A Hero's Rebirth Ch. 04

"Do you fear discovering the wrongness of your ways?" Ki'Amura asked with newfound confidence.

"No, but I'm not sure I'm willing to turn if no one shows up." I confessed. "I'm not used to mortal men thinking they could call upon God and force him to answer."

"You speak of your gods as though there were only one." Ki'Amura noted.

"Well, there was only one on my world, and he only showed up to talk to prophets... and we haven't had one of those that I know about in thousands of years... Cause, I don't think even the Pope claims to talk to him." I muttered.

"Strange." Ki'Amura asserted.

"Anyways, I guess we go and see. If they show up, one of us will be proved wrong, and if they don't... We'll go from there." I suggested.

"If they do not appear, I will know why." Ki'Amura declared zealously.

I grabbed my weapons, and led her from the room.

"That was short." Creadean noted as we walked into the sitting room in front of the entrance to our home.

"We aren't done." I corrected her, "We'll be back... though I'm not sure how long it will take."

"Where are you going?" Tavorwen demanded, rising.

"To the temple." I told her. "And I think it will be better if we go alone."

There was a mix of emotions from my matrons, but Tavorwen returned to her seat.

Outside, the stars were still clearly visible in the sky, without a hint of daybreak. Three moons lit the sky, the red moon, the blue moon and a more yellow moon that I hadn't made note of before. The yellow moon was much larger in the sky, probably closer, and seemed to orbit more quite a bit more quickly than the others. I would guess it was the early hours of the morning, probably something like three in the morning.

The hanging streets of Ealphamir were mostly empty. Only what appeared to be patrols of battle maiden soldiers occasionally passed us as we walked to the temple. Each patrol initially moved as though to confront us, but then once they recognized me, they returned to their normal patrol.

My mental map of Ealphamir was getting better and better, and even in moonlight I was able to lead us to the temple with relative ease.

I was several steps in before I realized Ki'Amura had stopped outside the temple. When I turned she was standing outside the temple, staring into the depths of the temple. I couldn't see anything but her silhouette in the darkness. I imagined this was quite the moment for her.

"Are you okay?" I gently prodded.

"... In El'Muth'Ran..." Ki'Amura whispered, "...there is a special chamber prepared in which the Queen may petition the Great Ya'av for her guidance... But you, you come to a common temple to speak to not one God, but an entire Host of the gods of our people."

I looked deeper into the temple. There was light visible from this far out. In my previous visits there had been some lights around each of the statues representing one of the gods, and the alcoves where the two statues no longer stood.

"This is the only temple I know of." I admitted.

Ki'Amura made a sign with her hands, keeping her last two fingers straight, but bending her first two fingers and interweaving them in a way I didn't think my knuckles would let me, then she touched the bent fingers to her forehead.

"I am prepared." She declared and walked into the temple, hustling like a kid walking into a haunted house they had to hype themselves up for, and they didn't want their courage to run out.

We walked into the temple, and when we reached the main room, the dim light was enough to reveal each of the statues.

"I know these." Ki'Amura noted, "Though... in El'Muth'Ran, all of the statues of the Goddesses have a slave sigil on their necks..."

"The lies our sister must tell." A feminine voice echoed through the room.

Ki'Amura shook as though the ground under her feet were trembling and only kept her feet because I caught her.

Light began to fill the room, starting slowly to brighten, but it got brighter faster until like a flash it receded.

When the light settled, it might as well have been noon on a cloudless day in the room, despite the earliness of the hour. Thirteen enormous Elves stood radiantly around the room. Some sitting on the stone walls next to their statues, others leaning against their statues. One, dressed in furs and with an enormous bow on her back, floated next to her statue and for the first time I realized she had wings. I had thought them to be a cloak before, but magnificent wings with white feathers sprouted from her back, about where her shoulder blades would be. A quick look over the other gods revealed a second that had wings.

I realized the gods matched each of the Elven peoples. The two Goddesses with wings were probably Cloud Elves. One goddess with a full array of blades hanging in sheathes on her body, and one goddess holding what appeared to be a smithing hammer had the gray and tan skin of Mountain elves. Another Goddess and one of the male Gods had skin that was streaked with green and gray, and confused me until I noticed slits like gills on their necks and webbing that extended halfway up their fingers, making them Sea Elves. Finally I noticed two Goddesses that had the brown skin of the Wild Elves. Strangely though, only two Goddesses seemed to actually be Wood Elves, or High Elves, whichever you wanted to call them.

