Chapter 2

They had to rest another day for Dan to recover. Another day and they had returned the living Golem, Anna, to her home.

Anna hadn’t really wanted to stay though her people asked her to stay. Actually, they begged that she stay to help stabilize the village’s magic.

Dan had a bit of wanting her to stay, himself, but he recognized that they needed her. With slightly drooped shoulders, he held his comments as they left.

They had turned toward the east as it was the indicated direction of the cat woman Danea’s clan. Another two days and they arrived, though the presence of a human shocked and scared the clan. Just like with Anna’s village, he had to wait outside the clan boundaries.

Dan could only shake his head as they left after a lot of tears and emotion from Danea. She also had wanted to leave with them. Like with Anna, the clan begged her to stay. They were more afraid of Dan than the Orcs.

Again, Dan shook his head at the huge amount of distrust of him and humans in general. They were just leaving the clan when they heard what, could only be a wailing coming from behind them.

Dan did his best not to turn around, feeling like the world’s biggest shit. Like he had with Anna, he had gotten close to the cat woman. Though he felt bad, he felt that the females were better with their own kind.

They then turned more northeast toward the mountains. Though she’d not said much nor showed much of her emotions, Dan could feel the dark elf was upset.

They had entered a cave system the next day and continued on. At the end of the next day, they came to a bend that the dark elf, En’tra, stopped at.

“I am afraid, even with the fact that you saved my life, they won’t accept you here. I will send you back to the entrance,” En’tra said.

Dan bowed as he looked over the dark elf, a look of sadness on her face. “I,” Dan started. “I will not forget you, En’tra.”

“Nor did I, as with the others that you returned, felt that we owed you, our lives. It was a hard thing for you to return us, and we should be grateful. Perhaps one day we will be but I, for now? Will not,” En’tra said.

She raised her hand as the shadows reached out for the twins, Light Elf and Dan. A few moments later they were standing outside the cave system, Dan shaking his hands.

What the hell he thought as he shook his hands again? All three of the females with him stared almost afraid.

“Dan?” Asked Bell, “What’s wrong?”

“Not sure,” he said as a small round area of darkness appeared in front of his hand. “What the hell!” Dan shouted as he flung his hands away from himself. The dark ball flew against the mountain side and exploded. “We need to go!” Dan said as they started to run.

They had made more than what Dan estimated half a mile away when he felt something. Not stopping, he had them keep going. Still, he felt something almost racing toward them.

Shit he thought, as they were out in the open. Whatever the hell was after them, it appeared to be closing the distance at a good clip.

Maybe fifteen minutes later, they heard something like the wind drawing close. Not close enough to the tree line, he stopped, urging them to continue on.

What he saw almost had him pissing his pants. Releasing a huge wave of water, it seemed to wash away about twenty of the fifty Dark Elfs that were after them. A second yielded no further results.

It was when Dan released a huge wave of flame that they all stopped abruptly. It also too0k out another twenty-five more.

Suddenly, a dry crackling voice sounded through the air. “Nir thalare? Ael’fel?” (What are you? A mage?)

Dan only looked at the five Dark Elfs that were keeping their distance.

The one in front sighed as it looked back at the others. “Bime i mornië. A hilde man knows vamme? Care- tye sinte hilde?” (By the darkness. A human who knows not? Do any of you know human?)

Dan had tried to bring up the dark ball again. His mouth dropped open as it fizzled out. Trying again, it was stronger but fizzled again.

OK, Dan thought he was starting to get mad. He’d just done this.

“You, come with. No ask,” one of the younger Dark Elfs said.

Dan puffed his chest out, “NO!”

This, of course, caused the oldest to point a finger at Dan. This time, Dan was amazed when a dark shadowy patch appeared in front of him and hit all five of the Dark Elfs.

Damn it. Dan thought I wish I could understand them, just as suddenly what they were shouting came through.

{That was as powerful as a priestess! You can’t beat that!}

{Silence, we have our orders, now then.}The oldest said.

This time, Dan pointed at the five as the oldest and two others were sucked into the shadows of the last two.

The last two were looking at Dan in shock as they slowly started to back away. {That was shadow step}said one.

{We need to report this to the clans. If a minor priest was dispatched this easily, we have a new powerful enemy.}The second said as they said as they both fled.

Dan looked at his hand as if it had performed a miracle. Tygan leaned to whisper to the twins. “That was dark magic you never told me that he knew of it.”

“I’m not sure if he ever had any power before he came here,” Ella said, then stopped at the look from Bell.

“Before he came here from where?” Tygan asked.

