Path of Their Own Ch. 01

He looked away from Naipee and tried to calm himself but each passing moment had him going into one new tier of pissed-off. Barely able to compose himself, he looked back to her and raised a glowing hand to her cheek. As clearly as he could get the words out, he uttered his healing chant and pushed his magic into her. But her tongue didn't come back.

"That's healing magic, Galen. It heals, it doesn't restore what was lost," Celia whispered.

With a combination of full-fired fury and heartbreak becoming visible on her rescuer's face, Naipee closed her mouth and nonetheless gave him a thankful smile, shrugging and tapping her chest bone with her fingertips, making a vague motion Galen didn't recognize.

"She says she tried same thing when cut, but only healed it in place," Celia murmured, staying impressively strong for her clan sister.

"Bet the Baron liked it that way," Felyn said snidely. "He would have been worried that she would tell the people the true reason she was in Ricton."

Naipee didn't look directly at the Drow, but she nodded.

Finally able to get a grip on the hot rage burning within, Galen met Naipee's teary gaze and asked, "Was it the Baron that did this?"

She shook her head.

"His son, Manning?"

Another negative, and his lips pursed under his hostile glower as he considered other options. After a minute of pondering however, the only other name he could think to ask was, "Pretayus?"

She shrank into Celia's arms and whimpered at the mere mention. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed a lump in her throat and gave a single nod.

With this the Private leaned his head back to look to the ceiling and empty his lungs. The knuckles on his right hand cracked as he made a fist, but then he relaxed it. He focused on taking deeper breaths to calm himself and kept the mental image of what he had done to that slaver at the front of his thoughts.

"If only I could've killed him twice. Fuck, I wish I could've killed him a thousand times."

He felt a yank on his shirt and when he looked down, Naipee was leaning in toward him with wide eyes. She pointed to her tongue and then made a slicing gesture across her neck with a questioning look.

"Pretayus is dead," he confirmed. "We ran into him in Atzla and he tried to enslave Celia. It was th' last mistake he ever made.

Naipee leapt from her sister's arms and threw hers around him. Without a word he held onto her, his embrace tightening slowly as she both squealed and cried with joy, weeping a decade's worth of pent-up emotion into his tunic. Glancing up at Celia, he found his love smiling warmly at him as he comforted her once-lost sister.

For what could have been five or ten minutes, he rocked Naipee back and forth, rubbing her back and letting her work it out. She was a mess, and her body had grown so hot with her efforts, but then finally he remembered his truly good news.

"I've settled things with the Baron as well," he said. "You're free from him. Free from Ricton. We're leaving here tomorrow to take you back to the clan."

Her hands moved and pressed against his chest so she could lean back and see if he was serious. With her shimmering, emerald eyes she stared into his altered, sky-blues and when he nodded in confirmation, she seemed ready to faint. Grabbing onto the shoulders of his jacket, she yanked him in and mashed their lips together, much to the soldier's surprise.

"Just wait until we return home, sister," Celia chuckled. "We'll need all our energy for our journey back."

...............

The morning sun shone warmly from the cloudless, blue sky above. From the Ricton rooftops sang several choirs of mountain birds that put a cheery tune on the morning breeze for the people in the street below. Some of the townspeople passed by the Slizzed Stag to investigate the thunder that had erupted there the previous night but found little to sate their curiosity. All there was to see in the local tavern was its owner preparing morning meals while a local carpenter applied stain to her floors and replaced a few of the wooden wall panels both inside and out.

In the street outside, the bodies of the bandits and guardsmen were gone, the former kept in a cold room for Giran authorities to come inspect while the latter were taken away for proper funerals. The whole of Galen's group, including Naipee, were gathered around the hitching posts for the horses where only one of the outlaws' mounts remained, the rest having been confiscated by the Baron for auction.

Inspecting that remaining horse alongside Celia, Galen idly scratched a spot on his chest that had bothered him upon waking this morning. Where he would have been quite satisfied to wake with a naked Felyn beside him and Petra against him, instead his sleep was cut short by a rising discomfort in his chest. Shallowness in his breath and a needling pain in his heart, he woke with a start and made both his bed mates do the same, only in a panic.