Of the three male gods present, only one seemed to actually be associated with one of the elven peoples. The other two males' skin tone was off to be any of the races, and only really matched what I had seen on X'Thallion and the last remaining Goddess.

Ki'Amura dropped to her knees as she stared at the assembled gods.

"Sweet daughter of the Night Elves, glad are we at your return to us." One of the Wood elven goddesses greeted her. Her voice had been the one to speak earlier. She had long dark brown hair with a touch of red, and a green dress. In one hand she held a transparent ball of some kind.

"Great Abarith," Ki'Amura prostrated herself on the ground, "how have you escaped the bond placed upon you by X'Thallion upon his betrayal?"

"Sweet Amura," The Goddess, Abarith, replied, "The only bonds which bind me to X'Thallion are the bonds of love, and the vows we have made to one another." Her hand reached out and touched the sigil on Ki'Amura's neck, "Such magics as this are far too weak to bind a goddess."

"Can you break it? Can you set her free?" I asked hopefully.

"Would that it were so simple." One of the unassociated male gods answered. "This magic is a mixture of both secular magic and magics divine. To break this magic, would require the hand of Yavoria, also known as Ya'av the Betrayer, and a great ritual performed either by our hands or a mortal of utmost power, in union. And so long as Yavoria persists in her rebellion, such cooperation is not possible."

"Thank you, Talnir." Abarith addressed the other God.

Talnir... Narusil had invoked his name before, and seeing him, I could guess why. He was clad in a sapphire blue robe, long and flowing, with a staff in his hands that seemed to be a series of stars bound in the form of a rod, with the light of each star bending around those next to them holding them in place. He must be a god of magic or something.His hair was a platinum blond, and fell well past his shoulders. His eyes were light enough blue to seem silver. His skin was that almost porcelain white.

"Dear little one, are you satisfied of our freedom?" The Sea Elf Goddess asked. "We could not allow such slander to stand against our beloved."

"Yes, Great Cranatha." Ki'Amura choked.

I sat back and marveled at how much simpler things would be on Earth if God would just descend down and talk to his children like this. It would resolve a lot of issues between christians, jews and muslims to be sure.

"Lucky you are to have been freed from the clutches of our dear deluded sister. She keeps us from you, and want though we are to aid your sisters and brothers of the night, ever she intervenes, as patron goddess of your people. And Golera, walks in shadow, refusing to raise her hand for or against Yavoria, leaving her children to suffer the will under her rule." The Cloud Elf Goddess without the bow spoke. Her skin was a golden tan, and her long blond hair was done in braids, two that circled her head like a crown, and three more that hung down her back. She had a form-fitting shirt and pants laced tight to her legs. I realized she had spindles of threads of some kind on her belt, along with a pouch for needles, scissors and other sewing tools on her belt. A weaving goddess. "Fate itself, in its kindness, has brought you to Master Thomas."

"Your strength wanes," the other Wood Elf Goddess spoke. She was glad in dark leathers and white furs, oddly her feet were bare and her fingernails and toenails were well maintained but seemed almost sharp in their shortness, like claws. Her fair skin, honey brown hair, and light green eyes. She had a few small blades but was otherwise unarmed. "Do you have aught else to ask, ere we depart?"

"Great gods... If this is the truth... How can I help the rest of my people to know?" Ki'Amura's voice was weak.

"Amura, words will not be able to pierce the veil your god has put over the eyes of her children. Only through your actions can your people be saved, and even then it is possible that Yavoria will drag her children to their destruction, Then will it fall to you to restore the lineage of the night." One of the Wild Elf Goddesses replied. Her dark skin and dark brown hair were close in color. Her cloak, tunic and trousers were all a lighter brown, like the color of dry grass. A curved scimitar was her only weapon, though a totem, circular and wrapped in some green vine with the skull of a bird of prey suspended in the middle, hung from the opposite side of her belt.

"Your strength is spent, Amura." Abarith declared. "So go, and do so with our blessing. Welcome home, Child of the night."

