are too blue, and a chill runs through me that isn’t because of the cold water.
She looks like she could eat me, and she might. “Tristan Arcade Kanes,” she says, her voice sounds like tinkling glass.
“Y-Yes,” I say and turn in Corrik’s arms to face her.
She uses her large hand to grab my face from either side of my jaw, it’s as ice-cold as the water was before Corrik heated it with magic. Her fingers scratch as she grasps onto the medallion the king gave to me, it seems to satisfy her. “You want to become Elf,” she states.
Corrik isn’t scared, which gives me courage and it’s not like I’ve never been a sassy so-and-so while scared before, I don’t see why that should change now. “No, I just like submerging myself in freezing cold water, in the buck, for no reason.”
Her eyes frown. “I was warned about you. I suppose you cannot help your fiery dragon spirit, but I ask you to temper it for now if you would like your request granted.”
I can feel Corrik burrowing his eyes into me. I’m going to pay for that later. So far, she is amused enough not to send me packing. “Yes, ma’am.”
She runs her cold hand along my bare skin and trails it down to my penis, which she takes interest in. “This is nice,” she says gripping it in her icy palm.
I glare at her. “If you don’t mind.”
She smirks. “Not to worry, Tristan. I know you have three other men in your life, none of whom would like me doing much with this.”
Three…?
I count two possibilities she could mean and one of them is out of my life forever. “Are you going to make me an Elf, or not?”
“You pass the test. You do have the required magic.” I do? “Your destiny is in this realm, but will you pay the price?”
“Price?” Corrik says. “I was not told of any price.”
She laughs. “Oh Highness, you know better than that. There’s always a price for magic.”
Corrik grips me tighter. “What’s the price?” I ask.
“I don’t know Tristan. The universe will ask it of you at some point and you will have to pay it, or you will die. Becoming an Elf will take a large amount of energy from the Earth.”
“Can I pay it for him?” Corrik asks.
“No. It must come from Tristan.” She looks at me. “Are you willing to pay the price?”
I hope my future self doesn’t regret this. “I—”
“—Tristan wait. Don’t do it,” Corrik says.
I spin around and study him with exhausted eyes. “I know you don’t forget I have to, Cor.”
He’s regretful. “I shouldn’t have done any of this. You were happy in your old life.”
“There was a time I would have agreed with you and while I’m still terrified to do this, I know I’m in the right place.
I am happy in my new life, it’s where I’m meant to be.
” It still feels like I’m leaving my family even further behind, but facing responsibility is part of growing up.
From the outset, I’ve been told that this was my destiny, and I fought that because I create my life.
But I understand more and more that while there is some accommodation for free will, I can’t escape this path. All roads keep leading in one direction. I still create my life, but there’s destiny too, a sort of combination between free will and predestination—Freedestination.