Celia and Naipee, who were sleeping on their own in the second bed at the latter's request, were on him in seconds. Before his condition had the chance to worsen, Naipee had him remove everything that his magic had stored away. In seconds, anything and everything he had was spilled out over the room floor. Two jerry-cans of water, several days' worth of rations, the pup-tent and sleeping equipment. Both his and Felyn's packs, ammo cans and boxes, all of their weapons. Even his armor, webbing, swords, and any other equipment he carried were splayed out for the women to gawk at.

By the time he was done, his body felt refreshed. The symptoms were gone, his lungs breathed freely, his muscles felt as relaxed as they ever had. To think he hadn't noticed any of his issues when he had gone to bed.

So the lesson was learned from Naipee, better interpreted by Celia, that his Elven conjuration, while useful, had its limits beyond those he had found prior. He could only pack so much for so long, and the more he packed, the less time he had before the burden caught up to him.

"I did not know that," his love admitted, embarrassed. "Apologize."

Whether or not there was anything he could do about it was a question he would have to save for Tanza when he returned to the clan. For now, all he kept in his storage was just what he would need for his short trek.

"It's probably gonna be a weeklong turn-around trip," Galen explained to his group as he tightened up the saddle to what had been the largest of the bandit's horses. The steed was easily over eighteen hands tall with thick, grey hair that got considerably thicker around its hooves and neck. Patting its side he could feel the powerful muscles in its body shifting under his touch with a strength that should be well suited for his needs. "Could be less since we're not ridin' in a wagon."

Crossing his arms and staring at what was probably a three-quarter ton mass of muscle, Flak let out a sigh and took a drag off his cigarette. "And you're going to be fine for it? You'll have two Elves to keep an eye on and no back up."

"I have my rifle, an' plenty of ammo," the Private responded. "Besides, with the stuff I bought this morning, we'll have everythin' we need to ride straight through to their clan with no chilly nights this time."

Following his breakfast after his rough start to the day came a short shopping trip into the town square for the things he needed. Cloaks for the Elves, tents and warm clothes for the group, and food they could eat without getting sick or being miserable.

Unconscious Galen smiled. Meaning anything that isn't army rations.

Having left Naipee with the others at the inn, Galen even went into Manning's store to pick up the "map of the eagle" that they had negotiated for. Surprisingly, the Baron's son was polite and hospitable from the moment he walked in the door despite what he had lost to the soldier the previous night. The only concern he seemed to have was brought up when their business was concluded, and all he dared to ask, was if the Elf was happy.

Galen had simply answered, "Yes," before he had walked out the door.

Shaking his head free of that memory, the Private looked to both Celia and Naipee in their new, forest-green cloaks, the two Elves both giving him thankful smiles in return. He grinned while tilting his head toward his mount in a motion for them to come forth. One at a time, he boosted the girls up onto the back of his newly acquired steed and let them settle on its leather saddle. The horse didn't even seem to notice their presence.

"One week," Petra said with a dead-serious look. "I will track you down if you are not back after that."

With a playful smirk curling up on her obsidian face, Felyn was quick to add, "Even if you're dwelling in a Tree Elf's bed, we will find you."

"I would hope you would," he chuckled as he climbed up onto the horse and seated himself between the girls. "I'll be back as quick as I can, I promise."

Petra and Felyn shared a smirk and gave their final farewells as Flak called, "Stay safe."

"I'll do my best. See y'all when I get back!"

He pulled the reigns to the right and spurred his horse as the Elves waved. With a grunt, the huge animal turned toward the north and broke into a trot. Sitting on the back, Naipee turned in her seat to give one final wave goodbye to the three people who had helped set her free. Then with another spur of the heels, the horse broke into a gallop to race off out of town toward the forest in the north.

"Well, if we got a week until he comes back," Flak started as he took one last puff from his smoke and crushed it under his boot. "That gives me plenty of time to get you two familiar with everything you have in your room. I don't expect to make marksmen out of you ladies, but I expect at least basic competency."