“From wherever the humans went to,” Ella said, hoping that it would fool the light elf. However, it appeared that she wasn’t as gullible as they thought she was.

Tygan shook her head as she turned towards Dan. “I suggest that we depart this area before they send more that have more power. I am surprised that you have dark power. No humans ever attempted to master or use it. There are stories of many that went mad and tried to murder a great multitude.”

“I have no plans to go mad or murder a lot of people. At the moment I feel nothing of what you said,” a now-worried Dan said.

Tygan nodded as she looked closely at Dan ‘til he moved, feeling like she was looking into his soul. They picked up all that they had dropped and started to get out of the area quickly.

Within the Dark Elf clan area, the minor priest wasn’t able to do any magic at all. Neither were the other two that were displaced with him.

En’tra the lowest high priestess, was listening to their story about meeting those that had attacked the mountain. The further they got into the story, the more she was convinced that it had been Dan.

She kept her face as close to emotionless as she could. When had Dan developed dark power? This was an oddity to be sure. With the problem that it suggested, the ultra-high priestess would send one of the lower priestesses. She didn’t think they’d send her, though she was the lowest.

A few moments later she sighed as all ten of the highest priestesses withdrew to deliberate. The ten lower priestesses would know soon, she thought, as she went to her room to rest.

En’tra thought of the witches, cat woman and the Golem that had been with Dan. She even thought of the Light Elf, though she tried not to. What had been her name? Ah! Tygan, yes, that was its name.

This latest happening, though, was somewhat disturbing, especially if it dealt with Dan. She knew that what she, the cat woman and the Golem had, had to do was necessary. Still, she thought even the few days that they had shared with Dan made separation harder.

A thought came to her mind, perhaps she should go after this new enemy? If it was Dan, then she could reunite with him. Yes, she thought, though it would be a few days before the older priestesses decided. Enough time for her to completely recharge.

Dan had again started to feel the pull that was even stronger than it was before. Reaching out, he again tried to slap or punch whatever was trying to draw him to it or them.

Dan smiled as he thought he felt whatever it was yelling and yelping as the feeling dropped. At least he thought he’d have a rest.

Finally reaching the tree line, they made to disappear as fast as possible.

They had been traveling for three days without incident when they came upon a clearing. In the middle were several human-looking people, well he thought they were ‘til Tygan corrected him.

“Those are Zombies we need to avoid,” Tygan started, then stopped as several ghosts. No, these were emitting a low whine. Wraiths? Banshees? “Banshees, here,” she said as she handed me ear plugs?

Damn, he thought, how am I supposed to talk to Tygan? A giggling, then two gasps sounded in my head, what the hell? This is thought talk, let’s try to avoid them.

That’s when he saw that, one of the ghostly things. Apparitions? Noticed him at least he thought it did as it opened its rather large mouth. Without thinking, Dan shot flames that engulfed all that were there.

This he thought had worked, then he saw that the wraiths were still there. Swallowing a gulp, he saw that the Wraiths were more than upset.

Dan thought that he was about to die as he opened another dark place behind the Wraith. It seemed as soon as the Wraith started to shriek, almost all of them had shocked looks on their faces.

Of the ten that were there, eight were suddenly drawn into the dark openings. The shreeking sounded far different as they were suddenly quieted.

Almost immediately, the last two moved away, then vanished.

Where did you send them? Came Tygan’s shocked thoughts.

Send them? What are you talking about? I was worried, and I just wanted them to go away,” Dan’s thoughts said.

Tygan’s hand came to her mouth as she gasped.

What’s wrong came Ella’s thoughts.

They ... they are gone, they no longer exist. You literally erased them from existence! That is a dark priestess’ power, how? Tygan asked. It is a horrible thing to happen even to a Wraith.

Dan lowered his head, “I am sorry. I was afraid that they would harm you or the twins. I will try to not use it again, though I will defend all of you.

Tygan gently raised Dan’s head to look at her. I understand I am just in shock. I felt them fade ‘til there was nothing. I have never felt that before. Although it was necessary, it was still horrible.

Dan pulled the ear plugs out, “I’d rather talk the thought thing is going to take a while to get used to.”

Across the world, an elf king was suddenly knocked off his throne. “NO! What has happened?” He looked at his master at arms.

A magic user came running in at that, “sire they are no longer in existence! I felt them fade; it was horrible!” The mage was panting with tears coming from his eyes.

“Who has done this? They were only acting on orders. They didn’t deserve to pass on, their punishment wasn’t complete,” the king said.

“Sire, I am unsure the last sight I had was of a human, but ... but that’s not possible! You yourself pushed the last few hundred thousand out,” the Elfin mage said.