And with that the light flared once again, fading into darkness once again, leaving us alone in tranquil silence.

The sound of a flood of running feet from the entrance broke the silence moments later. Half a dozen elven maidens, with robes pulled over their nightgowns, ran into the temple.

"What happened?" One asked in awed reverence. "You can feel the sacred energies..."

"Um..." I floundered. "We had some questions, and the Gods were kind enough to answer."

You might as well have taken a two-by-four and slapped each of them across the face with it. They were gobsmacked.

"...You had QUESTIONS.... And the GODS were nice enough to answer?" One repeated, putting an emphasis on the words.

"Yep." I stated simply.

"Master...I can't move." Ki'Amura admitted weakly.

"Oh, shit. Here let me help." I apologized, scooping her up with ease. The poor she-elf must have only weighed around fifty pounds. "Sorry, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to get her home. She probably needs to rest after that."

The elven maidens parted wordlessly to let me pass.

I carried her in silence out of the temple and towards my home.

"I can hardly believe it." Ki'Amura murmured.

"It's okay, I'm sure it'll be an adjustment. But I'd love to do anything I can to help you. As I said earlier, I think Lymarith could help make you clothes more to your preferences." I assured her.

"I... I'd like that." She admitted.

"And Ki'Amura, you-" I started but she cut me off.

"No, that's not right." She insisted. "The Great Ones didn't call me that. They called me Amura. They know that's my name. We should use it."

"Okay. Amura, you can talk to me about anything you need to, or want to. I know you've been through a lot, and I want to help you however I can." I told her.

She nodded, but fell silent as she settled into my arms.

I became very aware of her bare legs on my arm and how my arm was over the fabric tied across her back, touching her bare skin. My member got a little excited by that.

I'd tried not to press my matrons into anything, and none of them had shown any interest in sex since our first times, thus far. I remembered Driveal talking about how a she-elf's body will hold onto semen for about a week, and given that no matter how much I had done during sex with them, they weren't sated until they received my sperm, I figured that satisfaction might last as long as my seed remained inside them. I was starting to get the itch again. It had been great getting to get it on with my matrons, and I'd been content for a few days, but it was starting to come back. It was something that would fade if ignored. I'd had to deal with that before, when I went from on leave with a few interested women willing to take a ride in my bed to deployed with women unavailable even if they were around.

I'd have to talk to Diamiutar and Tavorwen about it. I didn't know if Narusil would even be able to get aroused. Elven arousal seemed to be centered around reproduction. If they were humans I'd say they had a breeding kink, or something like that. I wondered if that meant that Narusil wouldn't even desire sex again until after she gave birth.

It was pointless speculation for now, but it helped keep my mind off the attractive, scantily clad young she-elf in my arms.

Finally, I reached my home. Amura had fallen asleep in my arms. I carefully opened the door and found all my matrons, now dressed, waiting in the sitting room. I indicated the sleeping elf in my arms, and walked her to her room and put her in her bed, before returning to the entryway to talk to the rest of my household.

"You said you were going to the temple... What in heaven's name happened?" Tavorwen pressed when I leaned my weapons against a chair and sat.

"Let me start at the beginning here." I suggested. I related my understanding of everything that had happened that morning. Ending with the events in the temple.

"...and then I offered again to have Lymarith make Amura some clothes that were more to her liking. Is that something you'd be willing to do?" I finished, turning to Lymarith.

My matrons sat wide eyed and with a jumble of emotions it was impossible to pick through coursing through our bond. They sat in silence, and I could see them trying to process everything.

"...I think I could work with her on that, but you said how many of the Enlightened Host appeared to you?" Lymarith questioned.

"Well, like I said, X'Thallion didn't come this time, but the rest did." I reiterated.

Several of the elves sat back in astonishment.

"What?" I asked, "I mean, X'Thallion came earlier yesterday to chat with me. I figured that if the gods were willing to come and talk to you, wouldn't it just be smart to take them up on that?"

A few of the matrons exchanged a glance, but Heilantu was the one to speak up.

"Because for most anyone that would have been an exercise in futility!" Heilantu exclaimed. "The gods have better things to do than answer at the beck and call of mortals! You just casually asked for a miracle!"

I pinched my lips together in a grimace.