He turned to find both the Neko's and Drow's eyes lighting up with excitement.

"More shooting?" Petra asked as her tail snaked side-to-side behind her.

"We're going to spend a few days going through proper drills and handling. Shooting stances, trigger control, reloading under stress. And when you have those down pat?" He grinned at how their eyes were positively glowing before him, Felyn's ability filling his chest with her excitement. "Then we're gonna go out into a field, set up some targets, and then have some goddamn fun."

...............

The sun was setting when Galen and the two Elves dismounted into a dark clearing in the Atzla forest. Three days of riding made them grimace and utilize their magic to heal the soreness between their thighs. The Elves' glow was one of the few sources of light in this place as the tree's canopy above them was too thick for daylight to shine through, leaving the ground barren of grass and other plant life.

The only opening in the treetops was found around the titan of a tree that grew in the center of the clearing. It was encircled by a ring of vines around its trunk reaching up thirty feet and blooming with thousands of flowers. Staring at the bark that lay past that, Galen rubbed and squeezed his hands together as his body shuddered at the memory of scaling that dreaded surface.

To the naked eye, this area would seem empty, lifeless. To Naipee, it all seemed familiar but yet... coming near it had her feeling cold, unwelcome even. This place matched the description a trader gave to the Baron, of a dead, hidden grove in the shadow of a beautiful tree. She knew if she went any farther, she would black out to wake up on its outer edge later in the day just as he had. Yet Galen had brought her straight to this place.

This is where my clan's village is hidden, Naipee guessed.

She couldn't recall herself. Those memories had been stripped from her when Tanza realized they couldn't save her from the slavers. With the torture inflicted upon her, she doubted she could have kept the secret had she still known it, so she didn't blame the Elder for the wiping of her mind.

I still remember my magic and my sisters, the joys I had with them... and the purpose I served.

What was done to her was in the name of safeguarding her family. Their magic was as powerful as their bodies were beautiful and should anything happen to all of them, Atzla forest would wither, and its god would die.

As she, Celia, and Galen stood on the edge of the clearing, the three of them felt something warm touch their foreheads. To anyone watching, they and their horse would have faded from existence, but to them it was a whole different experience. The emptiness of this place was filled with mystical appearances of nearly a dozen wood structures and canvas tents set up right in around the base of the tree. Paths formed in the dirt and wound in between the shelters, lit by the glow of barrel-sized, blue-glowing lanterns hanging off tall, arched posts.

The tree itself even changed. An opening was revealed in the face of its trunk large enough for any man to walk through without having to duck or turn sideways. From that opening came a bright mixture of multicolored lights which beckoned the newcomers in.

Standing right in front of the three, having just finished casting the spell to allow them to see the village, was a trio of Tree Elves. A wide smile grew on Celia's face as she stepped forward to hug her sisters, the three of them warmly returning the embrace as they each whispered, "Welcome back."

Naipee stood frozen in place, her body trembling as tears streamed her cheeks past quivering lips. She almost collapsed before Galen grabbed onto her, holding her up as the three Elves came forward one at a time to hug her without a word. When the last one released her embrace, they took her and Galen by the arms and guided them toward the tree. She would need the soldier's support going forward.

It didn't take long for Naipee to notice how empty the village was. No Elves were peeking out or coming out to greet them. Everything was just silent. She began to wonder where the rest of her sisters waited, if they spied only wary of her, until they got to the entrance of the tree.

They found the other forty-two Elves gathered in a circle around the edge of the hollowed-out tree waiting for them. They stood a quiet, welcoming vigil, though several were fighting the urge to smile as they all shed tears at the sight of their lost sister. At the end of the room opposite the door, standing in front a wooden throne, was Elder Tanza.

Violet-skinned with a white glow shining from her belly right through her dark, blue robe, the buxom elder circled around the boiling cauldron that sat in the center of the tree. She approached a very shaky Naipee in Galen's arms and, being a full head taller than the Human, knelt to bring herself to her lost sister's height.

