Fantastic World Ch. 12

"Thank you." She set to work freeing the second petrified person and as Wariik had done, he came out swinging. She quickly calmed him with the blue mist that surrounded him. "You are free."

He blinked at her curiously. "Where am I?" He removed his helm to reveal the angular features of his face. He was elven, like she, with hair that rivaled a summer sunset.

"You are in the lair of a Beholder. I freed you from your petrified prison of stone. Can you tell me your name?" Callia asked with a bright smile.

"I am Kerethial, and you are?" He replied, still somewhat dazed.

"Callia Blackhawk-Darksbane. This is my companion, Ethilathain."

"It is an honor and a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I do not recall how I came to be in this place. I have no memory of it at all. Will you help me?"

"We would be most delighted to do so, Kerethial," Ethilathain spoke up before returning to his task.

"I thank you for freeing me. It is refreshing to look upon my own kind again," he spoke softly, smiling jovially at Callia.

"Appearances can be deceiving, friend." Wariik spoke up. "He's a dragon in disguise."

Ethilathain inclined his head. "That is no cause to be concerned with. Callia is my mate and I accompany her to protect her from harm. We are on a mission."

Kerethial nodded in understanding. "Is she also a dragon?"

"Only when you make her mad!" Ethilathain smirked with a wink at her.

Callia stuck her tongue out at him, "No, I am not. I am a green elf. I come from another realm."

"How have you come to be here then?" Kerethial asked her, his curiosity aroused.

She smiled, "It is a long story. Right now, I would like to free this last poor soul from its stony prison. We are searching for a key and once we have it, we will be on our way."

"A key, you say?"

"Have you seen one?" Ethilathain asked, intently studying Kerethial.

He pulled a key from a pouch at his side. "I picked it up when I entered these caverns. I think that is why the eyeball attacked me." He handed it to Callia and watched as a wide smile crossed her face.

She exclaimed with joy and bounced around happily. "Might I keep it, Kerethial?"

"By all means, have it. You saved me from being an eyeball's ornamentation for the rest of my days."

"My lady and I bestow upon you our sincerest thanks," Ethilathain inclined his head and bowed before Kerethial.

"I am honored and am most happy to be of help. I wish to leave this foul place behind. May I accompany you?"

"Certainly," Ethilathain replied before he went back to gathering all the treasure in the two rooms.

Callia moved to the third and final statue. This one was of a female with a lovely set of pointed ears. Callia smiled. It looked like a female elf. "Kerethial, does she look familiar to you? She is elven as well."

He turned, perusing her most thoroughly. "I can not say that I do recognize her," he replied. "She looks to be a true beauty, though."

"You are right," Callia agreed, causing Ethilathain to clear his throat once more.

"Get that thought out of that hard head of yours, Ethani," Ethilathain growled low in his throat. He clenched his jaw.

She flashed an innocent look at him and smiled a wicked smile. "And what was I thinking, my lord?"

"Must I spell it out for you, sweetness? You were thinking about being with her. I know your appetites well."

Callia chuckled. "Alas, you found me out."

"One would think after all you've been through that you steer clear of such entanglements. You have no need of anyone else, for I can give you what you seek and you well know that."

Callia turned her wicked smile on him. "Very well, my lord. I look forward to it when we have a private moment."

Ethilathain laughed freely. "You are a wonder to behold, my lady. Free the beautiful damsel and let us make haste to leave this wretched place."

She rubbed the unguent on the statue and waited for it to transform into the elven beauty it depicted. Her brow furrowed as the grey stony texture melted away, but the female did not animate. "I don't think she is alive. She is not moving."

Ethilathain laid his hand against her cheek. It was cool to the touch. "You are right," he said. "Perhaps she was merely a statue to begin with and not a petrified being."

The blue mist rose from Callia's skin and hovered above the lifeless form of the female elf. "Let me fill the void of life," the blue mist shimmered before settling in.

Callia smiled. It was perfect, this ancient one needed a vessel in order to take form and the elven female needed something to bring it to life.

Sparkling blue eyes flew open and she sucked in several deep breaths, filling her lungs with life sustaining air. Her eyes met Callia's. "Thank you, my child. You have fulfilled my request splendidly. I shall be at your service as long as I am needed."

"Who are you?" Callia asked, as she drank in the sight of the female standing before her with the luminous eyes and sparkling sapphire hair. Her skin radiated like moonlight with a faint blue tinge to it. "Is this your true form? The one you have longed to reclaim."

"No, favored one, this is not my true form. It will suffice until the time is right to reclaim my true form. You have done well and I am pleased."

"And your name?"

"I bestow upon you the honor of giving me a name," she smiled, her eyes sparkling vividly.

"I shall call you Lahaela," Callia beamed a smile at her.

"It is beautiful," she swirled herself, cloaking herself in ethereal mist.

"It suits you, sweet lady," Ethilathain agreed as he watched her with interest. Callia nudged him, poking him in the ribs. He let out a small 'oomph'.

"I am all the woman you will ever need, my lord. Do not think just because you are bigger and stronger than I that I can not make you regret your thoughts," Callia warned.

He smiled. "You are the only woman I have a desire for. You have nothing to worry about, my lady love. I shall prove that to you when we are alone."

"I look forward to it."

Ethilathain turned his attention to gathering the remaining treasure. "Now shall we leave this place? I have had enough for one day."

"I'd like that." Callia smiled and headed back to the way they came in.

"Stop," Lahaela called out. "I can transport us out of here with a flick of my wrist. I have seen enough of where we currently are while in your mind that I can get us back to that portrait room."

"Very well. We would appreciate that." Ethilathain spoke up as Wariik and Kerethial voiced their wishes to be gone from this place.

"Let us join hands," Lahaela came between Ethilathain and Callia, taking hold of each their hands. Wariik accepted Ethilathain's while Kerethial placed his hand in Callia's other one.

A whirling sensation swept over them as Lahaela began to chant a few phrases that Callia did not understand. She was sure she had heard something similar from Onis during his spell casting, though.

The portrait room appeared before them. Callia was delighted to see it. She was happy to be free of the Beholder's lair. It seemed very oppressive to her. "Shall we rest before seeking the subterranean vault?" She waggled her eyebrows at Ethilathain.

"That's the best idea you've had all day," he smiled and took her hand. "There are bed chambers on the level below this one if any of you wish to make use of them. And if you wish to accompany us on our next trip through the void, we would appreciate your help in recovering the item in question. Have a pleasant rest."

Ethilathain picked Callia up, tossing her over his shoulder, and began to carry her down the stairs. She giggled and waved at the others.

A shiver of cold raced down her spine as her eyes raked over Kerethial and Lahaela. She could have sworn she saw an image of Amakiir and Tathlyn flicker over them. A cry of protest came forth from her throat, but Ethilathain continued on, laughing merrily.

O.O