"Do you treat your god that way?" Heilantu demanded.

I met her gaze, "Well, in all fairness, on my world it has been thousands of years since anyone has even claimed to see our God and not been treated as a kook. I'm not really sure what the protocols are for working with gods that actually show up."

"In all fairness, neither do we." Tavorwen admitted, "The only one who has been given permission to even request a meeting with the gods is the Senior Elder. Even then she rarely draws on that privilege, as it is exhausting and she needs time to recover before invoking it again. And that is just meeting with one member of the host, usually either X'Thallion or Abarith, the First Mother. You however visited with almost the entire host and seem unaffected! No wonder Ki'Am- Amura, was exhausted."

"Well, I'll try to be more careful in the future." I stated.

"So, let me get this straight," Creadean groaned, "Amura came into your room, fully intent on murdering you, but decided against it, and the gods said she is important to their divine politics, so we should just ignore her intent to kill our master?"

"Yes, a young elf who has spent her entire life among a people who believe we are evil usurpers, and who has spent who knows how long enslaved by them, and I can tell you she was at least beaten, and it sounds like lived on the border of starvation, only to be handed over to these 'evil' people almost did just what she was raised to do, but recognized that something wasn't right and made the right choice." I tried to reframe. "Can you imagine if I gave you up to the shadow elves, naked and alone and they fed you, treated you nicely and then left you alone? You'd be confused and conflicted too, if you didn't just start trying to fight your way out immediately. So I think she deserves a bit of credit."

Creadean seemed to give that some thought. "Alright. I don't like it, but I guess I can see where you're coming from. But if she harms you, I won't hesitate to protect you."

I shrugged, "That's good enough for me."

The rest of the household seemed to agree.

"By the way, where are the maidens?" I asked.

"We decided not to wake Savourn and Valentrine." Diamiutar admitted.

"Risavis is on the terrace keeping watch, and Zanantha has been watching the halls." Tavorwen explained. "The rest have been allowed to sleep."

I nodded. I felt bad that everyone else was losing sleep. I had gone to bed hours before I normally would, probably around six in the afternoon, just after dinner. In all reality, I'd probably gotten at least eight hours of rest before I woke to Amura being in my room.

"Did Mother Abarith really say 'Welcome home' to Amura?" Lymarith asked in wonder.

"I am pretty sure that's who she was." I answered hesitantly.

"Long chestnut hair, piercing green eyes, usually wearing a gown as green as the leaves of midsummer, and carrying her scrying crystal?" Lymarith pressed.

"Yes, that would be her." I agreed. "Assuming the scrying crystal is a clear sphere."

"Magnificent... the mother of the first High Elves herself, welcoming Amura to live among her children..." Lymarith sighed dreamily, like some girls I've known staring at a poster of Ryan Gosling.

Flendreir emerged from the hall, rubbing her eyes, though she had dressed.

"What is everyone doing awake at this hour? Oh, there you are Master Thomas. I was going to suggest we do your daily blade drills, I usually do them in the morning before everyone is awake, but... seems like I was slow this morning." The tallish elf murmured.

"No, it's... it's been a morning." I noted. I stood and grabbed my weapons, "I'll join you. The workout will be good before breakfast."

That seemed to break the unspoken agreement that had kept my matrons seated, and they began to disperse to their various activities.

Flendreir and I ascended to the terrace where Risavis was pacing with her bow. She gave us an acknowledging salute, then resumed her patrol, watching the roads down below and the skies above. The beginnings of the lights of dawn touched the eastern sky.

The yellow moon had set, but the other two remained in the sky, providing enough light to see enough that I wasn't stumbling. Flendreir rolled out a scroll on one of the shelves, and placed small stone or metal weights on the ends to keep it open, I was shocked she could read in this light, but realized that just how Amura could seemingly see in complete darkness, my elven family could likely see much better than I did in the darkness.

"Alright, now that I actually have a reference, let's really get to work with that monster on your back." Flendreir instructed.

My grip was slightly adjusted, my stance corrected, and we began actual drills of attacks on the dummy. It was still amazing to me how easily I could swing and maneuver the blade. Flendreir gave me those drills and practiced her own while I continued once I had learned the drills. We continued the attack drills for some time.