After sweeping the strands of her lengthy black hair aside, Tanza blinked out a pair of shimmering drops that had been building in her ultramarine eyes. Pink lips curling up into a smile, the elder reached out and took her lost once-lost sister into her embrace to allow the Elves' new favorite male to let go. Naipee felt herself lose all her strength and then, like she was an ancient, glass doll needing the utmost delicacy, she was pulled into her Elder's chest and given a kiss on the top of her head.

"You are safe, now," Tanza whispered with a quivering voice. "You are home."

Naipee hugged onto her, closing her eyes and letting her purple glow brighten as she broke down once again.

...

Stepping back, Galen had to shield his eyes from the growing light as Tanza stood with Naipee and walked her over to the nearest waiting Tree Elf. With a few words of varying emotions and a shared kiss or hug, she was taken to each Elf around the room who got her chance to welcome their sister back in their own way while their elder returned to her cauldron.

"Sisters, I cannot express the joy my heart thunders with this day," she started, her voice still sounding like she could collapse into tears at a moment's notice. "Ten years ago, four of us were stolen away. Nearly four weeks ago, a young man came to us and blessed five of our bellies with six daughters."

Six?!

Galen and Celia looked at each other in shock, and the soldier couldn't help glancing about the room with eyes like dinner plates. It was easy to see which Elves were pregnant as their bodily auras concentrated right around their midriffs. If he had to guess which carried two, it was likely the Elven twin with pale, white skin and fire-red hair and aura. If not for the fact that she was a twin herself, then because of the beaming faces of both her and her identical sister.

"And a few days ago, after finding and ending the man that had taken our sisters, he took the burden upon himself to find them and return them home to us. And as we see now, his effort has borne fruit. Naipee stands among us again."

Many of the Elves looked to him with broad smiles and approving looks as they chanted their thanks. But then he noticed the look of surprise he got from the Elf in question, as if Naipee hadn't expected him to have rescued her of his own volition.

With a firmer voice, Tanza turned and looked directly at Galen and Celia as she continued, "Now together we may reconnect her magic with ours. It will require all, save Galen and Celia, to join hands and to channel your magic unto me. I will cast the spell, and Naipee must drink from the cauldron, take in the tears of Atzlar, and join our family again!"

The Elves linked their hands together as Naipee approached the boiling pot, standing across from the Elder. She was almost shaking with excitement as she stared into the bubbling waters in front of her. She looked as if she believed it surreal, as if she feared she would wake up and to find out this was all a dream.

"I warn you now, Galen," Tanza declared, drawing the soldier's attention as the bodies of the clan lit with an intense show of color. "This spell will temporarily dispel the chastity that is enforced upon us. It must in order to bring a sister back into our fold. It will last until dawn tomorrow so I do hope you did not plan for sleep tonight. For what you have done for us today, the clan will grant you none."

Blinking with broad eyes, he glanced about the room at the women surrounding him and felt goosebumps ripple across his skin as their magic poured into Tanza. The elder started chanting in a low voice and touched a hand to the cauldron as its contents began to glow. When a rainbow rippled across the bubbling surface, Naipee dunked her whole head into the water.

Tanza sucked in a deep breath as an invigorating heat swelled in her chest and nether regions. She felt the connection re-establish, felt a sister become one with them again, but she also felt the damage done to her in both mind and spirit. Beyond the physical scars she bore from her time with Pretayus, there were far more she carried that were worse than skin-deep. It would take time, but Tanza knew she could heal this. Love, family, and time. Naipee would never be the same, but she could be whole again.

When the clan's auras dimmed, Naipee pulled her head from the cauldron and gasped for air. Instantly, her right hand pressed to her chest and her left went to grasp her crotch. She dropped to her knees with her thighs pressing so firmly together she looked like she might break her fingers between them. In the next moment, she was stripping off her white cloak and tearing open her black blouse to reveal her pale blue breasts and pink, erect nipples.

Galen almost had to scoop up his jaw when she clawed her way out of her dark trousers and threw them aside to furiously rub the dripping cleft between her legs. Not an ounce of shame appeared on her face as she openly masturbated in the center of the Great Tree. He blinked in bewilderment and looked around to see the other Elves' reactions, only to find many of them in a similar position.